The Emerging Cricket Podcast

Tim, Nick and Bes return to wrap a busy week of Emerging Cricket news, with international cricket for the Irish and Scottish Women's teams close after locking in La Manga to host a sun-kissed series in Spain. Elsewhere the Dutch women's team are looking for a coach, and we discuss the recruitment processes of several countries around the world after changes in the USA and Nepal. The trio look at Switzerland's ICC membership aspirations and Bes wraps news around the world.

On this week's show Bes, Tim and Nick look into the USA's plans for Full Membership and discuss the prospects of the game in the country, and look to the ICC Chairman race as Imran Khwaja goes head to head with New Zealand's Greg Barclay. Cricket is back in Hong Kong, the Lanka Premier League draft sees several emerging players picked, and who was the Romanian to break a World Record this week?

This week we start with some exciting news out of Thailand, as Natthakan Chantham is selected for the Trailblazers in the Women's IPL Challenge (3:05). We also look into the political machinations around the ICC Chair position, and the potential candidacy of Singapore's Imran Khwaja (10:40). Bes has a news roundup (17:20), then it's time for the second half of our interview with former Hong Kong star Anshy Rath (16:10). Topics include notoriety from the famous HK match against India, the mental toughness he acquired through playing Associate cricket, the current situation with Indian domestic cricket, and his assessment of his progress. We also relive one of Anshy's worst moments on the cricket field, when he was taken for 36 off a single over in the final of the Everest Premier League (), as well as hearing his thoughts on a law change.

Anshy Rath makes another appearance on the pod, a year after he announced his plans to move to India to pursue his career in cricket. In part one (part two next week) Anshy outlines his goals for Vidarbha, IPL and beyond, reflects on struggles for Associate cricketers and underlines the problems surrounding franchise cricket.

Tim joins Jarrod Kimber in a special crossover episode to discuss the problems surrounding T20 leagues in both the Associate and Full Member worlds. Tim draws on his experiences in Hong Kong and the creation of the Hong Kong T20 Blitz, a tournament lauded for its professionalism.

The show starts this week with a reflection on the life of Australian great Dean Jones, and his contributions to the emerging game (0:50). The team discuss Nepal's new male and female contract system (7:15), and Bes gives us a news roundup (15:00). 

We speak again to ICC head of global development Will Glenwright, starting with a conversation about expats, team composition and eligibility criteria (16:30). We also hear from Will about some of his favourite development stories (21:30), the ICC's role in growing cricket to non-members (27:50), the successful pitch education programme in Nigeria () as well as the place of pitches and facilities in growing the game in other areas (31:45). Will also explains the ICC's approach of prioritising the T20 format in emerging nations (36:25), then shares his favourite cricketing venues in the emerging world (38:20), and of course tells us which law he'd like to see change (43:30).

We pick up on our chat with Jonty Rhodes and Benn Harradine (13:00) to discuss Sweden's plans for cricket, the game's power for people in a new home, cricket's Olympic potential and how Full Members can help the emerging game.

Before part two, the boys discuss Ali Khan's move to the IPL, action in Malaysia, Lalit Bhandari's accident in Nepal and other news in the Associate World!

This. Is. HUGE. South African great Jonty Rhodes is moving to Sweden and bringing all his experience with him! We sit down with the man himself, as well as Swedish Cricket Federation Performance Director and Australian Discus champion, Benn Harradine, to discuss the decision in Part 1 of our exclusive.

Bes starts the show with a news wrap-up (1:00), before jumping into our chat (1:50). Jonty starts by explaining the motivations and logistics behind his relocation (4:20), then we hear from Benn as he talks about his own journey to Sweden (4:20), as well as some of his personal story as an athlete and an indigenous Australian (9:20). Benn also explains his role with the SCF and the exciting growth of club cricket in Sweden (17:46). Jonty then discusses his philosophy as a coach, and what he hopes to do on the ground in Sweden (21:29), as well as some of his background in cricket and how it shaped his interest in development work (24:40). We also look back on some of the more obscure moments in Jonty's career with South Africa (27:44), and of course the fielding brilliance which made his name (29:53). Benn then rounds out the show with a chat about SCF's task of communicating the game to Swedes (37:47), the school and club pathway (41:48), and the impact of ECL participation on the game in Sweden (46:13)

Action all over the world this week, starting with Belgium overcoming the Czechs and Luxembourg (4:30) as well as the ever-important chat around stats and status nonsense (7:45) with rants inbound! We chat PNG domestic action (13:10), Sandeep, the Bryce sisters and other emerging stars in T20 Franchise action (17:40), and a new stadium initiative in the Maldives with the assistance of the Indian Government (30:45). News wrap at 41:17 including new job postings in Nepal and Rod Lyall's Dutch wrap!