Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World

Actual winners was twice recognised by Wisden in 2012, being named a Cricketer of the Year and Leading Cricketer in the World.|alt=Kumar Sangakkara • ''Note that each year's Leading Cricketer of the World is announced in the following year's Wisden, so the 2003 winner was announced in 2004, and so on.'' Notional winners was the first historical winner, being recognised for 1900.|alt=Ranjitsinhji is one of only six players to have won the award more than twice.|alt=Jack Hobbs was the only non-Australian cricketer to be recognised in the 1930s.|alt=Harold Larwood reading ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' in 1951, his selection year|alt=Keith Miller was the winner eight times between 1958 and 1970.|alt=Garfield Sobers was recognised in 1976, 1978 and 1980|alt=Viv Richards was the first Pakistani cricketer to be recognised, for 1982.|alt=Imran Khan ==Multiple winners==

was listed twice in the historical list, as well as being recognised for 2004.|alt=Shane Warne Unlike Wisdens Cricketers of the Year, players can be recognised more than once as the Leading Cricketer in the World, and eighteen players have been selected for multiple years. ==Winners by country==

Cricketers from eight of the twelve Test playing nations have been recognised for the award by Wisden, with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan not represented. Players from Australia and England dominate the list, having won more than half of the time, although this is disproportionately the case in the notional list. Prior to World War II, 34 of the 36 winners played for Australia or England. The "actual" award winners are more evenly distributed; Indian players have won seven times, English players five times and Australian players five times, whilst players from Sri Lanka have received the award on three occasions since 2004. ==See also==