03 April,2009 01:11 PM IST | | AFP
England's Claire Taylor has become the first woman to be named as one of the Five Cricketers of the Year by Wisden, the sport's annual of record.
Taylor's award comes after her starring role in England's recent World Cup triumph and her success in helping the team to an Ashes series win in Australia last year.
The 33-year-old, who has played 109 one-day internationals, was selected as the player of the World Cup after scoring a hundred and two half-centuries in England's victorious campaign in Australia last month.
South Africa dominate the remainder of the 2009 Five Cricketers of the Year.
Wicket-keeper Mark Boucher and opening batsman Neil McKenzie are honoured for their roles in the Proteas' Test series win in England last year while their compatriot Dale Benkenstein is recognised for his role in captaining Durham to their first English County Championship title.
This year's list is completed by England fast bowler James Anderson.
Editor Scyld Berry, explaining his selection of Taylor for an award that dates back to 1889, said: "Beating Australia in Australia is the objective for all cricketers, at least in England, and Claire almost single-handedly saw England through to victory and the retention of the Ashes in Australia last year, not to mention her success in the World Cup just a couple of weeks back.
"It would be a sin of omission, an act of prejudice, to exclude her from the accolade," Berry added.
The choice of the Five Cricketers of the Year is the responsibility of the Wisden editor and, by tradition, it is an award a player can win just once.
Belinda Clark, the former captain of the Australia's women's team, was the first player chosen as the Cricketer of the Year in the 1998 inaugural edition of Wisden Australia, an off-shoot of the main title.
The 2009 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, the 146th since the annual's debut in 1864, is published next week.
