Ben Stokes will face competition from Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Raheem Sterling as he seeks to become the first cricketer since 2005 to win the BBC sports personality of the year award.
Alun Wyn Jones, who inspired Wales to the Grand Slam and the semi-finals of the rugby World Cup, and Lewis Hamilton, who won a sixth Formula One world title, are the other names on the six-strong shortlist.
However, there is no place for any of England’s World Cup squad despite their stunning victory over New Zealand in the semi-finals, or Jofra Archer, whose venomous bowling in the cricket World Cup and Ashes lit up the sporting summer.
The bookmakers make Stokes a prohibitive 1-6 favourite for the award after he scored 84 not out in England’s World Cup final super-over victory against New Zealand – and then followed it a month later with a swashbuckling 135 not out to guide England to an unlikely win in the third Test against Australia at Headingley.
Stokes’ closest rival is likely to be Asher-Smith, who became the first British woman to win global gold in a sprint event when she stormed to victory over 200m at the world championships in Doha. The 23-year-old also won world silver medals in the 100m and 4x100m, and the Diamond League 100m title.
The athletics vote is likely to be split with Johnson-Thompson, who set four personal bests and broke Jessica Ennis-Hill’s British record in winning world championship heptathlon gold in October, also a live contender. Sterling would be the first footballer since Ryan Giggs in 2009 to win the event, which takes place on Sunday 15 December in Aberdeen.
Last year the Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas took home the trophy, ahead of Hamilton and the Spurs striker Harry Kane.