Travis Head wins Allan Border Medal back-to-back; Starc named Test Player of Year
Synopsis
Travis Head won the Allan Border Medal by a single vote — 153 to 152 over Alex Carey — after amassing 1,437 runs across 30 matches in 2025/26. He is only the sixth player in history to win the award multiple times, joining Ponting, Clarke, Watson, Smith, and Warner. Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc's 57-wicket Ashes haul earned him the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year award for the second time.
Key Takeaways
Travis Head won the Allan Border Medal for the second consecutive year, polling 153 votes in the 2025/26 season.
Head scored 1,437 runs across 30 matches , including a match-winning 123 off 83 balls in the Ashes opener at Perth .
He edged out Alex Carey by a single vote ( 153 vs 152 ) to claim the top honour.
Mitchell Starc took 57 wickets at an average of 24 in 11 Tests , including career-best 7-58 , winning the Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year award.
Mitchell Marsh won Men's ODI Player of the Year; Tim David claimed T20I Player of the Year with the fastest T20I century by an Australian male batter ( 102 off 37 balls ).
Head is only the sixth multiple-time Allan Border Medal winner, joining Ponting, Clarke, Watson, Smith , and Warner .
Travis Head has claimed the Allan Border Medal for the second consecutive year, cementing his status as Australia's premier batter after a dominant 2025/26 international season. The left-handed opener was honoured at a Cricket Australia awards ceremony in Brisbane on Friday, 7 August, polling 153 votes across all three formats.
Head's Record-Breaking Season
Head accumulated 1,437 runs across 30 matches in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is over the season — a haul that underlined his consistency across formats. His standout knocks included a match-winning 123 off 83 balls in the Ashes series opener in Perth and a high score of 170 in the Adelaide Test. The margin of victory was razor-thin: Head edged out South Australian teammate and wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey by a single vote — 153 to 152. Carey had compiled 1,079 runs in 24 matches and registered 28 dismissals during Australia's successful Ashes defence.
Starc Claims Test Cricketer of the Year
Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc finished third in the Allan Border Medal tally with 150 votes and claimed the Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year award. Named Player of the Series in the Ashes triumph, Starc took 57 wickets at an average of 24 across 11 Tests, including career-best figures of 7-58. Notably, Starc becomes only the fifth player to win Australia's Men's Test Cricketer of the Year award multiple times.
White-Ball Honours: Marsh and David Rewarded
In the limited-overs categories, T20I captain Mitchell Marsh was named Men's ODI Player of the Year after scoring 304 runs in six matches. Power-hitter Tim David claimed the Men's T20I Player of the Year award, with the highlight being his unbeaten 102 off 37 balls against the West Indies — the fastest T20I century by an Australian male batter.
What Cricket Australia Said
James Allsopp, Cricket Australia Chief of Cricket, said: 'Congratulations to all of tonight's award winners, including back-to-back Allan Border Medallist Travis Head. Travis had a fantastic season with some memorable knocks that left lifelong memories for the fans lucky to watch him. Mitch Starc has moved into the realm of the world's great fast bowlers while Mitch Marsh and Tim David starred in the white ball formats.'
Allsopp also noted that the Australian Men's Team had 'a big 2025-26 summer which featured retaining the Ashes in front of record-breaking audiences,' with a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay up next.
Brendan Drew, Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) General Manager Member Services and Cricket Operations, described Head as 'a thoroughly deserving back-to-back winner' and noted Starc had 'aged like a fine wine' as a key pillar of the Test bowling lineup.
Elite Company for Head
With this second consecutive medal, Head joins an exclusive group as the sixth cricketer to win the Allan Border Medal multiple times, alongside Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, and David Warner. On the women's side, seam-bowling all-rounder Annabel Sutherland claimed her second consecutive Belinda Clark Award and was also named ODI Player of the Year, while left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney took the T20I Player of the Year honour. With a packed schedule ahead for Australian cricket, the 2026/27 season will test whether Head and his teammates can sustain this remarkable run of form.
Point of View
Won by a single vote, reflects just how competitive Australian batting has become — Carey's 1,079-run, 28-dismissal season would have been a runaway winner in most other years. What the awards night underscores is a deeper structural strength: Australia won the Ashes, set attendance records, and swept all four individual men's awards with different names. Starc's 57-wicket haul at 24 is the kind of return that reframes a career narrative — from 'ageing quick' to indispensable. The real question heading into the Bangladesh series and beyond is whether this generation can sustain peak output across an increasingly congested global schedule.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times has Travis Head won the Allan Border Medal?
Travis Head has won the Allan Border Medal twice — in consecutive years, making him the sixth player in history to win the award multiple times. He joins Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, and David Warner in that elite group.
Why did Travis Head win the 2025/26 Allan Border Medal?
Head won the award after scoring 1,437 runs across 30 matches in all three formats during the 2025/26 season. His standout performances included a match-winning 123 off 83 balls in the Ashes opener at Perth and a high score of 170 in the Adelaide Test.
What award did Mitchell Starc win at the Cricket Australia ceremony?
Mitchell Starc won the Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year award after taking 57 wickets at an average of 24 in 11 Tests, including career-best figures of 7-58. He was also named Player of the Series in Australia's Ashes triumph.
Who won the Men's T20I Player of the Year award?
Tim David won the Men's T20I Player of the Year award, highlighted by his unbeaten 102 off 37 balls against the West Indies — the fastest T20I century by an Australian male batter.
Who were the women's award winners at the Cricket Australia ceremony?
Annabel Sutherland claimed her second consecutive Belinda Clark Award and was also named ODI Player of the Year, while Beth Mooney won the T20I Player of the Year award.
