Cricket: Overseas players in front seat

By Richard Boock

WELLINGTON - New Zealand's cricketers should at least be spared one dilemma at the end of today's limited overs international against South Africa - what to do with the car.

For the second time in its three-year existence the Bank of New Zealand International Player of the Year Award - a $32,000 Hyundai Sonata - is poised to be awarded to an overseas player, despite visiting teams being at a marked disadvantage.

Although the Kiwi cricketers have twice the opportunity to stake their claim for the award, this season's prize is almost certain to be won by either an Indian or a South African, depending on how the judging panel of former test players Jeremy Coney, Ian Smith and Martin Crowe weigh up the various contributions.

Last year it went to Chris Harris despite not having played in a test match, and the season before that English captain Alec Stewart scooped the inaugural prize after his team's 2-0 series win in the tests.

South African Daryll Cullinan would seem the obvious choice for this year's award, having scored 427 test runs at an average of 427, including his nation's highest test score (275*), as well as boosting his one-day record to 176 runs at 44.00 after his blazing 94 on Saturday night.

However, the classical elegance of Indian top-order batsman Rahul Dravid remains etched in most cricket followers' minds after his successes earlier this season.

Cullinan also has a couple of team-mates making handy claims for the award - Jacques Kallis who scored one test century and two in the ODIs, and South African vice-captain Shaun Pollock on the strength of his bowling efforts.

The only New Zealanders with any sort of chance of making the shortlist are Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns, although injuries meant neither was able to compete in both series.