Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow named Wisden Cricketers of the Year
England'sBen Stokes and Jonny Bairstow have been named as two of
Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year.All-rounderStokes, 24, was named
following a "string of match-changing performances", including his
198-ball 258 against South Africa in Cape Town. Bairstow, 26,scored
1,108 runs in Yorkshire's County Championship victoryand also helped
England win the Ashes. Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand pair
Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson completeWisden's list. Batsman
Williamson, 25, was named as the leading cricketer in the world by
Wisden, having "confirmed himself as one of the talents of his
generation" with 2,692 international runs in 2015.
McCullumretired from international cricket in February, hitting the
fastest Testcentury in history - off 54 balls - in his final game
against Australia in Christchurch. Durham's Stokes, who was recently hit
forfour successive sixes as West Indies snatched victory inthe World
Twenty20 final, smashed an 85-ball century against New Zealand last May
- the fastest Test hundred at Lord's. While compiling his 258 against
South Africa in January, Stokes shared a 399-runpartnership with
Bairstow - a sixth-wicket record in Tests - as theYorkshireman scored
his maiden Test century."
It was an exhibition of stroke play from Ben and the way we both went
about it complemented each other," Bairstow told BBC Sport." It was all
kind of a blur at the end of it. You're in your own little bubble,
trying to knuckle down and get your first century." Stokesy played out
of his skin at the other end and there I was just plodding along minding
my own business.
It was one of those mornings - if we beat that, we'llbe very lucky."
New Zealand captain Suzie Bates, 28, was named as the world's leading
women's cricketer after scoring a sixth one-day century, against England
in February, to help"consolidate her status as one of the power hitters
of the women's game". The coveted awards, which began in 1889, are a
central feature of the annual Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, the 153rd
edition of which will be published on Thursday.
In the new edition, editor Lawrence Booth describes England's
transformation into a more attacking side over the past 12 months as
"the most uplifting story in international cricket of the year". Booth
identifies the appointment of Andrew Strauss as director of England
cricket in May 2015 as a major factor in England's improvement, along
with the decision to bring in Trevor Bayliss as head coach.
- BBC
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