Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh outshone ODI World Cup-winning captain and ICC Cricketer Of The Year Pat Cummins to clinch the prestigious Allan Border Medal on January 31.
The 32-year-old secured a decisive victory in the award, which aggregates player, media, and umpire votes across all three formats, with a greater emphasis on performances in Test cricket.
Marsh garnered 223 votes, surpassing Cummins by 79 votes, who finished second with 144 votes. Steve Smith closely followed in third place with 141 votes.
Furthermore, Mitchell Marsh became the first all-rounder in over a decade to claim the accolade since Shane Watson in 2011.
Mitchell Marsh's remarkable form throughout 2023 also contributed to his achievement
In 2023, Marsh showcased remarkable prowess across all formats, solidifying his position as a crucial player in the Australian team. The all-rounder amassed 540 runs in 10 innings with an impressive average of 67.5. Notably, he recorded a century in the Ashes and secured four half-centuries. Marsh also proved to be a valuable asset with the ball in Test cricket.
In the white-ball format, Marsh captained Australia to a series victory against South Africa in T20Is, leading them to a clean sweep. During the World Cup, he delivered outstanding performances, scoring two centuries, including an exceptional unbeaten 177 against Bangladesh in Pune.
In 20 ODIs, Marsh accumulated 858 runs at an average exceeding 47. Moreover, he showcased his explosive batting in the three T20Is he played in 2023, scoring 186 runs at a strike rate of 186. Currently, Marsh is slated to lead the T20I side in the upcoming series against West Indies.
Can't believe it: Mitch Marsh on winning Allan Border Medal
The all-rounder expressed his delight at winning the award and admitted that he only recently considered himself as a potential candidate for the honour. Marsh jokingly remarked that people might perceive his win as a 'weird time' in hindsight, but he expressed pride in joining the esteemed list of legends who have received the Allan Border Medal.
"I hadn't really thought about it until a few of the boys started getting stuck into me that they thought I was going to win it, then I started thinking maybe I'm a chance," Marsh said while accepting the award.
"I had four beers at lunch, so I had to stop there."
"Now I'm sort of hoping that me winning this isn't like COVID, and we'll look back in three years time and go that was a weird time.
"One of my friends sent me today the list (of previous winners), and I just thought if I win, it's going to look weird.
"To think that I've joined some of the legends of our sport, it really is a huge honour. I can't believe it," said Marsh.
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