African drummers, cricket’s A-list celebrities, glitz, glamour, the International Cricket Council’s annual awards function had all that and more. A presenter welcomed former and current cricketers in, stopping for quick interviews with some of the more recognisable faces. From India, Gautam Gambhir, nominated for Test player of the year and cricketer of the year and previous award winners Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid, wore smiles, on a day when one of their own would be feted by a group of his peers.

“Even if a particular player does not win an award, it’s always good to be present when one of your fellow cricketers is appreciated,” said Sunil Gavaskar.

“In the busy international schedule it is a must to have an evening like this where players are appreciated for that they do.”

The evening, which was flagged off by a champagne reception, moved to the awards in the less glamourous categories — spirit of cricket, emerging player, associate player — before taking a short break for an early dinner.

The evening also provided the cricket’s governing body an opportunity to hand over a cup to recent Hall of Fame inductee Wasim Akram. Steve Waugh, the other living fresh inductee into the Hall  of Fame, was unable to attend.