The new issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, out on September 21, is a bumper World Cup special – your comprehensive guide to the 50-over showpiece tournament in India, which begins on October 5.
Across 42 pages dedicated to the World Cup we give the lowdown on each of the 10 teams competing, including predictions, in-depth analysis and exclusive interviews with Chris Woakes, Travis Head, Devon Conway and Bas de Leede. Geoff Lemon examines the phenomenal record of Mitchell Starc, Andrew Fidel Fernando profiles Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, and Aadya Sharma hails the emergence of India’s next batting great, Shubman Gill.
We also hear from Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott, who talks to Mel Farrell about the unique challenges of his role, and pick out a handful of unlikely World Cup icons from past tournaments.
Elsewhere, we have stories from each of the 18 counties as the County Championship nears its climax, columnist Mark Ramprakash describes the enduring appeal of the English domestic red-ball competition, and Taha Hashim reports on a breakthrough year for The Hundred.
Geraint Jones picks out the defining moments from his nomadic career, Kate Cross talks candidly to Jo Harman about the pressure of living up to her family name, Ben Bloom examines the challenges facing Irish cricket, and Niall O’Brien tells James Wallace how a dog changed his life.
We also have columns from Lawrence Booth on corruption, “cricket’s dirty open secret”, Andrew Miller on the seemingly unsolvable issue of slow over-rates, and Katya Witney speaks to Jon Lewis about a transformative summer for England Women.
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10 standout quotes from the new issue:
“When ODIs become international cricket’s version of the One-Day Cup, staffed by journeymen and kids, who will tune in and turn up? England are already in a shrinking minority of teams who still play ODIs in front of full houses.”
David Tossell opens our World Cup section by looking at the golden age of the World Cup and its precarious future
“Jasprit Bumrah is the No.1 I think, probably across all formats. He’s pretty sensational with what he does and he’s unique, right? His action is very different to anyone else and he’s got high pace, a gun slower ball, a yorker on tap – everything you need as a white-ball bowler.”
In an exclusive interview with Phil Walker, Chris Woakes tells us Jasprit Bumrah is the best in the business
“In my eyes, Adil [Rashid] is still irreplaceable. Certainly, in my tenure as captain he was the only player who we couldn’t come close to matching the level of skill and variation that he would deliver. His ability to bamboozle guys was incredible.”
Eoin Morgan tells WCM that Adil Rashid is one of a kind
“When I grew up, everything was done for me. A lot of these guys grew up displaced because of the war in different parts of the country and never had a settled background. You don’t know the knock-on effect that has on people’s ability to learn.”
Jonathan Trott on coaching Afghanistan
“Not just the Netherlands, but all the Associates should be getting more funding. If cricket really wants to be a world sport in the future and not just a sport played seriously by a handful of countries, we do have to find a way to give nations like the Netherlands more opportunity to employ people full time.”
Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede says the game needs to broaden its horizons at the top level
“The joylessness of the punishment is, frankly, a wonder to behold. The WTC exists specifically to give context to the endangered fabric of Test cricket. It would feel chronically self-defeating if Ben Stokes’ men were denied a shot at the next title on a technicality.”
Andrew Miller on point deductions for slow over-rates in the World Test Championship
“Throughout my playing career, the County Championship was the holy grail when it came to English domestic cricket. Players really wanted to do well in it because it boosted their chances of playing Test cricket and that in turn brought higher status and financial reward. Now it’s completely different, with white-ball cricket offering lucrative opportunities around the world, even for players who aren’t part of the England set-up.”
Mark Ramprakash on the County Championship swimming against the white-ball tide
“A lot of my attitude towards myself as a person and as a cricketer was based on my perfectionism which came from feeling that I had to prove myself. Someone from the Cross family couldn’t be no good at sport. It was a big part of it but I didn’t realise that until I was 24 or 25 and sat unpicking it with a psychologist.”
Kate Cross on the pressure of living up to her family name
“When I bagged a pair in Perth, I knew I was done. There was actually a massive sense of relief because during the previous three-and-a-bit years there had been huge amounts of pressure, dealing with that and always trying to bounce back from mistakes and prove my worth. When I walked off at Perth, I knew that I needed to be out of the team.”
Geraint Jones reflects on the highs and lows of his career, including his final Test match at the WACA
“My dad said, ‘Listen, this is your dog, you’ve got to care for it. It is your responsibility’. It gave me a massive focus away from other avenues, ones that if I kept going down I definitely don’t think I would have amounted to much. Sandy took me out of my selfish zone and gave me a feeling of responsibility. He gave me something to love and care about.”
Niall O’Brien on the dog which changed his life
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