Pietersen in line for top award

Kevin Pietersen has been nominated in three categories in the annual International Cricket Council awards, including cricketer of the year.

The batsman faces Australians Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey for the top award.

He is also named alongside Monty Panesar and Ryan Sidebottom for Test player of the year, and is England's only nomination for one-day player.

Ravi Bopara and Chris Tremlett are up for the emerging player award.

Pietersen has scored four centuries and one double century in Tests in the year starting from 9 August 2006.

Left-arm spinner Panesar took 42 wickets in 11 Tests during the same period and Sidebottom took 24 in six matches since his return to Test cricket in 2007.

They are up against Hayden, Hussey, Stuart Clark, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in the Test player category.

The awards ceremony will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa on 10 September, shortly before the start of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20.

Source: BBC Sport