Australia captain Ricky Ponting received the Allan Border medal on Monday as the country's best cricketer over the past year.
Ponting scored 1,544 runs in 2005, including six centuries, at an average of 67.13 to finish the year ranked as the number one batsman in the world.
Ponting became the first player to win the award twice after finishing ahead of Mike Hussey and Brett Lee in a poll of team mates, umpires and media.
Shane Warne was named Test player for the 12-month voting period while Hussey won the best one-day player award.
Promising opener Phil Jaques was named as the leading player from the domestic interstate competition and spinner Dan Cullen won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award.
Glenn McGrath (2000), Steve Waugh (2001), Matthew Hayden (2002), Adam Gilchrist (2003) and Michael Clarke (2005) have also won the Allan Border medal. Ponting won in 2004.
Ponting became the first Australian captain to lose an Ashes series since 1986-87 when his team were beaten 2-1 in England last year, but his individual form was outstanding.
In his only Test this year, he became the first player in history to score hundreds in each innings of his 100th Test.
"This Australian cricket team is still the best cricket team in the world," Ponting said on accepting his award at a gala dinner presentation at Melbourne.
"For me to be the captain of that side is a great honour and a great thrill."
Ponting, 31, finished second behind Warne for the Test player of the year.
Warne, 35, captured 96 Test wickets in 2005, a world record for any calendar year. During the Ashes series he took 40 wickets at 19.92.
