Legends of the Ashes

We've got a new podcast we think you'll love.

Step inside sport’s greatest soap opera, Formula One, with a brand-new podcast Up To Speed. Hosted by Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, racing driver-turned-broadcaster Naomi Schiff, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, and F1 content creator Jolie Sharpe.

Expect razor-sharp reaction, behind-the-scenes insight, blockbuster interviews and answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask! With their deep knowledge, expert analysis and infectious love for racing, Will, Naomi, DC & Jolie dive into the stories that matter - on and off the track.

It’s fast-paced, unfiltered and full of the gossip that keeps the paddock buzzing.

They’ll react to the weekend's race drama every Monday. On Thursday they’ll deep dive into the biggest stories of the week.

Watch and listen to episode 1 now Global Player, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

In the last episode of Season 2, as we gear up for the Ashes, Mark Pougatch and Paul Hayward bring you the story of Australian media magnate Kerry Packer, who all the current players should be thanking.

Packer turned the gentile game of Test cricket upside down as he signed the captains of England, Australia and the West Indies to what some called his 'rebel circus'.

For two years at the end of the 1970s, the traditional world of white flannels, red balls and polite applause collided with coloured clothing, floodlights, music and marketing - cricket was never quite the same again.

So how did Packer lure the best cricketers in the world? And how much of what we see today can directly be traced back to the drive, ambition and vanity of one Sydney businessman?

We hope you've enjoyed Season 2 of How It All Played Out. While we take a short break you can check out all our past episodes on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

Remember to follow or subscribe, and give us a 5 star review too!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us: [email protected]

Get in touch on socials: @playedoutpod

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Head of Podcasts: Factual: Al Riddell

Director of Podcasts: Vicky Etchells

"If we don't beat you, we'll knock your bloody blocks off"

As soon as a sport star reaches Mount Olympus, you can guarantee that somebody is waiting in the wings to bring them crashing back down to earth. Fair or foul, an opponent will find any means to defeat a rival, restricting them from their usual tactics and well drilled gameplay.

In one of the most bitter and controversial Ashes series ever played, England set their sights on cricketing legend Don Bradman. Their method? A brutal, calculated strategy known as Bodyline—a tactic so aggressive it sparked outrage, strained diplomatic ties, and forever changed the spirit of the game.

In this episode of How It All Played Out, Mark Pougatch and Paul Hayward break down the origins of Bodyline, the logic behind "fast leg theory," and why Australia viewed it as nothing short of an assault on fair play.

Was it genius strategy or just plain unsporting? And why did it cause such a deep rift between two cricketing giants?

Remember to follow or subscribe, and give us a 5 star review too!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us: [email protected]

Executive Producer: Adem Waterman

Head of Podcasts, Factual: Al Riddell

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

"Is he in?"

For this episode of How It All Played Out, Mark and Paul travel to the home of Head Groom Jim Fitzgerald on a stormy night in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland and investigate one of the most shocking stories from the 1980s - The kidnapping of racehorse Shergar. 

This story involves the IRA, a ransom of 2 million pounds and a mystery that is still to be solved.

From masked gunmen with submachine guns, fraud, rumours, Irish country policemen and three leading journalists being flown to Belfast to negotiate Shergar's safe return, travel back in time to explore a bizarre sporting story like no other.

Remember to follow or subscribe and give us a 5 star review too!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us: [email protected]

Executive Producer: Adem Waterman

Head of Podcasts, Factual: Al Riddell

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

What is deep backward point or a third man? And does the term 'Silly point' make sense?

Join Mark and Paul in this bonus episode of How It All Played Out and find out why cricket fielding positions are called what they are.

Remember to follow or subscribe and give us a 5 star review too!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us: [email protected]

Before the very first episode of How It All Played Out is released, join Mark Pougatch & Paul Hayward as they explain what their exciting new podcast is all about.

They will also take a brief tour in time to explore the fascinating history of The Oval stadium where they find out that it's not just a cricket ground, but the home of so many British sports.

New episodes are released every Tuesday & Thursday.

Remember to follow or subscribe, and give us a 5 star review too!

We'd love to hear from you! Email us - [email protected]

Join broadcaster Mark Pougatch and journalist Paul Hayward as they look back at sports greatest stories in this fascinating weekly podcast - attempting to dissect the biggest moments from the courts, fields and stadiums from around the world.

They'll look at sporting icons of football, rugby, cricket, boxing and more. From era defining matches, ferocious rivalries and jaw dropping moments, they'll peel back the layers of the greatest and, often, most bizarre stories in sports history.

Subscribe to never miss an episode

This Is How It All Played Out.

Ali Dia - it's a name synonymous with footballing failure. How did a below average footballer find his way onto the sport's most elite stage, the Premier League?

Josh Widdicombe and Dara Ó Briain preview their new 6-part podcast series, in which they unearth the weird and wonderful truth behind the biggest mystery in football history.

The series kicks off on Tuesday 19th March.  

Welcome to The Sports Agents, a twice-weekly podcast hosted by two of the UK's top sports broadcasters, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman.

With new episodes available every Tuesday and Thursday, starting 5th March.

In the summer of 2019 England hosted the Cricket World Cup and the Ashes. 48 one-day internationals and six Tests in 14 crazy weeks, it was the stuff of dreams for all cricket lovers. And every dream needs a hero. Step forward Benjamin Andrew Stokes.

After his heroics in that chaotic World Cup final, things looked to be taking a turn for the worse when Australia were about to go 2-0 up in the Ashes at Headingley. But Stokes bowled his heart out to stop the Aussies obliterating England and then played one of the greatest ever Test match innings with the bat to see his side home by one wicket.

Stuart Broad reveals what was going on in the England dressing room as that incredible innings unfolded and why Ben Stokes’ leadership and personality were so vital.

Australia’s coach Justin Langer and star player Steve Smith as they recall the feeling of the game slipping away from them. And Ian Botham gives us his verdict on the man that may well turn out to be “the next Botham”.