Ruthless from Farke: Leeds feel £85k-p/w duo aren't Premier League quality

Leeds United could look to replace two of their players they don’t believe are good enough to be playing in the Premier League this summer, according to a new report.

Leeds take huge step towards Championship promotion

Leeds took a huge step towards automatic promotion from the Championship over the weekend as they beat Preston North End 2-1 at Elland Road. All three goals on the day were scored within a frenetic first 13 minutes, with Manor Solomon opening the scoring within just four minutes.

Preston then leveled just two minutes later through Kaine Kesler-Hayden, before Jayden Bogle completed the scoring when he bundled Solomon’s cross into the net.

The win ensured Leeds stay top of the Championship, ahead of second-placed Burnley on goal difference, and with just four games to go, within nine points of a guaranteed return to the Premier League.

Speaking after the win over Preston, Leeds boss Daniel Farke said: “Pretty good after an exhausting week. A priceless three points for us. Could have made our life easier. Must have been our highest xG this season – should have scored six or seven.”

“We were on it today, the fire was burning. We kept going and started really well and scored a really good second goal. It’s crucial we returned to good defensive behaviour. We were spirited but cool in the head.”

Leeds could soon replace Bamford and Piroe

According to a new report from Football Insider, Leeds are already looking ahead to next season, and more specifically the summer transfer market.

The publication reports that the Whites are “prioritising signing a striker this summer” because they don’t believe their current options, Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford, are of Premier League-quality.

Piroe has 15 goals in 42 Championship games this season, while Bamford has failed to find the net at all in 13 games.

Championship Top Scorers 2024/25

Player

Club

Goals

Borja Sainz

Norwich City

17

Joel Piroe

Leeds United

15

Josh Sargent

Norwich City

14

Josh Brownhill

Burnley

13

Dan James

Leeds United

12

Josh Maja

West Bromwich Albion

12

Football Insider claims that – despite him being the Championship’s second-top scorer this season – Leeds doubt whether Piroe can make the step-up to Premier League, while Bamford can’t be relied upon by Farke due to his injury history, with the pair on a combined £85,000-a-week at Elland Road.

Youngster Mateo Joseph, meanwhile, has bagged just three goals all term. As a result, Leeds and the 49ers Enterprises’ top priority this summer will be to sign a top-class striker.

As a potential replacement for Piroe and Bamford, former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, speaking to Football Insider, recently urged Leeds to go out and buy former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham from AS Roma.

“Somebody like him who can lead the line, play as an out-and-out striker and gets you the goals,” Robinson said. “He’s proven in Serie A and proven in the Premier League, he’s a player that understands the league and has done well previously there.”

Why are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so poor at T20I batting?

A look at their scoring rates begins to point to the reasons for this long-standing problem

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-2025For longer than ten years, a little over half of international T20 cricket’s lifespan so far, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have nursed woeful run rates. The stats are pretty clear. Of the ten top-ranked men’s T20I teams, they have the two worst run rates since 2015.A ten-plus year span is clearly many ages in T20 cricket, the fastest moving and now most-played of cricket’s formats. And yet Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’s loyalty to the bottom of this table has seen extraordinary consistency. Between 2015 and the end of 2019 they were eighth (Bangladesh) and tenth (Sri Lanka) on the table, and since 2020 they are eighth (Sri Lanka) and tenth (Bangladesh). If you’re looking for more recent history – since the start of 2024 – they are eighth (Sri Lanka) and ninth (Bangladesh), just ahead of Afghanistan. But unlike Afghanistan, neither Sri Lanka or Bangladesh qualified for the semi-final of the last World Cup.We’re mostly interested in only the run rate for this section, but just to illustrate how abysmal these teams’ batting has been, we’ve also incorporated batting average into this graph.

In the long term, there has not been one particular phase of the game in which they have struggled – they have been poor in the powerplay, middle overs death. But since 2024, some differences have emerged. Sri Lanka have become a middling team (sixth out of ten) in the powerplay, while Bangladesh are middling (fifth out of ten) at the death. That progress has perhaps been powered by their improved six-hitting, as Mohammad Isam lays out here. But they both continue to both be poor through the middle overs and poor overall.What could possibly be behind such long-term dysfunction for these two nations specifically? A theory has arisen, independently in each country, that might explain these run rates. Tracks in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – at the Premadasa and Mirpur stadiums especially – are too spin-friendly to allow batters to develop more aggressive aspects of their game, or so the thinking goes.In August 2023, for example, Sanath Jayasuriya tweeted his displeasure at low-scoring surfaces at the Premadasa in the Lanka Premier League, arguing that pitches should “fuel positive, aggressive play” to “electrify the fans”. He was in charge of the Dambulla Aura team then, but is now head coach of Sri Lanka’s men. Around the same time, Sri Lanka captain’s captain then, Wanindu Hasaranga, also made his displeasure for slower Premadasa tracks known.Bangladesh’s players, meanwhile, have asked to play as few T20Is in Mirpur as possible, preferring the better batting track in Sylhet. Just a couple of months ago, Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s coach, slammed the Mirpur surface calling it “not up to international standards” when his team were dismissed for 110.At first blush, the numbers line up in support of this theory. Since the start of 2020, matches played in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are ninth and tenth respectively for run rate (innings involving top ten teams only). T20Is in these countries have also seen the two lowest batting averages over the last few years.

So we have long-term correlation. But do we have causation? It’s difficult to pin down exactly whether the pitches are the source of the problem, given a whole host of other factors (domestic structure, resources, coaching, strategy, etc) could be affecting these outcomes. But a further set of stats suggests that the pitches being part of the problem is a strain of thought worth pursuing.When Bangladesh and Sri Lanka play overseas, you would expect their scoring rates to be substantially better than at home on account of the pitches overseas being better on average, right? But since 2020 both Sri Lanka’s and Bangladesh’s scoring rates have only increased marginally when playing top ten opposition away from home. Sri Lanka have an improvement of 0.28 runs per over, while Bangladesh show an improvement of 0.70. Other teams, meanwhile, average 1.53 runs per over more when they play outside of Bangladesh or Sri Lanka than in those nations.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();

To put that another way, if we use batting innings in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as a baseline, Sri Lanka average 5.6 more runs per innings away from home. Bangladesh average 14 more runs per innings away. Everyone else put together averages 30.6 runs more when not playing in either of those countries.(For the stats in the above two paragraphs, only matches against teams in the top ten were considered. And only matches in the home nations, plus the UAE, where, because of geopolitical circumstances in South Asia, many teams play matches against top opposition. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have their away records reflected. For other teams, innings in both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been removed.)Clearly, these are significant issues that both teams need to solve in the next few months as the attention focuses on T20Is in men’s cricket. But there are some advantages for teams accustomed to low-scoring surfaces. The UAE, where the Asia Cup is being played, has also had its share of low-scoring matches, which Sri Lanka and Bangladesh may enjoy. Next year’s T20 World Cup will also be co-hosted by Sri Lanka, and the Premadasa is almost inevitably bound to host more matches than any other Sri Lankan ground.And yet there is also the problem, for these two teams, of India hosting many World Cup matches. That is a country that is used to seeing big T20 scores.But T20I cricket will be played beyond the next six months. If Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are to solve their long-term run-rate problems in this format, they would do well to at least take serious notice of the fact that their home pitches don’t really give their batters a chance of playing more expansive brands of cricket.

Stats: Tanmay Agarwal smashes fastest triple-century in first-class cricket

The 701 runs scored by Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh are the second-most in a single day in first-class cricket

Sampath Bandarupalli26-Jan-2024147 Balls needed for Tanmay to complete his triple century. It is the fastest-recorded triple ton in the history of first-class cricket by balls taken, breaking the record held by Marco Marais off 191 balls for Border against Eastern Province in 2017.Tanmay’s milestone was reached in 183 minutes, making it the second quickest by time taken – behind only Denis Compton’s triple ton in 181 minutes (261 balls) for MCC against North Eastern Transvaal in 1948.

119 Balls taken by Tanmay for his double century. It is the fastest by an Indian in first-class cricket by balls taken (where known), bettering the record that Ravi Shastri held with his double hundred off 123 balls against Baroda in 1985.Tanmay’s double is also the second-fastest in first-class cricket, only behind Shafiqullah’s 89-ball effort for Kabul Region against Boost Region in 2018.26 Sixes by Tanmay during his triple century are the most by any batter in a first-class innings, surpassing the 23 by Colin Munro during his 281 against Central Districts in 2015. Tanmay’s 26 sixes are also the most by any batter in a first-class match, bettering the 24 by Shafiqullah against Boost Region in 2018, which included 22 sixes from his unbeaten 200.292 Runs scored by Tanmay through boundaries during his innings. These are the second-most boundary runs scored by any batter in a first-class innings, behind Lara’s 308 during his 501* against Durham in 1994.366 Tanmay’s score against Arunachal is now the joint-fourth highest by an individual in the Ranji Trophy. It is also the joint-highest for Hyderabad in first-class cricket, equaling MV Sridhar, who also made 366 against Andhra in 1994.323* Tanmay’s score at the end of the first day. These are the seventh-most runs scored by any batter in a single day’s play in first-class cricket, and the highest since Brian Lara’s 390 on the final day of the 1994 County Championship match against Durham.Tanmay is also the first batter from India to score 300-plus runs in a single day’s play in first-class cricket. Virender Sehwag’s 284 on day two of the Brabourne Test against Sri Lanka in 2009 were the previous most scored by an Indian in a day’s play.

701 Runs scored by Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh on Friday are the second-most in a single day’s play in first-class cricket. The record is the 721 on the first day between Essex and Australians at Southend-on-Sea in 1948. The touring Australia team had scored all those 721 runs on the first day of that match in 129 overs.202.2 Tanmay’s strike rate during his 366 is the second-highest for any batter in a first-class innings of 200-plus runs (where balls faced data is available). The highest is 224.71 by Shafiqullah, whose unbeaten 200 in 2018 came off just 89 balls.10.33 Run rate of Hyderabad’s innings (615/4 in 59.3 overs) is the highest for any first-class innings (min 300 runs). The previous highest was 7.85 by Nondescripts Cricket Club, who made 372/3 in 47.2 overs against Ace Capital Cricket Club in 2022. The previous highest total where a team scored 10-plus runs an over was 295/2 by Punjab against Services in 1988, which they scored in 28.5 overs at 10.23.11.13 Run rate of the 449-run opening partnership between Tanmay and Rahul Singh that came off just 40.2 overs. It is the highest run rate for any double-century stand in first-class cricket since 2006 (where data is available).The duo eventually fell only 15 runs short of the highest opening stand in Ranji Trophy history, held by Ravi Sehgal and Raman Lamba with 464 for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 1994-95. However, it is now the highest first-class partnership for Hyderabad for any wicket, surpassing the 386 between Akshath Reddy and Hanuma Vihari against Mumbai in 2012.

Still no real answers to the Kohli question

It was the end of a rotten run of scores for the Royal Challengers batter. But did his scoring rate hurt his team in the end?

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Apr-20222:29

Vettori: Kohli innings had too many dot balls and singles between the boundaries

A nine-year-old girl was jumping up and down in the Brabourne Stadium stands. She had a placard held aloft, waiting for the TV cameras to help her tell the world that she had travelled from Telangana, roughly 700 kilometres away from Mumbai, only to watch Virat Kohli. And to see him succeed. She was one of several hundred Kohli fans in the stadium, and among thousands across India and beyond that desperately wanted Kohli to score. Score big. To put an end to the rotten run of form in which he had even collected successive golden ducks.Related

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Kohli's batting currently looks like a human question mark

Kohli’s facial expressions have always been somewhat exaggerated, but after every failure in the past month, he appeared more and more lost. The man whose greatest strength, arguably, is his clear head, looked confused. Royal Challengers Bangalore couldn’t drop him. The experts could not stop giving suggestions. But his fans – they would not give up. If you’ve been to any of the IPL venues on a Royal Challengers match day, you would have seen virtually every fan wearing the “Virat 18” on their backs.Having been treated to all sorts of Kohli spectacles over the years, his fans were – and are – willing to be patient. And despite 40-plus-degree (Celsius) heat on Saturday afternoon, Brabourne was abuzz an hour before toss. When Kohli walked out to take throwdowns before the game, the stands virtually shook with excitement.A bit later, bat resting on his right shoulder, Kohli walked out to open with Faf du Plessis, his body language as positive as always. He pushed the first delivery of the match, pitched on length by Mohammed Shami, toward the leg side confidently. Shami then missed his run-up twice in a row and had to re-measure it. Kohli waited patiently. The fans not so; they booed the bowler. Shami resumed, but the length was slightly full. Kohli punched a straight four and then powerfully flicked the next delivery for another easy boundary. “Kohli! Kohli! Kohli!”After facing ten balls, Kohli had 14 runs, the joint-highest this IPL for him in terms of the strike rate in his first ten-ball phase. Alzarri Joseph replaced Shami to deliver the fifth over. He started with a loosener, which Kohli flicked past midwicket for a four. Next ball was on length on the fourth stump, and Kohli took a big stride and placed his drive between short cover and wide mid-off for another four. Gujarat Titans’ skipper Hardik Pandya, who was wide at mid-off, gave up the chase almost as soon as he had started. Hardik might be carrying a niggle (he didn’t bowl on the day), but even if he had been fully fit, he would have known the chase was futile.0:35

‘Our bowlers kept it tight and didn’t allow Virat Kohli to get into his rhythm’ – Hardik Pandya

The fans had now started to dream. The numbers were on their side: Kohli averages 88 and has scored at a rate of 161 in T20s each time he got five or more boundaries in his first 20 balls. He also had 11 fifties and two hundreds in 18 such innings before Saturday.Lockie Ferguson bowled the eighth over. He has blown hot and cold in the last few matches, but he cramped Kohli for room with tight lines and his signature high pace this time. Four dots and Kohli played his second not-in-control stroke. Responding to a short-and-wide delivery, he attempted a ramp but away from the body. The outside edge, though, fell in front of the fielder at third man. Kohli was annoyed with himself, visibly, realising he could have done better, perhaps by going on the back foot and attempting a cut.In Ferguson’s next over, Kohli picked a six over long-on off a full toss. Ferguson repeated the short delivery outside off at nearly 145 kph. This time, Kohli moved closer to the line, opened the face of the bat, and steered the ball for four. “Kohli! Kohli!” You would have been forgiven for thinking Kohli was in complete control, totally dominant.But at the end of that Ferguson over, which also was the halfway stage of the innings, Kohli had 44 from 38 balls. He was striking at just over 100. He would eventually raise his bat to acknowledge the cheers upon reaching his first fifty of this IPL. But he had taken 45 deliveries to get there. Stack that up against the two best batters so far this IPL. Jos Buttler strikes in the high 150s and KL Rahul over 140. They have scored five centuries between them, taking an average of about 60 deliveries to get there.Kohli has scored 48 half-centuries in the IPL over the years and his effort today was his second slowest. More stunning is the fact that his innings strike rate of 109.43 on the day was his slowest in all T20s.Virat Kohli is bowled by Mohammed Shami after scoring 58 in 53 balls•BCCIUnderstandable. Kohli needs time to get back to his best form, which he is still searching for. But the question that both he and Royal Challengers would need to confront is: did Kohli’s scoring rate hurt the team in the end?Rajat Patidar, who hit a 29-ball 50, as well as Glenn Maxwell (33 in 18) and Mahipal Lomror (16* in eight) in the Royal Challengers innings, and then David Miller (39* in 24) and Rahul Tewatia (43* in 25) proved that the pitch was full of runs and there were no demons in it.Unless he speaks, we won’t know what was on Kohli’s mind during his innings. But if Kohli is opening the innings and aims to bat deep, he needs to score quicker.The afternoon started with the Kohli question. Tewatia and Miller grabbed the headlines in the end. But Kohli will remain the talking point as we wait to know the answer.When he picked a single to get to the half-century today, there were no exaggerated celebrations. He raised the bat in the direction of the team dugout and his family and then looked heavenwards. Then came a sigh of relief. But when the team meets to review the game, Kohli will be the first to raise his hand and acknowledge that he has work left to do. The fans will wait, with a prayer on their lips.

Why Shakib Al Hasan is one of cricket's greatest allrounders

On Shakib’s 33rd birthday, we look at his excellent batting and bowling numbers

S Rajesh24-Mar-2020Shakib Al Hasan turns 33 today. He is currently serving a one-year ban for not reporting suspected match-fixing approaches, but that doesn’t take away from the fact he is one of the best allrounders to play all formats of the game, and arguably the best cricketer Bangladesh have ever produced. Here are some numbers to show why:Batting average minus bowling average
This is always a good measure to evaluate the quality of an allrounder, especially in Test cricket, where scoring rates/economy rates usually don’t matter as much. With a batting average of 39.4 and a bowling average of 31.12, Shakib is easily the best among the current crop of allrounders with a difference of 8.27; Ben Stokes is next with a difference of 3.86. Going back to the beginning of 2000, only Jacques Kallis is ahead of Shakib, among allrounders who have scored 2000 runs and taken 100 wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdEven if you go back further for an all-time list with the same cut-offs, Shakib still finds a place among the elite. Only five allrounders have a higher difference between the batting and bowling averages. And here is a selection of those he leaves behind: Tony Greig (difference 8.23), Ian Botham (5.14), Richard Hadlee (4.86), Chris Cairns (4.13) and Kapil Dev (1.4).

He is among the best in ODIs based on this parameter. Like in Tests, only five players have a higher differential between batting and bowling averages.

The ultimate Test match performance
To score a century and take ten wickets in a Test is one of the toughest acts in cricket, as it calls for one to play the lead role in at least two – and often three – innings of a match. Ten times as many triple-hundreds have been scored in Tests as an allrounder achieving this rare double.Against Zimbabwe in Khulna, Shakib joined an elite club that includes only Ian Botham and Imran Khan, when he scored 137 in Bangladesh’s first innings, and returned figures of 5 for 80 and 5 for 44 to spin Bangladesh to a 162-run win, in the process achieving something that hadn’t been done in over 31 years.ESPNcricinfo LtdHere are more numbers to prove (if more proof is necessary) that Shakib belongs among the very best allrounders in all formats:

More Neymar uncertainty?! Why Brazil superstar will delay Santos contract renewal – explained

Neymar's contract renewal with boyhood club Santos is set to be delayed, according to reports, as the Brazil superstar prepares for knee surgery. The 33-year-old is set to hold off on signing his extension until after the surgery has been completed, with the procedure expected to take place before Christmas. Neymar played through pain to ensure Santos avoided relegation from Brazil's Serie A, but will complete the knee procedure to keep his World Cup hopes alive.

  • Neymar's Santos contract renewal delayed due to surgery

    Neymar remains on course to pen an extension with Santos, whom he rejoined in January after nearly 12 years away from the club where he started his storied career. His current deal runs out on December 31 this year and, as things stand, he will be free to move elsewhere if an extension is not agreed.

    According to journalist , as reported by Planeta do Futebol in Brazil on X, the renewal was initially expected to be finalised this week but plans for Neymar’s surgery have slowed down this process on the advice of Neymar Sr, the player’s father and agent.

    Neymar Sr. reportedly said that ‘there is no need to rush’ and suggested waiting for the surgery, to which the club agreed as the decided plan of action. The contract renewal is still expected to be signed, and is touted to be agreed until mid-2026.

    This type of delay is said to be the ‘modus operandi’ of both Neymars, who tend to seek not to devalue the player and make it appear as though Santos are the only option. But the club are 'very confident' the contract will be signed, confirming recently that talks were underway.

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  • AFP

    Neymar new contract set to go ahead if surgery successful

    Santos reporter Musetti said on his : “I want to tell you that it is best to be patient about Neymar’s contract renewal. Santos hoped that it would be resolved this week but that’s not going to happen.

    “Santos will wait for Neymar’s surgery. Neymar is on vacation in the United States, he went from Miami to New York and will return next week, when he is expected to schedule the surgery. The surgery will happen before Christmas, maybe even in the next few days.

    “Santos already wanted to renew the contract but heard from Neymar’s father, there’s no need to rush, let’s wait for the surgery. Santos was content with that, particularly as it’s good to wait for the surgery to be successful. The surgery is likely to be very simple, a video arthroscopy to correct the problem, but what if it opens up and there is a bigger problem than was imagined? Which does require a month of recovery. So, how can you renew if you haven’t had the surgery?

    “So, Santos decided to wait, understands that it’s a good path, and won’t renew this week, they will certainly only renew after Neymar undergoes this meniscus surgery. The agreement is advanced renewal until the middle of the year, but we will have to be patient.

    “Also understand that this delay is ‘natural’, it is the modus operandi of especially Neymar’s father. This has happened two other times. When Neymar first came, he hadn’t signed the contract until the day of his presentation.”

  • Mental health element at play amidst Neymar heroics to save Santos

    Musetti also spoke of a mental health element to the delays, as Neymar recently spoke publicly of having a psychological ‘collapse’ and needing some time off before having his surgery.

    Neymar scored five goals in four games to ensure Santos avoided relegation from Brazil’s Serie A at the first time of asking since promotion from the second tier and has since opted to go on holiday, to have some rest before the operation. This has in turn also delayed his contract renewal.

    "I came for this [to keep Santos up], to try to help in the best way I can," said Neymar. "These have been tough weeks for me. I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of this knee problem."

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    Surgery and contract renewal could help Neymar secure World Cup spot

    The likelihood remains that Neymar will renew at Santos and remain with the Brazilian outfit until at least the World Cup, as he is believed to feel that finding his top form in Brazil will help his chances of being selected for Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad next summer – though public perception has been divided on the matter.

    The 33-year-old has not featured for the Selecao since 2023 and will hope to make a high-profile return in time for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The former Barcelona and Paris-Saint-Germain star was named in a provisional squad for the March international break but ultimately did not feature, and his pending surgery is viewed as the ticket to turning things around on the international stage.

Heather Knight appointed London Spirit Women's general manager

England batter trades playing in franchise league for off-field role but remains contracted for her country

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2025Heather Knight has opted out of playing in next year’s Hundred to take up a role as London Spirit’s first women’s team General Manager.In a move that signals Knight, the former England captain, could be considering taking a larger step back from her playing career after the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil, her new franchise role involves offering technical support to coaching staff as well as acting as a sounding board for the on-field leadership team from the dugout on match days. She will work closely with Mo Bobat, London Spirit’s Director of Cricket.”I’m delighted to take up this new role with London Spirit,” Knight said. “I have absolutely loved my time at the franchise, as a player and also as a coach in last year’s edition of The Hundred.In addition to the T20 World Cup, England will also host the first Women’s Test match at Lord’s, against India in July, and Knight expects to play a key role in both under her ECB contract, which has another year to run.”I am still very much committed to and passionate about playing for England and Somerset, but this is a huge development opportunity for me,” she added. “It gives me the chance to learn from one of the best minds in the global game, in Mo, and broaden my experiences outside of my playing career. I am so excited for everything to come, on and off the field, in 2026.”Related

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Heather Knight: Hamstrung no longer after slow road to recovery

Knight captained London Spirit in the first four editions of The Hundred, including to the 2024 title. Her new off-field role is a progression from the 2025 season when she acted as a team mentor and coach while recovering from a serious hamstring injury.Knight lost the England captaincy in March after a nine-year stint which ended with a winless Ashes tour of Australia at the start of 2025. She tore her hamstring tendon from the bone while batting against West Indies in May which sidelined her for much of the home summer but she recovered to be England’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. She finished with 228 runs at 48.00 and a strike rate of 85.71 as her side exited in the semi-finals.Knight had foreshadowed a move into sports administration in 2023, when she completed her Masters of Leadership In Sport at the Institute of Sports Humanities, co-founded by former England Men’s national selector Ed Smith. Her dissertation focused on balancing traditional international interests with the growth of domestic franchise leagues in the women’s game.Bobat described Knight as “an asset in every sense of the word”.”Heather’s deep understanding of the women’s game, and of what is required to perform at the highest level make her the ideal person to be our first Women’s General Manager,” Bobat said. “She knows what it takes to win The Hundred and the franchise will benefit from having one of the game’s leading current players in such a key role.”I’m looking forward to working closely with Heather and excited at the prospect of her forming a trusted partnership with our Women’s Head Coach. It’s also great to be able to support Heather with her long-term ambitions and future career transition. I know how passionate she remains about playing for England and her unwavering commitment to representing her country.”

Rain rescues England after Sana and Co leave them in deep water

Chasing 113 in 31 overs, Pakistan were well in control before rain ended the game prematurely

Valkerie Baynes15-Oct-2025

Fatima Sana wrecked Pakistan’s top order•ICC/Getty Images

No result Pakistan will never know, and England won’t want to know after they escaped what had threatened to be the upset this World Cup craved, thanks to the start of the Colombo monsoon.Both teams took a point – Pakistan’s first from four matches and England’s moving them to the top of the table, leading Australia on net run rate – after what had shaped as a thriller ended in a washout, the second in as many days at the R Premadasa Stadium.But it is Pakistan who should hold their heads high after a devastating opening spell from their captain Fatima Sana, who put England on the canvas at 78 for 7 before a 47-run stand for the eighth wicket between Charlie Dean and Em Arlott dragged them to 133 for 9 in 31 overs.Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 113, Pakistan were well in control, reaching 34 without loss after 6.4 overs before heavy showers returned to end the match prematurely.Related

Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

England, unbeaten heading into the match, were without their spin and seam-bowling spearheads when Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell were ruled out through illness and replaced by legspinner Sarah Glenn and seamer Arlott.But it was their misfiring batting line-up that came unstuck. Of England’s recognised batters, only Nat Sciver-Brunt, with a century in the previous match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, and Heather Knight, with a gritty 79 not out that rescued England from the threat of another upset at the hands of Bangladesh, had been in the runs since England chased down a paltry target of 70 without loss in their opening game with South Africa.Arlott, who had impressed England head coach Charlotte Edwards with a century at the start of the domestic season and went on to make her international debut during the English summer, was run out for 18 off 23 balls in the penultimate over while Dean expertly picked gaps in the field to top-score with 33 before becoming Sana’s fourth wicket, scooping to Omaima Sohail at short fine leg.Tammy Beaumont was bowled for 4•Getty Images

Earlier, openers Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones continued to struggle and both departed inside the first three overs of the match. Beaumont left a dazzling nip-backer from Diana Baig to her peril as the ball clipped the off bail, leaving her with scores of 21 not out against South Africa followed by 13, 32 and 4 so far.Jones, meanwhile, helped herself to two fours off Sana’s first over before the latter produced a superb nip-backer which clattered into the top of middle and off, Jones departing for a second single-figure score in three innings.Knight, who had three dismissals overturned against Bangladesh, challenged an lbw decision in Sana’s next over and replays showed the ball was missing down the leg side. She also survived a hopeful Pakistan review for lbw two balls later when the ball was tracking outside off.But Sana’s biggest and best wicket was arguably that of Sciver-Brunt, done by yet another one that nipped back off the seam. She shaped to cut only for the ball to slide under her glove and onto the top of middle stump.Knight tried her luck once more when she was rapped on the pad by Sana but, with the ball on target to hit the top of leg stump, England were left floundering at 38 for 4.Sadia Iqbal chimed in for the spinners when she bowled an out-of-sorts Emma Lamb, sitting back in her crease to an arm ball that dipped and slid through her defences. Lamb had entered the World Cup in great form with half-centuries in warm-up games against India and Australia but she is another England batter yet to reach 20 at this tournament.Omaima Sohail scored an unbeaten 19 off 18 balls•ICC/Getty Images

Likewise, Sophia Dunkley, who was removed for 11 via a successful review when she was struck on the pad attempting to sweep with the ball homing in on leg stump as Iqbal celebrated her second wicket and England lurched to 57 for 6 in the 12th over.Alice Capsey, on 8, swept Rameen Shamim’s first delivery, a low full toss, straight to square leg where Muneeba Ali shelled a simple chance. But Shamim had Capsey lbw for 16 when she missed a sweep shortly before the rain arrived for the first time, with England 79 for 7 after 25 overs.After a stoppage of around three hours and 45 minutes, play resumed with England needing to bat out another six overs, during which time they added 54 runs, thanks largely to Arlott and Dean.Pakistan have never beaten England in ODIs and have just one win against them in T20Is in 2013, which only added to their sense of what might have been had the weather not intervened.Sohail hadn’t played since her first-ball duck in Pakistan’s defeat to Bangladesh in their opening game but, recalled to bolster a batting line-up which – apart from Sidra Amin – had proved fragile at this event, she marshalled Pakistan’s pursuit here, easing to 19 off 18. She was supported by Muneeba, who remained unbeaten on 9.Pakistan’s performance offered some encouragement for a side that also had Australia 76 for 7 before losing by 107 runs, although that may well be an empty consolation.For England, it is a sharp reality check for a side which perhaps hasn’t fully exorcised the demons of a year ago, where their shortcomings under pressure knocked them out of another global showcase.

Wolves and Edwards now want to sign £20m set-piece specialist in January

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to make a splash in the January transfer market and could sign a Premier League ace who loves playing against the Old Gold.

Wolves’ defensive and attacking problems Edwards needs to fix

The task facing new Wolves manager Rob Edwards is a big one after his return to Molineux involved club chiefs paying Middlesbrough around £3m in compensation.

Edwards, a former Old Gold defender, will need to shore up the Wolves defence, with no other Premier League side conceding more than Wolves so far after 11 games (25).

Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, Edwards’ new side have also struggled to finish chances.

Still without a win and on two points from a possible 33, Wolves have scored just seven league goals, again a division low, and have failed to find the net in six of their 11 top-flight fixtures.

Fosun are looking to back Edwards in the January transfer market, and it appears as if Wolves are eyeing a new goalkeeper to rival both Jose Sa and Sam Johnstone.

Wolves and Edwards keen to sign "aggressive" £90,000-p/w Premier League flop

He’s cost £1m for every appearance made so far.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 14, 2025

A loan-to-buy bid for Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas is thought to be in the pipeline, whereas an offer is also in for Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia.

Wolves eyeing move to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil

Now, according to reports from Football Insider, Wolves are also looking to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil when the winter market opens.

It is suggested that both loan and permanent offers will be explored for the Toffees ace, whereas Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is another target for Edwards and Wolves chiefs.

McNeil made the move to Everton from Burnley for £20m back in 2022, and during his Premier League career, has enjoyed playing against Wolves for both the Clarets and the Toffees.

Games

12

Wins

5

Draws

4

Losses

3

Goals

1

Assists

6

The left-footed winger has registered multiple assists against the Old Gold, and his ability from set pieces even saw him compared to Arsenal star Declan Rice by pundit Chris Sutton.

However, McNeil has fallen out of favour on Merseyside under David Moyes this season following the arrival of Jack Grealish, playing just 51 minutes of Premier League football in 2025/26.

Therefore, a move to the Midlands could make sense for all involved, and by the looks of things, it will be one to watch over the coming months.

£55m spent & Hackney signs: Dream Wolves XI Edwards can build in January

Two-tier model for Test cricket – ECB wary, CA 'open'

ICC last month formed a working group, to look into, among other things, improving WTC ahead of 2027-29 cycle

Nagraj Gollapudi06-Aug-2025The ECB is not keen on a two-tiered World Test Championship (WTC) in which relegation could lead to England not being in the same division as Australia or India, thus potentially depriving them of their two most lucrative rivalries.The ICC last month formed a working group, led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, to look into, among other things, improving the WTC ahead of the next cycle, which begins in July 2027. A two-tier system was among the most significant topics discussed at the ICC annual conference in July. Twose, NZC’s representative on the ICC Board, is expected to make recommendations to the board.Two-tier Test cricket has been debated for more than 15 years, with the ICC showing its willingness to the idea as far back as in 2009, though Full Members have been split on the issue for various reasons.Related

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Outgoing ICC chair Barclay blames members for congested calendar

Speaking to BBC’s Test Match Special on the opening day of The Oval Test between England and India last week, ECB chairman Richard Thompson said the value of bilateral cricket was dropping because of a “congested” calendar overwhelmed by T20 leagues, and that in most countries, Test cricket had taken a big hit. Thompson said that while a two-tier model for Test cricket was being discussed by the ICC, he was not sure if it was perfect.”There’s a lot of options that we’ve got to look at – tiers would be one of them,” he said. “We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India? That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here.”Thompson believed that a better solution could be tinkering with the existing WTC itself. He cited South Africa’s defeat of Australia to become WTC 2023-25 winners as an example, where, with the right support, smaller countries could emerge as strong contenders.”The World Test Championship could work better than it does. It has definitely improved the narrative, [and] it has created a relevance,” Thompson said. “Seeing what it meant for South Africa to win – who are crushed by rugby in their own country – and seeing players I know really well, like Graeme Smith, in tears on the outfield, that was a real moment seeing them win. As much as I was critical that they turned up with a ‘B’ team when they played New Zealand [in 2024], it was still good for the game when the underdog wins.South Africa won the WTC 2023-25 by beating Australia in the final•ICC/Getty Images”But the reality of it is, the World Test Championship, if it was improved upon and certain changes were made, maybe you don’t need two tiers of Test cricket. What you do need is a schedule that makes a lot more sense than it currently does, and that must include the volume of bilateral cricket that you play, white-ball and red-ball, and recognising that from 2028, we have an Olympics.”So what happens in 2028, when we have an Olympics, and our best 11 cricketers have got to go to LA for two weeks in the middle of July? That is going to throw up some challenges.”Details of the composition of the working group to improve the WTC, as well as a more specific brief, have not been announced. Some reports have indicated an eight-person committee, with representation from non-Test nations as well. Sanjog Gupta, the recently appointed ICC CEO, is also likely to be on the group.Having clarity over the two-tier model is key for ICC, with countries already having started conversations for bilateral series that will be part of the next WTC cycle (2027-29). With the media rights for the new commercial cycle (2027-31) expected to be put out to tender next year, the ICC is keen to find a solution to make the WTC more meaningful. But, even at this nascent stage, there are a lot of reservations being expressed.Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia’s CEO, says “it’s in our interest to see a strong West Indies, a strong Pakistan, New Zealand, [and] South Africa”•AFP/Getty ImagesMajority of the Full Member countries have always been split on the two-tier Test model for various reasons: some feared loss of revenue from the ICC’s annual distribution of money in case their country gets relagated, some don’t want to be relagated to a lower tier, and some plainly rejected the idea as an ego basis every time the ICC Board discussed the topic.Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia’s CEO, who is expected to be another influential voice on the subject, said the bigger countries had the responsibility of keeping smaller countries competitive, including by having a strong first-class system.”The real challenge here is what role do we all play,” Greenberg told SEN Radio on Wednesday. “When I say we, those three countries that [are] putting resources and energy into Test cricket, what role do we have to help others make sure that they step up because it’s in our interest to see a strong West Indies, a strong Pakistan, New Zealand, [and] South Africa. We want those countries being strong in this format of the game, but clearly they’re going to need help. They can’t do it alone. It’s incumbent on all of cricket to help.”

“Talking to CEOs of the West Indies and other [boards], when I was with them recently, everyone’s got a very open mind to this because they know that we’re going to need some level of change in order to extract value in this part of the game.”Todd Greenberg

Greenberg said he was keeping an “open mind” on the two-tier Test model subject to certain conditions.”My open mind is in reference to, if it helps grow the opportunities for those other countries to be stronger, and have better resources in Test match cricket, if it does that, then I’m open for it,” he said. “But if it doesn’t achieve that, and it actually affects the opposite, then I wouldn’t be supportive.”Greenberg pointed out that several CEOs who attended the ICC’s chief executives committee meeting in Singapore echoed the same thinking.”Talking to CEOs of the West Indies and other [boards], when I was with them recently, everyone’s got a very open mind to this because they know that we’re going to need some level of change in order to extract value in this part of the game.”

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