© 2026 Copyright Lifease Solutions LLP. All rights reserved.
NEWS
Travis Head has claimed the Allan Border Medal for the second consecutive year, edging Alex Carey by a single vote to secure Australian cricket's highest individual honour.
Head finished just one vote ahead of Carey, while Mitchell Starc placed third, only three votes behind the winner, after another outstanding season across formats.
Head's award-winning campaign was built around a sensational Ashes series after he successfully transitioned into the role of Test opener.
Initially promoted following Usman Khawaja's injury during Australia's run chase in Perth, Head immediately made an impact with a breathtaking 123 off 83 balls before adding further centuries with scores of 170 in Adelaide and 163 at the SCG.
He finished the Ashes with 629 runs at an average of 87.36, firmly establishing himself as one of Australia's most influential batters.
"I thought Starcy had an incredible year, I thought Kez [Carey] had a great year. I thought it could have been anyone's," Head said.
"I did think Starcy would win it, so I came here tonight pretty relaxed and not thinking that I would be close."
Head became only the sixth player to win the Allan Border Medal more than once, joining an illustrious group featuring Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Steven Smith, David Warner, and Shane Watson.
Unlike last year, when he received the medal from head coach Andrew McDonald during Australia's tour of Sri Lanka, this year's presentation came from Allan Border himself in Brisbane.
"Very privileged and honoured to have someone like AB in the room," Head said.
"It's crazy to think you're in that sort of category. I look back as a young kid and what Smudge [Steven Smith] did to go back-to-back through those years. It's cool to have India and England series among those achievements."
Although he narrowly missed out on the Allan Border Medal, Mitchell Starc was recognised as the Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year.
The left-arm fast bowler claimed 52 wickets at 17.80 during the voting period, including 31 wickets at 19.93 in Australia's Ashes triumph.
His performances came while spearheading the attack for much of the series without regular support from Josh Hazlewood, who missed the entire Ashes, and Pat Cummins, who featured in only one Test.
Starc also produced one of the finest spells of his career against the West Indies in Jamaica, taking 6 for 9 while reaching the landmark of 400 Test wickets in his 100th Test.
Carey enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career, finishing just one vote behind Head in the Allan Border Medal count.
The wicketkeeper-batter scored Test centuries against Sri Lanka in Galle and England in Adelaide while continuing to excel behind the stumps.
Tests carry double the weighting of ODIs and triple that of T20Is in the Allan Border Medal voting, and Head's overall tally of 971 Test runs in 11 matches—almost 200 more than any other Australian—proved decisive.
Despite retaining Australian cricket's top individual honour, Head insisted team achievements remained his primary motivation.
"Individual accolades and runs have never really been something I've worried too much about," Head said.
"To win an Ashes series is incredible. To have an opportunity to win a Border-Gavaskar Trophy away, win an Ashes away, and hopefully win a World Cup in South Africa—that's what motivates me.
"But first we've got to play really well against Bangladesh next week."
Mitchell Marsh was named Men's ODI Player of the Year after scoring 304 runs at an average of 60.80 in six matches.
Tim David claimed the Men's T20I Player of the Year award following a prolific campaign in which he amassed 395 runs at an average of 49.37 and a strike rate of 197.50.
Earlier this year, Annabel Sutherland retained the Belinda Clark Award, with Cricket Australia announcing the women's honours separately after scheduling conflicts prevented the traditional combined awards ceremony.
The awards covered performances between January 29, 2025, and January 24, 2026, with voting conducted by players, umpires and media representatives on a 3-2-1 points system after each international match.
Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.
#Travis Head
#Mitchell Starc
#Allan Border
#Australia
Popular Series
Live Cricket Score
