To be named Wisden Cricketer of the Year is to be held in the highest regard for exploits within the game.

The roll call of names to have the honour bestowed upon them is a myriad of cricketing royalty; Justin Langer, V.V.S Laxman, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara have all been recipients of the famous award since the turn of the century. Only two players, though, in that time, have received the honour before their 22nd birthday; the stamp of quality at the most tender of ages.  

Ben Duckett burst onto the cricketing scene in a Northamptonshire shirt in 2015, breaking the barrier of 1,000 runs in a First-Class season at an average of 52.73 as a 20-year-old. A multi-format player, he has always been accustomed to attuning his white-ball attributes to the longer form, a skillset which has facilitated his versatility at the top of the order.

He rolled his form into the opening round of the 2016 season, scoring a career-best 282* against Sussex, only weather preventing his pursuit of a triple century.

Further scores of 185, 189 and 205, helped set a total of 1338 runs across the season at an average of 58.17, a record which would see him earn Test caps in Bangladesh and India as well as a plethora of honours, including PCA Players’ Player of the Year, PCA Young Player of the Year, Cricket Writers’ Club Young Player of the Year and the coveted Wisden Cricketer of the Year, the publication stating: "He batted with panache, impish ingenuity, confidence and courage - all before turning 22."

Three centuries and three fifties in 2017 saw the right-hander average 42.05 for the season, and despite a quieter Championship season a year later, his class shone through on an England Lions tour to India, scoring 175 in four innings against an India side containing now IPL and internationally recognised talent.

Duckett made the move to the Green and Gold of Nottinghamshire during the closing weeks of the 2018 season with a wealth of experience at the top of the game, despite still being only 24.

In his first season, he came within 72 runs of breaking the illusive 1,000-runs mark once again, laying the foundation with a double-ton against Cambridgeshire MCCU off 168 balls in the traditional curtain raiser, the fastest by a Nottinghamshire player and the third quickest in the history of English First-Class cricket, before a draw-salvaging 140 against Warwickshire in the County Championship.

During the pandemic affected 2020 season, Duckett once again fired.

Two tons led the highlights reel for the top order batsman, 117 against Lancashire bolstered by 150 against Durham saw him crowned Nottinghamshire’s player of the season with 394 runs at an average of 56.28.

Despite a tricky start to the 2021 campaign, the 26-year-old has proved the resilience which marks him out as a player befitting of his reputation. A swashbuckling 87 from 101 balls against Derbyshire typified the style and poise with which he plays the game, and reassured those willing his success.

Along with Sam Curran, Duckett may hold the prize for youngest players to have received the Wisden accolade for quite some time, and as a mainstay of the Notts line up across formats, the flamboyant batsman stands in good stead to add further honours to his already lengthening list.

As a vital cog in Nottinghamshire’s batting machine, there will be little stopping Ben Duckett on his quest for 100 more First-Class appearances.