In a format that isn’t their top priority right now, they showed enough and more evidence that they can go toe to toe with the very best

Firdose Moonda30-Nov-2025Well, that was fun.South Africa, at 11 for 3 in the fifth over, should never have been in with a chance of chasing 350. But Matthew Breetzke, who has the joint-most fifties (six) in his first 10 ODIs and Marco Jansen, who is enjoying the tour of his life, with bat more than ball, kept them in the contest. Still, South Africa, after losing Breetzke and Jansen in the same Kuldeep Yadav over and who were at 228 for 7 in the 34th, should not have come within three hits of the second-highest successful chase against India.That they did will remind them of two things: they are building the muscle memory of not knowing when they are beaten and that coach Shukri Conrad’s partiality to allrounders is proving to be a good policy, especially in the lower order. That they didn’t finish the job won’t bother them too much, not because South Africa aren’t interested in a slice of history but because of cricket’s three formats, ODIs are the lowest on South Africa’s priority list right now.They have just come off an intense and successful start to the World Test Championship title defence in Pakistan and India and there is a T20 World Cup less than three months away. The Tests were crucial to underlining their credentials and the five T20Is that follow in December will be vital to their preparation for the tournament. ODIs are just ODIs for now.Related

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These matches will be chalked up as experiments on the road to the home World Cup in 2027, which is important to them but too far away to be too important right now. So while losing is not ideal, and Conrad’s predecessor Rob Walter came under pressure for a poor bilateral record albeit in similar circumstances, South Africa will see this series as a process of information-gathering and already they have some good stuff.Chiefly, that in Jansen they not only have a destructive new-ball bowler but also a confident lower middle-order batter. Those words have been chosen carefully. Jansen is a proper batter, not just a finisher and he has shown that over the last week. After his career-best 93 in the Guwahati Test, Jansen followed up with a 39-ball 70 in this match which included the fastest fifty for a South African in India in men’s ODIs, off 26 balls.After he timed a drive off a Harshit Rana yorker gone slightly wrong, Jansen brought out his full range of sweeps: conventional, reverse and slog off four balls from Kuldeep and then iced the cake with his range hitting down the ground. Exactly half of his runs were scored in the ‘v’ and he only scored five runs behind square demonstrating his traditional strength. The 97-run sixth-wicket stand he shared with Breetzke came at a run rate of 8.43, and set South Africa up to push for the win.Then it was over to Corbin Bosch to try and get them there. With a Test hundred to his name, Bosch has the ability and he has now also shown it in white-ball cricket. He is particularly strong against the short ball and on the cut and marshalled the tail well to give himself maximum opportunity to pull off something amazing. No one will blame him for South Africa falling short with Aiden Markram laying the blame on the top three’s inability to deal with the swinging ball and who “have to come up with a solution in the next game.”Whether all three will or should play the next game is a question that forms part of a wider discussion over how South Africa have stacked their squad. Even without Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of this match through illness, South Africa’s top five includes four batters – Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi and Breetzke – who have all opened more in List A cricket than they have batted anywhere else. The fifth, Markram, is not a regular opener but is playing in that position and South Africa need to relook at the combination.Marco Jansen struck several meaty blows•Associated PressSpecifically, they have to get de Kock in the top two, because that is where he is at his best. De Kock has opened the batting in 175 out of the 200 List A matches he has played and has scored all 22 of his ODI centuries as an opener. Who should he displace? Markram, who must move down to No. 4 for the same reason de Kock must be promoted. In 84 ODIs, Markram has batted 43 times at No. 4, averages 42.91 and has all three of his centuries in that position. He has opened the batting 24 times, including at the start of his career (which proved a mistake), with an average in the 30s and four fifties. Conrad’s rationale behind promoting Markram, at least in T20Is, is that it allows for bigger hitters in the middle order. The same does not need to apply to ODIs.It may also be that there is a hesitance to have two left-hand batters in the top two – and all of de Kock, Rickelton and de Zorzi are left-handed – so de Kock should open with Bavuma, with one of Rickelton or de Zorzi at No. 3, Markram at No. 4 and Breetzke at No. 5. On form, de Zorzi gets in ahead of Rickelton at this stage.That’s unfortunate for Rickelton, who has also been dropped from the T20 squad following de Kock’s return, but with no half-centuries since his century against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy in February, it is probably the right call. It would also mean South Africa have their Dewald Brevis and Jansen at Nos. 6 and 7 respectively, which seems to be the right spot for both of them. With Bosch, Nandre Burger and the return of Keshav Maharaj and eventually Kagiso Rabada (out of the series with a rib niggle), South Africa have the makings of their strongest XI.Ultimately, that’s what they’re using these matches to try and find. If they’re able to produce some entertaining cricket along the way – and bag some wins – that’s a bonus they’ll gladly accept.

Will Delhi Capitals look to bring back former captain Rishabh Pant? And is Mohammed Shami the obvious choice for Gujarat Titans?

Dustin Silgardo19-Nov-2024What is the right-to-match (RTM) rule?
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, each team was allowed to retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.For the eight teams that did not use all of their six retentions, they can now use right-to-match options on players from their 2024 squads to fill up the remaining slots. The limits of five capped and two uncapped players still apply, so teams that have retained five capped players can use their RTM option on only one uncapped Indian player. And if a team has retained two uncapped players, they can use their RTM options on only capped players. If a team uses a RTM option on one of their former players at the auction, the last bidder will be allowed to raise the bid one final time, and the choice of whether to continue with the right-to-match option and match the bid then lies with the team using the RTM option.
Delhi Capitals
Players retained: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel
Purse remaining: INR 73 crore
Right-to-match options: 2The big question for DC ahead of the auction is whether they will use a right-to-match option on former captain Rishabh Pant. While DC did not retain Pant, there is talk that they still want him at the franchise. DC can use both their right-to-match options on capped players, so they could also target Khaleel Ahmed, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh or Harry Brook.Khaleel spent three years at DC and consistently provided powerplay wickets. That he is an Indian left-arm seamer also makes him someone worth using a right-to-match option on. While Mukesh is not the most spectacular T20 bowler, his death-bowling numbers over two seasons with DC have been fair. His name only comes up in Set 16, though, so DC may not have a right-to-match option remaining then. Nortje was one of DC’s retentions in 2022 after two strong seasons with them, but he had a shocker in 2024. He has regained some form since but is still a risky pick.Among the batters, Fraser-McGurk, who is in Set 3, is the name that stands out after his eye-catching first season. His international form since then, though, has been underwhelming. With Australian coaches at two other franchises, the bidding for Fraser-McGurk might go quite high, which will make the right-to-match option handy. Marsh and Brook have both failed to impress in the IPL but are proven internationals.If DC somehow reach the latter stages of the auction with a right-to-match option still in hand, they may look at 24-year-old uncapped seamer Rasikh Salam Dar, who had an impressive debut season in 2024. He is in Set 11.BCCIGujarat Titans
Players retained: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan
Purse remaining: INR 69 crore
Right-to-match options: 1 (capped)Will Gujarat Titans use their lone right-to-match option on Mohammed Shami? He was the Purple Cap winner in 2023 and played a crucial role in GT’s run to the final in both 2022 and 2023 before missing the 2024 season with injury. Injuries and age are the main concerns surrounding Shami. He played his first competitive match since 2023 just ahead of the auction and took seven wickets across two innings for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in a first-class game. That show of fitness could be the deciding factor in GT going for him.If GT don’t use the right-to-match option on Shami, the other options are David Miller, who is in Set 2, and Noor Ahmad, who is in Set 7. Miller, 34, had a disappointing 2024 season but was in fine form during the recent Caribbean Premier League. Noor, meanwhile, topped the wicket charts in the CPL and at 19, might be seen as an investment for the future.

While Sunderland stole many of the plaudits in the summer for their outrageous transfer activity, with £100m+ splashed out on new recruits, Leeds United were arguably a tad more methodical in their approach when winning themselves some gems from all around Europe.

Daniel Farke and Co. are already thanking their lucky stars that they gambled on acquiring both Anton Stach and Noah Okafor from Hoffenheim and AC Milan, respectively, with a combined four goal contributions already picked up by the promising midfield duo in Premier League action.

In defence, Gabriel Gudmundsson also already looks like a steal in the left-back spot, having only cost £10m to snap up from Lille, while Lucas Perri was agonisingly close to his first clean sheet in his new location up against West Ham United last time out.

But, away from all these names mentioned, Sean Longstaff rightly sticks out as the best bit of business Leeds signed off on over a bumper summer, with the Premier League-experienced 27-year-old very much allowing the Whites to tick so far this season from the middle of the park.

Why Longstaff is one of Leeds' best signings

Already, the £12m summer purchase feels as if he has been in and around Elland Road for some time.

Longstaff has played a part in all nine of Leeds’ league matches so far this season on their return to the daunting top-flight, and while there have been some nerves on display as they navigate the choppy waters of the top division, the Newcastle-born midfielder has cut a cool and composed figure throughout.

Having seen his career at his boyhood Magpies fizzle out, Longstaff clearly knew – from the get-go at his new employers – that he needed to prove himself, and he has certainly done that when looking at the table above.

Already, the brand-new number eight has chipped in with one goal and two assists from a central position on the pitch, but he has offered up far more than just a goal threat, with an average of five duels won per contest enabling Farke’s men to see out some tight contests.

Accumulating five big chances being created, too, has even led to some bold shouts that Longstaff is Leeds’ second coming of Pablo Hernandez, as Farke now potentially attempts to recreate the magic of this shrewd deal in January by landing another classy top-flight veteran when the transfer window swings back open.

Leeds considering another Longstaff-style signing

It has been some turnaround for Longstaff since ditching the home comforts of Tyneside, with zero goals or assists falling into his lap during his final campaign at Eddie Howe’s Toon.

Ross Barkley will hope he can similarly breathe life back into his waning playing days at Elland Road if rumours are to be believed, with a report from The Leeds Press revealing that the West Yorkshire outfit is considering a move for the reserve Aston Villa presence, who even once had a short-term loan stint at Leeds way back in 2013.

Now, he could be returning, again on loan, but this time as a far more experienced option, as Leeds reportedly weigh up a move for an attacking midfielder in the window, and while he has struggled to break into Emery’s first team picture as of late, he is certainly a classy operator on his day.

Indeed, this fiercely struck effort against Leicester City earlier in the year is just one of seven goals Barkley has put away for the Villans, meaning he definitely has a similar eye for a goal to that of Longstaff.

More importantly, too, the 31-year-old has also shone before in a team that is attempting to beat the drop in Luton Town – as seen in his weighty five goals and seven assists for the then troubled Hatters – and became a beloved fan favourite, subsequently, with one of his teammates in Andros Townsend at Kenilworth Road even hailing him as “unbelievable” to play alongside.

It could well be, much like Longstaff, that Barkley comes back into his own in West Yorkshire, with the well-travelled attacking midfielder also being dubbed as “exquisite” by his former Everton manager in Roberto Martinez, for his skilful approach on the pitch.

The £60k-per-week star is somewhat fading away at Villa Park, though, with just 30 minutes of action handed to him this season.

Yet, if he relocates to Leeds this coming January, he could end up rebuilding his career before it’s too late, just as Longstaff has already done this season.

Forget Longstaff: £10m star is now Leeds' best signing since Bielsa left

This Leeds United star could now be considered the best signing the Whites have made since Marcelo Bielsa left.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 28, 2025

وجه ماجد سامي، رئيس نادي وادي دجلة، رسالة إلى رئيس الجمهورية عبد الفتاح السيسي، بشأن أزمة رمضان صبحي لاعب فريق الكرة بنادي بيراميدز.

وكانت المحكمة قد قررت حبس رمضان صبحي، على ذمة قضية “تزوير محرر رسمي”، خلال الأيام الماضية، وسبق أن تم القبض على اللاعب عقب عودة بعثة فريق بيراميدز من المعسكر الخارجي من تركيا في بداية الموسم الحالي.

طالع|السيسي: لماذا لا تمتلك مصر 6 آلاف لاعب مثل محمد صلاح؟

وتقرر تأجيل محاكمة رمضان صبحي في القضية إلى يوم 30 ديسمبر المقبل، مع استمرار حبس اللاعب.

وقال “سامي”، عبر صفحته بموقع “فيسبوك”: “رمضان صبحي والـ6000 محمد صلاح، طالعت منذ أيام تساؤل الرئيس عما إن كانت مصر تستطيع تخريج 6000 لاعب كرة محترف مثل محمد صلاح”.

كان الرئيس السيسي قد قال في تصريحات خلال تواجده في أكاديمية الشرطة منذ أيام: “”تريدون أن تقولوا لي إن مصر التي يوجد فيها 60 مليون شاب، لا نستطيع أن نُخرِج منها 6 آلاف لاعب مثل محمد صلاح؟”.

وتابع ماجد سامي: “وبما إن لي خبرات في هذا الموضوع فإنني أناشد الرئيس أن يصدر قراراً بصفته القائد الأعلى للقوات المسلحة بإعفاء اللاعبين الذين ينضمون للمنتخبات الوطنية بدءًا من مراحل الناشئين في كافة الرياضات، من التجنيد، حتى لا يلجأوا لطرق ملتوية للإعفاء من التجنيد”.

واختتم ماجد سامي تصريحاته: “كما أتمنى من فخامته إصدار أمر بإعفاء اللاعب رمضان صبحي وحفظ قضيته بدلاً من الزج به في السجن”.

New Zealand Women allrounder Thamsyn Newton has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket. She brought curtains to a 14-year career that included ten ODIs and 15 T20Is between 2015 and 2021, and was part of the New Zealand squads for the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 ODI World Cup.Newton was a top-order batter, known for her hard-hitting, and bowled medium pace. In just her third T20I, she ran through Sri Lanka’s middle order with figures of 3 for 9 and in November 2016 against Pakistan, picked up her first five-for in ODIs. But it was in New Zealand’s domestic circuit where Newton truly shone.She began her domestic career with Wellington in 2011-12 before switching over to Canterbury from 2014 to 2018. She returned to Wellington again for a further five years before moving to Central Districts ahead of the 2023-24 season. She appeared in four Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, the domestic 50-over competition, finals – in 2015 and 2017 with Canterbury and in 2022 and 2023 with Wellington – winning it once with each team. She also won the Super Smash with Wellington four times and finished runners-up last year playing for Central Districts in a thrilling finale against her former team.While Newton last played an ODI in 2017, she earned back her central contract with New Zealand in 2021 after a gap of three years. But she only played three more T20Is after that. She also played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL 2017-18.Newton is also a dual code star and played rugby in the Farah Palmer Cup, the domestic women’s rugby union competition in New Zealand, for Wellington Pride and the Hawke’s Bay Tui.

Ireland spinner was suspended from bowling earlier this year after her action was found to be illegal

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2025Ireland left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.Maguire, 18, was suspended from bowling earlier this year after being reported during the first ODI against India in Rajkot on January 10. Her action was deemed suspect under the ICC’s Illegal Bowling Regulations.Maguire has since remodelled her action and subsequently underwent an independent re-assessment at an ICC-accredited testing centre where she was cleared.”An independent assessment of Maguire’s remodelled bowling action at an ICC accredited testing centre concluded that the amount of elbow extension was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations,” an ICC release said.Maguire made her ODI and T20I debut against West Indies in July 2023. She has so far played 11 ODIs, where she has picked 16 wickets, with best bowling figures of 5 for 19 against England last year. Maguire has also played nine T20Is, where she has nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.20.The 18-year-old is not part of the Ireland squad that faces Pakistan in a three-match T20I series, which begins in Dublin on Wednesday.

Chelsea are thought to be leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, and a January transfer is now a possibility.

The Blues bounced back from the home defeat to Sunderland with an impressive victory on the road on Saturday, defeating London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the Premier League, with Joao Pedro scoring what proved to be the winning goal in the first half.

Enzo Maresca will no doubt be happy with the result, while the manager will also be pleased that Pedro managed to break his duck, having failed to score since the 2-0 victory against Fulham at the end of August.

BlueCo invested heavily in the frontline in the summer, with Liam Delap also arriving from Ipswich Town, but the Englishman struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, and Maresca wasn’t impressed with his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Maresca said: “We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,

“After the first yellow card I told him [Delap] four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he’s on the pitch, is probably playing the game for himself and struggles to realise and listen to those around him.”

Chelsea in pole position to sign Aghehowa

It has now emerged that Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker, having moved into pole position in the race for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, alongside London rivals Spurs.

That is according to a report from Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness), which states the Blues are in the lead in the race for Aghehowa, with Porto now willing to sanction a departure as early as January.

Club president André Villas-Boas is prepared to cash-in for a fee of €80m (£70m), so the west Londoners will need to spend big in order to get a deal over the line.

That said, there are signs the Spaniard could be worth splashing the cash on, having maintained a fantastic record in front of goal across his opening two seasons in Portugal.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

45

27

2025-26

11

9

At 21-years-old, the youngster could be capable of leading the line at a top club for over a decade, with scout Ben Mattinson of the belief he is too good to be playing in Portugal.

There are question marks over whether Aghehowa would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has Delap and Pedro at his disposal, but he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to the squad.

Joao Pedro named as one of the best strikers in the world The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

The Houston Astros won their fourth game in a row on Wednesday afternoon thanks, in part, to a brutal call by home plate umpire Brian Walsh.

With his team up 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, closer Josh Hader delivered a 3-2 pitch to Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte—one that was pretty clearly a ball and would have put runners on first and second. Walsh, however, saw it differently, and rung up Marte to give Houston the win.

Here's a look at the pitch:

Pretty clearly a ball.

As you can hear in the video, Arizona's broadcast team was left stunned by the home plate ump's call.

"Oh no. Oh no…" reacted Diamondbacks play-by-play announcer Steve Berthiaume. "That's a called strike three to end the game."

"[Hader's] slider was never in the strike zone," added analyst Bob Brenly. "Ever."

With the win, Houston improves to 60-42 while Arizona—losers of three-straight—drops to 50-53 and sits 5.5 games back in the National League wild-card race.

Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has had a brilliant start to his return to Parkhead with two wins in his first two matches in the dugout.

He masterminded a 4-0 win over Falkirk in his first game back, despite the Hoops having lost their last two matches in the Scottish Premiership prior to that outing.

The experienced manager then led his team to the final of the League Cup with a 3-1 win over Rangers, after extra time, at Hampden Park on Sunday.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not O’Neill will still be in the dugout when that final rolls around, as the Hoops are still looking for their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers.

The former Celtic manager tendered his resignation at the start of last week, after a 3-1 loss to Hearts, but the club do not seem particularly close to making an appointment at this moment in time.

As part of their process to find their next manager, the Scottish giants should be looking for someone who has a better record of competing in Europe.

Why Celtic need an upgrade on Brendan Rodgers in Europe

There is no doubt that Rodgers was excellent for the Hoops on the whole when it came to competing domestically, as he won four trophies in his two full seasons back at Parkhead.

The former Liverpool and Leicester City head coach won the Premiership title in both of those campaigns, although he did leave the club eight points adrift of Hearts last week.

However, Rodgers struggled in Europe throughout both of his spells in charge of Celtic, in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

The Hoops reached the play-off round, just before the last 16, in the Champions League last season, only to lose to Bayern Munich, after the change in format to a league phase.

That is the furthest that any of Rodgers’ Celtic teams managed to go in any European competition across six seasons at the club, though, as they never reached as much as a quarter-final.

25/26

Intermediate stage

Group stage

24/25

Group stage

N/A

23/24

Group stage

N/A

18/19

N/A

Intermediate stage

17/18

Group stage

Intermediate stage

16/17

Group stage

N/A

The Northern Irish manager has won six and lost 18 of his 36 matches in the Champions League as a manager, which includes one win in six games at Liverpool, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that Rodgers has struggled in European competitions throughout his career, which is why he may not have been the right man to push Celtic forward in the Champions League or the Europa League.

It is also why the Hoops board should be looking for a head coach who has the potential to help the club to kick on in Europe, in order to compete for trophies on the continent as well as in Scotland.

Plenty of managers have already been linked with replacing Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead, but there is one in particular who could be a key upgrade on Rodgers.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It was recently reported that the Scottish giants have approached Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen as they look to establish a shortlist of options for the role.

The report claimed that the Hoops will look to use the lure of big wages to tempt him to make the move from the Belgian club, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will be a successful approach.

Why Celtic should appoint Nicky Hayen

Celtic should push to bring Hayen to Parkhead to be the long-term replacement for Rodgers because his success at Club Brugge, domestically and in Europe, has been very impressive.

The Belgian boss, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, won the Pro League as an interim manager at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before finishing second to USG by three points last term, per Transfermarkt.

Hayen won the Belgian Cup last season, though, and the Belgian Super Cup at the start of the current campaign, which means that he has won three trophies in roughly 18 months as the interim and permanent manager.

The Celtic target’s biggest selling point as a manager, however, should be his side’s impressive performance in Europe, as he reached the last 16 of the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, which is further than Rodgers after took the club.

Matches

4

15

Wins

2

6

Draws

1

2

Losses

1

7

Points per game

1.75

1.33

Best finish

Semi-finals

Last 16

As you can see in the table above, Hayen also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League in the 2023/24 campaign, winning in the quarter-finals before losing the semi to Fiorentina.

The Club Brugge boss, who was hailed as a “workaholic” by his former chairman Rob Edwards, has won as many Champions League games in 15 matches and 18 months as their manager as Rodgers has in his entire career, with 36 games under his belt.

This suggests that he would arrive at Parkhead as an upgrade on the Northern Irish head coach when it comes to competing on the European stage with the Hoops, as he has achieved more in less than two seasons than Rodgers managed in over four seasons with the Bhoys.

Hayen, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has shown that he can compete domestically, with trophies in Belgium with Brugge, as well as on the European stage.

That is why the 4-2-3-1 manager could be a perfect fit for Celtic as an upgrade on Rodgers to help them kick on in Europe this season and in the future.

Not just Osmand: O'Neill has another future superstar for Celtic's next boss

Celtic have another future superstar who is as exciting as Callum Osmand in their academy.

ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

On top of his success in the Conference League and Champions League, Hayen has also won all four of his Champions League qualifiers, which is noteworthy after Celtic lost to Kairat in the play-off round this season.