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Sarwar Imran in a stable condition at team hotel and hopeful of attending training on Wednesday

Mohammad Isam30-Sep-2025

Bangladesh women’s head coach Sarwar Imran suffered a minor stroke on Monday in Colombo, where the team is preparing for their World Cup opener against Pakistan.Team manager SM Golam Faiyaz confirmed the news to ESPNcricinfo, stating that Imran is now in a stable condition.”(Sarwar) Imran sir was feeling dizzy a couple of days ago, and it continued on Monday. We took him to the hospital where the doctors detected he had a minor brain stroke,” said Faiyaz.The manager said that Imran was released from the hospital on Tuesday. He is now recuperating in the team hotel, although he wanted to join Tuesday’s training session.”We asked sir to rest today,” Faiyaz said. “He is hopeful of going to the ground with us tomorrow (Wednesday).”Imran, aged 66, was appointed the women’s head coach in February this year, after Hashan Tillakaratne, the former Sri Lanka captain, left the role earlier in the year.Imran was also the men’s coach when the Bangladesh team played their inaugural Test in 2000.Bangladesh open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan in Colombo on Thursday. It will be their second appearance at the tournament, having made their debut in 2022 and scraped through qualifying for this year’s event.

Josh Tongue, bowling with great pace and huge stamina to take five for 100, bowled Nottinghamshire to a highly dramatic 20-run victory against Surrey at the Kia Oval – the win that could bring Notts their first championship title since 2010.Surrey, needing 315 in the fourth innings of a great contest, were bowled out for 294 after a final day of continually fluctuating fortunes and packed with incident, and it was Tongue who grabbed the last three wickets to haul his side over the line despite a defiant 33 at the end by Tom Lawes.Lawes, with just last man Dan Worrall for company, managed a few boundaries but then – attempting to beat a spread field again – holed out to Ben Slater on the deep extra cover rope to kick-start joyful Notts celebrations.Dan Lawrence made 50, and featured in a brave 51-run stand with Tom Curran that rocked Notts back on their heels as the runs needed came down to 75, but it was the visitors who held their nerve.Liam Patterson-White, the slow left-arrmer brought on for what became the game’s sole over of spin, had Curran stumped with his fourth ball for a 33-ball 33 and then Dillon Pennington removed Lawrence to leave the stage to Tongue.The big England Test fast bowler ended a bright eighth-wicket stand between Lawes and Gus Atkinson by having the latter caught at first slip for 11. And then, four balls later, sheer pace forced Matt Fisher to chop down into his own stumps to go for a duck. Even then, however, with 34 more runs required, Lawes and Worrall chipped away until Tongue delivered the coup de grace.It was compelling viewing, a great advert for Rothesay County Championship cricket. With their win, Notts moved 15 points ahead of Surrey at the top of Division One, although a subsequent one-point deduction for a slow over-rate by the match referee has increased their requirement in next week’s final round of matches.Dillon Pennington claimed the wicket of Dan Lawrence lbw•PA Photos/Getty Images

Next week Notts will need a maximum of 11 points, but possibly less, to make sure of the title when they host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. Surrey, still aiming for a fourth successive championship but now very much depending on Warwickshire to do them a favour, visit Hampshire.Notts had seemed favourites when Surrey resumed on 66 for no wicket, chasing a distant victory target in a match dominated by two high-class pace attacks.Ollie Pope, riding his luck early on, gave Surrey renewed hope with 41 after the early loss of both openers and there were only another 122 runs required when they lost their fifth wicket six overs after lunch.The Lawrence-Curran stand then made Surrey favourites themselves at 240 for five, but both falling in the space of six balls proved crucial.Surrey had scored 97 runs in the morning session, for the loss of four wickets, leaving the match still tantalisingly poised at lunch – although the dismissals of Ben Foakes and Pope in quick succession did seem to have tilted matters in Notts’ favour again.Rory Burns, on 41 overnight, fell in the fourth over for 45 as he attempted to whip a straight ball from Tongue – bowling from around the wicket – wide of mid-on and was palpably leg-before when he missed it.Dom Sibley began the day on 18 but added just seven runs before getting in a tangle against a ball from Brett Hutton that he clearly thought might nip back into him, and edged to second slip.Pope had by then already endured a fraught start to his innings. On two he threw his bat at a widish outswinger from Hutton and was lucky not to edge it, and then Tongue flashed a vicious delivery that bounced and left him past his defences.On four, Pope nicked Tongue through a vacant third slip for a streaky boundary but soon England’s vice-captain was also producing some quality strokes – including a beautiful on-driven four off Tongue and then an extra cover drive against Hutton which brought up Surrey’s 100.Pope then had to dive full-length into the crease at the bowler’s end to avoid being run out by Haseeb Hameed’s direct hit from mid on, before being beaten on 26 by a corker from James.Yet he and Foakes, with a series of sharp singles and the odd boundary, put on 42 in good time to give Surrey some forward momentum as the morning session moved into its second hour.Back came Notts, though, as Tongue had Foakes (18) well-held as he fell forward by Patterson-White at first slip and then, in the next over, James picked up Pope’s prized scalp thanks to a fine catch diving to his right by Freddie McCann at second slip.Ryan Patel, badly dropped by keeper Kyle Verreynne off Tongue on one, failed to cash in and miscued horribly to mid on to go for six when trying to pull James to wide midwicket.That left Surrey 193 for five but in strode Curran to help Lawrence launch their thrilling counter-attack. Tongue, striving for another breakthough, still beat the bat on occasions but also proved expensive.Pennington, too, felt the force of the Surrey sixth-wicket pair’s strokeplay with 17 being plundered from the 54th over of the innings as Curran hit two legside fours and Lawrence another before finishing the over with a flowing drive for three to extra cover.Their half-century partnership arrived in just eight overs but Curran’s sparkling cameo ended one run later when he yorked himself giving Patterson-White the charge and Verreynne completed the stumping.Lawrence then departed in the next over, leg-before to Pennington as he shuffled across his stumps, and at 246 for seven it was Notts again who looked as if they had the upper hand. They did, but only just.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have “spoken” to representatives of Erik ten Hag regarding their vacant managerial role and his stance on the position has now been made clear.

After 10 games in the Premier League this season, Wolves have acquired two points from an available 30. Without a win in those matches, Vitor Pereira was sacked following a 3-0 loss to Fulham, despite the Portuguese having signed a new contract just weeks earlier.

Wolves will, no doubt, hope to make a swift appointment to replace Pereira. The Old Gold have an interim manager in place for their game against Chelsea in the shape of James Collins, as they consider a wide range of options who could succeed Pereira.

Middlesbrough head coach Rob Edwards appears to be the top target for Wolves, even though Boro are reluctant to let Edwards, who only joined in the summer, depart for Molineux, where he has spent time as both a coach and player.

According to Football Insider, however, the club are seemingly interested in bringing one particular manager back to the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag open to Wolves role

Recent reports have indicated that not only have Wolves spoken with ten Hag’s representatives, but that the Dutchman would be “interested in speaking to Wolves about the job”.

No stranger to the Premier League, ten Hag moved from Ajax to Manchester United in 2022. Across the following two years, he won an EFL Cup and FA Cup, but struggled to enjoy much consistent success in both domestic and European football.

Sacked in 2024, ten Hag spent almost a year without a job until being hired by Bayer Leverkusen to replace Xabi Alonso in the summer of 2025. After taking charge of just three matches for the German side, however, ten Hag was sacked and remains a free agent.

Though recent seasons have not been the kindest for ten Hag, he remains a well-thought of coach. Thierry Henry, as per Manchester Evening News, has spoken positively of the Dutchman in the past.

The next Wolves manager must have a quick start at Molineux, due to the club’s current predicament in the league. As somebody who is “firmly in the running,” ten Hag would certainly be a bold appointment, given the misfortunes he suffered both at the end of his tenure at Man United and with Leverkusen.

"One of the best men" in football considered by Wolves

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has admitted that he was 'on his knees' to join Manchester City before completing his move to Stamford Bridge. The Spanish full-back left Brighton to join the Blues in the summer of 2022 as Chelsea beat the Cityzens to secure his transfer for a whopping £55 million (€65m/$67m) plus a potential £7m in add-ons.

• How Chelsea beat Man City to sign Cucurella

  City wanted Cucurella during the summer of 2022 but the club did not agree with the £50m valuation of the player. The Cityzens submitted an initial bid of £30m, which was rejected and then put forward an improved offer of £40m, which was also rebuffed by the Seagulls. Barcelona were also one of the suitors of the Spain international defender and he was open to a move back to the Catalan outfit. However, the deal could not go through as Brighton stuck to their price tag. Chelsea were given a window to initiate talks and the Blues agreed to pay the amount. During the negotiations, Brighton were also pushing to sign youngster Levi Colwill, who eventually moved to the Seagulls on a season-long loan deal.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Cucurella was ready to 'go on his knees' to join City

  Speaking to Informe, Cucurella claimed that he was elated to play under Pep Guardiola when he learned about City's interest, as he said: "Man City wanted me before I joined Chelsea. They were on fire, one of the best teams in the world. I wanted to go. When they come like they did, when Guardiola asks, you’ll go on your knees if necessary. But the clubs couldn’t reach an agreement."

• Cucurella credited for helping Estevao in Chelsea's win over Barcelona

  Cucurella was instrumental in keeping compatriot and Barcelona's star attacker Lamine Yamal quiet on the left flank as Estevao starred with a goal in the Blues' thumping 3-0 win over the Spanish champions in the Champions League last month. According to the , Cucurella used Esetvao during Chelsea's training sessions and pulled off some really important tackles as he prepared to face Yamal.

  The left-back later confirmed this by saying: "Not Yamal vs Cucurella, it's Chelsea vs Barcelona." When asked about his preparation in training for his battle against Yamal, Cucurella added: "I told Estevao to put shin pads on this week because I’m going to be practising on him."

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  How long will Cucurella stay at Chelsea?

  The European championship-winning Spanish defender still has three years left in his existing contract, although at the start of the 2025-26 campaign he confirmed that the club have initiated contract talks with him and wants him to remain in west London.

  The former Brighton defender said, via : "Yes, it's [the contract renewal] done. We already did it. I'm very happy, the club gave me the confidence and I'm very happy to be here. Hopefully, I will have a great year."

  The 27-year-old will be back in action for Enzo Maresca's side on Wednesday as they take on Leeds United away from home. 

It seems like Manchester United will focus the next stage of their rebuild on the midfield. There are a few players who have futures up in the air, at least in the short term. One of those is Casemiro, whose contract expires in the summer, and it is unclear at this stage if he will extend his deal at Old Trafford.

The other player who might not have a clear future at United is Kobbie Mainoo. He has been underused by Ruben Amorim this season, and could depart the club on loan in January, with Napoli one side who could make a move.

If they do leave, there are a few midfielders from within the Premier League that United could target.

United’s main midfield target

A recent report from TEAMTalk suggests that United have three names on their shortlist when it comes to a new midfielder. All of those currently play in the Premier League, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton two of those players.

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The third man is someone who is one of the most highly rated midfielders in the Premier League right now.

TEAMtalk report that the Red Devils ‘would like to seal a deal’ for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson as one of their key targets in the middle of the park.

This will not be a straightforward deal to do, with the England international a player of interest to former club Newcastle United, too.

However, the Red Devils are showing a keen interest and could look to get a £60m deal over the line. Forest, however, would want closer to £80m if this move were to go ahead.

Man Utd's perfect Carrick successor

There is no doubt that 23-year-old Anderson is one of the most exciting midfielders in England. Described by Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, he’s seemingly secured a spot in the German’s starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup.

He has been exceptional this season in the middle of the park for Forest. In a campaign of great turmoil where they’ve had three different managers, the 23-year-old has been incredibly consistent, playing 14 games, scoring and assisting once.

That included a superb assist for Chris Wood on the opening day of the season.

His underlying numbers also reflect just how well he has played. The boyhood Newcastle star ranks in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders for several key metrics, including progressive passes per 90 minutes, of which he’s played 8.82, and ball recoveries, completing 8.36 each game.

There are certainly similarities between Anderson and one of the all-time great midfielders in United’s history, Michael Carrick.

The former England international was metronomic at the heart of the Red Devils midfield for many years, shining under Sir Alex Ferguson especially.

He made 464 appearances for the 13-time Premier League champions, winning five of those league titles and one Champions League.

He even chipped in from the base of midfield with 24 goals and 35 assists.

He was a player highly rated by teammates, with Gary Neville saying he brought “authority, control, peace” to the pitch. This is certainly similar to Anderson, who, as the numbers show, is a true controller in the midfield, able to dictate play at will.

Anderson, it feels like, could bring a similar level of composure to the United midfield that Carrick did all those years ago. England boss Tuchel thinks highly of him, describing him as “a very complete, mobile central midfielder.”

However, it is not just their playstyle that is eerily similar. Carrick was born and raised in the North East, just like Anderson, with the pair growing up in close geographical areas. There are a few fair connections between the duo.

In signing Anderson, United could be adding their new Carrick to the middle of the park. He could certainly bring the same sort of brilliance on the ball and tenacity without it that their former number 16 did during his time at the club.

Man Utd have their own version of Semenyo & he's Amorim's "best player"

Manchester United are again being linked with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, heading into January…

By
Robbie Walls

Nov 19, 2025

Sciver-Brunt scored century in a game where India’s batting collapsed in the absence of senior players

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025

Without Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Pratika Rawal, India’s batting order crumbled against England at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence ground in a warm-up fixture ahead of the ODI World Cup. Chasing 341, India were all out for 187, with Arundhati Reddy not coming out to bat due to a leg injury she sustained while bowling.Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who was included in the squad in place of the injured Yastika Bhatia, made a promising 45, while captain Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with 66 off 68 balls. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana combined to make just 43 runs in the middle order.Related

Reddy suffers blow to knee during warm-up match against England

Sent in to bat, England, propelled by captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s brisk 120 and Emma Lamb’s 84, piled up 340. India’s pace spearhead Renuka Singh struck in her first over to remove Tammy Beaumont, and the hosts had both Amy Jones and Heather Knight back before the halfway stage. However, Sciver-Brunt and Lamb’s 173-run stand put England in front, despite Kranti Goud’s three-wicket haul later in the innings.Shafali Verma notched up 70 off 49•Getty Images

Shafali Verma, left out of India’s World Cup squad, scored a blistering 49-ball 70 in India A’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected fixture.After New Zealand posted 273 for 9 on the back of Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 101 at No. 7, multiple rain interruptions left India chasing a revised target of 225 in 40 overs. Shafali’s brisk knock – which included 11 fours and a six – gave the innings early momentum. Captain Minnu Mani remained unbeaten on 39, while wicketkeeper Madiwala Mamatha contributed a crucial 56 not out off 60 balls at No. 8.Earlier, Sayali Satghare, the reserve seamer for India at the World Cup, picked up three wickets. India A had New Zealand reeling at 146 for 7, but Gaze’s counterattacking century helped the Sophie-Devine-led side post a competitive total.In Colombo, both the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game and South Africa’s match against Bangladesh were washed out. Sri Lanka were 33 for 1 in 7.3 overs when play came to an end, while in the other contest, South Africa had reached 45 for 3 in nine overs before rain intervened. Bangladesh’s young pacer Marufa Akter dismissed both Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen, while Nahida Akter bowled Marizanne Kapp – a dream start for Bangladesh.

There was chaos after Shanaka was initially given out caught behind, then found short of his crease, but given not out for both

Shashank Kishore27-Sep-2025Why was Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka ruled not out even though he was run-out by Sanju Samson off the fourth ball of the Super Over against India in the Asia Cup game on Friday?For a while, confusion reigned when Shanaka ventured out of his crease after missing a yorker from Arshdeep Singh, who went up in an appeal for a caught behind, while Samson threw the ball at the stumps to find the batter short. But the umpire had given Shanaka out caught behind after a bit of contemplation, and Shanaka referred the decision upstairs to the third umpire Masudur Rahman. After replays confirmed there was no bat involved, Shanaka was ruled not out for the caught behind and for the run out too. It was the timing of the umpire signalling out initially for the caught behind – after Samson’s direct hit – that led to the confusion.MCC’s law states that “the ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal”. In this case, that incident was the caught-behind appeal, which meant the ball had been dead when Samson tried to run Shanaka out. With replays proving Shanaka didn’t nick the ball, he was immediately deemed not out, even though India captain Suryakumar Yadav seemed to enquire with the umpires about the decision.Related

• 'This team can go very far' – Jayasuriya 'fairly satisfied' with Sri Lanka's Asia Cup

• Arshdeep's masterclass helps India pull off heist

“According to the rules, if you appeal for the catch, then Dasun could go up to the third umpire,” coach Sanath Jayasuriya said of what he made of the appeal. “It was the first decision that counts always, not the second. So he went for the referral, and it was not out. That’s what happened. But overall, I think there are a few grey areas [in terms of the rules at large] that they [officials] have to finetune a bit.”However, Shanaka was out next ball when he sliced one to deep third as Sri Lanka lost both their wickets five balls into the Super Over to set India just three runs to go into the final unbeaten. Suryakumar then thumped Wanindu Hasaranga first ball through the covers to seal India’s victory.

A draw with ten men aside, this has been a phenomenal little period for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

Following an intense week in which they faced Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, they didn’t lose any of those fixtures. Subsequently, they top the Premier League and Champions League heading into the early stages of December.

They’ve managed to do so all with injuries plaguing the squad again. Ben White and Bukayo Saka were asked after the 2-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday if they have the best squad depth in the league.

White, ever the joker, simply replied, “I dunno.” Well, Ben, we’ll answer it for you. Arsenal’s depth is elite and it could well win them the league.

Andrea Berta worked hard to bolster the squad over the summer and it’s just as well considering the fitness issues that have ravaged Arteta’s team again throughout 2025/26.

At the moment they are missing their senior leaders at the back in Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

Before last week they were also missing all three strikers. Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres are now back in the matchday squad but it means that emergency centre-forward, Mikel Merino, has had to lead the line again. He’s done it superbly well.

Mikel Merino: Arsenal's elite number 9

Nearly a year ago, all of the chatter as the January transfer window opened was about Arsenal’s need for a new striker.

While Kai Havertz’s importance was being elevated and Jesus had enjoyed a fabulous festive period, scoring that hat-trick against Crystal Palace, there was a sense that for the Gunners to win the league, they needed an elite goalscorer.

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Jesus then suffered an ACL injury and Arsenal’s need for a new forward was exacerbated. They did not sign one. What happened next? Havertz suffered a hamstring injury. Of course, he did.

As a result, Arteta sought a solution that was outside of the box. Could Merino become the emergency number 9 that Arsenal craved?

Remarkably, he could. It all started with that brace against Leicester City. The Londoners were struggling to find a goal but the Spaniard appeared from the bench to rescue his side.

Since then, he’s not looked back. He ended 2024/25 with nine goals, scoring against Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool along the way. While we jest, he genuinely looks like an elite striker now.

The arrival of Gyokeres should have ensured Merino was never needed as a striker again but when the Swede hobbled off against Burnley last month, the former Real Sociedad was back in the limelight.

Well, is he now the number one option to lead the line? Quite possibly. Some of Arsenal’s best displays of the season, chiefly those wins over Spurs and Bayern, have come with Merino up top.

While he didn’t net in those contests, he’s knitted the play together beautifully, linking up with teammates and improving Arsenal’s all-around attacking play.

He has still been around the goals, scoring twice in Europe against Slavia Prague, while finding the net in back-to-back Premier League games, the wins over Chelsea and Brentford. Both of those goals were excellent headers.

So, with Gyokeres and Jesus back on the bench, who deserves the role as Arsenal’s leading man?

What Merino's form means for Gyokeres and Jesus

Arsenal’s big-money summer signing has been electric over the last two campaigns. During 2024/25, Gyokeres bagged 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting but hasn’t hit similar heights after his move back to England.

The Swede has been improving all the time and it was typical that he suffered an injury blow against Burnley, a game he actually scored in.

Gyokeres was beginning to find his feet in the top-flight but it would be a lie if we said Arsenal weren’t a better team at the moment with Merino in it.

So, for the time being, it’s likely the former Coventry City man will have to be patient as he searches for a way back into the side.

The same could be said for £45m man, Jesus, although his time in red and white sadly looks pretty bleak.

The Brazilian has been missing since picking up that ACL injury in the FA Cup 11 months ago and it’s a delight to see him back. Prior to that injury, he was arguably in the form of his Arsenal career, scoring six goals in six games across the festive period.

That injury meant that Arsenal simply had to strengthen in the summer. Gyokeres was a necessity. Jesus has been bumped down the picking order already because of that.

However, the emergence of Merino as a striker and the fact he’s now a genuine option in that position means that Jesus’ Arsenal career looks done.

Havertz is not miles away from returning to the fold and with Merino, Gyokeres and the German all set to battle it out for a place as the central forward, Jesus is unlikely to start another game for the club.

24/25

335 days

48

23/24

89 days

17

22/23

100 days

17

20/21

60 days

14

19/20

34 days

5

18/19

26 days

6

17/18

76 days

13

16/17

68 days

15

There are plenty of games to comes over the forthcoming weeks but such is the strength of Arsenal’s depth that the former Manchester City striker looks set to pay the ultimate price of leaving the Emirates Stadium.

It’s not the way he or the supporters will have wanted his career in England to end. He’s a cult hero, a joyful player to watch when he’s at his peak. However, Arsenal simply have better options now and options who are in form.

Merino’s impact has only rubbed further salt into the wounds. At the moment, he looks like Arsenal’s best centre-forward. How remarkable is that?

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1 ByMatt Dawson Dec 4, 2025

The allrounder smashed the second fastest ODI hundred for Australia, off 47 balls, in the final ODI against South Africa

Andrew McGlashan24-Aug-20252:14

Green: ‘I was told I was next one ball before Heady got out’

Ask Cameron Green to do a job over the last couple of months and he’s generally made a success of it. Batting No. 3 in Australia’s Test side had a tricky start but he came good during the West Indies tour; then given the No. 4 role in T20Is he earned Player of the Series honours. It was very much in that T20 style that he surged to a maiden ODI hundred from just 47 balls in the third match against South Africa in Mackay.While his promotion to No. 3 from No. 4 had started to be discussed around the 30-over mark, as Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh forged their double-century opening stand, Green had one ball’s notice that it would actually happen before Head was dismissed for 142. “I think it always happens like that,” he said after the game. “You make a decision that doesn’t effect on-field, but for some reason it does. The next ball I was in, so it took me a while to get ready.”He was off the mark second ball, skipping down the pitch at Keshav Maharaj, Australia’s nemesis from the opening game of the series, and hammering a drive wide of long-off. From then on Green was always above a run-a-ball, and the gap quickly grew wider”I think it is that mindset of when you switch positions, kind of your role does change,” he said. “Instead of maybe nudging it around, maybe getting Bison [Marsh] on strike, I think it was just get out there, get on with it straight away.”Related

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One of the most eye-catching moments of Green’s innings came when he faced left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy in the 45th over and turned down a single to keep the strike with an eye on the match-up. It was a continuation of the tactic Tim David had used in recent T20Is and Green responded by depositing the next three balls for six.”We were discussing it before Tim David did it in West Indies,” Green said. “If you get a really good match-up I think the bowler likes when a single gets hit, for example. Try and make the most of the short boundary.”Another curiosity in Green’s innings was that one of his eight sixes came courtesy of the amended boundary-fielding laws that prevent a player from “bunny-hopping” outside the playing area to field the ball mid-air. Green had launched Wiaan Mulder to long-on where Dewald Brevis couldn’t keep himself in the field of play and palmed the ball back having leapt in the air outside the boundary. Previously he would have prevented the boundary, but now it was six.Green’s century came in the next over, putting him between two of Glenn Maxwell’s finest hours in the list of fastest hundreds for Australia. Maxwell is one of the lynchpin ODI figures Australia need to replace ahead of the World Cup in 2027, alongside Steven Smith, with the batting performances in the first two games of this series raising a few questions about the health of the one-day side.It would be unwise to draw too many conclusions from the 431 for 2 in a dead rubber against a weakened South Africa attack and where batting first proved a distinct advantage. But it was an emphatic response, with timely runs for Head and Marsh’s continuing increase in output being the other encouraging signs.Cameron Green high-fives Alex Carey as he completes his hundred in Mackay•Getty Images”It’s been a while since we played one-day cricket so it just took a while to find our groove,” Green, who before this series had also not played an ODI since last September, said. “Shame it was a bit late for this series, but good signs moving forward.”I think you can normally work your way back from Test cricket. I think that’s a reasonably easy way [to go] because your technique’s normally in a good place and then you can open up and expand your game. Potentially going the other way is a bit tougher. You’re really looking to attack and then you have to kind of rein it in a little bit, pick and choose your times when to go.”Australia’s next ODIs are in mid-October against India, the No.1-ranked side, but Green could miss that series as he uses the Sheffield Shield to return to bowling ahead of the Ashes. If so, it will be another lengthy gap in the format for him.There remain some interesting questions for the selectors to ponder. Green’s performance in this match raises the possibility as to whether he could be Australia’s long-term ODI No. 3 or if that role stays with Marnus Labuschagne, who didn’t get the chance to bat after two scores of 1 in the first two matches of the series.Matt Short and Mitchell Owen were initially due to be part of this squad before injury and will likely feature against India. Aaron Hardie, a late call-up, struggled in two outings and his stock may have fallen although time remains on his side. Xavier Bartlett, however, will have done his cause no harm with new-ball wickets.Cooper Connolly, someone the selectors have been keen to expose at the top level, ended the series as an unlikely holder of the best ODI figures by an Australia spinner. He had Labuschagne’s brilliant out cricket to thank for a couple of wickets, and a stream of South African batters swinging in a lost cause, but if he grows into a genuine all-round option then he would be a valuable addition to the next generation of Australia’s 50-over cricketers. A team in which Green will be one of the most important figures.

No confirmation yet on whom he will play for this season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2025Batter Mandeep Singh has decided to leave Tripura ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season after spending just one season with the team.”Thank you Tripura CA for giving me the opportunity to play last season, I enjoyed my time there,” Mandeep wrote in an Instagram post. “Made some wonderful memories on and off the field. Wishing the team success for the upcoming season. Looking forward to the next chapter.”Mandeep captained Tripura across formats, playing six matches in the Ranji Trophy, six games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and seven matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Tripura in the 2024-25 season.Tripura failed to make it out of the group stages in all the competitions but Mandeep showed good form.In the Ranji Trophy, he scored an unbeaten 124 and made five half-centuries, crossing the fifty-run mark in every game he played last season. He made three fifties in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with a top score of 94 against Bengal, and he scored two half-centuries in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s.Mandeep had switched over to Tripura after 15 years with Punjab, having led them to the Syed Mushtaq Ali title in his last season with them, ending a 30-year trophy drought.There is still no confirmation on which team he will play for in the upcoming season.