Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World

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Don Bradman was retrospectively named as the notional winner ten times between 1930 and 1948. Bradman&Bat.jpg
Don Bradman was retrospectively named as the notional winner ten times between 1930 and 1948.

The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World is an annual cricket award selected by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack . It was established in 2004, to select the best cricketer based upon their performances anywhere in the world in the previous calendar year. [1] A notional list of previous winners, spanning from 1900 to 2002, was published in the 2007 edition of Wisden. [2]

Contents

Since 1889, Wisden has published a list of Cricketers of the Year, typically selecting five cricketers that had the greatest impact during the previous English cricket season. However, in the 2000 edition, the editor Matthew Engel recognised that the best players in the world were typically no longer playing English domestic cricket, and opted to select the Cricketers of the Year based on their performances anywhere in the world. [3] This criterion was applied for the following three years, but in 2004 it reverted to being based on the English season, and a Leading Cricketer in the World was also selected. [1] The recipient of the award is selected by the editor of Wisden, with advice from cricket experts. [4] An Australian, Ricky Ponting was chosen as the first winner of the award, for scoring 1,503 runs in international cricket, including eleven centuries during 2003. [5]

In the 2007 edition of Wisden, a list of winners for previous years was published. A sixteen-person panel helped to select the winners, which Engel described as the cricketer that "would have been the first name down in the World XI to play Mars". [2] It was decided that the first year that would be listed was 1900, as prior to that Engel claimed international cricket was too "inchoate and haphazard to make comparison sensible". [2] No awards were made for the periods of the World Wars, leaving a list of 93 winners. During this selection, Don Bradman was listed the most, winning on ten occasions, while Garfield Sobers was the leading cricketer eight times. Engel noted that despite attempts to the contrary, the award maintains cricket's bias towards batsmen. [2]

List of award winners

Actual winners

Kumar Sangakkara was twice recognised by Wisden in 2012, being named a Cricketer of the Year and Leading Cricketer in the World. Kumar Sangakkara bat in hand.JPG
Kumar Sangakkara was twice recognised by Wisden in 2012, being named a Cricketer of the Year and Leading Cricketer in the World.
YearPlayer [6] Country
2003 Ricky Ponting Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2004 Shane Warne
2005 Andrew Flintoff Flag of England.svg  England
2006 Muttiah Muralitharan Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
2007 Jacques Kallis Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2008 Virender Sehwag Flag of India.svg  India
2009
2010 Sachin Tendulkar
2011 Kumar Sangakkara Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
2012 Michael Clarke Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2013 Dale Steyn Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2014 Kumar Sangakkara Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
2015 Kane Williamson Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2016 Virat Kohli Flag of India.svg  India
2017
2018
2019 Ben Stokes Flag of England.svg  England
2020
2021 Joe Root
2022 Ben Stokes
2023 Pat Cummins Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia

Women's award winners

YearPlayerCountry
2014 Meg Lanning [7] Australia
2015 Suzie Bates [8] New Zealand
2016 Ellyse Perry [9] Australia
2017 Mithali Raj [10] India
2018 Smriti Mandhana [11] India
2019 Ellyse Perry [12] Australia
2020 Beth Mooney [13] Australia
2021 Lizelle Lee [14] South Africa
2022 Beth Mooney [15] Australia
2023 Nat Sciver-Brunt [16] England

Notional winners

Ranjitsinhji was the first historical winner, being recognised for 1900. Ranjitsinh.jpeg
Ranjitsinhji was the first historical winner, being recognised for 1900.
Jack Hobbs is one of only six players to have won the award more than twice. Hobbs in Australia in 1928 Version 2.jpg
Jack Hobbs is one of only six players to have won the award more than twice.
Harold Larwood was the only non-Australian cricketer to be recognised in the 1930s. Harold Larwood Cigarette Card Crop.jpg
Harold Larwood was the only non-Australian cricketer to be recognised in the 1930s.
Keith Miller reading Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1951, his selection year Keith Miller 1951.jpg
Keith Miller reading Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1951, his selection year
Garfield Sobers was the winner eight times between 1958 and 1970. Garfield Sobers, 1956.jpg
Garfield Sobers was the winner eight times between 1958 and 1970.
Viv Richards was recognised in 1976, 1978 and 1980 Vivian richards crop.jpg
Viv Richards was recognised in 1976, 1978 and 1980
Imran Khan was the first Pakistani cricketer to be recognised, for 1982. Konferenz Pakistan und der Westen - Imran Khan (cropped).jpg
Imran Khan was the first Pakistani cricketer to be recognised, for 1982.
YearPlayer [6] Country
1900 K. S. Ranjitsinhji Flag of England.svg  England
1901 C. B. Fry
1902 Victor Trumper Flag of Australia (1901-1903).svg  Australia
1903 C. B. Fry Flag of England.svg  England
1904 Bernard Bosanquet
1905 Stanley Jackson
1906 George Hirst
1907 Bert Vogler Flag of the Cape Colony 1876-1910.svg  South Africa
1908 Monty Noble Flag of Australia (1903-1908).svg  Australia
1909 Wilfred Rhodes Flag of England.svg  England
1910 Aubrey Faulkner South Africa Flag 1910-1912.svg  South Africa
1911 Victor Trumper Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1912 Sydney Barnes Flag of England.svg  England
1913
1914 Jack Hobbs
1915–18Not awarded due to World War I
1919 Jack Gregory Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1920 Herbie Collins
1921 Charlie Macartney
1922 Jack Hobbs Flag of England.svg  England
1923 Patsy Hendren
1924 Maurice Tate
1925 Jack Hobbs
1926 Charlie Macartney Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1927 Bill Ponsford
1928 Tich Freeman Flag of England.svg  England
1929 Wally Hammond
1930 Don Bradman Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1931
1932
1933 Harold Larwood Flag of England.svg  England
1934 Don Bradman Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1935 Stan McCabe
1936 Don Bradman
1937
1938
1939
1940–45Not awarded due to World War II
1946 Don Bradman Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1947 Denis Compton Flag of England.svg  England
1948 Don Bradman Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1949 Len Hutton Flag of England.svg  England
1950 Frank Worrell WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1951 Keith Miller Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1952 Len Hutton Flag of England.svg  England
1953 Alec Bedser
1954 Clyde Walcott WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1955 Frank Tyson Flag of England.svg  England
1956 Jim Laker
1957 Peter May
1958 Garfield Sobers WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1959 Richie Benaud Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1960 Garfield Sobers WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1961 Alan Davidson Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1962 Garfield Sobers WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1963 Fred Trueman Flag of England.svg  England
1964 Garfield Sobers WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1965
1966
1967 Graeme Pollock Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
1968 Garfield Sobers WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1969 Graeme Pollock Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
1970 Garfield Sobers WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1971 Mike Procter Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
1972 Dennis Lillee Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1973 Barry Richards Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
1974 Jeff Thomson Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1975 Clive Lloyd WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1976 Viv Richards
1977 Dennis Lillee Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1978 Viv Richards WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1979 Greg Chappell Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1980 Viv Richards WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1981 Ian Botham Flag of England.svg  England
1982 Imran Khan Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
1983 Kapil Dev Flag of India.svg  India
1984 Joel Garner WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1985 Richard Hadlee Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
1986 Malcolm Marshall WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1987 Martin Crowe Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
1988 Malcolm Marshall WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1989 Allan Border Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1990 Graham Gooch Flag of England.svg  England
1991 Curtly Ambrose WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1992 Wasim Akram Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
1993 Shane Warne Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1994 Brian Lara WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies
1995
1996 Sanath Jayasuriya Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
1997 Shane Warne Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1998 Sachin Tendulkar Flag of India.svg  India
1999 Steve Waugh Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2000 Muttiah Muralitharan Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka
2001 Glenn McGrath Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
2002 Matthew Hayden

Multiple winners

Shane Warne was listed twice in the historical list, as well as being recognised for 2004. Shane Warne bowling 2009.jpg
Shane Warne was listed twice in the historical list, as well as being recognised for 2004.

Unlike Wisden's Cricketers of the Year, players can be recognised more than once as the Leading Cricketer in the World, and eighteen players have been selected for multiple years. [6] The majority of these have won the award twice, but seven players have been recognised for three or more years: Don Bradman, Garfield Sobers, Jack Hobbs, Viv Richards, Shane Warne, Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes. In the 2007 edition which published the notional historical winners, Engel noted with "surprise and pleasure" that the first five players were the same as had been selected as Wisden's five Cricketers of the Century. [2]

Sachin Tendulkar and Warne have both been selected as notional and actual winners, while Virender Sehwag was the first player to be recognised twice by Wisden as an actual winner since 2004. [6] Kumar Sangakkara has since similarly been selected twice, and in 2012 he became the first player to be recognised twice in one edition of Wisden, as both Leading Cricketer in the World and a Cricketer of the Year. [17]

PlayerAwardsYears
Don Bradman 101930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1948
Garfield Sobers 81958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
Jack Hobbs 31914, 1922, 1925
Virat Kohli 32016, 2017, 2018
Viv Richards 31976, 1978, 1980
Ben Stokes 32019, 2020, 2022
Shane Warne 31993, 1997, 2004
Sydney Barnes 21912, 1913
C. B. Fry 21901, 1903
Len Hutton 21949, 1952
Brian Lara 21994, 1995
Dennis Lillee 21972, 1977
Charlie Macartney 21921, 1926
Malcolm Marshall 21986, 1988
Muttiah Muralitharan 22000, 2006
Graeme Pollock 21967, 1969
Kumar Sangakkara 22011, 2014
Virender Sehwag 22008, 2009
Sachin Tendulkar 21998, 2010
Victor Trumper 21902, 1911

Winners by country

Awards won by nationality (%)

  Australia – 36 (31.6%)
  England – 32 (28.1%)
  West Indies – 20 (17.5%)
  India – 8 (7.0%)
  South Africa – 8 (7.0%)
  Sri Lanka – 5 (4.4%)
  New Zealand – 3 (2.6%)
  Pakistan – 2 (1.8%)

Cricketers from eight of the twelve Test playing nations have been recognised for the award by Wisden, with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan not represented. Players from Australia and England dominate the list, having won more than half of the time, although this is disproportionately the case in the notional list. Prior to World War II, 34 of the 36 winners played for Australia or England. The "actual" award winners are more evenly distributed; Indian players have won six times, English players five times and Australian players four times, whilst players from Sri Lanka have received the award on three occasions since 2004. [6]

Awards by country
CountryAwards
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 36
Flag of England.svg  England 32
WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies 20
Flag of India.svg  India 8
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 8
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 5
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 3
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 2

See also

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