Around the World in 40 Years

Martin Chandler | 8:19am BST 27 July 2025

Published: 2025
Pages: 176
Author: Moles, Andy and Dean, Geoffrey
Publisher: Fairfield Books
Rating: 4.5 stars

For all my trials and tribulations, I could hardly have lived a fuller life, are the words which conclude Andy Moles’ autobiography. It is the sort of sentence that many sportspeople would use to describe themselves in such a book, and the truth or otherwise of the observation is always the key to whether their story is going to be worth reading. In Andy Moles’ case it is an entirely apposite observation.

To most people in their forties or younger Moles’ name will not be familiar, and even those a few years older will, initially at least, recall him only as the man whose name appeared at the top of the batting order in the powerful Warwickshire side of the 1990s. He was a good player as well, something illustrated by the statement on the blurb on the inside of the dust jacket and then repeated in two of the three forewords that he is one of the few English players with a First Class average of 40+ not to have won an England cap*.

Warwickshire born the story of Moles’ childhood and his route into professional sport is faithfully told. As far as his professional career, which in his early years was spent in South Africa too, is concerned the lack of any international cricket means that few of Moles’ stories are familiar.  In addition by resisting any temptation there may have been to set out in detail all of his own personal highlights he has no difficulty holding his reader’s attention. Many entirely worthwhile cricket books do still have some dull passages – this is not one of them.

Of particular interest are those parts of the narrative that involve Alan Donald and Brian Lara, both of whom contribute impressive and clearly heartfelt tributes to Moles. I realised on reading the chapter on the subject of Warwickshire’s momentous 1994 summer that I had heard of the difficult relationship that Lara had with county captain Dermot Reeve, and there are many insights into that one, and more generally into the personalities of those all time greats.

But if there is plenty to enjoy in the first half of the book if anything the account of Moles’ coaching career is even more compelling. To say it has been varied would be an understatement. There have been sixteen appointments altogether in locations as varied as Argentina and Uzbekistan and most points in between. For a time Moles coached the New Zealand national team, but never did get the job he would have liked most, being in charge of Warwickshire.

The most surprising part of coaching to me was the man management aspect, which certainly seems to be infinitely more difficult than improving the way cricketers play the game. Moles certainly suffered from having to deal with some big personalities and in particular was the victim of ‘player power’ in both New Zealand and Scotland. In respect of the former his account of his dealings with Brendon McCullum are particularly revealing given where McCullum is now..

By some distance the most thought provoking chapters however are those that deal with Moles’ involvement with Afghanistan. Stories of living and working in Kabul make the prospect of facing the bowling of the world’s finest fast bowlers seem a routine task. Working with the constant threat of being kidnapped or caught in crossfire cannot be something that playing professional cricket can prepare a man for.

And it was whilst coaching Afghanistan that Moles lost his left leg below the knee. The cause was nothing to do with living and working in the country, and indeed the original  problem with the foot was caused innocuously enough, whilst going out for a walk in the searing heat of the UAE in early 2020. It cannot have been easy for Moles to go through in such detail what must have been a harrowing experience.

The loss of a limb would have destroyed the self-confidence of many but, remarkably, that setback did not keep Moles out of the game for very long and he was soon back to work and after the Afghanistan position ended he continues to be available for work and, most recently, has been coaching The Bahamas national team.

Around the World in 40 Years is not always an easy read, but it is not a book that is easy to put down. Skilfully put into words by Geoffrey Dean of The Times Andy Moles’ life has indeed been a full one and, I suspect, at some point in the future his story will need updating. I wish him well.

*I have to admit to, initially, being mildly irritated at being bombarded with that fact so frequently without any further light being shed, particularly as it is not an easy stat to look up. I did start to try and work out who the other ‘contenders’ were, but gave up as soon as I realised that John Langridge wasn’t one of the few. It was only when, having finished the book, that I fully checked the statistical appendix that I realised the list of the three/four men who have that ‘claim to fame’ appears on page 172, so I only have myself to blame for what was going to be my only complaint.