MUMBAI: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was declared the Castrol Indian Cricketer-of-the-Year as well as the Castrol Test Batsman-of-the-Year 2009 at the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence held in Mumbai. Sachin was also felicitated with a Special Award for his double record feat of becoming the first batsman to score a double century in ODIs and to score 50 Test centuries.
Commenting on the Award, Sachin said, “The Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence are really special. The Castrol Awards are the premier awards for Indian cricketers for over ten years now and what makes them special is that they are based on recognition by my peers – fellow cricketers who understand the game and the pressures that go into every performance”.
Mohinder Amarnath, one of the key architects of India’s 1983 World Cup win, was befittingly bestowed the Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohinder Amarnath said, “It is indeed an honour to receive the Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award which has been won by cricketing legends like the late Vijay Hazare and Polly Kaka and also my compatriots like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. The 1983 World Cup win was a great experience and I do hope that the current India team wins the World Cup in our own backyard this time!”
Amarnath represented India in 69 Tests and 85 ODIs in a career that spanned two decades.
His performances in 1982-83 are part of the sport’s folklore; recalled to the Indian team after a three-year break, he scored 1 182 runs from eleven consecutive Tests against Pakistan and the West Indies, and was acknowledged as the world’s best batsman against pace.
He went on to win the Man-of-the-Match award in the semi-final and final of the 1983 World Cup.
Other winners included Virender Sehwag, who won the Castrol Batsman-of-the-Year 2009 (for Test and ODIs combined). Harbhajan Singh won the Castrol Bowler of the Year 2009 and Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the Castrol ODI Player-of-the-Year 2009.
Veteran Rahul Dravid was bestowed with The Castrol Award for Special Achievement for becoming the first cricketer to take 200 catches in Test matches.
Yusuf Pathan was given the Castrol Impact Cricketer-of-the-Year for his centuries against New Zealand and more recently against South Africa where he almost won the final match for India.
Jaydev Unadkat, who won the India Test cap this year, was declared the Castrol Junior Cricketer-of-the-Year.