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The dates and the fixtures, the players to watch and the players you can’t watch, draft details and everything else you need to know

Andrew McGlashan06-Nov-2025

When does it take place?

The competition begins with a triple-header on November 9, later than it traditionally does because of the ODI World Cup, with the final on December 13, the day before the BBL begins.

What is the tournament structure?

Last season, the tournament was reduced to 40 games plus finals to bring it in line with the BBL and fit it within a burgeoning women’s cricket calendar. Each club will play ten games during the regular season.The three-game finals format used since 2021 remains in place, with the top four teams from the regular season to qualify. The team that finishes top after the regular season will host the final. The third- and fourth-placed teams will meet in the Knockout on December 9 with the winner to travel and face the team that finished second on the ladder two days later in the Challenger for a place in the final.

Who are the defending champions

Melbourne Renegades won the title for the first time last season when they overcame Brisbane Heat in a rain-affected final at the MCG. However, they have suffered a major blow ahead of their defence, with West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews, who was Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament, ruled out having undergone shoulder surgery.Melbourne Renegades will miss the services of last season’s superstar Hayley Matthews•Getty Images

How the overseas draft played out

Adelaide Strikers: Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt (pre-sign), Tammy Beaumont
Brisbane Heat: Jemimah Rodrigues, Chinelle Henry, Nadine de Klerk (pre-sign)
Hobart Hurricanes: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (pre-sign), Linsey Smith
Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin, Alice Capsey
Melbourne Stars: Amy Jones, Marizanne Kapp (pre-sign), Dani Gibson
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (pre-sign), Paige Schofield, Chloe Tryon (withdrawn)
Sydney Sixers: Sophia Dunkley, Amelia Kerr (pre-sign), Mady Villiers
Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu (pre-sign), Shabnim Ismail

Are there any availability problems or schedule clashes?

Not too many. The tournament itself has been squeezed by the World Cup but, currently, the only conflicting international series is South Africa’s against Ireland. That has seen Perth Scorchers replace Chloe Tryon, who has made herself available to face Ireland, with England’s Freya Kemp.

The squads

Adelaide Strikers
Jemma Barsby, Tammy Beaumont, Darcie Brown, Sophie Ecclestone, Anesu Mushangwe, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura WolvaardtBrisbane Heat
Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry, Lucy Bourke, Nadine de Klerk, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mikayla WrigleyHobart Hurricanes
Kathryn Bryce, Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Isa Malgioglio, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Linsey Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni Wyatt-HodgeMelbourne Renegades
Charis Bekker, Alice Capsey, Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Sophie Molineux, Davina Perrin, Naomi Stalenberg, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Issy WongMelbourne Stars
Sophie Day, Kim Garth, Dani Gibson, Maisy Gibson, Ella Hayward, Amy Jones, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Ines McKeon, Sasha Moloney, Indigo Noble, Georgia Prestwidge, Sophie Reid, Annabel SutherlandPerth Scorchers
Chloe Ainsworth, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Freya Kemp, Alana King, Katie Mack, Shay Manolini, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Chloe Piparo, Paige Scholfield, Ruby StrangeSydney Sixers
Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Sophia Dunkley, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr, Lauren Kua, Emma Manix-Geeves, Ellyse Perry, Courtney Sippel, Mady VilliersSydney Thunder
Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Laura Harris, Shabnim Ismail, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia WilsonThe MCG could host the final if one of the two Melbourne teams qualify•Getty Images

Any new regulations we need to know?

CA has strengthened in-game over-rate penalties. As per previous seasons a countdown timer will be in place for each innings. Once time expires, teams are required to bring an additional player inside the fielding restriction circle immediately. The timer will immediately reset (5 minutes for BBL, 5:45mins for WBBL) after hitting zero and if time expires again before the conclusion of the innings, full powerplay conditions will exist for the remaining deliveries.

Are the major stadiums being used?

Largely, no. The Stadium Series, which took matches to the MCG, SCG and the Gabba, has been shelved for this season although Adelaide Oval will still host one Strikers’ match as part of a double-header day on November 28. Cricket Australia said it was down to scheduling and they could return in the future.”Due to scheduling reasons and needing to optimise those games in those big stadiums, we haven’t found the right slot for them this year,” head of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson said. “That’s not to say we won’t be back there in the future, because [playing] the world’s best cricket league in the world’s best stadiums is still a part of our thinking going forward, but not for this season.”There remains a chance the MCG could host the final if either Melbourne team qualifies because it is scheduled to be a night game and Junction Oval won’t have its new lights installed in time.

Players to watch

Tess Flintoff, who has made a crosstown move from Melbourne Stars to Renegades, is one of the emerging allrounders in Australian cricket. She was awarded a central contract earlier this year, perhaps somewhat surprisingly given her numbers. “Certainly looking at her performances, you’d go, why?,” national selector Shawn Flegler said at the time. “She hasn’t really banged the door down with wickets or anything, but there’s something about her that’s probably a little bit different.” After last season’s returns of three wickets in nine games and a batting average of 9.83, this is a season to show why she is so highly regarded.Laura Wolvaardt comes into the WBBL after topping the run chart at the ODI World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesLaura Wolvaardt comes into the competition on the back of a magnificent World Cup for South Africa where she produced one of the all-time great innings in the semi-final before another century in the final that wasn’t quite enough. After consecutive 400-run seasons in Strikers’ back-to-back titles, last summer was more of a struggle for Wolvaardt with 193 runs in nine innings. Her challenge this season could be refocusing after a few weeks of incredible personal success, but ultimately another World Cup final heartbreak.Sianna Ginger, a 20-year-old allrounder, only has six WBBL games to her name but is quickly emerging as a player to keep an eye on. She earned Australia A selection over the winter where she was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the T20s against India A, and struck a century in the four-day game against India A.Davina Perrin is one of the breakout stars of English cricket, having carved a magnificent 101 off 43 balls for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred Eliminator final. The 19-year-old is already being talked about for national honours as England coach Charlotte Edwards looks to the future after the semi-final exit in the World Cup. Perrin was a late signing by Renegades and will be tasked with, partly at least, filling the huge shoes of Matthews.Laura Harris has made the move from Brisbane Heat to Sydney Thunder after signing during the WBBL’s first trade window, which was introduced last season. One of the hardest strikers of a cricket ball, Harris has made her name as a power surge specialist. Her overall T20 strike rate of 173.92 is far and away the best in the world for anyone with at least 1000 runs.

Callum McGregor and substitute Callum Osmand scored in extra-time as Celtic emerged victors in an epic Premier Sports Cup semi-final against 10-man Rangers at Hampden Park.

With former Hoops boss Martin O’Neill back in the dugout as interim manager after taking over from Brendan Rodgers last Monday – along with Shaun Maloney – Celtic took the lead through Johnny Kenny after 25 minutes and then Gers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card by referee Nick Walsh for a reckless challenge on Anthony Ralston.

The Ibrox side, with new head coach Danny Rohl taking charge of his first Old Firm game, fought back in the second half with captain James Tavernier levelling from the spot in the 81st minute to take the game to extra-time.

However, McGregor thundered in a goal three minutes after the restart, before teenager Osmand scored his first Celtic goal 15 minutes later for a 3-1 win which sets up a meeting with St Mirren in the final on December 14 at the national stadium.

An exhausting afternoon began with Celtic quickly into their stride. Japan striker Daizen Maeda was through and shot straight at Jack Butland but the Gers goalkeeper was as bemused as anyone seconds later when Ibrox defender Nasser Djiga’s attempted clearance cannoned off midfielder Nicolas Raskin and ended up in the Rangers net, only for VAR to confirm Maeda was offside in the build-up.

Moments later, Gers striker Youssef Chermiti missed the target from six yards after Mohamed Diomande had picked him out.

However, when Kenny jumped highest in the box to head in an Arne Engels corner with barely a challenge from four blue jerseys around him, Celtic were deservedly ahead.

Butland saved a powerful Kenny drive before Hoops keeper Kasper Schmeichel blocked a Raskin drive with his leg after a Gers counter, then Chermiti failed to connect properly with Tavernier’s free-kick when only two yards from goal.

When the hitherto anonymous Aasgaard was sent packing for a needless lunge at Ralston, Rangers’ task became even more difficult.

There were loud and angry Gers shouts for a red card when Celtic defender Auston Trusty left his boot on Butland’s face after the keeper had gathered the ball but Walsh produced only a yellow.

What VAR said on Trusty yellow card in Celtic vs Rangers

Talking about the incident at half-time on Premier Sports, it was confirmed that “VAR said” Trusty’s challenge was “reckless” but was still only worthy of a yellow card.

Better than Ange: Celtic reach out to hire "tactically unbeatable" manager

The New Zealand fast bowler was clear on not going to the yorker in the three-run win to clinch the T20I tri-series final

S Sudarshanan26-Jul-2025

Matt Henry is mobbed by his mates after defending seven runs in the final over•Zimbabwe Cricket

Take a bit of risks and don’t go after the yorkers for all six balls – that was Matt Henry’s clear plan as he helped New Zealand to the men’s T20I tri-series title in a last-ball thriller in Harare.Henry stood at the top of his mark with South Africa needing seven off the last over with six wickets in hand. ESPNcricinfo’s win predictor gave South Africa a 93.3% chance, with a set Dewald Brevis batting on 31 off just 14. But all Henry conceded were three runs and picked up two wickets.”The thought process was making sure that there were tough options [for the batters]. If you go to yorkers too early and you run two, it’s hard to kind of keep six [balls] out,” Henry said after New Zealand’s three-run win. “So, we just tried to be positive and to take an element of risk of the death that doesn’t always come off but that was good.Related

• Henry the hero as NZ win last-ball thriller to clinch tri-series title

• Conrad: 'Bitterly disappointed but we have got the makings of a great side'

“With not too many to defend, I probably made it a little bit clearer in terms of, having probably taken a few more risks, and making sure that it either was a dot ball or a wicket. Just making sure I was nice and clear at the top of the mark and executing what I wanted to do, and thankfully executed the plans nicely and catches stuck, so that was good.”2:32

Matt Henry: ‘Tried to take an element of risk at the death’

The last over was not devoid of drama. A couple of athletic catches sealed New Zealand’s fate, while the one missed chance did not cost them. On the second ball, Brevis looked to pull a bouncer over the deep midwicket boundary and almost succeeded. But Michael Bracewell timed his jump, held his balance to complete a juggling catch that gave New Zealand the edge. A ball later, he couldn’t hang on to a miscue from Corbin Bosch, grassing the chance after running in from deep midwicket. On the fifth ball, Daryl Mitchell covered good ground to his right from long-on to pull off another excellent catch to convert a certain boundary into a wicket, thus sending back George Linde.”I was hoping he was going to catch it,” Henry said of Bracewell, “it was a really good catch. When you’ve got Bracewell out there on the boundaries, [he is] one of the better fielders going around. So [I had] a lot of confidence, just hoped that one did his job. These guys, they take more catches than they drop, so I wasn’t as worried [about the dropped catch]. I was more just focused on what I could do. [It was a] tough chance, and not many people probably get to that to create a chance. He’s an unbelievable fielder.”Henry finished the tri-series as the leading wicket-taker with ten wickets. Six of those wickets came at the death (overs 17-20), a phase in which he had an economy of 6.69.”The key thing is wanting those overs,” Henry, who was named the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series, said. “It’s never easy, they don’t always go your way either. It’s something we all train at, and I think when you’re talking about death, it’s not just the final over. It’s actually the building up of that.”I think the guys that had some really tough sets there, [Jacob] Duffy and Zakary Foulkes, they’ve done a great job. There was some seriously aggressive striking there [from South Africa] as well. So for us to get to that position was probably the key thing.Henry also praised the tri-series as a means to play high-pressure matches in preparation for the T20 World Cup next year.”We don’t play too many of them, but to come here today and then the final one is great,” he said. “We want to play cricket against great sides and under pressure, that’s why we play the game. Today was one of those games. It was different to all the games we played here. It was a really strong surface, which required a high scoring game – obviously 180 was probably the highest for the tri series – so to come down to the wire was exciting. For us, it was building on what we’ve been talking about. A lot of guys that have stepped up at different times, which is a pleasing thing.”We’ve loved it, we’ve had such a great tour, and we’ve got a big year of T20 cricket with the World Cup to look forward to. For us, [it is about] not getting carried away with the results, more of the style of cricket we’re playing, and how do we keep asking ourselves to grow in our roles and take the game forward. It was a great stepping stone towards where we want to get to.”

It wasn't just legendary MLB players getting immortalized on Sunday, as the latest class of Hall of Famers were introduced at Cooperstown. Sunday also marked a special occasion for the mascots of the sporting world.

San Francisco Giants beloved mascot Lou Seal was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame on Sunday, and he received some love and support from his fellow costumed friends from across MLB and other sports leagues. Multiple mascots turned up to Oracle Park for Sunday's game against the Mets, and they sat with Lou Seal in a wholesome moment as the stadium honored his Hall of Fame induction.

Among the notable mascots in attendance were Mr. Met, the Phillie Phanatic, S.J. Sharkie of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, and the Giants' anti-mascot, the Crazy Crab.

Have a look at the conglomerate of costumed friends congratulating Lou on his career achievement:

As for the ceremony itself, Oracle Park got to its feet and went wild for Lou Seal as they were treated to a standing ovation while taking the field, where the mascots and even their parents were waiting for them and dancing as music blared.

A truly momentous occasion at Oracle Park prior to first pitch of the game against the Mets.

Bizarre broadside from Australia’s stand-in captain puts England’s former spinner front and centre of the pre-series banter

Alan Gardner20-Nov-20250:39

Steve Smith’s strange ‘Mastermind’ jibe at Monty Panesar

Hands up who had ‘Steven Smith Hits Back at Monty Panesar’s Sandpaper Comments with BBC Mastermind Jibe’ on their Ashes 2025-26 phoney war bingo card?Because that, bizarrely enough, is the point we had reached when those in the UK woke up on Thursday morning, less than 24 hours out from the start of the first Test. Perhaps it was the logical endgame of an Ashes build-up that has seemed ever more febrile and fantastical as the weeks have ticked by. But it also prompted, on many levels, the question: why?Why had Smith, in responding to what was reportedly a planted question early in his press conference, chosen to specifically target Panesar amid all the pre-series chatter on both sides? Why did Smith decide to make a personal dig at a retired player about a TV appearance from almost seven years ago? And why, on the eve of one of the most anticipated Ashes in recent memory, was he rewatching Panesar’s infamous meltdown if, as he claimed, “it doesn’t really bother me”.Ironically, the Panesar comments that Smith claimed he hadn’t been bothered by received minimal coverage – certainly in contrast to his “off-topic” digression in the full glare of pre-game media duties, which caused “Monty Panesar” to become a trending topic on two sides of the globe.The issue had, in fact, seemed to spiral after being picked up by Brad Haddin and Alyssa Healy on the Willow Talk podcast earlier this week. Haddin, still keen as ever to get involved in a stoush, suggested Panesar should “Pull your f***ing head in” – which is about the level of wit for Ashes repartee. What’s remarkable is that the mud-flinging has not been confined to social media, but ended up with Australia’s stand-in captain using it for an open-mic spot on matchday-minus-one.For those still in the dark, Panesar – speaking to an online betting company – had urged England to “really get into” Smith about his role in the 2018 sandpaper incident at Cape Town and “make him feel guilty”. But it seems unlikely that Monty’s masterplan would have featured quite so high up in the strategising by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum ahead of this series (although perhaps it now should…)Monty Panesar and Steven Smith have reprised hostilities in unlikely circumstances•Getty ImagesPanesar also explicitly urged the UK media to take up the cudgels against Smith, following the example of some typically fruity coverage of England’s preparations by the local outlets. In another irony, Smith’s response has made it much easier for the English pack to now mount their high horses (something that rarely requires a second invitation).As for the Barmy Army, who are expected to make up a significant proportion of the crowd in Perth Stadium, they won’t need any prompting from Panesar to break into another chorus of “We saw you cry on the telly”.Smith added in his press conference that he was “pretty chilled” these days, and certainly delivered his pre-planned bit for the cameras with a broad grin in place. It was, nevertheless, a curious call that has added another layer of intrigue to the series – as well as an unexpected new chapter to Panesar’s colourful Ashes backstory.By coincidence, it is only a couple of weeks since Panesar popped up as a walk-on character in the story of Jake Weatherald’s maiden Test call-up. Weatherald – who described Panesar as “one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life” – played alongside the former England left-arm spinner during his time in the UK with Great Witchingham CC and took time to regale the Grade Cricketer podcast about what an “amazing experience” it was. Whether they were laughing with or at Monty is probably moot.Related

• Food charities benefit from Perth Test catering surplus

• Australia's injuries fuel English optimism but task ahead is huge

• Smith: If the result doesn't go our way, we can turn it around

• Smith mocks Panesar Mastermind stint to hit back at sandpaper jibe

• Stokes returns to the source as Ashes odyssey comes full circle

This has often been the case, starting with Shane Warne’s infamous comment that Panesar hadn’t played 33 Tests, but the same Test 33 times. Panesar was an unlikely hero with the bat for England at Cardiff shortly after that, but was again reduced to a figure of fun on the 2013-14 tour, including when Cricket Australia apologised for causing offence with a tweet that pictured four men dressed as Teletubbies wearing turbans and the caption: “Will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?”Since the end of his playing career, Panesar has forged a number of different career paths – often with limited success. His blooper, which he put down to nerves, came during a period in which he tried to carve out a regular spot as a reality TV personality, while he has done more run-of-the-mill work as a cricket pundit for a number of organisations (including ESPNcricinfo). Last year, he made headlines after briefly promising to stand as candidate in the General Election for the Workers Party of Britain, before backtracking.He has also spoken about his struggles with mental health issues and, sadly, still seems to be casting around for a comfortable post-playing role. Whether Ashes bantermeister is the right fit remains to be seen – but Smith has fanned the flames, inadvertently or otherwise. Certainly Panesar’s zinger of a response, delivered on BBC radio a few hours later, then followed up in a Telegraph guest column, suggested he is rising to the occasion:”I’ve started, so I’ll finish,” Panesar wrote. “Those were the words I heard at the end of my Mastermind shocker six years ago. But if I’m guilty of anything, it is having bad general knowledge. And that is better than being a cheat.”We’ve both made mistakes. I made my mine on a quiz show. He made his on the cricket field.”And so the sideshow rumbles on, with Panesar also due to appear on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 podcast later on Thursday. Wonder what they’ll talk about? Thankfully the cricket is about to begin, otherwise who knows what we’d wake up to tomorrow.

England moved within touching distance of unprecedented World Cup qualifying history after a composed 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley maintained their flawless defensive record. With Thomas Tuchel's side yet to concede in the campaign, a clean sheet against Albania would make them the first European nation ever to complete an eight-game qualifying cycle without letting in a single goal.

• England beat Serbia in penultimate qualifier

  England cruised to another victory as they defeated Serbia 2-0 at Wembley on Thursday, stretching their perfect record in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a crisp volley, before Eberechi Eze came off the bench to curl home a superb late finish and seal a seventh straight win.

  The match followed a familiar pattern in this qualifying cycle, with England asserting dominance early and forcing Serbia to defend deep for long spells. Harry Kane’s movement, Saka’s incisiveness and Declan Rice’s control ensured Serbia were rarely able to build sustained attacks, while England’s defence remained largely untroubled aside from isolated counterattacks.

  England’s clean sheet was also significant, extending their run to seven games without conceding, already a rare feat in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Serbia created a handful of half-chances but were kept at bay through Jordan Pickford’s alert positioning and the strong recovery defending of Ezri Konsa and John Stones. With the win, England closed in on a piece of history never before achieved in a European qualifying group of eight matches.

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  Three Lions closing in on a World Cup qualifying record

  The victory places England on the brink of an unprecedented defensive milestone, one that would underline the transformative impact Tuchel has had since taking charge. Should the Three Lions avoid conceding in their final qualifier against Albania, they would become the first European nation ever to complete an eight-game World Cup qualifying campaign without letting in a goal. It would surpass even the great England side of 1990, which finished a six-game campaign without conceding.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Tuchel's side maintain flawless campaign

  Beyond the clean sheet streak, England’s qualifying journey has showcased the depth and discipline required to thrive under Tuchel’s demanding standards. Pickford has now kept ten consecutive competitive clean sheets, supported by a defensive line that has remained calm under pressure and excelled at denying opponents high-value opportunities. Stones, Konsa and Rice have all played crucial roles in sustaining England’s impeccable defensive record.

  This campaign has also highlighted Tuchel’s insistence on competition for places, with no player guaranteed a starting role regardless of club form or reputation. Tuchel has repeatedly stressed that his focus is on building collective unity, and England’s ability to rotate without losing fluidity underscores how deeply the squad has bought into his approach.

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• Albania trip last up in qualifying

  England now travel to Tirana for their final World Cup qualifier to take on Albania, where the chance to make history may serve as a major motivational factor despite the game being a dead rubber. Top spot in the group is already secured and Albania are locked into second place.

  Should England secure the clean sheet, they will step into the 2026 World Cup not only as qualifying history-makers but also as one of the tournament’s most tactically complete and defensively formidable sides.

Roy Keane has claimed that his infamous leg-breaker on Erling Haaland's dad, Alfie, was not an unfair challenge. To get a bigger picture and understand the magnitude of Keane’s fury, you have to rewind to September 1997, when Manchester United faced Leeds United at Elland Road.

• How did it all start?

  Keane was a player who thrived on combat on the pitch. However, he went down in agony after rupturing his cruciate ligament while attempting a challenge. As he lay on the turf, clutching his knee in genuine pain, Haaland, who was playing for Leeds, stood over him and sneered, accusing him of faking an injury. 

  "He tried to tackle me and I got the free kick. He was lying on the ground and I just told him to ‘get up’ as you normally do with players – nothing more than that," Haaland said in an earlier interview. "I wasn’t trying to intend anything against him, but obviously he took that very hard."

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  That fateful day in Old Trafford

  For Keane, who never forgot a slight, those words became fuel. Four years later, in April 2001, fate delivered the perfect opportunity for revenge during a Manchester derby at Old Trafford. And Keane didn’t miss. His right boot smashed into Haaland’s knee with sickening force as Keane stood over his old adversary, snarling expletives. He didn’t even pretend it was an accident.

  In his 2002 autobiography, he admitted it outright: "I’d waited long enough. I f*cking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries."

  At the time, Keane received a £5,000 fine and a three-match ban. But when his autobiography publicly confirmed what everyone suspected, that the assault was premeditated, the FA reopened the case. He was handed an additional five-match suspension and fined a further £150,000. 

  In his second autobiography, published in 2014, he doubled down once again, describing Haaland as "an absolute pr*ck to play against."

  "[He] p*ssed me off, shooting his mouth off. He was an absolute pr*ck to play against. Niggling, sneaky," he wrote.

  "I did want to nail him and let him know what was happening. I wanted to hurt him and stand over him and go: 'Take that, you c***.' I don’t regret that. But I had no wish to injure him. It was action; it was football. It was dog eats dog. I’ve kicked lots of players and I know the difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody. I didn’t go to injure Haaland. When you play sport, you know how to injure somebody.

  "There was no premeditation. I’d played against Haaland three or four times between the game against Leeds, in 1997, when I injured my cruciate and the game when I tackled him, in 2001, when he was playing for Manchester City. If I’d been this madman out for revenge, why would I have waited years for an opportunity to injure him? Was I going around for years thinking: ‘I’m going to get him, I’m going to get him.’? No. Was he at the back of my mind? Of course, he was. Like Rob Lee was, like David Batty was, like Alan Shearer was, like Patrick Vieira was. All these players were in the back of my mind: ‘If I get a chance I’m going to f*cking hit you, of course I am.’"

• One final declaration from Keane!

  Keane is never one to hide behind PR polish or remorse, and has again claimed that his tackle on Haaland was "not a bad challenge", defiantly insisting that he was merely trying to "hurt him", and not end his career. 

  Speaking on , the ex-Manchester United captain declared: "This is my last time talking about this tackle, the Haaland one. I still don’t think it was a bad tackle, I really don’t. I don’t care what anyone says. It’s not as bad as everyone thinks it is. When you play sport at that speed we played at, there’s a difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody – big difference. That’s my argument. I was trying to hurt him, not injure somebody."

  When asked about it in 2024, Haaland said wryly: "Is that a coincidence, or isn’t it? If you’re in the ground and someone hits you in the right leg, you can still twist your other leg. It can get injured and that’s probably what happened.

  "I haven’t played a full 90 minutes after that incident, that’s the hard fact. And people can judge whatever they want. Obviously, I found out afterwards that it was with intent and he was seeking revenge and all these things. I think that’s a bit sad. Sad for football and it was not good for me either at the time."

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  Did Keane actually end Haaland's career?

  Keane used one argument to justify his lack of guilt as the Norwegian played a full international just four days after the infamous tackle and played 68 minutes for City shortly after. 

  "Haaland finished the game and played four days later, for Norway," he said. "A couple of years later, he tried to claim that he’d had to retire because of the tackle. He was going to sue me. It was a bad tackle but he was still able to play four days later."

  One must note that although Haaland did undergo the knife in that summer, it was on his left leg, whereas Keane tackled him on the right.

Gary Stead, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Ajaz Patel and Will Young explain how they beat India in India

Alagappan Muthu05-Nov-20247:20

Bond: ‘Sweeping India 3-0 is NZ’s best result ever’

There was a New Zealand team that came to India and spent a week watching grass dry, but never quite quickly enough, in Greater Noida.There was a New Zealand team that went to Sri Lanka next and lost 2-0, including one where they conceded 600 runs in the first innings and responded with 88 all out.There was a New Zealand team that then came to India, with a new captain, and beat them 3-0.Related

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• Will Young, the reserve who stole the show: 'You've got to be prepared to bat anywhere in the top five'

• New Zealand do the unthinkable and hand India their first 3-0 whitewash at home

• Stats – Rohit's India make history, but of the unwanted kind

It feels like the next line should say “pick out the statement which is false” and nine out of ten people would be leaning towards that last one. One of them was inside the dressing room.”Look, incredible result, really,” the head coach Gary Stead said. “I think there’d be not many pundits around the world [who] would say that you would go to India and win 3-0 and probably deep down I’m not sure if we even believed that it was possible ourselves to do this considering it’s never been done in history before.”

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Will Young should look into ASMR. He has the voice for it. Sometimes listening to it, the softness, the lilt, makes you forget to concentrate on important things, like when he talks about how he’s managed to score the most crucial runs in the most crucial times that’s helped New Zealand win three Tests in a series for the first time in their history.”We were in India, and we were meant to play Afghanistan in Noida. Although the outfield was really wet, we could still train on that block and then we went to Sri Lanka and played two Test matches in Galle. There were really good nets there and I could train most days whether it was with Michael Bracewell who was on the drinks with me or Rangana Herath who was bowling to me a lot.”1:18

Manjrekar: ‘Biggest growth in a NZ batter will be in Will Young’

Young made 48 not out in the second innings in Bengaluru when Jasprit Bumrah was bowling with purpose and sometimes that purpose seems to almost border on asking people why they thought it was a good idea to be 22 yards away from him with only a slender stick of wood for protection. Devon Conway ended up stuck at his end and was taking body blows.Young didn’t have it easy either, and enjoyed not having to face Bumrah all that much in that opening spell, but when he did he seemed to have the time to get in behind the ball and when he wasn’t able to, with all the seam movement still around, he was extremely careful not to follow it.In Mumbai, he couldn’t hide, and these were conditions he was less used to, with the ball ragging off the straight at nearly 100kph.”I felt really prepared to be honest,” Young said, “And coming to India to play cricket is always really exciting so I felt well prepared and just excited to give it a go. At times trust my defence and at times know when and where to look to score and thankfully it worked.” To the extent he was hitting Ravindra Jadeja for straight sixes. “It was just a bit of a cat and mouse really. He had long-off for most of his spell and he brought mid-off up. I thought if I get the right length I might be able to give it a go.”Young faced 460 balls in this series, which was a 100 more than any of the Indian batters, and that takes on whole new meaning considering who he had to face and where he had to face them.”[India] probably have a right to [play on a turning pitch] as well when you consider Jadeja and Ashwin with 800-odd Test wickets, 900-odd Test wickets, compared to our guys who possibly had 100 between them,” Stead said. “So I mean, they play in these conditions, they’re an experienced group. And I mean, for me, it’s more possibly around our batting and how we combated that was possibly the difference in the series as well.”We certainly talked a lot about [batting against spin] as a group over the last six Tests here and working out the method for each individual player around how they can best do that. So as I said earlier, though, it’s a challenge. It’s not easy to go away from your natural game. And I think when our players have been brought up on wickets that generally seam and bounce consistently and don’t spin a lot, then it certainly is a real… I take my hats off to the players for the way they’ve gone about it and the way they’ve stuck to their guns.”

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1:24

Manjrekar: Have to take your hats off to Ajaz

Tom Latham wanted to fire the first shot. But really, in India, it’s more about being there at the last.R Ashwin spoke about this during a highly absorbing series against England earlier this year at the end of a day where the opposition was 207 for 2 in 35 overs.Ajaz Patel spoke about it during a highly absorbing battle with Rishabh Pant. These were his views at the end of the first innings in Mumbai, though they are a decent snapshot into what they wanted to do when they found themselves under the pump.”Rishabh batted exceptionally,” Ajaz said. “He’s been phenomenal throughout this tour and he’s kind of the player that likes to put pressure back on us regardless of the situation and so like I said earlier it’s about keeping things simple, it’s about controlling what you can control, if you put the ball in good areas and they play a good shot that’s out of your control.”India’s dominance at home is built on a similar bowling strategy. In Rajkot, they dragged England from that 207 for 2 in 35 overs to 319 all out simply because they kept bowling that good-length ball that could bring the surface and all its vagaries into play.Mumbai’s, for example, offered less turn in the mornings but “after lunch we started to see a little bit more turn and a bit more assistance so that’s when that trust kind of paid off and then it was about keeping that consistency and keeping that going and making it as challenging as possible for batters and putting the ball in good areas for long periods,” Ajaz said.New Zealand clearly did not have the experience on paper but they were making moves like they did. They understood that good periods of play in India don’t mean anything. Success here is contingent on mitigating the bad ones. Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen did in 2012 and history was made. Ajaz and Mitchell Santner did in 2024 and history was unmade. Seventy years of Black Caps struggle ended with this 3-0.”We certainly knew in these conditions, naturally the way that India play, they are quite aggressive and tend to take the game on a little bit more and that’s something we spoke about and something we tried to plan for,” Latham said on Sunday. “As I said, until that last wicket fell I certainly didn’t think it was over. We know India bat right the way down, even having Washington Sundar batting at the end.”We knew that things could easily swing the other way, so we always talk about trying to stay in it. Things happened quickly here, and in these conditions and in the nature of the game, wickets tended to fall in clumps. We knew if we got one we could get a couple in a hurry, and we’re pretty happy we got the job done.”

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1:23

Manjrekar: ‘My respect for Glenn Phillips has grown’

“Aaah, nope,” Glenn Phillips said when asked about New Zealand’s celebrations on Sunday. “That’s just for the team and I’m going to leave it at that.” It was the only question that he didn’t engage with in ten-minute chat about the part that he played over the past three weeks, which took enough out of him that he tapped out of the bacchanalia fairly early. “I shut down. It was a long tour and I was a bit cooked but yeah, we had fun.”In the dying stages of the third Test, Phillips delivered an offspinner’s dream to bowl Akash Deep. Now there was only one wicket standing between New Zealand and victory, and Phillips had the chance to take it and complete a Test-match hat-trick.Where does that moment – and this whole tour – rank in the life of a man who seems to like picking things up – surfboards, bows and arrows, little red cricket balls and maybe eventually a pilot’s licence – and becoming scary good at them?”Pretty high,” he said. “I wanted to bowl the same ball. Hit a good length, let the pitch do the work, but it was a bit full.” Phillips’ mind went back six months ago when he picked up a five-for against Australia and had two-in-two there as well. “I let [Alex] Carey off last time, in Wellington, bowled it wide. But at least I gave myself a chance [here].”Phillips was typecast as a wicketkeeper when he was younger. “I hated it,” he said, “but at 12-15 years old, there weren’t too many kids who could catch. And in New Zealand if you’re a wicketkeeper, that means you’re not suited to be a bowler, you didn’t have the strength. So I had to do a lot of work and it was only at the professional level that people really started noticing what I could do.”Bowling is my favourite thing.” He’s not kidding. Phillips starts a lot of his training sessions with the ball in hand. He shifts to the bat only later. Of course that might simply be coincidence, because he’s down at No. 7 for New Zealand. “And I saw there were spaces in the team for someone that does that kind of role. So I kept at it. Some of it is natural, based on what I think my body can handle. I’ve seen that sometimes my bowling falls away when there’s too much coaching input so I check in with them and then put my own spin on things.”Phillips bowled 69 overs across the three Tests in India. Eight short of Ajaz. He picked up eight wickets. One fewer than Ashwin.

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5:09

Latham: Immensely proud moment for this group

New Zealand admit they had a huge helping of luck securing this 3-0. “I think losing the toss in the first test match definitely helped us,” Stead said referring to the Bengaluru Test where they wanted to bat first too. “We got a jump in the game there and then I think that grew confidence in the group and we played very, very good cricket after that.”Every box that needs to be ticked for a win away from home was. Their top-order batters were stubborn – Daryl Mitchell kept batting even though bits of him were melting away in the Mumbai sun. Their spinners asked questions of India even when they were defending – 29 for 5 happened even as India thought they were playing safe shots.And most importantly, “we wanted to make sure we showed the right attitude, whether we were on top or we were behind,” Phillips said. “No one wants to drop their levels but sometimes when you’re down that’s where it shows and we, like if someone came to the ground and they couldn’t see the score, we wanted them to see us buzzing around, we wanted to keep giving to the team.”A little while after both teams had shaken hands Conway and Rachin Ravindra stepped out from the revelry to try and nick the last two stumps that were left standing. But just as they were about to make another raid on Indian soil they were stopped by some technicians. These stumps were rigged with the mics so they couldn’t have them. It was maybe the only time on this tour that New Zealand didn’t get what they wanted.

Heading into Leeds United’s Premier League clash against West Ham United on Friday night, Daniel Farke was under some pressure in the Elland Road dug-out to pick up a positive result.

There had been reports, in the build-up to this must-win contest against the Hammers, that the top-flight newcomers had RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior on their radar as a potential replacement for the German.

Thankfully for Farke, his team hit back by collecting a 2-1 win over Nuno Espirito Santo’s strugglers, with the ex-Norwich City boss able to survive another day in the pressurised Leeds’ hot-seat, subsequently.

Brenden Aaronson really did step up when he was needed to during this tight win, with the American also able to respond to his critics emphatically with a man-of-the-match worthy display against the visitors from East London.

How Aaronson has turned around his Leeds career

Much like Farke has had to fight back against accusations that he isn’t cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League all across his managerial career to date, Aaronson has also had to deal with his fair share of critics deeming him not capable of being a top-flight level talent.

There had been some weight behind these comments, too, with Aaronson being deemed a “lightweight” presence that’s not “good enough” to pull on Leeds white by former Elland Road defender Jon Newsome, off the back of him only firing home one Premier League goal during his side’s disastrous 2022/23 season, which ended in relegation.

He hadn’t started this campaign in the best light, either, leading to the 25-year-old dropping in and out of Farke’s first-team plans. However, he was a force to be reckoned with against West Ham, perhaps saving his up-and-down career in West Yorkshire in the process.

Indeed, away from being the crucial individual who fired Leeds in front after just three minutes, Aaronson also constantly burst forward with purpose across the full match, with one of his three successful dribbles forward nearly resulting in one of the most memorable solo strikes of the season to date.

To his dismay, the resulting shot – after all his hard work had seemingly paid off – shaved the crossbar, with the ex-Red Bull Salzburg attacker also being praised at the full-time whistle for being a presence that “works his socks off” by his relieved manager, when winning a high eight ground duels.

He wasn’t the only presence in Farke’s XI who turned around their ongoing narrative in West Yorkshire, though, against West Ham, as one of Aaronson’s teammates on the night also breathed life back into their own stop-start tale.

The "monstrous" star who also saved his career

A lot of Leeds’ summer recruits have instantly hit the ground running, with Sean Longstaff already becoming an integral part of Farke’s starting lineup, with five big chances created in league action.

Noah Okafor has also seamlessly slotted into his new environment with two league goals already next to his name, but while those named have found adjusting to life in West Yorkshire to be straightforward, Jaka Bijol has struggled, on the other hand.

Before being handed a start against West Ham, Bijol had found himself rooted to the substitutes bench with zero league appearances to shout about, which was a surprise, considering the 6-foot-4 Slovenian didn’t leave Udinese behind for cheap this summer, having cost the Premier League newcomers a substantial £15m.

Thankfully, he made up for lost time with his commanding showing against the relegation-threatened visitors, with six duels won in total, seeing him already live up to his “monstrous” billing that was handed his way by analyst Ben Mattinson in Serie A.

Joe Rodon would steal his thunder by standing out more in the heart of the Leeds backline, considering the Welshman popped up with a header to gift the hosts a 2-0 lead, but Bijol is also deserving of plenty of praise himself, having won all 100% of his tackles come the full-time whistle.

The “aggressive” number 15 – as he was also lauded by ex-Leeds defender Aidy White after the win was secured – further demonstrated a calmness on the ball under pressure with 53 accurate passes amassed, with Farke surely now ready to hand him even more league opportunities moving forward, considering that he’s finally off the mark.

Bijol’s playing days in England so far have been a slow burner, with the ex-Serie A titan now hopeful of even more minutes heading his way, as more wins are also picked by Farke and Co.

Forget Longstaff: £10m star is now Leeds' best signing since Bielsa left

This Leeds United star could now be considered the best signing the Whites have made since Marcelo Bielsa left.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 28, 2025

Manchester United are looking to add to their squad in January, and Fabrizio Romano has revealed one signing the Red Devils absolutely “will” make in 2026.

Ruben Amorim will be pleased with the progress his side have made in their last batch of Premier League matches with the international break now here, given that the Red Devils have gone five games unbeaten in the top-flight.

Despite looking set for a defeat last weekend, Matthijs De Ligt’s late header against Tottenham salvaged Manchester United a draw in the capital to keep his side one point off the top four.

Intriguingly, the Red Devils now sit above Liverpool on goal difference after their heavy defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, which is a testament to their resilience despite losing three players due to injury, something Amorim was keen to point out when speaking to Match of the Day.

“It was a complicated match, especially in the end. If you look at the game the three points were there to take. I think we can be so much better to understand more what’s happening in the game,” said the United boss.

“We lacked a little bit in the final third, the quality was not perfect. We fight in every adversity. We lost Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko and we lose two goals, but we still managed to score.”

While the Slovenian appears to be the worst of the casualties, it does beg the question of where Manchester United could look to strengthen in January. With that in mind, Romano has delivered a telling update from Old Trafford.

Fabrizio Romano confirms Man Utd "will" sign midfielder

Speaking on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast, Romano has confirmed that Manchester United will “for sure” sign a midfielder next year, noting that Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher and Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller are two targets that the club could look to acquire.

With both midfielders excelling inside Europe’s top five leagues, it appears there could be room for movement, even if January may not be a suitable time due to the difficult nature of conducting business mid-season.

Man Utd are also eyeing a midfielder they could get a £60m discount on

Gallagher’s homegrown status would also appeal to Amorim. However, there are no certainties in football, and it appears that there is plenty of work to be done before Manchester United secure a new operator in the engine room.