All posts by h716a5.icu

The Sri Lanka opener looks back on some of the most memorable moments in his career and ahead to his team’s future in Test cricket

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Feb-2025Dimuth Karunaratne looks back on his career as he prepares to play his 100th and final Test.You made your debut in Galle as well. What are your memories of that match?
I was shocked when I heard I was coming into the national squad. But what everyone said was that staying in the team is much harder than getting into the team. I went to the middle with so many expectations, and I got out for a duck first innings. I thought I’d lost all the hard work I ever did in just a moment. I was only there as an injury replacement, so I thought I’d never play for Sri Lanka again.I was moping around the dressing room, when Angelo Mathews came and spoke to me, and told me he’d got a duck in his first innings as well. Other seniors – Mahela Jayawardena, Marvan Atapattu and others – came and encouraged me. So, I played with a lot of determination in the second innings and managed to get 60 not out. But more than the actual cricket in that match, what I actually remember so clearly is all the advice I got in that dressing room. I was really broken after that innings. I wouldn’t have come this far without those players helping me pick myself up.Related

Kusal Mendis fights for Sri Lanka as Starc and Lyon stand out

Karunaratne toils his way to a place among Sri Lanka's greats

Karunaratne to retire from Test cricket after 100th appearance

There were some seriously great batters in the Sri Lanka team in your first few years. What was that like?
The club I played for was what was really important. When I started, SSC had Thilan Samaraweera, Mahela, Thilina Kandamby, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kaushal Silva, Jeevan Mendis – a lot of the Sri Lanka team was playing at that club. So, because I’d been around them and developed with them, there wasn’t a huge change for me when I got into the Test squad. They were also around to help me with raising my standards.I think the best thing about that time was the environment. There were some great cricketers I hadn’t shared a dressing room as well – Kumar Sangakkara, Rangana Herath, Prasanna Jayawardene. What I learned from being in that environment – about how to prepare mentally, especially – has been more valuable to me than skills. I think that positive dressing room environments are vital, which is why I focused on that when I was captain. For a player like me to get to 100 Tests, I needed to share a dressing room with those players.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat were the biggest mistakes you made early on?
Probably the biggest one was I would get quick starts and throw it away. I was really attacking back then and would get to 20 or 30 pretty quickly, in just a few overs. But I didn’t convert a lot of those. I hadn’t hit a hundred in my first 15 Tests, I think. I was making 30s, 40s, and 60s kinds of scores.Sanath Jayasuriya was the selector at the time, and he pulled me up. I played a series in England where I was giving decent starts but not converting it, and he dropped me. He said as long as I’m not converting my starts to hundreds, he wouldn’t consider me for selection. I thought at the time that when Sanga, Mahela, and others were around, my 30s or 40s are good enough. I didn’t realise how much I needed to convert those scores until I got dropped. I think my average also sits where it does because I didn’t make those good scores in my first 15 Tests.When did you start feeling like you belonged at this level?
Probably around 2017. While Sanga and Mahela were around, they didn’t let us feel a lot of pressure and responsibility. I changed my game a lot after they retired, and I started to score some consistent runs. That’s when I sort of realised how much more the team could be getting from me. I learned how to handle pressure better at the top level, and think I had a consistent run until 2023. I think right through those years I played with a lot of confidence.You’ve played in an era that’s especially tough on openers. What are your reflections on that?
Yeah, I do think I’ve played in a difficult era. The number of flat pitches I’ve batted on are very few – maybe five or six surfaces in the hundred? A lot of the conditions I’ve played on are bowling friendly, and on top of that you have to face the toughest bowling with the new ball when you open. But I think I eventually learned to adapt to that challenge – a lot of that was knowing which were the tough periods that you needed to see out, which changes from place to place. You learn a lot playing Test cricket.Dimuth Karunaratne continued to be a solid presence at the top for Sri Lanka•SLCHow hard is it for an opener to get to 100 Tests?
Openers do the dirtiest job in cricket. You’re facing fresh bowlers, on fresh pitches, and are playing the new ball sometimes after you’ve been fielding for a day or two. It’s a huge challenge. One thing I learned later was how to go on to bigger scores after you’ve survived the toughest part. Scoring that first 50 as an opener is hugely difficult compared to scoring 50 at No. 4 or 5. So it’s a huge miss if you fail to convert those tough starts – why let other batters score those runs, when you could be scoring them yourself?You’ve scored a lot of runs against spin, including against top attacks. But you barely play the sweep. How did that come about?
I learned that in 2017 in a series against India. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were bowling, and it was incredibly difficult to face them. Once they start bowling together there’s not a loose ball to be found anywhere. They tend to start bowling very early in the innings as well, so there’s just no chance to score. I learned a lot of patience in that series. I’d bat out their first spells, second spells, third spells, and eventually the loose balls started to come. In that series, I had a small, simple gameplan – I’m only playing these three shots, nothing else. It worked nicely. Ashwin couldn’t get me out lbw, or caught behind. And eventually, I could go into my scoring shots. I scored a lot of runs that series (285 in six innings).I kept applying that method to other bowlers, and it just kept working. I’d be patient early in their spells, and later find them much easier to negotiate. I didn’t ever really need to play a sweep shot and take a calculated risk when I batted like that. But I did play the reverse – which I could play much better than the sweep. That helped build run-scoring options on the off side because a lot of teams would have a packed leg side for me.

“I do think I’ve played in a difficult era. The number of flat pitches I’ve batted on are very few.”Dimuth Karunaratne on the challenges of being a Test opener

You once told me you had Dean Elgar’s ESPNcricinfo profile bookmarked, because he was a more established player at the time, and you wanted to catch up with his numbers. What other players have you targeted?
There are so many openers I’ve looked at, even former players. Graeme Smith, Alastair Cook who scored so many runs in England, which for me is the hardest place to bat. I wanted to know how he did it. But this was a habit that I picked up in the SSC dressing room. We used to look at each other’s stats and hundreds, and try to catch each other up. Tharanga Paranavitana was chasing Thilan Samaraweera, and then Kaushal Silva would be catching up. I just kept doing it. After Elgar retired, I looked a lot at the way Usman Khawaja was batting. There haven’t been that many openers consistently playing for longer periods, but I wanted to know how I compared to the best.But I’ve talked to these guys too, after a series, over a beer, with Elgar, Rohit Sharma, and others, and shared all that knowledge as well. How do they play when they go overseas? What’s my gameplan when I play in Sri Lanka? Sharing those stories, and statistics are a big part of cricket for me. When you’re old, you can still go on your profile and see what you achieved. It’s something that always drove me to improve my game and play longer.You’ve said in the past that Kusal Perera’s 153* is your favourite innings ever. But what about your own innings – any favourites?
There are two – my maiden hundred against New Zealand. It was the first match I was playing after getting back into the team, and there was so much pressure. I’d got out for a duck, and to hit a hundred in the second innings required a lot of thinking. That was a really tough hundred for me, against a great New Zealand attack.Then there’s my hundred at the SSC, against Jadeja and Ashwin. That was a pitch that took extreme turn. If I want to go and watch some of my past innings, those are the innings I go back to.Dimuth Karunaratne stood up to R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on a Colombo turner in 2017•Associated PressWhat about your hundred in Bengaluru? You got a standing ovation from the crowd and it was a pink-ball Test…
I’d put that third (laughs). There was a really tough period where we had to bat a few overs against the new ball under lights, and the end of one day, I remember telling Kusal Mendis that if I survived that period, I’d somehow get a hundred the next day. (Jasprit) Bumrah and (Mohammed) Shami with the pink ball were incredibly hard to see through that night. But then things got into a flow, and I could score runs. Probably my best innings as captain.All three of those came in losses…
(Laughs) Yes, that’s pretty sad. All of those were second-innings hundreds, and maybe that was the problem. If I’d hit them in the first innings, maybe we could have won those Tests.As soon as you got the Test captaincy, you won a series in South Africa in 2019. Was that the high point?
It’s the biggest highlight. Captaincy was never something I’d chased. I’d earlier been offered the vice-captaincy, and I’d turned it down. I was afraid of those big responsibilities because I thought it would affect my game. But then when they dropped Chandi (Dinesh Chandimal) from the team, the selectors called me and said they needed an experienced player to lead the team. I thought about it, and in the games I’d captained at lower levels, my batting had been good. So, I took the job.We had a pretty young team, and I just made sure that the environment was good. I didn’t try to change many things. I backed players and tried to make them comfort. In return I got a lot from my players. We didn’t think we could win a single Test there, but then we won the first one. And in the end, we whitewashed them 2-0. It’s one of my favourite chapters of my career.Under Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka toppled South Africa 2-0 in South Africa•AFPIs there a record you feel you missed out on, in your career?
Scoring 10,000 runs is something that I had had in mind for a long time. Between 2017, 2018, and 2019, when I was scoring a lot of runs, I thought I had a chance of getting there. But then we lost about a year and a half to Covid-19, and then Sri Lanka started to play fewer Tests after the World Test Championship (WTC) started. I felt then that it would be hard to get to 10,000 runs. You’d have to play 120-130 Tests. That’s something I am quite sad about – I was quite focused on that. After Sanga and Mahela, and I thought Angie would get there too – I’d have been the fourth Sri Lankan. To do it as an opener would have been really special.I also thought at times that I should finish with 20-25 hundreds. But with the conditions that we’ve had, you have to take a lot of risks to score runs, especially in Sri Lanka. I’ve also got 10 or 11 eighties and nineties, and regret not converting those as well.I also never got to play that World Test Championship final. We were close to getting there in the last two cycles. I’ve never been to a final even with the one-day team, so never got to experience that feeling. But what to do?

“I didn’t try to change many things. I backed players and tried to make them comfortable”Dimuth Karunaratne on his captaincy

There aren’t a lot of Tests coming up for Sri Lanka. What do think about Sri Lanka’s Test future?
I saw an article that said that from 2027, World Test Championship series will be three Tests minimum. If that happened, and we played four series a year, we’d get 12 Tests. Our past players have given us an incredible Test legacy, but if you look around at the landscape now, it’s always players from the same teams that are achieving those numbers – Australia, India, and Engand. They’re the ones who are breaking the records. I’d love to see Sri Lanka’s players get enough Tests to hit those big numbers too. Hopefully it gets better after 2027.Do you think you might be the last Sri Lanka cricketer to 100 Tests?
I’ve even said this, especially to guys like Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis who aren’t that far: “If things keep going like this, no one will be able to play 100.” Hopefully Sri Lanka Cricket can organise more bilateral series to try and push it.A lot of cricketers now are focusing on white ball cricket and leagues. I’m trying to push them towards Tests.To play 100 Tests, you have to play probably 60 to 70 at a stretch without getting injured very often or without getting dropped. But if your team only plays 60 or 70 Tests in a decade, getting to a 100 Tests would take a huge amount of time. If you have 12 Tests a year, you can get to a 100.As mostly a Test specialist in this era, you would have seen a lot of players make it big in the leagues without having to put in the kind of work that Test cricket requires. How have you felt about that?
I think that’s down to players’ luck and timing. The kinds of facilities and pay we get now, the likes of Arjuna Ranatunga, or Sidath Wettimuny, didn’t get. So, you’ve got to thank the past cricketers, for giving us that platform.I know white-ball cricket and league cricket have gone very far, but in my own heart I’m happy I’ve got to a 100 Tests over chasing millions in the leagues. When people reminisce about cricket, they think about Tests. We’re still talking about Don Bradman’s record, how many double-centuries he’s scored, in how many innings. Whatever happens to me from here, there might be a list that goes up on a Test broadcast, and my son or my grandchildren will see that. I’ve got that record for life, and beyond. That’s worth a lot to me.

It’s been a horror show with the bat for CSK in IPL 2025, and the hat-trick of losses at Chepauk underscores their inability to match the competition

Deivarayan Muthu12-Apr-20252:05

Is this the worst CSK have ever looked in the IPL?

At 10.27pm on Friday, CSK’s fortress Chepauk crumbled in front of empty stands. For the first time in an IPL season, they had suffered three successive defeats at home. Parts of the stadium had begun to empty out by 9.20pm, when CSK were limited to 103 for 9, their lowest total in Chennai. Even CSK’s most beloved fans couldn’t watch the horror show anymore.After CSK had struggled to 158 for 5 in pursuit of 184 against Delhi Capitals (DC) last Saturday, their coach Stephen Fleming had said it was “tough to watch” the chase. On Friday, CSK’s batting plumbed such depths that it might have been unwatchable.They meandered to 31 for 2 in the powerplay. They faced 20 dots during the phase and even allowed Moeen Ali to get away with a wicket-maiden. According to ESPNcricinfo logs, CSK’s batters offered an aggressive response to just five of the 36 balls they faced during the powerplay. They didn’t have the middle-order firepower to play catch up.Related

Free-falling CSK meet high-flying LSG in clash of contrasts

'Smart' KKR trying to 'fill those boxes on the go' to stay in the race

Hussey: 'We're certainly not putting the white flag up just yet'

CSK's lowest totals: where does the collapse against KKR rank?

Stats – CSK's firsts of the worst in the IPL

This has been a recurring problem for CSK in IPL 2025. The average powerplay score this season is 57. For CSK, that average is 45, which, of course, is way off the pace.Neither Devon Conway nor Rachin Ravindra are power-hitters. They rely more on timing. Rahul Tripathi has looked a pale shadow of the powerplay dasher he had once been, never comfortable against pace or spin this IPL.”Our openers not the ones who will start slogging or look to hit across the line,” MS Dhoni said after CSK were decimated by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). “But what is also important is not to get desperate seeing the scoreboard. You need, maybe, one or two boundaries and run rate keeps on going. If you start looking for 60 in six overs with our line-up, it will be very difficult for us.”It’s important to get partnerships going, maybe look to capitalise in the middle and the later overs. That’s what our strength will be. But if we lose too many wickets, the middle order needs do their role differently and the slog has been delayed for quite a while.”When CSK won the IPL title in 2023, they had a similar top order with two accumulators, but the middle order dripped with power and versatility. Ambati Rayudu was a particularly strong presence in that middle order and brought with him the ability to go – and go hard – from the outset. Since Rayudu retired after winning the title in 2023, CSK haven’t filled that void.1:18

Should Dhoni have walked in before Impact Player Hooda?

They tried Daryl Mitchell in that role in 2024, but he didn’t produce the kind of output CSK and their fans might have been looking for. Then, in the 2024 mega auction, they perhaps missed a trick by not going harder for a proven middle-order batter in the league, especially with Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja’s finishing abilities on the wane. They took punts on Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda, who were not regulars for their franchises in IPL 2024, hoping they would have late-career revivals at CSK like Ajinkya Rahane had in the recent past.But that certainly hasn’t happened yet with Vijay or Hooda. The story might have been different for CSK this season had at least one among Vijay, Hooda and Tripathi come good. The story might have also been different had one of Conway and Ravindra been more consistent at the top. An injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been sidelined from the rest of this IPL, has compounded CSK’s batting troubles.The first year after a mega auction can be challenging for most teams, including five-time champions like CSK. Mike Hussey, CSK’s batting coach, acknowledged that some of their new recruits were still working their way into their roles.1:31

Bangar: CSK very dismal with the bat this season

“Yeah, it [teams needing time to settle after a mega auction] is a good point,” Hussey said. “Yeah, we’ve got some new players that have come to the franchise, so it does take a little bit of time for them to really fit in and feel like they belong. We’re trying to fast-track that as much as we can. And then it’s just getting to know them and getting to know their games and how they play their best cricket as well. So, we’re working very hard behind the scenes with those guys.”And the players, you know, you cannot fault their work ethic. You know, they’re doing the hard work, but unfortunately, it just hasn’t quite translated into performances just yet. But one of the real strengths of CSK over the years is we’ll identify the players that we’ve wanted and then we really back them. Even if things aren’t quite going to plan at the moment, we’ll back them and keep working hard with them and keep showing some faith and trust in them. And then hopefully that will be repaid in the long run.”As of now, CSK are nearing a point of no return this season, and even their fans are running out of patience – and from Chepauk – with their seemingly outdated style of batting.

“She was telling me, ‘It’s high time you get a century in T20Is, you keep getting out in the 70s, 80s and you are not doing justice to your talent’,” says Mandhana

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-20252:22

Mandhana: The girls were really hard on me about the century

Challenge accepted, Radha Yadav. That was the message behind Smriti Mandhana’s beaming smile and pointed finger trained directly at her cheeky – but in hindsight exceptionally clever – team-mate as India’s stand-in captain raised her maiden T20I century.At the 143rd time of asking and after more than a decade waiting, Mandhana became the second India woman to reach the milestone in an innings of 112 off 62 balls, which crushed England in the opening match of India’s tour.The first was Harmanpreet Kaur, for whom Mandhana learned two hours before the start of play at Trent Bridge she would be filling in as the regular captain recovers from a head knock sustained during Wednesday’s warm-up game.Related

Sciver-Brunt plays lone hand as England reboot gets a reality check

Mandhana: 'Shafali deserves this comeback and I'm really excited to open with her again'

Mandhana, Shree Charani hand England their heaviest T20I defeat

Stats – A day of batting highs for Mandhana and India

Mandhana’s score was the highest for India in women’s T20Is, eclipsing Harmanpreet’s 103 against New Zealand at the 2018 World Cup. She also became the first for her team to score centuries in all three formats, joining Heather Knight, Tammy Beaumont, Laura Wolvaardt and Beth Mooney on the list.This felt like a long time coming. In her previous 12 T20I innings, Mandhana had reached 50 seven times. Over the course of her career, she has amassed 30 half-centuries. So it seems Radha had decided now was the time to give her acting skipper a little pep talk.”Three days back, me and Radha Yadav, we were having a conversation,” Mandhana said. “These girls are really hard on me sometimes. She was telling me, ‘It’s high time you get a century in T20Is, you keep getting out in the 70s, 80s and you are not doing justice to your talent’ and all of that stuff.”I was like, ‘okay, Radha, I’ll see now, this time I’ll try and get it in one of the matches in the series’.”After Mandhana brought up the milestone, off just 51 balls with back-to-back fours off Lauren Bell, she removed her helmet, smiled broadly, and pointed towards the changeroom.Smriti Mandhana gestures towards the dressing room after her hundred•Getty Images”I did not think that it would come in the first match, but the finger was towards her, that ‘see, I got it today’,” Mandhana said. “Because it’s pretty frustrating to get out in the 70s and 80s over the last ten years and when you had that opportunity to take the team through. So I’m happy that I could stay and take the team to the 19th and the 20th over.”Mandhana’s knock led India to an imposing 210 for 5, their second-highest total in T20Is, and a thumping 97-run victory over England, bowled out for 113 as debutant spinner N Shree Charani claimed 4 for 12.Smiling back at Mandhana and applauding as she soaked in the moment was Harmanpreet, who had been in doubt when she missed the pre-match press conference. Mandhana covered for her in that instance, too, and prepared for the prospect of doing so on-field by making plans with her bowlers on the eve of the game.”Harman was getting assessed over last night and this morning and there were a few scans to be done,” Mandhana said. “We had a 50-50 idea, so I had a chat with the bowlers around what the plans are and I was pretty ready last night but the confirmation came today.”As a batter, it doesn’t change a lot. You don’t think that you are captaining and you bat differently. Whenever you have the bat in hand, you have to do the job for the team regardless of the position you are in, so I’m really happy that I could contribute today.”

“We saw what she could do in the WPL a little bit. She was always looking like a really good bowler. But today the way she actually bowled was amazing, as did all the bowlers”Smriti Mandhana on N Shree Charani

Mandhana did captain very well, using her spinners to devastating effect. She capitalised on Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s struggles against fingerspin this summer – she was bowled three times in as many matches against West Indies by left-arm spinner Zaida James – and the experienced Deepti Sharma and Radha helped reduce England to 62 for 4.Then she trusted in Charani, who came into the game with just five ODIs to her name after making her international debut during the tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in April.Charani removed Alice Capsey, who spooned lamely to short third, fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who made a comeback to forget with an expensive 1 for 43 at 14.33 an over before holing out to midwicket on 1.She then claimed the big wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt, the only England batter to stand tall with 66 off 42 balls as wickets fell all around her, and took the final wicket of tailender Bell.”The way the bowlers bowled and executed the plan, it was just amazing,” Mandhana said. “That makes our job very, very easy when they bowl like that and they all were really focused, they knew their plans.Shree Charani picked up 4 for 12 on debut•Getty Images”Especially Shree, to come in the first match and bowl. We saw what she could do in the WPL a little bit. She was always looking like a really good bowler. But today the way she actually bowled was amazing, as did all the bowlers.”After a few wickets fell and Nat was on the one end, the plan was pretty clear – to try and execute our best ball to Nat and give a single to her, which they did brilliantly throughout.”One thing that didn’t quite go India’s way was Shafali Verma’s return, where she reprised her opening role with Mandhana. Shafali struggled to get going and made 20 off 22 balls, albeit in a 77-run stand with a batting partner who could do no wrong.”I’ve seen Shafali bat in the last seven-eight days amazingly well in the nets,” Mandhana said. “So I don’t see a big knock too far because of the way she’s been hitting the ball. Sometimes coming back into the Indian team and coming into the first match, of course, there are a different kind of nerves. I’m sure this match is going to take those nerves away for her.”The way she’s playing in the nets, she’s just timing the ball really well. So the only thing which I said to her was just keep timing the ball and play the ball, don’t think about anything else. I see a big knock coming in the next four matches from her.”

Thanks to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s reverse-swing heroics, they might just have found the blueprint to win even outside spin-friendly conditions

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2025Twenty wickets. Pakistan captain Shan Masood has concerned himself with no other number ever since England inflicted a chastening innings defeat on his side a year ago, running up the fourth highest total in Test history in the process. It was, according to Masood, the only way to win Test matches, and thereafter, Pakistan began preparing spin tracks which would just about guarantee the fall of 20 wickets.It has turned around the fortunes of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who took almost every one of those wickets in the past four home Tests, but Masood will take those wickets however they come. The denouement to the first Test, which Pakistan won by 93 runs, was dominated by Shaheen Afridi, who exploited the old, reversing ball, taking four in the innings – more than Pakistani pace bowlers have taken in the last four home Tests combined. It included the final three, Afridi trapping Kyle Verreynne before making a mess of the stumps for the final two.Related

Plot intact, result missing: South Africa's Test revival still a work in progress

Noman, Afridi set up rousing win for Pakistan

For Masood, this offered evidence that there was more than one way of breaking through on this surface. “It’s simple for me,” he said after the game. “Shaheen took four wickets [in the fourth innings]. He’s put in the effort and bowled extraordinarily well. He’s shown why he’s in the world’s best fast bowlers. On these pitches, fast bowlers don’t vanish, their role changes.”The World Test Championship will not be played in uniform conditions; they will be played in different conditions against different teams. We can’t look at one Test and extrapolate to the next two years. We have to play in England and the West Indies with the Duke ball. Bangladesh beat us in seam-friendly conditions so maybe they’ll give us seaming conditions there too. Fast bowlers’ role is not being phased out; we’re expanding the ways we can win Test matches. That’s why we played two fast bowlers, and Shaheen showed us exactly how.”On more than one occasion in the fourth innings, Masood admitted to some degree of “anxiety” after Pakistan had repeatedly failed to put the visitors away once and for all. Overnight, Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi had gutsed their way to an unbeaten overnight stand after the pair offered the most potent resistance in the first dig. Masood started the day with Afridi, who found reverse to bring the fourth ball in, hitting de Zorzi dead in front.Three hours later, South Africa had begun to sneak back into contention with another little stand for the eighth wicket, compiling 29 runs as the target neared double digits. Once more, Afridi’s introduction brought immediate relief; he would need 11 balls to take three wickets.”When we were discussing the game on the field, Shaheen said “I will turn this match around for you”. We waited for the ball to get older. Obviously not bowling him with the new ball is a big decision. We trusted him, and he demanded the ball, and then he delivered for us. The way he bowled, we’re all excited; it was a superb fast bowling display.”Masood also pointed to his team’s composition as evidence that Pakistan were not looking only to spin their way to victory. He said they had unwittingly ended up going overboard in the series against the West Indies, where prodigious turn on surfaces in Multan that broke up right from the outset ended up with the side that won the toss winning the game. Spin operated almost exclusively from start to finish that series, which ended square 1-1.In Lahore, Pakistan believed there was enough in it for the quicks to field two of them, with Hasan Ali also taking part. It is a combination Masood hinted they might stick with for the second Test in Rawalpindi, calling them “the best exponents of reverse swing in Pakistan.””We’ll collectively admit that the conditions against the West Indies were too extreme. The bowling attacks were evened out because of the conditions. Batting was difficult, and the toss and the first innings lead mattered a lot. This pitch was very similar to the Test we played in Pindi. When a batter set himself he had an opportunity to go on and get good runs here. South Africa also showed when batters are set, it looks like batting is straightforward.Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early on day four•Getty Images”When Brevis and Rickelton were batting and the target dropped below 150, that felt like a stressful situation. But the bowler’s always in the game. Our pacers also contributed. Shaheen bowled extraordinarily well. If you want to do well in the WTC and the Test team, we will need performances from all departments, and we got that this Test.”Masood knows the challenge his side has just overcome, and while much of it does come down to the toss, South Africa are coming off the best winning run in their team’s history. They had won 10 Tests on the trot, including two against Pakistan at home as well as the World Test Championship final against Australia, and gave Pakistan the biggest fright of a side losing the toss since Pakistan started preparing wickets of this nature.For the Pakistan captain, it was proof both of the strides he is convinced his side is making, as well as the notion that the toss does not decide the game. “Our focus has always been on how we’re improving as a side. Getting a result is a huge deal. We’ve taken a strong start in the WTC final, and we need to build on it.”In the last year, when we played against England in Multan, we won the toss on a used pitch. When we won the match, England said it’d be interesting what happens when Pakistan lose the toss, and then we still beat them. The toss isn’t in our hands or South Africa’s hands. It evens out in cricket long-term. In Pindi, I challenged the side to reveal their character even if we lost the toss. And we did showcase that with one of our best Test performances last cycle with Saud Shakeel playing an excellent knock and the lower order complementing him. I’ll always tell the side to show how we can play our first innings well even when we lose the toss. If we lose the toss, we’ll have a plan for how to win the next game.”Whatever that plan is, 20 opposition wickets is set to be at the heart of it.

Allrounder is back in favour after time in the wilderness and eager to become central to the team

Cameron Ponsonby19-Oct-2025In June of this year, it was the tenth anniversary of Sam Curran’s debut in professional cricket. Now 27 years old, he has played 471 professional cricket matches across his career. Stuart Broad managed 501.”I’ve played a lot of cricket,” Curran says, speaking from Christchurch. “This year I went back to Surrey [after getting dropped by England]. And I sit here now and I’m probably thankful for the reset. I’ve been non-stop since I was 17.”On that night at The Oval ten years ago, Curran’s Surrey captain was his current county coach Gareth Batty. A month later he claimed four wickets on his List A debut, and the teammate with whom he shared the new-ball duties, Jade Dernbach, is now his bowling coach in South London.”I went back to coaches that know me,” Curran explains, “I’ve obviously experienced such highs in my career and it was just about slowing down fractionally and getting back to enjoying it.”By all accounts, Curran took his omission from England’s white-ball squads earlier this year personally. Brendon McCullum had come in, and Curran had immediately gone out, as if confirming fears he’d aired a year earlier that he didn’t think his face fit in England’s Bazball era. He wasn’t six-foot-eight, and he wasn’t 90mph.”As a county player, it’s an interesting one,” he told talkSPORT at the time. “Because you’ve got to hope that you fit that mould right now.”This was the quiet part out loud – something that fans and journalists spoke about publicly, but rarely players.If the decision to drop him was hard to take, the message of how to get back in was simple. Become one of the best six white-ball batters in the country.Curran’s role as a seam-bowling allrounder has become integral to England’s tactics•Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images”I actually really enjoyed the clarity of it,” Curran reflects. “It was so simple. In the past as an all-rounder I’ve played so many roles but now it was nice and clear.”Curran returned to Surrey a man possessed. Determined to win every match whether with bat, ball or in the field. He played 24 games across the Blast and Hundred, giving him the time to impress with the bat, and also the time to develop with the ball. The super-slower moon ball has been added to his arsenal and means he is now a genuine option to Harry Brook across all phases of a T20 innings. It is a delivery that is currently unique to him in world cricket.”I’m not going to give away any secrets,” he says with a laugh. “The grip is very similar and I want it to be similar so guys can’t really pick it. The game’s moving so fast you have to be adaptable.”From being a man outside the squad, Curran has a chance to nail his role and become one of the most important players in the XI. Brook’s preference for two spinners, wherever England play, makes the presence of a seam-bowling all-rounder imperative.”He’s a very, very, very good player,” Brook said of his friend after Curran’s 49 not out in the opening T20I of the series. “To have him back in the side, he’s a very valuable player to us.”Related

England blown to bits-and-pieces as part-timers' bowling strategy backfires

Sam Curran added to England T20I squads as Ben Duckett takes break

Saker returns to England set-up as Ashes fast-bowling coach

Brook parks Ashes chat to train focus on New Zealand

Rain ruins Christchurch opener after Curran claws England to 153

In truth, Curran’s 49 in Christchurch was a poor example of his quality. There are lottery winners who would’ve blushed at the fortune he was afforded across his innings. Dropped twice, once badly and the second time atrociously, before later being reprieved on review for an LBW decision for which he’d already walked off the pitch. But, clichés exist for a reason: runs are runs and look in the book etc.The fact is, in returning to England’s white-ball squads, Curran has done the impossible. He has won back McCullum’s love. And that was achieved before his glorious (sketchy) 49 not out (for three).Across McCullum’s tenure in English cricket, no-one has made their way back in after being left out. Alex Lees got an English summer. Sam Cook got a Zimbabwean Test. And Keaton Jennings got a Pakistani net. Please call them. We don’t know where they are.Curran’s curse has always been the riches he bestows. Able to do everything and therefore expected to do anything. But to call him a jack-of-all-trades would be an insult. It is worth remembering just how prodigal Curran was and what exactly he has already accomplished.The story those at Surrey tell is of a Year 12 student arriving at the ground for T20s in his school uniform, removing his blazer and tie then walking out in front of 25,000 people to do his thing. On his first-class debut, again, as a Year 12 student, he opened the bowling and took a five-wicket haul. In his third first-class match a month later, he opened the bowling and batted at No.3.Those signs of promise translated into results as he was named as Player of the Series against India in 2018, his first summer as an international cricketer. Before he was later awarded Player of the Tournament in England’s World Cup win in 2022. He got an MBE for that.”Winning the World Cup for England’s definitely the highlight,” he says, “and there’s that drive to do it again. That’s the pinnacle and I guess on tough days you look at that as your ‘lift me up’. There’s another World Cup in 3-4 months time and it’s exciting.”It is in everyone’s interest that this time it works.

Alisha Lehmann has seen her house in Italy burgled, with the Como Women star sharing a video on social media of her ransacked bedroom. The Switzerland international was not in at the time of the incident, but is being forced to clean up the mess left behind. Lehmann had been embracing a new challenge with Como, but will now be asking questions of her living arrangements.

Italian job: Lehmann won Serie A title with Juventus

The 26-year-old forward took on an Italian job in the summer of 2024. At that point, she bid farewell to English football and the WSL following stints with West Ham, Everton and Aston Villa. A fresh start was made with Turin-based giants Juventus.

Lehmann savoured Serie A title success during her debut campaign with the Bianconere, allowing wild celebrations to be taken in. She was, however, never a guaranteed starter for the most ambitious of outfits.

With that in mind, an offer from Como Women was accepted in 2025. That transfer allowed Lehmann to take up residence in picturesque surroundings on the banks of an iconic lake. It did not take her long to get among the goals for new employers.

AdvertisementLehmann shares video of ransacked apartment

In October, having previously posted snaps of her soaking up the sun in Como, Lehmann shared how she gets to take in stunning views on a daily basis – with a huge expanse of water just outside her door. She stated online: “It's great to wake up every morning to a beautiful view. You wake up much happier.”

Lehmann’s mood has now been soured. She has shared another video with her 16 million followers on Instagram. In that, she captures the state of her bedroom after seeing intruders rifle through her belongings – with the contents of wardrobes and cabinets being flung everywhere.

Lehmann is trying to stay upbeat, as she accompanied said video with the message: “Next time people rob my house, can you please clean up after, cause I’ve got OCD.” As someone that likes organisation and cleanliness, the Swiss now faces confusion and mess.

Instagram

Why Lehmann joined the project at Como Women

Lehmann told when joining Como Women and forming part of a project that is about more than just results on the field: “It’s an independent club, fully focused on women’s football – and that really matters to me. From the start, I could see this wasn’t just another team; it’s a project with real purpose and vision. [So] signing with FC Como Women just felt right.

“We’re in a moment where women’s football can define itself on its own terms, and independent clubs like Como Women have the opportunity in leading the movement. [It] isn’t just about winning matches. It’s about building something that lasts. This is the first time I’ve joined an independent club. That was a big part of my decision. It shows there is a different way of doing things.”

She added: “I came here to play football and hope to earn my place by working hard. I came here to compete and to grow as an athlete. The rest will come if I stay true to that. For me, it’s simple: I want to play as much as possible, help the team, and enjoy football. What I love is that they [Como] take the game seriously, but also create space for players to be themselves.

“There’s so much potential here. Italy’s performances have shown the quality and spirit in the game here, and now people are paying attention. I think the league is ready to take a big step forward. With more visibility, investment, and commitment to the players, Serie A Women can become a real force in Europe. Being part of that journey is something I’m really excited about.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

InstagramAway games & Baller League: Lehmann often on the road

Lehmann is regularly away from home as she takes in games on the road with Como Women and the Switzerland national team. She has also been heading back to England after linking up with Love Island presenter and partner of Manchester City defender Ruben Dias, Maya Jama, to become coach of MVPs United in the UK version of Baller League.

Partex Sporting Club get out of relegation zone with dramatic win while Rakibul Hasan and Nahid Rana shine with the ball

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2025Key takeawaysAbahani Limited have taken the lead in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, as it goes into the Eid break. Abahani are now on 14 points, while Gazi Group Cricketers and Mohammedan Sporting Club are on 12 points each. With eight rounds of matches complete, Abahani have taken a significant step towards defending their title.It was a good week for Prime Bank Cricket Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club, who like Abahani won both their matches this week. Mohammedan sealed a seven-wicket win against Shinepukur Cricket Club, but their regular captain fielded for just one over and was rushed to a hospital after suffering a heart attack.Best battersGazi Group’s Anamul Haque reached 500 runs in a Dhaka Premier League season for the seventh time, and became the first to cross the landmark in the 2024-25 season. He struck an unbeaten 149 against Mohammedan last week, following it up with an unbeaten 144 against Gulshan Cricket Club this week. Anamul started the season with two ducks, but now has scored at least a fifty in five of the last six innings, with his other score being 48.Best bowlersLeft-arm spinner <Rakibul Hasan and speedster Nahid Rana took four-wicket hauls against Dhanmondi Sporting Club in Abahani's five-wicket win in Mirpur. Due to workload management, Rana is playing only selective matches for Abahani this season, but he has made an impact. Rana has nine wickets from his four outings, while Rakibul leads the wicket-takers with 17 scalps.Best matchPartex Sporting Club dragged themselves off the relegation zone (bottom three) in dramatic fashion, beating the high-flying Agrani Bank Cricket Club by one wicket. Their middle-order batter Mohammad Rakib was the hero, remaining unbeaten on 80 off 103 balls with five sixes and as many fours. Rakib kept his cool as four wickets fell in the last four overs. With ten runs required off the last over, Rakib first struck a boundary before getting dropped at long-on. He struck another straight boundary before No 11 Abdul Gaffar took a cheeky single off the last ball to win the game.Points to ponderAgrani Bank and Dhanmondi lost both their matches this week. Though Agrani Bank remains in the top six, the big-budgeted Dhanmondi slipped to No. 8 in the points table. Shinepukur and Rupganj Tigers remain at the bottom with just two points each.Players to watchSamiun Basir became only the third bowler in Bangladesh's List-A history to take a five-wicket haul on debut. He took 5 for 27 playing for Legends of Rupganj against Rupganj Tigers in Mirpur. Samiun has a classic left-arm spinner's action, and likes to float the ball to the batter. He also can spin the ball, which would be an asset going forward.

Almost a week and a half on from Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation from Celtic, the Scottish champions appear no closer to naming a permanent successor, with this manager saga likely to run and run if recent history is anything to go by.

While the abrupt nature of the Northern Irishman’s exit has no doubt put the club hierarchy on the back foot, there is little evidence to suggest that those at the helm will secure a replacement swiftly.

You only have to look back to the chaos surrounding the Eddie Howe and Ange Postecoglou developments back in 2021.

The fear is that despite a positive week or so on the pitch, the Hoops may well take the easy route until the end of the season, with recent reports suggesting that 73-year-old interim boss Martin O’Neill is in line to see out the campaign.

The enigmatic and much-loved coach has already done a creditable job with two wins from two, although the head should surely rule over the heart. A younger, more long-term appointment needs to be made.

Finding such a figure may well prove tricky mid-season, although a range of targets are already being considered…

Latest on Celtic's manager search

As already stated, the somewhat worrying whispers are that O’Neill could be given the reins until the summer, despite the fact that the treble winner had been parachuted in after a six-year absence from the game at managerial level.

Turning to the veteran coach may well be the only option if Dermot Desmond and co are unable to acquire their top targets, however, with it yet to be seen if the likes of Kieran McKenna can be prised from Ipswich Town.

With a potential return for that man Postecoglou also deemed to be ‘very unlikely’, a clear favourite for the vacancy has yet to emerge, with the Scottish Sun suggesting that the Parkhead outfit have now put together an eight-man shortlist of possible candidates.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

As per that report, among the names who is being considered is 37-year-old Efrain Juarez, with the Mexican coach touted as something of a shock appointment having come out of the blue as a new managerial target.

Currently at the helm of Liga MX side Pumas UNAM, the promising coach previously had a brief spell as a player at Celtic between 2010 and 2012, albeit while making just 21 appearances in total during that forgettable stint.

Also previously an assistant coach to ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila at New York City FC, Standard Liege and Club Brugge, Juarez does have something of a Celtic connection, with his name thrown into the ring as the Premiership side prepare interviews with prospective targets.

A wildcard move it would certainly be, although similar gambles have paid off in the past for the Glasgow giants…

Why Celtic could appoint their next Postecoglou

As already stated, Celtic are no strangers to chaos when it comes to seeking out a new manager, with the summer of 2021 – in the wake of Neil Lennon’s second Parkhead exit – seeing a protracted pursuit of Howe prove fruitless.

With time running out ahead of the new campaign, a surprise pick was selected in the form of Postecoglou, with the Greek-Aussie later quipping that he was seen as a “joke” by many when he arrived in Scottish football.

Following initial struggles – including a run of three away league defeats in a row – the attack-minded coach quickly quashed the doubters after overseeing two seasons of stunning success, romping to five domestic trophies with a brand of football that has hardly been seen before or since.

Fluid, relentless, breathtaking – Celtic under Postecoglou’s watch were a joy to behold, regularly putting the likes of Rangers to the sword with an almost unstoppable level of performance.

That remarkable stint in charge emphatically extinguished any concerns over his lack of Celtic connection or prior experience in European football, with such a left-field appointment no doubt paying dividends for those at Parkhead.

While Juarez does have brief experience of the club, like Postecoglou he is yet to manage a European side in his embryonic coaching career thus far, having taken over at Pumas in March following a successful stint at Colombian club Atlético Nacional before that.

Like Postecoglou, Juarez has had to fend off the doubters and has done so to notable effect. Indeed, question marks over his lack of experience as a manager were quickly put to bed in Colombia, as he claimed the league and cup double last year.

Days in charge

750

Games

113

Wins

83

Draws

12

Losses

18

Players used

53

Points per game

2.31

Trophies won

5

From 27 games in charge of his former side, he won 15 games and enjoyed a points per game ratio of 1.93. For context, while it is a small sample size, that record exceeds what Postecoglou has achieved in any of his career stints, barring his time at Celtic, where he achieved a 2.31 points per game ratio from his 113 games in charge, as per Transfermarkt.

A passionate coach with a style of play noted for its “quick transitions” – as per journalist Esteban Cristancho Medina – the 4-2-3-1 manager certainly has shades of Postecoglou about him, ensuring he could be a risk worth taking.

While, unlike ‘Ange’, Juarez does not boast a wealth of experience as a manager to date, he has already proven his credentials amid his exploits in Colombia, cultivating a winning formula that could be translated into success in Scotland.

No stranger to being something of an underdog when appointed at his former employers, he would no doubt relish the chance to silence any critics at Celtic – just as Postecoglou did so before him.

Celtic can make Tierney completely unplayable by hiring 4-2-3-1 manager

Celtic could make Kieran Tierney unplayable by hiring this reported managerial target.

ByDan Emery Nov 6, 2025

Fast bowler calls Kwena Maphaka an “extremely exciting talent”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2025Kagiso Rabada is reminded of his own youth when he looks out at the South Africa dressing room right now as they prepare to take on Australia over the course of three T20Is and three ODIs starting Sunday.The two teams last played against each other in the World Test Championship final, where South Africa’s more experienced players stood tall. Now with the T20 World Cup in 2026 and a home ODI World Cup in 2027, their focus has shifted into blooding younger talent so that come those big games they have a reference point for what to do when the pressure is on.”You were talking earlier about when I came here for the first time, that kind of reminds me of the space that they’re in,” Rabada, who is now past 10 years in international cricket, said on Thursday. “I’m sure they just want to do their best. They’ve got no fear. When you’re young, you’ve got no fear at all. And yeah, I mean, I’m excited to see how they’re going to go in their careers.”Related

Rabada ruled out of Australia ODI series with ankle inflammation

Maphaka: I always want to come out on top of the fight

Conrad confident Maphaka can be 'main dog' in SA pace attack

Markram, Bavuma return for SA's white-ball tour of Australia

Maharaj and Mlaba win the big ones at CSA annual awards

South Africa’s white-ball squad in Darwin includes players like Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who was the top-scorer in the SA20 earlier this year, Dewald Brevis, who was marked for higher honours since he burst on the scene at the Under-19 World Cup in 2022 and Kwena Maphaka, whose left-arm seam earned him an IPL contract at 17 and a national cap at 18.While calling his team’s younger batch “explosive and fearless,” captain Aiden Markram said: “You know how it is to be 19-20 again and there’s not many worries in the world at that age and it reflects in when they train and how you see them operate. So, very exciting…each country has their own youngsters coming through and we got a handful of them this tour and it’s an exciting and great opportunity for us to see what they’re about and allow them to entertain people.”Rabada has not played any cricket since his starring role in the WTC final in June, when he picked up nine wickets in the match. He recovered from those exertions with a holiday in Greece and is back feeling “fully fit” and excited to pass on his knowledge to the newcomers. He called Maphaka an “extremely exciting talent”.South Africa have high hopes for 19-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka•AFP/Getty Images”Because of the fact that he’s a bowler as well, you know, kind of makes it more, from my point of view, that I’m obliged to almost take him under extra care,” Rabada said. “But I think he’s going to learn, you know, from his own experiences as well and from his own journey. And we’re just there to be a sounding board, you know, not necessarily get involved into their careers too much, but be sounding boards.”Still only 19, Maphaka has been fast-tracked into the South African set-up. He has already played two Tests, two ODIs and eight T20Is, picking up 18 wickets in the process. The squad as a whole is getting used to new leadership with Shukri Conrad handed the reins in white-ball cricket as well. Rabada was intrigued by some of the coach’s “left-field” strategies as they work towards the global tournaments that are around the corner.”You’re looking at growing this team within the next year and a half. That’s the bigger goal looking into 2027 [ODI World Cup], but certainly a short-term goal leading into the 2026 [T20] World Cup, looking at guys like David [Miller, currently playing in the Hundred in England], who are going to be back, Marco [Jansen, injured], who are going to be back. That gives a bit more of solidification in terms of the team and in mainly experience.”But yeah, these games [against Australia] would be just to get a feel for one another as team-mates, how we’re going to go about it. And really, it’s just a work in process, there’s no fear of winning or losing. Although we play to win 100%, it is the main thing, but it’s a process and it’s a process of evaluation.”

The 2025 MLB season is set for the second half after the All-Star break, which makes it the perfect time to look back at the biggest stories of the offseason.

This past winter saw a number of massive signings and trades that reshaped the league. Since we have a pretty good idea how a lot of those deals have turned out already, here are our grades for the biggest moves of the offseason:

Mets sign Juan Soto