Table of Contents
Like any sport, cricket has a great following among the betting community and, to help with those markets, there are a number of books written on the subject. Here, then, are the best cricket betting books around.
Best Books About Cricket Betting
Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy: A Journey to the Heart of Cricket’s Underworld
Some of these books cover sports betting in general while others, including this title, focus specifically on cricket betting. Written by Ed Hawkins who is an experienced betting writer and has won a number of industry awards, this exposes the rather seedy side of cricket betting.
Over a number of years, Hawkins made connections with illegal bookies in India and he became aware of the scale of fixing that goes on in cricket matches. The scale of corruption that has extended to certain players is also covered in Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy. It may not help you win in the markets but this really is a fascinating read.
Cricket Betting Market Efficiency
This is a book that focuses on the cricket betting markets and the strategies that readers could apply in order to make some profits. The main area of attention here is T20 cricket as the author Shahid Ali looks at the shortest form and he decides that this is a semi-strong efficient market which can change on every single ball.
While it is a format that seems to be hard to predict, the author surmises that there is a lot of information packed into every single delivery. Therefore, a wide range of statistics can appear as a result and that could potentially be beneficial for anyone looking to get involved with T20 cricket betting.
Sharp Sports Betting
This is another title that looks at sports in general and there is a lot of information relating to the NFL. However, Sharp Sports Betting can certainly be related to cricket matches. It’s a very analytical book which tells readers how to effectively harness statistics and data in order to make better decisions when they stake in the sports markets.
Written by Stanford Wong, it’s interesting to note that the maths involved in this book aren’t too complex. There are basic tables set down which should be fairly easy to understand no matter what your ability is with numbers.
Weighing the Odds in Sports Betting
This is another general sports book that can be used in cricket betting and many would say it’s the best of its kind. Throughout Weighing the Odds in Sports Betting, the author King Yao looks at why smarter bettors have the edge on casual punters who frivolously lose money on the markets week after week.
It’s another title where data and statistics are harnessed productively with a view to turning those odds in your favour. The book also takes a look at that elusive factor known as ‘value’ where the bettor finds a market where the odds are much higher than mathematical probabilities suggest that they should be.
All Wickets Great and Small: John Fuller
A general book on cricket, All Wickets Great and Small looks at the game from grass roots level. The author, John Fuller, visits no fewer than 778 clubs here, as he looks to see how different players prepare for their matches.
Yorkshire is the focus for this book and this is a county that is fanatical about cricket. Fuller also addresses the issues facing those clubs such as raising funds and attracting new players. It’s very general in its approach but that insight into match preparation could be useful for anyone looking to seek out some useful cricket betting tips.
All Cricket Matches are Fixed
This is a pretty bold statement and one that the author, Atul Kumar, looks to back up with analysis and facts. He does this with great dedication and detail and many would find it difficult to argue with what are convincing findings throughout the book.
Of course, the suggestion that all cricket matches are fixed is not one that is widely shared around the sporting world. The conclusion that this book makes is that people should avoid cricket betting. Again, not many bettors would back up that view but it’s worth reading this book for it’s bold claims.
Conquering Risk: Attacking Wall Street and Vegas
As the name suggests, this is a book that is designed to help you make some profits at the financial markets as well as with sports betting. In Attacking Wall Street and Vegas, author Elihu D. Feustel explains that anyone placing a bet or making a financial trade should be making an informed decision based on risk.
Handicapping in sports betting is looked at in great detail and, while the more popular American sports are used as examples, it’s a practise that can be carried over into cricket matches. In addition, this is another book that looks at the question of value and incorrect theories of bookmakers that the bettor could exploit.
The Meaning of Cricket: Jon Hotten
While this isn’t specifically about betting, The Meaning of Cricket is a fascinating book which I think could genuinely help you when you look to study the markets. It covers the very essence of cricket that makes the sport unique – a team game that is reliant almost entirely on the performance of the individual players.
The book makes a very good point: During any delivery, around 90% of the participants are not involved as the focus rests on the bowler and the batsman taking strike. For that reason, form of the 22 players involved in the match is vitally important and that’s possibly the best cricket betting tip that I can offer.
Conclusion
All of these books should help with your cricket betting strategy in some way. While some simply talk about the game, others focus specifically on the betting markets but every title is worth digesting if you want to take betting seriously.
