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Brook withdraws due to increased workload after being added to England’s squad for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December

Alex Malcolm15-Nov-2023The BBL has suffered a blow with England star Harry Brook withdrawing from the tournament due to his increased international commitments having been the second pick for Melbourne Stars in the overseas draft.Stars had taken Brook knowing that he would be unavailable for the back-end of the tournament due to England’s Test tour of India but he was then added to England’s T20I and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December.They had hoped he would be available for seven games in between those two commitments but Brook has withdrawn from the tournament due to the workload.Related

• Melbourne Stars sign Dan Lawrence as a replacement player

• New Hurricanes captain Ellis hopes to end BBL trophy drought

• Uncapped Pope, Turner and Tongue in England white-ball squads for Caribbean tour

• Availability not a worry, Hundred hotspot, American Anderson: Six takeaways from the BBL draft

• De Kock to make his BBL debut while Brook and Crawley find new clubs

“Naturally we’re disappointed that Harry has withdrawn from the BBL but we understand his decision with his increased workload,” Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said.”Given Harry was set to miss the opening 3 matches, the club had already signed a replacement player for that period.”Currently the coaching staff and list management team are discussing options for the remainder of the tournament and we look forward to announcing those signings once they have been finalised.”It is the second straight year one of the top two picks in the overseas draft has withdrawn from the tournament after Liam Livingstone withdrew last year having been Melbourne Renegades No.1 pick in the inaugural overseas draft.Stars won’t be the only team affected by that series with Perth Scorchers pick Zak Crawley added to England’s ODI squad while Sydney Sixers pick Rehan Ahmed is in both the ODI and T20I squads with the tour running from December 4 until December 21. Both are likely to be in England’s Test squad for India in January as well.The BBL begins on December 7 and finishes on January 24.

Defends the rule after Kieron Pollard’s criticism of it

Deivarayan Muthu31-Aug-2023

Kieron Pollard came down hard on the CPL’s red-card rule after his team copped one•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Pete Russell, the CPL’s CEO, has defended the introduction of red cards to combat slow over-rates after Kieron Pollard had raised concerns over it.After Pollard’s Trinbago Knight Riders became the first team in the CPL to get a red card, he called the new penalty rule “absolutely ridiculous”.”I thought it did exactly what I wanted it to do (laughs). Unfortunately, Kieron didn’t quite see it that way, but look it is tough,” Russell said before the start of the Barbados leg of the CPL. “I’m sure the captain next to me [Rovman Powell, Barbados Royals] would agree. If you have three overs where you effectively have the penalty, it does make a difference. The reason we’ve done it is to just speed up the pace of play. I know IPL games go well over four hours, which is just too long.”Russell stressed that the penalty was brought in to prioritise fans and that the new rule has been a success so far.”I sat next to someone in the stands during that game on Sunday and he had to get a ferry back to Nevis and he had to leave the game early because of the amount of time it took to bowl those last few overs,” Russell said. “So, the last over was bowled in 12 minutes, which, again, is not acceptable. So, it has a knock-on effect.”We’re doing it for the fans – that’s really the reason for doing it. I certainly don’t mind it to change. If you actually look at the overall timings each game is 17 minutes quicker than it was last year. So, from that point of view, it’s been a success and it’s just unfortunate that Trinidad got caught up in it, but everyone has signed up for the rules. So, I’m happy with where we are at right now.”Pollard’s comments didn’t go down too well with the CPL, but Russell hoped that teams would be mindful of the penalty and speed up the play.”It’s not for me to comment on how they take their time,” Russell said. “The reality is that the timing is there for a reason, and it is international standard, so unfortunately, he [Pollard] overstepped it in terms of the timing and that was the end of it. I think from a CPL perspective, we’re obviously disappointed by the comments afterwards, but you know emotions run high.”But, for us, we think the rule is there for a reason and every other captain and team has adhered to it. And hopefully, that will be the case going forward because we certainly don’t want to see red cards being shown every game. That’s not the purpose of it. But, I think, the actual outcome of the red card – it did what it was supposed to do.”The red-card system of ejecting a player from the field for slow over-rate will also be in place for the WCPL, which will run from August 31 to September 10.The slow over-rate penalties If behind the required over rate at the start of the 18th over, one additional player must enter the fielding circle – for a total of five players inside the circle If behind the rate at the start of the 19th over, two additional fielders must enter the fielding circle – for a total of six inside the circle If behind the rate at the start of the final over, teams will lose a player from the field – selected by the captain – and have six inside the fielding circle There will also be an onus on batting teams to keep the game moving. After a first and final warning from the umpires, the batting team will be slapped with a five-run penalty for each instance of time wastingThe rule, using the 85-minutes-per-innings rule for T20 cricket, is that the 17th over of the innings must be completed by 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the 18th by 76 minutes and 30 seconds, and the 19th by 80 minutes and 45 seconds, before the last over ends within 85 minutes.”Over rates will be monitored by the third umpire and communicated to the captains via on-field umpires at the end of every over, as well as to the crowd and TV audience, with graphics showing how far they are behind (or ahead of) the over rate,” a CPL statement had said. “Dispensations will be given for injuries, DRS and time-wasting by the batting side where appropriate.”Recently, slow over-rate has been among the most chronic cricketing issues, which various boards and the ICC have tried to counter. In 2022, the ICC introduced an in-match penalty, where one fielder would be docked from outside the 30-yard circle for slow over-rates in T20Is. So, once a stipulated time was reached, for the rest of the innings, they would be allowed four, instead of five, fielders outside the circle.The CPL has returned to Barbados for the first time in four years. But Royals didn’t quite have a happy homecoming as they were skittled for 61 in their pursuit of 195 against Knight Riders on Wednesday.

Former Australia Test opener takes over from Trevor Bayliss after three years in role

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2025

Justin Langer was Australia’s head coach from 2018 to 2022•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Justin Langer, the former Australia men’s head coach, has been appointed as Trevor Bayliss’s replacement at London Spirit.Langer, who played 105 Tests for Australia between 1993 and 2007, coached the squad from 2018 until 2022, including during a memorable 2-2 drawn Ashes series in 2019. Australia won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup under his guidance in 2021, before going on to win the Ashes 4-0 on home soil.He has a strong affinity with Lord’s, the home ground of London Spirit, having played for Middlesex as an overseas player between 1998 and 2000. He also became an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2015.He has previously coached Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash and is currently head coach of Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.”I’m thrilled to be appointed to this role with London Spirit, and I’m excited to experience The Hundred,” Langer said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the tournament later this year, and working with such a talented group of players and coaches.”London Spirit General Manager, Fraser Stewart, added: “We are delighted to have secured the services of a highly respected and talented coach in Justin Langer. He excelled in the interview process, which took place before Christmas, and came out on top in what was a hugely competitive field.”Justin has a real passion for the aims and objectives that we have for the team, in seeing London Spirit competing at the right end of table, and for The Hundred title. He has an impressive CV in coaching and we are thrilled to have him on board.”Bayliss, who left last month after three years in the role, had replaced the late Shane Warne as Spirit’s head coach ahead of the 2022 season, when Eoin Morgan captained the squad to the play-offs. However, the team won only three games and lost 11 in the last two years since Morgan’s retirement.Bayliss’ side were particularly poor in 2024, losing seven of their eight matches with a scrappy three-wicket win over Welsh Fire the only exception. Their top picks at the draft, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell, managed 216 runs between them, and Dan Lawrence was unable to get them out of a rut as captain.The Spirit’s struggles in the men’s Hundred were only emphasised by the success of their women’s team, who won the title for the first time under Heather Knight and Ashley Noffke. Noffke has since signed an extension for the 2025 edition, though has lost assistant Ali Maiden to Birmingham Phoenix.The appointment comes after the deadline for the Hundred’s second-round bids for private investment, with London Spirit expected to have attracted the highest offers. Interested bidders for a 49% stake are understood to include at least two IPL franchises in Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, as well as the Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer. Last month, MCC appointed the former energy executive, Robert Lawson, as their new chief executive and secretary.

The home team have admirably prioritised run-scoring and wicket-taking, making Pat Cummins go defensive

Ian Chappell30-Jul-2023Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes have different captaincy styles but they both possess the same admirable trait of seeking victory from the opening delivery.One of the big differences between the two is Stokes’ desire for his batters to attack, which has forced Cummins to employ some defensive strategies. It’s not desirable to give good players an easy single at the start of an innings, and you are trusting luck by trying to dismiss a sensible batter with a bouncer barrage. These were tactics Cummins employed at different times during the series, and while they were dubious ploys, the question applies: “Why did senior players allow him to continue using such repetitive tactics that weren’t working?”One aim of a good cricket team is to make the opposition change their tactics, whether that be a team strategy or an individual one. England achieved that aim, but because they made some poor selection choices, they still trail in the series.Related

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Cummins feels heat as Australia struggle to keep pace with Bazball

The Ashes have highlighted England's selection failings again

Let's all bask in Mark Wood's climate of optimism

There were critics of Stokes’ decision to declare at Edgbaston and bat on at Old Trafford. These are smokescreens; his tactics were right and were both aligned with Stokes’ stated desire to always push for victory. Any captain who calculates a declaration according to a weather forecast – as was suggested of Stokes at Old Trafford – is asking for trouble.What has to be queried is England’s poor record at the selection table. This series they have mistakenly plumped for Jonny Bairstow, a recognised batter, ahead of the far superior wicketkeeper Ben Foakes. They opted to court Moeen Ali, an offspinner who bats but even at his peak didn’t relish the challenge of playing Australia. England also preferred a seam attack that lacked variety before belatedly unleashing a genuine speedster against Australia in the third Test. England then failed to give Mark Wood the advantage of using a hard new ball.These are all errors that are difficult to overcome, even when accompanied by an admirable desire to prioritise run-scoring and wicket-taking. This is especially the case when England’s captain and coach have a considerable say in selection.

If a batter hits a boundary, he is still facing the next ball, but a single frees him from the strike and lets him enjoy the safety of the non-striker’s end

Defensive fielders highlight a desire among modern captains to protect boundaries, thereby allowing easy singles. There are times when this is a questionable policy despite the dramatic improvement in modern bats. If a batter hits a boundary, he is still facing the next ball, but a single frees him from the strike and lets him enjoy the safety of the non-striker’s end. A captain who disperses the field with no close catching men and the bulk of the fielders on the boundary is greatly reducing the effectiveness of an attacking bowler. If a captain places nine men on the boundary, any self-respecting bowler is entitled to say: “You want that field then you bowl to it.”Captaincy is subjective; there is never universal agreement on tactics, especially when a game is lost. A captain must hold his nerve and expect good, positive suggestions from his senior fielders. I liken captaincy to a computer – others can provide an input, but it’s the captain who has to make the final decision.Both Cummins and Stokes have been the right choice as respective leaders. In Cummins’ case he’s a good captain and deserves to retain the position. However, he may be listening to too much advice, not all of it from people qualified for the job.Critics would do well to recall that under Cummins’ captaincy Australia hold both the World Test Championship title and the Ashes urn.Cummins displayed his worth in The Oval Test by learning from past mistakes. After sending England in on a pitch that had some life for the bowlers, Australia dismissed their opponents for a reasonable total despite some sloppy fielding.The Test is now poised to end in a one-innings shootout with the series finishing – as it began – in a sprint for victory. Whatever the respective merits of the two captains, the teams have provided ample entertainment and a series to be remembered.

Manchester United fell by the wayside last season, but the early readings from the summer transfer market suggest Ruben Amorim and INEOS are doing all they can to lift Old Trafford back to its feet.

With sights set on driving their way back into the Premier League ascendancy next year, getting their foot back through the European door, the Red Devils acted swiftly to activate Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause, and that’s despite interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The prestigious outfit needs new goalscoring superstars, and Cunha will certainly add to that department. However, United are also pushing to sign another who could become their new talisman.

And all this before they even sign a striker.

Man Utd still leading race for Premier League star

It’s safe to say that the ongoing transfer window has all been about attacking additions for United. After a move for Cunha was completed, Jason Wilcox and Co have turned their attention to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports.

However, while Gyokeres would allegedly favour a move to Arsenal instead of Old Trafford, that’s not the same story for another of football’s brightest forward players.

As per TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Bournemouth for the transfer of Antoine Semenyo. Why is this relevant? Well, because Spurs also have a vested interest in Bryan Mbeumo having appointed the winger’s former boss, Thomas Frank, as their new manager.

Mbeumo, 25, has been immense for Brentford and is a wanted man. With Frank heading to Spurs, there were fears that he may not sign for United now, but as with Cunha, his preference is still to move to the Theatre of Dreams.

United have already seen an opening offer worth £55m rejected, and are expected to go back in for the Cameroonian with Fabrizio Romano revealing that there is an ‘agreement with the player in place’ on personal terms.

Why Bryan Mbeumo could be Man Utd's answer to Salah

Mbeumo did rather well across the recently finished campaign, only outscored in the Premier League by Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland – not bad competition to be pitted against.

Premier League 24/25 – Top Scorers
#	Player	Apps	Goals
1.	Mohamed Salah	38	29
2.	Alexander Isak	34	23
3.	Erling Haaland	31	22
4.	Chris Wood	36	20
5.	Bryan Mbeumo	38	20
Data via Premier League

It certainly makes a convincing comment on Mbeumo’s skillset, not least because he, like Liverpool’s Salah, is a right-sided, left-footed forward, not technically a striker.

In fact, Mbeumo has been described as a “mini Salah” by talkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy, arcing inward to curl powerful strikes into the back of the net.

Anfield’s Egyptian King has so often been a thorn in United’s side, but in Mbeumo they might just find their own version, one whose prowess could inflict damage not just on Liverpool but the division at large, having ranked among the top 2% of positional peers in the English top flight in 2024/25 for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

Moreover, Mbeumo isn’t just a sharpshooter, and would instead dynamise the Red Devils and raise their creative bar through his skilled performances, having created 17 big chances last season, averaging 1.8 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

Playmaking has increasingly become a defining part of the 33-year-old Salah’s game as his athleticism drips away, and so it’s good to know that Mbeumo already plays with a natural focus on linking play together and helping his team in that regard.

Mbeumo has performed with gamely courage and a confidence in his high-level quality. He’s only 25, which, coincidentally, was the age Salah was when he joined Liverpool from Roma for £34m in 2017.

It’s clear that Man United need to forge ahead with this exciting signing. Mbeumo wants the move and has the English experience to lift the club and propel Amorim toward greener pastures.

Better than Ekitike: Man Utd open talks to sign "the best ST on the market"

Manchester United could be edging closer to ending their hunt for a new striker this summer.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Jun 16, 2025

A £140,000 a-week Liverpool player is now excited about leaving the Premier League champions after his agent met with a top European club, according to a new report.

Liverpool announce Kerkez and close in on Marc Guehi transfer

Liverpool announced their third major signing of the summer on Thursday, as Milos Kerkez joined the Reds in a deal worth £40 million from AFC Bournemouth. His arrival now takes Liverpool’s spending to £170 million so far this summer, but the Reds and Arne Slot are not finished there.

Liverpool set to send nearly £10m to Chelsea as they close in on centre-back deal

Liverpool are closing in on another signing following Kerkez’s arrival.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jun 26, 2025

According to Daveockop, Liverpool are now close to signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The England international is in the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, and the Reds are hoping that can work in their favour as they try to bring Guehi to Anfield in a deal between £40-45 million.

It’s been reported that the Premier League champions are close to agreeing personal terms with the defender, and that could see this deal progress as they now switch their attentions to their next transfer target.

But these big arrivals mean Liverpool are going to be looking to move some fringe players on, and they have now received a boost in their bid to see one player leave this summer.

£140,000-per-week Liverpool ace excited to leave

According to Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez is now keen on joining Napoli after a meeting between the Serie A club and his agent on Wednesday.

The report states that Nunez is “fired up” by the idea of playing under Antonio Conte and sees a move to Naples as a chance to rediscover his best form. While his agent and the Italian side have held numerous rounds of talks, there is still a long way to go for the two clubs to agree a transfer fee.

It is claimed that Liverpool are now looking to sell Nunez for around €58.6 million, which is roughly £50 million. This is still considered high for Napoli, and they are trying to reduce this transfer fee through intermediaries.

Apps

143

Goals

40

Assists

26

Nunez, who currently earns £140,000 a week at Anfield, joined the Reds back in August 2022 from Benfica. The forward came with a promising reputation after scoring 26 goals in 28 Liga Portugal games in his final season with Benfica. However, while Nunez has scored goals, he has struggled to replicate the form he showed in Portugal.

Last season, Nunez scored just five times in 30 Premier League games, which was a considerable drop-off from the 11 he scored in the previous campaign. The Uruguay international is still under contract until 2028, but his departure for around £50 million would allow Liverpool to balance the books in what has been a summer of heavy investment.

Not often in Pakistan cricket does someone pass up the chance to take credit for any successful outcome, regardless of how significant their part was. But Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie kept such praise at arm’s length when talking about Pakistan’s bounce-back win over England in the second Test.Gillespie made clear that effectively all the decisions taken in the wake of Pakistan’s chastening innings defeat in the first Test had little to do with him. Moments after the result was official, the PCB announced a new selection committee, one that included former umpire Aleem Dar, as well as Aaqib Javed. It excluded Gillespie and captain Shan Masood from having any say in selection matters – Masood, too, last week said he preferred to pass on the credit “to everyone else” for their part in the win.”The PCB came out and made some changes after that Test match,” Gillespie said ahead of the third Test. “It was decided that a new selection panel would come in and they would be making decisions. I was not involved in the decision-making, I was just there. I’m now just the coach on match-day strategy. I just keep out of things now and just focus on the players and getting them ready for cricket.”It is a remarkably different brief from the one Gillespie was given when he was offered the role earlier this year. At the time, he told ESPNcricinfo he had some “really positive conversations” with the board and the chairman to make sure “we’re moving in the right direction short term, in the medium and long term”.Industrial fans have been used to dry the Pindi pitch•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s late decision to pack the bowling attack with spinners and prepare a surface to assist them does appear to run in contrast to Gillespie’s goals and ambitions when he took over the Test side. In that interview with ESPNcricinfo, he had specifically cautioned against short-termism. “It’s very easy when you’re coming into jobs; you’ve got a two-year contract or a one-year contract,” he had said. “You make short-term decisions to look after your own back. But that doesn’t help anyone, because if everyone has that approach, nothing long-term gets done.”When asked about the composition of the team, Gillespie repeated the point. “It’s not for me to talk about now. I’m no longer a selector, so I’m probably not the person to ask.” Corralled into a role that is much narrower in focus than his initial job description suggested, he did indicate he understood how unusual his situation was. “I’m getting splinters in my a*** from sitting on the fence here,” he quipped.But with a potential series win against England on the line, the importance of the final Test was not lost on Gillespie. In his short time as coach, he has built up positive relationships with several players in the side, paying as much tribute to their qualities as human beings as to their cricketing talent.Related

• PCB says Gillespie will remain head coach for South Africa Tests

• Gillespie frustrated by lack of clear communication in role as Pakistan coach

• England stay on the front foot as Pakistan crank up the spin settings again

• Pakistan keep faith in unchanged XI for series decider against England

• Pakistan deploy fans, heaters in bid to produce Rawalpindi turner

“The last few years, Pakistan’s Test cricket hasn’t been where we’d like it to be. Any win is great, and any series win’s fantastic. Just coming into this environment, as a coach, I’m very protective of players. They’re the ones going out and representing their country. I suppose there’s a dad in me that comes out and I want to protect all the boys from all outside noise and whatever.”It is this ability to stay calm that Gillespie wanted to channel more meticulously in his players. At several key points during the second Test, with England appearing to swarm, Pakistan found a way to hunker down when the pressure was on. In the first ten overs, Pakistan fell to 19 for 2 as Babar Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam walked out for his Test debut. It could have gone awry very quickly, but Ghulam scored a hundred, and Pakistan put on 366.When England responded, they made light work of the spinners in the first 40 overs, and stood poised for a significant first-innings lead when they were placed at 211 for 2. But in the drying embers of Day 2, Sajid Khan slowed up the pace, found the rough, and triggered a collapse that helped Pakistan take a decisive 75-run lead.”There’s a lot of things in professional sport that you can’t control,” Gillespie said. “To be able to just park that and not focus on that is a skill within itself. Focusing on what we can control, the right things at the right times, and staying calm when things are all happening. The way England played, they looked to create things all the time and the way we want to go against them is to by staying calm and not getting flustered. I thought we did that really well in the last Test match. I was really proud of the boys.”You communicate with your players regularly, talking about their games and how we can help them improve as cricketers and people. I’m very fortunate, I’ve got a wonderful support staff who have developed some really good relationships with our players and players will gravitate towards certain coaches over others at times. But if you all work as a team, that’s the most important thing.”

With Rasmus Hojlund continuing to struggle, Manchester United are now reportedly positioning themselves to sign an impressive 17-goal striker who would be an instant upgrade.

Hojlund up for sale this summer

Almost two years on from his £72m move from Atalanta, Hojlund is yet to burst into life in a Manchester United shirt. Even after paying such a price, the Red Devils would have been aware that any young striker would need time. By this stage, however, those around Old Trafford had hoped to see more from the Dane, who has struggled more than ever under Ruben Amorim.

Rasmus Hojlund at Man Utd	Record (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances	94
Goals	26
Assists	4

26 goals in 94 appearances is a poor record for any striker, but for a £72m striker it’s undeniably disastrous. Now, according to recent reports, Amorim is ready to sanction Hojlund’s sale and find an instant replacement this summer.

This comes just days after the Europa League final, in which the 22-year-old was once again kept quiet as Tottenham Hotspur battled to a 1-0 victory. What will far from help his cause is how much more structured Manchester United looked following the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee.

Whilst Hojlund failed in his hold-up play approach, Zirkzee dropped deeper and instantly handed the likes of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes a connection between midfield and attack. As much as the Dutchman has also struggled in Manchester this season, he has shown glimpses of the traits that Manchester United signed him for last summer.

In desperate need of an upgrade to end their goalscoring woes, the pending arrival of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers may not be the last time that Manchester United go in search of attacking talent this summer. As per recent reports, the Red Devils are also lining up another Premier League star.

Man Utd positioning themselves to sign Mateta

According to L’Equipe, Manchester United are now positioning themselves to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace this summer. The Frenchman is reportedly considering joining Amorim’s side in a bid to break into France’s World Cup squad next summer.

The forward has enjoyed another excellent season at Selhurst Park and will forever have his place in the club’s history after playing his part in their FA Cup win and their first-ever major trophy.

Man Utd ready move for one of the most sought after young talents in Italy

He’s a man in demand.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 22, 2025

The question will naturally be asked as to whether Mateta will be willing to ditch such success for a United side in turmoil, but Cunha’s reported move proves that those at Old Trafford still have the ability to attract top talents.

Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Jean-Philippe Mateta	Rasmus Hojlund	Joshua Zirkzee
Minutes	2,587	1,924	1,402
Goals	14	4	3
Assists	2	0	1
Expected Goals	12.9	5.2	4.8

With 14 goals in the Premier League and 17 in all competitions, Mateta has found the back of the net more times than both Zirkzee and Hojlund combined. Described as “amazing” by Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner earlier this season, the Frenchman is someone that Manchester United should go all out for.