BUY ISSUE 100
Released on August 27, we celebrate the milestone by reflecting on the seismic shocks and shifts of the 21st century and present the 10 most consequential cricketers since the turn of the millennium, as voted for by our expert panel of writers and broadcasters from across the globe.
John Stern then tees up our list of 100 changes the game has experienced over the last quarter century, from batting to bowling, technology to the media, and much, much more.
We also have an exclusive interview with Jacob Bethell, who sits down with Ben Gardner to discuss a "chaotic 12 months" and reflect on his burgeoning England career.
Our columnists are in great nick, Andrew Miller analysing the appointments of Stephen Fleming and Joe Root as England's Test side looks to get back on track, Lawrence Booth paying tribute to the great Sir Garfield Sobers, and Daniel Norcross revealing the trials and tribulations of commentating on The Hundred.
We speak to Mark Alleyne about the Gloucestershire glory days, Zaheer Abbas about the pair of glasses that changed his life and Sam Billings, captain of Trent Rockets, is our guest diarist in the month that he reached his fourth consecutive Hundred final.
There's also heaps of county cricket as the domestic season reaches its crescendo, with Raf Nicholson picking out the biggest stories from the women's game.
You can buy the magazine in stores across the UK (click here to find your nearest stockist) or purchase a subscription here.
Wisden Cricket Monthly is also available in digital form. You can purchase single issues or sign up for a subscription here.
"The main thing that I'm striving for going forward is to do that day in, day out. Watching someone like Rooty, how he performs for us in two formats. He's a banker, and I want to become like that."
Jacob Bethell speaks to Ben Gardner about his career so far and where he wants to get to
"As a hard-bitten leader of an often-outgunned New Zealand team, Fleming was the leader who walked so that his successors could run – which might not be a terrible template for England to follow."
Andrew Miller reacts to Stephen Fleming's appointment as England men's Test head coach
"Sobers might occasionally have wondered how much he would have made had he been born 40 years later, and in that he is not alone among his generation of West Indian cricketers. Yet his loss was cricket’s gain."
Lawrence Booth considers how Sir Garfield Sobers would have navigated the game in the modern, T20-dominated era
"He didn’t need validation from the cognoscenti: the social, spiritual and especially financial rewards of franchise cricket were more than enough. And he still found time to win two T20 World Cups."
Rob Smyth on Chris Gayle, one of WCM's 10 most consequential cricketers of the 21st century
"The consequence of these directives, however well-meant, has been that commentators both on radio and TV frequently stumble over their words in an attempt to toe the Hundred line, which makes for a less comfortable audience experience and potentially fuels criticism that the competition isn’t ‘proper cricket’."
Daniel Norcross on commentating on The Hundred
"The men and women’s tournaments are equal parts together. As the father of a little girl, it’s a really viable option for young girls now to say, “Yeah, I want to play cricket”. You can’t get my daughter out of her Trent Rockets t-shirt."
Sam Billings, who reached his fourth consecutive Hundred final, is this month's guest diarist
"With due respect to the great Marais Erasmus, a jolly soul who evidently spends much of his job quietly recalling the best farts he did in school, there’s a deep absence of umpires with a bit about them."
Phil Walker bids farewell to what the game has lost in the 21st century
"It began innocuously enough, but as he reflected on his Yorkshire career the conversation took a dark turn. 'I had a captain who was openly racist,' said Rafiq. Taha Hashim's interview would prove to be the catalyst for one of the biggest cricket stories of the 21st century."
Jo Harman-McGowan reflects on WCM's first 100 issues
"As my reputation grew, even national leaders became interested in solving what they saw as the problem. Pakistan’s prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto arranged specialist medical advice and encouraged me to try contact lenses."
Zaheer Abbas on the pair of glasses that changed his life
"I want to show that as a black coach I can be effective and impact teams. I feel that responsibility quite strongly. It’s kept me in coaching."
Mark Alleyne on his life in the game
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