Test Match Special - CWC Day 29: India thrash West-Indies to close in on semi-final

Episode Date: June 27, 2019

West Indies are knocked out of the World Cup after being comprehensively beaten by India at Old Trafford - Prakash Wakankar and Curtley Ambrose join Simon Mann to give their reaction.And with India still unbeaten and looking in fine fettle, can England get the result they desperately need on Sunday? James Anderson and Kris Srikkanth give their views on the crunch match at Edgbaston. Anderson also reflects on the career of Marcus Trescothick who has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

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Corsacroboles, he smashed it. Smash it high down the ground for six. Into the seething crowd it goes. You've never seen anything like this all around the ground. Bonfires are going in the stand at the far end. Australia have won the 1987 World Cup. And straight towards Stokes, it takes an incredible, one-handed catch. Unbelievable.

Hello, I'm Simon Mann and welcome to Old Trafford where India have comfortably beaten the West Indies by 125 runs. Their supporters are celebrating. Coming up today, we'll hear from Jimmy Anderson on what will be going on in the England setup at the moment before Sunday's vital match against India. We'll also hear from a former India captain about that game. But let's begin with this rather one-sided match here at Old Trafford. Available every day during the Cricket World Cup This is a TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live So India have won by 125 runs

And they look well set in this World Cup For the West Indies It is an exit Although they've still got two matches to play against Sri Lanka And Afghanistan Kurtly Ambrose and Prakash Wakanka alongside you Well let's start with the losers today

Currently at the start of the day You said well West Indies I know they're not mathematically out but effectively they were out and, well, they now are out. How do you assess how they've gone today? I thought in the bowling department, I thought they were very disciplined.

The ball extremely well on a good pitch really caused a lot of problems for the Indians. I mean, they couldn't really get off to a flyer. And in the end, 2.60th, I thought it was a getable total. It was a good pitch to baton, even though it's a bit of seam and some turn for the spinners. but I thought the batting was really poor no one really gets in

and try to get a big innings and they kept getting out in a very soft manner I mean you gotta give credit to the Indian bowlers they really bowled well kept the pressure on and West Indies couldn't really get away

and West Indians in this team they generally are big hitters want to get fours and sixes and when they can't get the fours and the sixes they struggle to make quotation singles and twos and it showed today how difficult it is when they can't get the boundaries

and it was a poor batting display. Yeah, you look at this West Indies side, there's bags of talent, there's bags of attacking talent, but are they a side really that's just more suited to T20 cricket than 50 over cricket? This batting line up? I don't think so. My biggest problem with them is for the application

and second, they haven't really put enough thought into the cricket. You can't come into a game and expect to just wallop everything to the game. the boundary. That's not what Interstacle is all about. You're going to meet teams with good bowlers. And when they meet good bowling, you have to be able to maneuver, get ones and tools, and the boundaries will come. You know, but these guys, there are a figure they can go to us wall up the boundary, the boundary, every delivery, it doesn't work like that. And when they can't do it, then they just keep getting out. Because they don't have this skill to work ones and work

tools and be patient. So if they're going to continue like this, they're never going to be a force. Yeah, Verac Koli saying in his play of the match interview that actually ones and twos are the most important thing to him and he is the best one-day player in the world. Exactly. And I hope that the Westerners were listening because ones and two are so important in ODI cricket in cricket in general and the boundaries will always come.

You're going to get one or two lose deliveries and because they're the way the Westerners play they can really hit the ball late in the innings if they have to. But when they can't get the boundaries, They don't have the knack of, you know what? Bowling is very good. Let me just notch it around ones and twos and they'll keep the scoring rate at a nice level

so we can attack later on. They just see not to do it. I can see Jason Holder moving down towards the podium for his post-match reflections. They are coming up very shortly. India have won this match by 125 runs.

of the losing captain again suffered a bitter defeat here on Saturday when breath weight could not clear the boundary towards the end of that match and here is Jason Holder Jason Holder here with me and when India was 268 at half time you would have felt that's a pretty decent job that we have done yeah I felt the ballers did a fantastic job on this surface and I couldn't really ask him for more you know the guys get a really good effort in the fear you know I guess we just let ourselves down with the bat and you know it's all always unfair to blame one catch or, you know, one miss, but that miss of Dhoni Indy and

cost you a little bit, isn't it? Yeah, you can look at an insight. And that's one crucial moment that we didn't seize, you know, probably heard us in the very end, you know, but I haven't said, again, at halfway stage, 268 and I would have taken that any day. You know, it's just a matter for our baddest to go ahead and chase it, but we didn't do it today. Coming into the tournament, your form was good, and there were a lot of people who believed

you could be in the final four because you had these great match winners, and there were a couple of performers where you felt, you know, boy, West Indies is going to be there. It's always great to see West Indies do well, the celebrations and stuff. What is your assessment, right? So what would you feel was the team's performance overall in the tournament, Jason? Yeah, we let ourselves down significantly. I don't think we see the crucial moments in this tournament as well as we should have. Yeah, we missed a few chances in the field, which pretty much cost us.

I thought the ball has had a reasonable campaign, to be fair, you know. Everything we asked in them, you know, they came out and delivered. You know, as I said, we didn't really support as well as we were like in the field. In fact, we let ourselves down tremendously in the field. And, you know, in terms of our banim, it's just too inconsistent. You had a good test series as well, so it's not just about the length of the format. You're a dangerous T20 team, everybody knows it, but you've done so well in test matches as well. So is it fair to have more expectations now from West Indies and 50s format as well?

Yeah, definitely we need to improve. This is probably our weakest format, only three, and it's something that we just need to address. You know, having said that, you know, still a lot of pot-sims within the dress room. I thought Kim Mara Roads today was very, very outstanding. Shadda Kotron has been a break spar of us here in this tournament as well. And the youngsters are still chipped in here and there. You know, I guess what I've been asked in, just to keep going a little deeper and just set the end is up, as they would have been doing,

but going a little deeper and finishings. And West Indies cricket will stay committed to pace because that is great to watch, you know, what you guys were doing with pace and bounce. Yeah, I said before the bowlers had a reasonable campaign. You know, I can't really fall their efforts. You know, everything we asked to them, they came in, they gave a really big effort. And each and every bowler, you know, I can really stand up here,

you know, pinpoint one or two individuals, but I think collectively as a bowling unit, we've done a fair job, you know, fielding definitely has to improve, and we just definitely have to improve our battle as well. Well, hard luck overall, hard luck today as well, but some great signs seen, and thank you so much for some of the moments that we'll remember for a while, and all the best for the future. Thank you. So that was Jason Holder, the captain of West Indies.

Time for me to call upon the Indian captain, Virad Koli, who is the player of the match as well. I asked some couple of team questions. earlier so let me now find out some other areas to discuss one about Tony you know this very interesting way that he has to finish up in the so when you're watching that you know are you sort of able to preempt what he's doing yeah look he knows exactly what he wants to do out there in the middle and you know when anyone has off days and when he has an off day here and there everyone gets up and starts talking so what we have always maintained with the

change room is backing him and he's won us so many games and The best thing about having someone like him is when you need those extra 15-20 runs, he knows exactly how to get them with the tail. So, you know, keeping strike in the end and finishing off with two big sixes was something that gave us a lot of boost as a team. You know, we're looking at 250 but we're going to close to 270 all because he was out there in the middle. Hardik played really well also, but his experience 8 out of 10 times has come good for us.

And also do you get the impression that when he's batting out there, he's also assessing the pitch batting first as to what could be a score that would be good enough against a particular opposition? Do you think he does that and sets that as the benchmark? Yeah, look, we have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket and who follow their positive game plans. I think he's one guy in the middle who always sends out the message for the team that I think this is a part score on this pitch. You know, understanding how our bowlers bowl as well, he has such a keen understanding of the game. So he's always giving us feedback in terms of, okay, 260 is a good score, 265,

so that we don't look at 300 and end up getting 230. So I think he's, always been that way. That's his strength to play calculated cricket, to always stay in the game equal to the opposition and then find ways opening. So yeah, look, he's a legend of the game. We all know that and he's doing a tremendous job for us and hopefully he can continue. Yeah, just a final question. Now, people talk about a template to win, but I guess India's template is just to find a way to beat the opposition on the particular day, right? Absolutely. Last two games, things haven't gone the way that we would have thought they would, looking at the first few games that we played, convincing victories, a lot of runs with the bat,

and, you know, capitalizing the ball. These haven't been massive scoring games, but again, we have found ways of winning, as you mentioned. And the intensity in the field in the first 15 overs is something that's really been a standout for me. You know, when you ask the boys to stop 15 more in the field, they're doing 20 instead of 15. So I think bodies on the line showing their desperation to win. The opposition also feels like, you know, this team is here to win, not just to participate. it. So I think the mindset really matters and nothing is impossible. We believe that.

A lot of self-believe in the change room right now and we feel we can win from any situation. Congratulations on the win and keep up the good work. Thank you very much. Yes. There we are the two captains, Virac Koli and Jason Holder, India here to win. Well, they most certainly are. They won five of their six matches and the game they didn't win was washed out. They have 11 points. Australia top of the table with 12, New Zealand, 11 and England precariously placed in four. position on eight with Bangladesh and Pakistan on seven and those three teams England Bangladesh and Pakistan have two matches left West Indies well down the table with three points from their seven games you listen to the two captains there Verac Kali saying felt 268 was a good total on this pitch and Jason Holder saying

well actually we're very happy with our bowlers it was our batting that let us down yeah but in certainly did let them down I mean you know we're When I go back a few years ago when I was a part of that same team as a bowling coach, I spent two years with them. That's one of the things I kept preaching every single day. Ones and twos are also very, very important because when they talk to these players, they keep saying we're a power hitting team, you know, we're a power hitting team. I said, that's fine.

But when you can't get the boundaries, what are you going to do? You'll soak up that bones and that's it. You've got to learn to manipulate the bowling ones and twos, but, you know, they have these minds. said their power hitting team and I couldn't get them to think differently. And when they're not working for them, they look so ordinary. What about West Indies record? I think it's a sixth World Cup in a row where they haven't reached the semi-finals. What do they do now, Kirkley? Where do they go from here? They need to change their mentality. They got to throw away this foolish notion of where

power hitters. Everybody can hit a six or four, but they're the smarter teams. When they can't get the boundaries, they manipulate the ball in, ones and twos and keep the score in the way it. They're not doing it. I'm quite sure if you look at the ones they score, a high percentage of dot balls. So the teams who are on top of the world

now play differently. They'll get the boundaries, but there's a lots of ones and twos as well. And unless they change that notion of their power hitters, there will never be a force to be reckoned with. How difficult or easy do you sense it would be to get that message through? I mean, is there a resistance to that

message? Well the thing is as coaches, you know, you can preach that to them every single day. But once they step over that rope, as a coach, you're powerless. You know, once they're out in the middle, they do basically what they want to do. When they come off, you can chastise them, you can get aggressive with them,

you can say the same things again, but once they're in the middle, there's nothing you can do as a coach. So sometimes it looks like, well, a coach isn't doing his job, you know, but they got to change that mentality about this power hitting thing. They all can hit the ball, but that's not all about

that's not what cricket is all about what you make of India India like I said earlier you know when you look at the India they kind of team that doesn't hit many sixes like some of the other teams they can do it

but the scoring rate is still up there with the best of them without hitting many sixes because they get ones they get two the odd boundaries here and there and they're playing one they have a good all around game

so if the boundaries aren't coming they can still score quickly because of ones and two Yeah, there was a real sort of pragmatic side to Koli's interview there. You know, it's just about getting enough runs, getting the job done, Prakash. Yes, I think, you know, that's been one of the features in recent time, Simon. I mean, I think Virad Koli is one of those characters who often is, you know, he's sort of on the line, isn't it? He pushes the boundaries of lots of things, often accused of being over-aggressive.

And I think he is, rightly so. But at the same time, I think there's a very... very practical man inside him. He is certainly leading from the front and you were asking currently about the West Indies and clearly he understands that a heck of a lot more than I do. Just get the feeling from the outside that leadership matters. Owen Morgan for England, Verat Koli for India. I mean these are these are players who I think lead by example and because they lead by example they're able to demand that much more. Whether it's fitness, whether it's

commitment in the field, whether it is, you know, putting your body on the line to use his phrase. I think Virat is fast becoming one of those captains who believes you lead from the front. If you have to win ugly, win ugly. It's not about going for the glory shots, but just getting the job done. Right. Thank you very much. Kurtly commiserations. I know it means a lot to you. See what's happened out there today to the West Indies, and it hurts. West Indies beaten by 125 runs. India march on, and they are looking very good in this World Cup. From BBC Radio 5 Live, this is the TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup. So India's next opponents are England at Edgberston on Sunday.

Full commentary on Test Match Special on 5 Live Sports Extra, Radio 4, Longwave or BBC Sounds. England desperately needing a victory. Former India captain and 1983 World Cup winner Chris Shrikant is here. I imagine you're very much looking forward to the match. Oh man, I think that's the best game in the tournament, I would say. I mean, I would rate it as the best game. I mean, even though England's slightly kind of what he calls, struggling to, I mean, in the struggling position, I would put in that right.

Struggling big time in the moment. That's right, struggling big time, but it's a crucial game for England. But India's point of view, it's a very big game because you have to understand one thing. When you want to go into the semifinal, you want to go with a positive frame of mind. The momentum is very important. Cricket is all about momentum. Life is all about momentum. So when you go with the positive momentum

and that's very, very important and so for India, winning against England will be a very good thing before they go into the semifinals. As far as England is concerned, I mean, it's a do-or-dye match for them. Let's put it that way.

Two du-a-diamatches for them. One is against India, one against New Zealand. So obviously I'm looking forward to the game. If you ask me the best game in the tournament, it's India versus England. What about playing under pressure at home? I mean, you played in England in 83,

and one, you're in the way team, although you had some decent support. What about that factor of playing at home under pressure when you have to win? See, look at India at 2011 World Cup. India's playing at home, terrific pressure. Obviously, when you're playing at home and when you have the, especially the maybe the favourites tag,

India was rated as one of the teams that could win the World Cup in 2011. And that time, India was under pressure. But then, I think the cricketers are used to it. I think once you get onto the cricket field, let me tell you, honestly, you're not worried whether you're playing at Bombay You're playing at Old Traffar, you're playing at Calcutta.

Man, you're playing an international game. So you ask any cricketer, once he enters the field, I mean, I'm sure everybody, I mean, forgets about home ground, advantage, home advantage, pressure, all those things just fly away. So England against India, Edgberston, isn't a way match for England, effectively? It is going to be an away match for them anyway. Because you will see that there, I'm sure England will have their own supporters too. I'm not saying no. There will be a lot of Englishmen people

or English supporters coming in for the game. So I expect probably what? The majority to be Indians and some good numbers of the Englishmen there. But I think it should be a good game. I mean, end of the day, what do we want? We want a great game of cricket and I think that's going to happen in H-Bastard.

Just one final point. Are you surprised it's come to that for England? I'm very surprised because I frankly thought it's got to be an India-England final. I mean, that was my prediction. Well, it still could be. It could be, I'm not saying no, but England being in this position, since you ask me a question that, are you surprised? That's why I said I'm surprised. I mean, even the other game against Australia, I thought England should have got those runs quite easily. I mean, I personally feel, this is my personal feeling, could be wrong, right, or my assessment. I think, you know, where they went wrong against Afghanistan, they won the toss and elected to bat. They should have fielded it first. That's going to give them false confidence.

Whatever than hammering sixes you do against Afghanistan and if you say we won by so much, whatever it is, it's not going to give you a true confidence. It gives you a kind of a false hope and that's where they got into the trap there is my opinion. I could be wrong, but I think from whatever little cricket I played of, whatever little I've captained India, whatever cricket I've watched so far post-retirement, I think never ever take anything for granted. play. Why do you want to bat against Afghanistan? What was the reason? What are you going to gain? Nothing right, except few records. Available every day during the Cricket World Cup. This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Well, that was former India captain Chris Shrikant, very lively. Jimmy Anderson's here. England have prepared for four years for this World Cup. Jimmy, they've changed the way they've played, but they've lost three matches now, and they're under real pressure following Pakistan's result yesterday. If you can, try and put us inside that England dressing room at the moment. How will they be feeling?

Well, I think there'll be nerves, definitely, because the facts are they need to win two games to qualify. And that brings pressure of its own, especially in a Home World Cup. But I think knowing Owen Morgan, as I do, I think he'll be trying to keep everyone as calm as possible. Just keep the same sort of environment they've had to get where. they are. You know, they're still the number one side in the world. Yes, they've had a couple of slip-ups, but basically the messages that will be getting sent to the players go into the

game knowing exactly what your strengths are, what do well what we've done well to get to this point over the last few years and just, yeah, be it, once you, if your head starts getting muddled and murky, then that's when the problems can really start. So as long as they've got that clarity, each individual player going on to that field with exact sort of plans of how they're going to execute their skills. I think that's where they need to be. They wouldn't be human though if they weren't thinking, oh, if this goes wrong, if that goes wrong. Is that understandable? Can you understand that point of view? Yeah, absolutely. But I think I know it's a World Cup and the pressure is probably heightened because of the situation and the tournament and being in England and

things like that and the expectation. But being a professional cricketer is all going on to that field, you've got to try and deal with that pressure. And it's no different. It might be a little bit more, more pressure in this situation, but it's still about being clear and it's going to be your skills on the day and delivering those skills that are going to win England in the cricket match. And that's what you've got to try and focus on. You've got to put everything else aside, ignore the noise that's outside the dressing room, the media and some fans getting

a little bit agitated and a bit sort of nervous about the position that England are in. You've got to try and put that to one side and really just solely focus on your job on that given day and trying to you know it's going to take something special to get, because when you lose a couple of games

you need a couple of performances from maybe two or three players. You need a couple of bowlers and a couple of batsmen to get big scores to that's all you need to get that team out of the slightly small hole that they're in at the minute yeah are you played in in many world cups are you surprised at the position that england find themselves in now when you consider that their strength if you like coming into the tournament yeah i think so i think it but it the world cup is is so especially in this format when you everyone plays everyone on any given day

we knew coming into this tournament it was going to be fairly open I don't think the four teams were nailed on when we came into the tournament so there was always a chance that anyone could beat anyone on a given day

and that's what we're finding that's what we found with Sri Lanka who thought Sri Lanka would beat England but they turned up on the day and they got a decent total on the board but then they bowed brilliantly and fielded well

and put England under a lot of pressure and that day they did they out played England and the same with Australia the other day at Lords they out played England and it can happen and I just think it is it can be a tricky situation and the biggest danger for me I think is because they've lost two in a row you kind of you can get into a bad bad habits and also you need that momentum going it could be a good thing you know if England win the next two games and they've got then got momentum going into the semi-finals so it could actually work out okay in their favour.

What do you think has gone wrong? If you could put your finger on one or two things, things they haven't done so far that they were doing or things that they could do better? I just feel like in the two chasers that they've struggled with,

the Australia game and the Sri Lanka game, I felt like they were a bit careful. I know they're missing Jason Roy at the top of the order, but I just felt like what it didn't look like the England side that had got to the number one team in the world when they played with the positivity

and the aggression that you'd normally associate with, certainly the batting order, you'd think that up top, I know they're missing Jason Roy, but I still feel like there could be a bit more intent in the top two or three. But it is one of those,

it's a difficult situation. You can always come unstuck in a chase, especially low chasers. never easy. We've seen a lot of teams struggle with, you know, the lower scoring games in this tournament have seemed to be the harder ones to get over the line. And you need, New Zealand, for example,

when they were chasing a fairly low total, Kane Williamson got them over the line with a hundred not out. That's what you need. You need a player to stand up and go, yeah, I'm going to be the match winner today. And that's what England will be hoping for in the next couple of games. Yeah, you were at that game at Hellingley. Do you think England sensed the danger at the halfway stage,

233, whatever it was, they were chasing against Sri Lanka? They sensed the danger of that chase on that pitch? Well, they would have done, because they'd have bowled on it, and the bowlers would have passed on that information and told the batsmen that, you know, if a bowl in a certain area, they seem to struggle to score. And I think, like I said, I think in that situation, I'd rather risk losing two wickets in the first ten overs by being aggressive and trying to score and put pressure on the

bowlers, rather than we almost tried to, almost bat through that tenovers and still lost a couple of wickets anyway. So I just hope that going forward, I'm sure Owen's telling this to the team, to, you know, remember the good things that this team have done. This team have set the standard of one day cricket in the last couple of years. Let's try and get back to that standard in the next couple of games. Have you been in touch with any of the players in that England squad in the last few days or join the tournament? Not really. No, I mean, no.

I kind of just you know I've been playing cricket myself so it's kind of you just want to let them get on with it you know if someone's putting a good performance I'll send the odd text to to the players but they they know how

good they can be and it's one of those things in a tournament like this you're going to lose a couple of games and more better for them to lose now rather than the semi-final if they get there is it a strange experience for you I mean you're so integral to the test match and you're right at the heart of that test match team

I mean, there's one day World Cup, you're sort of on the perimeter, you know, watching on, observing, you're doing our job. You know, aren't you? You're analysing and looking at what's happening. Is it that a strange experience for you? I guess it has been a bit strange, but I've really enjoyed sort of soaking up the atmosphere and seeing the excitement on people's faces,

walking to the ground and seeing the buzz around the crowd. And actually just, you know, I think if I was playing in a World Cup, I might not have watched as much cricket as I have done this World Cup. So to see the games and see some close games, really exciting finishes, I've really enjoyed that as a cricket fan. One thing you have experienced most definitely is that Edgeburton crowd. Well, you've experienced it both ways. You've played for England where the crowd's been right behind England.

Edgbertson has been a good ground for England with the home support. You've also played at Edgbaston when there's been thousands and thousands of Indian supporters. I'm thinking of the Champions Trophy final in 2000. 2013. I wonder what that experience is like for an England player and what it might be like on Sunday and how you cope with it as an England player playing a home match when possibly 70% of the supporters are following the other side or back in the other side. Yeah, it's a strange experience because we obviously play in front of big crowds in India and are used to the noise they create that the Indian fans. but it's different when it's in your, yeah, when it's at Edgebaston, for example, and, you know, in test matches we play there, you generally get, that's one of the better atmospheres for us to play,

and that's why I think England have been successful there in test matches in recent times. So, yeah, to get the, you know, a high percentage of away support does make it different, not difficult, but just different, and something that, the thing is you can prepare for it, you know it's going to happen, you know, So it's not going to be a shock to the England players when they get there on Sunday. What was that experience like in 2013? Well, I mean, we thought we were going to win that tournament.

We played some brilliant cricket throughout that Champions Trophy. And the annoying thing for us was we played on a very dry wicket and it got reduced to 20 over game. So if you imagine our 50 over team was a little bit different to our 20 over team at the time. with the likes of Jonathan Trott at the top of the order. You know, I wasn't playing much T20 cricket, if any, at that point. So there were players in there that weren't sort of used to that. So it was frustrating.

Having played so well to get there in 50 overs and then for the final to be reduced to 20 was tough. But even saying that we should have won the game and, you know, even looking back now, if you ask any of the guys, we feel like we let one slip that day. I think it was something like 20 to win of 16 balls with six wickets left something like that

I mean England would take that on Sunday wouldn't they to be in a situation like that I want to actually that pressure situation how much the part that Indian crowd plays in a pressure situation like that when you're going out to batten and there's enormous noise

and does that accentuate it when you're in that really tight situation come the end? Yeah potentially yeah it's a strange feeling as I said you know I saw it today when Jason Holder bold I think it was Rahul and the whole ground went silent I went absolutely silent so normally you get a wicket in England you're expecting the crowd to to start cheering and being being jubilant but you don't get that and that's something

again it's just an odd feeling but as I said it's not it's still a good atmosphere to play him would you rather be in Pakistan's position than England have it in their own hands but Pakistan arguably have a slightly easier run-in, a more straightforward run-in. Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh are a tidy side, but England have got to play India and New Zealand. Yeah, I mean, even Pakistan's shoes right now,

you're feeling pretty confident because they're not, they were sort of down and out a couple of games ago, but as results have fallen for them, you probably would rather be in their shoes. You know, there's no pressure on them. If they win a couple, you know, they've got two games to win and let's see where we are in two games.

That's what they'll be thinking and all the pressure is on England. Jimmy, we've heard the news today that Marcus Droskothic is going to retire from first-class cricket at the end of the season at the age of 43. What's your reaction to that? Yeah, what an amazing career he's had and I feel, you know, it's a sad day for cricket has been such an amazing servant to English cricket and Somerset County Cricket Club and it'll be missed. but I feel privileged to have played alongside him

he actually captained me in a one-day series in Pakistan and I thoroughly played with enjoy playing with him and yeah it's an incredible career to play it to play for as long as he has and with the quality he has is just an amazing achievement and it came to a premature end

his international career how good an international batsman was he well I honestly think he he would have, you know, had the potential to get us, be the top scorer, top England run scorer of all time. He was that good in both one-day cricket and test cricket. But unfortunately, yeah, his international career ended too soon. You know, it was a really unfortunate situation.

But then to come back to Somerset and play the way he has and give them the years of service that he has is credit to him. At his best, would he easily have walked into this England World Cup squad? Yeah, I think so. I think he's the sort of player that he would, he constantly developed his game, so he would push himself and try and be,

he wouldn't sort of try and play catch-up and follow people, he would actually push himself and be the sort of person that people want to play like. and I think he would have absolutely walked into this England side. You know, as I said, playing with him for as long as I did, I just found it not just as a cricketer, but as a person as well, as a teammate, he was a real special person. Okay, we're moving towards the end of the group stage of this World Cup,

but we're still trying to tick off more countries where people are listening to us. There were 42 to go at the last. Alistair Clow has emailed us. Hi all, I was wondering if you had anybody listening in Central African Republic. No, I think is the answer to that. You're very welcome. I settled in China in 2012 and made friends with a student of my university,

the chat from CAR called Furmin. Firmin is now a junior advisor to Faustin Archange to Andera, the president of Central African Republic. I've been in Bangui for the last week visiting Fermin and have been helping myself get to sleep in the intense seat by drowning out the sound of the mosquitoes with the TMS Polly.

I don't like the sound of that, helping myself get to sleep. Anyway, we're hoping it might have the opposite effect of that. Anyway, Central African Republic, even though we've sent you to sleep is a new one. Thanks very much, Alistair.

That's you, that's you, Zoltz. You've been sending people to sleep, that's what it is. The vocal hallics of Simon Mann. This is from Blaine Pritchard. No, no, the local horolics of Andy Zaltzman. I don't do this every night. you do.

Dear TMS team for the last two weeks I think mosquitoes would be quite good on a cricket podcast aren't they? They're basically just whine on

and on and on don't they? Well like we do. It's basically the art of punditry. Blaine Pritchard writes dear TMS team for the last two weeks

I have been eagerly waiting for this business trip not because of the jolly paid for by my work but are you sure you wanted your actual

name used with this but because I've been hoping it ticks another country off your list I've just landed in Antonanarrivo in Madagascar. And before I've even collected my luggage, I've switched onto the podcast covering the New Zealand Pakistan game yesterday. Excellent game.

I hope I've arrived here in time to be the first for Madagascar. No, we already have Madagascar. Oh, no. That's a nightmare. Yeah, sorry. Sorry, Blaine, so disappointing. Anyway, Nicholas Mead, hi guys. I was in Uruguay on holiday with my daughters exactly two years ago if that counts.

No, that doesn't count. two years ago? I don't know, and there's not much left to this World Cup. Can we not bring in Uruguay for that? Well, no. The Independent Republic of Ten Man, Uruguay. No.

Modern BBC guidelines say no. If no one else writes in, hopefully I can contribute to the cause, I did take the spirit of TMS with me. He's not even Uruguay now, and he didn't even listen to it. He just took the essence of TMS as a concept with him.

That doesn't count. Well, he says, happily, I'm now back in Sydney and enjoying the coverage as well as the results, obviously, OBS. So go Pakistan and Bangladesh. Hold on a second, Nicholas. Hold on a second. We've got an Australian who, well, that's not right, is it? No. Anyway, we're still looking for 41 more countries strap in. And you've got to read them all that again. Here we go. Can we not just, just guess which ones? I'll do. I'll do a couple. Afghanistan. I'll step in here. Burundi, Chand, Comoros, Congo, North Korea, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea, Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, Guinea, Guinea, Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Iraq. Kyribati, Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Brackets and Federated States

of Nauru, Nizir Palau, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Sautoma, and Principi, Somalia, Somalia, Suriname, Syria, Togo, Tunga, Tukmenistan, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen. I reckon you must be looking forward to the end of the World Cup, so you have to read all these lists out again. Anyway, come on, please help us out. We need to complete this list. If you know anyone in these countries who have been listening, please let us know.

Please give the podcast a listen and let us know. TMS at BBC.co.com.uk and put podcast in the title. It's very important we finish this because as the cricket world cup is shrinking to fewer and fewer nations, we need to spread the listenership to more and more. We had this email just came in after the game today from a Mark B. Andrews in a very sweaty Washington, D.C. can I just confirm that the Man of the Match Award at this year's Cricket World Cup is actually the Batsman of the Match Award

hashtag Bowlers of the World Unite and Takeover Yesterday we had Virac Kohli He made a very nice 72 and then got out at a not particularly useful time for his side versus Mohammed Shami 4 for 16 in 6.2 overs 8 wickets in 2 games he got out Chris Gail

Shea Hope and Shimon Hepmeyer 3 of the West Indies top 5 including their key player the one who could have given them a flying start and got them on course to the target not man of the match. It's an absolute disgrace, isn't it? You're forgetting two things, Andy.

I tried to educate you during this World Cup, but I've obviously singly failed. Number one, this is cricket, okay? And in cricket, all sorts of bizarre things and illogical things happen. And the second one, I don't know how you can't see this, the man of the match or the player of the match was Virac Koli.

So, of course it's going to be Virat Koli. Right. You might get him another sponsorship deal. I'm a bit worried his sponsorship deals have dried up. of it recently. There's definitely still some square feet of wall in India that don't have his face on. That's got to be rectified. Listen, the player of the match is Virac Cody. There's no argument about that at all. There's a lot of arguments about it. Mitchell Stark should have been player at the match at Lords as well. Anyway. You won't win this. You won't win this.

Right, thanks very much for listening. It's sunny at Old Trafford. India are making great progress in this World Cup. Can they take out England on Sunday if they do? Well, it could be fatal to England's chances. But before then, it's South Africa against Sri Lanka, who are still very much in this World Cup. Sri Lanka, that is, not South Africa, and we'll bring you ball by ball commentary on Friday on Test Match Special. Please do join us then, and there'll be a podcast afterwards,

and join us for that as well, including from all those countries that so far haven't listened to this podcast. Don't want to do the list again? No. The TMS Podcasts at the Cricket World Cup. Download and subscribe via the BBC Sounds app. episode every day.