Australian captain Pat Cummins has been named the leading men’s cricketer in the world by Wisden Almanack, while England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt was named the leading women’s cricketer on Tuesday.
Cummins was recognised by Wisden for a stellar 2023 in which the fast bowler led Australia to a World Test Championship (WTC) final win over India.
His side retained the Ashes before he captained them to their record sixth ODI World Cup title, defeating undefeated India in the final in Ahmedabad.
The 30-year-old paceman was the first Australian to win this award since Michael Clarke in 2012.
“After captaining Australia to success in the World Test Championship, Pat Cummins retained the Ashes – thanks in no small part to his late-order runs in the first Test at Edgbaston – then led Australia to victory in the World Cup final in India,” said Wisden editor Lawrence Booth.
“In 2023, no other seamer in world cricket took more than his 42 Test wickets.”
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack has been published continually on an annual basis since its first edition in 1864.
Meanwhile, Nat Sciver-Brunt was named the leading women’s cricketer in the world after three ODI hundreds in five Ashes innings.
Wisden also names five Cricketers of the Year, an award that can only be won once in a career and is generally based on performances in the previous English season.
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Three of the latest recipients – Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc and Ashleigh Gardner, are all Australia internationals and played in the men’s and women’s Ashes last year.
Opening batsman Khawaja was honoured for topping the run-scoring charts in the Ashes with 496 runs at 49.60.
Fast bowler Starc claimed 23 wickets at an average of 27.08 during the Ashes, followed by 16 wickets during the ODI World Cup in India, resulting in him earning the honours.
Moreover, Gardner was recognised for taking 12 wickets in holders Australia’s victory in the one-off Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
She became the tenth female recipient of the honour, and the first Australian woman since 2020. All-rounder Ellyse Perry was the last Australian to be named the Cricketer of the Year by Wisden.
The other two Cricketers of the Year were the England duo of Harry Brook and Mark Wood.
“Wood turned the Ashes on its head,” Booth said. “He topped 96mph, took five for 34, and pushed Australia on the back foot, literally and figuratively.”
“In all, he claimed 14 wickets at just 20 apiece as England came from 2-0 down to square the series.”
There was more Australian success when it came to the Wisden Trophy for Test performance of the year, with Travis Head recognised for his decisive 163 in the WTC final against India at The Oval.
West Indies’ Hayley Matthews became the first woman to be named the leading T20 cricketer of the year, owing to her brilliant performances.
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