VVS Laxman on Saturday (April 11) expressed his astonishment to see India opener Rohit Sharma’s name missing from the list of Wisden’s leading cricketers for the year 2019.
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This prestigious award is given to those players who perform incredibly well during the English summer. Since Rohit was the leading run-scorer (648 runs from 9 innings with 5 centuries) in last year’s ODI World Cup held in England and Wales, Laxman felt it was a shocker to leave out the Indian vice-captain.
“I think anyone who follows the game of cricket will be surprised and shocked not to see Rohit Sharma’s name in those five players list. The Ashes is an important series, the World Cup is bigger than Ashes. And someone who has scored five hundred; remember the first hundred was on a tough wicket in Southampton against South Africa and none of the other batsmen got runs. And he played another important knock against Pakistan. I am really shocked and surprised, and every cricketer will be shocked and surprised by this announcement from Wisden,” Laxman said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
Ace all-rounder Ben Stokes on Wednesday (April 8) became the first England cricketer since 2005 to be named Wisden's leading cricketer in the world.
Stokes was integral to England's maiden 50-over World Cup victory last year and also helped his team draw the home Ashes series with an iconic knock of 135 not out at Headingley.
The Wisden Almanack named England speedster Jofra Archer as one of five leading cricketers of the year 2019. He made his international debut in May 2019 and two months later bowled the super over against New Zealand at Lord’s that ensured England's World Cup triumph. Later, Archer finished the Ashes with 22 wickets from four Tests at an average of 20.27.
The list also featured three Australians in Pat Cummins, Marnus Labuschagne and Ellyse Perry, as well as Essex off-spinner Simon Harmer.
While Cummins, Labuschagne and Perry were instrumental in helping their teams to retain the men’s and women’s Ashes on English soil, Harmer spun Essex to their second Championship title in three years.
