'I was helping players write the book they wouldn't otherwise write' - Gideon Haigh on The Summer Game

We talk to journalist and historian Gideon Haigh about The Summer Game - his classic book recently republished by 81allout Publishing.

Gideon talks about the largely forgotten 1950s and '60s, and fascinating stories he heard from many who nourished the game – at a time when the financial rewards were minimal and when the game itself saw some fallow times.

India (hardback) | India (paperback) | India (e-copy)

Australia (paperback, e-copy)

USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

Talking Points:

The idea for The Summer Game - an outgrowing from The Cricket War
How post-war period opened up Australian cricket to the rest of the world
The tragic end to Ian Meckiff's career - and what he recalled of it many years on
Robert Menzies' role in Australian cricket through his primership
The discontent of the '50s and '60s setting the stage for World Series Cricket
The poignant story of Pat Crawford - who disappeared from the face of cricket
The staggering popularity of the West Indies tourists in 1960-61
Richie Benaud's punctilious image management - and his precise writing
The ebullient Benaud who ruffled feathers as a player and journalist
Neil Harvey's legacy in Australian cricket
Australia's tours to South Africa in the 1960s - and their attitude to discrimination
Bill Lawry's reaction to the news that he was dropped from the Australian side

Participants:

Gideon Haigh

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Books Discussed:

Gideon Haigh's books - gideonhaigh.com
Cricket War - Gideon Haigh - Amazon
Bowler non grata - Brydon Coverdale meets Ian Meckiff - The Cricket Monthly
The Lucky Country - Donald Horne - Amazon
Beyond a Boundary - CLR James - Amazon
The Summer of '49 - David Halberstam - Amazon
The Fifties - David Halberstam - Amazon
The Tale of Two Tests - Richie Benaud - Amazon