Clarke wins third Allan Border Medal

Melbourne: Michael Clarke took away the Allan Border Medal for the third time in his career to cap off a sensational opening year as Australia captain. It was a double celebration for Clarke as, apart from the Allan Border Medal, he was also named Australia’s Test Player of the Year. It was also double joy for Clarke’s deputy, Shane Watson who won the ODI and Twenty20 Player of the Year awards. [caption id=“attachment_227810” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Michael Clarke took away the Allan Border Medal for the third time in his career to cap off a sensational opening year as Australia captain. Getty Images”]  [/caption] Succeeding Ricky Ponting as skipper of Australia’s Test and ODI sides after last year’s World Cup, Clarke had a sensational year, scoring 2038 Test and One-Day runs in the voting period at an average of 65.74, including six centuries and seven half-centuries. Clarke, who won the medal in 2005 and jointly with Ponting in 2009, polled 231 votes in his favour to finish 57 clear of Michael Hussey (174), Shane Watson (166) and Ponting (141). “I think my training this year, my preparation has been as good as any year, if not better,” said Clarke. “The added responsibility of captaining a team has probably made me stand up and lead from the front.” Among other awards, explosive opener David Warner, who hit two centuries in his debut Test summer, was named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, while Victoria’s Rob Quiney won the Domestic Player of the Year trophy. Meanwhile, Australia’s woman cricketer Shelley Nitschke won her fourth consecutive Belinda Clark award despite retiring from the international scene in July last year. Spin legend Shane Warne, who retired in 2007 with 708 Test wickets from 145 matches, was also inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame during the awards function last night. PTI