The Cricket List 2022 - From Ali to Williamson

With the dawn of 2022 comes a new crop of players for us to scrutinise over the next 12 months. With the number of players going up to 21 there will be a lot to analyse, but who are our key players for the coming year?

Hasan Ali

New for 2022, Hasan Ali is an all-format international who plays an awful lot of cricket. If he can keep injury free he is likely to pick up bags of wickets.

Moeen Ali

It has been a turbulent year for Moeen. After retiring from England's Test team, it leaves the all-rounder the opportunity to continue playing the franchise circuit and even turn out for Worcestershire.

Babar Azam

Azam followed up his Cricketer of the Year award in 2020 with a third place finish in 2021. Where will the dynamic Pakistan batsman end up in 2022?

Jonny Bairstow

Bairstow has not graced The Cricket List since 2019 where he finished 10th. The combative English player is at something of a crossroads in his career. Regardless of where it takes him his 2022 points are ours.

Matt Critchley

Critchley has made the switch from Derbyshire to Essex to join up with Cricket List legend Simon Harmer. All eyes will be on the CloudFM ground in 2022.

Pat Cummins

The new Australian captain has looked nothing short of a class act since his debut and his reputation has only grown in the ongoing Ashes series. If he keeps injury free he should be a real contender in 2022.

Quinton De Kock

Never far from controversy, De Kock was a long-time top 5 player for most of the last 12 months. If he can put his ego behind him and play his best cricket, he could improve on his sixth placed finish for the year.

Simon Harmer

Harmer is now one of just two players to have featured in all 5 Cricket Lists. With the exception of the Covid-affected year of 2020, the ex-Proteas has finished in the Top 5 every year.

Travis Head

His debut season on The Cricket List in 2020 saw him finish in 14th - and one would imagine that he wouldn't have been much higher this year. However, he looked a man reborn in the First Ashes Test and is scheduled to be playing all year round.

Kyle Jamieson

2021 was a whirlwind for Jamieson as he solidified himself at the heart of the New Zealand attack as well as marketing himself as an IPL asset. What more can 2022 bring?

Marnus Labuschagne

A shoo-in for his third season on the trot as he is the reigning best Cricketer in the World. He sits atop the Test batting rankings too so could we see our first two time winner in 2022?

Glenn Maxwell

An insipid campaign for the second year in a row, but the streets will always remember his dominance in 2019. Worth another spin for old times sake if nothing else.

Rishabh Pant

For so long Pant was seen as the young bright thing of Indian cricket and the wicket-keeper-batsman now looks like he is coming in to his own rather. An apposite time for his Cricket List debut.

KL Rahul

One of the hottest prospects in the shortest form but is a true multi-format player. The sort of triple threat that could see a very strong finish for the Indian.

Bhanuka Rajapaska

Fell into the bad books of Mickey Arthur, Rajapaksa's Abu Dhabi T10 and Lanka Premier League form might see the new Sri Lankan coach bring him back into the fold. Either way a lot of cricket is likely to be played by the explosive batter.

Mohammad Rizwan

If Rizwan had been in the game in 2021, I have no doubt he would be a Top 5 prospect. Next year he will be playing MORE cricket after having joined up with Sussex. Exciting times for the third of our trio of Pakistan players.

Joe Root

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride. If Root only finished 4th last year of all years, you feel he may never grace top spot. Despite this he is well worth his inclusion for the fifth consecutive year.

Steve Smith

Scheduled to finish in the bottom three for the second time in three years....but can you really look me in the eye and tell me that Smith isn't worth his inclusion?

Ben Stokes

After fighting with Azam for the championship in 2020, lengthily periods away from the game saw Stokes finish a lowly 15th this year. A normal year could see him back up with the big boys again.

David Warner

Spent almost all of 2021 in 18th place of 18 cricketers...but is still capable of stitching together some top drawer performances. With time not on his side, this could be one of his last opportunities to make a big impression on The Cricket List.

Kane Williamson

Nice guy? Check! Exceptional cricketer? Check! Great captain? Check! Scores lots of TCL points......no.

This will be Williamson's fourth year in The Cricket List and he has never finished in the Top Ten. Can he do it this year?

Released Players

Of course, with so many new players we must bid farewell to a handful of cricketers. None will be more controversial than Virat Kohli who has featured on every Cricket List since it's inception but a 14th placed finish is hard to justify. He will be back...maybe.

Peter Handscomb and Ravichandran Ashwin have featured in two Cricket Lists but will not feature next year.

The other departing figures are Nicholas Pooran, Dawid Malan, Jasprit Bumrah and Peter Siddle.