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.
Before IPL 2025, fans’ memories of Mitchell Marsh were invariably of the big Australian hobbling off the field, with headlines later confirming that he was out for the season. It could have been similar this year, but a batter-only deal appears to have worked wonders for both Marsh and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), “the golden ticket” freeing him up to focus on only one aspect of his game, as Tom Moody put it.”I think firstly he is fit. I think in previous seasons we’ve seen Mitch Marsh sort of start but then find himself injured. I think a lot of that’s the workload of trying to be the allrounder,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “He’s not bowling now, so he’s exclusively a batter that doesn’t field. So he’s got the golden ticket. Now he sort of understands his game. This is not just recent but the last three years, four years, he’s really come to terms with his game and what he needs to bring to the party.”And that’s what we saw tonight, just take the game on and just intimidate the opposition with his presence.”For the record, the 64-ball 117 he hit on Thursday night against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad took his season tally to 560 runs from 12 innings, placing him at No. 4 on the Orange Cap list for the moment. LSG are out of the race for the playoffs, but Marsh is in line to finish among the top few run-getters for the season.Related
Marsh jumps to fourth spot on Orange Cap table after century
Marsh ton, O'Rourke three-for headline LSG's big win against GT
What must have made LSG happier is that they didn’t have to spend too much on Marsh, who has a history of injuries, at the last auction. He came to them at INR 3.40 crore (US$ 0.40 million approx.).”He was bought cheap – a steal – and sometimes that fires you up,” JioStar expert Aakash Chopra said. “Earlier, he had a big price tag and low returns. This year, he’s come in differently. The Ekana pitch [in Lucknow] suits him – ball comes on nicely. And his sixes? When he hits, they stay hit. Shot selection has also improved. He’s showing real class.”On Thursday, Marsh scored 60 of his runs down the ground, four of his eight sixes and three of his ten fours coming in that area, while the pull was his most productive shot, accounting for 32 of the runs he scored. Talk about power – only 12 runs came behind the wicket.”I think he had an issue with balls coming into him before. He would get out lbw [and] bowled quite a lot,” Varun Aaron said. “But now he has made an adjustment in his technique where he is really holding his shape going down the ground, and today we saw so many shots hit so powerfully down the ground. He’s always had the power. I mean, he comes from Perth. He’s always had the ability to play the short ball really well.”Taking over the thought from Aaron, Moody added, “The thing with Mitch, what makes him so devastating when he’s on, is that you can’t go upstairs [bowl the short ball]. From a fast bowler’s perspective, if that’s taken away from you – the short ball that can rush and hurry on to people – that’s taken away from you, and you have the ability to hit the sight screen like he can, he becomes so difficult to bowl you. Your length options are so limited. He’s brutal with the short ball. He really does hit the ball hard.”
Fast bowler was was primarily recovering from a back injury, and has been out of action since October 2024
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2025Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)’s express pace bowler Mayank Yadav is set to join the squad on Tuesday. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Mayank will likely be available for LSG’s next game, against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday in Jaipur.His availability will be another boost for LSG, who had started IPL 2025 without him, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep, who were all recovering from different injuries. Mohsin Khan was also injured and ruled out of the tournament, before being replaced by Shardul Thakur.Avesh and Akash Deep later joined the squad, and have since played five and three games, respectively, out of LSG’s six matches so far. Despite a depleted pace attack, LSG have won four games, and host Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home on Monday.Mayank, 22, was primarily recovering from a back injury, and has been out of action since October 2024. That is when he had made his international debut, and played three T20Is against Bangladesh at home. He missed the entire domestic season after that and was recovering at the BCCI’s Centre Of Excellence (CoE, formerly NCA) in Bengaluru. LSG head coach Justin Langer had said ten days ago after seeing videos of Mayank operating at “90-95%” that the fast bowler would join the squad soon.Mayank had played only four games for LSG last season, and was among their five retained players before the mega auction.Despite fielding a depleted pace attack from the start, LSG have been among the better bowling attacks this season, handing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) their first loss by restricting them to 190 in Hyderabad, defending 203 at home against Mumbai Indians (MI), and most recently derailing Gujarat Titans’ charge by restricting them to 180 after they were 122 for 2 in 13 overs.Thakur, LSG’s most experienced bowler, is second on the top wicket-takers’ list, while spinner Digvesh Rathi has been their find of the season.
Paul Pogba’s much-awaited return to football is finally getting close. Ahead Monaco's Champions League clash against Manchester City, manager Adi Hutter has revealed the midfielder could make his debut for the club after the international break. It has been over two years since the Frenchman last played a senior match.
Pogba nearing return to football after two years
The Frenchman last played in September 2023 for Juventus before being hit with a doping ban. His suspension was cut from four years to 18 months in October 2024, and after leaving Juventus later that year, he signed for Monaco on a free transfer in the summer. The 32-year-old has been training regularly with his teammates since July, but has not yet been considered match fit. The Ligue 1 club had mapped out a three-month programme when he joined in June, aiming for a return in early October, but it appears he will have to wait a bit longer for his first game back.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesPogba’s possible debut date revealed
Speaking before Monaco’s Champions League game against City, Hutter revealed that the Frenchman could possibly make his debut after the international break.
“We maybe expected him to be in the squad against Nice, but we may need to wait until Angers…. we hope that, after the international break, he can play,” said the Monaco manager.
Earlier, the Austrian coach had made it clear he would not rush the Frenchman back, emphasising that he wants to ease him in properly.
A chance for redemption for World Cup winner
The 2018 World Cup winner’s career has been hit hard by controversies. His highly publicised and strained relationship with then-United manager Jose Mourinho put him in the wrong spotlight early on in his career. Off the pitch, Pogba was dragged into many controversies, the latest was his four-year doping ban in 2023 after testing positive for testosterone, a punishment later reduced to 18 months on appeal. Now, at Monaco, Pogba has a rare chance to turn the page.
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Monaco are fourth in Ligue 1 with four wins and two losses, but suffered a 4-1 defeat to Club Brugge in their Champions League opener. With injuries to captain Denis Zakaria and Ansu Fati, Pogba’s return after the break could be a major boost for Hutter’s side.
He is expected to miss Sunday's game against Nice, but the October 18 clash against Angers could see him back on the field.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has issued orders to review the decision to reduce match fees of players and reserves selected to play in the National T20 Cup.It is understood that the fees are expected to go back up to the previous edition’s sum of PKR 40,000 per match, and PKR 20,000 per match for reserves. Originally, the fees had been slashed 75%, to PKR 10,000 (USD 35 approx), and PKR 5000 for reserves. Even the figure of PKR 40,000 is a fall compared to 2022, when players had been paid PKR 60,000 per match.Related
PCB slashes player match fees by 75% for National T20 Cup
The decision to reduce match fees of players, as decided by the PCB’s domestic department, led to a hue and cry in cricket circles, leaving fans and critics wondering whether the board was facing a financial crunch. PCB sources, however, claim that the expense cuts have been executed because of an increase in domestic tournaments this season, leading to greater earning opportunities for players.The National T20 Cup starts on March 14, with 39 matches across three cities: Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan. The final will take place in Faisalabad on March 27. Several leading Pakistan international cricketers will be unable to feature, with the national side having left for New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs.
Ismat remained unbeaten on 64 with rain forcing early stumps
Abhimanyu Bose04-Jan-2025
Rahmat Shah made 139 on the third day•Zimbabwe Cricket
Afghanistan dragged themselves to a position of advantage on an attritional third day, with Rahmat Shah’s gritty century, his third in Test cricket, headlining their much improved batting display from their first innings.On the second day where 13 wickets fell, Afghanistan conceded an 86-run first-innings lead to Zimbabwe and lost three wickets before wiping out even half the deficit.But on Saturday, Rahmat, with help from Shahidullah and debutant Ismat Aslam, stretched Afghanistan’s lead beyond 200 with three wickets still remaining, before rain forced early stumps.For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani added two wickets to his overnight tally of two, while Richard Ngarava struck twice, including the prized scalp of Rahmat, but they know with Ismat still at the crease along with Rashid Khan, who is capable of scoring some quick runs, they are going to be staring at a steep chase on a pitch where batting fourth is a daunting proposition.Afghanistan’s innings revolved around two partnerships. The first was a 67-run stand between Rahmat and Shahidullah that saw the visitors take a 50-run lead by the time it was broken.The pair got together after Afghanistan lost two wickets in the first hour of play while still 17 runs behind.From the way Rahmat started the day, it was evident he wanted to bat long for Afghanistan to get into a winning position. He played out 19 balls before scoring the first run off his bat on the day.Ngarava removed the nightwatcher Zia-ur-Rehman the very next ball, and dismissed Afsar Zazai soon after.This prompted Rahmat to take the initiative as he punished two consecutive bad balls from Muzarabani – a full toss and a half-volley – with drives down the ground for boundaries.There was a short rain delay that followed, after which the two dealt in singles till Afghanistan were in the lead in the 30th over.Rahmat and Shahidullah took on Sikandar Raza and Newman Nyamhuri for two boundaries off the next two overs before Rahmat brought up a half-century off 99 balls. The boundaries kept coming as the two trudged along to lunch with a 39-run lead.In the fourth over after tea, a smart piece of captaincy brought about Shahidullah’s downfall.Blessing Muzarabani accounted for two more wickets on Saturday•Zimbabwe Cricket
With Muzarabani testing him outside off from around the wicket, Craig Ervine brought on a silly point fielder and the next delivery, Shahidullah fended at a length ball in the corridor to offer the simplest of chances to Takudzwanashe Kaitano at silly point.Zimbabwe knew they had to capitalise on the opportunity, and put the screws on Afghanistan.Ismat, who was out without scoring in the first innings, copped a blow on the helmet trying to duck under a Muzarabani bouncer that stayed low and needed multiple check-ups from the physio over the next few overs.Rahmat survived an lbw chance when Raza, who toiled away for 23 wicketless overs in the day, got one to spin in sharply to strike his pad only for the umpire to turn it down. Rahmat responded by dancing down the track and lofting him down the ground for a boundary before he took a hit on the shoulder from an Ngarava short ball.But the two were unfazed and went about steadily increasing Afghanistan’s lead. Rahmat brought up his century with a single of Nyamhuri off 209 balls, following up on his double in the first Test.Ismat, who was on 16 off 46 at the point, then started to shift gears with two boundaries off Nyamhuri before tea.After tea, there were 11 consecutive overs of spin, but Raza and Bennett couldn’t break through or keep the scoring rate down to apply pressure.As soon as the new ball became available, Zimbabwe found some immediate chances. Ngarava drew the edge from Ismat but he was dropped by Ervine at first slip, when he was three runs short of his fifty. One over later, Ismat brought up a half-century.The set batters used the extra pace of the new ball to cash in on a few more boundaries before Muzarabani finally broke the stand on 132 – the highest for the seventh wicket for Afghanistan.Muzarabani got a length ball to seam in past Rahmat’s inside edge and hit his back pad. Rahmat wasn’t best pleased when the umpire ruled him out leg before, but with no DRS available in this series, he had to walk back after a marathon innings.Rashid then quickly moved to 12 off as many deliveries, hitting Nyamhuri through midwicket for a boundary off what proved to be the last ball of the day before the players were called off for rain.
A Manchester United forward, who Michael Carrick described as “terrific”, is now heading for the exit door, as a new club have agreed a transfer fee, according to a report.
Man Utd's attacking rebuild underway
There were many reasons behind Man United’s extremely disappointing 2024-25 campaign, but their attack was one of the most glaring issues, scoring just 44 goals all season in the Premier League.
Consequently, it is no surprise Ruben Amorim has set out to strengthen his forward line as a priority, having already sealed deals for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, and the next task for recruitment chiefs will be to bring in a new striker.
Transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now revealed United have two main options in mind at centre-forward, saying: “Ollie Watkins has options and Aston Villa are looking at their options too – there is a real chance that he could leave Villa Park this summer, and Man United like him a lot – he is seen as a very good fit.”
Aston Villa's OllieWatkinscelebrates
“Sesko is ongoing too – United, though, are working on this situation. Could it be Watkins or Sesko? United certainly believe so,”
However, considering the Red Devils are well-known to be treading a fine line PSR-wise, there will also have to be some outgoings this summer, and they are now close to sealing a deal to sell one of their forwards.
That is according to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), which states a deal is now in place to sell Jadon Sancho to Juventus for £15m, and the winger has already agreed personal terms with the Italian club.
Man Utd present offer to agents of "phenomenal" £78m star, talks ongoing
The Red Devils are vying to sign a centre-forward, and they are currently in direct negotiations with his entourage.
5 ByDominic Lund Jul 29, 2025
However, the deal is currently on pause, with Juventus looking to offload Timothy Weah and Nico Gonzalez, while they could also look to move on Dušan Vlahović before fully turning their attentions to Sancho.
Some final details also need to be finalised, such as bonuses, and the player himself is now growing impatient, as he is keen to seal a move to the Serie A side.
Sancho needs to move on this summer
Despite once being described as “terrific” by Michael Carrick, the English winger has never really managed to make an impact at United, and he clearly didn’t do enough to impress Enzo Maresca last season, with Chelsea paying a £5m penalty to avoid signing him.
Chelsea's JadonSanchocelebrates scoring their first goal
As such, a move abroad could be ideal for the £25-year-old, given that his best years were spent outside England, picking up a combined 34 goals and assists for Borussia Dortmund in the 2019-20 Bundesliga season.
It is disappointing that Man United are only set to recoup £15m for Sancho, but he clearly has no future at Old Trafford, and there is every indication that Cunha and Mbeumo could be real upgrades.
The event will clash with the third and fourth days of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth
Nagraj Gollapudi05-Nov-2024The IPL 2025 mega auction will be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is being held overseas for the second successive year – 2024 was in Dubai – and will clash with the third and fourth days of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth.Unlike regular auctions, the mega auction that takes place every three years is spread over two days instead of just one and it is one of the most-followed events in cricket, as the ten IPL franchises build their squads for the next three years (2025-27).A total of 1574 players (1165 Indian and 409 overseas) had registered for the auction, which will be held at the Abady Al Johar Arena (also known as Benchmark Arena), by the deadline of November 4, the BCCI said. They range from countries like Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Scotland, USA and UAE, apart from the Full Member nations excluding Pakistan. Each franchise can build a squad of up to 25 players, which means that there are 204 slots available at the auction after the retention.On October 31, the deadline for teams to finalise which of their players they were keeping from their 2024 squads, a total of 46 players were retained across the ten franchises. Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen was the most expensive retention at INR 23 crore, while Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants) were joint second at INR 21 crore. But perhaps the highlight of retention day was Mumbai Indians keeping all their big Indian players – Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma – for a total of INR 75 crore.Each team has a total purse of INR 120 crore to build their squads, but following the retention, Punjab Kings have the biggest purse remaining (INR 110.5 crore) to spend at the mega auction, having retained just two uncapped players – Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh – for a total of INR 9.5 crore. Rajasthan Royals have the smallest purse of INR 41 crore after they, along with Kolkata Knight Riders, retained the maximum of six players. KKR will have INR 51 crore to spend at the auction.The IPL has allowed teams to retain up to six players this time – of which a maximum of five can be capped and a maximum of two can be uncapped. The six players can either be retained outright ahead of the auction, or can be bought back using Right-to-Match (RTM) options at the auction, or a combination of both.If a player has been bought by another franchise at the mega auction, the franchise that he was part of in IPL 2024 can step in at the end of the bidding process and buy back their player using the RTM option by matching the highest bid. After that, the franchise that made the winning bid will be given another opportunity to raise the bid to whatever amount they wish. In that case, the player’s previous team will have to match the increased bid to buy back their player.Having retained just two players, PBKS have the most RTM options (four) at the auction. RCB, who retained three players, have three while Delhi Capitals, who retained four players, have two. Five teams – MI, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, SRH and LSG – retained five players each and have just one RTM option at the auction, while RR and KKR have no RTM options.There is of course no limit on the number of players a franchise can buy back if they place the highest bids for them during regular bidding at the auction.
Newcastle United are on the hunt for what seems to be their primary target this summer, a new right winger.
The Magpies have a huge season ahead of them, with Champions League football returning to St James’ Park, and are looking for extra depth on the right to go along with Jacob Murphy.
After being rejected by Bryan Mbeumo, the Magpies seemingly switched their attention to Anthony Elanga.
According to David Ornstein, they placed a bid of around £45m, but that was rejected by Nottingham Forest, the Sweden international’s current club.
Whilst there is still a chance they could return with a bid for Elanga, there have been reports about their new targets out wide.
Newcastle's new right-wing targets
It is definitely a blow for the North East giants to perhaps lose out on the signing of Elanga. He was a player they have seemingly targeted for a while, having made a move for him last summer. However, they certainly have other options.
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It seems as though Newcastle could move for a new target after they failed to sign Elanga. Keith Downie of Sky Sports reported a few days ago that they are ‘exploring’ a move for other players, including Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi.
If Eddie Howe’s side decide to try and sign the Germany international, he could cost £43m, according to SportBILD a few weeks ago.
The same report also suggests that Juventus, Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested in the winger, although it is not clear if they will challenge the Magpies in their move or Howe gets a clear run at his latest winger target.
How Adeyemi compares to Anthony Elanga
At 23 years of age, Adeyemi has already played a great deal of football at the highest level and has made a great impression. He notably impressed last season for Dortmund despite struggling with an injury, and is now playing in the Club World Cup in the United States.
In 2024/25 so far, including the ongoing competition happening Stateside, he has played 38 times, scoring an impressive 12 goals and grabbing a further nine assists. Given that he has featured for just 2,261 minutes, the equivalent of 25.1 full 90-minute games, contributing to 21 goals in that time is a great effort.
The Magpies will certainly know a bit about the damage Adeyemi can cause. Having played against him twice before in the Champions League, he grabbed an assist against them at Signal Iduna Park. Adeyemi’s quick feet and excellent long pass enabled Julian Brandt to counter-attack Newcastle, which he ended up scoring.
Sweden international Elanga had a fantastic campaign in the Premier League last season too. He played all 38 of Forest’s games, scoring six goals and grabbing 11 assists, including a sublime effort against former side Manchester United.
Those numbers are fairly similar to the ones Adeyemi put up in the Bundesliga; he contributed 13 goals and assists in the German top flight, but played just 25 games.
Described as a “counter-attacking weapon” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and as “unstoppable” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, you can certainly see how that is similar to Elanga by watching how quick he is in the above goal. Adeyemi is not exactly slow, and, as per Speeds Database, has a top speed of 36.30 km/h.
Statistically, via FBref, Adeyemi has numbers which far exceed Elanga. For example, the German international averaged 0.82 goal involvements and 0.69 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to the Forest star’s 0.61 goals and assists and 0.65 goal-creating actions each game.
Goals and assists
0.82
0.61
Goals per shot on target
0.39
0.25
Progressive carries
4.28
3.67
Take-ons completed
2.52
0.90
Goal-creating actions
0.69
0.65
Tackles and interceptions
1.7
0.90
If this is the type of profile Newcastle want to sign this summer, and they miss out on Elanga, they might end up with the better option in Adeyemi. The Dortmund attacker is quick, dangerous in transition and able to score and assist at a consistent level, more so than Elanga.
Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi celebrates scoring their second goal withDonyellMalen, Julian Brandt and Pascal Gross
For £43m, a fee they’re clearly willing to spend, this seems like a fantastic addition to the Magpies’ squad, and could be a better option than the Forest star.
Advanced talks: Newcastle accelerating move to sign "incredible" £30m ace
A landing failure of a small aircraft in Barbados has resulted in the South African team, along with ICC officials, being delayed by nearly six hours
Sidharth Monga27-Jun-2024
South Africa have had to wait to travel to Barbados after their semi-final victory in Trinidad•ICC via Getty Images
The final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies, a tournament already affected by logistical challenges and ambitiously short turnarounds between matches, has not been spared from operational issues.A landing failure of a small private aircraft at the Grantley Adams airport in Barbados has resulted in the South Africa team, their families, commentators, match officials and ICC officials being stranded at the Trinidad airport. The Barbados airport was closed for inspections by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Barbados Police Service.Moments before they were about to take off from Trinidad, the pilots received the information of the runway closure in Bridgetown.”It appeared that the landing gear of the private aircraft did not deploy, but it is currently on the runway at GAIA [Grantley Adams International Airport] safely,” Sharleen Brown, Corporate Communication Specialist with GAIA, said in a statement. She confirmed that all three individuals on board – two passengers and a pilot – were unharmed.Related
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Passengers on the flight from Trinidad to Barbados were told the tentative rescheduled time was 4.30pm, which would amount to nearly six hours of delay. All the boarded passengers had to return to the terminal, merely the latest addition to the many delays endured by teams at the tournament.The worst was when Sri Lanka, South Africa and Ireland had to spend a whole night at the airport when travelling from Florida to New York. Even Afghanistan, who finished their last Super Eight match in the wee hours of Tuesday, had their flight delayed before playing their first T20 World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.This is the first time South Africa have made a final of a men’s World Cup. The final will be played on Saturday morning, as opposed to the usual tradition of playing on Sundays. That change meant the second semi-final, currently delayed because of inclement weather in Guyana, could not have a reserve day. Despite giving the two semi-finals the same amount of extra time to get a game in, the ICC has used different playing conditions if the matches needed to be shortened.