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Daniel Farke has reportedly been handed an ultimatum by authoritative figures at Leeds United, with a new report revealing that the German head coach could risk losing his job if he doesn't manage to eke out a win in his side's upcoming fixtures against Liverpool and Chelsea this week. Farke has been under tremendous pressure in recent weeks after Leeds dropped into the relegation zone.

• Farke walking a tightrope at Leeds United

  Senior figures at Leeds United expect Farke to lose his job if he cannot inspire his team to turn their fortunes around this week, according to a report from . The club will host title contenders Chelsea and reigning champions Liverpool at Elland Road on Wednesday and Saturday, but failure to win either game could jeopardise Farke's position at the club. 

  There is "sympathy for him in some quarters owing to a belief that results have not reflected some positive performances," which could be suggestive of the notion that the German head coach's job hangs in balance. Leeds collected eight points from their opening six league encounters, but are since experiencing a barren stretch of results which has seen them lose six of their last seven outings – four of them in succession. 

  Despite being backed with a £100 million (€114m/$132m) summer investment, Leeds find themselves battling for survival after a 100-pointer campaign in the Championship last season, which saw them win the second-tier. Following their most recent loss, a gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat at the Etihad against Manchester City, they are left languishing in 18th position on the Premier League. The good news is that a few positive results will give them breathing room and buy Farke the leeway he requires to save his job. The bad news? There's not much time – or hope – left for that to happen, with Chelsea and Liverpool's challenges on the horizon.

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  Fans have started losing patience with Farke

  On November's penultimate weekend, Leeds hosted Aston Villa after slipping into the relegation zone for the first time this season, following Nottingham Forest's shock 3-0 shellacking of Liverpool at Anfield and West Ham's draw with Bournemouth. 

  Things looked bright for the home side afer Lukas Nmecha fired his team into the lead in the eighth minute. However, all the hard work was undone courtesy a brilliant second-half brace from the magnificent Morgan Rogers. 

  While the loss undeniably soured the mood, the real spectacle came courtesy of a 61-year-old passionate Leeds fan. Seething with anger, he stormed from the stands and onto the pitch midway through the match, trying to confront Farke near the Leeds dugout, before being escorted off by stadium stewards. The fan got to within several yards of the technical area to bawl out at the 49-year-old, but the Leeds boss was totally unaware of everything else that had been unfolding before his eyes at Elland Road that day.

  "Everyone is disappointed," Farke told reporters after the game. "I don't want one change in our supporters. I don't want them to be happy after (we have lost) and to give some plaudits. 

  "We have a very passionate fan-base, and this is what we want – it's a privilege. I don't want our supporters to change one per cent. They should be angry and disappointed. I feel exactly the same, and for that, we would expect it, that it's like this. I totally understand this."

• Farke wants to keep Leeds 'in the promised land'

  Ahead of Leeds' opening day encounter against Everton in August, Farke made a determined vow to lead the club back to where it belongs – among the best in the Premier League. “I’ve always been in the mindset not to do the selfish things in my career, but to do things when I’m convinced ‘I need to do this’,” Farke said. “I want to leave this club in a better place than when I arrived. I’m just focused on taking the next step for Leeds United. I want to keep this club in the promised land. It’s a club which belongs in the Premier League. The fanbase is second to none.”

  However, the reality stands in stark contrast, far from anything imagined more than three words since that promise, with Leeds ominously navigating relegation waters and Farke on the verge of being relieved of his duties.

  In any case, Farke remains committed to the cause and has shown enough conviction to turn things around, at least as far as his words are concerned. "No. We don't have to speak about this topic, because this is not a topic I think one second about, really not," he responded when asked if he has received any reassurances from Leeds' hierarchy.

  "It's not the question I am worried one second about. If you can't handle the heat, don't become a manager of Leeds United."

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  Speculation suggests Leeds are already looking for replacements

  According to the rumour mill, Leeds have started preparing for life after Farke. Two prime candidates who could be approached by the club in the near future are Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou. 

  Rodgers stunned Celtic supporters last month when he announced that he would be stepping down from his job at Parkhead. If reports are to be believed, he is eager for a Premier League return. 

  On the other hand, Postecoglou has had an exhausting past six months. He was sacked by Spurs right after they won the Europa League, but made an immediate return to coaching by taking over a struggling Nottingham Forest side following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo. The Australian, though, lasted only eight winless games before being let go of. It is said that he's not aiming for a return to managerial duties at the moment, but the Leeds job could interest him nonetheless.

Stats highlights from the third day’s play between England and India at Lord’s

Sampath Bandarupalli12-Jul-20251:58

Manjrekar: Rahul hasn’t put a foot wrong

9 Number of Tests in which teams have tied their first-innings scores, including the Lord’s Test between England and India.5 350-plus totals for India in five innings in this series, after they scored 387 at Lord’s. Only once before has a team had five consecutive 350-plus totals in an away Test series – India did it against England in 2002.4 Four hundreds for KL Rahul in Tests in England and all of them as an opener. No other Indian opener has more than two Test tons in England. By scoring 100 at Lord’s on Saturday, it was also the first time in his career that Rahul scored more than one century in a Test series.Related

• Big-game Stokes pushes his limits to keep England alive

• 'Disappointing for both of us' – Rahul says rush for century led to Pant run-out

2 Indian batters with multiple Test hundreds at Lord’s. Dilip Vengsarkar scored three in four Tests at Lord’s, while Rahul has two, having scored one in 2021.Rahul is also one of four visiting openers with multiple Test tons at Lord’s. Bill Brown, Gordon Greenidge and Graeme Smith also have two centuries as openers at Lord’s.3 Number of 100-plus partnerships between Rahul and Rishabh Pant in Tests in England, the most for an Indian pair. Their previous two century stands were 204 at The Oval in 2018 and 195 at Leeds in 2025.8 Fifty-plus scores for Pant in Tests in England, the joint most for a visiting wicketkeeper in a country. MS Dhoni also has eight fifty-plus scores in England.36 Sixes hit by India so far in this series, the most by a team in an away Test series. The previous highest was 32 by West Indies against India in 1974-75 and also by New Zealand against Pakistan in the U.A.E. in 2014.6 Number of bowlers on both sides to bowl at least ten overs in their respective first innings at Lord’s. the last time this happened was in 2009, in the Bridgetown Test between West Indies and England.

Both teams have a potent spin attack, with Tahir, Moeen and Motie in Amazon Warriors, and Narine, Tariq and Hosein in TKR

Deivarayan Muthu20-Sep-2025

Big picture: A battle of two spin attacks

Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). Another chapter will be added to the CPL’s fiercest rivalry when the two teams face each other at Providence in Sunday’s final.Former Amazon Warrior Nicholas Pooran is in his first season as TKR captain, leading their push for the title, with 425 runs in 12 innings. He has been peaking at the crunch, with scores of 90* and 50 in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively.Amazon Warriors and TKR have met in two finals previously. In 2018, in Tarouba, under Dwayne Bravo’s captaincy, TKR had outplayed Amazon Warriors, with Bravo later coming out and suggesting a video of Guyanese fans trampling on a Trinidad & Tobago flag was extra motivation for TKR to beat Amazon Warriors.Five years later, Amazon Warriors demolished TKR at Providence under Imran Tahir to win their maiden title. Bravo is no longer an active player; he has taken over as TKR’s head coach, while Tahir, 46, continues to light up the CPL with his variations and celebrations. Tahir has formed a potent spin combination with Moeen Ali and Gudakesh Motie, the supremely talented left-arm fingerspinner who can also bowl left-arm wristspin to left-hand batters. Having also won the Global Super League (GSL) earlier this year, Amazon Warriors will be hungry to add another title to their cabinet this year.TKR also have a deadly spin attack, with Pakistani mystery spinner Usman Tariq providing a point of difference to their bowling. Sunil Narine and his protege Akeal Hosein need no introduction to the region. The battle between the two spin attacks could have a big influence on the result.While TKR face a quick turnaround on Sunday, having just played Qualifier 2 on Friday, Amazon Warriors head into the final on the back of a three-day break.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Form guide

Guyana Amazon Warriors: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Trinbago Knight Riders: WWLLL

In the spotlight: Shai Hope and Usman Tariq

Once regarded as a Test and an ODI batter, Shai Hope has reinvented his T20 batting, earning gigs in T20 leagues around the world – including the IPL and the BBL. While the top order has been hit-or-miss for Amazon Warriors, Hope has been a stable presence at No. 3, topping the run charts this season with 479 runs in 11 innings at an average of over 50 and strike rate of over 130. While his immediate challenge will be to counter TKR’s spin trio, his form also bodes well for West Indies in the long term as they tune up for next year’s T20 World Cup.It’s not often that a spinner outshines Narine, but Usman Tariq managed to do that in both the Eliminator, against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, and Qualifier 2 against St Lucia Kings. Tariq, who is predominantly an offspinner, comes to a near-complete halt as he approaches his delivery stride, which has made it particularly difficult for batters to pick him. With a few variations in his repertoire, he has also fronted up to bowl at the death for TKR in what is his first T20 stint outside of the PSL.

Team news: Amir, Shamar Joseph injured

There is no reason for Amazon Warriors to tweak their XI, unless Shamar Joseph is fit and ready. If that’s the case, he might replace Hassan Khan. Dwaine Pretorius is also nursing a niggle, but Amazon Warriors head coach Lance Klusener expects him to be “fine” for the final.Guyana Amazon Warriors (probable): 1 Ben McDermott, 2 Quentin Sampson, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Hassan Khan/Shamar Joseph 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Imran Tahir (capt)Usman Tariq has been terrific with the ball in his maiden CPL season•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Ahead of the playoffs, Pooran suggested that Mohammad Amir is still injured and is facing a race against time to regain fitness for the knockouts. The Pakistani left-arm quick has not played since September 1, so if he remains unavailable, expect USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar to get another game as Amir’s like-for-like replacement.Trinbago Knight Riders (probable): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Keacy Carty, 5 Darren Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Saurabh Netravalkar, 11 Usman Tariq

Pitch and conditions

Spin to win has been the theme at Providence, and it could well continue on Sunday. Some showers have been forecast for Sunday morning, but the weather is likely to be fine for the evening at Providence.

Stats and trivia: TKR eye fifth title

• Amazon Warriors have faced the Trinidad franchise 14 times at Providence, winning ten, including a one-over eliminator in 2014, and losing four.
• The highlight of that Super Over was a maiden bowled by Narine, who was playing for Amazon Warriors at the time, to Ross Taylor and a young Pooran, who was playing for Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel then.
• Earlier this week, Narine (133) surpassed Bravo (129) to become the top wicket-taker in CPL history.
• Tahir is one strike away from 150 wickets for Amazon Warriors in all T20s. Twenty of those have come in this CPL at an average of 15.60 and economy rate of 7.09.
• The T&T franchise is the winningest CPL team, with four titles in their kitty so far. They last won a title in 2020, when they enjoyed an unbeaten run.
  

  Quotes

  “Look, it’s a great feeling to be in the final in front of our home crowd. Playing in Guyana is something very special. We have been up and down this season, but always a good feeling, and to be a champion, we need to be very hungry.”
  “It’s really important to come together in a tournament like this, especially with the type of players we have in our team. The last couple of years has been challenging for us, and especially here in Guyana, it hasn’t been on our side. But this group has been really amazing.

Over time, we have seen some iconic central defenders come and go, with Italy especially having the knack of producing some of the greatest centre-backs football has ever witnessed.

From Paolo Maldini to Franco Baresi, Gli Azzurri have had some of the best, but who ranks at the top as the premier centre-back?

The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 20, 2025

Here is a look at 20 of the greatest central defenders in footballing history, factoring in their longevity, consistency at the highest level, while also highlighting team and personal accolades.

20

Fernando Hierro

Starting the countdown is Fernando Hierro, who made more than 600 appearances for Real Madrid during a 14-year stint at the Bernabeu.

Even capable of playing in a defensive midfield role if required, Hierro had unbelievable ability on the ball for a centre-back, something which helped him play in the Premier League at the age of 39. The Spaniard won five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with Madrid.

19

Giorgio Chiellini

One of numerous Italians on the list is Giorgio Chiellini, who retired in 2023 at the age of 39 after a glittering 23-year career.

A no-nonsense defender with his aggressive, physical, and tenacious approach, Chiellini proved that an old-fashioned defender can still star in the modern game.

He spent 18 years with Juventus, winning nine Serie A titles and the European Championships with Italy.

18

Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva is one of those defenders who got better with age, starring in Italy, France and England with AC Milan, PSG and Chelsea.

A Champions League winner, Silva was an exceptional reader of the game and made defending at the highest level look incredible easy, while also having brilliant passing vision.

Nicknamed the ‘monster’ due to his imposing playing style, Silva possesses much more quality than just his physical ability.

17

Rio Ferdinand

Compared to Pele by a youth coach at just 11 years of age, Rio Ferdinand transformed into one of England’s best ever centre-backs across a 19-year career.

Quick and agile in his prime, Ferdinand was an extremely composed centre-back and great reader of the game.

Inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, he won six top flight titles with Man Utd, while also captaining Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to Champions League glory in 2008.

16

Jaap Stam

Another iconic Red Devils centre-back was Jaap Stam, however, his stay at Man Utd was much shorter and his exit was a decision Ferguson regretted the most in his career.

A powerful defender in the air and quick across the grass, Stam was named as the Dutch Player of the Year in 1997 and also won the Champions League at Old Trafford.

15

Ronald Koeman

Continuing the Netherlands theme takes us to Ronald Koeman, who is the greatest goalscoring central defender the game has seen.

Incredibly, Koeman scored more than 250 goals during his career, impressing with his long-range shooting, free kick ability and reliability as a penalty taker.

A European Cup winner with PSV and Barcelona, Koeman, who sometimes played in midfield, was even the Champions League top scorer in 1994, and his defensive attributes were also world-class.

14

​​​Lilian Thuram

​​​Lilian Thuram saved his only two France goals for the biggest stage, a World Cup semi final win over Croatia in 1998.

Known as an incredibly athletic defender in his prime, Thuram, who can also be considered one of football’s greatest ever right-backs, also starred centrally during a 17-year career which saw him star for Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona.

Thuram won the World Cup and Euros and was named France’s Player of the Year in 1997.

13

Marcel Desailly

Nicknamed The Rock, Marcel Desailly starred for France across 11 years, helping his country win the World Cup in 1998 and then the Euros in 2000 alongside Thuram.

He was named in the team of the tournaments for both of those triumphs, and at club level, Desailly starred for Nantes, AC Milan and Chelsea.

A versatile centre-back who led by example, Desailly improved any side he went into and arguably went under the radar during his career.

12

Virgil van Dijk

Arguably the best centre-back in world football since his move to Liverpool in 2018, Virgil van Dijk has helped transform the Reds into winners again.

Van Dijk has it all and makes defending look incredibly easy at the highest level. Physical presence, speed, ability on the ball, world-class attackers have struggled to get past the Dutchman on a regular basis.

One of the most expensive centre-backs in history, Van Dijk has been worth every penny of the £75m Liverpool spent.

11

Carles Puyol

A Barcelona and Spain legend, Carles Puyol won everything for club and country and was a part of the most dominant sides the game has ever seen.

Under Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp, Puyol captained Barcelona to La Liga and Champions League glory, while with Spain, he won the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup.

He was named UEFA’s Defender of the Year in 2006 and in the World XI Team of the 21st Century.

Shreyas Iyer didn’t get a century on his Punjab Kings captaincy debut, but he’s put his money where his mouth is, with his eyes on the prize

Ekanth26-Mar-20252:12

‘Probably Shreyas Iyer’s best IPL innings’

The value of every run in cricket is the same, until it isn’t. After a point, it is less hard-earned currency and more arithmetic operation. Framing the equation is the only luxury the batter gets. It’s one Shreyas Iyer was afforded on 97, on debut as Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain, with his team on 220 with an over to go: 97 + 3 = 100. Straightforward.But Iyer wasn’t in the mood for all that. Instead, he left it to Shashank Singh – his batting partner who was the team’s designated finisher – and sent what we can think of as a message for everyone in the team: “Shashank, don’t be like ‘ (I’m close to a hundred), just play your shots and finish it well’.” As it turned out, the equation that was set in motion was 220 + 23 = 243.The run economy was in dire straits on an Ahmedabad flatty. But those 23 runs that came from Shashank off Gujarat Titans’ (GT) Mohammed Siraj in the final over were telling in this IPL 2025 match. PBKS won by 11 runs, yes, but – back to the math – they had 27 to defend in the final over of the chase.Related

• Vyshak 'changes the game' on a night Siraj makes the wrong decisions

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“Getting those extra 40 runs, especially after 200, because we had set [that as] a benchmark, that on this wicket, where the ball is also stopping a bit and turning, helping the spinners, that was our mindset,” Iyer, the Player of the Match, said on the broadcast afterwards. “But with the dew coming in, we knew that the scenario would be changing. Thankfully, we were able to execute and the way he [Shashank] performed was simply brilliant.”The relativity in the value of runs is often a curse for teams batting first. It’s not until the end of the game that they can tell if they made enough or too few (even if it’s one run).Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have meddled with that order by attacking throughout the innings. However, that is somewhat contingent on batting conditions and the Impact Player rule. When it all clicks, wickets are incidental. For PBKS, it became that when Iyer went out to bat in the fourth over and nailed a “confidence-boosting” on-drive off Kagiso Rabada, followed by a flicked six in a 14-run over.Shreyas Iyer took his risks, and they came off•Getty ImagesYet, Rabada was brought back for another over in the powerplay – wickets might be incidental at times, but early wickets are substantial. So, from a bowling team’s point of view, there’s good reason to exhaust three of the four overs of the strike bowler early rather than save them for later, when they might encounter set batters.Rabada’s first ball of that sixth over was a jaffa – in the channel, rising from a length – that Iyer nearly nicked off. He was beaten again, on the flick, by a 146kph full delivery next ball, and survived what turned out to be a bad review for lbw. Call it a dodgy bet but if one of those two had led to Iyer’s wicket, then keeping Rabada on would have been as good a captaincy decision as a batter sacrificing strike in the last over.Such variability is why No. 3s anchor the innings, if they can see off good bowlers and play themselves in, they have the chance to bat long and hold an innings together. But when Iyer got back on strike for the last ball of the over, the earlier events didn’t matter. Short third was in, deep point was back, and the shortish ball was glided through the gap.Iyer had wanted to mark the No. 3 spot for the season, and PBKS want to establish themselves as a force in a way they have struggled to previously. So why an anchor when you can zoom away like a speedboat?Shashank Singh and Shreyas Iyer walk off after adding 81 in just 28 balls•IPLSome of the risks that Iyer took didn’t come with insurance. That flicked six off Rabada in the powerplay went over deep square-leg, the only outfielder on the leg-side boundary. He was nearly caught on the same boundary in the 17th over, but Rabada stepped on the boundary cushion with ball in hand.However, it was in the takedown of R Sai Kishore, who had 2 for 3 after two overs, that Iyer’s bravado was on full display. PBKS had slipped to 108 for 4 in 12 overs after a 73-run powerplay, and there was need for consolidation but also the risk of stagnation. So Iyer made room first ball and went inside-out over long-off, and the heave two balls later was off the bottom of the bat, yet the ball sailed over long-on.Iyer struck 35 off 12 short and short-of-length deliveries, his strike rate was above 180 against every bowler by the end of it, and he was – as Ravi Shastri said on air – “batting like a three-million-dollar man”. It’s too early to say if PBKS have hit the jackpot with the INR 26.75 crore auction purchase, but their captain looks willing to put his money where his mouth is, with his eyes on the prize from day one.

The 31-year-old will retire from international cricket on Sunday to become a full-time police officer

Shashank Kishore12-Oct-2024Lorna Jack-Brown’s job as a police officer in Edinburgh has taken her down dark alleys. In 2018, when it took a mental toll, she almost retired from international cricket.From nearly walking away from the sport, Jack-Brown, the wicketkeeper-batter, has been able to tick off a “life dream” of playing in Scotland’s first-ever T20 World Cup. On Sunday, against England in Sharjah, she will retire as Scotland’s most-capped woman cricketer, bringing the curtains down on a career that would’ve spanned nearly 18 years.At 31, a full-time career in the police force beckons.Related

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“If I was able to play this far, it’s only because I got help when I needed it,” Jack-Brown reflects. “I realised my work had been taking a toll on me gradually. When it got to a stage where I’d refuse to train, get panic attacks and look for reasons not to play cricket, I knew something was wrong.”Jack-Brown sought help by enrolling at Scotland Institute of Sport. They discovered her stress triggers were because of her police work. As an officer who deals with domestic and sexual abuse, Jack-Brown says she has seen “all kinds of not so nice stuff.””Not that there’s really any nice crime,” she quickly adds. “I certainly went through a few doors and have seen a few crime scenes I never want to see again. I’ve been chucked in front of a bus; I’ve had knives thrown at me. I think the only thing I haven’t had is someone’s throwing out a gun on me, which I’m thankful for.”Jack-Brown’s manner of describing these “interesting experiences” can make her a good screenplay writer for a crime series. She laughs off any prompts when asked if it’s a career waiting to be explored. Her resilience and mental fortitude are impressive.

“We’re here to play in the big leagues too, doesn’t mean we’re cocky, arrogant [laughs]. It’s just me having fun in my final few games”Lorna Jack-Brown

“It’s just hard to understand some of the sights and some of the experiences that I’ve had,” she says. “Even if I’d try to describe it to some of my team-mates, they’d be like ‘sorry, what did you do?’ But yeah, I think it’s not just physical. It does take an absolute mental toll.”This journey of being a police officer was completely accidental. After completing a physical education degree in 2015-16, Jack-Brown spent nine months working for Carnival Cruise Lines in America, “enjoying all the adventure life can offer a twenty-something straight out of college.””It allowed me to see places I’d never be able to otherwise. I had the time of my life. But my nature is such I always want to be doing something different. When I came back from America, a family friend introduced me to the possibility of joining the police.”They were like either you can apply to be a special constable but you wouldn’t be paid or you can apply for the full-time role for which you need to pass an exam. I said ‘bring it on.’ And the next thing I realise is, I’ve prepared and cracked this exam and joined the police [in 2017].”Lorna Jack-Brown with who we think is a very cute cricket fan•Lorna Jack-BrownAfter seven years of juggling two demanding careers, Jack-Brown decided this April, soon after Scotland qualified for the World Cup, that she would draw the curtains on one part of her professional career.”Maybe if we hadn’t qualified, that push to be at another world tournament may have gotten the better of me,” she says. “But I’m very content with my decision. I’ve got a bit going on with my shoulder, a few niggles I need to sort out before I can pick up a cricket bat or throw a ball again.”But yeah, just because I’m retiring from international cricket, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop playing. It’s a good time to step back and allow my wife, who also works in the police, some breathing space because over the past few years, me being at cricket tournaments has meant her exhausting all her paid leaves to take care of our daughter and dogs.”Jack-Brown is also focused on making further inroads into her young police career.”I do want to become a sergeant and then hopefully an inspector,” she says. “I also want to delve into the other units and then get as much experience and then start climbing the ranks if I can. But yeah, that’s a journey of 20 years looking ahead.”For now, Jack-Brown is happy living up to her image as the “bad cop” on the cricket ground. “The other day, when [Tazmin] Brits got out, I celebrated wildly and then suddenly her head snaps back to look at me. She kept staring at me, so I was like, ‘I’m gonna keep staring at you too’.”We’re here to play in the big leagues too, doesn’t mean we’re cocky, arrogant [laughs]. It’s just me having fun in my final few games.”Jack-Brown has also been busy planning outings with her parents, who’ve flown in to Dubai to see her wind down a memorable career.”We were at Dubai Mall yesterday, we’ve got the desert safari to look forward to,” she says. “Couple of days of sight-seeing, my final game and they’ll be on the same flight home as us. The other day, I was asked, ‘do you not want to give your mum the business class seat? And I was like no, I don’t want to. I’ve been in this team for 15 years and I’ve never had a business class flight. I was like I’m taking it. It’s probably my reward [laughs] for not giving up, I deserve it.”

Milwaukee Brewers rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski made his highly anticipated Major League debut on June 12, throwing five hitless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. Eight days later he carried a perfect game into the seventh against the Minnesota Twins. It is one of the most impressive opening acts any pitcher has ever put together. And through five starts the righthander has been excellent, posting a 4–1 record with a 2.81 ERA, inflated by a sole misfire against the New York Mets.

So, with 25 innings pitched to his name, he is an All-Star. He'll soon be rubbing shoulders with future Hall of Famers with sparest résumé to share in the game's history. This is a surprising development and there are no shortage of fans and players who downright hate it. Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos made pointed comments about the decision, which left their deserving Phillies teammates Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez to watch from home. Turner called it a joke and terrible. Castellanos wondered whether MLB is turning into the Savannah Bananas. Columnists everywhere are having a field day ripping the perceived publicity stunt and pleading for a return to meritocracy.

Yet one must ask themselves honestly whether that ever existed. The All-Star Game voting process, which allows fans to select starters, is a popularity contest. Sure, in an ideal world the most deserving are rewarded on reasonable sample size. In practice, that doesn't happen. Fans happen. As someone who loves the Detroit Tigers, it's awesome that Javy Baez is starting in Tuesday night's game. As someone with a sense of fairness, something feels askew.

Life is absolutely too short to worry about All-Star game snubs. Baseball enters this week with the best exhibition in all of sports and will leave with that status. People aren't necessarily wrong to cry foul over this and for their sake one hopes they're too busy doing that to realize Misiorowksi is actually in Atlanta because of his first innings.

At some point perhaps they can take a deep breath and realize that Paul Skenes had thrown 66 1/3 innings before starting for the National League last season, which he'll do again on Tuesday. Skenes was more hyped and clearly dominant and no one's ever going to wonder why he was tasked with being the fifth rookie to ever get the ball first in an ASG. His 11 first-half starts tied the previous record for fewest starts by an All-Star Game starter, set by rookie Mark Fidrych in 1976. Hideo Nomo had been on the mound 13 previous times in 1995. Fernando Valenzuela made 14 starts in his stunning 1981 first half. The Washington Senators' Dave Stenhouse made 15 in 1962.

These All-Star Games turned out to be the apex of Fidrych's and Stenhouse's careers. Valenzuela and Nomo had long and productive careers. It's not super premature to start planning a weekend in Cooperstown around Skenes and pray for no injuries. Point is, with these pitching comets, it's a speculative market. Prior performance does not ensure future results. So how crazy is it that Misiorowski is being given extra credit for barely a tease? Maybe not as wild as one may think when you make a more accurate comparison. Yet that presents what makes the decision strange.

Fidrych talked to the ball and took pictures with Big Bird. Valenzuela owned Los Angeles at 19. Nomo was a great unknown and a peak at a new international market. Dontrelle Willis was appointment television during his rookie year of 2003. Carlos Perez delighted with his intensity and antics for the Montreal Expos in 1995. Those latter two would find themselves in All-Star Game relief duty.

The difference with Misiorowksi, in addition to the service time, is that there hasn't been the same organic buzz or phenomenon growing. Perhaps it's correct to say there hasn't been enough time. All the previous versions of this type of pitcher has spawned a reaction whereas in this case it feels like baseball is doing something proactive.

Like the with "fetch," it's not unfair to say baseball is trying to make Misiorowski happen. That is not the worst thing in the world. They want to spark intrigue among viewers and consumers. He's being treated no differently than a stock that's shown impressive early returns. The great part here is that the stakes are remarkably low. If he looks hittable in the second half, no one will care because it'll be on to the next great injustice. And plenty of other one-time All-Stars have faded out of the public eye as quickly as they came.

Or this could be the greatest thing to ever happen to him. A fun story about clean slates and wide-open futures. Something to care about and someone to root for or against based on perception. Imagine two months ago being told that you would have a strong Jacob Misiorowski opinion. Imagine being confident you have the correct one now, with almost nothing to go on.

India batted 143 overs in the third innings to save the Test, with Gill, Rahul, Washington and Jadeja all contributing

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-20252:09

Manjrekar: ‘Warriors’ keep sprouting for India when needed

India captain Shubman Gill has hailed his team’s fighting effort to secure a draw heading into the final Test at The Oval with the visitors still in with a chance of sharing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Gill was at the forefront of India’s fight, putting together 188 for the third wicket with KL Rahul. More importantly, the duo batted for nearly 70 overs after India had lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan in the very first over, with India trailing by 311.”From 0 for 2, then the partnership KL and I had, I think that ignited [the spark] yes, we can achieve this task”, Gill told . “Extremely happy. To be able to get a draw from the position we were in yesterday is extremely satisfying. This innings of mine was the most pleasing to me.”Related

• Stats – Gill level with Gavaskar and Bradman; Jadeja in elite list

• Gill on the dramatic end: Jadeja and Washington 'deserved a century there'

• India's grit outlasts England's endurance to make 2-2 a possibility

Gill brought up his fourth century of the series, drawing level with Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar for most centuries in a series in England. It took Gill’s series aggregate to 722, which is 52 short of Gavaskar’s all-time record for most runs in a series by an Indian.Rahul, meanwhile, took his series tall to 511 – the first time he’s passed 500 runs or more in a series – en route a typically stodgy 90, his fourth score of fifty or more so far this series.Gill was equally effusive in his praise for the calmness Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar showed, after he fell for 103 in the second session while wafting at a Jofra Archer delivery. At 222 for 4, with both set batters dismissed, India were still 91 behind with Shardul Thakur, three lower-order batters and an injured Rishabh Pant still to come.2:34

Has Washington nailed his spot in India’s Test XI?

Jadeja fought his way through to score his fifth score of fifty or more in six innings. His fifth Test century, which he raised with a six during the last hour after England were keen to shake hands for the draw, was full of pluck. Having been dropped first ball at first slip by Joe Root off Archer, Jadeja batted through without any further alarms to remain unbeaten on 107.Washington, whose previous best was 96 against England in 2021, also brought up his century, his first in Test cricket. Washington, who began the series at No. 8, earned a promotion to No. 5 in Pant’s absence. The partnership between the two was worth an unbroken 203 for the fifth wicket when both teams eventually shook hands for the draw.”When Jaddu and Washy were batting, it wasn’t easy,” Gill observed. “The ball was doing something, but the way they calmly batted and got Test centuries from there tells you how big of an achievement it is.”Explaining their thought process as they began the prospect of salvaging a draw early on day four, Gill said: “To be able to have the same mindset for 140 [143] overs is very difficult. That’s what is the difference between a good team from a great team. We showed today why we’re a great team.”