The Savannah Bananas brought their traveling baseball party to legendary Fenway Park in Boston this past Saturday and brought back some special Boston athletes and former Red Sox players to join in on the fun.

One of those guys was Brock Holt, a former infielder who spent seven seasons in Boston and won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.

Holt made a dramatic entrance for his at-bat, walking through the stands before making his way to home plate while the sold-out crowd gave him a huge ovation. Then a few moments later, he suffered the unluckiest of outs as a fan caught his foul ball, which per Savannah Bananas rules counts as an out.

Here's the fan robbing Holt of a chance to get a hit in front of a crowd that wanted to see the best for one of their former players. And yes, this guy was immediately booed for doing what he did:

Not cool, dude!

أشاد إنزو ماريسكا المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي الإنجليزي، بأحد لاعبي فريقه في حديثه عقب المباراة أمام برشلونة بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخاض تشيلسي مباراة أمام برشلونة، مساء الثلاثاء، على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتغلب تشيلسي على برشلونة بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل، وسجل له إستيفاو وليام ديلاب، هذا بالإضافة إلى تقدمه بفضل هدف عكسي سجله جول كوندي بالخطأ في مرمى فريقه.

وأشار ماريسكا إلى لاعبه إستيفاو الذي قدّم أداءً مميزًا خلال المواجهة أمام برشلونة، مشيرًا إلى تصريحات البرازيلي رافينها لاعب برشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماركا: أخطاء متكررة يدفع ثمنها برشلونة في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وسبق وصرح رافينها قبل مواجهة الفريقين بأنه لا يحب المقارنة بين اللاعبين، حين سُئل عن مواطنه إستيفاو وزميله لامين، وأكد أنهما من ظواهر كرة القدم.

وقال ماريسكا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “قال رافينها ذلك، وأنا أتفق معه، إستيفاو ولامين يامال سيكونان المنافسة الكبرى القادمة، ميسي وكريستيانو جيلهما”. 

وأضاف: “عمره 18 عامًا فقط، موهبة فطرية، والأهم من ذلك، أنه لا يكترث بالضجيج، لا يعيش على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، بل يعيش من أجل كرة القدم”.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank only has to wait just over a month for the chance to make further additions to his squad in the January transfer window.

The Danish head coach was backed by the club during the summer window with a host of expensive signings to bolster his options across the pitch ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Mohammed Kudus for £55m from West Ham United and Xavi Simons for £52m from RB Leipzig were the headline arrivals, as the Lilywhites splashed over £100m on two attackers to transform their frontline.

Xavi, unfortunately, has no goals and one assist in eight Premier League games so far this season, but Kudus has delivered one goal and four assists in that time, per Sofascore, as he has impressed out wide.

The former Hammers star has provided real creativity and excitement on the flanks for Spurs since his £55m move, but, like Xavi, there have been some underperforming players in Frank’s attacking ranks.

One of the Tottenham stars who needs to improve his performances ahead of the January transfer window is Brennan Johnson, who is at risk of being replaced.

Why Spurs should replace Brennan Johnson

Spurs signed the Wales international from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £47.5m in the summer of 2023, and he has been a successful signing on the whole.

Johnson, of course, scored the winning goal in the Europa League final under Ange Postecoglou at the end of last season, which is why he should be considered a worthwhile signing for £47.5m, as he won the club a major trophy.

However, the underlying numbers behind his performances last season and in the current one suggest that Spurs could upgrade on him out wide if they can find the right players to improve the team.

Johnson scored 11 goals in the Premier League, to his credit, but his all-round play and lack of creativity were issues in the 2024/25 campaign for the Lilywhites.

xAG

0.10

Bottom 18%

Assists

0.12

Bottom 37%

Progressive passes

2.94

Bottom 39%

Progressive carries

2.48

Bottom 33%

Successful take-ons

0.79

Bottom 22%

Passes into the final third

1.03

Bottom 20%

Key passes

0.79

Bottom 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh forward was one of the worst-performing wingers in the top-flight when it came to progressing the ball in possession and creating chances for his teammates.

It has been a similar case this season. Johnson currently ranks in the bottom 12% for progressive passes (1.24) and the bottom 1% for shot-creating actions (1.53) per 90, whilst he does not have a single assist to his name, per FBref.

You cannot knock his knack for scoring goals, with another four in all competitions this season, but his all-round performances are why the club should look to replace him.

Spurs considering bid to sign Premier League winger

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a bid to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo when the January transfer window opens for business.

The report claims that the Ghana international has a clause in his contract with the Cherries, which means that he can be snapped up for a fee of £65m early on in the winter window, which has put a number of sides on alert.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Spurs were said to have been expecting a January deal to be too difficult to do before they learned of his release clause, and they are now weighing up whether or not to make a £65m offer to activate it.

TEAMtalk adds, though, that Liverpool are set to provide competition for his signature and that could make it tough for the Lilywhites, given that the Reds are the reigning Premier League champions.

If Spurs are able to win the race for the Bournemouth star’s signature at the start of next year, he could arrive in North London as a big upgrade on Johnson at the top end of the pitch.

Why Spurs should pay Antoine Semenyo's release clause

The Lilywhites, per TEAMtalk, have the financial power to pay the £65m release clause in January, and they should do so because of the quality that he could bring to Frank’s team.

Semenyo has already racked up six goals and three assists in 11 appearances in the Premier League so far this season for the Cherries, per Sofascore, whilst Johnson has produced two goals and no assists.

The chart above illustrates the gulf in class between the two players from an offensive perspective, as the former Bristol City marksman has offered far more to his team as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the top-flight.

Semenyo, who can play on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward, also outperformed the Spurs winger at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

37

33

xG

9.98

10.40

Goals

11

11

Key passes per game

1.2

0.6

Big chances created

11

4

Assists

5

3

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old star scored as many goals as the Tottenham winger last season, but provided almost three times as many assists and averaged twice as many key passes per game.

Speaking last month, former Spurs star Chris Waddle dubbed Semenyo “the best winger in the country (England) right now”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider his form in the 2025/26 campaign.

Per Sofascore, no winger in the Premier League has scored as many goals as Semenyo (six) so far this season. In fact, only Igor Thiago (eight) and Erling Haaland (14) have scored more goals than the Bournemouth sensation.

Therefore, Spurs could improve their team and land a proven Premier League superstar by activating his £65m release clause in the January transfer window, which could leave Johnson on the fringes of the squad because the Ghana international appears to be a significant upgrade on him.

He can end Bentancur's stay: Spurs gem is showing "shades of Mousa Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur have a star who could end Rodrigo Bentancur’s career in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 19, 2025

It is now down to Fabio Paratici and Frank to convince the 25-year-old star to make the move to North London in the winter window, as he could be a phenomenal addition to the squad with his quality as a scorer and a creator.

Sol Campbell believes politicians and 'people on TV' are the reason he still receives abuse 24 years after completing a controversial switch from Tottenham to Arsenal. The former England international is still referred to as 'Judas' by most Spurs fans after he opted against signing a new deal for them and instead penned a contract with their rivals on a free transfer.

• AFP
  

  Campbell angered Spurs fans with move to Arsenal

  The 51-year-old went on to enjoy ample success with the Gunners, winning the FA Cup three times and the Premier League twice during a five-year stint with Arsenal between 2001 and 2006, before a brief return to the club in 2010. However, the manner of his transfer still leaves a bitter taste in Spurs supporters' mouths, who felt Campbell stabbed the club in the back due to the way he departed White Hart Lane for their arch-rivals.

  Campbell had given assurances to Spurs that he'd sign a new deal but after months of negotiations and with talks at an impasse, the defender elected to secure a free transfer to Arsenal. To this day, Spurs fans remain angry at Campbell for the decision to leave the club for Arsenal, and in January 2009, four supporters were banned from every football ground in England and Wales after being found guilty for chanting an offensive song containing indecent language about the former centre-back.

  In Campbell's words: "[Arsenal vice-chairman] David Dein made me feel protected. He was going to help and promised to be there for me. Come to us, he said, and you will be part of our family. We will protect you."

  Campbell's decision in 2001 adds extra needle to the north London derby, as Spurs gear up to take on Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday. However, the former centre-back feels more should have been done to stop the abuse he received following his move across the north London divide.

Advertisement

• 'No one has apologised' for abuse Campbell received

  Talking about the abuse he suffered, Campbell told : "I think some people have got away and are kind of hiding. A lot of people, when they look back, they would probably say to themselves, ‘What was I doing back then? I can’t believe I was acting like that’.

  "I get the fans were being whipped up. But it’s the people who had so much – the powerful people who did nothing and just allowed it to linger, allowed it to carry on. And now they don’t want to own up, don’t want to say sorry, don’t want to say that should not have happened.

  "People on TV, politicians as well, putting their five pence worth in… Everybody got involved. Everybody was allowed to get away with it. No one wants to remember how they acted and how they treated me with disdain and the way they carried on – and there was no protection.

  "People with power just turned their backs, just put their heads in the sand and thought it would just go away or just, you know… time will forget. And no one has apologised. It’s really sad because obviously my family got affected and things like that.

  "For me – and Luis Figo when he went between Barcelona and Real Madrid – there’s no way on that level someone could be treated again on a football field or in and around football clubs. It’s impossible."

• AFP
  

  Campbell recalls his favourite north London derby memory

  While both clubs have made efforts to help diffuse the situation, Campbell was asked about his favourite memory of the north London derby, to which he explained Thierry Henry's iconic goal scored in a 3-0 win in 2002. The Frenchman took the ball inside his own half before dribbling through the Spurs side and finishing calmly in front of Highbury's famous North Bank.

  Henry's knee slide celebration was immortalised in a statue outside of the Emirates, and Campbell remembers the goal fondly. "It was an amazing run, about three-quarters of the pitch. I think that is probably one of the best games I’ve seen," he said.

  "In a derby, an individual player just takes the whole game by the scruff of the neck and produces an incredible moment after an incredible run. That one definitely sticks out in the mind. Just being there, just seeing this guy, just like poetry really."

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• Modern-day Arsenal hope to compound Tottenham's misery

  Arsenal will hope to capitalise upon both Liverpool and Manchester City dropping points when they host Tottenham on Sunday. The Reds crashed to a 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest with their title defence in tatters, while City crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, and a Gunners victory will see them open up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

  They do welcome a Spurs outfit that boasts the joint-best away record in England's top tier this term having picked up 13 points from their opening five games on the road. Thomas Frank's side are the only team yet to lose an away match this season having beaten City, West Ham, Leeds and Everton, and drawn with Brighton, on their travels.

His domestic numbers speak for themselves, but if he continues batting the way he did at Newlands, he will soon gain Test cricket’s respect as well

Danyal Rasool03-Jan-2025For all of a glorious sun-soaked day at Newlands, Pakistan didn’t look like they could get Ryan Rickelton out. Even in the first session, while Mohammad Abbas probed and Aiden Markram stuttered, Rickelton was in control of 90.41% of them, or 66 of 73. In the middle session, he was nigh-on impregnable, that figure in excess of 97%. It remained in the mid 90s in the final session.But they almost didn’t have to be. With Wiaan Mulder coming into South Africa’s side for a batter, Rickelton was favourite to miss out. But Tony de Zorzi pulled up late with a thigh strain, and one sliding doors moment had been survived with Rickelton on the right side of it.It needn’t have bothered Pakistan too much. Over the years, though Rickelton has made a habit of mass accumulation in domestic cricket, very little of it has translated to the international game. In 16 Test innings, he’d crossed 30 on just three occasions, and fifty just once. An average of just under 50 in first-class cricket – the fourth highest in the domestic competition since he made his debut – was cut in half in the South African whites. It’s something that hasn’t passed him by, at one point publicly admitting he was unsure he could translate his prolific domestic form into international success.Related

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Even more so, perhaps, because Rickelton had been handed a new challenge, today. With de Zorzi out, he’d open the batting, something he admitted in the press conference later he hadn’t actively pushed for. But South Africa coach Shukri Conrad, whose gregarious personality is so legendary around these parts the mere mention of his name puts a smile on many faces, told him he had the ability to go up top.”I just want a bat. It doesn’t matter where. I feel I’ve trained a lot against the new ball for the Lions. It’s probably a bigger challenge mentally. Days like today are very few and far between for anyone, especially opening the batting,” Rickelton said.There was that callback to his domestic game once more. But one of the things that separate the domestic from the international game is bowlers of true quality at high pace. And With Naseem Shah dropping out of contention with somewhat nebulous fitness issues, Pakistan’s four-pronged pace attack was remarkably monotone, four medium-fast bowlers who rarely cracked 135 and hovered in between the mid 120s and low 130s. On a pitch that the groundsman had perhaps overcorrected after the surreal Test against India last year and shorn it of most of its grass, Rickelton smelled an opportunity for runs at Newlands.And under Table Mountain’s gaze, Rickelton understands how to go about plundering runs. In the two first-class matches he’s played here before, he has scored two unbeaten hundreds and a 90, likely against attacks no slower than Pakistan mustered up here. Once he leaned into a drive from a slightly overpitched delivery from Mir Hamza to get his first boundary, he was set; he would go about punishing the fuller length all day, particularly in the “V”; it was his most productive avenue for run-scoring, and his quickest, too. Off 46 such deliveries, he scored 51 runs, pushing Pakistan’s lengths back and ending the short-lived quest for swing.If all of that implies cashing in against tepid opposition, that may be unfair, because by the time lunch was taken, Pakistan were the happier of the two sides. Rickelton had watched three of his partners fall in quick succession, a regular feature of South African batting in the past, and one Rickelton has too often been a part of.But Rickelton doesn’t necessarily have to look back to the domestic circuit for inspiration. Remember the one time he crossed fifty in his Test career? Well, he also crossed hundred, and once more, three of the top order had fallen around him. As today, he had Temba Bavuma for company, but it was Rickelton who pushed all the way to make the most of his start, helping South Africa to a first-innings total where every run mattered in the end; Sri Lanka pushed all the way into the final day before South Africa finally secured the win, and set his side on their inexorable path to the WTC finals.Ryan Rickelton gets a hug from Temba Bavuma after reaching his century•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesBut as Rickelton grew in confidence as the day wore on, Pakistan’s efforts to break that fourth-wicket stand began to appear more and more feeble. Shaun Pollock on broadcaster commentary appeared surprised Khurram Shahzad didn’t open the bowling after lunch, but when he did come on, he was ordinary enough to almost vindicate that decision. Rickelton was leaving bowlers no margin for error, though Shahzad made plenty, anyway; in three Shahzad overs, he helped himself to six boundaries, and a gritty fifty suddenly motored towards three figures.
It was a phase that would define an innings that, by the end of the day, had very much turned into a “big daddy hundred”, as Tristan Stubbs put it during the series against Sri Lanka. And though it may be tempting to characterise it as a day when he entered an invincible zone, what he was actually doing felt rather more sustainable. When Pakistan bowled a good length outside offstump, he was cautious; 103 such deliveries produced 39 runs, but even marginal errors were punished harshly.According to ESPNcricinfo records, when that turned into a short-of-good length, Rickelton was more devastating than he was at any other point. Of 20 balls where the bowlers erred a tad too short, he scored 36. And less surprisingly, perhaps, because Pakistan’s bowlers don’t quite possess the pace, any deliberate short deliveries were swiftly dispatched with, too, bringing 24 runs in 15 balls.This would also produce the shot of the day in an over that epitomised Pakistan’s inadequacies. Having, by Salman Agha’s own admission, run out of ideas during the fourth-wicket stand, they did what they tried at Perth against Australia last season, packing the leg-side field with Aamer Jamal bowling short. When he tried that against Rickleton, though, Rickelton lashed him through the off side for two boundaries.But the best was saved for last, as Rickelton, sitting back in wait for the bouncer, got on top of it and lifted it, Quinton de Kock style, over fine leg for six, all blade, no back-lift and maximum destructiveness.When Bavuma, having got to his own hundred across a 235-run fourth wicket stand, nicked off to Agha, Rickelton put all his shots away. His belligerence, as well as his caution, were simply products of the opportunities the bowling threw up; he isn’t one of those batters who treats shot-making as a drainage pipe for the ego. Since his Jamal takedown, he’d hit just two boundaries, and scored 32 in his next 51 balls. It’s easy to understand why his first-class record shimmers, but batting like that will soon see him gain Test cricket’s respect, too.

Everton’s stance on selling Tim Iroegbunam in the January transfer window has now been revealed, amid a key decision from manager David Moyes.

Moyes has implemented a 4-2-3-1 system with two holding midfielders this season, giving the likes of Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye licence to push forward, with the former grabbing his second assist of the campaign against Fulham prior to the international break.

Idirissa Gueye has remained one of the first names on the team sheet, despite being 36-years-old, finding the back of the net in the 2-0 victory against the Cottagers, but Moyes has been unable to settle on a regular partner for the defensive midfielder.

James Garner has predominantly been given the nod, but the Toffees boss has also used the Englishman at right-back, meaning Iroegbunam has slotted in alongside Gueye intermittently, making eight appearances in the Premier League so far this season.

However, there has now been a significant update on the midfielder’s future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, having seemingly not done enough to impress Moyes…

Everton planning to accept January offers for Tim Iroegbunam

According to a report from Football Insider, Everton are now planning to accept offers for Iroegbunam in the January transfer window, with Moyes making the decision that he is no longer a key part of his future plans.

The Toffees may even be willing to take a loss on the midfielder, who arrived from Aston Villa for a fee of around £9m back in 2024, such is their desire to get him off the books, while the Merseyside club could also sanction a loan move.

Gueye and Garner’s promising start to the campaign has meant the former Villa man has often been limited to appearances as a substitute, with Moyes perhaps not as fond of the central midfielder as former manager Sean Dyche.

Speaking after the EFL Cup victory against Doncaster Rovers last season, Dyche said: “Tim’s slightly different [to the new signings] because he’s had a full pre-season, I think he’s been different class. I think his equivalent minutes in the Premier League last season was about two games so to be having a full pre-season and to be doing what he’s doing – I’m very pleased with that.”

However, it may be a little early to cash-in on the 22-year-old, given that he is still very young, and has impressed from both an attacking and defensive point of view when given the opportunity over the past year.

Tim Iroegbunam’s key statistics	Average per 90 (past year)
Assists	0.34 (99th percentile)
Tackles	3.38 (97th percentile)
Interceptions	2.54 (99th percentile)
Blocks	3.38 (98th percentile)

Iroegbunam may need a consistent run in the starting XI to prove himself, and with Garner moving to right-back against Fulham, he may have a chance to save his Everton career over the next month and a half.

Everton exploring move for James Ward-Prowse amid Tim Iroegbunam uncertainty

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move with January exit expected

The midfielder desperately needs a winter move.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 12, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have struggled with two major issues in the Premier League this season, with the centre-forward area just one department that has been called into question.

Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani have often shared the responsibility at the top end of the pitch, but neither of whom have been able to nail down the position as their own.

The Brazilian international may have scored in the previous clash with Manchester United, but he’s often failed to deliver when called upon, as seen by his tally of just four goals to date.

However, the midfield area has also been one of concern for Thomas Frank, with the Dane yet to establish his best partnership in the middle of the park.

Joao Palhinha has arguably made himself one of the first names on the teamsheet, with his tally of 49 tackles won in the Premier League this season the highest of any player in the division.

Despite the performances of the Portuguese international, he’s not been able to find a regular partner at the base of the side – but one player shouldn’t operate in the role alongside him.

How Bentancur compares to other midfielders in the PL in 2025/26

Over the last few years, midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been a key member of the first team squad, racking up 130 appearances for Spurs in the last three seasons.

The hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £21.5m for the Uruguayan’s signature in January 2022, a bargain fee given his extended stint in North London.

However, despite starting eight matches in the Premier League this season, the 28-year-old has fallen way below the standards many expect from him, given his previous performances.

Such displays have led to calls from the supporters for Bentancur to be dropped, with his underlying stats from the ongoing campaign further showcasing his lack of impact in 2025/26.

He’s only completed 86% of the passes he’s attempted, whilst only achieving a total of 1.1 long balls per 90 – with the latter ranking him in the bottom 15% of all players in the division.

The Uruguayan has only created 0.6 chances per 90, ranking him in the bottom 25% of all players in the division – something which is vital alongside a ball-winner like Palhinha.

Given the Portuguese international’s ability to break up the play, it’s handed Bentancur the responsibility to help transition the play, but he’s been unable to do so – as seen by the aforementioned figures.

Out of possession, the former Juventus star has also massively struggled to make a positive impact, which has no doubt led to the supporters’ recent frustrations.

He’s made just 0.5 interceptions per 90 – ranking him in the 25th percentile – whilst also being dribbled past 0.6 times per 90 – the highest of any midfielder in the Spurs squad.

Palhinha has massively dominated Bentancur in the ball-winning department, with the former of the duo winning nearly three more tackles per 90 in 2025/26 at present.

The Spurs star who can end Bentancur’s Spurs career

Bentancur’s decline at Spurs has been a difficult one for the supporters to watch, especially given the heights he’s previously achieved during his time in North London.

However, his recent performances in the current season highlight his drop-off in form, with Frank needing to consider alternative options in the middle of the park.

Youth has emerged in such an area, with the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr both staking their claims for regular starting roles in the years ahead for the Lilywhites.

The latter of the pair started in the draw with United on Saturday afternoon, whilst the Swede has missed the last two outings after suffering a concussion against Chelsea.

Sarr even completed the most passes of any player in the contest last weekend, showcasing that he already has one up on Bentancur with his talents with the ball at his feet.

However, Frank already has another talented teenager on his hands in the form of Archie Gray, with the midfielder deserving of more time in the first team setup.

The Lilywhites faithful likely raised eyebrows when the hierarchy forked out £40m for his signature last summer, after just one previous season as a professional at Leeds United.

No doubt the deal was one for the future, after joining Spurs at 18, but he was catapulted into the limelight under Ange Postecoglou last season due to the injury crisis in North London.

Gray ended up making 46 appearances across all competitions last season, with many of which coming at centre-back and full-back – roles which are somewhat unfamiliar to the teenager.

Games played

46

Minutes played

3243

Pass accuracy

89%

Dribbles completed

58%

Tackles won

50%

Aerials won

50%

Interceptions made

1.8

Recoveries made

3.6

He still managed to thrive in 2024/25, even registering numerous impressive figures such as 89% passes completed and 1.8 interceptions made – both of which were higher than Bentancur.

However, since Frank’s arrival in the off-season, the 19-year-old has struggled for consistent first-team action – only making six appearances across all competitions, with two of which coming in the Premier League.

He’s only been rewarded with a single start to date, with Frank often overlooking his ability to thrive under his guidance – something which has been a mistake to date.

Gray is a player who possesses huge potential, even being labelled a “future £100m CM” by Ben Mattinson, with many analysts believing in him more than his current manager.

As previously mentioned, his figures from the last campaign highlight the talent he possesses, but ultimately, he’s been unable to replicate such levels given his lack of first-team action.

Between now and the end of the season, Frank desperately needs to hand Gray more consistent minutes to allow the youngster to reach his full potential in North London.

Any consistent spell for Spurs could certainly spell the end for Bentancur at the club, with the manager needing to offload the Uruguayan to allow Gray to match the expectations placed upon him after his mammoth transfer.

Kudus upgrade: Spurs to make club-record offer for "world-class" £70m star

Tottenham Hotspur look set to make a huge move in January for yet another big-money attacker.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 11, 2025

It has taken more than 40 years but we finally have it: an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. Pakistan scrapped their way into the title clash after defending 135 against Bangladesh in Dubai.After Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in three powerplay overs, Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws, finding sharp turn and grip. After bagging his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup, Saim Ayub produced a double-strike and ensured Bangladesh’s batting spiralled out of control.It was one of those bizarre games where the team that hit more sixes ended up losing. Pakistan had managed just five sixes and Bangladesh had matched that tally by the tenth over of the chase. They eventually finished with seven sixes but as they searched for more on a pitch that perhaps wasn’t conducive to that style, they kept holing out.Pakistan’s batters had suffered a similar meltdown earlier in the day, but Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz did enough to drag them to 135 on a used surface, a total that at the end of the day was enough by 11 runs.

Pakistan’s go-slow

Taskin Ahmed, rested for Wednesday’s game against India, hit the ground running by dismissing the in-form Sahibzada Farhan for 4. He became the third Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.In the next over, offspinner Mahedi Hasan had Ayub flapping a catch to mid-on for a three-ball duck – his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup and ninth in 45 T20I innings. Only Umar Akmal (ten in 79 T20I innings) has bagged more for Pakistan.Fakhar Zaman was also going nowhere, managing only 12 off 18 balls in a powerplay that saw Pakistan score only 27. Only Hong Kong had scored fewer runs in a powerplay in this Asia Cup.After taking the catches of Farhan and Ayub, wristspinner Rishad Hossain dismissed Fakhar (13 off 20 balls) and Hussain Talat (3 off 7) in successive overs. When Mustafizur had captain Salman Agha inside-edging behind with his trademark offcutter, Pakistan were 49 for 5 in the 11th over.2:24

Aaron: Pakistan found right ‘mixture of calm and emotion’

Haris, Nawaz bail Pakistan out

The first six of Pakistan’s innings came in the 13th over when Afridi launched Tanzim Hasan Sakib into the top tier over midwicket. In the next over, he hit Taskin for another six before miscuing a full-toss to the keeper. After being dropped on 1 and 3, Afridi got to 19 off 13 balls.Nawaz could have been dismissed on 0 had Parvez Hossain not dropped a regulation catch. He went on to make 25 off 15 balls. Haris also played his part, taking on both Rishad and Mustafizur during his 31 off 23 balls. Pakistan crashed 80 runs in their last eight overs.

Bangladesh fade away in chase

While Afridi was on the money with the new ball at one end – his powerplay figures read 3-0-11-2, including a customary first-over strike – Bangladesh went after the bowlers at the other end. When Faheem Ashraf erred too full, Saif Hassan pounded him over mid-on for six. In the next over, he picked Haris Rauf away for a six and a four. In his next over, however, Rauf bounced back to draw a leading edge from Saif, which was grasped by Ayub at point.Nurul Hasan then started with a first-ball six, though off a top edge, but Bangladesh couldn’t sustain their hitting and kept finding the boundary riders. Shamim Hossain, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 off 25 balls, was their only batter to pass 20.Bangladesh’s slim hopes faded away when Afridi returned with the old ball and had Shamim caught by Talat, who was not needed with the ball on the day. Bangladesh were missing their regular captain and key batter Litton Das who was on the sidelines for a second successive game with a side strain. Jaker Ali, the stand-in captain, was among a long list of batters who holed out while attempting to clear the boundary.Pakistan had an injury scare when Rauf collapsed in his follow-through in the 18th over, but he continued to bowl, finishing off his spell, and locked in an India-Pakistan final on Sunday.

You can put it down to his high-risk, high-reward approach – which Gambhir endorses – and you can put it down to the high-pace attack he was facing. But saying Samson has a problem on the pull is quite a leap

Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Feb-20251:27

Should India be worried about Samson?

When does a coincidence become a pattern, and when does a pattern become a problem? Where on that sliding scale does Sanju Samson’s series against England belong? Five innings, five dismissals to Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood and Mark Wood, all five times playing the pull shot: coincidence, pattern, or problem?Before we try to answer that question, it’s worth noting Gautam Gambhir’s words from Sunday night, after India had wrapped up the series 4-1 win with a brutal, 150-run win at the Wankhede Stadium. It’s worth noting them in full.”That’s the kind of T20 cricket we want to play. We don’t want to fear losing a game of cricket,” Gambhir told the host broadcaster. “We want to play high-risk, high-reward cricket. And these guys have adopted that ideology, that policy really well. And I think the ideology of this T20 team is based on selflessness and fearlessness. And I think in the last six months, these guys have done it day in, day out.Related

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“We want to try and get to 250-260 regularly. And in trying to do that, there’ll be games where we’ll get bundled out for 120-130. And that is what T20 cricket is all about. And unless and until you [play] that high-risk cricket, you won’t get those big rewards as well. Most importantly, I think we’re on the right track. Come those big tournaments, we want to still continue playing this way and we don’t want to fear losing anything.”High risk, high reward. Back in the not-too-distant past, when India hadn’t fully embraced this philosophy, Samson was often held up as a poster boy of high risk, high reward, as the kind of player the team management wasn’t showing enough faith in. Then, over the course of the last two T20I regimes, under Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma and then Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav, Samson has made his way up the ranks. He was a member of India’s World-Cup-winning squad last year, and has become, since the retirements of Rohit and Virat Kohli, something of a fixture at the top of the order.Vindication came late last year with three hundreds in five innings, one against Bangladesh at home followed by two away in South Africa. Then he ran into England, and Archer and Wood.Samson ended 2024 with 111, 107, 0, 0 and 109*. He has begun 2025 with 26, 5, 3, 1 and 16.1:05

Manjrekar: Talents like Samson should be allowed a long patch of failures

Now this sort of sequence is par for the course in T20, where outcomes exhibit a high degree of variance, particularly among batters who play in a high-risk, high-reward way. Good teams understand and accept this. High risk won’t always bring high reward at an individual level, but collective reward is a likely outcome if a deep, skilful and powerful line-up embraces this approach.Enough T20 has been played, watched and analysed now for the wider commentariat to be able to understand the probablities, but much of the discourse around the format continues to exhibit a curious cognitive dissonance: we want high risk, high reward, and we think we understand the trade-offs involved, but we continue to ask batters to make consistent scores.Samson has spent most of his career battling this dissonance.If there’s a difference between earlier criticisms of Samson and what he’s facing now, it’s that his recent dismissals have all come off the same sort of shot against the same sort of ball – surely there’s an issue here.Is there, though? Samson has never previously had much of an issue with the short ball – it wasn’t that long ago that his ability to put away the short ball formed the crux of media critiques of India selecting Shreyas Iyer ahead of him. In the last three seasons of the IPL, Samson has only been dismissed four times in 55 balls while pulling or hooking fast bowlers, and his strike rate of 272.72 while playing those shots is the sixth-best among the 36 batters who have scored at least 100 runs with those shots.

We want high risk, high reward, and we think we understand the trade-offs involved, but we continue to ask batters to make consistent scores.

On the tour of South Africa in November, Samson attempted nine pulls or hooks against fast bowlers, and hit five of them for six. Those nine balls brought him 35 runs without dismissal.During the England series, those shots brought Samson four dismissals in 12 balls. High risk, high reward, high variance. And any batter who tends to pull from down to up – Rohit is the prime example – goes through periods of hitting everything for six and periods of hitting everything straight to boundary fielders.The eagle-eyed among you will have noted that it’s four dismissals rather than five, and that’s because ESPNcricinfo’s scorers recorded Samson’s dismissal in Rajkot as coming off a slog rather than a pull. It’s all subjective, but there’s a good case for applying the slog label to that shot: he had moved to the leg side to try and create room, and was aiming down the ground rather than square.Samson’s high-risk, high-reward approach has found acceptance under coach Gambhir•PTI This tendency to aim down the ground with a flat bat has got Samson in trouble previously too, when he’s either tried to fetch the ball from well outside his eyeline or found the ball climbing higher than expected. His dismissal off Hardik Pandya in the 2022 IPL final came off a similar sort of shot. Slog or pull? Either way, it’s a shot Samson often attempts, sometimes to his detriment, showing both the level of ability and belief he has and his willingness to take on high risk.And just as a pull can sometimes be a slog, one pull isn’t necessarily the same as another. In the first two T20Is, Samson’s dismissals came when he got himself into an awkward position deep in his crease, still side-on to the ball with his hips closed-off and with little room to deal with Archer’s pace off the pitch.In the fifth T20I, Samson pulled Archer for two sixes in the first over, getting right across his stumps and past the line of the ball. Wood then dismissed him in the next over, and while Samson hadn’t taken that big step across, he had shifted his weight onto the back foot well in time to be able to swivel through the hips. He middled this pull, and might have picked up six more runs if he’d been able to place it a few yards either side of the fielder at deep-backward square leg.It wasn’t his day, though, and it wasn’t his series.It was an outlier of a series in another way too. Few attacks in the world boast the wealth of genuinely quick, hit-the-deck options that England can call upon when Archer and Wood are both fit. If there was ever an attack that could test Samson in this particular way, it was this one. He tried to come up with ways of dealing with this mode of attack as the series went on, and Mumbai suggested he may have found one.Or not – who can say? Another series against this attack may well cause Samson more discomfort. But how often is he going to face an attack like this? How often does any top-level T20 batter come up against an attack that matches up this well against their vulnerabilities? Samson’s series against England was, in all kinds of ways, the perfect storm.Five innings, then, and five dismissals to the pull (or variants thereof). This was probably more pattern than coincidence, but it’s quite a leap to suggest there’s any long-term problem here.

Newcastle United defender Sven Botman was dubbed “utterly embarrassing” after the role he played in Brentford’s third goal on another afternoon to forget for the Magpies on their travels.

Tierney took centre-stage, the former denying Brentford what looked a clear penalty for a foul by Dan Burn – instead booking Dango Ouattara for a dive – and the latter surprisingly agreeing.

But, lo and behold, a few minutes later when Ouattara went down again under Burn’s challenge, Attwell this time pointed to the spot and showed the hapless Burn a second yellow card.

Igor Thiago rolled in the penalty and added a third in stoppage time to condemn Newcastle to more misery on their travels on the fourth anniversary of Eddie Howe’s appointment as manager.

The big controversy erupted when Ouattara tumbled, Burn protested his innocence and Attwell waved away Brentford claims for a spot-kick and flashed the yellow card instead.

Replays showed Burn had clearly made contact with Ouattara’s foot before he went down but Tierney upheld Attwell’s decision, “minimal contact” was the official explanation.

Then came the reprise; Ouattara brought down again by Burn. This one was maybe less convincing, but Attwell pointed to the spot.

Sven Botman dubbed "utterly embarrassing" in Newcastle defeat

A lot of the blame will be put on Burn for his second yellow card and the penalty that he conceded as a result, but the rest of the Newcastle squad didn’t exactly enjoy excellent outings, either. Nick Woltemade came away with an assist, but largely struggled to make the ball stick for the Magpies going forward and Sven Botman looked a shadow of his best self.

At the centre of criticism, Sky Sports’ commentary team took aim at Botman after Thiago scored his second of the afternoon, saying: “Sven Botman, I don’t think he knows that Thiago is behind him, he thinks Ramsdale is coming, he stops running, it’s going to end a sorry afternoon this for the Geordies.”

The criticism didn’t end there, either. Newcastle reporter Joel Bland dubbed Botman “utterly embarrassing” for Brentford’s third and final goal – a verdict that is hard to dispute.

The Dutchman was all too casual before Thiago took full advantage to leave Newcastle on just three Premier League wins in their opening 10 games. Alan Shearer accused the Newcastle squad of being “lazy” when they lost 3-1 against West Ham United last week. Now, a week later, Botman has been accused of not running.

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