Men’s One-day Cricket World Cup 1975-2023: three volume set of collector’s edition books launched

Three volume set of collector’s edition books

on all the 13 Men’s One-day Cricket World Cup tournaments 1975-2023

 (Commemorating the golden jubilee of the cricket World Cup 1975-2025)

by Indra Vikram Singh

A three volume set of collector’s edition books on all the 13 Men’s One-day Cricket World Cup tournaments has been launched. Written, designed and produced by Indra Vikram Singh, the books provide a panorama of the premier event in One-day cricket.

Published in the year 2025, this set commemorates the golden jubilee of the World Cup. It narrates a definitive history of the tournament, from its inception in 1975 till the previous edition in 2023. It has been written for the connoisseur as well as the novice, for the collector and the aficionado, for the journalist and the statistician, for the diehard and one with a passing interest in the game. It has something for everyone, and everything about World Cup cricket. It is easy to refer to and provides authentic information about every player, every match and every team, and carries photographs from some of the best professionals in the world. It provides highlights as well as sidelights, and brings to the fore the stars, the nail-biting finishes, the drama and controversy, even the momentary flashes of brilliance.

Featured are classic matches, 86 of the most exciting contests; and memorable performances, 102 brilliant individual feats by different players in various matches. The Hall of Fame sections showcase the exploits of 170 top players in the World Cup. These are all with breath-taking photographs, more than 400 of them, from the best professionals around the globe.

Those interested in numbers will find detailed statistics and records of all the 20 teams, and batting, bowling, allround, wicketkeeping, fielding and miscellaneous records. There are complete scorecards of all the 493 matches played, each tournament in a different colour combination. The batting and bowling averages, and fielding numbers, of all the 1222 players who appeared in the World Cup are incorporated, again each team in a different colour.

The Tailenders provide interesting snippets, the sidelights, lighter moments and trivia. And what is bound to delight the fan is a handwritten letter of Sir Donald Bradman received by the author in 1999. It is a collector’s item for the ages, something to be cherished for years, decades and generations.

The author and publisher express deep gratitude to Maharaja Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo for facilitating the sponsorship, to Mr. Anup Patnaik for co-ordinating with the sponsors; and to Mr. Pankaj Mohanty, Chairman, MGM Minerals Limited, and Mr. Prabodh Mohanty, Managing Director, SNM Group of Companies for so generously sponsoring these volumes. And finally a big round of applause and thanks to Mr. Brijmohan Singh for his exquisite typesetting and system designing, and M/s Pearl Printers for their fine printing job.

Volume 1: Cricket World Cup Odyssey 1975-2007

(edition 2 of ‘The Big Book of World Cup Cricket’ with some modifications)

Contents

Section 1 - Cricket World Cup: A Great Spectacle. This is a snapshot of each of the first nine tournaments played all round the globe, including review, the commercial aspect, sponsorship, logos, mascots and prize money.

Section 2 - Classic Matches. 49 of the most exciting contests.

Section 3 - Memorable Performances. 51 brilliant individual feats by different players in various matches.

Section 4 - Hall of Fame. Match-by match World Cup performances of 75 top players who appeared in these nine tournaments, from Clive Lloyd to Sourav Ganguly, and also comprising interviews with Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. 

Section 5 - Scorecards of all the 303 matches in World Cup 1975 to 2007.

Section 6 - Tailenders: sidelights, lighter moments and trivia.

Handwritten letter of Sir Donald Bradman received by the author in 1999.

Around 225 photographs from the world’s best photographers and agencies.

428 pages.                                        

Size 8.5 inches x 11 inches, on art paper with hard cover and jacket.

ISBN 978-81-967423-9-3  

Volume 2: Cricket World Cup Hat-trick of Home Wins

India 2011   #   Australia 2015   #   England 2019

Contents

Section 1 - Cricket World Cup: A Great Spectacle. This is a snapshot the 2011, 2015 and 2019 tournaments, all won by the host nations India, Australia and England respectively, including review, the commercial aspect, sponsorship, logos, mascots and prize money.

Section 2 - Classic Matches. 28 of the most exciting contests.

Section 3 - Memorable Performances. 36 brilliant individual feats by different players in various matches.

Section 4 - Hall of Fame. Match-by match World Cup performances of 53 top players who appeared in these three and earlier tournaments, from Sachin Tendulkar to Jofra Archer. 

Section 5 - Scorecards of all the 142 matches in World Cup 2011, 2015 and 2019.

Section 6 - Tailenders: sidelights, lighter moments and trivia.

Around 130 photographs from the world’s best photographers and agencies.

328 pages.

Size 8.5 inches x 11 inches, on art paper with hard cover and jacket.

ISBN 978-81-967423-5-5

Volume 3: Cricket World Cup 2023 A Final Twist

Contents

Section 1 - Cricket World Cup: A Great Spectacle. This is a snapshot of the 2023 tournament, including review, the commercial aspect, sponsorship, logos, mascots and prize money.

Section 2 - Classic Matches. 9 of the most exciting contests.

Section 3 - Memorable Performances. 15 brilliant individual feats by different players in various matches.

Section 4 - Hall of Fame. Match-by match World Cup performances of 42 top players who appeared in these three and earlier tournaments, from Virat Kohli to Rachin Ravindra. 

Section 5 - Statistics and Records of all the 13 World Cup tournaments from 1975 to 2023.

Section 6 - Scorecards of all the 48 matches in World Cup 2023.

Section 7 - Batting and Bowling Averages, and Fielding Records, of all the 1222 players who appeared in the World Cup from 1975 to 2023.

Section 8 - Tailenders: sidelights, lighter moments and trivia.

Around 75 photographs from the world’s best photographers and agencies.

372 pages.

Size 8.5 inches x 11 inches, on art paper with hard cover and jacket.

ISBN 978-81-967423-3-1

Published by Sporting Links, 2025

Distributed in India by Variety Book Depot, AVG Bhawan 1^st floor, M-3 Connaught Place (Middle Circle), New Delhi-110001, Phones +91 11 23417175, +91 11 23412567, +91 11 42707723, Email varietybookdepot@gmail.com 

Test Cricket after World War II, 1950s and 1960s - Top Wicketkeepers

 (29 March 1946 to 10 March 1970)

Godfrey Evans.

Wally Grout.

England’s Godfrey Evans became the first wicketkeeper to claim 200 victims, with 173 catches and 46 stumpings in his 91 Tests from 1946 to 1959, the highest tally in this period after World War II till March 1970. He was handy with the bat too, scoring 2439 runs at an average of 20.49, with a highest score of 104, and 2 hundreds and 8 fifties.  

The Australian Wally Grout was considered the best of his time. He effected 187 dismissals, pouching 163 catches and causing 24 stumpings, in his 51 Tests between 1957 and 1966. He could hold the willow competently, aggregating 890 runs at an average of 15.08 with a top score of 74, and 3 half-centuries.

Johnny Waite from South Africa held his own, literally, having a hand in 141 dismissals, comprising 124 catches and 17 stumpings in 50 Tests from 1951 to 1965. A reliable batsman, he hit up 2405 runs, averaging 30.44, with a best of 134 and 4 centuries and 16 fifties to his credit.

The English stumper Jim Parks was another with 100 victims to his name. He sent back batsmen 112 times with his 101 catches behind the stumps and 11 stumpings in 46 Tests between 1954 and 1968. In addition, he held two catches as a fielder. He was a fine batsman, totalling 1962 runs at 32.16 per innings, 108 not out being his best, and hit up 2 hundreds and 9 half-centuries.

Three wicketkeepers fell short of 100 dismissals. Australia’s Gilbert Langley had 98 dismissals to his name, made up of 83 catches and 15 stumpings from 1951 to 1956. He could be a useful batsmen when required, scoring 374 runs at an average of 14.96, with a highest of 53, his only half-century.

Imtiaz Ahmed of Pakistan dismissed 90 batsmen, 74 caught and 16 stumped, snapping up another 3 catches in the field. He added immense value with the willow, hitting up 2079 runs while averaging 29.28, a top score of 209, having struck 3 centuries and 11 fifties.

Gerry Alexander, representing the West Indies, also effected 90 dismissals, with 85 caught and 5 stumped. Aggressive with the willow, he totalled 961 runs at 30.03 per innings, with a highest of 108, his lone hundred and 7 half-centuries.

All these seven wicketkeepers with 90 dismissals and above played all their Test cricket in this era between 1946 and 1970.

No other wicketkeeper had more than 60 victims during this time, some of whom played in the following era. Of these, Alan Knott, Wasim Bari, Deryck Murray, Ken Wadsworth and Farokh Engineer went on to scale immense heights with the gloves and with the bat.