Stumped

Charu Sharma, Jim Maxwell and Nikesh Rughani preview the Women’s Big Bash League final. They discuss the dominance of the Adelaide Strikers captained by Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath who have won 11 out of 14 matches. They will be playing their final against the Brisbane Heat at the Adelaide Oval for the first time and are hoping for a record crowd.Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that India will be a 'serious challenger' in next year's T20 World Cup. The team debate whether they think he is right and the reasons behind his comments. They also discuss the ongoing Men's T20 series between India and Australia.And the team react to the news that Rahul Dravid will continue as India head coach and if this is the best move.Stumped has been nominated for Best Cricket Podcast in the Sports Podcast awards – go to sportspodcastgroup.com to vote.Photo: Tahlia McGrath of the Strikers celebrates with teammates after dismissing Ellyse Perry of the Sixers during the WBBL match between Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval, on November 18, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. (Credit: Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Brett Sprigg and Sunil Gupta look back at the Men’s 50 Over World Cup final and debate if Travis Head will be the next superstar of Australian cricket. He sits amongst legends Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist as only the third Australian man to make a century in a World Cup Final. We also discuss who will be the next generation of India cricket stars.Plus Pat Cummins has had a standout year as captain of Australia winning the World Test Championship Final, retaining the Ashes and now winning the 50 Over World Cup. We get an insight into the man himself with his former New South Wales teammate and former Australia player Trent Copeland. Trent tells us what Pat was like in the dressing room and whether he always thought Pat would be a natural leader.And we debate the introduction of a stop clock in cricket. Will this speed up the game or is it a gimmick?Photo: Australia captain Pat Cummins is presented with the trophy by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister for India and Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia after winning the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 Final between India and Australia at Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. (Credit: Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss Virat Kohli's World Cup record breaking semi-final performance. Kohli helped India reach the final by becoming the first player to score fifty One Day international centuries, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record. They also ask if India have been challenged so far and can they claim the ultimate title in their own backyard?We also look back on the Men's 50 Over World Cup with our Stumped awards. We debate the stand out moment, the best player, the emerging star and which team or performance has been the most disappointing?Plus we look at Sri Lanka's suspension from the Independent Cricket Council.Photo: Virat Kohli of India celebrates after scoring a century, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar for the all time most ODI centuries during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 Semi Final match between India and New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium on November 15, 2023 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell is joined by the Chief Executive of the ICC, Geoff Allardice. He is challenged on the plight of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team who fled the country when the Taliban regained control in 2021. Allardice also tells us about cricket's inclusion in the Olympics and the future of the One-Day format. (Geoff Allardice spoke to Stumped before Sri Lanka was suspended by the ICC due to being "in serious breach of its obligations as a member".)Plus Jim Maxwell and Prakash Wakankar pay tribute to the most successful captain in the history of cricket. Australian Meg Lanning has announced her international retirement at the age of 31 after winning seven World Cups.And the team look back on an eventful week in the Men's Cricket World Cup after Sri Lanka player Angelo Matthews became the first player in international cricket to be 'timed out'(Photo: Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager - Cricket Operations speaks during the ICC Annual Conference at the InterContinental Hotel on June 30, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. Credit: Patrick Bolger-ICC/Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta are joined by Catherine Dalton who is the first female coach in the Pakistan Super League. She will also be the first female fast bowling coach of any professional men’s team when she joins the Multan Sultan's. She tells us about the significance of the role, why she did not have any reservations about taking the job and the differences between coaching men and women.Plus we discuss the Men's Cricket World Cup so far and ask where it is all going wrong for England? We also look at how Australia will cope without Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell and ask if Afghanistan can realistically make it to the semi-finals.    There has been some controversy surrounding the lack of both DRS and third umpires in the Women's Big Bash League so we ask if cricketer's are too reliant on technology?Photo: Catherine Dalton of Ireland steers the ball with Dilani Manodara of Sri Lanka looking on during the Women's ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 match between Sri Lanka and Ireland at the IS Bindra Stadium on March 20, 2016 in Mohali, India. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta are joined by Afghanistan assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai. He was part of the Afghanistan team that progressed to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifiers. In 2010 he retired from playing and took up a coaching role within the team.He tells us the secret to their success after their two shock wins over England and Pakistan in the Men's Cricket World Cup.Plus, we pay tribute to former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi who died this week aged 77 and look at the influence of Virat Kohli on the current India team.Finally we reflect on Glenn Maxwell's record breaking century for Australia and South Africa's Quinton de Kock who has scored his third century of the tournament.Photo: Mujeeb ur Rahman of Afghanistan celebrates the wicket of Harry Brook of England during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between England and Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Delhi, India. (Credit: Getty Images)

Please note: This programme contains discussions about alcoholism and references to mental health. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org Alison Mitchell speaks to South Africa wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta who went into treatment 12 months ago for alcohol abuse, to the point she said she was ‘drinking to die’. Fast forward two months and she lifted a runners-up medal in the T20 World Cup. Jafta shares her story in a powerful interview.Sunil Gupta and Jim Maxwell join Alison Mitchell to reflect on India versus Pakistan and debate if India are the favourites for the Cricket World Cup. We also discuss crowd numbers and the two shocks of the tournament so far.And last time cricket was in the Olympics was in 1900 when it was a team from Great Britain who won gold. Five players in the squad were from Castle Cary Cricket club in Somerset so, with the news that cricket will be played at the 2028 Olympic Games, Stumped will hear from Paul Stanley who is their club treasurer and historian.Photo: Nadine de Klerk of South Africa celebrates the wicket of Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka with team mate Sinalo Jafta during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup group A match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Newlands Stadium on February 10, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Credit: Getty Images)

How do you mentally prepare to win the Cricket World Cup? Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Jim Maxwell speak with the man who helped mastermind India’s 2011 World Cup victory on home soil – Paddy Upton. The mental conditioning coach takes us inside the psyche of the victorious team, discusses how to prepare to face your biggest rivals and outlines how he motivates some of the game’s greats, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Also this week, the team discuss how they mentally prepare for commentating on cricket’s biggest matches.Plus, we meet the 21-year-old record breaker who just smashed a 29-ball century at the Marsh Cup to register the fastest hundred in one-day cricket. Jake Fraser-McGurk’s record eclipses South Africa great AB de Villiers' previous record of 31 balls. He joins the team to explain what it felt like to break the record and his ambitions to represent Australia in all three formats of the game. (Photo: India player Sachin Tendulkar and mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton during Indian team's practice session. Credit: Hindustan Times/Getty Images)

Over the next 46 days, the sport's biggest tournament will showcase the world's top ten 50-over teams and with India starting their campaign against Australia, Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta all look ahead to the mouthwatering clash. Plus Tim De Leede, the Netherlands most capped player with 237 appearances, joins us on the programme. He’s featured in three previous World Cups, including the 1996 tournament where India were the co-hosts. 27 years later, Tim's son, Bas is a key member of the Netherlands squad and embarking on his very first World Cup.Have you ever wondered whether there is a connection that ties Mahatma Gandhi to cricket? Author Kausik Bandyopadhyay joins us to discuss his book, the story of the forgotten partnership. 'Mahatma on the pitch - Gandhi and cricket in India'.Photo: A general view of the Cricket World Cup during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023. England & New Zealand Net Sessions at Narendra Modi Stadium on October 04, 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)

Pakistan’s Nida Dar discusses her incredible year. The 36-year-old has become captain of the Pakistan Women's team, made her 100th ODI appearance for her country and broke into the top ten of the ICC All Rounder rankings. She tells Stumped about her journey to the national team and how vital next year’s launch of a Women’s Pakistan Super League will be for the growth of the sport in Pakistan.Plus Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Jim Maxwell react to India winning their first cricket gold medal at the Asian Games. It’s been described by Jemimah Rodrigues as one of the biggest achievements for the women’s team after they beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs in China. Also with the Cricket World Cup only a week away and the biggest names in the sport descending on India, they discuss which players will shine and who has a point to prove.IMAGE: Nida Dar from Pakistan reacts to bowling Maddy Green from New Zealand as Suzie Bates from New Zealand looks on during the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between New Zealand and Pakistan at Hagley Oval on March 26, 2022 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Credit: Peter Meecham/Getty Images)