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Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw joins exodus after agreeing Somerset switch

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”Josh Shaw joins SomersetJosh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty ImagesGloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”

Elche head coach Eder Sarabia has still not gotten over the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid at the weekend, which saw Xabi Alonso's men come back twice from behind. Los Blancos equalised just three minutes from the end of normal time thanks to Jude Bellingham, but controversy erupted during and after the game as the Elche players and manager blasted the officials for what they believed to be an incorrect decision.

Madrid held to a draw by Elche after controversial Bellingham goal

Real Madrid endured yet another frustrating evening at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the newly-promoted but daring Elche. The result stretched their winless run across competitions to three games. 

After a goalless first half, former Real Madrid youth player and Elche captain Aleix Febas fired the hosts into the lead just eight minutes after the restart, capping off a brilliant team move that cut Madrid open. Dean Huijsen then pulled things back, scoring his first goal for Los Blancos in the 78th minute. However, Sarabia's troops didn't budge. Substitute Alvaro Rodriguez, a La Fabrica product who has featured in several games for Madrid, scored a great individual goal just six minutes later to restore Elche's lead.

That wasn't the end of the drama. In the 87th minute, Madrid came back from behind for the second time in the game, courtesy of a Bellingham equaliser. Controversy, however, ensued, as the Elche players religiously protested Vinicius Junior's challenge on goalkeeper Inaki Pena, which left the latter bleeding from his nose. 

The pleas from Elche players could only go in vain. The goal stood, and the match finished all-square, leaving the home team's head coach furious after the game.

"It's a clear foul. Not a normal part of the game. That's what VAR is for. It's a very clear foul; it hits the goalkeeper and even draws blood. It's crystal clear," ranted Sarabia. "It's to Inaki's credit that he said it was a normal part of the game, but it really wasn't. It's a clear foul.

"I'm not at all happy with the result, especially considering the decisive moments of the match. Vinicius's foul for the 2-2 equalizer was crystal clear. Inaki didn't see the play, but it wasn't just a normal part of the game, it was a clear foul. It makes me angry to waste time on these things, but you take the lead twice and you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result. It makes you angry."

AdvertisementAFPSarabia takes his anger to social media

Sarabia took to his official account to express his contempt over the controversial refereeing over the weekend. He wrote: "My apologies to those who make decisions, but for more than 25 years now, "voluntariness/intentionality" has been removed from the regulations (except for hands). Therefore, the fact that an action is "fortuitous" is not a correct argument for deciding whether it is an infraction or not." 

Alonso reflects on Madrid's poor form

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media after the game and assured that the team is not in a crisis. "We haven't fallen apart," he told reporters. “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.

“We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.  

“The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity. This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up.

“The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction. We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.”

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AFPOlympiacos and Girona up next for Madrid

Despite their recent woes, Madrid hold a one-point lead over rivals Barcelona in La Liga and are in a strong position to secure a top-eight spot in the Champions League. They will visit Greece on Wednesday to lock horns with Greek champions Olympiacos in Europe's premier club competition, followed by another away game against Girona in the league this weekend.   

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros were involved in a big MLB trade back in December that sent three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker to Chicago, while infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and top infield prospect Cam Smith were dealt to Houston.

These players all faced each other this weekend while the Cubs are visiting Daikin Park. And, in some sort of fantastical way, the three batters dealt in the trade all hit home runs in the same game on Saturday night.

Smith shot off the first homer in the third inning, giving the Astros a 2-1 lead at the time. The Cubs responded in a major way in the fourth inning, as three players homered to add to the tally of seven total runs. The last Cub to homer in the fourth inning was Tucker, who has been on fire this season and specifically while visiting Houston. He was a triple short of the cycle on Saturday night.

Paredes finished off the prophecy, of sorts, in the eighth inning when he hit a 328-foot homer to give the Astros their third and final run of the night. Tucker had the upper hand in the matchup as the Cubs won 12-3.

What a full circle moment for all three players.

Having already enjoyed great success by signing players from Old Trafford, Napoli are now reportedly working on a 2026 deal for yet another Manchester United ace.

Hojlund thriving at Napoli

It’s a rotten case of de ja vu for Man United, but the reality is that one of their struggling players is once again thriving at Napoli.

Last season, it was Scott McTominay, who even earned himself a Ballon d’Or nomination, and this time around it’s Rasmus Hojlund, who’s found his golden touch away from Manchester.

The Dane has been in electric form since joining Napoli, whilst United’s big-money signing Benjamin Sesko is only gradually beginning to find his feet after scoring two goals in his last two games.

Speaking about the £66m man, Ruben Amorim told reporters after he scored in a comfortable victory over Sunderland last time out:

“The most important thing is to win games.

Amorim loves him: Man Utd now readying January offer to sign £50m+ midfielder

Amorim could get his man…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 11, 2025

“That will give confidence for everybody in the team. Of course, he was anxious for his first goal. The thing I like most in Ben is, even when things are hard for him with the ball, he is working hard in every minute of the game. That is the most important thing in the moment.”

Although Hojlund’s sudden burst of form may look frustrating from afar, United should be more than happy with Sesko’s start. Napoli, meanwhile, don’t look likely to go away anytime soon. Reports are now suggesting that the Italian giants are already working on a 2026 deal to sign another Man United star.

Napoli already working on Mainoo deal

According to Italian journalist Emanuele Cammaroto, Napoli are already working on signing Mainoo in the January transfer window and are waiting to see if the midfielder is available to complete a loan move.

“The strong temptation is to sign Mainoo,” the reporter told Napolimagazine live on Radio Punto Zero, via Area Napoli.

“But there we need to understand whether United are open to a loan with an option to buy. The parties are working on it.”

The Carrington graduate was very open about his desire to leave on loan in the summer, only for Amorim to deny him that chance and instead tell him to fight for his place. Since then, though, Mainoo has not started a single Premier League game.

Previously dubbed “special” by Paul Scholes, the 20-year-old will be desperate for the game time that Napoli could offer him. He, like everyone else, would have noticed their impact on Hojlund and McTominay and may want to follow suit in the new year.

That said, former Man United scout Mick Brown still has faith that Mainoo is being readied to replace Bruno Fernandes if he leaves for Saudi Arabia in the near future.

He told Football Insider: “It seems to me like Mainoo is being lined up as the perfect choice to step into his place, because the manager has been clear that he sees them as competition for the same role.”

And has anyone been Player of the Match in the semi-final and the final like Travis Head?

Steven Lynch21-Nov-2023Travis Head was the Player of the Match in both the World Cup final and the semi. Has anyone done this before? asked Chris Georgiou from Australia
Australia’s trump card Travis Head was Player of the Match in the semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata, and also in the final against India in Ahmedabad. This double has actually been achieved three times previously. In 1983, India’s Mohinder Amarnath won the award in the semi-final against England at Old Trafford and the final against West Indies at Lord’s.In 1996, Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka won it in the semi-final against India in Kolkata and the final against Australia in Lahore. And in 1999, the one and only Shane Warne picked up the award in the thrilling semi-final tie against South Africa at Edgbaston and in the final against Pakistan at Lord’s.Warne was also Man of the Match in the 1996 semi-final, against West Indies in Mohali.Mohammed Shami took 24 wickets in this World Cup – was this a record? asked Ahmed Kashif from India
Mohammed Shami finished the 2023 World Cup as the leading wicket-taker with 24, one more than Australia’s Adam Zampa. Looking back at previous tournaments, two Australians lead the way: Mitchell Starc collected 27 wickets in England in 2019, while Glenn McGrath had 26 in the West Indies in 2007. But Starc played ten matches and McGrath 11 – Shami only had seven.Chaminda Vaas (2003), Muthiah Muralidaran (2007) and Shaun Tait 2007) all took 23 wickets in a single World Cup.Shami’s 7 for 57 in the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai were the best bowling figures in a World Cup knockout game (previously Gary Gilmour’s 6 for 14 for Australia vs England at Headingley in 1975), and the fifth-best in all World Cup matches.Starc, meanwhile, finished this tournament with 65 World Cup wickets, third overall behind McGrath (71) and Murali (68).Daryl Mitchell scored two centuries against India in the World Cup. Has anyone scored two against a single opponent before? asked Keth Parker from New Zealand
New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell hit 130 in the group game against India in Dharamsala, and added 134 in the semi-final in Mumbai. The only man before this to score two separate centuries against the same opposition in a single World Cup was Sourav Ganguly in 2003, with 107 not out in India’s group game against Kenya in Cape Town, and 111 not out in the semi-final in Durban.In the 1988 Women’s World Cup, when the teams met each other twice in the group stage, Australia’s Ruth Buckstein scored 100 in Perth and 105 not out in Melbourne in their matches against Netherlands. In 2022, Nat Sciver-Brunt hit 109 not out in England’s group game against Australia in Hamilton, and an undefeated 148 in the final in Christchurch. Both came in vain, as England lost both matches.Daryl Mitchell is the only other men’s player to score two hundreds against the same opposition in one World Cup after Sourav Ganguly•Getty ImagesHas any bowler taken 100 wickets in one-day internationals on a single ground? asked Mohit Gupta from India
Three men have managed 100 or more wickets at a single ground in ODIs. Shakib Al Hasan leads the way with 131 at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, while the Pakistan pace pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took 122 and 114 wickets respectively in Sharjah.Another Bangladeshi, Mashrafe Mortaza, took 94 wickets in ODIs in Mirpur. No one else is terribly close to three figures: Murali took 82 in Sharjah, and 75 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.I believe Alastair Cook has scored the most Test runs as an opener. But who has scored the most at No. 3? asked David McLaren from Scotland
You’re right that England’s Alastair Cook scored the most runs from the top of the order in Tests – 11,845 in all (counting innings from No. 1 or No. 2 in the order). Sunil Gavaskar is next with 9607, and Graeme Smith third with 9030.Leading the way at No. 3 in Tests is Kumar Sangakkara with 11,669, not far ahead of Rahul Dravid with 10,524; Ricky Ponting is third with 9904. In eighth place is Don Bradman, whose 5078 runs from No. 3 came at an average of 103.63.For that list, click here. If you want to check the highest scorers from the other places in the batting order, use that last link, press “Return to query menu”, and change the number in “Batting position” to the one you want.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

GOAL takes a look at the new Gameplay features to expect in EA Sports FC 25

EA Sports FC 25 will launch in September 2024 and excitement is building among the FC community about how the new game will evolve from FC 24.

Shop EA FC 25 on Amazon USPre-order nowShop EA FC 25 on Amazon UKPre-order now

As well as the natural augmentations in terms of new kits, ever more teams and leagues, EA Sports promises a leap in the Gameplay, with increasing realism – and enjoyment – the order of the day.

Here, GOAL takes a look at EA Sports' Gameplay Deep Dive to get a flavour of what lies in store in EA Sports FC 25.

FC IQ

In EA Sports FC 25, FC IQ is about finding the best combinations of three key components: Team Tactics, Player Roles and Smart Tactics.

"Success in FC is no longer just about putting the best player in a position, it's about putting in the right player for the system you want to run," says EA Sports FC 25 Gameplay Producer, Paul Parsons.

FC IQ has modernised tactics in FC 25, with your team-mates showing greater intelligence on the pitch, and it will allow you to emulate the tactical approaches of coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti or Pep Guardiola.

This means that tactics are now much more fluid, allowing you to alternate between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1, say, depending on the context of the game. Player Roles are a crucial aspect of this fluidity, while Smart Tactics will help you switch up as needed during a match.

This aspect of in-game management will be a foundational feature of FC 25 across game modes and indeed the key parts of Career Mode, such as transfers, scouting and youth development.

AdvertisementEA SportsPlayer Roles

EA Sports built an out-of-game AI model to help identify which Player Roles best suit the players in the game.

Similar to that which exists in the Football Manager series, different Player Roles can be applied to specific players to maximise their impact within a particular tactical system.

So, for example, if Vinicius Jr is playing wide left in a 4-2-3-1 system, he can be designated as a winger or an inside forward, with the various roles resulting in different focuses in the game.

In order to help you figure out which role suits a player best, there is a rating system, with a plus (+) or plus-plus (++) signifying that a player is world-class in their role.

A striker, for example, might have the skills that suit being a poacher forward (strong movement and finishing, perhaps) or they might be better used as a target forward (attributes like strength, good heading ability and awareness)

EA SportsSmart Tactics

Helpfully, FC IQ's Smart Tactics means that the game will now make suggestions to players regarding potential tactical shifts during games, depending on the situation, whether you are chasing an equaliser at the end of the game or looking to close a game out – an FC assistant manager of sorts.

You will be able to toggle between the different options using the directional pad and if you find tactics that you are a fan of, you can save and share with your friends by using a tactic-specific code.

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HyperMotion

EA Sports has used HyperMotion volumetric capture to ensure that there are even more real-world movements, goals and styles of play present in the game, with unique celebrations naturally a part of that too.

Various breathtaking moments from last season – whether it's an outside of the boot pass into space, a bit of outrageous skill or a funny new celebration – will now be a natural part of the gameplay.

Doom and gloom have encased Manchester United over the last decade or so. Remarkably it has now been over ten years since they last won the Premier League but brighter times lie in wait.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS at the helm, a rosier picture has been painted. A new Old Trafford could be in store but first and foremost, there is the summer window to navigate.

Where United find themselves next term remains to be seen. They are behind in the race for Champions League football but a dramatic FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool eight days ago has offered supporters renewed hope about Erik ten Hag’s side.

So, how do they go about improving this team? There will be plenty of ways no doubt about it, but bringing through the youth would certainly be a smart idea. We’re talking about you, Kobbie Mainoo.

Man Utd's summer transfer targets

After their defensive positions have been pillaged by injuries this term signing a new central defender should certainly be high on United’s agenda.

Leny Yoro of Lille has been linked while there have been further stories to suggest that Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite might be on the agenda. As we said, more youthful figures appear to be the order of the day at Old Trafford.

That remains the case when considering Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel. A report from Sky Sports back in the middle of February suggested that he was an option for United this forthcoming summer.

They suggest that the Red Devills are ‘keen’ on acquiring the forward who is very much among their options.

A move could be quite a pricey one given Tel’s reputation, although CIES Football Observatory value the 18-year-old at £32m.

Why Mathys Tel is a bigger talent than Kobbie Mainoo

When discussing the great Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate several years ago, United legend Rio Ferdinand muttered the following words: “People try and make comparisons about who’s better, just enjoy them man.”

We’re not for one moment saying that Tel and Mainoo are in the same category but we’re going to ignore Rio’s advice for now to justify why the former would be such an exciting signing.

Mainoo has burst onto the scene this term with some aplomb. Before the 2023/24 campaign commenced the midfielder had played just three times for the club with his sole start coming against Charlton Atheltic in the Carabao Cup.

Well, fast forward to the current campaign and our man Mainoo is now an undroppable figure in Ten Hag’s side.

He was first inducted into the team in 2023/24 against Everton in a 3-0 win at Goodison Park and since that moment the teen hasn’t looked back. Mainoo has missed just two league games since that win, starting 11 of the 12 matches from the 0-0 draw with Liverpool onwards.

Such dazzling consistency for one of the world’s biggest clubs has seen the 18-year-old handed his England bow already. Gareth Southgate proclaimed when announcing his squad for the latest fixtures that Mainoo wasn’t ready. However, after seeing him in action in the FA Cup quickly had a change of heart. The youngster was called into the senior side immediately and then came off the bench against Brazil last Saturday.

On the flip side, Tel is yet to make his debut for the France national team. Hardly a surprise given the remarkable amount of talent Didier Deschamps possesses but it surely won’t be too long.

After all, the attacker may well be a bigger talent than Mainoo. Mainly capable of playing off the left wing, the Bayern sensation has been in superb form after bursting onto the scene this season, scoring eight goals and supplying four assists across 33 outings.

Tel’s form has led him to be described as a “ball-striking machine” and an “elite level goal-scorer” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with FBRef’s castle of stats detailing even further why he’s so exciting.

Compared to the likes of Phil Foden, Lamine Yamal and Bukayo Saka by the stats-based platform, among similarly positioned players in Europe’s top five leagues, the Frenchman ranks inside the top 2% for non-penalty goals, assists, touches and successful take-ons. You name it, Tel has it.

Interesting to note is that he’s also ranked ahead of Mainoo in GOAL’s NXGN list for 2024, a renowned award each year which determines the best young talent on the planet.

#15 Guillaume Restes

Toulouse

#14 Kendry Paez

Independiente del Valle

#13 Roony Bardghji

FC Copenhagen

#12 Jorrel Hato

Ajax

#11 Antonio Nusa

Club Brugge

#10 Leny Yoro

Lille

#9 Claudio Echeverri

Man City (River Plate loan)

#8 Kenan Yildiz

Juventus

#7 Kobbie Mainoo

Man United

#6 Vitor Roque

Barcelona

#5 Arda Guler

Real Madrid

#4 Mathys Tel

Bayern Munich

#3 Warren Zaire-Emery

PSG

#2 Endrick

Palmeiras

#1 Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

That’s quite the list of players but only goes to show how highly rated the Bayern superstar is.

Mainoo has been nothing short of incredible for United this term, but in Tel, they may well sign a player with an even higher ceiling. Isn’t that a little bit exciting.

Man Utd must rue losing a "wonderkid" who's now worth as much as Mainoo

The incredibly talented youngster left Old Trafford looking for first-team football.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 19, 2024

The hosts completed a handsome 19-run win as the Stars’ wait for the crown continued

The Report by Andrew McGlashan08-Feb-2020The rain clouds parted in the nick of time and the Sydney Sixers took the Big Bash title without it being handed to them in a washout courtesy of a handsome 19-run victory over the Melbourne Stars in a 12-over contest, which meant the Stars’ wait for the crown will enter the tournament’s tenth edition.After two days of heavy rain, gaps in the weather teased for a while on Saturday afternoon before clearing to allow a reduced match, but not the complete lottery of a five-over game that the Sixers had feared. Josh Philippe anchored – if there can be such a term in a shortened hit – the Sixers’ innings, while there was useful striking from Steven Smith and Jordan Silk either side of the Stars’ spinners putting a hold on the innings.The key period, however, was the first three overs of the Stars run chase, which saw them lose their two big guns – Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell – for a combined total of 15 off eight balls either side of Josh Hazlewood taking 1 for 1 in his first over. Even in the reduced match, the result was clear well before the finish as the Sixers claimed their first BBL title since the inaugural season in 2011-12 and no one will be able to say they didn’t do it properly.Philippe keeps his cool
Philippe has been very impressive in the latter part of the tournament as he overcame a run of low scores to string together three half-centuries in his last four innings. This one was another very mature display because he did not lose his head under the pressure of the final and also when he wasn’t getting much of the strike. It meant he was still there at the end of the innings, able to deposit Adam Zampa over the deep-midwicket boundary to reach another fifty.Josh Philippe mistimes a pull•Getty ImagesSilken finish
After six overs (not the Powerplay, that was just three overs), the Sixers were 2 for 60. However, they then entered a period of 26 deliveries between boundaries as the Stars spinners – Zampa and Maxwell – proved difficult to hit. A very pumped-up Maxwell had cut off Smith’s promising innings when he was caught in the deep for 21 and also got Daniel Hughes lbw when the left-hander missed a pull. Moises Henriques was beaten by a Zampa delivery that slid on and the Sixers were scoring in ones and twos – acceptable for the middle overs for a full T20, but a problem in a shortened game. Silk had reached 12 off ten balls when he broke the boundary-less streak with a mow over midwicket and managed 15 off his last five deliveries.Stars’ top order blown away
Stoinis, the competition’s leading scorer by a distance, clubbed an early four and a six off Nathan Lyon, who was given the first over, and then could not believe it when he picked out deep square-leg. He could barely haul himself off the ground. Still, in a short chase, the Stars might have been able to compensate for one of their key figures going early. But it didn’t stop there for them. The horribly out of form Nic Maddinson faced three dot balls against Hazlewood before lobbing a slower delivery to cover but the worst blow came next when Maxwell was given lbw sweeping at Steve O’Keefe. When Peter Handscomb was run-out in a horrible mix-up, as he jogged a single but Nick Larkin wanted two, you just knew this was going to be added to the list of nights where it went wrong for the Stars.Sixers wrap it up
The back of the Stars’ batting was well and truly broken and it would have taken something miraculous to turn the chase around. When O’Keefe bowled the final ball of the fifth over to Larkin, it meant a completed match. The Sixers just had to avoid any slip-ups. Ben Dunk, who had been brought into the side for Clint Hinchliffe when the match was reduced, managed one six before being lbw to Lyon. After all the talk that the weather would cause the damp squib it was the Stars’ limp batting that made for a subdued finish despite a late flurry from Larkin and Nathan Coulter-Nile – the latter suggesting he could have been used earlier. Not that anyone in magenta – or the majority of the 10,121 crowd that had ignored the weather forecast – was worrying about such things.

Former allrounder and Rohit Sharma discuss the importance of guiding youngsters properly

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2020Former India allrounder Yuvraj Singh believes the big difference between players of his generation and the ones today is how they dealt with seniors in the team, specifically in the “sense of respect towards seniors” and appreciating their work.”The youngsters say anything to anyone now,” Singh told Rohit Sharma, India’s white-ball vice-captain, during an Instagram chat hosted by the latter on Tuesday.According to Singh, the other key difference between the two generations is that the current India team has a very small group of seniors – captain Virat Kohli and Sharma in the main – so the youngsters “have very less guys to look up to”.Singh opened up on the subject after Sharma asked him for an appraisal of the current Indian team, not as a player but as someone watching from the outside. “Can you tell us what you find that we are doing good, what we are doing bad, where we can improve as a team,” Sharma asked.Singh, who retired last June, was blunt in his assessment: “See, I will tell you the difference what I felt in this generation and our generation. I felt that our seniors were very disciplined. Obviously, at the time there was no social media, so there were very few distractions. There was a certain behaviour that we boys had to carry watching our seniors – how they play, how they work hard, and how they actually talk to people, how they talk to the media. Because they were great ambassadors of India.”So I learned a lot that way. And that’s what we tried to do and that is what we told you guys that if you have to play for next ten years, after playing for India you have to be more careful about your image.

“[It’s the] starting of their [young players’] careers, they are not even playing for India and they are getting such big contracts. So they don’t know how to handle the money so they’re easily distracted.”Yuvraj Singh

“But I feel in this generation, I feel the seniors that are there are only you and Virat Kohli are there, who are playing three formats. I just feel there are very less guys to look up to. And I feel that the sense of respect towards seniors to say something or that respect of how these players have become great, like it has become a thin line now, (the youngsters say anything to anyone now).”As a consequence, Singh said, incidents like the one that led to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul being suspended in 2018 took place, because there were not enough seniors to guide the younger players. “Because of social media and party scenes and the incident that happened with KL and Hardik, these kind of things during our time we could not even imagine of such things happening during our time because we respected the seniors a lot. We knew that if we did some mistake our seniors would tell us ‘, don’t do these things, this is not nice’. I feel the atmosphere is not the same. The boys (juniors) do what they want to now.”Singh, however, didn’t want to blame the youngsters entirely, saying that they did not know how to “handle” the fame and money that came on the back of big IPL contracts. During his time, seniors like Sachin Tendulkar were in his ear, to caution him at the right time, something that might not be case right now.”Even after a little bit of success, it’s not their fault also because at a young age you get distracted (and) because IPL contracts are so big,” Singh said. “[It’s the] starting of their careers, they are not even playing for India they are getting such big contracts. So they don’t know how to handle the money so they’re easily distracted.””So you need seniors, you need coaches, you guys (seniors) have to talk to the youngsters and explain to them what is important to them – playing for the country and working hard on the field and then all these things follow. Tendulkar always told me that, ‘if you perform on the field, everything will follow’.’They don’t want to play Test cricket’Singh suggested that some of the younger lot were too keen on the limited-overs formats, and not interested in long-form cricket at all. “I was at the National Cricket Academy (in Bengaluru) recently. I was observing (some) boys there don’t want to play Test cricket,” Singh said. “They don’t want to play four-day cricket for their own state. They are happy playing one-day cricket because of IPL.”Except you guys, I don’t think the second generation really wants to play Test cricket. And Test cricket is the real test of a cricketer. So I want the next generation to tell them these things.”Sharma agreed with Singh, recollecting his early years with the Indian team when barring a few youngsters like Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla, the dressing room was full of seniors. He did, however, point out that he was doing his bit to help the newbies, and presented a recent example of putting an arm around young Rishabh Pant’s shoulders after the youngster came under intense scrutiny for his performances in front of and behind the stumps since the 2019 World Cup.Rishabh Pant exchanges notes with Rohit Sharma in the nets•Getty Images”I keep trying to talk to the guys as much as I can. I talk a lot to Rishabh Pant,” Sharma said. “He came under a lot of scrutiny recently. He’s just 20 and he became really worried. Apart from Pant, there are five-six people I regularly talk to about these things. This (criticism) will be there as long as you’re playing, it’s not going to go anywhere.”‘Every innings should be the like the last of your career’The two players also spoke about how they developed the mindset to dominate opposition for longer periods of time, to convert their starts into big scores and play in the zone where they stood out for their excellence. Sharma wanted to know from Singh, the Player of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup, how he developed that mindset.”To come into that zone, you need to go through a lot of experience in games. You need that experience,” Singh said. “Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, [Shreyas] Iyer and whoever comes as soon as they come we expect them to play like we did, because we have learnt early. That won’t happen. It has to be over time when they play certain amount of games. Then they fail, they play domestic cricket and they come back and they play a number of games and with that experience when they have a few knocks like that they get into that zone where they know how to make a big score. Like you and Virat probably know how to convert 60s into hundreds. It will not happen with a lot of younger guys because they don’t have that experience.”Whenever they are not playing international cricket they should be playing domestic cricket or they should be playing any form of cricket where they keep on getting experience of playing a lot of games getting into different kind of situations on different wickets.”Singh called Sharma a good example for the youngsters to follow: “When you were playing in the middle-order, you had some exceptional innings of 70, 80, 90 not out, 65 not out. People were saying, ‘wah, Rohit was very good’. But after now that you are opening you have made 200 not out, 260, 200 and 150… so you have taken your game to the next level. That has happened after you playing seven-eight years of international cricket.”Although he agreed with Singh, Sharma stressed that he didn’t want the young players to “lose those seven-eight years, and, which is why I keep talking to them and make them understand that you should start learning these things now itself. I make them understand to try and make sure that every innings you play should be the like the last one of your career.”

Bowler follows twin Craig’s five-for with his own in what could prove farewell before Surrey move

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2020Somerset 296 (Davies 81, Brooks 72) and 290 for 8 dec (Abell 119, Green 54) beat Glamorgan 131 (C Overton 5-38) and 166 (Cooke 82, J Overton 4-48) by 289 runsSurrey-bound Jamie Overton marked what could prove his farewell appearance for Somerset with 5 for 48 to complete a 289-run Bob Willis Trophy victory over Glamorgan at the Cooper Associates County Ground Bristol.Brother Craig finished with 2 for 31 and match figures of 7 for 69 as the visitors’ five remaining wickets fell for 40 runs in 70 minutes on the final morning after they had resumed on 126 for 5, 329 runs behind.Chris Cooke’s battling innings took him from 67 not out overnight to 82 before Jamie Overton had the Glamorgan captain caught at first slip by James Hildreth, having faced 138 balls and hit 10 fours.It was too little too late to save his side from a comprehensive defeat in a game they had bossed for the first two sessions. Somerset took 21 points to Glamorgan’s three.Overcast conditions and a pitch that was still responsive to quality pace bowling conspired against the visitors as the Overton twins set about finishing their opponents off.The first wicket fell after 15 minutes when Graham Wagg chased a short, wide ball from Jamie Overton and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Steve Davies. What little hope Glamorgan had left disappeared when the same bowler, operating from the River End, produced a fine delivery to end Cooke’s stubborn resistance.At 153 for 7, Ruaidhri Smith walked out with a runner for the second time in the game, determined to contribute despite the hamstring injury he suffered while bowling in Somerset’s first innings. But he could manage only three before getting a leading edge to Josh Davey, who had replaced Craig Overton, and lobbing a simple catch to Roelof van der Merwe at mid-wicket.Jamie Overton, whose decision to reject a new Somerset contract and sign for Surrey was announced before the game, produced some jaffas in a hugely impressive spell of 7.2 overs, which yielded 3 for 16. He claimed his fifth wicket of the innings with a perfect swinging yorker, which defeated Kieran Bull’s attempt to clamp down on the ball and sent his off stump flying.Overton’s celebrations suggested he had been determined to sign off his Somerset career in style before moving to the Kia Oval, and it was job done in that respect. He even had a hand, literally, is finishing the match, diving to his left to hold a slip chance offered by Michael Hogan off Jack Brooks.