Usman Khawaja has kept his place in the squad after the back spasms that limited his role in Perth

Andrew McGlashan28-Nov-2025Pat Cummins has not been included in what is an unchanged Australia squad for the day-night Test against England at the Gabba, but there remains a slim chance he could be parachuted into a comeback appearance if things go well during training in Brisbane.For now, the selectors have retained the 14 players who were on duty in Perth, with Josh Inglis, Michael Neser and Beau Webster among those who did not make the XI.Cummins, who had an extensive training session at the SCG on Friday, when he bowled to stand-in captain Steven Smith, will travel to Brisbane to continue his return to bowling.He is next due to bowl on Monday and, while there is nothing stopping the selectors adding him to the squad nearer the game, the likely outcome is a return for the third Test in Adelaide which gives him another two weeks to prepare and build his loads. However, ESPNcricinfo understands he has not been completely ruled out of the pink-ball Test.During his rehab, Cummins has yet to bowl on back-to-back days and had a three day gap between each of his sessions this after returning from Perth.Related

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Speaking to broadcasters during the Perth Test, Cummins had given himself “half a chance” of being ready for Brisbane and had bowled with the pink ball since returning to Sydney after the two-day finish.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” coach Andrew McDonald said after Perth. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja has retained his place in the squad after back spasms in Perth limited his role, leaving him unable to open the batting in either innings. Travis Head’s success in the position during Australia’s chase, where he hammered 123 off 83 balls, has prompted debate about whether it should be made a permanent move.Providing Khawaja is fit, he is favoured to retain his spot, although Inglis and Webster are middle-order options should the selectors opt for a change.Speaking at event for his foundation, Khawaja said his recovery was tracking well ahead of his home Test.Pat Cummins runs in with a pink ball•Getty Images”I’m really glad that we got it done that night, because the next day I already had the radiology booked,” he said. “Next day I was going to get an epidural in my back, so I can actually move somewhat. It was a tough three days, but I was trying to do everything I could to actually get on the field and play for Australia … so if the team needed me, I was there.””I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s very new to me. But the last few days, it’s been good.”The absence of Cummins means that Brendan Doggett, who claimed five wickets in Perth, will likely retain his place, alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.”I am going to control what I can control, keep ticking the legs over, and keep bowling and trying to improve in every session and game,” Doggett said on Thursday. “If I get called on in that second Test, I feel like I am ready to go again.”However, a question mark hangs over the role of Nathan Lyon, given he only bowled two overs in Perth, and did not play Australia’s most recent pink-ball Test in Jamaica. Webster may come into the mix as an extra allrounder which would lengthen the batting or Neser, who is also a capable batter, could be drafted in.Josh Hazlewood, who was never a chance to feature in Brisbane, continued his recovery from a hamstring injury with another light bowl on Friday and there remains a chance he could play a part later in the series.”It’s coming along slowly,” Hazlewood told Fox Sports at the SCG on Friday. “[I have been] running and everything’s going well. It’s probably tough to put a timeline on it. I think ‘Ron’ [Andrew McDonald] probably nailed it the other day…play a part in the back end, hopefully.”Australia will gather in Brisbane on Sunday.Australia squad for second Test vs EnglandSteve Smith (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Jackson Bird was subbed into the game when Aidan O’Connor suffered a head knock

AAP22-Nov-2025

Kurtis Patterson led the way for New South Wales on a dominant first day of batting in their rainy Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania at Cricket Central.A day after the Australian batting order’s lean start to the Ashes, Patterson sent a reminder why he was considered an out-of-the-box option for a Test recall at the beginning of the summer.Patterson, the 32-year-old left-hander, will resume unbeaten on 79 next to Lachie Shaw with NSW 214 for 2 and seemingly in a commanding position after being made to bat.”It was a bit of yucky day, I didn’t feel like I had a lot of rhythm for most of the day, to be honest,” Patterson told AAP. “The wicket looks OK, there’s a little bit of grass there, it actually probably played a bit better than we thought. 2/200-odd, we would’ve taken that at the beginning of the day.”Axed Test opener Sam Konstas made a positive start but was trapped lbw by Riley Meredith’s yorker and is still searching for his first big score of the home summer.Konstas came to the crease with his trademark positive intent, though opted for more conventional cricket shots over off-side rather than the eye-catching fare of his debut Test series.He pushed Aidan O’Connor past long off for two fours in the second over, and had two more off fellow opener Gabe Bell in the next.Konstas fell just after the second of Saturday’s three rain delays and is now averaging an underwhelming 22.67 across nine Shield knocks this summer.But Patterson saw good signs from his young teammate.”Today was probably the first time those pre-meditated moments that can kind of creep into his game haven’t been there,” he said. “He looked like he just watched and reacted to what was sent down and reacted in a really positive way. I thought every ball up until he got out was a big tick.”Jackson Bird had the next breakthrough for the visitors after replacing O’Connor, who suffered a head knock sliding into the fence as he attempted to save a boundary.”I was looking forward to putting my feet up for a few days, actually,” Bird joked. “With this new rule, you’ve got to be ready if you do come away on tour.”Bird caught and bowled Ryan Hicksjust after Konstas’ fellow 20-year-old opener brought up a maiden first-class half-century.Bird could have had Patterson caught behind for 0, but Mitch Owen spilt the tough chance at second slip in the first over after lunch.Patterson made the visitors pay, bringing up a 40th first-class half-century with two runs past midwicket off Bird.His 100-run partnership with highly-rated young gun Shaw came up just before bad light forced the teams off the field yet again, with play unable to resume thereafter.

South Africa ensured their first series win in India in 25 years by building on their lead for nearly five hours. While the declaration, setting India more than they have ever been set at home, seemed a touch conservative, the visitors went to stumps needing eight wickets on the final day to take away all 12 WTC points from this Test and consign India to their second whitewash at home in 12 months after 12 years of spotless series record.As it often happens in such match situations, the same pitch that South Africa batted on, looking untroubled for 70.3 overs, began to look unplayable in the 15.5 India got to play. Marco Jansen didn’t even bother with swing and seam, and began to bounce Yashasvi Jaiswal before getting him out on the cut shot. Simon Harmer, who has out-bowled the home spinners, continued his dream series with a dream offbreak to bowl KL Rahul through the gate, and came desperately close to getting B Sai Sudharsan out lbw.The day began with curiosity around how much South Africa valued the 12 full points from this match vis-a-vis ensuring they give India no chance to threaten their series lead. Turns out they were in no mood for adventure. Especially as the ball started to turn more consistently in the first session of the fourth day than it had done at any point before. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar got long spells in. Jadeja got Ryan Rickelton caught at extra cover, but then India did what they have struggled to do all Test: get wickets on defensive shots. Jadeja beat Aiden Markram’s outside edge and hit the off stump, Washington got one to bite at Temba Bavuma’s glove and settle in the hands of backward short leg.As three wickets fell for 18 runs, South Africa remained slightly cautious. Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi, though, managed to keep the threat of spin out with their sweeps and reverse sweeps. After Rishabh Pant missed a stumping off Stubbs, the No. 3 batter limited his options to just the sweeps whenever he wanted to force the pace.3:49

Can India’s youngsters grind out a draw?

Stubbs and de Zorzi added 101 for the fourth wicket, 41 of those in sweeps and reverse sweeps. Like Stubbs in the first innings, de Zorzi fell one short of a fifty, beaten on the sweep for a change. It was mid-afternoon and South Africa led by 466, but they still continued to bat at normal pace.Related

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Only after the lunch break did Stubbs get a move-on to try to complete a Test hundred, but even this charge was not frenetic. The team management gave him all the time as he scored 32 from the last 19 balls he faced, taking the lead past the 542 that Australia attained in Nagpur in 2004. He slog-swept Jadeja to go from 88 to 94, but Jadeja slowed the ball down to beat a repeat attempt. Stubbs still was the highest run-getter in the series (163), and would need a big effort from someone in the final innings to be eclipsed.That effort wasn’t coming from the openers. India have done this to many a visiting side – just when everybody thought they had been too conservative with the declaration, the pitch would magically change its nature and wickets would start falling.Something similar happened when Jansen ran in and started bowling short. In the first over itself, he had Jaiswal fending uncomfortably. One didn’t pop up, the other landed just short of second slip. While Jaiswal managed to ramp him once, he fell to his favourite cut shot again. Since Jaiswal’s debut, nobody has scored more Test runs with the cut off fast bowlers than his 291, but no one has got out as often as his seven times. Nobody has played as many false shots as he has on the cut to the fast bowler: 68. He averages 41.57 on the cut against fast bowlers, but has fallen to this shot four times in his last eight innings.3:19

Saba Karim: Spinners need long spell to set up batters

Rahul was more traditional in the route he took to fight for a draw. He scored just 6 off 30 balls, but the 30th was a bewitching dipping, drifting delivery, which had him playing well away from where he thought it would originally pitch. In panic, he turned his drive into a flick, but it wasn’t enough to plug the gap created between his body and his bat. Harmer was again level with Jansen for most wickets in the series: 12.Harmer came extremely close to taking the lead when he appealed for lbw against Sai Sudharsan. In all likelihood, the on-field call for not-out was down to an inside edge, but the replay showed the ball had hit the pad first. However, the ball tracking returned an umpire’s call on impact, saving Sudharsan to fight another day.India somehow survived the rest of the day but it looked like a wicket could fall anytime. South Africa now have six hours to take eight wickets because the light has consistently dipped by 4pm, not allowing any extra play.

Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on signing a Ligue midfielder if they fail in their pursuit to welcome young star Kees Smit in 2026.

Newcastle set to make Kees Smit move

It’s a fairly open secret that Newcastle are after a midfield reinforcement in 2026. The trio of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali is undoubtedly impressive, but as Joelinton continues to struggle, Eddie Howe could certainly do with some quality in depth to make a change.

Names like Alex Toth have emerged on the Magpies’ radar in recent months as a result, though it seems like Smit remains top of their midfield shortlist.

Reports have even claimed that Newcastle are set to make their move to sign the AZ Alkmaar star, despite competition from the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Such interest could hand those at St James’ Park some fresh Déjà vu after missing out on several big names in the summer. It’s only now that Howe is beginning to get his full squad together following the chaos of the summer window and instant injury to Yoane Wissa.

The Newcastle boss welcomed his forward into the squad for the first time on Saturday, telling reporters: “He’s got a lot more work to do to get to the very best level that he can. We hope to keep him available by managing correctly.

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With Wissa back, the Magpies and their manager can turn their full attention towards avoiding a repeat of the summer chaos even if they miss out on Smit.

Newcastle eyeing move to sign Kevin Danois

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle have now set their sights on signing Kevin Danois if they fail to sign Smit in 2026. The AJ Auxerre midfielder has emerged as an ideal alternative as the Tyneside club continue to plan ahead.

Compared to Joao Neves and dubbed “intelligent” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Newcastle would be wise to instantly move for Danois if they miss out on their Smit next year.

The Magpies have seemingly learned from last summer and have identified a cheaper alternative who is yet to attract the same intense interest as their main target. Whether they’re forced to turn towards the Ligue 1 star remains to be seen, however.

Newcastle star was entering Obertan territory, now he's their "best player"

Mikel Arteta has been left completely blown away by a “silky” forward, with the manager now personally requesting Arsenal sign him in the January transfer window.

Arteta keen on new forward amid injury woes

Yet again, the Gunners have been plagued by injuries this season, with the likes of Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres all spending time on the sidelines already.

With Gyokeres only recently returning from a muscle injury, Mikel Merino was given the nod at striker against Chelsea on Sunday, and the Spaniard repaid Arteta for his faith in him, scoring the equalising goal in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Arteta certainly isn’t short on top-quality attacking options, having spent big during the summer, but the sheer number of injuries he has already been forced to contend with may be a concern for the manager, who will be determined for nothing to derail his side’s Premier League title push.

As such, the manager has personally requested the signing of Villarreal forward Alberto Moleiro for the January transfer window, according to a report from Spain, which states the 43-year-old has been left completely blown away by his performances since moving to Villarreal.

A number of Europe’s top clubs have set their sights on Moleiro, but the Gunners are now the side most determined to get a deal done, with Arteta of the belief he would be a perfect fit for his system.

Arteta values the forward’s versatility, and a deal could be relatively affordable, with the Spanish club setting an asking price of over €30m (£26m).

"Silky" Moleiro tearing it up in La Liga

The Spaniard has already matched his La Liga goal tally from the 2024-25 campaign, having found the back of the net six times in 14 outings this season, while also providing two assists.

Mikel Arteta suggests Arsenal star could be out until 2026 after injury update

He could be missing until after the new year.

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Lauded as “silky” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Villarreal star is also capable of playing on both wings and through attacking midfield, making him a versatile option for Arteta, although scout Ben Mattinson has suggested he could flourish in a slightly deeper midfield role.

Arsenal are looking to compete on all fronts this season, with a Premier League and Champions League double potentially on the cards, considering they are currently top of both.

As such, it would be a savvy move to bring in some additional strength in depth during the January window, and Moleiro’s versatility, coupled with the low asking price, means he could be the ideal addition to the squad.

Premier League leaders Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign twin brothers Edwin and Holger Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, with the youngsters set to officially join the club in 2027. The Gunners have moved quickly to land the highly-rated duo, who are regarded as two of the most exciting young prospects in South America.

Edwin and Holger Quintero to join Arsenal when they turn 18

Following earlier reports suggesting a deal was close to being completed, Arsenal confirmed on Thursday they had triggered an agreement to sign both Edwin and Holger, with the transfers subject to the completion of regulatory processes. Should everything go through as planned, the 16-year-olds will arrive at the Emirates Stadium in August 2027, when they turn 18.

In a statement on their official club website, Arsenal said: “Edwin and Holger are recognised as two of the most exciting young talents in South America, displaying consistent and impressive performances at youth level for club and country. Both players have been capped at U17 international level for Ecuador.

“Edwin is left-footed, quick and a skilful dribbler. He operates as a right winger, likes to take on opponents and has a catalogue of skills. Holger is a technically gifted, right-footed, attacking midfielder who links play with his progressive vision and also possesses the ability to beat opponents with quick feet.

“We will be collaborating closely with Independiente del Valle on the development and wellbeing of both Edwin and Holger until they arrive at Arsenal. Everyone at Arsenal is excited to welcome the Quintero twins to the club in the near future.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHighly rated twins to follow in footsteps of Arsenal's Hincapie

When the transfers go through as expected, Edwin and Holger will follow in the footsteps of current Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie, who was also born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. 

Like the twins, the 23-year-old – who has earned 50 caps for his country – was also a product of Independiente del Valle’s famed youth academy, which also produced Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo and Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho.

Hincapie has impressed while filling the boots of injured Gabriel

A summer signing from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, Hincapie has caught the eye after being brought into the Arsenal defence to replace the injured Gabriel Magalhaes.

The left-footed centre-back starred in Arsenal’s 4-1 Premier League win over Tottenham in the north London derby on 23 November before going on to feature in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last Sunday and Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over high-flying Brentford.

Praising Hincapie’s impact alongside William Saliba in the win over fierce rivals Spurs, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said: “We believe that it was the best partnership [Saliba and Hincapie] to start with.

“We are going to have the absence of Gabi for a few weeks and we want to replace that stability that we had in the past. He [Hincapie] has won the league in Germany. For his age already, he has a lot of football in his legs.”

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AFPArsenal to face stern test against in-form Aston Villa on Saturday

Arsenal’s victory over Brentford saw them restore their lead at the top of the table to five points following second-placed Manchester City’s breathless 5-4 win over Fulham on Tuesday evening.

Goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka did the damage for Arteta’s side, who face a tricky test when they travel to third-placed Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon. 

The Villa Park club, led by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, are enjoying a remarkable run of form at the moment, having won seven of their last eight games in all competitions.

There are six newbies, including a former USA international, in West Indies’ squad for the tour of the UAE to take on Nepal

Deivarayan Muthu26-Sep-2025

Ackeem Auguste

Ackeem Auguste, who turned 22 earlier this month, is set to become the fourth St Lucian to play for West Indies men in international cricket after Daren Sammy, his current coach at St Lucia Kings in the CPL, Johnson Charles and Garey Mathurin. A sleek left-hand batter, Auguste can slot in at No. 3 or even in the middle order. In 2024, he won the CPL with Kings as an emerging player and more recently, in CPL 2025, he became a regular for the franchise, scoring 229 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of over 160.Auguste has not played an official game in the subcontinent yet, but has had exposure to a variety of spinners, including mystery spinners, during his two-week stint at the Chennai Super Kings Academy last year.Amir Jangoo is likely to compete with Jewel Andrew for the second wicketkeeper’s spot•CPL

Amir Jangoo

Another left-hand batter with some eye-catching strokes in his locker, Amir Jangoo can also double up as a wicketkeeper. On his ODI debut against Bangladesh last year, Jangoo looked the part during his unbeaten 104 off 83 balls, which sealed a chase of 322 in Basseterre. When he did that, Jangoo, who hails from Trinidad & Tobago, became only the second West Indian after Desmond Haynes to hit a century on ODI debut.More recently, in CPL 2025, he made three half-centuries in four innings for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. He is likely to compete with Jewel Andrew for the second wicketkeeper’s spot in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.Karima Gore was more known for his left-arm fingerspin but has refashioned himself as a batter who can bowl•CPL T20

Karima Gore

Karima Gore was born in the Bronx in New York and has played 24 international games for USA, but his Antiguan heritage – he was raised in Antigua and plays for Leeward Islands – allows him to represent the West Indies. An allrounder, Gore was more known for his left-arm fingerspin when he was part of USA and San Francisco Unicorns in MLC, but in CPL 2025 for Falcons, he refashioned himself as a batter who could bowl.In his first CPL season, Gore emerged as Falcons’ highest run-getter, with 219 in ten innings at a strike rate of 129.58. Gore had started the season with back-to-back fifties from No. 3, but his form cooled off in the latter stages of the competition. He is electric in the field, which makes him an attractive package.Zishan Motara has played just two T20s so far•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Zishan Motara

Barbados’ Zishan Motara, who has played just two T20s so far for just one wicket, has been fast-tracked into the West Indies set-up. The 19-year-old, the youngest in this list, seems to have the raw material to succeed in top-flight cricket: he’s tall, generates extra bounce and has a fairly sharp wrong’un in his repertoire.He was a net bowler with Barbados Royals in CPL 2024 before he broke into their main squad and debuted for them this season. Zishan’s father Zahir, who was a former basketball captain for Barbados, is now a basketball coach. Zahir had also played club cricket in Barbados.Ramon Simmonds was Royals’ second-highest wicket-taker in CPL 2025•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Ramon Simmonds

A left-arm quick with the yorker and a few slower balls among his variations, Ramon Simmonds was a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy CPL campaign for Royals. He was Royals’ second-highest wicket-taker with 13 strikes in nine innings at an economy rate of 8.05.When Jason Holder was with Royals in 2022, he was impressed with Simmonds’ variations and his composure under pressure. The 23-year-old left-armer has been a “project player” for Royals, having also turned out for their team – Paarl Royals – in the SA20.A legspin-bowling allrounder, Navin Bidaisee gave a good account of himself in CPL 2025•CPL T20/Getty Images

Navin Bidaisee

A legspin-bowling allrounder, Navin Bidaisee could potentially give West Indies the balance that they have been searching for. Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago, Bidaisee was drafted by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for CPL 2025. He made an immediate impression on CPL debut, against former champions Kings, scoring a 35-ball half-century from No. 5 in a chase of 201. He seemed set to take Patriots home until he holed out off the final ball.With the ball, he dismissed Quinton de Kock and Sherfane Rutherford, helping Patriots snatch a one-run win against Royals. Prior to CPL 2025, Bidaisee was the joint-second-highest wicket-taker in the Breakout League, with ten strikes in six innings at an economy rate of 6.25.

It might not have been pretty, but Liverpool have that winning feeling again, having ended their recent rut with a deserved 1-0 win away at Inter Milan on Tuesday evening.

There few highs, but also – more importantly – few lows at San Siro for Arne Slot’s side, with the reigning Premier League champions looking far more comfortable than they did just days earlier amid the chaos at Elland Road.

Perhaps that speaks to the gulf in quality that has opened up between the Champions League and England’s top flight, although, regardless, seeing off last season’s losing finalists is no mean feat. Slot needed that.

Having been vindicated in his decision to leave out Mohamed Salah for the trip to Italy, the title-winning Dutchman’s ruthless streak might well be beginning to pay off.

The issue is, the Egyptian isn’t the only problem still to be solved, with more members of last season’s glorious side still looking way off the pace.

Liverpool's worst performers against Inter in numbers

Now, this isn’t to try and pop the balloon following what was a much-needed victory for Slot and co, although the former Feyenoord boss himself would admit that his side were far from perfect on the night.

Indeed, a string of absences – and not just that of Salah – saw the Reds lineup with something of a new-look forward line, albeit with it taking a controversial Dominik Szoboszlai spot-kick to eventually settle the affair.

All eyes were on the pairing of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – with the night marking just their second start together all season – yet, perhaps as to be expected, there was little in the way of fluency or dynamism, even with the visitors posing the greater threat during the first half, in particular.

Isak, in particular, endured yet another frustrating outing to continue his Merseyside woes, with the £125m Swede regularly failing to make things stick through the middle, losing the ball on eight occasions from just 25 touches, as per Sofascore, prior to being withdrawn on the 68-minute mark.

While the price tag may suggest otherwise, the 25-year-old shouldn’t necessarily be the only avenue for concern, with it also proving a difficult outing for Joe Gomez at right-back.

Accurate passes

Jones (67)

Duels won

Mkhitaryan (8)

Aerial duels won

Van Dijk (3)

Successful dribbles

Ekitike (5)

Touches

Bastoni (94)

Key passes

Akanji (3)

Possession lost

Dimarco (17)

The Englishman was safe and steady, although he provided little attacking flair, having lost the ball 11 times himself, while failing to provide a single successful cross or key pass, having won just a solitary duel all night.

The Anfield side looked far more progressive and threatening with substitute Conor Bradley unleashed down that side, with the hope being that the Northern Ireland star can remain injury-free heading into a hectic festive period.

Slot will surely wish to bring the academy graduate into the starting lineup on a regular basis, although one man who could fall out of the reckoning is last season’s star, Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool's new Joe Allen & Lucas Leiva

Central to what made Slot’s side so impressive last term was the midfield unit, with the Dutchman reinvigorating Ryan Gravenberch in that deep-lying role, while also finally getting a tune out of Szoboszlai in an advanced, attacking berth.

Chalkboard

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

It was also, however, another fine campaign for that man Mac Allister, with the 2023 summer arrival from Brighton having cemented his status as “one of the best signings” that the club had made in the FSG era, in the view of DaveOCKOP.

The World Cup winner was the key, the glue keeping it together in the centre of the park, having also showcased his attacking flair with 13 goals and assists in all competitions.

From that knack for delivering clutch moments, the Argentine has frustratingly tailed off this time around, with his effort against Real Madrid earlier this season having been his only goal to date in 2025/26.

With just two assists also added into the mix, the 26-year-old is morphing into Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen territory at present, representing a solid but unspectacular option at the heart of the midfield.

Indeed, neither man was particularly adept at making the difference in a creative sense, with Allen scoring just seven goals in 132 games during his time at Anfield, while cult figure Leiva also netted just seven times himself, albeit from 346 total games.

To compare Mac Allister to such a limited pairing might appear hyperbolic, although again on Tuesday night, he was distinctly lacking any spark or flair, having failed to provide a single key pass, nor attempt a single shot or dribble.

He did win six of his seven ground duels, while losing the ball just five times, but again, there was that risk-averse feel to his performance, echoing those sorry days of Allen and Leiva lining up in the Brendan Rodgers and early Jurgen Klopp era.

As already stated, Mac Allister’s prior work ensures he remains one of FSG’s “best signings”, not least considering his bargain £35m fee, although like many of his teammates, the former Seagulls star simply doesn’t look like the player of 2024/25.

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Beaten in their first three games, Thunder remain seventh on the table but are now back in the hunt after a convincing win over Scorchers

AAP19-Nov-2025Sydney Thunder have breathed life back into their WBBL season, recording their first win of the summer with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Perth.Set 151 to win at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval, Tahlia Wilson’s unbeaten 55 from 44 balls helped Thunder cruise to victory with ten balls to spare.Phoebe Litchfield then finished the game with a big six to bring up her 35-ball half-century, while Georgia Voll hit 43 from 31 at the top.Beaten in their first three games, Thunder remain seventh on the table but are now back in the hunt ahead of their clash with last-placed Brisbane on Friday.After being given a life early when Freya Kemp put down a sitter when on five, Thunder opener Wilson was clinical from there on.She sat at the other end while Voll was the main aggressor, before taking over the innings when the right-hander was caught behind.Leading run-scorer in the 50-over WNCL last summer, Wednesday’s knock marked only Wilson’s third half-century in 80 WBBL games.Earlier Katie Mack threatened to make the Thunder pay for a missed chance of their own, when the opener was dropped first ball at slip by Heather Knight before reaching 79.She hit Voll for three straight boundaries a few overs later, kicking off an innings where she drove through the covers at will and pulled the ball to the boundary regularly.Signed by Scorchers to offer more support to Beth Mooney, it was Mack that was the lead act on Wednesday night.But no other Scorcher passed 20, with the innings stagnating when Kemp was run out and Paige Schofield trapped lbw in the space of two balls in the 12th over.That ultimately proved decisive with the Scorchers’ 150 for 7 never looking like enough once Thunder got going.

Former captains Mohammad Ashraful and Akram Khan point at systemic issues around team selection, lack of batting plans, and players not adapting to the modern way

Mohammad Isam16-Oct-2025Bangladesh’s seemingly never-ending issues in the batting department remains in focus as they head into another ODI series – this time against West Indies at home – within three days of their 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Afghanistan.There is a confidence problem within the batting group, with captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz conceding after their 200-run defeat in the third ODI that they wanted to bat 50 overs but were struggling to.Fans are irate too. On Wednesday, one group gave the Bangladesh players an unsavoury welcome, including inflicting damage on some players’ vehicles. Another group urged people to stay away from the Shere Bangla National Stadium for the first ODI against West Indies on Saturday.Related

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Former Bangladesh captains Mohammad Ashraful and Akram Khan have both said that Bangladesh’s batting approach and overall strategy in the last 12 months have left them baffled.Ashraful, who has recently started his coaching career, said that the problems begin at the top, with Bangladesh’s top-order. Only Saif Hassan, playing his maiden ODI series, played the lead in whatever starts Bangladesh got against Afghanistan. Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 22 runs in five innings between them. Mohammad Naim scratched around for seven in his only appearance.The situation was slightly better against Sri Lanka in July, although Tanzid and Parvez Hossain Emon scoring a fifty each hardly made a difference to the team’s performances. Shanto made 37 runs in three innings back then.”I think the biggest concern is the lack of runs from the top order,” Ashraful told ESPNcricinfo. “It has been going on for a while now. Shanto isn’t scoring runs, so that’s becoming a problem. In fact, the lack of runs from the top order goes back quite a long way. During the West Indies series last year, it was Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bailing us out every time. We did put up reasonable totals but I kept feeling that we were at least 50 runs short in those three matches. Even before that, in the previous Afghanistan series last year, we couldn’t get good starts because of poor strike rates.”Ashraful said that the lack of runs from Shanto and Litton Das, and Mehidy’s lukewarm batting tempo through the middle-overs, have dented Bangladesh severely. Among the batters around the national side these days, Mehidy is the most experienced with 113 ODIs, while Litton is on 95 and Shanto 55.Litton Das has been in and out of the ODI team•AFP/Getty ImagesLitton’s ODI career has stalled after a prolonged batting drought in the format. He has scored only 35 runs in his last nine innings going back to December 2023. He has been dropped twice from ODIs, although he is a Test regular and the T20I captain.”Whenever the team’s established batters don’t score runs, it makes life difficult for the rest,” Ashraful said. “Litton has been in and out of the ODI team for a while now. He is sometimes out of the squad, and then they bring him in on the back of some runs in another format. He returns, and then he fails again.”I also feel that since Mehidy began batting at No. 5, he is scoring runs but not how modern batters go about it. We are going back to our time when a batter would score 65-70 off 100 balls.”

“The ODI team hasn’t settled down. There’s too much chopping and changing. I think many of these decisions are being taken due to pressure from media and social media”Mohammad Ashraful

Bangladesh have been going through a batting transition in the last 24 months. Those who exited the format – Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – possessed vast ODI experience. Tanzid, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy and Jaker have since taken over those batting positions and the swaps haven’t been smooth.Tanzid no longer enjoys a blanket backing from the management. Hridoy’s honeymoon period is long gone – he has failed to make meaningful contributions since the century against India in the Champions Trophy. Jaker is struggling, too, in the last few months.Akram, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman across two terms in the last ten years, is sympathetic.”I think there’s too much pressure on the players,” Akram told ESPNcricinfo. “They are not a bad team. These are not bad players. Generally, however, I am not seeing the ability to play big knocks. I don’t see the batters planning their innings, or at least breaking them down to phases of 15 balls each. Batting like this was possible in Abu Dhabi where we saw that only one innings got close to the 300-run mark. But we didn’t plan well.ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been among the runs, but his strike rate has been a concern•AFP/Getty Images”I think the coaches should be held accountable. Losing one in ten matches is okay, but when you lose most games, there will be questions. It is high time we understand the importance of the men’s cricket team. Their level of performance reflects the overall health of cricket in the country. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement.”Ashraful also feels there should be better decision-making in the selection of the side. Apart from what he said about Litton, he pointed to the selection policy when it came to Soumya Sarkar.”The ODI team hasn’t settled down. There’s too much chopping and changing,” Ashraful said. “I think many of these decisions are being taken due to pressure from media and social media.”It will be a tough series against the West Indies. It won’t be like the ODI series in the past few years. West Indies are fresh from a Test series in India where two of their batters struck centuries in the second Test. I think that makes them a team with more confidence.”In home conditions, however, “we can always hope to do well,” Ashraful said. Which, of course, might only serve to paper over the cracks.