Batta Fast

00:00 Introduction to the Q&A Session01:09 Who was the best Test player in every decade from the '50s onwards?16:30 What will happen with the PCB, ICC and the BCCI in the Champions Trophy?34:06 Which bowlers should make the squad for the SA tour? 37:59 What are the pop-culture implications of 1987-era Imran Khan being present today and dating Taylor Swift?47:40 Did the recent series wins hide deeper structural problems in the men's team?51:12 How much do individuals end up influencing bilateral cricket relations between India and Pakistan?57:02 Players you thought would be great but weren't/Thoughts on Umar Akmal1:00:15 Lovely anecdote about Osman and Bob Woolmer1:04:30 Does Afridi still make the 21st century Pak Test XI as an opener?1:05:07 Who should be in Pak men's T20 squad?Follow us on Youtube!

00:00 CONGRATES TO PACE LOVERS05:48 Seeing Pakistan cricket as a work of art rather than sport08:54 Haris Rauf: Pace is Pace Yaar11:59 The Game Changing Impact of Tape Ball Cricket21:20 Pakistan’s pacers rediscovering their groove22:58 Demythologising the Mighty 90s25:10 Saim Ayub and the Saeed Anwar comparisons37:42 Rizwan's Captaincy: A New Perspective47:39 Political Ramifications of the Champions Trophy01:01:27 The Future of ICC DynamicsFollow us on Youtube!

Recently paroled con artist Aqib Javed is traveling around the country gathering people for his next big scheme: to rob three Tests owned by the ever ruthless English cricket team. With the aid of a right hand man named Aleem Dar, an umpire out of retirement, a Shani, a boundary dealer, a bald offie, a smooth leftie, an explosives expert, two failing openers, and a bitter casino mogul, they make up Aqib's Eleven, out to make one very big score.00:00 Celebrating an Unbelievable Victory03:10 The Context of Pakistan's Test drought06:07 The Rise of Unsung Heroes - Sajid and Noman12:01 The Importance of Unpredictability 14:53 How to explain Haal20:54 The Randomness of this duo working out24:02 Is Pakistan Cricket Embarrassed of Home Advantage?34:14 Aleem Dar's Insights 36:43 Why this series was basically Ocean's 11 with Aqib as Clooney and Aleem Dar as Brad Pitt38:31 Saud Shaqeel's Remarkable Innings40:53 Rizwan's Exceptional Keeping Skills44:52 Traditional Test Cricket vs. Bazball, Rohitball etc49:47 Can Pakistan make this their new formula for home tests?01:00:38 Why home advantage mattersFollow us on Youtube!

Iss haftay hum ne episode mei title baad mei likha hai.00:00 Introduction and Match Preview02:55 Pindi pitch and the toss06:01 Gillespie ka GOAT quote14:58 Plot twist - the pitch kept lower than it turned17:52 Celebrating Sajid & Noman23:05 The challenges of captaining a 1+3 spin attack31:34 In praise of Jamie Smith40:00 Ranking both team's chances52:50 Plans for SA & WI series and revisionism on pitchesFollow us on Youtube!

Almost 4 years since their last test win at home, Pakistan beat England and give us a long overdue sugar rush.00:00 1348 dino ke baad03:07 Reflections on Pakistan's Win05:56 The Role of Spinners in Pakistan's Victory09:14 Sajid, Noman, Kamran, Salman & Their Contributions12:16 Analyzing Batting Performance18:07 Euphoria vs. Reality in Pakistan Cricket21:02 Critique of Management and Selection committee39:08 Why the Babar Azam dropping decision was a joke43:01 Selection as Surgery/Punishment47:17 Pak obsession with over training instead of specialised49:34 Rizwan's Excellent Keeping 01:03:20 The Dramaybaazi/Main Character Syndrome of modern stars (meant as a compliment)Follow us on Youtube!

00:00 Quick thoughts on the latest debacle05:04 Pakistani Fitness Levels and Performance Discrepancies10:11 Can you change the culture?14:51 Patreon shoutouts and Questions17:15 Famous Sledges and Weird Superstitions26:46 Why do Pak ex-cricketers slag off everyone?39:15 Under the table payments in franchise leagues40:42 The Impact of Salary Caps in Franchise Leagues41:37 Did IK miss out on fame?43:33 Team Misbah vs India46:17 Saudi Influence in Global Cricket48:32 A story on Babar Azam’s origins56:46 The Future of Test Cricket and ICC's Role01:07:55 Memorable non-Pak Cricket MomentsFollow us on Youtube!

In this episode of Bata Fast, we look at three CCs - Champions Cup, Connection Camp and Central Contracts. We also look at the less alliterative England series. 00:00 Introduction and Context of the Podcast03:05 Assad's Call for Positivity in Cricket Commentary09:03 The Nature of Journalism and Reporting11:58 CC Tournament Structure and Its Impact on Performance17:56 The Role of Central Contracts and Player Management27:09 Connection Camp39:00 Central Contracts and how no one understands their purpose53:00 Previewing the England SeriesFollow us on Youtube!

In this episode, we look at the Champions Cup, what's been good about it, and what the cricket has been like. That discussion somehow became a deep dive into Misbah and his unique, nerdy approach to cricket. We then discuss Fatima Sana's strong performance in a patchy but encouraging 1-2 series loss to South Africa, and end with an overdue remembrance of the recently departed Haniya Aslam. 00:00 Introduction to Current Cricket Events02:52 Analysis of the Champions Cup06:13 Performance Insights and Player Evaluations09:04 Tournament Structure and Future Implications19:35 The Misbah segue, and trying to understand his philosophy35:38 Fatima Sana leading Pak vs SA - series review47:20 Remembering Haniya AslamFollow us on Youtube!

First of all, thanks to Saim Salman and Waleed Ahmed.In this v long episode, we try and take every question you guys sent us this past week to celebrate our 5000 subscribers.In addition, here is the link to the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/battafastWe will be doing a monthly version of this for our Patreons, so please do sign up!Follow us on Youtube!

As predicted by us, Pakistan keep hitting new lows as Bangladesh completed a historic sweep. But our focus ended up being on the PCB's absolutely bone-headed decisions, and the existential threat faced by Pakistani cricket. 02:24 Bangladesh's Historic Test Series Win08:16 Impressive Performances by Bangladeshi Bowlers14:13 Questioning Pakistan's Leadership and Selection Decisions19:09 Concerns about Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi22:39 The Need for Strong Incentives for Test Cricket27:12 The Lack of Recognition for Test Cricket30:17 PCB's shenanigans with the Mentors32:30 Unsustainable Financial Decisions and Neglect of the PSL43:22 Imbalance Between Domestic and International Cricket52:08 Mistreatment of Players and Lack of Player Development59:36 Need for Better Governance and InvestmentFollow us on Youtube!

We took a few days after the event to record this, which means we aren't at the fire and brimstone stage everyone else might be. We congratulate Bangladesh on a magnificent win, and lay out our causes for the defeat.01:04 Bangladesh's Impressive Win Against Pakistan08:44 Pakistan's Poor Performance and Team Selection14:47 Flaws in the World Test Championship Ranking System21:41 Issues with Pakistan's Pitch Preparation and Workload Management33:05 Mistreatment of Players and Lack of Support42:42 The Pressure on Shan’s Captaincy52:48 The Impact of Rhythm and Schedule on Player Performance01:02:33 The Need for Changes in the Team and Board01:05:31 Predicting the Outcome of the Next Test MatchFollow us on Youtube!

"He is the first splash on a blank canvas, the first flick of a torchlight into the abyss. If ever an athletics legacy will be built - though don't hold your breath - it will start with him."From Osman's article: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40801739/paris-olympics-2024-pakistan-gold-medal-javelin-all-hail-improbable-arshad-nadeem-first-maybe-last-kindWe try our best to capture the unprecedented nature of Arshad Nadeem's Olympic record shattering moment.0:00 Arshad Nadeem's Gold medal - Pakistan's greatest sporting achievement?5:24 Overcoming obstacles - Arshad's remarkable journey9:20 Ya Ali and the folk-hero15:07 The institutional obstacles for Pakistnai athletes20:49 Earning money in non-traditional careers in Pakistan27:50 India's sporting industrial complex40:00  The realities Arshad deals with43:30 The world's reactions48:50 The magic of the Olympics51:00 The magical last throwFollow us on Youtube!

We are back with a new episode and no new news or matches. So we just sit and cry about the PCB. Enjoy!0:00 The Upcoming mega season of Pakistan cricket3:10 Shan Masood's captaincy and Naseem's return7:00 The NOC brouhaha and the future of the PSL15:27 The potential of tapeball cricket20:00 Frustration with existing PCB management28:40 Mohsin Naqvi's multiple roles41:48 Why tapeball offers self-sustainability46:30 Shaheen's future and his mistreatment 53:00 Wiki's back babyFollow us on Youtube!

Welcome to the batting sibling of our great Pakistani pace spells series! We start off with a canonical entry, Inzi's starmaking turn at the '92 World Cup semifinal.0:00 Intro03:45 Inzi's iconic innings08:36 Context for this match15:45 Jonty's runout that made fielding a genuine skill22:07 Inzi in cluth moments28:50 The 1992 World Cup and the birth of modern cricket37:50 How Inzi broke NZ's foolproof bowling 44:55 How this innings defined his reputationFollow us on Youtube!

Finally, the Indian team wins an ICC event after having dominated the world game for so long. We give the team their flowers, marvel at the way Bumrah has silenced all doubters, do the blasphemy of comparing him to Wasim, and consider the tactics and choking allegations from a fantastic final.Follow us on Youtube!

We can't stop gushing over Afghanistan's wonderful run to the semifinals, including a reflection on Mohammad Nabi's Hall of Fame career, and the greatest injury in cricket history.1:00 Reviewing the group stages and celebrating Afghanistan's magical run6:30 Gulbadin's magnificent, iconic injury10:30 Afghanistan's winning tactics14:00Mohammad Nabi's GOAT career32:00 South Africa's atypical run37:00 Previewing the semifinals39:00 Rohit's incredible transformation42:00 Hope for rain-free matches45:00 Expectations for the finalsFollow us on Youtube!

As our period of massive viewcounts (lol) ends before it really began, we review a depressing campaign, outline the many causes for failure, and end up ranking the worst ICC events for the Pakistan's men's team this century.0:30 Batta Fast revenue streams destroyed2:00 Babar's captaincy, the fallout, the tactical issues11:00 Why PSL success hasn't translated for this team18:00 A look at PCB's mystifying selection process22:00 Disastrously unstable era at the PCB24:20 "Even for Pakistan cricket, this is a wild era"36:00 Reviewing this tournament in light of others37:30 Ranking the all-time worst ICC events for Pakistan38:30 2006 Champions Trophy40:30 2007 ODI World Cup44:00 2009 Champions Trophy (the fallout)48:00 2013 Champions Trophy49:00 2015 ODI World Cup51:00 2014 T20 World Cup52:00 2016 T20 World Cup55:00 2023 ODI World Cup59:00 Final RankingsFollow us on Youtube!

What a delightfully horrible way to lose to India. We discuss the causes of the defeat, Pakistan's stagnant development, the clusterf**k that is the PCB, and India's own batting woes.0:00 Intro and why Pakistan lost3:30 Has Pakistan's core stagnated?14:00 Why Pakistan's batting is not fit for purpose25:15 How the bowlers have evolved more than batters36:16 From Wahab to Mohsin, a collection of unserious people44:30 India's batting struggles in T20 World Cups52:10 The professional athlete's constant need to improveFollow us on Youtube!

We get very excited about the upcoming T20 World Cup, including a chance to see a whole bunch of associate sides, new stars to emerge, and for good/bad mojo to decide the tournament.0:00 The boredom of creating content vs the excitement for the World Cup11:00 Unique stories from the associate sides and potential for upsets25:00 Pakistan, West Indies & Sri Lanka - Aar ya Paar sides28:00 How India's conservatism holds them back35:00 Ugh, Australia45:00 England's X-factors - Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer in the Caribbean50:00 Recapping Pakistan's squad, and charting their possible route to a title58:00 Semifinal predictionsFollow us on Youtube!

A discussion about #PAKvIRE became a long debate on what tactics should one look at in T20s, how Pakistan batting first and batting second are different teams, and what a bowler like Amir and a format like tapeball teaches us about the future of T20 cricket. Trust us, you will find this boring af.0:00 Intro02:00 The challenges of setting a target in T20s07:30 Why T20Is are not the apex of the format13:00 Understanding the value of runs and wickets in T20s30:00 Mohammad Amir's vegetarian bowling40:00 Rethinking what to value in T20 bowling and batting45:00 Gary Kirsten on 'liberating' Babar Azam's battingFollow us on Youtube!