Christian Ryan

Once hesitant to read "Golden Boy", I took the plunge and found it one of my favourite cricket books. Written well, with humour and honesty, and getting the most out of his interviews with contemporary cricketers (Kim Hughes and most of the central figures for this book refused to be interviewed), Ryan brings us the story behind the rise and fall of Kim Hughes.

There's some great comments by some of the lesser lights he interviewed and insights into some frankly odd behaviour by Australian cricket team members. If there was a complain to be made, it would be around Ryan's pro-Hughes stance and in particularly his claim that (during Hughes' stint in South Australia) the South Australian selectors ignored Hughes for reasons other than form. However, Hughes' average that season in Adelaide district cricket was about 18, so why the South Australian selectors could be blamed for ignoring him, I have no idea (they probably had no idea who he was). Apart from that quibble, a good read.… (meer)