The world Test champions will be judged on how they play spin in the subcontinent in this cycle

Firdose Moonda13-Oct-2025Champions or not, South Africa were always going to be judged on this: how they play on pitches specifically prepared to suffocate batters and against sides with serious spinners.No disrespect to Bangladesh, where South Africa won their first series in the subcontinent in a decade last year and regarded it as their turning point in the WTC campaign, but critics wanted them to take on sterner challenges. The early results in Pakistan are less terrible than they could have been.For one, South Africa were not bowled out for under 200, which was one of the unspoken fears given how pitches have played in Pakistan most recently. In fact, they are yet to be bowled out though they remain some distance away from challenging Pakistan’s first-innings score. Two, is that they had two batters who got themselves to half-centuries and one is still batting. Pakistan had four with fifty-plus scores and two partnerships over 150, so the difference between the two line-ups is measurable but maybe not exactly comparative. With an obvious advantage to the team that bats first, perhaps this can only be judged if roles are reversed in the next match. For now, South Africa will try to survive.And it’s the last of those words that’s the most important because there isn’t really another to describe what it’s like watching them out there except to say that it is a fight. Even when Shaheen Shah Afridi offered up a half-volley for Ryan Rickelton to drive through the covers off the third ball of South Africa’s reply, there was the threat of who was to share the new ball and when he got it, Noman Ali showed what he could do. His third ball gripped, turned and flirted with Aiden Markam’s outside edge as he lunged forward, missed the ball and almost lifted his back foot. Mohammad Rizwan whipped off the bails for good measure. No damage was done, but that was a warning.Related

• Noman Ali makes spinroads into South Africa's resistance

Noman would keep attacking Markram in the same way and would eventually get him caught behind as he tried to play the turn but the ball spun more than he expected. He would also get Mulder, who worked his way to 17 off 46 balls, but then drove with a horizontal bat against a slow, loopy ball and edged to Rizwan. Mulder will question why he played the way he did, but the answer lies in what came before. After he found some rhythm with 11 off his first 15 balls, he couldn’t get either Noman or Sajid Khan away. Mulder faced maiden overs from both of them, was being tied down by lack of pace, and showed his frustration with an expansive drive.Noman Ali’s four wickets dented South Africa•Getty ImagesAt the other end, Ryan Rickelton had got himself to 37 off 73 and would have known that he was responsible for anchoring the innings, especially in the absence of Temba Bavuma. If it was Rickelton’s job to employ some of Bavuma’s fortitude, it was Tony de Zorzi’s to fill his regular captain’s shoes, batting at No.4 and knowing he lost his opening berth to Rickelton. What better subplot to add to the tension?De Zorzi spent the first 33 balls looking like he could get out to every one of them. In one over, Hasan Ali found his outside edge, then beat him with an inswinging yorker and then found the edge twice with the ball going through the gap for four both times. He almost offered Noman a return catch, then inside-edged him just past short leg, and was then given out lbw to an animated Sajid. De Zorzi was ready to depart but Rickelton convinced him to review. He was saved on impact and made it to tea. Immediately after the break, it was Rickelton who had managed to get outside the line to Noman to survive another boisterous appeal.There were moments, of course, like the reverse sweep that Rickelton got fine of backward point, and the slog over deep midwicket that de Zorzi hit for six or the drag down that got him to his fifty. But for the most part South Africa were driving on a potholed road, trying as hard as possible to avoid the bumps and find a little bit of smooth tar. No car can go on like that without suffering some damage and South Africa’s eventually came. A sharp bit of fielding from Babar Azam at slip ended Rickelton’s knock and he was the first of four wickets to fall for 26 runs in the space of 10 overs.Senuran Muthusamy bagged a six-wicket haul•Associated PressSouth Africa’s crumble has not (yet?) been as bad as Pakistan’s – they lost three wickets with the score on 199 and three again on 362 in a collapse that eventually became 5 for 16 – but was still “not ideal,” according to left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, who found himself batting at the end of the day after taking a career-best 6 for 117. Muthusamy found himself in the “pretty cool,” position of being on a hat-trick twice and did his best to “open up the game,” in what he said were the most favourable conditions he had operated in. “It’s probably as spin-friendly as I’ve played in,” he said at his press conference.Which is exactly what South Africa were expecting even before they came to Pakistan. They packed their XI with spinners, which has also given them a full XI who can offer something with the bat. Muthusamy himself has opened the batting 29 times in first-class cricket and scored three hundreds in that position, and has nine red-ball centuries to his name overall. All of them were scored in South Africa, where puffs of dust don’t balloon off pitches and bowlers don’t turn it nearly as much as Noman and Sajid. Still, he backs himself and those that remain to keep South Africa in it. “It’s about bouncing back and finding some resilience again,” Muthusamy said. “I thought we did a lot of good today but obviously it wasn’t ideal losing those wickets.”In that analysis, many would agree with Muthusamy. The only batter to play a really poor shot was young Dewald Brevis, a prolific talent in his third Test, who hung back in his crease and chipped Sajid to Shan Masood at midwicket. Brevis will make those kinds of mistakes. And South Africa, as a whole, should learn from them.This series is the first of three in the subcontinent in this cycle with India to come next month and Sri Lanka in early 2027. If South Africa hope to defend their title and show off their championship credentials, they will have to win some of them.

Martin O’Neill’s future as Celtic’s interim manager remains unknown for the time being, but a new update has now emerged regarding the situation.

The 4-2-3-1-playing O’Neill has enjoyed a successful return to Parkhead, winning three of his four matches in temporary charge of the Hoops.

The 73-year-old remains as popular as ever among the Celtic supporters, while Ian Wright has recently heaped praise on the job he is doing at the Scottish Premiership champions, calling him “amazing”, and Paul Scholes has lauded the “unbelievable energy” that he has.

It has recently been claimed that O’Neill’s time in charge of the Hoops could come to an end during the current international break, however, with the Scottish giants seeing Wilfried Nancy and Kjetil Knutsen as the front-runners to come in.

There are some Celtic fans who would like the idea of him staying on, though, given his history with the club and the results he has masterminded since returning, and now a new update has emerged over his future.

Dermot Desmond set for Martin O'Neill talks this week

According to a new claim from Sky Sports, Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is set to hold “discussions” with O’Neill this week, although it isn’t specified whether it is to do with staying on until the end of the season or bringing someone else in.

That said, the report states that the Hoops are “pleased with the way O’Neill has galvanised the squad and lifted the mood at Celtic Park”, which can only be a good thing for him.

As is always the case with a manager, opinion is sure to be split over O’Neill’s future, with some feeling that he is the right man for the job until next summer, and others perhaps thinking a younger and more long-term option is required right now.

The Northern Irishman has even admitted himself that the demands are tough on a 73-year-old, perhaps showing that he may not have it in him to take the Hoops job on a permanent basis.

“Do you know, that is a genuinely good point, so I’m going to be serious here. I really don’t know. It’s a young man’s game, and I’m almost talking myself out of this here, but it’s been tough, you know. All the things that I kind of thought I knew about it have come to sort of fruition.”

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It still feels more likely that O’Neill will be moved on, with a younger alternative coming in soon, but he has a good relationship with Desmond, which can’t be a bad thing, and there would be clear positives to him staying on if he is keen to.

Shock Celtic manager frontrunner receives backing from Parkhead higher-up

While the draw on Sunday was less than ideal, this season is shaping up to be a special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have looked imperious in the Champions League, winning all five games, and are far and away the best team in the Premier League.

While the whole squad has played a role in the Gunners’ incredible form, one player who has been one of the most important has undoubtedly been Declan Rice.

In the words of creator Jamie Kent, the Englishman is looking like “the best midfielder in Europe,” and therefore, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to someone who could be their new Rice.

Arsenal target their new Rice

The transfer window is now less than a month away, and, as a result, Arsenal are starting to be linked with a host of tremendously exciting players.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Real Madrid’s incredible £70m Rodrygo, for example, has once again been touted for a move to the Emirates, as has Bayern Munich’s £100m+ Michael Olise.

However, while both of these wingers would help to raise the Gunners’ ceiling, neither could really be described as being Rice-esque, unlike Eduardo Camavinga.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing the Real Madrid monster.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Liverpool are keen on the French international, who is valued at €80m by the Spanish giants, which is about £70m.

It could therefore be a costly and rather complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Camavinga’s immense ability, Arsenal should be pursuing him, especially as he could be another Rice.

Why Camavinga would be another Rice for Arsenal

So, the first and most obvious similarity between Rice and Camavinga is the fact that they are midfielders who can and have played as a six and an eight in recent years.

Moreover, the pair of them are currently plying their trade at two huge clubs, and while Real Madrid is less important to his team than the Englishman, he’s still racked up 194 appearances for them in which he’s provided 16 goal involvements.

The last clear comparison between them at this point is that they’re both regulars for a top international team as well.

For example, the former Stade Rennes star has now won 28 senior caps for France and featured in the last Euros and World Cup.

Now, it’s all of these reasons that the 23-year-old could become another Rice-type player for the Gunners, in addition to the fact that, when playing, he is a sensational talent and someone who could massively improve the team’s midfield options in a way the former West Ham United captain did when he arrived in 2023.

Don’t just take our word for it, though; Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has described the versatile international as someone with “enormous potential”, and his underlying numbers back that opinion up.

According to FBref, the Cabinda-born “war machine,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and tackles won, the top 4% for blocks, the top 8% for progressive carrying distance and more, all per 90.

Tackles

4.19

Top 1%

Tackles Won

2.72

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

5.44

Top 1%

Blocks

1.87

Top 4%

Goals/Shot on Target

0.67

Top 5%

Passes Blocked

1.42

Top 6%

Pass Completion %

90.8%

Top 6%

Progressive Carrying Distance

122.51

Top 8%

Passes into Final Third

6.40

Top 12%

Successful Take-Ons

1.13

Top 12%

Add to that the fact he has helped Los Blancos win two La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and a smattering of other cups, and it’s hard to disagree with the notion he’s one of the best midfielders in Europe.

Ultimately, Camavinga already shares plenty of similarities with Rice, and were Arsenal to sign him, he could have a similar transformational impact on the midfield.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 2, 2025

Though the New York Yankees couldn't muster enough firepower in their 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, the effort was there—mostly.

Yankees rookie third baseman Jorbit Vivas had an outing to forget after a particularly bad bit of base-running, which allowed the Braves to complete a double play in the third inning. With the Yankees down 3-0, Vivas tried tagging up from second on a deep fly ball by Cody Bellinger, but he didn't seem to be running that hard to get to third and even appeared to slow down at the end.

To give credit where it's due, Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. uncorked an incredible throw from right field to tag Vivas out at third. But, had Vivas hustled a little bit more and slid, he probably would've been safe.

Yankees announcers Joe Girardi and Michael Kay both shook their heads at Vivas's visible lack of effort and voiced their disappointment on-air.

"Well, this is inexcusable," Girardi said. "I know [the Yankees] went over that in a meeting. That can't happen. Those are little things that cost you a chance to have Aaron Judge hit with first and third."

"You just took the bat out of Aaron Judge's hands," Kay said. "First of all, you're not running hard to third, and then you don't slide. As you said, perfect word, it is inexcusable."

Vivas admitted postgame that he was caught off guard by Acuña's arm but did take the blame for his costly error. Hopefully, the rookie can turn Friday night's mistake into a valuable learning moment moving forward.

The search for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ new manager goes on.

The Old Gold sacked Vitor Pereira last week after picking up just two points all season, as they look to salvage the campaign and avoid relegation to the Championship.

There have been a few names bandied about when it comes to who could replace Pereira in the hot seat at Molineux.

Former manager Gary O’Neill, who was only sacked last December, came under consideration, but pulled out of the race. There are also suggestions that Erik ten Hag and Michael Carrick are two options for the club.

However, a new contender has emerged in recent hours.

The latest manager to be linked with Wolves

It was clear that Wolves needed to bring in a new manager, with Pereira struggling to get the best out of his squad.

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However, his replacement is something they must get spot on, as they look to get their first win of the season.

Well, according to Football FanCast sources, the higher-ups at Molineux have sounded out a move for former Benfica boss Rui Vitoria.

The West Midlands outfit is said to be a job that the 55-year-old would be open to taking over.

Vitoria has not been out of a job long, having managed Panathinaikos most recently, who sacked him in September.

Why Vitoria would be a good appointment for Wolves

It is perhaps a bit of a red flag for Wolves fans that Pereira has struggled in his last three jobs. The Portuguese manager, who hails from just outside of Lisbon, has had three jobs in the last four years.

One of those was as head coach of the Egyptian national team. He coached them in 18 games and was sacked after crashing out of AFCON at the round of 16 stage. The role before that was at Spartak Moscow, where he lasted 26 games, and his latest job at Panathinaikos saw him manage 43 matches.

Yet, the 55-year-old has seen success at previous clubs. Said to favour an attacking 4-3-3 formation, his best spell came as Benfica boss, where he won four major honours. That included back-to-back Portuguese top-flight titles in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns.

One man who thought highly of Vitoria’s reign was Pep Guardiola, who said his team was “worthy of Arrigo Sacchi,” the legendary former AC Milan manager.

The pair met in the Champions League when Guardiola was in charge of Bayern Munich, and although Benfica were knocked out 3-2 on aggregate, Vitoria clearly left a strong impression.

Indeed, his record at Benfica was certainly impressive. He took charge of 183 games for the club and had an excellent win rate of 68%. That saw him lead his side to victory on 125 occasions.

Vitoria record as Benfica manager

Stat

Number

Games

183

Wins

125

Draws

27

Losses

31

Win rate

68%

Goals for

388

Goals against

161

Stats from Transfermarkt

It is easy to draw comparisons between the potential new Wolves boss and one of their best from the FOSUN era, Nuno Espirito Santo.

Now at West Ham United, the ex-Old Gold manager took charge of 199 games at Molineux and was a huge success story.

Nuno was adored by the Wolves faithful. Not only did he guide them back to the Premier League in 2017/18, but he even led them to the Europa League. He certainly brought happier times to Molineux during his time there.

Like Vitoria, the former Wolves manager learnt his craft in his native Portugal. He began at Rio Ave, and then managed FC Porto, with a spell at Valencia in between, before moving to Molineux and starting his dynasty.

Well, via a few more clubs, that is a similar route to what Vitoria will be taking if he gets the job at Molineux. Making a name for themselves in Portugal is something the two managers have in common, and Vitoria will be hoping he can earn the same level of adoration Nuno got at Wolves.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 5, 2025

Ahead of the start of the second half of the baseball season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are set to trade veteran infielder Adam Frazier to the Kansas City Royals, according to a report from Robert Murray of

In return, the Pirates are receiving 28-year-old middle infielder Cam Devanney, who has been playing for Triple-A Omaha in Kansas City's organization. It's a one-for-one trade.

The 33-year-old Frazier was in his second stint with the Pirates, after beginning his career in Pittsburgh. He is batting .255 this season with three home runs, 21 RBI and seven stolen bases in 235 at-bats. Frazier, of course, played for the Royals a season ago, so it's a reunion between Kansas City and the longtime infielder.

Frazier hit just .202 last season in Kansas City, which was his only season with the team.

For the first time in a long while, Manchester United appear to have acted astutely in the transfer market, having notably snapped up Premier League-proven talents in the form of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Fresh off the back of netting 35 league goals between them for Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively, last term, the £130m+ pairing have scored six times in all competitions in their new surroundings – three of which came at Old Trafford last weekend.

There is a joy in seeing ready-made signings hit the ground running, but so too is there in United unearthing something of a hidden gem.

A player who arrives as a relative unknown, before achieving cult hero status.

Think back to the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, recruited from obscurity in Norway and Mexico, respectively, or even in the current crop, the likes of Senne Lammens and Amad could fall into that category.

In the case of the latter man, the Ivorian has endured a long route to the top at Old Trafford, but now he is truly flourishing.

Amad's long road to becoming a Man Utd star

It was remarkably just over five years ago that the news broke of United’s £19m signing of a teenage Atalanta starlet by the name of Amad, with the then 18-year-old ultimately making the switch in January 2021.

At the time of the announcement on that October deadline day, the youngster had made just three Serie A appearances, totalling only 30 minutes, with the Red Devils gambling heavily on a raw and inexperienced addition.

Despite ultimately making his mark by netting in inventive fashion against AC Milan, the diminutive forward was forced to bide his time under the likes of Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, with the major breakthrough coming amid his stellar loan stint at Sunderland in 2022/23 – following a short spell with Rangers.

With 14 goals and hero status achieved at the Stadium of Light, Amad returned to Erik ten Hag’s ranks in the summer of 2023, albeit with injury curtailing his involvement in the first-half of the subsequent season.

Aside from that FA Cup winner against Liverpool – and a first Premier League goal against Newcastle United – that 2023/24 campaign was something of a write-off on a personal level, with a strong start to 2024/25 quickly halted as he again slid down Ten Hag’s attacking pecking order.

Since the Dutchman’s departure, however, the 23-year-old has gone to a different level under Ruud van Nistelrooy and now Ruben Amorim, producing a string of clutch moments, including goals away at Anfield and the Etihad last term, alongside his late treble at home to Southampton.

Now shifted back to right wing-back this season, amid the presence of Mbeumo, the £120k-per-week wizard is beginning to find his groove, highlighted by his statement early assist away on Merseyside.

Manager

Games

Goals

Assists

Ruben Amorim

36

8

10

Erik ten Hag

24

3

3

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

8

1

1

Ruud van Nistelrooy

4

2

1

Ralf Rangnick

1

0

0

Michael Carrick

0

0

0

Total

73

14

14

It’s been five years or so in the making, but Amad – who is set to head to AFCON later this year – is properly realising his potential in a United shirt.

Perhaps a similar success story could be on the cards?

Man Utd's next Amad in the making

All the focus five years ago was on the £40m capture of Donny van de Beek, alongside the free transfer arrival of Edinson Cavani, with Amad’s announcement something of an afterthought – not least as he didn’t actually make the move until a few months later.

Such a scenario has seemingly been repeated in 2025, with United having quietly confirmed the £6m signing of another teenager, Diego Leon, back in January, with the Paraguayan belatedly joining this summer after turning 18.

Like a young Amad, the rampaging full-back has been signed as something of a project player, more with a nod to the future than with an expectation that he should immediately hit the ground running at Premier League level.

Like Amad too, however – who was even described as “like Messi” in training by Atalanta teammate Papu Gomez – the teenager arrives with a burgeoning reputation, having already scored four times in 33 games for former employers Cerro Porteno.

Comfortable at left-back or left wing-back, the rising star has been hailed for his physical attributes by the likes of analyst Ben Mattinson, who has noted that he “runs like a steam train” down that flank.

Such quality was evident only last week as United’s U21 side saw off Tottenham Hotspur, with Leon surging forward from his left-sided berth, running almost the length of the pitch, before converting for his first goal for the Red Devils.

Unsurprisingly, there is still a rawness to his game – having notably lost the ball nine times from just 31 touches in the recent EFL Trophy defeat to Barnsley, as per Sofascore – but with remarkable pace and power, it might not be long before United’s No.35 is featuring at first-team level.

Indeed, he has been a regular fixture in Amorim’s matchday squads this season, despite not actually making his competitive senior bow, while he has also received a first international call-up from Paraguay.

Paraded on the pitch ahead of the pre-season clash with Fiorentina, the left-footer was no doubt in the shadow of the marquee signings of Cunha, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, although his time will surely come before too long.

With Patrick Dorgu yet to nail down that left wing-back berth – and with fellow teenager Harry Amass out on loan – there is a clear route to game time in the coming weeks and months, starting with Saturday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest.

While, like Amad, he may have to bide his time, United could reap the rewards later down the line of having invested in such an exciting teenage talent.

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ByEthan Lamb Oct 30, 2025

Since 2021, India’s batters have seen surprisingly poorer returns at home than in the previous five years. Here is a deep-dive into why that has happened

S Rajesh15-Sep-2024For several years now, defeating India in India is considered the toughest task in men’s Test cricket, a claim which is backed by numbers: since the start of 2013, India have a 40-4 win-loss record at home, easily the best; in second place is Australia’s 41-7.Over much of this period, India were extremely dominant with both bat and ball: from 2013 to 2020, when they had a stunning 28-1 win-loss home record, India averaged 44.05 runs per wicket with the bat, and 23.30 with the ball. Both were the best among all teams at home. In this period, the only year when the India batters averaged under 40 at home in a calendar year was in 2015, when they scored only 25.27 runs per wicket on dubious pitches in the four-Test series against South Africa. (These batting averages exclude runs scored from extras, while bowling averages include bowler wickets only.)ESPNcricinfo LtdSince 2021, though, that trend has changed a bit. In 17 home Tests in these four years, India’s batting average has dropped to 33.40 from the highs of 48 between 2016 and 2020 (actually 2019, since there was no Test cricket in India in 2020). In terms of rank, India have slipped from first to fifth. The bowlers held their end of the bargain though, averaging 21.29 runs per wicket, which is next only to South Africa’s 18.84 among all teams in their home conditions. India’s 12-3 win-loss record in this period points to a team which is still dominant, though not overwhelming so like they were earlier.The lower batting and bowling averages for India also point to another trend, of conditions getting tougher for batters in general in the country. How much more difficult is batting in India in these last four years, compared to an earlier similar period? Let the numbers provide the answer. We’ll look at the top-seven batters only, in the periods 2016-20, and since 2021.