Shami bowled 17 overs for East Zone on the first day of their Duleep Trophy opener against North Zone

Ashish Pant28-Aug-2025Mohammed Shami has, of late, spent more time trying to prove his red-ball fitness than he has playing red-ball cricket.Since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, his only first-class game was a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November last year. It’s part of the reason he did not make it to India’s Test squad for the tour of England. Nine months on, he’s playing his second red-ball game in the Duleep Trophy season opener for East Zone against North Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru.Shami, now nearly 35, bowled 17 overs across four spells on the first day of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, progressively getting more incisive as the day went on. East Zone had won the toss and opted to bowl under murky skies. He was given the first over, and while he hardly got any movement, his lines were tight. He bowled five overs in his first spell, mostly within himself, and conceded ten runs with two maidens. It was evident that Shami was trying to ease himself back into the red-ball grind, concentrating more on the seam position and his lengths.Related

Arshdeep fine-tunes red-ball skills by learning to enjoy the 'boring times'

Meet the spinner known as Manishi

Dhull 'not thinking too far ahead' as he tries to make up for lost time

After career of 'more lows than highs', Jagadeesan hopes to build on recent gains

Gill and Jurel miss Duleep Trophy quarter-finals

Shami bowled his second spell just before the lunch break, a three-over burst pretty similar to his first, where he conceded ten runs. He beat the batters a few times and drew a few false shots, but the Shami sharpness was missing.That changed after the lunch break. Having found rhythm, there was a marked difference in Shami’s run-up and delivery stride. He bowled five overs in his third spell – two of then maidens – and conceded just nine runs. The batters, who were until then playing Shami fairly comfortably, were suddenly getting beaten for pace. There were plenty of plays and misses, inside-edges onto pad, and the occasional false shot. Having found his lengths, Shami’s focus was now on upping his speed.Despite the improvement, Shami did not have a wicket yet. He should have had North Zone’s wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan caught down the leg side early in his fourth spell, but Kumar Kushagra dropped a relatively straightforward chance behind the stumps. He eventually found success when he had Sahil Lotra caught behind late in the day. It was a nippy length ball well outside off stump that Lotra chased and edged to the wicketkeeper.Mohammed Shami made his international comeback in January this year•Associated PressShami bowled the second-most overs among the six bowlers East Zone used on the opening day, only behind left-arm spinner Manishi, who bowled 19. He went through the day without any visible hiccups and will hope to put in more miles on day two. In all, Shami conceded 55 runs in 17 overs for one wicket.Shami has struggled with fitness ever since injuring his ankle during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He underwent surgery after playing through pain during India’s run to the final and then missed all of India’s fixtures in 2024 due to his injury, recovery from surgery, and subsequent knee issues.He was part of India’s limited-overs series against England and the Champions Trophy earlier this year, and played nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. Following that, he was not picked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar suggesting that Shami’s “workload is not where it needs to be.”There is still a month and a bit to go before India’s next Test series – at home against West Indies – and Shami will, through the course of the Duleep Trophy, aim to put in the work needed to prove to the selectors that he is ready to get back to Test cricket.

Glenn Maxwell played some of the most spectacular ODI innings in the last decade or so, none more than the cramping, limping double-century against Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan02-Jun-2025

56* vs Pakistan, Sharjah, 2012

An early indication of what Maxwell could offer, he guided Australia to victory in just his fourth ODI with 56 not out off 38 balls. They were 159 for 5 in the 36th over needing 256 when Maxwell joined the experience of Mike Hussey. The duo took the chase most of the way and then Maxwell sealed the game with his third six. “To hit the ball like that on a pitch where the ball was dying was something,” Hussey said.

60 vs India, Bengaluru, 2013

This innings came in defeat, but it was a glimpse into how Maxwell could change the momentum of a game. He entered at 74 for 4 with Australia chasing a huge 384, struck his first ball for six, and collected six more on his way to an 18-ball fifty, equalling the Australia men’s record, before falling to Vinay Kumar after just 22 balls. It left him with a series tally of 248 runs at a strike rate of 152.14.Related

• Maddening and magnificent – Maxwell walks off into the sunset

• Maxwell retires from ODI cricket, available for T20 World Cup

2 for 41 vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2014

Maxwell made 20 off 22 balls and the bowling figures don’t leap off the page, but somehow he managed to produce a double-wicket maiden to defend just two off the final over. Sohail Tanvir swung at and missed the second delivery, and then Mohammad Irfan played three dot balls before carving a catch to cover off the final delivery. “Wasn’t going too well until the last over,” Maxwell said.

95 and 4 for 46 vs England, Perth, 2015

In the final of a tri-series which acted as a World Cup warm-up, Maxwell produced a dominant all-round display. His 95 was central to Australia recovering from 60 for 4. “Maxwell went from sensible to sensational,” ESPNcricinfo’s match report said. He followed that up by running through England’s middle and lower order with four wickets. It was just the sixth occasion of an Australian scoring a fifty and taking four wickets in an ODI and there hasn’t been one in the men’s game since.His heroics with the bat often overshadowed his bowling, but Glenn Maxwell often chipped in with key wickets•Getty Images

102 vs Sri Lanka, SCG, 2015

Maxwell’s maiden international century was a barnstorming display as he monstered a 53-ball 102 to ensure Australia’s home World Cup continued towards the knockouts. Maxwell had a solid base to build on when he arrived at 175 for 3 in the 32nd over and he took full advantage. He dominated a stand of 160 with Shane Watson, reaching his hundred from 51 deliveries which at the time was a record for Australia’s men.

70 and 1 for 45 vs Pakistan, Dubai, 2019

This was a matchwinning all-round performance from Maxwell. He took advantage of the work done by the top order, then being given a life first ball, to flay 70 off 33 deliveries to ensure Australia passed 300. They needed most of them, too, as Haris Sohail struck a century in reply but Maxwell also had a vital part to play with the ball as he took 1 for 45 off his ten overs.

108 vs England, Old Trafford, 2020

In an empty ground during the depths of Covid, this innings wasn’t cheered on by thousands in the stands, but it was worthy of great acclaim as Maxwell slotted into the finisher’s role at No. 7 that would be a large part of the latter stages of his ODI career. The series against England marked his first ODIs since the 2019 World Cup, having missed the previous home season while taking a mental health break. Australia were long-odds for victory when Maxwell entered at 73 for 5 chasing 303 but forged a magnificent stand of 212 with Alex Carey. His own century came from 84 balls and included more sixes (seven) than fours (four). It enabled Australia to clinch the series 2-1.Glenn Maxwell was among the people who changed the grammar of white-ball batting•AFP/Getty Images

80* vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2022

It had been 18 months since Maxwell’s previous ODI and he produced a superb innings to ice a demanding chase in conditions where Sri Lanka’s spinners had threatened to turn the game. When he was joined by No. 10 Jhye Richardson, Australia still needed 28 off 26 balls and he farmed the strike and got the job done with consecutive sixes. Although separated by considerable time, the innings capped an impressive run for Maxwell where he passed fifty in five out of seven innings

106 vs Netherlands, Delhi, 2023

It wasn’t the strongest attack Maxwell had ever faced, but it was a ferocious display of strokeplay as he raced to a 40-ball century, setting a new record for the fastest hundred at a men’s ODI World Cup and breaking his own landmark for the fastest for Australia’s men. “I’m very aware of balls faced,” Maxwell said. “I love the fastest 50, fastest 100 records. I think they’re pretty cool records. Sometimes to the detriment of myself, I’ve always probably pushed the boundaries a bit too much.”

201* vs Afghanistan, Mumbai, 2023

The innings that cemented Maxwell’s legacy. Battling oppressive conditions that left him cramping so badly he could barely move, so much so that next batter in Adam Zampa was ready to replace him, Maxwell turned what appeared an impossible chase into a stunning victory. Australia were 91 for 7 (Maxwell himself had walked in on a hat-trick) when he was joined by captain Pat Cummins and produced something extraordinary. The pair added 202 for the eighth wicket of which Cummins contributed 12 while Maxwell launched ten sixes. With 21 needed off the final four overs for Australia’s win and Maxwell’s double-hundred, he went 6, 6, 4, 6 against Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who had earlier dropped him on 33. “It’s got to be the greatest ODI innings that’s ever happened,” Cummins said in the aftermath.

The game mourns the loss of an iconic figure who epitomised cricket in the pre-technology era

Andrew Miller24-Sep-2025For cricket fans of a certain age, it doesn’t do much for the blood pressure to revisit old umpiring decisions with the benefit of DRS-acquired hindsight. Take any given Ashes series, or crunch passage of play against the mighty 1980s-vintage West Indians, and you’ll doubtless stumble upon a moment when a perfectly pitched English inswinger curls into a presumptuously planted front pad …”Hmm… yes, just missing leg,” Jack Bannister or Tony Lewis will demur, as said toiling medium-pacer allows their appeal to be strangled at birth and trudge forlornly back to their mark. Of course in their heart of hearts they will have known full well that that delivery was smashing all three, but until those stumps are physically rattled, that famously wagging finger shall remain steadfastly buried at the bottom of its ubiquitous white coat.Harold “Dickie” Bird, who died on Monday at the age of 92, was perhaps the most steadfast “not-outer” of the lot. Had he been plying his trade in the punitive modern era of umpiring – in which every contentious decision suffers trial by a thousand replays, and death by exponential retweet – that famously nervous disposition would scarcely have made it to the middle, let alone to Buckingham Palace for services rendered to his beloved sport.Happily, though, Bird’s career did not coincide with the DRS. Shockingly, it is now 30 summers since he stood for the last of his 66 Test matches – at Lord’s in 1996, when he famously wept his way to the middle through a guard of honour (then shelved that hard-won reputation with an emotional first-over triggering of Mike Atherton…). And yet, the extraordinary response to his passing underlines the extent to which his era was judged by different criteria, and that his improbable fame transcended the boundaries of his chosen field.To that first point, cricket in the mid-1990s was still a defiantly amateur occupation, long after the professional era was supposed to have taken hold. Despite the proliferation of cameras (on the field for the most part, but also, at the height of the 1980s tabloid wars, off the field to a degree arguably unmatched to this day), the sport was to all intents and purposes self-governing.Just as captains oversaw match arrangements and training sessions (or not, in the case of David Gower in the Caribbean in 1986), so it was down to the umpires to oversee the ensuing fixtures, and the spirit and conditions in which they were played. In cricket’s potential melting pot of cultures and sensibilities, Dickie’s unalloyed good nature was a language that cut across all potential disagreements. To that end, his idiosyncrasies were arguably crucial to his appeal, in the same way that Norman Wisdom became a cult figure in Albania, or Mr Bean’s brand of physical comedy remains hugely popular to all manner of unlikely audiences. He was, as Matthew Engel once wrote in Wisden, “the first to combine the distinct roles of top-flight umpire and music-hall comedian”.Bird sits forlornly on the covers during the bomb scare at Lord’s in 1973•PA PhotosIrrespective of circumstance, players of all persuasions could recognise and appreciate Bird’s devotion to the duty of his sport, whether that be an apologetic need to raise that dreaded finger (astonishingly, he and Steve Bucknor – another reluctant decision-maker – combined for a record 17 lbws at Port-of-Spain in 1993) or his famous obstinacy when adverse conditions crept into the narrative.The stories about Dickie’s stoppages in play are legendary – from the bomb scare that interrupted his second Test, at Lord’s in 1973, to the reflection off a greenhouse that caused an excess of sunlight in his penultimate home match, at Old Trafford in 1995. More gallingly, there was the Centenary Test at Lord’s in 1980, when, in a premonition of the career that he was spared from having to endure, Bird was reduced to tears by the abuse that he and David Constant received from MCC members as ten hours of play were lost to rain over the first three days.That incident, however, was at least contained to the circumstances in which it arose. Earlier this week, by contrast, the game’s foremost female umpire, Sue Redfern, was subjected to a dyspeptic press release from Lancashire that, on the one hand, decried the abuse she had received when (on the evidence available to her) she had been unable to overturn a crucial dismissal on T20 Finals Day, while also confirming that the club had “formally expressed” its disappointment at the decision to the ECB. A quiet word in the bar would have sufficed back in the day. The extent to which decisions have consequences is these days off the charts.Happily, such scrutiny for Bird and his ilk was a world away. Instead, his career delivered fame and recognition that, even by modern standards, transcends the bounds of most cricketers, let alone sporting officials. In September 1998, when Dickie umpired his last first-class fixture, the internet was still a borderline gimmick, pumping its data down old-school landlines, with the age of instant information yet to be realised. On Tuesday afternoon, by contrast, the news of his death was given top billing on most news websites – even Donald Trump’s bellicose comments at the UN had to play second fiddle.This summer, amid the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Ashes, the notion of English cricket’s modern-day anonymity has been a frequent topic of discussion, and the sport’s disappearance from terrestrial TV is often cited as the principal cause. And yet, Bird’s fame belongs in a different echelon. The timing of his career was a key factor – he was there for the early stirrings of colour-TV coverage in the 1970s, and in turn the beginnings of cricket’s truly global era, including his officiating of the first three World Cup finals (all staged at his home-from-home Lord’s).But also, he epitomised a more egalitarian era, when cricket in England shared a stage and status with football, as, respectively, the nation’s summer and winter sports, and when the money in the latter had not rendered all competition for latent attention meaningless. In his pomp, perhaps only Ian Botham could command more universal recognition among non-cricket fans – and he was arguably the most famous sportsman in the country.Dickie Bird borrows a lady’s hat at the 150th Anniversary of Yorkshire County Cricket Club•Getty ImagesBird was not, however, the most famous player to emerge from his legendary Barnsley youth team of the 1950s. In an astonishing quirk of his two-up, two-down upbringing, he would form lifelong friendships with two men who arguably united his twin passions of cricketing rectitude and people-pleasing. One the one hand there was Geoffrey Boycott, the opening batter that Bird (average 20.71 from 93 matches) with his nervous disposition was never quite able to become. On the other, there was Michael Parkinson, the legendary chat-show host whose appointment-to-view presence in TV’s free-to-air era exceeded even Bird’s seven-hours-a-day screentime during his summer Test outings. A third childhood friend, Tommy Taylor, might even have outstripped them all. But tragically, as a Manchester United footballer, he died in 1958 in the Munich air disaster, at the age of 26.The conditions do not exist for another Dickie Bird to burst forth into the game. He was, as he often protested when quizzed about his bachelor status, “married to cricket”, and it was as enduring a relationship as there can ever have been. But the foibles and embellishments that make up his inimitable story have no place in modern cricket, still less the tales of practical jokes that followed him out to the middle – rubber snakes, mobile phones, firecrackers, etc – all of which would these days attract ICC demerit points, rather than foster a sense of participants enjoying the stage together.There were others who came after Dickie, who brought their own quirks and personalities to the middle – foremost among them, Billy Bowden with his crooked digits and expressive boundary signalling, and Rudi Koertzen with his glacially slow finger of death. But throughout their own careers – overlain as they were with pitch-map graphics and instant feedback on each decision – there was an undercurrent of impatience at their antics, as if any action that wasn’t devoted to the cause of accuracy was, frankly, a waste of energy.Out of this new reality, a different breed of umpire emerged, perhaps best epitomised by Australia’s Simon Taufel, who officiated his first international at the age of 27 and was named ICC Umpire of the Year for five years from inception. His safe, unshowy, middle-manager style has arguably been the template for all subsequent elite-panel appointments, and sure enough, the number of truly contentious decisions has plummeted in recent years.In its place, however, the most enervating modern-day gripe seems to revolve around slow over rates, which is surely a byproduct of a loss of humanity out in the middle. If umpires are meant only to be glorified hatstands, it’s hardly a surprise that they lack the authority to chivvy along the contest of which they used to be in charge.Bird would not have stood for such dilly-dallying, unless of course it related to a burst water pipe at Headingley or an errant pigeon flapping around on a good length. He belonged to an era when cricket still was only a game, and he kept it all the richer by sharing that knowledge with all who crossed his white lines.As David Hopps, my former colleague at ESPNcricinfo and another forthright Yorkshireman, put it: “Whenever I met Dickie, I always felt that I was being invited to reacquaint myself with my inner child. He knew no other way.”

The Namibia batters are having their best year in T20Is and will be playing in front of a packed house at their new stadium

Firdose Moonda10-Oct-2025Some neighbours in the cricketing world won’t even shake hands anymore but others will go across the border to inaugurate a new stadium, albeit with a mish-mash side. South Africa’s experimental T20I squad is in Namibia to play a one-off match at the newly minted Namibia Cricket Ground and will finish their fixture about 13 hours before the Test side kicks off their World Test Championship title defence in Pakistan.Regular T20I captain Aiden Markram is standing in as Test captain in place of the injured Temba Bavuma, so he will not be in Windhoek. Neither will be Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen or Kagiso Rabada. All that may give Namibia, who recently qualified for a fourth T20 World Cup, hopes of pulling off a great upset. But this game is not so much about the result as it is a celebration for Cricket Namibia, who have built its first stadium under its own banner and will no longer need to rent facilities.The match is a sell-out, with Namibians as keen to see their own team as some of the superstars next door, and this is what they have to look forward to.Related

• Namibia's cricket dream finally has a home in Windhoek

• Namibia, Zimbabwe qualify for 2026 men's T20 World Cup

• De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

• Kwena Maphaka to go for scans after injury scare

• Bavuma 'excited' to have de Kock back in ODI fold

De Kock’s comeback

South Africa’s enigmatic wicketkeeper-batter, as described by coach Shukri Conrad, has decided to come in from the cold and make himself available to the national team again. Quinton de Kock only officially retired from Tests (and still is) and ODIs but his T20I status has been unknown since last year’s World Cup final. He was South Africa’s leading run-scorer at that tournament, and fourth overall, and seemed to have a lot more to give, but the pressures of international cricket took its toll. De Kock went silent, according to former white-ball Rob Walter, until he didn’t. He reached out to Bavuma and then Conrad in the last few months and is back in the fold.Exactly what caused de Kock to change his mind is not known, but it may have to do with staying relevant in big T20 leagues. His price of R2.4 million in the SA20 was less than an eighth of Dewald Brevis’ record of R16.5 million, for example, and the importance of strong international performance for league value can be seen globally.This year, de Kock had a poor SA20 (159 runs in eight innings with one fifty) and IPL (152 in eight with a best of 97*) but a good MLC, where he was the third-highest run-scorer. Most recently, he played in the CPL, where he scored 208 runs in nine innings with two fifties. After the Namibia T20I, he will play white-ball cricket in Pakistan as South Africa plan for next year’s T20 World Cup, but he will have to earn his place for that.Namibia recently qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup•Zimbabwe Cricket

The new Don in charge

Before this month, Donovan Ferreira had never captained any professional team in any format but he has since been announced as a stand-in T20I skipper. Ferreira was appointed as red-ball captain of Titans, the domestic team based in Centurion, and has led them in two games so far this season. In their opening match against Boland, he scored a century in the first innings and 70 in the follow-on but could not prevent a nine-wicket defeat. In their second game against North-West, he scored a first-innings 71 and is currently the competition’s third-highest run-scorer but Titans lost badly again. Now he will have to shift gears back to his “heater” role in the shortest format and will be keen to show off his six-hitting skills in his first international game in charge.

Namibia on a batting high

Batting is also the big strength of the home side, who topped 230 twice in the Africa T20 qualifiers and had two centurions. Playing against South Africa will be a step up from Malawi and Nigeria but Namibia will hope to continue a good year batting-wise. In 2025, they have a collective strike rate of 153.02, the highest in their history. In their first outing at the new home venue, they will want to live up to their boundary-hitting reputation and give the home crowd plenty to cheer.

Coetzee’s chance to reclaim a regular spot

In Kwena Maphaka’s injury-enforced absence, Gerald Coetzee will lead the attack with an eye on making his case for the more permanent spot in the first-choice side. Coetzee’s attributes – aggressive, quick, good bouncer – all merit a place in the team but a country laden with options and his own history of injury has meant he finds himself in a queue for a spot. He hasn’t been part of a T20 World Cup squad and with the next one four months away, he will want to stake his claim. Coetzee has Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, and Andile Simelane as other seam contenders, while Bjorn Fortuin and Nqabayomzi Peter will make up the spin contingent.

Top-quality fast bowling always helps when you’re trying to win a series in Australia, and the history of the Ashes bears that out

Greg Chappell04-Oct-2025It was Douglas Jardine who said in , “Cricket is a game of skill, but it is also a game of war. You must find a way to win or you are lost.”As the shadows lengthen over the Australian summer, the 2025-26 Ashes series looms in Perth on 21 November, a mere six weeks away. For England, under the audacious stewardship of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, the mantra is clear: speed thrills.Their squad, boasting a “cartel” of express pacemen led by the enigmatic Jofra Archer and the thunderous Mark Wood, offers echoes of history’s lessons. To understand this bold gambit, we must rewind to the summer of 1932-33, when Jardine faced a Hobson’s Choice – take the only option on offer or face certain defeat. Bodyline, that infamous tactic, was not born of malice but necessity, a desperate counter to Donald Bradman’s otherworldly batting. It reminds us that cricket, for all its genteel veneer, can ignite passions that spill beyond civil norms, turning gentlemen into gladiators and crowds into cauldrons of fury.Related

• England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

• Winning Down Under: England's post-war Ashes series victories in Australia

• Switch Hit: Ashes optimism department

• 'Unbelievable' Archer primed for Ashes impact, says McCullum

• Australia's pace depth: Who's in the Ashes mix if Cummins and co run aground?

Jardine’s predicament was the stuff of captaincy nightmares. Bradman had just dismantled England in their own backyard during the 1930 Ashes, amassing 974 runs at an average of 139.14 – a record that still beggars belief. His triple-century at Headingley was a symphony of dominance, reducing England’s attack to rubble. Jardine, a steely Oxford-educated amateur with a disdain for defeat, knew that accepting Bradman’s supremacy fatalistically was tantamount to surrender. As England’s captain, his remit was unequivocal: find a way, within the laws, to curb this prolific scoring machine. But what options did he have? Conventional bowling had proved futile; spin was neutralised on Australia’s true pitches; and seamers like Hedley Verity offered control but not terror.Herein lies the essence of Jardine’s Hobson’s Choice – the illusion of alternatives masking a singular path. He turned to “fast leg theory”, a tactic not invented by him but refined to lethal precision. Precedents abounded in the 1920s. Australian fast bowlers like Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald had employed similar short-pitched barrages with packed leg-side fields during the 1920-21 Ashes, unsettling English batters on lively surfaces. Jardine, ever the tactician, drew from this example, consulting Nottinghamshire’s Arthur Carr and Percy Fender, who had trialled it domestically. He came upon the idea observing Bradman flinch against Harold Larwood’s bouncer at The Oval in 1930. “I’ve got it! He’s vulnerable!” Jardine exclaimed. Secret sessions in London honed the plan: short balls at the body, a ring of leg-side fielders to snare deflections. It was legal, innovative, and crucially, the only sensible option against a batter averaging over 100.Critics vilified Jardine as unsportsmanlike, but as a former captain, I see his dilemma plainly. Every leader, amateur or professional, bears the responsibility of solving the game’s riddles. To let Bradman score at will would betray Jardine’s team, his nation, and the competitive spirit of cricket. Bradman averaged 56.57 in the Bodyline series – still formidable, but mortal. The series’ flashpoints, like the Adelaide riot after Bert Oldfield’s skull fracture, evoked raw emotions: Australian crowds baying for blood, diplomatic cables flying between boards, threats of trade boycotts (and this during the Great Depression). Sport, in such moments, transcends civility, tapping into tribal loyalties that can fracture empires. Jardine became the scapegoat, retiring from Tests thereafter, but his choice delivered a 4-1 victory. Without it, England would have been lambs to Bradman’s slaughter.This theme – pace as the great equaliser in Australia – threads through every English Ashes win down under since Bodyline. History is unequivocal: to win in these vast, sun-baked arenas, you need express bowlers who can intimidate, extract bounce, and shatter partnerships on pitches that reward raw speed over subtle swing.Top bowling, old boy: Chris Tremlett is mobbed by his team-mates after England make it 3-1 in Sydney early in 2011•Associated PressConsider the 1954-55 series, which England won 3-1 win under Len Hutton. Frank Tyson, called “Typhoon” for his 95mph thunderbolts, claimed 28 wickets at 20.82, terrorising batters with sheer velocity on firm tracks. Brian Statham’s accurate outswing complemented him, but it was Tyson’s pace that broke Australia’s spirit, reducing legends like Neil Harvey to caution. Emotions ran high; Tyson’s ferocity evoked Bodyline, with crowds murmuring about “intimidation”, but in the end it was the key to victory.Fast-forward to 1970-71, Ray Illingworth’s 2-0 triumph. John Snow, lanky and lethal at 90mph, snared 31 wickets, his bounce and skid exploiting Australian frailties. Bob Willis, on debut, added fire. The series boiled over in the last Test, in Sydney, where a Snow bouncer felled Terry Jenner, sparking a bottle-throwing melee and Illingworth leading his team off the field in protest. Again, pace stirred primal reactions, but it secured the urn.Mike Brearley’s 5-1 rout in 1978-79 leaned on Willis’ speed and bounce (20 wickets) and Ian Botham’s deceptive pace and all-round skill (23 wickets). Willis’ hostility on Perth’s bouncy deck set the tone, evoking crowd hostility that bordered on the uncivil – boos, jeers, even objects hurled. Again, without this pace edge, England’s win would have evaporated.England’s 2-1 upset in the 1986-87 series under Mike Gatting, saw Graham Dilley take 16 wickets with his sharp pace. Botham chipped in again with nine wickets, his medium-fast swing and bounce augmented by Gladstone Small’s (12 wickets) awkward speed. Emotions peaked in Melbourne, where Botham’s heroics fused triumph with controversy, his off-field antics amplifying the drama.Most recently, the 3-1 masterclass under Andrew Strauss in 2010-11 rested on James Anderson’s 24 wickets (late swing at 88-92mph), Chris Tremlett and Steven Finn’s towering bounce (31 wickets between them). Their cartel overwhelmed Australia, with Mitchell Johnson’s waywardness contrasting with England’s precision. The Gabba draw turned on pace pressure, and the series’ intensity – verbal sledging, crowd taunts – underscored how speed ignites passions that push boundaries.In each case England’s victories hinged on one or more express bowlers. Spin played cameos but pace was the protagonist, exploiting Australia’s pace-friendly conditions: Perth’s steepling bounce; Brisbane’s humidity, which aids swing; Melbourne’s variable decks. Without it, touring sides wilt under home dominance – think Australia’s Lillee-Thomson terror in the 1970s or McGrath-Gillespie’s relentlessness in the 2000s.England’s 1932-33 series was indubitably secured by fast bowling•JA Hampton/Getty ImagesNow to the present. McCullum and Stokes have done their homework. They have prioritised the fitness of Archer and Wood, assembling a sextet of quicks – including Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue – apart from Stokes himself, to launch an assault. “We need that cartel fit and firing,” McCullum declared, echoing Jardine’s resolve. Archer’s X-factor swing and Wood’s 95mph heat are statements of intent; the two have been managed meticulously after injuries to peak in Perth. With only Shoaib Bashir as spinner, they’ve put nearly all eggs in the speed basket, betting on rotation to sustain pressure across five Tests.Australia lack a Bradman, but curbing Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Cameron Green to mortal outputs will be pivotal. The openers will be important to Australia’s success, but it is the middle order that will need to make big runs if Australia are to win the series. If England’s attack delivers and dismantles Australia’s middle order, McCullum and Stokes will join the list of successful England leaders in Australia.Batting-wise, England appear settled, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett’s aggressiveness as openers, Ollie Pope’s flair, Joe Root’s mastery, Jamie Smith’s precociousness, and Harry Brook’s prodigious talent – the latter averages 57.55 in Tests, a comet streaking across world cricket. Australia’s line-up will look more settled before the first Test on the back of early-season form, but vulnerabilities persist in the wake of David Warner’s retirement.Yet, batters will be critical only insofar as they withstand the barrage. This series, like its forebears, will be decided by the superior bowling side. England’s pace gamble could evoke Bodyline’s emotions – imagine a bouncer from Archer felling a key bat, crowds erupting, words flying. Sport’s power lies here: it distils human drama, where triumph and controversy collide, pushing participants and spectators beyond civil norms into realms of raw passion.Jardine took the only sensible option. History affirms pace’s primacy in Australia, and in 2025-26 too, bowling will crown the victor. As the urn beckons, let the need for speed reignite cricket’s eternal fire.

CA’s current model has been in place for a considerable time but it may need to evolve to keep pace with a changing landscape

Alex Malcolm30-Sep-2025Marcus Stoinis was all smiles when he fronted the media at Bay Oval in Tauranga on Monday, proudly back in Australia colours for the first time since last November.His return to the Australian squad, without a national or state contract and having missed the previous two Australia T20I series to play in the Hundred, shines a light on an issue that has been bubbling away within Australian cricket for some time.There is a growing consensus across many of those involved in the game spoken to by ESPNcricinfo that Cricket Australia’s (CA) current men’s contracting system is no longer fit for purpose.Related

CA bracing for 'generational' change amid tough financial calls

Williamson to miss Australia series under NZC casual agreement

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

Konstas, Kuhnemann handed CA deals, Connolly overlooked

It is a thought that has been discussed at length at various CA meetings around the country over the past 12 months with the current contracting system that was inked in 2023 set to remain in place between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) until 2028.Stoinis and Tim David, another who will feature this week in the three-match series, are two key examples that have highlighted the limitations of Australia’s current men’s contracting system and why change is being discussed.Stoinis’ absence from the five-match T20I tour of the West Indies in July and the three-match T20I home series against South Africa was notable. He wasn’t injured and there was never any official statement that he had been dropped. All of which was a curiosity given he was one of Australia’s most sought-after players at the IPL auction last year and remains in high demand as a franchise player around the world.Instead, it was later revealed that an agreement had been struck with Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald and chairman of selectors George Bailey to allow him to fulfil a lucrative AUD$409,000 contract to play in the Hundred, despite in Bailey’s words still being “firmly in the mix” for next year’s T20 World Cup.It is not unusual for high profile Australian players to miss white-ball series throughout any calendar year. But it is always three-format players who are given time to rest ahead of Test series that are seen as a higher priority.But for the single format or white-ball only players, the series against West Indies and South Africa were key parts of Australia’s build towards the T20 World Cup as they attempt to bed a new playing style following the retirements of David Warner and Matthew Wade last year.Stoinis’ case is rare in that he is an uncontracted one-format player who does not play domestic state cricket, however he does play in the BBL.The selectors are keen to have Tim David in their ODI set-up towards the 2027 World Cup•Getty ImagesWhile New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has been a global leader in managing casual playing contracts with senior players to allow them to miss international series to take up franchise opportunities, CA is only now starting to dip its toes into a rapidly rising tide.CA contracted 23 male players this financial year, as they did last year. Australia’s men played nine Test matches, 13 ODIs and eight T20Is in the 2024-25 contract period and used 34 players across all formats.The 2025-26 contract list was heavily weighted towards Test-only players but Australia play only seven Tests in the financial year, with two against West Indies (the first of the series came under the previous year) and five against England. They will only play nine ODIs but are currently scheduled to play 19 T20Is plus the T20 World Cup.Stoinis and David were not centrally or state contracted either last financial year or this one. However, both played the minimum number of white-ball internationals – six – to qualify for a CA upgraded contract which in 2024-25 was AUD$346,641 (not including match payments) and in 2025-26 is AUD$353,574. David has already played six matches this financial year. If Stoinis plays in six of the next eight T20Is against New Zealand and India, or by June 30, 2026, he will qualify again.The upgrade system has been CA’s longstanding way of rewarding those from outside the initial list after they earned selection to play for their country. But it may be past its use-by date for several reasons.Firstly, players can now earn more than the CA minimum contract by playing for one month in a franchise league overseas as Stoinis did in the Hundred. But that requires an NOC from CA, or the players’ state if they are contracted, and as was the case with Adam Zampa recently ahead of the T20 Blast finals in England, contracted players can be denied NOCs for franchise leagues because of domestic cricket commitments in Australia.The MOU only allows a maximum of 24 to be contracted initially but there are no limits on the number of upgrades.Seven players including Stoinis, David, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Nathan McSweeney and Beau Webster all qualified for an upgrade through playing enough games in the 2024-25 cycle. Three Tests, six white-ball matches or a combination of the two are enough to trigger an upgrade. Eight players were upgraded in 2023-24 which was a white-ball World Cup year.If a state contracted player gets upgraded, which five of last year’s seven were, they only get a pro rata pay increase from their original state deal for the remainder of the contract period.The likes of Mitchell Owen won’t be short of franchise offers•MLCThe maximum state deal for this year was AUD$205,153, excluding match payments, although that is usually only given to a player who played both Sheffield Shield and one-day domestic cricket. BBL deals are signed separately outside of both CA and state contracts, but again the maximum BBL deal for an Australian players is only around AUD$200,000 and most are well under that while some overseas players are earning more than twice that much.Stoinis and David have not pursued state deals in recent years. Stepping away from that system comes at a cost in terms of not having access to coaches and training facilities and full-time medical and strength conditioning support. Superannuation and insurance are other serious considerations for those leaving the system.But it also means a player doesn’t have to train on a state team’s schedule and potentially be restricted from playing in overseas franchise leagues either during the pre-season or during the domestic season.Those two players have bet on themselves and there should be no criticism of them for that. They have a set of skills which are highly valued in the franchise open market. But integrating them into longer-term plans for Australia now comes with allowing them to play franchise cricket elsewhere to maximise their income. That is where the limitations of the upgrade model are exposed.There is a desire for David to be part of Australia’s ODI build towards the 2027 World Cup in the finishing role vacated by the retired Glenn Maxwell. But the contracting system doesn’t incentivize David to play domestic one-day cricket or even make himself available for the recent ODI series against South Africa, at the cost of playing in the CPL which banks him more than a state contract or ODI match payments ever would for one month’s work.Lance Morris has remained centrally contracted through injury problems•Getty ImagesIt also doesn’t incentivize him to rest for key white-ball series to get his body right, as he needed to do after the IPL this year. CA uses contracts to pay fast bowlers like Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson as long-term investments despite both having perennial injury issues. But not having a higher number of initial contracts means long-term management can’t apply to someone like Johnson, who is currently sidelined and missed last year’s white-ball tour the UK because he got injured in the lead in while pursuing franchise opportunities.The reality is that even for a board with CA’s wealth, there may come to a point sooner rather than later where they can’t afford to pay all their top players what the market says they are worth. New Zealand has already found this out. Kane Williamson, one of their all-time greats, missed the recent T20 tri-series and Test tour in Zimbabwe to play for Middlesex and the London Spirit instead. He will also miss this series against Australia to rest after a winter in England.There has been a bullishness in Australian cricket down the years that players will always commit to playing for the country above all else and there is still a widely held belief that dynamic won’t shift any time soon.Perhaps the recent example of Quinton de Kock returning to the South Africa fold is a sign that the franchise life isn’t always fulfilling enough, although at the same time they won’t have Heinrich Klaasen for next year’s World Cup after he retired from international cricket to become a full-time freelancer.Australia’s domestic players have always been well looked after by global standards, but they did not miss the eye-watering sums offered in the recent SA20 draft. The timing of the current discussions around privatizing the BBL isn’t a coincidence.More contracts, higher retainers, more flexibility, and different structures are all being discussed. But the money has to come from somewhere. And if it doesn’t, there is a chance, albeit a very small one at the moment, that Australia will join those nations battling to keep their players for international duty.

Archer dismissed Jadeja early on the second day before Washington and Thakur resisted

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2025

Rishabh Pant walks out to bat despite his injured foot•Getty Images

Lunch Rishabh Pant batted with a broken foot as India put a premium on first-innings runs, pushing their total up to 321 for 6 at lunch on the second day in Manchester.England were upbeat when their captain Ben Stokes struck in the 102nd over to remove Shardul Thakur, who played a good hand, making 41 off 88. They would have thought they had a way into the tail. But it was Pant who came down the stairs, grabbing onto the railing, every step taken with extreme care. He had arrived at the ground in a moonboot. His courage was celebrated with applause ringing around Old Trafford.Jofra Archer had provided the perfect start to the day’s play for England when he dismissed Ravindra Jadeja in his first over. With the second new ball in hand, he and Chris Woakes created 12 wicket-taking opportunities in 12 overs but the ball would either just zip past the edge or take it and fall short of the cordon.Thakur and Washington Sundar did well to weather those close calls, putting the one that caused them trouble out of their mind to focus on the next. They built a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket as India continued to show lower-order resilience, having bulked up that part of their game since the first Test at Headingley.A largely uneventful session was heading to a close until Pant decided to liven things up a bit. He looked in obvious discomfort, merely walking, and when he was hurried, hopping, through for his singles. A few minutes after he made the long walk out there, he had to make the long walk back as well with rain forcing an early lunch.

Manchester United are now in direct negotiations to sell a player Ruben Amorim wants to keep, with a departure on the cards in the January transfer window.

Man Utd could sell first-team star in January

Ahead of the January transfer window, it has now emerged that Benjamin Sesko is making good progress in his recovery from an injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur, with his agent, Elvis Basanovic saying: “Benjamin is feeling very good, his rehab is going as planned,”

“He’s really eager to return to the pitch; he misses playing. He’s missing games, and he’s a bit impatient, so hopefully he’ll be back soon and be where he feels most comfortable. It’s hard to say exactly [when he will return], that will be more up to the medical team and the coach.”

With Sesko spending time on the treatment table, Joshua Zirkzee started three games on the spin in the Premier League, prior to the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, and scored in the 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace at the end of November.

However, the Dutchman hasn’t exactly been prolific in front of goal, scoring just once in all competitions this season, and AS Roma have now entered direct negotiations with Man United over a January deal for the centre-forward.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states United are open to offers of around £35m for Zirkzee next month, despite Amorim wanting to retain his services, as he values the former Bologna man’s versatility.

Roma are in pole position in the race for the Netherlands international, but they are not the only club in the race, with Premier League rivals West Ham United, Brighton, Everton and Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

Man Utd should cash-in on Zirkzee next month

Given that the Red Devils signed the striker for £36.5m, it would be fantastic if they were able to command a fee of £35m and recoup nearly all their money, considering the 24-year-old has never really managed to find his feet in the Premier League.

Amorim personally keen: Man Utd preparing £87m bid for top midfield target

United are readying a bid for a “sensational” central midfielder, who is now their priority target.

ByDominic Lund 2 days ago

The £105k-a-week forward has just eight goals to his name in 58 appearances for Man United, with Ronald Koeman also criticising him earlier this year, after choosing not to call him up for the Netherlands, saying: “He wasn’t in the preliminary selection because I don’t think he’s good enough at the moment.

“Especially scanning when turning or passing often goes wrong.”

With Sesko due to return from injury soon, and Matheus Cunha also able to play striker, doing so in the rout of Wolves, Man United should offload Zirkee in the January transfer window, despite it emerging that he wants to stay…

West Ham are braced for an all-important January transfer window that may well define Nuno Espírito Santo’s first season in charge, with David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board poised to back their new manager.

Following back-to-back Premier League wins and the first time they’ve won two straight home games since 2024, things are finally starting to click into gear for Nuno.

The Portuguese tinkered heavily with his first West Ham starting line-ups before finally discovering a winning formula against both Newcastle and Burnley, with Nuno naming an unchanged side for both matches as the east Londoners secured vital victories.

However, West Ham reportedly have no intention of resting on their laurels, and credible reports suggest that Nuno has been told they have a transfer budget to spend in the winter (Sky Sports).

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Niclas Füllkrug’s damning injury record and lacklustre spell at the London Stadium is paving the way for him to leave in January, and it is believed that West Ham are actively targeting a striker to potentially replace the German.

While Callum Wilson has done well in West Ham’s last two games, even getting on the scoresheet against Burnley, Nuno won’t be too comfortable relying on the 33-year-old given his own torrid fitness record.

West Ham also want a new defender, and potentially a midfielder if they can manage it (Sky Sports), but it is worth noting that they won’t have a bottomless pit of cash for January either, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The potential sales of Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse could be crucial when it comes to raising funds, with all three players linked to the West Ham exit door and seemingly not part of Nuno’s long-term plans.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with Hammers News, they could also make the surprise decision to sell another squad member who’s only just arrived.

West Ham now ready to sell summer signing Mads Hermansen

Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen swapped Leicester for the London Stadium in a £20 million deal last summer, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal in August, but the Dane has since lost his place in the starting eleven to Alphonse Areola.

He started West Ham’s first four games of the season, conceding 11 league goals in total, with Areola seizing the number one spot back and West Ham now pondering a shock January call.

According to Bailey, West Ham are ready to cash in on Hermansen if the opportunity arises, but could also send him out on loan to get minutes elsewhere before returning.

If the 25-year-old were to leave permanently already, it would mark one of the shortest stints of any new West Ham player in recent memory, but would it be the right move?

Hermansen’s had just four games to showcase his worth in a turbulent side who seem likely to be battling relegation, and the shot-stopper is still very young in goalkeeping years. His prime is still to come, and goalkeeping coaches like Casper Ankergren have revered the former Leicester star as a serious talent between the sticks.

There has been a major update on the future of Nottingham Forest’s Arnaud Kalimuendo, with three clubs now keen on securing his signature in the January transfer window.

The forward has featured just twice since the arrival of Sean Dyche, being brought on as a late substitute in the 2-0 Premier League defeat at AFC Bournemouth at the end of October, before going to start in the 0-0 draw against Sturm Graz in the Europa League.

It would be fair to say the 23-year-old struggled to make an impact against the Austrian side, however, recording an xG of just 0.16 and touching the ball 22 times, the lowest of any Forest player that started the match.

The summer signing was also uninvolved in the statement 3-0 victory against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, failing to make it off the bench as the Tricky Trees romped home to an easy win, and there has now been a new update on his future at the City Ground…

Update on Arnaud Kalimuendo's future at Nottingham Forest

According to a report from France (via Sport Witness), Kalimuendo’s time at Nottingham Forest is now coming to an ‘abrupt end’, with an ‘abrupt’ exit on the cards, amid interest from the likes of Paris FC, Stuttgart and AS Roma.

The three clubs from across Europe are queuing up for the striker’s signature, with his lack of game time sparking widespread interest from elsewhere, having not yet started a single game in the Premier League so far this season.

The Frenchman may be set to receive even fewer minutes going forward, given that Dyche recently offered a promising update on when a fellow striker could return from injury, saying: “Chris Wood is getting re-scanned, so we are checking up on that. But it is good news so far. Being re-scanned is just part of the process,

“There is nothing untoward about it — it is just a check-up.”

The Forest boss will no doubt be hoping the New Zealand international is able to make a comeback soon, given that Igor Jesus hasn’t exactly set the world alight as of late, having failed to score in his opening 11 Premier League matches this season.

Ultimately, Kalimuendo’s move to the City Ground hasn’t worked out, with Nuno, Ange Postecoglou and now Dyche deciding against giving the centre-forward a run in the side, which suggests he hasn’t been doing enough in training to merit a start.

As such, it may be a wise move to cash-in on the £60k-a-week forward in the January transfer window, in order to reinvest the money into other areas of the squad, with Forest still not out of the woods in the relegation battle, despite moving up to 16th place with the victory over Liverpool.

Sean Dyche personally requests January signing of "fantastic" colossus Sean Dyche now requests Nottingham Forest sign "fantastic" colossus in January

The Forest manager has specifically asked the board to bring in a new defender, who could be his first signing.

ByDominic Lund Nov 20, 2025