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He used to wake up to 5am alarms every year on December 26. Now he’s about to play his first MCG Test, confident Pakistan can end their run of Australian misery

Danyal Rasool21-Dec-2023Perhaps it was Saud Shakeel who gave birth to the Pakistan Way. It is difficult to think of another cricketer on whom the idea could be so pointedly based after looking at how Shakeel went about his business at home a year ago.”Before the Sri Lanka series started, I worked on batting with a more positive mindset,” Shakeel says. “And then I executed that in Sri Lanka.”Related

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Over what was a miserable winter for Pakistan last season, when they lost three Tests out of five and didn’t win a single one at home, Shakeel emerged as a significant positive in the middle order, with 580 runs in five Tests at 72.50.”When you play cricket, your main job is to perform for the team,” he says. “I don’t think of whether I’m new to the team or not. I just want to score runs that win matches for the team.”It was his strike rate of 41.66, though, that got more attention than his sparkling average. Shakeel’s stodgy grit was emblematic of a side that wasn’t just outplayed by two better sides at home, but, perhaps more unforgivably for Pakistan, was also out-styled. Pakistan were a dull, conservative watch over those six weeks, scrambling to save Test matches rather than looking to win them.Shakeel, at least, was doing it somewhat effectively, famously putting together an epic unpbeaten 125 that took more than eight hours and 341 balls to compile. While Pakistan just about managed to rescue that game against New Zealand – the final pair clinging on for 21 balls – how close they had come to winning it was equally noteworthy; when stumps on day five were called, Pakistan were just 15 runs from victory.Thereafter, the Pakistan Way began to emerge. Sequentially, it appeared to be less a cricketing philosophy than a passive-aggressive dig at Pakistan’s player of the season. Shakeel was told he was missing out on scoring opportunities, failing to put away bad deliveries even when the opportunities to do so with very little risk presented themselves. He understood he had the technical ability to go after the bowling more, and in Sri Lanka, he did just that. His strike rate through that series was an impressive 57.95, as he scored an unbeaten double-hundred and a half-century to help Pakistan win 2-0.It is unsurprising, then, that Shakeel can do a better job explaining the elusive Pakistan Way than just about anyone else who’s tried. “The Pakistan Way doesn’t mean you go out and start attacking like mad and only target boundaries,” he says. “The theory behind the Pakistan Way is to look at the situation and take the most positive route out of it. If the situation demands caution, the philosophy doesn’t prevent you from doing that. But always look for positive intent. If you look at my double-hundred in Sri Lanka, there were phases in that innings where I batted slowly, but I always looked for the positive option.”Shakeel added an extra gear to his batting on the tour of Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesWe’re at the MCG, a ground Shakeel holds special affinity for. When he was younger, he used to set a 5am alarm on December 26 every year, looking to catch the start of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. He has just finished a two-and-a-half hour training session at the nets across from the ground, testing his defensive block against pace and using his feet to spin. At one point, Pakistan spin-bowling coach Saeed Ajmal sent down a few deliveries, with Shakeel managing to look assured, something that eluded most cricketers in Ajmal’s heyday.Perhaps, though, that has to do with the conditions, too. “Whenever you come to Australia, it takes time to get used to conditions,” Shakeel says. “We played a practice match in Canberra but the conditions there weren’t the fast-bouncing pitches we got in Perth, so it took us time to get used to that. We’ve moved on from that now and are looking ahead, and getting more and more used to conditions by the day. I haven’t got big runs in the first Test, but my intent was positive there. And that’s the mentality for us as a batting group, to go out there and play positive and attacking cricket.”Anyone who watched that first Test on a pitch that was – even by West Australian standards – exceptionally spicy will understand why Pakistan felt so strongly about the strip prepared for the four-day game in Canberra. While unseasonal rains and a historically flat surface in the capital meant Pakistan were never going to get the sort of authentic experience that awaited them in Perth, the one word every cricketer reverts to is “practice”.”It’s tricky to make the transition from Asia to Perth,” Shakeel a product of routine and method, says. “When I went to Sri Lanka, I had previously gone there on A tours. Unfortunately, I’ve never been to Australia or New Zealand on an A tour so it was quite new for me to adapt to conditions here. The quicker you adapt and the more practice you have, the easier to find it to perform. There was enough time to practice, if the pitches we practiced on weren’t quick enough. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”I’d never played on a drop-in pitch before, [such as the one] in Perth. It takes one or two days to adjust. But as a professional cricketer, you have to adapt quickly so you’re able to perform. I learned a lot from that match.”And though he managed a modest 52 runs across the two innings, his tendency to get starts in every Test innings remained unabated. He scored 28 and 24, meaning he has not once been dismissed below 20, in a career spanning 15 Test innings. While doing so, he quietly surpassed Everton Weekes’ record of 14 innings, which had stood for 73 years.With that toughest test out of the way, Shakeel feels it might even be a blessing to have gone through that baptism of fire first up. The MCG is unlikely to carry the same spitting venom as Perth did even deep into the fourth day, and the surface most probably won’t break up quite as easily either. That means Australia’s seam attack might not be afforded quite as much assistance as they were at the Optus, with Nathan Lyon potentially finding it trickier to make his presence felt, too.”The practice today was really good. After we played Perth, the pitch here almost feels like Pakistan,” Shakeel says. “The matches in Melbourne, I’ve seen it’s not that hard to bat on. I’m really looking forward to this Test match. The boys are feeling good; it was a very healthy practice session and the players look in good nick. I think you’ll get the chance to see a complete turnaround, especially in this Melbourne Test.After the searing pace and bounce in Perth, Pakistan can expect more straightforward batting conditions in Melbourne•Getty Images”Our country and our fans always have high expectations of you. If you represent Pakistan, it doesn’t matter if you’re inexperienced or not; there are always expectations if you play for Pakistan. I back myself to perform well.”We will try our level best not to repeat mistakes. We did make mistakes in the bowling. The pitch was seaming very well on the first day. Our two inexperienced young bowlers tried hard but it takes time to adjust your lengths. So considering the quality of that pitch, we allowed too many runs to be scored, and found ourselves on the back foot there and then.”But Pakistan clearly felt the practice arrangements agreed to ahead of the tour were a little thin, a point crystallised by the 360-run battering Australia handed out to what looked like an undercooked Pakistan side in Perth. To that end, and with eight days between the first two Tests, the PCB asked for an additional tour game to be wedged in. That will take place at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on December 22 and 23 against a strong Victorian XI side. And while the Junction Oval also has a reputation for being among the flattest tracks in Australia, Pakistan want all the exposure to these conditions they can get.”When you come to Australia, you see they’ve got good experience and a quality bowling attack,” Shakeel says. “When you’re playing in their home conditions it becomes more of a mental challenge than a physical one. We’re aware of our record here but as a team we have to go out there and score runs.”Pakistan’s consecutive defeat tally in Australia now extends to 15 Tests spanning six series stretching back to 1999. As such, most of the players now trying to stem that tide have no reference point to look back upon; eight of the players in the Pakistan squad weren’t even born when Pakistan last won a Test in Australia. Shakeel wasn’t even three months old when it happened.As such, anything that gives Pakistan a straw to clutch at is welcome, and all Pakistan have at the moment is ancient history. The only two venues in this country they have won Tests at are Melbourne and Sydney, the site of the next two Test matches.”There are nerves before you go out to bat, of course,” Shakeel says. “But if I look at the vibe and the feel of the MCG, especially on Boxing Day, it’s special. It’s a very unique feeling and the excitement of this particular Test match is like none other. It’s a huge opportunity for us, still. No Pakistani side has won a series here, so if we perform well and win the series, as a player, think of how much growth that will afford a player throughout a career. So I just look at it as an opportunity.”The boy waking up to 5am alarms continues to dream. And while he’ll never have seen a result pan out his way over those cold winter mornings half a world away, he finds himself in a position to try and give the kids setting those early alarms next week a different experience. No one would want to sleep through that.

Kieran Elliott had earlier taken a six-wicket haul of his own as the home side were bundled out for 93

AAP18-Feb-2025Paceman Brendan Doggett sparked a stunning South Australian comeback against Tasmania as 20 wickets tumbled on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash.Shield leaders SA were skittled for 98 at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday with Tasmanian quick Kieran Elliott bagging a career-best six wicket haul.Related

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Doggett then shredded Tasmania, taking 6 for 40 as the visitors crashed to 101 all out. He captured five of the initial six Tasmania wickets on a pitch offering considerable movement off the seam.Just three Tasmanians reached double-figures with new Test allrounder Beau Webster top-scoring with 28.Doggett started his spree by dismissing former SA opener Jake Weatherald for a golden duck when the left-hander edged to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen. Two more batters perished in identical fashion before the end of the fourth over with Tim Ward and Jordan Silk also caught behind off a rampant Doggett.Kieran Elliott continued his stunning form with six wickets•Getty Images

Liam Scott chipped in with the wicket of Doran – the left-hander pulled a short delivery to midwicket where Lloyd Pope plucked a screamer of a one-handed catch.Doggett then returned to take another two consecutive wickets including Hobart Hurricances’ BBL hero Mitchell Owen for a second-ball duck.Webster launched a counter-attack before legspinner Pope helped clean up the tail and ensure opening-day honours were shared.Earlier, SA’s batsmen collapsed amid precision seam bowling from Elliott and Gabe Bell. Elliott took 6 for 23, the best return in first-class cricket for the Victorian born 29-year-old, to follow his 10-wicket match haul against Victoria in the previous round.SA lost 7 for 17 in the middle session and only three batters reached double-figures – Jason Sangha, Conor McInerney and captain Nathan McSweeney.

Oval Invincibles 150 for 5 (Capsey 55, Kapp 47*) beat Welsh Fire 111 (Dunkley 56, Smale 3-13) by 39 runsFine all-round performances from Marizanne Kapp and Alice Capsey helped Oval Invincibles to a convincing win over Welsh Fire at the Kia Oval, despite a great knock from Sophia Dunkley.Winning the toss and choosing to bat on her 35th birthday, Invincibles skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill chopped on first ball of the innings off Shabnim Ismail, not the birthday present she would have wanted.Capsey countered, hitting Ismail for three consecutive fours. Meg Lanning soon joined the party, timing the ball sweetly against Freya Davies as Invincibles reached 41 for 1 after the 25-ball powerplay.Lanning fell soon after, sweeping across the line to Katie Levick. However, replays suggested the ball hit her glove before her pad and she’d have been saved if she reviewed.Capsey was joined by Kapp as Invincibles continued to accelerate. Capsey launched Jess Jonassen for a straight six followed by a slog-swept four, the England right-hander bringing up her 50 from 32 balls. She fell soon after, caught and bowled by the returning Ismail for 55 before Paige Scholfield top-edged Hayley Matthews into the hands of Sarah Bryce.Amanda-Jade Wellington came out full of innovation, but it was Kapp who held the latter part of the innings together, helping Invincibles reach 150 – a target that felt above par on a surface that wasn’t all in the batters’ favour.Dunkley hit the first ball of Fire’s chase for four before Matthews twice found the boundary in the first 10 balls of the innings bowled by Kapp.Dunkley then hit Rachel Slater for four boundaries before Matthews found the rope off Sophia Smale. But the West Indies star fell to Wellington for 12, perfectly picking out Phoebe Franklin in the deep.Kapp (2-24) returned and struck twice in two balls, getting Tammy Beaumont lbw for 5 before clean-bowling Georgia Elwiss. Jonassen was then caught at mid-off off Capsey (2-16), Fire in trouble at 67 for 4 with 84 still required from 48.Dunkley brought up her half-century from 36 balls, Fire’s first of this year’s competition, but Bryce fell from the next delivery to further worsen their position. With 30 balls remaining, Fire still needed 61 and when Dunkley finally fell for 56 from 41, with her went the Fire’s chances.Kapp, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “We didn’t start off this tournament like we wanted to, but it feels like we’ve got a bit of momentum now.”We started the same way last year, in the first two games we probably weren’t too far off our best and luckily it looks like things are improving.”It was a different pitch to what we’re used to playing on here at The Oval. Capsey’s innings was brilliant and she allowed me to knock it around and get myself in. It’s good signs if we can adapt on different wickets.”

Rangers have now been offered the chance to sign a new midfielder in January as they look to recover from their dismal start to the season, it has been claimed.

Rangers reinforcements required in January

Philippe Clement’s side are currently 11 points behind reigning champions and Glasgow rivals Celtic, having endured a tough start to the season in the Scottish Premiership. Worse still, they are seven points behind Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen side, who have enjoyed a rich run of form in the opening months of the campaign and sit second in the league.

Losses to Kilmarnock and Aberdeen as well as Celtic have been damaging to Clement’s side, while they have also been unable to go on one of their usual winning runs that often characterise their campaigns.

There are still chances of silverware this season though, with Rangers impressing in the Europa League and still with a chance of lifting either of the Scottish Cups, with Clement’s side facing Celtic in the semi-final of the League cup before Christmas. One of the problem areas for his side have been the central areas.

Young duo Connor Barron (22) and Mohamed Diomande (23) have been at the base of Rangers’ midfield, and it has been a shoot-out between Ianis Hagi, Tom Lawrence and Nicolas Raskin for the third midfield spot.

Player

Appearances

Goals and assists

Mohamed Diomande

11

3

Connor Barron

13

0

Nicolas Raskin

10

0

Ianis Hagi

4

1

Kieran Dowell

8

0

Tom Lawrence

8

5

Nedim Bajrami

9

1

Clearly, there is room for improvement in that area, with no one able to provide a consistent attacking threat from the middle of the pitch to support unlikely new marksman Cyriel Dessers, who frustrated and dazzled last season but now appears to be more consistent in front of goal. Now, they could land a new option to help them push on in the second half of the campaign.

Rangers offered chance to sign "very good" midfielder

That comes as a fresh report has revealed that Rangers and Clement have now been offered the chance to sign out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka in January.

The former Aston Villa youngster has seen his gametime severely limited since Enzo Maresca’s arrival, who admitted in the summer that though he was a “very good” midfielder, he was not going to get much action in west London.

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“Carney, I think he is a very good player. With us, is he going to play 35 games? I’m not sure”, the Italian explained. “The problem is, because of some injuries in the past, I think the best for him is to play 30 or 35 games in a row, to show himself that he is fit and how good he is because he is very good.”

Having failed to secure a loan move in the summer, he is now set to leave in January and is open to moving to Ibrox, according to The Boot Room, recognising that he needs regular first team football.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are happy for him to leave either as part of a “loan move or a permanent departure”, though the latter would be a club record move for Rangers and is therefore highly unlikely. Even a loan move could see them need to pay a substantial chunk of the 21-year-old’s £100,000 a week wages, so it remains to be seen how flexible Chelsea are on that front.

Known as a box to box midfielder with an eye for goal from his time among the youth setup, Chukwuemeka could add another dimension to Rangers’ midfield for the second half of the season, and could help them push for success come the end of the campaign.

The BCB president feels Mahmudullah could be competing with three other middle-order batters for one spot

Mohammad Isam18-May-2023

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has weighed in on Bangladesh’s World Cup squad even as he recognised that the final call would be with chief selector Minhajul Abedin. Hassan spoke about all the positions in the team, in particular the much-talked-about No. 7 spot. Bangladesh have recently tended to pick six bowlers and trust Mehidy Hasan Miraz to bat at No 7 position.Hassan has been known over the years for having a major say in most decisions in Bangladesh cricket. So when he speaks about the World Cup squad, it becomes an important reference point even for the national selectors.Bangladesh are likely to finalise their squad for the World Cup, which is set to be played in India in October-November 2023, when they play the Asia Cup, which is scheduled for September. ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, however, has suggested that the team is unlikely to experiment with too many new faces even during the Afghanistan ODIs in July.Hassan feels Bangladesh have firmed up their top six – Tamim, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan – leaving four players – including the experienced Mahmudullah, who didn’t feature in either of Bangladesh’s recent series against Ireland – competing for one other possible spot in the squad for a middle-order batter.”If we want to play with five bowlers, we will be playing an extra batter,” Hassan said. “[Yasir Ali] Rabbi is currently in the squad. The likes of Afif [Hossain], Mahmudullah and Mosaddek [Hossain] aren’t in the squad, but they can be picked at any point. We will need an allrounder in case we are playing five bowlers. Ultimately I don’t know what Nannu [Abedin] will do, I am just saying from myself.”There’s no guarantee for anyone who will be in the squad that he will play in the eleven. Afif and Mahmudullah can make it to the team for their batting. Yasir hasn’t done much after returning from injury. Afif and Mosaddek are ahead in bowling, and so is Mahmudullah. Afif is the better fielder among them [followed by] Mosaddek and then [Mahmudullah] Riyad.”Hassan also felt there could be room in the squad for a back-up opener. Mohammad Naim and Anamul Haque Bijoy – who topped this season’s Dhaka Premier League run charts – could be in contention for this spot.”They might pick a back-up opener in case of an injury,” Hassan said. “They are likely to pick three pacers so any three among Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain and Mustafizur [Rahman] will play. They are unlikely to play anything less than five bowlers in the World Cup. They may even take four pacers in the line-up. They will also need an extra spinner.”Hassan was positive that the Asia Cup would take place as scheduled, but said he had heard no communication yet regarding whether it would be a multiple-venue tournament or if it would be held in one country. Strained relations between India and Pakistan – who are due to host the tournament – have created an impasse regarding where the tournament will be played. As things stand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed a hybrid model with the UAE hosting all of India’s matches and Pakistan hosting the remaining games, but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh aren’t in favour of this model.”I haven’t heard anything from the ACC [Asian Cricket Council] regarding the Asia Cup. But it will take place,” Hassan said. “It is hard to say where it will be. I know that there are two options. Firstly, it can be a hybrid model, to be held in Pakistan and UAE. The second one is that it could be held in one country, most likely in Sri Lanka. They offered it to Bangladesh but we refused it as there will be rain at the time.”

The circus surrounding Celtic’s transfer business will now have to be put to one side, ahead of the return of domestic action this weekend.

The fallout of what went on this summer continues, however, with it yet to be seen just how Brendan Rodgers’ side will be impacted by their lack of adequate investment, particularly in the centre-forward ranks.

At present, the Northern Irishman has been left with a pool of strikers that all have question marks around them, in the form of Shin Yamada, Johnny Kenny, Callum Osmand and late arrival, Kelechi Iheanacho.

The experienced Nigerian – who has been snapped up from Sevilla on a free transfer – scored just four times for the LaLiga side and for Middlesbrough last term, albeit while having previously flourished under Rodgers at Leicester City.

With the Hoops boss now pondering how to get the best out of the 28-year-old again, attention turns to the man he has replaced, Adam Idah, with the Republic of Ireland international departing for Swansea City following a mixed time at Parkhead.

How Idah compares to recent Celtic strikers

It is difficult to know quite what to make of Idah’s spell in Glasgow, with the 24-year-old enjoying notable highs, albeit while failing to truly deliver on a consistent basis.

Nine goals during just 19 games of his initial loan spell makes for good reading, as does his return of 20 goals in all competitions last term, despite having started just 26 games, as per Transfermarkt.

In his own words, the former Norwich City man felt that such an impact went “a bit unnoticed”, albeit with it hard to argue against his disappointing overall record of just 29 goals in 76 games in total in green and white.

Considering his £9m price tag, the man who previously scored just 17 senior goals at Carrow Road certainly underdelivered, having failed to hit the heights of those who came before him in recent times.

Of course, former teammate Kyogo Furuhashi is the gold standard when it comes to modern Celtic strikers, although even the likes of Georgios Giakoumakis fared far better, having almost matched Idah’s tally from 19 fewer games.

Kyogo

85

165

Giakoumakis

57

26

Dembele

94

51

Edouard

179

87

Idah

76

29

Oh

47

12

Odsonne Edouard – signed from PSG for a similar fee of £9m – also enjoyed a far more fruitful spell in Scotland, as did his predecessor Moussa Dembele, with the French duo playing a starring role as the club’s attacking figurehead.

Despite his £9m price tag and number nine shirt, Idah, by contrast, never truly earned such lofty status. A swift exit has now been secured, with it yet to be seen if history will repeat itself in the case of a certain Arne Engels.

The Celtic star in danger of being the next Adam Idah

The burden of a significant price tag can weigh heavy, as the case of Idah shows, with Celtic perhaps somewhat fortunate to have recouped a fair chunk of their initial investment, amid the Irishman’s £7m deadline day departure.

Time will tell whether the club will go on to cash in on young Engels for a far more handsome fee later down the line, with the £11m signing enduring his own turbulent time of things at Celtic Park thus far.

As Rodgers has been at pains to stress on numerous occasions, at 22, the promising Belgian is “nowhere near the finished article”, with there perhaps a need to look beyond the eye-catching nature of that transfer fee.

He is a player of “potential” according to his manager – having also been described as “so underrated” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – with time needing to be given for the midfielder to properly bed in at Celtic, considering his relative youth.

That being said, as was the case with Idah, that £11m figure will hang like an albatross around his neck if he continues to underwhelm, with the youngster having also dipped in and out of the side over the last 12 months or so.

Indeed, the early weeks of the new season have seen Engels start just three of a possible seven games, including a disappointing outing against Rangers, having notably been introduced off the bench for both legs of the shock defeat to Kairat Almaty in Champions League qualifying.

A return of 24 goals and assists in 59 games in all competitions to date is certainly reason for optimism, although the former FC Augsburg man is yet to truly stamp his authority on this Celtic side, having notably been usurped by summer signing Benjamin Nygren in the midfield pecking order.

With a swift departure having actually been touted over the summer, it already looks like the four-cap international could head the same way as Idah in the near future, should his standing not improve under Rodgers.

That night in Munich has highlighted what he can produce when at his best, with time still on his side to prove a success in a Celtic.

That said, if he’s not careful, Engels could well prove to be the club’s next Idah as another expensive gamble that has gone awry.

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A 92-ball phase saw Hope turbocharge WI’s innings before Seales blew away Pakistan’s specialist batters

Danyal Rasool12-Aug-2025

Knowing when it’s time to go is a valuable trait, and if Pakistan were in any doubt their time in the Caribbean was up, West Indies quashed them and sent the visitors out of town with a comprehensive trouncing.Jayden Seales’ six-wicket haul – the joint second-best figures by a West Indian in men’s ODI cricket – and an unbeaten hundred from Shai Hope put Pakistan to the sword in each innings. It was more than enough to secure West Indies’ first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years with their biggest ever win over Pakistan, scything through them for 92 having set them 295 to win.It was a 15.2-over passage of play straddling both innings which lay at the heart of West Indies’ dominance, a stunning inversion of a script Pakistan thought they had been writing all along. West Indies struggled to get going on what looked a tricky pitch to negotiate against the slower bowlers, with Mohammad Rizwan greedily getting through as many of their part-time fifth bowling options as possible.West Indies appeared to have sacrificed an ambitious innings total in exchange for conservatism that at least preserved their wickets, but as a result, they hadn’t yet crossed 200 by the start of the 44th over. It took one ball to change that, a smeared six from Hope off the first ball from Mohammad Nawaz bringing up that milestone. A second six off the next delivery emphasised his intent, and Pakistan watched frozen as West Indies shuffled themselves off the canvas and began landing body blows Pakistan one after the other.Shai Hope remained unbeaten after making his 18th ODI ton•AFP/Getty Images

Rizwan immediately turned to Abrar Ahmed, so effective through the middle of the innings that he’d conceded just five off his first six overs. But West Indies’ captain had redlined his game, turbocharging to a gear Pakistan believed he wasn’t capable of achieving on this surface. He would bleed a further 18 off the mystery spinner, with Justin Greaves bursting into life from the other end, flaying Hasan Ali for as many. Naseem Shah, trying his best to land the kind of reverse swinging yorkers that had put paid to Roston Chase earlier, could not escape Hope’s wrath as he bore down on three figures, getting there with a crunching cover drive that put him third on the all time West Indian ODI centuries list.That was just the start of a 21-run over, and by the time he caressed Hasan Ali over backward point off the final ball of the innings, 100 had come off the final seven. As Pakistan walked off dejected muttering amongst themselves, it was hard to escape the feeling this was about as poor a passage of play as they could endure.And yet, Seales spent the next 8.2 overs disabusing them of that notion. For the third time in the series, the right-arm quick exploited the angle moving away to Saim Ayub, who nicked off in the first over. His fellow opener, Abdullah Shafique, would also leave without troubling the scorers, trying to whack Seales over mid-on, but couldn’t take into account the heavy ball he was bowling, ballooning it to Gudakesh Motie stationed perfectly in position.Jayden Seales finished with a career-best six-for•AFP/Getty Images

But it was the third of his six which will serve as the jewel in the crown. Rizwan can be tricky to settle on a length to for all his fidgetiness, and as he took a step out, he determined the fourth-stump line on a hard length was safe to leave on both counts. As he shouldered arms, he would have heard the mildest clink behind him, like ice-cubes tinkling in a glass. The ball had seamed back in and kissed the off bail without even touching the stumps; it could not have been dislodged more clinically if someone picked it up and set it on the ground.A punch-drunk Pakistan were already dreaming up wild scenarios for how this match could turn, and it’s safe to say they all involved Babar Azam. Babar, though, was a mere plot-point to Seales’ perfect day as he trapped him in front with the batter still in single figures to leave Pakistan reeling at 23 for 4.It was those 92 balls that defined the game. Pakistan may have started well, but it barely feels like it matters now. The cracks and weaknesses were apparent even then, when Rizwan turned to Hussain Talat for his first deliveries in international cricket after the first powerplay saw them constrict West Indies, only for Evin Lewis to pick him up for two sixes and break the shackles. Abrar was so accurate and menacing he often appeared on the verge of running through West Indies early, and the hosts spent much of the innings batting at a glacial pace well under four runs per over. It did not matter now.Mohammad Rizwan looks back after Jayden Seales’ sorcery dislodged the bails•AFP/Getty Images

Neither did whatever happened after that fourth Pakistan wicket fell. Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz had little ambition beyond stealing a few singles each over, even if that made the ultimately Herculean task even more insurmountable as the asking rate spiked. That Pakistan had stripped their side of full-time bowlers for superficial batting depth hardly seemed to matter. They knew they were never getting there anyway, and when the spin of Motie and Chase accounted for them in quick succession, West Indies could see the finish line.To do the honours, they handed that baton to none other than Seales, who blew past Naseem and Hasan Ali before Abrar jogged through for a single that was never on. Chase effected a direct hit, that sharpness depriving Seales the opportunity to bag the best ever bowling figures in men’s ODIs by a West Indian. For all of the young speedster’s brilliance, the fact Pakistan ensured they had a final say in their own downfall felt somewhat apt.

Before the international break, Tottenham Hotspur’s fast start to the season was stunted at home to Bournemouth, who claimed a 1-0 win down N17.

But fears of that same plague of inconsistency have been pushed aside after an emphatic 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, shifting Spurs into second place in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s clash against Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Three wins from four marks an impressive start to life for Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer after the Australian coach slumped with his side down to a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

Even the Europa League triumph couldn’t save him, but in spite of all the upheaval – including the shocking exit of Daniel Levy – Tottenham are reshaping into a force to be reckoned with.

The exciting signing of Xavi Simons bears testament to that.

Xavi Simons' Spurs debut

Simons, 22, looked Chelsea-bound for much of the summer transfer window, but Tottenham ended up winning the race and now they boast one of the most exciting playmakers in the business.

Against West Ham, the Netherlands international impressed across his 71 minutes on the field, making the assist for Pape Matar Sarr’s opening goal after the interval, curling a corner in and over the rabble and onto the unmarked Senegalese’s head.

Then the Lilywhites’ task was made easier by Tomas Soucek’s red card after a reckless challenge on Joao Palhinha. Two more goals ensued, and while Simons didn’t land a debut strike for himself, he looked very much at home on the Premier League stage.

Finer displays will follow, but this was very promising indeed, especially when considering he was deployed out wide instead of his natural berth at number ten.

Simons has what it takes to effectively replace the injured James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, maybe even rivalling such stars as being Tottenham’s finest attacking midfielder since the days of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in their pomp.

Spurs' new version of Dele Alli

In January 2024, Tottenham beat off fierce competition from Barcelona to sign teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall. In fact, all the pointers previously claimed the Sweden prospect would join La Blaugrana, but he was convinced by the Lilywhites project after a hijack.

An elite talent, Bergvall has since settled into life as a Tottenham senior, and he’s still only 19 years old. In this regard, he’s somewhat like the aforementioned Dele, and might even come to be Frank’s own version of the fallen England sensation.

Dele, now 29, is clubless after being released by Como in Serie A, but it’s not hard to remember those days of old when he played with such rarely-seen gusto, a true wonder-kid after joining Spurs from MK Dons in League One in 2015.

His first three seasons in the Premier League were beyond spectacular, and had he continued in that thread of form throughout his career, Dele would surely be hailed now in conversations similar to that of the division’s greatest.

23/24

0

0 (0)

22/23

2

0 (0)

21/22

10

1 (0)

20/21

15

0 (1)

19/20

25

8 (4)

18/19

25

5 (3)

17/18

36

9 (11)

16/17

37

18 (9)

15/16

33

10 (9)

Bergvall is not the same as Dele, but his athleticism and intelligence and movement and application all bespeak the skill set of a top-level talent.

And against West Ham, the Scandinavian’s goal-and-assist performance carried shades of Dele back in his heyday.

Cristian Romero arced an aerial pass through to Bergvall moments after Soucek’s red card, and the youngster’s success in timing his run and turning the ball beyond the hapless goalkeeper with a precise header underlined his Dele-esque performance.

Because, after all, such headed goals were staples of the Three Lions star’s skills when he was in his prime at Tottenham. Who remembers that performance against Chelsea back in 2017, for example?

But the similarities don’t stop there. Bergvall’s success at such an early age is bringing him into direct comparison with a young Dele, and it’s something Spurs can now use to deepen their connection with the fanbase as this new era gets up and running.

After all, at 19 years and 223 days old, Bergvall is Tottenham’s youngest scorer in the Premier League since… You guessed it, Dele, who was 19 years and 205 days old when he scored in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in November 2015.

There’s no question that Tottenham landed one of Europe’s prized up-and-coming midfielders when beating Barcelona to his signature, and now, with Frank at the helm, there’s a sense that Bergvall is coming into his own.

He’s a European champion, and he’s now showcased his ability to produce a rounded display in the Premier League, with data from Sofascore revealing that he won five duels, made two tackles and created a key pass against struggling West Ham.

He also completed 100% of his dribbles, demonstrating a progressiveness that will help Tottenham to no end.

Football.london handed him an 8/10 match rating, drawing attention to his neat interplay and clever touches, as well as his intelligent involvement in the build-up to Tottenham’s third, when Van de Ven sealed three excellent points for the north Londoners.

Bergvall remains a young midfielder making his way in the Premier League, but already, he is so accomplished within Tottenham’s squad.

He has featured 50 times for the Londoners and is starting to show in Frank’s system an ability to stand out among his peers, something Dele did with such prodigious aplomb during the early days of his time in a Tottenham shirt.

He'll be Frank's own Bale: Spurs have hit gold on "phenomenal" £20m star

Tottenham Hotspur have unearthed themselves a new gem over the last couple of months.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 12, 2025

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Make your vote count in the Incredible Awards, presented by Star Sports in association with ESPNcricinfo

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2023Voting has closed.

Best Bowling in an IPL season

From the four nominees, you need to vote for one in the poll below.Sunil Narine, 2012
Narine was instrumental in Kolkata Knight Riders’ maiden IPL title victory, winning player of the tournament for his 24 wickets, taken while going for just 5.47 an over. In his first IPL season, Narine won three player-of-the-match awards – for his 5/19 against KXIP, his 1/13 against Pune Warriors and his 4/15 against Mumbai Indians.Rashid Khan, 2018
Rashid’s second season in the IPL was his most prolific, his 21 wickets helping Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the final. He went at just 6.73 an over in the season and won four player-of-the-match awards, including one in the second qualifier, in which his 3/19 scuppered KKR’s chase. Earlier in the season, his 2/11 helped SRH defend 118 against Mumbai Indians.Jofra Archer, 2020
Archer dazzled with his searing pace, taking 20 wickets for Rajasthan Royals while going at just 6.55 an over. He struck across all phases, taking 10 wickets in the powerplay, five in the middle and five at the death. His powerplay economy rate was just 4.34 as teams could not handle his pace and bounce with the new ball. It was enough to earn him the most valuable player of the season award.Yuzvendra Chahal, 2022
RCB’s record wicket-taker enjoyed his best season after a move to Rajasthan Royals. He won his first purple cap, for his 27 wickets, which helped Royals reach the final. What was also impressive was that he regularly bowled in the death and took seven wickets there, going at under 10 an over. He won player-of-the-match awards for his 5/40 against KKR, which included a hat-trick, and his 4/41 against Lucknow Super Giants.