Spinner revealed last week that England had released him from his deal after Ashes omission
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2025
Jack Leach was the only spinner to take 50 County Championship wickets this season•Harry Trump/Getty Images
Jack Leach has signed a contract extension with Somerset after revealing that he has been released from his England central contract.Leach has played 39 Tests for England, most recently on their tour to Pakistan a year ago, and was the only spinner to take 50 County Championship wickets this season. But he has slipped down the pecking order to the extent that England have opted to take the allrounder Will Jacks to Australia as their back-up spin option ahead of him.He has been centrally contracted since the start of the 2021-22 winter but will fall back onto his county deal with Somerset next year. Leach was already under contract with his hometown club until the end of next season, but the county announced on Monday that he has now signed a two-year extension until the end of 2028.Related
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England have not yet announced their central contracts for 2025-26, but Leach told the BBC last week that he had been informed by managing director Rob Key that his deal would not be renewed. “My contract was up, so he obviously told me that and at the same time, said about the Ashes squad and that I wasn’t going to be in it,” Leach said.”I was gutted about that. That was really my aim for the summer, and it wasn’t to be, so [now] it’s time to reflect and try to keep getting better and get myself back in there… I don’t know from their point of view whether they have completely moved past me, but I believe I’m still getting better and I need to keep showing that in county cricket.”Shoaib Bashir, who has leapfrogged Leach to become England’s first-choice spinner, is widely expected to leave Somerset after he did not feature for them in any format this season. He is likely to retain his central contract for 2025-26, meaning that the ECB – rather than whichever county he joins – will pay his salary.Elsewhere, Sussex have announced the signing of batting allrounder Jack Leaning from Kent on a three-year contract, while legspinning allrounder Calvin Harrison has signed a permanent deal with Northamptonshire after impressing on loan from Nottinghamshire earlier this year.
The snap he imparts produces large amounts of backspin – which makes the ball to do things other bowlers can’t make it do
Himanish Ganjoo21-Jul-2025Just 47 Tests and 89 ODIs to go along with 245 T20 games, and Jasprit Bumrah is already in the conversation to be one of the greatest all-format bowlers ever. He has displayed mastery over a wide oeuvre of skills across situations and conditions, with the red ball and white, especially after his return from injury in 2023.Much has been said about Bumrah’s unique action, heavy with hyperextension in his bowling arm, and his abnormal release point, about 50 centimetres closer to the batter than other top bowler’s releases. In all this, his wizardry with the seam is seldom discussed. Bumrah puts more revs on his backspinning pace-on deliveries than most fast bowlers do, and this has a multitude of effects. Yes, he bowls at a good pace, hits the good length like a machine, and plans and delivers his multiple variations almost perfectly. But the action his wrist imparts on the seam, almost imperceptibly, adds layers of difficulty on top of his extremely strong fundamentals.Because of his hyperextended front arm, Bumrah has to give the ball an almighty whip at release to keep his wrist upright and propel the ball forward. This whip bestows the ball with high backspin. This backspin causes the ball to feel an extra upward force before landing. This phenomenon, called the Magnus effect, is what causes dip when spinners bowl overspin. For seam-up deliveries, it happens in the opposite direction.
The plot above shows the distribution of vertical acceleration for pace-on balls (130-plus kph) from the IPL seasons of 2022 to 2024. Since the ball is accelerating downwards while falling, the numbers on the X axis are negative. Here, a number closer to zero indicates more upward force on the ball. Notice how Bumrah’s distribution peaks significantly to the right of the distribution for all other fast bowlers – indicating that he generates significantly more upward force than others. He is much likelier than others to deliver a ball with high upward force. This extra upward force is the direct result of the amount of backspin on the ball.The higher upward force makes the trajectories of his deliveries slightly flatter than those of others before pitching, which possibly has a direct effect on the efficacy of his fuller balls. The plot below shows the batter’s strike rates for full tosses, well-executed yorkers, and slot balls in the last five overs in the IPLs of 2022-2024. While the average bowler goes for plenty when they miss the yorker, Bumrah concedes runs at a batting strike rate of lower than 120 even when he overpitches or underpitches.
Some of this is due to his reputation – batters look to play him out. Some of it is due to his anomalous release: his release point varies almost negligibly between full and good-length balls, and some of it is due to the “lift” he gets from the Magnus force, making his full deliveries scoot through the air flatter, messing up the contact points of a batter looking to hit him.This heavy backspin also contributes indirectly to swing by helping the seam stay upright in one plane. Much like with a bicycle wheel, the faster the backspin, the more stable the seam. With the new ball, Bumrah can angle the seam slightly either way to get the ball to swing in the direction he wants it to. Owing to the revs on it, the seam seldom wobbles, creating perfect conditions for swing. Of course it is a testament to his powers that Bumrah can land the ball perfectly on a good length and line while switching the direction of swing mid-over. With the old ball, Bumrah relies on the difference in the roughness of the two halves of the ball, keeping the seam upright and switching the shiny side.The plot below shows the distributions of how much Bumrah swings the new and old balls, considering data from Tests in India from 2023 through 2024. With the new ball (first 20 overs), you see two bumps either side of the “no-swing axis” at around 3 and -3 degrees, showing a small proportion of high-inswing and outswing deliveries. Compare that to the distribution with the old ball. The amount of swing is lower – the peaks are at about 1.5 degrees on both sides (old-ball swing is less in magnitude than new ball swing). But the peaks are much higher than the new ball peaks. Which means he bowls swinging deliveries much more often with the old ball than the new. With both, he manages to swing them both ways. It’s the skill of his hands and fingers, coupled with the extremely stable seam, that enables this kind of swing profile.
Bumrah’s backspin causes a flatter trajectory than is usual for other bowlers, as we have seen. In addition, his release heights are somewhere close to the average for fast bowlers (around 2 metres). These two things together mean that the vertical speeds of his deliveries before pitching are lower than those of the average bowler. The higher your vertical speed is, the harder you hit the pitch, and the greater the misbehaviour you can extract. And yet, Bumrah bowls more high-seaming balls than other bowlers. This is a result of his impeccable seam presentation, hitting the seam almost every time he bowls. But it also results from his high backspin rates.The plot below shows the percentage of balls in different ranges of seam movement by Bumrah and other fast bowlers in Tests played in India from 2023 through 2024, only considering fast balls (130-plus kph). Balls seaming more than half a degree are usually troublesome for batters, with little time to adjust the path of the bat to cover the lateral movement. In every seam range for 0.5 degrees or higher, Bumrah has a higher percentage of balls than other fast bowlers. This is a direct result of the extreme backspin on the ball.
Flatter trajectories, high seam, perfect swing – Bumrah’s high backspin already imbues his deliveries with lethal characteristics, but it also gives them anomalous bounce. This aspect is almost never talked about, perhaps due to the difficulty of gauging it without data. Despite the flatter path and lower release point, Bumrah’s deliveries bounce more than the average bowler’s. The plot below shows the median height when the ball reaches the plane of the stumps, using the same Test data set as above.
In the 5-9 metre lengths, which are the good and “hard” lengths, Bumrah’s deliveries reach the stumps about 5 centimetres higher than the average pacer’s deliveries. This might look like a minor difference but it is what makes him bowl the “heavy ball”, which hits the bat a smidgen higher than expected. His unusual late, low release already throws the batter off instincts developed over years of training; that and the slightly higher bounce makes it tough to make ideal contact. Since changing the vertical motion of the bat involves working against gravity, adjusting to even small changes in bounce are the toughest skill for a batter to develop, after adjusting for high seam movement.But what is happening here? If you hit the pitch flatter, like Bumrah does, you should get lower bounce than others. That is what convention says. But Bumrah upends conventional logic here too. The backspin on his balls is so high that it overpowers the effect of the flat path and low release.Consider a slow tennis shot hit with backspin. Tennis players and fans know that slow backspinning shots bounce higher. The spin on the ball causes friction with the surface, zapping the ball of its low forward speed. The vertical speed, however, does not get cut too much in comparison. What we call “steep bounce” is actually a measure of how much vertical speed the ball has compared to forward speed. A ball that loses relatively more of its forward speed on bouncing will appear to stop and bounce more (hence the term “tennis-ball bounce”). Upon contact with the surface, the high backspin, paired with the relatively low speed, reduces the forward speed much more than it does the vertical speed. (Thanks to Aaron Briggs, aerodynamicist and analyst with the ECB, for this insight.)The reduction of forward speed happens for all bowlers’ deliveries, but in Bumrah’s case, his extreme backspin dominates the interaction with the pitch. Consequently, despite his low vertical speeds before pitching, he gets more bounce than average. The backspin makes such a violent impact that it takes away more of the forward speed, making the ball rise steeper than with the average bowler.It is important to clear up a common misconception here. In cricket, spinners bowling with overspin obtain more bounce. This is because overspin makes the ball dip and land harder into the pitch. The opposite happens with pacers, who generate : their deliveries land flatter on the pitch. In this regard, in terms of what backspin and overspin do to the ball , the former lowers the bounce and the latter enhances it. However, the phenomenon seen with Bumrah here results from the interaction of the ball with the pitch. When the ball makes contact with the surface, backspin adds to bounce, while overspin reduces it. This pitch interaction effect is too minute to see for most deliveries, but it is the relevant effect here.In the air, before pitching, backspin does make Bumrah’s deliveries flatter. The plot below shows the average angle that the ball makes with the ground before pitching for different lengths, comparing Bumrah with other bowlers (same Test match data as above). For all lengths from 2 to 8 metres, Bumrah has a lower angle than the average bowler, which means his deliveries land flatter than the average bowler’s deliveries.
The next plot shows the ratio of the post-bounce angle to the pre-bounce angle. This effectively measures not only the steepness of the ball after pitching, it also tells us how the vertical and forward speeds of the ball relate to each other before and after pitching. A higher ratio means that the ball gets steeper on account of losing more forward velocity than vertical velocity, all relative to the velocities before pitching. Here, Bumrah is higher than the average pacer in all lengths from 3 to 9 metres. This is strong evidence supporting the “tennis ball bounce” explanation for why Bumrah gets higher bounce than average despite his pre-bounce trajectories.
Cricket is a game of “usualness”. Batters train for thousands of hours, tuning their internal prediction systems to react to deliveries from an usual distribution of angles, with usual distributions of movement, release, and bounce. Any aberration disturbs this training. Bumrah is a unique confluence of anomalies in addition to rare cricketing nous and almost superhuman skill, making him the almost perfect bowler. While his late release is discussed ad infinitum, it is his extreme whippage on the seam of the cricket ball that unleashes a torrent of little anomalies – in the air, off the pitch, laterally and vertically, overcoming the limitations of conditions or format, at nearly 90 miles per hour. Everything, everywhere, all at once.
A stunning century from Tim Seifert helped St Lucia Kings pull off the fifth-highest chase in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history with utter ease as they marched to the top of the table with a six-wicket win over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at Gros Islet.Seifert levelled with Andre Russell for the CPL’s fastest century as his 53-ball 125 not out saw Kings overturn their 205-run in 17.5 overs as Falcons slumped to their second consecutive defeat, despite a 26-ball 61 from Shakib Al Hasan.Seifert started the chase in style, flat-batting the first legal delivery of the innings for a six over long-off. Imad Wasim conceded another six, to Johnson Charles, as Kings made their intent clear in the first over.Charles then welcomed Jayden Seales into the attack with a six before Seifert went 6, 4, 4 against the West Indies quick.There was some reprieve for Falcons when Salman Irshad had Charles gloving behind off an attempted scoop but Seifert showed no signs of slowing down.He swept Shakib for a six over square leg before skying a chance that fell safe between three fielders converging, much to Shakib’s angst.Akeem Auguste hit Irshad for three consecutive fours before Seales took 24 off Shakib, with two sixes and three fours. The 92 runs Kings plundered in the powerplay were the most in the season, and it was the third-best powerplay in CPL history.Tim Seifert plays a shot during his opening blitz•Getty Images
Usama Mir saw Seifert hit him for a four and a six in his first over, right after the powerplay, but hit back in his next over when he beat Auguste in flight to have him stumped.Seifert and Roston Chase kept the scoreboard ticking before Irshad took a blinder at short leg off Odean Smith to cut Chase’s innings short.However, in the next over Seifert hit back-to-back sixes off Mir to move to 99 and completed his century with a single off the next ball.Tim David went 6, 4, 6 off Smith before Seales had him caught at deep midwicket in a wicket maiden amid the chaos.Seifert, who had scooped Irshad in the over before for four, picked up another boundary off Seales’ third over before sealing the win with a mighty six off the final ball.Seifert finished unbeaten on 125, posting the highest score of the season, going past his compatriot Colin Munro, who is the only other centurion this year. This was also the second-highest score ever in the CPL.Openers Amir Jangoo and Jewel Andrew took Falcons to 51 for no loss at the end of the powerplay, but Tabraiz Shamsi’s introduction shifted the momentum briefly. He had Andrew skying one off his first ball before drawing a thick edge from Karima Gore and Roston Chase took a good catch at slip to send the in-form batter back for a first-ball duck.Shakib Al Hasan powered Falcons’ innings•CPL
Shakib prevented the hat-trick by sweeping a loosener fine on the leg side before an edge off a reverse-sweep brought him four more next ball.An 18-ball streak followed without a boundary, but that was ended when Shakib hit back-to-back sixes off Chase to end the tenth over – a slog sweep over midwicket was followed by a wallop down the ground.Shakib hammered David Wiese for 25 runs, with three consecutive fours followed by two back-to-back sixes, the second of which saw him bring up a 20-ball half-century.Jangoo lofted Shamsi over long-off the next over before sweeping him fine on the leg side. Shakib’s shot of the day was when he pummeled Alzarri Joseph inside out for a one-handed six.But an offcutter from Delano Potgieter drew a leading edge from Shakib and one over later, Jangoo miscued a reverse-sweep off Shamsi to David at short third to depart for a 43-ball 56.Smith failed to fire in the death, ambling to 11 off 15, but Fabian Allen provided the punch at the death with a 17-ball 38, taking Falcons past 200.
Left-arm spinner, who returned to the England fold earlier this year, gave it “one more shot”, and earned a World Cup ticket for the UAE
Valkerie Baynes04-Oct-2024When Linsey Smith received the call to say she would be heading to another World Cup six years after her last appearance at the tournament, the emotion washed over her. After wondering whether, at the age of 29, the opportunity had passed her by, she had her second chance.”I was just over the moon to be honest – a little bit emotional,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo from England’s pre-tournament training camp in Loughborough last month. “Six years ago was when I got the first call, so it’s been a tough road. But I’m just so happy that I get the chance to represent England at a World Cup again.”Smith fell out of England’s reckoning during the summer of 2019. During her five years in the wilderness, self-doubt abounded, along with thoughts of giving up the sport, and financial struggles, as she came to terms with losing her rookie contract with England, and tried to juggle coaching and playing domestic cricket.Related
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“It was pretty tough,” Smith said. “You obviously doubt yourself, and I guess when I was in it, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a certain way and play a certain way, and it just ate me up, really. I felt like I almost didn’t deserve to be in an England shirt with how I was playing. So coming out of it was tough.”You never want to give something away that you’ve wanted to do since you were a kid, really, but I was in a pretty dark place and I wasn’t enjoying my cricket. There were mornings of games where I’d wake up, check the weather and see, ‘Oh, it’s not raining today, damn it, I’ve got to go and force myself to get out on that pitch’, which is awful to say now.”What kept Smith going was her pure love of the game, so that’s where she went.”I sat down and thought, ‘Is this what I want to be doing anymore?’ The kid in me – all I ever wanted to do was play cricket for England – was finding it really tough,” she said. “So I thought I either give it up now or just try and go back to what made me start cricket in the first place, which was playing with my mates, and having fun and being competitive. So I just came out of that thought.”I’ll just try again here, start from fresh, not put too much pressure on myself and see how it goes. I’ve always loved playing cricket, and I was terrible in school. So I couldn’t go and find an office job. So I thought I’ll just give it one more shot and just try and enjoy myself, [and] not take it too serious. And that’s worked for me quite nicely.”So when Smith was called up to England’s squad for their tour of New Zealand at the start of this year, it marked a fresh start.”I feel in such a better place than what I was when I played for England before,” she said. “So I guess that burning desire was always there, but I’d think: ‘Are they going to go for someone who’s 29 now? Who are they going to look at – someone younger?’ So you always dream that it would happen, but you [are] never quite sure if it really will.”My mindset has completely flipped in terms of what it was six years ago to now. It’s just about having fun, being really clear on what my role is, and doing what I do well, [and] not trying to play like someone else or be someone else. Just getting those competitive juices flowing and backing myself that what I’ve done for the last five years is good enough.”During this year’s Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 domestic competition, Linsey Smith took 13 wickets at 14.76•Getty ImagesSmith joins part of a four-pronged spin attack that also includes fellow left-armer Sophie Ecclestone, legspinner Sarah Glenn, and offspinner Charlie Dean. It’s a formidable trio, but Smith brings something different again. Her strength is her relentlessness in the powerplay, along with a low, skiddy trajectory delivered from her diminutive five-feet-two-inch frame which batters find difficult to get under.”I’m not your traditional spinner that’s going to get dip and turn and nice flight, but that’s not something I’m trying to be,” Smith said. “Just being at peace with what I do and how I bowl. Actually, 29 is really not that old. I feel like I’m in my prime. I feel like I’ve grown a lot mentally more than anything. Being really clear on what my role is and how to take on those challenges of playing for England, I feel in a much better head space to do that.”Jon Lewis, England Women’s head coach, has been impressed by what he has seen of the new version of his old spinner, who he is backing to thrive in conditions in the UAE, despite initially viewing her as a key option for Bangladesh, where the World Cup was originally going to be staged.In Sharjah, where England play their first match of this World Cup on Saturday against Bangladesh, the pitch has revealed itself to be low and slow with good turn on offer. In the first two matches of the tournament there on Thursday, both low-scoring affairs, Bangladesh beat Scotland, and Pakistan’s spinners defended 116 in a 31-run victory over Sri Lanka.”I think the opportunity has reinvigorated her ambition, and she has really loved it,” Lewis said. “When you get someone in an environment they really love and they think, ‘Okay, I really like this, this is good fun, and I feel valued and I feel important’, then funnily enough, they improve.”So Linsey was a selection back in January, [or] February, definitely, with the World Cup in mind in Bangladesh. Her style in those conditions, I think, can be incredibly effective, and similarly in the UAE, I think she could be a really effective bowling force.”
“We’ve got to find a way to potentially get her into the team, but also at the same time, she’d be a really good back-up… We’ve got three really effective spinners, but Linsey in particular could be a really effective opening bowler”England head coach Jon Lewis on Linsey Smith
During this year’s Charlotte Edwards Cup, a T20 domestic competition, Smith took 13 wickets at an average of 14.76, and an economy rate of 4.92, with best figures of 3 for 9. Fitting her into the England attack isn’t necessarily easy, given the quality of their spin stocks, but having been unafraid to play three spinners during the home summer, Lewis sees a place for Smith, particularly in the powerplay.”Linsey has shown in the course of probably quite a long period of time now how effective she is in the powerplay,” he said. “If we look at her numbers in the powerplay in particular, they are outstanding – up there with the best in the world.”So we’ve got to find a way to potentially get her into the team, but also at the same time, she’d be a really good back-up. We’re more than likely going to play three [spinners] – we’ve shown our hand a little bit over the summer. We’ve got three really effective spinners, but Linsey in particular could be a really effective opening bowler.”
They might have dropped points for the first time since late September on Saturday, but Arsenal remain atop the Premier League table heading into the international break.
Mikel Arteta’s side are four points clear of Manchester City in second place and have looked utterly sensational for much of the season, even with most of their attackers out of action.
Moreover, those who have remained fit have stepped up massively so far and currently look like some of the best players in the country, if not in Europe.
One of those stars is, of course, Declan Rice, but even the Englishman is being outperformed by another of Arsenal’s most important players, someone who could be one of their best-ever signings in the Premier League era.
Rice's development at Arsenal
When Arsenal splashed a club record £105m on Rice in the summer of 2023, most fans expected him to come in and become the club’s first choice six for the foreseeable future.
After all, while he had played in other positions for West Ham United, he was first and foremost a defensive midfielder in East London.
Unsurprisingly, this was how Arteta used the Englishman for much of the 23/24 season, with him making 31 appearances at the base of midfield, 19 in central areas and one at centre-back.
However, towards the end of that season, the manager was playing his record signing higher up the pitch, and that trend continued into the following campaign, where the 26-year-old became far more of an all-action, box-crashing left-eight.
For example, by the end of the season, he had made 37 appearances in central midfield and just 15 as a six, and as a result, his output massively improved, with him scoring nine goals and providing ten assists.
It seemed that the former Hammers’ captain would continue to play further up the pitch this season, especially with Martin Zubimendi joining the club, but once again, and for the third consecutive campaign, his role has slightly changed.
The 70-capped Englishman is still starting games in central midfield, but on top of getting forward and crashing into the opposition’s penalty area, he is once again dropping deep at times, specifically to create a double pivot with his new Spanish teammate.
Rice’s Arsenal career
Appearances
120
Starts
109
Minutes
9613′
Goals
18
Assists
25
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
Minutes per Goal Involvement
223.55
Points per Game
2.10
All Stats via Transfermarkt
This change is clearly visible during games and on his heatmaps, but he was also happy to tell the press during the last international break that the manager has “adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year to give me a bit more freedom to drop deeper but to also get in the box when I can.”
Add an outrageous ability with dead balls that has already seen him chalk up five assists to go with his two goals this season, and it’s easy to see why so many consider Rice to be one of the best players in the league.
However, even with how well he is playing this year, there is another Arsenal star doing even better who could be in for a shout as being one of the club’s best signings in the Premier League era.
The Arsenal star who could be one of their best-ever PL signings
The good news for Arsenal fans and Arteta is that several players in the current squad could potentially fit this description.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, when it comes to someone who has really taken yet another step up this season, it’s practically impossible to ignore Gabriel Magalhães.
The Brazilian was once seen as something of a liability at the back, so much so that he made just 32 appearances, totalling 2807 minutes, across all competitions during his first season with the club.
However, he began to steadily improve after that initial campaign, and while there were rumours of him being up for sale in the summer of 2023, he’s become utterly invaluable since.
In fact, while William Saliba is viewed as the more cultured of the two centre-backs, and was constantly touted for a move to Real Madrid before his contract renewal, it could be said that the Brazilian has been the better player across the last two years.
Gabriel’s Arsenal record
Season
Games
G+As
25/26
17
5
24/25
42
8
23/24
50
5
22/23
48
3
21/22
39
5
20/21
32
4
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, he has almost entirely rid his game of the silly mistakes that hurt his reputation early on and has become a titan at the back.
Moreover, while he is more than capable of the cute passes his French partner likes to play, he also has that old-school approach to the game.
He makes more than his fair share of perfectly timed but nonetheless thunderous all-action challenges that get the fans on their feet.
Add to that the fact he’s 6 foot 3, a vocal leader and clearly someone who loves the art of defending, and it’s easy to see why Arsenal writer Adam Keys has described him as the Gunners’ “colossus” at the back.
Now, the 27-year-old’s defensive contributions, which played a vital role in the club’s eight clean sheets in a row, would be reason enough for him to be classed as one of their best signings in the Premier League era, but he’s more than just a defender.
Since joining the league, no defender has been involved in more goals than the Brazilian, and across all competitions, he has racked up an outrageous tally of 22 goals and eight assists.
Seeing the São Paulo-born monster’s name on the scoresheet at the end of a game has become something of an inevitability this season, and yet opposition teams remain incapable of stopping it from happening.
Ultimately, Rice is a world-class player, but over the last couple of years, especially this season, Gabriel has been operating just above him, and therefore, could be one of Arsenal’s best-ever Premier League signings.
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Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph miss out due to injuries
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2025Kemar Roach has been recalled to the West Indies Test squad for their tour of New Zealand in December this year. Roach was part of a 15-member squad for the three matches, but Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph are still missing, due to injuries.Roach last played a Test in January, in Multan during their tour of Pakistan, and his 85-Test record will balance out a relatively inexperienced pace attack, which also includes 29-year-old Ojay Shields, who has received his maiden call-up.Allrounder Kavem Hodge, who also made his last Test appearance during the Multan match, has been recalled to the side. However, Khary Pierre finds himself and his left-arm orthodox spin bowling out of favour – he has been dropped from the squad.Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said, “New Zealand has traditionally been one of the toughest places for any touring side… The recent high-performance camp here in Antigua was designed to replicate, as closely as possible, the conditions we expect to face, particularly the pace-friendly surfaces.”Khary Pierre finds himself out of the Test squad•AFP/Getty Images
Shields and Roach, among other players named in the squad, have completed a two-week high-performance camp in the region. They will also be joining the rest of the squad – already in New Zealand for the ongoing ODI series – on November 20, to be part of a two-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Christchurch.The series will be a part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. West Indies sit at the bottom of the table among the teams who have played at least one Test in the cycle – they have lost all five of the matches they have appeared in so far. New Zealand, on the other hand, are yet to play a match in the cycle, and this series against West Indies will get their WTC campaign belatedly off the mark.
Lionel Messi has been caught on camera speaking English, quelling a long-standing rumor that he has not learned the language. The Argentine superstar has been plying his trade in the United States since 2023. He was captured putting his language skills to the test in footage obtained by the match referee during the 2025 MLS Cup final.
Messi's career: From Barcelona to Miami via PSG
Messi spent 21 years tied to La Liga giants Barcelona, having joined their academy ranks as a teenager. There were no language barriers to break down there, with the record books being rewritten in Catalunya by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
He headed to Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2021, but spent only two years in the French capital and had no real need to communicate with locals. Having endured a tough time at Parc des Princes, the American dream was chased when accepting an offer from David Beckham and Co.
AdvertisementWatch Messi caught on ref cam speaking English
Trophy No.48: Messi is the most decorated player of all-time
Messi, alongside wife Antonela and their three sons, settled quickly in South Florida. He has enhanced his standing as the most decorated player of all-time. Having inspired Inter Miami to Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield triumphs, major trophy No.48 was obtained when savouring a historic MLS Cup success.
As captain of the Herons, one of Messi’s responsibilities is to interact with match officials. There are plenty of teammates who are happy to do tthe alking for him, but the evergreen 38-year-old also wants to get his message across.
Ref cam video from a cup final date with Vancouver proves that the World Cup-winning GOAT can express himself in basic English when required. He is seen debating one decision as he asks: “No foul?”
AFPThree more years! Messi signed Inter Miami contract extension
Messi is clearly not confident enough to carry out interviews in English, but he knows enough to get by. He also has several more years in Miami through which to widen his vocabulary.
A contract extension with the reigning kings of American soccer is set to keep him in his current surroundings until 2028. More trophies will be chased down in that time, with the expectation being that the mercurial No.10 will form part of Argentina’s World Cup title defence in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
The 49ers and Rangers are now reportedly considering an approach to hire a 42-year-old replacement for Patrick Stewart, who they recently sacked.
Rangers sack Thelwell and Stewart
Despite a recent turnaround on the pitch courtesy of Danny Rohl’s arrival, the 49ers have remained in ruthless mood and recently sacked chief executive Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell. It follows a disastrous summer of decisions, which instantly failed to get fans at Ibrox onside.
Explaining the decision, Andrew Cavenagh said: “Paraag and I have analysed the club’s needs, and as we reflect on what the club needs today, and where Kevin and Patrick are, we think we need something different.
“Our focus the first part of this season, the first part of our ownership period, has been on the sporting side and that’s where all of our attention went to for obvious reasons.
“With Danny coming in, he has started to improve the on-pitch performance, and that has created the space to allow Paraag and I to look at other parts of the club with new eyes and assess what we need going forward.
“I think responsible change has to be measured. I don’t think you can come in and tear something completely apart all at once. You’re likely to get something wrong.”
It’s certainly a big decision from the 49ers, but one that will please Rangers fans who particularly aired their frustrations at Thelwell in recent months.
Just who they turn to now is the big question. Potential candidates are already being mentioned, and that includes James Taylor who reportedly has internal support at the club amid a potential promotion.
Rangers considering James Taylor approach
According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers are now considering an approach to hire Taylor in the CEO role. The 42-year-old has already impressed as their Chief Financial Officer and played a huge part in recording a record revenue of £94m for the year. Now, he could get the chance to step up to the CEO role.
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Whilst he’s not the only name on the list, Ibrox chiefs are reportedly fans of Taylor and that will undoubtedly help him along the way in the interview process.
It almost goes without saying that it would be a big step up for the current Rangers chief, but he has more than proven his worth at the club in the last year.
Whether the Gers decide to make a decision as soon as possible or remain patient for the right candidate is the question. In a season of so much change, they desperately need to get things in order ahead of the January transfer window both on and off the pitch.
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Manchester United and Ruben Amorim have been handed a transfer boost, with a La Liga star now open to an Old Trafford move.
Man Utd midfield options heading into 2026
It feels as if Amorim’s midfield is the one area that may need the most work in 2026. The Man Utd boss has gone with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes more often than not this season, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte falling out of favour.
Mainoo has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, whereas Amorim criticised Ugarte in front of his Man Utd teammates following the Europa League final against Tottenham.
Casemiro is also out of contract in 2026, and it has been suggested that there is a real possibility he will leave for free at the end of the season.
This comes despite the fact Amorim wants to keep the Brazilian, however, INEOS are looking to cut the wage bill and could do just that with the £350,000-a-week top earner.
A number of midfielders have been linked with arriving in Manchester, and one name that won’t go away is Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher.
There was speculation over a deadline day move in the summer, but the English “machine” remained at the Wanda Metropolitano, where he has made just two La Liga starts in 2025/26 under Diego Simeone.
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It has been suggested that Amorim has already given the green light for Man Utd to bring Gallagher back to the Premier League in 2026, and another promising update has now emerged.
Gallagher open to Man Utd move
According to United in Focus and transfer expert Graeme Bailey, Gallagher “has become increasingly frustrated at Atletico” and appears to be open to the idea of moving to Man Utd to improve his chances of making the England squad.
On around £150,000-a-week in Spain, Gallagher has been compared to some impressive midfielders across Europe in 2025, including former Red Devils man Scott McTominay.
Midfielders similar to Conor Gallagher
Club
Gavi
Barcelona
Sandro Tonali
Newcastle
Scott McTominay
Napoli
Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle
Boubacar Kamara
Aston Villa
Now, United and INEOS need to decide whether or not to firm up their interest in the Englishman, amid rumours of a £44m January offer being lined up.
Man Utd now leading Barcelona & Liverpool in race to sign "absolute beast"
Cristiano Ronaldo has laughed off questions regarding his 1,000th goal being scored in the 2026 World Cup final, suggesting that anybody expecting that to happen has “been watching too many movies”. CR7 admits that such a scenario would be “perfect”, but prefers to keep his focus locked on the present – with the all-time great also reluctant to speculate on his potential involvement at Euro 2028.
Individual targets: Prolific Ronaldo sets personal goals
Having achieved just about everything – a World Cup triumph aside – Ronaldo has to set more individual targets during the latter stages of his record-shattering career. One of those sees him chasing down four figures on the goal front, with that milestone very much in sight.
Given how prolific he has been for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team – with 143 efforts recorded for his country – it may be that Ronaldo further cements his legacy before gracing another international tournament.
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Dream ending: Could Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals in World Cup final?
He will be heading to a sixth World Cup regardless of what he has achieved on the personal front, with the evergreen 40-year-old as hungry as ever to savour tangible success. He has written plenty of Hollywood scripts down the years, allowing the history books to be rewritten, but is not giving too much thought to delivering a fairytale ending on American soil.
Quizzed on whether his 1,000th goal could come in the game that lands him a World Cup winners’ medal, Ronaldo said: “You've been watching too many movies, that would be too perfect. Getting back to reality, all this data makes me happy. A national team never depends on one player, but I like being able to make a difference with goals. It's always good to score goals, that's my position. I want to play in this next World Cup, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but let's take it step by step. If that happened, it would be a good sign, I'd end my career on a high note.”
Evergreen at 40: How Ronaldo moves with the times
Ronaldo is showing no sign of slowing down on the goal front, with the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward priding himself on being able to move with the times. He added on being prolific at an age that few reach as a professional: “Scoring goals is the hardest thing in football. I think I was smart to adapt to modern football, physically and mentally, to different club contexts, the national team, different leagues. I think a truly intelligent player adapts to the circumstances of football, and that's how it should be. I'll think like that until I retire from football. You have to adapt; football isn't the same as it was five years ago. What makes the difference between great players is their brains, their heads.”
While retirement does not dominate his thoughts at present, Ronaldo has admitted that a day in which his boots are hung up for the final time may come “soon”. He has conceded that the 2026 World Cup will be his last.
He has, however, signed a contract with Al-Nassr until 2027 and stated that: “Let's be honest, when I mean soon I mean probably one, two years. I'm enjoying the moment. But when I mean soon, it's not really soon, because I give everything for football. I'm in the game for the last 25 years, I did everything. I have many records. I'm really proud. So let's enjoy the moment, live the moment.”
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Will Ronaldo play at Euro 2028? Portuguese GOAT responds
With Ronaldo’s fire still burning, and many tipping him to play on beyond the age of 42, could he grace another European Championship – having previously captured that crown with Portugal in 2016? Ronaldo said when that question was put to him: “The important thing is to focus on this game. The national team is here to play in a final stage. It's another very important competition for the country, for the players, for me too, and everything else isn't relevant right now. Now it's about enjoying the moment.”
Euro 2028 will be heading to the UK and Ireland. Ronaldo has some happy memories in England from his two spells at Old Trafford and is preparing to line up against Irish opposition on Thursday as Portugal seek to wrap up automatic qualification for next summer’s World Cup.