CRICKET Q&A: FRANKLYN STEPHENSON ON MY SONG SHALL BE CRICKET

CRICKET Q&A: FRANKLYN STEPHENSON ON MY SONG SHALL BE CRICKET

CRICKET Q&A: FRANKLYN STEPHENSON ON MY SONG SHALL BE CRICKET

For the latest episode of our virtual cricket talks former West Indian international Franklyn Stephenson will join BBC cricket reporter and commentator Mark Church to talk about his book My Song Shall Be Cricket.

To join the virtual Q&A click on this link just before 7.30pm this Friday evening, 16th October.

Or you can register in advance here but note you may not receive an email (if so just use the link above at 7.30pm).

One of cricket's great characters, Franklyn Stephenson was branded a 'rebel' for touring in apartheid South Africa with a West Indian XI.

As a black sportsman, he knew his actions went against the wishes of the authorities and that there would be consequences, yet he overcame the character slurs and subsequent bans from both his beloved Barbados and the West Indian Test selectors.

Recognised as the first fast bowler to develop a cunning slower ball, Stephenson became one of the world's top all-rounders.

The beaming Barbadian achieved cricketing immortality in 1988 by completing the domestic Double of scoring 1,000 runs and taking 100 wickets during an English summer - a feat that is unlikely to be repeated.

Read about encounters, on and off the field, with household names such as Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Clive Lloyd and Desmond Haynes - and a lifelong friendship with Sir Garfield Sobers.

From a childhood full of dramatic life experiences to the heights of one-day finals at Lord's, here is the story of an amiable cricketing giant.

Franklyn's talk is our tenth virtual Q&A of the year, with one still to come, next week, as follows: 

23rd October Tales from the Frontline author Luke Fletcher hosted by Dave Bracegirdle 

NEWSFLASH: We are looking at a series of events through the winter, with our backlist authors. Watch this website for more information.

To partake in the events, please contact your cricket society to be sent an invite, follow their social media channels, or check out our website and twitter channel, where we will share the link to the event. 

You can find contact details for your local cricket society on The Cricket Societies Association website.

The events can be accessed via a web browser (Chrome is recommended) or you can download Zoom's software or phone/tablet application.

To join each event will be very simple and straightforward: 

  1. Click on the link which will be available at this website
  2. Enter your name and society
    EG: John Smith, Norfolk Cricket Society

Once the event begins you will be given access into the “room”. There will be a Q&A session, and to ask a question, you will need to use the raise hand option (located in the participants panel, at the bottom), and the host will open your camera and microphone and prompt your question.