All posts by h716a5.icu

Sans Naseem and Afridi, Pakistan’s pace attack failed to inspire on a surface where elite quicks will get wickets

Danyal Rasool04-Jan-2025It would not strictly be true to say no Pakistan bowler delivered a single ball over 140kph today. The broadcasters have recorded it as such, and it’s certainly a fact South Africa did not have to face a single delivery which challenged them at that pace. However, it probably wasn’t just Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, whose high pace was so potent it produced three wickets in under nine overs, who cranked it up to 140kph today.When tea had been taken and Pakistan were resting indoors, having been ground into the dust under a blistering Newlands sun, Naseem Shah was on a practice pitch a few strips over from the real thing, new ball in hand. There was no speed gun to monitor him, but it didn’t take one to know no Pakistan bowler who actually started this Test matched that speed. The action was regular, the follow-through earnest, the shape on the ball exquisite. One delivery landed on a length, moved late at speed and knocked back the solitary stump at the other end. Even if there was a batter stood there, it might have been tricky keeping that out.For a bowler who’s officially out with back stiffness and chest congestion, Naseem – who has also been out there as substitute fielder and helped Saim Ayub onto a stretcher yesterday – wouldn’t exactly have been a liability to this attack.Related

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But this is not an individual selection gripe. Naseem was, after all, part of the side for the first Test, and while he sent down a long, impressive spell in South Africa’s first innings, he never truly came close to matching Rabada or Jansen’s threat. As Shan Masood has said in the past, Pakistan don’t often take 20 wickets, and though they managed 18 in Centurion, it didn’t quite get them over the line.At the same time, though, when Pakistan selected this attack, it is difficult to imagine they truly believed they had a realistic shot of 20 wickets on this surface. For clarity, Pakistan were remarkably open about the tradeoffs they had to assess before naming a squad, which they waited right to the morning of the Test to do. Any XI they named, spinner or not, Naseem or not, will likely have found wicket-taking hard inserted in to bowl for two hot sunny days.And, in truth, each of Pakistan’s four seamers did what they had been asked to do. They bowled hard lengths; it was the most common delivery for every one of the four bowlers by some distance. They resisted the temptation to pitch it up, as they might have done in Pakistan. They picked up two early wickets with the new ball, and another one with the second new ball. South Africa may have taken them to the cleaners once the scorecard had soared into silly numbers by the afternoon of the second day, but it was a product of the lack of pressure and a flatness of the wicket rather than a drop in Pakistan’s efforts or quality. And Pakistan continued to take it seriously to the last, at no point did we see them go through the run order for who else could bowl; one over from Kamran Ghulam aside, every over was bowled by a specialist quick or their assigned spinner, Salman Agha.Pointing all that out doesn’t add to the mystery of how an under-scrutiny South African top six ended up with 615; it strips away the veneer, leaving you looking directly at the answer. A Pakistan attack that lacks high pace on a pitch that doesn’t offer the bowlers assistance will not get on top of an international batting line-up, no matter how well they might do whatever they can do. Much like expecting to win a marathon when you can’t afford running shoes, Pakistan found themselves compromised in fundamental non-negotiable ways, and no change in extraneous reality could have compensated for that.Shaheen Afridi, arguably Pakistan’s best bowler in the ODI series last month, was not selected for the Tests and allowed to go off to play the Bangladesh Premier League; he has played two games in Mirpur in the past week. Naseem, as we saw, couldn’t quite make the cut for this Test, and there are no other bowlers at high pace, in this squad or indeed in all of Pakistan, who the selection committee truly feel comfortable throwing into a Test match. There may very well be merit to that position, but it meant Pakistan had a bad hand, and South Africa were aware of it. What followed for over the last two days was merely an inevitable consequence of it all.Perhaps that was more instructively obvious in the 21 overs South Africa bowled than the more than 141 Pakistan did. The pitch was just as flat when Rabada and Jansen bowled but you might have been fooled over ten overs of high-class, high pace bowling. Pakistan had to battle to keep them at bay every delivery, without success; they were 20 for three on a surface where, just yesterday, South Africa were 307 for three at one point.But when Wiaan Mulder, operating around the high 120s, and debutant Kwena Maphaka, not quite at Rabada and Jansen’s level, entered the attack, this Newlands strip reverted to its bashful, docile self of the last two days. Babar Azam had done well to dig in, and for the last half hour, he and Mohammad Rizwan had little trouble keeping South Africa out, or scoring runs at a decent clip.But on a surface where elite, fast bowlers will get you out, South Africa have at least two of them, and Pakistan none. With Pakistan still 552 runs behind, this Test match hasn’t exactly kept its cards hidden.

Pakistan haven’t won consecutive games in this tournament but their win over Sri Lanka could spur them on

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-20251:49

Chopra: A travesty that Rishad didn’t finish his quota of overs

Big picture: Mercurial Pakistan v hungry BangladeshPakistan’s hot-and-cold campaign meets Bangladesh’s hunger in a virtual semi-final to book their spot against India in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Pakistan haven’t won two matches in a row in the tournament but despite the hiding against India, they bounced back against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh haven’t done too badly in the tournament despite their T20I misgivings in recent years. They have emerged as a young team in transition, now playing with more confidence. But they have a quick turnaround after their defeat to India on Wednesday.Pakistan would take heart from their batting comeback against Sri Lanka. They lost four wickets for just 12 runs, slipping to 57 for four chasing 134. Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz were the unlikely batting heroes, taking Pakistan home comfortably in the end. They had earlier bowled well to restrict Sri Lanka, who were the favourites going into the game following their group-stage performance.Talat and Nawaz showed the advantage of being underrated batters in the team, as Sri Lanka took their foot off the gas after removing the more heralded Mohammad Haris. Nawaz has had an interesting tournament, having been unused as a bowler in Pakistan’s last two games. This, despite coach Mike Hesson calling him the best spinner in the world. Nawaz, however, has bailed out Pakistan with the bat a couple of times in the tournament. Talat too did well against Sri Lanka, picking up two wickets in an over to go with his rescue act with the bat.Related

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Unlike Pakistan, Bangladesh would want to quickly forget how they fared in their last match against India. They would bank on the confidence they gained from beating Sri Lanka and Afghanistan earlier in the tournament. They also beat Pakistan 2-1 at home in July, one of their three consecutive T20I series wins coming into the Asia Cup.To be fair, Bangladesh’s bowlers came back well against India after Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill got off to an electrifying start. Legspinner Rishad Hossain took the first two wickets before Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mustafizur Rahman put the brakes on the scoring rate. Saif Hassan’s back-to-back fifties will also give him reason to believe he can add a third against Pakistan. Bangladesh will also hope that Taskin Ahmed and Litton Das, reported to return for this game, can use their experience to get Bangladesh to the final.2:14

Why did Bangladesh make four changes against India?

Form guideBangladesh LWWLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan WLWLWIn the spotlight: Rishad Hossain and Shaheen Shah AfridiRishad Hossain has answered the big question about legspinners in Bangladesh – whether he can deliver under pressure. After his 14 wickets in last year’s T20 World Cup, he has impressed in the Asia Cup as well with six strikes in four games, including a spirited show against India. He took the first two wickets and then ran out the marauding Abhishek. He is growing in his stature as a legspinner and has the most wickets for Bangladesh since his T20I debut.It is crucial for Pakistan that Shaheen Shah Afridi gets them the early breakthroughs in the Asia Cup. It not only gives them an early advantage but also helps Afridi maintain his rhythm in the match. He has had a decent tournament so far despite his wicketless outings against India. He dismissed both the Sri Lankan openers, Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, early to set the tone. And his batting lower down the order is also helping him add value to the team.Saim Ayub has found runs hard to come by in this Asia Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesTeam news: Will Pakistan leave Saim Ayub out?Litton Das and Taskin Ahmed are likely to return. Parvez Hossain Emon and Mohammad Saifuddin could make way for them.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Rishad Hossain, 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPakistan could bring back Hasan Nawaz or play Khushdil Shah for Saim Ayub, who has tallied only 23 runs in five games in the tournament.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hussain Talat, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar AhmedPitch and conditions: Win toss, bowl first the Dubai mantraThe pitch in Dubai continues to be slow and slightly difficult for the side batting first, even though India won batting first against Bangladesh. Teams are likely to field first given the heat as well.Stats and trivia For the first time in his T20I career, Nawaz hasn’t bowled for Pakistan in consecutive innings. Mustafizur became the fourth bowler to take 150 wickets in T20Is, behind Rashid Khan, Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi. Jaker Ali leading Bangladesh in their last match was a first for him in all competitive cricket.

After new coach Walter handed him a lifeline, Sodhi became the third men’s player to 150 T20I wickets and committed to keep playing for NZ

Deivarayan Muthu25-Jul-2025A fairly low-profile tri-series in Zimbabwe continues to bring a number of high moments for Ish Sodhi. In New Zealand’s opening game, he made his 200th international appearance and then he marked his 201st appearance by becoming the third player to 150 wickets in men’s T20Is after Tim Southee and Rashid Khan. Along the way, Sodhi, 32, bagged his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 12 against Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the final against South Africa.Sodhi is uncontracted – young legspinner Adithya Ashok pipped him and earned his maiden deal – but he certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by new coach Rob Walter. In the final, Sodhi is set to tick off another landmark: New Zealand’s most capped T20I player. He’s currently level with Southee on 126 T20Is.Related

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A numbers man, Sodhi is savouring every high. “It’s really nice. I’m really proud of the achievement. To get 150 wickets in a format for your country, obviously you have to play for a long period of time to be able to do that. It’s something I’m really proud of and hopefully there’s a lot more on the bank.”On Thursday, Sodhi also took a moment to reflect on his early years. Born in India, Sodhi moved to Auckland with his parents when he was a child. After impressing Daniel Vettori during an Auckland playing trial he broke into the New Zealand squad when he was 20. He has since become a key player for New Zealand, especially in white-ball cricket.”It has been an incredible journey,” Sodhi said. “I think something came out of the other, I think I debuted in 2013. I think my first ODI was here in Harare. It’s nice to be here and still being able to perform for New Zealand. Hopefully it’s something I can still do for a time to come.”Contracted or not, Sodhi is eager to play for New Zealand and win games for them. Having been thrown a lifeline by Walter, Sodhi could form a potent partnership with captain Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell as New Zealand tune up for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.”There’s always incentive to win games for your country, I like playing international cricket,” Sodhi said. “Growing up, it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do and I think it’s probably the same for all the guys that are in there now. International cricket is really special. You pop the fern on, certainly things you dreamed of in the backyard growing up playing. Any game for New Zealand, there’s always motivation out there to be playing your best.”ESPNcricinfo LtdThe 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean was a forgettable one for Sodhi and New Zealand. In spin-friendly conditions, Sodhi sat out three of New Zealand’s four games, but in the lead-up to the next World Cup, he’s trying to reinvent himself. On Thursday, he fronted up to bowl in the powerplay – after Zimbabwe had run away to 21 for 0 – and claimed figures of 2-0-5-3 during this phase. Sodhi had also operated in the powerplay against South Africa in New Zealand’s series opener. This tri-series is the first time since 2021 that Sodhi has bowled in the powerplay in T20Is and it’s a role he relishes playing for the Black Caps.”It’s quite a new role for me and I haven’t bowled a lot in the powerplay in my career,” Sodhi said. “So, this is a really strong New Zealand side nowadays, so trying to get into the side and almost have to learn to be able to bowl in the powerplay. So, it’s really nice it could come off as it is relatively a new role. I’m trying to play for New Zealand and yeah to get some wickets was quite pleasing and it shows me I can do it at this level and yeah something I want to keep building.”Sodhi also delivered a glowing appraisal of Tim Seifert, who is currently the leading run-getter in the tri-series, with 166 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 145.61. Sodhi believes that Seifert has become a more versatile and dangerous batter after playing franchise T20 cricket around the world. In the lead-up to the tri-series, Seifert was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL and San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, and his next franchise assignment is with CPL champions St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, look Seife is incredible,” Sodhi said. “I’ve sort of seen him come through when he was 18 years old playing cricket in all the districts he came through. A lot of talent, hit the ball really nice and cleanly. But I think the product of franchise cricket that’s made him such a good player is that he’s been able to play on surfaces that aren’t actually that great for batting.”If you look at that surface out there, it wasn’t the truest of surfaces but to score at the rate that he did shows great growth in his game. It shows that he’s rallied around a lot of great players all around the world in the franchise tournaments that he’s played and it’s making him a lot better player. It’s a huge asset for New Zealand cricket the way that he’s playing and he’s still so young.”The way he’s batting is showing a lot of leadership. He’s leading from the front and it’s great to see him being in my shoes having seen him come through when he was an 18, 19-year-old. It’s brilliant to see.”

If South Africa had been playing a spinner, the decision may have been a lot simpler for Pakistan, who were stung going in all pace at home against Bangladesh

Danyal Rasool25-Dec-2024The road crunches under the rubber on the freeway that takes Pakistan from where they’re staying in Melrose, a Johannesburg suburb, out to SuperSport Park in Centurion, about a half-hour’s drive away.The oppressive heat over the last fortnight in Johannesburg has made way for a fresh, crisp summer breeze, wispy clouds and blue skies taking turns, as if in a cosmic balancing act to maintain the perfect temperature. The roads are largely empty thanks to Christmas holidays, and the 40km between accommodation and cricket ground appear to shrink as the team bus races along.The scene could not be written to portray further distance from Rawalpindi, where it’s also cricket season, but in drastically different conditions. The sides stay much closer to the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground, and if it weren’t for the side’s security details clearing path to the venue the heavy traffic at all times of the year would make it a far more onerous exercise. The contrast continues once you get into each venue; the build up to Pakistan’s last Test here was dominated by how many wedding-style heaters windbreakers, and rakes Pindi could fit in to produce a surface that suited their spinners; here at SuperSport Park, tarpaulin sheets mounted on stilts shaded a surface packed with moisture when the sun became too potent.Related

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What can Pakistan learn from their history of trauma in South Africa?

And yet, just four months earlier in Rawalpindi, Pakistan faced the same dilemma that currently holds them back from announcing their team for Boxing Day. In pursuit of quick, bouncy surfaces, perhaps not too dissimilar to the kind Centurion will almost certainly showcase this week, the grass was left on for the first Test against Bangladesh.Believing they had prepared the surface they wanted, they made the fateful decision of playing no specialist spinner, hoping to exploit Bangladesh’s perceived vulnerability against pace. It would go about as badly as possible. A wet outfield delayed the start with the sun drying the strip out. Bangladesh comfortably dealt with Pakistan’s four-pronged seam attack, forcing them into bowling 50 overs of part-time spin. And then, with a draw looming, Bangladesh’s twin spinners took seven wickets to skittle Pakistan on the fifth morning and romped to victory.Pakistan made a half-hearted attempt to defend that decision, though just about everyone acknowledged it as a tactical misstep, one they do not want to repeat to close out the year. South African captain Temba Bavuma reeled off the starting eleven for South Africa before they had officially announced it; it did not include a spinner. He went on to say he had never seen “a flat Centurion”.

“The pitch looks like it has a lot of moisture, but there’s a couple of days left still before the start of the Test, so let’s see how the pitch looks then.”Saud Shakeel

After Saud Shakeel came in for the press conference as Pakistan trained on Christmas Eve, he appeared to agree with the characterisation of the surface. “I think we need a bit more time to finalise the side,” he said. “As a Test group, this is our first official practice session. We were practising away from the main side because the one-day team was busy. The schedule was very tight and there’s only two days of collective practice. Shan Masood will be able to say more tomorrow.”If South Africa had been playing a spinner, the decision may have been a lot simpler for Pakistan, but having been stung in the recent past going in with all-pace, they would rather not be fooled twice. As Shakeel pointed out, South Africa may only be going in with all pace because of the dubious fitness status of Keshav Maharaj, whom Bavuma said was “fit” but not necessarily match-fit. When Pakistan last played at the Centurion in 2018, Yasir Shah did line up for them, but bowled just 11.4 overs across innings; Maharaj, who also played, sent down a mere 14.Noman Ali, the likeliest to feature if Pakistan do go in with a spinner, did bowl in the nets, though Shakeel said it was the seamers whose efforts indicated the kind of surface this would be.”The pitch looks like it has a lot of moisture, but there’s a couple of days left still before the start of the Test, so let’s see how the pitch looks then,” Shakeel said. “I think it’s slightly more challenging for the batters because there’s a bit of difference between the bounce when we come from the subcontinent. That’s the major difference. We’re working on it.”As a Test group we’ve been here for about 10-12 days, and we’ve had some really good sessions at the Wanderers. Early on, it took a couple of days to get used to the bounce and seam movement. I’ve seen the games over the last couple of years and videos of how the pitch plays in South Africa. At times the seam movement also comes into play. The last year we saw 21 wickets [15] fall in a day. I think it’s all about how you can adapt to these conditions and score runs here and put pressure on the bowlers.”By the time the Pakistan players were cooling down after training, the weather turned once more. The sun had beaten a hasty retreat, and dark clouds assembled over Centurion once more. The raised tarpaulin sheeting was swiftly taken down, and the covers enveloped the surface, with all its secrets securely wrapped up. It’s unlikely to make Pakistan’s decision – one that Rawalpindi demonstrated was so easy to get wrong – any easier.

West Ham United manager Nuno has now commented on the ownership protest, which took place after the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

West Ham picked up just their second Premier League victory of the season at the weekend, defeating Newcastle at the London Stadium, courtesy of a long-range Lucas Paqueta strike and a Sven Botman own-goal, before Tomas Soucek put the game beyond doubt in injury time.

Nuno managed to get his first win on the board despite a backdrop of discontent, with supporters planning a sit-in protest against the board, having reached the end of their tether with David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

The players seemed unaffected by the off-field issues, however, with Alfie Potts, who had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside in the second half, praising his teammates after the match, saying: “We all fought for the shirt, and we came away with three points, which I think was deserved.”

“I feel like everyone today showed that we’ve got the character and the challenge to come back from positions that we have been in the past, and we can win games, especially against teams like Newcastle who attack really well.”

Nuno directly asked about West Ham fans' protest

The West Ham manager was directly asked about what he thought of the supporters’ protest on Sunday, and he took the time to praise the Hammers faithful, saying: “I think the fans saw something in the team today and this is what we want, this is how we should look at the situation.

“How can we as a team, show to our fans that we want to fight, we want to change [the] situation.

“We want to make things tough for our opponents. We want to change our game, we want to improve our game. The fans [we] cannot thank them enough.”

Of course, the 51-year-old can’t directly criticise the ownership, especially considering some of his recent experiences, with the former Nottingham Forest manager being dismissed after admitting his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.

However, Nuno’s assessment that the supporters were buoyed on by an encouraging performance is certainly accurate, with the Irons showing signs they are more than capable of getting out of relegation trouble.

West Ham were more than deserving of their victory, as despite the visitors dominating most of the possession, they failed to create any big chances in the match, while the hosts crafted two.

Nuno will be hoping his side can now start to build momentum, with an early six-pointer at home against Burnley pencilled in for next Saturday.

West Ham player ratings as Nuno secures first victory West Ham player ratings v Newcastle United as Nuno secures first victory

The Hammers returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Newcastle this afternoon.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

As Major League Baseball's trade deadline quickly approaches, emotions are running high across the league.

Play doesn't stop as each team's front office works behind the scenes to discuss and execute deals that help bolster a postseason push or build for the future. As the Cleveland Guardians sit at .500 and three games back from the American League's final wild card, outfielder Steven Kwan has heard his name in trade rumors.

He was in the lineup Wednesday evening as the Guardians defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-0 at home. And just in case it was his last game wearing Guardians' colors at Progressive Field, he made sure to send a sweet gesture to fans sitting in left field. As he ran in from the outfield, he turned around and sent a wave in case anything changes before Cleveland's next home game Friday.

Early Wednesday afternoon, MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported the Guardians are "trying to move" Kwan and pitcher Shane Bieber. Kwan remains under club control through the end of the 2027 season. He has slashed .286/.350/.408 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs this season. He had a great postseason last year as the Guardians made a run to the American League Championship Series with a monster .382 batting average over 42 at-bats in the playoffs.

With less than 24 hours remaining before the July 31 deadline hits at 6 p.m. ET, Kwan remains in Cleveland. Should he be involved in a deal, though, he made sure to say goodbye to the fans he has played in front of for the entirety of his four-year MLB career.

Behind the wicket is this unorthodox India batter’s happy place

Deivarayan Muthu22-Oct-20241:37

Manjrekar: Sarfaraz should walk into India’s XI for the Australia tour

When Will O’Rourke, at 6’4″, the tallest bowler in the current New Zealand attack banged one into the pitch in Bengaluru, it seemed destined to smack Sarfaraz Khan on his head until an impish intervention from the batter. Sarfaraz had originally misjudged the bounce as he tried to avoid the bouncer. To make matters worse, it kept veering into him as well. The fates had decided he was going to end up on his backside. He said, ‘fine but I’m getting something out of it’ and somehow ramped a ball that was pushing him down into the floor for a boundary.Ramps are ostentatious shots for most batters but for Sarfaraz it is staple. It’s his signature. Like how the cover drive is Virat Kohli’s. Like how the pull is Rohit Sharma’s. Like how the one-handed loft is Rishabh Pant’s.Having been bred on the bouncy, red-soil pitches in Mumbai, Sarfaraz has developed various versions of this shot, from the delicate dab ramp over the cordon to the full-blooded scythe over deep third. And he can play these shots to balls ranging from just back-of-a-length to a bouncer by twisting his body like a contortionist to get underneath the ball.He even played the ramp off a full and wide one from Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in IPL 2016 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having spotted Sarfaraz manufacture swinging room, Bhuvneshwar had shifted his lines wide of off stump, but the batter still caught up with the ball, got underneath it, and ramped it over the deep-third boundary. Sarfaraz was only 18 then. This ability to manipulate the “V” behind the wicket has been with him from day one of a professional cricket career that is now in its 10th year.Sarfaraz showed his full range behind square in the first Test against New Zealand at the same venue where he had bested Bhuvneshwar as a teenager. Look at his wagon wheel from the recent Bengaluru Test. He scored 96 of his 150 runs behind the wicket.Fourteen of Sarfaraz’s 21 boundaries in the first Test came behind the wicket•ESPNcricinfo LtdSarfaraz was dismissed for a duck in the first innings. When there was excessive seam movement for New Zealand’s seamers under overcast skies, he went hard at the ball and ended up playing well in front of the body, shanking a catch to mid-off. In the second innings, when the pitch had lost its early juice, and there wasn’t as much lateral movement, Sarfaraz allowed the ball to come onto him and kept directing it behind the wicket. Believe it or not, he had not scored a single run in the “V” in front of wicket until after his hundred.”I like playing the balls that rise high. I have a bouncy wicket back at home [Mumbai], and I play regularly there, and the bounce easily allows me to cut,” Sarfaraz said. “They [New Zealand] were trying to bowl short at me, and I simply played accordingly. It was fun.”Related

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It’s not always fun though. The same shot that left jaws on the floor in Bengaluru – the duck ramp – led to his downfall in Lucknow. It was IPL 2023. Mark Wood was the bowler and he was giving Sarfaraz a serious working over to the extent that he was caught off a bouncer that he had initially tried to avoid. That couldn’t have felt good. It certainly didn’t look good. That dismissal epitomised the risk that comes with unorthodox strokeplay; not so much that it could result in your downfall but more that it makes you look silly. Sarfaraz is happy to live with this risk. He trains to try and minimise this risk. When he met Wood again in the Dharamsala Test earlier this year, he ramped the fast bowler, nonchalantly, to the deep-third boundary.The pitch in Pune might not offer as much bounce for Sarfaraz to play his ramps, with a bald, back-soil surface set to negate the seamers and bring the spinners into play. Sarfaraz, though, can also disrupt spin, thanks to a number of sweeps, including the reverse. He crouches low for these sweeps and often crunches them flat and hard – both in front of and behind the wicket.Sarfaraz Khan countered the short balls with the ramp•BCCIWhen Ajaz Patel dangled a full ball up outside off in India’s second innings in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz stretched out, met the pitch of the ball, and swept so hard that it sounded like a thunderclap. Earlier, in the Irani Cup, when Saransh Jain, the emerging offspinner from Madhya Pradesh, blocked the sweep with a packed leg-side field, Sarfaraz unfurled the reverse-sweep and countered him.With Shubman Gill likely to be fit for the second Test, India will have to make a choice between Sarfaraz and KL Rahul. It will incredibly hard for the team management to ignore Sarfaraz, especially after he had scored his maiden Test hundred, which had them dreaming about a remarkable comeback win at one point, though Rahul has a case for himself: he was a bit unlucky in Bengaluru and has a strong body of work overseas.”Sarfaraz was obviously brilliant in the last Test,” Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, said on Tuesday. “I went to KL after the last Test and said: ‘how many balls did you play and miss at?’ He didn’t play and miss one ball and that’s what tends to happen when you’re not getting runs. He got the two balls in the game – one caught down the leg side and one that he managed to nick.”So there’s certainly no concerns about KL. He’s batting nicely, he’s in a good mental space, but yeah, we’re certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team.”For so long, Sarfaraz has been on the outside looking in on this Indian team. But bit by bit, day by day, shot by shot, his chances of making it to the first-choice XI are ramping up.

The New York Yankees placed outfielder Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list over the weekend with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Though Judge will have to miss some time, he did avoid a more serious injury or any damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, and his elbow will not require surgery.

"I think we in the big picture dodged something pretty good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told on Tuesday. "Hopefully this little bit of downtime does the trick and also serves as a little bit of a physical reset for him in a long season where you're playing every day."

Boone added that he thinks Judge will begin hitting off the tee on Tuesday or Wednesday, and will resume throwing 10-15 days after the injury. Boone remains unsure of how long it will take Judge to be ready to go in the outfield after he starts throwing again.

Per Bryan Hoch of , Boone said the "hope" is that Judge will play as the designated hitter when he's eligible to return from the IL on Aug. 5.

The Yankees have talked to designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton about playing outfield with Judge out and for depth down the stretch. Though Stanton is "eager" about the opportunity and will do some drills in the outfield this week, Boone is unsure if he will actually use Stanton in that role.

Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in ODIs but they have the advantage of playing at home

Madushka Balasuriya03-Oct-20252:44

Can the Australia batting juggernaut be stopped?

Big picture: Sri Lanka need to up their gameIf there were even the faintest doubt about who the favourites for the 2025 Women’s World Cup were, they were put to bed as swiftly as an Ashleigh Gardner blade swing after Australia’s dominant win over New Zealand in their tournament opener.In Indore, Australia started fast and stumbled, but like an unrelenting force, they just kept coming. In the end, their victory was less about outplaying New Zealand and more about brute-forcing the result. As far as early tournament markers go, it was an impressive one.Against India in their opener, Sri Lanka too set an early marker of the sort of side they are. They had India reeling at 124 for 6 but then proceeded to drop each of the next four chances that came their way to let the hosts claw themselves back into the contest and register a fairly comprehensive win eventually. Discipline followed by indiscipline; bad undoing the good.Related

'Good to start with best teams' – Sri Lanka's Athapaththu ready for Australia after India

Sri Lanka have not played an ODI against Australia since 2019, but they know what they need to do. Resilience has been a buzzword for Chamari Athapaththu, and in that sense it’s clear that any lingering hang-ups from that opening defeat will be well behind them come Saturday. But execution might be the more pertinent declaration if they’re to show their best selves against the defending champions.With free entry being granted to the stadium, Sri Lanka will also be hoping for substantial home support. They’re also very familiar with the Khettarama surface, as the high-performance centre where the national players train is located there. So while Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in an ODI, the conditions for an upset are nevertheless in place.Form guideAustralia WWLWW (last five ODIs most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLWWVishmi Gunaratne’s form is a concern for Sri Lanka•ACCIn the spotlight: Ashleigh Gardner and Vishmi GunaratneLike the surprise manifestation of a final boss’ second health bar after you think you’ve finally got them beat, Ashleigh Gardner sits spearheading Australia’s lower middle order. Her 115 off 83 against New Zealand served to highlight not just the resilience of this Australian outfit, but their entire aura. While her role is a challenging one, it’s invaluable in that it affords the licence for those above her to play with freedom, while allowing her to provide guidance to those below her. And it means that while she is at the crease, Australia are never beat.In August 2024, Vishmi Gunaratne struck her maiden ODI hundred against Ireland. Her three innings in the lead-up to that read 40, 50, 44. But in ten innings since then, she has not been able to cross 36. While Athapaththu would be the obvious pick for this section, if Sri Lanka are to challenge Australia, they need the rest of their batting to chip in in a big way. Gunaratne has been out of sorts, but Sri Lanka will be banking on her rediscovering her groove even though it’s her first ODI against Australia.Team news: Brown or Schutt?Australia are unlikely to make any changes to the batting, though it remains to be seen if Darcie Brown continues in place of Megan Schutt.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King, 11 Darcie BrownSri Lanka played their first-choice XI against India, and it’s unlikely there will be any changes.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 7 Nilakshika Silva, 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Inoka Ranaweera, 10 Achini Kulasuriya, 11 Udeshika PrabodhaniAshleigh Gardner scored a brilliant hundred against New Zealand•Getty ImagesPitch and conditions: Rain could play spoilsportThe pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium has traditionally offered up an even contest between bat and ball. However, efforts have been made recently to make it more batting-friendly, so there may not be as much in it for the spinners as usual. As for the weather, there is a distinct chance of rain in Colombo throughout the afternoon.Stats and trivia: Australia 11-0 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka have lost each of their 11 ODIs against Australia. Athapaththu is 80 runs away from 4000 ODI runs. Gardner’s 51 wickets are the most by an Australian since the 2022 World Cup. They are the joint-third-most in that period among all players.Quotes”The beauty of a World Cup is you play every different side and you have to prepare. You don’t really get time to learn. You’ve got to come out firing. But I think our group’s got some awesome heads on our shoulders and we are able to assess conditions and adapt to whatever’s thrown at us.”
“We’re playing against the best team. The world champions. But if we can execute the right plan at the right time, I know we can beat any team. But execution is the most important thing, rather than the skill and the mindset. So we’ll have to play our best game tomorrow.”

Roy Keane has claimed that his infamous leg-breaker on Erling Haaland's dad, Alfie, was not an unfair challenge. To get a bigger picture and understand the magnitude of Keane’s fury, you have to rewind to September 1997, when Manchester United faced Leeds United at Elland Road.

How did it all start?

Keane was a player who thrived on combat on the pitch. However, he went down in agony after rupturing his cruciate ligament while attempting a challenge. As he lay on the turf, clutching his knee in genuine pain, Haaland, who was playing for Leeds, stood over him and sneered, accusing him of faking an injury. 

"He tried to tackle me and I got the free kick. He was lying on the ground and I just told him to ‘get up’ as you normally do with players – nothing more than that," Haaland said in an earlier interview. "I wasn’t trying to intend anything against him, but obviously he took that very hard."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThat fateful day in Old Trafford

For Keane, who never forgot a slight, those words became fuel. Four years later, in April 2001, fate delivered the perfect opportunity for revenge during a Manchester derby at Old Trafford. And Keane didn’t miss. His right boot smashed into Haaland’s knee with sickening force as Keane stood over his old adversary, snarling expletives. He didn’t even pretend it was an accident.

In his 2002 autobiography, he admitted it outright: "I’d waited long enough. I f*cking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries."

At the time, Keane received a £5,000 fine and a three-match ban. But when his autobiography publicly confirmed what everyone suspected, that the assault was premeditated, the FA reopened the case. He was handed an additional five-match suspension and fined a further £150,000. 

In his second autobiography, published in 2014, he doubled down once again, describing Haaland as "an absolute pr*ck to play against."

"[He] p*ssed me off, shooting his mouth off. He was an absolute pr*ck to play against. Niggling, sneaky," he wrote.

"I did want to nail him and let him know what was happening. I wanted to hurt him and stand over him and go: 'Take that, you c***.' I don’t regret that. But I had no wish to injure him. It was action; it was football. It was dog eats dog. I’ve kicked lots of players and I know the difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody. I didn’t go to injure Haaland. When you play sport, you know how to injure somebody.

"There was no premeditation. I’d played against Haaland three or four times between the game against Leeds, in 1997, when I injured my cruciate and the game when I tackled him, in 2001, when he was playing for Manchester City. If I’d been this madman out for revenge, why would I have waited years for an opportunity to injure him? Was I going around for years thinking: ‘I’m going to get him, I’m going to get him.’? No. Was he at the back of my mind? Of course, he was. Like Rob Lee was, like David Batty was, like Alan Shearer was, like Patrick Vieira was. All these players were in the back of my mind: ‘If I get a chance I’m going to f*cking hit you, of course I am.’"

One final declaration from Keane!

Keane is never one to hide behind PR polish or remorse, and has again claimed that his tackle on Haaland was "not a bad challenge", defiantly insisting that he was merely trying to "hurt him", and not end his career. 

Speaking on , the ex-Manchester United captain declared: "This is my last time talking about this tackle, the Haaland one. I still don’t think it was a bad tackle, I really don’t. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s not as bad as everyone thinks it is. When you play sport at that speed we played at, there’s a difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody – big difference. That’s my argument. I was trying to hurt him, not injure somebody."

When asked about it in 2024, Haaland said wryly: "Is that a coincidence, or isn’t it? If you’re in the ground and someone hits you in the right leg, you can still twist your other leg. It can get injured and that’s probably what happened.

"I haven’t played a full 90 minutes after that incident, that’s the hard fact. And people can judge whatever they want. Obviously, I found out afterwards that it was with intent and he was seeking revenge and all these things. I think that’s a bit sad. Sad for football and it was not good for me either at the time."

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Getty Images SportDid Keane actually end Haaland's career?

Keane used one argument to justify his lack of guilt as the Norwegian played a full international just four days after the infamous tackle and played 68 minutes for City shortly after. 

"Haaland finished the game and played four days later, for Norway," he said. "A couple of years later, he tried to claim that he’d had to retire because of the tackle. He was going to sue me. It was a bad tackle but he was still able to play four days later."

One must note that although Haaland did undergo the knife in that summer, it was on his left leg, whereas Keane tackled him on the right.