| Kallis and Flintoff share top award
Andrew Flintoff and Jacques Kallis were named joint Players of the Year at the ICC Awards in Sydney in the first tie of the ICC Awards. Both players finished level on 86 votes after the count-up votes of the 50-member ICC Awards Voting Academy.
For both players, to receive the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in world cricket, capped what was already a fantastic night for both of them. Flintoff was earlier named in both the ODI and Test teams of the Year and all three honours served as recognition of his dynamic displays during the voting period.
Kallis was also named the Test Player of the Year. He was a runaway winner of the award, polling almost three times as many votes as the runner-up, Glenn McGrath. Kallis was also named in the Test team of the Year and was chosen as 12th man for the ODI Team of the Year.
Kevin Pietersen's extraordinary year got better when he picked up a brace of awards. He was named the ODI Player of the Year and the Emerging Player of the Year, too. Pietersen burst on to the international scene against South Africa with a series of explosive centuries in the one-dayers. His England team-mates had cause to celebrate, too, as they won the Spirit of Cricket Award.
During the voting period Pietersen played 21 ODIs and a single Test - his debut - and enjoyed a spectacular level of success. The right-hander averaged 87.33 including three hundreds in the shortened form of the game and made two half-centuries in that one Test appearance.
Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, said: "This award is a demonstration of the impact Kevin Pietersen has had on international cricket in his first year at the highest level. He has been prolific with the bat and, what is more, his runs have been scored in a style that has thrilled fans all over the world. Those runs and his approach to the game have marked him out as a true entertainer and a massive talent."
Simon Taufel picked up the award for the Umpire of the Year for the second year running. Taufel, 34, from Australia, was the clear winner of the trophy ahead of Pakistan's Aleem Dar and Rudi Koertzen of South Africa, after votes were tallied from the captains of the ten Test-playing countries and the seven members of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.
"On behalf of the ICC I would like to congratulate Simon on this award," said the ICC's president, Ehsan Mani. "He has once again had an outstanding year making decisions in pressure situations all over the world and this award reflects the fact he has got most of those decisions right."
The ICC also announced its World ODI and Test Teams of the Year, as chosen by a specially-appointed selection panel chaired by Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar.
ICC Test Team of the Year Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting (capt), Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Chaminda Vaas, Glenn McGrath. 12th man: Anil Kumble.
ICC ODI Team of the Year Marvan Atapattu (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Symonds, Daniel Vettori, Brett Lee, Naved-ul-Hasan, Glenn McGrath. 12th man: Jacques Kallis.  | 
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