The Test of My Life


Book Description

‘That day I cried like a baby not because I feared what cancer would do but because I didn’t want the disease. I wanted my life to be normal, which it could not be.’ For the first time Yuvraj Singh tells the real story behind the 2011 World Cup when on-the-field triumph hid his increasingly puzzling health problems and worrying illnesses. In his debut book The test of my life, he reveals how—plagued with insomnia, coughing fits that left him vomiting blood, and an inability to eat—he made a deal with God. On the night before the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final, Yuvraj prayed for the World Cup in return for anything God wanted. In this book, he lays bare his fears, doubts, and the lows he experienced during chemotherapy—when he lost his energy, his appetite, and his hair—and his battle to find the will to survive. Poignant, personal, and moving—The test of my life—is about cancer and cricket; but more importantly, it is about the human will to fight adversity and triumph despite all odds.




My World in Cricket


Book Description

Stuart Broad was born to be a cricketer. His skills with the ball and bat have made him world famous but what is it like to be the star of the England cricket team? From techniques and tactics to preparing yourself for action, mentally and physically, Stuart divulges what life is like at the top level and how anyone can achieve their full potential. Illustrated with key moments in his career and stories of sporting heroes, setbacks and successes, Stuart Broad's world in cricket is laid bare.




Shane Warne's Century


Book Description

With a flamboyant approach to the game on and off the pitch, Australia's greatest bowler Shane Warne is an irresistible cricketing force. In Shane Warne's Century, he candidly profiles 100 players from every Test nation who have had the most significant impact on his cricketing life. Warne is famous for having never scoring a Test century, although he came tantalisingly close on several occasions. He now wants to set the record straight by writing about a century of cricketing stars he has encountered during his illustrious career, The famous names featured here include fellow Australian legends Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath, as well as adversaries such as Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Jonty Rhodes and Freddie Flintoff. Warne also puts together a dream Test match of those he would have loved to have played alongside versus a team of international legends. Pulling no punches and giving a fascinating insight into the game, Warne serves up highly readable anecdotes and opinions. Throughout the book, Warne covers the serious issues affecting cricket today, such as cheating and match-fixing, and assesses a large number of professional relationships he has enjoyed and endured, including those with Sri Lankan star Arjuna Ranatunga and South African captain Graeme Smith. Shane Warne's Century is a genuine page-turner by one of cricket's most popular stars and is a must-read for all cricket fans.




Wounded Tiger


Book Description

THE WISDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR and THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR. 'The most complete, best researched, roses-and-thorns history of cricket in Pakistan' Independent 'As good as it's likely to get' Guardian The nation of Pakistan was born out of the trauma of Partition from India in 1947. Its cricket team evolved in the chaotic aftermath. Initially unrecognised, underfunded and weak, Pakistan's team grew to become a major force in world cricket. Since the early days of the Raj, cricket has been entwined with national identity and Pakistan's successes helped to define its status in the world. Defiant in defence, irresistible in attack, players such as A.H.Kardar, Fazal Mahmood, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan awed their contemporaries and inspired their successors. The story of Pakistan cricket is filled with triumph and tragedy. In recent years, it has been threatened by the same problems affecting Pakistan itself: fallout from the 'war on terror', sectarian violence, corruption, crises in health and education, and a shortage of effective leaders. For twenty years, Pakistan cricket has been stained by the scandalous behaviour of the players involved in match-fixing. After 2009, the fear of violence drove Pakistan's international cricket into exile. But Peter Oborne's narrative is also full of hope. For all its troubles, cricket gives all Pakistanis a chance to excel and express themselves, a sense of identity and a cause for pride in their country. Packed with first-hand recollections, and digging deep into political, social and cultural history, Wounded Tiger is a major study of sport and nationhood.




Andrew Strauss: Coming into Play - My Life in Test Cricket


Book Description

On May 21, 2004, playing against New Zealand, Andrew Strauss wrote his name into the record books when he became only the fourth batsman to score a century at Lord's on his Test debut. He made 112 in the first innings and was only denied a historical second hundred when he was run out on 83 by Nasser Hussain. England went on to beat New Zealand 3-0 before returning to headquarters to welcome the West Indies, Strauss scoring 137 as the hosts laid the foundations for another whitewash. He then raised the bar again when touring the country of his birth, making three centuries in England's first win in South Africa in 40 years. This sensational start to his international career has ensured that he has been celebrated as a world-class opening batsman, and was voted Wisden's Cricketer of the Year 2005. In THE STORY SO FAR, Andrew Strauss looks back on his early cricketing days and astounding first year in Test cricket, and gives the inside story on what it is like to be part of an incredible England side fighting to overtake Australia as the number one cricketing nation. THE STORY SO FAR also includes his personal story of how England beat Australia in the 2005 Ashes Series, in which he played a major part.




1001 Cricket Quiz


Book Description




Mind Over Batter


Book Description

'[An] honest and courageous book' Mike Brearley 'Engrossing...it looks back and thinks ahead, jumps between wit and woe' Lawrence Booth, Mail on Sunday Following the critical and commercial success of Absolutely Foxed, Graeme Fowler returns with a stunning new book that takes the reader inside the mental side of cricket. Few sports can be played as much in the mind as cricket. When bowlers are hurling the ball down at your head at 90 mph, or fielders are crowded round the bat waiting to snap up an edge, only the most resilient can thrive. In Mind Over Batter, former Test batsman, commentator and coach Fowler looks into all facets of the game to assess the mental aspect of cricket. What is mental strength? And how can you improve it, or why do some people suddenly lose it? Can the environment in a dressing room have any impact on both mental strength and mental health? When a game builds up to a dramatic climax - how do you train yourself to cope? Can pressure really lead to catastrophic decision-making and even lead players to bend the rules? Told with his familiar mix of brilliant insight, hilarious anecdotes and moving personal experience of his own mental demons, Fowler delivers a superb portrait of the game. Mind Over Batter will not only shed light on the top echelons of cricket, but it will also provide the reader with many useful ideas on how they can improve their own game and performance - in cricket or in other walks of life. Finally, having resisted for many years despite his own mental health issues, Fowler decides to take a closer look inside his own mind and for the first time undergoes therapy to see if he can work out what makes him tick. What he discovered surprised even him.




Time to Declare


Book Description

Time to Declare tells with unflinching candour Mark Taylor's story in a fascinating and revealing autobiography. Taking block, Taylor throws new light on the highs and lows, the controversies and the triumphs of a truly remarkable sporting career. By the end of his journey, which included 104 Tests for his country, 7525 runs, and 157 catches, he stood acclaimed as the 'second most important person in the land'. At the close of Australia's century there can be no finer story of grit and perseverance and inspiration than that of Mark Taylor – captain of his country.




Legendary Indian Cricketers


Book Description

legendary Indian Cricketers’ follow the form and format of the ragas of Indian classical music. The first phase; which spans over several decades; has the leisurely pace of village life; the second phase; which unfolds over the 1950s and 70s; goes with a simple; measured melodious beat; while the third is a kind of scherzo; where action is compressed into less than a day. All the same the scene; the setting and the structure of the Legendary Indian Cricketers (Men; Moments and Memories) are classically Indian. The echoes and the ethos too have a typical Indian flavour. This book is a must-read for those who are keen to know about the lives of some of the greatest cricketers of India. This book reveals the lives of legendary Indian cricketers from 1950s to 70s, presented in the form and format of the ragas of Indian classical music. The scenes, settings, and structures are classically Indian, and capture the leisurely pace of village life, the simple, measured melodious beat, and the action-packed scherzo. For those interested in the lives of some of the greatest cricketers of India, Legendary Indian Cricketers (Men, Moments and Memories) is a must-read. Legendary Indian Cricketers by Ravi Chaturvedi, Indian cricket, sports biography, cricketing legends, cricket history, sportsmanship, sports heroes, achievements, Indian sports, cricket culture.




Slow Death


Book Description

For 30 years, batsmen around the world have feared the slow and deliberate way Rudi Koertzen raises his left arm to give them out - so much so that it has given rise to his nickname, Slow Death. Despite the sinister sobriquet, Rudi Koertzen remains one of the most loved and respected umpires in world cricket, and certainly one of the most experienced: to date, he is the only umpire to have stood in 200 One Day Internationals, and he has 100 Test matches under his belt. Now Rudi takes the reader back to some of the highlights of his career in Test, ODI and T20 matches, including several World Cups and Ashes series. From his unique perspective, he rates the cricketers he has umpired over the years - the best batsmen, bowlers and fielders - and gives reasons why they stand out from other players. He shares players’ hilarious on-field antics and, on occasion, histrionics. And he doesn’t shy away from discussing the controversial side of international cricket, from match fixing to terrorist attacks, while giving his frank and possibly controversial views on the use of technology in the game. Humorous, informative and nostalgic, this is the book every cricket fan will want to own.