The Wrong Line

by Andrew Ramsey

Contrary to the age-old sporting truism, what happens on tour sometimes needs to be told. 'For as long as the game of cricket has been played internationally, there have been journos "on the tour" ... Life on the road is tough. But as you are about to experience, it's bloody entertaining as well.' Adam GilchristCricket writer Andrew Ramsey's job was to be on tour with the world's greatest cricket team over a decade when it had no peer. tHE WRONG LINE chronicles the privileges and pitfalls of a life spent trotting the globe, hanging out with sports stars, and being paid to watch cricket - an occupation regarded by countless cricket and travel fans alike as 'the world's best job', even when it renders you alone and in peril with only a three-thumbed taxi driver for support.Set within the players' dressing room and on the team bus; at the bar, the breakfast table, and even in a haunted medieval castle; in England, the West Indies and India, as well as Sharjah, Bangladesh, Kenya and Hong Kong - tHE WRONG LINE gives you a ringside seat at some of the most memorable cricket events, including the remarkable 1999 World Cup and Australia's chaotic 2005 Ashes campaign. A tour diary unlike any you have ever read, it delivers a rare insight into the off-field life, character and thoughts of some of the game's all-time greats, including Stephen Waugh, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Brian Lara.'this is the cricket book of the summer. You won't find an account of the game its main players told in this way anywhere else. It's a refreshing change, and one well worth the read.' - LAUNCEStON EXAMINER

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Paras Berawala · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well-written book, that gives fabulous insights into the "glamorous" job of travelling round the world by a first-world cricket journalist.
The book rightly does not delve too much into the cricket scores and performances, and instead focuses on what really happens in the background. There are several insights into the international cricket world that even hardcore cricket followers will have no knowledge of.
A must read!

[Hamish · Rating 2 out of 5]

ramsey is a mopey, insufferable guy. 300 pages of complaining about his job, interspersed with very little cricket, and enough bad thesaurus use (is he trying to make up for all those years of tepid newspaper writing?) for a lifetime. it ends on a sour note when he tenders his resignation, except -- hang on, look him up now and... he's a travelling cricket writer. doesn't he learn?