Anrich Nortje, Shabnim Ismail the big winners at Cricket SA Awards

Nortje, who bagged the top men's accolade for a second time after 2021, registered 36 wickets across 21 innings at an average of 21.44 runs per wicket across all formats for the Proteas.

The 29-year-old speedster insists he didn't expect to walk away with the honour despite being nominated in all of the senior men's awards categories.

"Obviously it's great to get it. It's not something you go out in the season or go out in the field and you think about. So, it's really special to be here and to actually get it. I didn't think anything of it, I didn't think I'll even be close to getting it," Nortje said. 

SA Women's Player of the Year award winner Shabnim Ismail, who recently retired from international cricket following the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Cape Town, was also so delighted in taking home the top female honour, which she bagged for a third time.

"It's so surreal I'm not gonna lie. I think a lot of young females out there, a lot of cricketers in general out there would wish to have this award after retirement. It's a bittersweet moment, obviously, I'm happy that I could actually walk down the aisle for the last time and receive it in front of all my teammates, all my friends, my fans that have been watching," Ismail said.

"I'm happy but I'm not actually happy at the same time because it was my last time actually walking up there for CSA. But I'm also happy in the sense of I've actually made it to the last part. You know, got the final award that a lot of people dream of, so, I am happy."