Frith on Cricket: Half a Century of Writing by David Frith

Frith on Cricket: Half a Century of Writing by David Frith

“He writes with care and judgment”, these are the words of well-known Cricket commentators and writer John Arlott about David Frith and one can check the validity of these words at the time of reading the book Frith on Cricket. Frith on Cricket is nothing but the broad collections on the history of cricket, cricketers and controversies written by one of the doyens of cricket writers, David Edward John Frith. It is the selection of best of the articles written on cricket right from his school days till the year 2009. It is the creation of a wonderful cricket anthology. It is a unique well researched document which will be helpful to know the history of the game with its colourful personalities and controversies for the last forty years which has been written by painstaking historians, passionate collectors, striving players and trenchant editorialists. Through this author has proved his ability of forward-looking  

From Yogesh Gogwekar

David Frith was born on 16th March 1937 in Gloucester Place, near Lords, in London. In 1949, his family shifted to Sydney, Australia. After completing his school education from Canterbury Boys High school in 1954, he joined as a copy-boy for Daily Mirror and later on in Commonwealth bank. He played his early cricket with St. George Club and then Paddington.  In 1964, he returned back to England. Again in 1971, after the death of his mother, he returned back to Australia for a short period and returned to the United Kingdom to become deputy editor of the periodical The Cricketer and very soon became its editor. He founded a monthly magazine in June 1979 and started editing it till February 1996. In 1988, he was honoured by British Sport Journalism as Magazine Sport writer of the Year. 

David Frith is one of the greatest living cricket writers. He has written 37 books extensively on Cricket for almost 50 years and also published and also written in countless magazines and Newspapers. All his writings are exceptionally well researched documents about the game right from the year 1899 till the Modern Era of Cricket.  From his school days, he has decided to do sports journalism, especially in Cricket. His best work is biographies of Andrew Ernest Stoddert who played international Cricket and rugby for England and Ross Gregory who had played Cricket for Australia.

Frith on Cricket is a selection of the best writings of David Frith. This book is chronological in order in which each article follows to the next in such a way where readers can simply dip into it. Each article in this book is nothing but the events of particular times which have been edited according to the current situation. It is not just a series of essays.  It varies in format.  It gives the information about the test matches, arguments with Don Bradman, his visit to the Madam Tussauds to see the waxworks of cricketers, condemning fast bowling brutality of West Indians fast bowlers.  It gives insights into the radio and TV Commentators. He also provided details of legends like Wilfred Rods and Fast bowler Eddie Gilbert.  He has mentioned his views of ladies Cricket, South Africa issue and match fixing happened under the Captaincy of Hansie Cronje, controversial decisions of umpires and campaigned to have video umpiring decisions to enjoy proper Cricket and also on malpractices like ball tampering.

In one of the articles, he commented on India for showing poor performances in two world cups of 1975 and 1979. He said that India should withdraw from the world cup but took his words back after India’s performance in the World Cup 1983. He has written one article about the best six Indian players in 2003 who have played great innings against Australia in India and Australia. He consistently requested the ICC to keep entrepreneurs and politicians away from the game to save the game. He has criticized the twenty-twenty cricket and asking ICC to focus more on Test matches and one day internationals to keep the quality of game.

John Charles Woodcock, a former cricket Correspondent has written in his forward to this book,” “No-one can have steeped himself in cricket more assiduously or with more singular intent than David Frith. This selection of his writings is sure to win him new admirers”.

Thus, Frith on Cricket is a wide-ranging book. It has covered every aspect of the game. It is an ultimate cricket anthology. I insist cricket lovers read this wonderful book on cricket and end my writing about this book with quotes from Don Bradman about David Frith.

“Thank goodness the cricket world has always thrown up men like David Frith, who seems to regard a contribution to cricket history as a duty of mankind”.

Do not miss to read this book

Mumbai

12/07/2020