Swann named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year

LONDON - England off-spinner Graeme Swann has been named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year.

Swann is joined by England teammates Stuart Broad, Matt Prior and Graham Onions plus Australia’s Michael Clarke, The Sun reports.

Swann declared: “It is really mind-blowing. The ride I’m enjoying as an England player just gets better and better.”

Describing his journey as a cricketer over the last two years, Swann said it had been a mixed bag, but the icing on the cake was “winning The Ashes last summer.”

“It is the biggest prize an English cricketer can win and I truly believe, over the five Tests, we deserved it,” Swann said.

“Huge credit has to go to Andrew Strauss for his captaincy and some serious runs with the bat. His ice-cool temperament on and off the field meant we did not know when we were beaten, especially after the Aussies trounced us in the Fourth Test,” he added.

“Getting that final wicket of Mike Hussey to wrestle back the little urn was a personal highlight last year. In fact, I would say it was the crucial wicket. If it had not been for me, we would have lost that final Test,” he said. (ANI)