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Everton spent a lot of time spinning their wheels with Farhad Moshiri at the head of the table, but David Moyes is working well within the Friedkin Group’s parameters, and there’s a new sense of belief on the blue half of Merseyside.

There’s no question the Blues have improved since the Scotsman’s exciting return, almost 12 years after closing the door on his dynasty and succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but more is needed to hit that elusive next level: contending for a seat at the European table.

While there may be an acceptance that the Toffees need external solutions, there’s one player plying their trade elsewhere who’s guaranteed a shot in Moyes’ squad next season, given that they are contracted to the Hill Dickinson Stadium already.

Indeed, Harrison Armstrong’s loan spell with Preston North End is drawing many plaudits, suggesting he is destined for success in the Premier League.

Why Harrison Armstrong is Everton's future

Armstrong, 18, has been at Everton since he was five years old. He is young and raw, but the talent has been clear from the get-go, with Sean Dyche featuring him three times in the league last season.

This season, the athletic, progressive centre-midfielder racked up two assists for Everton as they beat Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup second round, ahead of his season-long switch to Preston in the Championship.

He’s making good progress in the second tier. The 18-year-old was praised for a statement showing against Sheffield United recently, winning six of eight contested ground duels and completing both of his dribbles.

There was much to like on loan at Derby County last year, but Armstrong has evolved and developed since the summer, and that bodes well for his future in the Premier League.

Preston fans are certain Armstrong “will play for England one day”, and Everton must ensure they keep him on the books and help nurture him to the fore.

And the same must be applied to one of the youngster’s Toffees teammates, a rising star who might even be a bigger talent.

Everton have a bigger talent than Armstrong

This summer, Moyes oversaw sweeping changes as Everton moved house. Among the most high-profile and exciting deals was the £42m signing of Tyler Dibling from Southampton, the teenage talent having broken out on the south coast last term.

The 19-year-old only scored four goals and provided three assists across all competitions last season, but Southampton were in a dire state and he was a shining light throughout, blending pace and power and potency down the flank.

This season, Dibling has featured only four times in the Premier League, hooked at half time during his only start, the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

It’s been a slow start, but he’s immensely talented and has the potential to outstrip all his teammates in Moyes’ system.

With a natural ease when carrying the ball that will only develop over the coming years, Dibling is also positionally dynamic and has effortless balance.

Output and effectiveness are two facets he needs to keep working on, but there’s no question that Everton have a gem on their hands, potentially an even bigger talent than someone like Armstrong.

Mateus Fernandes

4

3.64

Ryan Manning

1

2.80

Yukinari Sugawara

1

2.46

Kyle Walker-Peters

2

2.30

Tyler Dibling

0

1.46

Despite entering the professional scene for the first time, despite trying to find success as a creator in a, frankly, dismal Saints side, Dibling showcased his quality, backing up the claims of his former youth coach Andy Goldie that he is a “world-class talent”.

Given Everton paid a hefty figure for the teenager’s services, and that he has a full Premier League campaign under his belt, it’s certainly not unjust to suggest that Dibling is a bigger talent than Armstrong, who may be thriving at Deepdale but has even further to climb if he wishes to successfully wedge his way into Moyes’ plans.

In any case, this all serves as an exciting nod toward the future for the Merseysiders.

Everton's £45k-p/w talent is now giving "Pienaar 2.0 vibes" under Moyes

Everton have already hit the jackpot on this talented first-teamer.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

Premier League legend Rory Delap has revealed that his son Liam was reduced to tears as a child as overzealous parents accused him of "ruining the game" with his long throws. The 49-year-old was the long throw-in king during his playing days, and as a result, his offspring appear to find it hard not to be tarred with that same brush. And when Liam was at primary school, one incident stung the Delap family.

Delap a throw-in legend

The 49-year-old became synonymous with long throws during his days at Stoke City, as defences quivered in fear at his javelin-like delivery into opposition boxes. While Delap senior became a cult figure for his howitzer set pieces in the 2000s, there appeared to be a negative knock-on effect for his son. Rory recalled how he agreed to stand in for Liam's coach for one game when he was at primary school – and it left a lasting impression. 

Talking to the Derbyshire FA/DerbyUniFootyJournos podcast On The Grass, Delap recalled: "The coach wasn’t able to be there and the game would have been postponed, so he asked me to take it for him. Unfortunately, in the game, the team was losing. And then there was 30 seconds left or something. Liam took two long throws, I’m talking aged seven or eight. We scored from them. Their parents are going berserk: ‘You’re ruining the game!’ So Liam was in tears even though they’ve won. That’s probably the last time he took a throw in. And that was the end of my grassroots coaching career.”

AdvertisementAFPDelap 'proud' of his son Liam

The 22-year-old has had a bright start to his career, graduating from Manchester City's academy to their first-team, securing a move to Ipswich Town, where he impressed in the Premier League, and then sealing a £30 million ($39.5m) summer move to Chelsea. Naturally, the former Southampton and Derby County man is very proud of what the striker has accomplished thus far.

"I’m immensely proud of Liam, of all three of my sons and my daughter," he said. "People think Liam’s had an easy route, and it’s anything but. He’s had his ups, his downs, but he’s always stayed focused that he could make it. He had to leave home, make a decision to leave home at 16, go to Manchester not knowing really what the situation was, but he’s always backed himself. I’ve always said, ‘if you work as hard as possible so there’s no excuse, you never know where it’s going to get you – treat people with respect, see where it takes you’. He’s not there yet. He’s had a big move in the summer to Chelsea, a big opportunity for him. Liam’s been unfortunate with the (hamstring) injury, he started well in America and then the start of the season, but he’s got a lot to do to force his way into the team now."

Success of long throws a consequence of Guardiola's style

Among many talking points this season, the return of long throw-ins has been a big one. Arsenal, Brentford, and Sunderland have utilised the tactic well as teams look to find other ways to unlock defences. And according to Delap, this trend is partly in response to Pep Guardiola's tactics being so effective in the past 15 years or so.

He added: "If you look over the last 10 years, Pep’s had a big influence on how teams, not just in the Premier League play, but across the board. Pep’s always had the best players in the world to work with, which makes things a lot easier. You can go down to the non-league divisions and see it there as well – where teams are trying to play their way out. It’s the same with academies, the majority of the teams will look to play out and they want technical players. The consequence of that is you end up with the defenders that can’t defend and head the football. That’s become prevalent, that people are putting more long balls in because the lads that have come through the academies don’t understand how to defend that type of situation. So you’re seeing the longer balls, throw-ins, set plays. There’s a correlation in a lot of teams having set play coaches, but it’s a bit disrespectful to say that’s a new thing, because it’s not. It was just that before it was the coach’s or the manager’s job to do it as part of the plan, the programme. So it’s no less or no more important today than it was. Teams are doing it because they’re getting success."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Delap, who has just returned from a hamstring injury, is not on long throw-in duty for Chelsea. However, he will hope to be very effective for Enzo Maresca's team when they host Premier League basement side Wolves on Saturday.

IPL 2025 is knocking on our doors. As we welcome the tournament’s 18th season, here is all you need to know about it

Hemant Brar20-Mar-2025When does IPL 2025 start and when is the final?IPL 2025 will start on March 22 when defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens. Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be played in Hyderabad on May 20 and 21, respectively. Qualifier 2, on May 23, and the final, on May 25, will be in Kolkata. In all, 74 matches will be played across 13 cities over two months. Here is the full schedule.Thirteen cities? This means some teams have more than one home venue, right?Yes, just like in 2024, Delhi Capitals will play their home matches in Delhi and Visakhapatnam, Punjab Kings in Mullanpur and Dharamsala, and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur and Guwahati. The remaining seven teams have only one home base each.Related

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So no changes in format?Correct. The ten teams have been divided into two virtual groups.Group A: Chennai Super Kings, KKR, RR, RCB and PBKS
Group B: MI, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, DC and Lucknow Super GiantsEach team will play the other teams in their group twice. They will also play one team from the other group twice – that’s determined by seeding – and the other four teams once. Eventually, every team will have played 14 matches, seven at home and seven away. After that, the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs.What are the match timings?All evening games will start at 7.30pm IST. The afternoon games – there are 12 double-headers – will begin at 3.30pm IST.ESPNcricinfo LtdIs there anything new in IPL 2025?A lot, actually. To start with, as many as five teams have new captains. Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to the title in 2024, will captain Punjab Kings this time. Ajinkya Rahane has replaced him in that role at KKR. Rishabh Pant was released by DC before the mega auction. He is now with LSG as their captain. DC, meanwhile, have handed over the reins to Axar Patel. Rajat Patidar, who is yet to play a T20I for India, will lead RCB.A couple of franchises have to cope with a temporary switch of leadership. Hardik Pandya will be unavailable for MI’s first game, against CSK, as he will be serving out an over-rate related ban from the last season. Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, will lead MI in his place. Similarly, Sanju Samson will play RR’s first three games as a batter due to a finger injury he sustained in February. Riyan Parag has been handed the armband.Among other major changes, KL Rahul has moved to DC, Yuzvendra Chahal to PBKS, R Ashwin to Chennai Super Kings and Mohammed Siraj to Gujarat Titans. You can learn more about those changes here.Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, the top two most expensive players in IPL 2025, will lead LSG and PBKS, respectively•BCCIWhat about the support staff?They, too, have undergone an overhaul. Ricky Ponting, who was DC’s head coach till last season, will don the same hat at PBKS. Hemang Badani has replaced him at DC. DC have also brought in Kevin Pietersen as mentor.Rahul Dravid, who coached India to the T20 World Cup title last year, is now the head coach of RR. Dwayne Bravo has replaced Gautam Gambhir as KKR’s mentor. Matthew Wade, who was with GT as a player till 2024, is now their assistant coach. Check our IPL Newsfile for all other changes.Who are the most expensive players at IPL 2025?Pant is the most expensive player; LSG signed him for INR 27 crore (USD 3.21 million approx.) at the mega auction. Shreyas Iyer is not too far behind, signed by PBKS for INR 26.75 crore (USD 3.18 million approx.). KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer is third on the list at INR 23.75 crore (USD 2.83 million approx.). He is followed by Henrich Klaasen, who was retained by SRH for INR 23 crore (USD 2.74 million approx.). You can check which player was signed for how much and by whom here.How could CSK retain MS Dhoni for just INR 4 crore (USD 0.48 million approx.)?Because the IPL brought back an old rule under which an Indian player can be retained as an uncapped player if his last international match was more than five years ago. Since Dhoni last played for India at the 2019 ODI World Cup, he qualified under this rule. RR also retained Sandeep Sharma under this rule.MS Dhoni will play as an uncapped player•Associated PressAny other new rules?Fielding teams during the second innings of an evening game can now get the ball changed once anytime after the tenth over*. This rule has been brought in to counter dew. In another good news for the bowlers, the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball has also been revoked. Apart from that, Hawk-Eye will be used to judge off-side and head-high wides, in addition to waist-high no-balls.Are any big names missing from action?Jasprit Bumrah will miss the first few games for Mumbai Indians as he continues to recover from a back injury. Injuries have also ruled out AM Ghazanfar and Lizaad Williams for MI. Mujeeb Ur Rahaman and Corbin Bosch have replaced them.At LSG, Mayank Yadav is set to miss the first half of the season with a back injury, while Harry Brook has pulled out amid speculation about England’s white-ball captaincy. As per the IPL rules, Brook cannot participate in the next two seasons either. Mitchell Marsh, who missed the Champions Trophy with a back injury, has been cleared for LSG as a specialist batter.A toe injury has ruled out Brydon Carse for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has been replaced by Wiaan Mulder.Where can I watch IPL 2025 live?Australia: Foxtel and Kayo Sports
England: Sky Sports
India: Star Sports and JioHotstar
New Zealand: Sky Sports
South Africa: SuperSport
UAE: Starz On
USA: Willow TVAnd will this be Dhoni’s last IPL?Shhh…

Are Celtic poised to appoint a new manager?

According to widespread reports, Celtic have been given permission to speak to Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, talks that have taken place over the weekend.

The Frenchman has won both MLS Cup and Leagues Cup in charge of the Black and Gold, very much now the front-runner to take over the reins from Martin O’Neill.

Should Nancy swap Ohio for Glasgow, he would have a big job on his hands to put together a cohesive team, considering the Celts’ current injury crisis and poorly constructed squad.

So, which player is in danger of becoming the new Luis Palma following an underwhelming start to their career in hoops?

Why Luis Palma failed at Celtic

Few players have made such a bright start to their Celtic career only to disappear into oblivion quite as quickly as Palma.

After arriving from Aris Thessaloniki in August 2023, the Honduran made an electrifying start to his time in Glasgow.

He scored four goals in his first eight Premiership appearances, bagging ten goals across his first season all told, including netting against both Atlético Madrid and Feyenoord in home Champions League matches, as well as heartbreakingly seeing a last-gasp winner against Lazio disallowed by VAR too.

However, last season, Palma very much found himself no longer in Brendan Rodgers’ plan, seeing a miserly 267 minutes of action before being loaned out to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.

After scoring just one goal in 12 appearances for the Greek giants, he joined Lech Poznań on loan this summer, and is seemingly loving life in Poland.

To date, Palma has scored six goals for the Railwayman, on target against both Rapid Wien and Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League, producing this rather iconic celebration after netting against Widzew Łódź during a 2-1 Ekstraklasa victory at Stadion Poznań in September.

Lech, who have won two of the last four Polish titles, have a €4m (around £3.5m) option to buy Palma at the end of the season, but this would shatter their current transfer record of €2.3m, paid to sign Yannick Agnero from Halmstad earlier this year.

Nevertheless, after a promising start to his Celtic career, Palma appears to have no future at Parkhead, but who could become the latest exciting attacking signing to depart as quickly as they arrived?

Celtic's next Luis Palma

Having left themselves woefully short in attacking areas, Celtic rather went on a trolley dash towards the end of the transfer window.

Benjamin Nygren, who joined back in June, has looked excellent so far, while both Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho have shown promising signs, but the same cannot be said of Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

The winger had been on Celtic’s radar for a long time, his move to Glasgow delayed by 12 months due to injury, belatedly arriving from Royal Antwerp for a reported fee of £5m.

However, so far, the 24-year-old has not justified that price tag, as the table below documents.

Minutes

317

22nd

Appearances

12

14th

Goals

0

16th

Assists

2

5th

Big chances created

1

15th

Key passes per 90

0.4

13th

As the table highlights, Balikwisha has made very little impact so far, yet to score for the Celts, while registering two assists, these coming against Motherwell and Partick Thistle.

Of his 12 appearances, only two have come from the start, included in the lineup for his first two Premiership matches against Rangers and Kilmarnock, thereby not starting a game since 14 September.

Upon his arrival, then-manager Rodgers labelled him a “really talented, exciting player” who “loves to attack and can play both sides”, while scout António Mango was also impressed by his form at Antwerp, describing him as a “terrific talent”, albeit Celtic supporters have seen very little of this to date.

As well as changing clubs recently, Balikwisha has made a big decision regarding his international future, switching his allegiance from Belgium to DR Congo, a request approved by FIFA earlier this month.

He was thereby included in Sébastien Desabre’s squad for the first time ahead of this month’s fixtures, an unused substitute as the Leopards beat Cameroon 1-0 in their World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday night.

This means, alongside Tounekti of Tunisia, Balikwisha is set to be absent for Celtic during the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning he has seven matches in which to kick-start his career at Parkhead before that tournament commences in Morocco.

However, should Nancy arrive, this may be bad news considering that, across all 136 matches in charge of Columbus Crew, the Frenchman always deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation, a shape that does not contain any wingers, which is exactly what Balikwisha was signed to be.

Thus, similar to Palma, there is clearly a talented player in there, albeit the early signs are, despite a sizable transfer fee, Balikwisha is not going to fulfil his potential at Celtic.

Ange 2.0: Celtic board 'very keen' to interview 48 y/o McKenna alternative

Celtic should appoint an “immensely respected” manager not Kieran McKenna because he would be able to replicate Ange Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow

ByBen Gray Nov 13, 2025

It would have been easy to miss amid all of the excitement generated during arguably the most dramatic international break of all time – but some very big transfer news broke earlier this week. According to the very reliable David Ornstein, Antoine Semenyo has a £65 million ($85m) release clause in his Bournemouth contract that can be triggered during the first two weeks of the winter window.

Given the Ghana international is arguably one of the most exciting wingers operating in Europe right now, the revelation has unsurprisingly sparked widespread speculation over Semenyo's immediate future, with the presumption being that a January move away from the Vitality Stadium is now inevitable.

The 25-year-old won't be short on offers, that's for sure. Indeed, Semenyo has been linked with every member of the Premier League's 'Big Six'. But which club would actually suit him best: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United or Tottenham? GOAL ranks Semenyo's options:

Getty6Chelsea

Chelsea love nothing better than signing wingers, so one can be sure that the decision-makers at Stamford Bridge have at least discussed signing Semenyo – particularly as he's available at such an attractive price. However, even accounting for the Blues' wild approach to squad-building, it's difficult to envisage them bringing in another wideman in January unless one leaves – and that appears highly unlikely as it stands.

Jamie Gittens may be struggling at Stamford Bridge but he only joined during the summer – just like fellow left winger Alejandro Garnacho, who has been showing signs of life in recent weeks. As for the right-wing options, Pedro Neto remains one of Enzo Maresca's more productive players, while Estevao is unquestionably a superstar-in-the-making – as he illustrated with his performances for Brazil during the international break.

Basically, Chelsea have no need for Semenyo, who would be wise to avoid getting caught up in the revolving-door approach to recruitment in west London. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport5Manchester United

Manchester United reportedly offered Bournemouth £50m for Semenyo last January  – and it was easy to understand why. As a strong, pacey, hard-running, two-footed attacker, he looked an ideal fit for one of the inside-forward positions in Ruben Amorim's precious 3-4-2-1 formation.

Semenyo still does, in fairness, but after getting a deal done for Matheus Cunha shortly after the summer transfer window opened, United also eventually managed to persuade Brentford to part company with Bryan Mbeumo, who's been one of their better players so far this season.

Of course, all three are multi-talented footballers capable of playing pretty much anywhere across the frontline, so Amorim could, at least in theory, move Cunha into the central striking role (where he's been used by Brazil) to make room for Semenyo. After all, it's not as if Benjamin Sesko is looking like the answer to United's long-running search for a world-class No.9.

However, times are tight at Old Trafford (though maybe not as tight as Sir Jim Ratcliffe likes to make out), meaning United are unlikely to spend a significant sum of money on a position that doesn't necessarily need strengthening.

Getty Images Sport4Arsenal

Who wouldn't want to play for Arsenal right now? The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League and have won all four of the games in the Champions League. Semenyo would probably jump at the chance to move to north London, too, given he's an Arsenal fan and even had a trial with the club as a teenager.

However, it would arguably be a case of the heart ruling the head, because, at 25 years of age, Semenyo wants to be playing first-team football for a top team – and there's no guarantee of regular game time at the Emirates these days.

Mikel Arteta is in possession of arguably the strongest squad in England and that's partly down to the fact that Arsenal brought in two more attackers during the summer in Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. Arsenal have been reportedly tracking Semenyo for some time – he even scored against the Gunners last season – but they're hardly lacking in options on the left wing, while Bukayo Saka remains a certain starter on the right.

So, while this is definitely the most romantic option for Semenyo, it doesn't actually make much sense from a purely sporting perspective. 

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Getty Images Sport3Tottenham

Just like United, Spurs were heavily linked with Semenyo during the summer. And just like United, they ended looking elsewhere after he extended his contract with Bournemouth until 2030. 

However, while Mohammed Kudus was a smart signing for the right-hand side, Spurs are still lacking a penetrative force down the left flank because Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons is better suited to a central role and if anyone thinks that Richarlison is the answer, they've not understood the question. It would, thus, be a massive surprise if Spurs are not seriously considering at least speaking with Semenyo and his representatives to establish the full cost of any potential deal.

Of course, Spurs will be acutely aware that a buy-out close doesn't make a transfer a formality. They thought they had a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White wrapped up during the summer, only for Nottingham Forest to dig their heels in and convince the England international to sign a new deal at the City Ground.

However, Bournemouth have been very open about the fact that they will not stand in Semenyo's way if he wants to join a Champions League club, meaning a January exit is now looking very likely indeed. Whether Arsenal fan Semenyo would really want to join Spurs is a different story altogether, though – particularly as there will almost certainly be other, more exciting options available to him…

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy explains the recalls of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, saying they expect the two to excel in spin-friendly Indian conditions

Vishal Dikshit19-Sep-2025West Indies head coach Daren Sammy believes the seam attack they have picked in the Test squad for the two-match tour of India next month has the “variety” to “operate in any conditions” and “pick 20 wickets”.The West Indies pace attack features Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, along with allrounder Justin Greaves. West Indies haven’t won a Test series in India in 42 years but Sammy said they would take inspiration from the way New Zealand blanked India 3-0 towards the end of 2024 and try to “emulate” that.”We have found ourselves in a position where our seam attack could operate in any conditions,” Sammy said in a press conference. “That six-to-eight-metre length works across the world. But in our fast-bowling department, we’ve got four different guys who have their own variety.Related

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“You have Shamar Joseph, who’s very skiddy, Jayden, who has a strong front leg and can swing the ball both ways, then you have Alzarri Joseph with his height and the bounce he could extract. So, again, we take confidence in that, especially the way they’ve been bowling over the last year. The ability to take 20 wickets, because that’s what you will need in India. If you can’t take 20 wickets in India, you are on the back foot and we have a bowling line-up of that, especially from the seam department, that could take 20 wickets.”The process remains the same. The lines and lengths don’t change in terms of that six-to-eight-metre length. Maybe it’s just adjusting whether it’s a touch fuller or touch further back into the pitch. I have full confidence in that and it makes me smile knowing that we go out bowling and we take 20 wickets. And that’s the first objective in the Test match.”

“New Zealand went there and did incredibly well and that we should take inspiration from. But again, it’s understanding the things that New Zealand did in those conditions and try to emulate it with our guys as well”Daren Sammy

Sammy, who is also the coach of St Lucia Kings in the ongoing CPL 2025, said he had utilised the last six weeks he had spent with Test captain Roston Chase in the Kings dressing room to discuss and plan for the India tour and their attempt would be “to continue instilling that belief matched up by the work we put in to bring the technical aspects of the game up to where we could compete and win matches”.He also said that they had looked at “a lot of data” to come up with the “best squad” to identify the players for specific roles with their skill sets.”From my end, the ten days leading up to the [first] Test match [in India], we’ll be drilling in all these things and planning very well as to how we’re going to beat India in India,” Sammy said. “We’re definitely going down there with the mindset to win. We’re not just going to go down there and think, “oh, it’s India”. No. New Zealand went there and did incredibly well and that we should take inspiration from. But again, it’s understanding the things that New Zealand did in those conditions and try to emulate it with our guys as well.”Sammy also said former captain Jason Holder was “considered” for the tour but “the role that we’d love for him to play is being played by Justin Greaves.” West Indies also took the big decision of dropping their former captain Kraigg Brathwaite from the 15-man squad and have brought back Alick Athanaze and Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Sammy said recalling Chanderpaul, who last played a Test in January 2024, was down to many factors, such as numbers, form, and the other options available to the selectors.Tagenarine Chanderpaul is back after last playing a Test match in January 2024•Associated Press”Before Tage got injured in the 4-Day Championship, he was averaging, I think, 47 [42 in the 2024-25 season, batting well and just looking at our depth chart, who we have with the opening spot over the last few series, not really giving us the numbers and the results that we want,” Sammy said. “When we look at the role needed for one of these openers, Tage brings that sort of clarity of thought that we’re looking at in terms of the skillset and what that role requires. And his experience, the ability to play spin, he was probably right up there as one of the better contenders for that role. So [he’s a] young man, you speak about transitioning, he made a very strong case for the opening spot.”And in the absence of Kraigg, the next best person that played that type of similar role would have been Tage. And we’re hoping that the build-up before, what he’s been doing here in Guyana, preparation he’s been putting in would be would be good enough to be executed in India.”Explaining the recall of Athanaze, Sammy said, “The return of Alick, again, looking at the conditions, looking at what we’ll face, Alick, we knew before Australia that Alick was always going to come back into the set-up, based on the conditions that we will face and the skillset that would require us to be successful. So again, we don’t just stay there and just pick and pluck players from nowhere. We do a lot of information, a lot of data collected, and we try to come up with the best squad in terms of the roles and the skillset required.”West Indies’ spin attack features Jomel Warrican, the uncapped Khary Pierre and Chase. They have rested left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie keeping in mind his workload in the lead up to the T20 World Cup early next year as he recently played the full CPL season. But Sammy said, “Motie is a very strong contender in all formats.”‘Durability’ brings veteran Khary Pierre rare opportunityExplaining the inclusion of Pierre, who will turn 34 next week and has never played Test cricket, for his maiden tour of India, CWI’s senior talent manager Jamal Smith said, “This year, Pierre was able to average just 13.56 and [had an] economy of 2.37 [at the WI Championship],” Smith said. “He’s actually topped the West Indies Championship list, followed closely by Joshua Bishop. I want to say here or insert here that Pierre, obviously, I like to title these cricketers as journeymen, who has been around for first-class domestic set-up for quite a while.Khary Pierre is a familiar face in T20 line-ups, but has never played Test cricket for West Indies•Getty Images”He’s always been a consistent enough performer in terms of the areas that he bowled. Then he’s been afforded the opportunity to play just a level above the A team or I think the solitary ODI tour. He’s always just shown just enough. But last year in particular, or this season, I should say, we felt that he bowled really, really well.”Pierre has so far played 35 first-class matches for 111 wickets at an average of 22.81, with four five-fors. His last red-ball outing was for West Indies A against the touring South Africa A side in June earlier this year.”You take the extra spin in Khary Pierre because of his experience, first of all, and his durability, his consistency,” Smith said. “If you have managed to watch some CPL last night, for instance, you’ll be seeing him when they’re on the field, quite expertly, to be honest, taking the safest catches as well, to augment with the way that he struck the ball and also how he bowls. He’s the kind of guy that you can give the information to, especially on a tour to India.”Hopefully, he will be able to execute, basically back on his experience, his durability over a long first-class career. You’re hoping that he can put all those things together. At this stage, you’d prefer to go with a guy like Khary Pierre as opposed to probably a youngster.”The series will start on October 2 in Ahmedabad, with the second Test scheduled from October 10 in Delhi.

Both fast bowlers will face India in the ODI series with Hazlewood then due to miss the latter part of the T20Is

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-20252:26

How is England’s attack shaping up ahead of the Ashes?

Josh Hazlewood is confident one Sheffield Shield game will be enough for him and Mitchell Starc before the Ashes, with the quick likely to skip three T20Is against India to play for New South Wales.Hazlewood and Starc were on Tuesday both named in Australia’s squad to face India in three ODIs later this month, which kicks off the main part of the home summer.Related

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Five T20Is then follow, and while Starc has retired from that format, Hazlewood has been listed in the squad for the first two of those games on October 29 and 31.Australian officials are keeping an open mind to Ashes preparations, ahead of the first Test in Perth beginning on November 21.But the most likely scenario remains having the duo play for NSW against Victoria in a Shield match from November 10, before a one-week preparation into the first Test.”We’ve definitely had chats about fitting in a Shield game,” Hazlewood said at a Cricket Australia sponsorship announcement with Woolworths on Monday. “I do think it’s important when there’s time for it. You don’t want to squeeze things in or rush for it.”This year I’m going to miss a couple of T20s to do that. Which I certainly don’t like doing, missing games for Australia. But in the long run it is about getting the best prep for the Ashes as well. You can’t have everything and that’s the trade off at the moment.”Josh Hazlewood will work through ODIs and T20Is during October•Getty ImagesIt creates the potential for a star-studded NSW side to take the field at the SCG. Nathan Lyon is eyeing three out of the first four Shield matches before the first Test and is expected to miss the round two fixture at Junction Oval which would leave him to face Queensland at the Gabba then Victoria in Sydney.It’s understood that Steve Smith is also in line to play while Sam Konstas will likely line up, although by then he will know his Test fate with the squad due to be named after the third round of Shield fixtures.Pat Cummins will sit out the white-ball matches against India as he fights to recover from his back issues in time for the first Test.Hazlewood said playing the ODIs would also help with preparation, with three games in the space of a week offering a reasonable workload.There is a fine balance for the 34-year-old to strike, given he is still eying off playing in the T20 World Cup in February before another ODI tournament in 2027.”That’s why I put my hand up for as many tours as I can,” Hazlewood said. “Even if I only play two out of three on a tour, it just means I am still touching base with those formats.”My game doesn’t change too much. I have been around long enough to duck and dive in each format and chop and change.”Hazlewood said it was possible for him to play all five Ashes Tests, with lengthy gaps between the first three helping bowlers manage their fitness.

Big chases bring all the drama and here is a list of five from the IPL that had almost everything

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2025Jonny Bairstow made an unbeaten 108 in a chase of 262•BCCIPunjab Kings 262 for 2
In a season where run-scoring and six-hitting scaled new heights, this clash raised the bar for T20 cricket. The match featured a record 42 sixes and produced the highest successful chase in the format – 262. KKR’s 261 for 6 was powered by a 138-run opening stand between Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, with the middle order adding the finishing touches. In reply, Prabhsimran Singh provided the early thrust before Jonny Bairstow’s fiery hundred and Shashank Singh’s 28-ball 68 sealed the mighty chase with eight balls to spare.Sunrisers Hyderabad 247 for 2
It was Abhishek’s night in Hyderabad. A stroke of luck came early when he was caught on 28, but it turned out to be off a no-ball. Most times, when he hit the ball in the air, it either disappeared into the stands or dropped safely in no man’s land. Occasionally, as is the case when playing such high-risk innings, the ball went in the general direction of a fielder but PBKS weren’t able to hold onto their catches. Abhishek dismantled PBKS’ bowling attack with audacious ease. He stormed to his maiden IPL century in just 40 balls and went on record the highest individual score (141 off 55 balls) by an Indian in IPL history. Head played the perfect supporting act, hammering 66 off 37 in a dominant 171-run opening stand.Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarwal stitched a match-winning 107 in just 45 balls•Associated PressRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 230 for 4
The night seemed to belong to Rishabh Pant. His blazing 118, off just 61 balls, meant that RCB had to gun down 228 to earn a spot in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings. RCB began well, with Kohli and Phil Salt adding 61 inside six overs, but three quick wickets tilted the advantage LSG’s way. Kohli raised a fine half-century, but his dismissal in the 12th over left RCB with 105 runs still to get from just 52 balls. Enter Mayank and Jitesh. While Mayank’s 23-ball 41 was impressive on its own, Jitesh seemed to batting in a different dimension altogether, blasting 85 off 33 balls, with eight fours and six sixes. Will O’Rourke, in particular, came in for some heavy punishment, conceding 74 from his four overs – the third-most expensive spell in IPL history.The game wasn’t without drama from other corners. Jitesh looked to be out at the start of the 17th over, but a back-foot no ball from Digvesh Rathi handed the batter a reprieve. A few moments later, Rathi, before delivering the ball, clipped the stumps at the bowler’s end with Jitesh well sort of his crease. However, the wicket was not given because the umpire deemed that Rathi had completed his delivery stride before he removed the stumps. Pant also asked for the appeal to be withdrawn. In the end, RCB were not to be denied, as Jitesh himself sealed it with a six to send every Bengaluru fan into delirium.Rahul Tewatia was the centre of attention after his spectacular innings against Kings XI in IPL 2020•BCCIRajasthan Royals 226 for 6
With Rajasthan Royals (RR) needing 51 off the final three overs, Rahul Tewatia’s 17 off 23 balls was turning into a disastrous promotion to No. 4. But what followed was one of the most dramatic turnarounds in IPL history. Tewatia smashed five sixes off Sheldon Cottrell’s over. He and Jofra Archer added three more sixes, and a four, in the next nine balls. RR chased down 224 – the highest IPL chase at the time – with three balls to spare. Earlier, Sanju Samson’s 85 off 42 had kept them in the hunt against PBKS.Jos Buttler pulled off a great one-man rescue act for Rajasthan Royals last year•BCCIRajasthan Royals 224 for 8
The standout performer of KKR’s title-winning campaign, Sunil Narine, smashed his maiden T20 century to lift his side to 223 for 6 and then struck with the ball too. With 103 to defend off 46 balls and four wickets remaining for RR, KKR were cruising. But Jos Buttler had other plans. With a strapped-up hamstring that kept him out of the previous game, Buttler single-handedly turned the chase on its head – scoring 70 of the remaining runs, retaining strike for the final 18 balls, and completing the win with five sixes and six fours.The Pandya brothers run to congratulate Kieron Pollard on taking Mumbai home in a chase of 219•BCCI/IPLMumbai Indians 219 for 6
This was one of those chases that cemented Kieron Pollard’s status as Mumbai Indians (MI) saviour. Ambati Rayudu’s blazing 72 off 27 balls had powered CSK to 218 for 4. MI came out swinging in the powerplay but stumbled with three quick wickets. MI needed 125 off the last eight overs with Pollard batting on 2 off 4. Then the tide started turning – he hit three sixes off Ravindra Jadeja, followed by a barrage against the quicks. Cameos from the Pandya brothers helped bring it down to 16 off the final over. Pollard kept strike throughout and sealed the win off the last ball with a nervy, match-winning double.

Neymar has revealed why he was "sad and very upset" despite his goalscoring display in Santos' crucial 3-1 win over Sport Recife. The build-up to the game had been dominated by whether or not the 33-year-old would play amid an issue with his knee. The former Barcelona star bagged a goal and an assist but after the match, he took a swipe at the media.

Neymar to the rescue for Santos

Despite a knee issue keeping him out of Santos' 1-1 draw with Internacional earlier this week, Neymar played through the pain in his side's vital victory on Friday night. The former Paris Saint-Germain ace, who has reportedly been advised to undergo an arthroscopy in order to repair a tear in the meniscus region of his left knee, received a standing ovation from his home fans as the Brazilian giants earned an important three points. The result took them up to 15th in the table, giving them a two-point cushion above the relegation zone, although 17th-placed Vitoria and 18th-positioned Fortaleza have a game in hand. While many celebrated the victory, Neymar was not best pleased.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'It was a joint decision'

The former Al-Hilal man appeared to take aim at how his injury has been reported in the press. The forward made it clear that he made the decision to play for Santos after being advised by the club's doctors, rather than defying them. 

"To be honest, it's not okay! People need to know that doctors and I know. These are the people who have to know what happened to make the right decisions. We will never harm my career, we will try to do the best for me. That's what I have to say. People invent many things. I'm sad! Very upset," he said in an interview with Sportv. "I am a human being and no being deserves to listen to the nonsense I heard. You, who report things, have to be very careful. It is very harmful to the mind of a player, who is a human being. I'm happy for today's game. For the goal, for Santos' victory. Seek the three points. About these decisions (to play or not), they are internal. I didn't go over the doctors, it was a joint decision. I was the one who had to take it."

Neymar optimistic about his injury

Neymar, who has had an injury-hit second stint at boyhood team Santos, was optimistic about his conditioning going into the final games of the season. It did not seem like he would sit out the rest of the campaign, with the veteran very much determined to keep Santos in the Brazilian top-flight. 

He added: "Physically I've been doing well, I'm feeling better and better, obviously with this injury now it's sad, it's annoying, but it's nothing that will stop me from doing something, that's why I keep playing. Now it's time to think about Santos and where Santos deserves to be, which is Serie A, and then we'll see what they do. We have been facing a very big difficulty in the fight against relegation, obviously we didn't want that, but now we depend on us. Obviously we know that goal difference is important, that's why I was always demanding the team to try to score goals, respecting the Sport team, but we really wanted this victory, we wanted a bigger balance, because we know that in the end it will be important. Now we have to keep going from here for the better."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Neymar's Santos?

Santos' final two games of the Brasileiro Serie A season involve a trip to 19th-placed Juventude, who are set to be relegated, on Wednesday, before hosting third-placed Cruzeiro four days later. 

When asked if he would be on the field in Santos' next match, Neymar replied: "Absolutely."

Indeed, Santos manager Juan Pablo previously said on the Brazilian icon: "He's a player we need for all three rounds, and he'll help us. He's our leader on the field. He'll be there."

Freed from the burden of expectations, the Hyderabad opener is eager to continue his excellent form in the upcoming domestic season

Deivarayan Muthu31-Aug-2025No opener has scored more runs than Tanmay Agarwal’s 1699, at an average of nearly 85, across the previous two Ranji Trophy seasons. However, when Hyderabad were part of the Plate Group in 2023-24, his numbers, which included a record triple-century, were often seen with an asterisk next to them.Then, in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, he showed that he could dominate attacks in the Elite Group as well, tallying 934 runs in 12 innings. It culminated in a maiden Duleep Trophy call-up for Agarwal.”I just want to make plans and be relentless and stick to my plans for my first Duleep Trophy,” Agarwal said on the sidelines of the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “If things go my way, good. If it doesn’t go my way, he [points skywards, suggesting God] has better plans for me.”Related

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Agarwal, 30, is a diminutive left-handed batter who is strong against both spin and pace. He has established himself as one of the mainstays in Hyderabad’s batting line-up along with Tilak Varma. Agarwal attributed his recent run spree to avoiding overthinking and going easy on himself.”A bit of luck and a change in my mindset – the way I approach the game, I feel, has made a difference,” he said. “I feel the approach and the mindset played a major role in the way I see things on the field. Before, I used to be very serious, as in if I was not getting the desired result, I would be very harsh on myself.”But nowadays I have started taking it easy because cricket is a game ultimately. It is not life and death for me. I used to take it as life and death. But now it is eased out and [understand] it’s just a game. [If] I make a mistake, I try not to repeat it. I go to the next game with better planning and better understanding of what cricket is. It has helped me in the last two years, and it has worked for me.”Tanmay Agarwal came away as the top run-getter in the league phase of the Buchi Babu tournament•Deivarayan Muthu/ESPNcricinfoAgarwal was particularly dejected when he had gone unsold in the IPL 2022 auction despite scoring a chart-topping 334 runs in seven innings at an average of 55.66 and strike rate of 148.44 in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has not made an IPL appearance yet. A conversation with VVS Laxman helped him stay motivated.”VVS Laxman helped me a lot and gave me clarity,” Agarwal recalled. “After that, I figured out what to do and what not to do. What works for me and what does not work for me. When I told him what I was going through, he said it was pretty normal.”[At the time], I was 27 and a half, I think. He gave me confidence and gave me a [road]map and even suggested [to] me a book by Tony Robbins [an author and motivational speaker]. After that, I haven’t thought about the IPL. If it has to come, it will come.”Agarwal has built a strong body of work in red-ball cricket, especially over the past two seasons, and developed the endurance to bat for long periods. Five of his last six first-class hundreds have been scores of 150 or more.”[Earlier], all my hundreds were 120s and 130s,” Agarwal said. “I had it in mind to make it into big hundreds. I worked on my fitness really hard for the last two years so that I don’t get tired after just scoring a hundred. That played a good part in the reason for me scoring big hundreds.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();