Stumped

The American cricket dream gathered momentum at the T20 World Cup as over 34,000 fans saw India beat Pakistan in a thriller. Eleanor Oldroyd, Clint Wheeldon and Sunil Gupta all discuss what this result means for both teams and which nations will progress further at the tournament.

We also speak to the former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene who is the Global Head of Performance at Mumbai Indians.

Plus we take you inside one of the oldest cricket clubs in New York.

Photo: A general view of the stadium during play in the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 match between India and Pakistan at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 09, 2024 in New York, New York. (Credit: Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell is in New York where the men's ICC T20 World Cup is taking place. The US are co-hosting the tournament for the very first time with matches being player in Dallas, Florida and New York. She explores the history of cricket in New York, what people think of cricket in America and builds up to one of the greatest rivalries in sport, India against Pakistan.

US journalist Peter Della Penna speaks to Alison about the history of cricket in US and the challenges it has faced. He also looks at the future of the game in the country and the legacy of this World Cup.

Charlotte Swift joins Alison in New York and attended the first match which took place at the Nassau County Cricket Ground on Long Island. Charlotte hears from fans from across the world on their excitement that a World Cup is being staged in New York. Plus she speaks to US born umpire Bryan R Caine who has become a social media star showing his love of cricket. He also tells us the quirky way in which he found cricket.

Charlotte also travels to Queens to speak to the NYPD cricket team made up of officers from across the precincts about how they found cricket and the importance of a shared love of the game despite their varying backgrounds.

Are the people in Manhattan actually interested in cricket and know that the World Cup is happening on their doorstep? We find out

And Summit Grosver from Wanderer's Cricket Club in the Bronx was born in Australia but has Indian heritage. He tells us about the significance of India playing Pakistan in New York.

Photo: Alison Mitchell at Eisenhower Park which is where the Nassau County Cricket pop up stadium has been erected. (Credit: Graeme Langford)

Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Brett Sprigg look back on the IPL final and the tournament as a whole and reflect on the dominance of the Kolkata Knight Riders in this year’s tournament.

Plus, we hear from Uganda men’s cricket captain Brian Masaba on leading his team at the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time. He tells us why they are nicknamed 'The Cricket Cranes', their hopes for the tournament and gives us insight on 43 year old teammate Frank Nsubuga.

And the Stumped team give their predictions for who will make the top four. (They are all very different).

And remember that you can get in touch with us here on Stumped, why not send us a Whatsapp voice note? The number you need is +44 800 032 0470 - include your name and where you are from.

Photo: Uganda's men's team celebrate qualifying for the ICC men's T20 World Cup. (Credit: ICC AFRICA/UGANDA CRICKET ASSOCIATION)

After more than two months, the Indian Premier League comes to a climax this weekend. Alison Mitchell has been speaking to the Lucknow Super Giants Head Coach Justin Langer on what the IPL experience has taught him and whether he would be keen to coach the Indian national team. Alison, Clint Wheeldon and Charu Sharma all discuss the IPL and which team will be celebrating on Sunday.

The countdown to the T20 World Cup is fast approaching. Canada will be making their debut. Alison has also spoken to batter Aaron Johnson who grew up in Jamaica before moving to Canada to pursue his dream.

Photo: Lucknow Super Giants' coach Justin Langer gestures during the warm up before the start of the Indian Premier League T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants in Bengaluru on April 2, 2024. (Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma are joined by not one, but two, former international cricket captains.

England’s Sir Alastair Cook gives us his thoughts on Jimmy Anderson’s decision to retire and reflects on his career. He also shares if he was surprised by the timing of the decision. Plus with a new portrait of Cook being unveiled at the Lord's, he tells us what he really thinks of it.

And we hear from former Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof who has announced her retirement from the game. She tells us why she has decided not to take part in the T20 World Cup later this year and also on her experience of balancing motherhood and cricket.

Photo: Sir Alastair Cook and James Anderson pose with the Ashes urn as England celebrate winning the ashes after day four of the 5th Test match between England and Australia at The Kia Oval on August 23, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Credit: Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Clint Wheeldon and Charu Sharma debate whose responsibility is player welfare? Is it the players themselves, coaches, individual clubs or their countries? This comes after former England captain Joe Root has called the domestic cricket schedule “not fit for purpose”. The Professional Cricketers’ Association has found 81% of players have expressed concerns about the physical toll of the fixture list.

Plus we are joined by Australian born Italian international Ben Manenti. He tells us how he was selected for the team, his dreams to play at a World Cup and the love of playing the sport alongside his brother.

And we hear from France cricketer Poppy McGowan on allegations of “ghost matches” and players being banned by the national team for speaking out. She’s calling for the ICC to make their investigation public. France Cricket strongly deny the claims.

Photo: Ben Manenti of the Redbacks appeals for lbw not given during the Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales at Karen Rolton Oval, on March 14, 2023, in Adelaide, Australia. (Credit: Getty Images)

With all 20 teams heading to the men’s T20 World Cup announcing their provisional squads, Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma debate the surprise selections and noticeable omissions.

We are joined by the Chief Executive of Vanuatu Cricket, Tim Cutler who is currently in Dubai where the women’s team are playing in the ICC T20 Qualifiers. They made history by beating Zimbabwe who are ranked 18 places above them in the ICC rankings. Tim tells us how the women's team are Vanuatu's highest ranked sporting team... even better than their men's national football team!

Plus we head to the theatre. We hear from Diane Page who has directed a play called Testmatch which centres around cricket, colonialism and corruption.

Photo: Vanuatu women's team bat against Uganda in a friendly match in Abu Dhabi. (Credit: Vanuatu Cricket Association)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma debate who should be India's wicketkeeper for the Men's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and America. India have potentially seven options who could take the gloves. Rishabh Pant is the frontrunner after having a stellar season so far in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Capitals, but he has not played for India since being involved in a car accident in December 2022, where he injured his knee. Other names to consider are KL Rahul, Sanju Samson and Dinesh Karthik.

And after Freddie Flintoff's sons are hitting the headlines in England for their cricketing skills, we look at cricketing families around the world and look at the pressure that brings.

Photo: Adelaide Oval Head Curator Damian Hough (Credit: Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions via Phil Martin)

With less than fifty days to go until the Men's T20 World Cup, Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma look at how some of the twenty teams are shaping up and ask what is the best way for players to prepare for a major international tournament?

Is it game time in a league like the Indian Premier League? Is it a competitive series with your international team? Or should players have a break to make sure that they are fresh? We look at how some players are planning for the tournament.

Plus the 161st Wisden Almanack has been released and we speak to the editor Lawrence Booth. The five Cricketers of the Year are chosen by the Wisden editor, a tradition that dates back to 1889. Performances in the English summer are the major factor and no player can win the award more than once. He tells us about his selections and the reasoning behind them.

And we debate if the use of the Kookaburra ball in the English County Championship has been a success and discuss how the different balls compare around the world.

Photo: Pandya celebrates after taking the wicket of Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between India and Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on October 11, 2023. (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Charu Sharma, Jim Maxwell and Nikesh Rughani are joined by Richard Sydenham who has written a book exploring what makes a cricketer tough and the physical and psychological aspects of it. He shares the stories from former players and what helped inform his 22 player list. Plus the Stumped team devise their own list.

21 year old Mayank Yadav won the player of the match award on his IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants. Charu and Nikesh debate if he should be picked in the India T20 World Cup squad and the pressures surrounding the young player.

Photo: Australian cricketer Steve Waugh during the 4th Test Match between the West Indies and Australia in Jamaica, May 1995. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)