In this episode we speak with one of the best in the business. Jarrod Kimber has written for Wisden, Cricinfo and many many more cricket sites and publications around the world. He’s authored books, worked as a commentator, an analyst and made an award-winning film (Death of a Gentleman). We've been admirers of his work for a while and were particularly taken with all the New Zealand content he's produced lately, so we invited him on the show to talk about the Black Caps journey from mediocrity to World Test Champions.

After some P Diddy chat and a bit about Jarrod's own cricket fandom, we talk about the many factors behind New Zealand's growth as a cricket side in recent times, which sees them hold top spot in both Tests and ODIs after beating Virat Kohli's India in the WTC final. We discuss what makes Kyle Jamieson so special, why Neil Wagner takes wickets even though everyone knows exactly what he's trying to do, the role of analysts at the international level and where New Zealand sits compared with the Big Three of India, England and Australia.

To finish the show, we pan out to take a wider look at the World Test Championship, ICC tournaments, associate nations and franchise cricket to examine how they can all co-exist and what the best version of a cricket calendar might look like. There's even a lawn-mowing metaphor!

For more great content from Jarrod, we highly recommend you check out his YouTube channel, or his podcasts Red Inker and Double Century. There's plenty in there for cricket lovers from all around the world.

If you're a new listener to the show, check out our back catalogue. You'll find plenty of banter, plus timeless interviews with current players, legends, journalists and characters from all over the cricketing world, including recent chats with Tim Southee and a wonderfully candid Iain O'Brien.

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If you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected].

Thanks for listening.

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