ENGLAND will enter the ICC Trophy with the best one-day player in the world within their ranks after Andrew Flintoff carried off the prestigious prize at the International Cricket Council's awards dinner.

The Lancashire all-rounder beat off fierce competition from major players like India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australian pair Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist to claim the one-day international player award at the inaugural Alexandra Palace awards evening.

The award caps a memorable week for Flintoff, who became a father in the early hours of Monday morning after fiancee Rachel gave birth to daughter Holly, and provides the perfect spur for England's ICC Trophy challenge, which begins against Zimbabwe at Edgbaston on Friday.

He averaged 78.71 in the 12 one-day international matches played during the qualifying period and scored successive centuries against New Zealand and West Indies this summer while he also claimed career best bowling figures of four for 14 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last October.

"The best day of my life was when Rachel gave birth to little Holly -- she came a bit out of the blue because we were expecting her next month but this week seems to be getting better and better," enthused Flintoff.

"I would not have believed it if someone had said three years ago that I would be getting an award like this and beating players of this stature, but I am going through a purple patch in my life and my cricket and I am just enjoying it at the moment.

"It has been a special few days for me because a few of the Lancashire lads flew down to help me celebrate Holly's birth and now this has happened so this week seems to be getting better and better for me."

Flintoff was also named in a strong world one-day line-up, which included such luminaries as Australia's Jason Gillespie and Ponting, West Indies captain Brian Lara and South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis.