What better time to talk about cricket than in the bleak midwinter? Should traversability be a fundamental aspect of any cricket ground? With a new short-form competition around the corner and a significant new media rights deal in the bag, what's the future for the sport in Britain?

Surrey County Cricket Club CEO Richard Gould is the guest on this week's edition of the Leaders Podcast; the former tank commander and Bristol City commercial executive tackles the full gamut of cricket business topics, including:

- In the wake of another Ashes defeat, is the English county system fit for purpose?

- The ongoing process to revamp and grow the Kia Oval to a 40,000-capacity venue

- The sometimes challenging relationship between Surrey and the English cricket's governing body, the ECB

- Iron Maiden

- Technology in stadia

- Healthy competition with Lord's

This episode also includes a look back on 2017 and a glance ahead to 2018 with SportBusiness International Editor Ben Cronin and International Paralympic Committee Marketing Director Alexis Schaefer.