The Final Word Cricket Podcast

T20 World Cup Daily, 2026, Day 1 – India USA, Scotland West Indies, Pakistan Netherlands: An expectant full house at the Wankhede fell silent early on as India’s top order collapsed to the unfancied Shadley van Schalkwyk. Were Suryakumar Yadav’s late fireworks enough to launch India’s World Cup defence? Earlier, the Netherlands went hunting for another giant-killing, this time against a shaky Paki...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, why are there so many allegedly famous people in the UK who nobody else has ever heard of? We get into the hosting of niche BBC quiz shows. There’s a reason. Also this week, the synchrony between spinners and keepers, wildly incorrect stats, and the coolest before the coolest was the coolest. Give us the specs! Your Nerd Pledge n...

Book Club 16: Scyld Berry - 500 Declared: The Joys of Covering 500 Cricket Tests A book that, because of the title, can only have been written by one man: legendary writer on the game, Scyld Berry. In a career that began as EW Swanton’s secretary for a solitary Trent Bridge week in 1973, he has become the first journalist to cover 500 England Tests. As will become obvious in this chat, Scyld is on...

Season 19 Episode 26: We have more drama ahead of the T20 World Cup, with Pakistan's government saying the national team will boycott India during the T20 World Cup, but otherwise will still play. Instead they will likely be kicked out, as the ICC tries to put out this newest fire. Also this week, Harry Brook apologises for his previous apology, Australia's women get a new all-format captain, USA'...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, it's not a fun start but an important one as we look at years of accusations against Michael Slater, something that a lot of reporting skated over, but that Jordan Baker of the Sydney Morning Herald did not. Also this week, a couple of huge days in the Ranji, we have a new team to follow, and the life of a true Sri Lankan legend...

Season 19 Episode 25: Last week, we had Sonny Baker with us, casting an eye to the future of England fast bowling. Today, a player similarly highly-rated, Tawanda Muyeye. In Muyeye’s case, having represented Zimbabwe at youth level, his family had to flee as a result of political persecution. A fresh start in England as an asylum seeker followed, which saw him score mountains of schoolboy runs bef...

Season 19 Episode 24: It's official, Bangladesh have refused to play in the T20 World Cup, meaning Scotland will come in. Justice for Jersey! Pakistan are threatening not to come, even though they will. Italy just beat Ireland. Australia are going to Pakistan. It's all happening in the lead-up weeks, including England's tour of Sri Lanka - where Harry Brook captaining that side just emphasises how...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a clue about a show about nothing - but can that be right? Two long-time contributors to the show have their Nerd Pledge moment, plus one of the great run gluts, and a big day on Ceefax. Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this week: 8.22 - Sheahan Arnott 2.60 - Max Bonnell 3.63 - Tobi Wilson 9.57 - Robin Whelan Support the show with a...

Season 19 Episode 23: Cricket's small group of nations continues to fracture, with news firming even as we recorded this episode that Bangladesh will pull out of the T20 World Cup due to political conflict with India. Also this week, some unrelated ICC nonsense, and a tour around the overloaded global T20 circuit. Get your copy of Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Season 19 Episode 22: The seasons are changing, and after a white-clothing summer, Steve Smith is dressed in hot pink and smacking balls into orbit. He's no longer in Australia's T20 plans, but can he force a change of direction? Also this week, Ben Stokes falls for the old "ban Australians from county cricket" trick, Virat Kohli goes back to World No.1, while Emma John and former England captain...

Season 19 Episode 21: If you listened to the pod through 2025, Sonny Baker's name won’t be new to you - we spoke about him practically every week after seeing him bowl out Surrey in April. At 22 years of age there are already high expectations of the pace he can generate and the skill that goes it with. If you thought a chastening international debut in September might’ve damaged his ambition, thi...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, another vast and sprawling tale of a 20th century life that hardly seems true, from the Himalayan foothills to the Venezuelan jungle, of an intellectual and polyglot. Also, a leader who was up against it, some family rivalry, and a niche umpiring question that leads to a fight against infinity. Your Nerd Pledge numbers for this w...

Book Club 15: Pat Rodgers - From Macdonaldtown To Lords: The Erratic Syd Emery Pat Rodgers, great friend of the pod, dives into many a story from cricket’s pre-WW1 golden era. The subject of his latest is googly wizard Syd Emery, who emerged from the back blocks of Sydney to state and national honours in the 1912 triangular Test tour. A star that faded as fast as it rose, Mad Mick, as he was nickn...

Season 19, Episode 20: It's the weekly show. Normal programming is back. Except for programming at the T20 World Cup, where India's government is now feuding with Bangladesh's government, and threatening to excommunicate another Test nation from the inner sanctum. Also this week, preparing the ground ahead of England's Ashes review, the worst Big Bash segment you've ever heard, and Emma John joins...

It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history. This week, a quick one from the SCG before it's time to pack up and ship out, but we have time for the tale of just how many degrees Saeed Ajmal had to study, and have studied, at the University of Western Australia. Also this week, Pip's first ODI back in 2008, and the subsequent story of a player we knew nothing about. Your Nerd Pledge nu...

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 6: Toll the bells, it is over. And for this series at least, this is the final Final Word Ashes Daily. What did we just witness? Were Australia any good, or were they lucky? Did England just fail to do the course reading? Do any heads roll, or do they roll on? Adam and Geoff take a deep breath the day after to look back over it all, and ahead to what's ne...

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 5: Get a score on the board and it can make for a nervous chase. So it proved for Australia on the final day of the series, as a wicket fell, then another, and another... England found the competitive switch, and kept it pressed until the end. How did it all pan out? We'll tell you. Get your copy of Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 4: They said it couldn't happen. Ok, maybe we said it couldn't happen. Either way, that was said. Picking a guy who had never made first-class hundreds was not going to bring Test hundreds. Surely? Except it did, the only English century in the series not made by a guy named Root. On a perfect Sydney day, does that make it game on? Not really, but there's...

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 3: In truth, it has been a long time coming in Ashes cricket, but in the Year of Our Lord 2026, Steve Smith took us back in time to when him doing dances and pinching singles and smacking the odd shot through cover was the only constant in a world of madness. The sun shone, Stokes toiled, Jacks flinched, and Potts had a day where nothing went right. Get y...

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 2: It was a day for batting, in both camps, as the SCG provided some challenges but also some opportunities. First it was Joe Root's turn, scripting another flourish near the end of his Australian tale, then it was Travis Head with a far more boisterous performance in keeping with his series. Who's on top? It's hard to make out among the tangle of limbs....

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 1: For a moment it looked like we would have another crazy fast Test innings, but then things changed. Joe Root and Harry Brook have promised and then broken that promise to bat together for a long time this series, and finally delivered before the inevitable Sydney rain. Get your copy of Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee...

The Ashes Daily 2025, 5th Test, Sydney Day 0: It's been a busy couple of days in the SCG press conference room with Usman Khawaja pulling the pin and Steve Smith confirming that his own show will go on. He wouldn't, however, reveal the starting XI for the SCG Test as the (currently) green pitch still leaves questions for them to answer. Bharat Sundaresan joins Adam, for a conversation centred arou...

Season 19, Episode 20: On this day, three decades ago. New Year's Day. Michael Bevan, Roger Harper... you know it. To recognise this cherished moment in Australian cricket's limited-overs history, here's an interview we did with Australia's ice man from a couple of years ago, when he was our guest at a Sydney live show. Honest, funny and thorough - what a gem. Get your copy of Bedtime Tales for Cr...

Season 19, Episode 19: Happy New Year! Time for another Final Word tradition, the best and worst in cricket of 2025. This past year was one with a lot of good in it, as well as one where some trends that could define the future became much more clear. Get your copy of Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/tfwbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show with a Nerd...

Season 19, Episode 18: With another longer than expected pause between Tests, thoughts turn to Sydney and the end of the series. But there is no sign yet of a farewell lap from Usman Khawaja. Will he try to play on, and dare selectors to drop him? Or is he just being discreet until the moment comes? Also this week, New Zealand's cricket boss quits after a power struggle, Brett Lee joins the Hall o...