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West Indies captain won’t be available for selection after consulting with specialist

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2025West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has been ruled out of the team’s third and final ODI against England at Taunton on Saturday. Matthews suffered a shoulder injury while fielding in the first game of the series in Derby, and subsequently sat out Wednesday’s encounter in Leicester.The precautionary move to prevent further aggravation of the problem comes after Matthews visited a specialist in London on Thursday. With the series already lost, West Indies also have an eye on their upcoming home series against South Africa, which starts with an ODI in Barbados next Wednesday.”It’s unfortunate Hayley’s picked up an injury and she won’t be available for the last ODI here in England,” West Indies head coach, Shane Deitz, said. “She’s played a lot of cricket over the past few years and obviously injuries are part of being an elite level athlete in all sports.”We will miss her greatly on and off the field, but there’s a great opportunity for other players to step up as Realeanna Grimmond did in the second ODI. She stepped up in Hayley’s role and played a great innings so it’s a great opportunity for other players to be able to fill the void that Hayley leaves with bat and ball and leadership on the field.”The medical team are looking at options now for what’s best for her long-term future to get her body 100 percent right and continue her fantastic career.”Matthews was named Player of the Series during the T20I leg of their tour, despite a 3-0 defeat for her side. She added an innings of 48 in the first ODI, as West Indies went down by 108 runs, and then watched from the sidelines as England took an unassailable lead with a 143-run victory in the second game.In her absence, West Indies will once again be captained by Shemaine Campbelle as they look to end a disappointing tour on a high note.

Southampton have sacked manager Will Still after just 16 games in charge, with the Championship promotion hopefuls languishing in 21st place. The 33-year-old managed only four wins during a torrid start to life back in England, and Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Preston proved to be his final match in charge as the Saints turn to interim boss Tonda Eckert.

Still fired just months into Saints job

Southampton have confirmed the departure of Still just five months after his appointment, bringing a swift end to his brief and turbulent spell at St. Mary’s. The 33-year-old, who joined the club from Lens in May, managed only four wins from 16 matches across all competitions, including just two victories in the Championship. A 2-0 defeat to Preston on Saturday, which was their fifth straight match without a win, proved to be the breaking point for the Saints' hierarchy.

Still had been tasked with guiding Southampton back to the Premier League following last season’s relegation, but instead finds himself leaving with the team perilously close to dropping further down the English football ladder. The south coast side currently sit 21st in the Championship table, three points above the relegation zone and 16 behind early leaders Coventry. Despite a dramatic 3-2 win over Wrexham on the opening day, results quickly soured, with the Saints struggling to find consistency or a clear identity under the young manager.

The club confirmed that assistant coaches Ruben Martinez, Clement Lemaitre, and Carl Martin have also left their roles alongside Still. Under-21s boss Tonda Eckert has been placed in interim charge and will lead the team into Wednesday night’s clash with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road. Eckert, who is highly regarded within the club, is also being considered as a potential candidate for the permanent position as Southampton’s search for a new manager begins immediately.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportStill labelled 'a great person' in Southampton's parting message

Southampton’s decision to part ways with Still was confirmed in an official club statement released on Sunday evening. "Southampton Football Club can confirm that we have this evening parted ways with Men’s First Team Manager Will Still," the statement began, before confirming that "Ruben Martinez, Clement Lemaitre and Carl Martin have also left their positions at the club." It was also announced that "Men’s Under-21s Head Coach Tonda Eckert will take charge of the team on an interim basis."

Group Technical Director Johannes Spors paid tribute to Still and his coaching team, acknowledging their commitment despite poor results. "Will is a great person who gave everything to try and improve performances and results," said Spors. "Ultimately, that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. By making a change now, we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table."

Spors concluded his statement by thanking the departing staff for their contributions. "I would like to thank Will, Ruben, Clement and Carl for their efforts and wish them well for the future."

Still's appointment had initially created excitement at Southampton

Still’s appointment in May had generated considerable excitement among supporters, with the Belgian-born coach returning to manage in England after gaining recognition for his impressive work in France. He was hired on a three-year deal to replace Ivan Juric, whose departure followed Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League with seven games to spare. Still’s reputation as a progressive and detail-oriented manager made him an attractive candidate, particularly after strong spells at Reims and Lens, where his tactical approach earned widespread praise.

The club have not won at home since that opening victory against Wrexham and have looked increasingly vulnerable defensively, conceding 11 goals in their last five matches. Saturday’s loss to Preston followed a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers, a side that had been in the relegation zone before kick-off – results that ultimately sealed Still’s fate.

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Getty Images SportSaints' U21 boss Eckert assumes interim duties

Eckert will now assume control of first-team duties on an interim basis, starting with Wednesday’s trip to QPR, as the club launches its search for a new permanent manager. Eckert’s reputation for developing young players and his familiarity with Southampton’s academy setup could make him a serious contender if results improve in the short term. The Saints, however, are expected to explore external options, with the board eager to find an experienced figure capable of steadying the ship.

Celtic dropped some shocking, yet also unsurprising, news on Monday night when they confirmed that Brendan Rodgers had tendered his resignation.

The Northern Irish head coach has stepped down as manager of the Scottish Premiership champions, shortly after his side lost 3-1 to Hearts on Sunday.

The timing of the decision came as a shock, as there had not been any prior indication that he was likely to step down from his position, at least in the public domain.

However, it was also not a surprise because talkSPORT’s Alex Crook recently explained that the manager was likely to leave next summer, saying: “I have just been hearing a lot of whispers that maybe Brendan Rodgers could decide at the end of the season not to renew his deal, and that the time is right to leave Celtic for a second time.”

Instead of waiting until his contract expired next summer, though, the former Leicester City and Liverpool boss decided to walk away from it at the start of this week.

Only Rodgers will be able to give his full reasoning behind the decision, if he decides to speak about it publicly, but it could be the right decision for the club.

Why Brendan Rodgers leaving may be the right decision

The former Hoops manager won four Premiership titles, three SFA Cups, and four League Cups across two spells with the Scottish giants, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he had a lot of success at Parkhead.

There can be no denying that Rodgers will go down as a great Celtic manager, given his achievements, but all things come to an end, and the team’s form this season suggested that it was the end of an era in Glasgow.

The Hoops lost their last two Premiership matches under Rodgers and currently find themselves eight points adrift of Hearts in the league table, which is not a position that the ex-Bhoys manager was used to being in.

25/26

9

1.89

24/25

38

2.39

23/24

38

2.45

18/19

27

2.33

17/18

38

2.16

16/17

38

2.79

As you can see in the table above, Rodgers ends his second Celtic spell with only one Premiership season averaging below 2.16 points per game, which is the current campaign.

Of course, the head coach may have turned things around and gotten over that two points per game mark later in the season, but the side’s current form shows that they were on a downward trajectory under the Northern Irishman, which is why his exit from Parkhead may be a good call for all parties.

Martin O’Neill is back in interim charge, for now, but the attention will turn to who the club are going to appoint as their next manager, and a former player has told them who to go for.

Celtic plot approach for new manager

It looks as though O’Neill will be in charge for the club’s clash with Falkirk at Parkhead on Wednesday night, but they will need a longer-term solution in the dugout.

Former Celtic centre-forward and current Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton has urged the Premiership champions to go and bring Ange Postecoglou back to Glasgow.

The Australian boss, who left Celtic in the summer of 2023, was recently sacked by Premier League side Nottingham Forest and that means that he is available and potentially ready to step into a new job.

In fact, Football Insider reports that the Hoops may make contact with the former Tottenham Hotspur head coach to discuss a sensational return to Parkhead.

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However, Football Insider does not reveal whether or not the former Celtic manager wants to make such a quick return to the game, or if he wants to return to Glasgow for a second spell at the club.

They do appear to be planning to make an approach to speak with the Europa League winner, though, which shows that they are interested in appointing him as Rodgers’ replacement.

Why Celtic should push for Ange Postecoglou to return

The Hoops board should be pushing to bring Ange Postecoglou back to Parkhead in the coming days because he could return to Scotland as an upgrade on Rodgers.

In his two seasons in charge in Glasgow, the Australian boss, whose football was hailed as “breathtaking” by Gary Neville, racked up a whopping 192 points in 76 Premiership matches, per Transfermarkt, which works out at 2.52 points per game.

Whereas, Rodgers won 453 points in 188 games in charge of the club across two spells at Parkhead, per Transfermarkt, which is an average of around 2.41 points per game.

These statistics suggest that the former Spurs boss got even more out of the team domestically, despite both managers winning titles in all of their full seasons in charge, as his sides won more points per game on average.

Hamish Carton, in the clip above, explains how impressive Postecoglou’s achievements at Celtic were off the back of the situation that he inherited when he first arrived, as Rangers had run away with the league title in the previous season.

This means that his dominance at Celtic was even more impressive than Rodgers’ was, because the 4-3-3 boss had to turn a bad situation around, whilst Rodgers came into a club that had just won the domestic treble in the summer of 2023, and he was able to build from that.

Postecoglou’s domestic treble in the 2022/23 campaign was not repeated by the Northern Irish boss in the 2023/24 or the 2024/25 seasons, which also shows that he had more success, in terms of trophies, than the recently departed manager.

Therefore, pushing to bring Postecoglou, who Carton also described as a “better manager” than Rodgers, back to Celtic could result in the club having an upgrade in the dugout for the rest of this season, and beyond, which is why they should take Sutton’s advice and make a serious move for his services.

Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy struck important blows at Lord’s after working on his consistency with the red ball

Sidharth Monga10-Jul-20251:18

Reddy: Knew I had to improve bowling after Australia tour

Nitish Kumar Reddy has credited work with his Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins and India bowling coach Morne Morkel for his improvement with the ball after India felt like they were a seamer light in Australia. Reddy was the allrounder in on that tour, where he did impress with the bat and scored a century at MCG, but wasn’t used nearly enough as a bowler.More than the two wickets that he took on day one at Lord’s, it was the fact that the captain Shubman Gill trusted him enough to introduce him as early as the 14th over and then bowl him for 14 overs – as many as Mohammed Siraj – that should be good news for Reddy and India.Being slower in pace, he naturally swung the ball more than other seamers on average, but surprisingly, he also extracted the most average seam, slightly more than Jasprit Bumrah. He also attacked the stumps most often.Related

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“After the Australia tour I felt like I have to improve my bowling and my consistency,” Reddy said. “That’s what I looked [at]. And yeah, Pat is my captain [in the IPL], and he’s been brilliant in Australia, and I have asked him [for] some tips and he has been telling me how things would have been done in Australia, how can I go through in Australia. And that’s a great experience for me, sharing with Pat Cummins.”Coming to this tour, I would say, working with Morne Morkel has been great for me. He’s working with me for a couple of weeks, and we are seeing good progress in my bowling, and I’m really enjoying working with him.”Reddy played the first-class games and one intra-squad game before the Test matches. “We’ve been working on my consistency a lot since I get a bit of swing both ways,” Reddy said. “I just want to be consistent on the areas. So we are working on that. I’ve been working hard on my bowling for one year or two years. I’ve been doing a lot of hard work, but later on it is about understanding things and believing in myself. If you believe, that’s when your hard work comes on point. That’s what I’m realising now.”Reddy bowled just five overs during the IPL because he was recovering from a side strain, but he has built up his loads pretty well. “After injury it’s been a bit tough for me to get into my rhythm,” Reddy said. “It had been hurting a bit after the injury as well. An the end of the IPL season, I got my bowling started into the matches and I felt great. I just want to enjoy the movement, want to bowl what my team wants from me, and I guess that’s what I have done exactly, and pretty happy the way I bowled today, and I just want to continue tomorrow.”

Leeds United have a full midweek to train and prepare for their next Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX next weekend.

One of the aspects of the team’s play that Daniel Farke may place a big emphasis on is their ruthlessness in front of goal when it comes to taking the big chances that they are creating this season.

Crystal Palace

22

Manchester City

19

Liverpool

19

Manchester United

17

Leeds United

15

Brentford

15

Arsenal

15

Newcastle United

14

Everton

13

Chelsea

11

As you can see in the table above, only four teams have missed more ‘big chances’ than the West Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League this term, which shows that they have been wasteful in the final third.

The Whites have only scored nine goals in nine matches in the top-flight in the 2025/25 campaign, but the number of ‘big chances’ that they have missed suggests that they should be well into double figures by now.

Part of that is down to the quality, or lack thereof, within the squad in the attacking areas of the pitch. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was brought in to be their main number nine, and they need much more from him.

Why Leeds need more from Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The £100k-per-week centre-forward was signed on a free transfer in the summer transfer window after he was released by Everton at the end of last season.

Calvert-Lewin’s only goal for the club in all competitions so far, though, came in the 3-1 win over bottom-of-the-league Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, as he brilliantly guided a header into the back of the net from Jayden Bogle’s cross.

The 11-cap England international was a risky signing for the Whites, despite being a vastly experienced player at Premier League level, because of his form in front of goal for Everton in recent seasons.

Since a 16-goal haul in the 2020/21 campaign, when supporters were not allowed in stadiums for the most part, the English striker has failed to hit double figures for goals in a top-flight season.

24/25

8.85

3

23/24

13.63

7

22/23

6.50

2

21/22

6.22

5

20/21

18.21

16

19/20

16.11

13

18/19

6.17

6

17/18

5.44

4

16/17

1.25

1

The statistics in the table above show that Leeds signed a player who arrived at Elland Road in fairly dismal form in front of goal as a finisher.

As you can see in the graphic below, that form has carried over to his time in West Yorkshire, as he has missed five ‘big chances’ and only scored one goal in the Premier League so far this season.

These statistics show that the Whites need more from the experienced forward, because he is one of the main reasons why they are among the worst teams in the division for missing ‘big chances’.

Leeds considering move for Championship striker

Amid Calvert-Lewin’s struggles as a finisher in the Premier League this season, Leeds are reportedly showing an interest in a striker from the Championship.

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According to LeedsUnitedNews, the club are considering a swoop to sign Coventry City centre-forward Haji Wright to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claims that Leeds are keen on a deal to sign the USA international when the January transfer window opens for business, after they also considered a move for him in the summer.

However, the outlet adds that it may be difficult for the club to convince the Sky Blues to part ways with the striker, as they are currently top of the Championship and gunning for promotion to the Premier League.

In January, pundit Carlton Palmer claimed that it could take a fee of around £20m to tempt Coventry to sell him, but it remains to be seen whether or not that would be the case next January.

Why Leeds should sign Haji Wright

Farke should push for Leeds to press ahead with a deal for the USMNT centre-forward when the January transfer window opens for business at the start of next year, because he could be an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin.

As aforementioned, the current Whites number nine has not done enough in front of goal in the Premier League to be deemed a reliable marksman for the German head coach, which may be why Wright has emerged as a possible target.

The Coventry star is unproven in the Premier League, having never played in the division, but his form in the Championship suggests that he has the potential to make the step up and excel at Elland Road.

Wright has racked up eight goals in ten starts in the second tier so far this season for Frank Lampard’s side, per Sofascore, after a return of 12 goals in 21 starts in the division in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

7

11

xG

1.77

7.49

Goals

1

8

Big chances missed

5

6

Conversion rate

7%

29%

Minutes per goal

534

101

Duel success rate

38%

44%

As you can see in the table above, the American centre-forward has scored eight times as many goals as Calvert-Lewin at league level, with a far superior conversion rate.

At his current performance level, Calvert-Lewin would miss 40 ‘big chances’ to hit the eight-goal mark that Wright has reached this season, with just six ‘big chances’ missed for Coventry, albeit at a lower level.

The Sky Blues striker, who was described as a “big, big winner” by former USA international Alexi Lalas, has shown that he can finish chances at an impressive rate, outperforming his xG in the Championship in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns.

Meanwhile, Calvert-Lewin is currently underperforming against his xG for the tenth Premier League season running, which suggests that Leeds cannot expect his fortunes to change in front of goal.

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This is why Farke should be pushing for the club to strike a deal to sign Wright in the January transfer window, as his impressive finishing skills could make him an upgrade on the Englishman at Elland Road.

Jadeja scored his fourth successive half-century to leave England frustrated

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2025

Ravindra Jadeja notched up a fourth straight half-century•Getty Images

India had two wickets standing at the end of lunch on day five, and still 81 runs away. But Ravindra Jadeja refused to let them buckle, scoring his fourth successive half-century and from the fact he didn’t bring out the sword celebration, it was clear that he had other priorities.Ben Stokes was in the middle of bowling himself into the ground, a 10-over spell leading England to tea after an 9.2-over spell had made them favourites in the morning. Neither man deserves to come off second best in this battle, which also included a bizarre moment when Stokes, in addition to figuring out where to set his fields and whether his body could take the workload he was putting himself through, had to sign off on Jadeja’s bathroom schedule. He did. Begrudgingly. India were nine down at the time and 33 runs away.Tea was pushed half an hour back when England broke an eighth-wicket partnership that was stubborn enough to last 132 balls and eke out 35 runs. Jasprit Bumrah faced 55 balls. Only twice has he faced more deliveries in a Test innings. His new-ball partner Mohammed Siraj showed just as much heart, standing up to a short-ball barrage with two short legs and a leg slip crowding him. Jadeja’s leadership helped India’s tail survive and now they are tantalisingly close – 30 runs from victory.Earlier, Jofra Archer picked up Rishabh Pant in the third over of play. Stokes struck from the other end to dismiss India’s best batter in this game, KL Rahul. Nitish Kumar Reddy stemmed the England tide and it looked like they would be able to go through to lunch with both of their allrounders standing firm but Chris Woakes took the ball and broke through. “Only a matter of time,” Harry Brook said while he was trying to unsettle the batters. He remains correct, but England are definitely starting to feel the pressure now.

Arsenal and Manchester City have both dispatched scouts to monitor Feyenoord's 19-year-old right-back Givairo Read, according to reports. However, they face a "very complicated" transfer battle, as Bayern Munich are also in pursuit and have reportedly already held initial talks for the highly-rated Dutch prodigy ahead of the January window.

Premier League scouts dispatched for Read

Arsenal and City are actively scouting Read, with officials from both clubs having travelled to monitor the player, according to a report from De Telegraaf.

The Premier League heavyweights are not alone in their pursuit, however, as Sky Sport in Germany reports that Bayern Munich have also entered the race and held initial talks, setting the stage for a significant transfer battle for one of Europe's most coveted young defenders.

Interest from England's elite is intensifying, with both Arsenal and City reportedly sending scouts to closely observe the Netherlands U21 international. The clubs are assessing the teenager as a high-potential target ahead of the January transfer window.

Read's rapid development has placed him firmly on the radar of Europe's top clubs. Despite the high-profile nature of his suitors, the report from De Telegraaf notes that Read would likely not be an immediate starter at either Premier League destination, suggesting any move for Read would be a strategic investment for the future.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWho is Givairo Read? Feyenoord's young prodigy

Read, who only turned 19 in June, has enjoyed a meteoric rise since joining the Feyenoord academy from Volendam in 2023. He was promoted from the U18 setup to the first team in late 2023 and firmly established himself as a regular during a breakout 2024-25 campaign.

That season saw him display remarkable attacking prowess from defence, contributing two goals and seven assists in the Eredivisie. He has continued that impressive form into the current 2025-26 season, registering three assists in ten league appearances and scoring a goal in the Europa League against Panathinaikos. In total, he has amassed 47 senior appearances, scoring four goals and providing 11 assists.

Described by Sky Sport as an "excellent ball carrier" and a "progressive passer," Read's dynamic style fits the mould of the modern, attacking full-back sought by top-tier managers.

Bayern Munich 'working on the matter' personally

The competition from Germany is concrete. Sky Sport reports that Bayern Munich's sporting hierarchy, director of sport Max Eberl and sporting director Christoph Freund, are both "working on this matter" personally. Read is considered "one of the preferred candidates" to bolster the right-back position for Vincent Kompany's side.

Initial talks between the Bavarian giants and the player's representatives have reportedly already taken place. The interest is said to be "flattering to the player's side," with Read himself aware of the contact.

Bayern's pursuit comes despite the outstanding form of Konrad Laimer, who has excelled in a new full-back role under Kompany, recently providing a hat-trick of assists in the Champions League. With Sacha Boey also gaining confidence and Josip Stanisic returning from injury, Bayern's move for Read signals a clear long-term strategic focus on securing a high-potential specialist for the role.

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Feyenoord in strong negotiating position

Any club wishing to sign Read will have to negotiate from a position of weakness. The Dutch prodigy only signed a new long-term contract extension with Feyenoord in April 2025, committing his future to the Rotterdam club until 30 June 2029.

This lengthy deal provides Feyenoord with significant leverage. With multiple financial powerhouses like Arsenal, Man City, and Bayern Munich all interested, the Eredivisie side are in a prime position to demand a fee far in excess of his valuation and could instigate a bidding war for their prized asset. Sky Sport notes that securing a deal will be a "very complicated undertaking" for any of the chasing clubs.

Despite the swirling rumours and jokes in the Feyenoord dressing room about his high-profile links, Read remains composed. The player insisted his focus remains entirely on his development at De Kuip.

"But it doesn’t distract me, you know. I’m comfortable at Feyenoord, and my development here is the only thing on my mind," Read stated, as quoted by De Telegraaf.

He also commented on the light-hearted reactions from his teammates regarding the Bayern Munich interest. "Yeah, yeah, jokes are being made. Suddenly they’re going to start speaking German to me and stuff. But that’s nice to see," Read explained.

Freddie Freeman hit a home run in the top of the first inning of Game 3 of the World Series. Facing a 1-2 count with Shohei Ohtani holding his jersey on first base, Freeman hit a pitch up in the zone from Clarke Schmidt into the stands behind right field.

If it seems like a pattern, that's because it is. Freeman hit the walk-off grand slam in Game 1 and followed that with a solo shot in Game 2, but that's not all.

This was actually Freeman's fifth consecutive World Series game with a home run, which ties an MLB record. Freeman also hit home runs in Game 5 and Game 6 of the 2021 World Series when he was with the Atlanta Braves.

Freeman hit five home runs that postseason, but had only hit one in his first two postseasons since signing a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers the following offseason. Suddenly he's worth every penny.

The only other player to hit home runs in five straight World Series games is George Springer of the Houston Astros. He homered in the last four games of the 2017 World Series as the Astros won their first-ever championship. He then homered in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series which Houston lost to the Washington Nationals.

It's a cool enough accomplishment that the Guinness Book of World Records even recognizes it. Hopefully, they had someone at Yankee Stadium on Monday to validate the results.

Top-order batter Sadaf Shamas returns to the squad; Gull Feroza and Najiha Alvi are left out but named among the non-traveling reserves

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2025Pakistan have picked uncapped 20-year-old batter Eyman Fatima in their 15-member squad, led by Fatima Sana, for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup. The same squad will also play the three home ODIs against South Africa starting September 16, which will act as preparation for the World Cup starting September 30.This will be the first time Sana will be leading her side in an ODI World Cup. She had also led Pakistan at the World Cup qualifiers held in Lahore earlier this year.Eyman Fatima was not part of the squad for the qualifiers but comes into the new squad along with Sadaf Shamas, in place of Gull Feroza and Najiha Alvi, who are among the five non-travelling reserves alongside Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar.Getty ImagesEyman Fatima made her T20I debut earlier this month, against Ireland in Dublin, but got to bat only twice in three games for scores of 23 and 4.The main squad of 15 and the five reserve players will take part in a 14-day camp before the South Africa series, starting August 29 under the coaching staff led by Muhammad Wasim. South Africa are set to arrive in Lahore on September 12.Pakistan will begin their World Cup campaign on October 2 against Bangladesh before taking on India on October 5. Pakistan will play all their seven league games in Colombo and the semi-final as well, if they make it to the knockouts. The second semi-final will be played in Navi Mumbai. The final will be held either in Colombo or Navi Mumbai on November 2, depending on whether Pakistan make it or not.Pakistan Women squad for ODI World Cup and South Africa ODIsFatima Sana (capt), Muneeba Ali (vice-capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Syeda Aroob Shah
Non-traveling reserves: Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar

Kylian Mbappe has hailed Rayan Cherki as a "spectacular talent" after seeing his France team-mate "integrate very well" into Manchester City's team. After starring for Lyon with 13 goals and 21 assists across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, Cherki was signed by City in the summer transfer window, while Didier Deschamps handed him his France debut in June.

How is it going for Cherki at City?

Cherki struggled with a thigh injury at the start of the 2025-26 campaign but now that he has recovered, the Frenchman has started to feature regularly in Pep Guardiola's team. He has appeared in nine matches across all competitions for the Cityzens, registering three goals and three assists. Cherki is slowly establishing himself as a key member of the City squad and is building an understanding with Erling Haaland, having set up both of the Norwegian's goals against Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier this month. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'He's a special talent'

Cherki has now linked up with his France team-mates for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. After watching the City star training with the squad, captain Mbappe spoke highly of the youngster, telling reporters: "He's a special talent. I think he has a gift, which he's making the most of. It's an innate, spectacular talent. He's integrated very well into the group and into Manchester City, which isn't easy. I hope he continues like this. He's started well with us. Now he has the opportunity to return, and I hope he's as good as he was at Manchester City."

Guardiola blown away by Cherki

Guardiola has coached some of the greatest players in the world, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and considers Cherki to be in a similar talent bracket. He declared in October: "Rayan is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career. His talent… he is top. The question is how he settles and how he needs to read actions. He started well at the Club World Cup but then had a few weeks off. I have the feeling most of the time when the ball comes to him, the situation is better. But not all the time you have to do exceptional things – just play football. He has something. He is a player who doesn't feel pressure. He is like a street player. He wants the ball when he doesn't have it. But he is here a short time – he needs a little bit of time because in football you learn to play with your mates. But these types of players are intelligent. They see everything."

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Getty Images SportCherki tipped to reach De Bruyne's level

Former City, Arsenal and France full-back, Gael Clichy has also heaped praise on his compatriot, backing Cherki to reach the level of Etihad Stadium legend Kevin De Bruyne. Clichy told GOAL, via : "If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good. That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City. When you play against a low block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit. You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."