Australia captain Ricky Ponting [Images] heads the short-list for the annual International Cricket Council (ICC [Images]) awards after being nominated in four categories.

Ponting is in line to retain the cricketer of the year prize and the accolade as top Test player. He is also on the short-list for the best one-day player and captain.

His champion side had another superb year, regaining the Ashes at home before sweeping to an unprecedented hat-trick of World Cup titles in the Caribbean.

The awards will be presented at a function in Johannesburg a day before the start of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa next week.

Mahela Jayawardene [Images], who led Sri Lanka [Images] to the World Cup final, is the other nominee for captaincy. Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf [Images], England's [Images] Kevin Pietersen [Images] and West Indies [Images] batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul [Images] are also in the running for the player of the year award.

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, Pietersen and Yousuf have been short-listed for the Test player's award, while South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis [Images] and Ponting's team mates Matthew Hayden [Images] and the retired Glenn McGrath are in contention for the one-day player of the year award.

India's only nomination came in the form of Jhulan Goswami who has been shortlisted for the women's cricketer of the year award.

Those short-listed for the Emerging Player of the Year are:
Ravi Bopara (Eng)
Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)
Shaun Tait (Aus)
Ross Taylor (NZ)

Those short-listed for the ODI Player of the Year are:
Matthew Hayden (Aus)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Glenn McGrath (Aus)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)

Those short-listed for the Test Player of the Year are:
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)

Those short-listed for the Cricketer of the Year (with the winner receiving the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) are:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)

Those short-listed for the Associate ODI Player of the Year are:
Ashish Bagai (Can)
Ryan ten Doeschate (Nth)
Thomas Odoyo (Ken)
Steve Tikolo [Images] (Ken)

Those short-listed for the Women's Cricketer of the Year are:
Jhulan Goswami (Ind)
Lisa Sthalekar (Aus)
Claire Taylor (Eng)

Those short-listed for the Umpire of the Year are:
Mark Benson
Steve Bucknor
Simon Taufel

Those short-list for the Captain of the Year are:
Mahela Jayawardene (SL)
Ricky Ponting (Aus)

The teams short-listed for the Spirit of Cricket Award are:
Australia
Ireland
New Zealand [Images]
Sri Lanka