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The decision has been made for Bukayo Saka to sit out England's next 2026 World Cup qualifier against minnows Andorra on Saturday.

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Saka out of matchday squad vs AndorraWinger has hardly trained in build-upMajor doubt for Senegal game tooFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Saka is not part of the England matchday squad that will face Andorra on Friday evening. The game at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona will also be played without Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins and Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher. Injury means Watkins has withdrawn from the camp altogether to return home. Saka and Gallagher remain with the group for now.

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Saka's absence is most likely linked to his fitness after England manager Thomas Tuchel explained on Friday that the Arsenal star has only completed a single training session during the week. He had earlier missed three months of the club season after undergoing hamstring surgery in December, although did return to play the whole of April and May for the Gunners.

DID YOU KNOW?

Saka is yet to play for Tuchel since the ex-Chelsea boss began work with England in January, having been sidelined for the previous international break in March.

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Saka hasn't yet been ruled out of England's follow-up game against Senegal on June 10, a friendly taking place at Nottingham Forest's City Ground. But, as a result of sitting out the Andorra clash and his lack of training since reporting for international duty, he will be a major doubt to feature.

The Gujarat Titans captain also praised his team-mates for their match-winning performance against Lucknow Super Giants after only a day’s rest

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2023Hardik Pandya has hailed Rashid Khan’s athletic outfield catch to dismiss Kyle Mayers that broke Lucknow Super Giants’ strong opening stand as a “match-changing” effort, after Gujarat Titans prevailed by 56 runs in Ahmedabad.Chasing 228, Mayers had powered to 48 off 31 balls in a partnership of 88 with Quinton de Kock in just 8.1 overs. Then, he top-edged a pull over square leg off a Mohit Sharma slower ball. Rashid came sprinting in, running diagonally from fine leg, then slid and dived to take the catch to his right after making a last-minute adjustment.Super Giants lost momentum after losing Mayers and scored only 33 runs between overs 9 and 14, leaving them with too much to do in the last six.Related

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Hardik said that Rashid’s catch was the game-changer at a time when his team was under pressure. “The way the game changed after that… at one point of time at the eighth or ninth over we were even-stevens but that catch just changed the momentum and we were able to squeeze in a couple of tight overs,” he said after the match. “And after that I think they were chasing the game more than us.”We started controlling the game. Before that they were taking [us] on and we had to chase the game and make sure that we don’t concede as many runs and let them get into the game. So I think that catch was match-changing.””I think we both were driving at 100 kilometers per hour as a team but I think that bump in their innings cost them the game and got us back in the game.”Hardik also praised his team-mates for producing a match-winning performance after only one day’s rest. Titans’ last game was on Friday night and their match against Super Giants was the afternoon game on Sunday.”I don’t think I can ask anything better from the boys, Hardik said. “Especially, playing after one day’s gap and playing an afternoon game, the boys showed up and how.”Mohit, who gave Titans that vital first wicket, finished with 4 for 29, his best figures in the IPL since 2014. He has 12 wickets in eight matches in IPL 2023 with an economy rate of 6.96 despite bowling many of his overs at the death.”We keep discussing how to go about it, especially once the ball gets a little old how we can mix it up,” Mohit told broadcasters after the game. “And if I get the chance with a new ball, then what can I do with it. Today it was a day game so I knew that the wicket could get a little drier and be on the slower side so how we can mix it up in those conditions, that’s the kind of stuff I discuss with Shami.”I have practiced the knuckle ball, but I have a slight injury on my fingers so it’s not holding, so I am not able to bowl the knuckle ball. But I am using back-of-the-hand deliveries. When it’s the second innings and there’s a bit of dew, I can’t pitch it up too much, I have to bowl it away from the batter. So I am trying to stay as far from the batter’s range as possible.”I keep talking with Ashu Pa [Nehra] off the field. We talk a lot about bowling, what kind of balls I can bowl to different batters. Especially how we can mix up the length ball,” Mohit said. “He keeps saying that it shouldn’t be too short. It should be around top of off.”The win against Super Giants was Titans’ eighth victory in 11 games, giving them a three-point lead over Chennai Super Kings at the top of the table.

England captain named Player of the Match after putting himself through 24 overs in India’s second innings at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20252:32

Stokes: I was going to decide when I stop bowling

Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he had taken himself to some “dark places” with his bowling workloads but said “nothing was stopping” him as he embarked on two lengthy spells to help drag his side to a 22-run victory over India on the final day at Lord’s.Stokes was named Player of the Match after taking five wickets across 44 overs – the third-most he has bowled in a Test, and the most since 2019 – to go with innings of 44 and 33 with the bat, as well as the crucial run-out of Rishabh Pant in India’s first innings.On the third evening, he received an instruction from England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, to call it quits after a seven-over spell, with the team management still wary about protecting Stokes’ fitness after hamstring surgery over the winter.Related

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But he again pushed his body to the limit on Monday, resuming his over from the previous evening and bowling a further 9.2 overs during the morning, which included the wicket of India opener KL Rahul. He followed up with a ten-over spell after lunch, eventually dislodging Jasprit Bumrah after a dogged 35-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja for the ninth wicket, as England sought to confirm victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.The Lord’s Test was also the second of back-to-back matches, with just a three-day turnaround from India’s win at Edgbaston, where Stokes bowled 26 overs. In the first Test, at Headingley, he sent down 35 overs and spoke afterwards about how hard it was to recover.”I have taken myself to some pretty dark places before. Today was… but look, bowling to win a Test match, if that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does,” he said, speaking to Sky Sports at the post-match presentation.”With what today was, what was on the line. Yesterday [Saturday] was a bit different. You know, there was still more cricket to be played. And, you know, pulled myself off there. I mean, to be honest, I was absolutely cooked [on day three] as well. But again, today, you know, game was on the line. Nothing was stopping me [carrying on].”Ben Stokes appeals for KL Rahul’s wicket•Getty ImagesAlthough Stokes hinted at a return to form with the bat, Lord’s extended his run without a Test fifty to ten innings. He is now averaging 29.18 in 20 Tests since his last hundred, at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes, but said that his ability to impact games with the ball meant he had little time to dwell on his batting returns.”I’m an allrounder. I get four opportunities in a Test match to be able to influence the game. And one of the great things about being an allrounder is that if one thing doesn’t quite click, you’ve got an opportunity with the other. And that’s how I look at it.”Obviously, I would like to be scoring more runs at the moment, but as soon as I’ve got my whites on out there on the field, all my thoughts flip over to bowling. And that’s the great thing about being an allrounder, that you don’t really have a chance to sort of worry about anything. And everyone knows, I’ll always put in as much as I possibly can.”Jofra Archer took two crucial wickets in his opening spell•Getty ImagesStokes offered particular praise for Jofra Archer, playing in his first Test since 2021. Archer claimed match figures of 5 for 105 in a display of sustained hostility that regularly pushed the speed gun above 90mph/145kph. On day five, six years on from his heroics in the ODI World Cup final, he made the first breakthrough with the key wicket of Pant, and Stokes said he had backed Archer to do something special.”Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof this morning, six years ago now to the day. He played a major role and I had a feeling he’d do something special and crack the game open. A bit of discussion, Brydon [Carse] had an amazing spell [last night], but I had a gut feeling that Jof’s going to do something in his first game back.”Speaking afterwards to Sky, Archer said that the long periods he experienced in rehab due to back and elbow problems between 2021 and 2024 were made all the more worthwhile by the taste of victory at Lord’s.As well as his involvement in the World Cup final, when he bowled the Super Over as England’s men lifted the trophy for the first time, Archer made his Test debut on the ground during the 2019 Ashes. However, he had not played a Test since February 2021 before his comeback against India, enduring a four-year absence from red-ball cricket while road-testing his body in the limited-overs formats.0:55

Manjrekar: Stokes always makes things happen

“I only played one other Test at Lord’s, but you know, the last one was just as special as this one,” Archer said. “A lot of rehab, a lot of training, but it’s moments like this that make everything worth it.”I feel the hardest part is playing cricket for the last year-and-a-half and then still having training, talking about workloads, and ‘bowl today, don’t bowl tomorrow’, stuff like that. That would probably be the hardest part, because some days you think that you’re ready, but you never know if you’re ready or not until you do it. But the safer way is the best way. So I’m not too fussed. This surely, surely is worth it.”On day two, Archer struck with his third ball on returning to the Test side, having India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal caught at second slip, and celebrated by sprinting away to square leg, where he was enveloped by his team-mates.”Guess I was a little bit emotional,” he said. “It was a long journey. I can’t tell you the amount of keyboard warriors that I had to put up with for the last three to four years as well. I told myself that I was going to try my best not to be [emotional] and when [Jaiswal] nicked it, and it went to Brooky [Harry Brook], I think all of that just went through the window. The joy, the whole crowd, the Long Room yesterday, I’ve never seen it like that ever in my life. So it’s just moments like this that made the rehab all so much worth it.”Archer also revealed what was behind his send-off for Pant on the final day, having removed the batter’s off stump from the ground. “It wasn’t a proud moment,” he said. “I just told him to charge that. Honestly, this morning, I was struggling a little bit, the ball just kept coming out full. One of the full ones, he just charged, and it p****d me off a bit. When the [wicket] ball nipped down the slope, honestly I was so grateful for that.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are beginning to motor in the transfer market and could be about to sink a large chunk of their budget into a star with proven Premier League credentials, according to a report.

Wolverhampton Wanderers begin to build for the new season

Contrary to expectations, Wolves and Nelson Semedo have yet to come to a decision on his future and former Old Gold star Dave Edwards is still holding out hope the experienced star will put pen to paper on a new contract.

He explained: “I wrote in my columns at the end of the season that I was convinced he would leave Molineux. I was gutted about that, but I knew Wolves had done everything in terms of a contract offer to try and keep him.

“It is a lucrative offer that must be very appealing for the wing-back. It is just a bit of a strange situation because you usually think the fans would be a bit more angry.”

Ultimately, Vitor Pereira can only influence things fully in his control, and it appears the Wolves boss is doing everything in his power to ensure new talent arrives with pre-season underway.

Making their presence felt on the market, Wolves have put forward an approach for Atalanta striker El Bilal Toure after his return from Stuttgart, even if seven other clubs are also circling for his signature.

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Continuing that theme, Flamengo forward Wallace Yan could also end up at Molineux, though it remains to be seen if the Old Gold will commit to his £34 million release clause.

Putting that to one side, Pereira now reportedly has his eyes on a midfielder who has already shown he has the mettle to handle the cut and thrust of the Premier League.

Wolves eyeing surprise move for Conor Gallagher

According to reports in Spain, Wolves are in the mix to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher and would be willing to pay close to £43 million to bring the England international back to British shores.

Everton are also believed to be attentive to his situation and Diego Simeone could look to offload the former Chelsea man providing an agreement were to bring significant financial strength to the Wanda Metropolitano.

Conor Gallagher’s impressive 2024/25 campaign for Atletico Madrid

Appearances

50

Goals

4

Assists

6

Dubbed “priceless” by former boss Mauricio Pochettino after scoring a double against Crystal Palace in 2023, he also won 110 duels and 32 tackles in La Liga last term.

Famed for his high oxygen levels in the engine room, Gallagher could be pushed further down the pecking order under Simeone due to the arrivals of Alez Baena and Johnny Cardoso in the Spanish capital.

Wolves would have to put forward a convincing proposal to get him on board, though Pereira’s role in their recent resurgence could be enticing for the 25-year-old as he veers towards the prime of his career.

His superb batting effort afforded him the mental stoicism to put aside a plethora of half-chances to get to his 16th Test ton

Madushka Balasuriya26-Sep-2024″The senior players need to take responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle,” Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby had said ahead of the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.Three hundred and six runs later – 240 off the bats of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews – Kandamby might be justified in feeling his words were taken to heart. Especially considering that that’s just 22 runs shy of what the three of them managed across the first Test.Of the trio, Chandimal was the one rightfully taking home most of the end-of-day plaudits for his 116 off 208. Coming into bat on a hot and humid day in Galle – despite the mid-morning rain intermission – he was in as early as the second over following the fall of Pathum Nissanka. From there he took the attack to the opposition, striking at a shade under a run-a-ball, as Sri Lanka maintained a run rate of four an over for the first 15 overs.Related

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“I had to go in the third [second] over itself after Pathum got out, but even then my goal was to bat positively,” Chandimal said after the day’s play. “It helped that the pitch was better than the one in the first Test. That one was a bit sluggish, but this one was better in that sense.”After that period, though, as the spinners took a foothold, New Zealand managed to dry up the runs. Chandimal though recognised the change in pace of the game and adapted. Having got to 41 off just 42 deliveries, the next nine runs to his half-century took a further 37 deliveries.”In Galle, it’s a bit easier when the seamers bowl and the field is not so spread out,” he said. “So we tried to maximise that period. But once the spinners came on, they made sure that they kept bowling good lines and lengths, and that was why we had to drop down a second gear.”This rounded approach to his batting also afforded him the mental stoicism to put aside a plethora of half-chances, littered across his innings. On no fewer than three occasions he had edges evade the slip cordon, while he also had a leading edge fall narrowly short of short cover. Chandimal however relished these incidents, framing them as necessary aspects of Test batting.

“I have been batting at number five for most of my career, but I was asked to think about the team as Kamindu [Mendis] is an up-and-coming player in Test cricket, and move up to number three.”Dinesh Chandimal

“Things like that need to be there for you to score a hundred. You need to have a bit of luck go your way – you know for an edge to go into a gap or into the ground.”We try our best to play our shots, but sometimes the ball doesn’t go where we intend. At the same time, we have to give the bowlers credit too. They are good bowlers, so it is natural for things like this to happen in an innings.”This was Chandimal’s 16th Test ton – his second this year, and fifth since 2022 – but his first ever batting at No. 3. It’s not a role he had been keen on adopting in the past having played just 11 innings there, but now it’s a challenge he has accepted for both the betterment of the team – with Kamindu Mendis moving up to No. 5 and the gloves being handed to Kusal Mendis – and as something befitting his senior role in the side.”I have been batting at number five for most of my career, but I was asked to think about the team as Kamindu is an up-and-coming player in Test cricket, and move up to number three.”With my age, it’s also difficult for me to keep wickets as well – I’m 34 now – so I said yes. I took that opportunity with both hands because have to groom young players to take Sri Lanka cricket forward.”It wasn’t all good tidings for Chandimal, however, with him involved in Dimuth Karunaratne’s run-out before tea. It was Karunaratne’s call, as the ball was struck to midwicket for a quick single, but Chandimal was visibly caught on his heels and turned down the run. An irate Karunaratne was well short of his crease having been forced to turn back. And now Chandimal has revealed that he has accepted full blame for the incident.”I apologised to Dimuth as soon as I came off for tea. Prior to that [the run-out] he was down with cramps, so he told me to let’s take only the possible singles and avoid the risky ones. So that single [which led to the run-out] was a quick single and I wasn’t ready for it. But that said, it was my fault and I accept it.”

They aren’t old enough to have built a big fan base but can do so now and quickly by defending their title

Shashank Kishore27-May-20232:02

Solanki: Gill has all the qualities of a world-class player

Who owns Mumbai Indians?
“Ambanis! Reliance! Duh, too easy.”Who owns Kolkata Knight Riders?
“What a question! SRK, of course. Shahrukh Khan! SRK-Juhi Chawla.”Okay, what about Gujarat Titans?
“Umm……that company. …some American company…okay, give me a clue?”The IPL’s second-most expensive franchise, which is in its second straight final, trying to defend a crowd they won after being billed as no-hopers in 2022, don’t have a recall value when it comes to their ownership.Related

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Much of it is down to the owners – private equity firm CVC Capitals – staying away from the limelight – and instead trusting their management group led by Vikram Solanki and Ashish Nehra to call the shots.But ask the same folks who their favorite Titans player is, and they throw out names in a torrent. Hardik Pandya. Rashid Khan. Shubman Gill. David Miller. Mohammed Shami. They say it’s way too hard to pick one, but Gill and Hardik seemed equal on the popularity stakes.This was on Friday, long before Gill inflicted carnage in the second Qualifier. The man who has hit three IPL centuries in his last four games. The man many believe is a once-in-a-generation batter. You could firmly say Ahmedabad brought their Gill-cams with them to the stadium.Right from the kids queuing up at the merchandise store to get a number printed on a miniature jersey to folks lining up inside the ground, having made it through a connection of connections, to be able to watch the teams have a short but sharp net session at the ‘B’ grounds in Motera. It’s as if watching him all season hadn’t been enough. They were back to see him train.They crowded the perimeter of the outdoor nets area to watch them. A number of support staff members were mobbed for selfies too, even Arush Nehra, coach Nehra’s son. In return, all of them sweetly gave into their innocence, and did not crush the fans by saying they weren’t players.Once they saw Hardik, it was mayhem. And in a glimpse of how relaxed the camp was, he settled to play a game of street cricket with Arush and friends, even Rohit Sharma went full tilt in the centre. It told you of a mindset that is as calm and stable in both victory and defeat. It’s something Solanki, their team director, spoke at length about. Their manner of keeping the group together wasn’t about just working on techniques, but about trying to imbibe a winning culture by staying neutral.Gujarat Titans have an impressive trophy to defend•BCCIFor a while, after training had been wrapped up prior to the Qualifier 2, Hardik sat in the middle, eyes closed and soaking in the silence of an empty ground, barring the odd crack of the bat from Rohit. He seemed at ease. He was chatty with the ground staff, posed for pictures with their families and generally resonated with a relaxed vibe. He is the leader, but was the first to talk to the reserves, handhold them and guide them at training.This included a young net bowler Thomas, who now lives in Ahmedabad and hopes to play for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy having moved from Scotland two years ago. Thomas moved to the city after marrying a Gujarati and plays club cricket in the city. He was in awe of how special he was made to feel to the extent that they’re all rooting for Titans all the way from Scotland. Certainly, they have enough support from Afghanistan and Ireland because of the trio of Rashid, Noor Ahmad and Josh Little.When Titans met Chennai Super Kings in the inaugural game, the Dhoni mania outnumbered all else, and while you’d be naive to not expect a repeat, there’s a general sense of how this game will be slightly different. It’s after all a home-grown Gujarati captain leading the local team and having the backing of the same fans who rooted for India’s icon.Hardik is every bit a Dhoni clone. In terms of his mindset, and most definitely in terms of his temperament as captain. That is reason enough to root for someone who is Dhoni-like. Hardik comes from Baroda, and there is some striking contrast in how he has won over another city. Hardik himself has spoken enough about the Dhoni hand in his self-transformation from a “crazy guy” to a polished “cricket nerd” whose thinking for the game goes way beyond what it seem on the surface.In that sense, Sunday’s clash is similar in terms of what one can expect from both captains. The unflinching determination, the wave of authority, the calmness, the energy, the vibe, and more importantly, the colour – it’s all set up for a grand occasion. Titans have an opportunity to do something that has been done only twice before. Winning a title can be hard; defending it even harder. Dhoni has done it, will Hardik follow?Last year, a capacity crowd willed Titans on and then dotted the streets to celebrate an open bus parade that firmly etched the team into the city’s consciousness. The connect they didn’t quite have with Gujarat Lions – who were based in Rajkot – is now there with Titans. A win will firmly cement – no pun intended – this relationship and loyalty.

Manchester United can make a "show of big intent" by signing Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the Italian potentially a better option than Emi Martinez.

Red Devils considering a new No.1Initially linked with World Cup winnerPSG star now very much in their sightsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils are reported to be scouring the transfer market for a new No.1. Cameroonian shot-stopper Andre Onana has struggled to convince across two seasons at Old Trafford.

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Having initially been linked with a raid on Premier League rivals Aston Villa for World Cup winner Martinez, United are now said to be seeing a path cleared that could allow Paris Saint-Germain star Donnarumma to head for England.

WHAT BROWN SAID

Quizzed on whether Donnarumma would be the most notable addition in what has been a positive window for United, ex-Red Devils star Wes Brown – speaking on behalf of UK casinos Casino.org – told GOAL: “What a keeper. Arguably one of the best keepers in the world. He’s experienced and he’s a very big lad! He’s got the experience and with that side you would be very happy.

“The signings we have done have been very promising. I think every fan is looking forward to the start of the season now. If you were to get a 'keeper of that standard as well, it is a show of big intent and we are really going to push, not just for this season but we are taking a stance and will be there or thereabouts at the end of this season and the seasons to come.”

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Brown added when asked if Donnarumma, who is still only 26 years of age, is a better long-term option than 32-year-old Argentine Martinez: “In that sense, yeah. Martinez has been proven in the Premier League, you would have to say that. He has done great things for his country as well.

“Donnarumma, age wise, has got the experience, he’s dominant in goal. He’s not been in the Premier League yet but I’m pretty sure he has said that he wants to play in the Premier League. He wants to show what he can do everywhere. 'Keepers are a different breed. He shows the passion and wants to be able to play for a team in the Premier League. I think that would boost our squad and our team if that was Man Utd.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola now wants to sign an “ice cool” player, amid concerns over the performances of a current starter, according to a report.

On paper, Man City should have been no match for Al-Hilal, and they certainly had the better of their opponents, creating more chances and having over double the amount of shots on target throughout the match.

However, the Blues ultimately ended up crashing out of the Club World Cup after a shock 4-3 defeat, with Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou putting in a phenomenal performance, making eight saves from inside the box to keep Guardiola’s side at bay.

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The City boss refused to be too critical of his players in the wake of the result, while also singling out Bounou for praise, saying:“It is a pity. We have been on incredible journey together and were in a good place. The vibe was really good. I cannot thank the players enough for training and playing how they have been.

“But it was a difficult game. The margins were minimal. We created a lot and (Yassine) Bounou made incredible saves but we were so open.”

However, behind-the-scenes, Guardiola is still planning to make some changes to his squad, with a report from Spain revealing the Man City manager has made it clear that he wants to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

With Ederson not the player he once was, having lost consistency in his performances, there is a desire to bring in a new goalkeeper, and Guardiola believes Ter Stegen could be an ideal fit, believing that he has the qualities to succeed in the Premier League.

Barca would be willing to sanction a departure if a good offer comes their way, as the La Liga side are looking to reduce their wage bill, and the German rakes in a sizeable £105k-a-week.

"Ice cool" Ter Stegen has track record of success

The 33-year-old has won 20 major honours throughout a glittering career, having been an important player for Barcelona over a number of years, making a total of 422 appearances for the Spanish side.

That experience at the top level could be very useful for a Man City side which needs to start winning again, having endured a rare trophyless season during the 2024-25 campaign.

The “ice cool” goalkeeper is also comfortable in possession of the ball, which could make him a good fit in a Guardiola system, with counterpart Thibaut Courtois describing the Barca shot-stopper as the “best in the game” with his feet.

Ter Stegen could be a fantastic signing for Man City, but there may be some concerns over the fact the goalkeeper is already 33-years-old, making him two years older than Ederson, which indicates he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for the Brazilian.

Tom Brady has been warned he will regret criticising Wayne Rooney during the Manchester United and England legend's spell as manager of Birmingham.

Brady aimed Rooney dig during documentaryEngland great left Birmingham after 15 gamesEx-Wrexham star says Brady will regret commentsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Wrexham manager Dean Saunders has claimed NFL great and Birmingham stakeholder Brady will regret commenting on Rooney's professionalism. The 48-year-old is seen casting doubt over the United and England legend during a scene in the ‘Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues’ documentary, saying: “I’m a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic.”

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Rooney's spell in charge of Birmingham was an unmitigated failure, winning just two of his 15 matches in charge from October 2023 to January 2024. The 39-year-old followed that up with a similarly ill-fated time in charge of Plymouth that lasted only 25 games and now looks set to enjoy a punditry role on Match of the Day for the foreseeable future. He has now been defended by Saunders, who admitted he was disappointed by Brady's comments.

WHAT SAUNDERS SAID

Saunders told : "What I will say is, talking about Wayne Rooney's work ethic, I bet he's sorry he said that. It's the worst thing anybody could say to you I think in any walk of life to question your work ethic.

"But I like Wayne Rooney, he's a winner and he's a normal lad. He has his way of doing things and I'm not going to question him but I would be reluctant to go on a documentary and criticise any manager if I owned another club. So he probably shouldn't have done it."

DID YOU KNOW?

Birmingham brought in Steve Spooner, Tony Mowbray, Mark Venus and Gary Rowett for brief spells in charge after Rooney's departure before finally getting it right with the appointment of Chris Davies. The Welshman led City to promotion back to the Championship, where they have taken four points from their first two games of the 2025-26 season.

The opener’s unbeaten 81 propelled New Zealand to the tournament’s highest score so far

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2023From carding the two lowest totals at this T20 World Cup – and their own second and fourth lowest score overall – New Zealand went on to post the tournament’s highest score in their resounding comeback win over Bangladesh.They were a batting line-up transformed from the one that was shot out for 76 and then 67 thanks largely to their experienced opener, Suzie Bates, who was dismissed for two ducks in the first two matches but scored an unbeaten 81 against Bangladesh. Truth be told, she was pleased to just get one run.Related

Relieved Hayley Matthews breaks West Indies' cycle of woe

Suzie Bates and Maddy Green keep New Zealand alive

“I joked in the bus today about having one goal in the game and that was getting off the mark,” Bates said, laughing after the game. “So when I got off the mark on the first ball I looked up to the dugout and it was a nice feeling.”Bates spent a significant amount of time in the nets on Thursday’s optional training session, working more on the feeling of being out in the middle than her technique. “As soon as I hit the first ball, I was like ‘oh these are nice nets’. It was good pace and bounce, so that helped after two low scores,” she said. “I just wanted to bat and bat and we had lots of young bowlers running in. I was just getting in the zone of just batting in the nets, knowing that I wanted to spend time out in the middle.”Bates batted through New Zealand’s innings and found her timing early on when she drove Marufa Akter wide of mid-on and also beat the deep midwicket fielder. She went on to tease fielders at long-on, deep midwicket again and fine leg as she found gaps and drilled the ball through them. Importantly, she also stayed away from the cross-batted shots that had been her undoing in the previous games and concentrated on “playing straight for longer”, which worked well on a pitch with more pace and bounce than New Zealand got in Paarl.”It felt like you got value for shots, so it allowed me to just stand still and play my natural game,” Bates said. “A lesson is that that’s probably when I’m at my best. [In] the first two games, I was taking the high risk early or playing across the line. That’s not when I’m at my best. It was nice to talk about that as a batting group and me leading from the front after a tough start.”Suzie Bates was just happy to get off the mark after two consecutive ducks•Getty ImagesThe conversations came after both Bates and captain Sophie Devine were left “pretty distraught” with their back-to-back defeats and “sort of tried to get together to work out how we were going to move forward as leaders of this team”.While they knew “some of our young girls just take it all in their stride”, Bates admitted that she and Devine are among those who “take it a bit harder” because they know how much is expected of them given their experience. It’s also that experience that led them to formulate a plan to go back to their own game ahead of this match against Bangladesh.”Yesterday, Dean Brownlie, the batting coach, showed us some footage of the Bangladesh bowlers but then we kind of stopped that and said ‘okay how do we want to play? And when are we at our best?’ And that was almost that bully mentality that we’re strong girls and hitting hard and straight down the ground, early in our innings, is how we all play at our best. So we just talked about what we were going to do,” Bates said.It worked for Bernadine Bezuidenhout, who opened the batting with Bates and was outscoring her in the initial phase, and for Maddy Green, who finished unbeaten on 44 off 20 balls but Devine, batting at No.4, went scoreless for the second time. Still, Bates credited her with being the fulcrum of the turnaround.”It’s been really hard for her but it’s amazing that she’s actually playing. She had a stress fracture in her foot, so for her to do the hard work to get here is kind of unbelievable but then she’s not been able to perform. She’s had such limited cricket so it’s sort of understandable,” Bates said. “She picked herself back up as a leader. The energy around the group when we started training was brilliant.”Suzie Bates and Maddy Green propelled New Zealand•ICC/Getty ImagesDevine’s dry sense of humour may also have helped New Zealand not take themselves too seriously as they entered their third group match, even with the knowledge that anything less than a big win would guarantee them an early flight home. After New Zealand’s second defeat, Devine joked that they would have to score around 8,000 runs and skittle Bangladesh and Sri Lanka out for 20 to stand a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, but the situation is not that dire. Their 71-run win has improved their net run rate from -4.3 to -.1.5, which is still worse than Sri Lanka’s -0.19 but not by all that much.If South Africa lose to Australia and beat Bangladesh, and New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by a big enough margin, they may be able to sneak into the knockouts and back to the ground that Bates said is in her “top three” in the world – Cape Town.”Coming here to train and just looking up at the mountains, it’s absolutely stunning and gives you perspective. You sort of take a moment. And you’re like, how lucky are we that we get to play in these beautiful places,” she said. “We’d love to play again here but unfortunately the schedule doesn’t allow.”Then she realised that it could. “Oh yeah, the semi-final, sorry! Yeah we’re still in it.”