Allan Border Medal results: David Warner outlasts Steve Smith, Pat Cummins
He failed to fire against the Poms but David Warner heads back to South Africa on Friday ready to handle everything the locals can throw at him having recorded a significant moment in his second-chance career.
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An emotional and grateful David Warner credited the unwavering acceptance of his peers after winning a third Allan Border medal to complete one of cricket’s great resurrections.
Warner was genuinely shocked to win the award after what he called an “absolutely horrendous” Ashes series.
But his white-ball dominance, particularly at the World Cup, and an epic triple century against Pakistan helped seal a single vote victory over batting maestro Steve Smith.
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A toast to our Belinda Clark and Allan Border Medal winners! 🸠#AusCricketAwards pic.twitter.com/GPVEeH3cr1
— Aust Cricketers Assn (@ACA_Players) February 10, 2020
REDEMPTION!
— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) February 10, 2020
Two years after his career hung in the balance, @davidwarner31 has come from the clouds to stun Australia’s Ashes heroes and claim his third Allan Border Medal ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘
📰 via @gouldyheraldsun 👉 https://t.co/FD7W3NxFcw#AusCricketAwards #Warner pic.twitter.com/QB6siUMLwZ
The 33-year-old thanked everyone in cricket for the work done to re-integrate himself and Smith back in to the Australian cricket fold last year after both were banned for their role in the ball-tampering scandal.
He said time spent during his ban gaining perspective, battling personal issues as well, made him appreciate what his cricket career meant to him.
Warner heads back to South Africa on Friday for a white-ball tour, ready to handle everything the locals can throw at him having recorded such a significant moment in his second-chance career.
“I knew I what I had to do to keep doing what I love doing, and that’s scoring runs,” Warner said.
“It means a lot to me, but it means a lot more to my family, who I owe a lot to,” he said.
“There were a few tough times with me and my wife, we had two miscarriages, there was a lot of things going on in my life away from cricket that I had to work on.
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I was able to do that and that was the thing about not having cricket there, I had to work out what was best for me.
“I’ve had to work my backside off, a I give a lot of credit to the people who have stuck by me, and egged me on to keep being the cricketer I am, to play as well as I can.”
Warner conceded that he “didn’t turn up” for the Ashes, a career low-point during he which scored only 95 runs in five Tests.
“And I apologise for that,” Warner said.
He said the first thing he did when he returned to Australia was to throw away his bats “because they didn’t work”.
But he then turned his mind to doing the real work needed to rediscover his best, which included hours and hours in the nets before the Brisbane Test, where he scored 151.
Warner said that laid the foundation for the 335 not out in Adelaide which could prove a watershed moment when it comes to the legacy the often polarizing batsman could leave.
“There were three or four fours leading in to the Brisbane Test I batted for nearly three hours every day,” Warner said.
“I really needed that work in to me, that volume in to me, and I did the same thing going in to the next Test match and that built the foundation, having all that work and time out there, it really got me right for the summer.
Last year’s winner Pat Cummins was third in the voting, while Marnus Labuschagne capped his rise to prominence by taking out the Test player of the year award on the back of 1340 runs in just 11 Tests, with four hundreds.
Australian limited overs captain Aaron Finch was named one-day player of the year for the first time.
2020 AUSTRALIAN CRICKET AWARD WINNERS
Allan Border Medal: David Warner
David Warner 194 votes
Steve Smith 193 votes
Pat Cummins 185 votes
Male Test Player of the Year: Marnus Labuschagne
Male One-Day International Player of the Year: Aaron Finch
Male Twenty20 International Player of the Year: David Warner
Male Domestic Player of the Year: Shaun Marsh
Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: Wes Agar
Belinda Clark Award: Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry 161 votes
Alyssa Healy 153 votes
Jess Jonassen 87 votes
Female One Day International Player of the Year: Alyssa Healy
Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year: Tayla Vlaeminck
Female Domestic Player of the Year: Molly Strano
Female Twenty20 International Player of the Year: Alyssa Healy
Community Champion Award: Corrine Hall
Originally published as Allan Border Medal results: David Warner outlasts Steve Smith, Pat Cummins