Proteas' young Rabada bags 6 of 7 top cricket prizes, says India tour memorable
South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has become the first player to scoop six awards at Cricket South Africa's annual dinner, including the coveted South African cricketer of the year prize, surpassing AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, who had previously won five awards each. Rabada is not only the player to notch up so many awards, he is also the youngest to win the main prize. The only major award Rabada did not win was the T20 cricketer of the year, which went to legspinner Imran Tahir. In his first full international season, the 2015-16 summer, Rabada racked up the second-best match figures by a South African in Test and ODI cricket. His 13 for 144 against England at Centurion in January has only been bettered by Makhaya Ntini, who took 13 for 132 in Port of Spain in 2005, while Rabada's 6 for 16 on ODI debut against Bangladesh in July last year, a performance which also included a hat-trick, was only surpassed by Imran Tahir, who took 7 for 45 against West Indies in June 2015. Rabada managed all of this at a time when South Africa were without two of their experienced seamers - Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander were both injured for large parts of the previous summer - only added to the young bowler's achievement. "With injuries to our main fast bowlers during this past year, he has had to step up and lead the attack. How brilliantly has he done that," Haroon Lorgat, CSA CEO said. Rabada described as his `best moment of cricket' the win against Team India in India. He described the visitng Proteas triumph in the one-day series against India as a great experience for him. The 21-year-old Rabada accounted for 37 wickets in 21 ODIs and 24 wickets in six tests. The Award winners are as follows: Cricketer of the year: Kagiso Rabada Test cricketer of the year: Kagiso Rabada ODI cricketer of the year: Kagiso Rabada T20 Player of the year: Imran Tahir Players' Player of the year: Kagiso Rabada Fans Player of the year: Kagiso Rabada T20 delivery of the year: Kagiso Rabada International newcomer of the year: Stephen Cook Women's cricketer of the year: Dane van Niekerk First-class cricketer of the season: Heino Kuhn One-day cup cricketer of the season: Alviro Petersen Twenty-over player of the season: Albie Morkel Domestic players' player of the season: Heino Kuhn Domestic newcomer of the year: Nicky van den Burgh Africa T20 Cup player of the year: Lungi Ngidi Coach of the year: Rob Walter CSA Fair Play award: Cobras SACA MVP: Dwaine Pretorius