After deciding to send infielder DJ LeMahieu to the bench earlier this week, the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have designated him for assignment. The shocking move puts an end to his seven-season tenure in the Bronx.

LeMahieu responded "O.K." to the news, according to manager Aaron Boone—who also noted that the 36-year-old did not ask for his release. A three-time All-Star, he had been slashing .266/.338/.336 with two home runs and 12 RBIs this season. A logjam in the infield, however, seemingly forced New York's hand.

Given that LeMahieu has been a staple in this era of Yankee baseball, the MLB was understandably stunned by the news. Here's a look at some of the reactions that came in across social media:

LeMahieu signed a six-year extension with New York in 2021 and is still owed $22 million through next season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras encara o Santos no próximo domingo (7), em jogo que pode vale o 27º título Paulista do atual bicampeão Estadual, e pelo terceiro ano seguido a grande final da competição será no Allianz Parque.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasReservas treinam e Abel dá pista de que vai poupar Palmeiras para estreia da LibertadoresPalmeiras02/04/2024PalmeirasPalmeiras move ação no STJD contra John Textor, dono do BotafogoPalmeiras02/04/2024PalmeirasPalmeiras reduz dívida com a Crefisa e inicia 2024 com superávit de R$ 46,8 milhõesPalmeiras02/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

A diretoria alviverde anunciou nesta terça-feira (2), todas as informações sobre a venda de ingressos para a partida diante do Santos que pode garantir o tricampeonato paulista após 90 anos para o alviverde imponente.

As vendas iniciam nesta quarta-feira (3), a partir das 10h (horário de Brasília), somente para sócios-torcedores Avanti e na sexta-feira (5), também a partir das 10h, para os torcedores em geral.

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Os ingressos variam de R$240 a R$500 e todo acesso ao estádio se dará apenas por reconhecimento facial.

Os ingressos podem ser adquiridos pelo site: www.ingressospalmeiras.com.br e muito provavelmente os ingressos se esgotem ainda na pré-venda para sócios-torcedores.

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Campeonato PaulistaPalmeirasPaulistão 2024

تحدث ديتمار هامان لاعب ليفربول السابق حول فكرة استغناء آرني سلوت مدرب الفريق، عن محمد صلاح في التشكيل الأساسي بعد تراجع مستوى الفريق.

وسجل صلاح خمس أهداف في جميع المسابقات هذا الموسم، وتراجع ترتيب ليفربول في جدول الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز بعد أن خسر نصف مبارياته الـ12 حتى الآن.

وقال هامان في تصريحات نشرتها “ليفربول إيكو” عن صلاح :”هل يحتاج آرني سلوت للتفكير في استبعاد محمد صلاح؟ بالتأكيد، إذا كان يعتقد أن هذا هو القرار الصحيح وهناك أسباب لذلك”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فان دايك يتوجه بطلب لجماهير ليفربول قبل مواجهة آيندهوفن

وأضاف: “السؤال الوحيد هو، هل تعتقد أن استبعاده سيحسن الأمور؟ لست متأكداً تماماً لكن من الواضح أن عليه أن يفعل شيء الآن، لأنهم لديهم كثير من اللاعبين في الوقت الحالي الذين يرغبون في اللعب بالكرة ولا يقومون بالأعمال الشاقة”.

وواصل: “يبدو أن توازن الفريق وديناميكيته غير متوازنين، إذا قرر استبعاد صلاح من الفريق فإنه عليه اتخاذ القرار، ربما كنت سأدعمه لو فعل ذلك”.

واختتم هامان عن سلوت: “لو كان ما حدث هذا الموسم في الموسم الماضي، عندما انضم سلوت لتدريب النادي لما كان يشغل وظيفته الآن، لكنه يملك رصيد كبير وهذا أمر مستحق لأنه فاز بالدوري، لكن ذلك أصبح من الماضي بعد أن كان أداء الفريق رائع معه، لقد تفوقوا وهذا أمر لم يتوقعه أحد، عليك أن تفكر في المستقبل وما تريده هو التقدم، إن لم ترى تقدماً فلا أعتقد أن الموسم الماضي سينقذه”.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who suffered a knee injury on the recent England tour, also makes a comeback

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2025Shreyas Iyer will lead a 15-member India A side against Australia A in two multi-day matches later this month in Lucknow. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who suffered a knee injury on the recent England tour, has also been included.First-choice Test players KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj were named in the squad as well, but only for the second match.Iyer last played a Test for India in February 2024, against England in Visakhapatnam. This is an opportunity for him to present his case for the two-match Test series at home against West Indies, which starts on October 2. Reddy had played the second and the third Tests of the England series in July before being ruled out with the injury. On Saturday, he bowled a lengthy spell to Sai Sudharsan and Ishan Kishan at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Related

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Konstas, Peake, McSweeney in Australia A squad for India tour

Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran – all part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which India drew 2-2 – have also been named in the A team. N Jagadeesan, who was called to England for the final Test, also makes it. Wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel, who was injured and unable to play the Duleep trophy quarter-final and semi-final, has been named vice-captain. He had an extended training session at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on Friday.Ayush Badoni, who scored a double-hundred against East Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy, has been rewarded with a call-up. That was the second double-hundred of Badoni’s first-class career. Currently playing his 16th match in the format, he has 1370 runs at an average of 65.23.Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Thakur and Gurnoor Brar are among the seamers; Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Tanush Kotian are the spin options. Among the notable absentees are Karun Nair, who is recovering from a finger injury, Shardul Thakur and Sarfaraz Khan.The first game starts on September 16 and the second on September 23. That will be followed by three one-dayers, all in Kanpur.India A squad for Australia seriesShreyas Iyer (capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (vice-capt, wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur, KL Rahul*, Mohammed Siraj*

Middlesex teenager Sebastian Morgan narrowly misses maiden career hundred after sharing 179 stand with his captain

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025

Leus du Plooy made an imposing 263 not out•PA Photos/Getty Images

Gloucestershire 146 for 3 (Charlesworth 63) trail Middlesex 634 for 9 dec (du Plooy 263*, Morgan 97, Cracknell 64, Singh Dale 5-108) by 488 runsTeenage tailender Sebastian Morgan narrowly missed out on a maiden career hundred as Middlesex racked up the joint fifth-highest total in their history against Gloucestershire at Lord’s.Morgan, who turned 18 last month and is making his third first-class appearance, was out for 97 after sharing a partnership of 179 with his captain Leus du Plooy – a county record for the eighth wicket against Gloucestershire – to help Middlesex amass 634 for 9 declared.Du Plooy also posted his best first-class score, an unbeaten 263, to put the visitors firmly under pressure in their final Rothesay County Championship game of the season, despite Ajeet Singh Dale’s return of 5 for 108.Gloucestershire openers Ben Charlesworth (63) and Joe Phillips (36) responded with a century stand before three wickets fell for eight runs, two of them to spinner Zafar Gohar against his former team.Singh Dale, stuck on four wickets since the previous afternoon in his farewell game for Gloucestershire, lost no more time in completing a five-for, with Joe Cracknell taken low at slip for 64 in the seamer’s first over of the morning.He might have claimed a sixth victim soon afterwards when former team-mate Gohar swished outside off stump, but this time slip fielder Ollie Price could not cling onto the chance.It was spinner Graeme van Buuren who eventually removed Gohar, dragging on from a long way outside off stump and his dismissal seemed to dispel any Middlesex thoughts of making a dart for a fifth batting bonus point.Instead, Du Plooy sidled towards 200 while Morgan kept the scoreboard ticking along with an early brace of sweetly-struck fours off Marchant de Lange and went on to dominate the partnership.Du Plooy eventually emerged from his shell, charging down the track to drive Price over the top for four to seal his double ton from 294 balls, while Morgan’s half-century arrived soon afterwards courtesy of a leg-side clip to the fence off Singh Dale.Despite a spell of playing and missing to Matt Taylor just after lunch – and a return chance on 72 that De Lange was unable to grab – the teenager continued to flourish, expanding his repertoire to include a slog sweep and reverse sweep.Both were productive against Gloucestershire’s spinners, with a six off Jack Taylor ushering the total past the 600 mark shortly after identical tactics by Du Plooy had lifted his personal score beyond 250.But Morgan’s decision to attempt another reverse sweep against Price proved his undoing as he overbalanced while James Bracey took off the bails and, after a quickfire 19 by Toby Roland-Jones, the declaration soon followed.That left Phillips and Charlesworth to navigate 10 overs until tea and they did so with little cause for concern, the left-hander looking strong off his pads as well as punching Roland-Jones for two cover boundaries.Successive fours off Noah Cornwell took Charlesworth along to 50 at just under a run a ball and he continued on the offensive, using his feet and dispatching Gohar over the top twice in an over.Phillips gained a life when Roland-Jones found the edge, only for Sam Robson – diving across from slip – to shell the chance, but the seamer did achieve a breakthrough in his next over as Charlesworth tried to cut and Cracknell snared a tumbling catch behind the stumps.Gohar then struck twice in quick succession, pinning Phillips lbw before a looping bat-pad catch accounted for Miles Hammond, but Price and Bracey guided Gloucestershire to the close with another 339 needed to save the follow-on.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that the north Londoners will soon benefit from a “very unpredictable” weapon that is set to add something new.

This weekend, Sunderland are next in line to try and break down Arsenal’s imperious defence, which hasn’t been breached since their dramatic 2-1 win away to Newcastle back in September.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

The Black Cats, led by their arguable player of the season so far in ex-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka, are no easy customers and have made one of the best starts by a newly-promoted side in Premier League history.

However, the numbers suggest Regis Le Bris’ side might have their work cut out for them at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Arsenal haven’t just kept eight clean sheets in a row across all competitions, but they also boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues and have marked themselves out as England’s set piece specialists in that time.

No other Premier League side has scored more goals from dead ball situations than Arsenal so far this season (12), with Arteta’s side bringing the dark acts back into fashion.

While Arsenal have been criticised by some for their perceived ‘boring’ style of play, especially from ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara, Arteta won’t be fussed in the slightest as his team sit pretty at the top of the table.

Arsenal’s water-tight backline and threat from set pieces are undoubtedly the two main reasons why they’re currently in pole position to win their first Premier League title in 22 years, but speaking ahead of their clash with Sunderland, Arteta revealed they’re about to have another weapon at their disposal.

Mikel Arteta says "very unpredictable" Gabriel Jesus will add something new to Arsenal

£265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus hasn’t played since Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United back in January after rupturing his ACL, and reports once claimed that the Brazilian might not be back in action until next year.

However, Jesus has now returned to training, so his comeback is nigh, as Arteta explains how “thrilled” he is by the news.

The 28-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a January exit following the arrival of summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to return from injury in time for the North London derby at the end of November.

That being said, it appears Arteta still has big plans for Jesus at Arsenal, with the forward capable of playing out wide as well as at centre-forward.

It will be very interesting to see how the former Man City star fits into Arteta’s tactical set-up, especially once their full complement of attackers in Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke return from injury too.

It’s an excellent time to be an Arsenal fan at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side are four for four in the Champions League, through to the next round in the League Cup and top of the Premier League.

However, the North Londoners still have their problems, such as the growing number of injuries.

Moreover, Arteta now has to make do without summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, although the good news is that he has a solution in Arsenal’s best finisher since Robin van Persie.

Arsenal's solutions to Gyokeres' injruy

With Kai Havertz still out and Gabriel Jesus only just returning to first-team training, Arteta can get a little creative with his Gyokeres replacement.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

One option could be moving Leandro Trossard into the middle, as, unlike last season, he seems to be getting back to his dangerous best.

In fact, the Belgian international has already amassed an impressive tally of three goals and four assists for the side in 13 appearances.

Moreover, while the 30-year-old is primarily a winger, he’s no stranger to playing up top, having done so 49 times across his career.

However, should the manager wish to keep Trossard on the right, he could go with an even bolder choice: starting Ethan Nwaneri up top.

After all, only last season he told the press that the youngster “can play as a right winger and there is another position I think he can develop into – No9.”

Moreover, with an impressive tally of nine goals and two assists in just 1378 minutes last season, the teenager clearly has an eye for goal that’s hard to teach.

However, while Trossard and Nwaneri would probably do a fine job leading the line for a game, there is another player Arteta will almost certainly turn to, a player who could be looked at as Arsenal’s best finisher since Van Persie.

Arsenal's best finisher

While he does have a few options at his disposal, it seems almost certain that Arteta will opt to play Mikel Merino up top against Sunderland.

After all, over the last year or so, the Spaniard has put forward a very good case for him being the club’s best finisher since Van Persie.

Now, that is not to say that he’s been the best centre-forward since the Dutchman, as he hasn’t and wouldn’t even claim to be one.

However, his quality of finishing is superb, and his utterly outrageous catalogue of goals proves as much.

For example, in his very first game as the side’s striker, against Leicester City last season, he scored an excellent header and another one-touch finish into the bottom corner.

Then, at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League, he once again scored a sensational one-touch goal, but this time from the edge of the penalty area.

In fact, when looking back on the goals he has scored for the club, it becomes apparent that he’s at his very best when he has less time to think and has to finish with a single touch.

Fortunately for him and the rest of the team, he is something of a “magnet in the box,” per Arsenal writer Adam Keys, and so he often has just one opportunity to bury a chance.

Ultimately, it might sound hyperbolic, and Arteta won’t want him playing up top for much longer, but it’s hard to deny that Merino currently looks like Arsenal’s best finisher since Van Persie.

Arsenal have their next Xhaka who's one of the best in "world football"

The international gem could end up being an even better version of Xhaka for Arsenal and Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 7, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has enjoyed a perfect start to life in the Scottish Premiership, with three wins in his first three matches in charge.

The Light Blues had only won one of their first eight games in the division under Russell Martin and Stevie Smith, which is why the German manager’s fast start is particularly impressive.

Rohl has already showcased his pragmatism and adaptability with formation changes through all three matches, playing variations of a 3-4-2-1, a 3-4-3, and a 4-2-3-1.

The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will surely have been pleased with his side’s performance in their last game before the international break, as they won 3-0 against Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday.

Rangers head into the international break on a high, possibly for the first time this season, and they will be looking to continue their strong form against Livingston at Ibrox next week.

The German manager’s arrival at Ibrox has been a breath of fresh air in recent weeks, and it is clear to see that several players have benefitted from his appointment.

The Rangers players who have benefitted most from Danny Rohl's appointment

One of the players who has benefitted the most from Rohl joining the club is Brazilian forward, Danilo, who had fallen out of favour under the previous management team.

The Brazilian striker played one game, against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, between August and Martin’s exit last month, yet has featured in all six of the games under Rohl.

Danilo has scored two goals in three Premiership matches under the German head coach, which shows that he is thriving in the new system and is trusted by the manager.

Possibly the most obvious player to benefit from the change in management is Nicolas Raskin, who was dropped from the squad for several games during Martin’s tenure. The midfielder even said that his future at Ibrox depended on the “coach” during the September international break.

The Belgium international has featured in every match under Rohl so far and scored his first goal in the Premiership so far this season with a header against Dundee.

Minutes

90

Goals

1

Key passes

2

Pass accuracy

93%

Dribble success rate

100%

Tackle success rate

100%

Ground duels won

7/12

Interceptions

2

Dribbled past

0x

As you can see in the table above, Raskin put in a brilliant all-round performance at Dens Park, as he showcased his qualities in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

The Belgian star’s quality on the ball was on full display, whilst he was also impressive physically out of possession as a defensive force, which is why he is such a key player for the Gers when at his best.

It is fair to say that Danilo and Raskin are two of the players who have benefitted the most from the change in manager and change in style of play, given their respective situations under Martin and how important they have been to Rohl in his first six matches in the dugout.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, there is still time for the German boss to assess the squad and the upcoming international break will be his first chance to take some time and look deeper into the team and the academy, to see what he has to work with for the rest of the campaign.

With this in mind, the former Sheffield Wednesday tactician should look to reward Clinton Nsiala with a chance to impress after the break, after the central defender did not get a look-in under Martin.

How Danny Rohl can unearth his own Virgil van Dijk for Rangers

Rangers swooped to sign the French centre-back from AC Milan in the summer of 2024 after his contract at the San Siro came to an end, and he was given some opportunities by Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson.

The left-footed star played 13 times in all competitions for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign, along with four appearances in the Trust Trophy for the B team, per Transfermarkt.

Nsiala also scored the first senior goal of his career against Fraserburgh in the SFA Cup at the start of the year, which was his only goal in those 13 appearances last term.

Unfortunately, though, the central defender has not played a single minute of football in the 2025/26 campaign, as Martin decided to leave him out of the squad for all of his matches in charge, per Transfermarkt.

Nsiala was in first-team training ahead of Rohl’s first game against Brann, though, which suggests that he is still around the group and available to be considered for selection.

Last season, Rangers winger Ross McCausland, who left on loan this summer, described the French colossus as a “a left-footed Van Dijk”, which was considerable praise, as the former Celtic centre-back has won the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool, the club he now captains.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Nsiala played 11 times in the Premiership for the Light Blues and helped the team to enjoy a fairly impressive run of form in those matches.

Dundee

1-1 draw

St Johnstone

3-1 win

Aberdeen

3-0 win

Dundee United

3-1 win

Ross County

4-0 win

Hearts

3-1 win

St Mirren

2-0 loss

Kilmarnock

4-2 win

Celtic

3-2 win

Aberdeen

2-2 draw

St Mirren

2-2 draw

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent has only lost one of his 11 appearances in the Premiership to date, winning seven, whilst the Gers only won one of the seven league games they played under Martin before his exit last month.

That is not to say that all of those results were down to Nsiala’s performances, of course, but it does show that he can be a key part of a team that wins week-in-week-out in the league, as he started ten of those 11 games.

The French star, who won 52% of his aerial duels in his 11 league outings (Sofascore), is a young player who has shown potential in a Rangers shirt, which is why Rohl should consider unleashing him as his own left-footed van Dijk.

Nsiala could come in as an alternative to Derek Cornelius, who came off on Sunday with a knock, as a natural left-sided centre-back. Nasser Djiga and John Souttar are both right-footed defenders who are better suited on their natural side, which is why it could make sense to bring the ex-Milan ace in if Cornelius misses any matches through injury.

Move over Moore: Rangers star proved why he's their "best player" vs Dundee

Rangers demolished Dundee 3-0 at Dens on Sunday and Danny Röhl’s “sensational” star was as key as Mikey Moore in this Scottish Premiership victory.

Nov 9, 2025

The left-footed brute was forgotten about by Martin, given his complete lack of minutes, but Rohl still has the chance to bring him into the fold after the international break.

Sheffield United have completed a free deal for Patrick Bamford following his departure from Leeds United earlier this season, with the striker signing a short-term contract until January 2026.

The Blades are desperately attempting to turn their season around following a miserable start which saw Chris Wilder return to replace Ruben Selles just three months after he left the club.

Now as low as 22nd and far from the promotion hopes that they had in mind, those at Bramall Lane suddenly find themselves in an early, unexpected relegation scrap which they’ll be looking to turn on its head after the international break.

Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Queens Park Rangers at least stopped the rot and handed the Blades their first clean sheet in four games, but they must find a way to turn a draw into all three points in a crucial clash against rivals Sheffield Wednesday on 23 November.

Speaking to reporters after the QPR stalemate, Wilder admitted his frustration afrer what he felt was a performance worthy of three points.

Goals were once again the problem for Sheffield United, but the arrival of Bamford could help put an end to their unexpected woes in the Championship.

Sheffield United sign Bamford

As reported by The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Sheffield United opened talks to sign Bamford just this week, and things have moved quickly as the Blades announced an agreement on Thursday morning.

The former Leeds forward has been a free agent since leaving Elland Road in August, but now seemingly has the chance to make a return to the Championship on a prove-it deal lasting just a few months.

If Wilder is looking for goals then getting the best out of Bamford will give him exactly that. The 32-year-old has stolen headlines in the Premier League at his best and has as many as 69 Championship goals to his name throughout his career.

Previously dubbed “fantastic” by Leeds boss Daniel Farke, Bamford has the perfect opportunity to get the latter stages of his career back on track by joining Sheffield United. And he could even get the perfect chance to impress on his debut in the derby if he proves his fitness in time to face Sheffield Wednesday.

Wilder set to make ruthless January decision as three Sheffield Utd players get the axe

Mohammad Haris’ fifty and a bowling performance far too good for an outmatched Oman side helped Pakistan cruise to a 93-run win in their Asia Cup opener. Haris smashed 66 off 43 deliveries in an innings where none of his team-mates were quite able to match his power or timing with the bat as he helped Pakistan get up to 160.Oman received early encouragement when a ball that kept low trapped the dangerous Saim Ayub in front. Sahibzada Farhan’s off-colour form persisted in a scratchy innings as Pakistan stumbled along to 31 in the first five overs, and it was up to Haris to inject impetus into the innings.Related

• 'Confidence, backing is needed for any player' – Haris repays Hesson's faith

Sixteen came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 off 18. His next 25 balls produced 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Aamir Kaleem, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the Oman bowlers as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. But a cameo from Mohammad Nawaz, who arrived in the 17th over, ensured Pakistan got past the 150-mark.Mohammad Nawaz contributed with both bat and ball•AFP/Getty Images

But Kaleem’s three wickets, and the overall assistance the Oman spinners got, suggested this might well end up being comfortably above par, especially in the face of Pakistan’s more accomplished spin options.And so it proved. A bright beginning for Oman’s batters was waylaid by a double strike from Saim Ayub in the powerplay. Nawaz and Pakistan’s two wristspinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed dried up the batters’ scoring options, and Oman began to bleed wickets. With the field spreading out and the asking rate rising, panic set in, and the innings began to capitulate. Oman slipped from 41 for 2 to 51 for 9 before being bowled out for 67; flashes of ability drowned under the gulf in quality Pakistan were able to bring to bear upon the contest.

Haris takes charge

It is knocks like these that keep Pakistan persisting with Haris through extended poor runs. He had scored just 54 runs in 11 innings before this game, but he was promoted up the order into the powerplay today. That is his strength, and having cut loose in the sixth over, he continued pumping the Oman bowlers, almost single-handedly maintaining Pakistan’s imposing run rate.2:11

Will Pakistan back this XI against India?

Farhan’s struggles at the other end threw Haris’ exploits into sharper relief. Even with the field spread out, Haris, having found his timing, continued to take on the boundary riders. His third six brought up just his second 50-plus score in the format, before a boundary the following ball saw him match his runs tally from the previous 11 innings. The 43 balls he faced for his 66 makes just this three deliveries short of his longest T20I innings in his 29-match career, and one that singlehandedly resurrected an innings that had begun to wobble.

Pakistan spin lays waste to Oman

Specialist fast bowlers have dropped down the pecking order in T20I cricket under Mike Hesson, but playing just the one in Shaheen Shah Afridi still came as a bit of a surprise at the toss. Oman began the chase in a solid manner and were 32 for 2 by the end of the fifth over. But Saim Ayub had taken both those wickets, and Pakistan began to unleash the rest of their spinners on this line-up that may never had played against bowling of this quality.Abrar, Nawaz and Muqeem first asphyxiated them, and then the wickets began to fall. Muqeem took out Mohammad Nadeem to make it 41 for 3, and from thereon it was a procession. Nawaz got into the act before Muqeem doubled up the following over. Afridi and Faheem Ashraf helped themselves as Oman lost seven wickets for ten runs, imparting upon the scoreline a tinge of embarrassment Oman’s bowlers certainly did not deserve.