Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has bagged the top honour in Australian Cricket as he clinched the prestigious Allan Border Medal for his stellar 2023 across formats. Marsh, whose Test career looked all but over last year in January, emerged to be a sensation in the whites as he was the vital cog of the Test team in their success in 2023.
An emotional Marsh broke into tears when he spoke after receiving the honour. He thanked the head coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins for keep believing in him. "I really hadn’t really thought about it until a few of the boys started getting stuck into me that they thought I was going to win it, and then I started thinking maybe I’m a chance. I had four beers at lunch so had better stop there," Marsh said.
"To Ronny (McDonald) and Patty (Cummins), you believed in me and I can’t thank you enough. I’m a bit fat at times and I love a beer but you see the best in me always. You’ve changed my life," Marsh added for his coach and the team captain Cummins.
The all-rounder also heaped praise on his wife Greta. "Grets is an amazing human, I said in my wedding vows eight months ago she gave me the perspective on life I needed and our life is a lot of fun. If I get a duck or get a hundred, she’s always the same," the 32-year-old said.
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Marsh had a breakout year in 2023 and his comeback in Tests is one of the most memorable ones for a cricketer in recent times. He did not play Test cricket since 2019 but in his first innings after returning to the longest format, the all-rounder struck a century. He carried his form and scored five more fifty-plus scores in his next 10 innings.
He also led the Aussie T20 team to a 3-0 series whitewash in South Africa while scoring 92*, 79* and 15 in those games.
