This was published 10 years ago
Smith a Wisden cricketer of the year
Steve Smith - Australia
Steve Smith has been named as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year after another stellar 12 months in which he inherited the Australia captaincy from Michael Clarke.
Steve Smith - Australia
Players can be only name if they played in England during the year and have not received the accolade before and Smith certainly fulfilled both the criteria. He was the highest run scorer in the Ashes series with 508 in 2015 despite Australia relinquishing the urn. Smith then led Australia to Test series wins over New Zealand (home and away) and the West Indies as well as an ODI series win over India.
Kane Williamson - New Zealand
Another player who became the captain of his nation was also one of Wisden's cricketers of the year. Williamson also featured prominently in the English summer with a century at Lords as NZ drew a thrilling pre-Ashes series with England 1-all.
Kane Williamson - New Zealand
However, it was his form in all formats across the globe that Williamson was rewarded for. He was the highest run scorer in international cricket in the last 12 months with 2,692 all-format runs, 323 runs ahead of the second placed Smith.
Brendon McCullum - New Zealand
The man Williamson inherited the NZ captaincy from was also nominated. “An English summer has rarely witnessed a more popular touring captain,” Wisden editor Lawrence Booth wrote of Brendon McCullum.
Brendon McCullum - New Zealand
The Black Caps grew into the game's great entertainers under McCullum, playing attacking cricket in a thrilling Test series which opened the English summer. In many ways the NZ captain inspired his rivals in that series to play more adventurous cricket. McCullum retired from the international game after the Test series against Australia in NZ.
Jonny Bairstow - England
England star Johnny Bairstow was rewarded for a breakout 2015 in which he earned a Test recall for the Ashes series by plundering 1108 runs at 92.33 for county champions, Yorkshire.
Jonny Bairstow - England
After winning the Ashes, the wicketkeeper scored his maiden Test century in the series win over the Proteas in South Africa.
Ben Stokes - England
No one personified England's attacking renaissance more than Ben Stokes. The all-rounder smashed the fastest Test century at Lords as England counter-attacked their way to a thrilling Test win over NZ. After beating Australia in the Ashes, Stokes caused more carnage in South Africa, smashing Test cricket's fastest ever 250 with a breathtaking 258 that came from just 196 deliveries.
