Playfair Cricket Annual 2006

Not as old as the Almanack - and thankfully a fraction of the weight - the Playfair Cricket Annual has become as much a part of the English summer as ... well ... the Almanack itself. For those hundreds of thousands who follow the English domestic game, it is a must-have, even more so in these days of Kolpak and football-frequency transfers between counties. The marking of the plethora of Kolpak players (who are not qualified for England even though they are English-qualified) makes a welcome return.

While the statistical information and international scorecards which were once so vital have in many ways been bypassed by the internet, the portability and price of the pocket-sized Playfair still means it represents excellent value.

One criticism is that it would be helpful if there were profiles on the potential tourists for the coming season. Space is not so much of an issue, and the most-likely 20 or so candidates would not go amiss. The same applies to the Scotland and Ireland squads who feature in this season's C&G Trophy. But these are minor omissions.

And Bill Frindall, the editor, has taken a leaf out of Wisden's Editor's Notes and addressed topical issues, not least in a stinging attack on the ICC and its "gross meddling" and "sheer greed". He has also unilaterally decided to ignore the matches in the unlamented Super Test and ODIs. One has a feeling that he might be joined by others in the coming years.

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