Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - An India breakthrough star joins the podcast!

Episode Date: February 29, 2024

Kate Cross and Alex Hartley are experiencing the thrill of WPL/PSL franchise cricket and tell all from behind-the-scenes. Plus, we're joined by one of the stars of the WPL so far.

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Welcome to the Planet Premier League podcast I'm Mark Chapman and every week, Cess Fabragas, Nadia Minua and myself talk all things Premier League. They have this dynamism and this quality that they can play anywhere. They need to prove themselves in scoring more and more and more goals.

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Henry does beep it out for us because he's a good man. It is actually so that your family can all listen. Your kids can listen. But we will say... Sugar. I nearly said a really bad one. Cross. I'm doing round, a wicket. Boulder. Boulder, leaving a ball alone, Litchfield.

I think it's the wobble ball, and it just nips back. It jags back. It's the nipbacker. That is a beauty from Kate Cross. An absolute seed. That is a beauty from Cross. Hello and welcome back to No Bulls of Cricket podcast with me Kate Cross and you Alex Hartley, your microphone finally turned up. Yes, yayes. We got to Karachi, I'm in Karachi. We landed probably about half, two, three o'clock and it was like, right, okay, we'll do the pod any time between five and seven.

We turn up our bags down and our bags like end up being late because it's like all like chartered planes and things like that. So the bags just turn up when they turn up. So I've just been in full kit, hence the. There's some old-tans polo. I was going to bring that up. Got a little polo top on. You're in your travel kit.

Oh, yeah, baby. God, I'm so proud of myself. Proud of yourself or proud of the team? No, myself, because we're wearing this. Oh, right, okay. But speaking of, you're going well. Going unbelievably well. Like, I cannot, cannot, okay, I just said I was proud of myself,

but I cannot tell you how proud I am with the lads. Like, it's, and everyone, someone's coming out their shell and like I've now got like these friendships that I didn't have this time last week and it's just been you asked me yesterday how you're still loving it I was like even more it's funny isn't it franchise cricket the first week is always like it's awkward it it's small talk it's high where you're from you know when did you land like it's just all a bit bitty and then within a week you like talking to people like you've known them for six seven years first week it's like you've got any cats and dogs. Yeah. It's like, how's your tummy? Yeah, exactly.

Oh, good. I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I'm not looked at the table, but a Moulton on top of the tree? Of course. We are top of the league. We are top of the league. We are top of the league.

We are top of the league. But so are you. So are we? Only two games, though. It's very early days. So you've won two good games of cricket. We've, yeah, great games. The first game was a thriller.

So we played the second night of the tournament. at game two. First night went down to the last ball. Six needed to win. Girl comes out, wax a six. Then we get to our game the next day. Saturday at the Chinnaswami, packed crowd. I've never heard noise like it on Saturday night. Goes down to the last ball. We defend it. Everyone's up in arms. Unbelievable. Took them five games to win a game last year and now we're two from two, top of the tree. Is it that sort of noise that we get here where you hear it in your sleep I can't describe it

it's like put fingers on your ears noise like can't talk in the dugout noise no you can you can hear each of the chat but it's got to be a bit louder but Smitty went out and did the toss obviously on Saturday and I think she lost it

so Alyssa Healy spoke first and then Mel Jones goes to Smitty and the noise just like went from here to here and Smitty And Smitty just couldn't speak. She couldn't hear Mel's questions. So she came back into the dressing room. I said, how was that for you?

And she said, I didn't know what Mel asked me. So I just spoke about what I wanted to speak about. I love that. Are you enjoying it? Honestly, I'm loving it. Really am loving. I'm not just saying that because I'm on the pod. I'm genuinely really enjoying it.

It's obviously like you'd want to play. You want to get out there and experience the crowd properly. But I've genuinely really loved it. The girls are great. everyone's in great spirits because we're winning. We've got another game Thursday night and Saturday. We play Mumbai at the Chinnaswami on Saturday. And apparently that's going to be absolutely mental.

So, yeah, really, really enjoying it. Oh, I love that. Because sometimes, like, when you go to teams and you're on the bench, it can be quite tough. And I know that you didn't have any expectations to play or if you did, it was probably like the first game when it's a fresh wicket. Now, I'm guessing you'll be – because there's games there every day,

the wickets are you playing unused ones every now and then as well yeah basically um but like you you're at the women's IPL I know it's I can't remember who I was speaking to last week but obviously last year you get picked up as a commentator because you're not been picked up as a player and you get to experience it yeah I did a little week didn't I um and you obviously want to play and then I was thinking about how much of a fan like we've obviously been of the IPL watched it for a few years now and I've always wanted to know what it looks like from the inside and now obviously you're getting to experience it.

I feel like I spoke about this last week on the pod, but now that we've started playing games, it just feels like I can't even comprehend what it must be like for the men. But having said that, one of the owners came in and said that, well, they've come and watch every game so far, and they said that the noise at the Chinaswami on the Saturday, which was our opener, was just exactly the same as what the men experienced.

So I actually feel like I am getting to live what they get, every time they go and play cricket here in India. Just for everyone listening, that was a genuine wow. That wasn't, I'm not listening, wow. Wow. Wow. But I've learned one actually quite remarkable thing about Smitty Mandana. She doesn't know who Britney Spears is.

What? So me and Sophie Devine are giving her this like cultural pop music. Like we're introducing her to Britney Spears. We're playing toxic on the bus and she's like, I don't, I've never heard this song. It's blown my mind That, as if she doesn't know Who Britney Spears is Yeah

She does now She does now Me and Sov keep putting it on And I'll I've got so much kit to give you Yes I've got some kit to give you I'm sure you don't want it

But I've got loads of kit too Look at this one Probably Don't want that You look like a train driver Got an RCB pillow I'm glad you're opening that on the pod.

Yeah. What like a genuine pillar? Sucks. Got a headband somewhere. Somewhere I can't find it. Just getting your stash out. Are you well? Are you good?

Are you healthy? Are you happy? Yeah, I am. I am. Honestly, like I don't think I've stopped smiling. Well, today on the plane, a couple of the boys went, all you do is sleep. I was like, on a plane, yes.

What else am I going to do? Sitting between two people and stare at someone's back of the head. That's what Lauren Bell said to me the other week. She said, I don't know much about Alex Hartley, but all I say on Instagram is that she seems to sleep a lot. I was like, yes, you are correct. I'm like a sloth.

But no, honestly, the spinners yesterday, Crossie were unreal. We got nine wickets between us. Did you give someone their debut hat as well? Yeah. Cute. You make a mate, Sal? Yeah, Faisal. He's a left-arm leg spinner.

He is so good. Oh, this is the gun you were talking about. Yeah. So we're quite short, so we had to get permission from the PCB to be able to only play two overseas because everyone's injured and people have gone home

and, you know, we've got loads of niggles. So the 11 basically picked itself the other day, but Faisal was playing. And there's loads of talk about him and how he's really young. You might not be quite ready and he might be really nervous. So I said to him before the game,

how are you feeling? He said, the ball on anything. I'm nervous, but I'm excited. I was like, go on, son. I rate that. His first two balls, he landed them, right? He's bowling at Vasudusen from Zalaka.

He's just come off, a T20 ton in the PSL. He's defending him for zero. How good. Did he teach him everything, you know? Honestly, he couldn't bowl last week. Did he, in his player of the match speech, I just want to thank Alex Hartley for coming in, give me the confidence.

He didn't get player of the match because one of the lads got 96 off like 30 balls and then Osama Mia, the other leg spinner, got six for. Oh, bloody hell, Asama. Yeah, so Asama's got the best ever figures in PSL history. I did see that. I did see on the old Twitters. It's been hard to watch your games because we're kind of playing at the same time now, aren't we? We seem to be on the same schedule.

Yeah, so I'm actually, I've got the PSL on here, tonight's game, which is, I know, Karachi is Lamabad. I think are playing. But there's also an WPL game going at the same time. Yeah, I think UP are playing Mumbai maybe. Yeah. No, we play. Yeah, yeah, it is.

So steam are playing again. So, yeah, it's hard to keep up, isn't it? Yeah. But honestly, it's been amazing. I've learned so much. Like, I've genuinely learned so much. They've already talked about coming back twice in the year to do spinners camps, getting ready for next year's PSL.

I'm like, whoa. Has it given you a thirst for coaching now, do you think? A little, yeah. A little. It's given me that, like, being back in a team environment. Yeah. That was what you were really worried you'd miss the most. Yeah. Being on the bench. We used to being on the bench. Yeah. Yeah. I actually said to Visal yesterday, you don't have to put your bib on. He went, it feels so good not to wear a bib.

Nice. Yeah. I was like, doesn't it just? But no, it has. I think I still love commentary, and I will just carry on commentating. But if I can do this once a year, I will 100% do it. Yeah, why not? It's like giving you some incredible experience. experiences as well, other than your bag's not turning up every single time you travel. It's that blue suitcase. It didn't turn up in South Africa. It didn't turn up in New Zealand. It went missing between Sydney and Canberra and it's not turned up here twice. You know what you need to do. You need to get yourself a little podcast bag that you travel around with you all the time.

So whenever we need to pod, you're ready to go. No, but this mic's really heavy, so I'd love it in the suitcase. I had my backup headphones and microphone here ready to go. Good. I'm proud of you. Well done. Um, what, I've got so many things to talk about. And I'm just like, I'm making friends with umpires. Nice. Yeah. So me and Chris Gaffney are like bonding over like everything.

Gaffers? Yeah. Gaffers lad. Um, so I thought, you know, I'm making friends with the umpires. I'm sat chatting to him. I'm learning about his kids and his elder sons at uni and, you know, in New Zealand and I'm going and everything you can imagine. So I'm thinking, these 50-50 chances are definitely going our way. Not one. Not one, Chris. You can't say that on the podcast, that.

I've gone down to the dugout, like I'm buttering up the umpire. Didn't happen. Doesn't happen that way. Everybody knows it's a very down-the-line game. Yeah, I know. So he's true to himself. So Chris, if you could give us one of those 50-50s. Well, we'll have to go upstairs with Gaffers this week then.

Yeah. Who are your friends? I've really got on with Sof Devine. We've got a very, very similar sense of humour. Obviously, she's been on the podcast before, a friend of the pod. Never played cricket with Elise Perry. So it's been an interesting one because I've only ever seen media release and never known behind the scenes, Elise.

She's fun, isn't she? Very fun, very good fun. Yeah, she's always making everyone laugh in the group. I'll tell you what. I guess when you play against people like Elise Perry, obviously, you know she's a very good cricketer. You see, you know, you're trying to get her out and it's really hard work. But I don't think you quite see how much she kind of manufactures things behind the scenes.

And her, like, she's basically our fielding captain at RCB. And the other day when it went down to the last over, it would probably have got completely lost on the TV because you wouldn't have seen it. But she was running from cow to cow in the final over from the left-hand right-hand combination. Wow. And she was, so she's legging it 100 meets. and it's you know she's not even out of breath because she's in unbelievable shape but that being the fielding captain and making sure people are in the right place and moving herself into

the real key hotspots and you you kind of just take for granted when you're on like in England and that does that and you just kind of take for granted but you don't see it when you're playing against opposition as much I guess and she yeah she's really impressed me actually she's been she's been great um can she come over because we've dropped probably 15 catches in the last six games get her in his fielding coach yeah we're not We're not doing well on the old catching front. That's okay. We drop five in a game, six the next day.

But you're winning. So imagine when you finally get that and it clicks. You're going to be unstoppable. Yeah, well, we've got problems this weekend because everyone's fit. So I say who we're going to pick. What are you going to do? I do have a little surprise for you all this week, actually. Do you?

I do. I've got one of the girls to have a little chat with me. She's one of the local girls, and she had an unbelievable first run out. she was the first Indian player to take a five for in the WPL so I thought she's the kind of gal we want to have a little chat with and she only got five wickets in the whole season last year yes she'll have a chat with her yeah go on then so I'm really excited to be joined for the first time actually on my own

interviewing I'm not got Alex with me today so this is a number of first because I'm joined by Asha Shabana Joy, who was also the first Indian player to take a FIFA in the WPR. Asha, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much, Grosie. I'm so happy to be here. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. How are you?

I'm very good. Thank you. All the better for seeing you. Yeah. I'm so excited to have you on the podcast, Asher, because I've been telling Alex, she's in Pakistan at the moment, so she's not watched much of the WPL, but she's a big RCP fan. and you help us and her get the first win of the season on Saturday. How was it? I'm feeling really happy. I mean, I never expected any 5-8-8-8 or something, but yeah, of course, I knew that I'm going to bowl in the right areas.

So I knew that I'm going to make an impact for the victory of the team. I knew that. But I never expected this 5-8. It was like, wow. So when you've bowled 3.5 over. and you've got four wickets, are you thinking about the fife on that last ball?

Now, I didn't think about that, but yeah, I knew that the next was she's going to step out. So I knew that I'm going to pull the length. So it was all planned. Yeah, it was planned. See, people think bowlers aren't that smart, but we're smart.

We are the smartest people. We have to be in T20. Yeah, exactly. So can you talk to us and all the people that listen what it was like to take those wickets in front of a packed house? at the Chinnaswami Stadium playing for RCB.

A lot of emotions went through my mind. You know, full-packed Chinasomi is something that you will be, you will get to see only in IPL matches when RCB plays and when international matches, when India plays. Otherwise, for no matches, you won't see such crowds in Chinasomi. So the way they supported women cricket this time, oh my God, the RCB fans are the most, loyal fans you will ever see on the loudest.

Exactly. But they came to watch women cricketers. I mean, there is, there is no matter they were women or men. For them, what important was that RCB, that jersey. So that doesn't matter if it's men playing or women playing. It didn't matter the franchise. It was that emotion in RCB. So you're in the middle.

and you've won the game for RCB. That must be a dream come true. Of course, it was a dream come true moment for me, but I see that, you know, as a cricketer, I rate myself really high. So that five-wicket, of course, that was a good thing. But I don't believe that is everything, you know?

For me, at the moment, winning the cup, the first cup of RCB is everything. I mean, of course, that's a great achievement. I agree that. But as a cricketer, as I said, I rate myself really high. So that five wicket was, yeah, good. Do you expect five wickets? I expect good deliveries.

I think five for a bowl that in T20 cricket is the equivalent of 150 for a batter. Yeah, yeah. So it's a good feeling. I mean, really happy about it. I cannot express into words how I felt when I got those five minutes. because I never expected that but all I knew that was I'm going to board in the right areas. That's all I knew. Simple. So you spoke a little bit about the RCB franchise and the fans and how they come to watch, it doesn't matter if it's men or women, they come to watch RCB play.

What do you think the WPL means for women and girls in India, especially those who aspire to play cricket? Do you think it's been really important? It's really important. I think WPL changed already many lives of especially domestic cricket players. But now, seeing the crowds, I think each one of them, whoever came towards the matches in Chinasomi or any other grounds, they're going to send their kids to cricket. You know, every family who watches women cricket, they will just start thinking, oh my God, women cricket is really big in India now. At least if you take out 10 families, out of them, I think one family is going to send

their kids to women cricket. And the India is like, you know, it's a big country and crores of people. If 10,000 kids come to play cricket, yeah, oh my God, that's going to be big. I mean, we can get around like, you know, five-odan Indian teams. Yeah, you will, and you'd win everything. Yeah. Did you always play cricket, you know? Yeah.

From my childhood, yeah, we used to make a paperball, you know. We will wrap the newspapers. and mill packet the plastic pack we put in that and wrap it with the rubber bands that's how like cricket board yeah

and we just cut we just cut those coconut trees yeah we just cut on that and make it as a bat and we play it was expensive for us to even to buy a you know small bat

so it was not easy for us to buy a bat so we used to cut those trees I mean that wood that wood from the coconut track. Wow. We would just cut it and write SRT,

Sachin Ramesh Tental Kerr and number 10. We used to mark it with watercolour or crayons and we used to play the happiest days. In the street or Eskreet?

Anywhere. Yeah. Anywhere we find in a school, backyard, everywhere. And that's how you learnt to Paul Expin? Yeah, exactly. Who inspired you to Paul Expin?

Did he see someone on the telly? Yes, exactly. I think when I was too young, I came after my Sunday school, I think. I don't remember if it, It was my school or Sunday school or my tuition class. I came back from there and my brother was insisting me to watch the match because he said, Anil Kumbla is going to take 10 wickets.

So I was like, oh, is it? I went. I didn't have TV. So I had to go to the neighbor's house. Every five houses will have one TV. Everyone goes to watch every. That's a really good atmosphere, you know, when neighbors together watching TV We are cheering for Team India.

That is something, you know, very good. It's a community. Exactly. So I went with my brother. I saw that annual complete take in 10 weeks. I was really inspired. And I didn't know I could bowl lexpin. And I didn't know I was bowling lexpin in fact.

Wow. Until I was, yeah, until I went to the proper training session. I didn't know it was lexpin. Where even if I ball, I used to bowl like this. I mean, I used to bowl like a normal football. fast bowler, still it would go as a lex spin. So it always deviated. It always deviated. So I didn't know that. Then when I joined in the proper cricket training, then I realized that is lexpin. Wow. So it was always lexpin. Yeah, it was always lexswain. And it was Anilcomblee that inspired

you. Yes, yes. But now kids, young girls, they will see Asher bowling lexman and say Asher inspired me to bowl legspin. Oh my God. That would be, you know. Oh, that, you asked me that five wicket hole, how happy are. This question, I will be really happy if somebody take up Lexman just because they're seeing me. That will be really big for me. I definitely think they will because the celebrations as well, they're epic. There's so many celebrations. If anyone hasn't seen Asher's Fyfer, please go and watch the highlights.

It was so, so good. The crowd was really behind you. Before I let you go, Asha, I want you to talk to me about. your job when you're not playing cricket because is it right you work on the railways? Yeah, I work in Indian Railways. I work for Indian Railways and I work as a technician. I mean, I work with machines, you know, drilling all those stuff. Really hard stuff, you know. That's as a sports person, of course it is difficult but we have to see our family look after parents so I had to do that. I'm doing it. I'm happily

I'm doing. So if you didn't get retained by our CB last year, because you played for them last year, you'd be there now on the railways working. Yeah, exactly. I'll be doing the same work I've been doing. And still I'm doing. You're still doing it. And you'll go back to that. Yeah, yeah. Once this tournament is over, I'm going to go back to railways and work. Yeah. Wow. But you, so you got retained. You were for 10 lakh. Yes. And that is more money than you earn in one year working on the railways. Exactly. That is double money. Wow, for me. Yeah. It's incredible, isn't it? Yeah, exactly.

And I expect to be picked in WPL, first of all. So, yeah. But that goes to show how you just said earlier that the WPL has affected domestic cricketers' lives. And you're a good story of that. Exactly. You see a couple of, in fact, 80% of domestic cricketers won't have any income, you know. They completely trust on cricket and they practice throughout the year. and luckily that BCCA is

doing something great now by paying the match fees they increased our match fees it is like you know per match we are getting if you are playing a 50 over game you're getting 25K yeah for one match

so it is a huge money for people who are practicing the whole year you know cricket how expensive it is especially somebody who's coming from other states I mean in Indian domestic cricketers, for them to earn that money to buy a bat, they need to work. Yeah, you know, by that span of working time, they're going to lose time, their energy. Yeah.

Since we are getting a match piece, for a normal domestic cricketer, I mean to buy a bat, their equipment, that is going to help them to play cricket. So that way, it's a great thing a business is doing. And otherwise, only railway is hiring women cricketers. Right. Yeah, so whoever is joining Railways, they're working at the same time playing. Okay, so they're helping support you. Yes, exactly.

Amazing. Asha, your story's incredible. You're incredible. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and telling us all. Good luck for the rest of the tournament. I hope you keep taking wickets. Thank you. And will we see any more special celebrations?

Have you got any more up your sleeve that haven't come out? You might see any of the Arsenal and footballers. Oh, you're a friend of Arsenal. I'm a goner. Of course, yeah, you will be seeing. think if I get, we get, yeah, I'm fair. So you must have got on well with Heather last year. She's an Arsenal fan.

Heather Knight? Yeah, of course. She's a gooner. She's a good. Yeah, we discussed a lot about Arsenal. Last day when she was here. Even that's my dream to watch an Arsenal game in the Emirate Stadium. If possible, Liverpool versus Arsenal or Spurs versus Arsenal, that will be, oh my God. Well, if there's anyone out there that can get Asher to Emirates to watch Arsenal, then we're going to get it sorted. Oh my God, that's my dream.

Asha, thank you so much. Thank you so much. We've done it differently this year, this year, this podcast. So this is the first interview we've done where we're not both interviewing someone. It's not a dual interview. You just let me... You just let me roam. But what a story.

And that's what these tournaments are about. This is why they're so important to countries. It was so important in the 100. we discovered the likes of Alice Capsie, Lauren Bell, Freya Kemp, etc. So important in Big Bash. We've got Phoebe Litchfield and all the young girls coming through. And obviously now we're going to get the stories of the Indian girls that come through. We saw Sri Lanka Patel last year.

She's also an RCB girl. So, yeah, it's just great. I love hearing stories like that. She's such a sweet girl. She's worked so hard. The trainer, the S&C was telling me how hard she's been working on a fitness as well. So, like, you know that when the hard work pays off, it's just a nice story, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, it's so good to hear.

I'm going to have to get you back and do an interview on my own over here, aren't I? Kat's already said she'll come on. Perfect. So over here, I've had David Parsons until yesterday, and he's been my mentor for this, basically. So he's been, like, head spin bowling coach, but also his job was to mentor me and get me ready to, like, sort of take over. Yeah.

He's gone now. Yeah, today I sat by the pool, just having some food. I said to Kat, I said, can't believe you've done this on your own. Oh, yeah, of course. You haven't had anybody holding your hand? I was like, we should ask her how she's found that because it must be so tough. It does, but also, I imagine for you,

it kind of paves your path a little bit as well because you've not done much coaching. That's by your own admittance. But then you know that there's also, you're not having to be the first girl to do it now. Like, because Kat's already done it. It's awful being that first girl. Thanks, Kat.

Thanks for being the guinea pig. I'm coaching seven international bowlers. I was like, That's okay. You'll be fine. It's great. But that's the thing, isn't it? That's where, oh, gosh, I wish you could shake everyone when they do this, all the women that do this. Like, there's no man sat there going, oh, my God,

I'm coaching seven international bowlers who's not an international bowler himself. He's just like, yeah, I've earned the right to be here, so I'm going to be here. And that's how women should feel as well. Exactly. If you've not got anything else on your sticky notes, you have a quick go upstairs. Yeah, go on then. He is. Hi, my name's Eddie Hearn.

No passion, no point. I'm excited to be back with this new series. As always, I'll be talking to top performers about what drives them, how they gain an edge over competitors, and whether their dedication to constant improvement comes at a cost. I love golf, I play it until my hands be. I just enjoy going out there playing with no fear. What makes them feel fulfilled?

It's not the money, it's not the trophies, it's the friendships and the memories I've got. And does that change as their career progresses? It's just a girl who grew up playing football, and now I'm getting papsed, like, without even seeing the camera. I like it's crazy. From BBC Radio 5 Live. No passion, no point.

Listen, whenever you like on BBC Sounds. This one at Al is called Alex Hartley destroyed my dreams. Hi, Alex and Kate and Henry. Big fan of the pod and also being a cricket fan for around 50 years. In my childhood days, I dream of spinning England to victory in the ashes. Sadly, although I could spin the board. I could only do so by bowling so slowly that the batter had time to adjust their stance to take account of the spin, have a quick chat to the wicketkeeper and then dispatch the ball to the

boundary. In my school team trial, this led to me being hit for around 36 off my allocated two overs, and I soon decided at the age of 14 that my cricket career was over and being a spectator was more appropriate occupation. However, I still harboured the dream. So when you mentioned the over 60s team and what the qualifications were, according to Kate being over 60, tick and being English, tick. I got very excited and thought that my long-stalled playing career might be revived.

However, no sooner had my hopes been raised, Alex said, and you need to be able to play cricket. And my dreams were dashed again. Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to continue watching those more proficient. Although I have heard the Maltan Sultans have an up-and-coming sphin coach. Maybe she could give me some lessons. Keep up the hilarious and award-winning. You rarely mention that work, Simon. We rarely mention that we're an award-winning podcast.

I often wake up and just think, God, shower me in my trophies. We've got so many, chance to dine. Three podcast awards. Should we get a cabinet somewhere at Lords, maybe? Yeah, I think so. And then hopefully you can add your RCB. I'll add my moul tan, and we'll just go around the world collecting trophies. Let's do it.

Simon, sorry about that, but to play cricket, you probably should be able to play cricket. It does help, although you made a career out of it. and now I'm making a career out telling people what to do do as I say it not as I do loved you really I'm a very good speaker I've got a leading wicket taker oh right this is actually side note

so I'm getting all the credit and all the TV time because the spinners are doing really well so I'm doing all the interviews being like oh so I'm Mia like he was known for bowling full tossies he's not bought any full tosses in this tournament we talked about he's driving just drive through the ball but he's done this hard work himself before he came to the BSL like he has watched videos of himself he's been on YouTube he's got people to send him videos of him bowling he's figured it out I just then reset it to him and now in every interview Ali Toreen the owner of Maltams like Alex has stopped him bowling full time oh do you know what

though sometimes you do need that person on the side don't you need someone to chat to you need someone who understands it and that is probably what your role is more than and changing people's actions or telling them what to do. There's nothing worse. Nothing worse than playing franchise cricket and a coach coming in and trying to change things. Oh, yeah, of course not.

So the other day, bowled two overs and he went for about, what's 18 plus eight? I don't know, he went for plenty. 26, quick maths. So he went for 26 in two, something like that. And he then got a wicket and it was the tactical timeout. And Faisal had bowled his four overs for 20

and I was like, well, balled, brilliant debut. I went over to Uzi and he went, No, don't look at me. It's okay. I was like, right, let's go for a chat. So I've taken him to the side because our other spinner's board, his four over as well. And I was like, what's going on?

And I went, you're bowling well, you've just been expensive. And he went, am I? And I was like, no, but yeah, you're bowling well. And he went, well, what's going wrong? I said, sometimes you have to remember that cricket is a shit game. Terrible. And he just laughed and got five for after that. I was like, I'll take it.

Oh, there you go. You've done another one, I'll. Oh, cricket is a funny game though, isn't it? Crap, especially as a bowler. The sooner you realise that you can bowl as well as you want to and be dispatched everywhere, then probably the better your life's going to be. Got into the lift earlier,

and someone from Islamabad just going to the game was like, oh, you're five from six. He's like, but you're not on bowler-friendly wickets anymore. He's like, flat, it's no longer bowler time. I was like, thanks for the confidence boost. I know. That's T20 though, isn't it? Everyone wants to be on these roads

where everyone scores $200 and $2.40 gets chased down. And who thinks about the bowl is in these conversations? Come on, guys. It's actually horrible, isn't it? Anyway. Anyway. Anyway, this is a thank you. It's a long one.

Here we go. Hi, Alex. You know what? I'm just going to buckle in. Okay. I'm a short-time listener and a first-time emailer. I have heard the trailers for no balls many, many times, but never clicked play until recently. In early January this year, I suffered a meltdown with my

mental health during an extremely stressful time at work and following six years of traumatic events in my personal life including the loss of my dad and father-in-law, the latter on reflection being my best mate. Finally admitting I needed some help and pouring everything out to my understanding boss, I am slowly putting the pieces back together and starting counselling, etc. But there have been many, many sleepless nights in the last few weeks. I will wake up in the early hours and not want to get up for the fear of waking my wife up, more importantly, don't want to wake our toddler.

I would lie awake going over and over things in my head and wishing the clock to click around to the time the alarm went off, but the first few nights of this were torture. Then one Sunday morning, realizing there was no alarm set, I wondered, what am I going to do? I'll find a cricket podcast to try.

I've always loved cricket, but struggled to listen to TMS since losing my dad. So there I was, all these podcast options. I clicked on my first no-ball, episode from early January is suddenly I had listened to four episodes and it was time to get up and I hadn't been through the emotional turmoil I had previously. The long, lonely, sleepless nights have been spent going back through 2022 and 2020s episodes and I look forward to the new pods now. I might not be sleeping as I should be but at least

I am not winding myself up anymore. I have always been a huge supporter of it's okay not to be okay. But in some respects, I was a huge hypocrite as I literally got to breaking point before admitting I wasn't okay. The way you two talk about your struggles with mental health has helped me realize this needs talking about much, much more. As I said at the start, I am incredibly lucky to have a boss that when I said I was struggling, we listened to me and offered all the support possible from our employee program and gave me the confidence to come home and tell my wife I was struggling. I have now had the support of my wife, my employer, and this coming week I start seeing a counsellor.

There is a long way to go, but I am determined to get the help I need and hope one day to be able to return to Trent Bridge and sit watching a game of cricket, something I haven't done since losing my dad in 2017. Finally, I would like to say thank you to the both of you for your excellent podcast that have entertained me through countless nights' sleep

and keep up the excellent work. Also, like to thank my wife and boss, not that I expect them, either of them, to listen to no balls. Thank you, Matt. how good is that i'm so glad i just sat back and listened to that it's so sweet i i hope that story resonates with a lot of people because i've oh god i've been there those nights when you can't fall asleep and your head is spinning and obviously

everyone else is asleep you can't do anything it is awful but if you can find something that just takes your mind off it and i once got told um i can't remember who told it me but when like i've exhausted headspace i've exhausted all the like countdowns in your head whatever it is count sheep someone said put your favorite tv show on one that you're really familiar with put it on in your headphones so it's really like in your head not just in the room and just listen to it and you don't don't watch it on your phone but like put your phone away but just listen to it because you know it so well it kind of gives you a bit of familiarity and a bit of security and you sort of know what's going to happen yeah and i just would fall asleep to it so that's

another really good thing to do obviously if you don't want to listen to us to rambling on but thank you so much matt that's a really sweet email and I'm really, really proud of you for getting the help that you need, because that's always the hardest step, I think. And even though you say it's not okay to be okay, you have to feel that as well. And sometimes you do have to hit rock bottom before you realize that you need to get some help. I'm that person, aren't I? Well, I think we all are in some respect, aren't we?

Like, we understand our mental health a lot more than we did five or six years ago, but we still have bad days and we still have times where we're like, do you need to maybe keep in touch with your counsellor or whoever it is? I don't think anyone's perfect at it. Your best bit of advice you ever gave me was allow yourself 24 hours and then start again. And the best bit of advice you ever gave me was to ride the wave. Yeah. Just what you're feeling is how you're feeling.

It's completely acceptable. I guess it's similar, isn't it? Maybe to see how you're feeling 24 hours, but just ride that wave because it does end. You can't really fight it either because you just get knocked down, don't you? Yeah. And then like there's nothing worse than forcing yourself to go out and pretend that you're happy. when you're not or you know sometimes you do just need to lie in bed and listen to nobles as a cricket podcast and vote for us when we're up for awards next year we'll do a three-peat

baby yeah back to back baby um that's a really sweet email should we finish on that one i'm going to have to write some sticky notes for next week because i've still got so much more to talk about and i don't know right do you know when i came away and i was the happy and most mentally stable I've been for a long time. Yeah. I feel like I've now got that, like, cricket back in my life. I'm like, ooh, I think I'm a bit happier. Crickets's made you happy.

I don't think we've ever said that on this podcast. I know. I know. And I think it's because I'm not playing. Oh, my meeting. Have I told you about my meeting? You said you were going to try and get better at it? I've practiced.

Yeah. And I got told to stop meeting and just come back next year better. Okay, right. do some work we'll put some time in we'll go to solver keys and we'll throw some balls to each other oh perfect i can't wait to be meeting to chris jordan not pick his slower ball oh god um if you want to get in touch with us you can do on no balls the great a podcast at bbc.c.combe no no i thought i got that right i thought i got that right i celebrated oh no oh we've been doing this podcast for three years with the bbc now that is not our email

What is it? Nobles podcast at BBC.co.uk. Nobles podcast at BBC.com. It's so good. She forgot it up. How do I keep forgetting that? Yeah, it's okay. Write it down. We'll put it on your sticky note. For anyone that's wondering, just before we go, I am tired.

She is. I did ask her at the start if she's okay. But before we came on air, quote. She said, I'm so tired. Oh, I'm so tired. Anyway, I love you all. Love you, bye. Cross. I'm doing round of wicket. Boulder, Boulder, leaving a ball alone, Litchfield.

Think it's the wobble ball. And it just nips back. It jags back. It's the nipbacker. That is a beauty from Kate Cross. An absolute seed. That is a beauty for Cross. Grab your VIP pass.

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