It’s Not Just Cricket

Plenty of disagreements in this one! Despite Joe Root scoring the most Test hundreds for his country, Azeem still thinks Alistair Cook is the greatest English Test batsman. Matt doesn't agree and they also don't see eye to eye on Michael Vaughan's brutal analysis of Oli Pope's captaincy. One thing they do agree on is that ticket prices have become ridiculous and cricket is fast becoming an elitist sport!

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Lots of cricket to chat through this week - England's win against Sri Lanka, lots of new faces in the Test, ODI & T20 squads and who should be the new full time England white ball Head Coach. Plus - why Jos Buttler has been thrown under the bus by the leaking of the story about his relationship with Andrew Flintoff and why on earth did Pakistan not pick a spinner at home against Bangladesh?!

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The boys get deep into some serious topics in this episode. Azeem talks about how the riots brought back bad memories and made him fear his house would be petrol bombed. He & Matt talk through why they happened in the first place and then move onto the issue of cricketers and their mental health. In the wake of the terrible news about Graham Thorpe, they ask the question - why do cricketers seem to be more susceptible to mental health issues than other professional athletes?

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Matt's back from Sri Lanka but his head is still there. With the Sri Lankan Test team in England, British Sri Lankan journalist Mark Machado is in the studio to preview the series and give us the inside track on the general health of cricket in Sri Lanka. It's not just cricket though - the boys discuss what makes the country such a great place to visit...the geography, the wildlife and the food!

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Matt's in Sri Lanka working for Indian television and manages to grab former New Zealand star Scott Styris for a chin wag! After the tragic passing of Graham Thorpe, the two of them discuss why many cricketers seem to struggle with their mental health. Scott's insight into the IPL - he's worked in it as a player or commentator for the best part of 20 years - is riveting, as are his thoughts on the future of Test matches....are English fans looking at Test cricket through rose tinted glasses??

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Darren Lewis is one of the UK's most respected football journalists who has risen through the ranks to become Assistant Editor of the Daily Mirror. As one of the few people of colour in such a senior position he isn't afraid to voice his strong opinions on issues like racism in football. In this episode he gives his take on the Enzo Fernandez situation at Chelsea, why there are so few black football managers and the role of the media in the fight against racism.

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This week's special guest Lianne Sanderson is someone who is never afraid to speak her mind or stand up to discrimination and abuse. Having been a star of the England football team and travelled the world as a professional she moved seamlessly into the media, and is now one of the most captivating pundits out there. During her career both on and off the pitch she's had to deal with homophobia, racism, death threats and social media abuse. But that doesn't mean she will just ignore it - stand by for a fascinating insight into her life and football in general.

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Aatif is back! He, Matt and Azeem have a wide ranging chat about what it's like to be a Muslim in the UK. Azeem recalls his experiences of trying to fit in as a cricketer by drinking alcohol and the three of them discuss how Islamophobia has been steadily rising since 9/11. This one covers everything from politics to religion to comedy, and a little bit of cricket too!

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JImmy Anderson has retired - it was a totally understandable decision but in sport, and life, are we obsessed with age and telling people to stop doing things that they can still do very well? Should Gus Atkinson be patient and follow the example set by the top Australian fast bowlers? Meanwhile, India is entering a new era of T20 cricket with no Kohli, Rohit or Jadeja - so who should be the new captain, who will be the next batting superstars and with Gautam Gambhir as Head Coach will they become a more aggressive side?

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Matt & Azeem preview Jimmy Anderson's final Test and argue about the Ben Stokes v Tim Paine spat - is BazBall really 'saving' Test cricket?!

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