The King of Lord's

A rich and revealing portrait of Gubby Allen – the enigmatic influencer behind English cricket for almost 50 years.

From renowned cricket writer-historian Mark Peel, a Cricket Society Award-winner and two-time British Sports Book Awards finalist.

Drawing on previously unseen correspondence between Allen and Don Bradman, this book transforms our understanding of their relationship and lays bare Allen’s private views on a range of contentious subjects.

Read and discover:

• How Allen’s privileged upbringing shaped his character and outlook • Plum Warner’s decisive influence on Allen’s rise to prominence • The reasons behind Allen’s refusal to bowl Bodyline • His fraught leadership of MCC in Australia in 1936/37, which brought him close to a breakdown • The power he accumulated at Lord’s as an administrator and his continued bias towards amateurs at the expense of professionals • His success as chairman of selectors from 1955–61 and his central role in the D’Oliveira Affair of 1968

Utilising a treasure trove of new material, Peel uncovers a driven, complex figure whose influence shaped the game for decades.

© 2026 Pitch Publishing (E-bog): 9781836803966

Udgivelsesdato

E-bog: 17. august 2026