Kane Williamson retires, and Ben Stokes & Gus Atkinson break curfew

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at an eventful week in the world of cricket - although a lot of the news came off the field, with Kane Williamson calling stumps on his career and England Cricket's curfew kerfuffle involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson. We also discuss the first few games of the Women's T20 World Cup and the Australian's Men's team's recent performances.

We start the show by talking about Kane Williamson's decision to retire immediately from international cricket - news that came as a surprise to a few people, particularly with it happening after just one game of the three-match series against England. We discuss the initial announcement, then quickly reflect on what Kane Williamson's career has meant to New Zealand cricket fans and the special place he holds in the record books and in our hearts. There's also talk of his overall legacy in the Test arena and who might step into his shoes for the Black Caps in the years to come.

As the conversation continues, the topic moves to the other big off-field news of the England-New Zealand series - the incident involving Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson that has resulted in them being stood down for the second Test pending the outcome of an investigation by the ECB. Was it an over-reaction? Does it signal a disconnect between the players and the coaching staff and/or England Cricket management? And what might England's XI look like for the second Test following the news that Ollie Robinson may also be in doubt.

To round out the show, we hit the opening games of the Women's T20 World Cup, which has started brilliantly for England and Australia, but not so much for New Zealand's White Ferns, who will be ruing missed opportunities that saw them lose their opening encounter against the West Indies. There's also a quick chat about the Australian Men's team and their performances in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

We'll be back again with more news and views next week, hopefully with a lot more on-field entertainment to discuss from the England v New Zealand series and the Women's World Cup. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or !) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.
You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.
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0:00 Intro
1:10 Kane Williamson retires from international cricket
5:00 Retirement mid-series
9:45 Does it leave NZ short for the rest of the series?
13:20 What has Kane meant to Black Caps fans?
17:05 Kane Williamson's place in history
23:10 Who will fill Kane's shoes?
28:10 Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson suspended for 2nd Test
32:10 What might England's team look like at The Oval?
34:45 Do these incidents suggest a breakdown between players and staff?
44:45 Women's World Cup round-up
52:40 Australia's men against Bangladesh & Pakistan