Consolation prize for Faf du Plessis at Cricket South Africa awards

There was sweetness to soften the bitterness of the men’s Cricket World Cup for Faf du Plessis on Saturday, when he was named “SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year” at an awards ceremony in Pretoria.

Du Plessis, South Africa’s all-format captain, was his team’s only centurion and their top scorer at the World Cup in England from May to July.

But most of his players didn’t follow his lead, and South Africa lost five of their eight completed games in a campaign that had been derailed long before the semi-finals line-up was decided.

Du Plessis is the 11th winner of the most significant trophy at Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) annual awards.

Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Kagiso Rabada won it twice, and Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn, Graeme Smith, Vernon Philander and Quinton de Kock once.

Du Plessis’ female counterpart, Dané van Niekerk, was the “SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year”.

Van Niekerk won the award for the third time in the past four years, but it was Du Plessis’ first triumph.

He was also “ODI Cricketer of the Year” and “SA [Men’s] Players’ Player of the Year”, while Van Niekerk won the women’s version of the latter prize.

“Faf and Dane have both had very good years both as contributors in their specific disciplines and also in the leadership qualities they bring to our two senior national sides,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe was quoted as saying in a CSA release.

Dale Steyn was honoured for breaking Pollock’s record for Test wickets, and the “International Newcomer of the Year” was Rassie van der Dussen — who was among the few South Africans who had a successful World Cup.

Van der Dussen finished closely behind Du Plessis in average and runs terms and scored half-centuries in half of his six innings.

The inaugural “Mzansi Super League Impact Player of the Year” gong also went to Van der Dussen.

Shaun George completed a hat-trick of “CSA Umpire of the Year” awards.

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Selected winners:

International:

SA Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Faf du Plessis

SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Dané van Niekerk

Test Cricketer of the Year: Quinton de Kock

ODI Cricketer of the Year: Faf du Plessis

T20 International Cricketer of the Year: David Miller

SA Players’ Player of the Year: Faf du Plessis

SA Fans’ Player of the Year: Kagiso Rabada

International Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Rassie van der Dussen

International Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Tumi Sekhukhune

SA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year: Dane van Niekerk

Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Marizanne Kapp

Women’s T20 Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail

Domestic:

Coach of the Season: Enoch Nkwe

Players’ Player of the Season: Bjorn Fortuin

Newcomer of the Season: Sinethemba Qeshile

South African Cricketers’ Association Most Valuable Player: Dane Piedt