Batting on the Bosphorus

Book excerpt: Angus Bell is innocently working in the Montreal magazine industry when, taking advantage of a psychic’s vision, he sets off to discover the secret cricketing world of Eastern Europe. From tournaments on ice in Estonia to university leagues in the crumbling Crimea, and from a Croatian military island to communist Belarus, Bell learns how Slavs play the Englishman’s game. Encounters with fingerless Tamil Tigers in Prague, a bomb-plotter in the Austrian Alps, a Guatemalan anarchist, and an MI6 agent making out lineup cards reveal the shadowy side of Slavic cricket. But nothing can stop Bell from playing the game or even becoming the captain of an international team. Between matches, he’s pursued by the KGB, becomes embroiled in a drug bust on the Midnight Express, and needs emergency treatment from a Romanian dentist. This boisterous traveler’s tale redefines the spirit of cricket, converting even sworn enemies of the game into avid fans.