Pakistan veteran batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have each been honored as one of Wisden’s prestigious Five Cricketers of the Year in 2017 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, which is published this week.
The duo has been bestowed with this honor owing to their roles in a memorable series against England in their own den last summer. Their contributions not only helped Pakistan draw the series 2-2, but also took Pakistan Test team to number one in the rankings.
"Misbah-ul-Haq was central to one of the most riveting series in England for years," writes editor Lawrence Booth. "His century in the First Test at Lord’s set a benchmark for his team-mates, while his celebratory press-ups became one of the motifs of the year. Against the odds, he led Pakistan, without a home Test since 2009, to the top of the rankings - and all at the age of 42."
"With the pressure on, Younis Khan delivered. His classy 218 in the final Test of the summer, at The Oval, helped Pakistan square the series after successive defeats had left them in danger of squandering their win at Lord’s. It was his 32nd Test hundred - and a reminder that his struggles earlier in the series had been a blip rather than part of a decline."
It is the first time in 21 years that two Pakistan cricketers have been named in Wisden’s list. Previously, Saeed Anwar and Mushtaq Ahmed were named Wisden’s cricketers of the year in 1997.
England’s Chris Woakes, Toby Roland-Jones and Ben Duckett complete the list of Wisden’s prestigious Five Cricketers of the Year.
India skipper Virat Kohli has been named as the Leading Cricketer in the World by the Almanack.
According to Booth, Virat Kohli had "the year of his dreams averaging more with the bat in each of the three formats than anyone: 75 in Tests, 92 in one-day internationals and 106 in Twenty20 internationals".
Virat Kohli is also the cover star of the 2017 Wisden Cricketers Almanack.
