The Future of Cricket by John Buchanan

Book Summary

Former Australian head coach John Buchanan, alongside co‑author Andrew Dawson, delivers an inside look into how Twenty‑20 cricket emerged and reshaped modern cricket. He tracks the decline of One-Day Internationals and traditional country‑versus‑country formats, and the meteoric rise of T20 tournaments—culminating in the launch of the Indian Premier League. Buchanan offers a detailed, behind‑the‑scenes narrative of the first IPL auction, team strategies, and the dynamics that elevated Indian cricket actors to global dominance.

He doesn’t shy away from controversy—critiquing aging legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly for being past their prime in the rapid‑fire T20 era; a view that sparked media debate. He also voices concerns about the IPL’s power and potential stagnation, despite championing its transformative potential—suggesting radical innovations such as double‑wickets, matching rule tweaks, specialized D/L formulas for T20, and stadium redesigns to further evolve the sport.

Buchanan blends bold vision with critique—celebrating T20’s entry into new markets and advocating for its inclusion in events like the Olympics, while questioning whether IPL owners would embrace further radical change

About the Author

John Buchanan became Australia’s head coach in 1999 and led the team through cricket’s most dominant period until 2007. Under his leadership, Australia recorded historic streaks: 16 consecutive Test wins, 21 straight ODI victories, and two undefeated Cricket World Cups, culminating in an unbroken 24‑match World Cup run. This made him the most successful coach in cricket history with winning percentages above 75% across formats .

An innovator in coaching, Buchanan introduced full computer analysis of every ball bowled and treated athletes as whole individuals—emphasizing psychology and fitness alongside technique. His unconventional methods—even poetry recitals and vision‑training drills—provoked mixed reactions but helped shape a ruthless, elite team culture fueled by data and discipline Post‑coaching, he briefly led the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, where internal conflicts overshadowed his efforts. Since retiring from full‑time coaching, Buchanan has pivoted into leadership and peak‑performance consulting, working across sports and corporate sectors through his Buchanan Success Coaching firm. He's also authored leadership books including If Better Is Possible and Learning from Legends, and is in demand as a speaker internationally .