Tahuhu’s two-for reduced Pakistan to 92 for 5 and leave their chances of progressing hanging by a thread

Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-2025

New Zealand’s fate will be decided by their games against England and India•Getty Images

No result Pakistan 92 for 5 (Riaz 28*, Tahuhu 2-20, Carson 1-7) vs New ZealandColombo handed a second washout in four days to Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup 2025, leaving their chances of progressing to the knockouts hanging by a thread. As Pakistan and New Zealand shared points, South Africa became the second team to progress to the semi-finals, after Australia, as even a finish on eight points in the league stage will take them through.If two or more teams finish on the same points, it will first be seen who has more wins, and South Africa will progress with four wins already from five games.With Saturday’s washout, Pakistan continue to remain winless in the tournament while New Zealand keep themselves in the running for the knockouts, still placed fifth with just one win and two abandoned games so far. Their next two matches, against India and England, will now decide their fate.Related

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A fired-up New Zealand side laid the foundation after winning the toss in overcast conditions on Saturday. While their experienced quick Lea Tahuhu returned to the XI to strike twice in her first spell, the Kerr sisters and Eden Carson picked up a wicket apiece to leave Pakistan reeling at 92 for 5 before the second rain break sealed the outcome of the match.Tahuhu was the first to strike and she did it in her first over when Omaima Sohail, who had crawled to 3 off 14, was trapped lbw before two sharp catches dented Pakistan further. Muneeba Ali had dispatched a few boundaries and had been handed a life on 8 when wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze put down a low chance off Jess Kerr. But when Muneeba pulled a short delivery off the same bowler on 22, Suzie Bates threw herself to her left at midwicket to take a stunner. No. 3 Sidra Amin then saw a similar effort from Carson at point when she scythed a short ball from Tahuhu, and Pakistan were 52 for 3. It had been drizzling then for a few minutes, and as soon as Amin walked back after 12.2 overs it got heavier for a break.Pakistan now have two washouts in five games•ICC/Getty Images

Play resumed after 95 minutes in what was shortened to a 46-overs-a-side contest as Natalia Pervaiz joined Aliya Riaz. The more experienced Riaz soon charged down to crash Tahuhu to the square-leg boundary even as Pervaiz lived dangerously against Melie Kerr’s variations. Pervaiz even got a life on 9 when Sophie Devine put down a sharp catch at slip off Melie Kerr but lasted only five more balls by holing out off Carson for the simplest of catches to Devine at long-on.Melie Kerr then foxed the new batter – captain Fatima Sana – with a wrong’un which rattled the stumps to leave Pakistan on 80 for 5. Rain interrupted again after five overs and the players walked off with the score on 92 for 5 after 25 overs.It stopped raining within an hour with some lightning also around, and the game was soon reduced to 36 overs per innings. But the drizzle soon returned, turned into a heavy shower to make the ground staff cover the whole field, and the game was eventually called off.

South Africa are expecting a slew of spin when they begin their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan later this week and stand-in captain Aiden Markram is confident his players are ready.Though this South African unit has not played red-ball cricket together since the previous WTC final in June, some of their players were involved in a two-Test series in Zimbabwe in June-July and others have been at the county championship. Their main preparation took place over the last two days at a training camp in Pretoria, where they tried to replicate the home advantage Markram believes Pakistan have every right to exploit.”If it’s your home game, you can pretty much prepare whatever wicket you’d like to prepare. That’s how I see it,” Markram said ahead of the team’s departure on Monday. ” Ultimately, if it’s going to be extreme like it was in the English series, then it’s going to be difficult for both teams from a batting point of view. For us as a squad, we’ve just got to be happy with what we have, whatever the conditions look like and to back whoever it is on the day to get the job done. So I’m not too fussed by it.”Markram’s reference to “the English series,” harks back to this time last year, when Pakistan hosted England. After losing the first Test, Pakistan won the next two on pitches that turned square after using everything from industrial fans and heaters to windbreakers to dry out the surfaces. Those games were played in Multan and Rawalpindi. South Africa will play in Lahore and Rawalpindi, where 29 of 31 wickets in the England Test fell to spin.No pitch in South Africa can behave that way but they tried at the High Performance Centre. “There’s three pitches that are spinning quite a bit and two out of those three are really exaggerated,” Markram said. “The one that’s a little bit in between is still sharp spin but slightly easier to bat on. And then we’ve got one strip in the middle as well where it’s pretty normal. We try to keep it as dead as possible but it’s not always that easy, just to have the ball squat a bit low. It’s difficult to do that on the Highveld, but we’ve tried our best. We’re trying to tick all the boxes.”South Africa have also picked a spin-heavy squad, which includes left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy and offspinners Simon Harmer and Prenelan Subrayen. “They’re all quite different. If you look at the two off-spinners to start with, Simon and Subs, especially having faced them now where it is spinning, it’s two completely different challenges they throw at you. That’s something great to have as a squad,” Markram said. “You don’t really want similar types of spinners. They are each quite different, different paces, different types of spin in terms of side spin and overspin and stuff like that, which reacts differently off the wickets. They’ll play a massive role for us there if what we’re expecting is going to be the case.”South Africa’s first-choice spinner Keshav Maharaj will only join the squad for the second Test, when they will have four specialist spin options. They will not, however, enjoy the return of their regular Test captain Temba Bavuma, who was ruled out of the series with a calf injury. While Markram is used to standing in for Bavuma, and did on South Africa’s tour to Bangladesh last year, making up for Bavuma’s place in the batting order is not as simple.As South Africa’s leading run-scorer of the last WTC, Bavuma provides stability and experience at No.4, which South Africa will have to find elsewhere. One replacement option is Dewald Brevis, who debuted in Zimbabwe and has an aggressive approach across formats.”He’d definitely be an option, especially with the way he plays spin,” Markram said. “If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, he can quickly change the momentum of the game doing what he does and playing the way he does. He’ll be a definite consideration.”He won’t be the only one. South Africa have also recalled Zubayr Hamza, who recently played for the A side against New Zealand A and scored a second-innings hundred in the first match, and WTC squad member Tony de Zorzi, who proved his credentials in the subcontinent with 177 against Bangladesh last year. “He played incredibly well in Bangladesh and scored big runs there, where it was also quite challenging. So I don’t think it’s necessarily that Dewald is a dead-given straight swap, but I’m very sure he’ll be in the conversation.”The first Test of the series starts in Lahore on Sunday.

One of the greatest joys of baseball is watching a manager eloquently lay into a home plate umpire they believe has not lived up to the demands of the job.

Back in 2019, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone memorably got in the face of rookie umpire Brennan Miller after getting tossed from a game for his constant critiques.

“My guys are f—ing savages in that f—ing box, right?" Boone said. "And you're having a piece of s— start to this game. I feel bad for you. But f—ing get better. That guy is a good pitcher, but our guys are f—ing savages in that box.”

The rant was instantly iconic, helped along by the lip-reading/translation services of baseball internet creator Jomboy.

Jomboy recently celebrated the throwback moment by having actor Rob Lowe provide a reenactment of the fateful exchange. It is an absolute delight.

Let’s hope this trend continues—I would pay top dollar to see John Malkovich screaming “Our a– is in the jackpot.”

Baseball is a game of feel.

While the analytics movement has injected the element of numbers into the game, at the end of the day, players and managers still need to trust what their eyes are telling them.

And there was a perfect example of player and manager doing just that during the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto had tossed six no-hit innings and, sitting at 90 pitches, came out to pitch the seventh inning. The Dodgers hurler immediately surrendered a leadoff single to the Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, then after a wild pitch and two outs via ground balls, walked Gabriel Moreno to put runners on first and third with one out.

Given the stakes of the moment and the fact that the Dodgers had lost four straight entering the game, it wouldn't have been surprising to see manager Dave Roberts turn to the bullpen to get out of the jam.

But Roberts, trusting his instincts, locked eyes with Yamamoto from the dugout. The righthander gave him a nod, which Roberts returned.

Here's the cool moment, courtesy of Jacob Brownson on X.

Seeing the exchange, Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, on the top step of the dugout ready to emerge for a mound visit, thought better of it.

The gut call from both Yamamoto and Roberts paid off. Yamamoto struck out the next batter, Diamondbacks designated hitter Pavin Smith, on six pitches to end the inning and preserve the Dodgers' lead.

While Los Angeles's bullpen went on to surrender the lead in the top of the ninth and 10th innings, the Dodgers mounted a rally in the bottom half of the 10th to earn the win.

Yamamoto ended up not factoring into the decision, but it was his ability to get out of the seventh inning jam that proved crucial in the game's outcome.

There had been a sense long before this summer that the missing piece for Arsenal would be a new centre-forward, with Mikel Arteta’s side falling agonisingly short in the title race in recent seasons.

Well, here we are in December, with the Gunners sitting pretty atop the Premier League and Champions League tables, following an imperious start to 2025/26.

Whether it is a positive or not, that early-season form has been maintained even amid further turbulence in the centre-forward ranks, with Arteta calling on his trusty makeshift striker, Mikel Merino, perhaps more than would have been expected.

The Spaniard has scored five times across all competitions, four of which have come in 11 games as a number nine, although as his early withdrawal against Aston Villa showcased, this experiment shouldn’t creep into becoming the norm.

Indeed, the north London side, even for all their relentless quality this term, are in need of new man Viktor Gyokeres to step up to the plate – he’s hardly hitting the heights of those who came before him.

How Gyokeres' start at Arsenal compares to Aubameyang

Fresh from netting 97 goals in just 102 games for Sporting CP across the last two seasons, Gyokeres – signed for a fee of around £63.5m – looked like he would be that final piece of the puzzle as the spearhead of Arteta’s attacking unit.

With the absence of Kai Havertz also handing the Swede the benefit of a clear route to regular game time, the one-time Coventry City man – even while facing his own fitness woes – appeared to have no excuses for a slow start.

Frustratingly, however, things have not quite gone to plan, with Arsenal’s marquee summer arrival scoring just six times across all competitions, only four of which have come in the top-flight.

That record is certainly not woeful, but considering his previous record in Portuguese football, there was an expectation that he would hit the ground running.

For comparison, too, the last truly prolific striker to grace the Emirates, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was an instant hit from his move from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, with the then-28-year-old perhaps dealt an even tougher hand considering he made the switch mid-season.

Those first six months saw the Gabonese speedster net ten times and register four assists in just 13 league outings, with his only other appearances in 2017/18 coming in the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

Gyokeres’ first 13 league games have seen him score six fewer goals, while failing to register a single assist, with the jury still out on whether he can ever reach the heights of the 92-goal Aubameyang.

The 27-year-old, in his defence, isn’t the only issue facing Arteta, however, with another key lieutenant now in danger of creeping into late-stage Aubameyang territory.

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As explored above, Gyokeres’ form is reason for concern, albeit with the Sweden international merely months into his Emirates stay, it’s far too early to judge him too harshly just yet.

The same, however, cannot be said of the man who replaced Aubameyang as captain, Martin Odegaard, with the Norwegian’s lack of impact over an extended period now beginning to cause a major issue.

Now, there is no suggestion that the Norwegian has been afflicted by the off-field issues which tainted Aubameyang’s final days at the club, prior to being shown the door by Arteta, although like his former teammate, his status as skipper should be called into question.

The former Real Madrid star’s repeated injury woes are also hardly something that can be levelled at him, yet even when he has been fit and available, the left-footer has barely come close to his former heights.

On a reported salary of £240k-per-week – just shy of the £250k-per-week that Aubameyang took home in his final season in north London – Odegaard ranks among the highest earners right now, but his performance levels do not match that lofty status.

In 12 games this season, the 26-year-old is yet to score, while providing just two assists. That follows a particularly forgettable 2024/25 campaign, which yielded three goals and eight assists in the Premier League.

That isn’t necessarily a dismal return, although the player once hailed as the best in the league by Manchester United’s Luke Shaw is far from his prior peak, having registered 19 league goal involvements in 2023/24, after registering 22 the season before that.

Against Aston Villa last weekend, for instance, the decision to start Odegaard, and relocate Eberechi Eze on the left flank, simply backfired for the Gunners boss, with his struggling skipper losing the ball 15 times, while losing seven duels on the day.

Again, he may not have fallen from favour under the Spaniard, far from it, but he is echoing Aubameyang in seeing his impact dwindle season after season.

In the case of the current Marseille man, his final full season saw him score just ten league goals, while he only scored four top-flight goals at the start of 2021/22 – a way off his 22-goal pomp in both 2019/20 and 2018/19.

That decline, and the baggage that came with it, saw Arteta ruthlessly cast off his captain to help continue that transition of turning Arsenal into an elite force again.

The circumstances might be somewhat different with regard to his successor, although Odegaard is another high-earning, yet struggling skipper who might well finally need to be shown the door.

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3 days ago

Eddie Howe will manage only his second ever Tyne-Wear Derby on Sunday, as one of football’s most passionate rivalries has its latest instalment this weekend.

His only taste of this fierce clash to date was Newcastle United’s 3-0 triumph over Sunderland in the FA Cup in early 2024, with the Black Cats’ struggles in the Championship clear for all to see, as the Magpies ran out as routine winners.

Now, however, Regis Le Bris’ men sit above their arch rivals in the early Premier League table, as Howe prays his inconsistent side can get the better of the Black Cats on their own patch.

Newcastle’s clumsy performance on the road in the Champions League on Wednesday night won’t fill Howe with loads of confidence, either, with some changes in the offing presumably, off the back of the 2-2 draw away at Bayer Leverkusen.

Changes Howe could make ahead of Sunderland

Goalscoring hero Anthony Gordon would sum up the Toon’s frustrations aptly at the full-time whistle, as a late Alejandro Grimaldo equaliser rid Howe’s men of all three points in Europe’s standout competition.

Gordon won’t be fearful of his starting spot against Sunderland, having made it three games on the trot with a goal now against Leverkusen, but Joelinton will surely be axed for the crunch clash on Wearside, with the Brazilian limping off injured after winning just two duels all match.

Sandro Tonali will also be fearful that he could be surprisingly dropped, with the Italian looking uncharacteristically ropey on the ball at points against Kasper Hjulmand’s men.

It really was a night for Howe’s concrete first team personnel to slip up, as Malick Thiaw somehow avoided a red card for a rash first-half challenge, while Bruno Guimaraes inexplicably placed an effort past Aaron Ramsdale to hand the Bundesliga hosts a one-goal advantage.

Still, both of the underperformers mentioned certainly have enough credit in the bank this season to push these off performances to one side, with Guimaraes scoring this audacious effort last time out in the Premier League versus Burnley.

With a lively 5.4 duels won on average this season in the Premier League, too, as per Sofascore, Newcastle’s captain does feel as if he’s the perfect fit for such a full-blooded showdown, having further been branded the club’s “talisman” by pundit Michael Carrick in recent weeks.

Howe could even have a new Guimaraes in the making in his talented camp right now, with this rising star arguably worthy of a start against the Black Cats, alongside the much-loved South American.

Newcastle's "little diamond" can be Howe's next Guimaraes

The 48-year-old does have a lot of depth on his side now at St James’ Park, with Yoane Wissa’s return from injury gifting him another option up top, away from over-relying on summer recruit Nick Woltemade.

If he is unsure about starting Joelinton for the Tyne-Wear Derby, he could look to the depth at his disposal in the middle of the park by handing Lewis Miley just his fifth league start of the campaign, having been branded “special” when popping up with a goal from off the bench on Wednesday night by journalist Liam Kennedy.

The talented teenager became the club’s youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history, a feat he was made aware of after the game. “I didn’t really know that, to be honest, but it’s a great feeling being the youngest scorer. It’s a dream come true really, scoring my first goal in the Champions League. It couldn’t be better, really,” Miley told reporters after the game.

“I always used to score goals in the academy quite a lot, so I’ve tried to take that into my game in the first team. I just keep trying to get in the box as much as possible and I’ve got two goals in the last couple of weeks.”

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In the right place at the right time to direct Gordon’s cross home, it could be argued that Miley has the same difference-maker ability in his veins that Guimaraes also possesses, with the 19-year-old up to four goal contributions for the season, despite his limited starts.

His Brazilian counterpart is six ahead in the goal contribution leaderboard, albeit from far more regular involvement.

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2 + 0

23/24

23

1 + 4

22/23

1

0 + 0

Moreover, Miley will believe he has what it takes to be a future captain of his boyhood club when Guimaraes hangs up his boots, with the number 67 never looking fazed by the demands of the senior game, ever since being gifted his senior debut at St James’ Park when just 17 years of age.

This ice-cold ability to perform – no matter the occasion – surely means he’ll be preparing to give it his all against Sunderland if given the first team call, with NBC Sports’ Robbie Earle once labelling him as a “little diamond” for his classy displays in competitions such as the Champions League.

Miley does feel as if he is in and around the first team picture for some time now, but he will want to take his game to another level shortly, to be considered worthy of the label of being the next Guimaraes.

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Liverpool have now moved into pole position in the race for a Real Madrid attacker, amid Mohamed Salah offering himself to three Champions League clubs.

Salah may never play for Liverpool again after Slot comments

Arne Slot has now admitted that he doesn’t know if Salah will play for the Reds again, in the wake of the Egyptian’s bombshell interview after the 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

The manager said: “After tomorrow we will look at the situation. There is always the possibility to return for a player. I have no clue [if he has played his last game for Liverpool] – I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”

It remains to be seen whether Salah can return to the fold after AFCON, but one thing that is for certain is that he won’t be featuring against Inter Milan in the Champions League this evening.

In the wake of his comments about Slot, the forward has now offered himself to three Champions League clubs, namely Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, according to a report from Spain.

Of course, no Liverpool fan wants to see a club legend leave in this fashion, but if he does depart, Slot will need to bring in another attacker, and the Merseyside club are now leading the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states the Reds are now the frontrunners to sign Guler, despite Manchester United and Arsenal also stepping up their interest.

The Turk is viewed as the perfect addition to Slot’s attack, with the manager keen to bring in a creative forward, amid the uncertainty surrounding Salah’s long-term future, and the 20-year-old is capable of playing at both right-wing and through the middle. It’s previously been reported that Madrid values Guler as high as £130m.

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The Liverpool talisman hasn’t reached his usual lofty heights this season, failing to make it off the bench in two of the last three Premier League matches, but it would still be a real blow to lose the 33-year-old, who has scored 250 goals since arriving at Anfield.

As such, fans will no doubt be hoping the Egypt international hasn’t played his last game for the Reds, and returns to action after he gets back from AFCON.

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That said, Salah may find it difficult to force his way back into Slot’s plans, with Jamie Carragher recently branding his comments a “disgrace.”

New attacking options may be needed in 2026 regardless, with Federico Chiesa’s future also up in the air, and Guler could be a top signing, with scout Ben Mattinson praising the impact he’s made for Turkey.

Having registered three goals and seven assists for Real Madrid this season, the 26-time Turkey international clearly has the quality to succeed at Anfield, so it is promising news that Liverpool are leading the race for his signature.

It has become a frustratingly familiar sight at Liverpool, with Alexander Isak trudging off in the second half against Inter Milan having had little impact up against last season’s beaten Champions League finalists.

The man whom Virgil van Dijk lauded as “the most in-form striker” in the world ahead of March’s Carabao Cup final, the 26-year-old looks like a shadow of his former self right now.

With just two goals to his name in all competitions thus far, only one of which has come in the Premier League, the Reds are in need of far better, with Isak running out of rope despite the potential impact of a lack of pre-season.

Of course, a delayed start to life at Anfield, following that need to get up to speed fitness-wise, has played its part in the Swede making just 14 appearances to date, while the chaos around him has likely not helped matters either.

Indeed, as the explosive Mohamed Salah debacle has epitomised, Arne Slot has yet to settle on a consistent forward line in 2025/26 – might that all change in January, however?

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For all the talk of a £450m spend over the summer, there is evidently a need for further reinforcements at Anfield heading into the New Year, with centre-back still an area of concern amid the lack of depth beyond Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

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Having come agonisingly close to moving to Merseyside on deadline day, Marc Guehi seemingly remains a leading target ahead of the winter window, with the Englishman now left with just six months on his existing deal at Selhurst Park.

Of course, the exclusion, and potential exit, of Salah has also highlighted the need to bolster the ranks at the top end of the pitch too, with Slot particularly short on depth on either flank.

Well, with that search underway, the Reds might have received some welcome news, with TEAMtalk reporting that Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has made Anfield his ‘preferred destination’, if and when he does decide to leave the south coast side.

As per the report, despite rival interest from the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, it is Liverpool who are believed to be the Ghanaian’s ‘first choice’, with there a ‘real chance’ that he could move on next month.

Available for £65m, due to his much-publicised release clause, the 25-year-old wouldn’t exactly break the bank, but he could be the missing piece for Slot’s attacking jigsaw.

How Liverpool could finally get Isak firing

There’s no denying it, Liverpool look like they’ve been burned by their £125m investment in Isak, with the 6 foot 4 marksman almost unrecognisable from the player who terrorised Premier League defences for the Magpies.

It may matter little considering his current form, although it’s worth remembering just how highly-rated he was just a matter of months ago, having ended 2024/25 with 23 league goals to his name, after netting 21 times in the top-flight the year prior.

The difference? Well, in the view of Slot, it could be the lack of a suitable supplier from the flanks, with the Dutch coach pointing to the fruitful partnership that Isak enjoyed with Jacob Murphy at St James’ Park.

As per Transfermarkt, Murphy assisted his free-scoring colleague 11 times in all competitions for the Tynesiders, with the unsung hero offering a reliable source of creativity from his right-wing berth.

While no doubt a step above the Englishman, having been hailed as the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, Semenyo could be the Murphy-esque figure that Isak is in need of, having wreaked havoc down the flanks in recent seasons.

Erling Haaland

18

Igor Thiago

11

Bruno Fernandes

10

Antoine Semenyo

9

Phil Foden

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Richarlison

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Cody Gakpo

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Leandro Trossard

7

Jean-Philippe Mateta…

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Currently looking “unstoppable” under Andoni Iraola, in the view of pundit Darren Bent, the ex-Bristol City man has six goals and three assists to his name this season.

With blistering pace and lethal on either foot, Semenyo is in the form of his life right now, having also ended 2024/25 with 16 goals and assists in the Premier League.

The key benefit for Isak would be the 11 ‘big chances’ that the £65m man created last term, as per Sofascore, highlighting how he could emerge as Isak’s chief supplier under Slot’s watch.

As was evident with his stunning, solo goal on the opening day at Anfield, the Bournemouth talisman can also turn defence into attack in an instant, while occupying defenders to free up space for those around him.

That sense of chaos and unpredictability could help to breathe new life into Slot’s forward line, with Isak likely to be the big beneficiary if he can convert the ample opportunities that should fall his way.

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Usman Khawaja has kept his place in the squad after the back spasms that limited his role in Perth

Andrew McGlashan28-Nov-2025Pat Cummins has not been included in what is an unchanged Australia squad for the day-night Test against England at the Gabba, but there remains a slim chance he could be parachuted into a comeback appearance if things go well during training in Brisbane.For now, the selectors have retained the 14 players who were on duty in Perth, with Josh Inglis, Michael Neser and Beau Webster among those who did not make the XI.Cummins, who had an extensive training session at the SCG on Friday, when he bowled to stand-in captain Steven Smith, will travel to Brisbane to continue his return to bowling.He is next due to bowl on Monday and, while there is nothing stopping the selectors adding him to the squad nearer the game, the likely outcome is a return for the third Test in Adelaide which gives him another two weeks to prepare and build his loads. However, ESPNcricinfo understands he has not been completely ruled out of the pink-ball Test.During his rehab, Cummins has yet to bowl on back-to-back days and had a three day gap between each of his sessions this after returning from Perth.Related

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Head feared riling England's quicks during Perth onslaught

Speaking to broadcasters during the Perth Test, Cummins had given himself “half a chance” of being ready for Brisbane and had bowled with the pink ball since returning to Sydney after the two-day finish.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” coach Andrew McDonald said after Perth. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja has retained his place in the squad after back spasms in Perth limited his role, leaving him unable to open the batting in either innings. Travis Head’s success in the position during Australia’s chase, where he hammered 123 off 83 balls, has prompted debate about whether it should be made a permanent move.Providing Khawaja is fit, he is favoured to retain his spot, although Inglis and Webster are middle-order options should the selectors opt for a change.Speaking at event for his foundation, Khawaja said his recovery was tracking well ahead of his home Test.Pat Cummins runs in with a pink ball•Getty Images

“I’m really glad that we got it done that night, because the next day I already had the radiology booked,” he said. “Next day I was going to get an epidural in my back, so I can actually move somewhat. It was a tough three days, but I was trying to do everything I could to actually get on the field and play for Australia … so if the team needed me, I was there.””I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s very new to me. But the last few days, it’s been good.”The absence of Cummins means that Brendan Doggett, who claimed five wickets in Perth, will likely retain his place, alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.”I am going to control what I can control, keep ticking the legs over, and keep bowling and trying to improve in every session and game,” Doggett said on Thursday. “If I get called on in that second Test, I feel like I am ready to go again.”However, a question mark hangs over the role of Nathan Lyon, given he only bowled two overs in Perth, and did not play Australia’s most recent pink-ball Test in Jamaica. Webster may come into the mix as an extra allrounder which would lengthen the batting or Neser, who is also a capable batter, could be drafted in.Josh Hazlewood, who was never a chance to feature in Brisbane, continued his recovery from a hamstring injury with another light bowl on Friday and there remains a chance he could play a part later in the series.”It’s coming along slowly,” Hazlewood told Fox Sports at the SCG on Friday. “[I have been] running and everything’s going well. It’s probably tough to put a timeline on it. I think ‘Ron’ [Andrew McDonald] probably nailed it the other day…play a part in the back end, hopefully.”Australia will gather in Brisbane on Sunday.Australia squad for second Test vs EnglandSteve Smith (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

West Bromwich Albion are currently competing to climb back up the Championship table in an attempt to join the race to gain promotion to the Premier League this season.

A 3-2 win over Swansea last time out has the Baggies in 12th place in the table, four points off the play-offs, and there is plenty of football left to be played.

Aune Heggebo, who joined the club in the summer, scored twice to take his tally to six goals in the Championship this season, per Sofascore, and he is currently one of the most valuable players in the squad.

West Brom's most valuable players

Per Transfermarkt’s valuation system, West Brom’s current first-team squad has a combined value of roughly £71m, and Heggebo contributes to around £5m of that total.

The most valuable player in the squad, unsurprisingly, is central midfielder Isaac Price, who has scored five goals and provided two assists for the Baggies in the league, per Sofascore.

Transfermarkt value the Northern Ireland international at around £10.5m and there have been no recent reports to suggest how much the club value him at internally, amid reported interest from Leeds and Crystal Palace.

Isaac Price

£10.5m

Samuel Iling-Junior

£8.8m

Josh Maja

£7.9m

Aune Heggebo

£5m

Toby Collyer

£4.4m

As you can see in the table above, loanees Samuel Iling-Junior and Toby Collyer both rank within the top five most valuable players in the squad, whilst Josh Maja, who has only started four league games this season, ranks in third place.

Whilst the Baggies appear to be lacking in highly valuable players who could be sold for big money in the future, there is a former player who could be sold for more than the combined worth of the current squad in January.

The former West Brom player who is now worth more than the entire squad

In the summer of 2019, 16-year-old forward Morgan Rogers opted to move on from The Hawthorns at the end of his contract to sign for Manchester City.

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The Cityzens reportedly paid a compensation fee of near £4m to sign the England youth international, who had made one first-team appearance for the Baggies in the FA Cup against Brighton.

That outing in the FA Cup made Rogers the fourth-youngest player in the club’s history, and the youngest ever in the FA Cup, per Transfermarkt, and Manchester City clearly took note of that.

Izzy Brown

2013

16 years, 3 months, 27 days

Jonathan Leko

2015

16 years, 4 months, 30 days

Kane Wilson

2016

16 years, 5 months, 12 days

Morgan Rogers

2019

16 years, 6 months, 11 days

Bobby Hope

1960

16 years, 7 months, 5 days

Things did not work out for the attacking midfielder at The Etihad, unfortunately, but he has since made his way to Aston Villa, via Middlesbrough, and is now a fully-fledged England international.

Rogers has scored 20 goals and provided 21 assists in 89 appearances for Villa, per Transfermarkt, and has scored one goal in 12 caps for the Three Lions.

Because of his impressive form for club and country, the former Baggies youngster is attracting interest from elsewhere and has been given a mammoth valuation.

TEAMtalk reported in November that Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all registered interest in the attacker and claimed that Villa offered Rogers a new deal with a £100m release clause, shortly before it became official that he had put pen to paper on an improved contract.

Towards the end of November, The Mirror reported that the Villans are said to value the England international at a whopping £100m, although they did not mention it as part of a release clause.

Whether you take it to be a release clause or how much Villa will demand from any interested clubs, Rogers appears to be valued at nine figures by the Premier League club, whilst West Brom’s squad is only worth around £71m between every first-team player.

There is no guarantee that he would have gone on to fulfill his potential at The Hawthorns, but it must be bittersweet for the club to see that one of their former players, who they lost for £4m, is now being valued at a staggering £100m, whilst their most valuable player is valued at just over a tenth of that.

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The Baggies can only hope that they are able to persuade the next Rogers, should such a talent come through the academy again, to stay at the club, rather than pursue a move elsewhere.