After a mixed start to their Premier League campaign, Leeds United and Daniel Farke have been handed a number of injury issues ahead of their all-important clash against relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Latest Leeds injury news

With one win and a draw in their first four games back in the Premier League, Leeds have shown plenty of promise when it comes to carving out narrow results.

But there’s still a long way to go before they break the trend of promoted clubs heading straight back down to the Championship. That didn’t stop Farke from praising his side’s defensive work ahead of their trip to Wolves, however.

Barring a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal, Leeds have kept a clean sheet against Everton and Newcastle and conceded just the one goal in a last-gasp defeat against Fulham last time out. Defensively, the Whites have been impressively stubborn.

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It’s going forward that they’ve struggled. And recent injury news certainly won’t help in that regard. Farke confirmed that Dan James is a major doubt to face Wolves, whilst goalkeeper Lucas Perri is also sidelined alongside another key attacking talent.

Gnonto now facing late Leeds fitness test

As revealed by Farke, Wilfried Gnonto is also an injury doubt to face Wolves and could deal Leeds’ frontline another frustrating blow. So often the bright spark in what has been a blunt attack so far this season, Gnonto’s absence would hand Wolves a major boost and deal the Whites more trouble in front of goal.

It’s not just those at Elland Road who have been impressed by Gnonto over the years, either. The last time that Leeds were in the Premier League, it was Manchester United legend Gary Neville who was leading the praise for the winger.

The former defender said: “Sometimes you see potential and talent but watching him so closely, his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, when to run with it, his awareness of teammates, really good honestly.”

Ex-Leeds star Jermaine Beckford also described Gnonto as “direct” in what is the trait that Leeds are likely to miss the most if he is sidelined against Wolves this weekend.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice picked up a career-best five for 40 with his medium pace as Sussex took control of their Rothesay County Championship match against Worcestershire on the second afternoon.After bowling Worcestershire out for 180, Sussex then stretched their overall lead to 170 by reaching 66 for three in their second innings by stumps, with Tom Alsop and James Coles confidently seeing out the day on 24 and 27 not out respectively.There was a scare for Sussex at the start of their second innings when they lost left-handed openers Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes, both for nought and without a run on the board.Haines was bowled through an attempted drive by Tom Taylor, coming from around the wicket, and Hughes lost his off stump shouldering arms to one from Ben Allison – again bowled from an around the wicket angle, but which also nipped further in off the seam.And Sussex were 18 for three when Taylor, following up his first innings five for 56, pinned Tom Clark leg-before for 10 with one that kept a little low. Alsop and Coles, however, calmed Sussex nerves in an unbroken stand of 48.Hudson-Prentice first dismissed opener Jake Libby for 13 as Worcestershire struggled to make much headway against Sussex’s seam attack before lunch, and then took three wickets in three overs during a mid-afternoon spell that contributed significantly to Division One’s bottom team slumping to 111 for eight in reply to the home side’s first innings 284.Worcestershire’s ninth wicket pair of Brett D’Oliveira and Taylor then added a defiant 51, playing some excellent shots amid a largely defensive rearguard action, but D’Oliveira edged the second ball after tea to a diving Coles at second slip to go for 30.That was a second wicket for Clark, who finished with two for 29 and bowled his own medium pacers with good control in support of Hudson-Prentice, Ollie Robinson (two for 31) and Ari Karvelas.Karvelas claimed only one scalp, Gareth Roderick edging to first slip on 21 mid-way through the morning session, but he also bowled a challenging line and length throughout an excellent afternoon spell on a well-grassed pitch that was always giving the seamers encouragement.Robinson had quickly removed nightwatchman Ben Gibbon, caught behind for four, after Worcestershire resumed on seven without loss and they would have been more than three down at lunch if Kashif Ali had not been dropped at first slip from the second ball he faced.Kashif, however, edged a push-drive at Robinson to keeper John Simpson on 13 soon after lunch, beginning a slide in which five wickets fell for 37 runs in 15 overs.Henry Nicholls, who battled two hours for his 32, was the first victim in Hudson-Prentice’s mid-afternoon treble, undone by movement off the seam as he played defensively forward, and Ethan Brookes departed for 20 four overs later, again edging a Hudson-Prentice leg-cutter to Simpson.Three balls later Matthew Waite was also back in the pavilion, pushing half-forward at Hudson-Prentice and nicking yet another catch to Simpson.Like Waite, the left-handed Fateh Singh fell for nought as James Hayes – the 23-year old seamer on loan from Nottinghamshire – flew to his right at mid wicket to pull off a superb catch goalkeeper-style as Singh clipped Clark firmly off his pads.The D’Oliveira-Taylor partnership at least gave Worcestershire some hope of staying in the contest but, after D’Oliveira’s dismissal, only another 18 runs were added before Hudson-Prentice ended Taylor’s brave 32 courtesy of Simpson’s sixth catch of the innings.

There is no getting away from the fact that it’s been a horror start to the season for West Ham United this year.

The East Londoners were knocked out of the League Cup at the first time of asking by Wolverhampton Wanderers and have lost four of their five Premier League games, scoring just five goals and conceding 13.

So, when taking this into account, plus last season’s dire form, which saw his side lose nine of 19 games, it was no surprise to see Graham Potter finally given the sack on Saturday.

Potter’s West Ham record

Matches

25

Wins

6

Draws

5

Losses

14

Points

23

Points per Game

0.92

Goals For

30

Goals Against

41

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In his place, the Hammers have hired Nuno Espírito Santo, who recently enjoyed a brilliant stint with Nottingham Forest, taking them from relegation candidates to European football in a season and a half.

The Portuguese manager is known for playing slightly more defensive football than the Englishman, but his ability to turn his teams into counter-attacking machines could bring some real excitement – and success – back to the London Stadium.

However, before Nuno has a chance to greet the home fans, he faces the daunting task of taking on Everton at their brand-new stadium, which will be no easy task given their current form.

West Ham and Nuno's record vs Everton

Since their first competitive encounter all the way back in February 1907, West Ham have played Everton a whopping 153 times. Unfortunately, the Hammers have won just 45 of those games, drawn 33, and lost the other 75.

However, their recent record against the Toffees has been far more encouraging, with just one loss in their last five games, two wins and two draws.

Those two draws came last season, with ex-boss Julen Lopetegui overseeing a drab 0-0 draw at home in November, and then Potter leading his side to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park courtesy of a 67th-minute strike from Tomáš Souček, which was matched by a 91st-minute strike from Jake O’Brien.

West Ham’s recent record vs Everton

Date

Venue

Result

03/25

Away

1-1 Draw

11/24

Home

0-0 Draw

03/24

Away

3-1 Win

10/23

Home

1-0 Loss

01/23

Home

2-0 Win

Unfortunately, while the Irons’ overall record against West Ham is far from ideal, Nuno’s isn’t any better.

Across his time with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Forest, the São Tomé-born tactician has overseen nine matches against the Merseysiders, winning three, drawing one and losing the other five.

Now, his teams have scored 13 goals and conceded just 12 in those games, but it’s still a worrying record, especially when taking into account the fact that the Tricky Trees lost at home to David Moyes’ side in April this year.

However, today is the start of a new project for Nuno and West Ham, and there is every chance the former Forest boss can pick up all three points, and this is the line-up he could do that with.

West Ham's predicted line-up

Souček is still out due to the straight red card he picked up against Tottenham Hotspur, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka is still out with a stomach issue.

However, apart from them, Nuno should have a full contingent of players to pick from to fill out his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation for tonight’s hugely important game.

Starting between the sticks has to be Alphonse Areola. The Frenchman wasn’t great against Crystal Palace last week, but Mads Hermansen has had a horror start to his Irons career, and the new boss won’t want a goalkeeping error to cost him in his first game.

The full-back pairing has to be Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf. The former has to start due to Wan-Bissaka’s stomach issue, and the latter has been one of the few players who have looked good this season, already providing three assists in five league games.

Things could change quickly under the new regime, but for the game tonight, Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos will likely keep their places in the team as they’ve started the last three games together.

Now, we get to the first significant change to the team in the midfield, with the “average” James Ward-Prowse, as dubbed by one analyst, being left on the bench for summer signings Matues Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa to come in as the deeper midfield two.

The former Southampton star barely got any game time when he was on loan with Forest last season, and considering his truly dreadful start to the campaign, it would be baffling to see him start tonight.

Moreover, the former AS Monaco gem possesses the tenacity, energy, and mentality to do the necessary dirty work. At the same time, the Portuguese ace can bring more ball quality from deep, helping to create a wonderfully balanced double pivot.

Starting in attacking midfield will undoubtedly be the mercurial Lucas Paqueta. The Brazilian hasn’t been at his best so far this season, but he’s still been able to score three goals in five games.

Moreover, the manager helped Morgan Gibbs-White rack up 17 goal involvements in 38 games last year, so there is no telling what he’ll be able to do with the former Lyon star.

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone to see Jarrod Bowen out on the right this evening, as even though the rest of the team have struggled this season, the former Hull City star has scored two goals and provided an assist in his six appearances.

Furthermore, the 28-year-old game-changer was able to rack up a sensational haul of 24 goal involvements in just 36 appearances last year, so he is going nowhere.

Bowen’s 24/25

Appearances

36

Minutes

3138′

Goals

14

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.66

Minutes per Goal Involvement

130.75

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On the opposite flank, it’ll probably be another start for Crysencio Summerville. The former Leeds United gem certainly needs to work on his output, but there is no denying that he makes things happen off the left, and his rapid pace could be perfect for the counter-attacking football the new boss is known for.

Finally, while some might want to see Niclas Füllkrug return to the team, it will likely be Callum Wilson who starts up top. The former Newcastle United star certainly has his drawbacks, but unlike the German, he has a goal to his name this season and a track record of scoring when fit.

Ultimately, it may well still be incredibly early on in the season, but West Ham’s game against Everton tonight feels like a massive one, not just because it’s a chance for the team to put a stop to their downward slide, but also because it’s a chance for Nuno to properly introduce himself to the fans and show them what he’s about.

After finishing a gruelling season at No. 3 and 4, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians face off in a knockout

Hemant Brar29-May-20252:58

Moody: GT have a few more concerns than MI

Big picture: Can GT cope without Buttler?Before the start of IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) seemed to have a hole in their batting line-up. They had an excellent top three and a bunch of finishers but the middle order looked thin. GT, though, finished third in the league stage and will now face Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh on Friday. The winner moves on to Qualifier 2, one step closer to the final; the loser is eliminated.GT relied heavily on their top three during their run to the playoffs. In most games, at least one of Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler batted so deep that the middle order was barely required. On the rare occasion when they fell relatively early, Sherfane Rutherford and Shahrukh Khan proved that the perceived hole in the middle order wasn’t so deep.The interruption to the season, however, interrupted GT’s momentum. They were on course for a top-two finish but lost their last two league games and dropped to No. 3. Now Buttler has left for the England duty and GT’s first match without him is the Eliminator. His replacement Kusal Mendis is a fine batter but he is not in the same league. Moreover, he has never played the IPL and his last innings in a competitive game was more than a month ago.Related

MI's turnaround decoded: death overs tamed, middle overs mastered

GT were perhaps the only franchise to have constructed their squad around their bowling. But with Mohammed Siraj’s form tapering off and Rashid Khan’s never really picking up, their strongest department does not look as strong. In the last three games, they conceded 199, 235 and 230.MI, on the other hand, are a galaxy of stars. But not everyone has been shining as brightly. Suryakumar Yadav is their leading run-getter with 640, but the next best, Ryan Rickelton, is 252 behind. And he is not available for the playoffs. The next on the list is Rohit Sharma with 329.Unlike Mendis for GT, MI’s replacement for Rickelton is an IPL veteran: Jonny Bairstow. Last fortnight, he smashed twin fifties for Yorkshire, albeit in a red-ball game. Will Jacks, who has also left MI for England duty, does not leave behind that big a hole. On current form, their bowling attack also seems stronger than GT’s.GT, though, will draw confidence from having beaten MI in both league games. In fact, MI are yet to beat any of the three other teams in the playoffs. They did have a six-match winning streak in the middle, but after two losses in their last three league games, they no longer appear invincible.3:00

Aaron: Bairstow is one of the replacements of the IPL

Form guideGujarat Titans LLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Mumbai Indians LWLWWIn the spotlight: Rashid Khan and Jasprit BumrahRashid Khan and Jasprit Bumrah have been T20 cricket’s best spinner and best fast bowler for years now. But they have had contrasting fortunes in IPL 2025. Rashid is having his worst IPL season. In 14 games, he has picked up just nine wickets at an average of 53.66 and an economy of 9.47. The 31 sixes he has been hit for are the joint most for any bowler in an IPL season alongside Siraj in 2022.Bumrah missed the first four matches as he was recovering from a back injury. Despite that, he is joint sixth on the list of highest wicket-takers this season. He has taken 17 at an average of 14.64 and economy of 6.33, both a personal best for him in an IPL season.Jasprit Bumrah is having his best IPL season•Getty Images

Team news and likely XIIsMendis replacing Buttler could be the only change for GT.Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh KrishnaBairstow coming in for Rickelton is a straight swap. Choosing between Charith Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs for Jacks could be trickier, but Asalanka’s offspin could tilt the decision in his favour.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Charith Asalanka/Bevon Jacobs, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Karn SharmaThe big questionPitch and conditionsNew Chandigarh has not dished out consistent pitches this season. In the four games played there before the playoffs, a team lost after making 201 and a team won after scoring 111. In Qualifier 1, Punjab Kings (PBKS) were all out for 101 on a surface that helped both seamers and spinners, but it will be a fresh pitch for the Eliminator. The weather forecast for Friday is likely to be cloudy, but there is no indication of rain.Key stats In the IPL, Hardik Pandya has dismissed Gill four times in 23 balls while giving away only 19 runs. Mendis has struggled against Mitchell Santner in T20 cricket – four dismissals in 39 balls for just 34 runs. Across all T20s, Suryakumar has taken Rashid for 117 runs in 77 balls without a dismissal. Rashid has dominated his match-up against Hardik, though: 32 runs in 44 balls, two dismissals. Tilak Varma has faced seven balls from Prasidh Krishna in the IPL. He’s been dismissed twice and hasn’t scored a run.

Harry Kane moved into an elite goalscoring club as he scored twice to help England qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Bayern Munich striker bagged a first-half brace to help the Three Lions defeat Latvia 5-0 and book their place at next summer’s tournament, continuing a rich vein of form which has seen him score 21 goals in just 13 games for club and country this season.

• Kane leads the way as England secure emphatic Latvia win

  Kane played a key role in helping England reach the World Cup in emphatic fashion on Tuesday evening. Already ahead thanks to a strike from Anthony Gordon, the captain doubled his side’s lead against Latvia with a lovely left-footed effort after 44 minutes. And Kane did not have to wait too long to grab his second of the night, converting a penalty which he won himself following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Further gloss was added to England’s victory as an own goal from Latvia defender Maksims Tonisevs and an effort from Arsenal forward Eberechi Eze saw Thomas Tuchel’s men secure their sixth win from as many games in World Cup qualifying.

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• England captain joins Ronaldo in elite goalscoring club

  And as a result of his heroics against Latvia, Kane joined a list of goalscoring royalty which includes Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. By netting twice in Riga, Kane took his goal tally for England to 76 in 110 caps, meaning he is now among the top five European scorers in international football history. Kane sits behind Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas (84), Poland striker Robert Lewandowski (87), Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku (89) and Ronaldo, who leads the way with 143 international goals for Portugal. The Selecao striker matched Kane by scoring twice on Tuesday night, though Roberto Martinez’s side were held to a 2-2 draw by Hungary in Group F.

• Kane pays tribute to England fans after pointed Tuchel chants

  While Kane and his team-mates were roared on by the passionate England faithful against Latvia, manager Tuchel faced pointed chants from the travelling fans. After the German criticised the support his players received in their 3-0 friendly win over Wales on Thursday, 9 October, chants of “Thomas Tuchel, we’ll sing when we want!” and “Thomas Tuchel, are we loud enough for you?” could be heard from the stands as the Three Lions cruised to victory at the Daugava Stadium.

  And while Tuchel was in good spirits over the banter, Kane was keen to pay tribute to the England supporters after the game, telling : "I know Thomas came out after the last game and said the fans weren't great, but I don't think you can question our away support ever. The way they were tonight was fantastic. And look, we've qualified for another major tournament. We know the England fans enjoy going out – and America's going to be a special place to play – and we've got something to look forward to now. Yeah, credit to them for travelling out here and showing the noise they did.”

  Tuchel, meanwhile, was quick to heap praise on Kane after his latest two goals for England, saying: "It's a pleasure to have him. He's in excellent shape, mentally, physically, in top form, top shape. Apart from scoring another two goals, look at the goal in the 85th minute from [Eze], we have a ball loss and Harry goes all the way back to his own half and puts his head down in another sprint defensively.

  "As a captain, as the No 9, there's no real need to do this. No-one will ever blame him if he didn't do it. But he does it, and that sets the standards. That is so brilliant to see, because he helps us win the ball and this in the end results in the goal from [Eze]. Harry is ready to put in the intensity and the shift that is needed.”

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• Getty
  

  Kane's next match: Bayern host Dortmund in Der Klassiker

  Kane will return to Bundesliga action when Bayern entertain rivals Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker on Saturday evening. The 32-year-old is the current leading goalscorer in Germany’s top flight, having netted a remarkable 11 times in just six games. He has also scored four goals in just two Champions League appearances so far this season, netting back-to-back braces against both Chelsea and Cypriot outfit Pafos. Vincent Kompany's Bayern are currently top of the Bundesliga table on 18 points, four ahead of Niko Kovac's in-form Dortmund side.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy favorites to win the NL West again after winning the division 10 of the last 11 seasons.

Los Angeles Dodgers -450
Arizona Diamondbacks +800
San Francisco Giants +1200
San Diego Padres +1200
Colorado Rockies +20000

The Dodgers spent more than $1 billion in free agency, which includes the addition of AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The two-way superstar will not pitch this season due to offseason elbow surgery, but he is expected to be ready for Opening Day as the team’s DH. The Dodgers also inked Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year deal. Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton will also join the starting rotation.

Only the Braves scored more runs than the Dodgers in 2023, and the heart of the Los Angeles lineup returns with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith rounding out the top of the order for L.A. Los Angeles racked triple-digit wins in 2023 and finished 16 games ahead of the Diamondbacks.

Despite winning the NL pennant via a wild card berth in 2023, the Diamondbacks are just 8-to-1 to win the division. With much of the team returning, it could be worth a sprinkle.

NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll is establishing himself as an elite power/speed threat in Arizona. With the addition of starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the offseason and one of the top closers in the game, the Diamondbacks should be competitive again. Those who backed Arizona last season did not make a profit for their divisional futures, but those who bet Arizona for the pennant were paid more than 125 times their investment.

The Giants and the Padres share +1200 odds.

San Francisco is the only team with a division title other than the Dodgers in the last 11 seasons. They last won the division in 2021 and did not finish with a winning record last season.

The Padres will be without NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and superstar hitter Juan Soto, but they still have Fernando Tatis, Jr., arguably one of the most talented players in the game. Joe Musgrove will anchor the starting rotation.

Finally, the Rockies have the longest odds at +20000 after winning only 59 games in 2023 and finishing 41 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers. 

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Unmukt Chand’s unbeaten 86 off 58 balls and Andre Russell’s 3 for 30 helped Los Angeles Knight Riders end their three-match losing streak in MLC 2025, as they beat Seattle Orcas by six wickets in Dallas. The result kept Orcas winless after four games.Opting to bat, Orcas posted a formidable 177 for 6 with useful contributions from their top three. Shayan Jahangir scored 26 off 15 as he and David Warner gave them a brisk start of 33 in 3.3 overs. LAKR captain Jason Holder provided the breakthrough by having Jahangir caught behind.Warner and Aaron Jones then took the side to 85 in the 11th over before Russell had Warner playing on. He made 38 off 28.Jones was on a-run-a-ball 29 at one point. But he hit a six each of Corné Dry and Russell to finish on 44 off 36. However, with Kyle Mayers and Heinrich Klaasen failing to capitalise on the platform, Orcas could manage only 39 in the last four overs.Despite a slow start, Saif Badar brought up his fifty off 30 balls•MLC

Russell was the pick of the bowlers. Bowling wide and slower yorkers, he kept a lid on the scoring rate. In his final over, the 20th of the innings, he gave away just two runs and dismissed Shimron Hetmyer.LAKR didn’t have a great start and were 7 for 2 in the third over. But Chand, almost singlehandedly, steered them to 45 for 2 after six. He smashed Cameron Gannon for back-to-back fours in the fifth over before hitting a six and a four off Harmeet Singh in the sixth.Still, LAKR were lagging behind at the halfway stage, at 72 for 2. Chand was on 42 off 36 and Saif Badar on 17 off 16. But then Chand shellacked Gerald Coetzee for two sixes and two fours in a 20-run over to shift the momentum. Badar also joined in with two sixes and a four across three balls.Chand and Badar reduced the equation to 40 needed from 30 balls. Their stand of 139 off 79 balls came to an end when Badar fell for 54 off 32. Rovman Powell lasted only three balls, but Chand, in the company of Sherfane Rutherford, took LAKR over the line with ten balls to spare.

Mikel Arteta has hailed “magical” Leandro Trossard as a “massive weapon” for Arsenal after he fired his side to the top of the Premier League.

Trossard, on £90,000-a-week, bundled home Bukayo Saka’s 58th minute corner at Fulham in a 1-0 win for the Gunners which ensures they will end the latest round of fixtures at the league summit.

Trossard scored just eight times in the league last term and, following Arsenal’s summer spending spree with eight new players arriving at the Emirates, the Belgium international might have feared for his place in Arteta’s side.

However, the 30-year-old, who found game time hard to come by earlier in the season, has now started all of Arsenal’s last five matches, both in the league, and in Europe.

Arteta hails Trossard as Arsenal's "weapon"

Arsenal’s win at Fulham marked the first of seven fixtures in 21 days for Arteta’s men with a Champions League home clash against Atletico Madrid to come on Tuesday.

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The north London team will be looking to build on a strong opening to their European campaign with successive 2-0 victories against Athletic Bilbao and Olympiacos.

The run of matches is set to test the depth of Arsenal’s new-look squad with captain Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz already absent through injury.

But Arteta continued: “We know the schedule and the load is what it is, and the games now and the context demands a bigger squad.

“All the top teams are in the same boat, and we’re going to have to manage that really well, to look after them, and especially to get the best out of them.”

Pakistan’s T20I captain feels they played the same way in the last two series – against New Zealand and Bangladesh – for contrasting results

Danyal Rasool02-Jun-2025

The Pakistan players pose with the trophy•AFP/Getty Images

A lot has changed between Pakistan’s last T20I series and this one. That took place in New Zealand in the wake of a disastrous home Champions Trophy campaign, while this one, against Bangladesh, happened at home on the other side of PSL 2025. Pakistan have a new coaching staff, and produced a markedly different result – a 3-0 rout of Bangladesh as opposed to a 4-1 reverse in New Zealand.What satisfies Salman Agha, though, is that Pakistan’s style of play, he feels, did not change. Their commitment to reduce the role anchors play in a batting innings continued, and a number of young players called up for that New Zealand series played starring roles in this one. The ephemeral nature of any game style or philosophy in Pakistan – often dictated by one or two bad results – means this stylistic continuation across these two series is notable in itself.For Salman, the man at the helm for both tours, it is also non-negotiable. “As long as I’m captain this is how we’ll play,” he said after Pakistan’s seven-wicket win in the third T20I. “I think this is the way to play cricket going forward; that’s how the world is playing. You need to put the bowlers and batters under pressure. In New Zealand, this is what we tried to follow, but conditions didn’t allow it. But the boys who went there learned a way to be fearless without being careless. That is something we’ve balanced perfectly this series.”Related

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Haris stars with 107* as Pakistan complete whitewash

Bright starts, familiar flaws – Takeaways from Bangladesh's Lahore malfunction

That balance is notoriously difficult to define, let alone achieve; Shane Warne’s famous exhortation to “tee off (not recklessly)” perhaps crystallises the extent to which the final outcome dictates how this approach is ultimately viewed. For Pakistan, it is perhaps the performances of Mohammad Haris across these games which appear to suggest they ended up on the right side of that balance. After a pair of early wickets in the first games, Haris began slowly, scoring seven runs in his first eight balls before adopting that fearless approach Salman mentioned; he would smash 24 in his next nine, and Pakistan ended up scoring over 200.In the next two games, with no such pressure at the outset, Haris would target the bowlers from the get-go, culminating in that memorable unbeaten 46-ball 107 to seal the whitewash. For a player often criticised for rash strokeplay and an inability to build an innings that lasts longer than a handful of deliveries, this series showcased the potential of Pakistan’s new approach applied properly.”Haris gets accused of not using his brain during T20 innings,” Salman said. “In this series, when we were 5 for 2 [in the first game], he took calculated risks, and the same today. I think Haris, Saim [Ayub] and Hasan [Nawaz] are players I’d like to turn into matchwinners in my captaincy. These players can perform wonders for Pakistan cricket.”While Salman promised “the door is not closed for anybody” in his T20 set-up, the message of who is being moved on from is fairly unmistakeable. Pakistan have long tried – and ultimately failed – to shut the door on Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam’s days, as Pakistan’s primary T20 openers feted for their consistency but slated for their conservatism. Even in the recent past, their place at the top was justified due to an absence of players who could construct innings if they fell too early. These three games might not have been against an elite T20 side, but early wickets did not sound alarm bells for Pakistan’s innings as they have in the past, with Salman keen to take encouragement from it.”I’m very happy with this team and the environment we’re creating,” he said. “I think the team has begun to move in [the right] direction. If conditions change, we’ll respect it. Modern-day cricket doesn’t mean disrespecting conditions. For me, modern cricket is beating par by about 10-15 runs – both with bat and ball – so you make it easier for the bowlers or the batters. Whatever the conditions, we’ll follow what we feel the par score is and then try to beat it.Salman Agha said that Pakistan’s batting order, apart from the top three, is flexible•PCB

“Openers’ positions don’t change. Haris is a player at No. 3 for us because he’s a keeper and we like to give him a little rest after that. Hasan is a middle-order hitter, and my number with him is interchangeable. The top three are set, and the rest is situation dependent. I was going to play at No. 4, but we saw we hadn’t lost more than one wicket after 10 overs. And we’ve seen how dangerous Hasan is against spin in the PSL and this series. So we keep the batting order flexible and expect players to be ready to come in.”Salman is well aware of how quickly positions of power within Pakistan cricket can be undermined, but for now, he speaks with the authority and stature of a Pakistan captain who has the breathing space to look beyond just the next game or series. With Mike Hesson, his coach at Islamabad United in the PSL, now Pakistan’s white-ball coach, there is a sense the team and the management are on the same page, with the board having given them license to pursue a fresh start however they choose.”I’m very happy. The young boys performed,” Salman said. “The result doesn’t matter for me, what matters is how we play cricket. We need to play cricket the way we played these games, and to entertain people. If we put the opposition under pressure, we’ll win more games than not.”There’s a year to go for the T20 World Cup, so you can’t say it’ll be the same players. But I think the core will be the same because I’d like to give these boys as much of a chance as possible. We’d like to have a playing XI for the World Cup ready with players who have experience of playing in this team. This is a young side with 25-30 matches to go. But the core is the same.”

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to defy age and expectations after being named among the 26 finalists for the 2025 FIFPRO Men's World 11 on Monday. The Argentina and Portugal superstars have been rewarded for their efforts in 2024-25 by being included on the star-studded list alongside Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

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  Messi and Ronaldo the most decorated players in FIFPRO World 11 history

  Messi and Ronaldo are in contention to make yet another Men’s FIFPRO World 11 after being included among the list of nominees for the 2025 edition. Inter Miami forward Messi has featured in 17 previous iterations of the FIFPRO World 11 – more than any other player – while Al-Nassr striker Ronaldo has made the second most appearances with 15. The latest nominations are a testament to the longevity of both players, with Messi having turned 38 in June and Ronaldo set to turn 41 in less than four months’ time.

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• Argentina captain Messi nominated after receiving MLS Golden Boot

  With the FIFPRO World 11 taking into account performances between 15 July 2024 and 3 August 2025 inclusive, Messi has been nominated for his remarkable efforts for Argentina and Inter Miami in that period. The former Barcelona forward helped his country book their place at the 2026 World Cup in March, while he also received the 2025 Major League Soccer Golden Boot after scoring 29 goals in 28 regular-season matches for Inter Miami.

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  Portugal star Ronaldo on brink of joining Messi & Argentina at World Cup

  Meanwhile, Ronaldo scored an incredible 35 goals in 41 matches for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in 2024-25, while he has also found the back of the net seven times in eight games this season. The ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United man is on the brink of joining Messi at the World Cup, with Portugal – who lead Group F on 10 points – poised to qualify for next summer’s tournament. The Selecao will directly qualify for the competition if they beat the Republic of Ireland in their next qualifier on 13 November, or if they avoid defeat and second-placed Hungary do not beat Armenia on the same day.

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• The full list of nominees

  The 2025 FIFPRO World 11 finalists:

  Goalkeepers:

  Alisson Becker (Liverpool, Brazil)

  Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City, Italy)

  Defenders:

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool/Real Madrid, England)

  Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain)

  Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)

  Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)

  Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)

  Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)

  William Saliba (Arsenal, France)

  Midfielders:

  Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)

  Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Napoli, Belgium)

  Luka Modric (Real Madrid/AC Milan, Croatia)

  Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)

  Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)

  Pedri (Barcelona, Spain)

  Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)

  Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)

  Forwards:

  Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain, France)

  Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)

  Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France)

  Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)

  Raphinha (Barcelona, Brazil)

  Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal)

  Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)

  Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)