When I saw that The Atlantic had a feature on “The Greatest Sports Book Ever Written” in its October edition I thought, well, that’s nice but I daresay they really mean “The Greatest Sports Book Ever Written That Isn’t About Cricket.” Be wary of your assumptions. turns out I underestimated the Atlantic’s taste and perspicacity. For, lo, there it is: a fine piece by Joseph O’Neill explaining why CLR James’ Beyond A Boundary is an important work – though a mystifying one should you have no knowledge of the greatest game of them all.
O’Neill concludes that it’s sad that Beyond A Boundary is off-limits to Americans. But I’m not so sure that’s the case. I’m generally a fan of globalisation, but I draw a line in the sand when it comes to cricket.
In this instance big bucks means worse sport, corrupting the very attributes that make cricket cricket in an effort to turn it into just another leisure activity or commodity.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in