Cricket: Best cricketer award goes to Australian

LONDON - Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath has been named international cricketer of the year at a special awards dinner in London.

Another Australian, Brett Lee, was voted young cricketer of the year at the Federation of International Cricketers Association function.

New Zealand's Chris Cairns was among the finalists for the cricketer of the year. Other nominees were Ricky Ponting, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock and Sachin Tendulkar.

Cairns, the 29-year-old Cantabrian who tops the rating list of test all-rounders after leap-frogging South Africa's Pollock and Jacques Kallis this year, is on holiday in the Mediterranean.

New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori was one of the finalists in the young cricketer award.

The others were Abdur Razzaq, Reon King and Shoaib Akhtar.

Former England captain Ted Dexter chaired the voting panel, comprising international experts representing the test-playing countries.

The international player of the year in 1999 was West Indian record-breaking batsman Brian Lara and the international young player of the year was Kallis.

Cairns will return to London to play for the Rest of the World X1 against a top Asian side made up entirely of leading Indian and Pakistani players at the Oval on July 29.
- NZPA