Newcastle United are reportedly still keen on Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi, as talk of a January exit continues to gain pace. The Magpies were keen on recruiting the Italian international this summer but the exit of Inter manager Simone Inzaghi led to him staying put. But as his minutes continue to dry up under current boss Cristian Chivu, a Toon switch could be on the cards.
Arsenal may have dropped points away to Sunderland on the weekend, but there is a lot for fans to be happy about.
Firstly, Mikel Arteta’s side remain clear at the top of the Premier League table, and just as importantly, the team looked genuinely dangerous in the second half.
They might have been defensively suspect, but the Gunners looked excellent going forward, and Leandro Trossard continued his fine form with a sensational long-range effort.
However, while the Belgian is playing out of his skin at the moment, recent reports suggest his game time could be dramatically reduced by another international who’s been compared to the legendary Thierry Henry.
While Arsenal are flying, there are still some weaker areas of the squad, and the left wing is undoubtedly one of them.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Granted, Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli have improved this season, and Eberechi Eze can fill in there.
Yet, compared to the options of Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke on the right, and then the three players who can start up top when fit, it’s clear the left-hand side could do with a genuine superstar option.
This appears to be an opinion shared by the club, as recent reports from Spain indicate that they are interested in Rafael Leão.
The report claims that Arsenal are set to make a serious move in the winter window for attacking reinforcement and are prepared to make an offer of around €80m for the AC Milan star, which is about £71m.
The North Londoners reportedly view the Portuguese international as a perfect fit, and Arteta is said to be a big fan, although with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and several French teams also said to be interested, this won’t be an easy transfer to get over the line.
With that said, given Leão’s ability and the fact he’s been compared to Henry, this is a deal worth going all out for, even if it could spell the end of Trossard’s Arsenal career.
Given Arsenal’s need to add more goals to their frontline, the first thing to look at when comparing Leao and Trossard should be their output from last season.
Unfortunately for the Belgian, this is where he comes out second best.
For example, in 56 appearances, totalling 3455 minutes, he scored two goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games, or every 172.75 minutes.
In contrast, the Milan star racked up a tally of 12 goals and 13 assists in 50 appearances, totalling 3499 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 139.96 minutes.
It’s a little closer this year, but once again, it’s the Portuguese dynamo who comes out on top.
In eight appearances, totalling 470 minutes, he’s produced six goal involvements, which is an average of one every 1.33 games, or every 78.33 minutes.
|
Leao vs Trossard |
||
|---|---|---|
|
24/25 |
Leao |
Trossard |
|
Appearances |
50 |
56 |
|
Minutes |
3499′ |
3455′ |
|
Goals |
12 |
10 |
|
Assists |
13 |
10 |
|
25/26 |
Leao |
Trossard |
|
Appearances |
8 |
14 |
|
Minutes |
470′ |
832′ |
|
Goals |
5 |
4 |
|
Assists |
1 |
4 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has produced eight goal involvements in 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, which is an average of one every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes.
However, while their output is ultimately what matters most, especially for a team gunning for the title, there is also the matter of how they play the game and how fun they are to watch.
Unfortunately for the 30-year-old, this is another area in which he is bested, as while his technical trickery can be a joy to behold, he’s nowhere near as powerful or dynamic as the former LOSC Lille star.
Moreover, the 26-year-old’s ability to pick up the ball in his own half, take on opposition defenders and then slide the ball into the far corner is why former Milan coach Stefano Pioli said, “Leao reminds me a lot of the early Thierry Henry.”
Just imagine a player capable of doing that once again donning the club’s red and white and helping them end their two-decade title drought.
Ultimately, Trossard is an excellent player and is in good form, but if Arsenal can sign Leao in the winter, they should do so.
After Dowman: Hale End has given Arsenal a future star who's "like Vieira"
The incredible prospect could be another Max Dowman-style star for Arsenal.
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Jack Salveson Holmes
Nov 12, 2025
“We have to take responsibility,” Charith Asalanka says of Dasun Shanaka and himself after they fell off back-to-back deliveries at a crucial stage of the game
Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Sep-20251:39
What went wrong for Sri Lanka’s batters?
The back-to-back wickets in the eighth over of Sri Lanka’s innings swung this Asia Cup Super Four match towards Pakistan – this was how Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka, who was the first of the two batters to be dismissed in that passage, saw it.Sri Lanka had been 58 for 3 after 7.1 overs, when Asalanka was caught at deep square-leg off the bowling of Hussain Talat. Next ball, Dasun Shanaka poked at a delivery in the channel and sent a thin edge to the wicketkeeper. Sri Lanka were suddenly five down with more than 60% of the overs remaining. The limped to 133 for 8 in the end.”Although we didn’t get a great start from the openers, at the end of the powerplay we still had 53 runs. We’d lost three wickets, but we were still in a good place, because it’s not easy to score that many in the powerplay,” Asalanka said. “But then myself and Dasun got out off successive deliveries, and that was when the biggest damage was done.Related
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“Neither Dasun or I were going for big shots when we got out. I was trying to put the ball into a gap, but ended up top-edging it. Dasun also played a normal shot first up. But we have to take responsibility.”That Sri Lanka managed to have something to bowl at was down to Kamindu Mendis, who hit 50 off 44 balls, with support from Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne.”We lost five wickets in the first half of our innings, and against these kinds of teams it’s really hard to come back from that,” Asalanka said. “Kamindu and the others fought hard, but Wanindu also got out at a bad time, when it had felt like we could get to 150. In the end it was not enough.”Sri Lanka are very nearly out of the tournament now, having suffered two big losses in the Super Four stage. They had strengthened their bowling for this match, dropping Kamil Mishara for Karunaratne. Asalanka identified balancing his team as perhaps the primary problem facing Sri Lanka ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.”We’ve had lots of issues with our combinations, and that’s something we have to get right ahead of the World Cup,” he said. “We tried going with an extra bowler today, but we lost a specialist batsman because of that, and didn’t score the runs we needed. Other times we’ve played an extra batsman and couldn’t defend a score with the ball.”We need to figure out how to consistently score 180 to 200, and also how to use the part-time bowlers – myself, Dasun, Kamindu Mendis – better. Those are things we need to improve in the future.”
10 overs Melbourne Stars suffered a costly WBBL loss just before finals as Sydney Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield dominated a rain-affected encounter. Unable to reach the finals, Thunder destroyed the title-contending Stars by nine wickets in their last game of the tournament at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Due to persistent rain, the match was shortened to ten overs a side as the Stars managed just 66 for 6 after being sent in to bat. Litchfield and fellow Australia young gun Georgia Voll made light work of the DLS-revised target of 76, securing the winning runs with 17 balls to spare.With just 11 runs needed and rain starting to fall again, Litchfield attempted one big shot too many and was out to Annabel Sutherland for a destructive 37 from 23 balls. Voll was untroubled by losing her opening partner, making an unbeaten 33 from 18 balls.Fellow big-hitter Laura Harris smashed the winning runs with a reverse ramp for four. Voll also chimed in with 2 for 13 to be named player of the match.The defeat is bound to have serious ramifications for the Stars, who entered the match placed second on the ladder. Hobart Hurricanes are locked in to host the final on December 13 as minor premiers, but the other three spots in the four remain up for grabs.Stars will wait nervously on other results, with Perth Scorchers hosting the winless Brisbane Heat on Saturday night. If the Scorchers, as expected, win, they will jump ahead of Stars into second.In the last game before finals, Sydney Sixers can also overtake Stars if they beat Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.Thunder will finish the tournament in seventh, winning four of their 10 games.
INEOS splashed the cash in the summer transfer window to provide Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim with more quality at both ends of the pitch.
Senne Lammens was brought in from Royal Antwerp, to replace Andre Onana, and has prevented 1.51 xG across five appearances in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore.
£62.5m was also spent on the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Brazil international scored his first goal for the club last month in the 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bryan Mbeumo has arguably been the most successful addition to the squad. Since his £71m move from Brentford, the left-footed star has scored five goals and provided one assist in 11 Premier League games for the Red Devils.
Whilst Cunha and Mbeumo both arrived from other English clubs as known quantities, the club were also willing to splash the cash on more of a gamble, with Benjamin Sesko.
The Red Devils spent £66.4m to sign the Slovenia international from RB Leipzig in the summer to replace Rasmus Hojlund, and he has had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford.
Why Man Utd need to sign another centre-forward
Sesko has scored two goals in 11 appearances in the Premier League since his big-money move from Germany, and both of those goals came in his first seven outings.
The 22-year-old marksman scored his first goal for the club against Brentford in September, before netting his second goal against Sunderland in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.
Sesko scored 13 goals in 33 matches in the Bundesliga in the 2024/25 campaign for Leipzig, per Sofascore, so it was always going to be a tough ask for the striker to hit the ground running as a goal machine in the Premier League.
The Slovenian forward, as shown in the graphic above, has missed more ‘big chances’ than he has managed goals scored, which suggests that he needs to improve his efficiency in front of goal if he wants to be the main number nine for Amorim.
Benjamin Sesko’s last two appearances
Stats
Vs Forest
Vs Spurs
Minutes
90
30
Shots
3
0
Goals
0
0
Key passes
0
0
Big chances created
0
0
Ground duels won
0/0
0/7
Aerial duels won
0/3
2/2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Sesko struggled in his last two appearances for United before the international break, losing the majority of his physical duels without offering any significant threat in the final third.
The former Leipzig star’s mixed start to his career at Old Trafford may explain why the club are reportedly looking to add another player in his position in the winter market.
Man Utd chasing deal for another Bundesliga striker
According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are one of a number of clubs chasing a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund centre-forward Serhou
Guirassy.
The report claims that he has a release clause in his contract with the German side that will allow him to be sold for a fee of roughly £44m to a ‘select group of elite clubs’ in the January transfer window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that Arsenal, Manchester United, and PSG are all in the race to sign the Guinea international, but it remains unclear if any of those three teams fall into the group of clubs that can activate that release clause.
CaughtOffside reports that the Red Devils are ones to watch in the race to land the Bundesliga centre-forward because Amorim wants more experienced options in his frontline.
Sesko, 22, is still in the early stages of his development and Guirassy could be viewed as an experienced number nine who could offer a huge upgrade in the immediate term.
Why Man Utd should sign Serhou Guirassy
At the age of 29, the Dortmund centre-forward would arrive at Old Trafford as the experienced striker that Amorim wants to bolster his squad with, as he would be ready to come in and make an instant impact.
It can sometimes be the case with young players that they have the technical qualities and potential to be an incredible player in the future, but they do not have a tight grasp of the nuances that come with delivering consistently at the top level.
Guirassy, being 29 and having been around the block, has tightened up his game and is focused on output, scoring and assisting goals, which is reflected in his statistics compared to Sesko’s over the past 365 days.
His statistics when it comes to scoring goals and creating goals are far more impressive than the young Slovenian’s, which is understandable given the difference in experience between the two players.
The Dortmund striker was even described by German legend Lothar Matthaus as “one of the best strikers in Europe” back in March, which speaks to how much he has impressed in German football.
24/25 Bundesliga
Serhou Guirassy
Benjamin Sesko
Appearances
30
33
Goals
21
13
Minutes per goal
124
185
Big chances missed
21
10
Conversion rate
23%
19%
Big chances created
7
5
Assists
2
5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the United transfer target scored eight more goals than Sesko in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, despite playing three fewer matches.
The experienced centre-forward has also scored seven goals in 15 appearances in all competitions during the current season, per Sofascore, whilst the Red Devils marksman has only scored twice since his move from Leipzig.
Therefore, United could immediately improve their starting line-up by bringing the Dortmund striker in to be a huge upgrade on Sesko, given that their respective performances over the past 18 months suggest that he would offer significantly more as a goalscorer.
Forget Anderson: Man Utd in talks to sign "world's most underrated footballer"
Manchester United appear to making huge moves in their pursuit for a new midfielder in January.
1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 20, 2025
This is why INEOS should push to beat Arsenal and PSG to the signing of the Bundesliga star to add more goals to the team for the second half of the season, whilst also providing Sesko with an experienced mentor to help him improve in the long term.
Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.
Everton have now reportedly joined the race to sign Daizen Maeda in the January transfer window after the Japan international made his exit stance clear to Celtic.
The Toffees’ search for a striker is beginning to become an open secret ahead of the winte window. Neither Beto nor Thierno Barry have hit the heights that those in Merseyside were expecting, with the latter yet to even score a goal this season, and they are now reportedly on the hunt for an extra reinforcement.
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BySean Markus Clifford Nov 9, 2025
On that front, a number of names have already been mentioned as potential options. including Ivan Toney and Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee. There is a belief that the former will have to complete a return to Europe if he wants to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup. Whether that will see Everton make their move remains to be seen, however.
Zirkzee would also be an interesting choice. The Dutchman has lost his place at Man United ever since the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko and now needs a similar revival to the one that Jack Grealish is currently enjoying.
Whether he’d solve their goalscoring problems is another question, though. The forward is more of a false nine than an out-and-out goalscorer, which suggests that he wouldn’t solve David Moyes’ current issue.
The Toffees may not necessarily turn to Premier League experience in 2026 either, with Maeda now also an option.
Everton join race to sign Maeda
As reported by TeamTalk, The Friedkin Group and Everton are now racing to sign Maeda after he told Celtic that he wants to leave the club in 2026. The forward was denied a move in the summer, much to his frustration, but has now told the Bhoys that he’s ready to complete an exit away from Glasgow.
Sending the Premier League on high alert, Everton, Brentford, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United have all reportedly formed the early race to secure Maeda’s signature, which is available for just £15m.
Although the versatile forward has struggled for goals so far this season – scoring just four goals in 17 games – it’s worth taking Celtic’s own struggles into accout and looking back to just how impressive Maeda was last season.
The 28-year-old scored 33 goals in all competitions last time out and eared justified praised from former manager Brendan Rodgers, who said: “If you are a young player coming through and want to give your honesty to the game, work, intensity and everything.
“No cheating, no nothing – even away at St Mirren, the penalty we got last week he tried to stay on his feet – he’s so honest to the game. Natural isn’t it? He’s been absolutely brilliant.”
Everton now exploring James Ward-Prowse move with Janaury exit expected
From going unsold at the IPL auction to becoming Punjab Kings’ designated finisher, he has seen heartbreak and redemption, and come out on the other side with renewed belief
Ashish Pant10-Oct-2025The night of June 3 still haunts Shashank Singh. Punjab Kings had done most things right in IPL 2025. They topped the group stages, qualified for their first IPL final in 11 years, and looked set for a maiden title. But they fell short in the final.Shashank was a central figure in the team’s run to the final. He was their fifth-highest run-getter, with 350 runs in 17 innings and a strike rate of 153.50. More importantly, he was their designated finisher.When he came in to bat in the final, PBKS were four down, with the required rate close to 12 an over. Quickly running out of partners, Shashank got a few boundaries away, and while he finished unbeaten on 61 off 30, it wasn’t enough. PBKS lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs.”It still hurts,” Shashank says. “Sometimes, when I recall what could have happened… it is very easy to say that I have moved on. But these things take time.Related
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“You say things [like] the sun will rise tomorrow, there will be another day. These things are nice to say and hear. It is very important to move on in cricket, but sometimes it doesn’t happen. The next ten to 14 days were very tough for me.”Every ball. I remember every ball even now. Where could I have been better? Should I have attacked Krunal Pandya? Should I have gone after Romario Shepherd a little early? Should we have done better [in] the field? What could I have done differently? I have moved on, obviously, and there are lots of things to look forward to. But yeah, sometimes it still hurts.”Since the start of IPL 2024, only Prabhsimran Singh has more runs than Shashank’s 704 in 28 innings for PBKS. Shashank averages nearly 47 across these two seasons, while striking at 158.91. While things are on the up now, it was very different three years ago, when he was left devastated after going unsold at the auction for the 2023 IPL. Having been on the IPL circuit since 2017 with Delhi Daredevils (2017), Rajasthan Royals (2019-21) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2022) and still only having played ten games, Shashank, 31 at the time, was left contemplating his future.Shashank was the top scorer for PBKS in the 2025 final, but his unbeaten 61 couldn’t stave off defeat while the rest of the batting collapsed around him•Getty ImagesHis PBKS signing for the 2024 season was mired in confusion after a mix-up during the auction where for a while it seemed that Punjab Kings wanted to rescind their winning bid for him. It led to plenty of trolling on social media for months. But now, with the worst behind him, Shashank firmly believes it was all for the best.”Whatever I am today is because of that IPL auction where I did not get picked on December 23, 2022. I am what I am today because of that date,” Shashank says. “If someone tells me that I am gradually improving, it is because of that year – it keeps me in check. I get reminded about it sometimes, once a year, sometimes once a month, but I do get reminded of it. And then suddenly I start getting scared. And then you realise, no one is bigger than the sport and can never be. So I start again. It was an eye-opener for me. Whenever I slack [off] or get laid back, I immediately snap out of it, recalling that time.”If that wouldn’t have happened, I probably wouldn’t have loved this sport as much, nor would I have been working so hard. Till two years back, I used to say that cricket is a part of your life, not your life. But I’ve realised lately that cricket is my life. I don’t know what I will do without this sport. If someone asks me my plans after five-six years, I get scared because this sport has become my life.”Over the last few years he has transformed himself from a middle-order batter to a death-overs specialist. It didn’t come naturally, but he took the plunge to give himself a chance to stand out from the competition. He first explored the finisher’s role at the DY Patil tournament in February 2023 in Mumbai and realised he had the “calmness and maturity” required to play in the position. For the rest of the year he practised batting with the tail and worked on his power-hitting. It gave him a fresh lease of life when he was picked up by PBKS.In this year’s IPL, no batter had more runs than Shashank’s 242 in the last five overs of an innings. Across the last two IPL seasons, only Tristan Stubbs (360) has more runs in the death overs than Shashank’s 318 at a strike rate of 213.42.”Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] once told me that the player who bats at No. 6 and 7 gets judged the most,” Shashank says. “There are more times that you will fail, because the level of risk you take is the highest.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”See, I want to be a superstar for my team. That role of a hero, I want to be that. And I feel that the best time to become a hero is by batting at No. 5 and 6. I enjoy taking responsibility, I like it when the odds are against me. When the team needs 12 runs off two balls, I want to be the batter to hit the two sixes.”Sometimes I feel I would have got more visibility if I had batted up the order. I have batted there all my life, I have scored runs also. But I feel I am the best as a finisher and that’s why the team has selected me in that position.”Shashank is also a handy medium-pacer, and while he hasn’t bowled much in the IPL, he has picked up 37 wickets in List A cricket and 20 in T20s. In the 2023-24 domestic season, he became the first Indian to make over 150 runs and pick up five wickets in the same List A match, against Manipur.Earlier this year he won the BCCI’s Lala Amarnath award for the best allrounder in domestic limited-overs competitions for the 2023-24 season.Despite all that and his decently consistent run with the bat, Shashank hasn’t received an India, or even an India A, call-up yet. “I won’t say that I don’t feel bad [at not getting a national call-up],” he says. “There is disappointment. But again, can I do anything about that? Yes, keep on performing and keep on asking what else I can do better.”I don’t want to just play for India; I want to win matches for the country. I visualise and think the same way. Even today, when I’m training, power-hitting, I think about what I need to do to win matches. If I’m playing in Australia, I’ll be facing conditions where there is extra bounce, so I need to improve my pulls and cuts. If I’m playing in India, I’ll need power-hitting so that I can clear the ropes easily.”See, my job is to tick the boxes, to work hard. I can only control the things which are in my hand. That national call, that India A call-up, how that will happen, when it will happen, I don’t know. But one thing is that I still have a dream. That dream of winning matches for India. It will happen. The belief is still there.”Some might think that at 34 Shashank is past his prime, but he feels his best years are ahead of him. He draws inspiration from an illustrious former Mumbai team-mate who made his T20I debut at 30. “Surya hit Jofra [Archer] for six in his first match [innings] and now he’s the captain of the Indian team,” he says.”Then there’s Pravin Tambe. He didn’t play for India, but at the age of 41, he debuted in IPL. Can you imagine that!ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Sometimes, when you are disappointed about not seeing your name [among those picked], then these examples come to mind. These players had that belief and that’s why they are there.”In our sport, there is no criteria for age. It all depends on the performance of an individual and the team’s needs. I think age is unnecessarily categorised as an important thing. I just feel it is an excuse. If I am a liability for the team, if I can’t run quickly between the wickets, if I can’t field in the outfield, then yes, surely the age factor comes into play. But when you are proactive, you are an asset to the team. Then age is just another number.”IPL 2025 was the first time PBKS made it to the final since 2014, and Shashank attributes the team’s success to the captain and coach, Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting.”Shreyas is at a different level altogether,” Shashank says. “He has his own aura, a different mindset altogether. Won’t talk rubbish, won’t tolerate rubbish. When he bats in the nets, he knows what he is doing. If someone asks me: who is the best captain you have played under? Hands down, Shreyas Iyer.”And then Ricky sir, he has made the game very simple. Cricket can be a complicated sport at times. If you ask a batsman, the leg shouldn’t go across, the head shouldn’t fall, but Ricky sir has simplified the game brilliantly.”You know why he is a great coach? It’s because he knows what a player wants. I’ll give you an example. I did not bat in the nets a single day throughout the IPL. Once the matches began, for two-and-a-half months, from the first match against Gujarat Titans till the final, I did not bat in the nets even once. Even Shreyas sometimes used to say, ‘Bro, what are you doing?'”Everyone has their own rhythm. After so many years, I now know my game. IPL is a high-pressure tournament. Even on non-match days there is a little pressure on everyone involved. Sometimes when batting in the nets, if you miss a few balls, if you mistime a few shots, there is added pressure on yourself. If I play a bad shot in the nets, I start thinking about that one shot rather than the other good shots I played. And I don’t know how but Ricky sir understood this.”Ahead of the last IPL season, Shashank had just one goal in mind: to not be a one-season wonder. Having ticked that box, he now wishes to manifest two things in the next year.”If you ask me about the team, then Punjab is lifting next year’s IPL for sure,” he says “And one more prediction I have, and that is in the upcoming [T20] World Cup in India, I’ll be playing, and I’ll be winning games for the team. I don’t know how that will happen, but I surely believe that it will happen.”
Regular white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra return from injuries
Deivarayan Muthu12-Oct-2025Kane Williamson will miss the T20I series at home against England, but targets a return for the following ODI series. Williamson, who had returned to New Zealand from overseas on Thursday, had last played international cricket in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai in March earlier this year.Williamson, 35, is among a group of players who have a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He had earlier made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia and missed the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and the Hundred as part of his deal with Middlesex.New Zealand coach Rob Walter said that Williamson was also dealing with a “minor medical issue” in the past month and that it was agreed that he needed more time to recover.”He’s obviously a world class player and we’re hoping these two weeks will ensure he’s ready for the ODIs against England and the following tour by West Indies,” Walter said in a statement.Regular white-ball captain Mitchell Santner returned from an abdominal surgery to take charge of the team while fast bowler Ben Sears was sidelined with a left-hamstring injury, sustained during training last week. An MRI scan revealed a hamstring tear, which will require three-four weeks to recover.Sears’ good friend and Wellington team-mate Rachin Ravindra, though, is set to return to action after being ruled out of the Australia T20Is with a facial injury. The allrounder had collided with the boundary boards during fielding practice at Bay Oval in the lead-up to the first T20I.Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.There was no room for wristspinner Ish Sodhi, who became New Zealand’s most-capped T20I player earlier this month. Ravindra will be the third spin-bowling option behind captain Santner and Bracewell. Mark Chapman can also pitch in with left-arm spin, if needed.”It’s great to have Mitch back,” Walter said. “Alongside being our leader, he’s one of the very best white-ball spinners in the world and his skills and experience will be a welcome addition.”Likewise, it’s nice to welcome back Rachin who was unlucky to miss out on Australia and I know is really excited for this series.”Auckland mates Jimmy Neesham and Bevon Jacobs are part of New Zealand’s T20I squad•Zimbabwe CricketKyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes have all been retained along with allrounder Jimmy Neesham.Neesham had originally been picked as a replacement player for the Australia T20Is after Ravindra had hurt his face, but he was particularly impressive in the third T20I in Mount Maunganui where he cut through Australia’s middle order with figures of 4 for 26.Neesham, who turned 35 last month, has ambitions of playing for New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.”I want to win a World Cup for New Zealand and that’s the reason I’m still playing and I’m still available,” Neesham said at his press conference after the third T20I against Australia. “It’s a very, very clear goal of mine. What happens with selection in the six months leading up to the tournament is up to powers above me. But no, I’ll just stay ready. If I’m in the squads or not leading up to the tournament, I’ll just take that in my stride and try and provide performances as best as I can when I’m selected in most teams.”The T20I series against England will kick off at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 18. Hagley Oval will also host the second T20I, on October 20, before the teams will shift to Auckland for the third – and final – T20I. The three-match ODI series will run from October 26 to November 1.Williamson could make his New Zealand return at his home ground, Bay Oval, on October 26.NZ T20I squadMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk)
Since Breetzke is available for the second ODI, no replacement has been named
Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2025Tony de Zorzi has been ruled out of South Africa’s ODI series against England after sustaining a hamstring injury in the first match in Leeds.De Zorzi was fielding on the boundary when he dived to stop a Jos Buttler shot from going for four. While he was successful in reeling the ball in, he hurt his left hamstring in the process. He left the field for treatment and it was quickly confirmed that he would not return and would only bat if required. South Africa were chasing a modest target of 132 and did not need de Zorzi. He will now return home to undergo scans and determine the extent of the injury.No replacement batter has been named as de Zorzi was the reserve and played in place of Matthew Breetzke, who himself had a left hamstring tweak and missed the last ODI in Australia and the first in England. Breetzke has since recovered and is available for selection for the second match on Thursday. He is likely to slot straight back into the No. 4 spot.There is no further update on the availability of South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who missed the ODIs in Australia with ankle inflammation and did not play at Headingley. Codi Yusuf, who has been playing for Durham, was brought into the South African squad, which suggests Rabada may not make an appearance until the T20Is.South Africa’s other concern is captain Temba Bavuma, who is still under a workload-management protocol after hurting his hamstring in the World Test Championship final in June. Bavuma played in two of the three ODIs in Australia and the first match of the England series but is expected to be rested for one of the remaining two.South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0.