Brisbane, August 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Australia’s explosive left-handed opener Travis Head has won the prestigious Allan Border Medal for the second successive year after an outstanding 2025-26 international season across all three formats.
At the Cricket Australia Awards held on Friday, Head secured the top honour after accumulating 1,437 runs in 30 matches. His remarkable season included a match-winning 123 off 83 balls in the Ashes opener at Perth and a career-defining 170 in the Adelaide Test.
Head narrowly beat South Australian teammate and wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey, winning the medal by just one vote. Head received 153 votes, while Carey finished with 152 votes after scoring 1,079 runs in 24 matches and taking 28 dismissals during Australia’s successful Ashes defence.
Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc finished third in the medal standings with 150 votes and was named the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year. Starc claimed 57 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 24, including career-best figures of 7-58. He was also named Player of the Series during Australia’s Ashes triumph.
In the white-ball categories, T20I captain Mitchell Marsh won the Men’s ODI Player of the Year award after scoring 304 runs in six matches, while power-hitter Tim David received the Men’s T20I Player of the Year award for his outstanding performances, including his unbeaten 102 off 37 balls against the West Indies, the fastest T20I century by an Australian male batter.
Cricket Australia Chief of Cricket James Allsopp congratulated the award winners, praising Head’s consistency, Starc’s achievements and the team’s successful 2025-26 campaign, which included retaining the Ashes in front of record-breaking crowds.
With the latest honour, Head became only the sixth cricketer to win the Allan Border Medal multiple times, joining an elite list featuring Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Steven Smith and David Warner.
Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) General Manager Member Services & Cricket Operations Brendan Drew also praised the winners, describing Head as a deserving back-to-back winner and lauding Starc for continuing to play a key role in Australia’s Test bowling attack.
Earlier this year, Australia women’s all-rounder Annabel Sutherland won her second consecutive Belinda Clark Award. She was also named ODI Player of the Year, while wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney received the T20I Player of the Year honour.
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