Issue 92

EDITORIAL T: 0203 696 5730 E: editorial@wisden.com

The Unshowy Showman

T here he was, up on stage at

The month in cricket

H aving thumped South Africa in their group-stage

Cricket is Taylor-made for Swift – but KP blew it

COLUMNIST

This Bird you cannot change

GUEST COLUMNIST

NEWS CYCLE

Ben Gardner searches for WMDs (Warner’s Mightiest Dunks) and comes up empty

India’s handshake snub spells danger for wider game

COLUMNIST

The DIARY

THIS MONTH’S DIARIST

TEAM OF THE MONTH

WCM XI

POD LIFE

The best of the last month’s action on Wisden ’s podcast channels

RE:VIEW

The Women’s World Cup has been beset with problems, not least from scheduling a number of games – as a consequence of geopolitical tensions between two nuclear powers – during monsoon season in Sri Lanka. Three Wisden writers assess what should have been done better, and what must happen next time

Mailbox

Letter of the month receives their choice of book from the Fairfield collection, available to browse at fairfieldbooks.co.uk/shop *

THE PHIL WALKER INTERVIEW

In masterminding Nottinghamshire’s title-winning Championship season, Peter Moores now stands above all other English coaches. He opens up about his coaching philosophy, what drives him on, and how he learnt to let go of the pain of his time with England

The Midlands Midas Touch

2025 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF 2025

Wisden’s writers pick their red-ball team of the summer

Lancashire set the benchmark

Lancashire were the major success story from a watershed season for the women’s domestic game. Katya Witney reflects on a transformative summer that ushered in a brighter future

THE UNCAPPED XI

A team of star performers from the One-Day Cup who are yet to make their senior debut for England

THE SOUND AND THE FURY

ASHES 2025/26

MARK WOOD

‘THERE’S A QUIET CONFIDENCE THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING SPECIAL’

THE POWER OF THREE

Jo Harman-McGowan examines the relentless brilliance of Australia’s big three and considers the hosts’ fast-bowling stocks following the news that Pat Cummins is set to miss at least part of the series

SCRATCHING BENEATH THE SURFACE

Damien Fleming, the former Australian Test seamer who will be covering the forthcoming series as a commentator for the Seven Network and SEN Radio, gives the inside scoop on what we can expect from the five venues

DARK MAGIC

Geoff Lemon revisits the most notorious, spine-chilling Ashes spells delivered by Australian quicks on their home patch

PERFECT STORM

THE RISE AND FALL OF TYPHOON TYSON

WHO WILL WIN THE ASHES?

PREDICTIONS

THE FINAL FRONTIER

JOE ROOT

DIFFERENT STROKES

AUSTRALIA’S BATTING CONUNDRUM

No.1 IAN BOTHAM’S 138

12 INNINGS THAT EXPLAIN THE ASHES

INSIDE THE MIND

HAVING SIGNED OFF HIS 22-YEAR CAREER WITH A LANDMARK SUMMER, THE VETERAN LEICESTERSHIRE SEAMER TALKS TO JO HARMAN-MCGOWAN ABOUT HIS MEANDERING JOURNEY THROUGH THE COUNTY GAME, THE SHOCK OF HIS DRUGS BAN AND THE REJECTION WHICH PROVED TO BE A BLESSING

Broadening horizons from East London to Islamabad

Essex club Wanstead & Snaresbrook’s tour to Pakistan showed their players a side of the country not generally seen in the British media, writes Adam Hopkins

Richard Harvey

The Wisden Club Cricket Hall of Fame

Picture Perfect

Six county all-rounders, linked by what increasingly unusual occurrence?

THE WCM CROSSWORD No.6

WIN! Send in your answers to the address

LOST TREASURES

No.6 Shoaib Mohammad

Books of the Month

Andrew Flintoff has been touted as a future

ON THE SOCS

This month, our cricket society in focus is Derbyshire, a vibrant group that is taking a proactive approach to engaging with the local community

THE STORY OF CRICKET IN 50 BOOKS

To coincide with the 74th men’s Ashes series, David Woodhouse begins a survey of representative ‘tour books’ with Percy Fender’s forensic account of England’s 4-1victory in 1928/29

The Flesh-eating bug That Changed My Life

ANDY MOLES