Talking Balls

Who has the worst swing of any successful golfer?Which novice helped Bruce Fordyce win his first Comrades?How will Eskom improve Bafana Bafana's chances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup?Which Springbok rugby personality sidestepped Australian passport control twice?Talking Balls answers these questions, and more, in a collection of entertaining writings by some of South Africa's top sports journalists - and a few enthusiastic gatecrashers - about the lighter side of sport. Edward Griffiths, Andy Capostagno, Peter Roebuck, Neil Manthorp, Dan Nicholl, Lungani Zama, Ben Trovato, Ray White, John Bishop and the late Peter Robinson are among those featured alongside such sports personalities as John Smit, Graeme Smith, Trevor Immelman, Mark Andrews, Makhaya Ntini, Bakkies Botha and Hashim Amla. Covering a variety of sports, Talking Balls offers insight into sporting life both on and off the field, from the drugging of Nick Mallett and the Proteas' spoiling of Australia Day in 2009 to the hilarious antics of professional soccer players and behind-the-scenes banter. Light-hearted and playful, the stories in this collection capture the unique spirit of the sporting world and are guaranteed to amuse, inform, uplift and entertain.