Overview

Oborne and Heller trace the origins of cricket as a commercial entertainment through its evolution to a form of moral improvement and tool of empire, and argue that cricket today – dominated by the Indian Premier League’s wealth and scale – has come full circle. From Australia to the Caribbean to Afghanistan, they explore the way cricket developed across the globe, examining its role in colonialism, education and politics; where it flourished and where it failed to take root.  In its earliest forms in the 18th century, cricket was a commercial entertainment, a vehicle for gambling alongside cock-fighting or wrestling. In the Victorian era, the sport was rejuvenated as a means of keeping order in England’s public schools and increasingly became linked with ideas of virtue and manliness. Exported by empire loyalists abroad, cricket took root across the globe – wildly successfully in some countries, indelibly linked with racism and violence in others, and failing to thrive in certain regions. At all times, the authors argue, cricket either evolves or dies. Today, the monetisation of cricket suggests it has returned to its original purpose – less a sport or selfmythologising value system than a commercial enterprise to be ruthlessly exploited.

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9781783969449

Table of Contents

Reviews

‘This encyclopaedic journey through the history of the game confirms the romanticism of cricket’s self-anointed purists as completely delusional, if not outright dishonest.’ Fazeer Mohammed, cricket commentator and journalist   ‘A proper, meaty history, independent in perspective, global in its sweep and trenchant in its judgements.’ Gideon Haigh ‘This is a deeply impressive work, a truly global history of cricket, that draws on a wide range of sources and is itself elegantly written. This is both sports history and social history, as Hellner and Oborne analyze the influence of class, gender, race and empire on how cricket has been played in different times and different places. The book is celebratory when required, yet does not shirk from drawing attention to the darker side of cricket (and of some well-known cricketers). Full Circle deserves, and shall surely get, a wide readership among cricket fans all across the globe.’ Ramachandra Guha, author of The Commonwealth of Cricket ‘A remarkable account of cricket’s fascinating journey from its origins, capturing all major events which have shaped the game and its governance, to the present day.’ Ehsan Mani, former President of the ICC ‘Original, informed and beautifully concise, this most readable general history moves beyond tired colonial tropes and conventions to help us understand the dynamic changes the global game has experienced in the past 100 years.’ Professor André Odendaal, author of The Story of an African Game and project co-ordinator of The History of South African Cricket Retold, 1795-2025 series

Author Information

Richard Heller was a long-serving columnist on the Mail on Sunday and then The Times, and is the author of two cricket novels. A strong devotee of Pakistani cricket, he and Oborne are the co-authors of White On Green (2016) and during lockdown launched the popular podcast, Oborne & Heller On Cricket.  Peter Oborne is an award-winning writer, journalist and broadcaster. His biography of Basil D’Oliveira won the William Hill Prize in 2004. His book on Pakistani cricket, Wounded Tiger, was Wisden’s book of the year in 2014. His political writing includes The Rise of Political Lying (2005) and the Sunday Times bestseller The Assault on Truth (2021). He has worked for newspapers including the Spectator, the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph, and he now writes for Open Democracy and Middle East Eye.

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