History says that Head started the season well for South Australia, went out and belted a century in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane and has seldom looked back. His 2525 runs in 36 Tests since then have come at a fine average of at 45.08, but more importantly a blistering strike rate 81.32, making him arguably the most dangerous batter in world cricket.
Similarly, Head has been a major strike force at the top of the order for the white-ball team, something underlined by his strong contribution to last yearโs T20 World Cup campaign and storming innings on the ODI tour of England.
โI was very fortunate, very lucky that it was able to pay off on the first day I tried to make that shift,โ Head said in Galle. โIโd obviously done it a bit in the domestic season leading up to that. But Test cricket is a different kettle of fish.
โIt quite easily could have been one more series and back to South Australia. So I understood that, I was fine with that. If it was 25 Tests and done, at least I gave it a crack. Very pleased it worked that day, and very pleased with how consistent Iโve been at it.
โPlaying the style that Iโve played is not going to always come as consistently as I want it to be. But in the same breath I want to pride myself on my consistency, I want to pride myself on being able to go out and bat and my teammates knowing what theyโre going to expect.โ
Loading
Head said that one of the most satisfying things about the medal was that it demonstrated how he had managed to nail down spots in all three forms of the game. In the three formats over the past year, he thumped 1427 runs (more than 600 runs more than second-placed Steve Smith) at 43.24 with four centuries.
โItโs bloody tough doing it, with a young family as well,โ he said. โBut very pleased Iโve been able to get through being a multi-format player because it is something I wanted to do, and early in my career I wasnโt quite there yet.
โI donโt want to miss anything for Australia, so other things [in franchise cricket] will have to give way, and I just want to be as fresh as I can be to make sure I have the success or the consistency that I can do. Being away from family is the hardest part of the job for me,โ he said.
Head is the first South Australian to win the medal, and spoke warmly about forebears David Hookes, Darren Lehmann and Greg Blewett, who did not get to enjoy the level of longevity for Australia that he now has.
โI think they were all way better players than me. Iโm just in a fortunate era of Australian cricket. If you go through those names and compare them to some of the guys they played with … the cards have just fallen the right way for me to be playing,โ Head said.
โIโve played 55 Tests now, Boofโs 27 I think and Blewey [46], they both probably shouldโve played a lot more Test cricket. It wasnโt to be, but they were unbelievable players and to be spoken about in the same breath, Darrenโs record especially, itโs nice.โ
Chloe Ainsworth and Sam Konstas were named the young cricketers of the year (for 2024) at the Allan Border Medal presentation.Credit: Getty/AP
Sam Konstas, 19, was named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year. The dashing opener became Australiaโs fourth-youngest Test debutant, and an immediate cult hero, when he crunched 60 off just 65 balls in front of a packed MCG, and riled a frustrated Virat Kohli. His debut came after he scored 471 runs at 58.87 in five Sheffield Shield matches to start the season.
Loading
โThe pinnacle of my season was the Boxing Day Test and playing with and against the players that I idolised as a kid and winning that Test was significant given where the series was at 1-1,โ Konstas said.
West Australian Chloe Ainsworth, 19, was named the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year. Ainsworth, a fast bowling all-rounder, claimed 12 wickets at 18.58 with economy rate of just 5.86 in 10 Womenโs Big Bash League matches, and was named player of the tournament.
About The Author
