Karachi, Oct 3 Pakistan's cricket community reacted sharply Saturday after the country's players were "snubbed" at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Awards ceremony in Johannesburg earlier this week.

Fans back home were confident that at least one Pakistani cricketer - all-rounder Shahid Afridi - would win the ICC award for the best Twenty20 performance of the year. But they were stunned when Afridi was overlooked for the award despite of the fact that he helped Pakistan win the 2009 World Twenty20 title in England in June.

Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan was adjudged the ICC Twenty20 International Performer of the Year. Dilshan's unbeaten 96 off 57 balls against the West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal at The Oval clinched it for the big-hitting batter.

The awards were given away for performances between August 2008 and August 2009.

The winners were selected by an elite panel that included Clive Lloyd, Anil Kumble, Mudassar Nazar, Stephen Fleming and Bob Taylor.

"It was really unjust to ignore Afridi," said Salahuddin Ahmed, a former Pakistan chief selector. "Afridi is head and shoulders above other cricketers when it comes to the Twenty20 game and I think he should have been given the award," added Salahuddin, a former Pakistan Test cricketer.

"They (ICC) have just snubbed us," said Ahmed Khan, an engineering student. "Our cricketers are among the best in the world but they were nowhere among the award winners," he lamented.

Afridi himself is, however, philosophical. "I believe that the love and respect showered on me by the fans after the Twenty20 World Cup is my biggest reward. I don't need any other awards," he maintained. (IANS)