Bowling a new innings for magazine publishing

Robert Houwing (formerly editor of SA Sports Illustrated and award-winning Argus cricket writer), who will assume the editor's role, said: "Wisden is synonymous with the richest and most credible traditions of cricket, and the thought of hooking up with established Wisden magazines in England and India is an unbelievably tantalising one.

"We will reach out to the cricket connoisseur who follows South Africa's international and domestic scene particularly avidly but, just as importantly, has an insatiable appetite for the game across the planet. The Wisden Cricketer's South African edition will include features and columns by the biggest names in cricket journalism anywhere, yet also boast a uniquely South African 'nose' -- there is every reason to feel confident we will become market leader in this specialist field. "My wish is to find rapid favour with cricket's long-established, 'core' following, while giving the magazine an up-to-the-minute edge and vibrancy in line with cricket's bid to target newer constituencies."

Publisher of the new magazine, Nic Wides adds: "We are thrilled to be launching Wisden Cricketer in South Africa. A product of this international heritage and quality perfectly compliments Touchline Media's stable of sports & healthy lifestyle magazines. Significantly, it is also our first foray into publishing a product to cater specifically for one of South Africa's traditional fan's favourite sports.

The beauty of cricket is it's unique ability to transcend boundaries of gender and race resulting in its ability to boast a truly progressive audience. We look forward to publishing a locally relevant product of international standards to cater brilliantly for both advertisers and readers."