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Sam Konstas has continued to flag his strong potential as a superstar of the future, writing his name alongside Ricky Ponting in the history books with another Sheffield Shield century.The teenage opener put New South Wales in control of their clash with South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney, compiling 105 from 225 balls after making 152 in a breakout first innings.The hosts declared at 282 for 6 late on day three, with South Australia 7 for 1 chasing 389 runs for victory on day four after Nathan Lyon struck early to dismiss Conor McInerney without scoring.Earlier, 19-year-old Konstas became the youngest player since Ponting to record two centuries in the same Shield game. Australia’s most successful Test captain achieved the feat as an 18-year-old playing for Tasmania against Western Australia in 1992-93.Konstas is the third youngest to do so in Shield history behind Ponting and Archie Jackson. Konstas beat Sir Donald Bradman who first achieved the feat as a 20-year-old.”Obviously very special,” Konstas said of the feat. “But hopefully we get the job done tomorrow and keep doing our basics well.”Konstas was given an extra life by Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who dropped a sitter before the teenager got off the mark on day three.Having also missed a stumping in the first innings, Carey saved face with a diving catch that dismissed Nic Maddinson and continued the opener’s meagre start to his second stint at NSW.But Konstas nevertheless made the visitors pay. He brought up his half-century off Lloyd Pope in the 37th over with a four that rushed past extra cover so fast that Jordan Buckingham needed to jump to avoid the fence as he chased the ball past the boundary.South Australia managed to slow Konstas down after tea as batting partners fell around him.”They had different plans, they were bowling a wider line,” Konstas said. “I had to be a bit ruthless and cop my medicine a bit.”But the teenager finally brought his century up as the final hour of play approached, smacking a six over deep midwicket from Ben Manenti’s bowling.South Australia finally removed him, with McInerney sprinting to long-on to catch him off Pope.Earlier, Lyon continued an impressive lead-in to the Test summer, finishing his first Shield innings of the summer with a five-for.Lyon ripped through the South Australian tail to ensure they were back in the sheds inside the first hour on day three, all out for 260.Nathan McAndrew skied Lyon to deep square leg before Pope nicked off two balls later and set the stage for NSW to extend their lead, which was already 106 runs at the innings break.Lyon expects to play two more matches for NSW ahead of the five-match Test series against India that begins in Perth late next month.

يأمل هوجو إيكتيكي مهاجم ليفربول في تعزيز بدايته الممتازة مع الريدز في الأسابيع والأشهر المقبلة، حيث يدخل ليفربول في سلسلة مزدحمة من المباريات.

وبدأ المهاجم المنضم من صفوف آينتراخت فرانكفورت مسيرته مع ليفربول بتسجيله ثلاث أهداف في أول أربع مباريات له قبل فترة التوقف الدولي في سبتمبر.

وسجل إيكتيكي أهدافًا ضد كريستال بالاس وبورنموث ونيوكاسل يونايتد، وأصبح أول لاعب في ليفربول يسجل في كل من مبارياته الثلاث الأولى منذ دانيال ستوريدج قبل 12 عاماً.

وقد أدى تألق إيكيتيكي لاستدعائه لأول مرة على الإطلاق للمنتخب الفرنسي الأول وشارك مع منتخب بلاده كبديل ضد أوكرانيا في الشوط الثاني.

وقال إيكتيكي لموقع ليفربول الرسمي: “أعتقد أنني تأقلمت جيداً، من الواضح أنني لا أزال بحاجة لتحسين بعض الأمور لكني أعتقد أنها كانت بداية جيدة”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ليفربول يحدث قائمته في الدوري الإنجليزي 2025/26

وأضاف :”أشعر بالارتياح مع زملائي، ساعدوني على التكيف هنا وجعلوا لعبي أسهل، وعندما تلعب مع لاعبين جيدين مثلهم، يمكنك التطور والنجاح والأهم هو الاستمرار في الثبات”.

وواصل: “من الجيد أن تتم مقارنتي بستوريدج فأنا أعلم أنه كان لاعبا رائعا هنا في ليفربول لذا فهذا أمر جيد وأريد أن أبذل قصارى جهدي لأكون أفضل منه”.

وتابع: “فكرتي هي اللعب مع أفضل لاعبي العالم، هذا يساعدك على التطور معاً، جميع اللاعبين سنصل لمستوى أفضل”.

وعن شعوره بظهوره الأول مع منتخب فرنسا، قال: “كانت لحظة فخر لي ولعائلتي، إنها خطوة كبيرة أن ألعب مع المنتخب خاصة أن الوصول لهناك صعب، إنه فريق يضم العديد من اللاعبين المميزين لذا فإن الانضمام إلى هناك يعني لي الكثير لذا أنا فخور وسعيد جداً بذلك”.

وعن علاقته مع زميله صانع الألعاب فلوريان فيرتز والذي انضم أيضاً من الدوري الألماني رد إيكتيكي: “فلوريان لاعب رائع، إنه يفهم كرة القدم كما أفهمها، نتحدث نفس اللغة في الملعب لذا من السهل نوعاً ما أن تتواصل معه، لكني أعتقد أنكم لم تروا كل شئ بعد فالأيام القادمة أفضل، لكن العلاقة جيدة ونحن تقريباً في نفس الجيل، نتحدث نفس اللغة وحتى خارج كرة القدم هو شخص جيد”.

وختم عن المنافسات المنتظرة ولقاء بيرنلي في الدوري الإنجليزي: “نلعب كرة القدم من أجل المنافسة لذا أعتقد أن الانشغال بكرة القدم والمنافسة هي أفضل شعور خاصة بالنسبة لي، شخصياً هذا ما أحبه، مجرد التفكير في كرة القدم، نأكل وننام ونفكر في كرة القدم، هذا هو أفضل شعور، يمكنك ببساطة أن تكون ممتناً لذلك، أعرف لاعبين أو ثلاثة من فريق بيرنلي للشباب في منتخب فرنسا وهم جيدون وفريق جيد، يجب أن نركز على المباراة بكامل تركيزنا وأعتقد أنها ستكون رائعة”.

Derby County are preparing for another tilt at life in the second-tier following their miraculous escape from relegation under John Eustace and could now make a bold statement on the market, according to a report.

Derby look to avoid repeat scenario of close shave with relegation

Avoiding the drop is never an easy feat to achieve when the chips are down. Still, John Eustace will rightfully be heralded as a miracle worker at Pride Park following his side’s turnaround.

Speaking to Football League World, pundit Don Goodman believes Derby can avoid being drawn into a relegation battle next term now that the foundations are in place to help the Rams thrive.

He explained: “I look at the 14 games John Eustace took charge of at the end of last season – six wins and three draws, and that’s despite losing the first three games he took charge of.

“If he accrued that points total over the course of last season that would be 69 points, which would’ve actually been enough for a play-off spot for Derby, remarkably.

“He’s outstanding at organising teams and making them hard to play against and hard to beat, so those are ingredients that will see Derby County not be in a relegation battle.”

Derby County make out-of-window move for "athletic" player in free transfer

John Eustace could be set to link up with a former player at Pride Park.

BySean Markus Clifford Mar 7, 2025

Inevitably, Derby will need to pull up some trees on the market to put themselves in a position of relative comfort.

Defensive duo Danny Batth and Dion Sanderson have been linked with moves to Pride Park, but there will be more in the pipeline as Eustace exhausts all avenues to put his mission into place.

Now, the Rams could turn to his former club in an attempt to pull of a statement deal that would definitely enhance their survival prospects, per recent developments.

Derby plotting move for Blackburn Rovers captain Lewis Travis

According to EFL Analysis, Derby are in the mix to sign Blackburn Rovers captain Lewis Travis and Eustace is said to be a big fan of his exploits after working with the 27-year-old at Ewood Park.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder, reports claim it would cost £2 million to prize him away from Lancashire. Meanwhile, Wrexham are also keen to lure him to North Wales.

Lewis Travis in all competitions – 2024/25

Appearances

39

Goals

2

Assists

1

Labelled “fantastic” by David Lowe, Travis is out of contract next summer which may increase pressure on Blackburn to sell their captain this window before his value begins to dwindle on the market.

Intriguingly, he has previously spoken out about his ‘close’ relationship with Eustace, something that may be used as an emotional string to pull on in the event of any negotiations.

Nevertheless, Derby aren’t messing about in their bid to add quality reinforcements and there is no doubt their engine room would drastically improve were Travis to land at Pride Park this summer.

Chelsea are carrying on their busy summer transfer window after sealing a move for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with Enzo Maresca’s side now setting their sights on another exciting young centre-forward.

Chelsea could sign second striker after Liam Delap

The former Man City starlet joins in a £30 million deal following Ipswich’s confirmed relegation to the Championship, and fresh off the back of a 12-goal Premier League season, there is potential for Delap to do well at Stamford Bridge.

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He could be their next signing after Liam Delap.

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After completing a medical earlier this week (Fabrizio Romano), Delap becomes Chelsea’s first signing of what is expected to be a busy window, and it is believed yet another striker could still follow the Englishman.

Race for Champions League qualification – Final standings

Rank

Team

Points

GD

3

Man City

71

+28

4

Chelsea

69

+21

5

Newcastle

66

+21

6

Aston Villa

66

+7

7

Nottingham Forest

65

+12

This is made all the more possible by clubs showing a genuine interest in striker Nicolas Jackson, who could leave Chelsea this summer and make way for another number nine, likely to be Hugo Ekitiké of Eintracht Frankfurt as things stand.

“Liam Delap is joining as well as another striker that points in the direction of Hugo Ekitiké of Frankfurt,” wrote reliable journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, this week.

“There’s been a lot of contrasting reporting on Jackson and what his future will hold now it looks like two new strikers are arriving at the club.

“At the very least, he now has big question marks hanging over his head, but what is the latest on him?

“Chelsea do like Jackson, but there has been a desire to upgrade him and bring more competition in. They believe that he doesn’t have enough to lead Chelsea in the Champions League right now, so have looked to bring in others.

“In terms of a selling standpoint, they will very much listen to any offers that come in without actively pushing to sell him.”

Phillips adds that Manchester United, Aston Villa, Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid are all interested in the Senegalese and are considering making an offer, so an exit for Jackson is very much a possibility.

Now, as one African striker is faced with the prospect of leaving Stamford Bridge, another has been given the chance to join Maresca’s squad.

Chelsea make "official offer" to sign Villarreal striker Karl Etta Eyong

According to Africa Foot, Chelsea are seriously moving in pursuit of Villarreal striker Karl Etta Eyong.

The “promising” Cameroonian, as stated by this report, has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season, scoring once in La Liga for the first team and a further 19 for Villarreal’s B squad, with the 21-year-old also attracting attention from Toulouse, Getafe, and Leganes.

However, it is Maresca’s side who appear to be in pole position. Chelsea have made an “official offer” for Etta Eyong, submitting a five-year contract proposal until 2030, with the option of spending next season at sister club Strasbourg to help further his development.

There’s been no confirmation of whether the player or Villarreal are inclined to accept this proposal, but it may be one to watch over the coming days.

Manchester United are enjoying a climactic end to the campaign and may already have made progress in pursuit of one high-profile summer target, according to Florian Plettenberg.

Manchester United put one foot in Europa League final

In what has been a strange campaign for the Red Devils, they have little to play for in the Premier League bar pride as their domestic season slowly peters out under Ruben Amorim. However, United appear nailed on to feature in the Europa League final later this month after a heroic 3-0 victory away to Athletic Club on Thursday evening.

Despite facing the wrath of a raucous home crowd, Casemiro’s header and a double from Bruno Fernandes kept the Red Devils’ hopes of securing a backdoor route to the Champions League alive, which is bound to be advantageous in soliciting summer transfer business.

Reports suggest that Real Madrid winger Rodrygo is a legitimate Manchester United target despite the fact it may cost upwards of £85 million to bring the Brazil international to Old Trafford.

Liam Delap and Matheus Cunha could join the Europa League semi-finalists from Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively. Still, Viktor Gyokeres is another target firmly in the sights of Amorim.

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The club are doing some sensible long-term planning.

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Truthfully, the outcome of Manchester United’s exploits in Europe will determine their scope of doing business. If they fail to claim silverware on the continent, there will be a scaled-back approach to dealings in light of the financial reality at the global giants.

Nevertheless, not every signing needs to cost millions, which is a philosophy Amorim seems to have taken into account after his side initiated talks with a defender who would strengthen their experienced backline.

Manchester United hold talks over move for Jonathan Tah

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United have held talks over a free transfer move for Jonathan Tah as his contract at Bayer Leverkusen nears expiration.

Discussions with his management have occurred, while Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid remain in pursuit of the 35-cap Germany international.

Enjoying a fine campaign at Bayer Leverkusen, the central defender has registered three goals and a solitary assist in 30 appearances across all competitions.

Dominant at the back, Tah has won 91 duels and made 146 recoveries on Bundesliga duty as his side look to secure a runners-up spot behind league leaders Bayern Munich.

Inexpensive deals that can provide high pedigree could be the way forward for Manchester United, who are still yet to determine whether they will have a sizeable amount to invest in their squad this summer.

Leeds United are interested in signing a “great” new player this summer and have already made contact, according to one Sky Sports reporter.

Leeds preparing for Oxford with Championship promotion a real possibility

The Whites have just four Championship fixtures remaining and are currently top of the table on goal difference ahead of Burnley.

More importantly, though, the gap to third place Sheffield United now sits at five points with the Blades losing their last three games against Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle. Leeds still have to travel to both Oxford and Plymouth, with a clash with the former up next on Good Friday.

Championship run-in

Leeds (88 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (88 pts)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

A third win in a row for Daniel Farke’s side will see them need a maximum of four more points to guarantee promotion, with the manager looking for his side to be more ruthless in front of goal after the 2-1 win over Preston North End last time out.

“It feels pretty good after an exhausting week with three difficult games. It was a priceless three points for us. It was a really good performance and we could have made life easier by taking a few of our chances, it must have been one of our highest expected goals of the season. We should have scored six or seven.”

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Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 15, 2025

Joel Piroe is currently without a goal in his last eight Championship games, however, with Leeds close to promotion, transfer targets are being identified.

The club are unsure if Piroe and Patrick Bamford are Premier League quality, but someone who the Whites do like is a Germany international who plays in midfield.

Leeds in contact to sign Borussia Monchengladbach captain Weigl – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Leeds have made initial contact over a deal to sign Borussia Monchengladbach captain Julian Weigl.

Weigl earns a minimum of £50,000-a-week in Germany and has worked under Farke before, with the pair still having a “good relationship”.

The 29-year-old, who can play as a holding midfielder, central midfielder or even as a centre-back, would only move to Elland Road if Premier League football is on offer, Plettenberg adds.

Reports elsewhere from Sky Germany have said it would be an “expensive deal” for the Whites to sign Weigl, who Farke praised back in 2023.

“Julian is a great footballer and person. He could enrich many teams with his qualities.”

Now, it looks as if a reunion between the pair could be on the cards, making this one to keep an eye on.

Chris Silverwood praises the Sri Lanka quicks for showing “a lot of heart, determination and passion”

Mohammad Isam02-Apr-2024Mominul Haque took the blame for playing a part in Bangladesh not capitalising on a good batting pitch on day four of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram.Bangladesh had their best batting day of the two-Test series as they crossed 200 for the first time in five Test innings, but a number of batters failed to convert their starts, and they are now staring at a big defeat, reduced to 268 for 7 in a tall chase of 511.Mominul, when on 50 off 55, struck a sweep straight down deep-backward square-leg’s throat minutes before the tea break. Shakib Al Hassan and Litton Das then fell for 36 and 38 respectively, and Shahadat Hossain walked back for 15.Related

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“It was my fault to play that shot in the over before tea,” Mominul said. “I shouldn’t have got out like that. If we had lost two or four wickets all day, it would have been a different story. They [Sri Lanka] would have been under pressure. It would have left us to bat all day on the fifth day. The pitch is still good but we lost too many wickets today. Most of us got out after getting set. All of us, including myself, are to blame.”Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood, however, praised Bangladesh’s forthright approach on the fourth day.”I think Bangladesh played well today,” Silverwood said. “They put the pressure back on the bowlers. They made life difficult for us. I think we bowled well in patches. There were periods when we could have bowled better. I don’t think we quite had the consistency in this innings as we showed in the first innings with the ball. Thankfully, our hard work has put us in a strong position going into tomorrow.”In these sorts of wickets, you need to hold your line and length. Bangladesh didn’t allow us to do that today. The run rate stayed around 3.9, which means they were pushing back. It is a good learning curve for us.”

“We have seen some good skill levels from the boys. They have shown a lot of heart, determination and passion. I think they are learning how to bowl in different conditions”Chris Silverwood on the Sri Lanka fast bowlers

Bangladesh’s top seven in this series have the lowest collective batting average for the side in a series since the start of January 2021. Mominul said that the lack of red-ball cricket in the lead-up to the Test series could be a reason for the poor performance but did not want to use that as an excuse. Bangladesh played their last Test series before this one in December, and their two first-class competitions also ended in December.”Our batting has totally collapsed in this series,” Mominul said. “We can’t give any excuses about it. If you compare it to how we batted in the first Test against New Zealand [in November last year], we couldn’t click in this Test series. We couldn’t play to our capabilities.”You will think I am giving an excuse if I say that we are playing a Test after a considerable break. You might then ask me why I didn’t have a problem [scoring runs when others couldn’t]. I might have tackled it better but the rest of the team were mostly playing white-ball cricket [till recently]. This is the reality. It will sound negative, but this is the truth.”Lahiru Kumara is the second-highest wicket-taker in the series at this stage•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh’s batters have found the Sri Lankan fast bowlers especially tough to tackle. With a total of 31 wickets so far, the quicks have taken the most wickets by a Sri Lanka fast bowling attack ever in a two-match Test series. The previous occasions when they took 25-plus wickets were all in Australia, South Africa and England.”I think they have been absolutely fantastic in this series. We have seen some good skill levels from the boys. They have shown a lot of heart, determination and passion. I think they are learning how to bowl in different conditions,” Silverwood said. “We had a completely different style of pitch in the last Test. So we had to change the way we go about things. They adapted very well. They are growing. They have a lot left to learn. They are improving all the time.”Silverwood reserved special praise for Lahiru Kumara, who is making a comeback after a long injury layoff. Kumara has so far taken nine wickets in the series, often troubling the batters with sharp short-of-a-length deliveries.”He [Kumara] has created an impact. He got wickets in important times. He bowled some fantastic deliveries,” Silverwood said. “He has looked dangerous every time he has come into the attack. We want to continue to develop him. I think the more he plays, the better he is going to get.”

With the first-choice players and the incumbents struggling, the BCB is forced to look at the next set of cricketers

Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2022Bangladesh currently have the worst-performing Test batting line-up in 2022. It is an unenviable position for those in Bangladeshi cricket, and those working in the background are particularly concerned about the lack of runs among the top four batters.What’s the reason behind their lack of runs? Mominul Haque’s dreadful form and Najmul Hossain Shanto taking so long to live up to his promise are just a couple of concerns.BCB’s cricket operations chairman, Jalal Yunus, said that the performance of the Test side is the “main worry” and the board is thinking of offering financial incentives to those who focus more on Tests. He expressed surprise over Mominul and Shanto’s dipping forms as they spend a good amount of time in training throughout the year.Related

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“We are planning to increase [the] match fees for the Test team,” Yunus told ESPNcricinfo. “We want the players to take Tests more seriously. If we see dedication towards Tests, we will give more incentives to the players. We are trying our best to facilitate them so it is tough to understand why the Test team isn’t doing well.”Our main worry is the Test side. It is surprising that players like Mominul and Shanto could not be stable. They aren’t supposed to go in decline. They are supposed to get much better. It is just the start of their career. We are expecting their service for the next five years. They work with our coaching staff, apart from training under local coaches like Salahuddin, Fahim and Babul. We fail to understand how they can have technical problems when they are always sorting out their technical side with these coaches.”Mominul Haque has bagged two ducks after arriving in the West Indies•AFP/Getty ImagesYunus, who took over from Akram Khan as the cricket operations chief last December, said that the inability of players like Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun to establish themselves as solid Test players forced the BCB’s decision makers to look at options from the Under-19 side.”We tried Mithun and brought back Mosaddek [Hossain],” Yunus said. “They should have established themselves in the Test side. These two and Soumya Sarkar were among the next batch, the ones who were originally supposed to [be] back-up[s] for Shakib [Al Hasan] and Tamim [Iqbal].”We recalled [Anamul Haque] Bijoy for his superb domestic performance in the last couple of seasons but even he should have established himself long ago. Imrul Kayes should have continued in the national team. It is quite alarming that they couldn’t make themselves stable at the highest level. We had to fast-track someone like [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy who should have come to this stage much later.”The BCB has also decided to send the Bangladesh A side for a tour to the West Indies next month. It will be the team’s first series in nearly three years. Their last tour was to Sri Lanka in September-October 2019, while the Bangladesh Emerging team – comprising predominantly Under-23 cricketers – last played a series in March 2021.The absence of A-team tours, as well as first-class cricket and other representative camps, in the last two years was due to the pandemic. The BCB’s decision makers believe that the younger lot who will be eventually considered for the next batch in Tests should be given at least another couple of years to prepare themselves.”The uncapped players – who we can call our next batch at the international level – need another couple of years to be fully prepared,” a board official, who requested anonymity said. Shahadat [Hossain] Dipu and Towhid Hridoy are in the High Performance (HP) squad, but we need at least a year to prepare him before taking them to the next level. Ideally, we should have spent another year working on someone like Joy in the High Performance or Bangladesh Tigers level.”Ebadot Hossain’s dismissal didn’t paint a pretty picture•AFP/Getty ImagesAt the domestic level, newcomer Amite Hasan’s 912 runs at 60.80 in both the first-class competitions in the 2021-22 season earned him the selectors’ attention. He is training with the HP side at the moment.The selectors ended up picking Anamul Haque in all three formats for the West Indies for his sheer run-making: he broke the world record for most runs in a one-day tournament, apart from being the top scorer in first-class cricket in the last five years.Since November 2019, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Joy and Mohammad Naim are the only batters who have been handed Test debuts. Saif and Naim are no longer in contention while Yasir, currently suffering a back injury, is preferred as an understudy to middle-order stalwarts Shakib and Mushfiqur.Yasir, and to some extent Nurul Hasan, have patiently waited for their turns after going through several tours only as squad members. They finally got their chances, while the likes of Fazle Mahmud, who went to New Zealand and did not get a game, were dropped. Anamul may return to the Test side if the team management decides to give Shanto a break.It all equates to the lack of resources in Test batting in Bangladesh. Now that the incumbents are failing, the BCB is forced to look at the next set of cricketers.

During my playing and broadcasting career, I saw the toxic effect prejudice and ignorance could have on people and the game

Ian Chappell21-Jun-2020As racism is playing a prominent role in the current turbulent times, it’s worth reflecting on my experience of prejudice in and around cricket.As a youngster growing up in a family where there was no notable prejudice, despite being in the era of the White Australia Policy, I wasn’t really aware of racism. I had the good fortune to commence my Sheffield Shield career in the same team as champion West Indian allrounder Garry Sobers. That was a wonderful education in both cricket and life.My first overseas tour was to South Africa in 1966-67 and it was an eye-opener. The apartheid regime was in power and we got a taste of its abhorrent nature after winning the second Test in Cape Town. “Why don’t you pick Garry Sobers? Then you’ll have a team full of blacks” was the offensive comment directed at Australian batsman Grahame Thomas by an ignorant patron in the team hotel. Thomas has Native American lineage dating back to the days of slavery. Sensibly he walked away from any confrontation.ALSO READ: ‘I refuse to allow any other person to make me feel mentally less’ – Daren SammyAs captain in 1972-73, prior to commencing a home series against Pakistan and then touring the Caribbean, I spoke to the Australian players. I warned them if there were any terms of address prefixed by the word “black”, there would be trouble. I said: “You don’t call someone a lucky white bastard, so why include the word ‘black’ in any outburst?” I never heard any such comments from those Australian players.In 1975-76, my brother Greg captained Australia against West Indies. In a book published after the series, Viv Richards suggested there had been some racially prejudiced comments. I asked Greg, who had a similar outlook to me, if he’d heard any such and he said, “No”. I later spoke to Viv on the subject and he said he was referring to one player and assured me that it had all been sorted out.In 1972 I played in a double-wicket contest in Zimbabwe. On a rest day a few players were drinking in the back bar at the Victoria Falls hotel. We had been there a while when the proprietor suddenly told Basil D’Oliveira, a South African-born Cape Coloured man who played for England, that he had to leave the bar. I asked why.

I said: “You don’t call someone a lucky white bastard, so why include the word ‘black’ in any outburst?”

“Because he’s been swearing in front of my wife,” came the unconvincing reply. “Turn it up, mate,” I responded. “There’s a few of us been swearing, why pick on Basil?” The man insisted that Basil was the only one swearing, so we all put our unfinished beers on the bar and walked out.During the 1975-76 tour of South Africa by a mixed-race International Wanderers side managed by Richie Benaud and captained by Greg, we travelled to a ground outside Port Elizabeth to watch players of colour who weren’t allowed to compete in the Currie Cup competition because of South Africa’s apartheid laws. John Shepherd, who played for West Indies and Kent, and is of the most gentle people on this earth, was part of our side. As we were leaving, a member of the crowd shouted out: “Why don’t you paint yourself white, Shepherd, and then you can be like the rest of them.”ALSO READ: Sambit Bal: It’s time we South Asians understood that colourism is racismShep stopped abruptly and turned to face the crowd with a withering glare. I happened to be next to him. I grabbed his arm and said: “You don’t have to put up with this – let’s leave.”Shep’s arm was as firm as a steel rod, but without redirecting his glare he simply said: “You keep going. I’ll be there in a minute.” Then as a reassurance he added: “There won’t be any trouble.”I had another experience of the harmful effects of racism in Jamaica in 1991. At a television forum there, the moderator introduced the subject of the ICC. In answer to a question I said the power of veto that Australia and England held over ICC decisions was a disgrace and should have been abolished long ago. I did not anticipate that many in the audience would be aware there was a power of veto, but the crowd burst into applause. That made a mockery of the standard reply from Australian cricket administrators when that particular issue was brought up: “The power of veto has never been used, so why would it upset anyone?”This is the sad reality of racism. What is implied often cuts deepest.

A few contenders have to be thrilled after what they were able to accomplish this week.

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is behind us, and after 24 of the wildest hours Major League Baseball has ever seen, several teams emerged far better than they began the day. Despite sky-high prices, there were blockbusters galore with a number of All-Stars changing hands and teams across the league deciding to throw caution to the wind and go all-in.

Here are the teams that made the biggest upgrades at the deadline.

Seattle Mariners acquire third baseman Eugenio Suárez

The Mariners entered the month of July desperately needing to upgrade their corner infield positions. They did just that in two trades with the Diamondbacks, landing Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez a few days apart. Suárez is the real upgrade here.

As the deadline crossed, Seattle’s third basemen had combined to produce 0.2 WAR, a .664 OPS, five home runs, and 35 RBIs. Suárez arrives slashing .248/.320/.575 for an OPS of .895, with 36 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 143. That’s a big improvement from Ben Williamson’s wRC+ of 76. Suárez is a massive upgrade for a team that wanted to go all-in and take advantage of catcher Cal Raleigh’s historic season.

Naylor and Suárez will combine to bring a ton of offense to a team that is 12th in the majors in runs scored and 10th in OPS (.730). Seattle did what it needed to do at the deadline to give itself a boost in the race for the American League West crown.

San Diego Padres land left fielder Ramón Laureano

A lot can be said about the Padres’ trade deadline—and I've said some of it—but they did manage to fill their biggest need, and get more on top of it. After the truly puzzling blockbuster for Mason Miller, San Diego made one of the best moves of the day, landing Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles in exchange for six prospects.

Padres left fielders currently rank 29th in baseball, having generated -0.7 WAR this season. They rank 28th in OPS (.613) with a collective slash line of .229/.283/.330 and seven home runs. The position has been a turnstile since the season kicked off. Jason Heyward started things off, then a laundry list of guys followed—all failing spectacularly one after another.

Laureano immediately upgrades the position. He’s slashing .290/.355/.529 with an OPS of .884, 15 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 144. Given his career track record, it’s fair to expect some regression before the end of the season, but even so, he’s a massive improvement over the current group at the position.

A few days ago, I called for the Padres to chase Laureano and fill their most obvious need. He will fit perfectly in a lineup surrounded by Manny Machado, Fernando Tatís Jr., Jackson Merrill, Luis Arráez, a re-emerging Xander Bogaerts and O’Hearn. And to make things even better, his contract carries a cheap club option for 2026. This was a great move for San Diego.

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