The England cricket team was named as the recipients of the Spirit of Cricket Award for the second year running at the ICC Awards celebration in Mumbai.
The Spirit of Cricket Award was presented to the Full Member team which, in the opinion of the Emirates Elite Panel of Umpires and Referees and the captains of the ten Test teams, has best conducted itself on the field within the spirit of the game.
The award was presented to the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board David Morgan by Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, following an address by ICC President Percy Sonn who touched on the subject of the Spirit of Cricket.
This Spirit is described in the preamble to the Laws of Cricket:
“Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself.”
The preamble goes on to say:
"The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for:
* Your opponents
* Your own captain and team
* The role of the umpires
* The game's traditional values
Mr Sonn said: "Part of the reason of why we love this game so much is because it has a unique spirit in the way it is played. It is that spirit that we have honoured here tonight. Although we rightly applaud the winners of the various awards tonight, I think they would agree that all of us are a product of the great tapestry of our humanity and that cricket is a wonderful vehicle to inspire young people while exciting and entertaining everyone."
Australian fast-bowler Brett Lee, who presented the award, commented on what the spirit of cricket means to him: “It’s about a love for the game. It’s about playing fairly and squarely and playing the game in the right spirit. There’s nothing wrong with playing hard so long as it’s within the rules and the spirit of the game.” Lee is Australia’s Spirit of Cricket ambassador for the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in India.
Accepting the award, Mr Morgan said: “The health of the game is dependent on the continued good spirit within the game and I am delighted that the spirit of cricket is in such good health.”
England has now won the award twice since New Zealand first took the honour at the inaugural ICC Awards in 2004.
The Spirit of Cricket Award was one of ten individual and team honours handed out during the ICC Awards, presented by Hyundai in association with FICA (the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations). The event, held at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai, recognises cricket's star performers over a 12-month period.
The trophy, produced by Swarovski, features a crystal cricket ball studded with over 4200 Swarovski crystal chantons, cusped in a hand which extends from an aluminium base. The hand represents the theme of “breaking through” in pursuit of excellence.
The trophy features a clear crystal ball, weighs 1.2 kilograms, is 30 centimetres high and 11 centimetres in width.
The Spirit of Cricket Award was presented to the Full Member team which, in the opinion of the Emirates Elite Panel of Umpires and Referees and the captains of the ten Test teams, has best conducted itself on the field within the spirit of the game.
The award was presented to the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board David Morgan by Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, following an address by ICC President Percy Sonn who touched on the subject of the Spirit of Cricket.
This Spirit is described in the preamble to the Laws of Cricket:
“Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself.”
The preamble goes on to say:
"The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for:
* Your opponents
* Your own captain and team
* The role of the umpires
* The game's traditional values
Mr Sonn said: "Part of the reason of why we love this game so much is because it has a unique spirit in the way it is played. It is that spirit that we have honoured here tonight. Although we rightly applaud the winners of the various awards tonight, I think they would agree that all of us are a product of the great tapestry of our humanity and that cricket is a wonderful vehicle to inspire young people while exciting and entertaining everyone."
Australian fast-bowler Brett Lee, who presented the award, commented on what the spirit of cricket means to him: “It’s about a love for the game. It’s about playing fairly and squarely and playing the game in the right spirit. There’s nothing wrong with playing hard so long as it’s within the rules and the spirit of the game.” Lee is Australia’s Spirit of Cricket ambassador for the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy in India.
Accepting the award, Mr Morgan said: “The health of the game is dependent on the continued good spirit within the game and I am delighted that the spirit of cricket is in such good health.”
England has now won the award twice since New Zealand first took the honour at the inaugural ICC Awards in 2004.
The Spirit of Cricket Award was one of ten individual and team honours handed out during the ICC Awards, presented by Hyundai in association with FICA (the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations). The event, held at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai, recognises cricket's star performers over a 12-month period.
The trophy, produced by Swarovski, features a crystal cricket ball studded with over 4200 Swarovski crystal chantons, cusped in a hand which extends from an aluminium base. The hand represents the theme of “breaking through” in pursuit of excellence.
The trophy features a clear crystal ball, weighs 1.2 kilograms, is 30 centimetres high and 11 centimetres in width.
