It’s Not Just Cricket

This week the boys discuss a clash of alpha batsmen Steve Smith and Babar Azam at the Big Bash and whether Smith should be in Australia's T20 World Cup squad. Plus, Azeem names the batter he thinks shouldn't be in England's squad and has Virat Kohli already hit a record that will never be beaten?

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Azeem is back and the boys go through the main candidates to take over from Brendon McCullum when he finishes. Would it be a mistake to go for a disciplinarian? Should it be an Englishman? The Big Bash is bringing in a Designated Batter next season - a batter who doesn't have to field - is this the dream job or something that isn't needed? Plus, some of The Hundred team name changes are revealed...get ready for a new look competition this year!

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Cricket writer and correspondent Tawhid Qureshi gives us the lowdown on how relations between Bangladesh and India have deteriorated rapidly. What will happen if Bangladesh continue to refuse to play in India at the T20 World Cup?!

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Radio X DJ and cricket nut Toby Tarrant joins Matt in the studio to address an assortment of random issues - how can The Traitors TV show make cricket more watchable? Will Ben Stokes still be Test captain at the end of 2026? Will barring the players from having lunch help speed up the over rate?! Do nepo babies need a union? An eclectic mix....

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As 2025 comes to a close the boys reflect on England's first Test win in Australia for 15 years. The pitch wasn't great, but was the groundsman made to carry the can for some pretty bad batting? Then it's on to handing out the first ever 'It's Not Just Cricket Awards' for 2025...most importantly, who will win the Booby Prize?!

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Azeem and Matt have different takes on the interviews given by Brendon McCullum and Rob Key in the aftermath of England's Ashes demolition. They then clash on England's Noosa trip - did England enjoy themselves too much or do these things only get highlighted when you are losing? Either way, is it now 2 Test matches for the England leadership group to show they can take the team forward and avoid the chop?

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England show some spirit but are staring down another Ashes defeat, even after ditching BazBall in the 1st innings. Will Jacks does his best but he's only a part time bowler - will England never be a top Test team again until they find a top level spinner?

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A better day for England but did Australia miss the chance to bury their opposition?

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TalkSPORT's Cricket Editor Jon Norman joins the boys to discuss how the media has turned on BazBall and what Ben Stokes' men can do to somehow turn the Ashes around. Over in India, Kohli is back with a bang - is it all now set up perfectly for the 2027 World Cup to be his international swan song? Plus, is Vaibhav Suryavanshi the biggest child prodigy in world cricket since Sachin and the team predict when he will break into the India team.

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Lively debate after Australia have another dominant day in Brisbane. Have Australia shown that traditional Test cricket is the way to play the game? Is this the death of BazBall? The boys also argue over whether BazBall can really be seen as a cult!

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