Bangladesh, who swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the T20I series, will go into the ODI series high on confidence

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025

Big picture: a rare ODI face-off after deluge of T20IsBangladesh and Afghanistan will have to fight the same adversary in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday: rustiness.Afghanistan last played an ODI eight months ago, in the 2025 Champions Trophy, and even that game was washed out, so they have played just two ODIs this year. Bangladesh have played six, but the last one was in July. Not as bad as their opponents, of course, but they have lost four of these games and won just one.This irregularity in playing ODIs affects how the XIs are chosen.Afghanistan have dropped Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad based on their Asia Cup – in the T20 format – performance. Hashmatullah Shahidi continues to lead, with Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal forming the batting core.Azmatullah Omarzai is their ODI star with bat and ball, so he will have to shoulder a significant workload. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi will lead the bowling attack, alongside newcomers like Bashir Ahmad and Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made their T20I debuts earlier this week.Related

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Bangladesh, meanwhile, have a squad that’s based on their big-picture plan for the 2027 ODI World Cup. It means Mehidy Hasan Miraz continues as captain, with Najmul Hossain Shanto back in the picture. There will be hope that some of the batters bring their T20I form into the ODI arena. Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan looked good in the recent 3-0 win against Afghanistan and will be relied upon.The battle will be between Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan for the three middle-order spots. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman will lead the bowling attack, while it will be interesting to see whether Rishad Hossain and Tanvir Islam are both picked in the XI or not.Bangladesh would like to ride on the momentum of the T20I series sweep, while Afghanistan must get out of their five-match losing streak across formats. It is likely to be a closely fought series, but the rustiness could mean a lot of errors – in the planning and in the field – as they go adjusting to the format.Form guideAfghanistan WLWWW
Bangladesh LWLLLRashid Khan will depend a lot on Azmatullah Omarzai in either innings•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Azmatullah Omarzai and Saif HassanAzmatullah Omarzai has scored 896 runs and taken 31 wickets in the last two years in ODIs. No wonder he is currently No. 2 in the allrounders rankings. Omarzai will bat in the lower-middle order to provide cushion as well the finishing touches, and also play as the second seamer. He was one of the few to show good form in the T20Is against Bangladesh, although he would be disappointed with the way he got out in the third game in Sharjah, a wild swing that ended in a top edge that was taken by the backward point fielder.Saif Hassan will be the most anticipated ODI debutant for Bangladesh in a long time. His scintillating form in T20Is in the last two months has forced the selectors to bring him into an ODI set-up that’s crying out for a fresh approach. Saif’s attacking shots are great to watch, but as he showed in the third T20I on Sunday, he can also be clever: he played out a maiden over from Rashid Khan knowing it was the legspinner’s last and went on to score an unbeaten 38-ball 64 to take Bangladesh home.Darwish Rasooli is likely to get into the playing XI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: middle-order changes in the offingDarwish Rasooli is likely to get into the XI while either Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar is expected to join the attack. Bashir could make his ODI debut.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Darwish Rasooli, 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Mohammad Nabi, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Bashir AhmadSaif is likely to open the innings with Tanzid, while Nurul will fight for a place with Hridoy. Mohammad Naim has not reached UAE yet due to visa issues. Parvez Hossain has been added to the ODI squad as a back-up batter. Nurul Hasan is likely to keep wicket in the first ODI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanNurul Hasan will have to fight for his spot•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: bat first, win the game?The side batting first has won four out of the last five day-night ODIs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The average score batting first in these matches is 274. The forecast in Abu Dhabi is of extreme heat, with some breeze expected in the evening.Stats and trivia Afghanistan and Bangladesh are tied 2-2 in the bilateral series stakes, although it’s the latter that leads 11-8 overall Nabi is the only survivor of the first ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, held in 2014 in Fatullah Tanvir Islam’s five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in Bangladesh’s previous ODI series was the first five-for by a Bangladeshi spinner in two-and-a-half years.

Harmanpreet Kaur was “very happy” with India notching up their second straight win at the 2025 ODI women’s World Cup. But Sunday’s 88-run win over Pakistan in Colombo, one that she described as an “important game for all of us”, wasn’t without its fair share of flutters.Like in their opening game against Sri Lanka, India’s lower-order rescued them to set up a total they managed to defend courtesy of their spinners. For much of their batting innings, India struggled for momentum. They slumped to 203 for 7 at one point, and were in danger of being bowled out until Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten 35 off 20 lifted them to 247.”To be honest, it wasn’t an easy pitch to bat,” Harmanpreet said. “We just wanted to bat longer and see how many runs we can get. When we played here in the tri-series [in May], the pitches were different. But with the rain over the last two days, there was a bit of a hold on the pitch. The key was to keep wickets in the end so that we could execute.”Related

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That’s exactly what Ghosh did to give India the end-overs momentum. The other key contributor was fast bowler Kranti Goud, who made the early breakthroughs before Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana got among the wickets with Pakistan batters miscuing big hits in succession with the asking rate mounting.Goud, 22, was named Player of the Match for her 3 for 20, which included the wickets of Sadaf Shamas and Aliya Riyaz inside the first ten overs to set Pakistan back.For Goud, it was a return to where it all began for her in May this year when she was handed her ODI debut during the tri-series, on the back of a sensational showing in last year’s domestic one-day final, where she picked up four wickets in four balls, including that of Ghosh to help MP clinch the title.Goud bowled with pace, got the new ball to dart around and in general troubled batters with her zip off the pitch. “Kranti bowled really well,” Harmanpreet acknowledged. “Renuka [Singh] was helping her from the other end, to get breakthroughs for us.”Kranti Goud was named player of the match for her 3 for 20•Associated Press

India let themselves down on the field, dropping four catches, including three off Sidra Amin, the top-scorer of Pakistan’s innings. Their ground fielding, too, was patchy, a concern that is slowly beginning to creep up on them.”We let ourselves down on the field, we got so many chances which we unfortunately dropped, but in the end, when you win, you feel happy.”India now play their next two games – against South Africa (October 9) and Australia (October 12) – in Visakhapatnam. For now, Harmanpreet wants the team to soak in the winning feeling and reflect on a job well done before they refocus.”There are a lot of areas to work on but right now I’m happy that we won this game,” Harmanpreet said. “We just want to go with that momentum. We go back to India now, where we know how the pitches will play. Let’s see what is the best combination that we can come up with and how we can improve day by day.”

MLB is ushering in a new television era for baseball fans, as the league has reportedly landed new media deals with NBC, Netflix and ESPN, according to .

Here's a quick breakdown of what each deal looks like, as well as what it means for MLB fans.

MLB welcomes back old friend in NBC

Watching baseball on NBC was commonplace in the 1980s and '90s, and the history between league and network dates all the way back to the 1940s. And while NBC was last seen on the nationally-televised baseball stage during the 1999 World Series, the network is officially back into the fold when it comes to broadcasting MLB. According to Marchand, NBC will dole out almost $200 million per season to MLB for the rights to broadcast , as well as the first round of the postseason, which includes four wild-card round series. Much like for NBA fans, watching baseball on a Sunday night on NBC is bound to deliver a nostalgic feel. Given that NBC also broadcasts football and basketball on Sunday nights, any television conflicts with those two sports will result in MLB games shifting over to NBC's streaming service, Peacock. The wild-card round games are reportedly expected to be divvied up between NBC and Peacock.

MLB welcomes new friend in Netflix

Netflix, which has entered the sports streaming world in recent years to mixed results, adds baseball to its catalogue in MLB's new deal. Per Marchand, Netflix will pay MLB roughly $50 million per year to stream the standalone Opening Day prime time game, the Home Run Derby and “Field of Dreams” game. This means MLB fans looking to watch Yankees-Giants in primetime on March 25, as well as the Phillies-Twins in the Field of Dreams game in August of 2026 (previously on Fox), will be tuning into Netflix.

MLB (sort of) reconciles with ESPN

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had seemingly signaled a break-up with ESPN in the form of a memo, citing the network's “minimal coverage” of baseball. But the two sides are back together, albeit with a different look. While ESPN won't be on the nationally-televised baseball stage anymore in the form of , the wild-card round and the Home Run Derby, the network still ended up finding value in the new deal. According to Marchand, ESPN will still be on the national TV scene in the form of 30 exclusive weeknight games during the season. Additionally, ESPN will effectively pay MLB $1.65 billion over three seasons—the going price it would have paid for —for the MLB.TV package. This means that ESPN will control the rights for all 30 teams‘ out-of-market games, as well as the in-market game rights to six teams: the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and Seattle Mariners. Marchand reports that ESPN has not yet decided how it wil sell MLB.TV, but it is expected to be at the same $150-per-year price tag that consumers had been paying when it was under league control.

تفاعلت صحف إنجلترا مع التصريحات النارية التي أدلى بها نجم فريق ليفربول، في ظل تهميشه المستمر من جانب المدير الفني آرني سلوت، وكان آخر ذلك في مباراة اليوم ضد ليدز يونايتد.

واستضاف ملعب “إيلاند رود” مباراة ليفربول وليدز يونايتد، في الجولة الخامسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

وسقط ليفربول في فخ التعادل الإيجابي بثلاثة أهداف لمثلهم، أمام أنظار محمد صلاح، الذي ظل على دكة بدلاء الريدز طوال المباراة، حيث لم يدفع به المدرب آرني سلوت في التشكيل الأساسي للمرة الثالثة على التوالي.

وأدلى محمد صلاح بتصريحات هجومية عنيفة على ليفربول، منذ قليل، حيث يرى أن الأمر يبدو وكأن أحدهم يريد إخراجه من النادي وإلقاء كامل اللوم ضده (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقالت صحيفة “تليجراف” الإنجليزية: “كشف محمد صلاح بشكل مثير عن رغبته في مغادرة ليفربول بعد انهيار علاقته مع آرني سلوت، متهمًا النادي بالتخلي عنه هذا الموسم، لقد انقلب ثالث أعظم هدافي ليفربول على ناديه في مقابلة مثيرة للجدل بعد استبعاده من تشكيلة سلوت في آخر ثلاث مباريات، بما في ذلك التعادل 3-3 مع ليدز يونايتد الليلة”.

وأضافت: “وقال صلاح إنه يستطيع الآن توديع الجماهير في أنفيلد يوم السبت قبل التوجه إلى كأس الأمم الإفريقية في 15 ديسمبر، وهناك اهتمام من المملكة العربية السعودية بنقله إلى الشرق الأوسط، وقد أثار شكوكًا كبيرة حول مستقبله في أنفيلد خلال تصريحاته النارية”.

في حين قالت صحيفة “جارديان” الإنجليزية: “اتهم محمد صلاح نادي ليفربول بإلقاء اللوم عليه، بعد إبعاده عن التشكيلة الأساسية للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي حيث تعادل حامل اللقب مع ليدز، قائلاً إنه أصبح كبش فداء للبداية السيئة للموسم وألقى بظلال من الشك الشديد على مستقبله في النادي”.

أما صحيفة “إندبندنت” فقد قالت: “زعم محمد صلاح أن ليفربول تخلى عنه بزعمه أنه كبش فداء، وأكد اللاعب المصري، الذي فقد مكانه في تشكيلة ليفربول، أنه لم يعد على علاقة بالمدرب آرن سلوت، متهمًا النادي بالإخلال بوعوده له، وأثار الشكوك حول مستقبله بقوله إنه سيودع جماهير ليفربول في مباراة برايتون الأسبوع المقبل، وأنه غير متأكد مما سيحدث بعد كأس الأمم الإفريقية”.

واستكملت: “محمد صلاح الغاضب، الذي وقّع عقدًا مربحًا لمدة عامين في أبريل، يشعر أن ليفربول انقلب عليه، قائلاً إنه غير متأكد من سبب استبعاده في موقف وصفه بأنه غير مقبول بالنسبة له”.

من جهة أخرى، قالت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية: “زعم محمد صلاح بشدة أنه لم تعد تربطه علاقة بمدرب ليفربول، آرني سلوت، مؤكدًا على أنه يبدو أن أحدهم لا يريده في النادي”، بعد بقائه على مقاعد البدلاء في تعادلهم 3-3 مع ليدز، وأدلى أسطورة ليفربول بهذا الحديث في تصريحات صادمة، حيث ألمح المصري إلى أنه كبش فداء وسط سلسلة نتائج ليفربول المتعثرة”.

وشددت: “كما نفى صلاح أن يكون مشكلة في الفريق، لكنه صرح قائلاً: “أحدهم يريد أن أتحمل كل اللوم”، كما اتهم صلاح ليفربول بالإخلال بالوعود التي قطعها له بعد توقيعه عقدًا جديدًا في أبريل، كما رد الجناح على جيمي كاراجر بعد انتقاداته الأخيرة، بعد أن دعا صلاح مؤخرًا إلى مواجهة الجماهير علنًا والتحدث عن معاناة النادي الأخيرة”.

أما صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية، فقد قالت: “اتهم محمد صلاح ليفربول بشدة بالتخلي عنه، بعد أن أعلن النجم المصري أن علاقته مع المدرب آرن سلوت قد انهارت تمامًا، وألمح ثالث أفضل هداف في تاريخ النادي إلى أن مباراة برايتون الأسبوع المقبل على ملعب أنفيلد قد تكون آخر مباراة له مع الريدز، مع اقتراب سوق الانتقالات في يناير، وتقارير عن اهتمام أندية من الدوري السعودي للمحترفين بالتعاقد معه”.

كما قالت صحيفة “ديلي إكسبريس” الإنجليزية: “زعم محمد صلاح بشكل غير عادي أن ناديه ليفربول تخلى عنه، وألمح إلى إمكانية رحيله في يناير، موجهًا أصابع الاتهام بقوة إلى مدربه آرن سلوت، حيث جلس صلاح بديلاً دون مشاركة في مباراة ليفربول ضد ليدز يونايتد التي انتهت بالتعادل 3-3 مساء السبت، وهذه هي المرة الثانية في آخر ثلاث مباريات في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز التي يجلس فيها على مقاعد البدلاء طوال المباراة، وهو الأمر الذي لم يتقبله صلاح بشكل جيد”.

In vintage Max Scherzer fashion, pitcher Max Scherzer refused to come out of the game during a fifth inning mound visit from Blue Jays manager John Schneider in the team's 8–2 win in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. A fired-up Scherzer yelled in Schneider's face, sending his manager back to the dugout, before he picked up a huge strikeout to snuff a potential Mariners rally and end the fifth inning.

By now, many fans have seen the video of that exchange—the mound visit outburst heard 'round the world. But what fans may not have seen or heard is that the conversation was ongoing in the dugout after the fifth inning. Schneider approached Scherzer in the clubhouse following the mound visit and asked the 41-year-old if he was alright to continue pitching in the sixth inning.

Scherzer responded as you might imagine. Here's the exchange, as told to ESPN's Buster Olney and transcribed for your enjoyment.

Schneider: (asks if Scherzer is alright to continue pitching).

Scherzer: "What, are you f—— crazy?"

Schneider: "Ok, go do it."

Scherzer: "I will—Get the f— out of here."

That sounds exactly like how Scherzer would respond to such a question. And indeed, Scherzer—while speaking to reporters after the game—confirmed that a conversation took place between he and Schneider before the sixth inning.

And while it may have looked like Scherzer was fighting to stay in the game, the veteran pitcher told reporters he believed his manager was playing a "mind game."

"I think he wasn't planning—gathering from the bullpen—that he wasn't actually planning on taking me out," Scherzer said. "He just wanted to check on me. So I don't think I actually fought to stay in. I think it was kind of a mind game to kind of get me going."

Mind game or not, Scherzer—like the bulldog he's been throughout his Hall of Fame career—gritted his teeth and got out of the fifth inning. And while his second conversation with Schneider ultimately didn't lead to him getting out of the inning—Scherzer came out of the game with two outs in the sixth inning—it didn't detract from the outstanding outing he gave Toronto in a near-must-win.

So if Schneider was playing mind games with the expressive Scherzer, it sure seems like it worked.

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O Palmeiras está prestes a negociar mais uma joia de sua categoria de base com o futebol europeu, e dessa vez será o jovem Luís Guilherme, de apenas 18 anos, que pode estar de malas prontas para atuar no West Ham, da Inglaterra.

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Uma das principais armas que Abel Ferreira tem no banco de reservas hoje, Luís Guilherme seria a sombra ideal para Raphael Veiga neste período pré-chegada de Felipe Anderson, e para muitos torcedores, a cria merecia até mais oportunidades como titular no lugar do camisa 23, que não vive uma boa fase.

Caso venda Luís Guilherme, Abel perderá uma importante peça que faz tanto a meia, como a ponta direita, e não terá mais uma boa opção pensando na reposição de Raphael Veiga.

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Os únicos jogadores dentro do elenco que podem atuar no lugar de Veiga são Jhon Jhon, que não atua há mais de três meses e Rômulo, que ainda não foi testado atuanto mais centralizado.

Fato é que a diretoria alviverde vai precisar contratar para o segundo semestre independente se a saída de Luís Guilherme for consumada.

➡️ Clique aqui para assinar e assistir a Libertadores no Star+

Além de um zagueiro, talvez Abel necessite de mais um meia e também um atacante de referência, para repor a saída de Endrick e a lesão de Bruno Rodrigues.

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Left-arm quick’s T20 World Cup hopes all but dashed after being ruled out of the entire BBL with an ongoing back injury

Alex Malcolm03-Dec-2025Spencer Johnson’s hopes of playing for Australia in the T20 World Cup early next year have been dealt a hammer blow after he was ruled out of the upcoming BBL season because of a back injury.Johnson has not played since the IPL, where he suffered back pain that he initially thought was a recurrence of a disc issue he had dealt with previously. The 29-year-old left-arm quick then suffered more pain while training ahead of the July T20I tour of the West Indies and scans showed a stress fracture.He underwent months of rehab which included pilates and swimming while waiting for the bone to heal. He had another scan in October and was hopeful he would be cleared to play in the BBL in the new year.Related

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But Brisbane Heat confirmed on Wednesday that their title-winning quick would be unavailable for the entire season.”Spencer continues to recover from a back injury and pleasingly, this is improving. However, the latest time-frame for his return to play does not enable him to participate in the BBL this season,” Heat CEO Terry Svenson said. “We’re all disappointed for Spencer but will provide him with ongoing support as he continues to recover.”Australia’s first game of the T20 World Cup is on February 11, which means it is almost certain he will not be fit in time to push his case for selection in the final 15-man squad. Johnson was seen as a potential long-term replacement for Mitchell Starc, who has retired from T20I cricket. But while Johnson has been injured, Australia have won three of their four T20I series with a pace attack of Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett gelling nicely. Pat Cummins could also return for the World Cup if fit.Johnson will continue to do his rehab in Adelaide where he lives and is domestically contracted with South Australia. Johnson has nominated for the IPL auction at the second-highest base price of 150 lakh (AUD$252957) and is hopeful of being fit and available for the tournament if bought after being released by Kolkata Knight Riders at the end of last season.”I’ve had plenty of expert support from everyone involved in the process and I am very confident that I will be back and doing what I love as soon as possible,” Johnson said.Meanwhile, England left-arm quick Reece Topley has signed with Sydney Thunder as an overseas replacement for Lockie Ferguson. Topley will play with Thunder for the first half of the season while Ferguson is at the ILT20. Topley will head to the SA20 when Ferguson returns to the BBL for the second half of the season.

Hesson has been given the licence to change the image of the T20I side, but it was the same picture with different characters

Danyal Rasool22-Sep-20251:39

Chopra: Clear difference in Pakistan’s intent with the bat

There is something of a discrepancy between the things Pakistan say and the things Pakistan do. Since Mike Hesson took over as their white-ball coach in May, he has ostensibly been given the licence to remake their T20I squad in the image of his philosophy. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been cast out into the cold until they can, in Hesson’s words, “improve in some areas” – primarily to do with strike rate.He made clear that batting depth would be prioritised over fast-bowling expertise, and called Mohammad Nawaz “the best spin bowler in the world” earlier this month. Pakistan, meanwhile, made clear that batters who demonstrate intent from the outset will not live in fear of their place or be penalised for low scores as long as they stick to the game plan required of them.Those, anyway, are the things Pakistan say, and would presumably have said again if they didn’t keep cancelling press conferences in the Asia Cup. And then, against India in their first Super Four game of the tournament came the things they did.Related

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Pakistan could not have found themselves in a position more conducive to the cricket they insist they want to play. India put down three relatively straightforward chances in the first ten overs. Sahibzada Farhan, a beneficiary of that largesse in the first over, had just smashed Axar Patel for a six that took him to a fifty off 34 balls.Far from the post-powerplay quicksand that India had enveloped them in the group fixture last Sunday, Pakistan had only accelerated since the fielders spread out. Thirty-six runs came in overs seven to ten, with that six off Axar the fourth off an India spinner in the last three overs. In the first six overs, Jasprit Bumrah had been taken for 34 off three, his most expensive T20I powerplay figures. It took Pakistan to 91 at the halfway mark in their innings, comfortably their highest ever ten-over total against India.It established the perfect base to launch the sort of gung-ho attack that is the logical conclusion of this new-look Pakistan’s stated ambition. The drinks break brought a wicket when Saim Ayub top-edged Shivam Dube for Abishek Sharma to take an excellent catch, but it shouldn’t have mattered. Lost wickets are a consequence of high-risk batting, and this was just the second that fell. There were more power-hitters to follow.But, like a child breaking free from their minder, unable to believe how far away they’ve managed to cut loose and suddenly catching a fright, Pakistan spent the seven overs post drinks reverting to the mediocre, comfortable environment that has now become their home. Having seen such limited recent success against India, it was almost as if their position of advantage was in itself a trap India had sprung, a threat they couldn’t see but somehow must still guard against.Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a brisk start but slowed down after ten overs•AFP/Getty ImagesHussain Talat, with a career T20I strike rate of 117 heading into the game, came into the side in place of Hasan Nawaz, who has a career strike rate of 158. Dube overstepped and gave Talat a free hit off the second ball of his innings, but those don’t mean much if you lack the ability to hit freely. Talat hacked at air, and the discrepancy between what Pakistan said and what they were doing began to reveal itself.The momentum Pakistan had built began to slip away, and along with it, the bravado which presented the only realistic route to victory against a better side. India’s bowlers found their lengths, and Pakistan allowed them to set up camp there. Talat scored 10 off 11 balls, while Farhan, who had also dried up at the other end, miscued an offcutter from Dube high into the Dubai sky.This time, it was captain Salman Agha who walked out to bat, another Pakistani inconsistency in human form making its way to the middle. For all the dim view Hesson appeared to take with a former Pakistan captain’s scoring rate, Agha’s strike rate of 111 is lower than all Pakistan batters with a minimum of 500 T20I runs, bar Salman Butt and Misbah-ul-Haq. Yet, he has been anointed the face of this progressive T20I side that Pakistan are adamant they have laid the foundations for.And so, Pakistan began to revert to type, and into their comfort zone. The seven overs immediately following drinks produced 38 runs, the lowest for any side all tournament. It included a 39-ball spell without any boundaries; in the final ten overs, Pakistan hit just two fours and four sixes. Nawaz saw off Varun Chakravarthy’s final over, the 16th of the innings, with four consecutive dot balls, at the end of which he was on 7 off 13. He wasn’t in the side for his “best spinner in the world” bowling abilities either, given he did not send down a ball during India’s routine chase. Meanwhile, Nawaz, along with Agha and Talat, Pakistan’s Nos. 4-6, scored a combined 48 runs in 43 deliveries.Faheem Ashraf came out in the penultimate over and muscled his first ball for a six•AFP/Getty ImagesAgha tried to defend that approach after the game, saying the pitch made it difficult for a new batter to settle. But then, again, those are the things Pakistan say. When the more naturally belligerent Faheem Ashraf emerged in the penultimate over, he had no such problems. The first ball was muscled over square leg for six, and the eight in total he faced produced 20 runs. That was three more than Agha, who came to the crease in the 15th over, faced 13 balls and could muster just one six; and just one fewer than Nawaz, who used up an additional 11 balls. Meanwhile, Mohammad Haris, used as a basher up top or a bludgeoner lower down, never got to bat, nor did Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has been Pakistan’s best slogger this tournament.Four years ago, at this very ground, Pakistan lost to Australia in a T20I World Cup semi-final after scoring 176. In the first 11 overs, Babar and Rizwan were exceptionally defensive, and produced just 75 runs, thus leaving their team-mates an almighty task to be competitive at the backend. It ignited a debate that has brought Pakistan cricket to a point where both men are out of the side because timidity up top is no longer acceptable.Against India on Sunday, with 91 runs off the first ten overs, Pakistan solved that problem. In the second half, though, they were able to scratch together just 80, which, ironically, feels very much like a ten-over score Babar and Rizwan might have put up. The upheaval will be of little use if all Pakistan ultimately do is transfer their diffidence to the other half of the innings.What will worry Pakistan supporters is not a defeat to India; those are commonplace and have, of late, become exercises in damage limitation. Nor does an India game offer any indicator of how far Pakistan are in their journey of improvement – such is the gulf between the two sides in quality. This, however, was a litmus test in how committed Pakistan are to the idea that high risk and high strike rates are the only way to be competitive at the top table of T20I cricket.For ten overs in Dubai, Pakistan threw themselves into the notion with the zeal of a convert. As the rest of the evening unfolded, it began increasingly to look like one of those things Pakistan just say.

The former quick said Boland could seam it “off ice” and not having to wait could help the debutant

Matt Roller20-Nov-2025Brett Lee has encouraged Australia to give debutant Brendan Doggett the new ball on his Test debut against England on Friday, after Steven Smith declined to confirm who would open the bowling with Mitchell Starc.Doggett, a fast-medium outswing bowler, has been a prolific wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield and has generally been used as an opening bowler by South Australia. Boland also opens the bowling when he plays in the Shield for Victoria but has built a formidable record as a change bowler across his first 14 Tests, taking 62 wickets at 16.53.Related

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Smith, who will stand in as captain for the first Test in the absence of Pat Cummins, would not confirm who will share the new ball with Starc in Perth. “We’ll see in the morning – or hopefully, maybe two mornings,” he said on Thursday.But Lee, who took 310 Test wickets as an Australia tearaway between 1999 and 2008, suggested that Doggett should open the bowling to help calm any nerves on debut.”Maybe that’s the best thing for his nerves,” Lee said at a Fox Cricket event on Thursday. “If they lose the toss tomorrow and they’ve got to bowl first, then Steve Smith might go, ‘Alright mate, you haven’t got time to get the nerves. Take the brand new ball and shape a few away.'”It’s not like he’s just been picked out of the blue. He’s been around the squad now for a long, long time. He’s trained with the guys, he knows the guys very well personally. He’s had a couple of really good Sheffield Shield seasons back-to-back, so he’s done the work and he’s earned that opportunity.”But when you walk out there tomorrow at 10.20am, it doesn’t matter. All that hard work is now going to be transformed. Take that nervous energy, take that pressure, take that opportunity, and hopefully he gets a bag of wickets.Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett will make history for Australia, the first time they have field two Indigenous cricketers in a Test XI•Getty Images

“The thing with Scott Boland is that he can bowl anywhere: I reckon he’d get the ball to seam off ice, he’s so good.”Smith said that Doggett had impressed in Australia’s training sessions at Perth Stadium this week, earning him selection ahead of Michael Neser: “He gets the ball down at nice pace, stands the seam up,” he said. “Hopefully, whenever we bowl, he can get the ball in the areas we know that he can. If he does that, I’m sure he’s going to create plenty of chances.”Curator Isaac McDonald has promised a pitch with “pace and bounce” for the first-ever Ashes Test at the venue and Lee believes that fast bowlers will be rewarded for “patience” across the five days, encouraging them to settle into a fuller length than normal due to the extra carry.”You’ve got to bowl a lot fuller, that five-metre length, over here in Perth,” he said. “The teams that get excited when the ball flies through [to the keeper] generally get punished, because nothing goes on to hit the stumps. [Aim for the] top of off, and that means a fraction fuller if it’s a wicket that’s quite bouncy.”They have to attack, but you can attack and still be patient…. You’ve got to adjust your length in order to hit the top of off stump, which brings in the slips. We will see a lot of catches go through the slips region if there is pace. As a bowler, my form of wicket and dismissals over here is I want the ball to go behind to the keeper, first or second slip, or gully.”

Things haven't been easy for Manchester United as of late. The Red Devils went into Sunday's clash with West Ham having lost three of their last four games in all competitions, a run that has seen them fall well behind the pace in the Women's Super League title race and weakened their incredibly strong position in the Champions League, ahead of two very tough final games in the league phase, starting with the hosting of eight-time winners Lyon on Wednesday. The return of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, then, could not have been better timed.

It is no coincidence that in three games without the United States international, since she suffered a fractured eye socket at the start of November, United conceded nine goals. Compare that to the team's first 14 games of the season, prior to her absence, when they conceded just seven times. That's no slight on Safia Middleton-Patel, the young academy product who took her place for those three games and impressed at times, particularly given her inexperience. But to expect her to perform to Tullis-Joyce's level at this stage of her career would've been unfair, especially considering she has played limited minutes with those in the defence in front of her, too.

Now, though, the 29-year-old is back, giving United a much-needed boost ahead of a huge end to 2025. Tullis-Joyce wasn't at her busiest as the Red Devils got a necessary win at home to West Ham on Sunday, against a side second-from-bottom in the WSL standings. But she may be over the next week or so as United bid to sign off for the winter break in a successful manner, with qualification for the Champions League knockout stages a huge part of that.

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  Welcome return

  While Tullis-Joyce didn't have a lot to do on Sunday, bar picking the ball out of the back of her net after Shekiera Martinez's remarkable overhead kick, her presence did feel impactful. The Hammers registered just 14 shot-creating actions in the game, the lowest by any of United's opponents since a 4-1 win over Everton back in mid-October, and had an expected goals statistic of 0.6, also the lowest United have allowed since victory over the Toffees. 

  With Tullis-Joyce back between the sticks, it felt like there was more familiarity and, as such, assuredness in the United defence. Those in front of the goalkeeper did an excellent job of stifling the lively Martinez and limiting West Ham, and the shot-stopper herself did what was necessary when called upon. It wasn't a headline-grabbing return but that also felt important, as the American adapts to wearing a mask as she continues to recover from her injury.

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  Promising young prospect

  Again, none of that should reflect as criticism of Middleton-Patel, the 21-year-old who deputised for Tullis-Joyce during her three-game absence. It said a lot about the Wales international, in fact, that head coach Marc Skinner chose her over Kayla Rendell, who has the actual No.1 shirt on the United books, made 134 senior appearances during her six years with Southampton and has won England call-ups in recent times.

  Middleton-Patel's performance against Paris Saint-Germain, just her second-ever appearance for the Red Devils, was particularly impressive, with her not daunted by the Old Trafford stage of the magnitude of playing in such an important Champions League fixture. Skinner called her "excellent" after that 2-1 win, noting how well she had "acquitted herself and come into the team" under the circumstances.

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  Lacking familiarity

  But it's never easy when a team has to change goalkeepers, especially moving from one with quite a lot of experience to one with much less, and that would become apparent over the course of the next couple of games. Middleton-Patel endured some tough moments in the losses to Manchester City and Wolfsburg, games which will hopefully prove to be valuable learning curves as her career evolves rather than anything else.

  United's defence as a unit was guilty of costly errors, too, something unlikely to have been helped by the absence of the reliability and familiarity of Tullis-Joyce. Combine that with the changes already needed at the back due to an injury to central defender Millie Turner, whose time on the sidelines has had a double impact on the spine of the team because it is holding midfielder Dominique Janssen that has filled her spot, and United have not looked like their usually solid selves in recent weeks.

  Those struggles have only served to highlight the lack of depth in this squad, caused only by the club's own inactivity in the window, and the fatigue that small squad is feeling harder as it competes in the Champions League proper for the first time.

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  Match-winner

  Tullis-Joyce's return certainly can't resolve the latter issues, with Skinner again making sure to emphasise that he needs signings in the January window after Sunday's win, but she does have the match-winning qualities to bail out defenders when they make mistakes or produce the sort of world-class save that few shot-stoppers can, to earn her side points almost single-handedly in moments.

  In the WSL and Champions League proper this term, the expected goals against statistic calculates that Tullis-Joyce should have conceded 11.9 goals, but she has only picked the ball out of the back of her net on seven occasions. That makes for an incredibly impressive positive differential of 4.9 goals prevented across her 11 appearances.