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A late replacement for the injured Rawal, Shafali has been given the freedom by the team management to play her natural game

Sruthi Ravindranath29-Oct-20251:47

Shafali: ‘Playing a semi-final not new for me’

Just a couple of days ago, Shafali Verma was in Surat with the Haryana team, playing in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. On Wednesday, she was addressing the media on the eve of India’s World Cup semi-final against Australia after earning a late call-up in place of the injured Pratika Rawal. Shafali was her usual confident self and said that playing a semi-final “was not new to her” and that she feels “super ready” to play in any position India wants her to.”I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch,” Shafali said. “Talking about the semi-finals, it’s not something new for me because I’ve played many semi-finals before. It’s just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”Of course, what happened with Pratika – as a sportsperson, seeing that doesn’t feel good. No one wants any player to go through such an injury. But I believe God has sent me here to do something good.”Shafali is no stranger to the big stage, having already featured in three T20 World Cups and an ODI World Cup, including a final and a semi-final – both against Australia. After being dropped from both formats last year, she fought her way back into the T20I side in June, though Rawal continued to partner Smriti Mandhana at the top in ODIs.Related

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Having just played the T20s in Surat, Shafali admitted adjusting to the 50-over format would need some work. She has had two training sessions with the squad since joining, focusing on both her defensive game and her trademark big hits.”Absolutely, I was playing T20s, and as a batter, it’s not easy to switch formats so quickly,” Shafali said. “But we had good practice sessions yesterday and today. I stayed calm and batted well. I tried to attack the bowlers who were in my range. I’ve had long batting sessions over the last two days, and I’m feeling really good because whatever I’m trying is working out. So yes, I’m happy with my touch. It’s looking very good for me.”While she has built her reputation as a power-hitting opener, Shafali said that she’s ready to adapt to any role the team requires.”That’s a management call [if they want to play me tomorrow]. But if you ask me, I’m flexible,” she said. “I can play anywhere, not just as an opener or in the middle order. The confidence I have in myself is very important as a sportsperson. So wherever the management wants me to play, I’m super ready.”Consistency – or lack thereof – was a concern when Shafali was dropped, but she’s since gone back to domestic cricket and delivered. Last season, she captained Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the one-day competition, topping the run charts with 527 runs at a blistering strike rate of 152.31. While announcing the ODI World Cup squad in August, chief selector Neetu David had said Shafali was “very much part of our system” despite not being named in the squad and that India were “keeping an eye on her.”Shafali Verma prepares for the semi-final clash against Australia in Navi Mumbai•ICC/Getty Images

Inside the dressing room, the message to her has been clear: play your natural game.”All the players I’ve spoken to have boosted my confidence a lot, which means a lot to me,” Shafali said. “The coach, captain, and even Smriti [Mandhana] told me that I just need to play my game, there’s no pressure. I just have to play the way I know, without panicking. So yes, I’ve been given a lot of freedom, and I’ll try to respect the good balls and hit the ones in my range.”Shafali understands the magnitude of the challenge ahead of her – facing an unbeaten Australian side in a World Cup at home. But having faced them 25 times across white-ball formats, including scoring a match-winning 64 not out off 44 balls in a T20I in Navi Mumbai last year, she knows what to expect.”I’ve played against Australia many times, so it’s not something new for me,” she said. “I know their bowlers and their styles. I’ll back my strengths, and yes, they’ll come hard at us. But we’ve prepared a lot and everyone’s in touch. Hopefully, we’ll perform well.”I know that if we don’t lose early wickets as a batting unit, they start to feel the pressure. As a bowling unit, we’ll look to maintain good lengths, and as batters, we’ll back our strengths. The simpler we keep things, the better it’ll be. The less we panic, the better we’ll perform. So yes, we’ll back ourselves and keep things simple.”

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate says Sanju Samson is still adjusting to his role in the middle order

Shashank Kishore23-Sep-20253:50

Aaron wants India to save Bumrah for final overs

Jasprit Bumrah has taken only three wickets – with an economy rate of 8.36 – in three games in the 2025 Asia Cup, but the India team management is satisfied with his performances, considering the “exceptionally tough job” he’s been given in the UAE.Bumrah has bowled three overs in the powerplay – and his fourth at the death – in every game so far. Before India’s tournament opener against UAE, the previous time he bowled three out of the first six overs of a T20I was in 2019.”He’s doing a very tough task,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on the eve of the Super Four game against Bangladesh. “You don’t see many bowlers in this format bowling all three overs in the powerplay. So it’s quite strenuous as well. But we feel it’s the right amount of work going into the Test match [against West Indies] and obviously the importance of this competition as well.”Related

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After taking 1 for 19 against UAE and 2 for 28 in the group game against Pakistan, Bumrah went wicketless and conceded 45 in the Super Four game against Pakistan. “It wasn’t his most polished performance against Pakistan the other night,” ten Doeschate said. “But we also understand that he’s doing an exceptionally tough job to bowl the first three overs, the two [fielders] out, and the last over and the second last over where guys are going as well.”There’s going to be days where he doesn’t get wickets and he’s going to go for runs. But in terms of how we set up the team, obviously with two seamers and going spin-heavy, we feel at the moment that’s the best job.”Bumrah has bowled 11 overs in the Asia Cup so far – he was rested for India’s final group game against Oman – and is likely to bowl another 12 if India get to the final. Ten Doeschate indicated he was unlikely to be rested for another game in this tournament.”It’s very unlikely that you [India] go into the last game knowing you’ve qualified,” ten Doeschate said. “So I’d say it’s unlikely that he’ll get a rest. Also bearing in mind we have a Test match starting [next] Thursday. So it’s actually quite good preparation in terms of workload management … So if we have the luxury to have that option [of resting Bumrah] in the last game, we can look at it. But I’d say we’re going to pick our best team for every game. He obviously fits into that picture.”Sanju Samson is getting used to life at No.5•Associated Press’Samson still figuring out how to play at No. 5’The other player with an unfamiliar role at the Asia Cup is Sanju Samson, who’s batting in the middle order despite having had most of his success for India – and in the IPL – in the top three.Samson didn’t get to bat in India’s first two matches. He was sent in at No. 3 in the dead rubber against Oman in Abu Dhabi, where he top-scored with 56 off 45 balls on a pitch that most Indian batters struggled to get going. He was back down at No. 5 in the Super Four game against Pakistan, and made 13 off 17 before he was bowled attempting to pull Haris Rauf.”There’s two outings now, two decent chances and he’s still figuring out how to play that role,” ten Doeschate said of Samson in the middle order. “I think the wicket was a little bit tired in the Pakistan game. But certainly with the way Shubman [Gill] and Abhi [Abhishek Sharma] are going at the top and you’ve got your captain batting at three and the way Tilak’s [Verma] played, we’re really looking for a No. 5. So we believe Sanju is the best man for that job and we’ve got no doubt that he’ll figure out how to play that role in the future.”Ten Doeschate said the format of the Asia Cup with little room for error also meant there was little room for giving chances to the bench strength – Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh haven’t played a game yet. “The boys are doing excellent work with training and you probably have to look at bilateral series more realistically as a chance to get guys in to show what they can do and also to give guys a chance to show how flexible they are with their positions.”But certainly now with the format of this competition, four games, two wins doesn’t even guarantee you going through. So it’s not like you can take your foot off the pedal at any time and that’s been an unfortunate consequence of what we’re trying to achieve by trying guys in different positions.”India go into Wednesday’s game against Bangladesh as favourites. Both teams won their first Super Four game, and whoever picks up two points will be primed to make the final. “Our general principle is – respect everyone, fear no one,” ten Doeschate said. “It’s more about our process and what we’re trying to achieve. We actually thought we were a bit scrappy against Pakistan. We weren’t happy with that performance. We just had a team meeting now and as we always do, we try to address the things we feel we can be better at and more clinical at.”We respect Bangladesh. I think they’re a side on the rise. They’ve kind of adapted their cricket as well to the new style of T20. Some nice attacking players up front and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

If Phil Foden were able to replicate his strike rate for Manchester City when he put on an England shirt, then he would be keeping company with team-mate Bukayo Saka and Paul Scholes in the top 40 of the Three Lions' all-time goal-scorers. Instead, one has to scroll through the archives, past players whose photos are in black and white or even from an era when there was no photography to find him on the list.

Foden, who has just four goals to show from his 45 caps, is all the way down in joint-140th, alongside ex-Liverpool winger Nicky Barmby, who played half as many games as him, and below defenders such as Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce and Gary Cahill (on five goals each). When it comes to goals per match, he ranks 409th, which is in stark contrast to the 104 goals and 64 assists he has produced in 333 matches for City.

The midfielder has not scored for England since in the friendly win over Scotland in September 2023 while Foden's last competitive goal came against Wales at the 2022 World Cup. Before then, his only strikes for his country were a brace against Iceland in a behind-closed-doors Nations League match in the coronavirus days of 2020. He has contributed nine assists, although only one of them has come since the last World Cup.

Foden is far from alone in shining much more brightly for his club than his country, but the drop-off when he swaps the light blue of City for the white of England is far more pronounced than any other player of his stature. And it is worth examining once more as he prepares to make his first appearance for England in eight months in their final two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

Getty Images'No-brainer'

Foden's failure to fire for England has been an unsolved conundrum for most of the five years since he made his senior debut for the Three Lions, although it was a problem that Thomas Tuchel could conveniently forget about for the last six months or so. Foden asked to not be selected for the June fixtures against Andorra and Senegal as he was suffering from burnout at the back end of last season while he was injured for the September World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

He was returning to his usual self ahead of the October camp, but Tuchel opted against recalling him for the matches with Wales and Latvia as he wanted to capitalise on the good vibes of the previous camp, leading him to also discard Jude Bellingham in his most eye-catching squad list yet. But with Bellingham playing regularly for Real Madrid again after recovering from his shoulder surgery and Foden in unstoppable form for a resurgent City, the coach could no longer ignore the sound of the banging on his office door and recalled both players last Friday.

"Big names, big personalities, big, big talents," said Tuchel upon announcing his squad. "It’s excellent to see that both of them are in rhythm, both of them are in form, in shape, both contributing goals in important wins for their teams. It was a no-brainer. We will have central roles for both of them to bring out the very best. The contribution to their clubs lately was immense. They play regularly and a big part for City and Real. We are delighted they are in shape and in form."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNot dovetailing with Bellingham

And yet, both players returning to the squad at the same time means Tuchel is forced to confront the same problem Gareth Southgate faced: How to fit these two outstanding individuals into the same starting XI when they both want to play in similar areas and stamp their style on the play. 

As England crawled their way to the Euro 2024 final by playing uninspiring football and sneaking through each match via a combination of extra-time, penalty shootouts and stoppage-time goals, many pundits and fans were wondering whether Southgate would have been better off dropping one of Bellingham or Foden rather than play them together in all seven matches. And with Bellingham having scored twice, including his overhead kick which ensured England avoided a humiliating last-16 defeat to Slovakia, many were pointing at Foden to be left out.

Foden was predominantly deployed on the left of England's 4-2-3-1 formation during the tournament, though he also fell flat playing as a No.10 alongside Bellingham in a rejigged 3-4-3 against Switzerland. After that game, Foden's dismal statistics went viral as it was revealed he had no shots on target, hadn't created a chance and had lost the ball on 19 occasions. 

AFPPosition frustration

Months later, Foden appeared to blame Southgate for playing him in a position he had ceased to play for City, even if it was the one where he first shone between 2019 and 2023.

"I feel frustrated I didn’t get out what I wanted to get out of it," he told the in January 2025. "The position I was put in on the left was very difficult to influence the game. Coming off last season being the best player in the Premier League and playing centre midfield, I do feel the position was quite difficult to get used to."

It is also worth mentioning that Foden had to leave the England camp during the Euros to attend the birth of his third child, returning in a flash to ensure he did not miss any matches. Leaving his family so soon after such a big event and not being able to see his newborns first weeks in the world first-hand could not have been easy.

In Tuchel's first game in charge against Albania, Foden was deployed on the right of the attack behind Harry Kane, with Bellingham again playing as No.10. However, a few days later against Latvia, Foden was dropped to the bench and subsequently brought on to replace Bellingham in the second half. The change worked a treat, too, as Foden set up Eberechi Eze's goal to round off the 3-0 win.

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Getty Images Sport'Not a winger'

After bringing them both back in for this week's games, Tuchel wasted little time in outlining where he saw the Foden and Bellingham playing: "Jude comes back as a No.10. That is his best position. One of his key strengths is to score from this position. Phil, where he played lately for City, was where I see him the strongest. He is close to the opponents' box. The main thing with Phil is he gets a role in the central part of the pitch. I don’t see him as a winger. He will contribute as a nine and a half, a 10 and a half, very fluid."

The main thing for Tuchel, though, is to make sure he does not make the same mistake as Southgate and see both Foden and Bellingham as un-droppable, or the same error that both Sven-Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello made when they attempted to crowbar Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard into the same midfield. The fact that Tuchel left both players out of his previous squad is encouraging in that sense, although it is one thing to drop a star name for a World Cup qualifier and another to do so at a major tournament.

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck has launched a scathing attack on his team-mates following their disappointing Champions League draw against Bodo/Glimt. The German international accused the substitutes introduced by manager Niko Kovac of "losing every ball" and lacking the necessary intensity during a collapse that has severely jeopardised the club’s hopes of automatic qualification for the round of 16.

Dortmund slip up twice in Champions League draw

The atmosphere at the Westfalenstadion turned toxic on Wednesday evening as Dortmund twice surrendered the lead to draw 2-2 with the Norwegian side. What should have been a routine victory to cement their place among the European elite descended into chaos in the closing stages, prompting a furious post-match interview from Schlotterbeck.

The centre-back, who had been one of the few standout performers in a black and yellow shirt, did not hold back in his assessment of the team's mental fragility. Speaking to immediately after the final whistle, a visibly agitated Schlotterbeck pinpointed the exact moment the game began to drift away from the hosts.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSchlotterbeck slams 'incredibly bad first touches'

Dortmund had taken the lead and appeared to be in control through Julian Brandt after 18 minutes, but the visitors pulled level just before half-time. Brandt struck again early in the second period, only for the away side to strike again with 15 minutes left. According to Schlotterbeck, complacency set in rapidly as he criticised the team's attitude after going 1-0 up, suggesting that individual egos took precedence over the collective game plan demanded by manager Kovac.

"After the 1-0, we started playing extremely sloppy and having incredibly bad first touches," Schlotterbeck said. "Everyone plays their own game a little bit. It is not bitter, it is actually really bad."

With the game in the balance, Kovac turned to his bench to inject fresh energy and secure the three points, with Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy coming on while they were 2-1 up, while Emre Can and Julian Ryerson were introduced immediately after the away team's second equaliser. However, Schlotterbeck felt the replacements had the opposite effect, offering a damning verdict on their contribution.

"The players who come on lose every ball," he stated bluntly. "If you come on in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full steam. We combined a bit right and left, chipping in front of the goalkeeper and wanting to make it look nice, but you have to kill the game and we didn't do that."

Schlotterbeck also questioned the work rate and focus of the squad during the final stages of the match.

"We play in the Champions League and that is way too little," he added.

Can Dortmund qualify for the round of 16?

The draw impacts Dortmund's standing in the Champions League table. Finishing in the top eight is required to avoid a two-legged playoff round in February. A win would have taken Dortmund to 13 points, a tally that would have strengthened their position for automatic qualification.

Schlotterbeck expressed concern that some of his team-mates did not understand the importance of the result.

"We could have gone to 13 points here and I think some people didn't realise how important that is," he explained. "Because now you have to win both remaining games, otherwise you won't be in the top eight.

"After the 2-2 we didn't have any more chances to score, we played unbelievably unclean in the last quarter of an hour. In the last five minutes Bodø had more possession and that cannot be our standard."

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AFPKehl backs the criticism

Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl also spoke after the match and supported Schlotterbeck’s right to be critical.

"Every player has the right to strike a critical tone after the game," Kehl said. "If they then put their finger in the wound and are hard on themselves, then that is good. We will definitely do that. The coach has already done that."

Kehl reiterated the missed opportunity regarding the league table.

"The boys have to be aware of what chance we wasted here today," Kehl added. "We absolutely wanted to win this game. We had a great chance to get to 13 points in the table. Everyone who could read the table knew what opportunity was on offer today. That's why the frustration is right. We are all very disappointed and angry."

The January transfer window is on the horizon and Celtic may be in the market to do some deals once they have Wilfried Nancy in place as their new head coach.

Whilst the Hoops may look to bolster their squad with incoming signings, due to the centre-forward situation and the long-term injury to central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, there may also be an eye on outgoings.

Kyogo Furuhashi was sold to Rennes for £10m in January at the start of this year, and the Scottish Premiership giants may lose another impressive Japan international in the upcoming window.

The latest on Daizen Maeda's future at Celtic

Earlier this month, the Daily Record reported that Daizen Maeda is ‘poised’ to complete a move away from Parkhead when the January transfer window officially opens for business.

The outlet revealed that sources close to the player have confirmed that there is still plenty of interest in the Japanese star after he failed to land a transfer in the summer.

Celtic were unable to allow him to leave in the summer window because they did not get a replacement, amid interest from Brentford and teams in Germany.

Losing Maeda in January would be a blow for Celtic, because he has scored 37 goals in all competitions for the club since the start of last season, per Transfermarkt, including four this term.

However, the Hoops did sign a player in the most recent summer window who has shown that he can carry the goalscoring burden for the next manager, Benjamin Nygren.

How much Benjamin Nygren's value has grown at Celtic

Celtic signed the attacking midfielder for a reported fee of £1.3m from Nordsjælland to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ options out wide and in the middle of the park.

Despite being a frustrating player at times, there is no questioning that he has made an immediate impact in his first few months at the club.

Nygren scored his seventh goal of the season in the 3-1 win over Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday night, which now means that he has scored at least two more goals than any other player in the squad, per Transfermarkt.

This is why there is no denying his usefulness to the Hoops. Goals win games and, at the moment, no one is better at scoring goals for Celtic than the Sweden international, who was once dubbed “fearless” by teammate Alexander Isak.

Ranking Celtic’s summer signings

Rank

Player

1

Benjamin Nygren

2

Kieran Tierney

3

Sebastian Tounekti

4

Marcelo Saracchi

5

Kelechi Iheanacho

6

Callum Osmand

7

Michel-Ange Balikwisha

8

Shin Yamada

9

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

10

Hayato Inamura

11

Ross Doohan

We, as shown in the table above, have ranked Nygren at the top of the club’s summer signings both for his goal output this season, as well as for his soaring market value.

Per CIES, the left-footed star is valued at between £12m and £14m. That is a staggering increase on the £1.3m that they signed him for in the summer, and is more than they paid for club-record signing Arne Engels.

Celtic paid £11m to sign Engels from Bundesliga side Augsburg in the summer of 2024, and Nygren’s impressive form this season means that he is now valued at even more than that.

The Belgium international has only scored two non-penalty goals, with 11 goals in total, whilst the Swedish ace has soared to seven goals for the Scottish giants in his first few months in Glasgow.

Nygren has been incredibly effective in front of goal, particularly in comparison to his teammates, and that has played a part in his CIES valuation soaring through the roof, from the £1.3m that the Hoops paid for him.

This shows that Celtic hit the jackpot with the 24-year-old star because it suggests that they would be able to cash in on him for a substantial profit if they were to decide to part ways with the attacker.

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For now, though, it does not look like he will be going anywhere any time soon, and Celtic’s new boss may need him more than ever to carry the goalscoring load if Maeda leaves in January.

They might have blown a two-goal lead on Saturday, but things are looking up for West Ham United.

Following a dire start to the season and a poor start to his tenure, Nuno Espírito Santo has now picked up seven points from the last three Premier League games.

This has seen the East Londoners pull themselves out of the relegation zone, and one of the club’s best performers during this uptick in form has been Callum Wilson.

However, even though the Englishman is in fine form, reports have started to link West Ham with someone who could be a dream replacement.

West Ham target Wilson upgrade

The transfer window is still over a month away, but that hasn’t stopped West Ham from being linked with a number of interesting players from across the country and beyond.

Transfer Focus

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

Fulham’s Adama Traoré, for example, has been heavily touted for a move to the London Stadium in January, as has Norwich City’s Josh Sargent.

However, the Hammers are now interested in another, arguably more exciting goalscorer.

At least that is according to a recent report from Claret & Hugh, which claims that West Ham are keen on signing Promise David.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Hammers have already made enquiries about the Union SG gem, who is valued at up to £17m.

The Canadian international might not be a known name in England, but his form in recent seasons and potential make this a deal West Ham can’t ignore, especially as he could be a perfect Wilson upgrade.

How David compares to Wilson

While it sounds simplistic, probably because it really is, the first place to start when comparing two centre-forwards is their raw output.

After all, the most important thing a striker is generally going to do is score or assist a goal, especially when it comes to a side like West Ham, who need to do all they can to build a buffer between them and the relegation zone.

Unfortunately for Wilson, even with his recent flurry of goals, this is an area in which he comes out second best.

For example, in ten appearances this season, he has scored four goals and failed to provide any assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games.

In contrast, the “outstanding” Canadian, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored eight goals and provided no assists in 19 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games.

Games

19

10

Goals

8

4

Assists

0

0

Games

41

22

Goals

24

1

Assists

5

0

The comparison is even more one-sided when last season is taken into account, as the former Newcastle United forward scored just a single goal in 22 appearances for the Toon.

The Union SG ace, on the other hand, racked up a stellar haul of 24 goals and five assists in 41 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.41 games.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Canadian reporter Ben Steiner claimed the 24-year-old “just can’t stop scoring.”

However, it’s not just output that would make the eight-capped international a wise signing, but the fact that he’s still just 24 years old.

In other words, he’s someone who could come in as an upgrade and then become the long-term striker option the Hammers have needed for some time.

Ultimately, given his consistently impressive output, age and relatively low price, West Ham should do what they can to sign David in January.

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Still searching for their next manager, Middlesbrough are now reportedly serious about hiring Swiss manager Raphael Wicky, who has emerged as an early candidate to take the job.

Unlike other managerial vacancies in the Championship, coaches would be walking into a fairly healthy environment at Middlesbrough. The Teesside club currently sit second in England’s second tier and five points behind leaders Coventry City. As things stand, they will be earning promotion to the Premier League come May.

A lot can still change, however, and Boro must get their next manager right whilst they are in such a positive position. Just who that next manager is remains the question. Steven Gerrard, Tony Mowbray and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have all been mentioned as early candidates, with Gerrard the most interesting option of the three.

The former Rangers boss recently rejected the chance to return to Ibrox, but is keen to make a return to the dugout for the right job. With Boro on course to fight for automatic promotion in the Championship, it’s tough to pick out a reason why most managers of Gerrard’s calibre wouldn’t want to walk straight into the job before the end of the international break.

Replacing Rob Edwards, who chose to leave for Wolverhampton Wanderers, will be no easy task for any potential candidate. As much as he has ruined his reputation with those in Teesside, the former Luton Town boss certainly steered the club in the right direction and attempted to explain his decision in a recent statement.

Boro fans are unlikely to forgive or forget any time soon, however, and must instead hope that the club’s next appointment continues their push for automatic promotion.

Middlesbrough get serious about appointing Raphael Wicky

As reported by Sports Boom, Middlesbrough are now serious about appointing Wicky after he impressed Riverside chiefs with an unofficial presentation. The Swiss manager is currently a free agent and will be easier to convince as a result, but that’s not to say the 48-year-old isn’t an impressive candidate.

During his time in Switzerland, Wicky won the league and cup double with BSC Young Boys and his 4-4-2 diamond system proved to be incredibly successful. If Middlesbrough fail to hire the likes of Gerrard, then the former Young Boys manager is someone who’d offer them similar experience and success.

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The manager’s style also includes an exciting high press, which could yet help Boro bridge the gap on an exciting Coventry side at the top of the Championship.

The fact is, although they run the risk of getting their next appointment wrong, Riverside chiefs could also take their side up another level entirely if they get things right.

As things stand, the battle seems to be between Gerrard and Wicky for the job. With both holding similar reputations though, it remains to be seen which direction Middlesbrough head towards.

Middlesbrough make "impressive" manager top target to replace Edwards

Vice-captain Pope said that the issue was the result of “the amount he’s pushed his body” during this series but insisted he’d be fit to bowl on Saturday

Matt Roller25-Jul-20254:14

Manjrekar: ‘Serious chance’ for Root to break Tendulkar’s record

England played down concerns over Ben Stokes’ workload after he was forced to retire hurt for the first time in his international career in Manchester due to cramp in his left leg. Ollie Pope, Stokes’ vice-captain, said that the issue was the result of “the amount he’s pushed his body” during this series but insisted that he would be fit to bowl on Saturday.Stokes had scored 66, his highest score of the series, when he retired hurt on Friday evening, as England built a substantial first-innings lead over India. He returned after the fall of three further wickets, reaching 77 not out overnight, but appeared to be in some discomfort while running between the wickets.While Stokes was fit enough to resume his innings, the fact that he retired hurt will sound alarm bells, particularly after a heavy bowling workload. Stokes dedicated five months to his rehabilitation from surgery on his left hamstring this year and has bowled 129 overs against India, the most that he has bowled in a Test series.Related

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“I think he’s okay,” Pope said. “He’s just cramping down his leg, and it managed to spread to his whole leg. It’s probably just a build-up of the amount he’s pushed his body over the last four or five weeks. He’s obviously pushed himself to some serious limits so far, and that was probably just a build-up of it. I think he will be good to go tomorrow, I’m sure, with bat and ball.”Ben Stokes retired hurt on 66 before coming back at the fall of the seventh wicket•Getty Images

Pope has previously said that he considers helping Stokes to manage his workload to be one of his responsibilities as vice-captain but conceded: “That doesn’t always go my way.” He said: “Everyone knows what a competitor he is, and the lengths he’s prepared to push his body to get the job in hand done… There’s times where you can’t take the ball off him.”Stokes clutched the back of his left leg while playing a reverse-sweep off Washington Sundar during the evening session, and suffered cramp while taking a single off Mohammed Siraj. He briefly consulted England’s physio before batting on, but retired hurt at the end of the following over, grimacing as he walked off the field.Stokes became the second player to retire hurt during the fourth Test, after Rishabh Pant was forced off with a foot injury on the first day. Pant later returned to the crease on the second day to score a further 17 runs but was unable to keep wicket and is unlikely to feature in the fifth Test at The Oval next week.Pope stood in for England’s media duties on Friday night because Joe Root – like Stokes – was suffering from cramp, but said that Root would be fit to field on Saturday. “He just didn’t fancy the media tonight,” Pope said, laughing. “He’ll be here in the morning.”

Junaid Siddique and Simranjeet Singh are examples of players who have not let the tensions between India and Pakistan come in the way of playing together

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-20251:49

Jaffer: Junaid Siddique was ‘spot on’

Junaid Siddique hails from Multan in Pakistan, and came to the UAE in 2014. But it wasn’t until a corruption scandal in UAE cricket, which led to bans of several players, that Siddique got a chance to play for the national team in October 2019. Over the past six years, Siddique has slowly emerged to becoming the leader of UAE’s pace attack.Two nights after starring with a four-wicket haul in UAE’s win over Oman, Siddique raised thoughts of an upset of Pakistan. He dismissed openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan in his first two overs, before returning later in the innings to polish off the lower order, ending with figures of 4-0-18-4.At the other end, Simranjeet Singh, who hails from Ludhiana in India, stemmed the flow of runs and built up pressure through the middle overs. Among his victims was Fakhar Zaman, soon after he got to a half-century.Related

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From bowling to a young Shubman Gill at the Punjab age-group nets, Simranjeet’s cricket journey took an unexpected twist when he got stuck in the UAE during the Covid-19 lockdown. It was to start an unusual but memorable journey that has now taken him to the UAE team at 35. On Wednesday, he returned figures of 3 for 26.In a hugely volatile situation involving India and Pakistan, Siddique and Simranjeet are examples of players who have not let geopolitical tensions come in the way of their cricket, and performing together for UAE.Despite improved focus towards developing home-grown talent, UAE are very much a multicultural group of players, largely from the subcontinent. Their captain Muhammad Waseem, born in Pakistan, is himself a beneficiary of support from a Hyderabad-based entrepreneur who helped him land a job and helped facilitate his cricketing journey when he arrived in Dubai more than a decade ago.

“We weren’t talking of that [politics]. We’ve played too much cricket with each other. There’s no Indian or Pakistani [sentiment]. We are playing for the UAE. We play as a family, and live as a family”Muhammad Waseem, UAE captain

It was, therefore, only natural that Waseem expressed the kind of sentiment he did when asked about the tensions between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup.”All these situations are only in India and Pakistan. There are no such situations in the UAE, whether it is in daily life, whether it is in cricket, or in our friendship,” he said. “We live like a family away from cricket, and in cricket matches too. We have played a lot of cricket with each other.”Asked if it ever came in the way of their camaraderie, he said, “No, we weren’t talking of that [politics]. We’ve played too much cricket with each other. There’s no Indian or Pakistani [sentiment]. We are playing for the UAE. We play as a family, and live as a family.”Simranjeet Singh derailed Pakistan in the middle overs•Associated PressWaseem, who has formed a fearsome opening combination with Kerala-born Alishan Sharafu, one of UAE’s emerging young batters, was full of praise for Siddique’s skills as he looked back at a game that could have panned out differently had UAE batted better in their chase of 147.”Junaid is our main bowler. Our most senior bowler in the team,” Waseem said. “He was exceptional today. In the last game also, he was superb. I’m very happy with our bowling. Especially the way we’ve bowled and learnt. Junaid, Simranjeet, [Muhammad] Rohid – all of them are doing a great job and I’m sure it’ll help us in the upcoming games.”Asked to pick out a turning point in the game against Pakistan, Waseem looked back at the three wickets lost inside the powerplay. “We ended up losing wickets in clusters,” he said. “Even after losing three wickets, we got a partnership going [between Rahul Chopra and Dhruv Parashar]. It felt until the 14-15-over mark that we could win, but we lost too many wickets.”Junaid Siddique picked 4 for 18 in his four overs against Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesOver the past few weeks, UAE have had seven straight games against top sides, a rarity in an era of lopsided fixtures where they have often had to make do with having to play fellow Associates. This, Waseem felt, gave them fresh perspective and clarity on how to approach their cricket.”We’ve learnt a lot playing India, Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said. “We’ve learnt to handle pressure. Like today, we lost three wickets in the powerplay, but even after that, the boys built a partnership.”In the tri-series, the first game against Pakistan, or against Afghanistan, we came close. We could have won tonight as well. As a captain, I’ve learnt about making bowling changes. While I am batting, if I’m set, I’ve learnt that I should try and finish the game and then go out.”UAE now turn their attention to the Asia region qualifiers (from October 1 to 17) where they will fight for a spot at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. If they are to make it, much will depend on their Indian-Pakistani core coming together to click as a unit.

Mitchell battled fitness issues en route to a 118-ball 119 on a two-paced pitch, taking New Zealand to a total beyond West Indies’ reach

Alagappan Muthu16-Nov-2025 • Updated on 17-Nov-2025

Everyone climbed onto the struggle bus in Christchurch, even Daryl Mitchell whose seventh ODI century cost him a little bit of his good health. A groin injury left him inside the dressing room for the entirety of the second innings, which wasn’t the worst thing ever. He could put his feet up and watch New Zealand pull off a seven-run victory.A two-paced pitch that offered sideways movement throughout the day made batting a distasteful exercise. Mitchell seemed immune initially but soon he was battling not just a disciplined West Indies attack but also his own body breaking down from the stress. The fact that he was able to ride those challenges – and take New Zealand to a total of 269 – made the innings all the sweeter.Mitchell must have felt it too. As soon as he reached his hundred, he whipped his helmet off and roared the word “yes” with so much emotion even the veins on his shaved head were popping all over the place. Performances like these were once the purview of Kane Williamson or Ross Taylor, two all-time Black Caps legends. Increasingly though, Mitchell has been putting himself up on their level, this 119 off 118 a prime example. No one else was able to make even half of those runs with Sherfane Rutherford’s 55 off 61 the next best score. Conditions at Hagley Oval on Sunday were not for the faint of heart.West Indies suffered in their chase, the help that was already available in the day now exaggerated under lights. Keacy Carty spent most of his 67 balls as a crash test dummy. He would’ve been fine if it was just swing or just seam or just bounce. But all three kept combining at the behest of New Zealand’s quicks and all the West Indian No. 3 could do was steel himself for the body blows. The first 10 overs produced just 32 runs. The next nine 27. There were 30 balls in between when only seven scoring shots were possible. And this was the change-bowlers – Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes – in operation.Matthew Forde helped West Indies start well with the ball•Getty Images

Shai Hope (37 off 45) and Rutherford fared a little better and New Zealand shelled a series of catches in the back end, but West Indies had fallen too far behind to capitalise.They came into this game with five changes – three spinners out, three seamers in. The best of them was Matthew Forde who was on a hat-trick in the seventh over, removing Rachin Ravindra for 4 and Will Young on his 50th ODI for a golden duck.That’s when Mitchell walked in and immediately flipped the game on its head. Till then, New Zealand’s batters were trapped in the crease and Forde was given the leeway to do whatever he wanted. Mitchell, though, walked at the fast bowler, trusting his reflexes to deal with the speed of the ball – which on average was only 122 kph – and negating the biggest thing that Forde had going for him – sideways movement, particularly into the right-hander. West Indies tried to stop that by bringing the wicketkeeper up but that only slowed Mitchell down. It didn’t uproot him.Mitchell was 33 off 37. He needed 24 deliveries to get to fifty. New Zealand were 91 for 2 in the 18th over. Only two of the next 16 would go for even a run a ball. Five of them almost became maidens. West Indies were remarkably tight, particularly Roston Chase, who harnessed the wind blowing across the ground to appear unhittable (just one four from his 10 overs) and mask the loss of Romario Shepherd (4-0-23-0) to a hamstring injury.Kyle Jamieson picked up 3 for 52 on ODI return•Getty Images

It was a small miracle the offspinner only ended up with one wicket – that of Michael Bracewell – because he created enough opportunities – three against Bracewell alone – to be driven to exasperation. “Jeeeesus,” Chase said when Hope missed a straightforward stumping.New Zealand were 192 for 5 in the 42nd over, but of greater concern was Mitchell pulling up in the middle of running a single and needing repairs to his left leg. He was 78 off 92 at that point, just starting to cut loose. Now, he was hampered running between the wickets and left to just stand and deliver. Good thing he’s six feet and change of pure muscle. Mitchell belted out those straight hits that he’s renowned for, thundering to his seventh ODI century, an innings that had so many phases.The initial acceleration, where he showcased a mutant pull shot, bringing the cross-bat up high and then whirling his wrists on impact with the ball to generate pace and find the boundary in front of square. The slowing down (from 33 off 37 to 56 off 77) because he knew he had to be there till the end. The injury (78 off 92) complicating things. The will to keep going. And the power to finish strong (41 off 26).West Indies could have had Mitchell for 19 and 67 but Chase at point and Jayden Seales at long-on put down two tough catches. New Zealand also benefited from Devon Conway’s persistence at the top of the order, where he scored 49 off 58 despite looking far from his best.Having specialist fast bowlers helped as well. Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Duffy all produced standout spells (29-4-146-4). They had the pace and the faith to go short, generating extra bounce. That was a clear a point of difference. West Indies got none of that, a drawback perhaps of having allrounders making up the majority of the seam attack. Justin Greaves, Shamar Springer and Shepherd stuck to the basics and were tidy (21-0-136-1) but in conditions that were often unplayable tidy doesn’t cut it.