Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow named among Wisden's Cricketers of the Year

England all-rounders Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow have been named in Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year.

Stokes and Bairstow are joined on the list by Brendon McCullum, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, who has been named Leading Cricketer in the World.

The award, which dates back to 1889, uses excellence during the previous English summer as a major criteria, with no player chosen more than once. 

While Stokes suffered heartbreak at the recent World Twenty20, the all-rounder put in a series of match-changing performances last year, hitting 92 from 94 balls in the first innings against New Zealand at Lord's before an 85-ball century on the final day helped secure a 124-run win. 

Wisden named his diving slip catch on the first morning at Nottingham to remove Australia's Adam Voges as the individual moment of the summer, while editor Lawrence Booth called his 258 from 198 balls against South Africa in Cape Town as "the longest act of wanton violence by an England batsman in any format".

Bairstow was a key figure in Yorkshire's County Championship triumph, hitting five centuries while amassing 1,108 runs at an average of 92.

On the international stage, his unbeaten 83 from 60 balls in the deciding one-day international against New Zealand saw England to victory before his 74 in a steadying partnership of 173 with Joe Root all-but confirmed the Ashes win. He also hit 150 not out in the drawn Test with South Africa at Cape Town.

"I'm absolutely delighted. It's obviously a great honour to receive the award. A lot of hard work's gone in over the last few years," Bairstow told Sky Sports News HQ.

"You look at the list and the heritage of the award, people who have won it in the past and you sometimes have to pinch yourself that you're on that list."

New Zealand captain McCullum - as he was then - signed off his international career with a 54-ball century, the fastest in Test history, against Australia in February this year, while Steve Smith was a shining light in Australia's Ashes defeat - hitting a double-century at Lord's and 143 at The Oval in the tourists' two wins. Smith finished as the leading run-scorer on either side, with 508.

Williamson's brilliant year ended as it began, with a century at home against Sri Lanka and he confirmed his status as one of the game's leading players by scoring 2,692 runs in the calendar year - the third highest annual total of all time.

Booth said: "The choice of Williamson in an era of highly gifted young batsmen reflects the measured brilliance he brings to every format of the game. Brendon McCullum reckons he is going to be one of the best batsmen the game has ever seen, and it's hard to disagree."

Fellow Kiwi Suzie Bates was named the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World having consolidating her status as one of the power hitters of the women's game.

She scored 258 during the 5th one-day whitewash of Sri Lanka, having smashed her sixth one-day century in the victory over England in February. 

Booth added: "It needed something special to deny both Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry this award, and Bates's all-round performances were precisely that."