Pictures from Sydney

Kallis was also named ICC Test player of the year, while Flintoff was runner-up in the one-day category.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen won the one-day and emerging player of the year awards at the ceremony in Sydney.

English success continued when Flintoff picked up the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award on behalf of the England team.

Flintoff and Kallis each received 86 votes, more than twice as many as the player who came third, for the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy awarded to the best overall player.

Pietersen and Flintoff, who was the 2004 one-day player of the year, were both picked for the 2005 one-day team, while Flintoff was the only English player to make the ICC's all-star Test team.

Performances in this summer's Ashes series counted for little as only the opening match at Lord's - which England lost by 239 runs - came within the 12-month counting period.

During the selection period, which finished at the end of July, Flintoff played 10 Tests and 16 limited-overs internationals, scoring 366 runs at 30.5 and taking 44 wickets at 24.68 in Test matches.

What a great year for English cricket, the awards are well deserved! From Vicky Have your say on TMS

He scored 464 in one-dayers at a strike-rate of 93 and took 24 wickets.

Flintoff said: "This is a special moment. I stood on stage with the best players in the world, and it's a special feeling.

"I honestly didn't know what to expect. I wasn't expecting to receive anything, but to receive an award like this... I had no idea."

Kallis was a runaway winner of the Test award, polling almost three times as many votes as the runner-up, Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath.

In Test cricket Kallis scored 1,497 runs at an average of 71.28 including six centuries, while he also took 20 wickets and held 16 catches.

In ODIs the South African scored 697 runs at 41 and took eight wickets.

These last 12 months have been a whirlwind - it's quite amazing Double winner Kevein Pietersen

During the same period, double award winner Pietersen played 21 one-day internationals and one Test.

The 25-year-old averaged 87.33 with a strike rate of 99.5 in ODIs, scoring three centuries and four half-centuries.

A delighted Pietersen said he was stunned by his double.

"These last 12 months have been a whirlwind. It's quite amazing. I honestly didn't think I was going to get these awards," he said.

ICC president Ehsan Mani paid tribute to England, who capped their stunning Ashes win against Australia by winning the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award.

"Michael Vaughan's side has enjoyed considerable success on the field during the voting period," said Mani.

"This award shows they have done so by upholding the traditional values of the game."

Australian Simon Taufel was named umpire of the year for the second year in a row.

NOMINATIONS/WINNERS

Player of the Year