Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was Wednesday voted Sheffield Shield player of the year for his sizzling form since quitting international cricket. Ponting, who retired from Tests in December after 17 years, has been in fine touch with the bat, scoring 875 at an average of 87.5 for Tasmania, who are into the Shield final against Queensland.
The 38-year-old, the second-highest Test run-scorer of all-time behind India's Sachin Tendulkar, had been expected to make the current Australian domestic season his last, but has indicated he could continue. He is due to play tournaments in England, India and the Caribbean throughout 2013, and said this week he could be back for Tasmania. "I've really enjoyed the last few months to tell the truth," he said. "I feel like I'm still playing well... I'm playing a lot of cricket through the off-season so there's every chance that I might be able to get around again next year." The annual State Cricket Awards are calculated based on Sheffield Shield umpires allocating votes on a 3-2-1 basis after each game - three votes to the best player.