Dubai : Natasha Michael, Saqib Ali and Arfan Haider bagged top awards at the annual Shyam Bhatia cricket awards for outstanding performers of the season.
England's Andrew Flintoff gave away the prizes at the SAS Radisson Hotel on Wednesday night. The function was attended by ICC board members and members of UAE cricket councils.
Michael bagged the best batter award in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) under-19 women's tournament in Thailand, scoring 121 runs including a half century at an average of 30.25. She lead the UAE in the ACC women's tournament in 2007 and is the first female recipient of the Bhatia award.
Ali, Haider and Shadeep Silva, who played for the UAE in the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers, managed to arrive in time to receive the awards after beating the Netherlands.
Ali of New Medical Centre won the best allrounder award for Division I. He played three matches in the Bukhatir league A division, scoring 267 runs and bagged six wickets for 109 runs at an average of 18.17 runs per wicket. He also scored 179 runs in the Al Dhaid Gold Cup 40-overs tournament for an aggregate total of 446 runs with 89.2 runs per innings.
Haider of Abu Dhabi Gymkhana won the best allrounder award in the Division II. He hit 181 runs at the Fortune Cup, 60 runs in UBL Floodlit tournament in Abu Dhabi, and 220 in Bukhatir League A division for a total of 461. He also picked up 39 wickets for 532 runs at an average of 13.64 runs.
Silva, who is in splendid form for the UAE, played for New Medical Centre and bagged the best bowler award in Division II. He picked 27 wickets in Fortune Cup and UBL Cup tournaments, 10 in Rufi Cup, five in Al Dhaid Gold Cup and 13 in Bukhatir League A division for a total of 55 wickets for 498 runs at an average of 9.05 runs.
