Cricktake

West Indies’ decline was not sudden. It was structural, political, and quietly inevitable.

Part 2 of this two-part series examines the point of inflexion from 1995 onwards, when dominance faded, governance fractures widened, and cricket slowly stopped binding the Caribbean together.

From contractual disputes, player walkouts, and the rise of the freelance cricketer, to statistical decay across formats and repeated failures to qualify for global tournaments, this episode looks beyond scorecards to understand what truly unraveled behind the scenes.

#westindiescricket #icc #testcricket #odicricket #t20cricket #cricketgoverningbody #cricketwestindies 

00:25 - Intro: The Inflexion Point (1995)

03:09 - Commercialization & Board–Player Breakdown (1995–2004)

15:26 - The Freelance Era Begins (2005–2014)

22:42 - Decline Across Formats (2014–2019)

23:46 - Collapse and Missed World Cups (2020–2025)

29:20 - What Comes Next?

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What really makes a fast bowler dangerous? It’s not just speed, it’s the physics, biomechanics, and body sequencing behind every delivery. 

In this deep-dive episode of Cricktake, we break down the science of fast bowling, one concept at a time. From ground reaction force to the Ian Pont's “Four Tent Pegs” model, we explore how elite pace is created and what most people miss.

Whether you're a fan, a player, or just a cricket nerd, this episode will change how you see bowling forever.

0:00 – Introduction

21:35 – Tent Peg 1

30:07 – Tent Peg 2

38:40 – Tent Peg 3

59:56 – Tent Peg 4

01:07:04 – Applying the model to women's fast bowling

01:17:01 – Imran Khan: Changing his action mid-career

01:31:44 – Can the Four Tent Pegs work for spin bowling?

Cricket has never been just about skill or results. Behind every tournament, format shift, and scheduling decision lies a deeper game of money, incentives, and power. From revenue concentration to unequal growth, the modern structure of cricket tells a story that fans rarely pause to question.

This episode of Cricktake breaks down the economics behind ICC’s decisions. Joined by our first-ever guest, an Economics PhD Student, we examine how cricket’s financial boom reshaped governance, why money doesn’t automatically improve quality, how associate nations are left behind, and whether ICC today acts more like a governing body or an economic institution. A clear-eyed look at who benefits, who doesn’t, and where the game may be headed if nothing changes.

#icc #cricket #cricketgoverningbody #bcci #ipl #economics 

02:06 – What Is the Economics of Cricket

06:09 – How ICC Revenues Exploded

12:38 – Why the IPL Became Inevitable

27:48 – Does Money Actually Improve Cricket?

32:00 – Revenue Concentration & The India Question

42:57 – Associate Nations & Unequal Growth

58:56 – Final Verdict: What ICC is Doing Well and Where it can Improve

RELATED EPISODES

West Indies Cricket: The Eventual Decline (Part 1)

👉 https://youtu.be/rKdZfmh9UuY

Unwrapping Asia Cup 2025

👉 https://youtu.be/ciN4b6bsiEU

The Ultimate ‘Test’: Saving Test Cricket

👉 https://youtu.be/thqxof0N-0U

🎧 Listen, Read, Follow: https://ecosystem.cricktake.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cricktake/id1849728711

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Instagram, TikTok, Substack & Medium.

After decades of dominance at home, India’s Test fortress has finally cracked. From historic collapses and selection puzzles to dressing-room tensions hiding in plain sight, this downturn has a face, and it belongs to Gautam Gambhir.

This episode of Cricktake dissects the most turbulent stretch of India’s red-ball era. We break down the missteps, the ignored performers, the shifting power equations, and the staggering numbers behind a decline few saw coming. A raw, unfiltered look at the man, the moment, and the meltdown reshaping Indian Test cricket.

01:13 - India’s Red-Ball Collapse

01:58 - Fan Outrage & Emotional Meltdown

05:21 - Shubman Gill, Workload & Format Confusion

15:07 - Selection Mess & Ignoring Domestic Performers

18:05 - Gambhir’s Hypocrisy & Coaching Credibility

35:56 - Dressing Room Politics: Virat, Rohit & The Rift

38:55 - The Stats That Bury Gambhir

41:32 - Final Take & The Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ending

West Indies weren’t just a cricket team, they were a symbol of unity, resistance, and Caribbean identity.

Part 1 of this two-part series explores how a scattered group of islands stitched together a cricketing civilization and created one of the most dominant teams in sports history.

01:17 - The Birth of West Indies Cricket

01:40 - Frank Worrell & the First Revolution

16:31 - Clive Lloyd’s Golden Era

22:21 - Sir Vivian Richards: The Aura

29:53 - The Fall Begins

Fifty years after the first Women’s World Cup, India are champions.

This episode of Cricktake dives into the 2025 Women’s World Cup - the richest and most-watched edition ever. From Mandira Bedi’s sponsorship in 2005 to India’s record-breaking chase and South Africa’s fearless run, we explore the power shifts that redefined women’s cricket.

00:00 – Intro: 50 years since 1975 and the most watched Women’s World Cup ever

02:18 – Segment 1: In The Middle – Power shifts and turning points

02:33 – South Africa’s journey: fearless, emotional and unbreakable

16:05 – Australia’s journey: human this time but still formidable

25:00 – India’s journey: historic, emotional and full of belief

42:35 – England’s journey: underwhelming, senior heavy and looking for renewal

45:05 – Pakistan’s journey: gritty, improving and finding rhythm

47:00 – Sri Lanka and New Zealand: flashes of brilliance lost to rain

47:55 – Segment 2: What’s Next – the future of women’s cricket and its new power map

Before the men lifted their first World Cup in 1975, the women had already done it in 1973. Yet that story was quietly forgotten.

This episode of Cricktake revisits the rise, neglect, and revival of women’s cricket - from Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s pioneering World Cup to the WPL’s packed stadiums and Australia’s blueprint for professionalization. We explore how gender-bland sexism, selective memory, and structural bias shaped the sport’s past, and ask a simple question that still echoes today:

When will women’s cricket truly be seen as equal and not exceptional?

00:07 - Introduction: The story cricket forgot

02:16 - Segment 1: The Forgotten Past - 1973, erasure, and the gendered narrative

12:54 - Segment 2: The Present - WPL, visibility vs. equity, and lived realities

30:28 - Segment 3: What’s Next - Australia’s blueprint, India’s breakout, and the global roadmap

🎧 Listen, Read, Follow: https://ecosystem.cricktake.com/

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The Asia Cup 2025 reminded us how form, rhythm, and temperament define success in the subcontinent. India’s expected dominance was finally challenged by a late Pakistani surge, though not enough to shift the pundits’ predictions. Cricktake unwraps the tournament through its turning points, from Afghanistan’s struggle and Sri Lanka’s rise to the determined efforts of the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong, revealing how structure and skill continue to shape Asian cricket’s story.

They were never on the team sheet but their voices shaped the game. From radio epics and velvet baritones to tactical dissections and chaotic one-liners, commentators have turned cricket into conversation. This episode of Cricktake charts the evolution of the mic, the masters who knew when to speak, the ones who didn’t, and the soundbites that became folklore. We break down the greats, the gimmicks, and the future of commentary in an age of AI and overload. And we ask the question most fans haven’t dared to voice. Who really deserves the mic today?

In an age of instant gratification and booming T20 leagues, is there still room for Test cricket, the format that defined the game? This episode of Cricktake explores the past, present, and uncertain future of the longest format. From five-day epics and Bazball experiments to collapsing boards and Gen Z apathy, we ask the question no one wants to answer: Is Test cricket dying or is it just evolving?