Mohammad Rizwan has been sacked as Pakistan ODI captain, with Shaheen Shah Afridi replacing him. The decision was announced by the PCB shortly after the first day of the ongoing Test match between Pakistan and South Africa in Rawalpindi, a Test both Rizwan, 33, and Afridi, 25, are currently playing.No reason was provided for replacing Rizwan; indeed, the wicketkeeper batter was not even mentioned in the official statement. The decision, according to the PCB, was taken after a meeting in Islamabad between the selection committee and the white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.Rizwan’s removal was all but inevitable when the PCB put out a statement over the weekend, pointedly declining to confirm him as ODI captain ahead of the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. Instead, it said Hesson had asked PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to convene a meeting with the selection and advisory committee to appoint a new captain.ESPNcricinfo understands the desire to replace Rizwan was not specifically at the behest of the head coach, but enjoyed wider backing at the highest level of the PCB’s decision-making process.Afridi’s last foray into white-ball captaincy was an unhappy one, when he was tapped to lead the T20I team ahead of a series against New Zealand in January 2024. Pakistan ended up losing 4-1 before he was replaced in similar circumstances to Rizwan’s sacking right now, with chairman Naqvi pointedly declining to confirm he would continue in the role. Afridi was replaced by Babar Azam a week later.While Pakistan had different captains for all formats – a situation that will continue – Rizwan was until recently perceived to be the most secure of a group that includes Shan Masood and Salman Ali Agha. Since becoming captain of the ODI side last year, Rizwan is four runs short of the highest scorer for Pakistan, averaging just under 42. He led Pakistan to series wins in Australia and South Africa in 2024, though results this year have dipped, most notably with an ignominious first-round exit at a home Champions Trophy.Afridi pulls on the armband in good form in the format; he was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker last year in ODI cricket, and central to their away wins in South Africa and Australia. Since the start of the 2023 World Cup, no fast bowler from a Full Member nation has more wickets than his 45, which have come at more than two wickets a game.Afridi’s first assignment as ODI captain is the white-ball series against South Africa, which comprises three ODIs in Faisalabad next month.

With Brevis taking Markram’s regular spot at No. 4 and Pretorius setting in at No. 3, South Africa’s T20I captain has made the move up top

Firdose Moonda15-Aug-2025

Aiden Markram got starts in each of the two games•AFP/Getty Images

With a fairly young playing group, it’s safe to say South Africa are still experimenting with roles in the T20I side, including that of the captain Aiden Markram. Though he will play his 200th T20 against Australia in Cairns, he is newly installed as an opening batter and juggling that with leadership and the occasional bowling role as South Africa build towards the next T20 World Cup.The decision to move Markram to the top of the order was made by all-format coach Shukri Conrad, taking into account the rest of the line-up which is (almost certainly) going to be without Quinton de Kock again. With Reeza Hendricks dropped for this tour and Ryan Rickelton as the other opener, Markram explained that Conrad saw him as the “best fit” for the spot, despite the presence of 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius.”Going through our squads and the players that we’ve got around, we think probably that (opening) is the best fit,” Markram said in Cairns ahead of the third T20I against Australia. “We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks to be up top. I did it a bit at the IPL and am starting to do it now again at international cricket. It’s an exciting role. It’s always nice to bat in the powerplay and the focus is to get the team off to good starts.”Related

• Brevis makes a statement as the 'original Dewald'

• Australia in unfamiliar territory in T20I series-decider vs SA

In IPL 2025, Markram had good returns in the opening spot for Lucknow Super Giants, where he scored five fifties in 13 innings and maintained a strike-rate of 148.82. He also has three half-centuries from nine innings opening for South Africa, albeit that they came in a series against Pakistan in 2021, and strikes at 170.28. Those T20I numbers are less likely to have influenced Conrad than the presence of Dewald Brevis at No. 4, which would be Markram’s regular spot. As Markram himself said, Brevis is among those who are “a lot more destructive” than he is and with David Miller also likely to slot back in from the England series onwards, there is no other spot for Markram unless Pretorius (currently at No. 3) does not play.Aiden Markram is back at the top of the order for South Africa in T20Is•Getty ImagesIt doesn’t help Markram that he continues to struggle for form at this level. He has not scored a half-century in T20Is in 30 innings dating back to October 2022 and has only crossed 20 once in his last seven knocks. He will know that pressure is on him to deliver, especially after former captain Temba Bavuma was dropped from the format for similarly low numbers. Bavuma only scored one T20I fifty (Markram has nine) but got into double figures only four times in his last 13 T20I innings and was generally considered to be too slow a run-scorer to stay in the side.What Markram offers that Bavuma didn’t is the additional skill of offspin and under a coach who values allrounders, how often Markram chooses to bowl could also underline his value to the team. In the second T20I, he shared the new ball and picked up the early wicket of Travis Head but only bowled one over. As captain, he has bowled 35 overs in 28 matches, and a full quota of four overs twice. Asked if he would consider using himself more, Markram wavered but suggested it could happen if the situation called for it.”It’s very much a feel thing. It’s quite a daunting task. You just see the ball flying nowadays and I’m not so sure I really want to be a bowler,” he said. “But there’ll be occasions where you feel like the wicket might be on the slower side or might offer something and you sort of take that punt. The way I try to operate is just go on my gut feel, whatever my gut’s telling me in the moment, run with that and back that and reflect on what could have been and what should have been possibly after the game.”

“We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks [Rickelton] to be up top.”Aiden Markram explains why he went back to opening in T20Is

South Africa have several spin options available to them in this squad – left-armers George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, offspinner Prenelan Subrayen and legspinners Nqabayomzi Peter and Dewald Brevis – as well as two big names who are not in the touring party. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have been left out of this series with the push towards allrounders, which should only make Markram even more eager to show what he can do with ball in hand.For now, Markram’s focus will be on winning the series and getting South Africa’s T20I bilateral record back on track. They have won only one of their last nine bilateral engagements and, recently, also lost the T20I tri-series final to New Zealand in Zimbabwe. Though that record was largely the cause of playing with experimental squads, it weighed on former coach Rob Walter. The expectation is that with more of the first-choice players available to him, Conrad will produce more consistent results.The same can be said of Markram. His reputation as an inspirational captain was confirmed when he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles and then South Africa to the T20 World Cup final. Now, he will want to back that up with his own form and has already hinted that he has set himself the goal of stepping up.”The series so far has been good. The bowlers have been pretty good for us. The previous game made our batters look good, but it was very much an individual performance [Brevis hit an unbeaten 125]. So a nice challenge for our batters tomorrow to hopefully click and for them to put on a good score.”

Winning the Premier League title is easier said than done, but defending that crown is then another challenge entirely. It makes Pep Guardiola’s and Sir Alex Ferguson’s consecutive title wins in Manchester that much more impressive and exposes the level that Arne Slot looks incredibly unlikely to reach at Liverpool this season.

The Reds spent over £400m in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice. It seemed as though the Premier League title could only be destined for Merseyside, but the reality is that Liverpool are on course to endure one of the worst defences in Premier League history.

Although others have recovered to end the season strongly in the past, the Reds look destined to enter the history books among nine other previous champions.

20 Best Strikers in Premier League History Ranked

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ByCharlie Smith May 8, 2025

Ranking factors:

League finish – how far the champions fell after securing the title the season prior. Club context – The context of the champions’ situation, such as injury issues and other deciding factors. 10 Arsenal 2004/05

From invincible to 12 points behind winners Chelsea, Arsenal failed to follow up their historic campaign a season prior in the 2004/05 season, as Jose Mourinho arrived in style at Stamford Bridge. Whilst it was always going to be difficult to follow the Invincibles, the Gunners would have been disappointed with their blunt title fight.

Defeat against Manchester United ended their unbeaten run and from there, their cloak of invincibility evaporated. Arsene Wenger’s side won one of their next five games, leaving Chelsea to take full advantage.

9 Man Utd 2003/04

Man Utd can be forgiven for being up against the Invincibles in the 2003/04 campaign, but it’s still a season that didn’t meet the incredibly high expectations set by Ferguson. The Red Devils slipped to third place, despite leading the title race in early January.

After defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, United didn’t recover and allowed Arsenal to take full control on their way to a historic title win. To make matters worse, those at Old Trafford also fell behind Chelsea in the same season.

8 Liverpool 2020/21

The 2020/21 season saw Liverpool’s Anfield superpower handed its very own Kryptonite, as the world came to a standstill courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic. There were fears that the Reds wouldn’t even get the chance to end a dominant title win the season before, but football soon resumed and they ended their wait for glory, albeit in an empty stadium.

A season later, anything that could go wrong did for Jurgen Klopp as injuries piled up and Liverpool were left with a centre-back partnership of Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips. It was touch and go whether they’d secure a top four finish, but Alisson Becker’s stunning header against West Bromwich Albion ensured that Liverpool ended a nightmare campaign in glorious fashion.

7 Chelsea 2017/18

The first season under Antonio Conte is one to remember for most clubs, but what tends to happen next is anything but memorable. The Italian arrived at Stamford Bridge in the 2016/17 campaign and secured the English crown after changing to a back three and reviving Victor Moses into an excellent wing-back.

One season later, however, and a public fall-out with Diego Costa sparked the start of Chelsea’s downfall. The Blues looked a shadow of the champions that they became a season prior and were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth and 4-1 by Watford, before Conte lost his job at the end of the campaign.

6 Man Utd 2013/14

Over 10 years ago, Man United last entered a Premier League campaign as defending champions. And that’s where their problems commenced. In their first campaign without Ferguson, the Red Devils finished as low as seventh as David Moyes lasted until April before facing the sack.

At the time, the Scot took much of the blame, but United’s problems didn’t end when they sacked him. In fact, in the last decade, things have only become worse and worse for the Red Devils, who finished as low as 15th under Ruben Amorim last season.

5 Blackburn Rovers 1995/96

Like Man United in 2013, Blackburn Rovers went from lifting the Premier League title in the 95/96 campaign to finishing as low as seventh one season later. Blackburn, again like United, lost their manager at the end of their title-winning campaign, with Sir Kenny Dalglish choosing to resign off the back of success.

As a result, the champions struggled under Ray Harford and dropped to as low as 17th at one stage, before a revival in the second-half of the season took them up to seventh. It was a season to forget and not enough to keep hold of Alan Shearer, who netted 31 goals before heading to Newcastle United.

4 Leicester City 2016/17

It was back to reality for Leicester City in the 2016/17 season after they pulled off the miracle of all miracles one year prior. From shock champions, the Foxes found themselves attempting to avoid relegation, as Claudio Ranieri lost his job and the late Craig Shakespeare was left to pick up the pieces.

The champions still sat 17th by the time that February arrived, before Shakespeare picked up five straight wins to take Leicester to a 12th-place finish. Statistically, it is the worst title defence in Premier League history, but the context of their squad and just how great a shock their title win was in itself matters here.

3 Leeds United 92/93

Although Leeds United were technically not defending the Premier League title, the 1992/93 season was the first campaign of the rebranding and they entered it as English champions. After winning three of their first 10 games, the Whites’ title defence was all but over and the departure of Eric Cantona to Man United in January all but confirmed that.

By the end of the campaign, a Leeds side who lost their best player finished as low as 17th, with United taking full advantage to begin an incredible run under Ferguson.

2 Liverpool 2025/26

No one could have predicted the season that Liverpool are having. The Reds won their opening five games, albeit by utilising stoppage-time in dramatic fashion more than once, and looked on course to defend their crown when it all clicked. But then it never did click.

After breaking their transfer record twice to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, Liverpool have been a shadow of the champions that they became. Truth be told, they’ve looked like a squad still in mourning for their teammate, Diogo Jota.

Mentally, Liverpool look entirely drained. Physically, they’ve been outmatched. The effect of Jota’s passing is undeniable, but Slot must find a tactical solution to steady the ship before his side, who sit 12th after 12 games, make unwanted history.

1 Chelsea 2015/16

The return of Jose Mourinho restored Chelsea’s glory in the 2014/15 season, but things were far from special one season later. The legendary manager started the season by arguing with physio Eva Carneiro, who eventually won a £5m settlement, and things only got worse from there.

After nine losses in 16 games, Mournho was sacked by the Blues and replaced by Guus Hiddink. The caretaker manager finally got Eden Hazard firing on all cylinders again to win the famous ‘Battle of the Bridge’ and end Tottenham Hotspur’s title hopes, yet it was not enough to restore Chelsea’s pride. They ended the campaign in 10th.

Who is to blame for Alexander Isak's form at Liverpool?

It was an emotional night all around for Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

Not only did he capture his second World Series title, but his MLB career officially came to an end as he’s set to retire from baseball after the season. What a way to go out.

As the Dodgers were celebrating their World Series title on the field at Rogers Centre, Kershaw’s family ran out to tackle him with hugs. Kershaw’s wife Ellen and their four children all shared hugs with the 37-year-old pitcher, and they celebrated by jumping up and down and clapping for him. The sweet moment is now going viral on social media, understandably.

The celebrations continued for the three-time Cy Young award winner after this moment as he got to lead his team of 18 seasons in their champagne celebration in the locker room.

“It’s an absolute honor to be in this clubhouse with you guys,” Kershaw said. “I love every single one of you. I can’t imagine a better way to go out than to pop bottles with this group of guys. We’re back-to-back champs!”

The entire postseason was emotional for Kershaw. He said goodbye to his Dodger Stadium after Game 5 of the World Series, which the Dodgers lost 6-1. He had a heartwarming moment with his family on the field then, too. It’s clear Kershaw’s family means a lot to him.

Kershaw only pitched in 2.1 innings during the Dodgers’ postseason run this year. He appeared briefly in one inning during the marathon Game 3 of the World Series that went to 18 innings. In his two playoff game appearances, he gave up six hits, four earned runs and two home runs.

يستعد منتخب المغرب لخوض مباراة قوية في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025، وذلك بعد تأهله في صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الثانية للمسابقة.

ومن المقرر أن سواجه منتخب المغرب،  المنتخب السوري على أرضية استاد خليفة الدولي، ضمن لقاءات ربع نهائي كأس العرب.

​وتقام بطولة كأس العرب 2025، في دولة قطر، والتي انطلقت في الأول من ديسمبر وتنتهي في 18 من الشهر ذاته، بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا.

بالمواعيد | مواجهات دور الـ 8 من كأس العرب 2025 (محدث باستمرار)

تصدر منتخب المغرب المجموعة الثانية ليصطدم بسوريا وصيف المجموعة الأولى، بينما اعتلى منتخب فلسطين صدارة المجموعة الأولى ليواجه السعودية وصيف مجموعة المغرب. موعد مباراة المغرب وسوريا في ربع نهائي كأس العرب

يلتقي منتخب المغرب مع سوريا في ربع النهائي يوم الخميس 11 ديسمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 4:30 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on fire in the ALDS, and he's helping the Blue Jays run away with the series against the rival Yankees.

Toronto took a 9–0 lead by the fourth inning on Sunday, thanks to a thunderous grand slam from Guerrero. Rogers Centre was roaring after Guerrero deposited a pitch from Will Warren into the seats. The superstar first baseman celebrated with a savage bat flip, chucking his lumber to the side before he gleefully took his trip around the bases.

Fans at Rogers Centre have been making plenty of noise throughout the series, and when the Blue Jays' star slugger unleashed the grand slam, the volume reached deafening levels. Have a look and a listen at the incredible moment in Toronto:

Everyone at the stadium knew that one was gone from the moment if left the bat, and they were already celebrating by the time it reached the upper deck.

Barring an unheard of collapse, the Blue Jays will head to New York with a 2-0 lead in the series and will be feeling plenty confident about booking a trip to the ALCS.

Outgoing Western Australia head coach Adam Voges will take the reins of Seattle Orcas in next season’s Major League Cricket as he furthers his leadership credentials on the T20 franchise circuit.Voges replaces Australian compatriot Matthew Mott, who was fired after Orcas lost their first five games of the 2025 season. Having recently announced that he will step down as WA head coach at the end of the current domestic season, it was widely anticipated that Voges would take up a senior role at an MLC franchise.”I am very excited to be joining the Seattle Orcas for the upcoming season,” Voges said. “The MLC competition continues to grow and I look forward to working with the owners, players and staff to help bring success both on and off the field.”Overseeing an incredible run of success for WA after replacing Justin Langer in 2018, Voges has long been touted as a successor to Australia head coach Andrew McDonald whose current contract runs through to 2027. McDonald has indicated that he is unlikely to seek an extension having been in the job since early 2022.Voges has previously coached Australia A and worked with the national side.In the meantime, Voges has decided to further his coaching development through T20 franchise cricket. As flagged by ESPNcricinfo, Voges has joined Trent Rockets in the Hundred as an assistant coach.WA Cricket are continuing discussions with Voges about staying on as Perth Scorchers head coach in the BBL having led the franchise to back-to-back titles in BBL11 and 12. Voges also twice lifted the trophy as captain of Scorchers.Related

• Seattle Orcas part ways with coach Mott

Assistants Beau Casson and Tim MacDonald will likely be in the mix to replace Voges as WA head coach.Voges, who averaged a remarkable 61.87 from 20 Tests for Australia, will be tasked with lifting Orcas back up the ladder. After making the final in MLC’s debut season, Orcas won just four of 17 games across 2024-25.”We are thrilled to welcome Adam Voges to the Seattle Orcas family,” Orcas chief Hemant Dua said. “He brings a proven pedigree of winning, a distinctive ability to develop world-class talent, and a deep understanding of the nuances of T20 franchise cricket.”His dominant run with Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers speaks to his expertise. We believe Adam’s calm demeanor, tactical intelligence, and commitment to building a high-performance culture will be pivotal as we aim for the Major League Cricket title.”We are building something special in Seattle, and Adam is undoubtedly the right person to lead the charge.”Orcas are co-owned, among others, by GMR Group and JSW Sports, who are also co-owners of Delhi Capitals in the IPL and WPL, and their entities in SA20 (Pretoria Capitals) and UAE’s ILT20 (Dubai Capitals).

Stars, who entered the match placed second on the ladder, will now wait nervously on other results

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2025

10 overs Melbourne Stars suffered a costly WBBL loss just before finals as Sydney Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield dominated a rain-affected encounter. Unable to reach the finals, Thunder destroyed the title-contending Stars by nine wickets in their last game of the tournament at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Due to persistent rain, the match was shortened to ten overs a side as the Stars managed just 66 for 6 after being sent in to bat. Litchfield and fellow Australia young gun Georgia Voll made light work of the DLS-revised target of 76, securing the winning runs with 17 balls to spare.With just 11 runs needed and rain starting to fall again, Litchfield attempted one big shot too many and was out to Annabel Sutherland for a destructive 37 from 23 balls. Voll was untroubled by losing her opening partner, making an unbeaten 33 from 18 balls.Fellow big-hitter Laura Harris smashed the winning runs with a reverse ramp for four. Voll also chimed in with 2 for 13 to be named player of the match.The defeat is bound to have serious ramifications for the Stars, who entered the match placed second on the ladder. Hobart Hurricanes are locked in to host the final on December 13 as minor premiers, but the other three spots in the four remain up for grabs.Stars will wait nervously on other results, with Perth Scorchers hosting the winless Brisbane Heat on Saturday night. If the Scorchers, as expected, win, they will jump ahead of Stars into second.In the last game before finals, Sydney Sixers can also overtake Stars if they beat Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.Thunder will finish the tournament in seventh, winning four of their 10 games.