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.”

India have a largely settled side, while this series may give us our first glimpse of the kind of XI SA hope to play in the 2026 tournament

Karthik Krishnaswamy08-Dec-20253:06

Suryakumar: Don’t want to change team combination

Big pictureSince contesting a nail-biting T20 World Cup final in 2024, India and South Africa have gone in different directions in T20Is. India have arguably become an even better team since lifting that trophy, achieving a 26-4 record (24 outright wins and two Super Over wins) with a brand of play perfectly suited to the conditions they will defend their title in February-March 2026. South Africa, meanwhile, have won nine and lost 16 of their T20Is since that day in Barbados.India have a largely settled side in the lead-up to the 2026 tournament, with most of their players enjoying a sense of continuity and role clarity. The same can’t be said for South Africa. Over recent months, they’ve lost perhaps their most feared T20I player, Heinrich Klaasen, to retirement, and have been without other key players for injury and workload-management reasons. In that time, they’ve lost series to Australia and Pakistan as well as a one-off match to Namibia, and became, against England at Old Trafford, the first team to concede a 300-plus total in a Full-Member-vs-Full-Member T20I.Related

Gambhir: Gill 'ready to start' T20Is against South Africa

Gill, Hardik 'healthy and fit' ahead of first India-South Africa T20I

Miller back as SA begin T20 redemption run

South Africa, in short, have a lot of work to do between now and February 9, when they begin their World Cup campaign against Canada in Ahmedabad. That work will begin with one of the toughest assignments they could face in this format, against a full-strength India in India. But they don’t have too much to lose in this series, and plenty of experience and knowledge to gain from playing five matches in conditions similar to what they’ll face at that tournament.Form guideIndia WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LLWLLIn the spotlight – Hardik Pandya and Dewald BrevisSince the start of 2024, India have won 25 of their 28 T20Is outright when Hardik Pandya has been in their side, losing two and tying one. That tie, against Sri Lanka at this year’s Asia Cup, coincided with Hardik going off the field injured after bowling just one over. When Hardik hasn’t been available, India have nine wins, two losses and two ties. India are still a formidable side without Hardik, but they lose quite a bit of the near-invincible aura they’ve otherwise built in T20Is. Hardik balances the team beautifully, giving them the cheat code of batting all the way to No. 8 while having six genuine bowling options. He’s back now, after recovering from the quadriceps issue that kept him out of the Australia tour, and India are at pretty much full strength.Dewald Brevis has been in fine form•Getty ImagesSince his debut in August 2023, no batter in the world (minimum 50 balls faced vs spin) has been more destructive against spin than Dewald Brevis, who has achieved a T20I strike rate of 225.00 against this style of bowling while averaging 60.00. Brevis comes into the T20Is in prime form, having played crucial knocks in all three ODIs, and he comes up against an India attack that will include three – possibly even four – spinners. It should make for an exhilarating contest.Team newsWith Hardik and Shubman Gill – who returns for the first time since suffering a neck injury during the Kolkata Test – back, India have two main selection questions to address: whether Jitesh Sharma, who displaced Sanju Samson during the Australia tour, continues as keeper, and who gets the No. 8 slot, with three candidates bringing three entirely different skillsets to that role.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma/Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana/Washington Sundar/Shivam Dube, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Charavarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa’s ordinary recent record in T20Is is a little deceptive, because they’ve seldom had their best players on the pitch. This series may give us our first glimpse of the kind of XI they are hoping to play at the World Cup, with Aiden Markram back to lead the side after being rested from the T20Is in Pakistan, and with David Miller and Anrich Nortje back from injury. Two points of interest are whether Markram opens or bats at No. 3, and whether South Africa pick a second left-arm spinner in the allrounder George Linde. And perhaps the surest indication of South Africa’s recent unsettledness is that Donovan Ferreira, who captained them in Pakistan, is far from certain to start in Cuttack.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Corbin Bosch/George Linde, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje.Pitch and conditionsSouth Africa have featured in two of the three T20Is Cuttack has hosted, and won both of them. They bowled India out for 92 in 2015, in a match marred by crowd trouble, and won a closer game by six wickets, seven years later, thanks to a 46-ball 81 from Heinrich Klaasen.Conditions here tend to have something for everyone: a bit of early help for the seamers, a bit of grip for the spinners, and typically plenty of dew to complicate bowlers’ lives. Tuesday evening in Cuttack is set to be overcast and hazy, though rain-free.Stats and triviaSouth Africa need one win in this series to become the most successful T20I team against India. Currently, they are tied with Australia and England with 12 wins each against India.Jasprit Bumrah (99) and Hardik Pandya (98) are within sight of their 100th T20I wickets. Arshdeep Singh (105) is the only India bowler to have got to that mark so far.Tilak Varma (996) and Sanju Samson (995) are both just one hit away from 1000 T20I runs.Of all the batters to have scored 1000 runs in T20Is, Abhishek Sharma has the best strike rate (189.51).Quotes”It’s T20 cricket. It’s an entertaining format and that’s the brand and the way we want to play. We want guys to free themselves up, enjoy the game, let their best skills be on show. Hopefully if we put a collective effort together, the result will be a good one. It’s just an exciting time. T20 cricket is always meant to be exciting and we’re looking forward to that.”

No result India claimed a 2-1 series victory over Australia in an anti-climax after the fifth and final T20I was abandoned due to heavy rain and thunderstorms in Brisbane.After being sent in to bat, there had been intrigue over how India’s top-order would fare on a Gabba surface with plenty of bounce and carry. But with their nemesis Josh Hazlewood in Ashes prep mode and again not in the line-up, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill plundered 52 runs before play came to a halt after 4.5 overs.Abhishek did have luck having been dropped twice, but Gill was in sweet touch as he smacked 29 off 16 balls.The series ended the same way it began after rain ruined the opening T20I in Canberra. Australia dominated game two in front of 82,000 fans at the MCG, largely thanks to a rampant Hazlewood but India ultimately prevailed in the series after their spinners gained a stranglehold on slower surfaces in Hobart and the Gold Coast.The India T20I squad with the series trophy in Brisbane•Matt Roberts/CA/Getty Images

India will head home well pleased ahead of their T20 World Cup title defence on home soil.”The way everyone chipped in every game, it was a complete team effort with the bat, ball and in the field,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said.”I saw what happened with the women’s team winning the World Cup in India, having unbelievable support. When you play at home there is pressure but at the same there is a lot of excitement.”In their final hit-out in the format before the T20 World Cup, Australia’s aggressive batting approach against high-quality spin attacks has come under scrutiny although recriminations are unlikely amid Ashes hysteria.”I don’t think I can remember the last time we had so many rain interruptions,” Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said. “I think there are a lot of learnings to take forward, a lot of positives. The flexibility of our group and the squad that we’re trying to build in a World Cup year has been amazing.”Earlier, a grinning Marsh once again won the toss but his mood soon soured after the start India’s openers got.There was no settling in for left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis as Abhishek bludgeoned a trademark boundary over mid-off on the fourth delivery of the match.He tried to repeat the dose on the next ball only to miscue high into the air where Glenn Maxwell nestled under having trudged back from mid-off. A resigned Abhishek had already begun walking off only for the unthinkable to happen, with Maxwell spilling a straightforward catch.While Abhishek lived dangerously, Gill was in sublime touch as he stroked four boundaries off Dwarshuis’ second over with the best being a gorgeous cover drive. Gill was in the type of commanding form that had eluded him during a tough tour – which started with an ODI series defeat in his captaincy debut in the format – and he looked determined to finish on a high.Abhishek, on 11, received another life when he was dropped by Dwarshuis who ran in from fine-leg before compounding Nathan Ellis’ misery by smashing him over midwicket for six.Typical for Brisbane this time for year, bad weather loomed large and the players went off due to lightning before heavy rain cascaded onto the ground in a major disappointment for the sold-out crowd.

We’ve known for more than a year that Kyle Tucker would be the prize free agent this offseason. Now it’s time for him to find a new home.

Tucker spent the 2025 season with the Cubs after they swung a huge deal to land him from the Astros last December. It was pretty much understood from the jump that his time in Chicago would be short, as the Cubs have no plans to ink him to the kind of contract he’ll surely land on the open market.

The 28-year-old four-time All-Star missed a chunk of the season while dealing with a calf injury and a small fracture in his right hand. That certainly impacted his numbers. In 136 games, he slashed .266/.377/.464, with 22 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. His wRC+ of 136 was good, but also his lowest mark since 2022, and he produced 4.5 fWAR. He has only played in 214 games over the past two seasons, but remained mostly healthy for the prior three years.

When Juan Soto got $765 million from the Mets, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. landed $500 million from the Blue Jays, Tucker had to be thrilled. He’s likely in line for a 10-plus year deal in the $400 million range that will likely pay him at least $35 million a year, and potentially more.

Here’s a look at four potential landing spots for Tucker in free agency.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Most MLB fans are going to hate this, but it’s the fit that makes the most sense. While the Dodgers are undoubtedly a juggernaut, their biggest offensive weakness was in the outfield during the 2025 campaign. L.A.’s left fielders combined to produce -2.4 WAR, led by Michael Conforto’s brutal season (-0.7). Teoscar Hernandez (1.5) also had an average campaign after signing a big contract in the offseason, while Any Pages (3.8) broke out before falling apart in the postseason. Adding Tucker would allow the Dodgers to shift Hernandez to left field, where he belongs, and shore up the only weak spot in the team’s lineup. And, let’s be real, they won’t have an issue affording his massive deal.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have been looking to add a top left-handed bat for years. They got one by trading for Rafael Devers, but the team’s offense collapsed after that addition before finding some footing late in the season. Still, San Francisco finished 22nd in OPS (.697), 25th in batting average (.235) and 19th in home runs (173). The Giants have about $137 million committed to players for 2026, giving them plenty of room to bring in Tucker, and he’d fit perfectly in right field immediately. A lineup that includes Tucker, Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Bryce Eldridge would pack a ton of punch and potentially be good enough to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West.

New York Yankees

Cody Bellinger opted out of his contract, and Trent Grisham is hitting free agency, which means the Yankees will lose 63 home runs from their outfield. Over the past few years, they’ve missed on adding the top bats available, most notably in losing out on Juan Soto and having to watch him walk across town to the Mets. Tucker’s left-handed swing would do damage at Yankee Stadium’s short porch. In 16 games as a visiting player, he has four home runs, but only a .698 OPS and a 98 wRC+. I feel safe in saying that wouldn’t hold long-term. He’s a fit now and in the long run as a star to pair with Aaron Judge.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies face the prospect of losing Kyle Schwarber in free agency, and there’s a chance they will entertain trading Bryce Harper. If either happens, they’ll need a left-handed bat to replace them. Enter Tucker, who fills a huge need at the plate and in the field. Philadelphia’s outfielders struggled in 2025, as none of them produced more than 1.7 WAR, and Nick Castellanos finished underwater at -1.0. Schwarber, Harper, and Trea Turner played at or near their expected levels, but the rest of the offense dragged behind. More punch is needed, even if they keep their two biggest bats. Tucker’s presence would make everyone better.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم ”فيفا” عن مواعيد مباريات منتخب فرنسا في بطولة كأس العالم، والتي سوف تقام العام المقبل في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

وأجرى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم فيفا، قرعة كأس العالم أمس الجمعة، في ولاية واشنطن عاصمة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، في حضور الرئيس دونالد ترامب.

وسوف يقام كأس العالم، العام المقبل بمشاركة 48 منتخبًا، وذلك لأول مرة في تاريخ المسابقة، وهو النظام الجديد للبطولة.

طالع.. كومان: وقعنا في مجموعة متوازنة بـ كأس العالم.. ولا أعرف تونس جيدًا

وأسفرت قرعة كأس العالم عن وقوع منتخب فرنسا في المجموعة التاسعة، إلى جانب السنغال والفائز في الملحق من العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام، وأخيرًا النرويج.

وسوف تلعب فرنسا أولى مبارياتها في كأس العالم أمام نظيرتها النرويج، يوم 16 يونيو من العام المقبل، في مواجهة مرتقبة بين نجمي ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي، كيليان مبابي وإيرلينج هالاند.

كما تلعب فرنسا مع السنغال في لقاء مكرر من كأس العالم عام 2002، حيث فازت السنغال وقتها في مفاجآة كبيرة بهدف دون رد. مواعيد مباريات فرنسا في كأس العالم 2026

الجولة الأولى:

فرنسا والسنغال.. يوم 16 يونيو في ولاية نيويورك جيرسي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

النرويج والفائز من ملحق (العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام).. يوم 16 يونيو، الساعة 1 بعد منتصف الليل، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية  في ولاية بوسطن.

الجولة الثانية:

فرنسا والفائز من ملحق (العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام).. يوم 22 يونيو، 12 منتصف الليل يوم 23، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية فلاديلفيا بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

النرويج والسنغال.. يوم 22 يونيو، الساعة 3 فجر يوم 23، بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية نيويورك جيرسي.

الجولة الثالثة:

فرنسا والنرويج.. يوم 26 يونيو، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية بوسطن بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

السنغال والفائز من ملحق العراق وبوليفيا وسورينهام.. يوم 26 يونيو الساعة 10 مساءًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية في ولاية تورنتو بكندا.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians recebe o Racing, do Uruguai, nesta terça-feira (28), pela sexta e última rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. A bola rola a partir das 19h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP), com transmissão da ESPN e Star+ (Clique aqui para assinar e assistir no Star+!).

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Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Corinthians e Racing-URU (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CORINTHIANS X RACING-URU
COPA SUL-AMERICANA – 6ª RODADA

🗓️Data e horário:terça-feira, 28 de maio de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília)
📍Local:Neo Química Arena, em Sõ Paulo (SP)
📺Onde assistir:ESPN e Star+
🟨Árbitro:Roberto Perez (PER)
🖥️VAR:Nicolas Gallo (Colômbia)

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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira)
Carlos Miguel; Fagner, Félix Torres, Cacá e Hugo; Raniele, Breno Bidon e Rodrigo Garro; Romero, Yuri Alberto e Wesley.

RACING-URU (Técnico: Eduardo Espinel)
Odriozola; Bueno, Magallanes e Monzón; De los Santos, Rodríguez, Varela e Ferreira; Urretaviscaya, Nandín e Verón.

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CorinthiansFutebol NacionalSTARPLUSSul-Americana

Martin O’Neill signed off his second spell with Celtic in style with a 1-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

The experienced interim won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, and Wilfried Nancy will take on the role from Thursday.

Daizen Maeda scored the only goal of the game for O’Neill’s side as he bravely competed to head into the back of the net after Hyun-jun Yang’s effort was saved, which led to him wearing a bandage for the remainder of the night.

Ranking Celtic's best performers against Dundee

The Japan international was, of course, one of the top performers on the night for the Hoops because it was his goal that ultimately sealed all three points to send Celtic level on points with Hearts at the top of the table.

He was not the top performer on the night for the Scottish giants, though, as a couple of other players were ahead of him in that respect, because the striker also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost five of his six duels, per Sofascore.

Reo Hatate was one of those two players. The Japanese whiz created two ‘big chances’, including Yang’s initial shot before the goal, and won four of his seven duels, per Sofascore, in what was a masterful showing in the middle of the park.

Ranking Celtic’s top performers vs Dundee

Rank

Player

1

Colby Donovan

2

Reo Hatate

3

Daizen Maeda

4

Hyun-jun Yang

5

Kasper Schmeichel

As you can see in the table above, Yang and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who pulled off three saves and three run-outs to keep his clean sheet intact, were also among the top performers on the pitch.

However, we have ranked Colby Donovan as the best performer on the night for the Scottish giants, as he provided a reminder of his quality after a shaky game against Hibernian.

Why Colby Donovan is undroppable for Wilfried Nancy

On Sunday, the Scottish full-back lost two of his three ground duels, per Sofascore, and was subbed off at half-time after being booked for a late challenge on Jordan Obita.

After that disappointing showing at the weekend, Donovan may have known that he needed to respond with a big performance against Dundee to ensure that the new manager does not drop him for the game against Hearts on Sunday.

Now, the Scotland U21 international is surely the first completely undroppable player for Nancy at Parkhead, because he was the best performer in the last game before his first match in charge.

Donovan won three of his four ground duels and three of his three aerial duels, winning 87% of his total battles, per Sofascore, whilst Maeda, for example, lost five of his six duels and struggled on that side of the game after scoring his goal.

Vs Dundee

Donovan

Celtic rank

Sofascore rating

8.3

1st

Duels won

6

1st

Aerial duels won

3

1st

Aerial duel success rate

100%

1st

Tackles won

2

1st

Touches

91

4th

Successful crosses

3

1st

Key passes

2

2nd

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate also added creativity in possession to go along with his outstanding defensive work, as only Reo Hatate (five) made more key passes on the night, whilst no one completed more crosses.

Donovan showed Nancy, who was unveiled before the game kicked off, that he is capable of delivering a quality performance at both ends of the pitch from the right-back position, which is why he should already be undroppable.

With Alistair Johnston still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Scottish youngster should be the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the clash with Hearts on Sunday.

That is also influenced by Anthony Ralston’s disappointing form. Pundit Chris Sutton described his play as “really shaky” when he came off the bench against Hibernian, whilst he was also caught out twice by Mikel Gogorza in the Europa League clash with Midtjylland.

Given Ralston’s lack of form and Donovan’s impressive showing on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old defender will surely already be undroppable for Nancy in the short term.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc, meanwhile, lamented the state of the old pink ball and his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness

Matt Roller04-Dec-2025

Jofra Archer played a valuable hand batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket•Darrian Traynor/CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

England believe that the chaotic final half-hour at the Gabba swung the opening day of the second Ashes Test in their favour, after Joe Root and Jofra Archer’s unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 61 took them to 325 for 9 under lights.At the scheduled 9pm close, England were 269 for 9 after 68 overs, with Root unbeaten on 111. It was a remarkably similar situation to the opening day of the 2023 series between these teams in Edgbaston, when Ben Stokes declared with Root on 118 to give England four overs to bowl at Australia before the close.The added element of the pink ball – and the opportunity to bowl at Australia under floodlights – strengthened the case for a declaration, prompting David Warner on Fox commentary to say he was “absolutely baffled” that Stokes had not pulled the plug on England’s innings.Related

Root ton, Starc six as England reach 325 for 9 on opening day in Brisbane

Crawley settles the nerves as he bounces back from Perth pair

Starc on left-arm wickets record: Wasim still the GOAT

Steven Smith, who had floated the prospect of opening the batting with two nightwatchers in such a scenario, was at pains to slow the game down as much as possible, and Root remonstrated with umpire Sharfuddoula at Australia’s apparent time-wasting when Travis Head got padded up to spend a single ball under the helmet at short leg.But Root and Archer seized the opportunity to tee off, adding 56 runs in the final six overs of the day in a partnership that Zak Crawley said had changed the mood of the day for England’s players, who watched on from the viewing gallery outside the away dressing room. “We definitely won that last hour,” Crawley said. “We’re positive going into tomorrow.”Joe Root and Jofra Archer added an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls before stumps•Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesArcher, batting at No. 11 for only the second time in Test cricket, started the carnage by charging Scott Boland and swiping him over square leg for the first six of the day off the first ball of an over that cost 19 runs. He then swung Mitchell Starc’s full toss over the sprawling Brendan Doggett at long-on, and Root reverse-scooped Boland over deep third in the following over.By stumps, Archer had registered a new Test best of 32 not out, while Root reached 135 overnight. Their stand was England’s first half-century partnership for the tenth wicket since Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson added 66 in the drawn Old Trafford Test in the 2023 Ashes, and their first in Australia since Norman Cowans and Derek Pringle in 1982.Starc, whose six wickets had put Australia firmly on top, was exasperated not only with the state of the old pink ball, but with his team-mates’ lack of situational awareness. “If you have a look at that ball, it’s basically bowling with a tennis ball,” he told SEN radio. “They chanced their arm, there were a few that dropped short. I think there’s a little bit of tactical nous in there as well.”Hopefully, we take that tenth one early tomorrow and get batting with the sun out. We saw that it [the ball] didn’t do a whole lot, and day two is generally a good day to bat on. If we can get stuck into batting early tomorrow when there’s sun on the wicket – and their balls go soft as well – it could be a good day’s cricket.”Crawley, who had briefly changed back into his whites in anticipation of fielding, said that the situation had been “perfect” for England. “There was no talk of a declaration,” he said. “We were just saying, ‘Go really hard,’ and it was a win-win: if it comes off, then we’ll get 50 runs like we did, or if you got out, then we could have a crack at them under lights.”They’re valuable runs and it would’ve worked out either way… We were pretty happy with [being bowled out for] 260 and having an hour at them at that point, to be honest. We were quite optimistic about that last hour, and then it turned out we batted for all of it. It felt like it was a great chance for us either way – with bat or ball – to seize that last hour.”Australia only bowled 74 overs out of the scheduled 90 on the first day, which Simon Katich described as “an absolute joke”. They risk being docked World Test Championship points if they fail to bowl England out inside 80 overs. “The over rates are what they are,” Starc said. “If we keep taking the wickets, they won’t worry about it.”

On April 11 of this year, Liverpool posted a video on their social media channels accompanied by the words 'The story continues' and a crown emoji. Nobody had to press play to understand what it all meant: after months and months of incessant speculation over Mohamed Salah's future, Anfield's Egyptian King had finally agreed a new contract with the club.

"I'm very excited," the winger said of his two-year extension. "We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team, but signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football. It's great, I had my best years here. I played eight years; hopefully, it's going to be 10." 

Right now, though, that looks highly unlikely. Indeed, former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp says that he'd be "amazed if Salah sees out the last year-and-a-half of his contract" – and it's surprisingly easy to understand why.

Getty'Gamble' pays off spectacularly

The idea of Salah leaving Liverpool just over six months after signing a new contract should be absurd. As if anyone needs reminding, he didn't just play a part in the Reds romping to a record-equalling 20th English title last season, he took centre stage by producing one of the greatest individual campaigns in Premier League history.

Salah racked up 29 goals and 18 assists, resulting in him becoming the first man ever to win the Golden Boot, the Playmaker Award and Player of the Season in the same year. As far as Salah was concerned, his numerous records and sensational stats were a direct consequence of new coach Arne Slot ceding to his request to let him focus solely on scoring and creating goals.

"The tactics are quite different [to the Jurgen Klopp era]," Salah told . "Now I don't defend much. I said [to Slot] 'As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively', so I am glad that I did. He listened a lot and you can see the numbers. When you play in the Premier League you have to defend, but I said that I can gamble and somehow I can make a difference."

Unfortunately for Salah, Slot and Liverpool, the risk is no longer proving worth the reward.

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Salah is by no means the only reason why Liverpool are struggling this season: the defence is a disaster, the forwards are misfiring, while Dominik Szoboszlai is the only midfielder playing well. However, the dramatic drop in Salah's productivity is startling – and seriously hurting his side. 

For example, after 14 rounds of last season's Premier League, Salah had propelled Liverpool to the top of the table with 13 goals and seven assists. This time around, the Reds are currently languishing in eighth place, with Salah having contributed just four goals and two assists.

Worse still, opponents are now targeting Liverpool's right-hand side even more than they did when Trent Alexander-Arnold was stationed behind Salah – and to great effect.

"We know that Salah is always ready for the counter-attack," Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella told after setting up Estevao for a last-minute winner against the Reds on October 4. "So, we practiced that, and the manager (Enzo Maresca) said that the space might be there."

Getty Images SportNo longer a difference-maker

Slot initially defended the freedom afforded to Salah, arguing that in the very same game against Chelsea there were "five or six moments where Mo could have made the difference for us" because the Egypt international was still being allowed to remain so high up the field.

"And if that would have happened, then we would have had a conversation like last season, where he so many times made the difference for us," Slot told reporters. "But if that doesn't happen then you get comments like this [from Cucurella]. It's always about the balance between winger and full-backs. I want our full-backs to attack as well, so we have to find the right balance in that, but we are conceding too many crosses compared to last season, and this is something I'm aware of and we have to do better."

It seems that Slot has now decided that taking Salah out of the starting line-up is the best solution to this particular problem.

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Getty Images SportDropped

Against West Ham last Sunday, Slot deployed the multi-talented Szoboszlai on the right-hand side, with Joe Gomez tucked in behind him. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool looked far more solid in defence and kept their first clean sheet for nearly a month. In addition, Florian Wirtz flourished in the attacking midfield role vacated by Szoboszlai.

Consequently, Slot elected to make just one change for Wednesday's visit of Sunderland, with Andy Robertson taking over at left-back from Milos Kerkez, who had gone down with a cramp at the London Stadium. However, Jamie Carragher, who has been very critical of Salah's media silence during Liverpool's shocking slump, was "surprised" by the decision not to recall the forward.

"I've said this season I don't think Mo Salah should play every game, but when I said that I was thinking predominantly away games – not so much at Anfield," Carragher explained on . "Arne Slot can dress the weekend up as Liverpool have four games in 10 days, and you have to look at which games you play him in.

"Sunderland will play deep and make it difficult so I expected this to be the one where Salah plays. For him to be on the bench doesn't feel like rest or rotation; it's dropped. But sooner or later Liverpool do have to pivot away from being the Salah team and towards being the Wirtz and (Alexander) Isak team, and maybe we saw a glimpse of that [at West Ham]."

However, if Sunday at least hinted at a brighter future, Wednesday provided an immediate reminder of the grim reality of Liverpool's present predicament.

Alexi Lalas was upbeat after the United States landed in Group D for the 2026 World Cup, where they will face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of Play-Off C (Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo). He called the group not just good, but “great,” and said the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino should be expected to advance.

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  Lalas thanks the “soccer gods” for a favorable group

  Lalas began by acknowledging the favorable nature of the draw, suggesting that fans and the team should be grateful for the opportunity. He framed the group as one that offers a realistic and achievable path for the USMNT to progress beyond the group stage. 

  “Well, I think if you believe in the soccer gods, you should be thanking them,” Lalas said on FOX. “I think this is not just a good group, this is a great group, and this is a group that you should expect the United States team, under Mauricio Pochettino, to win and go through."

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• Capitalize on the opportunity and advance

  Lalas urged the USMNT to “put it in your pocket” and focus on winning the necessary points to move on. His message to the team and fans alike is to seize the opportunity presented by the draw, maintain focus, and approach the group stage with determination and realism.

  “So thank you to the soccer gods,” Lalas added. “This is I don't want to say it's an easy group, but we also have to be realistic with what we got here. And it's 2025, it's going to be 2026, and a group like that, you say, 'Thank you very much.' Put it in your pocket. Go get your points and get out of your group."

• Final opponent to be determined

  The Play-Off C slot adds an unpredictable element, and both Paraguay and Australia possess strengths that can unsettle hosts. 

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  What comes next for the USMNT

  Mauricio Pochettino will use upcoming camps to rehearse plans for Paraguay and Australia and to prepare for the eventual Play-Off C opponent.