The YES Network is making changes to its coverage of the Yankees.

On Wednesday, Andrew Marchand reported that longtime analyst and play-by-play announcer John Flaherty will not return next season. Flaherty had been on Yankees broadcasts for two decades following a 14-year MLB playing career.

Over the years, Flaherty served as an analyst and also hopped on the mic to do play-by-play when lead announcers Michael Kay and Ryan Ruocco were out.

Flaherty took to social media to acknowledge the news:

The 58-year-old broke into the big leagues with the Red Sox in 1992, and played for the Tigers, Padres, and Rays before joining the Yankees from 2003 to '05. He signed with the Red Sox in late 2005 but announced his retirement during spring training in 2006.

Marchand reports Kay will call 135 games in 2026, while Ruocco will call about 15. David Cone, Paul O'Neill, and Joe Girardi will all continue in their analyst roles, and the plan is for one or two of them to be on every broadcast next season.

تحدثت صحفية بارزة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عن التصريحات الصادمة التي أدلى بها نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، اعتراضًا على تهميشه من جانب المدرب آرني سلوت في آخر 3 مباريات.

وخاض ليفربول مباراة في الجولة الخامسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، مساء السبت، ضد ليدز يونايتد حيث تعادلا بثلاثة أهداف لمثلها.

ولم يشارك محمد صلاح في تلك المباراة حيث تواجد على دكة البدلاء، للمرة الثالثة على التوالي مؤخرًا، ولم يُدفع به في أي من دقائق اللقاء.

وعقب المباراة، تفاجأ الجميع بتصريحات لاذعة على لسان محمد صلاح، حيث هاجم من خلالها ليفربول وإدارة النادي، وكذلك آرني سلوت، بسبب التعامل معه كونه كبش فداء في الفريق (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

من جانبها، كشفت ميليسا ريدي، عن رأيها تجاه تصريحات محمد صلاح، باعتبارها مراسلة بارزة في الدوري الإنجليزي لكبار الصحف والشبكات، مثل “سكاي سبورتس” و”إندبندنت” و”ذا أثلتيك” وغيرها، كما يُعرف عنها كونها مشجعة لـ ليفربول.

وكتبت ميليسا ريدي عبر حسابها الشخصي بموقع “إكس”: “هذا منعطف حزين ومحبط للغاية في مسيرة محمد صلاح مع ليفربول، شعوره بأن النادي قد تخلى عنه، واعترافه بقطع علاقته مع آرني سلوت، وقوله (يبدو أن أحدهم لا يريدني في أنفيلد)، وتلميحه القوي إلى إجباره على الرحيل في يناير، هو ليس المعاملة أو الإرث أو النتيجة التي تستحقها مساهماته التاريخية، لم يكن الأمر مُقدرًا له أن يكون كذلك”.

وأضافت: “جرحه واضح، ومن الواضح أنه استسلم لمشاعره بكشفه كل هذا بشكل علني لكن ليفربول لا يحتاج إلى مزيد من الأذى الآن، هذا مُضر، كما أنه سيؤثر، بطبيعة الحال، على كيفية رؤية الكثيرين له، تبدو كلمة الأزمة وصفًا مُخففًا”.

وواصلت الجنوب إفريقية: “يبدو صلاح منزعجًا بشكل خاص من تصويره على أنه مشكلة ليفربول، في حين أن هذا مخالف للحقيقة، ويحتفظ اللاعبون الذين هم في أسوأ حالاتهم بمكانهم في التشكيل، هذا النهج خاطئ تمامًا”.

وشددت: “كما يبدو صلاح منزعجًا أيضًا من أن محادثاته الخاصة مع المدرب والنادي لم تفسر سبب التغيير الجذري في وضعه، حيث قال (سألت لكنني لم أجد تفسيرًا، كنت أعرف أنني لن ألعب)”.

واسترسلت: “من خلال قراءة ما بين السطور، هناك شعور بأنه يُضحى به ويُعامل ككبش فداء لإصلاح بعض الأخطاء التي أدت إلى ظهور ليفربول بشكل غير مألوف على أرض الملعب”.

واختتمت: “مهما كان ألم محمد صلاح ومهما كان شعوره، فهذا لا يتوافق مع أسلوت ليفربول، يا إلهي، إنه يستحق أكثر بكثير من هذه الفوضى”.

This is such an exceptionally sad, depressing turn in Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool story. Feeling like the club have thrown him under the bus, admitting he no longer has a relationship with Arne Slot, that it “seems like someone does not want me” at Anfield, and is strongly hinting… — Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) December 6, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians não deve contratar a dupla de atacantes Deyverson e Romarinho. A idade considerada elevada de ambos pesa contra, e o clube tem uma prioridade definida no mercado.

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➡️ Garanta R$349 no Lance! Betting apostando R$100 na vitória do Corinthians sobre o América-RN com ambos marcando

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Por enquanto, a direção alvinegra estaria concentrada em conseguir contratar um segundo volante. A intenção é adquirir um jogador que percorra todos os setores do meio-campo, um autêntico “camisa 8”. Atualmente, apenas Breno Bidon, titular, e Maycon, lesionado, têm esta característica.

DEYVERSON

Além da prioridade em um setor diferente do que o de Deyverson, o Corinthians analisou outro fatore para descartar a contratação do atacante, que foi oferecido ao clube.

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➡️ Deyverson recusa proposta do Santos; presidente explica motivo

O Timão enxerga que teria um excesso na função de centroavante, pois Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul estão no elenco. Ambos, inclusive, foram contratados por valores elevados.

O técnico António Oliveira trabalhou com Deyverson no Cuiabá, gosta do jogador e aprovou a contratação para o Corinthians. No entanto, o desejo do técnico não teve apoio da diretoria.

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ROMARINHO

Jogador histórico do Corinthians, Romarinho está de saída do Al-Ittihad, da Arábia Saudita. Livre no mercado, o herói da taça da Libertadores de 2012 também foi descartado.

A principal justificativa é a idade. O atacante está com 33 anos, e a diretoria corintiana não pretende fazer novos investimentos em jogadores considerados mais velhos.

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansDeyversonFutebol Nacionalromarinho

Pete Alonso has opted out of his contract with the Mets and is back on the free agent market a year after doing that song and dance for the first time. It was a humbling experience last offseason, which he likely entered expecting to command a nine-figure contract before returning to Queens with a far more modest deal.

After months of negotiations, the 30-year-old first baseman agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal to remain with New York, but he had the option to opt out after the first season. He did that on Monday. Most expect him to return to the Mets, but that’s not guaranteed after a bruising contract negotiation last year left hurt feelings all around.

Alonso is in a much stronger negotiating position in 2025 than he was in 2024. He’s coming off an excellent season in which he slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs. His wRC+ (141) and fWAR (3.6) were both his highest since 2022, as his numbers were up across the board.

New York Mets

It’s hard to see the Mets and Alonso quitting each other. He has been with the team since it selected him with the 64th pick in the 2016 MLB draft. In his seven-year big league career, he has become the franchise’s all-time home run leader (264). It would be weird seeing him in another jersey. If the Mets want him back, both sides will have to get over their pride after a painful, drawn-out contract negotiation from last offseason. The Mets were the National League’s biggest disappointment this season, but Alonso wasn’t the reason. They’ll have to offer a long-term deal to make this reunion happen, then they can continue to build around Alonso, Juan Soto, and Francisco Lindor.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle really struggled at the corners all season, and it got so bad that they completely flipped the script at the trade deadline, acquiring Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. Both Suarez and Naylor are hitting free agency, and while the Mariners would likely love to bring the latter back, he may be headed elsewhere. Enter Alonso, who would be a great power partner for Cal Raleigh. The Big Dumper and the Polar Bear would be downright scary hitting next to each other in the lineup. The Dump and Thump Connection, perhaps? I’m sure we can do better than that, but it’s what I’ve got so far.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since winning the World Series in 2023. It’s time for a bit of a shake-up. The Jake Burger trade hasn’t worked as intended. Burger struggled in 2025, slashing .236/.269/.419 with 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, a .687 OPS, a wRC+ of 89 and a brutal fWAR of -0.1. Texas has a lot of payroll committed for 2026. There is currently about $150 million on the books so far, and it is projected to have the oldest roster in baseball. Alonso won’t make the Rangers younger, but if they’re truly going all-in on this group, he’d be a fantastic addition for a team that finished 18th in home runs (175).

Boston Red Sox

Triston Casas has steadily gotten worse over the past three seasons and will be healing from a ruptured patellar tendon heading into 2026. It might be time for a fresh start for both parties. If that happens, it would open the door to adding Alonso, who has hit well at Fenway Park. In 10 career games in Boston, he has three home runs, two doubles and a triple for an OPS of .893 and a wRC+ of 134. He’d be a solid veteran presence for a young clubhouse and would make a habit of hitting towering shots over the Green Monster.

Tottenham Hotspur could be back on the hunt for another head coach a lot sooner than they would’ve wanted, and one candidate to replace Thomas Frank may find the job too good to turn down.

Pressure piles on Thomas Frank amid Tottenham slide

Frank’s tenure has reached boiling point following three consecutive defeats that have exposed major frailties and escalating supporter unrest.

After humiliating losses against Arsenal (4-1), PSG (5-3) and most recently Fulham (2-1), with just one victory to show from their last seven in all competitions, Spurs currently languish 12th in the Premier League table, boasting just one win at home all season.

Tottenham have suffered ten league defeats on their own turf in 2025, equaling their worst-ever calendar year record. With challenging fixtures against Newcastle, Liverpool and Crystal Palace due this month, starting against the Magpies this evening, things don’t get any easier for Frank.

16. Burnley

2

1

3

7

-1

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

5

1

10

Media sources also suggest that players have grown increasingly bewildered by Frank’s constant tactical alterations, with strategies frequently changed moments before kickoff or abandoned entirely during matches.

Saturday’s Fulham capitulation — conceding twice within six minutes before Mohammed Kudus’ consolation ultimately proved futile — exposed defensive fragility that has seen Spurs ship eleven goals across their last three encounters.

Relationships between supporters and players have also deteriorated dramatically, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario subject to constant booing against Fulham following his catastrophic error which gifted Harry Wilson their second goal of the game.

Frank criticised fans in the aftermath, calling the behaviour ‘unacceptable’, and this has only heightened tension between Spurs and Lilywhites loyalists in the stand.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons after what Tottenham star did in Fulham defeat

The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

The tactician elaborated on this in his pre-Newcastle press conference, attempting to reassure supporters that their feelings matter but the north Londoners need to create a ‘fortress’ at home.

Reports are now emerging that Tottenham are beginning to make contingency plans in the event they decide to sack Frank, so nothing but a victory will do against Newcastle as the Dane looks to relieve the humongous pressure on his shoulders.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner

If Frank is shown his P45, one manager who’s very much in contention to replace him is Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

Former Palace chairman and talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan admitted back in September that he urged ex-Spurs chair Daniel Levy to consider appointing Glasner, and it isn’t hard to see why.

The Austrian, who guided Palace to their first ever major trophy after an historic FA Cup final win over Man City in May, also led the south Londoners to an unprecedented 19-game unbeaten run in all competitions this year — before it was ended by Everton at the Hill Dickinson.

This run was made all the more impressive given his very limited resources and the constant threat of losing star players, with Spurs believed to be real admirers of Glasner’s work.

That is according to TEAMtalk, who report that, while Frank is safe for now, Tottenham could make a move for Glasner and accelerate new manager plans if this slide continues.

They also state that Tottenham could prove ‘irresistible’ to Glasner as a managerial opportunity, with the 51-year-old’s future far from certain as his contract is due to expire at the end of June.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, who won the Europa League with them in 2022, is a fine candidate to succeed Frank and his looming free agent status makes the prospect of a move all the more appealing.

Skipper calls on his England side to claim their own place in series pantheon on Australian soil

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Nov-20251:17

Swann: Stokes most talented allrounder since Kallis

Ben Stokes wants to join the “lucky few captains” to return home with the Ashes and has called on his England side to create their own history in Australia.Friday’s opener in Perth will be the start of a mission to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. The task at hand is put into context by the 13-0 scoreline across the previous three tours, even with the Australians shorn of two of their stellar bowling attack with skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first match. They may also feature two debutants in fast bowler Brendan Doggett and opening batter Jake Weatherald.Sir Andrew Strauss was the last of five captains to succeed Down Under since the Second World War, overseeing the 3-1 success in 2010-11. Now 15 years on, Stokes is angling to not only join Strauss as the sixth but become only the second since Ray Illingworth to reclaim the Ashes from Australia. It would also be Stokes’ first win in a five-match series in four attempts, the first of which was a 2-2 draw in the 2023 home Ashes.Related

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“I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful,” said Stokes. “Personally, I do understand how big a series this is but it’s not putting any more effort into this one than I have done any other series I’ve been captain.”Stokes, as he has done throughout his tenure as captain, is keen to shield his players from any unnecessary outside pressure. On Wednesday, for instance, he and head coach Brendon McCullum named a 12-man squad featuring Shoaib Bashir.It felt like the delaying of the inevitable all-pace attack England are keen to unleash at the Optus Stadium, with Mark Wood available for selection after suffering from a tight hamstring last week. England could of course draft from outside that dozen if, say, Wood suffers a setback between now and the start of the Test to maintain a five-quick set-up.A further example was Stokes’ response when asked if the squad needed to stay grounded rather than consider the sporting “immortality” that comes with winning an away Ashes series: “I can’t say we are going to be immortal because we all die, don’t we?”Ben Stokes and Joe Root train at Lilac Hill in Perth•Getty Images

Stokes, along with Wood, Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, as the only previous Ashes tourists, have been clueing up the rest on what they should expect. But he ceded it would not be right if they did not let themselves feel the energy around the series, and indeed Perth, and confront the scale of what lies before them.”Everyone in the world, everyone in Australia, everyone in England knows how big this series is,” Stokes said. “If we were to come out and not accept that and go on that as just another series, then we’d only be lying to ourselves and lying to the fact of what this series is. In particular this team, for myself, Brendan and for Rob (Key) and facing what that feels like, looking it in the eyes, taking it on, not being afraid of the challenge that we have ahead of us.”We know it’s a huge task coming to Australia and everything that comes with that away from the field, on the field. It is a huge two-and-a-half months for us. Rather than playing it down and not really accepting this moment for what it is, I think maybe we would not really understand what the moment is. So yeah – putting it all out there, letting everyone know the expectations of what it’s going to be like in particular because we’ve got a squad here who have come in and are experiencing Australia for the first time.”Stokes himself will be making his return to action, having not played a competitive match since the fourth Test against India at Emirates Old Trafford. After taking a five-wicket haul and scoring a century in the first two innings, he suffered a grade three muscle tear in his right shoulder in the fourth innings of the match, ruling him out of the decider which India won to earn a 2-2 draw.The last four months have been used to not just recover from the injury – which did not require surgery – but reinforce his body and top-up his skills. Dedicating himself to rehab was easy enough, having already ruled himself out of The Hundred campaign with Northern Superchargers that followed the India series, and all-but retired from white-ball internationals.While rebuilding in the shadows – he did not post any updates on social media, as he had done when rehabbing from his two hamstring tears – he signed a two-year extension to his central contract, which takes him through to 2027’s home Ashes.”[It was] very easy,” said Stokes of the decision to commit to a further two years. “I want to eke everything out of this body I can and I will do that in an England shirt.”

He’s dominated attacks in the IPL and on flat international pitches, but can he do it when there’s seam and bounce? Friday gave us an answer

Sidharth Monga31-Oct-20252:49

What explains India’s batting blowout?

Before the start of the second T20I at the MCG, cameras caught the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head talking to each other. You would pay anything to be a fly on the wall when these two mad geniuses of T20 talk, but all you will get is a laugh, and not insights into their games.”Yeah, I was trying because I knew that he’s not going to give me anything [by way of tips on how to bat in these conditions],” Abhishek said about the interaction, “because he’s the kind of batter that doesn’t think too much. And still I was asking him a bit regarding the pitches and how they are gonna play.Related

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“He was like, just go and enjoy. And that’s the thing he’s been doing in SRH as well. So I knew that he’s gonna answer me this, but still I wanted to hear from him.”It wasn’t quite an enjoyable night for batters generally, as Josh Hazlewood put on a clinic in his analysis of 4-0-13-3 and India still managed to take six wickets in their defence of a measly 125.Abhishesk and Head were the only batters who struck at over 180 for an innings of a reasonable length, while Mitchell Marsh went at 176.92. It is fair to say that apart from the trio, all other batters struggled on the early-season MCG pitch.Abhishek’s batting, though, stood out further for it was a solo effort that kept India in the game even though he was isolated for long periods. In the first 17 overs of India’s innings, Abhishek managed to face only 28 balls, but scored 53 of their 110 runs. In the first 10 overs, four of which were bowled by Hazlewood, Abhishek hit all eight of India’s boundaries. In all, he hit 10 of their 15 boundaries.Abhishek hit 10 of India’s 15 boundaries•AFP/Getty ImagesThe lack of strike was one of those things India couldn’t have avoided easily. No one other than Abhishek was able to work the ball around with ease, and India lost five wickets early. The only partnership India put together was between Abhishek and Harshit Rana, of whom the latter can be forgiven for not being able to put Abhishek back on strike against high-quality bowling in testing conditions; during their 47-ball stand of 56, Abhishek only got to face 14 balls.However, this innings of Abhishek will remain a positive for India on a night when they lost yet another toss, but might have misread the conditions in wanting to bat first anyway, playing more spin than pace. Varun Chakravarthy might have further cemented himself as India’s No. T20I spinner with figures of 4-0-23-1 even in these conditions. Nothing will please them as much as Abhishek, though.Conditions in the IPL are geared towards maximise scoring, and before this tour Abhishek’s international cricket had mostly been played in batting-friendly conditions. Here, though, he outshone everyone else, who were made to hop around by the generous seam and bounce on offer.Abhishek didn’t dial back his intent even for one second. This was high-precision attacking batting, which comes from a lot of training just to do that. Abhishek spoke about the hard work that had gone into building this T20 game, once he saw that his conventional game was not getting him into the best combination at the highest level.”It is not usual [this seemingly high-risk game],” Abhishek said. “but with ups and downs in my batting for a fair amount of time, even I was confused. I saw even in the IPL, openers were so consistent. Obviously if you have to take that competition on, you have to do something exceptional.”I felt I could work on my ability to play my shots. I try to execute my shots using my awareness of the field. In the nets, or when I am at home, my focus is to bat with a field in mind. Also I try to play different bowlers all the time, and not similar bowlers. And then the only motive is: play my shots without getting out. That training has helped me a lot.”

Quick Matthew Forde provided a spark in his return from injury before West Indies overcame a late whirlwind from skipper Mitchell Santner to defeat New Zealand in the T20I series-opener. West Indies did eventually clinch the lowest total successfully defended at Eden Park in a T20I, but they were made to work hard after Santner clubbed 55 not out from 28 balls to almost power New Zealand to an incredible victory.Romario Shepherd, however, held his nerve with the ball in the final over to ensure West Indies drew first blood in the five-match series. Roston Chase produced a fine display of spin bowling on a small ground, picking up 3 for 26 to go with the hand he played in West Indies’ two biggest partnerships earlier in the day. He was named Player of the Match.Having been restricted in good batting conditions less than a week after clean-sweeping a T20I series in Bangladesh, West Indies appeared set for a tough start to a tour that comprises all three formats. But Forde was menacing in his return from a shoulder injury as West Indies tore through a meek New Zealand batting effort. It was a disappointing start for New Zealand in their first match since the retirement of Kane Williamson from T20I cricket.It was a major turnaround after West Indies’ batting order had earlier struggled on a surface with much more bounce than in Bangladesh. Captain Shai Hope overcame a slow start in the powerplay to top score with 53 off 39 balls to lead West Indies’ recovery from 43 for 3.This series is seen as important preparation for the short-handed teams as they build towards a T20 World Cup that is just three months away. Meanwhile, there was an old-school feel to the game with DRS not in place due to technical issues.Matthew Forde got 1 for 9 off his first three overs•Getty Images

Forde sparks WI in comeback game

Forde hadn’t played any competitive cricket since July, but showed no signs of rust in a brilliant opening burst. He bowled beautifully with the new ball, especially from around the wicket to trouble Devon Conway with deadly swing.Forde was finally rewarded when he clean-bowled Conway with an inswinger that hit top of off stump. He continued to be all over New Zealand’s top order, finishing with 1 for 9 off his first three overs – marked by 14 dot balls – in the powerplay. But his performance was soured slightly after conceding 23 runs to a rampaging Santner in the 18th over.

Santner’s near miraculous heist

After a horrific collapse of 7 for 37 from 70 for 2 in the tenth over, New Zealand appeared set for a crushing defeat at 107 for 9 in the 17th. But Santner turned the chase on its head by smashing seven boundaries and a six in a nine-ball flurry as the sparse crowd started to find its voice.With New Zealand needing 20 runs off the final over, Santner could not score off the first two deliveries bowled by Shepherd – although the second ball should have been called a wide due to height – before clubbing a six to give New Zealand hope. But it ultimately proved too tough a task despite a record tenth-wicket partnership for New Zealand in T20Is.Shai Hope rebuilt with a half-century after three early wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Hope fires after slow start

Having come off tours of Bangladesh and India, West Indies had the tough task of quickly acclimatising to the different conditions in New Zealand. Their top order made a rough start, struggling to handle the extra bounce as Brandon King, Alick Athanaze and Ackeem Auguste holed out after miscues.Hope had to steady the innings, and he entered the match after solid performances across formats in south Asia. But he was sluggish to begin with, unable to find timing much to his frustration on a true surface. Hope scored only 11 off 17 balls in the powerplay, with West Indies making just 32 runs off the first six overs. He finally decided to go for broke against Jimmy Neesham in the seventh over as the run rate finally lifted over six an over.It got him going, with Hope starting to clatter the smaller boundaries and bringing up his half-century in style by clubbing Zakary Foulkes for six over long-off. But Hope was clean bowled on the next delivery, undone by Foulkes’ variation as he missed an attempted swipe over the leg side.West Indies’ innings never truly got rolling, but it did receive a lift from Rovman Powell, who smashed a couple of huge sixes after being dropped twice in the outfield by Michael Bracewell.Jacob Duffy struck in the first over•AFP/Getty Images

Duffy shines in NZ’s disciplined attack

New Zealand are assembling a deep and talented pace pack, with competition for spots hotting up as the T20 World Cup looms. With Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke and Lockie Ferguson on the sidelines, New Zealand didn’t miss a beat, with Jacob Duffy the standout of an attack that kept a powerful West Indies batting order in check.Duffy was outstanding in the powerplay, removing King in the first over to start an opening burst that yielded figures of 1 for 10 off three overs. He later bowled Chase with a superb yorker after coming back at the death.Duffy showcased his variety, bowling a mixture of length and full deliveries to concede just one boundary in four overs. Kyle Jamieson bowled well in his return from a side strain, while Foulkes had a mixed bag but did claim two wickets.

It’s understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz Ahmed in a role that aligned closely with his own responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable

Danyal Rasool19-Nov-2025Azhar Ali has resigned from his position at the PCB as selector and head of youth development, ending a 12-month stint in that role. The departure, which was not publicly announced by either Azhar or the board, has been confirmed by ESPNcricinfo.ESPNcricinfo has learned Azhar’s departure came after an extended period of simmering differences in outlook between the former Pakistan captain and the board. Matters eventually came to a head after Sarfaraz Ahmed was reportedly appointed – though, again, not officially confirmed by the board – as the head of Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 sides, with his remit extending to the organising and managing of tours, as well as conducting training camps.It is understood Azhar felt the appointment of Sarfaraz in a role that aligned closely with his own set of responsibilities led him to feel his position had become untenable. He sent in his letter of resignation earlier this week, which the PCB accepted.Azhar, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, was first brought into the PCB as a member of the selection panel for Pakistan’s men’s national side in October 2024. A month later, he had the role of youth development head tacked on, one which was publicly announced by the PCB at the time.The official announcement of his appointment on the PCB’s website stated that he had been “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.The next major assignment for a Pakistan age-group side comes at the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which runs from January 15 to February 6, and will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Co-hosts Zimbabwe, Scotland and England are in Pakistan’s group at the competition, which Pakistan have won twice – in 2004 and 2006.

Australia will start the Ashes without Cummins and Hazlewood and have two debutants in the XI but they aren’t fretting it

Alex Malcolm20-Nov-20251:55

Starc confident in replacements for Cummins and Hazlewood

Steven Smith projected a sense of calm sitting in front of a huge media throng as Australia’s captain on the eve of a home Ashes series.He’s been there and done this many times before. But this is a little different. That Smith was sitting there as the stand-in captain was not plan A for Australia.That they are playing without two of their big three fast bowlers, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, in a home Test for the first time since 2022 was definitely not plan B.That they have picked two players, Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald, to debut in the same Test for the first time since 2019, and a seventh different opening partner for Usman Khawaja in 16 Tests, was not even plan C.Australia are unsettled and vulnerable. But while there is a popular belief, at least externally, that England must win in Perth to have any chance in the series, there is no sense that Australia feel Perth is make or break. The lessons of last year’s loss to India in Perth before winning the series 3-1 are fresh in their minds.”I think you want to try and win the first Test match and get yourself ahead of the game, I suppose, or the series,” Smith said on Thursday. “But I think either way we look at last summer, we lost the first Test match and we were able to claw the series back.”We’ve got a lot of belief in that change room, if the result doesn’t go our way this week, that we can turn it around. We saw it last year. So ideally, we play well this week, and we’ve got potentially Patty on the table next game. Josh, I don’t know, but I think we’ll see how this week pans out.”Steven Smith: There’s always so many words said before the [Ashes] series•Getty Images

Australia have learnt some clear lessons from 12 months ago. Despite their public protestations after copping a shellacking from India in Perth that caused a firestorm of criticism from home fans, they knew internally they had been undercooked going into that series.Related

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Every member of the squad bar Khawaja played the most recent Sheffield Shield round to prepare for the opening Test, something that didn’t happen last year. Every member of the chosen XI bar Travis Head and Mitchell Starc have played at least two first-class games in the last month, which again was not the case last summer. Perth golf courses have been frequented this week, but quantifiably less often than in the training period last year.The hype has been unprecedented. On another scale to last year, even with the inflation that India can bring. But for Smith, entering his ninth Ashes series as a player and his fifth on home soil, it has felt like par for the course.”It’s pretty standard,” Smith said. “I’ve been involved in a few now, and there’s always so many words said before the series. But for us, I think it’s about just ignoring the outside noise, concentrating on our processes, what we do well as a team and trusting and backing that throughout. It’s exciting that we’re starting tomorrow. Everyone’s been raring to go for the last few days of training and even before that.”Australia have maintained their own bubble. There were no leaks to the media of the initial Ashes squad. There was no leaks of the XI until Thursday morning, which was a pretty good achievement given the binary nature of the choices the selectors had.Even the public pontifications on how Bazball will fare in Australia have been left to ex-players, the media and the punters. Australia’s current players have consistently spoken kindly this week about the quality of England’s team and the brand of cricket they play.There were moments in the 2023 Ashes in England when Australia did look “rattled” in the field as England’s Bazballers swung momentum violently at times as only they can.The proof will be in the pudding, but Smith certainly portrayed a sense that Bazball is not “in their heads” as the Barmy Army’s song suggests.”I think it’s just playing the tempo of the game that needs to be played at each certain time,” Smith said. “I’ve no doubt throughout this series, there’s going to be periods of the game where a few of their batters get off and they score some runs quickly. And for us, it might be about being a little bit defensive in those moments. And then finding the moments where we can attack a bit more and just playing the game, really, that’s in front of us, and not letting it drift too far before we implement the plans that need to be played at that certain time. I guess that’s as simple as I can put it right now.”There are as many unknowns about Australia as there are about England ahead of this series. But it is clear Australia are not gripping the steering wheel tight in Perth. The result will be the result. Reinforcements are almost certain to come soon given how good Cummins looks in the nets.It might be the calm before the storm. But even if the storm comes, an understrength Australia appear prepared for it.