Mitchell Starc becomes 5th Australian fast bowler to win the Allan Border Medal

Ashleigh Gardner won the Belinda Clark award for emerging as the top player of Australian Women’s Cricket. On the other hand, left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has won the Allan Border’s Medal and became the 5th Aussie fast bowler to do so.

In fact, it was a neck-to-neck fight between Starc and Mitchell Marsh, but it was Starc who eventually won the award. The winners for the various awards are decided based on a voting system, and this panel of voters comprises of players, people from the media, and also the umpires as well. The award winners were announced on 29th January 2022 when the players took lunch in the Women’s Ashes Test match between the England Women and the Australian Women.

Mitchell Starc won a total of 107 votes

Mitchell Starc won the Allan Border Medal after winning 107 votes, while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh gained 106 votes. Left-handed batter Travis Head won 72 votes. Starc was outstanding in every format of the game that he played in 2021. In the 5 Tests that he played, the left-arm seamer picked up 17 wickets at an average of 33.24. Starc also played 3 ODI matches and prized out 11 willow wielders last year.

In the T20I format of the game, Starc picked up 13 wickets last year at a strike rate of 23.08. Apart from Starc, the other fast bowlers to win the Allan Border medal are Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and current Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins.

Also, Mitchell Marsh won the T20 Men’s Player of the Year award. Marsh had a stellar run with the bat in 2021 in T20I cricket and amassed 627 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of close to 130. Travis Head bagged the Men’s Test Player of the Year award, while Starc bagged the Men’s ODI Player of the Year award.

While Alyssa Healy won the Women’s ODI Player of the Year award, Beth Mooney bagged the T20I Player of the Year award.

List of Award Winners

Belinda Clark Award

Winner: Ashleigh Gardner (54 votes)

Allan Border Medal

Winner: Mitchell Starc (107 votes)

Men’s Test Player of the Year

Winner: Travis Head (12 votes)

Women’s ODI Player of the Year

Winner: Alyssa Healy (13 votes)

Men’s ODI Player of the Year

Winner: Mitchell Starc (15 votes)

Women’s T20 Player of the Year

Winner: Beth Mooney (13 votes)

Men’s T20 Player of the Year

Winner: Mitchell Marsh (53 votes)

Women’s Domestic Player of the Year

Winner: Elyse Villani

Men’s Domestic Player of the Year

Winner: Travis Head