Stokes named Wisden’s 'leading cricketer in the world' second year in a row

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named Wisden's 'leading cricketer in the world' for the second year in a row. The all-rounder is also the first English cricketer to win the accolade twice since its inception in 2004.

Stokes was rewarded for his all-round show last year. He finished with most runs in Test last year, scoring a total of 641 in seven matches at a staggering average of 58.27. He scored two hundreds and as many fifties in Tests.

Stokes also scalped 19 wickets at a remarkable average of 18.73. 

Stokes' achievement is all the more remarkable as the 29-year-old all-rounder won the accolade while suffering a personal tragedy -- his father Gerrard's illness and passing away in December last year due to brain cancer. 

Stokes, who has been ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) after suffering a finger injury while playing for his side Rajasthan Royals in their opening game against Punjab Kings last Monday, won the accolade for the first time in 2020 to end India skipper Virat Kohli's three-year run in winning the award. 

Meanwhile, Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens has become the oldest person since 1933 to be named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year.

Stevens, 44, is the fourth-oldest recipient of the award. He was rewarded for his incredible 29 wickets in five matches at an average of only 15 in the Bob Willis Trophy, an English cricket tournament, last year. 

England batsmen Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley, Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and former West Indies captain Jason Holder joined Stevens on the 2021 list.

Australia batter Beth Mooney was named the 'leading woman cricketer in the world'.

Mooney, 27, was named player of the tournament in the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup, scoring 78 not out in the final as Australia beat India, while she was also the leading runscorer in the 2020-21 Women's Big Bash League.

Having averaged 53.58 with the bat in T20s last year, West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard was named 'leading T20 cricketer in the world'. 

Among other awards, former Australia Test captain Steve Waugh won the photograph of the year competition for capturing children playing cricket among sand dunes near Osian, India.

Meanwhile, Wisden also marked 50 years of ODI cricket by naming the format's greatest player for each decade.

These are: Viv Richards (1970s), Kapil Dev (1980s), Sachin Tendulkar (1990s), Muttiah Muralitharan (2000s) and Virat Kohli (2010s).