Peter Siddle wins ICC Emerging Player of the Year 2009
Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle has won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year award at the LG ICC Awards ceremony in Johannesburg.
The 24-year-old, who played in 12 Test matches in the voting period and took 49 wickets with an average of 28.93, has made an impact within the Australia side with his charging run up and powerful delivery.
Siddle's best bowling figures in an innings during the voting period came against England when he took 5-21 in 9.5 overs in the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley. He had earlier taken another five-for, this time against South Africa in Sydney when he snapped up 5-59.
Siddle was the top choice of the 25-person voting academy, coming in ahead of team-mate Ben Hilfenhaus, England bowler Graham Onions and New Zealand's big hitter Jesse Ryder.
Receiving his award from Rahul Dravid, Siddle said: "Getting to represent my country is an enormous honour and it has been a great time for me to be part of the team. It's been very enjoyable.
"I'm very pleased. It has been an amazing 12 months and part of it is down to the blokes I've been playing with. It is quite a young group, with Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus especially, we all keep each other going and we have all had a lot of success," he said.
The Emerging Player of the Year Award was one of eight individual prizes given at this year's LG ICC Awards. Players eligible for this award must be under 26 years of age at the start of the voting period (13 August 2007) and have played no more than five Test matches and/or 10 ODIs before the start of the voting period.
For all the individual awards (with the exceptions of the Women's Cricketer of the Year and the Umpire of the Year), a long-list compiled by the selection panel was forwarded to the 25-person Voting Academy made up of former players, respected members of the media, an elite umpire and an elite match referee. They voted on a three, two, one basis (with three being the highest value) and the winners emerged.
The selection panel for the long list was made up of West Indies legend Clive Lloyd and included former India captain Anil Kumble, former England wicketkeeper Bob Taylor, former Pakistan opener Mudassar Nazar and former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming.
Based on the period between 13 August 2008 and 24 August 2009, the LG ICC Awards 2009 - presented in association with FICA - take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.
That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England, the ICC Women's World Cup 2009 in Australia and the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 in South Africa, as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.
The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its sixth year and this year is being held in Johannesburg to coincide with the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007) and Dubai (2008).
