Steve Waugh is Australia's player of the year

Australian captain Steve Waugh won the Allan Border medal on Monday after being voted Australia's cricketer of the year.

Waugh, who has led his country to a world record 15 consecutive Test wins, polled 63 votes to win the award by one vote from his twin brother Mark. Fast bowler Brett Lee was third on 61 votes.

Earlier, versatile bowler Colin Miller, nicknamed "Funky" and sporting a bright blue hairstyle, choked back tears when accepting the Test player of the year award.

Miller, 37, made his Test debut as a 34-year-old, six months after switching from medium-pace to spin.

Steve Waugh paid tribute to Border, his first Test captain in 1985, as typical of everything that was good about Australian cricket.

Waugh added that it was a "bitter-sweet" feeling pipping his twin by one vote.

The voting period included eight Tests and 25 limited-overs matches in which Australia played from February last year to the limited-overs finals series against West Indies which finished last week.

Miller (32 wickets at 21.12) won the Test award with six votes, on a countback from Steve Waugh (563 runs at 62.55) and opening batsman Michael Slater (550 runs at 42.30).

Fast bowler Glenn McGrath won the best one-day international player award, having taken 36 wickets at an average of 20.30 during the voting period.

Last year, McGrath won the Test award and the inaugural Border medal.

The late Bill Woodfull, captain during the Bodyline series against England in 1932-33, and former Test opener Arthur Morris, 79, were inducted into Australian cricket's hall of fame.

Steve Waugh's Australian team fly to India on Tuesday for a three-Test tour.

Mail Cricket Editor