County Championship, England selection & Women's T20 World Cup | Nas & Ath answer your questions!

19:11Ath:Yeah, I was quite... I was gratified in terms of taking responsibility for your own game. I was quite gratified. I chatted with Asa Tribe last week, who's one of the young players who's got a lot to play for, could potentially be an opening bat. I was asking him about some of the little changes he'd made to his game in the winter. And he was somebody who said, look, I very much take the responsibility for my own game. I chat to players around me. I will work with a coach in this instance. He was working with Neil McKenzie, who's the Lions batting coach. But he said, I will always make a change for what I believe to be right, rather than taking on board stuff that might not work for him.

19:53Ath:I mean, you always try things and some things don't work. But I think that is a vital thing for any young player. It is your game. It is your career. You've got to take responsibility for the decisions that have an impact upon it.

20:07Nas:Can I just ask you about something? I think we've had a couple of questions in on this. on the Liam Livingston stuff. There's two facets of the Livingston stuff and the quotes and the articles that he made. The first one was about Guy saying, I've got, was it, 100 different things to do when he left him out. And I'm so fussed about that. There's been a lot of cricketers and sports people that have been left out over time that are not happy about it. It was the second part about it, about the coaching staff saying, don't stress, don't worry, don't lose any sleep about it. let's get back to the hotel or whatever I do think there's a lack of and Mo and Ali touched on this when we had Mo on the pod that he would like to get into coaching he sees maybe he likes the technical side I do think you do need technical and Marcus Triscothic would say I do a lot of technical coaching with it but I do think coaching in this England set up has become a bit of a vibe this is how we play and enjoy it and love it and let's go with it and if you have any problems let's go harder run into danger I think sometimes you look look at Zach at the moment Zach Crawley I don't know if you've seen his dismissals of late he keeps getting out to the ball nipping back in now there is a technical issue there that Potts found out this week nip it back in LBW I think that's three and three that he's been done like that in a warm-up game as well that's a technical issue and I do think even at the highest level you do

21:34Ath:need some technical coaching well my own view is the best technical coaches should work lower down with uh you know younger players england under 19s you know lions the the emerging players if you like that's where you want your real fundamental technical work to be done you don't want to be changing fundamental aspects of your technique in the two or three days prior to a test match and I do believe that players as I to reiterate my point that players have to take responsibility for their games and and what what's happened in the game as more money's coming to the game and there's been a whole kind of mushrooming of coaching staff around setups is that players have lost the art of taking responsibility for their games and are too reliant on being spoon-fed by coaches might sound a slightly old-fashioned view, but I don't believe it is actually, because I believe that when you're out in the middle, you have to problem-solve yourself.

22:44Ath:You have to adapt. You have to work things out for yourself. And therefore, part of the role of a coach is to get players to the point where they are self-sufficient and where they are not being spoon-fed and nannied around the setup. So, yeah, I mean, maybe we have slightly different views there. I don't know. We had a few questions actually as well about, you know, why didn't you ask when we had Rob Key on the podcast about Liam Livingston? I simply forgot. I mean, sometimes we don't always get it right. I had it written down specifically to Rob about that, and then, you know, it just slipped my mind and we didn't ask.

23:28Ath:We should have asked. We didn't get it right on that.

23:30Nas:We left the stand and we walked down. I got to the bottom. I went, we didn't do the Livingston question. I once at you and you just had that emoji with your hands over your face. That was it. Yeah, we forgot. Sorry.

23:44Ath:Okay. A lot of questions around England's test team, selection, balance, direction. Satyan Chantor, for England to become a complete side that's more consistent in test cricket is the bowling or batting that needs an uplift. Well, in terms of the winter, but both is the fundamental and catching all aspects of the game. But I do think generally that the batting looks, I mean, if you think of it, Bethel, Root, Brook and Stokes are locked in there and probably Duckett as well at the top of the order. Although we've come to that question about the openers. if I have one overriding kind of memory of the ashes, it was seeing England bowl short and wide to somebody, whether it was Travis Ed or whoever.

24:30Ath:So if I just pick out one thing, it would be post-Anderson, Broad and Wokes. This will be the first summer that England go into a test match somewhere without any of those three for obviously a long, long time. then it's the quality consistency and skill of the bowling um that in the end will determine how successful england are this summer yeah there's talent in that batting i mean i mean

24:59Nas:was it you that was saying ducky about six months nine months ago could be in the list of best format all format batters around the world and you've got bethel who is a wonderful talent as we saw in Sydney and have seen across formats now. He's got a 50 over 100. He's got T20, 100. And then you've got one of the greatest batter we've ever produced, Rook. Rook average is 55. Stokes, I'm still a fan of Jamie Smith. So there's talent in that batting lineup, but they've got to be ruthless in the batting. There's games that they've let slip, whether it be Perth, whether it be the Oval. There's a long list of games that they've just let slip because of some dopey batting when they needed to be ruthless.

25:39Nas:And however many times they've said they're going to reset, they sort of slip back into when you've got the game by the neck as a batting unit, don't let the opposition back in. And at times they have. So that needs to be sorted. And you're right with the bowling that, you know, for all the Rob Key and talking about pace, all I'm interested in, in what pace are you bowling? three of England's finest wasn't all about pace, Broad Anderson. They were quick enough, but Broad Anderson works as about skill and accuracy. So whether they need, I mean, they've got, obviously, they've still got the likes of Tong, you know, Gus Atkinson is still a very good cricketer.

26:19Nas:Obviously, Joffre is there. But whether they need a line bowler, you know, an accurate bowler, there would be Ollie Robinson, who was in the wickets this week, Sam Cook, who was in the wickets again for Essex this week. now whether that pace again county cricket international cricket are two different things so they may just need one accurate um and obviously a spinner let's get on to this

26:42Ath:there is a question about spin there this yeah that's gone and there is a question about spin

26:49Nas:what it is a good i saw simon wild write about in the times he'd been interviewing uh graham swan where are we with england spinners at who would you pick this summer who would I pick

27:00Ath:gone straight in well with all the questions about selection I'd actually just hang fire a little bit if I could because I think what's really important and really exciting actually is that there are six rounds of championship cricket before the first test and there are some areas of this team that are open up for grabs one opener for sure I think spinner possibly wicketkeeper although maybe not and then some bowlers so I mean six rounds of championship let's see where we stand in in in a month's time I don't think there's anything wrong with saying look there are some places up for grabs here we're actually going to look at performance not that you just totally go on who's the top wicket taker by then you know you want to make sure that you think they're going to thrive at the highest level but I don't think there's anything wrong either with saying you know there's plenty of plenty at stake here let's see um who's really in form at that time but But in terms of spin, I mean, I suppose there's two aspects, aren't there?

28:02Ath:We touched on the wrist spinners, which is a really interesting part of the game at the moment. And you could go for one of those, a crane or a Harrison, Ray and Ahmed, Critchley. Or you go for a kind of, you know, your classic English-style left-arm finger spinner who you know is going to do the job because the seamers are going to be taking the vast majority of wickets in English conditions and maybe who can get a few runs down the order as well. So somebody like, I don't know, Liam Patterson-White comes into contention, Nottinghamshire, Tom Hartley. Jack Leach is still as good as a finger spinner as there is around.

28:41Ath:And then you've got the Shoei Bashir question, which was one of those issues from the winter where they invested so much time in him and then gave up on him right at the last minute. And he's gone to Derbyshire, so he had a long bowl in a high-scoring game there. But it is a live question. How do you see it?

29:03Nas:I think I was looking at the stats, and they're all average, and you shouldn't go on maybe just their averages and just on stats. They're all around about 33, 34, the names that you mentioned there, Carson at Sussex, I think is a good cricketer. I do think you do need, they've got what, home series and then they're away in South Africa in the winter. I think it's like the wicketkeeper. We've had a question in about the wicketkeeper. Do you go back to the old-fashioned wicketkeeper that just caught the ball? Michael Holding always wanted his wicketkeeper to catch the ball or the modern way. You don't want one that drops the ball, do you?

29:42Nas:but you want one that nowadays you want one that gets runs as well michael that's my point the same with your spinner i do think that i in england and we moved i moved away from toughers who i really rated as a bowler love toughers as a bowler to ashley giles who was more complete cricketer so i do think uh in in english cricket you need that complete cricketer so i'm more of that sort of you I think Calvin Harrison, I think he was batting three and four in the championship game. He's got first class hundred. So it's not like all those names we've mentioned, a lot of them actually. Coles, we spoke to him last week about playing that role.

30:21Nas:Dawson, I quite like that sort of cricketer, unless your spinner is just world class. And Swan used to get some very good runs. But Swan was a good example of that. he was a world-class spinner so if it's 50 50 i'll always go for the but for the spinner will get your runs as well are you a fan of fantasy premier league if the answer is yes then make sure you check out the sky sports fantasy podcast whether you're a hardcore player or someone that takes a more casual approach, there's something for everyone. I'm James Savandra, and every week I'll be joined by one of the best FPL managers in the game.

31:15Nas:They'll give you all the tips and advice you need to beat your mini league rivals. They'll give you top transfer advice and provide you with important information like the best time to use your chips. So make sure you tune in to the Sky Sports Fantasy Podcast. It's available now on skysports.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

31:43Ath:I mean, one of the other areas that suffer grabs is I think there's going to be a change to the opener. How long will England stick on Crawley and Duckett before moving on and who the potential...

31:53Nas:We name-checked some of these people, by the way. They've gone out of their way to, like, up, right in. Oh, okay.

31:59Ath:So, Seb Gladwell asked the question about the spin. Thank you, Seb. and Ashwin Kumar has asked about Crawley and Duckett. I think Crawley's going to need a mountain of runs to keep his place. I think they'll stick with Duckett, and they should. Who are the options? You've got two up at Durham. Emilio Gay got 100 this week. Young Ben McKinney. Tom Haynes at Sussex. Ace of Tribe at Glen Morgan. I wonder about James Rue because it's going to be very difficult to get in that middle order he batted four in the first innings and three in the second innings at Taunton I wonder whether they might think about him

32:48Nas:as an opener Are you old school? An opener is a specialist position Could you open with Rue? Could you move Bethel up to open and have Rue at three? He's getting to a stage James Rue where his argument for for being in the side is is almost like a it's a non-negotiable he's getting so many runs um you've got to almost try and find a way of getting him in but you make the point that that middle order how do you get him in would you move it or would you bring in a

33:19Ath:specialist open well the middle order is locked in um but I wouldn't I don't think it's a completely specialist position in the sense that people have become good openers started in the middle order and vice versa but what I wouldn't do is if a person is as batted at number four for the first six games of the county championship season I wouldn't say right you're getting runs come and open the batting for England I think if you're going to open for England you need to be opening for your county. Simple as that. Sorry, just before you come back in, a couple that we didn't mention are those who've been tried a little bit and discarded, people like Asib Hamid and Dom Sibley who would not be without a chance if they barged down the selectors' door in the early part of the season.

34:11Ath:But I think you've got to be opening for your county, haven't you, to open for England? And I wouldn't be moving Bethel from three at all, no.

34:19Nas:Right. Well, I mean, they tried that with Dan Lawrence, didn't they? Dan Lawrence came in and he opened. That didn't work out. But it is a problem. I mean, you keep telling me how difficult a place opening. I used to try, but I've seen him and I've seen him on the stream and I've seen footage of him. He's got lovely balance at the crease when he clips through the leg side. I don't know how he came across as an individual. That's an important thing as well. Never underestimate character and the stuff that you have spoken about when you've talked to him. And, you know, that's why you do need people to be going round, not just sitting on streams watching.

34:55Nas:Go round and speak to the directors of cricket. And what is the individual like?

35:00Ath:An interesting point that you make, and it's worth pointing out, actually. I see a lot of stuff, quite a lot of criticism on the back of when it emerged that McCollum's not going to be over until, I don't know, when it is the middle end of May or whatever. And obviously they can watch every ball on a stream. But it's worth making the point that actually England's scouting and selection network is much more in-depth than simply Key and McCullum and Stokes looking at streams. They've got scouts at every championship game, and those scouts will be writing detailed reports about, they'll have a long list of players for openers and spinners and in various positions, and those scouts will be sending in detailed reports.

35:55Ath:And that system has been in place. It predated McCollum and Key, and it will be in place long after McCollum and Key depart, and that's the point of it really, that it is a system that is not going to be derailed by if you make changes or if you sack the director of cricket or the captain or the coach. it's there embedded and it's just worth making the point for people who don't know that it is a very detailed set up that England have and it's been there for a long time and people shouldn't or won't fall through the net if you're young enough, good enough you'll be seen, you'll be watched you'll be reported on now it's still always for the likes of Key and McCollum to make their choices and go with the players that they want and that's always been the case that, you know, director of cricket and captain and coach will go in a certain direction.

36:51Ath:That's their right. But every player will be watched and will have a decent chance if their performance is warranted.

37:00Nas:It's good to talk, Alf. I mean, I remember when we picked Michael Vaughan, the amount of phone calls I made to various people at Yorkshire and other counties and selectors about Vaughan. and he was averaging 33 or whatever and they kept saying he looks a pretty player but he keeps getting out but they all kept saying that he's got something about him this lad and the moment that was always when i heard that about a player when someone was slightly below average what they should but he's got something about him that was the moment same with fletch with trez when you saw him get runs it is that watching not just the runs they get but how they get them what they're like, you know, you were there when Vaughn and Triscotic came into the dressing room.

37:45Nas:Were they high maintenance in any way? Did they seem like they knew their game? One may look at you, one may look at Stuart and try and pick up things, but they were ready for test match cricket. And that's the question you've got to ask. How will they, when they step up and be under the limelight of us analyzing their technique and everything, how will they cope with that? And that's why it is good to talk to people about the individual and the character, not just the stats.

38:13Ath:Darren Stotts says, should all England players play all the championship matches before the first Test? Well, fundamentally, they should be playing. We made that point on last week's podcast about the Sheffield Shield and Alex Carey and Scott Boland, who played all the Shield games outside of the Test. So fundamentally, England cricketers should be playing. In terms of the bowlers, where do you play all six County games? I mean, speaking to Stuart Broad last year, he'd always, I mean, He's a pretty experienced cricketer. He knew what he needed to do to get ready. But he'd work back from the first test and make sure.

38:47Ath:I think he wanted to play three games and make sure his loads were just about right, maybe having the week off before the first test. So the bowlers are slightly different. But I do think you want your England players playing as much championship cricket as they can because it's good for them, keeps them grounded, keeps them humble and good for the competition.

39:06Nas:Talking of Stuart Broad, we have a question in from Stuart Broad of Nottingham Will Athers update his dress sense this season Or just stick with the same shirt and jumper yet again? That's from a Stuart Broad second best ever England cricket bowler After James Anderson by some distance from Nottingham

39:28Ath:I was amused by the fact that he said shirt and jumper in the singular, not plural but you know that shirt and jumper has been keeping me going for 30 years why why change a good thing now we haven't seen much of Brodie recently oh no I wonder why um okay uh we've had quite a lot about um next generation players so uh till 5675 who's going to be the next up and coming players Lee Penful which young county player should England fans watch for the future Test Selection. So quite a lot about those. I mean, I guess there are two bands here, aren't there? There's the guys who are just about ready to step in now.

40:12Ath:And you'd put people like James Rue and James Coles. They're in that position, aren't they? They're pushing right now. And if there's an injury or whatever, there's openings, they're ready to go. And then you've got players a bit younger who you're thinking, well, in two or three years' time, they might be absolutely ready to go and very exciting. And they're often the ones that at the start of the season right now, which is an optimistic time, that you look at and think, yeah, keep your eye on him. I just, there's one young lad, I watched a bit of the Middlesex stream. A couple of good young Seamans, haven't they?

40:54Ath:Yeah, they've got two good young seamers. And on the last day, Seb Morgan, who's played for England on the 19s, he's only 18, I think. But he got four wickets and he's somebody I'd be keeping an eye on. I'm not saying ready now at all. This is, again, the like three, four years' time. but yeah I thought he looked skillful and he kept coming in on a very slow pitch at Lourdes and Thomas Rue is in that position as well I was down at Somerset Friday as I said and they're all talking about Thomas Rue who's still at sixth form, got some exams to do has just pocketed 80 granted in the 100 so it'll be the envy of all his mates at school I'm sure but he's another one in that position where really exciting for the next few years.

41:54Nas:I was going to name those two, actually, and proof that cricket is in the blood. Thomas Rue, the way he batted in that under-19. You said to me last year, we keep going on about James Rue, his brother looks a better player. Every time I put on my TV or my phone or whatever, the Rue brothers, they just get runs for fun. Batting's not that easy. And young Charlie Allison at Essex. He's a good cricketer, actually. And again, crickets in the family. I know Ben, his brother, very well. I've worked with Ben quite a bit. And we saw him last year in the final, 50-over final at Trent Bridge. So Charlie Allison has made a good start.

42:34Nas:They tried him up the top of the order. It didn't quite work. They moved him into the middle order. And he's getting some very useful runs.

42:42Ath:well the showpiece event of the summer is the Women's T20 World Cup really June and July it's getting you know the kind of key summer months there and we've had a couple of questions in Ardith Chakrabarti do you guys feel England's Women's Stars firm favourites in the up and coming home World Cup in June or could it be anyone's game on any given day including the final at Lord's and Hannah Davis said who will be the breakout start for England women in the huge summer coming up 2009 wasn't it that England won the T20 World Cup when it was on home soil and I suppose for the host it's a combination there is an advantage in terms of knowledge of conditions being in your home conditions getting all the support that you'll get but also with that comes a little bit of added pressure which there will be on England this summer I don't for myself think you can move away from Australia as favourites But England will surely be helped by being at home Albeit with that little bit of added scrutiny and pressure And Davina Perrin, I thought, just on the back of that innings Was it in the, not the finals day, but the day before that When she got that 100 at the Oval I was absolutely blown away by the style and just manner of her play on that day.

44:13Ath:So I think she's going to have a very big summer.

44:16Nas:Yeah, firm favourites. I don't think any side apart from Australia going into any tournament for the last 10 years at least, if not more, firm favourites are always Australia, albeit they've just had a 50-over World Cup in India, which they lost. They didn't win the last T20 World Cup. New Zealand won that. So I don't think England are firm favorites. I think Australia are that. And then you've got India, the uptick in India, and with the WPL, the direction they're going in, I'd have them as second favorites, and then England is just after that. So I do think England are a very, very strong side, but their problem is that they beat sides below them in the table, and then they get to a knockout game.

45:01Nas:I think that's where England are concerned, Even if it's not quite a knockout game, like there was the game in Dubai against West Indies, which was effectively a knockout game because if they'd lost, they were out. But it was a group stage game. When it gets down to a bit of jeopardy, they seem to fluff their lines. Or the standard improves and it's Australia or India or South Africa. So that's the test for Sharla Edwards and her team, especially at home. But they're a very, very talented squad of players. um like out i'm gonna go it's not breakout because she's been around for a while but that's only because how good she was when she was young and that's alice capsey i just see i do a lot of women's cricket and i see the the women around the traps and i see them in gyms and i see them outside and and i and i keep an eye and alice i think the penny is dropped with alice capsey i think she's suddenly realizing what a talent she is and how to make the most and it happens to all young cricketers they burst on the scene men and women and a lot is thrown out of money deals and you're the star and and it takes a bit of time to cope with all of that and i think she is and i and i think she's a very very talented crick and it's one thing i'd say about the england women's side if you look at look at mealy kerr for example given the captaincy in new zealand the stats have just gone through the roof look at phoebe litchfield uh georgia vole annabelle sutherland and I'm aiming a lot of Aussies here, but they go like that.

46:32Nas:They grab their opportunity, and the improvement goes through the roof. I'd say some England cricketers, women, have sort of plateaued, and I think Alice Capsie would be one that I'd really like to see now really show everyone the talent that she is.

46:51Ath:We had a few questions about global game and ICC and the future and structure of cricket, which people's eyes glaze over a little bit at some of these questions, but they're all fundamental to the game. So Spycast, is there too much international cricket being played and could the calendar be simplified so people can understand it? I mean, the calendar is a mess, but as I've said before on this podcast, I think it's too late in the day that this was a question that needed to be tackled 10 years ago at the start of franchise cricket. And cricket now is in the grip of private investment and franchise cricket.

47:31Ath:And I don't see it changing unless the players really make their voice heard. And so far, the players have shown...

47:40Nas:It all revolves around the franchise and when the franchise and the IPL is in particular. Well, what did you make of the other question? Just find it for us about the European League or whatever.

47:51Ath:Why is England team not competing in the Euro Cup? This was from Shubhamali871. Why is England team not competing in the Euro Cup? They have plenty of time and players. At least they could send their B team. It would be still good. Why not assist the associate nations by joining the Euro Cup? I mean, Richard Gould recently said, nice idea, but we're chock full. Our calendar is chock full. I mean, I guess two issues for England. One, the calendar is chock full. But if you're not sending your main team and you're sending, you know, a Lions team or a B team or whatever, then you're removing players out of domestic cricket.

48:30Ath:So I sympathise on both counts. You know, you want to help European nations get stronger, but there are issues for England in terms of when it would be played and the calendar.

48:45Nas:Yeah, I mean, those two questions are linked. well you've got one question coming in are we playing too much cricket is a calendar year so confused and congested and someone else saying can can we add to it and play the euro tournament cup it would be a lovely story we you know we were there for the scotland game and the history of the island games and etc netherlands and the way they beat us twice in t20 tournaments it'd be a lovely story but it's fitting in and having county cricket and you can't do it in the winter unless you went off to the, we can't do that at the moment, Dubai or whatever and play there.

49:19Nas:So the other one obviously is Nepal. We were there for the game in Mumbai and that would be a good thing to do. Go and play. We played a test against Zimbabwe. Those sides that you feel are on the up and I feel Zimbabwe cricket is on the up and needs some help. So there's an area if you need to get on your up. Nepal is definitely on the up.

49:41Ath:Sending a Lions team to Nepal, I'm not sure. I think that's the right thing.

49:46Nas:Sometimes you just ask yourself, is it the right thing to do? And I think that would be the right thing to do.

49:53Ath:Kathmandu, here we come. Rohan Prabhadesai says, if you could bring a former player into the current England team, who would it be? Of recent players, I'd go Graham Swan, actually. I think England, if you could say now, give us a spin bowler who can be in this team for 10 years and be absolutely top class. I think that's what they might take now. And therefore, of recently retired players, he might be the one that I'd take.

50:24Nas:Well, the other area they're obviously missing is an opening batter. So I'm going to go for someone I get on really well with. I've played a lot of cricket with.

50:33Ath:Many of those, by the way.

50:34Nas:We do a lot of work together. He's my old mate, so I'm going to go with Graham Gooch, not Michael Affleck. Graham Gooch, I mean, he was one of the greatest players I've ever played with. Loved playing for England. So they need an open up, bring back Goochie.

50:57Ath:James Ashby, a bit of kind of nostalgia here. If you could relive an over batting match, winning, spectating or commentating, which would it be? and why I think I would take myself off to Sabina Park, 1986, when Patrick Patterson was bowling. I'd quite like to be commentating on that particular day, I think. West Indies, was it 1986? I think it was. Brilliant, right at the top of their game, mid-80s, passionate crowd, full house, Sabina Park, and Gucci, who you mentioned just now, said that was the fastest bowling that he ever faced. He said it was the only time that he was slightly fearful that he might get hit and hurt and not have a lot that he could have done about it.

51:46Ath:So I might take myself off to that day. I think it would have been thrilling cricket to watch.

51:50Nas:I could relive one, I would say, the Stokes day at Headingley. I cannot still believe that England won that game from that situation. So maybe take, thankfully for the viewers, take myself out of the commentary box and go and sit in the Western Terrace. And that scene at the end when Stokes cut away, cuts it for four and the Western Terrace just erupts to be in that Western Terrace and watch that day of Stokes and Leach. Obviously, I think I'd like to do that. But as a cricketer, I would say maybe just another session of shame. our old mate Warren. I feel a bit nostalgic talking about it, but I don't know if he was just so special just to have another session of batting.

52:38Nas:I wouldn't last a session, but just watching Shane go through his magic again would be brilliant.

52:45Ath:Final question, Jake Adam, what were your bleep test scores, Lance? You were better than me.

52:53Nas:Before your glass back and you went in the back, you were a lot fitter than me. So I was worse than you. I was mid-table mediocrity. We shouldn't name names here, but the best ones were Nick Knight was about as fit as they come. Dermot Reeve, from what I remember. Graham Hick was like a machine. They were the elite. Then there was the likes of you, Chris Lewis. There was some real, well, I was going to say really good athletes, but I've not got you in that sentence. And then there was mid-table mediocrity like me. I'm not going to name the old song.

53:29Ath:Actually, you know, what I remember is, I can't remember which tour it was, but the minimum requirement was 14. You had to get past 14, which I don't think is, I think it was, they don't do bleep tests now. They do a slightly different variation of it, but I think 14 was quite a reasonable effort. But people always look back and think that we weren't very fit when we played. I don't think that's actually true. I think what's changed, I think we were kind of aerobically pretty fit in terms of running, but the weights, that's where it's changed. The physique of cricketers now, particularly batters, is totally different to how it was.

54:12Ath:I mean, we did weights, but it wasn't a big part of your routine. And now, of course, with the six hitting and the requirement to whack the ball over the rope in T20, I think that is what has changed. I would imagine aerobically we're not far apart, but in terms of strength and conditioning and, you know, the power, that's where it's coming in.

54:37Nas:It was coming in, we were in the gym, and I was like on the treadmill doing like six or whatever, walking up here like you did, and Callis and Boucher came in, and Callis and Boucher were lifting massive weights in the gym. And I was like, what are they doing weights for? and it was just coming in around about then. So, yeah, the fitness level, I mean, nowadays when you walk around the pool and the England team is staying in the same hotel and they get their shirts off, they are absolutely chiseled. And, you know, it is a game, something that was mentioned about the Ashes, that maybe one or two weren't as fit as they needed to be.

55:12Nas:You're playing professional cricket for your professional sport, for your country, and you need to be as fit as you can be. and hats off to most of them are.

55:24Ath:Grand. Well, that's questions this week. Thanks very much. We obviously managed to get through all of them and we haven't included all of them, but we are grateful for those who took the time out to ask the questions. It's something we do maybe once or twice a year, but it's always enjoyable to get a sense of what you're thinking and to give a response to it. Hopefully, our work experience producer will come up with a decent idea for next week. so we don't have to scrape the barrel again. I'm nipping to Hove, actually, Friday to watch a bit more championship cricket, which will be fun because I think we've got two or three days of good weather coming.

56:03Ath:And then we're doing a championship game, aren't we? It's Essex-Surrey, not the following week, but the week after that. So that'll be the fourth round of county games, by which time we should have a pretty good idea of which sides are looking strong for the summer and which players are really knocking on the selector's door. So I think it's a really interesting month ahead.

56:27Nas:Essex, we've got Somerset at home. I might pop in because I saw your article on Somerset. You really milked those Somerset members. They all love you now. So I'm going to go and put them right about the real Michael Atherton. Good.

56:40Ath:Good to see you. We'll catch up next week.

56:43Nas:See you.

56:47you