Pakistan named Ceat Team of the Year

The Pakistan cricket team, led by Wasim Akram, added yet another feather to its cap when, following some brilliant performances, it was awarded the inaugural Ceat International Cricket Team of the Year (1996-1997) award.

The award carries, besides the trophy and citation, a cash prize of Rs 1 million.

The award was adjudicated by Clive Lloyd, Ian Chappell and Sunil Gavaskar - the trio, incidentally, who were also responsible in formulating the scheme under Ceat's aegis.

Pakistan with 92 points (34 for Tests, 58 for ODIs) won handily over South Africa (74 points, 29 in Tests and 45 in ODIs). Australia (60, 40/20), Sri Lanka (46, 14/32), England (45, 28/17), West Indies (44, 26/18) and India (42, 20/12) follow in that order.

The award, launched last year, is meant to rank the 9 Test playing nations on a simple formula by which a team gets six points for a win in a home Test and nine points in an away Test. Two additional points are awarded for a series win. For ODIs, two points are awarded for a win and one for a tie, while points for series wins depend on the number of nations participating in each tournament.

Pakistan, which played 9 Tests during the period May 1996 to April 1997, won four with one defeat. In the process, it won two series - against England and one at home. It also won 23 ODIs out of a total of 38 played, with their major success coming in the World Series Cup against Australia and West Indies, and the inaugural Sahara Cup in Toronto, Canada, against arch rivals India.