Media accreditation opens for ICC Awards

Applications are now invited for media accreditation to cover the ICC Awards, which will take place in Johannesburg on the evening of Monday 10 September, the day before the opening match of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

The ICC Awards are presented in association with FICA (the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations) and will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre.

All media organizations that wish to attend in a working capacity must apply for accreditation and can do so by sending an email to Sheila Razdan at the ICC (sheila.razdan@icc-cricket.com) by Saturday 8 September. In the email, please include the name of staff attending, including for TV outlets the name of cameramen and the name of the media organization the journalists represent, as well as a telephone number and preferred email address for further correspondence.

There will be two main opportunities for media on the night. Access will be granted as the players and guests arrive at the venue and there will be media conferences held with the winners on a rolling basis as the awards are presented.

A full media centre will operate on the night for working journalists. This will include wireless connections, desks, television screens with a direct feed from the main function hall, press conference facilities, buffet-style catering and ICC staff available to provide assistance.

Journalists in the media centre DO NOT have to wear black-tie attire as access to the main function room is strictly limited.

Photography
Only the ICC's official photographer, Getty Images, will have access to the main function area to obtain pictures from inside the room and of the stage area.

Images from the main function area will be available from Getty Images with details to be advised in due course; all other photographers will have access to the arrival of the guests and to the media conferences that will follow the presentation of each award. Black-tie attire is not required by photographers but they, in common with all other media, will still have to apply for accreditation.

Footage
Footage of the event will be available via a Video News Release (VNR). Further details will be announced in due course.

The Event
In total, there will be 11 ICC Awards presented on the night. The individual awards are for the Player of the Year (who will receive the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy), Test Player of the Year, ODI Player of the Year, Emerging Player of the Year, Associate ODI Player of the Year, Captain of the Year, Women's Player of the Year and Umpire of the Year. The team awards are the Spirit of Cricket Award, the ICC Test Team of the Year, the ICC ODI Team of the Year.

A five-man Selection Panel consisting of Sunil Gavaskar (chairman), Alec Stewart, Iqbal Qasim, Chris Cairns and Gary Kirsten who chose the two ICC teams and also the long lists for the men's individual awards. Those long lists are then voted upon by a 56-Member Voting Academy that include all the current ICC Full Member captains, the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Referees and a host of other former players, journalists and commentators.

The Associate ODI Player of the Year Award serves to recognize and reward the efforts in ODIs of the outstanding cricketer from the six countries outside the ICC Full Members - Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland. Each of the six countries was invited to nominate players for the award.