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Sabina Park collapse symbolises West Indies’ Test malaise, but what is the way ahead?

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2025

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There’s never a good time to be bowled out for 27. Monday at Sabina Park felt like a particularly bad one for West Indies.At 11 for 6, New Zealand’s 70-year record of 26 all out was under threat. When Scott Boland took his hat-trick, there was a realistic chance they would at least have someone to share it with. There won’t be many people across the Tasman shouting Sam Konstas a beer after his misfield.Less than 24 hours later, Cricket West Indies has called an emergency summit with invites to a host of former greats for help. But there will be skepticism about whether it will make any difference.Related

• West Indies 'hedging our bets' as fear over two-tier WTC grows

• Clive Lloyd: 'We have to examine all aspects of West Indies cricket'

• CWI calls for emergency meeting with legends after 'deeply hurting' loss

• Stats – WI post second-lowest Test total; Starc takes five in 15 balls

As impressive as Mitchell Starc and Boland were, it was a woeful display. They couldn’t even say it happened in the night session. There had been warning signs in the first two Tests when their second innings fell apart rapidly; their last performance of the series was the sum of all fears. Within six balls, there was the sense it could be a horror show.John Campbell can be excused somewhat as he edged a perfect outswinger from Starc. He had shown some gumption in earlier innings. You also need to have some sympathy for debutant Kevlon Anderson padding up to an inswinger and then reviewing, a clear sign of a frazzled mind. Brandon King, who had performed encouragingly, decided a booming drive was the best option despite having seen Starc curving the ball late.King made West Indies’ one half-century of the series – his 75 was also the highest individual score on either side – but no one else, barring Anderson Phillip who played a single match, averaged over 20. Batting was tough, for sure, and Australia weren’t immune from their own problems, but there were numerous techniques exposed. No doubt the game in West Indies needs help, but it also needs to help itself.Since February 2023, when Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul each score hundreds in a 336-run stand against Zimbabwe, West Indies have had two centuries: Kavem Hodge against England and Justin Greaves against Bangladesh. There have been some fallow periods in West Indies’ batting over the last 25 years – they started the 21st century by making totals of 54, 61 and 82 in 2000 – but this might be the lowest point, and not just statistically.This performance also comes at a time when the future structure of Test cricket is at the forefront of debates. Nothing is yet decided, although some plans may be outlined at the ICC’s annual conference in Singapore this week, and while it can be easy to be drawn into sweeping statements after events such as Sabina Park, the problems facing West Indies in the format are as acute as any of the Full Members.They have managed a couple of landmark victories in recent times – defeating Australia at the Gabba and Pakistan in Multan – but they look like outliers. The win in Brisbane persuaded administrators to add a third Test to this series, which became the Sabina Park day-nighter.Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph troubled Australia all series with the ball•AFP/Getty ImagesThat they competed with Australia for the first two days of each Test is worthy of note, but that was largely down to the fast bowlers. Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and latterly Alzarri Joseph performed superbly, supported by Greaves’ brisk medium pace, and made life very uncomfortable for the visitors. They are carrying the team but are being asked to perform miracles.It needs to be questioned whether a factor they are taking advantage of – the pitches – has veered too far one way; although, with something of a grimace, Roston Chase said the Jamaica pitch was the best of all three.It’s all well and good playing to your strengths, the bowlers making the most of a ball zipping around, but when your weakness is so weak it makes everything futile. Since the start of 2023, the West Indies, as a venue for Tests, has the lowest collective batting average where more than a single match has been played. West Indies, themselves, average just 18.39 in that period, by far the lowest for a home side.Clearly, the problems in West Indies run deeper than the 22 yards but after the second Test in Grenada, coach Daren Sammy spoke about the surfaces around the Caribbean and how batters even at domestic level are unable to trust their games. Slightly counter to that, Chase said it was hard to judge players properly as each team had a couple of good bowlers.West Indies have away tours of India and New Zealand next where the batters are likely to be severely challenged again. Their other away series in this WTC cycle is in Bangladesh. Back at home they will face Sri Lanka and Pakistan, teams they may believe they can compete with.After the match had raced to its hasty conclusion and the presentations were completed, Starc delayed his return to the Australian celebrations to chat with uncapped West Indies quick Johann Layne who is highly regarded as part of the next generation. Layne appeared to be lapping up all the tips from one of the game’s greats. It can only be hoped that he has a viable Test team to be part of, and a chance to face Australia in the future.

While their performances last year and at the start of the season suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a talented squad.

The likes of Freddie Potts, Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters are all good to great players who will help move the East Londoners away from a Premier League relegation scrap as the season goes on.

However, one area of the team that the Hammers have consistently failed to address is up top, with neither Niclas Füllkrug nor Callum Wilson good enough to lead the line.

Fortunately, West Ham are now being linked with an inform number nine who could end their striker curse and was even linked to Harry Kane as a youngster.

West Ham target Füllkrug and Wilson upgrade

Before his injury, Füllkrug had made seven appearances for West Ham this season, in which he failed to score or assist a single goal, which makes news of his likely departure in January rather welcome to most fans.

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Wilson, on the other hand, has been able to find the back of the net twice, in fact, but even so, he has hardly blown anyone away in his nine appearances so far this season, and with his injury record being what it is, he cannot be relied upon.

So, with all that in mind, it’s clear that the East Londoners are in desperate need of a new striker once the window opens, and fortunately, that might happen.

According to a recent report from Turkey, West Ham are among several sides interested in man of the moment, Troy Parrott.

Alongside the Hammers, the report claims that Everton, Leeds United and Stuttgart are keen on signing the Irish international from AZ Alkmaar, who want at least €30m for him, which is about £26m.

It could be a tough transfer to get over the line, but with how well Parrott has played in recent years, and how much of an upgrade on Füllkrug and Wilson he’d be, it’s one worth fighting for.

Why Parrott would be massive upgrade on Wilson & Füllkrug

It’s the obvious place to start, but it’s also the most important: Parrott would be a huge upgrade on Wilson and Füllkrug because he’s simply the better goalscorer.

For example, while the two West Ham strikers have just two goals between them this season, the Irishman has already racked up an astounding tally of 13 goals and two assists in 14 appearances, totalling 928 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.07 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.86 minutes.

Such an incredible rate of return makes the claim of one analyst, made over five years ago, that he was “reminiscent of Harry Kane” as a youngster look rather reasonable today.

It’s not just this season that the former Tottenham Hotspur gem has been on fire, though, as he ended last season with an excellent haul of 20 goals and five assists in 47 games.

With that said, the second reason he’d be an excellent upgrade on the Hammers’ ageing forwards is that he’s still just 23 years old, and therefore has plenty left in the tank.

Moreover, while he did have some injury problems early on in his career, he has not missed more than nine games for club and country in any of the last three campaigns.

Finally, as was made quite clear over the last week or so, the Dublin-born game-changer is someone for the big occasions.

For example, he scored both goals in Ireland’s 2-0 win over Portugal, and then followed that up with what is already a legendary hat-trick against Hungary, securing the country’s place in the World Cup play-offs.

Moreover, his third goal was practically the final kick of the game, suggesting he isn’t someone to flap under the most immense of pressure.

Ultimately, while it might be difficult to get ahead of the other interested parties, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign Parrott in January, as he might be the man to end their striker curse.

£67m spent & no Wilson or Fullkrug: Nuno's dream West Ham XI after January

This is the dream West Ham starting line-up that Nuno could build in the January window.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 15, 2025

Starc picked up his career-best T20 figures against SRH. Here are the fast bowler’s top five bowling performances in the IPL

Omkar Mankame31-Mar-20253 for 22 for RCB vs Rajasthan Royals, Ahmedabad, 2015In his second IPL season, Starc spearheaded RCB’s pace attack. He began with a disciplined run-a-ball spell against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and followed it up with a commanding performance against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Ahmedabad. After conceding just 16 runs in his first two overs, Starc turned the game with a double strike in the same over, dismissing Steven Smith and Stuart Binny. He capped it off with another wicket, restricting RR to 130 for 9 after they had been 119 for 5. RCB cruised to a nine-wicket win.Related

• Explosive SRH fizzle out against Starc and Kuldeep

• Starc's 'out of the box' ways prove too good for Head

3 for 24 for RCB vs CSK, Chennai, 2015Starc gave RCB the perfect start with a wicket-maiden, leaving Dwayne Smith clueless before uprooting his off stump on the final ball of the opening over. Though he went for runs in his second over, he bounced back at the death, striking twice in the final over. He carried that momentum into the next game, dismantling Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in Bengaluru with 4 for 15.Mitchell Starc in RCB colours•BCCI4 for 33 for KKR vs Mumbai Indians (MI), Mumbai, 2024Returning to the IPL after nine years, Starc carried the weight of being the most expensive player in auction history. His start, however, was far from ideal – just seven wickets at an economy of 11.78 in his first eight games, with three outings conceding over 50 runs. But against MI, he rediscovered his rhythm. He set the tone by removing Ishan Kishan early and then ran through the lower order with three wickets in the final over, registering his best IPL figures at the time.3 for 34 and 2 for 14 for KKR vs SRH, 2024Starc had endured a mixed season, but in the playoffs, he delivered. In Qualifier 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he set the tone by castling the dangerous Travis Head for a duck with his second ball and later dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy. In the final, he once again struck early, breaching Abhishek Sharma’s defence before sending back Rahul Tripathi. With match-winning spells in both encounters, Starc was named Player of the Match in both games.Mitchell Starc played a crucial role in KKR’s title win in 2024•AFP/Getty Images5 for 25 for DC vs SRH, Visakhapatnam, 2025Starc found a new home in IPL 2025, but his knack for dismantling Sunrisers Hyderabad remained unchanged. He struck twice in the same over, removing Ishan Kishan and Reddy to put SRH on the back foot. DC banked on him to take out Head once again, and Starc delivered, dismissing his fellow Australian to leave SRH reeling at 37 for 4. He returned at the death to wrap up his maiden five-wicket haul in T20s.

Chelsea got back to winning ways against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup on Wednesday night.

It wasn’t the perfect performance from the Blues, far from it, but they were certainly the better team and scored some wonderful goals.

Moreover, had Liam Delap not got himself sent off, Enzo Maresca’s side would likely have had a far easier time of things.

The former Ipswich Town star hasn’t had an easy start to life at Chelsea, and now it looks like he could soon have more competition coming from Cobham.

Liam Delap's Premier League record

Chelsea paid Ipswich Town around £30m for Delap in the summer, and while his stock isn’t exactly high at the moment, that was still a brilliant deal.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

After all, during his time at Manchester City, he was regarded as one of the next big things, scoring 35 goals and providing nine assists in 36 appearances for their Under-23 side.

Moreover, once he got his first move to the Tractor Boys last summer, he quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young forwards in the Premier League.

For example, despite playing for a team destined for relegation, the Winchester-born poacher was still able to rack up an impressive tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2616 minutes.

In other words, the Englishman was able to average a goal involvement every 2.64 games, or every 186.85 minutes for the Suffolk side, which is not bad going considering he’d made just ten appearances in the competition for City in the years before.

However, he has not been so lucky this season.

Prior to his hamstring injury, the summer signing made just three appearances in the competition for the Blues, two of which came off the bench, in which he failed to score or assist a goal.

He won’t even have the chance to open his account this weekend either, as his second yellow against Wolves means he’s suspended for the game against Tottenham Hotspur.

In all, Delap is a player with plenty of promise, but at a club like Chelsea, forwards aren’t always allowed a great deal of time, especially when there is a particularly exciting forward making his way through the academy at the moment.

The Cobham star who could replace Delap

As is the case every season, Chelsea have an abundance of incredibly exciting players at Cobham this season, with Chizaram Ezenwata being one of the most notable.

The 17-year-old phenom, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango claims fans should “get excited for”, joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic and has already become one of the star players for the club’s U18 side.

For example, in 20 appearances last season, totalling just 1279 minutes, the dynamic gem managed to score 12 goals and provide three assists, which works out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.33 games, or every 91.93 minutes.

Impressively, the youngster has become even more of an attacking threat this season.

In just six appearances for the U18s, totalling 534 minutes, he has scored seven goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of 1.33 goal involvements per game, or one every 66.75 minutes.

In fact, the teenage goal machine has done such an incredible job in the U18s, that he has now made six appearances for the U21s.

It’s not just the output that should excite fans, though, as he looks to be a complete package.

According to one analyst, he “has a strong physique that allows him to shield and hold up the ball effectively”, and his “off-ball movement is outstanding.”

Ultimately, it is still very early in his career, but Ezenwata appears to be a seriously impressive prospect and someone who could rival Delap for gametime in the coming years.

Enzo Maresca responds to Juventus approach as Chelsea demand mammoth compensation fee

The Old Lady are searching for a new boss after sacking Igor Tudor.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 30, 2025

This Sunday’s Women’s Super League clash between Brighton and London City Lionesses should have produced an enticing showdown between two of England’s most exciting young strikers, with Euro 2025 hero Michelle Agyemang in the Seagulls’ corner and rising star Isobel Goodwin representing the newly-promoted big spenders.

Agyemang’s profile has blown up in 2025, a process which began back in April when, as a teenage prospect who was relatively unknown to the general audience, she scored a wonderful goal just 41 seconds into her Lionesses debut. That rise only continued through the summer, as the Arsenal academy product took centre stage on several occasions at Euro 2025 to help England complete escape act after escape act, on their way to a second successive continental crown.

Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing the talented teen perform heroics like that again for a while. After being stretchered off in England's win over Australia in October, Agyemang was dealt the devastating diagnosis of an ACL injury, ending her 2025-26 season before it really got going.

On Sunday, then, when it comes to exciting prospects for the Lionesses, attention will be centred on Goodwin, a player only out-scored by Alessia Russo and Aggie Beever-Jones among English centre-forwards in the WSL this season, and a player who Sarina Wiegman could turn to in order to bolster her options in that position in the New Year amid Agyemang’s absence.

Getty ImagesCompetition aplenty

It says a lot about Goodwin that despite London City’s spending after promotion to the WSL this year, she has been one of their stand-out performers. Backed by the billions of Michele Kang, the club from the capital broke the women’s transfer record when they signed Grace Geyoro on deadline day, while the addition of Barcelona youth product Lucia Corrales also cost a fee that ranks among the top 10 in the sport’s history.

They were just two of the 17 signings London City made in the summer, with England international Nikita Parris another notable one when it comes to Goodwin. Could her arrival, or that of experienced Finland forward Sanni Franssi, put the 22-year-old's spot in the team under threat?

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRising to the challenge

It's to her immense credit, then, that Goodwin has started all nine of the club's WSL games so far this season. Make no mistake, she came into the campaign with plenty of hype and status of her own. After all, it was only in September of last year that London City paid a fee that could rise up to £150,000 ($200,000) – a record for Women's Super League 2, the English second tier – to sign Goodwin from Sheffield United. But she has worked incredibly hard to earn, and maintain, the reputation that led to such a switch.

It's not been easy at times, either. Goodwin has dealt with some frustrating injuries in her short career to date, starting back when she was at Aston Villa. Aged 19, despite those setbacks, she signed her first professional deal with the club whose youth set-up she had come through, but wouldn't get the first-team opportunities she was after. As such, in January 2023, Goodwin made the brave decision to mutually terminate her contract and join Coventry United, the club rooted to the bottom of the second tier.

Unsurprisingly, Coventry would be relegated at the end of the season, but Goodwin wouldn't leave the division. After scoring four goals in 10 outings for a team that managed just seven points from 22 games, Sheffield United were happy to pick up the towering striker, who delivered 15 goals in 19 league games in her one and only season in South Yorkshire. 

It was then that London City came in with a record-breaking fee for the young forward and she more than justified it, netting 16 times in 18 outings the following year to help fire the Lionesses to the second-tier title and, with it, promotion.

Getty ImagesMaking the leap

This season, then, perfectly fits in with Goodwin's track record of rising to the next challenge. Over the last two-and-a-half years, the difficulty has increased bit by bit for the 22-year-old, with her always seeming to take the right-sized step forward in order to learn, develop and improve.

Despite coming into this campaign with essentially no WSL experience, having made only three late substitute appearances in the top-flight while at Villa, she has adapted impressively to lead the London City line in one of the best leagues in the world. "It's a pretty big jump but it's an exciting one," Goodwin said last week. "Any little mistake you make, you're going to be challenged for it."

"The question we asked her at the end of last year is, 'Okay, you've had a really good year in [WSL 2]. What does it look like at the next level?'" Emma Coates, Goodwin's coach for England's Under-23s until her departure from the Football Association this week, recalled. "There's more decisions [to make], you're playing against more experienced players and maybe she can't rely on her physical profile as much, which I thought she could do in the [second tier]. The challenge that she's rising to is contributing to her development as a player."

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Getty ImagesAdjusting and improving

That's not to say Goodwin has arrived in the WSL as one of the best strikers in the division. She's still only 22, she's playing against a quality of opponent greater than she's ever faced and there are games where, because London City are still adjusting to the league as a group, she isn't getting much service or as many touches on the ball as she'd like. For example, with only 249 touches in the WSL this season, Goodwin is averaging fewer than 28 per 90 minutes, the fourth-fewest in the entire division.

Despite that, the 22-year-old has still made a serious impression. Her two-goal display at Everton in September, to secure a 2-1 win for her team, has been the highlight so far, with her goal-scoring display at former club Villa and her all-round excellent centre-forward performance at home to West Ham other stand-outs.

"For me, Isobel is a perfect example of what I explained at the beginning of the season," Jocelyn Precheur, the London City boss, said after the win over Everton. "We know the biggest challenge for us will be to adapt to the intensity and rhythm of this league. We have the capacity to do it and the players are talented enough to adapt to this league. It’s just a matter of time."

Goodwin has shown her qualities with England as well. After scoring on her first start for the U23s back in February, she has four goals in her last seven games for the Young Lionesses, with her unlucky not to have a greater total having also hit the woodwork a few times in that period.

Penny for Alexander Isak’s thoughts? Liverpool’s record-breaking striker has been down by the wayside right since the summer, and the fans are desperate to see him recover his form and showcase that world-class quality.

Isak left Newcastle United for Anfield at the end of the summer transfer window, on strike throughout August following a breakdown in relations on Tyneside. It’s been a struggle ever since, with the lack of a pre-season and injury issues in recent months limiting him to just four Premier League starts so far.

This is all symptomatic of the deeper malaise at Arne Slot’s Liverpool. Slot’s Liverpool, last season’s dominant league champions, have been pants this year, with nine losses in their past 12 matches in all competitions.

Not good enough. Isak’s only goal came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, a competition the Merseysiders have since been dumped out of.

He will surely come good, but FSG will be anxiously waiting for proof that they have got bang for their buck. At the moment, Isak is offering less than Darwin Nunez before him.

Why Liverpool sold Darwin Nunez

Slot’s brand of football is built on structure and. Both he and Jurgen Klopp subscribe to attacking play, but where the German enjoys heavy metal, Slot is more of a purveyor of smooth jazz.

That was last season, though, with the Reds having left so much to desire this season. Liverpool are so tactically imbalanced, lacking the control of last season.

It’s for this reason that Nunez was sold. Wasteful in front of goal, yes, the Uruguayan was also erratic and mercurial, and given that Slot only started him once in the Premier League after Boxing Day, it’s clear he did not view him as the answer.

So, it would not be that bold to assume that selling Nunez to Al-Hilal and replacing him with a clinical superstar like Isak was done with a view toward giving Liverpool more accuracy and presence in the final third.

It’s worth stressing that Isak is anticipated to be a success at Anfield. He is too good – and proven in the Premier League – not to click into gear.

But, as journalist David Lynch put it earlier in November, Isak is “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did” at the same stage last season, and that will certainly need to change going forward.

There is still full anticipation that the Sweden international will be a success story at the club, though, but the same can’t be said for another of Liverpool’s summer recruits, who has so much to prove after a wretched start to the season.

Liverpool's new version of Nunez

In fairness, Nunez scored on his Liverpool debut against Manchester City in the Community Shield. He posted a goal and an assist off the bench on his Premier League debut, a draw at Fulham.

But, ultimately, the 26-year-old’s erraticness and his inability to conform to Klopp and then Slot’s tactical systems led to his sale.

Now, Liverpool may have landed their new version of the South American, and not in Isak, but Milos Kerkez, who completed a £40m move from Bournemouth to the Anfield club this summer.

Kerkez, 22, was named as a part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for 2024/25, exceptional on the south coast. That fine form is a world away from what Liverpool fans have witnessed over the past three months, with journalist Jean Paul Schiberras claiming he “looks like he has never played football before” in Slot’s set-up.

Following the defeat to PSV, content creator Mark Goldbridge remarked that Kerkez has been “such a bad signing” for Slot’s team. It was a collective shambles on Wednesday evening, but the Hungary international was culpable for lackadaisical defending as the visitors surged forward and took the lead in the second half.

It is incomprehensible to think that Kerkez simply doesn’t have what it takes to play for Liverpool. Last season, he was arguably the best left-back in the league, such a ferocious mix of power and athleticism and energy.

But he is lacking, as it were, street smarts. Kerkez has the skills to succeed at a club like Liverpool, but too often he has suffered from poor decision-making, lacking the awareness and positioning to read danger and ensure he is one, two, three steps ahead.

This is why he is an endangered member of this squad. This is why he faces the potential of leaving with a reputation akin to Nunez, brimming with quality but arriving as a young and uncut gem, ultimately failing to bring it all together.

Is he a liability in this team? Perhaps so. It is useful to use Andy Robertson as a yardstick for the conundrum: last season, the Scotsman was clearly on the decline; a left-back was clearly a priority for FSG to sort out. But there are many calls now for the vice-captain to restore a nailed-down starting berth.

Slot has started using the 31-year-old more frequently, yes, but he has only started two of 12 Premier League fixtures this season, one of which includes the comprehensive 2-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this month.

Described as a “nervous wreck” by pundit Jamie Carragher, it’s clear that Kerkez is feeling the weight of moving to one of the world’s largest outfits. It doesn’t help that Slot’s tactics have proved so dysfunctional this term.

But left-back was a glaring weakness at Liverpool last year, and with Kostas Tsimikas out on loan and Robertson winding down, things have only gotten worse for the champions.

In this, Kerkez is becoming a major problem, a liability as concerning as Nunez was.

Gakpo upgrade: Liverpool could see bid accepted to sign £80m "superstar"

Liverpool are planning to enter the market for a new left-sided forward.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 27, 2025

The allrounder is now a T20 freelancer and struck a deal with the selectors to miss the West Indies and South Africa series

Matt Roller14-Aug-2025It is mid-afternoon on a hot summer’s day in London, and Marcus Stoinis is sitting on the members’ benches in the lower tier of the Lord’s Pavilion. He has spent the last two hours training on the Nursery Ground and, yet to look at his phone, he is anxious to learn the result of Australia’s T20I against South Africa, more than 8,000 miles away in Darwin.”Has it finished?” Stoinis asks. It has: Australia have lost by 53 runs, their first defeat in 10 matches. “I was watching it on the bus, but we just had training so I missed most of our batting innings,” he explains. It is an unusual scenario for him, albeit one that he is growing used to: a regular in Australia’s T20 team since 2018, he has now missed two series in a row.The curious aspect is that Stoinis has not retired from T20Is, nor has he been dropped. His non-involvement owes to conversations he instigated with Andrew McDonald and George Bailey – Australia’s coach and chief selector – earlier this year, and he still hopes to be selected for upcoming series against New Zealand and India with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup.Related

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Stoinis has been a freelancer – without a national or state contract – for the past year, and remains in high demand in leagues around the world. It is a lifestyle that suits him, and deals like his £200,000 direct signing with Trent Rockets are hard to turn down. “There’s no better place to play,” he says, ahead of Thursday’s fixture against London Spirit at Lord’s.”The nature of it is that you can’t select yourself in an Australian jersey, but you can sign a contract to come and play in the Hundred,” Stoinis explains. “When this opportunity came up, I spoke to Cricket Australia, I spoke to Ron [McDonald] and we made a plan around that, really… When you’re planning it in advance, that makes it easier.”He has retired from ODIs but remains available for T20 selection, and Bailey confirmed last week that he will be “firmly in the mix” for next year’s World Cup. “We are very lucky,” Stoinis says. “We do it very well in Australia. The relationships that I’ve got with both Ron and Bails means you just have those conversations pretty openly.”His absence has created opportunities for 23-year-old allrounder Mitchell Owen in the middle order, who impressed in the Caribbean last month. “Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I want him to do well,” Stoinis, who turns 36 on Saturday, says. “We were just with each other during the IPL [at Punjab Kings] and it’s been good for him to play different roles.Marcus Stoinis’ most recent appearance for Australia came last November•AFP”I’m also fully aware that myself and Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] – and, more recently, Timmy David – have been holding that spot through the middle of Australian cricket for a long time. It’s very hard for other, young people to come through and have a crack at that… You need to bring through the next generation as well. It’s no-one’s spot.”He has found it “weird” watching his team-mates from afar but seems at peace with the decisions that he has made. “You share a few messages after the games and have a laugh… They say playing for your country should be the best time of your life, and for me it has been. But I don’t feel like it’s done yet.”Life as a freelancer has meant the best part of five months on the road for Stoinis. He spent from mid-March to early June in India for the IPL – contracting Covid-19 during a short trip home when the league was suspended – then flew back to Australia to get his visa sorted for Major League Cricket. He had two weeks off after that, then was back to the UK for the Hundred.He occasionally employs a personal chef in India and, along with Tim David, trains with Jim Allenby – the former Glamorgan allrounder, now a coach – when he is back in Perth. But he generally looks after himself and relies on the staff at his various teams, rather than travelling the world with an entourage in tow as a tennis player or a golfer would.Marcus Stoinis shakes hands with Harry Brook•Andy Kearns/Getty ImagesIt is a happy coincidence, then, that his Melbourne Stars coach Peter Moores is involved in the Rockets’ backroom staff, and he has also worked with Andy Flower before at Lucknow Super Giants. Graeme Swann has been arranging the team’s golf days, and they are a happy bunch after starting the season with wins over Birmingham Phoenix and Northern Superchargers.Stoinis played in the Hundred three years ago with Southern Brave, and says that he has wanted to return ever since. He will have family at Lord’s on Thursday night, and his girlfriend Sarah arrives next week: “Whenever an Aussie plays in England, the family sees it as a good opportunity to make the trip over. It’s somewhere where everyone wants to be.”He has noted the presence of new team owners in the Hundred, and expects Cricket Australia will follow suit with the BBL. Players have an obvious vested interest in private investment and Stoinis is unsurprisingly supportive, arguing that it is the obvious direction of travel – even if he still sees the chance to play in next year’s T20 World Cup as his main personal ambition.”Thinking about the IPL owners and what they’ve done with the IPL, you want people that have got a track record of building something that’s very good. If they do that, it’s great for them, but it’s also great for English cricket or for Australian cricket… It’s a pretty clear path to me, as to where most of cricket’s going.”

It has not been the start to the season that Leeds United might have hoped for. Daniel Farke’s side picked up some points early on, but they have soon been sucked into a relegation battle.

The Whites have won just one of their last five games.

Despite the poor form, the Leeds head coach has seemingly settled on his first-choice midfield. Sean Longstaff has been one of their key creative components and is currently creating an average of 2.3 chances per 90 minutes. Summer signing Anton Stach has featured in all ten Premier League games, too.

However, it is Ethan Ampadu who has arguably been the key man in midfield

What makes Ampadu so important for Leeds

Since moving to Elland Road back in 2023, Wales international Ampadu has become a key player for Leeds. There is certainly a strong argument to suggest that he is Farke’s most trusted player in their squad.

Indeed, the Chelsea academy star has played eight times in the Premier League this season, missing two games at the beginning of the campaign due to injury. Of those eight appearances, he’s played 90 minutes six times.

The 25-year-old has operated at the base of the midfield this season, forming that trio with Stach and Longstaff. However, part of what makes him so crucial for the Whites is his versatility.

Ampadu can also play at centre-back, offering excellent flexibility to Farke should he wish to change shape during a game.

It is not just versatility that makes Ampadu so important to this Leeds side, but also his leadership, which has previously been described as “impressive” by the manager.

As club captain, Ampadu guided Leeds to promotion last season and has skippered them in all eight top-flight games he’s played in 2025/26.

Interestingly, Leeds might have their homegrown version of Ampadu shining in the academy.

Leeds could have a homegrown Ampadu

Not only is Ampadu an exceptional footballer, but the versatility he possesses and the leadership qualities he brings to the squad make him a huge part of the Leeds project under Farke.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Well, it is exciting that the Whites could be replicating that, in the form of Alfie Cresswell. The 18-year-old has shone for the academy side at Elland Road this season and is certainly showing similarities to Ampadu.

One of those is the versatility he offers to the Leeds under-23s. This term, Cresswell has operated as a number six more often than not. He’s impressed in that role, too, scoring four times in nine appearances.

However, like the Leeds first-team skipper, Cresswell can operate in defence, too.

In fact, that is a role he’s played more often than not for Leeds’ academy sides, 26 of his appearances coming from centre-back.

Centre-back

26

3

Defensive midfield

22

7

Right-back

6

1

Central midfield

2

0

Right midfield

1

0

It is already easy to see the comparison between Ampadu and Cresswell. Having that level of versatility certainly increases his chances of a first-team opportunity, because Farke can rely on him in different positions. In fact, the youngster has already trained with the senior side at Leeds.

The similarities between Ampadu and Cresswell, whose brother Charlie and dad Richard have played for the club, do not stop there. The 18-year-old has also captained Leeds’ academy side, doing so six times this term.

His leadership is something that has stood out to arguably the most important person, Farke. The Leeds manager has complimented Cresswell for having “brilliant character,” which is certainly something you need to become a successful skipper, while suggesting he could be an example of saving the club from having to dip into the market.

It really does feel like the Whites are brewing the heir to Amapadu’s thrown in the academy. His profile is identical to Leeds’ number four, being a versatile defender who has played as a number six this term and captained the side.

It will be fascinating to see how Cresswell’s career develops from here, and if there are going to be any first-team opportunities in a matchday squad this season.

Farke can unearth his next Okafor by unleashing "explosive" Leeds star

Leeds United may have their next version of Noah Okafor in this rarely-seen star.

ByDan Emery Nov 7, 2025

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been warned that he has missed out on a 'chance of a lifetime' by a Premier League legend after his failed Manchester United transfer. Martinez was closely linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer window but the club eventually signed young Belgian custodian Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp instead, leaving the Argentina international to continue at Villa.

Martinez failed to secure Old Trafford move

After even bidding an emotional goodbye to Villa's fans, Martinez failed to secure an Old Trafford switch as the Red Devils opted to sign Lammens on deadline day instead. Many believed that the World Cup-winning goalkeeper would be a perfect fit at United as the club were desperately looking to replace out-of-form Andre Onana.

During the window, it was even claimed that a loan move for Jadon Sancho, taking him to Villa Park, would clear the way for Martinez to head north from the West Midlands, but Amorim eventually settled for £18 million-rated ($24m) Lammens.

AdvertisementMartinez told he missed out on 'chance of a lifetime'

Former Newcastle United, Manchester City and Aston Villa stopper Shay Given has delivered his verdict on Martinez' failed transfer to United as he told : "It felt very close in the window just gone past, with him not playing. I think Villa played in a live game on deadline day, and he wasn’t in the squad. Everyone thought he was off, maybe to Manchester United, but that didn't happen. Then he came back as number one again to Villa. He’s playing again, he’s their top man. I don’t know if the ship has sailed for a move next summer. Manchester United? Probably, not that Senne Lammens has arrived and done really well. Maybe it was a chance in a lifetime for Emi, and it’s been missed now. 

"Unless Emi Martinez is thinking of heading to another country. But he's had a phenomenal time, hasn't he, for club and country. He won the World Cup, I mean, that's just incredible. That save at the end of the World Cup final and they go up the other end, that's stuff of dreams, isn't it? He's an absolute hero in Argentina, and he's got a real personality. Maybe with his age, teams will be looking at younger options instead from next year, but he's still a brilliant goalkeeper, in my opinion."

Man Utd urged to rekindle transfer interest

Former United chief scout Mick Brown has urged his ex-employers to reignite their interest in the experienced Argentine goalkeeper, as he told . "They wanted him, he wanted the move, but at the end of the day they couldn’t come to an agreement with Villa so the deal collapsed. They’ve gone and got Lammens now, but Amorim has been saying he still wants a goalkeeper, so the recruitment team will be looking at their options. 

"I have no doubt Martinez is still one of those, because he’s a top-class goalkeeper and one who would immediately solve the issues they’ve had recently. He’s strong, imposing, a top shot-stopper and a character in the dressing room which it feels like they’re sorely lacking at Man United at the moment. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them go back in for him, especially with the manager still demanding a goalkeeper, whether that’s in January or next summer."

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Getty Images SportHow is it going for Lammens?

Since his move to England, Lammens has appeared in five Premier League games thus far, during which he has conceded seven times. He played an important role in Amorim's side winning three back-to-back matches in October against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton and has also been compared to legendary Red Devils goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

Lammens, though, has rejected any such comparisons as he told BBC Sport: "I don't listen to it too much during the game but I saw it afterwards. I'm not Schmeichel in disguise. I am just Senne Lammens trying to help the team. It is an amazing compliment to get but you have to be realistic. He is one of the best goalkeepers ever. I have to prove a lot more to be in the same conversation as him."

Australia’s stand-in captain said that a pink-ball Test is ‘just a completely different game’

Matt Roller30-Nov-2025Steven Smith looks set to emulate former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul by wearing ‘eye blacks’ on his cheeks during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. He trialled the anti-glare strips while batting in the nets during Australia’s floodlit training session on Sunday evening ahead of Thursday’s day-night, pink-ball fixture in Brisbane.Smith has played 13 of Australia’s 14 previous pink-ball Tests but has not taken to the format in the same way as red-ball cricket: he has only scored one hundred in 24 innings in day-night Tests, averaging 37.04. His record in daytime Tests is far superior, with 35 centuries in 190 innings and an average of 58.31.”The pink ball in general is just a completely different game,” Smith had said during Australia’s most recent day-night Test match, a 176-run win over West Indies in Jamaica in July. “Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that, and the way it behaves is completely different to a red one.”I think people like the spectacle. But as a player, particularly as a batter, it’s very challenging. The game can so quickly, and things change really quickly, which you probably don’t get so much with a red ball. But yeah, people like watching it, I suppose, so I guess it’s here to stay.”Related

• 'I'll be wearing them' – Smith commits to anti-glare tape in day-night Test

• Ten years since Adelaide, pink-ball Tests remain an Australian speciality

• Bashir, Jacks in frame as England mull taking the pink for a spin

• Root questions need for pink-ball Ashes Test

• Head 'happy' to keep opening amid Khawaja debate

The ‘eye blacks’ – small, black, adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone – that Smith wore in training are commonplace in several American sports, and are designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.Chanderpaul is the most prominent cricketer to have used them previously. “I always used it whenever it was very glary,” he told in a 2018 interview. “I stick them on and it does help take 60-70 percent of the glare off my eyes, and that was good for me.”Alastair Cook, who played three day-night Tests for England, has identified focusing on the pink ball’s black seam as the biggest challenge for batters due to glare. “When the floodlights shine off the pink leather, it distracts from focusing on the black seam – and if you can’t see the seam as a batsman, you’re in big trouble,” Cook wrote in his column.”Whatever type of cricket you are playing, the seam is your clue as to how the ball will behave… At least you have a chance with a red ball. If it’s a pink one under lights, it’s nigh-on impossible to pick up the seam and, therefore, decide with confidence which way the ball might move.”Smith’s innovation came on the same day that Joe Root questioned whether the Ashes should feature a pink-ball Test, comments which Travis Head dismissed.Australia lead the five-Test series 1-0 after beating England inside two days in Perth.