In the first surprise result of the Allan Border Medal evening, Clint McKay has been named Australia’s One-Day International Player of the Year, narrowly beating George Bailey and David Warner for the award. 
McKay was presented with his trophy at the ceremony in Melbourne, where earlier in the night Shane Watson was confirmed as Australia’s Twenty20 International Player of the Year.
McKay finished with 30 votes during the voting period, from February 25 last year to January 28 this year. Bailey and Warner were equal second with 28 votes and David Hussey finished in fourth place with 27 votes. Watson was fifth with 23 votes.
During the voting period, McKay was Australia’s leading ODI wicket taker with 26 victims at 25.76. He was Man of the Match in the deciding third final of the Commonwealth Bank Series last summer, when he collected 5 for 28 against Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval, and he was also Australia’s best bowler during their disappointing series in England in June and July.
McKay broke the winning streak of Watson, who had taken out the past three ODI Player of the Year awards, and it was a good reward for a sometimes under-valued member of the side. Since his one-day international debut in 2009, McKay has collected 68 wickets at 21.91; only Mitchell Johnson with 73 has claimed more one-day victims for Australia during that time.
In the T20 category, Watson was a clear winner with 42 votes, ahead of Warner on 29 and the captain Bailey on 16. Watson’s award was not surprising given his remarkable performances at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last year. He was not only the leading run scorer during the tournament, with 249 at an average of 49.80, he was also second on the competition wicket tally with 11 victims at an average of 16, behind only Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis.
During the voting period, which began on February 25 last year, Watson was Australia’s leading T20 run scorer with 406 at an average of 40.60 and the leading wicket taker with 17 at 15.82. The T20 award was first handed out in 2011, when David Hussey was the recipient, and Watson picked up the prize in 2012.
