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Wisden Anthology 2008

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2005

The 142nd edition was notable as for the first time in 45 years, all five Wisden Cricketers of the Year were English (only the third time since the Second World War, the other years being 1953 and 1960). It was also the most up-to-date, containing a report of England's tour of South Africa, which finished only a week before the book went to press. The Editor's Notes again took no prisoners with attacks on the ECB for selling television rights to satellite, the world's cricket boards in general ("it would not be difficult to argue that a majority of their governing bodies could, in varying degrees, be classified as either incompetent, corrupt, government-controlled or racist"), and the scheduling of the summer's Ashes ("total madness). Features ranged from Richie Benaud's tribute to Keith Miller to also an exclusive interview with the Slovak goalkeeper Maros Kolpak whose European Court case against the German handball league has led to an influx of overseas players into county cricket ("When he was told that cricketers are known as `Kolpak players', he roared with laughter"). The Almanack also included what is believed to be its first-ever pin-up. The near-nudity of Minki van der Westhuizen, girlfriend of South African captain Graeme Smith, was, of course, entirely essential to the plot.
Editor Matthew Engel
Pages 1648
Price £36

Almanack essays

Christmas Day at Headingley, anyone?

Hiatus at the ECB as county cricket loses the plot

The worst administrators in the world

'England's rise was the story of the year'

A mixed bag

A year of domestic tinkering

An agonising period

Griffith, Buller and four overs which proved nothing

Hello Sky, Goodbye World

Shane Warne

The end of the lime

The Wisden Forty

Supplementary scorecards

National Cricket League Division One

National Cricket League Division Two

Twenty20 Cup

Series included

Asia Cup, 2004

England in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, 2004-05

England in the West Indies, 2003-04

Sri Lanka A in England, 2004

The Australians in India, 2004-05

The Australians in Sri Lanka, 2003-04

The Australians in Zimbabwe, 2003-04

The Bangladeshis in The West Indies, 2003-04

The Bangladeshis in Zimbabwe, 2003-04

The Indians in Australia, 2003-04

The Indians in Bangladesh, 2004-05

The Indians in England, 2004

The Indians in Pakistan, 2003-04

The NatWest Series in England, 2004

The New Zealanders in Australia, 2004-05

The New Zealanders in Bangladesh, 2004-05

The New Zealanders in England

The Pakistanis in Australia, 2004-05

The Pakistanis in New Zealand, 2003-04

The Paktel GSM Cup, 2004-05

The South Africans in India, 2004-05

The South Africans in New Zealand, 2003-04

The South Africans in Sri Lanka, 2004

The Sri Lankans in Australia, 2004

The Sri Lankans in Pakistan, 2004-05

The Sri Lankans in Zimbabwe, 2003-04

The West Indians in England

The West Indians in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 2003-04

Too many flaws, too little excitement

VB Series, 2003-04

Videocon Cup, 2004


© Wisden

Five Cricketers of The Year




Andrew Strauss
Ashley Giles
Marcus Trescothick
Robert Key
The shy boy from the north




Obituaries




Alf Valentine
Bill Alley
David Hookes
Jack Flavell
Keith Miller
VS Hazare
Willie Watson
Obituaries index: A-E
Obituaries index: F-J
Obituaries index: K-O
Obituaries index: P-S
Obituaries index: T-Z








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