Mitchell Johnson wins ICC Cricketer of Year award; Gary Ballance takes Emerging Cricketer of the Year prize

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has won the prestigious ICC Cricketer of the Year award.

There was plenty for England to celebrate in the awards though. England's Gary Ballance was named the Emerging Cricketer of the Year, Sarah Taylor the Women's ODI Player of the Year and Katherine Brunt won the ICC Spirit of Cricket award.

Stuart Broad and Joe Root were named in the Test team of the year, but there were no England players in the ODI XI.

Englishman Richard Kettleborough was named as umpire of the year for the second straight year. 

Johnson, the Australia fast bowler who terrorised England in last winter's Ashes series, scooped the most prestigious award - ahead of Sri Lanka duo Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews and South Africa's AB de Villiers -  and also the Test Player of the Year. 

Johnson has now matched compatriot Ricky Ponting's feat of winning the top award twice, having also won it in 2009.

The left-arm paceman fired Australia to a 5-0 Ashes sweep of England and a 2-1 series win in South Africa between August 2013 and September 2014, taking 59 Test wickets at an average of 15.23.

"Aggressive fast bowlers are something you'd have seen back in the day with the likes of (Dennis) Lillee and (Jeff) Thomson," Johnson said.

"For me, it's nice to be able to contribute to the team and do the job that I've always thought I've been able to do.

"This is something that I'll be able to look back on in time when my career is over and be exceptionally proud of."

England batsman Ian Bell told Sky Sports News HQ that the right man won the award. 

“He’s always had raw pace and with being a left-hander he has that awkward angle as well," he said. "He deserves that award. He’s had an outstanding 12 months. He made it really hard for us in Australia on bouncy wickets."

There was consolation for De Villiers - he picked up the ODI Cricketer of the Year after another stellar year for the Proteas. He beat his team-mates Quinton de Kock and Dale Steyn, plus India batsman Virat Kohli to the award.

Ballance won the Emerging Cricketer award after a superb first season in international cricket. The Yorkshire left-hander scored three Test centuries in the summer and has become England's new rock at No 3 in the batting line-up in place of Jonathan Trott.

He beat England team-mate Ben Stokes and New Zealand duo Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham to the award.

England batsman Taylor won the Women’s ODI Player of the Year ahead of her captain Charlotte Edwards, India’s prolific Mithali Raj and West Indies star Stefanie Taylor.

In eight matches in the judging period Taylor scored 334 runs at an average of 66.80.

Her England team-mate Brunt picked up the Spirit of Cricket award for a remarkable piece of sportsmanship. The fast bowler asked for a referral when a South African batter was adjudged by the umpire to have been caught out. The decision was subsequently overturned.

Australian Aaron Finch won the Twenty20 performance of the year with his stunning 156 against England.

ECB Chairman, Giles Clarke, said: “I would like to congratulate Gary, Katherine, Sarah and Richard on their individual awards – I am absolutely delighted that their achievements have been recognised by the ICC.

“Sarah has played some incredibly entertaining and significant innings over the last 12 months, but none more impressive than her match-winning hundred to help seal a historic series victory for England women in the West Indies at the end of last year.      

“Since coming into the England Test side in January this year, Gary Ballance has been exceptional.  For a young player to make such a huge impact in his first full year in the England setup is very special, and I hope that he can now use this platform to have a long and successful career in the international game.

“I am thrilled that an England player has won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award.  Playing cricket hard but fair is a philosophy that permeates through every England team, and it is wonderful news that Katherine’s demonstration of this against South Africa during the summer has been recognised.”    

ICC Test team of the year:

David Warner (Aus)

Kane Williamson (NZ)

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri)

AB De Villiers (SA)

Joe Root (Eng)

Angelo Mathews (Sri) (capt)

Mitchell Johnson (Aus)

Stuart Broad (Eng)

Dale Steyn (SA)

Rangana Herath (Sri)

Tim Southee (NZ).

12th man: Ross Taylor (NZ)

ICC ODI team of the year: 

Mohammad Hafeez (Pkn)

Quinton De Kock (SA)

Virat Kohli (Ind)

George Bailey (Aus)

AB De Villiers (SA)

MS Dhoni (Ind, capt & wk)

Dwayne Bravo (WI)

James Faulkner (Aus)

Dale Steyn (SA)

Mohammad Shami (Ind)

Ajantha Mendis (SL)

12th man: Rohit Sharma (Ind)