In the last twenty years, Indian cricket has been transformed. With the arrival of global television networks, mass-media coverage and multinational sponsors, cricket has become big business and India has become the economic driving force in the world game. For the first time a developing country has become a major player in the international sports arena. This fully updated and revised edition of Mihir Bose's classic history is a unique account of the Indian cricket phenomenon. Drawing on a combination of extensive research and personal experience, Bose traces the development of the Indian game from its beginnings as a colonial pastime to its coming of age as a national passion and now a global commercial powerhouse. This illuminating study reveals Indian cricket's central place in modern India’s identity, culture and society. Insightful, honest and challenging, Bose tackles the myths and controversies of Indian cricket. He considers the game in terms of race, caste, politics, national consciousness and ambition, money, celebrity and the media, evoking all the unpredictability, frustration and glory that is the magic of Indian cricket.

Drawing on a combination of research and personal experience, Mihir Bose traces the development of the Indian cricket game from its beginnings as a colonial pastime to the economic driving force it has now become.

In this book, Mihir Bose examines the rollercoaster nature of India's cricket history, from its early days in the time of the British Raj to the present day period that has been characterised by both the sublime (the batting mastery of Sachin Tendulkar) and the ridiculous (the match-fixing scandals associated with the nefarious activities of certain Indian bookmakers). Mihir Bose's lively, informed, and always entertaining text is supported by a full statistical appendix.

The Funny Side Of The Gentleman S Game Captured By A Master Cartoonist In India Cricket Is More Than A Game; It Is A National Obsession. And With A World Cup Always Around The Corner, There Is No Better Way To Prepare For The Excitement Of Seeing The Men In Blue In Action Than With Renowned Cartoonist Sudhir Dar S Creations. Dar Shows In His Inimitable Style How Cricket Can Change Flight Schedules, Disrupt Board Meetings, Encourage Spirituality, Promote The Sale Of Effigies, And Cause General Disharmony In The Household. He Explains What Actually Goes On In A Huddle ; What Telescopic Lenses On The Boundary Line Are Really Used For; Why Duck Is Not A Preferred Item On The Menu During The World Cup; Why Barbers Across The Nation Are Cursing Dhoni; And How A Group Of Countries Collectively Known As The West Indies Is Likely To Destabilize India. He Also Reveals The Cheerleading Mantra That Might Work When India Plays Australia: May The Better Side Lose. For Several Decades, Sudhir Dar Has Tickled Our Funny Bone With His Wit. The Mad, Mad World Of Cricket Contains His Best And Funniest Work On Cricket.

"This handbook contains useful reviews of major theoretical frameworks and research topics in sports studies-especially sport sociology-written by a star-studded array of internationally recognized experts. The scope and depth of this volume demonstrates the intellectual maturity of this area. Each chapter provides an informative historical context and an organized conceptual framework for making sense of the relevant scholarly literature. The book will be particularly useful to graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and college and university faculty who are seeking to gain rapid, informed access to the literature." --Janet C. Harris, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Kinesiology and Physical Education, California State University, Los Angeles This vital new Handbook marks the development of sports studies as a major new discipline within the social sciences. Edited by the leading sociologist of sport, Eric Dunning, and author of the best selling textbook on sport in the USA, Jay Coakley, it both reflects and richly endorses this new found status. Key aspects of the Handbook include: an inventory of the principal achievements in the field; a guide to the chief conflicts and difficulties in the theory and research process; a rallying point for researchers who are established or new to the field, which sets the agenda for future developments; a resource book for teachers who wish to establish new curricula and develop courses and programmes in the area of sports studies. With an international and inter-disciplinary cast of contributors the Handbook of Sports Studies is comprehensive in scope, relevant in content and far-reaching in its discussion of future prospect.

At seventeen, Sachin Tendulkar became the second youngest man to make a hundred in international cricket; ever since, there has been no looking back. Today, Sachin is widely regarded as the world’s finest batsman, with over 33,000 international runs—the highest aggregate by far for any cricketer—and an incredible 100 international centuries to his credit. In this biography of India’s greatest sportsperson ever, Gulu Ezekiel pens a compelling account of Sachin the man and his passion for cricket. He tracks Sachin from his childhood when he first caught the bug of cricket, and follows him on his meteoric rise to international stardom. With unfailing attention to detail, he reconstructs the crucial matches and events that have marked Sachin’s career and reveals the magic of the cricketer whom Wisden Cricket Monthly once dubbed ‘bigger than Jesus’

Few other team sports can equal the global reach of cricket. Rich in history and tradition, it is both quintessentially English and expansively international, a game that has evolved and changed dramatically in recent times. Demonstrating how the history of cricket and its international popularity is entwined with British imperial expansion, this book examines the social and political impact of the game in a variety of cultural sites: the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. An international team of contributors explores the enduring influence of cricket on English identity, examines why cricket has seized the imagination of so many literary figures and provides profiles of iconic players including Bradman, Lara and Tendulkar. Presenting a global panoramic view of cricket's complicated development, its unique adaptability and its political and sporting controversies, the book provides a rich insight into a unique sporting and cultural heritage.

This book expands our historical understanding of postcolonial India by examining how cricket has shaped Indian society and politics.

An exploration of the history of cricket in the British Empire, this text attempts to explain why the sport was so successful, even in countries such as India, Pakistan and the West Indies, where the Anglo-Saxon element remained in a small minority.

‘AMRIT MATHUR IS A REAL ALL-ROUNDER AS AN ADMINISTRATOR. HE BRINGS THAT FLAIR TO HIS WRITING ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES IN THIS MUST-READ BOOK.’ — SUNIL GAVASKAR In 1992, when BCCI President Madhavrao Scindia handpicked Amrit Mathur as manager of the Indian team on the historic tour of South Africa, he became one of the youngest to hold that position. In the three decades that followed, Mathur transformed into a seasoned cricket administrator working closely with BCCI presidents and state cricket associations. He was involved with shaping the initial plans for the IPL and held a key position with the Delhi Daredevils. On the many tours and cricket seasons in India and abroad, Mathur kept a diary and detailed notes on the day’s play, as well as of conversations and events off the pitch. He builds on these to show us what happened behind the scenes, allowing us to experience the excitement of play on the ground, as well as dressing-room conversations, team meetings and discussions. An intimate, insightful, authentic account of some of Indian cricket’s most memorable moments, Pitchside is replete with compelling storytelling and delightful trivia. It evokes nostalgia and laughter, and curiosity about all that has been and all that may be.