Left-arm pace bowler Zaheer Khan, currently out of the Indian team due to an injury, has been chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 'Five Cricketers of the Year' in their 2008 edition, to be released on Wednesday.
Zaheer has been honoured in the 145th edition of the world's longest running sporting yearbook for his outstanding bowling on India's tour to England last year in which he took 18 wickets in three Tests.
India won the series 1-0 under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid, their first series triumph in England since 1986.
Zaheer is joined by two other pace bowlers, England's Ryan Sidebottom and West Indian Otis Gibson, who is also fast bowling coach for the England team.
Gibson, who played two Tests for the West Indies in the 90s, is one of the senior-most players to be named. Last year at the age of 37 he took all ten wickets for 47 runs for Durham against Hampshire in the English county championship.
The other two chosen are West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who played a gallant, lone hand in his side's losing cause in England last year and England all-rounder Ian Bell.
South Africa's Jacques Kallis has been chosen as 'Leading Cricketer in the World', an award first constituted in 2004 and previously awarded to Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Andrew Flintoff and Muttiah Muralitharan.
For the first time, five legendary cricketers who for some reason or the other were never named among Wisden's Five, have been profiled. These include former India captain and left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who is profiled by former England captain Mike Brearley.
The other four are Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul Haq, West Indies fast bowling great Wes Hall, Australian pace legend Jeff Thomson and Pakistan's master leg spinner of the 80s, Abdul Qadir.
Zaheer is the 13th Indian Test player to be named in the list of the famous five that was first instituted by Wisden in 1897.
Three other Indians have been in the annual list, though not for their performances for India. Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji was in the list of the first five announced in 1897, though he only represented England in Test cricket, as did his nephew Duleepsinhji who was named in 1930.
Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi (sr.) was named in 1932 for his performances in the county season though he would go onto play for both England and India.
The first Indian Test cricketer to be honoured by Wisden was CK Nayudu in 1933. He had led India in their first Test at Lord's in 1932.
