Afghanistan Women's XI to play in Melbourne ahead of Ashes Test

The match will take place in the morning of the opening day between Australia and England at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2024An Afghanistan women’s cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a game in Melbourne in January, the first time they have been able to come together as a group since leaving their country following the Taliban takeover.The T20 match between an Afghanistan Women’s XI and a Cricket Without Borders XI will take place on January 30 at Junction Oval ahead of the opening day of the floodlit Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG.The players involved fled Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban came into power and now live in Canberra and Melbourne. Many play for local cricket clubs but have not been able to form themselves into a representative team.The Australian government has been involved in helping set up the match.”Many people across cricket and the community have come together to provide support for members of the Afghanistan women’s team since their relocation to Australia and this match will be a celebration of that work,” Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said.”I’m delighted that their ambition to play together will be achieved in this exhibition match which will be a wonderful addition to the many events around the Day/Night Women’s Ashes Test.”Earlier this year, 17 of the players who were contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2020 prior to the Taliban takeover wrote to the ICC asking for assistance in setting up a refugee team in Australia.”Our goals in having a refugee team are to develop and showcase our talent, give hope to the women remaining in Afghanistan, and to draw attention to the challenges women of Afghanistan face,” the letter said. “Like the Afghanistan men’s team, we aim to compete at the highest levels. We want to recruit and train girls and women who love cricket to show the world the talent of Afghan women, and to demonstrate the great victories they can achieve if given a chance through the leadership and financial support of the ICC.”On Tuesday, CA announced a partnership with UNICEF Australia as part of the foundation’s “Until Every Girl Can Play” campaign aimed at gender equality.

Man Utd want midfield star who scores at exact same rate as Bruno Fernandes

Looking to continue their summer business, Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign an impressive 12-goal midfielder for Ruben Amorim this summer.

Rashford and four others ask to leave Man Utd

As much as results haven’t gone his way since arriving, there’s been no standing in the way of Ruben Amorim’s ruthless streak at Old Trafford. The former Sporting Club manager instantly showed Marcus Rashford the new and initially dropped Alejandro Garnacho before falling out with the latter altogether. Now, with the summer transfer window open, that ruthless streak looks destined to end in a much-needed exodus of players.

Without a role under Amorim, Rashford, Antony, Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho have all reportedly asked to leave Manchester United this summer – sparking several exit rumours.

Rashford and Garnacho are two names that stand out the most in that list, with the former even reportedly attracting the interest of Barcelona. The La Liga giants just missed out on Nico Williams, who opted to sign a new contract at Athletic Bilbao, and have now set their sights on Rashford as a result.

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Manchester United appear to be taking strides to land one key attacking talent this summer.

2

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Meanwhile, Garnacho could yet decide to stay put in the Premier League in the hope of exacting revenge on Amorim and United amid links with a move to rivals Chelsea. At 21 years old, the winger is still a player full of potential and one who could realise that potential elsewhere if he avoids the problems that he has endured at Old Trafford.

With that said, all of these potential departures are likely to hand Manchester United a major boost, allowing them to return to the transfer market themselves this summer.

Man Utd enter race to sign Orkun Kokcu

Among the names that the Red Devils could turn towards as a result of departures this summer is an Inter Milan target. According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have now entered the race to sign Orkun Kokcu from Benfica this summer – rivalling the Italian giants as well as Liverpool for his signature.

Orkun Kokcu for Benfica.

The deal wouldn’t break the bank for INEOS either. Reports are suggesting that Benfica will let their midfield star leave for around €40m (£35m) this summer, which should hand those at Old Trafford a major boost.

Last 365 days (via FBref)

Orkun Kokcu

Bruno Fernandes

Non-penalty goals per 90

0.17

0.17

Shots per 90

2.05

2.83

Assists per 90

0.24

0.29

Shot-creating actions per 90

5.06

5.86

Keeping up with Bruno Fernandes’ output is no easy task, but Kokcu is one of the rare few midfielders who manage to do so throughout Europe. Now, United could form the ultimate midfield partnership.

Dubbed a “leader” by scout Jacek Kulig during his Feyenoord days, Kokcu has only kicked on at Benfica since then and could be on his way to the Premier League after scoring 12 goals in all competitions last season.

Arsenal: Berta now leading charge to sign "powerful" £21m star; offer ready

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is personally leading the charge to sign a “powerful” player, with an offer now ready to be submitted, according to a report.

Berta taking hands-on role at the Emirates

Having laid the foundations, the Arsenal hierarchy believes now is the time for the team to start winning silverware, and Berta has a big role to play, with the Italian regarded as a master negotiator, capable of being involved in multiple deals at once.

The 53-year-old is taking a hands-on role at the Emirates Stadium, attending training sessions and press conferences, while also putting in work behind-the-scenes to secure agreements for the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi.

There have been some disagreements with Mikel Arteta, however, especially when it comes to which striker they should bring in, with Berta keen to sign Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, while the manager would prefer to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann

Berta is simultaneously working on moves for both strikers, indicating a decision is yet to be made as to which striker is the preferred option, and the north Londoners are also keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch.

That is according to a report from Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), which states Berta is now leading the charge for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, who has recently been identified as a key target by Arteta.

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Such is Arsenal’s level of interest, they are now ready to submit an offer in the region of €20m – €25m (£17m – £21m) for Mosquera, with around €3m – €5m (£2.6m – £4.3m) of the higher amount based on bonuses relating to performance.

Berta is said to be key to the deal, with the sporting director retaining a long-term interest in the 21-year-old, having also targeted him during his time with Atlético Madrid.

"Powerful" Mosquera could be ideal centre-back signing

With any new centre-back signing unlikely to immediately take Gabriel or William Saliba’s spot in the starting XI, it would make sense to bring in a younger centre-back, capable of replacing one of the first-choice options on a long-term basis.

The Valencia star is showing very promising signs in La Liga, having now established himself as a key player, missing just one La Liga game last season, while the defender has also received high praise from former youth coach Miguel-Ángel Angulo.

Angulo said: “He’s characterised by a physical condition and good technical qualities, powerful in the air, and mature for his age.”

Having also received plaudits from Statman Dave, Mosquera is clearly an exciting young player, who could provide Arsenal with the depth to compete on all fronts next season, before going on to stake a claim for a regular starting spot.

Marsh available to bowl, Maxwell backs him to find batting form

The Australia captain has not had the ball since the IPL but could feature during the Super Eight stage if conditions require it

Andrew McGlashan19-Jun-20241:33

Maxwell: Marsh has been ‘unbelievable’

Mitchell Marsh has declared himself ready to bowl in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 to hand Australia another option ahead of their game against Bangladesh in Antigua, while Glenn Maxwell believes the captain is close to making a big impact with the bat.Marsh has not bowled since leaving the IPL with a hamstring injury and a cautious approach has been taken to his return with the initial rehab requiring a little longer than expected.”I’ll be available to bowl,” he said. “With the line-up that we’ve got, I don’t really necessarily see a need for me to bowl, but I think it’s really important in this format to have options and we’re blessed with plenty of those.”Related

Head: Anything possible in the last seven or eight overs

Tim David 'working really hard' on his legspin

Australia have not been found short due to Marsh being held back from bowling duties with Marcus Stoinis playing an important role, while against Scotland they used 12 overs of spin with an eye on potential conditions in the Super Eight.Marsh having a role with the ball would become a more likely scenario if Australia fielded Ashton Agar as a second frontline spinner again then decided they needed some extra overs of seam.”Physically feel good,” Marsh said. “It’s always nice to have a bit of break from bowling and I often joke about that. But Stoin and I often talk about it as allrounders, we love being in the game.”Mitchell Marsh hasn’t quite hit his stride with the bat since returning from injury•ICC/Getty Images

Marsh wouldn’t divulge whether Australia will return to three specialist quicks against Bangladesh or retain the balance of attack they used against Scotland. The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium has not offered huge assistance for the spinners so far – the numbers at the venue are skewed somewhat by four-wicket hauls for Adam Zampa and Adil Rashid against Oman and Namibia – but Australia are on alert for sharply-spinning conditions in St Vincent where they face Afghanistan.Should Australia bring both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood back into their XI after they were rested against Scotland then Maxwell can take on the role of the second spinner.Marsh and Maxwell are the two parts of Australia’s batting order that have yet to fire at the World Cup with 63 runs between them in seven innings, but Maxwell was confident he and the captain were close to making a big impact.”For me and Mitch, we got a lot of confidence out of that England game for the role we played,” Maxwell told ESPN’s . “Even though it’s a small sample size we still feel like we played out role; we set the innings up for the lower order to then go nuts. The opening batters going out and scoring at 12, 13 an over can be bit misleading to how conditions are and if we try to go at that rate for the rest of the innings thinking that’s what it’s like we could throw our wickets away.”Mitch has been unbelievable over the last couple of years, since he’s come back into all three formats, especially the Test stuff, [and] I think that’s probably filtered into the confidence in the other two formats. Watching him go about his work, you always know he’s only one or two shots away from basically ruining a game and we are looking forward to seeing that.”On his own form, which stems back to a poor IPL, Maxwell said: “Still feeling really good. I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well, but…it’s just been really hard to, I suppose, get that rhythm and momentum. You’ve seen our openers go out there and pump it all over the place then in the middle order it’s been quite difficult to adjust.”The only one throughout the tournament who has consistently smashing them is Stoin – he’s been outstanding. To have those guys below me gives me a lot of confidence and actually knowing I have a bit of time to get myself into the tournament and we’ve got some real quality below us. It’s a nice position to be in that I don’t feel like I’ve fully hit my straps, played pretty well against England…but I know it’s not far away.”

Women's FA Cup: History, list of winners and previous finals

The Women’s FA Cup has just as much magic as its male equivalent, with the finale’s place at the end of the domestic calendar handing two teams the opportunity to finish the campaign on a high in front of a large capacity crowd.

That has only been heightened by the welcome rise in prominence within the women’s game of late, with the FA Cup final being held at Wembley Stadium since 2015.

While the national stadium has typically only been half full for such occasions in the past, the 2023 final between Chelsea and Manchester United saw over 77,000 witness the Blues secure a third straight triumph through Sam Kerr’s winner.

Large crowds like these are now the norm for showpiece women’s events, particularly at Wembley, with the FA Cup final and England internationals well in the habit of bringing in spectators en masse.

The 2024 final was further evidence of this, with United’s win over Tottenham Hotspur again drawing in over 75,000 supporters.

But who are the most successful clubs in the FA Cup’s history? Here is a look at the history of the competition and a detailed look at the most recent finals.

Women's FA Cup history timeline

1970: Following the lifting of a ban on women’s football, which had stood for nearly 50 years, the first FA Cup tournament is held by the Women’s Football Association (WFA). The National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace hosts the first final in 1971, won by Southampton Women’s FC.

1993: The Football Association takes administrative control of the competition, along with the rest of women’s football in England.

2015: The final is held at Wembley Stadium for the first time, as 30,000 spectators see Chelsea defeat Notts County 1-0.

2023: A world-record crowd attends a domestic cup final, nearly 12 months on from the Euro 2022 final at a sold-out Wembley.

2024/25 Women's FA Cup

The 2024/25 FA Cup takes place on Sunday, 18th May, one day after the men’s event. This year’s women’s final is between Chelsea and Manchester United, in what is a repeat of the 2023 final.

Chelsea are going for a treble after being crowned as unbeaten champions and having won the League Cup back in March, while holders United are defending their FA Cup crown, which was won through their 4-0 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in May 2024.

It has been an exceptional first year in charge for Sonia Bompastor since replacing Emma Hayes, with the Blues’ only defeats this term coming in the Champions League to Manchester City and Barcelona.

Manchester United are looking to end the season on a high after having to settle for third following their 4-3 defeat to Arsenal on the final day of the WSL season.

Women’s FA Cup past winners

18 different clubs have won the Women’s FA Cup, with Arsenal being the record winners, having won it 14 times.

Southampton Women’s FC is the next-most successful club, winning eight times, most recently in 1981.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s record is only bettered by Doncaster Belles, who appeared in 11 out of 12 finals between 1983 and 1994, winning six times. However, the Blues can draw level with them in 2025.

Most Women’s FA Cup wins

Club

Times won

Last won

Arsenal

14

2016

Southampton Women’s FC

8

1981

Doncaster Belles

6

1994

Chelsea

5

2023

Manchester City

3

2020

Charlton Athletic

3

2005

Everton

2

2010

Fulham

2

2003

Millwall Lionesses

2

1997

Manchester United

1

2024

Birmingham City

1

2012

Norwich City

1

1986

AFC Wimbledon Women

1

1985 (as Friends of Fulham)

Howbury Grange

1

1984

Lowestoft Ladies

1

1982

St Helens

1

1980

Queen’s Park Rangers

1

1977

Fodens

1

1974

Previous FA Cup finals

12th May 2024: Manchester United 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United sealed their first FA Cup triumph against first-time finalists Tottenham Hotspur in 2024 in a comprehensive victory at Wembley.

Ella Toone got the ball rolling just before the end of the first period, with her long-range rocket adding to her catalogue of big-game goals.

The second half saw Spurs tire and crumble under the wave of United attacks, with Rachel Williams’ header and Lucia Garcia’s double seeing the Red Devils run out deserved winners.

Beth England came closest for the runners-up when her header smashed the bar, but there could be no complaints about the final result as United claimed their first major trophy.

14th May 2023: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United

Chelsea secured a league and cup double in 2023 after battling to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United. Marc Skinner’s side had most of the better chances, particularly in the first half when they had a goal ruled out for offside in the opening minute and forced Ann-Katrin Berger into a number of important saves.

Sam Kerr turned home Pernille Harder’s pinpoint cross in the second half, to which the Red Devils had no reply.

15th May 2022: Chelsea 3-2 Manchester City (aet)

The Blues edged a five-goal thriller against United’s closest rivals in 2022. Sam Kerr nodded Chelsea ahead before Lauren Hemp equalised just before half-time.

Erin Cuthbert’s screamer restored the Blues’ lead and had looked set to be the match-winner until Hayley Raso’s fine finish forced extra time.

Both sides had chances in the extra period, but Kerr took the crucial one in the 99th minute, with her deflected strike handing Chelsea another FA Cup.

5th December 2021: Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Postponed due to the pandemic, the 2021 finale took place nearly seven months later than usual. The date chosen for the final came a century after the FA’s ban on women’s football in 1921.

It was Chelsea who once again emerged victorious, as opponents Arsenal came up against an inspired Kerr, who scored twice after Fran Kirby’s early opener to seal a comfortable victory.

1st November 2020: Everton 1-3 Manchester City (aet)

Played in front of no fans during the pandemic-affected 2020/21 campaign, Man City won their third FA Cup in four seasons with an extra-time victory over Everton, who were in the first final in six years.

The 50th Women’s FA Cup final saw Sam Mewis’ header put Gareth Taylor’s team in front, before Valerie Gauvin’s equaliser from a corner took the sides to extra time.

Georgia Stanway’s poked finish left City with one hand on the cup, and she laid the ball on a plate for Janine Beckie to finally put the game to bed and secure a second successive cup triumph.

He'd be Gerrard 2.0: 49ers could hire "special" manager for Rangers

Barry Ferguson has three more matches left to manage as the interim head coach of Glasgow Rangers before he moves on from Ibrox this summer.

The former Scotland international came in to replace Philippe Clement earlier this year and has only won four of his 12 games in charge of Rangers to date, drawing his most recent clash in the Old Firm derby.

Ferguson, therefore, has not done much to suggest that the new owners, when they complete their takeover, should be looking to hand him the role on a full-time basis moving forward.

In fact, TEAMtalk recently reported that the 49ers want to appoint a fresh face with no prior connection to Rangers, which immediately rules out Ferguson, who has now played for and managed the Light Blues.

The outlet added that Steven Gerrard is also out of the running, because of that stance, and will not be returning to Ibrox for a second stint in the dugout.

Whilst the 49ers will not be pursuing a move for the out-of-contract English tactician, they should be looking for a manager who can be their own version of the Liverpool legend.

Why the 49ers should want their own Steven Gerrard

Back in the summer of 2018, Rangers, who were aiming to put Celtic’s dominant run of league titles to a stop, confirmed the appointment of Gerrard on a four-year contract.

Nathan Patterson, Steven Gerrard

Prior to that summer, the Hoops had won seven Scottish Premiership titles in as many seasons and the Gers needed a manager who could wrestle back control of the league.

Gerrard was a risky appointment, as he had not managed a first-team game by that point, and it was not a move that instantly worked out for the Light Blues, because the English boss needed time to develop a style and to build a squad that was ready to win the title.

Rangers finished in second place, behind Celtic, in the manager’s first two seasons at Ibrox, before they went on to win the division in the 2020/21 campaign, going unbeaten in the process.

Steven Gerrard (Premiership)

20/21

21/22

Matches

38

12

Wins

32

8

Draws

6

3

Defeats

0

1

Points

102

27

Points per game

2.68

2.25

League position

1st (Champions)

1st

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s side won 32 of their 38 matches that season to clinch the Premiership crown and to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.

The Light Blues then won eight of their first 12 matches in the following season, taking them to the top of the table, before the manager decided to pursue an opportunity with Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Steven Gerrard

Unfortunately, Rangers have finished second in all four of their seasons without Gerrard at the helm, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson have all failed to deliver a title to the Ibrox faithful.

The 49ers should, therefore, want to find their own version of the English boss because they now face the same task that the club faced in 2018: stopping Celtic’s title dominance.

Why Rangers should target Frank Lampard

Back in October 2023, when Beale was relieved of his duties, Sky Sports reported that Frank Lampard had shown an interest in the available post at Ibrox.

Almost two years later, the 49ers must target the English manager to see if he would be interested in the job this time around, should Coventry fail to earn promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

Frank Lampard in charge of Coventry City.

It seems unlikely that he would want to ditch the Sky Blues if they make their way to the top-flight in England, but Rangers must attempt to convince Lampard to make the move to Scotland if Coventry do not join Leeds United and Burnley in the top division.

The 46-year-old tactician, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, joined the Sky Blues when they were 17th in the Championship and level on points with the bottom three and led them to a fifth-placed finish, to secure a place in the play-offs.

Speaking on talkSPORT recently, pundit Jermaine Jenas hailed Lampard’s ability to work through criticism and claimed that he has done a “pretty special” job at Coventry, which is hard to argue against when you look at the images above.

The former Chelsea midfielder, who played alongside Gerrard at international level for England in their playing days, has had mixed success throughout his managerial career, but is currently thriving at the CBS Arena.

Frank Lampard’s managerial career

Season

League (club)

Matches

Points per game

Position

24/25

Championship (Coventry)

29

1.79

5th

22/23

Premier League (Chelsea)

9

0.56

12th

22/23

Premier League (Everton)

20

0.75

19th

21/22

Premier League (Everton)

18

1.11

16th

20/21

Premier League (Chelsea)

19

1.53

9th

19/20

Premier League (Chelsea)

38

1.74

4th

18/19

Championship (Derby County)

46

1.61

6th

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Lampard enjoyed early success with sixth and fourth place finishes with Derby County and Chelsea, before being sacked by the Premier League giants and by Everton.

He then endured a dismal interim spell at Chelsea after Graham Potter’s dismissal at Stamford Bridge, earning just 0.56 points per game across nine matches, before taking the Coventry job earlier this season.

Whilst managing at the top of the Premier League may be a step too far for him at this moment in time, Lampard has finished in the play-off positions in both of his seasons in the Championship with Derby and Coventry, which shows that he can motivate and set up a team to win consistently.

Couple that with the respect that his playing career earns him, and there is a compelling argument to suggest that he could be the 49ers’ own version of Gerrard in the new era at Ibrox, as another manager on the up who has something to prove rather than someone who has been there and done it and may not have the same motivation.

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Like Gerrard, Lampard is yet to win a league title and the prospect of doing that at Ibrox could be an attractive and highly-motivating factor for him, which is why the 49ers could tempt him to leave Coventry if his side fails to win the play-offs.

The English tactician has shown promise at Championship level and has proven that he can galvanise a losing team and turn it into a winning one, which is, in essence, what Rangers are in need of.

Inter Milan tempted by "astronomical" Arsenal bid for £265k-per-week star

Serie A frontrunners Inter Milan are on course to clinch their second Scudetto in a row under Simone Inzaghi, but they face the prospect of losing key players this summer and could be tempted by an ambitious Arsenal bid.

Andrea Berta shortlists Arsenal attacking targets

Andrea Berta officially touched down in north London earlier this month to commence his role as Arsenal’s new sporting director, taking the mantle from previous transfer chief Edu Gaspar, and he’s been tipped for a busy first window at the club.

Arsenal offer "underrated" star a £192k-per-week contract to join Arteta

Andrea Berta is moving with intent ahead of the summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 10, 2025

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta anticipates a “big” summer for the Gunners, as he admitted in a press conference last week, even if most of the attention is on putting Real Madrid away in the second leg of their blockbuster Champions League tie.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Amid their potentially fruitful campaign in Europe, one eye remains firmly on Berta’s transfer plans as the Italian reportedly gets to work on strengthening the squad before next season.

Berta has personally held talks with the representatives of Nico Williams, according to reliable media sources, while it is believed the 53-year-old is very much plotting to bring in a prolific new striker.

In the last two weeks, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has become more of a top target for Arsenal, while links continue to surround RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko as well.

Both Gyokeres and Sesko are seen as more viable alternatives to Arteta’s “dream” target, Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, who appears set to be priced out of the market with a valuation of around £150 million.

As we approach Berta’s debut window at N5, we also cannot rule out more left-field options emerging, and one of them is now reported to be Inter captain Lautaro Martinez.

Inter could be tempted by "astronomical" Arsenal bid for Lautaro Martinez

The £265,000-per-week striker has yet again spearheaded Inzaghi’s title charge, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, but his contract runs until 2029, so Inter would be able to demand an extortionate fee for their pivotal star.

This, coupled with his sky-high salary, makes this potential swoop look almost like a non-starter.

Inter Milan'sLautaroMartinez applauds their fans

However, according to reports from Spain, Arsenal are prepared to make an “astronomical” offer for Martinez, worth in the region of £129 million.

Even though Inter consider the 27-year-old “untouchable”, it is believed Inter could be tempted by Arsenal’s mega-money bid for Martinez, as it is a figure which can “hardly be ignored”.

The Argentina international is not only a prolific goalscorer, but also a real leader, with Inter legend Beppe Bergomi calling him a “true captain”.

“He is more than a top goalscorer, Lautaro is a true captain,” said Bergomi.

“He has a strong sense of belonging and even when he didn’t score for eight games he had a different facial expression than in the past. This is a sign of strong maturity. Then the goals, with time, always arrive.”

Switch Hit: Brook no argument

England sealed a Test series in New Zealand for the firs time since 2007-08, with Harry Brook’s hundred again pivotal. Alan Gardner was joined by Vithushan Ehantharajah, Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to break down the win in Wellington

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2024Victory by a resounding margin of 323 runs at Basin Reserve saw England take a Test series in New Zealand for first time since 2007-08. On Switch Hit, Alan Gardner heard from Vithushan Ehantharajah in Wellington, then Andrew Miller and Matt Roller in London. How good are Harry Brook and Brydon Carse? Will Jacob Bethell continue to give Ollie Pope a run for his money at No. 3? And what does it all mean for the Ashes?

Shaheen, Rizwan and Rossouw in PSL team of the tournament

The intent machine Mohammad Haris and the extraordinary Rashid Khan also find a place in the XI

Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq19-Mar-2023Mohammad Rizwan (wk) Rizwan will go down as a PSL legend, and it’s because of seasons like these. Not only did he retain his incredible consistency – he was the highest run-getter of the tournament – he also demonstrated he can continue to add layers to his batting. Often criticised for his strike rate, it was up to 142.85 this year from under 127 the previous year. His magnum opus was an unbeaten 64-ball 110 against Karachi Kings. He flew from 50 to 100 in 18 balls, and was the only player to score a hundred this PSL at a ground other than Rawalpindi. He was, expectedly, flawless behind the stumps, all while leading Multan Sultans to their third straight final, and ending up agonisingly close to another title.Saim Ayub Not quite the find of the PSL, since he’d already been lighting up the domestic circuit, but the effortless step up was still a sight to behold. Having struggled with Quetta Gladiators as a teenager in 2021, Ayub’s reinvention as an aggressive top-order ball-striker was instrumental to Peshawar Zalmi’s successful season. A 37-ball 53 was a statement of intent, but he hit the heights during the Rawalpindi leg, taking full advantage of the shorter boundaries and flat pitches. Three successive fifties ignited Zalmi’s campaign, propelling them through to the play-offs and earning him a maiden call-up to Pakistan’s T20I side.Mohammad Haris This isn’t Pollard’s finest T20 season by any means, but then again, he sets high standards. Deployed mainly as a lower-order bludgeon, the West Indian produced several useful cameos. They might not have grabbed headlines, but they won games. An unbeaten 6-ball 15 and another undefeated 21-ball 32 gave Sultans crucial wins early on, while a 25-ball 52 in Rawalpindi helped them chase down 243 with relative ease. He saved his best for the first Eliminator, though, his 34-ball 57 coming in a remarkable counterattack that blew the Lahore Qalandars away. It included smashing Shaheen Afridi for 20, his most expensive PSL over, and he even chipped in with three wickets through the campaign.ESPNcricinfo LtdAzam Khan What he lacked in consistency he made up for in pure, exhilarating power hitting. Playing with an Islamabad United side that’s best set up to maximise his ability, the free license he had in the middle order was used to devastating effect. It was all evident in two blistering innings: his 42-ball 97 against Gladiators was probably the innings of the tournament, pulverising an attack that comprised Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain at the death. He followed it up shortly after with an unbeaten 72 in 41 balls that helped chase down 201 against Kings, earning himself a call-up to the national T20 side.Imad WasimKings’ captain endured seven losses out of ten matches after taking over from Babar Azam. Though Kings finished fifth, Imad’s all-round performance helped him earn a recall to the Pakistan side for the T20I series against Afghanistan.Rashid KhanRashid’s economy rate of under seven stood out in a campaign where he also ended as the third-highest wicket-taker. Only Zalmi took him for 40-plus runs this season. He played a crucial role with Qalandars winning seven out of ten group games.Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt)Shaheen lifted the PSL trophy for the second time in succession, thus establishing his credentials as leader. He also scored a lot of valuable runs, with 133 at a strike rate of 168. to stun the opponent. That included a half-century against Zalmi, before smashing 44 not out from only 15 balls in the final. As for his bowling, he was the tournament’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, with one five-for and two four-wicket hauls.ESPNcricinfo LtdZaman KhanA last-over specialist, seems to have a knack for defending a handful of runs. He bowled the 20th over in both the opening match and the final, defending 14 and 12 runs respectively. In only his second season, he showed temperament and control to become a part of Qalandars’ core. He and Rashid bowled the joint-second-most dot balls – 106. He did not pick up a player-of-the-match award, but there’s no denying the impact he had. He was rewarded with a maiden call-up for Pakistan, in the T20I side for the Afghanistan series.IhsanullahPakistan unearthed another bowling talent this season. Ihsanullah was picked by Sultans last season, but was injured after one game; this season he has come back as the finished product. The 20-year-old bowled some furious spells, clocking 150kph and announced himself in his second game with figures of 4-1-12-5 against Gladiators. He tested almost every batter he came up against this season and was top of the bowling charts all through before his team-mate Abbas Afridi pipped him at the end, pushing him down to second. He registered his trademark “archer” celebration, and was also rewarded with a national call-up for the Afghanistan series.Abbas Afridi

'Chennai's Super King'

The reactions to R Ashwin’s all-round showing in Chennai

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2021

Chepauk applauds you, the country applauds you Ashwin, what an all round performance! @ashwinravi99

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 15, 2021

Well, this is pretty special.
Ruthless from India.
Wonderful cricket.#Ashwin pic.twitter.com/WbXZFl4JqD

— Ian Bell (@Ian_Bell) February 15, 2021

Class 100 Simply outstanding @ashwinravi99 take a bow .. showing everyone how to bat and bowl on this track.. well done @BCCI @StarSportsIndia #INDvsENG

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 15, 2021

When he bowled, the pitch appeared like a rank turner, when he batted it looked like a flat batting pitch. Take a bow @ashwinravi99 , you're truly a modern day legend. What a performance!!! #ashwin #INDvsENG @BCCI pic.twitter.com/DpYy20qUsm

— R SRIDHAR (@coach_rsridhar) February 15, 2021

Well played Chennai’s Super King !! Brilliant 100 from Ravi Ashwin …

— Nasser Hussain (@nassercricket) February 15, 2021

Deserved that @ashwinravi99 #INDvENG

— Isa Guha (@isaguha) February 15, 2021

Great things never come from comfort zone and this is great knock from @ashwinravi99 Also showed it’s going to be hard batting on this pitch but hard does not mean impossible. Nothing but RESPECT Ash #INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/1S2Wdiv83Y

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 15, 2021

Ruthless performance by @ashwinravi99 !!! India have so many more skilled players for these conditions .. High class .. #INDvENG

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 15, 2021

There was praise from Ashwin’s Tamil Nadu team-mates as well.

What a knock @ashwinravi99. A well deserved treat for the chennai crowds. Now make it a 10fer for the game and wrap this game up in style

— Abhinav mukund (@mukundabhinav) February 15, 2021

In my opinion this is the best reward for reaching out for excellence a local boy can get. period !
enjoyed it Ash @ashwinravi99
Well done. champion stuff!! Go well boys @BCCI

— Murali Vijay (@mvj888) February 15, 2021

The Best TN has produced till date @ashwinravi99 way to go Ashaa.. #INDvsENG

— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) February 15, 2021

My bad , @ashwinravi99 batted at 8 . So that’s even harder . Well done buddy https://t.co/jayN6PqQVe

— DK (@DineshKarthik) February 15, 2021

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