Cricket Stars Nominate Favourite Books

Cricket Stars Nominate Favourite Books

International Cricket Council

Downloads

Cricket Stars Nominate Favourite Books - Player Quotes (pdf)

A number of players selected for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 have revealed their favourite books at the launch of a partnership between the International Cricket Council and Room To Read.

Their aim is to promote literacy and access to books at the World Cup, which gets underway on 19th February. A player from each of the 14 competing nations has contributed, naming their favourite book and explaining their choice.

Tennis star Andre Agassi's autobiography 'Open' was a popular choice with Australia's Shane Watson and India's Virat Kohli.

Room to Read is seeking to transform the lives of millions of children across Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organisations and governments, the charity aims to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children. It also supports girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

Among the cricket-playing countries in which Room to Read publishes books, establishes libraries and builds schools are Cricket World Cup hosts Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.

The organisation has already benefitted 4.1 million young people in nine countries, including 10,000 girls on educational scholarships, and it has distributed in excess of 8 million English and local language books, and established 10,000 libraries and over 1,100 schools. By 2015, Room to Read aims to have helped 10 million children.

The list of books chosen by the 14 cricketers is as follows:

• Open by Andre Agassi - Shane Watson (Australia) and Virat Kohli (India)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K Rowling - Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)
• Life by Keith Richards - Zubin Sarkari (Canada)
• Goosebump Series by R.L Stine - Luke Wright (England)
• 1984 by George Orwell - Ed Joyce (Ireland)
• Long Walk To Freedom by Nelson Mandela - Steve Tikolo (Kenya)
• Night Train To Lisbon by Pascal Mercier - Peter Borren (Netherlands)
• Jack Reach Series by Lee Child - Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
• Fazail-E-Amaal by Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawai - Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
• The Stand by Stephen King - Wayne Parnell
• Talent Is Never Enough by John Maxwell - Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
• Supercat - The Authorised Biography of Clive Lloyd - Sulieman Benn (West Indies)
• It's Not About The Bike by Lance Armstrong - Graeme Cremer (Zimbabwe)

© Cricket World 2011