Bøker av Andrew Murtagh

In March 1977, England cricket captain Tony Greig was arguably the most famous and popular sportsman in the country, and the best all-rounder in world cricket. He had recently led England to a famous series victory in India, her first successful campaign on the subcontinent since the Second World War. Then he had conjured a doughty performance from his travel-weary troops in the dramatic, one-off Centenary Test in Melbourne, narrowly losing by 45 runs. Within weeks, though, his reputation was in tatters. He was branded a traitor and mercenary, stripped of the England captaincy and excluded from the national side. He was also relieved of the Sussex captaincy and banned from first-class cricket for eight weeks. His involvement in the controversial 'Packer Revolution' had caused his fall from grace. Soon afterwards, he left England for good for a commentary career in Australia. At 6ft 7in, Greig was a giant of the game both figuratively and literally. His life story is every bit as fascinating as the controversy that engulfed him.

After a career playing for Hampshire, cut short by injury, John Holder, an immigrant from Barbados, turned his hand to umpiring. In 27 years, he officiated in 11 Tests and 23 one-day internationals. A Test of Character throws an interesting light on the job of an international umpire, with all its pressures, controversies and prejudices.

Colin Cowdrey is remembered for the elegance of his strokeplay, but there was much more to this complex man than a classical cover drive. His successes were numerous: 114 Test matches, 22 Test hundreds, and 100 first-class centuries. There was controversy and disappointment too - and, later, a leading role in cricket administration.