Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for this year for walking before being given out while he was on 91 in a Test match against New Zealand.
Interestingly Jayawardene had been nominated for the award by a rival New Zealand player.
The ICC media release described Jayawardene’s award this way:
“Mahela Jayawardena, batting on 91 with Sri Lanka on 229-7, gloves Jeetan Patel’s delivery and is caught at the wicket by New Zealand wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk and starts walking before the umpire raised his finger. The nomination has come from a member of the New Zealand squad who felt Mahela’s actions were deserving of recommendation for the award as it happened at a very crucial stage of the match and Mahela, whose side was in some bother, walked without even waiting for an umpire’s decision”.
Interestingly Jayawardene had been nominated for the award by a rival New Zealand player.
The ICC media release described Jayawardene’s award this way:
“Mahela Jayawardena, batting on 91 with Sri Lanka on 229-7, gloves Jeetan Patel’s delivery and is caught at the wicket by New Zealand wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk and starts walking before the umpire raised his finger. The nomination has come from a member of the New Zealand squad who felt Mahela’s actions were deserving of recommendation for the award as it happened at a very crucial stage of the match and Mahela, whose side was in some bother, walked without even waiting for an umpire’s decision”.
