Cricket with an Accent Podcast

Champions Trophy scheduling saga is the talking point as we drop our first episode in almost six months. Resident guest Vijay Arumugam joins host Saqib Ali to talk about sports, Politics and its many double standards. True to form Vijay brings a lot of cross sport and political reference points to address a larger point surrounding the India Pakistan Scheduling issue in discussion.  BCCI's decision to not send the team to Pakistan was an expected one and consistent to their stand in recent years. Then why the outrage and disappointment from Pakistan side? Was there a quid pro quo in place? Listeners guess is good as ours! But never-the less Vijay explores some possible scenarios.  Brew a cup of your choice of caffeine and tune in! 

Commentary is an integral part of watching live sport on tv or following it on radio. We all owe some part of our acquired sporting knowledge through the commentary booth. However in this age of information some commentators fail to connect with a larger audience. Could thier views be outdated? Has commentarty changed over the years? Is there a clear interference from cricket governing bodies on free speech in the booth? In the latest episode of the podcast we exchange notes on our favorite commentators and try to tackle the above questions. Joining host Saqib Ali are podcast regulars Kevin Framp and Vijay Arumugam. The conversation centres on cricket but stretches to football, hockey and tennis reference points. Tune in and share your list of favorite commentators along with any agreement/disagreement on what was recorded on this show.

This week's episode is a departure from what we cover on the podcast. We have two father's joining the show to talk about the sporting journey of their respective kids - who are honing their skills in other sports. Deepak Rao from UK and Ahmed Hussain from US join host Saqib Ali to talk about a parents role in this journey with Squash and Baseball as the disciplines of practice. Deepak's daughter Aditi is a ranked junior in the UK Squash system and competes in junior events across Europe. Ahmed's son Farzad has been pitching and playing little league games for more than 5 years now. This is probably a similar exercise of a cricket family anywhere in the world. It is an enjoyable conversation given how much we all treasure the behind the scenes process in sports. Deepak and Ahmed are candid enough to let us in their private bubbles, where both families have prioritized and centred their routines around the chosen sports their kids fell in love with.  Deepak Rao on twitter - https://twitter.com/RaoDpk Saqib Ali on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba Cricket with an accent on twitter - https://twitter.com/Cric_pod  

Vishal Misra is the podcast guest this week. Misra and the late Travis Basevi are considered the founding fathers of stats and cricket data. In this episode we revisit Misra's famous contributions while working at Cricinfo - which eventually changed and shaped the cricketing discourse forever. Misra and Basevi were the architects of live scoring, archived scorecards and Statsguru. In spite of being a stats Guru, Misra is a man of multitudes especially when it comes to viewing the game as a whole. He believes the stats do not tell the complete picture and context matters. He also gives his views on Cricinfo, democratization of data and continuous evolution of stats. Tune in for the complete conversation. Vishal Misra on twitter - https://twitter.com/vishalmisra https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/vishal-misra-the-birth-of-proper-ball-by-ball-commentary-on-cricinfo-637331    

In the opening act of the new year we discuss many layers of sports stardom. To narrow it down as a group we were fascinated by the notion when does an athlete becomes a Demigod. What does that even mean in the sporting universe? Does this happen in some societies more than others? Does this happen more in team sports compared to individual sports? Is glamour part of the demigod status equation? What happens to a fallen Demigod? Host Saqib Ali is joined by Kandarp Mehta and Andrew Burton to discuss this topic at length. Kandarp is a return guest who is an avid cricket fan. Andrew is a regular voice on the Tennis with an accent podcast. It was an interesting discussion without any concrete conclusion given the vast nature of the topic. Both Kandarp and Andrew came prepared with examples spanning across different sports and cultures. Please tune in! Andrew on twitter -https://twitter.com/burtonad Kandarp on twitter - https://twitter.com/kmacts  Kandarp's work can be found here -https://kandarpmehta.wordpress.com/ Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba

Indian cricket team is visiting South Africa for the ninth time since the readmission of South Africa to international competition. I am joined by a special guest in Neil Manthorp along with podcast's regular voice Vijay Arumugam to look back at some of the memorable chapters and incidents that have shaped the rivalry. Manthorp has covered all things South African cricket since he started his career as a cricket writer and broadcaster in 1988. His work can be found here - https://manners-on-cricket.com/ The podcast touched upon rich but uncomfortable topics like The Mike Denness affair to Sachin Tendulkar's farewell test which came at the expense of a boxing Day test match in South Africa. Of course we also discuss some on field brilliance of Tendulkar and other Indian batters who have scored impressive knocks in South Africa. Neil Manthorp on twitter - https://twitter.com/neilmanthorp Vijay on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba

South African legend Mike Procter returns to the podcast for a candid conversation on all things Monkeygate, Kerry Packer and the South African readmission to cricket. He joins host Saqib Ali and resident podcast guest Vijay Arumugam. The conversation is a rich account on many phases of Procter's cricketing life where he was a player, coach, commentator and a match referee. Enough reading ....start listening please! https://www.amazon.com/Caught-Middle-Monkeygate-Politics-Autobiography/dp/1785312162 https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/mike-procter-46793 Vijay on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba      

We look back at the WC batting legends in this episode. The names that dominated the discussion were Aravinda de Silva, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. Vijay Arumugam and Kandarp Mehta joined host Saqib Ali to look back at these distinguished world cup champions and their respective careers at the big event. This type of conversation had a lot of potential for digressions and digress we did! Other names that were mentioned in this exercise were Michael Jordan, Lionel Messi and Viv Richards. Vijay on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Kandarp on twitter - https://twitter.com/kmacts  Kandarp's work can be found here -https://kandarpmehta.wordpress.com/ Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba

In the latest episode of the podcast we take a deep dive into world cup nostalgia using miscellaneous topics. Podcast regular Vijay Arumugam returns to the podcast to talk about unsung heroes, underperforming legends, memorable WC match and organizational issues of the BCCI. In a rich conversation Vijay recalls upon lot of memories from the late 80's to the mid 90's of world cup competition. Names like Desmond Haynes, David Houghton, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Simon O'Donnell make this conversation a lot more nostalgic than it was intended. Tune in for a detailed listen. 

In the latest episode of the podcast we talk about Rivalries. Rivalry is quite an integral facet of how fans engage with a sport. Not only it can be an entry point for new fans but it is also an everlasting feature for many fans - be it a team sport or an individual sport. Host Saqib is joined by podcast regular Aftab Khanna and first time guest Kandarp Mehta. The conversation explores the meaning of the word rivalry for each panelist and then further attempts to address issues such as partisanship and evolution of fandom. India Pakistan rivalry is a benchmark of this discussion as its part of trio's formative cricket experience as fans. Cross sports examples from Football, NBA and Tennis are used to further elaborate the connection. Tendulkar, Lara, Akram are among many names discussed as examples. Please tune in and let us know what are your favorite and most impactful rivalries as fans. Aftab on twitter - https://twitter.com/aftabkhanna Kandarp on twitter - https://twitter.com/kmacts  Kandarp's work can be found here -https://kandarpmehta.wordpress.com/ Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba    

Professor Ratnakar Shetty is the podcast guest for this episode of Cricket with an Accent. He had served in the BCCI for more than thirty years in which he had donned many a hat - be it back room administrator, touring team manager or WC host team tournament director among other positions. In this deep dive of a conversation Professor Shetty shares his insights from his book - ON BOARD TEST, TRIAL AND TRIUMPH: MY YEARS IN BCCI. The book is a detailed account of a long serving career who had the best seat in the house to witness the rise of the BCCI. The name BCCI can polarize many a discourse even in the partisan Indian fan base and this episode brings out quite a few fascinating accounts of the corporations date with destiny.  Ratnakar Shetty on twitter - https://twitter.com/RatnakarShetty Saqib Ali on twitter - https://twitter.com/Saqiba https://www.amazon.com/BOARD-TEST-TRIAL-TRIUMPH-Years/dp/9355202873

As Cricket with an Accent reaches a 100 episodes, @aftabkhanna takes over the moderator’s chair and along with Saqib, Vijay and Saahil, we look ahead to the future of cricket podcasting. We try and understand how fans engage with digital media in cricket, the factors driving niche content creation, the challenges with standard mass braodcasting and how cricket can learn from bigger sports like the NBA. Thank you helping us get to the 100th episode and we hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed doing this! Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba Aftab on twitter - https://twitter.com/aftabkhanna Vijay on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Saahil on twitter - https://twitter.com/faahil  

On this episode of the pod we look back at one of the true modern day greats - AB De Villiers. Helping host Saqib Ali do the honors are freelance cricket reporter from South Africa Dan Gallan and ABD superfan Prithvi. We needed an incredibly analytical fan and a cricket reporter for this episode to breakdown the highs and lows of the genius cricketer.  De Villiers is a bit of an interesting study as well because his career shares the same timeline with other modern greats and he was also a mediocre captain unlike some of the greats. Prithvi and Dan also highlight the racial allegations on the man towards the end of this career. Tune in and see how we remember this great talent. https://ewn.co.za/2019/06/08/ab-de-villiers-the-one-that-got-away Dan on twitter - https://twitter.com/danielgallan Prithvi on twitter - https://twitter.com/puneite_/with_replies  

The West Indies of the Clive Lloyd-Viv Richards era is arguably one of the greatest teams in all of sports. They did not lose a test series for a span of 15 years and won two cricket world cups among other laurels. In the 80's their most worthy adversary was Imran Khan led Pakistan side. The two sides clashed three times in a span of 6 years and produced three drawn series. In the latest episode of the podcast  I am joined by Pakistani cricket broadcaster Sohaib Alvi and podcast resident guest Vijay Arumugam. Both guests fill this two hour long episode with great recall of historical sequence of the Pakistan West Indies rivalry. It is a great listen for all cricket fans to get the context of this clash of the titans. Key names covered are Clive Lloyd, Imran Khan, Viv Richards, Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir and Desmond Haynes among others.   Sohaib on twitter -https://twitter.com/sohaibalvi Vijay on twitter -https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Saqib on twitter -https://twitter.com/saqiba  

Mohammad Azharuddin remains one of the most mystical figures in all of cricket. His rise and fall from grace have both been meteoric. How does one do justice in unpacking a simple career gone so complex in a podcast. Here's a very personalized attempt from all quarters with the panel consisting of senior cricket writer Sharda Ugra and super fan Vijay Arumugam. In a long free flowing chat we look back at Azhar the cricketer and the man and try to reflect our own recollections of how it all played out in public domain. It's a must listen episode to revisit one of the games biggest fallen heroes.  https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-inscrutable-craftsman-346898 https://muckrack.com/sharda-ugra/articles Vijay on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Saqib on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba Cricket with an accent website - https://cricketwithanaccent.podbean.com/      

On this episode of the podcast host Saqib Ali is joined by podcast regular Aftab Khanna as the duo reminisce on favorite cricket books. The conversation paves a very candid path and terms like The Sportstar, Doordarshan and newspapers eventually lead the listener to the main topic of books. Both men share their evolutionary stories as young readers and how certain books help them evolve as cricket fans.  The list is a combination of history of the game, its flawed superstars and some misunderstood figures. It is a fun and fast paced episode with lot of notes exchanging on the books and its heroes - Baloo, Imran, Larwood and Manjrekar! Aftab Khanna on twitter -https://twitter.com/aftabkhanna Saqib Ali on twitter -https://twitter.com/saqiba https://www.amazon.com/Corner-Foreign-Field-History-British/dp/0330491172/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?crid=EAL4PHHUD0SE&keywords=ram+guha+corner+of+a+foreign&qid=1677304528&sprefix=ram+guha+corner+of+a+foreign%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1-fkmr1 https://www.amazon.com/Imran-Khan-Cricketer-Celebrity-Politician/dp/000731888X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10V6MPI907YPS&keywords=Imran+khan+christopher+sandford&qid=1677304587&sprefix=imran+khan+christopher+sandford%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Harold-Larwood/dp/B004GK1K1S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SOPC0AIXZO1F&keywords=Harold+Larwood+duncan+hamilton&qid=1677304615&sprefix=harold+larwood+duncan+hamilton%2Caps%2C64&sr=8- 1https://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-Sanjay-Manjrekar/dp/9352774515/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7Y9R72RTHB8D&keywords=imperfect+sanjay+manjrekar&qid=1677304656&sprefix=imperfect+sanjay+manjrekar%2Caps%2C63&sr=8-1    

In the latest edition of the podcast host Saqib Ali is joined by podcast regulars Vijay Arumugam and Saahil Sharma to talk about the Border Gavaskar Trophy and its relevant talking points. Of course everything cannot be covered in one episode about this rivalry, hence the panel focused on their respective entry points and early memories. The discussion also touched upon some of the favorite highlights and talking points like the rise of VVS Laxman, Final Frontier, the Tendulkar McGrath matchup and the infamous saga surrounding the Nagpur test of the 2004 series. https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2023/feb/06/given-a-chance-ill-again-prepare-the-same-wicket-2004-nagpur-test-curator-kishore-pradhan-2544945.html https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/greentrackitis-when-hayden-gilchrist-accused-ganguly-harbhajan-of-missing-2004-nagpur-test-due-to-pitch-article-97695302 https://www.amazon.com/True-Colours-Life-Adam-Gilchrist/dp/1405038969 vijay on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Saahil on twitter -@faahil Saqib on twitter -@saqiba              

Rahul Dravid's tenure as Indian cricket coach has had mixed results so far. With the ODI world cup coming up in 2023 we decided to break silence on this podcast and take a comparative look at Dravid the coach vs his predecessor Ravi Shastri.  Help me do the honors are podcast regulars Vijay Arumugam and Gurkirat Singh Gill. It's a rich conversation with lot of analysis and opinions.  Vijay Arumugam on twitter - https://twitter.com/VAAChandran Gurkirat Singh Gill on twitter - https://twitter.com/gurkiratsgill Saqib Ali on twitter - https://twitter.com/saqiba      

In this episode of the podcast we pay homage to the careers of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Pujara and Rahane may or may not play again for India but they both have been mainstays of the Indian team. It's only fitting we reflect on their respective tenures in the middle given how both men polarized the Indian fandom. Doing the honors are Aftab Khanna and Saahil Sharma as we look back these careers and more. The second phase of this conversation is an extension to some of the main architects of Indian middle order. In a free flowing conversation three fans take stock of Dravid, Laxman, Azhar and Ganguly among other names. Get your choice of caffeine and get ready to tune in this exercise where some of your favorite middle order names get mentioned.   Aftab Khanna on twitter -https://twitter.com/aftabkhanna Saahil Sharma on twitter -https://twitter.com/faahil Saqib Ali on twitter -https://twitter.com/saqiba

Duncan Hamilton is the podcast guest for this episode where he revisits his award winning book on English cricketer Harold Larwood. Hamilton who is a three time winner of the prestigious https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hill_Sports_Book_of_the_Year award has brought Larwood back to life through his maginicent account. Larwood remains one of the most tragic characters the game has ever seen given his relationship with MCC, English fans and the English cricket community suffered a great deal post the infamous Bodyline series. Hamilton talks about why he chose to write about the man from Trent Bridge and how one of the most misunderstood stories in cricket history had to be retold with a fresh perspective. No conversation on Larwood would be complete without the following men - Douglas Jardine, Bill Voce, Arthur Carr and of course Don Bradman. In this episode we revisit some of the key events from the Larwood story which is stranger than most fiction works on sporting figures and helps the reader to fully understand the journey of the fast bowler. We also talk about the paperback release of Hamilton's upcoming novel - Injury Time. https://www.amazon.com/Harold-Larwood-Duncan-Hamilton-ebook/dp/B077Y6DCLD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10O8OL7EN7TDR&keywords=duncan+hamilton+larwood&qid=1648963867&sprefix=duncan+hamilton+larwood%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Injury-Time-Novel-Duncan-Hamilton/dp/1529408431/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1C8IG3FZ7L5AY&keywords=duncan+hamilton+injury+time&qid=1648963925&sprefix=duncan+hamilton+injury+time%2Caps%2C59&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/One-Long-Beautiful-Summer-Red-Ball-ebook/dp/B09L7XR9N9/ref=sr_1_3?crid=21PO3FC60F8HH&keywords=duncan+hamilton+cricket+books&qid=1648964279&sprefix=duncan+hamilton+cricket+books%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-3