BB FANS

ninemsn.com.au
Thursday Sep 29 05:39 AEST

England's Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff heads the final shortlist for the prestigious International Cricket Council (ICC) Player of the Year award, it was announced on Wednesday.

All-rounder Flintoff, man of the series after the 2-1 series triumph, has also been nominated for the ICC One-Day Player of the Year accolade. He was voted the Professional Cricketers Association Player of the Year in London on Tuesday.

Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq and Aussie fast bowler Glenn McGrath are the others in the reckoning for Player of the Year.

Gilchrist, who struggled on the Ashes tour, has been named in three of the four categories. Kallis, Inzamam and McGrath have also been nominated for the Test Player of the Year award.

South African-born England batsman Kevin Pieterson has been nominated for the One-Day Player of the Year and Emerging Player of the Year awards.

The selection was based on performances between August 1, 2004 and July 31 this year. The awards will be presented at a function in Sydney on October 11 during the Super Series between champions Australia and the ICC World XI.

The nominees were voted by a 50-member panel of current and ex-players and officials from among players selected by a committee headed by India's Sunil Gavaskar.

Nominations:

Player of the Year: Andrew Flintoff (England), Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist (both Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Inzamam-ul Haq (Pakistan).

Test Player of the Year: Gilchrist, Inzamam, Kallis, McGrath, Shane Warne (Australia).

One-day Player of the Year: Flintoff, Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds (both Australia), Kevin Pieterson (England).

Emerging Player of the Year: Aftab Ahmed (Bangladesh), Ian Bell (England), Dinesh Karthik (India), Pieterson, AB de Villiers (South Africa).


©AAP 2005

IAN BELL

apparently the last 4 tests aren[t included

Andrew Symonds

Thu, Sep 29, 2005
MegaStar


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Boozy bowler Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has sent beer sales through the roof since his well-publicised post-Ashes celebratory bender.

According to the Daily Star, 5,000 extra pints of Thwaites Lancaster Bomber are being downed a week, since our Ashes victory.

Here comes the twist.

Thwaites, who shrewdly struck up a sponsorship deal with the Lancs lad in May, claim that it is the Aussies who can’t get enough of the stuff.

“Many Aussie ex-pats have contacted us to get their hands on the bitter – and the advertising cardboard cut-outs of Freddie,” says Lee Williams, a Thwaites beer monster.

Hmmm.

We’re guessing there may be stashes of mutilated Flintoff cutouts all over the country.

Freddie’s got it made – he’s the nation’s hero, he’s got a stunning lady on his arm, and, according to the Star, Thwaites have even given him his own beer allowance!

Jealous? Us?

You wouldn't want to see my mutilated cut-out