Episodes
00:00 Introduction to the Q&A Session01:09 Who was the best Test player in every decade from the '50s onwards?16:30 What will happen with the PCB, ICC and the BCCI in the Champions Trophy?34:06 Which bowlers should make the squad for the SA tour? 37:59 What are the pop-culture implications of 1987-era Imran Khan being present today and dating Taylor Swift?47:40 Did the recent series wins hide deeper structural problems in the men's team?51:12 How much do individuals end up influencin...
Published 11/17/24
00:00 CONGRATES TO PACE LOVERS05:48 Seeing Pakistan cricket as a work of art rather than sport08:54 Haris Rauf: Pace is Pace Yaar11:59 The Game Changing Impact of Tape Ball Cricket21:20 Pakistan’s pacers rediscovering their groove22:58 Demythologising the Mighty 90s25:10 Saim Ayub and the Saeed Anwar comparisons37:42 Rizwan's Captaincy: A New Perspective47:39 Political Ramifications of the Champions Trophy01:01:27 The Future of ICC DynamicsFollow us on Youtube!
Published 11/10/24
Recently paroled con artist Aqib Javed is traveling around the country gathering people for his next big scheme: to rob three Tests owned by the ever ruthless English cricket team. With the aid of a right hand man named Aleem Dar, an umpire out of retirement, a Shani, a boundary dealer, a bald offie, a smooth leftie, an explosives expert, two failing openers, and a bitter casino mogul, they make up Aqib's Eleven, out to make one very big score.00:00 Celebrating an Unbelievable Victory03:10 Th...
Published 10/26/24
Iss haftay hum ne episode mei title baad mei likha hai.00:00 Introduction and Match Preview02:55 Pindi pitch and the toss06:01 Gillespie ka GOAT quote14:58 Plot twist - the pitch kept lower than it turned17:52 Celebrating Sajid & Noman23:05 The challenges of captaining a 1+3 spin attack31:34 In praise of Jamie Smith40:00 Ranking both team's chances52:50 Plans for SA & WI series and revisionism on pitchesFollow us on Youtube!
Published 10/24/24
Almost 4 years since their last test win at home, Pakistan beat England and give us a long overdue sugar rush.00:00 1348 dino ke baad03:07 Reflections on Pakistan's Win05:56 The Role of Spinners in Pakistan's Victory09:14 Sajid, Noman, Kamran, Salman & Their Contributions12:16 Analyzing Batting Performance18:07 Euphoria vs. Reality in Pakistan Cricket21:02 Critique of Management and Selection committee39:08 Why the Babar Azam dropping decision was a joke43:01 Selection as Surgery/Punishme...
Published 10/18/24
00:00 Quick thoughts on the latest debacle05:04 Pakistani Fitness Levels and Performance Discrepancies10:11 Can you change the culture?14:51 Patreon shoutouts and Questions17:15 Famous Sledges and Weird Superstitions26:46 Why do Pak ex-cricketers slag off everyone?39:15 Under the table payments in franchise leagues40:42 The Impact of Salary Caps in Franchise Leagues41:37 Did IK miss out on fame?43:33 Team Misbah vs India46:17 Saudi Influence in Global Cricket48:32 A story on Babar Azam’s orig...
Published 10/11/24
In this episode of Bata Fast, we look at three CCs - Champions Cup, Connection Camp and Central Contracts. We also look at the less alliterative England series. 00:00 Introduction and Context of the Podcast03:05 Assad's Call for Positivity in Cricket Commentary09:03 The Nature of Journalism and Reporting11:58 CC Tournament Structure and Its Impact on Performance17:56 The Role of Central Contracts and Player Management27:09 Connection Camp39:00 Central Contracts and how no one understands...
Published 09/28/24
In this episode, we look at the Champions Cup, what's been good about it, and what the cricket has been like. That discussion somehow became a deep dive into Misbah and his unique, nerdy approach to cricket. We then discuss Fatima Sana's strong performance in a patchy but encouraging 1-2 series loss to South Africa, and end with an overdue remembrance of the recently departed Haniya Aslam. 00:00 Introduction to Current Cricket Events02:52 Analysis of the Champions Cup06:13 Performance In...
Published 09/21/24
First of all, thanks to Saim Salman and Waleed Ahmed.In this v long episode, we try and take every question you guys sent us this past week to celebrate our 5000 subscribers.In addition, here is the link to the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/battafastWe will be doing a monthly version of this for our Patreons, so please do sign up!Follow us on Youtube!
Published 09/10/24
As predicted by us, Pakistan keep hitting new lows as Bangladesh completed a historic sweep. But our focus ended up being on the PCB's absolutely bone-headed decisions, and the existential threat faced by Pakistani cricket. 02:24 Bangladesh's Historic Test Series Win08:16 Impressive Performances by Bangladeshi Bowlers14:13 Questioning Pakistan's Leadership and Selection Decisions19:09 Concerns about Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi22:39 The Need for Strong Incentives for Test Cricket27:12 T...
Published 09/05/24
We took a few days after the event to record this, which means we aren't at the fire and brimstone stage everyone else might be. We congratulate Bangladesh on a magnificent win, and lay out our causes for the defeat.01:04 Bangladesh's Impressive Win Against Pakistan08:44 Pakistan's Poor Performance and Team Selection14:47 Flaws in the World Test Championship Ranking System21:41 Issues with Pakistan's Pitch Preparation and Workload Management33:05 Mistreatment of Players and Lack of Support42:...
Published 08/28/24
"He is the first splash on a blank canvas, the first flick of a torchlight into the abyss. If ever an athletics legacy will be built - though don't hold your breath - it will start with him."From Osman's article: https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40801739/paris-olympics-2024-pakistan-gold-medal-javelin-all-hail-improbable-arshad-nadeem-first-maybe-last-kindWe try our best to capture the unprecedented nature of Arshad Nadeem's Olympic record shattering moment.0:00 Arshad Nadeem's Gold m...
Published 08/13/24
We are back with a new episode and no new news or matches. So we just sit and cry about the PCB. Enjoy!0:00 The Upcoming mega season of Pakistan cricket3:10 Shan Masood's captaincy and Naseem's return7:00 The NOC brouhaha and the future of the PSL15:27 The potential of tapeball cricket20:00 Frustration with existing PCB management28:40 Mohsin Naqvi's multiple roles41:48 Why tapeball offers self-sustainability46:30 Shaheen's future and his mistreatment 53:00 Wiki's back babyFollow us on Y...
Published 08/04/24
Welcome to the batting sibling of our great Pakistani pace spells series! We start off with a canonical entry, Inzi's starmaking turn at the '92 World Cup semifinal.0:00 Intro03:45 Inzi's iconic innings08:36 Context for this match15:45 Jonty's runout that made fielding a genuine skill22:07 Inzi in cluth moments28:50 The 1992 World Cup and the birth of modern cricket37:50 How Inzi broke NZ's foolproof bowling 44:55 How this innings defined his reputationFollow us on Youtube!
Published 07/21/24
Finally, the Indian team wins an ICC event after having dominated the world game for so long. We give the team their flowers, marvel at the way Bumrah has silenced all doubters, do the blasphemy of comparing him to Wasim, and consider the tactics and choking allegations from a fantastic final.Follow us on Youtube!
Published 07/02/24
We can't stop gushing over Afghanistan's wonderful run to the semifinals, including a reflection on Mohammad Nabi's Hall of Fame career, and the greatest injury in cricket history.1:00 Reviewing the group stages and celebrating Afghanistan's magical run6:30 Gulbadin's magnificent, iconic injury10:30 Afghanistan's winning tactics14:00Mohammad Nabi's GOAT career32:00 South Africa's atypical run37:00 Previewing the semifinals39:00 Rohit's incredible transformation42:00 Hope for rain-free matches...
Published 06/26/24
As our period of massive viewcounts (lol) ends before it really began, we review a depressing campaign, outline the many causes for failure, and end up ranking the worst ICC events for the Pakistan's men's team this century.0:30 Batta Fast revenue streams destroyed2:00 Babar's captaincy, the fallout, the tactical issues11:00 Why PSL success hasn't translated for this team18:00 A look at PCB's mystifying selection process22:00 Disastrously unstable era at the PCB24:20 "Even for Pakistan cricke...
Published 06/18/24
What a delightfully horrible way to lose to India. We discuss the causes of the defeat, Pakistan's stagnant development, the clusterf**k that is the PCB, and India's own batting woes.0:00 Intro and why Pakistan lost3:30 Has Pakistan's core stagnated?14:00 Why Pakistan's batting is not fit for purpose25:15 How the bowlers have evolved more than batters36:16 From Wahab to Mohsin, a collection of unserious people44:30 India's batting struggles in T20 World Cups52:10 The professional athlete's co...
Published 06/12/24
We get very excited about the upcoming T20 World Cup, including a chance to see a whole bunch of associate sides, new stars to emerge, and for good/bad mojo to decide the tournament.0:00 The boredom of creating content vs the excitement for the World Cup11:00 Unique stories from the associate sides and potential for upsets25:00 Pakistan, West Indies & Sri Lanka - Aar ya Paar sides28:00 How India's conservatism holds them back35:00 Ugh, Australia45:00 England's X-factors - Chris Jordan and...
Published 05/29/24
A discussion about #PAKvIRE became a long debate on what tactics should one look at in T20s, how Pakistan batting first and batting second are different teams, and what a bowler like Amir and a format like tapeball teaches us about the future of T20 cricket. Trust us, you will find this boring af.0:00 Intro02:00 The challenges of setting a target in T20s07:30 Why T20Is are not the apex of the format13:00 Understanding the value of runs and wickets in T20s30:00 Mohammad Amir's vegetarian bowli...
Published 05/21/24
We are back to worship the algo, and so fittingly we have found a way to force the Kendrick Drake beef into this episode. We also take a look at what Babar can learn from Akshay Kumar and Aditya Pancholi, why Andre Russell is the GOAT, and our take on the World T20 squads.Kendrick, Drake and the 2023 World CupBabar Azam, Akshay Kumar and Aditya PancholiBobby's career at an inflection pointThe role of bowling in modern T20sDr. Sohail's resignation and PCB shenanigansT20 World Cup ContendersDre...
Published 05/06/24
*puke* A terrible series that taught us nothing and made us despair a lot. We dive deep mostly into Babar, but also the larger malaise afflicting Pakistan cricket.0:00 - 5:00 Intro and whining5:00 Lack of ambition and intent11:14 Toxic national team atmosphere24:23 Babar's lack of evolution30:37 Did we learn anything at all?Follow us on Youtube!
Published 04/27/24
To celebrate the star turn by Naseem Shah in his new ***** ad, we decide to take a look back at some of the iconic cola adverts starring Pakistani players. Thirty years of pure pop culture.
Original compilation of ads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhwhTaU14zM
Osman podcast discussing War Minus the Shooting: https://www.81allout.com/2021/02/22/an-unquiet-history-an-interview-with-writer-osman-samiuddin/
Ahmer article on separating art from artist:...
Published 04/16/24
This week, we respond to many fan queries and do a detailed discussion of our criticism's of Ramiz Raja's stint as PCB Chairman. We also debate just how gold was Shaheen's 'don't anger me' Insta story, and discuss how a return of the franchise-based Champion's League tournament is both exciting and ridiculous.
00:00 Intro and Shaheen's insta story
9:53 The Chairman Rambo era
37:03 What does a revival of the Champions League mean?
Follow us on Youtube!
Published 04/06/24