David Warner becomes the fourth player to win multiple Allan Border medals
What’s the story?
On the back of his remarkable recent exploits in ODIs, David Warner has cruised to his second consecutive Allan Border Medal. The 30-year old received 269 votes and edged past skipper Steven Smith (248) to become only the fourth player to win the top award on multiple occasions.
Prior to Warner, the likes of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Shane Watson have received the honour more than one time. While the two former captains achieved the feat on no less than four occasions, the all-rounder also won the award twice.
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Named after one of Australia’s greatest ever captains, the Allan Border Medal is the nation’s top cricketing accolade. Even though performances across all three formats are taken into account, it is understood that Tests carry more weighting than limited-overs cricket.
However, Warner’s astounding recent ODI numbers (seven centuries in the voting period) managed to tilt the scales in his favor. Having started the home summer on a disappointing note, he roared back into Test form with attacking tons against Pakistan in Melbourne and Sydney.
The heart of the matter
Needless to say, Warner also took home the ODI Player of the Year award. However, the Test honor went to speedster Mitchell Starc for his breakthrough year in the format. Apart from being the only positive in Australia’s defeat in Sri Lanka, the left-armer remained fairly consistent in familiar conditions as well. Watson, who bid adieu at the end of the World T20, got the nod in the shortest format.
In the women’s circuit, skipper Meg Lanning deservedly clinched the Belinda Clark award for her impressive performances with the bat. She received 51 votes in comparison to 2016 winner Ellyse Perry’s 43 and sealed the prize for the third time.
Complete List of Winners
The Allan Border Medal: David Warner
Belinda Clark Award: Meg Lanning
Test Player of the Year: Mitchell Starc
ODI Player of the Year: David Warner
T20I Player of the Year: Shane Watson
Men’s Domestic Player Award: Cameron White
Women’s Domestic Player Award: Meg Lanning
Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Hilton Cartwright
Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year: Sophie Molineux
What next?
Unless he is rested for the dead-rubber ODI against Pakistan in Adelaide, Warner will not have much time to savour the award. But, the left-hander has been rested for the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in New Zealand which should give him a much-needed break before the gruelling Test series in India begins.
Sportskeeda’s take
Warner’s career thus far makes for interesting study. He was the first player since 1877 to earn a Test cap without having any first-class experience. Almost immediately, the attacking opener went on to make a mark in the game’s traditional format.
Surprisingly, he did not have a great start to his ODI career. During the last couple of years, Warner rectified the anomaly by reeling off one century after another. Consecutive Allan Border Medals stand as a testament to his desire to keep improving and consistently contribute to the team’s cause across all formats.