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Netherlands legend Marco van Basten took a swipe at Mohamed Salah as he said the Liverpool star has the 'brains of a beetle' in a brutal response to him 'attacking' Reds boss Arne Slot. After being left out on the bench for the third consecutive Premier League game against Leeds United last weekend, Salah went on an explosive rant as he hinted he could even exit Anfield in January.

• Salah's explosive rant against Slot

  After win the Premier League Golden Boot for a record-equalling fourth time last season, Salah has experienced a sudden dip in form in 2025-26. So far this season, the Egyptian winger has scored five goals and provided three assists in 19 matches across all competitions. 

  Salah's latest run of form prompted Slot to drop the star player from the Reds' starting lineup in their last three Premier League fixtures. After being left out as an unused substitute for a third consecutive game, Salah burst out in front of the media as he said: "I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. "Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."

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  Egyptian left out of Champions League squad

  Following his public outburst against the club and manager, Liverpool have taken the extreme step of omitting Salah from their travelling squad to Italy for their crucial Champions League fixture against Inter in midweek. With such a huge decision, the reigning Premier League champions made clear to their star player that everybody – regardless of their standing at Anfield – must earn their place in the team. Salah will be left to reflect on that stance when his team-mates line up against Inter on Tuesday evening in Milan.

• Dutch legend slams Salah

  Former Netherlands international legendary forward Marco van Basten took a brutal dig at Salah for his behaviour against Slot and the Reds as he told : "I'd say: the brains of a cockchafer. If you react like that… He did very well last year, but this season he's not good. He's just been bad these past few months. I always find Slot honest and straightforward. He doesn't shy away from a fight and ultimately doesn't say anything unwise. Salah, on the other hand, really started attacking the man and reacting incorrectly."

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  How did Slot react to Salah's outburst?

  A day after Salah went public with his frustration over the lack of game time, Reds boss Slot addressed the media to offer a response, as he said: "I don't feel that my authority has been undermined. It's not the way I feel it. It's not about me, if my life is difficult, yes or no, that's not very important in a situation like this. It's if it is more difficult for the team and for the club. No one likes us to be in the situation we're in at the moment. First of all, it's difficult to see staff members who work so hard are affected by the situation we're in now. Mainly because of the results. I'm the manager, I have to pick a team so to a certain extent I'm important, but my focus is on the team and not on me."

  When asked if the winger had played his last game for the English champions, Slot added: "I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this moment in time."

Sophie Devine was the first player sold at the WPL mega auction in Delhi on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2025Allrounder Deepti Sharma became the joint second-most expensive player ever sold at the WPL auction when her previous franchise UP Warriorz bid INR 3.2 crore (USD 360,000) and used a right-to-match (RTM) option to buy her back at the mega auction in Delhi on Thursday.New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr was the second most expensive player at the auction, going to Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crore (USD 340,000). Allrounder Shikha Pandey, who hasn’t played for India since 2023, was a surprise as the third most expensive buy, with UPW bidding INR 2.4 crore (USD 270,000) for her.The mega auction opened with a surprise – Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy going unsold at her base price of INR 50 lakh; her name did not reappear during multiple accelerated rounds later in the auction. The first player sold was New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who was bought by Gujarat Giants (GG) for INR 2 crore (USD 220,000).Deepti, the player of the tournament at the recent Women’s ODI World Cup, was the third player on sale from the marquee set and initially attracted no bids at her base price of INR 50 lakh until Delhi Capitals (DC) raised the paddle late. There were no other bids and so UPW were given the option to use their RTM option, which they did. Thereafter, DC had the one-time option to raise their bid, which they did to INR 3.2 crore, a price that was matched by UPW to buy back Deepti. Had Deepti been retained by UPW ahead of the auction, they would have lost INR 3.5 crore from their purse.MI’s first purchase at the mega auction was Kerr, who had played for them previously in the WPL. They had to raise the bid for Kerr as far as INR 3 crore out of their auction purse of INR 5.75 crore because they had no RTM options available at the auction due to them retaining five players. She remained their only buy from the first three sets of players at the auction.Related

• Abhishek Nayar: We wanted Shikha's experience and Deepti back through RTM

• Jess Jonassen pulls out of WPL auction

“We were really excited to have the same core back,” MI coach Lisa Keightley said. “We’ve got world-class players in there who can win matches and games of cricket which is most important. Sometimes you can underestimate having the same core back. I’ve seen in a lot of franchises that being consistent with a group can give you advantages since you don’t start a tournament with so many moving parts. As for how much we’d have gone for Amelia, we were pretty much on the limit, most people would’ve known that. She’s worth the money and we’re excited to have her back.Of the other players in the marquee set, Renuka Singh went to GG for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000), Sophie Ecclestone to UPW for INR 85 lakh (USD 100,000, via RTM), Meg Lanning (USD 210,000) to UPW for INR 1.9 crore, and Laura Wolvaardt to DC for INR 1.1 crore (USD 120,000).Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were the only team to not buy a player in the marquee set, having bid for Devine, Ecclestone and Wolvaardt. Their first buy came from the second set – the Australian batter Georgia Voll for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000) – after which they bought allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav from the third set.After buying Deepti and Lanning, UPW further strengthened their batting by picking up 22-year old Australian Phoebe Litchfield for INR 1.2 crore (USD 130,000) and using an RTM option to buy back Kiran Navgire for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000). UPW used their fourth and last RTM option to buy back fast bowler Kranti Gaud at her base price of INR 50 lakh, after DC had made the first and final bid. However, UPW lost out on promising spinner Sree Charani, who was bought by DC for INR 1.3 crore (USD 150,000).DC picked up the youngest player bought at the auction, 16-year-old Deeya Yadav, a hard-hitting top-order batter from Haryana at her base price of INR 10 lakh. Her stable base, excellent hand-eye coordination and raw hitting power have already prompted comparisons to Shafali Verma, with many touting her as Haryana’s next big batting talent.The most expensive player ever sold at the WPL auction is Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 crore), followed by Ashleigh Gardner and Nat-Sciver Brunt (INR 3.2 crore), whose bids in 2023 Deepti matched in 2025.”We had a new coach at the helm and we wanted to give him a clean state based on his vision and we’ll build a squad together,” Kshemal Waingankar, COO of UPW, said. “We had no doubt that we’d bring Deepti back and we’re very delighted to bring her back. To add to that, we’ve also been able to bring Sophie back and bring Meg Lanning in as well. So far it’s played out well. We will discuss that [the captaincy]. It’s too early to say. Will depend on how the squad comes through. We’ll have to have a conversation with Deepti, and understand the dynamics with the leadership. We haven’t thought that through.”DC’s purchase of Wolvaardt gave them a leadership option but they indicated they would prefer an Indian captain. “I think in Laura we’ve got a tremendous player who can fill in those (Lanning’s) shoes. Not only was she the highest run-scorer in the recent World Cup, but she’s also someone who’s got leadership ability as well,” Parth Jindal, DC co-owner, said. “No, no, not at all [whether Wolvaardt will be captain]. I think we are very clear that we would like to have an Indian as the captain. So depending on who else we land, we already have our mind made up, but let’s see what happens. But yeah, Laura will add a lot of leadership into the dressing room, but we are clear that we want to go with an Indian captain.”The 2026 WPL season will begin on January 9 and end on February 5, with the tournament played in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.

Western Province opening batter Joshua van Heerden has become the first like-for-like injury replacement under a new trial for substitutes in cricket. Van Heerden replaced Edward Moore in a provincial four-day game against Lions at Newlands in the second round of the CSA’s first-class competition. Moore suffered a tear to his left adductor (inner thigh muscle) while fielding on the second day.The trial, which is also being conducted in Australia’s Sheffield Shield and India’s Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy, is part of an ICC initiative seeking a solution for teams that lose players to serious injury during a match.Like Australia, South Africa will consider both internal and external injuries (India are only looking at external injuries for now) and have a strict protocol for determining when a player can be replaced. If the injury is internal, such as a muscle tear, which was the case with Moore, the player is required to go for an Ultrasound and/or an MRI scan. The report is then sent to CSA’s chief medical officer Dr Hashendra Ramjee and CSA’s cricket operations manager Obakeng Sepeng who study the results and determine if the injury is serious enough to allow for replacement. They then contact the match referee to confirm the decision. If the injury is external, such as a visible dislocation or broken bone, the match referee can make the decision on a substitute in consultation with Dr Ramjee and Sepeng.Related

• BCCI introduces 'serious injury replacement substitute' rule

• CA to trial injury subs with tactical twist in Sheffield Shield

The injured player can only be replaced provided he has been ruled out of the match in its entirety. He will then be required to satisfy a “stand-down period of seven days”, as stated in CSA’s updated playing conditions before returning to play. In Australia’s case, substitutions are only allowed until stumps on the second day and the injured player is mandated a 12-day non-playing period. Like Australia and India, South Africa are only trialling the system in multi-day cricket for now.The differences in protocol stem from the ways in which different countries want to trial the system. They will all report back to the ICC, which could then come up with regulations for like-for-like substitutions in the international game. Currently, substitutions in international cricket are only allowed for concussion.

Tottenham Hotspur’s squad in 2025/26 is packed with numerous midfield stars, but it’s apparent that boss Thomas Frank is yet to work out his best combination in such an area.

The Dane has utilised a three-man midfield in the vast majority of his 11 Premier League outings to date, often varying between two deep-lying options with a ten and a flat three.

Joao Palhinha arrived in the summer on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich and has started all but one, with his ball-winning presence a real component to the Lilywhites’ side.

The same can’t be said for £52m addition Xavi Simons, as the Dutchman has struggled to nail down a starting position in his attacking midfield role – subsequently being named in the starting eleven on just six occasions.

However, there’s little denying that one player would have easily walked into the current squad had he still been on the books after his previous spell in North London.

Spurs’ most underrated player in the last decade

When talking about Spurs’ most underrated players in numerous years, many players will be mentioned, but one will always rise to the top – with that man being Mousa Dembélé.

The Belgian midfielder joined the Lilywhites from Fulham for just £15m back in the summer 2012, with very few supporters anticipating the levels he would produce in the capital.

He would go on to rack up a total of 249 senior appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, often catching the eye with his physicality and dazzling feet.

Standing at 6’1, you wouldn’t expect a player to easily get past the opposition, but Dembele used to glide past his men – leading to his tally of 10 goals and 11 assists.

Many of his former teammates have sung his praises in recent years, even labelling him as one of the most underrated players they have played alongside in their careers.

Former right-back Kieran Trippier is just one player to sign his praises, with the Englishman stating: “He was a remarkable player. He was unbelievable, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for being such an unbelievable player.”

Since his move to Guangzhou City back in 2019, the Lilywhites have massively lacked a player of his quality, with Frank and the supporters undoubtedly wishing they had a player of Dembélé’s talents at present.

The Spurs star who was tipped to be the next Dembele

In the last six years since Dembele’s departure from Spurs, the hierarchy have spent upwards of £300m on the midfield department alone – a simply staggering amount of money.

Numerous of their additions still remain on the books in North London, with the aforementioned Simons just one of the options Frank is still able to call upon.

Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall are two other young stars who have been brought to the club in the last few seasons, with both cementing themselves within the first team ranks.

The latter of the duo joined for just £8m from Swedish side Djurgarden last summer, but has already racked up a total of 60 appearances despite being just 19.

However, Yves Bissouma is another midfield addition that remains in North London, but his time at the club has been far from successful in the last few years.

The Malian joined for a reported £25m from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2022, leading to journalist Alasdair Gold claiming he’s just “like Dembele”.

In the three years with the Lilywhites, the 29-year-old has already racked up a century of appearances – even finding the back of the net on two separate occasions.

Yves Bissouma – PL stats (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

28

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

89%

Tackles won

2.1

% of tackles won

63%

Duels won

5.2

Interceptions made

1.2

Recoveries made

5.4

Stats via FotMob

However, it’s been a period that has been littered with controversy, with Bissouma being suspended by the club back in August 2024 after being pictured inhaling laughing gas.

Frank’s arrival has seen the downward spiral continue for the Malian, with the Dane leaving him out of the UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG after being consistently late for training.

In the three months since the final, he’s failed to make a single appearance for the Lilywhites, even being left out of the Premier League and Champions League squads for the first half of 2025/26.

Such an omission is a sign that the manager simply doesn’t see the 29-year-old as part of his long-term plans – with the hierarchy desperately needing to offload him in January.

Bissouma currently earns a reported £55k-per-week in North London, with the club paying him a staggering £1.4m since his last competitive outing in the first-team.

Not only has he failed to reach the levels many anticipated upon his move, but he’s also bleeding the club dry of crucial funds that will be needed in January.

His lack of action, current earnings and disciplinary record all point to an exit for the midfielder in the upcoming winter window, with the club needing to make his departure a priority.

Frank will no doubt want to clear him off the books, raising funds for the January market, which is no doubt a crucial point of the season in his quest to secure Champions League football a second successive year in North London.

Related Spurs have "one of Europe’s best finishers" & he could end Richarlison's stay

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2025

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final was always going to be an unmissable event, but this latest Old Firm derby is even more intriguing than usual.

Both Glasgow giants have changed managers in recent weeks, with this only Danny Röhl’s fourth match in charge of Rangers, while Martin O’Neill is back in the Celtic hot seat on an interim basis, following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation on Monday.

For Röhl, it feels as though momentum is starting to build in Glasgow’s West End, following back-to-back Premiership victories over Kilmarnock and Hibs so far this week.

Nevertheless, there is nothing quite like an Old Firm derby to set the zeitgeist, so victory at the national stadium on Sunday would only enhance Röhl’s hero status among the Rangers support, but what lineup should he select against their fierce rivals?

Rangers team news vs Celtic

First and foremost, it has transpired this week that midfielder Connor Barron is suspended.

The £14k-per-week star has been cautioned during both League Cup ties so far this season, victories over Alloa Athletic and Hibernian at Ibrox, so will serve a one-match ban at Hampden.

Given that Barron started the mid-week win at Easter Road, at least one change to the lineup will be required, but a few more are forecast.

Elsewhere, Dujon Sterling remains sidelined long-term due to an achilles injury, still yet to feature this season, but attacker Oliver Antman could return, having missed the last two matches due to illness, which would be a boost.

In total, four changes are forecast when compared to the lineup that left Leith with all three points on Wednesday, but will this team have enough to defeat Celtic?

Rangers predicted XI vs Celtic

As Danny Röhl seeks to figure out which players he can count on, one man whose spot is not up for debate is Jack Butland.

He was the Gers’ hero against Hibs in mid-week, saving a late Jamie McGrath spot-kick, thereby preserving the club’s first clean sheet away from Ibrox since December last year, a sequence of 25 matches that broke the club-record set in Victorian times.

In front of him, Röhl is likely to stick with the back three deployed in both domestic matches so far.

This is good news for Nasser Djiga who, after high-profile mistakes against Dundee and Club Brugge in August, sent off in the former and rather gifting the Belgians a goal in the latter, found himself cast aside.

Nevertheless, the Wolves loanee will keep his place alongside Derek Cornelius and John Souttar.

At wing-back is where the first change will be made.

Having been introduced at half time in Edinburgh, James Tavernier will return, making his 43rd Old Firm appearance, but there is a question mark over who gets the nod on the other side.

The captain replaced Jayden Meghoma in the capital, with Max Aarons shifting across to left-wing-back, so it’s tough to forecast who Röhl will go for, but the teenager on loan from Brentford is the more natural option.

In the middle, given Barron’s suspension, Mohamed Diomandé is the obvious candidate to come in and partner Nicolas Raskin, the pair rekindling their partnership that was the most effective part of Rangers’ team last season.

In this system, Röhl needs two players who can cover a lot of ground, something that certainly is not Joe Rothwell’s forte.

Attack is, by a significant distance, the toughest area of the team to forecast, with seven players, realistically, vying for three spots.

Having scored in each of the last two matches, thereby on target in back-to-back Premiership appearances for the first time since December, Danilo is likely to keep his place, but could be the only member of Wednesday’s front three to do so.

After a generally anonymous performance in Leith, Mikey Moore is set to drop out, the Spurs loanee still yet to score for the Gers.

This would see Djeidi Gassama return to the forward line, having scored five times so far this season, albeit all of which have come in Europe, looking to change that at Hampden.

When he arrived, then-manager Russell Martin labelled the Frenchman “an exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats”, and that has certainly proved to be the case so far.

To complete the forward line, Röhl seems to see something in Youssef Chermiti that supporters do not, the 21-year-old joining Rangers for £8m from Everton, a fee that could rise all the way to £10m, a club record in the post-liquidation era.

The big money signing has started two of the last three games, scoring his first goal for the club off the bench against Killie last Sunday.

However, deploying two centre-forwards against Celtic would be bold, which may well count against both Chermiti and Bojan Miovski, meaning Thelo Aasgaard is the most likely candidate to come in, chosen over Antman, given his recent bout of illness.

Formation: 3-4-2-1

GK

Jack Butland

CB

John Souttar

CB

Nasser Djiga

CB

Derek Cornelius

RWB

James Tavernier

CM

Nicolas Raskin

CM

Mohamed Diomandé

LWB

Jayden Meghoma

RM

Thelo Aasgaard

LM

Djeidi Gassama

CF

Danilo

Röhl does have options and plenty of talent to work with, even if that certainly did not appear to be the case during Martin’s ill-fated tenure.

So, does this XI have enough quality to beat a depleted Celtic?

Only time will tell!

Chermiti upgrade: Rohl readying Rangers approach for "dangerous" £1m gem

As Danny Röhl seeks to strengthen his Rangers attacking options, should they sign a £1m rated gem who’s better than Youssef Chermiti?

ByBen Gray Oct 31, 2025

New Zealand recorded their first T20I victory of the home season

Tristan Lavalette06-Nov-2025

Mark Chapman bludgeoned 78 off 28 balls before New Zealand survived a late onslaught to record their first T20I victory of the home season in a bounce back against West Indies at Eden Park.West Indies were down and out in the 208-run chase at 93 for 6 in the 13th over. They needed 18 an over from there but the required rate suddenly nosedived as Rovman Powell launched stunning hitting at the death.Needing 16 runs off the final over, West Indies were suddenly in the box seat after a couple of Matthew Forde boundaries meant they required eight off four balls.Related

'Boult-ish' Foulkes is adding breadth to New Zealand's pace depth

But Powell holed out to quick Kyle Jamieson on the fourth ball in a game-changer before Forde could only score a single off the final delivery as West Indies fell three runs short.Jamieson held his nerve with a superb slower ball in a major relief for New Zealand, who were under pressure after a seven-run defeat in the series-opener at the same ground just 24 hours earlier.After New Zealand were sent in to bat, Chapman ignited his side in favourable batting conditions and completely dominated the middle-latter overs with a slew of belligerent blows.While chasing, West Indies succumbed to spinners Ish Sodhi, the only change from either team from game one, and Mitchell Santner combining for six wickets.There was a late twist but the result snapped the West Indies’ five-game T20I winning streak.DRS was used in this match after technical issues meant the technology could not be in place for the opener.Chapman ignites New ZealandThere was pressure on New Zealand’s batting order after a meek effort in the series-opener, where only incredible late hitting from Santner got them close.Devon Conway struggled to get going but did help lay a platform with a 55-run opening partnership with Tim Robinson, whose premeditated ramps knocked the seamers off their lengths.But New Zealand were only modestly placed at 59 for 2 in the ninth over after Robinson’s dismissal. Chapman had a sighter before launching in the 13rd over, whacking Romario Shepherd for a trio of sixes.He was on a roll, finding gaps with a mixture of timing and power to record a 19-a ball half-century – the fastest in his T20I career. It was a welcome return to form for Chapman, who had only made 39 runs from four previous T20I innings during this home season.Chapman finally miscued straight in the air in the 17th over before Santner again showed off his big-hitting at the death as he finished off the innings in style with a six.Forde backs up, Hosein held backThere was intrigue over how Forde would pull up from game one having made a successful comeback from a shoulder injury.He once again performed exceptionally well with the new ball to prove he’s well and truly fit and firing having not played competitive cricket before this tour since July.Ish Sodhi, who replaced Jimmy Neesham, picked up three wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Forde bowled three overs on the trot in the first game before being hammered in his final over by Santner at the death. Captain Shai Hope decided to bowl Forde out and the gamble worked when he once again knocked over Conway with an almost identical delivery from the first game that seamed in wickedly.Forde finished with 1 for 17 from four overs, but West Indies’ attack struggled mightily after that. On a ground with small dimensions, Hope didn’t seem to trust left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein who bowled just one over in the first T20I.He came on in the 16th over – the latest he had ever bowled in the format. Hosein was on a hiding to nothing and greeted with a six by Daryl Mitchell before Chapman whacked consecutive blows into the crowd in an over that ultimately cost 23 runs.Other than Forde, every other bowler’s economy was over eight runs an over.Sodhi stars in returnNew Zealand was expected to stick with their line-up from the opener, but allrounder Jimmy Neesham was a late scratch after he was hit on the shoulder while batting in the warm-up.Sodhi took Neesham’s place and grabbed his opportunity having not been part of the England series. He came on in the eighth over with West Indies needing a move on after a sedate start.Alick Athanaze had him in his sights but made a hash of a reverse sweep to gift Sodhi a second-ball wicket. His tail was up with Sodhi on the next delivery unsuccessfully reviewing a caught behind shout against Ackeem Auguste.Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell’s impressive partnership went in vain•AFP/Getty Images

But he soon dismissed Auguste, largely thanks to a terrific catch from a diving Chapman in the outfield. Sodhi then deceived Jason Holder with a googly to rattle the stumps although his figures took a little of a beating in his final couple of overs.Shepherd, Powell and Forde’s late hitting in vainWest Indies looked dead and buried at 93 for 6 in the 13th over. But they can never be totally written off due to their muscular batting through the order. Shepherd and Powell gave them hope after they smashed five sixes in a six-ball whirlwind.Shepherd fell for 34 off 16 balls, but Powell remained undaunted and received support from Forde as the ball kept flying into the terraces. They whittled it down to 16 in the final over but ultimately fell short.In the end the task proved too great and the West Indies will rue such a slow start. But they will know that no chase is out of reach and the late fireworks will spook New Zealand, who will need to reassess their plans in the death overs.

The fast bowler and his Canterbury team-mate Mitch Hay could make their Test debuts in the second Test against West Indies

Deivarayan Muthu06-Dec-20251:57

Latham: Can’t fault the effort when we were a couple of bowlers down

Uncapped fast bowler Michael Rae has been called up to New Zealand’s Test squad for the second match against West Indies in Wellington. Rae, 30, earned his maiden New Zealand call-up after Matt Henry (calf) and Nathan Smith (side) suffered injuries during the first Test in Christchurch.Both Henry and Smith are doubtful for the second Test, especially considering the quick turnaround between the first two games. The Wellington Test will begin on December 10, four days after the end of the Christchurch Test. Injuries to Henry and Smith reduced New Zealand’s attack to two frontline seamers and left them shouldering a heavy workload.Rae and Blair Tickner, who was the reserve fast bowler in Christchurch, could be in contention for the XI in Wellington.Rae started the second round of the Plunket Shield for Canterbury and took 3 for 65 in the first innings against Central Districts in Napier before he sat out of the second innings. Fraser Sheat replaced Rae in the second innings as the latter prepares for a potential Test debut.Related

Henry, Santner, Nathan Smith ruled out of rest of West Indies Test series

Blundell, Smith, Henry sustain injuries in Christchurch; Jamieson returns to Plunket Shield

At 6 feet 6 inches, Rae could give New Zealand’s attack a point of difference and replicate shifts that his Canterbury team-mate Kyle Jamieson put in for New Zealand in Test cricket. Like Jamieson, Rae is also capable of bowling fuller lengths and swinging the new ball.Along with Jamieson, Henry Shipley and Zak Foulkes, Rae has been part of a tall, funky Canterbury attack.”It’s got to be one of the tallest bowling attacks in the world,” Paul Wiseman, current Black Caps talent manager and former spinner, told ESPNcricinfo last year. “Jamieson at 6’8” and then you also have Michael Rae, who is probably 6’6”, and then the others are about 6’5”. Henners [Matt Henry] is shorter, but he’s a genius. I don’t know if we can get all those guys on the park at the same time but it will be a real test for any batter, I think. They are an exciting group and it would be great to see all of them fit in at the same time.”Rae, with his retro headband, has been a regular in domestic cricket in recent years. He has played 69 first-class matches so far, taking 205 wickets at an average of 33.06, including three five-wicket hauls.He also has some first-class exposure outside of New Zealand, having played five games for Warwickshire in county cricket, claiming 14 wickets at an average of 30.28. Gavin Larsen, the current New Zealand selection manager, has tracked Rae’s progress closely both at New Zealand domestic cricket and Warwickshire. When he was with Otago, he had also worked with current New Zealand coach Rob Walter.Michael Rae, in action, with his retro headband on•Getty Images

New Zealand’s team management will also carefully monitor the progress of Jamieson, who returned to the Plunket Shield for the ongoing round, and tearaway Ben Sears, who is currently playing white-ball club cricket in Melbourne. Sears, who is also prone to injuries, will not be rushed back to red-ball cricket.”I’d say he’s doubtful [for red-ball cricket] given he is going through more of a white-ball stepping stone over in club cricket in Melbourne,” New Zealand bowling coach Jacob Oram said on Friday. “Just to get him some cricket on grass, good facilities, and a good training environment around him, which he’s got over there with a contact we had internally here. Speaking to Ben the other day, I know that he’s feeling really good about his bowling but the Test series will be a bridge too far for sure.”With Tom Blundell sidelined from the Wellington Test, with a hamstring injury, Mitch Hay is poised to make his debut and take over the gloves from captain Tom Latham, who kept wicket across both innings in Christchurch in addition to scoring 145 in New Zealand’s second innings.”It’s been a long shift. I don’t think I’ve done that many amount of overs behind the stumps before,” Latham said on Saturday. “Usually 50 [overs] is about my cap, but obviously not ideal losing Tommy either, but giving to the group as much as you can in a role that I’m used to keeping. So from a familiarity point of view it was fine, just the duration was a little bit more than I’m used to.”In Blundell’s absence, Daryl Mitchell stepped in as a substitute and put in a long fielding shift in the slips though he hadn’t fully recovered from a groin injury. Mitchell Santner, too, was not available for selection in Christchurch because of his own groin injury.

Blades named replacement after Holder declines citing a planned medical procedure

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2025Alzarri Joseph has been ruled out of West Indies’ two-match Test series against India starting this week due to a lower-back injury. Joseph complained of discomfort, and scans revealed “a degeneration of the previously resolved lower-back injury”.According to a CWI release on Monday, Jason Holder, who is currently with the T20I side for a three-match series against Nepal in the UAE, declined to be Joseph’s replacement citing a planned medical procedure.So West Indies have called up left-arm seamer Jediah Blades to replace Joseph. Blades, 23, is also in the UAE and will join the Test squad after the third T20I on Tuesday.Related

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Blades is uncapped in Test cricket but has played three ODIs and four T20Is so far. In 13 first-class games, he has picked up 35 wickets at an average of 35.91.Joseph’s absence leaves West Indies’ pace attack severely depleted. Last week, Shamar Joseph was ruled out with an injury and was replaced by uncapped seam-bowling allrounder Johann Layne. Among their current seam-bowling options, Jayden Seales is the only one to have played more than ten Tests. In the spin department, they have got Jomel Warrican, Khary Pierre and captain Roston Chase.The first Test against India starts on October 1 in Ahmedabad.

Updated West Indies squad for India Test series

Roston Chase (capt), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales

Following his mid-season arrival at Manchester City, Nico Gonzalez went through the strange experience of being hailed as an oven-ready replacement for Rodri during his first week at the Etihad Stadium, only to then be ignored by Pep Guardiola during the most important stretch of the campaign. Any fears, however, that he would become an expensive flop have since disappeared, with Gonzalez having stepped back in to anchor City's resurgence as they emerge as Arsenal’s main rivals in the Premier League title race.

The midfielder, who is known just as Nico to his team-mates even though he has a namesake in the squad in Nico O’Reilly, looked like a luxury signing when he arrived from Porto for £50 million ($65m) on transfer deadline day back in February 3. The son of Deportivo La Coruna legend Fran and a Barcelona academy graduate, Gonzalez arrived as a barely disguised stand-in for Rodri while the Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder continued his recovery from an ACL injury.

Guardiola did not try to hide it, hailing the new signing as ‘Mini-Rodri’ after an excellent Premier League debut against Newcastle in which he towered above everyone else in midfield and laid the platform for fellow January addition Omar Marmoush to shine in a crushing 4-0 win. It has not been an entirely smooth ride since, but in the last couple of months Gonzalez has developed into one of City’s most important players as they prepare to face the Magpies again on Saturday.

Getty Images SportBig presence

Although he was raised in Barcelona’s La Masia academy and raised by one of Spain’s most technical footballers in his father, Guardiola appeared to value Gonzalez’s physical attributes the most when he first watched him up close. 

"The presence of Nico helped a lot, the 50-50s. If there are 10 balls. he wins seven of them," the coach said after the Spaniard’s impressive debut against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium. "He's like a mini-Rodri. It's a big compliment. He's miles away from Rodri, he's the best, but we have the feeling he'll help us in the last part of the season with his presence."

Guardiola started Gonzalez in City's next five league games, although he couldn’t quite build on his exploits against Newcastle, as the dethroned champions lost to Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, leaving them with a fight on their hands to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League.

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Yet in the thick of that battle, Guardiola preferred other options. Gonzalez was an unused substitute for the derby at Manchester United in April and for the crunch game with Aston Villa later that month, which was effectively a shootout for a place in the top-five. In the end, he started just three of the eight matches in the Premier League run-in. 

Gonzalez, meanwhile, played a grand total of 37 minutes in City's run to the FA Cup final, getting one minute in the semi against Forest and none in the defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley – and that was despite Mateo Kovacic being out injured. Gonzalez’s situation did not improve at the Club World Cup, where he appeared in just one of City’s four games as Rodri returned to the fold.

Gonzalez’s lack of playing time led to reports that the player was open to cutting short his stay and leaving in the summer. However, that is understood to not be true, with sources insisting Gonzalez had no interest in leaving. City instead decreased their squad size by offloading Ilkay Gundogan, among others.

GettySeizing his chance

Gonzalez started the first two games of the new season before retaking his place on the bench at Brighton when Rodri came back in following another injury setback. But with the 29-year-old’s return from knee surgery continuing to be disrupted by a series of niggling issues, Gonzalez got another chance and seized it. 

He has started nine of City’s last 12 games in all competitions and has arguably been their most important player in the last two months, with the obvious exception of Erling Haaland.

"It’s not easy sometimes arriving in a new club and playing a different style to maybe playing in the past," Guardiola said of Gonzalez last month. "But we’re really pleased with his behaviour and I’m pretty (sure) he’ll get better and better."

Gonzalez is far from the first player to need a transition season when getting to grips with Guardiola's methods. Jack Grealish, Josko Gvardiol and even Rodri are just some of the big-money signings who took their time to adapt to City’s way of playing. Gonzalez, though, appears to close to cracking the code within 10 months of first playing under the Catalan coach.

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Getty Fundamental

While Gonzalez fell behind Kovacic, Gundogan and occasionally Bernardo Silva and even Kevin De Bruyne in the holding midfield role last season, he is now only second to Rodri, who last started a game on October 5 and who has only played 60 or more minutes on five occasions this season.

"Right now, the first option when Rodri cannot play is absolutely Nico Gonzalez," Guardiola said before City’s game against Bournemouth earlier this month. He went on to dominate that match, playing important roles in both of Haaland’s goals by progressing the ball.

Gonzalez also impressed in City’s 2-0 win over Everton in October and in the Carabao Cup win over Swansea City, brushing off an error that led to the opponents scoring by shepherding City to a comeback win.

"Now he’s fundamental for us," said Guardiola after City’s win in South Wales. "He’s so young, a lovely guy. I’m really pleased because these types of football players that are incredibly coachable – they deserve the best."

The New York Yankees made a massive addition to shore up their infield by trading for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday. The Yankees sent prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz back to the Rockies so that they could acquire the former All-Star infielder.

Prior to the Yankees' game against the Philadelphia Phillies Friday, manager Aaron Boone shared his initial thoughts on the addition of McMahon.

“Really excited, been an All-Star third baseman," Boone told reporters. "Really good defender. Has had some ups and downs offensively this year, but over the past month, he’s swinging the bat well. He's a presence and can really defend over there at third, and has for a number of years. We're excited to get him."

McMahon has had some struggles at the plate this year—only Riley Greene has struck out more than him in MLB this year—but he will provide stability at third base and defensively after the Yankees have cycled through several options at the position this year.

"He can really defend over there," Boone said. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there. He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing.'"

McMahon will come to the Yankees after spending his entire career prior with the Rockies. This season, he has slashed .217/.314/.403 with 16 home runs and 35 RBIs. He is the Yankees' first major midseason addition this year as New York looks to keep up with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division race and return to the World Series.