New loyalties – Ross Taylor joins growing list of dual-internationals

Check out the growing list of male cricketers who have gone across borders to play more international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2025Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor un-retiring to play for Samoa makes him the latest in a growing list of men who have turned out for more than one country.The first dual international was all the way back in 1881-82, when Billy Midwinter played for England in a three-Test series after having played two Tests for Australia against England. He went back to representing Australia and played six more Tests.In those early years Billy Murdoch, John Ferris, Sammy Woods, Frank Hearne, Albert Trott and Frank Mitchell did the same – playing Test cricket for Australia and England. Then there was the Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, who played for England and India, and subsequently the instances of players who played for India and then Pakistan after the partition of the country in 1947.In the new millennium, among the players who have represented at least one Full Member team, only 18 male cricketers are recorded to have played for two countries in international cricket before Gavin Hamilton (Scotland and England) in 1999. Since then, excluding Hamilton, who went back to Scotland and played through the 2000s, there have been 25.T20 stars find new homesThe best known among these is Tim David, who played the last of his 14 T20Is for Singapore, where his father worked as an engineer, in 2020 before appearing for Australian against India in Mohali in September 2022.David Wiese had a stop-start career with South Africa as a bowling allrounder, playing six ODIs and 20 T20Is for them before shifting his loyalties to Namibia, for whom he has been a star player. Since the move in 2021, he has played nine ODIs and 34 T20Is for his new team and, like David, is popular in the franchise-league circuit.Tim David is one of the most in-demand players in the franchise T20 circuit•Getty ImagesAnother such cricketer is Hayden Walsh, who emerged as West Indies’ next big short-format spinner in November 2019, not long after playing for USA in Sandy’s Parish against Canada, Bermuda and Cayman Islands. But 25 ODIs and 39 T20Is (combined, for USA and West Indies) later, at 33, he appears to have fallen off the radar.Africans on the moveDaniel Jakiel played two T20Is for Zimbabwe in 2019 before moving to Malawi, for whom he has played 39 times, while Gregory Strydom played 12 ODIs for Zimbabwe, all in 2016, and then moved to Cayman Islands, where he has played six T20Is, all in 2019.Related

Former NZ international Tom Bruce switches to Scotland

Taylor comes out of retirement to play for Samoa

And then there are the more high-profile names, like Gary Ballance, who has played Test cricket for England and Zimbabwe – much like Kepler Wessels, who played Test cricket for Australia and South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Roelof van der Merwe, 40, is still going strong for Netherlands after switching from South Africa in 2015. He should be in action at the 2026 T20 World Cup too.Peter Moor moved from Zimbabwe to Ireland but retired as the 17th player to play Test cricket for two countries, without turning out for Ireland in ODIs or T20Is. Juan ‘Rusty’ Theron, who moved from South Africa in 2012 and became eligible to play for USA in 2019, hasn’t actually played international cricket since 2022. He was last seen in competitive cricket at the 2023 Major League Cricket before moving to the retired-cricketers circuit.Joe Burns, the new Italy captain•International Cricket CouncilThe Italian JobNews of an Italy team selection wouldn’t normally catch the attention of the rest of the cricket world but it did when Joe Burns, the former Australia Test opener, changed allegiance thanks to his mother’s heritage and was named Italy’s captain.Burns was not the first dual-international to play for Italy – that was former England fast bowler Jade Dernbach, who made the switch in 2019. He hasn’t played for Italy since October 2021 though.Eoin Morgan, the Ireland man in England, poses with the 2019 World Cup trophy•Getty ImagesThe England-Ireland switchEoin Morgan and fast bowler Boyd Rankin moved from Ireland to England well before Ireland became a Full Member nation, and Ed Joyce moved the other way after the step up for Ireland.Of them, Morgan was the biggest achiever, with the 2019 ODI World Cup win as captain the biggest highlight. Rankin retired in 2021 after having played most of his 13 years of international cricket for Ireland. He represented England in one Test, seven ODIs and two T20Is.Joyce played his only Test match for Ireland, but stood out for playing successive ODI World Cups for different countries. He helped Ireland qualify for the 2007 edition but played the tournament for England, and then switched back to Ireland in time for the 2011 tournament.Ross Taylor will become the latest in a long line of New Zealand cricketers to move to another country•Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTo New Zealand, from New ZealandTom Bruce became the latest to make the switch from New Zealand, to Scotland in August 2025, and is currently in action for his new team at the World Cup League 2 matches in Canada.He is not the first to make the journey, one way or the other.Corey Anderson might be the biggest name of the lot. His Test and ODI careers, from 2013 to 2017, were entirely for New Zealand – 13 and 49 matches in each formats respectively. His 42 T20Is have been more diverse: 31 for New Zealand, and the last 11 for USA.Mark Chapman went from Hong Kong to New Zealand. Now 31, Chapman was born in Hong Kong and played for them from 2014 to 2016 before moving full-time to New Zealand, for whom he has been a regular, especially in T20Is, for the past few years.Michael Rippon played all his nine ODIs for Netherlands but has played one T20I (out of 19) for New Zealand after making the switch in 2022.Luke Ronchi played for Australia in 2008-09 and then for New Zealand from 2013 to 2017. He became the first man to represent two Full Member countries in around two decades, Wessels having been the previous one. Ronchi played all his four Tests for New Zealand, four of his 85 ODIs for Australia and the rest for New Zealand, and three of his 33 T20Is for Australia and the rest for New Zealand.Geraint Jones, from Ashes-winning catch to Papua New Guinea•Getty ImagesDirk Nannes, Geraint Jones, and the restDirk Nannes played his only ODI for Australia, against Scotland, in 2009, not long after switching from Netherlands after having played two T20Is. He went on to play 15 T20Is for Australia but is better known for his exploits in franchise T20 cricket.Geraint Jones, best remembered for the catch that won England the Edgbaston Test in the 2005 Ashes, played 34 Tests and two T20Is for England, but played for both England and Papua New Guinea in ODIs – 49 for England, and two for PNG.Some of the other modern dual internationals are Izatullah Dawlatzai (Afghanistan and Germany), Amjad Khan (England and Denmark), Xavier Marshall (West Indies and USA) and Ryan Campbell (Australia and Hong Kong).

Garnacho upgrade: Chelsea enter race to sign "best winger in the country"

As they do every year, Chelsea made their fair share of signings in the summer.

Some of them have been hits, like Joao Pedro and Estevao – even if he was technically signed last year – but others have struggled, like Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap.

Then there are a few who sit somewhere in between, like Alejandro Garnacho, who hasn’t lit the world alight, but has popped up with goal involvements here and there.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, that might not be enough to save his place in the team, as reports are now linking Chelsea to someone who’d be a massive upgrade.

Chelsea target Garnacho upgrade

It might be around a month and a half until the transfer window officially opens, but that hasn’t stopped the reports linking Chelsea to a number of talented Premier League stars.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, despite being well stacked in the middle of the park, the Blues have been linked with both Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton in recent days.

Now, both of them would undoubtedly improve Enzo Maresca’s squad, but they certainly cannot be described as Garnacho upgrades, unlike Antoine Semenyo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are interested in signing the Bournemouth star.

However, they are not the only ones, as the report also claims that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool are also all vying for the Ghanaian’s signature.

Fortunately, even though the competition is far from ideal, another story from The Athletic has revealed that the Cherries star has a £65m release clause in his new contract, which will be active for part of January.

It will be a complicated transfer to get done, but given Semenyo’s immense game-changing ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he would be an upgrade on Garnacho.

How Semenyo compares to Garnacho

As Chelsea have lofty ambitions of challenging on all fronts in the coming season, the best place to start when comparing Garnacho to Semenyo is their ability to score or assist goals.

Unfortunately for the former Manchester United ace, doing this makes it quite clear that he is second best when it comes to output.

For example, so far this season, he has scored twice and provided two assists in ten appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.5 games.

The Bournemouth star, on the other hand, has scored six goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances, which translates to a far better average of a goal or assist every 1.33 games.

Even last season, the Ghanaian international came out ahead as, in 42 games, he scored 13 goals and provided seven assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games.

In contrast, the Blues’ new winger produced 21 goal involvements in 58 appearances, which comes out to a less impressive average of one every 2.76.

The bad news for the Madrid-born ace is that he also comes out as a clear second best when you take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.28

0.22

Progressive Passes

3.55

1.32

Shots on Target

1.09

1.05

Passing Accuracy

69.4%

77.3%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.28

3.15

Goal-Creating Actions

0.64

0.79

Tackles

1.64

1.32

Successful Take-Ons

1.91

1.32

Ball Recoveries

5.27

2.89

Aerial Duels Won

2.36

0.26

For example, while he’s not ahead in every metric, he performs better in the majority of them, including some key ones, such as non-penalty expected goals, progressive passes, shots on target, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with all this in mind, it is clear that the Cherries ace is a better player than the West Londoners summer signing, and that Chris Waddle might not be too far off the mark with his claim that he’s currently “the best winger in the country.”

Therefore, while it won’t be easy, Chelsea should do all they can to sign Semenyo in January, as he’s an exceptional player and a clear upgrade on Garnacho.

Their next Caicedo: BlueCo have signed a "world-beater" for Chelsea

The sensational talent could become Chelsea’s next Moises Caicedo.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Kyle Jamieson out of ODIs against England with side stiffness

NZ fast bowler experienced side stiffness during training on Saturday

Alex Malcolm25-Oct-2025New Zealand quick Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against England with side stiffness.Jamieson, 30, experienced stiffness in his side during training at Bay Oval on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s series opener. Given Jamieson’s history with stress fractures, including one post back surgery, New Zealand made a precautionary decision to rule him out of the three-match series and is targeting a comeback against West Indies in November.”Kyle experienced some stiffness in his side after bowling today and we didn’t want to take any risks at this stage of the summer,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. “We felt it was best for him to sit out this one-day series and give himself the best chance of being ready for the West Indies tour which starts on November 5 in Auckland.”Related

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Jamieson will return home to Christchurch for further assessment. Walter said New Zealand would name a replacement following the completion of the opening round of the Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s domestic One-Day tournament, on Saturday.Jamieson told ESPNcricinfo last month that he was being meticulous in the way he was managing his body on his return to competitive cricket in 2025 after the stress fracture last year. His bowling program has been managed by high performance coaches Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow who are not formally part of New Zealand Cricket.”They’ve done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly,” Jamieson said. “They advise on everything, right from how my body’s moving, what my gym program looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like.”I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl, my sort of weekly, monthly calendar is mapped out with them, my total load tracking is done through them. So I’m pretty much fully through them at the moment, and then apply it into the different cricket environments that I end up in.”

The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Every team wants a world-class centre-forward to lead their line, and there is arguably a lack of top strikers in today’s game compared to previous generations.

Scoring goals on a regular basis is a priceless attribute, and all clubs want a proven finisher in their ranks, but they can come at a huge price. That being said, there are still a plethora of elite strikers at the top of their games, but who is the best number nine around today?

Ranking factors

To help rank the strikers in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has performed in the past few months Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team’s performances Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others say about them

Top 15 strikers in the world

Rank

Player

Age

Club

Nation

1

Erling Haaland

25

Man City

Norway

2

Harry Kane

32

Bayern Munich

England

3

Kylian Mbappe

26

Real Madrid

France

4

Julian Alvarez

25

Atletico Madrid

Argentina

5

Robert Lewandowski

37

Barcelona

Poland

6

Viktor Gyokeres

27

Arsenal

Sweden

7

Alexander Isak

26

Liverpool

Sweden

8

Lautaro Martinez

28

Inter Milan

Argentina

9

Victor Osimhen

26

Galatasaray

Nigeria

10

Hugo Ekitike

23

Liverpool

France

11

Marcus Thuram

28

Inter Milan

France

12

Cristiano Ronaldo

40

Al Nassr

Portugal

13

Omar Marmoush

26

Man City

Egypt

14

Nick Woltemade

23

Newcastle

Germany

15

Joao Pedro

24

Chelsea

Brazil

15 Joao Pedro Chelsea and Brazil

Joao Pedro quickly made an impact at Chelsea after signing for £60m from Brighton by helping the Blues win the Club World Cup in the USA.

The Brazilian, now valued at a career-high €50m, also started the 2025/26 Premier League season on fire and looks set to be Chelsea’s first choice striker for years to come.

Joao Pedro: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Club World Cup

2025

14 Nick Woltemade Newcastle and Germany

Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle splashed the cash on Nick Woltemade in a club-record £69m over the summer.

However, the towering German has taken to life in England with ease, replacing Alaxender Isak and scoring goals on a regular basis. Woltemade hasn’t looked out of place in the Premier League.

13 Omar Marmoush Man City and Egypt

After starring for Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush got his big move to Man City in January 2025, and he continued to find the back of the net for fun.

Pep Guardiola called the Egypt international “the best player in the Bundesliga” after signing Marmoush for City, and he already has a Premier League hat-trick to his name.

12 Cristiano Ronaldo Al Nassr and Portugal

Arguably one of the best players to have ever graced the game, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40 and has actually scored more goals since turning 30 than he did before.

He’s been plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr since 2023 and has continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Ronaldo has now scored over 950 career goals for club and country and has been showing no signs of slowing down, continuing to feature regularly for Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Ballon d’Or

2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017

Best FIFA Men’s Player

2008, 2016, 2017

European Championship

2016

Premier League

2007, 2008, 2009

La Liga

2012, 2017

Serie A

2019, 2020

Champions League

2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018

FIFA Club World Cup

2009, 2015, 2017, 2018

UEFA Super Cup

2014, 2016, 2017

Nations League

2019

FA Cup

2004

League Cup

2006, 2009

Community Shield

2007

Italian Cup

2021

Copa del Rey

2011, 2014

Spanish Super Cup

2012, 2017

Italian Super Cup

2018, 2020

Portuguese Super Cup

2003

11 Marcus Thuram Inter Milan and France

Marcus Thuram made history in 2025 with the quickest goal to be scored in a Champions League semi-final following his clever flick against Barcelona.

The goal highlights Thuram’s quality, and he is now valued at €75m by Transfermarkt, a figure which has more than doubled since moving to Inter Milan from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2023.

The French forward has had the best goalscoring season of his career in 2024/25, and at 27, appears to be at the peak of his powers.

Marcus Thuram: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Serie A

2024

Italian Super Cup

2023

Nations League

2021

10 Hugo Ekitike Liverpool and France

Hugo Ekitike became a man in demand after impressing for Eintracht Frankfurt, with Liverpool winning the race to secure his services for an initial £69m.

The 22-year-old previously made his loan move to Frankfurt from Paris Saint-Germain permanent in 2024 and enjoyed his best ever season in front of goal.

PSG are doing just fine themselves without Ekitike, however, they will surely be kicking themselves in regards to selling the “next Mbappe”.

Hugo Ekitike: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Ligue 1

2023, 2024

French Super Cup

2023

9 Victor Osimhen Galatasaray and Nigeria

Galatasaray struck gold by signing Victor Osimhen on loan from Napoli last summer, with the Nigeria international continuing to do what he does best – score goals.

Osimhen fell out with Napoli chiefs last summer which resulted in his move to Turkey for the 2024/25 season, and that has now become permanent. The striker has been called “one of the best centre-forwards in the world” by Alvaro Morata.

8 Lautaro Martinez Inter Milan and Argentina

Alvarez’s international teammate, Lautaro Martinez, is next on the list, with the Inter Milan star a regular source of goals for the Serie A giants since 2018.

In fact, Martinez has hit double figures for Serie A goals in all eight of his campaigns in Italy and has now surpassed 150 goals in all competitions for Inter.

Now Inter captain, Martinez appears to be in the prime of his career and even Lionel Messi backed him to win the Ballon d’Or just last year.

7 Alexander Isak Liverpool and Sweden

Alexander Isak is regarded as one of the world’s best centre-forwards after starring in the Premier League for Newcastle United, and his record £125m transfer to Liverpool was the saga of the 2025 summer window.

Jamie Carragher, at the beginning of 2025, actually called Isak the “best striker in the Premier League”, however, his start to life at Anfield hasn’t gone to plan which has seen him drop down the rankings.

Alexander Isak: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

League Cup

2025

DFB-Pokal

2017

Copa del Rey

2020

6 Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal and Sweden

Many wouldn’t have expected Viktor Gyokeres to be one of the best strikers in the world a few years ago when he was at Coventry City in the Championship. However, the Sweden international is now deservedly regarded among the elite after starring on the European stage with Sporting CP.

Gyokeres scored 43 times in his debut season in Portugal and has proven this year that he wasn’t a one-season wonder by finding the back of the net more than 50 times in 24/25. He has now got his return to England with a big-money move to Arsenal and has continued to find the back of the net, albeit on a less regular occurence.

'They will 100% be fighting' – Viktor Gyokeres warned to expect battle with Tottenham star ahead of first north London derby with Arsenal

A former Tottenham player has backed one of Thomas Frank's key players to "control" Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal. Spurs are eighth in the Premier League, whereas the Gunners sit top of the pile heading into Sunday's clash at the Emirates. But one man is predicting Mikel Arteta's side will come unstuck against the Europa League holders.

Gyokeres warned about Tottenham talisman

Former Tottenham midfielder Sandro believes that Arsenal striker Gyokeres will provide a stern test for Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero this weekend. However, the Brazilian believes Dutch defender Micky van de Ven will keep the former Sporting CP forward in check, that is if the 27-year-old is fit to face Frank's players. Sancho also stressed how important getting all three points will be for their season.

He said, via The Metro: "Gyokeres will be fit for this game. Gyokeres is a player that works very, very hard for the team. I saw him here in Portugal and he can run! He can run, he will give everything for the team. But I think Romero is an intelligent defender, he’s strong and he’s a winner. Van de Ven is fast enough to control him, fast enough to control him in the deep. Gyokeres is a fighter. He will fight with Romero all game long, you’re going to see that. They will be 100% fighting throughout this match, because I see two players that want to fight. Romero will be there to fight for everything. Every single ball, he’s going to throw his head in. Gyokeres will also push Romero, I’m so excited to watch them battle. This could be a very important game for us to change our momentum. If we can win this game, it could be a game changer for the period ahead."

Gyokeres has scored four goals in the Premier League following his switch from Portugal in the summer. So far, he has proven to be a solid recruit, although he is unlikely to get anywhere near the goalscoring numbers he produced at Sporting CP, where the Sweden international bagged 97 goals in 102 matches.

AdvertisementGettyVan de Ven hailed as world class

Another former Tottenham player has sung the praises of Van de Ven this week. Ex-Spurs centre-back Michael Dawson believes the 24-year-old will captain the club one day and is one of the best in the world in his position.

He said: "For me, Micky van de Ven is one of the best centre-backs in the world, not just the Premier League. I honestly believe that. I'm a huge, huge fan and I think he’s got everything. There aren’t many centre backs around that have the pace he does but also are able to read the game in the way he does. I know people will probably say his pace gets him out of trouble at times but I don’t really buy that and I think at times last season he was left to cover an awful lot of ground because of the way the team was set up. That goal he scored in the Champions League was mind blowing. For a centre-back to do that was special and I don’t really see any weaknesses, he’s got all the attributes to go right to the top. Without a shadow of a doubt he’s a future Tottenham captain. I look at Virgil van Dijk and he’s the benchmark for me in terms of how long he’s been at the top for, but I don’t think Micky is far off that, I really don’t. He’s got all the attributes to be a leader and I’m sure the reason he was tied down to a long-term contract was with that in mind."

Tottenham backed to beat Arsenal

Tottenham face a mighty test on Sunday, as Arsenal have won four and drawn one of their five Premier League home games this season. While Spurs' home form is poor, their away record is the second-best in the division. However, their results at the Emirates do not make for pleasant reading if you are a Tottenham fan. In 20 outings there, they have won two, drawn six, and lost 12. But Sandro thinks his old team will emerge victorious this time out.

He added: "When you talk about Arsenal and Tottenham, I just want Tottenham to win, 100% of the time. But to try to guess is very tough because Arsenal are doing a good job at the moment. Arsenal are in good shape but I think Spurs will win 1-0."

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AFPBig tests ahead for Tottenham

Frank's side are gearing up for a brutal few days as after travelling to Arsenal, they head to Paris to take on Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in Europe's elite competition on Wednesday. They then round off the month with a clash against London neighbours Fulham on Saturday.

Farke can solve Longstaff injury with "annoying" Leeds star in new role

Leeds United are in a difficult position heading into the weekend as they are in the bottom three and heading to play Manchester City at The Etihad this afternoon.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the Premier League, losing to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, and now face a run of games against City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

On top of the daunting fixture list, Daniel Farke also has several new injury issues to contend with before they kick off against Pep Guardiola’s side today.

The latest Leeds injury news

Anton Stach will not be in the squad because he has been unable to train this week through concussion protocols, after the German midfielder was taken off in the first against Aston Villa last weekend with a head injury.

The £17.4m summer signing from Hoffenheim will resume training on Sunday before coming into contention for the Chelsea match, and Ao Tanaka could start in his place this afternoon.

Reserve defender Sebastiaan Bornauw, who joined from Wolfsburg in the summer, is going to be a late call on whether or not he can make the bench today, per Farke.

Chalkboard

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

Unfortunately, the German head coach also revealed that central midfielder Sean Longstaff suffered a calf injury and is due to be out of action for between four and six weeks, in a major blow for the Whites.

The summer signing from Newcastle has started ten of his 12 Premier League appearances for the club, creating six ‘big chances’, per Sofascore, and Farke will need to find a way to replace him this afternoon and for the weeks to come.

Instead of bringing Ilia Gruev, who is more of a deep-lying number six, into the side, Farke should unleash Brenden Aaronson in a new role to ease the Longstaff injury blow.

The new role that Brenden Aaronson should play in

Earlier this month, Farke said that the USA international “polarises and can be annoying” and then added that he “works his socks off, gives everything, relentless and leaves his heart on the pitch” in defence of the attacking midfielder.

Because of that work rate, it would be interesting to see how he would fare in Longstaff’s position as one of the two number eights ahead of Ethan Ampadu.

Aaronson, of course, was the main number ten for Farke in his 4-2-3-1 system last season before being moved to the right wing in the current 4-3-3 shape, which means that he is used to playing centrally under the German boss.

The 25-year-old star, who has scored one goal in the Premier League this season, has the creative qualities to soften the blow of losing Longstaff, who has created the most ‘big chances’ in the team, albeit as the main set-piece taker.

Goals

1

3rd

Shots per game

1.4

3rd

Key passes per game

0.9

3rd

Big chances created

3

2nd

xA

1.49

1st

Possession lost per game

8.4

8th

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson has been one of the most creative players in the team in the top-flight this season, without being one of the most wasteful in possession.

This, along with Farke’s comments on his work rate, suggests that the American midfielder could be the ideal player to fill in for Longstaff in the next few weeks, because the Whites would still have a hard-working and creative player in that role.

On top of that, moving Aaronson away from the right wing position would allow the manager to unleash Dan James on the right, and his pace in behind could be particularly useful in these next three games against superior opposition who will be expected to dominate the ball.

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Therefore, playing the USA international in this new role could be an excellent way to respond to Longstaff’s injury, which is why Farke should consider it this afternoon.

Stats – MI's season of big wins and DC's record slump

Also: a remarkable outing for MI’s Mitchell Santner, conceding the joint-fewest runs by an IPL spinner bowling his full quota at the Wankhede

Sampath Bandarupalli22-May-20251:51

Moody: Santner a nightmare on pitches like this   

A statistical review after Mumbai Indians (MI) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) in match 63 of the IPL 2025 season, securing both teams’ playoff fates.11 Number of IPL seasons where MI qualified for the playoffs (or semi-finals). They had qualified previously in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023. Only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – 12 times – made it to the top four in the IPL more often than MI.1 DC became the first team in the IPL to not finish in the top four despite starting the season with four successive wins. MI halted DC’s four-match winning streak in Delhi, and Wednesday’s game against MI at the Wankhede confirmed DC’s elimination.6 of MI’s eight wins in IPL 2025 have been by a margin of 40-plus runs or 25-plus balls to spare. These are the joint-most such wins for any team in an IPL season. MI also had six big wins in 2020, including a win in the playoffs.MI’s win against DC was their third by a margin of 50-plus runs in IPL 2025. MI had three such wins in 2010 and 2013, as did the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2023.5 Number of times MI have bowled out their opponents in IPL 2025. All other teams combined bundled out their opponents only seven times in this season so far. Only one team bowled their opponents out more times in an IPL season – six by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024.

7 Matches remaining in the league phase after Wednesday’s game, where MI became the fourth team to confirm their spot in the playoffs. This is the earliest that all four playoff spots (semi-finalists) were decided in an IPL season.The previous earliest was in 2011, where the four playoff spots were decided by the end of the 67th match in a season featuring 70 league games.13 Consecutive scores of 25-plus for Suryakumar Yadav in IPL 2025, the joint-longest such streak for any batter in men’s T20s. He has equalled Temba Bavuma, who also had 13 successive scores of 25-plus runs between 2019 and 2020. Suryakumar already holds the equivalent IPL record, having bettered Robin Uthappa (Ten in 2014).ESPNcricinfo Ltd11 Runs that Mitchell Santner conceded in his four overs on Wednesday, the joint-fewest by a spin bowler in his full quota in an IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium. Only three bowlers have ever conceded fewer runs in their four overs in an IPL game at this venue.48 Runs that MI scored in the last two overs of their innings. Only once did they score more across the 19th and 20th overs of an IPL innings – 51 runs, also against DC at Wankhede in 2024. ESPNCricinfo’s forecaster, at the end of the 18th over, predicted MI to finish on 156, expecting 24 further runs in the last two overs.

South Africa are on a roll, but Kapp wants bowlers to 'tighten up a little bit'

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances,” Marizanne Kapp says after massive win over Pakistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Oct-20253:27

Review – South Africa are looking formidable

When South Africa began the World Cup by being blown away for 69 by England, it was natural to wonder whether they really were serious contenders for the title. But, since that catastrophic start, they have put on one hell of a campaign. They have now won five games in a row – four of those comfortably, only one match going into the final over.In the rain-affected match against Pakistan on Tuesday, South Africa’s batters put on their highest World Cup score ever, hitting 312 for 9. What’s more, they only had 40 overs in which to make those runs. The 312 is also the highest total at the Khettarama this World Cup by 54 runs.Senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who hit 68 not out off 43 balls, said afterwards that a host of players had stepped their game up to make this turnaround happen. “We were very disappointed with that performance against England,” she said. “Luckily, we turned it around very quickly. I think that’s down to the goals we’ve had and the hard work we’ve been putting in.Related

  • 'Want to take it one step further' – Bosch on SA's push for maiden ODI World Cup final

  • Kapp-powered SA knock Pakistan out in wet Colombo

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances.”And so it was on Tuesday, that to reach their highest World Cup total, South Africa had a range of important contributions. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led off with a 90 off 82 balls. Sune Luus made 61 off 59. Kapp hit three sixes and six fours in her innings. And, at the death, Nadine de Klerk thumped a staggering 41 off 16 balls. De Klerk had hit only two fifties from 43 previous innings before she bludgeoned a match-turning 84 not out off 54 balls in the game against India. She had then hit 37 not out off 29 against Bangladesh, before this explosive innings in Colombo.”We’ve always known Nadine’s very talented,” said Kapp. “I’ve always rated her. I’ve always said she’s a very good batting allrounder. In the last few years, I think it’s been about the bowling, but this year her batting is really clicking.”South Africa had booked a place in the semi-finals even before this game and are now certain to finish at least third on the table. They have one match in this stage to play – against the feared Australia side.Despite that embarrassing start, Kapp thinks the bowlers have more work to do than the batters to get South Africa in perfect shape for the knockouts.”The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots,” she said. “I think we can tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well, we’ve bowled some loose deliveries.”But in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”

PIF can fund Anderson move by selling Newcastle star who's a "nightmare"

When Eddie Howe reflected on Newcastle United’s form at the start of the November international break, he would have felt the weight of back-to-back Premier League defeats against Brentford and West Ham United.

He also would have known the significance of a big performance against Manchester City at St. James’ Park when club football returned, and so it was momentous to have battled to victory against Manchester City on Saturday evening, recovering ground in the race for European football.

The season’s still young, and there is optimism regarding the Magpies’ hopes of finding success once again this year, but Howe and technical director Ross Wilson will already be looking toward the future, and they have earmarked Elliot Anderson as the perfect player to take this project to the next level.

The latest on Anderson to Newcastle

As far as Newcastle are concerned, the Anderson situation is twofold: they will absolutely be in the thick of any upcoming battles to bring their academy graduate back home, and they will surely need to make concessions of some description, given the Tricky Trees are set to demand in excess of £100m for their prized player, who is also being chased by Manchester United

Anderson, 23, was sold to Forest in 2024 for a fee in the region of £35m. This was signed off by PIF officials bearing gritted teeth, having felt forced into cashing in for the homegrown talent in order to balance the books and placate PSR.

Ruefulness has since shifted to regret. Anderson has been described as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” by England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has designated the star as a regular starter alongside Declan Rice as the 2026 World Cup looms large.

While Newcastle’s vested interest could lead to an exciting and concerted bid – Howe said at the start of October that he “would love him to” come back home – but it’s not as if the Toon engine room is lacking without him.

That said, Joelinton appears to be winding down after years of tireless and robust service. Anderson would surely dovetail into a trio with Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

If Newcastle have to shuffle a few things, so be it, and there’s one rather brazen sale PIF could permit to ensure the club have the finances to pull a bid off next year.

The Newcastle superstar PIF could sell

It may well be a controversial move, but Newcastle have floated the possibility of selling Anthony Gordon about for some time, with Liverpool interest in their one-time academy talent in 2024, before United opted instead to cash in on Anderson.

Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton for around £45m in January 2023 and, after a testing start to life on Tyneside, made significant progress across the 2023/24 campaign, winning the club’s Player of the Year after recording 21 goal contributions in the Premier League and serving as a talisman as Howe’s side battled through an injury-hit year.

But last season, as Newcastle went from strength to strength, returning to the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup, Gordon regressed, only scoring six Premier League goals all year.

Though his playing style has put him in a promising position to beat the likes of Marcus Rashford to a regular starting berth at next year’s World Cup, more is needed from a player of his calibre, whose once untouchable place on Howe’s left wing is looking far more apt for replacement at this stage, especially with injuries and suspensions contributing toward his poor form this year.

Then, of course, we have Harvey Barnes, whose brace against City underscored his worth in this system. That’s three goals in two Premier League matches for the former Leicester winger, whose incisiveness from the wing works well against Nick Woltemade’s unique striking game, willing to drop deep and influence play while also playing the part of a powerful target man.

Gordon’s blistering speed and ability to stick to the flank or weave inside to wreak chaos are two brilliant aspects of his game, but he needs to offer more, and his inability to do this could see Howe sell him to fund a move for Anderson, perhaps making a shrewd winger signing to complement Barnes besides.

Because frankly, Gordon’s form in front of goal hasn’t been good enough for a while. The Three Lions star was said to have entered “Gabriel Obertan territory” after the loss at West Ham, which, for one of the most prominent wingers in England, self-proclaimed as a “nightmare for anyone” he comes up against, is not good enough.

Jacob Ramsey – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals (assists)

25/26

7

0 (0)

24/25

34

6 (6)

23/24

35

11 (10)

22/23

16

1 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

Should Gordon fail to establish prolific form before the end of the season, there will be more than just a few questions placed by his name. Given that Liverpool have expressed an interest over the past couple of years, not dissuaded by Newcastle’s £100m valuation, could there be regret that he was not sold sooner?

Barnes, after all, is beginning to find goalscoring form, and Gordon has failed with 60% of his dribbles in the top flight this term, also missing big chances while failing to break his duck.

Gordon at full speed and potency in the final third and up and down the touchline is a dangerous adversary for even the finest of defenders. But his declaration of a nightmarish playing style can only go so far if he is unable to produce clinical results at the end.

We need only look at the Alexander Isak saga and the potential that Woltemade offers in the box to understand that selling Gordon for the right price would not be detrimental for Howe’s longer-term plans.

And if those funds are used to bring Anderson back home, thus completing what may well become the best central midfield in the whole country, then it would surely be a worthwhile move.

Newcastle have already got a bigger talent than Barnes who's "like Mbappe"

Newcastle United have a bigger talent than Harvey Barnes in an 18-year-old who is similar to Kylian Mbappe.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 24, 2025

Bowlers, Saif combine to hand Bangladesh 3-0 win against Afghanistan

Bangladesh clean swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the T20I series in Sharjah, as they successfully followed a chasing template in all three matches. Saif Hassan continued his good form with an unbeaten 38-ball 64 that powered Bangladesh to a six-wicket win in the third T20I.Afghanistan once again fell well short after being sent in to bat first. They had an ordinary powerplay, followed by an even worse middle overs. Only a late burst from Darwish Rasooli and No. 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman got them to 143 for 9 in 20 overs.Tanzid Hasan got Bangladesh off to a quick start before Saif took over with his big-hitting. He struck seven sixes and two fours, including several swings, flicks and sweeps on his way to his fourth T20I fifty. Bangladesh did lose a couple of wickets in the middle, but Nurul Hasan struck the winning runs to wrap up victory with two overs to spare.

Tanzid provides early fireworks

Azmatullah Omarzai provided Afghanistan with the early wicket of Parvez Hossain, when the left-hand batter skied him in the fifth over. Parvez looked good in the early exchanges, striking a four and a six in his innings of 14. But when he tried to loft Omarzai, he was caught at mid-off.Saif started with a six later in the same over, before Tanzid crashed two fours in a row off Rashid Khan in the seventh over.Darwish Rasooli’s innings of 32 propelled Afghanistan•ACB

Tanzid then belted Mujeeb for a six over long-on, before Rasooli dropped a sitter off Tanzid’s top edge in the 11th over. But thankfully, for Abdollah Ahmadzai, who was the bowler, Tanzid top-edged his next delivery, a slower one, to mid-off. But Tanzid’s run-a-ball 33, and his 55-run second-wicket stand with Saif, had given Bangladesh a good base in their 144-run chase.

Saif slays, Jaker flails

Like earlier in the series, Bangladesh, though, fell into the pattern of getting into panic mode after a good partnership. Captain Jaker Ali survived two lbw appeals in three balls against Rashid. Both times the ball pitched outside leg stump. Saif then laid into Ahmadzai with a 92-metre six in a 22-run over that should have made life comfortable for Bangladesh.Instead, with just 35 runs to get in 38 balls, Jaker fell to Mujeeb. Jaker took a second review in his 11-ball stay, but this time it didn’t save him. Mujeeb then had Shamim Hossain bowled for a golden duck to make things a little interesting.Saif, meanwhile, cleverly played out Rashid’s last over, the 15th of the innings, with forward-defensive shots, even as it meant giving away a maiden. It didn’t put much pressure on Bangladesh, however, although he made up for it by striking debutant Bashir Ahmad for two sixes in the 16th over. Saif reached his fourth fifty with the second six in the over, a slog sweep that went for 95 meters.Nurul, at the other end, remained not out on 10, including hitting the match-winning runs, a six off Ahmadzai, who had an evening to forget in Sharjah. Nurul thus ended unbeaten in all three matches of the T20I series.Mohammad Saifuddin got three wickets•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Saifuddin leads Bangladesh’s charge

Bangladesh’s bowlers continued their dominance in the powerplay in this T20I series. Afghanistan were 39 for 3 after six overs, with Shoriful Islam once again giving Bangladesh an early breakthrough. He removed Ibrahim Zadran in the third over, before Shamim took a screamer at cover to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz off Nasum Ahmed in the fourth over.Wafiullah Tarakhil’s wicket in the sixth over rounded off Afghanistan’s struggle in the powerplay. Sediqullah Atal looked good during his 23-ball 28, before Mohammad Saifuddin had him caught at deep point in the 11th over. Omarzai then skied Rishad Hossain for 3, before Mohammad Nabi and Rashid fell cheaply, and in successive overs.Bangladesh dominated with the ball till the 15th over, and with Afghanistan at 106 for 8, they might have expected to take the last two wickets rather quickly.

Rasooli, Mujeeb salvage some pride

Bangladesh almost had the ninth wicket in the 17th over when umpire Ahmed Shah Pakteen adjudged Mujeeb lbw, only for a review to save Mujeeb. Rasooli struck Rishad for a four and six later in the over, before Mujeeb got two fours off Shoriful in the 18th over. Rasooli, who scored 29, fell trying to slash Saifuddin, thus giving the latter his third wicket, and ending a 34-run ninth-wicket stand.New batter Bashir then survived a caught-behind chance, with the ball having dropped an inch in front of wicketkeeper Jaker. Mujeeb struck one more four to take Afghanistan past 140, thus giving their bowlers something to aim at.

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