Both teams had equal support as the Champions Trophy arrived at Gaddafi Stadium and England seemed like they had killed off the game, but who could ever really bet against Australia?

Danyal Rasool22-Feb-20252:04

Agar: Inglis controlled the innings, the rest could bat around him

The crowd had left their seats, preparing to head out. It had been a long day, and they had seen by far the best game of the tournament. They pooled up at the front of the stands; perhaps they’d catch one more over. And then Alex Carey clothed one to mid-off. Glenn Maxwell was coming in, so they couldn’t leave before giving him the biggest cheer of the evening and watching a little show.Mark Wood came straight into the attack, the tournament’s fastest bowler who had bowled England’s quickest-ever opening ODI spell at the top of the innings. This, perhaps, was the contest distilled to its most electric – matchwinner pitted against matchwinner, the outcome of this mini-context potentially decisive to the larger result.Wood set three men on the rope on the leg side, including a square leg, for the first ball to Maxwell. For someone who had bowled more balls in excess of 150kph than anyone else in this tournament combined, it didn’t take a great deal of imagination to work out what he was threatening. Instead, he went full. But Maxwell doesn’t need time at the crease to recognise a bluff when he sees one. He latched onto it, pummeling it through the cover region left vacant to lend credibility to that bluff. Four.There was no pretense for the next ball as Wood arrowed it in search of the yorker, but once more, Maxwell wasn’t backing down. He lifted this one over mid-on. Four more. The crowd didn’t move, not even to go back to their seats. Lahore’s post-match traffic may be a nightmare to deal with, but missing any of this would be worse.

****

Every seat at the Gaddafi was sold out for this game, and yet it was never quite clear what the people wanted. There is veneration in Pakistan for Australia’s relentless assault on the biggest trophies, while England’s white-ball revolution over the past decade has brought with it a new generation of young fans, especially as the country is one of the biggest exporters of talent to the Pakistan Super League.Related

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By the time the game drew near its enthralling finale, though, the overwhelming sense that gripped this ground was one of inevitability. The stadium may not have held an ICC event for the best part of 30 years; indeed, the last such game at this ground was perhaps the last of an era where an Australian triumph on these occasions wasn’t fait accompli.A lot has happened in the three decades since, and plenty of it has happened to this crowd. As Australia clawed their way back into a game England thought they had finished off, no one would have felt surer of an Australian win than those gathered around this venue.It was Australia that came in with an attack that was part Sheffield Shield part Big Bash League; it would be something of a mathematical violation to maintain the whole added up to an ODI bowling unit. It was their best bowler – Adam Zampa – who Ben Duckett had thoroughly bested, plundering 50 off the 36 balls he faced en route a Champions Trophy record 165, leaving Australia comprehensively deprived of wicket-taking options.Josh Inglis’ innings was laden with boundaries•Associated PressWhen, in defence of 351, Wood and Jofra Archer breathed early fire to send back Australia’s most explosive batter and their best one in quick succession, the remainder of the game threatened to become an English victory procession. They even did what Australia couldn’t in the middle overs, spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone combining to remove Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Short, who had built up a sneakily menacing 95-run stand which kept Australia in touch with the asking rate. Now, alongside Carey, it was all up to Josh Inglis, ODI average a tick above 23.However, Australia follow a strategy of personal incredulity in these events, as if Real Madrid had suddenly descended on a cricket field and dyed their kit canary yellow. For this side, there isn’t so much regression to the mean as there is eternal servitude to history, where past success guarantees future triumph. Two overs after that double-blow, Carey lifted Livingstone – one of England’s two compromise bowlers, the price they were paying for an extra batter – for two boundaries, and at the halfway mark Australia were just ten runs behind England at the same stage. The game entered a tug of war as England, still notionally with the upper hand, remained content as long as the floodgates didn’t open.But with wickets suddenly drying up, Australia were always destined to be in control of the final sprint. England had done exceptionally well not to let their middle overs with the bat – a recent Achilles heel – derail their innings, prioritising wicket preservation while milking the middle overs. ODI sides have averaged 151 dot balls in full innings since the 2023 World Cup, or just over half their full quota. For England, this was down to just 107, a near 15% drop. However, they had not made the most of the platform they constructed, only 83 coming off the final ten overs even as Australia turned to their fifth and sixth bowlers at the death; Labuschagne bowled two of the last three overs.Glenn Maxwell helped add the finished touches•Associated PressSo, by that time the crowd were stealing a few late peeks at Maxwell against Wood, they stood not to see an outcome decided, but an inevitable heist completed. The following over, Inglis slapped Brydon Carse for one six before scooping him for another, and he whacked an Archer slower ball into the Imtiaz Ahmed Stand at midwicket three balls later to bring up his hundred. Maxwell, now primed against Wood, whacked him for another six and a four; he would finish with 31 off 11 balls from Wood and Archer. The coup de grace came from Inglis, of course, a six off Wood when just two were needed; he had added almost a fifth of his runs tally built up over 28 ODIs across one Lahore evening. The last 70 runs of the chase had taken just 33 balls.It was only after that final Inglis blow that Gaddafi Stadium, in unison, turned around and began to walk away. It remained impossible to say if this was the outcome they wanted; St George’s Cross and the Southern Cross had been seen in equal measure in the stands. But even as the foe that has dealt them more pain than any other inaugurated their gleaming new stadium by laying their dreaded hex on it, they had smiles on their faces. It felt much nicer when it was happening to someone else.

Which one do you pick: the Ben Stokes epic at Headingley against Australia, or the time New Zealand overturned a follow-on to trump Bazballin’ England?

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2019 Leeds Test moves into the quarter-finals.

The Stokes show at Headingley, 2019

A Test that might not have otherwise stayed for too long in the memory, it was the unbroken 76-run stand for the last wicket between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach that lifted it to where the greatest Test matches in history are clubbed together.And, of course, the fact that in those 76 runs, one batter scored 74 (in 45 balls) and the other 1 (in 17 balls)! Not to forget that the winners had scored 67 in their first innings and then hit 362 for 9 in a Test where 246 was the next-best total.Australia won the first Test and the second was drawn, so England wanted to win this one at Headingley to stay in the Ashes contest. But after Australia were bowled out for 179 in the first innings, all England could put up was 67, with Joe Denly top-scoring with 12. Back to Australia, and this time they put up 246.Was the pitch getting better for batting? It didn’t seem so when England were 15 for 2 in their chase of 359, and then 159 for 4 with Joe Root gone, and then 286 for 9. Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61 at the time. Off 174 balls.But with last-man Leach for company, Stokes switched something on. He hit four fours and seven sixes from that point, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Pat Cummins. Done and dusted!

New Zealand go from follow-on to victory – Wellington, 2023

New Zealand became only the fourth team in Test history to win after being asked to follow-on when they beat England by one run in Wellington.With Harry Brook and Joe Root scoring hundreds, England Bazballed their way to 435 for 8 declared. In response, New Zealand slipped to 103 for 7 before folding for 209, and were asked to follow on.The second innings was completely different. Led by Kane Williamson’s 132, Tom Blundell’s 90 and Tom Latham’s 83, they set England 258 to win.With more than a day left, England would have still fancied their chances. But they collapsed to 80 for 5 within 22 overs. Ben Stokes decided to drop the anchor, while Root did the bulk of the scoring. They took England past 200 but fell soon after.It came down to the last pair with seven to get. Jack Leach got off the mark with a single, as he had during the famous Headingley Test of the 2019 Ashes. But this time it was James Anderson, and not Stokes, at the other end. Anderson did smash a four but then edged Neil Wagner down the leg side for Blundell to complete a diving catch and the win.

Delhi Capitals’ win over Lucknow Super Giants on Monday night in IPL 2025 was the fifth one-wicket win in the history of the tournament

Srinidhi Ramanujam25-Mar-2025

Ashutosh Sharma played an innings for the ages•BCCI

KKR beat KXIP, Kolkata, IPL 2015It was the first one-wicket victory in IPL history, in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) final league game of IPL 2015, at home. The Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) spinners had KKR at 83 for 4 in the 11th over in pursuit of 184, but a fifth-wicket stand of 53 in 4.1 overs between Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan revived the chase. Pathan fell for 29 off 19, but Russell went on to hammer 51 off 21. When Russell was dismissed with 25 needed off 19, Piyush Chawla levelled the scores before the last pair of Umesh Yadav and Sunil Narine scrambled a leg-bye off the penultimate ball to finish the job. This was so long back that Narine was the team’s No. 11.Bravo, Dwayne! It was CSK’s comeback match in the IPL, and they showed the fans what they had been missing•BCCICSK beat MI, Mumbai, IPL 2018Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were coming back from their two-year ban, and it was a game – the season-opener – Mumbai Indians (MI) were well-placed to win at the Wankhede. MI overcame a poor start to post 165 for 4. In the chase, CSK slipped to 75 for 5. But Dwayne Bravo’s stunning assault brought them back to life. CSK needed 46 from 17 and Bravo hit two sixes and a four in that 18th over against Mitchell McClenaghan and three sixes in the next off Jasprit Bumrah before falling off the last ball of the 19th. But all CSK needed was seven from the last over. An injured Kedar Jadhav walked out after having retired earlier to smash a six and a four off the final over, bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.SRH beat MI, Hyderabad, 2018MI had huffed and puffed their way to 147 for 8 in their second game of the season. At 56 for no loss after six overs, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) looked like they would coast to victory. But they lost nine wickets for 75 runs from there, before the last-wicket pair of Deepak Hooda and Billy Stanlake held their nerve to make it two out of two for SRH in the season. Hooda’s unbeaten 32 included a sensational final-over six off a wide yorker from Ben Cutting, which reduced the equation to five off five. A wide and three singles brought it down to one off the final delivery, a slower one, which Stanlake hoicked to midwicket.LSG’s musclemen Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis smashed their way past RCB in IPL 2023•BCCILSG beat RCB, Bengaluru, IPL 2023In a see-sawing contest, LSG stunned the Chinnaswamy amid high drama. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had reduced LSG to 23 for 3 in four overs in their chase of 213, but Marcus Stoinis’ 30-ball 65 gave them a platform, from which Nicholas Pooran’s 19-ball 62 and Ayush Badoni’s 24-ball 30 took them to the doorstep of victory. Badoni fell in the 19th over and LSG needed four from the remaining five balls with three wickets in hand. They lost Mark Wood and Jaydev Unadkat, too, in the final over. Harshal Patel bowled the last ball, No. 11 Avesh Khan missed, and the batters scampered. RCB wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik fumbled twice and then missed his throw at the stumps and LSG were victors.DC beat LSG, Visakhapatnam, IPL 2025A chase of 210. There was no KL Rahul. DC were tottering at 65 for 5, and it became 113 for 6 when they lost Tristan Stubbs. At the end of 13 overs, it seemed like DC had no chance, but Vipraj Nigam’s 39 off 15 (on IPL debut) and Ashutosh Sharma’s awe-inspiring 66 not out off 31 deliveries scripted a thrilling comeback, and LSG were beaten. This was after Ashutosh had been on a run-a-ball 19.

What’s a tour of England without some nostalgia – or a lot of it?

Sidharth Monga07-Aug-2025July 20
National Football Museum in Manchester. Its glass exterior has lyrics of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” inscribed on it. Manchester is, of course, Oasis country. Pronounced “oh- weɪ-ˈsʌs” in the north. They are on tour and playing in Manchester tonight. Ticket prices too high at the last moment. Or at the first. See a reel of a woman at the concert using Shazam to identify the song being played. It is “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve, who are opening for Oasis.July 21
Could spend hours in Strawberry Field, the children’s home run by the Salvation Army when John Lennon was a kid in Liverpool. Went on to immortalise the place with the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever”. Was demolished in 1973 but the iconic red gates are now open to visitors.End up spending hours as it rains. Find shelter under tall trees in the beautiful garden. Imagine Lennon here as a child, escaping the world and getting lost in Strawberry Field. Now, famous Beatles lyrics are inscribed around the place. Once it stops raining, come out to see this inscription: “No one I think / Is in my tree”.July 22
A short walk from Strawberry Field is 251 Menlove Avenue, where Lennon lived from 1945 to 1963. Find there a Peruvian man, Jhon Vilchez Cordova, born in 1971, named for Lennon by his father, a big Beatles fan. Jhon is in tears, having made it to Lennon’s home. Help him photograph himself outside Lennon’s house.Walk to St Peter’s Parish Church where John and Paul first met. In its graveyard rests Eleanor Rigby. Not far from her rests John McKenzie. However, this Eleanor Rigby died in 1939. Paul McCartney has said the woman in his song is fictitious, and any connection to this graveyard – where they used to sunbathe and “probably had a craft fag” – is subconscious. “This is just bigger than me.”End up on Mathew Street, where, at the Cavern Club, the Beatles were discovered. Whole street now is a Beatles tribute.Fab forever: a tile in memory of John Lennon outside Strawberry Field in Liverpool•Sidharth Monga/ESPNcricinfo LtdJuly 23
Been in the UK long enough to suspect the efficacy of the buttons for signals at pedestrian crossings. Read up to find out most of these are just placebo, especially during busy hours. For example, the BBC says the one at the intersection of Regent Street and Cavendish Place near its HQ in London takes 105 seconds for the red man to become green irrespective of whether the button is pressed or not. However, there are some busy intersections where one press the button or the cycle will skip the pedestrian phase.July 24
In Nitish Kumar Reddy’s absence, India are doing a bit of placebo with themselves. They are playing three allrounders according to them, but none of them is a strike bowler in the conditions we have. The bowlers are struggling with their workloads and are being bowled into the dirt. England end day two on 225 for 2 in response to India’s 358.July 25
Old Trafford is a convenient cricket ground despite the infamous, seemingly permanent, temporary stand. Despite the hotel and the conference centre, the Point, taking prime real estate away from working-class cricket fans. Convenient because the tram drops you off almost inside the ground. Reminiscent of Kotla in Delhi – not pretty by any stretch but located right where old Delhi meets new, by the Dilli Gate metro station. Old Trafford also has a “sensory room”, where people troubled by excessive noise or light can take refuge.This could be a day at the Kotla. Pitch dying, bowlers tired, England make their way to 544 for 7.July 26
Test-match Saturday, and finally feel the strain of crowds on the tram. Absolutely jam-packed. Use skills learned in Bombay local trains. Stand not in the doorway but lean against wall right next to it. Anyone who has done a rush-hour commute in Bombay knows the premium on that space: don’t have to make way for anyone at stops, easy to exit when your stop arrives.In the pink: Roger Waters’ one-time home in Cambridge•Sidharth Monga/ESPNcricinfo LtdMassive crowd in, expecting England will seal the series, but India resist, losing only two wickets, those in their first over. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill bat together for 69 overs.July 27
England throw everything at India, including an injured Ben Stokes, but India, already missing Rishabh Pant with a broken foot, hang on for a draw. Stokes offers India handshakes at the first instance of their becoming available, but India want to bat on so Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar can complete their centuries. Both sides are within their rights to do what they do. England within their rights to bowl part-timers and protect frontline bowlers. However, virtue-signalling from England leaves bitter taste. Disappointed, India pull out after centuries, not continuing to bat till the scheduled close of play.July 28
Piccadilly Station in Manchester has a public piano for anyone to play. Everybody seems to be having a good time, but as with everything, there exist online reviews:

“Very quiet piano. Felt like I had to slam down a bit. Needs a bit of a tune up but can’t argue with a public piano!”

“Has seen better days 🙁 Many out of tune keys and some keys that don’t even work, plus no seat available. A shame.” – (Can vouch to Jacob that a seat is available now.)

“Sadly very low quality. Absolutely battered. Quite a few keys not working at all.”

, written by John Cleese (centre), based on the 1970s sitcom of the same name, opened in London last year•James Manning/PA Photos/Getty ImagesJuly 29
Pink Floyd pilgrimage in Cambridge. Unlike Liverpool and the Beatles, no tourism trap here. Stand with goosebumps outside the house where Syd Barrett, once the creative genius behind Floyd, lived and died alone as Roger Barrett after leaving Floyd, his alter ego and public life in the 1960s. Neighbours have in the past spoken of hearing deathly screams in the middle of the night, or hearing him barking like a dog.This semi-detached house is not far from where Barrett grew up. Nearby is Rock Road, where Roger Waters moved into a house with his mother when he was two. That house is completely obscured by magnolia growing in the front yard – echoing how Waters would perform from behind a wall in later years.About a hundred yards away is a Quaker Meeting House, likely where Roger’s mother, a radical atheist whose front room was almost a Labour Party office, would often go, telling her sons that while she didn’t share the Quakers’ beliefs, “they are good people”.End up doing some punting on the river Cam in the backyards of some of the most prestigious colleges in the world. Punting ends near the Anchor Pub, which is where Roger Barrett became Syd, back when the place was called the Riverside Jazz Bar. Barrett greatly admired resident drummer Sid Barrett, and inevitably was nicknamed after him, with a “y” for distinction. A wall now bears a big mural of Syd with an inscription of the lyrics from “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”: “Caught in the crossfire/ of childhood and stardom”.July 30
Keep noticing small, often cemented-up windows in some of the older buildings all over England. Find out now that it was done to avoid paying a ridiculous “window tax” imposed in England and Wales from the 17th century. This is where the phrase “daylight robbery” originated.July 31
It is indeed daylight robbery that India haven’t won a single toss in these five Tests, taking their toss-loss run in international matches to 15. Once again, they have two placebo allrounders in the side, who are essentially batters in these seaming conditions. With eight batters and three bowlers, India end the day at 204 for 6.Attention Russian billionaires: the Oval gasometer will be replaced by luxe flats soon•Sidharth Monga/ESPNcricinfo LtdAugust 1
A London playlist, especially when living in Herne Hill and Brixton.”The Guns of Brixton”, by The Clash
“LDN”, by Lily Allen
“London Boy”, by Taylor Swift
“Maid of Bond Street”, by David Bowie
“South Of The River”, by Tom Misch
“Streets of London”, by Ralph McTell
“Portobello Road”, by Cat Stevens
“London Bye, Ta-Ta”, by David BowieBye bye, ta-ta is not far. Soon this heightened state of purposefulness will be replaced by a temporary void. The three-man India attack promise us one final classic, bowling England out for a lead of just 23, which is wiped out in no time. Real life can wait at the door, we have one final thriller to oversee.August 2
Have always wondered what is inside the gasometer near The Oval. Have never managed to get in. Can’t do it anymore because it is now a construction site – being turned into luxury residences. Same as with Battersea Power Station, the site of the iconic cover of the Floyd album .Overhear on a Thameslink train two people decrying the conversion of old heritage buildings into high-rises. As the train crosses a bridge, one is excited to point to the other an old house that has survived. He is quick to tell her the story of the house: an old inn in Southwark, which has survived because it gets heritage protection by virtue of being associated with a Shakespeare theatre group. It most likely is the Falcon Tavern, a frequent haunt of Shakespeare and other writers.August 3
End up in Chinatown after watching India struggle with just three fast bowlers, defending 373, but still managing to stay alive thanks to Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. On way back, go past a theatre running . Most of the original cast is gone, but John Cleese, 85, ploughs on – he is the writer of this stage version.August 4
A breathtaking end to a great series, with Siraj outlasting everyone for a six-run win for India. Twenty-five days of hard work comes down to one hit or one wicket. Siraj delivers the wicket, with a yorker, his fifth-quickest ball of the series.And suddenly everybody is saying goodbyes, and what a privilege it has been. Reality has burst through the door. England, London, foxes in the Herne Hill backyard, you will be missed.

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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Finisher Banton is back where he started as career comes full-circle

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.

Being a referee in the Premier League is arguably one of the toughest jobs in football, with a select group of officials regularly entrusted to take charge of top flight fixtures.

Even though VAR is still causing plenty of controversy week in, week out, decisions on the field are now more important than ever, with technology doing its best to try and not get involved unless it is ‘clear and obvious’.

The game is also arguably faster than it’s ever been, so referees need to be extremely fit and quick to react. But who is the best referee in the Premier League right now?

Rank

Ref

1

Anthony Taylor

2

Michael Oliver

3

Stuart Attwell

4

Craig Pawson

5

Jarred Gillett

6

Darren England

7

Chris Kavanagh

8

Simon Hooper

9

Andy Madley

10

Peter Bankes

11

Robert Jones

12

Michael Salisbury

13

Tony Harrington

14

Samuel Barrott

15

Thomas Bramall

15 Thomas Bramall

One of the least experienced referees in the Premier League, Thomas Bramall was the man in the middle that made a huge mistake by disallowing Aston Vila’s goal against Man Utd on the final day of the 2024/25 season.

That arguably cost Villa a place in the Champions League, but the PGMOL have stuck with Bramall, who, at 35 years of age, appears to be a referee in the early stages of his top flight career.

14 Samuel Barrott

One of the card happiest referees in the Premier League, Samuel Barrott is one of the most inexperienced officials in the top flight after making his debut in 2023/24.

He took charge of 23 games in 2024/25, apologising for one mistake he made in Crystal Palace’s defeat to Brentford after wrongly ruling out Eberechi Eze’s free-kick.

13 Tony Harrington

Tony Harrington is among the referees to average the least amount of fouls awarded per 90, but that doesn’t make him a bad official.

He made his Premier League debut in 2021/22 but just hasn’t been given a regular run of games in the top flight. Harrington’s best tally of games came in the 2024/25 season where he officiated 18 fixtures.

12 Michael Salisbury

Michael Salisbury has never been a regular in the Premier League after taking charge of his first game in the 2021/22 season.

He was on VAR duty and instructed referee Robert Jones to look at Josh King’s goal against Chelsea which was incorrectly ruled out. Salisbury was dropped by the PGMOL shortly after.

11 Robert Jones

Nottingham Forest aren’t the biggest fans of Robert Jones, with Evangelos Marinakis’ side lodging an official complaint against the 38-year-old after a series of decisions against the Reds.

He was the first Premier League referee to ever perform a red-card rejection, however, some of Jones’ decisions are controversial and he averages awarding a penalty every three games.

10 Peter Bankes

Peter Bankes has now reffed more than 100 games in the Premier League since 2019, however, the Merseyside-born official has regularly come in for criticism from fans.

Former referee Keith Hackett even said Bankes looked “out of his depth” in 2025 after a decision he made in Man Utd’s clash with Bournemouth.

9 Andy Madley

A FIFA licensed referee who has taken charge of the FA Cup final, Andy Madley has taken charge of more than 100 Premier League games since 2017/18.

More recently, he has made some controversial decisions, including one between Everton and Man Utd which resulted in Toffees fan Tony Bellew calling him a “cheat”.

8 Simon Hooper

Often blowing early instead of allowing advantage, Simon Hooper has enraged Premier League players and managers in recent years.

An experienced top flight official after making his debut in 2015, Hooper has often come in for criticism and was actually injured at the end of October in Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford, while he was also the man in the middle during the Reds’ controversial defeat at Tottenham in 2023.

7 Chris Kavanagh

Chris Kavanagh has been a hot topic of conversation in recent years, whether it be for sending off Declan Rice for kicking the ball away or leaving Bruno Fernandes upset after he missed his penalty.

The Greater Manchester official has been on FIFA’s books since 2019 and is closing in on 200 Premier League matches at the age of 40.

6 Darren England

Another FIFA referee, Darren England caught the eye of the international governing body after two years as a Premier League official.

He was a part of the VAR team that somehow incorrectly ruled out Luis Diaz’s goal for offside in Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham, but in recent years on the pitch, has been consistent.

Harry Kane believes England are "one of the favourites" to win next year's World Cup after his brace against Albania. The Three Lions secured a 2-0 win in Tirana to ensure they finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with eight wins out of eight. Now, the Bayern Munich star has sent a warning out to the other contenders for the 2026 tournament in North America.

• Kane stars again for England

  Kane's two second-half goals meant England finished their qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent record and took his goal tally for his country to 78 – taking him past Brazilian great Pele. The Three Lions have now kept a clean sheet in each of their last 10 games in the World Cup qualifiers, a run of 1,032 minutes without conceding a goal. The 32-year-old has so often been the saviour for England and that proved to be the case again on Sunday night in Albania. 

  Incidentally, former England defender Conor Coady says it is a "pleasure" to watch the ex-Tottenham striker in full flight.

  He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Harry Kane plays every minute of every game because he does the job. Playing for his country means a lot to him – it is a pleasure to watch him. I thought England were top draw tonight. The manage is in a fantastic place going into next year. It was hard at times, but the subs that came on were outstanding."

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  Kane says England are among World Cup favourites

  In recent years, England have reached the final of the Euros for two straight tournaments and made it to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ahead of the next edition of this famous event, Kane appears to be confident about his country's chances.

  When asked how he rates his team against other top nations, he told ITV Sport: "I think it's as good as we've ever had, I think when you look at starting 11, you look at the players coming off the bench, we're going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites, we have to accept that, we've been like that now for the last few tournaments and that's part and parcel of it so we've been building, we've had a great year together with the new coach and now we look forward to obviously a big 2026."

• Tough test in Albania

  England boss Tuchel made seven changes to the side that beat Serbia 2-0 in midweek. The Three Lions had to be patient at Arena Kombetare, with Kane scoring in the 74th and 82nd minutes. For the ex-Spurs man, Albania provided a stern test for him and his team-mates.

  "I think it was a really tough game, probably one of the toughest games we've had in the group, and we had to be patient, we had to grind them down defensively, really solid, and we've done that, and we ended up with a two-nil win, another clean sheet, we can be really happy," he said. "Yeah so we kind of changed it, first half we went in a different out swing and then when Saka come on, we know how good he is at hitting that kind of front post zone and we kind of went to the front post, got a little bit lucky with the flick on but thankfully I was there to put it away. If you're going to go far in any tournament you need a whole squad, you need the players who don't start to come off the bench and make an impact, that's what football's about, it's not just the 11 that play so we're going to need everyone and you know the guys who come on today made a big difference. I think we've set the standard now, especially in the last few camps, and we carried it on into this camp, and it's an important win, you don't want to finish with a loss on the end of the year and then have to wait until March to play again, we can go away and enjoy this now."

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  What comes next for England?

  After this successful World Cup qualifying campaign, Tuchel's side will wait to find out which friendly games are in store for them in 2026. It remains to be seen what level of opposition England will face before heading to North America next summer as they seek their first World Cup win since 1966.

The USA Cricket crisis and image-rights tensions between the ICC and the WCA will also be on the agenda

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Nov-2025The fallout from the Asia Cup 2025 fracas between India and Pakistan, the governance crisis at USA Cricket (USAC), and tensions between the ICC and the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) over player-image rights are set to dominate discussions across various forums at this week’s ICC quarterly meetings in Dubai. Cricket’s chief executives will meet on November 5, before the Board meeting – of all board heads – takes place on November 7.

Asia Cup fallout

Though the issue is not officially on the agenda, it is likely to come up at the Board meeting on November 7, and is likely to be the subject of informal discussions on the sidelines. Tensions between the BCCI and PCB have mirrored those between the governments of India and Pakistan this year, and matters came to a head during the Asia Cup, where the teams met three times. The games were marred by a no-handshakes stance instigated by the BCCI and four players – Haris Rauf, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Sahibzada Farhan – were censured by the ICC for gestures or comments deemed to be political in nature.Related

• Rauf gets two-match ban; Suryakumar, Bumrah sanctioned after Asia Cup drama

• USA cricket crisis worsens as USAC files for bankruptcy

• India can come and collect Asia Cup trophy if they want it, says ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi

• ICC suspends USA Cricket board

• ICC and WCA could clash over player image rights for mobile game

Arguably the thorniest issue will be of the Asia Cup trophy itself. India won it, beating Pakistan in the final, but refused to come out and accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chair and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head. The trophy has not been seen since, with reports suggesting it is in an ACC office in the UAE. Naqvi has insisted he, and only he, will hand over the trophy as ACC head.Owing to Naqvi’s political commitments (he is Pakistan’s interior minister), it isn’t clear whether he will be present in person at the meeting or if he joins it remotely.Board members are aware of the need for healthier ties between India and Pakistan because of the rivalry’s commercial impact on the global game. Some members expect a resolution to be chalked out this week.

ICC-WCA NIL rights tussle

Among the ICC’s more important strategic initiatives is its mobile game offering, for which it is looking for a partner. Plans to launch the game, compatible on mobile, PC, and games consoles, have been in the works as the ICC taps into what it believes will be a fast-growing revenue stream.While it remains optimistic about the project, the ICC has run into a potential dispute around the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights for the game with the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA). The WCA recently wrote to the 600 players registered with it globally – Indian and Pakistani players are notably not its members – saying the ICC was developing the mobile game “built on your name, image, likeness (NIL), without agreeing to terms with players collectively.”At the ICC’s annual conference in July, some members suggested that the boards should deal directly with their players over image rights, a move the WCA said was a breach of an agreement it had signed with the ICC. The WCA has accused the global governing body and some member boards of wanting to own the players’ name, image and likeness (NIL) rights beyond terms already agreed. The CEC (chief executives’ committee) will hear an update from members on their progress in terms of securing those rights on Wednesday.Cricket will be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles•Getty Images

Medium-term strategic reset

The ICC management is aiming for a medium-term strategy refresh, including looking at ways to exploit new funding mechanisms. This includes looking at ways of leveraging the sport’s presence in an increasing number of multi-sport events such as the Commonwealth and Asian Games and the Olympics. The governing body will also be looking at ways to adopt best practices from other sports like tennis, baseball and football in terms of exploiting the properties they own.

Olympics qualification pathway

The CEC is expected to get an update on the detailed qualification model for Los Angeles 2028, where cricket will feature at the Olympics for the first time since 1900. While the ICC Board had given its nod to a continental qualification system, the CEC is likely to get a broader idea on how the qualifying teams – six each in the men’s and women’s categories – will be shortlisted. The CEC will also get operational updates on cricket’s inclusion at the 2026 Asian Games and the African Games, Pan Am Games and European Games of 2027.The CEC will likely review and approve proposed qualification pathways for four forthcoming ICC events: the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup (to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia), the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup (to be held in Australia and New Zealand), the 2027 Women’s Champions Trophy and the 2029 Women’s ODI World Cup. It will also consider a recommendation to retain the 50-overs format for the Under-19 World Cup, which would allow Associate Members to strengthen their domestic structure in the longer white-ball format.USAC is in a tight spot in its bid to secure National Governing Body status, which will allow USA to participate in the LA Olympics•ICC/Getty Images

USAC and its future

On September 23, the ICC Board took the unanimous decision to suspend USAC with immediate effect for serious “breaches” including bringing cricket and the ICC into “disrepute” as well as failing to fulfil ICC membership criteria. In the suspension letter, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, the ICC charged USAC with “reneging on the commitments it made” to the ICC Board at the annual conference in July.USAC escaped suspension in July having committed to fulfil the conditions set by the ICC Board by October 20 including holding fresh board elections. But USAC first terminated its contract with long-term commercial partner American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), and then initiated bankruptcy proceedings, which it said was part of the financial restructuring of the organisation. The ICC did not take kindly to this, especially since it had been working closely with the US Olympics and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to secure National Governing Body status for USAC (which is necessary for the USA to participate in the LA Olympics). The USOPC had already warned the ICC that it would not allot NGB status to USAC in its current form unless its governance structure was overhauled and the current board replaced with a new one.In October the ICC sent another email to USAC spelling out the steps needed for the suspension to be lifted. Among the various conditions it set, the ICC told USAC that filing for bankruptcy was a violation of membership criteria, but recommended it “exit” the proceedings in a “satisfactory” manner. It is understood that under bankruptcy law, USAC has to provide the court with a financial plan for the next six months. With the ICC suspension halting its funding, the USAC management has been talking to the ICC about a way out. The ICC has told USAC that it will only fund cricketing operations for now, and nothing else.USAC is expected to write to the ICC Board, which is expected to discuss the issue on Friday, to understand the next steps.

Arsenal star Declan Rice has had his say on summer signing Cristhian Mosquera as Mikel Arteta waits to discover the extent of his injury problem.

Arsenal defeat Brentford 2-0 to maintain 18-game unbeaten run

The Gunners restored their five-point advantage at the Premier League summit with a straightforward victory over Brentford on Wednesday evening.

Mikel Merino’s early header and Bukayo Saka’s stoppage-time finish secured all three points to extend the Gunners’ unbeaten streak to 18 matches, but Arteta faces mounting injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.

The manager watched Mosquera hobble off just before halftime after landing awkwardly during an aerial challenge with Kevin Schade.

The defender immediately signalled discomfort and was unable to continue, with Jurrien Timber entering as his replacement to partner Piero Hincapie in central defence.

Arsenal’s defensive problems have now intensified with both regular starters William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already sidelined through injury, leaving Arteta with severely limited options at the back during a congested festive fixture schedule.

That being said, the good news is that Saliba is expected to be back in a ‘matter of days’, according to Arteta in his pre-Brentford press conference.

If the Frenchman is fit and available for Villa, Arsenal will have little choice but to thrust Saliba right back into the starting eleven to partner Hincapie, with Gabriel still weeks away from returning.

Mikel Arteta says "very powerful" Arsenal star has took him completely by surprise

He wasn’t expecting it.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 3, 2025

The situation worsened against Brentford when Rice gestured toward his right calf before receiving treatment and departing in the 83rd minute. Viktor Gyokeres replaced the influential midfielder as concerns grew about the England international’s availability for crucial upcoming fixtures.

Luckily for Arteta, Rice has managed to avoid a serious injury and is expected to be fit for their upcoming Premier League clash against Unai Emery’s men in-form Villa side.

Supporters can breathe a massive sigh of relief after this news, but they’re still waiting to find out about Mosquera’s condition.

Declan Rice praises Cristhian Mosquera amid Arsenal injury scare

Speaking to Sky Sports before Arsenal’s win over Brentford, Rice explained exactly why the Spaniard could end up being a sore miss — especially with Saliba currently absent and a doubt for this weekend.

The England international, who has been their arguable player of the season so far, told Sky that Mosquera is an “incredible” player with “immense” qualities alongside Hincapie.

This high praise comes as further evidence of what many already know — Mosquera has proved to be one of the bargains of the summer.

Signed for just £13 million from Valencia, the 21-year-old has done exactly what has been required of him whilst barely ever faltering.

Mosquera was handed his Premier League debut in a testing 1-0 defeat at Anfield in August, the club’s last defeat in all competitions, and he performed admirably at a very difficult ground after replacing the injured Saliba.

The youngster has attracted major praise whenever he’s been asked to fill in for one of Arsenal’s first choice pairing, with Martin Keown claiming that Mosquera has ‘the same DNA’ as both Saliba and Gabriel.

Arsenal will now be praying that his development isn’t stifled by a serious long-term injury, and the club are reportedly convinced that Mosquera could become one of the best centre-backs in world football.

Rangers have now reportedly launched an opening enquiry to sign Mujaid Sadick from Belgian side Genk in an attempt to hand Danny Rohl his first arrival at Ibrox.

The new manager has got off to a mixed start in Scotland, with victories over Kilmarnock and Hibernian at least stopping the rot in the Scottish Premiership before heartbreak in extra-time against Celtic. As Roma entered Ibrox in midweek, there may have been some hope that Rohl’s side could cause an upset before their problems were laid bare for all to see once again.

The Italian side raced into the lead courtesy of Matias Soule in the 13th minute, before Lorenzo Pellegrini put them out of sight just before half-time. Whilst it was no thumping, the gulf in quality was clear at times as Roma picked up a 2-0 victory.

Speaking to the media at full-time, Rohl admitted his disappointment – saying: “It’s disappointing, the result. We did, in some key moments, not the right things that we should do.

“I’ve said this many times, and I will repeat this, this game at the moment we need to grow in. We want to win this game in the future, but at the moment there are a lot of things that we have to increase.

“In the second half, I changed the shape and had one more player higher on the pitch. I felt then until the 75th minute that there could be something if we used one moment to bring the belief or the confidence in a good direction. But we couldn’t, and then in the end it was a very experienced side we played.”

Fewer touches than Butland: Rohl must axe Rangers man who lost the ball 11x

Rangers have now lost four out of four in the Europa League, and Danny Röhl must drop the flop who lost the ball 11 times against Roma on Thursday.

Nov 7, 2025

Defensively, Rangers were found wanting once again and it’s something that the 49ers must address in the January transfer window. As Rohl aims to mark his own stamp on the current side, a central defender should be at the top of his shopping list.

Rangers launch Mujaid Sadick enquiry

As reported by journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Rangers have now launched an enquiry to sign Mujaid Sadick from Belgian side Genk in the January transfer window. The 25-year-old has seemingly impressed the Gers and may have first caught their attention when he pocketed summer signing Chermiti in a 1-0 win over the Scottish giants in September.

The central defender completed 45 of his 46 attempted passes, made 15 defensive contributions and was not dribbled past once in a dominant display against Rangers. Chermiti, meanwhile, was limited to just one touch in the opposition box and was dispossessed three times. In a night to forget for the struggling striker, Sadick thrived.

It’s also worth noting that the Spaniard can play right-back as well as centre-back in what could offer Rohl crucial versatility. As far as first arrivals go, Sadick would be an excellent option to turn to in the January transfer window.

Rohl must drop another Rangers transfer flop with Chermiti