Sarwan, player of tournament

LONDON, DHNS:

Ramanaresh Sarwan, the West Indian vice-captain was named the Champions Trophy’s Player of the Tournament at The Oval on Saturday, and received his award from International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani at the conclusion of the final against England.

With six points to his name following man of the match-winning performances against South Africa in the league stage and against Pakistan in the semifinals, the 24-year-old picked up six points to finish ahead of Aussie paceman Kasprowicz (5 points) and English Marcus Trescothick (4). That points were not allocated for the final worked in the West Indian’s favour, for he only made five in the title clash while the left-handed English opener brought up his eighth one-day hundred. It was just the icing on the cake for the Caribbeans, who had come a thriller by two wickets against the home side in the title clash.

Match referees at each of the 12 group matches and the two semifinals allocated votes on a 3-2-1 basis, the man of the match getting three votes; his two man of the match awards brought Sarwan his six points, while Kasprowicz was man of the match against Kenya and the second most valuable player of the match in the victory over New Zealand at The Oval on September 16.

Trescothick’s points came after he picked up two points each against Sri Lanka and in the semifinal victory over Australia. Mani paid handsome tributes to Sarwan, saying, “He has proven why he is considered one of the most talented and consistent batsmen today. He has entertained the crowds with his strokeplay and stood up to guide his team to victory on two occasions in this tournament.”