Mitchell Starc and Ashleigh Gardner have taken the top honours for the first time at the Australian Cricket Awards.
Mitchell Starc was named the Allan Border Medalist and Ashleigh Gardner the Belinda Clark Medalist had topped the voting period of the awards from January 26, 2021, through to January 18, 2022. Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc was on the verge of registering for the mega auction ahead of the IPL 2022 but opted out at the last moment
Mitchell Starc Took 43 Scalps Across All Formats In The Year To Be Awarded Allan Border Medal Pipping Mitchell Marsh, T20I Player Of The Year By 1 Vote
Pacer Mitchell Starc, who took 43 wickets across all formats in the 12-month period and 19 of which came in the men’s Ashes 2021/22, pipped Mitchell Marsh to the honour by one vote. He was the only specialist fast bowler to play all five Tests against England.
Ashleigh Gardner, the first Indigenous player to take one of the top awards, came in seven votes ahead of last year’s winner Beth Mooney. The awards for international cricket are based on votes from players, umpires and the media on a 3-2-1 basis from each match. Across 10 innings Ashleigh Gardner struck 281 runs at an average of 35.10 that included four half-centuries and besides it, he claimed nine wickets.
Mitchell Starc also took the male ODI Player of the Year award, albeit Australia played only three games in the format, while Mitchell Marsh was an unsurprising winner of the T20I title – 24 votes ahead of second-placed Josh Hazlewood – after his starring role in the T20I World Cup victory and the lead-up matches.
Mitchell Starc was only the fifth fast bowler to win the award since its inception in 2000 after Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Pat Cummins. The last time a player won the AB Medal by just one vote was in 2020 when David Warner won it ahead of Steve Smith. For their performance in the last one year, Mitchell Starc finished with 107 votes, Mitchell Marsh with 106 and Travis Head with 72 votes.
Travis Head, Player Of Ashes, Took Male Test Player Award Ahead Of Scott Boland
Travis Head took the male Test player award ahead of Scott Boland, who only missed out by two votes despite playing just three matches, and Mitchell Starc. Travis Head was named Player of the Series during the men’s Ashes having made 357 runs at 59.50 including two centuries.
Alyssa Healy was named female ODI player of the year for the third year in a row and Beth Mooney took the T20I honour. On the domestic front, Travis Head and Elyse Villani took the respective Player of the Year titles while Darcie Brown and Tim Ward were named the Betty Wilson and Bradman Young Cricketers of the Year.