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Already one of UAE’s mainstays with his explosive batting, Alishan Sharafu is trying to be the team’s man for all situations

Shashank Kishore14-Sep-2025Alishan Sharafu, 22, has lived almost all his life in the UAE. But the love of cricket began in Kerala, when he would visit family in the summers. As he grew older, he naturally gravitated towards the game without really knowing if he could make a career out of it.Nearly 15 years after he first started playing, Sharafu is one of UAE’s batting mainstays, and has grown into a valuable retain-worthy local talent in the ILT20, where he represents Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.In UAE’s Asia Cup opener against India, Sharafu was their top scorer in an otherwise forgettable batting performance. What he is unlikely to forget is the range of shots he displayed – backing away to smash Axar Patel inside-out over cover for six, or whipping Jasprit Bumrah off his hips. It’s the confidence from those shots that he is hoping to carry forward when UAE play gulf-rivals Oman on Monday.Related

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“My first memory of cricket was the 2011 World Cup,” he tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was supporting India, obviously, and they went on to win it. It was Sachin’s [Tendulkar] last World Cup, and that was the point where I wanted to play the game. That was when cricket became a passion.”Today, that passion has allowed him opportunities to face Sunil Narine in the nets, and train and learn from Andre Russell and Phil Salt, among others. And in the UAE, such exposure is gold.”Every game is a big opportunity,” Sharafu says. “Because there are only two local players in the XI [at ILT20], you never know how many chances you’ll get. Maybe just one in the whole season. So you have to do well. Fortunately, I played every game in my first season [2024], which was a privilege. You learn from the best – just watching how they go about their game.”For Sharafu, while cricket continues to be the priority, he has ticked off another box along the way on his parents’ insistence. He has completed a degree in cyber security, even though he is fairly certain he won’t have to use it anytime soon.”Initially, my mom was a little skeptical about cricket, because for every parent, education comes first,” he says. “But once I started playing international cricket, she understood. I think I did okay to manage both. I met her expectations, whatever she wanted. But yeah, it was difficult once I got to university. I had to do both. There was no option.”

“Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I’d like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That’s what I want to be known for”Alishan Sharafu

But pulling off balancing acts isn’t new for Sharafu. When he was 15, he broke into the UAE Under-16s and Under-19s the same year, all while managing high school. He made his T20I debut at 17 and ODI debut at 18, in 2020 and 2021 respectively.Sharafu was first spotted by Knight Riders at a trial by former analyst AR Srikkanth, first came into the setup in the ILT20 under Ryan ten Doeschate, the franchise’s then coach who is currently assistant coach of India. Sharafu was shortlisted for his ability to take the bowlers on right from the outset.”I don’t know where it comes from,” he says of his fearlessness. “But I’ve always liked taking bowlers on. That’s how I’ve always wanted to bat. Even as a kid, I just loved hitting sixes.”For the past two seasons at the ILT20, Sharafu says he’s learnt “something school or university doesn’t teach you”.”Andre Russell is one I always watch. I asked him about how he hits sixes consistently, what his secret is,” Sharafu says. “With Narine, he’s probably one of the calmest and smartest cricketers I’ve seen. He just reads the game one step faster. Even batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but just having those conversations is special.””Batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game”•ILT20Asked of his biggest improvements since playing in the ILT20, he says, “I think my batting evolved after last season with Knight Riders. Even though you’re the same player, playing alongside guys like Russell and Narine just gives you confidence. Once you have that validation, you take that confidence into the UAE team too. It’s 80% about how you feel. And I think that experience has added another gear to my batting.”That improvement has been visible in his ability to alter between roles. “I’ve always been a top-order batter, but I’m also adjusting to batting in the middle. If we lose early wickets, I know I have to stabilise the innings and take it deep. If we’re going well, I just go in and bat with freedom. The clarity from the team management has been excellent.”Off the field, Sharafu likes to unwind watching football, playing FIFA on PlayStation, or just relaxing by a pool or a beach. His cricketing ambition is a lot more focused: “Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I’d like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That’s what I want to be known for.”This drive, Sharafu says, comes from his dad for all the sacrifices he has had to make. “From when I was 10-15, every Friday and Saturday, he’d take me to training and games, sit at the ground, pick me up, drop me back. He’s a very passionate supporter, sometimes hard on me too, but I think that’s where I get it from.”At 22, Sharafu is still very much work-in-progress, but he carries the confidence and drive of someone who has clarity on what he wants to do.

He has been booed and abused in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, and it might get worse at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Monday

Sidharth Monga31-Mar-2024Footballers are apparently used to much worse, but Hardik Pandya might just be the first Indian cricketer facing sustained hostility from the crowds over a perceived misdeed. As a consequence of his move from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians during the IPL off-season, Hardik has been abused by the partisan Gujarat crowd in Ahmedabad, booed by the neutral crowd of Hyderabad, and now faces the prospect of a partisan Mumbai crowd possibly not accepting him as their captain, and letting him know it.Hardik is an ambitious, one-of-a-kind Indian cricketer: a seam-bowling allrounder who is international standard at both disciplines when fit. It’s his ambition, in this case, that hasn’t sat well with the fans. It is fraught to look at fans as one homogenised unit, but still try to see it from Hardik’s point of view: some demand from him such lofty ideals as loyalty, some aim slurs with casteist connotations at him because of his dark skin and flamboyant appearance, some do both.There is no precedent in Indian cricket for such widespread hostility, so there is no manual for Hardik on how to deal with this interesting phase of his career.Related

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The BCCI should be thrilled that such intense loyalties have been formed even though the frequent auctions tend to end up discouraging those very connections between fans and players representing their cities. You can almost hear cash registers ringing every time you see evidence that those in Gujarat feel betrayed by a player who had come to them for an exorbitant price and went back for an undisclosed sum over that exorbitant price. That Mumbai fans feel their beloved captain (Rohit Sharma) has been usurped in a coup – despite his and his team’s mediocre run over the last three years. There can be no bigger reassurance that the IPL moves people.A lot of the outrage is performative – just for attention, notoriety, or even seemingly harmless laughs – but try telling that to cricketers who are so accustomed to getting love and adoration that it becomes a necessity for some of them. Also, just the sheer shock of it can be extreme because, as R Ashwin’s comments on the situation tend to suggest, cricket is still primarily an international sport. They see themselves first as India cricketers and then IPL franchise representatives.It can get to the toughest of them. It has got to those who are, or look and seem, tougher than Hardik. If you just look at the evidence on the surface, you’d think Hardik will sail through this. This is based on how agnostic to the result Hardik was after the thriller against Pakistan in Melbourne in the last T20 World Cup, in 2022. He had given a throwaway line about how he had got rid of the fear of failure, and I had asked him, almost sniggering, what he would have said if they had lost the match.6:16

Steven Smith: Didn’t expect Hardik Pandya to get booed in Hyderabad

“Even with three balls left, I told the boys: ‘even if we lose the game, it’s okay’,” Hardik had said. “I said I am proud the way we have fought in the game. We have been a team that has worked very hard individually, together, collectively. So even if we had lost the game, I would have still had a smile on my face and would have just said we gave it everything, and they were just good on that day.”Somewhere down the line, I have accepted the fact that this sport will give me ups and downs. The more ups I have the better, but even the downs I will cherish because failure teaches you a lot of things.”You wonder if Hardik will find it just as easy to philosophise setbacks now, given how fragile his body has been. When a seemingly manageable strain when trying to field a ball in your follow-through can put you out for six months, you have a lot of free time to question your philosophies. When you come back to such vitriol, it can rattle you.Hardik will probably be able to brush it off provided there is no heat on him inside the change room, selection meetings, and among former cricketers. But there, unfortunately, is some. The decision-makers are frustrated that he is simply not on the park enough. More than a few colleagues have privately questioned why Hardik stayed in the ‘A’ category of contracts despite playing such little cricket when two of his colleagues were denied retainers. Some of the vitriol from the pundits is almost like the closing of ranks by the veterans against someone who doesn’t fit into their template of an India cricketer. And it’s unsettling when casual fans start to talk about these very things.The only way for Hardik Pandya to win over the fans is to stay true to being his authentic self, and through performance•AP Photo / Mahesh KumarAfter Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, Hardik will now come to perhaps the most unforgiving crowd in India, at the Wankhede Stadium. There is no guarantee Hardik will be booed by the Mumbai Indians faithful, but the fans there do have a history of not sparing even Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in the past.How Hardik reacts to this hostility can determine his and Mumbai Indians’ season. The association between a fan and a live performer remains largely incorruptible – even if there is elaborate public relations and/or stage management. Kohli can divide opinions, but at the stadium, it’s impossible not to connect with his limitless energy, his undying will to compete, and his ability to enjoy it all. You can’t fake it when competing hard in front of a live audience.The only way for Hardik to win over the fans in this period where his indifference to outcomes will be thoroughly tested, is to be his true self, and through performance. Just like a WWE wrestler in a heel phase (playing the bad guy), be so good at being bad that people begrudgingly, or perversely even, start liking you.

A 2-1 result across five Tests in Asia is certainly not a failure, but things went pear shaped over the last few days

Alex Malcolm12-Jul-2022A reality check, indeed. Pat Cummins’ first defeat as Australia Test captain in Galle, by an innings inside four days, was more than just a blip on the radar.It doesn’t quite warrant the vitriolic email former Cricket Australia head of high-performance Pat Howard sent from a Dhaka cafe the day after their first-ever Test loss to Bangladesh in 2017.Nor does it warrant the resignation of the chair of selectors and wholesale team changes, as happened after Australia’s last Test match innings defeat in Hobart in 2016.It is the first defeat in 10 Tests for the new captain and the first defeat in five under new coach Andrew McDonald. Winning teams can have bad games and there are a lot of credits in the bank. If you had offered Cummins and McDonald a score line of two wins, two draws, and a loss from five consecutive subcontinental Tests prior to leaving for Pakistan in late February, especially in the wake of the messy departure of former coach Justin Langer, they would have gleefully accepted it.Related

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Cummins: Innings defeat a 'good reality check'

However, if you’d offered the same at 329 for 5 on the second morning of the second Test in Galle would they have taken it?”It’s a good reality check,” Cummins said post-match. “For people touring over here, it’s really hard. I think there’s so many positives out of last week that we did find methods that work. One small hiccup doesn’t mean you’ve got to change everything about your game.”This is true. Reacting to one loss emotionally, no matter how large, would go entirely against the grain of this team’s new philosophy of being cool, calm and composed at all times.But this was a little more than a hiccup. This capitulation had a very familiar feel to it for Australian teams on the subcontinent. For all the good work of Pakistan and the first Test in Galle, this would have felt like two steps forward and one decent step back.Australia’s collapse on the second morning was a reminder to make strong positions count•Getty ImagesTo the batting firstly. India’s Ravindra Jadeja would have been licking his chops as he watched during his morning coffee in England, as 30-year-old left-arm orthodox Prabath Jayasuriya tore through Australia twice to take the fourth-best figures in history by a Test debutant.Australia had mauled Lasith Embuldeniya last week to the point where Sri Lanka could not afford to pick him again. But the same methods did not work against Jayasuriya, who franked his tremendous first-class record with two spells of bowling that belied his Test inexperience.Where the sweep and reverse sweep had been so productive for Australia’s batters in the first Test, it caused no end of problems in the second. What was noticeable was how many Australia batters fell trying to sweep off the stumps, with Cameron Green (first innings), David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Nathan Lyon all trapped lbw attempting to sweep.Contrast that with the diligence of Dinesh Chandimal, who used the sweep prodigiously but judiciously during his superb 206 not out. He barely once swept Mitchell Swepson’s legspin or Lyon when he bowled from around the wicket, given lbw was very much in play. He only swept Lyon when he pitched wide of off, so he could get his front pad outside the line and he could sweep with the turn, something Steven Smith prefers to do.The reverse sweep also yielded plenty of runs in the series but caused the downfall of Alex Carey at a critical time in the first innings. It would be rash and ill-advised for all of Australia’s top order to abandon their sweeping and reverse sweeping plans for India next year as a few did in Sri Lanka in 2016, but some refinement of those plans will certainly be needed.”I think it’s just those individual methods,” Cummins said. “Everyone does it in their own way, slightly different. But just trying to get a little bit better at everything you try to do. We’ll obviously sit down after this and review it and look at different areas and maybe tactics, but I think it’s just those methods, which might be quite different to what we experience back home in trying to be good enough overseas.”Likewise, with Australia’s batting selection on the subcontinent, refinement might be needed. Some of the areas were already known going in but it would have taken courage to make a change ahead of time.Travis Head’s record against spin was a watching brief for Australia’s selectors and he only confirmed what they already suspected. He could not protect his off stump nor could he score with any freedom. He was the only Australia batter not to make a half-century across the Pakistan and Sri Lanka series, with a highest score of 26. He now averages just 21.30 in Asia from seven Tests and has passed 50 only once.There will be loud calls for Glenn Maxwell for India next year, as he was close to playing in this series. But Maxwell averages just 26.07 in Asia from seven Tests and has also passed 50 just once, albeit it was a superb hundred in Ranchi in 2017. He also hasn’t played a first-class game in three years and is unlikely to play one prior to the India tour.The notion that he is a miles better horse for the course is not backed up by the numbers. Australia A’s concurrent tour to Sri Lanka yielded some excellent batting performances on similar pitches to that produced for the second Test. That Maxwell was called into the squad above any of those players did go against the high-performance philosophy they have been trying to move to in recent times.Warner’s form in Asia is also worthy of discussion. He scored two half-centuries across the two tours. He has the unenviable record now of being one of only three players in Test history to have batted in the top four more than 25 times in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka without making a century. He averages just 26.13 in those three countries with a highest score of 71. He has three centuries in the subcontinent, two in Bangladesh and one in the UAE, but only once has he faced more than 200 balls. The need to bat long in the subcontinent, as shown by Usman Khawaja, is every bit as valuable as big runs and Warner has not been able to provide it over his career despite being unequivocally one of Australia’s greatest ever openers.Travis Head did not make a half-century across the two tours•AFP/Getty ImagesFrom a bowling perspective, as well as Australia have played in these tours, they have only taken 20 wickets twice and have failed to bowl an opposition out inside 160 overs three times. One of those was on a flat wicket in Rawalpindi that yielded just 14 wickets in five days. But both in Karachi and Galle, opponents have batted for more than 170 overs on pitches where other innings in the game have seen 10 wickets fall inside 54 overs.There will be questions raised about the composition of the attack and the form of Australia’s spinners, as they were unchanged for four of the five Tests. However, Australia’s fielding and reviewing were as much to blame in Galle. The bowlers created as many as 19 clear-cut chances to take just 10 wickets. Lyon and Swepson are lightning rods for opinion, but they had three missed stumpings (two were extremely difficult), a dropped catch, and four lbws between them that would have been out if either the umpire’s call had gone their way or reviews had been kept.Mitchell Starc also had Chandimal caught behind on 30. Australia fans will make noise around some of the umpiring decisions, but it’s worth noting Sri Lanka overturned three incorrect decisions against them in the Test because they kept reviews up their sleeve.Nathan Lyon shouldered a huge workload•Associated PressJayasuriya did, though, prove the value of a left-arm orthodox in the subcontinent, particularly on a decent pitch, where the angle to the right-handers and the odd ball not spinning can often cause more problems than a legspinner can muster. But Australia do not have a left-arm orthodox who averages 25.08 and strikes at 44.3 as Jayasuriya does, with their first-choice option Ashton Agar (whose tour was ended with a side strain) averaging 41.28 and striking at 80.7.Cummins admitted he could have managed his bowlers better, with Swepson and Starc under-bowled in Galle compared to Lyon’s marathon 64 overs.”I think field placements and using the spin bowlers, I hadn’t had a lot of experience with that,” Cummins said. “And just managing the tempo and even the bowling spells, 180 overs out here happens quite a bit overseas. Just managing different bowlers trying to keep relative control on the scoreboard and the scoring rate. It felt like I learned quite a bit.”It has been a useful learning experience for Australia. A deciding third Test against Sri Lanka would have been even more valuable. But alas, they now wait until February next year for the date with India in their conditions. Five Tests against West Indies and South Africa at home will not aid their preparation for that tour in the slightest.Therefore they cannot afford to brush this loss under the carpet, despite the positive nature of some of the gains over the previous four Tests. Sri Lanka have rather easily exposed some cracks that Australia thought they might have filled in. India have the skill to make them gaping holes next year.

Coaches who knew of his immense talent kept quiet about it – he had to stay focused on first-class cricket

Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2020Saif Hassan’s development into a Test cricketer, in a country increasingly obsessed with the shorter formats, has the feel of a top-secret project. The story goes that at age-group levels, Hassan took long-format matches very seriously. As he grew older, batting for long periods became his thing. The captains and coaches he played for encouraged him to continue to bat his way because, in a country where nearly every batsman wants to hit fours and sixes, Hassan’s approach helped stabilise batting line-ups.On his first tour with the Bangladesh Under-17 team, he scored 96 and 72 in three-day games against Madhya Pradesh Under-17 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. He spent six hours and 14 minutes, and four hours and 20 minutes batting, respectively, during those innings. Then when he batted with caution in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, people called him “slow”. Some doubted whether he even had any shots. But Hassan was just following the coach’s orders to be at the anchor at one end, giving big-hitters Pinak Ghosh and Najmul Hossain Shanto the chance to go after bowling attacks.Naturally, Hassan missed out on his first opportunity at big-money cricket in Bangladesh – the 2018-19 BPL – when, despite impressive numbers in domestic cricket, he wasn’t picked by any of the franchises. His worth as a batsman was known to many coaches, but they kept quiet about him, hoping that he kept his interest in the longest format. No one really wanted to change his mindset. Lest he suddenly found the shorter versions more enticing.Hassan used that time away from the BPL well. The long hours he spent in the nets during that tournament helped him become the highest run-scorer in that season’s Dhaka Premier League, the one-day competition so revered in the Bangladesh domestic cricket.Given this background, it is no coincidence that Hassan’s first senior call-up, in November 2019, was to the Bangladesh Test side for the tour of India. Usually the Bangladesh selectors tend to give youngsters a T20I or ODI series for their first tour. Hassan was deemed likely to play the second Test, in Kolkata, but he injured his hand while taking a diving catch at gully, to see off Cheteshwar Pujara, as a substitute fielder in the first Test.Once recovered from the injury, he finally made his BPL debut, for Khulna Tigers. More recently – and more significantly – he played a first-class game in which he batted five and a half hours to make 58. In the same game, Tamim Iqbal, the player he will likely partner at the top of the order on his Bangladesh debut, made a record breaking 334 not out. There must have been a lesson or two for young Hassan from the accomplished opener. Later, Hassan said that it is his childhood dream to open the batting with him.Patience in age-group cricket, four years in top-flight domestic cricket, two double-hundreds in first-class cricket with an average over 45, a history of helping sides out of trouble both against the new and old ball, against pace and spin… it is now pretty clear where 21-year-old Hassan stands as a cricketer.Coach Mizanur Rahman, who has worked with Hassan at age-group and club level, says that he has prepared well over the years to be where he is today.

“Hard work pays off, everyone around me says this. I like to practise on my own, so I usually stay back after the team leaves to bat a bit longer”Saif Hassan

“He is ready for Test cricket,” Rahman says. “I think he is more Test-ready than some of his peers.”Saif is patient as a batsman. He has shown this quality in many competitions. He was apprehensive about playing shots when he first arrived in the Under-19 team but, with time, he gained skills. Now he has improved by playing a lot of first-class cricket.”Hassan points out that, despite the popular opinion on him, he has been working on his batting for all three formats – it was after all in the one-day format Dhaka Premier League where he made 814 runs at 62.61 following his BPL snub. He carried that form into his time with Bangladesh A, impressing during a four-day competition in Bengaluru, as well as on a tour of Sri Lanka last month.”I worked hard during the BPL last year as I wasn’t picked by any of the franchises,” Hassan told ESPNcricinfo a few days after his call-up to the national side. “I worked on areas outside my comfort zone. It gave me a good preparation for the Dhaka Premier League with Babul [Mizanur Rahman] sir. I used to come to the academy and bat for long hours in the nets.”I didn’t set a big target in the DPL last season. I just took it match by match, thinking that every match is important. I did the same when I played for Bangladesh A. I think any match can change my life.”Hassan got into cricket only after returning to Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia, where his father was employed. Once he was enrolled in a school in Bangladesh, it was time to play cricket.”I used to play a little in Saudi Arabia, but I started to take training seriously at the Dhanmondi Cricket Academy. I played third-division qualifying matches for the club. I try to go there every time I am free and bat for long hours.”Hassan, who then moved to the Indoor Cricket Academy, credits his parents for letting him play rather than asking him to put all his focus on academics as most parents do in Dhaka. “When I started practising in DCA, there were many better cricketers than me,” he says. “[But] my parents constantly supported me. They were never a barrier to my cricket dreams.”Hassan is known in cricketing circles for how he puts in extra work after training sessions. “Hard work pays off, everyone around me says this. I like to practise on my own, so I usually stay back after the team leaves to bat a bit longer.”Bigger tests await Hassan in the days ahead. But, his unique career path so far suggests that he has resolve and the skills to handle them, whatever they may be.

Vincent Kompany has explained why it's a "luxury" for Bayern Munich to have Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson at their disposal. The Belgian coach is pleased with how Jackson is contributing to Bayern's assault on three trophy fronts, but has also confirmed he will be heading to the AFCON with Senegal.

Jackson slowly adapting to new conditions

The Senegalese striker joined the German champions on a year-long loan deal for a fee of £14.2m on the summer transfer window deadline day. Initially, Bayern fans were not pleased to see Jackson in their club colours as they were sceptical of his abilities, especially after it was revealed that the deal had a €65 million (£57m) obligation for Bayern to buy the player permanently next summer.

However, it has now been revealed that the obligation can only be triggered if the ex-Villareal forward starts in at least 40 matches across all competitions for the Bavarian side. So far, the 24-year-old has featured in 17 matches across all competitions, out of which he has started only six and has clocked 525 minutes on the pitch, scoring five goals. 

While Jackson is not a regular starter under Kompany due to the presence of star attackers like Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise in the club's ranks, the striker has delivered a decent level of performance whenever he has had an opportunity. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I have a very positive impression of Nicolas'

Despite not handing him regular starts, Kompany heaped praise on Jackson as he told reporters: "I have a very positive impression of Nicolas. He’s helped us a lot – his goals-per-minute ratio is good. Of course, with Harry Kane up front, you have a bit of competition, and that’s part of the game. So, as a coach, it’s a real luxury to see how Nicolas is handling that. What many people don’t see is what Nicolas does in training and every time he comes on. Against Sporting, I was planning to sub him on, but then Lenny scored, and I had a completely different game plan. Hopefully, he’ll continue to capitalise on the chances he gets."

Jackson, like many other African footballers from Europe, will be busy with their national team commitments later this month as AFCON 2025 is all set to kick off on December 21. Jackson has been called up by the Senegal national side and Kompany revealed when the striker will leave for Morocco.

The Belgian coach added: "My understanding is that he will travel after the game against Mainz. We hope he goes as far as possible. Of course, I hope Congo will win the cup, but otherwise I wish him all the best. The importance of this competition for African players shouldn’t be underestimated."

Will Jackson return to Chelsea?

Jackson is likely to return to Chelsea next season as he still has to start in 34 matches for the obligation in his contract to get triggered. Bayern would roughly play around 30 more matches across all competitions, which means the Blues can't force the German giants to make the purchase. The only way Jackson can stick around at Bayern is if he shows exceptional form in the second half of the season and wins over Kompany and the club management's trust.  As of now, it seems Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge next summer.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Jackson?

As revealed by Kompany, Jackson's final game for Bayern in 2025 will be against Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The German champions will then play one more game on December 21 against Heidenheim, before the winter break in Germany kicks in. 

The BCB has dropped several cricketers from the BPL auction, set to take place in Dhaka on November 30, based on the findings of a corruption report into last season’s BPL. An independent inquiry committee was formed following last season’s BPL when several allegations of corruption surfaced.The board, however, didn’t announce the players’ names. These players were removed from the BPL auction based on the report, which is just an observation and hence no charges were made. Neither the BCB nor the inquiry committee announced any formal allegations against the players.After receiving the report from the three-member committee, the BCB formed an integrity unit, of which Alex Marshall was appointed independent chair.”In preparing for BPL season 12, the governing council received advice from the independent chair of the integrity unit on steps necessary to further safeguard the league. Based on that advice, a number of individuals, including some players, have not been invited to participate in this year’s tournament,” a BCB statement said on November 29.The BCB said the restriction on these cricketers only applies to the BPL. “This is a BPL-specific measure taken to ensure fairness of the investigation process and to protect the integrity of the league. It does not apply to other domestic cricket events conducted under the jurisdiction of the BCB.”

Shubman Gill has hailed India’s “near-perfect game” after they kicked off their home season with an innings-and-140-run win against West Indies inside three days in Ahmedabad.”Three centurions in the game and I think we fielded really well in both the innings, so honestly don’t really have any complaints,” Gill told the host broadcaster after India’s win. “I’ve lost six tosses in a row, but as long as we keep winning the matches, it doesn’t matter for us. I’m very happy with the win.”India had bowled out West Indies for 162 on the opening day with Mohammed Siraj leading the way with 4 for 40. Then, KL Rahul (100), Dhruv Jurel (125) and Ravindra Jadeja (104*) scored centuries before India declared on 448 for 5, with a lead of 286. It took India less than two sessions on the third day to wrap up the game with Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar sharing seven wickets between them in West Indies’ second innings.Related

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“When you’ve got quality spinners like them, it’s difficult to be able to rotate,” Gill said. “But it’s good to have an option of too many rather than not having any. But that’s the challenge and that’s the fun of playing in India. There would always be someone who would be out there ready to get the job done.”Gill has enjoyed a productive start to his stint as Test captain. After India drew the five-match Test series in England 2-2, they started their home season with a bang.”It’s hard to pin down to one or two things that I learned, but I think over a period of two years, how we bonded as a team and how we got ourselves out from tough situations and difficult situations,” Gill said. “That was really pleasing for me to see. We are still a learning side and I think as long as we keep learning from our experiences that we have, I think we’re going to be on the positive side of the match.”Jadeja, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten century and his match haul of 4 for 69, has said that working on his fitness and skills during the off season at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru has paid off. Jadeja has been one of India’s premier spinners at home for a long time and has also stepped up with the bat. He was the fourth-highest run-getter in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with 516 runs in ten innings at an average of 86 and has carried his form into the home season.”I’ve been batting at No. 9, No. 8 a few years ago, but now I’ve got my number… No. 6,” Jadeja said. “So I have time to prepare myself and I can pace my innings. I don’t need to hurry. I don’t need to rush [and play] unnecessary shots. I just, I can go out there and take my time and just pace my innings.”Jadeja was also excited about playing on a red-soil surface in Ahmedabad, which offers more bounce and grip for spinners and is equally good for the batters.”Playing on a red soil [pitch], it’s fun because as a spinner, you get more turn and bounce,” he said. “As a spinner, you always want that. I was enjoying and as I got to know that we are playing on a red soil wicket, I thought, okay, for batting as well and for bowling as well. If the wicket is flat, you can score runs. If the ball is turning, then you can enjoy bowling on the red soil [pitch].”India are currently third on the World Test Championship table and will next face West Indies in the second Test in Delhi, which gets underway on October 10.

Daniel Farke’s reputation as a ropey Premier League manager is back under the spotlight at Leeds United.

The under-fire German has now lost a colossal 40 matches at the intimidating level from the 59 games he’s taken charge of, as the Whites worryingly looked like relegation fodder last time out in a 3-0 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion.

It’s not quite as bad as his Norwich City end days just yet, with Farke’s Canaries falling to an embarrassing 7-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea all the way back in 2021.

But, his dismal record in the division just doesn’t make for pretty reading, as he now attempts to guide Leeds up the table.

Games

59

Wins

9

Draws

10

Losses

40

Goals scored

40

Goals conceded

118

Points accumulated

37

He could have to think outside of the box, soon, if he feels he’s being let down consistently by his senior personnel, as a whole host of exciting U21 talents are coming through currently in West Yorkshire…

The biggest stars in Leeds' academy

Throughout his time in the Elland dug-out to date, Farke has often chucked young talents into the first team mix when he’s deemed them to be ready, having once kick-started Archie Gray’s ascent to stardom.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin misfiring as of late, he might well be tempted to look at another Gray and launch Harry Gray into the senior side, with the 17-year-old already up to 15 goals for the U18s and U21s, despite recent injury setbacks.

Moreover, Alfie Cresswell could soon fancy his own chances, having captained the U21s this season from defensive midfield, with the 18-year-old – who can also play in defence – also collecting three goals for his troubles.

But, it could be down the right wing where Farke is looking to bring in some youthful reinforcements, having had to rely on a hot-and-cold Brenden Aaronson in his spot on the pitch for most of the season so far.

That has resulted in the versatile American only collecting one meagre goal for his efforts, with Farke having to persist with the up-and-down 25-year-old, owing to both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto being unfortunate with injuries.

Yet, there could be an in-house replacement now staring Farke in the face. Like Cresswell and Gray, he’s a hotly-tipped teenage sensation.

Leeds' surprise Aaronson replacement

All the young starlets over the years who have been generously handed a first-team opportunity at Leeds must dream that they can become the next homegrown ace to make it.

Only a select few do, unfortunately, but Connor Douglas will back himself that he can be a success story in the senior ranks down the line, having already been branded as a “joy to watch” by PureFootball Trent Gaffney for his previous heroics on the youth pitches in West Yorkshire.

Games played

66

Minutes played

4,519

Goals scored

12

Assists

9

Yet, despite receiving such glowing praise and collecting an impressive 12 goals and nine assists from 66 appearances in youth circles to date, the 20-year-old is still without a Leeds first-team chance.

That could soon change, however, particularly if Farke wants to look more left-field for an Aaronson replacement, with the adaptable number 52 collecting ten of his 21 goal contributions for the U21s from the right wing spot, an area of the pitch that isn’t best suited to the ex-Union Berlin man.

With Douglas’ senior contract also only in play until next summer, it does feel as if it’s make-or-break time for the young Englishman, if he wants to make an impression in the senior game.

Even lining up as a right-back and as a striker on occasion for the U21s, it’s clear that Douglas is a jack of all trades.

But, in the here and now, with a goal and an assist next to his name in the Premier League 2 this season when playing predominantly down the right flank, he could be a shock replacement for Aaronson.

Leeds have a "wrecking ball" out on loan who can put DCL on borrowed time

Leeds United have an impressive star out on loan who can put Dominic Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time already at Elland Road.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 3, 2025

It’s been a miserable month for Liverpool and things have now been made worse by another injury to Jeremie Frimpong. The summer signing, for the second time this season, is set to be sidelined for a number of games.

Defensive injuries are the last thing that Arne Slot needs. The Liverpool backline has been at its most vulnerable in recent weeks, with the right-back spot proving to be particularly inconsistent as Frimpong and Conor Bradley fail to make the position their own.

Given the form of new signing Milos Kerkez hasn’t exactly been consistent on the other side either, it’s clear that Slot desperately needs to change things up in search of a solution.

Saturday’s game against Aston Villa is simply a must-win for the Reds. A fifth-straight defeat in the Premier League is unheard of for the Premier League champions, but that’s what’s waiting for those at Anfield if they don’t provide an answer to their problems this weekend.

Despite his side’s disastrous run of form, Slot remains confident that they will turn things around. The Dutchman told reporters ahead of Aston Villa’s visit: “The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality of the players we have and the amount of chances they are creating. This will lead to these players scoring more goals than we have done.”

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Whether the solution really is that simple remains to be seen, however. So far, the Liverpool manager has stuck to this season’s new system and stuck with struggling arrivals such as Kerkez, which could eventually lead to major consequences.

Meanwhile, after complaining about his squad depth in midweek, the news of Frimpong’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Slot.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will miss

Replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold was always going to be a difficult task, but the fact that Dominik Szoboszlai has played a more prominent role at right-back than Frimpong says it all. The Dutchman simply hasn’t got going amid an earlier injury and now his latest hamstring blow.

According to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Frimpong will now be sidelined for around six weeks after limping off with a hamstring injury against Eintracht Frankfurt. This means that he’ll miss games against both Real Madrid and Manchester City in the space of a week as well as several other games.

Games Frimpong will miss

Competition

Date

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

Premier League

01/11/25

Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Champions League

04/11/25

Man City vs Liverpool

Premier League

09/11/25

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

Premier League

22/11/25

Liverpool vs PSV

Champions League

26/11/25

West Ham vs Liverpool

Premier League

30/11/25

Liverpool vs Sunderland

Premier League

03/12/25

Leeds vs Liverpool

Premier League

06/12/25

An “important” player under Xabi Alonso, according to the manager himself at Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool are yet to see Frimpong’s ability in full amid such a disrupted campaign that will only continue in the next six weeks.

The medal matches will be played on July 20 and 29, with all games to be held at the Fairgrounds Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2025Cricket’s return to the LA Olympics 2028 will begin on July 12, with the medal matches scheduled to be played on July 20 and 29. All the matches will be held at the Fairgrounds Stadium, a temporary, purpose-built venue in the city of Pomona, about 50km from Los Angeles.Six teams each in the men’s and women’s sections, and a total of 180 players, will compete in the T20 format. Each team can name a 15-member squad for the competition.Most match days will be double-headers, while there are no matches slotted on July 14 and 21. The matches will begin at 9am and 6.30pm local time. It will be the same for the medal matches as well.Related

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The Fairgrounds Stadium, officially known as Fairplex, is a nearly 500-acre complex that has hosted the LA County Fair since 1922 and regularly serves as a venue for concerts, trade shows, sporting events, and cultural gatherings.”When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighbourhood as we host a Games for all and work to ensure it leaves a monumental legacy,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “We are already delivering that legacy as we announce there have been more than one million enrollments in PlayLA.”I want to thank LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for making these programs possible and for their continued work to host the greatest Games yet.”This is the first time that cricket will feature in the Olympics since 1900. Then, only two teams, Great Britain and France, had competed in a two-day match, with Great Britain winning the gold medal.Cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics further propels the growing stature of the sport. Women’s cricket made its CWG debut in Birmingham in 2022, while both the men’s and women’s games have been part of the Asian Games in 2010, 2014 and 2023. Recently, Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York hosted a number of matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.