South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada took centre stage, claiming six awards including the nation’s Cricketer of the Year.
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Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been awarded for his phenomenal season as he walked away with a record six honours, including the coveted Cricketer of the Year prize, at the annual Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards in Johannesburg.
After his ODI debut in July 2015, Rabada went on to take 37 wickets from 20 games at an average of 21.45 while he snared 24 Test wickets from just six matches at 24.70.
In addition to being named the Cricketer of the Year, Rabada also scooped the One-Day International Cricketer of the Year as well Test cricketer of the Year awards despite entering the international arena at the beginning of the season. “Added to his record-breaking performances and statistics, is his humility and level-headedness that you would normally associate with a senior player. How brilliantly has he done that!”
Rabada was also honoured by his peers for being named SA Players’ Player of the Year and by the 60,000 fans who voted in a contest to find the SA Fans Player of the Year.
Earlier during the home series against England, Rabada became the youngest South African bowler to take a 10-wicket haul when he claimed 13 wickets in the Centurion Test match in January.
Stephen Cook, who made a century on his Test debut, was named International Newcomer of the Year while the new national captain, Dane van Niekerk, was named Momentum Women’s Cricketer of the Year.
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For averaging 62 with the bat, Titans batsman Heino Kuhn was named the Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Season. Not only is Rabada the only player to notch up that many awards, but he is also the youngest to win the main prize. Veteran all-rounder Albie Morkel bagged the Ram Slammer of the Season award after picking up ten wickets at an economy of 4.92.
