Virender Sehwag is Wisden Cricketer of the Year

New Delhi: Virender Sehwag is Wisden Cricketer of the Year
, Explosive Indian opener Virender Sehwag was on Wednesday named ‘Wisden Cricketer of the Year’ for the second time in a row, beating off competition from England captain Andrew Strauss and Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan.

The award, which was instituted in 2004, has Australian captain Ricky Ponting, spin wizard Shane Warne and talismanic English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff among its past winners.

The 31-year-old Indian was picked for the honour for a second successive year after scoring “more quickly than any specialist batsman in Tests or one-day internationals”, a leading cricket website reported.

Sehwag apart, English wicketkeeper Matt Prior, spinner Graeme Swann, batsman Graham Onions, pacer Stuart Broad and Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke were the ‘Five Cricketers of the Year’ chosen by the magazine.

Virender Sehwag is Wisden Cricketer of the Year