Stumped

We are joined by England Ashes winning coach Andy Flower who is now Afghanistan consultant for the Men’s T20 World Cup. He tells us about the pride that the Afghanistan players have to play for their country and his reason for wanting to be involved with the team. He also tells us his hopes to coach an IPL team in the future and gives his predictions on how the men's Ashes will play out with Ben Stokes back in contention.

Plus Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell discuss the main talking points from the Men's T20 World Cup so far including how India will recover from losing to Pakistan and South Africa's Quinton de Kock choosing not take a knee in their opening match against the West Indies.

Photo: Andy Flower, Coach of Afghanistan looks on ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 25, 2021 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Michael Steele-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

On this week’s episode, Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Jim Maxwell react to the speculation that Indian legend Rahul Dravid looks set to replace Ravi Shastri as head coach of the national team after the T20 World Cup and discuss what Shastri’s legacy will be.

With the Men’s T20 World Cup up and running we go behind the scenes in the Irish camp and speak to Shane Getkate. He is a reserve in the team and will tell us about the mood in the side and also his comeback story from cardiac arrest to playing for Ireland.

Finally, in 1994, a well-known chocolate brand created an advert in India which would become iconic - it saw a woman sat on the side-lines of a cricket match watching her male friend score a winning boundary and then running onto the field and dancing with delight. But fast forward to 2021 and the advert has been reimagined by swapping the gender roles and ending with the powerful message of #GoodLuckGirls as a tribute to women athletes. We speak to one of the stars of the new advert, Kavya Ramachandran.

Photo: India A coach Rahul Dravid during a tour match between ECB XI v India A at Headingley on June 17, 2018. (Image: Getty Images)

We discuss the finale of the Indian Premier League and after Virat Kohli played his last game as captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, the team look at how his tenure as captain will be remembered.

We speak to the Chairman of Oman Cricket, Pankaj Khimji who tells us how he feels about hosting the T20 World Cup, how the country has prepared and his predictions on how far his team can go.

And as part of Black History Month in the UK, we hear how the African Caribbean Engagement programme (ACE) is aiming get more British black people playing cricket and improve the number of black professional cricket players in the UK, which has declined by 75% in the last 25 years, and is at less than 1% at recreational level.

(Photo: Khawar Aliof Oman is congratulated after taking the wicket of Namibia’s Zane Green during a ICC Men’s T20 World Cup warm up match between Oman and Namibia. Credit: ICC/Getty Images)

South Africa and Delhi Capitals’ fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has told BBC Stumped that ‘bio-bubbles aren’t sustainable’ in world cricket and something must change.

Rabada, who made his IPL debut four years ago as a 22-year-old, has risen to become one of the most successful bowlers in world cricket and a role model for young South Africans. He joined Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Jim Maxwell to discuss his development as a player, what it’s like to be coached by Ricky Pointing and his hopes of lifting the Indian Premier League trophy with Delhi Capitals, after losing last year’s Final.

Also on Stumped, we discuss another week of speculation around the future of the Ashes, what will happen next and we hear from West Indies legend Michael Holding who claims England showed "Western arrogance" by cancelling their tour of Pakistan.

Photo credit: Kagiso Rabada of South Africa walks off for lunch after he took the wicket of Jonny Bairstow of England during day three of the 4th Test at Supersport Park on January 24, 2016 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Jim Maxwell speak with incoming Marylebone Cricket Club president Clare Connor about becoming the first woman to take up the role in the 233-year history of the club. She discusses her hopes of using her one-year term to modernise the club to ensure better gender parity. Connor also remains the managing director of women’s cricket at the ECB, and discusses the “unbelievably disappointing” cancellation of England joint men’s & women’s tour of Pakistan which she says was “absolutely the right decision at that time”.

The team also hear from one of the busiest women in cricket - Emily Windsor - who juggles a full time job working for the National Health Service in the UK, cricket commentary for the BBC and playing for the Southern Vipers in the South of England. Last week she was named player of the match in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint trophy final and reflects on the Vipers win.

And we reflect on England all-rounder Moeen Ali’s decision to retire from red-ball cricket, and in the aftermath of India women ending Australia’s 26-match unbeaten ODI run, the team analyse whether the time is right for a women’s IPL-style tournament in the country.

(Photo: Former England women's cricketer Claire Connor rings the five-minute bell ahead of day four of the 2nd Ashes Test match between England and Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground. Credit: Getty Images)

We discuss the fallout from England withdrawing their men and women from their October tour to Pakistan and what consequences it could have for international cricket.

Photo credit: Newly-elected Pakistan's Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and former team captain Ramiz Raja speaks during a press conference at the cricket academy in Lahore on September 13, 2021. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP) (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

On this week’s episode, Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell hear from Tuba Sangar, who up until just a couple of weeks ago was the women's development manager for the Afghanistan Cricket Board. She tells the team about her fears for the safety of her players, the future of women’s cricket in Afghanistan, and what it was like leaving her home and her job behind.

They also speak with Punjab Kings and Australia bowler Nathan Ellis, whose remarkable two-year journey from playing club cricket continues with the chance to play in the Indian Premier League, which resumes in the UAE, and discuss the fall-out from the fifth Test between England and India. The match was called off just two hours before the scheduled start of play due to Covid concerns in the India camp.

Photo: Members of Afghanistan's first national women's cricket team take part in a training session in Kabul. (Credit: SHAH MARAI/AFP via Getty Images)

We discuss the latest on what the future might hold for cricket in Afghanistan after speculation over whether the women's team will be able to play under the new government.

We also find out how some refugees from the country are being made to feel welcome in the UK thanks to a cricket match organised by Newport Pagnell Town Cricket Club.

Plus we reflect on the Test series between England and India, and discuss MS Dhoni's role as a mentor for the India T20 World Cup squad.

And we learn more about the Disability Premier League in England, which is currently being trialled and is described as a "world first" with players from three different impairment groups playing together for the first time.

Photo description: Afghan girls play cricket on the school grounds in Kabul on December 28, 2010. (Photo credit: SHAH MARAI/AFP via Getty Images)

Isabelle Westbury, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma hear from former Australia bowler Michael Kasprowicz who has been involved in developing the SmartBall, which measures speed, spin and power and is currently being trialled in the Caribbean Premier League. We ask what the players make of it so far and when we could see it being used more widely across international competitions.

We find out more about Brazil's ambitions to qualify for the Women's T20 World Cup in 2023 with their captain Roberta Moretti Avery.

Plus we remember Dale Steyn’s greatest moments as the South African announces his retirement from cricket and discuss the pressure on India’s Virat Kohli both with the bat and his captaincy as the Test series against England continues.

PHOTO: Australian fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz, shows the match ball to spectators after taking five wickets, on day two of the first of three Tests against Pakistan at the WACA ground in Perth, 17 December 2004. (Credit: GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images)

We're joined by the head of The Hundred women's competition, Beth Barrett-Wild to discuss its success and what's next for the tournament.

With all eyes on the third Test between England and India, we find out more about the Pataudi trophy they're competing for, named after one of the biggest stars in the history of Indian cricket.

And we look at the latest situation for Afghanistan's cricketers.

PHOTO: The Oval Invincibles celebrate victory with the trophy after The Hundred Final match between Southern Brave Women and Oval Invincibles Women at Lord's Cricket Ground on August 21, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Getty Images)