It's July 2, 2025, and as he has been for the last half-decade, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is the most feared hitter in baseball.
He is famously the kind of player to whom no numbers can do justice—but on Tuesday, he added yet another statistical milestone to his storied resume.
A home run against the Chicago White Sox in his team's 6–1 win gave him 30 on the year to go with 10 stolen bases and five triples. According to OptaSTATS, Ohtani is the first player ever to do that in five consecutive seasons.
Only four players, in fact, have accomplished that feat in consecutive seasons—Milwaukee Braves outfielder Hank Aaron (1960 to '62), Milwaukee Brewers third baseman and left fielder Ryan Braun (2007 to '09), New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays (1955 to '57), and Dodgers outfielder Raul Mondesi (1997 to '99). Mays and New York Yankees outfielder Babe Ruth are the only other players to accomplish that feat in five seasons .
He has a long way to go at just 30, but it seems almost certain that Cooperstown, N.Y. awaits Ohtani.
The Blue Jays were defeated Wednesday by the Red Sox in an AL East rivalry clash, and the last out was certainly one the team will be hoping to forget.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk hit a line drive into right field and began making his way to first base. He certainly didn't run with too much urgency, as despite the ball reaching the outfield, he was thrown out by Wilyer Abreu at first base.
Addison Barger, who was the runner on first base, looked on in disbelief after his teammate was thrown out at first base to end the game, clearly displeased with what had transpired.
Toronto had been held off the scoresheet until the ninth inning when Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a solo shot to get them on the board. A win was unlikely given the six-run deficit, but Kirk getting thrown at first base was certainly an unceremonious way to end the game.
With the Blue Jays losing and the Yankees beating the White Sox, the teams are now tied atop the AL East at 90-68. Boston meanwhile, is three games back in the division with four to play, but is inching closer to clinching a wild card spot.
Manchester City “will be interested” in a title-winning manager to replace Pep Guardiola when the time comes for him to move on.
Guardiola assesses Man City's title chances
City make the trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend, looking to stay in touch with Arsenal and continue their good recent form, especially Erling Haaland.
When asked about the state of the title race on Friday, Guardiola gave a rather sarcastic response, but also feels positive about where his team are at currently.
“Our mentality and our body language are in the right spo,t and it will make us stable but (we need to) play better during 95 minutes. In the first two games, three games, for sure we are out and Liverpool is already done, and now it looks like Liverpool is done, and I tell you that they will be back.
“I said many times, I know all the pundits, all the specialists, former players, they know everything that is going to happen after five games. I’m not able to do that. I always wait 10, 15 games to know exactly what is going on but I think obviously Liverpool, Arsenal are there, someone else will be there, and hopefully we can be there.”
It remains to be seen how long Guardiola will stay in charge of City, but he will need to be replaced eventually, and an interesting name has been mentioned as an option to come in.
Title-winning manager backed to succeed Guardiola
Writing for Sky Germany, relayed by Sport Witness, Didi Hamann revealed Vincent Kompany could replace Guardiola at Manchester City one day, and Bayern’s recent contract extension may well have been designed to ward off the interest from the Etihad.
“FC Bayern extended Kompany’s contract until 2029, even though he still had 20 months left on his contract. I mean, the extension wasn’t a must, but I understand why they did it.
“Bayern probably have in mind that Manchester City will be interested in Kompany at some point when Pep Guardiola retires. It would be interesting to know if Kompany has a clause in his contract. Christoph Freund didn’t reveal anything about that on Wednesday evening, but he didn’t completely deny it either.”
Kompany’s status as a playing legend at City, and the fact that he is now a Bundesliga champions in charge of Bayern Munich, does make him a fairly obvious contender to be Guardiola’s successor at the Etihad.
At 39, he is an exciting manager who is growing all the time, with Bayern youngster’s Tom Bischof recent comments highlighting the effect he is having at Bayern, who are off to their best start to a season in their storied history.
Man City have Fernandinho 2.0 who's "one of the best players in the world"
Pep Guardiola may have found his new Fernandinho at Manchester City…
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Joe Nuttall
Oct 24, 2025
City fans will hope that Guardiola is still around for years to come, with the Spaniard showing few signs of wanting to move on, but Kompany should be kept an eye on as a leading option, assuming he continues to impress at Bayern.
Chelsea have been given a boost in their search for a world-class striker next year, as one of Europe’s finest marksmen could choose a switch to Stamford Bridge over Barcelona and PSG.
After their damning 2-1 loss at home to newly-promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side have returned to winning ways after three victories in their last four games across all competitions.
In truth, the criticism of Chelsea can be overblown sometimes, considering that defeat to the Black Cats was their first and only loss in nine matches — a run which includes impressive victories over Liverpool, Tottenham and José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League.
The Blues are now third in the Premier League table and six points behind league leaders Arsenal, but pundits like Jamie Carragher are adamant that Chelsea could use something different to their pretty similar options throughout the team.
Reports suggest that BlueCo partly agree with Carragher’s statement, as they’re making transfer plans ahead of next year despite spending close to £300 million in the summer.
The Premier League’s biggest summer spenders
Team
Spent
Received
Net Spend
Liverpool
£415,000,000
£187,000,000
£228,000,000
Chelsea
£285,000,000
£288,000,000
-£3,000,000
Arsenal
£255,000,000
£9,000,000
£246,000,000
Newcastle
£250,000,000
£152,000,000
£98,000,000
Man Utd
£216,000,000
£68,000,000
£148,000,000
Nottm Forest
£205,000,000
£107,000,000
£98,000,000
Tottenham
£181,000,000
£36,000,000
£145,000,000
Sunderland
£162,000,000
£44,000,000
£118,000,000
Man City
£152,000,000
£53,000,000
£99,000,000
West Ham
£124,000,000
£55,000,000
£69,000,000
via BBC
After his latest injury blow and being hauled off just six minutes into Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag last week, midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to be sidelined for at least one month with a quadriceps problem, and Chelsea were already looking at new midfield targets before the Belgian’s return to rehab.
It is unclear whether Chelsea could look to strike a midfield deal in January, or whether it’s one for next summer instead, but it is reportedly more clear that Maresca wants a new centre-back to come in at the very least as BlueCo prioritise a defender.
Other media sources indicate that Chelsea may well bring in another striker next year as well, despite Joao Pedro’s excellent form and the return of Liam Delap.
Julian Alvarez reportedly refuses to rule out joining Chelsea ahead of Barca and PSG
Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, journalist Graeme Bailey has said that £211,000-per-week forward Julian Alvarez is one to keep an eye on.
The former Man City sensation has dazzled under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid this term, netting nine times in his last 15 outings, and he finished his debut 24/25 season at the La Liga side with nearly 30 goals in all competitions.
This incredible form is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest hitters, including PSG and Barca, but Bailey has suggested that Alvarez is refusing to rule out a Chelsea move.
Maresca could have his pick of new centre-forwards with the pacey Emmanuel Emegha poised to arrive from sister club Strasbourg in 2026.
Alvarez would be the cherry on top, but according to some reports in Argentina, those within Barca are convinced that Atletico could demand as much as £176 million to let the 25-year-old leave – so Chelsea may even have to break the Premier League transfer record.
NEW YORK — He heard the boos in 2022, when he followed his American League MVP season with seven strikeouts in the first two games of the division series. He heard the gasps of his teammates when the Guardians intentionally walked Juan Soto to face him in the DS last year. He heard the questions over the last three years about whether, after carrying his teammates to October every year, he was letting them down when they got there.
On Tuesday, as he watched his rocket to left field to see whether it would stay fair, save the Yankees’ season and rewrite his postseason legacy, Aaron Judge heard only silence.
“You just got so much adrenaline pumping and you’re so locked in on the moment,” he said. The noise only turned back on for him as he rounded third base to tie a game the Yankees would win 9–6 to stave off elimination and force Game 4 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. Toronto had led Game 3 6–1 in the top of the third; the comeback was tied for the second largest in MLB history to avoid postseason elimination, and also tied the second-largest postseason comeback in franchise history.
The moment was both impossible and inevitable. The question surrounding Judge most of this year was not whether he would win his third AL MVP award in four years (almost certainly yes) but whether he would finally play to his talent level in the postseason (much less clear). He has always rejected that narrative, but ignoring it has not made it go away. Only producing moments like he did on Tuesday can do that.
Just before the chaos, there was that instant of stillness, as Judge at the plate, Toronto reliever Louis Varland on the mound, Trent Grisham at first base and Austin Wells at second all wondered if this would be just another missed opportunity. “I felt like I made good contact, and I thought we had a chance,” Judge said. “You just never know with the wind, if it's going to push it foul, going to keep curving or not. But I guess a couple ghosts out there helped kind of keep that fair.”
Ghosts and wrists, perhaps. Even if the moment had been lesser, the shot would still have been impressive: It came off a 99.7-mph fastball 1.2 feet from the center of the plate, almost at his elbows. It was the first time since MLB began tracking such things in 2008 that a hitter homered off a pitch thrown so hard and also so far inside. Considering how much velocity has increased in recent years, there’s a good chance it’s the first time in MLB history.
No one who has ever tried to do that could believe it.
“It would be in the catcher’s glove if I tried to do that,” said Wells.
“I can’t even comprehend,” said reliever Tim Hill.
“We all went over the video in the dugout after that about 10 times,” said second baseman Jazz Chisholm.
“I get yelled at for swinging at them out of the zone, but now I’m getting praised for it,” Judge said wryly, his only acknowledgement of the criticism. Mostly he stuck to well-worn phrases: “Just trying to do my job, what I’ve been trying to do all year. Not trying to do too much. Guy’s on base, drive him in. If no one’s on base, try to get a rally going. That’s all you can do.”
Judge’s game-changing home run had everyone in the stadium staring down the left field line. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
He is now hitting .500 this postseason. Even that performance, though, had not been enough: He had produced only walks and singles, and they had come in such low-leverage moments that in the first two games of the DS he had actually made the Yankees 0.69% less likely to win the World Series, according to Baseball Reference. In his one key at-bat, down two with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth inning of Game 1, he struck out waving at what he realized immediately would have been ball four.
“Definitely,” he said afterward. “I think all you guys saw that.”
The narrative is not always fair, and it is not always easy to overcome. Ted Williams got 25 career postseason at-bats, had hits in five of them and was forever thought of as someone who didn’t come through when it mattered. Barry Bonds hit .471 and slugged 1.294 in the 2002 World Series, but the Giants lost and he’d hit .196 in his previous five Octobers, so no one cared. Mike Trout has one hit in 15 postseason plate appearances; barring an Angels organizational turnaround, his career will be seen as a missed opportunity.
Before Tuesday, in 20 high-leverage postseason plate appearances, Judge had three walks, two singles and a double for a batting average of .176 and a slugging percentage of .235. He had never homered. (League average in those spots was a .225 average and a .377 slugging percentage.)
“I don’t worry about Aaron and his state, even understanding all the outside noise,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. (For his part, Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked that his plan for attacking Judge the rest of the way was to hope “he gets a bad night’s sleep and has some bad food tonight or something like that. Give him credit, man, that was a ridiculous swing.”)
After the Blue Jays jumped out to that 6–1 lead, the Yankees embarked on what felt like a sequence emblematic of their season: a furious comeback attempt that would fall short. But Grisham and Judge led off the bottom of the third with back-to-back doubles, and Cody Bellinger singled to make it 6–3. With one out in the fourth, Wells popped a ball to short left field and took second in astonishment as third baseman Addison Barger failed to come up with it. Grisham worked a walk. As he stood at first base, he thought, .
“Knowing the moment, knowing how he is, his personality—it just felt like the right time,” Grisham said afterward.
Varland’s first pitch was a knuckle curve that Judge chopped foul down the third-base line. Next came a 100-mph fastball down the middle that Judge could not catch up to. With an 0–2 count, Varland uncorked that 100-mph fastball up and in. Judge caught up.
“I think it’s all timing,” Judge said. “That’s what a lot of hitting comes down to. If you’re not ready to swing and ready early, you’re not going to hit anything. After he blew my doors off on the pitch before, I said, ” He added, “He’s got all the leverage, so he’s probably in attack mode, is what I’m thinking. You’ve got to attack that head-on. You can’t be passive or try to be scared in the box. You’ve just got to trust your play and trust your gut and kind of see what happens.”
After what happened, Jazz Chisholm’s go-ahead home run and Wells’s single to drive in an insurance run in the fifth felt almost like formalities. But that the Yankees got 6 ⅔ scoreless innings from a sometimes beleaguered bullpen bodes well for them.
The Blue Jays are still in the better position, needing only one win in the next two games, but somehow it doesn’t feel that way after they blew a five-run lead for the first time this season. In Game 4, the Yankees will start Cam Schlittler, who last week in the winner-take-all AL wild card series Game 3 against his hometown Red Sox authored one of the best playoff games of all time (eight innings, no runs, no walks, 12 strikeouts). The Blue Jays will counter with a bullpen game. After six relievers pitched on Tuesday, the Yankees’ hitters have now seen every arm on the staff. And if they can force a Game 5, anything can happen there.
Judge’s legacy is still incomplete—and in New York, he will be a disappointment until he wins a World Series. (Perhaps until he wins several.) If they lose on Wednesday, this season will still be a failure. Judge knows that as well as anyone—and for as much as he tries to keep an even keel, he believes as much himself. But for one night, at least, he quieted the noise.
From his 1998 records to his only sub-100 scores. Read on find out more about his numerous records
Bharath Seervi24-Apr-20202 Number of times Sachin Tendulkar has defended six or fewer runs in the 50th over in ODIs, the only player to do so. He did so against South Africa in the Hero Cup at Eden Gardens in 1993 and versus Australia in the Titan Cup in Mohali in 1996.3 Number of countries in which Tendulkar is the youngest centurion in Tests, in England, Australia and South Africa. He scored centuries before his 20th birthday in all those countries.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Number of times Tendulkar reached a Test century with a six, the most by a batsman.7 Most sixes hit by Tendulkar in an ODI innings, against Australia in Kanpur in 1998, in an innings of 100 off 89 balls.8 Number of times Tendulkar dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq in international matches, the most he got a batsman. He dismissed Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Andy Flower and Moin Khan four times each.9 Tendulkar’s ODI centuries in 1998, the most by a batsman in a calendar year.14 Number of times Brett Lee dismissed Tendulkar in international matches, the most by a bowler. Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock and Muttiah Muralitharan got him out 13 times each.19 Consecutive years in which Tendulkar scored at least one ODI century: from 1994 to 2012.23 Years and 356 days, the gap between Tendulkar’s first and last Test fifty, the highest among all batsmen. His first fifty came in his second innings, in 1989, and last fifty in his final innings, in 2013.24 Number of years that Tendulkar played international cricket – the longest by an Indian, and fifth-longest by any player.31 Tendulkar’s highest score at No. 3 in ten innings in all international matches. He has scored centuries at every other position from opening to No. 6 in his international career. His career aggregate at No. 3 in international cricket is only 92.
38 Number of century partnerships with Sourav Ganguly in all internationals – 26 in ODIs and 12 in Tests. It is the most by a pair. Tendulkar also shared 31 century stands with Rahul Dravid.40 Tendulkar failed to score a century in his last 40 Test innings, the longest sequence without a hundred in his career. He scored nine fifties in those 40 innings with an average of 31.87 and high score of 94.45 Number of World Cup matches for Tendulkar, the second-most by a player.52 The highest identical score for Tendulkar in both innings of a match – versus Pakistan in Kolkata in 2005.58 The lowest score not achieved by Tendulkar in international matches; 58 and 75 are the only sub-100 scores he hasn’t made.71 Balls taken for his fastest ODI century, against Zimbabwe in Sharjah in 1998.74 The highest score for Tendulkar in the other innings of a Test in which he also scored a hundred: 177 and 74 against England at Trent Bridge in 1996. In his 200 Tests, he never scored centuries in both innings.79 Number of matches taken by Tendulkar to score his maiden ODI century. He had scored 17 fifties before scoring his first century, against Australia in Colombo in 1994. After his maiden century, the longest stretch without an ODI century was 36 innings between 2007 and 2008, which included three dismissals of 99.82 Tendulkar’s score when he first opened the batting in ODIs, off 49 balls, against New Zealand in Auckland in 1994. It was the first 50-plus score by an opener at a strike rate of more than 150 in ODI history.ESPNcricinfo Ltd87 Tendulkar’s average in Ranji Trophy – 4281 runs at 87.37 – the best among batsmen with 4000-plus runs in the tournament’s history.98 Number of matches Tendulkar captained for India – 25 Tests and 73 ODIs.99 Number of century partnerships for him in ODIs, the most for a batsman. In Tests, he was involved in 86 century stands, second after Dravid (88).142 Centuries across all formats for Tendulkar. He scored 81 hundreds in first-class, 60 in List A and one in T20s.157 Tendulkar’s Test average at the SCG – 785 runs in nine innings – the highest for a batsman with eight or more innings at a venue in Tests.175 Tendulkar’s score against Australia in an ODI in Hyderabad in 2009, the highest in an unsuccessful chase in ODI history.185 Number of consecutive ODIs played by Tendulkar from 1990 to 1998, a record for any player. His streak ended with his 25th birthday in 1998.195 Sixes in ODIs by Tendulkar. At the time of his retirement, they were the highest by an Indian batsman and third-highest among all batsmen in ODIs.201 Wickets for Tendulkar in all internationals – 46 in Tests, 154 in ODIs and one in T20Is.301 Most runs for Tendulkar in a Test match – 241 not out and 60 not out against Australia at the SCG in 2004. It is only the second instance of a batsman batting twice in a Test, scoring 300-plus runs, and being unbeaten in both innings.497 Runs between dismissals for Tendulkar in Tests in 2004. He had scores of 241*, 60*, 194* and 2. It was a record in Tests until Adam Voges scored 614 runs between dismissals in 2015-16.618 Runs scored by Tendulkar in IPL 2010. He became the first India player to win the Orange Cap in the IPL.664 His partnership with Vinod Kambli in a Harris Shield Tournament match in 1988, at the age of 14. Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 326 in the match. It is also the number of international matches played by Tendulkar – 200 Tests, 463 ODIs and one T20I.ESPNcricinfo Ltd673 Tendulkar’s aggregate in the 2003 World Cup, the most by a batsman in a single World Cup.898 Tendulkar’s highest rating points in the ICC rankings in his Test career. He got there in 2002. His highest rating points in ODIs was 887, in 1998.989 Number of players who played with or against Tendulkar in international matches, which is a record – 848 opponents and 141 team-mates. Among his team-mates, he played the most matches with Dravid (391); among opponents, it was Ricky Ponting (84).1562 Runs in Tests in 2010, at the age of 37, the most by a batsman in a year after the age of 35.1723 His aggregate as captain in the IPL, in 51 matches. It was the highest by a captain in the IPL when he quit captaincy at the end of the 2011 season.1894 Runs in ODIs in 1998, a record for most runs in a calendar year.2278 Runs in World Cups, the most by a batsman in the tournament’s history by a distance.2334 Tendulkar’s aggregate in the IPL. He completed 2000 IPL runs in 63 innings, which is still the fastest among India players and third-fastest among all batsmen.6225 Number of days between Tendulkar’s Test and T20I debuts, the highest among all players who have played both formats.6707 Runs and 20 centuries for Tendulkar versus Australia across formats, the most for a batsman against any opposition.8227 Partnership runs with Ganguly in ODIs, the most by a pair. No other pair has more than 6000 runs.8571 ODI runs in the 1990s, the most by a player in that decade. He scored 24 hundreds and averaged 43.07 at a strike rate of 86.81 from 1990 to 1999.10,032 Runs under Mohammad Azharuddin’s captaincy, in 207 matches – Tendulkar’s highest under a captain. He also scored 33 centuries under Azhar.50,192 Runs across formats (first-class, List A and T20s), the highest by an Asian batsman and 16th highest overall.
Here is part 2 of our team-by-team guide to the new Pakistan Super League season
Umar Farooq19-Feb-2021
Lahore Qalandars
Team overview
All those seasons at the bottom of the table were forgotten last year thanks to the Qalandars’ bristling competitiveness. The franchise rose from the ashes and stormed into their final by eliminating Peshawar Zalmi and then the league toppers Multan Sultans, before they lost to the Karachi Kings in the final. Over the years, the Qalandars had struggled to find their ideal combination and grappled with injuries and player unavailability, but last season they managed to create a desirable core under their captain Sohail Akhtar, a product of their player-development program.Related
The PSL 2021 draft – as it happened
How the six PSL franchises stack up and their likely first XIs
Pakistan Super League 2021 to allow spectators up to 20% capacity
Mohammad Hafeez: 'I became a better player when I realised that my failures were my own fault'
Sultans look strong, United have history on their side, and Gladiators bring promise
The Qalandars now have a deadly bowling trio at their disposal, comprising the three highest T20 wicket-takers of 2020 in Haris Rauf (57), Rashid Khan (56) and Shaheen Afridi (52). And while this dynamic attack makes them stand out from the rest of the teams, their batting also packs a punch, with their top order including Fakhar Zaman, who is looking to revive his Pakistan career, Akhtar, who comes into the tournament with T10 form behind him, and Ben Dunk, who made 300 runs last season at a strike rate of 167.59. The Qalandars have retained him for this season, and released Chris Lynn.The middle order also bursts with authority with Mohammad Hafeez, David Wiese and Samit Patel in the ranks. These three aren’t the youngest, but they bring valuable experience and rock-solid temperaments.Strengths
The Qalandars possess a bowling attack with all bases covered – pace, seam, left-arm spin, legspin, offspin.
The captain Sohail Akhtar is an underrated batsman, who has a T20 hundred under his belt. His career strike rate of 128.68 might not look too flash, but he comes into the PSL with a chart-topping 248 runs at a strike rate of 187.87 in the Abu Dhabi T10.
Hafeez has hit a purple patch in the shortest format of late, scoring 1005 runs at an average of 47.85 and a strike rate of 141.54 since the start of 2020. He’s added a new dimension to his game with improved power-hitting, and even at 40 the Professor shows no signs of stopping.
Weaknesses
Rashid is with the Qalandars for only two games since he will be leaving for national duty to play a Test series against Zimbabwe for Afghanistan. The Qalandars don’t have too much cover for his role, and his loss will be felt going deep in the tournament.
After a promising start to his international career across formats, Fakhar Zaman is now out of favour with his form dipping significantly. The Qalandars will hope he can get back to his best because he is a key figure in their top order.
Roster
Ben Dunk, David Wiese, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar, Ahmed Danyal, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Joe Denly, Rashid Khan, Samit Patel, Tom Abell, Salman Ali Agha. Zaid Alam, Zeeshan AshrafPotential First XI: Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (capt), Zaid Alam, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (wk), Samit Patel, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Dilbar HussainBabar Azam will be surrounded by an array of experienced top-order colleagues•PCB
Karachi Kings
Team overview The Karachi Kings broke their playoffs jinx last year to win the title. Otherwise, they had never finished in the top two, losing three times in the Eliminator and finishing in third place in 2017. They have always had a star-studded roster and arguably started each season as one of the favorites with a triumvirate of three long-standing players – Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, and Imad Wasim as the captain – as their defining feature.This year, as in the last few seasons, they have carefully injected firepower into their top order to bat around Babar Azam, trading Alex Hales with Islamabad United to bring back Colin Ingram, who had two sensational seasons for the Kings in 2018 and 2019, scoring 587 runs at a strike rate of 153.66.Their coaching panel is largely taken care of by director and president Wasim Akram but the franchise has also roped in the former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs as their head coach. Gibbs comes into the role that was previously held by Dean Jones, who died aged 59 in September last year in Mumbai. In November, the franchise dedicated their maiden title to Jones.Strengths
The top five positions offer guaranteed firepower with Sharjeel Khan, Ingram and Dan Christian capable of booming strike rates and batting around the class of Babar Azam.Weaknesses
The Kings have decent bowling options but their pace attack can be over-reliant on Mohammad Amir’s four-over quota. His form cost him his Pakistan place recently, and if he doesn’t fire on a given day, it might test the other fast bowlers – Arshad Iqbal, Waqas Maqsood and Aamer Yamin. It could be a make-or-break season for Amir’s career.
A lack of batting depth could be an issue, with the Kings lacking truly top-drawer hitters down the order, though Imad and Mohammad Nabi can do a decent job.
Roster
Aamer Yamin, Arshad Iqbal, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Chadwick Walton, Dan Christian, Danish Aziz, Joe Clarke, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Ilyas, Noor Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Zeeshan MalikPotential First XI
Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Dan Christian, Imad Wasim (capt), Chadwick Walton (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood, Arshad IqbalPeshawar Zalmi will hope the arrival of Mujeeb Ur Rahman can make up for the loss of Hasan Ali•Getty Images
Peshawar Zalmi
Team overview
The franchise is in a rebuilding phase after losing their premier fast bowler Hasan Ali – who parted ways to join Islamabad United. They are the only team after Karachi to have made the playoffs each time they’ve played the tournament in the last five years. They’ve played as many as three finals, but won only once. Zalmi are going through a reboot this year, having retained only five players in the draft while every other team retained the maximum quota of eight to secure their core.This is a new development, since no team has had as loyal a core as Zalmi’s since the league began in 2016. Darren Sammy, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz have worn no other colours until Hasan decided to leave; they also went through a mid-season crisis earlier, having to bench Sammy and appoint him as a coach. Their head coach Mohammad Akram – who has also been with the franchise from the beginning – has said the team is looking to make a fresh start.Strengths
The middle-order is brimming with experience, with Shoaib Malik and Ravi Bopara occupying key positions.
The bowling is largely based on their go-to quick Wahab Riaz, who is the leading wicket-taker in the PSL and has made a crucial contribution to Zalmi’s success over the years. He might be missing Hasan at the other end but the attack will be bolstered by the arrival of the Afghanistan mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who had a decent BBL season, picking up 14 wickets at an average of 13.42 and an economy rate of 6.26.
Weaknesses
Veteran Kamran Akmal hasn’t had a good run lately with the bat, and has missed chunks of the recent domestic season due to fitness issues.
Liam Livingstone pulling out on national duty has exposed cracks in the top order, leaving it largely in the hands of the inexperienced Haider Ali. Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been brought in as a replacement but he doesn’t have a lot of experience in Asian conditions. Imam ul Haq, meanwhile, has hardly played since picking up a thumb injury in New Zealand.
Roster
Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Abrar Ahmed, Amad Butt, David Miller, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Irfan Snr, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ravi Bopara, Saqib Mahmood, Sherfane Rutherford, Umaid Asif, Tom-Kohler CadmorePotential First XI
Haider Ali, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Kamran Akmal (wk), Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, Amad Butt, Wahab Riaz (capt), Umaid Asif, Mohammad Irfan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Imran
But what can he do when the damn IPL keeps getting in the way?
Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Mar-2021Shaz gets vaxxed
In outstanding news for humanity, Ravi Shastri revealed he has had his first vaccination against Covid-19. Which means Covid antibodies developed in Shastri’s body now exist in the world.It’s over for this disease.
Got the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Thank you to the amazing medical professionals & scientists for empowering India against the pandemic.
Extremely impressed with the professionalism shown by Kantaben & her team at Apollo, Ahmedabad in dealing with COVID-19 vaccination pic.twitter.com/EI29kMdoDF
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) March 2, 2021
Yeah, okay we get it
Look, is anyone else sick of hearing about how well New Zealand is doing in this pandemic? They are having huge barbeques, street parades, music concerts. Their stadiums are packed with spectators. Their parliament has been passing compassionate legislation by huge majorities.On the sporting front, they already had the most impressive team in all of elite sport for the last 40 years in the All Blacks, which anyway is ridiculous for a nation of five million. Now, their cricket team is among the top two Test sides in the world and they will play in the World Test Championship final. To rub all of this in, they have now monstered Bangladesh in limited-overs series, which have seen the international arrival of Devon Conway, who has rocked our replay reels with his strokeplay. And yet, although this guy also averages 47 in first-class cricket, New Zealand may not even need him in the Test squad, because they have a team full of performing incumbents. This is just obnoxious at this point. It’s not a good time for the rest of us, New Zealand. Read the bloody room.Test cricket worship corner
Folks, we all know that modern cricketers all love Tests and would play it 365 days a year, foregoing all else, if their bodies allowed. They tell us this again and again. Having only played one Test since 2019, thanks to a corruption-related ban, Shakib Al Hasan probably wants to play the format more than almost anyone else, and must have been overjoyed at the news that his team has two Tests scheduled in Apr… oh wait, no, he wants to miss the Sri Lanka Tests to play the IPL. Wow, how surprising.Women’s cricket commitment corner
Another topic that arguably draws even more empty rhetoric is women’s cricket, with boards all around the world falling over themselves to express their desire to develop it. Now that we’re a full year into the pandemic, it might be worth checking on how much cricket women have played recently. Since March 15, 2020, there have been only 38 women’s internationals played, compared to 115 men’s matches. This disparity is bad enough but then consider that 30 of those men’s games were Tests, while all the women’s matches were limited-overs games.Some teams have had an abysmally bare schedule. While Sri Lanka Cricket has hosted a Lanka Premier League, a Test tour, and has a relatively busy schedule lined up for the men over the next three months, the Sri Lanka women’s team have not played a single match for the past 12 months and have nothing lined up in April either.The legal tussle
Worrying allegations over discrimination have emerged in South Africa, where former England captain Karen Smithies is suing CSA for supposedly overlooking her for the job of manager of the women’s national team, allegedly in part because if she were appointed, that would make her a gay woman in charge of a women’s team. Which, if you follow this line of reasoning, is terrible news for all the heterosexual men working in the backrooms of women’s teams around the world, who now have to be castrated if they want to keep their jobs.Next month on the Briefing:– CSA rolls out new recruitment policy. “If you’re not fully asexual, we don’t even want to hear from you. Who knows if you will send in a seductive CV?”- New Zealand set some major, unbeatable record in the last T20I of the Bangladesh series, probably, the jerks.
Root admits his attack bowled too short and that mistakes were repeated
Andrew Miller20-Dec-2021In the end, England found the will to fight, and dragged the Adelaide Test kicking and screaming into the floodlit session of the fifth and final day. But for all that their 113.1 overs of resistance encouraged a few fleeting thoughts of survival, their all-out total of 192 told a more realistic tale.Not only was it the lowest total of the match, and fewer runs even than England’s eventual margin of defeat, it was also the 11th time in 27 innings this calendar year that England had been bowled out for less than 200.It’s an extraordinary collective failing, especially when you consider that Joe Root, England’s captain, has twice made more runs than that in a single innings this year, en route to his stellar haul of 1630 at 62.69.But with the Boxing Day Test looming in six days’ time, and England already 2-0 down in the Ashes having lost in Australia for the 11th time in 12 matches, Root knows that the lessons of these opening two Tests must be absorbed urgently if they are to avoid this tour heading in the same bleak direction as each of its two predecessors.Related
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“I’m actually very proud of the way that the guys fought today,” Root insisted. “The attitude, the desire – that’s how we need to go about whole Test matches. You can’t just leave it to the last day and expect to pull off an enormous feat, which is what it would have been today.”After the agonies, literal and otherwise, of his final-over dismissal on the fourth evening, Root was particularly pleased for Jos Buttler, England’s embattled wicketkeeper, whose glaring errors behind the stumps had been compounded by his duck in the first innings.Buttler avoided a pair on the final day when his counterpart, Alex Carey, blemished an otherwise superb display by failing to react to an early edge off Mitchell Starc, but seized on that let-off with a doughty 26 from 207 balls – the second-longest innings of his career, behind his century against Pakistan in 2020.”Jos’s innings was outstanding,” Root said, “ably supported by others, Woakesy [Chris Woakes] in particular. But ultimately that is the attitude and the mentality that we have to harness for five days if we’re going to win here.”The disappointing thing about this week is that we made the same mistakes as last week,” Root added. “We just can’t afford to do that. That’s going to be the most frustrating thing about this game, looking back.”Buttler’s innings ended in bizarre fashion, as he stepped back to steer Jhye Richardson into the covers and trod on his own wicket, 12 balls into the final session of the game. And while Root admitted that the team had been “devastated for him” after such a committed effort, he said that the strength of character Buttler had shown was reminiscent of his crucial half-century in the 2019 World Cup final – the sort of big-game mentality for which he had been recalled to the Test team in the first place.”Anyone that can handle a World Cup final – read the situation of the game, and be as composed as he was throughout that – can manage situations like this one within a Test match,” Root said. “He should gain a huge amount of confidence from the way he played today, not just in performing out here in these conditions but in his defence. Hopefully he can take a lot from this into the rest of this series.”Joe Root reflects on another heavy defeat•PA Images via Getty ImagesWhile England’s batting was a recognised concern coming into this Test, Root acknowledged that the bowling had been every bit as culpable in Australia’s first innings. Despite reuniting England’s senior seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad with a view to exploiting the purported movement of the pink ball, the lengths from all of England’s five quicks were consistently too short to target Australia’s outside edges, as they racked up a formidable 473 for 9 declared.”We need to be braver, and we need to get the ball up there,” Root said. “We were a little bit short with the ball. We didn’t challenge them enough, and they left very well again, which was something that they did in Brisbane as well.”Having witnessed Australia’s success with a fuller length in their own first innings of 236, England’s quicks fared better second time around, particularly on the fourth morning when three wickets tumbled in the first hour. “That’s almost the benchmark for us,” Root said. “We need to look at those passages of play, and do them for longer, and exploit the conditions as well as we did in that period of the game.”Overall, however, England were outbatted, outbowled, and outfielded on a consistent basis from the first ball to last.”That’s the game,” Root said. “You have to be able to put the ball in the right areas for long enough, you have to be able to score big runs, and when you create those chances you have to take them.”I think the frustration within our dressing room is that we did not quite execute very basic things well enough for the second game in a row. First of all, we need to learn, and we need to learn fast. We can’t make the same mistakes that we have done so far.”Despite the 2-0 scoreline, and the knowledge that no England team has ever fought back from such a deficit to win the Ashes, Root remained adamant that all is not lost, and that the gulf between the teams need not be as big as it has seemed in the first two Tests.”With the bat, we have got the ability,” he said. “I don’t think that Australia are that much better than us in these conditions. We are better than how we’ve played and we’ll front up in Melbourne, and put in a performance which is a fairer reflection of the ability in our dressing-room.”We’ve got three massive games with the Ashes on the line now. And if that’s not motivation enough to go there and put performances in, I don’t know what is.”