Shades of fandom: how our opinions about cricketers change over time

Shades of fandom: how our opinions about cricketers change over timeShades of fandom: how our opinions about cricketers change over time

0 Comments

Some cricketers we love at first sight; some, we take time to appreciate; others, we do not understand the fuss; and still others are quick to get under our skins. Often, we review our views over time – and often surprise ourselves by changing our opinions about cricketers. Kapil Dev,


Hard for journalists today to probe serious issues in cricket – Pradeep Magazine interview

Hard for journalists today to probe serious issues in cricket – Pradeep Magazine interviewHard for journalists today to probe serious issues in cricket – Pradeep Magazine interview

0 Comments

We talk to the veteran journalist and author – Pradeep Magazine. We discuss the major themes of his books – Not Quite Cricket and Not Just Cricket – and talk about the lessons from the match-fixing epidemic in the late 1990s and how the player-journalist relationship has altered over time.


‘There are things more important than taking wickets and scoring runs’ – Henry Olonga interview

‘There are things more important than taking wickets and scoring runs’ – Henry Olonga interview‘There are things more important than taking wickets and scoring runs’ – Henry Olonga interview

0 Comments

We talk to the former Zimbabwe fast bowler – and the first black cricketer to represent his country – Henry Olonga. We focus on the book that Olonga published in 2010 – Blood, Sweat and Treason – and revisit the highs and lows of his career. We also look back


What we rant about when we rant about umpiring

What we rant about when we rant about umpiringWhat we rant about when we rant about umpiring

2 Comments

In the latest episode of the podcast we chat about the challenge of being a modern umpire – and how excess scrutiny and knee-jerk reactions from pundits have combined to create a toxic environment. Talking Points: The challenge for modern umpires – with ball-by-ball social media scrutiny How TV replays


Judging greatness across eras: measures, challenges, and fallacies

Judging greatness across eras: measures, challenges, and fallaciesJudging greatness across eras: measures, challenges, and fallacies

0 Comments

In the latest episode of the podcast, we discuss the idea of greatness in cricket. What do we mean when we say a player is ‘great’, how does one compare across eras, and what are the pitfalls we fall into when discussing greatness. Talking Points: Greatness as a measurement of


Talking fandom: love, loyalty, and a sense of belonging

Talking fandom: love, loyalty, and a sense of belongingTalking fandom: love, loyalty, and a sense of belonging

0 Comments

In the latest episode we discuss ideas of loyalty and fandom – with respect to both teams and individual athletes – and dissect various strands of ‘belonging’ to an imagined community. Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar (recently republished by 81allout) India (hardback) | India (paperback, e-copy) Australia (hardback, paperback, e-copy)


Clutch, pressure, choke: the language of cricketing discourse

Clutch, pressure, choke: the language of cricketing discourseClutch, pressure, choke: the language of cricketing discourse

2 Comments

In the latest episode we discuss popular terms used to describe a cricketing contest – and why these are often lazy alternatives with no standard definition. Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar (recently republished by 81allout) India (hardback) | India (paperback, e-copy) Australia (hardback, paperback, e-copy) USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy) UK


Hitting v Batting: the choice that dictates the shape of a T20 contest

Hitting v Batting: the choice that dictates the shape of a T20 contestHitting v Batting: the choice that dictates the shape of a T20 contest

2 Comments

In the latest episode of the podcast we discuss a fundamental question that underpins a T20 contest: does batting have a place in T20? Are elite batters like Virat Kohli, Babar Azam and Steve Smith good fits in the T20 format – and what metrics tell us how good a