Playfair Cricket Annual
Playfair Cricket Annual is a compact annual about cricket that is published in the United Kingdom each April, just before the English cricket season is due to begin. It has been published every year since 1948. Its main purposes are to review the previous English season and to provide detailed career records and potted biographies of current players. It is produced in a "pocket-sized" format, being approximately 5×4 in (i.e., about 13×10 cm), so that it is a convenient size for carrying to cricket matches. The front cover of each edition has featured a photograph of a prominent current cricketer. There is a popular myth that this "honour" has a "hex" or "curse" associated with it, as the player featured then invariably has a poor season.
2019 English cricket season
The 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup will take place at 11 grounds across England and Wales between 30 May and 14 July, with the final scheduled to take place at Lord's. A total of 48 matches will be played in the tournament which will feature 10 international sides which qualified for the finals, with each team playing two round-robin matches with the top four sides qualifying for the two semi-final stage to determine the finalists. It is the fifth time that the Cricket World Cup will be held in the British Isles, following the 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 World Cups.