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The Western Conference semifinal presents an all too rare opportunity for two world class talents to face off in a single elimination game in MLS.

There's a clip from almost exactly 10 years ago from the German cup semi-final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Before kickoff, Marco Reus looks across the center circle and cheekily grins at Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker offers a smirk back. It has since become subject to the internet and memeified to death. But it is also emblematic of a dynamic, the two central figures of a big game acknowledging the fact that they are set to do battle for 90 minutes. 

It wasn't the only drama in the fixture. That was one of the final battles of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp – at least in Germany. Bayern were on the hunt for a treble. Dortmund were looking to save face after a miserable season. But the lasting image of that game was the capturing of a rivalry, a duo of transcendent talents squaring off – albeit in an amusing way. 

That's the kind of thing that MLS is missing. There are no rivalries between stars at big moments in this league, no battle of rough equals, with brands bigger than the clubs they play for, facing off at the biggest moments. Enter LAFC's Son Heung-Min and Vancouver's Thomas Muller, who will play in the Western Conference Semifinals this weekend. Ask many outside of the immediate MLS sphere, and they couldn't tell you who each player suits up for. But they would certainly recognize the names: Asia's all-time best footballer versus one of the most decorated players of his generation. 

It's a tasty matchup, one that will define an already nicely-poised game. Chances are, whoever has the better game – Son or Muller – will decide the final score. And in a league that has the biggest player in the world yet lacks consistent interest in the region, it could be a model for encapsulating the way the league can grow. MLS, in short, needs more of these.

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  Son, the transformative attacking presence

  Son was here first. It was pretty clear, by the end of the 2024-25 season, that he was sure to leave Tottenham. The Korean winger had been there for a decade, survived numerous iterations of the team. He had won with Harry Kane and without. And when the club didn't present him with a new contract, one of their greatest ever players decided to close a wonderful chapter in a glittering career. 

  His next move was up for debate. He was never going to put himself in a situation where he would play Tottenham. But at 33-years-old, it was tricky to see another European side picking him up. Within a few weeks of him hoisting the Europa League trophy, it became a question of which MLS side would pick him up. LAFC bit. They shelled out a league record transfer fee of $26.5 millionto bring the South Korea national team captain to Los Angeles. And it already looks like a piece of marketing and footballing genius. Much has been written about his connection to the local Asian community. But the football has been wonderful, too. He is averaging over a goal contribution per 90 minutes, and had he been in the league for more than just two short months, would surely be in the running for MLS Newcomer of the Year. 

  LAFC needed a boost, too. Manager Steve Cherundolo is soon to leave. The Olivier Giroud experiment was a disaster. Son has breathed new life into the team, and made them almost immediate Cup contenders – especially with Denis Bouanga rounding into form alongside him up front. 

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  Muller, Vancouver's transformative talisman

  Muller's influence was perhaps a little more subtle – but no less impactful. The German has offered a different kind of quality. He is, after all, a different kind of player. If Son is the final piece of a team that needs a lift, then Muller is the X-factor to make a very good side a championship-contending one. Muller dubbed himself a "space interpreter" when he was young, and he still does that. 

  Muller is older and slower than pretty much everyone he plays with. Yet he thinks quicker than everyone else combined. Muller exists mostly in spaces as they open and close. He makes the right pass, engages in the right runs. He doesn't seem to like stardom or particularly acknowledge the fact that he is, arguably, the biggest name to have played for his club in recent years. 

  "The fact that he chose to go to Vancouver tells you everything you need to know, because no really global superstars ever choose to go to the Vancouver Whitecaps," Kaylyn Kyle said.

  Muller is a dorky guy who lives a simple life and plays the game like a true purist.

  He also has seven goals and four assists in seven games, which speaks to his impact. 

• Two contrasting styles

  That contrast expands to the two teams at large. Vancouver and LAFC is perhaps the most exciting match-up, from a tactical point of view, of the four reamining MLS playoff fixtures. Vancouver, under a first-year head coach in Jesper Sorensen, and with the return of attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld, can pass you to death. They love having the ball, and with the engine of U.S. international Sebastian Berhalter in midfield, they are capable of dominating. They have shown clear championship credentials on multiple occasions, not least by battering Inter Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. They didn't really Muller. He just makes them even better. 

  But that might play into LAFC's hands perfectly. There are questions to be asked about Cherundolo's tactical nous, but he has certainly figured out how to best use his talents. The solution? Strip everything down, win the ball, and hit on the break. It's a simple equation, really. Bouanga and Son are as dominant of attacking players as MLS can offer outside of Lionel Messi. Give them the ball, run forward, and terrify sides on the break. Throw in a strong spine and the smarts of another in U.S. international in Timmy Tillman just behind the duo, and LAFC are the wrong team to try and dominate.

  This, then, could be a pure shootout. Vancouver need to have the ball. LAFC are comfortable enough surrendering it. And in front of a sold-out Vancouver crowd, everything seems poised nicely.

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  Where else does this exist?

  It’s a shame, more broadly, that MLS can’t offer more of this. Global star power in the league is clustered in only three places: South Florida, Los Angeles and, somehow, the west coast of Canada. Big-name superstars, overall, are also far less common in MLS than they were a decade ago – and, in some ways, that’s a good thing. MLS should exist on its own terms, developing American players and selling on rising talent from Central and South America, not leaning on past-their-prime imports like Steven Gerrard or Kaká. If MLS were filled with 100 Cucho Hernandezes – whom Columbus flipped to La Liga last year – it would mean the system is working.

  But those aren’t the names that draw eyeballs, especially in a sports landscape where MLS is competing with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. The league still needs headline acts to cut through. And no other playoff fixture offers anything close. Messi and Luis Suárez lead Miami. Evander and Kevin Denkey are phenomenal players, but they aren’t global brands. Chucky Lozano moves the needle in Mexican football, but in Minnesota, he’ll be up against a team defined more by its collective than its stars.

  The same goes for NYCFC and Philadelphia, a contest between two nicely built teams – without main men who can take over a game. There is one real star-based matchup here.

His century in Multan was a reminder that Pakistan can still be on the right side of Test-match rejoicing

Danyal Rasool08-Oct-2024Pakistan domestic cricket is an unglamorous, hard watch, and you can tell Salman Agha was shaped by its caring, if calloused, hands – he is as close as you can get to a personification of it. The red-ball domestic system is constantly shapeshifting, and Salman’s own adaptability – from pressure absorber to pressure transmitter, from second fiddle to leading man – reveals the turbulent fires his game and personality have been welded in. Since making his international debut, Salman has rarely been in the spotlight; not stylish enough as Saud Shakeel, not charismatic enough as Mohammad Rizwan, and shunted to the outposts of the lower-middle order.His understated nature extends off the field. You speak to him and sense there’s a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, a man who, despite reaching the other side of 30, never forgets he’s ultimately playing cricket for a living, and thus life isn’t that bad. Even his unbeaten 104 feels like the footnote to an impressive Pakistan innings, devoid of the delightful panache of Abdullah Shafique or the engrossing personal narrative of Shan Masood’s effort.When Salman came out, Pakistan had lost two quick wickets and were wobbling at 393 for 6. Just two Tests ago, a first-innings score of 448 for 6 declared against Bangladesh had resulted in a ten-wicket defeat.Related

• Root and Brook hit big centuries to make Pakistan's 556 look inadequate

• Masood's statement of intent sets out Pakistan's stall

• Shafique: 'How well you take your opportunity matters'

• Crawley leads England reply after Salman hundred sets up Pakistan

The first ball of the second session on Tuesday was a harbinger for England; Jack Leach pitched one up, and Salman half-volleyed it through the covers. It was the defining match-up of the session; Leach would bowl 61 balls to him with Salman plundering 65 runs off them. It included three sixes, one in fortunate circumstances as Chris Woakes caught him on the long-off boundary, only to leave a trailing foot planted outside the rope as he took the catch upon his return into the field of play. The call may have gone either way, and upon his reprieve, Salman chuckled before launching Leach over long-on the very next ball. Salman later said he looks to attack “all spinners in any situation”, but Leach – at the receiving end of more of Salman’s milestones – was singled out. He was clipped for the couple that brought up Salman’s half-century, smashed for the boundary that fetched him his 1000th run, and milked for the run that got him his century.The word in vogue is aura, and Salman has precisely none of it. It is perhaps that which discombobulated Salman as he batted on with Shaheen Afridi. England’s field settings bordered on the curious by this time, the visitors leaving several fielders in the deep towards the end of overs allowing him to farm the strike. Even when Abrar appeared to be trying to get out, England made him work to give his wicket away, Jamie Smith missing a straight stumping before Gus Atkinson put down a sitter. Abrar had a look of amusement at the other end; England might have been bored by this point, but having done this for over a decade in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Salman is close to unboreable.But his nonchalance belies a steel that has been present since the day he made his Test debut. Runs scored with the lower order intrinsically feel lower-value, but Salman’s have been anything but. In this WTC cycle, Pakistan have scored exactly 2000 runs from batting positions five to eight, averaging 44.44 runs per wicket – no other side betters that. If you’re in any doubt about Salman’s outsized role in that statistic, here’s another one; no batter in world cricket has managed more runs in positions 7-8 than Salman’s 946 since he made his debut. If you consider Pakistan’s top-order-batting woes for the best part of Salman’s time in the side, those have not been bonus runs, but Pakistan’s bread and butter.Salman’s adaptability was on show in Multan•Getty ImagesFor the last year, Pakistan have been present at the scene of much Test-match rejoicing. Australia enjoyed themselves so much that David Warner, coming out to bat in his farewell Test to seal a series whitewash over Pakistan, allowed himself a beer at lunch before knocking off the winning runs. Bangladesh’s exultation was on an altogether higher plane, their Test series victory in Pakistan seen as an optimistic portent in the wake of a revolution.The last two days, Pakistan have got something of a taste of how all that felt in a remarkable inversion of the script. It was England who lined up with a bowling attack that looked wholly unsuited to these conditions, the next 149 overs dishing up further proof. England missed a key chance by inches to get Salman out early, the frustration exacerbated as he went on to reach three figures. It was England that lost their discipline and intensity as Pakistan’s last four put on 163.Pakistan were the side backing a struggling batting line-up, eschewing the ever-present temptation of frenetic changes. And – heaven above! – Pakistan were even taking stunners, Aamer Jamal refusing to let his magical Australian summer fade as England’s last-minute opener Ollie Pope was sent packing inside two deliveries. Even as England’s subsequent partnership delivered its reality check, Pakistan finally had the chance to remind themselves that is what made it all so much fun.And with Salman’s wide grin reminding them every single day, who could really forget?

Venue yet to get police approvals to host matches following the stampede that caused the deaths of 11 people during RCB’s victory celebrations on June 4

Shashank Kishore12-Aug-2025The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru could be in danger of losing its Women’s World Cup matches after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) missed the August 10 deadline set by the BCCI to secure police approvals to host the games at the venue.The Greenfields Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is being mooted as an alternative.Bengaluru is, for the moment, scheduled to host the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, and matches between England and South Africa (October 3), India and Bangladesh (October 26), the second semi-final on October 30, and possibly the final on November 2.As things stand, the Greenfields Stadium is preparing to host the second season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) from August 21 to September 7. However, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is believed to have a back-up plan in place, with the KCL being moved to another venue, should they be required as World Cup hosts.Related

• Venkatesh Prasad: 'Want to bring cricket back to Chinnaswamy'

• Maharaja T20 moved from Bengaluru to Mysuru

• Probe panel deems Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' for large-scale events

• Karnataka government holds RCB accountable for Bengaluru stampede

• Deaths and injuries to fans mar RCB's homecoming in Bengaluru

As per the ICC guidelines, a venue has to be handed over to the organisers at least a month prior to the tournament. This means a decision will need to be taken by the BCCI and ICC within a week since Thiruvananthapuram is also likely to be allotted World Cup warm-up fixtures on September 25 and 27.According to the police commissioner’s office, the KSCA hadn’t got clearance for the Chinnaswamy Stadium as of Monday, when the ICC marked the 50-day countdown to the tournament with an event in Mumbai. ESPNcricinfo has contacted KSCA CEO Subhendu Ghosh but has yet to receive a response.The KSCA is currently hosting its T20 competition, the Maharaja Trophy, in Mysore. The tournament also had to also be moved out of the Chinnaswamy Stadium after the KSCA failed to secure police permission despite offering to play the matches behind closed doors.As a final attempt at securing police approvals, the KSCA is believed to be exploring the possibility of conducting World Cup matches with a reduced capacity. It’s unclear whether the BCCI would approve such a proposal considering the Chinnaswamy Stadium is also the venue for the final if Pakistan don’t qualify.The KSCA has been in trouble since June 4, when 11 people died and more than 50 were injured around the premises of the Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory parade after winning IPL 2025. In the aftermath of the incident, secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam resigned citing moral responsibility.Late last month, a committee tasked by the state government to investigate the stampede deemed the Chinnaswamy “unsafe” for large-scale events. The commission “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that were “better suited” to handle significant crowds.The uncertainty could potentially upset plans of several teams which had hoped to be based in Bengaluru to train at a number of practice venues, including the KSCA facility in Alur on the city’s outskirts, in the lead-up to the tournament.

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri has demanded the recruitment of foreign referees in Serie A to elevate the officiating standard in the Italian top flight. The 66-year-old was furious about a few decisions taken by the officials during his side's clash against Inter game, but stressed the issues are prevalent in the league.

• Sarri furious after Lazio loss

  Lazio suffered a 2-0 defeat against Inter, with Lautaro Martinez and Ange-Yoan Bonny scoring in either half to hand a defeat to the visitors. Sarri, who fumed after Martinez's challenge on his pupil Mattia Zaccagni, was shown a yellow card by the match official. The Italian winger was also forced off the pitch, and Sarri was annoyed by the risk of Lazio conceding a goal as a result.

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  Sarri slams Serie A officials

  Sarri took a dig at the refereeing in Serie A, calling it below par. He said after the Inter game: "Why did I get angry? For one simple reason: Lautaro's foul on Zaccagni deserved a yellow card. If it had, Zaccagni shouldn't have left the pitch. Not only did he not issue a yellow card, he forced Zaccagni off the pitch, and we almost conceded a goal from that side. Even Padre Pio would have gotten angry."

  Instead of booking the Argentine forward, the referee showed a yellow card to Sarri for expressing his frustration at the sequence of events. "I don't see any referees up to the task, including tonight's. I hope Serie A can get the help of referees from abroad; they need to be 'rented' there," he said.

  He added: "We're paying for something inside the box. We had a few chances, but it's not easy. What positives do I take away? This is a team that's improving. After the first goal, the team recovered and stayed in the game until the end. Let's start again with this mentality."

• Sarri stops short of blaming referee for Inter loss

  Sarri admitted that Inter were the better side in the game as he held off of blaming the officials for his team's defeat, saying: "The referee didn't influence the result. Inter played better than us and would have won regardless of who officiated. When you enter San Siro and concede a goal after two minutes, it becomes tough. We wobbled but got back into the game. We had our chances. It wasn't a disastrous match. It's frustrating because the two goals came from two simple turnovers: the first near the box, the second right after we regained the ball. Perhaps these errors favour the more technical team, but it leaves a bitter taste. The performance was decent.

  "We pay for the technical gap; we'll see if we can close it as much as possible. We don't have a traditional striker. Our forwards have other characteristics. The only one could be Castellanos, who can handle himself well in the box; the others play the role differently. Right now, we're paying for that in the area, yet coming to San Siro we still had two or three scoring chances, which isn't easy."

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  Two successive Milan games await Lazio

  Lazio currently sit ninth in the Serie A standings, having accumulated four wins and three draws in 11 games so far. The defeat to Inter was also their first loss since September, when they went down to Roma. With no continental football this season, Lazio are solely focused on Serie A, trying their best to utilise this season to head back to the European competitions. They will resume action on November 23 against Lecce and then take on Milan in successive games across the domestic league and the Coppa Italia on November 29 and December 4, respectively.

  Sarri is hoping that he will be able to enhance his squad in the January transfer window, saying: "They haven't told me yet whether the transfer market is open or not. I think the market is open, but I'm waiting for the official announcement and then we'll make the various decisions as necessary."

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has enjoyed a fairly strong start to life in the dugout at Ibrox since he arrived to take over from previous manager Russell Martin.

The German tactician, who left Sheffield Wednesday earlier this year, has won all three of his matches in the Scottish Premiership, beating Dundee 3-0 at Dens Park last time out.

Rangers, though, have also lost both of their Europa League games under the new boss and lost 3-1 to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup, and some players in the squad will still feel they have more to offer to Rohl.

The Rangers players who have rarely been used by Danny Rohl

Across the German head coach’s six matches in charge of the club in all competitions, the manager has been fairly consistent with his team selections overall, which has left some players by the wayside.

There are seven first-team players, or players on the fringe of the first-team, who have played in less than half of Rohl’s first six games with the Ibrox giants.

As you can see in the table above, three players, albeit one of them being the back-up goalkeeper, have yet to make a single appearance for the German boss.

Lyall Cameron’s lack of game time under the new manager is surprising after he was heralded as an impressive addition to the squad from Dundee in the summer.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

He was described as ‘one of the most influential players’ in the SPFL by the BBC’s Dundee fan writer Ethan Hampton, yet he has not had much of a look-in under Rohl.

Why Danny Rohl must finally unleash Lyall Cameron

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder should finally be unleashed by the new manager because he could be an ‘influential’ player for the Gers if given the opportunity to play regular minutes in the Premiership.

Cameron has only played four times in the league so far this season, showing that he can’t get a game at the moment, and has only played nine minutes under Rohl, which came against Kilmarnock, per Sofascore.

Last season, however, during his time with Dundee, the Scottish star started 32 of his 33 appearances in the Premiership and provided a big threat at the top end of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Cameron was as influential as Hampton suggested, as he produced 14 goals and assists in 32 starts as a central midfielder for his previous club.

However, he has not been given enough of an opportunity to showcase his talent in the Premiership, with just nine minutes across Rohl’s first three league games in the dugout.

This is why the former Sheffield Wednesday tactician should finally unleash Cameron from the start after the international break, because his time with Dundee suggests that there is far more to come from him in a Rangers shirt.

The Scottish whiz is not going to show the best of his abilities with nine minutes off the bench or by being an unused substitute, and now is the time to introduce him to the team to see if he can provide goals and assists on a regular basis, as he did with Dundee.

Rangers teenager was their next Igamane in the making but he left for £0

Rangers must regret losing this young star who could have been their next Hamza Igamane at Ibrox.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 18, 2025

Crushing loss in Hamilton cannot dent celebration of series win, ahead of blockbuster 2025

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Dec-2024Two blokes walk into a pub in Hamilton.One is wearing Ben Stokes’ batting gloves, having donned them for the 10-minute scooter ride from Seddon Park, where he had obtained them from England’s Test captain. The other is wearing Brydon Carse’s Test jumper – a surprisingly good fit considering he was giving up about a foot in height to the Durham seamer.Punters revelling in freshly-acquired souvenirs felt like an sound allegory for the journey this England team has embarked upon in 2024. Their joint-busiest year of Test cricket has provided room for a regeneration. Of the 24 players have been used, seven had the honour of wearing that kit for the very first time.Each has seized their chance in different ways across a variety of roles. Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Carse have made themselves immediate first-teamers. Jacob Bethell’s assuredness over the last month has brought on a pleasing headache. Shoaib Bashir, for all his pluck, remains a work in progress.The new year offers more bucketlist moments for a new-look team, with India at home and Australia away. For those at the opposite end of the spectrum, 2025 promises to be a legacy year. Defining for the project Stokes and Brendon McCullum have embarked upon together. Legend-lifting for Joe Root. Status-deciding for Harry Brook. “Get a ticket early,” urged McCullum, as much to supporters as the cricketers desperate to be in the mix for those blockbuster events.Shoaib Bashir benefitted from Stokes’ empathetic captaincy in India, but that trait was misplaced in Pakistan•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesGetting excited about all that can wait. On Tuesday, much like those two punters, England were celebrating. It did not take them long to shed the frustration of a 423-run defeat in the third Test. Coolers of drinks made their way onto the field not long after the broadcast cameras were switched off. A first series win in New Zealand since 2008 was toasted, before morphing into a celebration of Tim Southee’s retirement. Both teams mingled late into the day, before everyone piled into the home dressing room. Games were played – namely “Zimmy Zimmy”, a staple of university students, essentially ‘pass the parcel’ based on rhythm and numbers – before goodbyes were said.Such geniality between these two teams is nothing new, of course. Nor is an England team’s affinity with the gorgeous vistas and range of outdoor activities (not just golf) this country provides. But while the extra-curricular parts of 2023’s New Zealand tour felt like a bit of a lads holiday – camaraderie high on the agenda ahead of that summer’s Ashes – this was more of a spa retreat.A Queenstown base to start, the odd course along the way, and encouraging players to take the scenic route from Wellington to Hamilton to enjoy the best of what the North Island has to offer after establishing an unassailable 2-0 lead in Wellington. England achieved the primary objective of this trip, but they also ticked off a secondary: de-stressing from a wearying 12 months.The 4-1 loss in India at the start of the year crushed a few older souls, the 2-1 loss to Pakistan on the other side of the home summer tested newer spirits. It was during the former that Stokes realised the team needed more dynamism. And as much as that would come from a refresh, his return as a functional allrounder would be integral to that.Fast forward to Pakistan and Stokes’ obsession to get back to the “old him” had reached untenable levels. By his own admission, he had “ruined” himself by ramping up his own training levels after a left hamstring tear in August had wiped out the hard work of the previous six months.Brydon Carse has inked himself into England’s first XI after some thrilling displays as the third seamer•Getty ImagesHe was tetchy, off the pace as captain and, worst of all, had lost the empathetic perspective that had been a vital crutch for his leadership. A trait all the more important given the number of players new to the environment.Stokes has been able to rediscover his emotional equilibrium on this trip. He came out to Christchurch ahead of time to surprise his family, many of whom, including his mother Deb, were in attendance at Hagley Oval for pretty much every ball of the first Test. Time with loved ones has perhaps brought a reminder for perspective. Reflections of his captaincy came in the weeks following the Pakistan series, and subtle changes have been made. Even with the recurrence of his hamstring injury, the 33-year-old seems to be in a much healthier place.Perhaps the most interesting strand of 2024 to tug at is the other side of the personnel transition. Punting on young “unproven” talents is the easy bit. The hard part has been moving on the established ones.James Anderson was the highest profile example of this. A necessary parting of ways, conducted via an uneasy hotel meeting, meant that Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key came with a good deal of heat from all corners (including the man himself, of course). The silver lining for Anderson is, much like Southee this week, he got closure. The others have not been quite so lucky.Related

• Tim Southee joins England set-up as 'special skills consultant'

• Tim Southee in line to replace Anderson as England bowling coach

• 'Bionic Man' Ben Stokes embarks on rehabilitation after hamstring surgery

• Ben Stokes ruled out for three months with recurrence of hamstring tear

• Stokes urges England to stay in the now as Ashes year looms once more

Jonny Bairstow was parked after notching 100 caps at Dharamsala in February. The 2022 Bazball poster boy will enter the new year as a dead weight on the central contract list until October, without any clarity on whether his international future is actually over. Similarly, Ben Foakes sat out the last six months of his deal as Smith came in to offer the best parts of both keeper-batters.Ollie Robinson, once regarded as a vital cog in the Anderson-Broad succession plan, has also not been seen since that tour, He is unlikely to feature again under the current regime, as much through losing the trust of McCullum and Stokes as the emergence of Atkinson.Even serial reserve batter Dan Lawrence seems to have run his race after underperforming as a fill-in opener in the Sri Lanka series when Zak Crawley broke his finger. It was a thankless task in an unfamiliar role – both of which Bethell has excelled in the last month.Ollie Pope finishes 2024 with his place in jeopardy despite launching it with a hall-of-fame innings in Hyderabad•Getty ImagesIndeed Bethell has now brought a further awkward conversation around Ollie Pope. A man who started the year with a star-turn in the heist of Hyderabad now finds himself at a peculiar juncture in his international career.England’s vice-captain is a team man in a team of team men. His initial play for the No.3 spot was a way of getting into the XI, but as his stint has gone on, there has been a growing sense his presence in the role has been for the benefit of others. It allows Root to remain at four, and Brook at five. Just as importantly, Pope’s average remains above 40 in that position.But Pope’s selflessness is also why he now finds himself in a conundrum. There was no surprise when he took the hit of moving down the order to No.6 for this series, so that he could keep following the injury to Jordan Cox. Stokes in particular lauded him for doing what was best for the team. But the vacancy allowed Bethell to state an all-too-attractive case.It is a case that does not have to be answered for a good few months, given England’s next Test is not until May. But it is remarkable to think a player who began 2024 with a hall-of-fame innings and went on to captain four Tests in the middle is now ending it with such uncertainty.Alas, that is international sport. And the growing pains of a revamp are these necessary evils – tough decisions that, in the case of Pope, might seem contrary to the team’s promoted values of backing players unequivocally, ridding them of fear and rewarding their loyalty.Therein lies the main takeaway from this year. The results read nine wins and eight defeats, but majority of the year post-India has been about revitalization and amending the broad brushstrokes of the first two years.Stokes and the England team might not like the word “ruthless”, but there is no better word to describe the mentality they will need to adopt as 2024 comes to a close. With India and Australia on the horizon, 2025 will be about winning at all costs.

UAE bring in fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah for first match of double-header day

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025Toss Oman opt to bowl vs UAEOman captain Jatinder Singh won the toss and chose to bowl against UAE, as both teams seek their first points in the Asia Cup 2025.Oman made three changes to the XI that lost to Pakistan earlier in the tournament, with allrounders Wasim Ali and Aryan Bisht and left-arm seamer Jiten Ramanandi coming in for Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood and Zikria Islam.UAE made one change from the XI that lost to India earlier in the tournament, benching left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh for fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah.This is the first double-header game of the Asia Cup, played in conditions where the heat rises up to 36 degree celsius.UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Rohid, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Jawad, Junaid SiddiqueOman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Wasim Ali, Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Aryan Bisht, Shakeel Ahmad, Samay Shrivastava, Jitenkumar Ramanandi