81 All Out - A Cricket Podcast

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, Ishant Sharma, Ravi Shastri, Ian Chappell, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Steve Waugh -...

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. Journalists of the 1990s had enough access to the inner circle to get an inkling of the shadiness, says Magaz...

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 on Olonga's and Andy Flower's iconic black armband protest at the 2003 World Cup, and how it would change his life forever. Talking...

We talk to ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam on his decade-long career covering cricket and his recent anthology On the Tigers Trail . Isam touches on the culture of cricket media in Bangladesh and offers a number of personal nuggets  - bowling to Kevin Pietersen in the nets, talking to Javed Omar about a 'Hate to Love' piece, prompting a Mohammad Ashraful breakdown...

We talk to journalist and historian Gideon Haigh about The Summer Game - his classic book recently republished by 81allout Publishing. Gideon talks about the largely forgotten 1950s and '60s, and fascinating stories he heard from many who nourished the game – at a time when the financial rewards were minimal and when the game itself saw some fallow times. India (hardback) | India (paperback) |...

In episode 156 of the 81allout podcast we are joined by former India Test cricketer and Ranji Trophy colossus Abhinav Mukund - who has now turned into an astute analyst on TV. Abhinav is piqued by Kartikeya Date's latest article in ESPNcricinfo ( Do India choke in high-profile ODIs ) and shares his perspective on how a player approaches (and talks about pressure), and weighs in on the question...

In episode 155 of the 81allout podcast we review the fourth and final Test between India and Australia in Ahmedabad. The two teams played out a high-scoring draw, which ensured India won their fourth consecutive series against Australia and set up a Test between the same two teams in the World Test Championship final in June. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: The value of Axar Patel as a b...

In episode 154 of the 81allout podcast we review the third Test between India and Australia in Indore. On a challenging wicket in Indore - which was subsequently classed as 'poor' by the ICC match referee - Australia pulled off a terrific nine-wicket win. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Did Australia do anything differently in this Test than in the previous two? Jadeja's rare off-Test in...

In episode 153 of the 81allout podcast we interview the award-winning author and historian - and one of modern India's most renowned biographers - Ramachandra Guha. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: In search of the memories of India's first great cricketer - Palwankar Baloo Does the Bombay school of batting begin with the remarkable P Vithal? How the city of Bombay is a main character in...

In episode 152 of the podcast we review the second Test between India and Australia in Delhi. The match see-sawed for two days until Australia collapsed on the third morning - and India sealed a six-wicket win. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Australia's tactic to sweep against spinners on a pitch keeping low Batting in India in the third innings - a most perilous task The Smith sweep to...

In episode 151 of the 81allout podcast we review the first Test between India and Australia in Nagpur. India outclassed Australia in all departments and their superior depth in both batting and bowling propelled them to an innings victory. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Rohit Sharma's exceptional ability to suss up the conditions and bat accordingly Ravindra Jadeja's mesmeric control on...

In episode 150 of the 81allout podcast we preview India's upcoming Test series against Australia - the latest chapter in a storied rivalry. Australia sure have the team to pull off a series win but the panel agrees that they will still need to be at their best to hand India their first home-series defeat in nearly a decade. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: Australia's attitude towards cri...

In the latest episode of the podcast we look back on Australia's tour to India in 2004-05 - when Adam Gilchrist led the visitors to their first series win in India in 35 years. Australia have won just one Test in India since - and will hoping to improve that record in the upcoming four-Test series. Support us via Ko-Fi Talking Points: How 2004 was in many ways the sequel to 2001 If McGrath won't g...

In the latest episode of the podcast we chat with journalist Annesha Ghosh about the Indian Women cricket team - their journey in 2022 and how much there is to look forward to in 2023. Support 81allout on Ko-Fi Talking Points: 2022: a momentous year for Indian women's cricket both on and off the field Mithali Raj: colossus nonpareil Jhulan Goswami: a torchbearer who inspired a generation The physi...

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 can fool us into thinking that umpiring is an easy task Has DRS accelerated the erosion of the u...

In the latest episode of the podcast we discuss India's 2-0 win in the Test series in Bangladesh. Talking Points: India's close escape in the second Test in Mirpur Are Kohli and Rahul going through a bad patch or are they on the wane? Batting against spin with the new ball v old ball The challenges of playing fastish finger spin in the DRS era Axar Patel's deadly round-arm action - and why it is i...

In the latest episode we talk to author and journalist Gideon Haigh about his recent collaboration with Wasim Akram on his memoir Sultan . We talk about the process of writing the book and the challenges that Gideon had to overcome to ensure he told the story in Wasim's voice. Talking Points: The process Gideon followed and the contrast with On Warne The conversations Gideon had with Imran, Dravid...

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 a player's performance against their peers The habit of putting down one player as one elevates another The need for a tra...

In the latest episode of the podcast we speak to two pioneers from the early days of the internet: Simon King, the founder of Cricinfo, and Vishal Misra, an early volunteer who was instrumental in the building of the database and streamlining live scoring. Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar (recently republished by 81allout) India (hardback) | India (paperback, e-copy); Australia (hardback, paperback,...

In the latest episode of the podcast we discuss the recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia - where England were crowned champions. We focus on some of the themes of the tournament - upsets, teams assessing a variety of conditions, exploiting ground dimensions, and the overall calibre of strokeplay - and wonder how some of the great bowlers are largely nullified by the format. [podcast_subsc...

In the latest episode we talk to author and journalist Nicholas Brookes about his recent book An Island's XI: The Story of Sri Lankan Cricket . We talk about Nicholas' journey in learning about different aspects of Sri Lankan cricket and touch upon some of the key themes in the book - the early 'whistle-stop tours', yearning for Test status, the massive victory against India in 1979, the aura of S...

In the latest episode we talk to historian and author Duncan Stone about his recent book 'Different Class: The Untold Story of English Cricket'. The conversation delves into the nebulous 'Spirit of the Game' and how it is emblematic of the fetishization of English cricket - which has turned a people's game into a seemingly noble pursuit accessible mostly to a privileged class. You can order the bo...

In the latest episode we discuss ways in which data is upending the way teams approach the sport - and also question why there is so much resistance to the idea that smart use of data helps everyone understand the game better. Buy Cricket Beyond the Bazaar (recently republished by 81allout): India (hardback) | India (paperback, e-copy) ;  Australia (hardback, paperback, e-copy) ; USA (hardbac...

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) ; USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy) ; UK (hardback, paperback,...

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 (hardback, paperback, e-copy) ; Canada (ha...