Australia's Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid of India and Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene lead the nominations for this year's International Cricket Council awards.

The trio of captains were among those short-listed on Wednesday for best player in tests, one-dayers and overall categories for performances between Aug. 1 2005 to Aug. 8 2006.

Michael Vaughan, who led England to a famous Ashes triumph over Australia in 2005, was among four players nominated for a newly introduced "Captain of the Year" award alongside Ponting, Dravid and Jayawardene.

Announcing the nominations, ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed told a news conference the award for captains would recognise their importance to the game.

"Cricket is not just about runs, wickets and catches," he told a news conference. "It is also about tactics and the way a side conducts itself and the captain plays a pivotal role in those aspects of the game.

"The Captain of the Year award is designed to recognise the leader's contribution to the game and to the spirit of cricket we all value so highly." Dravid was the ICC Player of the Year and Test Player of the Year in 2004, the inaugural year for the awards. Ponting has led the world's top-ranked test and one-day side from the front and was named the 2006 Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

Jayawardene scored 374, the fourth-highest individual innings in test history, as captain in this year's home series victory over South Africa after helping blank hosts England 5-0 in the preceding one-day series.

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was named in three categories alongside Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf and Australian opener Mike Hussey.

Flintoff was the ICC Player of the Year for 2005.

England's Monty Panesar, who grabbed 15 wickets in the home test series win over Pakistan, was among 13 short listed for the Cricketer of the Year award but looks a better bet for the Emerging Player award.

The ICC have also introduced a Women's Cricketer of the Year award.

The names were selected by a five-man panel comprising ICC cricket committee chief Sunil Gavaskar, South Africa speedster Allan Donald, Pakistan paceman Waqar Younis, former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy.

The awards will be presented in Mumbai on Oct. 23 during the ICC Champions Trophy in India.

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