AMLA IN LINE FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD

South African cricketer of the year, Hashim Amla has been shortlisted amongst four nominees to win the coveted ICC Cricketer of the Year Award to be held in Bangaluru, India, on October 6.

The other nominees for the Sir Garfield Sobers Cricket of the Year trophy are the India duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and England’s Graeme Swann.

Amla meanwhile has been a benchmark of consistency over the last 14 months, scoring 923 runs an average of 65.92 in nine Tests against England, India and West Indies. His match-winning 253 not out against India in the first test in Nagpur on February 7, 2010 was also the 7^th highest by a South African as well as the highest by a South African against India. His exploits have subsequently earned him a nomination for Test Player of the Year where he is up against Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn, Tendulkar and Sehwag.

AB de Villiers who recently rocketed to the top of the ODI batting rankings has been nominated for the ODI cricketer of the year award alongside Tendulkar, Ryan Harris and Shane Watson of Australia.

Another Protea, Ryan McLaren has been nominated for the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year following his and South Africa's first ever five-wicket haul at the T20 World Cup in Barbados.

The nominees:

Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla (SA), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Graeme Swann (Eng), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind).

Test Player of the Year: Hashim Amla (SA), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Dale Steyn (SA), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind).

ODI Player of the Year: AB de Villiers (SA), Ryan Harris (Aus), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Shane Watson (Aus).

Emerging Player: Umar Akmal (Pak), Steven Finn (Eng), Angelo Matthews (SL), Tim Paine (Aus).

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Ryan McLaren (SA), Michael Hussey (Aus), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Brendon McCullum (NZ).

THE BATTLE OF FATIGUE AWAITES SUPER RUGBY TEAMS

The new look Super Rugby campaign is certainly set to receive mixed reviews following an official launch by SANZAR in Sydney on September 13.

The Southern Hemispheres premier franchise competition has received a brand (name and logo) makeover and the addition of the Melbourne Rebels from Australia has restored parity as the three competing nations will be represented with five teams each in 2011.

The new look format however poses the biggest concern to South African fans as the competition is five weeks longer. Each side will have to endure 16 matches in a regular season as opposed to 13 matches played in 2010. This meaning that the amount of matches including knockouts has increased by 33%.

The 15 teams will play out of national based conferences (leagues). The five South African teams will contest one conference, the five New Zealand will contest a second conference and five Australian teams will compete in their own conference as well.

Each side will play the other 4 teams in their local conference, home and away (eight local derbies). They will also play four of the five teams in the other conferences (another eight matches).

The top placed side in each conference will automatically reach the six-team finals series. The other three positions will be filled by the wild card entrants who finished with the most points without winning a conference. Therefore not necessarily will the second placed team in each conference make into the finals series,which will further increase the length of the season.

Kick-off is February 18, 2011.