The Cricket Ultras Podcast

Ep 11: Australia's cheating shame, England's cricketing shame, ICC's World Cup shame & more

It's a shame-fest on this week's Cricket Ultras. First up, the pod review the latest explosive developments from Cape Town, where Australian captain Steve Smith has admitted to a premeditated attempt to tamper with the ball. Then we take a look at England's latest batting debacle in New Zealand, before concluding with with the World Cup Qualifier, an exciting tournament whose teams deserve more from the ICC.

Ep 10: Disciplinary action, send-offs, the endless WCQ, Anderson/Broad & much more

The latest Cricket Ultras episode reviews the highly-charged South Africa - Australia series and wonders if stronger disciplinary action, in the form of red and yellow cards, is now necessary. There's also an endless review of the endless World Cup Qualifier, questions about England's bowling attack and Australia's bowling coach, and much more. Thank you for listening!

Ep 9: SA fold, Aus misbehave, T20 curbs, WC Qualifier explained, Billy Stanlake, HK's finest & more

The Cricket Ultras returns with a review of Australia's comfortable first Test victory over South Africa, marred by some familiar failings when it comes on-field behaviour. The duo also consider the feasibility of plans to curb T20's power ahead of the next ICC meeting. In focus this week is everything you wanted to know about the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, while the Q&A round features insight into Billy Stanlake, Hong Kong's Mark Chapman and more!

Ep 8: SA v Aus preview & predictions, PSL pool sighting, Eng v NZ, Kolpaks, red-ball retirements & more

Cricket Ultras previews the mouthwatering South Africa v Australia series, wondering if the home team is spending too much time on pitch preparation. There's also an encounter with PSL players at the pool in Dubai along with a review of the ongoing New Zealand series. And the duo explore the spate of red-ball retirements in English cricket and Morne Morkel's decision to retire in favour of a Kolpak contract — more signs of the troubles facing longform cricket.

Ep 7: T20 vs Tests, cricket weddings, PSL, concussions, Dhoni's valet, Olympics & much more

The pod returns with a sighting of PSL cricketers in Dubai, before delving into recent T20 activity amid the potential decline of Test cricket. Also under the spotlight are cricket weddings, MS Dhoni's phone situation, concussion protocol and whether cricket will ever feature at the Olympics. The pod also explores the upcoming rights auctions for Australian and India cricket.

Ep 6: IPL auction, NZ grievances, legspin renaissance, U-19 World Cup & much more

The Cricket Ultras are back after a brief hiatus to round up all of the surprises from the 2018 IPL auction, including the 'humiliation' of New Zealand players. The duo also discuss the welcome renaissance in legspin bowling and review India's dominant performance at the U-19 World Cup. Also explored are India's third Test win at its Johannesburg fortress and Australia's new-look T20 side.

 

Ep 5: SA outclass India, ODI review, IPL auction preview, spoiler alerts & more

The Ultras are back to review India's series loss in South Africa after the excellent Proteas trounced them at Centurion. Can India ever win abroad? The duo also review the Aus/Eng ODI series and almost make the mistake of discussing New Zealand cricket. Also under the spotlight is next week's blockbuster IPL auction and listener feedback including the thorny topic of spoiler alerts. Enjoy!

Ep. 4: India's shock defeat, Ashes post-mortems, English legspinners, cricket's wage gap & more

The Cricket Ultras are back to review India's shocking but totally expected defeat to South Africa in a gripping Test match at Cape Town. The duo wonder if India's batsmen will ever conquer pacy overseas wickets, particularly in time for the next matches in Centurion and Johannesburg. There's also an Ashes post-mortem that delves into the sad history of English legspin, and a meditation on Mike Gatting's gastronomic legacy. Last, but not least, the pod looks at the looming issue of wage disparity among international cricketers, and the threat it poses to Test cricket.

Ep 3: Steve Smith's decline, SA/Ind preview, Ashes questions, 2017 highlights & lowlights

Cricket Ultras duo Arun Sudhaman and Darren Burns return from the festive break to preview the South Africa vs India series starting later this week, the first part of a crucial year for Indian cricketing fortunes. Also under the spotlight is Steve Smith's (relative) decline and, more realistically, his rise to becoming the game's pre-eminent batsman. The ongoing Ashes series continues to throw up questions, not least around whether Bird and Crane can ruffle feathers. And the Cricket Ultras also reveal their highlights and lowlights from an action-packed 2017. 

Episode 2: Live from the WACA, great moments in cricket drinking, Lyon's rise, NZ & more

This week's Cricket Ultras finds Darren Burns reporting live from the WACA ahead of day two of the third Ashes Test. Burns and Arun Sudhaman discuss the shambolic nature of England's tour so far, wonder where it ranks on the scale of great cricket drinking moments, and how the sport became so inextricably linked to alcohol. The duo also explore the remarkable rise of Nathan Lyon, another meteoric elevation in India and even, can you believe, find time to discuss the New Zealand cricket team.