Highest CSA honour for Anrich Nortje

Eastern Province speedster Anrich Nortje and Shabnim Ismail received the highest accolade that Cricket SA (CSA) has to offer when they were named SA Men’s and SA Women’s Cricketers of the Year in their respective categories at CSA’s virtual awards on Monday evening.    

Former Warriors star Nortje becomes the 12th player to win the premier men’s award and created his own piece of history by being named International Newcomer of the Year and Men’s Cricketer of the Year in successive years.

There were four awards for Nortje on the evening as he was also named Test Cricketer of the Year, SA Fans’ Cricketer of the Year and sharing in a tied vote with Aiden Markram the SA Men’s Players’ Player of the Year.

It was a truly memorable occasion for Ismail who won three awards.

She was also named Momentum Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the Year and SA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year.

Having previously won the women’s premier award in 2015, Ismail joins Marizanne Kapp (2013, 2014) and Dane van Niekerk (2016, 2018 and 2019) as multiple winners in the professional era.

In a continuation of the trend that started in 2020 when the Momentum Proteas competed successfully for awards that had no gender limitation, Lizelle Lee won the KFC Streetwise Award for her brilliant century in the ODI series against India.

With Nortje winning the SA Fans’ Player of the Year, which was decided by an online poll, the third award available to all, the CSA Delivery of the Year, went to Wiaan Mulder for dismissing Kusal Mendis with the aid of a catch by Rassie van der Dussen in the second Test match against Sri Lanka.

Lee was also named Momentum One-Day International Cricketer of the Year.

Van der Dussen was honoured with the One-Day International Cricketer of the Year award while Tabraiz Shamsi was named T20 Cricketer of the Year and George Linde the Men’s International Newcomer of the Year.

“Anrich and Shabnim have set the highest standards that we expect from our icon Proteas players,”  CSA acting chief executive Pholetsi Moseki said.

“Anrich’s international career to date has been remarkable.

“In the space of a year, he has gone from being named our International Newcomer of the Year to our overall Player of the Year — an incredible achievement.

“The pandemic has restricted him to just 10 Test matches to date in which he has taken 39 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls.

“His strike rate of 48.50 is comfortably within the benchmark number that defines the world’s leading bowlers, he has also delivered the fastest delivery ever of the Indian Premier League in which the cream of the world’s talent goes head to head.”

The award winners were:

Professional: International

SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Anrich Nortje

SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

Test Cricketer of the Year: Anrich Nortje

One-Day International Cricketer of the Year: Rassie van der Dussen

T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Tabraiz Shamsi

Momentum Proteas One-Day International Cricketer of the Year: Lizelle Lee

Momentum Proteas T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

SA Men Players’ Player of the Year: Aiden Markram and Anrich Nortje

SA Women’s Players' Player of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

SA Fans’ Player of the Year: Anrich Nortje

KFC Streetwise Award: Lizelle Lee (innings of 132 v India)

CSA Delivery of the Year: Wiaan Mulder (dismissal of Kusal Mendis, SA v SL, 2nd Test)

International Newcomer of the Year: George Linde

Women’s International Newcomer of the Year: Black Day kit

Professional: Domestic

4-Day Domestic Series Cricketer of the Season: Aiden Markram (Titans)

Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Robbie Frylinck (Dolphins)

Betway T20 Challenge Cricketer of the Season: Sisanda Magala (Lions)

PitchVision Coach of the Season: Imraan Khan (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)

Domestic Players’ Player of the Season: Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins)

Domestic Newcomer of the Season: Neil Brand (Titans)

SACA Most Valuable Player Award: Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins)

Makhaya Ntini Power of Cricket Award: Ottniel Baartman (Dolphins)

Professional: Operations

CSA Umpires’ Umpire of the Year: Lubabalo Gcuma

CSA Umpire of the Year: Adrian Holdstock

CSA Fairplay Award: Warriors

Amateur

SA Forces Administrator Recognition Award: Lieutenant-Colonel Randall M Williams

Kemach JCB Groundsman of the Year: No winner as not all venues hosted matches. —  Cricket SA