Ponting named Captain of the Year at ICC Awards 2007

Australia's Ricky Ponting was tonight named as the Captain of the Year at the ICC Awards in Johannesburg.

32-year-old Ponting displayed impressive leadership qualities during the voting period of the Award, leading his side to a series of victories including the ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Cricket World Cup as well as regaining the Ashes from England.

Between 9 August 2006 and 8 August 2007, Ponting captained his side in five Test matches, winning all of them, and 28 ODIs, winning 24 and losing just three (there was one no-result).

Speaking after receiving the award, Ponting said: "A captain is only as good as the team of players he has around him and I am very lucky that I have a great group of guys around me and they make captaining a side easy.

"It is an honour to be here to collect this award. Winning trophies is what playing for Australia is about and I have been very fortunate to be part of a side that has done that in recent years."

Ponting beat off strong competition from last year's winner Mahela Jayawardena, who had been nominated on the short-list again this year. He received the award from former West Indies captain Brian Lara.

The Captain of the Year Award is not necessarily about recognising the most successful leader in terms of results; it is also intended to reward the player who has displayed excellent tactical awareness, has best fulfilled obligations to the game as set out by the ICC and the Laws of Cricket and has best demonstrated the Spirit of Cricket during the voting period.

The recognition of the importance of promoting the Spirit of Cricket, an ethos on how the game should be played and viewed both on and off the field, illustrates the ICC's commitment to encouraging a positive image of the game.

The Captain of the Year was one of 11 individual and team honours handed out during the ICC Awards, presented by LG in association with FICA (the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations). The event recognises cricket's star performers over a 12-month period.

Voting for the Captain of the Year was completed by the 56-member ICC Awards voting Academy who cast a 3-2-1 vote (three votes being the greater value) from the list of nominees, with the votes tallied to produce a winner.

The voting Academy included the 10 ICC Full Member captains, the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Referees, the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and a host of legends of the game and respected members of the media.

The trophy, produced by Swarovski, features a crystal cricket ball studded with over 4200 Swarovski crystal chantons, cusped in a hand which extends from an aluminium base. The hand represents the theme of "breaking through" in pursuit of excellence. The trophy weighs 1.2kg, is 30cm high and 11cm in width.