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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.

تحدث أولي هونيس، الرئيس الفخري لنادي بايرن ميونخ الألماني، حول تجديد عقد هاري كين واستمراره مع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الألماني، كما تطرق للحديث عن ليفربول.

وتعاقد ليفربول الصيف الماضي مع الدولي الألماني فلوريان فيرتز، قادمًا من نادي باير ليفركوزن، في ثاني أغلى صفقة بتاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي والتي قُدرت حوالي 116 مليون يورو.

وخاض فيرتز، 197 مباراة بقميص باير ليفركوزن واستطاع أن يسجل 57 هدفًا كما قدم 65 تمريرة حاسمة بواقع 122 مساهمة تهديفية.

وقال هونيس، في تصريحات عبر صحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية: “ليفربول أنفقوا 500 مليون ويقدمون موسمًا كارثيًا وبرأيي السبب هو أنك لم تعد تملك سوى نجوم خارقين”.

اقرأ أيضًا | “بي بي سي”: فصل جديد في ليفربول بدون محمد صلاح.. كيف يعوض سلوت الموهبة الاستثنائية؟

وأضاف: “كلهم رؤساء دون وجود جنود، أقول دائمًا أن قريبًا في ليفربول سيضطرون للعب بخمس كرات لأن النجوم لا يريدون التنازل عن الكرة، المسكين فلوريان فيرتز لن يحصل على أي كرة هناك لأن صلاح وسوبوسلاي وغيرهم يريدون اللعب بكرتهم الخاصة”.

أما عن تجديد عقد هاري كين فأوضح: ” هو يملك كل عام حتى نهاية يناير شرط جزائي ولكن نحن نفترض أنه سيُكمل عقده حتى 2027 على أي حال”.

وأردف: “وإذا كان الأمر يعود إلينا وقد سمعت أنه أيضًا يرغب بذلك، فسيقوم بتمديد عقده، عائلته تشعر براحة كبيرة لأنه في ميونخ يمكنك التحرك بهدوء تام”.

وأتم: “هاري كين كان في لندن يعمل دائمًا مع حراس شخصيين لحمايته، مثل هذه الحياة لا يحتاجها بالضرورة”.

يُذكر أن برشلونة يضع هاري كين، على رأس أولوياته للتعاقد معه وتدعيم خط هجوم فريق هانز فليك خلال الميركاتو الشتوي المقبل، وستستمر المحاولات حتى انتقالات الصيف إذا لم يجدد كين عقده مع بايرن ميونخ.

Matthew Revis hundred helps Yorkshire to post imposing 517 for 6 declared

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025

Dom Sibley became the first batter to 1000 runs this season•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Surrey 338 for 4 (Patel 86*, Burns 78, Lawrence 78, Sibley 52) trail Yorkshire 517 for 6 dec (Revis 110) by 179 runsOpener Dom Sibley became the first batter in either division of the Rothesay County Championship to reach 1000 runs for the summer as Surrey responded strongly to Yorkshire’s first-innings 517 for 6 declared from late morning onwards on day three at Scarborough.Sibley is enjoying a superb 2025, highlighted by a career best 305 earlier this month against Durham, and he needed to reach 24 in this game to get to four figures.The 29-year-old reached the aforementioned milestone shortly after lunch and went on to make 52 in Surrey’s 338 for four from 83 overs. He was one of four half-centurions in Surrey’s top order alongside Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence and unbeaten Ryan Patel, who top-scored with 86 off 133 balls.Earlier, emerging allrounder Matthew Revis posted an excellent 110 off 134 to help Yorkshire advance from 376 for 5 overnight. However, given Surrey’s response, this 10th round Division One fixture will almost certainly end in a draw.Revis dominated the morning session, which he started on 34, and finished with 13 fours and five sixes.This was his second successive Championship century after 150 in the second innings of the win over Essex at York earlier this month. Before that he hit 93 not out in the late June draw at Nottinghamshire.Revis, aged 23, first of all helped to take 20 off one Jamie Overton over and then launched Sai Kishore’s left-arm spin for two sixes in three balls to move into the eighties.Kishore had Will Sutherland, for 17, caught at mid-off following a miscue. But they were unable to limit the runs as emerging allrounder Revis, who is on the radar of the England management, hurtled towards another ton.By the time he reached it, off 131 balls – his second fifty came in 35, Yorkshire were 497 for 6. With Dom Bess also adding an unbeaten 45, they declared 50 minutes before lunch.While Revis may be the future, the jury’s out on whether Sibley is England’s past.Capped 22 times at Test level, many will argue that his accumulative, watchful approach is not suited to the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum style. However, if he carries on racking up the runs, he will be hard to ignore.Sibley just pipped Northamptonshire’s Saif Zaib to the 1,000 mark, and he got there with a lovely pushed drive down the ground for four off Will Sutherland’s seam during the early stages of the afternoon.At that stage, Surrey were 64 without loss, including 36 for left-handed captain Burns. The latter was first to 50, off 78 balls. He pulled Jordan Thompson’s seam for six on the way there and went on to post 78 off 136.By the time Sibley reached his fifty, off 87 balls, Surrey had 129 on the board. But both openers fell quickly, leaving Surrey at 150 for 2.Sibley fell when he miscued a short ball from the offspin of Bess to short-leg – 134 for one – before Burns spooned a pull to wide mid-on off Thompson.Bess – three for 87 – got Will Jacks after tea in identical fashion to how Sibley fell. Jacks fell for 17 having reverse swept the previous two balls for four. Surrey were now 194 for three in the early evening.Patel pulled two sixes off seam in following Burns and Sibley to 50, this off 82 balls.Lawrence was the most aggressive Surrey batter on show and helped his side accelerate in pursuit of valuable batting bonus points, dominating a 115-run stand with fourth-wicket partner Patel.By the time he reached his fifty off 51 balls, Surrey were 271 for 3 and cruising along. But Lawrence fell for 78 off 77 when looking set for a century, caught at deep midwicket pulling against Bess – 309 for 4.

Tottenham Hotspur will feel hard done by after salvaging a draw against Newcastle United on Tuesday evening, having come unstuck after Anthony Gordon dispatched a controversially won penalty for the home side.

There’s a case to be made that Rodrigo Bentancur had infringed play in the box, but the tussle was waged between two players – one of whom was the 6 foot 7 Dan Burn – and there’s also a case to be made that Bentancur was pulled to the floor by the Newcastle defender.

Even as Cristian Romero’s brace rescued his side, Thomas Frank will know the pressure valve has not been released, and he still has much to prove if he is to cement his managerial berth in north London.

Frank's struggles at the Spurs helm

Tottenham have been something of a mixed bag in the Premier League this season. Their home performance woes have spilt from last year into the current term, with the defeat to Fulham meaning three have been lost on the bounce in the top flight.

Tactically, Tottenham are not creating enough. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are sidelined, have been since the summer, but this is no excuse for the stunted playmaking quality that has been on show. Spurs’ players are not maximising their own skillsets.

Frank is a more pragmatic manager than Ange Postecoglou before him, but his Brentford side still produced clinical and concise attacking play.

Man City

2nd

26.7

Chelsea

4th

24.0

Arsenal

1st

23.5

Crystal Palace

5th

22.7

Liverpool

8th

22.2

(18) Tottenham

11th

12.6

Now, much has been left to be desired in his Lilywhites team, and ENIC Group could be forced into cutting off their new manager and replacing him with a summer target.

Indeed, Daniel Levy (remember him?) interviewed Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, as per TalkSPORT, who confirm that he has his sights set on a move up the ladder, albeit with a preference to see out the season.

Given the depth of Tottenham’s interest, this could be a deal revisited. And anyway, it’s not like the Spanish tactician has done anything to deter suitors this year.

Why Iraola is a better stylistic fit

Iraola is a young manager, but he has taken to the Premier League with ease, inculcating his aggressive, attack-focused football at the Vitality Stadium and recording Bournemouth’s highest-ever points total (56) last year.

He has transformed Bournemouth from a band of hard-batting, relegation-contending troops to an easy-on-the-eye attacking force, so intense and energetic. The fact he boasts a superior points-per-game record to Frank in the Premier League only adds fuel to the argument.

It’s a style of football that feels tailor-made for a club like Spurs. To dare is to do, after all, and one of the biggest criticisms of Frank’s tactics has been a pragmatism and lack of creative ambition.

The Spaniard has even been generously named “the best coach in the Premier League” by journalist James Horncastle for his impact on the south coast, and though the Cherries are struggling for form right now, with four losses from five outings, there’s little question that he has laid out his credentials at the top.

Talented players like Xavi Simons are struggling. Tottenham are in a rut. Could Iraola provide the solution? His ability to adapt – evidenced after a summer exodus – could also play favourably into a north London outfit who have undergone a fair amount of chopping and changing in recent years.

It is not yet time for ENIC chiefs to push for a managerial change, but Frank will know that he will soon be on borrowed time if unable to prove that his tactical vision is slowly taking root at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Should push come to shove, Iraola may well prove the perfect replacement, his self-defined “rock and roll” brand of football aligning with Spurs’ free-flowing identity.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is only a few weeks away from having the chance to make changes to his playing squad for the first time since he joined the club.

The German boss arrived after the summer transfer window, which was spearheaded by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, which means that he does not have any of his own signings.

Whilst the former Sheffield Wednesday boss will want to make some signings of his own to bolster the squad, Rohl may also want to move some of the current players on in the January transfer window.

The Rangers players who should be let go in January

There are several current first-team duds who should be moved on ahead of the second half of the season because they do not look like key players for the new manager.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Clinton Nsiala, for example, is yet to play a single minute of football in the 2025/26 campaign, per Transfermarkt, and has only made the matchday squad on four occasions.

With John Souttar, Derek Cornelius, Nasser Djiga, and Emmanuel Fernandez ahead of him in the pecking order when fit, an exit in January could be the best move for his career.

Rabbi Matondo, per Transfermarkt, is another player who has not played a single minute of action this season and has not made any matchday squads, which suggests that he may be free to find a new club in January if he is not part of the manager’s plans.

Finally, Kieran Dowell should also be moved on in the winter amid reported interest from English Championship side Hull City, who are looking to sign him on loan.

Why Kieran Dowell should never play a minute under Danny Rohl

The English attacking midfielder, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham, played 384 minutes across six appearances in July and August under Martin and failed to score any goals before picking up an injury.

He was even described as “non-existent” by Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar in the 2-0 win over Panathinaikos in July, as he failed to create a single chance in 75 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore.

Now back fit, having played for the U19s with Dujon Sterling last month, Dowell has not been involved in a single matchday squad for Rohl, per Sofascore, which suggests that he is not in the manager’s thoughts for the first-team.

With Hull said to be interested in signing him, Rangers appear to have the opportunity to move him on from Ibrox on loan for the second half of the season, before his contract expires in the summer, per Transfermarkt.

The Light Blues would, therefore, be allowing him to leave on a free transfer after his loan spell at Hull ends, which would give the Tigers a chance to assess whether or not they want to sign him permanently ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

On top of having that option, Dowell should also not play a single minute for Rohl between now and January because Lyall Cameron would be a better player to bring in if the manager wants to change his attacking midfielder.

Appearances

12

33

Goals

0

9

Conversion rate

0%

17%

Key passes per game

0.7

1.6

Big chances created

3

6

Assists

0

5

The Scottish starlet, as shown in the table above, appears far more likely to make an impact in the Scottish Premiership as an attacking midfielder, after a return of 15 goal contributions last season.

Cameron, however, has been an unused substitute in seven of the last eight games in all competitions, and in all of the last four, per Transfermarkt, which shows how difficult it is to get a place in the team under the German head coach.

Therefore, given how far down the pecking order he is, it is hard to see a situation where Dowell ends up playing any minutes on the pitch for Rangers before he has the chance to join Hull on loan at the start of next month.

This is why the former Norwich City playmaker, who has registered zero goals and one assist in six games this season, should never play for Rohl, and why he should be allowed to leave on loan in January before being released on a free transfer next summer.

Bid already submitted: Rangers could sign a "very pacy" Gassama replacement

Rangers could replace Djeidi Gassama on the wing by signing this reported target in the January window.

ByDan Emery 3 days ago

The left-footed flop has only provided two goals and three assists in 38 appearances for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, since his move from the Canaries in 2023, which illustrates how little he has contributed as an attacking force on the pitch in his time at Ibrox.

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

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025

Saif Hassan’s ODI debut is a much-anticipated event in Bangladesh cricket•Getty Images

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

Rishad: Looking forward to working with Ponting at Hobart Hurricanes

Simmons happy with Bangladesh's 'exciting, aggressive' style

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.

Legendary former Real Madrid centre-forward Karim Benzema, who spent the dressing room with Los Blancos head coach Xabi Alonso for five seasons between 2009 and 2014, revealed that he likes the "style of play" implemented by the Spanish manager. Alonso succeeded the iconic Carlo Ancelotti in the dugout at the end of last season and has got off to a good start.

• 'Xabi-ball' in full motion at Real Madrid

  It has been an intriguing start to Alonso's life as Real Madrid head coach. Appointed at the end of last season, the former World Cup-winning midfielder's first assignment was participating in the Club World Cup with a half-fit squad. Madrid reached the semi-finals, where they were handed a brutal reality check at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. 

  Then, following a shortened pre-season, Alonso's troops got the 2025-26 season off to a splendid start. They won the first six games of the La Liga season, before being demolished by their neighbouring rivals Atletico Madrid 5-2 at the Metropolitano in September. That defeat would only turn out to be a small blip, as Madrid won the next seven games on the trot, including a brilliant win over Barcelona at the Bernabeu last month. 

  While they have failed to win their last two games across all competitions, this Madrid team under Alonso has proved that they have a higher floor then they did in the calamitous 2024-25 season, during which they failed to win major silverware. The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler have become pillars of the squad, with the France captain off to a blazing start after scoring 18 goals in 16 games. 

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• AFP
  

  Benzema likes Alonso's Real Madrid

  Speaking in an interview with , Benzema was asked if he saw the potential in Alonso to become a coach when they shared the dressing room. In response, Real Madrid's second-highest goal scorer of all time responded: "I remember when we played together, and it's the same now as a coach. Pressure, vertical passing… It's a style of play I like. He's only been there for six months, and he's doing an excellent job. He needs to be given time."

  Moreover, he defended Alonso and the club from the recent criticism, following a drop in form. "I like this Real Madrid team," he added. "There's a lot of talk about it now, but it's always like this. If they draw or lose, it's a crisis. They go from being the best team in the world to questioning the coach, this player or that player… It's normal because they're the best team in the world. But I like this team."

• Alonso under immense scrutiny

  Last week, Ancelotti gave his verdict on Alonso, whom he coached at Bayern Munich. “I can’t give him any advice. I watch all the Madrid matches because I want to see how the Brazilians are doing and I see the team is doing very well," the Italian told . "They have won almost all the matches, but unfortunately in football you can’t always win. Sometimes you have to draw. One thing I learned at Real Madrid is that a draw here is the prelude to a crisis. No jokes. You have to get used to that. We already know that the main evaluation of a coach is the results, and so far the results have been spectacular. Leading the league and among the top eight in the Champions League. What more can we ask of Xabi? I see a solid team, especially in defense, and very effective upfront. Mbappe is doing very well and [Jude] Bellingham is back. I think Xabi can succeed without any problem."

  The media have been quick to jump on the “crisis” narrative following the goalless draw away to Rayo Vallecano before the international break – a result that came on the heels of a 1–0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. This scrutiny persists despite a 2–1 El Clasico victory over Barcelona last month, a three-point lead at the top of the La Liga table after 12 rounds, and a strong position to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. Even so, Alonso has not escaped criticism. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach has seen his tactics and man-management questioned, with reports suggesting that the dressing room does not hold a unanimous view of his methods.

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  Does Benzema imagine a career in coaching?

  In the same interview with , Benzema, who will turn 38 next month, reflected on whether he sees coaching as a real possibility once he retires. "I don't know. I have friends who are already involved in coaching and they're always talking to me about it, but it's difficult," he admitted. "Being a footballer or a coach seems different, but it's the same pressure. It's complicated."

  The Frenchman, whose contract with Al-Ittihad expires next summer, has claimed that he sees himself playing for another two years.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is under pressure after the 3-1 defeat away to Hearts on Sunday.

Rodgers critical of Hearts' approach vs Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions were soundly beaten over the weekend, allowing Hearts to pull eight points clear at the top of the table, with Chris Sutton ripping into Celtic after the defeat..

Rodgers was clearly a frustrated figure after the game too, admitting that he could never choose to adopt the hosts’ more direct style of play at a club like Celtic.

“The approach, I think, when you’re at a club like Celtic, people talk about plan A, plan B, but Celtic is a club whose DNA is about playing football. We’ll never lose that. When we play to that identity, it’s totally different.

“Hearts, it’s a different DNA here. The ball’s direct. The supporters love that. It’s a second ball fight. It’s set pieces, all that. Celtic hasn’t become winners in that way. Our DNA is to play a fast-attacking game of football, whatever the system is. The systems are relevant. You can play whatever system you want, but your style of football and the style of Celtic is fast-attacking football.”

Boyd lays into Rodgers' comments

Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd didn’t hold back in his criticism of Celtic boss Rodgers, calling his comments “disrespectful” to Hearts in a 14-word atatck on the Irishman.

Boyd also added: “To question the way Derek McInnes’ or Hearts’ teams play, because Celtic didn’t come here and dominate and win. They got bullied. Deal with it. You’re talking about fast, attacking football – that’s not their DNA. Winning is Celtic’s DNA. To have a go at Derek McInnes for the way they played, it’s so disrespectful for me.”

In truth, Rodgers’ comments do sound a little on the bitter side, with Hearts just feeling like the hungrier of the two sides at Tynecastle on Sunday lunchtime.

Celtic are not firing at all at the moment, and haven’t done all season by their high standards, and they now have a genuinely big challenge on their hands when it comes to retaining the Scottish Premiership title next May.

Granted, it is still early days and there is every chance that the Hoops find their feet, and Hearts begin to feel the pressure at some point, but their rivals have still only dropped two points in 2025/26 to date, which is worthy of respect.

Related “Shambles” – Sutton names the 3 ways Celtic were poor against Hearts

The Bhoys were defeated in Edinburgh today to cap another dismal day at the office.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Oct 26, 2025

Rodgers has cut a disgruntled figure throughout the campaign, not helped by a frustrating summer in the transfer market, and his latest comments feel like those of a manager who is feeling the heat. He has proved that he is a winner in the past, though, and he remains the right man to take Celtic forward for now.

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.”

“I want to ensure there are one or two players who can fill my gap when I have left the dressing room”

Mohammad Isam20-Nov-2025Mushfiqur Rahim feels his 20-plus years of experience in international cricket helped prepare him for the expectations, pressure and hype around his 100th Test match. Mushfiqur became the eleventh cricketer to score a century in their 100th Test, particularly important in the way he dragged the team out of trouble on the first morning.Mushfiqur put together two century stands, 107 for the fourth wicket with Mominul Haque and 108 for the fifth wicket with Litton Das, but he had to endure a nervous evening on Wednesday as he was unbeaten on 99 overnight. His on-field performance wasn’t much of a surprise given that he was in good form in Bangladesh’s previous Test series in June. Mushfiqur said that he is still pinching himself for becoming the first cricketer from Bangladesh to reach the 100-Test milestone.”I can’t believe that someone from Bangladesh has played a hundred Tests, so it’s really a huge achievement,” Mushfiqur said. “It is a proud moment for any player. So obviously I am happy that I could be that person. There’s more responsibility on me. I want to give back for as long as I am playing for Bangladesh, and I want to ensure there are one or two players who can fill my gap when I have left the dressing room.”I think 100 is a huge number, so I have learned many things while getting there. I have tried to gather experience and learned how to stay calm. To be honest, I really want to thank the BCB for what they planned on the first morning. It really feels great and I really felt honoured. I think this type of recognition can work as an inspiration for cricketers. It is important for them to dream that they want to play 100 Tests.”Related

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Mushfiqur said that he was eyeing up a big hundred in the first innings, an aspect of his career that has become more frequent in the last five years.”I tried to reach the milestone last evening since these things are not easy. They could have bowled one more over but I understand it is a tactical thing. I think we would have done the same thing if we were the fielding side.”At the same time, I wanted to score a big hundred, rather than just getting to the mark. I tried to motivate myself that I want to score 60 or 70 more runs, not just the one run. I wanted to bat till Litton got to his century. I couldn’t do it, but Miraz batted well after that,” he said.This has been a week of reflections in Bangladesh cricket. Many of Mushfiqur’s former team-mates and coaches have paid tribute to his career. It was also necessary to listen to what Mushfiqur had to say about his milestone, especially given the high value he places on Test cricket.”I told the team huddle on the first day that the team always comes first. Mushfiqur Rahim is because of Bangladesh. I think I am like a drop in the ocean. Bangladesh comes first, and a win in this Test match will be my biggest gift whether I score or not,” he said.Mushfiqur Rahim walks out to bat in his 100th Test•BCB

Mushfiqur, who grew up in the northern town of Bogra before enrolling in BKSP, the country’s biggest sports institute, said that he would dedicate the century in his 100th Test to his grandparents.”I want to dedicate the century to my paternal and maternal grandparents. They were my biggest fans when they were alive. They told me shortly before they died that they want to live a little longer to watch me play. I think very rarely do anyone get such grandparents. Their blessings have brought me this far.”Mushfiqur said that he is looking forward to Bangladesh’s next Test assignment: the two-match series against Pakistan at home in April, but didn’t reveal too much about his long-term future.”I think there’s a four-month break, after which we will play against Pakistan. Nothing more than that. I know I have to keep improving. I want to play as long as the team and team management wants me to play, and I know if the team wants me to continue, I will continue to play.”