MELBOURNE, Feb 6: Australia captain Ricky Ponting received the Allan Border medal on Monday as the country’s best cricketer over the past year. Ponting scored 1,544 runs in 2005, including six centuries, at an average of 67.13 to finish the year ranked as the number one batsman in the world.

Ponting became the first player to win the award twice after finishing ahead of Mike Hussey and Brett Lee. Shane Warne was named Test player for the 12-month voting period while Hussey won the best one-day player award. Phil Jaques was named as the leading player from the domestic interstate competition and spinner Dan Cullen won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award.—Reuters