After a bit of a hiatus, the pod is BACK! In this episode, we talk to Jake Kusuda-Nairn, who has temporarily moved to Japan this year to develop his cricket while helping out part-time at the JCA. We also chatted to Jake about his early life in Japan/Australia, how he has found the move to Japan, how his cricket has gone this season, and much more! Lastly, I talk about how this year's standings are shaping up in all our domestic leagues from the JCL T20 to the Junior U15 and U19 leagues.

On this episode of the Japan Cricket Podcast, some special guests join me to cover the very busy month of exciting tournaments that concluded at the Sano International Cricket Ground. Some topics include: - Josh Brown's explosive batting in the Japan Premier League (literally breaking windows) - New debutants and milestones in the Japan Vs Mongolia Series (Tani #50) - The Western Eagles getting revenge on the Eastern Waves - Nikhil Pol making the Futures League look easy

The Pod is back! No more lengthy breaks in 2024 as the host mic is ceremonially handed over…you’ll have to listen to find out who is now in the hot seat. Men’s and Women’s international tournaments, a World Record, Futures League, JPL, WJPL, and Mongolia are all discussed, along with some early performances in the JCL and the first trophy winners of 2024…who were also the last trophy winners of 2023

Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Dhugal Bedingfield talk about the World Cup qualifier as a whole, and the future of Japan Cricket.

By popular demand, Ibby and Sabaorish join me on the podcast, recorded around two hours before the final game at the EAP Regional Final in Papua New Guinea.

Live from Amini Park before the clash with the Philippines I get two roommates to tell us about their PNG experience so far.

Scenic podcast alert! Coming direct from Loloata Island as the team enjoy a rest day, we here a bit about that but more about how two of the top performers at the Regional Final have performed so far.

Day Two in PNG and on the eve of Match One I have Reo Sakurano-Thomas to tell us how the team has trained, but not before the great Makoto Taniyama tells us a bit about how he became a leg spinner.

A short chat while at the gate with one of the players returning to the Japan Team, Muneeb Mian about his preparation for the World Cup Qualifier and what he’s excited about, as well as the feeling in the squad.

A quick chat with two of the Women's Japan National Squad members, Ahilya Chandel made her debut in 2022 while Elena Kusuda-Nairn played for the first time earlier this year. Both have joined a number of players flying into Japan from across the world to take part in the inaugural Women's Japan Premier League (WJPL). We discuss the tournament happening this weekend as well as their upbringings and family background and the impact that being involved with Japan Cricket is having on them.

It's a case of back to the future on this episode as I am joined by former Japan Under 19 captain Marcus Thurgate, and current captain Koji Hardgrave-Abe to talk about the recent World Cup Qualifier in Darwin. Marcys relives some of his experiences and compares them to what we witnessed in the early part of June, while Koji gives us the inside view of how things came together. At the end of the pod I do a quick two minutes on the format, more specifically why New Zealand were taking part.

Jenny Thompson is the envy of most cricket fans right now, as she travels the globe playing cricket in as many countries as she can possibly get to. She visited in Japan in late April and took in the surroundings of Sano and the SICG, as well as travelled to Nagasawa to play a match in the Japan Women's Cricket League. On this episode I catch up with Jenny a couple of months after her visit to Japan, find out where she is now, why she's on this mission and what she is learning along the...

The sakura is out and the new cricket season is almost upon us! The Japan Cricket League will kick things off this Saturday and I am joined by Commuhnity Cricket Manager and regular guest on the show Dhugal Bedingfield to make a few wild predictions which will inevitably be horribly wide of the mark. We'll also chat briefly about Dhugal's other role as Head Coach of the Men's Japan National Squad and the busy nature of the year ahead for them. Feel free to follow the show on Instgram as...

Welcome to the final episode of Season Two! On this extended episode I wrap up the season, going back to competitions that finished as long ago as August such is how far behind I've got!  To go through everything I am joined by three of the Japan Cricket Associations finest in Dhugal Bedingfield, Deano Ruhode and Reo Sakurano-Thomas. The boys give their thoughts on an array of competitions, fail miserably to pick a Team of the Year and then go head-to-head in a highly competitive quiz that...

Welcome to groundsman extraordinaire, Todd Luckhurst! In a quick chat in the stands at the SICG during the Men’s East Asia Qualifier back in October. It’s a short episode and I apologise for the sound quality, first show recorded by phone….probably not a long term strategy.

It started with Japan Men's first ever T20 International, was followed by a series win, and ended with a first ICC tournament trophy in our hands in fifteen years! So naturally I was pretty excited to get Dhugal Bedingfield back on the pod to talk firstly about the three-match bilateral series against Indonesia, and then dissect the 2024 ICC World T20 East Asia Pacific Sub Regional Qualifier B win. We have 11 debuts to talk about, a first ever T20 century for Japan, a five-wicket haul on...

INTERNATIONAL CRICKET IS BACK IN JAPAN! We have only waited three and a half years for international cricket to resume in Japan, and almost four years for our men to take the field, so please forgive the excitement!   In the first of a series of short, unedited episodes over the coming weeks, I chat with the Japan Men's Team Head Coach about selecting a squad for the first time in so long and then the upcoming international series with Indonesia which starts on October 9th, followed by the...

My next guess is the new kid on the Japan Cricket scene. Born in Toyama but raised predominantly in New Zealand, Reo Sakurano-Thomas has been instrumental in the success Sano Cricket Club is enjoying this year, while he is also taking the game to the local community as part of his role with the Japan Cricket Association.  We discuss all that, as well as the challenges around relocating to New Zealand as a five-year-old with no English, and then doing the reverse trip as a 22-year-old. He...

After a bit of a break the Japan Cricket Podcast returns with the recently appointed High Performance Coordinator, Ardene Ruhode; or Deano.  We chat about his early life in Zimbabwe, what the cricket pathway looks like over there and why he left to find opportunities elsewhere. It's a journey that has taken him to England and Scotland before almost five years in Australia coaching in a variety of places. Now Deano is part of the Japan Cricket community we discuss his expectations and hopes...

A special episode as I am joined on the pod by current Panasonic Wild Knights Head of Rugby, Robbie Deans.  In this chat Robbie and I discuss all sorts, starting off with his upbringing in rural Canterbury and the importance that gave to community sport, being part of something bigger than yourself and the value of being in a team environment, all the way through to his time with the Wallabies, why he took that role and what he learnt by doing it.  Robbie also shares some incredible...

A new competition starts on Saturday 13th August, the Japan Cricket League T20! 16 teams will battle it out and so I invited podcast regular Dhugal Bedingfield to come and chat about it. We run you through all the groups as well as make some wildly unscientific predictions, which will inevitably leave us with egg on our faces. Prior to that there's the usual JCL round up as well.  As always if you have time to rate or review the show that would be great, or even just recommend it to one other...

Join me, Alan Curr, as I chat with Kazi Murad about his journey from Dhaka in Bangladesh to playing cricket in Japan. As a founding member of the Rising Stars Cricket Club who has been on the Japan Cricket scene for more than 15 years, Kazi shares his insights on how cricket has developed and how he thinks communities can assist in growing the sport. For those who like to skim through their podcasts, here's how the talk develops: Start - 04:00 Domestic Round Up 04:00 - 12:00 Growing up...

On this episode I chat with one of the nicest people in Japan Cricket, Mai Yanagida. Listen to Mai discuss a cricket journey which has taken her to far flung places ranging from Bangladesh to Vanuatu via Scotland and most recently Sydney. We talk about her first impressions of the sport, how she balances a full time job with Hitachi and being a Japan National Squad Member.  Start - 4:40 Domestic Round Up 04:40 - 09:05 Early Life and Career 09:05 - 21:55 Cricket Development in Japan 21:55...

Last month Shizuka Miyaji became the first professionally contracted player to make an appearance in a franchise T20 League. The FairBreak Invitational 2022 took place in Dubai and I caught up with "Zu" to hear all about her experiences, the players she played against and alongside, what she learned and that MVP performance.  Following that we revisit how Zu got into cricket, the Bronze Medal at the 2010 Asian Games and where women's cricket in Japan goes from here.  For those who like to...