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Andy Zaltzman was born in obscurity in 1974. He has been a sporadically-acclaimed stand-up comedian since 1999, and has appeared regularly on BBC Radio 4. He is currently one half of TimesOnline’s hit satirical podcast The Bugle, alongside John Oliver (The Daily Show with John Stewart). He also writes for The Times newspaper, and is the author of Does Anything Eat Bankers? (And 53 Other Indispensable Questions For The Credit Crunched).
Zaltzman’s love of cricket outshone his aptitude for the game by a humiliating margin. He once scored 6 in 75 minutes in an Under-15 match, and failed to hit a six between the ages of 9 and 23. He would have been ideally suited to Tests, had not a congenital defect left him unable to play the game to anything above genuine village standard. Aged 21, when fielding at deep midwicket, he dropped the same batsman three times in fifteen minutes, and has not been selected by England before or since
Zaltzman’s World Cup blog is here
« If the ICC organised a summer Olympics... | | Crimes against bowling humanity »
December 3, 2009
Posted by Andy Zaltzman on 12/03/2009
'Sehwag eats man-eating lions'
The groundbreaking first instalment in Andy Zaltzman's series of world cricket podcasts is here. In this special guest-free edition, Zaltzman turns an eye to the cavalcade of cricket that has been shovelled into our faces of late. Among the highlights: a look at the Dunedin Test, of which, despite not having watched a ball, he loved every ball; the first and last "paltry/poultry" pun ever; ways Mohammad Asif can get banned in future; the Zaltz Stat of the moment; the team that (sometimes) executes their plans as smoothly as Henry VIII did his wives; and in a world-first, a joke that features both Ali Naqvi and Dirk Wellham.
Read the transcript of the podcast here
Download the audio here (mp3, right-click to save)
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Posted by: Alex on 12/03/2009
Is there a feed for the podcast?
Posted by: Akshay on 12/03/2009
Needs more John Oliver to bring yang to Zaltzman's cricket-y ying. :-)
Posted by: Dan on 12/03/2009
I reject your claim that Bradman would have made twice as many runs four times as quickly had he been a woman. Indeed, the Don could have just as easily have doubled his runs by simply playing twice as many Tests and quadrupled his run rate by equi-simply having 75% fewer deliveries bowled to him. Shame on the ACB for not scheduling more Tests during his career and shame on his teammates for giving him so much of the strike. And shame on you, sir, for ignoring this solution in favour of your veiled hint that Lady Jessie was a lesbian who, decades later, would be summoned to watch a young Tendulkar who, by your logic, would then be deemed the girliest batsman of the modern era. Something Claire Taylor, for one, might well dispute.
So, your logic collapses in on itself, like the South Africans in a semi-final and your lies about Bradman are seen as what you acknowledge them to be - mistruths in the service of first-class comedy.
I do, however, fully back your claims on Dirk Wellham.
Posted by: Mayur Bhakar on 12/03/2009
Yes, the title is absolutely perfect.Sehwag do eats maneating lions.He has eaten away the test carrier of the legendary Mutthiah Murlitharan, who because of his beating has thought of quitting cricket.I think after this innings of Sehwag he will definitely quit cricket.Those who find test cricket boring, please watch his innings or the highlights.
Posted by: Mayur Bhakar on 12/03/2009
Yes, the title is absolutely perfect.Sehwag do eats maneating lions.He has eaten away the test carrier of the legendary Mutthiah Murlitharan, who because of his beating has thought of quitting cricket.I think after this innings of Sehwag he will definitely quit cricket.Those who find test cricket boring, please watch his innings or the highlights.
Posted by: Sidd on 12/03/2009
Nice addition this!
Andy sounds as funny as he writes.. ;-)
BTW..SEHWAG RULES!!!
Posted by: arcay on 12/03/2009
Haha! Love the man-eating lion comment. Yes, that is what Sehwag is a MAN who eats man-eating lions. 300 in a day, let do it .. again!
Posted by: neel shukla on 12/03/2009
hi just do all the good thing as with u sehwag
chak de with good and spendid cricket cross the lara record
Posted by: Osamah on 12/03/2009
Too good! 5 stars! We love you Andy!
Posted by: Steven on 12/03/2009
Loved your show....it certainly makes working in a library towards to rather demanding maters a less painful journey...keep up the good work
Steve
Posted by: natarajan on 12/03/2009
very fine innings thaks to Sewag
Posted by: Deepak on 12/03/2009
After 2nd days play, Sangakara went to the umpires to complain that Sehwag shudnt be allowed on the ground or even in the stands as my players ( sri lankan lions) are too scared to come out.....
Posted by: Keith Gomez on 12/03/2009
Even better than your written stuff. I'm not sure I'll have many sides left after a few more of these and this from a Sri Lankan who was not in best humour after checking the score this morning.
Posted by: siddique faris on 12/03/2009
bradman good badsman but veru gooooooo..d
Posted by: Bav on 12/03/2009
Nice spin on all things cricket.
Posted by: ZILLUR RAHMAN on 12/03/2009
I really enjoy Viru batting, I like him to mutch, I pray his success every match
Posted by: hemant singh on 12/03/2009
Awesome!!!!
I loved it. I hate it when people waste those 2% of their brain on other things............
Posted by: ZILLUR RAHMAN on 12/03/2009
I really enjoy Viru batting, I like him to mutch, I pray his success every match
Posted by: kunal on 12/03/2009
sehwaggggg,,,,hes d reason india wins so many test matches....hail sehwag...he taut ind hw2win test matches
Posted by: vaidianathan.R on 12/03/2009
simply very good. Keep it up.
Posted by: Sivram on 12/03/2009
Amazing!!!! Keep the pod casts going Andy!
The individual sections have been well thought of.
Posted by: CruelExecutioner on 12/03/2009
Boooorring. Here's chucking a rotten orange at you!!
*splotch*
Posted by: Jaideep on 12/03/2009
Sweeeet!
Posted by: jonty on 12/03/2009
you suck big time dude ...
Posted by: padma sambhava on 12/03/2009
jeez boy you spoil the fun of it. I dont know who u are but ive studiouslyh avoided the riff raff you write.
Posted by: Bharani on 12/03/2009
Hi Andy,
For those of us with such slow net speeds, we would love transcripts of your wonderful works here.. It is so frustrating to see wonderful pieces and know we can't read them or hear them coz of slow speeds. I would love a text version.
Posted by: Sachi on 12/03/2009
This is a wonderful innings ever played by our most dare batsman Mr. Sehwag. Perhaps he is just a follower of our Mr. Krishnamachary Srikath who was the most dare batsman in his time.
I like the attidue changed by Veeru as taking time to settle down and dominate the bowler left and right made him good result. Please continue this method and I am sure he will be ever remembered as the most dare batsman in the modern era of Indian Cricket.
Cheers,
Sachi
Posted by: Eby John on 12/03/2009
this guy is funny! gr8 podcast
Posted by: sanketh kumar on 12/03/2009
i cant wait for ur next podcast...esp i want to hear ur comments on the on-going sehwag knock.
Posted by: Amit on 12/03/2009
Very good show - but too long. Otherwise, brilliant !
Posted by: Hrishi Raval on 12/03/2009
Heart Breaking, Sehwag
No one can stop him, He is the most ever dangerous batsmen ever. I really feel sorry for the Sri Lankans bowlers.
It had happened against Pakistan,
It had happened against South-Africa,
And it will happened against Sri Lanka
300 + ...........
Great Man - VIRENDER SEHWAG
Chears
Hrishi Raval
Posted by: liaqat on 12/03/2009
lol brillaint , loved it
Posted by: kartic on 12/03/2009
Very good. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Look forward to your next one.
Posted by: Sahil on 12/03/2009
It was not worth listening!
Posted by: anil on 12/03/2009
Thank your mum for delivering you, Andy. You are the next best thing after sliced bread, toothpaste tubes and a certain Ponting front foot pull shot that I saw a couple years back. Please post photos of the man-eating lion that Sehwag devoured (photos taken before said beast's tragic demise that is). Also, I may sue you for possible sleepless nights caused by recurring nightmares of a bat-shaped Zaheer Abbas discussing bio-mechanics with a freakily delivered infant Muralidaran.
Posted by: Md. Emjamam- Ul Hoque on 12/03/2009
"Sehwag Bats to Sri Lanka's baby bowlers."
Posted by: Matt on 12/03/2009
Your voice is far deeper than I had ever imagined it. Now I have to re-read all your Confectionary Stall entries with the correct accent and inflection.
Posted by: NAUSHAD on 12/03/2009
i would like to rite something about the great batsmans........and gr8 bolowers.....
munaf patel: compared with shoaib akhtar whn he was starting his career.....but the first bowl he bowled of his career was slowest than spinner....isnt it???????????????.....
andrew strauss: the england captain.....during the series of sa(2009)......dropped 3 catches in 20 mnts....but i think he was enjoing that place...didnt change his place upto end of innings.....gr8 job........is it coz he is captain????
sangakara: hit wicket......wat a way to get out ....even f u try to do it intensionay u can do that....thts the skill ....everyone doesnt get tat skill.....god gifted......
Posted by: Sarab P Singh on 12/03/2009
Wonderful podcast mate. It was really funny and enjoyable. I'd be waiting for the next one!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous on 12/03/2009
nice title 'Sehwag eats man-eating lions'
Posted by: rv on 12/03/2009
Not bad at all, Andy!
Could do well not putting the genre on top of your blog "Cricket, Satire, Whimsy". Unless you expect people to wholly misinterpret your pieces as funny!
Posted by: Sriram Iyer on 12/03/2009
This was really really good. I love your sense of humor.
Keep it coming.
Posted by: puneet jolly on 12/03/2009
SEHWAG...not a one man show...When he is the only person land who when plays a knock like this it seems whole country is playing.
every single person of India are holdling there hands...n praying that he goes for 300+.
BEST OF LUCK...!!!!
Posted by: Satya Prasad on 12/03/2009
Please provide transcript also. The audio was not very clear.
Regards
Satya Prasad
Posted by: Lucifer on 12/03/2009
Nope, Andy. This does not work has well as your column.
Posted by: Niels on 12/03/2009
Very good. Look forward to this once a week. Only thing that can be lost is the baby noise.
Well done.
Posted by: Adarsh on 12/03/2009
Very funny - very cool :)
Posted by: khan on 12/03/2009
its amazing to see that sehwag will be on top of lara
Posted by: Atul Bhogle on 12/03/2009
It's great to listen to you Andy. The quips on Chris Lewis and Stanford were priceless.
Posted by: Anonymous on 12/03/2009
fuck u man
Posted by: Jayesh on 12/03/2009
Andy, a fan of yours from Bugle. You've surpassed yourself. Hope the century bugle is heading towards will be one of the many. And hope this podcast (without the impeding influence of John) has a cricket crossword, and hotties from the annals of cricket.
Posted by: bikram pratap singh on 12/03/2009
Bas maja aa gaya (i said in hindi and it mean i enjoyed it very much)
Posted by: yohan fernando on 12/03/2009
@Mayur Bhakar , With due respect to Sehwag. i d like to acknowledge Murali had already to decide to quit soon b4 this series started(so its not Sehwag). Ya this is a poor tournament by his standerd but his legendery will not reduce by an odd underperformed series.He is the greatest spinner and it ll take decades to pass his wicket tally to any international bowler
Posted by: Sanjay Dey on 12/03/2009
shewag just showed the brinks of what will be the future of international test cricket,,,
and it seems exciting..
he is surely a man- eater....
A man that can eat dreams of other man(srilankan's)
Posted by: eric on 12/03/2009
i am speechless...Viru is just amazing...the great part is the fact that he has bullied the best bowlers in the world and almost given the worst a legendary status..
Posted by: dnyanesh on 12/04/2009
Note to cricinfo. Please have a text transcript of all such columns. Reading is more fun than listening. It can be done in the office. Don't need much bandwidth and don't miss much t in the various accents.
Posted by: Manish on 12/04/2009
simply this can be said that viru is the most dangerous batsman anyone has seen in the history of cricket. though he has not been able to make another triple century, he is sure to do this on some another day very soon. when he is on the ground, the bowlers don't have much to do, instead to just bowl at their best and watch him batting at his best! amazing!
Posted by: waterbuffalo on 12/04/2009
Liked the jokes about Shastri and Zaheer Abbas.
I saw Sehwag play in his first ODI, and he scored a 50 and it was obvious this guy was going to be a star. He scored a 300 against Pakistan , and had the nerve to bring up his 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 with Sixes. Apropos New Zealand it seems to me they have always had very bright captains who managed to get their teams to punch above their weight. Three that come to mind are Martin Crowe, Fleming and Vettori, it is an absolute delight to listen to Crowe commentating on the current series with Pakistan, when you have Healy in Australia and Lloyd in England it is easy to see why it is better to be born deaf. I miss Boycott and look forward to Ian Chappell in the Pak series, in Australia. How can you possibly listen to a man (Healy) who sold women's clothing?
Posted by: Jeremy Hicks on 12/04/2009
Haven't listened to it yet (see point 1 below), but I have two comments:
(1) Can we please have the facility to download the podcast as an MP3? I don't want to listen to it when I'm working, but when I'm travelling to or from work (and not connected to the internet).
(2) Please don't play the sound automatically when the page is displayed. I would like to choose when I hear it, not have it thrust upon me. I am quite capable of pressing 'play' when necessary.
Posted by: bgc on 12/05/2009
Liked it.
Posted by: Oliver Chettle on 12/07/2009
This is probably funny, but I don't listen to podcasts because it is too hard to skip, or to go back over the good bits. Please stick to text in the future.
Posted by: Chetan on 12/14/2009
My world is divided into two parts. One is for Sehwag's batting and the other is for the rest of factors.
Sehwag is meant for Cricket only.
Thanks to GOD who has created such a great player i.e. VIRENDER SEHWAG ...
Keep it up man.
--- Chetan
Posted by: Safic Paravanda on 12/20/2009
It is really interestin players did I see yet.
I watch cricket for players like sewag, gyle
Posted by: deep on 12/23/2009
i watch cricket match only because of sehwag.
if he gets out i witch off the tv set.
ypu can understand what type of god gifted talent that man has...
Posted by: Ravi Sharma on 12/25/2009
Excellent. This type of writing should re-generate interest in reading cricinfo's articles...Much like T20 renewed interest in all forms of cricket...hey keep it up...the 20-20 of cricinfo's articles!!!
Posted by: Ricky Ponting on 01/15/2010
Sehwag is the best!!
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