Only one of Australia’s Ashes squad won’t feature for their states this week ahead of the first Test

AAP09-Nov-20251:45

Will Australian pitches affect England’s Ashes chances?

In the next five days, Australia’s players will enjoy the first huge luxury of hosting a home Ashes series.Not because of the conditions or the fact record-breaking crowds are expected, but in terms of what the last full week of warm-ups look like.Every member of Australia’s squad, with the exception of Usman Khawaja, will play in Sheffield Shield games at the SCG, WACA and Bellerive Oval this week.Related

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At the same time, England will be playing a three-day intra-squad game at Perth’s Lilac Hill, a venue that has never hosted a men’s international.The tourists’ preparations were questioned by former England captain Michael Vaughan last week, pointing to the vast difference in conditions to Optus Stadium.Keen not to light an early fuse, Australia’s players have stayed away from questioning England’s tactics.”England can prepare however they want to prepare,” Nathan Lyon said this week. “I am not worried about how they’re preparing or anything to do with them until the morning of November 21.”England’s preparations are nothing new, with a cluttered calendar making meaningful tour games a thing of the past. When Australia went to England in 2023, they played no warm-up games before the Test Championship final but won that and their first two Ashes battles with England.But there are very obvious advantages to having a longer lead-in for Australia’s players, given the timing of the series. England are coming off a white-ball series against New Zealand and their players haven’t featured in a red-ball match since early August.Mitchell Starc will make a rare Sheffield Shield appearance•Getty Images

In comparison, Steven Smith has already hit one red-ball century this summer and Marnus Labuschagne two.Lyon will play his fourth Sheffield Shield game of the season and Scott Boland his third, while Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and back-up quick Sean Abbott join them at the SCG this week when New South Wales host Victoria.Meanwhile, Travis Head and Alex Carey will feature for South Australia against a Tasmania side including the Jake Weatherald and Beau Webster. In Perth, all eyes will be on how Cameron Green goes on his return to bowling.”A lot of the skills are transferable between formats,” Abbott said on Sunday.  “But Josh Hazelwood has mentioned it a few times – your action gets into a little bit of a different position trying to hit yorkers constantly through white-ball cricket.”Then when you come back to red-ball cricket, you want to be a little bit up-and-over and get the kiss off the wicket and giving the ball every chance to move.”You can’t really match game intensity as much as we try to in the nets.  It’s just something about being out there in the middle and the thick of the contest. So, pretty lucky – home conditions, home summer.”As for Abbott, he is insistent he will be well prepared if his chance comes for a Test debut this summer.”I feel like I could get the tap on the shoulder,” Abbott said. “It felt that way potentially in the West Indies a little bit and games before that. I’ve not been getting a heap of game time recently, but being around those sort of guys is invaluable, whether you’re playing or not.”New South Wales squad Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Ryan Hadley, Josh Hazlewood, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Will Salzmann, Mitchell StarcVictoria squad Will Sutherland (capt), Scott Boland, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver PeakeTasmania squad Jordan Silk (capt), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Nikhil Chaudhary, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Aidan O’Connor, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau WebsterSouth Australia squad Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly making checks on a Premier League goalkeeper, who could replace the out-of-form Guglielmo Vicario.

Thomas Frank responds to growing Tottenham pressure

There was plenty of hope that Thomas Frank could be the man to take Tottenham to the next level when he arrived in the summer. By all means, it was an appointment which made perfect sense. That initial hope is now beginning to fade away, however, and the pressure is growing on the Dane to turn things around, as names like Marco Silva begin to be name-dropped.

It speaks volumes that it was a Cristian Romero brace, which included a late overhead kick, which saved Spurs against Newcastle United, with Frank’s attackers continuing to struggle.

The pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to Frank, though, who told reporters when asked whether he would get time to make his mark in North London: “Yeah, I’m very confident.

“I think the ownership – of course I’m just starting to know them, but it seems like they’re good guys, intelligent people – know how to run businesses and learning about football, learning more now they’ve become owners. I think when we’re dealing with intelligent people, they can see every successful dynasty, every successful club has taken time.

“Yeah you have one where you maybe win one year or the second year, but you can’t sustain it if you don’t build something sustainable. Impossible.”

That said, even Frank may not be able to deny that something needs to change for too much longer. Where that change comes remains is the big question.

Vicario’s position is certainly up for debate. The goalkeeper was booed by his own fans after a mistake against Fulham and Spurs have since been linked with moves for both James Trafford and Bart Verbruggen.

Tottenham make first contact for Verbruggen

According to TeamTalk, Tottenham have now made initial contact for Verbruggen, making checks on the Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper. He’s someone that ENIC reportedly admire and a player that will make their shortlist if they decide to replace Vicario in the coming year.

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He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

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Emilio Galantini

Dec 2, 2025

Alas, they’re not the only ones who admire the Dutchman. Bayern Munich are also reportedly big fans of Verbruggen and see him as a potential replacement for one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Manuel Neuer.

Whilst Vicario’s recent mistake turned him into public enemy No.1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his underlying numbers suggest that he’s likely to turn a corner after that moment of madness.

They also suggest that Verbruggen wouldn’t be a major upgrade, despite Fabian Hurzeler’s verdict that the Dutchman is an “unbelievable character”.

The last thing that Spurs need is to waste more funds on those who wouldn’t provide Frank with much-needed upgrades. Unless the Lilywhites find a goalkeeper who is putting up better numbers than Vicario, then they should show faith in their No.1 for at least the remainder of the campaign.

Spurs star is in danger of becoming Dele Alli 2.0 under Thomas Frank

Daniel Farke will is set to be sacked by 49ers Enterprises if Leeds lose their next two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Liverpool.

Farke frustrated by Man City tactics at the Etihad

The Whites were left heartbroken by a late Phil Foden winner at Manchester City on Saturday, as a crucial point slipped through Farke’s fingers.

The German bemoaned City’s dark arts after the match, believing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down with a “fake injury” that allowed Pep Guardiola to give his players a team talk.

“It is within the rules,” Farke said. “It is smart. If I like it, if it is in the sense of fair play, if it should be like this, I keep it to myself and I leave it to the authorities to find solutions for it. It is within the rules.

“I asked the fourth official at this point if you want to do something and he said: ‘No, our hands are tied, we can’t do anything’.

“If we don’t educate our players in football, what to do in terms of fair play, sportsmanship, if you just try to bend the rules to your advantage and you can do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is nothing I personally like but if it is within the rules I can’t complain about it.”

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 30, 2025 Leeds want new manager in before January transfer window

The Leeds manager is feeling the pressure with his side now sat in the bottom three heading into two huge fixtures, as they take on Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday before welcoming Liverpool to Yorkshire on Saturday evening.

And according to a report from The Guardian, ‘multiple sources at Leeds have privately conceded that Farke’s fate is in the balance’.

He is likely to be relieved of his duties if they lose both games, despite some within the club feeling the performances have deserved better results.

More intriguingly, the report states the 49ers want to a new boss in before the January transfer window if they do indeed make a change, as they would like to make signings in January to mould the team to the new manager’s needs.

And while just who that is remains to be seen, a report shared by Give Me Sport claims Gary O’Neil is now the frontrunner to take over.

The former Wolves manager has been out of work for nearly a year after he was sacked in December 2024, but was looked on favourably during his time at Molineux.

“It’s unbelievable and you think the summer they had as well,” Shay Given said on BBC Match of the Day last year.

“I’ve just wrote some names down Nunes, Neves, Collins, Coady, Jimenez, he had to sell all them to balance the books up.

“So the job he’s done under such restraints and Financial Fair Play is just phenomenal.”

Highly rated Anderlecht midfielder Nathan de Cat has been urged to steer clear of a Premier League move despite rising interest from Tottenham, Aston Villa and Brighton. With Europe’s elite monitoring the 17-year-old, analyst Marc Degryse believes the starlet must develop in Germany before taking the leap to England, warning that an early step to the Premier League could stunt his long-term rise.

• De Cat invites interest from Tottenham and others

  De Cat’s breakout season at Anderlecht has sparked significant interest from Premier League sides, particularly Tottenham, who are reportedly pushing hard to sign the 17-year-old in January. The midfielder has become a key figure domestically, impressing with his maturity, defensive intelligence and control of possession, which has led to speculation that a major move could arrive sooner than expected. Despite this attention, close observers in Belgium insist the timing and destination of his next step will be crucial to his long-term development.

  At present, Anderlecht are believed to be open to a transfer if a substantial offer arrives, even though their official stance remains that he is tied to the club until 2027. Interest is not limited to England, as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are also monitoring De Cat and could rival Premier League clubs for his signature.

  The January window is expected to prompt formal negotiations, particularly as Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange is pushing aggressively to strengthen Thomas Frank’s squad. However, those close to Belgian football warn that the Premier League poses a major risk for a teenager still adjusting to senior-level rhythms and responsibilities.

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  Dutch analyst advises De Cat to avoid PL move

  Degryse advised strongly against a Premier League switch, insisting the youngster must take a more gradual pathway into elite football. “If I were De Cat, I’d go to Germany first before moving to the Premier League,” he told Voetbal Primeur. “You shouldn’t immediately want to go to Manchester City; first, go to a major league, be a real pillar there for a few seasons, and if you then want to take the step to the real top at 22 or 23, you’ll be much better protected.”

  Degryse stressed that the Bundesliga provides a safer, more development-driven environment for young midfielders than the tactical and physical intensity of the Premier League. “First, go to a major league, be a real pillar there for a few seasons,” he reiterated when discussing how Germany has historically shaped elite talent.

  He also highlighted that admiration from clubs like Tottenham or Aston Villa should not alter the midfielder’s priorities. “You’ll be much better protected,” he argued, pointing to the structural differences between leagues and the unique growing pains facing young players entering English football too early.

• De Cat's rise with Anderlecht raises interest

  De Cat’s rise has been one of Belgium’s most compelling storylines, with analysts calling him a blend of Leander Dendoncker’s defensive awareness and Youri Tielemans’ technical polish. Frank Boeckx has gone as far as suggesting “there’s even more Tielemans in him than is currently coming out,” highlighting his potential to evolve into a complete deep-lying playmaker.

  Beyond Belgium, De Cat’s profile has grown substantially due to links with elite European clubs, each offering different developmental pathways. Tottenham view him as a long-term investment, Brighton see him as a potential successor to their successful midfield production line and Aston Villa continue searching for young talent to future-proof their squad.

  With Anderlecht reportedly valuing him around €25–30 million (£22-26m), his potential sale could become one of the biggest in the club’s history. Scouts across Europe already regard him as one of the continent’s next great midfield organisers, possessing a calmness and reading of the game that belies his youth.

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  Tottenham likely to make move in January

  The January transfer window will determine whether Anderlecht play hardball or entertain offers that meet their valuation, particularly as Tottenham and Aston Villa prepare formal approaches. De Cat will need to weigh the benefits of immediate Premier League exposure against the developmental structure offered by Germany’s top clubs, whose track record with nurturing young midfielders is far stronger. With his advisors and Anderlecht aligned on protecting his long-term progression, the next move may define not just the trajectory of his career but his ability to fulfil his immense potential.

By holding Mustafizur Rahman back till after the powerplay, Bangladesh had their bowling plan down pat, and then it just needed common sense to pull off the chase

Danyal Rasool21-Sep-20251:49

Chopra: You look at Saif Hassan and go ‘there’s some serious talent there’

When Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi last week, it boiled down to the middle overs. Chasing 140 at a time when no one seemed quite sure what constituted a good total in the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka emerged from the powerplay with the fluidity of a car merging back on to the motorway. They barely changing gears from their belligerent start, motoring on as if a punctuation mark in the passage of play had never happened. The spread field held little meaning as they plundered 81 runs off the eight overs immediately following the easing of fielding restrictions. It remains, comfortably, the highest number of runs scored in that period all tournament.A week on, and Bangladesh inserted Sri Lanka. They had not let victory over Afghanistan defending a total play with their heads, aware that as the tournament goes on, chasing appears to proffer a clear advantage. Two days earlier, Sri Lanka had chased down 170 against Afghanistan – the highest successful pursuit of the tournament and one that Bangladesh owe their continued involvement in this tournament to. They had no intention of doing Sri Lanka any return favours here in Dubai.Sri Lanka may have been unbeaten this tournament, but all those wins came batting second. Even so, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis started brightly, scoring 36 in the first four overs – the highest off the bat for them this tournament – but with Bangladesh holding Mustafizur Rahman back until after the powerplay, they understood exactly when to start applying the strangle.Related

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Nissanka had fallen to Taskin Ahmed by now, and with Mustafizur bearing down, they found merging into post-powerplay traffic trickier this time. The seventh produced just three runs; Mahedi Hasan’s over that followed claimed the wicket of Mendis. He cleaned up Kamil Mishara in the next as Sri Lanka retreated into a shell they have not known in the middle overs this tournament, and one that offered them little protection.Mustafizur wouldn’t return until the 14th over, with Sri Lanka’s run rate scarcely above seven; it took him just four balls to end Kusal Perera’s run-a-ball innings. This time, in those same eight overs, Sri Lanka scored just 45 runs. Excluding matches involving Oman or UAE, it is the second lowest post-powerplay middle-overs effort of the tournament, bettered only by the chokehold India established on Pakistan in the phase that followed the first six overs. All this despite Sri Lanka being – by orders of magnitude – the most prolific side in overs 7-15, scoring at 8.12, with India a distant second at 7.68.It was a passage of play Dasun Shanaka tried to right in an astonishing lower-order onslaught, hitting six sixes in an unbeaten 37-ball 64, but acknowledged had hurt Sri Lanka decisively in the end.1:50

Chopra: Numbers don’t validate Bangladesh’s change in batting approach

“We had that momentum going on at the start,” he said at the press conference after. “But unfortunately we lost some momentum. Especially Fizz and Taskin bowled really well. We expected to score 180 but unfortunately we fell short. We fell 10-15 runs short.”That last remark can feel like the sort of catch-all cliché captains deploy post-match, primarily because any serious post-match analysis is yet to happen, and will take place behind closed doors rather than therapised to the media. But, in pursuit, Bangladesh knew those extra handful of runs were all that they really needed. Their own 7-15 over run rate is just a tick over seven. But having done their attacking in the first six, where they smashed 59, a number only India have bettered all tournament, that’s all they required.Anchoring is a much nicer gig chasing rather than setting a total, and especially if you are ahead of the rate. They scored 55 in the eight overs that followed. They hit a pair of fours and a pair of sixes. They lost a pair of wickets, but they had the luxury of hunkering down. They didn’t need to outrun the bear, only the snail-like pace Sri Lanka had established in that phase of the innings. Ten runs ahead was all the margin they needed.1:55

Chopra impressed with Hridoy’s cricketing smarts

“While we were batting in that phase, [Towhid] Hridoy and I had a good partnership,” Saif Hassan, who combined with Hridoy for all but three balls of that passage of play, said. “We had built our partnership knowing we were ahead in the game at that point.”From the vantage point other cricket nations have rather snootily opted to mount when viewing the new edge that Bangladesh-Sri Lanka contests have taken on, the perception is that this isn’t a rivalry to be taken quite as seriously. That it’s petty, overly emotional, and lacks a legitimate basis in cricket itself. In Dubai, though, Bangladesh shed all that with the clinical execution of a game plan they had brought to the game, one that aligned so well with their script that the fact that the chase went down to the penultimate delivery felt like a feature, not a bug.Sri Lanka’s caution in the face of Bangladesh’s accuracy through the middle might have reflected a belief that the side they had reprieved just two days earlier could be reeled right back in on command.But having regained control of their destiny, Bangladesh’s attack right through the middle demonstrated a clear understanding of the format they were playing: incremental, unspectacular improvement in any facet of a T20 innings might be all that’s required to turn defeat into victory.

Manchester United have now expressed in signing an “outrageous” striker, who’s been “on fire” this season, scoring a brace against Paris Saint-Germain.

Man Utd keen on new striker amid doubts over Zirkzee

Joshua Zirkzee may have scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace at the end of November, but the striker’s goalscoring record since arriving at Old Trafford leaves a lot to be desired.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

49

7

2025-26

9

1

Despite the Dutchman’s struggles in front of goal, Ruben Amorim wants to keep hold of him, as he values the forward’s versatility, but the manager is at odds with the club, who are open to sanctioning a January departure for a fee of around £35m.

Aston Villa are named as potential suitors for Zirkzee, alongside a whole host of other clubs from England and Italy, meaning United will have a decision to make in the January transfer window.

Should the Netherlands international move on, Amorim may want to bring in a replacement, considering Benjamin Sesko wasn’t exactly tearing up the Premier League prior to his recent injury, scoring two goals in 11 games.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man United have now expressed an interest in a striker who has been much more prolific in front of goal this season, namely RC Strasbourg star Joaquin Panichelli.

The race for Panichelli’s signature is heating up, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa also being credited with an interest, but Chelsea are currently in pole position, given that Strasbourg are a part of BlueCo.

That relationship gives the Blues an advantage in the race for the centre-forward, who has put in some top-quality performances since his arrival at Strasbourg in the summer…

"Outrageous" Panichelli "on fire" in Ligue 1

Scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Argentinian for the impact he’s made in France, having only arrived from Spanish side CD Mirandes during the summer.

The South American is now on ten goals in 19 matches in all competitions, with perhaps his best performance coming in Strasbourg’s 3-3 draw against PSG back in October, during which he bagged a brace.

Amorim's priority target: Man Utd step up interest in "special" Madrid star

Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

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Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior may be reluctant to part ways with the 23-year-old, given just how highly he spoke about his talisman earlier this season, saying: “He is a top player, we’ve done quite a bit of work with him during the pre-season to try to make him run less.”

The French club are under no immediate pressure to cash-in, with Panichelli contracted until 2030, but it could be worth Man United testing the waters with an offer, considering Zirkzee’s struggles.

Russell will work with new head coach Abhishek Nayar, Southee, Watson and Bravo in the KKR backroom

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2025Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) legend, has decided to call time on his IPL career after not being retained by the franchise ahead of the 2026 season, and announced that he would be joining the team’s support staff as its “power coach”.”I’ve made a decision to retire from the IPL. I’ll still be active playing in various leagues all around the world and all the other KKR franchises,” Russell said in a video message. “I had some amazing time and great memories. hitting sixes, winning games, MVP and all of those things. But sometimes you just have to know when to hang up the boots. When I made this decision, I just felt like ‘yes, this is the best decision’. I don’t want to fade out. I want to leave a legacy and it’s best to retire when fans ask ‘why, you still have some more in you, you still could go for a bit longer’ than say, ‘yeah, you should have done it years back’.”We are part of the Instagram world, so when you’re going through your feed, you keep seeing yourself in different jerseys and, you know, friends, team-mates sending you stuff and, like, ‘you’re looking good in this jersey, what do you think’ and I’m like, ‘hmmm, I look weird in that jersey’. And it’s just those thoughts that’s been going through my head. I had a few sleepless nights. There have been a lot of conversations, between me and Mr Venky Mysore, and also Mr Shah Rukh Khan, about another chapter in my IPL journey, and they have shown me respect and love and they appreciate whatever I have been doing in the field and to be in a set-up where I’m familiar, that matters to me a lot.”Russell, who was part of KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024, was also the IPL’s Most Valuable Player in 2019. Russell won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR, only behind Sunil Narine’s mark. And that long association has been strengthened with a position in the team’s support staff as “power coach”.

Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books… and here’s to another chapter in your fantastic journey as a sportsman… The power coach – passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the… https://t.co/P9l6gBwoXR

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) November 30, 2025