Image result for Steve Smith named ICC Test cricketer of Year for 2015Australian cricketer Steve Smith has been namedCricketer of the Year for 2015 at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Awards ceremony in Dubai.
With this, Smith became the 4th Australian and 11th overall player to win the prestigious award named after Sir Garfield Sobers. He was also adjudged theTest Cricketer of the Year for 2015.
During the voting period, which ran from September 2014 to September 2015, Steve Smith has finished as the leading run-scorer in Tests with 1,734 runs in 25 innings of 13 matches at an average of 82.57. This included seven centuries and six half-centuries.
In One-Day Internationals format for same voting period, Smith had scored 1,249 runs at an average of just under 60 with four centuries and eight half-centuries in 26 matches.
South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2015 for the second time in a row.
Other Categories ICC awards
  • ICC Emerging player of the year: Josh Hazlewood (Australia).
  • Best T20 performance of the year: Faf du Plessis (South Africa).
  • Spirit of Cricket award: Brendon McCullum (New Zealand).
  • ICC Associate player of the year: Khurram Khan (UAE).
  • Umpire of the year: Richard Kettleborough (England).
  • Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Meg Lanning (Australia).
  • T20I Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Stefanie Taylor (West Indies).

About ICC Awards

The ICC Awards is a set of sports awards for the game of cricket recognising and honouring the best international cricket players of the previous 12 months. The Awards has been institutionalised by International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2004 and since then awarded annually.

  • Syed Kirmani nominated for 2015 Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award

Image result for Syed Kirmani nominated for 2015 Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement AwardIndia’s former wicket-keeper batsman Syed Kirmani has been nominated for prestigious BCCI-instituted Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award 2015.
He was conferred with the award for his contribution to Indian cricket. He was a member of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1983 for the first time.
Background
Syed Kirmani was selected for this prestigious award by the Awards Committee of BCCI consisting of BCCI President Shashank Manohar, Secretary Anurag Thakur and N Ram, former Editor-in-chief of The Hindu Group.

About Syed Kirmani

  • Kirmani was one of India’s finest wicket keepers and had played 88 Tests and 49 ODIs for India.
  • He holds distinction of 198 dismissals as a wicket keeper in 88 Tests and had scored 2759 runs including two centuries, at an average of 27.04
  • Kirmani had played 49 ODIs for India and scored 373 runs. The main highlight being the 126-run rearguard partnership he shared with Kapil Dev in the World Cup game against Zimbabwe in Turnbridge Wells.
  • He had served as chairman of the national selection committee in 2000 and also vice-president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) after his playing career.
  • Union Government has conferred Padma Shree award on him for his contribution to sports.

About Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award

The award has been instituted by BCCI to celebrate the birth centenary of Col. Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu, the country’s first Test captain. The annual Lifetime Achievement Award honours individuals for their unparalleled contribution to Indian cricket on and off the field. The Award comprises a trophy, citation and cheque for 25 lakh rupees.

  • 25th December: National Good Governance Day

Image result for : National Good Governance DayIn India, National Good Governance Day is being observed every year on 25th December on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
In order to mark the occasion of this day on the 91st birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee several programmes were organized nationwide and new initiatives were announced.
It should be noted that this day is also being observed as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Divas.
Background
Earlier in December 2014, Union Government had announced that National ‘Good Governance Day’ will be observed on the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee i.e. 25th December each year. It was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting held New Delhi.

  • UN designates 5th November as World Tsunami Awareness Day

Image result for World Tsunami Awareness DayThe United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution to designate 5th November every year as World Tsunami Awareness Day.
  • The observance of the day would help to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami and shall stress on the importance of early warning systems in order to mitigate damage from the devastating natural calamity.
    The proposal in this regard was first mooted by the Government of Japan after the 3rd UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai (Japan) in March 2015.
    Japan had suffered heavy losses as a result of tsunamis in the past and the most recently Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March 2011. It had claimed over 15,000 lives and also had disrupted the nuclear power industry and left many thousands homeless.
    While on 26 December 2004 i.e. on Boxing Day, the Indian Ocean tsunami had claimed arounf 230000 lives. The devastating tsunami was formed due to earthquake with its epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.  It had affected lives and the natural environment in six countries in the region including India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Thailand.