Erasmus Honored as ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year; Illingworth Receives Top Umpire Award
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Synopsis
Gerhard Erasmus, Namibia's captain, has been recognized as the ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year for 2024, marking his second such award. Richard Illingworth also earned the ICC Umpire of the Year honor, making this his fourth time receiving the accolade.
Key Takeaways
- Gerhard Erasmus awarded ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year.
- Erasmus achieved 18 wickets in ODIs and T20Is.
- His best performance was 52 runs against Scotland in T20 World Cup.
- Richard Illingworth won ICC Umpire of the Year for the fourth time.
- Upcoming ICC awards include Women’s and Emerging Cricketer of the Year.
New Delhi, Jan 26 (NationPress) Gerhard Erasmus, the captain of Namibia, has been awarded the ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year for the year 2024, marking his second achievement of this prestigious title.
Erasmus, aged 29, consistently posed a challenge with his reliable off-break deliveries while steering Namibia throughout 2024. He commenced the year with an impressive five-wicket haul against Nepal in Kirtipur, laying the groundwork for a total of 18 wickets in both ODIs and T20Is. In ODIs, he accumulated 364 runs with an average of 33.09, while in T20Is, he scored 363 runs at an average of 33.
His standout performance occurred during the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, where he scored 52 runs against Scotland and excelled in the super over during his team’s singular victory against Oman. Although Namibia faced a five-wicket defeat to Scotland in a critical Group B match, Erasmus shone with an impressive 31-ball 52, becoming the highest scorer in their total of 155/9.
With the ball, he dismissed two of Scotland’s top three batsmen, achieving individual figures of 2/29 across his four overs. Despite Namibia suffering a significant loss to Australia, Erasmus was among the only two players from Namibia to score in double digits, contributing 36 runs off 43 balls as his team managed a total of 72 in 17 overs.
In addition, England’s Richard Illingworth has been declared the winner of the 2024 ICC Umpire of the Year accolade, receiving the esteemed David Shepherd Trophy. At 61, Illingworth has now claimed this award for the fourth time, having previously won it in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Later today, the ICC will also reveal the recipients of three additional awards - ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year, ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year, and ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year.
