Kumar Sangakkara sweeps three major awards

Colombo: Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara walked away with three awards at the ICC Awards ceremony 2012. He bagged the LG People's Choice Award, ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award and the ICC Cricketer of the Year Award.

Sangakkara won the LG People's Choice, which was introduced in 2010, for the second year in a row. This award is chosen by cricket fans around the world who vote for their favourite player. Other contenders for the award this year were Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, James Anderson and Vernon Philander.

For the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award, Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander and Australia captain Michael Clarke were Sangakkara's competitors but he pipped them to the post. During the performance period, 4 August 2011 and 6 August 2012, he played 14 Tests and in 27 innings and rattled up 1,444 runs at an average of 60.16, including five centuries and five half-centuries. His highest score of 211 came against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in October 2011, while he also scored 199 not out against the same side on home soil in Galle.

Virat Kohli wins ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2012 Award

Colombo: India's middle-order batsman Virat Kohli has been named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2012 at the LG ICC Awards in Colombo. During the performance period, he played 31 ODIs and compiled 1,733 runs at an average of 66.65, including eight centuries and six half-centuries. His highest score, 183, came against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on 18 March 2012.

The independent voting academy of 32 highly credentialed cricket experts put Kohli first, ahead of such talented and in-form players as Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga as well as Kohli’s India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Kohli said upon receiving the honour said, "I think I have tried to keep things as simple as possible and it's worked for me on the field."

"This year has been a learning curve along the way from the seniors in the team. It's been an all-round effort and I'm very happy to have won this award.

"It's always nice to be recognised by the ICC and it's a great feeling and it's the first time I've won one of these awards and it feels great," he added.