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The South Africa Test captain talks about taking inspiration from those less fortunate than him

Leonard Solms15-Aug-20251:33

‘It’s a source of inspiration you are looking for’

South Africa’s World Test Championship-winning captain Temba Bavuma is defining his legacy not only with his runs and cricketing intelligence, but also by the way he is extending help to others, on and off the field.He hopes to be remembered as a captain who helped others express their individuality, a recent instance of which came when he supported batter Wiaan Mulder in his decision to not break Brian Lara’s Test score record.Off the field, Bavuma is trying to make sure that young South Africans in vulnerable positions have a local cricketing hero they can relate to – which he himself took some time to find in his own youth.One of the key ways he’s giving back is through non-profit organisation DKMS Africa – a donor recruitment centre and registry – to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a stem cell donor, which helps save the lives of blood-cancer and blood-disorder patients.Bavuma told ESPN about his motivation to join DKMS as an ambassador: “My late grandma passed away via leukemia and that was something that was never spoken about in the household. I guess for them to see me getting behind a cause like this allowed them to somewhat heal – at least to speak about it, but also heal from what was traumatic for them.”Apart from his grandmother, Bavuma was inspired by the story of an aplastic anemia patient – a 14-year-old fan named Iminathi. DKMS Africa told Bavuma Iminathi’s story, and he hosted the boy at the Wanderers alongside Lions, Bavuma’s domestic team.Bavuma was the toast of South Africa after their World Test Championship win. He made 36 and 66 in the low-scoring Lord’s final in June•Phil Magakoe/AFP/Getty ImagesBavuma said: “I think in life we all need heroes. We all need people to look up to. I guess we all grow up with our own dreams and aspirations and ambitions and those easily come to life – or at least become reachable – when you see people like you who are doing it.”For an individual like Iminathi – [he] also was a source of inspiration that I could draw from. I’m quite privileged in a lot of ways within my life. The pressures and struggles that I go through are nothing compared to what Iminathi does and he is still able to do it with a smile on his face.”DKMS Africa was established in 2021, following the amalgamation of international organisation DKMS and the South African Sunflower Fund. Although they have made some progress reaching South Africans of all ethnicities, they still face challenges building diversity among their donor base.South Africans are classified by the government according to four main racial groups: black, coloured, Asian/Indian and white. Among DKMS Africa’s 125,000 registered donors, 45% are white, 38% black, 9% coloured and 8% Asian. White South Africans make up 7.3% of the country’s total population, as per the 2022 national census, and are therefore disproportionately represented among donors. As a result, it may be easier for white South Africans in need of a stem cell donor to find a match than for their black counterparts, who make up 81.4% of the total population.Apart from disparities in access to information, Bavuma attributes the relative shortage of black stem cell donors to the importance of blood in some African cultures, and the fact that most stem cell donations are collected from the bloodstream.At a Unicef event in Lucknow during the 2023 ODI World Cup. “I think in life, we all need heroes. We all need people to look up to”•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images”I think there’s a lot of stigmas that exist among people of my [ethnicity] when it comes to blood and giving blood. I think that can only be challenged by educating people, and also people seeing someone similar to them going out and supporting these kinds of causes,” said Bavuma.In the Xhosa culture he grew up in, blood is viewed as the essence of life and a conduit for connection with the ancestors. “Black culture is a bit interesting if you haven’t grown up with it,” Bavuma said, “especially if you look at it from a Western type of lens. Blood is quite sacred within our culture. The sacrifice of blood, the use of blood and the exchange of blood – those things have a certain significance.”To challenge that, you need the right education. You need the right type of people as well, to be able to speak the language that those types of people understand.”In his youth Bavuma had a taste of both the hardship that many South Africans face and the privilege reserved for a few, of whom a disproportionate number are white. Born and raised in Langa Township in Cape Town, Bavuma quickly gained attention for his prodigious cricketing talent.This afforded him scholarships at two of South Africa’s most prestigious schools – first the South African College School in Cape Town during his junior schooling, and then later St David’s Marist Inanda in Johannesburg after his family relocated during his high school career.When there has been division in the South Africa side, Bavuma has been able to draw upon his experience of both worlds to ensure unity prevailed. One notable example was in 2021, when Quinton de Kock withdrew from a T20 World Cup game against West Indies over a hasty directive from Cricket South Africa to the players five hours before the game to take a knee against racial discrimination.De Kock later apologised and credited Bavuma for being a “flipping amazing leader” for maintaining unity among those who played that match in de Kock’s absence without ostracising him for following his convictions.That was a period Bavuma acknowledged at the time as being one of his hardest as a leader. However, more recently, he has witnessed his conviction that no player under his watch should be afraid to make a bold decision – as exemplified by Mulder, under much happier circumstances.”That, for me, shows what the team is about,” Bavuma said about team-mate Wiaan Mulder’s decision to not go for Brian Lara’s Test innings run-scoring record against Zimbabwe in July•Zimbabwe CricketMulder – serving as stand-in captain in a Test against Zimbabwe in July for the then-injured Bavuma – declared despite being on 367 not out himself, only 33 runs shy of Brian Lara’s world record. The decision drew praise in some quarters and criticism in others.Regardless of whether it was the right call, the sheer bravery of the decision was a sign in itself that Bavuma’s values are likely to be upheld in the South Africa set-up beyond the end of his captaincy.”People always ask: ‘What is it about this team?’ We’re not a team of superstars, but there are always moments or snippets that give you a real shot or preview into what the team is about,” Bavuma said.”That moment there – Wiaan Mulder – a young guy making his mark in international cricket, in his first game as a stand-in captain, has an opportunity to break the world record and is able to make a decision like that. That, for me, shows what the team is about,” Bavuma said.”I was actually there in Zimbabwe when Wiaan and the coach [Shukri Conrad] made that decision. I think he would have earned a lot of respect not just from us as players but from the cricketing world.”It’s easy to say that you’re going to put the team first and all of that, but the important thing is: when it’s in front of you, what do you exactly do?”Whether it relates to his work building a winning cricket culture within the South Africa side or a culture of awareness regarding people with blood disorders through his work with DKMS Africa, Bavuma is looking to ensure that actions do the talking.

Matt Short also makes his return from injury ahead of Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand

Alex Malcolm16-Sep-2025

Glenn Maxwell will play in the Dean Jones Trophy for Victoria•Getty Images

Despite retiring from ODIs earlier this year Glenn Maxwell will play 50-over cricket for his state side Victoria in the first two Dean Jones Trophy matches of the new summer to help prepare for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.Maxwell, 36, has been named in Victoria’s 14-player squad for their first two matches against Queensland and Tasmania at Allan Border Field on Wednesday and Friday respectively. Maxwell has played just one List A match for Victoria since March 2022, and that was against New South Wales in October last year.Fellow Australian T20I squad member Matt Short has also been named for his first game of cricket in any form since the MLC in July, after he was ruled out of the five-match T20I tour of the Caribbean then both the T20I and ODI series against South Africa at home in August due to a side injury. Like Maxwell, he has not played a 50-over fixture since the Champions Trophy.Related

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Captain Will Sutherland will only play in game one before departing to India to join the Australia A tour ahead of the second four-day game in Lucknow. Peter Handscomb will captain in game two.Young batter Oliver Peake, who is yet to make his Victoria 50-over debut despite making his List A debut for Australia A in July against Sri Lanka A, is unavailable as he is already in Lucknow playing in the first four-day match against India A. Todd Murphy is also playing for Australia A in India.Harry Dixon and Sam Elliott will play both games for Victoria before departing for India to play for Australia A in the 50-over matches in Kanpur that start on September 30.Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne will captain Queensland against Victoria on Wednesday and Western Australia on Sunday, also at Allan Border Field. Xavier Bartlett is unavailable due to Australia A duty while Mark Steketee (minor hamstring) and Callum Vidler (stress fracture) are also absent. Test opener Usman Khawaja won’t play either of Queensland’s 50-over matches this week as he continues his preparation for the start of the Sheffield Shield summer ahead of the Ashes.Former New South Wales allrounder Hayden Kerr is in line for a Queensland debut as is former Australian Under-19 World Cup winning captain Hugh Weibgen.Tom Straker and Lachlan Hearne will play both matches against Victoria and WA before departing to India to join the Australia A 50-over squad.Hearne has been called up to his first Australia A squad as an injury replacement for Aaron Hardie. Hearne has only played eight List A matches but the left-hander made an impressive 107 off 91 balls against his former state New South Wales in February.Victoria squad: Will Sutherland, Peter Handscomb, Blake Macdonald, Callum Stow, Cam McClure, David Moody, Glenn Maxwell, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Matt Short, Mitch Perry, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Tom RogersQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Lachlan Hearne, Hayden Kerr, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth

It's well known that the Yankees are looking to acquire a starting third baseman at the upcoming trade deadline.

One of the top options out there is Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez, who is batting .250/.320/.569 with 31 homers and 78 RBIs in 95 games. Entering the All-Star break, only Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have hit more dingers than Suárez.

The Diamondbacks are expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, as they sit with a 47-50 record—11 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. It appears Suárez can be acquired for the right price.

With all the league's best players meeting in Atlanta this week for the 2025 All-Star Game, Suárez was directly asked about the possibility of being traded to New York.

"Yankees [are the] Yankees. It's a team that wants to win," Suárez said. They're hungry still. If I got over there, I would do my best and try to help them win the World Series."

According to Fangraphs, Yankees have collected just 0.6 fWAR at third base so far this season, which ranks 29th in all of baseball—only edging out the Washington Nationals.

New York has seen five different players start at least one game at the hot corner for them in 2025: Oswaldo Cabrera (30 games), Oswald Peraza (30), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (28), Jorbit Vivas (6) and Pablo Reyes (2).

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6 p.m. ET.

Arsenal’s title aspirations suffered a crushing blow at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime as Emiliano Buendia’s stoppage-time strike completed a dramatic 2-1 turnaround for Aston Villa.

The Gunners’ remarkable 18-match unbeaten streak across all competitions has now come to an end, with Mikel Arteta’s side sent crashing back down to Earth.

Arsenal dominated possession throughout lengthy spells but ultimately paid the price for failing to convert superiority into goals, succumbing to Unai Emery’s tactical masterclass at a venue where Arsenal ironically boast their best away record in Premier League history.

The defeat allows Man City the opportunity to reduce the gap at the summit to just two points, piling pressure on Arteta’s men as they navigate a mounting defensive injury crisis.

Villa deservedly seized the initiative in the 36th minute when Matty Cash powered home from the back post, meeting a deflected cross with a thunderous half-volley that caught David Raya flat-footed.

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The right-back’s spectacular finish rewarded Villa’s aggressive pressing and energetic start, with Arsenal struggling to establish their usual rhythm against Emery’s well-drilled side.

Arteta responded decisively at the interval, introducing Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres for the ineffective Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino. The Belgian substitute needed just seven second-half minutes to justify his manager’s faith, pouncing on a loose ball after Emiliano Martínez could only parry Bukayo Saka’s initial effort.

Trossard’s predatory instincts breathed life into Arsenal’s challenge and appeared to shift momentum decisively towards the visitors.

Emiliano Martínez

7.8

Declan Rice

7.7

Matty Cash

7.5

Boubacar Kamara

7.5

Martin Odegaard

7.2

via WhoScored

Arsenal dominated proceedings thereafter, pinning Villa deep inside their own territory while creating numerous opportunities to snatch victory.

Declan Rice orchestrated attacks from deep despite struggling with the calf complaint that nearly ruled him out, while Saka tormented Villa’s left flank repeatedly. Noni Madueke came agonizingly close late on, firing into the side netting when well-positioned at the back post.

However, Emery’s inspired tactical substitution proved decisive.

Buendia’s introduction for Cash in the 85th minute pushed Villa into a more aggressive attacking configuration, with Lamare Bogarde dropping to right-back. The Argentinian playmaker delivered the killer blow deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to a scramble inside Arsenal’s penalty area and firing home emphatically to send Villa Park into raptures.

The defeat represents a significant setback for Arsenal’s title ambitions, particularly given the circumstances surrounding their performance.

Arteta’s side controlled vast stretches of play, registered more shots and dominated possession statistics, yet left the Midlands empty-handed.

Villa’s victory extends their remarkable home form to just one defeat in their last 25 league matches at Villa Park, underlining the fortress mentality Emery has built there.

The result lifts Villa within three points of Arsenal while maintaining their challenge for Champions League qualification, perhaps even the title itself.

Mikel Arteta confirms Cristhian Mosquera blow after Aston Villa defeat

With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already sidelined, the loss of Cristhian Mosquera to injury against Brentford forced Jurrien Timber into an unfamiliar centre-back role alongside Piero Hincapie.

Reports have suggested that Mosquera faces several weeks out through injury, and that’s now been confirmed by Arsenal’s manager.

Speaking after the match, Arteta said that the 21-year-old faces a significant spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury against Brentford, stating the layoff is ‘much more’ than they initially expected.

The Spanish defender underwent tests on Friday, with initial assessments already suggesting a potential absence of six to eight weeks.

Arteta described Mosquera’s situation as “more complicated” when addressing the media ahead of kickoff, acknowledging the injury represents another substantial blow to Arsenal’s already weakended defence heading into the congested festive schedule.

For the north Londoners, it is yet more bad news after what was a gutting defeat in the Midlands.

Heung-min Son touches down in London next week to bid farewell to the Lilywhites fanbase at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s side are set to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League, and what they could do with a prime version of Son and Harry Kane leading the line.

It’s fair to say that the world-class forwards have not been replaced since both departing in recent years, and that has been to the detriment of the new manager’s project.

Creatively, Spurs have not been at the races, but the need for an elite centre-forward has been just as severe. Talismanic figures like Kane are hard to come by, though.

Why Spurs are missing Harry Kane

It is not hard to work out why Tottenham miss their all-time record goalscorer, whose shooting skills are second to none and who, regardless, has so much more to his game than mere finishing.

Tottenham’s All-time Record Scorers
Player	Apps	Goals
Harry Kane	435	280
Jimmy Greaves	376	266
Bobby Smith	316	211
Heung-min Son	454	173
Martin Chivers	350	167
Data via Transfermarkt

Now a superstar with Bayern Munich, the Three Lions captain is one of the most prolific forwards in world football, actually described as “the best player in the world” by writer Mitch Fretton.

This might just be the case. Kane has posted 25 goals from 21 matches in all competitions this season. His Bayern side are runaway Bundesliga leaders already.

He is the star of the show, the cream of the crop. Just as he was at Tottenham.

How Frank must wish for such a player leading his line. Although saying that, the Danish coach does has a Kane-esque star in his ranks, even if this player is performing on the other side of the field.

Spurs have a new Kane-like talisman

There isn’t a single forward in Tottenham’s first team who would scratch the same surface as Kane in his north London pomp right now, but Cristian Romero is showing off talismanic properties, albeit in a different way.

The Argentina international has been something of a divisive figure at times down N17, boasting world-class talent but also an erraticness and rash streak that has pulled him away from the action at times.

But he’s still an immense player, evidenced when he came up trumps as Spurs salvaged a draw at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening, scoring a brace against Newcastle United.

Romero is hardly a similar player to Kane, but they share some similarities that suggest Romero could be the club’s new version.

They are both leaders. Kane was never anointed as Tottenham’s first-choice captain due to Hugo Lloris, but he’s undoubtedly a top leader. In this, Romero and him are alike, with the Argentine both a vocal and lead-by-example skipper, so imposing and aggressive in the heart of the defence.

The 27-year-old is a “monster” of a player, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 tackles and 5.7 duels in the Premier League this season, winning 64% of the latter.

Micky van de Ven, lauded by some as Tottenham’s best player, has not yet achieved the same kind of defensive mastery, averaging only 1.1 tackles per game and winning just 51% of his duels.

It’s clear in this regard that Romero boasts surpassing quality, more roundedness, more completeness. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of Premier League defenders this year for goals, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for tackles per 90.

Let’s hope he remains under Frank’s wing over the coming years. On the basis of the evidence, the head coach is going to need him.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2025

West Ham are entering the market for a new striker in January as injury-prone flop Niclas Füllkrug prepares to leave the London Stadium, according to multiple reports.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are facing a critical winter transfer window as they scramble to address their striker shortage, with Fullkrug’s impending departure forcing manager them to accelerate plans for attacking reinforcements.

While free agent summer signing Callum Wilson is proving he can lead the line, having scored four goals in four starts already this season, West Ham will definitely need another number nine soon.

Fullkrug has informed the club of his intention to leave when the winter window opens, bringing a premature end to what has been a disastrous spell at the club.

The Germany international, who joined from Borussia Dortmund for £27 million in August 2024, has failed to score a single goal this season across seven appearances, with injuries severely limiting his availability and impact.

His agent, Thorsten Wirth, publicly acknowledged the transfer has been a failure, stating that it “might make sense to make a change” and admitting “the transfer didn’t work”.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

The 32-year-old striker is reportedly desperate to secure regular playing time to boost his chances of making Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad, having made just two international appearances in the past 12 months amid persistent injury problems.

However, the Hammers will only sanction his departure if they can secure a suitable replacement or receive a substantial offer, unwilling to leave themselves dangerously thin up front while battling relegation.

The club are actively pursuing multiple striker targets as they seek to avoid repeating past recruitment failures, and AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez has emerged as a primary target.

West Ham told they can sign Santiago Gimenez for £30 million

The Mexican bagged 22 goals in all competitions across his total appearances for both previous club Feyenoord and Milan last season, including six strikes in seven Champions League outings.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola will remember Gimenez’s strike at the Etihad when Feyenoord sealed a shock 3-3 draw. Meanwhile, Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany won’t have fond memories of the 24-year-old’s brace against them when Feyenoord thrashed the Bundesliga giants 3-0.

Make no mistake, on his day, Gimenez is a big-game player.

However, the North American is yet to score this campaign, and reports suggest that the Rossoneri are underwhelmed by their 2025 signing as they ponder a January sale.

According to Hammers News, West Ham have been told they could strike a £30 million deal for Gimenez when the window reopens, and going by his age, potential and previous exploits, this could actually prove to be a bargain.

Milan’s interest in Fullkrug has even opened up the possibility of a swap deal, so Gimenez’s price tag could be brought down even further as West Ham look for that perfect number nine mid-season.

The former Cruz Azul sensation stands out as one of January’s best-available forward men if he can rediscover his past form, so he’ll undoubtedly be under serious consideration at Rush Green.

He might not have the big trophies just yet, but Mikel Arteta has already achieved a lot at Arsenal.

He has taken a club that was spiralling into competitive irrelevance and turned them into serious contenders for the Premier League and Champions League.

Furthermore, on several occasions, he has helped revitalise the careers of players most considered to be done at the very highest level.

He has done the same this year, with someone who only last year received some particularly scathing criticism.

The best career revivals at Arsenal

When it comes to redemption stories at Arsenal, the one everyone will think of first, and rightly so, is Granit Xhaka’s.

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The Swiss international famously fell foul of the Emirates faithful in late 2019 when, as he was being jeered, he threw the armband and his shirt to the floor while swearing at the supporters.

At the time, it looked like his time in N5 was up, and were it not for the Spaniard, it probably would have been.

The midfielder would later tell the press that “my suitcases were packed, but I had a meeting with Mikel when he came” and that “he [Arteta] is the reason why I’m still at this football club.”

Over the next few years, the passionate international would slowly win the fans back onside, and by the time his final game came at the end of the 22/23 season, the entire Emirates was singing his name, and seemed desperate for him to stay.

Another player whose career has been revived in N5 is Kai Havertz.

The German wasn’t taken particularly seriously when he made his surprise move to the club in 2023, and the fact that he struggled to have an impact in the first half of that season certainly didn’t help.

In fact, just a month into the campaign, former professional Gabby Agbonlahor described the former Bayer Leverkusen man as a “joke.”

However, a move up front completely changed the game for the struggling player, and in 18 starts as a centre-forward, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.20 games.

Starts

32

18

Goals

6

8

Assists

0

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

0.83

Then last season, despite being ruled out halfway through, he still managed to score 15 goals and provide five assists in 36 games.

In all, Havertz might not be Arsenal’s best player, but his revival under Arteta is undeniably impressive, and now another player previously written off is starting to show his best form again this season.

The Arsenal star who is now undroppable

The good news for Arsenal is that there are more than a handful of players who are currently undroppable, although few would have expected Leandro Trossard to be among them at the start of the season.

Now, the £90k-per-week Belgian is an undeniably talented player, but it would be fair to say that he underwhelmed last season.

While it took him just 46 games to produce 20 goal involvements the previous year, it took 56 games to produce the same number last season.

Moreover, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star was simply having less of an impact on games, unless, of course, you include the red card he picked up against Manchester City, for which Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville blasted him. The latter notably labelled the situation as “ridiculous.”

The 30-year-old was such a disappointment that by the end of the season, fans seemed alright with moving him on to sign someone more dynamic, and based on reports, it looked like that might have been the club’s plan.

However, such a move never transpired, and fans should be delighted about that, as so far this season, he has been utterly superb.

For example, in just 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, the Waterschei-born “little magician,” as dubbed by Arteta, has scored four goals and provided four assists.

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes, which is a rate of return not even Bukay Saka can match at the moment.

It’s not just his raw numbers that have improved, though; he is also having far more of an influence in games.

For example, while his thunderous effort against Sunderland caught everyone’s attention, he played brilliantly throughout.

Ultimately, it’s early in the season, but as things stand, Trossard is utterly undroppable and looks like another player Arteta has revived.

Arsenal dealt Martin Odegaard injury blow after three-word Norway update

The Gunners captain was reported to be eyeing a return against Tottenham.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 13, 2025

West Ham insider ExWHUemployee has shared some “unfortunate news” out of the club with Nuno Espírito Santo dealt another injury blow.

The Hammers had a rare afternoon of celebration last weekend as Nuno oversaw his first win since taking charge.

West Ham put top four-chasing Newcastle to the sword in a 3-1 victory which was also their first Premier League win at the London Stadium in 248 days.

Goals from Lucas Paqueta, Sven Botman (OG) and Tomas Soucek cancelled out Jacob Murphy’s stunning early opener to gift the east Londoners an absolutely vital three points, with Nuno explaining his plan to make the London Stadium a fortress when asked about the fan protests after full-time.

Nuno tinkered with his team once again at home to Newcastle, but unlike his questionable selections against the likes of Brentford and Leeds, his decisions paid dividends.

Jean-Clair Todibo put in what was one of his better West Ham performances in the left centre-back role, with highly-rated youngster Freddie Potts impressing after finally being given the chance by Nuno.

Despite reports suggesting that Nuno doesn’t fancy Callum Wilson up front for West Ham, the Portuguese elected to start him against Eddie Howe’s side and drop Paqueta back to his preferred midfield role.

The striker conundrum is one of West Ham’s major dilemmas, but ExWHUemployee says Nuno could welcome back Fullkrug pretty soon.

Sharing an injury update, the insider claims that he is on track to return ahead of schedule, as is Konstantinos Mavropanos.

However, he also has some bad news.

West Ham dealt Lukasz Fabianski blow as Nuno takes action

Writing via his Patreon, Ex explains that Lukasz Fabianski has now suffered a back injury which required him to be carried off in training at Rush Green.

As a result, Nuno made the personal decision to recall young keeper Finn Herrick from his loan at Boreham Wood.

The Pole, who was released by West Ham only to be brought back in the summer, played 90 minutes for the club’s Under-21s against MK Dons in the EFL Trophy back in September.

The 40-year-old has made 216 first-team appearances for West Ham and was a more-than capable back up to the likes of Areola and Hermansen, but following this injury, it is unclear what the future holds for Fabianski with his contract up at the end of 25/26.

The crowd favourite hit a rut after a bright start as the promised turn arrived, but it was his team-mates who saved the day for Pakistan

Danyal Rasool12-Oct-2025There were plenty of loud cheers on day one of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium. That is not much of a surprise; it was a good day for Pakistan, one which they may well look back on as the one that secured them a 1-0 lead in this series against South Africa midway into next week. But none of the cheers was quite as boisterous as the one that followed the dismissal of Pakistan captain Shan Masood. Except, perhaps, the one that confirmed his departure upon review. The raucousness of that excitement took even Simon Harmer, South Africa’s lead spinner, by surprise.”I had a good chuckle at that,” he would laugh later.Not because Masood’s continued presence was detrimental to his side’s chances: quite the contrary. The Pakistan captain had seen through a period of pressure early on after Abdullah Shafique’s first over dismissal. Alongside the more conservative Imam-ul-Haq, he had controlled the first session and a half to put on 161 for the second wicket, getting their runs in early before they congeal and calcify as scoring becomes ever more arduous on an already wearing pitch.Related

Imam, Masood, Rizwan and Agha hand Pak opening-day honours

But for this Lahore crowd, the partnership between Imam and Masood had delayed their gratification just a touch too long. It was now early afternoon, and the Gaddafi, which threw open its doors to the public free of charge, was busier than it would be all day. For just the second time in his career, Lahore’s golden boy stepped over freshly trimmed afternoon grass in white, steeling himself to face an international red ball on home ground. It was, as ever, all about Babar Azam.Lahore may not have wanted to see such an extended warm-up act before the main event, but the value it held for Pakistan was plain to see. For all the nits that can be picked with Pakistan’s approach to this format, Masood’s Test side is arguably the most honest thing going in Pakistan cricket. They want to take 20 Test wickets and prepare pitches that cannot give them away quick enough. But before anyone is really paying attention, they want to steal a few runs with batters who are finding ways to outmanoeuvre opposition by stealth, having failed to outbat them on more conventional surfaces.Masood set that tone with a pair of boundaries on either side of the wicket inside the first over. In this phase of a career that has seen more stages than there have been French Republics, Masood’s belligerent batting when conditions are easiest ensures time spent at the crease brings maximum possible value. By the tenth over, Pakistan had put on 51; in two games at the recently concluded T20 Asia Cup, they hadn’t managed to get that far by this stage.Imam’s everyman assiduousness, with all the tenacity of a chihuahua panting up a hill, was holding back South Africa’s coterie of spinners who had bought into spooky stories of wild turn perhaps a little too eagerly. He had got his bright start while the seamers still operated; 26 off 29 balls by his standards is a hurtle. Against the spinners, it was a test of patience, and that is one thing Imam has never lacked.Babar Azam came in to bat with limited situational pressure on him, but scored only 23•Getty Images”I got balls I could attack against the fast bowlers. When the spinners came on, I didn’t find as many deliveries to attack,” Imam said after the day’s play. “Shan found he could attack more of them, and was able to get more boundaries against them. They leaked runs in the first session, but you have to respect the bowlers. Things didn’t go their way then, but they came back strongly in the second session, dried out the runs, and got a couple of wickets at the end.”With every run the pair scored, and every South African spin over that went wicketless, there was a feeling of a game slipping by, even as early as day one of a Test. Of the four previous games for which Pakistan have prepared extreme spin tracks, the side batting first have won three, with day-one partnerships ultimately proving decisive.Against England in Multan last year, Kamran Ghulam and Saim Ayub put on 149 for the third wicket in the first innings, using it to secure a 75-run lead that translated into a comfortable victory. Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel amassed 141 for the fifth wicket on a foggy first day against West Indies in Multan earlier this year, and never let go. To suggest Imam and Masood haven’t just done the same thing here in Lahore would be flying in the face of history.Post-match, Harmer wistfully noted that the game, in a sense, had moved to within the fringes of South Africa’s reach.”What you need to understand about the subcontinent is [that] the toss plays a big part,” he said. “The best batting conditions are in the first session. They got the luck of the draw with the toss, and they maxed them out. Full credit to them; I think they played extremely well.”Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha finished the day unbeaten on half-centuries•AFP/Getty ImagesBut the men South Africa – and seemingly so much of Lahore – wanted to see dismissed had ensured that the crowd favourite would come in to bat with limited situational pressure on him. It was around then, just before tea, that the promised turn had begun to arrive. Babar, whom supporters had thronged in to see, had found his innings hitting a rut after a bright start. When Harmer trapped him in front and got the lbw on review, Babar had scored just one run of his previous 26 balls after starting off with 21 in 22 deliveries. It was the first of three wickets to arrive without the scoring moving from 199 to 200, a shot across the bow from a surface already starting to awaken.Masood and Imam were among those to have fallen by now. The stealthy runs early on which they set the game up had been scored; Rizwan and Salman Agha, who finished the day unbeaten on half-centuries, had built upon that foundation to tilt the game further Pakistan’s way. Imam and Masood, meanwhile, had fallen just short of hundreds – not that the Gaddafi faithful seemed to mind too much. And for a side that is learning to eschew flashy individual milestones for gritty collective victories, it was perhaps strangely appropriate.

There are set to be at least five seasons and it will be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025

This will be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia•kkr.in

FairBreak and Saudi Cricket have announced a five-year partnership to host the Women’s World T20 Challenge in Saudi Arabia from 2026. It is set to be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Cricket and FairBreak said in a release that the competition will feature players from more than 35 countries.FairBreak is a private company founded in 2013 that aims to improve gender equality in sport and previously hosted the FairBreak Global Invitational T20 in 2022 and 2023 in Dubai and Hong Kong respectively. A third edition was planned in 2023 in the USA but it was initially postponed to 2024 and eventually didn’t come to fruition.The FairBreak Invitational was fully sanctioned by the ICC and had six teams. It featured international stars like Chamari Athapaththu, Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp among others. However, the BCCI did not give No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the Indian players. It is also unclear as of now if any Indian players will feature in the new T20 tournament.The announcement said new T20 league is “in alignment with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030” and among its objectives are to develop women’s cricket talent through structured training programmes and pathways, to raise public awareness and inspire the next generation of players, to enhance international collaboration, and to bring in players from more than 35 countries.The Women’s World T20 Challenge will see Saudi Arabia increase its presence on the cricket map. The IPL auction was held in Jeddah in 2024 and the country was also poised to back a new Grand-Slam-style circuit of T20 tournaments. Saudi Arabia is also set to host some games in the future seasons of the ILT20.