ICC, BCCI express 'solidarity' with Afghanistan after withdrawal from Pakistan tri-series

ACB claims several lives were lost in attack in Urgun district, including three local cricketers

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has withdrawn the national team from next month’s tri-series in Pakistan following the death of three local cricketers in a cross-border attack in the Urgun district of the country.Following the incident, the ICC and BCCI expressed solidarity with the ACB, who also urged “the implementation of firm and decisive measures against those responsible for this inhumane attack.” Pakistan’s government issued a statement contesting the claims that “cricketers” had died in an “airstrike”.In a post on X on Friday, the ACB claimed several lives had been lost in the attack, including three local cricketers who had been returning home after playing a “friendly” match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province. “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” it said in a statement.Describing the incident as “tragic”, the ACB said “as a gesture of respect to the victims” it had “decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series.”

A day after the ACB’s decision, the ICC and BCCI issued statements expressing “solidarity” with the Afghanistan board. “The International Cricket Council (ICC) is deeply saddened and appalled by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who lost their lives in a recent airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.”The three young men had returned home after participating in a friendly cricket match when they were killed in an attack that also claimed the lives of several civilians. The ICC strongly condemns this act of violence that has robbed families, communities, and the cricketing world of three bright talents whose only ambition was to play the sport they loved.”The BCCI said: “The BCCI stands in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the cricket fraternity, and the families of the departed players during this moment of profound grief and condemns this ghastly and unwarranted attack. The loss of innocent lives, particularly those of promising sportspersons, is deeply distressing and a matter of great concern. The BCCI conveys its heartfelt sympathies to the people of Afghanistan and shares in their pain and loss.”On Saturday evening, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar gave Pakistan’s first official response, in a statement on ‘X’. “Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s selective, biased and premature comment that advances a disputed allegation, as established, that three ‘Afghan cricketers’ died in an ‘airstrike’. The ICC has cited no independent verification to substantiate these claims. Pakistan strongly rejects the characterization and contests the ICC’s claim and call for immediate correction.”Following the statement from the ICC, the ACB issued another statement expressing “sincere gratitude” to the governing body. “The ACB has consistently upheld the principle of keeping sports separate from politics and has maintained this stance within the framework of the ICC. The Afghanistan Cricket Board once again strongly condemns this act of violence. While deeply appreciating the ICC’s expression of solidarity, the ACB urges the implementation of firm and decisive measures against those responsible for this inhumane attack.”The T20I tri-series, between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, had been arranged by the PCB last month, and was scheduled to be played between November 17-29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.The tournament would have been the second tri-series involving Afghanistan and Pakistan this year, following their meeting in August-September prior to the Asia Cup. However, it was to be their first in Pakistan. Afghanistan had previously played in the country in the 2023 Asia Cup and earlier this year in the Champions Trophy, without playing against the host nation.Pakistan and Afghanistan had been scheduled to play each other twice in the tournament – on November 17 in the series opener, and again on November 23. Zimbabwe will now take Afghanistan’s place. The tri-series had been finalised at time when the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were already deteriorating.

Bo Bichette Had the Saddest Line About Blue Jays’ World Series Loss

It was only fitting that Game 7 of the World Series between the Blue Jays and Dodgers ended in another extra-inning thriller, but it was ultimately L.A. who emerged with baseball's biggest prize in front of thousands of heartbroken Blue Jays fans at Rogers Center.

The Blue Jays held a slim lead until the top of the ninth, when the Dodgers evened things up and sent the game to extra innings. In the 11th inning, Dodgers' Will Smith crushed a homer to put his team in front, 5-4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto—who would go on to win World Series MVP—then stepped onto the mound and helped induce a game-ending double play to clinch the title for the defending champs.

Saturday's loss dealt a brutal and devastating blow to the Blue Jays, who held a 3-2 series lead entering Game 6. Blue Jays star Bo Bichette was asked about his three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani early in Game 7's loss, and what it was like to cross home plate with teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. waiting for him.

He answered with a sad line about what could have been for Toronto:

"I wish we could have won it together," Bichette said. "I wish we could have shared that moment together. But just to share the moment with everybody is special."

Bichette missed a large chunk of the year due to a knee injury, but he returned for the World Series going 8-for-23 with one home run and four walks against the Dodgers.

The 27-year-old is set to be a free agent this offseason but restated his intention to stay in Toronto for the foreseeable future.

"Yeah, I already said it. I want to be here, but I just lost a Game 7 so you can keep on asking me," Bichette said when probed about his MLB future on Saturday night.

Bichette's dream of winning a World Series with his longtime partner-in-crime Guerrero seems feasible enough, assuming the Blue Jays choose to keep Bichette around. Guerrero's future with the Blue Jays is already locked in after the star slugger inked a 14-year, $500 million deal earlier this year, so now it's about how much the Blue Jays can afford to pay Bichette as well as other key position players on the roster.

"Vladdy is one of my best friends. We’ve had tons of [World Series] conversations like that," Bichette said of Guerrero in February. "We’ve talked about playing together forever since he was 18 and I was 19. That’s still a goal of ours."

MLB Announces Finalists for MVP, Cy Young, Other Top Awards for 2025 Season

MLB announced the finalists for its award races after the 2025 season officially concluded on Saturday, with the Dodgers winning their second consecutive World Series title.

Members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, who vote for the league’s annual awards, narrowed down the list of finalists for each honor to three players. Those players were revealed by MLB on Monday, and the official awards will begin getting announced later this week, concluding with the reveal of the league MVPs on Nov. 13.

Let’s take a look at who is in contention for each award, as well as a brief look at the numbers they put up in 2025.

AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz is an AL Rookie of the Year candidate / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics – 5.4 bWAR, 1.002 OPS, 36 HR, 86 RBIs
Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox – 3.1 bWAR, .859 OPS, 8 HR, 32 RBIs
Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics – 2.9 bWAR, .800 OPS, 151 hits

NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year

Drake Baldwin, C, Braves – 3.3 bWAR, .810 OPS, 19 HR, 80 RBIs
Caleb Durbin, 3B, Brewers – 2.9 bWAR, .721 OPS, 18 SB
Cade Horton, RHP, Cubs – 2.0 bWAR, 118.0 IP, 97 K, 2.67 ERA

AL Manager of the Year Award

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider is a finalist to win AL Manager of the Year. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

John Schneider, Blue Jays – (94–68, won AL East)
Stephen Vogt, Guardians – (88–74, won AL Central)
Dan Wilson, Mariners – (90–72, won AL West)

NL Manager of the Year Award

Terry Francona, Reds – (83–79, 3rd in NL Central)
Pat Murphy, Brewers – (97–65, won NL Central)
Rob Thomson, Phillies – (96–66, won NL East)

AL Cy Young Award

Hunter Brown, RHP, Astros – 6.1 bWAR, 2.43 ERA, 206 K, 185.1 IP
Garrett Crochet, LHP, Red Sox – 6.3 bWAR, 2.59 ERA, 255 K, 205.1 IP
Tarik Skubal – LHP, Tigers – 6.6 bWAR, 2.21 ERA, 241 K, 195.1 IP

NL Cy Young Award

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes is an NL Cy Young finalist. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cristopher Sánchez, LHP, Phillies – 8.0 bWAR, 2.50 ERA, 212 K, 202 IP
Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates 7.6 bWAR, 1.97 ERA, 216 K, 187.2 IP
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Dodgers – 5.0 bWAR, 2.49 ERA, 201 K, 173.2 IP

AL MVP Award

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is an AL MVP finalist. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees – 9.7 bWAR, 1.144 OPS, 53 HR, 114 RBIs
Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners – 7.3 bWAR, .948 OPS, 60 HR, 125 RBIs
Jose Ramirez, 3B, Guardians – 5.8 bWAR, .863 OPS, 30 HR, 85 RBIs, 44 SB

NL MVP Award

Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Dodgers – 7.7 bWAR, 1.014 OPS, 55 HR, 2.87 ERA, 62 K, 47 IP
Kyle Schwarber, DH, Phillies – 4.7 bWAR, .928 OPS, 56 HR, 132 RBIs
Juan Soto, RF, Mets – 6.2 bWAR, .921 OPS, 43 HR, 105 RBI, 38 SB

The official award announcements will trickle out starting next week. On Nov. 6–7, the Silver Slugger award winners will be revealed, followed by the Platinum Glove winners on Nov. 7. Then, Rookie of the Year awards are announced on Nov. 10, and Manager of the Year awards are revealed on Nov. 11. Finally, the Cy Young winners will be named on Nov. 12, and MVPs are officially announced on Nov. 13.

Coritiba x Operário: onde assistir ao vivo, escalações e horário do jogo pela Série B

MatériaMais Notícias

Coritiba e Operário se enfrentam nesta segunda-feira (27), às 19h, no Couto Pereira, pela sétima rodada da Série B do Brasileirão. A partida contará com transmissão do Sportv e Premiere (clique aqui para assinar o Premiere por 30 dias grátis!)

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Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Guarani e Paysandu (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CORITIBA X OPERÁRIO
7ª RODADA – SÉRIE B DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️ Data e horário: Segunda, 27 de maio de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Couto Pereira, Curitiba (PR);
📺 Onde assistir: Sportv e Premiere;
🟨 Árbitro: Felipe Fernandes de Lima;
🚩 Assistentes: Magno Arantes Lira e Leonardo Henrique Pereira.

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

Coritiba: Pedro Morisco; Natanael, Maurício Antônio, Bruno Melo e Rodrigo Gelado; Morelli, Sebastián Gómez e Matheus Frizzo; Lucas Ronier, Wesley Pomba e Brandão. Técnico: James Freitas

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Operário: Rafael Santos; Sávio, Willian Machado, Joseph e Lucas Hipólito (Pará); Índio, Vinícius Diniz e Rodrigo Lindoso (Cássio Gabriel); Maxwell, Felipe Augusto e Ronaldo (Daniel Lima). Técnico: Rafael Guanaes

Tudo sobre

Brasileirão Série BCoritibaoperário-PR

John Campbell returns to West Indies ODI squad; Layne, Springer called up

Brandon King dropped; Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jediah Blades sidelined by injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025

John Campbell was Jamaica’s leading run-scorer in the Super50 Cup last season•Getty Images

Six years after he last played an ODI, West Indies opener John Campbell has earned a recall for the three-match series against New Zealand starting on Sunday. Fast bowler Johann Layne and seam-bowling allrounder Shamar Springer received their maiden call-ups to the ODI side, while quick Matthew Forde, who returned from a shoulder dislocation for the T20Is against New Zealand, also returned.The trio replaced spinners Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie, and left-arm quick Ramon Simmonds, who was injured, from the squad that played Bangladesh last month. Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jediah Blades also were sidelined by injuries.Campbell replaced fellow opener Brandon King from the Bangladesh series. King returned scores of 44, 0 and 18 in the series West Indies lost 2-1. His T20I form has also tapered off, with four single-digit scores in his last five outings across the Bangladesh and New Zealand series.Campbell was recalled following his strong performances in red-ball cricket, including an impressive century in the second Test against India in Delhi last month. He was Jamaica’s leading run-scorer in the Super50 Cup last season, with 278 runs in seven outings at a strike rate of 102.20. Notably, none of the top ten run-getters in that competition scored at a faster pace.Layne’s call-up follows his Test debut on the tour of India last month. While he has impressed in red-ball cricket, he has only 12 List-A appearances and 13 wickets to show in the format. Against New Zealand, Layne will complete the seam attack that features Jayden Seales and Romario Shepherd apart from Springer, Forde and Justin Greaves.Ackeem Auguste, who made his ODI debut in Bangladesh, kept his spot alongside Keacy Carty and Alick Athanaze in the 15-member squad led by Shai Hope.New Zealand and West Indies play the opening ODI in Christchurch on Sunday followed by the second and third matches in Napier and Hamilton, respectively.West Indies squad for ODIs against New ZealandShai Hope (capt), Alick Athanaze, Ackeem Auguste, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Johann Layne, Khary Pierre, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer

Samson smashes 73* but Kerala lose; Vyshak, Padikkal efforts in vain for Karnataka

Sanju Samson fought a lone battle by scoring 73* off 56 balls as Kerala limped to 119 against Andhra in Lucknow. But KS Bharat killed the chase by smashing a rapid 53 off 28 balls, and taking his side to victory with seven wickets and eight overs to spare. Samson, who is likely to open the batting for India against South Africa if Shubman Gill isn’t fit, carried his bat after opening the innings and losing one partner after another.Kerala were 79 for 7 in the 17th over, with the highest partnership until then being 17 for the seventh wicket. But Samson got enough support from No. 9 Biju Narayanan to add an unbeaten 40, as Kerala huffed and puffed to a small total. The next highest score after Samson’s was MD Nidheesh’s 13, and Bharat ensured there was no contest, having smashed his fifty within the first nine overs. Ashwin Hebbar (27) and Pyla Avinash (20) also played their parts to hand Andhra their fifth win in six games.

Vyshak, Padikkal star but Saurashtra win thriller

Vijaykumar Vyshak got 3 for 28, and nearly sealed the game with bat in hand. However, Karnataka lost to Saurashtra by one run in a thrilling finish in Ahmedabad. Chasing 179, Karnataka were reduced to 49 for 3 in the seventh over, before Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Smaran added 54. Ankur Panwar got Padikkal for 66 to break the stand, and Karnataka lost their way again. Vyshak and Shreyas Gopal took it all the way during their tenth-wicket partnership, but couldn’t take their side past the finish line.Earlier, Vyshak broke a 55-run opening stand for Saurashtra. Contributions from Siddhant Rana (42), Vishvaraj Jadeja (40), Harvik Desai (28) and Jay Gohil (27) helped Saurashtra to 178. They were 76 for 1 after seven overs and looked set for a bigger total, slowing down later even though Rana and Gohil added 66 for the fourth wicket. In the end, the total turned out to be just enough.File photo: Shardul Thakur got 3 for 19•BCCI

Shardul, Mhatre and Rahane shine for Mumbai

Shardul Thakur took three of the four wickets to fall in the powerplay as Mumbai eased their way past Chhattisgarh in Lucknow. Mumbai captain’s 3 for 19, alongside two wickets each for Suryansh Shedge, Atharva Ankolekar and Tushar Deshpande, bowled Chhattisgarh out for 121 after Mumbai opted to bowl first.Chhattisgarh were 59 for 7 at the start of the tenth over, having also lost Shashank Singh for 10. Shubham Agarwal and Mayank Yadav added 38 for the eighth wicket, but Shedge struck in back-to-back overs to halt Chhattisgarh’s brief recovery.Ayush Mhatre and Ajinkya Rahane then lay the foundation for the 122 chase by adding 82 for the first wicket. Agarwal got Rahane for 40 in 28 deliveries to break the stand, but by then, Mumbai were well on track for their fifth win in the group stages. Agarwal also dismissed Siddhesh Lad for 5, but Mhatre remained unbeaten on 69 off 49 balls, which included five sixes. Mumbai eventually won with eight wickets and 25 balls remaining.

Jayant trumps Shami as Puducherry thrash Bengal

Bengal suffered a collapse of 9 for 38 to be bowled out for 96 in pursuit of 178 against Puducherry in Hyderabad. Offspinner Jayant Yadav bagged 4 for 28, which included the wicket Karan Lal, who top-scored with 40. The collapse started when Abhimanyu Easwaran was run out for 12, with no Bengal batter from Nos. 4-11 getting into double-figures.The win was set up by Puducherry’s captain Aman Khan, who smashed five fours and seven sixes in his 74 off 40 balls. Aman added 68 for the third wicket with Jashwanth Shreeram, who scored 45 off 34. Their stand was broken by Mohammed Shami, who, after getting Shreeram in the 15th over, also dismissed Aman in the 19th. Shami finished with 3 for 34, following up 4 for 13 in the previous game against Services.

Revealed: Chelsea's new ritual led by captain Reece James in bid to instil unified mentality at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea players are performing a new on-field ritual in the 2025-26 campaign led by captain Reece James. The new norm has been introduced to the squad in a bid to instil a unified mentality at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have started the new season on a bright note as they are currently third in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester City and six behind league leaders Arsenal.

Chelsea's fine start to the new season

Maresca oversaw an impressive debut campaign at Stamford Bridge last season as he guided the team to a top five finish and returned to the Champions League. The Italian coach made a few changes in the offseason as he brought key players like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro to bolster his attack, alongside some defensive reinforcements. 

The team rebuilding has paid off so far for the Blues as they have started the 2025-26 campaign on a bright note. Chelsea are on a seven-game unbeaten streak and have not lost a match across all competitions since going down against Sunderland 2-1 in October. They are trailing league leaders Arsenal by six points following their draw against the Gunners last weekend and are placed seventh in the Champions League table with three wins in their first five outings/ 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportJames introduced new ritual at Chelsea

Chelsea captain James has regularly featured under Maresca this season and has been impressive in a new role as he is being deployed in the defensive midfield role in the current campaign. He was criticised by the manager in the last term as the Italian coach claimed that he expected more from the England international. 

This season, James has come up with a new on-field ritual for the team where all the players need to gather near the centre circle at the half-time break before walking off the pitch together. reports that the reason behind such a ritual is to instil unity in the squad. Such a gesture brings a feeling of togetherness among the players. 

They started the ritual during the match against Tottenham Hotspur last month, which they won 1-0, with Joao Pedro on target. 

Blues skipper hailed for performance as midfielder

After Chelsea's 2-0 win over Burnley last month, Maresca had lavished praise on the club captain and also explained why he is fielding the full-back in a new midfield role. He told : "I think yesterday we needed a little bit more physicality in the middle. We expected them to play with [Pape Mater] Sarr, with [Rodrigo] Bentancur, with [Joao] Palhinha. We didn't expect them with four midfielders, because then [Lucas] Bergvall also played. I think Reece is doing fantastic when he's playing as a midfielder, he's doing fantastic when he's playing full-back, and he's doing fantastic in terms of leadership with the players inside the changing room."

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GettyJames eyeing place in Tuchel's lineup at 2026 World cup

James featured in England's penultimate World Cup qualifier against Serbia last month after missing out on Tuchel's squad during the October break with an injury. The full-back, who has suffered several injury setbacks since the start of his career, has remained more or less injury free in the 2025-26 season. He is regularly playing for the Blues in the Premier League and Europe and is now fighting hard for a place in the England starting lineup at the World Cup in North America next year. 

The 25-year-old will be back in action on Wednesday as the Blues face Leeds United in the Premier League.

0 tackles, 0 interceptions: Rangers flop must never start under Rohl again

It would be fair to say that it has not been the ideal week for Danny Rohl and Rangers, with the new boss already in danger of falling into Russell Martin territory at Ibrox.

Having failed to beat ten-man Braga a week ago, the Gers have since slipped to two frustrating draws against Falkirk and Dundee United, the latter of which was only rescued following a last-gasp Nedim Bajrami spot-kick on Wednesday night.

At a time of initial chaos at Celtic following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, alongside a recent slump for Premiership leaders Hearts, the Light Blues have failed to capitalise, now finding themselves still nine points off the pace in fourth spot.

Of course, much of the blame will lie at the feet of the departed Kevin Thelwell and co, following a simply bizarre summer of recruitment, although Rohl himself should not be free of criticism amid his continued, head-scratching selection decisions.

Rangers' worst performers against Dundee United

After the highs of scoring his first Rangers goal against Livingston not too long ago, Emmanuel Fernandez was brought crashing back down to earth following arguably his worst display for the club to date in midweek, having been particularly at fault for the hosts’ opener.

The 24-year-old simply allowed goalscorer Zachary Sapsford to breeze past him down that left flank, while his overall woes were evident as he lost eight of his 18 total duels, as per Sofascore, alongside the hapless Nasser Djiga.

All eyes are on that struggling backline, although the attacking unit must also shoulder their share of the blame, with Bojan Miovski’s early Rangers woes continuing, having scored just once in the league following his arrival from Girona.

A former hero at Aberdeen – and at one stage lauded as the “best player” in the Premiership in his position – the 26-year-old has yet to fire in his new surroundings, with his inability to provide a physical focal point laid bare after losing eight duels himself against the Tangerines.

The man behind him, Danilo, was also notably ineffective, having failed to convert any of his five shots, while Djeidi Gassama was also lacking on the flanks, having lost the ball 20 times from just 56 touches.

A moment of magic from Jayden Meghoma, alongside Bajrami’s 98th-minute penalty, helped to spare most of those blushes somewhat, although heading into a hectic festive schedule, Rohl must surely ring the changes.

On the evidence again of Wednesday night, the aforementioned Djiga must well be one of them – and not just in the short-term.

The Rangers star who must not start again under Rohl

As the old saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Chalkboard

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

As harsh as it may be, we are approaching similar territory with regard to Djiga, with the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers man again looking so underpar at Tannadice.

Calamity after calamity has been the theme of his Ibrox stint to date, memorably sent off on his home Premiership debut against Dundee, while going AWOL in the desperate defeat at Club Brugge in the early weeks of the season.

Too many errors to count, in truth, with the 23-year-old again somewhat culpable last night, having failed to engage with that man Sapsford, as the Dundee goalscorer surged into the area.

For the home side’s second of the night, Djiga was also again at the scene of the crime, tamely turning his back as Amar Fatah weaved his way through to score.

Quite why Rohl – albeit while limited with regard to alternatives – is persisting with the summer signing is to be debated, with the defender’s woes also seen in how he failed to register a single tackle or interception, nor provide a single key pass from his centre-back berth.

Perhaps a saving grace for Rohl might be the upcoming African Cup of Nations, with Djiga set to link up with Burkina Faso as early as 15 December, thus ruling him out of contention until the New Year.

Djiga vs Dundee Utd

Stat

Record

Touches

70

Pass accuracy

92%

Key passes

0

Possession lost

7

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

2/3

Aerial duels won

1/4

Dribbled past

1

Stats via Sofascore

While it is yet to be made clear whether there is a break clause in the 6 foot 4 flop’s loan deal, perhaps January might then provide a perfect opportunity to send him back to Molineux, once he returns from international duty.

In an ideal world, that scenario would ensure that Wednesday’s draw represents the final time that Djiga lines up, or at least starts under the Rohl regime, with the German coach in desperate need of a different solution at centre-back.

His job might depend on it.

Worse than Miovski: Ibrox flop just played his worst game for Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop played his worst game for the club in the 2-1 defeat to Dundee United on Wednesday.

ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

Namibia unveil Gary Kirsten as national men's team consultant

Namibia have qualified for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup and will be one of the three hosts of the 2027 edition as well

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2025Gary Kirsten has been appointed consultant for the men’s national teams of Namibia and will work with Craig Williams, the former Namibian cricketer who is the head coach of the men’s national team in the build-up to the next T20 World Cup, to be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.”It is indeed a privilege to work with Cricket Namibia. I have been thoroughly impressed with the dedication and determination to create a high-performance cricket environment,” Kirsten said in a Cricket Namibia statement. “Their new state-of-the-art cricket stadium is a testament to their commitment to making sure their national teams are competing with the best cricket countries in the world. Their senior men’s national team is performing well, and I look forward to adding value to their preparation for the T20 World Cup in February next year.”Namibia, a team on the rise in men’s T20 cricket, qualified for each of the last three T20 World Cups, in 2021, 2022 and 2024, and are in the mix for the upcoming one too, and will also be one of the three hosts for the 2027 edition, with South Africa and Zimbabwe.”Kirsten’s appointment as consultant reflects Cricket Namibia’s commitment to strengthening its high-performance environment and supporting the existing coaching structure,” a statement from the board said. “His blend of international playing experience, coaching success, and passion for player development brings valuable insight and added depth to the Eagles [men’s national team] setup.”Kirsten, one of South Africa’s best batters from 1993 to 2004, turned to coaching after retiring. He was first part of the team that founded a cricket academy in Cape Town and took up roles at various levels in South Africa before becoming India’s head coach in 2007. Under him, India won the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was subsequently appointed head coach of the South Africa national team and has also held positions with a number of teams across the world in T20 franchise leagues. Most recently, he served in an aborted stint as head coach of the Pakistan men’s team in 2024.

England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

England are banking on their young fast bowlers, but can they pit raw speed against Australia’s experienced attack?

Matt Roller15-Nov-2025First it was Stuart Broad. Then it was James Anderson. And now it is Chris Woakes. Between those three international retirements, England have lost exactly 1500 wickets worth of Test match experience since the 2023 Ashes; the septet of fast bowlers that they have taken to Australia for the 2025-26 series have barely a third of that figure (566) between them.It is England’s first Ashes tour without Anderson in their ranks since the 2002-03 series – before Jacob Bethell was even born – and their first without Broad since 2006-07. Ben Stokes accounts for more than half of the 205 Test caps shared between the seven seamers on this tour; Jofra Archer, who has played 15 Tests in six years, is their third most-capped quick.It is a clear contrast to Australia, who will rely on a trio who can boast over 1000 Test wickets between them – but whose bodies are finally showing signs of age. They will both hope to play roles later in the series but Pat Cummins (309 wickets) and Josh Hazlewood (295) are both out of Friday’s first Test, leaving Mitchell Starc (402) as the spearhead.Related

  • Ashes FAQ: Do England really have a chance?

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  • Pace is the ace: why you need quick bowlers to win in Australia

  • Mark Wood puts 'boring' rehab behind him as he gears up for bowling return

  • Smith: England's all-out pace may not be ideal Ashes attack

But England’s hope is that the quality and depth of their attack will trump experience. It was only four years ago that they sent seven seamers to Australia with 1547 Test wickets between them and were thrashed 4-0; since then, both Aamer Jamal (18 wickets at 20.44) and Shamar Joseph (13 wickets at 17.30) have led touring attacks in Australia in their maiden Test series.The last time England won in Australia, in 2010-11, only Anderson and Broad among their six seamers had even ten previous Test caps before the start of the series. Yet their rookies thrived: Chris Tremlett took 17 wickets in three Tests after Broad went home injured, while Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn shared 25 between them across five.

The key ingredient in the 2025-26 attack – which has so often been absent in previous England squads to tour Australia – is pace. Six of their seven seamers have been clocked above 90mph/145kph in Test cricket – Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Stokes, Josh Tongue and Mark Wood. Matthew Potts, the lone exception, is no slouch himself.”It is probably one of the quickest attacks we’ve sent out there, if not the quickest,” says Neil Killeen, who has played a key role in their development as the ECB’s elite pace-bowling coach.
The make-up of the attack is the result of a deliberate attempt by Rob Key, England’s managing director, to reprogram attitudes towards fast bowling across the English system. “It’s not like we are going to go there with the same formula and expect different results,” said Joe Root, who captained England to 4-0 defeats in their last two Ashes tours.Key has made the regeneration of England’s pace attack his priority in the past 18 months. “I don’t care how many wickets you take,” he told the in a deliberately provocative interview, shortly before moving Anderson on. “I want to know how hard you are running in, how hard you are hitting the pitch, and are you able to sustain pace at 85-88mph?”He has unashamedly taken inspiration from Australia, and described their ability to keep Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood fresh and fit across formats for so long as “the holy grail” earlier this year. Mark Wood, England’s fastest bowler ever, sees things similarly: “We’ve tried to change from the norm of England… to Australia’s vision of fast bowling,” he told the .There go our heroes: that’s 1500 Test wickets walking off into the sunset together•ECB via Getty ImagesBut the start of the transition can be traced back to February 2022, immediately after England’s 4-0 defeat in the 2021-22 Ashes. Andrew Strauss, as interim director of cricket, left both Broad and Anderson out in order to give Woakes and Wood opportunities to lead the attack, while Matt Fisher and Saqib Mahmood both made their Test debuts.It was a brave, controversial call with significant unintended consequences. England toiled hard in high-scoring draws in the first two Tests against West Indies and were then bundled out by Kyle Mayers in the third. A 1-0 series defeat – leaving England with one win in their last 17 Tests – made Root’s position as captain untenable, prompting a complete overhaul in leadership.Key, Stokes and Brendon McCullum were appointed to the three most influential roles in English cricket, and have since overseen the development of a fast-bowling attack that looks decidedly un-English. Broad and Anderson both returned in the short term, but England made a point of growing their fast-bowling depth right from the start of the new regime.Potts debuted in the first “Bazball” series, against New Zealand in June 2022, and three further fast bowlers in the Ashes squad have emerged since – Tongue, Atkinson and Carse. All four share similar attributes: they are tall, quick right-arm bowlers who rely on seam movement more than swing, and have formed strong relationships off the field.They reflected on their rise last month while training at England’s performance centre in Loughborough. “We said to each other: it’s quite nice that we’re all in a similar mould,” Carse said. “It’s quite nice to have good people and good mates away from the game who you are representing your country with, and to go to an away Ashes all together is pretty exciting.”Rookie monster: Tongue is England’s top wicket-taker so far this year, but all of his 19 wickets have come at home•Getty ImagesIt has vindicated the decision to usher Anderson into retirement, which was made explicitly with this series in mind: “Giving people game time now will hopefully put us in a strong position to go to Australia and win the urn back,” Stokes explained last July. It was an unpopular call, but the right one: for all Anderson’s brilliance, it was unthinkable that he could lead the attack at 43.He stayed around the team for the next six months as a bowling coach, passing on a lifetime of knowledge to the next generation, but has since made way. Not that Anderson is fully sold on the group that has replaced him: “I don’t see a leader of the attack,” he said on his podcast after England named their squad. “There’s not that experience there.”Key has also launched the ECB’s “pace project”, working with performance director Ed Barney, player identification lead David Court, and Killeen. Internal research suggests a clear correlation between pace and success at Test level, and England have attempted to fast-track their best prospects via the Lions programme.Sonny Baker has been handed a central contract for 2025-26 after 43 senior appearances, while Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, Josh Hull and Mitchell Stanley have all won development deals. “It’s not about trying to make everybody 90mph bowlers,” Killeen says. “[But] we want quick bowlers who can produce lateral movement, who can create bounce, and who have accuracy.”Pace is not the only weapon that England have available to them. Archer’s potency against left-handers is well established, and Australia are likely to field five in their top eight. Atkinson’s lateral movement makes him difficult to leave alone, while Carse is a rare English bowler who feels more comfortable using the Kookaburra ball than the Dukes.Stokes has rarely bowled better than he did against India, after using an injury layoff to work on his alignment at the crease. Tongue’s beyond-perpendicular action makes him awkward to face, and he has taken a wicket every 44.1 balls in his first six Tests. Wood is a skilled exponent of reverse swing, and Potts is England’s most accurate seamer.Matthew Potts is the closest England have to a traditional English seamer in the Ashes squad•PA Images/GettyYet there is a nagging suspicion that England might be late to the party. Australian conditions have changed in recent seasons, with “curators” leaving more grass on pitches and the pace of play accelerating dramatically: on average, seamers have taken a wicket every 47 balls across the last four Test summers, compared to one every 61 balls in the previous four.Where England will turn if confronted with a green top is unclear. Despite Woakes’ record in Australia (16 wickets at 51.68), he might well have come into the picture had a shoulder injury not hastened his retirement, while Sam Cook’s unconvincing performance against Zimbabwe on debut leaves Potts as the closest thing to a traditional English seamer in the squad.It is a hole that really ought to have been filled by Ollie Robinson, a man with 76 Test wickets at 22.92, but he has slipped so far down the pecking order that he was not even in the conversation for selection after England lost patience with his attitude and fitness. His presence in Australia, playing grade cricket in Sydney, is a timely reminder of what might have been.But the question on which the series will hinge is how often England will have Archer, Stokes and Wood available to them. All three have struggled badly with injuries: Archer has played two Tests since February 2021; Wood has not bowled competitively since the Champions Trophy; and Stokes has only completed one full series as an allrounder in the last three years.Wood and Archer are lethal when fit, but given their return from long injury layoffs, are unlikely to feature in all of the Ashes Tests•Getty ImagesThe optimistic reading of their limited involvement is that the ECB have managed their workloads to ensure that all three are ready to hit the ground running in what McCullum has labelled “the biggest series of all of our lives”. In reality, there is next to no chance that all three will feature in five Tests out of five. England will need to tap into their squad depth.The tour will be a significant physical challenge. No matter the recent changes in conditions, Australia’s oppressive heat makes it a gruelling place to bowl, particularly once the Kookaburra ball has gone soft. For all their seamers’ efforts against India this summer, England ultimately ran out of steam at The Oval, in marked contrast to the irrepressible Mohammed Siraj.And unlike their opponents, England do not have a world-class spinner they can rely on. Australia have lingering injury doubts heading into the first Test but know that Nathan Lyon can settle in for long spells. Shoaib Bashir has often fulfilled a similar role, but his economy rate (3.78) reflects the frequency with which he bowls hit-me balls.It remains abundantly clear that for all of England’s improvement under Stokes and McCullum, everything will have to fall into place if they are to regain the urn. “Australia are obviously the favourites,” Wood said recently. “They’re very hard to beat in their own conditions. They’ve shown that for a number of years: we haven’t managed to win many games here at all.”It is that unavoidable truth that has prompted England to put this attack together: after 13 defeats in their last 15 Tests in Australia, there was no point opting for more of the same. Their fast-bowling “pack” features pace and potential in abundance; now, it is time for precision and performance.

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