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Three years after winning the Under-19 World Cup, left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal looks ready for the red-ball grind

Deivarayan Muthu01-Sep-2025He was India’s highest wicket-taker during their run to the 2022 Under-19 World Cup title in the Caribbean. He was also impressive with both ball and bat in the 2025 Maharashtra Premier League (MPL). He has been with Delhi Capitals (DC) as a reserve player in the IPL for three seasons and is now preparing to make the step-up across formats. His Maharashtra captain Ankit Bawne introduced him as a “future star” to reporters in Chennai during the Buchi Babu tournament last month. Get acquainted with 23-year-old left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal.Just weeks after winning the Under-19 World Cup in February 2022, Ostwal was fast-tracked into Maharashtra’s Ranji Trophy side. But he needed more time to mature and adapt to red-ball cricket in particular. After making occasional appearances for Maharashtra since, Ostwal is now staking his claim for a more regular spot this season.Having emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the Under-23 CK Nayudu tournament, Ostwal came away as Maharashtra’s highest wicket-taker in the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament as well, with 13 strikes in two games at an average of 17.23 and economy rate of 2.64. He credits the Under-23 tournament for bridging the gap between Under-19 cricket and the Ranji Trophy.Related

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“It’s always a process for a spinner to make a spot in the team,” Ostwal told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “I’m still fighting for it. I’ve played five Ranji games on and off, but the CK Nayudu has been my core after that Under-19 World Cup. Whatever I play – CK Nayudu or Ranji – the aim is to make Maharashtra win. Playing for Maharashtra is a [matter of] prestige. The aim is always to win trophies for Maharashtra.”Hailing from Lonavala, a hill station on the Mumbai-Pune highway, Ostwal used to travel to Mumbai to hone his skills at the Vengsarkar Academy in Churchgate. But after he realised that he was ineligible to play tournaments in Mumbai (only players born in the city can play MCA tournaments), he tried to build a career in Maharashtra. He again commuted in crowded trains for hours on a daily basis from Lonavala to Pune, where he joined the Varroc Vengsarkar Academy.”That journey is something special,” Ostwal recalled. “Because it showed me how passionate I was about cricket and how badly I wanted to play cricket. My dad used to support me during all these travels. When I look back at it, I feel very nice and special about it. The hard work is all paying off now.”Ostwal is a tall fingerspinner like R Sai Kishore and when on song, he keeps the stumps in play like his idol Ravindra Jadeja. He has the ability to bowl long spells, something that was on display during his Ranji debut against Vidarbha in Sultanpur in 2022, when he wheeled away for 44 overs.Vicky Ostwal has spent three seasons with Delhi Capitals in the IPL•BCCI”As a spinner, bowling long spells is your job,” Ostwal said. “You have to hold one end tight, make things happen and make them [batters] play a rash shot. Every first-class spinner that has been successful in India holds one end up tightly and brings crucial wickets at crucial times. That’s what I want to do for Maharashtra as well.”Ostwal didn’t get a game at DC across three seasons in the IPL, but he used the training sessions to pick the brains of Axar Patel and Ricky Ponting.”The game sense improved after the IPL,” Ostwal said. “You can be a little bit ahead of the game and sometimes read the situations quite early and then get into the act earlier. That helps you be proactive.”And bowling to Rishabh Pant was the most difficult thing as a left-arm spinner. Axar gave me tips on Test bowling and T20 bowling, which I’m able to implement. Ricky Ponting sir also helped me during my three years with Delhi Capitals. So, all in all, it was a good time there.”In the recent MPL, Ostwal strengthened his T20 credentials with his accurate bowling and pinch-hitting at the top of the order for Raigad Royals in their run to the final. He picked up nine wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of 7.09 – the best among bowlers who had bowled more than 30 overs during the season.

“I have worked a lot on my batting over the past few years because being a spinner doesn’t always do the job for your team.”Vicky Ostwal

Midway through the tournament, Ostwal was promoted as an opener and he responded with 74 off 54 balls in the Eliminator against Kolhapur Tuskers. Ostwal has ambitions of becoming a proper allrounder in the future.”I have worked a lot on my batting over the past few years because being a spinner doesn’t always do the job for your team,” he said. “If you can contribute 30-40 runs down the order, it’s always a great help for the team.”About the T20 game [Eliminator], I think when my team wasn’t doing well up the order, I told my coach that I can go up the order and maybe smack a few and give the momentum to the team. I want to be an allrounder. Even in the CK Nayudu Trophy, I contributed with the bat, scoring hundreds at No. 6 or No. 7.”Having enjoyed success in Under-19 and Under-23 cricket, the higher levels are waiting for Ostwal now.

Even when he took 7 for 70, in the second Test against Sri Lanka, he had to share the limelight

Danyal Rasool27-Jul-2023Like that least favourite child parents simply don’t talk about unless they are in the running for a Nobel Prize, followers of Pakistan cricket don’t really bring up Noman Ali much. He’s a spinner, for one – a left armer at that. Quiet, under the radar. He’s not even like those flashy lower-order batters who entertain at the crease, and so devoid of the rub of the green that blesses so many Pakistan cricketers he even found a way to run himself out as a nightwatcher the previous Test. Oh, and he doesn’t really spin the ball that much. If you were conjuring up an unsexy cricketer in a lab, you would base it on Noman and then dial it down a bit.There’s always a reason not to talk about Noman, and on Thursday, Naseem Shah offered it up on a platter. Naseem is the anti-Noman. He’s a fast bowler with boyish good looks, pace to compete with the best, conventional and reverse swing with frightening control, and a hairline that takes pride of place among the pantheon of Pakistan fast bowlers. He’s got his whole career ahead of him, and no signs yet that he’s anywhere near the best version of himself. He will grow into his body, put on a bit more muscle, and gain both experience and confidence. His fandom, boyband-like in its devotion, will grow into a legion.But Noman is blessed with something that often eludes flashier, more talented cricketers: he understands perfectly both his role and his limitations. He only came into the side two years ago because Pakistan needed an extra spinner against South Africa, and hung around as Yasir Shah faded away, and Abrar Ahmed wasn’t yet ready. It’s a barren time for red-ball spin-bowling talent in Pakistan, and Noman knows when you’re that hard up, anything will do. Even the drip, drip, drip from a leaky faucet.Related

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Noman has had to do the jobs no one else will, and he’d done them without complaint, receiving little praise in return. Just three Tests ago, while New Zealand batted Pakistan out of the game across 195 dreary overs, Noman sent down 63. In 2022, on a placid pitch in Karachi against Australia, he bowled 48 for little reward. When he has got wickets, he’s been easily overshadowed – by Hasan Ali on debut, by Shaheen Afridi in Zimbabwe, and by an ICC pitch rating against Australia.This was a perfect Test match for Pakistan, but they weren’t getting wickets, and who could predict the weather in Colombo on day five? Pakistan had already lost a lot of time to rain and arguably dawdled on the declaration, and Sri Lanka had laid a respectable foundation with their openers. Naseem, Shaheen and Abrar had, of course, all been tried first, but when each returned empty-handed, Babar Azam threw the ball to Noman.Few could begrudge Nishan Madushka for falling to that first ball, in equal parts because of the quality of the delivery and the unlikeliness of the source of it. Noman found his radar immediately, drifting it in, landing it on middle, and getting it to grip just enough to beat the outside edge while still clipping the outer half of off stump. It wasn’t just effective, but it was – whisper it quietly – actually sexy.Perhaps Noman’s been doing this all along, and we just haven’t noticed, and maybe that says something about us just as much as it does about him. Because few will remember that ball, or the six others that helped blow the game open and ensure Pakistan didn’t need to play dice with the rain gods. For, at the other end, Naseem, while going wicketless, was sending down a spell for the ages. Just after lunch, he produced four maiden overs on the trot, somehow being attacker and container all in one, even as Noman picked up wickets from the other end. The spinner has held things up for the quicker bowlers for much of his career, but in a strange inversion, the lead actor was returning the favour to his supporting cast.Naseem Shah needed only six balls to pick up the last three Sri Lankan wickets•AFP/Getty ImagesEven so, as Noman picked up his fifth, sixth and seventh wickets, and whispers of ten began to echo around, the limelight still found reasons to stray away from him. Because Naseem was bowling a spell whose worth couldn’t be measured in numbers. The drama rose to a crescendo in the 62nd over. By this time, Naseem was getting the ball to reverse with a mastery that takes most a career to perfect. Three times he beat bat, three times Hawkeye showed the ball was reversing too much. As Naseem sunk his face into the Colombo dirt in despair, the technology had in effect told him he was simply too good to get that wicket.But Noman’s role, remarkable as it was, had come to a conclusion. Naseem hasn’t often been kept waiting for what he wants, and normal service resumed as the prince of Pakistan’s fast bowling took centre stage. Noman had cleared the path for a shot at the tail, removing the charmed Ramesh Mendis who had somehow survived that over from Naseem. It took the 20-year-old all off six deliveries to wrap up the final three.Even as Noman led the team off, the cameras showed what people really wanted to see. An extended shot of Naseem, surrounded by his team-mates as they laughed, joked, and played with his hair. The boy who got three wickets may have deserved more, but none would begrudge the man who picked up seven even a single one. Slow left-arm spin might not be glamorous, but there’s no taking the sheen off figures of 7 for 70. Only one visiting cricketer has ever managed to do better in an innings in Sri Lanka.And that, as Noman might be too modest to point out, is even rarer than a Nobel Prize.

Justin Langer was the right coach for Australia after the ball-tampering scandal. But is he still the right man for the job?

Andrew McGlashan20-Aug-2021If the walls of the Adelaide hotel where the Australians are currently in quarantine could talk, they would have some stories to tell about the last week.Things have been tense in the men’s team for some time (remember Marnus Labuschagne’s toasted sandwich?) largely because they haven’t been winning, and it has been heightened by the bio-bubble and quarantine life that is currently part of international cricket.Related

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Having returned home from a tour that finished with them bowled out for 62, an argument with an in-house journalist, which did not initially stem from Justin Langer, became public and things took off from there. Details from the inner circle (Langer didn’t want players on the microphone in a T20I) were used to emphasise the coach’s intense character. The CEO intervened with a statement of support (good job this isn’t football). Emergency phone calls and Zoom meetings took place between the top executives and the captains. Former team-mates of Langer came out in his support; Matthew Hayden went at it with the same force with which he used to take down opening bowlers. Aaron Finch stopped short of a full endorsement, but Tim Paine spoke in a way that suggested some heads had been banged together. It was exhausting.For a moment in midweek, there was a feeling it may have reached the point of no return, but by Friday, things had stepped back from the brink. The quarantine period of those in Adelaide ends on Tuesday and people can return home and take a deep breath – although for some it will be straight back into lockdowns.

None of the comments in recent days attempting to dampen tensions have talked about Langer’s contract beyond its expiry next May. It could have got to the situation where success complicates the matter unless relationships really can be repaired.

Amid all this, Australia’s T20 World Cup squad was named. The same issues remain, but it’s as strong as it could be with an infusion of excitement around Josh Inglis’ call-up. Whether team spirit can be repaired in time remains to be seen but having the best players available again is at least a start.The crux of the argument is around whether Langer’s strengths have also become his weakness (a bit like a batter who has a great cover drive but keeps nicking behind). He cares deeply. Almost every piece has referenced the respect he is held in for what he achieved as a player. He was the type of coach Australia needed in 2018 after the ball-tampering scandal, but is he the right coach now?Writing in , Mike Atherton gave one of the more balanced assessments and drew comparisons with the end of the Andy Flower era for England. “It may be that these types of coaches – Eddie Jones in rugby would be similar – have a certain shelf life, because of the intensity of the atmosphere they generate and the high standards they demand,” he wrote. “The opposite would be a coach who tries to create a clubbable environment by doing very little, in which players are happy and feel free to express themselves. It may be that a certain type of coach fits a team at a certain stage of their development, or that the best coaches are able to wax and wane according to their team’s needs.”If all this is being forced by player power, they aren’t exactly coming at it with a handful of aces•Getty ImagesHe also cautioned that Australia “should be careful what they wish for” when it comes to change.It may be over-simplifying things, but if Paine had held his catches on the final day at the SCG or Australia had bowled India out at the Gabba, it’s unlikely this situation would have taken place. Or even just bowling the overs quicker in Melbourne. They would not have lost the series, would probably have won and have reached the World Test Championship final. It’s a philosophical debate – one of cricket’s chicken or egg moments – whether winning breeds a happy dressing room or vice versa, but if this is being forced by player power, they aren’t exactly coming at it with a handful of aces.These sorts of issues in a team never happen at a good time, but this is really the last thing Cricket Australia needs to be dealing with right now. They are facing significant challenges to get the season played as scheduled because of Covid-19, certainly this side of Christmas, beginning next month with the visit of the India women’s side. Tensions have grown over how the men’s Ashes series will work. You can imagine what Nick Hockley’s inbox looks like right now.The concern will be whether the last 48 hours have just been an effort in papering over cracks to avoid massive upheaval on the eve of a new season. There is a lot of high-pressure cricket in the coming months, although on England’s current form they may not provide much of a challenge in the Ashes. However, even that may not be a good thing. None of the comments in recent days attempting to dampen tensions have talked about Langer’s contract beyond its expiry next May. It could have got to the situation where success complicates the matter unless relationships really can be repaired.

كشف مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك، عن تطورات جديدة تخص ملف اللاعبين الأجانب في الفريق، وسط حالة توتر نتيجة تأخر المستحقات المالية لأشهر طويلة.

وأكد المصدر، أن عدد من اللاعبين حركوا إنذارات قانونية تجاه النادي من خلال محامي خاص، في ظل غياب الحلول لصرف المتأخرات، وهو ما يضع الإدارة تحت ضغط كبير قبل الميركاتو الشتوي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خاص | بعد صدامه الأخير.. لاعب الزمالك يبحث عن عرض خليجي في يناير

وأوضح المصدر عبر بطولات: “حتى الآن، ليس هناك فسخ للعقود لكل من محمود بنتايج وخوان بيزيرا وآدم كايد وعدي الدباغ، لكن هناك إنذارات وصلت الزمالك بالفعل بعد انتهاء مهلة الثلاث أشهر القانونية بسبب عدم الحصول على أي مرتبات”.

وأشار المصدر إلى أن اللاعبين الأجانب داخل الزمالك “لا يشعرون بالاستقرار”، ما جعل رغبتهم قوية في الرحيل قبل يناير، بحثًا عن أندية جديدة تضمن حقوقهم المالية في أسرع وقت.

وأوضح أن مشاعر القلق تتزايد بين اللاعبين، خاصة مع غياب وضوح رؤية الإدارة بشأن مستحقاتهم وعدم وجود أي تطمينات عملية لحل الأزمة قبل حلول فترة الانتقالات.

وكشف المصدر أن “مهلة بنتايج وبيزيرا تنتهي بعد أسبوع رسميًا”، ما يعني اقتراب إمكانية فسخ التعاقد من طرفهما إذا لم يتم دفع المستحقات، وهو ما قد يزيد من معاناة الفريق فنيًا.

واختتم المصدر تصريحاته مؤكداً أن الأزمة المالية “لا تخص كرة القدم فقط”، موضحًا أن هناك مشكلة مالية في جميع الألعاب داخل النادي، وأن المجلس عاجز عن سداد تلك الديون في الوقت الحالي.

وكان الثنائي عبد الحميد معالي وصلاح مصدق قد فسخا عقدهما مع الزمالك قبل أيام رسميًا بعد إنذار بمهلة انتهت بسبب عدم حصولهما على مستحقاتهما المالية منذ بداية الموسم الحالي، ويبدو أن هناك المزيد في الطريق.

Manchester City have now reportedly opened talks to sign a teenage gem ahead of both Chelsea and Arsenal in 2026.

Man City obsessed with signing Yan Diomande

It’s all slowly coming together for Pep Guardiola and Man City again, with just two points separating themselves and Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The Citizens sent an impressive statement in midweek, almost a warning shot to Arsenal, when they came from behind to defeat Spanish giants Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. It was a professional, clinical victory and the type that Pep Guardiola’s side will be hoping to carry over against Crystal Palace this weekend.

That said, Guardiola – ever the perfectionist – will be well aware that Man City still have new levels to reach in this new chapter of his iconic tenure and that could see the Citizens turn towards the transfer window.

According to recent reports, Man City have become obsessed with signing Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a move that would complete a deadly front three alongside Erling Haaland and Jeremie Doku.

That spot is arguably the one that is most up for grabs, with Savinho struggling to find last season’s form and Rayan Cherki’s game out of possession yet to reach the levels needed to play every week under Guardiola.

Diomande has enjoyed an excellent breakout campaign in Germany, but he’s not the only young player on Man City’s radar. Those at the Etihad are also reportedly targeting a move to sign 17-year-old talent Oskar Pietuszewski.

Man City open talks to sign Pietuszewski

As reported by TeamTalk, Man City have now opened talks to sign Pietuszewski and are leading the race to sign the Polish teenager ahead of both Arsenal and Chelsea.

Man City showing strong interest in £65m star who looks like the new Sane

Manchester City are primed to do business this winter, should the right opportunity present itself.

By
Angus Sinclair

5 days ago

At just 17 years old, the Jagiellonia winger will reportedly cost interested parties as much as €15 million (£13m) if they decide to make their move in 2026. With scouts from Barcelona, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and others all keeping tabs on Pietuszewski, it’s easy to see why his price tag has been set at such a rate.

After becoming a record-breaker for Poland’s U21 side, scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Pietuszewski a “truly special talent” in impressive praise for the teenager.

The winger has the world at his feet and could yet join up with one of the greatest managers to ever grace the game in Guardiola to take his potential to a whole new level in the process.

"Top-level" £35m maestro with shades of Yaya now a priority Man City target

Major League Baseball experimented with an automated ball-strike system (ABS) this spring training that allowed batters to challenge balls and strikes from the plate and, while the results were promising, they decided not to carry it into the regular season.

On Thursday afternoon, however, it looked like Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras forgot the rule no longer existed.

During Milwaukee's opening day matchup against the Yankees in New York, he was rung up on a slider from pitcher Carlos Rodon. After the call was confirmed by the first base umpire, Contreras attempted to challenge it by tapping the side of his helmet—only to quickly realize his mistake, resulting in this hilarious moment:

Maybe next year.

Milwaukee enters 2025 coming off of a first-place finish (93-69) in the NL Central and a season where their manager, Pat Murphy, won NL Manager of the Year.

When the New York Yankees acquired slugger Juan Soto in a seven-player trade last December, they did so knowing they would be boosting their lineup's ceiling at the expense of their defense, as team captain Aaron Judge shifted from his natural position in right field to center to help accomodate Soto's arrival.

Now, with Soto departing the Bronx for Queens and a record $765 million deal he agreed to with the Mets on the eve of the Winter Meetings, it appears that Judge is set to move back to right field.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, during an interview with YES Network on Monday, said a shift back to right field for Judge would be "likely."

"I think it's likely," Cashman said. "The reason he wound up in center was because we imported Juan Soto. Now that Juan's no longer here, it's hard to fathom that somehow we'll be better aligned to have him back in center. So I would think that he's going to line up back in right field, but stay tuned."

Prior to Soto's acquisition, Judge had made over half his career starts in right field, having only begun playing center field regularly during the 2021 and '22 seasons. While Judge developed into a solid center fielder, he was a Gold Glove-caliber defender in right, so a return to the position would seem to be in the Yankees' best interest. It would also free up center field for the club's No. 1 prospect, Jasson Dominguez, a natural center fielder.

"We have a lane ready to go for Jasson Dominguez, who's healthy again," Cashman continued. "So in theory, not giving it to him [Dominguez] but you could kind of imagine that that's where that would fall, and Judge, in theory, would go to right but we're less than 24 hours after the Soto decision so we gotta get through Dallas, see where this Winter Meetings swap meet takes us and there's always surprises that comes your way."

Regardless of the bats the Yankees potentially import via their Plan B, it's likely that the club doesn't want the soon-to-be 33-year-old Judge taking the majority of his 2025 regular season reps in center.

Judge, who in November was named the unanimous American League MVP, posted a .322/.458/.701 slash line with 58 home runs, 144 RBI, 122 runs scored, 133 walks and 10 stolen bases in 158 games played.

Rishabh Pant shocked everyone by coming out to bat with a broken foot and extending his overnight retired-hurt score of 37 to 54.During this unexpected extension of his innings, he hit his 90th six in Test cricket to go level with Virender Sehwag, India’s highest six-hitter in Test cricket. It took Sehwag 103 Tests to do so; this was Pant’s only 47th Test. Pant went on to get to his fifty with a block with no follow-through that raced along the floor to the cover boundary.Pant injured his right foot during the final session of the first day when, while trying to reverse-sweep Chris Woakes, he ended up playing the full toss onto his boot. He went down in seemingly unbearable pain immediately, and when he removed his sock, it revealed an egg-sized lump.Pant had to be carted off the field in a golf-style buggy, and he went straight for scans. The BCCI is yet to confirm the results of the scans, but ESPNcricinfo understands that he has a fracture and that he is out of the final Test.Related

• How Woakes defied injury to front up in England's hour of need

• Sai Sudharsan fifty guides India after they lose Pant to injury

• Sai Sudharsan brings calm to India's chaos at No. 3

• Pant suffers foot fracture, set to miss remainder of series

Dhruv Jurel will keep wicket for the rest of the Manchester Test, but it was anticipated that Pant would bat only if India needed him desperately.However, Pant was seen in his whites as Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar added 48 for the sixth wicket. Just before lunch on day two, with the score 314 for 6 in conditions where 350 is being seen as above par, Pant walked out to a big applause. He was still in pain, couldn’t do much more than hobble through for his runs, but he hung around for long enough to have 35 runs added while he was at the wicket.During his extended innings, Pant was involved in the running 14 of singles. Once he lost Washington, Pant picked up a slower ball from Jofra Archer and smacked a pull for six before bringing up his fifty. Archer had to produce the unplayable ball – angling in from round the wicket, seaming away, hitting top of off – to get rid of Pant.

Messi's message on MLS salary restrictions might be self-serving, but the larger point about change rings true

Lionel Messi doesn't do enough to promote Major League Soccer – or so we are told. The Argentina and Inter Miami star, since moving to the league, has drawn criticism in some corners for his reluctance to speak. He rarely grants interviews. He's never available to be quizzed by reporters after games.

Messi might have many thoughts. But few hear them, at least publicly.

In the last week, though, he has done two interviews. The timing makes sense. He just signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028. And even if his mere existence in South Florida needs no publicity, these are the standard things you do after committing three more years of your life to America. 

Messi is talking. A little. And most of his words seemed like excellent PR fodder. He said all of the right things about playing for Miami and American soccer. He teased the fact that he might or might not play at the World Cup (Lionel Messi is probably going to play at the World Cup).

But the one comment that has been picked up on repeatedly was in regard to MLS rules. He was asked by an interviewer if he would make any changes to the league. And he knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"Well, for starters, every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants – without limitations or rules for players to bring them in," Messi said.

This is a tired point, to a large degree, and Messi isn't the first to make it. MLS probably should do something about its salary cap rules. But Messi's claim here doesn't read like a careful consideration of financial markets, or the general state of American soccer or flag-waving for the best interests of all 30 MLS teams.

Rather, this sounded an awful lot like a footballer who wants his own way, a player who doesn't talk, speaking up to push for the kind of signings he wants. The funny thing? Now might actually be the time for MLS to listen. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The salary debate

  Messi is not the first to bring up the fact that MLS's byzantine salary rules aren't the best thing in the world. They, more generally, split opinion. It's pretty clear, at this point, that capping spending in some way – as the league currently does – limits the league's capacity to improve in quality.

  But how, exactly, that should be changed is up for debate. Some have said that restrictions should be loosened, that the league should raise the cap. Others have called for a floor, effectively forcing the teams that are loath to spend to raise the base level.

  The most beneficial middle ground would perhaps be the option to open up more designated player spots – and allow for more quality signings. Don't want to spend? Fine, but don't prevent other teams from doing so.

  Other stars have picked up on a similar point. Thierry Henry slammed the system more than a decade ago after the Red Bulls lost star player Kenny Cooper due to cap restrictions.

  "If you’re in any other league in the world, you keep your good players. Not in this league,” Henry said in 2013. "That’s just the way it is and that’s why most of the time you see players [moving] and being traded. It is an American way of dealing with things, salary cap, draft, trade."

  There is a fine lineage of complaining here. Messi is now part of it.

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• AFP
  

  What unrestricted spending could do

  It's not hard to figure out what more flexibility would mean, in the context of Messi's words: better players for Miami. There was speculation that the Herons might sign Neymar before the 2025 season. It was a fun story. Neymar and Messi are friends. It would complete another Barcelona reunion in Miami.

  The parties would surely be wonderful for the Brazilian legend.  Miami manager Javier Mascherano was asked about it at MLS media day and ruled out the signing immediately on the grounds that the club simply didn't have the cap flexibility to make it happen.

  "We cannot talk about Ney because we have nothing," Mascherano said. "Obviously, Ney is a great player. Every coach in the world wants him but at the moment, but you know the MLS rules around the salary cap. So for us in this moment, it's impossible to try to think about him."

  At the time, it was a throwaway comment in a room full of reporters. Everyone there knew that Miami couldn't wedge Neymar in under the cap – not at a veteran minimum salary that he certainly would not accept. But Mascherano vocalized that fact: it was a non-starter.

  That does not mean, though, that a removal of a salary cap would encourage Messi to reunite all of his old teammates in Miami. More likely, it would allow for the construction of deeper and more complete rosters – albeit with a clear Albiceleste lineage. In Miami's case that would surely mean the presence of a few Argentine stars.

  It is no secret that Messi has wanted to play with Angel Di Maria again. He probably wouldn't mind having Nicolas Otamendi at centerback, either. And then, there are the others. A deluge of Argentine teenagers – highly rated or otherwise – head to Europe every year to fight for spots.

  But Franco Mastantuono, unlikely to make the grade in the big games at Real Madrid, for example, would be an excellent addition to play on the right for Miami.

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  Miami, cheaters?

  But the more pertinent point here is the fact that Messi is the one saying these words. The rest of MLS has long resented Miami for the way they go about things financially. The Herons have a clear appeal due to would-be signings, and in the past couple of years have deliberately stretched MLS financial rules in order to construct a star-heavy roster.

  The irony? Messi is the one who takes up most of the cash. According to this week's salary release, Messi makes north of $20 million, nearly double the next highest paid player in the league, and more than the total spend of 21 other teams in MLS.

  Throw in the hefty $8.8M that they pay to soon-to-retire Sergio Busquets, and their spending only gets more extravagant. In order to piece together the pieces around them, Miami have been sneaky – though some might say clever.

  Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba are both on team-friendly contracts that are well below players of their quality or prestige. Rodrigo De Paul, signed this summer, is technically on a loan deal that will be made permanent at the end of the season.

  To complement them, the Herons have made a series of other loan signings that really should be outside their scope. Tadeo Allende, an excellent addition in midfield, is here on loan. No team should be able to spend that much money – and then get such good quality players on the cheap. Miami can. 

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  Player power and speaking out

  Yet for all of the anger rival fans might have built up, it's hard to begrudge Messi. Not because he finallygave an interview. Rather, MLS is a league that seems fairly content to run in place. It needs its stars to bring about change. This is no longer a setup that needs the safety net of restrictions. 

  That change, of course, can come from within boardrooms. But loud voices, in any sport, are instrumental in instigating meaningful conversations. Footballers abroad, for example, have repeatedly talked about load management and the demands on their bodies. Complaints from players themselves, along with fan furor, were key in ensuring that the much-maligned La Liga game set to be held in Miami was abandoned. 

  And sure, Messi is acting out of self interest here. He wants his old friends to play football with him in Miami. He likely isn't particularly happy that the Herons struggled so much at the Club World Cup, either. 

  But it is also true that the league will find it difficult to improve without significant investment from owners. Does Messi have that top of mind when he gives a rare interview? It's unclear. There is little evidence to suggest that Messi has a deep empathy for the plight of Montreal fans, for example. But he is certainly aware of the weight that his words may carry. 

Tommy Fleetwood has revealed that one Premier League manager is a “very good golfer” who “could be champion” if he was fully committed to the sport.

Team Europe on course to retain the Ryder Cup after dominant display

Team Europe are in a very strong position to retain the Ryder Cup, courtesy of a dominant performance over the past two days, which means they need just 2½ more points to secure a victory over the USA.

Fleetwood has been paramount to Europe’s success, cementing himself as the biggest points producer in the entire competition, having won all four of his matches in the team sessions, while also making headlines after clashing with Bryson DeChambeau on day two.

Away from golf, the Englishman is well-known to be a supporter of Everton, but the 34-year-old has also struck up a relationship with a manager of a different Premier League club, who he believes has the ability to be a professional golfer, if he was fully committed to the sport.

In an interview with Manchester City back in 2018, Fleetwood spoke fondly of Pep Guardiola, saying: “We were introduced through a mutual friend because I had always admired Pep and knew he liked a game of golf,

“I don’t think either of us expected to get on with each other as well as we did but we hit it off immediately; his sense of humour is very similar to mine!

Pep catches the eye at the Icons Series

While Guardiola will certainly have no complaints about his career path, having played for Barcelona, before going on to establish himself as one of the greatest managers of all time, the 54-year-old has proven he could’ve been a handy golf player.

8 of the best quotes from Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is a constant source of wisdom and entertainment.

By
Barney Lane

Mar 7, 2025

When competing at the Icons Series, the Man City boss chipped in twice from considerable distance, with the second shot from across the water particularly impressive.

Speaking about his love of the sport, Guardiola once said: “I love golf for many reasons. For the environment, the courses you play on. There are no referees there. The rules are for everybody. So when our games are being influenced by the decision of the referee, it is too much. In good ways and bad ways.”

That said, having put in such a dominant performance at Bethpage Black, Team Europe clearly aren’t short of top golfers, with captain Luke Donald almost certain to be lifting the Ryder Cup later today, courtesy of Fleetwood & co.