Cricket Australia is set to award the 2026 Allan Border Medal at a modest ceremony in Brisbane on Friday night, despite the voting period for the accolade having closed in early January. The award, which recognizes the country’s top male cricketer, will be presented by former Australian captain and cricket analyst Allan Border at an event held ahead of the team’s departure for Darwin, where they will face Bangladesh in the first Test starting August 13.

Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, Alex Carey, and Steve Smith are among the frontrunners for this year’s medal. Starc, who was a leading performer in the recent Ashes series and the West Indies tour, faces a potential disadvantage due to limited international white-ball appearances in the qualification window. Head, the 2025 recipient, could become a back-to-back winner after a strong Ashes campaign, while Carey and Smith remain in contention based on consistent performances over the past 18 months.

Other men’s international player awards will also be distributed during the event, including the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year, which will be presented by Keith Warne, the late Shane Warne’s father.

This marks the second consecutive year the AB Medal ceremony has been held in a more subdued manner rather than the traditional black-tie gala. Previously, the medal was typically awarded at the Australian Cricket Awards function, a high-profile event usually held in Melbourne in late January or early February. However, scheduling conflicts—largely due to the Women’s Premier League shifting its season to January-February—have complicated the timing, preventing a joint awards night for both the men’s and women’s teams. Last year’s medal was also awarded during a low-key event in a communal hotel room in Galle, Sri Lanka.

Annabel Sutherland was named the recipient of the Belinda Clark Award for women’s cricketer of the year earlier this year, prior to Australia’s home series against India.

Allan Border expressed understanding of the calendar constraints but emphasized the importance of reinstating the awards to a prominent, formal ceremony. He noted that holding the event in the middle of winter, outside of the traditional cricket season, feels unusual and could affect awareness around the players’ achievements. Border hopes the awards can return to a joint, high-profile function—ideally at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium—where both men’s and women’s players are honored together.

In addition to those competing for the AB Medal, players such as Mitch Marsh, Josh Inglis, Adam Zampa, Tim David, and Nathan Ellis are expected to contend for one-day and T20 player of the year awards. The ceremony this year is focused exclusively on the men’s team due to scheduling limitations, with hopes that future events will better accommodate all of Australian cricket’s top performers.