Cricket with an Accent Podcast

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan on his new book and MS Dhoni's career arc

MS Dhoni's rise as a top cricketer has been a fascinating case study. It has defied the logical course in terms of captaincy, batting and even his route to the Indian team. Who better than Siddhartha Vaidaynathan(@sidvee on Twitter) to unpack the legend. 

Dhoni took over the reigns of the Indian team after the Chappell Ganguly era where the team was somewhat divided. His self assurance and leadership qualities paved the way for many an Indian success in the years to come. Vaidyanathan was able to do two exlcusive in-depth interviews with Dhoni during the later's tenure as captain and feels he was able to get a lot out of the Indian caprtain during this old exclusive chat - https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22894218/if-there-commitment-victory-me . 

Besides being very popular Dhoni has also been an immensely polarizing figure due to the treatment of some of the senior members of the team during his watch as captain. In typical Dhoni manner he held most of his cards very close to his chest and did not let many people in - which made him a very different subject for the media community to work on. Vaidyanathan addresses the impact of Dhoni the cricketer and how the culture of the team changed on and off the field. This conversation is an attempt at a deeper dive on Dhoni the cricketer. 

Mike Brearley talks about his new book - Spirit of Cricket

Mike Brearley OBE is one of the most decorated cricketers of all time and arguably the best captain England ever had. His work transcends beyond cricket to psychoanalysis and book writing. In this episode of the podcast he talks about leadership, captaincy and his upcoming book - Spirit of Cricket. In typical Brealey fashion he decomposes some of the complex topics that separate the laws from the spirit itself. The podcast covers some of those topics like leadership, walking, cheating, sledging and preparation of pitches when viewed from the spirit of the game context. A must listen for any cricket student!

Simon Lister on Clive Lloyd and Fire in Babylon

Under Clive Lloyd the West Indies became one of the most dominant teams of all time. This transformation came at the heels of a 5-1 series loss against Australia in 1975-76. This loss changed the approach of West Indies team forever and it drove Lloyd to create his own pace battery of world class fast bowlers. And the rest is history.

Simon Lister joins Saqib Ali on this episode to talk about the legend of Clive Lloyd and his legacy as one of the most influential cricket captains of all time. Lister is the author of "Super Cat" and "Fire in Babylon". 

The conversation explores the leadership traits of Lloyd and his successor Viv Richards in depth. Under their collective watch the West Indies team reached unparalleled heights. Lister explands on the different journeys and background of both men and how that shaped their leadership and cricket in general. While their approach and on-field demeanor was quite different the results remained the same for West Indies in that glorious period of dominance.

Stokes, Broad and the Wisden Trophy

In this episode of the podcast host Saqib Ali is joined by longtime English fan Kevin Framp(@bigKev67 on twitter) and freelance cricket writer Edd Oliver(@Eddoliver1 on twitter). In an informal chat the trio talks about the recently concluded Wisden trophy. Jason Holder's decision to bowl first in the last two tests gets magnified in this episode. Framp and Oliver both agree that for the West Indies to be a force again in test cricket their batting has to improve in terms of consolidating starts into big innings. They give Holder his due respect as he has made the West Indies into a respectable outfit during his leadership.

According to Oliver things are looking good at the top for England with the new opening combination of Burns and Sibley. Framp explains why Buttler's ODI record gets in the way of the fans and critics to continue to expect more from him in the longer format of the game. 

Last but the not the least the podcast focuses on Stokes and Broad on their big series. Stokes cannot seem to put a foot wrong and he is already according to some a better all rounder than Sir Ian Botham. Tune in to hear what Framp and Oliver had to say about Stokes!

The Tiger Pataudi Episode with Ayaz Memon

It is hard to imagine a more romanticized figure in Indian cricket than Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Cricket writer Ayaz Memon returns to the show to talk about the impact Pataudi had on Indian cricket. The conversation covers Pataudi's early days in England where he honed his cricketing education, the inescapable comparisons with his father and finally it shifts to tackle his accidental ascent to the Indian captaincy. The rest as they is history!

Pataudi's legacy goes beyond stats as he was leading a team of a newly independent country which was still trying to establish its cricket presence. Memon shares his own anecdotes and views on the great man from his numerous meetings over the years. A must listen for any student of the game.

Dilip Chavan talks about Cricket in Massachusetts

In this weeks podcast Dilip Chavan joins the show. Chavan is the president of the Massachusetts Cricket league. He has been involved in the MSCL for twenty years now and has witnessed significant growth in the popularity of the sport during this time. In this interview he shares the numerous challenges of managing and running a statewide cricket league. Cricket in America is not a foreign sport anymore but it still needs a lot of work to become a second tier sport. 

Chavan talks about the grass root work that goes into familiarizing the game at the community level, and more importantly introducing the sport at local schools. The conversation also covers the strength of the Massachusetts league in terms of the talent it attracts and how it measures up to other American states. 

Imran Nazir talks about his career, domestic cricket structure in Pakistan and PSL

Imran Nazir is the podcast guest. He is one of the biggest talents to come out of Pakistan cricket in the last two decades. Nazir looks back at all the promise and opportunities of his career with no regret. He states that structural changes are needed to recreate the magic of world class teams pakistan had produced in the past. He also talks about how the aggressive approach of the white ball cricket carried over to the test arena. The conversation also touches upon the significance of former greats coaching at the junior level where the real difference can be made. Last but not the least he explains how PSL can play a major role in reshaping the fortunes of Pakistan cricket. (The interview is in Urdu/Hindi)

Ahmer Naqvi on the complex Imran Miandad relationship and Why Pakistani fans did not see Tendulkar as a match winner

Freelance writer and blogger Ahmer Naqvi is the podcast guest this week. Naqvi known as @karachikhatmal on twitter is an established voice on Pakistan cricket. His work has appeared on Espncricinfo among other sites. In a very candid conversation he helps unpack the mythical Imran Khan - Javed Miandad relationship. He sheds light against popular wisdom on how the duo worked collectively towards the team's success despite swapping captaincy few times during their illustrious run. Naqvi addresses the age old theory - why a generation of Pakistani fans think Sachin Tendulkar was not a match winner and Virat Kohli is. Is Younus Khan a batsman of Indian mold? A lot of interesting topics rolled into one.