2012/13 Worldwide Stars of Cricket: Twitter Awards

Forget Hollywood, London and Cannes. Forget the Oscars, the Baftas and the Nobel Prize. This is the one that matters. It's the 2012/13 Worldwide Stars of Cricket Twitter Awards!

All the celebs and personalities of the cricketing universe have gathered together in cyberspace's glitziest venue, the Bleacher Report Ballroom for the ceremony to end all ceremonies.

Despite calls for a "green-top," the red carpet proved to be a reliable surface and now, with excitement at fever pitch, let's get on with the show.

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To start us off gently, the first award goes to the tweeter who, while not an in-your-face Twitter presence, still provides useful backup in the cricketing world. 

Best Supporting Tweeter

Winner: Chris Gayle

In between blasting sixes and living up to the laid-back Caribbean stereotype, Christopher Henry Gayle is a prodigious tweeter.

Frequently interacting with fans, friends and fellow cricketers alike, it's no wonder he doesn't have the time to run between the wickets.

However, the master blaster is not afraid to occasionally lay down the law, as Aussie stumper Brad Haddin found out in December, but even that rebuke was delivered in the the West Indian's inimitable style.

That incident aside, expect friendly responses and tongue-in-cheek self-propaganda.

Runner Up: MS Dhoni

Despite having one of the most high-pressure jobs in the cricket world, Indian captain MS Dhoni still finds the time to tweet regularly.

Whether it's mocking teammate Ravindra Jadeja, or giving fans an insight into the day-to-day life of leading India into battle, the wicket-keeper always comes across as refreshingly down to earth and with a sense of humour intact.

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This next award is for the account for the best cricket opinions and calling it like it is.

Best Supporting Tweeter

Winner: Shane Warne

If you can get past the mildly nauseating and highly visible Liz Hurley love-fest and avoid the regular promotion of his chosen poker brand, then the tweets of Shane Warne give a hint of what a great Australian captain he might have made.

Like his playing style, his thoughts are often uncompromising, but delivered with the self-assuredness of someone who has been there, seen it and done it, which make the legendary leg-spinner a must-follow for fans of the game.

Runner Up: Jonathan Agnew

The voice of British radio's cricket coverage, "Aggers" has been fronting Test Match Special on the BBC since dinosaurs roamed the land.

An authoritative take on Twitter covering the various issues that crop up in the game while also providing entertaining insights into the caricature that is his close associate/friend Geoffrey Boycott.

In the commentary box, alongside Brian Johnson, he provided one of the great golden radio moments.

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These days the pre-match hype isn't complete without some sort of social networking furore.

Most controversial Tweeter

Winner: David Warner

As if bashing little Joe Root in a branch of a lame Australian theme bar wasn't enough, David Warner has also been embroiled in a couple of public Twitter disputes.

Firstly, some foul-mouthed tweets sent to a couple of Australian journalists landed the controversial big-hitting batsman in trouble. Secondly, albeit not of his own making, his brother tweeted criticism of David's international colleague Shane Watson.

Of course, not everything Warner says gets journalists racing for their laptops:

Runner Up: Kevin Pietersen

KP is a reverse King Midas in that everything he touches seems to end up causing trouble or embarrassment—whether it's dying your hair like a skunk or strangely texting members of the opposition with tactical advice.

Last year, the unconventional batsman got in trouble for being critical of TV commentator Nick Knight's broadcasting ability.

These days Pietersen is playing a straight-batted charm offensive game with the occasional cringeworthy name drop. But like his batting, don't take your eyes off the action for long, as you never know what will happen next.

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And finally, the award they've all been waiting for...

Best Tweeter

Winner: Graeme Swann

The England off-spinner manages to deal in the sort of banter you find amongst old friends while still managing to toe the company line of a professional sportsman.

Whether lambasting England colleagues such as Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad or alerting followers that a 'classic' film is about to be shown on TV, Swann caters for all.

A recent example like this gives you a good idea what to expect:

Runner Up: David Lloyd

Legendary TV commentator who cracks up and confuses in equal measure with his archaic and idiosyncratic delivery. Specialist subjects include red trousers, pints of ale, and his beloved ex-team Lancashire.

But look behind the madness and the championing of his home town of LA (Little Accrington) and you get strong, informative views on cricket delivered in a digestible style.