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The allrounder was preferred ahead of Shoaib Bashir as England’s only spinner for the day-night Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Dec-20252:10

England hedging their bets on Will Jacks is ‘worrying’

Allrounder Will Jacks will make his first Test appearance in three years after leapfrogging Shoaib Bashir as England’s spinner for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.Jacks, a left-field pick for the tour of Australia, will replace fast bowler Mark Wood, who was ruled out through injury. It will be the Surrey allrounder’s third Test cap, having earned his first two in Pakistan in 2022, taking 6 for 161 on debut in the first Test in Rawalpindi.The 27-year-old was one of multiple spinners on both those occasions but now finds himself not just thrust into an Ashes with England 1-0 down, but as their primary spinner in the day-night Test, which begins on Thursday.Jacks has played just five first-class matches in the last two seasons, and took just five wickets in three County Championship appearances in 2025 at an average of 38.80. Should he pick up a wicket in the upcoming Test, it will be only his 50th in first-class cricket since debuting in 2018.Related

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He has been used intermittently as a spinner in limited-overs cricket, with 50 caps across ODIs and T20Is with just nine wickets. It helped his case for selection on the tour that he had spent the summer working with head coach Brendon McCullum upon his return to the limited-overs set-up in May. Jacks was subsequently awarded a two-year central contract in October.”It’s something I’m really looking forward to,” told the ECB’s in-house media. “To be on an Ashes tour in the first place is something I wouldn’t have been expecting a few months ago. But it’s been amazing to be here, be around this team… to be in the XI is a dream come true, to play an Ashes series away from home.”Personally, I’ll just be looking to add a little bit to the team in each three facets of the game. I know I can effect the game in a positive way like that, and I’ll just be doing my best to support whenever the team needs me.”Obviously I play a lot of white ball cricket under lights and hopefully that will suit me and the conditions won’t feel too foreign to me. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to getting out there and trying to do my best.”Will Jacks was included in England’s side for the second Test•PA Images/Getty

Though primarily a tactical decision to opt for Jacks given he is a far superior batter to Bashir, it marks a significant moment in the latter’s career. Since becoming Ben Stokes’ No.1 spinner from the start of the 2024 summer, debuting in India earlier that year, this is the first time Bashir has been left out.The 21-year-old missed the last two Tests against India this summer with a broken finger on his left hand, though he did take the final wicket in a thrilling victory at Lord’s having suffered the injury in the same game. That bravery further enamoured him to Stokes, who has been Bashir’s biggest advocate since spotting him two years ago on social media bowling to Alastair Cook on first-class debut for Somerset against Essex.He has since gone on to earn 19 caps, taking 68 wickets at 39.00 but is now without a county after his deal with Somerset expired at the end of the season, though he is on a central contract. After making England’s 12-man squad for the first Test at Perth, Bashir now finds himself lower down in the pecking order.Ironically, part of the attraction to Bashir is his high release point and the over-spin he imparts on the ball – characteristics England deem vital in Australia based on Nathan Lyon’s success. That Lyon boasts an impressive record across his 13 day-night Tests – 43 dismissals at 25.62 – has prompted England into changing their all-pace tactic from the first Test.”Talking about the tactical element of a day-night game, you do try to look at Australia,” Stokes said. “They play a lot of day-night cricket here, how they use their spinner as an attacking option, or more to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights. There’s both those elements we will consider with how a spinner is to be used in a day/night game.”England XI: 1 ⁠Zak Crawley, 2 ⁠Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 ⁠Harry Brook, 6 ⁠Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 ⁠Brydon Carse, 11 Jofra Archer

Sunderland have now reportedly made contact in the race to sign a teenage sensation, who is on course to leave his current club as a free agent next summer.

Le Bris praises "demanding" Premier League ahead of Liverpool clash

Sunderland just do not know when they’re beaten in the Premier League. They are writing a blueprint that every newly-promoted side must follow to secure survival and their comeback victory against Bournemouth followed that plan to perfection.

The Black Cats came from two goals behind to secure a dramatic victory and keep hold of their place in the top six after 13 games. With Liverpool at Anfield up next, things don’t get any easier, but Sunderland have relished the challenge of upsetting the odds so far this season.

Regis Le Bris was full of praise for both his side and the Premier League itself following Sunderland’s victory over Bournemouth, telling reporters: “This league is really demanding. You make two mistakes and are punished.

“With the ball, we are good, so just keep pushing. We are able to hit their defence, and it was important to be clinical in the box. I think here we have a great energy in the stands. If we give a lot on the pitch, then they will react. We deserved to win in the end.

“It’s important to play game after game. We went to Fulham last week and we lost. We were dominated. We go again. It’s positive to start this week with three points. It’s an exciting league with tough challenges but we want those challenges.”

Survival, which almost looks guaranteed already, would be a major achievement on the pitch, but it would also make an impact away from the action. The Black Cats are already thinking about the future on that front, targeting Rangers teenager Bailey Rice.

Sunderland make contact to sign Bailey Rice

According to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones, Sunderland have now made checks on Rice, who is on course to leave Rangers as a free agent next summer after rejecting the Gers’ contract offers.

The 19-year-old became the club’s youngest post-war player to make a Scottish Premiership appearance in 2023, but now looks destined to leave Ibrox with Sunderland, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City all queueing for his signature.

Manchester City were also tracking the young midfielder when he decided to leave Kilmarnock, only for Rangers to jump in and secure his arrival.

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For Sunderland, it would therefore be a major coup to land a player of Rice’s potential. Man City’s initial interest highlights how highly he’s rated in England and praise from Rio Ferdinand echoed that earlier this year.

The Manchester United legend said on commentary when Rangers squared off against Manchester United last year: “I tell you what, I’m liking Rice by the way, he’s come on and looked composed, the kid’s got something about him, he’s got a lovely left foot on him.”

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Radha Yadav says “only the fielding part changed the momentum” in the fourth T20I where India restricted England to 126 with a supreme performance in the field

Valkerie Baynes10-Jul-2025Charlie Dean was face down and covered in dirt, so you couldn’t read her lips or hear her voice over the celebrating Indian fans, but the violent jerk of her head suggested an expletive or two may have been uttered.Her dismissal, and frustration at it, summed up England’s woes and India’s strength in the fourth T20I all at once; England failed to mount a challenge and their opponents were hungry, as illustrated by their superb fielding display.So, when Dean reverse-swept Radha Yadav straight to short third, yet set off for a single only to be sent back by partner Sophie Ecclestone, N Shree Charani fired the ball to the keeper’s end with speed and accuracy and Richa Ghosh whipped off the bails as Dean dived in vain.Related

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Charani, who only made her T20I debut at the start of this series and is the leading wicket-taker, already had two wickets for the match and England were 101 for 7 after electing to bat. They added 25 more runs as Ecclestone and Issy Wong attempted to give themselves something to bowl at.But India took the spoils, thanks firstly to Charani and fellow left-arm spinner Radha, who was named the Player of the Match for her 2 for 15 and contributions to India’s efforts in the field, which was a big improvement on the previous match at The Oval, which England won by five runs in the last over.In the fourth T20I at Old Trafford on Wednesday, India’s batters also showed what could be done on a pitch they had exploited with their spin-heavy attack when openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on a strong powerplay and Jemimah Rodrigues finished their pursuit of 127 with three overs to spare.”We spoke in the last meeting that we have to cut down the twos and we actually did that today and we were really pumped up to do that,” Radha said. “Only the fielding part, I thought, changed the momentum.”

“She probably would’ve batted through that on that wicket and got us to a score that we could have defended”Tammy Beaumont on the missing Nat Sciver-Brunt

Just as important for India had been delivering on a promise to themselves to take home a maiden T20I series victory on English soil, which they can now do with an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match to play on Saturday.”The day we came here, we spoke about eight matches and we were like, we will go absolutely hard at them no matter what,” Radha said. “The belief and the dedication this time is really different. I don’t know about the past, but this time, this team, this atmosphere, magical this is, and we are actually onto something. We want to create something big going forward.”So this is the path we want to go [on] and there’s still a lot of things we have to correct. We have that in our minds, but… this is a different team and we are going to dominate no matter what. Batting-wise, we are doing so well, but particularly bowling and fielding sets the tone for us. Batting has been really good, but bowling and fielding we touched upon and it is showing in the results.”Radha Yadav was named the Player of the Match•Getty ImagesSave for two minor blemishes – when Sophia Dunkley beat Deepti Sharma at cover point for the first boundary of the match, off the 15th ball, and when Amanjot Kaur, seeming blinded by the sun as she ran the wrong way from deep backward square leg and failed to stop a four off Tammy Beaumont – India were flawless in the field.Arundhati Reddy took three cool-as-you-like catches in the deep to remove Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Beaumont and Paige Scholfield, and Radha took a sharp, low catch at backward point to dismiss Dunkley, reaching for a slower, wider delivery as Deepti pulled her length back to the advancing batter.Radha also did brilliantly running and diving to her left to stop what had looked like a certain four as Scholfield attempted to pierce the gap between deep midwicket and long-on. Amanjot took a blow to her right wrist fielding off her own bowling as Scholfield struck the ball firmly back at her but she took a wicket two balls later, pinging the top of middle and off as Amy Jones backed away to give herself room.Charani trapped Alice Capsey lbw for 18 off 21 deliveries and Scholfield’s dismissal left England six wickets down before they had reached the 100-run mark. Dean followed and the hosts walked off at 126 for 7.Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh sealed the chase•ECB via Getty ImagesBeaumont, England’s stand-in captain while Nat Sciver-Brunt is injured, conceded that was 20 runs too few.England have lost 22 wickets to spin so far in this series, as India have persisted with the same four-spinner, two-seamer attack throughout, and Beaumont also acknowledged the hole left by Sciver-Brunt in offering a counter to that.”Nat Sciver-Brunt is irreplaceable, isn’t she, really? She’s come off as the leading run-scorer in the WPL, so she would’ve known the bowlers we’re facing inside out,” Beaumont said. “Her experience through that middle order and how aggressive she is and particularly the way she plays spin, it’s really aggressive, and she’s a real boundary-hitter for us. She probably would’ve batted through that on that wicket and got us to a score that we could have defended.”We’re so lucky to have someone like Nat, but her workload’s incredibly high and, unfortunately, these things happen. We’ve got three games where people need to step up into those shoes for just a little bit and hopefully she’s back and raring to go for some 50-over cricket for the next few months.”The final T20I will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday followed by a three-match ODI series starting in Southampton on July 16.

Glasgow Rangers are currently enjoying the last international break of the year before their season runs through until March 2026, which means that Danny Rohl has two weeks to assess his start to life at Ibrox.

The German head coach came in to replace Russell Martin in the dugout, after the Scottish boss endured a dismal tenure in Glasgow, and was thrust straight into action with a Europa League clash against Brann within a couple of days.

Rohl has already managed six matches as the Gers head coach, winning three of them, and this international break is his first chance to settle down and take time to plan for the future.

The January transfer window is less than two months away and it will be interesting to see what moves the former Sheffield Wednesday boss wants to make with the squad.

It has already been reported that Genk central defender Mujaid Sadick is a target for the Scottish giants, with an enquiry having been made, which suggests that Rohl wants a new centre-back to bolster his backline.

Whilst incoming signings will be on the agenda, it will also be interesting to see who the head coach decides to part ways with when the January transfer window opens for business.

Rangers players whose futures may be in doubt

There are several players in the first-team squad whose futures at Ibrox are in doubt because of their lack of minutes on the pitch in the 2025/26 campaign.

Per Transfermarkt, Clinton Nsiala has not played a single minute of football under Martin, Stevie Smith, or Rohl, and that may put his future into doubt unless that changes in the next few weeks.

Football FanCast recently published an article suggesting that the 21-year-old centre-back should be given an opportunity to shine, after the Gers won seven of the 11 matches that he played in the Scottish Premiership last season.

So, whilst his future may be in doubt, Rohl should look to provide the French talent with an opportunity to impress before making a final decision on his situation.

Attacking midfielder Nedim Bajrami is another player who may be considering his future at Ibrox ahead of the January transfer window, due to his lack of minutes on the pitch this season.

The Albania international, who was signed from Sassuolo in the summer of 2024, has only played 170 minutes across ten appearances in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign, per Transfermarkt.

Nedim Bajrami in 25/26 Premiership

Opposition

Minutes

Dundee

Unused substitute

Hibernian

Not in matchday squad

Kilmarnock

Not in matchday squad

Dundee United

Unused substitute

Falkirk

7

Livingston

8

Hearts

13

Celtic

14

St Mirren

Not in matchday squad

Dundee

Not in matchday squad

Motherwell

17

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the former Serie A playmaker has rarely been used in the Premiership this season, with zero minutes under his belt under Rohl in the division.

It was reported that there were offers on the table for Bajrami in the summer transfer window, which suggests that there may be enough interest in January to finally cash in on him.

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Whilst rarely-seen players like Nsiala and Bajrami may be moved on in January, rightly or wrongly, Rohl and Thelwell should also look to cash in on a player who is currently considered a first-team star, Mohamed Diomande.

The central midfielder was compared to Zidane by Turkish legend and TV pundit Nihat after the 3-1 win against Fenerbahce in the Europa League in March of last season.

After an assist in the win for the Gers, Nihat said: “Mohamed Diomande was brilliant – like the best of Zinedine Zidane – thank God they substituted him.”

However, eight months on from that incredible comparison to the Real Madrid and France legend, Rangers should ruthlessly cash in on the midfielder in January.

Why Rangers should cash in on Mohamed Diomande

Turkish side Besiktas reportedly made an offer of £10m to sign the Ivorian midfielder from the Light Blues during the summer transfer window, but that was not enough to tempt them into selling. He was also linked with a possible move to Premier League side Everton.

This suggests that there are teams who are interested in signing the left-footed star from the Gers, which means that there could be an opportunity to cash in on him when the January transfer window opens for business.

If a team are willing to pay £10m or more for the central midfielder in January, it would represent a great deal for the Light Blues because they only paid £4.3m to sign him from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2024.

The 24-year-old star did impress in the 2024/25 campaign, with six goals and nine assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt), including a goal against Celtic at Parkhead in March.

However, the central midfielder’s form has taken a nosedive in the current season, unfortunately, and it may be the right time to cash in on him at the start of next year.

Mohamed Diomande (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

8

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.45

Goals

4

0

Key passes per game

1.2

0.5

Assists

7

0

Duels won per game

4.4

2.9

Ground duel success rate

57%

46%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

25%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Diomande’s performances in and out of possession in the Premiership have declined significantly, as he has struggled in all phases of play in the league this term.

On top of his struggles domestically, the central midfielder has started one match in the league phase of the Europa League this season and was sent off for a challenge on Genk’s El Ouahdi.

Because of his inconsistency, from last season to the current one, and his dismal performances in the Premiership, it could be the right move for Thelwell and Rohl to part ways with the midfielder in January.

Selling Diomande in January could avoid a situation where his performances continue to decline and he is worth even less in the future, and it would provide the new manager with funds to bring in his own players.

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Of course, the risk is that the Ivorian could recapture his best form elsewhere, but this could be the best course of action given what has happened so far in the 2025/26 campaign.

ESPNcricinfo learned the groundsman was concerned by the presence of a number of Indian players and support staff on the square

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jul-20250:35

Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated argument with the Surrey head groundsman Lee Fortis, two days ahead of the fifth and final Test between India and England at The Oval. Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis, and repeatedly telling him he was “just a groundsman”. Fortis warned the former India batter he would report him to the ICC match referee if he continued to “swear” at him.India arrived in London, having kept the series alive after drawing the fourth Test in Manchester, and had an optional training session on Tuesday. As has been the norm, members of the support staff arrived early before the players and Gambhir, along with the assistant coaches, joined them.Although Fortis did not divulge details of his run-in with Gambhir when questioned by reporters, ESPNcricinfo understands he was not happy with the Indian team using the majority of the main square for their training session. He was also concerned by a few players and coaches getting too close to the pitch.India’s assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak was talking to Fortis when Gambhir intervened. Fortis was heard telling Gambhir not to “swear” and that if he continued to do so, he would “have to report to the match referee.” Kotak and Fortis continued to chat by a side net. Gambhir asked Kotak to “not get into a discussion” with Fortis and that he could go and report to the match referee.When Fortis cautioned him again, Gambhir was heard saying: “You stop it. You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman, you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman.”The main concern for Fortis was that with plenty of cricket still to be played at The Oval this summer – stretching into early September – he needs to protect the pitches as much as possible. When he pointed this out to the visitors, India’s support staff told him it would be difficult to stay off the area around the three practice pitches provided for training.5:43

Kotak on what led to the altercation

‘It’s a cricket pitch, not an antique’

Kotak later said they felt “awkward” at being asked to stay a certain distance from the pitch despite not wearing spikes.”When some of us coaches went to see the wicket, a member of the groundstaff said stay away at least 2.5 metres, which was a little surprising,” Kotak said. “Because it is the pitch, the match is starting day after, it will be a five-day Test, and we’re standing in our joggers, so we felt a little awkward.”Kotak did not expand on the exchange between Gambhir and Fortis. “[We were] just looking at the wicket, with rubber spikes, day after there’s a Test match there, there’s nothing wrong [with that]. Curators also need to understand the people they are talking to, they are highly skilled and intelligent. For example, if you go on the ground now where we practised, you won’t even see that any bowler in the outfield would have marked with his spikes. That all comes from the head coach. We try and see this ground also doesn’t get damaged.”Kotak hinted tempers might have flared due to the tone of communication. “When you’re working with very intelligent and highly-skilled people, if you sound a bit arrogant or if you come across like… you can be protective, but at the end of the day it is a cricket pitch. It is not an antique where you can’t touch, because otherwise if it is 200 years old it can be broken.”We were standing there [on the square] with rubber [spikes]. You tell me a day after a batsman will be sliding to survive a run-out, a bowler will be sliding to stop the ball, so you tell me; maybe he [Fortis] is thinking we are trying to grow the grass. I mean I don’t know. He said that we are trying to get this grass [on] the next wicket to the centre wicket. I don’t know how much grass will grow in one day and what will happen in the next five days. [We understand] You want your ground to be good, the square to be good, but end of the day it is a cricket pitch.”England have a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with the final Test due to begin on July 31.

England batter trades playing in franchise league for off-field role but remains contracted for her country

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2025Heather Knight has opted out of playing in next year’s Hundred to take up a role as London Spirit’s first women’s team General Manager.In a move that signals Knight, the former England captain, could be considering taking a larger step back from her playing career after the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil, her new franchise role involves offering technical support to coaching staff as well as acting as a sounding board for the on-field leadership team from the dugout on match days. She will work closely with Mo Bobat, London Spirit’s Director of Cricket.”I’m delighted to take up this new role with London Spirit,” Knight said. “I have absolutely loved my time at the franchise, as a player and also as a coach in last year’s edition of The Hundred.In addition to the T20 World Cup, England will also host the first Women’s Test match at Lord’s, against India in July, and Knight expects to play a key role in both under her ECB contract, which has another year to run.”I am still very much committed to and passionate about playing for England and Somerset, but this is a huge development opportunity for me,” she added. “It gives me the chance to learn from one of the best minds in the global game, in Mo, and broaden my experiences outside of my playing career. I am so excited for everything to come, on and off the field, in 2026.”Related

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Knight captained London Spirit in the first four editions of The Hundred, including to the 2024 title. Her new off-field role is a progression from the 2025 season when she acted as a team mentor and coach while recovering from a serious hamstring injury.Knight lost the England captaincy in March after a nine-year stint which ended with a winless Ashes tour of Australia at the start of 2025. She tore her hamstring tendon from the bone while batting against West Indies in May which sidelined her for much of the home summer but she recovered to be England’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. She finished with 228 runs at 48.00 and a strike rate of 85.71 as her side exited in the semi-finals.Knight had foreshadowed a move into sports administration in 2023, when she completed her Masters of Leadership In Sport at the Institute of Sports Humanities, co-founded by former England Men’s national selector Ed Smith. Her dissertation focused on balancing traditional international interests with the growth of domestic franchise leagues in the women’s game.Bobat described Knight as “an asset in every sense of the word”.”Heather’s deep understanding of the women’s game, and of what is required to perform at the highest level make her the ideal person to be our first Women’s General Manager,” Bobat said. “She knows what it takes to win The Hundred and the franchise will benefit from having one of the game’s leading current players in such a key role.”I’m looking forward to working closely with Heather and excited at the prospect of her forming a trusted partnership with our Women’s Head Coach. It’s also great to be able to support Heather with her long-term ambitions and future career transition. I know how passionate she remains about playing for England and her unwavering commitment to representing her country.”

CA’s medical staff will look into Khawaja’s back spasm and the coach says the batting order will be discussed leading into the Brisbane Test after Head’s heroics

Alex Malcolm24-Nov-2025Australia coach Andrew McDonald has said there will be further investigation into Usman Khawaja’s back issue in the lead-up to the Brisbane Test and admitted the selectors have “a lot to consider” around the batting order after Travis Head’s match-winning performance as a stand-in opener.Australia’s players and staff flew to their home cities on Sunday after the first Ashes Test finished inside two days in Perth.Khawaja’s back spasms have become a major talking point, with the 38-year-old unable to open in both innings and only able to bat once in the game. He also dropped a catch at slip before leaving the field in England’s second innings.Related

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McDonald confirmed that the medical staff would look into the injury further as Khawaja has never suffered a back spasm of that nature in his lengthy career.”There was discussions around further investigation to whether it was more serious than what we sort of first anticipated,” McDonald said on Monday. “So we’ll work through that. We’ll get a squad together. We’ll step through everything that we normally step through.”We get to camp in six days’ time. It’s a long way out, a lot of information to gather between now and then, and hopefully Usman is fit and available for selection.”I think anytime you spasm, it’s a result of something going on in your back. So I think that further investigation is just due diligence around that. You spasm for a reason. He hasn’t had it before, so that’s what will probably entail a bit more further investigation.”My gut feel is that it should be okay, but as I said, we’ll wait for that information to present.”McDonald dismissed Khawaja’s age as a reason for the back issue flaring up. Khawaja did play 18 holes of golf on each of three days leading into the Test match (54 holes in total), something he had done previously leading into a Test without issue. But McDonald, like CA chief executive Todd Greenberg, reiterated that it had never caused a problem before.”These things can happen,” McDonald said. “And I don’t think you can join the dots to something around his age. I think it’s just one of those things that’s happened.”Travis Head smashed his way to an extraordinary 69-ball century•Getty Images

McDonald was asked whether Head’s extraordinary performance in the second innings, where he made 123 off 83 balls to win the Test match, would cause a rethink about a permanent change at the top of the order.”We’ve got a lot to consider,” McDonald said. “Batting orders are always debated heavily over a period of time. Middle order players haven’t been sort of the ones that have been the popular ones to open the batting. So we’ll discuss and work through what it looks like.”I think it gave us a little bit of a lens potentially to the future in terms of adjusting batting orders in second innings, which is something that we have discussed. To be able to put different people in different positions with the scenario that was presented. So this one happened probably through a bit more chance and obviously the unfortunate injury to Usman. But I think it really probably opens up that discussion more than, more than anything else for us.”Australia’s selectors do not have a history of making a change off a sample size of one innings. Steven Smith made 91 not out in an unsuccessful fourth innings chase in his fourth innings as an opener but the experiment was shelved after he averaged 28 across eight Test innings in the role.The impact Head had on the pink-ball Test in Adelaide last year, where he made a match-winning century at No. 5 in Australia’s first innings having been shielded from batting in a difficult period under lights on the first night, will also be a key factor in any decision to move him permanently to the top for Brisbane. Head had looked reasonably good in the first innings in Perth when he entered in the 16th over before shovelling a pull shot to mid-on.The potential to be flexible with Head looks more appealing to the coach.”We’ve sort of hypothesized around a middle order player going up to the top order if the second innings happened to flatten out,” McDonald said. “In particular, if we needed quick runs, and the wicket was going to deteriorate. So in our strategy and our planning, we have tabled that from time to time.”We’ve had a conversation around Travis opening the batting for a long period of time, and Trav’s has been on the record this week and previously around that also. I suppose, now that it’s out there, yeah, happy to talk about it. Will we do it? If it presents at the right time, potentially.”

It’s been three years since she played for her country, but allrounder hasn’t been short of job offers

Valkerie Baynes30-Jul-2025Amanda-Jade Wellington is something of a pioneer in women’s cricket.Still only 28 years old, Australian leg-spinner Wellington isn’t afraid to say she would choose the franchise circuit over an international career if it came to it, and is part of a new generation of women for whom that is a viable option.It’s arguably as much a case of Australia turning their back on her as Wellington moving on from them but, with her second Women’s Hundred season at Oval Invincibles starting against cross-town rivals London Spirit on Tuesday, Wellington is okay with that.”Personally, I think I’ve made the decision to stop playing international cricket,” Wellington tole ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “If there was ever an opportunity to play, I think I would personally prioritise franchise cricket over that.”I know it’s tough to say, but that’s something I really enjoy playing and it brings out the best of me in terms of personality and enjoyment. That’s one thing I’ve got to put first is my mental health and the way I play franchise cricket, the feeling and just being involved in it, is just a whole new level.”Don’t get me wrong, playing for Australia is amazing and it’s such an achievement. But to be able to travel the world, fly to different places, play a sport you love and just create bonds with so many different people and different franchises – the amount of people I’ve met – it’s ridiculous.”Wellington hasn’t played for Australia since the 2022 World Cup, the last of her 14 ODIs. She was part of the Commonwealth Games squad later that year but didn’t add to her eight T20 international appearances. She also has a solitary Test cap, having produced a Shane Warne-esque ball-of-the-century-style legbreak to remove Tammy Beaumont during the 2017 Women’s Ashes.She has since been overtaken by fellow leg-spinners Georgia Wareham and Alana King and is unable to break back into the Australian team, a fact she has come to terms with.”I absolutely love playing for Australia,” she said. “I’ve won a gold medal, I’ve won World Cups and I’ve got a baggy green. I feel like I’ve ticked all boxes, the feeling of playing for Australia and the achievement is unbelievable.”For me personally, I get more joy out of playing franchise cricket and that’s a personal thing. Someone else might be different, they might strive to play for Australia, but that’s just not me.Wellington’s prowess with the bat has been a vital part of her appeal as an overseas player•Andrew Miller”I’ve come to that realisation and I’ve come to that decision that for me, my mental health, I’m much better playing franchise cricket, being myself, being the person I am, rather than playing for Australia.”I just feel like if I play for Australia again, I’d be a whole different person and I don’t want to feel like that. That’s okay for me to say, because that’s how I feel.”Men’s cricket has seen a couple of high-profile international retirements in recent weeks, with South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen switching focus to T20 leagues and Andre Russell leaving West Indies while he has been pre-signed for this year’s SA20 and is expected to continue his IPL career.When Dane van Niekerk’s and Lizelle Lee’s South Africa careers ended, both took to franchise cricket to varying degrees, the latter playing domestic cricket in Australia and at the WBBL as recently as the season just gone.Deandra Dottin played franchise cricket only, including at the Hundred, before making her West Indies comeback, while Wellington’s Oval Invincibles team-mate Lauren Winfield-Hill – another who hasn’t played international cricket since 2022 – has been a regular in the Hundred and at the WBBL.

For me [and] my mental health, I’m much better playing franchise cricket, being myself, being the person I am, rather than playing for Australia.Wellington on the priorities in her career

But they remain the minority in a game where playing international cricket is still seen as the pinnacle.”I wouldn’t change my life for anything,” Wellington said. “I felt like I couldn’t be myself around certain people or certain teams. I feel a bit freer playing in the Hundred, playing at Somerset, playing in the WBBL. I feel more at home… it feels right.”That’s not to say franchise cricket doesn’t carry pressure of its own.”You’ve got all eyes on you,” Wellington added. “Being one of the overseas players, you’ve got a reputation of being one of the outstanding players or one of the MVPs. You’ve got to do all that you can for the team. Playing in franchise comes with that responsibility.”Another byproduct of the expansion of women’s franchise leagues is the prospect of keeping more players in the game for longer, on and off the field.Wellington said she was already thinking about opportunities beyond playing while she is part of tournaments run by major organisations around the world – “the networking stuff” – as she put it.The playing opportunity that has so far eluded her, however, is the WPL. She is keen to change that as early as next year and has been working on her batting in a bid to be recognised as a true allrounder.She took strides in that area when she was instrumental in taking Somerset to victory over Surrey in their opening One Day Cup fixture in April.Wellington had already taken three wickets when she arrived at the crease with her side, chasing a revised target of 238, needing 31 off 10 balls. She promptly struck four consecutive fours – six boundaries off seven deliveries in all – during an unbeaten 24 and Somerset ultimately won a last-ball thriller.