There's a breaking story this week that The Hundred teams now owned by IPL franchises would chose not to select any Pakistan players that have entered next month's auction. This would mirror a situation in the IPL, this possibly bringing subcontinent politics onto English Soil.

Chris Stocks from The iPaper joins me to discuss this situation and I ask hi kid the ECB has ability to stand up to the IOPL and/or the BCCI.

There's a breaking story this week that The Hundred teams now owned by IPL franchises would chose not to select any Pakistan players that have entered next month's auction. This would mirror a situation in the IPL, this possibly bringing subcontinent politics onto English Soil.

Chris Stocks from The iPaper joins me to discuss this situation and I ask hi kid the ECB has ability to stand up to the IOPL and/or the BCCI.

The T20 World Cup has reached the Super 8s stage and on this week's show I ponder England's progress and ask how far can they go.?

The politics between India and Pakistan has already influenced the tournament and now threatens to spill into The Hundred, with reports of Pakistan players being deemed ineligible for the IPL franchise-owned teams - is the ECB powerless to do anything about it?

Plus a deep dive into all the ins and outs at the English counties so far this winter.

And a reminder that the "98 Not Out" radio show broadcast every week on Phoenix FMhas moved to a new time slot on Thursdays, now going out from 7-8pm. Listen in on 98FM in Essex, online at phoenixfm.com, via your smart speaker and also on DAB.

David Lloyd, known better to all of us as "Bumble" takes a look at the chances for his native Lancashire and also Yorkshire - where he now lives - ahead of the 2026 domestic season.

As entertaining as always, Bumble reveals a love for steam trains and gives us some exclusive news from the wildly successful "Stick to Cricket" show that he does along with Michael Vaughan, Phil Tufnell and Sir Alastair Cook on YouTube.

I asked county cricket fans to give me their thoughts on how their teams would fare in 2026 and I got a great response! Here we have Evan Gallagher on Kent, Dan Haggar on Essex, Barrie Funnell & David Wright on Surrey, Oliver Hawke on Leicestershire, David Griffin on Derbyshire, Harry Everett on Somerset and a certain "David from York" on Lancashire and Yorkshire.

With the ICC T20 World Cup already being overshadowed by boycotts and political interference, Ed Warner joins me to talk about the damaging influence that politics - and money - have on sport. Have boycotts ever been successful and does the arrival of big money in the English game warp the attitudes of players and management and will non-host counties pay the ultimate price?

Subscribe to Ed's excellent weekly blog "Sport Inc" here:

⁠https://sportinc.substack.com⁠

With the ICC T20 World Cup already being overshadowed by boycotts and political interference, Ed Warner joins me to talk about the damaging influence that politics - and money - have on sport. Have boycotts ever been successful and does the arrival of big money in the English game warp the attitudes of players and management and will non-host counties pay the ultimate price?

Subscribe to Ed's excellent weekly blog "Sport Inc" here:

https://sportinc.substack.com

Writer and broadcaster Simon Hughes is probably best known for being part of the excellent team that covered The Ashes in 2005 for Channel 4. In this chat, we contrast that series with the one just finished, both on and off the pitch and query that attitude and preparation of the current England team and what what needs to happen now?

Subscribe to Simon's excellent analysis and insight on Substack:

⁠https://cricverse.substack.com⁠

Writer and broadcaster Simon Hughes is probably best known for being part of the excellent team that covered The Ashes in 2005 for Channel 4. In this chat, we contrast that series with the one just finished, both on and off the pitch and query that attitude and preparation of the current England team and what what needs to happen now?

Subscribe to Simon's excellent analysis and insight on Substack:

https://cricverse.substack.com

A catch up with Don Topley as he prepares to jet off to Sri Lanka to take in England's white ball series ahead of next month's T20 World Cup. We get his thoughts on England's chances as well as taking a look at the fall out from The Ashes, where Don was there with the Barmy Army and met up with Robin Smith, just days before he passed away.