Stumped

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On this week’s Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Clint Wheeldon, the team look at what is next for the Champions Trophy after the hosts Pakistan claimed India has told the International Cricket Council they won't travel to the country to play in the event next year.

James Anderson explains how he and his family dealt with personal tragedy, how best to bowl to Steve Smith and Virat Kohli and why he's decided to enter the 2024 IPL auction.

Also an interview with Matt Drakeley, the Head of Talent Pathway at Somerset CC, about Somerset inviting female seam and spin bowlers from across the UK to attend a trial day with the opportunity to potentially join their women’s team.

Photo: England's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of India's captain Virat Kohli on the first day of the third Test match between England and India at Headingley cricket ground in Leeds, on August 25, 2021 (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

On this week’s Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Brett Sprigg, former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim joins the team to discuss the fall-out from New Zealand's historic Test series win in India and what’s next for India's men as they prepare to head to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Photo: India captain Rohit Sharma during day four of the 4th Test Match between India and England at JSCA International Stadium Complex on February 26, 2024 in Ranchi, India. (Credit: Getty Images)

Two big names from two remarkable stories in Test cricket are on the programme.

New Zealand’s men created history by securing their first ever Test series victory in India - ending India’s run of eighteen consecutive Test series wins at home over a dominant period of twelve years.

Rachin Ravindra, Player of the Match from the opening Test of the series, tells Alison there is nothing like a Test win for your country, how he was inspired by the ‘golden generation’ of New Zealand cricket - and his hopes of meeting Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood tells Stumped how they arrested a slump in fortune to earn an incredible come-from-behind win over England - their first series win at home in nearly four years. Masood talks about the team finding “balance in the middle of chaos”, the precarious nature of captaincy, and the future of dropped batting star Babar Azam.

Alison, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma all reflect on the recent success for both New Zealand and Pakistan.

Photo: General view of play during an ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and New Zealand. (Credit: Getty Images)

On this week's Stumped, Alison Mitchell, Clint Wheeldon and Charu Sharma speak with World Cup winner Maddy Green, who celebrated her 32nd birthday on the day of the final. She tells us what New Zealand’s victory means to the country, as well as discussing how they defied expectations to triumph in Dubai.

We reflect on how the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was won, pick out the most memorable moments from the tournament and discuss cricket's omission from the 2026 Commonwealth Games, despite having featured in Birmingham last time out.

Plus, the team discuss some of the more unorthodox methods of preparing a wicket. It’s after industrial fans, patio heaters and wind breakers were all used on the pitch in Rawalpindi ahead of the third Test between Pakistan and England.

Photo: New Zealand's players celebrate with their winning trophy at the end of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup cricket final match between South Africa and New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on October 20, 2024. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

As India and England fail to reach the last four of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the inquest into their exit begins. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss where it all went wrong, and ask if anyone can stop Australia defending their title.

Scotland returned from their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and leg spinner Abtaha Maqsood joins the team to talk about her experience of playing in the tournament for the first time, what she’s been able to learn from facing the top-ranked teams in the world, and why being a role model is so important to her.

Plus, we find out more about the garden shed invention which changed the shape of spin bowling. Matthew Pryor, son of the inventor Henry, joins the team explain how Merlyn came to be and how it’s helped teams master the conditions in the sub-continent.

Photo: Abtaha Maqsood of Scotland warms up prior to the the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match between Pakistan and Scotland at The Sevens Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell is alongside Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell to discuss the effects on women’s cricket in Bangladesh, with the country not hosting the Women’s ICC T20 World Cup. Bangladesh cricket writer Tawhid Qureshi gives his thoughts on how the domestic game in Bangladesh would have benefited from the spotlight that hosting a World Cup brings, and how Bangladeshi players need more pathways to the professional game.

Ali, Jim & Charu reflect on Joe Root becoming England’s men’s leading run-scorer in Tests and on his compatriot Harry Brook scoring a triple century in the first Test in Multan against Pakistan.

Plus, they find out more about cricket’s inventors and innovators by talking to Stuart Robertson – the inventor of T20 cricket.

Alison Mitchell is alongside Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell to discuss Pakistan hosting England in a three-test series, which begins on 7 October.

Alison speaks to Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie ahead of the series with the new coach looking to turn around Pakistan’s fortunes, with just two wins in their last thirteen Tests. He talks about wanting to instill belief in his squad, as well as managing his captain Shan Masood and improving the squad’s fitness.

Plus, Ali, Jim & Charu find out the origin of one of cricket’s iconic techniques - the ‘Googly’.

Photo Credit: Pakistan men's test team head coach Jason Gillespie speaks to the media at National Bank Cricket Stadium on July 07, 2024 in Karachi, Pakistan. (Photo by Muhammad Sameer Ali/Getty Images).

We are less than a week away from the start of the Women's T20 World Cup. Defending champions Australia are aiming to make it four wins in a row.

West Indies were the last nation to lift the World Cup before Australia embarked on their era of dominance. We speak to all rounder Deandra Dottin who was part of the 2016 West Indies World Cup winning team and she explains her reasons for reversing her international retirement ahead of the tournament.

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma also discuss the possible return of England's Ben Stokes to white ball cricket.

Photo: Deandra Dottin of West Indies celebrates her unbeaten 112 during the ICC T20 Women's World Cup Group A match between West Indies and South Africa at Warner Park on May 5, 2010 in St Kitts, Saint Kitts And Nevis. (Credit: Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma speak to the international captain turned Ultramarathon running cricket coach, Johan Botha, on his passion for endurance running.

The team also discuss India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal who is chasing history in the World Test Championship.

Plus, Ireland captain Gaby Lewis joins us on the programme to reflect on their historic victories over England.

Photo Credit: Johan Botha image four, Bridgetown, Barbados 8th May, Johan Botha of South Africa celebrates the wicket of Michael Lumb during the ICC World Twenty20 Super Eight Match between England and South Africa played at the Kensington Oval on May 8, 2010 in Bridgetown, Barbados. (Photo by Julian Herbert/Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss India’s men’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh and in particular the return of Rishabh Pant.

The wicketkeeper batter has been named in the Test squad for the first time since his serious car accident in December 2022. There’s also a maiden Test call-up for left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal.

Ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, Australia all-rounder Sophie Molineux tells Charlotte Swift she had a tear in her eye after making her return to international cricket. That’s after a succession of injuries forced her out of the sport for more than two years.

And we look at what Sri Lanka’s third and final Test win over England in London might mean for cricket in Sri Lanka.

Image: Rishabh Pant of India during the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 Super Eight match between Australia and India at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on June 24, 2024 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)