Wisden Cricketers of the Year Wisden Cricketers of the Year The "Wisden" Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack", based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season". The award began in 1889 with the naming of "Six Great Bowlers of the Year", and continued with the naming of "Nine Great Batsmen of the Year" in 1890 and "Five Great Wicket-Keepers" in 1891. Since 1897, with a few notable exceptions, the annual award has recognised five players of the year. No players were named in 1916 or 1917, as the First World War prevented
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack are free of charge and open to all visitors (although its forum requires registration) while the latter charges a nominal annual membership fee for access to its main site. A "Wisden" archive is maintained by ESPNCricinfo (see External Links), offering access to some features, articles and international scores from the first edition onwards. The article "A History of "Wisden"" prepared for the 1963 centenary edition is likely to be of most interest to collectors who do not have access to the original volume. A combination of rarity (perceived or known), condition, completeness and originality determines the price a collector is