Tottenham Hotspur have been hunting for a new talisman over the last couple of seasons, but none have been able to emulate the incredible levels achieved by Harry Kane.

The 32-year-old rose through the ranks in North London, even being sent on numerous loan spells in the EFL, before making himself a fan-favourite in the Lilywhites’ first-team.

He would spend a decade scoring goals for fun in the Premier League, subsequently achieving a total of 280 strikes for the club – the most of any player in their history.

Such a feat highlights his incredible goalscoring prowess, but his ability to score 30+ goals in 50% of his ten years in North London further showcases his eye for the back of the net.

However, after numerous failed trophy attempts, the hierarchy were left with no choice but to sell Kane to allow him to further his career, with the forward subsequently joining Bayern Munich for £82m in 2023.

In the years since his move, countless options have tried to fill the void, but many have failed, leading to one player assuming the responsibility under Thomas Frank in 2025/26.

How Kolo Muani compares to other strikers in the PL in 2025/26

With Dominic Solanke, Spurs’ club-record signing, struggling with an ankle issue, the Lilywhites hierarchy decided to back new boss Frank with added reinforcements in the centre-forward area.

Richarlison assumed the role of operating as the number nine, but the Brazilian’s injury record ran the risk of potentially having to call upon an academy star to fill the void.

As a result, French international Randal Kolo Muani was signed on deadline day, with the hierarchy securing his signature on a season-long loan from PSG.

A loan fee in the region of £5m was forked out for the 26-year-old’s signature, with the deal appearing as a potential risk-free and bargain deal until the end of 2025/26.

Such a deal generated excitement within the fanbase, after the centre-forward netted 10 goals in just 24 appearances during a separate spell on loan at Juventus last season.

However, a little over two months on from his move, Kolo Muani has struggled with the expectations placed upon him, subsequently only featuring four times in the Premier League and failing to score a single goal.

His underlying figures also highlight the struggles he’s endured in North London, with the Frenchman ranking lowly in numerous key figures for a lone number nine.

He’s only registered a total of 0.47 shots per 90 in England’s top-flight – with such a tally ranking him in the lowest 1% of all other attackers in the division this season.

Kolo Muani’s other tallies of 1.4 touches in the opposition box and 0.4 aerials won per 90 also place him in the first percentile – further highlighting his lack of positive impact to date.

He suffered a broken jaw in the draw with Manchester United last weekend, potentially seeing him spend time on the sidelines – which could give the striker a period to reflect on his dismal start in England.

The Spurs star who could end Kolo Muani’s Spurs career

Kane’s departure, coupled with Kolo Muani’s lack of form, has certainly rubbed salt into the wounds of the Spurs faithful, with their loss now Bayern Munich’s gain.

The Englishman has carried on his tremendous goalscoring form away from North London, with the striker reaching the next level in his career after his big-money transfer.

Kane has netted a staggering 108 goals in his 113 appearances for the German outfit, with his numbers this season simply eye-boggling and certainly leaving the fans wishing he was still on their books.

He’s already scored 26 times in all competitions in 2025/26, with the entire Lilywhites senior squad only scoring 29 times combined during the same period.

Players like Kane don’t come around very often, with their Spurs faithful extremely lucky to have been able to witness his goalscoring antics first hand between 2013 and 2023.

Kolo Muani has so far failed to live up to the heights many expected, with his temporary deal in North London not expected to turn into a permanent one, given his recent lack of form.

However, the club appear to already have the perfect solution to their long-term centre-forward issues in the form of academy graduate Will Lankshear.

The youngster only joined the club’s youth setup back in August 2022, subsequently making the move from Sheffield United at the tender age of just 17.

Upon his switch to the capital, he linked up with the U21 side, but rapidly caught the eye with his goalscoring ability – with his 2023/24 campaign his best to date.

He found the net a staggering 32 times in just 35 appearances, leading to his first-team debut under Ange Postecoglou during the injury-hit campaign in 2024/25.

Lankshear managed to appear in six separate matches for the Lilywhites, half of which came in the Europa League, with the 20-year-old netting his first senior goal against Galatasaray.

However, he’s followed in Kane’s footsteps in moving into the EFL for valuable senior minutes to continue his development, with the youngster spending the current season on loan at Championship side Oxford United.

He’s already made an immediate impact at the Kassam Stadium, scoring four times in his 14 league appearances to date – leading to one analyst calling him a “Harry Kane regen”.

Games played

14

Goals scored

5

Shot on target accuracy

43%

Passes completed

75%

Dribbles completed

50%

Touches in opposition box

2.9

Fouls won

1.5

Chances created

1.2

Lankshear’s underlying stats from the ongoing season highlight his incredible nature in the final third, which could see him be catapulted into the first-team reckoning in 2026/27.

He’s achieved a 43% shot on target accuracy rate and scoring with 50% of the efforts he’s registered – offering the clinical nature that Kane possessed in London.

The youngster is also keen to get on the ball whenever possible, ranking in the 80th percentile for passes completed, whilst also completing 50% of the dribbles he’s attempted.

Whilst Kolo Muani will need to be cut some slack for his lack of impact, he’s ultimately failed to hit the heights expected of him, with other options needing to be considered.

Lankshear will no doubt be chomping at the bit to make an impact in North London, with Frank desperately needing to hand him the chance to impress upon his return from his loan spell in the summer.

Spurs have "one of Europe’s best finishers" & he could end Richarlison's stay

Tottenham Hotspur can offload Richarlison if Thomas Frank shows faith in one other squad member.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2025

Zimbabwe’s towering fast-bowling totem talks about his recent form, taking on Bazball and the chance to make history

Alan Gardner19-May-2025Blessing Muzarabani smiles a lot. He smiles when asked about the UK weather, which he knows well from two seasons as a Kolpak signing with Northamptonshire. He smiles when talking about the prospect of bowling to England’s little-and-large opening pair, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. He smiles when we come to the question of his own height, which ESPNcricinfo has wrongly recorded as 6ft 6in. “I’m six foot eight, actually,” he grins.Does he enjoy using that towering advantage to intimidate batters? Another smile. “My greatest weapon is my height,” he says, before alluding to the temptation to pitch the ball short: “Sometimes I get carried away.” You can’t imagine that Curtly Ambrose or Courtney Walsh, two of the fast bowlers that Muzarabani modelled himself on growing up, would admit quite so readily to overdoing it.But Muzarabani is used to having to go about things differently. Zimbabwe do not have a great fast-bowling lineage to call on, in the way West Indies do. Muzarabani has had to travel the world to learn his trade, from a gangly youth at the Takashinga Club in Harare, via his time in Northampton – one of the least-glamorous stops on England’s county circuit – to proving himself in Test venues as far flung as Bulawayo and Belfast, Abu Dhabi and Sylhet.Related

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The fruits of those labours are beginning to appear. Across four Test appearances in 2025, Muzarabani has taken 26 wickets at 18.61 – more than half of his career tally of 51. In the first three of those matches, he claimed innings figures of 6 for 95 (against Afghanistan in Bulawayo), 7 for 58 (against Ireland in Bulawayo) and 6 for 73 (against Bangladesh in Sylhet), making him the first pace bowler to take hauls of six-plus wickets in three consecutive Tests since Malcolm Marshall in 1988. The only other quicks to achieve the feat are Imran Khan and, in the 19th century, George Lohmann and Tom Richardson.Although that run came to an end in Chattogram, Muzarabani has already shot up to eighth on the all-time list for Zimbabwe. With another seven Tests scheduled in a bumper calendar year, he could well catch Ray Price (80) and end it behind only the peerless Heath Streak (216) for his country. Becoming only the second Zimbabwean to take 100 Test wickets is a realistic goal.”Yes, that’s a great thing,” he says. “Because I feel like Test wickets are really hard to get, actually, so getting 100 wickets is a big achievement for any fast bowler. That would be really special. I’m working through my processes and everything that happens, of course, we work hard to make sure those things happen. But, as well, I’m not really looking at wickets.”Contributing to victories, as Muzarabani did for only the second time in his 12-Test career in Sylhet, is the priority. “That is something that I would really love to do, to make that impact for the team, get those big wickets, so we can win more often. This is a big journey, playing against big teams. But, of course, I can’t be worried about what I’m going to do, thinking too much about it. The goal is just to win more games.”

“In T20 leagues, you learn a lot of things. You meet new people every day. You have to try to understand the captain that you’re working with. Of course, it’s not every captain that will believe in you, so you have to prove your point and try to improve yourself”

Whether sought after or not, wickets have come in a flood since his return to playing Test cricket for the first time in three years in mid-2024. No Zimbabwean who has taken 10 wickets can get close to Muzarabani’s career average (21.84) and strike rate (43.70), not even Streak. For his recent success, he credits the work put in with Zimbabwe’s bowling coach, former South Africa international Charl Langeveldt.”I’m really just enjoying my Test cricket. Working with my bowling coach, it’s about understanding the lengths to bowl in Test cricket. I feel like the more I play, the more I understand how I get my wickets. [Langeveldt] is the guy who has been working with me on my lengths and all the skills that I’m trying to use. He’s been really helpful in the things he’s saying.”While growing up in Zimbabwe honed his ability to “hit the deck” rather than look for swing, Muzarabani is well aware from his time with Northamptonshire of the importance of trying to pitch the ball up in English conditions. “For me, it’s about bowling a touch fuller. Yes, of course, my natural length can work, but also you have to be much fuller [to make the ball move].”Especially with me being tall, you can get carried away. In England the pitches are slower, sometimes when you bowl back of a length, guys can pull you and take you on. But the swing is something that can make you lose your control, so you have to find a balance. I learned a lot [in county cricket].”Muzarabani has played at Trent Bridge before, albeit only in pre-season for Northants six years ago. The ground’s reputation for swing (it is the English venue where James Anderson, with 73 wickets at 19.23, has the lowest average) has faded over the last few years, but Zimbabwe will hope for at least some bounce, allowing Muzarabani to operate at his favoured “ribcage length”.That, of course, will differ markedly for England’s opening pair of Crawley (tall, long levers, loves to drive) and Duckett (short, punchy, quick to pull and cut). Muzarabani knows the latter from his Northants days, although they barely overlapped before Duckett made Trent Bridge his home with Nottinghamshire. He knows both will look to take him on, but will lean on his own new-ball partner, the shorter, stockier Richard Ngarava, who has been Muzarabani’s counterpoint as a left-arm swing bowler since their days coming through together with Takashinga.Muzarabani spent two seasons at Northamptonshire on a Kolpak deal•Getty Images”It’s great bowling with Richie, we pick each other up. When it’s not going our way, we tend to communicate. When my head is going down, he will come to me, he knows my action. We were both playing together when we were really young, 9 or 10. So you know what to say because we know each other.”Just as important as a swift appraisal of conditions may be Muzarabani’s recent experience in franchise T20 cricket, which has seen him feature in the CPL, PSL and ILT20 – with a potential IPL debut on the way. Playing regularly overseas has added to his durability and skill set; against England’s Bazballers, with Crawley and Duckett in the vanguard, he knows he will need to have his wits about him.”To be honest, they [England] play almost like T20 sometimes. So for me, I’m trying to figure out the plan because they are not often going to get caught defending. It’s just more like backing yourself and being positive, because those guys are some of the best in the world. You can’t be worried about what they are going to do. You just have to worry about your lengths and your field.”In the leagues, you learn a lot of things. You meet new people every day. You have to try to understand the captain that you’re working with. Of course, it’s not every captain that will believe in you, so you have to prove your point and try to improve yourself. So I feel like it is good. You’re not in your comfort zone, but you have to learn. I feel like it’s something that’s really helping with my awareness and my T20 cricket.”With the red ball, he will fall back on a simple mantra: “Just hit your length. You can’t start thinking about those guys [what they are going to do], you get confused. Just trust yourself and trust your lengths.”Learning how to make the best of his natural advantages while overcoming the disadvantages – notably economic – of his background, it has been a significant journey for Muzarabani to get to this point. At 28, he should be at the peak of his powers as a fast bowler, and he is relishing the opportunity provided by Zimbabwe’s current glut of Test fixtures.”Playing for your country is always the best feeling, because you are representing your family. Of course, playing franchise cricket, you have extra money and you see the world, you get experience. But the first thing is always playing for your country. For me, that’s the number one thing.”Walking out at Trent Bridge next Thursday for Zimbabwe’s first Test match against England since 2003 will be, he says, “the greatest feeling ever for me and for the team. I’m just looking forward to showing everyone what we can do. It’s just a dream come true, for sure, getting to play [England in England]. No doubt that everyone is excited for the opportunity.”We believe we can actually cause an upset. I believe we are all good enough to really put on a good show. So I’m sure if we just come in and then do everything that we have to do, we are doing everything right, we’re going to come out in a good position in the game.”

Liverpool slumped down to eighth in the Premier League table after they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the last game before the international break.

The Reds have now lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions and five of their 11 games in the Premier League, in what has been a dismal defence of their title so far.

Arne Slot will be disappointed with his side’s dreadful run of form and should use the international break to come up with a new way of approaching matches to turn the season around.

One thing that the Dutch head coach must look to do is to revive Mohamed Salah’s form, because the reigning Premier League Player of the Year has not been at his best.

How far Mo Salah's numbers have fallen this season

The Egypt international won the Player of the Year award by delivering 29 goals and 18 assists in the top-flight last season, helping the Reds to the Premier League title.

Unfortunately, the left-footed superstar has not quite been at his sparkling best for Slot in the current campaign, although he has still delivered four goals and two assists in 11 league games.

Appearances

38

11

Goals

29

4

Minutes per goal

116

246

Big chances missed

24

6

Conversion rate

22%

15%

Key passes per game

2.4

1.9

Assists

18

2

As you can see in the table above, Salah is scoring and assisting goals less frequently than he did last season, with a lower conversion rate, which is why the manager needs to find a way to get him back to his best.

Per Sofascore, the winger registered three shots without any going on target and created three chances without any of them being ‘big chances’, but he was not the only Liverpool forward who failed to deliver.

Why Hugo Ekitike's place in the XI should be on borrowed time

Hugo Ekitike put in a disappointing performance in the number nine shirt and his place in the starting line-up may be on borrowed time come the other side of the break.

The France international was given the nod to lead the line for the Reds against the Cityzens, but he was just as ineffective as Salah at the top end of the pitch.

Per Sofascore, Ekitike did not take a single shot in the match and only made one key pass, whilst he also lost 100% (2/2) of his duels, which speaks to how underwhelming his display was.

In his 11 minutes on the pitch after the post above, the former Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward did not take any shots or attempt any dribbles, but he did create one chance in what was an “anonymous” performance.

Ekitike has now failed to score in his last five appearances in the Premier League for the Reds, per Sofascore, and has only scored three goals in ten games in the division in total.

Unlike Salah, the French striker does not have an incredible career at Liverpool to buy him more time in the starting XI if performances like his one against Manchester City persist, which is why he may be on borrowed time in the XI.

On top of that, Alexander Isak returned from injury to make the bench on Sunday, which puts further pressure on Ekitike. The former Newcastle man scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, and could take his place in the starting line-up unless the ex-Bundesliga star improves his performances.

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ByJames O'Reilly Nov 9, 2025

Hampshire openers rack up 152-run stand to set up thumping win in rain-reduced contest

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Sep-2025Leaders Hampshire Women clinched a semi-final berth in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after a convincing nine-wicket victory with 13.2 overs to spare against Durham Women at the Banks Homes Riverside.The defeat leaves Durham in fifth place with two rounds to play, one point behind fourth-placed Surrey with the two sides meeting in the final group match at Chester-le-Street next Saturday.Initially chasing a target of 225, Hampshire opening pair of Maia Bouchier and Rhianna Southby produced an attacking start that saw 74 runs arrive from the 10-over powerplay and they had raced along with some fine strokeplay to reach 144 for 0 from 19 overs when rain took 13 overs out of the game.A revised DLS target of 171 in 37 overs made little difference, and despite the loss of Southby for 58, Bouchier and Freya Kemp quickly scored the 27 needed to clinch an impressive victory.Earlier, a fighting 88 by captain Hollie Armitage had given Durham some hope with the hosts posting 224 for 9 after a poor start. Armitage came to the crease in the eighth over and batted through to the last, hitting nine fours, but found partnerships difficult to come by until Grace Thompson finally provided great support for the eighth wicket. The pair added 72 to rescue Durham from a perilous 144 for 7 with 18-year-old Thompson contributing a List A career-best 39.Georgia Adams with 3 for 41 led an excellent bowling effort by the visitors with Freya Davies impressive with 2 for 30 along with Bex Tyson (2 for 40).Southby and Bouchier made a strong start to the Hampshire run chase, the pair attacking effectively to race to their fifty partnership from just 41 balls in increasingly gloomy overhead conditions that required the use of the floodlights.Bouchier was the first to reach her half century – her fifth in this season’s competition – from 47 balls hitting eight fours, with the century partnership arriving moments later from only 86 balls as Durham struggled to exert any control with the ball.Southby hit the first six of the game on her way to a 45-ball fifty that also included eight fours as the Hampshire openers raced along at nearly eight runs per over to put the outcome in little doubt.It was an impressive display, with Bouchier not out on 76 from 67 balls and Southby unbeaten on 56 from 50 balls when rain stopped play at 3.30pm with Hampshire 144-0 after 19 overs. After an 80 minutes delay, the target was reduced to 171 from 37 overs and Durham finally made a breakthrough when Thompson bowled Southby for 58 to end a fine 152-run partnership.Bouchier and Kemp then eased their way to 174 for 1 in the 24th over to clinch the win.After opting to bat, Durham lost both opening batters in the powerplay, Mia Rogers run out for 6 and Emma Marlow caught at cover for 12 during an impressive five over spell of 1 for 9 by Davies.Armitage and Mady Villiers had begun to fashion a recovery with a steady partnership of 30 before Villers on 19 was tempted into a drive off left-arm spinner Tyson that ended up in the hands of Mary Taylor at mid-on. That also proved to be the fate of Emily Windsor when she picked out Bouchier off Adams for 13 who then had Bess Heath caught behind three balls later to leave Durham struggling on 89 for 5 in the 22nd over.It left a lot resting on the shoulders Armitage, and she responded with a determined innings, passing fifty off 65-balls for the fifth time while becoming the second batter to pass 500 runs in the competition this season. But Durham continued to lose wickets at the other end. Having taken 1 for 14 from a six-over spell, Tyson returned to bowl Phoebe Turner around her legs for 18 while Adams picked up her third wicket when trapping Katherine Fraser lbw sweeping for 4.An excellent innings by Thompson finally lent Armitage the support needed over the final 15 overs, the pair adding 72 off 86 balls – easily the highest partnership of the innings – with Armitage’s excellent effort ending in the final over as Durham posted a far better total than had looked likely earlier, but one the visitors comfortably hauled in.

Manchester United have now set their sights on signing Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid, according to recent reports, with talks over Casemiro’s contract beginning to drag on.

Ruben Amorim’s side entered the international break off the back of an impressive run rather than a crisis for the first time in the manager’s Old Trafford tenure. Their last-gasp draw at Tottenham Hotspur summed up their recent change in belief and featured yet another impressive display from Casemiro at the heart of their midfield.

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It wasn’t so long ago that Jamie Carragher infamously told the Brazilian to “leave the football” before it leaves him, but it turns out that the former Liverpool defender couldn’t have been more wrong. Casemiro has rediscovered his best form under Amorim and now regularly keeps the likes of Manuel Ugarte out of the side.

Former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand recently hit back at Carragher’s comments following the midfielder’s return to form this season, claiming that he thought the comments were “disrespectful” at the time.

Now, reports are indicating that Amorim wants to keep hold of Casemiro — sparking what are proving to be complicated contract talks as the midfielder suddenly becomes an important player at Old Trafford.

Man Utd now eyeing Tchouameni move

If INEOS fail to agree a new contract with Casemiro at Amorim’s request, which would present a fresh midfield worry, then Man United will target a move for Tchouameni at Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain.

The French midfielder is valued at as much as €100m (£88m) by the Spanish giants and has clearly impressed those at Old Trafford as they aim to strengthen their midfield.

As things stand, however, there’s nothing to suggest that Tchouameni is looking to leave Real Madrid anytime soon and reports have claimed that he’ll only head for the exit door at the request of his club. Of course, if that does change, then the fact that he shares an agent with Bryan Mbeumo could provide United with an instant boost.

League stats P90 25/26

Tchouameni

Casemiro

Minutes

874

614

Progressive Passes

5.88

4.41

Tackles Won

0.82

1.76

Ball Recoveries

4.23

5.74

The statistics suggest that Amorim is right to have some hesitation about letting Casemiro’s contract run down. The Brazilian has so far outperformed Tchouameni in a number of areas.

It highlights just how impressive he’s been in recent months rather than indicating anything major about Tchouameni’s form. The Real Madrid man is just entering the peak of his powers and has impressed the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, who previously dubbed him “fantastic”.

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Josh Inglis has been ruled out of Australia’s three-match T20I tour of New Zealand due to a calf strain with Alex Carey called up to replace him.It is understood that Inglis pulled up sore in his right calf after a running session in Perth on Tuesday and had a scan on Wednesday, after which he was ruled out of the series to be played on October 1, 3 and 4 at Mount Maunganui.Inglis is the fourth first-choice Australian player to be ruled out of the series after Pat Cummins was withdrawn due to lumbar bone stress, Cameron Green was left at home to play Sheffield Shield cricket as part of his Ashes build-up, and Nathan Ellis was unavailable due to impending birth of his first child.Related

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It is the second calf injury Inglis has suffered in the last nine months after he suffered a low-grade strain while fielding for Australia during the Boxing Day Test against India as substitute last December, which saw him miss the remainder of the BBL season ahead of his Test debut against Sri Lanka in late January.Inglis is expected to be fit for the ODI series against India which begins in Perth on October 19.The injury has caused a slight headache for Australia’s selectors who were already gambling on Inglis staying fit during the short tour having not named a spare wicketkeeper in the initial 14-man squad. Carey was set to play the opening Sheffield Shield round for South Australia starting on October 4 as part of his Ashes preparation before the ODI series against India. He now may be limited to only one or two Shield games in between the ODI series and the first Test in Perth depending on his workload.Alex Carey completed an unusual stumping on his T20I return•AFP/Getty Images

Carey’s re-emergence as a T20I keeper has been intriguing given his modest T20 record both domestically and internationally. He played the last T20I Inglis missed in Cairns against South Africa in August. It was Carey’s first T20I appearance since August 2021 and his first as the wicketkeeper since September 2020. He was not formally part of the initial squad and Inglis was forced to play through illness in game one of the series in Darwin. Carey replaced him in Cairns after joining the squad early ahead of the ODI series.The selectors also did not pick a spare wicketkeeper for the five-match T20I series against West Indies in the Caribbean in July but with Inglis carrying an ongoing back issue out of the Test series, Jake Fraser-McGurk was added as the reserve wicketkeeping option after an injury to fast bowler Spencer Johnson, despite Fraser-McGurk having never kept in any game in his professional career to-date.Fraser-McGurk played the opening match of the series as a batter but did not feature again with Glenn Maxwell promoted to open instead. He is expected to keep for the first time during Australia A’s tour of India when he joins the squad for the three 50-over matches in Kanpur.Finding a like-for-like replacement for Inglis is challenging given he has become one of Australia’s most important T20 batters. He has scored two centuries at No. 3 and become a pivotal bridge between the new opening combination of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head and the powerful middle-order given his 360-degree skill against both pace and spin.Australia’s new ultra-aggressive style of batting means the replacement keeper for Inglis is likely to bat at No. 7 behind the power of Tim David, Mitchell Owen and Maxwell. Matt Short will also return from injury in New Zealand and could slot in at No. 3 while Marcus Stoinis has been recalled after being left out of the West Indies and South Africa series to play franchise cricket and will also bat somewhere in the middle-order if needed as an allrounder.Carey’s return to form at No. 6 in Australia’s ODI team was part of the reason for his recall in Cairns, having performed brilliantly as a finisher in the longer white-ball format over the past 12 months.The likes of Ben McDermott and Josh Philippe remain in consideration and have been tried in Australia’s T20I side previously but both are seen as top order players predominantly and neither can match Inglis’ explosiveness.McDermott has played 25 T20Is for Australia and has batted in every position in the top seven. He made 54 off 36 in his last T20I innings against India at No.3 but strikes at just 99.70 overall. He is a full-time T20 freelancer at present having given up his state contract with Queensland to move back to Tasmania, although he could play for Tasmania in red and white-ball cricket this summer. However, he has very little experience as a finisher and opened in all nine innings he played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the recently completed CPL, making just one half-century at a strike-rate of 141.04Philippe, who scored a first-class century off 80 balls for Australia A against India A in Lucknow on Wednesday, has played 12 T20Is on the back of his success at the top of the order in BBL cricket but none since 2023. He has only two scores above 13 striking at just 109.48, having opened in half his innings and never batted lower than No.4. He has only batted lower than No. 4 10 times in his domestic T20 career but has not done so since 2020.Josh Inglis has two T20I hundreds at No. 3•PA Images via Getty Images

Inglis’ injury has also highlighted a problem Australia’s selectors face ahead of the World Cup next year. ICC rules dictate that only 15 players can be selected in a World Cup squad and replacements can only be used if a player is ruled out of the entire tournament. It has long been a frustration for some countries, including Australia, given the compressed nature of the tournaments and need to manage players through them.Australia had to work around it during the 2023 ODI World Cup when Head was injured prior to the tournament but was expected to be fit halfway through. They risked carrying 14 fit players through the first four games before Head was able to play, but the move paid huge dividends.For Australia’s selectors, carrying a spare wicketkeeper who might not be in their best 15 players on the off-chance Inglis suffered a short-term injury would come at the cost of another conditions-based role player who might be needed during the tournament.Inglis’ back and calf issues are a serious consideration. He suffered a back spasm during the second Test in Sri Lanka in February that kept him off the field for large portions of the game and it requires ongoing management.”It’s an ongoing thing,” Inglis told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s sort of been around for a couple years now. For me, it’s been really frustrating. It’s not been something that’s really kept me out of the game. It’s just something I’ve got to manage. So at the minute, I’m not really able to bat as much as I’d like, so I’m not able to spend the time in the nets to be able to work on new things.”It’s really just been about preparing for the next game and getting enough in to feel good going into the game, but not overdoing it. I’ve been doing a lot of rehab stuff with the physios just on different areas, my hips, that sort of thing, just to try strengthen up there and take some load off my lower back.”I don’t really get it keeping. I think it’s just in that batting position and then light rotation. And once it’s flared up, doing everything is pretty uncomfortable.”

Australia T20I squad vs New Zealand

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Afghanistan needed just 10 Tests to post their maiden 600-plus total, as they broke a host of records against Zimbabwe

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Dec-2024699 Afghanistan’s total against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo is their highest in the format, bettering the 545 for 4 they posted in 2021, also against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.10 Test matches that Afghanistan needed to post their maiden 600-plus total, the fewest among the ten teams with a 600-plus total in this format. The previous fewest was by Pakistan, who made 657 for 8 against West Indies in 1958, their 19th match.