Crickonomics: The Anatomy of Modern Cricket: Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2023

Very interesting and revealing facts about the 'behind the scenes' of international cricket. The book is well written and an easy read.

I have a hefty collection of cricket books, but this must rank as one of the best. We are given a detailed analysis of the sport, frequently supported by statistical analysis.What I like best about this is that the authors address many questions which it would not have occurred to me to ask, but in their book I realised that these were questions well worth asking. The authors would be particularly welcome companions at a test match.They write in an engaging style as well.The sad element for me is that test cricket and other red ball formats are clearly on the way out. The real money lies in the short formats, which I dislike. Fortunately, I am at an age when I can expect red ball cricket still to be played for the rest of my life, but I feel sorry for younger generations who will probably witness its demise.I should conclude on an upbeat, though. This is without doubt one of the best books on cricket that I have ever read.

The book is full of stories told in an entertaining fashion. The reader is taken on a tour of the world, particularly the world of the British Commonwealth. In a surprise twist in later chapters we learn how the love of cricket played in the Indian sub-continent taught Afghani refugees from the Russian occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980's and 1990s to enjoy and learn to play cricket in the camps in Peshawar leading to Afghanistan becoming a full member of the international cricket community in 2017 and through further emigration of young Afghanis to Europe in the recent decade bringing the game to Germany.Befitting the collaboration of a journalist and economist the book is full of facts and stats. Some are more difficult to appreciate for cricket non-aficionados such as the Lewis Duckworth method for restarting games interrupted by rain and used as resource measure for analysing batting performance. Others statistical sections reveal racial and gender biases, influence of public school education on the development and prevalence of batters from top private schools in England as well as Australia, and the impact of unusual weather patterns on chances of winning (very significant!).As someone who has researched and written about other sports this book provided an interesting take on the influence of culture, politics, history on the development and the governance of sport, but also shows how innovation is possible against the odds as the example of the rise of India and the success of the Indian Premier League has recently demonstrated.

The book explores many topics and relationships with finance and cricket. I liked the broader discussions and the historical views which were then integrated into cricket as it is now.

I am interested in cricket but I am not a regular follower. I found this book fascinating but some of the statistics a little difficult. I learned a huge amount about the modern game. So much so that I have given a copy to a friend.

A really interesting book with thought provoking analysis on the game of cricket. If you’re a badger like me, this is the book for you

Cricket is a sport in constant flux, with shifting powers and emerging formats. This excellent book provides analysis in a compelling way that helps you make sense of it all.