Mumbai: Former India cricketer VVS Laxman said he was surprised and shocked to see opener Rohit Sharma’s name missing from Wisden’s list of five outstanding performers of 2019.
On Wednesday, England all-rounder Ben Stokes and Australia’s Ellyse Perry were named the Leading Cricketers of 2019 by Wisden Almanack.
The swashbuckling all-rounder was instrumental to England’s success in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, where he scored 465 runs, including 84* in the tense final at Lord’s and claimed seven wickets as his team won the coveted trophy for the first time.
Laxman felt that the Rohit, who slammed five hundreds in the 2019 ODI World Cup, deserved to be there in the list.
“I think anyone who follows the game of cricket will be surprised and shocked not to see Rohit Sharma’s name in those five players list,” said Laxman on Star Sports 1 show Cricket Connected.
“Because yes, The Ashes is an important series, the World Cup is bigger than Ashes. And someone who has scored five hundreds; remember the first hundred was on a tough wicket in Southampton against South Africa and none of the other batsmen got runs,’’ he explained.
Apart from Perry, Wisden had named Pat Cummins, Marnus Labuschagne, Jofra Archer and Simon Harmer as the Five Cricketers of the Year.
Andre Russell was adjudged the leading T20 cricketer for the year, with his performances in last year’s Indian Premier League coming in for special praise.
“And he (Rohit) played another important knock against Pakistan. I am really shocked and surprised, and every cricketer will be shocked and surprised by this announcement from Wisden,” Laxman concluded. (UNI)