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Newcastle United fans will be growing extremely restless with how poor their beloved side’s away form continues to be.

The inconsistent Magpies must wish they could play in front of their passionate St James’ Park masses every week, with another away day loss in the Champions League against Marseille meaning the Toon have lost their last four matches on the road.

In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men have won their last six matches in a row back on home soil.

Of course, home advantage is a common phrase uttered in football – hence the labelling of certain home grounds as fortresses – but this Jekyll and Hyde form will seriously be worrying Howe, with TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole saying “there’s too much of a gap” between the strugglers at their very best and their very worst, after the defeat in France.

Anthony Gordon is seriously letting his side down wherever they’re lining up at the moment, though, with a regret now possibly in the air that PIF didn’t cash in on the up-and-down performer when they could’ve.

Latest on Gordon's future at Newcastle

Indeed, during the summer of 2024, Liverpool were reportedly keen to tempt the England international to Anfield, with last summer also seeing them come back with more interest, as he was touted to have a bumper £100m price-tag above his head.

Gordon warranted all this fervent interest, too, with 37 goals and assists coming his way across two campaigns for Howe’s men.

His confidence was so sky-high that the Liverpool-born forward even labelled himself a “nightmare” for defenders to contain, amid interest also coming from top-flight rivals Arsenal.

Now, however, he has thudded back to reality, with zero goals or assists coming his way from seven Premier League games so far this season, with just 40% of his dribbles accurately completed, as per Sofascore, as he continues to look a worrying shadow of his former self.

Consequently, Liverpool have moved on to another batch of high-profile targets in attack in the form of Michael Olise and Antoine Semenyo, with writer Thomas Hammond stating that a forthcoming sale of Gordon would be “favourable”, just to get him off the books, concerning his ongoing no-shows.

While he has contributed massively to his own downfall, his Newcastle career could be in even more tatters by the emergence of this promising star on Tyneside, who PIF signed on a free transfer earlier this year.

The "explosive" star who can end Gordon's career

Howe could soon have to be bold with what he does in the St James’ Park hot seat, with the current state of affairs unfolding, leading him down the unwanted path of a dismissal.

For the tie at the Orange Velodrome, Howe did bravely decide to gift 16-year-old Sam Alabi a chance from the substitutes bench, with Antonio Cordero another promising star that might be in line for some first team chances soon, partcularly if Gordon continues to frustrate.

For the time being, the former Malaga winger is out on loan in Belgium with KVC Westerlo, but when he returns, he will have even more senior action under his belt, as he attempts to unsettle Gordon, with his standout time in the senior squad at Malaga, leading to one analyst page hailing him as an “explosive” talent.

Despite only being 19, Cordero – who has also been labelled as “exciting” by former Magpies sporting director Paul Mitchell – managed to tally up a weighty 60 appearances for the senior side, with goals and assists aplenty also coming his way.

LW

33

5 + 6

RW

16

2 + 3

AM

2

0

RM

1

0

Looking at the table above, Cordero would manage to tally up a blistering 11 goal contributions for his former employers down Gordon’s usual left-hand side from just 33 appearances.

The hope will be that Newcastle landing the teenage sensation for nothing proves to be a masterstroke in time, with Cordero further capable of also playing as a right winger, or as a number ten if needed.

The promising youngster has even been noted as being “like Gordon” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with Newcastle perhaps better served now to look to the future and put their energy into the Spaniard, than persisting with Gordon to come good.

In a few years, he might well be a household name on Tyneside, with the ex-Everton attacker off the Magpies roster, subsequently.

Alongside Pope: Howe must bin Newcastle hero who won 0 duels vs Marseille

Eddie Howe must now ditch this Newcastle United defender alongside a woeful Nick Pope.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

Ruben Amorim has singled-out one key star for criticism, claiming their performances for their country are better than the shifts they put in for Manchester United. The United boss has also claimed he can "feel the anxiety" every time his player receives the ball in a damaging analysis ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace.

• Youngster's struggles since joining United

  Dorgu has faced some initial problems since becoming Amorim’s first signing at Man Utd, primarily due to being played as an attacking wing-back when he is a more natural full-back. Pundits and fans have described some of his performances as "dreadful," pointing out defensive lapses and poor decision-making in the final third. He has also yet to register a goal or assist for the club. 

  However, Dorgu is still only 21 years old and arrived mid-season from Lecce in Serie A, and was thrown into an unstable team under a new system. His struggles are often viewed as a result of being played out of position and mis-used by the current system rather than a lack of talent. But his boss has pointed out that Dorgu's instincts when playing for United are completely different to when he plays for his native Denmark. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Amorim: 'He has time to improve'

  Ahead of the clash with Palace, Amorim said: "You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball. I can feel the anxiety. When I see Patrick playing for the national team, he scored a great goal against Scotland and the decision that he made under pressure was completely different than the decision he's making in our team. I think it's the decision, he needs to be calmer playing the game."

  He added: "I remember the shot against Everton. That was easier than the decision he had to make when a guy from Scotland was there. I saw it when he played in Italy. But again, here is different and sometimes the pressure is hard for them in the beginning. He has time to improve. I just need to understand the context in trying to help them (Dorgu and Dalot). They are far from their best, and they know it. Like a lot of players in our team, like myself. I just look at them, and think they have so much more to give. So let’s see this week if we can improve that." 

• Away day woes for Amorim

  Manchester United have won just three of their last 26 Premier League away games against London sides and just one game away from home this season. And the United boss has acknowledged that his side’s form away from home is a problem he needs fix quickly. Amorim said:  "I felt during this year that when we played at home, the intensity was higher. And I felt in this game at home (against Everton) the intensity was not at the same level. So I think it's something that we need to work on. It's hard to point one thing why we are not winning away. There's a lot of issues. We are improving but we need to know how to finish the games in order to win."

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  Palace test awaits United

  Palace are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the United, winning three, and have only lost one home game all season. United, winless in their last three Premier League matches and struggling away from home and are also hampered by injuries to key attackers Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, along with defender Harry Maguire.

  Ahead of the match Amorim has conceded his team needs to defend better. The Portuguese said: “We are being really soft near the box. So we need to improve that in the last games, especially against Nottingham (Forest, the 2-2 draw). We allowed a lot of crosses, we didn’t press well [in] moments. Against Everton, they were with 10 men and we suffered the goal (Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s winner) with the only shot on target."

Allrounder Flora Devonshire, who is uncapped at ODI level, has been included in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Polly Inglis, Bella James and Bree Illing, who have just eight ODIs between them, have also been included for their first World Cup campaigns.Devonshire, a 22-year-old left-arm spinner, made her T20I debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year and was part of the New Zealand A tour of England in June and July. Her inclusion in the 15-player squad meant that fellow left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, who has 26 ODIs to her name, was a notable omission.Related

• Sri Lanka select Prabodhani, Dulani for Women's World Cup

• Devine to retire from ODIs after the World Cup

• Bree Illing and Bella James earn maiden New Zealand contracts

• New Zealand Women begin World Cup prep with Chennai camp

“It’s never easy when you have multiple players pushing for the same spot and that of course made for some tough selection calls,” head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Having to leave out the likes of Fran in favour of Flora was a tough decision. We know Fran is a quality player and at 21 we believe she still has her best years in front of her.”Left-arm seamer Illing took four wickets in her first ODI series against Sri Lanka, while James made her ODI debut against Australia late last year. Inglis, who hit an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls in her second outing against Sri Lanka in March, will also provide wicketkeeping back-up to first-choice Izzy Gaze.”I’d like to especially acknowledge the four players set for their first World Cup – they’ve all earned this opportunity and I’m excited to see what impact they can have on the tournament,” Sawyer said. “I’m really pleased with the balance of the squad. I think we’ve got the right mix to tackle what we’ll come up against in terms of conditions and opposition.””Bree puts batters under pressure early with her swing and has great ability with the new ball. Her and Flora have both shown they can consistently bring the stumps into play, which will be effective in the conditions we’re going to face.”Flora’s got an attacking mind and skillset with the bat, which is valuable down the order. Bella’s a versatile batter who can hit 360 degrees around the ground and can bat in most places in the line up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Polly gives us another option with the gloves within the squad, and she possesses great grit and determination, which are qualities that will be important in trying conditions.”The experienced core of the squad includes captain Sophie Devine, who will retire from ODI cricket after the World Cup, Suzie Bates, Lea Tahuhu, Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr.”I can honestly say that in the four world events I’ve been part of with this group, we are the best prepared we’ve ever been,” Sawyer said. “Having no international cricket in our calendar since April has given us the ability to work really hard on our physical skills in particular, which is something that could be the difference in India.”The squad leaves for the UAE on September 13 for a pre-tournament camp, which includes two warm-up matches against England, before heading to India. Their opening World Cup match is against Australia on October 1 in Indore.

New Zealand for Women’s ODI World Cup

Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu

And who are the only players to appear in all 23 seasons of the T20 Blast?

Steven Lynch16-Sep-2025Tsepo Ndwandwa took 7 for 206 in an A-team Test the other day. What’s the highest amount of runs conceded when taking seven – and eight or nine or ten – wickets in a first-class innings? asked Kieran Nash from England
The South Africa A slow left-armer Tsepo Ndwandwa took seven wickets against New Zealand A in Potchefstroom last week – but they cost him 206 runs, in a total of 607 for 7 declared. Eight bowlers have conceded more while taking seven in an innings: the most expensive was offspinner Pankaj Thakur’s 7 for 254 for Haryana against Bombay (718) in Faridabad in 1994. By coincidence, the Test record is also held by a Haryana player: Kapil Dev collected 7 for 220 for India against Pakistan (652) in Faisalabad in 1983.George Giffen holds the first-class record for the most expensive eight-for, conceding no fewer than 287 runs for South Australia in New South Wales’ total of 807 in Adelaide in 1899, when he was 40. Giffen shared the new ball with another Australian Test player, Ernie Jones, who finished with 1 for 210. Another Australian holds the Test record: offspinner Jason Krejza took 8 for 215 on debut against India in Nagpur in 2008.The South Australia legspinner Clarrie Grimmett took 9 for 180 – the most expensive nine-for in first-class cricket – against Queensland in Adelaide in 1934. The Test record is 9 for 129, by Keshav Maharaj for South Africa vs Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2018.The most runs conceded while taking all ten wickets in first-class cricket is 175, by the England offspinner Eddie Hemmings for an International XI against a West Indies XI in Kingston in 1982. Hemmings wasn’t sure this was a first-class game: “The ten-wicket haul had little significance at the time; after all we had only been playing a Festival game. It was only months later, back in England during the 1983 season, that I learned that the match had been granted first-class status and that my achievement would enter the record books.”Of the three bowlers who have taken all ten in a Test innings, New Zealand’s slow left-armer Ajaz Patel conceded the most runs – 119, against India in Mumbai in 2021.I was looking at the scores of England’s tour of South Africa in 1905-06, and noticed there was a big gap of slightly more than two months between the first and second Tests. Was this the longest gap between Tests in a series, and what was the reason for it? asked Richard Treacy from Australia
England’s 1905-06 tour of South Africa certainly had a strange itinerary. There were indeed more than two months between the first Test (at the old Wanderers ground in Johannesburg from January 2-4) and the second, also in Jo’burg (March 6-8). The reason was a crowded and lopsided itinerary: only the four first-class matches are shown on our series page (linked above), but there were also nine other games, many against odds (teams of more than 11), all around the country.Once the team returned to Johannesburg, the tour concluded with the last four Tests, broken up only by a non-first-class game in Bloemfontein against a 15-man side from Orange Free State. Those accustomed to today’s whistle-stop tours with few, if any, non-internationals will probably be shocked by the summary of Pelham Warner, England’s captain: “A very heavy programme was arranged. Between December 2 and April 2 we played 26 matches – which meant 66 days’ cricket – and travelled 5348 miles by railway, in addition to a sea journey between Durban and East London. No fewer than 22 nights were spent in the train… Exactly half the matches were against odds, varying from 22 to 15 men, who, however, fielded 13, and in one case 11.”Surprisingly, though, there have been two longer mid-series gaps between Test. The longest is ten months, between India’s fourth Test in England at The Oval in September 2021, and the fifth, which was postponed after Covid problems and rearranged for the following July at Edgbaston.The other longer gap came during England’s tour of the subcontinent in 1961-62. Ted Dexter’s side started with a Test against Pakistan in Lahore in October, but then played a full five-Test series in India before returning after nearly three months for two more Tests in Pakistan, in Dacca (January 19-24) and in Karachi (February 2-7).There was a gap of 50 days between the second and third Tests of the 1891-92 Ashes series, during which time the tourists had nine matches, only two of them first-class. During this gap an entirely different England team played a match against South Africa, now recognised as a Test, in Cape Town (March 19-22).I heard on the commentary that Ravi Bopara was one of two people who have played in every season of the English T20 competition. Who’s the other one? Is it James Anderson? asked Bill Lawson from England
You’re right that Ravi Bopara has played in all 23 seasons of the English T20 competition (now the Blast) since the first in 2003. Now 40, Bopara hit 105 not out from 46 balls for Northamptonshire in the quarter-final against Surrey at The Oval earlier this month.Mainly thanks to international duties, Jimmy Anderson has only appeared in nine domestic T20 seasons – his ten matches this year were his first since 2014. The other 23-season man is Samit Patel, also 40, who’s now playing for Derbyshire after many seasons with Nottinghamshire. Joe Denly has featured in 21 seasons, and Gareth Batty, Rikki Clarke, Steven Croft, James Hildreth and Luke Wright in 19.Samit Patel is the only other player to appear in all 23 seasons of the T20 Blast so far, alongside Ravi Bopara•Getty ImagesIs there anyone who’s played just one Test, one ODI and one T20 international? And how many have played Tests and T20s but not ODIs? asked Kaustubh from India
The only player who fits the bill here at the moment is the wonderfully named Nonkhululeko Peaceful Thabethe, whose three appearances for South Africa’s women all came in India in 2014.There are five men who have played just four international matches, including one in all three formats: the Indian pair of Naman Ojha (one Test, one ODI and two T20Is) and Karn Sharma (1-2-1), England’s Scott Borthwick (1-2-1), Charlton Tshuma of Zimbabwe (1-2-1) and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Saleem (1-2-1),There are currently 23 men and nine women who appeared in one Test and one ODI, about half of them dating from before the inaugural T20 international in Auckland in February 2005.And as I write there are 28 men and one woman (England’s Kirstie Gordon) who have played Tests and T20Is, but no ODIs. Some are current players who may yet break their 50-over duck, such as Lhuan-dre Pretorius (South Africa), Bangladesh’s Mahmudul Hasan and the Indians Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy.Who has scored the most successive half-centuries in ODIs? asked Muhammad Azfar from England
The record for consecutive 50-plus scores in one-day internationals is nine, by Pakistan’s Javed Miandad during 1987. This run included two hundreds. Another Pakistani is second: Imam-ul-Haq made seven 50-plus scores in a row in 2021 and 2022.There are ten more men who managed six consecutive ODI half-centuries.In women’s ODIs, Mithali Raj of India had seven consecutive 50-plus scores in 2017, while a distinguished trio in Lindsay Reeler (Australia), Charlotte Edwards (England) and Ellyse Perry (Australia) all had runs of six.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Australia thumped 13 sixes to two against South Africa despite slumping to 75 for 6 after batting first for the first time in their new power-based era

Alex Malcolm11-Aug-2025

Tim David launched eight sixes in his 83•AFP

. It hasn’t been an edict that has been formally declared either internally or publicly by Australia’s T20I team, but the actions of their batters are speaking loudly at the moment. No matter the scenario, no matter the number in the wickets column, Australia’s batters are trying to hit their way to victory with spectacular results so far.On Sunday in Darwin, Australia’s foot-to-the-floor method was put to its sternest test to date, having not batted first in any of the games in the Caribbean.Mitchell Marsh, with a moon shot that might as well have been a bat signal, launched the first ball of the match for six over mid-off to set the agenda for the night.When they lost two wickets in three balls across the second and third overs, Marsh kept going. When Marsh fell to leave Australia 30 for 3 after 3.1 overs, Cameron Green and Tim David showed no sign of slowing. David skipped down the track to his second ball from Kagiso Rabada and lofted him straight for six. Green smashed four fours and three sixes in a 13-ball 35. When he skied one, Australia were 70 for 4 after 5.5 overs.Related

• Not retired, or dropped: Stoinis has unfinished T20 business for Australia

• David, Hazlewood star as Australia make it record nine T20Is wins in a row

• Marsh says 'depth is a privilege' as Australia make T20 statement

• More than a finisher: David soars to new heights

Mitch Owen tried to launch his fourth ball out of Darwin. Glenn Maxwell tried to do the same with his fifth. Australia were 75 for 6 in the eighth over and in danger of being bowled out for under 100.David got a little more selective as the lone specialist batter left standing when he was joined by Ben Dwarshuis. But with Dwarshuis good enough to feed him the strike with minimal risk, David was able pick his match-ups and club eight sixes in total to score 83 from 52 and help Australia post a match-winning total of 178.”It’s obviously not the team plan to be four down within six overs, but that happens at times,” David said post-game. “We’ve got what we believe is a great calibre of batters in our batting order, and we back each guy to make the right decisions.”We’ve been playing together as a group now for a while, so there’s not a great deal of instruction from the coaches. They trust the players. We trust ourselves to go out there and we understand the game situation and we make decisions on the fly, because that’s the nature of T20 cricket.”I think if you’d watched our guys bat over the last period, wherever they bat around the world and when they play for the Australian team, it’s close to all guns blazing. So, yeah, you can probably expect to see that a little bit from our team. That’s how we think we play best.”Start as you mean to go on: Mitchell Marsh hit the first ball of the match for six•Getty ImagesThe sight of David turning down singles with plenty of balls left in the innings, and a capable batter at the other end just as he had done in the Caribbean, might have looked odd at the time. But there is a clear method to it. David believes that even two sixes, three dots and a single off the last ball in an over where he faces all six deliveries is a better use of his talent and a better mathematical outcome than five singles and one six in the over.Australia struck 13 sixes in total to South Africa’s two on Sunday. And while South Africa faced 13 fewer dot balls during their chase – 46 to Australia’s 59 – the net outcome was a 17-run win to the home side. In the Caribbean, they hit 64 sixes to West Indies’ 53 across the series to win 5-0. They hit more sixes in three of the five games, were level in one and one short in another, but also never faced the full allotment of overs compared to West Indies given they chased in every game.This is not a new method of playing T20 cricket. Australia aren’t proclaiming to have reinvented the wheel. But it is a different method for a team that has been traditionally quite conservative in the shortest form and it’s led them to nine-straight T20I wins, a record for Australia in the format.They took lessons from the most recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, where the batting fell well short of the mark. The retirement of David Warner, who had become a T20 anchor in his latter years, and the non-selection of Steven Smith have led to a clear shift in method. There was once a desire to have a left-hander, like the retired Matthew Wade, permanently positioned in the middle-order for fear of being exposed by a legspinner or a left-arm orthodox, and that conservative thinking has also been shelved.Cameron Green has shown his power in the middle order•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesPacking the middle order with long levers and brute power to the point where Maxwell was listed at No. 7 on Sunday has been eye-opening. Green’s intent at No. 4 has been jaw-dropping. David has made his two highest T20I scores for Australia in his last three matches since moving to No. 5, including a 37-ball century and facing the most balls he ever has in a T20 game against South Africa. Owen has applied his successful powerplay hitting from the BBL into a new role at No. 6 without changing a thing.It is no coincidence too that the style is similar to what Sunrisers Hyderabad have done in the two recent IPLs, given Australia’s bowling coach Daniel Vettori is Sunrisers head coach, Pat Cummins is their captain and Head is their opening batter. Vettori is not with Australia in this series as he is coaching Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, another team that has pushed to be a higher boundary percentage batting unit than their opponents at various stages in recent years.If the coming T20 World Cup were to be played on Australia’s bouncy pitches and huge boundaries, it might be a method that could leave them vulnerable more often as it did last night. But Australia are looking at the conditions in India and believing this is a method that will bring them the success they crave. The 2021 T20 World Cup title currently sits as a one-off. Australia did not advance beyond the group stage or the Super Eights in the two editions since.The major question, as it was with Sunrisers and Phoenix in 2024, is can it stand up in knock-out finals? The other question that Australia are keen to find an answer to is whether it translates to lower-scoring spinning surfaces in Sri Lanka, given they could be drawn to play there more often in the World Cup compared to some of the pristine batting surfaces in India.They’ll find out at some point. In the meantime, it’s all guns blazing.

Focus shifts to Ashes for Hazlewood after a stirring spell in the second T20I against India at MCG

Alex Malcolm31-Oct-20252:24

Hazlewood: ‘My skill set has grown in the last few years’

Josh Hazlewood says he is bowling as well as he ever has in white-ball cricket, but he’s urged Australia’s selectors to pick as many allrounders as possible for the Ashes as his attention turns to Sheffield Shield cricket after a stunning T20I performance against India at the MCG.Hazlewood returned Test-match type figures of 3 for 13 from four overs to rip through India’s top-order and help Australia claim a 1-0 series lead with three games to go.But Hazlewood will now leave Australia’s squad to prepare for a Shield match against Victoria starting November 10, which will be his last game before the first Ashes Test on November 21.The injury to Pat Cummins has highlighted Hazlewood’s importance heading into the Ashes series and he has been repeatedly asked if he can get through five Tests against England after going down with injury in each of the only two Tests he played last summer.Related

• Cummins makes tentative return to bowling in Ashes fitness race

• Hazlewood masterclass hands Australia 1-0 lead

• Intent meets precision as Abhishek sparkles in the Melbourne gloom

Hazlewood was asked about the importance of the allrounders in the Test side as debate rages over whether Australia can fit both Cameron Green and Beau Webster in the same top six. But Hazlewood said the allrounders were vital.”First player picked [should be] an allrounder, I think,” Hazlewood said after his Player of the Match effort on Friday. “Going back to those 20-odd Test matches we played with no allrounder, they were hard yards. So if [they] can be in the team, be it bowling, [Ca Green] Greeny is obviously an outstanding player, Beau has done great for us whenever he’s played. The more the merrier, I say. They can bowl as much as they want.”Hazlewood’s recent white-ball form has been sublime. Unlike Mitchell Starc, who has retired from T20I cricket and also skipped the ODI series against South Africa in August to have a long break from bowling, Hazlewood made a conscious decision with the selection panel and CA’s medical staff to play as much as he possibly could throughout the winter. A significant break in the winter of 2024 led to side and calf injuries for Hazlewood that saw him miss five Tests, the Champions Trophy and half the IPL.Hazlewood will not focus on red-ball bowling before the Ashes begin•Randy Brooks/Associated Press

The decision to keep bowling is paying dividends at the moment having got through the second half of the IPL, four winter Tests, T20I and ODI series against South Africa, T20Is against New Zealand, ODIs against India and now two T20Is against India. But he says he won’t know if it is the right one until the end of the Ashes.”Everything’s going swimmingly now,” Hazlewood said. “I think I can’t really say if it’s worked perfectly until probably after the summer. If I get through everything, it’s probably the template moving forward, to put myself in the best position to play as many games as possible. Still resting the odd one here and there, if it doesn’t sort of match up with travel or turnarounds and stuff like that.”While Australia’s squad fly to Hobart on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s third T20I before heading north to Queensland for the last two matches on the Gold Coast and Brisbane next Thursday and Saturday respectively, Hazlewood will head home to Sydney to rest before playing for New South Wales against Victoria in a Shield game at the SCG that starts on November 10.”The next week, I’ll just probably get in the gym a couple of times,” Hazlewood said. “Don’t really need to bowl a hell of a lot, probably later in the week with the Shield game starting Monday week at home. So it will be a little bit of a de-load the next few days, and then go again. So things are good.”India opener Abhishek Sharma could not hide the joy on his face when he was informed in the press conference that Hazlewood would miss the final three games of the T20I series after he had tormented India’s batters across the tour to-date.”Oh, is he? I didn’t know this,” Abhishek said.”I was watching him in the ODIs as well. We knew that he’s going to give us this much difficulty and challenges. So obviously, the way he bowled today, even I got surprised.”I haven’t seen something like this in T20s. It was something new for me as well, because I’m a batter that wants to dominate. But when I was seeing on the other side how he’s bowling, and even to me it seems like he had a plan and he was just executing it.”

Rayan Cherki, who made a move from Olympique de Lyonnais to Manchester City this summer, has spoken about his objectives with the Cityzens. The winger-cum-attacking-midfielder has also revealed his style and mentality, which can have an immense impact on City's season under Guardiola as they aim to reclaim the Premier League title at the end of the campaign.

• Cherki an 'old school' guy

  Cherki was one of the high-voltage signings Guardiola's recruitment team accomplished heading into the 2025-26 season. A whopping £34 million was spent by the Etihad-based club to convince French outfit Lyon to let go of their star player, who scored 29 times and assisted on 45 occasions in 185 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants. Overwhelmed to join City, Cherki had already shown signs of his 'old school' mentality since his arrival. Although he took some time to settle into the side alongside an injury that sidelined him for a period, he is slowly integrating himself into Guardiola's system and finding the groove under the Spanish maestro. In 13 appearances, he has already secured eight goal contributions, which include four goals and four assists. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What are Cherki's objectives?

  Speaking in an interaction with TF1, Cherki expressed that he simply wanted to enjoy himself under Guardiola's leadership. Moreover, he is not someone who has statistical objectives for a season but wants to be close to his stats from the last season, where he scored 12 goals and assisted 20 times in 44 matches. 

  He revealed: "I’m not a stats guy. I think that you can see that in the way that I play football. I’m an old-school footballer, and the ‘old-school’ didn’t look at stats. I know that nowadays, that element is very important."

  He had revealed his old-school mentality in his initial City days, where he expressed anger against Manchester United, who defeated Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals to book a place in the last four. He had commented: "I (didn't) like (it) when Manchester United won the game against Lyon because I'm a Lyonnais. Now I am waiting for the game (to) kill them. I'm here to win all the games." He had also mentioned, "I'm not Kevin De Bruyne, he is the legend. I'm here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team. When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me – he was very, very clear. Pep told me, 'when you have the ball, you are free', which is very good for me because it's my first quality to help the team."

• Cherki's former coach ideates what he needs to shine

  Laurent Blanc, who nurtured Cherki at Lyon, has spoken up on what the star, who has accumulated just four starts this season, needs to establish a place in City's starting lineup. 

  He said to L'Equipe, via the Mirror: "I don't know where it comes from, whether it's street talent or innate talent, but he's brimming with it. I can assure you that there aren't many players like him. He's a rare gem. In the media world, you call him a rising star. He has no technical limitations. His limitations will be more tactical and physical. Physically, I had the pleasure of seeing him again recently; he's changed, and for the better. He's among the best, the very best.

  "If he adapts tactically, he'll have a huge advantage. His talent and genius make him a rare player. He just needs to find a coach who trusts him. And I think he has. Because of his talent and his natural ability, he doesn't put pressure on himself. His love of the game keeps him free from any kind of pressure. But for him, things are about to get serious. We're going to be more and more demanding. He has enough talent to rise to the challenge. I understand it's difficult for coaches to play him, given the pressure to get results. But yes, he has to be played. And yes, he has to be given freedom. Because I'm convinced that with Rayan, you'll always have a better chance of winning than losing."

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  Will Cherki start against Newcastle?

  Cherki earned 53 minutes of playing time against Liverpool in City's last league game before the November international break. When City return to the pitch on November 22 against Eddie Howe's Newcastle United, Cherki will be aiming to get more minutes against a struggling Magpies. With Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland alongside him, he could be more lethal and help Haaland extend his magnificent form from the World Cup qualifiers. Moreover, Cherki's scoring knack could also be handy for Guardiola against a Newcastle team, which will be vying to return to winning ways after suffering a hefty 3-1 loss to Brentford in their previous outing. 

Mohit Sharma is also being released, while T Natarajan is being retained by Delhi Capitals

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to release their overseas opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma. After a lot of deliberation, the owners has decided to retain T Natarajan, a capped India pacer and yorker specialist who was signed for INR 10.75 crore at last year’s mega auction.Signed in 2024 for his base price of INR 2 crore, du Plessis, 41, had underwhelming returns in IPL 2025, hitting 202 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 123.92. These numbers were in stark contrast to his impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), for whom he made 438 runs in 15 innings at 161.62 as they rose from the bottom to the playoffs the previous season.Mohit too was below par, picking two wickets in eight games while going at 10.28.Fraser Mc-Gurk, however, will be the most high-profile release, considering hat the franchise had labelled him a player for the future when they signed him in 2024. His intent-laden batting that yielded 222 runs off just 81 deliveries were the highlight for DC during the fag end of their campaign that season.He was subsequently bought back via the right-to-match card ahead of IPL 2025, where he returned five single-digit scores in six matches. His overall tally of 55 runs included a best of 38 before he was benched.Having returned home when the IPL season was paused owing to cross-border tensions with Pakistan, Fraser-McGurk opted to stay back when the season resumed, with the franchise signing Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman as a temporary replacement. At the time, the IPL had stated temporary replacements would not be retained, which means Mustafizur, too, will need to go to the auction.Fraser-McGurk’s recent form has been poor across formats. He had a highest of 36 in three List A games against India A, and has managed scores of 34, 27 and 4 in the three list A games for South Australia since. Post the IPL, Fraser-McGurk also had a lukewarm Major League Cricket stint with San Francisco Unicorns.

Graeme Cremer will end a seven-year hiatus from international cricket having been picked in Zimbabwe’s T20I squad to face Afghanistan across three matches starting October 29.Cremer, the 39-year-old legspinner and former captain, last represented Zimbabwe in 2018. He had given up cricket for golf, moving to the UAE where his wife Merna works as an airline pilot. Earlier this year, however, he returned home and took part in club competitions again with a view to push for national selection.Cremer missed out on being part of the squad that won the Africa Regional Qualifiers, which confirmed Zimbabwe’s place at next year’s T20 World Cup, but has been picked now as the team gears up for the ICC event.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Zimbabwe’s selectors have kept faith in the same 15-member team that went unbeaten in the qualifying tournament, with Cremer being the only change, replacing fast bowler Trevor Gwandu. A Zimbabwe Cricket press release on Friday also added that “Sean Williams remains unavailable as he continues to attend to personal matters.”The series will be played entirely in Harare, which also hosted the only Test of the Afghanistan tour. The first T20I is on October 29, followed by the second and third on October 31 and November 2.The 2026 T20 World Cup will take place in India and Sri Lanka and will comprise 20 teams. It is likely to be held between February and March.Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Brad Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor.

Leeds United will no doubt be disappointed after losing 3-2 against Manchester City this afternoon, but the fans can take some positives out of the clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Phil Foden’s first-minute goal could have signalled an afternoon of domination for Pep Guardiola’s men, but it wasn’t to be, with the hosts only boasting a two-goal lead at the break.

Daniel Farke’s substitutions at the break saw the Whites bring the game level within a matter of minutes, that’s despite many questioning his decision to withdraw Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto.

However, it wasn’t to be as Foden had the last laugh with his stoppage-time effort enough to secure all three points for the Citizens – resulting in a sixth Premier League loss in their last seven.

Despite the defeat, numerous players can leave Manchester with their heads held high, with one player deserving huge plaudits for his showing this afternoon.

Ethan Ampadu’s performance against Manchester City

For the 12th time in the league this season, midfielder Ethan Ampadu started at the heart of the Leeds side, doing so with the captain’s armband too.

His performance against Manchester City was one of a leader, with the Welshman putting in a phenomenal showing and one that was highlighted by his underlying stats.

The 25-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, completing a staggering 46 passes, with such a tally the highest of any player in Farke’s squad.

He also completed 50% of the dribbles he attempted, whilst making two passes into the final third – often trying to hit the hosts on the counter in the second half.

Ampadu’s incredible showing was also evident without the ball at his feet, subsequently making four recoveries and winning 67% of his ground duels – arguably being one unsung hero at the Etihad.

He certainly wasn’t alone in producing a performance to remember against the former Premier League champions, with Farke needing to select one other player on a consistent basis.

The Leeds player who should be undroppable after City

Many people would have anticipated a dominant victory for City this afternoon, but Leeds certainly put up a fight – which is the least you can ask for given the current situation.

Farke will likely receive some criticism for failing to see out the game for a point, but ultimately, individual errors were the contributing factors to the late goal.

The supporters should also remember it was the manager’s bold call at the break that gave the side the opportunity to get back into the game in the first place.

He switched to a somewhat unfamiliar 3-5-2 system, with the impact of Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the top end of the pitch certainly putting the hosts under huge pressure.

The Englishman replaced Gnonto at the interval, a decision that proved to be an inspirational one given the talisman’s impact during the second half at the Etihad.

His first goal since September certainly wasn’t the prettiest, but it was a reward for his determined efforts at the top end, before poking the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The 28-year-old was also hugely involved in the Whites’ second goal of the contest, with Calvert-Lewin caught in the area by Josko Gvardiol – leading to Lukas Nmecha’s rebounded penalty.

The substitutes’ underlying figures were also massively impressive, with the target man putting doubt into the opposition’s backline after his introduction.

He completed 100% of the dribbles he attempted, whilst also winning 80% of the ground duels he entered – subsequently offering a dominant option during the fightback.

Minutes played

45

Touches

18

Pass accuracy

80%

Dribbles completed

100%

Ground duels won

80%

Passes into final third

1

Fouls won

3

Shots on target

100%

Calvert-Lewin also completed a pass into the final third, whilst also drawing three fouls, with the former Everton man playing a huge part in the side’s ability to get off the canvas.

As a result of his showing off the bench, the striker was handed an impressive 9/10 match rating from Leeds United journalist Graham Smyth – further showcasing his impressive cameo off the bench.

After such a showing, there’s little denying the manager simply has to start Calvert-Lewin on a consistent basis, with his assets constantly causing havoc for the opposition.

Ampadu, too, has showcased this season why he’s a solid Premier League option, which could see both play a huge role in the club’s survival bid come the end of the season.

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1 ByDan Emery Nov 28, 2025