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Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith burst onto the scene as Bazball 2.0 began to take shape

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Sep-2024″Coldplay can’t be number one every week.”So said Joe Root after England succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in their final Test of the 2024 home season. His point being that their style is such that, while they have reeled off five wins in a row, results like this are “going to happen from time to time”.It’s not quite how recording artists operate, of course. Certainly not a band who, if they were so inclined, could industrialise the production of their cookie-cutter tear-jerkers. One thing Coldplay do, however, is sell out stadiums, which England have not this summer. The Kia Oval was only a third full for what is usually a showpiece event in the calendar.To be fair to England, that’s not so much on them. Inclement weather and broadly uneven Tests have contributed to an unspectacular home season. Prevalent themes include underfunded opposition and overpriced ticketing.Related

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And yet at the same time, few summers have been this transitional as new blood was sourced to build towards the 2025-26 Ashes. Such has been the rate of change, the average age of England’s XI at the Oval was 26, compared to 32 for the corresponding 2023 Ashes fixture. In pursuit of Bazball refinement, England gave us a Bratball summer.

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James Anderson knew something was up when all of Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key invited him to a Manchester hotel in April. Good news is rarely delivered by three messengers.The meeting itself lasted 90 minutes, not that Anderson was oblivious to what was to be discussed before he walked through the door. England’s greatest ever bowler, fresh from breaching the 700 Test wickets mark, was being put out to pasture.Lord’s would be the farewell, creating a peculiar atmosphere around the season opener against West Indies. On the one hand, Anderson hated the fuss of his 188th and final Test appearance, though did grow to enjoy it. On the other, it acted as a neat distraction for those taking the team forward in a post-Anderson world.Shoaib Bashir played his first home Test after an impressive tour of India was followed by a loan move from Worcestershire to Somerset for first-team action. The Surrey duo of Gus Atkinson, a quick with just 19 first-class appearances to his name, and Jamie Smith, picked as wicketkeeper despite not doing the job for his county, made their debuts. All three were ever-presents for the summer.

“The flipside of introducing new faces is saying goodbye to old ones. Broad, Anderson, Bairstow and Foakes, staples of the first two years of McCullum’s era, are already fading in the rearview mirror”

Bashir came off a “thanks for coming” appearance in that first Test to bowl England to victory over West Indies at Trent Bridge. Second-innings figures of 5 for 41 made him the youngest English spinner to take a five-wicket haul at home, which also happened to be his third outright.Atkinson started with a bang, taking 12 for 106 in his first outing – the best figures for an Englishman on Test debut since 1890 – turning Anderson’s grand closing into his grand opening. A return to Lord’s against Sri Lanka brought with it another five-wicket haul, as well as completing the honours board set with a maiden Test century. All in, 34 dismissals at 20.17 represents an exceptional home summer. Particularly given Atkinson’s front-on, into-the-pitch action, along with his scrambled stock ball, which sets him apart from traditional English seamers.It was perhaps Smith who was the real find. The 24-year-old made the earliest impression – ultimately, by doing nothing at all. With McCullum and Stokes maintaining their stance on leaving training attendance in the hands of the individuals, Smith, ahead of his first cap, decided on having the day off.It was a bold call for someone ahead of such a big moment in their career. But with the team announced 48 hours early, Smith informed Stokes that he felt he had done all his necessary preparation and could probably do with a more relaxed lead-in. The skipper was impressed by the clarity, and, though he would not judge, the bravery of the call. Smith went out and strummed 70 in his maiden Test knock.A century would come at Old Trafford against Sri Lanka after a near-miss in his previous knock against West Indies. And with 23 catches to go with his 487 runs, Smith has rectified a problem position. The keeping conundrum of Jonny Bairstow or Ben Foakes has been solved swiftly and with remarkable distinction.It’s worth noting that all three youngsters have encountered challenges. Smith, a three-format player, noted the grind of Test cricket is something he must manage, even if it had not caught up with him just yet.Jamie Smith has nailed down the wicketkeeper position•Getty Images”Looking back on these six matches has been a learning experience for me of just day-to-day how I need to go about things, in terms of preparation,” he said. “There’s quite a quick turnaround between games.”So [it’s] almost, ‘what do I need to do to be ready?’ It’s a slightly unique situation that I’ve been full at it since back in April, and played nine Championship games in the lead up to these six Test matches. So it’s 15 first-class games, plus the T20s and the Hundred. It’s been a lot.”By the last Test at the Kia Oval, Atkinson’s pace was noticeably down, in part because of a thigh injury that has subsequently seen him rested for the upcoming ODI series with Australia. From a technical point of view, Bashir’s lack of “go-to” ball is something he needs to work on.

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With six Tests still to come this year, split evenly between Pakistan and New Zealand, such learnings will have to come on duty. McCullum and Stokes are keen to hot-house talent within the confines of the Test squad, as much because of the proximity of the next Ashes and the fact they believe their environment promotes accelerated progress.Josh Hull is the latest example of that. After being called up to replace Mark Wood – now out until the new year – Hull spent a week grooving in the Lord’s nets.Just seven weeks after walking out at the same venue, Anderson was back on the Nursery Ground. This time, as the team’s bowling consultant, fine-tuning a kid born 15 months after he made his Test debut.Josh Hull claimed three wickets on debut against Sri Lanka•Richard Heathcote/Getty ImagesTall, left-arm, but with a Division Two bowling average of 182.50 this season, Hull needed work. Anderson set about shaving off a couple of rough edges. A slightly skittish run-up was tidied. An alignment at the crease that led a collapsed front leg was adjusted.There was nothing overly technical, but enough for Hull to shine in the lead-up to the final Test of the summer and sneak a spot in the XI. Impressing McCullum and Stokes with his movement and bounce helped, as well as a handy spell against stand-in captain Ollie Pope in the nets.Three wickets, all in the first innings, showcased promise, though the rawness was evident throughout with a lack of control. Nevertheless, a spot for Hull on the tour of Pakistan came through on Tuesday. England are keen on an extra month to polish, believing they are onto something special.

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The flipside of introducing new faces is saying goodbye to old ones. Broad, Anderson, Bairstow and Foakes, staples of the first two years of McCullum’s era, are already fading in the rearview mirror.Dan Lawrence, a passenger for the last 18 months, has been dropped off after unsuccessfully moonlighting as an opener in the absence of Zak Crawley. Jordan Cox, four years Lawrence’s junior, is now riding spare.The other knock-on effect comes within. Established players like Pope and Harry Brook have been shifted up in responsibility. In turn, the acting skipper and vice for Sri Lanka’s tour have been shunted into intriguing junctures as far as their Test careers are concerned. Neither can rest on “figuring things out” around more inexperienced company.By the end, England called upon 16 players during the Test season. Of the 15 still active, only six have experience in Australian conditions. It speaks to the volume of change, but also the need to try different things ahead of the next Ashes to rectify consecutive 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0 losses.As such, the value of this near-perfect home season against imperfect opposition is something of an unknown. It may not have been a memorable summer, but it could be remembered fondly depending on how things pan out in two winter’s time.

Australia have not found a replacement for Warner yet in Tests, and it’s not necessary the gap will be filled soon

Andrew McGlashan20-Dec-20241:33

Cummins: ‘Top three is a really hard place to bat’

A year that started with David Warner playing his final Test will draw to a close with Australia still searching for his long-term replacement, and a reality dawning that it might be sooner rather than later that they need another new opener as well.Rohit Sharma batted away suggestions that India had over-celebrated avoiding the follow-on at the Gabba and Pat Cummins said “can’t say I’ve ever been scared of momentum” when asked if the visitors took more from how that Test finished, but it feels like Australia have blinked first ahead of the crunch encounter at the MCG.Australia’s opening batting position was the major talking point heading into the series and whoever is selected in the role on Boxing Day – Sam Konstas is favourite but it may not be him – will mean that three players have had the job alongside Usman Khawaja, himself desperately short of runs this year, since the middle of January.Related

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Australia tried to manufacture openers out of Steven Smith and Nathan McSweeney with both being aborted. Josh Inglis has never opened in first-class cricket. Beau Webster has done it seven times, and scored 136 against New South Wales, but not since 2019. The door isn’t completely shut on someone else moving up.Konstas is a specialist opener and may yet prove to be the answer – it has felt like an inevitable path to international cricket and plenty of good judges have already anointed him – but the selectors didn’t think he was ready a month ago. He has, however, taken his opportunity to keep his name in lights in the last few weeks with a century for the Prime Minister’s XI against the Indians (minus Jasprit Bumrah), 88 against a good Western Australia attack and a dashing BBL debut, although caution needs to be used when assessing the latter.”What I can say is Sam has a self-confidence you don’t see in very many,” Sydney Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss said this week. “I’ve only seen it in a few over the years, and all of those players were outstanding Test players and international players, guys like [Michael] Clarke and [Brad] Haddin, Warner and Smith.”This decision will be picked apart a few days after former Australia coach Darren Lehmann said chair of selectors George Bailey was too close to the players and couldn’t make hard decisions. But it feels McSweeney, who had not opened before this season, has had the rough end of the deal having come up against Bumrah who is putting together one of the great series.His axing has come two Tests after his 39 in the first innings in Adelaide was lauded by team-mates as having been key in helping set up victory when he and Marnus Labuschagne survived the first evening under lights. He also came through a tricky opening day at the Gabba in the 13 overs sent down before the rain. However, perhaps crucially to his ambitions, he could not go on with either innings on the second day.1:37

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Whoever gets the nod at the MCG is effectively being asked to do something no one else in that position has been able to manage: keep out, and score runs off, Bumrah.There has been much talk of the success of enabling Travis Head to come in after the 30-over mark in the first innings of the last two Tests when he has flayed thrilling centuries, but today’s decision appears to signal a change of tact from purely soaking up deliveries. It’s unlikely to signal a switch to something close to Bazball, but perhaps Ronball is going to make a comeback. Bailey stressed the importance of a left-hander opening, so the similarities between McSweeney and Labuschagne in the top three may have proved too great for not enough output.While McSweeney is the one to have paid the price, the sense is that plenty of the top are now on notice. “If you look more broadly I don’t necessarily the top six as quite functioned to the level that we need in this series as a whole,” Bailey said.Head is flying and Smith’s century was very timely, but Khawaja, Labuschagne and, lower down, Mitchell Marsh have made 214 runs in the series between them at 14.26. All three have credit in the bank, but it will be starting to run low.It is true that the evidence backs up what is becoming a well-worn trope about batting having become harder in Australia since the altered Kookaburra was introduced, combined with more grass being left on pitches – the “perfect storm” as Smith termed it after his century – but KL Rahul has shown that it is possible to make runs as an opener in the first innings, while Yashasvi Jaiswal had to get through the new ball before he could compile 161 in Perth.Amid all this, regardless of what happens in the final two Tests against India – and if Australia don’t regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy it will lead to a lot more questions being asked – there is likely to be plenty more movement at the top of the order in the next 12 months. Head is a good chance of opening in Sri Lanka, which is admittedly a very conditions-based call, and even if Khawaja gets his wish of finishing at next summer’s Ashes, it means we’ll be back here having another debate on replacements this time next year.Warner was joking when he said his phone was always on before this series began but, wherever anyone stands in their views of him, there can be no doubt the size of the task to filling those shoes. In a few days it will be someone else’s turn. Bumrah will be waiting.

Playing against his former team, he silenced the Chinnaswamy with a spell of 3 for 19

Shashank Kishore03-Apr-20251:30

‘A bit more fire in the belly for Siraj after Champions Trophy snub’

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans need no reminding of two things. First, the seemingly harmless slogan that has become an albatross around their necks. Second, a long list of players they let go of only to watch them flourish elsewhere and, at times, haunt them.KL Rahul, Travis Head, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shane Watson, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube – enough heartbreaks? On Wednesday night, another name was added in bold to that illustrious list – Mohammed Siraj, the one they let go of before the IPL 2025 mega auction.Siraj now plays for Gujarat Titans (GT) but RCB was his IPL home for seven seasons, where he rose from a rookie to their pace spearhead. Yet, being overlooked in favour of Yash Dayal – an uncapped signing – for retention must have stung, especially after finishing as their joint-highest wicket-taker in 2024. He claimed 15 wickets in 14 games, though his economy rate, at 9.18, was on the higher side.Related

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At the time, the rumblings within the camp pointed to Siraj’s underwhelming record at the Chinnaswamy, and that his prolific years with the franchise had come when the IPL moved to the UAE during the Covid years. A look at his record, however, suggests there’s very little to choose from. His economy for RCB at the Chinnaswamy (8.81) was only marginally higher than elsewhere (8.53), while his average at home was significantly better (26.84 as opposed to 33.54 away).How poetic, then, that one of his best IPL spells – 3 for 19 off four overs, a fine follow-up to the one against Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad last week – came at the very ground where he was once deemed to have fallen short. His execution was just as impressive as his pace and zip on a surface that, as RCB coach Andy Flower noted, “wasn’t a typical Chinnaswamy pitch”.Mohammed Siraj thought he had dismissed Phil Salt but Jos Buttler ended up dropping the catch•BCCIThe evening began with warmth – plenty of bonhomie and backslaps with former team-mates. But the competitive fire took over quickly, igniting further when Virat Kohli elegantly drove him through extra cover for a boundary off his second ball.The Chinnaswamy erupts at the slightest spark when RCB play, and it takes something extraordinary to silence it – and that’s exactly what Siraj did. After sending Devdutt Padikkal’s stumps cartwheeling, he sprinted the length of the pitch before unleashing his trademark Cristiano Ronaldo celebration. The silence in the stadium that followed was telling.”I was a little emotional, because I played here for seven years in the red jersey,” Siraj said later, after being named Player of the Match. “Now it’s a different colour. I was a little nervous and a little emotional, too. But as soon as I got the ball in my hand, I was full on.”Siraj’s full-on avatar truly sparked life into the GT camp when he dismissed the in-form Phil Salt. Siraj should have had him in the very first over when he edged a pull but Jos Buttler put it down. It seemed Siraj and GT had done their homework: In the IPL, Salt strikes significantly better (227.36) against full deliveries than he does against deliveries bowled on a good length or just short of it (146.64).

“I was a little emotional, because I played here for seven years in the red jersey… But as soon as I got the ball in my hand, I was full on”

GT’s plan was evident from the outset when Salt mistimed a pull on the very first ball, the delivery from Siraj thudding near his bat sticker. The struggle against those lengths nearly led to Salt’s downfall. He was on 7 off ten when he had a mix-up with Rajat Patidar as he attempted a tight single to get off strike. But Siraj, despite all three stumps in sight, missed the direct hit at the non-striker’s end.Much to Siraj’s frustration, Salt countered with a monstrous 105-metre pulled six that sailed into the adjacent metro sheds – a premeditated response to a 144kph bouncer. Such a blow can dent a bowler’s confidence, even shake his resolve. But not Siraj’s. Unfazed, he struck back in style, landing the ball on a good length, getting it to nip away off the seam, and splattering Salt’s stumps as the batter attempted an ambitious golf swing. It was as if Siraj was engulfed by a mystical power that stayed with him all night.He didn’t need to push the speed gun to its limits to be RCB’s wrecking ball. It was all about skill, a deep understanding of his craft, and the unwavering belief that his body would respond exactly as he intended. This was Siraj at his peak – far removed from the bowler who ran out of steam in the latter stages of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, only to return home and find himself sidelined from India’s white-ball plans.Siraj roars after eventually getting Salt•BCCI”I was playing matches consistently, so, I wasn’t realising the mistakes I was making,” he said when asked about his rhythm. “I took a break and focused on my fitness and bowling. It also helped mentally. Then when I joined GT, I spoke to Ashu [Ashish Nehra, coach] . So it’s coming out well and I am confident. Ashu tells me to go out and have fun. There’s no bigger confidence-booster than that.”Siraj’s first two wickets came from his potent mix of hard lengths and sharp movement off the pitch, his third – dismissing half-centurion Liam Livingstone – was just as crucial, potentially denying RCB vital runs at the death. More than the runs, though, it took the momentum away from RCB just as Livingstone was igniting a late surge. His brutal assault on Rashid Khan – who registered 0 for 54, his joint-second-most expensive T20 spell – had begun to turn the tide, only for Siraj to snatch it back.”I have only one mindset that as a bowler, it is very important to have belief,” he said. “If you don’t have belief, then obviously you will panic from inside. Then when you hit a six, then you tend to try something else. So, the most important thing is to have the belief that I can do it. No matter which wicket I am bowling on, I have belief. That is my mindset that I can do it.”Bowling the way he did, Siraj looked unshackled, free from the mental cobwebs that may have weighed him down in recent times. His fiery start to IPL 2025 could well mark the beginning of a happy chapter with GT.

Archer is back and Dravid heads a new coaching group, but can RR handle the loss of Buttler and Chahal?

Himanshu Agrawal16-Mar-20253:04

Is the lack of Indian bowling options a worry for RR?

Where they finished last yearAfter starting the season with eight wins in their first nine games, Rajasthan Royals (RR) looked set for a top-two finish. But four successive losses and an abandoned match later, they ended third. RR then beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator, but lost Qualifier 2 to Sunrisers Hyderabad.What’s new in 2025RR revamped their bowling unit in the mega auction after not retaining or buying back Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin. They went on a bowler shopping spree – Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana cost INR 28.65 crores – and did not buy any overseas batters. Shimron Hetmyer, who was retained, is their only overseas batter. He is a certain starter, but if form or fitness becomes an issue, RR have few back-up options.Related

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It isn’t common for a team to have an entirely Indian top five for the majority of the season. It’s happened in 37 games in the IPL over the years: MI did it ten times last season and finished bottom; KKR did it seven times in 2015 and finished fifth; the other 20 instances were scattered, not Plan A for the teams. So if RR have Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel as the top five, as it looks like they might, they will be attempting something that hasn’t taken teams into the playoffs in the past.They also signed the 13-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi at the auction. He is the youngest player to earn an IPL deal and made his debut for Bihar across formats in domestic cricket in 2023-24. Overall, the squad seems to lack depth, and this season could be a test of their domestic bench strength.RR also have a new coaching team. Former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid is their head coach, and Vikram Rathour their batting coach. They appointed former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule as their spin-bowling coach.Likely best XII1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer*, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga*, 8 Shubham Dubey/Akash Madhwal, 9 Jofra Archer*, 10 Maheesh Theekshana/Fazalhaq Farooqi*, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 Tushar Deshpande
Full RR squadBig questionWatch out forJofra Archer returns to RR after almost five years, having spent three seasons there from 2018 to 2020, and arrives in the IPL after an injury-free 2024 following chronic elbow and back problems. Archer has played 19 T20Is since his comeback in May, bagging 23 wickets at an average of 24.26. But with his history of injuries, RR will want to manage his workload carefully. RR also have Fazalhaq Farooqi and Kwena Maphaka as overseas pace options, and both are left-armers.Jofra Archer will be back in pink for the first time since IPL 2020•BCCIAfter more than three months out with a shoulder injury, Riyan Parag returned to action when he led Assam against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy towards the end of January. It took Parag six seasons to finally repay RR’s faith in him, and he smashed 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.21 in 2024. That was more runs than Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal or Jos Buttler, and that performance helped him earn T20I and ODI debuts. With Buttler now gone, RR will depend on Parag even more.Key stats Samson enters the IPL on the back of scoring just 51 runs in five T20Is against England in January-February. He had cracked three centuries in five innings before that and was dismissed for ducks in the other two. With 12 wickets, Hasaranga was Desert Vipers’ second highest wicket-taker in the ILT20 held earlier this year in the UAE. His economy rate of 5.88 was the best among all bowlers to have bowled at least 100 balls in the tournament, with Sunil Narine second at 6.17.Who’s out or in doubt?While Samson had finger surgery last month, he is awaiting fitness clearance from BCCI medical team. There is no confirmation yet on whether that might impact his availability for RR’s first match on March 23. Samson had suffered the blow while batting during the fifth T20I against England in early February, when he was, coincidentally, struck by a ball from Archer, his RR team-mate.

Having endured two difficult IPL seasons after rushing back into action following back surgery, the legspinner took two months off and has returned rejuvenated

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Aug-20254:23

Rashid: ‘Made a mistake’ by rushing back after back surgery

Afghanistan’s bowling allrounder Rashid Khan says he committed a “mistake” by rushing back to play cricket just a few months after a back surgery that immediately followed the 2023 World Cup. The long-term impact, Rashid said, told on him during his last two IPL seasons for Gujarat Titans (GT), especially in 2025, his worst IPL ever.Rashid conceded 33 sixes, the most by a bowler in a single IPL season, as batters both capped and uncapped dominated him. Post-surgery, Rashid’s speed, the backbone of his bowling, depleted considerably, in addition to a loss of accuracy. However, after a two-month post-IPL break, Rashid has returned rejuvenated, and showed that on Tuesday in the opening contest of the Hundred 2025, with a match-wining 3 for 11 in defending champions Oval Invincibles’ victory over London Spirit at Lord’s.In a chat with ESPNcricinfo organised by Red Bull, which unveiled the Afghanistan great as an ambassador on Saturday, Rashid said he had failed to grasp the advice the doctors had given him after his surgery.Related

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“After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal,” Rashid said. “I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I hadn’t had much time to rehab properly. That’s where I did a bit of mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time. And I feel like I didn’t let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL [2025], I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I can just focus on my fitness.”And when I came yesterday [on Tuesday], I felt so good, in a good rhythm, and the ball was coming nicely out of my hand, and [my] body was allowing me to go through. So these things matter a lot – sometimes you don’t think about that a lot; you just try your best to push yourself. But I feel to be out of the game for some time and focus on my fitness – and also [focus] mentally and physically – that really played a huge role.”On a sluggish Lord’s surface, Rashid bowled between 94 and 98kph, speeds he feels more comfortable with, and in control. The absence of zip in his deliveries, Rashid felt, was a key reason behind his failing to dictate terms in the last two IPL seasons.”On Tuesday, I was bowling at 94-98 kph – that’s my pace, [and the] speeds I am known to bowl at. I feel I was missing that before because my body was not allowing me to go through [my action] with that full energy. Last night, [against Spirit], when I came to bowl, I was getting that good feeling, and I was touching that speed with which I could put the batsman in trouble, and also not allow him much time to read from the surface.”Rashid conceded 33 sixes in IPL 2025•BCCIBarely a few months after the back surgery, despite medical experts warning him to pay careful attention to his rehab, Rashid resumed playing, though mostly T20 cricket. He started with the series against Ireland in March 2024, followed by the IPL and the T20 World Cup, where he led Afghanistan into the semi-finals. Soon after, back and hamstring niggles surfaced, forcing Rashid to skip the BBL and PSL. In early January 2025, Rashid played the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, and finished as the Player of the Match, bowling 55 overs (27.3 in each innings) and picking up 11 wickets to enter the record books. But the toll exacted by those marathon spells was evident during the Champions Trophy, and then IPL 2025.”When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats [Tests and ODIs] that quickly as that was not going to help me,” Rashid said. “About eight to nine months after I had started to play post surgery, I bowled 65 [55] overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I shouldn’t have been in whites [to play Tests].”In T20s, it’s fine – you can manage yourself – but for the longer formats, I was advised that you should be away from that format for some time. That is the kind of mistake I have made. But the team needed that. At that time, we had lost a few games in Test cricket, but that’s something where I rushed myself a little bit, and I didn’t give myself time and I felt it later on. Yes, I think I have done a mistake where my body was not allowing me that and I’m facing a problem. The thing is the stiffness in your back doesn’t allow you to go with full rhythm.”From the time he entered the IPL in 2017, Rashid maintained an economy rate of just over six runs an over until 2022. But since 2023, batters, especially right-handers, have played him with a lot more freedom. In 2022, Rashid’s economy rate against right-hand batters was 5.95. Over the next three seasons, it increased to 8.57 (2023), 8.84 (2024) and 9.69 (2025). If a few seasons ago his balls-per-six ratio in the IPL was 43, by 2025, it had plunged to 10. Rashid is aware of the numbers, but not overly concerned.”Before, when I was bowling 24 balls [over an innings], I was missing pitching [them] on length [for] like four or five balls. But then the number went [up] to eight or nine balls. And in those eight to nine [balls], they are scoring those extra couple of sixes and couple of big boundaries. I just needed to decrease that. Nothing else. It’s not like of the 24 balls, I was bowling every ball badly, [or] I was bowling wides and full tosses. [I knew] it’s going to be fine.”The realisation that his body was not allowing him to go with what he calls “the full flow” forced Rashid to have a chat with his coaches, who felt that he needed to take time off. Rashid duly pulled out of the MLC, where he plays for MI New York. During the break, he did a lot of strength training, especially in his lower back, and spot bowling two or three times a week, along with a bit of batting. But the focus was more on gym work. Outside of that, Rashid, who got married last October, spent a relaxed time with his family, which he says has now left him refreshed.”After IPL finished, for three weeks, I didn’t touch the ball. I spent most of my time with my family, [and] my nephews – going around with them, [and] had fun – just to take all those memories and stuff and bad days out of my mind, and then restart with the cricket. That’s what I did just to be refreshed, and then got back on track and got back bowling in the right spot.”At the SA20 this year, Rashid overtook Dwayne Bravo to become the highest wicket-taker in all T20s•SA20The break seems to have had a positive impact on Rashid. Before coming to the Hundred, he played four matches in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament, where he led Speen Ghar Tigers, and picked up 4 for 19, including three wickets in his final over, in their last match. Having made a strong start to the Hundred, Rashid will now hope to carry forward the momentum as Invincibles look for a three-peat, having won the title in the last two seasons.This February, while playing in the SA20, Rashid, who plays for MI Cape Town, overtook Dwayne Bravo to become the highest wicket-taker in all T20s. He recently became the first bowler to cross the 650-wicket mark, and is three wickets behind the retired Tim Southee on the all-time leading-wicket-takers chart in T20Is. Rashid was also ranked No. 1 among ESPNcricinfo’s 25 Greatest T20 players. He chuckled when asked whether he had read that story, and said he had, and that it made him just as proud as being chosen as the ICC’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade (2011-20) despite playing just four years of international cricket in that period.”People don’t just give it to you. It means like you have done something special, [and] you have done something unbelievable – and at different stages, in different countries. And that’s how you get that kind of appreciation. So it gives me so much energy, [and] it gives me so much positivity, and that for me is more important. And it does allow you to work harder, and to be number one again.”Rashid is the latest player to join Red Bull which also has on its roster Ben Stokes, KL Rahul, Kagiso Rabada and Riyan Parag. Rashid said it was a “huge and proud moment” to be the first Afghanistan player on the list and is “excited” to visit the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg later this year.

Playing for England wasn’t always a goal but she soon realised “pace, swing and bounce” were her true calling

S Sudarshanan09-Oct-2025For Lauren Bell, cricket just happened. Naturally athletic and competitive, she dabbled in multiple sports for the fun of it while growing up. A lot of football and a little bit of cricket. Playing for England wasn’t always a goal. It just happened.”If you asked probably like 7-8-year-old Lauren, she would be in a full football kit running around with the shin pads on,” Bell tells ESPNcricinfo in Guwahati. “My grandad always brought us Manchester United kits and I was always in the garden doing football. Like kids spend their time doing different things, what I found fun was playing sports.”Bell played for Reading FC from when she was eight. She also played cricket at the time, and her parents took her to training for both sports. It was in 2017, after the second edition of the Kia Super League (KSL), that Southern Vipers offered 16-year-old Bell a contract for their winter training programme and to then play for them in the summer. Training was on Saturday mornings, the same time as her football games.”My parents were like, you need to choose because we can’t physically get to these two places,” Bell says. “That was when I made the decision that I’ll follow cricket. I haven’t played football since, which is a bit sad, but I’ve not really looked back since then.”Related

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Bell is about six feet tall, nicknamed ‘The Shard’. She bowls at good pace and has a mean inswinger. However, she used to lose her footing and fall to her left during her bowling action, which gave her a bit of back pain. Last year, she worked hard to remodel her action, and she can now swing the ball both ways.”I don’t think I was really aware that being this tall is a massive advantage for me,” Bell says. “When I was a kid, I was so much taller than everyone. So obviously as a fast bowler, that’s going to bring its advantages. But I never thought, ‘oh, I’m tall, I’m going to do this’. It just all fell into place.”As I became a professional, I actually started to learn my craft. Before then, you worked on your talent and you’ve already been coached, but you don’t learn about the intricacies of fast bowling and bowling action. Only since I’ve started learning about my skill set and I guess the intricacies of my action, have I learned that obviously my height and the balance I can get in the extra bounce and how I play differently to other seamers. It’s obviously a big advantage for me or it makes me different to other girls and fast bowlers in the game.”Once she understood the advantage her height gave her, she worked hard on improving her speed and controlling swing.”I take the new ball and swinging the ball is a big skill of mine and one of my biggest advantages,” Bell says. “My coaches and I always talk about the three massive things – pace, bounce and movement. If you’ve got them, then you’re going to be a really hard bowler to face. With my height, I can get bounce and if I keep working on my strength, I can increase my pace. I’ve got the ability to swing the ball and hopefully I’ll keep progressing to moving the ball both ways. Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening.”Lauren Bell: ‘Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening’•Getty ImagesIt is not just her bowling that differentiates Bell from most other cricketers. She likes to make a statement with her hairstyle, which has inspired many young players to wear their hair in plaits like she does, and wants to see women cricketers embrace their “girly” side.”I’ve always liked doing my hair,” Bell says. “I remember vividly when I first played with plaits in my hair. I played in a [T20] World Cup with plaits and then played in the Hundred in England and I was meeting these girls and they were obviously there for the cricket. But so many of them had matching hair, like they had their hair in plaits. I was meeting the mums, who were like, ‘I have to do this hairstyle for my daughter every day now’. Stuff like that is part of the reason that I love playing and having the platform to inspire these young girls.”I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket. You don’t have to be like a certain type of personnel. When I was growing up, it was like a boy sport, which has changed over time. This is one thing that I’m passionate about and I care about, and doesn’t affect my cricket in any way. If anything, it reaches an audience that someone else might not reach.”Bell is a graduate in sociology and criminology. She completed her degree before her England debut but worked on her dissertation while being involved in the Women’s Ashes and the 2022 ODI World Cup as a standby.”When I was at school, my parents were really keen for me to go to Bradfield College and do really well at my A levels and study really hard,” she says. “I always wanted to do whatever my sister did and she went to uni, so that was always going to happen. My A levels were good and then I went to Loughborough.”I chose Loughborough with the cricket in mind as well because it made training easier. But when I started at Loughborough, I wasn’t a professional cricketer. I wanted to just study something I enjoyed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but after uni, if I wasn’t a cricketer, I just wanted to study something that I thought I enjoyed.”

“I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket.”Lauren Bell

With Covid-19 impacting cricket in 2020 and 2021, her first two years at university were relatively easier, in that she did not have to juggle cricket and course work. But her third year was a challenge, when she was picked for England A’s tour of Australia just before the Women’s Ashes.”It was hard, especially on tour when you’re touring such amazing countries like New Zealand and you have a dissertation to write. It’s tricky to turn down the social part and the exploring. It was the first time I’d been to Australia and New Zealand. So you want to obviously see it, but I also knew that I needed to get this dissertation written and I needed to study and keep up with my lectures. Because of Covid, everything was online and I managed to get through. I had a lot of support and few extensions on deadlines. I’m glad I did it and graduated, but it was tricky.”Since her debut in July 2022, no England fast bowler has taken more wickets in women’s ODIs than Bell’s 40. Kate Cross was close with 39 but she was left out of the World Cup squad, elevating Bell as the leader of the pace attack. In England’s first two games at the 2025 World Cup, Bell took 1 for 24 in four overs against South Africa and 1 for 28 in seven overs against Bangladesh, on slightly sticky surfaces in Guwahati.”It is responsibility; it’s how I really thrive,” she says. “When Heather [Knight] was captain and now Nat [Sciver-Brunt] is the captain, I think the more responsibility I’m given and the more clarity I have on the importance of my role, the more I thrive. I really enjoy taking those opportunities, being the bowler to make an impact or leading the seam attack. It gets the best out of me. I really enjoy it and every time I get a chance to do it, it’s great.”As England travel to Colombo to play Sri Lanka on what could be a slow surface, the once-football-crazy Bell will have another opportunity to show off her new-ball skills. England will hope that just happens.

Somerset opener peels off boundaries during century stand with James Rew

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit a typically aggressive half-century against his old club as only 42 overs were possible on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Yorkshire at Taunton.The home side had reached 155 for 3 after losing the toss when a thunder and lightning storm engulfed the Cooper Associates County Ground at shortly after 2pm, Kohler-Cadmore having made 76 and James Rew 54 not out. George Hill claimed two of the wickets.Heavy rain left the outfield saturated. Umpires Rob Bailey and Mark Newell inspected at 4.30pm, but decided conditions were not fit for play to resume.Yorkshire’s decision to field first looked set to reap dividends when Hill struck twice in the opening ten overs of the match. Archie Vaughan edged through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and departed for 10 with the total on 20. Then Tom Lammonby played down the wrong line to a ball angled into him and saw his off stump sent cartwheeling.That was as good as it got for the visitors in the morning session. Rew overcame a scratchy start, while Kohler-Cadmore was not afraid to advance down the pitch to seam and spin alike in moving to a 55-ball half-century.Twice the former Yorkshire player lofted ex-Somerset offspinner Dom Bess back over his head for six as he and Rew took the total to 114 for 2 off 30 overs at lunch. The shortened afternoon session saw Rew bring up his fifty, off 91 balls, with eight fours.Kohler-Cadmore took one chance too many when advancing to a delivery from Jordan Thompson and edged a sharp shoulder-high catch to Hill at first slip to make 147 for 3. He had faced 110 balls and extended his boundary count to 11 fours and two sixes.Tom Abell made a watchful start and only eight more runs were added before the first crash of thunder sent the players to the pavilion with black clouds closing in.

The Boston Red Sox are surging in the month of July.

Boston has won 10 straight games, sweeping the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays prior to the start of the All-Star break. The recent surge has the Red Sox sitting just three games out of first place in the American League East. Officially, the Sox are 53-45 and in third place in the East behind the New York Yankees and the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Former New York Yankees star and current Fox baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez sits on a panel with the network alongside his former teammate Derek Jeter and Red Sox great David Ortiz.

And on Tuesday night, when it came time to talk about the Red Sox, Rodriguez was clear about what the franchise's surge means in the broader context of the sport. And it made him absolutely sick to say out loud.

"Bottom line, boys, if we zoom out, it's great for baseball when the Boston…I can't believe I'm saying this…when the Boston Red Sox are good," Rodriguez said on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez added that the trade of Rafael Devers could end up being a good thing for the Red Sox in the long run, as he referenced two specific examples from his own playing days.

"Sometimes when you clear a clubhouse of whatever perceived energy…I remember when [Ken] Griffey Jr. left us in Seattle, we got better. And then when I left the next year, we got even better. And sometimes you need the big brother to get out so all the other big brothers can excel and thrive and they're doing that in a beautiful way."

The Red Sox open the second half of the season with a series in Chicago against NL Central's first place Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox will then take on the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies before hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers later this month.

Three brutally tough series out of the break will tell the tale of whether or not the Red Sox are for real.

Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he will not force Vinicius Jr to play out of position. The Italian coach was seen speaking privately with Vinicius during Brazil’s training camp in London, but Ancelotti later clarified that their conversation was purely personal and not related to tactics or positioning.

Ancelotti's idea to get the best out of Vinicius

With Neymar sidelined once again due to recurring injuries, Brazil now look to Vinicius as the talisman of their attack. The winger has grown in importance for the national team and is benefitting from Ancelotti’s appointment as Brazil coach, having already worked under him at Madrid. Despite Vinicius' inconsistent form at club level this season, Ancelotti believes he can reach another level and has encouraged him to adapt to a new role as a centre-forward in Neymar's absence to maximise his output.

Ancelotti explained to Vinicius the differences between playing as a winger and playing as a central forward. He noted that as a dribbler, Vinicius often needs several touches to create a scoring chance, while as a striker, a single movement can be enough to find the net. Ancelotti said: “I see him either as a winger or as a central striker. Vinicius has the quality to score many goals. I told him, ‘When you play as a winger, you need three or four dribbles and seven or eight touches to score. But in the centre, one well-timed movement is enough to score.’ 

"He understood it, and he enjoys playing in that position.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAncelotti explains about his chat with Vinicius

Recently, Ancelotti was seen speaking privately with Vinicius during Brazil’s training session in London.

At a press conference, Ancelotti explained that he regularly talks to all his players because he wants to understand their thoughts on every aspect of the game, including tactics. He said: “I have to talk to everyone to understand the players’ thoughts, tactically as well. You have to ask them, talk to them, know what they think; it is very important.

"I'm not going to force a footballer to play in a position he doesn't want ; I want them to play where they're comfortable. With Vinícius, it wasn't about that; it was another issue, more on a personal level than a tactical one."

He remains confident that Vinicius can play alongside Rodrygo for the national team, just as he had done under Ancelotti at Madrid.

"Vinícius and Rodrygo can obviously do it, because they're used to it, because they've done it at Real Madrid," he added. "I see them doing well, I see them focused, in good physical condition, and I'm convinced they can contribute a lot to the national team."

Brazil's rise under Ancelotti

The bond between Ancelotti and the Brazil squad has grown steadily, creating a sense of trust and clarity within the team. In six games under his leadership, Brazil have won three and drawn two, results that secured their qualification for the 2026 World Cup with confidence. One of Ancelotti’s major achievements has been expanding the talent pool by integrating emerging stars like Endrick and Vitor Roque, giving Brazil more depth and flexibility in attack. Most importantly, the team has learned to function effectively without Neymar, adapting their style and redistributing creative responsibilities across the squad.  

Vinicius explained that Ancelotti has helped Brazil evolve by restoring belief and clarity within the squad. He described the renewed confidence the manager has brought when he said, “He has done the same thing everywhere he has gone, instilling confidence and getting the best out of every player in their ideal position. He always says his dream is to make the Brazilian people happy, to bring back the joyful football that defines us, and to win the World Cup.”

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AFPBrazil's preparations for 2026 World Cup

Brazil take on Senegal tomorrow during the international break, and Ancelotti will use these friendly matches to test different permutations and combinations of players in various positions. These games will help him identify the best squad for the 2026 World Cup.

"We have to keep learning and improving to be ready for the World Cup," Ancelotti added. "I'm happy with what we've done so far, but we're also aware of the mistakes we've made . Because now you can make mistakes, but in the World Cup, if you make a mistake, you're going home."