The Wisden Forty, including the Leading Cricketer in the World, have been selected by Wisden as the world’s top players on the basis of their class and form shown in all cricket during the calendar year 2003. The selections were made in consultation with many of the game’s most experienced writers and commentators. In the end, though, they were Wisden’s choices, guided by the statistics but not governed by them. The selection panel are no more infallible than any other selectors.
The Forty
Michael Bevan (Australia)
Andy Bichel (Australia)
Mark Boucher (South Africa)
Rahul Dravid (India)
Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)
Andrew Flintoff (England)
Herchelle Gibbs (South Africa)
Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
Jason Gillespie (Australia)
Matthew Hayden (Australia)
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
Michael Kasprowicz (Australia)
Gary Kirsten (South Africa)
Anil Kumble (India)
Justin Langer (Australia)
Brian Lara (West Indies)
VVS Laxman (India)
Brett Lee (Australia)
Darren Lehmann (Australia)
Stuart MacGill (Australia)
Glenn McGrath (Australia)
Damien Martyn (Australia)
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
Mustaq Ahmed (Pakistan)
Makhaya Ntitni (Pakistan)
Shaun Pollock (South Africa)
Ricky Ponting (Australia) - The Leading Cricketer in the World
Mark Richardson (New Zealand)
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Virender Sehwag (India)
Shoaib Ahktar (Pakistan)
Graeme Smith (South Africa)
Heath Streak (Zimbabwe)
Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Marcus Trescothick (England)
Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka)
Michael Vaughan (England)
Steve Waugh (Australia)
Yousef Youhanna (Pakistan)
Almost the entire Aussie Team.
