Calcutta: The following are excerpts from what some of the award winners had to say (alphabetically):

SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL (Cricketer of the Year): I am honoured to be given this prestigious award and I am very thankful to God for blessing me with the talent that I have. I would like to thank my family — in particular my wife Amy — for their constant support over the years. A very special thank you to you all.

MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI (ODI Player of the Year): It feels great to know that I am the first Indian player to get this particular award and it’s very special because now I am in the company of a lot of other good cricketers. Some fantastic players have won this award in the past and to be mentioned in their company is truly a humbling experience for me.

MAHELA JAYAWARDENE (captain Sri Lanka, which won the Spirit of Cricket award): The captain has to set the example but at the same time every player in the team has to take responsibility and play the game in the right spirit

YUVRAJ SINGH (Twenty20 International Performance of the Year): It’s very important for any player to get his performance recognised. You play hard and you like to think people see that and get something out of it. I would like to thank the ICC for recognising the performances of the players…