Cricket’s development linked to railway expansion, book states
4 reported
A new book titled "Full Circle: A History of Cricket" by Richard Heller and Peter Oborne argues that railways played a central role in the development of cricket, enabling national competition in every current Test-playing nation except the West Indies and Afghanistan. The authors note that railway workers later helped export cricket to Scotland, Wales, and beyond into Britain's formal and informal commercial empires. They also highlight enduring railway-based teams, including a team in Pakistan that achieved cricket's most comprehensive first-class victory. The book additionally states that as recently as 1945, 98 percent of Australians had their family origins in Great Britain or Ireland.
What’s reported
Railways are described as a "golden thread" in cricket history, making national competition possible in all current Test-playing nations except the West Indies and Afghanistan.
Railway workers later acted as exporters of cricket to Scotland, Wales, and Britain's formal and informal commercial empires.
Enduring railway-based teams exist, including one in Pakistan that won cricket's most comprehensive first-class victory.
According to the book, as recently as 1945, 98 percent of Australians had family origins in Great Britain or Ireland.
Key figures
Richard Heller (co-author of "Full Circle: A History of Cricket")
Peter Oborne (co-author of "Full Circle: A History of Cricket")
Sources: marginalrevolution.com
