Top 20 Non-Fiction Books Based on Cricket

Despite many differences, there’s one thing that ties us all together - Cricket. It is a religion for many, and when the match is on, everyone stops doing their work. 

Whether or not you play cricket, this sport makes you feel like a part of the team. With the T20 World Cup going on and the crowd going wild, we thought that this would be the perfect time for many cricket lovers to learn about the sport and about its well-known players.

The below list of books includes biographies and autobiographies that span the time of Indian as well as international cricket team’s experience, and the change both of them have been through; written by cricket players themselves in the hope of sharing their experiences with their fans along with many works from columnists who have studied the sport as experts.  

1. 1971: The Beginning of India’s Cricketing Greatness by Boria Majumdar & Gautam Bhattacharya

1971 was a game-changer for India, quite literally. The Indian Cricket team was hardworking and talented. Still, their winnings were particularly erratic; when they won against the West Indies in the test match series and then against England, everyone was astonished. 

It changed the whole face of history, and Cricket has never been the same since. So it would be a wonderful call-back moment to read this thrilling book of those good old days of the Indian Cricket team. You can find the book here.

2. AB: The Autobiography by AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is known for his fine batsman work in the world of cricket, and this is his story. In his autobiography, he talks about how he is so close and humbled by all the love he gets, how he made his first international debut at the age of twenty and dealt with racism throughout his journey while still steering away from making a controversial topic. 

He talks invariably about the Indian cricket team and playing in India dedicatedly in one separate chapter. We think that it is a very inspiring book for any cricket fan, especially those who don’t follow South Africa’s cricket matches much closely. You can find the book here.

3. The Commonwealth of Cricket by Ramachandra Guha

The Commonwealth of Cricket is a non-fiction genre-blend between a reportage, political critique, as well as a memoir written in the first-person account by Guha, spans the history of Cricket in India from the 1960s when India had made no such accomplishments in cricket to fifty years later when cricket had become an undying craze with many winnings across the subcontinent. You’ll find many social and historical changes linked to the sport’s history and stories sketched. You can find the book here.

4. No Spin: My Autobiography by Shane Warne

Shane Warne’s autobiography provides a candid and brutally honest look at his life with very simplistic writing. He talks about his hobbies like poker and his very personal issues that he had struggled with but how none of those problems ever strangled his performance in the field. 

If you want to know more about the Australian cricket team and its making, you should definitely check out his book. Shane Warne is one of the most progressive advocates of the sport that talks about handling publicity and living a life as a true sportsman. You can find the book here.

5. KP: The Autobiography by Kevin Pietersen

In the most breath-taking narration by none other than but the highest run-scorer of all time in cricket, KP, in his book, he talks about his childhood in South Africa and his career’s early end as well as his side of the stories of many dressing room scandals and controversies. 

He also comments on the constant pressure of satisfying the expectations set by the public and the people in the management. It is an enthralling cricket book for all who want to know how the management of cricketers works from the eyes of this cricket legend. You can find the book here.

6. Game Changer by Shahid Afridi

The Game Changer is a memoir of one of the most well-known Pakistani cricket players. In his book, he talks about his humble beginnings and how he worked hard to put his family out of the misery of having to live in poverty, the corruption amongst his teammates, along the ball-tampering scandal. 

His memoir is excellent and an interesting way to construct the future of the sport in Pakistan a few years later. It is about his journey like any other struggling boy who wants to make his dreams come true that makes this book so engaging and relatable to read through. You can find the book here.

7. The Autobiography by Sir Alastair Cook

Alastair Nathan Cook is an English cricket player, best known for his highest test run-scorer of all time. In his autobiography, Cook looks back on his cricket career, commenting on his highs and lows as well as he tries to unravel the general façade of the athletes’ minds. He also talks about his interest in a broad number of sports like rugby, football, etc., while comparing and contrasting one from the other. 

It is an inspiring read for any sportsman or sports lover because this book most of all focuses on staying for what it takes. However, this book also talks considerably about his personal anxieties and uncertainties and what it is to be a professional sportsperson. You can find the book here.

8. The Art of Captaincy: What Sport Teaches Us About Leadership by Mike Brearley

Mike Brearley is an expert when it comes to captaincy. In 1981, he was the captain of the England team that was part of the most eventful Ashes series. As the name suggests, in his book, he talks about leadership and the motivation it takes for the captain to get their team together and ready for anything they may face in the field. 

It is an inspiring sports book for anyone, whether a lover of cricket or not. He focuses on shared empathy, team building, creating a winning mindset, clear-minded thinking, and strategizing. He even talks about his strong desire to understand the workings of management and what gets different people motivated. You can find the book here.

9. The Little Book of Cricket by Orange Hippo!

The Little Book of Cricket encapsulates cricket’s humorous and witty outlandish observations of the sport and will be best for fans of Don Bradman, Steve Waugh, Ian Botham, and Freddie Flintoff, who share in their own words their love for the sport. You can find the book here.

10. Head On Botham: The Autobiography by Ian Botham

Ian Botham is known for his work in the 1981's Ashes Win. In his autobiography, he reveals from breaking records at a young age to being a cricket icon and role model, hounding around with skeptics, and being accused of drugs and ball-tampering. This autobiography shows his side of the story. You can find the book here.

11. Brave New Pitch: The Evolution of Modern Cricket by Samir Chopra

This book offers a great insider’s knowledge about the debates surrounding the future of the sport and how the customs and the things we know about this sport as of now may change in the coming years. This is best-suited for cricket fans who have already read James Astill’s The Great Tamasha and Mike Jakeman's Saving the Test. You can find the book here.

12. Hitting Against the Spin: How Cricket Really Works by Nathan Leamon and Ben Jones

It is one of the essential books for both, who play cricket and those who love cricket. Technology and data have changed everything, and now we can quickly determine the game's technicalities and the scientific understanding behind the winner’s game. If you want to understand the dynamics behind the cricket scene, this book is for you. You can find the book here.

13. Indian Innings: The Journey of Indian Cricket from 1947 by Ayaz Memon

The Indian cricket team is the reflection of India itself. This book traces the years of cricket in India with samples of writings and thoughtfully curated post-independence history that a true cricket fan could dream of; the game's development after the independence is worth reading. You can find the book here.

14. Courage, Conviction, Controversy and Cricket by Vedam Jaishankar

This book is a compilation of all the things that cricket is made of - be it strategies, mischiefs, misdemeanors, bravery, or nationalism. This cricket book addresses all of these with great emphasis. You can find the book here.

15. On Fire: My Story of England's Summer to Remember by Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is known as the winner of the 2019 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. In On Fire, Ben talks about England’s first-ever cricket world cup victory and the famous Ashes test series, along with the highs and the lows that are a constant in any person’s life. This book will naturally take you back in history to live the momentous events in cricket. You can find the book here.

16. The Cricket War: The Story of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket by Gideon Haigh

The Cricket War is a fascinating account of Australian cricket’s episode with a reportage format of writing. This book primarily deals with the arguable debate behind the scenes of the event between Kerry Packer and the traditional cricket establishment. You can find the book here.

17. Out of the BOX by Harsha Bhogle

Harsha Bhogle has been called the Indian equivalent of Richie Benaud and is infamous for his sense of drama and evoking the many emotions of the sport itself through his weekly column. He’s seen it all. The commercial shot of the team before any game has nail-biting anxiety during the climax of any game. 

In this book of his, Harsha brings it all together for any cricket lover’s delight with his well-known witty commentary and behind the scenes of the Indian cricket team. You can find the book here.

18. Fixed! Cash and Corruption in Cricket by Shantanu Guha Ray

This book talks about corruption in cricket. The author himself travels to understand behind-the-scenes moments, meets players, cops, and judges to unravel many mysteries that happen away from the field. It almost reads like a crime thriller but is based on reportage writing format. You can find the book here.

19. The Men Who Raised the Bar: The Evolution of the Highest Individual Score in Test Cricket by Chris Waters

It graphs the game's development and growth over time, focusing on many famous names like Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Leonard Hutton, Sir Garfield Sobers, and Walter Hammond. They raised the bar with their astonishing performances; the book holds the history of Test Cricket of last one hundred and fifty years. You can find the book here.

20. The Good Indian Child's Guide: To Playing Cricket by Sharma Natasha

As the name already suggests, this will be your kid’s best friend if they love watching or playing cricket. So many hilarious illustrations of the sport guide them to understand how it is so intrinsic to India. This will not only teach young kids about cricket but will also have them laughing all the way through while reading. Best for young adult cricket fans. You can find the book here.