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It's a new era for India with Smriti Mandhana replacing Harmanpreet Kaur as captain. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss Harmanpreet’s legacy and if Smriti is the right person for the role? New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson joins the programme as he relaunches a fast bowling challenge that discovered his skills 18 years ago. He hopes the competition can unearth new talent for the Black Caps and White Ferns. Plus Australia are in South Africa for the first time since the “sandpapergate” scandal which rocked international cricket in 2018. All eyes will be on Steve Smith, who was sent home from that tour and stripped of the captaincy. What does his return to South Africa mean, and will the past still cast a shadow over this series? Photo: Harmanpreet Kaur of India celebrates with the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup trophy alongside team mate Harleen Deol after her team's victory in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup India 2025 Final match between India and South Africa at Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy on November 02, 2025 in Navi Mumbai, India. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta discuss what the future could hold for West Indies cricket after the board announced a series of cost-cutting measures. International players face a 25% cut in retainer fees, and the men’s Super50 and women's T20 Blaze competitions have been suspended. Journalist and commentator Fazeer Mohammed explains the problems have been years in the making. The team also debate if India’s Virat Kohli is the best men’s white ball batter of all time. He recently extended his record of ODI centuries to 55 and is the second player, after Sachin Tendulkar, to score 15,000 runs in 50-over cricket but did it quicker than the 'little master. Plus, there have been hundreds of centuries scored at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, but it's now witnessed a very different kind of 100. The outfield was used for a challenge to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and to shine a spotlight on dementia by walking 100 laps. It was the idea of ECB Chair and ICC Board member Richard Thompson whose dad died from the condition. Alison caught up with him as they did the challenge. Photo: Keacy Carty of West Indies with John Campbell of West Indies during the 2nd one day international (ODI) cricket match between India and West Indies at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, India, on September 30, 2026. (Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma look back at Mark Wood’s England career and discuss the toll fast bowling can take on the body. The World Cup and Ashes winner has retired from international cricket, saying “the England dream has slowly been ground out of me over the last year”. IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings have appointed former Indian bowler Zaheer Khan as their head coach on a one-year deal. He succeeds Stephen Fleming, who is now the coach of England’s Test team. Charu isn’t convinced it’s the right call for one of the most successful teams in IPL history, and what does this mean for MS Dhoni's role in the team? Plus, what do you do if your kit doesn’t fit you? Design your own of course. That’s exactly what sisters Cat and Honor Black have done. Fed up with wearing gear that wasn’t made for them, they’ve launched their own brand exclusively for women and girls. They tell Stumped about their journey. Photo: England's Mark Wood celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia's Usman Khawaja on day three of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester, England on July 21, 2023. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Will Steve Smith feature in the 2027 Ashes? The Aussie legend has hinted that he might not play in the next Ashes series because he’s "in kind of a series-by-series proposition". Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma examine the impact this could have on the Aussie batting line up and whether he’s considered as one of the of the greats of the game, despite not winning the urn away from home? Former South Africa captain Dean Elgar tells Stumped he’s “over cricket now”. The left-hander played 86 Test matches and scored 14 centuries for the Proteas. He says it’s the “right time” to step away from the game at the end of the County Championship season in England. He also reflects on ‘sandpapergate’ and his time leading his country. Plus, things go from bad to worse for Pakistan as they were docked 11 World Test Championship points due to a slow over rate during the Edgbaston Test. They now sit at the bottom the table – where do they go from here? Photo:  Steve Smith of Australia leads the team onto the field during day four of the Second 2025/26 Ashes Series Test Match between Australia and England at The Gabba on December 07, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. (Credit: Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

India’s Smriti Mandhana continues to rewrite the record books. She’s now the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and holds the record for the most international centuries. Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Clint Wheeldon discuss whether the left-hander is the greatest women’s batter of all time? England have appointed Kevin Pietersen as a specialist mentor for their white-ball set-up. The former Ashes winner will begin his role with the upcoming T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka. Sunil and Clint believe he can help England challenge for the 2027 ICC World Cup. Plus, Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji joins Stumped to discuss their plans to host a T20 international against India. The historic fixture will be the first time Japan’s men have faced India and will also launch celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Photo: Smriti Mandhana of India warms up prior to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group A match between South Africa and India at Old Trafford Cricket Ground on June 21, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Credit: ICC via Getty Images)

Former Pakistan leg-spinner and current Bangladesh spin coach, Mushtaq Ahmed, tells Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta that he’d love to work with Pakistan again in the future and gives his thoughts on the current instability in the nation’s national team. He believes Pakistan should remain calm and not make any rash decisions after they sent home seven players including two coaches after the second Test defeat against England at Lord’s. He also says Bangladesh deserve the right to play more red ball cricket after their 1-1 draw in Australia. Marnus Labugchagne has been left out of the recent Australia's ODI squad to face Zimbabwe and South Africa. The trio discuss if this marks the beginning of the end of Labuschagne's international career? Plus, Cricket is played all around the world, from the gullies of Lahore, to the back yards of Australia and the Maidan’s of India. It's also played in many unusual places like in Solent, England, on the Bramble Bank that appears only once a year! Alison went to find out more. Photo: Ali Usman of Pakistan is bowled by Jofra Archer during the second day of the second Rothesay Test match between England and Pakistan at Lord's Cricket Ground on August 28, 2026 in London, England. (Credit: Getty Images)

Cricket isn't short of big rivalries. We can now add another one to the list - Vicars versus Imams! We hear from players from both teams about the mini series which has been going on for almost a decade in Lancashire, England. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Sunil Gupta also reflect on Australia's comfortable win over Bangladesh as the Test series ended in a 1-1 draw. For the third time in the last seven matches, a Test in Australia finished inside two days, is this becoming an issue for the sport? Plus, the team react to Joe Root's comments after yet another off the field incident involving an England player. Eight contracted players have been involved in or present for late-night incidents in the past year. Photo: Lancashire Vicars v Imams Credit: Clive Lawrence

Bangladesh stunned Australia by nine wickets in the first Test at Darwin, a result few saw coming. Nikesh Rughani, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss whether Bangladesh were simply too good, or Australia was below par. Jim, however, sees no reason to panic and believes the Aussies will bounce back in the second Test. Plus, former South African batter and Rotterdam Dockers co-owner Jonty Rhodes joins Stumped to discuss the new European T20 Premier League, which gets underway next week. Featuring six franchise-based city teams across the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland, Jonty says the new venture can play a major role in helping cricket grow across Europe. Photo: Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh celebrates with team mates after dismissing Steve Smith of Australia during day three of the First Test Match in the series between Australia and Bangladesh at Marrara Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Darwin, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Scotland and Netherlands say the ICC’s plans to shrink the men’s 2027 Cricket World Cup to 12 teams will make it harder for associate nations to qualify. Alison Mitchell, Charu Sharma and Brett Sprigg discuss the impact this will have on the sport. Three Test series get underway this week with Bangladesh in Australia, India travel to Sri Lanka and England host Pakistan. Brett says the Tigers deserve their chance to play against Australia and Charu believes spin will play a big role in the sub-continent if the monsoon rains stay away. Meanwhile, Alison can’t pick a clear favourite in the England v Pakistan series. And move over Cristiano Ronaldo, Madeira and Portugal has a new sporting icon. We hear from Moises Henriques on why he swapped the Aussie gold and green for Portugal’s red and green as he hopes to get them qualified for the next T20 World Cup. Photo: BANGALORE, INDIA - NOVEMBER 12: Roelof van der Merwe of Netherlands reacts during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between India and Netherlands at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Bangalore, India. (Photo by Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) HOBART, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 14: Matt Machan of Scotland looks dejected after being dismissed by Pat Cummins of Australia during the 2015 Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Scotland at Bellerive Oval on March 14, 2015 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Smriti Mandhana joins Stumped to discuss India's strong dressing room culture and the supportive environment that has helped shape the team's success. The elegant left-hander also reflects on winning the 2025 Cricket World Cup and on playing in the historic Test match at Lord’s and in The Hundred. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma reflect on her remarkable impact and discuss what India must do to consistently challenge the world's best sides. The team also debates whether Joe Root is the right person to captain England after Ben Stokes revealed concerns about the toll the role could take on him, while insisting he wishes Root nothing but success. Plus, Charu has some advice for Babar Azam following Pakistan’s 1-1 series draw with West Indies. He wants the Pakistan skipper to relax and enjoy his leadership ahead of facing England later this month. Photo: Smriti Mandhana of Manchester Super Giants Women bats during The Hundred match between Manchester Super Giants Women and Welsh Fire Women at Emirates Old Trafford on August 05, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Joe Prior/Getty Images)

Eleanor Oldroyd, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma react to the news that England have appointed Stephen Fleming as their new Test coach with Joe Root returning as skipper. Charu feels he could be a calming influence, while Jim believes it doesn’t matter that England have appointed another coach from overseas. It’s the first time Fleming has taken charge of a red ball team after having success in franchise cricket, winning IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings. England legend and World Cup winner, Heather Knight, tells Stumped about her new role with London Spirit and says she intends to continue playing franchise cricket. Plus, could we see cricket at the Commonwealth Games in 2030? It’s under consideration to be included and Jim and Charu have differing views on the impact it could make Photo: Texas Super Kings Head Coach Stephen Fleming is seen prior to the Major League Cricket match between Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom on Wednesday July 02, 2025 at Central Broward Regional Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Credit: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

West Indies fast bowling legend Ian Bishop tells Stumped that Sir Garfield Sobers transcended the game and stands alongside sporting icons like Pele, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Sir Gary died at the age of 89 and was regarded as one of the sport’s greatest ever players. Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss his legacy and share their memories of meeting him. Plus - would you like to see a one-off Test match between England and Australia in India? Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg says the two oldest rivals in the sport could possibly play each other in the sub-continent. The Stumped team share their thoughts on the idea. Photo:Former West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers during net practice at Kensington Oval on January 19, 2019 in Bridgetown, Barbados. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Premier League winner Christian Fuchs tells Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma about his new love for cricket, hitting sixes into the river Derwent and sledging. The former Leicester City and Austria defender has signed up for his village team Grindleford CC in Derbyshire and is enjoying the switch to a new sport. Is the "Bazball" era coming to an end as Brendon McCullum is sacked as England men’s Test coach? He's apologised for results under his leadership but will remain in charge of the white ball sides till the end of next year's 50-over World Cup. The trio discuss the potential contenders to take over the role. And some good news for Afghanistan women's refugee cricketers who have had their funding extended by the ICC. It’s hoped the support will help the team towards development for ICC qualification events by 2030. Clare Connor, the Managing Director of England Women, tells Stumped what this means for the team. Photo:Christian Fuchs of Leicester City kisses the Premier League Trophy as players and staffs celebrate the season champions after the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton at The King Power Stadium on May 7, 2016 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has set another record by becoming the youngest ever player to play for India. He was just 15 years and 99 days old when he took to the field in India's second T20 of their ongoing series against England, breaking the long held record of Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut in a Test against Pakistan aged 16 years and 205 days in 1989. Alison Mitchell, Sunil Gupta and Brett Sprigg discuss whether he’s living up to the hype. Australia won their record extending seventh Women’s T20 World Cup, beating England at Lord’s by 7 wickets. The tournament was the biggest to date with 12 teams competing. The trio reflect on the competition and ask what makes the Aussies so good? Plus, history is being made at Lord’s as it hosts its first every Women’s Test match between England and India. Fast bowler Lauren Filer tells us what the occasion means for the women’s game. Photo: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of India during the 2nd Vitality IT20 match between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford on July 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Credit: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma discuss what’s next for England’s Test team following Ben Stokes shock retirement. Who will take the armband, how will Stokes international career be remembered and is it the end for ‘Bazball’? Making it as a professional in one sport is impressive enough but to do it in two is pretty special! That's exactly what 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett has done after he made his pro debut in Baseball for the Oakland Ballers. Known for his fast bowling, Liam tells Stumped about his curve ball a strike out in his first game! Plus, we hear from former Ireland captain Alan Lewis about a historic weekend for Irish cricket as the men beat India 2-0 for the first time in a T20 series and the women, led by Alan’s daughter Gaby, registered their first ever Women’s T20 World Cup victory. Photo: Ben Stokes, captain of England, leaves the field at the tea interval, having announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of the current Test Match during day four of the 3rd Rothesay Test Match between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge on June 28, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Credit: Getty Images)