Wisden Cricketers of the Year are given to five players who have performed impactfully in the previous English summer. The awards are announced in early April in line with the publication of the annual book and the start of the county season. You cannot win the award more than once. Every year five new players get recognised with the honour. Who is in the running this year?
Mohammad Rizwan is a contender to be one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2020-21 with his impressive performances which led to him being named as man of the series for Pakistan’s behind closed doors Test series in England. Rizwan made two half centuries in the back to back Test Matches in Southampton after having a splendid game behind the stumps in Manchester in the entertaining series opener.
Azhar Ali is also a contender to be one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2020-21. The Pakistan veteran hasn’t won the award previously despite a career of 85 Tests. Azhar who captained Pakistan on their tour of England for 2020 in the Test leg, scored 141* in the 3rd Test at the Ageas Bowl which helped Pakistan to a rain hit draw having conceded 583 in the first innings. The visitors were 30-4 at one stage in the reply, but the number 3 top order batsman kept the English bowlers at bay in a display of skill and temperament.
Mohammad Hafeez was outstanding in Pakistan’s T20 leg of the tour in England and is another like Azhar who hasn’t won the award previously.
Yasir Shah missed out on being one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2016-17 despite picking up a 10-wicket match haul and a 5-wicket innings haul in Pakistan’s two London Test victories during a hard fought drawn Test series that summer. The Pakistan wrist spinner picked up 8 wickets in the match in the series opener in Manchester this time around.
Roston Chase is an obvious contender for the award. He was man of the series in what was the last Wisden Trophy. The West Indies all-rounder made valuable breakthroughs with his off spin and batted doggedly in a famous win in the series opener in Southampton which provided some stability to the innings.
Zak Crawley is a virtual certainty to pick up the honour. His double century against Pakistan secured a series win for the hosts, their first against Pakistan for a decade. The tall Kent right hander played an innings for the ages.
Dom Sibley made an obdurate century in Manchester which set the foundations for England to level the series in the first of three Tests at Old Trafford in this unique and unusual summer. This was Dom’s first home summer as a Test cricketer.
Shannon Gabriel picked up 9 wickets in the Test at Southampton and was the star of the show in the only defeat England had in the longer form of the game in the summer. Majority of his wickets were LBW and bowled. The quick bowler reaped the rewards for bowling straight and quick. This was Gabriel’s third Test tour of England and he used his experience to help West Indies take a much-deserved series lead in the first international cricket match in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Gabriel produced several special deliveries in what proved to be an unforgettable result for him and his team. The visitors drew first blood on Sunday 12th July and Gabriel was at the heart of that win.
Darren Stevens had a fine season for Kent with the ball in hand. The 44-year-old hasn’t won the award previously. He is long overdue. The question is, did he do enough to be recognised as one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year through his performances in the shortened 2020 domestic summer? The county cricket stalwart has earned a much deserved contract for the 2021 season. One senses time is running out for him to win the accolade. The county favourite will turn 45 this year. He’s still going….
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