Cricket legends Steve Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Michael Clarke now share a special place in the record books after Smith won his fourth Allan Border Medal at the Australian Cricket Awards ceremony. Meanwhile, Beth Mooney was honoured with her second Belinda Clark Award for her outstanding performance with the bat. The best male and female cricketers in Australia were initially deprived of the awards ceremony last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they were able to celebrate their achievements at a rainy Royal Randwick Racecourse on Monday night.
Smith won the Allan Border Medal with 171 votes, defeating Travis Head and David Warner, who received 144 and 141 votes respectively. The star cricketer recorded 1547 runs in 32 matches across all formats, with an impressive average of 55.3. This marked his second Allan Border Medal win in three years.
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Smith expressed his humility at the award, saying, “It’s very humbling. Four times makes me feel old. I certainly don’t play the game for these reasons. I play to just be the best player I can be and help my team have success.” He joins Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke as the only other cricketers to win the prestigious award four times.
The 33-year-old’s impressive consistency across all formats and his ability to play a high number of matches helped secure him the highest honour in Australian cricket. Among those who played more matches than Smith across all formats were David Warner, Aaron Finch, and Josh Hazlewood.
With a huge year ahead, including a four-Test series in India, an away Ashes series, and a 50-over World Cup in India, Smith will have ample opportunities to add to his already impressive cricket resume.
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