How I Taught Michael Slater To Play Cricket

'I am delighted this remarkable man has chosen to share his unique coaching secrets' - Michael Slater How I Taught Michael Slater to Play Cricketis far more than an ordinary coaching manual; it is a book as innovative, passionate and opinionated as the man himself. Full of tips and tactics, this comprehensive and detailed handbook covers everything from batting basics to building an inning, from game strategies on and off the field to those one per cent factors which can mean the difference between a good player and a great one. Features include: Illustrated drills for right and left-handers: those batting, bowling and fielding drills that Wazza uses in his own clinics working with everyone from elite players to kids from the bush Advice on warm-ups and practice, equipment and fitness Coaching girls and women Answers to the curliest questions: Should a coach be a selector? Should a batsman walk? Is there room in the game for verbals and sledging? Why are most cricket teams captained by batsmen? What is the ideal batting order? And why does Warren have a bicycle in the dressing room? Learning from the stars: Warren analyses the games of the world s greatest players old and new.

A cricketer as exciting as any on his day tearing apart opposing teams with skill, grace and a smile on his face. Raised mainly by his father after his mother left the family, in sports-mad Wagga Wagga, Michael Slater made his mark early in school boy cricket and hockey. Just after entering the Australian Cricket Academy he was hit by a car whilst out riding a pushbike and spent the next 12 months struggling to overcome his injuries. In 1990 at the age of 20 he was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (a form of reactive arthritis affecting the spine) a fact he kept to himself until it forced him into retirement in June 2004. Controversy, and the media, dogged him as his marriage to his childhood sweetheart broke down and he received accusations of drug-taking, adultery and a nightclub lifestyle. No matter what else he was up to Slats has always been a batsman to watch. He shares the complete story of his life including his struggles with his insecurities and mental health, his relationships with the Waugh brothers, Tubby Taylor, Gillie, Boony, the selectors, red ferraris, his childhood sweetheart and the ACB.

He was the greatest batsman of his generation and, as captain, possessed the sharpest tactical mind in the game. Bursting onto the scene in 2004 with a Test century on debut, Michael Clarke was Australian cricket's golden boy. And the batting prodigy they nicknamed 'Pup' certainly fulfilled his destiny in a stellar 11-year international career of 115 Tests, 8643 runs and 28 centuries. Clarke's rollercoaster four-year reign as Test captain was marked as much by bravery as brilliance - a 5-0 whitewash of England in 2013-14, the 2015 World Cup triumph, and a ten-hour unbeaten 161, batting with a broken shoulder to lead Australia back to the #1 world ranking in 2014. Yet Michael Clarke also sparked fiercer debate than any other Australian sports star. For a decade his personal life, career fortunes and controversies - real or imagined - were splashed across front pages and scrutinised. Was he simply a hard-working, western suburbs kid living every Aussie boy's dream? Or a 21st century cricketer mired in all the trappings of celebrity? In the echo chamber of social media, the truth about Michael Clarke was warped, then lost. Clarke's enigma deepened but he kept his mouth shut and his dignity intact, knowing the chance to tell his extraordinary story would finally come. And now it has. My Story is the real Michael Clarke, standing up and speaking out for the first time. Bucking the conventions of traditional biography to go hard at the big issues, Clarke speaks fearlessly and poignantly about the scandals, rumours and explosive moments of his life; revealing the amazing truths, private pain and personal triumphs that no one realised. It's the incredible story of a remarkable Australian you never really knew. Until now.

Alex Blackwell lived and breathed our national sport of cricket for thirty years. Starting as a kid, she spent her childhood and teen years playing and competing with her identical twin, Kate, who was equally devoted to the bat and ball. But it was Alex who went on to consolidate a spot in the national side, eventually rising to the captaincy, notching up an eye-watering list of sporting achievements and earning her a name as one of the greats of the game. But life off field brought challenges of its own. From her professional debut, Alex was unafraid to call out hypocrisy and go in to battle against the traditional hierarchies of the game. Speaking out and becoming a passionate advocate for women and LGBTIQ+ people in sport won her many fans and much respect, but it didn't come without a price. Fair Game is an unflinching account of life in Australia's most loved sporting team, told by one of its most lauded members. It reveals not only the extreme dedication and skill it takes to be the best, but also how it feels to be on the outer - even as one of the game's most decorated players. Representing Australia 251 times across Tests, one day internationals and T20 matches, no woman in history has played more matches for the Australian Women's cricket team than Alex Blackwell. And no one knows better both the extreme highs and devastating lows that come with playing this majestic but at times brutal game at the highest level.