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A taste of the touring lifestyle helps remind England’s in-demand players of where their priorities should lie

Cameron Ponsonby21-Oct-2025Morale is high in the England camp currently. They’re touring New Zealand, a favourite of the players, where the low-key cities allow them to stroll to the ground under their own steam and the nearby golf courses allow them to let it off as well.Brendon McCullum’s mantra has always been to remind the players how important it is to enjoy the good old days while you’re living them. The Test squad has made a concerted effort to make playing for England special. To create an environment where, no matter what the pull of franchise cash may say to your pocket, playing for England gives you money-can’t-buy experiences.The same effort is now being made with the white-ball squad. Arguably a more difficult, but necessary task. These are the players who are most likely to be enticed away when the choice is between loads of money to bowl four overs for Abu Dhabi Anonymous or four overs in a bilateral series that both you and I will forget in a week’s time.That was the reasoning behind England’s trip to Queenstown before this series. A treat normally reserved for the red-ball boys has been extended to the white-ball group. It is a factor that every player has mentioned when speaking to the press. The rarity of such an opportunity to bond as a group, as opposed to run on the treadmill of travel, train, play.”You don’t always get that when you’re on tour,” Adil Rashid said, following his four for 32 in the second T20I. “To enjoy each other’s company, relax and not think about cricket much.”That’s the environment that Baz is trying to create and has created…that we stick together because we have that unity, that brotherhood.”It is a necessary step to make. It’s only two-and-a-half years since Alex Hales, Sam Billings, James Vince and Liam Dawson turned down a tour to Bangladesh in order to take up more lucrative PSL deals. And it isn’t just the money. This year, Dawson and Tom Banton missed T20 Finals Day after it clashed with the South Africa series. Two players, who have been at their respective counties since childhood, missed out on an emotional, and potentially historic moment in their careers, all for the prestige of watching it rain in Nottingham. The reward for shining for your county can’t be that you miss their biggest days.So far, England have reaped the benefits of their togetherness on their tour of New Zealand•AFP/Getty ImagesNext year, Finals Day is on Saturday, July 18. England play ODIs against India on Thursday, July 16 and Sunday, July 19. This was not a unique clash.Rashid is keen to stress that he believes the environment has been a welcoming one since he became a permanent fixture in 2015. However, the period since 2022 has been a black hole for England’s white-ball teams, as the core that took England to World Cup glory either faded or were rested until they dropped away entirely. Less than a year ago, England gave out four ODI debuts in Antigua, as all of Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley, Jamie Overton and John Turner made their bows in a match captained by Liam Livingstone. Of those five, only Overton remains in the 50-over squad.Context can take many forms, and if it isn’t provided by the fixtures you are playing, it can be provided by the people you are playing with.Harry Brook’s position as Test vice-captain and McCullum’s role as head coach will naturally bring the two groups closer together. So both teams will get preferential treatment rather than one being the favourite son. Spare a thought for Matthew Mott, the previous white-ball head coach, who didn’t so much pick his squads as get what he was given.Related

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This is the complication of McCullum’s reign. The criticism from domestic players is that he runs an exclusive club to which they are not invited. England, of course, are obliged to rebuff this publicly. But privately? Well, that’s kind of the point. Playing for England is meant to be an exclusive club. Access to which should grant you the perks, money and prestige that aren’t afforded to you in domestic cricket. You don’t get here easy. You earn it. And once you do, the idea is to never let it go.This will, naturally, grate for fans and former players for whom the prestige of playing for their country should be enough without the bells and whistles.But in reality, this is, and always has been, nonsense. International cricket used to be the undisputed pinnacle of the sport because it was the undisputed pinnacle of cash. But when it wasn’t – see Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket or the rebel tours – players went. This is not a new push-and-pull. But please, feel free to debate amongst yourselves the ethics of taking a deal with the Rangpur Riders versus playing in apartheid South Africa.Without doubt, England are in the privileged position of being able to afford these extracurriculars that make playing for the name on the front of the shirt that bit more special. Poorer boards would not be able to afford a Queenstown getaway and that is an imbalance that will only get worse in the future. But it is a privilege they have, and are using. And, to use the example of Rashid – 38 in February and the elder statesman of the squad – the mood within the current set-up gives him no reason to consider his wider options.”One hundred percent I’ve still got the hunger, the hunger to play for England and represent my country,” Rashid said. “As an individual, I think that’s the biggest achievement in any sport. I still have that passion there for England. I think that when the passion does die down, or whatever it is, that’s when you think, ‘Okay, right, let’s have a real think about it.’ At the moment I haven’t really thought of anything else. I’ve got that passion, there’s a lot of cricket to be played.”For years, the white-ball side was an Invitational XI of the best players available on the day. McCullum and Brook are doing their best to turn it into a team once more.

Batting coach denies poor performance is part of wider decline in Sri Lanka cricket

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Nov-20232:18

Farveez: Inconsistency has let Sri Lanka down

Sri Lanka’s poor performance in the World Cup is not part of a wider decline of Sri Lanka cricket, their batting coach Naveed Nawaz said. This is a group, he said, that’s pretty young, and has more World Cups in them.And perhaps there is some truth to the latter statement especially. Of the 11 that took the field on Thursday, only four are over 30. And even among those over 30, it is not inconceivable that the likes of Kasun Rajitha (30), and Dushmantha Chameera (31), might be around for another ODI World Cup cycle.”Well, it’s a cause of concern for sure, but I don’t see it as the decline of Sri Lanka cricket,” said Nawaz. “We’ve got a young group of players; we’ve got only a few guys who have played over 100 ODIs here in this group as well. So, I think it’s a rebuilding stage where we are, a couple of new players are still learning the trade, I would say.”Related

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There has been a marked decline for some time, however, since the era in which Sri Lanka was arguably the best big-tournament team around. Between 2007 and 2014, Sri Lanka made five global finals, winning the last of those (the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh). In addition, they made two other major semi-finals.Since 2015, however, Sri Lanka have not made a global semi-final at all, in seven attempts. They had to qualify to even play at this World Cup. Sri Lanka’s goal in their two remaining matches, would be to qualify for the next big ODI event.”I think it’s going to be important that we finish above the eight to qualify for Champions Trophy [in 2025]. We’ve got to find a factor to motivate the boys and keep them alive because we had the same issue in June when we played the World Cup Qualifier. There was no guarantee when we went into Zimbabwe to qualify for the World Cup.”Kusal Mendis had his bails broken by Mohammed Siraj•ICC/Getty ImagesWhile Nawaz conceded that some of the responsibility to prepare players for the kind of bowling India sent down to Sri Lanka rested with the coaching staff, he also suggested Sri Lanka’s batters had not applied themselves. Their 55 all out was the third occasion in which Sri Lanka have failed to reach triple figures against India this year.”The bowlers bowled incredibly well and we have to give them credit,” he said. “But we have to take the responsibility for how it turned out. In the difficult situations, there was no one willing to push the game deep and handle it. Angelo [Mathews] showed signs of doing that, but others gave away their wickets early. In this tournament we’ve scored 300, 340 – scores like that, against good bowlers. But we did have shortcomings in our fighting qualities today.”

Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran’s form, and Andre Russell’s fitness will be key for them

Firdose Moonda21-Oct-20214:01

Talking tactics – How can West Indies best use Chris Gayle?

Big pictureAs the defending champions and the only team to hold this title twice, West Indies should be favourites but they come into this tournament in worse shape than either of the previous two they won. Since their 2016 triumph, West Indies hold a win-loss ratio of 0.666, which means they’re losing two out of every three games they play. No other team in the Super 12 is doing that bad, with most doing losing once in every two matches, if that.There’s always an argument to be made that pre-tournament form counts for less than we think it does, especially when it comes to West Indies, especially since their recent record is at least partly down to not always having their best players available. But at an event where teams have to win at least three group matches to progress to the semi-final, emerging victorious every third game, as West Indies have been doing, simply won’t be enough. West Indies will need to reel off strong performances successively, and there are also questions over whether they have the personnel to do that.Their squad includes two of the five players who have appeared at every T20 World Cup to date – Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo – and there’s a debate over Gayle’s inclusion because of his recent form. Curtly Ambrose doesn’t think Gayle should be an automatic pick, resulting in Gayle lashing out and Viv Richards coming to Ambrose’s defence. Apart from the concerns around Gayle, West Indies will also be worried about Nicholas Pooran’s lack of runs, and the gamble they took by including Ravi Rampaul on the CPL form (he last played for them nearly six years ago) and leaving Jason Holder out.Despite all that, West Indies will be playing for something bigger than themselves. They’ve confirmed they will continue to gesture in support of anti-racism and will take a knee before each game.Recent formFairly average. West Indies lost 3-2 in a see-saw series to South Africa, beat an understrength Australian side 4-1 and then lost the only match that was not rained out in a four-game series, to Pakistan.BattingMuch responsibility will rest on the shoulders of the opening pair of Evin Lewis and one of Lendl Simmons and Andre Fletcher. Lewis is West Indies’ highest T20I run scorer in 2021 and sixth in the world, while Simmons is their next most successful batter. Shimron Hetmyer will have to operate as the glue between those in the line-up whose form has come under the microscope – Gayle and Pooran – and the pressure on Hetmyer may grow. Lower in the order, Roston Chase, who has never played a T20I but topped the CPL run charts will play an important all-round role while Kieron Pollard’s finishing could prove decisive.Chris Gayle has scored only one half-century in his last 26 T20I innings•AFP/Getty ImagesBowlingLeft-arm seamer Obed McCoy has been one of the finds of the year for West Indies after establishing himself in the shortest format side over the last few months and becoming their leading bowling this year. He will have the experience of Bravo and Andre Russell to draw on, which gives West Indies a strong pace attack albeit without Holder. It remains to be seen whether they have enough in the spin department. Legspinner Hayden Walsh is their frontline slower bowler with the rest of the duties falling to allrounders Fabian Allen, Chase and perhaps even Gayle.Player to watchChris Gayle is the batter who made T20, and T20 is the format that made Chris Gayle, which is big enough a reason to watch him. But if you need another, at 42, Gayle is the oldest player in this tournament and although he may not like the suggestion, it could well be his last T20 World Cup. Age alone will not decide if Gayle plays in another major competition. Form has to have a say and it’s not looking too good on that front. Gayle played just two matches for Punjab Kings in the second half of the IPL before leaving the bubble to refresh himself ahead of the T20 World Cup. Before that, he scored 165 runs in 9 innings in the CPL (average 18.33), with a top score of 42 and has just one half-century in T20I cricket in 26 innings, dating back to March 2016.Key questionHow fit is Russell? He only played in three of Kolkata Knight Riders’ ten games in the second half of the IPL as he picked up a hamstring injury. Add that to the chronic knee issue that has hampered him in the past and it seems only reasonable to be concerned that Russell may not be available as much as West Indies need him to be at this tournament. If that’s the case, it’s going to affect multiple areas of their game. Russell’s batting allows West Indies to bat down to No. 9, and in his absence, they’ve often found themselves a bowling option short. Despite having Pollard and Allen in their ranks, Russell is a two-in-one West Indies cannot do without for a tournament this important and they’ll hope he is fully fit and stays that way for the next month.Likely XI1 Evin Lewis, 2 Andre Fletcher/Lendl Simmons, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Dwayne Bravo, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Oshane Thomas/Hayden Walsh Jr

Wayne Rooney has admitted he was “sceptical” about one Manchester United star, who has since been “by far” the best player and proven him wrong.

Man Utd end nine-year wait for victory at Anfield

Despite Liverpool’s poor form, few would have predicted Man United going to Anfield and picking up all three points, but that is exactly what they managed to do, with Harry Maguire’s late header ending a nine-year wait for a win at the home of their major rivals.

Maguire scoring a late winner was a fitting end to the game, given that the defender missed a golden chance to bag all three points for United at Anfield last season, and Ruben Amorim will be hoping his side can now kick on, after a turbulent start to the season.

The manager spent heavily to strengthen his squad in the summer, and a number of new signings have caught the eye, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens impressing on his debut against Sunderland, before going on to make four saves from inside the box against Liverpool.

However, Rooney has now claimed that a different new arrival has been the Red Devils’ most impressive player in the early stages of the campaign, singling out Bryan Mbeumo for high praise on his BBC Sport podcast.

The former striker said: “I’ll be honest, I was a bit sceptical when Manchester United signed him. I didn’t know whether he had the ability to come and play for Man United but he’s proven me wrong, and I think he’s been a great addition to the team, and by far Man United’s best player this season.”

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2 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 20, 2025 Mbeumo strikes early to help see off Liverpool

Mbeumo opened the scoring at Anfield after just 62 seconds, albeit in controversial fashion, with debate arising about whether the goal should have stood, given that Alexis Mac Allister was down due to a head injury.

The 26-year-old’s second Premier League goal wasn’t his only contribution either, having also created one big chance, which helped him earn a 7.6 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any Man United player.

The £150k-a-week star has been a shining light for United, amid a slow start to the campaign, chipping in with an assist against Sunderland, as well as his side’s second goal in the 3-2 victory against Burnley at the end of August.

With no European or EFL Cup football to contend with, the Red Devils have a golden opportunity to mount a push for the Champions League this season, and Mbeumo is likely to be key to their success.

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways on Saturday, defeating Brentford 2-0 courtesy of goals from Xavi Simons and Richarlison.

It was the first time that Thomas Frank’s men have won a game of football since November 4th when they defeated Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League.

Since then, the Lilywhites have been on a dire run of form, notably losing the north London derby 4-1. It’s a sequence of results that has thrown doubts over Frank’s future in the dugout.

What won’t help Spurs is that they’ve now received a series of injury blows following the win over Frank’s former side.

Tottenham dealt injury blows against Brentford

Spurs may well have sealed all three points on Saturday afternoon but the game didn’t come without some bad news for the club.

Indeed, they now have injury concerns over Destiny Udogie and Randal Kolo Muani before they face Slavia Prague in Europe on Wednesday night.

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Udogie missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brentford after he sustained a soft tissue injury in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle while PSG loanee Kolo Muani stood out against Brentford but was subbed early and was later seen limping as he left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank was quizzed about those issues after the game, with the Dane asked how long Udogie will be out for.

The manager responded: “Not too long. He got a soft tissue injury, unfortunately, against Newcastle.”

Spurs are already without long-term absentees Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison while Mathys Tel will be missing after not being registered in the club’s Champions League squad.

The north Londoners will now hope they can string a positive sequence of results together with the win against the Bees somewhat easing the pressure on the manager.

Speaking after sealing their first home win in the Premier League since August 16th, the boss stated: “Yeah, that is the standard.

“Sometimes there’s more tight games, as we know, but I like what I saw from the team and that’s what we need to build on and try to become even better.”

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By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 6, 2025

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and BlueCo are gearing up for what could be an intriguing January transfer window, as one player reportedly eyes the Stamford Bridge exit door.

The west Londoners could be genuine Premier League title contenders, and their 3-0 statement win over Barcelona in midweek absolutely supports that theory.

Chelsea’s triumphant Champions League victory against the La Liga champions was the perfect way to prepare for their blockbuster face-off at home to Arsenal, and victory would see them close the gap to just three points.

However, a few players may not be along for the ride this season.

Chelsea are reportedly preparing for potential departures in January, as several current squad members seek routes out of London.

Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi remain the most problematic situations. Both players have been completely frozen out by Maresca, training separately from the first team in what has been dubbed the club’s “bomb squad.”

Sterling, who earns £325,000-per-week, and Disasi have been denied access to standard first-team facilities this term and will be desperate for January moves to resurrect their careers.

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Sterling’s substantial wages and Disasi’s apparent lack of suitors complicate matters significantly, but Maresca has confirmed that the latter has actually been assisting young players and helping with the ‘second team’.

There is also the matter of second-string goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Jorgensen has emerged as the highest-profile exit candidate among active squad members. The Danish goalkeeper is reportedly considering a January departure after finding himself firmly behind Robert Sanchez in the pecking order.

Jorgensen wants regular playing time to secure his spot in Denmark’s 2026 World Cup squad, with national team bosses making clear he needs consistent minutes.

However, Chelsea are reluctant to sanction a loan, and any departure would need to be permanent.

Filip Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea as clubs make contact

That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who reports via his Substack that Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea and clubs are now starting to make contact.

The 23-year-old, who’s started just one Premier League game, one Champions League and two Carabao Cup matches, finds himself stuck behind Sanchez and a move could be the best solution for all parties.

Promising young shot-stopper Mike Penders is also due back from his loan at Strasbourg in 2026, acting as a ready-made replacement for Jorgensen, and there are reports that Chelsea have reopened talks with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.

If the latter were to arrive, Jorgensen’s game time would be even more limited, so it is hard to envisage a future where the Dane is playing regularly enough in a Blues shirt.

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo faces a fresh concern about star winger Jarrod Bowen, with the Englishman poised to play a key role in the Hammers’ fight against relegation.

The 2025/26 campaign has plunged Bowen into the most challenging period of his West Ham career. While the 28-year-old continues delivering on an individual level, his club finds themselves in a perilous battle at the wrong end of the Premier League table that threatens to define his future.

The Hammers captain has been West Ham’s top goalscorer for four consecutive Premier League seasons, netting 47 times in that period, cementing his status as the club’s talisman since his arrival from Hull City in January 2020.

Bowen is surely a shoo-in for Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup selection, having only missed out on two England squad inclusions since 2023, but the questions lie around his long-term future with West Ham currently in a dogfight.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bowen will get real encouragement by the fact West Ham have just won back-to-back home games for the first time since last year, and the Irons are a club he absolutely adores. He put pen to paper on a long-term seven-year deal back in 2023, keeping him at the club until 2030, but those were very different times back then.

After his winner against Fiorentina in the Conference League final that year, which gifted West Ham their first major trophy since the 1980s, optimism around the London Stadium was high.

However, amid fan protests against the ownership and their steep decline in the last two years, speculation surrounding Bowen’s future is rife.

Liverpool are exploring a deal to sign Bowen ahead of 2026, with West Ham reportedly willing to consider selling their captain if they receive an ‘irresistible’ offer. The connection to Anfield isn’t new, but the circumstances have changed dramatically. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp previously described Bowen as his favourite player outside his own squad, and Bowen actually shares an agent with Reds defender Andy Robertson.

Arne Slot’s side could be keen on the 28-year-old as an heir to Mohamed Salah, but he’s also been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Newcastle.

West Ham dealt Jarrod Bowen blow as Nuno faces fresh concern

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also report the star forward’s stance on leaving West Ham in 2026.

As per their information, it isn’t good news, with Bowen looking to leave West Ham next summer and potentially compete for a Champions League club to test his own ambitions.

With 130 goal contributions in 250 appearances since joining from Hull, Bowen’s contribution at West Ham absolutely dwarfs his teammates.

The fan favourite’s departure would leave a gaping void that West Ham’s current squad lacks the quality to fill. Beyond stats, Bowen embodies leadership, consistency and the ‘West Ham way’ during very turbulent times – qualities desperately needed as the club battles a drop to the Championship.

Selling a homegrown hero who married into East London royalty and delivered European glory would also come as a major disappointment to the fanbase.

Replacing Bowen’s goals, assists, work rate and leadership would require multiple signings, and perhaps even more than that.

The task would be David Sullivan’s biggest one yet, and amid all-time high unrest over his leadership, the chairman needs to tread carefully.

As Rob Manfred continues to look for ways to spice up Major League Baseball, he apparently is considering a new out-of-the-box idea.

MLB's commissioner recently told Puck's John Ourand that the "Golden At-Bat" rule has been discussed throughout the league.

"There are a variety of [rule change ideas] that are being talked about out there. One of them—there was a little buzz around it at an owners' meeting—was the idea of a 'Golden At-Bat.'" Manfred said on podcast.

Most probably haven't heard of the proposal for a "Golden At-Bat," but the basic concept is that a team could choose one at-bat in every game to use its best hitter regardless of where they are in the lineup. So if, say the New York Yankees had the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, they could bring Aaron Judge to the plate even if it wasn't his turn in the order. It would be a one-time replacement, not a substitution like a pinch hitter.

There could be variations on it. As Jayson Stark points out, restricting the rule only to teams trailing at the time could be an interesting constraint. It could also lead to scenarios where a hitter bats one spot before his turn in the lineup, so what would happen if he gets on base? Would the original hitter take his spot on the bases, for the Golden hitter to step back in the batter's box for a second consecutive at-bat? There is a ton to think through here.

"That rule, and things like that, are in the conversation-only stage right now," Manfred clarified on the podcast.

One thing is for sure: If the "Golden At-Bat" rule is eventually implemented, scorecards are going to be an absolute mess.

In a season where no teams are on pace to finish with 100 wins, the playoff picture feels quite muddled considering there are just 11 days left in the regular season.

That's especially true in the American League, as none of the three division titles have been clinched yet and the three wild-card spots are still up for grabs. We've witnessed Aaron Judge steer the New York Yankees to the top of the AL East once again, the Seattle Mariners fumble away a big lead to their AL West bullies in the Houston Astros, and the Cleveland Guardians pull away in the AL Central under the leadership of new manager Stephen Vogt.

There will be a new team representing the American League in the World Series this year, as the defending champion Texas Rangers are all but officially eliminated from playoff contention. So, what could prevent each contender from emerging from the AL bracket? Let's dive into each contender's biggest weakness.

New York Yankees

Current playoff spot: AL East leader
Biggest weakness: Bullpen

The Yankees' high-leverage bullpen arms have been a big concern all season. Former closer Clay Holmes was demoted from his ninth-inning role earlier this month and has blown a league-high 11 saves—including two since his transition to a setup role.

Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, Ian Hamilton and Marcus Stroman have combined for five saves since Holmes's demotion, but the Yankees don't really have a go-to reliever to set the table for whoever gets the ninth inning. And they certainly can't trust Holmes at this point.

Cleveland Guardians

Current playoff spot: AL Central leader
Biggest weakness: Starting rotation

The Guardians arguably boast the best bullpen in all of baseball thanks to another dominant season from All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, but the guys trying to get the game to the arm barn leave much to be desired. Cleveland's rotation ranks 24th in ERA (4.49) and 23rd in WHIP (1.32) this season, having scuffled amid injuries, poor performances, or both, from Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen and Carlos Carrasco.

Tanner Bibee should start the first game of a playoff series, but after that? Veterans Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb, who last pitched on Sept. 1 and is still dealing with a right hand blister, have combined for 10 starts for Cleveland and yet are probably the best options.

Houston Astros

Current playoff spot: AL West leader
Biggest weakness: The Justin Verlander situation

Remember in May when everyone thought the Astros' dynasty was over? Houston is playing its best baseball at the right time, much to the chagrin of the rival Mariners.

The Astros are still a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs and could easily make their eighth straight ALCS appearance this fall. But a big question lingering in Houston is around three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. Is there a spot for him in the playoff rotation?

Framber Valdez should start the opening game of any playoff series, and Hunter Brown has been fantastic since the All-Star break (2.33 ERA). The Astros also have won all eight games Yusei Kikuchi has pitched since he was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Verlander owns a 5.20 ERA in 15 starts this season and hasn't posted a single quality start since May.

Does first-year Astros manager Joe Espada roll with the hot hands in his rotation? Or does he give the ball to a future Hall of Famer and two-time World Series champion who consistently shows up in the spotlight?

Baltimore Orioles

Current playoff spot: First AL wild card
Biggest weakness: Slumping offense

An old baseball adage rings true for Baltimore: It's not who you play, it's when you play them. And right now, anyone playing the Orioles is having a pretty good time.

The O's have lost seven of their last 10 games and have failed to score more than three runs in all seven losses. Over the last 30 days, Baltimore ranks 29th in batting average (.204) and 28th in OPS (.624). The club's young, exciting core has struggled of late, as Adley Rutschman owns a .190/.289/.250 slash line over the last month and Jackson Holliday hasn't exactly secured himself a spot on the playoff roster.

Kansas City Royals

Current playoff spot: Second AL wild card
Biggest weakness: Bullpen

Bobby Witt Jr. is a problem. And he'll be a problem for whoever the Royals face in the wild-card round. But the bullpen is a problem for those employed at 1 Royal Way in Kansas City.

The Royals' relievers rank 23rd in ERA (4.42) and 25th in WHIP (1.38) this season. Trade-deadline acquisition Lucas Erceg has been mostly steady since being promoted to the ninth-inning role, converting eight of 10 save opportunities, but former closer James McArthur is the latest reliever to hit the injured list, following veterans Hunter Harvey, Will Smith and Chris Stratton. Manager Matt Quatraro is running out of reliable options to work with in the late innings.

Minnesota Twins

Current playoff spot: Tied for third AL wild card
Biggest weakness: Starting pitching

The Twins' ownership followed up its most successful season in two decades last year by significantly slashing payroll—and now the club is paying for it.

There's really no trustworthy option in the rotation behind ace Pablo Lopez. Joe Ryan is out for the season, Bailey Ober has been inconsistent after a fantastic start to the year, and the Twins' trio of youngsters—David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson and Zebby Matthews—are so hot and cold it's tough to predict which one they'll call upon for a Game 3 start.

The bullpen hasn't been good, either, over Minnesota's current 10–19 slump since Aug. 18. Add that to lingering injuries for stars Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, and a lot has to go right for the Twins to even match last year's playoff success.

Detroit Tigers

Current playoff spot: Tied for third AL wild card
Biggest weakness: Inexperience

To even be on this list in late September is quite the accomplishment for Detroit, which hasn't made the playoffs since 2014 or finished a season over .500 since '16. The Tigers find themselves in the mix after winning the most games (33) in the American League since the All-Star break.

Detroit, however, is a young team—the third-youngest roster in MLB. Just one of their nine regular starting hitters has more than two years of MLB service time, and Matt Vierling represents the most playoff experience among Tigers batters with 15 postseason plate appearances for Philadelphia in 2022.

The Tigers are likely still a year away. But if they surpass the Twins or Royals, the pitching staff—namely, AL Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal—could make some noise in the postseason.

Seattle Mariners

Current playoff spot: 2.5 GB of third AL wild card
Biggest weakness: Offense

The Mariners built a World Series-caliber rotation, as Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert are about as good as it gets for a trio of starters. Unfortunately, their offense isn’t of the same pedigree.

Entering Thursday's game, the Mariners rank dead last in baseball in batting average (.221) and 25th in slugging percentage (.373). Julio Rodriguez, a preseason favorite to take home the AL MVP, is finally finding his swing in September, batting .310 with seven extra-base hits in 16 games. But will it be enough?

By leaving Paterson out, SA lengthened their batting and slotted Mulder at No. 3, where he has batted only twice before in Tests

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-2025

Lungi Ngidi has also only played two Tests in the last 18 months•ICC/Getty Images

At Lord’s come Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi will play his first Test in ten months, and only his third under coach Shukri Conrad. Ngidi was confirmed in South Africa’s XI for the WTC final ahead of Dane Paterson, preferred for the extra pace and bounce in an attack that will also feature Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj.”It was probably one of the tougher decisions that have been made,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said at his pre-match press conference. “We’ve seen what Patto [Paterson] did for us at the end of last season. But from a tactical point of view, there’s a little bit more pace from Lungi. He is taller as well.”On the Lord’s slope, a bowler’s height is considered a major asset. All of Australia’s quicks are at least 1.90m tall, while Jansen stands at 2.06m and Ngidi at 1.93m. Mulder, at 1.85m, is the shortest of the quicks across both sides, and his bowling style – medium pace with the ability to move the ball – was considered too similar to Paterson’s to include both of them in an attack looking for variety.Related

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“Lungi has the experience. He’s played here before – not that Patto hasn’t, but Lungi complements that bowling attack a little bit more,” Bavuma said. “We have a guy like Mulder as well, who kind of gives you something similar to what Patto can do. But I think that was probably one of the difficult decisions that we had to make.”Ngidi’s inclusion could still be considered a risk. While he has played at Lord’s before, against England in 2022, he bowled 12 overs across two innings, with figures of 1 for 27. Ngidi has also only played two Tests in the last 18 months, and no red-ball cricket last summer. He trained with Rabada, Jansen and Mulder under the watch of Stuart Broad on Monday afternoon.Ngidi’s last first-class match was South Africa’s Test against West Indies in August last year, where he bowled 16.5 overs with a haul of 1 for 51. Since November 2022, Ngidi has only bowled a combined ten-plus overs twice – both times in Tests – as he has battled a series of injuries. The latest was a groin concern that ruled him out from mid-November last year to January this year.Ngidi played five games in the SA20 this year and all of South Africa’s matches at the Champions Trophy and two games at the IPL. He bowled two overs against Zimbabwe in Arundel in a rain-affected warm-up match, but it remains to be seen how he will perform in long spells – or in third, fourth and fifth spells if required.Wiaan Mulder will form South Africa’s core for the next few years•AFP/Getty Images

Paterson is proven in that regard, and delivered 68 overs in the two Tests he played over the home summer in 2024-25, when he took 13 wickets at 16.92, South Africa’s best average. But Paterson has only once played in a Test with Mulder, in Bangladesh last October, where both had a light second-innings load as the spinners took control.South Africa’s desire to lengthen their batting line-up and balance their attack has ultimately cost Paterson the chance at a perfect farewell. He has not been named in their squad for the Tests against Zimbabwe later this month, and at 36, is in the twilight of his career. Ngidi and Mulder, meanwhile, at 29 and 27, respectively, will be part of the core for the next few years.Mulder has also been given the responsibility of batting at No. 3 in the WTC final, something he has only done twice before in his career – and both times for South Africa.The first was in Durban against Sri Lanka last year. When Tony de Zorzi was dismissed in the 12th over, Mulder offered to come in to try and take the shine off a new(ish) ball. But he suffered a broken right middle finger and was ruled out of cricket for the rest of 2024. Mulder returned for the New Year’s Test against Pakistan, where he again batted at No. 3, and scored 5.Tristan Stubbs has been South Africa’s go-to No. 3 batter in recent times•AFP/Getty Images

His most successful batting position in the top seven in all first-class cricket is No. 5, where he averages 39.20. But South Africa have chosen to use Tristan Stubbs, who was originally given the No. 3 spot, in that position. The other batter in the squad is opener de Zorzi, who has lost his spot to Ryan Rickelton and has not been considered at No. 3 – for now.”Mulder is quite young obviously in that position. But having played with Mulder, [and] having seen the way he has grown in the last two years within red-ball cricket, it’s about giving him a lot more confidence, backing him, and allowing him to do what he does best,” Bavuma said. “He has an opportunity in a pressure situation. But I think he can take comfort from the fact that the guys are backing him. We just want him to go out and play his game.”If Mulder is looking for advice, he could find some from Hashim Amla, South Africa’s most successful No. 3 among all those to have batted at least 20 times there.Amla averaged 49.95 in that position, and scored 25 hundreds. He was inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening, alongside former captain Graeme Smith, and his first tip to Mulder was to make sure he was ready to bat as early as possible.”You have to be able to handle a new ball. That’s because most of the time at No. 3, you end up coming in pretty early – so you’re always prepping for that,” Amla said. “You’ve got to have a good technique, and you’ve got to have the experience of batting in the top order for a long time. That makes the quality of a good No. 3 batsman for a long period of time.”Like Mulder, Amla was not a natural No. 3, but thinks it’s a role players can grow into.”When I first started at three, I was not a No. 3 batter. I actually preferred [batting at] four and five, and batting at three for South Africa was the only gap at that stage,” Amla said. “They asked me to do it, and I did it. I had a season of doing it with the Dolphins, and then going to the national team. In this current team, you may not have guys who have batted [at] three domestically, but there’s a time for them to start. And if Wiaan bats at three, it might be his time.”You have to be real that you need time to learn the position, and although it’s a big final, it’s tough to be in the deep end like that. But he can make it work. He’s technically sound, and the style of cricket that South Africa look to be playing is a little bit more attacking. So in many ways, your technique is not tested as much. You’re playing a bit more shots than normal, so it might fit into the way that South Africa are playing.”Of the two contenders for No. 3, Stubbs could be considered the more aggressive. But after trying him at No. 3 for five Tests in which he averaged 44.71, albeit on fairly flat tracks, South Africa decided to move him down, where he can play with more flair. Bavuma will bat at No. 4, between Mulder and Stubbs.With Bavuma as South Africa’s leading Test run-scorer in the last five years, Mulder and Stubbs’ fortunes are as, if not more, reliant on their captain’s performance.