Anyone know any good books, movies, comics etc about cricket?

[nxylas]

I am a writer and, without wanting to give too much away about a work in progress, I have a story idea that involves a character who is passionate about cricket. The trouble is, I have little interest in the game (I'm not much of a sports fan at all, to tell you the truth, so changing it to a different sport wouldn't help much, and my gut instinct tells me the story wouldn't work as well with, say, soccer or rugby) and it's hard to communicate a passion you don't feel. Can anyone recommend a book, movie or whatever that would help me get inside the head of a cricket lover? The best I've been able to come up with is things like Lagaan that aren't really about cricket as such, they tend to use it as a metaphor for people who have suffered under the British imperial yoke throwing off their colonial oppressors. My story takes place in England, so this theme has little relevance to it.

Better still, if you're a cricket fan yourself (I know this is a mostly US forum, but it's worth a shot), tell me what it is that attracts you to the game. All help gratefully received.

[malthaussen]

1. Only cricket books I know are

Raffles of the MCC and Flashman's Lady, in each cricket has only a minor, but important, role.

The game is incomprehensible to most Americans. But there are quite a number of British sporting writers who discuss the game. You could probably find a few good references in Flashman's Lady, however, as the author, the late George MacDonald Fraser, was scrupulous in documenting his books.

-- Mal

[getting old in mke]

2. Lagaan at least gives you Bollywood dancing... (nt)

[anakie]

3. Many

Most if not all previous Australian captains have books - try especially Steve Waugh. The comedy side is covered by Kerry O'keefe and Max Walker (not captains), Glenn McGrath whose cricket career was intertwined with his wife's struggle with breast cancer and the setting up of the McGrath Foundation; Shane Warne, Australia's greatest bowler.

[Yavin4]

4. Funny, You Should Ask

Two nights ago, I saw fantastic sports documentary on ESPN called, "Fire in Babylon". It's about West Indies Cricket teams in the 70s and 80s, and how they came to dominate the sport. It was truly fantastic:

[TZ]

5. Oh yeah I heard this is good

I work with a couple of big cricket fans and they really enjoyed this.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I can't think of many

There's a pre-war Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes, in which a running joke is that 2 Englishmen are more worried about getting back to London in time for the match against Australia than that their train is being targeted by Nazis because they have to stop a British spy. But that is a bit old.

You might try reading the over-by-over commentaries The Guardian, the Telegraph and the BBC do (for those who are at work, or don't have a satellite TV subscription). An England v. South Africa 5 day match just started today, and in between describing the actual match, they deal with emails and tweets readers send in.

Or you might try to get hold of The Best Views From the Boundary - a compilation of 30 interviews of celebrity cricket fans, that the BBC does in lunch breaks. How easy that would be in the USA, I don't know.

[joeybee12]

7. Watch any british mystery television show...

They almost always work cricket in there...probably not as much information as you need, though.