It’s Not Just Cricket

Friend of the show Mark Machado is back to reflect on a great Test win for Sri Lanka and whether England's terrible performance was a just a blip or something more concerning. The debate then turns to whether Moeen was underrated and if Freddie Flintoff is going to be the next Baz McCullum! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plenty of disagreements in this one! Despite Joe Root scoring the most Test hundreds for his country, Azeem still thinks Alistair Cook is the greatest English Test batsman. Matt doesn't agree and they also don't see eye to eye on Michael Vaughan's brutal analysis of Oli Pope's captaincy. One thing they do agree on is that ticket prices have become ridiculous and cricket is fast becoming an elitist...

Lots of cricket to chat through this week - England's win against Sri Lanka, lots of new faces in the Test, ODI & T20 squads and who should be the new full time England white ball Head Coach. Plus - why Jos Buttler has been thrown under the bus by the leaking of the story about his relationship with Andrew Flintoff and why on earth did Pakistan not pick a spinner at home against Bangladesh?! Learn...

The boys get deep into some serious topics in this episode. Azeem talks about how the riots brought back bad memories and made him fear his house would be petrol bombed. He & Matt talk through why they happened in the first place and then move onto the issue of cricketers and their mental health. In the wake of the terrible news about Graham Thorpe, they ask the question - why do cricketers seem t...

Matt's back from Sri Lanka but his head is still there. With the Sri Lankan Test team in England, British Sri Lankan journalist Mark Machado is in the studio to preview the series and give us the inside track on the general health of cricket in Sri Lanka. It's not just cricket though - the boys discuss what makes the country such a great place to visit...the geography, the wildlife and the food! L...

Matt's in Sri Lanka working for Indian television and manages to grab former New Zealand star Scott Styris for a chin wag! After the tragic passing of Graham Thorpe, the two of them discuss why many cricketers seem to struggle with their mental health. Scott's insight into the IPL - he's worked in it as a player or commentator for the best part of 20 years - is riveting, as are his thoughts on the...

Darren Lewis is one of the UK's most respected football journalists who has risen through the ranks to become Assistant Editor of the Daily Mirror. As one of the few people of colour in such a senior position he isn't afraid to voice his strong opinions on issues like racism in football. In this episode he gives his take on the Enzo Fernandez situation at Chelsea, why there are so few black footba...

This week's special guest Lianne Sanderson is someone who is never afraid to speak her mind or stand up to discrimination and abuse. Having been a star of the England football team and travelled the world as a professional she moved seamlessly into the media, and is now one of the most captivating pundits out there. During her career both on and off the pitch she's had to deal with homophobia, rac...

Aatif is back! He, Matt and Azeem have a wide ranging chat about what it's like to be a Muslim in the UK. Azeem recalls his experiences of trying to fit in as a cricketer by drinking alcohol and the three of them discuss how Islamophobia has been steadily rising since 9/11. This one covers everything from politics to religion to comedy, and a little bit of cricket too! Learn more about your ad cho...

JImmy Anderson has retired - it was a totally understandable decision but in sport, and life, are we obsessed with age and telling people to stop doing things that they can still do very well? Should Gus Atkinson be patient and follow the example set by the top Australian fast bowlers? Meanwhile, India is entering a new era of T20 cricket with no Kohli, Rohit or Jadeja - so who should be the new c...

Matt & Azeem preview Jimmy Anderson's final Test and argue about the Ben Stokes v Tim Paine spat - is BazBall really 'saving' Test cricket?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt and Azeem look ahead to the T20 World Cup Semi Finals and reflect on Afghanistan's arrival at the big time. What was Gulbadin Naib doing though?! Also, is Rohit the Brian Lara to Virat's Sachin Tendulkar? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt & Azeem debate who will go through to the Semi Finals of the T20 World Cup and whether the pitches almost ruined the whole spectacle or actually made the games more exciting. And stand by for Azeem's thoughts on Cricket Scotland's shambolic way of dealing with racism allegations and the reasons why he hasn't released some of his own evidence to the public. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Sanjay Bhandari is Chair of Kick It Out, UK sport's most recognised and respected anti discrimination charity. He tells Matt and Azeem why Kick It Out's work is so necessary in football and the reasons why they won't be working in cricket at the same level for the time being. With England having just left for the Euros he insists that teams should walk off the pitch when black players are racially...

Aatif Nawaz is a rare breed - a comedian who can commentate on cricket. He, Matt and Azeem get into why having more teams makes the T20 World Cup better, which of the underdogs could upset one of the big boys and what might happen when India meet Pakistan in New York. With Essex just having been charged with failing to deal with systemic racist abuse they look at what the punishment could be - Aze...

When Michael Holding speaks, people listen. Briefly interrupting his quiet life in Grand Cayman, Mikey takes us back to his famous speech in the wake of the George Floyd murder and once again puts forward his incedibly powerful and coherent views on racism. He, Azeem and Matt also discuss whether cancel culture actually hinders the fight against racism. And don't worry, Mikey doesn't hold back on...

With England about to take on Pakistan in a vital series before the T20 World Cup Mickey Arthur and Urooj Mumtaz join Matt and Azeem to preview the series and debate Pakistan's curious squad selection for the World Cup. Mickey gives us the inside track on the chaos behind the surface of Pakistan cricket and Urooj pleads for more support for women playing the sport in the country. A fascinating ins...

Legendary (and utterly bonkers) IPL Commentator Danny Morrison tells Matt why he'd love to chat to MS Dhoni one more time to convince him to keep playing and how Bollywood stars are in awe of the ex Indian captain. He also lifts the lid on his eccentric commentary style, reveals which young players he thinks will be future stars and why bowlers need more help in the IPL. If you like the Indian Pre...

Matt tries to convince Azeem (with tongue slightly in cheek!) that Jimmy Anderson is the greatest Test bowler of all time and they discuss what England's bowling attack will look like without him. Plus, has the way T20 cricket is played been changed forever by this year's IPL? Azeem also reveals he fell asleep while driving more than once during his playing days! Learn more about your ad choices....

In this episode Monty Panesar tells us how he became a candidate to become a Member of Parliament and that he probably should've done a bit more research before his first political interviews with the media. He also fancies making a comeback into professional cricket at 42 years old and still harbours ambitions of being the next Piers Morgan! Cricket writer George Dobell gives us his thoughts on M...

Azeem tells Matt how threats to his family and constant abuse has forced him to leave the UK for Dubai. Even though he is a former England Under 19 Captain, the experience has led to him finding it hard to connect with the country he was born in and loved. Despite this, he still loves cricket and the two of them chew the fat on a few issues in the game such as the incredible run scoring in the IPL...

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