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The former Australia allrounder was head coach of San Fransisco Unicorns in the MLC recently

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has been appointed assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2026 season, joining a team management that includes Abhishek Nayar (head coach) and Dwayne Bravo (mentor).ESPNcricinfo has learned that Watson and former New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee are new additions to the KKR coaching staff, which has been overhauled after the team finished seventh in IPL 2025. Southee has been juggling playing commitments in franchise cricket with a consultant role with England over the past six months.”It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders,” Watson said in a statement issued by KKR. “I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.”KKR is Watson’s second assignment as a coach in the IPL, having been deputy to head coach Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022 and 2023. He recently left his position as head coach of San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, where he had worked for three seasons. They had wanted him to take on a year-long role but Watson did not want to give up his broadcast and other coaching commitments.A highly-acclaimed T20 player turned commentator, Watson has been part of title-winning teams in the IPL, BBL and PSL. An MVP during Rajasthan Royals’ run to the title in the inaugural season in 2008, Watson finished his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings. He played a key role as an opener in CSK’s run to the title in 2018, scoring 555 runs – the second highest for the team – in 15 innings, including a century in the final. Watson also played two seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2016 and 2017.

Would it be hyperbole to suggest that Kobbie Mainoo provided the best, or most significant, moment at Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era?

Faced with an imperious Manchester City side in the 2024 FA Cup final, Erik ten Hag’s men defied the odds to claim a richly deserved 2-1 win, a year on from having tamely been defeated by their neighbours en route to treble glory.

Alejandro Garnacho had pounced early on to open the scoring, before fellow academy graduate Mainoo popped up at the backpost to add a second, slotting home perfectly following Bruno Fernandes’ ingenious reverse pass.

The then-teenager, like the thousands decked out in red at Wembley, roared in celebration, revelling in the crowing moment of a stunning, six-month rise from relative obscurity.

The Old Trafford faithful have been wedded to United’s golden boy since then, although there has been no such warmth from new boss Ruben Amorim.

What Amorim said about Mainoo after West Ham

From the highs of that Wembley showpiece, and his subsequent role in England’s run to the final at Euro 2024, Mainoo’s impact has plummeted since then, having hardly had a look-in following an injury-hit start to 2024/25.

Seemingly fighting a losing battle from the off following Amorim’s arrival in November 2024 – having failed to start the Portuguese’s first game in charge against Ipswich Town – the Stockport native has drifted onto the periphery, with 2025/26 proving particularly frustrating thus far.

The forgotten man, Mainoo is yet to start a single Premier League game this season, playing just 171 minutes in all, having been an unused substitute for the fourth time against West Ham United in midweek.

Speaking after that dismal 1-1 draw, Amorim went on the defensive regarding his treatment of the youngster, while laughing off suggestions that the midfielder could have been an “offensive” alteration.

Asked if he understood why Mainoo’s status as a homegrown talent made him such a talking point for fans and pundits alike, the 40-year-old replied:

Mainoo, unsurprisingly, is seeking a January exit amid his bizarre fall from grace, although he surely isn’t the midfielder INEOS should be looking to move on.

Man Utd must sell flop who's getting the Mainoo treatement

Perhaps the biggest source of frustration regarding Mainoo’s situation is that Amorim isn’t exactly blessed with regard to midfield depth, with his current squad boasting just four recognised, senior midfielders to choose from.

For much of 2025/26, the ex-Sporting CP boss has selected ever-present skipper, Fernandes, alongside the ageing Casemiro, with both Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte limited to mere late cameos off the bench.

Like the FA Cup final hero, Ugarte has also become a notable talking point amid his limited role under Amorim, despite having previously worked with the 3-4-2-1 boss in Lisbon.

Indeed, it was reported last month that the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man had been criticised by his manager in front of teammates at Carrington, following the Europa League final defeat.

Like Mainoo, who enjoyed just a mere last-gasp cameo in Bilbao, Ugarte was also something of an afterthought even as United toiled, having failed to even make it off the bench on the night.

Games

9

10

Starts

0

2

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Big chances created

0

0

Key passes*

0.6

0.1

Pass accuracy*

87%

86%

Total duels won*

36%

60%

Balls recovered*

1.1

2.0

Dribbled past*

0.1

0.4

Much like Mainoo too, the Uruguayan has been forced to settle for a watching brief for much of this season, starting just twice in the top-flight, while notably being hooked at the break following an “embarrassing” display against Grimsby Town, in the view of writer Alex Turk.

Of course, there isn’t the groundswell of support for Ugarte like there is for his midfield colleague, with the decision to fork out almost £50m on the 24-year-old standing out as one of the worst decisions of recent years at Old Trafford.

Whether the £120k-per-week talent, again like Mainoo, is being helped by his manager is another matter, however, with Amorim hardly backing his man after revealing that Ugarte is “struggling” to adjust to life in the Premier League.

Either way, if it comes down to choosing between which peripheral midfielder needs to be shown the door, it should surely be Ugarte whom INEOS cash in on, with the safe and steady asset doing little to warrant a third-season stay in Manchester.

Cunha 2.0: INEOS to fast-track Man Utd bid for 'best winger in England'

Manchester United look set to make a huge move for one player in the upcoming January window.

ByEthan Lamb 6 days ago

Breetzke reiterated that he belongs and Stubbs put a lean patch behind him to show he’s still got it

Firdose Moonda04-Sep-2025Where has Matthew Breetzke been all this time, you may wonder, as you watch him hit his way to half-century after half-century in ODIs? It’s five fifty-plus scores now from as many games, scored in three different countries and three different batting positions and has surely secured his spot as a certain starter from now on?The answer to the first question is, “around”. He was a pupil at Grey High School in Gqeberha (one Graeme Pollock is an alumnus), made his provincial debut as a teenager eight years ago and was the leading run-scorer in the first-class competition three summers ago. He was called up to the T20I side in late 2023, had three average performances and could not claim to have done enough to replace incumbents like Quinton de Kock or Reeza Hendricks. It was only really season 2 of the SA20, where Breetzke finished as the third-highest run-scorer and his team, Durban’s Super Giants, made the final, that showed Breetzke was serious. Very, very seriousAdjectives used to describe him include “fierce” from his DSG captain Keshav Maharaj and “intense,” by South Africa’s batting coach Ashwell Prince. Those words may also provide the answer to the second question.Related

• England blown to bits-and-pieces as part-timers' bowling strategy backfires

• Breetzke takes inspiration from Northants to make ODI record

• Miller 'within the mix' in South Africa's ODI plans despite missing England series

• ODI rankings: Raza new No. 1 allrounder, Maharaj first among bowlers

• De Zorzi out of remaining two ODIs against England with hamstring injury

With de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen both retired, South Africa need a player who can be both unafraid and entirely focused on big-hitting in the way they were. Breetzke, in what we’ve seen of him on the international stage so far, is exactly that.Breetzke is a powerful hitter and backs himself to clear the ropes both square of the wicket and down the ground and both were on display at Lord’s. The first of his first two shots in real anger was when he kneeled into a Jacob Bethell ball and thumped it through square leg for four. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, almost two-thirds of Breetzke’s international runs have come square of the wicket and a shot like that showed why. And after Breetzke had reached his fifty, he sent Will Jacks over his head and out of the ground for six with a shot that combined power, placement and panache.Those qualities also describe the start Breetzke has had to the international game. In eight months, in between missing out on the Champions Trophy and suffering a hamstring tweak, he has also made history. Breetzke holds the highest score by any player on ODI debut, he is the only player to score five consecutive fifty-plus scores after their first five ODIs and the player with the most number of runs at the five-match mark.Matthew Breetzke has crossed fifty in all of his five ODIs so far•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the same eight months, Tristan Stubbs, who Breetzke shared a 147-run fourth-wicket stand with in the second ODI against England, had been in the midst of a massive slump. Across all formats, international and domestic (including the IPL), Stubbs had one score over fifty in 23 innings before Thursday. That came on the back of a poor SA20, where Stubbs scored 232 runs at an average of 29.00, which was a come-down from a summer in which Stubbs raised his bat to his first two Test hundreds.What had happened to the player who struck at close to 200 in IPL 2024? And the “big, strong, strapping” batter Shukri Conrad initially named as his new Test No.3 but then dropped lower down the order in favour of Wiaan Mulder? Stubbs didn’t quite seem to know where he fitted in and, worse, where his off stump was. He was most often dismissed when he stepped outside off, trying to force something early on in his innings.Before this series, Prince explained that Stubbs might be struggling with making the switch from white-ball aggressor to Test-match stabiliser and then back again, which is hardly surprising considering he has been up and down both line-ups.”Sometimes you can get a little bit clouded in terms of your approach and how to go,” Prince said. “When you’re dipping in between formats and you have different approaches, sometimes you’re in a white-ball series where you want to play a more natural game and maybe your mindset is not as free as you would like it to be. I think Tristan is probably in that space at the moment.”Tristan Stubbs activated white-ball mode after getting well set•AFP/Getty ImagesFor their part, the coaching staff were trying to encourage Stubbs to “be more positive”, according to Prince, but it was the opposite that worked for him at Lord’s.Stubbs was at the crease with South Africa 93 for 3 after 18 overs, which was a solid but not spectacular start. Test-match mode activated. He scored two runs off his first seven balls, 22 runs off 34 balls and no boundaries off the first 47 balls he faced. He learnt from Breetzke’s blueprint after he scored four off his first 17 balls, all singles, before he was offered width from Carse and cashed in.Where Breetzke took on Bethell early, Stubbs waited until Jacks was given a second spell. White-ball mode activated. Stubbs brought out his first sweep and nailed it. Then, again, for six. And then again with the reverse. In three balls Stubbs went from 33 to 47 and was on the brink of a half-century. He got there off 55 balls in the 39th over, with enough time to show off his finishing skills until he was run out when Dewald Brevis initially wanted the run and then turned back, leaving Stubbs stranded. His reaction was to repeatedly smash his bat onto the turf in frustration before making a slow walk back.By the time Stubbs was dismissed, Breetzke was already back in the dressing-room, beaten by a Jofra Archer yorker that thudded into his pad. Breetzke reviewed, in hope and was walking before the decision was confirmed to finish with a third score in the 80s and oh-so-close to another century.In the end, neither Breetzke nor Stubbs got exactly what they wanted from this match. However, both may have got what they needed. Breetzke showed he belongs and Stubbs that he still has it. And those are important things as South Africa build to 2027.

PCA refuses to rule out strike action amid concerns player welfare is being disregarded

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Sep-2025 • Updated on 25-Sep-2025The Rothesay County Championship will remain a 14-match competition next season after counties rejected a proposal to cut the number first-class games to 13.The decision to retain the existing structure, with 10 and eight teams in Division One and Two respectively, came after the alternative option failed to receive the two-thirds majority backing from the 18 Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCs) required for change. Voting opened on Friday and concluded on Tuesday, prior to the final round of the 2025 campaign.The conclusion comes at the end of a county-led review into the domestic structure which the England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB) announced on the eve of the Championship season. Several parties within the game, namely the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), felt the schedule was asking too much of players, and urged counties to reassess a packed fixture list.Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell refused to rule out the possibility of strike action*, although he said it was not something the players’ union “would look to encourage” at this stage.”We will be led by the players,” he said. “The WhatsApp group last night was pretty animated and there were some high emotions.”We are a union. I don’t think any union would rule out the possibility of strike action if their members wanted it. We are completely at the behest of our members on that. We will have those conversations if they are deemed necessary by the player reps and our members.”I don’t think that’s where we’d like to get to. It would have a negative impact on the counties and a negative impact on the game, and that’s not something we’re seeking to do.”It’s not something that has been discussed in great detail. It’s also something that is very easy to say and more difficult to execute because there are implications. Players not being paid is one, the amount of members that would need to vote is another. At this stage I don’t think it’s something we would look to encourage.”In an earlier vote in July, counties agreed to cut the Vitality Blast men’s competition to a 12-match group stage (currently 14), moving to three regional groups of six teams each. However, the PCA have lamented the lack of meaningful change, believing their concerns about player welfare have not been heeded.”Unfortunately, the decision-makers have failed to ensure our premiere red-ball competition remains a standout in world cricket by evolving,” Mitchell said in a statement released by the PCA. “Not just to meet the needs of modern professionals, but to provide a product that captures the imagination for all.”Players appreciate the small tweak to the Vitality Blast schedule, however, we are yet to see a fixture list. At the very least, we expect to see a significant reduction in back-to-back fixtures.”With the continuation of a 14-game Championship season, an indicative schedule for 2026 we have seen suggests there will be two games in nine days following The Hundred, this cannot be acceptable. We now need to ensure the best possible schedule can be created in a structure that remains not fit for purpose.”PCA chair and Warwickshire seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby added: “The players’ voice must be heard and while we recognise scheduling concerns go well beyond county cricket with a cluttered international calendar and similar issues in other sports, we cannot relent in our ambition to create minimum standards to allow for a safer schedule.”This week’s second, final, vote featured a 13-match County Championship proposal which would have split the 18-clubs into a top tier “Championship” of 12 teams divided into two conferences. The top three of each conference would then be pooled to compete for the title, with the bottom six determining the two sides relegated to a “Championship Two” made up of the remaining six counties. That option also included increasing the One-Day Cup to 10 group-stage matches.The retention of the existing structure does at least mean players, staff and supporters know what is at stake in the final round of the season, which began on Wednesday.Yorkshire, Durham and Hampshire are fighting against joining Worcestershire, whose relegation from Division One was confirmed last week. Leicestershire and Glamorgan have already secured promotion from Division Two.*September 25, 1.30pm BST – This story was updated with Mitchell’s comments

Tom Alsop makes 72 as Matt Critchley’s legspin chips away for visitors

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025Sussex 204 and 245 for 7 (Coles 99*, Alsop 72) trail Essex 504 (Harmer 53) by 55 runsJames Coles led Sussex’s resistance with an unbeaten 99 but his efforts seem unlikely to deny Essex victory over Sussex at Hove.Coles was on the verge of a third successive Rothesay County Championship century when rain arrived at 5.20pm and play was abandoned shortly afterwards with Sussex 245 for seven in their second innings, still trailing by 55 after conceding a first-innings deficit of 300.Coles is Sussex’s man in form. He made 148 not out at Durham and 150 in Sussex’s last home match against Warwickshire and he top scored in their first innings with 52. Only five batters have scored more Championship runs this season than the 21-year-old, and he didn’t offer a chance here after arriving in the seventh over with Sussex 33 for 2.While he and Tom Alsop (72) were adding 141 in 72 overs for the third wicket Sussex harboured hopes of stalling Essex’s push for victory.But Alsop was lbw to Matt Critchley in the leg-spinner’s second over and after tea Sussex lost four wickets for 26 in 40 balls including their leading run scorer John Simpson, calamitously run out going for a second run on an overthrow.At the start of the day Essex skipper Simon Harmer clubbed three sixes to reach a half-century before he was last out for 53 as Essex’s first innings ended on 504, a lead of 300.Essex’s new-ball pair Sam Cook and Jamie Porter soon made inroads. Tom Haines nibbled fatally at Cook’s first ball and edged it to third slip beforePorter struck in the seventh over to remove Daniel Hughes, courtesy of a fine low catch at second slip by Harmer.But from 33 for two Coles and Alsop rebuilt patiently. Alsop’s fourth fifty of the season came off 104 balls and the normally more attacking Coles took 117 deliveries for his, but neither offered a chance as the Kookaburra ball quickly lost its effectiveness and Essex had to settle for containment.Having had little success himself, Harmer turned to Critchley in the 47th over and with his first ball he nearly won an lbw verdict against Alsop. But the fourth delivery of his next over straightened enough to beat Alsop’s defensive push. He faced 150 balls and hit nine fours.Essex had a breakthrough and after tea they rammed home their superiority, aided once again by some pretty poor shot selection by the Sussex middle and lower order.Dan Ibrahim (19), who’d helped Coles add 48 for the fourth wicket, got a leading edge in the first over after the resumption and Khaleel Ahmed took the catch in his follow through, while Simpson was run out by Sam Cook’s throw looking for a second run on an overthrow after a moment’s fatal hesitation between him and Coles.Critchley then struck in successive overs. Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s mistimed drive was caught well in the covers by Harmer and Jack Carson tamely picked out mid-wicket aiming to hit Critchley over the top.As the clouds rolled in, Ari Karvelas defied Critchley and Harmer for 33 balls but it would need a lot more resistance from him, Coles and Sussex’s tail to keep Essex at bay on the final day.

Adam Wharton's agent has admitted the Crystal Palace star wants to play in the Champions League one day amid links with a big-money move. Manchester United are among the teams who have been credited with interest in the 21-year-old but for now, he remains an Eagles player. But his representative, James Featherstone, has hinted the midfielder's future lies away from Selhurst Park.

• Palace to 'dig heels in' over Wharton

  After an impressive 18 months or so at Palace, Wharton has been linked with eye-catching transfer moves in 2026. The former Blackburn Rovers star is very highly rated at the Croydon outfit and if they are to part company with a player who has three-and-a-half years left on his contract, it will be for a huge fee. Palace co-owner Steve Parish is well aware that his club, who are playing in the Conference League this term, have an in-demand player but they will do all they can to keep him. 

  He said in October: "Look, I think Adam at some point will want to play, either in the Champions League with us, if we could make that happen, or probably with another club. He’s an extraordinary talent. I think right now, and I can’t speak for Adam, but I think he’s focused on his time at Crystal Palace. He had a broken season last season with the groin issues that he had, which a lot of young players get. This season he’s completely focused on putting the games in, getting in the England squad, being a regular for us. I think he’s very committed to the club. I mean, if Manchester United want Adam Wharton, that’s nothing surprising really. The fact of the matter is he’s got a long contract to run. There’s no pressure on us to do it and I don’t think there’s any real pressure from the player either."

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  Wharton downplays Man Utd links

  Although United, one of the world's biggest clubs, are said to be keen on Wharton, he himself does not seem to be too enamoured with Ruben Amorim's team – who are not in Europe this season and are below Palace in the Premier League table. 

  Indeed, he said last month: "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."

• Wharton on the move?

  After achieving his goals of playing in the Premier League and becoming an England international, Wharton has his sights set on his next goal – the Champions League. According to his agent Featherstone, the midfielder is craving Europe's elite competition next. 

  "When he was at Blackburn we sat down and spoke about shooting for the stars and playing for England," his agent told . "So how do you get there? Personally I think to play for England you have to play Champions League, to play in the Champions League you have got to play for one of the top teams in one of the top leagues. That jump to a Champions League team, I think you can get lost. The plan below that was to play for a Premier League team. We have got a plan. He is 21. I have to check myself to remember that every now and then. It doesn’t have to be achieved yesterday, today or this moment. He has got his in-game, in-season targets and goals. He has got to do his bit and the rest will look after itself in a very structured, calm way to ultimately add value and maximise his ability."

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  What comes next for Wharton?

  The England ace will hope to help his Palace side, who sit sixth in the Premier League, to all three points when they visit London neighbours Fulham in the English top-flight on Sunday afternoon. If results go their way, they could rise to fourth in the table, whereas the Cottagers could jump two places to 13th with a win. 

In a format that isn’t their top priority right now, they showed enough and more evidence that they can go toe to toe with the very best

Firdose Moonda30-Nov-2025Well, that was fun.South Africa, at 11 for 3 in the fifth over, should never have been in with a chance of chasing 350. But Matthew Breetzke, who has the joint-most fifties (six) in his first 10 ODIs and Marco Jansen, who is enjoying the tour of his life, with bat more than ball, kept them in the contest. Still, South Africa, after losing Breetzke and Jansen in the same Kuldeep Yadav over and who were at 228 for 7 in the 34th, should not have come within three hits of the second-highest successful chase against India.That they did will remind them of two things: they are building the muscle memory of not knowing when they are beaten and that coach Shukri Conrad’s partiality to allrounders is proving to be a good policy, especially in the lower order. That they didn’t finish the job won’t bother them too much, not because South Africa aren’t interested in a slice of history but because of cricket’s three formats, ODIs are the lowest on South Africa’s priority list right now.They have just come off an intense and successful start to the World Test Championship title defence in Pakistan and India and there is a T20 World Cup less than three months away. The Tests were crucial to underlining their credentials and the five T20Is that follow in December will be vital to their preparation for the tournament. ODIs are just ODIs for now.Related

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These matches will be chalked up as experiments on the road to the home World Cup in 2027, which is important to them but too far away to be too important right now. So while losing is not ideal, and Conrad’s predecessor Rob Walter came under pressure for a poor bilateral record albeit in similar circumstances, South Africa will see this series as a process of information-gathering and already they have some good stuff.Chiefly, that in Jansen they not only have a destructive new-ball bowler but also a confident lower middle-order batter. Those words have been chosen carefully. Jansen is a proper batter, not just a finisher and he has shown that over the last week. After his career-best 93 in the Guwahati Test, Jansen followed up with a 39-ball 70 in this match which included the fastest fifty for a South African in India in men’s ODIs, off 26 balls.After he timed a drive off a Harshit Rana yorker gone slightly wrong, Jansen brought out his full range of sweeps: conventional, reverse and slog off four balls from Kuldeep and then iced the cake with his range hitting down the ground. Exactly half of his runs were scored in the ‘v’ and he only scored five runs behind square demonstrating his traditional strength. The 97-run sixth-wicket stand he shared with Breetzke came at a run rate of 8.43, and set South Africa up to push for the win.Then it was over to Corbin Bosch to try and get them there. With a Test hundred to his name, Bosch has the ability and he has now also shown it in white-ball cricket. He is particularly strong against the short ball and on the cut and marshalled the tail well to give himself maximum opportunity to pull off something amazing. No one will blame him for South Africa falling short with Aiden Markram laying the blame on the top three’s inability to deal with the swinging ball and who “have to come up with a solution in the next game.”Whether all three will or should play the next game is a question that forms part of a wider discussion over how South Africa have stacked their squad. Even without Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of this match through illness, South Africa’s top five includes four batters – Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi and Breetzke – who have all opened more in List A cricket than they have batted anywhere else. The fifth, Markram, is not a regular opener but is playing in that position and South Africa need to relook at the combination.Marco Jansen struck several meaty blows•Associated PressSpecifically, they have to get de Kock in the top two, because that is where he is at his best. De Kock has opened the batting in 175 out of the 200 List A matches he has played and has scored all 22 of his ODI centuries as an opener. Who should he displace? Markram, who must move down to No. 4 for the same reason de Kock must be promoted. In 84 ODIs, Markram has batted 43 times at No. 4, averages 42.91 and has all three of his centuries in that position. He has opened the batting 24 times, including at the start of his career (which proved a mistake), with an average in the 30s and four fifties. Conrad’s rationale behind promoting Markram, at least in T20Is, is that it allows for bigger hitters in the middle order. The same does not need to apply to ODIs.It may also be that there is a hesitance to have two left-hand batters in the top two – and all of de Kock, Rickelton and de Zorzi are left-handed – so de Kock should open with Bavuma, with one of Rickelton or de Zorzi at No. 3, Markram at No. 4 and Breetzke at No. 5. On form, de Zorzi gets in ahead of Rickelton at this stage.That’s unfortunate for Rickelton, who has also been dropped from the T20 squad following de Kock’s return, but with no half-centuries since his century against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy in February, it is probably the right call. It would also mean South Africa have their Dewald Brevis and Jansen at Nos. 6 and 7 respectively, which seems to be the right spot for both of them. With Bosch, Nandre Burger and the return of Keshav Maharaj and eventually Kagiso Rabada (out of the series with a rib niggle), South Africa have the makings of their strongest XI.Ultimately, that’s what they’re using these matches to try and find. If they’re able to produce some entertaining cricket along the way – and bag some wins – that’s a bonus they’ll gladly accept.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is under “serious” pressure as a result of his comments following the 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the North London derby.

Tottenham were the underdogs heading to the Emirates Stadium, and a defeat was always going to be the most likely outcome, but Frank was left unhappy with the overall performance, so much so that he issued an apology to fans after the match.

The Dane said: “Very difficult afternoon. Bad performance. It’s extremely painful to stand here after that game. We can only apologise to the fans for not performing better. I was very confident we could be competitive today. We weren’t.”

The 52-year-old also tried to put things into perspective by reminding fans that Spurs are still a work in progress, having amassed just 38 points in the Premier League during the 2024-25 campaign.

However, it would be fair to say those comments haven’t gone down too well, with an insider now claiming the manager is playing a risky game by speaking out like that in the press…

Frank under serious pressure after post-Arsenal comments

Football Insider’s well-connected Mick Brown told the outlet: “At some stage, he has got to take some accountability and he can’t keep avoiding the issues and pushing the blame on to what happened last season. That’s happened now, it’s done, and the focus should be on what they’re doing now.”

Brown also added: “The thing is, that’s only going to add to the pressure on him, and he won’t want to alienate the fans because when that happens things can only get worse.

“Obviously, after a game like that, serious questions are going to be asked but I still think there’s time for him to turn things around, he just needs to focus on the here and now.”

As Spurs are currently sitting just three points off the top four, Frank should be given more time to put things right, but things undoubtedly have to improve, off the back of what Jamie O’Hara branded a “disgusting” defeat.

It was not the first time the north Londoners have seriously struggled to create chances this season either, recording an xG of just 0.05, the fourth-lowest since records began in the Premier League, against Chelsea earlier this month.

After the trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Tottenham will be looking to pick up just their second home league win of the season against Fulham on Saturday, with Frank hopefully implementing a much more expansive style of play.

Tottenham players disagree with Spurs hierarchy on Thomas Frank's future

Chelsea have now launched their first enquiry to sign Como star Nico Paz in 2026, but it is reportedly Real Madrid who hold the key in pursuit of one of the world’s best young talents.

The Blues have built quite the reputation for signing young stars in recent years, with some of those stars beginning to thrive at Stamford Bridge whilst others wonder what’s next. One of those on the more positive side is Estevao Willian. The young Brazilian has hit the ground running in West London and once again came from the bench to contribute on Saturday night.

This time it was Wolverhampton Wanderers who suffered as Estevao found room to hand Joao Pedro the chance to get his name on the scoresheet. From one Brazilian to another, the former Brighton & Hove Albion forward duly obliged.

The 18-year-old’s performance once again resulted in significant praise from the Sky Sports studio, with former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil saying: “The thing holding him back is that he’s got the best winger I’ve ever worked with in Pedro Neto in his position.

“But he’s a top talent. Estevao, I’m sure, will manage to find his way into the team, but I think it’s difficult on that right-hand-side. At his age, you can keep him happy giving him sub appearances. But at some point, he needs to be let off the leash.”

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Whilst Estevao continues to enjoy an impressive rise, Chelsea will no doubt continue their search for the next generation of standout stars. And that, of course, includes Paz. The Como star has been excellent under former Stamford Bridge star Cesc Fabregas this season and the Blues have now made their first move for his signature.

Chelsea launch first Nico Paz enquiry

As reported by Caught Offside, Chelsea have now enquired about signing Paz from Como in 2026, but face competition from Inter Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Reports have even claimed that Inter are preparing to submit an offer to sign the attacking midfielder worth €58m (£51m).

Unfortunately for the Italian giants and the rest of the interested parties, however, it is Real Madrid who hold the key to Paz’s future. The Spanish giants reportedly have a buy-back clause worth €9m (£8m) in 2026 and €10m (£9m) in 2027. In one move, they could sign a player who could reach the value of €100m for what would be the bargain of the summer.

Chelsea and others must simply hope that Madrid either opt out of signing the 21-year-old in the next two years or the player, himself, rejects the chance to make a return to the Bernabeu. If either of those scenarios take place, then things will certainly become interesting.

Described as “incredible” by Lionel Messi in the highest praise that an Argentinian can receive, Paz has already been involved in eight goals in 12 games this season and doesn’t look likely to slow down anytime soon.

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New Zealand’s player of the series talks about making the best of extreme conditions, using his time in the reserves to prepare, and being part of the side’s biggest success

Interview by Deivarayan Muthu07-Nov-20243:25

‘Hopefully what we’ve achieved can inspire young kids watching at home’

Will Young has spent much of his international career as a reserve batter and it was supposed to be no different when New Zealand began their six-Test subcontinent expedition this year. After the one-off match against Afghanistan was called off without a ball being bowled, Young ran the drinks in Sri Lanka. But after an injury to Kane Williamson, Young seamlessly slotted into the No. 3 role and ran the show with the bat against India in India. He dovetailed attacking strokes into his defence beautifully, including the sweep and reverse sweep, and was the top scorer for his side, with 244 runs. It earned him the Player-of-the-Series award as New Zealand completed a near-unthinkable 3-0 whitewash of India. Young spoke about how he prepared for the India tour, despite not being a certain starter, and countered spin in conditions that were extreme at various stagesIt’s been a few days since the epic 3-0 series win against India. Has it sunk in for you?
Yeah, I think it slowly is. We’ve got time to obviously celebrate with the boys and the support staff after the win, but to check your phone and see the messages and the love and support that’s come from back home has been incredible. So yeah, it’s certainly starting to sink in. Our time here has come to an end, unfortunately. It’s been an incredible few weeks, but now on to new things or having a bit of a rest.After the Pune Test, Glenn Phillips said there was some rowdy singing in the team bus. What were the post-match celebrations like in Pune and Mumbai?
Yes, the bus ride was fun, especially after the Pune Test, when it was longer from the ground to the hotel. GP [Glenn Phillips] was singing and dancing up and down the aisle. The celebrations continued when we got to the hotel and we just enjoyed each other’s company. Obviously a few speeches from the coach and captain and things like that. But it’s starting to sink in. I think when you relax and have a drink with your team-mates, that’s when you start to really reflect on what we’ve just achieved. And those are really special times that we’ll remember for a long, long time.Related

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What was it like to have the trust of the team management to slot into that crucial No. 3 position, especially in conditions that were often extreme?
I think that’s the nature of being a reserve batsman: you’ve got to be prepared to bat anywhere in the top five. And obviously, No. 3 is a pivotal role. But you could argue that all batting positions in the top five are pivotal at different stages of the game. So I had to prepare in a way that I felt ready and confident to take the opportunity. And the lead-up to the tour was really good. We had some good camps in New Zealand before we came over [to the subcontinent].And then it was just on a game-by-game basis, assessing how Kane’s going back home. And obviously it didn’t improve enough for him to fly over. So it meant that I could play the whole series, which was really nice for me, personally.The accidental tourist: Will Young finished as New Zealand’s second-highest run scorer on their tour of India•Indranil Mukherjee/Getty ImagesWe also had a week in Noida [for the Afghanistan Test]. And although the outfield was really wet, we could still train on the block there. And then obviously, in Galle, there’s spinning conditions there as well. So I had a good amount of time in the nets, preparing and watching the guys go about their work and having conversations about what works and what doesn’t. You start to piece it all together. And by the time I came to India, I felt prepared to take on this opportunity.You went from facing James Anderson in swinging conditions in Southport to facing up to R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar on turners in India. Talk us through the prep that helped you adapt.
In that Lancashire game, Nathan Lyon also played, so it wasn’t a bad bowling attack. To be honest, it [success against spin] has been a long time in the making. We toured here in 2021 and we had a two-Test match series, in Kanpur and Mumbai, and the batting group that’s here is largely the same as the one three years ago.So I suppose if you look at it with a wider lens, you can say that we’ve been learning since then. There’s been lots of tours to the subcontinent, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and even some spinning surfaces at home at times. We were always keen to learn and adapt and grow as batsmen.I suppose leading up to this particular series and this particular chunk of six games in the subcontinent, it was really important that we got our heads around what does work and doesn’t work. And at times it is experimental and at times it’s backing your method and having the courage to do so for a long period of time. It’s just nice that it’s all come together, especially after the hurt of the Sri Lankan series. To put it all together on the biggest of stages here in India was really pleasing as a whole batting unit.You had Rangana Herath and Michael Bracewell bowl to you a fair bit in the Galle nets when you didn’t make it to the XI. How did those sessions benefit you in India?
Yeah, Rangana still loves bowling. He bowled a lot in the nets, not just to me but to a lot of the boys. And I guess because he’s so accurate, if you want to work on a particular shot, he can put it there for you.And he’s very complimentary and he gets around you when you get it right. Obviously Michael Bracewell – affectionately known as Beastie – he’s also a really handy bowler to face in the nets. And the conditions in Galle were nice to test out different styles of play and different methods.The final cut: Young hits the winning runs in the first Test in Bengaluru•BCCISo that was awesome to have, those couple of weeks with those guys, as well as the batting coach, Luke Ronchi, who was throwing a bit of offspin. Glenn Phillips is always keen to bowl. So there was plenty of guys to call upon and to get some volume in leading into the series.Was the sweep one of those shots you worked on during those sessions? You came away as New Zealand’s most prolific player of the sweep, including the reverse, in this series
Yes, as I said before, some of your training at times can be experimental. And I suppose the reverse sweep and the hard sweep in front of square is something that I’ve had to add to my locker.I thought it might come in handy at certain times over here, especially when conditions get gnarly and you don’t have the field that you want to bat against. You can take a risk to sweep in different ways so that the field changes, and then you might feel a little bit more comfortable. So yeah, it’s certainly been something I’ve been working on for a long, long time. And it’s nice for it to come off at times over here when it was needed.You also have another Sri Lankan connection: you worked with Mahela Jayawardene when he came to New Zealand to play for Central Stags. Do you often chat to him about your batting as well?
I haven’t spoken to Mahela in a long time now but back in my formative years, a younger, more impressionable self was playing with Mahela. It was in the T20 format. He came over for two full seasons and played with us. And he was just incredible.He scored a hell of a lot of runs. He loved playing golf and he loved talking batting. So myself and some other guys in the batting group got around him and just tried to pick his brains as much as we could. But yeah, just awesome to see a master at work.