Produced by All Out Cricket in association with the Professional Cricketers' Association, the 2012 marks the 33rd edition of the esteemed publication.

According to the publishers, the cricket players have revealed more about themselves than ever before. As well as providing an invaluable statistical resource, this year's annual throws up some fascinating insights into the modern-day player. Influences, superstitions, heroes, family ties, tips for the top, outside interests, Twitter accounts and wholy unexpected facts are just a few of the gems uncovered.

Andrew Strauss, England's Test captain, in his Foreword says: "It's a publication that has become part of the fabric of the English summer because cricket fans know that its arrival heralds the start of another fascinating season, and I expect this year to be no different.

"This summer sees us welcome first the West Indies and then South Africa to our shores. The men from the Caribbean are definitely a team on the rise, thanks in no small part to the leadership of their coach, Ottis Gibson, a man everyone involved in the England set-up holds in the highest regard following his stint as our bowling coach. They will pose a stern challenge, while South Africa can boast some of the finest players in the game and are one of several sides vying to become the No.1 team in the world. Rest assured that we will not be taking either of these sides lightly in any way."

Cricketers have been named in chronological sequence and each county is analysed in the first chapter, namely The Teams. The writers say that "for the first time in recent memory, Lancashire entered last seson with almost no-one in the media talking up their chances of taking the title. A small squad, no big name overseas player and a worrying bank balance were all cited as reasons why they'd be amongst the also-rans, but Glen Chapple's side - a team of hungry and largely homegrown cricketers - confounded everyone by storming to their first outright championship victory in 77 years."

A veritable mine of information - over 625 pages of facts and figures on dozens of present players. The Who's Who now in its 33rd edition has become an indispensable to followers of the county game

Attractively laid out, well illustrated, logically organised and lucidity written, the book is recommended reading. This is a useful addition to the library of the statistician/historian/commentator