Travis Head wins Allan Border Medal for second consecutive year

Hyderabad: Travis Head has been crowned the nation’s leading male cricketer, winning the prestigious Allan Border Medal for a second consecutive year.

At a function held in Brisbane to celebrate the 2025-26 season for Australia’s men’s teams, Head claimed top honours while Mitchell Starc was named Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year, Mitchell Marsh claimed Men’s ODI Player of the Year and Tim David won Men’s T20I Player of the Year.

Head played 30 matches across all three formats during the 2025-26 international cricket season, scoring 1437 runs.

The left-hander’s season was highlighted by a brilliant 123 off 83 balls on day two of the NRMA Insurance West Test, to help Australia claim an eight-wicket win and the first win of the Ashes series.

Head’s top score for the season was a 170 in the second innings of his home Test in Adelaide. That innings followed a century by Alex Carey, who finished one vote behind his South Australian teammate in the Allan Border Medal count.

Carey also had a standout season, scoring 1079 runs in 24 matches across all formats. His glovework was pivotal in Australia’s reclaiming of the Ashes when he finished the series with 28 dismissals.

Fast bowler Starc finished third in the Allan Border Medal and claimed the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year.

Starc, who was also the NRMA Insurance Ashes Player of the Series, took 57 wickets at 24 in 11 Tests with best figures of 7-58 in the first innings of the West Test against England.

In the white ball formats, Marsh won ODI Player of the Year after scoring 304 runs in six matches with a top score of 100 against South Africa in Mackay.

David was awarded T20I Player of the Year, scoring 395 runs in 14 matches which included the fastest-ever T20I century for Australia, an unbeaten 102 off 37 balls against the West Indies.