Death by Multimedia

England’s 2021 Test record was one of the bleakest in the history of Test cricket, though arguably also one of the toughest. They lost a series in India where few teams have won over the past 30 years, they then lost a home series against New Zealand who were then crowned as World Test champions, and found themselves behind in a home series against India before covid issues put paid to the final T...

In several different ways over a period of many years, the governing body of cricket Australia has made decisions that have come back to bite them in their proverbial, decisions that have proved costly and embarrassing for Australian cricket and individuals involved in those decisions. And each time those things occur, most of the cricket loving public of the country say to themselves “well, hopef...

The Australian men's cricket team has had a season out of the box. They took out the T20 World Cup title, the one major competition they had never won, and did so without anyone ever thinking they were a chance to do so. They then returned home to Australia to defend the Ashes, something they did handsomely and without ever looking as though they were in trouble, eventually winning the five Test s...

Australia has finished 2021 on an enormous high, while England has sunk to depths that they haven't experienced since the dark days of the 1990's. Questions remain for both sides, but are there any easy answers? On today's final episode for 2021, we discuss just where English Test cricket finds itself and wonder how much of the blame can be pointed towards administrators concentrating on white bal...

The Gabba has never been an easy place for opposing countries to come to and win. England hasn’t won there since 1986, with a draw in 2010 their only match that has saved a whitewash since then. But if ever they were a chance, surely it had to be this year. Neither team had been firing or had much cricket, but Australia had lost their captain and keeper, two of their strike bowlers were struggling...

The day has finally arrived. The first day of the first Test of the summer. Australia's build up has been chaotic, England's has been under the radar. Rain has stooped both teams from the kind of match practice that they would have liked. But none of that matters now. If you have 20 minutes to spare and are interested in just what I can see as the strengths and weaknesses of both teams leading int...

We are a week away from the 1stTest of this season Ashes series, the first to be played in the Covid pandemic years, and as a result there is a little more up in the air than usual. Both countries have just competed in the T20 World Cup, the one expected to win it fell in the semi-final, the one expected to be making up the numbers got up and won it. As a result the preparation of both sides has b...

With Tim Paine having renounced the captaincy of the Australian Test team, now comes the problem of finding the right successor, something the selectors would have thought they had another few months to consider. But selecting the new captain is only a part of the problem that now surrounds the Australian Test team. There is also the problem of deciding on the vice-captain, the person who would li...

There has been nothing good to have come out of the last four days in the Australian cricket news cycle. The euphoria of having won the men’s T20 World Cup has evaporated. The excitement of reaching the pointy end of this season’s WBBL tournament has been buried. Even the selection of the Ashes squad and the A team squad has now been thrown into chaos. I had decided a few days ago that this podcas...

So the Australian selectors have named their 15 man squad for the first two Ashes Tests, as well as an 11 man squad for Australia A, who will compete in a warm up fixture for the Ashes squad as well as playing match against the England Lions who are also in the country to do the same thing with England’s Ashes squad. It is the earliest any Ashes squad for a home series has ever been named, and whi...

It’s a wonderful thing to be wrong, especially about such things that you think you have a reasonable knowledge of. Cricket for me is one of those things, and while I don’t have a lot of credits to back me up, I have over a long period of time found that some cricketing events back up what I think. That has absolutely not been true over the past month, where my many musings on winning the toss and...

At the moment it is the media's favourite phrase - "ASHES BOLTER!!" Every time someone takes a bag of wickets, or crushes a century, it seems that they become an Ashes Bolter. But how much of that is cricket reality, and how much is media hype? On today's episode we have a look at a few of the names mentioned as "ASHES BOLTERS!!" and discuss just how much of a chance they have of figuring this sum...

We've reached the semi-final stage of the 2020 (yes it is confusing) T20 World Cup, with four teams remaining and lots of questions to be answered. On today's episode we look back at how the also rans performed befor they were knocked out, and cast our eye over the four teams left to see what may happen this weekend.

The cricket media used to be the most reliable section of journalism. There was little hysteria with extreme results, good or bad for the local team, and the analysis of the game was generally thoughtful and reserved. In the age of social media and parts of the media more interested in clickbait than actual commentary on the game, that kind of composure is becoming a thing of the past. Instead we...

Well, it’s Halloween…. again… and here we are in Australia and despite a pandemic that has raged for nigh on 20 months, it appears everyone is dressing up and going out trick or treating once again. So here today, I want to discuss three things with you. Firstly – should Australians be celebrating a Celtic holiday that was popularised in the United States when it has basically zero to do with our...

In the past month, the Netflix South Korean limited series Squid Game has become the most watched show in the streaming platform’s history, reaching unprecedented levels of viewership. Telling the story of a dystopian present, where ordinary people with a need for money are coerced into playing kids games in the hope of a huge prize, but with a problematic future for those that lose those games, S...

The men's World T20 tournament starts in a few hours, and so it is time to consider two important questions. Can Australia win it? And if not, who will? Today on The Casual Mankadder I give you my thoughts on Australia's squad, how they will line up, and what they need to do to change up their recent poor T20 form in order to have a chance of making the semi-final stage. After that I'll give you m...

There seems to be a lot of excitement in some overseas places and also on Fox Cricket who have the exclusive rights, to the beginning of the delayed men’s T20 World Cup, which gets underway tonight Australian time. And while we here at The Casual Mankadder are less enamored about the shortest form of the game at an international level, the first couple of weeks will at least showcase some of the l...

Yes, the WBBL starts tonight, and here on The Casual Mankadder, we like to put our money where our mouth is. And then generally lose it. So on today's episode we run through all of the competing teams, and give you a run down on where they will finish this season from 8 through to the number 1.

On today's episode of The Casual Mankadder, we discuss the turmoil that exists with the Sheffield Shield, both on the field and off, and whether or not Cricket Australia could have done more to avoid the challenges that not face it. The women have won their series against India, but once again I decide to mouth off about the follies of winning the toss and inserting the opposition. And finally, ap...

In the first of a planned 25 years of upcoming episodes, friends of almost 40 years get together on a Saturday and discuss the week in sports, politics, life and covid meltdowns. On today's first episode, these two giants of mediocrity discuss last week's NRL Grand Final, along with rules tweaking, the 17th NRL franchise and Benji Marshall's legacy. Alongside this there is also Toby Green's length...

As Australia creeps closer to being released from the grip of Covid lockdowns, this week has seen an outbreak on opinions of the fate of this summers men’s Ashes series and just who if anyone will tour for England. Today we discuss both sides of the argument and try to decide if there is a possibility of a compromise in the air. The women’s Test on the Gold Coast has raised differing opinions on t...

Ravi Ashwin has managed to make the news again this week, this time by being solely blamed for taking an extra run after the ball thrown in had hit his batting partner and bounced away from the backup fielder. Not for the first time in his career he was accused of conduct unbecoming of "The Spirit of Cricket". On today's episode I will rant on once again about my feelings of that magical phrase an...

The ODI section of the Women's Cricket Series between Australia and India have been completed, and the series is a lot tighter than the score line suggests, and today we'll look at what has been occurring in Mackay. The Sheffield Shield is also (finally) underway, but has already hit a hurdle that may well spell disaster for the Australian summer ahead. David Warner has lost his spot (again) for h...

In round four of the Chip Challenge, there is drama, tears, anger and court action over the final result. It's a no holds barred episode as the decisions of some judges come under attack, and the final result is left completely up in the air until the final seconds. It is the most dramatic episode of the Chip Challenge yet, and is not to be missed.