All posts by h716a5.icu

The Detroit Tigers have had a rough go of it the last two nights in Sacramento against the Athletics and the consecutive losses have dropped them out of the top spot in the American League playoff picture. On Tuesday night they found themselves in an early 3-0 hole, which Riley Greene helpfully erased with a titanic grand slam to center field that cameras weren't able to see land as it cleared the gigantic batter's eye.

Detroit would go on to lose on a walk-off walk in the 10th inning to have Greene's efforts be for naught. But the homer will live on as it set a franchise record for distance in the Statcast era.

That method of tracking began in 2015 so it's unclear where Greene's bomb ranks all-time for the venerable franchise. Back in 1990 Cecil Fielder became the only person to ever clear the left-field roof at old Tiger Stadium and the estimated distance on that one remains a great point of speculation as the technology required to know for sure was still a quarter-century away.

Now we can even sort home runs by denomination and know that Greene's grand slam was the second-longest of all four-run jobs this season, trailing only Kyle Schwarber's 473-foot tank.

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill said that defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season with a severe Achilles injury, a setback that also threatens his chances of representing the United States at next summer’s World Cup. Carter-Vickers has 19 USMNT caps and was in contention for a potential spot next summer.

Getty Images SportCeltic interim manager confirms injury

O'Neill delivered the disappointing news during his pre-match press conference ahead of Celtic's weekend fixture against St. Mirren, revealing that the 27-year-old center back faces a lengthy rehabilitation process following the injury sustained during Celtic's 2-1 Europa League victory over Sturm Graz last month.

"We will not see him," O'Neill said to reporters before Saturday's match at St. Mirren. "I think it might be April before he's even on grass. Funnily enough, I did ask him yesterday, did he think he would be ready for the World Cup? And he said he thought that would be very doubtful."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportInjury creates significant void for Celtic

The American defender had made 13 appearances across all competitions this season before his injury, bringing his total to 172 appearances since joining the club initially on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in September 2021.

How this impacts USMNTThe 27-year-old has earned only one cap for the USMNT since Mauricio Pochettino took over, but was on the roster for the team's October friendlies – showing he was in contention for a spot in the Argentine's three-man backline. ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWhat's next for Celtic?

Celtic will now be without its American center-back until at least April as he recovers. The club also has U.S. international Auston Trusty available, with the defender recently featuring for the national team in November. Celtic return to action on Thursday against Dutch side Feyenoord after a 1-0 win over St. Mirren on Saturday.

Crystal Palace have joined the race to sign Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli in the January transfer window, and their chances of getting a deal over the line have now been revealed.

Palace have predominantly been linked with new defenders in recent weeks, amid Marc Guehi’s uncertain future, but they are also looking to upgrade their options in attacking areas, having recently failed to craft many decent opportunities against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Indeed, the Eagles recorded an xG of just 0.75 against their rivals, with Jean-Philippe Mateta receiving little service, although that has been a rarity, with the Frenchman currently joint-third in the Premier League’s goalscoring charts.

Premier League top goalscorers

Club

Goals

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

14

Igor Thiago

Brentford

8

Antoine Semenyo

AFC Bournemouth

6

Danny Welbeck

Brighton

6

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Crystal Palace

6

Yeremy Pino was one of Oliver Glasner’s statement signings during the summer, but the Spaniard’s Premier League career is yet to truly take off, having been unable to register a goal or assist in his opening nine matches.

In fairness, it often takes foreign players some time to adapt to life in England, and it is still very early days for Pino, but Glasner has now set out to sign another new forward.

Crystal Palace join race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli

According to a report from Spain, Crystal Palace have now joined the race to sign Real Betis star Ezzalzouli, who is being closely monitored ahead of the January transfer window, but there may be competition from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.

Real Betis are reluctant to sanction a departure, but may be forced to listen to an ‘irresistible’ offer, with the Spanish side’s board clear that any deal must amount to significantly more than the Moroccan’s €12m (£11m) valuation.

As such, a deal could be there to be done for Palace, with Glasner looking to bring in another winger to form a top-level forward line, alongside Mateta, Pino and Ismaila Sarr.

Once lauded as “extraordinary” by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, the 23-year-old has made an impressive start to the season for Betis, amassing eight goals and assists in his opening 13 matches across all competitions.

Not only has the Morocco international impressed Xavi in the past, but scout Ben Mattinson has also compared him to Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, in light of the winger’s “explosive” dribbling ability.

The Betis forward’s ability to drive at opposition defences has been on display regularly over the past year, placing in the 84th percentile for progressive carries per 90, when compared to his positional peers, having averaged 4.82.

As such, Ezzalzouli could be a brilliant acquisition for Crystal Palace, and they should try and get a deal done in the January transfer window to bolster their chances of winning the UEFA Conference League.

Crystal Palace lining up move for Brendan Rodgers to replace Oliver Glasner Crystal Palace line up Brendan Rodgers as Oliver Glasner succession plan revealed

The Eagles are making contingency plans, with Oliver Glasner’s contract set to expire next summer.

1 ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

Nottinghamshire offspinner made history on debut and, at age of 17, has further ambitions to fulfil

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Apr-2025It comes as no surprise to hear that Farhan Ahmed’s favourite bowler is Nathan Lyon. The offspinner grew up watching videos of Lyon on YouTube, and spent this winter consuming as much as he could live, particularly during the five Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Ahmed, like the Australian, is a twirler who is tall in his action, coming over the top of the ball to impart more overspin than your traditional “doorknob” offie.Modelling yourself on a bowler who has 553 Test wickets can only be a good thing. But Farhan aimed to go one better last season by trying to meet the man himself. With Lyon playing in Lancashire’s County Championship campaign through to July, the 17-year old spotted that his club Nottinghamshire would come up against him twice.Through restrictions imposed by Cricket Australia, Lyon sat out the first meeting at Trent Bridge, but that meant he would definitely play in the return fixture. Farhan circled that as the chance to finally meet his idol. Alas, life got in the way in the form of a Mathematics exam.”I was going to, and then I had a GCSE exam that week,” Ahmed recalls, still a little disappointed. “Notts played Lancashire in Southport and that was his last game. He didn’t play at Trent Bridge. I didn’t get to catch up with him.”I’ve watched Nathan Lyon bowl so much and he’s the offspinner that I always look up to. I see how threatening he is from around the wicket on a first day of a Champo game when it’s not spinning. You’re always looking at how to get the guy out and I worked on it quite a bit last year: changing the angle up and it’s helped me so much already.”Farhan continued his development on an impressive Under-19s tour of South Africa•Gallo ImagesHe ended up getting a 6 in Maths – a B in old money – and further studies will get in the way of his 2025 plans on a cricket field. But as you can tell by how he talks about the game, and the 25 wickets he took at 23.92 in his opening five first-class appearances last year, time in the classroom won’t stymie the progress of one of the most exciting youngsters in English cricket.Farhan’s name has been doing the rounds for a while, around the same time the precociousness of his brother, Rehan (three years older) was talked up ahead of a surprise Test debut at the end of 2022. That Farhan is an orthodox fingerspinner and Rehan a legspinner is no accident, by the way.”Dad said: ‘Rehan’s going to be a leggie so you’re going to be the offie, that’s how you’re going to play in the same team in the future – you can’t be two leggies and one misses out. I want you all to play together in the same team’.Farhan beams when talking about Rehan, who now has 11 England caps across all formats. “I’ve always said that he’s a role model. We live together and we eat together and everything. He’s already a role model that I’ll always look up to.”Two years after Rehan became the youngest man to play Test cricket for England against Pakistan (where their father, Naheem, was born), and then the youngest to take a five-wicket haul on debut, in the second innings at Karachi, Farhan emulated big bro with his own pair of red-ball records.In his maiden County Championship appearance last August against eventual champions Surrey, Farhan’s 7 for 140 in the first innings put him in the books as the youngest to take five or more in a first-class match in Britain. With three more wickets in the second, he dislodged WG Grace after 159 years as the youngest to take 10 or more in a first-class match on these shores.Farhan’s dream is to play alongside his elder brother Rehan for England•Getty Images”Last summer was a very important summer for me, I felt,” he says. “I thought it was very good and I was very grateful to break into the team. Especially in the Champo, I didn’t expect that.”I thought I was going to be involved in the Metro stuff (One-Day Cup) and trying to get involved in that was basically the main aim for last year.”I don’t like to look too far ahead, I try to live in the moment. [This season] For me, it’s trying to play as many Champo games as I can, hopefully perform well and see where that takes me.”The winter was spent honing his craft with the England U19s in South Africa. Further success included 11 dismissals across the two Youth Tests and four more in the 50-over leg in which he was the team’s most misery bowler, with an economy rate of 3.59. As well as working on his batting – he has the capacity to be a handy lower-order batter – he had the opportunity to work with another hero, Graeme Swann. Mentality formed a key part of their discussions.”Swanny’s been very good. He’s always helped me in whichever way. The main thing with Swanny is he’s in the wicket-taking mindset.”It’s not like if he gets hit for a six, he’d go defensive. It’s always coming back. I’ve worked with Swanny more tactically, the different fields and stuff like that.”What sets Farhan apart from his peers – and spinners a few generations above – is his unerring accuracy. Developmentally, he is ahead of the curve. But he has stock deliveries to fine-tune and, taking inspiration from Saqlain Mushtaq – perhaps the first exponent of the “doosra”, which turns away from off stump – tricks to hone.”I’d say at the moment I’m consistent with bowling different balls,” he says. “I think, over time, it’s just about working out what sort of pitch I need to bowl what kind of spin. I reckon that will come over time and with experience, hopefully.Related

Farhan Ahmed ends Sri Lanka resistance as England U19s seal innings win

Farhan Ahmed stars with debut seven-for but Surrey cement command

Farhan Ahmed emulates WG Grace as Surrey's title charge is slowed

Farhan Ahmed five-for but England U19s thwarted in victory push

Sussex aiming to ruffle Division One feathers as part of Farbrace revival

“I’ve got one coming,” he says of a doosra-like variation. “It’s been on display in the 19s, it’s just about bringing it over to the Champo. I reckon it will take three or four months and hopefully it will come out. It’s just the pace and the consistency of it.”Farhan carries a refreshingly practical outlook for what lies ahead this summer. At 17, he would be forgiven for wanting it all right now. But he appreciates Liam Patterson-White and Calvin Harrison have their own claims to the No.1 spinner spot at Nottinghamshire. Nevertheless, he has formulated early-season plans, even at his home ground, which is hardly spin-friendly.”Let’s talk about the start of April: I reckon you get more natural variation and once you have the shape on it and the overspin. I don’t know if it’s going to spin, so the batter will have no clue himself how much it’s going to turn,” he says. “If it goes straight then he’s already in two minds. In the early season, there’s not much going for you with the weather conditions. Any advantage you get, like bounce, can help quite a bit.”It’s always something as a professional cricketer you have to adapt to. You shouldn’t just think spinners can’t play at Trent Bridge because they always can, and they can always perform here as well. Especially on a green wicket, where they say the seamers get the wickets… but the spinner comes on. If it’s going to turn or not, the batsman’s already in two minds.”Having started his first-class and List A careers in 2024, Farhan is angling for a chance to make his T20 bow with Notts Outlaws. Wherever they come, he just wants more first-team cricket on merit.His long-term aims are just as clear. And it is not just playing for England but realising his dad’s dream of representing his country alongside Rehan. Such is his ambition, he throws eldest brother, Raheem, into the mix – a 21-year-old batter currently unattached, who will trial for Notts and other counties this summer in search of a professional contract.”It’s definitely the pinnacle and the end-goal,” Farhan says of a potential family affair at international level. “Hopefully that comes and we keep doing it for a while. Plus, there’s my older brother Raheem to come and do that as well. All three of us – we dream!”

West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen has been subject to serious reported interest from London rivals Tottenham, and his exit stance has now come to light.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are currently in deep, deep trouble — sitting second bottom in the Premier League table after conceding more goals than any other club in the division.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

Beyond the stats, West Ham’s disjointed and uninspiring performances this term have stretched beyond Graham Potter’s dismissal, with Nuno still searching for his first win since taking charge.

The Hammers’ 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest, which turned out to be Nuno’s final game in charge of his former club, seems like a very distant memory.

After a lot of tinkering with his first-team in the last two matches, with Lucas Paqueta used as a false nine to combat the absence of Niclas Füllkrug, Nuno is still yet to discover the winning West Ham formula.

It doesn’t get any easier for West Ham either, with high-flying Newcastle, who’ve won five out of their last six matches in all competitions, awaiting them next at the London Stadium.

January is set to be a lifeline for West Ham, and Nuno has reportedly urged the club’s hierarchy to make three signings in the form of a new defender, midfielder and forward (GiveMeSport).

Nuno has also been told that funds will be available for West Ham to spend (Sky Sports), but a more pressing issue could be convincing their current star players to remain at Rush Green.

The Times reported this week that Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in January.

That being said, the player himself quickly put a cryptic post on social media following the rumours, which looked like an attempt to quash this noise in its tracks.

After Paqueta, some murmurs over a potential exit for Bowen are beginning to intensify.

The Irons captain is absolutely vital to Nuno and their superstar player by some distance, and West Ham rewarded the ex-Hull City winger with a long-term deal running until 2030 over two years ago.

However, the threat of relegation is prompting reports of rival clubs looking to tempt Bowen away.

Tottenham are apparently prepared to pay £53 million for Bowen’s services, but a lot will depend on the player’s own stance on leaving a club he clearly adores.

Jarrod Bowen's stance on West Ham exit amid Tottenham interest

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Dean Jones, the 28-year-old’s feelings about a departure are pretty cut and dry.

Jones reports that while the east Londoners have zero interest in selling him, Bowen could be open to leaving West Ham if they’re relegated at the end of the season.

Losing the England international right after dropping to the Championship would be a very bitter pill to swallow for West Ham supporters, and it makes January all the more imperative.

Right now, Nuno’s side quite simply do not have the quality or depth in each position to wrangle their way out of the bottom three, with the Portuguese seemingly aiming to keep them afloat long enough to strengthen his ranks.

West Ham have looked outgunned in every department, particularly in defence, with Lille star and Brazil international Alexsandro apparently Nuno’s top centre-back target for January.

Further forward, West Ham have internally talked about signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos as Nuno scours for a box-to-box midfielder, while many strikers are being considered already.

West Ham hold discussions over signing two Brazil strikers with 35 goals between them this year

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is rapidly approaching, as the best players in baseball will come together for the midsummer classic at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

There will be many of the usual suspects on the field for the game, which will take place on Tuesday, July 15. Among active players, Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw––who was invited to the event by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred as a "Legend Pick"––leads the league with 11 appearances in the All-Star Game.

Kershaw's 11 All-Star appearances wouldn't even sniff the top 20 in league history, however. We'll take a look at the MLB players who have made the most appearances in the midsummer classic.

Most MLB All-Star Appearances in History

Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron holds the record for most All-Star appearances in MLB history, having featured in the game an astounding 25 times. Of course, Aaron's figures are slightly inflated by the fact that MLB played two All-Star Games each year from 1959 to '62.

Player

No. of All-Star Appearances

Team(s)

Hank Aaron

25

Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves

Willie Mays

24

New York Giants, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets

Stan Musial

24

St. Louis Cardinals

Mickey Mantle

20

New York Yankees

Cal Ripken Jr.

19

Baltimore Orioles

Ted Williams

19

Boston Red Sox

Rod Carew

18

Minnesota Twins, California Angels

Carl Yastrzemski

18

Boston Red Sox

Yogi Berra

18

New York Yankees

Al Kaline

18

Detroit Tigers

Brooks Robinson

18

Baltimore Orioles

Pete Rose

17

Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos

Warren Spahn

17

Boston Braves, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants

Tony Gwynn

15

San Diego Padres

Ozzie Smith

15

San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals

Roberto Clemente

15

Pittsburgh Pirates

Nellie Fox

15

Chicago White Sox

Johnny Bench

14

Cincinnati Reds

Barry Bonds

14

Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants

Ernie Banks

14

Chicago Cubs

Derek Jeter

14

New York Yankees

Frank Robinson

14

Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels

Ivan Rodriguez

14

Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers

Alex Rodriguez

14

Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees

Now, let's look at the active players with the most All-Star appearances, including this season's nod.

Most MLB All-Star Appearances Among Active Players

Player

No. of All-Star Appearances

Team(s)

Clayton Kershaw

11*

Los Angeles Dodgers

Mike Trout

10

Los Angeles Angels

Jose Altuve

9

Houston Astros

Craig Kimbrel

9

Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Philadlephia Phillies

Justin Verlander

9

Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros

Freddie Freeman

9*

Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers

Chris Sale

9*

Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves

Nolan Arenado

8

Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals

Mookie Betts

8

Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers

Bryce Harper

8

Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies

Max Scherzer

8

Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals

Aroldis Chapman

8*

Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox

Paul Goldschmidt

7

Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals

Manny Machado

7*

Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres

Jose Ramirez

7*

Cleveland Guardians

Aaron Judge

7*

New York Yankees

Only seven players in this year's All-Star Game have made seven or more appearances in the midsummer classic. It's clear just how much more difficult it is to sustain a streak of All-Star appearances in the modern game.

Twenty-five All-Star appearances certainly seems an impossible feat nowadays, especially given that even the lengthiest MLB careers don't often span 25 seasons. That's not to take away from Aaron's iconic career, in which he was an All-Star in 21 of his 23 years in MLB. Still, Aaron, and some others who played in the late 1950s and early '60s, benefitted from four seasons with two All-Star Games, helping them pad their tallies.

In today's game, there's much more emphasis placed on injury prevention and, as such, more time spent on the recovery process. This is best evidenced through the recent surge in UCL injuries and the subsequent Tommy John procedure required to repair the injury. That surgery comes with an extremely lengthy recovery process, effectively robbing some pitchers of a full season or more of their career.

The way the game is played today, with so much more attention to detail, a more complete array of statistics and advanced metrics and more focus on injury prevention, Aaron's record of 25 All-Star appearances won't be broken any time soon, if ever.

His temperament is his greatest gift, and both Sam Konstas and his friends expect him to profit from it if he makes his Test debut come Boxing Day

Alex Malcolm23-Dec-2024Sam Konstas stood in front of a huge media throng on the outfield at the MCG on Monday and looked not a day older than the 19 years and 82 days that he is.It was his third visit to the MCG this summer, having been there for a Sheffield Shield game in late October, and an Australia A game in early November.There was arguably more media peppering him with questions on Monday than patrons in the crowd for those two MCG first-class games combined.Related

MCG pitch to have 'pace, bounce and excitement', but what about runs?

Konstas' MCG debut confirmed, Head faces a fitness test

Konstas handed Test call-up as changes loom for Australia

Will Konstas put an end to Australia's musical chairs at the top?

McSweeney 'devastated' by Test omission

If he were to make his Test debut on Boxing Day against India, he would become the fourth-youngest Australian to do so behind Ian Craig, current captain Pat Cummins, and Tom Garrett.And he would do so in front of 90,000 or more fans.You could have heard a pin drop in the MCC Members’ when he faced his first ball from Scott Boland in the Shield game back in October. On Boxing Day, if the crowd is anything like that India-Pakistan 2022 T20 World Cup game at the MCG, the first ball he could face from Jasprit Bumrah might sound like a sonic boom.”I think it’s just another day for me,” Konstas said while acknowledging his debut is yet to be confirmed. “Obviously, it’s a bit more special. Got my parents coming. Pretty simple, just back myself and see-ball-hit-ball really.”That clarity of mind is part of the reason he stands on the precipice of debuting for Australia at such a young age. The naivety and brashness of youth are seen as a strength, not a weakness.”The way he approaches the game, it does not bother him who he’s coming up against,” New South Wales and Australia team-mate Sean Abbott said of Konstas. “He’s pretty unfazed. And I’d imagine, should he get the opportunity, it’d be pretty similar. From what I’ve seen so far, I’d probably say it’s his most admirable attribute.”Sam Konstas is the third-youngest player in Sheffield Shield history to score twin hundreds in a match•AFPPart of it also comes from his relationship with former Australia allrounder Shane Watson. Konstas counts Watson as an idol and a mentor. The entire Watson family is set to fly down to Melbourne should he make his debut.Konstas is a disciple of Watson’s mental skills teachings. The former Australia allrounder has written a book called and has turned it into an online course to help young cricketers hone their mental skills. It is the story of his own mental journey from being paralysed by an intense focus on results during his Test career to discovering and implementing a simple process-driven mindset in his successful late-career renaissance in T20 franchise cricket. He has worked with New South Wales as a mental skills consultant, having already been a mentor to Konstas since he was 16.In that sense, Konstas might be the best mentally prepared 19-year-old to have ever been thrust into such a scenario given what he understands.Konstas was asked if he had been studying videos of Bumrah in preparation for a possible face-off. “Nah, not really,” he said. “I’ve watched him quite a bit, but [I am] just trying to be in the moment. Hopefully, I get the opportunity on Boxing Day.”How he got here is even more remarkable. As late as October 7, barely anyone in Australian cricket had given a thought to Konstas playing Test cricket this summer. By October 11, after becoming the third-youngest player in Sheffield Shield history to score twin hundreds in a match, he was being compared to Ricky Ponting and there were demands for him to be picked immediately.

“The way he approaches the game, it does not bother him who he’s coming up against. He’s pretty unfazed”Sean Abbott on Sam Konstas

Nine days later he was at the MCG under the microscope. Not one, but two Australian selectors – coach Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide – watched him face Boland and Victoria at the MCG after chairman of selectors George Bailey had been in Sydney for his twin centuries.He made 2 and 43, sawn off by a dubious lbw in the first innings and undone by some immaturity in the second. There were glimpses that he was a player for the future, but it looked like he wasn’t quite ready for the here and now.Scores of 0 and 16 against India A in Mackay served to further consolidate that view. On his return to the MCG on November 7, he did not open the batting in the second A game, a further sign he was not likely to be chosen for the first Test. But his second innings of 73 not out batting at No. 4 showed a different set of gears. He struck seven fours and a six and played some outrageous shots in a tricky, pressurized chase.Nathan McSweeney’s temperament, his consistency of method, and his early-season form saw him get the Test nod over Konstas. But ironically the consistency of method across a brutal series so far has now gone against McSweeney and for Konstas.McSweeney’s struggles have been clear. He is 4 for 15 from 66 balls against Bumrah in the series. He is not alone there, with Usman Khawaja (4 for 17 in 71 balls), Marnus Labuschange (2 for 6 in 72 balls), and Steven Smith (3 for 20 in 54 balls) also having problems against Bumrah.But McSweeney is 57 off 146 against the rest of India’s attack, striking at just 39.04. It is the lowest strike rate of all of Australia’s top nine against Indian bowlers not named Bumrah. McSweeney has paid a price for being too similar to Khawaja and Labuschagne in method, and they have survived because they are doing more damage at the other end.Sam Konstas scored 107 off 97 balls against the Indians late last month•AFP/Getty ImagesKonstas over the last month has proved he can be the “different look” that Bailey and the selectors want to throw at India. His 107 off 97 in Canberra against all of India’s bowlers bar Bumrah backed up his last innings in the A series. He added 88 off 146 against a good Western Australia attack that featured Australia ODI quick Lance Morris and A spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, with his first 55 coming off just 64 deliveries. He then smashed a 20-ball half-century on debut for Sydney Thunder in the BBL, albeit against an Adelaide Strikers attack that McSweeney himself made 78 not out off 49 on Sunday night.It is understood a decision had been made to add Konstas regardless of the BBL scores, as they are no indicator of anything in relation to facing Bumrah on Boxing Day.There’s no guarantee Konstas will play either, as a decision is still to be made. But even at his first Australia training session on Monday, he looked completely unfazed. He kept his net session short, not trying to impress or over-exert facing deliveries that he didn’t need to face. It was eye-opening compared to the hour-plus nets that Khawaja, Smith and Labuschagne had. He was one of the few Australian players to help his team-mates out by flinging balls to Labuschagne before leaving the optional net early, joking with a couple of team-mates on the way out with the air of a 30-year-old veteran.He was asked about being compared to his mentor Watson on social media. “I don’t look through too much on social media, but I’ll take it as a compliment,” Konstas said. “I like to take the game on and put pressure on the bowlers. I think he’s [Watson] a legend of the game, and hopefully I can do that this week if I debut.”

It was Zampa’s first breach of the ICC’s code of conduct in a 24-month period

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2025Australia legspinner Adam Zampa has been reprimanded for the “use of an audible obscenity” during the first ODI against South Africa in Cairns on August 19. It was his first offence in a 24-month period and he was given one demerit point for a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.The incident occurred in the 37th over of South Africa’s innings, when after a misfield and overthrow while he was bowling, Zampa was heard using “inappropriate language” over the stump microphone on the television broadcast.He was charged under article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “use of an audible obscenity during an International Match.” There was no need for a hearing with the match referee Andy Pycroft as Zampa admitted his mistake and accepted the sanction. Level 1 offences have a minimum penalty of a reprimand and a maximum of a 50% fine of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.Australia lost the first ODI to South Africa by 98 runs. Zampa took 1 for 58 in ten overs in the game. The second and third ODIs are in Mackay on Friday and Sunday. Australia won the preceding T20I series 2-1.

The Premier League season is now starting to take shape as we head into a busy festive period, and there have already been plenty of surprises.

Whether it be Sunderland’s return or Liverpool’s struggles, there have been numerous talking points so far, and FootballBlog have transformed the top flight table to a cost per point basis.

Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

This table is made up of each of the 20 Premier League sides’ total summer transfer spend in 2025, divided by points they have earned in the first 11 games of the season.

Rank

Club

Summer spend

Cost per point

1

Aston Villa

£28m

£1.56m per point

2

Crystal Palace

£49.9m

£2.94m per point

3

Fulham

£35.1m

£3.19m per point

4

Brighton

£67.7m

£4.23m per point

5

Brentford

£92.8m

£5.8m per point

6

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£7.59m per point

7

Everton

£124m

£8.27m per point

8

Man City

£185.8m

£8.45m per point

9

Leeds

£103.1m

£9.37m per point

10

Tottenham

£171.2m

£9.51m per point

11

Sunderland

£183.4m

£9.65m per point

12

Burnley

£97.7m

£9.77m per point

13

Arsenal

£267m

£10.27m per point

14

Man Utd

£232.4m

£12.91m per point

15

West Ham

£131.3m

£13.13m per point

16

Chelsea

£296.5m

£14.83m per point

17

Nottingham Forest

£182.5m

£20.28m per point

18

Newcastle

£256.3m

£21.36m per point

19

Liverpool

£446.5m

£24.81m per point

20

Wolves

£105.6m

£52.8m per point

20 Wolves £52.8m per point

Based off the fact they only have two points from a possible 33, it is no surprise to see Wolves rock bottom of this table as well.

The Old Gold spent over £100m in the summer, so their cost per point so far is extortionate.

19 Liverpool £24.81m per point

Defending champions Liverpool were the biggest spenders by far over the summer, spending just under £450m on the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez.

Aside from Ekitike, the Reds’ new additions have struggled massively and as a result, every point Arne Slot’s side have picked up has cost them just shy of £25m.

18 Newcastle £21.36m per point

Pressure is building on Eddie Howe and Newcastle after a poor Premier League start, with the Magpies forking out more than £250m in the summer.

Record signing Nick Woltemade started brightly, but Newcastle are in the relegation zone in this cost per point table at more than £21m for each of their 12 points.

17 Nottingham Forest £20.28m per point

Now onto their third manager of the season, Nottingham Forest are showing positive signs under Sean Dyche and are out of the bottom three in this table.

The Reds spent just under £185m after qualifying for the Europa League, meaning Evangelos Marinakis has spent over £20m per point so far.

16 Chelsea £14.83m per point

Chelsea were the second-biggest spenders in England over the summer, with Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens their three most expensive additions.

The Blues have started in solid fashion after their Club World Cup triumph, so a cost of just under £15m per point so far isn’t terrible for Enzo Maresca’s side.

15 West Ham £13.13m per point

This could have been so much worse for West Ham if they hadn’t picked up back-to-back wins prior to the international break.

Now on 10 points from 11 games, the Hammers spent £131.3m over the summer under Graham Potter, but now have Nuno Espirito Santo in charge.

14 Man Utd £12.91m per point

Unbeaten since September, Man Utd are seemingly beginning to find some form under Ruben Amorim, with marquee signings Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha impressing.

The Red Devils spent more than £230m in the summer, and their haul of 18 points works out at just shy of £13m per point.

13 Arsenal £10.27m per point

Top of the Premier League table after a brilliant first 11 games, Arsenal are mid-table in this cost per point league after forking out £267m on new players as they aim to finally lift the title under Mikel Arteta.

Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were the marquee additions in attack, although it has been the Gunners’ defence that has impressed.

12 Burnley £9.77m per point

Newly promoted Burnley are just above the relegation zone but sit clear of it in the cost per point table.

The Clarets brought in the likes of Kyle Walker over the summer, and he’s so far helped them to 10 points in 11 games.

11 Sunderland £9.65m per point

The big success story of the season so far has been Sunderland’s return to the Premier League. After eight years away, the Black Cats signed 13 new players at a cost of £183.4m, many of which have made an instant impact.

Sitting in the top four, Regis Le Bris’ side sit down in 11th here, but that won’t bother them one bit.

Now a senior voice in a new dressing room, de Kock comes into the Proteas set-up with fresh perspectives

Firdose Moonda30-Oct-2025Quinton de Kock had to walk away from his childhood dream of becoming an international cricketer to realise he hadn’t quite fulfilled as much of it as he wanted. And he did it quietly.After South Africa lost last year’s T20 World Cup final in heart-wrenching fashion by seven runs to India, de Kock, in his words, “disappeared”.He hadn’t retired from T20Is, hadn’t said any goodbyes, and simply wasn’t named in any of South Africa’s squads. Rob Walter, now the former white-ball coach, spent press conference after press conference saying he hadn’t spoken to de Kock and had no idea of his future plans until, eventually we stopped asking.Everyone – with good reason – assumed, de Kock was done. He popped up in T20 leagues as one spring came and went, but by the time another arrived, de Kock had spent enough time in the cold.Related

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

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

Bosch, Hendricks and Linde brush aside Pakistan in series opener

“I missed the camaraderie and the whole thing of representing the Proteas,” de Kock said in his first media interaction post-comeback. “I’d played so much for the Proteas over the years that I kind of forgot about that feeling, as a kid that’s grown up to be a Proteas cricketer.”After having a bit of a break from the team, that childhood dream came back.”Many players say this kind of thing when they walk away: the achievements will blur into the background and it’s the friendships they’ll miss. Some keep them going at league level, and de Kock has, but not many return to make new connections. De Kock has decided that’s what he wants.”What I’ve really enjoyed is all the new faces,” he said. “There’s only a handful of the guys who are still here from when I left. Now I’m playing with a whole bunch of youngsters, new guys, new coaching staff, so it’s quite refreshing. I’m making some new friends now and there’s a new style within the team.”

“I’ve always been used to being one of the young guys in the team. So it’s a bit of a shell shock”Quinton de Kock

Those words may sound strange to those, like many of us, for whom de Kock is still the uber-talented 20-year-old who burst into South Africa’s squad in late 2012. But 13 years have passed, de Kock is 32 and is South Africa’s 10th most-capped international across all formats. Not much has changed about his public persona – he still “just doesn’t watch cricket,” – and didn’t say much about the women’s team making their first ODI World Cup final, but he’s no newbie. He is a senior and he intends to behave like one.De Kock’s second innings could see him play the 2026 T20 World Cup and the home ODI World Cup in 2027•Associated Press”Apart from trying to win games, I’m going to try to help youngsters grow in their careers. Obviously, I play a lot more international cricket than a couple of the guys on the team, so I’m just here to help them out where I can,” he said. “When I started, one of the big guys that I stuck close to, and is now one of my very good friends is Dale Steyn.”He taught me a couple of lessons along the way that really helped my career. A couple of the youngsters have been asking me questions and how to improve their game, so I’m happy to be here and help where I can, kind of like what Dale did for me. If I make an impact in their careers, it will be great. It’s very different, me coming back as one of the older guys. I’ve always been used to being one of the young guys in the team. So it’s a bit of a shell shock.”Equally, it will take some getting used to that de Kock, a former captain, is not guaranteed a place on reputation alone and he knows it. “I don’t think the door is completely open for me,” he said. “I still need to come here and score runs.”After only two matches, the comeback’s sample size is small but de Kock hasn’t had it all his way. He was out for 1 against Namibia earlier this month and made a good-looking 23 off 13 balls against Pakistan in the first T20I. Both times, he sliced the ball to fielders, which may indicate a little patience is required. De Kock’s time away, mostly spent as father to a young daughter, is likely to have taught him some. With the calendar head, he has more than enough matches to show it.De Kock has scored 24 runs in two T20I innings since his return•Getty ImagesSouth Africa play two more T20Is against Pakistan followed by three ODIs. Then, after two Tests in India (which won’t feature de Kock), they will play three ODIs and five T20Is in India in preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup. If de Kock is included in the India series, it would be a strong sign that he is being considered for the World Cup, but he isn’t thinking that way yet.South Africa are also co-hosts with Zimbabwe and Namibia for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Now that de Kock has reversed the ODI retirement he announced in 2023, he will also be eligible to play in that event.”When I spoke to Shukri [Conrad, head coach], I said I’d like to play for as long as I can, however long that’s going to be. Obviously, I’d like to play in a couple of World Cups in that timeline,” he said. “I said to him ‘Look, I’ve disappeared for a year or two but now I’m back to play for as long as I can. I’m still pretty fit. I feel fitter than ever at the moment. My body feels great, so I’m going to push it for as long as I can. I haven’t set a deadline or timeline.”