Best and Worst: Revolutionaries – From Packer's circus to Gatting's rebels
We all want to change the world, some of this lot did, and some didn’t
We all want to change the world, some of this lot did, and some didn’t
"From brutal Bavarian boot camps to soul-destroying stakeouts in Staffordshire"
Not all of them make men perfect
"We are a long way from ‘The Rawalpindi Express’, ‘Sultan of Multan’ or ‘Turbanator’ here lads"
"Did they disappoint or leave a bad taste in the mouth?"
From Matthew Hoggard to Harbhajan Singh
James Wallace on the comfort of cricket – even when it’s not around. First published in The Nightwatchman
From Sir Alastair Cook to MS Dhoni
"Diarrhoea, drips and dehydration... illness and injury have led to some memorable moments over the years"
"‘Mateship’. That elusive and, let’s be frank, entirely made up term"
The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, guest-edited by Isa Guha, out May 5:
The 160th edition of the most famous sports book in the world – published every year since 1864 – contains some of the world’s finest sports writing. It reflects on the extraordinary life of Shane Warne, who died far too early in 2022, and looks back at another legendary bowler, S.F. Barnes, on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Wisden also reports on England’s triumph at the T20 World Cup, to go alongside their 2019 ODI success, and on their Test team’s thrilling rejuvenation under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
Writers include Lawrence Booth, Gideon Haigh, James Holland, Jonathan Liew, Emma John, David Frith, Simon Wilde, Jon Hotten, Robert Winder, Tanya Aldred and Neil Harvey, the last survivor from Australia’s famous 1948 Ashes tour of England. As usual, Wisden includes the eagerly awaited Notes by The Editor, the Cricketers of The Year awards, and the obituaries. And, as ever, there are reports and scorecards for every Test, together with forthright opinion, compelling features and comprehensive records.
Cricket’s past is steeped in a tradition of great writing and Wisden is making sure its future will be too. The Nightwatchman is a quarterly collection of essays and long-form articles which debuted in March 2013 and is available in book and e-book formats.
Every issue features an array of authors from around the world, writing beautifully and at length about the game and its myriad offshoots.