SYDNEY: Star batsman Travis Head has won Australia’s top cricketing honour for the second year in a row, edging Alex Carey to claim the Allan Border Medal.
The opener polled 153 votes, one ahead of wicket-keeper and South Australia team-mate Carey, and three clear of fast bowler Mitchell Starc.
Fellow players, the media and umpires select the player-of-the-year, with the awards handed out at a function in Brisbane on Friday evening.
Head played 30 matches across all three formats during the 2025-26 international season, blasting 1,437 runs.
The left-hander’s highlight was a brilliant 123 off 83 balls on day two of the Ashes Test against England in Perth which helped Australia claim an eight-wicket win.
He went on to score two more big Ashes centuries.
“To think that I’ve got two medals and my kids can look at them and I can tell them (about it) in 20 years’ time is pretty cool,” said Head.
Head was only the fifth player to win back-to-back Allan Border Medals, following in the footsteps of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, David Warner and Shane Watson.
Starc’s remarkable durability through Australia’s 11 Tests last season, including 31 Ashes wickets, saw him recognised as Australian Test player-of-the-year.
Mitchell Marsh was named ODI player-of-the-year while Tim David took the Twenty20 honour.
Earlier this year, Annabel Sutherland claimed her second consecutive Belinda Clark Award, which recognises Australia’s best woman cricketer.
Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2026