PRETORIA — South Africa World Cup skipper AB de Villiers was called a “batting genius” Wednesday after winning five of the nine major awards at a Cricket South Africa (CSA) function. “He is a true batting genius, who holds the world records for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in One-Day Internationals (ODIs),” CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat told the audience near Pretoria. The 27-year-old batsman was voted Cricketer of the Year for the second successive season, a feat no other South African has achieved. His other awards included ODI Cricketer of the Year, Cricketers' Cricketer of the Year and Supporters' Cricketer of the Year. There was also an award for scoring the fastest ODI international century, against the West Indies at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Hashim Amla was named Test Cricketer of the Year and Morne van Wyk Twenty20 International Cricketer of the Year. Dale Steyn won the Delivery of the Year prize for a third-Test ball against the West Indies at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town and Shabnim Ismail was chosen Women's Cricketer of the Year. “AB is just so special and must surely be the best all-round cricketer in the world,” said Lorgat. “His performances are sheer class and his rankings — No. 2 in Tests and No. 1 in ODIs — tell only part of an amazing story. “He has always been an entertainer and a trend-setter while, at the same time, possessing a unique ability to dig really deep when it matters. “AB has modestly taken limited-over batting to a new level, and has done it with a style and panache that is beyond the reach of most.” Former star fast bowler Makhaya Ntini was part of a six-man judging panel that included former players, an official, a statistician and a journalist. Injured Mahmudullah to miss India series Bangladesh's frontline batsman Mohammad Mahmudullah was Thursday ruled out of this month's home matches against India after he fractured a finger during practice, officials said. “Mahmudullah hurt the index finger on his left hand while attempting a catch during training today,” team physiotherapist Baizidul Islam told reporters in Dhaka. “X-rays revealed a fracture which usually takes three to four weeks to heal.” A replacement has not yet been named for Mahmudullah, who would have featured in a one-off Test in Fatullah from June 10 and three subsequent One-Day Internationals in Dhaka. Meanwhile, Bangladesh suffered a scare when one-day captain Mashrafe Mortaza was hurt in a road accident while on his way to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka for practice. Mortaza was travelling in a cycle-rickshaw which grazed against a bus and the all-rounder received minor injuries in both hands. But officials said the injuries were not serious and Mortaza, who is not part of the Test squad, will take the field for the one-day series starting June 18. Leicestershire ends 37-game winless streak Leicestershire ended a 37-match winless run lasting two years and nine months as they beat Essex by six wickets in England's County Championship Wednesday. Leicestershire finished bottom of Division Two in 2013 and 2014 after winless seasons, but it stopped the rot by reaching its victory target of 163 on the final morning of the game at Chelmsford. It was also its first away victory since 2010 and it saw it move off the bottom of the table at the expense of Essex. Leicestershire was the first team to go back-to-back seasons without winning a match since Northamptonshire, which endured a winless run of 99 matches between 1935 and 1939. — Agencies
