A Seleção Brasileira Feminina encara Porto Rico na madrugada desta quinta-feira (22), à 0h15 (de Brasília), pela primeira rodada da Copa Ouro da Concacaf. A partida terá transmissão da ESPN 4 e do Star+ (streaming).
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✅FICHA TÉCNICA Brasil x Porto Rico 1ª rodada da Copa Ouro
Data e horário: quinta-feira, 22 de fevereiro de 2024, à 0h15 (de Brasília) Local: Estádio Torero, em San Diego (EUA) Onde assistir: ESPN 4 e Star+
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
BRASIL Luciana, Antônia, Lauren e Rafaelle; Adriana, Debinha, Duda Sampaio, Ary Borges e Yasmin; Bia Zaneratto e Gabi Nunes. Técnico: Arthur Elias.
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PORTO RICO Sydney Martínez, Veronica Garcia, Madison Cox, Amber DiOrio e Bryana Pizarro; Juelle Love, Nickolette Driesse, Sarah Martínez e Jillienne Aguilera; Jailene de Jesus e Daphane Méndez. Técnico: Nat González
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Copa OuroFutebol NacionalSeleção Brasileira feminina
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has offered his thoughts on Xavi Simons and his performances in training, while addressing the decision to bench him in Spurs’ last four matches.
Thomas Frank set for Brentford reunion amid poor Spurs run
Spurs welcome Brentford to north London on Saturday, desperately needing to end a dismal run that has seen them plummet to 11th in the Premier League table with just 19 points from 14 games.
Frank’s side approach this clash winless in their last five league outings, including three defeats.
Cristian Romero’s dramatic late overhead kick salvaged a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United in their last match, with a controversial VAR penalty to Newcastle denying them all three points.
Their home form has completely collapsed too, with the club now going six consecutive league matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without a single victory.
16. Burnley
2
1
4
7
-2
17. Nottingham Forest
2
1
4
7
-5
18. West Ham
2
0
5
6
-9
19. Tottenham
1
2
4
5
-1
20. Wolves
0
1
6
1
-11
That shocking run includes 10 home defeats throughout the entire calendar year of 2025, matching the club’s worst-ever records for home losses in a single year.
Most concerning was their last appearance on home soil, where Fulham raced into a two-goal lead within the opening six minutes before securing a 2-1 victory.
The final whistle brought a cacophony of boos ringing around the stadium, aimed squarely at Frank and his struggling squad.
The ghosts of their 4-1 capitulation at Arsenal last month continue to haunt the team. During that humbling derby defeat, Tottenham managed an expected goals figure of just 0.07, one of their lowest outputs this season, highlighting their serious lack of creativity which has become a concern.
Injury problems compound Frank’s difficulties.
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Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined, robbing Spurs of crucial attacking impetus, with James Maddison not expected back until the new year. Meanwhile, Yves Bissouma also has no set return date yet.
The Lilywhites really need Simons to step up right now after his marquee £55 million move from RB Leipzig, but the Dutchman has scarcely been given a chance lately.
Simons’ highlights in a Spurs jersey are few and far between, with the ex-PSG sensation putting in a Player of the Match display against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League and notching an assist against West Ham way back in September.
That is, however, the sum of his contribution this season, with the ex-Eredivisie starlet attracting criticism.
Thomas Frank makes Xavi Simons training claim in response to Tottenham snubs
Simons could end up costing the club £125 million when factoring in wages, agent’s fees and other add-ons over a potential seven-year contract, but to be fair to him, it’s hard to justify that price with limited game time.
Speaking in his latest press conference, Frank addressed why he hasn’t been starting for Simons for Tottenham lately — claiming it is down to a matter of form with alternatives and different personnel for contrasting matches.
The Dane also shared how Simons has been impressing in Tottenham training lately, so it is absolutely not a question of work ethic.
With the pressure on Simons to perform, Saturday sets the perfect stage, and he could become a hero by helping to arrest the club’s barren home form through a convincing display against Frank’s former club.
Litton Das, Bangladesh’s T20I captain, had questioned the decision of the selectors after Shamim Hossain had been dropped for the T20I series against Ireland
Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2025
Shamim Hossain has scores of 0, 0, 1 and 1 in his last four T20Is•AFP/Getty Images
Bangladesh have added Shamim Hossain to the squad for the third T20I against Ireland, to be played on Tuesday.The move came after captain Litton Das had criticised the selectors for leaving Shamim out of the squad for the series, saying that neither he nor coach Phil Simmons had been informed about it. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said last Friday that Shamim was being dropped to give Mahidul Islam Ankon a run in the middle order.”I think it would have been better if [Shamim] was in the team. But this is not my call, [it is] totally the selectors’ call,” Litton, known to be a mild-mannered man, had said before the first T20I. “I don’t know why, but the selector dropped Shamim without giving us notice. I have known that a captain would know which player would be in the team, and which player would be out of the team. I don’t see any reason behind Shamim getting dropped. It would have been better if he was in the team.”Ashraf countered Litton later the same day, saying that he didn’t need the captain’s permission to select or not select a player, though there has clearly been a change of heart now.The relationship between the two has reportedly been frosty since Ashraf dropped Litton during the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year.For the record, Shamim had recorded scores of 0, 0, 1 and 1 in his last four T20Is.The T20I series is level at 1-1 going into the decider.Bangladesh squad for third T20I against IrelandLitton Das (capt, wk), Saif Hassan (vice-capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mahidul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shamim Hossain
Managing director Vikram Banerjee on tournament’s challenges ahead of transformative sixth edition
Matt Roller28-Aug-2025The Hundred’s squads will be overhauled ahead of the 2026 season in a “reset” evoking the IPL’s mega-auction, marking the arrival of new investors in the eight franchises. Vikram Banerjee, the tournament’s managing director, expects the move to prove unpopular with coaches but believes it is necessary to maintain the league’s competitive balance.Teams were allowed to retain up to 10 players from their 2024 squads for the ongoing season, which concludes at Lord’s on Sunday. Women’s squads were overhauled between the second and third seasons but some men’s teams – most notably Oval Invincibles, who are hunting a third successive title – have kept a consistent core throughout the Hundred’s short history.The ECB have started to discuss retention rules with teams, with some new investors pushing for an auction model to replace a draft. The regulations are yet to be finalised, but Banerjee – who has spent every day of the Hundred’s fifth season at a match – believes the timing is right to refresh squads as he bids to “supercharge” the tournament in its new era.”I’d like next year to be a bit of a reset,” Banerjee told ESPNcricinfo. “All these leagues do it over time, and next year should be one of those. There are three things that are non-negotiable. You want to make sure whatever you do brings the very best players in; whatever the mix is between draft, auction, direct signings, retentions, the very best players in the world choose to play here.Related
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“But you also need competitive balance… That ‘Any Given Sunday’ philosophy, that you don’t know who’s going to win this game, that’s a good thing. Coaches won’t like that, but from a league level, that’s an important thing. The third thing is that it has to work [for both] men and women, and that’s really important to us.”A handful of men’s players signed contracts this year aligning with new investors – such as Rashid Khan at the Invincibles (Reliance) and Steven Smith at Welsh Fire (Washington Freedom) – and that trend is likely to accelerate, with the four IPL owners involved seeking greater continuity across their global networks of franchises.The risk of a “reset” is that significant player turnover will further dilute the identities of teams that have only existed for five years. The Hundred will undergo significant change over the next 11 months, with centralised kit manufacture (New Balance) and sponsorship (KP Snacks) deals expiring. At least three team names are set to change, along with some colourways.But Banerjee believes the 2025 season has shown that the “tribalism” he hoped would develop around Hundred teams has started to emerge. “I stand by that objective,” he said. “I love the amount of yellow [in the stands] when I go to Nottingham, or green when I go down to Southampton… That fan affinity is something that we need to keep building on.”He was buoyed by the occasional needle between teams, most evident when Liam Livingstone, riled by Tom Curran allegedly calling him a “fat slob”, blazed a match-winning 69 not out: “I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is great… It’s so important for the high-performance element that this is the [league] that they love playing in.”The glut of flags in the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston has been a sign of the Hundred’s growing ‘tribalism’, according to Banerjee•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesWhile new investors will not assume operational control of their franchises until October 1, they have all attended games this season: Sanjiv Goenka rang the bell at Emirates Old Trafford, the ‘Tech Titans’ posed for photos on the Lord’s pitch, and Akash Ambani visited the dressing room after an Oval Invincibles home win.”We take a lot of what we do for granted, but a full house at The Oval or Emirates Old Trafford, or 6,000 flags in the Hollies Stand, is something special,” Banerjee said. “We’re having some great conversations already about the tournament in general and while the 2026 season will come around fast, we’ve got a decent amount of time.”I would like us to be the unmissable event of the summer for families… If we can be that, then in season 20 – or whatever the number is, season 50 – I would love us to be standing shoulder to shoulder with all of the great sports brands… If I ask you what the very best sporting leagues are in the world, I would like us to be in that list [with] NFL, IPL, Wimbledon.”It is a lofty ambition, and one that many believe will only be possible if the Hundred becomes a T20 tournament. The 100-ball format does have some advantages – it suits the double-header model well, shaving an hour off each matchday, and fits into a tighter broadcast window – but has also proved unexpectedly bowler-friendly.While overwhelming support for a shift to T20 among new investors could, in theory, prompt the ECB to attempt to change ongoing broadcast contracts, a change appears highly unlikely for at least three more seasons. “People have bought into a product that is hugely successful,” Banerjee said. “[The format] allows it to go onto the BBC… It’s quite a complex conversation.”Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, set a long-term target to sell out a women’s Hundred match earlier this year, but the double-header model will remain for next season. Banerjee said he is “absolutely not” concerned that investors will only focus on the men’s competition: “The excitement, growth and equality that we’re trying to drive, they have all bought into that.”
I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is greatBanerjee on the ‘fat slob’ spat between Curran and Livingstone
Slow pitches remain a concern, with groundstaff stretched by the sheer volume of fixtures staged at major venues by the time the Hundred starts. “It’s easy for me to say, in my position, that I’d like, on every pitch, the ball to fly through at 90mph and scream into the middle of everyone’s bat so it goes flying out of the park,” Banerjee said. “They have a lot on their plate.”This season has been something of a holding year for the Hundred, the bridge between the tournament’s inception as a product run entirely by the ECB and its reincarnation as a league between privately-owned franchises from 2026. But Banerjee believes it has been the best edition yet, citing strong ticket sales and high attendances at women’s fixtures.”We were really keen that it wasn’t a transition year and it wasn’t a nothing year. Actually, I think this year has been the best year. It’s important that the tournament that people have bought into continues to grow, continues to be successful… It is a great tournament and it’s great fun to be at. I’m very pleased that it’s not really been a ‘transition’ [season]. It’s been a great start.”I see no reason why we can’t be that unmissable event of the summer… We need to be brilliant at knowing our fanbase on TV, digital, and in-bowl, and serving them brilliant cricket and brilliant entertainment… If we continue with our fan-first approach and philosophy and continue to invest in the things that are important to us, we can achieve that aim.”
Newcastle United have the welcome distraction of the Champions League in midweek.
In Europe’s elite competition, the Magpies are two wins from three, with eight goals under their belt. In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men are struggling badly in the Premier League.
Their horrendous run of form has seen them secure only three victories from ten, leading to Toon icon Alan Shearer labelling the situation at the moment as “rotten.”
While they may now be without Alexander Isak, a number of their key established players are yet to really fire, including the out-of-sorts Anthony Gordon.
Why Anthony Gordon is becoming an issue for Newcastle
Gordon’s topsy-turvy form sums up Newcastle’s current predicament in a nutshell.
Indeed, the England international has hammered home four Champions League strikes this season and has looked at ease on the biggest of club stages. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has even selected him to start on a regular basis this term.
That said, domestically, he has been in a horror run of form that stretches back into 2024/25. To date, he has zero goals and assists next to his name from seven Premier League outings. He has also created just two big chances across those fixtures.
Usually so creative, so dynamic and so free-flowing, the winger’s form has totally deserted him in the top-flight.
There is a stale feel in the air regarding Newcastle’s stalwarts, such as the ex-Everton attacker, as they continue to underperform, with Howe perhaps now ready to look at the youth starlets rising through the ranks at St James’ Park to fix a number of his issues.
How Newcastle could solve their Gordon problem
So far this season, Howe has chucked Lewis Miley into the first team mix here and there to freshen things up centrally, with the homegrown prodigy still only 19 years of age.
This surely bodes well for the likes of Sean Neave, who continues to rip up the Premier League 2 with his goalscoring prowess. The Newcastle-born teenager has bagged 29 goals across many different youth teams, yet a senior shot still evades him.
Alfie Harrison – who was previously on the books of Manchester City – will also be hopeful of a senior opportunity shortly, with the tricky 19-year-old maverick already up to four assists for the season in Premier League 2 action, as he continues to stick out as a vibrant Gordon-like talent.
Yet, another youngster is catching Howe’s eye who could really trouble Gordon’s first team security, with the 18-year-old in question even being wildly compared to Kylian Mbappe.
Indeed, the time now feels right to introduce the hotly-tipped Seung Soo-Park to first-team football.
Having joined the Magpies academy ranks from South Korean side Suwon Bluewings earlier this year, with lots of hype attached to his name, he looks ready and raring to make an impact under Howe’s wing.
Park would become the youngest player in the history of Korean league football when he made his senior debut for Suwon, with one goal and two assists coming his way in Korean League 2 action even resulting in his Suwon head coach Byun Sung-hwan lauding him as having the “ability to go to the very top” with his front-foot approach down the left wing.
Further hailed as being “similar to Kylian Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his speed and skilful approach down the flanks, the hope will be that Park can explode onto the senior scene much like the world-class Frenchman managed, with promising displays coming his way for Howe and Co in pre-season.
Up against Espanyol, Park ended his bright 63-minute stint with three out of four of his dribbles coming off, leading further to journalist Charlie Bennett lauding him as a “real find” from South Korea.
While Park continues to impress behind the scenes – with two assists also next to his name in the Magpies youth set-up this season – Gordon is deep in a moment of crisis in the Premier League, with his lacklustre showing against West Ham culminating in Howe bringing him off at the half-time mark.
Minutes played
45
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
28
Shots
1
Accurate passes
14/16 (88%)
Accurate crosses
0/3
Successful dribbles
0/2
The previously mentioned Bennett even said at the close of the Hammers’ defeat that Gordon is “not undroppable” – and with Anthony Elanga still without a goal or assist himself in league action after a bumper £55m move – Park might well be the outside-of-the-box answer to their troubling woes.
Gordon may well be in possession of the number 10 shirt right now but this budding Newcastle prodigy looks ready to start his ascent to stardom and swipe it away from him in the coming years.
Newcastle's £100m star in the making is "all over the place" without Isak
This Newcastle United star is seriously struggling at the moment, having once been touted to be worth £100m.
O Santos venceu o Avaí por 2 a 0 nesta sexta-feira (26), na Ressacada, pela segunda rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. Assista aos melhores momentos da partida no vídeo acima.
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Afghanistan will get plenty of practice, and scope to gather information on their Asia Cup opponents, when they play Pakistan and UAE in a T20I tournament starting in Sharjah on Friday. They’ve named virtually the same squad for both competitions, with only Naveen-ul-Haq missing from the tri-series.Abdollah Ahmadzai takes his place in the 17-member squad. The 22-year-old fast bowler, with 14 wickets from 10 T20s, is still waiting for his first international cap and has been named among the reserves for the Asia Cup. These games will be Afghanistan’s first white-ball matches since the Champions Trophy ended in February 2025.Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar is in line to make his T20I debut in the UAE tri-series, as he joins a strong spin unit comprising captain Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad.Related
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The tri-series will also mark the return of Ibrahim Zadran, with the opener not a part of Afghanistan’s last T20I assignment in Zimbabwe in December 2024. From that squad, left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote has also been left out, although he is part of the reserves for the Asia Cup. Zadran returns having last played T20Is during the 2024 World Cup.The tri-series, which Afghanistan and Pakistan will kick off, has the three teams playing each other twice in round-robin format before the top two meet in the final on September 7. Should Afghanistan reach the final, they will only get a day’s rest before their first Asia Cup game, against Hong Kong, on September 9. UAE’s first game of the Asia Cup is on September 10 and Pakistan’s is on September 12.
Afghanistan squad for UAE tri-series
Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi
In the almost six years he’s been in charge, Mikel Arteta has helped to transform Arsenal.
He’s led the North Londoners from mid-table mediocrity to genuine Premier League and Champions League contenders.
The Spaniard’s tactical nous and standard-raising philosophy have undoubtedly played a massive part in this turnaround, but so has the club’s recruitment and promotion of youth players, like Bukayo Saka.
The Hale Ender has gone from promising prospect to the face of Arsenal and undoubtedly their most important attacker, although, based on recent reports, the club are looking to sign someone who is playing better than him at the moment.
Arsenal target superstar star attacker outperforming Saka
Since making his debut for Arsenal in a 2018 Europa League group stage match against Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava, Saka has gone on an incredible journey with the club.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Despite being moved around the pitch and then spending plenty of time at left-back in his early career, the Englishman has now become the club’s go-to right-winger and the first name on the teamsheet when fit.
In all, the 24-year-old has made 280 appearances for the Gunners, in which he’s racked up a sensational haul of 76 goals and 73 assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games.
However, due in part to his injury, he has performed a little under par this season, and now it looks like the club are looking to sign someone who is outperforming him.
At least, that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Arsenal are still very interested in Michael Olise.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now preparing an ambitious plan to sign the Bayern Munich star and are willing to break their transfer record to do so, preparing an offer of around €150m, which converts to around £132m.
That’s an outrageous sum of money to spend on a player, but given Olise’s ability and potential, it might just be worth it for Arsenal, especially as he’s outperforming Saka.
How Olise compares to Saka
So, the first thing to say is that it seems highly unlikely that Arsenal would sign Olise to outright replace Saka.
After all, the Hale Ender has become the face of the project and probably the most beloved player of the last 20 years among the fanbase.
Instead, the Frenchman could be looked at as someone to offer competition, or, as has been the case with Noni Madueke, someone who can interchange with the Englishman during games, almost making the idea of a starting position antiquated.
With that said, it’s worth looking at how the pair have stacked up against one another since the Bayern ace’s move to Germany.
Last season, his first in Baveria, saw the 23-year-old rack up a sensational tally of 20 goals and 23 assists in 55 appearances, totalling 3842 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.27 games, or every 89.34 minutes.
Olise vs Saka
24/25
Olise
Saka
Appearances
55
37
Minutes
3842′
2619′
Goals
20
12
Assists
23
14
Goal Involvements per Match
0.78
0.70
Minutes per Goal Involvements
89.34′
100.73
25/26
Olise
Saka
Appearances
20
17
Minutes
1583′
1211′
Goals
9
6
Assists
10
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.95
0.47
Minutes per Goal Involvements
83.31′
151.37′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In contrast, Saka scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2619 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 100.73 minutes.
Okay, what about this season then?
Well, the former Crystal Palace star has really taken it up a notch, already scoring nine goals and providing ten assists in 20 appearances, totalling 1583 minutes.
That comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.05 games, or every 83.31 minutes, and truly justifies analyst Filipe Sousa’s description of him being a “nightmare” for defenders.
For his efforts this season, the Gunners’ talismanic number seven has scored six goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances, totalling 1211 minutes.
That comes out to a somewhat underwhelming – for his lofty standards – of an average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games, or every 151.37 minutes.
Now, it should be said that he suffered another hamstring injury at the start of the campaign and is clearly still not at 100%, but even so, he would likely admit his output has been a little disappointing this season.
Ultimately, while it would cost an egregious sum of money, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Olise, as he could help get the best back out of Saka, and a team with the pair of them in it is a scary team indeed.
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In an encouraging sign for Australia, Josh Hazlewood returned to the nets on Tuesday as he recovers from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening Ashes Test in Perth.Pat Cummins, meanwhile, was pictured bowling with a pink ball as he continues his push to return for the day-night Test at the Gabba following his back injury.The pair trained at Cricket Central in Sydney while New South Wales were playing their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.Related
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In what looked like clear evidence of immediate priorities, Hazlewood was bowling with a red ball. He is not expected to be available for the Gabba Test, so his comeback target will be Adelaide, which has reverted to a day Test this year.Speaking on Monday, Australia coach Andrew McDonald was confident that Hazlewood would be available later in the Ashes.”I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series,” he said. “We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”Cummins has been making good progress in ramping up his bowling in recent weeks and looked impressive in the nets in Perth ahead of the opening Test. The selectors will need to be fully confident that he can get through the workloads required for a Test, even if the early indications are that matches in this series may not go the distance.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” McDonald said. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”The first three Tests of the series are well spaced out – the gap between the first and second now 11 days after the two-day finish in Perth – but the schedule does become more condensed from Adelaide onwards: there is a four-day gap to the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the same to Sydney if those matches reach the fifth day.Pat Cummins has a go with the pink ball•Getty Images
With the day-night pink-ball element thrown into the mix for Brisbane, there is a good chance that it could be another short, sharp Test. In the current round of Sheffield Shield matches, ten wickets fell in the night session of the third day between Queensland and Victoria to hasten the contest to a result, although wickets hadn’t fallen at the same rate on the first two days.In that match, Xavier Bartlett put in an eye-catching performance with 4 for 35 in the second innings alongside a career-best 72 with the bat. Australia may not need further pace reinforcement during the Ashes, especially if Cummins and Hazlewood are available, but Bartlett, who has impressed in ODIs and T20Is, may have moved himself up the queue.Michael Neser was the spare pace bowler in Perth and the Gabba is his home ground. His two previous Tests have been with the pink ball in Adelaide: against England in 2021-22 and West Indies in 2022-23.In the build-up to the Ashes, the selectors also spoke of their hope that Jhye Richardson may become an option later in the series as he returns from the shoulder surgery he had earlier this year.He trained with the Test squad in Perth and then bowled 20 wicketless overs for the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions at Lilac Hill. He is expected to feature for Australia A against the Lions in Brisbane next week.”This game was a lot about physical preparation for me and making sure that we can get through,” Richardson told reporters after the CA XI outing. “I’m sure there would have been a few people seeing a bit of ice on it after the bowling but that’s basically just maintenance. The shoulder’s feeling really good and it’s feeling better and better each bowl.”It’s a decent hit out, the most overs I’ve bowled in a while and it’s all part of the process to building up to be ready for four and five-day cricket.”
Soumya Sarkar has made a comeback to the Bangladesh T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan after captain Litton Das was ruled out due to a side strain. Jaker Ali will lead the side in Litton’s absence, while the rest of the squad that played in the Asia Cup in the UAE was retained.Bangladesh’s team physio Bayjedul Islam did not specify a timeframe for Litton’s return. “He (Litton Das) had missed the last two matches of the Asia Cup with a side strain. An MRI scan has revealed a grade 1 strain on the left abdominal muscle,” Bayjedul said. “He is undergoing recovery and will not be available for the T20 series. The medical team will continue to manage his rehab and monitor his progress.”Sarkar, 32, returned to the side after injuries forced him out of the T20I series against UAE and Pakistan earlier this year. He last played a T20I in the West Indies in December 2024.Jaker led the side in Bangladesh’s last two Asia Cup matches against India and Pakistan but wasn’t able to thrive as a designated finisher; he has single-digit scores in his last three games.Bangladesh will play three T20Is against Afghanistan on October 2, 3 and 5 – their second T20I series in Sharjah. They had lost to the hosts UAE 2-1 in May and also lost a T20I against Afghanistan in 2022 at the venue.Bangladesh squad: Jaker Ali (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Soumya Sarkar