“Women in the longroom, black people captaining the Windies and blogs in Wisden, it’s just not cricket.”

I think it’s necessary for cricket to have independent and unedited opinion, plus dick jokes.

Bloggers don’t often stumble across little unknown nuggets, but when they do, they’ll publish them.

The best example of this is happening right now.

This isn’t some fake IPL bullshit, this is the real deal.

The website is Wicbexpose.

It is essentially wikileaks just about the WICB.

On it you can find out that the Jamaican Cricket Association credit card was used for 700,000 on Burger King.

How Conde Riley declared he was resigning, but never actually resigned.

Ottis Gibson’s bullet points on why Chris Gayle is too stupid to captain.

And so many other little juicy tidbits that I am sure the WICB doesn’t want aired.

Before this I didn’t even know cricket administracrats are Burger King.

It’s brilliant blogging, and if I were to write a piece on blogs for next years Wisden, it would definitely get a mention even if it doesn’t post another post.

That’s what I love about blogs, that freedom to take the piss and say what you feel, if in this case you seem to be getting fed sensitive information daily, it makes it even more exciting.

The blogs I mentioned in Wisden this year were the old batsman, paddlesweep, bored cricket crazy indians, last of the summer whine, night watch girl, sacricketblog, the corridor, short of a length, the cricket watcher’s journal, cricket action art, ducking beamers, play for country not for self, thoughts from the dustbin, fantasy bob and if you can hack illegally through the times paywall there is cricket central.

Quite often when I’m on a podcast or doing test match sofa I’ll use a story and when I think about it I’ve heard it first on History of Cricket.

After the Ashes he wrote a piece on what is wrong with Australian cricket.

After the Ashes the last thing I wanted to do was read what someone else had written about a series and system I had just lived, plus I had a book to write.

The history of cricket tab remained open because I knew I would get to it eventually.

Last night I read it, and while it is far from a complete history of the recent Australian fuck ups (Stuart probably doesn’t have time for that), it is a thorough examination of what is wrong from every level of Australian cricket.

I don’t agree with all of it, but I agree with it more than I would with almost anything else and I don’t think you’ll get many better researched or clearer written pieces on how Australia went wrong. I don’t care who writes it.

My favourite section is on the fans:

It was amusing to read comments from current and former players, as well as support staff and Cricket Australia, criticizing the fans’ reaction to Australia’s poor performances. Evidently, the fans are meant to never voice their disapproval when things are going wrong. Instead, they are just meant to blindly support the national side, regardless of how they are going. While supporters should remain loyal to their side, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t recognise obvious problems. True supporters of Australian cricket need to make sure that they continue to loudly voice their disapproval of the current system that needs overhauling. Otherwise, no changes will be made, the slide down the rankings will continue, and Cricket Australia will ultimately face ever more problems in attracting the ‘fair weather fans’ away from the rival football codes.

Stuart covers the media, players, coaching, CA and selectors.  Unlike me he never gets angry or pissy, and never makes cheap jokes about Michael Beer getting picked from a bus station.

If you’re interested in Australian cricket, I’d suggest it is a must read.

All proceeds from the book go to a scholarship for Afghan youth cricket. So that one day they will embarrass your country in a world cup.

The book itself veers in content from ‘Zombie Bradman’ to ‘Life in the Ladies’ Locker Room’, with the obligatory homage to Tendulkar in between. We also have our hotly anticipated Team of the Year, along with Diary of a Cricket Widow.

Buy the book here (UK, £6.75):
Buy the book here (USA, $11.70):

The proceeds from each book can buy six boxes for Afghan cricketers. That’s 12 pairs of testicles you’re offering safety, security and comfort to, for every book that you buy.

Sure, you could use your money on buying novelty t shirts or hardcore porn, but save some for this as well.

But the dude clearly has a lot of information about test batsmen.

It is all about the best batsmen ever.

If you like long intellectual arguments comparing Hutton to Lara then you might like this.

Or you might want to kill yourself afterwards.

I think it is worth the trip over there so you can read the first comment.

Enjoy.

I found this at the newest picture cricket blog, planet durham.

It isn’t just about Durham, I promise.

To vote in the rest of the categories go here.

Oh, and Merry Christmas, or Hanukkah, or merry Friday.

Have the best Friday you can have, I’ll be back on Boxing day.

They turned to me.

That is nice of them.

If you want to hear it click here.

If you listen to the whole thing you are a braver person than I am. We talk about my book, coaching, family and christmas.

I tend to waffle on stuttering my way through long analogies I have forgotten the point of.

But I do bag Greg Chappell’s coaching.

I had trouble getting it to work in firefox as well, just try another browser if that is the case.

PS: If anyone does listen to the bit where I talk about Victorian legspinners, the player I meant was Craig Howard. If you are reading, Craig, sorry. Can’t believe I forgot your name.

Not sure how it happened, or why it happened.

But there we are, sitting at number ten, all snug between king cricket and after grog blog.

Not a bad place to be.

If you do visit the list you’ll see what a truly international list it is. Websites from all over England, New Zealand and Australia have been selected.

EDIT:

Now Aggers as linked to my site.

Somehow I have been accepted into the loving bosom of the English cricket community.

Ofcourse I am still the sweaty unwashed stable boy who they only play with on occasion.

It has alot of pro Swanny and Bumble photo shoppings, and heaps of anti- ColVile photos.

The main feature of the site is obviously the cricket with balls section.

Get over there.