LONDON : Cricket bible Wisden is to launch a separate Indian edition, its publishers revealed on Monday.Cricket in India is booming and Wisden India will focus on all areas of the Indian game from Test matches through to domestic cricket and has set itself the aim of becoming the independent voice of cricket in the home of the reigning world champions."The chance to marry Wisden's age-old strengths with the 21st century home of the game was too good to ignore," added Wisden editor Lawrence Booth.The first edition will launch in October 2012 with the pool of writers expected to include some of the great Indian players as well as respected journalists.Founded in 1864, Wisden has been published every year since and is recognised around the world as the definitive record of the game.Bloomsbury sells about 40,000 editions of Wisden each year, but the potential in the Indian sub-continent is 50 times that, said director Richard Charkin.As well as the book, he also sees huge scope in the mobile phone and internet market, where it will provide commentary and opinions online. A new Wisden India Hall of Fame is to be set up to recognise the greats of the game.Bloomsbury have signed a long-term licensing agreement with sports marketing group FidelisWorld for Wisden India, with the deal also covering Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and North America, which has a large Indian ex-pat market.
