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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued an apology after he clashed with a television cameraman in the wake of Saturday's disappointing Premier League defeat to Newcastle at St James' Park. Guardiola exchanged words with Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes after the final whistle and was also spotted confronting a camera operator in a bizarre exchange.

Guardiola apologises for behaviour at Newcastle

Guardiola faced the press again on Monday and took time out to apologise for his behaviour on Tyneside. The City boss appeared overcome by frustration at seeing his team beaten by Newcastle in feisty scenes on the pitch at full-time. He addressed the situation at a press conference ahead of his team's Champions League tie with Bayer Leverkusen and admitted he was not proud of his behaviour. Guardiola told reporters: "I apologise. I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it. I don’t like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am. After 1,000 games I’m not a perfect person, I make huge mistakes. It’s not about that. What is for sure, I defend any team and my club, that’s for sure. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club."

The City boss also explained his chat with Guimaraes, saying: "We have known Bruno for many, many years and every time after the game, even at the Etihad, we talk in the tunnel or wherever we talk, always. I don’t know what happened. Our paths always cross and I always have a good relationship with him. I love it. I’m an emotional guy, I love to talk and move my hands and my arms and everything."

AdvertisementAFPAnother landmark looming for Guardiola

Guardiola is now focused on Europe and a match that will bring up his 100th Champions League game in charge of Manchester City. The 54-year-old says his latest milestone makes him feel old, telling reporters: "I realise I'm getting old. Every game is a milestone. It's good. It means every season we've been there. It's a huge competition. It's special for the players. To challenge yourself with the best teams in Europe is incredible, a huge experience. For the club, in terms of reputation, prestige and financial issues it's massively important."

'One more point' – Pep wants qualification secured

The City boss also insisted that Saturday's loss had already been forgotten about and urged his team to regroup and secure qualification for the next phase of the Champions League. The Cityzens have three wins and a draw from their first four games and Guardiola says the clash with Leverkusen is crucial for his team.

"It’s immediately forgotten. That night, a little thought about what happened. It’s massively important the group stage, we have made incredibly good four games, even against Monaco away we played outstanding. Now we start the last four games, two at home two away, tomorrow against third in the table in the Bundesliga table. A massively important game to finish where we want to finish in the first eight. Win tomorrow and one more point and we qualify for the next round in front of the 24 teams. Tomorrow is important and we focus on what we have to do."

Guardiola was also asked about the defeat to Newcastle and whether it spelt the end of City's title hopes. He responded: "Losing four games in 12, we have to improve a lot. Mathematically, it's possible to win the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Champions League, and the Premier League. You are experienced journalists. Did you hear me talk about quadruples in November, December when we won the quadruple? No. It will not be an exception in this case."

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AFPWhat comes next for City?

Man City will be favourites to win on Tuesday as the Cityzens possess a formidable record at home in the Champions League and have gone 23 matches without defeat in the group phase at the Etihad. Guardiola will be eager for his team to bounce back after defeat to Newcastle last time out, particularly as the their next game in the competition is against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Sri Lanka qualified for the Super Four round but the allrounder’s participation is now doubtful

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Sep-2025Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage’s father, Suranga Wellalage, died on Thursday, September 18, the same day that Dunith played in the Asia Cup Group B match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.Wellalage, 22, only learned of his father’s death after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets and eight balls remaining to qualify for the Super Four round of the tournament. Soon after the match ended, he left for home.This bereavement casts doubt over Wellalage’s further involvement in the Asia Cup, in which Sri Lanka have at least three more matches to play: against Bangladesh on September 20, Pakistan on September 23, and against India on September 26.Thursday’s Asia Cup match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was only Wellalage’s fifth T20I and his first in this tournament. He has played 31 ODIs, with his career best of 5 for 27 coming in the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He also took 5 for 40 against India in a 2023 Asia Cup match, when the tournament was played in the ODI format. He was the equal-second wicket-taker in that tournament, claiming 10 dismissals at an average of 17.90.

Liverpool are now reportedly ready to launch an offer worth over £35m to sign a key defensive addition instead of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi in 2026.

Carragher admits it's "crisis time" at Liverpool

Liverpool look out on their feet. Mentally and physically, they have simply not competed in the last month. Defeat against Crystal Palace was a warning sign, before games to forget against Chelsea, Manchester United and now Brentford arrived to compile the Reds’ misery.

Off the back of four Premier League defeats in a row, the Premier League champions no longer look inevitable. They look like one of the most beatable sides in the top flight. It has been an inescapable disaster for Arne Slot in the last month, who couldn’t help but admit that even he’s not sure how to solve his side’s current problems after defeat at Brentford.

Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher went as far as to say that it’s “crisis time” for those at Anfield: “To see the champions lose 4 games in a row in the Premier League with the expenditure in the summer, I think we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now.”

Serious questions have now been asked about Liverpool’s summer spending. They finally broke the bank, handing Slot the keys to the kingdom with a spending spree worth over £400m.

They broke records to sign Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz while also welcoming Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez, among others, all arrived. It was, barring Guehi’s collapsed move, the perfect summer.

Yet, months later, and only Ekitike has shown signs of real instant quality and the Reds have seemingly been forced back to the drawing board in need of defensive improvements.

Liverpool ready to launch Ordonez offer

As reported by South American outlet Bolavip and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now ready to launch an offer to sign Joel Ordonez ahead of Inter Milan worth over €40m (£35m) in 2026.

Liverpool lining up January move for starting calibre centre-back wanted by Real Madrid

Would this be a dream addition for Arne Slot?

ByHenry Jackson Oct 27, 2025

The Club Brugge defender would act as an alternative to Guehi, who has interest from Anfield and elsewhere ahead of becoming a free agent next summer.

With Ibrahima Konate yet to sign a new deal and Virgil van Dijk approaching his final year, Liverpool desperately need to organize the future of their backline. If they are to miss out on Guehi, then they must go all out on an alternative like the Ecuador international.

Minutes

532

742

810

Progressive Passes

4.83

4.51

6.22

Tackles Won

0.52

1.22

0.44

Successful Aerial Duels

2.41

4.27

5.11

Whilst there should be concerns about Ordonez’s aerial ability, his work in possession would at least help provide a solution for Liverpool, who have struggled to progress play without Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Described as “hyper aggressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 21-year-old will be one to watch if Liverpool miss out on Guehi and Konate departs in 2026.

Yankees star Aaron Judge said he's unsure whether he'll require surgery on his right elbow this offseason while speaking to reporters following New York's season-ending loss to the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday night.

"We'll do some work on it [the elbow]," Judge said. "We'll do some work on it and get it right."

When asked whether he'll have surgery, Judge replied, "I'm not a doctor, I don't know."

When did Judge suffer the elbow injury?

During the seventh inning of a July 22 win over the Blue Jays, Judge grimaced in pain after throwing the ball into the infield following a running catch. He was in the Yankees lineup as the designated hitter the following day, then experienced discomfort while playing the outfield in a July 25 loss to the Phillies. He underwent tests on the elbow, which revealed no damage to the ulnar collateral ligament, but Judge on July 26 was placed on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow.

He returned to the lineup on Aug. 5 as the designated hitter, but didn't resume throwing to bases until Aug. 24. In the midst of Judge's six-week throwing rehab, Yankees manager Aaron Boone raised eyebrows when he said he doubted Judge would get back to "throwing like he normally does at any point this year." Judge himself pushed back against the comments and Boone later walked them back.

How did the injury affect Judge's arm strength?

But upon Judge's return to the outfield on Sept. 5, the Blue Jays tested his throwing arm, and the hulking slugger lacked the velocity on his throws from the outfield that he had prior to sustaining the elbow injury. Judge, who routinely hit 90-plus mph on the radar gun on throws from the outfield, had just two throws exceed 80 mph during his return to the outfield in the regular season, which saw him split time between right field and designated hitter. During the wild-card series, the Red Sox tested Judge's throwing arm in a key situation, leading to a slower throw from the Yankees outfielder, who downplayed the lower velocity number after the game.

And while his throwing arm remained somewhat compromised, he did hit 90.2 mph on the radar gun on one throw during Game 1 of the ALDS.

Fortunately for the Yankees, Judge's bat was not compromised. On the heels of winning his first batting title and compiling his second straight season with 50-plus home runs, Judge authored his best playoff performance to date, slashing .500/.581/.692 with one home run, a pair of doubles, seven RBI and five runs scored in seven games played.

Judge is the odds-on favorite to win his second straight AL MVP award.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been given a boost in their pursuit of a new goalkeeper, amid claims of an offer being made by Fosun.

Wolves’ search for new goalkeeper after Sa and Johnstone struggles

No club has conceded more Premier League goals than the Old Gold this season, with both Sam Johnstone and Jose Sa being used by former manager Vitor Pereira.

In the 11 top flight fixtures to date, Johnstone has made seven appearances, conceding 14 goals, whereas Sa has turned out four times, letting in 11 goals.

New manager Rob Edwards will have a decision to make ahead of his first game in charge against Crystal Palace on Saturday, but looking further down the line, it looks as if he is after a new first choice shot-stopper.

Two names have been mentioned since Edwards arrived from Middlesbrough, one of which is Manchester City’s James Trafford.

Down the pecking order just months after returning to the Etihad from Burnley, Wolves are one of numerous clubs keen on signing the £30m Englishman.

City are open to a loan with an obligation to buy or a permanent exit in the New Year, with one Wolves insider telling TEAMtalk: “We need a keeper who can grow with the team. Trafford fits the profile perfectly.”

An enquiry has even been made by the Old Gold, although Trafford has his eyes on a move to Newcastle in 2026.

Meanwhile, Lazio’s Christos Mandas is another option for Wolves and Fosun as they look for a new ‘keeper, with Wolves ‘offering an initial loan deal with an option to buy’ for the Greece international which could be worth up to £8m.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding Mandas’ future, which looks likely to be away from Lazio if he gets his wish.

Wolves given boost in pursuit of Christos Mandas

According to a report from La Lazio Siamo Noi, Mandas is becoming a man in demand and has actually asked to leave Lazio in 2026.

La Liga side Getafe are in the race for the shot-stopper, alongside Wolves and their Premier League rivals West Ham and Bournemouth.

Mandas is expected to leave in search of more game time as he is yet to make an appearance in 2025/26 after featuring 18 times last season, nine of which came in the Europa League.

His agent Diego Tavano heaped praise on Mandas last year, calling him a “strong” and “great player”.

“Mandas is a strong player who had several suitors in Italy. Lazio were the fastest to act and he believed it was the right choice. Initially, the club considered sending him back to OFI Crete on loan, but then Sarri decided to keep him. He is a great player who has now established himself and I’m happy because it was not easy to fit in – he has been great this season.”

Wolves could be the club to offer him regular first-team football given Johnstone and Sa’s struggles and the fact Trafford doesn’t fancy a move to the Midlands.

Wolves now in advanced talks to sign maestro who could be Edwards' first signing

And so Tottenham Hotspur put the brakes on their campaign for the third time this season, having played out a frenzied draw with Manchester United in the Premier League.

And so Tottenham sit fifth in the standings, 18 points from 11 matches and eight points behind table-topping rivals Arsenal. Thomas Frank will be frustrated with the manner of this side’s dropped points last weekend, Matthijs de Ligt nodding home right before the final whistle after Richarlison had struck moments before and wheeled away in topless celebration.

How to dissect the details of Spurs’ season? Improvements have been made since Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou after that Europa League triumph last season, a strange repulsion between the continental elation and the sour taste of a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

But Tottenham lack confidence and coherence and quality in the final third. To dare is to do. Are Tottenham doing enough? That is one of the biggest contentions of the campaign so far, and Frank simply has to find a formula to his side’s offensive struggles as the season heads into the wintry midpoint.

How Frank can fix Spurs' attacking problems

Tottenham have found a way to secure a greater number of points under Frank than they typically managed under his predecessor. However, more goals and created chances are needed if the Londoners are to hit the heights anticipated.

But this is a long-term project, and overnight success was never going to be on the cards. What Frank can do, though, is consider ditching Richarlison, even though the Brazilian scored with a deft header against United at the weekend.

We would be remiss not to acknowledge the cameo of Mathys Tel at the weekend, too. The young striker spun and scored after replacing Xavi Simons off the bench. It started the comeback that ultimately didn’t cement itself, but demonstrated the potential of a versatile forward whose talents could yet be fashioned into something special and suitable for life at the peak of the Premier League.

Dominic Solanke continues to languish in the infirmary, a frustration that has undoubtedly had an adverse effect on Frank’s start at the helm. Had the former Bournemouth striker been fit and in the form of his previous chapter across these past few months, Tottenham would have had a focal outlet from which to channel creativity.

It’s been an issue for the strikers, though, and there’s one man in particular whose campaign has been sent into a spin, even though some have acknowledged he has a bit of Jermaine Defoe about him.

Spurs' "Defoe-esque" star is becoming a big problem

Defoe was a proper Premier League striker. Something of a journeyman, he was always prolific and scored 143 goals across 363 matches in a Lilywhite shirt.

Tottenham

363

143 (31)

West Ham

104

40 (4)

Sunderland

100

37 (3)

Rangers

74

32 (10)

Bournemouth

64

23 (2)

Portsmouth

36

18 (5)

Toronto

21

12 (3)

Quick feet, attacking smarts and a natural-born instinct in front of goal made him a force to be reckoned with.

And now, some feel Spurs have found a similar profile in Randal Kolo Muani. Indeed, presenter Ben Bowman hailed Kolo Muani for his “Defoe-esque” attacking play after the weekend match.

In August, Kolo Muani joined Tottenham on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, but he has struggled for fitness across his opening months in England, left waiting until midway through October for his Premier League debut, and has yet to score or assist in four matches since.

Disaster has struck once again, with the 26-year-old having fractured his jaw during the draw against the Red Devils. Now he is set to see a specialist to ascertain the severity of the setback.

Given the nature of Spurs’ attacking problems, with the injuries, yet again, piling up, it’s fair to say that Kolo Muani is presenting quite the conundrum to Frank’s desk, with this being a “strong, fast and powerful” centre-forward, as said by one analyst, endowed with all he needs to succeed in the Premier League, yet one whose time in England may be short-lived and unsuccessful on the grass.

His time in the French capital was somewhat turbulent, having failed to nail down his presence after transferring from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 for a whopping £76m fee. However, a short loan spell with Juventus last season led to ten goals and three assists from only 22 appearances.

Linking this back to the aforementioned Tel, Kolo Muani’s second injury of his Spurs stint could provide the Frenchman with the chance to nail down a regular starting berth.

Couple that with Solanke’s much-anticipated return and the wonders that could work on creating a more solid and dynamic attacking spread, Kolo Muani may be a striker on borrowed time as he struggles to acclimatise before the end of the season, when he will surely close the door on his loan stay down N17 without a sharp upswing in fortunes that look unlikely to materialise at this stage.

Tottenham have some issues, to be sure, but they have also shown themselves to have what it takes to make incremental improvements this season and beyond.

With Kolo Muani now sidelined once again, however, Frank’s scope at number nine has been narrowed. How big a blow will this prove to be? Whatever the verdict, the Les Bleus star is becoming a problem for the London-based outfit.

Spurs flop who's been "swallowed in the PL" must be dropped for Odobert

Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.

2 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

Patriots stuttered a little bit in their small chase against Falcons, but Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder finished the job with five overs to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2025CPL 2025 got off to a low-scoring start in Basseterre, where St Kitts and Nevis Patriots rode on a stellar bowling performance led by Waqar Salamkheil to run out six-wicket victors over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.After Jason Holder opted to bowl, Kyle Mayers, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naseem Shah left Falcons at 39 for 3 inside the fifth over. Salamkheil, the Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner, came on in the eighth over and was on target off his fourth ball, pitching just outside off stump and turning it back in to hit Fabian Allen’s stumps. He went on to spin out Shakib Al Hasan, Imad Wasim and Odean Smith to end with 4 for 22 from his four overs.Fortunately for Falcons, USA batter Karima Gore was in good nick, but with no other batter making a significant contribution, he had to pretty much go it alone. Gore’s 34-ball 61 included eight fours and two sixes, and Falcons would have wanted him to bat longer than he did after having walked out in the first over itself. As it happened, Farooqi returned to get rid of Gore in the 12th over, a slower delivery sliced high for Andre Fletcher, the wicketkeeper, to take a sharp running catch.All Patriots, the CPL 2021 winners, needed to score was 122, and though they got there quite comfortably, and never really looked in danger of not being able to, there was a little stutter in between thanks to Rahkeem Cornwall.Evin Lewis took off in a flash, scoring 25 in 13, before falling to Obed McCoy in the fourth over. Patriots made it out of the powerplay with just the loss of Lewis and 55 runs on the board, but in the seventh over, Cornwall sent back both Kyle Mayers and Rilee Rossouw. And suddenly, at 56 for 3, Patriots were looking just that little bit out of sorts.But Fletcher was playing a sedate knock, and in Alick Athanaze, Patriots found just the man for the job. Fletcher fell after scoring a 26-ball 19, to Salamkheil’s compatriot AM Ghazanfar at the end of the tenth over, but Patriots had reached 76 already by then. Athanaze, with an unbeaten 28-ball 37, and Holder, with 18 in 14 balls, finished the job from there with five overs in the bank.

تحدث آندريس إنيستا، نجم برشلونة السابق عن علاقة زميله ليونيل ميسي بإدارة النادي الكتالوني حاليًا برئاسة خوان لابورتا، واحتمالية عودته لملعب كامب نو مرة أخرى.

كما أشاد بـ بيدري، نجم خط وسط فريق برشلونة وأوضح حقيقة وجه التشابه بينهما على أرض الملعب.

وقال إنيستا في حوار أجراه مع صحيفة “ماركا”: “بيدري هو بيدري، ليس مزيجًا من أي شيء، لديه صفاته الخاصة ونقاط قوته، وإمكاناته التي تُمكنه من مواصلة النمو والتطور لأنه لاعب شاب، رغم كونه لاعبًا أساسيًا في برشلونة والمنتخب الوطني”.

وأكمل: “أجمل ما فيه هو أنك عندما تشاهده على التلفاز، يصيبك الذهول بما يفعله، وكيف يؤديه بكل سهولة وبساطة وعفوية، إنه لمن دواعي سرور الجماهير وجوده في برشلونة ولجميع الإسبان وجوده في المنتخب الوطني”.

اقرأ أيضًا | بيكيه يدعم لاعب برشلونة ويؤكد: يجب الاهتمام بالصحة النفسية

وعن علاقة ميسي مع لابورتا وعودته إلى برشلونة: “لا أعرف إذا كان هناك جرح أم لا، لا أستطيع أن أساهم أكثر مما يعنيه ليو لبرشلونة، هذا لن يتغير أبدًا مهما كان الوقت، لا أعرف إذا كان سيعود في وقت ما وبأي صفة لكن الأهم هو ما يعنيه ليو لبرشلونة”.

وتحدث عن الأزمة التي واجهت أراوخو بعدما حصل على بطاقة حمراء أمام تشيلسي: “المواقف والظروف في الحياة التي حدثت، حدثت وستستمر في الحدوث، يحدث ذلك يوميًا مرات عديدة، هذا الوعي بهذا النوع من المشاكل هو ما يجب أن يمر به الناس”.

وأردف: “قدر الإمكان، عليك أن تضع نفسك في أيدي محترفين يمكنهم مساعدتك في مثل هذه المواقف، ومن هناك يكون لديهم القوة للخروج”.

وأتم: “لحسن الحظ، الكثير من الناس يقضون فترات نقاهة لكن هناك وعي اجتماعي بكيفية قيامنا بتلك الأشياء وكيف نقولها وكيف نديرها، هناك العديد من العوامل التي تؤدي إلى تلك اللحظة”.

With several senior players rested, and Maharaj to lead, rising stars like Brevis, Breetzke and Pretorius eye key roles in the road to 2027

Firdose Moonda26-Jun-2025South Africa’s young squad to play in Zimbabwe in a two-Test series starting on Saturday provides a window into their next-best, with regular captain Temba Bavuma out injured and five other regulars being rested. They will be without their top order as Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs have been given time off and their new-ball pair of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, while Lungi Ngidi will only join the squad for the second Test.That presents an opportunity for those just on the fringes of selection for the first XI to make their case to play for the Test champions, ahead of a tough next cycle. These matches do not form part of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship (as Zimbabwe are not a WTC-playing country) so South Africa’s title defence starts in October with an away series in Pakistan, followed by a two-Test series against India in India in November. They will not play home Tests until they host Australia in October 2026. The cycle also includes home series against England and Bangladesh and two Tests in Sri Lanka. Coach Shukri Conrad has cast the net wide as he seeks to build depth, starting in Zimbabwe. So who are the new and newish faces? We’ve got the cheat sheet (and what a possible XI could look like, in batting order) here:1. Tony de Zorzi or Lesogo Senokwane The regular opener for the bulk of the last WTC, Tony de Zorzi suffered a thigh injury ahead of the New Year’s Test this year, where Ryan Rickelton scored 259, lost his place in the final. In isolation, that would seem an unfortunate set of circumstances which should see de Zorzi back in the frame as the incumbent but he will have to work to get his spot back. Before the niggle, de Zorzi had scored 44 runs in six innings, a deflating return at home after his career-best 177 in Chattogram. His dismissals have exposed a defensive shortcoming, especially against the full ball on the drive and he will want to show that has tightened up. Another option would be to use Lesogo Senokwane in his preferred opening spot. Senokwane was the fourth-leading run-scorer in the first-class competition and could make his debut in Zimbabwe.Related

• Ahead of Test debut, T20 star Brevis wants to be 'the same guy that plays all formats'

• Nortje injured again, Van der Dussen to lead newish-looking South Africa T20I side

• 'Together-together' – why South Africa's triumph matters on the long walk to freedom

• Conrad: 'We're the world champions, we create our own reality'

• Injured Bavuma out of Zimbabwe Tests, Maharaj named captain

2. Matthew Breetzke or Lhuan-dre Pretorius With one Test (and no runs) to his name, but a reputation for aggressive stroke play, this is Matthew Breetkze’s opportunity to show what he can do at the top of the order. He is 83 runs away from 3,500 in first-class cricket, including eight hundreds. So the pedigree is there but he may also be looking over his shoulder at the likes of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who could leapfrog him in the national plans. At just 19 and with only seven first-class caps to his name, Pretorius is being fast-tracked but not without proof. He scored three hundreds in seven first-class matches last summer, including an under-pressure knock in the final.3. Wiaan Mulder or Zubayr Hamza This is the least certain position in South Africa’s Test XI and Wiaan Mulder did not appear a convincing solution in the WTC final. His 50-ball 27 in the second innings has repeatedly been described by Conrad as crucial to stabilising South Africa’s chase but there’s little doubt more will be expected of him in that position going forward. Either Mulder will be given the Zimbabwe series to try and make the spot his own or it will be given to a more traditional No.3, like Hamza, who played eight Tests between 2019 and 2024, and averages 46.73 in the spot.4. Dewald Brevis Arguably, the most exciting of the batting prospects, it is a matter of when, not if, Dewald Brevis will play for South Africa. He made good on the reputation he carried from finishing as the leading run-scorer in the 2022 under-19 World Cup last summer when he was the second-highest run-scorer in the first-class competition, where he averaged 47.75 and appears ready for the next step. Sidenote: He (and we) have dropped the “Baby AB” moniker as Brevis looks to make his own name.Dewald Brevis appears ready for the next step•Titans/ Gallo Images5. David Bedingham Much like Mulder, this is the series for Bedingham to really take ownership of his spot. He scored a composed 45 in the first innings of the WTC final and was there, on 21, at the end but a Test average of 35.55 with one hundred does not do justice to his first-class numbers. Bedingham has over 8,400 runs at an average of 50.38 and with extensive experience on the county circuit, is seen as someone South Africa can build a batting line-up around.6. Mulder/Senokwane/Pretorius One of the top-order batters may have to move down to No.6, where they will have to play a slightly different but equally challenging role. Mulder may be the most likely, especially if he has a big workload with the ball and is being considered for a spot lower down the order in the next WTC cycle.7. Kyle Verreynne South Africa’s regular wicketkeeper was not given the series off and comes in as a senior player. With 25 Test caps, he is second only to Keshav Maharaj in experience and also the most in-form batter of the squad. Verreynne scored three centuries in the last WTC cycle and hit the winning runs in the final and heads to Zimbabwe with major confidence.8. Keshav Maharaj Bavuma’s unavailability has opened the door for Maharaj to captain South Africa, a lifelong dream for the left-arm spinner. He has led his domestic team, Dolphins, in seven matches and South Africa in seven ODIs and five T20Is and though it’s unlikely he will ever do the job long-term, it reinforces his role as part of the leadership core. Maharaj will have a massive role to play in the subcontinent in this cycle and this series is a good tune-up.Prenelan Subrayen has been preferred over Senuran Muthusamy•SA209. Prenelan Subrayen With the number of matches in the subcontinent in mind, offspin-bowling allrounder, Subrayen has been picked ahead of Senuran Muthusamy. Subrayen has 242 wickets at 27.94 and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the first-class competition in the 2024-25 season. He took 34 wickets in seven matches at 23.17, including two five-fors and will play a part in South Africa’s next WTC cycle.10 and 11. Corbin Bosch or Kwena Maphaka or Codi Yusuf Zimbabwe, and especially Bulawayo, is known to be slow and low and difficult for pace bowlers so whoever South Africa pick can expect to be challenged. Corbin Bosch has played one Test and was part of the WTC final squad and is likely to play. He brings express pace (140kph plus) and will lengthen the batting line-up. Kwena Maphaka, who is 19 and also has a Test cap, offers the left-arm angle South Africa are missing with Jansen out but his workloads will have to be managed, especially as he is expected to feature heavily across formats. Codi Yusuf is certain to debut, and could play both matches, after a breakthrough home summer. He was joint-fifth in the first-class competition bowling charts and has taken 17 wickets in four matches for Durham in the County Championship, including two four-wicket hauls.

The PCB also lodged a complaint against Suryakumar Yadav for his “political” comments after the first India vs Pakistan game at the Asia Cup

PTI25-Sep-2025

There were a number of heated exchanges between the Pakistan quicks and India opening batters on Sunday•AFP/Getty Images

The BCCI has filed an official complaint against Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan with the ICC for their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super Fours game in Dubai last Sunday. It is reliably learnt that the BCCI filed the complaint via an email on Wednesday, and the ICC is in receipt of it.In case Farhan and Rauf deny the allegations in writing, an ICC hearing could take place to address the matter for the hearing. They might have to appear before match referee Richie Richardson – the second match referee at the tournament, Andy Pycroft being the other.Farhan’s celebration after getting to his half-century and Rauf gesturing towards a section of fans while fielding at the boundary – the incidents the BCCI has complained about – have been all over social media since that day.Related

Suryakumar found guilty of breaching code of conduct; verdict on Rauf and Farhan awaited

Pycroft given barely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

Suryakumar: India vs Pakistan isn't a rivalry anymore

“Let me first say, the amount of pressure that’s been heaped on the players because of the situation, it’s very difficult to control your behaviour,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Tuesday when asked about Haris’ provocative gestures.”I did see some of the things Haris did and that’s not our concern. Like I said earlier, we’re really proud of how the guys carried themselves. They fought fire with their bats on the field. Other teams may have had issues with some of the things we’ve done. But from our side, we’re proud of how the guys have carried themselves.”The PCB has also lodged an official complaint with the ICC against Suryakumar Yadav for the India captain dedicating the win over Pakistan in the first round, on September 14, to “the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack” in April this year, which led to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.”Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile,” Suryakumar said in the presentation ceremony after that match, which made headlines for events before and after the match – the captains didn’t shake hands at the toss, the players didn’t greet each other after the match, and “handshakegate” has continued to be a subject of talk and debate at the Asia Cup ever since.The PCB has alleged that Suryakumar’s comments were “political”.Sunday’s Super Fours match, the second meeting between the two teams during the Asia Cup, witnessed several heated moments including exchanges between Pakistan quicks Shaheen Shah Afridi and Rauf and India openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.