The 2024 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack has revealed its Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year, highlighting exceptional performances in the world of cricket. They are Australia’s Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja, and Ash Gardner, and, England’s, Harry Brook and Mark Wood.
Winners’ feat that resulted in becoming Wisden Cricketers of the Year:
i.Usman Khawaja: His stellar performance in the 2023 Ashes series in England earned him this recognition. He lead the run charts with 496 runs.
ii.Mitchell Starc: In 2023 Ashes series, he emerge as the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets at an average of 27.08, including a crucial five-wicket haul in the third Test at Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, United Kingdom (UK).
iii.Ash Gardner: She attained a remarkable 12-wicket haul in Women’s Ashes at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, England in June 2023. This marked the second-best match figures ever in a women’s Test match, securing crucial points for Australia in the multi-format series. Gardner took 23 wickets across the series
iv.Harry Brook: His notable innings in the men’s Ashes series, particularly his standout performance at Headingley, where he made 75 runs off 93 balls, earned him recognition.
v.Mark Wood: Despite playing only the final three Ashes Tests, he took 14 wickets, but his most memorable spell was his first at Headingley when he took five wickets.
About Wisden Cricketers of the Year:
The Cricketer of the Year award, established in 1889, is cricket’s oldest individual honor. Recipients are chosen primarily for their performances in the preceding English summer, with no player eligible to win the award more than once.
Other Awards:
Travis Head won 2023 Wisden Trophy
Australian Cricketer Travis Head clinched the trophy for his outstanding 163 against India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2021–2023 at the Oval in London, UK.
- It is awarded every year to the cricketer – man or woman – who has produced the outstanding Test performance of the previous 12 months.
Pat Cummins and Nat Sciver-Brunt: Leading Cricketers
Australia’s Pat Cummins and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt named as the top cricketers globally while West Indies’ Hayley Matthews recognized as the leading T20(Twenty-20) cricketer in the world.
- A criterion for Leading Cricketers Award is selection based on previous year’s performances by editor and expert panel.
Arjun Singh’s 2023 Wisden Photograph of the Year
Arjun Singh’s photo of players Sanju Samson (India), Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies) and Dhruv Jurel (India) all competing to take a catch during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between the Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans emerged as the winner of the 2023 Wisden Photograph of the Year competition.
- Arjun Singh is awarded with 1,000 Pound (£).
Wisden Schools Cricketer
Ollie Sykes (England) named Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year for his exceptional performance in the 2023 season, scoring 935 runs, taking 30 wickets, and achieving three centuries for Tonbridge School, UK.
Note:
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, known as the ‘Bible of Cricket’, is an annual reference book published in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1864. It holds the record as the world’s oldest and longest-running sporting handbook.
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