NEW DELHI: England’s Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss and India opener Gautam Gambhir were among four players short-listed for the Cricketer of the Year award, the ICC said today.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson are the other nominees for the top award that will be presented by the International Cricket Council in Johannesburg on October 1. Gambhir, Strauss and Johnson have also been nominated for the Test Player of the Year alongside Sri Lankan middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera.

Three Indians — Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh — and West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul will contest the award for the best One-day Player of the Year. The nominations were finalised by a 25-member international panel comprising former players, media representatives, umpires and referees. The same panel will also pick the winner.

Shortlisted ICC

award nominees

Cricketer of the Year: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind), Gautam Gambhir (Ind), Mitchell Johnson (Aus),

Andrew Strauss (Eng)

Test Player of the Year: Gautam Gambhir (Ind), Mitchell Johnson (Aus), Thilan Samaraweera (SL), Andrew Strauss (Eng)

One-day Player of the Year:

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI),

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind),

Virender Sehwag (Ind),

Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

Emerging Player of the Year:

Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus), Graham Onions (Eng), Jesse Ryder (NZ),

Peter Siddle (Aus)

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Shahid Afridi (Pak), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Chris Gayle (WI), Umar Gul (Pak)

Spirit of Cricket Award: Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka.