Hobart (Australia), Mar 20 (IANS): Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting Wednesday collected the Sheffield Shield player of the year award and ruled out an international comeback for the Ashes cricket series in England.

Ponting, 38, who will be in England playing for Surrey at the same time when the Australian teams attempt to regain the Ashes, said an international comeback was out of question for him.

"I haven't had the phone call yet. International cricket's long passed me by and I've just been really excited about giving back to Tasmanian cricket whatever I could for this season. The decision you make to retire when you do is a very big one. I know I put a lot of time and thought into making the decision that I made for all the right reasons," said Ponting.

Ponting has been the leading run scorer in the domestic competition, Sheffield Shield, with 875 runs for Tasmania at an average of 87.5.

"It probably wasn't quite the year I was hoping for at the start of the season. As it turns out, I've had a pretty good year other than the three big games of Test match cricket that I've played where things didn't quite go to plan," Ponting said while collecting the award at the Bellerive Oval.

Ponting ended his 168-match Test career in December last year. But he has been in fine form in the Sheffield Shield. He struck three Shield centuries - including a double ton against New South Wales (NSW) at Bellerive last month.

Ponting also said that didn't see much of Australia's struggles on the subcontinent.

"I loved the game so much and loved representing my country so much that I thought if I sat back and watched a lot of that, I'd miss it even more," he said.

Ponting, however, was disappointed with the results.

"I think everyone knew going there that it was going to be a tough tour for Australia. The conditions they've been confronted with over there they just don't see in our country and you just don't see in most other countries around the world that you play in," he said.

The Tasmanian said the current crop of the Australian players will be richer with experience after the tour of India.

"Those guys that have been on that tour will be a whole lot better next time they go there and next time they're confronted with conditions like that," he said.

Ponting polled 18 votes to finish ahead of West End Redback swing bowler Chadd Sayers (16). Queensland Bulls batsman Usman Khawaja and emerging NSW Speedblitz Blues fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu tied for third place with 12 votes each.

Victorian Bushranger Aaron Finch's astronomical average of 84 at a run-a-ball in the domestic limited-overs format this season saw him take home the One-Day Cup Player of the Year Award. Finch finished on 15 votes, one ahead of West End Redback Kane Richardson (14).

The annual State Cricket Awards are held in the lead-up to the Bupa Sheffield Shield final, this year to be contested between the Tasmanian Tigers and the Queensland Bulls at Blundstone Arena, Friday.