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Sporting careers can be short and unpredictable, even without a pandemic, and the players have every right to maximise their earnings

Firdose Moonda17-Mar-2022If we didn’t know it before South Africa’s Test squad to play Bangladesh was announced, we know it now. In the battle between the IPL and national duty, there is only one winner. At least when it comes to a country like South Africa.All five players – Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen – who were certainties in the Test squad have chosen to go to the IPL instead of playing in the two-match series against Bangladesh. Anrich Nortje, if fit, would have done the same. ESPNcricinfo understands that the players made the decision jointly, even though some of them were considering delaying their trips to India to play in the first Test.But, are you surprised? Then you must be a cricket fan from before 2008, a time when playing international cricket was as good as it got, both in terms of honours and in terms of money.Related

• South Africa without IPL-bound players for Bangladesh Tests

• Bangladesh's chance to break new ground in South Africa

• South Africa's red-ball players choose IPL over Bangladesh Tests

Did you expect this? Then you understand that in the new economics of cricket – the IPLonomics, if you will – for some cricketers from some countries, the choice is a no-brainer. You understand that it’s about the money, and there are (valid) reasons for that.We have to start with the disclaimer that no professional cricketer in South Africa can plead poverty, especially not by the standards of wealth and inequality in this country. A centrally contracted player, who typically earns between R1.1 million and R3 million a year (US$75,000 and 200,000 a year), falls into the richest 2% of earners in South Africa, but they’re still earning in Rands. So it stands to reason that they could earn many more Rands if they were earning money in dollars or pounds. The same reasoning does not apply to players from England or Australia.You need approximately 15 Rands for one US dollar, but only 80 British pence and 1.35 Australian dollars to get one US dollar. So when Jason Roy or Alex Hales pulls out of the IPL, or when Pat Cummins and the Australian crew arrive late to the tournament, they’re losing money but not as much as someone like Rabada does if he was to do the same thing. This makes it more difficult for a South African player to turn down the IPL, and more understandable why they don’t – the money a South African player can earn from the IPL is life-changing.Of course, there’s a separate argument that South African players probably also spend less because the cost of living in South Africa is much lower than what it is in the Antipodes or Great Britain, but that only takes into account needs, not wants. And what most people want, is to make as much money as they can, while they can.

A current South African player in the IPL will earn more from the tournament this season than if he spent 13 years as a nationally contracted player. That is staggering even without going as far as analysing how many players stay nationally contracted for more than a decade

We know that professional sporting careers are short and unpredictable. One injury (Mark Boucher’s eye in 2012, for example) can change everything. That means that players have less time than the average worker to maximise their earnings, so when an opportunity presents itself to make big money quickly, they take it.ESPNcricinfo understands that a current South African player in the IPL will earn more from the tournament this season than if he spent 13 years as a nationally contracted player. That is staggering even without going as far as analysing how many players stay nationally contracted for more than a decade (and realising it’s only a very few). This explains why even those who have only just broken into the Test team, like Jansen, and those whose Tests careers are in the balance, like Markram and van der Dussen, have opted for the IPL instead of the chance to make a case for longer-term international roles. It just makes more financial sense to them. And it also makes cricketing sense. If a van der Dussen, for example, doesn’t turn out to this IPL, what are his chances of getting picked up in the next auction?But if you’re Dean Elgar, who is trying to rebuild a Test team and is just starting to get it right and you’re about to lose your entire frontline pace pack to the IPL, you would rightly try everything to change that, as Elgar did. He called it a test of loyalty when CSA decided to give players the choice of whether to go to the IPL or stay home and play against Bangladesh. He may well feel betrayed. We may sympathise with his position, but we will find it difficult to do much more than that, as will CSA.That’s because ultimately this is not about allegiances, even if it seems that way. CSA already made the choice for the players when they agreed, as part of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), to release players for the IPL on an annual basis. The MOU governs the contractual relationships between CSA and the players and is redone every four years. The IPL is the only league which CSA has committed to providing NOCs for, irrespective of clashing international fixtures, because they recognise its worth to the players. According to the MOU, CSA make provision for a seven-window in which they will release players for the IPL, but they retain the right not to release players, which they have chosen not to do. In other words, CSA have made a pragmatic decision for the financial wellbeing of their players. They do not have the same agreement for the PSL and players were denied NOCs this year. It’s just the simple economics of the situation.”There’s many leagues around the world which have complicated the bilateral programs of many countries. Our current MOU with SACA is that we cannot refuse players going to the IPL. The amount of money they make at the IPL is quite good for their post-cricket careers. We have to find a balance between players’ livelihoods and responsibility for the country,” Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s newly confirmed CEO said a day before the Test squad was announced.It’s not hard to sympathise with Dean Elgar’s plight, but both South Africa fans as well as the CSA can do little more than that•AFP/Getty ImagesThe problem is that when the MOU was signed, the IPL was an eight-team tournament that ran from the first week of April to the end of May and there was no pandemic. Now, the IPL has ten teams and will be played from the end of March to the end of May, at a time when International boards are trying to make up for fixtures missed because of Covid-19. Add on the three-day quarantine and the time players need to train with their franchises and you’ve put an extra two weeks on top of it. Two weeks could easily equal two Test matches and it won’t stop there.The IPL is an expanding product and may only get longer and more demanding on players. Cricket Australia (CA) and the ECB may have the funds to persuade the players not to participate in it in its entirety, but CSA does not. Instead, they will have to find workarounds.There’s already talk of international cricket being played as early as July and August on the Highveld to try to carve out time for the national team, or slotting in lower-profile fixtures (arguably, and with no disrespect, the Bangladesh Tests fall into that category) in the late summer window when the IPL players won’t feature and a different team is fielded. One insider told ESPNcricinfo that CSA would look to play “matches against the likes of Ireland and Netherlands in April, if needs be.”If South Africa go that way, it won’t be an exception – countries like England and India have fielded two different teams in two formats at the same time – but it will need to be carefully communicated. White-ball captain Temba Bavuma would have preferred that from the get-go and expressed his disappointment that there wasn’t more clarity over the selection of the Test squad, earlier.”From the point of view of a player who’s not affected by the IPL, we would have liked this decision to have been dealt with a lot earlier and with a lot more urgency,” he said. “On the eve of a one-day series, and with a Test squad due to be announced, we’re still not sure what is happening. We could have learnt from previous years.”The main lesson to learn is that South African players will likely always choose the IPL, and South Africans have to accept that, even if it makes them angry. Even if it makes them feel as though their economy is inadequate (spoiler alert: it is). Those players are not traitors, which is a word of much greater consequence that should not even be used in sport and Moseki reiterated that. “If a player chooses to go to the IPL it doesn’t mean they think less of the country or they are less patriotic.”If you think about it, you may even argue that they are patriotic when they choose the IPL. CSA gets 10% of the contract fee for IPL players and the tax man takes his share. The cricketers are in South Africa’s highest tax-paying band, 45%, and 45% of a million US dollars is a lot more than 45% of a million Rand. So if money is what matters, then it all adds up.

To celebrate Border’s rare feat, we look at other events that have happened only once in men’s cricket

S Rajesh23-Mar-2020Exactly 40 years ago on this day, Allan Border (yes, that man again), scored 153 in the second innings on the last day of the Lahore Test against Pakistan. It was a fine effort, but nothing extraordinary in itself, given that the match was a fairly high-scoring draw: only three innings were played, and 24 wickets went down in 398 overs, which is roughly a wicket every 100 balls.However, what made this extraordinary was the prequel to his 153: in the first innings, Border had scored an unbeaten 150, making this the first and only instance of a batsman touching 150 in each innings of a Test.ESPNcricinfo LtdIncidentally, Border batted at No. 6 in each innings, and his match aggregate of 303 is the second-highest by a No. 6 batsman in a Test. As it turns out, the player who holds that record also came closest to equalling Border’s feat. Against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2009, Tillakaratne Dilshan, also batting at No. 6 in each innings, scored 162 and 143, falling only seven short of the milestone. Andy Flower scored 142 and 199 not out against South Africa in 2001, while Steven Smith topped 140 in each innings but fell short of 150 both times against England in the 2019 Ashes.

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Pedro Caixinha, técnico do Red Bull Bragantino, comentou sobre o futuro do zagueiro Léo Ortiz, um dos desejos do Flamengo nesta janela de transferências.

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

Em entrevista após a derrota para o Água Santa por 1 a 0, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Paulista, o comandante ressaltou a importância do jogador para o projeto do Massa Bruta, que disputará a Copa Libertadores nesta temporada.

– O Léo é um jogador muito importante para nós, para o projeto, para o clube, para os companheiros. As coisas estão resolvidas, dentro daquilo que é a nossa definição sobre o que é seguir em frente. O Léo mostra que está conosco, jogou hoje, está inscrito no Paulistão e é uma opção, certamente, daqui para frente – comentou Caixinha.

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O Flamengo, que tenta a contratação de Léo Ortiz desde dezembro do ano passado, teve todas as propostas negadas pela diretoria do Bragantino, que já aceita reduzir os valores para negociar o atleta. O zagueiro de 28 anos é um desejo do técnico Tite, que convocou o jogador para a Seleção Brasileira em 2021.

Para facilitar a negociação entre as partes, Ortiz vem treinando com o restante do elenco do Bragantino e saiu do banco de reserva para atuar por 15 minutos na estreia da equipe no torneio estadual.

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Apesar do desejo de se transferir para a Gávea, o jogador quer demonstrar compromisso com o time de Bragança, com o qual tem contrato até dezembro de 2026.

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FlamengoFutebol NacionalRB Bragantino

Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten run across all competitions has now extended to three games across all competitions after Tuesday’s Champions League win over Slavia Prague.

The Lilywhites claimed a superb 3-0 victory in Europe after penalties from Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and an own goal from opposition defender David Zima.

Thomas Frank looks to have finally found a winning formula, as seen in recent weeks, after previously failing to win in any five matches, four of which came in the Premier League.

Some may argue that the Dane is starting to get the best out of his current playing squad, with a period of adaptation evidently needed after his summer appointment.

However, despite the three-goal triumph in North London last night, the manager will no doubt have seen some glaring flaws that will need correcting in the weeks ahead.

Spurs's biggest underperformers against Slavia Prague

After starting each of the last four games on the substitutes bench, winger Wilson Odobert was handed the chance to start from the off against Slavia Prague.

However, the Frenchman struggled to make the desired impact, as seen by his tally of 86% duels lost, leading to his withdrawal in the 76th minute of the clash.

Other figures, such as zero dribbles completed and two big chances missed in the final third, also highlight his lack of positive impact despite Frank’s faith shown in the youngster.

He wasn’t alone in struggling to deliver during the win, with Pedro Porro unable to produce the regular attacking quality the fanbase have become accustomed to in recent years.

The Spaniard only managed to complete one of his five attempted crosses, whilst completing just 66% of the passes he attempted – largely being ineffective when in possession.

He also failed to win any tackles against the Czech side, whilst failing to complete any of his attempted dribbles – showcasing his lack of quality at both ends of the pitch in North London.

Spurs star needs to be dropped after Slavia Prague

Spurs have spent heavily over the last couple of years to try and be competitive in the Premier League and try and compete for titles under Frank in the years ahead.

In the recent summer alone, the Lilywhites hierarchy backed the manager with over £120m worth of funds to make an immediate impact during his first year at the helm.

Xavi Simons was just one of the additions made by the hierarchy during the off-season, but he’s struggled to make an impact across various competitions in recent months.

He went 17 games without a goal until last week, but the Dutch star has started to find his feet – as seen by his tally of two goals in his last two games for the Lilywhites.

The same can’t be said for striker Richarlison, who has constantly struggled for consistency after his own £50m transfer from Everton back in the summer of 2022.

The Brazilian international has been Frank’s starting centre forward for the majority of 2025/26 to date, subsequently managing to net a total of seven goals across all competitions.

Whilst such a tally may seem respectable, he’s often gone missing in major moments this campaign, as seen against Slavia Prague in the meeting on Tuesday.

He was once again handed a start at the top end of the pitch, but he was unable to provide the goods in front of goal and was subsequently replaced in the 68th minute.

Richarlison was only able to register a measly tally of 22 touches, a tally fewer than goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who managed 50 – showcasing his lack of impact in North London.

Minutes played

68

Touches

22

Passes completed

9

Possession lost

7x

Big chances missed

1

Aerials won

50%

Passes into final third

1

Fouls committed

2

He also only managed to complete nine passes and lost possession on seven separate occasions, further highlighting his lack of positive impact during the Champions League clash.

The Brazilian also missed one big chance in front of goal and won just 50% of his aerial battles, often struggling to provide the focal point Frank has massively craved.

As a result of his showing, the striker was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold, further showcasing his struggles in North London.

After such a showing, Frank must certainly be left with no choice but to drop the forward and hand the likes of Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani the chance to stake their claim for the number nine role.

Richarlison has no doubt been a decent option for Spurs over the last couple of years, but it’s becoming increasingly evident week on week that he’s not at the level needed for success.

Frank's new Mbeumo: Paratici set to make Spurs bid to sign "world-class" CF

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to land a new talisman in the upcoming January window.

ByEthan Lamb 6 days ago

Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from ODI cricket and returns to both ODI and T20I squads

Firdose Moonda22-Sep-2025South Africa’s Test captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of South Africa’s first assignment of their World Test Championship title defence, against Pakistan, with a calf strain. Bavuma sustained the injury on the recent white-ball tour of England and is expected to need six to eight weeks of recovery. Aiden Markram will captain the side in his absence.The squad also includes a recall for offspinner Simon Harmer, who has not played a Test since March 2023. He joins Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen in the spin department. First-choice spinner Keshav Maharaj is only available for the second Test after suffering a groin strain in England.In other major news, wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from ODI cricket and returns to both ODI and T20I squads against Pakistan. De Kock last played for South Africa at the T20 World Cup final in Barbados last June.Related

De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

De Kock reverses ODI retirement

Concern for South Africa as Bavuma suffers calf strain

South Africa opted to rest all their all-format players, except Corbin Bosch and Dewald Brevis, for the white-ball leg of the Pakistan tour. David Miller will captain the T20I squad while Matthew Breetzke will lead the ODI squad.South Africa also play a T20I in Namibia, to inaugurate their new stadium in Windhoek, the day before the first Test against Pakistan, and will have a makeshift squad for that match. Allrounder Donovan Ferreira will captain that side, which includes de Kock, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Reeza Hendricks and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Rivaldo Moonsamy, who earned a maiden call-up.Simon Harmer last played a Test in March 2023•AFP/Getty ImagesFerreria has also been named in the ODI squad to face Pakistan, alongside Burger, Coetzee and de Kock, while left-arm spinners George Linde and Bjorn Fortuin have been recalled. Legspinner Nqaba Peter completes a strong spin contingent but Tabraiz Shamsi, who opted out of a national contract, is not in any of the squads. Neither is seamer Anrich Nortje, who has also not agreed to a national contract.The Test squad retains the core that won the WTC mace against Australia in June. Brevis, Subrayen and Zubayr Hamza are new to the group with no room for Dane Paterson or Lungi Ngidi, who is part of the white-ball squads. Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder make up the pace contingent.”Temba’s calf strain will unfortunately keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks, but the focus is on giving him the best chance to be fully ready for the India tour in November,” head coach Shukri Conrad said. “Naturally, we are disappointed not to have Temba available. He has been such an important leader and batter for us in the Test side, and his presence on and off the field will be missed.”At the same time, the majority of the Test squad have experience of playing in the subcontinent and understand the demands that come with it, so I’m confident they will embrace the challenge. Pakistan is one of the tougher places to tour, and with spin-friendly conditions expected and Keshav only available from the second game, it was important to have an experienced campaigner like Simon in the squad to provide extra depth in the spin department.”Speaking about the choice of stand-in captains, with Markram resting from the white-ball series, Conrad explained that Breetzke’s experience at domestic level and Ferreira’s growth have resulted in their temporary appointments. “Matthew has really come into his own in the 50-over space and has led SA A and the Warriors in this format before, and I have no doubt he’ll captain the ODI side with that same character and composure which he brings to his game. During the T20I series against England, I was impressed by Donovan’s maturity, his understanding of the game, and the way he connects with the younger players in the squad. His appointment as captain for the T20I against Namibia presents an exciting challenge, one that I believe will only enhance his development as a cricketer.”Asked about the bowling combination South Africa expect to play, Conrad said it would come down to conditions in Pakistan, with “extreme spin” expected as has been the case in recent Tests there involving England and West Indies.”We’ve got to look at how we structure our line-up in terms of balance,” Conrad said. “We expect extreme spin in Pakistan. It’s about whether we go with two quicks – KG [Rabada] and Wiaan, KG and Marco, and then how many batters, how many spinners. We’ve got three spinners available for the first Test. Wiaan has made the No. 3 spot his own but it could change based on what we see in Pakistan. Its comes down to the balance of our bowling attack and which seamers there are. I can’t tell you who will be No.3, 4 and 5 in the line-up but it will be similar to what we had in Bangladesh.”Quinton de Kock has reversed his ODI retirement•ICC via Getty ImagesOn Ngidi’s absence from the Test squad in Pakistan, Conrad felt his skillset wasn’t quite suited to the conditions expected. “We don’t think Lungi will be as effective in Tests in Pakistan. Hence, not including him.”Bavuma’s injury is particularly concerning for South Africa given that it occurred soon after he had missed their most recent Test series – two Tests in Zimbabwe – with a hamstring strain that he suffered during the WTC final. An injury to the left elbow – a joint that has troubled him multiple times since a fracture in 2022 – had put him out of action for two months before the WTC final.”Very concerned about Temba,” Conrad said. “Every series has been an injury and it is not for want of him of trying. He is doing everything in his powers to make sure he remains injury free. His form is definitely good enough and he is definitely worth managing. Age is not on his side so it is a concern but I am confident in the medical staff and Temba’s desire to get him fit.”On Shamsi’s absence from the white-ball squads, Conrad said the left-arm wristspinner still had a future with South Africa, but for now they were looking to give the younger spinners a run in the side.”Shammo and I chatted during that Zim series,” Conrad said. “He was fully understanding about what I explained to him. We wanted to see more of the spinners. We know what we’ve got in Shammo. I told him to keep playing in the leagues so we can monitor his form and fitness. Post-Pakistan, we’ve got the India series and if Shammo’s name pops up, we will discuss him. Shammo remains in the conversation. We haven’t ruled him out.”South Africa play two Tests, three T20Is and three ODIs in Pakistan before two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is in India, which will make up the bulk of their preparation for the T20 World Cup. They have no home Tests in the 2025-26 season but host West Indies for the five T20Is before the T20 World Cup.South Africa squad for Pakistan Tests Aiden Markram (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj (second Test only), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle VerreynneSouth Africa’s squad for Pakistan T20IsDavid Miller (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Andile Simelane, Lizaad WilliamsSouth Africa’s squad for Pakistan ODIsMatthew Breetzke (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba QeshileSouth Africa’s squad for Namibia T20IDonovan Ferreira (capt), Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Rubin Hermann, Kwena Maphaka, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Andile Simelane, Jason Smith, Lizaad Williams

After Paris Saint-Germain hard-fought 3-2 win over Lyon, manager Luis Enrique hinted at possible January transfer activity but admitted that “very few players” could actually improve the reigning European champions. While praising the team’s resilience and Warren Zaire-Emery’s growing influence, Enrique stressed the need for defensive refinement, even as PSG’s new wage model and sustainable transfer strategy redefine how the club operates.

• PSG edge Lyon in tense encounter as Enrique calls for ‘resilience’

  PSG reclaimed the top spot in Ligue 1 after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Lyon, sealed by Joao Neves’ stoppage-time header. The contest, filled with quick goals and controversy, showcased PSG’s offensive sharpness but also exposed defensive lapses that Enrique was quick to highlight.

  The decisive moment came deep into injury time when Neves converted a corner to give PSG the win, moments after Lyon’s Nicolas Tagliafico was sent off for a reckless challenge on Vitinha, a decision that sparked post-match protests from Lyon players and staff.

  Speaking after the match, Enrique said, “Resilience is what I wanted to see. We fought until the end, but we need to defend better. Both goals came from poor alignment. You can’t push the line up when there’s no pressure on the ball.” Despite defensive flaws, he commended his squad’s mentality and composure in closing out the win.

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  Enrique hints at January plans

  Addressing questions about the upcoming January transfer window, Enrique struck a measured tone. He reaffirmed that PSG are “always open to strengthening,” but emphasised the difficulty of finding players capable of elevating an already elite squad. “Reinforcing a team of this quality is very difficult. There are very few players who can truly strengthen this team,” he said.

  "We have complete confidence in our current players. We won't make any signings if someone else thinks we need them. We clearly hope to have a well-thought-out team and a balanced squad. There are many young players who can develop and contribute even more."

  Among potential targets, PSG have been linked with Barcelona’s Eric Garcia, a player Enrique knows well from his time as Spain’s manager. PSG are reportedly preparing a €5 million winter bid, though Barcelona remain hesitant to sell. The 24-year-old’s tactical intelligence and composure on the ball fit Enrique’s possession-oriented system, particularly given injuries to key defenders like Achraf Hakimi.

• PSG building smarter, not flashier

  Under sporting director Luis Campos, PSG have undergone a major philosophical shift. Gone are the days of splashy, high-salary signings; the club now focuses on sustainable spending and versatile players who fit Enrique’s tactical model. Campos has worked to flatten the wage structure, introducing merit-based pay tied to performance and appearances rather than star status.

  Campos explained that the new policy ensures “you earn more when you deserve it, when you play.” This change was central to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s departure in summer 2025, as his salary demands exceeded the club’s revised framework. Campos defended the decision, stating, “Donnarumma wanted a PSG that no longer exists. The club is now more important than any player.”

  The result is a leaner, more cohesive squad built around tactical flexibility. Even without marquee transfers, PSG maintain depth across positions and rely on internal development to sustain success. The approach reflects a broader modernisation trend in elite football, where financial discipline and squad balance outweigh individual star power.

  Campos and Enrique’s collaboration ensures that signings now serve a clear tactical purpose, a stark contrast to the past era of impulse buys driven by branding and marketing value.

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  PSG’s new balance hangs on success, sustainability, and long-term vision

  PSG’s victory over Lyon underscored the balance the club is striving for, excellence on the pitch paired with responsibility off it. Despite injuries and fixture congestion, the team remains competitive at the top of Ligue 1 and continues to show resilience in crunch moments.

  Coach Enrique, while pleased with the win, maintains that PSG “must keep improving,” particularly in defensive transitions. His emphasis on structure, discipline, and adaptability mirrors the club’s broader off-field restructuring under Campos.

  After the Lyon match, Enrique summed up the club’s direction succinctly: “We’re happy to be at the top, but it’s not enough. We want to play better, defend better, and grow together. The goal is not just to win, it’s to build something lasting.”

The sixth edition will run from November 27 to December 23, with SLC keen to prepare batting-friendly pitches ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup

Madushka Balasuriya01-Aug-2025

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2025 will be held from November 27 to December 23. Now in its sixth edition, the tournament will take place across three venues – Colombo, Kandy and Dambulla.This will be the fourth time in six years that the LPL is scheduled for the November-December window rather than its preferred July-August slot. The last two seasons took place during July and August, however this year, with the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin in February, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) felt the later window better suited their needs.”The idea to conduct the LPL during this time frame is aimed at aligning the tournament with the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela said.ESPNcricinfo also learnt that talks are underway to incorporate a sixth team into the tournament. The first five editions saw five teams representing Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna compete.”Potential owners for a sixth team are currently being vetted,” Dodanwela confirmed.The inclusion of a sixth team has long been discussed, though SLC’s cautious approach to introducing new ownership might be understandable. The LPL has struggled with long-term franchise ownership over the years.Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings – formerly the longest-standing franchise, having joined in the tournament’s second edition – and Colombo Strikers were terminated by SLC for “failure to uphold contractual obligations.” As a result, the LPL currently has no franchise owners with a history stretching back beyond 2024. New owners for both the Jaffna and Colombo teams are yet to be announced.Dodanwela also elaborated on SLC’s desire to curate more batting-friendly surfaces, with a view to better prepare players for the kind of wickets they are likely to play on during the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.”We were quite happy with the wickets during the last edition, particularly in Dambulla and Kandy,” Dodanwela noted. “We saw lots of high scores and even some centuries during that portion of the tournament. It was only in Colombo where batting was a little harder.”Backing up Dodanwela’s assessment is the fact that the pitches at the R Premadasa Stadium are currently in the process of being relaid. Several national players, such as Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva, also recently voiced the need for more batting-friendly surfaces.

Manchester United are now planning to push for an “amazing” midfielder, who has been identified as their top target in the middle of the park, and a £52m offer is in the works.

Man United made it three Premier League wins on the spin for the first time under Ruben Amorim at the weekend, defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2, which means Frank Ilett, also known as ‘The United Strand’ is just two wins away from finally getting a haircut.

The United supporter has already gone over a year without getting a trim, having vowed not to do so until Amorim’s side win five games on the bounce, and only Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur stand in their way after the victory over the Seagulls.

Things are finally looking up for the Red Devils, who have overtaken Liverpool and moved up to sixth in the Premier League table, and Gary Neville has revealed the players have fully bought into Amorim, who has finally staved off some speculation about his future.

Neville said: “The players really like him, they like him a lot … The players really like him and want to do well for him, and I think that’s come through in the last week or so.”

That said, Amorim is still keen to make improvements to his squad, with it well-known the manager wants to bring in a new central midfielder, and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher has emerged as a target, with the United boss approving the move last week.

There has now been a new update on Man United’s pursuit of Gallagher, with a report from Spain revealing the former Chelsea man is their top target in midfield, and they are considering submitting an offer of around €60m (£52m) for his services.

Casemiro replacement: Man Utd prepare to make offer for £60m "duel monster"

Manchester United are preparing to make a move to sign a star who could replace Casemiro in midfield.

ByDan Emery Oct 27, 2025

The Red Devils are planning to push for the midfielder’s signature, and could make a move in the January transfer window, although it is unclear whether Atletico would be willing to sanction a departure.

"Amazing" Gallagher could be solid option for Amorim

Once lauded for his “amazing character” by Frank Lampard, the Englishman is well-known for his stamina, with Nathan Dyer saying: “His work rate is insane. It’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. He just doesn’t stop.”

However, not only does the 25-year-old have a good attitude and work hard, but he is also very skilled at winning possession, placing in the 97th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to other midfielders.

The 22-time England international isn’t prolific in front of goal, but he is certainly capable of contributing on the front foot, chipping in with 18 goals and 13 assists in 136 Premier League appearances, while also scoring once at international level.

Gallagher arguably wouldn’t be the flashiest of signings, but he could be a solid option for Amorim in midfield, given his ability at both ends of the pitch.