Quinton de Kock was named South Africa Men’s Cricketer of the Year in a virtual awards ceremony held on July 4. De Kock also bagged the Test Cricketer of the Year award. Meanwhile, Laura Wolvaardt won both ODI Cricketer of the Year and South Africa Women’s Cricketer of the Year awards.
De Kock became only the sixth player to bag the South Africa men’s cricketer of the year award for the second time. Kagiso Rabada, Makhaya Ntini, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, and AB de Villiers are the other cricketers who have won the award twice.
Lungi Ngidi took home both the best T20I Cricketer and ODI Cricketer of the Year awards. Anrich Nortje, the tearaway, having taken a five-for in the Test series against England, was named as the Men’s Newcomer of the Year.
Nonkululeko Mlaba, the left-arm spinner, was adjudged the Women’s Newcomer of the Year, while Shabnim Ismail was named the T20I Cricketer of the Year.
CSA’s acting chief executive Dr. Jacques Faul commented that Quinny and Laura had set the highest standards that they expected from their icon Proteas players. He added that Quinny is the leading wicketkeeper in Test cricket and in fact is one of the leading batsmen in both white ball and red ball cricket. He is also beginning to emerge as a great leader as witnessed by the Proteas clean sweep of Australia in their recent series.
Dr. Faul added that Laura named in the tournament select XI of the ICC Women’s World T20 told us a great deal about the esteem in which she is standing at the international level. At the age of 21, her best years are still ahead and she will be a key player as the Momentum Proteas go to the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2021.
