Niall O'Brien has made the final four for the ICC Associate Player of the Year, the winner to be announced at the glamourous awards ceremony in Dubai tomorrow.
The Ireland and Northamptonshire wicket-keeper batsman is up against Thomas Odoyo of Kenya, last year's winner, and his team-mate Alex Obanda, with Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands completing the shortlist.
The voting was based on all the Associate teams' major internationals, both one-day and four-day, in the 12 months ending August 12, 2008 and O'Brien averaged 46.9 in 12 games with one century and three 50s.
The unlucky player not be included is Andre Botha who, in 15 matches which met the qualifying criteria, averaged 51, with centuries in three successive Inter-Continental Cup games and the North County captain also took 16 wickets at 26.5 runs each. Surely the fact that he is an amateur wasn't held against him?
Ironically, while Botha would have been delighted to travel, O'Brien is unable to make the trip to the UAE because he is in county championship action from today against an Essex side which includes ten Doeschate.
O'Brien, however, has declared his availability for Ireland's trip to Africa, which starts with Ireland's remaining two Inter-Continental Cup matches, against Namibia and Kenya and is followed by an ODI triangular series against Kenya and Zimbabwe in Nairobi.
The home-based players leave on Saturday September 27 with the county players following two days later. The match in Namibia starts on Friday October 3.
National Coach Phil Simmons is just waiting on the availability of Middlesex's Eoin Morgan and the fitness of Kevin O'Brien and Andrew White before he names his 15-man squad.
The four men in the running for the ICC Cricketer of the Year is West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena and the South Africa pair of Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn.
The ODI Player of the Year is being fought out between Nathan Bracken of Australia, Pakistan's Mohammad Yousef and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar of India.
England's only nomination is Stuart Broad in the Emerging Player of the Year category although Mark Benson is one of five up for the Umpire of the Year.
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