Hello and welcome to Stumped, your intercontinental hit of news, features,
and debate from the quirky world of cricket. I'm Alison Mitchell and I'm now in Adelaide.
I've flown across here from Melbourne after commentating on the Australian Open tennis.
Thank you to Eleanor Oldroyd for sitting in for me last week. There was still a crossover, you know.
Steve Smith, former Australia Test captain, was in the front row or two the other night watching one
of the quarter finals that I was commentating on, but it's just been so good seeing Melbourne come
alive in such a big way after a couple of Covid hit years for the tennis with lower spectator numbers.
Well, they came in their droves, and they partied, and they loved the festival atmosphere
and I have to say I did as well. Hello, Jim Maxwell back in Sydney after a spell at Central Coast
and Ali mentioned Steve Smith. Well, I would say in terms of cricket in the last week, he's the
highlight. He scored the first two hundred's ever scores for the Sydney Sixers since they started
playing in the Big Bash and then another 66. Just extraordinary. How could they have ever left him
out of the Australian team in that T20? Put him in anywhere, but probably opening and we've got
the culmination of the Big Bash now. We're going into that this week and Australia are continuing
their series against Pakistan, but I'm pleased to say that the weather has been more hot and sunny
than wet, which coming from Sydney is very unusual. Wonderful weather here in Bangalore
as well. Hello, everybody. Charu Sharma, and I'm glad to be back on Stumped up after being missing
in action for a while. I've been dedicating a lot of time for my school and my batch because
we had a big reunion in Pondicherry and enjoyed ourselves hugely with my batch mates from 1974.
Then I went to Mayo - the Mayo College, Ajmer - because there was a conclave there that some
of us are setting up. We're trying to get some improvements going to be more contemporary. Apart
from all that, we've just celebrated our Republic Day in India on the 26th of January. Women's Cricket
is finally booming, thanks to the Women's Premier League getting all sorts of fabulous attention,
commercially. I'm just glad that the Indian team was doing what it did to New Zealand with
those high scoring matches. Plenty of heroes, there for sure. Some extraordinary numbers,
aren't there, knocking around that Women's Premier League. Not the Women's Indian Premier League,
we have talked about that on the programme, but at the moment it's the Women's Premier League. We
will be delving much more deeply into that as we get closer and closer to the start, but we have
another extraordinary story for you at the top of the show, because it's a story of an international
call up for a 29-year-old cricketer who, until only six months ago was playing recreational
club cricket in the north of England. This is 29-year-old Tayyab Tahir, who has been called
up to play for Pakistan. He's gearing up at the moment to play for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan
Super League, having made his international debut against New Zealand in Pakistan's recent ODI
series. We wanted to find out a little more about Tayyab, so we've invited him on the show. Tayyab,
welcome to Stumped. How are you? Yeah, I 'm good, thank you. So, how did the call-up happen to
Pakistan? How did you learn about your debut? So, I was playing cricket with my brother on the roof
at my home. I was waiting for the announcement, and I was hoping that I could get the chance today
and they might select me. So, I was waiting for the selection, and somebody messaged me. He goes:
'Congratulations!' and I was shocked. I didn't know that I got selected, so I put the TV on,
and I was waiting for the announcement. Then I got many messages on my cell phone
congratulating me. A few of my friends sent me a few videos of when they were announcing the squad.
I was shocked that I got selected for the Pakistan team. So, you find out via the television. There
is nobody that makes a phone call directly to you? My phone kept ringing, so I couldn't answer
anyone's call at that time. You seem to take your chance very quickly. Tell us about that
run out of Finn Allen from New Zealand. I was on the bench. I didn't get the chance to debut.
I'm kind of famous in Pakistan for my throwing. I throw many good throws. So, Haris Rauf got
injured and then Fakhar Zaman got injured so they put two fielders in. One of my coaches,
Umar Rashid, he said to me: 'now you get the chance. Make sure you do two runouts'.
I was thinking about... I was finding runouts...How can I get the chance to do something different?
I was chilling on the deep leg-side for the right-handed batsman. When they rotated the run,
I came up in the circle. Then I got the chance and I just hit it. I don't know how I did it!
Well, we've been doing a little bit of investigation through your club
in England: Billingham, where you've been playing for the last few years and Andy Clayton. We asked
him if he could tell us a little bit more about you, and this is what he had to say. Obviously,
back in 2019 when we signed Tayyab, you didn't know what you were getting. Like anything when
you go for an overseas player, you just put your hand in the pot and try to pull out what you can.
We did do a little bit of homework on him and spoke to him and looked at the stats which were
quite good, but you don't realise how good they are until they turn up. As soon as he turned up,
in the first game you just realised how special and what potential he had. He is a little lad and
I've never seen anything like a little lad hit the ball so hard. We've got quite a big
ground at Billingham, and he hit the ball out of the ground for fun, which has never been done
before. It was at the point where people were petrified of putting their car in the car park!
As soon as they found out he was batting, the cars were getting moved outside and hid behind
the nets! Fielding, he picks the ball up and it's like a bullet. He just throws it flat.
It just doesn't deviate. Nine times out of 10, it's direct. He doesn't miss the stumps. Our
wicketkeeper here doesn't miss the stumps, he knows it'll do something. One time, I think we
were playing at Richmond, he threw the ball at the stumps, he missed the stumps and hit the umpire in
the leg. Two years later, the umpire still has the bruise on his leg. He's probably still got
it now! You could see the total difference in gap to other professionals or other the people
in the league that he was the outstanding player. Hopefully, one day, we'll get him back across but
hopefully not too soon, because hopefully he's playing international cricket for a while yet.
That's Andy Clayton, the club secretary at Billingham. What do you make of that appraisal from Andy, Tayyab?
I always keep in touch with Andy. He's always supporting me
from there. If I'm doing well in Pakistan, he goes whatever you need, some new kit,
do let me know. Whenever I played for them, he sorted everything for me. He says: 'Whatever you
need. Just let me know.' Tayyab, hello. This is Charu Sharma from Bangalore. Congratulations on
this fabulous rise. It must be a terrific moment for you to be picked for Pakistan.
Now you are sharing the dressing room with some of the biggest names in the game, particularly
the skipper, Babar Azam. I wonder what that did to your morale, and do you remember something
specific that Babar may have you that gave you a lot of heart, something you remember well?
Well, to be honest, when I got selected, I was thinking about big players. He obviously is a
world class player. I was thinking about asking him about he played really good cover drives
and a few different shots, so I'll go and then I'll discuss things about batting and how they
do it. and how they control things. It was good to share a room with them and even though he was
a good lad and Mohammad Rizwan as well, so it was a good experience.
I think that's the difference if you make your debut at 22 or 23 vs 29 or 30. You're probably more relaxed and cool
as you say you were.... If you go on that level, you still get nervous... when I went
inside of the fielding... I was nervous at that time because I was wearing the green shirt.
I saw the star here and everybody was watching me. So I think I did a miss-field as well. That's
the main pressure, everybody watching you then, slowly slowly, after two or three hours and I was
okay. I was like 'I'm playing'. I tell my mind to take it easy. Well, we look forward to seeing
much more of you. Tayyab, next of course is the Pakistan Super League for you. You are you playing
with the Karachi Kings and surely a massive opportunity for you to establish your name and
become this big hero with a fabulous profile back in Pakistan once again. Surely, you're looking
forward to a fantastic season. Yeah, exactly. I think it's PSL 8 now. When they started,
I was like; 'okay, if we don't perform in domestic level at one-day and T20, we've got a chance to
play PSL then we can do well in PSL then we get a chance to play for Pakistan.' So, I've been waiting
for four or five years and I was waiting to get a chance to play for any kind of franchise.
For the last two or three years, I've been doing well in domestic cricket, and I've got
a chance to play for Karachi Kings this year. So, I'm really excited to play for them,
and I'll try my best to do well. And Tayyab, you did your MSc in Sport Science. So,
if cricket hadn't gone so well, what were you going to do with that degree?
I never think about it not going well. I always think I'll go, and I'll do something. I'll smash everything!
That's great confidence. You've got to have that belief to make it an international
cricket. Tayyab, it's been great to speak to you and to get to know you. Congratulations
on where you've got so far and look forward to following your career very much. Thank you very much.
Finally, on Stumped, the scheduling of Australia women's T20 match against Pakistan on
Australia Day sparked some controversy. The 26th January is a public holiday down under,
which effectively marks the start of Britain's colonial rule 235 years ago. It has generally been
considered a day of celebration with barbecues and parties. But, for indigenous Australians
it is a day of hurt and mourning. Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who is from the
indigenous Muruwari people says the scheduling of this match just does not sit well with her or the
people that she is representing. Former Australian cricketers Jason Gillespie and also Dan Christan
have supported her view as well. They too have indigenous heritage. Jim, what has the overall
reaction in Australia been to the scheduling of a match and also Ash Gardener's response?
Discomfort, I would say. A lot of discomfort and there's a lot of sensitivity about the whole
issue of indigenous people and reconciliation and it's become more of a priority than it ever was.
Certainly, when I was growing up, Australia Day was regarded as a wonderful day, as you suggested.
More often than not, we were playing Test cricket in Adelaide, and it was a huge occasion amongst
many other things that occurr on that day to celebrate what most Australians believed was
the right and proper thing to do. But that has all changed dramatically. So, we are now in a position
where we're probably going to have to move the day to accommodate the wishes of a number of people.
I don't know how that satisfactorily going to be done, given that there is a kind of spirit
of celebration of Australians of the year being named, Australia Day honours being handed out to
a lot of Australians, including quite a few indigenous Australians I noticed when I was
looking through the list this morning. So, it's not a comfortable situation as it now exists.
And it's probably going to get worse if those in charge of the Government of the day continues to
celebrate the 26th January as Australia Day. So, what pressure is going to come to bear to move
the day? I'm not so sure, but it sounds like something'll have to happen. Otherwise, it's
going to become more and more uncomfortable for almost all of us and we need to be more sensitive
as a nation to what has occurred historically and recognise it. How has Cricket Australia responded
to what Ash Gardner had to say in criticism of them scheduling a match on that day?
Carefully, I would say. They understand and acknowledge there is an opportunity to continue their education of
all of those are around cricket by including the indigenous community and that's important.
It needs to be recognised that Ash Gardner, and before her, Jason Gillespie, they're the only
two people you can think of from indigenous sport in Australia that have played cricket
for their country. Historically, it hardly would have ever occurred. There was more rugby league,
rugby union, boxing, athletics where indigenous Australians found their mark, but this has changed
things in the last few years and the wider recognition of there being a problem with the
26th January and the way it's celebrated. There's going to be more consultation. Cricket Australia
have their own indigenous advisory committee, and they have approved to play on this date
at the moment. As we're recording this programme, Australia is playing Pakistan in Hobart.
So at least there's been a recognition that via this game, by the wearing of an indigenous
kit by the Australian team, they are having a traditional smoking ceremony before the match
and walking around the local mountain Kunanyi to learn about the community. So, that is occurring,
but there'll obviously be some change the more we go. But Cricket Australia are just trying to ease
their way into a decision of some sort that could have a more significant bearing. Remembering that
next year, around this time, we are scheduled to play a men's Test match against the West Indies.
Charu, you mentioned at the top of the programme that January 26th is a significant day for India as well.
Well, unlike what's happening in Australia, where it's very divisive as you said,
the 26th January is India's Constitution Day. It's called the Republic Day because this is when
the constitution was presented to the people of India after independence was gained on the
15th August 1947. So, it took a while. When all the paperwork, documentation got done,
the constitution was unveiled to the country which of course holds the nation together. This
is when India became a sovereign Republic. And, yes, it's a day of celebration in India because
this is all unifying stuff, it's not dividing at all. It's unifying the entire population of India
and there's so much talk about the constitution taking the whole nation forward because that
gives you the framework doesn't it? Of course, many changes have been made and the constitution
because that is not written in stone, but it is a day of great celebration in India, and I can't
obviously figure out how Australia may be able to take the focus away from their 26th January,
because a divided and maybe... it's not just cricket that Jim was talking about, but there's many other
sports that go on and Australia's a very sporting nation. Has everybody managed to keep the focus
away from the 26th January when they play? It's a tough one for Australia, but a day of great
celebration in India on the contrary. I'm glad you've managed to enjoy and celebrate it this week
as well, Charu. Now that is it for this week's Stumped. I'll say thank you to Jim Maxwell and
Charu Sharma and of course to all of you. We'll see you again, same time next week. Bye for now.