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And what’s the lowest score a batter has a Player-of-the-Match award for?

Steven Lynch14-Jun-2022I spotted that Mustafizur Rahman took 28 wickets in his first ten ODIs. Was this a record? And what’s the most by anyone in any spell of ten ODIs? asked Khaled Hossain from Bangladesh

Mustafizur Rahman’s tally of 28 wickets in his first ten one-day internationals for Bangladesh – starting with 5 for 50 and 6 for 43 against India in June 2015 – has been bettered only by another left-arm seamer, New Zealand’s Mitchell McClenaghan, who managed 29; the West Indian Ottis Gibson also took 28.The purplest ten-match patch at any stage in ODIs belongs to Pakistan’s Waqar Younis, who claimed 35 wickets in ten games between April and November 1990, a run that included five five-fors, three of them in succession, and even one wicketless match. Ajantha Mendis once took 34 wickets in ten ODIs for Sri Lanka, while Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and Oman’s Bilal Khan (earlier this year) have both managed 32.All nine Bengal players who batted reached 50 in their recent match against Jharkhand – is this a record? asked Peter Dayson-Smith from England, among others

This was reasonably fresh in the memory, as a few weeks ago I answered a similar question after seven Surrey players reached 50 in an innings against Kent. And so it’s easy to confirm that Bengal’s nine half-centuries against Jharkhand in Bengaluru last week is a record for any first-class innings, beating eight by the Australian tourists in their match against Oxford and Cambridge University Past and Present in Portsmouth in 1893. There have been 26 instances of seven scores of 50 or more in an innings, including Surrey’s total of 671 in that match in Beckenham in May, which remains the highest in first-class cricket without an individual century.In the same round of Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, in Alur, Mumbai thrashed Uttarakhand by 725 runs, another first-class record: the previous-heaviest defeat by a runs margin was 685, by New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney in 1929-30, in the match in which Don Bradman made 452 not out, the highest score in first-class cricket at the time. There have been heavier innings defeats, the grand-daddy of them all being Pakistan Railways’ victory over Dera Ismail Khan in Lahore in 1964-65, by the little matter of an innings and 851.What’s the lowest all-out Test total that included a 200-run partnership? asked Vipul Shah from India

There have so far been four completed innings in Tests which were less than 300 but nonetheless featured a partnership of 200 or more. Lowest of all is Australia’s 284 against West Indies in Brisbane in 1968-69, which included a stand of 217 between Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell (no one else made more than 17).When Pakistan made 288 against West Indies in Georgetown in 1999-2000, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq put on 206, quite a recovery from 39 for 5. India’s 293 against England at Headingley in 1952 included a partnership of 222 by Vijay Hazare and Vijay Manjrekar, while South Africa made 296 vs India in Kolkata in 2009-10, with a stand of 209 between Alviro Petersen (who was making his debut) and Hashim Amla. New Zealand’s 283 against West Indies in Kingston in 1984-85 included a stand of 210 between Geoff Howarth and Jeff Crowe – but only nine wickets fell in that one as Jeremy Coney had broken his arm and was unable to bat.If we look at innings which were not all-out, Pakistan’s 230 for 3 to beat New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1984-85 included a partnership of 212 between Mudassar Nazar and Javed Miandad.Asif Ali faced only seven balls and made 25 runs in his Player-of-the-Match performance against Afghanistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup•ICC via GettyI noticed that Aiden Markram has played 31 Tests, and has not yet taken part in a draw – is this a record? asked Keith McKenzie from South Africa

You’re right that the South African batter Aiden Markram has so far taken part in 19 Test victories and 12 defeats – and no draws yet. This is indeed a record: Jason Gillespie took part in 26 Tests before playing in a draw, while his Australian team-mates Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden had 22 and 21 respectively; the 19th-century England allrounder Johnny Briggs played 20 Tests before his first draw.Markram currently has the most Tests in a complete career without a draw, although he might yet lose that distinction. George Lohmann, another 19th-century Englishman, played 18 Tests without ever featuring in a draw; next comes Alok Kapali, who played 17 Tests for Bangladesh and lost them all. Keaton Jennings has so far appeared in 17 Tests for England, all of which ended in definite results, while Shimron Hetmyer has played 16 for West Indies.In the second match in Sri Lanka, Matthew Wade was Man of the Match for his 26 not out from 26 balls; he didn’t bowl, or make any catches or run-outs. Has anyone won the award after scoring fewer than this as their only formal contribution to a T20 international? asked Rohan Kennedy from Australia

Australia’s Matthew Wade won the match award in the second T20 international against Sri Lanka in Colombo last week for his run-a-ball 26, which came after he entered at a tricky time – 80 for 5 in the ninth over, chasing only 125. You’re right that he didn’t otherwise feature on the scorecard, although that wouldn’t show, for example, any particularly good pieces of fielding; Wade did keep wicket through a Sri Lankan innings that included no extras.However, Wade’s 26 balls is a long way from the smallest involvement by a player who ended up with the match award in a T20 international. Playing for Pakistan against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup in Dubai in October 2021, Asif Ali was given the award after having an active involvement in only seven deliveries, from which he hammered 25 not out. Brad Hodge (21 not out) faced eight balls for Australia against South Africa in Durban in 2013-14, as did Dinesh Karthik (29 not out) for India vs Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo in 2017-18 (he did also complete a run-out while keeping wicket). Against England at The Oval in 2009, Ramnaresh Sarwan won the award for his nine-ball 19 not out as West Indies chased a rain-reduced target.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Sachin Tendulkar talks about how ODIs are skewed in favour of batsmen, and looks back to his landmark Sharjah innings against Australia 22 years ago

Sharda Ugra24-Apr-2020It’s not the time to be fussing over birthdays and celebrations, and Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t have his 47th on his mind. The days he has kept track of instead are the number he has spent indoors in his home in Mumbai, without meeting a single outsider. Count them from March 15 onwards. And let’s not forget that, regardless of whether social-distancing norms are in place or not, it’s not like he can step outside for a change of scene and shop for groceries. What Tendulkar misses is the happy whirl of meeting old friends, playing golf or badminton, and otherwise being busy.This is, though, a chance to think about the future, to reflect on what could be, and think about what the new normal might be when cricket does return. Though players have generally tried to adapt to this “forced off-season” by trying to stay fit at home, it may take a while for them to return to their previous levels of on-field sharpness, no matter how much fitness work they have done during the lockdowns. But Tendulkar says, “I personally don’t feel the game is going to change as such.” What he cannot get his head around is the idea of closed-door contests.”That would be odd. Because you get so much energy from the spectators also. If India is to win a crucial game, you want people to be around you to celebrate – to amplify that. But no one inside the stadium? It’s not going to make anyone feel special. It is going to be a weird feeling, and I don’t know how players will react.”ALSO READ: Kartikeya Date: The three phases of Tendulkar’s ODI batting (2018)International games, at least, Tendulkar says, need their living, breathing audiences.”Can you imagine Roger Federer and [Rafael] Nadal playing on the centre court of Wimbledon with nobody there? It’s going to be such a strange thing to watch. Not just cricket, any sport needs to have that energy.”In contrast to the still vast global appetite for him, Tendulkar himself post-retirement is not an obsessive watcher of live cricket. It has been seven years since his emotional Wankhede farewell, and in that time cricket appears to have been enormously transformed, with the advent and explosion of T20 leagues and fundamental changes in elements of the sport itself.Since these are days of nostalgia and whimsical imaginings, what kind of batsman would a millennial or Gen Z Tendulkar have been? Not much different, he thinks: “I would have continued to be myself in today’s cricket, I don’t think I would have changed anything.” What, no 360-degree shot-making or Dilscoops or switch hits?He has seen his younger self on a few YouTube videos and imagines he would not have needed to use those tools. “I don’t see there would have been any need to do something out-of-the-box different. Because if I had continued doing [what I did] the same way, the boundary line is only 70 yards [away],” he laughs. “So if you are going to back yourself to clear [it], then you work on consistency more than anything else, depending on the surfaces. There are surfaces that compel you to play differently, I would have been flexible in my mind, my thought process. I think that flexibility has to be there.”0:28

Happy Birthday, Sachin

What both longevity in the game and the new rules of modern cricket demand is the willingness to keep innovating. “Like how bowlers have developed the slower-ball bouncer, the knuckleball and the wide yorker – they have developed various things. So have the batters. In time to come, maybe eight-ten years down the line, we will be looking at a totally different game – the batswing could be different, the stance could be different. Or the loading up. A lot of elements which we are not thinking of today because it’s not demanded by the game today. But in time to come, it may change.”He remembers watching Andy Flower reverse-sweeping his way to the top of the Test aggregates on the 1999-2000 India tour and saying that Flower was about “eight-ten years ahead of the rest of the lot”. Twenty years on, Tendulkar is right and Flower has come to be seen as having been an innovator back then. When he is asked about the most visible changes in the game since his retirement, Tendulkar points to two issues. One is the absence of a mechanism to correct umpiring bloopers using the DRS. “Those types of things, when the bowlers didn’t get the wicket even though the batsman was out, or the batsmen were given out when they were not, it costs us games. Those type of things win or lose matches and series. Today that doesn’t happen – a bad decision can be completely negated and you still have a chance.”The other he has touched upon before – the ODI rule changes in the early 2010s, where a total of four fielders were allowed outside the ring in the non-powerplay overs, and the use of two new balls in ODIs.”If you have to look at one-day cricket then [with] the two new balls, if the pitches are not helpful, it makes bowlers’ life really difficult. Two new balls have virtually diminished reverse swing, I have not seen lot of reverse swing. [There is] occasional reverse swing here and there.” The use of a single ball, he says, “guaranteed little bit of reverse swing with the discoloured ball and the softer ball”. With two new balls, the ball stays hard, “travels faster, and so I think bowlers have been challenged more”.ALSO READ: Have the new rules made ODIs an unequal contest? (2013)The five fielders in the ring has been an additional challenge. Tendulkar illustrates, offering a standard field for an offspinner: “You would normally have a long-off, long-on, deep midwicket and deep square-leg, and you have to have a deep point inside the ring. Because of T20, batters are prepared to back themselves, because they’ve worked on those shots, reverse sweeps and all sorts of things.” Earlier, if you pierced the infield ring, he goes on to say, “you got a single for that, with the extra fielder back on the boundary line and you lost strike. If the strike was not rotated, then you [as a non-striker] lost possibly three balls an over. And when you were batting well, the bowler would want to bowl at the non-striker and not you.”It must be remembered that Tendulkar was the first batsman to make an ODI 200, ten years ago, before the new rules came into play, when he was two months short of 37. In the decade since, only five other batsmen have gone past 200, Rohit Sharma thrice.Talking about the new rules, which he sees as palpably unfair to bowlers, gets Tendulkar’s cricket self buzzing again. The on-strike, in-form batsman today is supplied with a bounty. The ball past the infield ring is a four. “If I was batting well,” Tendulkar says, “I would hit a boundary and I would face the ball again. You are getting three runs extra, plus you are retaining strike and I would love to do that.”It is this reminder of his appetite for run-scoring that brings the twin hundreds in Sharjah in 1998 to mind. Those innings were played around this time 22 years ago, and are part of the collective memory of a generation of Indian cricket fans: the Desert Storm innings (143) that took India into the tournament final and the match-winning 134 in the final two days later on Tendulkar’s 25th birthday. His partner in the 143 was VVS Laxman, who scored 23 in a 104-run partnership and remembers talking to Tendulkar in between overs. “But I know he wasn’t listening to me,” Laxman said.On batting under the current field restrictions: “If I was batting well, I would hit a boundary and face the ball again. You are getting three runs extra plus you are retaining strike and I would love to do that”•AFP/Getty ImagesTendulkar has himself recalled being “obsessed” that night about keeping strike. “When you are batting well, you want to face every ball. I wanted to win that game, I didn’t want to just achieve our run rate, I wanted to beat Australia and get into the final, so I was playing for the victory.”What was it like being in the zone that night? “Sometimes, I don’t know… you look at the bowler and whatever you’re thinking, the bowler exactly bowls that,” he says. “It was a little bit of that. I knew more or less what they were bowling and I was ready to play that shot. Sometimes that happens, I wouldn’t say every ball, but whenever one is planning to play a big shot, you say okay, if the ball lands in this area I am going to hit. And exactly that is where the next ball has landed and I have gone for that shot. You have those days where whatever you are thinking, that is what exactly happens.”Over the course of a conversation, especially one of this kind, during a time when cricket itself stands suspended, it is easy to lapse into the past and search for new paths around familiar stories. But the game will go on, cricket will resume, and new stars will be born. Is there anyone in the new crop of gung-ho swashbucklers around the world in whom Tendulkar sees a glimpse of his younger self?ALSO READ: Tendulkar: ‘I wanted to beat Australia twice (2018)It is, of course, a headline-seeking question but Tendulkar, always a batsman of turbo-charged intensity and skill, has remained a man of controlled verbal expression. “Since we are talking about promising youngers, there are a number and the names would be Prithvi [Shaw], Shubman [Gill] and [Sanju] Samson. They all are different players. Just like how when we were playing, Rahul [Dravid] was different to me, I was different to Sourav [Ganguly], and Laxman was different from all of us. Similarly these guys are different but have a promising future. They have their own styles.”Because we are where we are, with cricket stalled, the board chiefs all meeting to talk about the future, and Tendulkar turning 47, maybe this is the best time to talk about what the game could include looking ahead. Something larger than tinkering with powerplays, surely. Tendulkar would personally like the debate about Test cricket to be focused not on quantity (four days not five) but on improving the quality of the contest and keeping spectators engaged.Get home boards to move away from the extremes of dead or unplayable wickets and commit one way or the other – seam or spin. Right in the playing conditions, if need be. It may sound radical and impossible to achieve, but Sachin Tendulkar, cricketer, cricket fan, has a parting observation: “We have two formats in which the bowlers are constantly challenged, have restrictions in their field settings, so there has to be a format where the bowlers are able to challenge batters.”

Harry Kane starred with yet another hat-trick, while Michael Olise contributed with two assists as Bayern Munich thrashed VFB Stuttgart 5-0 to increase their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to 13 games. With 37 points, Bayern increased their lead to 11 points at the top of the table over RB Leipzig after comfortably routing their opponents on Saturday.

• Kane inspires Bayern to their 12th win of the season

  Bayern's unbeaten streak continued as they comfortably beat VFB Stuttgart 4-0 on Saturday to extend their lead over second-placed RB Leipzig to 11 points. Star forward Kane once again stole the show as he scored a hat-trick and took his Bundesliga goals tally to 17.

  The visitors dominated the game right from the start and took just 11 minutes to break the deadlock as Konrad Laimer opened the scoring. Laimer received a pass from Jonas Urbig and entered the box before squaring it towards Michael Olise. The Frenchman quickly gave the ball back to Laimer, who comfortably found the back of the net.

  Stuttgart pulled one back and restored parity in the match just minutes before the break as Nicolas Nartey headed the ball into the net from Bilal El Khannouss's inch-perfect free-kick but after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was ruled out due to offside.

  Stuttgart did not create too many chances in the second half and fell to a heavy defeat after the introduction of Kane. The England captain, who did not feature in Vincent Kompany's starting lineup, came on as a substitute in the 61st minute, replacing Nicolas Jackson. The move proved to be a masterstroke as he soon scored his opening goal. The Englishman made a solo run after receiving a pass from the centre of the park before finding the back of the net with a low-lying long-range shot. 

  Josip Stanisic then added a third goal to the club's tally after former Liverpool star Luis Diaz dribbled past his marker inside the box. Thereafter, it was all Kane as he soon completed his brace after Lorenz Assignon conceded a red card for trying to stop the ball from going into the net with his hand. The England captain took the resulting penalty and made it 4-0 for his side before scoring a third goal from Michael Olise's cross.

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  The MVP

  It was yet another masterpiece from Kane as the start forward once again stole the limelight with yet another hat-trick. Kane spent a little over 30 minutes on the ground but it was enough for him to bag a treble and guide his team to a dominant win.

• The big loser

  The Stuttgart defence completely crumbled once Kane entered the pitch just past the hour mark. However, it was Assignon who proved to be the villain as he tried to stop the ball with his hand in front of the goal in the 80th minute and picked up an unnecessary red card. Stuttgart going a man down at that point just added salt to their wounds as Kane completed the annihilation in the end.  

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tim Southee, the New Zealand fast-bowling great, has been appointed Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) bowling coach for IPL 2026, as reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier.”We are delighted to welcome Tim Southee back to the KKR family, this time in a coaching capacity,” KKR chief executive Venky Mysore said in a statement. “Tim’s vast experience and technical expertise will be instrumental in shaping our bowling unit. His leadership qualities and calm approach make him an ideal mentor for our young bowlers.”Southee, who hasn’t retired as a cricketer but has taken on coaching assignments over the past year, including with the England men’s national team, said returning to KKR, who he represented as a player, felt like a natural step.Related

• Shane Watson joins KKR as assistant coach

• Abhishek Nayar appointed KKR head coach ahead of IPL 2026

“KKR has always felt like home to me, and it’s an honour to return in this new role,” he said. “The franchise has an incredible culture, passionate fans, and a great group of players. I look forward to working closely with the bowlers and helping the team achieve success in IPL 2026.”His appointment came amid significant changes to KKR’s coaching group, now headed by Abhishek Nayar.Former bowling coach Bharat Arun and spin coach Carl Crowe have both moved to Lucknow Super Giants, while Ottis Gibson, who served as assistant coach last season, has exited the setup. Shane Watson has joined as their new assistant coach, and Dwayne Bravo continues in his role as team mentor.Southee had a long but somewhat up-and-down IPL career as a player. Between 2011 and 2023, he represented Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, before joining KKR in 2021, where he remained until 2023. He has 31 wickets from 43 matches in the IPL, with his best season coming with KKR, in 2022, when he claimed 14 wickets in nine matches.

SA’s wicketkeeper has backed her team to bounce back after they folded for 69 against England

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20252:03

Jafta: ‘We were a bit rushed against England’

South Africa’s wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta has welcomed the change in venue – they have moved to Indore – after being skittled for 69 against England in Guwahati on Saturday. South Africa will meet New Zealand in Indore on Monday, nearly a year after the teams had faced each other in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Dubai. New Zealand have already played a game in Indore in this World Cup.”We always knew coming into a tournament like this, games like this happen,” Jafta said. “Because it’s such a long tournament, we just have to accept what has happened. Laura [Wolvaardt] capped it off nicely and said, we don’t become a bad batting unit overnight. Obviously, homework was done, and now we’re just looking forward to the next one.”We had to leave the town [Guwahati] behind us. When you look and you’re coming into Indore, the people have been fantastic. For us, it’s like a fresh perspective. We saw the first game they had – it was a high-scoring day. For us as a batting unit, it’s just to knuckle down and bat. Don’t think too much about the outcome. Just take it one ball at a time.”Related

Wolvaardt: 'We are much, much better than 69 all out'

New Zealand and South Africa meet after a year with both teams needing a pick-me-up

While Jafta admitted that South Africa had erred with their approach against England, she said her team “won’t dwell’ on the batting collapse.”We were a bit rushed,” Jafta said. “We weren’t really present in that moment. When I went back, I realised I wasn’t really present in the delivery I went out. It wasn’t a good day, but we won’t dwell on it. We’ve got another opportunity.”That opportunity comes against a New Zealand side, which is also coming off a defeat, against Australia. Jafta said that South Africa will not underestimate New Zealand whom they have not faced in an ODI since October 2023.”You have the likes of Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine – players who’ve been playing for a really long time,” she said. “But also, you’re not underestimating your Georgia Plimmer, your [Maddy] Greens, your Izzy Gaze – she came off. For us as a bowling unit, it’s about being very disciplined in how we go about our things.”Laura Wolvaardt tunes up for the match against New Zealand in Indore•ICC via Getty ImagesExecution, Jafta said, will be crucial, something the team has focused on during their recent tours of the subcontinent. South Africa won a T20I series 2-1 in Pakistan before the World Cup and took part in a tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, where they lost three out of four matches, in May.”We’ve been playing in these conditions – it’s nothing new,” she said. “I always make a joke, we’ve probably faced all of these deliveries in net sessions. Why can’t we just go into a game and execute? We had a blowout, but we’ve got New Zealand ahead of us.”We know that when it comes to being tactical, they [New Zealand] are probably high up there, so we have to bring in full intensity. Coach has said, ‘Leave everything behind. Tomorrow is another opportunity.’ A lot of different individuals will put up their hands in tomorrow’s game.”

Danny Rohl has now personally ordered the Rangers board make three new signings in the January transfer window, with the manager’s top transfer priority named.

Rohl is off to a solid start in the Scottish Premiership, recording victories in his opening two matches as manager, which means he already has more league wins to his name than Russell Martin, who left the Gers in nothing short of a terrible position.

Indeed, as a result of Martin’s awful start, the Teddy Bears have a lot of ground to make up if they are going to be serious contenders for the league title, with Hearts currently setting the pace at the top, opening up a 14-point lead.

As bad as the former Southampton boss was, the players must also take their share of the blame, however, and the Heart & Hand Podcast recently singled out a number of first-team stars for heavy criticism.

Consequently, the new manager may feel the need to strengthen his squad this winter, and his number one priority has now been revealed…

Rohl orders Rangers board to make three January signings

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Rohl has now ordered the Rangers board to make three signings in the January transfer window, with the club’s hierarchy ready to back their manager.

Top of the list is a ‘commanding’ new centre-back, given that doubts remain over Nasser Djiga, Clinton Nsiala, Emmanuel Fernandes, John Souttar and Derek Cornelius.

However, signing a new centre-back is not the only task on the agenda, with the 36-year-old making it clear he wants to bring in an energetic midfielder and a prolific striker.

It is clear to see why bolstering the backline is of the utmost importance, with the Gers looking shocking from a defensive point of view on multiple occasions this season, the most recent example of which being the display against SK Brann last month.

That result, in particular, will have underlined the size of the task at hand to Rohl, with James Tavernier being left disgusted by the performance.

Having also conceded nine goals across two legs against Club Brugge, the Gers should undoubtedly sign a new centre-back this winter, but a new striker wouldn’t go amiss either.

Tavenier is the only Rangers player to have scored more than two Scottish Premiership goals this season, despite being a right-back, highlighting the scale of the issues at both ends of the pitch.

Rangers urged to drop Youssef Chermiti ahead of AS Roma clash

As bad as Aasgaard: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who was "so poor"

Danny Rohl must drop this Rangers flop who was as bad as Thelo Aasgaard at Hampden Park.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 2, 2025

Southampton are now eyeing Russell Martin as a replacement for Will Still, who was dismissed on Sunday night, but there could be competition for his signature from their Championship rivals.

After being relegated from the Premier League last season, the Saints were expected to mount a promotion push, but it has been nothing short of a terrible start to the campaign, having taken just 12 points from their opening 13 matches.

The 2-0 defeat at home to Preston North End was the final straw for Sport Republic, who relieved Still of his duties on Saturday, and Under-21s head coach Tonda Eckert has now emerged as a contender for the first-team manager’s job.

It would be a gamble to appoint Eckert, however, given that he is just 32-years-old and yet to prove himself at senior level, and an external appointment is also being considered…

Southampton eyeing Russell Martin to replace Will Still

According to journalist Alan Nixon (via GiveMeSport) Southampton are now eyeing former manager Martin as a replacement for Still, with the 39-year-old on standby for a swift return to management, having recently been dismissed by Scottish giants Rangers.

The Saints are not the only Championship club that hold an interest, however, with it being revealed that Norwich City are also considering the Englishman, given that there are doubts over Liam Manning’s future.

The Brighton-born manager is available without any compensation, which means he is an appealing option for the two Championship clubs, who could do battle for his services.

In truth, the former Rangers manager’s spell at Ibrox was a complete disaster, being sacked after just 17 games in charge, making him the shortest-serving permanent boss in the Scottish side’s history.

That said, the “exciting” manager, as hailed by analyst John Walker, could still be a good appointment for Southampton, considering the work he did at St. Mary’s previously, guiding them to promotion in the play-off final in the 2023-24 campaign.

The ex-Swansea City boss, who prefers to implement a 4-3-3 system, is also very experienced at Championship level, having taken charge of 138 second tier matches.

Games

138

Wins

60

Draws

34

Losses

44

Points per match

1.55

That said, it would arguably be a backwards step to appoint Martin, given that he was sacked by the Saints less than one year ago, after being unable to make the step-up to the Premier League, with his side losing 13 of their opening 16 Premier League games.

Southampton plotting move for James Ward-Prowse in January He's been told to leave: Southampton now plotting move to sign £30m PL star

The Saints could pull off an impressive move.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 2, 2025

Earlier, Zampa and Maxwell tore through the West Indies top order, taking five wickets between them

Alex Malcolm22-Jul-20252:48

Watch – Russell leaves to a standing ovation after 15-ball 36

A blistering, record third-wicket stand for Australia between Josh Inglis and Cameron Green, combined with five wickets to Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell, denied Andre Russell a fairytale farewell to international cricket at Sabina Park and handed the visitors a 2-0 series lead.Player-of-the-Match Inglis smashed 78 not out off just 33 balls, with seven fours and five sixes, while Green made his second consecutive half-century, finishing on 56 off 33, to guide Australia to the target of 173 with eight wickets and 28 balls to spare after they were 42 for 2 in the powerplay.West Indies dropped six catches, including three in the seventh over of the chase. Inglis and Green were dropped twice each. Russell unfortunately dropped Inglis and Mitchell Marsh and conceded 16 in his last international over, having given West Indies hope with a remarkable 36 off 15 to rescue the home side from 99 for 5 in the first half.Earlier, Zampa and Maxwell had scythed through the top order, taking 3 for 29 and 2 for 15 respectively after West Indies had reached 63 for no loss by the eighth over thanks to Brandon King’s 51 from 36.0:57

Watch – Maxwell picks up two wickets in two overs

Australia spinners set the game upAustralia made the unusual move of picking two specialist spinners in the XI with an eye towards the T20 World Cup next year. Matthew Kuhnemann bowled three overs in the powerplay on T20I debut. His first two overs were excellent, conceding just ten runs, but the gamble from Marsh to bowl him a third straight did not pay off as King launched him for two sixes and two fours. It helped West Indies get to 49 in the powerplay with King facing 29 of those balls. He reached his 50 off 33. But Zampa and Maxwell tore through the West Indies top order straight out of the powerplay.King fell off the last ball of the eighth over to Zampa and Hope off the first of the ninth to Maxwell. They took 3 for 23 in four overs with brilliant control of length and line and some excellent help from their fielders. Marsh and Green took superb running catches back with the flight although Marsh dropped Roston Chase at cover off Zampa. The legspinner would later get his man in the 14th, when he also had Sherfane Rutherford miscuing to Green in the deep. It left West Indies 99 for 5 and Zampa with figures of 3 for 15 from three while Maxwell had 2 for 15 from two.1:41

Watch – Inglis scores an unbeaten 33-ball 78

Dre Russ puts on one final showThe crowd rose as one when Russell walked out to bat after earlier receiving a guard of honour from the two teams at a pre-match presentation. West Indies’ talisman and Jamaica’s hero rose to the occasion one more time, thumping three sixes in his first five balls off Ben Dwarshuis to get the home side back on track. He took down Zampa in the following over for a six and a four to dent the legspinner’s figures. Russell was 35 off 12 and threatening to destroy Australia in the death overs but he was undone by the guile of Nathan Ellis with Inglis holding a towering skier. Every Australian player shook Russell’s hand before he soaked in a standing ovation on the way off.Australia were a little shook thereafter. Both Cooper Connolly and Dwarshuis dropped simple catches in the deep while Mitchell Owen missed a simple run out to allow Gudakesh Motie to eke out 18 not out from nine balls and help West Indies post a defendable 172 for 8.2:01

Watch – Brandon King made 51 off 36 for West Indies

Contagious case of the dropsAustralia’s three drops were thoroughly outdone by West Indies, who clanged six in total and paid the price. The effectiveness of spin in Australia’s bowling innings saw the visitors promote Maxwell to open alongside Marsh for just the fourth time in his T20I career. The ploy was to attack Akeal Hosein in the powerplay. Maxwell switch-hit a six and a four off consecutive balls in the first over, justifying his promotion. But his struggles against pace and bounce were evident again as he edged Jason Holder behind for 12 off ten.Marsh was dropped twice in the fifth over off Hosein. First, Russell launched a Superman-style dive to his right at cover-point but could not hold on. Then Hope dropped a difficult bottom edge behind the stumps. Those misses did not prove as costly given Marsh skied Alzarri Joseph to Hope next over.But Motie’s first over, the seventh, proved the most expensive. Inglis sliced the left-arm spinner over cover and Russell again could not hold on running back with the flight. Green smashed a brutally struck return chance back at Motie next ball that he could not cling onto it. Two balls later, Hope dropped another one, this time an outside edge as Green tried to launch down the ground.Inglis and Green make them payThe cost of those drops was immediate. Green swept the next ball, the last of the seventh over, fine for four. Inglis flicked the first of the eighth for six before finding the boundary twice more in the same Joseph over. Inglis went up another gear with some extraordinary shot-making on a tricky surface. He lofted Motie off the back foot over cover and pulled him into the midwicket stand in the same over. He treated Russell with contempt to reach 50 off just 22 balls, launching him onto the roof over long-off before reverse ramping him twice in his final over in international cricket. Green joined the party launching four sixes himself.The final self-inflicted West Indies wound came when Holder dropped a skied ball from Inglis off his own bowling. At the start of the 12th over Australia had needed 73 off 54. By the end of the 14th, which cost Joseph 22 runs, Australia needed just four to win with 30 balls remaining after Green’s 50 had come off 28 deliveries.

Atletico Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in Spain and have some superstars on the books at the Metropolitano Stadium.

In fact, in the 2025/26 season, Atletico have an annual payroll of €157,285,000, with the average player earning an incredible €6m a season.

But who earns what under Diego Simeone? Every Atletico Madrid player has been ranked in the first-team squad in order from highest to lowest in terms of wages for the 2025/26 season, with the help of Capology.

Disclaimer – only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.

1

Jan Oblak

€400,577

€20,830,000

2

Julian Alvarez

€240,385

€12,500,000

3

Antoine Griezmann

€180,385

€9,380,000

4

Conor Gallagher

€173,077

€9,000,000

=5

Marcos Llorente

€160,192

€8,330,000

=5

Alex Baena

€160,192

€8,330,000

7

Nicolas Gonzalez

€144,231

€7,500,000

=8

Alexander Sorloth

€140,385

€7,300,000

=8

Clement Lenglet

€140,385

€7,300,000

=10

Koke

€128,269

€6,670,000

=10

David Hancko

€128,269

€6,670,000

=12

Jose Gimenez

€120,192

€6,250,000

=12

Robin Le Normand

€120,192

€6,250,000

=12

Pablo Barrios

€120,192

€6,250,000

=12

Giacomo Raspadori

€120,192

€6,250,000

16

Thiago Almada

€100,000

€5,200,000

17

Johnny

€80,192

€4,170,000

18

Nahuel Molina

€72,308

€3,760,000

19

Juan Musso

€64,038

€3,330,000

=20

Giuliano Simeone

€60,000

€3,120,000

=20

Javi Galan

€60,000

€3,120,000

22

Matteo Ruggeri

€40,000

€2,080,000

23

Thomas Lemar

€31,250

€1,625,000

24

Marc Pubill

€23,846

€1,240,000

25

Carlos Martin

€16,154

€840,000

Here's a detailed look at Atletico Madrid's top 10 earners… 10 Koke €128,269 per week

Club legend and captain Koke has been on the books with Atletico Madrid since he was a child, with his first professional contract coming back in 2009.

Since then, Koke has recorded an incredible tally of over 690 appearances in red and white and has won nine major honours. His deal expires in 2026 as it stands.

9 Clement Lenglet €140,385 per week

After spending the 2024/25 season on loan at the Metropolitano from Barcelona, Clement Lenglet made his move to Atletico Madrid permanent.

The French defender signed a three-year deal worth €7.3m per season.

8 Alexander Sorloth €140,385 per week

Alexander Sorloth is on the same salary as Lenglet, although the Norwegian forward joined 12 months earlier from Villarreal.

His contract also expires in 2028.

7 Nicolas Gonzalez €144,231 per week

Nicolas Gonzalez is on loan at Atletico Madrid for the 2025/26 season from Italian giants Juventus, although the Spanish side will have the option to make a move permanent at the end of the campaign.

For now, Atletico will pay the winger €7.5m for the season in wages.

6 Alex Baena €160,192 per week

Joining in the summer of 2025 in a deal worth around around €50m from Villarreal was Alex Baena.

Capable of playing on either wing or as an attacking midfielder, Baena signed a five-year deal at the Metropolitano.

5 Marcos Llorente €160,192 per week

Also on €8.33m per season is versatile midfielder Marcos Llorente, who moved to the club from rivals Real Madrid in 2019.

Capable of playing as a right-back, right-midfielder or central midfielder, Llorente appears to be a dream player for Simeone and has turned out over 250 times for Atletico since his arrival.

4 Conor Gallagher €173,077 per week

English midfielder Conor Gallagher swapped Chelsea for Atletico in 2024, with the La Liga side paying around €40m for his services.

Gallagher signed a five-year deal worth €9m per season and looks set to play a key role at the Metropolitano during that time.

3 Antoine Griezmann €180,385 per week

Coming in at third place is Antoine Griezmann, who completed a permanent return to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona in 2022 for €40m.

His time at Camp Nou didn’t exactly go to plan, but he has been back scoring goals on a regular basis for Atletico and became the club’s all-time top goalscorer in 2024.

2 Julian Alvarez €240,385 per week

Atletico splashed the cash in 2024 to sign forward Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, who sold the World Cup winner for a club-record fee.

The Argentina international could end up costing the Spanish giants €95m (£78.9m) if all add-ons are met, with Alvarez picking up €12.5m per season.

1 Jan Oblak €400,577 per week

Comfortably top of the charts and Atletico Madrid’s highest-paid player is goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who earns a whopping €20.83m per season.

The Slovenia international has been one of the best ‘keepers in the world for some time now and has been with Atletico since 2014. His huge contract was signed in 2022 and runs until 2028.

Faf du Plessis stood in as captain for Delhi Capitals (DC) for the second game in a row, and opted to bowl in their final game of the season, against Punjab Kings (PBKS). DC’s regular captain Axar Patel had missed their previous match, against Mumbai Indians three days back, due to a flu, and continued to remain out of action.Du Plessis said at the toss that they were playing an extra batter in Karun Nair, with Abishek Porel dropped, and KL Rahul once again starting on the bench in their bowling-first XI. Tristan Stubbs will slot in as wicketkeeper in Porel’s place. DC also handed an IPL debut to Afghanistan’s opening batter Sediqullah Atal, with Dushmantha Chameera making way.PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, wants his side to build on the momentum even as they are already into the playoffs. PBKS have won three games in a row going back to when the IPL hadn’t been disrupted, and had last played six days back, when they beat Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur itself.PBKS played the returning Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis in their batting-first XI, as they replaced Mitchell Owen and Xavier Bartlett from the side that beat RR.Victory over DC will push PBKS up to 19 points, and with that, the No. 1 spot in the points table.PBKS bat-first XI: 1 Prabhsimran Singh, 2 Priyansh Arya, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Azmatullah Omarzai, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep SinghImpact Subs: Pravin Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Xavier Bartlett, Kyle JamiesonDC bowl-first XI: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Sameer Rizvi, 5 Tristan Stubbs (wk), 6 Ashutosh Sharma, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Mukesh KumarImpact Subs: KL Rahul, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurna Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Darshan Nalkande