Sydney Pardon facts for kids
Sydney Herbert Pardon (born September 23, 1855 – died November 20, 1925) was a special kind of writer. He wrote about sports, especially cricket. For 35 years, he was the main editor of a very important cricket book called Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. People often call it just Wisden. His dad, George Frederick Pardon, was also a journalist.
Sydney Pardon: Cricket's Storyteller
Leading Wisden
Sydney took over as editor of Wisden after his brother, Charles Pardon, passed away. Many people believe he was the best editor Wisden ever had. He started a new section in 1901 called "Notes by the Editor." In these notes, he shared his thoughts and ideas about cricket.
He also helped fix a big problem in cricket during the 1890s. This problem was about players "throwing" the ball instead of bowling it fairly. Sydney worked hard to make sure this unfair practice stopped. A writer named L. E. S. Gutteridge said Sydney had a "cultured mind." He had strong opinions and was brave enough to share them. His writings were very interesting. He had a huge impact on how cricket grew around the world.
Changes and Milestones
Sydney Pardon brought many new things to Wisden. In 1892, he added a full section for obituaries. This section remembered important cricket players who had passed away. In 1896, Wisden became available in two forms. You could buy it as a paperback book or a new, stronger hardback (cloth-bound) edition.
In 1910, he wrote something very memorable. He said the people choosing England's cricket team had "touched the confines of lunacy." This meant he thought their choices were very strange! In 1924, an issue of Wisden reached over one thousand pages for the first time. This showed how much information it contained.
Beyond Wisden
Sydney Pardon also worked with his brothers, Charles and Edgar. In 1880, they started the Cricket Reporting Agency. This agency wrote reports about cricket matches. They sent these reports to news companies like Reuters and the Press Association.
Sydney had many different interests. He was proud to write articles for The Times newspaper. He wrote not only about cricket but also about music and plays. He even wrote about horse racing. He was also an expert in other sports. These included athletics, rowing, boxing, and billiards.
