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The allrounder admits white-ball cricket has taken a backseat in the last 12 months but believes he can shine in the format

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2025Beau Webster is keen to push his credentials as a one-day cricketer ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup although concedes the white-ball formats have taken a backseat in recent times amid his rise to Test cricket.Webster will feature at the start of the One-Day Cup for Tasmania this week when they begin their campaign against New South Wales in Sydney on Tuesday before facing Victoria in Brisbane on Friday ahead of the Sheffield Shield early next month.Webster’s List A record with the bat is middling – an average of 30.31 and strike rate of 77.10 – with his only century coming back in 2017 for a Cricket Australia XI when they fielded a development side in the one-day competition.Related

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• Webster happy to scrap for Ashes spot with Green's return to bowling on track

• Doggett 'definitely ready' if Ashes reinforcements needed

Having made 315 runs at 52.50 in the 2023-24 season he managed just 31 in three innings last summer, although impressed with the ball as he claimed 16 wickets at 9.56 including a career-best 6 for 17 against Western Australia at the WACA when the home side suffered an astonishing collapse of 8 for 1.”I’d love to play white-ball cricket for Australia,” Webster told ESPNcricinfo. “Probably more so one-day cricket than T20 at this stage. It just feels a bit like I haven’t played it for a long time.”The last 12 months I’ve been solely focused on red-ball cricket and that’s in county cricket, Shield cricket and Test cricket. It feels like I’ve hardly hit a white ball and the things that go along with training for white-ball is a lot different than they are for red-ball.”I feel like my red-ball game’s in a really good place and I’ve got my preparation down to a tee. I suppose that I haven’t really thought too much about it [white-ball cricket] but obviously if the opportunity came and they needed what I do, I’d absolutely jump at it and love to represent the country in the colours.”The next men’s 50-over tournament is the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia which will be held in October and November of that year. Webster’s brisk medium pace and batting strength against pace bowling could be suited to conditions in Southern Africa.Australia’s 50-over side is going through something of a transition, especially in the batting, following the retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell. Aaron Hardie struggled in the No. 7 role in his recent opportunities against South Africa. Webster’s Tasmania team-mate Mitchell Owen had been due to feature in the series before suffering concussion.”I hope I’m in the conversation if I can continue to score runs in the One-Day Cup for Tasmania and Test level”•AFP/Getty Images

“I think if you’re scoring runs and taking wickets in Test cricket, you’re always going to be seen as an option,” Webster said. “If you’re doing it at that level…there are a lot of transferable skills across from Test cricket to one-day cricket. So I hope I’m in the conversation if I can continue to score runs in the One-Day Cup for Tasmania and Test level. I hope my name gets thrown around for a potential debut.”Webster plans to play most, if not all, of Tasmania’s cricket before the start of the Ashes – where he potentially faces a selection squeeze depending on how the team is balanced – although may have his bowling workload managed as the first part of the season progresses.”I think I’ll try and definitely play all four of them [the Shield matches] and try and get Tassie off to a good start and get us to the top end of the table,” he said. “Then the bowling side of things we just might have to manage a little bit if we end up bowling a little bit too much. Those last two games might be managed a little bit, but I’ll be at all four.”On the theme of white-ball cricket, Webster has moved home to defending champions Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL although if he is part of the Ashes series he may not feature until after the final Test and he’s realistic that it will be a challenge to get into the line-up.”I think it’s going to be a hard-fought top six to get into,” he said. “We’ve kept the majority of the list from the title-winning team there and everyone wants to bat at Bellerive. It’s a great place to bat and we’ve got some world-class batters in that XI. Hopefully I can be with the Ashes series for all five Tests and then come back to the Hurricanes and play a role if they need me.”

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Após um jogo cheio de emoção no final, o Corinthians conseguiu vencer o Santo André na Neo Química Arena, com direito a gol de Pedro Raul aos 49 minutos. Apesar de ter dominado o primeiro tempo, o rendimento da equipe corintiana parece ter caído no início do segundo, e o time acabou sofrendo o empate. Para o técnico António Oliveira, no entanto, o Timão seguiu em alta, mas o time do ABC estava forte no jogo.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– A equipe finalizou mais vezes no segundo tempo do que no primeiro: foram 12 vezes e cinco chegaram à meta, então temos de fazer uma análise honesta, o Corinthians não deixou de jogar. Foi uma equipe muito equilibrada do início ao fim e o adversário também joga, eles empataram com o atual campeão brasileiro (Palmeiras), nós não jogamos contra um adversário qualquer, não jogamos sozinhos – disse o técnico do Timão.

– Acho que os números são significativos. Em alguns momentos erramos na técnica, passe ou finalização, mas o Corinthians finalizou muito mais na segunda parte do que na primeira – completou.

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António Oliveira também afirmou estar satisfeito com o que foi entregue dentro de campo diante do Santo André, apesar do time ter feito 2 a 0 e sofrer o empate, antes da vitória.

– Sempre disse que as contas faríamos no fim. Desde que assumi, já estamos contra o tempo e nunca dependemos de nós mesmos, e mais uma vez eu digo que o importante é fazermos nossa parte, e fizemos. Apesar de ter sido sofrido, não tira o brilho da vitória do grupo que nunca desistiu. Os jogadores estão de parabéns – finalizou.

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O Timão ainda sonha com a classificação para a fase mata-mata do Paulistão, mas não depende apenas de suas forças para avançar, já que é o lanterna do Grupo C.

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What to make of Everton? In the first half at the Stadium of Light, David Moyes’ tactics worked a treat, with Sunderland unable to match the visitors’ intensity and, crucially, unable to prevent Iliman Ndiaye’s brilliance.

This was a display of resilience and grit, though it was reduced to that samey standard by Everton’s own unravelling of their progressive play. Moyes’ side reverted to type, you could say, not quite shelling up but releasing their hold on the fluency that had played the Black Cats off the park in the early rounds of the fight.

As it is, the point gained on Monday night moves the Toffees a point ahead of Fulham and into 14th place in the Premier League, though one win in seven fixtures is admittedly a concern.

Moreover, Everton have now gone six matches without a clean sheet. Jarrad Branthwaite’s continued absence is affecting the Blues, of course, but inviting pressure will invite goals, and that’s something Moyes’ side have been guilty of doing.

There’s a real chance to take this season by the scruff of the neck and push for a place in the top half of the table. After all, with Ndiaye (and Jack Grealish) in the side, such dreams are achievable.

Iliman Ndiaye strikes again

Everton made their pressure count after 15 minutes in Sunderland, with Ndiaye collecting from the right and shimmying his way down into the box and sending a perfectly-placed shot past Robin Roefs.

Presenter Jamie O’Hara described the 25-year-old as “one of the best players in the Premier League”, and the division is indeed waking up to the fact that this might be true. There is so much good about Ndiaye’s game; so often he is the difference-maker for Moyes’ team.

This season, he has scored four times from ten outings in the Premier League, assisting one goal too.

In fact, the Senegalese’s sumptuous finish has seen him peel away from Beto as the top goalscorer at the club since Moyes returned in January.

Iliman Ndiaye

27

10

Beto

31

9

Abdoulaye Doucoure

17

3

Charly Alcaraz

26

3

Michael Keane

16

2

Jake O’Brien

20

2

Ndiaye’s ability has been widened this term, though. Last year, the electric-paced winger was something of a direct force. You might even say he was a touch one-dimensional.

No longer. Grealish’s arrival has prompted a shift to the right, and while Ndiaye’s striker’s instinct remains, he has now added creativity to his game, averaging 1.3 key passes per match, as per Sofascore, and opening up dimensions from which the centre-forwards are not taking advantage.

Everton have attacking problems, alright, but we’ve perhaps forgotten how a blow Branthwaite’s absence might have been. Last season, for example, the Three Lions defender’s early-season unavailability sparked a four-match losing run that laid the foundation of Dyche’s demise.

But this time around, the Merseysiders are stronger at the back, and much is owed to one man in particular.

The Everton star thriving under Moyes

Everton need to improve under Moyes this season. There is enough quality to challenge higher up the standings, even with the strikers proving so wasteful in front of goal.

But some players have stepped up, and Michael Keane epitomises this, having come within a whisker of leaving the club at the end of his contract last season, instead adding one more year to his stay.

As Branthwaite languishes in the infirmary, Keane has stepped up and emerged as one of the key pillars of the campaign at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, starting all ten of Everton’s Premier League fixtures and playing every minute save for the win over Crystal Palace, when he was withdrawn after the hour mark.

Something of an aerial monster, the 32-year-old has been resourceful alongside the skipper James Tarkowski, who in truth has not been at his best over the past several months.

Keane, conversely, has shone, still limited technically and on the ball, but coming out on top across 62% of his ground battles. Furthermore, his 85% pass success rate suggests he is keeping things cool when playing out of defence.

And, of course, Keane has something of an unnatural instinct for goal, having scored twice under Moyes’ wing despite limited game time.

A contentious handball scare aside, Keane produced a rather faultless performance against Sunderland, standing strong against the second-half onslaught and winning five of seven contested duels, also blocking three shots and, incredibly, making 13 clearances (as per Sofascore), that final metric perhaps underscoring how deep Everton had sunk as the hosts cranked up the pressure.

Liverpool World actually awarded the 12-cap England international a 9/10 match rating, hailing his beast-like display in defence as he swept up the danger and made one brave header to prevent a certain goal during one frenzied scramble.

Everton pulled off a lot of business this summer. Moyes knew he’d enjoyed a successful window of wheeler-dealing, but the shrewdest deal of them all might have been extending Keane’s contract by an additional year.

The veteran defender has arguably outplayed Tarkowski beside him, and for a player whose career on Merseyside looked done and dusted, this is quite the resurgence for a side who, in hindsight, desperately needed someone of his ilk to steer them past the latest Branthwaite blow that has not derailed Moyes’ season so far.

In 2022, talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves said that the Toffees defender was “always struggling” for the club, so awkward on the ball that he looked like he was “not in control of his own body.”

Now, he has been revived, owing much, no doubt, to Moyes’ deep-rooted defensive principles. This is a player who is becoming every bit as undroppable as the flashy and fantastic Ndiaye this season.

Worse than Barry: Everton star cannot start again in his current position

Everton laboured to a draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 4, 2025

The 38-year-old India batter showed all the traits he is known for in scoring his 33rd ODI century against Australia in Sydney

Sidharth Monga25-Oct-20252:03

Chopra: Kohli and Rohit keep adding confidence

This was only the second time in the last five years that Rohit Sharma has batted 100 balls or more in an ODI innings. Most of this is his captaincy era, a period in which he took on a different role, that of a hyper-attacking batter around whom Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli could accumulate runs. The number of hundreds came down – this was only Rohit’s fourth in the last five years – but Travis Head is the only opener in this period to have both averaged higher and scored quicker than his 47.65 and 111.09.The two times that Rohit has batted 100 balls in this period are the 2023 World Cup match against England and this one. Lucknow was a difficult pitch, and this has come at the end of a difficult series in early-season conditions in Australia.If Lucknow was an impromptu adjustment to the conditions before he went back to blazing starts, this was an organic progression through the course of the series. In Perth, where the bowlers enjoyed both seam and bounce, Rohit still tried to impose himself on the game and failed. In Adelaide, where the bounce settled down but the ball still seamed appreciably, Rohit tried a bit of everything. He played two successive maidens from Josh Hazlewood, tried unsuccessfully to charge the seamers, and then fought through to top-score with 73 off 97.This 121 not out, in the face of a modest target (237) in the best but still not flat batting conditions of the series, was the return of the vintage Rohit, who mastered the template of big ODI innings from 2013 to 2019. Broadly, it involved a watchful start against two new balls, risk-free accumulation from overs 11 to 30 and then an almighty explosion that few had any counter for. In Sydney, he didn’t need that almighty acceleration phase because the target didn’t call for it, but Rohit had put himself in a position to aim for it.Rohit Sharma made his 33rd ODI century. Only Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have more•AFP/Getty ImagesIn a slightly emotional interview with Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri later, Rohit, almost certain to not play any more international cricket in Australia, spoke of “a lot of good memories, bad memories” in the country. One of the bad ones has to be earlier this year at this same venue, when he, as the captain of the Test side, dropped himself for the series decider never to be selected again.Related

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Having retired from T20Is already, Rohit now had only one format to stay active in, a format that is played the least these days. There were doubts about how he would stay in touch with the game, not just in the present moment but also for two years down the line when the ODI World Cup takes place in South Africa, when he will be 40 years old.On the evidence of this series, the game seems to be in good order, although the one real test for every limited-overs batter is when batting first on a flat track. In tough conditions, Rohit set the base for a competitive total in Adelaide. In a modest chase in Sydney, he showed how regulation he can make scoring an international century look.The ease with which he scored 121 at about a-run-a-ball is a reminder of what has made him the third-highest centurion in ODIs. A reminder that over the last five years he hadn’t lost that ability but just played a role that the team needed him to play at that time.If the selectors and team management were looking for signs to make their decisions on, they will have learnt very little. Rohit has shown what was never under doubt even though he might have carried some ring rust.His next assignment with India will be in a month’s time, a break much more manageable than the seven months he has had off since the Champions Trophy. A less sporadic schedule without being completely packed will be ideal for Rohit at this age. For now, he has shown he can’t be written off so easily. Let’s then strap in and get along on the ride.

Matt Short wants to make the T20 World Cup side for Australia next year and knows a role in the middle order is his best hope

AAP06-Nov-2025Australia allrounder Matt Short prefers opening the batting, but has revealed his best chance of playing at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka is in the middle and lower order.The 29-year-old toured the West Indies for Australia’s underwhelming 2024 World Cup showing as a reserve player outside of the 15-man squad and did not play.The current T20 series against India, which concludes in Queensland with matches on the Gold Coast and at the Gabba, has a lot riding on it for Short.Related

• Power-packed, but not bulletproof: where Australia stand ahead of T20 World Cup

• Unbeatable series lead on the line in rare Gold Coast fixture

• Head leaves T20I squad for red-ball Ashes preparation

His best innings for Australia, including a dynamic 66 off 30 deliveries against South Africa in 2023, have come as an opener. However, Short, who played his first two matches of the current series at No.7, has been given a clear picture of his path to T20 World Cup inclusion by the side’s brains trust.”Personally I think I am suited to the top of the order, but having conversations with selectors and coaching staff, I think, looking forward to that T20 World Cup, I know that our top four or five is going to be pretty locked in,” Short said.”If I was to make the XI in the World Cup, I think my best chances are in the middle or lower order. We are probably using this series to see guys in different positions and looking ahead to that World Cup.”[To play at the World Cup] would be massive. I missed out on the one in the West Indies where I was a travelling reserve, but I love playing cricket for Australia no matter if it’s in the World Cup or a series like this. I am happy taking what I am getting, whether that is in the top order or through the middle.”The Adelaide Strikers captain confirmed himself as a cricketer of absolute class when he was player of the tournament in BBL 12 and BBL 13, where his powerful batting and crafty offspin stole the show.That high level of consistency was the stepping stone for Short to gain selection in both the Australian T20 and ODI sides, where he debuted in 2023.Short enjoys the ball coming onto the bat, but has set himself a goal of upping the ante when facing spinners.”There’s always ways to improve,” he said. “Looking at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, it is probably my game against spin that probably needs a little bit of work.”Especially when you look at our squad and the power hitters we have got through the middle like Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis … guys that have had that experience in India before and have that real power game against spin.”It is obviously a challenge, and playing for Australia is not easy, so we will have to wait and see.”

One year and two presidents since the Awami League government fell, the board still has many issues to address

Mohammad Isam15-Aug-2025When the Awami League government fell on August 5, 2024, there was hope that Bangladesh would finally undergo widespread and comprehensive reform. Or at least those public-facing institutions with public-facing problems would. Like the BCB, the richest sports body in the country. General consensus was that it hadn’t lived up to its wealth or its potential.Two weeks after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country, one of her favourites, Nazmul Hassan, was no longer the BCB president. Hassan fled the country, as did several BCB directors with close links to him and the Awami League government. Faruque Ahmed, Hassan’s replacement, lasted nine months, before being replaced by Aminul Islam in June this year. Both are former Bangladesh captains, hand-picked by the sports ministry to run the BCB. Faruque’s exit was acrimonious. Aminul is trying to make the best of a limited timeframe as board chief.The next board elections are to be held by October 9, but there is still no proper clarity over the candidates. The chance for serious reform, through much needed constitutional amendments, is all but over. Earlier this year, a constitutional reform committee, mandated to diversify the composition of the board directors, stopped working after the Dhaka club representatives protested against one of their proposals: currently, the BCB constitution allows for 12 board directors from Dhaka-based clubs alone, while the rest of the country, represented by eight divisions and 64 districts, only has ten directors; the committee wanted to rectify this inequality. Now the polls will be held with the existing constitution in use.BCB has also given up on investigating the Hassan-era controversies and scandals. The board’s anti-corruption department is finishing an investigation into a Dhaka Premier League incident, while an independent commission appointed to look into corruption allegations in the BPL is about to submit its report. The country’s anti-corruption commission is investigating broader allegations of financial misappropriation and unfair practices in the BCB under Hassan. The BCB itself hasn’t launched any investigation on Hassan or anyone from his board. The ACC’s inquiry could be just the tip of the iceberg.Elections based on the existing constitution means the next board will be lumbered with the same issues of previous eras. The board will continue to be heavily dominated by the Dhaka clubs, with little say for the rest of the country. In some ways, this lopsided governance structure is emblematic of the BCB’s strange little world. It is what runs cricket in Bangladesh, and many feel that because of it, political influence will continue unabated in the running of cricket.

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In 2013, a five-member bench of Bangladesh’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of holding that year’s BCB elections on its amended constitution. The BCB and the National Sports Council (NSC) were in favour of two crucial amendments: that the BCB president would be voted to power by the directors and not the board’s general body, and that the NSC could appoint three directors (as opposed to one previously). These were meant to be aligned with the ICC’s Woolf Report recommendation in 2011, pushing back against government interference in boards, though the NSC quota was anything but.Hassan made history as the BCB’s first elected president in 2013, though he did, of course, come in via the NSC quota.Nazmul Hassan was always happy to talk to the media•BCBWhen Hassan fled in 2024, the same quota became the trapdoor through which Faruque was made president. And the NSC used the same process to remove Faruque in May this year when he fell out with the government body. Aminul replaced him as the NSC’s representative in the BCB, before the directors elected him as the president.Two months on from taking charge, an interim stint he likened to a T20 innings, Aminul spoke about the surprise offer to become the board chief, and his big plans for reform. An experienced administrator, Aminul is implementing a code called the “triple century”, based on 100% trust, 100% reach (through the country rather than just the pockets), and 100% performance.”I came to Dhaka to attend my nephew’s wedding, and then I became the board president,” Aminul, who otherwise lives in Melbourne, told ESPNcricinfo. “I left a permanent job as the country comes first for me. I began a charter called the ‘triple century’. I want to decentralise cricket. I want to make BCB into a world-class organisation. The country’s best HR firm has already started working on structuring the BCB.”Already, the former Bangladesh captain and their first Test centurion has impressed with his administrative skills. He has questions for every department. Aminul has also engaged a top HR firm to audit the board’s practices. He has also stayed clear of the limelight, hardly engaging with anything other than strictly business. It is a break from AHM Mustafa Kamal or Hasan who spent most of their time talking to the camera. Faruque too didn’t show much proclivity towards atoning BCB’s administrative woes. All of this has reportedly made Aminul one of the BCB president candidates at the elections. He has reiterated that the elections will take place on time, but feels he is at a disadvantage.”I don’t have the ability or [financial] scope to participate in the elections. I don’t represent a [Dhaka] club, neither do I come from a district body. I can only become the board president if the new body of directors [voted through the election] vote me [into power],” he said. “I don’t, however, want to get into a competitive situation. A person has to be qualified to become a BCB president. I think I have the qualifications, having been a cricketer, administrator and coach, but I don’t know if I am the candidate or not.”Faruque was also hoping for a go in the elections, although it is understood that he has stepped back. The name of Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, is also doing the rounds as a possible candidate.The most interesting name is that of Syed Ashraful Huq, the former BCB general secretary who has also served as the Asian Cricket Council’s chief executive in the past. Ashraful is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh cricket, the man who formulated the plan for Bangladesh’s Full Member status at the ICC. Although Ashraful hasn’t been in the board since 2000, he was with the ACC till 2014 and has expressed an interest in becoming the next board president.Faruque Ahmed had a short stint as BCB president•BCBThere is concern, however, that the BCB elections might be a bit premature, given that the country’s general elections are scheduled for February 2026. What if, for example, the newly elected government is not politically aligned with the new BCB president and directors? What chance does that board administration have in that situation?Former BCB director Sirajuddin Alamgir feels that constitutional reform would have reduced political influence and that the current system will simply ensure the status quo. The districts and divisions will choose their councillors (members/voters) who have local political backing, rather than experienced organisers – that’s the way the BCB is structurally formed, with deep ties between the board and the government of the time.”We were hopeful that there would be amendments in the constitution, because otherwise it will be old wine in a new bottle,” Alamgir said. “The current system will continue to ignore authentic sports organisers from around the country. Representation from districts and divisions will be dictated by those in power. This keeps the cricket structure weak.”Bangladesh’s cricket needs new blood. It needs new ideas from the new generation. There has to be a radical change in how cricket is run in the country.”

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Alamgir and others like him want to see radical change because of how poorly the BCB was run over the last 15 years and how politicised it was. Hassan was an Awami League member of parliament throughout his tenure as BCB president, and was made the country’s sports minister in 2024. It was a highly conflicted arrangement, being a sports federation head (as the BCB chief) and the sports minister at the same time. He was his own boss.Shakib Al Hasan, an influential figure in Bangladesh cricket, was an Awami League MP•Getty ImagesBCB directors were all either Awami League MPs or relatives of prime minister Hasina or other party leaders. Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza were Awami League MPs too. This is how entrenched the BCB was with the Awami League. It made Hassan the undisputed king of cricket, and the BCB an unusually powerful body.All of this power, however, was sucked out on August 5 when Hasina fled the country. The Awami League government was overthrown by a student-led revolution, with an interim government taking charge.It was also the end of BCB’s unchecked power. Once Hassan and 14 directors fled, the board headquarters became so chaotic that the sports ministry had to intervene. They handed their two BCB directors’ quotas to Faruque and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim. Fahim, a renowned coach and former BCB employee, became the cricket operations head.”They left a damaged cricketing culture,” Fahim told ESPNcricinfo. “The BCB is far removed from fairness, spirit and integrity. It has hurt our overall cricket. We can develop infrastructure in three or four years, but we have to pay the price for the loss of culture. Infrastructure is in a pitiful state. We can’t provide our national teams with a tenth of the facilities that other countries can. We roam around Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong looking for good conditions for training camps. The women’s team is now training in BKSP [near Dhaka] where training is off for two days when it rains.”So entrenched was the BCB with the Awami League that they would ignore good facilities to support their politics. They didn’t use the stadium in Bogra as it is the birthplace of Ziaur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Awami League’s main political rival. Bogra hosted six international matches in 2006.”Rather than developing infrastructure, we have wasted facilities in Fatullah, Bogra and Khulna,” Fahim said. “We are trying to revive these stadiums. We are building a few new facilities.”Fahim also has a dim view about Hassan’s famous boast about the BCB’s reserves of BDT 1200 crore, which had revealed the BCB’s misplaced priorities. “Instead of being proud of having a big account in the bank, we should have boasted about having 50 grounds, 20 indoor facilities and 100 bowling machines around the country. These would have helped the players.”For the record, the BCB doesn’t own a single stadium.

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When Aminul became board president, matters were so bad that he said the situation was akin to have been hit by an earthquake.”After an earthquake, you first try to find the surface under your feet. You face barriers everywhere you move. When I became the BCB president, everything was new to me. Nothing was working properly,” he said. “At the same time, [former English Premier League footballer] Hamza Chowdhury came to play for Bangladesh. Sports fans started saying that they are done with cricket. That cricket is dead. We didn’t get a broadcaster for the Zimbabwe Tests. A cricket board has governance and an organogram. A manager has people working under him in each department. Nothing was working. I didn’t know how many people worked under me.”It reflected on the field. In Aminul’s first two months in charge, Bangladesh were beaten by Sri Lanka in a Test and an ODI series, but won the T20I series. They beat Pakistan 2-1 at home, too, in a T20I series. They had begun the year by losing eight out of ten matches across formats.Bangladesh’s men’s team had a poor start to 2025, but recently won T20I series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesBut of late, despite the up-and-down results, Fahim said he had noticed better dynamics within the team, including between the captain, the coach and the selectors. Importantly, he said, a more relaxed relationship between the board and the players had helped. That was always an issue when Hassan, who was notorious for getting involved in dressing-room issues and even selection, was around.”It is not visible but the Bangladesh team is ,” Fahim said. “The environment within the dressing room is such that you couldn’t tell that there are players with three different levels of experience. The captain treats everyone equally.”There’s great understanding between the players and the coaches. Between the coach and captain. Among the coaches also. I think the biggest change is the relationship between the selector, coach and captain. There’s harmony among this trio. There’s respect for each other.”The board doesn’t force them into accountability on a daily basis. We are with them through thick and thin. The cricket side of things is now the most important aspect. They are starting to pay less attention to what’s being said. Of course, this is a gradual process.”It’s only natural that what goes on in the BCB will influence the team on the field. The men’s team performances are as much a national mood indicator in Bangladesh as they are a reflection of the cricket board’s functioning. There’s hope that the October elections will bring a little more stability in the board, and therefore in the country’s cricket. How long the stability lasts, and how much it changes the bigger picture, though, remain in doubt.

A win will take Afghanistan to the top of the Group B points table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-20252:26

Abhinav Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup clash in Abu Dhabi.Bangladesh captain Litton Das said the pitch looked a bit on the slow side, despite the Abu Dhabi surface having been better for batting recently. Rashid Khan said Afghanistan would have liked to bat first as well.Bangladesh made four changes with Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed coming in. Mahedi Hasan, Pervez Hossain Emon, Shoriful Islam and Mahedi Hasan missed out. Afghanistan, meanwhile, named an unchanged XI.Related

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For AM Ghazanfar, the future is now

'Belief is key' – Mushtaq rallies Bangladesh

A win for Afghanistan On Tuesday will take them to the top of the Group B points table.Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan Tamim, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Nurul Hasan, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Shamim Hossain, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin AhmedAfghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 AM Ghazanfar, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart is done for the season, as he's set to undergo season ending shoulder surgery, manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Friday.

The injury news about Stewart being shut down was hardly a surprise. The righty hasn't pitched since the middle of August due to his sore shoulder.

Stewart will undergo a debridement procedure, and will be on the shelf for at least six months. L.A. general manager Brandon Gomes said that the franchise does not expect him to be ready for spring's Opening Day, but that he could return sometime in the first half of the season if all goes well.

Stewart was acquired by the Dodgers from the Twins at the trade deadline, and finishes the season with a 2.63 ERA in 37.2 innings pitched. Stewart's injury is the latest blow to a Dodgers bullpen that has been up-and-down during the second half of the season.

He has moved around the batting order of late, but being a finisher looks like Maxwell’s role in India and Sri Lanka next year

Andrew McGlashan17-Aug-2025

Glenn Maxwell reverse sweeps over short third•Getty Images

Ahead of the deciding T20I against South Africa in Cairns, Glenn Maxwell was asked whether having retired from ODIs had given him pause to consider an overall end date for his international career. The answer, delivered in good spirits, was a succinct “No.”If he so desires, next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka would be a fitting stepping-off point for one of the format’s great players. It’s difficult to believe he could go for two more years even though the 2028 edition will be co-hosted by Australia, alongside New Zealand.Related

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On Saturday evening he showed what he can still bring with the bat, expertly guiding an uncertain chase over the line with a masterful unbeaten 62 off 36 balls, having earlier snaffled a match-changing catch at long-on to cut off Dewald Brevis’ destructive innings. When calling time on ODIs, Maxwell cited being unable to sustain 50 overs on the field but, as a couple of recent parried boundary catches have reinforced, he remains capable of spectacular moments.Australia are shaping up well ahead of the World Cup and Maxwell will be a vital component of their bid to win the title for just the second time, in all three facets of the game. His offspin is a crucial cog in the balance of the side and could well be a powerplay option at the World Cup.With Australia tweaking their batting order in the last two series against South Africa and West Indies, Maxwell has moved around the line-up. He made 47 off 18 balls opening in St Kitts last month and was used in three different spots in this latest series. There will likely always be a degree of situational flexibility, but No. 6 and 7 looks like his home for the World Cup tilt.There are times with the bat when Maxwell looks uncomfortable and there will, as ever, continue to be moments that exasperate: the “oh, why did you do that, Maxi?” shot. But then there are the times, such as the decider against South Africa, when he gets it spot on and everything comes off.Glenn Maxwell has produced some spectacular pieces of fielding in the last few weeks•AFP/Getty ImagesThe way he backed himself to finish the chase was a window into a brilliant mind. Declining singles – even, briefly, when a very capable No. 8 in Ben Dwarshuis was with him – and trying to read what Lungi Ngidi would bowl in the final over as he won the game by reversing a full toss over short third having turned down runs off the previous two deliveries to leave four from needed two.”I was thinking about doing it probably the ball before,” Maxwell said. “[But] I just felt like he was going to bowl a slower ball the ball before so I could knock it into midwicket for two. As soon as it was pace on, I realised I’d probably made a mistake in not going. I hit it too well to get back for two so I was like, that’s fine, I’ll hit one of the last two balls, hopefully for four. I just felt like he wasn’t going to go to the slower ball.”Even though I was able to get one off him earlier, I didn’t think it was going to be as easy. I think the point was just a little bit finer. I thought I needed pace on to get it there. As soon as I saw it coming out of his hand, I was just like, get any bat on it and it’s going to travel. Got the ball I wanted and was able to execute.”Explaining his tactics when Dwarshuis came in during the 14th over, with Australia needing 51 off 37 balls, Maxwell said it was so he could take advantage of the shorter boundary with the wind.”I wanted to control that over as well as I could and then trust [Dwarshuis] from the other end where he had a few more options,” he said. “I think if I had taken a single the first ball [with him] just starting his innings, it might have been tough for him to get going or get off strike straight away.”I thought it might have been a bit of a risk if I was at the non-striker’s end for five balls of that over hitting to the shorter side as a right-hander. In the end, I think I got 11 off it, which is a win. It kept the momentum going. From then on, I trusted him basically [at] both ends.”When Maxwell took 15 off Kagiso Rabada’s final over – launching a six from a free hit after a huge beamer had slipped out of Rabada’s grip – the game looked decided with Australia needing 12 off 12. However, Corbin Bosch provided a twist with a double-wicket maiden in the 19th over. But Adam Zampa had done his part by surviving two deliveries and Maxwell had the strike. He knew exactly what he needed to do.

On a hard-fought day at the SCG, Victoria fought back strongly after Starc had made major inroads

Andrew McGlashan10-Nov-2025

Mitchell Starc revealed he has been working on ironing out some technical issues ahead of the Ashes as he warmed up for the Test series with some hostile bowling on the opening day against Victoria at the SCG.Starc ended the opening day with 4 for 91 from 18 overs, including a particularly rapid spell after lunch, but New South Wales paid the price for dropping Peter Handscomb before he had scored as he forged an impressive century to leave the visitors handily placed on a hard-fought day.”[I’ve been] working on a few things, getting that rhythm back,” Starc said. “Probably my longest layoff injury-free for a long time so trying to find that rhythm through the ODIs [against India]. Just felt like something wasn’t quite clicking there and it felt pretty close today. So, yeah, reasonably happy.Related

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“I tend to be someone [for] who continuous bowling keeps me in rhythm. It was a quick return to playing…I wasn’t going into the ODI series thinking I was cherry ripe.”Starc, who had asked for side-by-side footage of his most recent Test spell in Jamaica where he took 6 for 9 and the ODI in Adelaide to try and see if he could pick out an issues, added he had spoken to Australia coach Andrew McDonald after play to say he felt close to finding his best form again.”I think I’ve sorted it out. It’s just getting the engine going again,” he said. “I couldn’t really pick up too much in the action [from the footage]. I felt like I was pretty close and today I feel like I’m even closer.”Starc, playing just his fourth match since the West Indies tour, struck twice in quick succession after lunch to leave Victoria wobbling on 106 for 4. But Sam Harper, who counterattacked with a 40-ball 54 which included taking 22 off five balls against Starc, added 92 with Handscomb. Then Fergus O’Neill, whose batting has flourished this season, helped put together 84 with Handscomb for the sixth wicket.Shortly after coming to the crease Handscomb edged Josh Hazlewood low to first slip where Jack Edwards, who handed the NSW captaincy to Steven Smith for this match, spilled a regulation catch. Handscomb made it count, reaching his second Shield century of the season from 208 balls with a drive down the ground against Hazlewood. Shortly after, he fell to a Nathan Lyon delivery with a relatively new ball which slid past the outside edge.”Nice to come out here and face such a quality attack,” Handscomb said. “To score runs is always nice, but to do it against those boys was special for me.”Starc provided New South Wales with their first wicket of the day when he trapped Harry Dixon with a searing yorker. Then after lunch he was involved in an engrossing contest with Campbell Kellaway, the 23-year-old opener who is establishing himself as one of the most promising among Australia’s next generation, with the left-hander repeatedly having to sway out of the line of well-directed bouncers.Peter Handscomb celebrates his century•Getty Images

However, one short ball Kellaway couldn’t avoid slammed him on the left hand causing significant pain and a lengthy delay. But he was able to resume and brought up a 96-ball fifty before gloving Starc down the leg side. It was a clear deflection and Kellaway began to walk but then stopped leaving the umpire to raise his finger.”Old Starcy fired up a bit there and got the ball whizzing through, which with the summer of cricket coming up, it’s exciting to see,” Handscomb said. “[It was] amazing from Campbell. You take a few body blows, a few finger blows, it’s never nice.”For him just to knuckle down and keep fighting and keep trying to just focus on the next ball, sticking to his process and putting everything else out of his mind was a class act. Sort of showing that he is going from strength to strength as a batter and doing some pretty amazing things at the top of the order in the Sheffield Shield, which is a tough ask.”Starc struck again at the start of his next over when Ollie Peake slashed to gully where Kurtis Patterson took an excellent catch. His figures took a dent after tea as Harper began the session in dramatic fashion with two fours and two sixes. It included a huge hook which lost the ball in the stands, in the process racing to a 38-ball fifty, before picking out deep square leg when he couldn’t resist having another dip.Among other members of Australia’s Test attack, Hazlewood ended wicketless after seeing the early opportunity against Handscomb go begging but again looked in excellent rhythm as he had during the recent white-ball matches against India.Lyon had struck in the morning session when he had Marcus Harris caught at short leg off an inside edge. He finished with 2 for 65 from 21 overs. Sean Abbott, one of the reserve quicks for Perth, initially went at more than four an over but clawed things back and struck to remove O’Neill via an inside edge.Shortly after lunch, Will Salzmann was subbed out of the game with a hamstring injury under the trial being run by Cricket Australia for the first five rounds of the Shield season. He was replaced by Ryan Hicks. It was the second time NSW had made use of the rule after Abbott suffered a split webbing against Victoria in Melbourne.