The Unplayable Podcast

Australia have picked a 16-man squad for the land of left-arm spin that hints at, rather than heralds, a generational change. Louis Cameron and Andrew Ramsey consider the absence of Pat Cummins and whether Steve Smith instead of Travis Head was the right call to take the captaincy reins in Sri Lanka. Were Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell unlucky? How about Peter Handscomb? Which of Sam Konstas, Natha...

Test cricket is a tough sport for tough men, according to Gautam Gambhir, which all but rules out Louis Cameron and Andrew Ramsey from offering their opinions on a pulsating Australia-India Test series, the first Australia have won after being 0-1 down this century. They give it a crack anyway. Sam Konstas getting under India's skin, Beau Webster's remarkable debut, Scott 'The Brutaliser' Boland's...

Top 10 for 10k: Steve Smith is on the verge of joining Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as Australians to have 10,000 Test runs. He needs just 38 more as he heads into the Border Gavaskar Trophy finale against India in his hometown Test at the SCG. After some careful thought about his list, Smith chats to Louis Cameron about how he ranked his favourite Test centuries. No spoilers on wha...

Andrew Ramsey delays his return from the MCG to his backpackers' hostel to join Louis Cameron after an extraordinary Boxing Day Test that had everything. Don Bradman thought he saw some big crowds. Pfffft, this Test has him covered. The biggest Test crowd ever? Probably. Is Bumrah better than Warnie? Maybe. Is he a shark? Hell yes. Melbourne real estate (and Rishabh Pant's inability to find it), s...

Louis Cameron and Adam Burnett sum up the third NRMA Insurance Test from a sodden Brisbane. While the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin caught us all on the hop, the dominance of Jasprit Bumrah and Travis Head did not. Can they continue to carry their teams? Is Head hurt? (SPOILER: He's not). Is Josh Hazlewood hurt? (SPOILER: He is). Steve Smith scored his 33rd Test century, written into existence...

Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc felt a little cramped at the Gabba nets on Thursday, so they headed over to AB Field to get their session in! That was just one of the interesting snippets out of both sides' preparation for the crucial third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match, with Louis Cameron joining Josh Schonafinger to detail how the teams are preparing. The Indians are given nothing away but Ja...

Starc took six. Head hit a blazing hundred. Cummins took five. Take any of those performances individually and Australia would be in good shape. Get all three of them and Australia will win big. A massive 10-wicket victory for the hosts, levelling the series at one game apiece. Louis Cameron is in Adelaide and joined Josh Schonafinger to discuss the day-night Test, the Travis Head-Mohammad Siraj s...

On the eve of the Test match he has dominated for a decade, Mitch Starc joins the Unplayable Podcast. The chat with Starc begins at 3:15. Starc has been an absolute weapon with the pink cherry (66 wickets at an average of 18.71 back that up), but the left-arm quick doesn't buy into his own hype about the off-colour Kookaburra in day-night cricket. The 90-Test veteran also touches on the "ridiculou...

Injuries. Soul-searching. Bolters. With a 10-day gap between the first and second NRMA Insurance Test matches, there's been ample time for all of these things. And more! Josh Hazlewood has a side injury and Louis Cameron and Josh Schonafinger discuss his situation, his potential replacements and the other Australian squad news. Plus there's PM's XI chat and an update on the WTC Final race. Don't f...

Well, where do you go from there, exactly? India's massive win in Perth stunned the cricket world, leaving questions aplenty for the home side. That being said, the potential returns of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Mohammad Shami also give the tourists a few selections dilemmas ahead of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Louis Cameron is in Perth to give you, the listener, and Josh Schonafinger the...

That first ball can't come soon enough! The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is (almost) here and Louis Cameron is in Perth following the action first-hand. He joins Josh Schonafinger to give the lowdown on both sides' training sessions and expected lineups. Don't forget to jump back in the Unplayable catalogue to listen to Lou's interview with Travis Head a few days ago. Oh, and should the hypothetical six...

Travis Head and his wife Jess have just welcomed a new baby boy into the world, and it's kept the attacking left-hander out of a bit of cricket recently. But he's back and ready to take on India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Jump into the Head chat from 3:04, where he joined Louis Cameron on the Perth Stadium 'West Test Hill' to discuss Nathan McSweeney, batting quirks, his own record at the grou...

What does it take to be captain of Australia? If it's vast knowledge of all who came before you, Josh Inglis will do just fine! The wicketkeeper joins the Unplayable Podcast from the Gabba ahead of the three-match T20 series against Pakistan, in which he will be in charge of the squad. He chats to Josh Schonafinger about his new role, who's inspired him, being selected in the Test squad, crossing...

Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney is a player on the rise. After his excellent effort against India A in Mackay, he's now being talked about as a potential Test debutant against India in Perth. The interview with McSweeney begins at 18:44 , where he discussing the prospect of opening, why he loves captaincy and his great friendship with Marnus Labuschagne. Before that, Louis Cameron and Jack Pa...

With the first Test not too far away, there's lots to cover in this episode! Hear from Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney and retiring 'keeper Matthew Wade, while hosts Josh Schonafinger and Louis Cameron break down the options to open for the Aussies in the first Test. Get your tickets for the summer here Read Louis Cameron's Q&A with Matthew Wade See Wade's favourite catch here Check out o...

Get your ODI series tickets here He’s dominated the IPL, he’s made his ODI and T20I debuts, now Jake Fraser-McGurk is hoping to take the Aussie summer by storm.  Fraser-McGurk is part of Australia’s ODI squad to face Pakistan in early November, and he joins the Unplayable Podcast to preview the series.  Also covered is his tour of the UK, including a cheeky sledge from his captain Mitch...

The interview with Spencer Johnson starts at 3:11. He's one of the fastest bowlers in the country and he's about to return to the domestic scene. Spencer Johnson missed Australia's most recent white-ball tour of the United Kingdom with a side strain but he's back and has a return date in mind. The tall left-armer chats to Josh Schonafinger about his recent engagement and Italian roots, plus his aw...

The Sheffield Shield is back and there are no shortage of talking points after a couple of days! Josh Schonafinger and Louis Cameron discuss the big stories around Australian cricket with the Test summer now only 43 days away. Injuries, the big three, white-ball fixtures and plenty more on the agenda in this episode. Click here for Louis' chat with Jhye Richardson Let us know your nominations for...

Australia fought back from a dire position in the fifth ODI in Bristol to defeat England and claim an impressive 3-2 series win in the UK to conclude their tour of the British Isles. Hear from captain Mitch Marsh's post-series press conference as the skipper talks up Travis Head's 'underrated' bowling and Aaron Hardie's breakout international series. The Unplayable Podcast'a Jack Paynter wraps up...

Australia's outstanding 14-match winning streak in ODIs finally came to an end in Durham but there's still lots to play with two games left in the series. Next stop: Lord's, the venue where things got wild during last year's Ashes series. Steve Smith chatted to Jack Paynter after his 60 in the third ODI, which you can hear in full here (apologies about the background racket). Then Jack, before he...

It was all square in the T20 series (thanks Manchester) so now it's time for Australia and England to face off in a five-match ODI series, beginning in Nottingham. Star Aussie Adam Zampa will play his 100th ODI and Jack Paynter and Josh Schonafinger hear from the milestone man and reminisce on his excellent career to date. The Unplayable Podcast boys also run the rule over Australia's injuries and...

Australia's tour of the UK has begun in fine style with a clean sweep over Scotland, records broken and a tiny quaich (pronounced quake) acquired! The Unplayable Podcast's Jack Paynter is following the Aussies around the United Kingdom and gives Josh Schonafinger an update on the squad and conditions. Read Jack's series recap here . Check out our new cricket documentary podcast Stories After Stump...

Australia have landed in Edinburgh and will play three T20s against Scotland over the course of the next few days! And despite only being in the country less than a week, Nathan Ellis has already tried the local specialty, haggis. This series is a chance to get a look at some more inexperienced Aussies and Ellis is excited to be apart of their journey, which he explains to cricket.com.au's Jack Pa...

This episode's special guest is Victorian fast bowler Mitch Perry! You can jump straight into the chat with Perry at 2:33. Louis Cameron catches up with Perry at the Vics' annual media day and Perry talks about his frustrating finish to the 2023-24 summer, his off-season activities and his friendship with Sydney Swan Nick Blakey. Before that, Josh Schonafinger runs you through the ins and outs for...

Ollie Davies is one of the most exciting batters (and characters) in Australian cricket and he's up next to preview New South Wales' season. Jump straight to the chat with Davies at 3:40. In this episode the entertaining right-hander talks about his red-ball revival, NSW's recruits and his brother Joel's defection the Sydney Sixers. Before that, Josh Schonafinger runs you though the ins and outs f...