For the last
year we have been monitoring the top 24 Cricketers in the world; but who has
finished top of The Cricket List?
10. Jonny Bairstow
Total points: 3836
Gap from next position: 40
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 1
Highest Scoring Week: 318 in Week 8 – 178
runs in three games for Hyderabad in the IPL set the Yorkshireman on a course
to finish 10th in the overall highest run scorers – despite withdrawing
two games early.
Summary: A strong IPL and a World Cup medal will be solace for Jonny
Bairstow as his form for England has largely been disappointing. A break from
national duty is expected in 2020.
9. Shakib Al Hasan
Total points: 3862
Gap from next position: 26
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 2
Highest Scoring Week: 314 in Week 4 – Runs and wickets
in the BPL helped Shakib move into the top spot overall – a place he held for 5
weeks.
Summary: The stink of corruption pollutes Shakib Al Hasan’s inclusion on
this list. In fifth place when he was banned for 2 years by the ICC in October,
it is lamentable he built up enough of a lead that he did not slip out of the
Top Ten for the year.
8. Rohit Sharma
Total points: 4308
Gap from next position: 446
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 4
Highest Scoring Week: 469 in Week 27 – The highest
weekly score of the year went to Rohit’s week of three Word Cup centuries where
he got three figures against England, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Summary: One of the few Indian players to have escaped the World Cup with
their reputations improved, Rohit Sharma boosted his overall total by 967
during the tournament.
7. Ben Stokes
Total points: 4410
Gap from next position: 102
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 3
Highest Scoring Week: 359 in Week 5 – No
it’s not the week you thought it was. Stokes’ pinnacle in 2019 came long before
the World Cup final and even longer before Headingley. Stokes was one of the
only saving graces in England’s tour of West Indies and this week his performance
with the ball gave him his inaugural Cricketer of the Week accolade.
Summary: One of the true stars of World sport in 2019, Stokes falls just
outside the top 5 in our List. His number of inactive weeks across the year has
held him back but it will be an unforgettable year for the Durham man.
6. Rashid Kahn
Total points: 4475
Gap from next position: 65
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 3
Highest Scoring Week: 465 in Week 37 – Perhaps
fittingly, Rashid saved his best week for his beloved Afghanistan’s Test win
against Bangladesh. A performance that has almost been forgotten, Rashid got 75
runs and 10 wickets in a show of all round dominance.
Summary: Down from second last year and nearly two thousand points worse
off, Rashid’s year has been worse than 2018 however lingers spectre-like just
outside the top 5. He saved some of his best performances for the national team
that idolises him so.
5. Joe Root
Total points: 4542
Gap from next position: 67
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 2
Highest Scoring Week: 362 in Week 8 – Strangely his
highest score of the year came in a week where Shreyas Iyer won Cricketer of
the Week but 138 runs in two ODIs against the West Indies saw his zenith in
2019.
Summary: An improvement of five places from the 2018 List plus the World
Cup under his belt represents a pretty good year for Joe Root. Criticism swirls
but the England man’s form has improved.
4. Virat Kohli
Total points: 4554
Gap from next position: 2
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 3
Highest Scoring Week: 374 in Week 33 – Kohli has a
penchant for scoring ridiculous amounts of runs against West Indies and did so
this week. His back to back centuries forced him into the top 5 for the first
time in the year.
Summary: Consecutive years at Number 4 in The Cricket List shows the
consistency of the India captain. A rather disappointing World Cup was
bolstered by strong performances against the West Indies helped bolster his
overall position.
3. Jeetan Patel
Total points: 4843
Gap from next position: 289
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 2
Highest Scoring Week: 373 in Week 23 – June was a phenomenal month
for Patel culminating in the veteran Warwickshire captain getting match figures
of 10/88 against Nottinghamshire.
Summary: Age does not weary Jeetan Patel as he finishes in third position
for the second year in a row. The veteran New Zealander got 64 County
Championship wickets this year – the third most in the division.
2. Simon Harmer
Total points: 5115
Gap from next position: 272
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 8
Highest Scoring Week: 428 in Week 39 – The last of his
Cricketer of the Week accolades and probably one of the biggest days of his
cricketing career. The week started with two Man of the Match performances in
the T20 Blast finals and ended with the successful defence of the County
Championship trophy.
Summary: Down one position from last year, it has nonetheless been a
phenomenal year for the South African. Firmly cemented as an Essex legend, he
ends the year with the most Cricketer of the Week wins for the second year in a
row.
1. 1. Glenn Maxwell
Total points: 6010
Gap from next position: 895
Number of Cricketer of the Weeks awarded: 5
Highest Scoring Week: 402 in Week 16 – His fourth
Cricketer of the Week award came through three Royal London One Day Cup games
in a week. His highlight was his career best bowling figure of 5-40 against
Middlesex.
Summary: Top of the weekly list since the end of February, it would have
been the greatest injustice if The Big Show did not finish top for the year. A
quietly extraordinary year for the Australian.
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