Wisden Cricketers of the Year: Cricket's Most Historic Honour
The story of the Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year — the oldest individual honours in cricket, awarded annually since 1889 — with notable winners and how the selection process works.
What Is the Wisden Almanack?
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is cricket's most authoritative publication — a yellow hardback published annually every April in England, first issued in 1864 by John Wisden, an English cricketer and sports equipment manufacturer. Wisden records every first-class cricket match played worldwide in the previous English cricket year, with detailed scorecards, statistics, reports, essays, and obituaries. It is often called the 'Bible of Cricket': every serious cricket library contains decades of Wisden volumes, and old editions are collector's items. The Almanack also names five Cricketers of the Year in each edition — the oldest and most celebrated individual honour in cricket.
The Five Cricketers of the Year: History
The Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year were first named in 1889, when the almanack recognised players based on their performances in the previous English cricket season (county cricket and any international matches in England). The selection criteria have evolved: originally focused on English county players and touring teams, the award now considers any player who made a remarkable impact on English cricket in the preceding year — including overseas players in county cricket, tourists, and players who featured in England's international matches. The award is for a player's performance in a specific period, not their career; once named, a player cannot receive it again.
Notable Recipients
The list of Wisden Cricketers of the Year reads as a comprehensive history of cricket greatness. W.G. Grace was named in 1896 (though his prominence preceded the award by decades). Don Bradman was named in 1930 after his extraordinary debut Ashes series. Garfield Sobers was named in 1964. Among modern players, Shane Warne was named in 1994 after the 1993 Ashes; Sachin Tendulkar in 1997. Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen both received the honour during the 2005 Ashes era. Ben Stokes was named in 2020 after his extraordinary 2019 — an ODI World Cup win and the Headingley century against Australia in the same calendar year. The honour has occasionally recognised women cricketers: Charlotte Edwards in 2014 and Ellyse Perry in 2020 were among the first.
The Selection Process
The Wisden Five are selected by the editor of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, who from 2003 to 2019 was Matthew Engel and from 2019 onward Lawrence Booth. The editor exercises independent editorial judgement: there is no voting panel. Criteria include impact on English cricket (performances in England or in series England played), quality of performances (statistical and contextual), and memorable moments that shaped the summer. The editor is also constrained by the rule that no player can be named twice — meaning some outstanding performers in repeated English summers (like Steve Waugh, who dominated multiple Ashes tours) may have already been recognised before their most famous series. The editorial independence of the selection is considered a strength: the award is not subject to the politics of board votes.
Leading Cricketer in the World
Since 2004, Wisden has also separately named a Leading Cricketer in the World — a global award for the best player across all formats and conditions, not limited to English cricket. This award can be received multiple times by the same player. Sachin Tendulkar received it in 2004, Jacques Kallis multiple times, Virat Kohli five consecutive times from 2016 to 2019, and Steve Smith in 2020. Babar Azam won the award in 2022 after an extraordinary year across all three formats. Unlike the Five Cricketers selection, the Leading Cricketer in the World is determined by a panel of senior Wisden contributors and is considered the most prestigious annual individual accolade in international cricket after the ICC's own awards.
Why the Wisden Honour Matters
The Wisden award carries weight beyond statistics because it is given by cricket's most authoritative publication, with editorial independence, and backed by a 135-year tradition. Players who never received an ICC award (which began in 2004) but played earlier eras are validated by their Wisden recognition: a player like Alec Bedser, whose 1953 Ashes performance contributed to England's first home Ashes win in 19 years, was named that year and is part of a continuous record stretching to cricket's Victorian origins. For players who do receive it, the Wisden Cricketer of the Year listing is how they are formally recorded in cricket history — their name appears in the almanack that, for the sport, serves as cricket's official ledger.