And is 87 really Australia’s unlucky number?

Steven Lynch25-Mar-2025Pakistan overhauled New Zealand’s total in just 16 overs the other day. Was this the fastest chase of a target of 200-plus in a T20 international? asked Raza Shah from Pakistan
Pakistan scooted to 207 for 1 in just 16 overs to beat New Zealand (204) in Auckland last week. That’s a rate of 12.93 per over: only two targets in excess of 200 have been chased down faster in T20Is.In Centurion in 2023 , South Africa (259 for 4) went at 13.75 an over in beating West Indies. And in Auckland in 2018, Australia scored at 13 an over in overhauling New Zealand’s total of 243.I was joking with my dad about Australia’s “devil’s number” being 87, and he said actually it’s 111 as they have often been bowled out for that in Tests! Is he right? asked Jamie Campbell from Australia
Your dad has a point: Australia have been bowled out for 111 on seven occasions in Tests, and (not surprisingly perhaps) have lost each time. That includes one of the most famous of all Tests, at Headingley in July 1981 when England won after following on, and successive matches in the 1954-55 Ashes, when England prevailed in the third Test in Melbourne and the fourth in Adelaide.The most recent occasion was in Sydney in 1994, when – chasing 118 to defeat South Africa – Australia were bowled out for 111 to lose by runs, with Fanie de Villiers taking 6 for 43.It works individually too (just): Australian batters have been dismissed for 87 on 15 occasions in men’s Tests (it happened twice to Clem Hill), while there have been 16 instances of Aussies being out for 111.What first-class record was set by Agni Chopra in 2023? asked Vivek Mohandas from India
I have to admit that I missed this at the time, but late in 2023 Agni Chopra of Mizoram became the first man to score centuries in each of his first four first-class matches. Chopra, who was born in the United States in 1998, hit 166 (and 92) on his debut against Sikkim in Nadiad, and then added 164 against Nagaland, 114 vs Arunachal Pradesh, and 105 and 101 against Meghalaya in Anand, all in the Plate section of the Ranji Trophy. Chopra has continued his good form in 2024-25: successive innings of 110 and 238 not out against Arunachal Pradesh in Ahmedabad and 218 vs Manipur in Nadiad mean he currently has a first-class batting average of 94.94, scored at an impressive strike rate of 95.Three men had previously made centuries in their first three first-class matches: Owen Rock of New South Wales in the mid-1920s, the future West Indies Test batter Joe Solomon in the 1950s, and Afghanistan’s Darwish Rasooli in 2017-18.Molly Hide, who captained England women in 11 Tests, was born in Shanghai in 1911•Bert Hardy/Getty ImagesWho’s the only Test player who was born in China? asked Marion Johnson from England
My first thought was that it was Nat Sciver-Brunt, but actually she was born in Japan, while her mother was working in an embassy there. But the answer is another woman player, of an earlier vintage: Molly Hide, was born in Shanghai in China in 1911. She played 15 times for England in all, including the inaugural women’s Test against Australia in Brisbane in December 1934. The higher of her two centuries was an undefeated 124 – after 63 in the first innings – against Australia in Sydney in February 1949, by which time Hide was England’s captain. No male Test cricketers have been born in China (or Japan).I live in Queensland, and Australia are going to play South Africa near me in Mackay in August. Will these be the first proper internationals played there? asked Klynton Marshall from Australia
I’m not sure the venues have been officially announced yet, but it seems likely that South Africa’s white-ball games in Australia in August will be shared between Darwin in the Northern Territory and Cairns – and Mackay, a little further down the Queensland coast, which will host two one-day internationals. The Great Barrier Reef Arena in the town (formerly known as Harrup Park, and Ray Mitchell Oval), has had a very brief taste of men’s international cricket before: it staged one match during the 1992 World Cup, between India and Sri Lanka, which was rained off after just two balls (Kris Srikkanth scored the only run).The Mackay ground has also hosted three women’s ODIs, against India in September 2021 (Beth Mooney hit 125 not out in the second match>) and two T20Is, against New Zealand’s women in September 2024.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

They used to rule Galle Tests. This one, against Bangladesh, is going against them

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jun-2025If you watched Sri Lanka play Tests in Galle through the 2010s, you can probably close your eyes and still see him. Rangana Herath, waddling to the crease pre-ball; Rangana Herath pivoting in his follow-through post-ball; Rangana Herath settling into one of his gentle celebrations post post-ball, the ball itself having taken sharp turn and collected an outside edge, or skimmed straight and clattered into the stumps.This Galle surface is better for batting than most Herath had bowled on. Which is partly why, six years after his retirement, the spinners trying to emulate his epic acts of second-innings match-winning here are struggling. Four days into this Test, Sri Lanka’s four spinners (two single-arm, two dual-arm) have bowled 140.2 overs between them and taken five wickets at a collective average of 97. Seamer Asitha Fernando, meanwhile, has a match haul of 4 for 117 so far. Seam-bowling allrounder Milan Rathnayake has 4 for 52. As Sri Lanka hunted desperately for wickets late on day four, Asitha seemed by a distance the greatest threat.There are two immediate problems here. Although this is a Galle deck that favours the batters most, it’s still a surface that favours spinners more than it does quicks. Seven of Sri Lanka’s first-innings wickets, for example, fell to Bangladesh spin. Even in previous high-scoring Tests at this venue, (as one example this) spinners have routinely been the greater threat.Related

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The second problem is that it should not take six years for an obvious successor to Herath to appear. We are talking about spin. For the majority of first-class seasons since 2010, only spinners appeared in the top five wicket-takers in any year. The emergence of the new National Super League has led to a healthier domestic ecosystem, which has shaped careers such as those of Milan, and Kamindu Mendis. But if Sri Lanka should have a smooth production line in any discipline, it should be in this one. Not only has Lankan spin bowling given Tests the most prolific right-arm (Muthiah Muralidaran) and left-arm (Herath) bowlers in history, Lankan spinners have also sparked little revolutions. Without Ajantha Mendis, would there ever have been a Mujeeb Ur Rahman, or Varun Chakravarthy?Beyond which – and only Sri Lanka fans can read this next section, the rest can skip ahead to the next paragraph – Sri Lanka do not have a track record of producing many other types of match-winning bowlers. Many of us are not especially tall. The tall ones tend to be skinny – through no fault of their own, this country only now coming out of our latest malnutrition crisis. And if you bowl at serious pace in Sri Lanka, there seems to be a rule that you have to be injured for many more Tests than you are available for. Lahiru Kumara is unavailable for this one, for instance. This country really, truly needs its wicket-taking Test-match spinners, whose strength is skill, rather than, you know, strength. Perhaps these should have been part of the demands in those 2022 protests.And if you look at Sri Lankan spin even in the last 15 years, Herath may perhaps be the outlier. Dilruwan Perera was effective at times alongside Herath, but averaged almost 36 by the end. Sri Lanka tried to blood other Test-match spinners – Tharindu Kaushal, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Ramesh Mendis, even Wanindu Hasaranga. For various reasons, these bowlers did not work out. Usually it had to do with them not finding wickets consistently enough, even on tracks that suited them. Malinda Pushpakumara has 980 first-class wickets, but did not impress in Tests.Schoolkids watch the cricket from the grass banks•AFP/Getty ImagesPrabath Jayasuriya is the latest potential spin-bowling matchwinner for Sri Lanka in Tests. Although he had had an excellent 2022, he has not been quite so hot since. He was the second-equal-fastest bowler – in terms of matches played – to get to 100 Test wickets. But against Australia earlier this year, he bowled 104 overs and averaged 40.44, having conceded runs at 3.50 an over. In this match, he was 0 for 154 in the first innings, and is currently 1 for 48 in the second.Right now, this track has dust exploding at almost every impact and on day five has every chance of turning into a spin fest. But where Sri Lanka used to have match-winning spinners who moved first and moved emphatically on surfaces offering them even a little bit of turn, their latest generations of spinners have tended to need rank dustbowls on which to impose themselves.The World Test Championship, for all its flaws, has put a premium on result Tests. Getting a draw out of a home Test match feels like more of a failure than it ever has before. For Sri Lanka to avoid that fate, or an even more humiliating defeat, they have to take wickets early on day five. On this pitch, it is the spinners who should be leading that charge.Sri Lanka have made gains in the batting and seam-bowling departments in the last two WTC cycles, but the same cannot be said of their spin. For years, since Herath, Lankan Test spin has just been lukewarm. If they are to make progress in the next cycle, they need it to be hot.

The wicketkeeper-batter has pulled his side out of many a hole in all three formats with his big-hitting prowess

Mohammad Isam14-Jun-2025Bangladesh men’s cricket has been on a downward trajectory, having won just two matches in the first six months of 2025. They travel next to Sri Lanka, for a multi-format series with question marks over their batters. Najmul Hossain Shanto is no longer first choice in T20Is, Litton DasBangladesh finally see the power of hitting sixes

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: New beginnings for both teams as WTC restarts in Galle

Jaker, Taijul and Rana script Bangladesh's first win in West Indies since 2009

Bangladesh's Jamaica win: No Big Five, but unlikely heroes do the job

Jaker Ali, bowlers combine to give Bangladesh 3-0 sweep over West Indies

He has become such an integral part of Bangladesh’s batting line-up in T20Is that there was outrage when he wasn’t promoted up the order in their last game, against Pakistan. Bangladesh lost that series 3-0, just after they had been beaten by UAE, also in a T20I series. But Jaker says that the team isn’t disheartened by the defeats.”I think we could have won four out of the six T20Is,” Jaker says. “We missed opportunities. We have a lot of cricket coming up, so there’s no need to be upset. There will be ups and downs. We have to focus on working hard and bring good results. Losing is disappointing but it doesn’t necessarily mean we are a bad team.”

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Jaker’s emergence in the Bangladesh set-up came through an unusual route. He was been a steady, if unflashy, performer in domestic cricket, with two fifties and a hundred for Bangladesh A since 2019. He didn’t make an impact in his first three BPL seasons, but then the trajectory of his cricket career changed.Jaker on Bangladesh’s need for a finisher: “I think we have had this weakness [power-hitting] for a long time. I took on the challenge to get over this barrier”•ICC/Getty ImagesHe joined a pre-BPL camp at the Masco Cricket Academy on the outskirts of Dhaka near the end of 2022. It was conducted by Comilla Victorians head coach Mohammad Salahuddin, who is now Bangladesh’s assistant coach. There, Jaker worked on his power-hitting for four weeks, developing the mindset needed through training and preparation.”Salahuddin sir made me do some specific work,” he says. “Training doesn’t go into the record books. I worked very hard on my power-hitting. It was a lot of repetition of drills. I still do those drills. Repeating the same work has turned it into a habit for me.”It produced results. From his aggregate of seven sixes in 14 innings over three seasons in the BPL, Jaker struck 11 sixes in 11 innings in the 2023 tournament, before raising that number to 14 sixes in ten innings the following season. He also upped his strike rate significantly, to 141.13 in 2024, working on an aspect he thinks Bangladesh have been deficient in. “I think we have had this weakness [power-hitting] for a long time. I took on the challenge to get over this barrier,” he says.”So far it is going well, Alhamdulillah, but there’s still room for improvement. Whether it is power-hitting or leaving a ball, you have to keep repeating it, to the point it becomes a habit. The more I do power-hitting, [the more] it improves my bat swing. High-intensity practice always leads to confidence.”I broke into the T20I side after showing that I can accelerate in the [2023] BPL. I always knew that I had to perform significantly to get into the team. I focus on hitting as many sixes as possible in T20s. I bat lower down the order, so a six usually brings ten runs in the over for my team. I try to take myself to a better position every day.”At last year’s BPL, Comilla coach Salahuddin was unhappy the national selectors had not picked Jaker as a regular in Bangladesh’s T20I side, despite his strong number. “I think he is one of the best [in the middle order],” Salahuddin said. “He is saving us [Comilla Victorians] almost in every game. He bats sensibly. He can play his shots all around the wicket. He is good against pace and spin.”Five months after an unremarkable debut in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Jaker brought up his maiden T20I fifty in his first game against Sri Lanka in 2024•Bangladesh Cricket BoardA couple of weeks after the 2024 BPL wrapped up, the selectors called Jaker up to the national side, and he didn’t disappoint. He struck six sixes in the first T20I against Sri Lanka, his 68 coming at a strike rate of 200. It was his home debut.

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Jaker’s breakthrough tour was in the West Indies late last year. Injuries to the captain, Najmul, Mushfiqur and Towhid Hridoy had depleted Bangladesh’s batting stocks. Afghanistan had handed them a 2-1 ODI series defeat in Sharjah, on their way to the Caribbean, which had sapped the team’s confidence before a long tour. They were hammered in the first Test, in Antigua, where Jaker’s 53 was the team’s highest score.Jaker admits batting conditions in that series were particularly tough, and the shadow of their defeats there in the T20 World Cup earlier in the year hung over him. “I wasn’t performing well in the previous matches leading up to the tour,” he says. “West Indies has one of the toughest conditions in the world. I just told myself, let’s take [on] the challenge, let’s see what comes to me.”[Since] I’d already played in the West Indies in the T20 World Cup, I started to visualise what challenges I was going to face there. What makes it tough there, especially in red-ball cricket, is the Dukes ball, the bounce, and the wind. But I backed myself to do well there.”Bangladesh’s batting struggles continued in the second Test, in Jamaica, but the bowlers brought them into the game, giving them an 18-run lead. Bangladesh then slipped to 132 for 4, and then lost Mehidy and Litton, which left Jaker with the tail.Bangladesh held a decent lead going into the fourth day, but with wickets falling, he knew he had to cut loose “They kept attacking us. After the ball was changed on the fourth day, I realised that survival was going to be really hard.”I knew that I had to go for broke, and I ended up hitting five sixes. I have no regret about not getting a century. I worked very hard for couple of days, and I felt the five sixes were my biggest achievement,” Jaker says.On the tough tour of the West Indies, Jaker emerged Bangladesh’s top scorer, and he was a catalyst in their win in the second Test•Athelstan BellamyBangladesh set a target of 287 in the fourth innings, and they defended it like for all they were worth.”We rallied around each other when we realised that there was a possibility of winning,” Jaker says. “We decided to keep talking to each other in the field. Sometimes when the opposition batters put on a big partnership, everyone goes quiet. We wanted to let them [West Indies] know that we were in the game.”I would run over from cover, and the slip cordon would talk to me. We wanted to show them that we were charged up. We had nothing to lose in that situation. They sledged us a lot when we were batting.”There was enough chat from the Bangladesh players that West Indies’ batters complained to the umpires. Jaker and Co had got under their skin. In the end, West Indies were bowled out for 185 for a 101-run victory.”I have never really spoken to anyone about this Test win,” Jaker says. “We faced a difficult time there, especially having lost the previous Test. There was a flu going around in Jamaica at that time. We had a couple of players, the bowling coach and trainer all down with it. I think we had one or two players [from] outside the playing XI. The best part was, we didn’t give up. It was a team effort. Everyone contributed, especially the bowlers. Taskin [Ahmed] , Taijul [Islam] , Hasan Mahmud and {Nahid] Rana,” he said.Two weeks later, in the third T20I, Jaker was left fuming after a mix-up with Shamim Hossain ended in a run out when he was on 17. He threw his bat in the air and trudged off, but replays showed that Jaker had slid his bat in before Shamim as both tried to make it past the crease at the same end, which meant Shamim was the one dismissed.Jaker was in the dressing room in Arnos Vale when the fourth umpire went looking for him. TV cameras showed a bemused Jaker quickly putting his jersey back on and rushing to the field.”I was not angry at Shamim. We have a great relationship. He is such a nice guy. I just didn’t want to end my West Indies tour with that run-out, that’s why I was behaving that way. Everyone was stunned to see me throw things around in the dressing room,” he says.Jaker is clear about his role: “I want to play match-winning knocks for Bangladesh, even if it is a 20 or a 30. A fifty or a century in a losing cause doesn’t really count”•ICC via Getty ImagesHe went on to make a quickfire 72, which inspired an 80-run win, giving Bangladesh the series 3-0. He was the side’s highest run-getter on the tour, scoring four half-centuries and hitting 19 sixes. His character shone through under pressure. He batted skilfully with the tail in the Tests, put together big partnerships in the ODIs, and led the batting in the T20Is.His form carried into the Champions Trophy in March this year. For Bangladesh, he was perhaps the sole bright spot in a tournament from which they were eliminated swiftly. In their first match, against India, Bangladesh slipped to 35 for 5. But Hridoy and Jaker combined to add 154 runs for the sixth wicket, taking them to 228. This time, Jaker played second fiddle, skilfully working the Indian spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. It was his first taste of a top-class bowling attack in ODIs, and Jaker had done his homework. He felt that being prepared in the nets and having enough information about the Indian bowlers would be helpful.”India has one of the best bowling attacks. They will pounce on your mistakes. They don’t give you many chances. You have to be very careful and know what they are trying to do. Bowlers like Jadeja and Axar bowl at a certain pace. We were also playing on a tricky wicket in Dubai. I had prepared myself adequately. I try to understand how the opposition bowling unit is trying to attack me. They have different modes of attack for every batter,” he says.Jaker has had little time to reflect on his international career so far. Bangladesh have been playing almost non-stop over the last couple of years, and there’s a lot of cricket ahead of them in 2025. Jaker believes in physical and mental preparation, but he has a singular goal.”International cricket can be quite tough if you are not well prepared. You need courage to survive at the highest level. I want to play match-winning knocks for Bangladesh, even if it is a 20 or a 30. I want to contribute to the team’s winning cause. A fifty or a century in a losing cause doesn’t really count,” he says.Bangladesh’s batters have relied on Jaker to clean up their messes – of which there have been many – in all three formats in the last couple of years. He doesn’t seem to mind having to perform these rescue acts. In the process, he has provided glimpses of the batter he could be with a bit of support from the top and middle orders.

Apart from the opening game against England, whenever SA have been posed difficult questions, their players have made themselves count

Madushka Balasuriya17-Oct-20253:09

Review: SA one step closer to semis, SL further away

South Africa have one foot in the semi-finals, but of all the cricketing nations, they will be the least likely to get ahead of themselves. Though if anything were to prepare them for some unlikely hiccups it would be this World Cup campaign.Against England, their batting fell apart. Against New Zealand, this was rectified as the top order took charge of middling chase. But against India, the top-order once more struggled, before the lower-order and a magnificent Nadine de Klerk innings took them to a famous win. It was a similar story against Bangladesh as the lower order came to the rescue. But the common theme has been that at each time of asking, South Africa have been ready with the answers.Related

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“It’s been great. It’s sort of felt like the whole team has contributed in different parts of this tournament, which has been awesome,” South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said after their 10-wicket win against Sri Lanka on Friday.”We definitely haven’t relied on one or two people. Whether it’s Nadine and Chloe [Tryon] getting us out of the hole, or, you know, me and Taz [Tazmin Brits] battling all today. The whole bowling unit has been amazing too, and I think our feeling has been pretty decent as well throughout the tournament. So, it’s just nice to see all those pieces of the puzzle sort of coming together.”Against Sri Lanka, Wolvaardt and her side had their hands full in finding the right puzzle pieces to navigate a heavily rain-curtailed game. There were five hours and 14 minutes between the the last ball of the first innings’ 11th over and the first ball of the 12th. In fact, the game was on the verge of being called off before the rains unexpectedly eased and a restart time was announced. In that moment, all previous strategies and plans went out the window.For Sri Lanka, it meant they had to switch gears instantly, from having 38 overs left in a 50-over game, to having eight left in a reduced 20-over affair. But with eight wickets in hand, it was a fairly straightforward equation in terms of what was required from them.

“I think we’re still searching for that perfect game as a team”Laura Wolvaardt

For South Africa however, it was trickier. For one, each bowler could now bowl only four overs each under the revised playing conditions. This meant that both Marizanne Kapp and Masabata Klaas, who had bowled five overs each prior to the rain interruption could not be used further.”That was a little bit tricky, especially because Kappy and Klaas are usually quite big for us in the death. So we had to sort of go to the left-arm spinners, which we don’t do too often, too late in the game. But I thought they bowled brilliantly.”Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with three wickets•Getty ImagesAdding to Wolvaardt and South Africa’s problems was that the amount of rain that fell meant that, even despite the entire ground being covered and the super sopper being used, the “ball was like a bar of soap.””Especially after that five hour break, I think we looked a bit nervy when we came back on the field, a couple of missed fields,” Wolvaardt said. “So I think we did a great job of sort of removing [that from our minds] and getting those wickets in the end.”Leading the way on this front was none other than Wolvaardt. On the seventh ball after the restart, a skier off a leading edge was dropped – a first hint at how difficult this wet ball would be to grip. But she ensured there would be no further stumbles with two otherwise straightforward catches held to dismiss both set batters at that point.While the catches in and of itself weren’t difficult, the message it sent across was clear – this is yet one more problem to be solved. Which meant that when Wolvaardt threw the ball to Nonkululeko Mlaba, and asked her to bowl four of the eight overs remaining, it was less a question and more of a challenge, to once more defy the odds.”Lefty [Mlaba] loves a challenge,” Wolvaardt said. “She was asked the other day what would be her favourite place to bowl and she said, ‘probably the death.'”She said she really likes it when the batter is coming at her, so it challenges her, and gets her into a very competitive zone. Yeah, I thought she bowled very well.”Mlaba’s figures at the end read 3 for 30 in four overs, but her final over brought three runs and three wickets. Along with de Klerk’s four-run penultimate over, it proved to the difference as the DLS-adjusted target was 121 and not closer to 150.Not that a higher target would have likely made a difference with how Wolvaardt and Brits approached their chase, ensuring minimal risks were taken as they knocked off the target with 31 deliveries left to spare.”It hasn’t been the best tournament for me overall, so very nice to hit a few,” Wolvaardt said. “Obviously a reduced game, so I just sort of thought of normal T20 plans. So Taz and I just went out as if it was a normal T20, and both got off to decent starts, and just kept going for the side.”Whisper it, but this was a display of potential champions. Sure, the juggernaut that is Australia awaits at some point, but South Africa, like their captain, just keep ticking along, and finding answers. For Wolvaardt though, the key is in ensuring that it all comes together at the right time.”I think we’re still searching for that perfect game as a team, where the top order fires and the middle order fires – which is exciting, because we’re still winning games even though certain things aren’t perfect,” she said. “Hopefully, if we do make those semifinals, it’ll all come together.”

Her 159-run partnership with Sune Luus against NZ is the highest for SA for any wicket in Women’s World Cups

Namooh Shah06-Oct-2025

Tazmin Brits got to seven ODI hundreds in 41 innings•ICC/Getty Images

232 – The target chased down by South Africa on Monday is the highest by any team against New Zealand in the women’s World Cup, going past their own record – 229 in Hamilton in 2022.101 – The runs scored by Tazmin Brits, which makes her the third South Africa batter to score a hundred in the women’s World Cup. Linda Olivier in 2000 and Marizanne Kapp in 2013 are the other two.5 – Hundreds by Brits in 2025, the most by any player in a calendar year in women’s ODIs. She went past Smriti Mandhana, who scored four hundreds in 2024 and also has four so far in 2025.Brits has also scored four hundreds in her last five ODI innings.1 – Brits took 41 innings to score seven ODI hundreds. That is the fewest by a batter in women’s ODIs, bettering the record of Meg Lanning, who took 44 innings to get there.Brits took 87 balls to complete her seventh ODI hundred, which is the fastest by her, and the fourth-fastest by a South Africa batter in women’s ODIs.2 – Brits now has 749 runs in ODIs in 2025, the second-most for a South Africa batter in a calendar year. She is only behind Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 882 runs in 2022.159 – The partnership between Brits and Sune Luus for the second wicket, is the highest for South Africa for any wicket in women’s World Cups. They went past a long-standing record of 128* between Dane van Niekerk and Kapp in 2013.It is also South Africa’s third-highest partnership for the second wicket in women’s ODIs (where ball-by-ball data is available).1 – Lea Tahuhu dismissed Brits to take her 30th wicket in ODI World Cups and with that became the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand in the tournament. Tahuhu went past Catherine Campbell, who has 29 wickets.350 – Suzie Bates became the first woman to play 350 international matches across formats. Harmanpreet Kaur is next on the list with 342 international caps.

Manchester United have now made a U-turn and made contact with Casemiro’s agent over a new contract, and the midfielder’s stance on signing a new deal has been revealed.

Kobbie Mainoo has been unable to get a look-in as of late, with Ruben Amorim predominantly opting to give the former Real Madrid man the nod in central midfield, alongside Bruno Fernandes, who has been utilised in a deeper role this season.

Consequently, it is now looking increasingly likely that Mainoo will depart in the January transfer window, with the youngster potentially in line to follow Scott McTominay to Napoli, despite the fact Amorim wants to keep hold of him.

With the central midfielder’s place in the World Cup squad at stake, it is understandable that he is looking to receive more game time ahead of the summer, but Amorim is in a tricky position, given that Casemiro has been indispensable this term.

Recently, the 33-year-old has even been compared to United icon Nemanja Vidic, and it has subsequently emerged that he could be rewarded with a new contract as a result of his fine form, despite widespread reports suggesting United have been hesitant to offer him fresh terms.

Casemiro's stance on signing new contract at Man Utd revealed

According to a report from United In Focus, Man United have now performed a U-turn and contacted the midfielder’s agent about a contract extension, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey revealing Amorim’s stance on one of his star players signing a new deal.

Bailey said: “I’m told Amorim would be open to him staying, and if Casemiro is ready to take a drop in salary and work with United on a deal, it is not inconceivable that he stays.”

Not only is the manager open to keeping hold of the veteran midfielder, but the player himself is also personally receptive to the idea of remaining at Old Trafford, and positive talks have already been held.

The ex-Real Madrid star has certainly turned a corner since Jamie Carragher infamously told him he was finished at the top level and to move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS.

Indeed, the 80-time Brazil international has only missed one Premier League match this season, which was due to suspension, amassing three goals and one assist in his opening ten matches.

Of course, the five-time Champions League winner is more well-known for his stellar defensive attributes, and his ability to win back possession has been on display regularly over the past year, averaging 4.09 tackles per 90, which places the maestro in the top 1% of midfielders.

Consequently, it would make sense to offer Casemiro a new deal, but it would have to be at reduced wages, given his age, with the central midfielder currently the highest-earning player in the squad.

Man Utd's highest earners have been named and ranked Weekly wages: Manchester United FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

We at Football FanCast have gathered all the information on exactly how much the wages of each player is at Manchester United.

ByLuke Randall Sep 4, 2025

Surrey 313 for 5 (Jones 141, Davidson-Richards 107) vs Essex match abandonedRain denied Surrey the chance of securing a semi-final spot in the Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup, after centuries from Emma Jones and Alice Davidson-Richards had put them in a commanding position over Essex.With Somerset washed out away to Hampshire, a bonus-point victory for Surrey would have been enough to secure fourth place ahead of their final match away to Durham on Saturday.Instead, the rain, which arrived at the innings break and didn’t stop, means the match at Chester-le-Street now turns into an effective quarter-final, with Durham in fifth place and only three points behind Surrey.Surrey had made two changes to their team that lost to Lancashire at the weekend, one of which was Jones coming in at No.3 in place of Alice Capsey.Jones had played just one fifty-over match for Surrey this year, and while showing glimpses with the bat across the T20 season, no-one predicted that her inclusion would bring such dramatic results, as she compiled a chanceless 141 off only 117 balls to record her first century for Surrey.Jones entered this season without a half-century to her name in List A cricket, but has now scored two massive centuries in the format, after making 147 not out off 101 balls earlier this year while on loan at Glamorgan.After rain early in the day, Surrey’s innings had been reduced to 45 overs, although they still managed to finish on 313 for 5 on what was a difficult day in the field for Essex, who with just two wins from 13 matches, remain bottom of the table.”Jonesy was hitting them wonderfully,” said Davidson-Richards, who made 107.”I was just enjoying helping her along and watching her smash fours at the other end. I think sometimes it’s really simple and you just realise how the other person is ticking. It was a really nice partnership.”

Arsenal are now reportedly tracking one of Europe’s leading young talents in an attempt to hijack Chelsea’s move and deal their Premier League rivals a frustrating blow.

Whilst Arsenal will have been disappointed to see their clean sheet streak go against Sunderland as well as their recent winning run in a last-gasp 2-2 draw, they have plenty of reason to be positive.

Arsenal leading race to sign "explosive" gem ahead of interest from Barcelona

He’s a man in demand.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 10, 2025

Heading into the November international break, the Gunners sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League and on course to end their wait for glory under Mikel Arteta.

They’re doing it their way, too. Arteta is no longer simply a disciple to Pep Guardiola. His Arsenal side are far more pragmatic and could have one of the best defensive records that English football has ever seen come May. Meanwhile, in what is a reflection of Premier League football in 2025, Arsenal are benefitting from their position as set piece kings.

When you’re on top, however, it’s all about staying there and it’s no surprise that Andrea Berta is already eyeing potential incomings as a result. The champions-elect are reportedly interested in signing Malick Fofana from Lyon in an attempt to strengthen their left-hand side.

Both Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have competed for the role this season but with the former becoming inconsistent and the latter now 30 years old, there’s certainly room for another option to arrive.

Reports have even claimed that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Fofana ahead of 2026 in what would be another intelligent move from new sporting director Berta.

After Fofana, he may still welcome other options too. The Gunners have also been linked with a move to sign an impressive attacking midfielder ahead of Chelsea.

Arsenal eyeing Nico Paz hijack

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are now tracking Nico Paz in what could see them hijack Chelsea’s move in unexpected fashion. The Como attacker is one of the best young players in European football and has attracted interest from the Premier League as well as Inter Milan as a result.

So long as Real Madrid don’t trigger their bargain buy-back options worth less than £10m in the next two years then the race to sign the 21-year-old will swing wide open. And that’s when Arsenal could swoop in.

If the Gunners are looking to find out more about the Argentine, meanwhile, then all they have to do is ask Cesc Fabregas. The former Arsenal midfielder is currently the manager of Como and has benefitted more than most from Paz’s brilliance.

With four goals and four assists in 12 games this season, the former Real Madrid star is undoubtedly the standout player under Fabregas, who could now make up for his transfer antics as a player by answering Arsenal’s potential call about his midfield sensation.

Arsenal "monster" is becoming the new Xhaka and he's not even a midfielder

The match referee at the centre of the handshake row has been entrusted with the Super Fours game on Sunday

Shashank Kishore20-Sep-2025Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

• India, Pakistan will look to put off-field issues aside in Super Fours clash

• Six wickets, no runs: The myth and math of Saim Ayub

• Pakistan cancel pre-match press conference before India game

• Suryakumar's mantra before Pakistan game: 'Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep'

• Pycroft givenbarely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.