London: A Kashmiri freelance photographer has won the 2016 Wisden–MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year competition for Saqib Majeed, a photojournalist of eight years, came across the scene on a visit to Nishat Bagh – one of the most famous Mughal gardens. Shooting from a vantage point of 35 feet up, Majeed was able to capture the entire game amongst the autumnal colours of the surrounding chinar trees.
Philip Brown’s image of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan batting against England during the First Test in Chittagong was one of two equal runners-up.
Asanka Brendon Ratnayake was the other runner-up for his photograph of India captain Virat Kohli warming his hands near the flames as he took the field for a T20 International against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Kohli, who enjoyed a hugely successful year, featured more than any other player in the competition entries.
As winner, Majeed is awarded £2,000, while Brown and Ratnayake win £1,000. All three images appear at the beginning of the colour section of the 2017 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.