Test Match Special - No Balls: The Cricket Podcast - Never knowingly under-bowled

Episode Date: February 9, 2023

England Women's coach Jon Lewis is the guest live from South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup! Also, Alex has a very bold pair of new shoes...

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Music, radio, podcasts. Hi, everyone. The BBC have told us that we've got to issue a warning. We swear too much. 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. That's not a way of it. I've never said a really bad one. and cross strikes in the first over it's what England we're looking for Hartley falls down the track comes scoring this time she connects it's either six or out it's six hello and welcome at the Novels a cricket podcast with me Kate Cross you Alex Hartley and one of the Moe

unbelievable views this podcast has ever seen Al. I mean, this is unreal, isn't it? I'm just going to take a little picky. The prettiest we've ever been. Just so I can put this on social media later. There are a few things we need to say before we get onto this podcast. Welcome to our new listeners. If you are listening, you are on BBC 5 Live.

Wow. I'm Alex Hartley. You're Kate Cross. We're going up in the world. I know. You're here because you are playing in a World Cup for England. I'm here commentating, not playing in. the World Cup for England.

No, you've already had a World Cup win now, haven't you? You've got the trophy, you've got the medal, you don't need another one. Time for you, my time, my time. So to paint the picture a little bit better for you, we are sat in a hotel in Stellenbosch in South Africa. We're overlooking some unbelievable wineries and some gorgeous mountains. And we've had a very special guest join us today.

We have, and I'm really sorry, but it was very serious, but it was very good. It was really interesting. We had John Lewis, our head coach. John Lewis, not the batting coach. Not the batting coach. The England women's head coach. So we've got two John Lewis's in the camp. We had John Lewis batting who coached at Durham beforehand, bald man.

And obviously then knew John Lewis. So it's... Afro. John 1, John 2. That's how we keep up today. Okay, so is Louis John 1? No, John 2. Oh, that's confusing.

O.G. John Lewis is John 1. Okay, you've got to keep him wanted. How you doing? I'm all right, thank you. Welcome to South Africa. What a beautiful place. Gorgeous. How are you?

Yeah, I'm very good, thank you. We've done five of our warm-up games now. It felt like we had a lot of prep coming over here when we'd seen the schedule. But that was basically obviously we've come out of our winter at home, not played a great deal of cricket. So we needed a lot of game time.

But they're all done now and our first game is on Saturday. Oh, my word. I can't believe it's starting. I know. It doesn't seem real, does it? It's, um, it doesn't. Because this is like, when you look at winters,

when you look at your schedule as a cricketer, you look at what you've got. So we knew we had West Indies before Christmas and then you know you've, We've got World Cup, South Africa, February. And it's here, and we're ready. Ready. I want to talk about you yesterday.

Two in two. Two in two, yeah. Did we talk about this with Louie, or was that off the podcast? No, we spoke about it. Briefly. Yeah, well bowed yesterday. Thank you. Yeah.

I think it's been a bit strange for me because I've done a bit of a hokey koku with the T20 team, haven't I, and the squads. And I'm not played since 2019 since those ashes. So that's, yish, four years. Oh, four years. ago now wow um and i've basically played three t20s in the warm-up games it we've just had since the hundred so it's felt quite sporadic for me and it's obviously short format of the game is a lot more thinking a lot more decision-making and execution than it is you've not got time to get yourself

into the game really yeah just got top of off top of off yeah so it's kind of like it's it shocked me a little bit and the two initial two games that i played we had a 90 plays 90 on like a bunsen burner track And then a 250 plays, 235, 235 on a postage stamp. So it's been a shock to the system. But it's been great being... T20 cricket. Yeah, I love it. But it's been good fun being back

and trying to get my place into the team, which you never know. It feels unlikely, but you never know. What will be, will be, crossy. You've done all you can. Yeah. And you're enjoying it. You've got a smile on your face, which is the main thing.

How can you not when you hear? I know. Speaking of smiles on faces, you lot, fans, thank you. so much. Everyone was so sweet after last week. Messaging me to see if I was all right and that I've never really... I've not been sad for a long time. Not on the pod.

Not on the pod. Just cried a lot off the pod. But thank you. All your messages meant a lot. I'm doing a lot better this week. I think a bit of sunshine has helped. Nice. Good.

We'd love to hear that. I've got some bones to pick with you. Oh no. Just knock me back down, Crossie. I'm just told you... Yeah, she's fine, so I'm going to pull her back. um you always always pull me up on wearing shoes inside always you say it's weird that i sit on the sofa with jeans and shoes on you put a picture up on our social media yesterday with yourself lay on the bed with some shoes on al yeah look at them

though what are those what are those um i bought myself some new sandals they're crocs yeah do you know What, one of my exes? Crocs. People who buy fashion items four years after they were fashionable. Yeah, well, you know, bring it back, baby. Yeah, I did put a picture on our social media of me in bed with socks on. Purely because I was locked out of my room yet again. It happens to your lot, isn't it?

Yeah, it happens all the bloody time. And so the maintenance man came in my room, and he's like, you can come in if you want. And I was like, what do I do? Where do I go? So I sat on the bed, like, patiently waiting, updating. your scorecard right so that yeah well that is one of my things I'm annoyed at you that because you've you always pulled me up on it and you did exactly that and you put it on social media I don't flaunt my flaws on social media and I'm wearing crocs I've got

another thing I need to find it because I want to read the chat out I wondered what you doing on your phone yeah what you just really texting someone so you text me on Tuesday said landed what's this weather though so I was like well I've not woke up yet so why what's happening it's raining next message please can I borrow some knickers today Harry is coming over Harry's the boyfriend by the way everyone and I've got no suitcase

He can't tell everyone his name He's been mysterious Everyone knows who it is You put him on your social media Harry's coming over I've got no suitcase My response was surely if your boyfriend

is coming over You don't need knickers You got no bags until tomorrow A stinker I was like out I love you to bits But please Please go out and buy some knickers

So yeah I mean it was partly a joke My first message to you was serious because I was panicking. I could see the panic because why would you do that? Because he had to travel 45 minutes with a pair of my knickers in his pocket. He's a staff member.

Would have been odd, really odd. Yeah. Hi, Crossie. I know I'm a member of staff, but pass as your pants. So the first message was serious. The second message was I was like, okay, this isn't going to happen. I just popped to the shop. Yeah. So you got yourself some nice M&S.

No, I went. Oh, yeah. Let me back. Yeah, nice, love it. I just didn't want to let my family down So that's why I sort of like Pushed myself every single day Jermaine DeFoe

Outside the Box From BBC Radio 5 Live Join me for my brand new Flying World podcast In my quest to become a football manager Just being able to look yourself In the mirror every day And just be like, you know what?

I did everything right I didn't cut any corners From my roots in East London To 57 England caps Winning the Scottish Premier League And everything in between The gift and the talent That takes care of itself

But the hard work And the sort of like application This needs to be day in and they are. Germain Defoe, outside the box. Listen on BBC Sounds. Crossy, we have a guest.

A special guest. We have King Louis, never knowingly undersold. John Lewis, welcome to the podcast. How you doing? All right, thanks to you. Good, thank you.

Very well, thank you. How's your morning been? Hectic. Hectic morning. Lots going on. Went to Stenhamboe. for some immunisations. Sorry?

Where are you going? I thought I was going to say that, were you? No. Is this for the back? No. I'm going to Tanzania on my holidays. Oh, immunisations like injections? Injections, yeah.

Well, you've had a sore back, so I didn't know if you're trying to sort that out for golf this afternoon. No, I should be fine for golf at all times. Always fine for golf. Tanzania is an interesting holiday choice. The Wildebeest migration. The what? The Wilderbees migration. You know, in Africa, there's a lot of women.

wilder beast and they migrate across the planes yeah yeah you love seeing it on a David Attenborough documentary probably so you're going to watch that live yeah it's not a show it's not like a theatre ticket that you can buy wow

ECB paying you a lot of money so no my wife loves Safari so normally she would have got she's gone away with one of the kids on Safari before on their own I've never been and so she said we're going it was for her 50th birthday but then her 50th birthday was during COVID

It's been cancelled about and moved because my job's changed about 12 times in the last two years and so this is the time that we've set aside to do that so at the end, the beginning of April I'll be in Tanzania watching the Wildebeest migrate whatever that means Alex. With a World Cup trophy in one hand and a beer in the other.

Why not? Sounds like a great idea. Sounds like a white plan, isn't it? Oh, if you just want to watch some Wilder Beast migrate just get a crossy to walk across there. Anyway, I've had a good winter, all right? Anyway, how is the world cook prep going? Yeah, really well.

The girls are playing some really good cricket. What I've really liked about it is we feel like in a really calm space as a group. It feels like a really nice energy around the group. Everyone seems really clear about how they're going to go out and play. And I'm actually, I feel like the girls are ahead of where I thought they could get to already. as a coach so I'm really excited about what might happen in the next three or four weeks but obviously understand that there's

greater challenges ahead than we've had already so we've played a lot of cricket and not a great deal of pressure in the Caribbean but some pressure more internal than external in terms of how we how we prepare ourselves to get in a World Cup squad for example and now again warm up games are very different to

to games on the telly for a start and it'll be a much bigger event and so that comes with its own pressures but I feel like they're from what I can gather from around the group from watching the group really closely they're in a really good headspace and ready to go and attack the competition

go on then crossy can confirm more importantly how your slow left-hand bowler's going they're all right or do you need a new one Eccleston she's alright yeah she's alright I like to have a nice balance a spin attack, Alex. So off spin, leg spin, slow left arm. So if you're going to be better than Eccles, then...

I can't know that. Yeah, she knocked me out of the team, so that's not going to happen. But, yeah, you know, if she goes down, you're here. You'll end up bowling lefties. You've been practicing, assume, with the thunder. Yeah, obviously, yeah. I've done a whole month's training now. Well, there you go, see.

Fighting fit. Yeah. Got an ab. So you're ready? No, you're not. That is a lie. Lou, you just said you've had 12 different jobs in however many years. What do you want to know?

What's it been like coming from the men's environment recently? So you've obviously been part of the basball. I know he doesn't like calling it that, but you've been part of that. What have you seen to be the biggest differences coming from that environment into ours? Good question, Crossie. I didn't realise this was going to be an in-depth interview. I thought it was a podcast. We're going deep and meaningful straight away, easing you in.

Right, okay. We can come back to that if you want. No, no, I'm going to answer it. I'm just going to what they call it? I think. Thinking time, yeah. You have all the thinking time. So the biggest difference, I think, is that you smile more than the boys.

Yeah, you definitely smile more than the boys. I've had that feedback before. We get told we were like approachable compared to the guys. Yeah. And more curious, more open, a lot less ego. And but also a lot less confident, self-confident. So that for me is probably the biggest difference. So more often than not, from my experience, males will just have a go and be like, yeah, I can do that,

even if they know they can't and they'll just try and do it. Whereas the girls seem to be not need convincing, but just need a little supporting to make sure that they're really clear about how they're going to go about things. So they'll probably think about things and ruminate on things a lot more than the blokes. just going, all right, I'm going to do that. So women think, basically. It's not quite a tough adjustment? No. No.

No. I don't think so. But it's just, I think it would be if you didn't see that quickly and didn't understand that quickly. I had a fair inkling that might be the way before, with the research that I'd done before taking the job on. So actually understanding that is probably the crucial point. And then adapting your style to suit that is, you know,

how you choose to talk the language you use with the girls is really, really important. And also, probably, you probably actually have to be more careful with how hard you coach or how much you coach because of the amount of time the girls will spend thinking about what you've said. Like one thing that you've said that they've picked up on it. And we'll remember it for 12 years. Yeah. Yeah. Robbo said that when he first came in. he said you could say something to a lad in a dressing room and they'll just like kind of brush it off

and go and do whatever you've said but women think about it for like six months and they'll remember how you made them feel yeah that's exactly that's exactly how i feel right now um i already know the answers to this because this is when you first came in and chatted to us that first day in lufford but um can you please let our listeners know why have you taken this job uh firstly um i've got to remember what it's I'll love for her. Yeah, you'll get two different answers. I'll say.

I'll just nod. I'll just nod. I'll make sure it's to say. So, yeah, so what did I take the job? I think there's, firstly, I like to lead. I quite like lead in my own group of people. So rather than being a skills coach in someone else's team, having the opportunity to lead and take on your own team and challenge yourself as a coach is, I think for me is something

that really gets me out of bed in the morning. And the difference of this challenge compared to coaching the men as well. I think that's something that was really in the forefront of my mind in terms of what's sort of behind me taking the job. But what I was really excited about was the amount of growth that's available in the team, the amount of talent that's in the team, the nice balance between youth and experience in the team. And also where women's sport is at the moment in terms of around the world and around the country, um the lionesses in the summer the red roses recently in new zealand um i think there's a there's a massive um shift forwards in terms of how people are watching how many people are watching women's sport and the profile of it and excuse me and it feels like a really uh exciting place to be so

and it has proved that so far in such in the short short space of time so yeah is that why i said remarkably that was word for word the same wow yeah you said see you did say we've got a ceiling we don't know how high our ceiling is yeah we definitely don't know how high our ceiling is and like I said earlier to you guys I think we're we're moving past where I thought we could get to already in a really short space of time which is really exciting what are you like you look at this team and you go right okay I've got 20 players let's just say what are your aspirations like what do you want these girls to achieve while you're in charge of them so we talk about um inspiring um other people to play cricket and entertaining um so if i can walk away from

this job in however many of his time a month or two uh yeah 10 years and everyone thought i remember that then i think we're in a good place no in our serious note like um i think it's the like i said women's sport a lot of it's around around growing women's sport um um and connecting to a higher purpose, which I feel is above winning. So winning is obviously important. Every time you put a shirt on in any cricket match, you will go out there and you try and win,

whether that's another 11's game or a game for England and a World Cup. Every single game, you go and try and win. So that's why people play sport. They play for fun and to win, you know? And winning is fun. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Losing in and much fun, people don't enjoy it. So people say, oh, just go and have a load of fun. Really, most of the time they go to try and win and have fun together whether that's with their mates or or as a job um so the bit around inspiration and entertainment for me is is I want our team to be respected worldwide for how we play our cricket um and therefore entertaining people so they really want to pay some money to come and watch us play cricket so if I can we can we can do that as a team because of how we play rather than the results we get, then I think I've done a really good job. And the

byproduct of that is if we can inspire young girls or young boys to pick up a cricket bat and take part in a game, we all love to take part in. And we can carry on the great tradition of the game in our country. Then, you know, I think as well, I've done a really good job at that as well. And hopefully, again, a byproduct of that will be winning. But I don't think that's the most important thing. I don't think it is. I think if we can do the other two bits, then, you know, we might get to a World Cup final and it might play an amazing game in a World Cup final against a really good team.

And if I remembers it for the game it is, yes, we might win, yes, we might lose. But that's sport, some teams, you win and lose, that's how it works. But if they're entertained and then they think, I'm going to go and buy a ticket for the ashes, and I'm going to come along and watch the ashes in England and watch our unsupport our girls,

I think we're doing a great thing by doing that. Have you, yeah, I'm pumped now, I'm ready to play. Have your coaching philosophies changed at all by being around that men's environment with Brendan this summer or Ben? Yeah, definitely. So I think if you'd ask me probably even as short ago as 12 months ago, how I would have framed my thinking and my philosophy, it wouldn't have been the same. So having the opportunity to be a part of what Owen Morgan did, a small part of what Owen Morgan did in around his whiteboard group, followed by a shift from what Chris Silverwood was doing to how Brendan McCullum, I forgot, nearly calling him Ben.

Ben McCollum, sorry Ben, sorry Ben, sorry, Ben, McCollum. Switching alpha move, right, Ben. Bazz, calling Baz, yeah. So, beings with B, he done it, close enough. So I watched what he did and how he did it, and it was a fascinating thing to watch. he's been really well equipped with his captain and himself and his captain aligned so well and being so connected in how they think

as I think being. I think Brendan will probably admit that he didn't really know how good Ben was going to be at that. I think he's surprised everyone, hasn't it? I saw Jimmy, there was a quote from Jimmy saying he didn't realize how emotionally connected Ben could be to people and that's really surprised him.

But it probably goes back to what you said earlier in this episode about guys just go and do and they don't think too much, but you don't often see those levels of people like Ben Stokes because you don't give that much of himself to people often. So the fact that before the first test match in the summer, he got out a, what do you call it a flip chart and started writing on the flip chart and everyone just looked at him like,

what are you doing, mate? And then he just looked at everyone and went, yeah, what am I doing? Put them down and just spoke. And then he spoke beautifully and really well and really eloquently and actually really connected with his team. And between him and Brendan, who's a very good orator, you know, so I think he speaks incredibly well in front of the group.

And he's one of, I think, probably his super skill is how he reads the people in the room. So I would say that most head coaches need some sort of skill that really makes them stand out. So I would say his would be the way he reads people. and the way he understands how to communicate with people to get the best out of them. He's very good at that and combine that with Ben's energy and Ben's focus and Ben's clarity of message.

That was a really interesting period for me to watch that, watch that unfold in front of my eyes and actually then to move into Matthew Motz's environment to see two different environments working with two new head coaches. I think that really helped me, really help me shape up how I wanted to do this when I want to get your opportunities. Because pretty much all the time, if you've got that ambition to be a head coach,

then when you're in like an assistant coach role or a skills coach role, most of the time you're role playing in your head, how would I do it if it was me in that situation? So to watch lots of other people do it, I find is the best way for me to learn. So you can go on a course or about leadership, but watching good leaders and bad leaders lead is a really good way to learn about leadership. Have you learnt what your super strength is yet as a coach, head coach? Self praise is no praise, you know.

You've heard that saying. You answer this saying, I'm good at this. You're getting a fine. We're not here to talk about Brendan and Benner. We are here to talk about you. Alex just learned today that you played cricket for England. Yeah, yeah. Congratulations.

Thanks very much, Alex. How old are you, Alex? 29. Yeah, that's why she didn't know. Well, actually, that's one of our questions. we wanted to know was a T20 a thing when you were playing for England I played the first T20 for England Kate the first ever I do know that I do know that but you're not going to give the

listeners that right keep the keep the secrets Alex didn't know that I didn't know but go on then talk us through your first ever T20 game because I know you want to you've got the highlights ready on me sure okay how long have we got you've got 30 seconds go yeah Four for 24 against Australia. It's a great day. England had played football in the World Cup. I think in Japan, I don't know where it was.

It was somewhere where it was a different time zone. England had played football. It was on the big screen at the, what was then the Rose Bowl in Sancton. And I think everyone was properly larkered up watching the football. And the atmosphere was unbelievable. It was the start of the 2005 summer where everyone felt like England had a really good chance of being Australia in the ashes, and which obviously they eventually did. did in that iconic series um and i would like to say that the you know i started i started it and

put the first scars into the australians yeah and from from that point on they were in an absolute schmuzzled for the whole summer it's unfair that four and didn't credit you as much really yeah very selfish to be honest we'll have to take that up with him we actually really want to know you're going to bring the afro back i don't believe that you had an afro i need to show you a I don't believe it because I look at your hair now and I just can't see it being Afro.

So this was Lou when he played. Sure. That's so much better than I'd have thought. I actually recognise you now I've seen that photo. That kit as well. That was a great kit.

I loved that kit. I used to have that kit with Monty Panasar written on the back of it. Big Panasar fan so she does know your area. I played a little bit of Monty. I'm not going to bring back

the Afro. So post that. I'm not a gamer, but then if you go on to some of my kids, they started playing cricket on, I don't even know what it's called, PlayStation, whatever it's called. And they could play, they could play as me. And the character was, had the biggest afro I've ever seen. I was like, I was literally like, ready to write an email.

My afro is much better than that. To, I don't we challenge you. If we go on a winning streak, you can't cook. your hair so that was that was sort of the whole point of the hand no hair cutting so um so so courtney walsh was a big uh in mentor of mine in my early early days as a cricket at gloucestershire and he used to have this saying about not changing the fly so if you fly fishing not change the fly because you you're catching a lot of fish you know what i mean so mine was a bit more like and he used to grow his beard when he was even when he was bowling really well and if he did

I think he had a bad day. He's coming to clean-shaven haircut. So my... So my thing was, right, okay, if I go for 100, then I'll get a haircut. So I went for about four seasons without going for 100, so I didn't get a haircut. Going for 100 in like...

You're talking four-day cricket. Yeah, well, hopefully. That's a really bad day, movie. Yeah, come on, four for 24. Yeah, four for 24. Oh, yeah, sorry, can we go back to that? Yeah. So, right, here's obviously.

for you then you cannot cut your hair until the England girls lose a game of cricket. You might have to get a hair cut on Saturday. No, you're playing the West Indies. I'll turn up and we'll win. Sorry. No, no one's listening for the West Indies.

No, I don't want to do it. No, I'm too old for that sort of stuff now. And it's grey now. Gray aphra is more good. It would be cool. Not many people have got grey afros. When you look back at your playing career, What's the best thing about it, your favourite memory?

I think my first test wicket would be, no, I play one test. I've got three wickets. So one of those three was a great moment. Who was your first one? A guy called Michael Van Dort, tall left-hander from Sri Lanka, third ball. Yeah, nice. So. You've got a thing for good debuts then?

Yeah, I quite like debuts. It's good fun, in it? No, I hate it like mine. Really? Yeah, never wanted to play again. We were playing Pakistan. And we were at Leicester. Yeah, it's not quite...

No, we were at Taunton. Even worse. Taunton's better than Leicester. Sorry, Leicester's your first. Yeah, no, it is. Leicester's one of my favourites, you know. Great viewing area. If you're sat in the dressing rooms, you get a good view of the ground.

It's good to watch. Fair enough. The only good thing about it. Food's good at Leicester as well. I'll give them that. Louis, we do a thing on this podcast. It's a little section called the LBW section. It's cricket related very loosely.

And it means something. that you do that is a little bit weird and I've noticed something that you do that is a little bit weird so all coaches have these things right it's not about your coaching oh brilliant it's about you as a person

oh okay wow you sat with your feet dangling in the pool yesterday with your flip flops on yeah they were dirty Catherine Brunt's swimming fast getting all your dust off your flip flops so you just need to wash your flip flops

they're dirty I'll just give me a bit of wash I thought it was a thing and I was quite alarmed by it. Yeah, when I did it, I thought, that's a bit weird. It was weird. I was sat down and thought, should I take him off? Nah. Just tip in his feet in there. Okay, that's all right, then we can.

Clean flip-flops, though? Yeah, nice. They're looking good, actually. Sparkly clean. Yeah, they're looking good. Who is the most annoying England women's team member? Oh, wow. You can say me, don't worry.

I spent the last eight weeks. Building us up. Building relationships. And now you don't want me to Okay, okay Why don't we let you know Who doesn't listen to the podcast And you can pick from that area

Who would you not want to go for a round of golf with? What, in the team? Yeah No one? Oh, that's really nice. Right, flip it then, who's your all time? I heard that.

Who was your all time? Do you know why? Because she never, she never comes? She just goes to the driving range. I think I'm coming today. She never come today? Mace has invited me, yeah. Oh, well.

Cric a mind. Oh, no, his face has dropped. He's cooking. My not pitch. Right, flip it then. What would be your all-time best four-ball? Golf. It can be anyone.

Tiger's going to have to be in there. Yeah. Are you and Tiger? Yeah. That's a great question. Michael Jordan, I think. Oh, yeah. He likes his golf.

Yeah. I think there'd be a bit of gambling going on, which would be really excited. As long as I'm not taking any part on it, obviously. One more. I quite like Boris. I think they'd be hilarious. I've got a few questions for Boris.

We go politics. Get Boris in there. Let's have a chat to him. You, Tiger Woods, Jordan and Boris Johnson. You know what? I'd pay to watch that. I would watch that, yeah. That is good.

That is good. Who do you not want to get stuck in a lift with? The woman who did my immunisations this morning. Oh. She just would not shut up. Oh, really? I'm like, literally, can you just stick the needle in my arm? Let's get on when I was going to go to Tanzania.

She was going on and on and on about all these. different places in Africa and I'm like okay that's great I don't even know where I'm going my wife put the holiday I just turn up I'm just present can you just get on and put the needle in my arm let us know where you go me across your picture of her quite fancy seeing some wild world of beasts yeah yeah no you know what they are yeah yeah she learns on the job does yeah I do I do you learn a lot um last thing it's another thing on the podcast do you have any icks is there anything that people do that you go ugh no do you know what you're not I just like, really don't, not a lot of bothers me.

He's like, if someone does something stupid, I'm like, that's a bit stupid. I've got one for you, actually, and I've only learned it today, but my biggest stick with you, Louis, is you don't drink coffee. Oh, yeah. Why? Well, I think now I'm just being stubborn. So originally it was like, I don't really like hot drinks. Yeah, I can get that.

They can burn my mouth a bit. And then I've moved on to hot chocolate, which I quite like, but not too often. and I don't really like the smell of coffee and I don't like the look of tea well tea is just brown, warm water with milk in it I can understand tea more than coffee I'm a little bit like, no I don't like of that and then coffee I'm like, I don't really like the smell of that

and now I'm a little bit like, well actually coffee's sort of growing on me the smell but I'm now like, I quite like the fact that I've never, ever drank a cup of tea or coffee so we tried to bribe you with a cup of coffee and we've sat you down with a corona instead. Much better. So I'm actually not the only person in cricket who doesn't drink tea or coffee So there's another one, Paul Collingwood, doesn't drink tea or coffee

Where do you get your energy from? Are you just full of life? Well, mate, I'm almost self-combusting all the time. Right, Louie, thank you so much for coming out of the podcast. It was good fun. There is one last question I've got for you. Are you going to pick Crossy on Saturday and why not? And why not?

So you're assuming I'm not. I'm joking, don't answer that, don't answer that. Dying to that. This is going out before Saturday. Cross the ball beautifully yesterday, by the way. Yeah, I know, two in two, baby. Thank you. L.B.

The hat-trip ball was out as well. I would have reviewed that. Was it? Was it out? Lbw. Susie Bates, outside the line. She said it was not. Was not? Who was the umpire?

Not sure. Wasn't Sue Redfern? No, it wasn't Sue? Wasn't Sue? The English girls can't do our games, can they? Oh, can they not? No. Anyway, Louie, thank you so much.

We really appreciate taking time out your busy schedule to come chat to us. Pleasure. Thanks for the beer. You're welcome. Enjoy your verbal. Yeah. Yeah, it might do. Maybe.

I'm not there. Thanks, Louis. Cheers. Louis. What a man? What a man. King Louis. King of the Swingers.

Very. Was he a swing bowler? Just King Louis's King of the Swingers, though, in he? Oh, from the Madagascar. No. Jungle Book. Oh. Goodness me, you are on one today.

That's not a good day, is it? Brilliant interview. Very good. Brilliant head coach. Well, we'll see. well yeah he has been great so far I can attest to everything that he spoke about and he does bring that level of calmness

I think he spoke about that in his early bit about coaching philosophy but he said something to us in one of our warm-up games the bus was late that was traffic we ended up having to move our warm-up back 15 minutes and you know this team you know that could throw a lot of people out and everyone was so relaxed so chilled he still gave everyone their half an hour of relax time

when they got to the ground but we started warm-ups later so So that's what, like, it would throw people out. And he just got us all together and he said, I love relaxed, but I hate sloppy. Yeah, switch yourselves on now. And everyone was just like, oh, right, yeah. Okay, yeah, I like that.

So he's just, when he was talking about McCollum being good with words and Ben being good with words, I think he's very good with how he speaks to the group as well. I wanted him to be like, yeah, that is what my strength is. Well, he's not going to say that, is he? But no, he's brought a new mentality to this group, which I'm very, very excited to see throughout this World Cup. Yeah. And obviously it's now on us to be able to implement that

and go out and show what we've been doing when there's been less pressure on and see if we can replicate it when there's more pressure on. So you're going to play a bit of John Ball? Yeah, is that what we called it? I can't remember. John Bombs. John Bombs.

So throughout this World Cup, it's not Basball. It's John Bombs. Good luck, Crossy. Thank you very much, Al. If you want to email us throughout the World Cup, please do, because without you, our podcast would pretty much be rubbish. It's BBC TMS. No, it's not.

It's no balls podcast at BBC.com. It's no balls podcast at BBC.com. It's so good. She f***ed it up. They said it twice. Bye, everyone. Oh. And cross strikes in the first over.

It's what England we're looking for. Partly balls. Down the track comes scoring this time she connects. It's either six or out. It's six. It's going to be a Six Nations, like none before. Five Lives, Rugby Union Daily. Some of the big names on the pod, the usual crowd, Danny Care, Chris Ashton,

but Sam Warburton is back and many more big names. Yeah, John Barkley, Matt Dawson, Sarah, Archer. They're all going to be there. But whilst expectations are high, Jonesy, we've just got to keep it one pod at a time. That's the message from the head coaches. And those head coaches will be on the pod as will some of the best players

from across the Six Nations. Five Lives, Rugby Union Daily. Yeah, get it in your ears. Listen to all of that, subscribe on BBC Sounds.