Podcast appearances and mentions of Mark Butcher

Former England and Surrey batter Mark Butcher joins us to talk about the extraordinary story he has been investigating in his new BBC Sounds series ‘Hansie Cronje:Fall from Grace'. Plus, what's it like to face Allan Donald and Courtney Walsh, Oasis, Falling Over and we have a name for our new (ish) feature.

Mark Butcher, Katya Witney, Cameron Ponsonby and Ben Gardner discuss the start of another season of The Hundred, structural changes to the T20 Blast, Zimbabwe's latest heavy defeat and more. There are also a few final reflections on the pulsating Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, including Katya's interview with one of India's stars from the series, Washington Sundar. 0:00 Intro / 1:02 Mark Butcher on The Hundred / 22:22 England vs India / 31:01 Washington Sundar interview / 1:01:58 Kia's Young Cricketers competition / 1:02:22 Live show / 1:04:13 T20 Blast changes / 1:10:03 The Hundred / 1:12:36 One Day Cup / 1:17:49 Mad Squirrel / 1:18:32 Zimbabwe vs New Zealand / 1:27:16 West Indies vs Pakistan / 1:28:41 Australia vs South Africa / 1:29:28 Outro

Tailenders listeners, we'd like to introduce you to the new series of Sport's Strangest Crimes called 'Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace.' As big Cricket fans, we want to give you the chance to listen to Episode 1 right here, right now and if you like it, search 'Sport's Strangest Crimes' on BBC Sounds where you can listen to the rest of the series.In the mid-90s, Hansie Cronje was South Africa's golden boy, the God-fearing captain backed by Nelson Mandela and worshipped by a nation. More than just a cricketer, he was a symbol of hope. But were the cracks there all along? In the first episode of Sport's Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer, Mark Butcher revisits the rise of a man who seemed too good to be true and maybe was. Teammates, journalists and friends paint a picture of a leader everyone trusted… until they didn't. Because before you fall from grace, you've got to be on a pedestal.

TMS listeners, we'd like to introduce you to the new series of Sport's Strangest Crimes called 'Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace.' As big Cricket fans, we want to give you the chance to listen to Episode 1 right here, right now and if you like it, search 'Sport's Strangest Crimes' on BBC Sounds where you can listen to the rest of the series.In the mid-90s, Hansie Cronje was South Africa's golden boy, the God-fearing captain backed by Nelson Mandela and worshipped by a nation. More than just a cricketer, he was a symbol of hope. But were the cracks there all along? In the first episode of Sport's Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer, Mark Butcher revisits the rise of a man who seemed too good to be true and maybe was. Teammates, journalists and friends paint a picture of a leader everyone trusted… until they didn't. Because before you fall from grace, you've got to be on a pedestal.

It's the final Test of a five-match series, and everyone's already packed their bags. Three days of rain, no result, nothing to play for. Then out of nowhere, Hansie Cronje makes an offer, and the game is back on. In Episode 2, Mark Butcher takes us inside one of the weirdest days he's ever seen on a cricket field. At the time, it looked like a stroke of sportsmanship. But in hindsight? Let's just say not everything is as it seems.

Mark Butcher, Phil Walker and Yas Rana attempt to make sense of a completely bonkers fifth and final Test of the series between England and India. 0:00 Intro / 1:19 Final day / 8:18 England's approach / 19:07 Injury substitutes / 25:15 Joe Root / 27:05 Mohammed Siraj's workload / 34:43 Live show / 35:14 Undercooked cricketers / 41:04 Kia's Young Cricketers competition / 41:29 How will both sides be feeling? / 52:22 Remitly / 53:08 Picking our combined XI / 59:27 The Hundred starts... tomorrow! / 1:01:06 Outro

In the mid-90s, Hansie Cronje was South Africa's golden boy, the God-fearing captain backed by Nelson Mandela and worshipped by a nation. More than just a cricketer, he was a symbol of hope.But were the cracks there all along? In the first episode of Sport's Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer, Mark Butcher revisits the rise of a man who seemed too good to be true and maybe was. Teammates, journalists and friends paint a picture of a leader everyone trusted… until they didn't. Because before you fall from grace, you've got to be on a pedestal.

Mark Butcher, Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana review the fourth Test at Old Trafford which saw India pull off an epic rearguard. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:47 Intro / 1:37 Mark Butcher / 29:18 KIA's Young Cricketer Competition / 29:49 Remitly / 30:45 India / 51:33 England / 1:03:44 What will India do at The Oval? / 1:07:15 Mad Squirrel / 1:09:09 Joe Root / 1:24:06 Rehan Ahmed / 1:31:17 Ben's eBay purchase / 1:32:16 Win a brand new cricket bat! / 1:34:16 Outro

Hansie Cronje had it all — captain of South Africa, adored by a nation, trusted by Nelson Mandela. A symbol of hope in the post-apartheid era. Then came the Centurion Test: a rain-ruined match is suddenly back on, thanks to a strange decision by Hansie. At first, it looks like good sportsmanship — until a wiretap in India catches something shocking. What unfolds next will change cricket forever. In Sport's Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer Mark Butcher traces the rise and collapse of a national hero — from quiet warning signs and secret phone calls to a dramatic confession and a televised inquiry. But even as Hansie admits to more than just Centurion, many believe the investigation didn't go far enough. Sixty-three offshore bank accounts are discovered. Links to other players emerge. And just as pressure builds for a deeper probe — Hansie dies in a plane crash. Some say pilot error. Others aren't so sure. Was Hansie manipulated by a powerful network of fixers? Or was he the one pulling the strings? With testimony from teammates, journalists, investigators and those who knew him best, Mark unpacks a story of power, money, and the dark side of sport. More than two decades on, people are still asking: who was the real Hansie Cronje?

Ben Gardner, Yas Rana and Mark Butcher preview the fourth England-India Test, talk about a possible two-tiered World Test Championship and proposed changes to the domestic game in England from 2026. 0:00: Kia UK / 0:30: Intro / 0:17: Mark Butcher on India team For Old Trafford Test and Sledging /16:55: Win ENGvIND 5th Test Tickets  / 17:36 Remitly / 18:26 India Team Selection & Playing 3 Seamers in England / 25:51 Changing Weather in the UK / 27:02 Anshul Kamboj / 29:15 Gus Atkinson / 32:15 WTC Finals & Two-Tier Test Cricket / 43:40 What State Is Test Cricket Now? / 45:36 Mad Squirrel Brewery Collaboration  / 46:34 Player Complaints About County Schedule  / 54:29 Suggested Conference System  / 58:34 Problems With The Vitality Blast / 62:10 Ben's Gower eBay Acquisitions / 63:52 KIA Grassroots Game 

Mark Butcher, Phil Walker and Yas Rana try to make sense of an incredible Test and remarkable day five finish at Lord's. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:47 Intro / 1:10 The final day / 8:45 Jofra Archer / 17:30 India's approach / 22:38 Final wicket / 25:23 Ben Stokes / 30:39 India / 36:48 Win Test tickets / 37:17 Remitly / 38:06 Shoaib Bashir / 42:18 The war of words / 51:06 What's wrong with the balls? 56:26 Final thoughts / 1:02:35 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, and Yas Rana react to India's annihilation of England in the second Test at Edgbaston. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:47 Intro / 1:11 Perfect Draft / 2:25 Akash Deep / 11:13 England's fourth innings / 14:59 India's seamers / 17:31 Shubman Gill / 24:29 Win T20 tickets / 24:50 Remitly / 25:43 Lord's tickets / 26:08 Patreon / 27:59 England's bowling and the toss / 42:32 Conditions / 48:07 England's batting / 52:02 Jamie Smith / 55:49 Ben Stokes / 59:55 Other cricket / 1:01:14 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Cameron Ponsonby and Yas Rana look ahead to the second England-India Test at Edgbaston and discuss Jofra Archer's return to the Test squad. There's also loads of other Test cricket to chat about including Australia's win in the Caribbean, a new South African wonderkid and Pathum Nissanka's incredible form, as well as the latest from the County Championship. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:45 Intro / 1:08 Perfect Draft / 2:34 Mark Butcher / 12:21 Remitly / 13:10 Jofra Archer / 22:27 India / 34:17 West Indies vs Australia / 44:00 Zimbabwe vs South Africa / 48:46 Win T20 tickets / 49:06 Gareth Batty / 1:03:40 Charles Tyrwhitt / 1:04:19 County Championship / 1:11:10 Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh / 1:13:56 New rules / 1:18:37 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Yas Rana react to England's incredible victory in the first Test against India at Headingley. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:46 Intro / 1:13 Perfect Draft / 2:48 Mark Butcher / 19:26 Win T20 tickets / 19:54 Remitly / 20:45 Patreon / 21:19 England vs India / 38:59 Duckett / 49:56 Crawley & Pope / 55:38 England playing Bumrah / 58:43 England's top seven / 1:04:56 WCM offer / 1:06:15 Charles Tyrwhitt / 1:07:10 Moment of the Test / 1:10:42 What went wrong for India? / 1:21:00 England's bowlers / 1:23:52 Sunil Gavaskar / 1:25:23 Headingley / 1:28:55 Combined XIs / 1:34:10 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Yas Rana and the returning Phil Walker preview the England-India Test series which gets underway on Friday. There's team news from England, predictions about how India might balance their XI and some key battles to look out for over the course of the summer. Also on the show, more reaction to South Africa's World Test Championship final win, a snippet of Yas' interview with Gary Kirsten, rule changes, tri-series nonsense and more. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:48 Intro / 1:40 Mark Butcher / 13:57 Win T20 tickets / 14:28 Remitly / 15:12 Patreon / 16:22 World Test Championship final / 23:54 England vs India preview / 56:52 Charles Tyrwhitt / 57:51 Gary Kirsten interview / 1:10:36 Bat for a Chance / 1:17:37 Perfect Draft / 1:19:19 Rule changes / 1:20:41 Tri-series / 1:21:37 Outro

On this special bonus episode, Yas Rana, Ben Gardner, Daniel Gallan and Mark Butcher react to South Africa's stunning World Test Championship final victory against Australia at Lord's. We'll also have a regular weekly podcast previewing the England-India Test series on Wednesday/Thursday later in the week. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:51 Intro / 1:42 Mark Butcher on the WTC final / 17:37 World Test Championship final / 20:42 Key moments / 30:08 Lungi Ngidi / 33:45 Kagiso Rabada / 40:11 Aiden Markram / 49:20 Temba Bavuma / 53:34 Australia / 1:05:54 Outro

It's World Test Championship final time! Yas Rana and Ben Gardner are joined by South African journalist Daniel Gallan to preview the showpiece event, as the Proteas take on Australia at Lord's. There's chat about selection dilemmas, what this would mean for South African cricket more broadly, getting over the 'chokers' tag, the World Test Championship as a competition and more. Also on the show, Harry Brook registers another series victory as captain, Mark Butcher reacts to England's squad for the first Test against India, and there's a new issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:44 Intro / 1:21 Mark Butcher / 16:15 World Test Championship final XIs / 31:52 How big is this for South Africa? / 37:58 Getting over the 'chokers' tag / 42:13 WTC as a competition / 46:27 Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius / 49:04 Heinrich Klaasen / 51:24 Win England vs India WT20I tickets / 51:48 Patreon / 52:11 The Pavilion End, St Paul's / 52:53 England vs West Indies / 1:01:03 England Lions & T20 Blast / 1:03:25 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:10:06 Outro

Absolutely loads to get through on today's show. There's Mark Butcher on England's 3-0 win in Harry Brook's first series as captain, a deep dive into Leicestershire's stunning start to 2025, RCB finally winning their first IPL title, some big name white-ball retirements and loads more. 0:00 Kia UK / 0:51 Intro / 1:30 Mark Butcher on ENGvWI / 23:10 Gullivers Sports Travel / 23:42 Leicestershire / 51:17 Patreon / 51:48 Dom Sibley interview snippet / 55:34 Win England vs India WT20I tickets / 56:03 IPL / 1:02:18 England Lions vs India A / 1:10:26 Glenn Maxwell and Heinrich Klaasen / 1:14:48 Wisden shop / 1:15:19 Scotland vs Nepal / 1:17:45 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Yas Rana and The Telegraph's Will Macpherson reflect on the first Test of the English summer, which saw Ben Stokes' side beat Zimbabwe inside three days at Trent Bridge. There's chat about Shoaib Bashir, the Jacob Bethell conundrum and the Test as a spectacle, before digging into the Sikandar Rasa saga and the latest action from the County Championship. 0:00 Remitly / 0:47 Intro / 1:16 Mark Butcher / 15:15 Patreon / 15:48 England vs Zimbabwe / 20:02 Shoaib Bashir / 23:09 Ben Stokes / 27:26 Bethell, Pope, Crawley / 35:50 The Test as a spectacle / 42:28 Sikandar Raza / 46:07 Ireland vs West Indies / 48:36 County Championship / 1:03:44 Outro

The start of the men's international summer is here! Mark Butcher, Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana preview the historic one-off Test against Zimbabwe, chat about the latest round of County Championship action, Roston Chase's appointment as West Indies Test captain and more. There's also a snippet of Jo Harman's interview with Zimbabwean stalwart Sean Williams, available to listen to exclusively on Patreon. 0:00 Remitly / 0:48 Intro / 1:20 Patreon / 2:40 Sam Cook / 14:46 Matthew Potts / 16:58 Ben Stokes / 22:25 Zimbabwe / 29:26 Mark Butcher on ENGvZIM / 38:20 Sean Williams interview snippet / 44:18 England's white-ball squads / 47:54 County Championship / 1:03:02 Roston Chase / 1:07:02 WIN a cricket bat / 1:07:56 Outro

Isa Guha joins Phil Walker and Yas Rana to talk about Virat Kohli's glittering Test career after the India great announced his immediate retirement from the format. Later in the show, Mark Butcher talks about Kohli's wider legacy as a Test cricketer. There's also discussion on England's first white-ball squads of the summer, the upcoming World Test Championship final and Isa's work at her charity, Take Her Lead. 0:00 Remitly / 0:48 Intro / 1:37 Patreon / 2:39 Virat Kohli / 21:35 How do India rebuild? / 27:25 BGT / 33:17 Mark Butcher on Virat Kohli / 47:52 England's white-ball squads / 50:03 World Test Championship final / 57:19 County Championship / 1:00:06 IPL & PSL / 1:00:40 Take Her Lead / 1:11:41 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:15:38 Scott Oliver / 1:43:49 Outro

Loads to get through this week. There's Yas Rana and Phil Walker on James Rew's England call-up and Rohit Sharma's Test retirement, a special feature celebrating 20 years of Chance to Shine and Ben Gardner on a potential players' revolt. Mark Butcher also joins Yas to chat about talent ID in the wake of Rew's selection. 0:00 Remitly / 0:49 Intro / 2:19 James Rew / 11:30 Patreon / 11:53 Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards / 12:11 Rohit Sharma / 23:39 County Championship / 30:26 Mark Butcher / 41:41 Chance to Shine Pt.1 / 57:36 Chane to Shine Pt.2 / 1:04:27 Howzat Travel / 1:04:51 The players' revolt / 1:20:31 ODI hospitality / 1:21:18 Outro

Tim Wigmore and Cameron Ponsonby join Yas Rana to talk about Vaibhav Suryavanshi's record-breaking innings, the latest from the County Championship, Tim's new book on the history of Test cricket, potential IPL expansion and more. Mark Butcher also joins the show to discuss England's Test squad to face Zimbabwe, released on Friday. 0:00 Remitly / 0:48 Intro / 1:28 Patreon / 2:05 Mark Butcher on England's Test squad / 16:46 Gullivers Sports Travel / 17:08 Vaibhav Suryavanshi / 24:37 England / 31:54 Josh Tongue / 34:36 Farhan Ahmed / 38:50 County Championship / 48:11 Test Cricket: A History, by Tim Wigmore / 1:10:02 Total Play Ltd / 1:22:22 Sam Curran / 1:23:45 IPL expansion / 1:31:46 Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe / 1:33:37 Outro -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lawrence Booth joins Ben Gardner and Yas Rana to talk about the release of this year's prestigious Wisden Almanack, including the award winners for 2025. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about round three of the County Championship, the latest from the IPL, Mark Butcher on finger spin and much more. 0:00 Remitly / 0:50 Intro / 2:04 Wisden 2025 award winners / 13:09 Lawrence's Editor's notes / 26:55 Questions / 32:32 Gullivers Sports Travel / 33:29 Mark Butcher / 44:09 Wisden Photograph of the Year / 45:15 County Championship / 1:01:14 IPL / 1:06:21 PSL / 1:07:54 BANvZIM / 1:08:49 Jon Hotten / 1:32:13 Outro

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Ben Gardner reflect on another round of County Championship action, including a statement knock from Durham's Ben McKinney. There's chat around Zak Crawley's England place, gripes with the points system and bad light, Phil's charter for 2026 and more. Mark Butcher also joins the show to chat with Yas about the pros and cons for tall batters and why genuine quicks struggle in the County Championship. 0:00 Remitly / 0:50 Intro / 2:21 Ben McKinney / 11:56 Zak Crawley / 17:45 Points system / 19:25 Cricket's bad light problem / 32:30 Phil's charter for 2026 / 35:15 Other County Championship results / 43:19 Mark Butcher / 59:29 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:00:56 IPL / 1:06:53 Other cricket / 1:11:18 Outro

Mark Butcher, Ben Gardner, Nathan Johns and Katya Witney discuss Harry Brook's appointment as England's new white-ball captain and the opening round of County Championship fixtures. Later in the show there's chat about the scheduling of county cricket and the WCA report, as well as an interview with Rod Lyall about his new book on the governance of cricket. 0:00 Remitly / 0:45 Intro / 1:33 Mark Butcher / 16:06 Harry Brook / 18:46 County Championship / 37:21 County schedule / 45:50 WCA report / 1:00:42 WCA report part two / 1:21:51 IPL / 1:23:26 Outro

The season is here! Can anyone stop Surrey? Yas Rana, Mark Butcher and Phil Walker preview the 2025 County Championship season, while Jack Leach talks to Katya Witney about his last 12 months and ambitions for 2025. 0:00 Remitly / 0:53 Intro / 2:33 Division One / 27:27 Players of the season and breakout stars / 34:15 Jack Leach interview / 50:22 DKP / 52:32 We've won an award! / 54:08 Division Two / 1:11:49 Other cricket / 1:19:52 Charlotte Edwards / 1:22:54 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:28:57 Outro

Yas Rana is joined by Cam Ponsonby to discuss Shoaib Bashir's loan move, why England need to give Sam Cook a chance, the IPL as a spectacle and more. Elsewhere in the show there's Mark butcher on the start of the IPL and Jo Harman's interview with Derbyshire legend Wayne Madsen. 0:00 Remitly / 0:53 Intro / 2:08 Mark Butcher / 14:43 Covering England tours / 21:12 Shoaib Bashir / 32:53 Dan Worrall and Sam Cook / 43:21 IPL / 56:15 New Zealand vs Pakistan / 1:01:16 Usman Khawaja / 1:04:40 Lhuan-dre Pretorius / 1:06:10 County cricket / 1:13:41 Wayne Madsen interview / 1:41:47 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and CricViz's Ben Jones preview the 2025 IPL, discuss the tools England need to win in Australia, reflect on The Hundred draft and more. Elsewhere in the show there's Mark Butcher on Mark Wood's injury and some comments from David Warner, before Yas' fascinating interview with exciting young Hampshire and England Lions seamer Sonny Baker. 0:00 Intro / 1:34 England's next captain / 9:43 Mark Butcher / 19:26 What England need in Australia / 28:44 Sonny Baker interview / 1:02:22 Wisden survey / 1:02:52 IPL 2025 preview / 1:23:52 The Hundred draft / 1:38:31 T20 double headers / 1:41:07 Saudi T20? / 1:47:01 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher react to India's victory against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, Harry Brook's withdrawal from the IPL and all the latest news from the world of cricket this week. 0:00 Seat Unique / 0:51 Intro / 1:35 India / 10:01 Rohit Sharma / 14:42 Are India set to dominate? / 18:46 WPA Health Insurance / 19:09 Moment of the Week / 22:44 New Zealand / 28:12 Patreon / 28:38 Final reflections on the Champions Trophy / 35:02 Lord's tickets / 36:06 Harry Brook / 42:21 Ben Stokes / 44:41 Wisden survey / 45:06 Steve Smith / 47:50 Pakistan / 52:48 Developing spinners in England / 1:01:15 Covid's legacy, five years on / 1:04:52 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher discuss Jos Buttler's resignation as white-ball captain and England's disastrous Champions Trophy campaign. There's chat about potential successors to Buttler and new faces in the squad moving forward, before the focus switches to the knockout stages of the tournament this week. 0:00 WPA Health Insurance / 0:40 Intro / 1:24 Jos Buttler resigns / 14:36 Does anyone play 50-over cricket? / 27:02 Brendon McCullum / 35:57 Wisden survey / 36:26 Lord's tickets / 36:59 Predicting England's 2027 World Cup XI / 43:31 Gullivers Sports Travel / 48:35 Do India have an advantage? / 52:53 Champions Trophy semi-finals / 1:04:32 Outro

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Irish freelance journalist Nathan Johns discuss all the action from the opening round of Champions Trophy action, including England's defeat to Australia and a comfortable victory for India against Pakistan. Also on the agenda, the future of Test cricket for smaller nations, Jo Harman's interview with Brydon Carse, Mark Butcher on England vs Australia and a bumper new issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly. 0:15 Gullivers Sports Travel / 1:05 Intro / 3:59 Australia / 9:08 England / 27:53 Patreon / 29:08 Mark Butcher on ENGvAUS / 44:54 India & Pakistan / 58:56 Manual / 1:00:21 The future of Test cricket for smaller nations / 1:08:11 Ireland / 1:10:01 Other cricket / 1:15:05 Brydon Carse / 1:24:06 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:33:02 Outro

After a tricky start to 2025, Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Kate Mason discuss the culture in English cricket before previewing the Champions Trophy, which gets underway this week. Mark Butcher speaks to Yas ahead of the tournament, and Durham's young batting star Ben McKinney joins the show to chat about his winter with the England Lions. There's also a snippet of Jo Harman's excellent interview with Carl Hooper, exclusively available on Patreon. *Apologies for any audio issues as we adjust to life in new surroundings* 0:00 WPA Health Insurance / 0:32 Intro / 1:48 English cricket culture / 18:58 Being a TV host when things go wrong... / 26:36 Ben McKinney interview / 40:43 Sonny Baker / 43:21 total-play / 44:14 Champions Trophy / 1:01:28 Mark Butcher / 1:09:55 Manual / 1:11:49 Carl Hooper interview / 1:18:17 Kane Williamson & The Hundred / 1:20:45 Outro

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Mark Butcher discuss England's worsening white-ball struggles. In what was Brendon McCullum's first assignment as full-time white-ball head coach, Jos Buttler's side claimed just one win from eight games on a chastening tour of India. There's also chat about India's incredible strength, Australia's Test series victory in Sri Lanka, some huge names missing the Champions Trophy and more. 0:00 Manual / 1:35 Intro / 2:38 What's wrong with England? / 22:09 The balance of England's XI / 33:43 India / 41:11 Gullivers Sports Travel / 42:47 Champions Trophy / 48:15 Sri Lanka vs Australia / 54:12 T20 / 58:13 Zimbabwe vs Ireland / 59:46 West Indies / 1:00:28 Outro Did you know 1/4 men in the UK suffer low Testosterone? That's where our partners Manual want to help! Use code WEEKLY45 for 45% off your blood test kit: https://bit.ly/WisdenManual2025 ✈️ GULLIVERS SPORTS TRAVEL Experience the 2025/26 Ashes: gulliverstravel.co.uk

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Phil Walker reflect on India's 4-1 T20I series victory, including a controversial concussion sub, Abhishek Sharma's stunning century and some very ordinary England batting. Later on there's chat about the ongoing sale of The Hundred, the latest developments around two-tier Test cricket, Australia's thumping victory against Sri Lanka and more. Somerset's Tom Banton speaks to Katya Witney about the ILT20 and his England ambitions, while Mark Butcher joins the show to discuss the T20Is and The Hundred. 0:00 Intro / 5:16 Mark Butcher / 22:40 India vs England / 51:20 Tom Banton interview / 1:07:37 The Hundred / 1:15:55 Two-tier Tests / 1:20:39 Sri Lanka vs Australia / 1:24:33 England Lions / 1:27:18 T20s / 1:32:46 Outro Did you know 1/4 men in the UK suffer low Testosterone? That's where our partners Manual want to help! Use code WEEKLY45 for 45% off your blood test kit: https://bit.ly/WisdenManual2025

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and ESPNCricinfo's Matt Roller discuss England's T20I series against India so far, picking their best XIs and reviewing some of the standout performers from both sides. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about West Indies' win in Pakistan, a thrilling Big Bash final, the sale of The Hundred and more. Mark Butcher joins the show to chat about the ongoing T20I series, while Katya Witney speaks to Dan Lawrence about his time in the ILT20, the franchise circuit and England ambitions. 0:00 Intro / 2:48 India vs England / 12:41 What's England's best XI? / 23:10 Adil Rashid / 31:07 India / 37:22 Mark Butcher / 47:24 The Hundred / 51:50 Pakistan vs West Indies / 54:26 Big Bash / 59:02 T20 league round-up / 1:03:19 Understanding T20 tactics / 1:12:31 Dan Lawrence interview / 1:24:36 Outro Did you know 1/4 men in the UK suffer low Testosterone? That's where our partners Manual want to help! Use code WEEKLY45 for 45% off your blood test kit: https://bit.ly/WisdenManual2025

Yas Rana and Phil Walker discuss India's convincing victory against England in the first T20I, an England Lions century for Rocky Flintoff and Phil responds to Fox Sports, who took exception to WCM's Test XI of 2024. There's also Mel Farrell's brilliant interview with Will Smeed, as well as Mark Butcher on the start of the white-ball Bazball era and Pakistan's win against West Indies. 0:00 Intro / 2:13 India vs England / 20:19 Mark Butcher / 31:17 Phil responds to Fox Sports / 40:51 England Lions / 45:59 Will Smeed interview / 1:07:47 Outro Did you know 1/4 men in the UK suffer low Testosterone? That's where our partners Manual want to help! Use code WISDEN45 for 45% off your blood test kit: https://bit.ly/WisdenManual2025

On the 25th anniversary of one of Test Cricket's most controversial matches, Shaun Pollock, Darren Gough and Mark Butcher reflect on the 5th Test between South Africa and England at Centurion in January 2000. It led to the South African captain Hansie Cronje getting banned for life for match fixing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three weeks into January 2025, it's awards time! Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Ben Gardner reveal Wisden's best Test innings and spells of 2024, as well as the magazine's Test XI of the year. Mark Butcher joins to chat about James Vince's decision to quit first-class cricket for the PSL, there's an exclusive interview with Dan Worrall, a round-up of all the franchise T20 leagues going on at the moment and much more. 0:00 Intro 1:05 Best innings 29:43 Best spells 44:35 Best Test XI 55:47 Mark Butcher on James Vince 1:15:24 Sam Cook 1:22:29 Dan Worrall interview 1:47:59 Other news 1:50:31 T20 leagues 1:58:18 Wisden Cricket Monthly 2:01:02 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Phil Walker reflect on the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which saw Australia win the SCG Test and take the series 3-1. There's chat about both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's struggles, Jasprit Bumrah's workload and what the triumph means for this generation of Australian players. Elsewhere in the show there's discussion about the ICC's reported plans to introduce a two-tier system for Test cricket and calls for England to boycott their Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan. Mark Butcher also joins Yas to chat about the role of the spinner in Australian Tests and the start of the SA20. 0:00 Intro / 2:58 Rohit Sharma / 12:31 Virat Kohli / 17:17 India / 20:46 Scott Boland / 25:23 Mark Butcher / 37:03 Two-tier Test cricket? / 52:33 Graeme Smith / 55:48 Should England boycott Afghanistan? / 1:14:37 Outro

Our final podcast of 2024, and two Boxing Day classics to review. Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher react to Australia's thrilling win against India at the MCG, as well as South Africa's victory against Pakistan which saw them secure World Test Championship final qualification. There's also chat about whether the WTC is actually good, there's finally an update on the 2025 Champions Trophy and England have announced a squad for that tournament. 0:00 Intro / 1:05 Australia vs India / 7:54 Sam Konstas / 15:18 Steve Smith / 20:33 Virat Kohli / 24:52 Nitish Kumar Reddy / 30:32 Jasprit Bumrah / 38:49 South Africa vs Pakistan / 42:39 World Test Championship / 50:39 Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan / 52:53 Champions Trophy / 1:00:18 England's squad / 1:07:27 Outro

Yas Rana, Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher react to England's thumping defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton, and reflect on England's 2024 as a Test side. There's also chat about the drawn Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Brisbane and Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement from international cricket. 0:00 Intro / 1:28 New Zealand vs England / 12:32 Why do England collapse so often? / 20:36 England's 2024 / 32:07 New Zealand / 38:53 England Lions / 40:53 Mark Butcher / 57:03 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 59:30 Patreon / 1:02:30 Australia vs India / 1:10:44 Ravichandran Ashwin / 1:25:32 Other cricket / 1:28:01 Fab Fours / 1:32:44 CRICBABY / 1:40:51 Outro

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Katya reflect on England's thumping of New Zealand and Australia's dominant performance against India in Adelaide. There's also chat about the race for the World Test Championship final and a new issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, while Mark Butcher joins Yas to discuss Zak Crawley, Harry Brook and England's top seven conundrum. 0:00 Intro / 1:42 Brydon Carse / 12:45 Harry Brook / 16:20 Ollie Pope / 22:49 Jacob Bethell / 30:19 England's top seven / 41:50 Gus Atkinson / 43:12 New Zealand / 49:31 Rob Key / 55:47 Mark Butcher on NZvENG / 1:13:11 Australia vs India / 1:27:41 South Africa vs Sri Lanka / 1:31:47 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:38:22 Blood On The Tracks / 1:52:09 Outro ✈️ GULLIVERS SPORTS TRAVEL Experience the 2025/26 Ashes with Gullivers Sports Travel: https://bit.ly/3CIzmrp

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Matt Roller review England's convincing victory in the first Test against New Zealand. Harry Brook made 171 as the hosts were made to pay for a number of costly drops, while Brydon Carse was outstanding with the ball and Jacob Bethell made an immediate impression on debut. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about the ECB's controversial new NOC policy, South Africa vs Sri Lanka, the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test and more. Mark Butcher also joins Yas to discuss the Ollie Pope conundrum and England's fast bowling stocks. 0:00 Intro / 3:05 NZvENG first Test / 10:01 Gus Atkinson & Chris Woakes / 15:31 Jacob Bethell / 27:28 Brydon Carse / 36:10 Shoaib Bashir & Rehan Ahmed / 42:12 Zak Crawley / 43:38 Ollie Robinson / 46:20 New Zealand / 50:09 Patreon / 51:47 Mark Butcher on NZvENG / 1:07:15 England's new NOC policy / 1:23:05 South Africa vs Sri Lanka / 1:26:39 Ben Stokes' WTC comments / 1:28:45 West Indies vs Bangladesh / 1:30:58 Australia vs India / 1:34:57 Outro

Yas Rana and Phil Walker review India's stunning win in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test and look ahead to the New Zealand-England Test series. Paul Ford joins the show to discuss New Zealand's chances, while Mark Butcher chats to Yas about England's decision to bat Jacob Bethell at No.3 on debut. *Please note, Yas and Phil's chat was recorded before England announced their XI* 0:00 Intro / 1:45 Australia vs India first Test / 9:23 Jasprit Bumrah / 20:59 Jaiswal & Kohli / 30:58 Australia / 39:33 Mark Butcher on NZvENG / 48:15 New Zealand vs England preview / 1:03:42 Paul Ford on New Zealand / 1:33:50 IPL auction / 1:38:42 Essex / 1:40:08 Abu Dhabi T10 / 1:48:23 West Indies vs Bangladesh / 1:50:05 Outro

Yas Rana, Ben Gardner and Mark Butcher look ahead to the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and reflect on England's white-ball tour of the Caribbean. There's also discussion about the ongoing Champions Trophy fiasco, Tim Southee's Test retirement, some Abu Dhabi T10 chat and why Test batting has become so difficult. 0:00 Intro / 0:49 Australia vs India preview / 18:54 Is there a global run-scoring crisis? / 31:59 West Indies vs England / 47:52 Tim Southee / 53:11 Champions Trophy / 59:46 Other news / 1:04:02 Outro

Yas Rana and Phil Walker discuss England's ongoing tour of the Caribbean, their ideal England ODI and T20I XIs, Australia's new Test opener, begin to preview the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and much more. Elsewhere in the show, Mark Butcher gives his thoughts after England took a 3-0 T20I series lead, and Jo Harman is joined by a very special guest in the form of Australian white-ball superstar Glenn Maxwell to talk about the release of his new book. 0:00 Intro / 1:22 Mark Butcher on WIvENG / 13:18 WIvENG / 23:04 Picking our best England XIs / 36:21 Glenn Maxwell interview / 1:03:01 Liam Norwell / 1:05:16 Nathan McSweeney / 1:09:15 India / 1:16:57 AUSvPAK / 1:17:49 Charlotte Edwards / 1:21:30 Questions / 1:28:02 Outro

Following New Zealand's famous 3-0 whitewash against India and South Africa's victory in Bangladesh, Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Dan Gallan discuss the state of the World Test Championship and the wider Test game. There's also chat about England's ODI series defeat to the West Indies – Mark Butcher joins us for that from the Caribbean – as well as their Test squad to tour New Zealand and the relentless nature of the international schedule. 0:00 Intro / 1:13 Mark Butcher on WIvENG / 19:24 WIvENG / 24:12 The state of the schedule / 31:42 England Test squad / 44:41 Central contracts / 46:20 India vs New Zealand / 56:38 South Africa / 1:07:54 Is the World Test Championship good? / 1:19:02 Anderson & Warner / 1:20:41 Outro

Yas Rana, Phil Walker and Mark Butcher react to a thrilling week of Test cricket, one which saw England comfortably beaten in Pakistan and New Zealand pull off a rare series win in India. 0:00 Intro / 1:05 Pakistan vs England / 26:51 Sajid Khan & Noman Ali / 39:50 Rehan Ahmed / 45:48 Ollie Pope / 58:03 India vs New Zealand / 1:15:40 Wisden Cricket Monthly / 1:23:40 Outro

Yas Rana, Katya Witney and Ben Gardner discuss all the latest news from the world of cricket this week, including New Zealand's stunning victory against India in Bengaluru, Kagiso Rabada's 300th Test wicket and more. Mark Butcher also joins the show to preview the third Pakistan-England Test in Rawalpindi. 0:00 Intro / 1:11 India vs New Zealand / 16:45 Mark Butcher / 25:54 Pakistan vs England / 38:47 West Indies vs England ODIs / 44:49 Kagiso Rabada / 49:24 David Warner & Australia / 56:47 Fulltrack AI / 1:08:51 Outro