# Ben Stokes' Excuses, Bangladesh Preview & Australia's Test Future Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cricket-unfiltered-200842/ben-stokes-excuses-bangladesh-preview-australia-s-test-future Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cricket-unfiltered-200842/ben-stokes-excuses-bangladesh-preview-australia-s-test-future.md Podcast: [Cricket Unfiltered](https://stenobird.com/podcast/cricket-unfiltered-200842) Published: 2026-08-05T17:50:00+00:00 Episode link: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/COMG9747350506.mp3 Audio file: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/COMG9747350506.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cricket-unfiltered-200842/episodes/ben-stokes-excuses-bangladesh-preview-australia-s-test-future Duration seconds: 3643 ## Resource Cricket Unfiltered is back with plenty to unpack as England appoint Stephen Fleming as Test coach, sparking debate about the direction of English cricket and whether Joe Root's return as captain is the right move. Menners and Damian Watson also dissect Ben Stokes' revealing podcast interview, including his comments on Australia's media, England's drinking culture and his retirement. Closer to home, they preview Australia's upcoming Test series against Bangladesh and discuss which players will survive the next 21-Test journey leading into the next World Test Championship cycle. Plus, the latest BBL news, The Hundred, Australian stars dominating overseas, and another edition of Can't Let It Go. (0:55) Stephen Fleming becomes England's Test coach and the Michael Hussey coaching rumours. (7:20) Ben Stokes' podcast interview dissected: Aussie media, drinking culture and retirement comments. (20:23) Bangladesh series preview and why they're more dangerous than many think. (26:53) Australia's 21-Test journey: who survives and who misses out? (39:02) BBL changes, overseas signings and Ben Stokes linked to Australia. (42:59) The Guyana Super League, Ollie Peake's rise and The Hundred update. (48:55) Allen Border Medal predictions and Mitchell Starc's outstanding season. (51:36) Can't Let It Go: Australia A squads, 'Clicky Ponting' and more. Cricket Unfiltered Merchandise is Here! We’ve launched our official Cricket Unfiltered merch store thanks to a brilliant partnership with Exactamundo, a longtime supporter of the show. 🛒 Shop now:https://www.chickensaltoftheearth.com/shop/category/Cricket-Unfiltered?c=5469591 🎁 Use Promo Code: CU10 for 10% off your first order! From caps to tees, rep your love of cricket with some top-quality gear… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cricket-unfiltered-200842/episodes/ben-stokes-excuses-bangladesh-preview-australia-s-test-future/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/cricket-unfiltered-200842/ben-stokes-excuses-bangladesh-preview-australia-s-test-future.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.