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Australian star Mitchell Marsh secured the top honor at Cricket Australia’s awards night on Wednesday, winning the Allan Border Medal for men’s player of the year. Marsh had enjoyed a stellar 2023 in which he made a notable comeback in Tests and lifted the ODI World Cup title in India in November.
Marsh marked his return to Test cricket during the 2023 Ashes at Headingley, making a brisk 118 runs. Throughout the ODI World Cup of the same year, he amassed 441 runs at an impressive average of 49, and the most notable innings of his was an unbeaten 177 against Bangladesh.
Marsh was voted in to replace captain Pat Cummins, who played a key role in leading the team to victories in the World Test Championship and World Cup finals, both against India. Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc were third and fourth on the list, respectively.
When the Australian all-rounder gave his acceptance speech after the award, Marsh found it difficult to hold back his tears; He thanked Captain Cummins for giving him the opportunity to return.
“Sometimes I’m a little fat and I love beer, but you always see the best in me and you’ve changed my life. Because of your support and leadership, Patty, playing with you is a dream,” Marsh said during the event.
“I often talked to my wife about… how I just wanted to try it one more time, and it’s been amazing. She gave me the perspective on life that I needed,” Marsh added.
Watch the full acceptance speech here:
The 32-year-old showcased his batting prowess across all formats, amassing 594 runs in six Test matches at an average of 66. In ODIs, he amassed 858 runs at an average of 47.66, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 113.94. Furthermore, he excelled in the T20I series against South Africa, recording unbeaten scores of 92 and 79 in three innings.
Among other men’s awards at the events, standout player Nathan Lyon picked up the Test Player of the Year award, while pacer Jason Behrendorff won the T20I honour.
The Australian team returns to action on February 2 when they take on the West Indies in the first of three ODIs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.