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The left-arm spinner was given an almost-impossible task due to his lack of first-class cricket

Alex Malcolm24-Feb-2023How does Ashton Agar go from being Australia’s second spinner in the Test team in January to being sent home from the Test tour of India halfway through?Tony Dodemaide, one of Australia’s three selectors alongside chair George Bailey and coach Andrew McDonald, explained the decision in Delhi.”From a pure selection point of view, it’s not so much why one person isn’t selected, it’s about what the alternatives are,” he said. “And in the calls we had to make, we felt that there were better alternatives. In the first Test with Todd [Murphy], we decided to go with the two and two structure of quicks and spin. And then for the three spinners between [Agar] and Matt [Kuhnemann] in the second Test, we just felt that Matt’s style would be better suited…it was a very close call though.”There is plenty of evidence to say those calls were correct. Todd Murphy took seven wickets on debut in Nagpur and has looked every bit Australia’s second-best red-ball spinner behind Nathan Lyon, while Matthew Kuhnemann did a commendable job for periods in Delhi and took the wicket of Virat Kohli.Related

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• 'It's a ruthless environment, and that's how it should be' – Agar on being sent back from India

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The question isn’t so much why Agar was not selected in the first two Tests. The question is why was he selected against South Africa in Sydney? The odds were heavily stacked against him and now he’s had to face leaving a tour surplus to requirements, having arrived as a Test incumbent. Agar handled the situation with class when he was interviewed on arrival back in Perth.”Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation but you just try to make the best of it,” he told . “I’m 29 now, and I’ve been through plenty of ups and downs in the game and we’re in a fortunate position, so it’s nothing that stresses me out too much.”It was clear messaging from [the selectors]. They communicated really well with me and it’s a clear path forward. With that message it’s chin up, walk tall and just try and improve. So that’s just what I’m going to do.”The messaging might have been clear to Agar, but it hasn’t been made clear publicly. Australia’s selectors are known for being a rational and pragmatic group and they have made plenty of excellent choices together as a trio over the past year. But this has not been their finest hour.

Australia’s spin cycle

Calm, composed and consistent. That has been the mantra of the Australian team and the selection panel ever since the start of the Pakistan tour last year.But consistency has not been evident when it’s come to Australia’s second spinner over the past 12 months. Mitchell Swepson had been pre-ordained as the partner and eventual successor to Lyon. He toured with Australia to India in 2017, enjoyed excellent success at Sheffield Shield level and was a regular in touring squads across a five-year period.Ashton Agar’s batting was seen as a key part of his package•Getty ImagesA legspinner complementing an offspinner was the ideal combination. Swepson was finally granted his chance to partner Lyon in the second Test in Pakistan and although he didn’t set the world on fire, there was enough evidence to suggest he had potential at Test level and the attack as a combination with both Swepson and Lyon in it were just a handful of dropped catches away from taking 20 wickets in each of the final two Tests.But in the next Test series in Sri Lanka there was a distinct shift in thinking. The flat surfaces of Pakistan, where it was thought legspin would be effective, were a world away from extreme spinning conditions of Galle.Suddenly wristspin was less desirable as Australia’s selectors wanted to get more specific in terms of picking players with skills that suited the conditions rather than just the next-best spinner available.Swepson bowled well in the first Test in Galle but Travis Head bagged 4 for 10. Fast fingerspin was the flavour of the month. Agar was on the tour and was a good chance to play but he suffered a side strain. Such was the desire for a left-armer, Jon Holland went from not being initially picked in the Test squad or the Australia A squad that toured simultaneously, to almost playing in the second Test.However, his lack of preparation caused him significant finger soreness and the selectors stuck with Swepson. Australia were beaten by an innings. Swepson took 3 for 108 while Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took 12 wickets on Test debut. The dye was cast. Australia needed a left-arm orthodox for India in 2023.2:58

O’Keefe: If you want to succeed as a spinner in India, your teammates need to back you

Australia’s left-arm obsession

The reasoning was sound. Steve O’Keefe took 12 wickets in Pune in 2017. Ravindra Jadeja has been near unplayable in India over his career. Axar Patel scythed through England and New Zealand in 2021. Even New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel took 10 wickets in an innings in Mumbai.The problem is Australia’s selectors only really have three left-arm orthodox spinners to choose from in Agar, Holland and Kuhnemann. Agar had played in Bangladesh in 2017 alongside O’Keefe who has since retired. Holland played on Australia’s tour of the UAE in 2018 but Australia did not visit the subcontinent again until 2022. Kuhnemann is the only other to play any regular first-class cricket in that time, and even then he had limited opportunities for Queensland behind Swepson.When the squad for Pakistan was announced in February of 2022, Agar was chosen as the third spinner behind Lyon and Swepson. Bailey was asked why Agar was picked ahead of Holland and Kuhnemann.”What we like about Ash is the incredible all-round skill set,” Bailey said. “I think his bowling will continue to get better. What we’ve seen is that the way he bowls, he is pretty adaptable to red-ball cricket. We see Ash as ahead of [Holland].”Yet, batting and fielding aside, in the primary skill of bowling there was no evidence that placed Agar ahead of Holland or Kuhnemann in terms of their career first-class numbers and those numbers only widened when isolated to the four-year period between 2018 and 2022.
There was a theory among the selectors that first-class numbers in Australia had no connection to bowling in the subcontinent and vice versa. Such a theory completely ignores the fact that Jadeja averages 21.78 with the ball in Test cricket in Australia, striking at 54.2.Agar’s resemblance in style to Axar, and his batting and fielding capabilities, made him the most attractive prospect. Although he didn’t play in Pakistan or Sri Lanka it was clear he was being set for India.

All-format curse

Agar has had plenty of T20 success in recent years. He was Australia’s T20I player of the year in 2021 and he has built an impressive T20I record having developed his short-form skills through playing a considerable amount.Prior to getting selected against South Africa in Sydney, Agar’s previous Test came in September 2017. That was his 46th first-class match since debuting in 2013. Up until that point, he had only played 36 T20 games. Since that Test match, Agar has played just 18 first-class games in five-and-a-half years. But he has played 105 T20s in the same period. He has worked assiduously on his T20 bowling, becoming incredibly adept at bowling six different balls an over, varying his lengths, lines and speeds from ball to ball and forcing batters to go at less than seven runs per over with five men on the rope.Ashton Agar’s T20 career has hindered his first-class development•Getty ImagesThe problem is none of that translates to long-form cricket, where spinners need to land their stock ball with incredible consistency to far more attacking fields. It is clear Australia’s selectors conflated Agar’s T20 and first-class form together.Despite touring Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the Test squad, Agar played just one first-class game between October 2020 and November 2022 but the selectors remained confident he could play an important role in India. He featured in the Prime Minister’s XI game against West Indies late last year alongside Murphy but did not bowl anywhere near as well as the offspinner. He then played a Shield game at the Gabba where he took 1 for 108 but did make 72.The selectors remained unperturbed. When Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green were simultaneously injured in the Boxing Day Test and the prospect of a turning pitch in Sydney awaited, Agar was called into the squad having played five T20 in the BBL since the Shield game at the Gabba.McDonald was careful to state at the time that Agar had been selected not because he was necessarily Australia’s second-best red-ball spinner, but rather because he complemented Lyon as a left-arm orthodox.He went wicketless in Sydney as the surface failed to deteriorate. But his lengths and lines lacked consistency, which was completely understandable. The selectors had confidence he would turn it around by India, despite being sent back to play five more T20 games before boarding the plane.In the meantime, it was noteworthy that while the selectors had full faith in Agar for the Border-Gavaskar series, Australia’s premier limited-overs legspinner Adam Zampa was overlooked due to his lack of red-ball cricket, much to his frustration.Ashton Agar struggled in training ahead of the India series•Getty Images

India indecision

The closer the Nagpur Test got the less convinced both Agar and the selectors were of how effective he could be. The selectors were desperate to pick a left-arm spinner as India were set to have six right-handers in their top eight. But Agar’s almost exclusive diet of T20 bowling over the previous few years had made it difficult for him to find the red-ball rhythm and consistency during the training camp in Bengaluru. Agar is one of the most honest and popular members of the Australian group, and he made his own doubts known to both the selectors and his team-mates.The selectors finally overcame their fear of picking two offspinners in the same team, having conceded that Murphy’s superior record to right-handers was overwhelming evidence he should be selected, and Agar was left to run the drinks.
When Kuhnemann debuted in Delhi, having flown in only five days earlier, Adam Gilchrist described it as a “pretty big insult” to Agar on radio.But it was clear to see in the Delhi nets that Agar wasn’t ready to play. The evening before the Test he bowled alone on the edge of the square under the guidance of bowling coach Daniel Vettori. Even there he struggled to hit a cap that had been placed on a length as consistently as the other spinners in the squad.It was notable too that he was the only one of Australia’s spinners to bowl no-balls in practice, regularly delivering from a foot-and-a-half in front of the line. It is a well-worn trope of elite cricketers that no-balls in practice do not equate to no-balls in games. They are usually right. Except when you practice from that far in front of the line, the good length you are grooving becomes a short length in a match. It is the difference between a left-arm orthodox testing a batter’s front foot defence and getting cut for four.Agar was honest when he got off the plane in Perth. Except for the occasional Sydney conditions that may call for two spinners, Agar’s next realistic prospect of Test cricket is the two-match tour of Sri Lanka in February 2025.”It’s been pretty hard for me recently, to be fair,” Agar said. “I’ve played maybe three red-ball games in three years. It’s hard to expect that part of my game to be in tiptop perfect shape.”He will play a fourth for Western Australia while he is home, one more than he would have played if he stayed in India, highlighting the pragmatism of sending him back. He could have had three in a row had he not travelled which is the sort of sustained red-ball cricket that he needs to have a fair of chance of success.It’s unlikely any of this has had an impact on the series scoreline, as Australia’s batting has been the major weak point, but it’s a situation the selectors could have done without, and one they could have avoided.

This week the Indian selectors will pick the squads for the Australia tour. Here is a list of questions they’re likely to be facing

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Oct-2020This week the Indian selectors will pick the squads for the Australian tour. The meeting will be the debut for two selectors on the panel including its chairman Sunil Joshi, the former India left-arm spinner, who joined the panel along with former India fast bowler Harvinder Singh in March.The Australian series is the first bilateral engagement for Virat Kohli’s side since March when the home ODI series against South Africa had to be abruptly halted as tremors of the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world.The tour will stretch into 2021 and is scheduled to start in Sydney on November 27 with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is in early December and the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting with a day-night Test in Adelaide from December 17. The tour will end on January 19 with final Test in Brisbane.Keeping in mind the travel guidelines and restrictions owing to the pandemic, it is understood the selection panel will pick a larger contingent in the range of minimum 30 players. This will also include some players who will feature among the reserves to help with the training in the absence of local net bowlers.Following are the big questions that Joshi’s panel are likely to deliberate on at the meeting which would also be attended by Kohli virtually.ESPNcricinfo LtdTestsShaw, Gill, Rahul – who should be the third opener?In New Zealand Rohit Sharma was absent from the Test leg, forced to return home due a calf injury. In Australia Sharma will reunite with Mayank Agarwal, who made his debut in the Boxing Day Test in 2018-19 tour. Both Sharma and Agarwal opened for India during the home season last year spanning five Tests.Agarwal played in the Australia series two years back only because Prithvi Shaw picked up a freak injury in the field in a warm-up match. Agarwal’s opening partners in the Melbourne and Sydney Tests were Hanuma Vihari, who had never done the job before, and KL Rahul respectively.India would want a third specialist opener especially in the absence of any first-class cricket for eight months. Shaw has been the team management’s preferred choice ever since he made a century on Test debut in 2018. He made a half century in second Test in New Zealand, but his indifferent IPL form including his technique against pure fast bowling has once again opened the room for debate.As for Rahul, he remains the preferred man to take over from MS Dhoni in limited-overs cricket, which will be further enhanced after his spectacular form this IPL with Kings XI Punjab. But Rahul has struggled in red-ball cricket for a while before he was dropped from the Test team after the 2019 series in West Indies where he managed 101 runs in four innings with a highest of 44. Not only did Rahul lose his position to Sharma, but also was not included in the India A squad for the Test series against New Zealand A earlier this year.ESPNcricinfo LtdShubman Gill, who has struggled to up the ante opening for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, has been the best batsman for India A in the last two years. Since 2018 Gill has made 970 runs in eight unofficial Tests, including two double centuries. Some might argue all those runs came in the middle order, but Gill opened in the last first-class match he played, against New Zealand A this February, scoring 136. Gill’s talent and run-scoring was not lost upon the selectors who picked him as a back-up batsman for the home season in 2019-20 spanning five Tests.So it is likely to be a toss-up between Shaw and Gill unless both are included with one among the reserves.If Pandya doesn’t bowl, does he merit a place?Hardik Pandya’s last Test match was at The Oval in 2018. The last time Pandya bowled was in December 2018 in a Ranji Trophy match for Baroda. Last October after recurring back problems Pandya underwent a surgery. He has not bowled since.Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, the team director at Mumbai Indians, the team Pandya plays for, said the allrounder was “very keen and wanting” to bowl, but it was important to “listen to his body” and not rush him back.Pandya was the first successful allrounder to emerge and play for India in all formats since Irfan Pathan. Kohli has acknowledged he favours Pandya to play because he provides balance while allowing to tinker the XI based on the conditions. However, will the selectors risk including Pandya as an allrounder in the Test team with the T20 World Cup next October?ESPNcricinfo LtdWhite-ball cricketCan Pandya play as a specialist batsman?Barely anyone in India can match Pandya in power hitting in the lower order. He also remains a superb fielder in the deep. But if Pandya is unable to bowl, can he play just as a specialist lower-order batsman in the T20Is and ODIs? Incidentally, Pandya was part of the squad in March for the home ODI series against South Africa which was postponed due to the pandemic after the first match which itself was washed out.Keeping in mind the long tour as well as injuries and workloads, the selectors could possibly thinking of resting some key players in the white-ball segment. It is likely then Rohit may not feature in the T20Is, while the strike bowling pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami could be rested for the white-ball leg altogether.Can Patel’s IPL form get him a spot?Axar Patel has played a key role in Delhi Capitals being among the top two teams this IPL. Along with his fellow Capitals team-mate R Ashwin, Patel has been among the best finger-spinners in the tournament with 8 wickets at a miserly economy of 5.78. Patel last played for India in a T20I in South Africa in 2018, and his last ODI came a year before that, in the home series against New Zealand.However with Ravindra Jadeja showing poor form in IPL this time, will the selectors think of playing Patel as a bowling allrounder along with Washington Sundar?What about Suryakumar Yadav?One of the most consistent T20 batsmen in the last two IPL editions, Yadav missed out on the being part of the New Zealand T20I series earlier this year. However with Sharma picking up a sore hamstring this week, would the selectors be bold enough to pick a new opening batsman in Yadav for the T20I leg? Yadav is by no means a left-field choice: he has vast experience having batted in middle order at Knight Riders before being played in the top order at Mumbai. His other strength is he is an athletic fielder. This story was updated at 0700GMT to reflect Rohit potentially being rested for the T20Is

With Brevis taking Markram’s regular spot at No. 4 and Pretorius setting in at No. 3, South Africa’s T20I captain has made the move up top

Firdose Moonda15-Aug-2025

Aiden Markram got starts in each of the two games•AFP/Getty Images

With a fairly young playing group, it’s safe to say South Africa are still experimenting with roles in the T20I side, including that of the captain Aiden Markram. Though he will play his 200th T20 against Australia in Cairns, he is newly installed as an opening batter and juggling that with leadership and the occasional bowling role as South Africa build towards the next T20 World Cup.The decision to move Markram to the top of the order was made by all-format coach Shukri Conrad, taking into account the rest of the line-up which is (almost certainly) going to be without Quinton de Kock again. With Reeza Hendricks dropped for this tour and Ryan Rickelton as the other opener, Markram explained that Conrad saw him as the “best fit” for the spot, despite the presence of 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius.”Going through our squads and the players that we’ve got around, we think probably that (opening) is the best fit,” Markram said in Cairns ahead of the third T20I against Australia. “We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks to be up top. I did it a bit at the IPL and am starting to do it now again at international cricket. It’s an exciting role. It’s always nice to bat in the powerplay and the focus is to get the team off to good starts.”Related

• Brevis makes a statement as the 'original Dewald'

• Australia in unfamiliar territory in T20I series-decider vs SA

In IPL 2025, Markram had good returns in the opening spot for Lucknow Super Giants, where he scored five fifties in 13 innings and maintained a strike-rate of 148.82. He also has three half-centuries from nine innings opening for South Africa, albeit that they came in a series against Pakistan in 2021, and strikes at 170.28. Those T20I numbers are less likely to have influenced Conrad than the presence of Dewald Brevis at No. 4, which would be Markram’s regular spot. As Markram himself said, Brevis is among those who are “a lot more destructive” than he is and with David Miller also likely to slot back in from the England series onwards, there is no other spot for Markram unless Pretorius (currently at No. 3) does not play.Aiden Markram is back at the top of the order for South Africa in T20Is•Getty ImagesIt doesn’t help Markram that he continues to struggle for form at this level. He has not scored a half-century in T20Is in 30 innings dating back to October 2022 and has only crossed 20 once in his last seven knocks. He will know that pressure is on him to deliver, especially after former captain Temba Bavuma was dropped from the format for similarly low numbers. Bavuma only scored one T20I fifty (Markram has nine) but got into double figures only four times in his last 13 T20I innings and was generally considered to be too slow a run-scorer to stay in the side.What Markram offers that Bavuma didn’t is the additional skill of offspin and under a coach who values allrounders, how often Markram chooses to bowl could also underline his value to the team. In the second T20I, he shared the new ball and picked up the early wicket of Travis Head but only bowled one over. As captain, he has bowled 35 overs in 28 matches, and a full quota of four overs twice. Asked if he would consider using himself more, Markram wavered but suggested it could happen if the situation called for it.”It’s very much a feel thing. It’s quite a daunting task. You just see the ball flying nowadays and I’m not so sure I really want to be a bowler,” he said. “But there’ll be occasions where you feel like the wicket might be on the slower side or might offer something and you sort of take that punt. The way I try to operate is just go on my gut feel, whatever my gut’s telling me in the moment, run with that and back that and reflect on what could have been and what should have been possibly after the game.”

“We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks [Rickelton] to be up top.”Aiden Markram explains why he went back to opening in T20Is

South Africa have several spin options available to them in this squad – left-armers George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, offspinner Prenelan Subrayen and legspinners Nqabayomzi Peter and Dewald Brevis – as well as two big names who are not in the touring party. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have been left out of this series with the push towards allrounders, which should only make Markram even more eager to show what he can do with ball in hand.For now, Markram’s focus will be on winning the series and getting South Africa’s T20I bilateral record back on track. They have won only one of their last nine bilateral engagements and, recently, also lost the T20I tri-series final to New Zealand in Zimbabwe. Though that record was largely the cause of playing with experimental squads, it weighed on former coach Rob Walter. The expectation is that with more of the first-choice players available to him, Conrad will produce more consistent results.The same can be said of Markram. His reputation as an inspirational captain was confirmed when he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles and then South Africa to the T20 World Cup final. Now, he will want to back that up with his own form and has already hinted that he has set himself the goal of stepping up.”The series so far has been good. The bowlers have been pretty good for us. The previous game made our batters look good, but it was very much an individual performance [Brevis hit an unbeaten 125]. So a nice challenge for our batters tomorrow to hopefully click and for them to put on a good score.”

The New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, in 10 innings on Monday night despite the best efforts of Shohei Ohtani. The Mets scored a run in the fifth inning when Brandon Nimmo hit a ground-rule double that scored Jeff McNeil.

McNeil had almost gotten doubled off second when Michael Conforto made a tough catch at the wall on a long fly ball from Francisco LIndor. Conforto quickly threw the ball back in an attempt to get McNeil at second, but second baseman Tommy Edman couldn't make the catch and it bounced away.

The ball then hit umpire Jansen Visconti in the head and ricocheted straight up into the air and miraculously landed back in Edman's glove. You couldn't recreate this bounce in a lifetime.

Luckily, Visconti was alright. In fact, he was so alright that he and Edman shared a laugh and then the cameras caught him pointing back out to the outfield with a big smile on his face to let Conforto know that he was alright. And in the process, he looked like the coolest umpire in baseball.

The visitors lasted only 30.1 overs in Dhaka, getting bowled out for 117 in a chase of 297

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2025

Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar put on the second-biggest opening stand for Bangladesh in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh blazed a hole through West Indies in a 179-run win in the third ODI, achieving their first series victory since March last year. Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar put together a scintillating 176-run opening stand which provided the backbone for Bangladesh’s 296 for 8. The visitors lasted 30.1 overs, getting bowled out for 117 in reply.Rishad Hossain claimed three wickets to take his series haul to 12, becoming the first Bangladesh bowler since 2015 to take more than ten wickets in a bilateral ODI series. Nasum Ahmed also picked up three wickets while Tanvir Islam finished with 8-0-16-2.Bangladesh got off to a fast start, unusual for this series as it was played on mostly dark, cracked, spin-dominated pitches. Sarkar (91 off 86) and Saif (80 off 72) went on a boundary spree that lasted 25 overs. The two stylish batters matched each other stroke for stroke as they raised Bangladesh’s second-highest opening partnership in ODIs and the first century opening stand at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in ten years..Saif struck Akeal Hosein for two fours in the first over, followed by his first six in the left-arm spinner’s next over. That inside-out strike over the covers set off the big-hitting spree. Sarkar struck Roston Chase for two sixes, both reverse-hits early in the innings. Saif focused on hitting straight, blazing Chase for his second six before he overturned an on-field lbw decision when he was on 28 and extended his innings.Alick Athanaze pulled off a stunning catch off his own bowling•AFP/Getty Images

Justin Greaves broke a sequence of 59 consecutive overs of spin from West Indies, across two matches, and Sarkar welcomed him two fours through fine leg. Saif, then, played the shot of the innings. He charged Greaves who tried to cramp him, but the batter backed himself and the result was a lovely high-elbow loft that went for a big six down the ground.Saif struck two boundaries in the 16th over, one bringing up Bangladesh’s 100-run opening stand, and the next one taking him to his maiden fifty. Sarkar wasn’t done at the other end. He slammed Khary Pierre for a straight six before he went after Motie with a six and four in the 25th over. Just like that he was into the nineties.Chase ended the opening stand in the 26th over when he had Saif caught at long-on. Sarkar was left distraught when he also holed out in the deep, at midwicket, nine short of his fourth ODI ton.The rest of the Bangladesh batters couldn’t quite do justice to the Saif-Sarkar double act. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy added 50 runs for the third wicket. Alick Athanaze took a tremendous catch to remove Shanto, running back from his bowling mark before diving full length.West Indies had a bit of respite when Hosein removed Mahidul Islam, Rishad and Nasum, all in the 46th over. Still, Bangladesh’s 296 – which included a record-equalling 14 sixes – looked like a formidable total on the Dhaka surface.West Indies never got their chase going, as they ran into Nasum who took their first three wickets. Athanaze fell lbw trying to paddle Nasum in the fifth over, before Ackeem Auguste, playing a similar shot, also fell lbw for a duck.Brandon King, who struck a six and two fours, was Nasum’s third wicket, bowled for 18. Shai Hope fell for just 4, mishitting Tanvir Islam in the 14th over. Sherfane Rutherford became Rishad’s first wicket, when he inside-edged one to Mehidy Hasan Miraz at midwicket, having made 12. He had a particularly poor ODI series.West Indies’ lower half caved in steadily. Rishad bowled a full toss and had Chase out for a duck, before trapping Gudakesh Motie for his third. After winning the first ODI and losing the second in a Super Over, the emphatic victory in the third match sealed the series 2-1 for Bangladesh.

The U.S. scored early and never stopped, putting five past a strong Uruguay side in their final match of 2025.

To close out 2025, the U.S. men’s national team lined up two final tests. The first was handled with ease – a 2-1 win over Paraguay that stretched the unbeaten run and nudged the U.S. into their final exam against Uruguay, one of the world’s true heavyweights.

If Paraguay was a passing grade, then Tuesday was an A+++. Extra credit was on the table, and somehow the U.S. claimed all of it in a stunning dismantling of Uruguay.

Goal after goal went in and, by the time the U.S. finally eased off, the scoreline read 5-1. With manager Mauricio Pochettino rotating heavily – nine of 10 outfield players changed – the U.S. lined up against Uruguay and absolutely dominated. Alex Freeman scored twice, Sebastian Berhalter added a goal and an assist, and Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna chipped in as well, sealing the USMNT’s most emphatic win of the Pochettino era. It marks the first time the USMNT has scored five goals against a CONMEBOL nation, a World Cup winner, or a FIFA top-30 opponent – according to TruMedia Sports' Paul Carr. 

It started early, and from Uruguay’s perspective, it unraveled quickly. Berhalter’s superb finish in the 17th minute set the tone, and the U.S. were four goals up by the 43rd, when Luna punished an overwhelmed Uruguay side yet again. A bicycle-kick strike from Giorgian De Arrascaeta gave Pochettino something to bark about, and the U.S. seemed to take the hint. Four minutes after Rodrigo Bentancur’s 65th-minute red card, Tessmann made it five, putting the final stamp on a statement win.

This was the last time the USMNT will take the field until March, when they enter their final pre-World Cup window. And as sendoffs go, this was a remarkable one for Pochettino’s first full year in charge – a year full of hurdles that somehow ends with the U.S. looking better than ever.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Raymond James Stadium…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defense

Matt Freese (5/10):

Didn't have to do much, but surely should have done better on the goal. The U.S. survived the initial ball in, but not the sequence, as his decision to come out of the net ultimately cost the U.S.

John Tolkin (6/10):

A pretty good game, all things considered. Got forward well and was never challenged defensively. Drew a few fouls, too.

Auston Trusty (7/10):

Credited with the assist on Freeman's second, although that was all Freeman, to be fair. Defensively, he was super steady and nearly prevented the goal before the bicycle kick.

Mark McKenzie (6/10):

Not quite as good as Trusty, but still pretty good. In truth, he wasn't challenged too often, and there wasn't much he could do on the goal given the quality of finish.

Alex Freeman (9/10):

What a performance. Scored two goals, both very different, and handled anything Uruguay well defensively, too. A night to be proud of for the Florida native.

Sergino Dest (7/10):

Another one with an "assist" but, again, all Berhalter. Given more freedom as he essentially played as a midfielder, but did more defensive work than you would expect.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Sebastian Berhalter (9/10):

Set piece superstar. His goal is a Goal of the Year contender, and his assist was stunning, too. Fun fact: he now has a USMNT goal and his dad doesn't.

Aidan Morris (7/10):

A good shift in midfield against a talented Uruguay unit. Never looked phased and seemingly never had to work too hard, either.

Timothy Tillman (6/10):

Played a little bit higher, but wasn't overly involved outside of the first few minutes. Not a bad game, but was certainly overshadowed by the goal scorers on the pitch. 

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Diego Luna (7/10):

Lovely finish from a player who has provided a few of those this year. Didn't create too much danger otherwise, but really took his chance well.

Haji Wright (7/10):

He was good at holding the ball up, springing several U.S. attackers thanks to his ability to occupy the Uruguay defense. Didn't get a goal, but deserved one for all of the hard work he did.

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Folarin Balogun (5/10):

Hardly got a touch of the ball as Uruguay sat back while down a man.

Gio Reyna (8/10):

Another game, another assist, as he set up Tessmann's goal. Uruguay made it easy for him by not pressing, but that ball in was fantastic.

Tanner Tessmann (9/10):

Came off the bench to score his first USMNT goal with a lovely headed finish.

Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

Got a few touches, but didn't get much else.

Max Arfsten (7/10):

Came on late but was actually pretty involved, even with the sting taken out of the game.

Cristian Roldan (N/A):

Tossed in with two minutes left to run around a little bit.

Mauricio Pochettino (9/10):

Was surely in dreamland through this one. While Uruguay looked lethargic and unenthused, the USMNT pressed like dogs right up until the final whistle. A statement win that allows the U.S. to end 2025 on the highest of notes.

Celtic were in Scottish Premiership action on Sunday against Dundee, but Chris Sutton made his vehement opposition known to one Brendan Rodgers decision at Dens Park.

Celtic fall to dismal defeat against Dundee

The international break passed, and Celtic came back into things looking to close the gap on Heart of Midlothian following their victory over Kilmarnock on Saturday evening.

Truthfully, the Bhoys have been well below par this campaign and appear to be struggling in their quest to put together a convincing run of victories. This was reflected on Tayside as they turned in an abject display that left far more questions than answers.

Dundee were spirited and got themselves into a deserved two-goal lead, something that Celtic never looked like recovering from as their problems continue to show themselves at an alarming rate and the hosts earned a victory that vindicated their performance.

Daizen Maeda’s injury blow left the Bhoys short of attacking options, and they looked toothless from the outset, something that the club hierarchy has a lot to answer for in the grand scheme of things.

Remaining five points behind, they now look ahead to the toughest week of their season so far, starting off with a home clash against Sturm Graz in the Europa League before travelling to face Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle.

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Win in Edinburgh and the gap will narrow again to two points. Lose, and an eight-point gap could stare Celtic in the face heading into a key run of fixtures between now and the November international break.

Pressure has arguably never been higher on Rodgers, even if he has been left grossly short by his hierarchy, though some believe he has a lot to answer for after another terrible day for the Scottish Premiership holders.

Chris Sutton can't believe Hyunjun Yang started vs Dundee

Speaking on Sky Sports shown via X, Sutton couldn’t believe that Hyunjun Yang started for Celtic against Dundee and made a vocal plea for the manager to take him off at half-time.

He said: “I do not understand the decision to start Yang in front of James Forrest. James Forrest, he’s getting on a bit, but you know what he’s going to do, I don’t think Yang knows what he’s going to do with the ball himself. He gives players the ball when he’s finished with it. Just get him off!”

Sutton is an outspoken Celtic pundit, but he is completely right on this occasion. Yang, alongside many others, simply put in a performance that was miles off the standard needed to claim three points at Dens Park.

Fotmob show that the £6,000 per week earner achieved a 6.1/10 match rating and had 25 touches in total, doing nothing to trouble the Dundee backline before he was hooked at half-time.

The South Korean winger was far from the only culprit, it has to be said. Celtic are in a bad place and need to improve swiftly to avoid public scrutiny of their performances multiplying.

كشف عادل مصطفي، المدرب المساعد للنادي الأهلي، تطورات موقف ثلاثي الفريق المصاب، حسين الشحات وإمام عاشور وأشرف داري.

وتوج النادي الأهلي، ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري، بعد الفوز اليوم الأحد على الزمالك، في المباراة النهائية بنتيجة 2-0.

وقال مصطفي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية: “حسين الشحات في نهاية الشهر الجاري سيكون متواجداً معنا”.

طالع | ياسر إبراهيم: لاعبو الأهلي احتاجوا إلى “عزومة” بعيدًا عن الكرة.. وحسين الشحات: هذا اليوم فرق معنا

وأضاف: “إمام عاشور يخوض برنامجا تأهيليا، يعمل فترة إعداد جديدة، خلال الفترة القادمة، وأشرف داري قريب من العودة”.

واستكمل: “الفوز اليوم بالنسبة لنا كمنظومة كاملة، فوز عادي، ولكن احيانا يكون عليك ضغوط من الجماهير”.

وأتم: “منذ أول مباراة بتروجيت والمصري اللاعبون يسيرون على الطريق الصحيح، أوجه رسالة للجماهير، أن اللاعبين يقدمون أفضل ما لديهم”.

In the last five years, batting averages there have diminished as the game has progressed, with spinners having taken more than 100 wickets each on days three and four

Mohammad Isam16-Jun-2025Bangladesh batters are eager to cash in on the Galle pitch before it starts responding to spinners, according to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. The visitors begin their Sri Lanka tour with the Galle Test starting on Tuesday, with recent performances putting both batting units under pressure.Shanto had scored his maiden Test century in the first game during Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2021 – he scored 163 in Pallekele, which remains his highest Test score. This time around, Bangladesh will be playing only their third Test in Galle, the last of which was back in 2017.In the last five years, batting averages in Galle have diminished as the game has progressed – from 45.64 on the first day to 35.61, 28.53, 28.31 and 20.65 in the subsequent days. Spinners have taken more than 100 wickets each on the third and fourth days of Tests in Galle during this period.Related

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“I have some good memories in Kandy, but I want to take the opportunity in Galle,” Shanto said. “Playing spin may be challenging, but there’s also a lot of runs in the first two or three days in Galle. We want to take that opportunity. There will be challenges for the batters as spinners take a lot of wickets in this venue. We have to bat well. We are enjoying each other’s company despite all the challenges.”Shanto said he is pleased with the combination of players he has in the current Test squad, although Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who reportedly has a fever, remains a doubtful starter against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh will take a last-minute call on the playing XI after confirming whether Mehidy is available.”Mehidy is still under observation, but his health is improving. A lot depends on his availability,” Shanto said. “If he is in the team, we can go into the Test with a good combination. I don’t want to reveal where I am going to bat in the Test match. I don’t want my opponent to know. We still have a few things up in the air. Miraz is still not fully well.”I am happy with the Test squad. I think it is also quite positive that we all could agree on this combination. It is a balanced side with enough options for batting and bowling. We can pick the XI depending on the opposition and conditions. We also have to execute our plans by playing good cricket.”Earlier this year, Bangladesh levelled the Test series against Zimbabwe after defeat in the first Test•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh’s batting struggles are often attributed to the absence of their batting heavyweights, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. While Tamim has retired from all formats, Shakib could be available just for ODIs. In Tamim’s absence, Bangladesh are yet to settle on an opening pair, while Shakib’s role as a batter hasn’t been totally replaced either. Shanto, though, is hopeful that the current Test players can do their jobs in Sri Lanka.”They are not in the team for the last two or three years; Shakib and Tamim served Bangladesh cricket for a long time,” Shanto said. “But we don’t want to think about the past. We have some experienced cricketers in the squad. They will do well here. I hope those in the team will take the team forward.”Bangladesh will be looking to bounce back after having won just two out of ten completed matches across formats so far this year. In February, they exited the Champions Trophy in the group stage, before going down to Zimbabwe in the Sylhet Test in April. Bangladesh then lost back-to-back T20I series against UAE and Pakistan in May-June. Shanto, however, said that the team will take inspiration from their drawn Test series against Zimbabwe, where they bounced back in Chattogram after the defeat in Sylhet.”We don’t want to think too much about the Zimbabwe series. We came back well in that series,” Shanto said. “It will motivate the team. We are playing in conditions that many of us have played in the past. We have to play good cricket, especially the batters.”We have good memories in Sri Lanka, which will be helpful but every series is a new beginning. The top order has to provide the team with a good start. We have a good squad here, so it will be a great opportunity to do something special here.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin will have been delighted that his side picked up their first win of the Scottish Premiership season last weekend.

The Gers had failed to win any of their opening five matches in the division, their worst start to a league campaign in 47 years, but picked up a last-gasp winner on Sunday thanks to Max Aarons.

His excellent finish, as shown in the clip above, won the match for the Ibrox giants after they found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time.

It was Aarons’ first minutes on the pitch for Rangers since he was shown a straight red card against Club Brugge in the 6-0 loss in Belgium back in August, and what a return to action it was for the full-back.

Whilst the Bournemouth loanee was finally brought back into the fold after being an unused substitute for three successive matches, there was another player who was suffering a similar fate on the bench.

Mohamed Diomande was an unused substitute against Livingston after he was shown a straight red card in the 1-0 defeat to Genk in the Europa League at Ibrox last week.

Why Mohamed Diomande was rightfully dropped

Even taking the red card out of the equation, the Ivorian midfielder was rightfully dropped from the starting line-up for that Premiership clash because his performances in the league have not been up to scratch this season.

The left-footed star may have been punished against Livingston because of his red card in Europe, but his league form overall this season warranted him being left out of the side regardless of what happened against Genk.

Diomande had caught the eye in the Premiership last season with a return of four goals and seven assists, per Sofascore, which led to a bid from Besiktas in the summer transfer window.

The central midfielder put in impressive performances on a consistent basis, delivering quality in the final third, which is why he had interest from elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Diomande’s form since Martin came through the door at Ibrox has nosedived to the point where it was justified to leave him out on Sunday.

Mohamed Diomande (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

5

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.38

Goals

4

0

Assists

7

0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.6

Ground duel success rate

57%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

17%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Ivorian lightweight has been dominated in duels on the deck and in the air in the Premiership this season, without making up for it with any goals or assists for the team.

Given his dismal start to the season in the Premiership and in the Europa League, Diomande should now be worried that the club are reportedly looking at a free agent midfielder.

Rangers considering free agent swoop

According to journalist Mark Hendry, via his Substack, Glasgow Rangers have been offered the chance to sign free agent central midfielder Pierre Ekwah after his exit from Saint-Etienne.

The former West Ham United and Sunderland midfield whiz ripped up his contract with the Ligue 2 club on deadline day at the start of September, which means that he is now free to discuss a move elsewhere and can be registered before the January window.

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Hendry’s report adds that Ekwah has been offered to both Celtic and Rangers in a bid to find a new club after his ext from the French team, but it remains to be seen whether either of the Scottish giants are willing to take a punt on him.

The Gers are considering whether or not to make a move for the midfield star, but they were linked with a move for the Frenchman towards the end of the summer transfer window.

This suggests that the recruitment team at Ibrox and Martin are well aware of the 23-year-old and his talents, which is why they should push to get a deal done for him as a free agent in the coming days or weeks.

Why Rangers should sign Pierre Ekwah

The Ibrox giants should swoop to sign Ekwah ahead of Celtic to bolster their options in the middle of the park because he could come in as an immediate and instant upgrade on Diomande.

As aforementioned, the Rangers central midfielder’s levels have dropped off this season, which has left a gap to fill in midfield for Martin because the Ivorian was such an important player for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign.

Ekwah’s performances in Ligue 1, one of Europe’s major leagues, last season suggest that he has the quality to come in and hit the ground running as a key player for the Gers if he is fit and ready to go.

The left-footed central midfielder left Saint-Etienne after they were relegated to Ligue 2, but his displays in their relegation campaign showed that he was good enough to play at the top level.

24/25 Ligue 1

Pierre Ekwah

Percentile rank vs CMs

Tackles

57

Top 17%

Duels won

145

Top 11%

Duel success rate

57%

Top 14%

Aerial duel success rate

71%

Top 7%

Interceptions

47

Top 3%

Blocks

12

Top 6%

Ball recoveries

157

Top 8%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star was one of the most effective defensive midfielders in Ligue 1, as he ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of statistics.

Ekwah, who former manager Tony Mowbray claimed could do “amazing” things with his feet, is a powerful and combative central midfielder who has shown that he can compete physically in a major European league, whilst Diomande has struggled badly with the physicality in the Premiership this season.

Along with his defensive attributes, the former Saint-Etienne star also completed 88% of his passes in Ligue 1 last season, per Sofascore, whilst Diomande has completed 84% of his attempted passes in the Premiership this term.

Therefore, Rangers and Martin could land an instant upgrade on the struggling Ivorian midfielder by swooping to sign a free agent star who excelled in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign.

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