Australia captain Pat Cummins was named the Leading Cricketer in the World by Wisden on Monday to coincide with the publication of the 161st edition of the sport's "bible"."After captaining Australia to success in the World Test Championship, Pat Cummins retained the Ashes –- thanks in no small part to his late-order runs in the first Test at Edgbaston –- then led Australia to victory in the World Cup final in India," said Wisden editor Lawrence Booth.
Wisden has given a hefty endorsement of last year’s report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, with the 161st edition of the sport’s fabled annual insisting the panel’s findings and recommendations “deserved respect, not ridicule”. Commissioned by the England & Wales Cricket Board in 2021, and published during last summer’s dual Ashes series, the ICEC report found that 50% of its 4,000 respondents had experienced discrimination in the previous five years – a figure which rises significantly among people from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Despite the ECB saying the findings of the panel chaired by Cindy Butts had “raised serious issues of public concern”, including disparity in representation on the field and in leadership roles, there has been criticism in some quarters.
Lawrence Booth uses his editor’s notes to rail against last year’s decision to increase India’s share of central ICC funds.