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Old problems resurface for Bangladesh, while West Indies’ bowlers show they can win games even when other departments falter

Mohammad Isam29-Oct-2025Alick Athanaze credited West Indies’ bowlers for rescuing the team after another night of unforced errors in Chattogram with the bat and in the field, as they sealed their first T20I series win in 14 months.The opener’s fifty and 105-run stand with Shai Hope set up a strong platform, but West Indies collapsed from 106 for 1, losing 8 for 43 and leaving Bangladesh chasing a modest total. Four dropped catches made matters worse, yet the bowlers bailed West Indies out. The 150 that Bangladesh fell short of was lowest target they had ever failed to chase in Chattogram. Athanaze said West Indies’ bowlers controlled the scoring in the powerplay, which helped them build run-rate pressure on Bangladesh.”Our bowlers showed their class again,” Athanaze said. “We bowled very well. They showed why we are one of the best T20 sides in the world.”I felt the pitch got better. The dew has a lot of effect on the pitch. We took the total in our stride. We wanted to make a good start with the ball. We weren’t the best in the field, but the bowlers showed their class. They picked up wickets and restricted them.Related

Tanzid's 61 in vain as West Indies seal T20I series win

“Once you control the powerplay, it gets difficult (to score) when the field is spread. We tried our best to utilise our bowlers. We know they are not big power-hitters down the ground, so we tried our best to plan for them.”Tanzid Hasan, who also scored a fifty, felt Bangladesh should have chased down their target. He said the batters would themselves have to find a way out of the run-scoring struggle that they’ve now endured for a considerable length of time.”I thought regardless of the wicket, we should have chased 150,” Tanzid said. “It was the batters’ failure. We couldn’t take responsibility. I think it was a bad day for the batters. I think we have to find a way to minimise playing dot balls. We haven’t achieved consistency of late. The batting is not clicking. We have to find ways to rotate strike and play bigger knocks. The batters have to find a way out of this.”Tanzid Hasan played a crucial hand in the first half of Bangladesh’s chase•AFP/Getty ImagesMany of Bangladesh’s batters in this game looked to be caught in two minds. Jaker Ali’s return to the side was riddled with questions given his form. He made 17 off 18 balls at a stage when the asking run-rate was rapidly rising. Tanzid said he tried to remind Jaker about his Player-of-the-Match performance in the third T20I in Kingstown last year.”Jaker helped us win in the West Indies,” Tanzid said. “I told him that he had won us a game against West Indies, so he can do it again. I told him that if we stuck together as a pair, we could have won the game. I think I had the bigger responsibility, but I couldn’t perform up to expectations.”We have a world-class bowling department. They usually restrict the opposition on any wicket. The batters must follow how the bowlers have helped the team and taken the team forward. Responsibility is for everyone in the team. We have to do well as a batting unit.”Athanaze also praised the Bangladesh bowling attack and fielding.”You have to give credit to the Bangladeshi bowlers,” he said. “A lot of emphasis is on us not batting well but I felt they bowled really well. They spun the ball and bowled slower. In his first and second spells, Rishad Hossain understood how to bowl on this wicket. It also gave us the indication how to bowl as well. They bowled very well in the back end. They caught very well too.”The final T20I of the series is in Chattogram on Friday.

Arne Slot has intimated multiple times this season his belief that Liverpool are conceding a disproportionate number of goals while failing to finish their chances off up top.

To a degree, this is true. Expected Goals Against (xGA) tell of the Anfield side’s struggles at the back, having conceded 20 times in the Premier League this season despite only conceding an xGA total of 15.5.

But that is only one dimension of a many-angled crisis for the Merseysiders, who have been sapped of strength and style and confidence after dispatching their rivals to storm to the Premier League title last season.

Liverpool are also joint-fifth for big chances created this season (35), while Chelsea are first with 39 created. Not exactly a world away, and when you consider that no team have had more possession than Liverpool this term (61.5%), you’d perhaps argue that Slot has all the ingredients to get his squad playing to his tune.

Football works in weird ways, though, and Liverpool have been shambolic. Something needs to give, and while defence and attack both share issues, it is a tough, physical presence in midfield that the Reds are lacking this season.

Liverpool need to sign a holding midfielder

Last season, Slot bounced back from the frustration of being rejected by Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi by converting Ryan Gravenberch into a robust, deep-lying midfielder. It paid dividends, with Liverpool lifting the Premier League title for the second time in five years.

Liverpool are such a far cry from the robust level of last year it almost beggars belief, with Gravenberch lacking the physicality and strength to give the Anfield side what they need to turn things around.

With Alexis Mac Allister also struggling, it could be that a robust new presence in the middle could turn the tide at Anfield, and sources from overseas suggest that that is what sporting director Richard Highes is focusing on right now.

Well, according to reports in Spain, Liverpool have made a staggering British record bid for Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, worth something in the region of €150m (equating to £132m).

Dissent is rife at the Santiago Bernabeu, with suggestions of breakdowns in the relationship between head coach Xabi Alonso and star players such as Vinicius Junior.

Liverpool are looking to capitalise, adding Uruguay international Valverde to their ranks and reinforcing their midfield with a combative presence and a leader of men.

What Valverde would offer Liverpool

Valverde, 27, has been at Real Madrid for the lion’s share of his senior career, having joined the Spaniard from Penarol in his homeland way back in 2015.

A dynamic and multi-functional player, Valverde has chalked up 339 senior appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 32 goals and supplying 35 assists. He was once described as a “monster in the making” with “world-class potential” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and it’s fair to say Valverde has lived up to the hype on that account.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 17% for progressive passes, the top 20% for progressive carries, the top 17% for interceptions and the top 1% for switches (rekindling something of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s passing range, perhaps).

The data-led platform reveal Arsenal’s Declan Rice to be among his most statistically comparable players, to give a flavour of his style (though Liverpool fans are already well-acquainted with Valverde’s talent).

Moreover, Valverde’s steely defensive qualities could be the perfect way to reinforce Liverpool’s midfield while maintaining a kind of broadness of style that Slot is known to covet from his engine room workers.

Central midfield

282

19 + 27

Right-back

56

2 + 8

Right wing

33

11 + 4

Defensive midfield

15

1 + 0

Attacking midfield

14

1 + 0

Left-back

7

0 + 0

Centre-back

1

0 + 0

Given Valverde’s Real Madrid connection and his steeliness in the centre of the field – he has won 58% of his duels and averaged 1.7 tackles per game in La Liga, as per Sofascore – the South American could even be Liverpool’s next version of Fabinho, who cut his teeth in the Spanish capital before finding his footing in France with Monaco.

Fabinho, Jurgen Klopp’s all-inspiring midfield anchor for so many years, was also more than capable as a right-back, emphasising the athleticism and tactical intelligence that he shares with Valverde.

The Brazilian differed from Gravenberch in that he was more resilient in his play, less technically gifted, but more suited to a natural role in the six berth.

Valverde could be the perfect addition in this regard, still getting forward when the need arises but bringing a more focused defensive skillset from which Slot’s tactics could bloom once again.

You could argue that Liverpool have missed Fabinho’s presence ever since he left for Saudi Arabia in 2023. With the pendulum swinging within English football once again, and low blocks and more direct play back in fashion, Valverde could be a significant upgrade and a worthwhile addition in spite of the exorbitant cost.

Joe Cole waxed lyrical after one glittering Champions League performance, remarking that Valverde “is every bit as good as Jude Bellingham”.

Quite the praise, that. But Liverpool don’t need Bellingham. They need someone even grittier and more grounded. Fabinho-esque. They need Valverde.

Liverpool teenager who's 'like Pogba' could end Mac Allister's Anfield stay

Liverpool must start handing this prodigious academy talent more chances to impress.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 25, 2025

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The New York Yankees are hosting the Seattle Mariners this week giving fans in the Bronx a chance to see a true slugger up close in MLB's home run leader Cal Raleigh. The Mariners catcher has a career-high 35 home runs and we're still a few games away from the All-Star break.

He also has a distinctive nickname, "Big Dumper," which YES Network's Michael Kay had to tell the viewers about during Tuesday's broadcast. With Raleigh reaching first on a fielder's choice in the top of the first inning, Kay explained the situation in detail to Paul O'Neil while the production team got a good look at the subject of the discussion.

"They gave him the nickname Big Dumper because he has a pretty large posterior," said Kay. "And he did not like it. His former teammate Jarred Kelenic said he hated it. Hated it. Said just wait, he'll come around. Then they're making T-shirts about it. Then he did come around."

"We're getting a close-up!" O'Neil then exclaimed as the camera focused on Raleigh's backside.

"I don't know if we need that guys. Goodness," Kay continued. "In Seattle they sell No. 29 jerseys with the name Big Dumper on the back."

And if you have any other questions about Cal Raleigh's butt, the Yankees and Mariners play on Prime Video on Wednesday and MLB Network on Thursday.

Hong Kong field an unchanged side in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20251:27

Can Bangladesh maintain their aggressive batting approach?

Bangladesh captain Litton Das elected to bowl in their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.Litton said he decided to bowl since they were not aware of the pitch conditions at the venue. He confirmed that Bangladesh were playing three seamers, two spinners, and six batters.Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza was happy despite losing the toss because he wanted to bat first anyway. Murtaza said that the batters made some mistakes against Afghanistan and that they wouldn’t want to repeat them. There were no changes to the Hong Kong side, with Murtaza backing the same XI to come good tonight.The pitch report sugges a dry surface with some cracks opening up but remains run friendly. The shorter boundary on one side of the ground could interest the battersOne losing record promises to come to an end tonight. Bangladesh have never won a T20I in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong are yet to win an Asia Cup match.Bangladesh XI: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Tanzim Hasan, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Hong Kong XI: 1 Zeeshan Ali (wk), 2 Anshy Rath, 3 Babar Hayat, 4 Nizakat Khan, 5 Kalhan Challu, 6 Kinchit Shah, 7 Yasim Murtaza (capt), 8 Aizaz Khan, 9 Ayush Shukla, 10 Ateeq Iqbal, 11 Ehsan Khan

The MLB trade deadline can make for some awkward goodbyes, as players find out in the middle of a game that they’ve been moved to another team.

On Wednesday, reliever Seranthony Dominguez took that awkward experience to a whole new level, as he was traded from the Orioles to the Blue Jays in between games during a doubleheader… between the Orioles and the Blue Jays.

Dominguez did not have to travel far to meet his new teammates on the other side of Camden Yards.

Making the day even more surreal was the fact that Dominguez got right to work with his new team, and struck out two of his former teammates in a relief appearance just hours after his contract was moved.

There are still plenty of moves to be made before the trade deadline hits, but it’s going to take something special for there to be a deal as immediately entertaining as Dominguez’s jump across the stadium.

Scotland discovered their World Cup 2026 group opposition after the draw took place in Washington DC, but only after an infernally long pre-draw build-up that left many of those watching fuming. One of those frustrated by the long videos, interviews with stars, including US President Donald Trump, was Scotland star John McGinn, who summed-up everyone's frustrations in one simple, but hilarious image.

• Draw eventually made ahead of World Cup

  The waiting is finally over, but it came only after Rio Ferdinand, Heidi Klum, Shaquille O’Neal and a host of other presenters took what felt like several lifetimes to complete the draw for next year’s tournament in America, Canada and Mexico. Steve Clarke’s side has been drawn in a very tricky group where they will face South American giants Brazil, 2022 semi-finalists Morocco, and Haiti.

  Qualification for the World Cup marks the Tartan Army's first appearance at the tournament since 1998, a campaign where they also faced Brazil and Morocco in the group stage. The draw presents a challenging but exciting prospect after they topped their qualifying group ahead of Denmark following that thrilling 4-2 win at Hampden Park. Scotland can progress past the group stage for the first time in their history.  

  But in the couple of hours it took for the draw to start, McGinn posted an image which described how the vast majority of the viewing public felt. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  McGinn sums up mood in one image

  The image earned McGinn lots of replies, many agreeing with him that the draw was dragging on wary too, long. One of his followers said: "Rumour has it. The second half of the draw is on display at Villa Park at half time tomorrow." Another added: "This makes the 27 years without qualifying feel short."

• Christie: 'You can't ask for more exciting games'

  Following the draw, Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie told the BBC: "It's exciting. A tough group but one we're looking forward to. We have to go over there wanting to try and prove a point. We're not just there to make up the numbers. We're wanting to go and compete and get through the group phase. Two out of the three games are going to be massively tough and even Haiti, nobody gets to a World Cup without being a decent team. (They are) teams we're not used to playing. You can't ask for more exciting games."

  He added: "I'm sure me and the rest of the boys are buzzing for it. Everybody's been asking me who I've wanted, I've been saying Brazil the whole week and then they came out and I thought, maybe I shouldn't be saying that. Brazil was one of my favourite international teams growing up. Hopefully, we'll get the chance, myself, to play them next summer."

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  Wait to discover kick-off time

  This edition of the World Cup will feature a new, expanded format with 48 teams and nations have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a new Round of 32 knockout stage. This increases the total matches from 64 to a whopping 104, and the champions this time round will play eight matches instead of seven. The draw is now complete, but the specific match dates, venues, and kick-off times are being announced by FIFA in a special program tomorrow. The opening match will be on June 11th in Mexico City, and the final will be on July 19th in New Jersey.

The 2025/26 campaign promised a new dawn for Tottenham Hotspur and their supporters.

Before too long, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy had both been replaced. Thomas Frank was the new manager and Fabio Paratici had even returned for a second bite of the cherry.

Yet, rather like it did with Ange, things have unravelled all too quickly for Frank. There’s one word for it: Spursy.

The North Londoners began the season brilliantly. Their new Danish manager had engineered more security and better organisation at the back.

From the remarkably high line of Ange-ball to the more sedate Frank ball, excusing the Super Cup defeat to PSG, Spurs kept five clean sheets in their opening seven games of the Frank regime. How times change, eh?

Tottenham have now won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions and have shipped 18 goals in that time.

While Spurs may not be in 17th place, the position Postecoglou steered them to, a number of players have regressed.

The biggest issues of Thomas Frank's reign

The Dane moved from west to north London over the summer and while his appointment did not garner the level of fanfare a certain Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho attracted, it was viewed as a smart appointment.

From Championship to the top half of the Premier League, what Frank achieved with Brentford was first-class.

Yet, he is no longer with the Bees and Spurs fans demand more. They demand good football, they demand that they challenge for honours.

Well, despite Postecoglou’s tenure now a thing of the past, Spurs look no closer to achieving their goals under Frank.

The defence improved for a limited amount of time but the biggest issues have emerged in attack.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Brennan Johnson ended last season as Spurs’ top scorer with 18 strikes to his name but he has put in a number of abject performances of late. The Welshman has found the net just once across his last 12 matches, a dire run that’s caused frustration.

Up top, Dominic Solanke has rarely been seen due to injury and the same can be said of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Without them, Spurs have a creativity problem. According to FBref, their expected goals tally sits at just 11.9, the fourth-worst record in the division. That’s hardly a surprise considering that they rank 18th in the Premier League for key passes (88), and 16th for expected assists (8.1) across the campaign so far.

That’s even with marquee signing Xavi Simons in the team. Their failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze is well documented and how Frank must wish they’d secured a Premier League-proven creative midfielder instead.

That said, their full-backs are not offering enough either. Pedro Porro, usually so creative and dangerous, particularly over a dead ball, has only carved out 1.39 key passes per 90 minutes, down on last season’s tally of 1.97 per 90.

His partner in crime on the left isn’t faring much better either. In fact, his drop off has been somewhat reminiscent of Dele Alli.

Spurs star is heading down the Dele Alli path

When analysing the right back position at Spurs, it’s clear that improvement is needed. Perhaps Archie Gray or Djed Spence could profit from Porro’s lack of form.

Likewise at left-back, Destiny Udogie is enduring a tough season. He spent early parts of the term out injured but is now back in action. However, he’s largely disappointing.

It was only a few years ago that the young Italian was described as “one of the best left-backs” in the league by pundit Clinton Morrison but that now couldn’t be further from the truth.

In many senses, Udogie’s rise and fall mirror that of someone like Dele, like a Tanguy Ndombele. He’s got all the talent in the world, all the raw attributes to thrive at this level.

We’ve already seen that. In 2023/24, the wing-back collected two goals and three assists. Not jaw-dropping numbers sure, but this was a player well on his way to cementing himself as a future hero in these parts. He’d get into “nearly every team in the world” remarked journalist Hunter Godson.

Sadly for the 23-year-old, he’s regressed big time under Frank, much like the aforementioned Dele did under Mourinho. While Frank hasn’t called Udogie “lazy”, which was the criticism the ‘Special One’ handed to the England international, his performances have begun to decline.

Like Dele, this was a player with the world at his feet. He looked like a world beater, one of the best young talents in England. Now, however, it’s all gone pear-shaped.

Udogie’s last two performances, in particular, have proven to be a problem. In the defeat to Fulham last weekend, Football.London’s Alasdair Gold noted how the defender ‘didn’t offer too much going forward’ and made an untimely slip when Harry Wilson found the net.

His display against Newcastle United on Tuesday, a 2-2 draw, left plenty to be desired too.

The aforementioned Gold slated the Italian for having a few ‘sloppy moments’ while flagging that Newcastle got a lot of joy down the Tottenham flanks.

Safe to say his numbers don’t particularly paint a very vivid picture either. Udogie won just two of his nine duels and failed to register a single shot, supply a key pass or successfully complete a dribble.

All in all, it was a poor day at the office for the Italy international and he must improve moving forward.

He’s a talented player, one of the best young talents we’ve seen in the division across the last few years. Under Frank, however, it’s heading in the same way as Dele under Mourinho. Both had immense potential, but their talents could go to waste.

Thomas Frank may have just found Spurs' new Mousa Dembele vs Newcastle

Tottenham battled back to claim a draw against Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

3

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 3, 2025

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo faces a fresh concern about star winger Jarrod Bowen, with the Englishman poised to play a key role in the Hammers’ fight against relegation.

The 2025/26 campaign has plunged Bowen into the most challenging period of his West Ham career. While the 28-year-old continues delivering on an individual level, his club finds themselves in a perilous battle at the wrong end of the Premier League table that threatens to define his future.

The Hammers captain has been West Ham’s top goalscorer for four consecutive Premier League seasons, netting 47 times in that period, cementing his status as the club’s talisman since his arrival from Hull City in January 2020.

Bowen is surely a shoo-in for Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup selection, having only missed out on two England squad inclusions since 2023, but the questions lie around his long-term future with West Ham currently in a dogfight.

Bowen will get real encouragement by the fact West Ham have just won back-to-back home games for the first time since last year, and the Irons are a club he absolutely adores. He put pen to paper on a long-term seven-year deal back in 2023, keeping him at the club until 2030, but those were very different times back then.

After his winner against Fiorentina in the Conference League final that year, which gifted West Ham their first major trophy since the 1980s, optimism around the London Stadium was high.

However, amid fan protests against the ownership and their steep decline in the last two years, speculation surrounding Bowen’s future is rife.

Liverpool are exploring a deal to sign Bowen ahead of 2026, with West Ham reportedly willing to consider selling their captain if they receive an ‘irresistible’ offer. The connection to Anfield isn’t new, but the circumstances have changed dramatically. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp previously described Bowen as his favourite player outside his own squad, and Bowen actually shares an agent with Reds defender Andy Robertson.

Arne Slot’s side could be keen on the 28-year-old as an heir to Mohamed Salah, but he’s also been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Newcastle.

West Ham dealt Jarrod Bowen blow as Nuno faces fresh concern

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also report the star forward’s stance on leaving West Ham in 2026.

As per their information, it isn’t good news, with Bowen looking to leave West Ham next summer and potentially compete for a Champions League club to test his own ambitions.

With 130 goal contributions in 250 appearances since joining from Hull, Bowen’s contribution at West Ham absolutely dwarfs his teammates.

The fan favourite’s departure would leave a gaping void that West Ham’s current squad lacks the quality to fill. Beyond stats, Bowen embodies leadership, consistency and the ‘West Ham way’ during very turbulent times – qualities desperately needed as the club battles a drop to the Championship.

Selling a homegrown hero who married into East London royalty and delivered European glory would also come as a major disappointment to the fanbase.

Replacing Bowen’s goals, assists, work rate and leadership would require multiple signings, and perhaps even more than that.

The task would be David Sullivan’s biggest one yet, and amid all-time high unrest over his leadership, the chairman needs to tread carefully.

Cal Raleigh turned his Home Run Derby appearance into a memory his family will remember forever.

The Seattle Mariners star catcher and MLB's leader in home runs had his father, Todd, pitch to him during the Derby. The family affair didn't end there either as his brother, Todd Jr., was behind the plate. It was a sweet moment that created a photo which makes for an elite mantlepiece in the Raleigh family home.

Todd has a prestigious baseball background as a former Division I coach at the University of Tennessee and Western Carolina University. When he got the call to pitch to his son Monday night in Atlanta, it was a no-brainer.

The father-son duo did result in a funny moment though when the elder Raleigh hit his son in the elbow on a pitch he threw during the first round.

No harm, no foul though as "Big Dumper" brushed it off, completing his first round with 17 homers. He advanced to the semifinals through a tiebreaker with Athletics slugger Brent Rooker, who also hit 17 long balls. Raleigh's longest homer went farther than Rooker's by less than a tenth of a foot—what a way to advance.

Todd gets to pitch to his son in the knockout round—hopefully we don't see any chin music.

Fourteen wickets fell and Liam Haskett was the surprise spark for Western Australia as they finished day one on top in their Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania in Hobart.Ashes batting contender Jake Weatherald missed a chance to push his case for a Test debut, before Tasmania unravelled when third-change WA left-arm quick Haskett was introduced.Related

• Konstas' Test hopes fade with a duck on 13-wicket day

The paceman took 3 for 26 in 10 overs, having Tim Ward flashing an edge behind then spearing deliveries through Caleb Jewell and Nivethan Radhakrishnan.A bright, unbeaten 41 from Jake Doran that included three sixes salvaged things somewhat in an otherwise horror middle session for Tasmania. Australia white-ball allrounder Aaron Hardie also played a key role with three wickets.WA were 107 for 4 at stumps, having missed a chance to be in a more dominant position when the well-set Jayden Goodwin and Hilton Cartwright were late casualties.Riley Meredith found pace and bounce in his eight overs, while former Test quick Jackson Bird took the early scalp of Cameron Bancroft for just 3 when he edged to slip.