Stats highlights from the third day’s play between England and India at Headingley

Sampath Bandarupalli22-Jun-20252:29

Why were Siraj and Prasidh ineffective?

12 of Jasprit Bumrah’s 14 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket have come away from home, the joint highest by any India bowler, alongside Kapil Dev.3 – Five-wicket hauls for Bumrah in Tests in England, the most by an India bowler. Bumrah has 42 Test wickets in England, only behind Ishant Sharma (51) and Kapil (43) among India bowlers.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – Five-wicket hauls by India bowlers in Tests since the end of the 2024-25 home season, all by Bumrah. He took three five-fors in Australia. Only Anil Kumble (five between 1992 and 1994) and R Ashwin (five in 2016) have had longer streaks for India without another bowler taking a five-for.13 – Number of catches dropped off Harry Brook in Tests in the past 12 months, out of 26 chances off legal deliveries. No other batter has been let off as often in this period.Brook was dropped twice during his 99 against India in Headingley and was also caught off a no-ball.ESPNcricinfo Ltd99 – Brook became the 14th England batter to be dismissed on 99 and the first since Jonny Bairstow against South Africa at Old Trafford in 2017. Bairstow had an unbeaten 99 at the same venue against Australia in 2023.6.4 – Prasidh Krishna’s economy rate during his 3 for 128 in the first innings at Headingley – the worst in an innings for India while bowling at least 120 balls. Only five bowlers have had a higher economy rate in men’s Tests while bowling a minimum of 120 balls.4.38 – Run rate across the two first innings at Headingley, the fourth-highest in men’s Tests where both teams scored 400-plus totals.

As they prepare to lead India and England in a crucial clash, their shared legacy at Mumbai Indians adds intrigue to the contest

S Sudarshanan17-Oct-2025The difference is stark as you get off the main road and enter the bylane to reach the media gate at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. It’s distinctly quiet, free of the honking and the bustle of vehicles. Quite the contrast. Much like Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur at training on Friday, ahead of the crucial game between India and England.Sciver-Brunt was everywhere. She was partaking in catching and fielding drills one moment. And the next, she was spot-bowling in one of the two training nets. Then she was bowling to Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley, before batting in the adjacent net against throwdowns and the England bowlers. Not long after, she changed out of her training kit to fulfill broadcast commitments. It was a packed schedule for the England captain on a hot afternoon in Indore.By the time Harmanpreet and her team strode in, the sun had given way to a dark, cloudy sky. The floodlights came on almost right on cue. There was a drizzle just before India’s arrival and so they chose to train in the enclosed Amay Khuraysia practice arena just behind one of the east stands. Harmanpreet was a picture of focus. She batted in pairs with Jemimah Rodrigues and faced a variety of India bowlers. India used two pitches in the facility – a red-soil surface and a black-soil one. She batted on both of them for close to 90 minutes. After that, she bowled to Deepti Sharma for a bit.Related

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'For Theo' – a century for Sciver-Brunt, a celebration for the Sciver-Brunts

Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt have had many match-winning partnerships in the WPL for Mumbai Indians (MI), who have won two titles in three seasons. As MI captain and vice-captain, they have plotted the downfall of many of Harmanpreet’s India team-mates, including Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues. But come Sunday at the Women’s World Cup, the duo will be in opposite camps, plotting to take the other down. England, with seven points, are yet to lose a game in the tournament; India have only four points in four matches after suffering losses in their two previous games.Harmanpreet will also be up against Charlotte Edwards, who left her job as MI coach after three years to take charge of England. India and England played a bilateral series in July with the MI leadership split across both teams, but this next game is the one that matters most. A full house is expected in Indore.”In my 15-16 years of coaching, whenever I have had a chance to work as an assistant coach, my best experience was under Anju [Jain] at Bangladesh. After that, I would definitely take Charlotte’s name,” MI batting coach Devika Palshikar tells ESPNcricinfo. “She is tactically brilliant. She gave us a free hand, our roles were quite clear. In a short tournament like the WPL, it is important to keep the players in a good space mentally. Charlotte is really good at that.”Edwards seems to have had a similar impact on England’s players. Linsey Smith, who has opened the bowling several times in T20Is, was asked to do the role in ODIs for the first time, and she delivered. Emma Lamb had not batted outside the top order in domestic cricket, but she was backed to do a middle-order role, partly because England also need batters who can bowl spin.Harmanpreet Kaur hugs then-MI head coach Charlotte Edwards after WPL title win•BCCI”Charlotte doesn’t put pressure on the results,” Palshikar, who helped bridge the language barrier at MI, said. “It is always about the process. She gives small, specific targets to players. For example at MI, [openers] Hayley [Matthews] and Yastika [Bhatia] have to take care of the powerplay. After that Nat is there, and she and Harman [Harmanpreet] can have a good partnership.”Apart from Edwards and Sciver-Brunt aside, England also have another person from the MI support staff in their camp – Benji Hoppitt, the performance analyst. Palshikar calls him “a mastermind who helps us trick opponents”. Edwards and Hoppitt also worked together at Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and Southern Brave in the Hundred.”Benji has very good insights. He is thorough. He is the best analyst I have worked with so far. We now know why Charlotte and Benji work together everywhere!”All this is not to say England have the inside track on India. Harmanpreet has been on the international circuit for over 16 years. Perhaps no one moved the needle as much as she did with her 171 not out against Australia in the 2017 World Cup. And even at 36, few can match her for power with the bat.”Harman is very experienced,” Palshikar says. “She’s played on Indian soil for close to 20 years. So she knows about the grounds and other things. And she is tactically sound and assured.”Palshikar and Edwards also worked together to help Harmanpreet play attacking cricket from an earlier point in T20 cricket, a move that helped MI lift a second title earlier this year. “Her consistency at the WPL is unmatched,” Palshikar says. “The way she plays freely, I actually see a different Harman with us. She has been given a free hand and the confidence reflects.”Her routines also help her a great deal. She knows how to keep herself mentally and physically fit. She is very professional. She knows to cut off from the outside world, she is thorough in keeping a minimum screen time ahead of games. That is something for youngsters to see and learn.”A sub-plot to this great MI divide is a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) duel. Luke Williams and Smriti Mandhana, head coach and captain of the title-winning team in WPL 2024, are also in opposite camps. Williams is Edwards’ assistant while Mandhana is India’s vice-captain.Palshikar was India’s assistant coach when Mandhana played her first T20 World Cup in 2014. The pair also worked together at Ratnagiri Jets in the Women’s Maharashtra Premier League (WMPL) earlier this year.”I was lucky to work with Smriti at WMPL,” Palshikar says. “I last worked with her in 2014. The Smriti of 2014 and now the Smriti of 2025 – oh, I was so impressed with her. I have worked with so many players. But [Harmanpreet and Mandhana] are true legends. After Mithali [Raj] and Jhulan [Goswami], India will forever have these two legends.”

Spinner’s promotion was announced at Abu Dhabi training camp prior to World Cup

S Sudarshanan06-Oct-2025Charlie Dean hopes to be her own “sarcastic and jovial” self after her ascendancy as England’s vice-captain at the Women’s World Cup 2025. England head coach, Charlotte Edwards, announced her as Nat Sciver-Brunt’s deputy during their camp in Abu Dhabi.”Having had a bit more captaincy experience this summer and I think [England are] trying to create a leadership group that is a bit more official and structured to really help complement Nat going into this World Cup,” Dean said in Guwahati ahead of England’s game against Bangladesh.”Obviously we don’t want Nat off the pitch, but if that were to happen then I guess I’m ready to step up, with a bit of help from Tammy [Beaumont] and Jonesie [Amy Jones] and Dunks [Sophia Dunkley] as well, who are all exceptional leaders in their own right. But we’ve got a lot of characters and leaders in this team. Heather [Knight] has been brilliant. She’s come back from injury, I guess tapping into her knowledge when we can and really learning as a group.”Related

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Dean made her international debut only in 2021 but captained London Spirit in the women’s Hundred earlier this year and was discussed as a potential successor to Knight. She is often seen discussing her bowling grip, areas to bowl and the shots batters could deploy against her after almost every delivery at the nets, bringing her thinking to the fore. Even during England’s home summer, she was often seen adjusting the angles of the fielders. Dean said her role as Sciver-Brunt’s deputy is mainly “being a bit of a sounding board”.”She’s got a brilliant cricket brain and she leads from the front with how she acts,” Dean said. “I guess for me it is about being there to complement and look after bits she hopefully shouldn’t need to, [like] getting the fielders in the right place and bits like that. [It is] trying to make sure that she has everything she needs to be really clear and be the best version of herself for us… just being there as an option more than anything.”I’m probably someone who’s not going to come forward with 10 million different ideas, but I guess [my role is] thinking about the game and having a bit of a cricket brain and trying to shout out when I feel like I see something that could really help.”England had a change of leadership after the Women’s Ashes at the start of the year. Edwards replaced Jon Lewis while Sciver-Brunt took over after Knight’s nine-year-helm. Their first series under new leadership was at home against West Indies, winning 6-0 across formats, before defeat to India again at home.”Having Nat and Lottie [Edwards] feels like a bit of a fresh start for us all,” Dean said. “The players in the team might not have changed. But the things that we’re looking to do and being really specific about how we go about our ODI cricket, that attention to detail [have changed] and we want to show our grit and determination. That comes from Nat in the way in which she goes about her cricket.”You watch her bat and she’s someone that really puts her hand up and has those big innings for the team. Just from the way she behaves that filters down. Lottie’s the coach who reads the game really well, and it seems really simple when she talks it through. We all know that cricket can be quite complicated. So, I guess breaking things down, keeping it really simple, and going into specifics has really helped us.”.Dean first grabbed headlines in India for being run-out backing up by Deepti Sharma in the Lord’s ODI in 2022. But since then she has grown leaps and bounds. She also played the WPL earlier this year for the Smriti Mandhana-led RCB. Never one to shy away from having a laugh, Dean hopes to not change with this additional responsibility.”As a person, I don’t really change, no matter what role I have,” she said. “I’m a bit sarcastic and jovial, but I really think about the game beyond that.”

Marufa dealing with ‘hype’ as Bangladesh eye statement

Marufa Akter impressed against Pakistan•ICC/Getty ImagesBangladesh will aim to use Tuesday’s match against England as a means to “show our capabilities”, according to Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana. The encounter will be only the second time the teams have met in women’s ODIs.”This is the stage where we show our capabilities so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us,” Nigar said.They are also hopeful that 20-year-old fast bowler Marufa Akter can continue her eye-catching start to the tournament.”We’ve had some good pacers before, but the kind of exposure Marufa has received, nobody else has had that,” Nigar said. “It’s very important for her to stay focused on the World Cup right now. Whatever is happening around her shouldn’t affect her performance. She should concentrate on herself – how to prepare for the upcoming games and how best she can perform for the team.”Marufa began the World Cup with a double-wicket blow in her opening over that softened up Pakistan in Colombo. She got the ball to hoop around at good pace, Omaima Sohail and Sidra Amin undone by the inswing.”She’s very young, and that’s why we always try to keep her game plan simple. We never put her under pressure,” Nigar said. “Whether she succeeds or faces setbacks, we never burden her. We always try to keep her mindset calm. We picked her at a very young age, and everyone knows she’ll face struggles; that’s natural. From that perspective, she’s extremely hardworking, and her hard work is starting to show results gradually.”Being such a young player, nurturing her properly is very important. There was a lot of hype after the first match, and even during the T20 World Cup before that, but what I’ve seen over time is that she doesn’t let it get to her. She enjoys the game, embraces that youthful energy within her, and the entire team fully backs her.”

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was the latest player to vent his frustrations at an umpire after some very questionable calls but somehow he was able to avoid being ejected for his actions on Sunday.

With the Phillies trailing the Angels by six runs, Harper worked a 3–0 count in the bottom of the eighth inning. A pitch that seemed to be out of the strike zone made it a 3–1 count and then a few moments later a similar pitch was called for strike three by Steven Jaschinski.

Instead of earning a walk, Harper headed to the dugout. But before he did that he shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand in disgust at Jaschinski two times.

This is often enough to get you tossed from the game:

The Phillies would go on to lose the game, 8–2.

It took him just 17 balls to pick up four West Indies wickets, and no matter the kind of pitch, this feat was impressive

Danyal Rasool18-Jan-2025Theatre actors have often spoken about guarding against losing respect for the art. Arriving on stage night after night to produce the same high standard of performance has a jading effect, and one where the performer has much more to lose than they have to gain. A good performance is just another day at the office, a bad one the stuff of bad reviews and blooper reels that acquire a life of their own – and with the threat of reputational damage. Especially when it feels as if people have been waiting to stick the boot in, anyway.That is what it must feel like to be Sajid Khan, who, unlike his partner-in-crime Noman Ali, identifies as something of a performer.The first Test against West Indies, in Multan, was something of a no-win situation, his success explained away as a masterstroke in pitch curation than the magic in his fingers. Surely, he can’t have been that good on his own merits, the reasoning goes, or why else was he omitted from Pakistan’s squad for the Tests in South Africa immediately prior?Related

Noman, Sajid share nine WI wickets as Pakistan dominate day two

Do well, and the theory gets even further validation; or don’t, and be written off as a one-series wonder. That was Sajid’s window of possibilities. So what might just be another low-profile Test to an observer was reputational to him. Pakistan’s selection panel had huge expectations of him; when Pakistan folded for 230 on the second day, Aleem Dar, now a member of the selection committee, reckoned it was near 400, factoring in the difficulty of the pitch. The expectation placed upon Sajid was clear.And Sajid knows the talk has to be walked to retain its potence. His in-your-face celebration rubbed a few players in the England camp the wrong way, and needs to be fed by regular wickets. Against West Indies, on Saturday, it took him just seven balls to get his first, what he later called “an offspinner’s dream wicket”, flighting the ball outside off stump, lulling Mikyle Louis into the drive, and sneaking through the gate and rattling the stumps.Eleven balls later, Sajid had four wickets to his name, West Indies’ top order being cut to ribbons. No matter the kind of pitch, this was impressive; it took West Indies’ collective spin attack nearly 62 overs to match what Sajid had managed in 17 deliveries. Indeed, if what Sajid was doing wasn’t exceptional, there would be no point in preparing these surfaces – because anyone could then match him toe-to-toe.West Indies, in contrast, have held off operating spin from both ends, preferring to give Jayden Seales a longer spell first. That may just have to do with Seales’ excellent showing in each innings – far superior, indeed, to anything a Pakistan seamer has managed in these conditions. But bowling wicket-taking spin with the new ball isn’t as easy as Sajid makes it look, either.

“As an offspinner, I have a bit of a complicated bowling style. I can’t introduce too many new things to it”Sajid Khan on his bowling

“I’ve worked with my head coach in Peshawar, Zohaib Khan, to prepare with the new ball,” Sajid said after the second day’s play. “I’ve bowled with him a lot with the new Dukes ball, and worked on it a lot. We used to work on bowling with the new ball for one to two hours on end. The plan was to keep the run-scoring tight. If I concede [runs] off a good ball, [Mohammad] Rizwan doesn’t mind. But the expectation is we’ll continue to hit good areas on this wicket.”Sajid has also continued to add arrows to his quiver. He comes in wider of the crease to exploit footmarks when required, or simply to change the angle to discomfit a batter. His action, which he admits is “difficult”, allows him to vary the pace and trajectory without letting batters pick it up, something he believes is essential to his game.”As an offspinner, I have a bit of a complicated bowling style. I can’t introduce too many new things to it,” Sajid said. “Every coach I work with has said my strength is my sleight of hand. Batters find it hard to read my flight or variation in pace because my front arm moves very quickly – even if I’m bowling in the nets to our own batters.”Sajid Khan removed West Indies’ top four•PCBNo matter the assistance from the pitch, though, there came a reminder that a drop in levels comes with consequences. With Pakistan hunting for the final wicket, the intensity dropped as Sajid went in search of his fifth, greedily flighting it and pitching it up to force the issue. But it wasn’t the right length, and was much too predictable; and though West Indies’ No. 10 and 11 batters were at the crease, Sajid was dismantled. Two sixes and four boundaries came off his final three overs, which leaked 37 runs to mar his figures slightly.Those overs, perhaps more than any of Sajid’s wickets, demonstrated the rarefied nature of his skill: it wasn’t just the pitch, but what he made the ball do on it, that was bringing him success. There will be times it doesn’t work, as is true for every skillset on any surface.For now, Sajid turns it on day-in and day-out, with no signs of losing respect for the art, or his hunger for more. And as he mentioned last year, while people have jumped at the chance to write him off in the past, his continued refusal to play to that narrative means the ink on those pens may have begun to dry.

The Australia captain was especially emotive with the ball in hand as his team responded strongly to their Perth drubbing

Andrew McGlashan08-Dec-2024As Pat Cummins went through India’s lower order early on the third day in Adelaide, it felt like a statement from the Australia captain who had been particularly expressive with ball in hand throughout the contest.Mitchell Starc had already removed the main threat, Rishabh Pant, in the first over. Now a rapid bouncer from Cummins did for R Ashwin as he tried to hook, another rising delivery was fending into the gully by Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy ramped into the hands of deep third to give Cummins his third wicket. He could have finished with six when Mohammed Siraj, who was booed to the crease in rather pantomime-esque scenes after his run-in with Travis Head the previous day, fended at his first delivery but Alex Carey couldn’t gather the edge.Never mind. In the blink of an eye, Australia needed 19 to level the series. It was all done before the first interval, perhaps leaving some of the 33,000 in the ground a little torn between delight at the victory and a lack of cricket for the rest of a beautiful Sunday.For Australia, though, there was only one concern: winning. And they did so in a style every bit as emphatic as India’s victory in Perth.On the opening day Cummins had looked especially emotive – borderline angry – when he bounced out Pant. Late on the second night he produced a peach of a delivery to take Rohit Sharma’s off stump, which drew a few comparisons to the famous ball to Joe Root at Old Trafford in the 2019 Ashes.”This week we were back to our best, the team I remember and how we want to play our cricket so really satisfying,” Cummins said. “I was pretty pumped up. Probably felt like some big wickets in the context of the match. Especially the pink ball, feels like the margins have been quite small so maybe just pretty excited – more so than normal.”1:42

Cummins on Australia’s comeback win: ‘We were back to our best’

It was the fourth-shortest Test in Australia and 81 fewer deliveries than last season’s thrashing of West Indies, although this contest was witnessed by 135,012 across the three days – a record for an India Test in Adelaide despite its brevity.From the very first ball of the match, when Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal, it was an excellent two-and-a-bit days for Cummins and his team. That’s all it took to dismantle India twice across a collective 80 overs while Travis Head, not for the first time, produced the defining innings when there was a still a way back into the contest for the visitors.”When Trav walked out to the crease that was the turning point,” Cummins said. “Feels like every time he walks out the game’s in the balance…and within the space of a session or so he really took the game out of their hands. He’s done it time and time again for us in many different formats. So lucky he’s on our side because as a captain I wouldn’t know how to bowl to him, how to set fields to him.”But he also singled out the night session on the opening day, where Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, took Australia to the close just one down, as a key period in setting up the game.”That was really gutsy what those guys did on that first night,” Cummins said. “You look back to Perth, it’s those small moments that if you win them and suddenly you wake up the next day and it’s a different day. Think that was a really good lesson and it was really gutsy to get through that period and meant some of the other guys later on could cash in.”Cummins again spoke of being reasonably happy with how he bowled in first Test in Perth – where he had a match return of 3 for 153 – and that not much changed for him here, but he looked better for the run from the moment he nibbled the new ball around in the first innings.He heaped praise on his pace-bowling colleagues, Starc and Scott Boland, who finished with eight and five wickets in the game respectively. Nathan Lyon sent down the grand total of one over – “He will jump in the ice bath, he has had a big week,” Cummins joked at the presentation – while Mitchell Marsh’s unconvincing four overs in the first innings faded from significance.”Some of the talk this week was around do we have enough bowling,” Cummins said. “Particularly that day one, thought it was a herculean effort from Starcy and Scotty. It was hot, close to 40 degrees, humid and basically just kept rotating the bowlers all day. Huge effort from those guys, showed their class, I feel very lucky as a captain to have those guys and then having someone like Lyno who we didn’t even need to call on. Feels like I’ve got a lot of tools at my disposal.”And so for the third time in a row a series between these two teams in Australia is level at 1-1 after the first two matches. Onto the Gabba.

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has accused Sir Jim Ratcliffe of "destroying" the club during his minority ownership reign. INEOS chief Ratcliffe bought a 27.7 per cent stake in the Red Devils in February 2024 and was given complete control of their football operations by the Glazer family. While many fans welcomed this news, Cantona thinks things have gone from bad to worse.

Ratcliffe's turbulent Man Utd reign

There was a great deal of optimism when Ratcliffe bought his way into United more than 18 months ago, and things seemed to be on the up after winning the FA Cup in the summer of 2024. But the sacking of Erik ten Hag, the mixed results of his successor, Ruben Amorim, and the widespread redundancies have led to repeated criticism of the British billionaire. Now, one of the Red Devils' greatest ever players has laid into Ratcliffe once again. 

AdvertisementAFPMan Utd has been 'destroyed'

Cantona even said that his request for input in the United revamp was turned down by the current powers that be. During his stage show, An Evening with Eric The King Cantona, he said: "I have many other passions and projects, but I thought that for two or three years I could maybe put those to the side and try to give something to this club, which has given everything to me. But [Ratcliffe] didn’t seem interested. I did what I had to do, so I don’t feel guilty anymore. I tried my best. Sir Alex Ferguson created a style of beautiful attacking football, which the new owners should have used. Instead, they destroyed it."

Old Trafford atmosphere is 'different'

Cantona still has a lot of fondness for his old club, but he says the noise that comes out of Old Trafford these days is a far cry from years gone by. 

"The atmosphere in the stadium is different, unfortunately. I went to Old Trafford last season for the game against Manchester City, and I thought it was quiet. United fans prefer to go to away matches, to be with the real fans, than to be surrounded by people who come from different parts of the world just to go to the merchandise store," he added.

This is not the first time Cantona has said things have made a turn for the worse at United. He believes the focus on money, the drop-off in success after Sir Alex Ferguson's era, and the new stadium plans are turning off supporters.

He said earlier this year: "I support United because I really love United, but now if I was a fan and I had to choose a club I don’t think I would choose United. Because I don’t feel close to these kinds of decisions. They have another strategy, another project. Do you feel close to this project? I don’t think so. For me, it is very important to respect these people like you [the fans], respect your manager and your team-mates. I think since Ratcliffe arrived it’s the complete opposite and, this team of directors, they try to destroy everything and they don’t respect anybody. They even want to change the stadium."

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Getty ImagesWhat comes next for United?

After an up and down start to the season, things appear to be improving under Amorim at United. They spent more than £200 million on players in the summer and that has helped them rise into the top half of the table, with the Red Devils currently seventh in the Premier League. But they still seem a long way from being a force to be reckoned with in the English top-flight. When the international break concludes, they host Everton at Old Trafford on November 24.

Despite their upturn in form, Amorim is staying grounded. After the Tottenham draw, he said: "We have a lot of problems. We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving, but we have a lot to do.

"The three points were there, the space was there, and I think we felt too comfortable during the game, and we need to expect that in one play anything can happen and change the mood of the stadium, and today was that. We controlled the game well, but we need to do better, because the game was there for the taking."

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made contact with Xavi as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, with the 57-year-old being dismissed after the 3-0 defeat against Fulham on Saturday.

Pereira was given plenty of time to turn things around, but the loss against the Cottagers was the final straw for Fosun, with the Old Gold now eight points adrift of safety in the Premier League, having made a very poor start to the season.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was particularly critical of the performance after the match, describing it as “embarrassing.”

Wolves are still searching for their first top-flight victory, having collected just two points from their opening ten games, while they were also dumped out of the EFL Cup by Chelsea last Wednesday, with the Blues emerging as 4-3 winners at Molineux.

It is going to be a tall order for whoever replaces Pereira to dig the Wanderers out of trouble, but Fosun are now eyeing what has to be considered an ambitious move for Xavi…

Wolves make contact with Xavi to replace Pereira

That is according to a report from Spain, which states that is indeed not Gary O’Neil at the top of the wishlist. Wolves have now made contact with the former Barcelona manager, who they have identified as the main candidate to replace Pereira, given his experience of managing at an elite level.

Fosun see appointing the legendary midfielder as a golden opportunity, as they are admirers of his possession-based style of play, and believe the 45-year-old could restore confidence to the squad.

The Spaniard is the top target, but he is not the only manager on the shortlist for the Old Gold, who are working quickly to appoint a new manager, with Bologna boss Thiago Motta emerging as a potential alternative option, given the Italian side’s impressive start to the campaign.

It would no doubt be a major coup if Wolves were somehow able to tempt the former Al-Sadd manager into a move to Molineux, given that he is held in very high regard by Barca president Joan Laporta.

The Terrassa-born manager, who prefers to implement a 4-3-3 system, has won eight trophies as a coach, across spells in Qatar and La Liga, most impressively lifting the Spanish title in the 2022-23 season.

Xavi has been out of work since being dismissed by Barcelona over 18 months ago, but in truth it is difficult to picture him moving to Molineux, given the mess Wolves currently find themselves in, sitting bottom of the Premier League, having shipped 22 goals, the highest number of any side.

Wolves also targeting Brendan Rodgers as replacement for Pereira

Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

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By
Dominic Lund

Oct 29, 2025

The spin-bowling consultant has also taken on the role of being motivator-in-chief at the Women’s T20 World Cup

Firdose Moonda16-Oct-2024Most teams are made up of certain key characters: the responsible one, the serious one, the young one, the popular one, the talented one and most importantly the funky one. In South Africa’s case, the last of those is a position taken up by one of their support staff: spin bowling lead Paul Adams.He has assumed the role of motivator-in-chief, alongside his technical coaching, and taken some of the burden off captain Laura Wolvaardt, who also has opening the batting to focus on.”I found it one of the hardest parts of the job – finding something new to say every single game,” Wolvaardt said at her pre semi-final press conference. “A lot of it doesn’t really change, especially in the series where we play the same opposition six times, so to come up with a new pre-game speech is tricky. But we’ve had Paul Adams and every game he’s come up with something really creative and really new.”Related

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Adams started off by introducing the team to the ancient but now-popular practice of grounding, which traces its history back to ancient Egypt, and does exactly what it says on the tin. All it is is standing barefoot on a surface, preferably grass but beach sand or if circumstances are extreme, artificial turf or concrete might do just as well, and feeling the earth below. The team did it ahead of their first match to feel as though they had arrived in the UAE, the place where they will compete to win the World Cup for the first time.Then, he moved to poetry and composed four verses for the team ahead of their final group stage match against Bangladesh to urge them to stay in the moment. A taste of it reads: “So focus hard, embrace the fight, each second is our only right,” and Tazmin Brits described it to ESPNcricinfo Powerplay’s podcast as emotional and inspiring.Laura Wolvaardt: It’s an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those lights on us and have a good time•ICC/Getty ImagesNow, ahead of the semi-final, Adams has had to pull another trick out of the bag and he managed to come up with one. “Today we had a video about ebbs and flows and going with the game,” Wolvaardt said. “He absolutely loves it. He runs our spin meetings as well and every meeting there’s some kind of a video about birds that fly together and stick together and teamwork and all of that stuff.”Of course, we shouldn’t forget that spin coaching is Adams’ primary role and he has done some innovative things in that department too. He has worked on Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus and Seshnie Naidu’s actions, not by passing on his own contortionist means of delivery, but by using weighted balls to align their hips over their feet and get their arms into the optimal position for accuracy and the results, especially for Mlaba, are obvious. She is the second-leading wicket-taker of the tournament and has rediscovered an element of threat that left her after the last World Cup.Adams, who has himself been through a harrowing time after the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearing in 2021, will not necessarily be with the women’s team through all of their next series. Since the SJN, he coached a bit at the provincial team Border and has now been employed to work across all South African teams, but for now, the impact he is making is clear. “He’s very creative, he loves it, he always reads into things and he’s been really great for the group,” Wolvaardt said. “We’ve needed someone to really pump us up and bring our little fun element to each game as well, which has been awesome.”That comment is telling because this South African team, until earlier this year, had been under the same management for most of their careers. Hilton Moreeng, who oversaw the development to professionalism and years of succession in reaching semi-finals and eventually a final, was in charge for almost 12 years. Post last year’s World Cup, there was talk of a need for change in order to inject new ideas and move the team forward. That half-happened with the promotion of assistant coach Dillon du Preez to interim head coach and the appointment of other, new support staff.For the first time, the South African women’s team have a batting coach in Baakier Abrahams, and a spin-bowling consultant in Adams. They mention the pair almost every time they are asked about how this side is different, and perhaps better, than the one that reached the final in 2023. “We have a year of experience, we line up a little differently and we’ve also had a bit of change in staff,” Wolvaardt said. “So, a couple of fresh faces, fresh ideas. It’s been a bit of an up and down year for us. I think we’ve played some really good cricket in Australia and had a few disappointing series as well.”For South Africa, their first wins over Australia in an ODI and T20I earlier this year is what they are holding on to as they take on the world champions again. But whatever happens, they know they’ve already done something “very special,” as Wolvaardt put it by qualifying for another semi-final and doing it with a smile. “We don’t even realise how many people at home are following us and watching us. My mum keeps texting me that she’s been to the dentist today, and the dentist is asking about our game tomorrow, and they seem super excited,” she said. “It’s an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those lights on us and have a good time.”

Tottenham were denied a first Premier League win at home since the opening weekend this afternoon, as Man United defender Matthijs de Ligt broke Spurs hearts with a dramatic added-time equaliser, despite Thomas Frank’s side briefly snatching a late 2-1 lead.

Tottenham 2-2 Man United as poor Spurs home form continues

Bryan Mbeumo had put United ahead in the 32nd minute, with the October Premier League Player of the Month continuing his excellent form by nodding past a helpless Guglielmo Vicario at the far post.

The visitors dominated for large periods as Spurs looked disjointed and lacked overall creativity at home once again. Tottenham did have one chance before the interval, but striker Richarlison failed to capitalise — missing a golden opportunity when presented with a free header from 12 yards out.

He somehow completely missed the ball, leaving every Spurs fan in the stadium stunned, and those same supporters booed the home side off at half-time after a very disappointing first 45.

United looked on their way to three points, managing the game well after the restart, even if the brilliant Senne Lammens was forced into a couple of excellent saves to maintain their advantage.

However, the equaliser eventually did come, with substitute Mathys Tel’s shot in the 83rd minute deflecting off de Ligt and finding the back of the United net.

Wilson Odobert

7.4

Matthijs de Ligt

7.3

Amad Diallo

7.3

Mathys Tel

7.1

Patrick Dorgu

7.1

via WhoScored

Frank’s player introductions changed the game, with fellow sub Destiny Udogie setting up the Frenchman for his brilliantly taken equaliser inside the box. Yet another sub, Wilson Odobert, then chipped into the late drama.

Richarlison directed Odobert’s ball outside the box past Lammens and into the bottom corner on 91 minutes, sparking wild celebrations as the Brazilian removed his shirt in jubilation. Tottenham appeared to have completed a sensational comeback, yet there was one final twist.

A United corner to the back post was headed home by de Ligt, who was completely unmarked, in the 96th minute — silencing Spurs’ celebrations and rescuing a dramatic point for Ruben Amorim’s side.

The draw maintains United’s four-match unbeaten streak while Tottenham’s home woes continue. Spurs have now won just four of their last 20 home league games, with their excellent away record masking real struggles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Peter Crouch takes aim at "lackadaisical" Djed Spence in Man United draw

For United’s first goal, so much went wrong.

Pape Sarr made the bizarre decision to play a very difficult pass to Micky van de Ven just outside Spurs’ penalty area, rather than just clearing the ball, and the Dutchman was then rushed into a botched clearance before United capitalised and opened the scoring.

Right-back Djed Spence also failed to close down the cross for Mbeumo’s header quick enough, with ex-Tottenham striker Peter Crouch telling TNT Sports at half-time that his defending simply wasn’t good enough.

Crouch said that Spence looked “too calm” when going to press Diallo, insisting that the defender was “lackadaisical” at that moment which cost Spurs the first goal of the game.

Overall, the north Londoners were arguably the weaker side and a victory for them would’ve been quite harsh on United, even if their brief comeback sparked real hope of a perfect last Premier League result before the November international break.

Their next two matches after the break are actually away from home, but they’re against very tough opposition in Premier League leaders Arsenal and European champions PSG.