The 163rd edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack publishes today!

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Always a pleasure to appear on the Today programme on the day we release the @wisdenalmanack.bsky.social headlines
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From the Golden Age to Poundland: How cricket abandoned its outgrounds Outgrounds have a special place in the hearts of cricket lovers, the more so when not only abandoned by their county, but demolished and built over.

County cricket's lost grounds - a poignant piece for this year's @WisdenAlmanack by @camsell59 (Harry Pearson) about the venues that have since become something else www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricke...

Mining for talent: coal and cricket’s partnership The camaraderie, work ethic and sheer strength from doing pit work once bred a host of fine players, writes Tanya Aldred

A lovely extract in The Observer from a piece by @tjaldred.bsky.social in this year's @wisdenalmanack.bsky.social Almanack (published Thursday) on cricket's traditional links with mining
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JAMES REW: Can I emulate Jacob Bethell? He's a bit better than me! EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: Rew's name keeps cropping up in the England conversation - and no matter that he prefers the No 4 slot to the top three.

Enjoyed chatting with James Rew about a variety of topics: his "terrifying" walk-on Ashes experience, working with Andrew Flintoff and his Test ambitions
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Is there a route back into the Test team for Ollie Robinson? He's saying the right things - but there's still work to do to win England over
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Final Planet of the Apes scene with half buried Statue of Liberty on beach.

Artemis II crew returning to Earth.

Harsh subs, Nev? You must be thinking of a different publication…

This just arrived. Publication date April 16.

Why England have gambled on McCullum and Key - and what's changing English cricket's decision to stick with the status quo in the wake of the Ashes debacle had been long expected - but it is more of a gamble than the ECB hierarchy seem to think.

By sticking with the status quo, England have taken a huge gamble
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EXCLUSIVE: English cricket is running out of BALLS - this is why 'If only I'd known this was going to happen, I'd have had a word with Donald Trump,' says the owner of the company that makes Dukes balls. 'Please don't attack anybody before the cricket season starts...

EXCLUSIVE
🏏 The transit of English cricket's new batch of Dukes balls has been disrupted by the war in the Middle East. Only half the usual amount are expected to be available at the start of the season. ECB admit: "It's been a wake-up call."
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Livingstone can moan but here's the reason he's out in the cold The anger of the jilted sportsman is a tale as old as the English batting collapse. And as Liam Livingstone's latest outburst confirms, anger isn't always accompanied by clarity.

Liam Livingstone's comments about Brendon McCullum and Rob Key did not reflect well on the England management - but there are two sides to every story
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But see the caveat: he has to have a good summer. Judging from your tweet, I’m guessing you think they won’t.

Brendon McCullum will keep his job as England coach... for now LAWRENCE BOOTH: McCullum confirmed his desire to keep his job after England's T20 World Cup semi-final defeat by India in Mumbai on Thursday, and he will be given that chance.

🏏Brendon McCullum will keep his job as England's all-format coach - so long as the Test team show signs of progress this summer
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England T20 World Cup PLAYER RATINGS: Who collapsed in the semi-final? England were eliminated from the T20 World Cup after falling just seven runs short in their spirited chase of 254 against India. LAWRENCE BOOTH has rated each player's T20 World Cup campaign.

Did some World Cup ratings for England - it's not good news for the opening batsmen...
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Inside Sussex's financial hell and the impossible 'balancing act' Drizzly Hove in February does not immediately feel like ground zero for one of English cricket's most vexed debates. But the financial misadventures of Sussex have dictated otherwise.

🏏 Crisis at Sussex
❓"I don't understand why we've been deducted points"
💷 "We can't have luxuries"
🤹 And why the non-Test/Hundred clubs face a tough juggling act between off- and on-field success
PLUS: Can Sussex do a Leicester City and win the title?
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This year's Wisden cover - pic by Shaun Botterill.

Very much so, Bob: Wisden out soon.

Why McCullum must go after England's most disappointing Ashes tour LAWRENCE BOOTH IN SYDNEY: This was not England's worst Ashes tour among their many failures in Australia down the years. But it was arguably their most disappointing.

Why it's time for England and Brendon McCullum to go their separate ways
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MATT PRIOR: If I got out like this I'd be dug out by the dressing room It pains Matt Prior to say it, but say it he does. England's former wicketkeeper is ticking about the performance that left Ben Stokes's side two down in the Ashes with three to play.

Not sure I've ever interviewed an ex-England player so full of eloquent outrage as Matt Prior after Brisbane:
🏏England's players are "taking the mickey"
🏏Only two are up for the fight
🏏Time for Stokes to "call in his chips" on Crawley/Pope
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It's always fascinating to talk to John Buchanan, who coached Australia during their most successful era. He told me England have no choice but to stick to their approach, but likened them to F1 drivers not adapting to the road ahead
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Fair point, Tom. And thanks for the message.

Why England openers fail Down Under and secrets of the rare successes When Chris Broad suggests it will be 'tricky at the Gabba, because all eyes are going to be on him', it hardly needs explaining that he's talking about England's troubled opener Zak Crawley.

Zak Crawley's pair at Perth was a reminder that England openers often struggle in Australia. A couple of exceptions gave me their insights: Chris Broad, who averaged 78 here, and Mark Butcher, who hit the first ton by an England opener at the Gabba
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ROBIN SMITH: I twice came within minutes of finishing my life EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: Robin Smith has had plenty to be grateful for, and much to test him. By his own admission, he is lucky still to be here.

🏏I met up in Perth with former England batsman Robin Smith. It was quite a chat, ranging from his views on Bazball (chill, guys) via his brush with death after drinking a bottle of vodka a day for 12 years, to the latest tragic twist in his personal life.
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There are just two days left to enter our annual writing competition. Submit your entry by the end of Friday for a chance to win a £250 voucher and see your work published in next year's almanack: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/discover/...

Classic David v Goliath: How New Zealand Inflicted A Historic Clean-Sweep On India | Wisden Almanack New Zealand toured India in 2024/25 for three Test matches and lost the series 3-0. R Kaushik’s tour report as well as all three match reports appeared in the 2025 edition of Wisden Cricketer’s Almana...

Last year, New Zealand ripped up the formbook to inflict a first home series defeat on India since 2012-13. Read the series review and full Test reports from the current edition of Wisden Almanack by clicking on the image. www.wisden.com/series/india...

Joe Root: Our fearsome pace attack will go toe-to-toe with the Aussies LAWRENCE BOOTH: Never mind the fact that Australia has not been kind to Joe Root. He simply can't wait for the Ashes and thinks this will be England's best chance Down Under in years.

Always a pleasure to talk to Joe Root, who believes England - and their coterie of quicks - have their best chance for years of winning in Australia
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Revealed: The future of cricket - a non-wood bat INSIDE CRICKET: Cricket loves its laws and law 5.3.2. seems as certain as the sun rising in the east: 'The blade shall consist solely of wood.' But for how much longer?

🏏With cricket fretting over a "bat emergency", it was fascinating to hear about the emergence of a possible non-wood alternative...
🧑‍💻... not to mention plans to insert technology into the new bat to produce data on hitting power
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Thanks for having us, @gillis49.bsky.social! Really enjoyed it.

Dickie Bird transcended the sport of cricket, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH LAWRENCE BOOTH: Dickie Bird, who has died at the age of 92, broke the old rule that a sporting official should never be noticed.

RIP Dickie Bird, who has died at the age of 92

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