West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene and South African speedster Dale Steyn head the shortlist for this year's International Cricket Council (ICC) awards announced on Monday. The trio are in the running for the Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards, which will be presented at a function in Dubai on Wednesday. Chanderpaul topped the Test and one-day averages over the year since last August while Steyn captured 86 wickets in 14 Tests at home, in India and England. South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who led his team to its first Test series win in England for 43 years, is also in the reckoning for the Cricketer of the Year prize. Australia captain Ricky Ponting has won cricket's highest individual honor the last two years, while Kallis shared it with England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff in 2005. The shortlists in nine categories were announced by ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat in New Delhi. This year's ICC Awards introduces a new category recognizing the rise of the game's newest form - the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year. Four players vie for the new award owing to their showing in last year's inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa. West Indies batsman Chris Gayle scored 117 from 57 balls against South Africa, wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni captained India to victory while compatriot Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in one over against England. List of nominees is as follows: Cricketer of the year: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); Mahela Jayawardene (SL); Graeme Smith (SA); Dale Steyn (SA). Test player of the year: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); Mahela Jayawardene (SL); Jacques Kallis (SA); Dale Steyn (SA). One-day player of the year: Nathan Bracken (AUS); Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND); Sachin Tendulkar (IND); Mohammad Yousuf (PAK). Emerging player of the year: Stuart Broad (ENG); Ajantha Mendis (SL); Morne Morkel (SA); Ishant Sharma (IND). Associate player of the year: Ryan ten Doeschate (NED); Alex Obanda (KEN); Niall O'Brien (IRL); Thomas Odoyo (KEN). Twenty20 international performance of the year: Chris Gayle (WI); Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND); Brett Lee (AUS); Yuvraj Singh (IND). Women's player of the year: Nicola Browne (NZ); Charlotte Edwards (ENG); Lisa Sthalekar (AUS); Claire Taylor (ENG). Spirit of Cricket award: Bangladesh; New Zealand; Sri Lanka; West Indies. Umpire of the year: Mark Benson (ENG); Aleem Dar (PAK); Steve Davis (AUS); Rudi Koertzen (SA); Simon Taufel (AUS). Lawson leaves for home The Pakistan Cricket Board has played down national coach Geoff Lawson's decision to leave abruptly for Australia on Monday and take leave with his family. “He will be back later this month,” PCB spokesman Mansoor Suhail told AP. Lawson, a former Australian Test bowler, left Pakistan as the cricket board is working to fill the gap left by the postponement of the Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament. Local media have reported Lawson position may be in doubt in the new-look PCB, left after chairman Nasim Ashraf resigned on Aug. 18, just hours after the organization's patron President Pervez Musharraf stepped down as Pakistan leader.
