Steve Smith pipped World number one fast bowler Pat Cummins to win the Allan Border Medal — the award presented to Australia’s man cricketer of the year — whereas Beth Mooney claimed the Belinda Clark medal awarded to the best female Australian women’s cricketer during the Australia Cricket Awards declared on Saturday.
The winners were selected by their contemporary players, match officials and media over 12 months. Smith ended up getting 12 more votes than Cummins for a total of 126 compared to the fast bowler’s 114.
This is the third time Smith has won the Allan Border Medal as in the past only Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have won it four times each. Voting period went on from January 9 2020 to January 9, 2021.
- Cummins did not return empty-handed as he was declared the best Test player of the year in the men’s category.
- Pune managed to beat Australia captain Meg Lanning to win the Belinda Clark medal as she got 60 more votes than her skipper.
- Ashton Agar was announced as Australia’s men’s T20I player of the year whereas Rachael Haynes was declared Australia’s women’s ODI player of the year.
Earlier on Friday, while veteran Shaun Marsh and Elyse Villani were declared Australia’s domestic players of the year, Will Sutherland and Hannah Darlington were announced as the Don Bradman and Belly Wilson young cricketers of the year in men’s and women’s categories respectively.