Chaos Theory

Brook: No argument

WISDEN CRICKET MONTHLY Pick out a shot from

THE Top Six

The month in cricket

IPL bidding war shows the lofty standing of English talent

With England cricketers attracting the highest bids in December ’s IPL auction, and in high demand across the franchise circuit in general, Andrew Miller argues the often-maligned county game is proving its worth on a global scale

Team of the Month

Jo Harman selects a side of the best performers from the last month’s action including three representatives from England’s triumphant tour of Pakistan

Believe the Ashes hype – it ’s needed more than ever

With the rapid expansion of T20 leaving Test cricket in a precarious position, Adam Collins says this summer ’s men’s Ashes series will provide a golden opportunity to unite around the longer format which we can’t afford to waste

New PCB boss steps back into the breach

In an exclusive interview, Najam Sethi tells William Dobson why he’s returning to the chairmanship of the Pakistan Cricket Board

NEWS CYCLE

Grab the popcorn, Pakistan cricket is in crisis, writes Ben Gardner

Teenage kicks – so hard to beat?

Following Rehan Ahmed’s stirring Test debut at Karachi, Lawrence Booth considers the benefits or otherwise of throwing teenagers into the heat of battle at the top level

Quick Singles

The month’s news in brief

THE MEL FARRELL INTERVIEW RICKY PONTING

PULLER, PUNTER, IPL COACH, VOICE OF THE GAME

RE:VIEW

Three writers tackle the thorny issue of the ‘Mankad’, considering the legitimacy of the dismissal and what it should be called

CRICKIPEDIA

The alternative compendium of cricket

Timed out: cricket and the climate crisis

Katya Witney talks to figures within the county game about the challenges their clubs face to combat the climate emergency

In other news...

Yorkshire Lord Patel will step down as Yorkshire

Mailbox

In association with Botham Wines, the letter of the month receives a bottle of Botham 80 Series Cabernet Sauvignon – an extra special wine presented in a hand-embossed wooden case

STOKING THE FIRE

How England’s sense of adventure lit up Pakistan

Choppy waters

England’s series record away from home, decade by decade

ROADS WELL-TRAVELLED

THE BEST OF ENGLAND’S TEST TOURS

WISDEN MEN’S TEST XI

THE TEAM WAS SELECTED BASED ON PERFORMANCES FROM JANUARY 1-DECEMBER 31, 2022

INNINGS OF THE YEAR

DINESH CHANDIMAL SRI LANKA 206* (326 balls, 545

SPELL OF THE YEAR

EBADOT HOSSAIN BANGLADESH 6-46 (21 overs) | New

COACH OF THE YEAR

BRENDON MCCULLUM ENGLAND TEST COACH Record: Played 10 | Won 9 | Lost 1

WOMEN’S CROSS-FORMAT XI

The Wisden writers pick an all-star team covering all international cricket in 2022

BRING THE NOISE

Women’s cricket has found its voice, and you’d better be listening. Phil Walker speaks to some of those on the frontline of a revolution

The team that wouldn’ t die

After years of struggle, Zimbabwean cricket is thriving again, unified behind a legendary coach who had to be coaxed out of retirement. Liam Brickhill reports from a country where the game of cricket remains as vibrant and cherished as ever

ENGLISH LEGGIES

In the fifth part of our series, Phil Walker recognises those hardy souls who have grappled with the game’s most demanding job

PRO:CREATION

Next in our series on what it’s like to be the parent of an international cricketer, John Hollioake, father of Adam and Ben, talks candidly to Jo Harman about a fairytale story with a tragic ending

CRAIG WHITE

The England and Yorkshire all-rounder on his unusual path to bowling fast, cleaning up Lara for a golden duck at The Oval, and the blackout in Scarborough which changed his whole outlook on life

Be a commentator

James Wallace learns more about the art of commentary from the best in their field

No.1 BIRMINGHAM & DISTRICT

In the first of a new series on the club game’s most fertile regions, Scott Oliver explores the past and present of the world’s oldest cricket league

Bat Speed

The WCM coaching team is here to help you improve your cricket. Got a query? A kink in your backlift? A front-foot problem you can’t fix? Email us editorial@wisden.com and one of our experts could be tackling your question in a future issue

Controlling the swing

”As a right-arm bowler with a bit of

TOP FIVE: WICKETKEEPING TIPS

1 A lot of my stuff is based

John Bowden

Scott Oliver profiles a stylish left-hander from Sevenoaks now into his fourth decade as a diminutive giant of club cricket in Kent

Time Warp

The winner of this month’s quiz will receive a acopy of issue 40 of the Nightwatchman, the Wisden cricket quarterly.

INTO THE LONG GRASS

Book of the Month

The Run Out That Changed My Life

The 2005 Ashes cult hero talks to James Wallace about that piece of fielding at Trent Bridge and its aftermath