Broad or Dettori would be worthy winners not just for stellar individual performances this year but for careers that stand comparison for both achievement and longevity with anyone in the history of their sports.

Had England won the Ashes, as they really should, then the overall case for Broad would probably have been unanswerable. As it is, Dettori, who was third in Sports Personality of the Year some 27 years ago in 1996, is probably more deserving following what we had thought was an extraordinary finale at the age of 52. A farewell tour that included wins in two Classics, the Gold Cup and the Champion Stakes has since been prolonged and he will ride on, largely in America, next year.

That leaves Johnson-Thompson, who would be my pick, not just for winning a second world heptathlon title in a truly global sport like athletics but for the manner of her comeback following four years of doubts after a career-threatening achilles tendon injury on her take-off left leg.

…and Jude Bellingham should have been on the shortlist

The howls of indignation over who is left off the list can already be heard. It was certainly better when there was a free vote without the BBC using a panel to narrow down the options. 

Britain’s swimmers, who have quietly enjoyed another fantastic year, will certainly feel aggrieved after Ben Proud also missed out last year, despite establishing himself as the world’s fastest front-crawl sprinter. Matt Richards is the most unfortunate this time after winning a World Championship double in the 200m freestyle and relay this summer at the age just of 20. He has the potential to be a major star at next year’s Olympics.

Then there is Jude Bellingham, who has taken European football by storm this year with his star performances for Real Madrid, as well as Josh Kerr, who did not just win the World 1,500m Championships but beat one of the sport’s all-time greats in a dramatic head-to-head finish with Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.  

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Beth Mead, Ben Stokes, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jessica Gadirova, Eve Muirhead and Jake Wightman were named on the shortlist for the award, which will be decided on Wednesday night.

Fitzpatrick’s omission sparked fury in golf circles, with Poulter leading the backlash. “Sorry but complete disregard for [Fitzpatrick] makes this event a continued farce and joke,” he added.

Poulter himself has history with Spoty, having been overlooked for the shortlist in 2012 despite his heroics in helping Europe win the Ryder Cup. He won all four of his matches in the remarkable comeback win, dubbed the Miracle at Medinah.

“I experienced first hand how much of a joke this was 10 years ago,” he said. “Promised myself then I’d never waste time attending or watching again.”

In June, Fitzpatrick became the first Englishman since Justin Rose in 2013 to win the US Open. Rose later tweeted his own shock at Fitzpatrick’s absence from the shortlist, saying: “One question – What about [Fitzpatrick] and his [US Open] win this year?” Rose himself was nominated after his US Open victory but finished ninth in a field of 10 nominees.

Telegraph Sport last month revealed that Fitzpatrick had planned to snub the ceremony, even had he been nominated, with a feeling inside the game that golfers are overlooked for the BBC end-of-year prize. No golfer has won it since Sir Nick Faldo in 1989.

Lineker will present Wednesday night’s show – fresh from fronting coverage of the World Cup – with Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott alongside him.

The shortlist is picked by an independent panel of experts, which this year included former Olympian Denise Lewis, Paralympian Kelly Gallagher and ex-snooker player Stephen Hendry. Their selection is based on “the sportsperson whose sporting actions have most captured the UK public’s imagination during 2022” and the ultimate winner will be decided by public vote during the live broadcast from Media City in Salford.

It is expected that most of the nominees will attend tonight’s show, plus hundreds of other stars, including many of the Lionesses, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Sir Chris Hoy.

The lifetime achievement award will be presented to former sprint champion Usain Bolt, while Lionel Messi has been selected as the world sports star of the year.