Allan, with his wife of 43 years Jane, by the vine row named after him at the Sanguine Estate in Victoria. The couple worked with the vineyard to produce a limited edition shiraz.
game, when Kerry Packer developed World Series Cricket and the game became a lot more professional,” says Allan. “The second revolution is in the form of Twenty20 cricket, it has really captured the imagination of everyone. “The professionalism and the fact players can play in all sorts of different fran - chises around the world playing Twenty20 cricket has changed the game. A different style of player is also developing. We’ve still got the main game. People still love test match cricket – all the days are sold out in the [2023] Ashes series in England, so that makes me feel good,” adds Allan. “There is room for it all to survive as long as people don’t get too greedy.” But when it comes to his personal highlights, the answer is simple. Family. “I married a pretty special person who has put up with me for 43 years, or what - ever it’s been,” he laughs. “Jane and I talk about it now and joke it’s like two or three life sentences! But we’ve survived really well and we’ve got four great kids. Family is definitely my proudest achievement.” Allan is also a proud grandfather of two little girls. “One is in Singapore with my oldest son and number two is living here with us at the moment. My daughter Tara and her partner are renovating their
house and Grandma Jane is very happy to have them all here,” says Allan. “Hopefully there will be many more grandkids.” Retiring from test cricket in 1994, Allan has had an incredible career in the commentary box and as a selector. But, he says, “I’m sort of in the process of sail - ing into the west. I’ve had a great run as far as commentary and my life after cricket with the different roles I’ve had involved in the game. It’s been great but I am starting to think it’s time to do differ - ent things that don’t involve cricket or anything structured. “I don’t think you should ever retire because then your brain goes soggy,” smiles Allan. “I probably can’t play golf every day – because I want to stay in love with the game – but Jane and I want to do some travel.” With a career that has taken him around the world to some amazing places, Allan admits he hasn’t had a “good enough look around Australia”. “I’ve been to all these wonderful places and never seen Uluru,” he says. “Jane and I might tow a little caravan or do a bit of glamping. “We’ve dipped our toes in the water as far as camping again. It’s a bit harder getting out of bed in the morning but it was good fun!”
“We’ll come up with something a bit different each year I hope,” he smiles. “There won’t be a Maiden Tonne Two!” While happy to talk about his pride of winemaking, Allan – the man once described as the “most significant figure in Australian cricket since Donald Bradman” – is characteristically modest about his playing career, refusing to name his proud - est professional achievement. (We’ve put just a few of them together below.) “It’s a tough one. There’s half a dozen really good things I did individually and another half a dozen great things we did as a team,” he says with a grin. “Pick a year, I’ll come up with something for you.” On the topic of cricket, Allan says the shorter form of the sport (Twenty20 cricket) and the professionalism of the sport has completely changed the game since his time as captain in the 1980s. “I came into international cricket through what I’d call the first revolution of the
1984-1994 Allan is named Australian captain and keeps the position for a decade. In 1987 he becomes the world’s top scorer in test match cricket, captains Australia’s first Cricket World Cup win, and two years later presides over the first Ashes victory in England since 1975. He is made AM (1986), Australian of the Year (1989) and AO (1990), and plays his farewell test match in 1994.
1998-2005 Having ended his playing career with the Queensland side and following a stint as a coach, Allan is appointed a national selector. In 2000 the most prestigious prize in Australian men’s cricket, the Allan Border Medal, is named after him. He resigns as selector in 2005 to take up commentating roles.
2023 Allan branches out into a completely new direction – trying his hand at winemaking. He also reveals for the first time that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016. “I’m a pretty private person and
I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me,” he explains. “I get the
feeling I’m a hell of a lot better off than most.”
Allan shows off his catching skills in the commentary box in 2019, alongside Shane Warne.
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