Category Uncategorized

It’s understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz Ahmed in a role that aligned closely with his own responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable

Danyal Rasool19-Nov-2025Azhar Ali has resigned from his position at the PCB as selector and head of youth development, ending a 12-month stint in that role. The departure, which was not publicly announced by either Azhar or the board, has been confirmed by ESPNcricinfo.ESPNcricinfo has learned Azhar’s departure came after an extended period of simmering differences in outlook between the former Pakistan captain and the board. Matters eventually came to a head after Sarfaraz Ahmed was reportedly appointed – though, again, not officially confirmed by the board – as the head of Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 sides, with his remit extending to the organising and managing of tours, as well as conducting training camps.It is understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz in a role that aligned closely with his own set of responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable. He sent in his letter of resignation earlier this week, which the PCB accepted.Azhar, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, was first brought into the PCB as a member of the selection panel for Pakistan’s men’s national side in October 2024. A month later, he had the role of youth development head tacked on, one which was publicly announced by the PCB at the time.The official announcement of his appointment on the PCB’s website stated that he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.The next major assignment for a Pakistan age-group side comes at the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which runs from January 15 to February 6, and will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Co-hosts Zimbabwe, Scotland and England are in Pakistan’s group at the competition, which Pakistan have won twice – in 2004 and 2006.

Newcastle United were unable to make it three Premier League wins in a row last night, as Eddie Howe’s men secured a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

After a drab first half with little to shout about for both sides, Bruno Guimaraes’ second-half strike put the Magpies ahead with just under 20 minutes remaining.

Anthony Gordon’s penalty with just a handful of minutes remaining put the hosts ahead once again, but for the second time in the contest, Cristian Romero managed to find a leveller.

The point takes Howe’s men up a place to 13th in the Premier League, but it could have been a whole lot better had his side managed to hold on for all three points.

Despite numerous positive showings, a handful of the players selected to start the game failed to impress, which could lead to numerous changes ahead of the weekend.

Newcastle’s poor performers against Spurs

For the third game in a row, Joelinton was handed a start at the heart of the Newcastle side, this time partnering Lewis Miley and Sandi Tonali, with the latter coming into the starting eleven.

However, the Brazilian was unable to repay the faith shown in him by the manager, with such a showing one to forget for the Magpies’ number seven on Tyneside.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but only managed to come out on top in just 27% of the duels he entered, whilst being dribbled past on three occasions.

Joelinton wasn’t alone in struggling to deliver at St James’, with winger Jacob Murphy also struggling to provide his usual impact off the right-hand side of the attack.

The Englishman was largely unable to deliver in the final third, as seen by his measly tally of just three crosses completed, doing so at an accuracy rate of just 30%.

He also only managed to complete 50% of his attempted dribbles and completed just 16 passes before being substituted for Anthony Elanga with just over 20 minutes remaining.

The Newcastle star who needs to be dropped after Spurs

Home games against Spurs have often been a formality for Newcastle, as seen by the club’s recent record against the Lilywhites over the past couple of seasons.

Howe’s men had won four in a row against the North London outfit at St James’, but his men were unable to add to such a record during their lacklustre showing last night.

The inability to secure all three points was no doubt down to the disappointing showings from numerous players, with the aforementioned duo just two of the stars who failed to deliver.

However, they weren’t alone in struggling to match the expectations of the supporters, with winger Harvey Barnes unable to replicate his recent showings in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has now started four league games in a row, with his two-goal game against Manchester City undoubtedly keeping his place in the starting eleven.

He’s now failed to score in each of the last two outings, including against Spurs, with winger Gordon now deserving of a start after his goal off the bench.

However, Barnes’ performance before his teammate’s arrival onto the pitch was certainly below par, which will no doubt contribute to the manager’s thinking.

The winger featured for 66 minutes on Tyneside last night, but could only muster 30 touches of the ball and made just ten passes, six fewer than Aaron Ramsdale, as he struggled to make the desired impact on proceedings.

He also only managed to complete one of his attempted dribbles and one of his crosses, which further highlights his struggles within the final third of the pitch.

Minutes played

66

Touches

30

Shots taken

2

Dribbles completed

1

Crosses completed

1

Possession lost

12x

Duels lost

75%

Passes into final third

2

Barnes massively struggled to find any of his teammates during the draw, as seen by his tally of 12 times possession lost – ultimately being wasteful when in possession.

The attacker was just as poor without the ball, often being dominated by the opposition, subsequently losing 75% of the ground duels he entered against Thomas Frank’s side.

As a result of his performance, Barnes was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by The Express journalist Lee Ryder – further showcasing his struggles against Spurs.

After such a showing, Howe will no doubt want to shuffle his pack on Saturday against Burnley to attempt to get their recent winning run in the Premier League back on track.

Gordon will no doubt be chomping at the bit after his goal, which could result in his compatriot being dropped after his recent flurry of starts in the North East.

Better than Anderson: £70m "monster" is now open to joining Newcastle

Newcastle plan on signing a new centre-midfielder in 2026.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Dec 2, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur’s efforts in the Champions League against PSG last night were a vast improvement from the North London Derby, but it still wasn’t enough to claim all three points.

Luis Enrique’s men secured a 5-3 triumph at the Parc des Princes, but the night could have been a lot better for Thomas Frank’s side at one stage.

The Dane’s side twice took the lead against the reigning Champions League winners, with Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison putting the Lilywhites ahead before and after the break.

However, numerous moments of madness from numerous players subsequently cost the side all three points, with Frank’s side now winless in their last three outings.

During such fixtures, the first team have shipped a total of 11 goals, many of which have been down to failures of one player – as demonstrated in Paris once again yesterday.

Cristian Romero’s dismal display against PSG yesterday

After Frank’s arrival as manager over the summer, he made an immediate impact by naming numerous first-team members as part of his Spurs leadership group.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as part of the group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every one of his starts for the Lilywhites this campaign.

That was no different on Wednesday night, but the 27-year-old did nothing short of lead the side to a positive result, with his various errors costing the side against PSG.

His questionable pass into the feet of Pape Sarr saw the Senegalese star robbed of possession, which led to Fabian Ruiz firing the hosts into the lead for the first time.

Romero also charged down Vitinha on the edge of his 18-yard box, but his sliding effort saw him block the Portuguese international’s strike – which resulted in a penalty and all but killed off the game.

His underlying stats also showcase his lack of positive impact at the Parc des Princes, with the defender losing 50% of the duels he entered – subsequently being dominated by the opposition’s frontline.

The Spurs star who was as bad as Romero against PSG

After the manner of the Derby Day defeat on Sunday, it was clear that manager Frank needed to make various changes to try and avenge such a disappointing result.

As a result, the Dane made five changes to his starting eleven, which also saw a switch from a five-back to a more familiar four-back system – one which Romero was at the heart of.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were handed rare starts at the heart of the side, with the duo often linking up with intricate play in large spells of the first half.

With both players aged under 20, there’s no denying that they will have huge parts to play in the immediate and long-term future for the Lilywhites in their quest for success.

However, there will certainly be question marks over a few of the other starters, with Pape Sarr one player who was unable to take full advantage of his recall to the squad.

The 23-year-old was named as a substitute against Arsenal, but was given the chance to stake his claim for a starting role again last night – but he may look back on the game as a missed opportunity.

Sarr certainly wasn’t solely to blame for the host’s third goal, but his lack of awareness after Romero’s pass saw him lose possession in the build-up to Luiz’s emphatic finish.

Minutes played

84

Touches

44

Passes completed

26

Errors leading to goals

2

Possession lost

7x

Tackles won

50%

Dribbled past

2x

Blocks made

0

He also could have done more to prevent Willian Pacho’s strike, with the Senegalese international unable to get ahead of the defender to clear the loose ball in the penalty area.

The youngster’s underlying stats were just as poor, with the midfielder only able to win 50% of the tackles he entered, whilst also being dribbled past twice.

Sarr’s lack of positive impact was highlighted in his tally of possession lost, as he gave the ball back to the opposition on seven separate occasions – often presenting a careless figure in possession.

There’s little denying he put in a shift when out of possession, but he did so to little avail, ultimately leading to journalist Alasdair Gold handing him a 5/10 match rating upon the final whistle.

After such a showing, it’s evident that Bergvall and Gray are both ahead of him in the pecking order, with Sarr needing a huge reaction in the upcoming matches to dislodge the pair.

As for Romero, it was yet another evening to forget, but given his role as captain, he must pick himself and the rest of the team up ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fulham.

New Kane & Son: Paratici plotting to sign two mega-money forwards for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making huge strides in completeing a deal for a new deadly partnership.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 26, 2025

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.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  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."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  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."

The pitch for the second and final India-West Indies Test, which starts on October 10 in Delhi, will have patches of grass interspersed with bald areas, unlike the Ahmedabad pitch for the first Test that had an even grass covering.The Delhi pitch will have a black-soil base and is likely to favour batters, with spin playing a role as the surface dries up gradually.West Indies lost the first Test inside three days after electing to bat on one of the greenest pitches in India since the World Test Championship was launched in 2019. With four millimetres of live grass covering spread over a red-soil pitch coupled with good bounce, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj gleefully went about their job on the first morning as West Indies were all out in 44.1 overs. The visitors lasted just 45.1 overs in their second innings, suffering a bruising defeat by an innings and 140 runs.The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, though, is understood to be more batting-friendly, coupled with a quick outfield and slightly shorter boundaries. The last Test played here was the second of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2023. In that game, Australia, having elected to bat on a slow turner, lost by six wickets, inside three days.

The three remaining teams – Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Barbados Royals – all have a shot at the playoffs

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2025

Jaydon Seales picked up three powerplay wickets and ended with 4 for 15•CPL T20/Getty Images

Jayden Seales’ four-wicket haul and Amir Jangoo’s unbeaten half-century set up a crucial six-wicket win for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons over Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday. The win confirmed Falcons’ place in the CPL 2025 playoffs, with 11 points from ten matches.After Falcons chose to bowl first, Seales struck early and often, ripping through Amazon Warriors’ top order with pace. His opening burst included Moeen Ali falling in the fourth over, followed by the key wickets of Ben McDermott and Shimron Hetmyer in the final over of the powerplay, leaving Amazon Warriors reeling at 26 for 3.Shai Hope’s 14-ball 26, which included three fours and a six, briefly lifted Amazon Warriors. But Usama Mir’s ninth over proved pivotal – he bowled Hope and was involved in the run-out of Hassan Khan at the non-striker’s end.Amir Jangoo guided Falcons home•CPL T20/Getty Images

Amazon Warriors were eventually bowled out for 99 in 18.2 overs, with Mir returning 3 for 17 and Seales 4 for 15.Chasing 100, Falcons stumbled early, losing Andries Gous, Kevin Wickham, Karima Gore, and Shakib Al Hasan inside the powerplay, raising hopes of an Amazon Warriors fightback. However, opener Jangoo anchored the chase with an unbeaten 51. His 57-ball stay, which included three fours and two sixes, ensured there were no hiccups even as more wickets fell around him.Despite tight spells from spinners Moeen (2 for 10) and Imran Tahir (2 for 27), and a couple of late wickets, Jangoo remained composed and guided his team home with four balls to spare.The win marked a significant step forward for Falcons, who become the third team to qualify for the playoffs, joining St Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders.Mathematically, all three teams in the second half of the table – Amazon Warriors, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (six points from nine matches), and Barbados Royals (three points from seven) – are still in contention for the final playoff spot. But if Amazon Warriors win their next game against table-toppers Kings on Saturday, they are through to the playoffs, and Patriots and Royals will be out.

The India batter went past the mark of 351 ODI sixes against South Africa in Ranchi

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Nov-2025Rise to the topRohit was not a prolific six-hitter at the beginning of his ODI career. He hit his first in his third innings – against Pakistan in Jaipur – but by the time he scored his maiden hundred in his 40th innings, in May 2010, he had only five sixes off 1023 balls faced.Three years later, against Australia in Bengaluru, Rohit let loose, smashing 16 sixes – a record for an ODI innings at the time – on his way to the first of three double-centuries. Until then, he had hit only 36 sixes in 102 ODI innings at a rate of 102.14 balls per six.