Gayle, Taylor shine at WIPA awards

Out-of-favour West Indies opener Chris Gayle and West Indies women opener Stafanie Taylor were on Sunday named Cricketers of the Year by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) at its annual awards ceremony in Trinidad and Tobago.

Gayle, who was also named Test Cricketer of the Year, collected the award ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kemar Roach and Sulieman Benn, while Taylor won ahead of batting counterparts Shanel Daley and Deandra Dottin.

Other awards on the night went to West Indies captain Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, Imran Khan, Kirk Edwards, Kieron Joseph and Devendra Bishoo.

Sammy walked away with the Twenty20 Player of the Year for his exploits with both bat and ball during the regional hosting of the ICC World Twenty20 Championship, and Pollard the One-day international Player of the Year for his displays in several series.

Bravo pocketed the Emerging Player of the Year award for his impressive showings in various forms of the game throughout the period under consideration.

Bishoo led the awardees who were outstanding in regional competitions. He took home the Caribbean Twenty20 Player of the Year, Imran Khan, the Four-day Player of the Year, and Kirk Edwards the Limited Overs Player of the Year.

West Indies Under-19 representative Kieron Joseph took home the Under-19 Player of the Year accolade.

The Four-day Team of the Year went to Jamaica, and the Under-19 Team of the Year, to the Windward Islands.