Show Notes
Australia's Test series against South Africa is just around the corner, so Menners and Damian Watson get stuck into the rivalry, the state of Australia's white-ball cricket and, inevitably, the ghosts of Sandpapergate.
Australia has already lost the ODI series, raising questions about the middle order, Pat Cummins' captaincy and who can fill the Glenn Maxwell-shaped gaps in the side. Jack Edwards' breakout performance and Sam Harper's push for Test selection also get plenty of attention.
There's also plenty happening off the field, with Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird stepping down amid the ongoing Big Bash privatisation saga, while the boys discuss the future of the BBL and whether fans are at risk of losing the identity of their teams.
And then it's back to 2018. Menners reflects on covering Sandpapergate at the time, the toxic atmosphere surrounding that South Africa series, Steve Smith's emotional press conference and how the scandal changed Australian cricket forever.
Key moments:
(04:55) Why Australia-South Africa is still such a fierce rivalry(08:48) Jack Edwards' breakout performance and Australia's ODI middle-order problem(13:20) Australia's World Cup concerns and the Pat Cummins captaincy question(15:12) Could Mitch Marsh really return to Test cricket?(20:00) Mike Baird steps down as Cricket Australia chairman(26:38) Is Big Bash privatisation threatening the identity of the teams?(33:00) Why Sandpapergate became such a boiling-point moment(43:42) Menners remembers covering Sandpapergate and Steve Smith's emotional return
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Founder Andrew Menczel. The first episode aired August 2013.
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