West Indies are the least shit WTC team, England have completed Brexit, wicketkeepers are bowling in T20s now, & DC have the best intro for any player ever!

Check out those stupid stats and way more at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/the-altern...

We've got a special crossword from the one and only @LiebCricket! It's baffling, it's annoying, and it's absolutely amazing!

Check it out at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/the-altern...

BEST #CRICKET STORIES OF THE WEEK:

@rajshamani talks to Lalit Modi, @ajarrodkimber talks to @hganjoo_153 about data in IND, @neverontheback1/@aayushputhran talk PAK-W, & @6ixandout has a mini-doc on 2011/12 BGT.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/a-great-cr...

BEST #CRICKET STORIES OF THE WEEK:

@sjamesjourno on Fletcher's revival of ENG, Sriram Veera talks to Smith on alcoholism, @theanalyst thinks County Cricket should do away with sentimentality, & @joshschon investigates Lee's bat.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/a-great-cr...

BEST #CRICKET STORIES OF THE WEEK:

Cricbuzz's @TelfordVice looks at the player agents that underpin the IPL auction, while @andrewvoerman reports on that feeling of waking up to an IPL contract.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/a-great-cr...

BEST #CRICKET STORIES OF THE WEEK:

Cricket Et Al's Gideon Haigh writes about how Kohli has endeared himself to Australia, while @ajarrodkimber analyses Yashasvi Jaiswal's potential.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/a-great-cr...

BEST #CRICKET STORIES:

Haigh writes about Kohli's rep in AUS, @AlMuthu on Siraj, @danbrettig on Bumrah, @JollyLauz18 on Pandey and Rodrigues, & @tomsargeant97 on AUS' young guns getting ready to face IND.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/virat-is-a...

BEST #CRICKET PODS & VIDEOS:

@huwzat with Hadlee, @BLACKCAPS on the first ENG-NZ Test, @neverontheback1/@aayushputhran on PAK-W, & @6ixandout on the 2011/12 BGT.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/after-tami...

BEST #CRICKET STORIES:

Robin Smith's alcoholism, @derekpringle on Syd Lawrence, DC's IPL strategy, @venkatatweets on other teams, @timwig on Bethell, & @stephanshemilt on O-Rourke.

All stories at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/after-tami...

None of which helps Will Pucovski. Once labelled Australia's future, the 26-year old will retire after facing 13 concussions.

Instead of matches, he can look forward to negotiations to make back some insurance money.

Read the story at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/hughes-puc...

However, Greg & Ian Chappell think helmets have given modern players an excuse to ignore fundamental batting technique.

“We grew up pre-helmets, and it was important to do it properly,” said Greg.

Read the story at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/hughes-puc...

Players like Matthew Hayden & Tim Paine still believe that helmets have been a boon to the modern batter; after all, it would be much harder to play on the front foot without solid protection.

“Helmets save lives,” said Hayden.

Read the story at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/hughes-puc...

Worse still, we are no closer to finding a solution to determining how to prevent concussions in cricketers.

"There's a long way to go in understanding the link between helmet design and concussion.”

Read the story at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/hughes-puc...

A player at state or national level is hit in the head on average every 2 years. That's about 40 players a year.

Considering the NFL has paid out $1.2B since 2015 to players affected by head injuries, this is a potentially huge problem.

Read the story at bestofcricket.substack.com/p/hughes-puc...