Receiving The Cricketers' Who's Who - admittedly, a book I have not read for a while now - is always a sure and good sign that the cricket season and maybe even summer is just about upon us. Fairfield Books' 2026 version is packed full of around 550 player profiles, both men and women; statistics for each county in all formats from last year; head coaches; umpires and this year's international fixtures and key dates for county formats.

The resume of each county also helpfully includes those players who have joined that county as well as those who have gone elsewhere or retired. Listing players alphabetically rather than by county always makes sense in my estimation.

This year's Who's Who, doubtless like many predecessors, will be an invaluable guide to the recently-started 2026 season. Many interesting facts accompany the player profiles and many the nicknames are always good for a chuckle (and I assume that, as the players completed their forms for the book, they do not mind some of their odd nicknames appearing...) There is everything here from the statistical to quirky which a supporter could want and will be an invaluable guide to any county cricket supporter.

It may show the last time that I went through a Cricketers' Who's Who when I mention one peculiarity which jumped out at me when thumbing through the player profiles. In successive pages, two Overtons (twins) were followed by two Parkinsons (also twins) and then three Patels (who, to my knowledge, are unrelated). I know that this excellent book will be a regular companion this summer when I am at Taunton and other grounds for county matches. Annie Chave's delightful foreword has also reminded me that, via the photo of a match at Rugby School, I have an aunt and uncle just around the corner from there and that it seems a beautiful place to watch a match.

The Cricketers' Who's Who 2026 has been beautifully put together and will again be an invaluable asset to any cricket fan for this summer's season.