The BYC Podcast

Behind every great sports team is someone the fans never see. For the Black Caps, since 2011, that someone has been Mike Sandle, the team manager described by some as the glue that holds the whole thing together. Twenty-four years in the New Zealand Police (Armed Offenders Squad, dog handling, gang intelligence) before cricket came calling. Present for some of the darkest days in modern NZ cricket history, including the infamous 45 all out at Cape Town in 2013, and for the golden era of Test series wins in India and England that followed.
In a rare long-form interview, Mike joins Dylan Cleaver and Paul Ford on The BYC to reflect on the whole arc. He explains what actually transferred from the Police into sports team management, takes us back to the night in Brendon McCullum's hotel room after the Cape Town 45 all out that changed everything, and reflects on the secret sauce behind the golden era of NZ cricket.
There's also the essential Sandle character content: the great nickname and who came up with it, the case for New Plymouth as New Zealand's most liveable city (chimney? Wind Wand? Rewa Rewa Bridge? Volcano fear?), the alchemy between manager, coach and captain across different eras, whether he'll be spending a week in Noosa between the second and third tests of the AUS tour, and the honest question, is arresting criminals or dealing with a grumpy Tim Southee harder?
Plus the reverent-reflective conversation about the 2019 World Cup Final aftermath, the moments when he's looked around the dressing room and thought "how did we do that?", and whether he dares to dream about the feeling at the end of the Sydney Test in January.
Peak insider-access cricket content. The kind of conversation only the BYC can land.
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On this special episode of The BYC Podcast, Dylan Cleaver and ACC Head G Lane are joined by Black Caps Test Skipper and Great New Zealander Tom Latham (00:00)!

Tom Latham opens up on Black Caps glory, dressing-room banter and a golf game that needs serious work.
If anyone still thinks Tom Latham is one of New Zealand cricket's most understated stars, his latest appearance on The BYC Podcast only reinforces it. Fresh off a remarkable run that has seen the Black Caps conquer India away and win a Test series in England, the veteran opener and captain reflected on a golden era for New Zealand cricket with equal parts humility, humour and quiet confidence.
Latham revealed he is potentially just five Tests away from reaching the coveted 100-Test milestone, a feat achieved by only a handful of New Zealand cricketers. When asked who he would choose to present his commemorative cap, his answer was a nostalgic one: childhood hero Brendon McCullum, along with other cricketing idols such as Adam Gilchrist and Mike Hussey, a controversial pick given his 100th Test may well come against Hussey and Gilchrist's countrymen at the MCG on Boxing Day.
The conversation also revisited the Black Caps' memorable triumph in England, particularly the remarkable opening partnership between Latham and Devon Conway at Trent Bridge. Latham described the satisfaction of helping set the tone in a series-deciding Test and said the tour would likely become a benchmark for future New Zealand teams.
But this wasn't all serious cricket discussion.
One of the more entertaining chats came when Latham was asked who would be the worst person in the Black Caps dressing room to control the team playlist. The answer? Daryl Mitchell, whose music selections were apparently influenced a little too much by his young daughters messing with his playlist algorithm.
Latham also revealed a different side to towering fast bowler Will O'Rourke, describing how the usually expressionless speedster became visibly fired up during the England tour. According to the skipper, that's not something opposing batters should enjoy seeing.
Away from cricket, listeners also learn about Latham's childhood rugby ambitions (a former hooker who "retired" at 15), his first ever cricket bat (cut down by "Barry the Batman"), and why a player renowned for one of the finest straight drives in world cricket still can't consistently hit a golf drive down the middle. "Get me 100 metres out and I'm dynamite," he joked. "Get me off the tee and I'm a 36 handicap golfer."
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On another emergency episode of The BYC Podcast, Dylan Cleaver & Paul Ford join ACC Head G Lane to discuss the absolute scenes in Darwin as the Bangers mashed the Aussies (00:00)! So where do the Aussies go from here?
Then, a quick wrap on the rest of the cricket news from around the globe (23:00), including India vs Sri Lanka, Steady The Ship winning The Hundred (27:30), some NZ domestic schedule news (32:30), plus a quick trip to Paul Ford's Cricket Violence Corner (36:00)!
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On this special episode of The BYC Podcast, Dylan Cleaver, Paul Ford and ACC Head G Lane are joined by Black Cap Swing Bowler and Great New Zealander Zac Foulkes (00:00)!

Zak Foulkes has had a run. Called up as a "Super Sub" at Trent Bridge when Blair Tickner went down after being struck by a Jofra Archer bouncer. Wickets against England, including Ben Stokes, twice. His Test debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo delivered the best-ever match figures by a New Zealand bowler on Test debut...
They fellas dig into the Trent Bridge madness (Tickner down, Foulkes in, Stokes wickets, and what it was like being on the field when Stokes' retirement news broke), the historic Test debut record vs Zimbabwe, growing up in Darfield (also the hometown of John Wright and Henry Shipley), backyard battles with brothers Liam and Robbie, dad Glen's connection to current Black Caps coach Gary Stead, and the questions that really matter... How do you actually pronounce his surname, and does he prefer fishing the Waimakariri or the Rakaia?
Plus, his idiosyncratic bowling action (and how it feels being compared to Trent Boult and Lance Cairns), the origin story of pivoting from batter to bowler, how NZ A shaped his development, teaching Jacob Duffy an inswinger, Peter Fulton's all-rounder assessment, and the philosophy behind why Test cricket is his number one goal.

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On this special episode of The BYC Podcast, Dylan Cleaver, Paul Ford and ACC Head G Lane are joined by Black Cap Fast Bowler and Great New Zealander Blair Tickner (00:00)!

Blair Tickner has had a comeback year worth remembering. Recontracted for 2026–27, Wickets against England during a historic series win, and coach Rob Walter saying he's "added new levels" to his game. Not bad for someone who two years ago wondered if the Black Caps' journey was over...
They cover the England series (including what it was like being on the receiving end of a Jofra Archer bouncer, and whether the concussion protocols allowed for a proper series-win celebration), what it takes to come back from two years out of international cricket at 32, the specific technical adjustments that have made the second stint feel different from the first, and what actually makes Central Districts the greatest domestic cricket side in the world.
They also get into Blair's distinctive bowling action and whether any coach has ever tried to "fix" it, the wickets awaiting the Black Caps in Australia, and where he sits on the NZ20 franchise league debate. Plus, the barista life at the 13th Stag cafe, first-cricket-bat memories, and pre-spell
rituals.
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Subscribe to The BYC Podcast now on iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!
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THANKS MATE!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.