After the news that Jack Leach has been ruled out of the Ashes, the panel of Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana try to work out how England could go about replacing one of the few ever-presents in the Ben Stokes era so close to the start of the series. Mark Butcher dials in to offer his two cents on the Leach replacement question, before the panelists review the recent England-Ireland Test at Lord’s and wonder what Ireland’s Test future might look like. Kumar Sangakkara also joins the show to give a neutral’s take on the Ashes and the World Test Championship final. The brand-new Kia EV9 is going on the road, and you can be one of the first to see this amazing reveal. Sign up to the Kia EV9 Electric experience: https://kiaelectricexperience.co.uk/ Enter Kia's prize draw to win the Best Seats in the House at the Surrey vs Middlesex T20 Blast at the Kia Oval on Thursday 22nd June: https://www.kia.com/uk/about/sport-sponsorship/oval-surrey-cricket-crm/ Call Gullivers Sports Travel today on 01684 878979 or visit their website www.gulliverstravel.co.uk to find out more about travelling to the Caribbean for England’s tour to West Indies later this year. The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-68 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05

With the first of eight Tests in two months getting under way this week at Lord's the panel of Phil Walker, Ben Gardner and Yas Rana preview England's one-off Test against Ireland. They talk about the surprise selection of Josh Tongue who in just over a year has gone from considering retirement to representing his country in an Ashes summer. There's discussion on Stokes' captaincy, why Australia so desperately need a landmark year in Test cricket, how Meg Lanning's withdrawal affects the women's Ashes, the opening stages of the T20 Blast, an epic IPL final and much more. Mark Butcher joins the show to share his thoughts on the news that Jason Roy has terminated his ECB incremental contract to take up a deal in Major League Cricket in the US. Enter Kia's prize draw to win the Best Seats in the House at the Surrey vs Middlesex T20 Blast at the Kia Oval on Thursday 22nd June: https://www.kia.com/uk/about/sport-sponsorship/oval-surrey-cricket-crm/ Call Gullivers Sports Travel today on 01684 878979 or visit their website https://gulliverstravel.co.uk/ to find out more about England's tour to the Caribbean later this year. The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-67 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05 You can find the perfect gift for any cricket fan at the Wisden shop. Enjoy 20% off with code PODCAST20: https://www.wisden.com/shop

Melinda Farrell joins podcast regulars Jo Harman, Phil Walker and Yas Rana to assess Australia’s build-up to the men’s Ashes. Are Australia favourites? How prominent a role will David Warner play and why is there so much hype around Michael Neser? Mark Butcher shares his first memories of taking the field with James Anderson who this week celebrated the 20th anniversary of his Test debut. Mark also wonders about possible changes England could make to their bowling attack over the course of the summer. Jo tells us about his recent interview with Heather Knight, there’s a quick review of the County Championship, a preview of the T20 Blast, a discussion on Kent’s decision to charge for their live stream, more ICC revenue chat and Wisden India editor Aadya Sharma talks to Yas about the IPL play-offs. Call Gullivers Sports Travel today on 01684 878979 or visit their website www.gulliverstravel.co.uk to find out more about travelling to the Caribbean for England’s tour to West Indies later this year. Enjoy 20% off all items at https://www.wisden.com/shop with code 'PODCAST20' The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-67 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05

Mark Butcher, Jo Harman, Phil Walker and Yas Rana react to the England squad named for the Ireland Test. There were plenty of big news stories in the announcement; Ben Foakes wasn’t included in the 15-man squad with Jonny Bairstow set to keep wicket in his place, Jofra Archer was ruled out for the summer and Ollie Pope was named as England’s official vice-captain. There’s also discussion on a drama-filled round of the County Championship and the new ICC revenue sharing model that sees India take home an even bigger piece of the pie than before. Use code WISDEN10 for 10% off at B3 Cricket: https://b3cricket.com The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-67 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05

Following the news of Jofra Archer’s IPL withdrawal and the uncertainty around Olly Stone’s fitness, the panel of Phil Walker, Ben Gardner, Katya Witney and Yas Rana wonder what the make-up of England’s pace attack is likely to look like for this summer’s Ashes series. The panel also celebrate the careers of Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Shabnim Ismail, both of whom announced their retirements from the international game in the last week. There’s chat on the latest round of the County Championship, the relationship English cricket fans have with the IPL and interviews with Lancashire batter Josh Bohannon on going up a gear in 2023 and with Tara Norris on an eventful winter. There’s also some discussion on the recreational game and what barriers exist for new players to get involved. Get 20% off all items at wisden.com/shop, using code ‘podcast20’ The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly is available now at https://wisden.com/shop/wisden-cricket-monthly-issue-67 The digital version of the magazine is also available for just £2 a month at https://pocketmags.com/wisden-cricket-monthly-magazine#5c1cd17fa0b05