Damien Martyn's axing from the Australian Test team may have cost him a deserved tilt at the ICC's Test player of the year award.

Martyn was cut from among 15 contenders for the award when ICC-appointed judges voted to short-list five - Adam Gilchrist, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Jacques Kallis.

Over the assessment period from August 1, 2004 to July 31, 2005, Martyn scored 1139 runs at 63.28 in 13 Tests, including five centuries.

Statistically, it was a better batting record than Gilchrist who made an equally-impressive 1003 runs at 62.69.

Martyn's return was equally impressive as Inzamam's, with the Pakistani scoring 721 at 65.55 from a mere seven Tests.

The Pakistan skipper's year was tarnished by a forgetful tour of Australia where he played one Test, scoring 0 and 1 in Perth, before sitting out the rest of the lop-sided series with back soreness.

A 50-member ICC awards academy - which includes Test captains, match officials, media and former greats - decided upon the short list this week after casting 3-2-1 votes for the 15 nominees.

The annual ICC awards will be presented in Sydney on October 11 during the Super Series between Australia and the World XI.

Martyn was dumped from the world champions' Test team last week as the only batting scapegoat from the 2-1 Ashes series loss.

The West Australian's batting woes began just after the voting period ended, following the first Ashes Test at Lord's when he scored a pivotal second-innings 65.

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