Ben Stokes, England all-rounder, has been named as the leading cricketer in the world in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2020 edition. The 28-year-old cricketer was instrumental in handing their maiden World Cup title in 2019. Besides it, the left-handed batsman played a match-winning knock against rivals Australia at Headingley during the last year’s Ashes. For last three years, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli was named as leading cricketer in the world and now Stokes overtakes him. Jos Buttler’s 2019 Cricket World Cup Final Shirt Raises Over 80,000 US Dollars From Auction, Amount to Help in Fight Against Coronavirus.

Interestingly, Stokes becomes the first English cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to walk away with the honour from Wisden. "Ben Stokes pulled off the performance of a lifetime - twice in the space of a few weeks. First, with a mixture of outrageous talent and good fortune, he rescued England's run-chase in the World Cup final, before helping to hit 15 off the super over. Then, in the Third Ashes Test at Headingley, he produced one of the great innings, smashing an unbeaten 135 to pinch a one-wicket win,” said Lawrence Booth, Wisden’s editor.

Apart from Stokes, Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry was named as the leading woman cricketer for 2019. Perry was also named in one of the Five Cricketers of the Year. She becomes first woman player and only fourth cricketer after Kumar Sangakkara, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli to feature in both Leading Cricketer in the World and one of the Five Cricketers of the Year lists.

Apart from Perry, Jofra Archer, Pat Cummins,, Simon Harmer, and Marnus Labschagne were also named the Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year by the 2020 edition of the Wisden Almanack.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2020 02:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).