An England cricket tour is a unique phenomenon, with its own
pressures, challenges and remarkable highlights. It presents its
participants - shorn of the usual support networks they enjoy at
home - with a prolonged test of skill, physical stamina and mental
resilience. Now Simon Wilde, author of the acclaimed England: The
Biography, examines in The Tour the delicate chemistry that makes
for a successful tour and why others disintegrate so badly. Since
the 19th century, England has been sending its cricket teams around
the world to take on their rivals. Initially, these trips were
undertaken by boat, meaning players could be away for many months,
often in alien conditions. With air travel reducing journey time
and facilities much improved, the challenges still remain:
homesickness, isolation, hostile crowds - not to mention an
opposition determined to win at all costs. For some, the experience
can be too much, while others thrive in the heat and dust of
battle. The Tour looks at all aspects of the history of England's
cricketers abroad, including the burden placed on the captain, who
is expected to combine on-field acumen with the deft touch of an
ambassador off it. There have been diplomatic incidents aplenty,
from Douglas Jardine's Bodyline tactics to Len Hutton's tour of the
Caribbean, as well as the special pressures of playing in countries
such as India and Pakistan during periods of unrest. Touring has
never lost its romance. There have been serious scrapes, from court
cases to car crashes, but also much fun, whether joining in with
the Barmy Army or David Gower famously taking a Tiger Moth for a
spin. Wilde explains how this seemingly anachronistic activity has
been adapted from an instrument of imperial soft power to a
relentless cricket circus that never ends. Simon Wilde has once
again created a masterpiece of insight, information and
entertainment, an aspect of cricketing life that few will ever
forget: the tour.
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