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Stir the pot he may, but there's no denying David Warner's an ODI GOAT

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Even at age 37, he continues to perfectly tailor his batting to Australia’s specific needs under the unforgiving bright lights of a World Cup

Alex Malcolm14-Nov-20231:53

Moody: ‘Warner bringing a T20 approach to ODIs’

“Everyone keeps writing me off.” These were David Warner’s words following Australia’s win over New Zealand after he had scored 163, 104 and 81 in three consecutive innings in this ODI World Cup.Asked if he was motivated by trying to prove doubters wrong, Warner added, “Nup. I just make everyone look stupid.”They were odd comments. Because no one in their right mind had ever doubted Warner as an ODI player. There had been criticism of his Test form over the last two years and his numbers over that period but even his doubter-silencing double-century had hardly made anyone “look stupid”.Related

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Warner: 'World Cups are what I get up for'

There might have been the odd eyebrow raised back in March when Warner batted at No. 4 in an ODI for the first time in his career on return from a fractured elbow to accommodate Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. But the eyebrows were raised at Australia’s selectors, not at Warner, for thinking that arguably Australia’s greatest-ever ODI opener should bat anywhere else.His ODI form over the last three years has been exemplary. In 33 ODIs since October 2020, he’s never once gone more than three innings without scoring a half-century.While there have been queries about the amount of cricket England have played in 2023 as part of the reason for their early exit from the World Cup, Warner has shot that theory to pieces at age 37. He played a full IPL and six Tests in the English summer before being one of only two players to have played all eight of Australia’s ODIs in South Africa and India in the lead-up to the World Cup, where he peeled off a century and four half-centuries including three in a row against India.On the back of that mountain of evidence, many were predicting he could have a big World Cup given his love of India and the big occasion.And so it has been proven. Warner, who is starting a long goodbye from international cricket that is planned to be staggered across the three formats over an eight-month period culminating in the T20 World Cup in June next year, is finishing his ODI career in some style with yet another dominant World Cup performance.David Warner has had a sensational ODI World Cup•Associated PressWhilst Warner himself might be conflating criticism of his Test place with his ODI place, for no other reason perhaps than to provide fuel in his mind, it is important for those watching not to do the same.Warner deserves to be recognised as an all-time ODI great. In an era where the format has been left to wither and batters have struggled to find the right tempo, Warner has thrived. Of the 12 players with 22 ODI centuries or more, only AB de Villiers has both a higher average and strike rate than Warner.Among all the ODI greats Australia has produced, Warner stands head and shoulders above them, with the lack of matches he has played only further highlighting his extraordinary output.And in World Cups, when the pressure is at its greatest, he has elevated his performance to a level that only the very elite have achieved.What has been remarkable about this campaign in particular is that Warner has seemed ageless. He is as powerful yet more lithe than when he started his ODI career 14 years ago. Warner and Quinton de Kock are the only two players who are in the top five for both sixes hit (20) and twos scored (24) off the bat in this tournament. His ability to mix power and placement is what makes him so hard to contain.Even at the age of 37 David Warner is controlling hotspots on the field•Getty ImagesWarner’s adaptability and willingness to move with the times are also what sets him apart from the pack. In 2019, where he was the second leading run-scorer for the tournament, he struck just eight sixes compared to 45 twos. His strike rate was also just 89.36 for the tournament. Australia played a more conservative brand in that World Cup trying to weather the two new balls in swinging English conditions, and he played his role to perfection scoring three centuries in ten games. In this World Cup, he has struck at 105.49 as Australia have been intent on plundering the opening powerplay in every game. And he’s played his role perfectly again.His stroke-play has been as varied and as skilled as at any time in his career, and his batting IQ has reached new levels. Pakistan’s Haris Rauf tried to expose Warner around the wicket, as many have in his career, and he flicked him from the top of off stump onto the Chinnaswamy roof. Lockie Ferguson tried to bounce him at high pace in Dharamsala and Warner cut him over forward point, ramped him over deep third and pulled him over backward square for three separate sixes. Aryan Dutt and Netherlands tried to tie him down with offspin in the powerplay, just as they had with de Kock, and Warner cut him for four consecutive boundaries to take him out of the attack in the third over of the match.His attention to detail is such that he is using differently weighted bats in this tournament, calling for a lighter blade against pace and a heavier one versus spin, to maximise his scoring opportunities depending on who is bowling.On top of that, his fitness has set him apart. In a tournament played in extreme heat at times, when team-mates and opponents have suffered from cramps and exhaustion, Warner has looked indefatigable. Even in the field, with a throwing shoulder that is not what it once was in terms of power, he has still patrolled key spots in the outfield and taken vital catches for his team.There will be those who might not miss Warner when he’s gone. His bizarre comments about umpiring stats and sub-tweeting team-mate Glenn Maxwell regarding the Delhi light show are further proof that he is forever willing to stir the pot.But Warner’s exceptional ODI career might come to a close after Thursday’s semi-final or Sunday’s final, and it would be stupid not to appreciate it.

Carnage and fun – the madness at the death in T20 cricket

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The agony and ecstasy of this part is really what differentiates T20 from every other form of the game

Jarrod Kimber16-Apr-2022Nicholas Pooran pulls a six, and it is such a powerful hit that it seems to change the recent perception that he is overrated by the T20 hipsters of the world. That is what big hits do. What big moments do. You smash a six to win a game, and people take notice. Sunrisers needed 28 from 18 against Gujarat Titans, and Kane Williamson was out and Rahul Tripathi had limped off. And it was Pooran and Aiden Markram who did the job.T20, like basketball or netball, is inclined to produce close games; a short-form sport where each team has an equal amount of opportunities to score, and so we get a lot of matches that finish near the end. Plenty of clutch moments, pressure-cooker finishes – all the clichés you hear about.And so when a player pulls off something like what Pooran did against Titans, it becomes the story for a little while.Related

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But last season Pooran was in another close match, and Markram was his partner again, albeit for a different team. In that game against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings needed ten runs from 15 balls with eight wickets in hand.It should have been easy, as Chris Morris was bowling for Royals, and he got the yips and started bowling full tosses. He delivered three of them, one which almost bowled Markram as he ducked thinking it was going to hit him. Another one of those shocked Pooran so much that he could only push it for one.Then they needed eight from 12, and Mustafizur Rahman was bowling to Pooran, and bowled two deliveries from wide of the crease. So wide that the umpires probably should have checked for back-foot no-balls. Instead, Mustafizur got through the over conceding only four runs, and had Markram dropped as well. But it meant Kings needed four from the last over.Kartik Tyagi came on to bowl this last over. He had done this twice in the IPL before and gone for nine and 27 runs.Tyagi started with a full toss, Markram found a fielder and there was no run. Next ball, Markram tried to finish it in one hit from a full ball but tanked it to square leg for a single. The next delivery, Pooran tried to run one off the face, which he did successfully, but straight to the wicketkeeper. Deepak Hooda was the new man in, three off three were needed for Kings to win and ESPNcricinfo’s win predictor still had them at a 100% chance of winning.

Tyagi bowled a wide, but it wasn’t called because Hooda had moved across. Next ball he bowled another, Hooda didn’t move across as much, and edged behind. So far in this over there had been one full toss, two potential wides, one wicket and a single.Now Kings needed three runs from one ball. Tyagi delivered wide – but legally so – as Fabian Allen missed it, and Royals won. Tyagi delivered two wides and a full toss, and yet went for only one run in the over.If you look at the entire 15-ball stretch, there were four full tosses, three different bowlers, four batters, two balls outside the wide line, two potential back-foot no-balls, seven singles, two wickets and eight dot balls. There was some good bowling in there, but there were more than enough bad balls and wides for Kings to win the game easily.But sometimes mad things like this happen at the death of a T20 game. It is such a different form of cricket, the most like baseball of any cricket in how close it is to the simpler binary equation of strikes and home runs. Consolidation, keeping wickets in hand, bowling normal lines and lengths – they all go out of the window.Batters are swinging off their feet, bowlers can bowl four great balls and two average ones, and find their overs going for 14. We call it the death because it is the end of the innings, but it has the kind of finality about it that death does. A good over can be three runs; a bad over, 20. The agony and the ecstasy of this part of the game is really what differentiates T20 from every other form of the game.There was a tremendous example of this when West Indies took on England for the fifth and deciding T20I in Barbados a few months ago, where Jason Holder took four wickets in four balls in the final over of the series.Holder bowled a collection of poor balls but ended with four wickets in four balls against England in the final T20I this year•Getty ImagesHolder was defending 20 runs, and Sam Billings and Chris Jordan were at the crease targeting a short leg-side boundary. Because England were six down, and that many were still needed, West Indies had to be firm favourites.Jordan has always had all-round talent, but in T20s, he has never really mastered hitting boundaries. And then last year, he went berserk, and started smashing it everywhere. Billings is more of a middle-overs anchor, but he has power. Last year alone he hit 28 sixes, almost one a game. Oh, and he was 40 from 26 at this point. So England had a good outside chance of winning this.Holder has turned himself into a death bowler in the last three years, and he is very good at taking wickets in this period. Since the start of 2019, he has the fourth-best average in the last four overs for a minimum of 250 balls bowled: 13.29.First ball, Holder was going at Billings, and it was a wide full toss that Billings mishit to long-on. It was also a no-ball. So Holder delivered a wide, no-ball full toss, but Billings tried to drag it to the short boundary, and this double mistake only cost Holder two runs. Although it did mean that it was now 18 from six. With a free hit to come.The extra ball was wide and full, and was a fine free-hit delivery, but Jordan left it assuming it would be called wide. It wasn’t.The next ball was another full toss, and again Jordan tried to clear the short side, but mishit the ball, and the catch was taken right on the boundary. But that was okay, as they still had Billings, who would now be on strike.Holder went for the wide yorker, but missing his length, delivered a half-volley. Billings had already committed to the short leg-side boundary, he hit it straight up and found the leg-side fielder. Holder had missed his length twice but both set batters were gone.With Adil Rashid facing, Holder tried a slower ball that was miscued to the midwicket fielder again. It was a good length to hit, though the change of pace helped him. A better-set batter could have savaged it.

The death is a scramble. It is often messy. Bad balls win games, good shots get caught, and so much is going on that we are just trying to process the results, and often forget about the process.

Holder’s final ball was his first really top delivery in this over. He bowled Saqib Mahmood to end the game. West Indies won, Holder was given the Player-of-the-Match award, almost completely for this over. And it wasn’t a good over. He wasn’t even bowling that well earlier in the match. He had conceded 25 runs from his first two overs, and his only other wicket had been off a half-tracker to Moeen Ali.Rather, it was Akeal Hosein who had changed the game. He took 4 for 30, destroyed England’s middle order, and also had to bowl at the death as a left-arm finger spinner. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Impact metric, Hosein was the best player by a distance, and Holder was the eighth-best.Holder’s was a collection of poor balls that were helped by the fact that England needed 20 runs, were fancied with the short boundary, and that a couple of lower-order batters were thrown in afresh.It is hard to hit boundaries. It is even harder when your team is behind, and you are obsessed by only one boundary. But we remember the wickets as good, and not as per the situation.Which brings us back to Sunrisers’ win over Titans the other night. With 18 balls left, 28 were needed. The first of those balls, from Lockie Ferguson, was a short one to Pooran who mistimed a pull off the toe of his bat. Ferguson had to do a hand-brake turn to get back to where the ball was dropping, but ultimately he shelled it.The next two balls from Ferguson were down the leg side – one was called a wide, the other flicked away for a free boundary. Next ball, Ferguson went short again and Pooran flick-pulled it for six. After this, Ferguson nailed some yorkers; then Mohammad Shami started with hard lengths to ensure that only singles and a double could be scored.Many six-attempts aren’t sixes; they are mishits or just misses•BCCIBut when Shami went short to Pooran again, he top-edged over the wicketkeeper’s head for a boundary. To finish the over, Markram nailed a four off an attempted yorker from Shami that just missed its mark.Ferguson went short again to start the last over and Pooran hit it back to Trinidad, and the game was over.There were more good balls from Ferguson and Shami than Royals delivered in that game last season. They could have dismissed Pooran twice, and Markram struggled right until he got one off the middle.The same two batters who couldn’t manage ten from 15 with a bunch of full tosses and wides last year, needed only 13 balls to get 28 off much higher quality bowling.We look for clutch and pressure performances, and overlook that both teams are often going so hard, mad things will happen. Average batting – or very lucky bowling – can win you a game sometimes. The death is a scramble. It is often messy. Bad balls win games, good shots get caught, and so much is going on that we are just trying to process the results, and often forget about the process.It is really hard to bowl a delivery that can’t be hit for a four or a six. It is not easy to try and hit a six every ball. These are high-risk acts. Most six-attempts aren’t sixes; they are mishits or just misses.When you see this much drama, do you really want to check that the story was told correctly? Or do you want to scream at Pooran’s six, Holder’s four in four, or Tyagi’s record-breaking over?Because when you take a forensic look at the death overs of a T20 game, what you often find is utter carnage. And fun times.

How a Genius Hitting Strategy Powered the Blue Jays to a World Series Clash vs. the Dodgers

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

TORONTO — The inside story of how the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League pennant begins where most stories do about the peskiest, most annoying and toughest-to-kill team to make it to the World Series in a decade: the batting cage.

It was about two hours before Game 3 of the AL Championship Series at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Blue Jays trailed the Mariners two games to none, having fallen so flat in two home losses that they lost to two pitchers on short rest. Of most concern was the rare clunkiness of the swing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the heartbeat of the offense and, at a freshly invested $500 million, of the entire franchise.

In going 0-for-7, Guerrero grounded out six times, three times in back-to-back games for the first time all year. Toronto is 19–33 when Guerrero is held hitless.

“Time to go to work,” hitting coach David Popkins said to Guerrero.

When Guerrero is right, he wields a Lamborghini of a swing. It is long (7.5 feet), fast (76.7 mph, eighth fastest in MLB) and sleek (at 1°, he has the flattest attack angle in MLB). He shifts smoothly through many gears to get it on time: step back, bat tilt, stride and crescendo. But it kept misfiring oddly in Games 1 and 2.

On the off day before Game 3, Popkins looked at the diagnostics and discovered the problem. It wasn’t the swing. It was a timing issue. Guerrero was making contact only a few inches or so farther in front of his body than ideal, turning line drives and long flyballs into turf-hugging grounders.

What Popkins needed to do was the equivalent of replacing the timing belt, chain and tensioner. Don’t overhaul anything; just re-set the timing.

Popkins brought Guerrero into the cage to hit against the curveball machine.

“It slows him down,” Popkins says. “Let’s him get a little confidence in his path.”

After Guerrero left the shop, he hummed through the remaining five ALCS games by slashing .526/.609/1.158 to win the ALCS MVP and continue one of the most sublime hitting performances in postseason history. Guerrero is the first player to slug as many as six homers in a postseason while striking out just three times. Barry Bonds (2002) and Albert Pujols (’04) whiffed a previous-low six times while banging six homers.

The story is instructive because of how the Blue Jays play offensive baseball as designed by a hitting coach who went undrafted out of college, played six minor league seasons without reaching Triple A, including three seasons with the Wild Things (of Washington, Pa.) and the Canaries (of Sioux Falls, S.D.), and who, after being fired by the Twins, was hired by Toronto manager John Schneider after meeting him for the first time. Turning 36 next month, Popkins is two months younger than Toronto DH George Springer.

“I’m a big fight fan,” Popkins says, “and you’ve got to be able to win different ways. You’ve got to be able to wear out the body … You’ve got to be unpredictable. And that's what we pride ourselves on.

“If we were a fighter, we’d be Jon Jones or maybe Floyd Mayweather. That’s the type of offense I say I want. It’s just this dynamic fighter. And we're going to face a great challenge in L.A.”

How the Blue Jays Match Up With the Dodgers

The World Series starts Friday in Toronto, not L.A., because the Blue Jays, fighters to the finish that they are, ground out four wins in their last four games to not only seal the AL East title but also wrest homefield from the Dodgers by one game. The series is blockbuster stuff if only for whatever jaw-dropping unprecedented greatness Shohei Ohtani has in store for us, this time against the Blue Jays, the team that thought it had a shot at signing him before the Dodgers closed the deal. Ohtani loves hitting at Rogers Centre (.288/.417/.610 in 16 games) because it reminds him of the Sapporo Dome, his former home with the Nippon Ham Fighters. In his first trip to Rogers Centre after signing with Los Angeles, Ohtani, for one of the rare times, was roundly booed—to which he responded by smashing a home run.

But for a baseball aficionado, the series is a fascinating contrast—to borrow from Popkins’s love of pugilism—of fighting styles. It’s the swing-and-miss stuff of the Dodgers’ pitchers versus the feint-jab-and-slug peppering of the Blue Jays. It’s an especially delicious matchup for Popkins, who went to minor league camp in 2019 with the Dodgers and coached in the Dodgers’ minor league system in ’20 and ’21.

“It’s going to be great,” Popkins says, “You know, I love those guys. They’re great, great players, a great staff, a great organization. I love those guys over there. And it's going to be a great, great matchup.

“Still to this day I still talk to a good amount of those guys and I can’t wait. I couldn’t be more happy that it’s them. This movie could not have written itself any better than this. I can’t wait.”

The Blue Jays blitzed the Yankees in the ALDS by hitting .338 and they sent Seattle home by putting the ball in play against the Mariners’ steady diet of in-zone fastballs. Toronto struck out only 40 times in seven ALCS games while Seattle fanned 71 times.

The Game 7 sequence for Toronto that turned a 3–1 defeat into a 4–3 win in the seventh inning was vintage 2025 Blue Jays when it came to throwing combinations. Leadoff walk (Addison Barger), 0-and-2 single (Isiah Kiner-Falefa), sacrifice bunt (Andrés Giménez), earth-shaking, roof-raising, drought-killing, jaw-dropping three-run bomb by George Springer. Gnats are less irritating than the Toronto lineup.

Seattle manager Dan Wilson kept bringing in fastball-pumping strike throwers: George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Eduard Bazardo. The Mariners chucked more heaters this regular season than any team (55.5%) and they boosted that percentage in the ALCS (59%). It did not work, not against the contact-heavy, ambush-happy Toronto lineup.

After the Giménez bunt, Wilson had eight outs to cover to get the Mariners to their first World Series. He had one more at-bat each with which to navigate against Springer and Guerrero. He chose to put the lead and those at-bats not in the hands of his closer, Andrés Muñoz, but a rubber-armed Bazardo.

Putting Bazardo on Springer meant Muñoz never faced Springer in the series but Bazardo would get him for a third time. The first pitch was a sinker that missed. Bazardo had thrown Springer eight pitches in the series. Seven were sinkers. Four of those were inside sinkers. What do you think Bazardo would throw at 1-and-0 on the ninth pitch? Yep, sinker inside.

At every turn, the Mariners could not shut down innings and get off the field without stress, if not runs. The Blue Jays struck out 1,099 times this year, the fewest for a full-season World Series team since the 2017 Astros, or, if you dismiss teams that cheat to steal signs, the 2015 Royals.

Dodgers pitchers are averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings this postseason. The Dodgers need only to make 17 plays in the field to win a game. They are not an elite defensive team. Their defensive efficiency (turning batted balls into outs) ranked 11th, their worst showing in a decade. They ranked below average in defensive runs saved. By putting the ball in play and turning the lineup over, the Blue Jays can pressure the Dodgers defense and the trigger of manager Dave Roberts as to when he goes to his bullpen.

The Blue Jays came back from a 2–0 series deficit to win the ALCS. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

“I think one of the things that’s so exciting about this group,” says vice president of baseball operations Ross Atkins, “is regardless of the talent or the skill level, we have something to combat it with.

“We’ve shown that that [Seattle staff] was about as good a pitching as you're going to see, and we were able to not just put it in play, but drive it. So that would be the same approach. Really, nothing changes.”

The Positive Effects of Hitting Coach David Popkins

The Blue Jays were a bad offensive club last season. They ranked sixth in fewest strikeouts, 19th in batting average, 23rd in runs and 26th in home runs. Immediately at the conclusion of the season they fired hitting coach Guillermo Martínez. About two weeks later, they flew in four candidates to interview on the same day. Popkins was the last of the four to sit down with Schneider.

“I didn’t know him at all,” Schneider says. “All I knew was that Rocco Baldelli and Jayce Tingler had high recommendations for him.”

“At the end of the interview,” Schneider says, “I got up and walked into Ross’s office and said, ‘I think we’ve got our guy.’ He was that impressive.”

Popkins had been fired by the Twins, where Baldelli managed and Tingler was the bench coach.

Something Popkins told Schneider that day would not only impress the manager but also become the mantra of the Blue Jays’ offense: “We want to be the most creative offense in baseball. We want more ways to score runs than anybody else.”

The effects were obvious, even if Toronto ran back mostly the same lineup but for free agent acquisition Anthony Santander, who played in only 54 games because of injuries. The Jays upgraded to second fewest strikeouts, first in batting average, fourth in runs and 11th in home runs.

When it comes to facing swing-and-miss, strikeout-heavy pitching staffs, the Blue Jays are fine with punching above their weight. The Yankees ranked seventh in strikeout rate (23.7%). The Mariners ranked ninth (23.3%). The Dodgers ranked second (24.8%).

The Blue Jays will not see as many challenge fastballs as they did from the Mariners. The Dodgers swept the Brewers by throwing just 40.8% fastballs. Their four starters—Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow—threw just 37.5% fastballs. The World Series will turn on how Toronto can defeat, or at least withstand, the swing-and-miss spin and splitters from Dodgers pitchers.

“The guys are really about team at-bats,” Popkins says. “There's no one that’s selfish in our lineup, so it just makes it a tough one through nine. You kind of have to grind through it. Usually with a lot of lineups, you have a breather when you're a pitcher and you kind of just go through and attack them. There’s no stamina that’s wasted on a pitcher.

“But this team? You can really wear guys down mentally and their stamina breaks down. That’s when they make mistakes.”

I tell him that sounds like the line he gave Schneider in the interview about his philosophy.

“The most creative offensive team in baseball,” he says, like a proud parent.

Barcelona's financial troubles are over? Saudi Crown Prince considers shock €10b offer to buy La Liga champions

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Barcelona’s long-running financial crisis has taken a dramatic twist after reports claimed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is weighing up a staggering €10 billion offer to buy the club. The proposal, which would theoretically wipe out Barca’s massive debt and reshape their future, has sparked huge intrigue – even though such a takeover remains a difficult hurdle to overcome.

Saudi Crown Prince considering €10b Barcelona takeover

Reports in Spain have ignited international attention after El Chiringuito’s Francois Gallardo claimed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is considering a monumental €10 billion (£8.7b/$11.7m) bid to buy FC Barcelona. The rumoured offer stems from Saudi Arabia’s accelerating push into global sport, with investments through the Public Investment Fund (PIF) designed to acquire elite assets and elevate the kingdom’s sporting influence. According to the report, the bid would account for Barcelona’s estimated €2.5 billion (£2b/$2.9b) debt while providing enough capital to give the Crown Prince theoretical full control of the club.

However, the claim immediately faced scrutiny because Barcelona cannot legally be bought outright due to its long-standing socio-ownership model. The club is owned collectively by its members, who control elections and governance, meaning no individual, foreign or domestic, can purchase it. While the Saudi PIF could potentially invest in a separate commercial arm in the future, any attempt at full acquisition would be structurally blocked.

Many within Spain, therefore, see the reported bid as either symbolic or exploratory, rather than a genuine attempt to trigger immediate ownership change. Even so, the scale of the figure, unprecedented in football history, has drawn much fascination as Barcelona continues to navigate their financial turbulence. The story has sparked fierce debate among fans, analysts, and economists regarding both the feasibility and the implications of such a proposal.

AdvertisementAFPTakeover rumours amid Barcelona massive financial struggles

The rumoured Saudi interest arrives against the backdrop of Barcelona’s years-long financial crisis, which has forced the club into drastic measures. Heavy debt from the Josep Maria Bartomeu era (which ended in 2020), a record-breaking wage bill, and the COVID-19 revenue collapse collectively crippled the club’s ability to operate normally. These financial pressures triggered well-documented registration struggles under La Liga’s salary cap rules, forcing the club to delay signings, renegotiate contracts and activate multiple 'economic levers' to remain competitive.

Despite president Joan Laporta’s assurances that the club is stabilising, Barcelona still face enormous debt obligations, including the long-term repayment structure for the Espai Barca stadium (Camp Nou, the club's training ground, and surrounding area) redevelopment loan. La Liga’s financial controls continue to restrict flexibility, meaning the club must constantly manoeuvre to balance registration demands with squad-building ambitions.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia’s football expansion has reached unprecedented levels, with the Crown Prince steering vast investment into the Saudi Pro League, high-profile transfers, and major club acquisitions. The magnitude of a Barcelona proposal fits the broader Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to diversify the kingdom’s economy and deploy football as a global soft-power tool. Yet even with immense financial resources, the Crown Prince cannot override the structural barriers protecting Barcelona’s ownership identity.

Barcelona's fan-owned structure makes move improbable

Barcelona’s governance model makes the rumoured takeover fundamentally incompatible with how the club is built to operate. As one of only two major European clubs still owned by its members (along with Real Madrid), Barcelona’s socios (members) elect the president, approve budgets, and have veto power over strategic decisions, including any proposal to sell control of the institution. For many, sociologically and culturally, selling the club outright would be viewed as an abandonment of identity and tradition, making such a scenario virtually unimaginable.

Even so, the club could, in theory, follow a path similar to what has reportedly been explored by Real Madrid: dividing its commercial operations into a separate entertainment arm that could attract outside investment without ceding football decision-making authority. Under this model, Saudi Arabia’s PIF could legally invest in non-sporting divisions such as content creation and media rights. However, this would provide neither ownership nor control of Barcelona’s sporting department, which remains the heart of the institution.

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Getty Images NewsSaudi Arabia continue to enact their footballing vision

Barcelona are expected to publicly maintain their long-standing stance that the club is not for sale under any circumstances. Any future discussion will likely focus instead on commercial partnerships, strategic investments, or sponsorship arrangements that comply with La Liga regulations and club governance structures. Internally, the board will continue prioritising wage-bill reduction, revenue growth, and the long-term restructuring of debt rather than entertaining takeover fantasies.

From the Saudi perspective, football investment will continue to expand regardless of Barcelona’s status, with the Crown Prince steering towards transformative projects that enhance the kingdom’s global sporting footprint. Whether through the Saudi Pro League, international club partnerships, or further acquisitions, the strategic direction is already firmly in motion.

Starc's all-round show leaves England facing humiliation at the Gabba

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Mitchell Starc continued his remarkable Ashes 2025-26 after stonewalling a weary England attack amid Brisbane’s stifling humidity before dismissing Joe Root under the lights as Australia finished day three on the brink of a comprehensive second Test victory.Just five days into this much-hyped series, England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes look forlorn although skipper Ben Stokes survived a tough period before stumps.The situation is grim for England after spending more than half a day wilting in the heat before losing six wickets under the lights in the final session. Quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser, perhaps justifying his controversial selection over offspinner Nathan Lyon, had the pink ball zipping around on the Gabba surface.Related

  • Australia's tail smokes and chars predictable England in Gabba cauldron

But the standout of the day was again Starc, who is submitting an Ashes series for the ages after he top-scored with 77 off 141 balls to help Australia secure a sizable 177-run first innings lead. It meant England’s second innings started late in the second session amid the dipping sun as the floodlights took over.Starc did look gassed after his batting effort as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett finally managed to survive the opening over for the first time in the series.Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 45 runs in the first six overs of the second innings•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Duckett was lucky on 6 after rifling back to Neser who couldn’t take a sharp return catch although he would soon get more opportunities. In what was England’s best passage of a tortuous day, Duckett and Crawley batted well and eased to 45 for 0 after just six overs.There was some concern over Starc who grabbed at his lower left side and he needed some painkillers. However, Australia’s dominance resumed in the final session with Boland rattling the stumps of Duckett with a delivery that was short of a length but didn’t get above shin height.Ollie Pope briefly defied Boland, who had his tail up, but did not look convincing as he edged nervously on several occasions. He did manage to get to 26 only to fall in tame fashion when he was caught and bowled by Neser after miscuing a drive. It was the third time in the series that Pope failed to kick on from a start with the pressure on his spot set to intensify once more. England’s increasingly slim hopes rested on Root, fresh off his first ton on Australian soil in the first innings.But he watched in horror as Crawley on 44 attempted to drive on the up only to miscue and chip back to a giddy Neser, who couldn’t believe his good fortune. All the pressure fell on Root but he could not back up his first day heroics after he fell caught behind on review having chopped down on a full and wide Starc delivery.Boland was almost unplayable and thought he had Harry Brook caught behind on 15, only for replays to show that he missed the ball by a mile. But on the next ball he had Brook nicking off in a decision that was overturned on review.Pushing through the pain barrier, the indefatigable Starc summoned a remarkable late spell that accounted for Jamie Smith as the match appears headed for an early finish on day four.Mitchell Starc left Ben Stokes exasperated•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Starc had earlier played a major role in Australia’s supreme and complete effort with the bat, marked by six half-century partnerships and five individual fifties. It didn’t even matter that no one kicked on for a big score. For just the 12th time in Test cricket, every batter made it into double figures but no centuries were struck.Australia batted with controlled aggression – apart from a bizarre passage of play late on day two – much to the envy of England as they finished with a run rate of 4.34.Starc had the right template, leaving the ball well but swinging freely when the bowling missed its length which was quite often in a ragged England effort.Seamer Brydon Carse encapsulated their wildly inconsistent performance by taking four wickets, including Steven Smith and Cameron Green in the space of three extraordinary deliveries on day two, but he leaked 152 runs from 29 overs.England had started the day desperately needing a strong start after a slew of dropped chances proved costly under lights on day two. Australia resumed on 378 for 6 with the aim of not only scoring runs but stretching their innings through the daytime when batting has been at its best.Alex Carey quickly became the latest Australian to notch a half-century, crisply off 55 balls, before Stokes nicked off Neser with a perfect length delivery.Mitchell Starc acknowledges his half-century•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Starc came out aggressively to dish up more pain to Carse, whose tame attempts at a short-ball barrage proved once again ineffective. The second new ball did seem to produce more inconsistent bounce off the surface, offering hope for England to wrap up the innings. They appeared to be closing in when the luckless Gus Atkinson finally took his first Ashes wicket after nicking off Carey for 63, ending 41 overs of toil without reward in the series.But England were made to endure the heat for a few more hours as Starc and Boland combined for the longest partnership of the series in terms of balls faced. Starc cleverly farmed the strike as their plan to keep batting until the sun set worked to perfection.England appeared on the brink of imploding with a flustered Stokes furious with Jofra Archer after some lackadaisical fielding allowed Boland to get off strike. A lionhearted Stokes tried to will his team by pushing his body through a long spell but to no avail as he finally turned to spinning allrounder Will Jacks who only bowled one over on day two in his return to the side.Jacks opened the second session with a delivery that fizzed and bounced past Starc’s bat, no doubt catching the eye of Lyon in the terraces. But a few deliveries later Starc smoked a boundary to notch his 12th Test half-century. In the process he became the first Australian to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in an Ashes match since Mitchell Johnson during his wondrous 2013-14 series.Starc moved past Stuart Broad for most career Test runs batting at No.9 as he inched closer to a maiden century having once made 99 in India. But after more than two hours in the middle, Starc started to feel the pinch as he called for medical assistance with his right elbow feeling sore. He didn’t last much longer after holing out to mid-off but England’s agony was prolonged by No.11 Brendan Doggett and Boland, who finished 21 not out in a career high Test score.Jacks finally ended Doggett’s resistance to claim the first wicket through spin in the series.

Debutant Chaudhary earns Tasmania draw after Weatherald's second fifty

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The visitors were still behind when they lost their sixth wicket but hauled themselves out of trouble

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2025Tasmania 379 (Silk 104, Hope 76, Weatherald 67, Doran 66, Neser 4-75) and 317 for 7 (Chaudhary 76*, Jewell 67, Weatherald 57) drew with Queensland 612 (Labuschagne 160, Renshaw 128, Khawaja 69, Clayton 59, Chaudhary 5-108)Test aspirant Jake Weatherald posted his second fifty for the match as Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield run-fest against Queensland ended in a draw.Trailing Queensland by 233 runs after the first innings, Tasmania batted their way to safety at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. They finished on 317 for 7 in their second innings when the captains shook hands about 45 minutes before the scheduled stumps time.Related

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In-form opener Weatherald, one of many in contention to partner Usman Khawaja at the top for the start of this summer’s Ashes, followed up a 67 in the first innings with 57.Tasmania No. 4 Caleb Jewell faced 147 balls for his 67 before falling to tireless quick Michael Neser. Queensland thought they were still an outside chance of securing a win when Jewell departed which followed a brilliant catch at slip by Usman Khawaja to remove Bradley Hope.But Tasmania’s Indian-born Shield debutant Nikhil Chaudhary took them clear of being in any danger.Chaudhary, who claimed 5 for 108 as Queensland piled on 612 in their first innings, struck an unbeaten 76 from 80 balls at No. 8.The match will be remembered for centuries from Queensland Test hopefuls Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne.Renshaw, opening the batting with Khawaja, compiled 128 to enhance his chances of adding to his 14 Tests for Australia. During the day he had been confirmed for an ODI recall.Labuschagne, dropped for Australia’s most recent Tests against the West Indies in the Caribbean, compiled 160 in an important return to form.National selector George Bailey was present in Brisbane to watch Labuschagne grow in confidence after he took 12 balls to get off the mark.

He'd revive Gordon: Newcastle target "best coach in the world" to replace Howe

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Eddie Howe is a legend on Tyneside. In years to come, his name will be used as the barometer from which managerial success at St. James’ Park is adjudged.

But Newcastle United are in a rut right now, their muscly underbelly having gone soft and their snappy tactical understanding having ebbed away from the level of last season, when a pathway into the Champions League was found and the Carabao Cup was lifted after Liverpool were beaten at Wembley.

Tournament form might be good, but the Magpies languish in 14th place in the Premier League, and after three goalless draws on the road to kick things off, three successive losses have been inflicted on the Toon, all against sides sat alongside them in the bottom half.

While it’s almost unthinkable, this decline has raised conversations relating to Howe’s future at the helm.

The latest on Howe's Newcastle future

PIF have adopted a ‘don’t panic’ approach to the current issues Newcastle are beset by. But improvements will be required over the coming months. The form on the road has been shambolic, and it is having a detrimental impact on what could still be another positive and progressive campaign.

Howe’s achievements are towering, and in this, he is immortal. But United’s drop-off reeks of deeper issues than, say, 2023/24, when injuries clamped down on any scent of progress. This is more than just a tinker job: a comprehensive reset is needed.

The English coach signed a new and long-term contract on Tyneside in 2022, less than one year after being appointed. A second, furtive extension may have since been engineered.

However, he is not untouchable in the dugout, and if PIF and technical director Ross Wilson feel he has taken this club as far as he can, potential avenues will be explored.

One of which could see them focus on one of the most interesting managers on the market, and he’s currently out of work.

Newcastle could hire Howe successor

Newcastle would love nothing more than to continue their journey with Howe in the managerial role, but the side’s form is alarming, and if the situation continues to devolve, hands may be forced before the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Mirror have recently compiled a list of candidates to consider, should the club look to head down that path and find a successor, and possibly the most curious name belongs to former Barcelona boss Xavi.

The Spanish legend has been out of work since the end of 2023/24, and Fabrizio Romano said at the start of the season that the 45-year-old was interested in taking the Manchester United job, had INEOS sacked Ruben Amorim. He has, after all, said himself that he “would love to work in the Premier League”.

Xavi’s principles are shaped by slick, Barca-esque (obviously) passing patterns, and the likes of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes could thrive at the heart of such a system.

But it’s Anthony Gordon who could benefit the most, finding more freedom down the left channel in a system that would see the Magpies soar to the top of the Premier League’s possession charts, maintaining the 4-3-3 tactical shape that Howe has enforced.

Gordon has struggled this year, and no mistake. The 24-year-old looks a pale imitation of his top-class self, with journalist Adam Clery even commenting that he looks “all over the place” at the moment.

Xavi’s sharp tactical mind could help Gordon find a solution, especially on the wing of such a fluent and commanding midfield force.

Comparing Gordon’s performances against his spectacular breakout season of 2023/24, when he posted 21 goal involvements in the league and won United’s Player of the Year award, it’s clear this is a man lacking confidence, currently showing little sign of the development expected as he matures into his left wing berth for club and country.

It is sharpness and polish which must be applied now, because for a player who considers himself among the top brass in England and Europe, zero contributions in the league this term is inexcusable.

Goals scored

0.34

0.00

Assists

0.31

0.00

Shots taken

2.49

2.75

Touches

44.35

45.00

Pass completion (%)

76.1

74.7

Crosses

3.46

2.75

Shot-creating actions

4.45

3.34

Progressive passes

3.15

3.14

Progressive carries

4.30

4.13

Successful take-ons

1.68

1.97

Ball recoveries

3.89

3.54

Tackles + interceptions

1.93

0.98

Injuries and the red card beamed at him during that frustrating defeat to Liverpool at the start of the season have done little to turn the tide for the Three Lions star, but in Xavi, Newcastle could land a progressive manager whose high-possession philosophy could work well for a fast and mobile winger like Gordon.

Would it be unfair to say that it’s all gone a little bit stale under Howe’s wing at Newcastle? The man has done so much for the club and for the city, but he won’t sit in the dugout forever, and if there is a chance to sign a manager of Xavi’s class who could reenergise the ranks, it might be a worthwhile gamble.

He’s proven he has the minerals, having won La Liga in his first year as the Camp Nou boss, leading club president Joan Laporta to call him “the best manager in the world”.

With the boss having celebrated his fourth anniversary in the hot seat several days ago, journalist Andy Sixsmith waxed lyrical, saying, “Eddie Howe should go down as one of the greatest Newcastle United managers in history.”

This is correct, and Tyneside is in concert. However, as the potential to turn the page toward a new chapter, with the idea of an exciting boss like Xavi in charge gathering pace, more may begin to warm to change, should things, as they are, continue to regress.

Neville said Newcastle star was "Shearer-like", but now he's a "nightmare"

Eddie Howe needs to ditch this Newcastle United star who was once likened to Alan Shearer.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 12, 2025

Afghanistan bring back former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as fielding coach

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

John Mooney joins the Afghanistan team ahead of the UAE tri-series starting August 29

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2025Afghanistan have appointed former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as their new fielding coach, and Nirmalan Thanabalasingam as the new physiotherapist.Both Mooney and Thanabalasingam have joined the Afghanistan set-up for the ongoing training and preparation camp ahead of the T20I tri-series in the UAE (with Pakistan as the third team) starting August 29 and the men’s T20 Asia Cup from September 9.Mooney had previously served as the Afghanistan fielding coach from 2018 to 2019, when they made their Test debut in India. He had also worked with the West Indies men’s team in 2019 and has been a temporary coach for the Ireland women’s team since January this year.Related

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A left-hand batter and right-arm quick during his playing days, 43-year-old Mooney played 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is for Ireland from 2006 to 2015, which included three ODI World Cups (2007, 2011 and 2015) as well as two T20 World Cups (2009 and 2010). He had famously hit the winning runs in Ireland’s historic win over England in the 2011 World Cup in Bengaluru.He retired in 2015 and went on to complete Level 3, 2, and 1 coaching certificates from the England Cricket Board.Thanabalasingam has been the physiotherapist for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 since 2020. Prior to that, he had worked as the high-performance training and rehabilitation manager for Sri Lanka Cricket from March 2017 to June 2018 and has also worked with Cricket New South Wales, Rangpur Riders (BPL), Montreal Tigers (GT20 Canada), ICC World XI, SydneyThunder (BBL), and the West Harbour Rugby Union Club.Afghanistan are currently undergoing a training camp in Abu Dhabi.

Karnataka High Court orders state government to disclose RCB stampede report

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

The government wanted the report to be confidential but the court said that there were no legal grounds for such confidentiality

Shashank Kishore15-Jul-2025

RCB fans turned up in big numbers to get a piece of the players a day after they won the IPL•Associated Press

The Karnataka High Court has ordered the state government to publicly disclose its status report from the stampede incident on June 4 that marred Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL celebrations outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tragedy led to the loss of 11 lives, with over 50 injured.The state government had requested the high court to keep the report confidential, but the court categorically stated on Monday, July 14, that there were no legal grounds for such confidentiality, and they were merely “facts as perceived” by the government.The court has also directed the government to furnish the report to other respondents in the case – RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and DNA Entertainment Networks, the franchise’s event partners.Related

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Tribunal observes RCB 'created nuisance' without prior permission

The franchise, meanwhile, is awaiting the details of a thorough CID investigation. Members of RCB’s top brass as well as those from DNA have all submitted their testimonies over the past month. A set date for the judgment is yet to be made public.On July 1, the two-member bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), a quasi-judicial body that handles matters related to government and public servants, made a key observation regarding the crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.The tribunal noted that RCB was responsible for drawing a crowd of approximately three to five lakh people outside the stadium to take part in the victory parade announced by the franchise on its social media channels, shortly after RCB won their first IPL title, on June 3.The CAT was tasked to investigate the matter after Vikash Kumar, Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru (West), filed a complaint seeking redressal after being dismissed by chief minister Siddharamaiah in the aftermath of the stampede.Vikash and four other officials were dismissed for “substantial dereliction of duty” and not seeking “guidance” which led to the situation going “out of control.” The tribunal had said that RCB had “created nuisance” by going ahead with the IPL victory celebrations without seeking or getting necessary regulatory permissions. The remarks were part of the 29-page order that CAT issued.RCB, whose chief marketing officer Nikhil Sosale was arrested and then granted bail last month, is yet to issue any further statements since announcing an increased compensation to the family of the deceased, while also supporting those injured. They pledged to form a fund – RCB Cares – to help all the families affected by the tragedy. There has also been no update on their various social media channels since June 4, the day of the incident.

Not Kudus or Johnson: Spurs starlet looks like Frank's new Mbeumo

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Thomas Frank’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss generated huge excitement amongst the fanbase this summer, with the Dane having the chance to build on the Europa League triumph.

He spent seven years in charge of Brentford before his arrival, often relying upon talents such as Bryan Mbeumo to provide the goods within the final third across the capital.

The Cameroonian international thrived under Frank’s guidance in the Premier League, netting 20 times in the top-flight last season, subsequently making him one of the division’s hottest properties.

After the 51-year-old took charge of the Lilywhites, a real sense of excitement built at the prospect of the Dane bringing the 26-year-old with him in an attempt to sustain the recent European triumph.

However, despite interest in his signature, Mbeumo would move to Manchester United in a £71m transfer – a huge amount of money and potentially a slight overpay.

As a result, the new boss has had to rely on another summer addition and one player already on the books to try and provide the impact he desires within attacking areas.

Kudus & Johnson’s start to the 2025/26 season at Spurs

After missing out on Mbeumo’s signature, Spurs forked out £55m for the services of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United to try and hand the manager his next version of the Cameroonian.

Such a deal may have been an expensive one, but it’s a transfer that has been worth every penny to date, with the Ghanaian already registering one goal and four assists in his first ten outings.

His first goal for the Lilywhites came in the recent triumph over Leeds United, subsequently highlighting his ability to pop up with crucial goals when the side need him most.

Kudus isn’t alone in falling into that category, with teammate Brennan Johnson also able to score key goals for the Lilywhites, as seen by his winner in the Europa League final last campaign.

Whilst he’s already scored three times across all competitions, the Welsh international has failed to start a single league game since the end of August and has rapidly fallen down the pecking order.

The 24-year-old will likely be disappointed with his lack of action, which has potentially been impacted by the arrival of Kudus during the recent transfer window.

Whilst both are hugely talented players, it remains to be seen if any can reach the levels produced by Mbeumo in recent times, but one other star already in the ranks could achieve such a feat, given the similarities in their careers.

The Spurs star who could be Frank’s next Mbeumo

Over the last couple of seasons, Spurs have splashed the cash to try and compete with teams around them, as seen by the respective deals to land Kudus and Johnson.

Around £400m has been spent in recent years to catapult the club to the needed success, with such spending undoubtedly helping them claim European glory back in May.

Various recruitment strategies have been in place over recent times, often signing a mixture of youth talent for the future, or players entering their prime and able to make an immediate impact.

However, players sometimes cross over both categories, as seen by the arrival of attacker Wilson Odobert from Burnley back in the summer of 2024.

A deal for the Frenchman certainly came out of nowhere, with the Lilywhites hierarchy paying £25m for his signature after the Clarets suffered relegation back to the Championship.

Whilst the 20-year-old has only made 30 appearances throughout the injury, he’s still managed to impress in North London and show glimpses of his potential and talents.

Odobert, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, has already scored three times for the club, two of which came during their Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25 – already highlighting his ability to produce the goods in key moments.

Whilst his goalscoring tally isn’t as impressive as Mbeumo’s, the similarities are there for everyone to see, with the Frenchman moving to England from Troyes.

The now Man Utd talent did the exact same upon his transfer to Brentford back in the summer of 2019 – subsequently needing time to make a huge impact in England.

Wilson Odobert – PL stats (24/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

16

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

85%

Successful dribbles

1.3

Chances created

0.9

Shots taken

1.4

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Recoveries made

3.6

Stats via FotMob

He struggled to register double figures in goals for each of his first three top-flight campaigns, but the Bees’ patience was certainly rewarded, as seen by his tallies and fee generated in recent times.

Odobert could do the exact same for the Lilywhites in the years ahead, with the club and fanbase needing to support the winger in his attempts for success in North London.

At just 20, he has bags of time to live up to the potential he arrived with, but it’s crucial that Frank works his magic once again to create another world-class attacker.

Spurs have signed an incredible "freak talent" who could be their new Bale

The sensational gem could become Tottenham Hotspur’s new Gareth Bale.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 8, 2025

Should he get anywhere close to Mbeumo’s level, it would be a sensational piece of business and one that could help the Lilywhites sustain their recent success in Europe or even domestically.

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