Carlo Ancelotti has issued a final warning to Neymar when it comes to 2026 World Cup selection, with the Italian tactician eager to ensure that he does not make any “mistakes” when naming his final squad. Ancelotti has yet to call upon Neymar since becoming Selecao boss, but insists that the door remains open to the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.
As Starc joins the elite club of fast bowlers with 100 Tests, a look at ten of his most defining performances
Alex Malcolm09-Jul-2025Galle 2016 vs Sri LankaIn conditions where Sri Lanka’s spinners ran roughshod over Australia’s batters, Starc put in a herculean effort to prove unequivocally that he did not need a swinging pink ball or fast bouncy pitches to be a force in Test cricket. He took 5 for 44 in the first innings and 6 for 50 in the second, which were his best Test figures until last season, to single-handedly give Australia a chance in a game they lost by 229 runs.He took wickets in all three phases of each innings, too, knocking over top-order players when the pitch was at its best with the new ball, removing set middle-order players like Kusal Mendis with a 45-over-old ball, before blowing away the tail with reverse swing.Colombo 2016 vs Sri LankaHaving already lost the series, Starc again gave his side a chance in Colombo for a face-saving win with 5 for 63 from 25.1 overs in the first innings after Sri Lanka had won the toss at the normally batter-friendly SSC ground. He stormed through the top order with the new ball, taking three wickets, to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 24 for 4.Mitchell Starc roars after dismissing Kusal Mendis•Associated PressHe later broke a 211-run stand to remove Dinesh Chandimal for 132 with extra pace in the 104th over of the innings before claiming a deserved fifth to finish the innings. It helped Australia claim a first-innings lead. Starc also took two in the second to finish with seven for the match and 23 in the series. Only one other wicket in the match was taken by a seamer on either team, as Rangana Herath took 13 to skittle Australia twice and seal a 3-0 series win.Pune 2017 vs IndiaStarc had made 99 on his first tour of India in Mohali on a very flat pitch but his batting in Pune in 2017 had as much of an impact on Australia’s victory as Steven Smith’s. In the first innings he walked out to bat with Australia 190 for 6 and peeled off 61 from 63 balls, adding 64 with Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood who contributed one run between them to set up a vital first innings total of 260.It will be remembered as O’Keefe’s match with the ball, but before the left-arm spinner broke through, Starc had already removed the two danger men in three balls in the 15th over. He reared one from a length at searing pace to the immovable Cheteshwar Pujara to have him caught behind off the glove. Two balls later, he nicked off Virat Kohli.In the second innings, Starc smacked 30 off 31 including three sixes and added 42 with Smith, who made a stunning 109 to take the game out of India’s reach. Starc’s aggregate of 91 with the bat for the match was only bettered by Smith and Matt Renshaw as Australia won handsomely.Durban 2018 vs South AfricaA few weeks before the Sandpaper storm in Cape Town, Starc’s nine-wicket haul in Durban had handed Australia a 1-0 series lead during a match that set in motion a chain events that would have a seismic impact on global cricket. He took 9 for 109, including 5 for 34 and 4 for 75 and was virtually unplayable. The majority of his success came with the old ball in a masterful display of reverse swing. He blew away South Africa’s tail in both innings as Australia won by 118 runs.Mitchell Starc’s reverse-swing remained the most potent bowling weapon in Port Elizabeth•AFPCanberra 2019 vs Sri LankaStarc’s performance at Manuka Oval won’t be high on many people’s lists of his best in Test cricket but it deserves as much praise as any of his best bowling efforts. On a pitch where Australia racked up 534 for 5 and 196 for 3 and four batters made centuries, Starc took 10 for 100 with a searing display of pace bowling, coming after three Tests where wickets had dried up. Among his ten, he forced Dhananjaya de Silva to hit his own wicket while trying to avoid a brutal bouncer. Most of the wickets were top-order players with the newer ball as there was no reverse swing to speak of.Perth 2019 vs New ZealandStarc’s fitness and durability is one of the most underrated aspects of his career. Never was it more evident than in oppressively hot conditions at Optus Stadium when Australia lost Josh Hazlewood to injury after eight balls of New Zealand’s first innings. Without the aid of an allrounder in the XI to fill the void, Starc took 5 for 52 from 18 overs in the first innings and 4 for 45 from 14 in the second. He also added 30 with the bat in the first innings to complete a Player of the Match performance and help Australia to a thumping win.Lahore 2022 vs PakistanAustralia’s quicks had bowled themselves into the ground across the first two drawn Tests. In the series decider, Starc and Pat Cummins dug deep with a mighty two-man effort to rip the series away from Pakistan. The hosts were 214 for 2 after Australia had posted a potentially under par 391. Starc took 4 for 33 from 20.4, tearing the heart out of the middle order including pinning an in-form Babar Azam lbw, while Cummins took five to bowl Pakistan out for 268 and establish a vital first innings lead that helped win the series 1-0.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have put in long shifts for Australia•AFP/Getty ImagesLeeds 2023 vs EnglandStarc very nearly stole the third Test and the series from England with a phenomenal performance, having initially been left out of the first Test at Edgbaston due to his middling record in the country. The hosts were chasing 251 for victory and would have cantered home without Starc making life incredibly difficult.He removed Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow at regular intervals to leave England wobbling at 171 for 6. A brilliant partnership between Harry Brook and Chris Woakes steadied the chase before Starc bounced out Brook to create more drama with 21 still needed. But Starc’s five came with minimal support at the other end and England squeezed home by three wickets to change the course of the series.Adelaide 2024 vs IndiaStarc turned Australia’s fortunes around in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Having been battered by Yashasvi Jaiswal in Perth, who had accused Starc of bowling too slow, he blew the opener’s pad off with the first ball of the match on his way to a career-best 6 for 48. It was yet another pink-ball masterclass from Starc, but this was done entirely in broad daylight as India lasted just 44.1 overs after opting to bat first. It set up a 10-wicket win and levelled the series at 1-1, with Australia going on to reclaim the trophy for the first time in ten years.Mitchell Starc drives Marco Jansen en route his Test fifty•ICC/Getty ImagesLord’s 2025 vs South AfricaThis was another standout performance from Starc in a losing cause. After Australia posted an underwhelming 212 in the first innings of the WTC final, Starc wrestled back the momentum by knocking over both openers. He also had a straightforward catch dropped by keeper Alex Carey that would have bagged him the top three. Australia still claimed a 75-run first innings lead before they lost 7 for 73 when batting a second time.Starc ground out his first half-century in six years and one of his longest Test innings, making 58 not out off 136 balls and sharing a 59-run last wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood to give Australia 282 to defend. Again, he removed Ryan Rickelton early before ending a 61-run stand between Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram.He should have had Temba Bavuma caught at second slip in his next over, but Smith spilled the edge standing very close and injured his finger badly in the process. Instead of having South Africa 75 for 3, with Starc claiming all three, Bavuma and Markram produced a match-winning stand of 147.
New Zealand ended 476 runs ahead after day two as Zimbabwe looked tired on a flat surface
Firdose Moonda08-Aug-2025Centuries from Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra took New Zealand to their highest total against Zimbabwe, and a 476-run first innings lead in the second Test. They have not declared, and have plenty of batting to come. With conditions suited to the filling of boots, and with three days left in the game, New Zealand might be eyeing more on a flat surface against a tired opposition.Already, three of New Zealand’s line-up have given them food for thought ahead of the next World Test Championship cycle. Conway brought up 2000 Test runs and his fifth hundred, two-and-a-half years and 32 innings since his last – against Pakistan in Karachi in January 2023. Nicholls’ century was his tenth in the format and an important one after he was left out of the XI for all of 2024. And Ravindra’s hundred was his third and fastest, off just 104 balls.Zimbabwe had three bowlers bring up unwanted triple-figure scores of their own. Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu and Vincent Masekesa all conceded more than a hundred runs. They were also the only bowlers among the seven Zimbabwe used to get themselves among the wickets, though Gwandu’s came on the first day. Zimbabwe have bowled 130 overs in the match so far, including 91 on the second day.New Zealand resumed their innings in cold conditions on 174 for 1 on the second morning, 49 runs ahead of Zimbabwe. If there was anything to be offered from the overheads, Zimbabwe were unable to make much use of it. The first ball was short and wide, and Conway cut it for four in a sign of what was to come. To Tanaka Chivanga’s credit, he managed to hurry nightwatcher Jacob Duffy into two pulls – but the first fell short of mid-on, and the second short of midwicket. Duffy, though, got it right off Muzarabani, and his stand with Conway grew to fifty. Their partnership was worth 62 when Conway drove Muzarabani through mid-off to bring up his century off 143 balls.Brian Bennett did well to catch nightwatcher Jacob Duffy•Zimbabwe CricketDuffy batted for 13.2 overs on the second morning, and almost the full first hour, before he pulled Masekesa to short midwicket, where Brian Bennett moved quickly to his right to take a good catch. But Zimbabwe’s joy was short lived as that wicket brought Nicholls to the crease, and they would go 30 overs without another wicket.Nicholls took his time to get himself in, with nine runs off the first 25 balls he faced, before he was gifted a full toss from Masekesa and sent it to the square-leg boundary. That set Nicholls on his way, and he was particularly successful against spin, as Zimbabwe turned to their slower bowlers while waiting for the second new ball. In total, Nicholls scored 96 runs off Zimbabwe’s four spinners.New Zealand went to lunch on 306 for 2, with a lead of 181, and with the second new ball nine overs away. Before it arrived, Nicholls got to fifty and then Conway to 150 off the final delivery with the old ball.Zimbabwe took the second new ball as soon as it became available, and Muzarabani seemed to find some extra bounce. With a zip in his step, Muzarabani thought he had Nicholls lbw with a delivery that angled in and hit him on the pad, but must have been going down leg, and then did get Conway. Bizarrely, Conway shouldered arms to a back-of-a-length ball that he must have thought was going over the stumps but instead hit his body and ricocheted onto off stump. He was dismissed 2.3 overs into the second new ball.Henry Nicholls scored his tenth Test hundred•Zimbabwe CricketConway’s dismissal did little to halt Nicholls’ momentum. He hit Chivanga wide of point for four as Ravindra arrived, also slightly circumspect. Ravindra scored seven runs off the first 13 balls he faced but then raced to 26 off 24 balls after carving Muzarabani up through extra cover, past gully and over the leg side for three fours in the sixth over of his spell. Zimbabwe were soon back to spin, and though Sikandar Raza occasionally beat the bat with flight, there was very little threat from Zimbabwe. By tea, New Zealand were 302 runs ahead.The final session was all New Zealand as Nicholls brought up his century when he flicked Gwandu past mid-on and ran three. Ravindra took back-to-back to back boundaries off the rest of the over to race to 75. The boundaries dried up from there on, and Ravindra had to work hard for his next 25 runs. But he got them in 36 balls, and then hammered Raza through extra cover for four for good measure. With milestones up for both batters and 500 up for New Zealand, they played with freedom and scored 88 runs off the last 11 overs in the day.Nicholls and Ravindra both reached 150, as Conway had done earlier in the day, to make only the third time in Test history that three batters had crossed that landmark in a Test. Neither Nicholls nor Ravindra looks ready to stop just yet – which could mean another long day in the field for a weary Zimbabwe side whose winless streak seems set to continue.
Tasmanian in line to become Usman Khawaja’s seventh opening partner in last two years
Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2025Jake Weatherald and Usman Khawaja batted alongside each other in adjoining nets at Perth Stadium on Monday.There are similarities in their stances but that is about where the similarities end, both as players and as people. However, they have struck up a rapport already, at least publicly via the media, as two unique individuals willing to have some fun with each other.Weatherald went first, stating on the Grade Cricketer podcast that he wasn’t sure if Khawaja knew his name despite playing against him for 10 years. The clip went viral on Instagram. Khawaja struck back with a comment on the post, “Who this?”Related
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Weatherald, on his first day in an Australian dressing room, continued the fun.”He still calls me Jack, so we’ll get there eventually,” Weatherald told reporters on Monday. “Hopefully, if I get a game, he can find Jake there somewhere.”Jokes aside, Khawaja could be forgiven for not remembering names given Weatherald is potentially going to be his seventh Test opening partner in the last two years.That Weatherald still doesn’t know if he playing four days out from the first ball is an indicator of how unsettled Australia’s opening pair has been.In Weatherald’s favour is that he is the most experienced opener of the six since David Warner retired, at least in first-class cricket. Every one of his 145 first-class innings have come opening the batting. He has more first-class innings and more centuries, 13, than Khawaja does in the position, albeit nine of Khawaja’s 11 have come in Test cricket where he has turned into one of Australia’s best ever.Despite all that experience, though, a debut in an Ashes Test in Perth is a different beast. Even for a 31-year-old who has experienced some serious challenges in life, Weatherald went through what every new kid at school does on his first day.There was a moment before he spoke to reporters, where he leaned on the fence and stared up at the gargantuan Perth Stadium stands and imagined what it would look like on Friday when all 60,000 seats are occupied.”I’ve played a little bit of Big Bash cricket here, but at the same time, to represent your country in a place like this, it’s such a cool stadium,” Weatherald said. “To look out and see what it looked like, obviously with everyone full and obviously walking out to bat, I was sort of imagining what it’d be like to go out there.”
“I think that’s going to be the true test for myself, to go out there and just try and operate the same way. And if I walk out there and nick off first ball then I walk out the innings after and try to repeat the same thing again, in terms of my process”Jake Weatherald on the step up to Test cricket
He was wearing his brand-new Australia whites, with his initials, JW, embossed on them and number 66 on the back. The same number worn by his potential opponent this week, Joe Root. It could very well be a nod to Chuck Berry and “Route 66″, given Weatherald’s passion for rock-and-roll guitarists.There was, however, a number missing on his shirt. Eleven of Australia’s 13 squad members in Perth on Monday that had assembled for various media commitments also had their Test numbers embossed.Weatherald and Brendan Doggett did not. They may well do by the end of the week. But it was a subtle reminder that this school is different.He might have played BBL cricket at Perth Stadium before, with a match-winning half-century for Adelaide Strikers to win an elimination final against Perth Scorchers in his last outing at the venue. He also has a century at a full Adelaide Oval in a BBL final. But Test cricket is another level and Weatherald is aware that replicating what has made him the best Sheffield Shield opener of the past 12 months under Ashes pressure will be a huge challenge.”It’s certainly going to be a difficult thing,” Weatherald said. “That’s a part of being an international cricketer, I guess, the fact there’s lot more to it. But at the same time, I think that’s going to be the true test for myself, to go out there and just try and operate the same way. And if I walk out there and nick off first ball then I walk out the innings after and try to repeat the same thing again, in terms of my process.”Trusting his process is what has got Weatherald to the brink of a Test debut. He did not change a thing in his first net session with the team. While Khawaja, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and most others opted to face a majority of throw downs from the coaches on spicy surfaces, Weatherald stayed true to what he has been doing for Tasmania, facing the best bowlers he can in the nets to replicate match conditions as best he can.He took on a brutal spell from Pat Cummins, facing a lion’s share of his eight overs. Beau Webster found nip and awkward bounce at a slightly less venomous, but no less nickable pace. Nathan Lyon found spin and bounce as well. Weatherald took it all on. It looked incredibly hard work. But he endured with the same positive mindset he has shown for Tasmania in recent times.”He’s been a revelation for us at the top of the order,” Webster said of his Tasmanian team-mate.”We were sort of crying out a little bit for someone who can take the game away early in the innings, and he does that. We saw even a couple of knocks this year to go with his exceptional year last year, where he puts the pressure back on the bowlers. And he does it quickly. He bats how you want to as an opening of batter in Australia right now. He punishes the bad ball, and he’s really selective when the ball’s around the stumps. So he’s been excellent for us.”
Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014, and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction for INR 12 crore
Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025In one of the most high-profile releases in IPL history, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have decided to let go of their star allrounder Andre Russell ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Russell has been a constant for the franchise since IPL 2014 and was among five players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Though Russell had cost KKR INR 12 crore, releasing him has given the franchise an additional INR 18 crore for the auction, since he was Player 1 in KKR’s list of retainees last year, worth INR 18 crore, and that amount gets credited to the team’s purse now.A bona fide T20 great, Russell is also an IPL GOAT. Only two players in IPL history have scored over 2000 runs and picked 100 wickets. One of them – Russell – has been released, and the other – Ravindra Jadeja – has been traded, making the 2026 retention window among the most headline-making ones.Related
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While the development will surprise many, including KKR fans, the franchise had deliberated releasing Russell ahead of the 2025 mega auction before deciding to stall that call. Russell, who is 37, had retired from international cricket in July, having only played the T20 format after the 2019 World Cup.Russell, who was the Player of the Tournament in IPL 2019, was part of the KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024. Russell also won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR and is only behind the other KKR great Sunil Narine. A powerful batter who is known to take bowlers apart, especially in death overs, Russell has hit the joint-seventh most sixes (223) in the IPL.It is understood that more than one franchise sought out Russell in trade. KKR, though, will have the biggest purse, INR 64.30 crore, at the auction and could look to even buy him back. The teams will also pay attention to Russell’s form in the 2025 season. With the bat in ten innings, Russell hit 167 runs at a strike rate of 163.72, including a 50. His bowling numbers, though, were under par: eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and an economy of 11.94.
The work done by Glasgow Rangers during the summer transfer window has come under plenty of scrutiny after a fairly dismal start to the season for the Scottish giants.
One win in the first seven games of the Scottish Premiership campaign led to head coach Russell Martin losing his job, having only been appointed in the summer as the long-term successor to Philippe Clement.
Danny Rohl arrived at Ibrox last month and has already delivered four wins from four matches in the Premiership, but he has also lost both of his Europa League games in the dugout.
The former Sheffield Wednesday tactician has won 100% of his league games in charge, most recently beating Livingston 2-1 at Ibrox thanks to goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande.
Despite this upturn in results in the league, there will still be question marks over the summer recruitment due to poor form on the European stage from the Light Blues under both Martin and Rohl.
Who were the worst signings of the summer window by sporting director Kevin Thelwell before he was dismissed from his role on Monday? Here are our worst three…
3 Youssef Chermiti
It is almost impossible not to mention Youssef Chermiti as being among the worst signings made by Thelwell when you consider the context of the signing and the fee that was paid for him.
Firstly, Rangers had already signed proven Premiership goalscorer Bojan Miovski from Girona for a fee of up to £4.2m, which suggested that Martin already had his first-choice striker in the building.
Secondly, Chermiti cost a staggering £8m to sign him from Everton. That made him the most expensive Rangers signing in 25 years, since the £12m that was spent to land Tore Andre Flo in 2000.
Paying £8m to sign a 21-year-old striker who failed to score a single competitive goal in two years at Goodison Park is bad enough on paper, but even worse when you consider that Thelwell was the man behind the £15m deal to take him from Sporting to Everton in 2023.
The Toffees had to take a £7m hit on the striker without getting a single goal out of him because of Thelwell’s investment, and now Rangers look set to suffer a similar fate if his fortunes do not improve.
Chermiti has scored one goal and provided one assist in 13 outings in all competitions for the Light Blues this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has already offered more than he did for Everton, but it is still not enough to justify the huge outlay.
Starts
4
xG
1.29
Goals
0
Big chances missed
4
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
Pass accuracy
59%
Duel success rate
35%
As you can see in the table above, he has particularly struggled in the Europa League this season, failing to offer quality in front of goal, in his general play, or physically, which is a big concern.
For the amount of money paid, the signing of Miovski made before his arrival, and how he failed when Thelwell signed him for Everton, he has to be among the ex-Gers man’s worst deals.
2 Joe Rothwell
Joe Rothwell also currently looks like one of the worst signings of the summer transfer window, in a move that was very different to the one that brought Chermiti to Ibrox.
Whilst the Portugal U21 international was signed for big money as a 21-year-old talent with room for improvement and potential to eventually hit, the English midfielder came in as an experienced 30-year-old operator who should have made an immediate impact.
Instead, the summer signing from Bournemouth has failed to hit the ground running at Ibrox and now looks to be out of favour under new head coach Rohl, after being brought in by Martin, whom he played for at Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.
Livingston
0
Celtic
18
Hibernian
0
Kilmarnock
0
Brann
64
Dundee United
83
Falkirk
70
Sturm Graz
21
Livingston
17
Genk
10
As you can see in the table above, the Englishman has become a bit-part player for the Gers, failing to get on the pitch in the three league games that he has been available for under Rohl.
Given he was brought in as an experienced player for the here and now, it is hard to look past him as another one of Thelwell’s worst summer signings.
1 Thelo Aasgaard
Thelo Aasgaard looks to be another one of Thelwell’s worst pieces of business from the summer transfer window, as he has been as ineffective as Chermiti and Rothwell.
Rangers swooped to sign the Norway international from Luton Town for a fee of £3.5m to bolster their ranks in the attacking midfield positions, but he has been unable to provide a regular threat at the top end of the park.
Per Transfermarkt, Aasgaard has only produced one goal and one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, whilst Chermiti has one goal and one assist to his name in 13 outings for the club.
What makes that return even less impressive is that his assist was the pass to Djeidi Gassama in the clip above, where the winger does the majority of the heavy lifting for the goal.
The English-born number ten has not shown enough quality in his performances to suggest that he can be a difference-maker, aside from his stunning solo goal against Dundee United, which currently looks like it was a flash in the pan.
Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described Aasgaard as “rotten” at the start of this month, and it is hard to disagree with that when he has many red cards as goals this season.
Aasgaard’s red card against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup is far from the only poor moment he has had in a Gers shirt, though, as the £3.5m signing was also hauled off at half-time against Livingston last weekend.
Rohl was clearly unhappy with his contributions in the opening 45 minutes, and it is hard to be happy with his contributions over the entire season so far, which is why he has been just as bad as Chermiti and Rothwell.
Antman upgrade: Rohl must unleash Rangers flop who Thelwell tried to replace
Danny Rohl should finally unleash this Rangers flop who Kevin Thelwell attempted to replace.
ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025
He and Ian Holland take three wickets each as Northamptonshire are skittled for 189
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025
Chris Wright struck in his final appearance before retirement•Getty Images
Leicestershire 429 (Eskinazi 155) and 86 for 2 (Budinger 50, Keogh 2-20) lead Northamptonshire 189 (Zaib 62, Wright 3-19, Holland 3-28) by 326 runsChris Wright celebrated his 600th first-class wicket, crowning the final game of a 21-year professional career as his 3 for 19 helped put Leicestershire in the ascendency on day two of this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Wright, who was greeted by a guard of honour when he batted in the morning session, also collected his 800th wicket in all formats, and with Ian Holland taking 3 for 28, a hapless Northamptonshire were skittled for 189 inside 58 overs, 240 behind.Only the prolific Saif Zaib looked totally assured for Northamptonshire, scoring 62, his sixth half-century of the season to go with six centuries. Named the Supporters’ Club Player of the Year during lunch, his innings moved him into sixth place on the list of Northamptonshire batters with the most runs in a season this century.With Leicestershire deciding not to enforce the follow-on, Sol Budinger picked up where he left off in the first innings, smashing 50 off 44 balls. Rob Keogh took two wickets in two balls in the day’s closing overs to offer Northamptonshire a glimmer of hope, but the visitors closed strongly on 86 for 2, 326 ahead.Earlier Northamptonshire wrapped up the Leicestershire innings within 40 minutes, Logan van Beek (35) edging behind off Justin Broad (3 for 38). Centurion Stephen Eskinazi added just five to his overnight 150 before Broad found some late movement to take the edge. Finally, Josh Hull was caught down the leg side to give George Scrimshaw his third wicket and Lewis McManus his fifth catch of the innings and 51st dismissal of the Championship season. The Northamptonshire keeper, who has played every competitive game this summer has 75 dismissals in all formats.McManus (25) displayed some crisp strokeplay, unfurling sweet drives through the covers, but he also edged several balls which fell just short or ran wide of the slip cordon. He fell playing a rash pull to Hull’s first ball with two men back for the shot, van Beek taking an excellent catch as he back peddled at fine leg.Debutant Arush Buchake survived probing early spells from Leicestershire’s seamers and showed good timing as he drove through the covers. But after punching Holland behind square for his sixth boundary, he edged to second slip for a well-made 35, as Northamptonshire lost three wickets for 12 runs in seven overs.James Sales fell cheaply to Wright when he cut too close to his body and chopped on to his stumps. Then Keogh (28), who had got off the mark with two consecutive legside boundaries off Hull, was possibly unlucky to be adjudged lbw as he came down the track to Wright, 10 short of 10,000 career runs in all formats.Zaib attacked the spin of Liam Trevaskis, smashing six down the ground before collecting another maximum as he swept over deep midwicket.At the other end, Broad dropped anchor, but after half an hour van Beek got one to lift sharply and draw the edge of his bat through to keeper Ben Cox.Zaib took on van Beek, pulling and hooking, while using his feet to drive Trevaskis down the ground, but Northamptonshire lost a sixth wicket when debutant Stuart van der Merwe fell cheaply, sweeping Trevaskis round the corner into the hands of van Beek.Zaib drove Hull through the covers to reach fifty off 58 balls, while George Bartlett (11) flat batted a full toss from part-time spinner Rishi Patel over long off for six. But on the brink of tea, Bartlett was trapped lbw as he played down the wrong line to a straight one from Trevaskis.After tea Zaib had a rush of blood smashing Holland straight to mid-off before Wright celebrated his milestone wicket when he snared Ben Whitehouse lbw. Scrimshaw was the last to go, offering a return catch to Holland.Batting again, Leicestershire made their intentions clear as Budinger went on the offensive, blazing six fours and a six before he was bowled by Keogh with one that spun away. Next ball Keogh removed Holland via a brilliant one-handed grab by Broad at first slip.
Branislav Jasurek, representative of Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, has clarified the state of the player's relationship with head coach Antonio Conte. Jasurek and Lobotka stole headlines in Italy recently after comments resurfaced of the agent suggesting that his client will leave the club if the coach stays at the helm.
Lobotka's agent raises eyebrows in Italy
Jasurek appeared in a podcast with Slovak website which was recorded in October but gained significant traction in Italy this week. Lobotka's agent's comments sent shockwaves in Naples, as he stated that the combative midfielder could seek pastures new next summer if Conte ended up staying.
"Napoli have invested well in recent times and brought in new players," he said, before questioning Conte's choice to hand Lobotka very little rest amid his struggles with injuries. "That's why I don't understand why Lobotka had to play three difficult matches in eight days before the national team match. They could have given him a little rest and thus he would have been able to play for Slovakia in Northern Ireland. So I'm nervous," Jasurek expressed.
"If Stano wins a third title in Napoli, it will certainly be easier for him to leave, but I don't like to predict these things. He now has a significantly improved contract and could stay at the club for a few more years. But he is already 30 years old and it will be almost unrealistic to physically endure it under Conte. We are still talking about whether it can be managed at all. What Conte requires is brutally demanding. The coach's running requirements in statistics are incomparable."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportJasurek issues clarification, praises Lobotka's dynamic with Conte
Following how big a deal Jasurek's words became within hours of it making the rounds on the internet, the agent was contacted by Jasurek immediately issued a determined clarification, revealing that his words were taken out of context.
"I was very surprised, because the words were taken completely out of context," he assured. "It's true that I participate in a podcast in Slovakia, where we talk about the national team and some players. In that episode I spoke about Lobotka with a lot of appreciation. At the end, I said that it's difficult to work with Antonio Conte, because he's a very demanding coach, but I added that this is positive because he's a winner. Then I joked and said that Lobo might get tired and ask me for a transfer in the summer, but it was clearly a joke.
"Everyone on the podcast understood this, because I am his agent and every transfer is 'work' for me. Anyone who listened to the podcast in the original language would have immediately understood that it was just a joke. I can also assure everyone that Conte is like a father to Lobotka, and this relationship will never change. I am sure they will win many more trophies together."
Lobotka wants to win the Champions League with Napoli
Lobotka, who arrived from Celta Vigo in 2024, has a contract until 2027 with the Partenopei. There's also an option to extend his deal by another year. According to Jasurek, the Slovakia international harbors ambitions of lifting the Champions League trophy with Napoli, drawing parallels between his connection to the club and that of Marek Hamsík.
"Stanislav has the same relationship with Napoli as Marek Hamsik. He sees the city as his second home and has bought a house there. He shows commitment every week, often twice a week, and that's what matters most," Jasurek continued.
"He is already a two-time Italian champion with Napoli and fully believes he can win the title for the third time. He also dreams of the Champions League with this club. He is 30 years old — a time when he wants to lift trophies — and he is at the right club to achieve that."
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Getty ImagesHow's it going for Lobotka and Napoli this season?
The Scudetto holders have been struggling of late, dropping to fourth place after earning just seven points out of a maximum 15 from their previous five league encounters. Per reports, Conte is set to hold talks about his future at Napoli with the club's hierarchy.
As for Lobotka, the 30-year-old has recently returned to full fitness after spending two weeks on the sidelines due to an adductor injury.
The 21-year-old has been appointed Guyana’s vice-captain as they prepare to defend their four-day title in the West Indies Championship
Deivarayan Muthu29-Jan-2025Guyana’s Matthew Nandu had a rousing start to his career, scoring a century on first-class debut and almost repeating the feat on List A debut, in 2023. He then suffered a slump in form but is rising again, having topped the run-charts for Guyana in the 2024 Super 50 competition, with 260 runs in six innings at an average of 43.33. The 21-year-old has now been appointed Guyana’s vice-captain as they prepare to defend their four-day title in the West Indies Championship, which will kick off on January 29.Guyana will open their campaign against Barbados at Providence. Nandu has fond memories of his 126, spanning over eight hours, against the same opposition on debut in North Sound almost two years ago.”Before making my debut I was nervous but after I got a hundred it was a special feeling,” Nandu recalled, speaking to ESPNcricinfo during a camp at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai in December 2024. “Yes, not many people can say that they have a hundred on debut, but I think we can now leave that behind and keep moving forward. “I don’t want to look back at the past, I want to continue looking at tomorrow and what it brings.”Nandu prepared for West Indies’ domestic season by facing a variety of spinners on a variety of surfaces, including black and red, in Chennai. He hopes he can incorporate the Chennai lessons against spinners in the Caribbean.”I’ve been able to figure out ways to score off the spinners in the middle, especially against left-arm spin, and the coaches have given me some good pointers,” Nandu says. “I think what the coaches have passed on over this past week and a half, it’s been very helpful towards my game. I came here with an open mind, looking to learn as much as I possibly can and try and incorporate as much as I can towards my game. So, when I get the time to go back home and put in the work, I’ll definitely focus on the things that I learnt here and try and make it more consistent towards my game.”Related
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While Guyana continues to produce new heroes – Shamar Joseph is the latest poster boy of the region – cricket isn’t as popular in Canada, where Nandu grew up. Nandu played a number of sports, including baseball, basketball and ice hockey, when he was young, but he was always hooked to cricket, which is in his blood. Matthew is the son of Arjune, the former West Indies Under-19s and Guyana legspinner, who played four first-class matches before he moved to Canada. His uncle Richard Jodah has also represented Guyana in youth cricket.During the off-season in Canada, Nandu used to travel to Guyana and went onto emulate his father by playing for both West Indies Under-19s and Guyana. Against Papua New Guinea in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup at Diego Martin in Trinidad, he made 128 off 134 balls to go with two wickets with the ball.”I’ve had my dad work with me since I was a kid, so he’s played a big part in my journey as well; I’ve had the support from my mom and my brother and my uncle as well,” Nandu says. “I’ve been working hard towards my game since I was about nine-ten years old, fell in love with the game and found my way in Guyana, playing trials and stuff like that to get to the next level, so just looking to continue moving forward and taking one game and one opportunity at a time.”Matthew Nandu hones his defence at the CSK Academy in Chennai•Super Kings AcademyWhile these are still early days in his first-class career, Nandu has displayed stickability, which was the calling card of his hero and Guyanese great Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Nandu also idolises current West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope, who had handed out his maiden CPL cap at Guyana Amazon Warriors.”He’s not playing now but I looked up to Shiv Chanderpaul growing up,” Nandu says. “I think right now, it’s Shai Hope – the way he goes about his game and his mannerisms on and off the field. I feel special that Shai was the one who gave me the [CPL] cap and hopefully I’m looking forward to that happening in the future.”Shai was very open. He always wanted to share his knowledge with me, and I tried to work as much as I could with him, to learn as much as I can. And he was always open to share his experiences, and I took that with both arms.”You can be fairly certain Nandu wasn’t talking about getting another cap from Hope for any other team in domestic or franchise cricket.”Well, yeah, it [playing for West Indies] is the ultimate goal, but I think it’s one thing, getting to the level is one thing…but staying there and performing every game is another thing,” he says. “So, it comes more so with the mindset and working on that every day, every game. Just want to continue to have that right mindset.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has expressed his frustration after seeing his side held to a stalemate by Athletic Club at San Mames. The Spaniard claimed the French champions "deserved the victory" but were denied by an "incredible" Man of the Match performance from goalkeeper Unai Simon.
PSG frustrated in Bilbao
The Parisians arrived in Bilbao knowing that three points were crucial to their ambitions of securing automatic qualification for the round of 16. In the hostile cauldron of San Mames, the Ligue 1 giants produced a dominant attacking display, carving out numerous clear-cut opportunities against the Basque outfit. However, they found an impenetrable object in their path in the form of Spanish international goalkeeper Simon.
The Athletic Club shot-stopper produced a string of world-class saves to keep the visitors at bay, frustrating the likes of Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu throughout a frantic 90 minutes as the French side made 18 attempts on goal though only five hit the target. The result leaves PSG still searching for the points required to cement their status in the top eight of the league phase standings, a reality that somewhat irked their manager during his post-match media duties.
AdvertisementAFPDenied by the Man of the Match
Speaking to the press after the whistle, Luis Enrique was quick to point out the statistical anomaly of the match. For the PSG boss, the fact that the opposing goalkeeper was named the standout performer was irrefutable proof that his tactical plan had worked, even if the scoreboard did not reflect it.
"It happened like that because goalkeeper Unai Simon was incredible, he was designated man of the match and that means we deserved the victory, I think," Luis Enrique stated. "Without a doubt, Athletic's game was of a very high level. They could have won because they had a few chances too. But on the balance, we deserved to win it.
"It's a shame because we have to win because Unai Simon was incredible, we need more points to finish in the top eight."
Despite the irritation regarding the result, Luis Enrique remained complimentary about the spectacle. The intensity of the match, driven by the ferocious pressing of Ernesto Valverde's side and the raucous Basque crowd, provided a true Champions League test.
"No frustration, I think it was a very intense match, we did the job, they pressed a lot," Luis Enrique said. "We created a lot of chances but Unai Simon was on the pitch and the atmosphere was incredible."
He also refused to criticise his forward line, despite their inability to find the back of the net.
"All the forwards showed a good level, they created a lot of chances to score a goal."
Eyes on the January window
With the Champions League group phase reaching its climax and the domestic season intensifying, attention is also turning to the upcoming January transfer window. While the immediate focus was on the dropped points in Bilbao, Luis Enrique was asked about potential reinforcements to help convert these dominant displays into victories.
According to reports from RMC Sport, the manager remains open to strengthening his squad, provided the right opportunities arise. While he maintained that his current squad is of a very high standard—making it difficult to find players who can genuinely improve the starting XI—he did not rule out activity if the market presents a solution to their occasional lack of ruthlessness.
"We are always open to improving the team," he noted.
AFPWhat comes next?
For now, PSG must regroup. The performance in Bilbao proved they can create chances against top-tier opposition in hostile environments, but as Luis Enrique bluntly noted, as long as goalkeepers like Unai Simon are in "incredible" form, playing well is not always enough to secure the points needed for European glory. The chase for the top eight goes down to the wire.
PSG have 13 points with two games left to play, which come against Sporting CP and Newcastle in January. They are already sure of a play-off spot, at least, but the Spanish coach will be determined to ensure his side avoid the extra two matches by picking up the required points next month.