Two books on Packer: Gideon Haigh (favourable) and Henry Blofeld (1978, largely hostile). Both very well written.
https://www.amazon.com/Cricket-War-G.../dp/0522854753
https://www.amazon.com/Packer-Affair...blofeld+packer
Blofeld was a better writer (at least in 1978) than CMJ or Benaud.
Scyld Berry Cricket Odyssey on 1987-88 (World Cup followed by Shakoor Rana-Gatting bust-up) is very good indeed, but as it was written by a cricket journalist in the 80s, inevitably has some stereotypes, but not as bad as you'd get from many quarters at the time. Berry makes the excellent point that it was Gatting who falsely claimed the catch in 1982 that caused David Constant to raise his finger, which in turn made the Pakistanis feel that their false appealing was fair game. Chris Broad also gets a deserved slamming for his petulance. Peter Oborne's book obviously gives a less hostile depiction of Pakistani umpiring whilst recognizing that there was a military regime in charge applying pressure for results.
https://www.amazon.com/Cricket-War-G.../dp/0522854753
https://www.amazon.com/Packer-Affair...blofeld+packer
Blofeld was a better writer (at least in 1978) than CMJ or Benaud.
Scyld Berry Cricket Odyssey on 1987-88 (World Cup followed by Shakoor Rana-Gatting bust-up) is very good indeed, but as it was written by a cricket journalist in the 80s, inevitably has some stereotypes, but not as bad as you'd get from many quarters at the time. Berry makes the excellent point that it was Gatting who falsely claimed the catch in 1982 that caused David Constant to raise his finger, which in turn made the Pakistanis feel that their false appealing was fair game. Chris Broad also gets a deserved slamming for his petulance. Peter Oborne's book obviously gives a less hostile depiction of Pakistani umpiring whilst recognizing that there was a military regime in charge applying pressure for results.
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