81 All Out

In the latest episode of the podcast we chat with one of the most prolific radio broadcasters: Joseph 'Reds' Perreira. In a career spanning over 50 years, Reds has commentated on 152 Tests and close to 500 other matches - including ODIs, first-class, and List A games. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and Amazon. Readers outside India, can buy the book on Amazon. Talking Points: Overcoming a stammer by imitating radio commentary Traveling the Caribbean to watch live sport in the 1950s A memorable commentary debut in 1971 - when India toured the Caribbean The thriller at Edgbaston - calling West Indies v Pakistan in the 1975 World Cup The honour of being at Lord's in 1975 - watching West Indies lift the trophy Life as a freelancer in Australia in 1975-76 The day Roy Fredericks ruled The World Series Cricket game in Sydney - when Kerry Packer made his point Breaking the story of the West Indies' "rebel" tour to South Africa

We speak to the former India allrounder and, until recently, the national team's bowling coach - Bharat Arun. Arun gives us a lesson in the craft of bowling, guiding us through what a coach looks for and how he suggests minor adjustments. He assesses Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, R Ashwin, and Axar Patel and explains their strengths and evolution. Note: War Minus The Shooting by Mike Marqusee, recently republished by 81allout, is now available on Amazon.com, Amazon.in, Flipkart Talking Points: Arun's introduction to the game and the allure of quick bowling The myths surrounding fast bowling and training in the 1980s The reason many Indian bowlers weren't able to build on their early successes The early Bumrah - and what Arun thought of his action and technique R Ashwin's willingness to move out of his comfort zone The changes a bowler can look to make - in the run-up and load-up Mohammad Siraj's control in spite of his relentless aggression Managing a bowler's workload - and f

In this episode, we talk to S Giridhar and VJ Raghunath, authors of the book Mid-wicket Tales: From Trumper to Tendulkar. Giri and Raghu take us through their lifelong journey as cricket fans - and help us understand the magic and aura that surrounded some of the greats from the past. Memories, anecdotes, technique, literature: the stories never stop. Talking Points: Learning about the game through books, radio commentary and at stadiums The singular Mr Venkataraghavan - a breed apart in Tamil Nadu cricket The joy of watching close-in catchers as India's great spin quartet spun a web Why Neil Harvey is so revered among old-timers in Madras Gundappa Viswanath - batting side-on, oozing class against the greatest attacks Bedi's poetry, Chandra's electricity, Prasanna's flight The extraordinary Kapil Dev and his ability to rotate strike at will The great slip catchers - and Azhar pouching them without a sound An all-time XI from the guests' experience of following the game Participants: S Giridh

In the latest episode of the podcast we chat with Roberta Moretti Avery, the captain of the Brazilian women's cricket team. Roberta talks about how she stumbled upon cricket and describes the growing popularity of the game in Brazil - especially among women. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and Amazon. Readers outside India, can buy the book on Amazon. Talking Points: Roberta's transition from golf to cricket, and the freedom of the 360-degree swing The Brazilian version of street-cricket called Taco Setting up pathways for young girls to progress through the system The challenge of explaining the complexity of cricket to those new to the game Changing the grammar of cricket with a mix of English and Portuguese The exposure one gains from tournaments like the Fairbreak Invitational Supporting women cricketers in their late 20s and early 30s A five-year vision for Brazil cricket Participants: Roberta Moretti Avery (@Moret

In the latest episode of the podcast we chat with Ajesh Ramachandran, the Executive Producer at the ICC and their Broadcast and Content Lead. Ajesh takes us through the typical day in the life of a TV producer, and goes on to explain the intricacies of a live cricket broadcast. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and Amazon. Readers outside India, can buy the book on Amazon. Talking Points: The responsibilities of an executive producer before an ICC event Hiring the crew and inspecting the venues for suitability of broadcast The broad vision for the broadcast - melding journalism and entertainment Rostering the commentary queue on match eve The importance of time-management during pre-match routines The producer-director chemistry - and how that often shapes the coverage Understanding the rhythm of the contest to guide the storytelling Briefing the commentators about the context and gravitas of the tournament Being in the

In the latest episode of the podcast we chat with cricket journalists Adam Collins and Bharat Sundaresan about their unforgettable trip - covering Australia's first tour to Pakistan in 24 years. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and Amazon. Readers outside India, can buy the book on Amazon. Talking Points: The uncertainty over Australia's tour to Pakistan in the build-up The historic first day at Rawalpindi - despite the flatness of the pitch The Shane Warne jolt at the end of day one of the first Test Abdullah Shafique's ability to shift gears against a quality attack The Karachi Test - and Cummins and Starc paying homage to the two Ws Khawaja resists, Babar enthralls, Rizwan adds the cherry to the cake The grandeur of Lahore - and memories of the terrorist attack in 2009 Umpire Ahsan Raza's poetic moment Is there anything Cummins can't do? Participants: Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07); Adam Collins (@collinsadam); S

In the latest episode of the podcast, we discuss the recent Bollywood movie 83 - which retells the story of India's miraculous victory in the 1983 World Cup. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and Amazon. Readers outside India, can buy the book on Amazon. Talking Points: A missed opportunity to recreate the cricketing miracle that was 1983 The conspicuous absence of India's victory over West Indies at Berbice The complete erasure of Mohinder Amarnath's golden season Ranveer Singh and Jiiva - and their game attempt to approximate Kapil Dev and Krishnamachari Srikkanth The film not setting the context for the 1983 World Cup The lack of a genuine bad guy - which makes the movie search for antagonists The factual inaccuracies in the movie - including a big faux pas in the final scene The movie explaining scenes way more than showing them through storytelling The cinematographic techniques - long-shots combined with close-ups

We review the two-Test series between India and Sri Lanka - which India won 2-0 in emphatic fashion. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting on Flipkart and Amazon. Readers outside India, can buy the book on Amazon. Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: India's invincibility at home - across conditions against all opposition The relentless pressure that opposition batsmen are up against Jasprit Bumrah and a series for the gods Ravindra Jadeja's evolution as a Test batsman Sri Lanka's spinners unable to sustain the pressure Pathum Nissanka's impressive resistance in Mohali Shreyas Iyer's assault in Bangalore - and his six-hitting prowess Rishabh Pant's talent to straddle the edges of possibility Dimuth Karunaratne's masterful sign off Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Ashoka (@ABVan) Related: Dimuth Karunaratne, a mortal treading into the galax

The world of cricket has been shaken by the untimely death of Shane Warne. We felt the need to dedicate an entire episode to this news, and share our fond memories of this singular cricketer. Note: War Minus The Shooting by Mike Marqusee, recently republished by 81allout, is now available on Amazon.com, Amazon.in, Flipkart Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: What Warne meant to the 1990s generation of cricket fans The seismic effect that follows the death of a widely loved artist Warne against India - stereotypes v reality The quality of Warne's stock ball - and his masterful control Warne's range of speeds, his dip, and the lethal flipper Warne v Tendulkar, Lara, Laxman How world cricket may have looked had Warne played for England Warne the one-day bowler - and the magic from the World Cups Warne in Cape Town in 2002 - the tireless match-winner Appreciating Warne through thoughtfully curated and compiled videos Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Mahes

We speak to the legendary Australian captain Ian Chappell on a book he published in 1992 - Chappelli: The Cutting Edge. Chappell offers his thoughts on captaincy, coaching, cricket administration and the muddled approach of those running the game today. Having followed the game for over seven decades - and read avidly about its evolution – he offers both critique and perspective while burnishing his arguments with insightful (and often hilarious) anecdotes. Note: War Minus The Shooting by Mike Marqusee, recently republished by 81allout, is now available on Amazon.com, Amazon.in, Flipkart Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: Test cricket's parlous future both in the 1990s as well as the present Evaluating a captain and the difficulty of explaining good captaincy Captaincy as amateur psychology - and the time-consuming nature of it Getting the best out of his fast bowlers, especially Dennis Lillee The challenge, and satisfaction, in captaining match-winners like Doug Walters Wh

We speak to the veteran journalist and author Mike Coward, who has watched and covered cricket over six decades. Coward rewinds the clock to various points in his illustrious career and talks about the importance of journalists and players trusting each other. He also opens up on his experience of being an openly gay journalist - and how the male cricketers can take a lead from the women  on making it a more inclusive game. Note: War Minus The Shooting now available on Amazon.com, Amazon.in, Flipkart Talking Points: An Adelaide childhood - and Les Favell as a 'summer god' Working in the newspaper industry in the 1960s - the smells, sights, and sounds A dream stint in England - meeting Rod Laver, the 1972 Olympics, and Ashes The magnanimity of Richie Benaud and Ian Chappell World Series Cricket and how it polarized the game and media The importance of Allan Border for India-Australia relations Covering the 1986 tied Test from an open press box, bathed in sweat Bradman, Tendulkar, Warne and Gi

In this episode, we chat with two journalists from South Africa - Firdose Moonda and Telford Vice. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting at the Atta Galatta bookstore in Bangalore. They are happy to courier copies to those outside Bangalore if you write in at: Thebookstore@attagalatta.com (You can also tweet at their handle: https://twitter.com/AttaGalatta).  Outside India, War Minus the shooting is available as a paperback and e-copy on Amazon. Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: South Africa's remarkable Test series win against India A victory coming after a period of turmoil for South African cricket The value of the private school system as a talent pool for South African cricket The Kolpak myth - and why South Africa didn't lose as much as it seemed The complexities of kneeling - and why it is not as binary as one would think The SJN hearings - a moment of awakening for cricket in the country The platform that t

We review the third and final Test between South Africa and India in Cape Town - which South Africa won by seven wickets and rounded off a monumental series win. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting at the Atta Galatta bookstore in Bangalore. They are happy to courier copies to those outside Bangalore if you write in at: Thebookstore@attagalatta.com (You can also tweet at their handle: https://twitter.com/AttaGalatta). You can also order them on Flipkart and will soon be available on Amazon India. Outside India, War Minus the shooting is available as a paperback and e-copy on Amazon. Talking Points: South Africa's stirring victory against India's best bowling attack A fast bowling shootout - with South Africa's attack tailor-made for the Newlands pitch Rabada's stupendous spell, and the absorbing battle with Kohli Keegan Petersen coming of age in Test cricket South Africa reaping the benefits of their long-term selection policy Rahane and Pujara - the

We review the second Test between South Africa and India - which South Africa won by seven wickets. This was India's first loss at The Wanderers ground, and South Africa's first Test win against India in six Tests. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting at the Atta Galatta bookstore in Bangalore. They are happy to courier copies to those outside Bangalore if you write in at: Thebookstore@attagalatta.com (You can also tweet at their handle: https://twitter.com/AttaGalatta) Outside India, War Minus the shooting is available as a paperback and e-copy on Amazon. Talking Points: South Africa's fast bowlers more suited for the conditions than India's India's lack of height in the fast bowling department Olivier's lack of pace and what he brings to the attack India's fast bowlers offering lessons in the nuances of fast bowling Shardul's terrific spell and his ability to hit the cracks Elgar v Pujara - similar batsmen who chose different methods in th

We review the first Test between South Africa and India - which India won by 113 runs. This was only South Africa's third defeat in Centurion across 27 Tests. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting at the Atta Galatta bookstore in Bangalore. They are happy to courier copies to those outside Bangalore if you write in at: Thebookstore@attagalatta.com (You can also tweet at their handle: https://twitter.com/AttaGalatta) Outside India, War Minus the shooting is available as a paperback and e-copy on Amazon. Talking Points: KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal - and adjusting bat-speeds across formats India's bowlers adjusting to the conditions - and finding the right length to bowl Bumrah's trick-shots, Shami's consistency, Siraj's relentlessness Temba Bavuma's strokeplay - and how his Test record is similar to KL Rahul's Rahane's 48 - an innings in keeping with his style of attack Pujara and Kohli - and the expectations from each Playing Ashwin v playing

We preview the three-Test series between South Africa and India - a golden chance for the Indian team to win their first Test series there. Note: Readers in India can now buy Mike Marqusee's classic cricket book War Minus The Shooting at the Atta Galatta bookstore in Bangalore. They are happy to courier copies to those outside Bangalore if you write in at: Thebookstore@attagalatta.com (You can also tweet at their handle: https://twitter.com/AttaGalatta). Outside India, War Minus the shooting is available as a paperback and e-copy on Amazon.  Talking Points: Kohli v Ganguly - and the controversy vacuum in Indian cricket Can a tree stump captain India (and other philosophical questions) Is this saga the new Chappell-Ganguly? Will it have lasting implications? Memories of India's past tours to South Africa - Kapil, Amre, Prasad, Sreesanth... The panelists pick their favourite Indian innings in South Africa A battle of the bowling - and which batting line-up can resist best? Shreyas or Vihari or

We review the recent two-Test series between India and New Zealand - which India won 1-0. Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: Is India v New Zealand a major rivalry? Or a filler between marquee series? New Zealand's decision to pick Will Sommerville for both Tests India's immense depth - winning comfortably despite so many of their first-choice players out Ajaz Patel's freakish ten-for Tim Southee's exceptional spells in the subcontinent Mohammad Siraj's ability to stay in the fifth gear Is Rahane out of form or in decline? Kohli's lean trot and his atypical nature of playing spin Which Indian batsmen played spin the best? Participants: Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Ashoka (@ABVan) Related: The boy from Mumbai - Ajaz Patel on his long journey - After The Whistle Tim Southee and a five-for of rare mastery - Sidharth Monga on Southee in Kanpur - ESPNcricinfo 10 and then gone? What could be Ajaz Patel's Blac

In the latest episode of the podcast we talk about how and why we set up 81allout Publishing - and the first book we released: Mike Marqusee's War Minus the Shooting. ESPNcricinfo's senior editor Osman Samiuddin joins us to discuss the classic work. Buy War Minus the Shooting in: India (e-copy only); USA (paperback and e-copy); UK (paperback and e-copy); Australia (paperback and e-copy); Other (paperback and e-copy) Participants: Osman Samiuddin (@osmansamiuddin); Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee); Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd) Related: 81allout podcast on War Minus the Shooting - Part 1; 81allout podcast on the 1996 World Cup; War Minus the Cliches; Mike Marqusee's website Other books discussed: The Unquiet Ones: A History of Pakistan Cricket; Anyone But England; Pundits From Pakistan; Not Quite Cricket;  

In this episode, we revisit Mike Coward's book about Australian tours to the subcontinent through the 1980s: Cricket Beyond the Bazaar. Joining us to dissect the book – and its importance for Australian cricket literature – are two contemporary journalists - Russell Jackson and Daniel Brettig. They tell us about the effect the book had on them and how it continues to be a guiding beacon for Australians reporting on the subcontinent. Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: The history of India-Australia relations and the blossoming of cricketing ties in the 1980s Mike Coward's love for India – and how he intuitively grasped how big the game would become in the subcontinent A delightful mess of a book - journalism, travelogue, observations, rumination, history, culture.. it has it all The cult status that Allan Border, Dean Jones, David Boon and so many others of that generation enjoy among Indians of a certain generation The 1986 tied Test and the start of the Australian renaissance H

Our special guests this week – Hassan Cheema, the strategy manager at Islamabad United, and Ahmer Naqvi, a freelance writer on pop culture – analyze Pakistan's performances in their first three games of the T20 World Cup. Click here to support 81allout on Kofi Talking Points: Why the T20 World Cup is virtually a home tournament for Pakistan The emotional reaction to watching Pakistan win three in a row The importance of the Pakistan Super League A new generation forging a new identity and narrative for Pakistan cricket What Babar Azam has meant for Pakistan cricket as a whole Shaheen's stupendous opening burst versus India Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez - the stalwarts guiding the middle order The versatility of Imad Wasim Comparing this tournament and the 2017 Champions Trophy Pakistan winding back the clock by playing two anchors as openers The joy of watching a team do as you expect Participants: Hassan Cheema (@mediagag) Ahmer Naqvi (@karachikhatmal) Siddhartha Vaidyanatha