An online phenomenon, the Grade Cricketer talks about cricket as it really is, their satirical take on the sport earning them an audience of nearly a million across their social media platforms.
They have an international number one podcast, do live show tours, and have produced two best-selling books.
The brains, faces and voices behind it are two former Sydney grade cricketers Sam Perry and Ian Higgins who have been on “The Grade American Road Trip”, taking in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US.
They joined Jason Pine to discuss the trip, the game, and their growing success.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk, ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Grade Cricketer and online Phenomenon. It's satirical take on cricket
across the Globe's earned them an audience of nearly a
million on social media. They have an international number one podcast,
They do live tours and have produced two best selling books.
They talk about cricket as it really is and should
be talked about. I reckon in a hugely relatable fashion.
(00:33):
The brains, the faces, the voices behind it. To former
Sydney grade cricketers Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, who have
been at the T twenty Cricket World Cup in the
Caribbean and the United States, mainly on the Grade American
road Trip. They're back. They join us. Now, how was
the road trip? Boys?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Thanks Jason, and just cannot start by saying that's in
a wonderful intro.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Was the best intro I've ever had.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
That's Sue Solomon ernest for anything a white man can take.
I immediately want to make a joke about it. But
that was very kind of you. You know, we've been
in the US, as you said, during the Great American
road Trip and it's to be a shout out to
our sponsors Wise who got that happening for us, the
international money transfer app. But yeah, we were We started
in Texas, we saw the first game of USA Canada.
(01:17):
We were very skeptical about what we were going to see,
like Texas is just a place of highways and billboards
advertising personal injury lawyers and Jesus and we went to
the rodeo, but it was actually very very cool. Like
we were skeptical, we saw police in police tanks and
sniper rifles and stuff. It was all weird and wrong.
But when you saw that South Asian diaspora population have
(01:41):
such pride at cricket, their connection to home being played
on US soil, which is their new home, it was
actually very heartwarming and we were really pleased to be
able to go there. We went to New York and
saw India versus Pakistan as well. Same thing again, so
like it is crazy how much South Asian, the South
Asian population take cricket wherever they go, and we were
(02:01):
there to record it all and have fun with it
and thankfully for our business, India beat Pakistan YouTube subscribers
went up.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I mean, the United States is huge as we know,
and they've got their traditional sports, you know, football, baseball, basketball,
ice hockey. Did the cricket You talked about the South
Asian population, who of course love it wherever it's played
on the globe, But did you every day yank get
into it?
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I would say a couple of rare units got around it,
A couple of guys looking for a sort of identity change,
a new identity.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yea.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
If the padres hadn't worked out for them, maybe the
cricket team might have done. Yeah. No, Look, I think
I think fundamentally that this first World Cup there they
weren't really trying to get that sort of everyday NBC,
ESPN Sports Center crowd. It's not really that target. I
think that's that's that's definitely a longer term play for them,
no quick question. But at the moment you actually don't
(02:58):
need to because the audience is there's there's already enough
people there who love it. So no, I don't think
it's about to take over you know, Yankees, Red Sox.
But it was still it was still well received, no
question about that.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
What have you made of the I know you know
that the actual standard of the cricket is just one
part of them what you guys are all about. But
what did you make of the of the cricket or
have you made of it up to up to the
point we've now reached reached the final, has it been
good cricket for you guys?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's a deep question and layered question really. But like then,
to speak of the US the and I don't think
it's controversial to say the pitch in New York brought
a lot of teams closer together.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
It was.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It made for some kind of dour, unpredictable cricket as
well at the same time, which you know, probably wasn't
really the point of the whole thing being there. But
up until now, yeah, it's I think the tournament has
demonstrated that those teams who I'm sorry to get x's
and o's on it, but those teams who have good
skills around, you know, like low, slow spinning wickets, have prospered.
(04:01):
You know, Afghanistan's had an inspired World Cup. They knocked
Australia out and deservedly, so India looks pretty much unbeatable.
South Africa have a great middle order and two really
good spinners themselves. So I do think that the tournament,
although it's a strange. It's been a strange format where
you can kind of, you know, nearly get knocked out
(04:22):
by Scotland in England's case, and then you know, just
about nearly make the final. I think it has bubbled
up the two best teams in those conditions, so and
it's a pretty mouthwatering final.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
So yeah, yeah, we can talk about that in a moment,
But can I ask you I was about the grade cricketer.
It's just it's a phenomenon. Man, did you have any
idea when you first got your hits together on this
how big it would become?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah yeah, there's actually what it
took us so long? What's wrong with everyone? The genius?
It exists? No, I mean it's sort of got a
bit out of hand, to be honest, Jason. It just
started as it started on Twitter twelve thirteen years ago.
(05:06):
Now that rolled into our first book in twenty fifteen.
Think we started our podcast twenty sixteen, second book twenty seventeen,
TV twenty seventeen, as well, started doing YouTube. More like
one thing has just led to another then, while we
started doing stuff on stage in twenty eighteen as well,
I think, I think every time we put our minds
to something and we've really enjoyed it, the audience has
(05:27):
sort of tended to come along with us, which is
just unbelievably fortunate that we've managed to speak in a
way that I think most people tend to find cricket.
Their experience of cricket is the same as ours, which
is often dark and satirical and and traumatic. But that
is that's most people was experience of cricket. So I think, like,
I think we were just lucky, and I think we
(05:48):
both had interest in you know, entertainment so to speak.
Before this. We had we had proper jobs where our
dads were happy with us before this, and then we
left it for you know, to do some internet jokes.
But you know, it's I don't think we could never
have predicted that it would end up, you know, doing
a show on Broadway with Rubis Shastri on stage. That's
just that's it still feels like a dream that's happened.
(06:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
That's that's not the end.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Hopefully there's more to come from us, but no, it's
it's just got out of hand.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Tell us, it got out of hand.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, Look, and in a fantastic way. Tell us about
that that Broadway show. I mean were up there thinking,
what is this. We're on Broadway with a rubbish.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
No, not a gall Jason.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Again.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I was disappointed with the theater size. I thought we
could have actually played MSG. Yeah, sorry, it was Madison Square. No, no,
not at all, No, it was it was really it
was very surreal. You know, the idea that two guys
like us who really played some middling grade cricket, you know,
who's whose dreams in the game died ten years before
(06:51):
we stopped playing, would one day be yeah, on Broadway
talking about cricket in front of a thousand people. It
was we're really we're really grateful to everybody who's helped
make it happen. And there was a lot of good
will around that show. There's a lot of people in
the you know, Australian expact community there who were like saying, oh,
we've got to get to this show. There's obviously we
(07:13):
have We're really fortunate to have a really substantial Indian
audience who were really happy after India had beaten Pakistan
the day before. It's just look, you know. Following on
from Higes's point, a lot of people like comedy with
their sport and I don't know if there is a
lot of it in media right, So we are filling
a gap that's not quite there. There's more people coming
into it where beneficiaries of the Internet. And we even
(07:34):
find a lot of the players or ex players or
commentators they really like to be part of it as well.
Because people like laughs with their sport, that's probably what
sport is for a lot of them. So we were
lucky in being introduced to Ravi Shastri who was a
guest on the night. He had a great night and yeah,
it was it was a dream come true. Really, it's
quite surreal and we're really grateful to have done it
and for everyone who helped make it happen.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I think what you do as well appears to me anyway,
a lot of humor is based on sarcasm and on
giving a bit of you know, giving a bit of
gyp to people. It seems like you guys put a
positivelens on everything that you do.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
There's that intentional Oh I didn't notice that at Allen
Australia have been India in the World Cup. I don't
think a lot of Indians thought that were put in
a positive plan.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
But it goes the other way because when when Afganisian,
you know, Bowl New Zealand that for seventy five, they
boil us out for a similar amount, It's like, well,
what goes around comes around, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, I think there is We have a very like
we like to exploit and put a shine of light
on the darkness and brutality of cricket because that is
the actual nature of the game. But I think people look,
you know, people will have their own views about us anyway.
Not not everybody likes us, but like I think when
people see after a period of time that we're quite
equal in the way we give a little bit of
(08:50):
lip to every country, that there's probably some affectionate kind
of response that we get from that. I mean, we're
so glad Australia got knocked out, you know, by the way,
because like our business booms when it's cricket's and chaos,
so you never know, you just can't actually put a
price on how many people want to work after Australia
has failed, you know, like sandpaper was the best thing
that happened to us for TG. So we've always thanked
(09:11):
the boys for.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
That, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So it's really just trying to be as truthful as
possible about a lot of people's real experience of cricket,
which ultimately is underscored by love for the game, but
it also is a love for pain. So that's all
we've ever tried to do.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, incredibly authentic, A spectacular display of willpower too. To
wait for eight minutes before mentioning New Zealand being bold
out for seventy five by Afghanistan, I must say, especially
two on New Zealand Orgians. That is wonderful stuff from
you guys. Just before you go South Africa India in
the final, two unbeaten teams as neutrals. Who should we
(09:48):
who should we want to win?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I think it's going out to Yeah, I think the
neutrals cheering on South Africa. I mean I think the
pain they've beene through now Actually, as I say that
India has been through perhaps even more pain just through
the weight of population and the expectation that they are
the favorites every single time they go into every tournament,
yet never win. I mean, they haven't won anything in
eleven years since the champions Trophy, which for some reason
(10:13):
they count anyway, I think I think South Africa would
be the neutral's choice. I think they play a nice
brand of cricket. I think they've got very popular players.
It's exciting their middle order, power of Classen Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Ada, Markham,
you got Quentin to cock up top Caguise, Sir robarda
one of the best. I mean, there's the very popular,
enjoyable cricketers to watch there. That's not to say that
(10:35):
Indian players aren't enjoyable to watch at all, but I
think that it's nice if South Africa won something for
the first time in a long time. I do think
that's what most people outside of India would be cheering for.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Incredible. Hey guys, it has been such a pleasure to
have you on the show. I hope you get across
the New Zealand at some stage again soon. We'd love
to see you. We always enjoy losing to your teams
and mixing with your fans. Thanks for joining us across
New Zealand today. They really appreciate your time. Thanks Jason Jason,
Thanks guys. That is the grade cricket up here on
(11:10):
weekend sport. Wonderful stuff. The teach twenty Cricket World Cup
Final two thirty tomorrow morning, New Zealand time and Barbados
as South Africa take on India.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk, ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Grade Cricketer and online Phenomenon. It's satirical take on cricket
across the Globe's earned them an audience of nearly a
million on social media. They have an international number one podcast,
They do live tours and have produced two best selling books.
They talk about cricket as it really is and should
be talked about. I reckon in a hugely relatable fashion.
(00:33):
The brains, the faces, the voices behind it. To former
Sydney grade cricketers Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, who have
been at the T twenty Cricket World Cup in the
Caribbean and the United States, mainly on the Grade American
road Trip. They're back. They join us. Now, how was
the road trip? Boys?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Thanks Jason, and just cannot start by saying that's in
a wonderful intro.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Was the best intro I've ever had.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
That's Sue Solomon ernest for anything a white man can take.
I immediately want to make a joke about it. But
that was very kind of you. You know, we've been
in the US, as you said, during the Great American
road Trip and it's to be a shout out to
our sponsors Wise who got that happening for us, the
international money transfer app. But yeah, we were We started
in Texas, we saw the first game of USA Canada.
(01:17):
We were very skeptical about what we were going to see,
like Texas is just a place of highways and billboards
advertising personal injury lawyers and Jesus and we went to
the rodeo, but it was actually very very cool. Like
we were skeptical, we saw police in police tanks and
sniper rifles and stuff. It was all weird and wrong.
But when you saw that South Asian diaspora population have
(01:41):
such pride at cricket, their connection to home being played
on US soil, which is their new home, it was
actually very heartwarming and we were really pleased to be
able to go there. We went to New York and
saw India versus Pakistan as well. Same thing again, so
like it is crazy how much South Asian, the South
Asian population take cricket wherever they go, and we were
(02:01):
there to record it all and have fun with it
and thankfully for our business, India beat Pakistan YouTube subscribers
went up.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I mean, the United States is huge as we know,
and they've got their traditional sports, you know, football, baseball, basketball,
ice hockey. Did the cricket You talked about the South
Asian population, who of course love it wherever it's played
on the globe, But did you every day yank get
into it?
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I would say a couple of rare units got around it,
A couple of guys looking for a sort of identity change,
a new identity.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yea.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
If the padres hadn't worked out for them, maybe the
cricket team might have done. Yeah. No, Look, I think
I think fundamentally that this first World Cup there they
weren't really trying to get that sort of everyday NBC,
ESPN Sports Center crowd. It's not really that target. I
think that's that's that's definitely a longer term play for them,
no quick question. But at the moment you actually don't
(02:58):
need to because the audience is there's there's already enough
people there who love it. So no, I don't think
it's about to take over you know, Yankees, Red Sox.
But it was still it was still well received, no
question about that.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
What have you made of the I know you know
that the actual standard of the cricket is just one
part of them what you guys are all about. But
what did you make of the of the cricket or
have you made of it up to up to the
point we've now reached reached the final, has it been
good cricket for you guys?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
That's a deep question and layered question really. But like then,
to speak of the US the and I don't think
it's controversial to say the pitch in New York brought
a lot of teams closer together.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
It was.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It made for some kind of dour, unpredictable cricket as
well at the same time, which you know, probably wasn't
really the point of the whole thing being there. But
up until now, yeah, it's I think the tournament has
demonstrated that those teams who I'm sorry to get x's
and o's on it, but those teams who have good
skills around, you know, like low, slow spinning wickets, have prospered.
(04:01):
You know, Afghanistan's had an inspired World Cup. They knocked
Australia out and deservedly, so India looks pretty much unbeatable.
South Africa have a great middle order and two really
good spinners themselves. So I do think that the tournament,
although it's a strange. It's been a strange format where
you can kind of, you know, nearly get knocked out
(04:22):
by Scotland in England's case, and then you know, just
about nearly make the final. I think it has bubbled
up the two best teams in those conditions, so and
it's a pretty mouthwatering final.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
So yeah, yeah, we can talk about that in a moment,
But can I ask you I was about the grade cricketer.
It's just it's a phenomenon. Man, did you have any
idea when you first got your hits together on this
how big it would become?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah yeah, there's actually what it
took us so long? What's wrong with everyone? The genius?
It exists? No, I mean it's sort of got a
bit out of hand, to be honest, Jason. It just
started as it started on Twitter twelve thirteen years ago.
(05:06):
Now that rolled into our first book in twenty fifteen.
Think we started our podcast twenty sixteen, second book twenty seventeen,
TV twenty seventeen, as well, started doing YouTube. More like
one thing has just led to another then, while we
started doing stuff on stage in twenty eighteen as well,
I think, I think every time we put our minds
to something and we've really enjoyed it, the audience has
(05:27):
sort of tended to come along with us, which is
just unbelievably fortunate that we've managed to speak in a
way that I think most people tend to find cricket.
Their experience of cricket is the same as ours, which
is often dark and satirical and and traumatic. But that
is that's most people was experience of cricket. So I think, like,
I think we were just lucky, and I think we
(05:48):
both had interest in you know, entertainment so to speak.
Before this. We had we had proper jobs where our
dads were happy with us before this, and then we
left it for you know, to do some internet jokes.
But you know, it's I don't think we could never
have predicted that it would end up, you know, doing
a show on Broadway with Rubis Shastri on stage. That's
just that's it still feels like a dream that's happened.
(06:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
That's that's not the end.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Hopefully there's more to come from us, but no, it's
it's just got out of hand.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Tell us, it got out of hand.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, Look, and in a fantastic way. Tell us about
that that Broadway show. I mean were up there thinking,
what is this. We're on Broadway with a rubbish.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
No, not a gall Jason.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Again.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I was disappointed with the theater size. I thought we
could have actually played MSG. Yeah, sorry, it was Madison Square. No, no,
not at all, No, it was it was really it
was very surreal. You know, the idea that two guys
like us who really played some middling grade cricket, you know,
who's whose dreams in the game died ten years before
(06:51):
we stopped playing, would one day be yeah, on Broadway
talking about cricket in front of a thousand people. It
was we're really we're really grateful to everybody who's helped
make it happen. And there was a lot of good
will around that show. There's a lot of people in
the you know, Australian expact community there who were like saying, oh,
we've got to get to this show. There's obviously we
(07:13):
have We're really fortunate to have a really substantial Indian
audience who were really happy after India had beaten Pakistan
the day before. It's just look, you know. Following on
from Higes's point, a lot of people like comedy with
their sport and I don't know if there is a
lot of it in media right, So we are filling
a gap that's not quite there. There's more people coming
into it where beneficiaries of the Internet. And we even
(07:34):
find a lot of the players or ex players or
commentators they really like to be part of it as well.
Because people like laughs with their sport, that's probably what
sport is for a lot of them. So we were
lucky in being introduced to Ravi Shastri who was a
guest on the night. He had a great night and yeah,
it was it was a dream come true. Really, it's
quite surreal and we're really grateful to have done it
and for everyone who helped make it happen.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I think what you do as well appears to me anyway,
a lot of humor is based on sarcasm and on
giving a bit of you know, giving a bit of
gyp to people. It seems like you guys put a
positivelens on everything that you do.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
There's that intentional Oh I didn't notice that at Allen
Australia have been India in the World Cup. I don't
think a lot of Indians thought that were put in
a positive plan.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
But it goes the other way because when when Afganisian,
you know, Bowl New Zealand that for seventy five, they
boil us out for a similar amount, It's like, well,
what goes around comes around, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, I think there is We have a very like
we like to exploit and put a shine of light
on the darkness and brutality of cricket because that is
the actual nature of the game. But I think people look,
you know, people will have their own views about us anyway.
Not not everybody likes us, but like I think when
people see after a period of time that we're quite
equal in the way we give a little bit of
(08:50):
lip to every country, that there's probably some affectionate kind
of response that we get from that. I mean, we're
so glad Australia got knocked out, you know, by the way,
because like our business booms when it's cricket's and chaos,
so you never know, you just can't actually put a
price on how many people want to work after Australia
has failed, you know, like sandpaper was the best thing
that happened to us for TG. So we've always thanked
(09:11):
the boys for.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
That, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So it's really just trying to be as truthful as
possible about a lot of people's real experience of cricket,
which ultimately is underscored by love for the game, but
it also is a love for pain. So that's all
we've ever tried to do.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, incredibly authentic, A spectacular display of willpower too. To
wait for eight minutes before mentioning New Zealand being bold
out for seventy five by Afghanistan, I must say, especially
two on New Zealand Orgians. That is wonderful stuff from
you guys. Just before you go South Africa India in
the final, two unbeaten teams as neutrals. Who should we
(09:48):
who should we want to win?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I think it's going out to Yeah, I think the
neutrals cheering on South Africa. I mean I think the
pain they've beene through now Actually, as I say that
India has been through perhaps even more pain just through
the weight of population and the expectation that they are
the favorites every single time they go into every tournament,
yet never win. I mean, they haven't won anything in
eleven years since the champions Trophy, which for some reason
(10:13):
they count anyway, I think I think South Africa would
be the neutral's choice. I think they play a nice
brand of cricket. I think they've got very popular players.
It's exciting their middle order, power of Classen Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Ada, Markham,
you got Quentin to cock up top Caguise, Sir robarda
one of the best. I mean, there's the very popular,
enjoyable cricketers to watch there. That's not to say that
(10:35):
Indian players aren't enjoyable to watch at all, but I
think that it's nice if South Africa won something for
the first time in a long time. I do think
that's what most people outside of India would be cheering for.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Incredible. Hey guys, it has been such a pleasure to
have you on the show. I hope you get across
the New Zealand at some stage again soon. We'd love
to see you. We always enjoy losing to your teams
and mixing with your fans. Thanks for joining us across
New Zealand today. They really appreciate your time. Thanks Jason Jason,
Thanks guys. That is the grade cricket up here on
(11:10):
weekend sport. Wonderful stuff. The teach twenty Cricket World Cup
Final two thirty tomorrow morning, New Zealand time and Barbados
as South Africa take on India.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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