In the pilot episode of The Pitch Side Expert Podcast Ian Bishop, Tom Moody & Freddie Wilde are introduced to listeners before explaining the motivation behind launching the podcast & ruminating on nearly two decades of rapid evolution in the T20 format.

Pilot Episode - Introductions & T20 Reflections

In the first episode of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie debate the rise and rise of spin bowling in T20 cricket.

• Why did people think spinners would struggle?
• How & why are spinners so effective?
• How has spin evolved because of T20?
• Why are multi-format spinners so rare?

Episode 1: Analysing spin bowling in T20

In episode two of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie debate the various factors that need to be considered when building a T20 batting order and how different positions require very different skills. The podcast ends with the three of them selecting their ideal T20 top six. 

• Powerplay approach
• Is pace-spin the new right-left? 
• Should we see more pinch-hitters?
• The middle over challenge
• Complementary batting pairs

Episode 2: Building a T20 Batting Order

In episode three of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Moods has an exclusive interview with his good friend Dale Steyn, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time before Moods, Bish and Freddie debate what made Steyn so great and consider where he ranks among Test fast bowlers.

• Exclusive Dale Steyn interview
• Most influential coaches 
• Fast bowling secrets 
• Worldwide dominance 
• Succeeding in Asia
• Advanced CricViz analysis from Freddie  
• Historical comparison and debate from Bish

Episode 3: Dale Steyn Interview - is he the greatest of all time?

Episode 4: Who are the best Test batsmen in the world right now?

In episode five of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss why red and white ball formats are diverging and why this is making it harder than ever to be a successful multi-format player. 

- Why red & white ball are more different than ever 
- How conditions are changing
- Offence & defence are inverted 
- Technical expertise from Moods
- Why fast bowlers are coping from Bish
- Why the trend is self-perpetuating from Freddie

Episode 5: Why is succeeding in red & white ball cricket so difficult?

In episode six of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss cricket in the age of COVID-19 and how the global pandemic will affect cricket on and off the pitch. 

- How will the schedule change
- Which formats will be prioritised?
- Which countries and formats will be put under most pressure? 
- Why tradition will become less valued
- What are the challenges involved in playing bio-secure matches?
- Which players will this affect? 
- Will MS Dhoni ever play for India again? 
- What laws might this give cricket an opportunity to change?

Episode 6: Cricket in the age of COVID-19

In episode seven of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss and debate the standard of cricket produced by the different domestic T20 leagues around the world and how they compare to international cricket.

Episode 7: Ranking T20 Leagues

In episode eight of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish has an exclusive interview with Justin Langer, the former Australia Test opener and now Australia's head coach - focussing on the art of coaching. After the interview Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss coaching in more detail. 

- The art of coaching 
- How to empower players
- What makes a good coach
- How the role has changed over time 
- Why coaches need to be like chameleons
- The future of coaching

Episode 8: Justin Langer Interview - The Art of Coaching

In episode nine of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss all rounders in all formats of cricket by defining the role, explaining why they are so rare and also so valuable. At the end of the show they each choose their top three all rounders in the three different formats. 

- What is an all rounder?
- Why are they so rare?
- Why are coaches so important to helping nurture all rounders? 
- What is required of a Test all rounder? 
- Specialists v all rounders in Tests? 
- How do white ball all rounders differ from red ball all rounders?
- Maxwell or Nabi in T20?
- The best three Test all rounders
- The best three ODI all rounders
- The best three T20 all rounders

Episode 9: Who are cricket's greatest all rounders?

In episode ten of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie debate why teams are struggling away from home in Test cricket in recent years. Between 2010 and 2020 away teams lost more than 50% of Tests for the first time since 1870 (when there were only three Tests played!)

- Why is playing away from home hard? 
- Why is it getting harder?
- Have batting techniques been corrupted by T20?
- How important is preparation?
- Are conditions becoming more extreme? 
- The value of county cricket 
- How to prepare players of the future

Episode 10: Why are teams losing so often away from home in Test cricket?

In episode eleven of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss the importance of fielding in all formats of cricket. 

How has fielding changed across the last 30 years? 
How does its importance vary in different formats?
How is fielding data collected and how is analysis changing? 
How easy is it to hide weaker fielders in certain positions? 
How important is fielding when evaluating a player at a draft or an auction?
How will fielding change in the coming years? 
Will fielding become more or less important? 
Who are the world's best fielders?

Episode 11: How much does fielding matter?

In episode twelve of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie debate who is the greatest Test team of all time: the 1980s West Indies team or the 2000s Australian team.

Episode 12: 1980s West Indies v 2000s Australia - who is the greatest Test team of all time?

Episode 13: Adam Gilchrist Interview

In episode 14 of The Pitch Side Experts Podcast Bish, Moods and Freddie discuss the historic bio-secure Test match between England and West Indies with insight from Bish who was inside the bubble, commentating for Sky Sports. The trio also discuss the Black Lives Matter movement following Michael Holding and Ebony Rainsford-Brent's passionate debate on day one.

Episode 14: Inside the Bio-Secure Bubble

Episode 15: Constructing a T20 Bowling Attack

Episode 16: Why are pace bowlers doing so well in Test cricket?

Episode 17: What are match-ups & why do they matter?

Episode 18: Tracking IPL Trends - anchor batsmen & high pace quicks

A weekly cricket podcast presented by commentator Ian Bishop, coach Tom Moody and analyst Freddie Wilde.

The Pitch Side Experts Podcast

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