In the latest episode of the 81allout podcast we are delighted to be joined by ace sports writer Rob Smyth, who has written for the Guardian, Wisden, ESPNcricinfo and a variety of other publications.
Rob is one of the most prolific over-by-over and minute-by-minute commentators, and has written multiple books on cricket – like The Spirit of Cricket and Gentleman and Sledgers– as well as on football.
He talks about his journey in sports journalism, the joys and challenges of live text-commentary, and the breed of cricketers he is drawn towards. He remembers England's woeful one-day adventures in the 1990s and 2000s, and puts the achievement of the current ODI team in perspective.
Also featuring: English fans' love-hate relationship with KP, Patrick Patterson's most violent spell, and England's "omnifiasco" in India in 1992-93. 
Participants:
Rob Smyth
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)
Some of Rob’s pieces:
The scariest Test England ever player
The joy of Kevin Pietersen
The unimprovable game: Australia v South Africa, Edgbaston, 1999
Fumbles, fallouts and faulty planes: England's nightmarish 1993 tour of India
Recalling Duncan Spencer
The little genius in the corner: Graham Thorpe
Bharat Sundaresan's piece on Patrick Patterson
(Lead image from here)