Travis Head has etched his name further into Australian cricket history by winning the 2026 Allan Border Medal for the second consecutive year, narrowly beating teammate Alex Carey in one of the closest finishes ever for Australia’s most prestigious individual men’s cricket award.
Head received 153 votes, finishing just one vote ahead of Carey (152), while veteran fast bowler Mitchell Starc followed closely with 150 votes. The award was presented by former Australia captain Allan Border at a ceremony in Brisbane on Friday, recognising performances during the voting period from January 29, 2025, to January 8, 2026.
Unlike previous editions, Cricket Australia hosted a low-key ceremony after being unable to schedule its traditional awards night because of a packed international calendar and overlapping commitments of the men’s and women’s teams.
Head Prevails In One Of The Closest Allan Border Medal Races
After cruising to the Allan Border Medal last year, Head had to battle until the very end to retain Australia’s highest individual honour.
The race remained incredibly tight throughout the voting period, with Head ultimately finishing just ahead of close friend and fellow South Australian Alex Carey. Mitchell Starc also remained firmly in contention until the final count, making it one of the closest Allan Border Medal finishes in recent memory.
The final vote count was:
-
Travis Head – 153 votes
-
Alex Carey – 152 votes
-
Mitchell Starc – 150 votes
-
Steve Smith – 96 votes
-
Mitchell Marsh – 86 votes
Ashes Heroics Proved Decisive
Head’s defining performances came during Australia’s victorious Ashes campaign, where he made a seamless transition to the opening role and produced some of the series’ most memorable innings.
His magnificent 163 in the New Year’s Test at the SCG, which was his third century of the Ashes, is widely believed to have sealed the Allan Border Medal, although Cricket Australia does not release individual match voting records.
Throughout the voting period, Head consistently delivered match-winning performances, including:
-
A brilliant 123 in the fourth innings of the opening Ashes Test in Perth.
-
A career-best 170 in Adelaide, helping Australia retain the Ashes.
-
A commanding 163 at the SCG to finish the series in style.
-
An explosive 142 against South Africa in an ODI at Mackay.
Across all formats, Head amassed 1,437 international runs in 30 matches, finishing the voting period as Australia’s leading Test run-scorer while also emerging as the team’s highest run-getter in One-Day Internationals.
Head Joins An Elite List Of Australian Greats
By retaining the Allan Border Medal, Head became only the fifth Australian cricketer to win the award in consecutive years.
The exclusive list includes:
-
Travis Head – 2025 and 2026
-
David Warner – 2016 and 2017
-
Michael Clarke – 2012 and 2013
-
Shane Watson – 2010 and 2011
-
Ricky Ponting – 2006 and 2007
The achievement also places Head alongside modern Australian stars Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon as multiple-time Allan Border Medal winners.
Mitchell Starc Recognised For Exceptional Test Season
Although he narrowly missed out on the Allan Border Medal, Mitchell Starc was rewarded for his outstanding performances in red-ball cricket by winning the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year award.
Starc enjoyed one of the finest years of his career, finishing with 57 wickets in just 11 Tests at an average of 18.12. His incredible campaign included a devastating 6 for 9 in Jamaica and an outstanding 31 wickets during the Ashes, making him Australia’s most dominant bowler throughout the voting period.
The Test Player of the Year voting finished as follows:
-
Mitchell Starc – 25 votes
-
Travis Head – 21 votes
-
Alex Carey – 20 votes
-
Steve Smith – 13 votes
-
Michael Neser – 10 votes
The award marked Starc’s second Test Player of the Year honour and his first in nine years, the longest gap between two victories in the category.
Marsh And Tim David Shine In White-Ball Cricket
Australia’s white-ball stars were also rewarded after impressive campaigns.
Mitchell Marsh claimed the Men’s ODI Player of the Year award for the second time in three years after producing several influential innings following his return from injury. Despite featuring in only six eligible ODIs, he averaged over 60 and played match-winning knocks against both South Africa and India.
The ODI Player of the Year voting was:
-
Mitchell Marsh – 16 votes
-
Josh Inglis – 12 votes
-
Nathan Ellis – 11 votes
-
Alex Carey – 10 votes
-
Travis Head – 9 votes
Meanwhile, Tim David secured his maiden Men’s T20I Player of the Year award after establishing himself as Australia’s premier middle-order power hitter.
Batting at No. 4 and No. 5, David averaged 49.37 with a phenomenal strike rate of 197.50. His unforgettable 37-ball century against the West Indies, Australia’s fastest T20I hundred, highlighted a season in which he consistently dominated bowling attacks.
The T20I Player of the Year voting saw:
-
Tim David – 23 votes
-
Mitchell Marsh – 19 votes
-
Nathan Ellis – 17 votes
-
Ben Dwarshuis – 16 votes
-
Josh Hazlewood – 16 votes
Australia’s Major Men’s Award Winners
The winners of Cricket Australia’s major men’s individual awards were:
-
Allan Border Medal: Travis Head
-
Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year: Mitchell Starc
-
Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Mitchell Marsh
-
Men’s T20I Player of the Year: Tim David
Head’s second successive Allan Border Medal underlines his emergence as Australia’s most influential all-format batter. From dominating the Ashes to leading the run charts across formats, the left-hander once again proved why he remains one of world cricket’s biggest match-winners, while Starc, Marsh and David rounded off a memorable awards night by collecting the top honours in their respective formats.
