The Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year have been announced in the 2024 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, with Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja, Ash Gardner, Harry Brook and Mark Wood this year’s award winners.
Pat Cummins and Nat Sciver-Brunt have been named the Leading Cricketers in the World while Travis Head has picked up the Wisden Trophy, awarded to the outstanding individual performance by a man or woman in a Test match during the previou calendar year, for his 163 against India in the World Test Championship final. While Hayley Matthews has been named the Leading T20 Cricketer in the world.
The Leading Cricketers in the World Award are chosen by the editor of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack in consultation with some of the world’s most experienced writers and commentators. Selection is based on a player’s performances in the previous calendar. Players may win the award more than once. The corresponding T20 award is judged by the same criteria but based on T20I performances, and may be won by a male or female player.
Despite only playing the final three Test matches, Wood’s impact on the 2023 Ashes was remarkable. He took 14 wickets across those three games, but his most memorable spell was his first at Headingley. Bowling with devastating pace, he took five wickets included ripping through Australia’s tail in just 16 balls. In his four-over opening spell, no ball dropped below 91mph.
The Cricketer of the Year award is the oldest individual award in cricket and dates back to 1889. Selection is primarily based on performances in the previous English summer, which is judged as the major criteria for inclusion. No one can win the award more than once.
The 2024 Almanack has also named the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year, with previous winners of the award including Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor and Jos Buttler.
This year’s recipient is Ollie Sykes, who scored 935 runs and took 30 wickets for Tonbridge School across the season.