On this episode of The Offspin, legendary all-rounder Dion Nash joins the show after a Black Caps performance that felt like a throwback to New Zealand cricket’s dark days of teal.
Once upon a time, the stereotype of New Zealand cricket was of freezing in the big games, fragile batting and despair, while still finding a way to make the World Cup semifinals. Well last night the Black Caps rolled back the years in a 119 run loss to the English, to (probably) limp into the final four on the back of three losses.
How bad was it? Simon Day the die-hard couldn’t keep going after Kane Williamson got run out and took himself to be – that’s how bad it was.
Former Black Cap Dion Nash has seen his fair share of ups and downs in cricket: from the heights of the Lord’s honours board, to losing playoffs in the 1996 and 1999 World Cups. We discuss the Bad Boys team culture of the 90s, and ask if it was responsible for the team hardly ever winning? Do players care about what the commentators have to say about them? And what might be going on in the team at the moment which is causing such a collapse in form?
Dion also reflects on the infamous incident in which he, Stephen Fleming and Matthew Hart owned up to blazing up on tour of South Africa, including the shocking revelation that they wandered away from the rest of the group and took the joint with them. How has it changed his views on drugs in sport, and society at large? How do you get rid of beard dandruff? And will he let Simon take out shares in his children? All that and so much more on The Offspin.
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Exhibit A on the relationship between players and commentators.
Join hosts Simon Day, Alex Braae and a rotating squad of sloggers, change bowlers and outfielders on The Offspin after each of the New Zealand team’s games. With the Black Caps playing all their games at wildly inconvenient overnight times, Simon and Alex will be swapping sleep for cricket, then rolling into the studio to drink Coffee Supreme (proud sponsors of The Offspin) and offer their expert analysis of the World Cup.
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