The Shorter Wisden 2019

Book excerpt: The Shorter Wisden is a compelling distillation of what's best in its bigger brother – and the 2019 edition of Wisden is crammed, as ever, with the best writing in the game. Wisden's digital version includes the influential Notes by the Editor, full coverage of the Pakistan and India tours of England in 2018, and all the front-of-book articles, among which Wisden celebrates the end of Alastair Cook's career, and looks back 100 years to cricket's first post-war season. In an age of snap judgments, Wisden's authority and integrity are more important than ever. Yet again this year's edition is truly a “must-have” for every cricket fan. In essence, The Shorter Wisden is a glass of the finest champagne rather than the whole bottle. @WisdenAlmanack