Description

The All-India
1932 tour of Britain came at a crucial moment in the
history of the Indian subcontinent. As British and
Indian politicians waged ferocious battles to control
India’s future, the fledgling cricket team became
intertwined with the stormy politics of the British
Raj. India’s unlikely first captain, the conscientious
Maharaja of Porbandar, had to steer a divided team
through the perils and pitfalls that nearly spelled
disaster for the new Board of Control for Cricket in
India. Instead, it proved to be the first step on the
Board’s journey to becoming cricket’s superpower.
The story features some of the great names in cricket
history – the mysterious Ranji, Douglas Jardine the
architect of Bodyline, and CK Nayudu, India’s first
cricket superstar. There are also walk-on parts for
historical titans such as Gandhi, Nehru and Churchill,
and major roles for several memorable Indian princes.
The narrative’s first half traces the emergence of the
BCCI and its turbulent quest to organise a debut Test
for India while the second follows the fortunes of the
Publisher: Fairfield Books Ltd,
5 Beaufoy Walk, off Black Prince Road,
Lambeth, London SE11 6AA
E: [email protected]
W: www.fairfieldbooks.co.uk
T: +44 (0)7968 078877
Distributor: Macmillan Distribution
E: [email protected]
W: www.macmillandistribution.co.uk
T: +44 (0)1256 302692
1932 tour, culminating in the Test itself – a match
which turned out to be a classic. The power struggles
over the destiny of India’s new team mirrored the
simultaneous contest to remake India.
Drawing on contemporary newspaper reports and
previously unseen archive material, Lord’s and
Maharajas unpicks the complexities of the story with a
light, engaging style. Against a backdrop of assassination
plots and political turmoil, the book reveals just how
high the stakes became for India’s first international
cricketers in this moment of imperial crisis.