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The Boston Red Sox parted ways with their longest-tenured active player by trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Devers, who signed with the Red Sox as a free agent at the age of 16, spent his entire major league career with the Red Sox from 2017 until Sunday, when he was sent to San Francisco.

The surprising trade took place months after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, who replaced Devers at third base. Devers initially stated that he would only play third base, before later agreeing to serve as the team's designated hitter. Tension re-emerged when the Red Sox asked Devers to play first base following the injury to Triston Casas, which frustrated Devers. Devers remained the team's designated hitter, up until the Red Sox agreed to trade him over the weekend.

Though the end of Devers's tenure in Boston was marred by the rocky end, he had many great moments over his time with the Red Sox, from becoming a three-time MLB All-Star, signing a 10-year, $313.5 million extension with Boston, and winning the World Series in 2018.

Following the trade, Red Sox manager Alex Cora posted a picture of him and Devers after winning the World Series nearly seven years ago, capturing one of the special moments Devers had as part of the franchise. Cora simply captioned the post, "Gracias," and tagged Devers.

As Devers heads to San Francisco, Cora and the Red Sox have to say goodbye to one of their biggest stars in recent years. Devers will see with his former team very soon though, as the Giants are set to face the Red Sox from Friday to Sunday.

England keep repeating the same errors without learning or suffering the consequences

George Dobell in Sydney04-Jan-20181:45

Should Bairstow have called for a nightwatchman?

A day that had promised much for England was suddenly rendered “a massive disappointment,” in the words of their assistant coach, Paul Farbrace.Facing the prospect of reaching stumps with just three wickets down, two set batsmen at the crease and with realistic expectations of a total in excess of 400, England lost two men in the final seven deliveries of the day to leave them facing a battle to reach even 300. And, on a surface on which Dawid Malan reckoned 450 might be around par, that is likely to be deeply insufficient.England’s problem is not just the loss of late wickets. It is not just the sense that they squandered a day of hard work with a loose final few moments.It is the knowledge that, when the second day starts, their diplodocus-length tail – Tom Curran is so high at No. 8 you wonder if he needs the help of oxygen and a Sherpa – is protected only by Malan, who continues to bat with calm and class, and Moeen Ali, who looks horribly short of form and confidence. There is a real danger that 228 for 3 – the score before Joe Root was out – could become 275 all out.There will, no doubt, be talk of Jonny Bairstow’s decision not to utilise a nightwatchman. And it is true that Malan admitted to being “surprised” when Bairstow walked out to bat with nine deliveries left in the day’s play. He had been offered the option of a nightwatchman and Mason Crane, on debut, was padded up and ready to go.”I’d always have a nightwatchman,” Malan said. “Good on Bairstow for backing himself. It takes guts to go against what normal people normally do.”But that decision is a red herring. England’s issue is not the decision to forgo a nightwatchman – that might be considered the responsible, brave and logical thing to do – but the fact that their batsmen continue to make the same errors without either learning or suffering the consequence.Mark Stoneman, for example, was caught as he fenced at one he need not have played. James Vince, who had looked a fine player, was caught behind moments after a drinks’ break and Root failed to turn an excellent start into a match-defining innings. All those descriptions could be prefaced with word “again.” England aren’t learning; they are repeating.Josh Hazlewood removed Jonny Bairstow with the final ball of the day•Getty ImagesSo it wasn’t Bairstow’s decision to bat ahead of Crane that was the problem. After all, Crane has a top first-class score of just 29 and would have been confronted by a high-class, high-speed attack armed with a new ball. It was Bairstow’s decision to attempt to push firmly at a ball – a new ball – in the final over of the day.It was a fine delivery that drew the stroke – Josh Hazlewood went wide of the crease and persuaded the ball to leave the batsman just a fraction – but Test bowlers will bowl fine deliveries. Sometimes they can be defended rather than batsmen feeling they need to demonstrate their positivity.”It sort of sums up where we’ve been on this tour,” Malan said. “We’ve been on top, then we make mistakes and let them back in.”While the England camp have tended to overplay the extent to which they have dominated sessions of play – they could have been asked to follow-on in Adelaide, for example, and they were pulverised in Perth – it is true that there have been moments when they have shown they can compete.But the fact is, England’s top-four have just one century between them in the series. Two of the top three average under 30 in the series and, midway through their 12th and eighth Tests respectively, Vince and Stoneman have averages of 22.94 and 29.33 respectively. Vince has made two half-centuries in 19 innings and Stoneman has a top-score of 56 in 13. They are desperately fortune to be playing in this age of patient selectors.

Nothing that happened on the first day in Sydney should surprise anyone. And that is a damning indictment

It is true that both have, at times, shown glimpses of the class to suggest they can thrive. But glimpses won’t do and nor will half-centuries. Ultimately, players have to be judged by how their performances shape and define games and both Vince and Stoneman are doing just enough to survive but nowhere near enough to help their team win. Like visiting a casino, they offer just enough wins to keep you gambling but nowhere near enough to challenge the truism: the house also wins.Despite that, it seems both men will be selected for the New Zealand Tests. And it is true that continuity of selection is hugely preferable to the panic-driven selections of the 1980s. There aren’t obviously compelling alternatives for the top-order positions, either.But it also seems to be true that, by continuing to select such players with such records, England are accepting mediocrity. Twelve Tests is not a small sample size; an average of 22 is not good enough for a No. 3. England are losing anyway and, in the shape of Haseeb Hameed, Liam Livingstone, Dan Lawrence and Joe Clarke, they have other options.Nothing that happened on the first day in Sydney should surprise anyone. And that is a damning indictment of the lack of improvement and development within this England team. It is increasingly hard to avoid the conclusion that, for all their glimpses of snatches of promise, they’re going nowhere.

Shafali scored 75 off 41 balls in the fifth T20I to finish the series as the second-highest run-scorer behind Mandhana

Valkerie Baynes13-Jul-2025Shafali Verma has batted her way into the conversation surrounding India’s squad selection for the home ODI World Cup later this year.Dropped after India’s group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup last October, Shafali was recalled for the T20I series against England, which India won 3-2, and re-established herself by finishing as the second-highest run-scorer behind opening partner Smriti Mandhana.Shafali’s 176 runs at 35.20 and a strike rate of 158.55 included scores of 20, 3, 47 and 31 and a 41-ball 75. Her two highest scores came in losing causes as England clinched last-ball victories at The Oval and Edgbaston, respectively.On Saturday night, she brought up her fifty off just 23 balls, the joint-second-fastest for India Women alongside Mandhana, and behind only Richa Ghosh’s 18 balls against West Indies last year.Related

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Having helped her side go from 19 for 2 to 167 for 7, it took the highest successful chase in women’s T20Is in England for the hosts to win it – and they only did so on the final delivery, despite a 101-run opening partnership between Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley.Shafali is not part of the ODI series that will start in Southampton on Wednesday, but India’s head coach Amol Muzumdar said she was “without a doubt” in contention for the ODI World Cup at home starting from September 30, although Pratika Rawal remains the incumbent.

“Shafali has been a terrific player. There’s no doubt about it that she will be in the mix. She will be amongst the core group of India”Head coach Amol Muzumdar on Shafali Verma

Rawal averages 63.80 from 11 ODIs since making her debut at home against West Indies in December. She has a highest score of 154, at home against Ireland and five half-centuries.”It just shows that we’ve got a lot of depth now in this India squad,” Muzumdar said. “Pratika Rawal, she was drafted in the month of December, so it’s almost six months, but she has left a mark, a big mark in her initial stage in her international career.”So I think there’s a lot of depth in this Indian line-up, a good headache to have as a coaching staff. And Shafali has been a terrific player. There’s no doubt about it that she will be in the mix. She will be amongst the core group of India. There’s no doubt in my mind about it. But at the moment, Pratika, she has joined the squad probably four or five days prior to the ODI. The depth is stronger, it’s getting stronger.”Pratika Rawal has had a dream start to her ODI career•BCCIWhile the ODI series will provide a better World Cup gauge for both teams, India were further encouraged by the development of left-arm spinner Shree Charani, who was named Player of the Series for the T20I leg of India’s tour.Charani was the leading wicket-taker with ten at 14.80 and an economy rate of 7.46, having only made her T20I debut in the opening match of the series, where she took 4 for 12. And while she conceded 35 runs while going wicketless in the final game, Muzumdar was pleased with her progress.”She’s been a find of the WPL,” he said. “From the WPL, we identified her and then I think her progress has been fantastic, she’s been phenomenal in this series. We were searching for a left-arm spinner and she’s fitted the bill perfectly.”Kranti Goud, the 21-year-old right-arm seamer who made her T20I debut in Birmingham, having played just once for India before, in the final against hosts Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series also involving South Africa in May, is part of the 50-over squad in England.She made a nervy start to her T20I career when she took the new ball against England. Goud sent down three wides before bookending four dot balls with two singles off the bat. Harmanpreet Kaur, her captain, kept faith for a second over on the trot, which went for six runs in all, including four to Wyatt-Hodge, powered over midwicket, and Goud finished wicketless from three overs, which went for 26.N Shree Charani was named the Player of the Series•Andy Kearns/Getty ImagesMuzumdar said he had “mixed feelings” about the fact that his side had outplayed England in three games but failed to clinch the two close ones.Had Mandhana’s shy at the stumps at the non-striker’s end after Sophie Ecclestone had pushed towards mid-on and sprinted for the single England needed for victory off the last ball, the match could have gone to a Super Over.But not only has the series result given India a maiden T20I series victory in England, it has given the visitors crucial data on what playing here for the T20 World Cup might be like 12 months from now.”We had that in our mind when we came back from Sri Lanka and we started our preparation for this tour,” Muzumdar said. “We were on the same page, all of us, including the selectors, thinking that there’s a World Cup in 2026, same place, in England, so we’ve picked the squad accordingly. We’ve started on a good note, I guess, winning the T20 series here against England 3-2, that too the first time ever. So it’s a pleasing result. The preparation has already started.”The biggest takeaways, without a doubt, have been our bowling and our fielding. The batting has been a strength for a long time. A year and a half that I’ve been in charge, we’ve played some fearless cricket as far as batting is concerned. The two departments which we wanted to take care of were bowling and fielding, and in this series, it has shown the results.”

No matter how much ‘mental disintegration’ the Australians engage in, one rule of thumb they must remember: you’ve got to stick it out if you’re going to dish it out

Daniel Brettig in Port Elizabeth09-Mar-2018In the most frequently recalled moment of the 1995 series in which Australia wrested the Frank Worrell Trophy from the West Indies, Steve Waugh chose to pick a fight with Curtly Ambrose in Trinidad. This stand-off, where Ambrose ultimately had to be pulled away by his captain Richie Richardson, came to be seen as symbolic of Australian ascendancy, and mentality.Less frequently cited, though it really should be, is that Waugh picked the fight in the midst of a half-century made with bowling conditions totally in Ambrose’s favour, in an innings where no-one else made 20. Though West Indies won the Test, they were now wary of Waugh who, on a better pitch in Jamaica, went on to score the 200 that decided the series. We seem to remember the 30 seconds of tough talk more readily than the hour upon hour of tough batting.Marsh illness a concern for Australia

Mitchell Marsh claimed a critical wicket for Australia in the fourth innings at Kingsmead but a severe bout of gastro may limit his ability to do likewise in Port Elizabeth. The tourists have been coping with stomach ailments since Durban, with Jhye Richardson among the first affected before several members of the support staff – including the head coach Darren Lehmann – also went down.
No members of the starting XI for the second Test had been struck by the illness until match morning, when Marsh fell ill. Apart from a brief innings amid Kagiso Rabada’s damaging burst of reverse swing, he spent much of day one sleeping in the dressing room. Nathan Lyon said the team was hopeful of a swift recovery but confirmed Marsh was not well.
“He’s pretty crook. I’m not a doctor or anything like that so I don’t know what’s going on but, hopefully, he’ll get a big rest tonight then come out and have an impact with the ball like he did in the first Test,” Lyon said. “He’s a class player and hopefully he’ll bounce back, get re-hydrated, get some food in him and have a good night’s sleep.”

Had Waugh fired up Ambrose then got out, and not followed up in the next match, how would his attempt at mental disintegration have been viewed? There’s a simple answer to that, for in the previous encounter between Australia and West Indies, Dean Jones did exactly that. Pre-emptively asking Ambrose to remove his white wrist band in a World Series final at the SCG, he steamed up the fast man to such effect that West Indies did not lose another match on tour. Without the tough cricket, the rest looks more like competitive disadvantage, self-inflicted at that.Having started the day with a public rebuke from the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland for overdoing the “tough talk” or whatever other euphemism best suited the sanctionable actions of Nathan Lyon and David Warner at Kingsmead, Steven Smith’s team set out to play the tough cricket of Waugh at St George’s Park. They started with a tough decision – electing to bat on a pitch that was sure to help South Africa’s seamers – and were given the ideal start by Warner and Cameron Bancroft.But the return of a familiar brittleness to the batting line-up, scythed through by Kagiso Rabada, provided a reminder that for all the debates about the image of the Australian side and that way they play their cricket, it is all pretty moot if the top six are unable to stand up technically and mentally to concerted pressure. In other words, you’ve got to stick it out if you’re going to dish it out. With a couple of notable exceptions on day one in Port Elizabeth, the Australians were more Jones than Waugh.Walking out under an overcast sky and with moisture underfoot, Warner and Bancroft knew their commission would be a testy one. Vernon Philander and Rabada immediately had the ball seaming, but were met for the most part by sound judgement of what to play and what to leave, and relatively few flirtations of bat towards the moving ball. When, after an hour of stolid occupation, the dam burst with a flurry of boundaries, it seemed the Australians were through the most difficult bit.Warner’s innings, given the circumstances of the past week and even the fact he had such limited preparation for the tour, was exemplary. He creates such fine margins for a bowler’s error, allied to a fundamental tight defence, all the while with a level of balance that allows him to turn good balls into four-scoring balls with a simple weight transfer and a swift flash of the blade. The hour leading to lunch was joyous to watch as he combined all these elements in conditions still weighted very much towards the bowlers.Bancroft, meanwhile, does not possess Warner’s outrageous skill and is still finding his way, but he was able to show strong balance here to draw the bowlers into attacking his stumps and then scoring fluently through the leg side as a result. One on-drive past Warner at the non-striker’s end was redolent of the very best top-order players, and numerous other strokes in the straight-midwicket region forced South Africa to revert to a wider line outside the off stump.Unfortunately for Bancroft and Australia, this was where the day changed. As lunch approached, he began to chase these wider deliveries, playing and missing at several, before being tempted into a push at Philander just as the time approached for the lifting of the bails. That wicket did not undo the good work of the morning, but it did allow the South Africans to enter the afternoon with an opening to exploit.Kagiso Rabada celebrates in Mitchell Marsh’s midst•AFPUsman Khawaja, who is not enjoying the best of tours, was duly coaxed into following a Philander delivery running across him, Warner played for away movement when there was none, and before either Shaun Marsh or Smith could press home their starts they were upended by Rabada’s reverse swing and speed. For Smith, the dismissal is one that seems to happen about twice a season – misjudging a ball angling in at his stumps and falling lbw in the manner all bowlers think they can dismiss him, but Chadd Sayers in a Sheffield Shield match back in November was the most recent. For Shaun Marsh, falling over to a late swinger for 24 was not as disastrous as his 2014 pair on this ground, but may feel still more frustrating.None of Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins or Mitchell Starc could hold up Rabada for long, meaning that for the third time since the Bangladesh tour the Australians had succumbed to what the team analyst Dene Hills would deem a collapse. A decline from 98 for 0 to 182 for 8 will certainly exhume many of the old questions about Australia’s batting wherewithal in difficult, seaming conditions – questions that are almost as old as those about sledging. Warner described the surface as “English”, which will interest James Anderson and Stuart Broad, among others.”It seemed to me to be very much like England, where, if you get through the tough periods with the new ball, you can try and cash in a little bit after,” Warner told SuperSport. “I felt like it was a good wicket and if they got it into the right areas they were going to challenge us. But coming from 0 for 98 to be all out for 240-odd is quite disappointing. It was one of those English wickets where it does just a bit. It was doing too much early. And that’s where the nicks come into play and bowled and lbw come into play.”Nathan Lyon, brought in to put the best spin on Australia’s day, essentially summed it up as a case of wasting a strong start and failing to recognise a key moment. “A tough day for Australia but the positive thing is I thought we actually got through the real difficult part of our batting innings with being 0 for 18 in the first hour and then to be 1 for 98. I thought the batters Cameron and Davey did a fantastic job,” Lyon said after play. “The disappointing part is we spoke about the key moments before the series and we didn’t identify the big key moment with Rabada reversing the ball.”When you’ve got a world-class bowler like Rabada bowling in a spell like that, we’ve got to be better and sharper to identify those big moments and try to shut that down. That’s the game of cricket, hats off to Rabada, he outbowled us today.”At the tail end of the innings, however, Australia did get a second glimpse of the tough cricket Waugh had embodied. By his own admission, Tim Paine was not brought into this team for his batting, but he was able to fashion lower order stands of 30 and 31 with Lyon and the last man Josh Hazlewood, meaning the tourists will at least have a fighting chance on day two given the pitch’s various vagaries of lateral movement and variations in pace. Lyon spoke glowingly of Paine’s calming presence at the crease.”After Tim’s been brought in at the start of the summer, I think he’s provided a lot of calmness around batting with the tail,” Lyon said. “I know personally I like batting with him, he seems to not make you so nervous. Especially as a bowler who can’t hold it [the bat], you’ve got to try and enjoy the challenge of facing the best bowlers in the world and I certainly was enjoying that out there today and credit has to go to Tim, he played a massive role in that to get the score from 170 to 240.”It’s well below par, I’m not saying we’re even close to it, but it’s given us a sniff and an opportunity to bowl well and hopefully challenge these guys’ defence.”Perhaps the most stinging element of Sutherland’s message on Friday morning had been that “the Australian team understands that fans expect better”. Whatever that means in terms of on-field comportment and use of verbal intimidation, the non-negotiable is that followers of the Australian game demand toughness in terms of deed rather than word. More Waugh than Jones; more Warner, Bancroft and Paine than the rest.

Shariz Ahmad’s maiden five-for in vain as Netherlands fall short by one run

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2023In a match that ebbed and flowed right till the final ball, Zimbabwe held their nerve to beat Netherlands by one run in the second ODI in Harare. The win helped them level the three-match series 1-1.Batting first, fifties from Sean Williams and Clive Madande kept Zimbabwe chugging along, but legspinner Shariz Ahmad’s maiden five-wicket haul saw the hosts lose their last five wickets in just 47 runs and be bowled out for 271.In reply, Netherlands were on course for a big chunk of the game with Max’O Dowd and Tom Cooper leading the way. Wessly Madhevere, though, turned the game on its head with a hat-trick – the third by a Zimbabwe bowler in ODIs.With Netherlands requiring 19 in the final over and just one wicket in hand, Zimbabwe seemed to have the game in the bag. But Tendai Chatara went for 15 runs off his first five balls to cause a few flutters. However, with four needed off the last ball, Fred Klaassen was unable to dispatch a low full toss past wide long-off.Earlier, Zimbabwe started well with Craig Ervine and Madhevere adding 61 in 11 overs for the opening stand before the former was cleaned up by Colin Ackermann for 39 off 42. Gary Ballance struck three fours but was dismissed for 14. Shariz then got into the act, getting rid of Madhevere and Sikandar Raza in the space of three balls to stifle Zimbabwe. In his next over, the legspinner induced a top edge of Ryan Burl’s blade to make it 120 for 5.Williams and Madande revived the innings by adding 104 runs off 93 balls for the sixth wicket. Williams struck 77 off 73 balls, while Madande hit his second successive half-century. But Shariz struck back. He first removed Williams, who top-edged a sweep to deep-backward square leg, and two balls later trapped Brad Evans lbw to complete his five-for.O’Dowd gave Netherlands a quick start even though his opening partner Vikramjit Singh managed only 14 off 25. O’Dowd and Cooper then kept the Zimbabwe bowlers at bay for 25.2 overs, adding 125 runs for the second wicket. But then Cooper was run-out, and a few overs later, Raza had O’Dowd lbw.But it was Madhevere’s three strikes that put Zimbabwe ahead. In the 44th over of the innings, he first had Ackermann stumped for 28. With his next ball, a quick offbreak, he castled opening ODI’s hero Teja Nidamanuru before claiming his hat-trick with a similar fast offspinning delivery that rattled Paul van Meekeren stumps.Madhevere’s hat-trick left Netherlands struggling at 213 for 6. With the required rate rising every over, captain Scott Edwards tried his best to take his side closer to the target. He struck 36 off 28 balls before falling to Raza. Raza would have thought he had all but sealed the game when he removed Musa Ahmed as well three balls later.Klaassen and Ryan Klein, though, made the Zimbabwe camp very nervous in the final over but failed to close the game.

Mashrafe Mortaza has faced constant criticism for his captaincy, fitness and his place in the side for a long time now. He says he has learnt to ignore them, even though it is hard to do

Mohammad Isam10-Jul-2017Mashrafe Mortaza is used to having a question mark hang uneasily over his future. It has long been a running theme, but a renewed bout of speculation – coming not long after he led Bangladesh to a first-ever ICC semi-final – has left even the usually calm Mashrafe slightly incensed. Despite some good times with the ball, he has still had to endure this extra bit of outside pressure for nearly a year now.”After the first two matches of almost every series, the calls come for my removal,” Mashrafe told ESPNcricinfo soon after arriving home from England. “It is tough to play in this way. I know that after two matches in a series, I will hear things about my departure. It is a challenge that I have taken on.”For example, in Ireland in May, I gave away 58 runs in 6.3 overs against New Zealand. I felt I had a lack of bowling in my system so the next day I bowled more in the nets and then again bowled in front of the head coach and bowling coach Courtney Walsh. I spoke to both of them, and then through bowling to just the wicketkeeper [in nets], I corrected my problems. I am doing as much as possible but it becomes hard to play cricket in this climate.”Much of this doubting comes from an influential section within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), though Mashrafe is not pointing fingers. There have been murmurs questioning his place in the team ever since the World T20 last year, and they persisted after the Champions Trophy this year. Interestingly, his status among fans as the most popular figure in Bangladesh cricket remains in place and most of the media hasn’t yet begun to call his captaincy or place in question. The general belief in Bangladesh is that while Mashrafe the bowler has waned in his pace, he is still essential to the team’s ODI plans.These questions usually centre around his bowling and fielding lapses but those are few and far between. The loss of pace has been compensated by his growing nous. He has proved time and again that he is the only bowler at ease with the new ball, and though he doesn’t possess the pace of Taskin Ahmed or Rubel Hossain or the variation of a Mustafizur Rahman, Mashrafe can still move the ball. The numbers back him too.He is Bangladesh’s second-highest wicket-taker since the 2015 World Cup, having picked up 42 wickets at an average under 30 and economy rate just under five.”If it is a question about someone’s cricket, one must think about his performance and fitness before anything else”•AFPWhat gets most interesting is when you look at his numbers during the period he recognised as the “pressure period”. Since the Afghanistan ODI series at home in September 2016, he has been the team’s highest wicket-taker with 28 wickets at 28.89. If he is criticised for being too loose, his economy rate answers that question too. Mashrafe is one of the two Bangladesh bowlers during this period to have conceded runs at less than five an over (having played a minimum of five games).His captaincy too has been a vital aspect of Bangladesh’s progress. Off the field, he has shown significant man-management skills to eke out the best from talented but inconsistent individuals. Under Mashrafe and coach Chandika Hathurusingha, many have found a voice on and off the field, and have been willing to express themselves.When Mashrafe is out on the field, he takes decisions based on his gut, even though sometimes the calls are not the most popular. One case in point was when he brought on Mosaddek Hossain at a crucial time of the New Zealand innings during their make-or-break Champions Trophy game.”In the second drinks break, I went out to change my spike,” Mashrafe explained. “I discussed with the coach if we can bring a spinner for an over or two. Mosaddek had troubled [Jimmy] Neesham and [Corey] Anderson previously, so after Taskin removed Ross Taylor, I thought it was a good time to bring him into the attack.”There were some who said it wasn’t a great idea. There was risk involved but I went with my gut feeling. Mosaddek gave away five runs in that over but I still felt he can be used for another over.”The part-timer went on to take three key wickets as New Zealand slid from a strong position. Though Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah ultimately were the heroes in the chase, Mashrafe’s captaincy had given the team an edge by restricting New Zealand to 265.Mashrafe Mortaza takes decisions based on his gut, even though sometimes the calls are not the most popular•Getty ImagesBut he said that the long-term effects of the constant questioning of senior players’ places is the confusion it creates within a dressing room that has several players approaching the peak of their careers.”I don’t think about [the questions]. Plain and simple. It is hard not to, but I don’t give it much time or attention. What I fear, however, is that such a thing has the potential of puzzling the dressing room. You will talk about someone’s selection when he is not up to the mark in fitness levels or fielding.”When he is not bowling well you don’t even have to talk to the player before dropping him. But sometimes I don’t find an issue. I am a player, and I am prone to making mistakes. But when you call for my removal after one or two matches, it makes playing difficult. I don’t think about it. I only focus on preparing myself.”Mashrafe can at least think about it rationally now, after years and years of hardships including multiple injuries, several heartbreaks on and off the field and family health issues. It is that more practical side of him that has rubbed off on the Bangladesh team too, especially since he took over as limited-overs captain in 2014.Having nearly given up the game after the 2011 World Cup, Mashrafe has always seen the last six years as a bonus. He considers himself “firstly a team player, a cricketer and then a captain”. But what does he do when the questioning becomes too frequent?”You asked me the question but you are the one who has to judge me. You are the best judge. There are questions and there can be, about anyone. But if it is a question about someone’s cricket, one must think about his performance and fitness before anything else.”I see that overall I am fine so it becomes a bit painful at times. But I hardly give it time. I only look out for personal attacks or when an environment is being created, which I can pick up on. I am strong in my place, and I know my job is to perform as a player.”

Everything you need to know about Rafael Leao's salary details playing for AC Milan

Rising through the ranks at Sporting CP, Rafael Leao made headlines during his debut season with Lille in the 2018-19 campaign. It didn’t take long before AC Milan swooped in and brought the young Portuguese talent to San Siro.

Since his arrival in Milan, Leao has established himself as one of the club’s undisputed stars and one of the best players in the league.

The Portuguese winger played a pivotal role in leading Milan to a Scudetto win in the 2022-23 season — their first league title in over a decade.

Leao is well compensated for his contributions to the Rossoneri’s success and his status as the team's main man. He signed a contract in 2022, keeping him at the San Siro until 2028, and is among the highest earners in the squad.

But exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Rafael Leao's wages at AC Milan in numbers

Rafael Leao, under his current Milan contract, stands as the top earner in the AC Milan squad, drawing a weekly salary of £105,960 ($139,998). His impressive annual earnings reach £5.5 million ($7.2m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Rafael Leao

Portuguese

£105,960

$139,998

£5,509,933

$7,279,913

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at AC Milan

As highlighted earlier, Rafael Leao stands as AC Milan's highest-paid player, leading the earnings chart.

Trailing closely behind is Tammy Abraham, the former Chelsea and AS Roma striker, with seasoned fullback and ex-Roma star Alessandro Florenzi securing the third position.

In fourth place is the recent addition, Youssouf Fofana, while American international Christian Pulisic completes the top five earners.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Rafael Leao

Portuguese

£105,960

$139,998

£5,509,933

$7,279,913

Tammy Abraham

English

£95,381

$126,020

£4,959,800

$6,553,057

Alessandro Florenzi

Italian

£91,909

$121,434

£4,779,827

$6,314,558

Youssouf Fofana

French

£91,909

$121,434

£4,779,827

$6,314,558

Christian Pulisic

USA

£84,801

$112,042

£4,409,666

$5,826,022

Top earners in Serie A

While Milan players enjoy lucrative salaries at the San Siro, led by Rafael Leao, they still trail behind the league's top earners. Not a single Milan player makes it to the highest-paid list, unlike their fierce competitors Juventus and Inter, who boast players with significantly higher earnings.

Leading the pack is Juventus' Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, with Argentines Lautaro Martinez and Paulo Dybala securing the second and third spots.

Italian midfielder Nicolo Barella ranks fourth, while Hakan Calhanoglu completes the top five.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Dusan Vlahovic

Serbian

£321,352

$424,581

£16,710,313

$22,078,237

Lautaro Martinez

Argentine

£275,563

$364,083

£14,329,265

$18,932,316

Paulo Dybala

Argentine

£214,235

$283,054

£11,140,208

$14,718,825

Nicolo Barella

Italian

£199,027

$262,961

£10,349,391

$13,673,970

Hakan Calhanoglu

Turkish

£183,653

$242,649

£9,549,978

$12,617,758

AFPHighest paid players in the world

Serie A players, despite their high earnings, are not among the top five highest-paid footballers globally.

The top five are all from the Saudi Pro League, with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr earning the most.

Karim Benzema, formerly of Real Madrid, is second, and Riyad Mahrez, now with Al-Ahli, is third.

Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

Jess Jonassen smashed 42 off 20 balls and took two wickets in her first over to sink UP Warriorz

S Sudarshanan07-Mar-2023A cushion of over 200 runs to defend in a T20 game can be a double-edged sword. While it certainly puts the chasing team under pressure, it could also induce bowlers into taking it easy – or the opposition taking the game head on with little to lose.Alyssa Healy did just that, giving UP Warriorz a fast start in their chase of 212. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey bore the brunt of Healy’s fire and so the Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning turned quite quickly to her left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen.Related

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Jonassen’s first ball was on the pads and Healy dispatched it to the deep square leg boundary. She then tossed it up wider outside off a couple of balls later, enticing Healy to come down the track and go over the top and had her slicing to backward point. Healy’s innings was cut short for 24 off 17, and Capitals had won half the battle.Two balls later, Jonassen also had hard-hitting batter Kiran Navgire, holing out to long-on. Two down inside four overs, Jonassen had successfully managed to put Capitals on course for their second win in as many games.But Jonassen had done much more than spearhead Capitals’ defence. Her unbeaten 42 off just 20 balls had powered them to their second successive 200-plus score in the WPL. For Queensland Fire in the Women’s National Cricket League and for Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League, Jonassen is used to batting in the top order, but in a power-packed batting line-up like Australia, her batting skills are seldom needed.Capitals have similar firepower at the top. Lanning’s second successive half-century and her fifty-run opening stand with Shafali Verma had once again got them off to a quick start. Lanning kept finding the boundaries regularly, first in the company of Kapp and then Jemimah Rodrigues. Alice Capsey blitzed a ten-ball 21 after Rajeshwari Gayakwad managed to get the better of Lanning once again.Tahlia McGrath’s unbeaten 90 wasn’t enough to chase down 212•BCCISo when Jonassen found herself in the middle with less than six overs left, she had a platform to tee off from, with a well-set Rodrigues for company.Jonassen’s first boundary came via an inside edge off Deepti Sharma’s offspin. She then played the field when she made room and lofted left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani over extra cover to target the shorter off-side boundary. She powered Sophie Ecclestone past mid-on before giving her Australian team-mate Tahlia McGrath some special treatment.A length ball was lofted over long-on before Jonassen smacked McGrath over wide mid-off. Rodrigues then hit back-to-back fours to finish the 19th over that went for 19 runs. Jonassen also slog swept Deepti far over deep midwicket to bring up Capitals’ 200.After those batting exploits and her two wickets in her first over, Jonassen went for 35 off her last three overs and dismissed Devika Vaidya. Warriorz, however, never picked up enough momentum in their chase after Healy and Navgire fell in succession. In a surprising decision, they had opted to play an extra seamer in Shabnim Ismail at the expense of Grace Harris, who had helped them chase down 53 in the last three overs against Gujarat Giants.McGrath tried her best to challenge the target despite running out of partners and firepower at the other end. She added 49 off 40 with Vaidya before having another 40-run partnership with Simran Shaikh off just 19 balls to finish unbeaten on 90. Delhi eventually prevailed by 42 runs, and are locked in a race with Mumbai Indians for the place at the top of the table.

Also: what is the record for most runs in a three-Test series without a hundred?

Steven Lynch16-May-2017Who are the youngest and oldest bowlers to take a five-for in Tests and ODIs? asked Kartik Aggarwal from India
The youngest bowler to take five wickets in an innings in a Test remains Nasim-ul-Ghani, who was only 16 when his left-arm spin brought him 5 for 116 for Pakistan against West Indies in Georgetown in 1957-58. A fortnight later he added 6 for 67 in Port-of-Spain. Oddly, Nasim never managed another five-for, although his Test career lasted another 15 years. Second on the list is a rather quicker Pakistan left-armer, Mohammad Amir, who was only 17 when he took 5 for 79 against Australia in Melbourne in 2009-10. The oldest to take a Test five-for is another left-arm spinner, Bert “Dainty” Ironmonger, who was about two months shy of his 50th birthday when he claimed 5 for 6 and 6 for 18 for Australia against South Africa on a helpful pitch in Melbourne in 1931-32.The record for the youngest to take a five-for in one-day internationals changed hands a few weeks ago, in March 2017, when the precocious Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan grabbed 6 for 43 against Ireland in Greater Noida, aged 18 years and six months. Rashid pinched the record previously held by Wasim Akram, who was about three months older when he took 5 for 21 in Melbourne in 1984-85 – the first five in the order, reducing the Aussies to 42 for 5. The oldest to do it in ODIs is Canada’s Sunil Dhaniram, yet another slow left-armer, who was around four months short of his 40th birthday when he took 5 for 32 against Bermuda in King City in June 2008; the oldest from a Test-playing nation is Viv Richards, who was 37 when he claimed 6 for 41 against India in Delhi in 1989-90.Misbah-ul-Haq scored 271 runs in the recent series in the West Indies. Was this a record for a three-Test series without a century? asked Andrew Gardam from England
Misbah-ul-Haq’s haul in the West Indies was helped by his two innings of 99, a unique feat in the same series. But he still comes in surprisingly low on this particular list, which is headed by the great Garry Sobers. He collected 342 runs in West Indies’ three-Test rubber in India in 1966-67, scoring 50 and 53 not out in Bombay, 70 in Calcutta, and 95 and 74 not out in Madras. David Steele scored 365 runs in three Tests for England against Australia in 1975, with a highest score of 92 at Headingley, but that was a four-match series (he was not called up until the second one). In all there have been 43 higher aggregates in three Tests of a series without a century.IPL colossus: Suresh Raina has 161 games in the tournament so far•BCCIHas anyone ever been out for 99 in their first Test match? asked Richard Billington from England
Three men have suffered the disappointment of making 99 on their Test debut. The first was the Australian Arthur Chipperfield, at Trent Bridge in 1934: he went to lunch on the second day with 99 not out but was dismissed by the third ball afterwards. “I think that everyone was genuinely sorry,” wrote the watching Jack Hobbs. Next to do it was the Guyanese batsman Robert Christiani, for West Indies against England in Bridgetown in 1947-48, and then Asim Kamal, for Pakistan v South Africa in Lahore in 2003-04. Chipperfield and Christiani did later reach three figures in Tests, but poor Asim never did, although he reached 50 seven times in 11 more appearances.Has anyone ever taken five wickets for no runs in a Test? asked Kevin Edmondson from England
No one has finished with figures of 5 for 0 in a Test innings, if that’s what you mean – the best in that regard is 5 for 2, by Australia’s Ernie Toshack against India in Brisbane in 1947-48. But according to the indefatigable Melbourne statistician Charles Davis, seven bowlers are known to have produced spells in which they took five wickets for no runs. The first was the South African offspinner Hugh Tayfield (who finished with 6 for 13) against New Zealand in Johannesburg in 1953-54, and the most recent was England’s Stuart Broad, in 16 balls during his 6 for 46 against India at Trent Bridge in 2011, a spell that also included a hat-trick. There might be some earlier instances, for which we don’t have the ball-by-ball data.Virat Kohli has now played 149 matches in the IPL. Has anyone reached 150? asked Amit Mukhtar from India
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s failure to progress from the group stages of IPL 10 has left Virat Kohli stranded on 149 matches so far. Four players have reached 150 already: before this year’s knockout phase, Dinesh Karthik had played 152 IPL games, Rohit Sharma 156 and MS Dhoni 157, while Suresh Raina led the way with 161. Yusuf Pathan (148), Robin Uthappa (147) and Gautam Gambhir (146) were also close to the 150 mark. The leading overseas player is AB de Villiers, with 129 appearances. For the full list, click hereLeave your questions in the comments below

Sheffield United are in “advanced” talks with a club about signing one of their players in the January transfer window, according to a new update from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Latest Sheffield United news

The Blades suffered arguably their most disappointing defeat of the season on Friday night, losing 3-0 at home to Hull City in the Championship. It was a result that very few saw coming and it could look a damaging lost come the end of the campaign, depending on whether they seal automatic promotion or not.

United cannot afford to allow one bad result to rock their confidence, however, and Chris Wilder will be hoping to strike some late business in the current window, in order to give his squad an extra sprinkling of quality.

Queens Park Rangers ace Jimmy Dunne has been linked with a move to Bramall Lane this month, with the versatile defender starting all 29 of his side’s Championship matches so far this season, winning a whopping 4.7 aerial duels per match.

Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle has also been mentioned as a potential option for Wilder, having only been limited to three starts in the Premier League in 2024/25 to date, and Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury has also been backed to join the Blades, with a verbal agreement over a loan move done according to Fabrizio Romano.

Sheffield United in "advanced" talks over signing

Writing on X on Sunday, Plettenberg claimed that Sheffield United are in “advanced” talks with Hertha Berlin over the signing of right-back Jonjoe Kenny:

This could be a solid piece of business by United this month, with Kenny now an experienced player who has performed at a good level for some time and has already agreed personal terms with the Blades.

The 27-year-old made 50 appearances in the Premier League during his Everton days, with 60 Bundesliga outings also now secured, and Aaron Lennon once lauded him during their time together at Goodison Park:

“Jonjoe has been unbelievable. From the moment I came here, I’ve always liked Jonjoe. I’ve always thought he’s a great professional and a great player. Since he stepped in, he’s been unbelievable.”

Hertha Berlin

84

5

14

Everton

69

0

5

Schalke

34

2

3

Oxford United

20

0

1

Celtic

16

0

4

Wigan

7

0

0

The fact that Kenny would be coming in on a permanent basis is even better, rather than simply being a short-term fix, and he could provide the extra experience and quality required to take United back into the Premier League.

Wilder's next O'Connell: Sheffield United could now sign £8.5k p/w EFL star

Chris Wilder could sign a new version of Jack O’Connell with this next Sheffield United signing.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 26, 2025

At 27, he is a great age to come in and hit the ground running, and remain at a high level for four or five years, so it is hard to find many negatives to the move.