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Pakistan’s front-line fast bowler has had a difficult couple of years, but he believes he’s peaking just in time to make a mark at his country’s first home ICC event since 1996

Danyal Rasool18-Feb-2025″You’re still not a true cricketer,” his oldest brother said suddenly, out of nowhere.Shaheen Shah Afridi looked up, surprised at what Riaz had just said. A number of the siblings – Afridi has six older brothers – were sat at home, watching cricket when Riaz, who once played an international for Pakistan when Shaheen was four, piped up. It was late 2018 and Shaheen had taken Pakistan cricket by storm, first at the PSL, where he produced figures of 3.4-1-4-5, and later with a superb start in white-ball international cricket.”Why?””Until you play Test cricket,” Riaz said, “you’re not a proper international cricketer.”Related

• Rizwan says Rauf is 'fully fit' for Champions Trophy opener

• Champions Trophy – A critical test for ODI cricket and Pakistan as hosts

• Pakistan boosted by Rizwan's form but bowling remains a concern

• Afridi back as No. 1 ODI bowler, Hasaranga second in T20Is

“Since then,” Afridi says, “I have held in my heart that Test cricket is my true and first priority.”Riaz also gave his younger brother one of his earliest lessons about the reality of being in the spotlight in Pakistan cricket: no matter the plaudits he was enjoying in the honeymoon phase of his career, criticism and tough times will never be far away.

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“Shall we sit here?””No.”The most complicated part of interviewing Pakistan’s most famous fast bowler is simply finding where to do it. As we walk through the warren of corridors, lobbies and coffee shops, it becomes obvious why Afridi dismisses the idea of sitting anywhere within public view so quickly. At about two metres tall, he can’t exactly hide, and the face perched on top of that body is one of Pakistan’s most recognisable. Every few paces, we’re stopped – or he is, more accurately – for pictures, autographs, brief chats that he tries to awkwardly but politely end, with varying degrees of success. Finally, at the back of the hotel in a little alcove hidden behind an outdoor seating area shaded by artificial palm trees, we pull up a couple of chairs.”When I got [Shubman] Gill out early on [at the 2023 ODI World Cup], I felt you could have heard a fly buzzing, such was the silence”•AFP/Getty ImagesAt ease, Afridi is in a jovial, relaxed mood, just before the start of the tri-series that will go on to serve as a dry run for the Champions Trophy.”It’s a first for pretty much all of us, isn’t it?” he says, eyes lighting up with the kind of excitement that has taken hold of Pakistani cricket supporters in the lead-up to the event. “Only a couple of players in this squad have played the Champions Trophy before, and though we won the last one, playing in front of our own people is special.”We always play these events away, and I’ve always noticed how the home team gets such huge support, which gives you a boost. When we played the World Cup [2023] in India with over 100,000 people watching at the venue, and I got [Shubman] Gill out early on, I felt you could have heard a fly buzzing, such was the silence. The crowd can create an atmosphere for that game, unlike what happens for any other game. And that is a different kind of pressure. We’re excited to experience that ourselves this time.”For Afridi, like everyone else, it is scarcity that has built up this degree of excitement. Pakistan last hosted an ICC event in 1996, and entire generations of Pakistani teams have gone without a global home event. Even Afridi’s own father-in-law, Shahid, whose career with Pakistan spanned two decades, never got to experience what Shaheen will over the next month.It is, for once in what seems like a while for Pakistan, the right tournament coming along at the right time. Pakistan have had a torrid 2024 in the other two formats – not consistent enough in Test cricket, where they finished bottom of the WTC standings, and not explosive or accurate enough in T20Is, where defeats to USA and India saw them eliminated from the T20 World Cup at the first hurdle.In Pakistan’s ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa, Afridi picked up a total of 15 wickets in six innings, the most of any Pakistan bowler•Brenton Edwards/Getty ImagesIf the year was salvaged, it was largely down to two away ODI series at the tail-end of 2024, where Pakistan came from behind to beat Australia 2-1, and swept the board 3-0 against South Africa. Pakistan’s fast bowlers, whose effectiveness and standing within the world game has been gradually eroding over the past couple of years, led that charge, with Afridi at the forefront: the most wickets at the best strike rate, and the lowest average among his counterparts. Pakistan took 54 of a possible 60 wickets against Australia and South Africa; no Australian innings extending beyond 35 overs.”Our ODI team hasn’t changed much,” Afridi says. The bowling attack, particularly, hasn’t changed much since before the World Cup. It’s been carrying on in a good run of form, and I hope that continues through the Champions Trophy.”Without any ODIs between the 2023 ODI World Cup and these two series and the one against Zimbabwe late in November in which he didn’t play, Afridi’s perpetual intensity helped him. “My net practice is like I’m playing a match,” he says. “I was dividing my bowling spells into conditions and innings phases, and how I’d adjust lengths and pace.”It appeared to pay off in Australia and South Africa, where he found ways of being effective at the top and tail of innings. He provided Pakistan with early breakthroughs in each of the three games against Australia but was also brought on to wipe out the middle and lower orders – a role he was especially prolific in during the clean sweep of South Africa.He accepts that the skill sets required in T20 and ODI cricket are different. “In ODI cricket you have to hit the same length more regularly, but variation plays a part as a surprise tactic. At the death, I try to bowl like I’m bowling in a T20. You have five fielders out as you do in a T20. You may get a bit of reverse, which you have to try and go for.”Afridi says he has been simulating match conditions while training for the Champions Trophy, bowling spells by conditions and innings phases•ICC/Getty ImagesBut he acknowledges ruefully that he says that more in hope than expectation. Two new balls have been used in ODI cricket since long before Afridi turned professional. “The squares are watered, so you can’t scuff a new ball by throwing it on there either anymore. One ball would be lots of fun, [but] I wouldn’t know much about it; I’ve only played Test cricket with one new ball!”As with any elite fast bowler, though, he has found workarounds. Against right-handers, he goes around the wicket once the swing has dissipated, which brings the stumps into play more. “The batter also has less of an opportunity to hit the ball, and if he misses, you should hit.”It has given Afridi a level of control and penetration on uncooperative wickets with the older ball. Though he disproportionately bowls around the wicket at the death, his economy rate from that angle is just a tick above a run a ball, and he has a superior strike rate and average than when he comes over the wicket. More than a quarter of his wickets have been bowled, as opposed to just over a fifth when he comes over the wicket, despite the early swing offered by two new balls.That flexibility is important in a format where he expects fast bowlers to get nothing in the Champions Trophy. “The ODI cricket we’ve played here, the wickets are all batting- friendly,” he laughs. “But it’s in Pakistan, and a new stadium has been built here in Lahore, the Gaddafi, so I’m excited to play here.” Unsurprisingly, it is Lahore, whose PSL franchise he captained to two consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023, where he enjoys playing the most, citing it as the “best atmosphere”.Afridi’s jovial demeanour, though, perhaps is partially down to him surrendering himself to the mood of the moment. He understatedly calls the last year “up and down”; there can be little argument it was the most challenging of his career. He was stripped of the T20 captaincy after just one series in charge. When the PCB drafted a statement on his behalf, appearing to suggest he was happy to move on, he denied having approved or made the statement at all.Afridi played just two of Pakistan’s seven Tests in 2024•AFP/Getty ImagesHe would later be released from the Test squad, and though that was partially down to Pakistan preparing spinning tracks at home, he wasn’t in it Pakistan’s Tests in South Africa either. While South Africa racked up 615 in a ten-wicket victory in Cape Town, Afridi was playing T20 cricket in Bangladesh in a league that was struggling to pay its players. While there has been conflicted reporting over Afridi’s current willingness to play Test cricket, he draws himself up higher in his chair at the merest suggestion he lacks it. “I will always be available for Test cricket,” he says adamantly.It has not changed his relationship with Pakistan cricket or its fans, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t affected by what’s said about him. Pakistan cricket’s sports journalism ecosystem has exploded over the last few years, with alternative accounts of various incidents routinely flying about, and there is often no way of parsing truth from fiction. The compromised relationships, conflicts of interest, relatively low barrier to entry, and virtually non-existent libel laws mean the bulwarks against false information are especially feeble.”What frustrates me is when people say things about me that are just not true. In Pakistan, unfortunately, a lot of the time fans and journalists do not tell or report the truth. That is really dispiriting to see. If people say something critical about me but it is based in fact, it doesn’t hurt me. But the lies do hurt, especially when journalists – whose job it is to tell the truth – do the opposite of it.””But,” he says, eager not to relitigate the previous year, “I try to live in the present rather than the past or future. I find myself in good form, and feel like I’m fully fit. There are always niggles and some pain for a fast bowler, but the physios are very good these days and can get us ready quite quickly. Our other fast bowlers are also in good shape, which is nice because you have to bowl in partnerships as a bowling unit. In the last few series and leagues, I have felt my body working well, and I feel like I’m in rhythm.”Afridi is not a little tired of the discussions about his bowling speeds: “I’ve never felt my pace is down in a way that it is stopping me getting wickets”•Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty ImagesHis pace, observed with hawk-like interest by supporters, has remained stubbornly in the mid-130s with the new ball, though it did go up past 140 at the death in South Africa. His bowling speeds have almost become a national obsession since a long-term injury layoff in 2022, and multiple explanations have been put forward. Some within the team management have suggested it is psychological, with Afridi reluctant to put more weight onto the front knee. Last year, the bowler himself even put it down to a malfunctioning speed-gun in Australia, and there was increasing evidence he was beginning to tire of the issue altogether.He feels more relaxed about it now. “People take a lot of interest in my speeds. But aside from the 2021 T20 World Cup, if you look at my bowling, I bowl between 135-137kph in the first over. But people notice it now and think my pace is down. But I’ve never felt my pace is down in a way that it is stopping me getting wickets. The body is a bit like a machine and can break down. Sometimes you get fatigued and you can’t show it because you have to do what the team requires of you.”The alcove we’re sitting in isn’t quite as private as one might have hoped. A view onto it opens up from some of the corridors on the higher floors of the hotel, and a small crowd begins to build up near where Afridi will inevitably have to exit.He throws his hands up. “I can’t put it off any longer,” he smiles, getting up. He runs the gauntlet to his room once more, as a couple of team security officials appear and try to keep the fans at bay. Afridi wears an easy smile; he’s in a good place with both his cricket and his body. Recent years have taught him none of that can be taken for granted.

GT’s No. 4 talks about his first full-fledged IPL season and his hopes to lift the trophy

Deivarayan Muthu and S Sudarshanan28-May-20252:34

Rutherford: “Important for me to keep learning and adding to my game”

Sherfane Rutherford is a two-time IPL winner, but he didn’t play any matches in those tournaments. He was a reserve with Mumbai Indians in 2020 and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. Across five seasons and five franchises (he was with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2021 as a replacement, but again, didn’t play) before IPL 2025, he batted in only ten games, but this year he has finally shed his tag as a back-up for players like Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell and carved out his own identity with Gujarat Titans.While Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have piled on the runs at the top for GT, Rutherford has been a silent contributor in the middle order, scoring 267 runs in ten innings (as of May 27) at a strike rate of 157.05, which is higher than that of other overseas middle-order batters in the league, such as Tristan Stubbs and Shimron Hetmyer.Not many expected Rutherford to start the season ahead of Glenn Phillips, let alone bat at No. 4, but head coach Ashish Nehra and the team management saw his potential to anchor an innings as well as to finish it.”The IPL has always been one of the biggest learning curves for me,” Rutherford says. “Every time I come to the IPL, I try to learn as much from the players and coaches. I think coming into GT this year and having the chance to play [regularly] has been good for me.Related

• 'He timed it beautifully and got his match-up' – Williamson and Powell laud Rutherford

• The middle-order silver lining in Gujarat Titans' heavy defeat

• Three games, 664 runs conceded – GT bowlers 'losing form at the wrong time'

“It’s an opportunity I’ve been looking forward to for my whole IPL career. I think it’s important for me to keep learning, keep looking to get better, keep trying to take those opportunities given to me. And hopefully, I can make this IPL a good one for myself and for my team.”Rutherford had a rough initiation into the Titans set-up when he failed to seal a chase of 244 – at one point seeming within his grasp – against Punjab Kings. After hitting two sixes and a four off his first five balls, he got stuck against Vijaykumar Vyshak’s wide yorkers for two overs, though he has had a strike rate of nearly 180 against balls wide outside off since the start of 2021.”Hitting the ball over cover, hitting the wide ball, has been something that I’ve been known for in CPL,” Rutherford says. “My whole life, growing up, I have been good at hitting the ball on the outside. I spoke to a few players as well. One thing I learned is that it happens, and on that day, I wasn’t up to the mark for playing the wide ones.”But I feel like it is something I am good enough to do, and I’m willing to accept that challenge again. Some days it’s good to accept it and just move forward and not to dwell on it for too long.”Rutherford put that game behind him. Less than a month later, he helped finish a match against Delhi Capitals, coming to the crease when GT needed 130 off 75 balls. With Buttler in boss mode at the other end, Rutherford played a measured innings, scoring 43 off 34 balls, as Titans successfully chased a 200-plus target for the first time in the IPL.”Jos is very calm, very experienced,” Rutherford said. “The important thing in that conversation was, ‘Just play the ball and forget about the score. Just read the situation, play every ball at its merit.'”I’m a natural hitter of the ball. I can hit sixes when I want. It was important for me to just know which ball I’m going to hit and which ball I’m going to take on and just keep going, keep batting and take it as deep as possible.”Rutherford (centre) chats with Rovman Powell (left) and Dwayne Bravo, who has had a big impact on Rutherford’s career: “Ever since he came to the [CPL] squad, he was like, you’re going to bat at No. 4. He gave me that role”•BCCIA key moment in Rutherford’s evolution as a versatile middle-order batter came in the 2024 T20 World Cup game against New Zealand. On a tough Trinidad pitch, where West Indies had lost four wickets in the powerplay, Rutherford repaired the innings and then gave it a finishing kick, targeting Daryl Mitchell, the weakest link in the New Zealand attack. During his unbeaten 68 off 39 balls, he displayed a combination of skill and sense.”It was a game that needed batsmanship and I thought I did well,” Rutherford recalled. “I think as a player, I want to be that guy more often than not. As I said, cricket is a game where you have to keep trying. Once you keep trying, you know you’re in. I learned that I can always make up in the end. It’s important to rotate strike, get off strike, hit those gaps, capitalise on bad balls, and once I’m in, I can always make a difference.”It’s important for me to evolve. The game is evolving, so I want to be evolving. I made a promise to myself that I just don’t want to be a hitter. I want to be a batter. So, you know, I’m still learning, and I’m still trying to add more to my game. And I think it’s important for me to just keep learning and keep adding.”Dwayne Bravo has had a strong influence on Rutherford’s progress, having captained and mentored him during St Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ run to win their maiden CPL title, in 2021.Rutherford (second from right) celebrating a win with his St Kitts and Nevis Patriots team-mates during their title-winning campaign in 2021•Randy Brooks/CPL T20/ Getty ImagesRutherford made his T20I debut for West Indies in 2018, but it was only after the 2021 CPL title under Bravo that he believed that he could cut it at the top level. He has since become a sought-after player in T20 leagues. After the IPL, he will head to MLC to play for Los Angeles Knight Riders and then join Barbados Royals in the CPL.”Bravo has always been like a brother to me,” Rutherford says. “He has been one of the coolest guys I’ve worked with as a player. And even as a coach, when he came to St Kitts that year, I could remember that he was like, ‘You’re going to bat at No. 4.’ He said, ‘You have the ability. You’re going to bat at four, so just make sure you are ready.'”I was very happy because, as I said, I always want to be a batter, not just a finisher. I think he saw that in me and gave me that role. Ever since then, I try to keep working on batting. Even when I’m in the nets, I don’t really do any big hits. I just try to play good cricket shots and get in a good position.”That didn’t happen in GT’s heavy defeat against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, where Rutherford ended up flapping Anshul Kamboj to mid-on for a duck. H e has a chance to remedy that and win his first IPL title as a playing member of a team.”Yeah, it [winning the IPL title with GT] will mean a lot,” he says. “I had this conversation with a few of my West Indies colleagues, but yeah, it’s going to be better. I kind of feel better playing… being a part of a team and contributing to a win. So I’m really excited and looking forward to it this year.”

Middlesex’s promotion hopes hit the skids with victory off the cards

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Sep-2025 Lancashire 105 for 0 (Wells 60*, Jennings 36*) trail Middlesex 211 (De Caires 52, Geddes 52, Aspinwall 4-62, Bailey 4-68) by 106 runsLuke Wells and Keaton Jennings enriched the penultimate evening of the season at Emirates Old Trafford with an unbroken opening stand of 105 but Lancashire’s Rothesay County Championship match against Middlesex looks certain to end in the draw that would almost certainly end the visitors’ chances of promotion.Replying to Middlesex’s 211, a first innings in which Tom Aspinwall and Tom Bailey both took four wickets, Lancashire ended another day shortened by rain and bad light on 105 without loss, with Jennings on 36 not out and Wells unbeaten on 60. However, only 31.4 overs were possible in Manchester on Wednesday and neither side appears to have a credible chance of forcing a win, even if Thursday’s weather permits a full 96 overs’ play. So far 210 overs have been lost in this match.
Heavy rain overnight and throughout the morning left the Emirates Old Trafford outfield saturated but after two inspections play got under way at three o’clock and Lancashire’s bowlers took only 6.4 overs to take the two wickets they needed to end Middlesex’s first innings.Tom Aspinwall had Zafar Gohar caught at long leg by substitute fielder Will Williams for 25 and then Henry Brookes followed for two in Aspinwall’s next over when he edged a cut to Matty Hurst behind the stumps. That left Aspinwall with figures of four for 62 while Tom Bailey finished with four for 68.Left with a possible 34 overs in which to bat this evening, Jennings and Wells quickly settled into their work. Wells pulled Toby Roland-Jones towards the party stand for six and Lancashire were 44 without loss at tea.
In the evening session, Wells played with even greater fluency levying maximums off both Seb Morgan and Zafar Gohar, reaching his fifty off 71 balls and ending the day just 25 runs of a thousand in first-class cricket this season. Jennings requires another 67 runs to reach the same mark but it is also a reflection of Lancashire’s recent problems that this was only the county’s second century partnership for the first wicket in the last 47 innings, a record stretching back to the end of 2023.Middlesex came into this match lying fourth in the table, 30 points behind second-placed Glamorgan. However, their hopes are almost certain to be scuppered if they fail to win this game and Glamorgan avoid defeat against Derbyshire.

Bangladesh made only 139 after being reduced to 0 for 2 in the first innings, and Sri Lanka won with 32 balls to spare

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Sep-20251:53

Maharoof: Nissanka one of the best openers in the world

They were locked 8-8 in T20Is in the decade leading up to this match, and all signs pointed to the first close contest of this Asia Cup after it kicked off with four mismatches. It was a bit of an anticlimax in the end, however, with Sri Lanka brushing Bangladesh aside by six wickets, with 32 balls remaining.Given the high stakes of this group-of-death contest, Sri Lanka got everything they wanted from it: two points and a massive net-run-rate boost. Bangladesh, who had already copped criticism for taking 17.4 overs to chase down 144 against Hong Kong, now face an uphill task to qualify for the Super Four.Sri Lanka dominated the match from its extraordinary start – Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera bowled back-to-back wicket maidens with the new ball – to its breezy finish, with Bangladesh only really competing during an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 86 between Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali.That partnership, which began at 53 for 5, gave Bangladesh some sort of total to bowl at. Very quickly, though, Pathum Nissanka’s fluency and Kamil Mishara’s power made it look like no sort of total. Nissanka scored 50 off 34 balls and became the quickest Sri Lankan batter to 2000 T20I runs, while Mishara finished unbeaten on 46 off 32.

0 for 2 in two overs

Sri Lanka found new-ball swing after they chose to bowl, but that couldn’t have been the only reason why Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon struggled to the extent they did. There were signs that this was a slightly two-paced pitch when Tanzid kept failing to find the middle of the bat – or the gaps – in the first over (though two of the mishits were off full-tosses), before Thushara swung his sixth ball through his gate as he attempted a get-out-of-jail drive on the up.1:14

Maharoof: Bangladesh have been lacking in major tournaments

The second-over contest between Chameera and Emon was similar, though it only lasted four balls. This time, the on-the-up drive ended up as an outside edge to the keeper, with the ball swinging less than the batter expected. With Chameera rounding off the over with a pair of dots to No. 4 Towhid Hridoy, the scoreboard was an extraordinary sight: 0 for 2 in two overs.

Hasaranga returns with a bang

Bangladesh sank deeper into misery in the fifth over when Hridoy was run out going for a sharp and needless third run, but Litton Das made sure they didn’t let Sri Lanka have it all their own way. When they tried to slip in a quiet over from their fifth bowler Dasun Shanaka, Litton went after him – after edging his first ball just short of a diving fly slip – and hit him for three fours in the sixth over.That did not signal a shift of momentum, though, as Wanindu Hasaranga, who had missed Sri Lanka’s recent tour of Zimbabwe with a hamstring injury, came on in the eighth over and made an almost instant impact, trapping Mahedi Hasan lbw with his second ball, a trademark wrong’un.Wanindu Hasaranga delivered a deadly opening spell•Asian Cricket Council

He came close twice more with the wrong’un. Litton, given out on-field, successfully reviewed an lbw decision against him, with the inside edge coming to his rescue. Then Jaker, beaten comprehensively while defending off the front foot, was saved by the bails staying put after the ball brushed the off stump.Hasaranga did get a second wicket, two balls later, with Litton gloving an attempted reverse-sweep to the keeper.

Shamim and Jaker lead rescue act

Bangladesh’s sixth-wicket pair came together at 53 for 5 in the tenth over, and walked off together at the end of the innings with unbeaten 40s to their name. That both went at strike rates in the 120s, and both struggled to find the boundary for long stretches – including a barren spell of 21 balls – indicated both the excellence of Sri Lanka’s defensive bowling, particularly that of Chameera whose yorkers achieved a rare level of precision in overs 18 and 20, and the two-paced nature of this Abu Dhabi surface.Shamim hit the only six of Bangladesh’s innings, a pick-up shot over midwicket off Matheesha Pathirana in the 19th over, and that shot and Pathirana’s figures – 0 for 42 in four overs – indicated that batters could feed off pace on the ball in these conditions.

Nissanka and Mishara show off extra gear

Both these teams have had well-documented issues with their T20I scoring rates in recent years, but Sri Lanka have been trendsetters in this format in previous eras. And Nissanka and Mishara showed that that spark might still endure.Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara gave Sri Lanka a big win•Associated Press

Off just the fourth ball of his innings, Nissanka played what was unarguably the shot of the match up to that point, a resounding pulled six, well in front of square, off Mustafizur Rahman. And after Mustafizur hit back by nicking off Kusal Mendis, Nissanka and Mishara continued to pepper the boundary in a way Bangladesh had struggled to do throughout their innings.This was partly down to Bangladesh bowling short balls far more frequently than Sri Lanka had, but Mishara also dispatched them with an easy, stand-and-deliver power that Bangladesh cricket has traditionally struggled to produce. None of this may have come to pass, however, had Mahedi held on to a chance at mid-on when Shoriful Islam got a short ball to get big on Mishara; he was batting on 1 off 7 at that point, and the pitch was still looking two-paced.That spilled chance seemingly transformed the conditions too, with Mishara spanking the luckless Shoriful for 6, 4, 4 off the last three balls of the over. Nissanka, at the other end, sashayed this way and that to manipulate length and line, and timed the ball with a fluency that no one else from either side matched.These two put on 95 in just 52 balls, and Sri Lanka could have finished things off even quicker, but they lost 3 for 18 in a 17-ball spell late in the game when they had the result all but sewn up.

Who is going to be the new Celtic manager? Well, who knows!

Martin O’Neill remains in caretaker charge for now, having been parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, winning three of four matches in charge to date, that Europa League hammering at the hands of Midtjylland the only blot on his copybook.

With no obvious front-runner for the job, and given that we’re in the middle of the season, could a left-field appointment be required?

Well, this was the case back in the summer of 2021 when, after seeing their Premiership streak of nine in a row come to an end, Ange Postecoglou was appointed completely out of nowhere, having only ever worked in his native Australia and Japan beforehand.

Despite this, and the widespread ridicule when he arrived in Glasgow, Postecoglou would go on to win five trophies across his two seasons in charge, thereby remaining, possibly, the most popular Celtic manager of modern times.

So, could another lesser-known name become the next Postecoglou, emphasising that he is the outstanding candidate for the vacancy, as opposed to the other front-runners?

Kieran McKenna to Celtic latest

Ever since Rodgers resigned, Kieran McKenna has been one of the names most frequently mentioned in terms of becoming the new Celtic manager.

As reported by Ewan Murray of the Guardian, he is a ‘leading candidate’ with the Ipswich Town boss boasting ‘longtime admirers’ on the Celtic board, while Sky Sports add that he is one of the names near the top of the club’s shortlist.

However, any approach would not be straightforward.

The 39-year-old is under contract in Suffolk until 2028 and Ipswich would surely demand a sizable compensation fee if they’re going to allow their most prized asset to depart.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

McKenna, in his first-ever head coach role, worked miracles at Portman Road, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, going from EFL League One to the Premier League in double quick time, the first time Ipswich had competed in England’s top-tier since 2002.

However, his team did really struggle to compete at the top level, winning just four Premier League matches all season, relegated with a whimper.

Right now, Ipswich are seventh in the EFL Championship, hammering Swansea 4-1 on Saturday, thereby sat just outside the play-off positions,

Before moving to Suffolk, McKenna worked as an assistant manager to José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United, so has some experience at an elite level, but many supporters remain unconvinced, so should the Celtic hierarchy target a more left-field coach who could be their new Postecoglou?

Celtic should appoint the new Postecoglou

According to a report by TEAMtalk on Wednesday evening, Wilfried Nancy, a man supporters may be very unfamiliar with, has been ‘officially invited’ for talks with the Hoops over the Parkhead vacancy.

It’s further reported that the Celtic board are ‘very keen’ to interview Nancy and could complete a deal by January should compensation be agreed, with the season in America, where he manages Columbus Crew, set to end this month.

So, who is he? Well, the Frenchman was named 2024 MLS coach of the year, but that does not begin to tell his story.

His first head coach role was with CF Montréal, staying in Québec for two seasons, before spending the last three years at Columbus Crew, enjoyed huge success in charge of both, as the table below documents.

First and foremost, if you’re not dialled into MLS, we’re guessing you’re probably not, it’s really difficult to properly put into words how impressive an achievement it is to finish 3rd in the overall standings, and second in the Eastern Conference, with Club de Foot Montréal.

Owner Joey Saputo essentially does not care about the team, meaning Montréal have one of the lowest budgets in Major League Soccer, finishing 28th, out of 30, this year, showing that Nancy can seriously elevate an underperforming side.

In Canada, Nancy succeeded Thierry Henry, after he resigned, and the Arsenal legend spoke glowingly about his former assistant during CBS’ Champions League coverage.

Nevertheless, Nancy’s true success has come since moving to Columbus Crew, winning MLS Cup at the end of his first year and then Leagues Cup last season, also leading the Black and Gold to the club’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, ousting two Mexican heavyweights along the way, before defeat to Pachuca.

The Crew’s 2025 season is now over, dumped out of the MLS play-offs by local rivals FC Cincinnati at the weekend, which may make him available, so could he soon swap Ohio for Glasgow?

Well, he has certainly earned rave reviews, with Joe Lowery praising his “patient possession” style of play which he believes is “so much fun to watch”, while Tom Bogert describes the Crew as “attractive” to watch and “courageous” on the ball.

Meantime, former USA striker Herculez Gomez notes that Nancy is “immensely respected”, adding that his style of play is “so pleasing to the eye”, boasting a clear philosophy featuring both possession and high pressing, comparing him to Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.

Well, another high-profile manager that sounds reminiscent of is, well, Postecoglou and his now infamous, certainly in Premier League circles, Ange-ball.

As already mentioned, Postecoglou was a lesser-known name in British and European football prior to his arrival in Glasgow but, as he likes to remind everyone, he wins everywhere he goes, joining with a J League, multiple A-League titles and an AFC Asia Cup to his name, among other honours.

Well, the same can be said of Nancy, who created something of a dynasty in MLS, something that is so tough to do in a league that is so parity-focused.

Thus, just like Postecoglou, Nancy has the personality, the playing style and the will to win to succeed at Celtic, seemingly making him the ideal candidate to come in and lead the Hoops to a fifth successive Premiership title.

Upgrade on Nancy: Celtic considering move for "unbeatable" 4-2-3-1 manager

Celtic are considering a move for this 4-2-3-1 manager who would be an upgrade on Wilfried Nancy.

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By
Dan Emery

Nov 12, 2025

She has always been a matchwinner, but with the addition of her early intent, she has leveled up once more

S Sudarshanan12-Mar-20256:16

Mithali Raj: Harmanpreet finds a way to score against Giants

Harmanpreet Kaur is among the few batters in the women’s game who do not need a free hit to get going. When she got one in Mumbai Indians’ (MI) opening match of WPL 2025, she took full toll. She waltzed down the track and smacked Radha Yadav over the long-off boundary for a 74-metre hit. It was just the ninth ball Harmanpreet had faced; little did we know it was a sign of things to come.Ever since Harmanpreet’s international debut in 2009, her strokeplay has attracted attention. Her unfettered bat-swing is a thing of beauty and there is something alluring about watching her play without the stress of keeping up with the chase. Her confidence, and the fact that she comes through more often than not, makes it seem like the bowlers are under ten times more pressure.However, with captaincy comes responsibility, so much so that batters sometimes end up curbing their attacking instincts far too much. It seemed to be the case with Harmanpreet in recent times. In the aftermath of India’s early exit from the T20 World Cup in 2024, focus shifted to the shots she can play to why she wasn’t playing them. Her first-ten-ball strike rate in T20Is had fallen to 83.56 in 2024, her lowest in three years.Related

• A Harmanpreet masterpiece blows Delhi Capitals away

• Gujarat Giants face bogey team Mumbai Indians in bid for final spot

• Harmanpreet: 'If a player can handle the pressure in the WPL, they can handle it anywhere'

• Priya Mishra spins her way into the spotlight

Like India, MI rely hugely on Harmanpreet, and Nat Sciver-Brunt. The team’s results often mirror the duo’s performances, which does explain Harmanpreet’s safety-first approach with the bat and that method did deliver them a WPL trophy – MI won the inaugural season – but it wasn’t entirely foolproof.MI narrowly missed out on a spot in the final in 2024. That five-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator hurt her. She scored a 30-ball 33 and fell leaving MI needing 16 off 12. The remaining batters could not get those runs.Only a game before that, Harmanpreet had found herself in a similar situation, but that time she had escaped, thanks to some sloppy fielding from the opposition. MI needed 91 off 36 balls against Gujarat Giants (GG) to make the playoffs; Harmanpreet was on 20 off 21 before she was dropped. She blasted 95 not out off 48 balls to take MI over the line. Harmanpreet’s method of taking it deep was seemingly counter-productive, especially if she fell before landing the killer blow.Harmanpreet was dejected after MI’s loss in last season’s WPL eliminator•PTI Ahead of WPL 2025, Harmanpreet and Devika Palshikar, MI’s batting coach, had a chat about changing her approach. The conversation stemmed from the narrow defeat that ended their campaign last season, and the idea was for Harmanpreet to attack from an early point, but not recklessly. It is still a work in progress – and therefore liable to backfire – but there is no denying that it is making one of the world’s most dangerous batters dangerous again. Her first-ten-ball strike rate in WPL 2025 is 122.58, which is a massive jump from 93.98 in 2024 and 73.68 in 2023.That six off Radha was the earliest point Harmanpreet has hit one in the WPL. In the same game, she hit the first four balls of the 11th over, bowled by Annabel Sutherland, for 4, 4, 6, 4 but was out on the following delivery.Aggression like this always has a trade-off. In the first two seasons of the WPL, when Harmanpreet took fewer risks, she was dismissed inside 20 balls five times in 16 innings. She has already matched that now in 2025. But her team is still in the playoffs and she is their third-highest run-getter. The price she is paying seems to be worthwhile.”We’re finding her much better this season,” Palshikar said after Harmanpreet’s Player-of-the-Match effort against GG in Mumbai earlier this week. “If you remember last year’s Eliminator, which we lost by five runs, it was a close game. We had a long chat then and before starting this season that one of Nat and Harman should be there throughout the innings. She practises a lot against spin also and pace also. It is a very focused practice, where she knows she needs to be there till the end. She is finding ways to do that and that’s why you can see a major difference in her batting.”Looks like Harmanpreet is trying to do both but with an increased focus on getting off the blocks quickly. She has always been a matchwinner. But this season, she has been pushing herself even harder, testing the limits of her talent, and it has led to a situation where one of the world’s best hitters has realised she doesn’t really need to hold back like she did before.

James Maddison dressed his eldest son, Leo, up in a Jude Bellingham Real Madrid kit. In a pair of wholesome snapshots taken at home, Maddison's boy throws his arms wide in pure, unfiltered delight while wearing a blue Real Madrid third strip, complete with the midfielder’s name and the iconic No.5 plastered across the back.

• A kit rooted in history

  The shirt Maddison’s son proudly wears is Real Madrid’s 2025-26 third strip. It arrives in a luxurious shade of blue, decorated with clean white accents that mirror the freshly installed seating at the renovated Bernabeu. The fabric itself carries subtle contours that mimic the stadium’s interior, a quiet tribute woven directly into the garment. Inside the collar rests a sentence etched into Madrid folklore: "90 minuti en el Bernabeu son molto longo." Those words, spoken by club legend Juanito to an Inter defender during the 1984–85 UEFA Cup semi-final, serve as a warning to opponents: "90 minutes in the Bernabeu feels like a lifetime."

  The colour calls back to the 2013–14 season, the year Real Madrid clinched La Decima, their historic 10th European crown. It is a kit steeped in heritage, and now, thanks to Maddison’s son Leo, it has already found one of its most enthusiastic ambassadors.

  Maddison added a mischievous caption to the images: "Wise choice, son." While Bellingham reposted the story in his account and wrote: "Leooo😍💙".

  @madders Instagram

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• Bellingham’s England story takes another twist

  While Maddison’s social-media moment was light-hearted, Bellingham’s recent weeks with the national team have felt more intense. The Madrid midfielder was left out of England’s October plans while recovering from shoulder surgery, a spell that allowed speculation around his temperament to bubble up again as Thomas Tuchel seeks to build a harmonious squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel eventually restored him to the team for November’s fixtures against Serbia and Albania. Bellingham started the second of those matches but left without the shirt he wore, having swapped it with Inter defender Kristjan Asllani as he walked off the pitch. The decision triggered debate as many questioned the need for a shirt swap mid-match rather than waiting for the final whistle.

• Midfielder defended from recent criticism

  Last month, England midfielder Danny Murphy was quick to dispel any notion that Bellingham’s character should be questioned.

  Speaking to GOAL, Murphy said: "I find the narrative around his character and any problems a little bit strange because when I have watched England – I have watched them a lot at tournaments and watched him closely, he is, by far, the best character on the football pitch when England play, in terms of producing big moments, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, leaving everything out there.

  "If you could have 11 Jude Bellinghams, you would win most tournaments. The element of not talking to the press or not doing interviews or the odd swear word or rant or a little bit of what some people would call arrogance, that is what creates the player on the pitch. They are just rumours because a lot of the feedback from the players – Jordan Henderson recently said how much he likes him and how great a character he is – I think some of it has been exaggerated.

  "From a footballing perspective, we have a much better chance of winning the World Cup if he is in the team. I don’t mean just in the squad, I mean in the team. He is a phenomenal talent. We should be – as pundits, fans, press – building him up, applauding him and being thankful that we have got him, not trying to pull him down because he is the best one we have got. He is the game-changer in our side. He is the one that can make things happen. He’s just a phenomenal player."

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• Getty
  

  What comes next for Bellingham?

  Bellingham has been a key figure for England for several years. He has become a talisman at Real Madrid. And now, even Premier League stars like Maddison find their children choosing his name on the back of their shirts. With the 2026 World Cup looming, Bellingham will be central to England’s ambitions. Shirt swaps, debates and social-media storms won’t change that.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is probably feeling pretty satisfied with his decision to start Cody Bellinger in left field during Sunday's Subway Series showdown against the New York Mets.

With Jasson Dominguez getting the day off, Bellinger took over in left field on Sunday and ended up making one of the most crucial plays of the game during the seventh inning.

With one man on and no outs in the inning, Juan Soto sent a blooper towards left field. Bellinger charged in on it and reached all the way down in order to pluck the ball out of the air just before it hit the ground. He then turned and fired it in to first base, where Paul Goldschmidt made a catch to double off Francisco Lindor.

That ball was centimeters away from dropping for a hit, and it could potentially have gotten past Bellinger and rolled all the way to the wall had he not made the extremely narrow catch.

Have a look at the web gem double play:

Failing to make that catch would've resulted in Lindor likely scoring and Soto getting on base with Pete Alonso due up. That's not a situation fans would be optimistic about given the recent struggles of the Yankees bullpen.

New York was able to get out of the inning unscathed and maintain their two-run lead heading into the eighth.

Paul Pogba claimed he was "touched" following his return to football more than two years after his last professional appearance. The Frenchman moved to Monaco over the summer after his worldwide ban following a failed drugs test in 2023 expired. Pogba was initially banned for four years for the offence, which was reduced to 18 months last October, meaning he has been eligible to play since March.

• AFP
  

  Pogba hadn't played competitively since September 2023

  As a result of the ban, Pogba and former side Juventus agreed to mutually terminate his contract last November and it wasn't until June this year that the 2018 World Cup winner signed for a new club, penning a two-year deal with French side Monaco. In the time since, Pogba has been building up his fitness and at long last made his Monaco debut on Saturday night in a 4-1 loss to Rennes.

  Goals form Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Kamara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas saw Rennes go into the final knockings of the weekend's game at the Roazhon Park with a four-goal lead. Mika Biereth bagged a late consolation for Monaco, who were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half after Denis Zakaria received his marching orders, but the moment of the night came in the 85th minute as Pogba replaced Mamadou Coulibaly.

  The moment marked Pogba's first appearance since September 2023 in Juventus' 2-0 win over Empoli, and the midfielder admits he was "touched" by the reception he received from the home support.

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• Midfielder sends his thanks to those who supported him

  Speaking in the mixed zone after the 4-1 loss, Pogba said: "I was disappointed to lose this match. It's Paul Pogba's return, but I play for Monaco, and I don't like losing. I was really happy on one hand, but on the other, I was disappointed with the result and what we did on the pitch. The reception? It touched me. Seeing the crowd stand up and applaud, I wasn't expecting that. A big thank you to the fans who personally supported me."

  Pogba, who was in tears when he signed his Monaco contract earlier this year, had been expected to return to action earlier in the season but suffered a setback during the October international break having pulled up with a thigh injury to delay his first outing for Sebastien Pocognoli's side.

  "There were a lot of emotions. I was happy, but there's a bit of sadness with the result. We've come a long way. Today was a step to take. I did it and I'm happy about that," Pogba added on Saturday night.

  "The rest, we're a bit gutted to have lost. I feel good, there's been a lot of work. I still need time to be fit and play 90 minutes. But it will come with time. We're training for it. We're going to try to help the team as much as possible. It felt strange at first to get back on the plane with the group. I've settled back in well. We have a very good group. We're getting back into the right routine."

• AFP
  

  Pogba's return sends 'positive vibes to French football'

  Monaco boss Pocognoli was insistent that Pogba's return to action is a good thing for French football, saying on Saturday: "I'm happy for him, even if the circumstances are a bit unfortunate. He came on at 4-0, with 10 men against 11. It was planned that he would come on today, regardless of the scenario, because he had put everything in place. It will do him good, it will do the team good. Apart from our defeat, it sends positive vibes to French football."

  "We are all happy, even the Rennes supporters who are not Monaco fans. I hope he can bring us his experience," Monaco team-mate Lamine Camara added.

  Pogba's first appearance in over two years also resonated well with the Rennes squad, as Mahdi Camara said at full time: "Everyone knows Paul Pogba, he's a legend of French football. "It's great to see him on a Ligue 1 pitch. We've already seen… seen how he plays, you can see he's already at a good level. As spectators, we can't wait to see him at his best. It's fantastic. He tried to put a sombrero on me!"

  Former Monaco man Embolo, who scored Rennes' third, added: "Paul deserves it, he's a truly great player, a truly great man." And on the reception from the fans, the Swiss striker commented: "Well done to our fans. He deserved it, I'm very happy for him, I hope he'll bring good things to his team."

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• Pogba's home debut could come against Ligue 1 powerhouse

  Monaco will look to build upon an indifferent start to their Champions League campaign when they face Pafos on Wednesday night. While unbeaten in three in European competition, the French side have won just the once in the Champions League this season as they claimed a 1-0 victory at Bodo/Glimt earlier this month having opened up the league phase with a 4-1 defeat to Club Brugge before back-to-back draws with Premier League pair Manchester City and Tottenham.

  And Pogba may make his first appearance at the Stade Louis II next weekend when Monaco host defending Ligue 1 and European champions PSG. Luis Enrique's side reclaimed top spot in France's top tier on Saturday night as they eased to a 3-0 win over Le Havre having briefly dropped to second as rivals Marseille tore Nice to shreds on Friday night.

As the season careens into its stretch run, there seems to be a pronounced lack of stakes to the proceedings. Sure, teams are still fighting for playoff spots, but how hostile are these races at the moment?

A Phillies-Mets knife fight for the NL East that we were hoping for a month ago has failed to develop, with New York floundering for months now. Likewise in both Central divisions, where the Tigers and Brewers hold 10- and six-game advantages, respectively. The Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners and Padres are all within striking distance of making their division races interesting, but even still, all four of those teams are very likely to make the postseason even if they fall short of first place.

As of this writing, FanGraphs currently gives 10 teams at least a 96% chance at making the postseason, with the Astros (90.7%) and Mariners (76.8%) rounding out the 12-team field. The team with the next-best odds? That would be the Rangers, who, despite being just 1.5 games out of the AL’s third wild-card spot, have just a 12.2% shot of crashing the field. Last year at this time, the Mets were the team outside the playoff picture with the best odds of making it (38.7%), and eventually did so as part of an inspired run to the NLCS. While the Rangers or another team could make a similar surge, it’s looking unlikely.

Rather than dwell on the absence of white-knuckle pennant races, let’s shift our attention to a different cohort of teams: the also-rans. FanGraphs currently assigns nine teams a whopping 0.0% chance at making the playoffs (the site is not quite ready to wave the white flag on behalf of the Angels, who own MLB’s longest active playoff drought and whose current odds are 0.1%). Though these clubs might be ready to flip the page to 2026, that doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons worth tuning in for their final few weeks’ worth of games.

Here’s a player on each of these teams that’s worth tuning in for over the last stretch of the regular season, playoff hopes be damned.

Los Angeles Angels: SS Zach Neto

Neto has been among the few bright spots for the Angels all season long. The 2022 first-round pick broke out last year, his first full season after being rushed to the majors in ‘23, and has taken his game up a level this year. Through 120 games, he has a 117 wRC+ with 25 homers and 24 stolen bases, giving him an outside shot at becoming just the seventh shortstop to record a 30–30 season.