Your favorite cricket books which you recommend

[SJS50]

Ok. As requested I am going to post some book reviews done by me here. Hope they are of some value :). The link to CW's web site is provided where there are a very large number of cricket reviews available for those interested.

The Art of Cricket

by Donald Bradman

Almost everyone knows that cricket has the greatest literature in sport but what isn't realized very often is that amongst the thousands of cricket books covering tours, biographies, essays, portraits, memoirs, fiction and anthologies, there exists a huge collection of cricket coaching books. John Nyren's

The Young Cricketer's Tutor

was first published in 1833 but there had been some basic instructional books even before that. However, since the last quarter of the 19th century till date there has been a deluge of coaching books, mostly by the great names in the game. They offer, to the cricket aficionado a great insight into how the game has evolved, particularly since those early years till the advent of the first World War by which time the basic techniques of the game, as we know it today, had been more or less crystallised. The history of the evolution of cricketing skills, however, is not the reason for which these books were written in the first place - aiding the budding young cricketer in his quest for cricketing excellence being the obvious one. However, in spite of the undoubted credentials of most of those who wrote all these books, one does have to keep in mind the uniqueness of style of each individual player which may and does at times appear to be at variance to the strictly orthodox. Moreover, reading more than one coaching book could, therefore, mean getting slightly mixed messages. Thus the choice of a cricket coaching book for the primary reason to learn can be a tricky one. The MCC Cricket Coaching Book in its many avatars does present a good option since it stays away, by and large, from personalities and individuals. Nevertheless, if I was to select one cricket book as the best on the subject my unhesitating vote would go to the work of a cricketer whose own style did not satisfy the purist in his own playing days - in fact, far from it. Sir Donald Bradman had a dominant bottom hand in his grip and stroke play which ran counter to the basic tenets of batting orthodoxy. In addition, and stemming from it in fact, was his tendency to play the horizontal bat strokes to deliveries that others would meet with a perpendicular blade. However this does not take away from the fantastic value of his book as a coaching manual. Bradman's

The Art of Cricket

overcomes the finicky objections of the ultra-orthodox (yours truly included) by the sheer depth and breadth of his coverage of cricketing techniques. From the selection of equipment, to the technical aspects of the game - batting, bowling, fielding, keeping - to captaincy, coaching, selector-ship and umpiring right up to the need to relax with other sports, the Don leaves you completely satisfied with the detail and his wonderful insight. By dealing with further specifics like the art of placing the ball and how to deal with off spinners in particular, temperament and sportsmanship, he makes it a must have and a must read not just for those wanting to take up serious cricket but those already involved in it. While the Don uses action strips from his own batting to illustrate various strokes, he does not fail to mention how he differs from the strictly orthodox and provides his own justification for it. This is important for it gives the reader the proper perspective and the option to chose one or the other (or a compromise) with the full knowledge of what it entails. What I found most fascinating about this book was that though primarily a batsman (although his leg breaks got him 36 first class wickets including Wally Hammond in a Test match) his knowledge of the nuances of bowling are second to none. Finally the ultimate bonus from this book is one long chapter on seam and swing bowling where he explains in great technical detail why and how a cricket ball moves in the air. I have not come across a better writing on this subject in four decades of cricket reading. Add to that a chapter also on the history of the game which explains briefly how the basic implements have evolved and how the pitch, wicket, overs, lbw law etc have changed over time and you have a book that no cricket lover?s shelf can do without. I give it just five stars only because I am not allowed to give more.

[thevortex]

Excellent thread and a top class initiative. I look forward to more such work from you. And am sure I am not alone. I have always wanted to read this book. Now I am out of excuses. Let me see if I can get it. :)

[SJS50]

Clarrie Grimmett - The Bradman of Spin

By Ashley Mallett

I have been looking for a book on Grimmett for close to thirty years; yet I refused to buy this offering from the Australian off spinner of the sixties. I have a bias against what I tend to look at as 'second-hand' biographies. In the absence of a full fledged life story, I prefer to stick to the essays of the masters by those who saw them live and/or played with/against them. In the case of the legendary leg spinner it meant reading the dozen odd pen-portraits I have in my library from top notch writers like Cardus, Batchelor and 'Crusoe' besides former cricketers including O'Reilly, Fingleton, Peebles and Moyes. I am not sure what made me finally order Mallett's but when it did arrive I took it up immediately. Probably because the slim paperback did not pose much of a challenge to my generally slow and intermittent reading habits. Having finished it, I must confess a book has never more pleasantly surprised me. I still hold my views about 'second-hand' biographies and 'researched' portraits but this was different. Mallett clearly knew the man, as one came to know soon enough as Mallett mentions about his meeting Grimmett in 1967 hoping to pick up some bowling tips. He continued his contact with the master right till the latter's death thirteen years later. That must explain the uncanny manner in which Mallett brings Grimmett alive in this wonderful book. David Frith, writing a review recently of the book's 'reincarnation' as 'Scarlet: Clarrie Grimmett - Test Cricketer', complains that the Test series are 'dealt with rather superficially'. That may be so but I do not see it a reasonable ground for grumbling. Most cricket enthusiasts are up to their ears with statistics and recreating the scenes at those matches, where Alexander Gramut West (Mallett's grandfather) had perhaps been, would have been just the kind of thing I call 'second hand' reporting. This tendency to 'recreate' scenes from the past purely from score cards (or some match reports at best) is not something one finds very credible. It's enough, for yours truly at least, that Mallett, in the very first chapter, includes a 'fantasy match' in which an old Grimmett bowls for a Greg Chappell led Rest of Australia against an Alan Border led South Australia. It is fun to read to give an idea as to how a great master's mind works but no more. With the fun bit out Mallett turns to the serious business of unravelling this 'sad' old man's entire life before us. Its amazing how Grimmett always looked sad; hence his nickname of 'Grummett' or 'Grum' for short. Throughout the narrative, you empathise with the tough life and endless spells of hardships that this small man had to endure, on the cricket field and away. But nowhere does the book lose its thread of being the life story of a great cricketer and meander into the sidelights of his life away from the game. This maintains the strength narrative. The other delightful thing about the book is the endless stream of nuggets about the leg spinner. One, that I found particularly revealing about the character I repeat here. When the author went to him in April 1967, Grimmett asked him to bowl to him. After playing two balls comfortably off the front foot, bang in the middle of the bat, the old man advised Mallet to give up bowling and become a batsman. Grimmett further proclaimed that he could play Mallett's bowling blind folded. Mallett was stunned. He was just seven months away from his first class debut (just over a year from donning the baggy green) and this must have been very deflating. Mallett immediately produced a handkerchief; Grimmett put it on his eyes, chuckled and took his place at the wicket. Mallett bowled a perfect off break, pitched outside the off stump, turning into the batsman and Grimmett met it with a dead straight bat once again. Grimmett was delighted but then took mercy on the youngster and then explained to him that his bowling was too predictable. Now comes the best part of the story. Grimmett asked Mallett to assume that he was standing on top of a bridge on a dark night and below him a car was approaching; would he, by looking at the lights of the car, be able to tell the approximate speed of it. Mallett responded in the affirmative. Grimmett agreed and then asked if instead of being on a bridge, he was stupid enough to be down in a manhole in the middle of the road with his head sticking out just under the level of the lights of a car coming in his direction, would he still be able to tell the speed? When Mallett replied in the negative, Grimmett agreed again and then explained 'looking down, it is possible to judge speed. But when the object is travelling towards you at just above eye level, judging the speed is difficult," Grimmett's comments were designed to illustrate that a spinner operating at a trajectory above eye level was far more difficult to play than one bowling a 'flat' delivery. "If the batsman can look down on the ball he will know immediately if the ball is over-pitched or slightly short. Your trajectory must be above the level of the eyes most of the time. That makes a batsman's judgment of length difficult." "The Grimmett lesson in flight was the best cricket lesson of my life", asserts Mallett. The book is full of such gems including how as a young boy Grimmett came across a magazine article of a man bowling on a beach, digging a hole with his right foot every time it landed on the soft sand and his getting deeper and deeper with every ball till suddenly the leg break stated turning in towards the batsman! This gave him an idea of developing the wrong one, based on the dropping of the shoulder and he started working on it by himself very close to the time Bosanquet was surprising his friends in England with this mystery ball. Many years later Grimmett met Bosanquet at a dinner and told him of the article and was pleasantly surprised to note that Bosanquet too had read it around the same time! Grimmett's problems with Bradman and the latter's being less than fond of the master is an open secret. Mallet devotes a full chapter to this intriguing subject as he does to one about Grimmett and O'Reilly, the greatest spin duo in history and great friends, in a chapter called The Tiger and The Fox. The book is too small so quoting from it will take away from the pleasure of actually reading it. I must, however, mention that it includes, in its entirety, one of the finest word pictures ever of a cricketer, that of Grimmett by another master, Sir Neville Cardus. Those who have not read that piece will cherish the book for that alone. For any and every lover of the game, I strongly recommend, to get hold of this book and read it, today!

[DomainK]

Brilliant thread. Thanks.

[Sachinism]

Any chances of more reviews of books on Indian cricket

[Tapioca]

Its amazing how Grimmett always looked sad; hence his nickname of 'Grummett' or 'Grum' for short.

Is that what it says in the book ? According to O'Reilly who wrote Grimmett's obituary in the 1981 Wisden, he coined that nickname after the scoreboard in a local match printed his name as Grummett. http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153031.html

[Mr. Wicket]

Any chances of more reviews of books on Indian cricket

From an old writeup of mine: "The States of Indian Cricket" is an engaging collection of anecdotes and tales from Guha's own memory and experiences. It begins with his updated version of "Wickets in the East", which covers the major centres of Indian cricket and the legacies that their main players have left in the game. Rather than just delving into history though, Guha writes each chapter in the manner of a fan charting his own top eleven for each city or state, discussing each of his choices in the side and others on the cusp. It's a style that most fans can relate to very easily; after all, how many of us have at some point formed our own selection meetings with friends and other fans to argue over who should be picked in our favourite team and who should get the axe? The histories and contributions of Bengal, Bombay, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad and Mysore are all detailed, with the likes of Baroda and Rajasthan, remnants of Princely India, not being forgotten either. It's all bound together by informal and light hearted writing that's punctuated by the odd caricature on the side, and some good natured jibes at certain players and events. Guha's description of Sourav Ganguly in the opening chapter "Joré Ball in Bengal" is a perfect example, after his mention of the Bengali tradition of seam bowling: For me, the most characteristic of all Sourav's traits is how and what he bowls. He is not a big man, yet he tries to bowl fast. He rushes up to the crease in twenty tiny steps, and, with a whirl of the arms, sends down stuff at just short of medium pace. He may bat like a citizen of the world, but he bowls like a Bengali. "Wickets in the East" has something for every Indian fan; tales of the modern heroes like Tendulkar, Sehwag and Kumble, Guha's own accounts from the 70s and 80s when he watched first hand players of Bedi's and Kapil Dev's ilk, and tales of the more memorable players of old, the Nayudus, Vizzys and such. The latter half of the book, "Spin and other Turns", focuses more on the era in the 70s and 80s when India was blessed with the legendary spin quartet and the likes of Gavaskar, Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev. "Spin and other Turns" looks more upon the individual rather than the state, beginning with the "Holy Trinity" chapter that examines the trio of Bedi, Chandra and Prasanna. Chapters are devoted to the more prominent names of that era; Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Viswanath and such, and here Guha writes in far more detail, with what Chandrahas Choudhury dubs "sumptuous prose" in his review here, which has some examples of passages that stand out from the book.

[Mr. Wicket]

On an aside, SJS: What are the standouts/favourites/rarities among your cricket book collection?

[SJS50]

Is that what it says in the book ? According to O'Reilly who wrote Grimmett's obituary in the 1981 Wisden, he coined that nickname after the scoreboard in a local match printed his name as Grummett. http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153031.html

Thats right, O'reilly does write in his book, "Tiger : 60 Years of Cricket" of the Victorian Sheffield Shield side, returning after playing the inaugural match after the end of world war I, agreeing to play at a local sports ground in Sydney in 1919. Grimmett opened the batting with the team's manager and the boys manning the makeshift score board spelt his name as Grummett which was abbreviated to Grum that all his friends and mates started calling him thereafter. I must jog my memory and check where the other explanation for Grum came from. Will get back :-)

[SJS50]

On an aside' date=' SJS: What are the standouts/favourites/rarities among your cricket book collection?[/quote'] There are quite a few but my most cherished books are two volumes with about six hundred photographs each. In a post on my favourite books I wrote (I am doing this cut and paste job to avoid having to write all over again :)

Most young people(and even some older ones) one talks to, seem to have a very quaint notion of the cricket before, say the Bradman era. Surely there is no proper appreciation of the batting of giants like Grace and Trumper. With photography being a nascent technology and restricted to studio portraits and ancient devices for cameras, sports photography was unheard of in the times of these legends. Thus al accounts of their batting greatness are consumed with dollops of salt. Fortunately for us many photographs (action photographs) do exist. George Beldham, Middlesex batsman (1900-1907) was also an artist and a photographer who is considered, virtually, the inventor of Sports-action-phptgraphy. At the turn of the last century, he along with England batting star CB Fry, decided to photograph the cricketers of the times in action (not in matches but at practice organised during and after first class matches). The result was published in the form of two magnificent books in 1905. Since there haven't been any reprints for over a hundred years the books are very expensive to procure (my pair cost 900 USD) but they are an absolute treasure. They completely give the lie to what so many of us have thought about the style of batting a hundred years ago. If you have the money buy them if not find out where is the nearest set (the batting volume is more satisfying for most people) and go and spend a day looking at them.

• Great Batsmen - Their Methods at a Glance
• Great Bowlers and Fielders - Their Methods at a Glance

There are about 600 plates in each book so the price does not hurt if one can afford it. I wish someone would take up the task of coming with a reprint and not deny the cricketing public the pleasure of seeing this great heritage of the game. maybe a rich body like the BCCI should take it up.

Besides these there are many very old books (first editions that one feels very proud to own. One such book is Kings of Cricket by Richard Daft (born in 1835 - 13 before WG Grace) who played for Nottinghamshire from 1858 to 1893. The book does not carry the year of publishing but the Preface is dated January 1893. More exciting for me was to see the inscription in pencil on the first page of the book by its first owner. It reads. . .

Julia Green (something) June 14th 1893 Bought at (something) for the benefit of the Terrace C.C. after a good victory.

I was simply thrilled when I set eyes on this when the book first arrived. It would be wonderful to know who this Julia Green was and whether her descendants had any idea that a book belonging to her was now in far off India ! Then there is the autobiography of William Caffyn, seven years senior even to Richard Daft, called "71 not out". Caffyn played for Surrey from 1849 to 1873. I think the oldest edition of an old cricket book I have is a copy of The Cricket Field by James Pycroft (born 1813) first published in 1851. The copy I have is a later edition published in 1866. In another 6 years it will be 150 years old ! This is also one of the oldest cricket books. Then I have a first edition copy of The Game of Cricket by Fredrick Gale published in 1887. On its first page, its owner has written is very small and very neat handwriting the do's and dont's of running between the wickets. They are as true today at the highest level as they were to this cricket enthusiast 125 years ago.

The Rules of Running At Cricket by E Bowen

1. Someone should call after every ball 2. Call immediately, either yes, or no, or wait 3. Always backup 4. In front of point the striker decides 5. Almost always talk as you pass 6. Unless told otherwise, always run the first run fast 7. Always ground bat before turning to judge next run 8. Only case when both batsmen have to agree on running is a 'stolen run' 9. Always obey when called, unless, either

a) you are quite sure that the caller can get safe back or b) you are a much better bat and your wicket is most important

10. Never run sharp runs to cover point but to third man almost anything can be run if you run at once. Absolutely priceless. One wonders that people like Ganguly and Inzy never heard anything like this. . . and we are supposed to be living in an era of far better running between wickets :) There are so many others but this should do. I also have older cricket books including John Nyren's The Young Cricketer's Tutor first published in 1833 and considered the first instructional book on cricket but these are modern day reprints :(

[Sachinism]

Regarding running, I've found even if the ball is placed behind point it should be the strikers call. The angle for the non-striker isn't the best to judge how well the ball has been placed.

[Mr. Wicket]

Nice read, SJS. I'm rather envious of your collection. I'm partial to old tour diaries myself - have a number of diaries of old tours/series by the likes of Fingleton, Arlott and one by Neville Cardus - 'Australian Summer'

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[EnterTheVoid]

SJS, can you do a review of "Pundits from Pakistan" by Rahul Bhattacharya ? If you got an ebook or pdf copy, can you send it my way ?

[SJS50]

Thats quite unfair to knock Inzi and Gangs based on those 10 rules ... because today running between the wkt also needs to take into accout the capabilities of the fielder. The rules change if its a Jonty or the breed of fielders that evolved based on his fielding style. Not only do they have to take that into account but also whether the ball is to the natural side of the fielder the angle and all sorts of things. The field placings are also far more precise and customized based on the batsmans strengths and even fast bowlers are willing to dive headlong at the boundary rope to save a measly single in a test match. The rule is also missing the never run on a misfield concept. All in all the game has evolved considerably since then. Lastly allow me to introduce a stat (I know know you will say damned stats :--D ) .... the batsman who has been run out the most no.of times is Ricky Ponting ... Inzi is at 38. Ganguly's comes in at 138.

You really are amazing. You remind me so much of a friend, yes he is a very dear friend, at CW. You have all his traits which many find very irritating and I have always found only mildly amusing not least because his innate politeness (another trait you share with him). He is a thorough gentleman (like you from what I have seen so far) and obsessively passionate about his views and theories about the game. You know, its not my job to dispense advise but if you had asked me I would have said. . .

a)

You must

learn to see the lighter side of things that Ganguly Inzi thing was said half in jest since their running between the wickets has been the butt of lots of them b)

You must,

if you insist on giving a stat as an argument (and an only argument at times), be careful not to bluff (or give wrong figures by mistake). If you insist on bluffing be careful not to bluff with someone who is likely to call your bluff. And even when not bluffing, be careful, to understand stats better. c)

You must

, learn to let go. The obsession to have the last word is an affliction and only leads to the whole point being lost anyway.

Here are practical examples of the above ;) Seeing lighter side of things . . . I was speaking half in jest and being playful when I referred to Ganguly and Inzy. I am sure there have been a few worse runners than them (and quite a few better I think) but they have been the butt of so many jokes that they seemed to fit the remark particularly on a sub-continental forum :) Giving correct stats. The figures you give for their run outs do not stand the most cursory scrutiny. Even assuming one of your numericals is a typographical error in Ganguly's case, your figure of 138 (give or take one numerical) it does not match his 27 run outs at international level (4 and 23 in Tests and ODI's respectively). In Inzamam's case the 38 you mention is not accurate because it is 46 over all(6 and 40) Understanding stats : : While I was not trying to prove whether the two former captains of India and Pakistan are worse (or better) runners than the incumbent Aussie skipper, the correct way to look at their run out stats is this. . .

[B]Player	Dismissals			Run Outs			RO %age		
	Tests	ODI's	Total	Tests	ODI's	Total	Tests	ODI's	Total[/B]
									
Ganguly	171	277	448	4	23	27	2.3	8.3	6.0
									
Ponting	216	299	515	13	29	42	6.0	9.7	8.2
									
Inzy 	178	297	475	6	40	46	3.4	13.5	9.7

whatever they may or may not prove. . . Finally letting go : None of us comes here (or goes anywhere else for that matter) with a complete knowledge of everything so we interact with others to learn and debate to enhance our knowledge (and maybe theirs as well) but there comes a point when we have said all we had to say and so have they. If by that time we have not come closer to a single perspective, its time to agree to disagree and leave it at that. Because after that it is only the bloody fisticuffs of a "fight to the finish" and one keeps battering a bloody and bruised argument that has had all sanity and rationale squeezed out of it anyway. But we go on because we want to be the one to land the last blow - have the last word. This personally does not interest me so while there may be some juice left in this debate, I have nothing to add (and from what I can see nothing to learn) and rest my case. If you wish to land some more blows you may be swishing in the air since I am gone :winky: This is how you let go :)

[SJS50]

SJS, can you do a review of "Pundits from Pakistan" by Rahul Bhattacharya ? If you got an ebook or pdf copy, can you send it my way ?

I do not have the book and haven't read it. I have seen it often on shop shelves but I am afraid I haven't been tempted to buy it.

[Tapioca]

SJS, can you do a review of "Pundits from Pakistan" by Rahul Bhattacharya ? If you got an ebook or pdf copy, can you send it my way ?

If you are asking about the books mentioned in the previous mails, some of those (Pycroft, Nyren) can be downloaded from archive.org (select media types = texts). I am sure that I downloaded Caffyn from here but can't see it now Some old books can also be found from books.google.com (advanced search - full view only) if you know the title or the author. PS - sorry, looks like the query was not about old books

[SJS50]

If you are asking about the books mentioned in the previous mails, some of those (Pycroft, Nyren) can be downloaded from archive.org (select media types = texts). I am sure that I downloaded Caffyn from here but can't see it now Some old books can also be found from books.google.com (advanced search - full view only) if you know the title or the author.

Oh yes I thought he was only wanting to know of Pundits from Pakistan. There are quite a few old books available on line actually.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[SJS50]

SJS ... You mis-understood the stat ... it was only for test matches and I presented in the order of their ranking. Didnt want to put up a nice long table (your other pet peeve about stats :P) that had 138 entries till it got to Gangs. And about the other stuff .... there is an explanation ... if you care to listen. But thanks for the kind words.

Where do you live ?