ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2009

Foreword by M. J. K. Smith, OBE President of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians I hold my hand up and say that I had no real idea of much of the work of the Association until I was asked to become President. Most players have some interest in statistics, if only because they may appear in them themselves - averages and tour records for example. I certainly came into that category, although my knowledge would not have made me favourite in any pub quiz. So it was a pleasure to have the opportunity of joining and meeting ‘the pros’. In particular I have enjoyed the biographies ACS members have produced. Biographies of excellent cricketers, but not necessarily those who would always be mentioned in the top records of Test cricket. Many overseas players fell into that category, but do not necessarily get a mention in Wisden . Future generations will be interested in their performances and this new Annual will, I have no doubt, make a great contribution to putting their performances down in context and keeping the record up to date for the future. The game has been established in the UK for so many years. It has been a major subject in our sporting history and we are well served by the records in print which go back to the earliest days. The outstanding player in achieving this record has been Wisden , still very much engaged in providing an excellent record season by season of the game over here, from school to Test match. Although Wisden inevitably concentrates on the game in the UK, there is coverage of Tests in other countries, but little on the overseas first-class game below international level. The game is expanding internationally with Bangladesh being the latest country accorded Test match status. And the popularity and development of the limited-over game has extended the boundaries with the first World Cup and more recently the Twenty20 World Cup, both men’s and women’s. Limited-over games will have their own supporters, but whatever lies ahead it is difficult to envisage the tail wagging the dog and players making their name for example in Twenty20 before progressing to Test cricket rather than vice versa. But without doubt each will feed from the other. The Association has appreciated that there very definitely is a gap in the recording of first-class matches world-wide. This first Annual will contain full scores of over 600 first-class games, co-ordinated through the ruling administrative bodies. We have all heard of the Ranji Trophy and the Sheffield Shield, but not so many of the Logan Cup games in Zimbabwe or the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea National Cricket League in Bangladesh – now you have! I take my hat off to all the contributors to the Annual. Once it is off and running it should be a little easier to pull together. It will be a comprehensive record – international in its scope and a real contribution to the history of the game, which gives us all so much pleasure. M. J. K. Smith President Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians July 2009 5