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The Zimbabwe captain’s dismissal seemed to fall into a grey area in the laws of the game

Mohammad Isam18-Jul-2021Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor was out in unusual manner during the second ODI against Bangladesh, his hit-wicket dismissal appearing to fall into a grey area in the laws of the game. The decision went up to the third umpire, and Taylor walked off looking miffed when the red light came on.The incident took place during the 25th over of the Zimbabwe innings in Harare. Taylor attempted an upper-cut against the left-arm quick Shoriful Islam, and failed to connect with the ball. Once the ball went past his bat, Taylor straightened up from his semi-crouched position and swung his bat backwards, dislodging the off bail in the process.One of the Bangladesh fielders noticed, and appealed. On-field umpire Marais Erasmus referred it to the TV umpire Langton Rusere who adjudged Taylor out for 46.According to Law 35.1.1.1, batters can be out hit wicket if they put down the wicket with their bat or any part of their person “in the course of any action taken by him/her in preparing to receive or in receiving a delivery.”According to Law 35.2, the batter is not out hit wicket if the wicket is disturbed “after the striker has completed any action in receiving the delivery,” unless the striker is setting off for a run or lawfully making a second stroke in order to protect their wicket.The ambiguity in this instance would refer to the umpire’s interpretation of whether or not Taylor’s actions after the ball had passed his bat were a continuation of the action taken to receive the delivery – i.e. whether the umpire judged them to be part of his follow-through, or whether they constituted a separate action akin to the shadow practice that batters do after playing a shot.Further ambiguity is created by the dead-ball law, which states that the ball is dead when “it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler.”The ball may have been in the keeper’s gloves before Taylor broke the wicket, but the key word is “finally”, with the law going on to add: “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.”Furthermore: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”It would seem, then, that the umpires’ interpretation, in the end, hinged on two things: whether Taylor disturbed the stumps in his follow-through or after he had completed his shot, and whether or not the ball was, by that point, dead.Taylor had already come close to a hit-wicket dismissal earlier in the day. In the ninth over of Zimbabwe’s innings, he had slipped after defending a delivery from Taskin Ahmed, and while falling over his left boot had come off, and narrowly missed hitting the stumps.

Liverpool are now reportedly readying a stunning £70m move to sign another key Newcastle United star not long after swooping in to sign Alexander Isak in the summer.

Those at Anfield were in a ruthless mood in the summer, but that ruthlessness is yet to show itself on the pitch. Liverpool have been inconsistent champions after transforming their squad and only just turned their fortunes around after six losses in seven games. Arne Slot will be hoping that midweek victory over Real Madrid is enough to get his side going again, however.

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Liverpool need to sign a new centre-back in 2026.

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With Manchester City up next, the Reds have the chance to end a much-needed week of wins in style, whilst also sending quite the statement. Slot knows a trip to the Etihad is rarely without its complications though, and has been full of praise for Pep Guardiola’s side in the build-up.

Liverpool are also aiming for three-straight clean sheets in what would represent their recent turnaround from initial defensive vulnerability. Achieving that up against one of, if not the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland would give that back four all the confidence they need.

That said, even after recent clean sheets, there are still problems for the Reds to address within their backline and one of those problems is finding a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool now readying Botman move

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool and FSG are now readying a move for Sven Botman worth as much as €80m (£70m) in 2026. Just one summer after breaking their transfer record to sign Isak, those at Anfield have set their sights on the Dutch centre-back in an attempt to solve their defensive problems.

Whilst the immediate thought may be that Botman would replace Ibrahima Konate, who is on course to leave as a free agent next summer, he may actually replace Van Dijk in the long-term. WhoScored went as far as to say that the 25-year-old is the next Van Dijk during his time at Lille and his time in the Premier League has only added further credit to that statement.

Minutes

900

552

Progressive Passes

6.30

3.11

Tackles Won

0.40

0.49

Successful Aerial Duels

4.70

2.79

As impressive as Botman is, however, the stats highlight the task that Liverpool have on their hands. Replacing Van Dijk is their very own mission impossible. Botman would bring Premier League experience and his ability in possession is still of a high standard, but that still may not be enough to fill the void left behind by the Liverpool captain.

Slot just found the new Gini Wijnaldum in "special" Liverpool star

Ruturaj Gaikwad says he was “pretty much confident” of adapting to the No. 4 position despite having never batted there previously in 50-over cricket. Before the South Africa series, Gaikwad had batted 86 times in List A cricket but never below No. 3.He started the series with 8 off 14 balls in Ranchi before scoring 105 off 83 balls in the second ODI in Raipur, which he said was “definitely” his best innings across formats and levels.”[The team management] told me that I would be batting at No. 4 this series,” Gaikwad said after the match. “I feel it’s a privilege to have that kind of confidence from the management towards an opener. So I took it that way.Related

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“In the one-day format, even when I was opening the innings, I always tried to make sure that whenever I was set, I was able to bat till the 45th over and capitalise after that. So I knew somewhat how to play between overs 11 to 40, how to rotate strike, what the boundary options were. So I was pretty much confident about how I could go through [the innings].”It was just a matter of how I could play my first 10-15 balls and after that, the process remains the same. I have been working really hard, and obviously been in good touch as well. So I wanted to make sure that whenever I am set, I make it a big one.”Gaikwad was involved in a 195-run stand with Virat Kohli, who scored his second hundred in as many games. When asked about the partnership, Gaikwad said it was something “you dream of”.Virat Kohli gives Ruturaj Gaikwad a pat on the back after the latter tonned up•AFP/Getty Images

“I have been able to witness him since last one week now,” he said. “Whatever practice sessions we have had, he is batting unbelievably well… the amount of time he has and how he is able to convert it in the match as well. And even this game, I enjoyed a lot. [But] mostly, I was trying to be in my zone and not really think about how he is batting or how he is able to score runs.”The chat in between was very clear. We had set 5-5-, 10-10-run target and [discussed] how to manoeuvre the gaps or how to hit those boundaries, how we can rotate strike. So the chat was around that. I think we had really good running between the wickets as well. Obviously, you dream of these kinds of moments and to be able to have that kind of partnership, I really enjoyed a lot.”Before this series, Gaikwad last played an ODI for India in 2023. Since then, he has fallen behind the pecking order as opener, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill being India’s first choice, followed by Yashasvi Jaiswal. He got a chance in this series only because Shreyas Iyer was injured. How does he see this competition?”I think all these things are better if you don’t think too much [about them]. Because [if you do so], you are not in the present, and whatever matches are in front of you, you don’t have that much focus and preparation for them.”In the last Vijay Hazare Trophy, I couldn’t make that many runs [194 in seven innings]. Obviously, some things were going on in my mind. But after that, I thought whichever match it is, whether a club game, red-ball format, or white-ball format, I will make sure I try to stay consistent. I realised that my duty is to score runs as much as possible. And if I get an opportunity, well and good. Even if I don’t, it’s still fine.”

Another New Zealand-West Indies game, another last-over finish, another heartbreak for West Indies.For the longest time, the stars seemed to be aligning for West Indies. After Shai Hope’s unbeaten 69-ball 109 took them to 247 for 9 in the rain-reduced 34-overs-a-side contest, the visitors would have fancied their chances. And they were in this, particularly when New Zealand found themselves at 194 for 5, needing another 54 runs off 29 balls. But then, as it has so often happened in the white-ball leg of this tour, Mitchell Santner came clutch and took New Zealand to a five-wicket win, giving them an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.With the equation coming down to 40 off 18 deliveries, Santner took on Matthew Forde, who, by then, had gone at only four runs an over. Santner carted Forde for 4, 6, 4 to take 18 runs off the 32nd over. Santner then smashed Shamar Springer for four and six in the second-last over, leaving New Zealand eight runs to win off the 34th.Related

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It could still have been anyone’s game, but Jayden Seales bowled a chest-high no-ball, which Tom Latham calmly glided over the wicketkeeper. Then Santner fittingly sealed the chase with a crash through extra cover as New Zealand prevailed with three balls to spare. Seales was distraught, flinging his cap to the floor, sinking to it himself, and needing help from several of his team-mates to come off the field.As has been the case all through the series, the second ODI ebbed and flowed all the way through. Chasing 248, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra found the going tough on a treacherous Napier surface. But once the duo settled down, the runs started to flow. They added 106 runs off 99 balls, New Zealand’s first century opening-wicket stand in ODIs in 74 innings since February 2020.They were quite scratchy early on, though, against some tight West Indies bowling. Forde got the ball to move both ways as Conway played out a maiden first up. Ravindra got going with a couple of runs before Conway got off the mark with a crisp square drive through point. There were a couple of very tight leaves, while both batters were beaten several times outside off with the exaggerated movement as New Zealand squeaked to 13 for 0 after five overs.Conway took the attacking route when he thrashed Seales through point, while Ravindra deposited him over deep midwicket for the first six of New Zealand’s innings. Romario Shepherd was introduced into the attack right after the powerplay, but was unable to stem the flow of runs.Rachin Ravindra had a century opening stand with Devon Conway•AFP/Getty Images

Ravindra, by now in full flow, pulled Forde over cow corner before Conway went after Justin Greaves, pulling him over deep square leg. Springer was dumped over the leg side fence twice in an over as New Zealand started catching up. Ravindra reached his sixth ODI fifty in style by slog sweeping Roston Chase for six.However, Ravindra fell soon after, when, in a bid to up the scoring rate, he sliced Greaves to backward point, where Chase timed his jump to perfection. Will Young, short of runs, came in at No. 3, and failed to inject any momentum into the chase. He was beaten multiple times, and fell 14 balls into his innings, slog sweeping to deep square leg.Mark Chapman came and went as the hosts lost three wickets in a hurry. Conway, meanwhile, stood firm and continued to rack up boundaries regularly. He reached his fifty off 54 balls, and stepped on the accelerator with the required rate climbing. Just when it seemed Conway would break his century-drought, he fell for 90, thrashing a cut off Springer straight to point.With the required rate now past ten an over, Latham and Santner joined forces. They took their time to settle in, targeting the short square boundaries on both sides. It wasn’t until the 31st over, with the required rate in excess of 13, when Santner flipped the switch, and, along with Latham, took New Zealand over the line, helping them register their 11th straight bilateral ODI series win at home.Earlier, West Indies captain Hope showed his class as he single-handedly propelled his team from 130 for 6 in 24 overs to 247 for 9 in 34, on the way notching up his 19th ODI century.Shai Hope made 109 not out off 69 balls•AFP/Getty Images

The match, supposed to start at 2pm local time, was delayed by close to three hours due to rain and a wet outfield. When the toss did eventually take place, Santner, with a smirk on his face, had no hesitation in bowling first. From the outset, it was clear that batting would be hard work. Kyle Jamieson got the ball to move heaps as West Indies played out three maidens in the first four overs.After multiple wafts and across-the-line attempts, Ackeem Auguste pumped Matt Henry straight over his head in what was the first commanding shot of the day in the fifth over. But West Indies soon lost John Campbell, whose difficult innings was ended by Jamieson. He got a length ball to move away from off stump, and Campbell, looking to flay him across the line, only managed a thick leading edge that nestled into deep third’s hands.West Indies, having managed just 18 runs in the reduced powerplay of seven overs, targeted Blair Tickner, brought into the side in place of Jacob Duffy. Auguste first clubbed him over his head before Keacy Carty sliced him over point for four more.Carty’s innings was, however, short-lived as he fell soon to Jamieson, whose opening spell read 5-2-12-2. West Indies continued to go after Tickner as Hope got into his groove. He first hooked Tickner to the vacant deep midwicket fence, and then laced him through covers to bring up 6000 ODI runs. Among his compatriots, only Viv Richards has got to this mark quicker, by one innings (141 vs 142).Nathan Smith made an impact with the ball•Getty Images

West Indies lost Auguste soon, with his attempted pull spooning straight up for Jamieson to take a catch running back from midwicket. That didn’t impact Hope and the incoming Sherfane Rutherford, who refused to curb their aggressive instincts. Hope pulled Santner deep over midwicket, while Rutherford thumped Nathan Smith twice into the stands to get West Indies moving again.However, two quick wickets got New Zealand back into the game. Santner first got rid of Rutherford while Smith breached Chase’s defences with a peach of an indipper that decked back to castle his off stump. While Greaves also fell relatively early, Hope continued on his merry way.He reached his fifty off 42 balls, and just went up a gear. At 130 for 6 after 24 overs, Hope took charge and belted the bowlers all across McLean Park. He got decent support first from Shepherd, who pumped Henry for two sixes in three balls, and then dumped Tickner over deep midwicket.Once Shepherd fell, Forde took Jamieson to the cleaners, thrashing him for three fours and a six. Hope moved through his 90s in a flash, crashing Henry for back-to-back fours before reaching his first ODI century against New Zealand with the straightest of straight hits in the final over of the innings. Arms aloft, he soaked in the applause, finishing with 13 fours and four sixes. But it wasn’t enough.

Amy Jones aced the chase after New Zealand’s batters had a disappointing outing

Valkerie Baynes26-Oct-2025

Amy Jones celebrates her fifty with Heather Knight•ICC/Getty Images

England 172 for 2 (Jones 86*, Beaumont 40) beat New Zealand 168 (Plimmer 43, Smith 3-30, Sciver-Brunt 2-31, Capsey 2-34) by eight wicketsAn injury to key bowler Sophie Ecclestone proved no barrier for England as Amy Jones overhauled a meagre target to send New Zealand out of the World Cup with a heavy defeat.Ecclestone injured her bowling shoulder while fielding and sent down just four deliveries, including a wicket, before England bundled New Zealand out for 168 inside 39 overs in their final group game.Her fellow left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith, overcame a difficult start to capture three wickets while part-time off-spinner Alice Capsey and seamer Nat Sciver-Brunt took two each before Jones’s unbeaten 86 took England home with ease.Related

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The result meant that England secured the No. 2 spot behind Australia, meaning that in the unlikely event of their semi-final against South Africa being washed out in Guwahati on Wednesday and on the subsequent reserve day, they would progress on the basis of holding a superior position on the table.It also ensured there would be no fairytale farewell for New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who has played her last ODI in a match where New Zealand’s batters collectively failed convert starts and their bowlers struggled to put dents in England’s top-order.On the face of it, England had an easy ride into their semi-final campaign, but Ecclestone’s injury was cause for concern and they had to overcome a wayward start with the ball and in the field while their re-jigged middle-order went untested.The openers Jones and Tammy Beaumont broke the back of the run chase with a 75-run partnership and Jones combined with Heather Knight for an 83-run stand that took England within 11 runs of victory.England’s top four have all scored runs at this tournament, with Knight and Sciver-Brunt posting centuries and Beaumont and Jones reaching fifty before this game. Down the order they brought in the vastly experienced Danni Wyatt-Hodge for her first match of the tournament, replacing Emma Lamb who has struggled at No. 6.Knight’s dismissal, lbw to Devine for 33, prompted England to send Wyatt-Hodge in at No. 4 ahead of Sciver-Brunt to give her some exposure in the middle ahead of the knockout phase, although it was limited as she faced seven deliveries for 2 not out.Sophie Devine waves farewell after her final ODI•ICC/Getty ImagesBeaumont raced to 26 off 20 balls, with four of her five boundaries up to that point coming in one Jess Kerr over. Back-to-back fours off Amelia Kerr put Beaumont in touching distance of 40 but, once she arrived there, she was struck on the pad by a Lea Tahuhu nip-backer right in line with middle stump.Knight carved the next ball expertly through backward point for four and, having overturned an lbw dismissal to New Zealand’s bemusement as Melie Kerr’s delivery was shown to be going over the stumps, Knight advanced down the pitch to power a huge six over long on in her next over.All the while, Jones had been steadily creeping towards her half-century with excellent timing and she brought up the milestone with six off Suzie Bates. Jones upped the tempo and helped herself to three fours in a row off Rosemary Mair before eventually bringing up the winning runs with consecutive boundaries off Devine, who left the field through a guard of honour from both teams.Earlier, Ecclestone took a tumble trying to intercept a boundary from Bates off the second ball of the match and jarred her shoulder after running from mid-off to chase Capsey’s misfield at extra cover.Bates only managed to reach 10 before spooning a waist-high full toss from Smith straight to mid-off where Lamb stood as a substitute for Ecclestone.Struggling to grip the new ball, Smith continued to serve up some wayward lengths and, after Bates had failed to capitalise, Kerr did with four boundaries on the trot as she set about rebuilding through a 68-run partnership alongside Georgia Plimmer.Sophie Ecclestone picked a wicket in the four deliveries she bowled before going off with injury•Getty ImagesWith Smith pulled from the attack and Ecclestone still off the field having her injury assessed, Capsey entered to make a crucial strike as Kerr sought to go big down the ground and picked out Charlie Dean, who then struck with the first ball of the next over, pinning Plimmer on the pad for 43 as England wrested back control.Ecclestone returned briefly to remove Brooke Halliday, caught by Sophia Dunkley at deep midwicket, but then Dunkley bowled the remaining two balls of the over as Ecclestone, feeling more discomfort in her shoulder, left the field for the remainder of the innings.So it fell to Devine to make one last stand with the bat, even more so when Capsey took an excellent diving catch off her own bowling to remove Maddy Green – although she dropped another off Izzy Gaze next ball – but it wasn’t to be. Devine managed 23 off 35 before she strode forward to a Sciver-Brunt off-cutter which kissed the inside edge before landing in the glove of wicketkeeper Jones.Smith returned in the 29th over and, more comfortable with the worn ball, removed Gaze playing around a slow, full delivery that angled in to hit the top of off stump.Sciver-Brunt grabbed her second wicket by pinning Mair lbw and Jess Kerr was run out by a good throw from Dean at extra cover to Jones to put New Zealand on the brink of being bowled out. Dean finished it with a superb catch over her shoulder while running back at mid-off to remove Tahuhu and give Smith her third.

Leeds United are interested in signing of AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott in January, following his stunning performance for the Republic of Ireland.

Parrott wrote his name into Ireland folklore on Sunday afternoon, scoring a hat-trick in his country’s 3-2 win away to Hungary and booking a place in the 2026 World Cup playoffs in the process.

The 23-year-old netted the winner deep into stoppage time, leading to scenes of unrivalled joy among the visiting players, staff and supporters, and even Roy Keane had words of praise for both the Alkmaar ace and Ireland.

“Fantastic, amazing. When you think the way they started the campaign, a draw and a defeat. To win today on the back of the Portugal result, fantastic.

“Great boost for the country and the team. The manager was heavily criticised but they’ve bounced back and got some momentum now. Parrott got a hat-trick. There was always talk about Parrott over the last few years, but he has stepped up in the last few days. Great achievement. Fingers crossed now for when they go to the play-offs.”

In terms of Leeds, they are on the lookout for a new attacker to bolster their firepower, and it looks as though Parrott could be a contender to come in.

Leeds eyeing move for Troy Parrott

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are among the clubs who are “interested” in signing Parrott in January, having pursued him during the summer transfer window.

The Whites and the 49ers Enterprises want to bring in a new striker when the winter window rolls around, with transfer insider Dean Jones claiming as much to TEAMtalk recently.

“It sounds to me like the club know they have let him down a bit by leaving him short of goal power. Leeds have been competitive in most games but it has been clear they lack a cutting edge and they know they should have signed another forward. It is something they need to do in January and they just hope they can reach that stage of the season and still be in a relatively good position to stay in the division.”

Parrott would be a strong addition for Leeds, with his stock never higher than it is currently, following his heroics for Ireland over the weekend.

He has impressed with Alkmaar in the Netherlands, scoring 33 goals in just 61 appearances, and he could add that extra bit of quality that Daniel Farke craves, as the Whites look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Leeds can forget signing Ivan Toney by unleashing 17-year-old goal machine

Leeds United can forget about pursuing a move for Ivan Toney by unleashing one of their homegrown youngsters into the first team mix.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 17, 2025

Parrott has two appearances in the English top flight from his time at Tottenham, and the fact that he has been on Leeds’ radar for a while suggests they really like him, rather than it being a knee-jerk decision after his Ireland brilliance.

Leeds have an amazing Okafor rival who once scored 10 goals in 1 game

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، عن اللاعب الفائز بجائزة أفضل هدف لعام 2025، خلال حفل توزيع جوائز كاف.

وتقام حفل جوائز الأفضل في إفريقيا لعام 2025، اليوم الأربعاء، بمدينة الرباط في المغرب.

وكشف كاف، عن القوائم النهائية للمرشحين على جوائز الأفضل في القارة الإفريقية، وشهدت تواجد منافسة مصرية على 3 جوائز، الأول تواجد محمد صلاح للمنافسة على جائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا، وينافس كل من المغربي أشرف حكيمي والنيجيري فيكتور أوسمين.

طالع.. مباشر | حفل جوائز الأفضل في إفريقيا 2025

وكانت القائمة الخاصة بـ أفضل هدف في العام، ضمت الثنائي، أنس رشدي مع منتخب مصر أمام جنوب إفريقيا، في كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 17 عامًا، وإبراهيم عادل في مباراة نادي بيراميدز أمام الترجي الرياضي التونسي، في دوري أبطال إفريقيا. جائزة أفضل هدف في افريقيا 2025

وفاز كليمينت مزيزي لاعب فريق مازيمبي بـ جائزة أفضل هدف لـ عام 2025.

𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 his place in history! 🌟

Mzize's unstoppable strike for Young Africans wins the Goal of the Year! ⚽️#CAFAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/zFQ8Z595Ps

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 19, 2025

Defending champions Dubai Capitals have retained Rovman Powell, Shai Hope and Gulbadin Naib for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE. They have also signed Afghanistan wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil, England left-arm quick Luke Wood and UAE left-arm seamer Muhammad Jawadullah for the fourth season of the tournament.Apart from retaining Afghanistan mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, Romario Shepherd and Muhammad Waseem, MI Emirates have picked Chris Woakes and Kamindu Mendis as their new faces.Waseem, 31, is a six-hitting machine from the UAE. He has hit 165 sixes in 72 T20I innings – only Rohit Sharma (205) and Martin Guptill (173) have struck more sixes than Waseem in the format.Related

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Desert Vipers, last season’s runners-up, added USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous, who is currently in action for Washington Freedom in MLC 2025, to their roster. Lockie Ferguson, Sam Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dan Lawrence were among the players retained by Vipers for the upcoming season.Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who finished last in the six-team league last season, have added more power to their side in the form of Liam Livingstone, Sherfane Rutherford and Alex Hales.Hales, 36, brings in vast T20 experience: he has played over 500 T20s, scoring 13,756 runs at a strike rate of 145.28. He isn’t too far away from surpassing Chris Gayle (14562) as the leading run-getter in T20 cricket.The former England opener had earlier this year declined a contract with Nottinghamshire to play for the Knight Riders’ franchises in MLC 2025 and CPL 2025. Hales had retired from international cricket in 2023 but has continued to be active in franchise leagues around the world.Sunil Narine and Andre Russell have both been retained by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders•BCCI

The next edition of the ILT20 has been brought forward to a December-January window with an eye on avoiding the cluttered January-February window as well as finishing up well before the men’s T20 World Cup, which will run from February to March.The six franchises will complete their squads through a player auction, details of which will be announced soon, according to a statement from the ILT20.

Retained players

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine.Desert Vipers: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Sam Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Gulbadin Naib, Rovmann Powell and Shai Hope.Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince and Mark Adair.MI Emirates: AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kusal Perera, Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton and Muhammad Waseem.Sharjah Warriorz: Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Tim Southee and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

New signings

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alex Hales, Liam Livingstone and Sherfane Rutherford.Desert Vipers: Andries Gous.Dubai Capitals: Luke Wood, Waqar Salamkheil and Muhammad Jawadullah.Gulf Giants: Azmatullah Omarzai, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.MI Emirates: Chris Woakes and Kamindu Mendis.Sharjah Warriorz: Maheesh Theekshana, Sikandar Raza, Saurabh Netravalkar and Tim David.

Villarreal expressed "deep displeasure" at La Liga for the decision to cancel a controversial match against Barcelona that was set to be held in Miami in December. The Yellow Submarine pointed to the league's lack of general organization for the event and said they were blindsided by Tuesday's announcement, which came during their Champions League match.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Deep concern'

  On Tuesday, La Liga canceled the Dec. 20 match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, pointing to concerns from organizer Relevent on insufficient time and "uncertainty in Spain." 

  Barcelona issued a statement, saying the club accepts the decision. Villarreal, however, were more critical, pointing to several logistical and organizational failures that ultimately led to the abrupt termination of the match. 

  "Villarreal CF wishes to express its deep displeasure with La Liga for the poor management of the organization of the match scheduled to be played in Miami against FC Barcelona on Dec. 20, corresponding to Matchday 17, which ultimately will not be played in the United States," the club said in a statement. "Given the lack of progress in the development and organization by La Liga, Villarreal CF has repeatedly expressed its deep concern to the organization and urged it to define such basic and fundamental aspects as confirming the match time and hiring a travel agency for such a large-scale trip, which are vital to begin organizing the event.

  "In fact, a meeting was scheduled for this Thursday, in which if these issues were not resolved immediately, the club would withdraw from the project due to not having the minimum conditions guaranteed for the organization. Villarreal CF regrets that La Liga, as the organizer, did not better manage the management of the match and that the La Liga match in Miami could not be held, as it believes it is a good opportunity for the growth of the clubs and La Liga internationally."

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• AFP
  

  Demands not met

  According to Villarreal, the largest failure, outside of organizational issues, came from La Liga's inability to agree to key requests.

  "This summer, La Liga proposed to Villarreal CF to participate and host the match, which would be played against FC Barcelona before the Christmas break," the club said. "Villarreal CF, as it has publicly stated on numerous occasions, accepted because it believes this project is very beneficial for the club's growth and, above all, for contributing to the development of the competition. However, it requires two fundamental and mandatory conditions for its implementation:

  "The money allocated to this initiative by La Liga will be used to compensate Villarreal CF season ticket holders, who are the ones truly affected by this situation, for missing one of the matches already included in their season ticket. This will include free travel to Miami to watch the match or a partial refund of their season ticket.

  "Neither of the participating clubs will receive any direct financial benefit from La Liga for playing the match, as the money should have been used to compensate Villarreal season ticket holders – as clarified in point one – and because it would also be unfair to the other La Liga clubs." 

• AFP
  

  Controversial timing

  The announcement came midway through Villarreal's Champions League match against Manchester City.

  "For me, it shows an absolute lack of respect to put out a statement at half-time of our game about something that was planned but will not happen," coach Marcelino García Toral told reporters. "It's a lack of respect to the directors of this club, the club itself, the professionals and the fans."

  Villarreal said they learned of the cancellation just before the match on Tuesday.

  "Last night, minutes before kickoff of the Champions League match between Villarreal CF and Manchester City at the Estadio de la Cerámica, the club was notified by phone by LaLiga that the match was canceled at the discretion of the sponsoring company," the club said. "However, the information was confidential and the best time would be sought to communicate it jointly, just as they had done for the confirmation of the match on Oct. 8.

  "However, minutes later, and to the club's surprise, La Liga decided to issue a unilateral statement announcing the cancellation of a match involving Villarreal during a match of such importance to the club, demonstrating a complete and utter lack of respect for the club, as well as a lack of sensitivity and empathy." 

  A prominent UEFA supporter-led liaison group, Football Supporters Europe, said it supported the cancellation. 

  “Common sense and the rules of the game have prevailed. This is a seismic victory for European football and everyone who believes the game belongs at the heart of our communities," the group said in a statement. “La Liga’s defeat sends a clear message to the world of football: such ill-conceived projects are doomed to fail. These attempts to destabilize the foundation of the game must stop now.”

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• Looking ahead

  The proposed match by La Liga would have been historic, as the Spanish top flight would have been the first European league to host an official league match stateside. Despite the opportunity to grow interest in the league, it was met with large-scale disapproval from fans and players alike.

  Each La Liga match had player protests last weekend and even UEFA's President Aleksander Ceferin warned matches abroad could "break" the sport. With the cancellation of the match in Miami, Villarreal will now host Barcelona on Dec. 21. 

England 312 for 7 (Root 166*, Jacks 49, Brook 47, Joseph 4-31) beat West Indies 308 (Carty 103, Hope 78, Rashid 4-63, Mahmood 3-37) by three wicketsEngland did not quite turn their back on Joe Root as a limited-overs batter, but certainly the schedule threatened to axe him from white-ball cricket.A couple of crises and a change of management later, here Root was in Cardiff, unfurling perhaps the best of his 18 ODI hundreds, a career-best 166 not out. His first 42 runs put him top of the pile of English run-scorers in the format, usurping Eoin Morgan’s tally of 6957, before the rest iced a chase of 309 to secure a series win over West Indies with a game to spare.This was Root’s second hundred in his eighth innings since returning to the 50-over format this year, ahead of an admittedly disastrous ICC Champions Trophy. Not only is he averaging 30 runs more than his overall average of 49.18, but his strike rate is also ten points higher. An immaculate straight drive, his 23rd boundary of a fever-dream knock, confirmed victory with three wickets and seven balls to spare.This second ODI did not, all told, seem befitting for Root’s historic brilliance. Mainly because, for the first half, it seemed to belong to West Indies – specifically Keacy Carty’s 103, the centrepiece of West Indies’ 308 all out. Skipper Shai Hope’s 78 at the end and Brandon King’s 59 up top were vital bookends.Keacy Carty marched through to his century•PA Photos/Getty Images

Though they left 14 deliveries unused having been inserted by England, it didn’t seem to matter as West Indies’ attack took just nine deliveries to remove openers Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett for ducks – 2 for 2 – then had England 93 for 4 when Jos Buttler was also cleaned up. From that point on, it was Root at his absolute best, accompanied for the most part by Will Jacks. You might have described his 49 off 58 in a stand of 143 from 122 as “playing the Joe Root role”, had the man himself not been at the other end strumming 87 off 64. Root’s last 70 runs with Jacks came off just 45 balls, by the way.The catastrophic start to the chase added a layer of jeopardy to Root’s innings that he never felt. But it did mean more because of a West Indies outfit hell-bent on disavowing themselves from Thursday’s 238-run loss in the first ODI at Edgbaston. Smith nicked Jayden Seales behind for a duck after four legal deliveries, before Ben Duckett scythed a thick edge off Matthew Forde to deep third, his three-ball nought capping off a horrendous day that included two dropped catches and a missed run-out.Both Duckett’s chances would have nipped a second-wicket stand between Carty and Brandon King in the bud. It reached 141 but should not have made it to double figures, let alone out of the first powerplay, Duckett’s misses at second slip off Brydon Carse – the first diving to his right, the second tipped over the bar – came when King had 10, then 11. Duckett’s hat-trick of fielding botches was completed when, spoilt for choice, both King (55 not out) and Carty (57 not out) were stuck in the middle of the pitch. King ended up running to the far end, beating Duckett’s loopy underarm to wicketkeeper Buttler.The biggest error in the first innings, however, was Saqib Mahmood’s tame drop of Carty on 41, when Jacob Bethell was worked around the corner. He also might have been run out on 57 had the throw from midwicket been crisper after he had been sent back. Both of those gifts were reciprocated to Root, who could have been found short of his ground twice.The best chance was at the end of the second over when Root was dead in the water after Harry Brook called him through for a dodgy single, only for Roston Chase to miss from backward point. A tougher opportunity arose in the 11th over when, on 30, he had again given up. This time, King missed, albeit having made a brilliant stop at midwicket, followed by a throw at the non-striker’s end from the ground. But maybe the biggest grievance as far as West Indies were concerned was an lbw appeal at the end of the sixth over. Forde hit Root on the back leg and gave it the celebrappeal, only for the review to find the ball clipping the bails.Brook was also dropped on 30 – which he had made from just 16 deliveries – when Hope palmed a diving catch to his right after Seales had found the edge. England’s captain had just launched an assault on Forde, smashing three boundaries in a row – the first a towering boundary to the leg side – but fell short of fifty when flipping Alzarri Joseph’s bouncer to backward square leg. And though Joseph would then snare the former white-ball captain six deliveries later – Buttler playing on, undone by bounce – Root was well on his way.Shai Hope got an important half-century•PA Photos/Getty Images

Root then took 17 off what would prove to be the last over of Forde’s opening spell. And from then on, he managed the situation, calmly at first with Bethell and thereafter in a remarkable partnership with Jacks. Most spectacular of all was the acceleration from Root, despite Jacks’ game being far more suited to the pyrotechnics he produced.The key passage came with 135 needed from 18.2 overs, with Root on 77 from 82. After taking 16 deliveries to move to his hundred – a milestone he reached with a six over midwicket and a four swept around the corner off Gudakesh Motie – he then smashed 43 from his next 24 deliveries up to Jacks’ dismissal. He ramped, scooped and then charged Chase’s offies for boundaries in four balls, before Jacks was trapped in front to give Joseph an impressive 4 for 31.A gorgeous carve over extra cover off Forde then took Root past 150 for the first time in ODIs, from 129 deliveries, and thereafter it was only a matter of how, not when. A picture-perfect on-drive for four sealed the deal with seven balls to spare.Both teams had made a single change each from the first ODI; England swapped Matthew Potts for Jamie Overton (broken little finger), while West Indies erred for experience with Shimron Hetmyer moving into the XI at the expense of Amir Jangoo.Precocious Antigua batter Jewel Andrew was moved to open with Evin Lewis still missing with the groin injury that kept him out of the first ODI. It was the first time the 18-year-old had performed the role in his professional career, across all formats – and it did not last long. A hard length from Carse lifted into harder hands from Jewell, who was surprised by the bounce and fended it away on instinct, gifting a straightforward catch to Jacks at point for a five-ball duck.Carty’s binding of the innings began at this point, and the value of his stickability felt particularly crucial with the 58 shared with Hope. Their stand began when King found Carse at long-on off Rashid – the first of the legspinner’s 4 for 63. Nine overs later, a late dab through short third brought Carty’s 13th four off his 102nd delivery to take him to three figures. And while he was unable to launch from there, stumped off Jacks three balls after the milestone, Hope was now set.Nevertheless, West Indies lost their final eight wickets for 103. Saqib Mahmood removed Forde and Chase in consecutive balls before Motie took to Jacks. But Rashid’s two wickets in his final over shifted the onus even more so on Hope, who toed a simple catch to Brook to give Mahmood figures of 3 for 37.England’s target of 309 could have been 50 more with better choices throughout, and maybe 111 fewer had England taken their chances against Carty and King. Then again, Root would not have had the scope to unfurl his brilliance. Sometimes, the game works itself out.