Wisden names Starc and Deepti as best of the year, criticises Englands Ashes failure

The prestigious cricket publication Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack has announced the leading men’s and women’s cricketers of the year. Australia’s experienced fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been named the leading men’s cricketer, while India’s all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been named the leading women’s cricketer.

India dominated the list of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year, with Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj all included. England’s Haseeb Hameed was the only English player on the list, having led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title in 2025. Notably, a player can receive this award only once in their career.

Shubman Gill also won the Wisden Trophy for Test performance of the year after scoring 269 and 161 in a single Test at Edgbaston.

Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc delivered a remarkably consistent performance. In 2025, he took 55 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 17.32, including a career-best 6 for 9 against the West Indies. He followed that up with 31 wickets in the 2025–26 Ashes, playing a key role in Australia’s series victory.

In women’s cricket, Deepti Sharma was one of the key figures behind India’s World Cup triumph. She scored 215 runs and took 22 wickets in the 50-over tournament. In the final against South Africa, she delivered a match-winning performance with 58 runs and five wickets.

India’s Abhishek Sharma was named the leading T20 cricketer of the year.

Meanwhile, Wisden editor Lawrence Booth criticised the growing influence of IPL-linked ownership in England’s domestic competition, The Hundred. According to him, this trend risks turning the tournament into a proxy of the IPL.

He also made strong remarks about England’s disappointing performance in the Ashes. Following their 4–1 series defeat, he questioned the team’s planning, tactics, and discipline.