The Last Wicket

Special guest Aryan Surana joins the Last Wicket duo to discuss the Future Tour Program (FTP), the impact of franchise cricket on the cricketing calendar, ideas for finding a balance between the economics of the game, franchise cricket, and international cricket. Bonus: some ranting on the Real Big Bash League aka IPL.

Links

Re-defining cricket's calendar - Freehit's Blog (substack.com)

Aryan Surana (@iamaryansurana) / X (twitter.com)

The Last Wicket duo is joined by Kartik (@EliteCynic) once again - this time to break down the year in cricket so far. We discuss the recent England men's tour of India, RCB lifting winning their maiden title in the WPL, the BCCI contracts fracas, and the amusing Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry.

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For the first episode of 2024, The Last Wicket duo are joined by Nikhil Popat aka @CricCrazyNiks to talk about the contrasting tenures of the Indian men's erstwhile and current coaches - Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. We discuss their approaches to man-management, tactics and vision, their highs and lows, and what their stints mean for the immediate future of Indian cricket.

The Last Wicket hosts discuss the highlights of cricketing action in 2023, including the continuing march of T20 leagues around the world, the progress of women's cricket, the eventful Men's Ashes series, India's stumble at the final hurdles in the WTC and World Cup, and much more.

The Last Wicket duo is joined by alumnus Nish (@Cerebrohemius) and special guest Kartik (@elitecynic) to process the great big Australian upset as India went down at the (World Cup) final hurdle in Ahmedabad. We talk about the triumph of Australian grit over Indian excellence in the 2023 World Cup final, what's next for Team India, the standout performances of the tournament, and what the last few weeks indicate for the future of ODIs.

Host Mayank is joined by Sports Biomechanist Stuart McErlain-Naylor to break down his study on the relationship between hitting techniques and ball carry distance in cricket. They talk about the evolution of biomechanics in cricket, key parameters in assessing ball carry distance, differences between men's and women's cricket concerning biomechanics, how this can complement technical coaching and much more.

Links

• Stuart’s YouTube channel: Stuart McErlain-Naylor - YouTube
• Science of Cricket YouTube lecture series: The Science of Cricket: Lectures - YouTube
• Experts in Sport podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0J74YTIIXGDd2YROSu4Ktl?si=0180546164c245c1
• Stuart’s research articles on cricket: Cricket Biomechanics | Dr Stuart McErlain-Naylor

The Last Wicket duo is joined by Kartik (@elitecynic) to discuss the early stages of the ongoing 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup. We discuss the best contests so far, the players that have surprised and impressed us the most, what the story of the World Cup has been so far, and who the likely semifinalists would be based on the early exchanges.

Link

Kartik on X (Twitter)

ESPNcricinfo producer/presenter Yash Jha joins host Mayank for a chat on the state of ODI cricket today. Topics of discussion include its relevance, declining games and tournaments, scheduling challenges and future of the format.

Link

Yash Jha (@jhayash) / X (twitter.com)

Historian Duncan Stone chats with host Mayank about this recent book - Different Class: The Untold Story of English Cricket. This book was shortlisted for the Cricket Writers Club 'Book of the Year' 2022 and the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 'Cricket Book of the Year' 2023.

“A modern-day John Arlott: uncomfortable but indispensable reading for those who love cricket but may so far have avoided Duncan Stone’s vital home truths about the game.” - Peter Hain, former chairman of the Stop the Seventy Tour campaign and Labour Peer

"In this fascinating journey through history, Duncan Stone goes back to the working-class roots of the game, lifts the lid on the myths that cricket lives by, and explains why it’s impossible not to love it." - Tony Collins, author of Rugby League: A People's History

"A warm, accessible but thorough-going account of how cricket and class are intertwined in England. Full of personal wit and charm but also rigor and drive." - Stuart Maconie

"At a time when the ECB seems intent on killing Test cricket, by commodifying it in search of quick profits, this book is a gentle reminder of the true ethos and variable pace of the game, etched in the memories of all who have played it at village or club level." - Guy Standing, author of The Precariat: The True Dangerous Class

"Different Class is in that special category of books — not just lucid and cogent but necessary and invaluable." - Gideon Haigh, author of The Cricket War: The Inside Story of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket

Duncan Stone is a historian long interested in the social and cultural machinations of sport, the concept and application of amateurism and who, exactly, gets to define the form, function and meaning of sport. He has worked as a forensic photographer, DJ and club promoter, builder, local government officer and lecturer at the University of Huddersfield and was previously a visiting researcher at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia.

Link

Different Class: The Untold Story of English Cricket: Stone, Duncan: 9781913462802: Amazon.com: Books

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Freelance cricket journalist Cameron Ponsonby joins host Mayank to chat about all things MLC. The two discuss the success of the inaugural edition of the tournament, his role with the Washington Freedoms, areas for improvement, and what the future holds for the fledgling league.

Link

Cameron Ponsonby (@cameronponsonby) / X

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