Johnson stunned to be named ICC Cricketer of the Year award

Johannesburg, Oct 2(ANI): Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who has been announced as the ICC Cricketer of the Year, was stunned with the feat that he has achieved, as he upstaged England captain Andrew Strauss and Indians Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to grab the award.

"I'm really blown away. I'm just surprised to be up here, to be honest," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Johnson, as saying.

"When you have a look at Andrew Strauss and the guys I came up against, I seriously expected those guys to be ahead of me. It really is a shock to win but I am very privileged and very honoured to receive it," he added.

Johnson was the leading wicket taker in the Ashes series were he recovered from a horror performance at Lord's to take 20 wickets for the series.

The 27-year-old took 80 wickets and made 632 runs in 17 Tests during the voting period, where his best was seen in the tour of South Africa in which he took 28 wickets at an average of 24.25 in 16 one-day internationals.

"I said to Peter Siddle, I probably haven't done myself any favours during the Ashes and he sort of went, maybe. I was sitting back in my chair just waiting for one of the other guys to get up," Johnson said.

"I didn't perform at my best in the Ashes but in the end I still ended up getting a few wickets and, I guess, doing a decent enough job for my country," he added.

Gambhir was named Test Player of the Year, while Siddle was declared Emerging Player of the Year.

New Zealand won the Spirit of Cricket award only days after captain Daniel Vetorri repreived England batsman Paul Collingwood when he could have been run out for wandering out of his crease at the end of an over.

Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar was named Umpire of the Year, defeating five-time winner Simon Taufel. (ANI)