These five lucky, lucky batmeisters and ballmeisters got the nod to be Wisden Cricketers of the Year 2008:
- Ian Bell
- Shiv Chanderpaul
- Otis Gibson
- Zaheer Khan
- Ryan Sidebottom
Any arguments about these? The criteria being eye opening performances seen in last year’s English season and not having had a nomination before.
So, starting from the bottom, everyone’s favourite lank-haired, left-arm pace man had to be in, not only because there is only one man in such a category in world cricket, but because of his phoenix-like return to the England set-up after an extended hiatus. He’s now their no.1 bowler and deservedly, hopefully for the foreseeable future.
When Zaheer comes round to my place, I’m not going to offer him something sweet for dessert, judging by what he did to England’s batting line-up at Trent Bridge last summer after being offered a few jellybeans, he’d be turning over tables and breaking plates. I bet Anil slips a few Maltesers into his bowling boots to fire him up, having said that, crushing honeycomb biscuit and chocolate in my shoes when I put my feet in them would piss me off too. Great performances though and deservedly in.
You hold up the match ball after taking 5 wickets in an innings, but how to celebrate after taking all 10 wickets? Presumably with on you a golden podium held up by your team, whilst mere mortals bow before you. Not sure if Otis did this but, that performance was the diamond headstone in a sparkling season for the Barbadian in the twilight of his playing career.
Shiv. For many a year he has been hidden, nay eclipsed, by the ink black shadow cast by the ego of a certain Mr Lara, so when he buggered off to pad his back pocket with cash playing in the ICL, many people feared for the already fragile nature of the West Indies batting line up. He ended the Test series against England with an average of nearly 150, categorically cementing Shiv’s place. He just needs his Mueller sponsored bully to stop punching him beneath the eyes before he goes out to bat…
Ian Bell is a class act. I’ve seen him play in an exhibition game at my local park and I’ve seen him play Test matches and ODIs at various locations around England. He is a batsman with class in the orthodox sense, but to my mind we are yet to see the best of him. Should players be selected as a Cricketer of the Year who are ‘on the cusp of greatness’? or at the top of their game? I think the latter, which is why I feel Ian Bell’s inclusion in this list is premature; his best is not yet upon us.
