What’s it really like to run England cricket?

This week on Close of Play, Ashley Giles joins Sanjay Murthy and Geraint Jones for a rare inside look at one of the toughest jobs in sport.

From Ashes winner to selector, coach, county chief and Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Giles has seen the game from every angle.

We discuss the pressure of running England, the COVID bubble era, selection, whether counties can survive, the future of the domestic game, and the toll the role took on him mentally.

Plus, Silly Point returns and there are plenty of laughs along the way.

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Episode Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:20 Running England Cricket
08:10 Pressure and judgement
14:05 Firefighting vs building
21:25 Mindset and leadership
26:00 County cricket debate
28:20 England XI v New Zealand
38:20 Silly Point
44:15 Can counties survive?
52:25 2005 Ashes memories