Watch all of the ceremony here and hear from all of the respective category winners.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has capped his stunning return to Test cricket by winning his country’s highest cricket honour, the Allan Border Medal for 2014.
Johnson has become the toast of world cricket again after his 37 wickets in the recent Ashes series spearheaded his side to a 5-0 whitewash.
The man of the moment said he was simply stunned with how his career had turned around so dramatically in the last six months leading to the award win.
“I was very surprised and very emotional,” Johnson said.
“I guess the emotions flowed from what’s happened in the past 12 months and even before that. I guess all the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears you go through, the ups and downs of a professional sportsman, it all just came out tonight.
“I knew if I got the opportunity to play Test cricket again I’d make the most of it. I’m very fortunate to get that chance again.”
Michael Clarke was widely favoured to win what would have been a record fifth AB Medal.
Clarke polled 156 votes, second to Johnson’s 168, while James Faulkner, who has played just the one Test match during the voting period, was the surprise finisher in third.
Clarke wasn’t left empty-handed, after walking away with the Test player of the year award, finishing above Steve Smith and Chris Rogers.
George Bailey was the runaway winner of the ODI player of the year. He averaged nearly 96 during Australia’s series against India and currently has the second-highest average in world cricket.
Faulkner came in second, just ahead of Johnson.
It was a bitter-sweet night for Bailey, who was left out of Australia’s Test squad for South Africa.
“It’s disappointing not to be going to South Africa but I think I have come to terms with it,” Bailey said.
“If you are going to play five Tests over a summer you would pick the five we played. It’s been extraordinary.”
Meg Lanning, just 21-years-old, won the Belinda Clark medal for the best female cricketer of the year.
Big-hitting Aaron Finch was named the Twenty20 player of the year, in front of Faulkner and Fawad Ahmed.
Other awards of the night went to Victorian Cameron White, who was named the domestic player of the year.
While Jordan Silk from Tasmania claimed the Bradman young player of the year.
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