The award, which was instituted in 2004, has Australian captain Ricky Ponting, spin wizard Shane Warne and talismanic English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff among its past winners.

The 31-year-old Indian was picked for the honour for a second successive year after scoring “more quickly than any specialist batsman in Tests or one-day internationals”, a website reported.

Sehwag apart, English wicketkeeper Matt Prior, spinner Graeme Swann, batsman Graham Onions, pacer Stuart Broad and Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke were the ‘Five Cricketers of the Year’ chosen by the magazine.

Sehwag averaged 70, with a strike-rate of 108.9, in the Tests he played last year. In one-day internationals, Sehwag had a strike-rate of 136.5 while averaging 45.

Strauss and Dilshan were also nominated by several correspondents who were consulted about this award but fell short of Sehwag.

The Kochi franchise found itself in a raging controversy following the public spat between Union Minister Shashi Tharoor and IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, who publicly disclosed the names of some of the owners the team.

Kerala Cricket Association secretary TC Mathew said they are backing Tharoor, saying if it was not for the minister the state would not have dreamt of owning an IPL team.

“All these hitches will be solved soon. In the 2011 IPL, the Kochi team is certain to figure,” Mathew said.

“Kochi would not have dreamt of owning an IPL team, but for Tharoor. So we have to support him for bringing Kerala into focus and also for bringing IPL to Kerala,” he said.

Former BCCI secretary SK Nair said the matter would be resolved in the meeting between the Indian cricket Board (BCCI) and the IPL Governing Council after April 25.

“I am sure that BCCI and the IPL Governing Council will be able to sort out all the issues within the shortest possible time so that development of the game continues,” Nair said.

Asked about the controversy surrounding, he said, “The matter has been referred to BCCI and it is looking into it.”

Nair, who was instrumental in bringing ODIs into this cricket-crazy city, said the IPL would help in the development of the game in the state.

“This (IPL) would help in the infrastructure development in Kochi. For the talented Kerala youngsters, who could not get much exposure, it would provide opportunity to come up with good performances and get recognition,” he said.

Former Kerala cricket coach P Balachandran agreed with Nair and said the controversy was the handiwork of some lobby, who were interested in thwarting Kerala’s dream of owning its own IPL team.

“Kerala will certainly benefit by having a team in IPL. It would improve the infrastructure facilities of the state. It would also help in promoting tourism,” he said.

K M Abdulla, chairman of Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it was sad to see that politics was being mixed with sports.

“With the state owning an IPL team lots of activities would have taken place in Kerala. So sports should be left free and it should not be mingled with politics,” he said.

Kerala came into the IPL’s scheme of things after Rendezvous Sports World, a consortium of five companies, won the Kochi franchise for a whopping RS 1533 crore.

Pakistan, who are forced to play home matches on neutral territory because of security fears, start a two-Test series against Australia at Lord’s on July 13. The Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns Lord’s, is sponsoring the series.

“We have certainly thought about future matches but I can’t say we have had any formal discussions,” MCC secretary and chief executive Bradshaw told Reuters.

“India are touring here next year so the prospect of an India-Pakistan neutral Test (at Lord’s) is certainly an attractive one but it’s not one we have had any official talks on to this point.

“It’s probably not for the MCC to be involved in the negotiations, I guess they would be between India, Pakistan and the ECB (England’s board), but I would say our doors are open and we would love to see that cricket come here.”

India were scheduled to tour Pakistan early last year but refused to travel because of security concerns. They were replaced by Sri Lanka who were victims of an armed attack in Lahore in which six of their players were wounded.

“The United Arab Emirates has been our only neutral venue to date but the Pakistan Cricket Board is looking for other venues,” Pakistan Cricket Board marketing manager Tariq Hakim said.

“This particular series in England is a Test case as a neutral venue and the indications are that we have succeeded and that we will use England in future matches also because of the huge expatriate crowds.

“The early indications are that the two test matches and Twenty20 internationals (against Australia) are going to be jam-packed.”

Asked about a Pakistan-India series in England, Hakim replied: “The boards have to decide about that but, yes, there has been a willingness that they would love to see Pakistan play over here in England.”

Bradshaw said Lord’s had bid “a high amount” to stage the test but added he did not expect to lose money.

“The MCC, we feel, has a global role and it’s not just about the domestic game here in England,” he said. “I would like to think there would be more neutral tests played here in England and, of course, at the home of cricket at Lord’s.

“We are always willing to open our doors to neutral tests and we looked at how we can help cricket in Pakistan in a more tangible way so the decision to sponsor the series was twofold.”

This will be the first time MCC, the owners of London Lord’s Cricket Ground where the first of two Tests between Pakistan and Australia is due to start on July 13, has sponsored an international series in its 223-year history.

The series comes at a time when Pakistan, who will also be playing a Test and one-day series against England this English season, has become a no-go area for international cricket following a terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore last year.

MCC’s Australian secretary, Keith Bradshaw, told a news conference in the Long Room of the Lord’s Pavilion on Monday: “MCC is committed to the health of Test cricket, and by sponsoring the series and hosting the first Test, the club is supporting Pakistani cricket at a time when the country’s Test calendar has been decimated.

“We often speak about Tests being the pinnacle of the game – now we are acting to back up those words,” the former Tasmania batsman added.

Bradshaw refused to divulge how much money MCC was putting into the series, which also features a Test at Yorkshire’s Headingley ground in Leeds, citing “commercial confidentiality” but insisted it was a “not for profit exercise” as far as his club was concerned.

“We feel we are independent and to some extent the conscience of the game,” Bradshaw said of MCC, which is still responsible for overseeing the game’s Laws or rules.

“We are very thrilled Pakistan are coming here to play at the ‘home of cricket’.”

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director of cricket operations Zakir Khan said: “We thank the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and Cricket Australia for helping us out and making this Test and T20 series in England happen.

“We are also very thankful to MCC. When you are not playing your home series at home, it’s very difficult.

“Cricket is still very much at the same level, we have youngsters coming through. The passion is there, that will never die down,” he added.

It is nearly a century since Lord’s staged a neutral Test, during the 1912 triangular series involving England, Australia and South Africa.

Two Australian batsman, Warren Bardsley and Charlie Kelleway, scored Test centuries against South Africa at Lord’s that year but their achievements were not marked on the ground’s dressing room honours board.

That was rectified on Monday with the unveiling of a new honours board specially created for neutral Tests.

MCC is keen to stage more such matches at Lord’s, at a time when Test cricket outside of England is struggling to attract crowds, and Bradshaw said: “The last neutral Test was played here in 1912 and I hope we don’t have to wait the best part of a century to play another one.”

Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chief Operating Officer Wasim Bari told ‘The News’ on Sunday that there appeared no possibility of a bilateral series taking place soon.

“The thing is that we can’t line up anything with India unless there is a go-ahead from the two governments,” Bari said.

“For the time being I am not too hopeful of getting that,” he said.

Bari’s statement comes as a dampener for cricket fans since PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt has sounded out optimistic notes on the possibility of reviving Indo-Pak bilateral ties at neutral venues.

During his visit to India, Butt had also spoken to BCCI officials on this possibility and talked about a time frame when the Indian team would be free from international commitments.

But Bari said although the relations between the two boards were fine, they both can’t move forward without getting clearance from their respective governments.

“There are no problems between the boards and once we get a go ahead we can quickly work on a bilateral series anywhere,” Bari said.

Due to the strained relations, India had also avoided scheduling bilateral series against Pakistan in the new Future Tours Program but after protests from PCB, they have now chalked out slots in the FTP starting 2012.

“Not playing India is a big financial setback for us because they are the most marketable team. We have already lost millions since India cancelled their Test tour to Pakistan last year,” he said.

The half-hour magazine show, produced by international sports agency Sportsbrand on behalf of the ICC, is already distributed worldwide, but will now also be seen in prime time every week on the sports channel.

“The show gives unrivalled access behind the scenes of the biggest ICC events as well highlights, features and news from the cricket world,” the release said.

“The new agreement will also see Ten Sports contribute some of its own cricket content to the production, further improving the weekly access for the programme to the range of international cricket worldwide,” the release added.

ICC general manager, commercial, Campbell Jamieson said that the show “performs a valuable role in showing the range of ICC activities around the world as well as showcasing the biggest events.”

The CWC mascot was unveiled at a function in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 2 and the World Cup organisers on Monday announced that cricket fans based in the host nations would be able to participate in a contest to name the mascot.

The details pertaining to the consumer contest (address on which to send entries and deadline) will be intimated in due course, said Tournament Director Professor Ratnakar Shetty.

Clarke, who had number-one ranked Sehwag firmly within his sights before the start of the Test with just 16 ratings points separating the two, has dropped to fifth position after his contributions of 28 and 63 in the team’s second and last Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.

Clarke’s gap with Sehwag has also opened to 29 ratings points which reflects the close fight at the top as the Australia vice-captain has slipped three places after conceding only 13 ratings points.

Clarke’s fall has moved South African Hashim Amla back to second place with an opportunity to snatch the number-one position from Sehwag when he faces the West Indies in the three-Test series starting in Kingston on June 10.

Like Clarke, Australia captain Ricky Ponting too suffered a free-fall, dropping out of top 15.

Ponting, who scored 22 and six in Hamilton, has dropped out of the top 15 after slipping six places to 16th position.

When the Tasmanian takes the field against Pakistan at Lord’s on 13 July, he’ll be trying to avoid to drop to 20th position, his lowest-ranking in eight years which he had achieved against the same opposition after the Sydney Test in January.

India remains the number one Test team with three players — Sehwag (1st), Gautam Gambhir (6th) and Sachin Tendulkar (7th) — in the top 10 batsmen’s list.

In the bowlers’ chart led by South African Dale Steyn, Indian has two representatives in Zaheer Khan (6th) and Harbhajan Singh (7th).

Writing in the April issue of Wisden Cricketer magazine, Bradshaw said Test cricket will have to work alongside rather than against Twenty20 for its well being besides voicing the need to address the unfair favour to batsmen in the longest format of the game.

“There is a real danger the format (Test cricket) could become the preserve of four or five countries unless efforts are made to reinstate a fairer balance between bat and ball, to work alongside rather than against Twenty20 competitions to ensure players do not have to choose between playing for their country and their club, and to attract new audiences,” Bradshaw wrote for the magazine which would celebrate Sachin Tendulkar’s historic ODI double century against South Africa by featuring the India star on its front cover.

“I consider myself optimistic but it isn’t difficult to look ahead and see the pessimists’ apocalyptic version of the future of the game, where Tests are virtually redundant, Twenty20 saturates and players are globe-trotting mercenaries,” he said.

He said while Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the game, its position should not be taken for granted and administrators will have to work with Twenty20.

“We have a warped sense of the well-being of Tests in England because they attract good crowds. We know several players have already forgone playing Tests to prolong more lucrative Twenty20 careers.

“But I believe the more covert long-term problem will be that young players will be schooled purely in the Twenty20 game and be unable to adapt to the demands of cricket played over three, four and five days.

“The transition from Test to Twenty20 cricket is much easier than the other way round and the result could be far fewer players capable of playing five-day cricket,” he said.

Bradshaw felt there was nothing wrong in the expansion of cricket’s frontiers to earlier unknown countries through Twenty20.

“Twenty20 could sound the death knell for Test cricket but it could also prove to be the perfect vehicle for the expansion of the game into other countries. The shorter the game, the greater the leveler and Twenty20 is an excellent pathway into the elite fold – just think of the fairy-tale qualification of Afghanistan for this year’s World Twenty20.

“I firmly believe the next big step will be the growth of cricket in the United States and it’s not unrealistic to think there could be 20 countries capable of playing competitive Twenty20 cricket within the next five years – surely something to celebrate,” he said.

Pakistan were beaten in a Test series for the first time on Sri Lankan soil when Younis Khan’s men lost the first two matches before drawing the final game in Colombo last week.

But Younis is confident a change in personnel and infusion of new blood for the five One-day matches will revive the tourists and provide entertaining cricket for fans.

“There are many players in the team who did not play the Test series, and they are keen to prove that Pakistan are one of the best One-day teams in the world,” he said.

“The Tests are behind us, we look forward to doing well in the One-dayers,” said Younis, who led Pakistan to victory over Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final at Lord’s, England in June.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi, who was man of the match in both the semi-final and final of the World Twenty20, returns to bolster the tourists after opting out of the Test series.

Pakistan will also welcome back seamer Rana Naved, 31, and opening batsman Imran Nazir, 27, who will represent the country once again after breaking links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League.

All eyes, however, will be on talented 19-year-old batsman Umar Akmal, the younger brother of wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who forced his way onto the side with impressive scores in domestic cricket.

Umar hit an unbeaten 101 in a warm-up match in Kurunegala on Monday when Pakistan failed to chase down Sri Lanka ‘A’s 348-6 by just 15 runs.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be boosted by the return of world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan and fiery fast bowler Lasith Malinga after they both missed the Test series with knee injuries.

Muralitharan, who has taken more Test (770) and One-day (505) wickets than any other bowler, will lend experience to the hosts’ bowling attack in the absence of veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas.

Vaas retired from Test cricket after the Pakistan series, but was ignored for the One-dayers despite insisting he would play limited-overs cricket till the 2011 World Cup.

Middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera returns to the One-day arena after four years, but dashing Tillakaratne Dilshan will miss the series after sustaining finger and eye injuries during the third Test.

Upul Tharanga is expected to open the innings with veteran Sanath Jayasuriya.

The rivals will also play a Twenty20 international in Colombo on August 12 after the One-dayers end.

Teams and schedule for the five-match ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka starting on Thursday:

Pakistan (from): Younis Khan (capt), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamer, Rana Naved, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Rao Iftikhar.

Sri Lanka (from): Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilina Kandamby, Malinga Bandara, Thilan Thushara, Isuru Udana.

Schedule:

July 30: First ODI, Dambulla

Aug 1: Second ODI, Dambulla

Aug 3: Third ODI, Dambulla

Aug 7: Fourth ODI, Premadasa stadium, Colombo (Day-night)

Aug 9: Fifth ODI, Premadasa stadium, Colombo (Day-night)