New Zealand has been honored with the Spirit of Cricket prize at the ICC Awards in Bangalore. It’s the third time they’ve won this award and the second year in a row. The award is handed out to the team with the best on-field conduct and is decided by the ICC elite panel of umpires and match referees, and the captains of the ten full members of the world’s governing body. The voting period for the awards ran from August 24, 2009, to August 10, 2010, and the other nominees were India, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, was unable to collect the award in Bangalore due to playing commitments in Bangladesh, but was delighted at the recognition: “The team I have led over the past year has without a doubt shown great sportsmanship and played the game of cricket in the right way by always respecting our opponents and those who officiate and look after us in the sport. I would be thrilled if to go alongside our award and Brendon McCullum’s [Twenty20 Innings of the Year] that we win the series that we are playing here in Bangladesh.”
The award has previously been won twice by Sri Lanka (2007 and 2008). England won it in 2005 and 2006 while New Zealand took the honor at the inaugural ICC awards in 2004 and again last year in Johannesburg.
