Bhuvneshwar Kumar nominated for 'prestigious' ICC People's Choice Award

Indian pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has reportedly been nominated along with five other cricketers to win the only award voted for by the public at the annual International Cricket Council (ICC) awards.

The ICC's official website has reported that Kumar along with England women's captain Charlotte Edwards, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn and Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews have been nominated for the award.

Fans would have the opportunity to decide the winner by voting for their favourite player either via www.lgiccawards.com or via Twitter using the hashtag '#lgiccawards', Sport24 reported.

Voting for the People's Choice Award is currently open and would close at midnight on Thursday, October 30. The winner, as well as the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year and the short-list for the remaining ICC Awards 2014 would be announced on Wednesday, November 5 at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai.

The short-list was nominated by an elite panel of cricket experts, which is headed by ICC Cricket Committee Chairperson and former India captain Anil Kumble.

The five players were selected by the panel using the criteria set out by sponsors LG and the ICC, which required that the nominees have displayed attributes such as innovation, dynamism, strength in decision-making, performing well under pressure and executing a plan to distinction.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said that the support of the fans is vital for the game and particularly valued by the players hence, the significance of the People's Choice award. He added that the overwhelming number of cricket fans who participate to select the winner of this award has made it one of the most prestigious awards in the ICC calendar.

Richardson said that none of the deserving nominees have won this award before and this year's fan favourite would join the exclusive company of previous winners, Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Kumar Sangakkara (2011 and 2012) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2013).