Samuels named West Indies Cricketer of the Year

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Untitled-1 Marlon Samuels was named the ODI Player of the Year and Cricketer of the Year in WICB’s annual awards function, Antigua, 19 July

ESPNCricinfo: Marlon Samuels was named the ODI Player of the Year and Cricketer of the Year at WICB’s annual awards function in Antigua on Tuesday. Samuels has scored 859 runs in 22 ODIs since 2015, including three centuries. With 258 runs at an average of 36.85, he finished as the second-highest run-getter behind Australia captain Steven Smith in the tri-series in West Indies last month.

Prior to that, Samuels had played a starring role in West Indies’ World T20 title win in India. He smashed an unbeaten 85 off 66 balls in West Indies’ chase of 156, which fetched him his second Man-of-the-Match award in a World T20 final.

Stafanie Taylor scooped the Women’s T20 Player of the Year and ODI Player of the Year awards. Taylor, who was appointed captain in September 2015, led West Indies Women to their first World T20 title in April. She was the leading run-getter in the tournament, with 246 runs in six matches, including 59 in the final against Australia Women. Her ODI form since the start of 2015 has also been excellent: 491 runs in 10 matches at 70.14. Darren Bravo was named the Test Player of the Year while Dwayne Bravo took the Caribbean T20 Player of the Year award. Chris Gayle, meanwhile, bagged the T20 Player of the Year award.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who collected six wickets on Test debut against Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval in October 2015, was named Emerging Player of the Year.

Shimron Hetmyer, who led West Indies to Under-19 glory in Bangladesh earlier this year, won the Under-19 Player of the Year award. He made 158 runs in six matches in the tournament at an average of 26.33.