England trio Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, and Sophie Ecclestone have been named among Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year in the 2024 edition of the prestigious Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, released this Thursday.
The Wisden honour is one of the oldest in cricket, dating back to 1889, and recognises outstanding performances in the previous English summer. Importantly, no player can be selected more than once in their career.
Joining the England trio on the list are Hampshire’s reliable spinner Liam Dawson and Surrey’s consistent fast bowler Dan Worrall, completing the quintet of domestic and international stars who left a lasting impression on the 2023 season.
Fast bowler Gus Atkinson earned his place with a memorable Test debut, taking 12 wickets against the West Indies in July, and finishing the year with an impressive 52 wickets overall. He also hit a surprise maiden first-class century batting at number eight against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
Jamie Smith, who made his Test debut as England’s wicketkeeper, was also outstanding with the bat. He registered his maiden century at Old Trafford and ended the Sri Lanka series with 280 runs at an average of 46.6, second only to Joe Root. His sharp glove work solidified his position ahead of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
Sophie Ecclestone becomes the first English woman named in the five since Tammy Beaumont in 2019. In a tough year for England Women, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner stood out, continuing her reign as the world’s top-ranked bowler in both white-ball formats. She also became England’s leading T20 wicket-taker during the summer series against Pakistan.
On the global stage, India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana have been crowned the leading male and female cricketers in the world, while West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran has been recognised as the world’s leading T20 player.
In 2024, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt and Australia captain Pat Cummins held the global honours, reflecting their dominance in international cricket during the previous year.
