A publication viewed as the “Bible of cricket” has been accused of being besotted by Bazball after overlooking Australian players and picking five Englishman in its team of the year. Wisden, founded in 1864 and regarded as the go-to journal for cricket devotees, could find no place for a single Australian player in its line-up of 2024’s best Test players despite a period in which Pat Cummins‘ men reached a second successive World Test Championship final after finishing the year as the ICC’s top ranked country.

Australia’s opponent in the decider – South Africa – also failed to land a single nomination despite a strong year in which it won six and drew one of its 10 Tests. But there was room for five England players among the 11 spots in Wisden’s team, with Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson all winning berths.

Three Indians – opening sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal, champion fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja – were selected, alongside Kiwis Kane Williamson and Matt Henry. Sri Lanka’s impressive Kamindu Mendis rounded out the XI, with Bumrah named captain.

Widen wrote: “The side was selected by a panel of 41 cricket writers and took into account performances from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. It was a year in which Test cricket boomed, building to the climax of the race for the World Test Championship final and the most compelling final phase to the round-robin stage of the competition yet.”

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Despite Australia leading that charge to the WTC final, Wisden’s panel of writers could not find room for a single baggy greener. It led veteran ABC broadcaster Jim Maxwell to suggest England’s love affair with Bazball was clouding minds and opinions.

Responding to a post on X which accused Wisden of being “English fanboys who are loath to celebrate anything Australian”, Maxwell wrote: “They are bazbullshitted. Need to play hard cricket in Oz v this Aus team. Need Stokes fit and focussed.”

After first seeing Wisden’s Test team of the year, Maxwell posted: “Cummins had a pretty good year 37 wkts 306 runs, captain. McGilvray medallist third time as ABC test cricketer of the year and Aus still champs. What a TEAM.” Australian won six and drew one of nine Tests played in 2024 for a success rate of 75 per cent, while England managed just nine wins from 17 to scrape past the 50 per cent mark.

Wisden’s team of 2024

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Kane Williamson, 4. Joe Root, 5. Harry Brook, 6. Kamindu Mendis,7. Jamie Smith (wk),8. Ravindra Jadeja, 9. Gus Atkinson, 10. Matt Henry,11. Jasprit Bumrah (c)