Five years ago, Jurgen Klopp watched his Liverpool team crumble as injuries overwhelmed them. They had just won the Premier League, and the year before, christened what was to be a historic chapter when the boss led them to victory in the Champions League.

Lightning has struck twice. Arne Slot dominated the English game last year and won the title with such confidence, but Liverpool have fallen apart after a summer of significant spending, faulty across any number of areas and bereft of fluency and coherence.

There is maybe a need for patience, and for allowing these new cogs to connect with the Slot machine, but then the flip side of that would be that there is no excusing the error-strewn displays, and inability to react to opposition approaches.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher called it a crisis, with the Merseysiders having lost four Premier League matches on the bounce.

And while many exciting attacking signings were made, with the full-back ranks reshaped, Liverpool are leaving so much to be desired defensively, and changes are surely needed.

Liverpool's need for centre-backs

Virgil van Dijk has for so long been a pillar of strength and leadership at Liverpool. Both things remain true, but the captain turned 34 in July and, while still immense, lacks the structure around him to give rise to his finest football.

To put that another way, Liverpool are a bit of a mess at the back, and Van Dijk has been carried along with the current across recent weeks.

Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have overseen a stylistic restructure across Liverpool’s backline, and this has knocked things out of kilter. Questions must be asked of the strategy behind adding Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to the ranks, neither of whom appear to be glove-tight fits.

And the fumbled deal for Crystal Palace centre-half Marc Guehi has aggravated the issue. Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah this summer, and Giovanni Leoni, 18, is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury on his debut. Guehi was needed, but Liverpool left it late, and the Eagles didn’t want to play ball after missing out on targets of their own.

With that in mind, it appears the Reds have set their sights on a bid for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. According to Spanish sources, Liverpool joined by Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid in angling for a move in 2026.

The France international is out of contract at the end of the term, and while the Bundesliga giants are desperate to seal his renewal, the 27-year-old may be tempted by lucrative offers from the Premier League and La Liga.

Why Liverpool want to sign Upamecano

Liverpool struck gold in the past when they landed a talented defender from the Bundesliga on a free transfer. Indeed, Joel Matip played a defining role in the Klopp era, playing 201 games for the club, scoring 11 goals and supplying six assists.

He won the Premier League and the Champions League among further honours, notably playing in Divock Origi for the Belgian’s conclusive goal against Tottenham in Madrid, six years ago.

It all started when the Cameroonian agreed to join Klopp’s nascent project in February 2016, arriving at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Van Dijk has had many partners at the back, but when Matip was fully-fit and firing beside him, Klopp’s behemoths formed quite the partnership.

Now, with Upamecano approaching the end of his journey at the Allianz Arena, FSG are desperate to capitalise once again.

Bayern signed the Frenchman from divisional rivals RB Leipzig in 2021 for a reported £38m fee. He had been described as an “elite talent and a joy to watch” by scout Jacek Kulig before his move to Bayern.

And he’s gone from strength to strength since. Indeed, the tough-tackling star has polished his skillset to a standard that would befit a starring, much-scrutinised role in Slot’s Liverpool side. Should Liverpool pull this off, they may even forget all about that botched bid for Guehi.

Hailed for his “sensational” defensive ability by writer Mohammed Butt, Upamecano has the experience, athleticism and technical quality to make his mark on the Premier League, perhaps even bringing a more complete brand than someone like Guehi.

Van Dijk will expect to captain Liverpool next season, and the Dutchman’s cultured shift into his veteran years suggests that, with a more stable framework around him, he could see his club achieve their goals.

Guehi might have the experience within the English game, but Upamecano would fancy himself a cut above, boasting a wealth of top-level experience and with much silverware in the bank.

In 2025, he has also, crucially, established himself as a starting centre-back for Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus side, and with the World Cup on the horizon, this tells much of his quality and the faith of those above him.

Dayot Upamecano – Stats by Club

Club

Apps

Goals (assists)

Bayern Munich

164

5 (10)

RB Leipzig

154

4 (3)

France

34

2 (0)

FC Liefering

16

0 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

A ball-playing defender, data-driven platform FBref suggest that there is a likeness between Upamecano and former Anfield star Quansah, though Slot would hope to bring in a more refined and cultured presence than the up-and-comer he deemed unfit for a starring role in his project.

FBref reveal that, over the past 12 months, Upamecano ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 11% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for recoveries made per 90. Clearly, he’s got the skills and physicality to succeed in the Premier League.

Though Liverpool remain in the mix for Guehi, his free agency will attract the biggest sharks across the continent.

Not only would the £166k-per-week Upamecano prove a worthy fallback, but he might even be the better pick.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

Tom Westley and Charlie Allison chalked up career-best List A scores while posting a 231-run third-wicket partnership that underpinned Essex’s third successive Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory.The Essex captain’s 141 was his eighth List A century, while Allison’s 131 was his first in the white-ball format but his fourth of a summer in which the 20-year-old has established himself as a forceful and elegant middle-order stroke-maker. As a statistical curiosity, both players’ innings lasted 113 balls.Allison slammed five sixes and 15 fours, while Westley chipped in with 16 fours and three sixes. Simon Harmer made sure the target was beyond Glamorgan with a 22-ball cameo including four sixes in 42 and then ripped through the visitors’ brittle batting with best bowling figures of 5 for 47.Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson smashed four sixes in a defiant 36-ball 64, and Asa Tribe a pedestrian 71 from 79, but it only delayed the inevitable in a day-night match that barely reached nightfall. The reigning champions, still without a win this season, succumbed to 181 all out to lose by 190 runs inside 33 overs.Having elected to bat on a well-used hybrid wicket, Essex lost both openers inside the first eight overs. Matt Critchley attempted to loft Zain ul Hassan straight down the ground, instead hitting high but barely clearing the square, before Robin Das fizzed a delivery from Ned Leonard low to backward point.However, Essex’s tentative start gave way to a free-flowing partnership. Both batsmen dealt almost exclusively in boundaries for a spell, Allison hitting three in an over from Dan Douthwaite. He also added back-to-back fours off Carlson, the first through extra cover, the second a very late cut, before launching the off-spinner over long-off for six.Westley was no less aggressive, whipping Leonard through midwicket, driving the same bowler through the covers and next ball hooking a third boundary. Allison brought up the century partnership with a second six over long leg off Ben Morris. A third six over extra cover off Asa Tribe took Allison beyond his previous best of 85 as well as marking the pair’s 150-run stand. Soon after, he turned Leonord off his legs to reach a 92-ball hundred.Neither player gave a chance until Westley, on 99, drove uppishly to short extra cover where he was dropped by a leaping Henry Hurle while reaching three figures from 93 balls.Eddie Byrom dropped Allison at deep square leg on 126 but made amends shortly after when he held on at cow corner to give Tribe the first of two wickets in four balls. Luc Benkenstein sliced to long-off to give Hurle some compensation.Westley added two more sixes but fell to a similar catch in a similar position to the same fielder as Allison to complete the symmetry of their respective innings.Harmer kept up the barrage before he was caught in the deep from the last ball of the innings to give ul Hassan a third wicket.Jamie Porter struck with his first ball in Glamorgan’s reply when he had Byrom edging to slip and Shane Snater upped the pressure when Hurle nicked behind in only the fifth over.However, Kiran Carlson took up the challenge almost single-handedly. He dominated the first fifty runs of the 78-run third-wicket stand, to which Tribe contributed just seven, and reached his own half-century from 31 balls with an audacious reverse-sweep off Harmer for his third six. A fourth maximum, to cow corner off Benkenstein, followed before he fell, driving Harmer to mid-off.Then the collapse began in earnest. Will Smale lasted just four balls before attempting a lavish sweep against Benkenstein and was lbw. Billy Root didn’t hang around much longer, sweeping Harmer to the square-leg boundary, while ul Hassan’s three-ball stay ended when he was caught behind. Harmer claimed a simple caught-and-bowled to remove Douthwaite and then bowled Tribe for his fifth wicket.

Who will replace Brendan Rodgers as Celtic manager?

Well, most supporters would like to see Ange Postecoglou return, having won five trophies during his two seasons in Glasgow, very much still, almost inarguably, the most popular Celtic boss of modern times.

However, according to widespread reports, the Aussie is highly unlikely to return to the club at this time, seeking time away from football following his ill-fated 39 days in charge of Nottingham Forest, failing to win any of his eight matches in the East Midlands.

Other names, including Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, Kjetil Knutsen and Nicky Hayen, appear to be high up on the board’s wish list, but getting them out of their current positions will not be easy, so should Celtic target a “box office” title-winning coach currently out of work, who could repeat Postecoglou’s success?

What made Ange Postecoglou a success at Celtic

Given that Celtic had been a total mess the season before, when Postecoglou was appointed manager in the summer of 2021, most, including all Rangers supporters, were laughing.

Well, they weren’t laughing for long because, after losing his first three Premiership away games, the Australian then oversaw a 38-match unbeaten streak in the league, winning 32 of these matches, departing having picked up two league titles, two League Cups and a Scottish Cup.

His charisma and personality completely won over a then-divided fan base, very much playing the role of a cult leader, while his now infamous Ange-ball high intensity, high-possession, relentless style of play was like nothing seen in Scottish football before or since.

Also, Postecoglou’s knowledge of lesser-known markers, specifically the Japanese league, helped him sign Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Kyōgo Furuhashi, while, in a cosmopolitan squad, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Matt O’Riley, Aaron Mooy, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Alistair Johnston and others from all across the globe thrived.

All of this culminated in creating, arguably, the most thrilling and unstoppable Celtic side anyone has enjoyed watching for a very long time, ending the 2022/23 season with 99 points, having scored 114 goals, the most the club have managed in a single league campaign since 1916.

However, it was Postecoglou’s cult of personality that instantaneously enamoured him with supporters from day one, which was crucial considering his lack of prior name recognition, so should Celtic now seek to appoint a coach who possesses similar characteristics?

Celtic's next Ange Postecoglou

According to a report by Sky Sports, seven names are under consideration for the vacant Celtic job, including the aforementioned Bellamy, Knutsen, McKenna and Hayen.

Manager Focus

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They also state that Damien Duff is ‘being assessed’, noting that he has ‘strong ties with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond’.

The Irishman began his coaching career as youth manager at Shamrock Rovers before joining Celtic, briefly working with the B team before serving as Neil Lennon’s assistant when he replaced Rodgers in February 2019.

After Lennon was sacked, he had a short stint on the Republic of Ireland’s coaching staff, before joining Shelbourne, where he truly made a name for himself.

In just over three seasons in charge of Shels, overseeing 151 games, Duff enjoyed unparalleled success, as the table below documents.

When Duff was appointed Shelbourne manager, they were a newly-promoted club, leading them to a first ​​​​​​​FAI Cup Final for 11 years at the end of his first season, ultimately beaten 4-0 by Derry City at the Aviva.

Nevertheless, this would prove to be the start of something special because, last year, the Reds were crowned League of Ireland champions for the first time in 18 years, pipping serial champions Shamrock Rovers on the final day by two points.

As a player, Duff won two Premier League titles with Chelsea and was part of the Fulham side that reached the Europa League Final, as well as accumulating 100 international caps, only six Irishmen have more.

Nevertheless, considering the Reds were 25/1 rank-outsiders before the season began, Duff described this as both the greatest achievement and the “pinnacle” of his career, adding that it was like something out of a Hollywood script.

Despite being a beloved figure among the Tolka Park faithful, Duff resigned as manager in June, following a sequence of five wins from 20 league matches, stepping away just days before the start of their Champions League qualifying campaign.

Still very popular in Drumcondra, Shelbourne technical director Luke Byrn described Duff as “box office”, while Miguel Delaney of the Independent asserted that his personality is ‘intensely captivating’ and ‘compelling’ to listen to, comparing him to José Mourinho, who was of course his manager at Stamford Bridge.

Meantime, Samuel Hutchinson of Total Football Analysis documents how Duff favours a style revolving around high possession and high intensity, very similar to that of Postecoglou.

Thus, Duff has both the personality and playing style to replicate Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow.

Of course, his lack of elite-level coaching experience is a concern, but he has worked at Celtic before and, possibly most crucially of all, is available.

Postecoglou himself was not first-choice, the Celtic board spending months attempting to woo Eddie Howe before that fell through, so Duff could ultimately prove to be the right man at the right time.

O'Neill 2.0: Celtic chasing "one of the best coaches" as Ange alternative

Rather than Ange Postecoglou, should Celtic appoint “one of the best coaches” in the EFL who would repeat Martin O’Neill’s success from 2 decades ago?

By
Ben Gray

Oct 31, 2025

أعلن اتحاد كرة السلة عن عقوبات المباراة التي أقيمت بين فريقي الأهلي والاتحاد في إياب نهائي دوري المرتبط لكرة السلة، بعد الأحداث التي شهدتها المواجهة.

وكان النادي الأهلي قد توج بـ دوري المرتبط لكرة السلة مساء الإثنين بعد انسحاب فريق الاتحاد السكندري من مباراة إياب النهائي.

طالع|مالك طه يعتذر لـ جماهير الأهلي والاتحاد بعد أزمة نهائي دوري المرتبط

حكم المباراة انتظر لمدة 20 دقيقة ولكن لاعبو الاتحاد لم يدخلوا ملعب المباراة بل غادرت حافلة نادي الاتحاد، احتجاجا على إخلاء المدرجات من الجماهير. عقوبات مباراة الاتحاد والأهلي في إياب نهائي دوري مرتبط السلة

بناءً على أحداث مباراة الاتحاد والأهلي في إياب نهائي دوري المرتبط – رجال، التي أُقيمت يوم الاثنين الموافق 24 نوفمبر الجاري، وبالرجوع إلى تقريري حكام ومراقب المباراتين، توصي لجنة المسابقات بتوقيع العقوبات التالية على ناديي الاتحاد والأهلي. أولًا: عقوبات نادي الاتحاد

– إيقاف اللاعب مالك طه حتى نهاية الموسم وتغريمه 15000 جنيه.

– إيقاف اللاعب فاروق محمد مباراتين وتغريمه 5000 جنيه.

– إيقاف الإداري جابر بيكهام مباراتين وتغريمه 1000 جنيه.

– تغريم جمهور نادي الاتحاد مبلغ 100000 جنيه لما بدر منه من سباب وإلقاء زجاجات المياه على لاعبي النادي الأهلي عقب نهاية مباراة المرتبط.

– تغريم نادي الاتحاد مبلغ 100000 جنيه نظير انسحاب فريق الرجال من المباراة.

– نقل 3 مباريات لنادي الاتحاد خارج ملعبه في بطولات اتحاد السلة، وإقامتها دون جمهور. ثانيًا: عقوبات نادي الأهلي

– إيقاف كلًا من اللاعب عمر حاتم، واللاعب أسعد هنداوي، واللاعب آسر أحمد لمدة مباراتين للاشتباك مع لاعب نادي الاتحاد، مع تغريم كل لاعب 5000 جنيه.

– تغريم جمهور النادي الأهلي مبلغ 50000 جنيه لما بدر منه من سباب على لاعبي نادي الاتحاد عقب نهاية مباراة المرتبط.

– إيقاف المدرب إبراهيم الجمال مباراتين وتغريمه 5000 جنيه لما بدر منه تجاه المقصورة. ثالثًا: عقوبات أخرى

– اعتماد نتيجة المباراة بفوز النادي الأهلي 20–0 بالانسحاب لعدم تواجد 5 لاعبين من فريق الاتحاد على أرض الملعب، وفقًا لقرار الحكام بانسحاب الفريق.

– إخطار شركة تذكرتي بعدم السماح لجماهير الاتحاد والأهلي الحاضرين في المباراة بدخول أي مباراة لمدة 3 أشهر من تاريخ اللقاء.

– تحمل كل نادٍ قيمة التلفيات داخل الصالة بناءً على تقرير مدير الصالة.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Actually, it might be difficult to find someone who would earnestly argue that he's not. The lefthander picked up his 10th win of the year on Sunday night by overpowering the Texas Rangers with 11 strikeouts while surrendering a single run. That dropped his ERA to 2.19 on the year and within one of Boston's Garret Crochet for the Major League strikeout lead.

Long story short, almost every batter he faces is overmatched and it shows. Except Corey Seager. For some reason, Seager owns him.

The Texas shortstop collected two hits in his first two at-bats Sunday night to move his career ledger to 8-for-11 against Skubal.

And both times Skubal could only share a laugh with his nemesis or throw his hands up in exasperation.

Skubal did manage to finally retire Seager on a soft liner in their final encounter, which elicited another strong reaction.

Detroit prevailed, 2-1, for its 60th win of the year and Skubal inched closer to another Cy Young Award. As long as he doesn't have to face Seager again, his numbers should remain gaudy.

Galatasary club president Dursun Ozbek has dropped a massive hint that the Turkish giants will make a sensational move for Argentina maestro Lionel Messi. Gala have dominated Turkish football in recent seasons, winning three consecutive titles and notably tallying a record-breaking 102 points back in 2023-24. And now Ozbek believes he can convince Messi to swap Inter Miami for the Turkish capital.

Massive move for MLS star Messi on the cards?

Galatasaray have a proven track record in recent seasons of signing high-profile players, which has driven forward their dominance of Turkish football. Forward Mauro Icardi joined on loan before making a permanent move, famously becoming the league's top scorer during the 2023-24 campaign. The club made a record-shattering £65 million ($85.5m) permanent signing of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen earlier this year. Other major acquisitions included the free transfers Wilfried Zaha and Belgian playmaker Dries Mertens, alongside other key players like Lucas Torreira.

But signing Messi would be a massive undertaking, the diminutive genius has transformed Inter Miami since his arrival in 2023, leading the club to its first trophy, the Leagues Cup. He was also instrumental in their 2024 Supporters' Shield win and in setting the league's record for most regular-season points. Messi's brilliance has elevated the entire team and significantly boosted the MLS's global profile. He continues to deliver decisive performances, as seen in the recent MLS Cup playoffs.

AdvertisementAFP'You can easily ask the Messi question'

But Messi's elite profile in the MLS is no deterrent to Gala president Ozbek, who was asked by Turkish reporters about rumours linking them with the little magician. "Did you say Messi? Galatasaray's most successful point is the transfers it has made," Ozbek is quoted as saying by . We didn't make too many transfers, but we made the transfers we needed, we kept the team. We kept the backbone of the team that became champion three years in a row, especially the whole team. I believe we built a successful team with transfers. We raised the bar very high. We made the highest transfer in the history of Turkish football. Galatasaray's economic level is suitable for these transfers."

He added: "We have raised the level of success to a high level, so you can easily ask the Messi question. While doing all this, we have achieved a good financial situation and we are not doing anything that will disrupt this. All the work we do, all of it has to stay within our financial capacity. That's why we have built a good team and hopefully we have goals in Europe. We will do whatever it takes to reach these goals."

Major hurdles to sign Messi

There are a few stumbling blocks for Ozbek to overcome in his pursuit of Messi. The talismanic Argentina superstar has just signed a new deal to keep him in Miami until 2028, when he’ll be 41 and he has recently spoken of how much he's enjoying life on the Florida coast. 

Messi recently said: "We were so happy living in Barcelona, the family and the kids, we had everything and we all grew up there. Imagine, I came when I was 13 years old… I built my entire life there. Here in Miami it was different because it was a family decision. Since arriving in Miami, the experience has been wonderful… Living in this amazing city first, then the affection of the people! Everything."

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AFPSlim chance of landing the GOAT

There is a glimmer of hope for Galatasaray however, as Messi will not play in domestic competition between December and March during the MLS close-season. The Argentina star, who is hoping to lead his side out as they defend their crown at next year's World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico earns an eye-watering £15 million ($19.7m), but Gala have shown they're happy to spend big to tempt big-name stars in recent seasons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ByDan Emery Oct 27, 2025

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

"Amazing" Gallagher could be solid option for Amorim

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

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

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

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

Sammy has done it for the white-ball set-up by getting the likes of Russell, Lewis and Hetmyer to return

Cameron Ponsonby17-Nov-2024I watched the highlights of Brian Lara’s 153 not out against Australia earlier Saturday. It was great.A ram-packed Kensington Oval, The Prince being princely, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh being comically bad at batting, a one-wicket win and a bloke doing backflips on the outfield as Lara is escorted off by security. Steve Waugh looks angry; Shane Warne has zinc on his nose. It’s the best.Wistful yearning for West Indies cricket of old is always dull and almost always preceded by a sigh that “they all play basketball these days”. Which no matter how often it is said, will still never be true.Related

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Even the ‘s match report from that day, 25 years ago, refers to the notion of cricket in the region being dead. Test cricket dying; the young being work shy; and the standard of refereeing being worse than ever. The three eternal truths of this world. Said by every generation in history.But cut to St Lucia – in a dead-rubber fourth of five T20Is. It’s a series where the integrity of the result has been corrupted by a shift in start times to better suit UK TV audiences that have made all seven games win toss, win match, events, with a touring side that is sub-strength because of a scheduling clash and it all played out to a backing track of in the land of dancehall, soca and reggae. Well, it was hard not to yearn. should never be played in the Caribbean. There is being welcoming. And there is pandering. If you are a local West Indian fan and you are going to watch a match that has been scheduled for an English fan’s TV experience and designed for an English fan’s in-ground experience. What, exactly, is left for you?

“It is so difficult for me to just say that I’ll go back into some red-ball cricket when the IPL is going on”Hetmyer, who last played for Guyana’s red-ball team in 2022, said in July

Of greatest frustration is that the yearning isn’t only of the past, but a failure to capture the present. Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer, all in the XI on Saturday, represent the mess of scheduling and proliferation of the franchise game.Hope boasts a non-Test first-class average of 51. It was reported that earlier this year he turned down the chance to return to Test cricket for the tour of Australia due to not having enough red-ball experience under his belt. Since his last Test in 2021, he has played just three first-class matches. One in 2022, where he scored a century for Barbados. And two in 2023 for Yorkshire, where he made two fifties in four innings.Pooran – who Hope described after the game as “the best T20 batter in the world” – was presented with a shirt pre-match to commemorate him becoming the most capped T20I player in West Indies’ history, overtaking Kieron Pollard. A self-described “son of franchise cricket”, Pooran has played 369 T20 matches and five first-class games. In 2022, he said playing Test cricket was still in his plans.

Earlier today Nicholas Pooran was presented with special jersey to highlight his 100 T20I in Barbados.

He is now has the most T20I appearances for West Indies (102).#TheRivalry | #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/sp1tYTcnO3

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) November 16, 2024