Chanderpaul is player of the year

West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was named as the 2008 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer of the Year at an awards ceremony here on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old left-hander, a mainstay of his side's batting for over a decade, became the fifth player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, named after the legendary West Indies all-rounder, ahead of his three fellow nominees - Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn.

During the voting period, the gritty Guyanese played eight Test matches, scoring 819 runs at an average of 91.00, including three centuries and six fifties.