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Pakistan’s new T20 captain is fully focused on the World Cup less than six months away

Danyal Rasool11-Jan-2024A day after arriving in New Zealand, Shaheen Afridi’s T20 side were greeted with a Powhiri – a Maori welcoming ceremony – at a marae, a traditional meeting ground. It was the first time a visiting team had been invited alongside the New Zealand cricket team onto a marae as part of a traditional welcome. The pictures that went out painted a picture of mutual respect and familiarity for two teams that, by the time this series is over, will have played each other 27 times in the last 15 months.And the newly anointed Pakistan T20I captain extended that spirit of respecting and honouring his own predecessor – as well as his vice-captain – to the pre-match press conference, saying Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were “the best opening pair” for Pakistan. At the same time, though, he suggested that did not mean his side weren’t open to changes, and suggested Pakistan were still working out their best combination ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup.”Babar and Rizwan remain the best opening pair for Pakistan,” Shaheen said. “We have 17 matches ahead of the World Cup to look at our combination. We’ll make tweaks to see which player is best suited to which position. When we go to England we’ll know what the best position is. There will be changes perhaps but by the time the team goes to England, we hope to know exactly what our best playing XI is and where they’re playing.”Related

• T20 World Cup agenda dominates clash of the titans

• Arafat named Pakistan's high-performance coach for New Zealand T20Is

• Hafeez defends Pakistan's decision to rest Afridi for third Test

• Mohammad Rizwan named Pakistan T20I vice-captain

Babar and Rizwan’s pairing in T20s has been a point of keenest debate for followers of Pakistan cricket, with the main question surrounding whether the enormity of runs they score up top can compensate for a strike rate not quite as explosive as modern T20 cricket demands. That debate has been lent further fuel by the emergence of two firebrand hitters in Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris who can take their place. While Haris is not part of this series, Ayub is expected to feature heavily, potentially lining up with Rizwan as opener.Shaheen insisted Babar dropping down the order did not mean Pakistan valued him any less, dismissing the idea he was struggling with the bat. “I don’t think Babar’s form is bad. He’s the best, and he’s scored so many runs I don’t even know anymore. A few innings make no difference. As a player and a captain, he’s performed well for Pakistan. He’s always our best player.”The other notable point of interest for Shaheen concerns his own workload, with the T20 captain saying he had missed the third Test against Australia earlier this month because the medical team deemed the chances of an injury too significant to play him in a game that was inconsequential to the series.With Australia having taken a 2-0 lead, Shaheen had bowled 99.2 overs across that period, far more than any other bowler from either side. Pakistan team director Mohammad Hafeez said Shaheen’s body was sore, and could not be risked, though the decision did come in for heavy criticism from several former Pakistan legends, most notably Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.Shaheen Afridi bowled nearly 100 overs in the first two Tests against Australia•Icon Sportswire/Getty Images”I played Tests after a few months and played two Tests,” Shaheen said. “Test cricket is not easy – I bowled 100 [99.2] overs. My body was sore and there was a chance of injury, so I think the team management and medical panel decided I should take a rest – they didn’t want to see me injured again.”Test cricket is my first priority. Everyone loves Test cricket. When I start[ed] my cricket journey, I played T20Is and ODI. My older brother [Riaz Afridi] who played one Test for Pakistan said, ‘when you play Test cricket, you’re a proper cricketer’. My first goal is always to prioritise Test cricket. That’s the first priority for every cricketer. When you play the shorter format, it’s easier on your body.”I’m fit now. I bowled too much in the two Tests and the fatigue was immense. If we had the opportunity to win the series, I believe I would have played, because I love Test cricket and it is my priority.”But the need to nurse Shaheen back to a higher level of fitness – his pace continues to hover in the early 130s kph since he returned from his previous injury (knee) – also means he is unlikely to play each of the five T20Is Pakistan play in New Zealand. “I do not want to miss any game, but what the body requirements is [are] means there might be challenges. I want to play every game for my country.”The more immediate challenge, though, concerns the dimensions at Eden Park in Auckland, where the sides play the first T20I against New Zealand. The ground is a multi-purpose venue, its other most notable function being playing host to the All Blacks, New Zealand’s rugby side. The shape of the ground means the straight boundaries are famously short; the shortest distance from batter to rope can be as little as 45m. It is something Shaheen, a bowler who likes to pitch it up and look for swing, is keenly aware of, and hinted at a change of tactic.”The straight boundary is very small, to be honest, not easy [to defend]. For me, I like to bowl full so it’s tough. The square boundary is bigger so we’ll adjust our team plan to that. But it’s not easy for fast bowlers; we’ll see what fast bowlers in the past have done so we’ll do our best.”For me this is an exciting challenge and a proud moment. It’s not easy, a new challenge. We have a good track record against New Zealand but they’re an excellent T20 side.”Earlier in the day, Kane Williamson and Afridi unveiled the series trophy at Albert Park, the spot where the flower guardians encircle the central fountain – the place for the photoshoot. Williamson sat down for his press conference before Afridi, with New Zealand making sure he wrapped up to not keep Afridi waiting for too long. The familiarity with which the two greeted one another is indicative of the frequency with which their paths cross, but the traditional welcome Pakistan received reminded Afridi of a time when he was in New Zealand during his Under-19 days.”That [the welcome] was a really good experience,” Afridi said, his face lighting up at the memory. “We had a similar welcome at the 2018 World Cup when we came here. I wasn’t in the team then, but as a touring group we really liked it. It was an awesome experience this time, too, we enjoyed it. Thank you to New Zealand Cricket and to all of New Zealand.”Afridi isn’t just in the team now, but very much the main character. And while that brings with it burdens and claustrophobic expectations in Pakistan, kicking it off with a powhiri at Orakei marae is a friendlier reception than he will get some days.

ESPNcricinfo’s player-by-player guide to the less familiar names in England’s Test squad

Matt Roller08-Feb-2022

Alex Lees

County: Durham
Age: 28
Role: Left-handed opening batter
First-class career: 127 matches, 7078 runs at 34.86, 17×100
County Championship 2021: 11 matches, 625 runs at 39.06, 1x100Lees made his first-class debut at 17 and set Yorkshire tongues wagging when he hit a Championship double-hundred aged 20. He was part of their title-winning sides in 2014 and 2015 and went on Lions tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa, as well as gaining the limited-overs captaincy.The runs dried up as he reached his mid-20s, and he moved to Durham midway through the 2018 season, initially on loan ahead of a permanent transfer. He has scored five first-class hundreds since joining them and despite the Riverside’s bowler-friendly reputation, his Durham average is significantly higher at home (46.33) than away (27.41).He captained England Lions in Australia this winter, but made only 2 and 1 in the unofficial Test, becoming the first of many England batters to struggle against Scott Boland. With few top-order options in the squad, he is likely to open alongside Zak Crawley in the Caribbean.What they said: “Alex has the ability and mindset to play Test cricket. He is a very strong character. He is a much-improved player over the past couple of years. He is a mature batsman, knows his game and wouldn’t let anybody down.”

Matthew Fisher

County: Yorkshire
Age: 24
Role: Tall right-arm seamer
First-class career: 21 matches, 63 wickets at 27.52, 2x5wi
County Championship 2021: 5 matches, 20 wickets at 19.65, 1x5wiFisher playing for England Lions in 2018•Getty ImagesLong earmarked as a future England player, Fisher made his first-class debut as a 17-year-old – like Lees, who was part of that Yorkshire team – but has played only 21 times since due to a series of injuries which have stalled his development as a fast bowler. He had made a List A debut two years previously, skipping a French oral GCSE exam to play against Leicestershire at Scarborough.Whenever Fisher has been fit enough to string a number of games together, he has looked the part: since the start of the shortened 2020 season, he has taken 32 first-class wickets at 20.53. He took the new ball for England Lions against Australia A alongside Saqib Mahmood in December, taking 2 for 84. Unusually, he is largely deaf in his left ear.What they said: “I definitely think that if Fish has a good, consistent couple of years that we will lose him [to England]. He’s that good that he will end up going up a level.”

Saqib Mahmood

County: Lancashire
Age: 24
Role: Right-arm fast bowler
First-class career: 25 matches, 70 wickets at 27.92, 1x5wi
County Championship 2021: 8 matches, 28 wickets at 23.89, 1x5wiSaqib Mahmood has impressed in ODIs for England•Getty ImagesMahmood has already played 19 limited-overs internationals and been named in countless squads but remains uncapped at Test level, narrowly missing out on a debut against India at Headingley last summer when England opted for Craig Overton instead.He has limited red-ball experience and has leaked runs on occasion but ]can be devastating when things click, as he showed when he took 5 for 47 – his only first-class five-for – during the Roses match at Old Trafford last summer, finding prodigious reverse-swing on the final day.Mahmood can touch speeds of 90mph/145kph but it is his low-arm, slingshot action and skiddy trajectory which marks him out as different to the rest of England’s fast-medium attack. He played an unofficial Test against West Indies on the Lions tour there in 2018, taking 3 for 67, but struggled during the recent T20I series in Barbados.What they said: “I think he would have offered something different [in the Ashes]. He bowls a fuller length, has a go-to yorker and can bowl a good bouncer and you only have to look at my record in Australia to see how that can work.”

Matt Parkinson

County: Lancashire
Age: 25
Role: Old-fashioned legspinner
First-class career: 32 matches, 102 wickets at 23.35, 4x5wi
County Championship 2021: 11 matches, 36 wickets at 20.55, 1x5wiMatt Parkinson had his best first-class season in 2021•Getty ImagesParkinson has played five ODIs and four T20Is in his nascent England career but, like his Lancashire team-mate Mahmood, is yet to make a Test debut. An old-school legspinner who often finds sharp turn and plenty of drift, Parkinson had his best first-class season in 2021 but was overlooked for the Ashes, with Dom Bess preferred as England’s back-up spinner.As he did in 2020-21, Parkinson has spent much of this winter in bubbles, either for the Lions or at the PSL, but has not played a competitive game since the end of the English summer. Spinners have been relatively ineffective in recent Tests in the Caribbean and it would be a surprise for England to pick two after a similar move backfired on the 2019 tour.What they said: “If you are doing well, no one will question anything about your pace. If it starts to go wrong, that’s when people start to question it, but he has stayed true to himself and that is what I really like. I have been pretty impressed watching him and I’m looking forward to seeing his career develop.”

Ben Foakes

County: Surrey

Age: 28
Role: Wicketkeeper-batter
Test career: 8 matches, 410 runs at 31.53, 1×100
First-class career: 123 matches, 6214 runs at 38.35, 11×100
County Championship 2021: 8 matches, 350 runs at 43.75, 1x100Foakes is highly-rated behind the stumps•BCCIFoakes has played eight Tests in a stop-start career and is the only capped player recalled after missing out on Ashes selection. His glovework is superb – Alec Stewart famously labelled him the best wicketkeeper in the world five years ago – but his Test average has dipped since his debut hundred at Galle in 2018, with signs of vulnerability to the short ball emerging on England’s last Caribbean tour.Injury robbed him of a chance to pitch a case for Ashes selection last year – he suffered a freak hamstring tear after slipping in The Oval’s dressing room, days after being named in the squad for the New Zealand series – but he did make a second-innings half-century for the Lions against Australia A. England’s decision to drop Jos Buttler – and to leave Sam Billings out of the squad after a tidy performance on debut – should give him a clear run at the gloves for the foreseeable future.What they said: “Standing up, the most naturally gifted wicketkeeper in the world… so natural that he doesn’t have to over-complicate his game with technical issues, which allows him to be lightning quick up to the stumps.”

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. wasn't included in New York's starting lineup for their playoff opener against the Red Sox Tuesday. He entered late in the game as a defensive substitute for Amed Rosario who started at second base.

The Yankees fell to the Red Sox 3–1 as they were unable to convert with bases loaded and no outs in the ninth. After the game, Chisholm was asked about manager Aaron Boone's decision to leave him out of the starting lineup, but he didn't seem too interested in discussing the matter.

"I mean I guess, yeah," Chisholm said with his back to the camera in the locker room on whether he was surprised with Boone's decision. "It's a little conversation. Not much, but yeah, just move forward after it."

Chisholm said that Boone relayed the decision to him in a text message Monday night. "I mean, got to do whatever we got to do to win, right? So, that's how I look at it," he said.

Before the game, Boone mentioned the decision was a matchup call to play the right-handed-hitting Rosario against the Red Sox' lefty ace Garrett Crochet, according to NJ.com. Righthander Brayan Bello is Boston's planned starter for Wednesday's Game 2, so Chisholm will presumably be back in the starting group.

He had one at-bat Tuesday night, hitting a flyout out in the ninth inning as the Yankees' comeback attempt fell short. Chisholm received his second All-Star appearance this year as he slashed .242/.332/.481 with 31 home runs, 80 RBIs and 31 stolen bases over the regular season. He slashed .248/.322/.411 with six homers and 19 RBIs against lefties this year.

Nick Browne, Essex’s former opening batter, has taken his first step into a post-playing career by joining the club’s women’s set-up as assistant coach and batting lead.Browne, 34, announced his retirement at the end of the 2025 County Championship season, having amassed nearly 10,000 runs across all formats, including 22 centuries and a best of 255 against Derbyshire in 2016.His appointment follows that of Stephen Parry, the former left-arm spinner, who was last week announced as Essex Women’s new head coach, following the departure of Andy Tennant earlier this year. Cath Dalton, the club’s former academy coach, has also been named as seam-bowling lead to complete the squad’s overhaul, after a disappointing maiden season as a Tier 1 women’s team last year.Browne said: “I am really enthusiastic at this new challenge and chapter. I spent some time with Essex Women during the summer and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so to be offered the role full-time is really exciting.”Following my retirement at the end of the season, I was determined to get into coaching and share some of the knowledge I have gained over the years.”To be given this role by the club is extremely fortunate and I want to thank everyone involved in trusting me as I embark on the next stage of my career.”The group we have here is very talented and I hope that I can help deliver success for the Essex Women in the short and long term.”Chris Silverwood, Essex’s director of cricket, said: “Nick was the perfect fit to take on the role as Essex Women’s assistant coach and batting lead and we are really happy that he has agreed terms to his new role at the club.”Throughout his playing career Nick displayed a tremendous amount of professionalism and dedication to his game and Essex Cricket. His professionalism, calm leadership, and deep understanding of the game makes him a more than ideal mentor for our Women’s team.”Nick will offer the ability to develop players both technically and mentally and I have every confidence that his influence, alongside Stephen Parry, will elevate our group of Essex Women cricketers and inspire them to reach new heights.”

كشف إبراهيم حسن مدير منتخب مصر الأول عن موعد إرسال قائمة الفراعنة المشاركة ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، موضحًا موعد استبدال اللاعبين المصابين.

ومن المقرر أن ينطلق معسكر منتخب مصر الأول، يوم 3 ديسمبر، على أن يتخلل المعسكر مباراة ودية أمام منتخب نيجيريا، يوم 14 من الشهر ذاته.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر استعدادًا لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 .. موقف إمام عاشور

وعلم بطولات، أن منتخب مصر يحق له السفر بـ28 لاعبا في كأس أمم إفريقيا على أن يختار 23 لاعبا قبل كل مباراة في قائمته.

وتقرر سفر منتخب مصر بالـ28 لاعبا، أي السفر سيكون بالقائمة المختارة بالكامل.

وقال إبراهيم حسن في تصريحات خاصة لـ “بطولات”: “القائمة النهائية لـ منتخب مصر تتكون من 28 لاعبا، وسيتم إرسالها للكاف يوم 11 ديسمبر”.

وأتم: “لن يتم السماح باستبدال أي لاعب من الـ28 بعد يوم 11 ديسمبر حتى لو هناك إصابة”.

و⁠يبدأ منتخب مصر مبارياته ببطولة أمم إفريقيا يوم 22 ديسمبر بمواجهة زيمبابوي ثم جنوب إفريقيا يوم 26 وأنجولا يوم 29 ديسمبر في دور المجموعات.

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Em baixa com a torcida do Palmeiras após falhar contra o Corinthians, Weverton tem total apoio de Abel Ferreira. Porém, o treinador português fez um pedido ao goleiro nos últimos jogos.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Abel percebeu que os adversários tem explorado com frequência a bola aérea defensiva do Verdão. Assim, o comandante português quer que Weverton dê um passo adiante nas jogadas aéreas e “jogue com as mãos dentro da área”.

– O culpado sou eu. Porque eu estou a lhe dizer para sair em todas e, se errar, a responsabilidade é minha. Quando nós tentamos evoluir a nossa forma de jogar, quando nós tentamos inovar, quando nós tentamos ser melhores, há sempre um processo de aprendizagem. Ele hoje fez exatamente o que lhe pedi. Umas saiu, acertou e outras saiu, errou. Mas é isso que eu quero que ele faça – disse o técnico após a vitória sobre a Portuguesa.

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O treinador do Palmeiras também reconheceu que Weverton está em evolução neste aspecto.

– Tem que ser um goleiro que utilize toda a altura e envergadura que tem. O único jogador que pode jogar com a mão dentro da área é o goleiro, e nós temos que ter essa vantagem. Eu estou a desafiá-lo a arriscar e sair. Agora é um processo em que ele vai ser não só um bom goleiro como já era, mas vai ter um upgrade. Mais um elemento que nos pode nos ajudar no jogo aéreo – completou.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Apesar das críticas da torcida, Weverton tem apoio do elenco, comissão técnica e diretoria. O goleiro será o titular no Choque-Rei de domingo (3), contra o São Paulo, no Morumbi, pela penúltima rodada da fase de grupos do Paulistão.

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Spirited batting closes gap to eighth place with one round of matches to come

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025

Durham 450 for 6 (Gay 161, Rhodes , Bedingham 58) drew with Worcestershire 591 for 9 dec (Roderick 151, Brookes 100, D’Oliveira 84, Taylor 66*, Edavalath 61)Centuries from Emilio Gay and Will Rhodes helped Durham pick up five crucial batting bonus points as they drew their Rothesay County Championship clash with already relegated Worcestershire.In the morning the Pears picked up a couple of Durham scalps to halt their quest for batting bonus points, but Gay and David Bedingham (58) combined for a partnership worth 122 to help Durham’s cause.Gay then reached three figures, while Rhodes scored his maiden first-class hundred for Durham to get them to 450 for six, securing the maximum number of batting points available ahead of a potential relegation decider against Yorkshire next week.Worcestershire declared overnight on 591 for nine, leaving Durham with the task of getting batting bonus points to boost their chances of staying in Division One.Opener Alex Lees carved a Tom Taylor delivery through the covers to the boundary, but Taylor got Lees next ball as he was caught behind for eight.The Pears were testing Durham in the early stages, but Gay relieved the pressure as he produced a great straight drive off Taylor which went for four.Durham’s pursuit stalled as Ben McKinney then departed for 16 at the hands of Matthew Waite as he edged one to Ben Gibbon at slip.That brought David Bedingham to the crease and the batter managed to find the boundary with ease in the early stages of his innings.Pears skipper Brett D’Oliveira came into the attack, but on his follow through he went over on his right ankle, which prompted concerns from the dressing room given they have the Metro Bank One Day Cup final on Saturday.Gay continued to tick along nicely and got his fifty from 71 balls, while taking his side to 100 before lunch.Bedingham continued to attack the bowlers after the lunch interval as he clipped one on the onside for four and he played another excellent shot, this time carving a Taylor delivery through the covers for four.Gay was almost heading back to the pavilion on 72, as he edged an Allison delivery but Gibbon couldn’t cling on to it with an outstretched hand.Bedingham then brought up his second fifty of the season from 79 balls and smashed a six off the bowling of Waite next ball. However, he went for one hit too many as Waite got him for 58 after he didn’t get enough on a pull shot, which Allison caught on the boundary.Gay continued to motor, now alongside Will Rhodes, and he picked up his fourth century of the season from 127 balls.The opener continued to play fluently after reaching the milestone, picking up three boundaries in a Brookes over, and Durham reached their first batting point in the 53rd over.Gay passed the milestone of 150 for the third time this campaign after tea and Rhodes, who has struggled for First Class runs this season, played nicely and found the boundary with a tidy glance off the legs from a Gibbon ball.Rhodes then reached fifty for the first time in Durham whites from 72 deliveries and he picked up another boundary straight after. Gay then went for an excellent 161, his highest Durham score, as he chopped a Gibbon delivery onto his leg stump.Rhodes continued Durham’s swashbuckling approach as he heaved a Dan Lategan to the boundary, but Ollie Robinson fell soon after for four as he was bowled by the part-time off spin of Jake Libby.Rhodes continued his charge as he smashed Lategan for a six down the ground and then reached three figures for the first time this season, coming from 121 balls.Graham Clark produced a quick 29 to speed things up, but Libby got his second of the day as he got the Durham man caught and bowled.Rhodes then got his 150 and guided his side to 450, the magic number for five batting points, and the two sides shook hands just after 5pm.

Karabo Meso, the 17-year-old wicket-keeper batter, will go to her first World Cup after being included in South Africa’s squad for the ODI tournament in India and Sri Lanka which starts later this month.She has just two ODI caps to her name and has played seven senior internationals in all, but has featured in two Under-19 World Cups and won the SA20 Schools title with Steyn City earlier this year. Meso is one of two players who will play at a World Cup for the first time. Offspin-bowling allrounder Nondumiso Shangase, who was recalled to South Africa’s squad in May, is the other.Top-order batter Anneke Bosch and allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen will also feature in an ODI World Cup squad for the first time; they have previously been in T20 World Cup squads.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The rest of South Africa’s 15-player group is as expected, led by Laura Wolvaardt with significant experience in different departments. Allrounders Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon and seamer Ayabonga Khaka all played important roles in South Africa reaching the last ODI World Cup semi-finals and will be present again.As reported last week, there was no room for former captain Dane van Niekerk, who was included in a training camp but her international comeback remains a while away.Others present in that camp but not making the squad are batters Lara Goodall and Faye Tunnicliffe, seamer Ayanda Hlubi, legspinner Seshnie Naidu and allrounders Eliz-Mari Marx and Luyanda Ntuza. Miane Smit, an allrounder who bowls offspin, has been included as the lone travelling reserve.”The make-up of the squad is underpinned by the consistent selection process that was adhered to during the recent ICC Women’s Championship cycle, while taking into account the subcontinent conditions and the different characteristics of the group required for a successful tournament of this nature,” Clinton du Preez, South Africa’s convenor of selectors, said.Under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, SA have lost four ODIs in 10 outings•Cricket South Africa

This will be the first major tournament South Africa will play under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who succeeded Hilton Moreeng in a permanent capacity last year. In Mashimbyi’s tenure, South Africa have been inconsistent, with four wins in ten ODIs, including a series win over West Indies in June. Mashimbyi was occasionally without some senior players – such as Kapp for the tri-series in Sri Lanka – but will have one more opportunity to fine-tune his combinations before the tournament starts.South Africa tour Pakistan for three ODIs to be played between September 16 and 22 before moving on to India for their World Cup opener against England. Their recent tournament run has included two ODI World Cup semi-finals and back-to-back T20 World Cup finals, and there is expectation for them to take the next step and claim a cup. Mashimbyi is confident this group of players can deliver.”From the moment I joined this team, and even before my time when the squad went through the qualification phase, it was all about working towards this moment,” Mashimbyi said. “We can look back at the amount of preparation we have put in and know that we have done our best. We are ready to send a squad to the World Cup that will make South Africa proud.”We believe we have the squad of players that can go out there and deliver on the world stage. Now it is all about carrying that belief with us every step of the way, along with the support of the entire nation.”

South Africa squad for Women’s ODI World Cup

Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloe Tryon
Travelling reserve: Miane Smit

Mitchell Starc joined the 400-wicket club in a dramatic fashion as he blew West Indies’ top order away with a triple-wicket opening over on the third day at Sabina Park and went on to take the fastest five-wicket haul in Test history, in just 15 balls.In his 100th Test, Starc produced one of the greatest opening overs. He removed John Campbell first ball, the fourth time in his career he had struck with the opening delivery of an innings, when the left-hand batter edged a perfect outswinger to substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who was standing in for the concussed Alex Carey.Four balls later, debutant Kevlon Anderson shouldered arms as the ball swung back to strike his shin in front of middle stump, yet he reviewed the plumbest of lbws. Next delivery, another one curved back to take Brandon King’s inside edge and demolish the stumps. It was the sixth time in Test history a team had been 0 for 3.Related

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Mikyle Louis survived the hat-trick ball at the start of Starc’s second over, but fittingly his 400th wicket came with another trademark inswinger as he trapped Louis lbw, becoming the fourth Australian bowler to the landmark after Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon.The extraordinary scenes continued when, two balls later, he added Shai Hope lbw to bring up a five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries, beating the previous record – jointly held by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland – by four deliveriesStarc had already established himself as the king of pink-ball cricket, having dominated the format in Australia. This is the team’s first day-night Test overseas.

After fielding a group of teenagers in their Champions League clash against Ajax earlier this week, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is now seemingly set to hand a 15-year-old youth player his senior debut. Resting most of their first-team stars in the European clash, Maresca banked on the youth and they did not disappoint the coach as the Blues registered a thumping 5-1 win over the Dutch giants.

The new kid on the block

Per The Sun, 15-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli is being considered for his Stamford Bridge debut by manager Maresca. The wonderkid is widely considered as the best player in the world in his age category and has already attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe. So high is the hype around Nicoll-Jazuli that he is being tipped to become the next Jude Bellingham because of the striking similarities between the Real Madrid star and the youngster's playing style.

The report adds that Chelsea head coach Maresca is known to be an admirer of the youngster and the Italian recently invited the player to train with the first team ahead of their Champions League fixture against Ajax. Nicoll-Jazuli does not turn 16 until January but Maresca is already planning to hand him his senior debut in the near future. The midfielder has already represented England at the U-17 level, although he is just 15 at the moment.  

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'He will be the next big thing'

Hyping the young Blue, a source told : "You have to keep an eye on Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, he will be the next big thing to come out of Cobham and plays like Jude Bellingham. You only have to see him play once to realise he’s a different kind of talent. The manager is so impressed with him that he plans to hand him his first-team debut soon."

Chelsea youth created Champions League history

The Blues, like many other Premier League clubs, are amid a hectic fixture crunch which prompted Maresca to rest a host of first team stars and field a bunch of young players to take on Ajax in the Champions League this week. The youngsters repaid the faith shown by their manager as the English giants marched to a thumping 5-1 over the Eredivisie side. In the process, Chelsea also scripted a Champions League record as they became the first team ever in the competition to have three different teenagers – Marc Guiu (19), Estevao Willian (18), and Tyrique George (19) – on the scoresheet in the same match. 

The head coach also handed a European debut to Reggie Walsh, who, at just 17, became the youngest player in Chelsea’s Champions League history and the second youngest Englishman to ever play in the competition after Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. Overall, ten Chelsea players aged 21 or younger featured in the match, a staggering testament to the club’s youth-driven strategy.

After the game, Maresca had heaped praise on his young guns, as he said: "It's the strategy of the club. We have so many young players. I think already last season we were the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, so this season we continue in the same way. I work with them every day, I know what they can do. I know also that we're going to have moments where we struggle a little bit more, for sure. But I think the good thing about them is that they want to learn, they want to improve and I think it's good."

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Getty Images SportNicoll-Jazuli better than Arsenal's Dowman?

Arsenal recently proved that age is just a number as Mikel Arteta handed their wonderkid Max Dowman his senior debut against Leeds United in the Premier League before he turned 16. The Sun report further adds that the Blues consider Nicoll-Jazuli even more talented than Dowman. The youngster's passing is crisp, his vision is outstanding and his eye for the goal makes him a complete package. The teenager recently became the youngest Chelsea player to start in a UEFA Youth League match.

Maresca's men will be back in action on Saturday as they host Sunderland in a crucial Premier League fixture.