Following a season in which the national side’s results were just “so-so”, AB de Villiers’ excellence with the bat has been one of the outstanding features.
It’s not surprising then to see him nominated in three of the main categories for this year’s Cricket South Africa Awards.
De Villiers was the leading run-scorer for South Africa in Tests and One-Day Internationals last summer, whilst his innings of 69 not out in a vital group game against England at the recent World T20 further underlined his versatility and class.
South Africa won three of the seven Tests they played last season, with De Villiers making three centuries – one in each of the three series.
In ODIs he notched up two centuries, but whereas he is the outstanding player in the Test category, he faces stiff competition from Quinton de Kock for the leading ODI player award. De Kock scored 664 runs in 12 ODIs last season, making four centuries, three of which came in the three-match series with India.
Dale Steyn will be De Villiers’ main rival for the main award, SA Cricketer of the Year, given his sublime form across the three formats. He had an average of 8.82 in ODIs with the ball, picking up 23 wickets, while in Tests he finished as the side’s leading wicket-taker with 30 at an average of 27.
He also produced one of the greatest last overs in T20 history to win the group match against New Zealand, successfully defending seven runs in Chittagong.
The Awards take place on June 4.
Nominees:
INTERNATIONAL
South African Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn.
Test Cricketer of the Year: AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Dale Steyn.
One-Day International Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, Ryan McLaren.
T20 International Cricketer of the Year: JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Dale Steyn.
KFC So Good Award: Jacques Kallis, David Miller, Dale Steyn.
Momentum Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Mignon du Preez, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp
DOMESTIC
Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season: Justin Ontong, Dane Piedt, Stiaan van Zyl (all Cape Cobras).
Momentum One-Day Cup Cricketer of the Season: Craig Alexander (Dolphins), Justin Kemp (Cape Cobras), Heino Kuhn (Titans)
RAM-SLAMMER of the Season: Kyle Abbott (Dolphins), Beuran Hendricks (Cape Cobras), David Miller (Dolphins)
CSA Coach of the Year: Paul Adams (Cape Cobras), Lance Klusener (Dolphins), Rob Walter (Titans)
CSA Umpire of the Year: Johan Cloete, Shaun George, Adrian Holdstock.
CSA Groundsman of the Year: Rupert Bailey (Boland Park), Wilson Ngobese (Sahara Stadium Kingsmead), Nico Pretorius (Chevrolet Park)