Mitchell Starc and Ashleigh Gardner have been honoured with Australia's highest cricketing awards- Allan Border and Belinda Clark medals respectively for having an outstanding year of 2021. Both players were found to be in terrific form for the national side throughout the last year for the male and female sides and as a result of their brilliant last year they were honoured with the prestigious awards. Australia Test team skipper Mitchell Starc was in superb form in Australia's recent success in T20I and Test format as they successfully claimed the T20 World Cup and the Ashes Test series as well.
Official announcement
"Both are first-time recipients of their respective accolade as voted by their peers, umpires, and the media across all forms and every game of international cricket over the past 12 months," an official statement by Cricket Australia read.
31-year-old, Starc, managed to overcome the competition put up by all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who finished second while the impressive Travis Head finished at third spot. Considered as one of the best pink-ball bowlers, Starc picked up 43 wickets in the last calendar year of 2021, 12 more than the next best.
His average of 24.4 speaks volumes as he guided the Australian team to glory in both T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Starc received 107 votes, while Marsh came close enough by bagging 106 votes and eventually missing out by a solitary vote.
Terrific show in Ashes
The numbers only got better for the left-arm speedster as he scalped 19 wickets in the recently concluded Ashes Test series with a best figure of 37/4 at an average of 25.36. His importance can only be highlighted by the fact that he also scored 241 runs in all formats in the last year.
On the other hand, Aussie all-rounder, Gardner was enjoying the form of her lifetime as she scored 281 runs in 10 innings at an average of 35.1, this included four fifties. Her highest score of 73 runs came against New Zealand in Hamilton in a T20I game.
With the ball in her hand, the 24-year-old spinner scalped nine wickets, to be Australia's second-highest wicket-taker in the calendar year. She received 54 votes, seven more than her compatriot Beth Mooney (47 votes) and 15 more than Alyssa Healey (39 votes).
