It’s Not Just Cricket

Lots of meaty stories to get in to this week! It's not sounding food for Pat Cummins being fit for the Ashes - could that open the door to England winning in Australia or do the home side have enough cover? Shubman Gill replaces Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain - does this spell the end for Rohit's international career? And England have quietly got on a roll at the Women's World Cup - could they surprise both Australia & India and go all the way?!

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Pakistani podcaster and journalist Behram Qazi is back to offer his typically forthright and eloquent take on world cricket. The boys cover a lot in this episode from the England Ashes squad announcement to the current apathy in Pakistan towards cricket to the ILT20 player auction. Why have England picked Will Jacks over Rehan Ahmed? Who will be the first choice batter and bowler from the Lions if someone goes down injured? Is the ILT20 a great example of how a franchise tournament can really improve the standard of local players? All of this discussed and a lot more......

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We've got to talk about the County Championship. What a title race and what a game between Surrey and Notts! If Peter Moores guides them to the title he will have won the Championship at three different counties - is it time he got an International job again? Over in Division Two it's going to be Leicestershire and Glamorgan coming up, did anyone see that coming?! Meanwhile in South Africa Quinton De Kock comes out of International retirement - great to have him back but is he having his cake and eating it?

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Matt's back in London to reflect on his experience working with some of the best commentators in the world at the Asia Cup. The tournament is yet to catch fire on the pitch while off it things are really kicking off. The boys chat handshakegate, whether the second India v Pakistan game will happen and why Afghanistan have been knocked out early.

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Matt's in Dubai commentating on the Asia Cup which means the boys can record their first episode face to face in a while. Azeem explains why he took some time off and speaks openly again about his suicidal thoughts. Heavy stuff. There is some cricket too - the Asia Cup is up and running and big question is can anyone stop India? Is Franchise T20 a big part of Afganistan's rise? And has a negative mindest been holding Pakistan back in T20 cricket for years?

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Sri Lankan cricket podcaster Mark Machado is this week's guest, live from his new home city of New York! Mark explains why cricket in the US has not really built on the success of last year's T20 World Cup and why he's watching more live cricket on TV there than he was in the UK. Then it's onto Sri Lankan cricket - has Angelo Mathews now played his last game of International cricket and are the T20 team dark horses to win the Asia Cup? Can anyone stop India though?!

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The ever energetic Aatif Nawaz is back to join Matt in a discussion on how The Hundred will change after private ownership. How many teams will change names? Will we see an IPL style auction from now on? When will it become a T20 competition? But don't worry, we've got all you traditionalists out there covered as well - after Cheteshwar Pujara announces his retirement the boys reflect on an old school career and how he's amongst the last of a dying breed of cricketers.

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Liam Livingstone says he 'doesn't know where he stands with England' so what next for him? Jacob Bethell is set to become England's youngest ever Captain and India are so good at T20 they can afford to leave out Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. If only one of the them had an English Grandmother!

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No more Tests in the UK this summer so time to get our teeth stuck into The Hundred. Why aren't there that many close games in the men's competition? Should they occasionally try playing the men's games first and the women's second? After that it's onto some early Ashes chat - Azeem thinks that Rehan Ahmed should now be England's first choice spinner, find out why he thinks the changing conditions in Australia could actually help his case

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After one of the most thrilling Test series in recent times, the boys look at how England v India 2025 compares with the most exciting contests in Test cricket. Was it as good as the 2005 or 2023 Ashes? Could the manner of the 5th Test defeat leave a bit of psychological scarring on England heading into the Ashes? And Test cricket is as exciting as it's ever been so maybe it's not the product that's the problem...is it society?!

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