Episode #6 - WORLD CUP PREVIEW

Join Rash for this World Cup preview episode.

(00:51) -: Rash takes a deeper look at both groups and highlights some players to watch for each country, starting with the teams in Group B, and then onto the teams in Group A.

(02:53) - England preview

(05:32) -: Scotland preview

(07:26) -: West Indies preview

(09:31) -: USA preview

(10:49) -: Zimbabwe preview

(11:56) -: India preview

(13:29) -: New Zealand preview

(17:04) -: Australia preview

(17:58) -: Wales preview

(19:12) -: Pakistan preview

(21:02) -: Sri Lanka preview

(22:03) -: South Africa preview

(23:06) -: Emerging Nations preview

(23:32) -: Canada preview

Rash gets to speak to the England skipper (22:54)  Ed Gordon Lennox, and the England Team Manager (30:55) Paul Bradley to get their thoughts about the World Cup ahead of England's opening fixture against Scotland on Monday 10th August 2026.

Rash also gets the views of Australian skipper (38:22) Peter Judd and Kiwi skipper (51:16) Craig Gibb ahead of their nations respective World Cup opening fixtures.

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IMC Over 60 World Cu...

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WORLD CUP PREVIEW TRANSCRIPT

(00:00) Rash -: Welcome to the podcast dedicated to all things related to England over 60s cricket. These veterans of the game, custodians of its history who carry the game's past, define its present and prove that age is no barrier to brilliance.  Legends of experience, who wear the three Lions with pride  and still very much players to fear.  I'm your host, Rash Mahmood, and this is Willows to Wisdom, where cricket's wisest voices take centre stage.

(00:51) Rash -: Hello again everyone, and thank you for joining me for this bonus episode, and with the Over 60 World Cup just about to start, all things being equal, this episode should air just as I touch down in Toronto, where I will be commentating on the England matches in the group stage, and hopefully, the semi final and final.

In the last World Cup, held in Chennai, India in 2024, it was Australia who were victorious, defeating England in the final, and both those teams will be heavily fancied to progress deep into the tournament once again. But, there are 12 other teams who harbour the same ambitions, so I’ll take a look at the teams competing.

I’ve managed to grab a word with key figures from some of the respective teams to get their thoughts about the tournament, and hopefully give you a steer on who I think are players to watch out for in the 2026 edition of the Over 60 World Cup.

Now this time around 14 teams will be taking part, split into 2 groups of 7 teams, each team playing 1 match against the other teams in their group.

The top 2 teams advance straight into the semi finals, where the top placed team in Group A, plays the second placed team in Group B, and the top placed team in Group B, plays the second placed team in Group A, with the winners of those respective ties, fighting out the final scheduled to take place on Sunday 23rd August at the Max Ward North Ground.

Both groups look tough, Group A comprising the defending champions Australia, the 2022 champions Pakistan, semi finalists in 2024 in Sri Lanka, the hosts Canada, Wales, South Africa and a new team for this World Cup, The Emerging Nations.

Group B has the beaten finalists last time around England, tournament debutants Scotland, the West Indies, USA, India and semi finalists in 2024 New Zealand.

So, both groups are very strong, and teams will have to find a way to navigate through the tournament, as fatigue and injuries will surely play a part.

Let’s have a deeper look at the groups, starting with Group B and England.

(02:53) Rash -: ENGLAND

England have moved on significantly since the last World Cup. A very entertaining series against Pakistan in the summer of 2024, was followed by a Winter tour to Australia, where they lost 3-2. A bumper summer series that featured games against the West Indies, the USA and a return Ashes series against Australia, which went to the last ball of the 5th and final match, which ended in a tie, produced some memorable cricket. Of the squad that took part in the 2024 World Cup, only 4 remain, Ed Gordon Lennox vice captain at the 2024 World Cup and now captain of England, Mel Hussain, Phil Deakin & Simon Routh, and the squad has a more youthful feel to it, albeit some enforced changes have had to be made as those of you who listened to the last episode will be aware. 

Now England have a very talented squad, and the question as always is how will they perform when under pressure. There is no doubting the talent and ability on display, but with so many debutants in this tournament, there are many questions to answer. England will once again lock horns with Zimbabwe and the USA in the group stages as they did in 2024, and their final group game against New Zealand, who they defeated in their opening game in 2024 seems, even though the tournament hasn’t started yet, to be a potentially pivotal game.

Much will depend on the conditions out in Toronto, the pitch and playing conditions and the weather, as well as, as I mentioned earlier tiredness and fatigue. Now there’s no doubt that England have strength in depth within the squad, but their resilience and the ability to overcome mental and physical fatigue are factors many players will not have dealt with before, and all the squad will be called upon to perform.

The player I want to highlight is Ian Barton, the Lancashire opening batter. His rise into the Senior ranks is a wonderful story and he keeps churning out the runs for his county Lancashire, as well as scoring for the Lions and the Senior side. It will be interesting to see if he opens up the batting, with the partnership of Essex teammates Mel Hussain and Neil Brathwaite having proved successful for England over the past few matches. Barton has an infectious personality, but don’t let his jovial demeanour fool you, he is a fiercely determined cricketer, who, on his day can demolish any bowling attack. Crucially in Barton’s case, he proved when he toured with the Lions in India in the early part of this year, that he is able to handle the demands and rigours of tournament cricket, and fit in with the whole squad ethos that England are trying to build. 

(05:32) Rash -: SCOTLAND

Now let’s have a look at the other teams in England’s group starting with Scotland, who gained IMC status recently and will be taking part in a World Cup for the first time. Scotland have certainly improved over the past few years with annual international fixtures against England and the England Lions, as well as International matches against Wales and Australia. 

With a relatively small player pool to select from, the onus is on the established players to produce. They are well led by the skipper Clark McConnachie, and possess some very good batters and bowlers within their squad. Their fielding has improved tremendously over the past couple of years, and on their day they can be competitive. I think they are a better batting side than a bowling one if I’m perfectly honest, but they have recruited well and the likes of Shahid Mahmood and Imran Adrees who have bowled well this summer to go alongside the wily spin of Jerry Smith gives them good options. 

Alongside the skipper, Stephen Allison, Graeme Garden, Tim Preston Jones and Bob Angus give solid batting depth. The overarching question in terms of Scotland, when I have watched them, is can they perform collectively in all 3 disciplines, batting, bowling and fielding, to be effective. In a World Cup, you cannot afford to be under performing in any 1 of those disciplines in any given game.

Cameron Glasgow is the player I want to highlight from the squad. A former highly regarded rugby player, he gained recognition on the International stage following highly successful seasons with Heriots. His 1 cap came in the 1997 5 nations match against France, and he brings a steely determination to his game. He is a very talented batter, who progresses the score well, and runs very well between the wickets. He is also a very athletic and agile fielder with a good arm, and saves countless runs with his fielding. He has looked accomplished and measured every time I have seen him, and he gives Scotland a solid and dependable presence in the middle order. 

(07:26) Rash -: THE WEST INDIES

The 2025 West Indies tour to England comprised matches against England and The Lions. Now although they didn’t manage to win any of their games, they competed fiercely, and showed in moments of what they are capable of.

Travel issues and other factors robbed them of some key players on that England tour, and with the 2026 World Cup being played closer to home, some of those players who were not able to travel to the UK, but did play in the 2024 World Cup are back in the squad.

Zamin Amin, as he did on the England tour will once again lead the squad, and is a calming and reassuring presence, as well as being a fine batter and bowler, who let’s not forget finished 3rd in the 2024 World Cup in the bowling stats, taking 14 wickets. With the likes of Emerson Jordon, Tony Boyke, Hafiz Mohamed and a couple of other players who played in Chennai present in the squad, they can on their day cause problems to any team, and as a reminder of their potential, they were the only team to beat Australia in 2024, winning their group game against them by 5 wickets.

They also possess one of the finest players in Seniors cricket, Deonarine Dayal, who is the player I’m highlighting. Deyal wasn’t able to tour England in 2025, but his presence in the squad for the World Cup gives the West Indies a massive boost. In 2024, he finished 2nd in the batting charts behind New Zealand’s Graig Gibb, but only by 16 runs. He scored 425 runs in his 7 innings, averaging 70.83, and with a century and 2 further scores over 50, he demonstrated on a World stage, just how good a batter he was. He is also a more than useful bowler, taking 9 wickets last time round, including 5/32 against Australia. Deyal is a talisman. He is confident in his abilities particularly with the bat, and his presence for the West Indies will I’m sure make them a better side than the one that toured England in 2025.  

(09:31) Rash -: THE USA

Now I think it’s fair to say that the 2025 USA tour to England could have gone better. Heavy defeats against England and the Lions in 6 matches were of course disappointing, but it was the experience of playing better teams and touring that the USA would have benefitted from.

What really stood out in the USA tour was the lack of match awareness, and game craft for want of a better phrase. Now they will have learnt a lot from their 2025 tour, and with the growth of cricket in the USA, I’m sure they will be a stronger outfit than the one that toured England in 2025.

Rizwan Sheikh, Rajesh Idate, Chandrakant Barlingay and the USA vice captain Ravi Suri showed they have the technique and temprament to bat well, but too often their efforts were let down by indifferent bowling and fielding.

My player to watch for the USA is Ajith Jayasinghe, their opening batsman. He wasn’t able to tour England, but he had a very good 2024 World Cup, scoring 2 centuries and a half century. The USA showed in that World Cup that they could be competitive, and he was a big part of their success in that tournament. If he can bat well, then the USA are more than capable of springing a surprise or two. 

(10:49) Rash -: ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe retain over half their players who played in the 2024 World Cup, by far the highest number of retained players by any nation. They have since the last world cup played some matches, and the Senior’s cricket scene in Zimbabwe is expanding. They do possess some very good players, what let them down last time was consistency, but I’m sure in the intervening 2 years since the last tournament, they would have worked hard on that.

John Jameson and Rory McWade will presumeably open up the batting for them again, and with the likes of Gary Steyn, McWade and Kevin Shadwell all returning to fill the bowling spots, there is enough variety and options for Warren Ackhurst, the Zimbabwe skipper to call upon.

Kenyon Ziehl, is the player I’m going to highlight. 10 wickets last time round for him, and granted a bit more luck it could have been a few more. Ziehl is also handy with the bat and is a genuine all rounder, who plays wholeheartedly and with 100 % commitment. He will be an important player for Zimbabwe, and if he is on a going day, particularly with the ball, will be a very dangerous bowler to face.

(11:56) Rash -: INDIA

India, hosts of the 2024 World Cup, will be looking to improve, on what was for them a disappointing tournament on home ground last time round. In the 2 years since the World Cup, they have been very proactive in trying to get more veteran players into the set up. 

The England Lions were invited to take part in their over 60 National Championship this year, a tournament which they won, but on display were the 80 best Seniors cricketers in India, and the feedback from the England players who were out there, was that the Indian team possess some very good, aggressive batters who if they click and adapt to conditions, will be able to score lot of runs, however, 2 areas were highlighted, those being the running between the wickets and fielding. Now, if India have addressed these areas, and I’m sure they have, they have a talent pool and depth that could take them a fair way in the tournament.

What they are missing this time around, are the combined bowling stats of 3 players who performed very well in 2024, those being Emmanuel Benjamin, Avinash Kumar and Ratan Sharma, who combined for 40 wickets between them in 2024. 

Verinder Bhoombla, no stranger to England cricketers is the player I’m going to highlight. He is a combative, instinctive batter, who has been playing well, scoring a century in a recent India over 50 tour in England. He is a leader, and inspires and draws out the very best from those around him. If India can somehow gel, and perform well in all 3 disciplines, they can match anyone. 

(13:29) Rash -: NEW ZEALAND

England will face New Zealand in their final group fixture this time around, a direct opposite to 2024, when England opened up their campaign against the Kiwi’s. 

New Zealand, quite rightly are globally recognised to be one of the best teams in Senior’s cricket. They possess an abundance of talent in both batting and bowling, and were semi finalists in 2024, only to run into an inspired Australian bowling effort from Tony Panecassio, who took 6 wickets in that 2024 semi final.

They have in their ranks, one of the very best bowlers in Senior’s cricket, who has proved through the age groups just how good he is, in Andrew Nuttall, who took 9 wickets last time round, and together with Martin Pennefather have 2 top bowlers.

They are athletic in their fielding, and have in their ranks the leading run scorer from the 2024 tournament, who is the player I’m going to highlight, in the current skipper Craig Gibb, who scored 441 runs in 7 innings, with 2 centuries and 2 half centuries with an average of 63. Gibb is a class act, as he showed in the recent series against Australia, when he scored 125 not out in the 3rd and final ODI. His leadership skills, determination and sheer will to win, make the New Zealand team a formidable outfit. As I mentioned in this introduction, the final group game between England and New Zealand, should not only be a crackerjack of a game, but also one that could potentially determine final finishing positions.

(15:12) CONTACT US

Rash -: Now here on the Willows to Wisdom podcast, we want you to be involved. If you’d like to send a question in or have a comment or observation about Over 60’s cricket, then you can get in touch a number of ways. In the episode notes, you’ll find a link to FanMail. Click on the link, it’s completely free to use , and we’ll read your message out on the show, but don’t forget to leave your name and where you are contacting us from. If hearing your voice on the podcast isn’t for you, then please send us an email, our email address is willowstowisdompodcast@gmail.com, that’s willowstowisdompodcast@gmail.com and that’s all one word. 

And talking about getting in touch, you can also comment or message us via the England social media platforms, and to run you through where you can find and access them, here’s the England Social Media Manager, Harrison Burridge with further details.

Harrison -:  Have you enjoyed listening to this podcast and want to keep a closer eye on the England 60’s team progress? Then open your favourite social media app and search for England 60’s cricket. You’ll be able to find the team on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Hit follow and have a front row seat to the summer’s cricket.

Rash -: Thank you Harrison. So please do folks, follow us on all the social media platforms and send us a message in via the FanMail link or indeed email to get in touch with us here at the show. We really do look forward to hearing from you.

 So, no lack of talent and ability in Group B, but Group A also has it’s standout players, so let’s run through the Group A teams.

(17:04) Rash -: AUSTRALIA

Defending World Champions Australia have 6 players returning from 2024, but they are amongst the very best in seniors cricket. Peter Judd, will lead the team, with the returning Bill Blair, Graeme Pavey, Claude Orlando, and the last 2 IMC Over 60 players of the year in Tony Panecasio and Darren Smith. They have recruited well, and have a number of players coming in to the team who have had successful times in the 50’s. Their credentials are clear for everyone to see.

The player I am highlighting has recently showed his abilities. Peter Solway has played for a number of years in the 50’s with great success. The recent Australia v New Zealand series showcased his talent. He looks a fantastic addition to what already is a very strong batting lineup, and I expect him to be right up there in terms of tournament leading run scorer.

(17:58) Rash -: WALES

Welsh cricket is improving year on year, as witnessed by Cricket Wales winning the County Championship last year. They probably exceeded expectations in the 2024 tournament, winning 4 out of their 7 matches, and missing out on the semi finals by just a single point. 

 A number of players from 2024 return, and Wales will be looking to go deep into this tournament. In Chris Hudson and Tony Smith, they have 2 bowlers who between them took 21 wickets in 2024. With Adam Glaznieks and the wily Pete Doyle also in the mix from a bowling perspective, they have a range of options available to them.

Mike Hayden will once again lead the team, and he will hope for better luck that in 2024, when he broke his thumb in Chennai, and had to return home early. John Jones, Neal Williams, Arvind Aswani and the skipper give Wales a solid, dependable batting unit.

Michael Caan, is a player I am really looking forward to seeing play. A former first class cricketer for Glamoragn, Caan then moved to South Africa playing a number of first class games. He is a combative batter and bowler, and gives Wales a hugh presence in the middle order.

(19:12) Rash -: PAKISTAN

The 2022 World Cup winners return for the 2026 tournament, having been unable to defend their title in Chennai in 2024. They will be keen and eager to demonstrate on a World stage that their 2022 victory was no fluke. 

Pakistan played a wonderfully entertaining series in England in 2024, a series that went to the final ball of the 5 match series, with England coming out on top, and winning the series. 

The adjective ‘mercurial’ seems a very apt one to describe Pakistan. On their day, they have the talent and ability to beat anyone, the question will always be with Pakistan is how are the team dynamics, if harmonius then look out everyone.

Former first class opener Sajid Ali provides explosive batting opening up, and together with the likes of the very classy Syed Saghir Abbas, the belligerence of Syed Zafar Ali and the unpredictability of Muhammad Ashraf Pakhali, if they all click, Pakistan have the ability to post some very big scores.

When it comes to bowling, Pakhali, Abbas, Ali and Muhammad Younas, bowl intelligently and can certainly be counted on. It remains to be seen if the Pakistani fielding has improved, which often undid the good work that the bowlers had done during the 2024 England tour. If all 3 disciplines can be harnessed together during the tournament, Pakistan will be a very difficult team to beat.

Syed Saghir Abbas is the player to highlight. He is a wonderfully cultured player, adept at judging his batting innings to perfection, with the ability to score quickly, but also able to dig in and defend whilst still scoring. He is a more than useful bowler, and is a genuine all rounder and dual threat. 

(21:02) Rash -: SRI LANKA

Beaten semi finalists last time round, Sri Lanka I’m sure will be one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the World Cup. They play cricket with a smile on their face, and possess some very talented players. 

They play cricket with a joy and flair, sometimes to their undoing, but in Johan Pieris and Gary Gunasekere, they have 2 very gifted batters, and Pieris scored, what for me was the most entertaining innings of the 2024 World Cup, and unbeaten 102 against the Rest of the World. 

The Sri Lanka bowling unit last time in 2024, lacked a bit of depth which did indeed hamper them somewhat.

However, my player to watch is the returning Lal Ranasinghe, a fine exponent of spin bowling, who finished 2nd to Tony Panecasio in the bowling leaderboard, taking wickets in all 7 games played to end up with 15 in the tournament. 

Sri Lanka will no doubt miss the leadership, batting and bowling of Keith Jansz, but on their day, they are more than capable of beating anyone, and they looked well placed to reach the latter stages of the tournament. 

(22:03) Rash -: SOUTH AFRICA

Graham McLaren the South Africa team manager in 2024 told me at that tournament, don’t judge us on this tournament, judge us in 2026. Bold words, but the growth of seniors cricket in South Africa is amazing. More and more players who have first class experience and are playing club cricket are making themselves available for the seniors, and this has meant that South Africa are probably a lot stronger than in 2024.

Trevor Poole will lead from the front, and his 11 wickets last time round, in the context of the games they played, was a fabulous effort.

Ross Holing and Aqeel Cupido also return, and their batting will definitely be an asset for South Africa, as will the grit and determination of players like Mark Tessendorf and Roy Messer. It’s hard to know if their bowling has improved, which was definitely the weakest part of theor game in 2024, but if it has, I’m sure that they will be competitive.

South Africa are making waves in the Masters age groups and are definitely a team to watch.

(23:06) Rash -: THE EMERGING NATIONS

The Emerging Nations are a new edition for this year’s World Cup, replacing the Rest of the World Team. I really don’t know what to expect from them, but they are players from all corners of the globe. Many, I’m sure will have plenty of cricketing experience, but as to what that is and where it was gained, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. But to all the players involved in the squad, I wish them the best of luck.

(23:32) Rash -: CANADA

We end our look at the 2026 World Cup participants with the hosts Canada. Canada were a surprise package in 2024, playing some very entertaining cricket. When they last hosted an International over 60 tournament in 2023, the infrastructure and the quality of the pitches left a lot to be desired. However, cricket in Canada is booming, and as a result the infrastructure and quality of pitches will no doubt have improved.

Canada will have practiced on all the pitches and their knowledge of conditions and the vagaries of the pitches will give them a big advantage, as will playing on home soil in front of friends and family, and the wider Canadian cricket audience.

Garvin Budhoo the vice captain, is the final spotlight player. I was present in 2024 to see him score a very good century against England, and he followed that innings with several other good scores. He will no doubt look to impose and impress himself on home soil, and if given the opportunity will score plenty of runs.

Well that completes my personal look at the teams, and some of the players I think will make an impact, but what are the thoughts of some of the players taking part. I managed to speak to a number of them before the tournament started, here’s what they had to say, starting with the England captain Ed Gordon Lennox.

(24:54) ED GORDON LENNOX INTERVIEW

Rash -: I'm with the England skipper, Ed Gordon-Lennox, and we're sat here in a side room at the Hilton Hotel in Mississauga. The opening ceremony took place yesterday and two days removed from England's warm-up match against Canada. Ed, good to speak to you. It's been a busy old morning. I know you've got a lot of things to get through. Not ideally scheduled this. I was hoping to get this done a few days ago, but we'll gloss over it.

There's a different feel to this England camp from two years ago. Good start against Canada. We'll touch on that in a minute. First off, how are you feeling? How's the squad feeling?

Ed -: Well, Rash, lovely to see you, and by the way, always time for you. Hey, look, I'm feeling really excited. We've suddenly got to a point where we've got a game tomorrow against Scotland.

We've put a lot of hard work in and, you know, a squad as you well know, we've only got four players who were in the last World Cup. So we've had to bring those together. We had time at the Leadership Trust. We had time at Dunmow with the 50s. We had a really good game against Canada where people performed and the squad was good. But I think what I'm really, really excited about is the kind of passion and commitment of a squad of 16 and of course you and Paul as well and so far so good it's, it's exciting.

Rash -:  Well let's just take you back to that Canada game lots of apprehensive faces and certainly when pictures of the pitch were circulated on social media I wasn't able to go to the game for various reasons it played a lot better than it looked but just give us your impression of when you first got there and saw it.

Ed -: Well, it was funny because we were about 40 minutes in the bus on five-lane highways, and we wondered where we were off to. We then turned around the corner into the ground, and there was a heavy dew on the ground. The wicket didn't look like the English wickets that had lovely, crispy, sandy wickets, but there was sort of tufty grass and all of that, and I think all those fears that we'd heard about of Canada three years ago came true in that moment and the heads were down and we all walked out. And I have to say, first thing you do is make no assumptions. And I put my thumb into the wicket and it was hard. Yeah, and okay, there were a couple of damp patches, but I just couldn't believe that this was going to be as bad as it was. To the extent that, to win this tournament, we have to learn how to bat properly. There's enough in it. So we did bat. But that initial feeling, as you suggest, was, oh my Lord, what have we come to here? But by the end of the day, we were heads on. We had a good day and we knew what we had to do.

Rash -: Yeah, looking at the scorecard, posting a score of 240, I think it's a competitive score in any match in the 60s sphere. But particularly when the pitch is out here that are going to play differently, maybe a bit low and slow, that's always going to give you a chance. And the bowling effort was absolutely fantastic, winning by 105 runs. So let's fast forward. Lots of things on today. I know a lot of the boys are going because the tournament actually starts today. There's four matches taking place. The boys are going here, there and everywhere just to have a look. Your thoughts on Scotland?

You know them very, very well indeed. Do you think it's a hindrance that you're playing a team, first up, who, are making their debuts in the competition, so there's going to be a lot of nerves from the Scottish team, or do you think it hinders in some way that there's nothing really that's going to surprise you in terms of the makeup of the team? You've played against them, you know, and England have come out on top on each occasion, or do you just wipe the slate clean and think, nope, it's the first game. We're going in, no expectations, no assumptions. 

Ed -: I think that's a great question. Look, seeing the Scottish lads in the opening ceremony last night, they were vocal, they were noisy, they were handing themselves out. It's their first trip to the IMC 60s World Cup. So, look, they've got a motivation and to having them for them in the first game is clearly motivating. But we're not worried about that. We're simply taking this team spirit that we've got.

We've picked a side for tomorrow and we're very happy with that. And we've got to go on and deliver it. Scotland are much better than they have been. They've got a couple of good spinners, who bowled against Australia well a couple of days ago. They've batted a bit lower down. So anything can happen. The pitches are levelers to a degree. So no fear. We'll play our own game, whether it's Scotland or West Indies or anybody. But they're clearly up for the fight. First game, first tournament for them. And we just need to be mindful of that.

Rash -: Absolutely, I spoke to a couple of them yesterday and I completely agree with what you've just said. Looking further down the week, it is a tough week because you're starting on the Monday and then the rest day and then two games back to back and then you finish on the Saturday against the USA. Injuries and fatigue are going to be something and I know you've put a lot of store in managing that but how tough is that as a schedule? I mean it's the same for everybody but it is a really tough schedule.

Ed -: I think it is, Rash. I mean, I'm delighted because we had some check-ins with the guys yesterday. And I know a lot of people were thinking there'd been some injuries around, and they have. But I was really pleased yesterday to see that everyone was committed not only to playing, but felt they were in good enough shape, particularly the bowlers, to play probably back to back. Now, time will tell. Yeah.

But six games in nine days is never easy and things will happen. And as you've seen, and that last point we made this morning was looking after ourselves is going to be a high priority in that respect. You know, humidity levels on Friday were 87%. We withered a bit in the last 10 overs, and so just liquids and common sense are going to get us through. But we will be checking in with people because things are no doubt going to change, as you say. 

Rash -: Brilliant, Ed. Listen, I'm going to cut this short. I would like to go on for further, but I know you've got so many things to do, Ed, it's great to be here in and amongst the squad. Wish you and the boys just the very best of luck in the tournament. Play well. 

Ed -: Thanks, Rash. Great to have you along as well. 

(30:55) Rash -: PAULBRADLEY INTERVIEW Thank you, Ed. Well, we've heard from the England skipper, Ed Gordon Lennox, and I've managed to catch a word with my roommate here in Toronto. How lucky am I. The Maltese falcon himself, Mr. Paul Bradley. Now then, Mr. Bradley. 

Paul -: Now then, Rash, how are you doing, young man?

Rash -:  I'm all right. Now then, on Friday in the warm-up game, my spies tell me that you got the old shoes on, trotted in for four overs on the trot, taking a wicket. Is this correct?

Paul -: Yes. It is. Actually, it was really nice to play, and I appreciated the opportunity. It's over a year since I've played on grass for various ill-health reasons, and it was nice to be out. I wouldn't say I was back to the normal self from before, but yes, I picked up a wicket. It was nice, and it was a great feeling. It was nice.

Rash -:  Good stuff. Well, Paul, you were fortunate to be in Canada for the Canada Cup three years ago, staying in this hotel, the Hilton at Mississauga. Your impressions this time around, three years removed from that tour, which had its ups and downs and a lot of criticism of the pitches. Your impressions so far?

Paul -: Things have changed. The Canadian setup has got better and better. There's a lot of focus on cricket. Their system is a little bit different to what we know in terms of grounds. The grounds are mainly council grounds, so they don't have a groundsman/curator that we actually know at the local cricket club. And the grounds are heavily used. Yeah.

So there can be an afternoon game that finishes at five o'clock and then there's another game after it. So there's a...with the influx of the Asian population and now with everybody wanting to play, there's, there's a demand for the facilities that they've got and they're going to get better and better. And I think if we go back to the warm-up game against Canada and we were at King City, there's four grounds and you looked at it and people will have probably been shaking their heads and what's this going to play like? But, they play a lot better than they look. 

Rash -: Yes.

Paul -:  And come on, let's be honest. We scored 241 for four, I think it was, off our allotted 45 overs. That's a tremendous performance by everybody. And we bowled well. The outfield played well, a little bit slow. But we've been used to really warm weather in the UK and parched outfields. So a little bit different, it took me back to the start of a season up north, or even Scotland must have been really at home for them in terms of it. So I think things have got better and better. This is a great opportunity for Akshay and his group of people to put Canada on the world map. There are bound to be some teething problems as they go forward. We stayed at this hotel three years ago when we won the Canada Cup and we were looked after really, really well. And I think the feedback from people so far is it's an ideal base for us. There's a lot of cricket in a short period of time while we're here. 

Rash -: There is. 

Paul -: So, you know, it's ideally situated. The staff are excellent. There's two swimming pools. There's a gym. There's Tai Chi happening all over the place. I've never seen so many England players and you and I were doing Tai Chi.

Rash -: We were. 

Paul -: So listen, there's a very good vibe. And I think they've moved on over the three years. They'll continue to move on. And they take a lot of best practice ideas from us and from other countries. And they're getting better and better with more people being involved.

Rash -: Absolutely are. Finally, Paul, just on your thoughts on this, you've been on numerous tours throughout your cricketing career. You've also been on numerous tours as England team manager. What's different this time around? Because having been on tours myself, the World Cup and the Ashes, there's a different sense around this time. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, which is why I'm asking you. There is a difference. It's palpable. What do you think that's down to? 

Paul -:This is a World Cup. So the big tournaments from an England point of view is when we play for the Grey Ashes and a World Cup. Grey Ashes, there's always going to be the rivalry between England and Australia. World Cup is something special. It's like the World Cup of football. It's just finished with the expanded number of teams. There's 14 teams playing in it.

We were all there together last night at the opening ceremony. These are friends that you make, you see every two years. Because England are lucky in that we tour regularly, which a lot of countries don't do. And a lot of countries want to come to England to play. So we get to play against whether it's the West Indies or the USA or Canada or Australia they'll all come to England you know even the Australian states come on a regular basis to play but this is something special um it's it's the 14 teams competing for the the biggest prize in, in over 60s cricket and there's a special set of planning. An ordinary tour is three or four test games or full ODIs and friendly games. This isn't. This is one warm-up game and then we're straight into a lot of cricket in a lot of days. And I think the other good thing is, look, we've got better and better since I took over in COVID times in terms of developing the brand and the product that we have and the group of people that we have. And, you know, it's a, it's a tighter squad this time for this World Cup. It's 16. When we were in Chennai, it's 18, which brings its own dynamics into it. But we will not win this tournament with 11, 12 players. We'll win it with everybody that's part of the tour party, from the wives to the sons to the families that are here. Everybody contributes.

Rash -:  Well, fine words, Paul. And I know you're just going to shoot off to watch a game. Is it the Emerging Nations you're watching?

Paul -:  No, I'm going to go to, well, it's what I know as Danville, but I think they've actually changed the name now to Max Ward North and South. The reason I'm going there is that there's two games because there's two pitches. So Canada are playing South Africa and Sri Lanka are playing Emerging Nations. But the other reason is that we play three of our next four games at that ground. So it's just to get a little look. And there's plenty of people going to the other two games. So it gives me an opportunity to look at the facilities. And that's one of the things I've got to give the Canadians their due. They're looking at constantly upgrading the facilities. And that's not just on the cricket field or the cricket pitch. That's the changing rooms, the toilet facilities, the spectator areas. It's something they can continue to work on.

Rash -: Right, Paul. Well, enjoy your afternoon. I've got a shed load of things to do whilst you're enjoying yourself in the sun, but I'll catch you later for a beer. 

Paul -: Thank you very much, Rash. See you later. 

Rash -: There you go. And there's the thoughts of the England team manager, Paul Bradley.

(38:22) Rash -:  So continuing our World Cup previewwoke up preview, we pop down under to South Australia, to be precise, where I'm delighted to say that Australia skipper Peter Judd joins me. Evening, Juddy. Good to speak to you and thank you for your time.

Peter -:  Good evening, Rash. Very happy to be here and it's good to chat to you again.

Rash -: Well, listen, you've just played a very, very entertaining and well-fought series against New Zealand, winning by three games to nil. How did you personally see the series? Other than being victorious, what pleased you most with your team's performance? A number of debutants in your team representing Australia for the first time. 

Peter -: The expectation was that the games would be close. They always are between ourselves and New Zealand, and although it says we won 3-0, two of those games did get very close. So there was not a lot in it at all. So that's just perfect preparation for us and for them. You know, we're out of season and as much as you can train indoors at this time of year, there was nothing better than to go up to Brisbane and we had three cricket days and beautiful sunshine, a bit of warmth on the back, and the facilities at Wynnum Manly Cricket Club were outstanding. So it was just perfect for us. We got a chance to spend a week together. For the new boys into this sort of thing, that was a great chance for them to hopefully feel comfortable playing international cricket now and to feel part of the group. And then within those games, as much as we wanted to win we also had in the back of our minds that we wanted to hopefully identify some roles within the team. People like who we might open the batting with, middle to late order hitters, opening bowling options. In the middle of the bowling innings, perhaps two or three that can bowl in a good partnership together and hopefully tie things down, death bowling options, fielders that are better suited on the inside of the ring and then fielders on the outside, backup wicketkeeper options. So over the three games, we're able to play around with all of that, given we had 14 of our 16 squad there playing.

Rash -: Very comprehensive and thorough, and I'd expect nothing less. Well, Juddy, listen, in Toronto, it looks to be a pretty tough group, I've got to say. I mean, how do you see the group panning out? You're obviously wanting to finish top, that's a given, but who are you most worried about in that group? Because you've got the 2022 champions there, of course in Pakistan. You've got the semi-finalists from last year in Sri Lanka. The host Canada are going to be hard to beat on their own patch. And the emerging nations, well, it could be absolutely anything. And Wales, of course, who you'll renew rivalry with. Difficult, difficult group.

Peter -: To be honest, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that because so much can change in a couple of years with new 60-year-olds, if you like, becoming available. Who in each country can actually get to another country to play? So there could be work, there could be finance issues. You know, we haven't played Pakistan for four years, and even then it's only played them once in a semi-final in the 22 World Cup. We're lucky a little bit, I suppose, that we play Wales whenever we have an Ashes tour, and we played them in Chennai in the preliminary rounds. So we've seen them a little bit. But as to whether it's a harder group than the other one, I mean, I don't know. I don't think anyone really knows until we get there. And then when you do get there, of course, on the day, there's so many variables. It could be pitch. It could be the toss comes into it. Weather might come into the game before or during the game. So injuries, you know, to either ourselves or the opposition. So I think it's pointless trying to worry about that in any detail at all.

Rash -: Absolutely fine. Listen, you've got a few players who were in your squad last time around returning this time. Now, how valuable is it to have them, obviously, in the squad and being able to call on their knowledge, expertise and experience to assist the World Cup debutants? Because you're a long way from home. A lot of guys travelling without friends or family and their support network. It's crucial to lean on those half a dozen or so who were there in Chennai.

Peter -: Absolutely right. I never profess to think I know everything, and I lean on some of these boys a lot, and they're terrific with their suggestions and advice. There's six of us that played in Chennai, so that's six of the 16, but then two of the new ones, Peter Solway and Tim Sargent, they've already played in multiple over-50s World Cups. Peter was the Australian captain in 2018 when Australia won it, and Tim's already played a little bit of 60s cricket last year in New Zealand and again the other day. So, you know, that effectively means we've got eight of our 16 that have played World Cups before. So we're really lucky that they're still playing and that they could get there to be part of this World Cup. 

Rash -: How have your preparations this time around differed, if any, from the 2024 World Cup? Now, it's a different time of the year going back to Chennai in February. You boys had come off your nationals in November, so still into your season. This time around, as you mentioned, Juddy, it's off-season for you. So how has that altered your preparations? 

Peter -: When we went to Chennai in 2024, you're right, it was in the middle of our season for all the Southern states and then New South Wales as well. Queensland tend to play in our winter. But for this one, it just feels a bit like a UK tour. And we've done those in 23 and 25. So we know we're going into a series out of season for us. So the boys are pretty switched on as to what they need to do individually, and for the group, lots of practices going back in home states. Because of the vastness of Australia, it's just not possible for us to get together in a training camp, if you like. But then again, that Brisbane series against New Zealand ticked that box beautifully for us. So we have Zoom catch-up meetings a few times as well, just for people to chat and face to face, there's nothing high power cricket stuff in those meetings. It's just the get together and it's admin stuff. It's making sure people have got travel insurance and the tickets all organised and adapters for electrical plugs, you know, all those sorts of itty bitty things. But that's all, I think it's all valuable time anyway, that you're just in communication with each other.

Rash -: It certainly is. Now, listen, as defending world champions, you go into the tournament, arguably as one of the favourites. Do you think this adds more pressure on you and the team to perform? Or is it just water off a duck's back? It's the Australian mentality. Listen, we can be anybody who comes in our way. That's the mentality that we have. Or do you think that because of your world champions and defending world champions, people are going to raise their game or try to raise their game?

Peter -: I think it's a bit of all of that, Rash. You know, in sport, there's a saying that you become the hunted if you're the most recent winners. So there's that hanging over us, I suppose. You've got the expectation from ourselves, our friends, our people around the country are all locked into our Facebook page and all those sorts of things that will do well again. But, you know, the last World Cup was two years ago and that's a big break, really. It's not like, you know, we won it last year and we're just flowing through with the same group. You know, we've got 10 new people in this group that didn't play in the last one. And I imagine that's going to be the same for everyone. But, yeah, for sure, there's that element of, you know, we won it last time and people may raise their game somehow to take us on. But we've got to be ready for that.

Rash -: Just before we finish, Juddy, 2024, obviously Australia, beating England in the final, vice-captain on that day with the great Peter Jensen, who was your skipper. You inherited his role and obviously very successful the last couple of years in the Grey Ashes series and belting series that they were as well. How proud a moment is it going to be for you? Yes, it's a great honour to lead your country against the old enemy England, but captaining the defending world champions in a World Cup must be a great honour for you and Gail. She must be proud as punch. 

Peter -: Yes, she is. She's sitting here listening. It's very humbling, to be honest, Rash. You know, there's so many people that we've already talked about that were there last time as well that any one of them could do this job just as well, if not better. So there's a lot of responsibility. But yes, certainly some pride in there as well. I'm not quite sure what to say, really. 

Rash -: Well, listen, I know you can command the respect and loyalty of your squad and I wouldn't expect anything less from an Australian team. Finally, Juddy, now I don't know why I'm asking you this because I know what the answer is going to be, but God forbid, if Australia don't win the World Cup, who do you think will win it? 

Peter -: Boy, is that a loaded question, Rash. Can we do it off the record? No, no. I'll sort of answer it, but I won't. I don't know an answer to that question. Like I mentioned earlier, with so many variables, a strong country that might have a real good chance of winning the World Cup, if they cop the wrong side of a couple of tosses or the weather or strike some injuries, then everything can be thrown on its head. 

So I don't think I can come up with an answer. But as you talked about earlier, Pakistan won it in 2022, so you'd think they're going to be around the mark again. I think they recently played off in the over-40s World Cup against Australia. So they must be strong back in their own country with their Masters crickets.

We always have close games against New Zealand. New Zealand, we're in the 22 final and we beat them in Chennai in the semis to make the final. And then who knows? Canada, we played Canada in a three versus four game in Australia in 22 World Cup. So they could be around the mark. It's their host country. And there's only a few. Wales last year won the county over 60s competition, I believe. 

Rash -: They did.

Peter -: So, you know, they're in our group, so we don't expect them to be easy opposition at all. And we just don't see South Africa or Sri Lanka who are in our pool very often. And the Emerging Nations, well, we'll have to wait and see as each game, each round progresses as to what their strength is like.

Rash -: Yeah, it was a very loaded question, Juddy. I appreciate that, but answered diplomatically as always. Well, listen, thank you so much for your time. I know you've got some other interviews and our good friend and colleague Trevor Lee from the Silver Stumps podcast is going to grab hold of you.

I just want to wish you a very safe travel. It would be nice to catch up. I should be getting to Toronto on the 4th, all being well. I'm taking a bit of a circuitous route, flying out from Edinburgh into Montreal and then Montreal into Toronto, but that's just the way it's worked out. But it would be great to catch up and looking forward to seeing yourself, Juddy, and the rest of the Australia squad and meeting those that I haven't met before. But, Juddy, thank you ever so much for your time. Go well, and I will see you in Canada.

Peter -:  My pleasure, Rash. Looking forward to seeing you and Mel if she comes along as well. 

Rash -: Yeah. Oh, unfortunately, she can't make it. She can't get time off work, Mel. So it's just my ugly mug. I'm sharing with Mr. Bradley. That should be an experience. 

Peter -: Well, say hello to Paul as well then. 

Rash -: Yeah, I will do. Well, there you go, folks. That's the views of the Australian skipper, Peter Judd, joining me from his home in South Australia.

Right, well I'm delighted to say that I've been joined on this World Cup Preview episode on the Willows to Easton podcast by none other than the Kiwi skipper himself, Craig Gibb.

(51:16) Rash -: Craig, welcome to the podcast, thank you for joining me. 

Craig -: Well, thanks for having me Rash.

Rash -: You are in the UK, Lancashire, you're a long way from home lad, are you lost, what are you doing? 

Craig -: No, after our recent series in Australia I've headed over to the UK with my wife, my son's playing league cricket in North West Lancashire for a club called Salesbury, it's one of their overseas players, so I thought it would be a good opportunity, it's kind of on the way to Canada. To spend a couple of weeks between our Australian series and the start in Toronto,  yeah, just doing a little bit of net training and cricket most days and a few other bits and pieces of exercise. I've been out cycling today around the Ribble Valley, so yeah, so it's sort of a good, I guess, a way of sort of transitioning across to Canada and when we do head off there in 10 days or so time, yeah, the time difference and the jet lag should be a lot less than they would be coming all the way from New Zealand.

Rash -: Well Craig, you just mentioned that the recent series against Australia and I was fortunate enough to watch the coverage, staying up to the wee small hours here in the UK.  First and foremost, it was a really entertaining series to watch, I'm going to say it was fought very, very well, tough as you would always expect against the Australians, granted a bit of luck, the series outcome could have been different and on a personal note for yourself, you're unbeaten century in the final one day international, it was a really good knock to watch and so congratulations on that. How did you see the series and how would you assess your team's  against who are the current world champions?

Craig -: Yeah look, both teams were obviously coming into it out of season, so that we, you know, both in need of some tough match preparation ahead of Toronto, so it was important for both teams, obviously, you know, you can train a lot on the indoor nets during winter but nothing compares with actually getting out there and playing and we were prett lucky really, we struck great weather the whole time we were there and the facilities at the Manly Club in Brisbane were fantastic.

Yeah, so we played four games in five days, we had a warm-up game against Queensland, so it tested us physically and, you know, we ended up by the end with two or three guys with niggles but nothing too bad fortunately. In terms of performance, yeah look, we, as you would have seen, we competed really well in games one and three, they both went down to the wire with us chasing, so I was pretty proud of those two efforts, we probably just needed to take maybe a couple of better options down the stretch to get over the line there, as you said, the Aussies never make it easy for you, so we weren’t too far away in those games. Game two, you know, we were well beaten, Peter Solway and Darren Smith going away with us with the bat, so look, you can never be happy with three-nil loss but I think if I was summing out, I was reasonably satisfied, at least with our competitivenes in the series.

Rash -: Now in Toronto, you're going to lock horns with some of the teams you played in the group stages in 2024, with the final game against England, of course, it's a role reversal from 2024 when both teams played each other first up. How do you see the group panning out? It's a difficult question because there's a lot of x factors, the pitches, weather, overhead conditions, injuries, fitness, whatever, but you would expect England and New Zealand, if all things being equal to be, coming to that last game with a hell of a lot to play for.

Craig -: Yeah, look, I think, you know, (3:47) England are the top seeds in the group and will no doubt be strong and I'm sure we'll be in the mix coming to the end of that Round Robin. You know, outside of World Cups, we only really play Australia, so we don't have great benchmarks with other countries, so they're a little bit unknown to us.

We know a little bit about Zimbabwe, as one of our players, Mike van Staden, used to play for them. We know they're going to scrap pretty hard. The USA, you know, they beat us at the last World Cup in Chennai, so we expect they might be tough again.

India and West Indies, we've never played, so really unknown. And we know, you know, Scotland are new to IMC competitions, but, you know, we know Gordon McGurk well, we've played against him a couple of times recently and we know he's a very good cricketer, so, you know, we're not taking him for granted either. So, look, it does feel like a fairly wide open group, to be honest.

Yes. Obviously, our goal is to make the semis however, you know, we're not going to take anything for granted. We know we're going to have to play consistently to make it, you know,  last time in Chennai, we lost two out of the first three games, including one to England.

Rash -: Yes. 

Craig -: And after that, you know, you can really only, you know, if you want to make the semis, you're probably going to go unbeaten or lose one. If you lose two, you're really then relying a little bit on other results and probably net run rate to try and get through, and it becomes, yeah, a little bit out of your control.

So, you know, there's not a lot of room for error, really. So, we're going to have to hit the ground running and play well to get there. But, yeah, you know, obviously, our goal was to make the semifinals for sure.

Rash -:  Absolutely. Now, you've got a few players who were in your squad last time around, returning this time, the likes of Andrew Nuttall, Martin Pennyfather, Duncan Hutchinson. Andrew Nuttall just keeps on going. He's about 105 years old, isn't he? But he's still taking wickets. How valuable is it to have them in the squad and being able to call on their knowledge, expertise and experience to assist the World Cup debutants in your squad?

Craig -:  Yeah, look, obviously, you know, Nutts, I think he's played in every 50s and every 60s World Cup to date. So, you know, he's hugely experienced and still, you know, still a really good bowler.

So, yeah, you're having him in the team and, you know, his composure really helps the rest of our bowling attack too, to know he's there and so dependable. You mentioned Duncan, unfortunately, Duncan's had to withdraw with a shoulder injury. So that's Duncan Hutchinson.

So that's been a bit of a loss for us. You know, Dean Askew is another one who's played in at least a couple 50s and now a couple of 60s World Cups, who's experienced, I guess we've got a good blend of youth, relatively speaking, and experience with a number of guys coming out of the 50s. Most notably Mason Robinson.

Rash -: Mason Robinson, yeah. 

Craig -: He didn't play the Australian Series because he still hasn't quite turned 60. He turned 60 just before Toronto. So, you know, he's a keeper bat who's played in all four over 50s World Cup and pretty good pedigree at that level. So, you know, he brings a lot of experience even though he's new to 60s. Martin Pike's another one who scored a couple of centuries at over 55 level against Australia last year.

He's come in a top order bat. So, you know, even the newbies, I guess you could call them 60s, a number of them have actually played, represented New Zealand at the lower age group. So, yeah, so we've got a good blend, like I said, I think of guys that have been there and guys that are relatively new to it and pretty enthusiastic and keen to do well.

Rash -: Now, Greg, you were the leading run scorer in 2024 at the World Cup in Chennai, India. I think 440 plus runs and seven innings, a couple of centuries, couple of half centuries. As the captain of New Zealand as well, do you think this adds pressure on you personally to perform? Because your stats are there for everybody to see. There's no hiding place for you in the position that you bat with your batting and opening up and being captain. Is that added pressure or do you just see it as, well, I'm skipper, but trust the process as an opener. I know my qualities.

I know my abilities. I'll just go out and bat. 

Craig -: Yeah, look, I sort of. I've got good company around me in the team. I think we've got a number of batting threats in terms of the top order. I mentioned Mason Robinson, Martin Pike as well, and we bat pretty deep as well. So, look, I don't feel any extra pressure personally.

Having said that, it's a World Cup, probably be something wrong if you went out to bat and you weren't feeling a little bit of pressure in a few games. That's perfectly normal and I expect that'll be the case for me and I expect it'll be the case for most guys going out to bat. So, no, I don't really see what happened in Chennai was two years ago and pretty irrelevant now. It's a new tournament. So, yeah, we'll see how it goes.

Rash -:  Well, we're coming to the end of this, Craig, and I won't keep you too long, but I asked this question to Peter Judd. He's very diplomatic and I'm sure you're just going to be as diplomatic as well. So, if New Zealand don't win the World Cup, who do you think will win it?

Craig -:  I wonder. I'd be interested to hear what Peter said, but anyway, I guess I'll find that out. Yeah, look, it's hard to go past Australia right? I think we played them in a series in early March 25. I know they toured England a few months later. They're definitely stronger than they were last year.

They've got the nucleus of that team that won in Chennai, including Tony Pannecasio and Darren Smith, who were the last two IMC World Players of the Year, right? 

Rash -: Absolutely, yeah. 

Craig -: Won in 25 and some others, but they've been able to bring in some top players who have now turned 60 and the batting, probably the standout is Peter Solway, who had a stellar sort of 50s career a few years ago. 

Rash -:  Yeah, World Cup winner with Australia in the 50s, yeah.

Craig -: Yeah, and having played against him last week, he certainly hasn't lost any of his skill or his determination. He's a great bat. And another couple of names there, Mark Kratzman and Jed Mensah have come out of the lower age groups, both pretty capable with the bat.

And in the bowling, Tim Sargent and Tony Hickey are both quality seamers who, I think, have just both just turned 60 and become eligible. So, you know, they're going to be tough, but look, to beat them, you've got to play well for the whole 90 overs. You know, we played pretty well for about 80 in a couple of games and couldn't quite get over the line.

You've got to keep it right to the last ball. But look, it is possible to beat them, I think. It's no means a given they're going to win the tournament, but you'd have to say they're probably the bookies favourite.

Rash -: They are indeed. I wouldn't argue with that. But New Zealand are personal opinions, of course, certainly one of the top four teams in seniors cricket. That's my own humble opinion, having watched you and what have you. Listen, Craig, thank you ever so much for your time.  I'm very, very grateful, and I'm very, very grateful that it's a good time for me rather than how it was early this morning with Juddy. But listen, have a safe trip across to Toronto. Enjoy the rest of your time in the UK, and I wish you and your team all the very, very best in the World Cup in 2026, and I look forward to seeing you at the opening ceremony. 

Craig -: Yep, likewise. Thanks, Rash. 

Rash -:  You're more than welcome. Well, there's the views and thoughts of the New Zealand skipper Craig Gibb currently over here in the UK before he jets out across the pond to Toronto, and it's a very strong and powerful Kiwi team that he has. And we wish them the best of luck. 

(01:03:07) Rash -:  Now it may surprise you to know, that the England Over 60 team do not receive any direct funding from the ECB. We are reliant on the goodwill of the players and the continuing support of sponsors. So, if you’d like to be involved in sponsorship, please get in touch, and we’ll pass your details onto Paul Bradley, who will be more than happy to discuss what your sponsorship will bring, and to give you an example of how far reaching England over 60’s cricket is, last year there were over 4 million clicks across the various social media platforms. Our YouTube channel had over 137,000 views, spanning some 14,000 hours of viewing in 55 countries, so the opportunities for individuals, companies and corporations to gain exposure is there for all to see. That said, our work with the over 60’ss continues due to the generous, loyal and continuing support of our main sponsors, those being Stonehill Sports, Sporta Tours, NVPlay, Kleenclad, HG Construction and The Jube. On behalf of the England Management Team and everyone connected in and around the team, thank you for your continuing support.

(01:04:24) Rash -: Well that’s it for this episode folks, I hope you enjoyed it. It’s been tough to get this episode out, what with travel and availability of people, and apologies that some of the regular items are not present in this episode, I simply didn’t have the time. 

My thanks to Ed Gordon Lennox, Paul Bradley, Peter Judd and Craig Gibb for their time, and it’s a big thank you to Harrison Burridge, the England Social Media Manager for all he does to promote England Over 60’s cricket on all the decicated Social Media platforms.

It’s a big thank you to Buzzsprout for hosting us, and it’s a big thank you for the technical help and assistance of Audacity and Auphonics.

The episode notes list all the ways you can keep up to date on England Over 60’s cricket, with links to our various Social Media platforms, and the episode notes also contain the fanmail link, which you can use free of charge to get in touch with us, to submit a question, or get in touch with your observations or suggestions, or you can e-mail the show, a reminder that our e-mail address is willowstowisdompodcast@gmail.com.

Please like, share, subscribe and review the podcast, and you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or via your usual podcaster provider.

I’ve also added a link to the World Cup Tournament website in the episode notes so you can follow all the action. 

I’ve been your host Rash Mahmood, and thank you all for listening to Willows to Wisdom, where age isn’t a number, it’s an advantage. So until next time, it’s goodbye from me and thank you.