Wisden Cricket Monthly - Issue 97
In the latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, out May 14, we speak to England keeper Jamie Smith about his bruising Ashes tour, family life and rediscovering the best version of himself.
“Definitely a top-order player,” says Smith when asked about his long-term role in the Test side. “Every time I’ve got a bat in my hand, I feel like that’s where I belong.”
As we look forward to next month’s New Zealand Test series, the recalled Ollie Robinson opens up to Phil Walker about his past struggles, Andrew Alderson reveals the secrets behind the Black Caps’ pace factory, and we consider the make-up of England’s line-up in the wake of their Ashes defeat.
Elsewhere, we have all the domestic news in County Files, with Raf Nicholson reporting on the biggest stories from the women’s game in her new regular feature. New columnist Daniel Norcross laments the Championship’s April run shower, Andrew Miller ponders what the last act of Ben Stokes’ career might look like, and Lawrence Booth says it’s naive to think the county game can solve all England’s problems.
Katya Witney explores the legacy of the 2017 Women’s World Cup and how this summer’s World Cup can learn from past mistakes, Jo Harman-McGowan revisits the controversial 2004 deal which took live Test cricket off free-to-air in the UK, and Cameron Ponsonby asks if the new Knight-Stokes Cup can redress the imbalance at the heart of English cricket.
We also have exclusive interviews with England batter-turned-selector Lydia Greenway and Ashes winner Jake Weatherald, while Test call-up Emilio Gay details his month in ‘The Diary’.
