Team India sweep ICC awards

Its fantastic to win this award,I’m really excited to have won two awards and this last season for the entire team has been really special, Tendulkar said. Its better late than never. I am getting the award in the 21st year of my career,so its fantastic. I have been working hard for this award. To play well is a challenge that you take in your stride and work hard to perform. I am doing this for the last 21 years and I take a lot of pride to play for my country, Tendulkar said.

He credited his recent success to the efforts put in by coach Gary Kirsten. Gary has been instrumental in making our batters play a plenty of deliveries in the practice session. During net practice,he himself bowls thousands and thousands of balls, Tendulkar said.

Gary has been an important member of the Indian squad and along with the other support staff. I have enjoyed my game under him. He is really putting a lot of efforts, he added.

Tendulkar said he is hopeful of India winning next years World Cup a trophy that Tendulkar has not been able and is desperate to guide the team to the title triumph this time. It is a big tournament. It is not only my dream but of the entire country. We are working really hard for it. We still have five months to go,we will focus on tournaments before the World Cup and would like to carry the good form to the World Cup.

Sehwags motivation

Sehwag,who scored 1282 runs in ten Tests at an average of 85.46 ,recieved the Test Cricketer of the Year award from Courtney Walsh.

Its fantastic to win the award,to take over the title from Gautam Gambhir. I think I got motivated when Gambhir got this award last time,I was discussing with him that I hope I get it this time and I got it. Im a huge fan of Test cricket and I love to play it more than Twenty20 or one-day cricket. When I was growing up,I was playing lot of 10-over,12-over games,so I had to score off every ball,same thing I have continued. I followed my instincts and played in the same way in T20,ODI and Tests. Its a great strength to have. Sehwag

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of the ICCs World Test XI,while Australia was chosen as the best ODI team of the period between August 2009 and 2010. South African AB de Villiers clinched the ICC ODI Player of the Year award.

Dhoni credited the success of the past one and a half years to the collective effort of the entire team. It is a real pleasure to captain the best Test team in the world. We have played consistent cricket for the last one-and-half-years,during which we have also battled through injuries, said Dhoni.

Injuries a concern: Dhoni

However,Dhoni admitted that injuries to key players is a cause of concern. Most of the players even in the current side have got major or minor niggles and yet,we are playing good cricket. I feel,I have got a tremendous side that has the grit and determination to do well for the country. That makes me feel proud, Dhoni said.

Recollecting the mood in the dressing room during the tense run-chase in the Mohali Test,Dhoni said,The dressing room was filled with superstitions. We were contributing our best through superstitions.

The Indian skipper said he was proud to be a part of a historic match and lauded tailender Ishant Sharmas gritty partnership with VVS Laxman,which proved to be match-winning in the end. I think the way Ishant contributed with the bat was good. I am glad that I was part of a Test Match that will go into the history as one of the great Test matches that has ever been played, he said.

Dhoni believes India needs to improve fielding to continue staying on top of the Test rankings. On an average,we are not a very brilliant ground fielding side. He termed the Indian team as only a safe ground fielding side.

Meanwhile,England fast bowler Steven Finn,who played in six Test matches in the voting period and took 27 wickets at an average of 21.85,won the Emerging Player of the Year Award.

New Zealands Brendon McCullums blistering 56-ball unbeaten 116 against Australia in Christchurch was adjudged the Twenty20 Performance of the Year.

The voting period includes the ICC Mens and Womens World Twenty20 2010 in West Indies,the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa and the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 2010 in the Netherlands,as well as all the bilateral Test and ODI series.