The Analyst Inside Cricket

Excellent insight on the most important cricket stories in the world. You’ll learn and take something from this show that you can’t get from any publications or articles. Highly recommend this show to any cricket fan.

I am English American, living in Texas for my sins. I get limited test match cricket here either television or radio. I love Test Match Special (T.M.S.) it’s awesome and I love this program too, infact usually for reports I will turn you on before T.M.S. Obviously Simon Hughes I know did not play test cricket but your self deprecating approach puts that very much into perspective and as such I very much appreciate the absence of ego and bravado. Simon Mann you are lover of the game as I am and that clearly shows, you to are great. Keep your partnership and keep doing what you are doing. For my opinion cricket will never take off in the States, there is little history and modern Americans know nothing of it. We just do not need another sport there is no gap in the sporting market which means it would have to be carved out, that will take an enormous amount of money. The only form of the game that spending money on would be 20 over salami cricket (extending Vic Richards analogy that limited overs cricket is hamburger compared to test match stake) and that is a spectacle that would appeal to the American mind but capturing a slice of that mind is I would suggest almost impossible and enormously expensive. I love your podcast please keep it up you too are great and my cricket withdrawals would be even worse without you.

This podcast has become one my favorites. Intelligent insight based on many years of playing and reporting on the game. Many of the interviews are with people from the cricketing world that we wouldn’t normally hear from. As an Expat it helps keep me connected and in touch with the game that I really love. However, sadly I’m unable to give the podcast 5 stars currently due to the sound quality and the insistence of playing the voices in mono through just one ear. Nowadays many people listen to podcasts through in ear headphones whilst doing physical activity. Only hearing voices in one ear makes it hard to hear and concentrate on. Could we please move on from this experiment now and just provide clear stereo playback so that we can all enjoy the podcast to the full like all other podcasts. Thank you so much.

This is one of my favorite cricket podcasts. Very insightful and good humored. One small suggestion is that you could devote a couple of minutes each podcast or perhaps every other podcast providing some explanations for us that are new-ish to the game. Cricket is a game that has such a steep learning curve, and beautifully odd terminology, that I think this would help to grow the fan base for the game, particularly here in the US. Specially useful would be information on the state of the pitch, and why it matters, as well as bowling lengths and lines. For instance, a mini-lesson on the state of the pitch could have been sneaked in during the discussion of whether Australia should have batted first on the first day of the fifth test at the Oval. Obviously you don’t want to spend too much time and bore the knowledgeable listeners, but just a couple of minutes would do.

The detail and analysis is really in depth and complete. You strike an excellent balance between presenting the facts and not taking yourselves too seriously. You both have excellent contacts in the game so I think it would be good if you told us how you really feel once in a while. For example: Willis gave Paine a jolly good thrashing. Flintoff told Vaughn it was time to move past 2005. He also praised Smith for being the fall guy for the sandpaper affair when clearly the bowlers would have known what was going on. Simon there is a nearly 40 year old story originating from Pretoria: Pollock was in imperious form as Northern Transvaal played Transvaal. The captain told you to prepare for another spell at the great man. You absolutely refused to bowl to him. True story?