Top 5 contenders for the Cricketer of the Year award

De Villiers has played only one Test this year, thus ruling him out of contentionIt has been a strange year in cricket so far. Some teams like South Africa have hardly played any Tests, which is why AB de Villiers, the world’s best batsman and cricket’s MVP, doesn’t figure in this list in spite of being sensational in the ODI format. Similarly, there is no Indian on this list either because the number of Tests they have played are quite few. Ravichandran Ashwin was India’s best bet, but he misses out narrowly.We have picked up players who have performed well in at least two of the three formats. The quality of runs or wickets has also been an important factor, which is why Angelo Mathews narrowly edges ahead of Moeen Ali who has scored runs and taken wickets for England. Mathews has largely fought one-man battles this year as skipper of a team whose strengths have depleted substantially.However, most of the places have been taken by batsmen, some of whom are bound to end up as legends of the game and who are already making huge waves in cricket. Two of them have already tasted captaincy!

#5 Kane Williamson

Williamson is the leading run-getter in ODI cricket this year

An elegant player to watch, Kane Williamson has slowly emerged as the bedrock of the New Zealand batting and is already being counted amongst the four next-generation superstars – Smith, Root and Kohli being the other three.

Williamson is ODI cricket’s most prolific run-scorer this year with 1317 runs at an average of 57.26. With 3 tons and 8 half-centuries, he scores his runs at a strike-rate of 90 despite being a technically correct batsman. Williamson also has 476 runs in only 3 Tests at an average of 95.20 having scored two centuries and a half-century in 6 innings, one of the tons being an unbeaten 242*.

#4 Angelo Mathews

Angelo Mathews is handling the responsibility of leading the young Sri Lankan side admirably

Angelo Mathews has scored 739 runs in just 9 Tests this year at an average of 46. It isn’t a massive average, but the man has put his hand up in tough conditions, especially India and Sri Lanka, specializing in playing the captain’s knock.

He hasn’t had a great year in ODIs, scoring 381 in 16 games at 34, but a lot has to do with his playing down the order. Mathews also has a total of 20 wickets in both forms of the game. One of the few genuine all-rounders of the contemporary game, Mathews heads a team that has lost the last of its greats, Kumar Sangakkara, increasing the burden of leading, many times over. But the ice-man of Sri Lankan side continues to be worth his weight in gold in the young side.

#3 Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc was the leading wicket-taker at the 2015 World Cup

Mitchell Starc looked jaded by the end of the Ashes campaign but the left-arm fast bowler has clearly been a star for Australia not just in their victorious World Cup campaign but in a majority of games that he has turned up for the Aussies.

Starc is the only bowler to feature in the top 5 wicket-takers lists in both Tests and ODIs. He has taken 33 wickets in 8 Tests at 25.78 and 41 wickets in 18 ODIs at 16.26. His ODI economy rate is a sensational 4.61 with two four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls.

Starc is also one of the most in-demand T20 bowlers making him the complete package as far as handling the new cherry is concerned.

#2 Joe Root

Root was instrumental in England’s 3-2 Ashes triumph

He isn’t 25 yet but Root is one of cricket’s most promising stars already. Touted as England’s future captain and already their most reliable batsman, Root has had a fabulous year with the bat, both in terms of runs as well as impact.

Root has scored 1207 runs in 21 Test innings this year, including 3 centuries and 8 half-centuries, second only to his skipper, Alastair Cook who scored 1235. Root’s average, which is 67 is substantially higher than Cook’s 61.75. Root also scores his runs at a strike-rate of 67, way more than Cook’s 44.

Interestingly, he also has eight Test wickets and was the most impactful player in England's 3-2 Ashes triumph over Australia. Root also has 578 runs in 14 ODI innings at an impressive average of 44.46 and a strike-rate of 93.67 making him a stalwart in English batting. He is No.2 on the ICC Test ranking list.

#1 Steven Smith

Steven Smith has scored four centuries from eight Test matches this year

Australia’s new skipper Steven Smith, ranked the No.1 Test batsman in the ICC rankings, has witnessed a mercurial rise in his stakes in the last one year. He is also the only batsman to be amongst the top run-scorers in both Tests and ODIs.

Smith has 805 runs in 17 ODI innings at 53.66 and a strike-rate of 86 including two crucial knocks in the World Cup, in the quarter-final and semi-final. He also has 979 Test runs in just 8 matches at a phenomenal average of 75.30 with 4 centuries, the most by any batsman this year.

Smith’s confidence saw him score a double century and he was one of the few batsmen to put their hands up in Australia’s losing Ashes campaign away from home.