Ken Borland

Spin bowler Keshav Maharaj was acknowledged as being at the heart of the Proteas team in all formats as he was named the 2021/22 SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s virtual awards on Sunday evening.

Seamer Ayabonga Khaka claimed the SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year award, and both her and Maharaj were voted by their team-mates as the Players’ Player of the Year.

In the year’s action up to the end of the Test series against Bangladesh on April 11, Maharaj shone with the ball in all three formats. In eight Tests, the left-arm spinner took 30 wickets at an average of just 18.20; in 14 ODIs, he claimed 18 wickets at 31.77 and an economy rate of only 4.61, while he conceded just 5.84 runs per over in eight T20s, also taking six wickets while captaining the side on occasion.

Khaka has become an extremely consistent member of the effective Proteas Women’s attack, especially in ODIs, where she took 28 wickets in 15 matches.

Kagiso Rabada was named the Test Player of the Year, Aiden Markram the T20 International Player of the Year,and Janneman Malan was One-Day International Player of the Year.

Marco Jansen was named the International Newcomer of the Year, while other notable winners from the women’s categories were Lizelle Lee (T20 International Player of the Year)and Laura Wolvaardt (One-Day International Player of the Year).

Central Gauteng Lions paceman Sisanda Magala will continue to remind the national selectors of his abilities as he was the biggest winner on the domestic front, claiming the One-Day Cup Player of the Season, Domestic Players’ Player of the Season, and the SACA Most Valuable Player Award.

Mandla Mashimbyi of the Titans will go into the new season basking in the glow of his Coach of the Year award, while SuperSport Park’s Bryan Bloy was named Groundsman of the Year.

CSA AWARD WINNERS 2021/22

AMATEUR AWARDS

1. KFC MINI-CRICKET COACH OF THE YEAR – Jerry Thulo(CGL)
2. KFC MINI-CRICKET BUCKET LOADS OF GOOD AWARD – Joseph Ngqasa (Kei)
3. CSA BOYS U16 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Riley Norton (Boland)
4. CSA GIRLS U16 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Mpumelelo Mashiloane (Easterns)
5. CSA GIRLS U19 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Elandri Janse van Rensburg (NW)
6. KHAYA MAJOLA CRICKET WEEK PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Ronan Hermann (CGL)
7. CSA U19 PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Dewald Brevis (Titans)
8. CSA BLIND CRICKET PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Buhle Bhidla (CGL)
9. CSA DEAF CRICKET PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Arthur McGee (Titans)
10. CSA RURAL CRICKET PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Nathan Engelbrecht (Boland)
11. T20 COMMUNITY CUP PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Nathan Engelbrecht (Boland)
12. CSA STUDENT PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Donovan Ferreira (Tuks)
13. WOMEN’S PROVINCIAL COACH OF THE YEAR – Wynand Schmitt (NW)
14. KEMACH EQUIPMENT GROUNDSMAN OF THE YEAR – Bryan Bloy – SuperSport Park, Centurion
15. CSA FAIRPLAY AWARD – EP Warriors
16. CSA WOMEN’S PROVINCIAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Tazmin Brits (NW)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS – DOMESTIC

1. CSA UMPIRES’ UMPIRE OF THE YEAR – Allahudien Paleker
2. CSA UMPIRE OF THE YEAR – Allahudien Paleker
3. DOMESTIC NEWCOMER OF THE SEASON – Mitchell van Buuren (CGL)
4. SACA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD – Sisanda Magala (CGL)
5. DIVISION 1 COACH OF THE SEASON – Mandla Mashimbyi (Titans)
6. DIVISION 2 COACH OF THE SEASON – Mark Charlton (NC)
7. T20 KNOCK OUT COMPETITION PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Rilee Rossouw (FS Knights)
8. T20 CHALLENGE PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Pieter Malan (Boland Rocks)
9. DIVISION 1 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Ryan Rickelton (CGL)
10. DIVISION 2 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Thomas Kaber (Border Iinyathi)
11. DIVISION 1 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Sisanda Magala (CGL)
12. DIVISION 2 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Michael Erlank (KZN Inland Tuskers)
13. DOMESTIC PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE SEASON – Sisanda Magala (CGL)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS  – NATIONAL

GENERAL CATEGORIES

14. THE BEST DELIVERY FUELLED BY KFC – Simon Harmer to Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh)
15. MAKHAYA NTINI POWER OF CRICKET AWARD – Nonkululeko Mlaba
16. SA FANS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR – David Miller

MEN’S CATEGORIES

17. INTERNATIONAL MEN’S NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Marco Jansen
18. T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Aiden Markram
19. ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Janneman Malan
20. TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Kagiso Rabada
21. SA MEN’S PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Keshav Maharaj
22. SA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Keshav Maharaj

WOMEN’S CATEGORIES

23. MOMENTUM WOMEN’S T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Lizelle Lee
24. MOMENTUM WOMEN’S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Laura Wolvaardt
25. SA WOMEN’S PLAYERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ayabonga Khaka
26. SA WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ayabonga Khaka

Proteas fans, your 2021/22 Men’s Player of the Year will be one of five cricketers – Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen or Quinton de Kock.

Cricket South Africa on Tuesday named the nominees for the CSA Awards, which will be a virtual ceremony taking place on August 14.

Performances from May 2021 to April 2022 were taken into account, which is from the tour of the West Indies to the end of the Test series against Bangladesh in April.

Who will be the favourite to claim the overall title will depend on your favourite format.

Rabada, Maharaj and Bavuma were outstanding in Tests, while Van der Dussen and De Kock shone in the white-ball formats.

Rabada took 30 wickets at an average of just 20 in the five Tests he played, while spinner Maharaj also took 30 wickets in the judging period, from eight Tests art an average of only 18.20. He also starred in ODIs with 18 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of just 4.61.

Bavuma scored 515 runs in seven Tests at an average of 46.81, while also averaging 38.70 in his 13 ODIs.

An extraordinary average of 73.11 in 14 ODIs for Van der Dussen saw him nominated, his 658 runs being scored at a strike-rate of 97, while he also averaged 39.10 at a strike-rate of 123 in T20s.

De Kock averaged 73 in the three Tests he played before his retirement from the longest format, and his chief successes came in ODIs – 523 runs in eight games at an average of 65.37 and a strike-rate of 108 – and T20s (524 runs in 14 innings at 43.66, SR 131).

Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keegan Petersen and Sarel Erwee are the new talents competing for the Proteas Newcomer of the Year award.

The Women’s Proteas team devoted themselves mostly to 50-over cricket last season due to the ODI World Cup, in which they reached the semi-finals.

Prolific run-scorer Laura Wolvaardt and star all-rounder Marizanne Kapp are probably the favourites for the overall SA Women’s Player of the Year award, with bowlers Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka and all-rounder Sune Luus also nominated.

2021/22 CSA AWARDS NOMINEES

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS – DOMESTIC

CSA UMPIRES’ UMPIRE OF THE YEAR

Lubabalo Gcuma

Allahudien Paleker

Stephen Harris

CSA UMPIRE OF THE YEAR

Allahudien Paleker

Lubabalo Gcuma

Stephen Harris 

Arno Jacobs

DOMESTIC NEWCOMER OF THE SEASON

Kyle Simmonds (WP)

Tristan Stubbs (EP Warriors)

Mitchell van Buuren (CGL)

Daniel Smith (WP)

DIVISION 1 COACH OF THE SEASON

Wandile Gwavu (CGL)

Mandla Mashimbyi (Titans)

Salieg Nackerdien (WP)

DIVISION 2 COACH OF THE SEASON

Mark Charlton (Northern Cape)

Garry Hampson (SWD)

Michael Smith (KZN Inland)

T20 KNOCK OUT COMPETITION PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT

Migael Pretorius (FS Knights)

Ottneil Baartman (KZN Dolphins)

Herschell America (SWD)

Rilee Rossouw (FS Knights)

Daryn Dupavillon (KZN Dolphins))

DIVISION 1 T20 CHALLENGE PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Pieter Malan (Boland Rocks)

Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans)

Tristan Stubbs (EP Warriors)

Ziyaad Abrahams (Boland Rocks)

Shaun von Berg (Boland Rocks)

DIVISION 1 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Pieter Malan (Boland Rocks)

Ryan Rickelton (CGL)

Simon Harmer (Titans)

David Bedingham (WP)

Kyle Simmonds (WP)

DIVISION 2 4-DAY DOMESTIC SERIES PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Thomas Kaber (Border)

Michael Erlank (KZN Inland)

Tshepang Dithole (KZN Inland)

Evan Jones (Northern Cape)

Sean Whitehead (SWD)

DIVISION 1 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Heinrich Klaasen (Titans)

Sisanda Magala (CGL)

Wihaan Lubbe (EP Warriors)

Sibonelo Makhanya (Titans)

Stiaan van Zyl (Boland Rocks)

DIVISION 2 ONE-DAY CUP PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Benjamin van Niekerk (Mpumalanga)

Keith Dudgeon (KZN Inland)

Michael Erlank (KZN Inland)

Ludwig Kaestner (Limpopo)

Beyers Swanepoel (Northern Cape)

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS – INTERNATIONAL

MOMENTUM WOMEN’S T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laura Wolvaardt

Lizelle Lee

Ayabonga Khaka

Marizanne Kapp

MOMENTUM WOMEN’S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laura Wolvaardt

Shabnim Ismail

Ayabonga Khaka

Marizanne Kapp

Sune Luus

SA WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Laura Wolvaardt

Shabnim Ismail

Ayabonga Khaka

Marizanne Kapp

Sune Luus

THE BEST DELIVERY FUELLED BY KFC

Ismail to Matthews

Klaas to Beamount

Ismail to Martin

Klaas to Brunt

Harmer to Shanto

Olivier to Latham

Rabada to Blundell

Maharaj to Mitchell

INTERNATIONAL MEN’S NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Kyle Verreynne

Marco Jansen

Keegan Petersen

Sarel Erwee

T20 INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Quinton de Kock

Aiden Markram

Tabraiz Shamsi

Anrich Nortje

Kagiso Rabada

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Janneman Malan

Rassie van der Dussen

Quinton de Kock

Tabraiz Shamsi

Keshav Maharaj

TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Dean Elgar

Temba Bavuma

Keshav Maharaj

Kagiso Rabada

Marco Jansen

Keegan Petersen

SA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kagiso Rabada

Keshav Maharaj

Temba Bavuma

Rassie van der Dussen

Quinton de Kock

The Central Gauteng Lions endured a tough 2021/22 season with Proteas and SA A call-ups decimating their line-up, and one could only feel sympathy for Malusi Siboto, their stalwart seam bowler who had to carry the attack when so many bowlers were missing.

Across the four-day competition, the triumphant 50-over One-Day Cup campaign and the two T20 tournaments, the Lions played 24 matches last season and Siboto played in every one of them. He bowled the most overs in the four-day tournament, 151.4, and took 24 wickets at an average of just 14, spearheading a challenge for the title that only faltered in the final round.

The 34-year-old Siboto was also their leading T20 wicket-taker, while conceding runs at just 7.39 per over. So it was a fitting act of appreciation when he was crowned as the CGL Player of the Year at the weekend.

For his part, Siboto admitted that he was “very tired” but he said the responsibility of being a senior player had carried him through.

“For me, the big key was that element of making sure the younger players were ready. As a senior player, you have to step up and make sure the others follow you and that you play as a team.

“The stats are not important for me and I didn’t feel more pressure out on the field. It was more about mindset, being aware of the smaller things, those situations that can be game-changing.

“Whatever happens, you have to trust all the players to execute. So I didn’t feel there was any pressure on me to perform, it was more about making sure all the players are on the same page.

“At times it seems like you’re bowling for someone else. And then you just have to make sure they’re aware, someone like Codi Yusuf had Sisanda Magala and I always in his ear,” Siboto told The Citizen.

Siboto has now played 244 matches across the formats in domestic first division cricket. He moved from the Knights to the Titans in 2016/17 and then to the Lions in 2018/19. He has never failed to be a consistent, skilful performer at that level, certainly one of the most effective bowlers in the local game.

Although his only taste of international cricket came with eight matches for SA A between 2016 and 2019, he is not going to give up on his dream of playing for the Proteas.

“I am ready to play for the Proteas, I’ve been bringing it year-in, year-out and my SA A games were a long time ago. I am fit and working hard and always growing. I’m learning something new every season.

“Next season again, I will just try to be consistent, do the basics right, that’s all I can control.

“At the Titans, there was an element of there being no comfort zone, we were all working hard to win trophies and build a legacy.

“At the Lions, it’s a different ball-game because half the team is so young and new. So it’s a matter of also making sure those younger guys flourish,” Siboto said.