Cricket Australia has reportedly decided to cancel the traditional Australian Cricket Awards ceremony for 2025, citing an impossibly congested international fixture list that will see the nation's top stars scattered across the globe.
Why the Ceremony Has Been Scrapped
According to a report in The Herald Sun, the governing body has been struggling to coordinate a date where both the men's and women's national teams could be assembled under one roof. The ceremony, traditionally held in late January or early February at Melbourne's Crown Palladium, will not take place in its usual format next year.
The core awards, however, will still be presented. The prestigious Allan Border Medal for the best male player and the Belinda Clark Award for the best female player will be distributed via a virtual ceremony, ensuring the accolades are still bestowed despite the logistical nightmare.
A Schedule Leaving No Room for Celebration
The decision stems directly from a relentless cricket calendar. Australia's men's team concludes the Ashes series in Sydney on January 8, but players face an immediate turnaround. Members of the white-ball squad will then travel to Sri Lanka for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with their first match against Ireland scheduled for February 11. Prior to that, they are slated to play several T20 warm-up matches against Pakistan.
Simultaneously, the Australian women's team will be commencing a home summer series against India, with the first of three T20 Internationals set for February 15. Furthermore, the men's Indian Premier League (IPL) begins on March 26, while the Women's Premier League (WPL) has been moved forward to start on January 9.
A Virtual Precedent Already Set
The move to a virtual presentation follows an awkward precedent set earlier this year. In February 2025, Travis Head, the star of the recent Ashes tour, won the Allan Border Medal but was unable to accept it in person. He was 8,000 kilometres away, touring with the Test side in Sri Lanka, and received the award via video link.
This marked the first time in the award's history that the winner did not accept the medal from the legendary Allan Border himself. At the time, some fans questioned why a solution couldn't be found, though Head joked to SEN Cricket that it was "nice being away and there was no expectation of a speech or anything."
At that same 2025 ceremony, Annabel Sutherland claimed the Belinda Clark Award, while Josh Hazlewood won the Shane Warne Test Player of the Year. Ash Gardner and Travis Head were named the ODI Players of the Year, and Beth Mooney and Adam Zampa took the T20I honours.
The cancellation of the 2025 event underscores the immense pressure modern international schedules place on players and administrators, forcing even cherished traditions to adapt or be shelved.
