13 MAR 2024 · In a recent podcast , I interviewed former Scotland international cricketer Qasim Sheikh, He has represented Scotland on many occasions, including the ICC World Twenty20 Championships in South Africa (2007) and England (2009).  he also hosts a show named Sheikhy's Sports Journeys & Life on the Ground Pod, where he interviews lots of sports personalities. Topics- - Discussion on Scottish cricket setup, including ground issues and financial structure. - Racism in cricket and how the ICC could support associate nations. - Sustainability of test matches, including thoughts on four-day test cricket. - Sheikh's Insights on mental health issues faced by athletes at all levels, from juniors to international players. - Emphasis on the importance of addressing stress, anxiety, and performance issues in athletes. - Advocacy for increased awareness and discussion of mental health challenges in sports. - Recognition of the need for greater support systems for athletes' mental well-being. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAtkloFPRES99R2EYWczBnw - Sheikhy’s Sports Journeys & Life on the Ground Pod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

4 MAR 2024 · Topics covered : - West Indies selectors - West Indies selection policies - Performances in the test format - Reasons behind the inability to enforce a reservation system with the collaboration of different Caribbean islands. - Areas where teams like India and South Africa are lacking - Analysis of how the pitch is expected to play in the West Indies during the upcoming T20 World Cup. - Expectations from the Caribbean team in the tournament Introduction So, when I was starting my audio chat show, I took lots of inspiration from different top-notch shows around the globe. Honestly, if you ask any chat show host, they have a list of dream guests whom they want to bring on the show, and I am no different in this case. I have a dream bucket list of guests, and there is a reason: they are my experts. They know better than me, and understanding them, the mechanism is going to nurture me and my listeners' knowledge in many ways. - So, today, I am sure you saw that logo, which is already clear for lots of listeners that I did a podcast with the Caribbean cricket podcast host, Machel St. Patrick Hewitt. I am sure every cricket fan around must have heard this name, and why not? Caribbean cricket podcast is something that I looked up to, and his podcast actually, in the true sense, encouraged me to start my own. So, why is he here today? Well, lots of reasons. First, I am lucky that he came to my show. Secondly, we are here to discuss the Caribbean way of playing cricket, their selection process, the West Indies team in the past, and how they were different than now. Is West Indies the true dark horse for this T20 World Cup? Hmm, okay, I'll stop my commentary and listen to what Machel is talking. ⁠Caribbean Cricket Podcast⁠ - https://open.spotify.com/show/2vseYQXRRe614G84eNydM7 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

28 FEB 2024 · Topics Covered : Australian Open 2024 Novak Djokovic & Nick Kyrgios Future Aryna Sabalenka Playing Style Indian Tennis Culture Sports Betting In Australia Introduction: As I said earlier in my previous podcasts,  that there's nothing better than pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, learning from the experts, and earning their opinion. So, growing up, two sports to which I was really drawn were cricket, obviously, and tennis then. Maybe it's because my father likes the game and we play it every now and then, or maybe it's because this is the game that has lots and lots of lessons. I'm sure a lot of people look up to Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and in the past, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, among others. I look up to them for their work ethics and their joy for playing. So, for me, today's podcast, which I recorded with Christian, was a joy in many ways. He recently covered the Australian Open, attending lots of press conferences, which I'm sure was a joyful moment for him. Christian Monetgan, who is associated with The First Serve and The Inner Sanctum as a sports journalist covering many sports, as I said, got the privilege to cover the Australian Open. So ,Dive into this conversation, and I'm sure you'll have the privilege of getting to know athletes a little more deeply, which Chris is sharing with us. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

25 FEB 2024 · Topics Covered : Sports Gambling Sports Corruption T20 World Cup 2024 How Kieron Pollard could help the England team as a batting consultant? etc.... Introduction - So, when I started recording the conversation with Enrique, I said to him, 'Why not just discuss everything?' It's a fact that in this whole conversation, we discussed almost everything which could favor sports lovers around the globe. And why not? I mean, we discussed lots of topics, such as sports immigrants and their contributions. We shared our thoughts on sports gambling and why it is illegal in India, and how lottery money helped the England rowing team. We also had a discussion on West Indies and Indian cricket, as Enrique thinks that West Indies is a slightly underrated team in world cricket, and India is overrated. Ahh, subjective, right? And nothing better than earning opinions from around the globe. So, without wasting time, Enrique, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, the place of Brian Lara, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, he is working as a freelance sports journalist, having an exotic family background. I'm sure you are going to like this one or our conversation. So Check it out. Now --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

22 FEB 2024 · Introduction: Covering - Jamaican Cricket Unequal distribution of facilities in sports Jamaican PremierLeague Well, sometimes there's nothing better than expanding your horizons. That's what today's lesson is all about. Sometimes it's better to love your sport but also appreciate other sports as well. There's so much to learn and so many experiences to gain. That's what I did. Today's guest on my show is Gregory Bryce, a Sports Journalist at The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited. When I was reading about Greg's work, the idea struck me: why not expand the boundaries and listen to those sports journalists who bring value? Yes, we cover cricket because it's something I've always loved, but sometimes others can add value. Gregory did just that, covering the Jamaican Premier League and speaking to track and field coaches who are suffering due to a lack of support. Why are you listening to me? It's not a monologue, don't worry. Let's welcome Gregory to the show. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

19 FEB 2024 · I have a bucket list as a sports podcaster, and one of the items on it is to explore a few regions that have always attracted me since I was a kid. One of these regions is the West Indies or the Caribbean. I'm sure people who love reading cricket history know about the legendary West Indies team, from Vivian Richards to the Whispering Death, Michael Holding, and Courtney Walsh. In the last two decades, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell. well, the list goes on. Here's a fact that few people may know,West Indies is not a country, it's a group of beautiful islands, each with its own traditions of producing fantastic players. Just out of curiosity, or maybe because I was craving deeper knowledge about West Indies cricket, it is a privilege for me to have interviewed Jerome Foster. Jerome is from Jamaica and was awardee of Jamaica Sports Journalist of the Year in 2022. currently working as a Sports Reporter/Producer at Television Jamaica. For me personally, it was also a very insightful conversation that we had, from cricket to interviewing skills techniques. We discussed almost all the main aspects of how Jamaica cricket works and how any Caribbean youth can get into the international team, West Indies' chances in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, and Shamar Joseph's future. We talked about why West Indies cricket suffered, especially in the last few years, not only this, but we also discussed our mutual favorites Courtney Walsh, Sir Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara. Enough said, the conversation was quite deeper than just superficial, so make sure to check out the podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

10 FEB 2024 · You know, there is something about South Africa - their culture, their hospitality, everything. Everyone knows the contribution of Nelson Mandela to South Africa, but what a lot of people don't know is that he was the biggest sports lover. From rugby to cricket, he once said "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does," and it's a fact that sports always works as a bridge builder. So, I thought, why not just expand the horizon and talk to those amazing people who are living every moment and observing every sporting activity of this beautiful rainbow nation? I was fortunate to host Athenkosi Tsotsi, Athen is a Vodacom Sports Journalist of the Year 2021 awardee, who has done a lot of fascinating work in sports journalism. So, Athen and I had a fascinating conversation covering a lot of things, from cricket to rugby, from rugby sports stars to cricket sports stars, and why athletes stretch their careers. Enough to say, we discussed a lot, so stick with this episode, and I promise you this 1-hour conversation will help you to understand the sporting culture of the rainbow nation. Athenkosi Tsotsi Work Links- https://www.linkedin.com/in/athenkosi-tsotsi-11948417b/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

4 FEB 2024 · Where is Jofra Archer? Is he ready for a comeback? How does the England county structure work? How is England preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup? Will Jos Buttler be the captain for England in white-ball formats? Why is Brendon McCullum not willing to coach the England ODI team? There are a lot of 'how' and 'why' and to answer them all, we have a special guest on Crickees Toby Reynolds. He is a UK sports journalist, podcaster, editor, and cricket nerd, ready for all the bouncers and variations to hit them out of the park. Oh, not only this, we'll also relive the 2019 Ben Stokes innings against Australia. So, just glue yourself to this episode and click the play button. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

25 JAN 2024 · Why do Australians always win knockout games? Why do Australians display a 'never say never' attitude? What is their secret ingredient that consistently produces champion players, from Allan Border's team in 1987, which lifted the trophy for the first time, to Pat Cummins' team, which secured the trophy for the sixth time? What is in the soil of Western Australia that consistently produces cricketing greats like Bruce Reid, Dennis Lillee, Justin Langer, Nathan Lyon, and many others? To answer all these questions, today I am having a conversation with Aussie sports podcaster Regan Spear, who hosts shows called 'Sports Wrap' and co-hosts 'Sunday Debrief Podcast.' I am all set to deliver fiery questions to him, and he is ready to hit all the questions out of the park with his answers. Enjoy the show! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message

20 JAN 2024 · Hey listeners, as a sports podcaster, when you are conducting a lot of interviews and talking to many people, there are a few interviews that always stick with you for a long time. This interview is one of those memorable ones for me. I had a great discussion with Rupayan and Arnav and after the interview, Rupayan texted me, saying, it’s almost like three friends who have known each other for a long time speaking to each other! Rupayan is currently working as an assistant sports editor at Sports Radio America, and Arnav is a Rutgers sports writer in the United States, also working with Sports Radio America. We covered a lot of topics, from the future of bilateral ODI series to the future of Test cricket. We also discussed the ticket situation in America for the World Cup games and how athletes cope with expectations at a higher level. I learned their perspectives on American sports, and there is a lot of interesting stuff we discussed in this interview. Stay glued with us and enjoy the podcast.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yard-battles/message