Now 35, former captain remains at peak of his powers, and England ought to cash in while they can

Matt Roller18-Sep-2025Jos Buttler turned 35 last week, an age that marks him out as the clear veteran of the young batting line-up that England have taken to Dublin. He was the only man in the top seven picked in Wednesday’s series opener in his 30s, and the contrast with two 21-year-olds at No. 3 and 4 – Jacob Bethell, on captaincy debut, and Rehan Ahmed – was stark.It begs a question that England will be understandably reluctant to confront: could next year’s T20 World Cup, Buttler’s seventh, also be his last? Perhaps it is premature to ask at a time when his output remains so consistent – only Nicholas Pooran has scored more T20 runs this year – but Buttler is now the same age that Eoin Morgan was when he called it quits in 2022.Buttler remains as destructive as ever, as evidenced by his 30-ball 83 against South Africa in Manchester and his cold-blooded takedown of Ireland’s Graham Hume in Malahide, but the fundamental truth of sporting careers is that they cannot last forever. Next year’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa looms as the natural endpoint of Buttler’s for England.It is why England must keep Buttler at the top of their batting order, enabling him and Phil Salt to continue the dominant partnership that they resumed almost by default last week. Until this month, Buttler had spent a year batting at No. 3 in T20Is, the IPL, the Blast and the Hundred, but has clearly relished his return to opening in the last week.”It’s been good fun,” Buttler said. “To be honest, I think I’m at that stage [of my career] where I don’t really mind too much; I’m quite happy to bat anywhere. I’ve batted in those positions quite a bit now, so a change is quite refreshing sometimes. Having been at No. 3 for a little bit… I quite like those little subtle changes, and it gives you something new each time.”Phil Salt and Jos Buttler have continued their fine partnership in Dublin•Getty ImagesWhile batting at No. 3 protects Buttler from the swinging new ball – his only real vulnerability as a T20 player – it also means that he does not always have access to the fielding restrictions in the first six overs. “Going out at 0 for 0, you’ve got that full Powerplay,” he said, asked what he had enjoyed about returning to the top of the order.He has shown over the past week just how clinical he can be when there are only two fielders outside of the 30-yard circle: when he opens for England, Buttler averages 53.58 in the Powerplay, while striking at 155.31. He remains England’s best batter, and their first question when constructing their batting line-up must be how to maximise his chances of success.This block of T20 cricket has also served a reminder of Buttler and Salt’s remarkable combination as an opening pair. After their 126-run stand off 47 balls last Friday, they added 74 in 28 on Wednesday and became the first England openers to score 1,000 T20I runs in partnership in the process.”We bounce off each other,” Salt said. “I’m always the one looking to be aggressive early on, to throw the first punch. Jos, more often than not, comes in and does his own thing straight after. It’s a bit of a one-two in that regard. But then there’s been times when I’ve not started quickly, and have given the strike over to Jos… The more you bat with one person, the easier it gets.”Related

• England 304 for 2; Salt 141* sets up crushing 146-run victory

• England break 300 barrier on record-smashing night

• Salt and Buttler make opening case irrefutable

• Switch Hit: Dub smash

• Salt's latest onslaught powers England in 197-run chase

Buttler’s own view is similar. “We’ve batted together quite a bit together at the top,” he said. “We don’t go out there with any set plan, to be honest. Obviously Salty’s brilliant at getting going straightaway, and can take the pressure off [me] if needed. But we certainly try to bounce off each other, and just keep encouraging each other to play the way we do.”They have now opened the batting together 46 times across short-form cricket for England, Lancashire and Manchester Originals, and only five opening pairs in T20 history have scored more runs in partnership. Harry Brook said last week that England faced some “headaches” in selection but leaving a world-class opening pair together should act as a painkiller.It means that Ben Duckett may have to shuffle down to No. 3, where he should be well equipped to take on spin through the middle overs, while Jamie Smith might have to wait his turn. In any case, recent history suggests that it would be a misstep for England to rely too heavily on Test players at the T20 World Cup, given its proximity to an Ashes series in Australia.The fixtures have still not been published but England are expecting to spend most of next year’s World Cup in India, a country that Buttler knows as well as anyone thanks to a decade of IPL experience. He remains one of the few players who could win his country the tournament almost single-handedly: England must give him the best chance to do so.

And does Simon Harmer have the most wickets in a series at the lowest average?

Steven Lynch02-Dec-2025Simon Harmer took 17 wickets at less than nine apiece in the recent series in India. Has anyone taken more in a series at a lower average?</B asked Kelvin Phillips from South Africa
The South African offspinner Simon Harmer took 17 wickets at 8.94 in the recent 2-0 victory in India, figures that put him in rarefied company: only six bowlers have taken more wickets at a lower average in a series in which they played at least two Tests – and no one has done it since England’s Tony Lock took 34 wickets at just 7.47 against New Zealand at home in 1958.Lowest of all dates from South Africa’s first-ever Test series, at home in 1888-89: England’s Johnny Briggs took 21 wickets at just 4.80. Seven years later another England bowler, George Lohmann, took advantage of some more inexperienced South Africans to take 35 wickets at 5.80 in a three-match series.No one has taken more wickets at a lower average in any series in India (again playing in a minimum of two Tests): Jasprit Bumrah took ten at 9.00 apiece against Sri Lanka in 2021-22. In third place is Marco Jansen, with 12 at 10.08 in the just-finished series.Aiden Markram took nine catches in the second Test against India. Was this a record for a non-wicketkeeper? asked Tim Vallance from England
South Africa’s Aiden Markram, who was playing in his 50th Test, took nine catches in the demolition of India in Guwahati last week, all of them in the slips (although two required a dive into the gully area). It was a record for an outfielder in a Test, beating the eight of India’s Ajinkya Rahane against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2015. There are also seven cases of seven.Markram’s feat has been bettered only once in first-class cricket: in 1928, the England batter Wally Hammond caught ten in a County Championship match against Surrey at Cheltenham. It was definitely Hammond’s match: he also scored 139 and 143 in a comfortable win. In the next match at the college ground, he took 9 for 23 and 6 for 105 against Worcestershire, and scored 80 in an innings victory.There are two other instances of nine outfield catches in a first-class match: by Warwickshire’s Rikki Clarke against Lancashire in Liverpool in 2011, and Peter Handscomb for Victoria against Tasmania at St Kilda in Melbourne in March 2022.How many England openers have bagged a pair in Australia, as Zak Crawley did in Perth? asked Nick Jones from England
Zak Crawley’s run-less double in the Ashes opener in Perth was only the fourth time an England opener has bagged a pair in a Test in Australia, and the first since Mike Atherton in Melbourne in 1998, in a match England still won. The others were Dennis Amiss, courtesy of Dennis Lillee in Adelaide in 1975, and Trevor Bailey, dismissed twice by Ray Lindwall in what turned out to be his last Test, in Melbourne in 1959.Overall there have been just nine cases of an England opener bagging a pair in a Test, two of them by the unfortunate Atherton.Michael Atherton is the only England opener to have bagged a pair twice in Tests•Clive Mason/PA PhotosIndia have lost five home Tests in a row. When was the last time this happened? asked Maneck Bholl from India
Well, first of all India haven’t lost five in a row: in between the 3-0 defeat by New Zealand last season and the recent 2-0 reverse at South Africa’s hands, they overpowered West Indies in two Tests in Ahmedabad and Delhi in October. In fact India have never lost five in a row at home: their worst run is three, against New Zealand at the end of last year, England in 1976-77, Australia (two in 1969-70) and England (one in 1972-73), and West Indies in 1958-59.Away from home India lost seven consecutive Tests in England in 1967 and Australia in 1967-68. They lost six in a row in 1959, including a 5-0 defeat in England (England’s only such whitewash). Recent successes mean India have now won 185 of their 598 Tests, with 188 defeats to go with 224 draws (plus one tie).In a recent one-day international against Sri Lanka, Pakistan delivered 26 wides but still won. Was this a record? asked Fahad Ali
The match you’re talking about was the first ODI in Rawalpindi last month: despite conceding 26 in wides, Pakistan won by six runs in the end. It’s actually not a record: Australia beat New Zealand in Pune in 2003 despite donating 32 runs in wides, as did the United Arab Emirates against Papua New Guinea in Windhoek in 2023. There’s also two cases of winning despite conceding 31 wides: by India against Kenya in Bristol during the 1999 World Cup, and Pakistan against India in Mohali in 2007.There are some higher numbers in women’s ODIs: in three matches in 2001, the Netherlands conceded 56, 52 and 45 wides against Pakistan – but won all three games. At Merrion in Dublin in 2004, New Zealand gave away 43 runs in wides, but still beat Ireland; and in Dambulla in 2016, Australia defeated Sri Lanka despite conceding 41 wides.And there’s some updates to a recent question about umpires’ early decisions, from Charles Davis in Australia and Ashru Mitra in India:
There are a few refinements to the list of those who had to give a batter out from their first ball in a Test, as mentioned in this recent column. The man who gave Herbert Sutcliffe out from the first ball of England’s Test against New Zealand in Christchurch in March 1933 was Richard Torrance. His colleague was Thomas Burgess, also standing in his first Test, and from the first ball at his end Eddie Paynter was bowled.There was a curious incident in Port-of-Spain in March 1971, when the West Indian opener Roy Fredericks was dismissed by the first ball of the match, from India’s Abid Ali. The debutant umpire Stuart Ishmael gave Fredericks out lbw, but then noticed the bails had been dislodged, so he was recorded as bowled.Finally the umpire in the South Africa-India Test in Durban in November 1992 was Cyril Mitchley, not Karl Liebenberg: they were alternating on the field (partnering Steve Bucknor) in what was South Africa’s first home Test for nearly 23 years. Jimmy Cook edged Kapil Dev’s first ball of the match into the slips, where Sachin Tendulkar took a catch. It seems, from Cook’s own account, that although Mitchley was at square leg he did have to rule on whether the ball had hit the ground before it reached Tendulkar: to Cook’s horror, he decided it had not.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Middlesex skipper, who spent five years with Derbyshire, produced a stoic four-and-a-half hour effort

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025

Leus Du Plooy haunted his former county Derbyshire as his second hundred of the season led Middlesex to a slender first-innings lead on day two at Lord’s.The Middlesex skipper, who spent five years with Derbyshire prior to joining the Seaxes produced a stoic four-and-a-half hour effort with only eight boundaries as the hosts reached 298 all out.Josh De Caires (46) and Joe Cracknell (43) provided the main support, the latter sharing a stand of 80 for the sixth wicket with Du Plooy.Ben Aitchison bowled beautifully for his 3 for 35, while Zak Chappell also claimed three victims, before openers Luis Reece and Caleb Jewell saw Derbyshire through to stumps at 17 without loss – a lead of two heading into day three.Aitchison’s probing opening burst provided a stern examination of the Middlesex openers and it was a test Sam Robson did not survive, this season’s beneficiary trapped lbw by one which beat the outside edge.De Caires and Luke Hollman somehow negotiated the rest of the seamer’s stump-to-stump spell, but in his endeavours to increase the tempo against some looser offerings from first change Chappell, the latter wafted lazily at a wide one to be caught at slip.De Caires picked up where he’d left off in his 175 against Durham for the second XI at Hartlepool last week, driving sweetly through mid-on and cracking a wide one from Chappell to the fence at point. However, four short of 50 and with lunch beckoning he was adjudged to have tickled one through to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest. His disappointment, whether at himself or the decision was palpable.It was left to Du Plooy to provide the innings of substance required. The South African-born left-hander got underway with a tickle for four to fine leg, but this was a studious rather than flamboyant knock, a later square drive another of the six fours in his first 50 reached in 80 balls.His second 50 was even more phlegmatic, nudges into the gaps marking his progress with only one further boundary until he reached the 90s. There was as scare on 91 as the 30-year-old crumpled to the floor after inside-edging a ball from Aitchison, the problem seemingly with his knee.He was able to continue after treatment, albeit hobbling, and a square drive and a punch through midwicket took him to a deserved hundred.Others batted around the skipper, Ryan Higgins threatening a big score before a flash at a wide one from Chappell cut his effort short on 31 and Ben Geddes didn’t stay long before becoming the seamer’s third victim, lbw to a ball which looked to be swinging past leg stump.Cracknell was the man to help in the one partnership of note, the wicketkeeper/batter riding his luck early on before unfurling some trademark aggressive shots, the pick a pull off Haydon which sailed into the Mound Stand. Haydon’s revenge was swift however, a ball stopping a little in the pitch before climbing to take the edge of the bat and flying to backward point.Du Plooy, now struggling physically, fell lbw to Luis Reece soon after the first innings lead was secured, after which the tail crumbled leaving the hosts two runs short of what could have been a precious second batting point.

Being a referee in the Premier League is arguably one of the toughest jobs in football, with a select group of officials regularly entrusted to take charge of top flight fixtures.

Even though VAR is still causing plenty of controversy week in, week out, decisions on the field are now more important than ever, with technology doing its best to try and not get involved unless it is ‘clear and obvious’.

The game is also arguably faster than it’s ever been, so referees need to be extremely fit and quick to react. But who is the best referee in the Premier League right now?

Rank

Ref

1

Anthony Taylor

2

Michael Oliver

3

Stuart Attwell

4

Craig Pawson

5

Jarred Gillett

6

Darren England

7

Chris Kavanagh

8

Simon Hooper

9

Andy Madley

10

Peter Bankes

11

Robert Jones

12

Michael Salisbury

13

Tony Harrington

14

Samuel Barrott

15

Thomas Bramall

15 Thomas Bramall

One of the least experienced referees in the Premier League, Thomas Bramall was the man in the middle that made a huge mistake by disallowing Aston Vila’s goal against Man Utd on the final day of the 2024/25 season.

That arguably cost Villa a place in the Champions League, but the PGMOL have stuck with Bramall, who, at 35 years of age, appears to be a referee in the early stages of his top flight career.

14 Samuel Barrott

One of the card happiest referees in the Premier League, Samuel Barrott is one of the most inexperienced officials in the top flight after making his debut in 2023/24.

He took charge of 23 games in 2024/25, apologising for one mistake he made in Crystal Palace’s defeat to Brentford after wrongly ruling out Eberechi Eze’s free-kick.

13 Tony Harrington

Tony Harrington is among the referees to average the least amount of fouls awarded per 90, but that doesn’t make him a bad official.

He made his Premier League debut in 2021/22 but just hasn’t been given a regular run of games in the top flight. Harrington’s best tally of games came in the 2024/25 season where he officiated 18 fixtures.

12 Michael Salisbury

Michael Salisbury has never been a regular in the Premier League after taking charge of his first game in the 2021/22 season.

He was on VAR duty and instructed referee Robert Jones to look at Josh King’s goal against Chelsea which was incorrectly ruled out. Salisbury was dropped by the PGMOL shortly after.

11 Robert Jones

Nottingham Forest aren’t the biggest fans of Robert Jones, with Evangelos Marinakis’ side lodging an official complaint against the 38-year-old after a series of decisions against the Reds.

He was the first Premier League referee to ever perform a red-card rejection, however, some of Jones’ decisions are controversial and he averages awarding a penalty every three games.

10 Peter Bankes

Peter Bankes has now reffed more than 100 games in the Premier League since 2019, however, the Merseyside-born official has regularly come in for criticism from fans.

Former referee Keith Hackett even said Bankes looked “out of his depth” in 2025 after a decision he made in Man Utd’s clash with Bournemouth.

9 Andy Madley

A FIFA licensed referee who has taken charge of the FA Cup final, Andy Madley has taken charge of more than 100 Premier League games since 2017/18.

More recently, he has made some controversial decisions, including one between Everton and Man Utd which resulted in Toffees fan Tony Bellew calling him a “cheat”.

8 Simon Hooper

Often blowing early instead of allowing advantage, Simon Hooper has enraged Premier League players and managers in recent years.

An experienced top flight official after making his debut in 2015, Hooper has often come in for criticism and was actually injured at the end of October in Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford, while he was also the man in the middle during the Reds’ controversial defeat at Tottenham in 2023.

7 Chris Kavanagh

Chris Kavanagh has been a hot topic of conversation in recent years, whether it be for sending off Declan Rice for kicking the ball away or leaving Bruno Fernandes upset after he missed his penalty.

The Greater Manchester official has been on FIFA’s books since 2019 and is closing in on 200 Premier League matches at the age of 40.

6 Darren England

Another FIFA referee, Darren England caught the eye of the international governing body after two years as a Premier League official.

He was a part of the VAR team that somehow incorrectly ruled out Luis Diaz’s goal for offside in Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham, but in recent years on the pitch, has been consistent.

Sunrisers Hyderabad feature in four of the top five highest totals in the competition

Omkar Mankame23-Mar-20252:06

‘Kishan hammered everyone to every corner’

287 for 5 – SRH vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2024At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, boundaries rained down as SRH redefined T20 brutality, obliterating their own record from earlier in the season to post a staggering 287 for 3. Travis Head led the charge with a career-best 102 off 41, Heinrich Klaasen pummelled 67 off 31, and Abdul Samad applied the finishing touches with an unbeaten 37 off just 10 balls. That helped SRH win the contest by 25 runs.286 for 6 – SRH vs RR, Hyderabad, 2025The big question heading into IPL 2025 was whether the first 300-plus total would be scored. SRH, the favourites to do so, came tantalizingly close and fell 14 short. The top five collectively faced 118 balls, and not one of them struck below 200. On his SRH debut, Ishan Kishan added to the fireworks, smashing his maiden IPL ton.Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been at the fore of SRH’s demolition job•AFP/Getty Images277 for 3 – SRH vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024The carnage in Hyderabad resulted in an 11-year-old IPL record falling, RCB’s seemingly-insurmountable 263 for 5 from 2013 fell by the wayside thanks to a breathtaking, collective show from the SRH batters. Klaasen spearheaded the carnage with an unbeaten 80 off 34, while Head and Abhishek Sharma blasted rapid fifties. Mumbai Indians gave a spirited chase but lost steam, falling short by 31 runs.272 for 7 – KKR vs DC, Vishakhapatnam, 2024A rampaging Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batting unit laid down an early marker for a season of run-fests with a commanding demolition of Delhi Capitals (DC). Sunil Narine blazed 85 off 39, Angkrish Raghuvanshi kept pace with 54 off 27, and Andre Russell provided the finishing fireworks with 41 off 19. Only Ishant Sharma’s tight final over, conceding just eight runs, stopped KKR from climbing even higher on this list.266 for 7 – SRH vs DC, Delhi, 2024SRH ventured where no team had gone before in a T20 powerplay. Head and Abhishek blazed their way to a jaw-dropping 125 for no loss in six overs. At that point, 300 looked like a terrifyingly real possibility. But with the field restrictions lifted, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel pulled things back, bringing SRH’s innings down to more earthly realms. Shahbaz Ahmed’s unbeaten 59 off 29 balls, however, still powered them past 260.

Group B is the group of death, and whoever loses on Saturday will ride a treacherous road to Super Four qualification

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-20252:32

Jaffer: Bangladesh favourites over SL

Big pictureSo far in the Asia Cup, things have gone roughly as expected. India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have all registered comfortable victories, and Pakistan have also avoided an early banana peel. But Saturday brings up a more even clash. Over the last few years, T20 matches between these teams have sometimes been explosive, but although the heat of the rivalry has died down a little, it is also clear that these are well-matched teams in this format. Over the last 10 years, Sri Lanka have won eight of their 16 encounters, and Bangladesh eight.Related

Asalanka: We are T20 Asia Cup defending champions

Hasaranga fit for Sri Lanka's Asia Cup campaign

Why are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so poor at T20I batting?

Hridoy hits back at critics as Bangladesh opt for safety over speed

More recently Bangladesh have had the better run, winning 2-1 in Sri Lanka in July, having also beaten Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup last year in Dallas. In those matches, Bangladesh’s bowlers tended to strike early, and find wickets regularly. Sri Lanka hope their batting order is in a better place now. But it was less than two weeks ago that they collapsed to 80 all out against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh also have the advantage of having played a match at this venue already. Their crushing of Hong Kong on Thursday was a largely complete performance, with the seamers getting wickets and the top order unfussily taking the team home in a modest chase. There were also wickets for legspinner Rishad Hossain, who was excellent against Sri Lanka in their most recent series, going at only 5.47 an over in his 12 overs across three matches.This being the group of death – Afghanistan are the other top-10 team vying for a Super Four spot – whichever team loses here will ride a treacherous road to qualification.Wanindu Hasaranga is set to return after missing the tour of Zimbabwe with a hamstring injury•AFP/Getty Images

Form guideBangladesh: WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WLWLLIn the spotlight: Litton Das and Pathum NissankaBangladesh captain Litton Das needs 56 more runs to become Bangladesh’s most prolific T20I batter. He is clearly one of Bangladesh’s key T20I batters at the moment, having hit 476 runs this year at a strike rate of 137.17. He also top-scored for Bangladesh in that series in Sri Lanka. Given his experience, he is the Bangladesh batter that will worry Sri Lanka’s bowlers the most.Pathum Nissanka is having a fine T20I year himself, having made 230 runs at a strike rate of 147.43 in 2025. That Sri Lanka have been a significantly improved team in the powerplay is down partly to Nissanka’s improvements. He has opened up new parts of his game, and has become particularly severe on errors of length. In Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka lost the only match in which he didn’t get to 30.Pitch and conditionsThe Abu Dhabi pitch tends to be batting-friendly, though occasionally it will have something for the slower bowlers as well. Rain is not forecast on Saturday.2:05

Jaffer: Hasaranga’s return big boost for SL

Team news: Hasaranga set to returnBangladesh will likely keep the same XI that beat Hong Kong. That means they will likely play three frontline seamers.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Pervez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said Wanindu Hasaranga should be available to play on Saturday, after Hasaranga had missed the Zimbabwe series with a hamstring injury. He also suggested Sri Lanka could go in with three frontline seam options. If fit, Dushmantha Chameers seems a certainty, with Asalanka stating that Nuwan Thushara would also play. Binura Fernando may just have the edge over Matheesha Pathirana for the last spot.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Nuwan Thushara.Stats and trivia Pathum Nissanka needs 50 more runs to complete a tally of 2000 in T20Is. He has played only 67 innings, which means he has eight innings in which to get those 50 runs and become the fastest Sri Lanka men’s batter to the milestone. Kusal Perera got there in his 76th innings. Litton Das has not been dismissed for less than 50 in his last four T20I innings, making 54*, 18*, 73, and 59, against Netherlands and Hong Kong. Even just in Asia Cups, these teams’ record is pretty even. Bangladesh won the first T20I Asia Cup match between them, in Mirpur in 2016. Sri Lanka won the next one, in Dubai in 2022. Quotes”It’s more of a rivalry for the fans. For us as players it’s just good challenging competition.”
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka on the rivalry between these teams

The New York Yankees are adding a veteran pitcher to the organization, having agreed to sign former Los Angeles Dodgers standout Kenta Maeda to a minor-league contract, according to a report from MLB Japan.

Maeda, 37, has spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Tigers, spending time in both MLB and the minor leagues. In 2025, he's made just seven appearances for the Tigers, logging a 7.88 ERA with eight strikeouts and six walks in 8.0 innings. He started 17 games last season and has a 6.09 ERA.

In his prime, Maeda was a reliable mid-rotation starter. In his best season in 2020, when he was with the Minnesota Twins, the Japan native finished as the runner-up for the American League Cy Young, losing out to Shane Bieber. That season, a shortened 60-game campaign due to the outbreak of COVID-19, he had a 2.70 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 10 walks across 66 2/3 innings and 11 starts.

It's not clear if the Yankees intend to bring Maeda to the Bronx, though he figures to start out in the minor leagues for the time being.

Manchester United will still be without Matheus Cunha, Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko for their next game against Crystal Palace as they look to respond to their chastening defeat against 10-man Everton. Cunha sustained a knock in training before the Everton game and Amorim has confirmed that while he will not be back to face Oliver Glasner's side, he could return to face West Ham on Thursday.

• Cunha, Maguire and Sesko still out

  United missed Cunha and Sesko badly as they failed to break down Everton despite Idrissa Gueye being sent off in the 13th minute at Old Trafford as the Red Devils lost a home game against 10 men for the first time in Premier League history. Sesko was ruled out for up to a month following his injury against Tottenham just before the international break and Amorim has confirmed that the £74m striker is still recovering and has stressed that the club will handle the injury carefully. United are also without Harry Maguire for Sunday's trip to Selhurst Park, where they have not won a game in more than five years.

  "Sesko is going to take a little bit more time, Harry the same," Amorim told a press conference. "I expect to have Matheus back in the next one, not this one."

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• Getty Images
  

  'Tough' week after Everton loss

  Amorim admitted that spirits have been low after the Everton game and reflected that United should be in a much better position than 10th in the Premier League 12 games into the season.

  He said: "In our club it is the same thing because last year we had to win every game all the time and we took a lot of criticism because we are not winning. So in our club there is no excuses. About Europe, I have already talked about Europe and I said the same thing last year when we were in Europe, and I say the same thing this year, the advantage and disadvantage of being in Europe so there is no excuses. Last year or this year it is always to win games.

  "If I look at the games we should have more points because we had control of some games, we had the advantage in some games and we lost that control. So if I look at our games we should have more points and that is really disappointing and really frustrating especially in the last game. In our club it is the same thing because last year we had to win every game all the time and we took a lot of criticism because we are not winning. So in our club there is no excuses.

  "It [the aim] is to start again and it was really tough the week as it should be. It was hard after this result, this defeat. But the process needs to continue and we need to go for the next game and we have to understand, especially in our league this year, everything can change really fast so let's go again and focus on the next one."

• Palace doing better than United with same formation

  Palace coach Oliver Glasner uses the same 3-4-3 formation as Amorim but has had more success than the Portuguese since arriving in England in February 2024. He led the Eagles to win the FA Cup last season, their first ever major trophy, while they are fifth in the table heading into Sunday's game. Their spirits could be a little deflated though following defeat to Strasbourg in the Europa Conference League.

  Amorim admitted that Palace are in better shape than United but stressed that they are different clubs with different levels of expectation. He said: "We play a different way and you can understand that by data but it is hard to explain everything. It is a different club and they are doing better than us so that is quite simple but you don't say all 3-4-3s play in the same way. We play in a different moment, we defend in different space and we try to attack in a different way and they are just doing things better than us.

  "I take inspiration from everyone. When I have two weeks for national teams, I watch all the managers and try to take all the inspiration that I can take. I have six years as a manager and I am always trying to learn to improve my team."

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  Amorim hoping to improve on poor away record

  United have won just one of their seven away games this season in all competitions, with champions Liverpool being the only team they have beaten on their travels. That momentous victory looks less impressive now though given the fact that Palace, Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven have all since won at Anfield. 

  Amorim could not give a clear answer on why his side have struggled so much away from home and stressed the importance of learning to cling on to their leads after throwing away advanages in their last two outings at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.

  "We need to do to show to the players why we lost control of Forest why we lost control against Tottenham. And if you look at those games they were there to win," he said.
  "Sometimes a small detail can change everything. Then I felt this year when we play at home the intensity is higher and I felt in this game at home the intensity was not at the same level so I think it is something that we need to work on. It is hard to point at one thing why we are not winning away. There is a lot of issues that we are improving. Like I say, we have advantage in the away games but we need to know how to finish the games in order to win."

India left-arm spinner Gouher Sultana has announced her retirement from all forms of the game. She played 50 ODIs and 37 T20Is after making her debut in 2008, and last represented India in April 2014. Thereafter, Sultana came back into the limelight a decade later when she featured in the 2024 and 2025 WPL seasons.”To have represented India at the highest level – in World Cups, tours and battles that tested both skill and spirit – has been the greatest honour of my life,” Sultana wrote in her retirement announcement on Instagram. “Every wicket taken, every dive in the field, every huddle with my teammates has shaped the cricketer and the person I am today.”Sultana finished with 66 ODI wickets at an average of 19.39, the third-best for any India bowler to have taken at least 50 wickets in the format.Related

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Sultana played in two ODI World Cups, in 2009 and 2013, and picked up 12 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 30.58. She also played in three T20 World Cups from 2009 to 2014, and took seven wickets while going at an economy rate of 5.81.Sultana was signed by UP Warriorz (UPW) ahead of WPL 2024. She played two matches in the tournament, going wicketless across five overs. In 2025, Sultana again played two games for UPW, and only got to bowl the one over.”There were times when I thought of quitting – seasons I didn’t do well, my mental health was affected,” Sultana told ESPNcricinfo before her comeback tournament in 2024. “But then even when I was about to give up, I was like, ‘No, this shouldn’t be the end. I want to end it the way I want it.’ It was not to prove anything to anybody, but I enjoyed playing and I still enjoy playing. That’s the primary reason I am still here.”Sultana, 37, is also a BCCI Level 2 coach.

Richarlison’s emotional late goal for Tottenham against Manchester United ended in chaos as Spurs once again threw away victory in stoppage time. The Brazilian striker sparked wild celebrations by tearing off his shirt after scoring in the 90th minute, but his joy was short-lived as United struck seconds later to salvage a dramatic 2-2 draw in north London.

Richarlison in the history books for the wrong reasons

According to Opta, Richarlison is now the first player since records began in 2006-07 to be booked for removing his shirt after a 90th-minute goal, only to see his side concede afterwards, on more than one occasion. The previous instance came in April 2023 against Liverpool, when his equaliser at Anfield was followed seconds later by Diogo Jota’s stoppage-time winner. The latest deja vu moment encapsulated both Richarlison’s passion and Spurs’ chronic lack of composure in clutch moments. Incidentally, Tottenham conceded a stoppage-time equaliser against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, after being 2-0 up until the 84th minute, and then went on to lose on penalties.

AdvertisementAFPRicharlison's late winner wiped out by Man Utd equalizer

Richarlison endured a bittersweet afternoon as his dramatic late goal against United saw him enter Premier League folklore for all the wrong reasons. The 28-year-old thought he had snatched a crucial winner when he flicked home a header in stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Overcome with emotion, he tore off his shirt, sprinted to the corner flag, and was immediately shown a yellow card for excessive celebration.

However, the jubilation was short-lived. Not long after, United went up the other end and equalised through Matthijs de Ligt’s powerful header, ensuring the match finished 2-2. The sequence left Spurs fans shell-shocked, while Richarlison had the unfortunate distinction of repeating an exact scenario from two years earlier, when his late goal against Liverpool also preceded an instant opposition response.

Richarlison's constant struggles at Tottenham

Those scenes of a celebration that comes back to haunt you have become emblematic of Richarlison’s turbulent spell in north London. His time at Tottenham has been punctuated by flashes of brilliance, overshadowed by long stretches of inconsistency, injury, and frustration. The incident underlines the inconsistency that has defined his Tottenham career since joining from Everton in 2022 for £60 million ($79m).

The Brazilian striker has struggled to hold down a starting role across multiple managerial regimes. His goal, his third of the campaign, should have been a turning point, but instead became a symbol of Spurs’ chaotic unpredictability. Even this season, Richarlison’s relationship with the supporters has been strained. This week, he faced backlash for missing a penalty against Copenhagen after insisting on taking it over young striker Dane Scarlett – who won the spotkick. Saturday’s goal, his first in over a month, should have been a cathartic moment — but by the final whistle, it had only deepened the narrative that Tottenham and their talismanic forward are cursed when it comes to dramatic endings.

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Getty Images SportCould Richarlison be shown the door at Tottenham?

For Tottenham, the focus will turn to salvaging consistency as they look to climb back into contention for European qualification. The draw with United extended their winless home run, and questions will again be asked about Thomas Frank’s tactical approach, particularly in how his side manage late-game scenarios.

For Richarlison, however, the priority is confidence and rhythm. The Brazilian remains a key part of his national team’s plans, but he risks falling down the pecking order ahead of next year’s World Cup if his club form doesn’t improve.

With Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel and Scarlett all capable of playing as centre-forward, Frank may decide to push the Brazilian out of the club. With the January transfer window approaching, there is growing speculation that Spurs could offload Richarlison to fund a move for a more reliable finisher.