Veteran Durham all-rounder Ottis Gibson flew to Sri Lanka yesterday as England's bowling coach after being confirmed as the season's most valuable player in the PCA Rankings.
The 38-year-old West Indian, named the Professional Cricketers' Association player of the year at their dinner in the Albert Hall, ended the season with 735 points, 135 clear of his nearest rival Mushtaq Ahmed.
Durham wicketkeeper Phil Mustard was named in the team of the year after finishing eighth overall.
''Everybody keeps an eye on the rankings and to be top means I've been consistent in my own performances. It means a lot to me,'' said Gibson.
''Sometimes you may search a lifetime for what you might consider is perfection. It has probably been a perfect season for me.''
Gibson also came out as top bowler in the rankings, after taking 116 wickets in all competitions, 80 of which were in the LV County Championship.
Surrey's Mark Ramprakash was top batsman, with county colleague Jonathan Batty taking the wicketkeeper's award.
Yorkshire, meanwhile, were also celebrating after scooping the MCC Spirit of Cricket award while gifted all-rounder Adil Rashid has been named young player of the year by the PCA.
Rashid's award comes on top of winning the Cricket Writers' Club young cricketer of the year award and he is also being tipped to bag another trophy at Yorkshire's end-of-season dinner at Headingley Carnegie tonight.
The MCC Spirit of Cricket Award goes to the team which receives the highest average markings from umpires at all first- class and one-day matches.
Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of cricket, said: "We like to play our cricket hard but fair and it is nice that the umpires have recognised that and marked us highly throughout the season."
John Stephenson, MCC's head of cricket, commented: Our congratulations go to Yorkshire who, under Darren Gough, let their cricket do the talking and were in the title mix right up to the end of the season."
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