English cricketer Ben Stokes has been named Wisden’s leading cricketer in the world for 2019, becoming the first Englishman since 2005 to awarded this honour.
Stokes has had a stupendous year in 2019, and was part of the English team that won its maiden ICC World Cup title in July 2019. He was also named the Man of the Match in the final of the World Cup that England played against New Zealand.
The last Englishman to have been awarded this honour was Andrew Flintoff in 2005. Indian skipper Virat Kohli had been winning the leading cricketer of the year award since the last three years.
“Ben Stokes pulled off the performance of a lifetime – twice in the space of a few weeks,” said Wisden’s editor, Lawrence Booth. “First, with a mixture of outrageous talent and good fortune, he rescued England’s run-chase in the World Cup final, before helping to hit 15 off the super over. Then, in the Third Ashes Test at Headingley, he produced one of the great innings, smashing an unbeaten 135 to pinch a one-wicket win.”
Meanwhile, Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry was named the leading women cricketer in the world for the year 2019. She previously won the award in 2016, becoming the first woman to receive the honour twice.
“Ellyse Perry dominated the women’s Ashes like no one before her,” Booth said, “inspiring Australia to a crushing victory. She was devastating with the ball, claiming seven for 22 in the ODI at Canterbury, and remorseless with the bat, not least during the one-off Test at Taunton, where she made 116 and 76 not out.”
Wisden Honours
The Leading Cricketers in the World#wisdenalmanack2020#wisdenhonours@benstokes38 @EllysePerry pic.twitter.com/UaqF1Th8zQ— Wisden Almanack (@WisdenAlmanack) April 8, 2020
Jamaican cricketer Andre Russell was awarded the leading T20 cricketer of the year for 2019. Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous edition of the IPL, Russell was also awarded the Most Valuable Player.
English cricketer Jofra Archer, Australian Pat Cummins, Australian Ellyse Perry, South African Simon Harmer and Marnus Labschagne were named among Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year by the 2020 edition of the Wisden Almanack.
Remarkably, Ellyse Perry also became the first woman cricketer to achieve the double feat of being named the best cricketer of the year and to be named among the five cricketers of the year.
A big congratulations to all the winners from Team Newsum!
We hope to see much more fantastic cricket this year from all these players!
