Steve Smith won the Allan Border Medal and was named Test Cricketer of the Year
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Australia captain Steve Smith won the Allan Border Medal and was named Test Player of the Year at the prestigious event in Melbourne on Monday.
Smith beat off competition from opening batsman and Test vice-captain David Warner as he secured 246 votes. Warner received 162 votes, while spinner Nathan Lyon and pace bowler Pat Cummins got 156 and 111 votes respectively.
Since Smith also won the Allan Border Medal back in 2015, he joins Ricky Ponting (2004, 2006-07, 2009), Michael Clarke (2005, 2009, 2012-13), Shane Watson (2010-11) and David Warner (2016-17) as multiple winners of the award.
The 28-year-old scored 1,754 runs across all formats at an average of 67.46 during the 12-month voting period.
He was recently named ICC Test Cricketer of the Year as well for scoring 1,875 runs, which included eight hundreds and five half-centuries, in 16 matches at an average of 78.12.
In regards to being named Test Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony, Smith accumulated 1,305 runs in the longest format during the voting period at an average of 81.56.
“I’ve worked really hard on my game in the last few years … for me throughout the summer I wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I’d like, but it’s gone to new levels in ways I didn’t think were imaginable,” Smith was quoted as saying by The Cricketer.
Warner, however, didn’t go home empty-handed as he was named ODI Player of the Year for his consistent performances throughout the 12-month period.
Opening batsman Aaron Finch picked up the T20 International Player of the Year prize, while George Bailey secured the Men’s Domestic Player of the Year award.
Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry claimed the top women’s prize as she won the Belinda Clark Award.
Beth Mooney was bestowed with the honour of being named Female Domestic Player of the Year.
Western Australia pace bowler Jhye Richardson took home the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award, while Georgia Redmayne snapped up the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year award.
Meanwhile, former Australia captains Ricky Ponting and Karen Rolton, along with batsman Norm O’Neill, were inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
“Every now and again I dream about making a comeback,” Ponting said. “It’s kind of like that dream you have as a kid where you turn up to school naked.”