Neymar is all set to visit the 'miracle doctor' in Brazil in a bid to overcome injury and make it to Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad in North America next summer. Neymar has struggled for fitness throughout the calendar year; however, he saw a late resurgence into the season as he scored and helped Santos avoid relegation, finishing 12th in the Brazilian top division league.
MLB has used PitchCom since 2022 so pitchers and catchers can transmit calls instead of visually giving signs. The transmitters have helped with the pitch clock, too, since pitchers now have less time to shake off signs. But have you ever heard what the system sounds like in a player's ear?
Well, SNY and New York Mets field reporter Steve Gelbs gave us a walkthrough on Thursday night of the sounds that are passed directly into the ears of MLB stars as calls are made. The default English setting sounds like a generic, almost Siri-like voice spewing pitch types and locations. You can watch the fun segment and hear it for yourself below:
Gelbs mentioned there are default Spanish sounds, too, which includes all pitches and calls except for "sweeper" because, well, there isn't a Spanish word for sweeper.
The device is customizable allowing you to record your own calls or in other languages, which some players and clubs have had fun with before. This isn't the first time we've seen a PitchCom demo at the MLB level as the Colorado Rockies went through how they use the devices last season.
Still, it's a great inside baseball segment that probably helped a lot of fans figure out why pitchers are always messing with their hats or covering their ears with their gloves.
One mystery still stands, though—who is the mysterious PitchCom voice? Gelbs asked that question and didn't get a clear answer, but he did provide a prime suspect—the PitchCom founder, which could either be John Hankins or Craig Filicetti.
When the Red Sox and Yankees played their most famous playoff series in 2003 and '04, Boston pitcher Connelly Early was one and two years old. New York pitcher Cam Schlittler, senior citizen, was two and three.
A generation later, both teams are electing to trust these youngsters with their playoff lives. Early, 23, will start against Schlittler, 24, in Game 3 of the American League wild-card series Thursday—making them the second pair of rookies to start against each other in a winner-take-all playoff game.
As Sarah Langs of MLB wrote on social media, the first rookie duo to oppose each other in that scenario were Braves pitcher Ian Anderson and Dodgers pitcher Dustin May in the 2020 National League championship series. Neither pitcher took a decision, but Los Angeles won the game 4–3 and went on to win the World Series.
Early's assignment is particularly shocking, as the Virginia product debuted in the major leagues on Sept. 9. Schlittler, who posted a 2.96 ERA in 73 innings this season, was one of the most productive rookie pitchers in baseball.
The winner of Thursday's showdown will advance to the ALDS to meet the East Division champion Blue Jays.
Aston Villa were steadily getting back to their best across October.
Indeed, five straight wins had been collected by Unai Emery’s men, with three of those victories falling in October, before a trip to Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles fell on the calendar in the Europa League.
Yet, even with Evann Guessand netting after just four minutes had been played, the Eredivisie hosts would collect a surprise 2-1 win come full-time, as Emery and Co. cursed their luck away from Villa Park.
On another night, Villa might well have at least collected a share of the points. Unfortunately, though, Emiliano Buendia noticeably underperformed throughout, with a second-half missed penalty from the ex-Norwich City midfielder only further confirming that it was the hosts’ lucky day.
Before his Europa League hiccup, Buendia had very much shown Emery why he was deserving of more consistent first-team minutes.
It was widely reported this summer that Buendia was on the brink of a move away from the West Midlands, with his future at the club still remaining uncertain if Villa need to cash in on an asset here and there to satisfy PSR troubles.
Despite all this distracting chatter, Buendia had managed to let his football do the talking as of late, with a standout haul of three goals and an assist from 11 appearances.
However, his poor day at the office in the Netherlands does have the potential to trouble his concrete starting position.
The out-of-sorts number ten would spurn another big chance away from missing that vital spot-kick, with Buendia also uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball at his feet, with possession surrendered a worrying 17 times.
Off the back of this individual showing, leaving a sour taste in Emery’s mouth, the Spaniard could look to alternate options in the number ten spot when Premier League action returns, with Morgan Rogers an easy fix here.
He might not be afforded a spot down the left wing, either, with Guessand scoring from this spot on the pitch against Melvin Boel’s hosts, as the ex-OGC Nice forward was in the right place, at the right time, to poke home a rebound.
Emery will want all of his attackers to be as instinctive as the Ivorian when Manchester City come to town next, with this other notable Villa first-teamer fearful of his starting spot subsequently, after another quiet game passed him by mid-week.
The former Arsenal boss isn’t blessed with plentiful options in the centre-forward department anymore, with super sub Jhon Duran now plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League, after once being seen as an ideal second-in-command figure.
This has ramped up the pressure on Ollie Watkins’ shoulders, arguably, with his forgettable season so far displaying a striker in clear decline, with talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney even calling out the England international as being way “off it” back in September, when his goal output had already begun to disastrously dry up.
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Watkins’ declining form this season |
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Stat |
Watkins |
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Games played |
12 |
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Minutes played |
822 |
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Goals scored |
1 |
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Assists |
0 |
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Sourced by Transfermarkt |
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Since this scathing assessment from the former Watford centre-forward, Watkins has only gone on to pick up an unsatisfactory one strike for the Villans from 12 matches, with Emery clearly losing patience with his usual reliable starter when benching him last time out in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.
Villa didn’t look lost without their 88-goal man leading the line, either, with ex-Borussia Dortmund man Donyell Malen filling in as the main marksman somewhat competently, as the likes of the aforementioned Rogers and Buendia stole the show with goals from the midfield areas.
Watkins didn’t exactly bang the door down to reclaim his top-flight starting spot with his shoddy showing against Go Ahead Eagles, with what should have been a confidence-boosting night only sapping the 29-year-old’s belief even more, as three shots failed to find the back of the net from his minimal 17 touches of the ball.
Guessand might even be the face that Emery chooses to start up top against Pep Guardiola’s challengers, if he wants to experiment away from a goalless Malen, with eight goals actually collected by the versatile Ivorian from this position for Nice, as Watkins fears another spot warming the bench is going to come his way later today.
£868m release clause: Aston Villa now willing to bid for "world-class" star
The Villans are prepared to make an offer for a new forward, who is now looking to leave his club.
By
Dominic Lund
Oct 24, 2025
When Tarik Skubal toes the rubber, you rarely see the ball leave the park.
Heading into his start Thursday against the Twins, he had given up just 12 homers through 145 1/3 innings pitched this year. And each long ball was delivered by a right-handed batter. That was the case until Twins infielder Edouard Julien stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the third inning at Target Field.
On just his third homer of the year—a no-doubter to right field—Julien became the first lefty batter to leave the park against Skubal this season.
In 23 starts this year, last season's AL Cy Young Award winner has an 11-3 record and a 2.35 ERA while retiring 187 batters on strikes. He's right near the top of the league in punch outs alongside Zack Wheeler (189) and Garrett Crochet (188). Heading into Thursday's start, only Paul Skenes had a better ERA at 2.13.
Last season, when Skubal won the Cy Young Award, he gave up just one home run to a left-handed batter and 14 against righties. As one of the best pitchers in baseball, a slip against a lefty only happens once in a blue moon. Julien should remember this one for a long time.
Nottingham Forest are on the lookout for solidity under Sean Dyche and could now be set to make an intriguing move courtesy of owner Evangelos Marinakis.
The Tricky Trees had a fairly ominous start to the Premier League campaign that culminated in the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, which was followed by Ange Postecoglou’s short tenure at the City Ground that ended under acrimonious circumstances.
Now, Dyche is the man at the helm and there is a feeling that improvement is starting to take shape on the River Trent, characterised in clear fashion by their convincing victory over Leeds United before the international break.
Ultimately, Forest are still in the relegation zone and have their work cut out to ensure they survive in the top-flight this campaign, though the fact that players such as Elliot Anderson are earning rave reviews from Thomas Tuchel is a reason for some optimism in the East Midlands.
Paying tribute to the Three Lions midfielder, the England coach labelled him as ‘one of the best midfielders in the Premier League’ before a routine victory in World Cup qualifying over Serbia, emphasising the value of his services that the Tricky Trees have at their disposal.
Even then, a tricky fixture at Anfield awaits for Forest on the other side of the international break before a quickfire double header against Malmö and Brighton, requiring squad rotation to make sure Dyche has fresh options to choose from.
Stability is something that hasn’t always been easy to come by at the City Ground, and club owner Marinakis doesn’t wait around when it is time to make a decision, something he could again demonstrate in January.
According to Tuttosport, Nottingham Forest are among a clutch of clubs that are keen on Olympiacos star Christos Mouzakitis, who is also wanted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, AC Milan and Napoli.
Intriguingly, the Greek giants are owned by Marinakis, and he is said to be the one who will have the final say on his next destination amid their £30 million asking price for the 18-year-old midfielder.
Mouzakitis is described by Tuttosport as a player who’s ‘already one of the greatest talents in Greek football history’, with a clutch of Premier League sides taking notuce.
However, Forest may well have an edge given their close ties to the teenager via their owner.
Known to idolise AC Milan veteran Luka Modrić, Mouzakitis is a recipient of the TuttoSport Goldenboy Web Award and has registered two assists in 13 appearances this season across all competitions.
Nevertheless, he is under contract until 2029, and Olympiacos will hold the cards should a bidding war start to take place for his services, making it a tough ask for any suitors to land their man for anything less than a premium.
Either way, Marinakis could be the defining factor for Nottingham Forest in this one, and it may be worth keeping an eye to see what developments occur over the coming weeks and months.
The 2025 MLB season featured a wild finish, with a seven-game World Series that captivated the sports world. Less than a week after the Dodgers raised the Commissioner’s Trophy for the second straight year, all focus has turned to 2026. Based on early discussions, there should be a ton of player movement this offseason.
The free agent class has a decent number of big names in it, but the competition for those players could send teams browsing on the trade market. There should be plenty of options available. What follows is a look at the 10 best players who could be on the trade block this winter.
Skubal is about to win his second AL Cy Young in a row, and he’s the Tigers’ best player. Despite that, the two sides remain far apart in discussions over a long-term contract. The ace lefty will be 29 when the 2026 season starts and will be a free agent after it ends. If they’re not going to pay him what he’s worth, the Tigers may be better off getting a haul for him before he walks away, especially if they don’t plan on spending enough cash this offseason to build a World Series contender.
In 2025, Skubal went 13–6 with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 241 strikeouts against 33 walks in 195 1/3 innings. He was second in baseball in FIP (2.45), third in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (11.1) and led MLB pitchers in fWAR (6.6). Over the past three seasons, Skubal has made 77 starts, going 38–13 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 175 ERA+ and 571 strikeouts in 467 2/3 innings. He’s baseball’s most dominant pitcher and is in the middle of his prime. Any contender would be crazy not to at least explore a deal to get him.
Fits: Mets, Giants, Padres, Red Sox, Astros
Duran’s name keeps popping up in trade rumors as a young core continues to fortify Boston’s ranks. The Red Sox could attempt to move the veteran outfielder in order to fortify their starting rotation. Duran regressed a bit in 2025, but still provides a ton of value as a speedy corner outfielder who consistently produces good exit velocities.
The 29-year-old was phenomenal in 2024 when he slashed .285/.342/.492 with 21 home runs, 75 RBIs, a 131 wRC+ and 34 stolen bases. He produced 6.8 fWAR (which was almost cut in half in 2025) while also leading the league in doubles and triples. This season, he slashed .256/.332/.442, with 15 home runs, 84 RBIs, a wRC+ of 111 and 24 stolen bases. His 3.9 fWAR was solid, but sent the message that he’s unlikely to ever reach the highs he experienced in 2024. Still, he’d be one of the top bats on the market if Boston made him available, and given that he’s under team control through 2028, he would net a hefty return.
Fits: Phillies, Dodgers, Royals, Orioles
The Brewers had an outstanding season in 2025, and Peralta was a big part of that. But he’s due for free agency after next season, and, like Milwaukee did with Corbin Burnes, it looks like they club will move him before he walks in 2026. Peralta was excellent this season, going 17–6 with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and 204 strikeouts in 176 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old continued showing he’s a durable frontline guy, having made 95 starts over the past three years.
Peralta is under contract for $8 million next season, so virtually any team could afford him. That’s great news for Milwaukee, as there could be a bidding war for his services. He’s widely regarded as the second-best arm on the market, and if the Tigers opt to keep Skubal, he’d jump to the top of the list. The Brewers should be able to net a substantial return in that case.
Fits: Padres, Yankees, Mets, Orioles, Diamondbacks
Ryan has slowly broken out over the past two years, but he took things to another level in 2025. In 31 appearances (30 starts), the 29-year-old went 13–10 with a 3.42 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 194 strikeouts against 39 walks in 171 innings. Ryan, a first-time All-Star, allowed a .233 xwOBA on his sweeper, and his fastball was almost as good (.277). His 4.89 ERA over the final two months of the season raised some red flags, but Minnesota was awful as a whole over that stretch.
The Twins sold big at the deadline and are looking at a full rebuild centered around one of the best farm systems in baseball. They can enhance that by moving Ryan, who will be one of the hottest names on the trade market this winter. He’s under team control through 2027, so he should net a larger return.
Fits: Red Sox, Padres, Tigers, Angels
Despite all the issues listed above, Kwan was a popular target at the trade deadline. Other teams are interested, and the Guardians could choose to sell while he’s still a hot name. He’s under team control through 2027, which will only add to his allure.
The Guardians floated Kwan at the trade deadline, but were asking for a significant return that they couldn’t find. The 28-year-old is a four-time Gold Glove winner and has been an All-Star in each of the past two seasons. He’s one of the best defensive corner outfielders in MLB, but his bat is a bit of a problem. Kwan rarely strikes out and regularly squares balls up (99th percentile) but produces weak exit velocities, which leaves him mostly powerless. In 2025 he slashed .272/.330/.374 and had a wRC+ of 99. In his four seasons, he has never broken the .800 OPS barrier. His career slugging percentage of .390 is incredibly weak. Despite stellar defense, he only produced 3.2 fWAR in 2025.
Fits: Dodgers, Orioles, Cubs, Phillies
Two years ago, this would have been unthinkable when Rutschman was the Orioles’ cornerstone and was named first-team All-MLB. His decline began in 2024, but the 27-year-old bottomed out this season as he only played 90 games due to strains in both obliques, and slashed a woeful .220/.307/.366, with nine home runs, 29 RBIs and a wRC+ of 91. With top catching prospect Samuel Basallo now in the big leagues, the writing is on the wall for Rutschman.
The Orioles were MLB’s most disappointing team in 2025 and need to bounce back in 2026. Trading Rutschman could beef up the MLB roster. He’s still well-respected as a leader and solid defensive catcher, and he’s only two years removed from an .809 OPS and 20 home runs. He’s under team control through 2027, so there will be no shortage of teams interested.
Fits: Rangers, Phillies, Nationals, Rays
Alcántara struggled for much of the 2025 season after returning from Tommy John surgery. In 31 starts, the 2022 NL Cy Young winner went 11–12 with a 5.36 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 165 strikeouts and 57 walks in 174 2/3 innings. He produced 1.7 fWAR, his lowest total ever in a full season. On the bright side, his xFIP was 4.19, much lower than his bloated ERA. He’s only 30 and should be much better in his second season back from elbow reconstruction.
The Marlins missed the playoffs by four games this season, but they have a new front office regime in place led by Gabe Kapler. That group will likely want to be bold in establishing a new direction. Alcántara is set to make $17.3 million in 2026, and his contract has a club option for $21 million in 2027. Yes, Miami would be selling low here, but dealing him could clear some cash off the books while netting a solid return.
Fits: Braves, Giants, Blue Jays, Angels
After years of waiting, Adell finally broke out in 2025 and delivered on some of the promise he showed as a top-five prospect in the game back in 2020. Adell slashed .236/.293/.485, with 37 home runs and 98 RBIs, and produced a career-best wRC+ of 112. Can he repeat that in 2026? The jury is still out, but he’s under team control through 2027, so there’s value to be mined here.
The Angels lost 90 games, Mike Trout is a shell of his former self and they own one of baseball’s worst farm systems. It would be wise for L.A. to start unloading the few assets it has and look to the future. Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, Jorge Soler and Kenley Jansen should also be on the table. As for Adell, a team needing some pop from a corner outfield spot could buy high on the 26-year-old banking that 2025 represented his immense underlying talent showing through, not a fluke.
Fits: White Sox, Royals, Orioles, Red Sox
Gore was excellent in the first half of the season, showing the stuff that led the Padres to select him with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft. He made his first All-Star team as he entered the break with a 4–8 record, 3.02 ERA, 2.96 FIP and 138 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings. He still surrendered too many walks, but he was mostly in command on the mound. Then it all fell apart. Over his final 11 starts, Gore went 1–7 with a 6.75 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 47 strikeouts against 29 walks in 49 1/3 innings. That kicked his ERA up to 4.17 on the season. Simply put, he walks too many guys, and his fastball is too hittable, as opponents had an xSLG of .497 against it.
Despite his second-half struggles, the 26-year-old should be a popular target this winter as the Nationals rework their roster to build for the future. He’s under contract through 2027, and when he’s on, Gore has the stuff to be a frontline starter. He may not garner as big of a return as he would have two years ago, but in the hands of the right pitching coach, he could quickly turn things around.
Fits: Braves, Mets, Giants, Padres
Robert has seemingly been on the trade block for a solid two seasons now, but the White Sox haven’t found a deal they like. That might change this offseason. The 28-year-old had a monster year in 2023 in which he hit 38 home runs and boasted an OPS of .857 and a wRC+ of 129. But he’s looked like a totally different player at the plate since then. In 2025, he slashed .223/.297/.364, with 14 home runs and a weak wRC+ of 84. Some of that decline might be due to the White Sox just being terrible, but there are legitimate concerns that Robert’s best days are behind him. He has also missed significant time in 2024 and ’25, only playing a total of 210 games.
Chicago picked up the $20 million option on Robert’s contract for 2026 and holds another at the same price in 2027—so he’s not a rental, is still a plus defender and can still run, as he stole 33 bases this season. The power/speed combination is still there if someone can get him back on track. When he’s right, Robert is a 30/30 threat who plays good defense in center. There are plenty of teams who could use someone like that, but there is quite a bit of risk here.
Fits: Cubs, Royals, Mets, Orioles
The former England batsman looks back on 60 years in the game, including trying times as England coach in the 1990s
Ivo Tennant20-May-2020This springtime, Keith Fletcher, who turns 76 today, celebrates 60 years of continuous employment as a cricketer and coach for both county and country.His longevity is remarkable. At the age of 16 he was on the Essex ground staff, wearing winkle-picker shoes and living on a pittance at Gants Hill, near the ground at Ilford. Now, he still runs his beloved county’s Under-15s, having represented, captained and coached England along the way.ALSO READ: Essex’s ebullient eighties (2016)Quite a life, and one he would choose all over again. He says there are “only three or four” individuals he has encountered whom he would not want inside his home in Newmarket, where Michael Holding and the racehorse trainer Sir Michael Stoute are friends and neighbours. Away from cricket he is to be found walking on the gallops, fishing, gardening, bird-watching, drinking wine, supporting Manchester United, and socialising with David Acfield, Dennis Amiss, Geoff Arnold, David Brown and plenty of other old cricketers when circumstances permit. He and his wife, Sue, go to Cyprus to visit Alan Knott – although he draws the line at Greek dancing. Fletcher is a highly contented old pro.The premature loss of both the England captaincy, in 1982, and the position of England head coach, in 1995 after just two years and a record of 15 defeats and five victories, did not embitter him. There were circumstances beyond his control. The sides in the 1990s were arguably the weakest in English history. “You play the cards you are dealt. We weren’t the greatest side,” he admits. “There were only four or five genuine Test players – the rest were not good enough.
Illy even suggested in interviews he should replace me as coach, seeing nothing wrong with such behaviour. I came to realise that is merely an attitude of mind in YorkshireFletcher on his relationship with Ray Illingworth
“When I was captain and coach, I was on my own. There was no sports psychologist – not that I’m a great believer in them – or bowling and batting coaches. You need someone to organise net sessions for you and go ahead to the grounds and see if the nets are prepared and to put them up. We are light years on from that and central contracts was the right way to go, but these days the set-up has gone too far because it stops people thinking for themselves. An approach between that of my time and now would be ideal.”I got on very well with Mike Atherton, my captain. He is a proper person, totally trustworthy and a really good bloke. I’m delighted about the success he and Nasser Hussain have had as commentators. Nasser could have captained Essex for a lot longer than he did. He was a fiery bugger, for sure, with a steely streak, which he needed, and he had a cricket brain about him and got everything out of his ability. You can’t ask for more.”If Fletcher has a regret now, it is not choosing Hussain ahead of Mark Ramprakash against West Indies in 1993-94. “Ramps technically was brilliant. You couldn’t pick a fault with his technique. He was technically a far better player than Nasser, but Nasser wanted to succeed. That is not saying Ramps didn’t, only that there had to be something going on between the ears. Thinking back, Nasser could have played in three Tests in the Caribbean.”There were others, Graeme Hick and Chris Lewis in particular, who did not excel as they were expected to do. “I started to get quite a bit out of Graeme. He could play but he needed people to believe in him. If he thought you wanted him in the side, he would play a lot better. Against fast bowling he couldn’t get his hands out of way, they got caught up in the body and he was too square-on against the short ball coming up into his ribs. West Indies’ fast bowlers were pretty good as well. It was difficult for him as he’d come into an England side without being an Englishman [having qualified after arriving from Zimbabwe]. Lewis was multi-talented but in some ways too nice. He could do it all, bowl, bat and field. We could have been talking about him as one of the top allrounders.”Mike Atherton and Fletcher got on, but did not enjoy much success•Getty ImagesOff the field but not necessarily in the background was Ray Illingworth, omnipresent in Fletcher’s career as his England colleague, captain and now chairman of selectors. It is fair to say that “the Yorkies”, as Fletcher calls them, are not his favourite people – not since he was jeered on his Test debut at Headingley in 1968 for dropping difficult catches that the crowd felt their own Philip Sharpe would have held.Illingworth, Geoff Boycott and Fred Trueman – one of the three players he would most like to watch again (Garry Sobers and Dennis Lillee being the others) – were “proper cricketers”, which in Fletch-speak is the ultimate compliment. But they were not “proper people”. Fletcher could not work out why Illingworth, having criticised him publicly, would then treat him as a long-lost friend whenever they met. “Illy even suggested in interviews he should replace me as coach, seeing nothing wrong with such behaviour. I came to realise that the scheming that went into his elevation in the game is merely an attitude of mind in Yorkshire.”There was no such scheming at Chelmsford. Doug Insole, Graham Gooch, the 1979 side who became champions for the first time in Essex’s history, Acfield (a long-time dining companion), Alastair Cook and plenty of others are indeed “proper”. Hussain tells, against himself, the amusing story of when he and Fletcher were watching the young Cook bat in a 2nd XI match. “Don’t worry about your game, watch him,” said the Essex guru, Fletcher. “He’s going to be a superstar.”
Ravi Bopara was more talented and could have become a better player, but Alastair [Cook] got everything out of his ability
“I don’t think so,” responded Hussain as the gawky left-hander struggled to get the ball off the square. Fletcher knew. He had coached Cook in the county’s U-15s. “Ravi Bopara was more talented and could have become a better player, but Alastair got everything out of his ability. I used to do one-on-ones with him in the winter nets, throwing down a soft ball and saying, ‘Hit the bloody thing to cow corner.’ Far safer to hit the ball there than to extra cover. He was a public-school batter and I’d tell him he couldn’t hit every ball to mid-off and mid-on because there would be fielders there.”In fact, Alastair had a better technique when he was 20 than when he ended his Test career. Obviously as you get older you develop different habits, bad habits. When I told Goochie, by then Essex first-team coach, that he was ready to play, Graham said, ‘Well if that’s what you think, he’ll play.'”Other than a wish to watch Sobers once more, Fletcher generally does not constantly revisit the past. He harbours no resentment that Mike Denness and Mike Brearley led England ahead of him, even though he was patently a better batsman. “I didn’t think about it and I wouldn’t have gone behind their backs,” he said. “I always thought like a captain and I would talk to Tony Greig, a very good friend, about tactics. But it would have been nice if I had been given the captaincy younger than when I was 37. By then your eyes go a little bit. For the four years I was at my peak, through to 36, I didn’t play Test cricket.”Fletcher captained England on their tour of India in 1981-82•Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesFletcher feels now that it was “mad” helmets did not come into the game earlier, although when they did, in 1978, he struggled to adjust to wearing a grille and could not sight the ball properly. “We never talked about head protection, not even after Ewen Chatfield nearly died in New Zealand in 1974-75. After being hit by Peter Lever he was saved only by Bernie Thomas, our physio, being on the ground. When we played against Lillee and Jeff Thomson in Australia that winter, the pitches were quick and they were also uneven and difficult to play on. But I never felt in danger. It was harder for Arnold and Derek Underwood – we should have thought more about those down the batting order.”He would have liked to have been better paid. “When I was in digs at Gants Hill I was on £4 a week and my rent was just under £3. When I started playing Test cricket, I was paid £100 a match. We were taken advantage of, although we didn’t realise that. The administrators still wanted to run cricket as an amateur game and not pay people. I would certainly have joined World Series Cricket if I had been asked in 1977. I would have gone to South Africa with Gooch’s party in 1982 had I not been England captain and had a benefit from Essex, which I had to run. I was offered nearly £50,000 to go and politics wouldn’t have affected my thinking.”ALSO READ: Gary Ballance: ‘If I don’t play for England again, I’m satisfied with the career I’ve had’As it was, Peter May, his boyhood hero and the chairman of selectors, sacked him after just one, dull, series in India in 1981-82, seemingly without considering that Fletcher had remained loyal to his employers.None of these occurrences dampened his enthusiasm for the game. When he eventually ceases to work as a coach, he will continue to go to Chelmsford to pass on his assessment of Essex cricketers. He will be in the committee room with Acfield or behind the arm in the press box, where he is held in great affection. If pressed, he will see in the mind’s eye Trevor Bailey, who took him on the staff and who would drive him all the way to Headingley in third gear and give him his first-class debut in 1962. “On and off the pitch I’ve loved every minute of the last 60 years.”
Meet V Ramesh Kumar, who went from handling a textile business to becoming a curator at Chepauk
Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jan-2021There will be a 42-year-old debutant in the first Test between India and England, which starts on February 5. He will also be part of the second Test, also to be played in Chennai, from February 13. In his hands could lie the script of the two Tests.In the first week of 2021, V Ramesh Kumar got a call from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). He was asked to take charge as the curator for the first two Tests of the England series. Ramesh was taken by complete “surprise”. He had never prepared a pitch for even a first-class match. In less than a month Ramesh now had to get Chepauk, as the MA Chidambaram Stadium is popularly known, ready to host two Test matches in a marquee series with World Test Championship points at stake for both contestants.”I was surprised,” Ramesh says, recalling the moment he was asked to be the curator for two Tests. “I asked TNCA for a couple of days because I needed to discuss it with my family because the big question was how would I manage my business if I took up the offer.”An accidental curator There is nothing about Ramesh that matches the traditional profile of a head groundsman in India. Normally curators at most Indian venues have learned the art of pitch-making on the run and have evolved with experience.In contrast, Ramesh, who comes from the textile manufacturing town of Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, is a businessman and runs two successful apparel companies: Cosimo International, a garment manufacturing company that exports to firms in Europe, and Allwin Colours, a dyeing company. Along with his wife Malarvizhi Giri, who is a chartered accountant, Ramesh manages over 700 people at both companies. Ramesh also has an MBA in international business in addition to an MS in psychology.A successful athlete during his college days, Ramesh represented Tamil Nadu at the 110m hurdles and was part of the state’s relay teams and even won two medals at the national championships in 1996. About a decade ago Ramesh launched the Tirupur School of Cricket as part of his dream to help young boys develop into good players. He bought land and constructed a small ground with two matting pitches, one turf pitch and 12 practice strips surrounded by “lush green” outfield. To manage the ground and pitch he would need to recruit groundstaff from Chennai, which was proving difficult, so he decided to learn the craft himself. Luckily for him the TNCA had a suggestion.”I got a call from the TNCA, suggesting I attend the BCCI course on pitch-making,” Ramesh says. “I wanted to learn it in a professional way. I want to do something for the sport considering I am taking care of 80 kids at my academy.” The course was the brainchild of Daljit Singh, former Bihar cricketer and a well-known head groundsman at Mohali, who retired in 2019 as the head of the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee.Ramesh started making pitches in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Salem, for Under-16, -19 and -23 BCCI tournaments after passing the BCCI course in July 2018. He also travelled to other Indian venues in the IPL to get more insights from senior curators. During IPL 2019, the TNCA wanted him to take charge at Chepauk, but business commitments did not allow him to.Ramesh reckons the TNCA might have been impressed by his working style which might have influenced them to assign him such a key job, where pitches not just need to be result-oriented but are also assigned ratings by the ICC based on their behaviour. “Having been running businesses I can manage teams and time. Once I had committed to TNCA I decided I will do the job. Also I can segregate things which is key in running a business. I am a curator and have to work as a groundsman. My business is different.”People who have seen Ramesh at work including senior TNCA officials point out that man-management is his biggest strength. Ramesh says he has a strong team of about 26 groundsmen who have been working hard for the past few weeks to prepare for the two Tests, India’s first international matches since the start of the pandemic last year.To ensure that things fall in place the BCCI asked Taposh Chatterjee, part of the board’s pitch committee, to base himself in Chennai to oversee the preparations and be the guiding hand and light for Ramesh.‘Chepauk pitch with English look’Traditionally the Chepauk pitch has worn a bald look. However this time around it has been lush green across the square and the outfield. The TNCA had hosted a few practice matches at the venue ahead of the group phase of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the first half of January.”There is no open spot. The outfield has a soft bed and is lush green,” Ramesh says.There are eight pitches on the Chepauk square. According to Ramesh, he’s working along with Chatterjee on four pitches, two each for each of the Tests.Ben Stokes trains in Chennai•ECBThe groundsmen are working on two different types of pitch with varying soil profiles. One is purely red soil, but its character is different to the red soil at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which generally provides bounce and assistance to all bowlers. The red soil in Chennai, on the other hand, can become flat quickly once rolled. This is one reason – at the moment – the pitch will have a greenish cover on the first day. The second pitch has a mixed profile: a base with the local red soil of about three inches with a top layer comprising black clay. A final decision on which pitch will host the first Test will be made in the days leading up to the match.The immediate past is bound to have a bearing on the nature of the pitch. The last first-class match played at the ground was the Ranji Trophy contest in January 2020 between Tamil Nadu and Railways. That game, which also featured India’s main spinner R Ashwin, finished in two days. That pitch was understood to be purely red soil.The last Test match played at the ground was coincidentally between India and England in 2016, with the hosts winning in the final hour on the fifth day. It was the match where Karun Nair scored a triple century and KL Rahul fell one run short of a double century as India amassed their highest Test score.Ramesh is confident about what could be in store in the next two weeks. “We are working to get a sporting wicket,” he says. “It will be a typical Chepauk pitch with English look. It will work for all three departments. It will be a keen contest between bat and ball. First day, there will be something for the fast bowlers. Second and third days will favour batsmen. Fourth day onwards there will be wear and tear and support the spinners.”Ramesh is aware that he might be an established businessman, but as a curator he is inexperienced compared to his colleagues, several of whom are not just senior to him in age, but have been preparing pitches in first-class and international cricket for decades. He understands he might have the knowledge but lacks the experience that will come handy in crunch moments during a Test match.”Every day I am learning something now. I can’t say I am a specialist. As a groundsman, you must understand there is a different microclimate, different soil, different grass. A lot of groundsmen here are the son of the soil. They have been living here, worked here for the past 20-25 years. I take all their inputs. I always listen to what all they say. But the final decision is mine.”Under the guidance of Chatterjee, Ramesh has been understanding the intricacies of pitch-making: from fertilising the soil, to rethatching grass, to rolling and watering the pitches in a fashion where the surface does not become a dustbowl and crumble from first day. Ramesh says he is confident. “It should be a good contest. I am expecting good cricket. Both teams should enjoy. We are in safe hands. Our preparations are on the mark. I am ready.”In the next two weeks Ramesh is bound to get introduced to the pressures of Test cricket. “Once I completed my course I did have the ambition of making a Test-match pitch one day. This is very early. I never expected the day will come.”And Ramesh is anything but nervous. “No. The only thing is there is only a three-day break between the first two Test matches, but I’m very comfortable. Simultaneously I’m working on pitches for both matches. I have a plan, I have a system, I have a schedule. I am not nervous. This is my first assignment, that is the only thing. Straightaway I am making a Test pitch.”
Statistical highlights from the four-match Test series between India and England
Sampath Bandarupalli09-Mar-202181.54 Percentage of reviews struck down in this Test series, the second-highest percentage among the 26 Test series with at least 25 reviews since September 2017. Only 12 of the 65 DRS reviews by India and England got upheld across the four matches. Of the 65 DRS reviews in this series, 31 alone were against Nitin Menon, easily the most for an umpire during a Test series in the past four years.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo Ltd46.6 Bowling strike rate during this Test series, the best in a Test series of four-plus matches. The Indian bowlers bagged 80 wickets at a strike rate of 42, while the visitors took 58 wickets at 52.8.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 Instances of a player being the lone centurion and the only player to claim five-plus wicket haul(s) for his team in a four-plus match Test series before Joe Root did it against India in this series. Root scored England’s only individual century of the series, and also accounted for the only five-wicket haul by the visitors.ESPNcricinfo Ltd104 Wickets taken by spin bowlers in this Test series are the third-most number of wickets claimed by spinners in a Test series. The five-match Test series between India and England in 1972-73 saw as many as 109 wickets claimed by spinners, while 108 wickets went to spin bowlers during the India and England series in 2016.67 Wickets for the Indian spinners during this series, the most for any team’s spinners in a four-match Test series. India surpassed their record of 65 wickets during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home in 2013.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Number of fifty-plus partnerships for the first three wickets in this series, the second-fewest number of fifty-plus stands among the 220 Test series with 40-plus partnerships for the first three wickets . West Indies’ tour of New Zealand in 1955-56 had only three fifty-plus stands across 41 partnerships for the first three wickets.19.83 Average runs per wicket in this Test series for England, the third-lowest by them in a four-plus match Test series . The England team averaged only 19.11 in the four-match Test series during the West Indies tour in 1934-35, and only 19.1 in the five-match series in South Africa in 1905-06.31 Number of ducks across four matches in this series, the most ducks in a four-match Test series. The record was previously held by England vs Pakistan series in 2010 with 29 ducks.