ICC introduces Player of the Month awards; Siraj, Pant, T Natarajan in contention among others
Dubai, Jan 27: India's senior off-spinner R Ashwin and swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant were on Wednesday nominated for the newly-introduced player of the month awards by the International Cricket Council.
Besides Ashwin and Pant, two other Indians -- Mohammed Siraj and T Natarajan -- are also in the fray. All of them played a stellar role in India's recent historic Test series win against Australia.
The world body said the awards will recognise the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year.
Other players named for the awards for January are England captain Joe Root, star Australia batsman Steve Smith, Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan, Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk of South Africa and Nida Dar of Pakistan.
Fans are invited to vote online every month to award their favourite male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket played in that month, the ICC said in a release.
An independent ICC Voting Academy comprising former players, broadcasters and journalists from around the world will team up with fans to vote for the winners.
Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager Cricket said: "The ICC Player of the Month is a great way to connect with fans of the sport and celebrate performances of their favourite players through the year.
"It gives us all an opportunity to acknowledge world class performances on the field by male and female cricketers and they have been in abundance throughout January."
The three nominees for each of the categories will be determined by the ICC Awards Nominations Committee based on on-field performances and overall achievements during the period of that month (the first to the last day of each calendar month.)
The Voting Academy will submit its votes by email and will retain a 90 per cent share of the vote. Subsequently, on the first day of each month, fans registered with the ICC will be able to submit votes via the ICC website and will have a 10 per cent share of the vote.
Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC's digital channels.
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Karnataka says sandbar removal in Uttara Kannada rivers will begin after environmental clearance
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the removal of sandbars from four major rivers in Uttara Kannada district will proceed only after mandatory environmental approvals are granted.
In an affidavit submitted before the NGT’s Chennai Bench, the Department of Mines and Geology said it has already applied to the Karnataka State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for permission to clear sandbars in the Sharavathi, Gangavali, Kali and Aghanashini rivers. The tribunal had earlier issued a notice seeking the State’s response following complaints of illegal sand mining in the region, as reported Deccan Herald.
According to the department, eight proposals have been submitted for sandbar removal in the Sharavathi river, seven in the Kali, four in the Aghanashini and one in the Gangavali. It stated that no work would begin until SEIAA grants the requisite clearances.
Officials had earlier told the tribunal that excessive sand accumulation could obstruct river flow, increase erosion of riverbanks and raise the risk of flooding. They also said clearing the sandbars and using the material locally while following environmental safeguards.
