Cricket Badger Podcast

Talking to Paul and Andy about Following On

James Buttler talks to Richard Stead about his new book 'Following On - In the Footsteps of Cricketing Fathers'.

With Father's Day coming up soon could there be a more appropriate present?

James talks to BCB Radio in Bradford about his new book which is available to purchase now:

https://www.gnbooks.co.uk/product/following-on/

While his Mum is polishing the trophies he picked up after a stellar 2016 domestic season, Ben Duckett has been in and out of the England team.

He wants is place back and knows that only runs for Northamptonshire will get him back in the frame.

Since he's been out of the England Test team he's watched Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings take their chances. He watched with a tinge of envy but also with genuine delight that two English youngsters had made a good start to their international careers.

But watch this space, he's not done yet!

I caught up with MCC's head of cricket, John Stephenson, during the first day of the Champion County match in Abu Dhabi.

John has been an advocate of this use of pink cricket balls in day night first-class matches for a decade and is excited about a summer ahead which will see a round of County Championship matches played with pink balls under lights and also the first day night Test in June between England and West Indies.

We also talked about the venue for the Champion County game in future years. Will it remain in Abu Dhabi for the forseeable future or will it be taken somewhere else?

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Former Kiwi international and current coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore, Brisbane Heat and now Middlesex, Vettori talks at his excitement at taking a role in England and how spin can be king in T20.

Lewis Gregory watched with his Somerset teammates as Middlesex snatch the County Championship from their hands last September.

The 24-year-old all-rounder, currently in Abu Dhabi playing for the MCC, believes the Cider Men have what it takes to lift the Championship trophy in 2017.

He talks about day one of the MCC's match with Middlesex, pink balls, his own aims for the summer and Somerset's desire to compete in all three formats.

Dougie Brown, who left his job as Warwickshire first team coach after the 2016 season is three quarters of the way through an interim coaching role with cricket in the United Arab Emirates. Based at the prestigious ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai he is determined to make his mark.

James Buttler talks to Richard Shaw Wright about the book Killer Instinct - The Trials and Tales of MURDEROUS Sports Stars

Cricket Badger Editor James Buttler talks to journalist Graham Hardcastle about the introduction of a points system in England's series with Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer.

The pair have contrasting views!