Travis Michael Head (born 29 December 1993) is an Australian international cricketer. He is contracted to South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers for domestic matches, as well as the team Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is an aggressive left-handed batsman who usually opens in limited overs and in the middle-order in Tests. He is also a part-time right arm off-spin bowler. He was formerly a co vice-captain of the Australian national team in Tests from January 2019 to November 2020. Head was a key member of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final, as he was the Player of the Match with his innings of 163 runs. In the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final, Head led Australia to victory over India with an impressive 137 off 120 balls. He also became the second player ever to score a century when batting second in a World Cup final. Head also became the first player to score centuries in 2 ICC tournament finals in a same calendar year.
Head had an early start to his career, making his first-class debut at the age of 18 and representing Australia in the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He kept his place in South Australia’s Sheffield Shield side consistently and became the team’s captain in 2015.
Personal life
Head married Jessica Davies in April 2023. Their first child, a daughter, was born in September 2023.
Early career (2011–2014)
Hailing from Craigmore in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, Head played at underage levels for the Craigmore Cricket Club and Trinity College, Head represented South Australia at both under-17 and under-19 level, making his debut in the National Under-19 Championships at the age of 17. After making his name playing grade cricket for Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club, Head made his first-class cricket debut for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield at the age of 18 in early 2012. He made a promising start to his career with three matches for South Australia, scoring his maiden half-century in his second match and falling short of scoring his maiden century in his third match with 90 runs against Tasmania. He was rewarded at the end of the season with a rookie contract with South Australia.
Head went on to play 18 under-19 One Day International (ODI) matches for the Australian national team, including at the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He impressed with both bat and ball during the tournament, scoring 87 off 42 balls against Scotland and taking three wickets against Bangladesh in the quarter-final. He showed leadership qualities when he captained South Australia to victory in the 2012–13 National Under-19 Championships, being named Player of the Championship for the second consecutive year.
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Head remained a regular selection for the 2012–13 season, usually batting in the middle order. He came close to scoring his maiden century with 95 against Western Australia. Though he was not dismissed, he ran out of batting partners and was stranded at the crease five runs short of the milestone. He subsequently played a single Twenty20 game for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, replacing the injured Kieron Pollard in the team. Shortly after South Australia’s Shield win against Victoria in January 2013, he was hit by a car outside a hotel in Adelaide, receiving injuries to his head and back, but he made a full recovery and was able to return for South Australia’s next match. Head was one of six young Australian players to be part of the inaugural Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy during the 2013 season, training at the ground’s facilities.
In the early part of Head’s career, he struggled to reach his maiden first-class century, instead finishing with scores in the nineties on multiple occasions. After his score of 90 in his debut season and his unbeaten 95 against Western Australia in 2012, he made it to the nineties three times in the 2013–14 Sheffield Shield season, against Western Australia twice more and once against Tasmania with scores of 92, 98 and 98 respectively. Despite this he was able to score a List A century for the National Performance Squad against South Africa A in July 2014.
Travis Head Height Weight Age Body Statistics Biography
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Travis Michael Head |
| Nickname | Travis |
| Profession | Australian Cricketer (Batsman) |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height | in centimeters- 173 cm in meters- 1.73 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 8” |
| Weight | in Kilograms- 74 kg in Pounds- 163 lbs |
| Body Measurements | – Chest: 40 Inches – Waist: 32 Inches – Biceps: 13 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Cricket | |
| International Debut | Test– 7 October 2018 vs Pakistan ODI– 13 June 2016 vs West Indies T20– 26 January 2016 vs India in Adelaide |
| Coach/Mentor | Darren Berry |
| Jersey Number | #62 (Australia) #43 (IPL, County Cricket) |
| Domestic/State Team | Australia, Adelaide Strikers, Australia Under-19s, Delhi Daredevils, Marylebone Cricket Club Young Cricketers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, South Australia, South Australia Second XI, South Australia Under-23s |
| Nature on field | Aggressive |
| Likes to play against | India and England |
| Favourite Shot | Switch hit |
| Records (main ones) | • He was the 2nd highest scorer in the 2015-16 KFC T20 Big Bash League, with 276 at a strike-rate of 158.62. • In 2015, he became the youngest captain of the Southern Redbacks and at 21. • Made a domestic record by scoring highest runs in one day match (202 off 120.) • Scored fastest double century in 117 balls in a List A career. • Scored the 5th fastest hundred in the KFC T20 Big Bash League history (53 balls). |
| Career Turning Point | Under-19 National Championship in 2012-13 where he was named Player of the Championship. |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 29 December 1993 |
| Age (as in 2024) | 31 Years |
| Birth Place | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Hometown | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| School | Not Known |
| College | Not Known |
| Educational Qualifications | Not Known |
| Family | Father– Simon Head Mother– Ann Head Brother– Ryan Sisters– Chelsea |
| Religion | Christian |
| Hobbies | Fishing, playing golf and football |
| Controversies | Not Known |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Cricketer | Batsman: Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting Bowler: Mitchell Johnson |
| Favourite Food | Burger |
| Girls, Family & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Jessica Head |
| Wife | Jessica Davies (m. 2023) |
| Money Factor | |
Test cricket (2018–present)
Head fielding during the third test of the 2019 Ashes.
In April 2018, Head was awarded a national contract by Cricket Australia for the 2018–19 season. In September 2018, he was named in Australia’s Test squad for their series against Pakistan. He made his Test debut for Australia against Pakistan on 7 October 2018. He had his baggy green cap presented to him from Nathan Lyon.
In January 2019, Head was announced as Australia’s new Test vice-captain, alongside Pat Cummins ahead of the series against Sri Lanka on 24 January. This was due to the unavailability of regular vice-captains, Mitchell Marsh who was omitted from the Test squad and Josh Hazlewood who was unavailable due to an injury. In the two-Test series, across three innings, Head scored 84, 161 (his maiden Test century), and 59 not out to raise his Test match batting average to 51.
In July 2019, Head was named in Australia’s squad for the 2019 Ashes series in England. In November 2019, Head played against Pakistan in Australia, although he only batted once in the series. In December 2019, he was named in Australia’s squad for the Test Series against New Zealand. He made a century (114) and was named player of the match in the second Test. On 16 July 2020, Head was named in a 26-man preliminary squad of players to begin training ahead of a possible tour to England following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November 2020, despite being named in a 17-man squad for the Test series against India, Head was demoted as Australia’s Test co vice-captain, with Pat Cummins to solely deputise Tim Paine.
Head batting at the MCG during day 2 of the 2021 Boxing Day Test.
Head was included in the squad for the 2021–22 Ashes. In the first test at The Gabba, he made his third century (152), and was named player of the match. Head was ruled out of the fourth test in Sydney after testing positive for COVID-19. He returned for the fifth test in Hobart, where he made another century (101). He was named player of the match, and was also awarded the Compton–Miller Medal for player of the series.
In February 2022, Head was included in the 18-man squad to tour Pakistan in March. Head was included in the squad for the 2022 tour of Sri Lanka. In the first Test in Galle, he picked up career best figures of 4/10 – his first wickets in Tests – in the second innings, paving the way for a 10-wicket victory for Australia.
Head was included in Australian squad for the series against the West Indies. In the first Test in Perth, he scored 99, putting on 196 runs for the fourth wicket with Steve Smith in the first innings. He took two wickets in the second innings, as Australia won by 164 runs. In the second Test in Adelaide, Head scored a career-best 175 in the first innings, putting on 297 runs for the fourth wicket with Marnus Labuschagne. He won the player of the match award. He was included in the Australian squad for the home series against South Africa in 2022–23. In the first Test, Head top scored for Australia with 92 in the first innings, and he was named player of the match. He also completed 2000 runs in Tests. In the same week, Head moved to number four in the ICC rankings for Test batting.
Head was included in the 18-man squad for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series. He was named in the squads for the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final and the 2023 Ashes. In the 2023 WTC final at The Oval, Head scored his first overseas Test century and sixth overall (163), putting on 285 runs with Steven Smith for the fifth wicket in the first innings. Australia won by 209 runs, and he was the player of the match. In June 2023, Head moved to number three in the ICC Test batting rankings. Following the conclusion of the third Ashes Test, Head moved to number two in the rankings. Head ended the Ashes series with 362 runs, with three half-centuries.
Limited-overs return (2022–present)
In January 2022, Head was included in the 16-man squad to face Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series; he last played white ball cricket for Australia in 2018. In February, Cricket Australia announced that Head would miss the start of the series to play in the Sheffield Shield, and would join the squad in Melbourne. He did not feature in any of the matches.
In February 2022, Head was included in the white-ball squad for the Pakistan tour. In the first ODI, his first since November 2018, he made his second century (101 off 72 deliveries) opening the batting, took two wickets and was named player of the match. He made 89 in the second ODI, but was dismissed for a golden duck in the final match. He made his T20I return in the one-off match.
Head was selected in the ODI and Australia A squads for the tour of Sri Lanka in June–July 2022. In the second unofficial ODI against Sri Lanka A, Head top-scored with 110 in a losing cause. He was picked for the ODIs after injuries to several Australian players; he played in the second, third (where he top scored with 70 not out), and fourth matches, but was ruled out of the final match with a hamstring strain.
After missing the home series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand due to paternity leave, Head was included in the ODI squad to face England in November 2022, replacing the now-retired Aaron Finch as opener. In the final ODI in Melbourne, Head scored his third century, a career-best 152, and was awarded the player of the match award. Head and David Warner put on 269 runs, becoming the second pair to make two 250-run partnerships in ODIs, and joint fastest to score 1000 partnership runs.
Head was selected for the ODI series in India in March 2023. In the second ODI in Visakhapatnam, opening the batting with Mitchell Marsh, he scored a rapid unbeaten half-century, and put on an unbeaten partnership of 121 in 11 overs, as Australia cruised to victory by 10 wickets.
Head was picked for the limited overs series against South Africa. In the third T20I, Head scored his first T20I half-century (91), and was awarded the player of the match award. Head fractured his left hand after being struck on his hand attempting a pull shot off Gerald Coetzee during the fourth ODI of the series, and was forced to retire hurt, and also ruled out of the final ODI.
2023 Cricket World Cup
Head was named in the Australian squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, but did not play in the tournament until Australia’s match against New Zealand on 28 October, as he continued to recover from his injury. He scored his fourth ODI century (109 off 67 balls) in his first World Cup match, and won the player of the match award. His all-round performance in the semi-final helped Australia beat South Africa by 3 wickets in a close encounter and helped Australia book a place in the final. He took 2 important wickets and scored 62 runs off 48 balls in the semi-final. He was declared player of the match for his match winning performance in the semi-final.
In the final against India, he became the seventh batsman to score a century in a Cricket World Cup Final (137), and was the player of the match, as Australia won by six wickets to lift its sixth World Cup title after chasing down the target of 241. He also became only the second player to score a century in a World Cup final during a run chase after Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva. He also eventually became the third Australian after Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist to score a century in a World Cup final and also became the only Australian to do so in a run chase batting second. His innings of 137 also turned out to be the highest individual score in a World Cup final when batting second (while chasing), surpassing the previous record of 107 not out held by Aravinda de Silva. He also became the first and only player to score two centuries in men’s ICC tournament finals (in fact Head scored centuries in 2023 WTC final and 2023 Cricket World Cup with both centuries coming in single calendar year). He also surpassed Viv Richards record tally of 180 runs to become the most prolific runscorer in across the semi-final and final in a men’s World Cup tournament with a tally of 199 runs. Head also put on a record breaking partnership of 192 runs with Marnus Labuschagne for the fourth wicket during the final, which is also the highest ever partnership by a pair in a World Cup final run chase for any wicket. The partnership of 192 between Head and Labuschagne is also the second highest for any wicket in a World Cup final behind Ricky Ponting-Damien Martyn’s unbroken stand of 234 runs which also came against India during the 2003 Cricket World Cup final. He also took a stunning diving catch in the World Cup final to dismiss Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, which became a talking point and the catch taken by him also turned out to be the root cause for India’s dramatic slowdown in their batting approach in the final, as the dismissal of Rohit broke the early momentum India had in the first half of the batting in the final. He also became the fourth player after Mohinder Amarnath, Aravinda de Silva and Shane Warne to receive player of the match awards in both semi-final and final during a same World Cup campaign.
International centuries
As of November 2023, Head has scored six centuries in Tests and five in ODIs.
| No. | Score | Against | Venue | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 161 |  Sri Lanka | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 1 February 2019 | Won |
| 2 | 114 |  New Zealand | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 26 December 2019 | Won |
| 3 | 152 |  England | The Gabba, Brisbane | 8 December 2021 | Won |
| 4 | 101 | England | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 14 January 2022 | Won |
| 5 | 175 |  West Indies | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 8 December 2022 | Won |
| 6 | 163 |  India | The Oval, London | 7 June 2023 | Won |
| No. | Score | Against | Venue | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 128 |  Pakistan | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 26 January 2017 | Won |
| 2 | 101 | Pakistan | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 29 March 2022 | Won |
| 3 | 152 | England | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | 22 November 2022 | Won |
| 4 | 109 | New Zealand | HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala | 28 October 2023 | Won |
| 5 | 137 | India | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 19 November 2023 | Won |