Bowler of the Year

(cut-off: 30 wickets in Tests, 25 in ODIs)

Dale Steyn
Test weighted score 21.47, ODI weighted score 21.07, Total 42.54
In nine Tests, Dale Steyn took 51 wickets at an average of 17.66; he played only 13 ODIs in the year, but took 27 wickets at an average of 15.85 and an economy rate of 3.65. Despite playing relatively few ODIs, he was still the bowler of the year, for the sheer impact he made whenever he played an international match.

In Tests, Steyn was the third-highest wicket-taker, behind Stuart Broad (62) and James Anderson (52). His Test bowling average, when weighted over 62 wickets - the highest for the year - gave him a Test score of 21.47. In ODIs, his bowling index (product of average and runs conceded per ball) was an outstanding 9.64, but because his wickets tally was way below the year's highest of 59 (by Saeed Ajmal), his ODI weighted score was inflated to 21.07. Adding up the two, his total score was 42.54.

Ajmal was the leading wicket-taker in ODIs and had another solid year in both formats: he averaged 19.86 at an economy rate of 4.04 in ODIs, and took 39 wickets at 27.23 in Tests. Ravindra Jadeja was the surprise package, taking 52 ODI wickets at 25.40, and 30 Test wickets at 19.10, while Mitchell Johnson took 34 Test wickets and 33 ODI ones.