It is the time of the year that we turn our minds to who we will have on our List for the coming year.
We are down to 20 this year.... just because 21 seemed like an odd number. So, let's first start with our retained list.
Retained
Moeen Ali
Moeen spent 29 weeks of the year last year in the Top 5 and was the List's highest T20 competitor. He gets a third consecutive year in the List.
Babar Azam
The 2020 Cricketer of the Year only finished 3rd this year, but was in the Top 5 for exactly half the year. Facing some pressure in certain corners of the cricketing community but no problems with waving him in for a fourth year.
Jonny Bairstow
Was having a barnstorming year until an unfortunate golfing accident saw everything come down around his ears. Needs a third outing even though he will be out for a few months more.
Pat Cummins
Another one for whom injury has played a hugely negative part. If he can stay fit throughout could be a real contender in 2023. Definitely likely to improve on his 16th placed finish this year.
Simon Harmer
Of course, Simon Harmer. Inevitably Simon Harmer. The winner of Cricketer of the Year 2018 and 2022. The 36-time Cricketer of the Week. The Essex man is a mainstay of these annual Lists.
Rishabh Pant
Until Week 44 he had never dropped lower than 6th position on the overall list, but a poor World Cup and then some insipid performances after that saw him finish at the lower end of the Top Ten. Will he get his mojo back in 2023?
David Warner
A defining year lays ahead for David Warner. He finished his 2022 in style but how many years has the old boy got left in his tank? If he retires from the international stage think of the points he will pick up as a T20 gun for hire. A real crossroads moment.
Returning
Shakib Al Hasan
The Bangladesh All Rounder has not featured in these lists since his run in with the ICC caused by a run in with a bookmaker. However he has returned after three years exile in the wilderness.
Jos Buttler
Things could not be more different for Jos Buttler since his last appearance on this list in 2019. Gone are the flirtations with the Test team (probably) - he now leads from the front for the White Ball team and is one of the stand out performers in the IPL. Could go massive.
Shubman Gill
Gill spent 2 years in The Cricket List but was dropped in 2020. Always a talent in the making, he could be on the verge of being...made.
Ravindra Jadeja
Bit of a blast from the past here. Jadeja was part of our very first Cricket List back in 2018. He finished 14th that year....but can the mercurial spinner now bring his new found prowess with the bat to the fore and boost his position.
Rashid Khan
Another good example of someone who had a shocking 2020 (didn't we all). After elite level performances in 2018 & 19, he then had a poor 2020 and was unselected ever since. Universally known as one of the busiest men in the game, can he return with a bang.
New for 2023
Harry Brook
Could be on course to score hats full of runs. Is (potentially? ((maybe??)) un-droppable from the England Test team, will play in the IPL and will play a few Division Two games for Yorkshire. An ascending star.
Devon Conway
Nearly made the list last year but got edged out, 2023 is now Devon's time. Now a lock for the New Zealand team in all 3 formats as well as an occasional player of T20 franchise cricket, he should be busy.
Sam Curran
The middle Curran brother has been on the scene for half a decade now but it was only in the last year that he burst into being a fully formed white ball power. Can he continue this into 2023? One feels he also hasn't given up on a Test place either.
Cam Green
There is a changing of the guard going on in Cricket Australia....and Green is the next guard in position. Could be the year that he emerges as player of international stature?
Marco Jansen
A player that has taken the more traditional route to cricketing stardom, pledging himself to the long form and getting great dividends from it. But will he be on the Harmer end of the spectrum or the Jamieson end in 2023?
Usman Khawaja
Most of our new crop are part of the next generation of cricketing stars - however Usman Khawaja is older than a couple of them combined. A phenomenal comeback year for the Aussie. There will be question marks over how much he plays but when he does, he'll score.
Hardik Pandya
Went from humorously named big hitter to potential Indian captain over the last 12 months. Will feature in a lot of white ball cricket but will face the inevitable question about if the BCCI's policy on franchise cricket will allow him to play regularly enough.
Suryakumar Yadav
Was the standout performer in a group of superstars for India's ill-fated T20 World Cup attempt. The late bloomer is rapidly becoming one of the great names in T20 World Cricket - and he hasn't given up his chances of playing in the Test team.
Discarded Players
This year has seen some notable figures depart. Joe Root and Simon Harmer were the only two players to have featured every year but Root was not picked this time round. Nor was Ben Stokes. Former Cricketers of the Year Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne do not get another go either.
The Kane Williamson experiment has proved conclusive. The New Zealander has been selected for three years now and has finished in the bottom third each time. He hands the Kiwi baton to Devon Conway.
Other longstanding members to depart are Quinton De Kock, Travis Head and Steve Smith.
For Hasan Ali, KL Rahul, Matt Critchley, Kyle Jamieson and Bhanuka Rajapaksa it was one and done.
That wraps up our changes to The Cricket List for 2023, looking forward to seeing what our 20 challengers can do in the year ahead. Happy New Year everyone!
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