Test Match Special - Strategic Timeout: Mark Wood on the IPL, England & the pressure of playing

Episode Date: May 2, 2026

Watch Strategic Timeout on the BBC Sport Youtube channel and on BBC iPlayer.England fast bowler Mark Wood joins Traitors finalist Faraaz Noor and Amber Sandhu to discuss the biggest stories in the IPL and shares how he’s faring ahead of a busy summer of cricket.

You can keep up with all things IPL by watching strategic timeout in full on the BBC Sport YouTube channel and BBC IPlayer. Oh, I think I was doing at 15 and then what he's doing 15 is very, very different. Very surprised if he's not sort of involved or even selected for the next T20. I don't want that because against England. Oh yeah. So let's just hold fire a little bit. And then there was a problem with politics with something to do with the farms and the water. So that was threatening on releasing snakes into the stadium while I was there.

The only way I can describe this, if you've got a sweet tooth, you'll absolutely love it. Obviously everyone likes to see balls flying about here and there, but when it happens all the time, it's sort of the novelty sort of wears off of it. All good, ready to go? Hello and welcome to another episode of strategic timeout with me, Amber Sandu, the place where we chat all things IPL 2026. Now we're officially at the halfway point the competition, which is very exciting. We've had some unbelievable innings, some ridiculous run chases and some fantastic individual

performances as well. Luckily for me, though, I've got quite an elite northern lineup to unpick it all. I've got England's fastest bowler. Did you know he can bowl faster than a cheetah? It's Mark Wood. Hello. Hello. And somebody who's probably got the deception of a cheetah.

England's second's fastest bowler as well, actually. Said no one ever. Got the deception of a cheetah from his. time on the traitors everyone's favourite faithful for us welcome back oh i how are you amber right i've got a bone to pick with you because i saw he was looking quite smart and fancy on the red carpet on monday three-piece suit yeah where's the suit i can't be rocking up three-piece suit here you know what i mean it sort of kills that sort of like nice informal vibe don't it if i'm rocking up with my brog's on and i think it might put my heart like might get a bit nervous could have come his whites in couldn't he

yeah we should have all we're professional all we are we there um good though how are we both Yeah, it's all good, all good, but I want to know about the main man in the middle of you. Yeah, how are you? It's lovely to have you on. We're delighted to have you on. It's great to be on. Things are going well. It's slow, very slow progress. I've been at Loughborough for a few days training. And then on the way home, man should pop up here and say hello to you guys, so I'm pleased to be here. Well, there's lots to talk about. We're halfway through it. How much have you had a chance to watch it, Mark, and what has stuck out for you both? The scores, I kind of believe how, in past competitions, you've sort of been like, this ball, I've got one over this guy, or they give a, they give him. the big sort of inverted words of

oh, this matchup is good for this sort of team. There seems to be none of that now. I mean, these young lads from India come out and they just take everybody on and it's been from one extreme the other hasn't you think high scores all the time and then RCB come out and have a team six wickets down for about

10 runs. So it's just come out to nowhere really. I think India has such a hard place for a fastball to go. The grounds are small, the pitches are true and they've got a depth of bat in there that I think is like nowhere else in the world. So this year's IBL

slightly different in the fact that there was a mega auction, you start to get new teams, new formations and new strategies and clicks of teams and what's going to work. And I think some have been surprising. I didn't expect Chanite to struggle as much, I would say, before they were big

favorites, I think, before the competition. I think KKR as well, you know, with Bravo at the helm you're thinking they're going to be right up their experience. So I've been surprised by some of the results to tell you the truth and I think overall the scores have been probably the standard thing. Can we talk about

Delhi? Because on Saturday they've put up 274 against Punjab. By the way, they chase it down with it over to spare and then getting bowled out, you mentioned it briefly there, bowled out for 75 against RCB. I think it's ridiculous to see like that being like 8 for 6 at that level of cricket. It's absolutely unbelievable but you just don't see it happen at all and that really has been the Black Sheep of the tournaments

and when you've got such high scores like that and then you go from 8 to 6 how would you sort of take that mindset into the next game when you've been rolled over for so little? Like sort of what would you say? If you've been rolled over for so little, what would you sort of go into the next game

or what would that chatting and the changes be like? I think it would be very much like sort of just forget this game. I don't think it would be like a telling off from the coach where this wasn't good enough. I think you just sort of scratch out. I say that's a one-off. We've obviously blasted it the week before.

This week we, I think if you look, looked at the dismissals. Kail Rahul, who's a classic player, first ball, he's trying to pull Josh Hazelwood. I mean, that was a sightly out of character. Maybe off the back of he's 170 or whatever was, he felt, oh, I'm in such good format and still carry this on. And yeah, I just think

Hazelwood is, he very rarely misses Kumar, who, you've seen Bovee over the years, he very rarely misses. So, you're coming against two of the best scene bowl and performers that you could come up again, so maybe it's just one of those days where you nick everything, you have other days where you edge it for four, then they get away and it has a different feeling.

But I agree with you, it makes me feel good as a ball, I'd say that actually we can get a couple back somewhere. Someone we've spoken about a lot, and I feel like every episode we keep saying the same thing, but Vibav Surrey-Vanchi, would you want a bowl against him? No, I wouldn't.

I've looked at the highlights a lot, and I still don't know where I think his weakness is, which is the frightening bit. Do we believe he's 15, by the way? Because I refuse. A 36-ball century, you tell you, come on. He's deathful as 15. Like, look at his face.

Like, yeah, has got a proper baby face, do you know what I mean? It doesn't bat like a 15-year-old. Oh, yeah, no chance. It hurts to me, though, because I think I was doing a 15, and then what he's doing 15 is very, very different. Imagine him being in like you're under 15. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody want to be swatting back to them.

Oh, let me. Give that back. Come on. Come on. The reason I mentioned him, big win for Rajasthan. They beat Punjab yesterday. But also, that 36 ball century is. Wow, he's just unbelievable.

Yeah, he's honestly class. But you know what I took from yesterday as well? He got them off to a great start. And then Jay Swal sort of gone under the radar. He sort of carried that start on for him. So it was good to see the Royals because their middle order hasn't really nicked in. So Jaiswal carried that start on. Then he had the likes of Ferreira Parag chipped in as well.

So it was good to see them shooting on all forms and taking Punjab on. But yeah, as you say, he's a ridiculous talent. I mean, the scary thing is that he hasn't played for India. I mean, that's a frightening thing. When you think of their superstars, so out their line up, you know, you think of Rohit, coolly over the years,

and these are like the biggest of the beginning, and this guy has been touted to, that's his trajectory and his path, and you're saying it already, was the youngest to 1,000? Yeah, youngest to 1,000 T20 runs. So, I mean, the skies, I mean, his ceiling must be so high.

You wouldn't think at the minute, oh, this is his peak at 15, you're thinking, how much further can he go? Because he hasn't even gone gone on the international stage yet, And that's the frightening thing is that, you know, IBL gives you that pressure cooker where you're against the best players,

you must win games because, you know, you've gone from, there's a price tag on your back, there's then the media hype around you, and then people get to see you. So all of a sudden, you're in this pressure cooker, and international cricket is exactly the same. And if he's handling it at this level, there's no reason why he shouldn't or he couldn't handle it

at the national level. And that's the frightening thing, is that he's 15 handling it here and we've not even seen him in India colours yet. I'd be very surprised if he's not sort of involved or even selected for the next T20 tournament. I don't want that because against England. Oh yeah.

So let's just hold fire a little bit before he comes over here. I think you might be seen more of him. Yeah. You might be seen more of him. Yeah, exactly. That win for Rajasthan means it's very close now at the top. Punjab were undefeated.

It's now a point between Punjab and R-CB. Who's really stuck out for you? so far. Well, if I had to name a player, I'm going to give an England player and say that Joffra, in the power player, has been sensational, someone that come under a little bit of fire

in the World Cup and things with people questioning after the ashes. Rightly so, we all get a bit of stick after Australia, but he's come back in this IPL, I'll show his class. I think the team, for me, if I had to pick a team rather than the player, it would be RCB from the simple fact

that when you win that competition for that franchise with Coley being the superstar that he is and that over the years they've had DeVilleias, Chris Gale and you think of the superstars that they've had and they've never won it. And then to finally win it, it sort of releases that pressure on your shoulders

that the team is carried and the support, the fan base which it's used as carried. So now, I think they're almost on that sort of high in Cloud 9 where it's like this year, can they do it again? And they're proving that, you know, they've released the shackles, good planning, good court,

great backroom staff and so Pipey who was the physio there he was the physio with me look now I know he's a great guy and done a lot in England Andy Flower who was there you know they've all done this plan and you can see that now they look a proper side I want to get on to your IPL journey because it was quite up and down for you but firstly I want to ask how you're doing because obviously you've been suffering with an injury since the winter how are you yeah so knee injury one that probably been a year now of frustration so I had the operation over a year ago

built myself back up for the ashes still wasn't quite right I don't think in Australia I'd never really got to that point where I felt I could fly with it but I've dealt with this before my career it's been slow going now trying to recover the age that I'm at you're probably looking at I need to take it slow because

realistically I maybe got one more chance at doing this right otherwise if I rush it back and it's not good then that could be it so still taking it slow still trying to get back to bowling, hopefully later on in the summer at some point. Has it been frustrating for you, Mark? Mega. Mega frustrating. I don't know

if you can tell, but mega. Mega frustrating. You strike me, there might be a bit of impatience there. Yeah, because it's been a long time. Like I said, over a year since I had the initial surgery, then build it back up for seven months to play one game and then be able to gain, it takes its toll. So you want

to get back as quick as I can. The age of mind, I don't want to miss games. You see things like the IBL, you see things like England games, you want to be involved. So, you know, I was bowling quickly and well before all this injury started and I haven't managed to get back to that level. I know it must be quite hard, obviously,

to deal with them frustrations, but do you have anything like that you do yourself to help deal with them or maybe any advice you'd give to others suffering through injury to do with them? I mean, great question. I think the advice I would give is that you're placed yourself in the hands of the experts on you.

So we've got a great medical team. and the surgeon are specialists that I've seen has been great and give good advice. My family are fantastic and I still go to my local critic club Ashton in the North East and that sort of family club sort of reels you back in a little bit

and I think that kind of atmosphere of having the experts who you have to listen to, align yourself with good family and friends and just try and keep yourself busy like I say we're on the podcast here and I try to do a little bit of coaching in the winter with me young son

which was good fun and just I think you've got to keep your eye on that that prize that focus at the end which is ultimately for me trying to get back to play for England so that's my focus laser on that do what they say be professional as I can and try and get back

what have you been filling your time with then you said coaching spending time with the family as well what else have you been so the All-Stars was a weekly thing every Friday that was that was the big one every week club cricket yeah you can yeah so every Friday I had the kids at Ashton and that was was good fun.

Other things, just throw myself into family life, really, I mean, being in the North East, I'm spoilted a little bit in the fact that we've got beaches around the corner with castles and, you know, spending family time

and just trying to pick off my gym work when I can. So, yeah, a lot of family time, some friends stuff, and, I mean, one of my favorite things that I did was, I went to the live orchestra in Newcastle of Jurassic Park.

Oh, is it good that? It looks a beast, I could saw the candle lit in that in that way. So I went without my son who spent all the time looking at the film and I'm going, yeah, but the music, anything.

No, no, to have the dinosaurs. I'm like, fair enough. Very wholesome. Very wholesome. Let's talk IPL then, because it was quite a well-wind for you. 2018, you sign for Chennai, you play one game for them,

and then you decide to travel back home to prioritise on test cricket. That was the year they went on to win the title. So let's start with that. What was that like for you? I think I wasn't ready when I think back to what the IPL is such a competition like you,

until you first get involved in it, you can't really describe what it's like. It's chaos, noise, exposure. You know, I'll land in Mumbai, and three days later, I'm playing against Mumbai for Chennai in the biggest game in IBL. So everyone keeps telling us Mumbai versus Chennai.

This is the biggest one. It's the El classical of, you know, IPL and all this kind of stuff. And I'm like, so, yeah, I got smashed every hour. I remember my first two of, I think my first over went for two. Two of us down. I've got none for 10. so things are going okay

and then I end with non-for-48 or 50 or something like that so I got smashed at the end of two Pandya brothers smashed me everywhere so yeah and to play on that Doni was obviously something I mean I knew Stephen Fleming a little bit I'd met him in New Zealand from England playing there and I thought I'm really excited for this opportunity I knew what he wanted he sort of laid out the plans and what he wanted me to do tactically

Doney I couldn't believe how approachable he was it's like this figurehead and this, you know, monster of a character, like he would leave his door open on the hotel, so everybody would just walk in his room, talk football, sitting, I just couldn't believe how open and easy was to get along with,

considering he was this huge superstar. I wish things had gone better. Obviously, I played that one game. I didn't get back in, but there was a great camaraderie there that year. The team itself was excellent. Bravo, Doni, Raina, and they had a clear way.

One of the strange things I remember actually was that we played in Chennai two games and then there was a problem with politics with something to do with the farms in the water. So that was threatening on releasing snakes into the stadium while I was there. So we had to leave Chennai and playing in Pune. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I remember that being a massive talking point around the time that we developed this squad that we're going to play on the spinning pitches of Chennai. And we left Chennai and went to Poo-Nai.

Hounier, and Stephen Fleurman's desperately getting the groundsman, make the pitch like Chennai, made of it. He's like, I can't, it's totally different. But, yeah, so, you know, Dijia, everybody was, it was an unbelievable team. You know, going back to that, sort of, if you are struggling, you are getting carted about a bit as a bowler, especially in that atmosphere, what sort of, like, going through your head at that time and how difficult is it to sort of stick to a plan?

Well, I was overwhelmed, really, when I think back now, Like if you would have put me in that situation now, I think it would be totally different. But that was my first game in the IBL. And I think mentally, probably, I was just sort of overawed by the whole occasion. And, you know, when you're with England, and I've been in them situations,

you've got your pals next day that you know, or, you know, that you've got clear plans. I mean, I went in that Chennai team, and Billans and David Willie were there, but they weren't in the game. Yeah. So I'm with all these 10 years. players that I've never played with

you've got no hiding place the one kid here is unbelievably noisy like especially when they're smashing it I'm like Donie's the way to keep so he's a long way away and when he because he looks so calm so I'm getting smashed he's just going and like just flanking

where you just ball that and I'm like right okay I haven't really got a clue what I'm doing whereas if I look back now if I would do things differently now and you know if I had advice for people it would be my mind was flying at a million miles an hour because everything was just I guess too much for us in that moment but that's because I wasn't used to it but then when you're

exposed if I did that maybe a couple of weeks later yeah or two games later it'd be totally different so you'd just say maybe like just to slow things down and slow things down try and get a specific thing in your head of what you were doing and actually I think if I ever could do it again I would spoke to say Rayna and pulled him and said look can we speak to Dorney and try and get a because I would turn around and I would just

bowl and come back and bowl and when you're in that situation of just that ring of back ball but it doesn't it's not solving nothing you're just running in and then smack any more so it's making you more worse and yeah the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live we've not had a bowler on so far

on the program, Mark. When we had David on, he was talking about the crowd noise. And when you're doing well, he said, you can't hear it. And it's just blocked out for him personally. When you're not doing so great, you hear it even more. So what was it like to play in front of those crowds? Have you experienced anything like it? I would still say the loudest I've ever played in front of.

So we played at Chennai. But this time I'm playing for luck now. And I went back. Donie comes out of bat. There's all this social media coverage. I mean, when you go at the IBL, you have to do a lot of promotional work where it's like, I think look now,

the one I ought to do is a crisp company called Tufani or Tufani or something else a Chris company. And in the interview, so what do you think about M.S. Doney being past it, and if you're a fast bowler, he plays 80 mile an hour well, but if you bowl 90 mile an hour, do you think he'll struggle? So I am aware of this now going into this game.

Doney comes out of bat, crowds gone wild. I pitch the first one full and wide trying to get out of his arc, and he hits me over cover for six. So now the crowd are going ballistic. So I'm trying to speak to Kail Rahul who's in mid-off and we couldn't really hear each other very well.

That's how loud it is and he's only like 15 yards. So now I'm thinking, right, I've got two options. I can repeat this and we say, right, if he's done it once, can he do it twice? Or I go to something else. I'm thinking, right, I'll go on one of my strengths. I'm going to be aggressive. All the chat is that he can't play a fastball

and I want to stay away from Yorkers because he plays that helicopter shot and that'll definitely go. so let's go pace on fast as I can at his head but get it wide so again it's out of his swing so if he takes it on it might get a chance of getting him out so I'm thinking wicket not restrict okay okay yeah

so I bounce him next ball and he hits me about 10 rows back and honestly after that shot is the loudest I've ever heard in my career because the noise went from like ah to like it was like wow, wow, wow, wow, all the blur. So he kind of actually, yeah,

it's like the acoustics are like, it's so loud that, so I remember KL coming up with us and I was like, we couldn't hear each other speak. Yeah. So it was just like, all I heard him say was,

whatever, would he? And I was like, yeah. Yeah. I mean, still at this day, he probably doesn't know that, but I bluff that I knew exactly what he said and I didn't have a clue. It was just so loud.

That's the loudest easily. So to give you a. sort of insight that's what it's like Dony indirectly brought the sound barrier he saw the Chris advert and he was like let me show this guy I'm not past it The Chris's fault I knew it

someone of blame You mentioned look now Because you carried on your career with them so 2022 unfortunately you got an elbow injury did you so he didn't play then but 23 you're back and you take five for 14

for look now how was that and was that I mean that was the best feeling because it was I mean, that's one up there one of the best things I've done in my career for me personally. You know, England, fantastic. And I'd always say England was the pinnacle

of anything I did, but for me personally to get the redemption and show people in India that I was good enough to be at that level. And, you know, 5'4 14 looks pretty good on paper as well. So as an English bowler, that will always be there in the history books.

It's one of the best figures, by the way, for an English role in the IPL. So that means a lot to me and it improves that, you know, after a stint in Chennai where it was very disappointing and I didn't get to show people how good I was to then go back and prove to people in a new franchise.

I mean, a year late because of the injury, but the owner was, Mr. Gavanka, was fantastic, constantly in touch with me. And Lucknow was one of those where it was a fast wicket, so it helped me. It was a bit bigger ground, and I think that's why they picked me up, and Andy Flower was the coach there,

so I knew him well. And it just seemed to align a bit, the fit was a bit better. As much as I love Chennai, I felt like as soon as I went in that look, now dressing room, I was probably a bit more of a character myself in terms of I'd done things for England. I believed in myself a little bit more.

Whereas when I first went in that, Chennai, I was a bit overawed by the occasion and these massive, I mean, Rih and Adoni, I was a bit like, oh my God, like I'm a fan here. I'm like, oh, have a little bit of a bit. Yeah, a little bit in a way, yeah. So look now, Keel Rahul was someone that I'd played a lot against India. He was the captain.

So I felt much more, much more to ease there. You know, when you see England as the pinnacle, what would you sort of tell players how to balance maybe that franchise cricket and sort of international cricket, as we see with Bethel now in differing sort of views on him? I would say that there is no pressure like the IBL. There's nothing like that can replicate national cricket. The IPL is the one.

If times there'll be games in IPL that are more pressurised than some international games. So that exposure can. can do nobody any harm. If you're preparing for a test match in England in April, then it's maybe a different story when the ball's going to nip around. But actually to better yourself as a cricketer

and put yourself under pressure, there's no better place than the IBL. I think it is the competition. You know, Big Bash, fantastic. PSL, fantastic. All great competitions. But I think the IPL, if you can do well there, the opportunity for you as a cricketer is through the roof.

if you do well there, there's no doubt you're playing at National Cricket. Yeah, yeah. If you do well there, there's no doubt that you can earn yourself an absolute fortune. There's no doubt that if you do well there, that you can establish yourself on the main stage as a top end cricketer. You can make that name for yourself as I am the one to be here. You're not a bit bad player. You're not someone that's going to have a fleeting little bit and out.

If you establish yourself there, you know. You're a naming world cricket, aren't you? Yeah. And you know, obviously, playing in the IPL, you play with, as you say, like, the names in World Cricket, the best players around the world. Who's someone that you played with or played against in the IPL in that situation where you've sort of took something from them and added it to your own game? I think the biggest thing I can say is that I cannot believe what some of the Indian lads have to put up with. Honestly, the pressure and the fame is through the roof. I don't think you can describe it to people.

So, like, in this country, for example, like a Stokes or a Root or Big, you know. names. If you go anywhere with them, especially if I'm not around with Stokesy and we're on the street, someone, hi, Ben, can I get a photo? Can I have an autograph? Yep, no problem. But in India, it's like in next level, I remember we went to the mall. Me, Bravo,

Billens, and one more, I can't remember, but so Bravo is the name that. Bearmine, he's not an Indian critic. Yeah. They shut the whole mall down. We got locked inside of a store because the crowd was that big and trying to push in that it was causing problems.

and safety issues. So they shut the whole mall, locked the store, they marched us out in like an armed police guard so that no one could get to us. And I was like, I just couldn't fathom how it was.

And the Indian boys are like, why did you go to the mall? That's normal. Whereas to me, that is 100% not normal and couldn't believe it. And Bravo loved it. He was great with everybody

like waving, selfie stuff. But I don't think people can really grasp what it's. like for those guys the pressure that they're under. I mean, there's things like the Dream 11 who, you know, guys online who are betting on them to do well.

And if they don't do well, it like ruins that whole day. So the pressure on these guys is, and the price tag, the owners who expect in it. And we mentioned the opener there, the 15 year old opener. If you are an established player, you have to perform. Otherwise, these guys behind you are in.

Yeah. So the pressure on these dads, I don't think, that's what I took from it is that no one at India are a dominant force because they're playing this competition and this is the pressure that they're top and if you can control that and harness it and still perform

you must be a pretty good player Yeah, ridiculous 2020 was I guess the year that you got a real taste for it and you got to play a good chunk of cricket for look now you must have some stories Mark you must have got close with some of them managed to have a bit of fun as well

well I'll give you a story which wasn't fun so I wasn't very well I wasn't very well. After about five games, I'd picked up an illness there. And the game was about three days' time. Okay. So every half an hour,

the doctor who would stay back would be coming to my room, taking all my vitals, trying to get us right. And I remember, like, one day out, the owner was ringing me, and he was like, how are feeling,

and we're ready to go? I was like, honestly, I've ate and drank nothing. I can't get out of bed still. But I'm hoping that, you know, if I can think. And he was like, well, I'll tell you what we'll do.

We'll get in another doctor. We'll give you this. We'll do that. We'll do that. So I've got like these three doctors down in my room. Give me tablets trying to help me. Next day, how are you feeling? This is the owner again.

How are you feeling? Honestly, I'm still not good at having anything. Well, I'll tell you what. I will send a private plane. You'll get on the plane. Play the game. I'll get the plane straight back out and you can get back to your bedside.

And I was like, I rang my dad. And I was like, dad, like, I'm going to send a private plane? He was like, yeah, but how do you feel? I was like, honestly, like, if I stand up, I feel like, you know, not well, I could. something that could happen and he was like yeah it was a private plane

you're right dad I didn't go but there was that split second when I was like this is the coolest thing that's probably ever happened to me in my life this is unbelievable

yeah how will am I to get on that private jet I mean I could like down on the private jet as well I mean this could be pretty pretty special so yeah imagine how few would be if you went on the plane and then you went and turned up and you're like yeah

no I'm still not feeling me Or the coach, you're not playing the day. You're not playing a guy or someone else. Was there anyone in the squad that you became friends with? I love Kel Raoul. I love Kehl. I love Kehl. What is he like as a captain? Calm.

Yeah, it comes across. Very good. Very good. Calm would be my first word. And I think at times people maybe misunderstand him. I think he's tactically brilliant. understands the game, loves the game. And because he's quiet, sometimes I think people may be think that.

He's passion, but his passion's right up there. I think he was a great captain and a great guy. Very down-to-earth for a guy that's a superstar. Again, like we talked about, you know, you think that these superstars might be arrogant or divas, and he was none of that. He was honestly the most down-to-earth, lovely guy. Marcus Stoinus, I really enjoyed.

He was nicknamed the Hulk, and he had his own private chef there. I've never seen a guy eat so many boiled eggs in my life. Dan Sams was a lovely guy I spent more time with the Aussies than anybody else which is very rare They were great guys And then the West Indies lads were their Puran

Shepi Ramario Shepard never saw them Just slept all day relaxed chilled out They had that Caribbean relaxed nature I mean if this was the couch now They'd have the arm back Previously

And then they'd come out of bat And boom up up explosive of so that was actually a really nice group look now. I really, really enjoyed that. The guy who replaced me when I wasn't well was Navine. Navine O'Hardt. And he, I tell you what I was surprised with. He was one of the brightest blocs I've ever met my life.

He was super, super intelligent. I couldn't believe. Like, he was the way thought about the game, the way spoke about life. Very intelligent guy, a lovely guy to be around. And he sat at the back of the bus for me a lot of the time, so we had a bit chat around the most of the time. He was a lovely.

This is what it's about, isn't it? these conversations, you get to know the players, you won't often play in a team with them as well. So it's quite a rare opportunity as well, isn't it? I think I would encourage anybody to go. I mean, the first year I went, I went at my base price. I was lucky, look now that I went for a little bit more money because there was a bidding war. So I would encourage anyone whether it's not just about the money, but actually the experience. If you're in England crickland, you know, you're humming and harring with the fact of, look, can I, can I get in the England team?

I still think IBL helps you do that, whether you go for lots of money or not. It's just, you know, if I was a young guy, no family and stuff, I think IPL is such an experience. I mean, you just have that literally one in-ins can change your life. Can we also say, though, you did go for money, though, didn't you? Oh, absolutely. Over 700,000, wasn't it? 724. Could you believe it?

Nope. Did you love it? Absolutely. Yeah? Not a bad day's work that, yeah. It's not, is it really? I watched it with my wife, so we were watching it on the telly downstairs. My son was having a nap upstairs.

at the time. So we're trying not to wake him and go, yeah. It was pretty good. We often talk about, and last week we spoke about the flat pitches. And is it all just getting

a bit predictable? The fact that 200 just seems like an average, but then you see, I know, we saw 274 this week. How difficult is it to be a bowl? Because arguably that is the most difficult job. Well, I would ask the question to probably you two is what would you want to see?

If you're going out at the L game, would you want to see the ball getting smashed out in the stadium and high scores and excitement that way? or you know me as a traditionalist a little bit i'd like to see a fair contest between both but you know i'm one of you know thousands of people that could be in that stadium yeah what do you want to see do you want to see the ball flying everywhere and that entertainment side because that's pretty fun if you're on the crowd the ball spinning past the bad oh like that may be one ball but

if that's happening all the time is it is that as exciting to watch i always like that bit of needle low with low scoring games like i always think going back to watching the blast like maybe 10 15 years ago when you're getting like 130, 1.40, 1-50s and they're like really highly contested games. But also when it comes down to the last over as well, there's something in it. That's what I enjoy. Yeah, really. So I really do enjoy sort of the low scoring games.

Obviously, everyone likes to see balls flying about here and there, but when it happens all the time, it's sort of, the novelty sort of wears off a bit. Saying that, though, you're still getting a bit of needle in these games. It's just ridiculous to think that they're chasing down 220, 2.30s, even we've seen 260s of the day.

But I think I do prefer sort of as you say, like a bit more traditionalists where you're getting them battles, do you know what I mean? And you're having that bit more of a needle when them scores are a bit low scoring. I just want to see Mark Wood back.

To be fair, I think if you think the top bowlers in the world, you want to see them do well. So you want to see Bumra, Rabada, Archer, all these guys, you want to see, look, can they knock over the best batsmen? And if there's no chance of them, like if you're bowling a slow ball and it skids on, if you bowl a york and you miss it by that much

and they knock you out the ground, it comes a little bit like, well, these are the best bowlers. What chance are they got? I mean, bummer is a little bit different, but the rest of them, you just think sometimes it doesn't feel like a fair contest all the thing. Personally, I just want to see Ostump flying out the ground, but that's just me. Can I ask you, what is it like being England's fastest bowler? What is it like having that title?

It's pretty cool. I don't think I'm always the fastest, but it's cool that sometimes that's being the kids. You're up there, though, aren't you? Because Joffra's just, is it, you're 97? Yeah. Joffra's 96. Has anyone beaten you yet? Yeah, back in the day, Flintoff and Harmeson, their top speed has been quicker than mine, but maybe not average, but their top speed.

So I think Flint off got one at 98, Harmison one at 98. And obviously, Harmi's from the same hometown as me. So he always has that little, like, little... Something in the water, right, there over there? I can't get my head round. First, you ball that fast and second how you can even face that pace. Like, it must be just ridiculous. I can answer half of that

It's horrible to face like this I've managed to face a few Quick lads Stark Johnson Wahab Riaz was really quick bummer as awful so Yeah it's not nice It's not nice I'm like just that split It's a split of a split second in it

Well I've been holding that question for the whole episode To be fair I'm just it's not often That we get such a fast bowler on the episode One of our faves We were saying off there Chris Wokes, Mark Wood Oh Wokesy's my favourite every day of the week I think as well when we mentioned I'd be Losey he had had his experience there.

When I was going there, I was tapping into him a little bit of what I can expect. And he's always being great and he's always easy to do it. So even he couldn't prepare me for what that first game was going to be like in the one Katie. So, yeah, at times it doesn't matter what people say. You've just got to just got to gone through the fire. Right, there's no easy way to do the gear shift I'm about to do. However, me and producer Sal, shout out producer Sal, who works on the show.

We were talking on WhatsApp in preparation for the episode about, you know, the IPL getting a bit samey, samey, is it too much of a good thing? Then we started talking about Galab Jammans on WhatsApp. Show what a Galab Jumman is, Mark? Only from the fact that we've talked about this before the show started. We showed you some, didn't we? Yes, it looks like a bit like a door ball. Sugary ball.

Sugary ball, yes. Well, we've bought you some. Just for an excuse to have them. This one's on his holiday diet, but you're going to have one, aren't you? I don't know. Do you have a bite? All right, okay, I'll have a bite. He's still a faithful.

He's still a faithful. All over it. So I came from Birmingham today, bought them. The only way I can describe this, if you've got a sweet tooth, you'll absolutely love it. Truth, they're just power. They're just noise. Is it going to be too sickly, though?

No, no, no, no, no, not at all. So we just show the camera, there we go. There's a Galab Jummans. Might be the best episode we've done. I've seen these in the airport before. Did you have any of these when you're out there? I've never. So the only thing you have in IBM is big, humongous cakes.

Really? So, like, for example, when I got the first, five weeks for luck now. If you get the player the match or you do something good, they get the cake and then mush the cake in your face. So like you get like cake. Is that a tradition? And then if it's your birthday, cake and your hair and in your face or do it? Do you get to eat the cake? It's a little bit of that and then you get to like, so it doesn't make sense really. Mash the cake up and then neatly slice it a bit for everybody else. So you have the best of both worlds really. But yeah, it's quite a nice tradition that they do then.

Some of the cakes they do are phenomenal. It's almost like a waste that you pile into it. Yeah. I bet they're like wedding-sized cake. Yeah, they are. I don't know that. So what, Fraz, if you and I grab one and we just smush it into... Yeah, oh, you're too bad, would he? Right, Mark, you do the honours. Right, come on.

And then pass one to Fras. You're off on your holidays, aren't you? Live on the podcast. You're having one? I'll have a bite then. I love a bite. He's off to Mark. Are you? What about you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm having one as well. I just want to see Mark's reaction, though.

So Mark's having his first collab, Johnman. Thoughts? Very sweet. Yeah. We've got to save one. They're nice. They're nice, but they're very sweet. I'm going to see I have one bite

and that's so big of yourself and put that back in so you'd be mindful of that when you pull them back producer Sal wants to take the rest of those home come on he's off to Marbs Mark he's off to Marbs

very sweet yeah thoughts very sweet they are power though aren't there those with ice cream they're good but they're very sweet aren't they I mean

that is Indian sweet still like yeah yeah they all are extremely sweet so if you don't have a sweet too they're probably not for you but they are class I feel like that before a ball, I'll be on fire. You're all hit the 100 miles per hour. I'm really glad we've introduced you to those.

Rating a ball with one of them. Back in the end of slowball. Yeah, right shape, though, aren't they? They are a bit dense, you maybe get that drop. Be a nightmare, a bit draining. You can't bounce at all. I know. Mark, it's been an absolute joy to have you on.

Before you go, your predictions, now we're halfway through. Punjab at the top of the table, I'll be a point behind, but who do you think is going to take it? One of the teams going to creep up, but we've still got another, what, four weeks left. I think RCB, like I said before, I think that now that weight has gone off their shoulders a little bit,

I could see them going back to back and the fan base carries them through a little bit. You know, I've been at games at RCB where it is louder. And I could see that as much as, you know, Punjab, good team, seem to have a really good dynamic, great coach, obviously, as well. But I just think that RCB, that lift you could see maybe for the next few years

that they could be right up there a year after year. Well, which new is for your recovery? We'll want to see you back in an Englandshire. Thank you. Hopefully back this summer. I don't know when yet. I haven't got like an end date.

It's sort of how long is a piece of string at the minute but might give me a little bit more time to get a few more traitors. Traders watcher. I was the same before further as far as my son's favourite character so I'm glad he's on. Must be a smart lad.

Must be a smart lad. Wow, it's been an absolute joy. thank you. We'll be back with another episode of Strategic Time Out next week. I don't know about you, but I've got my eye on those collab drummings. We'll see you soon. Hello, I'm Nikki Campbell, and this could well be the podcast you've been waiting for. We're calling it, don't say a word, but it could be don't listen to that song, don't read that book, don't watch that film, don't like that post, don't laugh at that joke. We're here to help you navigate, to make sense of it all, to keep up. If people aren't up to speed with all of the latest kind of

politically correct lingo, they feel isolated and don't want to engage in the conversation, actually retreat into silos. If you sometimes sit on the fence because you're worried about giving offence, hello, you found your podcast, don't say a word, but do listen to this podcast with me, Nikki Campbell. Listen on BBC Sounds.