Notes By The Editors

''The Editor of Wisden is an important personage. It is he who decides the policy of the Cricketers'' Bible and cricketers the world over look to him to give a lead on all controversial problems. His is, therefore, no easy task, but Wisden has been fortunate in its editors''. That was written in 1933, and it is still true.

The heart of the Almanack is the section entitled Notes By The Editor. The editor''s opinions can change careers, laws – indeed every part of the game. This anthology is a brief dip into the half a million words or so that make up the annual Notes as the editors take a view of what really matters – the spirit in which cricket is played and how to keep it relevant and popular. And, of course, the weather.

Throughout the Notes the Editors retain their sense of optimism and fervent love of the game, even when dealing with difficult issues such as bodyline or match-fixing, and they express their views succinctly and stylishly. As John Woodcock wrote in 1983, ''the game is never quite the same from one season to the next'' and nor, indeed, are the Notes. However, as this anthology shows, the Notes are always stimulating and firmly expressed, providing an important insight into the cricket of the day.