Pat Cummins, Nat Sciver Brunt named as Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World

London [UK], April 16 (ANI): Australian skipper Pat Cummins and England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt have been named as the Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World in the 2024 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanck, published on Tuesday. As per ESPN, the Australian pace spearhead and skipper in Tests and ODI formats, led his side to the front as they overcame a tough challenge from India to win their maiden ICC World Test Championship in June and later their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup title in Ahmedabad in November. He also played a crucial role in his side defending the Ashes urn away from home, drawing the series 2-2 in England.

Cummins is the first Aussie since Michael Clarke (2012) to secure the top honour and he has succeeded Ben Stokes, the English skipper who won the honour three times in 2020, 2021 and 2023. In 11 Tests last year, he took 42 wickets and scored 254 crucial runs at an average of 15.87. Across 24 international games, he took 59 wickets and made 422 runs at an average of 21.10. Within these 422 runs were many small, but impactful batting contributions throughout the Ashes and Cricket World Cup.

Sciver Brunt has been recognised as the top women's cricketer because of her role in the women's Ashes. She played a crucial role in England's series wins in the white-ball leg of the competition, scoring two back-to-back centuries in ODIs.

In six ODIs last year, she made 393 runs at an average of 131.00, with three tons and took three wickets. In two Tests, she made 137 runs in four innings, with the best score of 78 and also took a wicket. In 10 T20Is, she scored 364 runs at an average of 45.50, with three half-centuries. She also took five wickets in the shortest format.

After that, she scored a record-breaking 66-ball ton against Sri Lanka, the fastest by an England women's player in ODI history. Her all-round appeal was recognised by the Indian T20 franchise Mumbai Indians (MI), who paid 3,20,000 pounds to get her services in 2023. She was also a part of MI team, which won the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) in India. With 332 runs in 10 games, including three fifties and 10 wickets, she played a crucial role in the Blue and Gold franchise's win.

Three Australian players have been named among the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year, including Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja and Ashleigh Gardner. England stars Harry Brook and Mark Wood also made it to the list. All these players delivered standout performances across the men's and women's Ashes in particular.

A release said Gardner picked 12 wickets in the one-off Ashes Tests against Australia and helped her team secure four points from the Test win that helped them retain their Ashes crown. She is the tenth women's player to receive this honour, that dates back to 1889 and the first Australian women's player to be a part of the list since star all-rounder Ellyse Perry back in 2020. She was also the 'Player of the Tournament' in Australia's ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 win, scoring 110 runs in five matches at an average of 36.66 and taking 10 wickets.

Khawaja, the Australian opener, emerged as the top run scorer in the men's Ashes, scoring 496 runs, including a century, in the Edgbaston Test. In 13 Tests, he scored 1,210 runs at an average of 52.60, with three centuries and six fifties.

Starc was the top bowler in the competition, with 23 wickets. He also secured 16 wickets in the 2023 World Cup, including two match-winning spells in the semifinals and final against South Africa and India, respectively. In nine Tests last year, he took 38 wickets. In 23 international games last year, he took 63 wickets.

Brook, the breakout England batter, scored 363 in five Ashes Test. After England was 2-0 down in the series, his knock of 75 played an important role in the Leeds Test win for England, which marked the start of a brilliant fight back from the Three Lions. In five matches, he scored 363 runs at an average of 40.33, with four fifties.

In eight Tests last year, Brook made 701 runs at an average of 53.92, with a century and six fifties. In 32 international games last year, he scored 1,280 runs at an average of 38.78, with a century and 10 fifties in 38 innings. He also scored 169 runs in six matches during the Cricket World Cup, including a fifty.

Wood was also a star for England and his 14 wickets in three matches, including a scorching spell against Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja, were the highlights of the series. These were the only Tests he played last year. In 13 matches across the year, Wood took 23 wickets.

Head has been awarded with the Wisden Trophy, an honour given for the best Test performance of the year. The explosive left-hander played a knock of 163 in 174 balls against India in the WTC final in the UK.

West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews was given the Leading T20 Cricketer award, after securing eight successive Player of the Match awards. During these matches, she averaged 88 with the bat and scored at a strike rate of 144.

The compelling nature of the Ashes battle is an enduring theme of this year's Almanack, with Booth making the point in his Notes by the Editor that England's ultra-attacking "Bazball" approach to the series has already ramped up demand for this summer's Test series against West Indies. (ANI)