Third Man in Havana: Finding the Heart of Cricket in the World's Most Unlikely Places

Description

For six years Tom Rodwell ran cricketing programmes from Cuba to Zimbabwe, attempting to soothe the world's ills with the curiously English balm known as cricket. Touching, amusing and imbued with a deep love of the game, Third Man in Havana documents the characters and experiences Rodwell encountered, such as Guantanamo Cricket Club opening bowler, Stalin, who perhaps unsurprisingly didn't take kindly to his LBW appeal being rejected in Cuba's first ever match against an England X1. From Beersheva Cricket Club pavilion in Israel - a converted nuclear bomb shelter, useful in the face of Hamas' regular rocket attacks - to a game of 'tapeball' cricket with ex-Tamil Tiger child soldiers behind barbed wire in Sri Lanka, Rodwell discovers that the heart of the game is beating fast in countries more used to conflict than cricket.

Tom Rodwell ran the charity Cricket for Change for eight years, and is now Chairman of the Lord Taverners. This is his first book. Courtney Walsh represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the team in 22 Test matches. He is best known for a remarkable opening bowling partnership along with fellow West Indian Curtly Ambrose for several years and holding the record of most Test wickets from 2000.

A cellarful of dry white wit -- Rob Steen * ESPNCricinfo * 'It's marvellous ... Magnificent observation. Great humour. A wonderful book'. -- David English CBE * Author of Mad Dogs and the Englishman *