Wisden Cricketers of the Century

The Wisden Cricketers of the Century are five cricketers who were judged to be the most prominent players of the 20th century, as selected by a 100-member panel of cricket experts appointed by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2000. In order of votes, the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century are:



Many members of the panel complained that two of the five votes cast by each member would be wasted, as they would almost certainly be cast for Bradman and Sobers. The editor of Wisden at the time, Matthew Engel, noted that the only real deficiency of the list was the absence of a fast bowler in the top five places. Fast bowlers dominated cricket from the 1970s until at least the mid-1990s, and the most famous pre-war test series, Bodyline, had aroused controversy because of England's fast bowling strategy designed to counter Don Bradman.

There was also a big controvery when the choices were announced. Accusations were made by several sections of media that the list was biased. The panellists did not select any players from Asia or Africa, omitting highly-regarded players from these regions such as Imran Khan, Graeme Pollock and Sunil Gavaskar.

See also

• Six Giants of the Wisden Century
• Wisden Cricketers of the Year

References

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