Beyond a Boundary : A Remarkable Book and Bible of Cricketers

Beyond a Boundary : A  Remarkable Book and Bible of Cricketers.

Beyond a Boundary was first read by me in 1985 and read again and again in the gaps of two to three years. In last three days of March 2020, I have completed the same book again and enjoyed lot. This book was written by a one of the foremost thinkers who was devoted to the cricket. His name is Cyril Lionel Robert James popularly known as C L R James. This book is written on Cricket and its impact on writer’s life. It is not the history of Cricket but social impact of cricket in West Indies and England. He considered the Cricket is a form of art. Through this book , one can easily found that C L R James had understood the game in genuine way. He never considered the game according to its technique and also never ready to accept the game how it grappled with team dynamics, skill, psychological war between batsman and bowler and Batsman and fielders. Thus, he loved the game not as it was played but as it was lived. The English Poet Rudyard Kipling has said in his poem “The English Flag “:”What should they know of England who only England knows?” CLR revised the preface to, what do they Know of Cricket who only cricket know? A remarkable book to read.

From Yogesh Gogwekar

C L R James born on 4^th January 1901 and educated in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He understood the importance of role of cricket to his life and education. He disapproved his family attempt to follow the sporting life along with his academic career. He was educated on the pitches of the Queens Park Oval of Trinidad. After University, he played first class cricket for a year in Trinidad league. In 1932 , CLR went to England to join most successful cricketer of Lancashire League, Learie Constantine. He earn his bread and butter, he started writing as cricket correspondent of Manchester Guardian and helped Learie Constantine to write his autobiography Cricket and I.  At the time of going to England CLR carried the manuscript of his first book, ‘The case for West Indian Self-Government” which was published in 1932 and had tremendous impact on Caribbean nationalism.

Beyond a Boundary was first published in 1963. It is a personal memoir and a social commentary of cricket. This book starts with history of his family and impact of cricket on every family member. CLR is also discussing of his personal experiences with some of the great West Indian Cricket players like George John, Wilton St Hill and Learie Constantine. He has mentioned the importance of sport in social history of the world. For that purpose, he has gone back to Greek roots , to the Olympic games and the Athenian drama. He has highlighted the contributions of Thomas Arnold and Tom Hughes in creating Graces’ achievement. He also mentioned the complex interaction of race and politics in West Indian Cricket at the time of selection of team and Captains. 

Beyond the Boundary is a work of magisterial analysis of the role played by sport in the making of modern world. According to historian Ramchandra Guha, It is a autobiography, an account of one man’s life long engagement with game of cricket, And it is literature, a piece of writing crafted with care and love , a work that captures with subtlety all the moods of human experience: happiness , humour, triumph, despair and tragedy.

To read the Beyond the Boundary, you need not have to be a cricket fan as it explains the basic rules of the game; but must read by die-hard of cricket lover. It is a part of writer’s memoir and part of the history of West Indian cricketer. A must read for die-hard Cricket fans. A part of his Memoir and a part of the history of the West Indies Cricket made an engrossing read. It is a classy work written in excellent English with beautiful narration. It is one of the finest books I have ever read. After reading this book, you will realise that Cricket resembles a lot with life. It is a great book.

I will end up this writing with wording of great Commentator and writer on cricket. He is nothing but John Arlott. In Wisden, he wrote that 1963 has been marked by the publication of a cricket book so outstanding as to compel any reviewer to check his adjectives several times before he describes it and, since he is likely to be dealing in superlatives, to measure them carefully to avoid over-praise – which this book does not need … in the opinion of the reviewer, it is the finest book written about the game of cricket. He further said that this book is nothing but the Cricketers’ Bible. 

It is a book of remarkable richness which expands our understanding about the game.

Mumbai

25/03/2020