Aussie cricket history as Head wins back-to-back AB Medals, joins greats after thrilling count

After his elevation to opener proved critical to retaining the Ashes, Travis Head sits atop the Australian order once again after being anointed the Allan Border Medallist for the second year in succession.

Head, whose second innings century in Perth resurrected Australia’s hopes in the opening Test of the Ashes, was honoured at a ceremony in Brisbane on Friday night and becomes just the sixth multiple winner of the prestigious award, joining Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, David Warner and Steve Smith.

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The South Australian narrowly edged champion fast bowler Mitchell Starc and star wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who both starred in the Ashes, in a thrilling count and will now bid for a hattrick in what shapes as a destiny-defining year for the Aussies.

“I didn’t expect to win one. To win two is pretty incredible,” Head said.

The 32-year-old, who has been in Brisbane for the past week preparing for the two Test series against Bangladesh beginning next Wednesday in Darwin that begins a season where Australia could play 21 Tests, polled 153 votes.

This saw him edge Carey by a solitary vote with Starc, the 2022 Allan Border Medallist who led all-comers with 31 wickets in the Ashes, finishing in third position with 150 votes.

Head, who also scored 170 in the second innings of the Ashes clinching triumph at his home ground Adelaide Oval in December, featured in 30 matches for Australia.

From his stunning Ashes performances to white ball deeds, the all-format star made 1437 runs for Australia across the season in an award where votes in Tests are worth double that of ODI games and carry three times the weight of T20 matches.

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Starc’s stunning work in red-ball cricket was recognised with the 36-year-old named the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year.

The New South Welshman took 57 wickets at 24 in 11 Tests, with his best figures 7-58 in a stunning opening innings against England in Perth in a season where he became the most prolific left-arm pace bowler in Test history.

The strike bowler, who will play the Tests against Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay in matches that see the return of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, sits 12th on the all-time list and needs only seven more wickets to move into the top 10.

Carey fell one catch short of setting an Ashes record when taking 28 catches and ultimately one vote short of a crowning moment in his career after a season in which he made 1079 runs in 24 matches across all formats of the game.

Mitch Marsh, who announced his retirement from Test cricket midway through last year, has been in blazing form in The Hundred and had further reason for cheer this week after being named the ODI Player of the Year.

Tim David was announced as the T20 Player of the Year in a season in which he smashed the fastest ever century for Australia off just 37 balls in a match against the West Indies.

Cricket Australia’s head of cricket James Allsopp said retaining the Ashes was a highlight of the 2025-26 season when congratulating Head and the other award winners.

“Travis had a fantastic season with some memorable knocks that left lifelong memories for the fans lucky to watch him,” Allsopp said.

“Mitch Starc has moved in the realm of the world’s great fast bowlers while Mitch Marsh and Tim David starred in the white ball formats.

“The Australian Men’s Team had a big 2025-26 summer which featured retaining the Ashes in front of record-breaking audiences. They have a huge year of cricket to come starting with the two-Test series against Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay.”

While the Allan Border Medal remains a prized crown, it no longer holds a prestige summer slot given the constraints of finding a window that suits the nation’s best men and women in an increasingly crowded calendar.

Earlier this year Annabel Sutherland claimed her second consecutive Belinda Clark Award, along with the ODI Player of the Year award, while Beth Mooney was named T20I Player of the Year prior to a series against India.

Border, who presented Head with the prestigious award, told Code Sports preceding the gala dinner that he hoped space would be found in the future to return the event to its previous glory.

“I sort of understand because there’s been so much cricket when it was traditionally held … it just couldn’t happen at the time,” Border said.

“It does seem a bit odd to be in the middle of winter, and there’s been no cricket really played, and everyone’s sort of forgotten about who’s done what.

“But yeah, look, it is what it is. I think the players still rate the fact that it’s a great honour for them to win that medal. So whenever it’s held, it’s highly regarded by the players, and that’s important.

“But I’d like to see it to go back to a traditional time and traditional sort of ceremony, where the girls are there. It’s a big event down at the Crown Casino at the end of the season, have the big awards night, and then they get on with the winter programs.”

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