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He proved smart batting and hard running can be equally effective

Deivarayan Muthu11-Oct-20205:25

Manjrekar: Kohli wills himself to do things that are beyond him

The Dubai pitch was slow and two-paced. Virat Kohli had started slowly against one of the best death-bowling teams in IPL 2020. But, he rose above everything.He entered in the third over after Deepak Chahar had stormed through the defences of Aaron Finch with an inswinger. Devdutt Padikkal, the other opener, too was tentative against Chahar’s swing. Kohli, though, stood outside the crease and resolutely defended him. He bedded in to calmly push the Royal Challengers to 65 for 1 in the tenth over.In the next over, Padikkal and AB de Villiers looked to force the pace off Shardul Thakur, but both were foxed by Thakur’s cross-seamers. Then in the 15th, Kohli tried to force the pace against Sam Curran by shimmying out, but got too close to a bouncer and spliced it over the keeper for six. He had a sheepish smile and gesticulated that he had skied it off the back of the bat. This wasn’t a track where you could simply throw your bat around and get away. That six was the only real risk that Kohli took until then and he managed to get away with it.Otherwise, he manipulated the field smartly by dinking the balls into the gaps. He ran like the wind and ramped up the pressure on the Super Kings’ slow-moving legs. Even a gun outfielder like Faf du Plessis fumbled once as Kohli hustled for the second. Fifty of Kohli’s 90 runs came via singles and doubles, and in all he faced a mere five dots in his 52 balls. He had reached his half-century off 39 balls when he got on top of the bounce and swivel-pulled Thakur to the boundary.The plan from Curran was to take the ball away from Kohli’s reach, but Kohli planted his front leg, latched onto the width and shovelled him with the wrists over long-on. Just like that, he dismantled the best-laid plans of Curran. The left-arm seamer then straightened his line, but this time Kohli jumped down the track, manufactured his own length and shovelled him flat over square leg for six.Thakur turned to the slower offcutter in the 19th over, but Kohli, having stepped out, delayed his loft and used his bottom hand to swat it straight of wide long-on. Kohli often unleashes his bottom-hand swat over midwicket, but on Saturday, he was wisely taking on the short straight boundaries rather than the longer leg-side boundaries.Then, in the final over, off Dwayne Bravo, Kohli did something out of the ordinary. He anticipated an on-pace wide yorker, jumped across off, and scooped him to the vacant fine-leg boundary despite falling on the floor. He didn’t quite nail it like his good friend and team-mate de Villiers does, but he reaped reward for his “intent” to accelerate, something that was missing in the Super Kings’ chase, according to their coach Stephen Fleming.ESPNcricinfo LtdKohli didn’t find the boundary off the next five balls off Bravo, but his intent and urgency meant that he still scored nine runs – 2,2,2, 2, 1. He isn’t a big power-hitter like Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, or Hardik Pandya, but instead he tries to make up for that with hard-run twos. Six-hitting is probably the best approach at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, but on the bigger grounds in the UAE, Kohli’s style has worked for the Royal Challengers. In that Super Over against Jasprit Bumrah at the same ground, Kohli had rocked up along with de Villiers, despite struggling to 3 off 11 balls in regulation time, because he felt that he could do the job with singles and doubles alone.In the 2016 T20 World Cup match against Australia in Mohali, Kohli did the job with his frenetic running, even stretching MS Dhoni at the other end. “He needs to pay me for running all his runs,” Dhoni had quipped then, when asked about completing runs that wouldn’t have been possible most times. More than four years later, on a similar bigger ground in Dubai, Kohli changed the game with his running, but this time Dhoni was behind the stumps for the Super Kings.After being on 34 off his first 30 balls, Kohli, in his own way, amassed 56 off his next 22. “It is [about experience] and understanding conditions and playing respect to the game,” Kohli told host broadcaster Star Sports at the post-match presentation. “When you don’t get too far ahead in the game, then the game rewards you in the end with something extra and then push you forward.”I think it’s every important to be respectful of the conditions you’re playing in rather than arriving onto the field and thinking I’m going to hit everyone onto the second tier of the stadium. That’s what experience is. Having played so much cricket and T20 cricket, I understand – and the batting group understands – that if you’re in at the death overs and you have a score behind you and if you’re hitting well, you can capitalise big time.”Later in the Super Kings’ chase, both Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson fell inside the powerplay, trying to knock the leather off the ball. It was Kohli’s perfect assessment of the conditions and his acceleration that proved the difference between the Royal Challengers and the Super Kings.

Key numbers from Henry’s stunning 23-ball 62 that lifted UP Warriorz from 89 for 6 to 177, before Grace Harris’ hat-trick got the job done

Deep Gadhia22-Feb-202518 – Balls taken by Chinelle Henry to get to her fifty, the joint-fewest in the WPL alongside Sophia Dunkley, who also took 18 balls to score her only WPL half-century against RCB at Brabourne in 2023.62 – Henry’s score of 62 is the highest while batting at No. 8 or below in Women’s T20s. The previous highest was an unbeaten 57 by Jersey’s Grace Wetherall against Germany in 2023.It is also the highest score by a batter batting at No. 6 or below in the WPL.Related

Gujarat Giants look for top-order runs and first win in Bengaluru

Chinelle Henry lights up Chinnaswamy with Andre Russell-inspired 'range hitting'

3 – Grace Harris became the third bowler to take a hat-trick in the WPL, after her Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma in 2024 against the same opposition, and Mumbai Indians’ Issy Wong against Warriorz in 2023.8 – Sixes hit by Henry in her 23-ball knock of 62, the most in a single innings in the WPL, alongside Sophie Devine – Devine had done it en route to 99 against Gujarat Giants at the Brabourne in 2023 – and Ashleigh Gardner – Gardner did it during her 79 in this season’s opener at Vadodara.ESPNcricinfo Ltd269.56 – Henry’s strike rate is the third-highest for a batter scoring a half-century in the WPL. Devine’s 275 and Shafali Verma’s 271.42, both against Giants in the inaugural season in 2023, take the top two spots.57 – Runs added by Henry and Sophie Ecclestone for the eighth wicket – the second-most in this tournament for the eighth wicket or lower after the 70 added by Ecclestone and Grace Harris against Giants in 2023.67 – Runs scored by the UP Warriorz in the death overs (overs 17-20), the second-most by a team in the WPL, bettered only by their own 68 against Giants in 2023.21 years, 195 days – Kranti Goud became the second-youngest player to take a four-wicket haul in the WPL after Wong, who dismantled Warriorz in the Eliminator in 2023.3 – Players who have taken four-wicket hauls in this match in Jess Jonassen, Goud and Harris – the most four-fors in a WPL match. No other match had more than one player with a four-for, in 52 matches previously played in the tournament.

This week has been an eventful one for the Chicago White Sox in ways that have had nothing to do with their play on the field.

On Thursday, Cardinal Robert Prevost—a lifelong fan of the team who attended the 2005 World Series—was elected Pope Leo XIV. Five days later, eight of the team's former players banned in the "Black Sox" scandal were posthumously reinstated from their lifetime suspensions.

The Black Sox scandal is probably the most famous scandal in the history of North American sports—endlessly debated, dissected, revived and handed down from generation to generation. The reinstatement of its principals, accused of throwing the 1919 World Series, is a hugedeal. The problem is that the generation that heard the story from their parents—and mythologized it in all kinds of media—is dying off.

With this in mind, here's a look back at the Black Sox scandal—what caused it, what happened, who the eight men involved were, and how it entered American legend.

What were baseball and the world like when the Black Sox scandal took place?

In the early 20th century, baseball—not unlike gambling—was a vaguely disreputable profession. Salaries were small, and the men who played it, though famous, were overwhelmingly working-class. The appeal of tanking games was considerable. Over a dozen players were banned from baseball before the Black Sox; the Louisville Four and 1916 National League batting champion Hal Chase are among the most notable.

In 1919, baseball and the United States were in transition. World War I and the recent flu pandemic had affected every corner of the country. In a bid to make money as the economy recovered, baseball's leaders expanded the World Series from a best-of-seven to a best-of-nine affair.

Chicago won the American League pennant that year, besting Cleveland by 3.5 games. Its three best players by bWAR were pitcher Eddie Cicotte, outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and pitcher Lefty Williams—all of whom had helped the team win the World Series two years prior. Its manager was former two-way player Kid Gleason, and its owner was another ex-MLBer in Charlie Comiskey.

How did the scandal unfold?

First baseman Chick Gandil—the scandal's ringleader—met with Boston bookie Sport Sullivan in Sept. 1919, and the two put a plan in place to fix the World Series in exchange for $80,000 (about $1.4 million in April 2025). What happened next is hazy: accounts of Jackson and infielder Buck Weaver's involvement or lack thereof are disputed. The movement of gambling lines, however, was enough to raise alarms with the press even before the Series between the White Sox and Cincinnati Reds began.

Cicotte hit the first batter of Game 1, Reds second baseman Morrie Rath, in the back to indicate the tank was on. Cincinnati went on to win it five games to three, but the story does not end there.

Late in 1920, with Chicago again battling for the pennant (it lagged just behind Cleveland in a tight race), seven of the eight alleged conspirators were suspended by Comiskey himself amid a grand jury inquiry into the previous season's series. The punishments dealt the White Sox's pennant chances a death blow and opened the door for Cleveland to pull away—and eventually win its first title.

The summer of 1921 saw the "Black Sox" tried on nine counts of conspiracy to defraud. The proceedings gripped the nation and raised allegations of major underworld figures' involvement, most famously New York mob boss Arnold Rothstein. The players were eventually acquitted, but that did not stop Kennesaw Mountain Landis—the holder of a new position, "commissioner of baseball," created by the owners—from banning the eight players for life.

Who were the eight banned players and what happened to them?

The scandal touched players of all ability levels, from stars to reserves.

Eddie Cicotte, pitcher

Michigan native who was in his late 30s when he confessed his involvement to a grand jury (which he later recanted). Knuckleballer was one of the best hurlers of the World War I era, a league leader in bWAR ('17), wins ('17 and '19), and ERA ('17). Worked several jobs in the Detroit suburbs and died in 1969.

Happy Felsch, center fielder

Son of German immigrants who came up playing in Milwaukee. Had been enjoying a career year in '20—.338/.384/.540 with 14 home runs and 115 RBIs—when he was suspended. Played unsanctioned ball in the prairie west—Manitoba, Montana and Saskatchewan—and died in 1964.

Chick Gandil, first baseman

Minnesota-born son of Swiss immigrants known for his temperamental personality. A so-so first baseman whose play was in decline when he initiated the fix through his meeting with Sport Sullivan; his best years came with the Washington Senators earlier in the 1910s. Wrote an article discussing his involvement in the scandal for SI in 1956; died in 1970.

Shoeless Joe Jackson, left fielder

The most famous and controversial of all the Black Sox; a South Carolina native with very little formal education. Best years came with Cleveland in the early 1910s, but was still recognizable as (in modern terms) an All-Star-caliber player when he hit .375 in the '19 Series. The first of the Black Sox to die, doing so in 1951 after years spent playing and managing lower-level teams under pseudonyms.

Fred McMullin, third baseman

Kansas native raised in Los Angeles who debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1914. Fringe player said to have overheard plans to throw the series and demanded to be involved, on pain of his teammates having their plan exposed. Held several jobs in California; died in 1952.

Swede Risberg, shortstop

San Francisco native who was just 24 when he agreed to assist Gandil. Glove-first shortstop slashed just .080/.233/.160 in the World Series. Played some lower-level baseball and died in 1975, when he was noted as the last living Black Sox.

Buck Weaver, third baseman and shortstop

Pennsylvania native who only ever played big-league ball for Chicago. Capable hitter (and one of baseball's most effective bunters) whose ban stemmed from him knowing about the White Sox's scheme and not reporting it. As was the case for Jackson, his potential reinstatement eventually became a cause celebre; he died in Chicago in '56.

Lefty Williams, pitcher

From Missouri; enjoyed a 23-11 career year in 1919 before the World Series. Lost three games in the Series, a record that was tied by George Frazier of the New York Yankees in 1981 but has not been broken. Played in several unsanctioned leagues, mostly in the Western United States; died in 1959.

What was the Black Sox's legacy?

Most immediately, the scandal shook public confidence in baseball and emboldened its owners to bring in the autocratic Landis as judge, jury, executioner and commissioner. Landis served as MLB's commissioner for 25 years, and his name—when not being cited to criticize his slowness on the issue of integration—remains a byword for iron-fisted rule in sports.

The scandal became something of a touchstone for America's Lost Generation—the demographic who, as young adults, had seen much of their spirit broken by World War I. In , narrator Nick Carraway—a veteran of that war, as author F. Scott Fitzgerald was—wonders how a Rothstein-indebted mobster character "could start to play with the faith of 50 million people."

As the 20th century wore on and baseball's history-industrial complex boomed, the scandal was canonized as North American sports' most significant. Two books ensured its immortality. In 1963, Eliot Asinof wrote , a deep dive into the scandal that compellingly argued for Weaver's innocence. In 1982, W.P. Kinsella wrote , a mystical fantasy about a farmer who builds a ballpark in his cornfield so that a ghostly Jackson may play on it. The books were turned into the acclaimed movies and , respectively.

With Jackson (and Cicotte) now candidates for the Hall of Fame, interest in the scandal only figures to grow. In some ways, the chain of events set off in Boston all those years ago has never really ended.

Confusion over whether opening batter Muneeba Ali was actually deemed run-out caused a brief stoppage in the fourth over of Pakistan’s chase against India in their World Cup match in Colombo, with Pakistan querying the decision on the edge of the boundary while the dismissed batter Muneeba remained on the edge of the field of play.The sequence of events that led to the confusion was unusual. First, Muneeba had not been attempting a run – she had been batting out of her crease (presumably to counter swing) as India appealed for an lbw off the bowling of Kranti Goud. As that appeal went up, Muneeba had promptly grounded her bat behind the crease before the throw from Deepti Sharma came in from the slip cordon. However, she had very briefly raised her bat off the ground again without having grounded any other part of the body behind the line, and it was in the moments her bat was slightly raised that Deepti’s throw hit the stumps and dislodged the bails.ICC Playing Condition 30.1.2 does allow for a batter to lose contact with the ground beyond the crease and not be given out, but that exception is only granted to a batter who is “running or diving towards her ground”. Muneeba was merely stepping back into the crease, and there was no momentum that would have necessitated her bat leaving the crease.The playing condition states: “However, a batter shall not be considered to be out of her ground if, in running or diving towards her ground and beyond, and having grounded some part of her person or bat beyond the popping crease, there is subsequent loss of contact between the ground and any part of her person or bat, or between the bat and person.”Related

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The confusion was partially caused by conflicting third-umpire decisions being flashed on the big screen. Muneeba was initially given “not out” on the screen and even the India players had returned to their places. But that decision was soon changed to “out”, prompting celebrations from the India players and a puzzled expression from Muneeba, who animatedly sought clarification from the on-field umpires.It is possible third umpire Kerrin Klaaste had first given Muneeba not out before having seen the footage beyond Muneeba’s initial grounding of the bat. It is likely that after seeing the full set of replays – where Muneeba raised her bat again – Klaaste changed her decision.Once the on-field umpires confirmed she was out, Muneeba began to leave the field, but a flurry of activity near the Pakistan dugout gave her pause. She seemed to be getting instructions from her team-mates to remain on the field while they queried the decision again, this time from fourth-umpire Kim Cotton, who was at her station in between the two team dugouts. Muneeba was seen to be in further discussion with her team-mates – captain Fatima Sana in particular – as next batter Sidra Amin stood on the edge of the boundary without entering the playing area.Eventually, Sana appeared to signal to Muneeba that she may leave the field, likely having received further clarification surrounding the dismissal. Amin entered the field and went on to take strike. The incident caused a stoppage that went for several minutes longer than a regular run-out would take.Muneeba would also have been given out lbw off that delivery had India reviewed the on-field umpire’s not out decision. Her dismissal left Pakistan 6 for 1 in four overs in their chase of 248.

With greats having made way, a new generation of cricketers will take centre stage in Dubai

Alagappan Muthu13-Sep-20253:30

Maharoof: I want to see next Virat, next Babar

Big picture: A new twist on an old taleA new generation of India and Pakistan players comes together at a time the contest has taken on enormous consequence.The greats are gone. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have to settle for a place on the couch. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will need to produce tickets to get into the game. A page has inevitably turned – just as it did to bring those four into centre stage – and now it is the time of Abhishek Sharma and Saim Ayub and Salman Agha and Shubman Gill.In different circumstances, this might have been a salivating prospect. Intriguing at the very least. But Sunday will mark the first time India and Pakistan play against each other in this changed climate after Pahalgam. And maybe as the game goes on and there is a pretty shot or a perfect ball, we’ll feel that old flutter. Someone new to root for (or against, because that is fun too). There are plenty of contenders.Form guideIndia: WWWLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan: WWWLW2:02

Chopra: Shutting out the noise is not possible

In the spotlight: Suryakumar Yadav and Salman AghaIn five T20Is against Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav has never been able to cross the score of 20. Batters who have such an intimate relationship with risk do go through lulls. The thing is, though, breaking out of them might be as easy as connecting one shot in exactly the way they want.Related

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Salman Agha set Pakistan on their path to catch up with the rest of the world, demanding his batters to err on the side of glorious abandon. He isn’t exactly a natural when it comes to that either, but over time, the allrounder learnt to tailor his strengths to keep up with the pace of T20 cricket. Four of his eight fifties in the format have come this year.Team news: India likely to stick with Samson and KuldeepWith pitches in the UAE tending to play slow, India seem comfortable playing just the one specialist fast bowler in Jasprit Bumrah, with Hardik Pandya and, if needed, Shivam Dube offering seam-bowling cover. That leaves ample room for a left-arm wristspinner (Kuldeep Yadav), a mystery spinner (Varun Chakravarthy) and a containment specialist (Axar Patel).India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy8:26

Wahab: Haris Rauf has to come back against India

Pakistan also have seam-bowling allrounders in their ranks capable of allowing the team to invest heavily in spin, which is what happened in their Asia Cup opener. They may however want to bring Haris Rauf back.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Sufiyan Muqeem, 11 Abrar AhmedPitch and conditions: Big match on a hot nightDubai is not a high-scoring venue. The average run rate in the first innings over the last two years – that’s 36 T20s – is 7.7. Fast bowlers have picked up more wickets in this period (277 out of 441) but spinners have been more economical (7.03 vs 8.36). There is no rain expected, but the heat is likely to be stifling.Stats and trivia The team chasing has won seven of the eight T20Is between India and Pakistan since the start of 2014, including the three that have taken place in Dubai Hardik Pandya is the leading wicket-taker in the men’s T20Is between India and Pakistan, with 13 strikes from six innings. He took three three-fors in those six innings and averages only 12 runs per wicket with the ball. Since their previous meeting in T20Is at the T20 World Cup, India have recorded a run rate of 9.66 (third best among Full Members) in men’s T20Is, while Pakistan are 8.12 (seventh best among Full Members).Quotes”We’re very lucky with Sanju, Axar and Hardik – guys who can bat anywhere from up the order to 7-8. So it’ll be part of our strategy to use our versatility when conditions are a little bit tough, like we expect them to be.”
“It’s a big game, and fans from both countries care deeply about it. But it’s important for us to follow our processes in the same way, and work on improving our execution.”

Jason Gallian to take charge for final weeks of difficult first season for Tier 1 team

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2025

Andy Tennant has stepped down as Essex Women’s head coach after less than a season in the role. Tennant was appointed last year to take charge of the club’s first fully professional women’s team after Essex were awarded Tier 1 status, but departs with a record of five wins across all competitions.Despite securing a maiden trophy for Sunrisers in the final season of the regional women’s structure, he was unable to produce the same success with a group at Essex featuring many of the same players. They are out of contention in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, with one win and eight defeats, and finished second from bottom in the Vitality Blast group table. Essex were also knocked out by Tier 2 Yorkshire in their only game in the T20 County Cup.”With the break in the fixtures for the Hundred, it has been an opportunity for both the club and myself to reflect and look ahead to next season,” Tennant said. “Following those conversations, it feels like now is the right time to step aside and seek my next opportunity.Related

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“I am proud of what we have achieved together as a group and I would like to thank Essex for giving me the opportunity to continue the job we started with the Sunrisers three years ago. I wish the club well and I am confident this outstanding group of young female athletes will continue to develop and go from strength to strength.”Danni Warren, Essex Women’s performance director who worked alongside Tennant at Sunrisers, will continue to oversee the team, with Jason Gallian, chair of Essex’s cricket committee, leading the coaching staff for the final month of the season. Essex’s hunt for a new women’s head coach will begin during the off season.”I have built a strong working relationship with Andy since he joined the Sunrisers in 2022, which culminated in the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy triumph during our final season in 2024,” Warren said. “The transition of the group to Essex has been an exciting challenge, and Andy’s hard work in ensuring this process was as seamless as possible has been hugely important to the progress we have made on and off the field.”He should be proud of what he has achieved during his time at the club, which has also included many individuals starring in this year’s Hundred competition and representing their country at international level. We all wish him the very best of luck in his future endeavours within the game.”

Manchester City began the 2025/26 season with a point to prove after a disappointing campaign last year, where they finished 13 points behind champions Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola’s side were uncharacteristically inconsistent, struggling for rhythm and creativity.

This summer brought change. In came Rayan Cherki, Tiijani Reinders, and Rayan Aït-Nouri to refresh an aging squad, while a handful of younger talents were sent out on loan to gain experience.

City’s start to the new season has been mixed – four wins, a draw, and two losses after seven Premier League games – but one constant has been the form of Erling Haaland.

After scoring the decisive goal in the 1-0 win over Brentford on Sunday, Haaland looks back to his devastating best.

And while he dominates the present, Guardiola’s eyes are firmly on the future.

Most notably, on a 20-year-old striker currently making waves in the Championship.

Erling Haaland's stunning form in numbers

At 25 years old, Haaland remains the spearhead of Manchester City’s attack and arguably the most feared finisher in world football.

Valued at around £165m by Transfermarkt, the Norwegian forward has already scored nine goals in the Premier League this season, adding three more in the Champions League.

His sharpness in front of goal was evident again on Sunday when he scored in the ninth minute to secure three points against a stubborn Brentford side.

Haaland’s record in Manchester speaks for itself: 136 goals in 155 appearances.

His power, timing, and composure make him the ultimate reference point for Pep Guardiola’s tactical structure, even as the manager experiments with a refreshed lineup.

Beyond his finishing, Haaland’s work rate and movement continue to set the standard for the squad’s younger forwards.

Crucially, his form could be what drags the club back into the title race. For club and country, he’s netted a staggering 16 goals in his last nine matches.

Yet behind the scenes, there is an understanding at the Etihad that Haaland won’t shoulder the burden forever.

The club’s long-term planning is already underway—and that’s where one of England’s most promising young strikers enters the conversation.

Manchester City's future Haaland

Divin Mubama may not yet be a household name among Premier League fans, but those following the Championship will know the Manchester City loanee is beginning to deliver on his potential.

The 20-year-old, who joined City from West Ham after rising through the Hammers’ academy, has impressed on loan at Stoke City – scoring twice while wearing the No.9 shirt.

Stoke currently sit fifth in the Championship, and Mubama has been pivotal to their early-season form.

Having played in all nine matches so far, he’s shown maturity beyond his years.

Analysts predicted his success before a ball was kicked, with Ben Mattinson claiming he would be “one of the best in the Championship” if given a full loan spell.

Statistically, Mubama’s profile is hugely promising. Compared to positional peers in Eurpe, he ranks in the 86th percentile for successful take-ons (1.08 per 90 minutes), showing his confidence to beat defenders; the 91st percentile for tackles (1.21 per 90), evidence of his work ethic out of possession; and the 99th percentile for interceptions (0.54 per 90), highlighting his reading of the game.

Physically strong and dominant in the air, he also ranks in the 73rd percentile for aerial duels won (3.09 per 90) and 76th for blocks (0.81 per 90).

Internationally, Mubama has been capped at every youth level for England and made his U21 debut in a 2-0 win against Kazakhstan.

At club level, his rise has been steady. He scored 16 goals in 14 games for City’s U21s and already has senior experience in Europe, having featured for West Ham in both the Europa League and the Conference League – the latter of which he helped win in 2023.

He even marked his first senior goal for City in an emphatic 8-0 FA Cup victory over Salford City, a glimpse of what might lie ahead.

Mubama’s blend of technical ability, movement, and physicality makes him the ideal apprentice to Haaland.

The two strikers, though at different stages of their careers, embody Guardiola’s long-term vision: an emphasis on power, precision, and adaptability.

With Mubama’s performances at Stoke drawing praise and Haaland rediscovering his lethal edge, Manchester City’s attacking future looks secure.

If the young Englishman continues his upward trajectory, he could well be the next great forward to define Manchester City’s modern era.

Better than Haaland: Man City must regret selling "the best player in PL"

Manchester City let this top talent slip through their fingers.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 3, 2025

Match edging towards a draw after rain and bad light at Durham

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 24-Jun-2025

Debutant Gurinder Sandhu starred for Sussex on day three of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Durham, but the match is edging towards a draw after a mix of rain and bad light caused play to end early at Banks Homes Riverside.Durham had a tough morning with Australian Sandhu (5 for 83) taking the role of chief tormentor, picking up a five-wicket haul on debut as Durham lost their final four wickets for 26 runs to leave them on 327, a first-innings deficit of 34.Durham bounced back through Matthew Potts after lunch to put Sussex under pressure at 27 for 3, but James Coles was once again a thorn in the home team’s side as he led a Sussex recovery with another fifty.After several disruptions because of rain and bad light across the afternoon, play finished early with Sussex on 111 for 4 at close, 145 runs ahead.Resuming on 249 for 5, it was Graham Clark and Bas de Leede’s job to get Durham quick runs and whittle down the 112 deficit as soon as possible.Durham’s top run scorer Clark continued his fine form as he reached fifty from 89 balls, but Sussex bowlers Ollie Robinson and Sandhu restricted run-making opportunities with a new ball, which was taken just prior to close on day two.Robinson got the breakthrough for Sussex removing Clark for 51 as the Durham man attempted to pull a short ball, but he got an edge through to John Simpson behind the stumps.George Drissell came to the crease as Jofra Archer began his first spell of the day, but he and de Leede managed to negate a four-over burst successfully.Durham broke the Sussex shackles as de Leede pulled back-to-back Sandhu balls to the boundary, but the Australian bounced back as Drissell pulled a short one straight to Fynn Hudson-Prentice who was running in from the boundary, which left Durham seven down.Things went from bad to worse for Durham as Sandhu got his fourth, removing Ben Raine for 10 as he chipped one straight to Tom Clark at cover. Then Potts didn’t last long as he edged a Robinson delivery behind to Simpson for 2.Sussex then wrapped up the Durham first innings as Sandhu picked up the final wicket, with Sam Conners caught behind for 7.Sussex’s second innings got off to a bad start as Potts struck without a run on the board, with the England man getting Daniel Hughes for a two-ball duck as he chopped on to his off-stump.Durham got the Kookaburra ball talking as Ben Raine got Tom Clark for 10, with the Sussex No. 3 edging behind to Ollie Robinson behind the stumps. Potts then got his second, bowling Tom Haines for 12 to leave Sussex in trouble.First innings centurion Coles and Danial Ibrahim soaked up some pressure as the task for Sussex changed from quick runs to survival.Two rain delays either side of seven deliveries from Conners and de Leede delayed Durham’s hunt for wickets, with an early tea taken.Coles, who batted so well on day one, flicked a Conners delivery off his legs for four and he followed that with a nice shot through the third region off the bowling of de Leede.He then pulled a Conners delivery to the boundary, which continued his excellent match, but there was yet another interruption as the players went off for bad light, which preceded more rain.Coles resumed after a third delay with a crunching straight drive off Drissell, and he passed fifty for the second time in the match, this time from 65 balls.The 21-year-old then lost his wicket as Raine bowled him for 53, but the players were off for bad light soon after and when the rain started again, play ended prematurely, with the game drifting towards a draw.

The board hopes to bail out last season’s teams who haven’t paid their players fully

Mohammad Isam26-May-2025The BCB will introduce revenue distribution for the first time in the BPL in a bid to bail out last season’s teams that haven’t cleared their dues to players. The decision was taken during the BPL’s governing council meeting in Dhaka on Monday.The payment issue came to the fore last season after Durbar Rajshahi’s overseas players boycotted a match over non-payments. Their local players had also skipped a training session during the tournament as a mark of protest. Towards the end of the tournament, the payment delay left some of the overseas players stranded in their hotel in Dhaka.After Durbar Rajshahi kept missing the payment deadline, Bangladesh’s sports ministry put pressure on the team owner Shafiqur Rahman.The BCB, in principle, has decided to allocate a portion of the tournament’s ticket sales to the seven franchises according to their final position in the points table. The four teams that reached the playoffs last season will get Taka 5.5 million (US$45,000 approx.) and the ones that didn’t reach the playoffs Taka 4.5 million (US$36,000 approx.).”This is the first time that the BCB will distribute revenue from ticket sales to BPL franchises,” a BCB statement said. “The disbursement, scheduled ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, will be conditional upon the verification of payment acknowledgments from the respective players.”The BCB also threatened legal action against the franchises that are still defaulting on payment obligations.”The final disbursement amount for each franchise will be determined proportionally, based on the percentage of outstanding player payments they have cleared relative to their eligible share,” the statement said. “In addition, the Governing Council has decided to pursue legal action against any franchise that continues to default on payment obligations despite repeated official notices. This decision reflects the BCB’s commitment to ensuring contractual accountability and maintaining the integrity of the league.”