Pakistan national cricket team

But we aren't stopping there.

To really understand the sheer scale of modern tribalism, we'll be looking at this eye-opening financial and cultural analysis from Sportcal regarding the India-Pakistan cricket clash.

But before we get to the billion-dollar broadcasting rights and, uh, severed pig heads-

Yes, there is a severed pig head involved

That brings us to our final and most consequential piece of source material.

It is a massive leap in scale.

We are moving away from local culture wars and looking at the billion-dollar border war, the India versus Pakistan cricket rivalry.

When you read the sporting analysis, the numbers are so large they almost lose meaning.

It's like not talking about short-term decisions, but this, this rethink of actually how to develop players because while all this instability has happened, I think you've got a bunch of players who you're never gonna get the most out of people who are always looking out, over their shoulder, who are never, who don't know whether they're Harry or Larry as far as, as what they're playing.

I've been s- pretty sympathetic to Pakistan cricket for quite a long time and, and will continue to be because, uh, you know, from, from memory really.

But, uh, Pakistan cricket, uh, has had all sorts of problems from outside it, not least the, the relationship with India, very, very difficult.

But Pakistan cricket is also rotten.

It's absolutely rotten.

It's absolutely inept at best.

Yeah.

So today we're filming on Thursday, aren't we? Wednesday, yesterday, first day of the test between England and, uh, second-string countryside, Pakistan.

[laughs]

[laughs] Yeah, I notice you put them in the background today.

They are bad, mate.

It's absolutely atrocious.

I know we've gone straight into slants, sort of giving slander to Pakistan, but-

I think they're the worst, bam, they're one of the worst test sides ever to exist at the moment.

This is the final word then.

It's the England-Pakistan daily third test, day one from Edge.

Bastin, Geoff Lemon and Daniel Norcross.

Your company on the show today that is brought to you by Zeus Sleeps, the company that can help you sleep better by stopping either you or somebody near to you snoring.

Daniel, today, day one after, after what seemed like the longest break between the second and third tests, and so much conversation and, uh, so much angst and intrigue around Pakistan cricket politics, could you please sum up the day's play in 30 seconds?

Well, I could try and sum it up in one word: Raza Ullah.

Yes, praise be, there is somebody in Pakistan who can bowl really fast and is dead charismatic.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see what he could do until a whole load of people had shit the bed first.

So I think there's a lot of questions to be asked about the, the, the authorities and, ugh, a- a- and the, the, certainly how it feels, the, the soft touch that, uh, the far right get, particularly when you compare, I mean, we, we started off this show talking about Palestine protesters.

I mean, my God, the difference there, right? Uh, so last night, that's Tuesday the 8th, a group of, uh, pr- these protesters in Portsmouth mistook a Pakistan cricket team for a group of migrants entering a hotel.

Hampshire County Council Reform UK Group leader George Madgewick confirmed in a social media post that protesters believed a coach at the hotel was full of migrants.

What the fuck is that? What is that about? W- w- what is this?