'My goal is to wear the India whites' – Auqib Nabi shakes up the Duleep Trophy with four wickets in four balls

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The J&K fast bowler has been on an upward trend since the last season’s Ranji Trophy

Ashish Pant29-Aug-2025All the attention on the second day of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy game between North Zone and East Zone was on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who are playing their last competitive match before heading off to the Asia Cup. But it was Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi, who made everyone sit up and take note by bagging a five-wicket haul, which included four wickets in four balls.”I had not seen Nabi bowl earlier,” Arshdeep said after the second day’s play in Bengaluru. “The first time I saw him was at the [North Zone] nets, and I think in his first ten balls, he must have taken some seven wickets. That’s when I realised, this lad is special. The ball comes out of his hand really nicely. The work he has put in in domestic cricket, everyone has seen it today. I think he will take a lot of wickets in the future as well.”The third session of the quarter-final between East Zone and North Zone was moving at a sedate pace. East Zone wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra had just been dismissed, but Virat Singh was looking fairly unhurried on 69, and having seen off long spells from Arshdeep and Harshit, would have harboured hopes of going to stumps unscathed.Related

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All that changed around 4.15pm when, in the 53rd over of the innings, Nabi decided to show why he finished the 2024-25 Ranji trophy season as the highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers.He first flattened Virat’s middle stump with a pacy length ball. The next delivery, he got one to skid through low and trapped Manishi, who shouldered arms, lbw. Mukhtar Hussain faced the hat-trick ball and got nowhere close to the sharp inducker that rattled his off and middle stumps. Hat-trick.That signalled the end of Nabi’s eighth over, but he was not yet done. On the first ball of his next over, he had Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal caught behind to become just the fifth Indian bowler to claim four wickets in four balls in first-class cricket. Not long after, Nabi trapped Mohammed Shami in front to claim his ninth five-wicket haul in just his 30th match.Nabi had figures of 0 for 23 in seven overs in his first spell; in his second, he returned 5 for 5 in 3.1 overs. East Zone, who were on 222 for 5 midway through the 53rd over, lost 5 for 8 in 22 balls to be bowled out for 230. Nabi’s spell helped North Zone take a 175-run first-innings lead and a firm grip on proceedings.”When we went into the tea break, the coaches told us that it’s all gone a bit flat, so they asked us to show some enthusiasm, and that’s what we did”, Nabi told ESPNcricinfo. “I am feeling very good. This is a rare record, four in four, but more importantly, I got my team a first-innings lead.”When I started my spell, I was bowling well. I beat the bat a number of times, and I felt I was a bit unlucky. I try and pick up wickets; if that doesn’t work, I try and contain the batters. Today, I just tried to put the ball in one place, and it worked. There was a nice breeze blowing across the ground in the evening and I got help from that.”The second day was not just about Nabi the fast bowler. In the morning session, he also smashed 44 in 33 balls, including four fours and two sixes, taking North Zone to safer shores after they had slipped to 308 for 7. He added 66 runs for the eighth wicket with Kanhaiya Wadhawan, with North Zone finishing on 405.Auqib Nabi picked up four wickets in four balls•PTI “When you bat well, it helps build your confidence and carries it forward,” Nabi said. “It shows in your bowling and fielding. It [my innings] was crucial for the team. I work a lot on my batting. I practice a lot.”It’s been a sensational year-and-a-half for Nabi. Before the start of the 2024-25 Ranji season, he had 46 wickets in 20 matches. By the end of the season, he had almost doubled his tally. He picked up 44 wickets in eight matches – the second-most in the season – striking at 30.47, which included six five-fors. Nabi’s sensational form coincided with J&K qualifying for the Ranji knockouts for the first time in five years. While they narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth, the 28-year-old earned his maiden Duleep Trophy call-up.J&K recorded eight wins in last year’s Ranji season. One of those wins came against Mumbai, which had several international players in the XI, including former Test captain Rohit Sharma. Nabi took six wickets in that game, dismissing the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur. It was a performance that gave Nabi plenty of confidence.”As a bowler, as a cricketer, that was a very important match for us,” he said. “Almost half of the Indian side was playing. The motivation is different when you bowl to good players. And we also had great preparation. Our board got us to Mumbai a week before the match to acclimatise to the conditions and that helped.”Nabi hails from Baramulla in Kashmir. His father is a teacher in a government school and one of his biggest supporters. But the cricket facilities in Baramulla are almost non-existent. The closest ground from his home is in Srinagar, over 50 kilometres away. Did that deter him at any point growing up? ” goal India matter nahi karta. [If your goal is to play for India, these things don’t matter],” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you have limited resources. You have to use them. You can’t make excuses. You have to keep improving if you want to play for your country. And that’s my goal… to wear the India whites.”

'One more ball, please' – The quiet rise of N Shree Charani

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The shy left-arm spinner who never wants to stop bowling in the nets has risen swiftly to become an important player for Delhi Capitals and India

Shashank Kishore08-Jul-2025Lisa Keightley, the former Australia batter and current assistant coach of Delhi Capitals, perhaps best captures N Shree Charani’s relentless drive in a viral Instagram reel from WPL 2025.Charani asks “Lisa ma’am” to let her bowl one more ball at the nets. Then, Keightley says: “You watch. She’ll come back, and she’ll go, Lisa, one more, one more ball. Does it for about 20 minutes.”Related

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This reel has regained traction in recent weeks, since Charani’s impressive T20I debut against England late June, when she picked up 4 for 12 – the best figures by an Indian debutant. In the two matches that followed, she has picked up four more wickets.At 20, Charani has already proven her ability to bowl across different phases of the game, a skill she’s honed over the past few years under the guidance of Andhra head coach Srinivas Reddy. The turning point came in 2022, when she was left out of India’s Under-19 World Cup squad, a snub that lit the fire within.Ananya Upendran, the former Hyderabad Women captain and now a lead scout at DC, remembers being captivated watching a teenaged Charani bowl during the T20 Challenger Trophy in October 2022, a few months prior to the inaugural Under-19 World Cup.N Shree Charani picked up four wickets on her T20I debut•Andy Kearns/Getty Images”To me, she was the most impressive bowler in that tournament,” Upendran tells ESPNcricinfo. “She had a smooth, high-arm action, great control, and was one of the quicker spinners on display. The pitches in Goa were quite slow, but because she bowled faster through the air, batters couldn’t just sit back and play her.”They were forced to come forward. That gave her a real edge. I was actually quite surprised she didn’t make the U-19 World Cup squad. What stood out to me was her natural control and understanding of length, even if she was still figuring out how to vary her pace. Physically, she was tall and strong, which helped her generate that pace through the air.”Charani’s spin attributes took shape in gully cricket, where she’d bowl left-arm fast. To succeed in tennis ball-cricket, you need to be quick through the air. She carried forward this quality when she gravitated towards spin bowling.”Even early on, her biggest strength was control, but equally impressive was her temperament,” Upendran explains. “And she’s brought that same level-headedness into the WPL as well. What really struck me was that she wasn’t at all overawed by the occasion. She was quietly confident in her skills, just going about her job.”In March this year, soon after making her WPL debut for Delhi Capitals, Charani had felt the India dream was just a “long-term goal.” Yet, a month later, she received her ODI cap from Sneh Rana in Sri Lanka. And two months on, Charani had earned her maiden T20I cap.”Charani is a quick learner,” says India Women bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi.Charani struck key blows on debut to Delhi Capitals’ delight during the WPL•BCCICharani prides herself on being fearless. Much of her early confidence has come from strong leadership around her. At matches or training during the WPL, she leaned on the calm assurance of Meg Lanning, whom she says “spoon-feeds” her exactly what’s needed.Charani’s use of the word “spoon-feeds” to describe Lanning’s guidance is almost childlike in its honesty. It’s not a word that comes from rehearsed soundbites. It’s clear she’s still getting used to the big stage.The support has extended beyond the field, too; Keightley has had a big influence. “In the pre-season camp in Pune, I was bowling at one pace, doing what I know,” Charani said on the DC podcast. “Lisa ma’am told me what I can do if someone’s going hard on me. She used to guide me for each and every ball. Her inputs were very helpful.”There’s a quiet resilience to Charani typical of youngsters coming up the ranks from nondescript centres. All she’s had growing up was sound backing from the family, and her own steely resolve of wanting to prove she was no less talented than kids around her.”From childhood, I played with my uncle, brother, dad and sister,” she said. “Whenever our friends near the colony played, I used to join. I played many sports – kho kho, badminton, athletics – but cricket was a constant.”In 2018-19, Charani’s [maternal uncle], who had grown up playing cricket in Hyderabad, persuaded her parents to send her for cricket trials. There, she caught the eyes of the age-group coaches. Reddy, in particular, was amazed at her athleticism – a byproduct of Charani being a promising track-and-field athlete – and fielding.”Batting and bowling came secondary; when someone fields like that, it stands out in age-group cricket especially,” Reddy says. “The speed across the outfield, her cutting of angles – it was very impressive. If I have to be brutally honest, it was her fielding, not bowling, that stood out initially. But over the past few years, she has really developed her game.”Today it’s impossible to take the ball away from her,” Reddy says, reiterating Keightley’s observation. “She’ll be the first to start bowling and the last to stop. And even after the nets are over, she’ll keep doing some spot bowling.”When Charani received her WPL cap from Jess Jonassen, she wasn’t nervous, but clear-headed and focused. “I always think about bowling to my strengths,” she said, recalling that debut game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. “That day, I stuck to that.”Shree Charani has shown a quiet resilience during her journey to the top•Getty ImagesHer first wicket was of Ellyse Perry. “I didn’t plan on getting her out,” she said sheepishly. “If I do small mistakes, she’ll pick it and hit me. So I just stuck to what Meg [Lanning] followed.”The WPL call came on the back of a strong showing at the Under-23 level, during the 2023-24 season, where Charani took a four-wicket haul and back-to-back five-for. The matches had a number of scouts in attendance, among them those from Mumbai Indians and DC. It was no surprise DC and Mi tussled to sign her; she was eventually signed for INR 55 lakh.”Charani was very quiet when she first came into the setup, and I think a big part of that was the language barrier – she wasn’t very comfortable or fluent in English at the time,” Upendran says. “But even then, you could see how eager she was to learn. At every training session, she would make an effort to talk to the senior bowlers, even if it was just a few words.”That’s one of the great things about the Capitals environment – you’ve got people like Jess Jonassen, Annabel Sutherland and Meg Lanning, who are always willing to help younger players. Even if the younger ones are hesitant to approach them, the seniors often take the initiative themselves. That kind of culture really helped Charani.”The bond she developed with Keightley – Lisa ma’am – was particularly special. Initially, their conversations were minimal – Keightley would ask questions and Charani would just nod or respond in monosyllables. By the end of the season, they were inseparable.”She’s naturally shy, so the language barrier made it harder for her to open up. But once she felt accepted and the team recognised how talented she was, her confidence really blossomed,” Upendran says. “The group helped too – players like Jemimah [Rodrigues], [V Sneha] Deepthi, Radha [Yadav] and Shikha [Pandey] were all incredibly welcoming, and that made a big difference.

While she may still be learning the language of interviews and post-match commitments, with the ball in hand there’s fluency in most things she’s done.

“As for her training habits, she absolutely loves to bowl. You could ask her, ‘Are you done?’ and she’d always say, ‘One more ball.’ Over time, with Lisa’s help, she also learned how to manage her workload better, understanding when to stop, how much was enough to feel ready. But she always wanted to end a session with a good delivery, because that’s the feeling she wanted to carry forward.”Charani’s rise comes at a crucial juncture, with two World Cups to be played in a span of 12 months. While she may still be learning the language of interviews and post-match commitments, with the ball in hand there’s fluency in most things she’s done. And the cricket world is beginning to take note.

Have England ever been bowled out twice more quickly than they were in Perth?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

And has anyone else made a fourth-innings hundred on the second day of a Test as Travis Head did?

Steven Lynch25-Nov-2025Mitchell Starc improved his best bowling figures in his 100th Test, against West Indies, and improved them in his 101st Test at Perth. Has anyone done this later in a Test career? asked Ekambaram Raveendran from India

Australia’s Mitchell Starc took 6 for 9 – his best figures at the time – as West Indies were skittled for 27 in Kingston in July. That was his 100th Test – and in the first innings of his 101st, against England in Perth, Starc took seven wickets in a Test innings for the first time, finishing with 7 for 58.Unsurprisingly, this is easily the latest stage of a career at which a player improved his best Test figures in successive matches. Two Pakistanis come next: Wasim Akram had best figures of 6 for 62 after 50 Tests, but took 6 for 43 against New Zealand in his 51st, and improved that to 7 for 119 in his 52nd, in February 1994. Abdul Qadir started his 48th Test with a best return of 7 for 142, but took 7 for 96 against England at The Oval in August 1987, and improved that with 9 for 56 in his 49th, against England in Lahore in November 1987.The latest a batter has improved his highest score in successive Tests was by Australia’s Ricky Ponting in December 2003. After 72 Tests his highest score was 206, but he scored 242 against India in Adelaide in his 73rd, and improved that with 257 against them in Melbourne in his 74th match. His successor as captain, Michael Clarke, improved his previous-best of 151 with 166 in his 58th Test, against Pakistan in January 2010, then made 168 in his 59th, against New Zealand in Wellington two months later.Travis Head scored a century on the second (last!) day in Perth. Has anyone else ever made a fourth-innings century before the end of the second day of a Test before? asked Martin Bennett from Australia

That stunning innings by Travis Head, which decisively wrenched the first Ashes Test Australia’s way in Perth, was indeed the first time anyone had made a century in the fourth innings of a Test by the end of the second day. The only other time a team has reached 100 in the fourth innings on the second day of a Test was at Headingley in 1912, when South Africa made 105 for 7 against England – but the highest individual score was Louis Tancred’s 38 not out (he was out for 39 next morning).Head reached his century in just 69 balls, the fastest in the Ashes apart from Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball hundred at the WACA in Perth in December 2006. The only other faster century for Australia in a Test was in 67 balls, by Jack Gregory against South Africa in Johannesburg in November 1921. David Warner also reached three figures in 69 balls against India at the WACA in January 2012.England faced only 67.3 overs in both innings in Perth. Have they ever been bowled out twice more quickly? asked Jon Morrison from England

England were bowled out twice in 67.3 overs – 405 balls – in the first Test in Perth. They have only been bowled out twice more quickly in Tests they lost on two occasions, the most recent of which was in March 1904, when they faced just 54.1 overs (325 deliveries) in being dismissed for 61 and 101 by Australia in Melbourne. Before that England were bowled out for 53 and 62 in 388 balls (97 four-ball overs) by Australia at Lord’s in July 1888.The fewest balls to be bowled out twice and lose by any side in a Test is 248 (49.3 five-ball overs) by South Africa (93 and 30) against England in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in February 1896.With his 109 not out against New Zealand, Shai Hope now has hundreds against every Test-playing nation, albeit across formats•AFP/Getty ImagesShai Hope has scored international centuries against all 11 possible Test-playing opponents. Has anyone else done this? asked Marlon Hoyte from Barbados

Shai Hope’s 109 not out in an ODI against New Zealand in Napier last week completed this particular full set: he’s scored individual international centuries (in Tests, ODIs or T20Is) against his 11 possible Test-playing opponents. Hope has scored four against England and India, three against Bangladesh, two against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and one against Afghanistan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Only three of his hundreds have come in Tests: two against England at Headingley in August 2017, and one against India in Delhi in October.Seven players have scored international centuries against ten of their 11 possible Test-playing opponents: Hashim Amla (no hundreds against Afghanistan), Shikhar Dhawan (none against England), Martin Guptill (missing Afghanistan), Mahela Jayawardene (Ireland), Virat Kohli (Ireland), Rohit Sharma (Ireland) and Marcus Trescothick (never played against Afghanistan).How many times in Tests have a team won the toss, decided to bat first, been bowled out on the first day, have a deficit on the first innings but gone on to win the Test against the host nation, as South Africa did in the first Test in India? asked Andre Terblanche from South Africa

That’s probably the most specific question I’ve ever received! South Africa did do all this in the first Test against India in Kolkata earlier this month, but actually it was the third time it had happened this year – Australia did it against West Indies in Bridgetown in June, and Ireland did it to beat Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in February. This particular set of circumstances appears to have happened 32 times in all in Tests now. The first time was in August 1882, when Australia beat England at The Oval in the match that spawned the Ashes legend.There’s also an update from a question a couple of weeks ago:

In this column I answered a question about the players with the best averages in their last 25 Tests. In calculating the answer we considered only players who had won at least 50 caps – but actually that probably wasn’t the right way to do it. Two or three readers pointed out that the great England bowler Sydney Barnes took 170 wickets at 16.49 in his last 25 Tests – but he hadn’t shown up in our searches as he played only 27 matches in all.And so… we widened the search to include everyone’s last 25 Tests, even if they only played 26 (or 27 like Barnes). The efforts of Jasprit Bumrah in the first Test against South Africa actually gave him a better average than Barnes ahead of the second match of the current series – 125 wickets at 16.38 – but that may change: and in any case there’s someone who beats both of them, as the England offspinner Jim Laker took 120 wickets at 15.93 in the last 25 of his 46 Tests. Alec Bedser (136 at 18.68) and Curtly Ambrose (99 at 18.78) are fourth and fifth.Among batters Don Bradman remains way out on top (3468 runs at 105.09), but the West Indian Clyde Walcott comes in second, with 2651 at 67.97 in the last 25 of his 44 Tests, ahead of Kane Williamson (currently 66.67), Kumar Sangakkara (64.05) and Andy Flower (63.83).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

India need their big three more than ever as tougher tests await

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues have had a quiet World Cup so far. India can’t afford for it to stay that way

Vishal Dikshit10-Oct-2025India are approaching the halfway mark of their Women’s World Cup campaign and their performances have not lived up to the promise they displayed in the lead up to the tournament. They haven’t come close to playing the perfect game, and Australia await on Sunday.India’s most severe problem is that their star-studded top five has been reduced to rubble and their innings has needed a lower-order rescue in all three games. They managed to recover well enough to win their first two matches but fell short against their toughest opponents yet, South Africa.The trend in this tournament has been for most teams to lose five or six wickets by around 25 overs, but India’s struggle stands out because none of their senior trio of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues has made a half-century.When compared to the other seven teams at the World Cup, India’s top five averages 23.13, lower than all the other serious semi-finalist contenders England, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Among teams that have played at least two games, India are the only ones without a 50-plus score from their top five. It terms of run rate, India’s top five is third from the bottom.Related

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Harmanpreet: 'It wasn't an easy pitch to bat'

India need to fix flaws ahead of tougher challenges

During the previous game against South Africa, Mandhana broke a 28-year record held by Belinda Clark and is on track to become the first woman to score 1000 ODI runs in a year. She has eight hundreds since the start of 2024; the most recent of those – 125 off 63 balls against Australia last month – was the second fastest in the format.In the World Cup, however, she has made only 8, 23, and 23 so far. What was hard to believe was that her scratchiest innings – against South Africa – came on the flattest pitch India have played on to date. She was beaten frequently in Visakhapatnam and struggled against the swing of Marizanne Kapp before eventually holing out against left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.It would have been even harder to believe for the Indian camp because in their two training sessions in Visakhapatnam, Mandhana batted like she did during that century against Australia: taking apart the swing of Renuka Singh, middling aerial shots against anyone who bowled to her, and shuffling around her crease to hit anywhere she wanted to.Jemimah Rodrigues has fallen to left-arm spin in all three games•ICC/Getty ImagesMandhana’s close friend Rodrigues was not far behind before this World Cup. She scored both of her ODI centuries in 2025 and her strike rate in a year was more than a run a ball for the first time. She had found success at No. 5, a position given to her only in 2023 after she spent her early years in the top order.To be fair to Rodrigues, the first delivery she faced in her maiden ODI World Cup is a contender for the ball of the tournament: Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera used drift and turn from around the wicket to hit off stump. Rodrigues, however, fell to left-arm spin in India’s next two games, too. She was lbw to Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu and lbw to South Africa’s Chloe Tyron, missing the sweep on both occasions. Her highest score so far is 32 off 37 against Pakistan, but she might have not even got that far had Diana Baig not overstepped when she was on 2.Harmanpreet hasn’t had a magical year so far, but she’s the sort of batter who can play a blinder out of nowhere, especially against India’s next opponents Australia. She played a cameo against Sri Lanka when India needed more, struggled for rhythm against Pakistan, and got totally stuck against South Africa, crawling to 9 off 23 before mistiming an on-the-up push to point that drew instant criticism from Anjum Chopra for getting through the shot too early against the left-arm spin of Tyron.You can bet on Harmanpreet raising her game against Australia, though, especially on the biggest stages. After her match-winning 171 not out in the 2017 World Cup semi-final, she nearly took India to the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, nearly secured a place in the 2023 T20 World Cup final, and ran them close in the 2024 T20 World Cup, too.Harmanpreet had hoped that the WPL, now three seasons old, would prepare India’s lower order to handle crunch situations better than they have in the past. The previous three games have proved that India’s Nos. 6 to 9 can dig the team out of a deep hole. The onus is now on Mandhana, Harmanpreet and Rodrigues to ensure they don’t find themselves in one, as the race to the semi-finals heats up with tough fixtures against Australia and then England.

Switch Hit: Travball 1-0 Bazball

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

After England’s dramatic two-day capitulation to start the 2025-26 Ashes, Alan Gardner hears from Vish Ehantharajah and Alex Malcolm about what went down in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2025After all the talk, time for a speed walk. The 2025-26 Ashes got underway in rip-roaring style, as Australia overturned a first-innings deficit to win by eight wickets in Perth, thanks to Travis Head’s century for the ages. Can England fight back from 1-0 down? On Switch, Alan Gardner was joined by Vithushan Ehantharajah and Alex Malcolm to consider that question and more. Will Head continue to open? How did England squander their advantage? And should we start worrying about Joe Root? Also under consideration was Mitchell Starc’s greatness and what’s in store for Brisbane.

Spurs have another Kane in the making but he's likely to leave like Parrott

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur have levels still to reach under Thomas Frank’s management, but with such an exciting academy underbelly, there’s every reason for fans to be excited about the club’s long-term success.

There has been a real wave of youth investment in recent years, with Lucas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic among the formative additions landed after showing signs of prodigious potential. However, the next superstar has yet to present himself.

Harry Kane is the most notable alumnus kicking a ball today, with the Three Lions captain in devastating form for club and country this season. Kane is one of the Londoners’ greatest players of all time, for sure.

Harry Kane

435

280

Jimmy Greaves

376

266

Bobby Smith

316

211

Heung-min Son

454

173

Martin Chivers

350

167

How Frank must long for the 32-year-old’s qualities. He would be the icing on the cake down N17 this season. However, Kane isn’t the only one-time Spurs striker making headway at the moment, with Troy Parrott in the form of his life.

Parrott's record since leaving Spurs

Parrott left Tottenham for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie in July 2024, completing a transfer worth around £7m. He had only featured four times for Spurs’ senior side and had completed five separate loan spells away, the last of which was a prolific year in Holland with Excelsior.

However, his 2024/25 campaign stood as the opus of his young career. The 23-year-old has been thriving with Alkmaar, and he has used that platform as a springboard toward new heights with the Irish national team too.

Indeed, after scoring 13 goals and supplying two assists across 14 matches in all competitions for his club this season, Parrott has headed out with his nation and dragged them to the World Cup qualifiers, scoring a brace in last week’s surprise victory over Portugal.

But it was the sublime hat-trick over Hungary on Sunday evening that consolidated Parrott’s new reputation as a hero in his homeland and one of the most talented up-and-coming strikers out there.

How Spurs must regret letting him leave, especially considering the current conundrum Frank is dealing with at number nine. That said, they do have a potential replacement in the wings who could be seen as the club’s new version of Kane.

Spurs' new version of Harry Kane

Dane Scarlett may have envisaged a bigger role at this stage of his career, but the 21-year-old Tottenham talent is undoubtedly still in with a shot of making it at the club.

Having been praised by former coach Jose Mourinho in the past for being a “diamond” of a prospect, Scarlett found a way back into the reckoning after a series of loan spells last season, and in this, he could emulate Kane and take a step forward where Parrott was unable to.

Curiously, Kane completed a series of loan spells away from Tottenham before establishing himself as one of the finest strikers of his generation. He was 21 when it all came together in London.

Scarlett must not be written off, not yet. The “fantastic finisher”, as he has been called by Frank, scored his first goal for the club in the Europa League last season, and while Frank has not yet unleashed him in the Premier League, the 5 foot 11 striker has made the bench five times across the club’s past seven matches.

TNT Sports pundit Peter Crouch said after that win over Elfborg last season that Scarlett reminded him of Kane back in his younger days, having displayed such resilience to kick on after a series of loan spells and become one of Tottenham’s greatest players.

While Parrott might have seen the chance for such success pass him by, it’s certainly not too late for Scarlett, and given the current attacking issues at the club, one golden chance may bloom into a prosperous future down N17.

However, given his record at senior level to date, it would not be a huge surprise if things ended in the same way it did for Parrott; a move elsewhere.

Keown called Spurs star "embarrassing" in 2024, now they must "double" his wages

This Tottenham Hotspur star has turned his fortunes around after being called “embarrassing” last year.

ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

Norwich set 10-day deadline as Carrow Road chiefs open talks with O'Neil

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

After sacking Liam Manning, Norwich City have reportedly conducted an interview with former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil and set a managerial deadline.

The Canaries made the decision to sack Manning after 15 Championship games in charge. The former Bristol City manager arrived off the back of an excellent campaign with the Robins, in which they secured a playoff place, but was unable to replicate that form in charge of Norwich.

Instead of the top six, the Canaries have found themselves in the bottom two courtesy of Manning and only above Sheffield Wednesday, who were hit with a 12-point deduction after entering administration.

After two wins in 15 league games, Manning’s tenure suddenly makes former manager Johannes Hoff Thorup’s time at the club look rather promising, on reflection. Whether there’s some regret that those at Carrow Road didn’t give the latter more time is up for debate, however.

Sporting director Ben Knapper released a statement after sacking Manning, telling fans that they “tried absolutely everything possible” to turn things around under the former Bristol City boss.

Meanwhile, the search for a new manager is very much underway with reports going as far as to claim that the Canaries have already interviewed two candidates for the job.

Norwich interview Gary O'Neil

As reported by The Telegraph’s John Percy, Norwich have now interviewed O’Neil for their vacant managerial role and are keen to make an official appointment in the next 10 days.

The ex-Premeir League manager was recently linked with a second stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but turned his former club down. Now, he could be on his way to Carrow Road.

Former Blackburn Rovers manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has also reportedly been interviewed, but O’Neil’s Premier League experience should make him Norwich’s number one choice.

Dubbed “fantastic” by former Wolves winger Jordan Graham during his time in the Midlands, O’Neil has all the credentials needed to finally turn things around at Norwich, who sit four points adrift of safety in the Championship.

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Pep rates him: Manager with shades of Nuno Santo is open to joining Wolves

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

The search for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ new manager goes on.

The Old Gold sacked Vitor Pereira last week after picking up just two points all season, as they look to salvage the campaign and avoid relegation to the Championship.

There have been a few names bandied about when it comes to who could replace Pereira in the hot seat at Molineux.

Former manager Gary O’Neill, who was only sacked last December, came under consideration, but pulled out of the race. There are also suggestions that Erik ten Hag and Michael Carrick are two options for the club.

However, a new contender has emerged in recent hours.

The latest manager to be linked with Wolves

It was clear that Wolves needed to bring in a new manager, with Pereira struggling to get the best out of his squad.

Manager Focus

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

However, his replacement is something they must get spot on, as they look to get their first win of the season.

Well, according to Football FanCast sources, the higher-ups at Molineux have sounded out a move for former Benfica boss Rui Vitoria.

The West Midlands outfit is said to be a job that the 55-year-old would be open to taking over.

Vitoria has not been out of a job long, having managed Panathinaikos most recently, who sacked him in September.

Why Vitoria would be a good appointment for Wolves

It is perhaps a bit of a red flag for Wolves fans that Pereira has struggled in his last three jobs. The Portuguese manager, who hails from just outside of Lisbon, has had three jobs in the last four years.

One of those was as head coach of the Egyptian national team. He coached them in 18 games and was sacked after crashing out of AFCON at the round of 16 stage. The role before that was at Spartak Moscow, where he lasted 26 games, and his latest job at Panathinaikos saw him manage 43 matches.

Yet, the 55-year-old has seen success at previous clubs. Said to favour an attacking 4-3-3 formation, his best spell came as Benfica boss, where he won four major honours. That included back-to-back Portuguese top-flight titles in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns.

One man who thought highly of Vitoria’s reign was Pep Guardiola, who said his team was “worthy of Arrigo Sacchi,” the legendary former AC Milan manager.

The pair met in the Champions League when Guardiola was in charge of Bayern Munich, and although Benfica were knocked out 3-2 on aggregate, Vitoria clearly left a strong impression.

Indeed, his record at Benfica was certainly impressive. He took charge of 183 games for the club and had an excellent win rate of 68%. That saw him lead his side to victory on 125 occasions.

Games

183

Wins

125

Draws

27

Losses

31

Win rate

68%

Goals for

388

Goals against

161

It is easy to draw comparisons between the potential new Wolves boss and one of their best from the FOSUN era, Nuno Espirito Santo.

Now at West Ham United, the ex-Old Gold manager took charge of 199 games at Molineux and was a huge success story.

Nuno was adored by the Wolves faithful. Not only did he guide them back to the Premier League in 2017/18, but he even led them to the Europa League. He certainly brought happier times to Molineux during his time there.

Like Vitoria, the former Wolves manager learnt his craft in his native Portugal. He began at Rio Ave, and then managed FC Porto, with a spell at Valencia in between, before moving to Molineux and starting his dynasty.

Well, via a few more clubs, that is a similar route to what Vitoria will be taking if he gets the job at Molineux. Making a name for themselves in Portugal is something the two managers have in common, and Vitoria will be hoping he can earn the same level of adoration Nuno got at Wolves.

The new Nuno Santo: "World-class" manager wants to hold talks with Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers could appoint their next Nuno Espirito Santo by hiring this Gary O’Neil upgrade.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 5, 2025

Leeds now eyeing 4-4-2 "quick and dynamic" manager to replace Daniel Farke

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Leeds United are eyeing up one manager who has wins over Oliver Glasner, Thomas Tuchel and Ange Postecoglou to replace Daniel Farke.

Farke under pressure at Leeds after Nottingham Forest defeat

The Whites and Farke headed into the international break following two Premier League losses on the road to Brighton and Nottingham Forest.

Conceding three goals at the AMEX and the City Ground, Leeds now find themselves just one point clear of safety and have an extremely tough run of fixtures when club football returns.

Leeds’ upcoming fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (h)

November 23rd

Manchester City (a)

November 29th

Chelsea (h)

December 3rd

Liverpool (h)

December 6th

Brentford (a)

December 14th

Crystal Palace (h)

December 21st

Sunderland (a)

December 28th

There has been plenty of speculation on Farke’s future following the defeats in recent week, but journalist Graeme Bailey insisted the 49ers Enterprises intend to give him until January to turn things around.

Bailey said: “Pressure is mounting on Daniel Farke – but he knew this was coming and the club did too. This is going to be a long season. Everyone was aware. They didn’t spend the tens of millions that Sunderland did.

“They know Farke can only do so much with the squad at his disposal. But the quality of performance and how they compete is going to be vital in the coming weeks.”

There have been a number of managers mooted with an Elland Road move to replace Farke, should the 49ers make a change, including Liam Rosenior of Strasbourg and Valencia’s Carlos Corberan, a former assistant to Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds eyeing up move for Marco Rose

Now, according to Football Insider, former RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose is firmly on Leeds’ radar.

The outlet then relayed comments from former scout Mick Brown, who said it would be a “gamble” to appoint someone like Rose.

“I have no doubt Marco Rose is on Leeds’ radar. Their links with Red Bull make that a possibility for Leeds, so it’s certainly an option they might look to explore if they do decide to make a change.

“But personally I would be surprised if he was the person they chose to help them. If they decide to sack Farke, it will be because they’re at risk of getting relegated, so I don’t think taking a gamble on a manager like Rose would be right for them.

“He doesn’t know the Premier League, and it might be a cliche, but that’s what Leeds will be looking for. There was talk about Farke during the summer and whether he could go, because they wanted somebody with experience of being successful in the Premier League.

“So if they decide to sack him now, I expect that’s what they’re going to look at.”

The 49-year-old, who plays a 4-4-2 system, is currently out of work after leaving Leipzig back in March.

Rose does have wins over the likes of Glasner, Tuchel and Postecoglou on his CV and revealed what style of play he likes his sides to have.

Could that be at Leeds?

He's got a "bit of Bielsa": Leeds could sack Farke for "mental" 4-3-3 coach

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the South African sky

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

“We want to make everyone proud” – to understand why winning the World Cup matters so much to South Africa, read the stories of the players

Firdose Moonda19-Oct-2024Over the last 20 months, you would have heard South African sportspeople speak about their desire to play for something greater than themselves, and you would probably have believed them. They come from a country where social wounds are fresh and open, and where sport has, from the earliest days of democracy, provided a balm.In 1995, the Springboks won the rugby World Cup at home with Nelson Mandela as an ambassador. They have since gone on to lift the trophy three more times, most recently when they beat New Zealand in the final last year. In 1996, the national men’s football team won the African Cup of Nations, and last year the women did the same. South Africa’s cricketers have yet to do something similar. Since February last year, they have had three chances, two of them thanks to the women, and this time they aim to deliver.”We want to unite the country,” Chloe Tryon said at the pre-final press conference. “We wish the whole country was here with us. It would mean a lot to us. And we just want to play for everyone – our family, our friends, everyone that’s just sitting at different places watching and coming together and just supporting. We’re a very diverse, colourful nation. We just want to make them proud. We want to make everyone proud. And we just want to bring them all together. We’re hoping to fly that South African flag high.”Related

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To understand why it matters, meet the team that represents the self-titled Rainbow Nation and read their stories:Laura Wolvaardt could have been a medical doctor or a musician. Instead, she is leading South Africa at a T20 World Cup and is already their most decorated white-ball batter. Wolvaardt is the leading run-scorer in ODIs and T20Is for her team and achieved both after accepting the job as full-time captain. At first, she was concerned the leadership would affect her batting and she was right. Since taking over, she has upped her T20I average to 46.10 from 36.20, her ODI average to 68.21 from 49.38 and has scored a century in every format.Tazmin Brits would have represented South Africa by throwing the javelin at the 2012 Olympic Games but she was in a car accident that fractured her pelvis, burst her bladder, and could have ended her life. After she cheated death, she worked in a grocery store packing vegetables, and played cricket socially until the chance came to take it more seriously. But Brits could not afford to quit her day job and CSA had to step in to provide a stipend to “give her an opportunity to focus on cricket”, as CSA head of pathways Eddie Khoza put it. “She celebrates every moment and her passion for the game is something else.”Anneke Bosch made her international debut in 2016 but after two low scores, she had to wait three years to be considered for the T20I side and five to return to ODI cricket. In the interim, she found herself at what she described as a “crossroads”, when she considered quitting the game to focus on her career as a biokineticist. “Cricket looked like it wasn’t going anywhere and it wasn’t going to work out. I had almost decided to let cricket go,” she told ESPNcricinfo. She stuck at it, got re-selected, and found herself given the No. 3 spot for this tournament where scores of 18, 11 and 25 and a strike rate of 72.97 meant there were questions over her going into the semi-final. But in the most high-pressure of all situations, Bosch stood up to Australia and sent South Africa to a second final with an unbeaten 74 off 48 balls.Despite so many things going against her, Marizanne Kapp has become the champion allrounder she was destined to be•ICC/Getty ImagesMarizanne Kapp wears her heart on her sleeve. She has battled health issues through an unknown condition, which sometimes floors her, and personal issues, through a relationship that is in the cricket public’s eye. She has still managed to become a champion allrounder. In the last two years, Kapp has had Covid four times, could not fulfil her dream of playing at the Commonwealth Games after her brother-in-law suffered an accident, as she returned home to be at his side in the Intensive Care Unit. Eight months later, her wife Dane van Niekerk’s plans to play at the home T20 World Cup were derailed after she failed a fitness test. As van Niekerk retired, Kapp had to play under the same administration that had shunned her other half. She did, and was part of a side that took South Africa to the final. The national anthem is her cue to cry and expect the tears to flow on Sunday in Dubai.Chloe Tryon became the first bowler to take a wicket with her first ball in a T20I, and she did it at the World Cup in 2010. She was just 17 at the time and considered the future of the South African game. But two years later, she had back surgery for the first time and has struggled with a recurring injury for a large part of her career. In 2020, she was told her career was done. Tryon chose not to believe that. She has made comeback after comeback, re-established herself as a power-hitter, a versatile bowler who can be used in the powerplay, and a senior member of this South African side.Sune Luus was made South Africa’s interim captain when van Niekerk broke her ankle in early 2022 and continued in that job for over a year. She has spoken about the challenges of trying to make the team her own, in the space where they waited to find out if their permanent skipper would return. Despite that uncertainty, Luus led the team to their first T20 World Cup final and then chose to step away from the job. After doing that, Luus found runs hard to come by. She did not score a T20I half-century for 14 innings this year and as she battled for runs, she also decided to change her bowling style. Luus went from bowling legspin to offspin in her search for consistency. She has re-found form and her love for the game at this World Cup, where she has operated as a foot soldier and done it with a smile.Flags and songs were part of South Africa’s celebration upon entering the final•Getty ImagesAnnerie Dercksen grew up on a farm which did not have access to the state electricity supply and her family had a small diesel-powered generator for essentials. Though that gave her a rugged, robust childhood, it also meant that if her parents wanted to boil water, they had to turn off the television. She was a 2000s kid, who read about cricket in the newspapers, and wasn’t ever sure she could play at a high level. Now, she is shaping up as South Africa’s finisher.Nadine de Klerk was being primed for big things as a seam-bowling allrounder until she lost both her national and her WBBL contracts in 2022. She told ESPNcricinfo that she felt as though her career was “about to crash” and had to work her way back into contention. A much bigger and more difficult loss was coming. On the eve of South Africa’s T20 World Cup semi-final last year, de Klerk’s grandmother died. She left the team camp and it was uncertain if she would return for the big match, but she did, and with Shabnim Ismail at her side, bowled South Africa to a history-making victory.Sinalo Jafta checked herself into rehab for alcohol abuse 126 days before the 2023 T20 World Cup, knowing that she would put her place in the squad at risk. But the social media abuse she faced had become too much and consoling herself with a bottle was costing her her sanity. Jafta did not dream she could come back to win a silver medal with South Africa at the T20 World Cup. She has since spoken about the dangers of doom scrolling and has become a lively, energetic presence behind the stumps, a mentor to some of South Africa’s younger players and a role model for the Gen-Zs.Nonkululeko Mlaba is the second-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup at the moment•ICC/Getty ImagesNonkululeko Mlaba comes from KwaMashu, a township in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, just 16 kilometres from Kingsmead but a socio-economic world away. She needed assistance to find accommodation closer to training facilities and CSA once again stepped in. It was not long ago that she was the No. 2 T20I bowler in the world but she then saw her ranking tumble. Mlaba berated herself for the dip and actively sought out ways to improve. She is up to No. 7, is the South African with the most wickets at the T20 World Cup currently, and at 24, has years in the game to come.Ayabonga Khaka was born in the town of Middledrift in the Eastern Cape in what has been described as “impoverished” circumstances by Khoza. She played in the streets with boys, dabbled in football, and was eventually offered a place at former international Mfuneko Ngam’s academy at the University of Fort Hare. She also took up a study post for a degree in human movement science. She honed her craft of discipline and accuracy to become one of the most difficult bowlers in the world to get away. With her quiet confidence, she is the unsung hero of the South African attack and knows she is playing for something far greater than herself. “It’s possible,” she said. “Anything you want, you can do it.”And that is just the playing XI. On the bench, South Africa have Tumi Sekhukhune, who may consider herself unlucky to have missed out on selection, Ayanda Hlubi and Seshnie Naidu, from the Under-19 World Cup squad, and Mieke de Ridder, who has played four internationals and has gained invaluable experience.There’s also the coaching staff. Interim head Dillon du Preez, who found himself thrust into the job, Paul Adams, who has been through the ringer as a player and then at the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings, and Abrahams, who is a seasoned men’s provincial coach now imparting his knowledge where it is having the most impact. They represent the full spectrum of South Africa, across every divide, and their goal on Sunday is to cross those and bring a nation together in the most cohesive and beautiful way: with victory.

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