The AB medal awards function is a fashion show

In the Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Roebuck lambasts the Allan Border Medal awards function, calling it a "fashion show", "an exercise in vapidity", and "the greatest load of hooey running around". He questions Cricket Australia's priorities in holding such awards functions while deliberating over dropping the Sheffield Shield final from the calendar.

It's nonsensical that overworked players are expected to attend such a grandiose function at any time let alone after a gruelling campaign. Half these blokes finished the match in Perth, with a three-hour time difference, jumped bleary-eyed onto a plane and next day were obliged to attend a long-winded dinner. On Wednesday they leave for a World Cup due to last another two months. Players are human.