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Talking Cricket: The Game's Greats in Conversation with ESPNCRICINFO
Talking Cricket is about cricket conversations. This book brings together the best long-form interviews from Wisden Asia Cricket and Cricinfo magazines and the ESPNcricinfo website over the last decade. Featured are the great and good of the game from across eras – from Frank Tyson and Garry Sobers to Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayawardene, and plenty more in between.
Each interview is broadly focused on a theme: there’s Barry Richards on batting, Ian Chappell on the Australian way, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis on swing bowling, Allan Donald and Michael Holding on fast bowling, Simon Taufel on umpiring, and Anil Kumble on spin. Since cricket captaincy is among the more cerebral of the game’s arts, we have four interviews on the subject: Mark Taylor, Nasser Hussain, Mahela Jayawardene and MAK Pataudi.
The 22 gathered here bring together wisdom, insights, anecdotes and humour from some of the finest practitioners of cricket’s many crafts, and provide the fan with a deeper appreciation of the game we all love.
ESPNcricinfo has been the No. 1 cricket website in the world since it first went online in 1993. With a monthly average of over 20 million users worldwide, it is also among the largest single-sport websites in the world.
The site pioneered live ball-by-ball updates and it continues to be the leader in the field, integrating into its live coverage various elements from its searchable data feed to give fans a truly rich live-match experience. This is backed up by text, audio- and video-based match analysis content, providing a comprehensive coverage menu.
ESPNcricinfo maintains the game’s widest, most authoritative database, with details of about 65,000 international and domestic players, officials and administrators, over 40,000 matches, and more than 2500 grounds. It also runs its own global news operation, and its news and match coverage are supplemented by comments, features, interviews, blogs and multimedia content.
The strength of its journalism has given ESPNcricinfo the status of cricket’s pre-eminent global voice – one that is followed by fans, players and administrators alike.
Each interview is broadly focused on a theme: there’s Barry Richards on batting, Ian Chappell on the Australian way, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis on swing bowling, Allan Donald and Michael Holding on fast bowling, Simon Taufel on umpiring, and Anil Kumble on spin. Since cricket captaincy is among the more cerebral of the game’s arts, we have four interviews on the subject: Mark Taylor, Nasser Hussain, Mahela Jayawardene and MAK Pataudi.
The 22 gathered here bring together wisdom, insights, anecdotes and humour from some of the finest practitioners of cricket’s many crafts, and provide the fan with a deeper appreciation of the game we all love.
ESPNcricinfo has been the No. 1 cricket website in the world since it first went online in 1993. With a monthly average of over 20 million users worldwide, it is also among the largest single-sport websites in the world.
The site pioneered live ball-by-ball updates and it continues to be the leader in the field, integrating into its live coverage various elements from its searchable data feed to give fans a truly rich live-match experience. This is backed up by text, audio- and video-based match analysis content, providing a comprehensive coverage menu.
ESPNcricinfo maintains the game’s widest, most authoritative database, with details of about 65,000 international and domestic players, officials and administrators, over 40,000 matches, and more than 2500 grounds. It also runs its own global news operation, and its news and match coverage are supplemented by comments, features, interviews, blogs and multimedia content.
The strength of its journalism has given ESPNcricinfo the status of cricket’s pre-eminent global voice – one that is followed by fans, players and administrators alike.
- GenresNonfictionSports
292 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 11, 2017
Finally, after 20 years, this book has displaced "Idols" by Gavaskar as my favourite cricket book !
While "Idols" was a collection of 'essays' on his contemporary greats by Gavaskar, this one is a collection of interviews of 22 cricketing greats. Interviews in which 90%+ of the words are the interviewee's. And each interview is on a theme which makes the book a unique experience.
So, we start off with Sobers talking about not comparing different eras, Sehwag on "natural game", Barry Richards on batting, Frank Tyson on biomechanics, Simon Taufel on umpiring, John Wright on coaching and so on.
Apart from my fandom, what made this book so enjoyable ? You had great cricketers speaking thoughtfully on their strengths (and weaknesses). And the insights provided were fantastic. Too many examples to list here. Must-Read
Finally, thank u espncricinfo. The books on Tendulkar and Dravid were very good too.
While "Idols" was a collection of 'essays' on his contemporary greats by Gavaskar, this one is a collection of interviews of 22 cricketing greats. Interviews in which 90%+ of the words are the interviewee's. And each interview is on a theme which makes the book a unique experience.
So, we start off with Sobers talking about not comparing different eras, Sehwag on "natural game", Barry Richards on batting, Frank Tyson on biomechanics, Simon Taufel on umpiring, John Wright on coaching and so on.
Apart from my fandom, what made this book so enjoyable ? You had great cricketers speaking thoughtfully on their strengths (and weaknesses). And the insights provided were fantastic. Too many examples to list here. Must-Read
Finally, thank u espncricinfo. The books on Tendulkar and Dravid were very good too.
November 15, 2014
The collection comprises interviews by Cricinfo and Wisden Asia Cricket over the past decade or so. I'd already read almost all of them as and when they'd appeared, and it was delight to catch up with old friends over the past two days. Profound, wise, delightful, masterclass, educational, perceptive, funny, erudite, characteristic and insightful, the interviews also speak as much about the interviewees.
May 24, 2020
Decent set of interviews. Some interviews are more interesting and engaging than others, as you would expect. Particularly like the interview with John Wright, the first international coach for Indian national cricket team. The leaps and strides which have been made since his time is insane. We owe a lot to him as a cricketing nation.
The great part about this book was the wide ranging commentary, from bowlers, batsmen, fielders (who else but Jonty!). Umpires (Simon freaking Tauffel!). There were even biomechanics and commentators.
A good table top book to keep chipping away one interview at a time.
The great part about this book was the wide ranging commentary, from bowlers, batsmen, fielders (who else but Jonty!). Umpires (Simon freaking Tauffel!). There were even biomechanics and commentators.
A good table top book to keep chipping away one interview at a time.
June 26, 2021
espn is one of the my favorite destination for sports updates, with hope to deliver content like that i also started https://www.sportsnar.com/ with inspiration from ESPN... hope i fulfill dream of writing great content to my beloved viewers - SportsNar
September 7, 2018
Nice book. Great conversations of cricket maestros!
March 13, 2014
A brilliant read! Interviews form significant contributors to the sport. Glad that they haven't left out the umpires and an able representation by Simon Taufel.
If you have been a keen follower and student of the sport, you learn a lot about the history, the important characters and sometimes even the foundation of some well found jargons and ideas that are part and parcel of the sport today.
Thankfully most of the interviews are insightful and importantly, questions are shorter than the answers.
My favourite interviews: Sobers, Barry Richards, Holding, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Simon Taufel, Pattaudi, Virendra Sehwag (really candid and charming), ...
I wish they had picked a commentator other than Bill Lawry who seems to not mention or talk about any other country other than his own and his cronies. Perfectly leaves a bad after taste... Reading the Barry Richards interview again to erase that last Lawry interview from my mind. If you are a fan of the sport, give it a read. Brilliant!
If you have been a keen follower and student of the sport, you learn a lot about the history, the important characters and sometimes even the foundation of some well found jargons and ideas that are part and parcel of the sport today.
Thankfully most of the interviews are insightful and importantly, questions are shorter than the answers.
My favourite interviews: Sobers, Barry Richards, Holding, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Simon Taufel, Pattaudi, Virendra Sehwag (really candid and charming), ...
I wish they had picked a commentator other than Bill Lawry who seems to not mention or talk about any other country other than his own and his cronies. Perfectly leaves a bad after taste... Reading the Barry Richards interview again to erase that last Lawry interview from my mind. If you are a fan of the sport, give it a read. Brilliant!
June 16, 2013
I expected the minute details about the game and I was not disappointed. From the masters themselves I got an understanding about the frame of mind our cricketers are in before/during/after the game.
The 'Art Of Swinging' from Waqar Younis, spin master Mutthiah, Sir Gary Sobers talking about the evolution the game underwent from the his playing days to present day cricket, the account gives us acumen insight about every aspect of the game. Can't really summarize in a review, one has to read to experience the joy, for the 'Game' we so deeply LOVE.
I recommend every cricket follower should have a read!
The 'Art Of Swinging' from Waqar Younis, spin master Mutthiah, Sir Gary Sobers talking about the evolution the game underwent from the his playing days to present day cricket, the account gives us acumen insight about every aspect of the game. Can't really summarize in a review, one has to read to experience the joy, for the 'Game' we so deeply LOVE.
I recommend every cricket follower should have a read!
July 1, 2013
Published by ESPN CRICINFO TalkingCricket is a collection of interviews of great cricketers. The book covers various aspects of the game of cricket like batting,bowling,fielding, evolution of cricket through the ages e.t.c.The interviews are lengthy and give a detailed insight about the game of cricket.It is not always possible for people to know how the brains of these cricketers work, their experiences and their opinions.The book through its series of interviews help to bridge this gap.
For those who love cricket and want to learn and understand the finer aspects of the game, this book is a must read.
For those who love cricket and want to learn and understand the finer aspects of the game, this book is a must read.
January 22, 2015
In-depth interviews with veterans of various disciplines in cricket. You have Sachin on batting , Wasim Akram on bowling, John Wright on coaching,Jonty Rhodes on fielding, Simon Taufel on Umpiring and lots more. My favorite interview has to be the one with Sehwag wherein he confesses he never knew what it meant to be in the zone :)
A request : A newer expanded edition can be done with the following interviews : Vivian Richards on intimidation , Sunil Gavaskar on opening, Shane Warne on his wizardry,Adam Gilchrist on wicketkeeping and Imran Khan on captaincy.
A request : A newer expanded edition can be done with the following interviews : Vivian Richards on intimidation , Sunil Gavaskar on opening, Shane Warne on his wizardry,Adam Gilchrist on wicketkeeping and Imran Khan on captaincy.
December 23, 2020
The book covers various aspects of the game of cricket like batting, bowling, fielding, and the evolution of cricket through the ages e.t.c. The interviews are lengthy & give a detailed insight into the game of cricket. The Big Bash League is a Cricket league in Australia. It is one of the biggest domestic tournaments in the world just like IPL and other leagues. The Big Bash Live Streaming has its own separate fan base across the world.
March 1, 2014
Nice work.. while reading this work you will intrinsically connected to the erstwhile cricketers especially players like Wasim Akram , Garry sobers , Sachin Tendulkar
Sehwag has spoken about why he doesn't move his feet. How he was succeed without a good footwork..
The book was collection of interviews from legends of cricket.
Sehwag has spoken about why he doesn't move his feet. How he was succeed without a good footwork..
The book was collection of interviews from legends of cricket.
May 5, 2013
Great compilation of interviews.
November 28, 2014
best book ive came across on cricket ..pure joy for cricket lovers..it will be gold for who plays the game
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews