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Manchester United are now very keen on signing Ajax midfielder Jorthy Mokio, amid a new update on his future at the Eredivisie club.

With Man United looking to sign a new midfielder, the likes of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba have been identified as potential targets, but it could be difficult to compete for their signatures, having already established themselves as Premier League stars.

As such, it may be a savvy move to bring in a lesser-known midfielder, with talks to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit recently advancing, as speculation over Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford continues to build.

Ruben Amorim has suggested Mainoo’s lack of game time is due to United simply not playing in enough matches to make full use of the entire squad, saying: “Imagine for me to have Mainoo with that (many) minutes that he’s playing, he needs more games for me to make a rotation because, with one game (a week), it’s really hard.”

However, with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes making themselves undroppable in recent weeks, a Mainoo departure could be on the cards, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for a potential replacement.

Man Utd now very keen on signing Jorthy Mokio

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, in a report for Sky Sports, Man United have now emerged as one of the clubs most interested in signing Ajax midfielder Mokio, who has decided he wants to leave the Eredivisie club.

Ajax are looking to tie the midfielder down to a new contract, but he could seemingly have his head turned, with a number of clubs from across Europe now in the race for his signature.

The 17-year-old is being followed very closely by United, having been identified as the perfect target, but there could be competition for his signature, with Newcastle United and Eintracht Frankfurt also emerging as potential suitors.

The Belgian has been likened to N’Golo Kante, given that he flourishes from a defensive point of view, placing in the 99th percentile for blocks per 90 over the past year, and the 84th percentile for clearances, when compared to other midfielders.

Not only that, but the youngster has also established himself as a first-team regular for Ajax at a very young age, being lauded as an “amazing” player by scout Jacek Kulig.

With Mainoo’s future up in the air, it would make sense to bring in another young midfielder, but Man United may also need to sign another central midfielder alongside Mokio, given that Casemiro’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

Man Utd want to sign one of the Premier League's "best" central midfielders Next Carrick: Man Utd want to sign "one of the best CMs in the PL" for £60m

Man United could enhance the quality of their midfield with the signing of another Michael Carrick.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 19, 2025

Leeds United have made a major decision in their pursuit of AZ Alkmaar and Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott.

Parrott has made himself a national hero in Ireland in recent weeks, producing plenty of goalscoring heroics in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, scoring five times in two matches.

The 23-year-old scored the vital winner away to Hungary that booked his country’s place in the playoffs next years, with Ray Houghton waxing lyrical about his impact.

“In moments like that you are trying to find the right words to actually put across your feelings. As an ex-player, you know what’s at stake, you know what they’ve been through, you know that when you go through hard times you want to remember the good times even more, and it means so much to you.

“I understood it, that Troy was a young lad who came through and was going to be a sensational talent, went to Spurs as a kid, made his debut when he was 17 and had so much ahead of him, but it didn’t quite go the way everyone anticipated. He had to reinvent himself as a player, so to see the joy he had playing for his country and doing what he did, hopefully it will inspire the next generation of players.

Leeds have been linked with a move for Parrott, looking to bring him back to England, and there has now been a development regarding the situation.

Troy Parrott now moving up Leeds striker shortlist

According to a new report from talkSPORT‘s Alex Crook, Leeds now have Parrott “high on their list” of attacking options. Both the Whites and Wolves are “among the clubs” keen on snapping him up in 2026, with his current club demanding as much as £20m for his signature.

Parrott is the man of the moment, with his stock never higher in his career to date, and he could be a strong signing for Leeds, whether it be in the January transfer window or next summer.

Whites supporters will no doubt hope that it is the former, in order for the Irishman to help Daniel Farke’s side avoid relegation from the Premier League back to the Championship.

Parrott is far from a flash in the pan, having been highly-rated as a youngster and Tottenham, and being lauded by Alkaar head coach Maarten Martens.

Leeds in one of the biggest transfer battles of all time for England midfielder

He could add so much quality and bite to the midfield.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

There is likely to be a battle for Parrott’s signature among Premier League clubs, but if Leeds can come out on top, it could prove to be an inspired piece of business, especially given the striker’s age.

Perfect for Parrott: Leeds could sack Farke for "world-class" 4-3-3 manager

Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten run that saw them keep eight clean sheets on the bounce had to come to an end at some point, but few would have predicted Sunderland would be the ones to end it.

However, that’s precisely what happened on Saturday afternoon, as the Black Cats scored two goals to hold the Gunners to a hard-fought draw.

However, there is no need to panic for Mikel Arteta and Co, as they remain four points clear of Manchester City atop the Premier League table, and still played some brilliant football in the second half.

Moreover, one of the Gunners’ stars who looked to be on the way out in the summer could now feasibly start for any team in the league, and his uptick in form has helped the club deal with a massive injury list.

How Arsenal have overcome their injury crisis so far

Now, most Arsenal fans and the players themselves would likely admit that the team simply weren’t good enough to seriously compete with Liverpool last season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, what is equally true is that the team had very little chance of competing with the Reds, as, unlike their competition, they were drowning in injuries.

Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães, and Ben White were just some of the vital first-team players to spend time on the sidelines last year, and with a much thinner squad, there was very little Arteta could do to mitigate the impact.

Therefore, it makes a lot more sense why the club took the approach they did in the summer, forgoing the mega-money signings to bring in a larger number of players to bulk out the squad.

The decision to do it this way has already paid off massively this season, as the club has already been as unlucky, if not more so, than last year when it comes to injuries, but has had the backups to deal with it.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea

Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace

Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting

Piero Hincapie

Leverkusen

Noni Madueke

Chelsea

Cristhian Mosquera

Valencia

Christian Norgaard

Brentford

Martin Zubimendi

Sociedad

For example, Saka was covered by Noni Madueke and then vice versa; Eberechi Eze is covering for Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres came straight into the side for Havertz, and Cristhian Mosquera has already filled in for William Saliba and Gabriel.

The North Londoners’ improved squad depth has been the number one reason they’ve been able to survive and thrive during their current injury crisis.

However, the international break might have come at the right time, as with Gyokeres now out, the team were threadbare in attack against Sunderland, even if a player who looked destined to leave in the summer but is now playing out of his skin once again found himself on the scoresheet.

The Arsenal player who could get into any side in the Premier League

There are a few Arsenal players who could realistically get into any side in the league this year, from most of the defence to Saka, who scored a sensational goal on Saturday.

However, it’s no surprise that these stars are playing out of their skin, unlike Leandro Trossard.

Now, there is no denying that the Belgian is a hugely talented footballer, as in his first full season for the Gunners, he produced 20 goal involvements in 46 games.

However, what is equally true is that he took a significant step backwards last season, producing as many goal involvements, but in ten more appearances.

Moreover, he also appeared far less influential on a moment-to-moment basis during games, and so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see him linked with an exit over the summer.

However, that exit never came, and he was instead handed a pay rise, which looked pointless at the time, but has since been more than justified.

For example, in just 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, the “little magician,” as dubbed by Arteta, has scored four goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes, which is the sort of output that could surely see him start for any team in the league at the moment.

Moreover, it’s not as if he’s scoring meaningless goals either, as his strike against Sunderland put the Gunners ahead and ensured they left with at least a point.

Likewise, he scored the only goal in the win over Fulham and got the assist for the second in the win over Burnley.

Finally, his brilliant form has not been limited to these shores either, as he scored and assisted in the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao to ensure the North Londoners got their Champions League campaign off to a flier.

Ultimately, while he underwhelmed last season, Arsenal fans should be delighted that Trossard was never sold in the summer.

Arsenal leading race to sign "explosive" gem ahead of interest from Barcelona

He’s a man in demand.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 10, 2025

Bayern Munich are optimistic about retaining their star defender Dayot Upamecano beyond 2026, president Herbert Hainer has said. Talks are already underway with the French centre-back as the German giants look to ward off interest from Real Madrid, who are considering a free transfer for the 27-year-old.

Bayern aim to resolve Upamecano's contractual situation

Upamecano could leave the German giants after five years with the club as his contract comes to an end next summer. The defender has been a key force in their back line, further establishing himself as one of the finest defenders in the Bundesliga following his €40 million (£35m/$46m) transfer from RB Leipzig. 

With Bayern pushing to tie him down to a new contract, negotiations have slowed over wage demands, with the Frenchman’s camp pushing for a salary package closer to €15m (£13m/$17m) per year and a significant signing bonus. With other teams interested, the German club may have to bow to his demands or risk seeing him follow David Alaba's example by leaving for one of their European rivals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHainer optimistic of Upamecano's renewal

Hainer believes the French defender is comfortable at Bayern. The Bavarians are in lightning form under Vincent Kompany this season, and Upamecano's stature in their defence has been of good help to the Belgian's strategy so far. The 71-year-old president commented in an interview with "We are in the process of speaking with Upamecano. I believe he feels comfortable in Munich. It's obviously an important decision for him as well. In principle, he likes it very much at Bayern. We would like to keep him. I am cautiously optimistic."

Real Madrid interested in defender

Since Xabi Alonso's tactical takeover from Carlo Ancelotti this summer, Real Madrid have made it a priority to sign defensive reinforcements. In the summer, they acquired the services of young Spanish defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. However, another addition seems mandatory with Antonio Rudiger possibly leaving at the end of the current campaign. Their focus appears to have shifted to Germany for Upamecano with talks reportedly already in progress. The Bavarians' sporting director, Christoph Freund, has already declared that retaining the French international is their prime objective. For him, it is no surprise that clubs like Madrid or even Liverpool from the Premier League are interested in Upamecano. 

"It's no secret that our main goal is to extend Upamecano's contract," he said. "It's also not surprising that many clubs, I don't know which ones, are interested in Upamecano because he's simply performing really, really well, is a great guy, and one of the best centre-backs in the world." 

The 27-year-old is at the peak of his career and club legend, and former CEO Oliver Kahn believes it could be 'very expensive' to perform such an extension. 

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Getty Images SportBayern's recent mind-boggling form

Bayern enjoyed a record-breaking start to the 2025-26 campaign, managing to win all of their first 16 competitive matches before that run was halted by Union Berlin in their latest Bundesliga encounter. The game saw the Bavarians go down in the 27th minute before Luis Diaz scored the much-needed equaliser before the end of the half. In the 83rd minute, Doekhi completed his brace, only to see Harry Kane restore parity in the 90th minute to save Bayern's night and help them leave the pitch with a point. 

This draw comes as a setback to Kompany's side just before the international break. When they return to the pitch, they will have crucial fixtures in the form of Freiburg and St. Pauli in the Bundesliga. Between these two games, they'll need to travel to London to take on Premier League giants Arsenal in a much-awaited encounter in the Champions League. 

Bayern sit top of the European table, but Arsenal and Inter are level on points with them, while Pep Guardiola's Manchester City linger two behind.

The visitors batted much better second time around but still faced defeat against Australia A

AAP07-Dec-2025England’s Jacob Bethell staked his claim for an Ashes recall after fighting hard in the clash with Australia A in Brisbane.As his England team-mates slipped 2-0 down at the Gabba, Bethell crafted 71 in England Lions’ second innings at nearby Allan Border Field on Sunday.Related

• England sink to another low as Lions thrashed by Australia A

• Richardson stands out with four wickets as England Lions collapse

• McSweeney pushes Test recall case with double century

Bethell last played a Test in August when England lost a thrilling match at The Oval against India. But with questions surrounding Ollie Pope’s future as England’s No.3, he will be pushing to be recalled for the third Test at the Adelaide Oval on December 17.Bethell is averaging 38.71 from his four Tests for England after debuting late last year against New Zealand.The Lions got to 274 for 6 in their second innings at stumps on day three, still trailing Australia A by 148.After slumping to 29 for 3, England’s second XI recovered through Bethell and fellow rising starAsa Tribe. The pair put on a 169-run stand for the fourth wicket, with Tribe reaching his third first-class century.Tribe, who has five ODI and 26 T20I caps for Jersey, was able to survive Australia A’s dangerous bowling attack featuring Jhye Richardson, Xavier Bartlett, Fergus O’Neill, Beau Webster and Todd Murphy.Victorian seamer O’Neill was the pick of the bowlers in the second innings, taking 4 for 53 from 17 overs.Australia A declared at 588 for 8 early on Sunday, after captain Nathan McSweeney’s career-best knock of 226 not out.

Eddie Howe has finally got the better of Pep Guardiola now in a Premier League environment.

At the 19th time of asking, Howe managed to get one over on the highly successful Manchester City manager, as Newcastle United romped back into top-flight action with a 2-1 win at St James’ Park.

Newcastle were good value for the win, too, as Harvey Barnes chipped in with a double to steer the Toon to another memorable victory on their own patch.

How Harvey Barnes downed Manchester City

The former Leicester City winger is now up to six goals for the season in all competitions, despite his appearance against Guardiola’s men only being his fifth Premier League start of the campaign.

With a brace under his belt, though, he’s surely a shoo-in for more starts as the congested winter fixture schedule hits. Journalist Henry Winter simply described his display as “clinical” when powering two quickfire efforts past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Barnes would manage to put away those two efforts confidently, with just four shots registered in total. But, away from stylishly getting the better of the new City number one with his opener, the 27-year-old also managed to win three duels and attempt three mazy dribbles as a constant livewire.

The only worry will be whether Barnes can stay fit to keep up this electric form, with three Premier League goals now next to his name from limited starts. Across the last three seasons on Tyneside, he has missed a concerning 38 games via injury.

Thankfully, though, Newcastle have a rising star in their ranks who could go on to be a bigger talent than the Toon winger.

Newcastle's 18-year-old Barnes replacement

Howe has shown frequently throughout his time as Newcastle boss to date that he is willing to chuck a starlet into the first team picture if they’re deemed ready for the challenge of senior action.

Indeed, Lewis Miley first made his senior debut under Howe when he was just 17 years of age, while another budding homegrown prodigy in Sean Neave, occupied a space on the bench against City, all while still being a wide-eyed 18-year-old prospect.

Could Seung Soo-Park be the next to bridge the gap between the U21s and the first team?

The future certainly looks bright for the South Korean attacker, who excelled for Suwon Bluewings back in his native Korea at just 17 years of age, becoming the youngest ever player in the history of Korean league football.

One goal and three assists came his way from 28 appearances for Suwon, with Barnes reduced to playing all the way down in League One at around the same age with Milton Keynes Dons, out on loan from then parent side Leicester City.

Park has even been described as a “similar [player] to Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his frightening speed when bombing forward, which was seen in the summer when Park was handed opportunities in pre-season, with three dribbles successfully completed up against Espanyol.

With two duels won against Tottenham Hotspur in another pre-season test, it might not be the wildest suggestion in the world to state that Park could be gifted some senior minutes in the bread and butter of the Premier League soon, with the Korean sensation hailed for showing a “maturity beyond his years” by academy coach Steven Harper when first joining.

Of course, the ex-Suwon winger does have both Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga in his way, too, down the left-hand side, but if he can manage to live up to all his early hype, he should be able to surpass those in front of him down the line.

Indeed, Elanga is yet to get up and running with zero goals for the season. Moreover, Barnes is also prone to a hit-and-miss performance in Newcastle black and white, having only managed five goals during the entire 2023/24 season.

For the time being, Howe will rely on Barnes, who is thankfully in a purple patch right now.

Yet, in the long term, don’t discount Park leapfrogging the Englishman, with a stunning Mbappe-style talent potentially on Howe’s hands.

9/10 Newcastle duo look even more important than Bruno G & Tonali

These two players stood out in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Man City

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 23, 2025

Rawal, Harleen miss nailing down their spots as India build towards a home World Cup this September

Shashank Kishore24-Jul-2025

Kranti Goud – the breakout star

It’s hard to believe now, but the 21-year-old seamer from Madhya Pradesh, Kranti Goud, wasn’t in contention for the national team even as recently as April 2025. She wasn’t part of the ODI squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka until an injury forced seam-bowling allrounder Kashvee Gautam out. Goud debuted in the final, where she ended with 0 for 22 in five overs.Then, when the preliminary squad for the England tour was selected, Goud’s name was missing from the original longlist of around 30, who were asked to submit their passports for the UK visa. But when she impressed at the specialised skills camp in Bengaluru, she was a belated addition.Related

• Onus on England to process lessons from India series loss

• Harmanpreet wants India to 'pass that benchmark'

• Harmanpreet ton, Goud six-for seal 2-1 series win for India

With Renuka Singh and Titas Sadhu injured, Goud came into the ODI series in England knowing she would potentially have to tussle for one bowling spot with Arundhati Reddy, since India had made it clear they were going to go spin-heavy, with Amanjot Kaur the other seamer in the mix.On Tuesday in Chester-Le-Street, Goud became the youngest India player, at 21 years and 345 days, to take a five-for in a women’s ODI, surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s record. Goud’s nip-backers and the ability to hustle batters made her a challenge for England’s batters. Goud’s use of slower deliveries and yorkers – like the one she bowled to dismiss Lauren Filer first ball – with England’s lower order looking to jailbreak were equally impressive.Her match haul of 6 for 52, which included a sensational inswinger that cleaned up Tammy Beaumont in the first over, didn’t win her the Player-of-the-Match award. That her captain Harmanpreet Kaur dedicated her award to Goud, while handing over a signed match ball with her bowling figures jotted down on it, showed how special the performance was. In a video posted by BCCI, Harmanpreet said: “It’s a great achievement for a bowler. We’ve been dying for a fast bowler like you. Well done, Kranti, you deserve it.”Like her statemate Pooja Vastrakar, Goud has shown all the attributes to be categorised as “fast”. Her dismissal of Richa Ghosh at the senior women’s one-day final on December 30, 2024 – a game where she picked up four wickets in a match-winning spell – got her noticed. Then when she sent back Meg Lanning at the WPL, Goud truly marked her arrival on the big stage. Four months on, he might have won her ticket to the World Cup.Harleen Deol (and Pratika Rawal) didn’t have that one standout performance that would cement their places in the side•Getty Images

Rawal vs Deol: No clear winner

Pratika Rawal’s solidity at the top of the order helped stitch opening stands of 48 and 64 in the first and third ODIs with Smriti Mandhana, but there was a sense that she missed out on both occasions. Rawal’s own scores in the series read: 36, 3 and 26. At a strike rate of nearly 70. Middling, not eye-catching. Rawal’s manner of run-accumulation – steady to start with and playing catch-up later on – worked against slightly weaker attacks like Ireland and West Indies. It didn’t in England.The pattern was somewhat similar with Harleen Deol, India’s No. 3, who made scores of 27, 16 and 45 at a strike rate of 66.16. Deol’s string of dots may have also led to Mandhana taking extra risks in the third ODI – she eventually perished in search of a boundary after making 45 in the series decider.There’s the obvious temptation to look at Shafali Verma, for her explosive style of play. While she hasn’t been in the ODI mix since October 2024, she is a part of the conversations. If the idea is to have one of Rawal or Deol bat at three, it’s likely they will trial there when India play Australia in three ODIs next month, their last set of games before the World Cup.However, if they are both going to hold on to their current spots, perhaps a conversation on their scoring rate needs to be had.Harmanpreet Kaur got to her century in just 82 balls in the final ODI•Getty Images

Harmanpreet Kaur is back!

All through the ODI series against Ireland, while the rest of the top order piled on the runs, Harmanpreet was out nursing a niggle. Prior to that, against West Indies, she made three quick starts, but couldn’t convert any of them. All told, she hadn’t hit an ODI half-century since October 2024, and had averaged 29 in 13 innings coming into the final ODI against England.On the surface, this wasn’t a real concern since the top order was delivering.But after scores of 17 and 7 in the first two ODIs, the captain needed to step up, and step up she did. Harmanpreet took till her 11th delivery to get off the mark, but looked mostly in control with her shot selection and timing. She even shelved the sweep until after she had passed fifty, and took the attack to the cleaners in typical style – tonking spin, hitting pace down the ground.Harmanpreet helped overcome the quick dismissal of the openers, steadied the innings with Jemimah Rodrigues, and made up for the middle-overs slowdown. Having underscored the importance of topping 300 in every innings, Harmanpreet had walked the talk in giving their four-pronged spin attack the cushion to choke England.”It was a very important match for us and I want to dedicate this to my dad, he has been waiting for this kind of knock,” she said after the game. “I was a little under pressure and wanted to do well for the team, and when you work hard the right time will come to deliver. Today was the right platform to deliver.”

Mexico closed 2025 with another setback – and another chorus of boos – after a 2–1 loss to Paraguay in San Antonio. Following the defeat, Javier Aguirre delivered one of his bluntest critiques yet, questioning both the individual and collective level of his squad. Winless in six straight, the coach acknowledged that Mexico remain well short of where they need to be ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Getty Images SportAguirre publicly questions player capacity

Mexico closed 2025 on a bitter note, falling 2-1 to Paraguay at the Alamodome and once again hearing the frustration of its own supporters – just as it did during Saturday’s scoreless draw against Uruguay in Torreón, a reaction that even irritated some players. The boos returned on Tuesday, underscoring the growing discontent surrounding Javier Aguirre’s project, which ends the final FIFA window of the year with more doubts than progress.

After the match, “Vasco” didn’t hold back. He openly questioned the level of several players and the team’s ongoing struggles to create consistent danger.

“There are players who want to and can, and others who want to but maybe can’t – they just don’t have enough,” Aguirre said. “That’s why we have to keep searching for the ideal XI, for the right way to build attacks and play out from the back.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMexico closes 2025 with six straight winless matches

The loss extended Mexico’s winless streak to six matches, something not seen since the Miguel Herrera era in 2015. The results paint a worrying picture heading into a year that will define the World Cup roster.

Japan0–0DrawSouth Korea2–2DrawColombia0–4LossEcuador1–1DrawUruguay0–0DrawParaguay1–2LossGetty Images SportCoach defends playing stronger opponents

Aguirre admitted that this stretch has been “bittersweet,” noting that the coaching staff intentionally scheduled tougher opponents rather than chasing easy wins that provide little real insight.

“It would be easy to bring in weaker rivals and win big, but that doesn’t prepare us,” he said. “These games show you who has the size to compete. Sometimes we fail. We’re not where we want to be yet.”

He also pointed out the advantage South American teams have by playing competitive CONMEBOL qualifiers, while Mexico has spent much of the cycle without meaningful tournament action.

“They’re in a fierce competition cycle – we’re not,” Aguirre added. “They haven’t outplayed us, but they’ve beaten us. That should worry us.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Mexico will return to action in the March FIFA window when they face Portugal and possibly Belgium, pending confirmation of both matches. Aguirre wants to hold another mini-camp in February, which will include only Liga MX players, and the goal is to arrange matches against Central American clubs.

India will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral contests, but their athletes and teams can take part in multi-nation events that also involve Pakistan, clearing the path for their upcoming fixtures in the men’s Asia Cup in September and the women’s ODI World Cup in October.Pakistan sportspersons can also participate in multilateral events hosted by India.The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports set down these guidelines in a statement, clarifying the Indian government’s position on sporting relations with Pakistan at a time of strained political relations between the two South Asian countries. The statement left one question unanswered: whether Indian athletes can take part in multilateral events hosted by Pakistan.Related

• UAE recall Matiullah, Simranjeet in Waseem-led Asia Cup squad

• Hybrid model agreed for Champions Trophy and ICC events from 2024-27

• Asia Cup 2025 in UAE starting September 9; India vs Pakistan on September 14

• India Champions pull out of WCL semi-final against Pakistan Champions

• No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

The statement comes less than three weeks from the scheduled start of the Asia Cup in the UAE, where India and Pakistan, drawn in the same group, are set to meet at least once (on September 14 in Dubai), and potentially up to three times. It will be India’s first cricket match against Pakistan since the two countries exchanged cross-border hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.There have been calls, in this climate, for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan. During July’s World Championship of Legends, a tournament featuring retired players, both matches between the teams from the two countries had been abandoned, with the India Champions forfeiting their semi-final against the Pakistan Champions.With the Indian government making its stand clear, India now have official sanction to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, which was originally to be hosted by India before being moved to the UAE in July.”In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry’s statement said.In a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, calls for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan have grown louder•Associated Press

“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.”Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.”To position India as a preferred destination for hosting international sporting events, the visa process for sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies shall be simplified. In respect of office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies, a multi-entry visa shall be granted on priority basis for the duration of their official tenure, subject to a maximum period of five years. This shall facilitate their smooth movement into and within the country, in accordance with international norms. Due protocol and courtesies, as per established practice, shall be extended to the Heads of International Sports Governing Bodies during their visits to India.”The statement lays down in unambiguous terms what have been the Indian government’s unwritten guidelines for cricketing engagements with Pakistan for more than a decade. The two countries have not met in a bilateral series in any format since 2012, but they have faced off multiple times at the ODI and T20 World Cups, the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.Pakistan have visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016 and the ODI World Cup in 2023, but India did not visit Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their matches, including their semi-final and final, were played in Dubai. The BCCI and the PCB have agreed on this hybrid model for all remaining ICC events in the 2024-27 cycle.

Standing at 2.08m tall, the fast bowler delivered a stinging blow to India in the Guwahati Test

Firdose Moonda24-Nov-20255:17

Best Test allrounders: Jadeja, Stokes, and… Jansen?

We all know the image that best represents the long and the short of South African cricket because we see it every time Marco Jansen and Temba Bavuma get together on the field. Turns out it’s Jansen who carried all the height envy, not the other way around.Okay, not quite, but now that you’re interested, hear him out about why he wishes he could shave a bit off his 2.08 metres, especially when he is playing in India.”I’ve always struggled bowling in India, whether it was white ball or red ball,” Jansen said at the post-day press conference, “And I’m still jealous of people that get the ball to squat and nip back. Yesterday was a perfect example. (I bowled a ball) that went over off stump because I’m so tall. For a different bowler, like KG [Kagiso Rabada] that’s hitting top of off, so I’ve always been jealous of those people where they’re a bit shorter than me.”The delivery Jansen referred to came late on day two of the Guwahati Test, at the end of his second over. He pitched the ball on a length. It seamed back in to KL Rahul. He left it. And it sailed over the top of the sticks. Rahul judged it well but Jansen was frustrated, knowing he had come close to bowling the India opener.Related

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A tall fast bowler can often find it difficult to keep the stumps in play. But there is a flip side to it. A broadcast graphic showed that Jansen’s short ball pitched almost a metre closer to the batter than Mohammed Siraj’s and still generated disconcerting bounce.Going short wasn’t the plan when the day began. South Africa’s initial breakthrough came when the spinners operated in tandem for 17 overs in the morning session. Keshav Maharaj had Rahul caught at slip to break a 65-run opening stand while Simon Harmer was at the other end. Jansen then replaced Maharaj and the short-ball barrage started because South Africa thought they were “just going to try it.” He bowled six in a row in his first over as a sign of what was to come.In the next over, Jansen took the catch at backward point that dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and gave Harmer his first wicket. Harmer also got the next one, when Sai Sudharsan was caught at midwicket. Jansen felt that was key. “The spinners did a great job and then I was lucky to capitalise,” he told the broadcasters.3:51

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Jansen had Dhruv Jurel caught on the pull in the 36th over and that set the tone for how he was going to bowl for the rest of the innings. “When I got my first wicket with the bouncer, we said ‘okay cool, let’s see how long this is going to work.'”It worked for the rest of that spell as Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja were all out to the short ball sending Jansen on his way to pick up 6 for 48. Still, he didn’t think this performance has exposed a particular weakness in India’s batting. “Nitish Kumar Reddy. I’ve played with him at Sunrisers and I’ve seen him hit the short ball 50 rows back in IPL so I don’t think it’s a vulnerability thing. I just think it’s the game situation,” Jansen said.He was similarly complimentary about both Jurel and Pant but explained that Test cricket is “just difficult,” because “you have to absorb pressure and then you have to find a way and then you have to put pressure back on.” That is something South Africa have become better at doing over the last two years and were best at on a day like today.

I called the family – my brother, sister, mum, dad, you name it – just to get all those feelings and everything out.Jansen needed a bit of help to recover from being dismissed for 93 in Guwahati

Now as for Jansen’s claim about not bowling well in India before. It’s worth noting that he had only played one red-ball game in the country before these Tests, in 2019 for a South African A side. He bowled 15 overs and took 2 for 59. In ODIs, he has done reasonably well (17 wickets in 10 matches at 29.00), though the blow-out from South Africa’s group stage World Cup match against India in 2023 when he took 1 for 94 in 9.4 overs is clearly still a sore point. In the IPL he has 36 wickets from 35 matches but concedes at 9.40 runs to the over. All told, Jansen has been on nine tours to India, including five IPLs, over the last six years and perhaps the value of experience is starting to show.On this, his 10th trip, he has taken his first five-for in any format in the subcontinent to follow a career-best 93 with the bat. Still, he livid that a first red-ball century had eluded him. “I’ve never been in the 90s before in first-class cricket, never mind flipping Test cricket,” Jansen said.2:19

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Was it nerves, with South Africa nine down at the time, that caused him to hang back in his crease to defend Kuldeep Yadav, whom he had attacked all day, and chop on? Maybe. Maybe not. “I was nervous when I had 20. Definitely nervous. And I was nervous in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s. I was nervous the whole way through,” Jansen said.South Africa’s centurion, Senuran Muthusamy, told him to “just breathe” and “that helped massively,” but the disappointment was writ large on Jansen’s face when he was dismissed. He dealt with it when the team left the ground. “Yesterday, when we went to the hotel, I tried to switch off and blow some steam off. I called the family – my brother, sister, mum, dad, you name it – just to get all those feelings and everything out.”And to make sure he was focused for a big bowling shift. South Africa lost Rabada to injury at the start of the tour and went into this game with only two seamers in the XI. Jansen conceded that losing Rabada was big but “whether KG plays or doesn’t play, I always try to think of myself as someone who can also break the game open for the team,” he said.”I just try to give my best every time I get the opportunity and try to put the team in a winning position. Not having KG there definitely adds a bit of responsibility and pressure on myself and Wessie [Wiaan Mulder]. Nonetheless, we know we have the bowlers, we know we have the players in the squad to help the team.”Those same bowlers will have the job of bowling India out again if South Africa are to win the Test. Jansen suspects it will fall to the three spinners, one of whom – Muthusamy – has not been required at all thus far as the surface deteriorates.”It is a good wicket. There is a bit of pace, there is a bit of bounce and now, the ball is starting to turn a little bit as well. Some of the balls are stopping as well from the spin, so I think the game is going to go more to the spinners side of things,” he said. “I think the pace and the bounce will stay there, but for seamers, in particular, I think we are going to have to make the new ball count. It is still a good wicket. If you bowl well, you will get wickets. If you bat well, you will score runs. You are just going to have to figure out your way of doing it.”South Africa only need a draw in Guwahati to win the series and if they do, it will be their first series win in India since the year 2000.