The Hindu Business Line : <I>Wisden Asia</I> to be relaunched as <I>Cricinfo </I>

CRICKET magazine Wisden Asia Cricket is set to make a comeback in a new and improvised form, after it stopped production a few months ago due to logistical difficulties.

Christened Cricinfo, the new magazine from the Wisden stable will now be launched in association with Infomedia India Ltd, publishers of magazines such as Chip and Overdrive. Its first issue is expected to hit the stands by the end of this year.

Mr Prakash Iyer, Managing Director, Infomedia India, said Cricinfo would be "international in coverage" but target Indian readers in the country and abroad, essentially working professionals with "a huge passion for the game".

"We will work closely with the editorial team of Wisden and build on our common strengths," he said.

Cricinfo, a monthly, will have an initial print run of 80,000 copies.

Apart from the in-depth interviews and regular features that "Wisden Asia Cricket was famous for," Cricinfo promises to take cricket coverage to a "new level" with more exciting content, which includes little known trivia, anecdotes from cricketers' lives and interactions among cricketers.

"The idea is to present appealing articles on the other side of a cricketer's life — say Anil Kumble's passion for photography or what Sachin cooks in the kitchen — without trivialising," said Mr Iyer.

It's not about mere scores or match reports, he says, but more about "what goes on in a player's mind." For instance, everyone knows about the Tendulkar-Kambli record-breaking partnership in school. What we would like to bring out is an insight into what went on in the fielding captain's mind, said Mr Iyer.

He said Infomedia is also considering bringing out cricket-centric products such as diaries, but added "it is too early to comment."

Infomedia India, formerly Tata Infomedia before ICICI Venture bought out Tata's controlling stake in the firm, brings out magazines on specific interests such as photography and interiors.

The specialty magazine segment is set for a boom in the country, said Mr Iyer, adding that Infomedia is looking to expand its portfolio. "People are spending more reading time and money on their passions and we would like to cater to this by providing a 360-degree coverage of these segments."

Infomedia's latest publications include Better Interiors and B-B titles on packaging, plastics and medi-care.

Wisden Cricketer's Almanac, The Wisden Cricketer, and Cricinfo.com are the other productions of the Wisden group.

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