Why isn't Dhoni in ICC nominations?

New Delhi: The nominations for ICC Awards 2006, which were announced on Wednesday, threaten to throw up a fresh controversy over the non-inclusion of Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the ODI Player of the Year category.

Dhoni has been overlooked despite boasting of an average better than many of the 17 cricketers nominated in the ODI Player of the Year category.

In fact only two players -- Yuvraj Singh and Michael Hussey of Australia -- have an average better than Dhoni in the period under consideration that is between August 1, 2005 and August 8, 2006.

Ironically, the panel that nominated the players for the awards under various categories is headed by Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar. ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed, who was in New Delhi to announce the nominations, was at a loss to explain Dhoni's absence from the list.

"The selection panel has made the nominations. Why Dhoni was not included can be best answered by the panelists?" Speed said.

Dhoni has accumulated 1,170 runs from 36 ODIs at an average of 55.71 in the last one year starting August 1. Among his notable performances was the scintillating 183 he scored against Sri Lanka in Jaipur. It is the highest score by any wicketkeeper in ODIs.

The Jharkhand player also took 34 catches and effected six dismissals through stumping. Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and Sri Lankan stumper Kumara Sangakkara were not unlucky though.

Both have made it to the 17-player shortlist for the ODI Player of the Year award despite their performance not coming anywhere close to Dhoni's.

Gilchrist collected 871 runs in 23 matches at an average of 39.59 while taking 27 catches and three stumpings. Sangakkara played the maximum of 48 matches to score 1756 runs but at an average of 41.80. He took 36 catches and effected 11 stump dismissals.

Among others in the list, Kevin Pietersen scored 482 runs at 40.16, Mohd Yousuf made 588 runs at 36.75, Herschelle Gibbs picked 610 runs at 38.12, Ricky Ponting 920 at 48.42 and Inzamam-ul Haq 481 runs at 34.35.

As an all-rounder Andrew Flintoff made 361 runs at 32.81 and took 14 wickets. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi made 176 runs from 17 matches at an average of 11 while picking 16 pickets at 29.37.

Yuvraj and Hussey only appear to be the rightful contenders. Yuvraj tallied 1496 runs from 35 matches at an average of 57.53 inclusive of 5 centuries and eight half centuries. Hussey accumulated 769 runs at 66.08 from 25 matches.

As far as runs go, other than Sangakkara and Yuvraj, Indian skipper Rahul Dravid and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene have better run aggregates than Dhoni. Jayawardene made 1,466 runs from 43 matches at 41.88 while Dravid scored 1,288 runs at 39.03.