England coach drops hint that white-ball captain could be in line for Test promotion

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Sep-2025

Harry Brook could be in line to replace Ollie Pope as Ben Stokes’ deputy in Australia this winter, after Brendon McCullum revealed that the identity of England’s Test vice-captain will be part of their pre-Ashes discussions this week.McCullum is set to fly home to New Zealand on Monday evening following the conclusion of England’s home international summer, after their final T20I against South Africa ended in a wash-out at Trent Bridge on Sunday. He is due to meet managing director Rob Key in London prior to his flight to discuss selection for the Australia tour, and though he anticipates picking the squad to wrestle back the urn after 10 years will be “pretty easy”, he admits there are important details to iron out.Undoubtedly, one of the trickier matters to broach will be the issue of the vice-captaincy. McCullum confirmed there has been no conversation with Pope yet, who was originally appointed to the role in 2023, and has led the team on five occasions, most recently in the fifth Test of the India series when Stokes was ruled out with a shoulder injury. However, Brook has emerged as an impressive option since being elevated to the limited-overs role at the start of the summer.”We will work on that one as well,” McCullum said, when asked if there would be a new vice-captain for the Ashes. “We will chat about that over the coming days, as we finalise our Ashes squad.”You’re always looking at things, right? Every time you get together with a series, you discuss things. I think it’s no secret that Harry Brook is emerging as a leader within English cricket, so that’s something we need to work out. But whatever happens, a great team man understands that just because you haven’t got a title, doesn’t stop you from being a leader.”McCullum has clearly been impressed at how Brook has operated in his new role. The pair have been working closely this summer since McCullum assumed control of the white-ball teams at the start of the year, with Brook stepping up as captain in March, when Jos Buttler resigned in the wake of the team’s early Champions Trophy exit.”I’ve enjoyed working with Brooky, I think he’s taken to the role really well, really quickly. Still a work in progress but he’s got a demanding schedule himself and we have to be aware of that as we move forward.”He’s got a good head on his shoulders, he’s well connected within the group. He keeps things very simple. We’ve got a really good relationship and I think that started well.”Pope, 27, has won three and lost two of his five matches in charge, which encompasses a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka last summer. In that period, he has impressed teammates and staff with his leadership qualities, and emerged as a vital cog in the dressing room.Ollie Pope has led England in five Tests to date•Getty Images

The Surrey batter has also averaged 41.60 at No.3 during Stokes’ tenure. However, the emergence of Jacob Bethell has led to uncertainty as to whether Pope will start the Ashes in that position – and without the insulation of the vice-captaincy, that speculation is likely to grow.Bethell’s breakthrough 2024 was capped off when he averaged 52.00 away to New Zealand on his first Test assignment. And though he has had little game-time this summer, the 21-year-old was able to register his first professional hundred in the third ODI against South Africa. This week, he is set to become England men’s youngest-ever captain, leading a T20I tour of Ireland.”We’ll slow ourselves down a bit there,” McCullum said, when asked if Bethell could break into the XI for the first Ashes Test. “We’ll wait till we get down there before we start making those decisions.”McCullum suggested Pope will be considered England’s reserve wicketkeeper as cover for Jamie Smith. Similar considerations on alternates and the general make-up of the squad will be thrashed out in the coming days.A decision will also be made on back-up for England’s primary spinner Shoaib Bashir, with legspinning allrounder Rehan Ahmed, and left-arm orthodox options Liam Dawson and Jack Leach the candidates with Test experience.The touring party may also include seven fast bowlers to deal with the rigours of a five-match series, particularly given continued uncertainty over the fitness of Mark Wood. The Durham quick, who underwent left knee surgery in March, is unlikely to play any competitive cricket ahead of the first Test in Perth beginning on November 21.”I think it’s a pretty easy squad to pick really,” McCullum said.Jacob Bethell’s impact on debut in New Zealand makes him a strong candidate for the Ashes•AFP via Getty Images

“From our point of view, our very good back-up wicketkeeper is Ollie Pope, he’s done a great job for us in similar conditions in New Zealand. We know where we are at, probably the only one is the second spinner which we need to chat about to make sure we pick the person who will give us the greatest chance. It’s pretty settled.”We are also in the lucky position that, because of the schedule, we know that the Lions are going to be in Australia at the same time. A lot of the guys in that Lions set-up, if needed, will be playing cricket down there, up and running, and if needed can come across into the full squad anyway.”We don’t need too big a squad, but as we have prepared for over the last couple of years, we have a very settled group of batters, a cartel of fast bowlers, and Shoaib Bashir as our frontline spinner. He will give us the greatest opportunity with his bounce when required. We have a counter-attacking batsman at No 7 and a captain with the bit between his teeth and is super excited.”England are also set to employ their third seam bowling consultant of the year with Tim Southee unable to fulfill that duty due to a stint with Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20. James Anderson, who had previously held the role, is also unavailable.Related

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Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

“Tim won’t be available for the Ashes,” McCullum confirmed. “There’s a couple of guys I’m talking to at the moment. Hopefully we will confirm one of those. They’re good names. It would be nice to add them.”Southee’s last engagement this year will be the white-ball series in New Zealand in October, which is also likely to feature members of the Ashes squad not involved in the ODI or T20I sides.The third ODI against the Blackcaps (November 1) in Wellington is just 12 days before the start of an England vs England Lions warm-up at Lilac Hill. Given the proximity of the tours, there is scope to use New Zealand as a pre-Australia base. The Lions are expected to be in Perth from the first week of November.”When it comes to this New Zealand tour, there is a chance we may bring one or two others in,” McCullum said, “to make sure that we we get their final bits of their preparation and the cherry ripe before Australia.”But we will also use the Lions set-up as well, to make sure we get some loading into some guys when we all meet together in Perth. We’ll finish our preparation with our warm-up game and look forward to it.”With McCullum taking Ireland off – assistant coaches Jeetan Patel and Marcus Trescothick will assume charge – he insists he will refresh before “welcoming the boys” back to New Zealand. While he promises to make them as comfortable as possible, with all the trappings his homeland has to offer, he is allowing himself to get excited about his maiden Ashes tour.”Ramp it up now, we’re ready to go,” he said. “I thought it would be exciting. We’re very keen to make sure that we treat every series in isolation and give it the respect and the focus it deserves, because the minute you get too far in front of yourself, you’re going to get your arse kicked. So we always deliberately try and do that. But now the Ashes is our next assignment in the Test team, so we can’t wait. It’s going to be awesome.”We try to do our best to insulate the environment, on good days and bad, from a lot of that noise and we know the noise is going to be extreme. But it doesn’t mean we’re not excited about that. It’s going to be a huge series and we go down there with the type of team that we want. We’ll give ourselves every chance against the very, very good Australian side in their own conditions. It’s going to be a ripper.”

A surprise promotion to No. 3 set him on course to play a match-winning innings

Sidharth Monga30-Mar-2025Sometimes one cursory glance at a scorecard can tell you the story of the match. In a 182-vs-176 match, eight batters batted more than 10 balls. Only one managed a strike rate of over 150. That of 225. Over 36 balls.Mega auctions can be tough on the mid card. Nitish Rana was one such solid and bankable mid-card player with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In the year immediately preceding the auction, Rana injured his middle finger and played only two games. A year before that, he was their captain as Shreyas Iyer was out with injury. It is difficult for teams to reward loyalty with only so many players they can retain. In Rana’s case, the India cap he earned when two India teams played simultaneously in 2021 disqualified him from being retained in the uncapped quota.It is not to say the hurt was not justified. When KKR didn’t bid for him nor use the right-to-match card for him, Rana’s wife posted on social media: “loyalty is expensive, not everyone can afford it.” What a time then to produce his best IPL knock: only his fifth score in the 80s but his only half-century at more than two runs a ball.Related

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That Riyan Parag would be pushed from mid card to main event was decided and conveyed to Rana even before the RR coach Rahul Dravid talked up Parag as the No. 3 in a press conference. There was a clear plan to what Dravid wanted, and he didn’t want it telegraphed to the opposition, who had anyway taken a long flight from Chennai to Guwahati with one day’s gap between their two defeats.RR wanted to make the most of the powerplay, so it made sense to deploy a low-cost wicket, but they also wanted to deny Chennai Super Kings (CSK) the use of R Ashwin with the new ball. CSK have Khaleel Ahmed to exploit the early movement, but have struggled for a quick to share the new ball. Sam Curran’s replacement, Jamie Overton is also more of an into-the-pitch user of the older ball.Now, you might wonder, why a left-hand batter to deny an offspinner? For starters, by now you know Rana enjoys a sweet match-up against Ashwin, who finally managed to dismiss him for the first time today but not before the carnage. Ashwin, though, is not the only offspinner to suffer at the hands of Rana. Before this game, Rana averaged 33.9 and struck at 154.13 against all offspin in the IPL.It’s not that CSK were not aware of the match-up, but they didn’t have too much choice but to go to Ashwin once Rana got off to a flier. Against left-arm orthodox, Rana enjoys an even better match-up. Off 21 balls from Kuldeep Yadav, the only left-arm wristspinner he has faced before this game, Rana had scored 36 runs without getting out. There could still be a case made for going to Noor Ahmad before feeding Rana the bowling of Ashwin, but CSK are a side that plays percentage cricket. Not for them such fancy moves of bowling Noor inside the powerplay only for the seventh time in an IPL career of 26 matches.2:27

Rapid fire review: How did Rana play so well when others couldn’t?

Rana didn’t waste any time in showing why he dominates fingerspin so much. He swept Ashwin for successive sixes and a four immediately. Ashwin was aware of the spin threat, which explains the attempt at really full balls, but he ended up overcooking two of the first three. The full length nearly worked when he got an lbw call but the DRS review reinstated Rana. He went on to drive Ashwin over extra cover and also reverse-hit him for four. In between, he also played perhaps his best shot of the innings: an inside-out extra-cover drive off Noor.While it was the perfect tactical ploy by Dravid and Parag to exploit CSK’s lack of bowlers who can test Rana with high pace, Rana took care of the execution perfectly.In an interview on Rana’s comeback last year, Harsha Bhogle said he was trying to catch a glimpse of his injured finger, to which he had said: “Sir, that I can’t show you because it is my middle finger.”Given his anger at not being valued enough by his previous franchise – Rana and his wife unfollowed KKR on socials – he showed his mature side in a “rocking-the-baby” celebration.

Captain sets the tone as batting bonus points put Division One leaders out of Surrey’s reach

ECB Reporters Network25-Sep-2025Warwickshire 258 and 7 for 3 trail Nottinghamshire 374 (Hameed 122, Verreynne 83, Patterson-White 70) by 109 runsLed impressively from the front by captain Haseeb Hameed’s fourth century of the season, Nottinghamshire clinched the 2025 Rothesay County Championship on day two of the final round of fixtures, the Division One leaders putting themselves out of reach of defending champions Surrey as they totalled 374 in reply to Warwickshire’s 258.Needing just two more points at the start of play to deny Surrey a fourth consecutive title, Nottinghamshire achieved that goal at six minutes before five o’clock as Kyle Verreynne, their South Africa international wicketkeeper, pulled seamer Nathan Gilchrist high over the deep midwicket boundary for six, taking their first-innings total past 300 to secure a second batting bonus point.Verreynne, who also hit the winning runs as South Africa beat Australia at Lord’s to be crowned World Test champions in June, raised both arms in the air before embracing batting partner Liam Patterson-White as a Trent Bridge crowd that had grown considerably since lunch rose to their feet.He went on to make 83, with Patterson-White hitting 70 as the two shared a decisive seventh-wicket partnership of 119. Ethan Bamber, Ed Barnard and Gilchrist took three wickets each but at 7 for 3 in their second innings, trailing by 109 runs, Warwickshire, who had their sights on overtaking Somerset to take third place in the table, are in deep trouble.It is Nottinghamshire’s seventh County Championship in all and their first since 2010, one that was effectively won a week ago when victory over Surrey at the Kia Oval made them short-priced favourites to take the crown.Head coach Peter Moores, for many years the only coach to win the title with two counties until Mark Robinson, twice a winner with Sussex, equalled the feat in 2021 with Warwickshire, now stands alone in winning Championships with three counties, having previously done so with Sussex and Lancashire.Yet for all that it was Verreynne, who hit four sixes, and Patterson-White, who struck 11 fours, who grabbed the glory, it was Hameed who made it possible.Haseeb Hameed raises his bat on reaching three figures•Getty Images

The 28-year-old sometime England opener’s 122 laid the foundations and took his season aggregate to 1,253 runs in first-class matches, the highest of his career. This is the third time in four seasons he has exceeded 1000 runs.Earlier in the day, he and Ben Slater had put on 56 for the first wicket as Nottinghamshire, who had claimed the final Warwickshire wicket with the last ball of the opening day, came through a difficult morning session at 100 for 2.Slater, caught behind as Michael Booth found some extra bounce from the Radcliffe Road End, and Freddie McCann, who lost his middle stump to Bamber, were the two morning casualties.It would have been 78 for 3 had Hameed not been put down by Rob Yates at second slip on 45. As it was, as conditions for batting became a little easier after lunch, Hameed and Joe Clarke (52) added 122 in 32 overs for the third wicket.Two dismissals in three balls then jolted their progress. Clarke, reaching for a delivery outside off stump, feathered a catch to Alex Davies off Bamber, before Jack Haynes, confident he had let his second ball go past the bat, looked up to find Warwickshire’s appeals for a thin edge to the keeper had been granted.Haynes was the third of six victims in the innings for Davies, a total in a single innings bettered by only two other keepers in Warwickshire’s history.If that was not a reminder to Nottinghamshire supporters to take nothing for granted, then the sight of Hameed completing his fourth hundred of the season flat on his stomach surely must have been.Confident there was a single on as he clipped Bamber towards midwicket, the captain was startled to see Tazeem Ali swooping to field and even his full-length dive might not have saved him had the teenager’s shy hit. As it was, Warwickshire ran out neither Hameed nor new partner Verreynne, who would have been out by a distance without scoring had the throw gone to the keeper’s end.Hameed – dropped at slip in the previous over – was bowled middle stump by Nathan Gilchrist on the stroke of tea, leaving them 218 for 5. The ovation from the spectators was fully deserved. The season has seen him make a double-hundred twice and carry his bat through the innings twice.Warwickshire’s seamers were rewarded again half an hour into the final session as Lyndon James edged Barnard to give Davies a fourth catch. Nottinghamshire, now six down, still needed another 52 for 300 and with the second new ball soon to become available.It might have been a moment of jeopardy, yet any sense of that quickly disappeared. Verreynne and Patterson-White had clearly decided on a glorious finale and it was Gilchrist who felt the full force of it.His first over with the new ball went for 17 after Patterson-White had begun it with three glorious shots for four, his second for 15 as Verreynne took centre stage.It was the cue for the seventh-wicket due to really let rip, stretching their partnership to 100 in precisely 100 balls and 119 from 120 before Verreynne, who hit nine fours and four sixes, became a fifth victim for Davies behind the stumps, a ball from Barnard glancing the bat as the South African tried to pull it clear.Back for another spell after his chastening experience earlier, Gilchrist then obtained the smallest modicum of revenge by bowling Patterson-White, and Barnard picked up his third wicket by bowling Brett Hutton.Gilchrist was the bowler as Mohammad Abbas nicked to Davies, leaving Warwickshire, 116 behind, to face four overs before the close, in which they lost both Yates and Davies leg before to Abbas as the Pakistan international delivered a final flourish to Nottinghamshire’s day, Hutton getting in on the act by having nightwatcher Bamber caught at second slip.

The left-arm spinner had been due to return to the T20I side in Cardiff before the last-minute injury

Firdose MoondaUpdated on 12-Sep-2025South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of their T20I series against England after tweaking his groin in the warm-up of the first match in Cardiff.Maharaj, the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world, had been named player of the series in their 2-1 series win in the 50-over leg of the tour. However, he has now been withdrawn from their squad for the remaining two fixtures, at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner who had been preparing to play for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday, has been called up in his place.After the Cardiff match, which South Africa won on by 14 runs on DLS, captain Aiden Markam confirmed Maharaj had been due to play the game but was forced out with the injury and replaced by Corbin Bosch. Maharaj had been recalled to the T20I squad after being left out in Australia and Zimbabwe.Related

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Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

Earlier on Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the series with a right hamstring strain. Ngidi returned home on Thursday and faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa’s next assignment – the start of their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan which begins on October 12.Left-arm quick Nandre Burger has been added to the squad in Ngidi’s place and is available from the second match at Old Trafford on Friday.On Tuesday, David Miller was also withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a hamstring strain during the final week of the Hundred. No replacement has been named for him in the squad.In better news, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lizaad Williams all returned to action in the rain-affected affair. Rabada did not play the ODIs in Australia or England after suffering ankle inflammation but bowled the opening over in Cardiff.Jansen made his comeback from the thumb surgery he underwent after the WTC final in June and Williams returned from knee surgery, which has kept him out of action for most of the year. Jansen bowled two overs in the match but Williams was not used at all.This story was updated at 5.41pm BST following Maharaj’s withdrawal from the squad

Jen Pawol officially made history on Saturday when she became the first female to umpire a regular season game in Major League Baseball.

Pawol was one of the field umpires for Saturday's contest between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. She will work both games of Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale as well, when she will serve as the home plate umpire.

Pawol's ascent to this historic day began in February of 2024, when she became the third woman to ever umpire a spring training game. A year-and-a-half later, she gets an opportunity in a regular season contest.

The spring training game came one year after she became the first woman to umpire at the Triple-A level in 34 years in 2023.

The 48-year-old Pawol played collegiate softball at Hofstra and was a member of the 2001 U.S. women's national team that won the first Baseball Women's World Series.

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São Paulo e Palmeiras se enfrentam às 20h desta segunda-feira (29), no Morumbis, pela quarta rodada do Brasileirão. Os técnicos Zubeldía e Abel Ferreira definiram as equipes escalações para o clássico.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

O Tricolor teve algumas mudanças no time, e Ferreirinha, por exemplo, fica no banco de reservas. Outra novidade é o retorno de James Rodríguez entre os relacionados.

Placar exato! Coloque R$100 no Lance! Betting e fature R$470 no placar que mais se repetiu em São Paulo x Palmeiras

A escalação do São Paulo para enfrentar o Palmeiras é: Rafael; Igor Vinícius, Arboleda, Alan Franco, Diego Costa e Welington; Alisson e Bobadilla; Luciano, André Silva e Calleri.

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O Verdão também conta com alterações. O garoto Estêvão começa como titular, com Flaco López e Endrick no ataque. Lázaro e Mayke estão entre os reservas.

A escalação do Palmeiras para enfrentar o São Paulo é: Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Aníbal, Richard Ríos e Raphael Veiga; Estêvão, Endrick e Flaco López.

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علق فاروق جعفر، لاعب الزمالك السابق، على اختيارات حسام حسن المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، لقائمة اللاعبين المشاركين في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب.

وأعلن حسام حسن، قائمة تضم 28 لاعبًا لخوض المعسكر الأخير، قبل خوض منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا القادمة بنهاية شهر ديسمبر الجاري.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر استعدادًا لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025

وقال جعفر خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “نمبر وان” المذاع على قناة “سي بي سي”: “قائمة منتخب مصر التي أعلنها كابتن حسام حسن دائمًا ما يكون المدير الفني له وجهة نظر، لأنه يرى اللاعبين في الملعب ويعرف مستواهم الفني، وأكيد يفضّل اللاعبين الذين يلعبون في البطولات الإفريقية، ونحن هنا نتكلم عن الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز”.

وأضاف: “حسام حسن لديه الخبرة ويختار اللاعبين الذين سيستفاد منهم، والقائمة مقنعة وليس بها ظلم، وعن ناصر ماهر، والاختيار سيكون بين الثلاثي ناصر ماهر وزيزو وإمام عاشور، لو أنا سأختار إمام وزيزو بالفعل مثل اختيار حسام”.

وتابع: “زيزو لديه خبرات عالية جدًا، وإمام عاشور أسهمه عالية جدًا، وفي المباراة السابقة مع النادي الأهلي لعب دقائق معدودة وأحرز هدف”.

بخصوص اختيار صلاح محسن مهاجم المصري، أوضح جعفر: “صلاح لاعب مميز، وآخر مباراة أحرز هدف مميز جدًا”.

وأكمل :”هناك فرق بين اللعب في الدوري المصري يشاهده 15 أو 20 ألف، وفرق بين من يلعب في بطولة إفريقية بها أفضل لاعبين في العالم، وفرق بها خبرات كبيرة تريد الفوز بالبطولة ومنافسات معنوية كبيرة”.

واستمر: “المدير الفني يبحث عن اللاعبين الذين لديهم المستوى الفني القريب من بعض، هذا الأساس يتم عليه اختيار لاعبي المنتخب”.

وأتم: “محمد صلاح من أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، والمنتخب يحتاج إلى اللاعبين أصحاب الخبرات، والأداء الفني لديهم قريب من بعض”.

Pedro Porro has hit out at Tottenham Hotspur fans on his Instagram story, accusing the Spurs faithful of disrespecting his team-mates in the club's humiliating 2-1 defeat by Fulham. Thomas Frank's side have been pitiful at home this season and were again on the losing side, prompting boos from the stands in north London directed at goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Vicario howler leads to fan jeers

Spurs were again defeated at home as the pressure continues to mount on their new Danish head coach. Finding themselves down 2-0 after just six minutes, Spurs were already chasing the game and could only claw back one goal in the second half through Mohammed Kudus. It marked yet another disappointing day for the club who were thrashed last week by bitter rivals Arsenal and conceded five in an eight-goal thriller in France against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Taking a lot of the ire from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium terraces was Vicario, who was at fault for Harry Wilson’s goal. The Italian had carried the ball wide and could only clear the ball as far as Josh King in the Cottagers’ midfield. The teenager set the ball to the Welsh winger who was able to curl an effort from distance into the gaping goal. Following the mistake, the Spurs fans booed Vicario whenever he got the ball and the desperately toxic atmosphere at the club continues to worsen.

After the game, Frank defender his players and slammed the fans who vented their fury at the squad. He told : “I didn't like that our fans booed at him [Vicario] straight after and a few times he touched the ball. They can't be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you are on the pitch. And we do everything we can to perform. After, fair enough, boo, no problem. But not during. That's unacceptable in my opinion."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPorro hits out at Spurs fans

Following suit, Porro has also offered his thoughts on the booing. He took to social media to criticise the ‘disrespect’ shown to Vicario and was unhappy that the Italian had been on the end of severe sticks by his own supporters.

On his Instagram story, Porro said: “Football is emotions. In football, as it life, there can always be mistakes, what I will not tolerate is hearing disrespect from the fans to my teammates, hence my frustration at the end of the game.”

He added that the Spurs players “will get up” and sent a reminder that they won the Europa League last season, despite their league performances being dire – finishing 17th in the Premier League.

“We remind you six months ago, everything was so bad, and in the end it is not how it begins, but how it ends. To the true Spurs fan, I love you.”

Spurs in crisis

Unfortunately for Porro, Spurs are not in the Europa League this season and, unless they pull of a miracle and win the Champions League, their place in Europe’s top competition next season is already slipping away.

Also, by claiming that fans that boo are not ‘true fans’, the Spanish defender may risk aggravating a frustrated fan base yet further. Spurs fans would be more than justified to demand that Porro and his team-mates start performing at the required level, rather than posting messages on social media.

The reality is, Spurs have been incredibly poor in recent weeks and three defeats in six days will do little to win over an exasperated fanbase. Two defeats in as many games against London rivals will have only deepened the grievances in the north of the capital and Spurs have lots of work to do to ensure they do not slip yet further down the division.

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Getty Images SportFrank in trouble

Frank is in desperate need of a positive result against Newcastle next week if he is to remain in the Spurs dugout. The Magpies will not provide an easy proposition either, having bounced back this weekend with a 4-1 thumping of Everton. If the results do not improve, it is difficult to see the former Brentford man lasting too much longer.

No one has had to work harder for his success in this series, and Mohammed Siraj finally has the recognition to go with his rewards

Sidharth Monga04-Aug-20255:16

Harmison: Siraj never looked like running out of steam

Mohammed Siraj, they call you a workhorse. It’s a back-handed compliment. Some say it openly, some privately, but they feel you don’t have the skill to take wickets or lead attacks. When we point to the sustained pace and the accuracy that puts you in the league of Jasprit Bumrah – of course, nobody says you’re Bumrah as a complete package – they point to a lack of an intangible skill, that of taking wickets. Or five-fors, of which you have only five in Test cricket.You stick to the process. Not results. You are a true disciple of your Jassi . You never bowl a half-volley without meaning to. You don’t want to go searching, leak runs and ruin it for the guy who has to bowl after you. You look for lbws and bowleds. You have the outswinger, but you love the other toy more: the wobble-seam ball that tends to move in.Despite being stoic about bowling outcomes, you are an emotional person. You have been all over this series: taking a stunning catch at Edgbaston, on your haunches after being bowled despite middling a back-foot defence to become the last wicket at Lord’s, your head in your hands after reprieving Harry Brook at The Oval. You are going to be the tragic hero. The face of India’s misfortune this series. Like you were at the 2023 ODI World Cup final.Related

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Unless you can do something about it. What more can you do, though? You have bowled the most overs in the series, taken the most wickets. Since we started keeping these records, you have drawn more false shots in a series in England than anyone bar Pat Cummins in the 2023 Ashes. Even when India have come back in this match, Prasidh Krishna has the wickets, not you. You have only created excitement by beating the bat.Why don’t you just give up? You don’t have the “it”. You are not him. It’s only 35 runs and four wickets to get.You wake up two hours before the alarm, usually 8am. You pick up your phone, find a Cristiano Ronaldo poster that says “believe” and make it your wallpaper. Hope you know belief is not a skill. People want wickets.You turn up with belief but England turn that 35 into 27 in the first two balls of the morning. How’s that belief now?Last night, when it looked like you were beating the bat almost every ball, you were actually missing leg 30% of the time. Too many shouts, too few results. False shots are a spectrum, not a binary. False shots to your bowling are inferior to false shots to others’ bowling, they say. Did you miss the window of opportunity because England had time to regroup and use a heavy roller?Mohammed Siraj celebrates after winning the match for India•Getty ImagesYou turn up thinking, let me start with an outswinger. Just to see how it’s coming out. It goes away nicely. You get not only big swing, but also big seam. Something clicks inside you. You start playing with England’s muscle memory and their subconscious. All series, they have been watching for your ball that jags back in. They are not prepared for this change in plan you have made in this moment. It is not a team plan. It is something you have decided to do on instinct.Through this series, you have swung the ball away from right-hand batters only 30% of the time. Now you are practically bowling only outswing. And getting seam. With a 78-over-old ball. What sorcery is this? Batters can see what is coming but they can’t react quickly enough because it’s the last thing they expect. The control is impeccable again. Nothing fuller than 5m.Jamie Smith tries to walk at you, ends up nicking behind. After taking it away nine times in a row, you try the wobble seam again. Down the leg for Gus Atkinson. Goes for a leg-bye. That brings the requirement down to 20. You try it again. Big inswing, big seam in. The shout is huge. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena takes forever to raise his finger.

Now there should be reels and TikToks saying “I am only believe on . Because game-changer player he is. Only one guy. Mohammed Siraj”

You need this decision more desperately than can ever be described. Since your debut, nobody has been denied by the umpire’s call as often as you have: six times. Nathan Lyon comes close with five, but he has also had five umpire’s calls go his way. You have only two. On form, you are the last person who should be getting the rub of the green, but there are cricketing gods. They are watching. This replay shows the projection is just clipping leg.You are now not only swinging the ball more than you have all series and seaming the old ball more than in all of the final innings, 182 overs into your work, you have the reserves to bowl your fastest spell of the series. Of the two balls you have bowled above 145kph in this series, one is in this spell. Five of your 50 balls above 140 kph have come in this spell. The final yorker to end the game is 143.Now you have the five-for in a thrilling win. A series-levelling win. As the leader of the attack. You are him. You have “it”.Now there should be reels and TikToks saying “I am only believe on . Because game-changer player he is. Only one guy. Mohammed Siraj.” A riff on the most beautiful line said about Bumrah. By you. On the sidelines of India’s T20 World Cup win. Now you are in the middle of it. Only one guy. Mohammed Siraj.

The Bangladesh coach singled out the middle order and bowling line-up in his praise after they sealed the series against Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam04-Oct-2025

Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons is happy with the “exciting, aggressive” cricket his side has been playing in the T20I series against Afghanistan, adding he was particularly impressed with batting contributions from the lower middle order.Bangladesh are 2-0 up in the three-match series, successfully chasing down totals despite batting collapses. In the first match, they struggled against Rashid Khan, losing six wickets for just nine runs before Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain finished the game. In the second, they lost three wickets inside the powerplay and were saved by the middle order, Nurul again contributing with a 31 not out.”The good thing about winning close games is that you gain confidence when you are coming to a close game,” Simmons said. “It’s good that we are doing that, but it’s not good for any of us our hearts. Yesterday the openers showed what they are made of, and today, the lower middle order showed what they are made of.”The way we want to play is exciting, aggressive cricket, and that’s what we’ve been doing. We played their spinners well, at least today. That’s their strength. Yesterday we didn’t do that very well, but today we played their spinners a lot better. We did what we came to do today. ]Nurul] played a really great knock and brought us back from a stage. Jaker [Ali] and Shamin [Hossain] started it, and Nurul finished it for us. That’s what we have been asking our batsmen to do: make sure that they take responsibility when they get the chance.”Related

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Simmons also said he was not concerned about Jaker’s form. The Bangladesh captain reached double figures for the first time in four innings, hitting 32 off 25 balls, and struck his first six in seven innings.”When you look around the world, international batsmen fail a couple of times. I don’t see any problem; he had a couple of bad games, and that’s normal with batsmen. Cricket is like that.”Bangladesh’s bowlers have stepped up in both games, with Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin bowling tight spells. Bangladesh gave away 35 runs in the powerplay and just 40 runs in the last five overs to restrict Afghanistan to a below-par score in the second T20I.”I think our bowling has been improving consistently, and it is at a stage now where we know we can depend on our bowling, whatever combination we use,” Simmons said. “I think our bowling has been that good over the last five, six, or seven weeks. It is part of our growth.”The bowling has put us in this position for the last two games. Yesterday, they started really well, and we pulled them back. Today, they started well, but we bowled well in the middle and especially at the end.”