Facing Shoaib Akhtar at 150kph | Cricket Gear, Fast Bowling & Change-Room Stories

What does facing 150kph+ really feel like?

It's a listener Q&A episode of All Over Bar the Cricket. James Brayshaw, Greg Blewitt and Matthew Hayden answer fan questions on fast bowling, elite cricket gear, and some genuinely filthy change-room stories.

Matthew Hayden and Greg Blewitt explain what happens when you face 150–160kph fast bowling including vivid stories of taking on Shoaib Akhtar at full speed and why the difference between 140 and 150 is far bigger than it sounds.

They also reveal:
• How professional cricketers really choose bats, gloves and protective gear
• Why the bats sold in shops aren’t the same as the ones elite players use
• The filthiest teammates they’ve ever shared a change room with
• Duckworth-Lewis frustrations, Big Bash finals, and unforgettable dismissals

This episode is part cricket masterclass, part locker-room storytelling — and completely unfiltered.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:39 Haydos hair update
3:50 Duckworth-Lewis - is there a better way to sort out rain affected games?
6:05 Big Bash update - another final in the west!
7:38 Dos gets stuck into JB’s commentary
8:45 Listener questions
9:11 What is the fastest bowler the boys have ever faced?
11:46 The first time Haydos faced Shoaib Akhtar
14:02 When Haydos sledged Shoaib off the ground in Sharjah
18:52 Do international players get better equipment than the layman?
27:18 Who is the sloppiest bloke the boys shared a change-room with?
32:02 When Merv Hughes flashed one of his pills at JB?
33:26 Darren Lehmann’s post-play habits
34:56 The boys’ most embarrassing dismissals
39:39 When JB nearly sledged Justin Langer out
42:25 When Dean Jones threw the ball at JB’s head
44:15 Favourite grounds as players
45:12 Outro

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