I was crazy about the game as a boy and thought of little else. Naturally, I imagined I would play for England but it didn’t turn out that way. Instead, I have written and talked about cricket since the day I stopped playing it professionally in 1995. One of the gifts of such a life is travel, and the places I have seen and the folk I have met have been the greatest joy. One day, perhaps, I shall write about the vibrant colours of India, the vastly changed canvas in South Africa, the friendly smiles in Sri Lanka or the sheer joy of cricket still evident in the Caribbean. For the moment, it is mainly between England and Australia that I have hopped, skipped and occasionally jumped.
I hope the book has been enjoyable and informative. If not, no blame can be laid at the door of the friends I have made at Allen & Unwin and Atlantic Books. Thank you to Patrick Gallagher and Tom Gilliatt in Sydney for the chance to tell these stories and Tom, most particularly, for his straight-shooting support. Also in Sydney, and always at the end of the telephone when needed, has been Angela Handley, whose editorial ability and patience knows no bounds. Nearby are Nicola Young and Aziza Kuypers, whose attention to detail has ensured a readable text. In London, Will Atkinson and Clare Drysdale have been the best of sounding boards and companions. In Southampton, Richard Isaacs has corrected my economy with the facts and looseness with the figures at the turn of many a page. I am indebted to you all.
More generally, over the years I have dipped in and out of other people’s thoughts on the game to further inspire my own. My thanks and admiration for the volumes they have written go to John Arlott, Jack Fingleton, Richie Benaud, Frank Keating, Mathew Engel, Mike Brearley, Peter Roebuck, Sambit Bal, Gideon Haigh, Michael Atherton, Ed Smith, Martin Crowe and Mark Greig. Intermittently, I used previous work of mine that appeared in the London Daily Telegraph and on Cricinfo, a fine place, so thanks are due there as well.
A life in cricket is a great privilege.
Mark Nicholas
London, August 2016
About the author
Mark Nicholas captained Hampshire for the best part of twelve summers, passing 1000 runs in a season on ten occasions, making 36 first-class hundreds and leading the county to four titles. He also captained England A in nine unofficial Test matches.
Mark went on to become a presenter and commentator with Sky TV, Channel 4 (whose coverage won three BAFTA awards) and now Channel 5 in the UK. He has been a fixture on Channel Nine’s cricket coverage in Australia since the summer of 2003–04. For sixteen years he was a sports feature writer with the London Daily Telegraph and had two spells in radio for talkSPORT. He has twice been named Sports Presenter of the Year by the Royal Television Society.
Mark has worked on other television programs, including the UK edition of Survivor and the cooking show Britain’s Best Dish.
For five months of the year he lives in Sydney and for the rest of the time in London.
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