Category Uncategorized

Pakistan lost their 16th successive Test in Australia, even as their fast bowlers grabbed 19 of the 20 wickets at MCG

Sampath Bandarupalli29-Dec-202316 – Pakistan have lost each of the 16 Tests they have played in Australia since the start of the 1999 tour. It’s the longest losing streak for a team in any one country, with Bangladesh’s 13 at home between 2001 and 2004 the next longest.2 – Captains with ten-wicket match hauls in Tests for Australia, including Pat Cummins in the Melbourne Test. Allan Border was the first, bagging 11 against West Indies in the Sydney Test in 1989.12 – Captains before Cummins with five-wicket hauls in both innings of a men’s Test. The last of those was Rashid Khan, while on his captaincy debut against Bangladesh in 2019. Cummins also became the first Australia captain to achieve the feat – Border had picked up seven and four in that Sydney Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2008 – Dale Steyn was the last bowler before Cummins with ten or more wickets in a Test in Melbourne. The previous Australia bowler with a ten-for at MCG was Bruce Reid in 1991, when he took 12 wickets against India.252 – Test wickets for Cummins, making him the tenth Australian to get to 250 wickets in the format. Cummins’ average of 22.32 is the second best among the ten, behind Glenn McGrath’s 21.64, and his strike rate (46.7) is the best.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Test with two 50-plus scores and two five-fors by captains before the MCG Test. Here, Cummins took two five-fors while Shan Masood scored two half-centuries.The 1983 Test between Pakistan and India in Faisalabad had Imran Khan claiming five-fors in both innings scoring a century, while Sunil Gavaskar scored a hundred in India’s second innings.Related

Immense Cummins takes 10 to inspire Australia to tough victory

'How did that bowl me?' – the tale of Babar, Cummins, and a dream ball

Pakistan played better than Australia, says Mohammad Hafeez

41 – Babar Azam’s score in the second innings at the MCG – his highest in Tests in 2023. The last top-six batter to end a calendar year without a fifty for Pakistan, having batted eight or more Test innings, was Basit Ali in 1995.8 – Pakistan have bowled Australia out in both innings of a Test eight times out of the 39 they have played in Australia. The MCG Test was only the second instance of Pakistan getting all 20 wickets in their ongoing 16-match losing streak in Australia.19 – Wickets by Pakistan fast bowlers in Melbourne are the most by them in a Test in Australia, surpassing the 18 in Sydney in 1977. The 19 wickets are the most by Pakistan quicks anywhere in a Test since taking all 20 against Zimbabwe in Harare in 1995.

After an all-round show in the second ODI, Smith says he is “willing to learn” and “work on his batting” to produce match-winning performances

Shashank Kishore10-Feb-2022Odean Smith woke up on Wednesday morning wondering when his big chance would come. Little would he have imagined the speed at which his moment arrived. A niggle that flared up overnight meant Kieron Pollard had to pull out of the match. In came Smith, and he made quite a splash in his maiden outing in India.He grabbed the wickets of Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli to leave India tottering at 43 for 3 in the 12th over. The Kohli wicket was particularly sweet because he had disdainfully slapped him to the cover boundary only two balls earlier. Smith corrected his length immediately by bowling full. Kohli threw his hands at the delivery, driving away from the body, only to get a big nick through to Shai Hope. It was a start he may have not imagined a few hours earlier.Related

India could explore options as West Indies seek World Cup Super League gains in dead rubber

Prasidh Krishna's miserly four-for leads India to series win

Roach's return, spinners and other combination questions for WI

West Indies serve reminder of their depth of short-form talent

This up-turn in Smith’s career has come a few months after he missed the T20 World Cup bus on fitness grounds. An underwhelming show from the West Indies there coincided with Smith receiving necessary fitness clearances. With Andre Russell no longer a certainty – because of his T20 commitments – Smith was handed a cap at the first available opportunity against Ireland at home. In what turned out to be a wake-up call for the side, Smith finished with three wickets and 84 runs off just 47 balls across three ODIs.He has a bristling run-up, a skiddy action, and the ability to bowl in the late 130s. He has modelled his game on Russell. With the bat, he is a big-hitter lower down the order in T20 cricket, where much of his success has come so far. At CPL 2021, he was the second-highest wicket-taker. Life has been in fast-forward mode since.”It’s about consistency and fitness,” he said about his top priorities presently. “International cricket is not easy. In T20s, you bowl just four overs. To bowl 10 overs here, you must be fit. Especially against an Indian team which has top batters in the world.”Smith finished with figures of 7-0-29-2. These went a long way in West Indies restricting India to 237 for 9. This wasn’t by any means going to be match-winning, and West Indies had a real opportunity if they applied themselves well. All they needed to tell themselves was to occupy the crease and 50 overs. If they did that, they would’ve given themselves the best chance to level the series. They didn’t.’Never an issue around victimisation’

Odean Smith has denied suggestions his dropping during the recent T20I series against England was a result of him being “victimised”.
Smith was left out of the team for the third T20I in Barbados, with his replacement, Rovman Powell, going on to score a century. West Indies coach, Phil Simmons, rubbished the claim at the time and CWI put out a statement rejecting the idea of “discord” between captain, Kieron Pollard, and any members of the squad.
Smith, who returned to the XI for the fifth match, which West Indies won to seal the series 3-2, has now backed that stance when questioned after the second ODI against India.
“There was never an issue around ‘victimisation’,” Smith said. “The media are going to say what they have to say, but the mood hasn’t changed from what it was. So we’re all good.”

“We just didn’t spend enough time at the wicket,” Smith rued. “The wicket was difficult to bat on and as you saw in the Indian innings, two guys stayed out there, batted and got runs. We didn’t apply ourselves in terms of batting time. That was the reason we fell short.”Despite the top order crumbling, West Indies may have yet taken the game close. When Smith joined Akeal Hosein, they needed 78 off 67 balls. But they had just three wickets left. This was going to be the stand that did it for them. But one ball in, Smith saw Hosein fall. Now, he had no option but to go for broke. And he muscled Shardul Thakur for back-to-back sixes.The first was a flat-batted pull over deep midwicket. The second had some wristy magic to it. He somehow managed to flick a perfectly acceptable length delivery on the stumps over long-on. The ball was nowhere near full or driving length for him to get underneath it. But he still managed to use his strong forearms and bottom-handed power to clear the ropes.He would go on to whack one more powerful pull off Mohammed Siraj, beating deep midwicket despite him being no more than a few yards away from the ball. He’d eventually hole out to Kohli at deep midwicket for 24 after being denied free swing of the arms by Washington Sundar to close out an excellent 45th over. By then, West Indies were nine down and all but out.

“Going forward, I have a lot of work to do on my batting. Everything comes with time. This is just my fifth game; I have a lot of time to continue learning.”Odean Smith

“Going forward, I have a lot of work to do on my batting,” he said. “Everything comes with time. This is just my fifth game; I have a lot of time to continue learning. Having played T20 cricket for a while and moving from bowling four overs to 10 overs in a fast-paced game is not easy, but I am willing to learn and see how far it goes.”Smith was visibly upset at grassing an opportunity to win the match for his team. But a faint smile emerged when he was asked of Nicholas Pooran’s comments. The stand-in West Indies captain hailed Smith’s abilities, and said for someone of his all-round calibre, “sky is the limit for him.””Coming from a special player like Nicholas, it’s good, but as I said, I have lots of work to do. All those praises will go down the drain if I don’t do what I personally have to do. Whatever I did today, we are still staring at a loss. Respect to Pooran, but we still lost the series.”Smith was asked inevitably about the interest surrounding his presence in the IPL auction. Smith admits having his “hopes high” and is “quite excited”. For the moment, a match-winning performance in the final ODI will be some soothing balm.

Celtic have failed to score in six competitive games in the 2025/26 campaign so far, most recently against Dundee on Sunday, as Brendan Rodgers has struggled to find consistent performers at the top end of the pitch.

The Hoops lost one of their most productive attacking outlets in the summer when they sold Nicolas Kuhn to Italian side Como for a fee of £16.5m.

Celtic’s number ten provided 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions last season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

The German winger’s number ten shirt was vacated when he left to sign for Como, and summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha took over the mantle this season.

Why Celtic need more from Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Celtic signed the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp for a fee £5m to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, but he has yet to nail down a place in the starting XI.

The right-footed attacker has provided one assist in seven matches in all competitions for the Hoops, failing to score a single goal, and was an unused substitute against Braga in the Europa League, per Sofascore.

Balikwisha’s assist off the bench for Daizen Maeda’s winner against Motherwell before the international break has been his only meaningful contribution in a Celtic shirt to date, which is why he has only started two of his five outings in the Scottish Premiership.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Celtic need more quality, goals, and assists from their £5m signing in the final third to justify the price tag and the number ten shirt that he inherited from Kuhn.

Whilst Balikwisha is failing to live up to the number ten shirt, there is another summer signing whose form for the club suggests that he could snatch that number from the Belgian.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is Celtic's next number ten in the making

Sebastian Tounekti arrived from Hammarby for a fee of around £5m, so a similar price tag to Balikwisha’s, and he has hit the ground running in Scotland.

The Tunisia international has started all seven of his appearances for the club since his move to Parkhead on deadline day, including four in the Premiership, two in the Europa League, and one in the League Cup.

Tounekti endeared himself to the supporters in his first appearance for the Hoops against Kilmarnock in September, with direct play that led to four chances created, per Sofascore.

The 23-year-old star scored his first goal for the Scottish giants against Partick Thistle in the League Cup, but he has yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premiership, despite his best efforts.

As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian star has created ten chances for his teammates in just four appearances, but they have failed to take any of them, which suggests that he is incredibly unfortunate not to have assisted any goals.

Journalist John McGinley claimed “likes being a problem” to opposition defences. That is a quote that sums Tounekti up perfectly, as he is a fearless winger who likes to take players on and make things happen, just as Kuhn was for the Hoops last term.

Balikwisha, who has created 0.4 chances per game and failed to complete any dribbles in the Premiership (Sofascore), has not played with that same fearless attitude in his appearances on the flank.

Unless the Belgian winger can turn his form around and produce performances full of flair, leading to goals and assists, for Celtic in the coming months, there may be question marks over his suitability for the Scottish giants.

Forget Yang: Rodgers can solve Maeda blow by unleashing Celtic star in new role

Celtic could solve their Daizen Maeda injury blow by unleashing this star in a new role.

1

By
Dan Emery

Oct 20, 2025

If that becomes the case, Tounekti’s fearless performances could see him in pole position to snatch the number ten shirt away from him when the time comes, as he embodies what Kuhn provided with his exciting displays on the wing before his move to Como.

Big picture

Since contesting a nail-biting T20 World Cup final in 2024, India and South Africa have gone in different directions in T20Is. India have arguably become an even better team since lifting that trophy, achieving a 26-4 record (24 outright wins and two Super Over wins) with a brand of play perfectly suited to the conditions they will defend their title in February-March 2026. South Africa, meanwhile, have won nine and lost 16 of their T20Is since that day in Barbados.India have a largely settled side in the lead-up to the 2026 tournament, with most of their players enjoying a sense of continuity and role clarity. The same can’t be said for South Africa. Over recent months, they’ve lost perhaps their most feared T20I player, Heinrich Klaasen, to retirement, and have been without other key players for injury and workload-management reasons. In that time, they’ve lost series to Australia and Pakistan as well as a one-off match to Namibia, and became, against England at Old Trafford, the first team to concede a 300-plus total in a Full-Member-vs-Full-Member T20I.Related

• Gambhir: Gill 'ready to start' T20Is against South Africa

• Gill, Hardik 'healthy and fit' ahead of first India-South Africa T20I

• Miller back as SA begin T20 redemption run

South Africa, in short, have a lot of work to do between now and February 9, when they begin their World Cup campaign against Canada in Ahmedabad. That work will begin with one of the toughest assignments they could face in this format, against a full-strength India in India. But they don’t have too much to lose in this series, and plenty of experience and knowledge to gain from playing five matches in conditions similar to what they’ll face at that tournament.

Form guide

India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LLWLL

In the spotlight – Hardik Pandya and Dewald Brevis

Since the start of 2024, India have won 25 of their 28 T20Is outright when Hardik Pandya has been in their side, losing two and tying one. That tie, against Sri Lanka at this year’s Asia Cup, coincided with Hardik going off the field injured after bowling just one over. When Hardik hasn’t been available, India have nine wins, two losses and two ties. India are still a formidable side without Hardik, but they lose quite a bit of the near-invincible aura they’ve otherwise built in T20Is. Hardik balances the team beautifully, giving them the cheat code of batting all the way to No. 8 while having six genuine bowling options. He’s back now, after recovering from the quadriceps issue that kept him out of the Australia tour, and India are at pretty much full strength.Dewald Brevis has been in fine form•Getty Images

Since his debut in August 2023, no batter in the world (minimum 50 balls faced vs spin) has been more destructive against spin than Dewald Brevis, who has achieved a T20I strike rate of 225.00 against this style of bowling while averaging 60.00. Brevis comes into the T20Is in prime form, having played crucial knocks in all three ODIs, and he comes up against an India attack that will include three – possibly even four – spinners. It should make for an exhilarating contest.

Team news

With Hardik and Shubman Gill – who returns for the first time since suffering a neck injury during the Kolkata Test – back, India have two main selection questions to address: whether Jitesh Sharma, who displaced Sanju Samson during the Australia tour, continues as keeper, and who gets the No. 8 slot, with three candidates bringing three entirely different skillsets to that role.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma/Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana/Washington Sundar/Shivam Dube, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Charavarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa’s ordinary recent record in T20Is is a little deceptive, because they’ve seldom had their best players on the pitch. This series may give us our first glimpse of the kind of XI they are hoping to play at the World Cup, with Aiden Markram back to lead the side after being rested from the T20Is in Pakistan, and with David Miller and Anrich Nortje back from injury. Two points of interest are whether Markram opens or bats at No. 3, and whether South Africa pick a second left-arm spinner in the allrounder George Linde. And perhaps the surest indication of South Africa’s recent unsettledness is that Donovan Ferreira, who captained them in Pakistan, is far from certain to start in Cuttack.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Corbin Bosch/George Linde, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje.

Pitch and conditions

South Africa have featured in two of the three T20Is Cuttack has hosted, and won both of them. They bowled India out for 92 in 2015, in a match marred by crowd trouble, and won a closer game by six wickets, seven years later, thanks to a 46-ball 81 from Heinrich Klaasen.Conditions here tend to have something for everyone: a bit of early help for the seamers, a bit of grip for the spinners, and typically plenty of dew to complicate bowlers’ lives. Tuesday evening in Cuttack is set to be overcast and hazy, though rain-free.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa need one win in this series to become the most successful T20I team against India. Currently, they are tied with Australia and England with 12 wins each against India.
• Jasprit Bumrah (99) and Hardik Pandya (98) are within sight of their 100th T20I wickets. Arshdeep Singh (105) is the only India bowler to have got to that mark so far.
• Tilak Varma (996) and Sanju Samson (995) are both just one hit away from 1000 T20I runs.
• Of all the batters to have scored 1000 runs in T20Is, Abhishek Sharma has the best strike rate (189.51).

Quotes

“It’s T20 cricket. It’s an entertaining format and that’s the brand and the way we want to play. We want guys to free themselves up, enjoy the game, let their best skills be on show. Hopefully if we put a collective effort together, the result will be a good one. It’s just an exciting time. T20 cricket is always meant to be exciting and we’re looking forward to that.”

Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya “are looking healthy and fit” ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said ahead of the series opener in Cuttack on Tuesday.”Both [Gill and Pandya] are looking healthy and fit,” Suryakumar said. Gill had suffered neck spasms during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, while Hardik was out with a quadriceps injury he suffered during the Asia Cup in September.Gill is yet to play since his injury, but Hardik made a comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Playing for Baroda, he picked up a wicket in each game, but more importantly, bowled four overs both times. With the bat, his 77 not out off 42 against Punjab helped his team chase down 223.”What you saw in the Asia Cup also, when he [Hardik] was bowling with the new ball, he opened up a lot of options, combinations for us with respect to the playing XI,” Suryakumar said. “That’s what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he has done well in all big games, all ICC events, ACC events. I think that experience will count a lot and his presence will definitely give a good balance to the side.”With Gill back in the side, Suryaumar made it clear that Sanju Samson would have to compete with Jitesh Sharma for a spot in the middle order. He also emphasised that all batters apart from the openers need to be flexible with respect to their position in the order.”Sanju, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order,” he said. “Now the thing is, other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. He did really well when he opened the innings but Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserves to take that spot.”But we gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which is actually good to see a player being flexible to bat anywhere from No. 3 to 6. That’s one thing I have told all the batters that other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. Both [Samson and Jitesh] are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have lovely players like both of them. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. In fact, both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to the team and a good headache to have.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Sensação no início de temporada, o Nova Iguaçu conquistou classificação pela primeira vez para as semifinais do Campeonato Carioca e é dono da maior goleada de um visitante na Copa do Brasil. Com um orçamento modesto, a equipe briga de igual para igual com gigantes do futebol brasileiro.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O volante Albert, um dos destaques do clube da Baixada Fluminense, revelou o segredo para o sucesso do Carrossel. O atleta balançou as redes na histórica goleada de seu time sobre o Itabuna por 8 a 0, na última semana.

– O Nova Iguaçu tem uma base muito forte, é o DNA do clube revelar jovens talentos, mas a direção entendeu que o time “de cima” seria mais forte se tivesse essa mescla com atletas mais rodados, então creio que nossa maior força talvez seja essa, temos o talento e a energia dos mais jovens, junto com jogadores mais rodados, acostumados a disputar grandes torneios, que lidam melhor com momentos de mais pressão – disse Albert, que tem 27 anos.

continua após a publicidade

Volante que também gosta de chegar na área adversária para finalizar, Albert tem dois gols na temporada. Além do marcado na histórica goleada sobre o Itabuna, ele também balançou as redes na vitória por 3 a 2 sobre o Bangu, na terceira rodada do estadual.

– O meu papel principal é dar sustentação ao meio campo tanto na fase ofensiva, quanto na parte defensiva, time bom é quando todo mundo ataca e todo mundo defende, cada um cumprindo o seu papel. Busco ajudar meus companheiros da melhor forma, seja fechando os espaços ou fazendo o time jogar na construção ofensiva. Espero que a gente consiga seguir com boas atuações em busca de conquistas ainda maiores – analisa o volante.

continua após a publicidade

O Nova Iguaçu enfrenta o Volta Redonda pela última rodada já classificado e com chances – ainda que ínfimas – de conquistar a Taça Guanabara. Para isso teria que torcer por derrota do Flamengo e tropeço do Fluminense, além de aplicar uma goleada ainda maior do que a sobre o Itabuna.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato CariocaNova Iguaçu

Roberto De Zerbi is now in the frame to replace Pep Guardiola, amid a new update on the Manchester City manager’s future at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s contract isn’t due to expire until the summer of 2027, having penned an extension last season, and Man City fans will no doubt be hoping he stays for the foreseeable future, given the unprecedented success he has brought to the blue side of Manchester.

Trophies Pep Guardiola has lifted at Manchester City

Number of times won

Premier League title

6

Champions League

1

UEFA Super Cup

1

Club World Cup

1

FA Cup

2

League Cup

4

Community Shield

3

However, Jurgen Klopp resigning as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023-24 campaign due to fatigue displayed just how draining it is to be a Premier League manager for a sustained period of time, and there will come a point where City need to start seriously thinking about successors.

At the moment, the former Barcelona boss will be focusing on closing the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, while also attempting to win a second Champions League, but there has now been a new update on when he could leave the Blues.

Man City targeting De Zerbi amid Guardiola future update

According to reliable reporter Paul Hirst, in a report for The Times, an exit at the end of the 2026-27 campaign is on the cards as the 54-year-old has won everything there is to win since arriving at the Etihad Stadium back in 2016.

The three-time Champions League-winning manager is expected to see out his current contract, but Man City may then be faced with the difficult task of bringing in a successor, and De Zerbi is in the frame, as the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss has admirers within the club.

Guardiola is personally a fan of the Marseille manager, who has made a fantastic start to the 2025-26 campaign, with his side currently second in Ligue 1, just two points behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Not only is the 46-year-old impressing in France, but he was also hailed by Statman Dave for the work he did during his first year as Brighton manager.

The Italian is well-known to favour a possession-based style of football, so he may not need to make wholesale changes at Man City, which is another bonus, alongside his experience in the Premier League.

The only concern will be that De Zerbi is yet to lift many major trophies, winning only the Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2021-22 season.

In truth, whoever replaces Pep will find it almost impossible to eclipse what the Spaniard has achieved at City, and supporters will be hoping he extends his stay beyond the end of next season.

Every current manager in the Premier League has been ranked Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Every current Premier League boss ranked from best to worst.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

He will work in cricket as an independent contractor going forward

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2025

Former New Zealand Women head coach Bob Carter will be stepping away from his role as the high-performance coach, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced on Friday. That will bring down curtains on a 21-year career in which he oversaw progress of New Zealand’s men’s and women’s teams.”I feel like I’ve lived the dream,” Carter said in an NZC release. “I’ve very much enjoyed offering support and contributing and, if that’s helped players or teams go on and achieve success, then that’s terrific – I’m delighted.”But I think what’s worked best at NZC has been the combinations, the teamwork, and the cooperation.”Born in Norfolk in east England, Carter played 60 first-class and 55 List-A matches for Northamptonshire and Canterbury before getting into coaching. He joined New Zealand men’s set-up in 2004 as an assistant coach to John Bracewell. After a five-year tenure, he was again appointed assistant coach to Mike Hesson from 2012 to 2014 before taking over from Haidee Tiffen as New Zealand Women’s head coach in 2019. He coached them in the 2020 T20 World Cup and the 2022 ODI World Cup that New Zealand hosted, before stepping down.”We’ve been able to create sides that have been greater than their sum of parts, and that’s a key ingredient in team sport,” Carter, who will work in cricket as an independent contractor, said. “Sure, the individual performance is important, but it’s the collective that has the greater potential. That’s where the magic is.”Bob Carter: ‘The reason the Black Caps have continued to produce great batters and bowlers is because we have a strong, underlying domestic system’•Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

Carter, 65, said he was pleased to leave the role in Lincoln at a time New Zealand are doing well in international cricket. The women’s team won the T20 World Cup for the first time last year while the men whitewashed India in India in a Test series; no team had defeated India at home in a Test series since 2012, let alone returning a clean sweep.”It’s true that the game has evolved a great deal over the past twenty years,” he said. “But the flipside is that the basics and fundamentals of batting and bowling have never really changed.”Sure, the batters are playing shots we wouldn’t have dreamed of in the nineties, and the bowlers are producing options and change-ups with an incredible degree of difficulty. But within all that, the framework that allows the players to execute so successfully, is still the same as it was 50 years ago.”Our domestic cricket is very strong. I’m not sure that’s widely recognised. The reason the Black Caps have continued to produce great batters and bowlers is because we have a strong, underlying domestic system. The White Ferns have been in transition over the past couple of years, but the domestic competitions have brought new players through and invigorated the established ones.”The World Cup win last year was a great example of what that team is capable of.”Playing tribute to Carter, NZC chief high performance officer Daryl Gibson said, “Bob has been the voice of experience at Lincoln and has been involved in much of the success we’ve seen in the men’s and women’s games over the past decade or more. He’s part of a wider high-performance team that underpinned and supported one of New Zealand cricket’s golden periods – the legacy he leaves in terms of his contribution to NZC is enormous.”

Another composed unbeaten half-century from Cameron Green and some stunning hitting and catching from Glenn Maxwell helped Australia post a fourth straight win over a deflated West Indies in Basseterre.Green made an unbeaten 55 from 35 to steer Australia home to a target of 206 with three wickets and four balls to spare following a middle-order collapse. The chase had earlier been set up by 51 off 30 from Josh Inglis while Player-of-the-Match Maxwell smashed 47 off 18 at the top of the order. Second-gamer Jediah Blades briefly threatened to be the hero with an outstanding spell of 3 for 29 but West Indies’ fielding once again let them down.Related

• 'Warming Heady's seat' – Maxwell expects opening role will be short-lived

• 'He's playing beautifully' – Is Green Australia's new T20 middle-order fulcrum?

• More than a finisher: David soars to new heights

Australia, by contrast, were flawless in the field with Maxwell taking two catches and combining with Green to complete a stunning catch on the rope to back up an excellent bowling performance. With Ben Dwarshuis and Tim David rested, Aaron Hardie and Xavier Bartlett grabbed their chance, taking 2 for 24 and 2 for 39 respectively, including three powerplay wickets to restrict West Indies. Nathan Ellis was sensational again bowling four overs for 21 runs while Adam Zampa and Sean Abbott also took five wickets between them.West Indies became the first team in T20I history to score 200 without anyone scoring more than 34, with Sherfane Rutherford top-scoring with 31.

Bartlett and Hardie take powerplay wickets

As well as Australia have bowled in this series, they had only taken one powerplay wicket in the first three games. The selection of Bartlett and Hardie changed that. Both men had success with hard lengths rather than swing up front. Bartlett cramped both Brandon King and Shai Hope on consecutive deliveries in different overs while Hardie benefitted from Maxwell’s superb catching at mid-on. Having caught Hope diving forward on the circle, he casually stretched up with the one hand to pluck a Roston Chase drive off Hardie.Jediah Blades struck crucial blows•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

West Indies kept hitting despite the regular loss of wickets. Rutherford, Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer clubbed six sixes and seven fours between them. But none of them passed 31 as they all holed out with miscues. Mitchell Owen continued Australia’s fine catching with a brilliant diving effort running in from deep backward point to remove Hetmyer. When Powell holed out to hand Hardie his second, West Indies were 119 for 6 after 11.1.

Mind-blowing Maxwell changes the game

Shepherd and Jason Holder were unperturbed by the scoreboard. Shepherd’s hitting showed he could well be used as a full-fledged allrounder in this West Indies line-up. He mixed power and touch to maul Abbott. He lifted West Indies beyond 150 before the end of the 15th over but his dismissal summed up the difference between the two sides.Maxwell not only robbed Shepherd of a certain six but he ended his innings with the same stunning act. Shepherd clubbed Zampa flat to long-on and it looked to have easily cleared Maxwell. But he defied gravity and logic to jump as high as he could at full stretch to catch it with two hands and land on his left leg, which is still full of hardware from his fracture in 2022, before flicking it back to the waiting Green while momentum carried him over the rope. Maxwell’s two catches on the scorecard will be an unjust historical record of his contribution to the match.Australia’s death bowling was superb again, conceding just 41 from the final five overs which took an additional 55 minutes to complete due to a long rain delay between Ellis’ second ball of the final over and his third.

Inglis and Maxwell cause déjà vu

There was a brief moment when West Indies’ fortunes defending a total might have taken a different turn. Blades found swing first up and pinned Mitchell Marsh lbw second ball. Marsh’s decision not to review it despite ball-tracking showing it pitched outside leg might have been the luck West Indies needed.Early swing for Blades and Holder saw a circumspect Australia score just 12 off the first two overs. But as soon as the swing disappeared, déjà vu set in. Inglis smashed seven boundaries in the next 11 balls. He added a four and a six off Matthew Forde’s first over of the series to raise a 50-run stand with Maxwell who contributed one run. Inglis reached his 50 off 28 balls and ended up facing 29 balls in the powerplay before holing out to deep square off a full toss outside leg.The lack of strike did not concern Maxwell nor did the field spreading outside the powerplay. He launched six sixes in typical Maxwell style, including three in three balls, to put Australia miles ahead of the required rate and briefly threatened to match Tim David’s record for the fastest T20I fifty by an Australian less than 24 hours after it was set as Australia cruised to 129 for 2 after 10.

It’s the hope that kills you

A Maxwell miscue off Akeal Hosein sparked a collapse and gave West Indies a chance at victory. Blades loomed as the unlikely hero. He made Owen miscue to deep cover point and Cooper Connolly to mis-hit one to mid-off in the space of three balls. He then had Hardie dropped twice in two balls, with Shai Hope spilling a catch down the leg side before Blades failed to grasp a return offering himself.But Green held his nerve to post his third half-century of the series. Every time West Indies bowlers threatened to close out a boundary-free over, he cleared the rope to ease the pressure. He reached his 50 off 30 balls with the required rate well under a run-a-ball despite Australia being six down. He offered a chance late with 11 to win, but Rutherford dropped a catch at deep midwicket to continue West Indies’ nightmare series.

Whilst it may have been a quiet international break for many, the same can’t be said for Tottenham Hotspur, given the changes taking place behind the scenes.

Daniel Levy’s departure in recent weeks has seen changes being made to the higher-ups in North London, with Fabio Paratici returning after departing multiple years ago.

The Italian previously filled the Sporting Director role between 2021 and 2023, but has returned to the Lilywhites to work with John Lange and the rest of the recruitment team.

He will also work closely with Thomas Frank to help lead the club back up the Premier League table, with a real impetus being placed on the hierarchy to make the right decisions.

Big-money additions are one thing, but departures will also need to be made to free up space in the squad and make funds to attract players to take the club to the next level.

Why Richarlison is on borrowed time at Spurs

Brazilian striker Richarlison has been the manager’s first choice talisman during the first few weeks of the campaign due to injuries to other players, such as Dominic Solanke.

The 28-year-old has featured in all seven of the Lilywhites’ league outings to date, scoring on three occasions – with two goals coming on the opening day victory against Burnley.

However, since the 16th of August, he’s ultimately fallen way below the expectations of the fanbase, with his figures from his most recent outing highlighting his lack of impact.

He featured for the entirety of the Champions League clash against Bodo Glimt, but only registered ten touches of the ball – an average of one touch every nine minutes.

Minutes played

90

Touches

10

Passes completed

2

Possession lost

5

Big chances missed

1

Chances created

0

Fouls committed

1

Match rating

3/10

Along with his lack of impressive form, Richarlison has also been linked with a move to the MLS to join Orlando City – potentially handing Paratici the perfect chance to cash in on his services.

It’s unclear how much the hierarchy would recoup for his services, but it would be a great opportunity for the pair to part ways – with numerous other talents also needing to be offloaded in the near future.

The Spurs trio who are on borrowed time after Paratici’s return

The dismal finish in the Premier League last campaign highlights the need for changes across the board, with Frank only having one window to make the sales and signings he desires.

With £100m being spent on additions, it has made competition for places somewhat harder, with numerous players struggling to get into the side as of late.

Brennan Johnson is one player who cost a pretty penny back in 2023, with the club forking out £47.5m for his signature from fellow top-flight side Nottingham Forest.

Whilst he ended last season with 18 goals – the most of any player in the squad – he’s struggled to replicate such form after falling behind Mohammed Kudus in the pecking order.

In the league, he’s made four substitute appearances in a row, which could tempt Paraciti to cash in on his services whilst his stock is still at its highest.

Johnson isn’t alone in struggling for minutes, with Ben Davies another player who has been unable to force himself into Frank’s plans after his summer appointment.

The centre-back has been an unused substitute in every Premier League game of 2025/26, failing to make a single appearance in any competition to date.

Given his lack of action, it’s evident that the manager doesn’t see the 32-year-old as part of his squad going forward – which, like Johnson, could see him sold before the end of his current contract.

The third and final player who could struggle for minutes in the future is right-back Pedro Porro, that’s despite starting all but one league outing in 2025/26.

He’s been in North London since January 2023, even being brought to the club by Paratici, but the emergence of Djed Spence could see him lose his starting position.

The 25-year-old has cemented his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad in recent months after picking himself off the canvas after seemingly having no future with the Lilywhites.

As for Porro, he could be forced to make way, with the former Middlesbrough man needing the opportunity to feature regularly after Destiny Udogie’s return on the opposite flank.

If all three of the players were to be moved on in the near future, it would save the club a total of £265k-per-week – huge funds which could go towards multiple top-level talents.

Such a decision may seem harsh, but ultimately, football is a cutthroat industry with huge calls needing to be made to allow the club to push for Premier League glory.

Perfect for Kudus: Paratici wants to sign "one of the best STs" for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to land a new talisman thanks to Fabio Paratici.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 17, 2025