In this episode of The Business of Cricket podcast by cricexec (episode 13), Ravichandran Ashwin sits down with cricexec’s Zee Zaidi for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond cricket.

Ashwin reflects on the role of failure in shaping success, sharing why setbacks — not achievements — have been the most important lessons of his career. He opens up about his early challenges, the influence of his father as a mentor, and how sport became a foundation for discipline, problem-solving, and personal growth.

The discussion explores themes that resonate equally in business and life — from sustained performance and passion-driven work to leadership, mentorship, and the importance of letting go. Ashwin also offers insight into his post-playing journey, including his role as an ambassador for the game, his approach to entrepreneurship, and why joy — not money — drives his decisions.

Blending personal stories with thoughtful perspective, this episode is a deep dive into mindset, resilience, and what it truly means to keep evolving — on and off the field.

Leadership in Cricket is the series of The Business of Cricket Podcast that talks to players and coaches the way you'd talk to any high-performance leader — because that's what they are. Each episode is an in-depth conversation with a current or recent international player, captain, or head coach, focused not on technique or tactics but on the leadership questions that sit underneath them: how to set culture in a dressing room, how to make decisions under enormous pressure, what failure has taught them, how they think about authority, accountability, and identity in a career measured in public. It's a sports leadership conversation built for an executive audience.

Finn Bradshaw, the ICC’s Head of Digital, has one of the most high impact jobs in all of cricket.

He oversees the ICC’s massive social channels, website and digital platforms, and reports directly to the ICC’s CEO. So he’s perfectly positioned to help grow the sport’s global audience and revenues.

And fortunately for the cricket world, Finn and his team are extremely passionate about what they do.

Watch our in-depth conversation with Finn that covers a variety of topics such as:

In this conversation, Finn discusses:

- the pivotal role of digital strategy in enhancing cricket's global reach and engagement.

- the ICC's digital initiatives, including social media strategies, content creation, and the importance - of connecting with diverse audiences, particularly in promoting women's cricket

- the evolution of cricket broadcasting

- the impact of the T20 World Cup

- growth of cricket in the US.

- the crucial role of sponsors

We also discuss Finn's career journey from Cricket Australia to the ICC.

The discussion highlights the importance of digital media and journalism in engaging audiences and the innovative approaches taken by various organizations in the cricketing world.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

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Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

USA Cricket CEO Johnathan Atkeison sat down with cricexec earlier this week for an in-depth interview on one of the most contentious governance debates in the organization’s history.

In a detailed 50-minute conversation, Atkeison walked through the rationale behind a set of constitutional amendments recently passed by USA Cricket’s membership—changes that sparked heated debate within the U.S. cricket community and an ongoing lawsuit against the board.

The interview comes days after USA Cricket confirmed that members had approved the new amendments, which are designed to align the organization with U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) governance standards—a critical step in USA Cricket’s bid to obtain official National Governing Body (NGB) status in time for cricket’s debut at the LA 2028 Olympics.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

Our special guest this episode is Dilip Vengsarkar – an Indian cricket legend in all aspects of the sport.

As a player, he was a central member of India’s fairy tale 1983 World Cup winning squad.

He was one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 1987 and that year also became India’s captain.

After retiring he became an administrator and was BCCI’s Chairman of Selectors when India won the first T20 World Cup in 2007.

He also runs multiple academies where he’s constantly finding and training the stars of the future.

This titan of cricket sat down with us at the NCL tournament in Dallas, and shared his thoughts on what makes a good selector, his storied career, and so much more.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

Lord’s Taverners is one of the most prominent cricket charities in the world.

Membership is by invitation only and the 5,000 members include prominent sports, entertainment and society figures such as Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Alastair Cook, Sir Andrew Strauss, Greg James, Miles Jupp, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Jonathan Agnew and Mike Gatting. King Charles served as President in 1975.

Yet there is much more to the Taverners than a list of famous members.

On our episode, we’re joined by Chief Executive Mark Curtin and we delve into the history and the incredible work of the Lord’s Taverners.

Mark shares his insights on the charity’s mission to use cricket as a tool to empower disadvantaged and disabled young people across the UK.

We discuss:

• The history and core values of the Lord’s Taverners
• How the charity uses cricket to tackle social mobility and disability issues
• The impact of the Lord’s Taverners on young people’s lives
• Upcoming fundraising initiatives and how you can get involved
• International affiliates and membership

This episode is a must-listen for cricket fans passionate about giving back or anyone interested in the power of cricket – and sport in general – to create social change

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

The MAX60 T10 tournament launched on Sunday, August 18 in the Cayman Islands featuring stars such as David Warner, Chris Lynn, and Thisara Perera. It’s the brainchild of Dario Barthley, cricket administrator and promoter in the West Indies, and CEO of BMP Sports, which owns MAX60.

Dario is best known throughout the cricketing world as the former Media Officer for the West Indies Men's Cricket Team. However, he also has extensive experience in running tournaments (Antigua’s long-running Cool & Smooth T20 tournament) and franchise teams (team manager in the CPL), which he leveraged into founding MAX60.

The MAX60 packs 25 games into eight days. Inaugural teams are T10 Abu Dhabi Champions New York Strikers, Caribbean Giants, Grand Cayman Stingrays, Boca Raton Trailblazers and Miami Lions.

Dario joined us on the Business of Cricket podcast to talk about the week-long MAX60 tournament, and the professional journey, unique to West Indies cricket, that got him there.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

Shane Watson is on a mission to change how the cricket world thinks – by revealing the secrets to his success.

He was one of the most technically skilled all-rounders of all time, but when he was on the verge of retiring, he discovered an approach to the mental side of playing which revolutionized his game.

Over the next four years, thanks to these new skills, Shane had some of the best performances of his life – including his legendary undefeated 117 off 57 in the 2018 IPL final to win it for CSK.

Since retiring, Shane has been sharing this mental skills approach with some of the sport’s biggest stars as the current head coach for the MLC’s San Francisco Unicorns and the PSL’s Quetta Gladiators.

But now Shane is sharing his performance secrets with the whole world.

He published a book called the Winners’ Mindset [as well as an online course] that details his approach and also helps readers apply his simple frameworks to turbocharge their own performances.

The world’s best cricketers swear by it – including Faf Duplessis, Rachin Ravindra, and Ricky Ponting among many others

And Shane also just released the Winners’ Mindset online course on his website, shanewatson.au – an interactive multimedia experience that enables users to easily learn and use these mental skills to elevate their own games.

Shane joined our business of cricket podcast to talk about his career, mental skills, and a whole lot more.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

America’s Major League Cricket has exploded onto the global cricket scene.

And one of its most fascinating franchises is the San Francisco Unicorns.

Led by Head Coach Shane Watson and a star-studded squad including Pat Cummins, Haris Rauf and Finn Allen, they were the runners-up in the 2024 tournament.

They’ve also created a unique brand and culture.

On this episode we’re joined by the team’s co-owners, Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan – two incredibly successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, lifelong business partners, and cricket fans who decided to embark on a sports adventure.

They share insights with us on their approach to ownership including, giving Shane Watson his first ever coaching gig,

Their data driven approach to building the team,

The Unicorns’ unique name and branding,

And their special partnership with Cricket Victoria in Australia,

And so much more.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/