The Final Word Cricket Podcast

India v Australia, 1st Test, Nagpur Day 1: It's been a long build-up, but finally the contest began and the pitch was put to the test. As expected it was Australia up against things on a tough opening day, while Rohit Sharma was at ease.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Bharat is in Nagpur after some time in the nets in Bangalore, and Geoff is on the way to meet him. Not deliberately, we launch into an India-fest via Dhaka, Multan and Bridgetown. Also, a surprising divergence into an Australian cinema living treasure.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

5.80 - Shyam Sundaraman

20.79 - Jeremy Brown

11.39 - Darcy Matthews

8.14 - Luke Reynolds

5.68 - Jimit Raja

5.34 - Andrew Turner

33.00 - Toby

3.09 - Jayaraman Ashwin

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Season 13, Ep 21: It’s been a while, but the weekly show comes to you from Daniel Norcross’ front room in South London with Geoff having a brief spell before joining Adam in India next week for the Border-Gavaskar. It’s an episode with plenty to get through around the cricketing world before finishing on a conversation about the mistreatment of South African skipper Dane van Niekerk, the repercussions of which could be incendiary for the women’s game in that country. 

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

1.14 - Jai Sharma

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week Daniel Norcross returns to join Geoff for a long meander through bad beginnings. Plus a south London record, the best No.11, and one of the very best of all time.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

2.03 - Nick Donovan & Andrew Beech

23.75 - Rob O'Neill

4.23 - Chris Lintott

2.60 - Crispn Crunch

2.00 - Alex

5.20 - Ed & Nick Dempsey

1.39 - Jake Cunliffe

21.12 - Chris Dobbins

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Season 13, Ep 20: Because it remains very much the cricketing topic de jour, it's time for another visit to the non-striker's end to take off the bails. This week the Marylebone Cricket Club, as custodians of the Laws, updated the relevant clause with extensive additional clarification as to when a bowler could attempt this kind of dismissal. We got hold of the man in charge, Fraser Stewart, to talk through what has changed and why.

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Season 13, Ep 19: The cricket world was teeming this week, and so was our show. Everything from the Cherry Tree's first ever victory in Melbourne pub cricket to $100million for the Women's IPL. Rwanda produced a massive upset in the Under-19s World Cup, Shimron Hetmyer became Dennis Rodman in the most forensic scrutiny of a bridge since the River Kwai, Steve Smith dropped the hammer in the Big Bash and is on his way to Sussex to become a Duke, Ross Adair becomes a fine Irish story, Gary Ballance forms an odd pair with Zimbabwe, South Africa have one chance to dodge World Cup elimination, Ash Gardner says her piece on January 26, cricket has an Olympic Games setback, Shubman Gill makes a one-day double, and Iftikar Ahmed is Pakistan's favourite uncle. Out of breath?

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

3.16 - Helen Wilson

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Season 13, Ep 18: A special episode. First we speak to Homaira Mershedi, Afghan community leader and veteran of humanitarian work, to get some sense of the current situation on the ground in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Then we talk through the tangled thicket of political ramifications around Australia withdrawing from a series against the Afghanistan men's team, while the women's team remains in exile in Melbourne with no support from the Afghan board or the ICC.

You can donate to the Afghan Australian Development Organisation at aado.org.au, or when in Melbourne get a meal at the Afghan Gallery Restaurant, 327 Brunswick Street in Fitzroy.

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Season 13, Ep 17: With the second season of The Test documentary out in the world, Adrian Brown joins the show for a second time to talk through the differences and complexities of repeating the dose while keeping the recipe fresh. Also this week, Kohli's ton run continues, India's Test squad is out, Australia's women play Football Manager against Pakistan, the Women's Under-19s World Cup is underway with Pakistan front and centre, and Peggy Collins has a middle name.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

4.89 - Edward Greggs

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week Bharat Sundaresan joins Geoff on babysitting duty, and is the perfect guide through Indian mythology and princely states. Does any of it relate to cricket? You'll find out. We also try to unravel some cryptic clues and the movie Tenet, which are equally confusing.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

1.30 - Mark Dixon & Daniel Price.

8.16 - Ramaswamy

3.76 - Dan O'Sullivan

5.78 - Jack Rule

2.56 - Ajay & Simon Ward

5.67 - Jon Rees & Bala Sivaraman

2.12 - Mike Brader & Alan Edgar

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Season 13, Ep 16: Ok, that's not really her middle name (yet) but we're working on it. The Final Word family has grown by one. Who knew when we told that great story about 1930s leg-spinner Peggy Antonio on Story Time 100 that Rachel and Adam would have a Peggy of their own? Well, they probably did, but it's a nice surprise for the rest of us. Also this week, squads for the next women's World Cup and the Australian men's India tour, farewell to Norma Whiteman as she was when she played for Australia, umpiring on low catches, bad light problems, and a lot more action with run-outs at the non-striker's end.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

4.46 - George Pearson

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Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 5: It's all over! We watched the rain for four days but it was all worthwhile for this thrilling... draw. Oh well, what do you do? Luckily there were many fun moments for us to tell you about. Go on. And the sun came out. Win, win, win. (Draw.)

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Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 4: After a full day of rain, we got back on the field again. Meaning we recorded the show again: on the politics of declaring near milestones, umpiring consistency, and some otherworldly bowling spells.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, Adam's baby may be arriving before the end of the show, but podcasting has to be done. We have important facts about Teddy Hoad and the 1911 Test in Adelaide to relate! Some triumphs and disasters, some bookends, and a long-pursued answer is run to ground. Got any baby names?

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

1.49 - Jason Wilkins & The Real Patch Clapp

1.55 - Bill Apter

16.10 - James Ralston

2.79 - Scot Munroe

16.43 - Francis Keepfer

17.70 - Ben Woolgar

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Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 2: Steve Smith day! Yet another one of them. The guy who just kept making hundreds has started being almost as relentless as he once was. Here was another, on the day that Usman Khawaja sauntered towards a double, and Travis Head cut sick.

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Australia v South Africa, Sydney Day 1: Lots of rain, but a fair bit of cricket, and two life's constants were on show: Labuschagne runs, and Labuschagne luck. And eventually some bad luck too. The wind tunnel that we plunged into in the second half of this episode was to show you what conditions were like outside the SCG when we recorded. (Also the primary audio failed.)

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Season 13, Ep 15: It's New Year's Eve! And as per Final Word tradition, we gather for a look back at the year that was. The good, the bad, the highs, the lows. It was an eventful one. Also this week we wrap up the many Test matches that were happening round the world, and give you an explainer of the Australian cricket broadcast rights negotiations and their ramifications, as well as the scenarios that could happen in the World Test Championship.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

11.32 - Fake Patch Clapp

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Australia v South Africa, Melbourne Day 4: It's all over, and so is the result of the series, with one match yet to play. Temba Bavuma had what you could call a mixed day, and at least South Africa made more than 200. Just.

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Australia v South Africa, Melbourne Day 3: Some more Nortje snorters to start the day, but it turned into another long one for South Africa. A Test century for Alex Carey and some real surprises on the injury front, but on we go into day four.

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Australia v South Africa, Melbourne Day 2: David Warner Day. Under pressure, stinking hot day, unbeaten double hundred. Just David Warner things. Also Nortje bowling fire, very few wickets but very many batting injuries, and other peculiarities. With Geoff Lemon and Bharat Sundaresan.

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Australia v South Africa, Melbourne Day 1: Big day, big occasion, and an effort that wasn't up to it. South Africa's batting fell over once again, but it was a special day for Cameron Green. With Adam home in England, Geoff Lemon and Bharat Sundaresan have you covered.

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Season 13, Ep 14: A Boxing Day special. You may know that within three days in 2021, Scott Boland became the second Aboriginal man to play Test cricket for Australia, and then the first Australian to win the Johnny Mullagh medal, awarded to the best player in the Boxing Day Test and named after the great Aboriginal cricketer who toured England in 1868. You may not know the story of Unaaramin, the man who became known as Johnny Mullagh, or the story of how the medal reached the MCG in 2021. Josie Sangster is the manager of the Johnny Mullagh Interpretive Centre, a museum about the 1868 tour in the Victorian country town of Harrow, where most of the players were from. She takes us through an illuminating and inspiring Final Word.

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Season 13, Ep 13: It's Christmas! And as is now tradition, we sit down for a long conversation with a person who we like and respect, and who has been a good friend to the show. Previous years had Harsha Bhogle, Jim Maxwell, Mel Jones and Michael Atherton. This year it is Simon Katich, after a long career batting and bowling for Australia, and a good number of years now working alongside us as a broadcaster. Once described as the conscience of Australian cricket, Simon is a wonderful guest at our Christmas lunch.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, a searing injustice with a divine tinge gets another look. As does one of the greatest of the greats, and one at the other end of the spectrum. Plus, have you ever wanted to know about every player who debuted in a Sheffield Shield match against Alan Mulally? Well it's your lucky day.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

6.00 - Eric Pritchard

3.76 - Peter Lewis

1.94 - Reverend Nicholls

9.10 - Panos

3.55 - Vijay, Joseph Brookshaw & Jake Sheedy

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Season 13, Ep 12: An unexpected weekly show given the two-day Test, but we probably have to talk about the two-day Test. Also, English writer Cameron Ponsonby joins us from the hotel in Karachi where we spent way too much time in March, with thoughts on the truly wild 3-0 series that he has just watched, and more broadly the experience of touring Pakistan. Meanwhile, Australia's women rack up a huge score against India as we record, and ponder the 58th coming of Ellyse Perry and the consistent menace of Grace Harris.

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Australia v South Africa, Brisbane Day 1: Two day Test! What the hell? We haven't seen one of those in Australia since 1931. Which we did not see personally. Wickets galore, 19 of them, and a wild conclusion - go through it all with us.

(Forgive the wind sound, we're still working on the audio set-up for these.)

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Australia v South Africa, Brisbane Day 1: What a day of Test cricket! South Africa were overwhelmed while batting, then fought back while bowling, either side of Travis Head producing another wild counterattack. Don't miss this one.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Back in Melbourne with Adam and Geoff sitting across the coffee table together, neither of us on the brink of hospitalisation, it was a rare pleasure and privilege. This time, back to the streets of Philadelphia, a possible clerical error of historic importance, Crazy Chester, nicknames that never go away, becoming the optimum indie rock snob, and the correct soundtrack for drives around Iceland.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

8.97 - Jeffrey Gabriel

16.10 - James Ralston

1.75 - Thomas Melia

6.21 - Not That Tim Minchin

5.50 - Joel Burton

4.06 - Simon Butcher

2.71 - Richard L.

4.18 - Leigh Couchman

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Season 13, Ep 11: A huge news week. England have done it again - another bonkers victory after careening like a 70s car chase through the second Test in Multan. Let's look at the carnage of the past fortnight while we've been doing Daily episodes on the wrong series. David Warner bails on his ban appeal after the process goes sideways. Cricket Australia make more predictably bad administrative appointments. Kim Garth debuts for Australia after leaving Ireland, and we look at the gloom around Caribbean cricket. Also this week, friend of the show Dan Liebke comes by for a chat at our spiritual home, the Commercial Club Hotel on Nicholson Street, Fitzroy.

Dan Liebke's new book is available here,

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. Well, it's supposed to be weekly, when the forces of evil themselves don't conspire to destroy the entire operation. So Bharat and Geoff have been into the fiery pit to take back what is ours. We have faced God and walked backwards into hell. We have kicked down its gates and returned intact, with this: Story Time 115.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

3.12 - Sukrit Munjal

2.55 - Pushkar Godbole

3.66 - Alex Linsley & Erin Kane

2.43 - Bulldog Belly

2.14 - Harsha G. & Toby Trumper

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Australia v West Indies Day 4 at Adelaide: Sadly, it was always going to be this way. The West Indies are a rabble and unless this is taken seriously by administrators across the world, they won't be playing Test cricket for much longer. Oh, and Australia hammered them by 419 runs, winning the Test inside 90 minutes on the fourth afternoon at Adelaide.

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Australia v West Indies Day 3 at Adelaide: A Scott Boland triple wicket maiden is it? Of course it is. Australia have set the West Indies 497 but all eyes are on the Victorian, who has his average under 10 again. Absurd scenes in Adelaide. What a guy.

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There was only one way Travis Head was getting out - run out. And so it was when cruising towards his first Test double. Australia still had the runs to declare when they wanted before taking four West Indian wickets before the close, with Michael Neser bowling a treat - much to Bharat and Adam's delight!

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Australia v West Indies Day 1 at Adelaide: It's Marnus yet again, a hat-trick of tons for him, this time against the pink ball. Meanwhile, Travis Head becomes the first South Australian to hit a Test century at Adelaide Oval since 1995.

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Season 13, Ep 10: Yes, this is a cricket podcast and Dipper was a footballer - a mighty one at that. But at this time of year, we turn our attention to the MCG and each September for over a decade, it was the big man's backyard. Even if you don't know who he is, you'll be drawn in by his stories and impersonations - a ripper. Before that, Bharat joined Adam for a chat in Adelaide ahead of the 2nd Test before drifting to Rawalpindi to reflect on one of the greatest wins of all.

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Australia v West Indies Day 5 at Perth: the Australians notch a win to start the series after Nathan Lyon bagged six wickets. But it was not without some resistance from West Indies, notably Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph.

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Australia v West Indies Day 4 at Perth, marked by twin tons for Marnus Labuschagne as his team set up a declaration, before Kraig Brathwaite made his first century against Australia.

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Day 3 at Perth, and Australia had to work hard against some dogged West Indies resistance. The hosts are still well on top though.

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Day 2 of the Australian Test summer, and the run twins went absolutely crazy. But perhaps not everything will go Australia's way after a good West Indies response?

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Day 1 of the Australian Test summer, with a building West Indies team arriving in the city of Perth that their predecessors used to own. Catch up on everything you might have missed.

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Season 13, Ep 9: With Australia's Test summer against West Indies about to start, captain Pat Cummins had some strong answers to the inevitable questions about Justin Langer's past week of activity. And after eight years of waiting, the Adelaide Strikers won their first WBBL trophy. Also this week, Tanya Aldred and Matt Oldfield talk about writing cricket books for kids, and we loop back to the Australian captain via Tanya's expert subject of how cricket relates to climate change.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

1.84 - Joel Emonsen

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, the universe bends us unerringly back towards Rahul Dravid - but what was really his motivation? What was cricket's greatest period of stability? What really went on in the year before Billy Corgan wrote his hit, and what does the current Swedish coach have to do with anything? Find out from the only place tackling the big questions.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

76.00 - Peder Roberts

3.30 - Jim Robertson

19.78 - Kagey

6.02 - Gopal

4.74 - Matthew Evans

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Season 13, Ep 8: The day before the Melbourne ODI, England batter and sometime keeper Sam Billings sits down with us in the big seating bowl to talk life, opportunity, long road trips, posh schools, public perception, the sense of home, and the liberation of letting go. A great conversation with an eloquent player. Also this week: the crowded schedule, the women's Big Bash versus AFLW, and some local cricket fun with running out the non-striker.

Your Nerd Pledge number for this week:

2.91 - George Alsworth

CBUS Super: Making hard work pay off.

Sort out your superannuation at cbussuper.com.au

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, we've never recorded a show in the bath before, so why not change things up? That was after starting the episode at Reid Oval in Warrnambool, where Adam used to play cricket as a teenager. On the show, the dancefloor antics of Dodger Whysall, some Scott Boland detours on our way to Harrow, perfect squares, the GM Diamond, and some good Scottish times.

As a one-off, this episode is also available as a video shot by Cam Fink. And it also begins with one of Cam's signature bizarre stories, which took place in front of us this very same day.

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

4.44 - Patrick McKeon & Matt

3.11 - Max Gillespie

2.23 - Shane Fagg

2.82 - Sam Brown

11.78 - Ciaran O'Kane

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A bonus Daily! Our road trip ended in Adelaide, so we shot one more video show with Cam Fink which is also an audio show here. Australia and England played in the not very highly anticipated ODI series, in which a number of interesting things did in fact happen.

The Final Word LIVE is happening Melbourne with Chris Rogers: tickets are here.

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Season 13, Ep 7: A lot to get through in a short time: he ICC sponsorship with crypto has collapsed along with the FTX exchange, Glenn Maxwell breaks his leg, David Warner talks about his future, the T20 World Cup washes up, there's a sprinkling of domestic cricket. And we are on our road trip through country Victoria, recording the first half of this show in Port Fairy, then stopping by Pomborneit to find out how a tiny district of 191 people is building one of the most successful cricket clubs in Australia.

The Final Word LIVE in Melbourne with Chris Rogers: tickets are here.

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It's Story Time, our weekly walk through cricket history via your listener quiz challenges. This week, in a show bumped from the weekend by the T20 World Cup final, it's time to explore what is a wonderful phrase. Also, how does Muttiah Muralitharan link to Hungarian cricket, what happened in the Perth Under-13s, and would one of cricket's most elegant performers ever drive the Lube Mobile?

Your Nerd Pledge numbers this week:

1.50 - Andrew Pelechaty

3.93 - DOS4GW

8.00 - Gabor Torok

3.33 - Danny Rose & Mel Shawley

4.50 - Adhitya Sutresna & Bernhard Sayer

The Final Word LIVE in Melbourne with Chris Rogers: tickets are here.

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Australia hosts the 2022 T20 World Cup, and we'll have every day covered for you. 

Today, England's men won their second T20 World Cup. Apologies for the audio quality - after tech problems at half past midnight, we didn't have the means to re-record this episode.

Brought to you by CBUS Super, making hard work pay off: cbussuper.com.au

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Australia hosts the 2022 T20 World Cup, and we'll have every day covered for you. 

It's time for the final! As long as the rain permits. We are back in Melbourne and ready to go, gathering some friends at the rooftop bar Johnny's Green Room on historic Lygon Street. Find this episode on the YouTube channel for some beautiful cinematography from Cameron Fink as the sky fades and the city lights up in Melbourne. What a night.

Thanks to Visit Melbourne - plan your Melbourne moment at VisitMelbourne.com.

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Australia hosts the 2022 T20 World Cup, and we'll have every day covered for you. 

Today, England cruised to the World Cup final after humiliating India in South Adelaide. 

Brought to you by CBUS Super, making hard work pay off: cbussuper.com.au

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Find us at finalwordcricket.com

20% off primo WoodstockCricket.co.uk bats with the code TFW20

Title track by Urthboy

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Australia hosts the 2022 T20 World Cup, and we'll have every day covered for you. 

Today, Pakistan played superbly against New Zealand to secure a play in the final at MCG on Sunday. 

Brought to you by CBUS Super, making hard work pay off: cbussuper.com.au

Send us a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword

Find us at finalwordcricket.com

20% off primo WoodstockCricket.co.uk bats with the code TFW20

Title track by Urthboy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices