Ricky Ponting and Australia have dominated the ICC Awards night in Johannesburg, with the skipper claiming two awards, including cricketer of the year.

Australians won five of the eight individual awards on offer with Ponting becoming the first player in the event's four-year history to receive back-to-back Sir Garfield Sobers Trophies.

He also picked up the captain's gong, but was beaten to the one-day player award by teammate Matthew Hayden.

Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf - who has controversially signed to play in the rebel Indian Cricket League - took out the Test player award, for which Ponting was also shortlisted.

The night capped a superb 2006/07 for Ponting, who led Australia to an Ashes whitewash, Champions Trophy triumph and third straight World Cup title.

It also came after a difficult week, with Ponting delaying his departure to South Africa for the Twenty20 World Championship to remain at home with his ill wife.

The Australian skipper, who only arrived in Johannesburg on Monday a few hours before the awards, was also anointed captain of both the Test and one-day world teams of the year.

He beat Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf, Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies and England's Kevin Pietersen for cricketer of the year.

In other awards, Shaun Tait was named emerging player of the year after his starring role for Australia during the World Cup, where he took 23 wickets in 11 games.

Simon Taufel continued his domination of the umpires award, winning for the fourth consecutive year.

Australia had four players named in the one-day team of the year - Hayden, Ponting, McGrath and Michael Hussey, who was 12th man - as well as four in the Test team - Hayden, Ponting, Hussey and Stuart Clark.

Ponting was named captain of both sides, but his vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist, was a notable omission from both teams.

South African Mark Boucher was selected as wicket-keeper for the one-day team, while Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara beat the Australian out for the Test side.

Sangakkara, however, could well have considered himself unlucky not to be shortlisted for Test player of the year having averaged 232 with the bat during the voting period (August 2006-August 2007), including four centuries - three of them double tons.

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