Rishabh Pant is understood to be in his final stretch of rehab and is due to undergo a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence later this week

Shashank Kishore07-Oct-20253:28

What does the squad for the WI Tests tell us?

Rishabh Pant could return to action in the second round of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, starting October 25, and set in motion the process to come back to Test cricket during the two-match series against South Africa from November 14. Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, had hinted at Pant being in the fray for the South Africa Tests when he spoke late last month in Dubai at the time of announcing the squad for the ongoing Test series against West Indies.Pant, who had fractured his right foot in the Old Trafford Test in late July, is understood to be in his final stretch of rehab and is due to undergo a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru later this week.His foot was taken out of the cast more than three weeks ago, and he is understood to be moving without any discomfort now. He has been working on strengthening the foot through mobility exercises and weight training drills, and has also resumed batting.Related

• Tireless Bawne will 'put the body on the line' again to try and win the Ranji Trophy

• The bravery and the outrageousness of Rishabh Pant

If cleared, Pant is expected to link up with the Delhi squad, which plays in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy from October 15 away against Hyderabad, for which Pant remains “slightly doubtful” according to the DDCA. The second game is at home at the Feroz Shah Kotla against Himachal Pradesh.Pant has been out of action since reverse-sweeping Chris Woakes on to his foot in the fourth England-India Test. He was forced to retire hurt, with scans confirming a fracture. While Pant returned to bat the next day, he couldn’t keep wicket. He finished the series with 479 runs in four Tests, which included two centuries and three half-centuries.In Pant’s absence, India have picked Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan as the wicketkeepers for the ongoing Test series against West Indies. Pant is also missing the white-ball tour of Australia from October 19 as he hadn’t received a “return to play” certificate from the CoE.It’s likely Pant will lead Delhi for the duration of his availability. For the moment, the squad will be led by Ayush Badoni, Pant’s IPL team-mate at Lucknow Super Giants.

Newcastle United are in an unusual position at the moment, as Eddie Howe’s long-standing position as manager is now under threat.

Howe has been in the Magpies’ hot seat since October 2021, when the hugely unpopular Steve Bruce was ditched, and it’s fair to say the 47-year-old has been a resounding success, for the most part, finished twice inside the Champions League places and securing an EFL Cup triumph.

Still, with just three wins from 11 in Premier League action this season in isolation, it’s right that the beloved Toon boss is facing scrutiny currently.

Nick Woltemade could well be the man to guide Newcastle up the league in the coming weeks to keep Howe situated on Tyneside, though, with the 6-foot-6 goal machine continuing on his fine run of goalscoring form in England on the international stage for Germany during the break.

How Woltemade can save Howe's job

Off the back of bagging three goals for Germany during the recent stage of World Cup qualifying, the £69m summer recruit is now up to a stunning ten goals this season for both club and country.

If he keeps up this blistering form, the results will turn in the Toon’s favour in time, with Woltemade’s 12 goals for Stuttgart last season pushing them far away from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and into European conversations.

On top of being clearly potent, which will hopefully stand the underachieving Newcastle in good stead during tense matches to come, Woltemade was also purchased this summer for that high amount for how he stylishly links up with teammates around him.

That was seen in him cleverly flicking a ball through to Harvey Barnes to score in the Champions League in October.

Journalist Adam Clery would even go out of his way to state that the much-loved German “made this entire goal” with this ingenious bit of skill, with this unselfish approach perhaps getting the best out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the line to rise the league standings.

Of course, he isn’t superhuman, with Woltemade frustratingly amassing no shots on goal against Brentford and West Ham United in back-to-back defeats when managing just 45 touches of the ball.

So, perhaps a different manager could get even more out of the clinical marksman if Newcastle were to replace Howe. After all, Toon reporter Craig Hope has already noted that ‘a 6ft 6in striker who plays with his back to goal & drops so deep was never the plan.’

Why a new manager can get more from Woltemade at Newcastle

The Mirror has speculated who could come in for Howe if he is to be relieved of his long-standing duties very soon, with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner named.

But, if Newcastle want a manager in the same mould as the 47-year-old, they could look to hire Kieran McKenna, with the Ipswich Town boss making a name for himself from a very young age in the main management game, much like Howe did when managing AFC Bournemouth.

McKenna would transform the Tractor Boys’ faltering fortunes when taking them up all the way from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions, leading to former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt lauding the ex-Red Devils coach as “one of the best coaches” in England.

Woltemade would surely love to work alongside the 4-2-3-1-focused manager if he were to swap Suffolk for St James’ Park, with his Ipswich sides over the years centring on some explosive, yet team-oriented attackers, much like the German has already shown in spades at his new home.

Games managed

188

Wins

88

Draws

50

Losses

50

Goals scored

340

Goals conceded

239

Points accumulated

314

Indeed, from 188 games in charge of the Tractor Boys, McKenna has overseen 88 wins with a mighty 348 goals scored along the way.

Up in the Premier League last season, the Northern Irishman would turn Liam Delap into a Chelsea-bound centre-forward, having got 12 top-flight strikes out of the ex-Manchester City striker from 40 games, even as his side languished near the drop zone all campaign long.

Therefore, with Delap also coming in a slick, yet imposing presence like Woltemade at a 6-foot-2 frame, it’s intriguing to see what McKenna could do to Woltemade if he were handed the Newcastle reins, having further got an impressive haul of 73 goals out of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in the EFL and above.

The worry here would be that McKenna’s only Premier League season to date as a manager resulted in relegation, but having been previously tipped to go to “the very top” by podcaster Dave Hendrick, this could be the 39-year-old’s chance of becoming an established boss in the big time.

With his glittering track record with strikers, Woltemade could come even more into his own under his fresh set of ideas if he does surprisingly succeed Howe, as the powers that be at Newcastle continue to ponder whether a change is the correct call right now.

Better deal than Woltemade: Newcastle among favourites to sign £100m star

Newcastle need to add some more quality to Eddie Howe’s side in 2026.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

Head coach believes 50-over struggles are in a category of their own as attention shifts to Perth

Cameron Ponsonby01-Nov-2025Brendon McCullum conceded that England “clearly need to improve” in one-day cricket after they fell to a 3-0 clean sweep against New Zealand. ‘Go harder’ has been the mantra of this England team, with Harry Brook imploring his side to double down in their efforts with the bat after his side’s first collapse in Mount Maunganui a week ago. Two matches and two further batting failures later, however, McCullum has reset the party line and called for England to adopt a more considered approach.”Harry’s said before that we need to put pressure back on the bowlers, and there are times when we do need to be a little braver and put some pressure on the bowlers,” McCullum said following the defeat in Wellington. “And then there are other times where we’ve got to adjust to their lengths and lines.”Not necessarily in a high-risk sort of way but just by being brave enough – whether that’s coming down the wicket or moving around the crease – just get things going a little bit more and bounce off one another.”Across the series, England lost 11 wickets in the opening 10 overs of the innings, compared to New Zealand’s four, and were bowled out in all three matches. Their innings in Wellington was their longest of the trip, batting for 40.2 overs before they were all out.”I think when we’re confronted with good, flat wickets, we’re a very, very good cricket team,” McCullum said. “I think we play a high-octane style of cricket and those conditions suit us. When the wickets have a little bit in them and they’re a bit more challenging, whether that be spin or seam or swing, we probably can’t quite adapt our tempo quick enough.Fewest runs by a team’s top four•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”We’ve got some talented players but, unfortunately, our performances at the moment in this form of the game aren’t quite up to scratch and we need to rectify that.”England’s top order combined for an historically poor series, managing just 84 runs between the top four, the lowest tally in one-day international history. Of the top six, only Brook, Joe Root and Jos Buttler made a score of 20 across the three matches.McCullum, however, does not believe it is a concern heading towards the Ashes, where Australia are expected to serve up similar styles of wickets. In the longer format, he argues that England have been able to counter different conditions well.”I like to separate it,” McCullum explained. “I think in T20 cricket we’re going really well and in Test cricket we have a pretty decent idea of where we’re at – and I think we’ve performed reasonably well, albeit we have a huge challenge ahead of us.Related

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“One-day cricket is clearly the area we need to improve, and my comments are more directed at one-day cricket. I think when we do come across the trickier conditions in Australia and Test cricket, we have a pretty good understanding of how we’re going to go about it. It doesn’t guarantee us anything but it gives us a level of confidence going into that series.”He also believes that, despite a number of players experiencing a poor run of scores, the likes of Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Root will be “better for the run” after getting a number of games under their belt.”They’ve marked centre a few times and gone through the process and I’m sure they’ll be better for it. With the prep that we’ve had with the other Test guys who’ve been here for a while too, we’ll have no excuses come Australia.”McCullum identified Jamie Overton as England’s “huge win” for the tour, after the bowling allrounder contributed with the bat in all three matches and put together his finest performance in ODI cricket in Wellington, scoring 68 runs and taking two for 32 with the ball.”I think there’s times when we think he’s a better player than he does,” McCullum said. “And on this tour he’s fully believed in the player he can be at this level. There’s not too many players around the world who can bowl 140kph, field the way he does and hit the ball as cleanly. It’s been a huge series for Jamie…he’s incredibly well liked within the group and we’re all delighted for him.”England’s next competitive fixture will now be in Perth, with the long-awaited Ashes series finally around the corner after years of build-up.”I’m proper excited,” McCullum concluded. “We’re incredibly respectful of the challenge Australia is going to present us and we know how hard that tour is going to be.”It’s going to require a team to stay together right throughout, to be as strong as we can to try and block out any of the outside noise. But we’re very respectful of who we’re coming up against, we’re so excited to get over there and we can’t wait to get started.”

Life is bigger than baseball.

So with Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia sidelined for the World Series due to a "deeply personal family matter,” his fellow Los Angeles relievers have been playing with the No. 51, Vesia‘s uniform number, written on their caps to honor the relief pitcher. But it wasn‘t just the Dodgers.

The Blue Jays bullpen, in solidarity with its Dodgers counterpart, also donned the No. 51 on their World Series caps during Los Angeles‘s Game 6 victory.

And the gesture was not lost on the Dodgers.

"I didn't notice until [Chris] Bassitt—actually after Bassitt struck me out and then I was looking up at the board to see the replay, and that's when I saw that he had 51," Dodgers outfielder Kiké Hernández said. "And instead of being mad that I struck out, I was kind of going back to the dugout thinking, 'Did Bassitt play with Vesia at some point?' And then after the game I saw that everybody had them."

The gesture clearly meant a lot to Hernández and the Dodgers.

"For those guys to do that, it's incredible," Hernández said. "They're trying to win a World Series, but they understand that this is—life is bigger than baseball, and baseball‘s just a game. For them to do that with the stakes—where we were at with the stakes, hat‘s off to them. And I want them to know that we appreciate them.

"Regardless of what happens tonight, we appreciate what they did."

Vesia was left off the Dodgers’ World Series roster

The Dodgers had said as part of a statement that Vesia, who appeared in 68 games for the Dodgers in the 2025 regular season and another seven contests in the postseason, "is away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter."

The veteran lefthander was one of the Dodgers‘s most reliable relievers this season, posting a 3.02 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while recording 80 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.

In shocking Cubs news, starting pitcher Shota Imanaga is now a free agent, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported on Tuesday.

Chicago chose not to pick up the three-year option on his contract, and then Imanaga declined his $15 million player option. It was originally expected that Imanaga would remain in Chicago.

The Cubs could still retain the veteran lefty if they extend him a qualifying offer, which would cost $22.025 million for the 2026 season. Imanaga would then have the option to accept or decline that offer. If he turned it down, he would officially become a free agent, and the Cubs would receive draft pick compensation when he signed with a new team.

Imanaga just finished up his second season with the Cubs after his All-Star campaign in 2024. In 25 regular season starts, the Japanese star posted a 3.73 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP over 144.2 innings pitched. He threw 117 strikeouts, while giving up 117 hits and 62 runs.

The ace made his postseason debut this year during the Cubs’ division series run. Imanaga started one game and appeared in another, posting an 8.10 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He had six strikeouts and gave up eight hits and six runs.

The Cubs will now look to fill Imanaga’s spot in the starting rotation for the 2026 season. And, quite a few teams looking for a pretty strong starter will show interest in Imanaga in return.

تحدث حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني، عن التعادل مع الإمارات بهدف لكل فريق، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب.

وقال حلمي طولان، خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “منتخب الإمارات قوي ويقدم كرة محترمة، الفرص كانت قليلة جدًا، والهدف الذي دخل مرمانا غريب جدًا من هجمة مرتدة، رغم تواجد 4 لاعبين”.

وواصل: “قدرنا أن نحرز التعادل بروح عالية جدًا، وقمنا بعمل بعض التبديلات في الملعب ودفعنا ببعض اللاعبين الذين يميلون للجانب الهجومي، وسجلنا هدفًا ولكن تم إلغاؤه بداعي التسلل”.

طالع.. عصام الحضري: مواجهة الأردن مصيرية.. وأستبعد الحارس في حالة واحدة

واستطرد: “تواجد منتخب مصر في أي محفل يجعله مطالبًا بتحقيق شيء مميز، نحن منتخب كبير جدًا مهما كان وضعه وعناصره، الكل يطالب بالبطولة لأن مصر كبيرة ولديها لاعبين على أعلى مستوى، وجديرة بأن تحتل مكانة مرموقة بين الأخوة العرب”.

 وأكمل: “أثق في اللاعبين بشكل كبير جدًا وأعلم أنهم قادرون على التأهل للدور المقبل، ولا أريد الحديث فيما ما حدث قبل أن نأتي للبطولة، سيكون هناك حديث بشأنه لاحقًا، لأن التركيز الآن على المباراة المقبلة وسأترك هذا الكلام لوقته”.

وأتم: “بعض الأمور سأقوم بتأجيل الكلام عنها لكي لا أظهر أنني أتحجج، أثق في اللاعبين المتواجدين معي وأدائهم الرجولي وروحهم العالية جدًا، وهم قادرون على تخطي هذه المرحلة”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com o retorno de empréstimo de Diego Hernández e o fim de contrato de Gonzalo Mastriani, o Botafogo continua com 12 jogadores estrangeiros no elenco, maior marca do Brasileirão ao lado do Grêmio. E o número deve aumentar: o provável primeiro reforço da janela é o uruguaio Lucas Villalba.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoBotafogo volta a apostar em promessa uruguaia; compare númerosBotafogo10/12/2025BotafogoBotafogo é condenado a pagar dívida milionária pela compra de Almada e corre risco de transfer banBotafogo09/12/2025BotafogoBotafogo inscreve Montoro, Barrera, Nathan e Kadir na Copinha 2026Botafogo09/12/2025

O limite de atletas de fora do Brasil relacionados para jogos do campeonato nacional é de nove por clube — a demanda dos times nos últimos anos fez a Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) aumentar de cinco para sete e depois novamente. Em meio a lesões, suspensões e escolhas técnicas, a regra não foi um empecilho para Davide Ancelotti ao longo do ano. O máximo de estrangeiros titulares em jogo do Brasileiro foram cinco — contra o Mirassol na 12ª rodada.

➡️Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Botafogo

Sem contar o possível reforço, o elenco do Botafogo tem 12 estrangeiros de oito nacionalidades diferentes, muitos com potencial de eventual titularidade. Se as movimentações da janela fizerem o número crescer ainda mais, Ancelotti pode ter dor de cabeça em partidas de competições nacionais. Vale ressaltar, porém, que na Libertadores não há esse limite.

continua após a publicidadeOs estrangeiros do Botafogo

Cristhian Loor (Equador)
Alexander Barboza (Argentina)
Bastos (Angola)
Mateo Ponte (Uruguai)
Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela)
Álvaro Montoro (Argentina)
Santi Rodríguez (Uruguai)
Jordan Barrera (Colômbia)
Diego Hernández (Uruguai)
Joaquín Correa (Argentina)
Chris Ramos (Espanha)
Kadir Barría (Panamá)

Estrangeiros por elenco do Brasileirão atualmente

Botafogo: 12
Grêmio: 12
Fluminense: 11
São Paulo: 11
Flamengo: 10
Athletico-PR: 10
– Abaixo do limite de relacionados por jogo –
Santos: 9
Vasco: 9
Internacional: 9
Palmeiras: 8
Bragantino: 8
Corinthians: 8
Cruzeiro: 6
Atlético-MG: 6
Vitória: 6
Remo: 6
Bahia: 5
Coritiba: 4
Chapecoense: 2
Mirassol: nenhum

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Botafogo volta a apostar em promessa uruguaia; compare números

Mais um estrangeiro no Botafogo?

A oferta enviada pela SAF de John Textor ao Nacional para contratar Lucas Villalba foi aceita. Os clubes aguardavam um terceiro envolvido, o Montevideo City Torque, ex-time do atacante, que tinha prioridade para cobertura de propostas. O prazo de cinco dias para a equipe se posicionar sobre o interesse de igualar a oferta expirou nessa terça-feira (9), sem sinalização, deixando o caminho aberto para o Botafogo. O vínculo, caso o acordo seja firmado, será de quatro temporadas.

Tudo sobre

Botafogo

The South Australia batter, who is captaining Australia A, plundered the England Lions attack

AAP06-Dec-2025Nathan McSweeney threw up his hand to be the man to replace Usman Khawaja, with a superb double century for Australia A against the England Lions.As David Warner urged selectors to return Travis Head to No. 5 and put a specialist opener alongside Jake Weatherald, McSweeney made his case on Saturday.Related

Kellaway enhances his credentials with top score for Prime Minister's XI

Richardson stands out with four wickets as England Lions collapse

The 26-year-old finished unbeaten on 222 in Brisbane, posting his maiden double-century as Australia A went to stumps on day two at 554 for 7 in reply to the Lions’ 166.This match is now effectively over as a contest, with the hosts leading by 388 at Allan Border Field against a Lions side fielding three frontline bowlers with Test experience.But it has come at a perfect time for McSweeney, who also hit 63 for the Prime Minister’s XI against a more experience English attack last weekend.McSweeney is a natural No. 3 or No. 4, but was given the chance to open for Australia in three Tests last year against India. He was ultimately worked over by the world’s best bowler Jasprit Bumrah, before being dropped after averaging 14.4 across six innings.But he bounced back to form with a century for South Australia in late October, and now has scores of 103, 68, 63 and 222 not out in the past six weeks.Khawaja is hopeful of being fit for the third Ashes Test in Adelaide on December 17, but it remains to be seen whether the 38-year-old will be brought back in.Head hit 33 for Australia in the first innings at the Gabba after his Perth second innings heroics as opener, but the likes of Warner believe he is still better placed at No. 5 as a rear-guard option.”I think they need a genuine opener to compliment Jake Weatherald,” Warner said on Kayo.  “Because the way Jake plays you’re probably going to be hit or miss at the top of the order with two guys who like to go after the ball. That’s Australia’s problem.”If they have a couple of innings where that does happen and they lose early wickets, that’s going to come under the microscope.”Beyond Khawaja, Matt Renshaw has hit three Sheffield Shield centuries for Queensland this year but missed out for Australia A on Friday, scoring 8.Young Victorian Campbell Kellaway has also made a sound case this summer, with his 71 against the Lions on Friday following a century for the Prime Minister’s XI last week.But Saturday was McSweeney’s time to shine, routinely pulling England’s quicks and spinners to the boundary. Batting at No.3, some 11 of his 27 boundaries came in that fashion, while he also used his feet to hit spinner Jacob Bethell for a big six down the ground.Beau Webster also cover-drove well and hit 44 for Australia A after losing out in a selection battle for the Gabba Test, while Cooper Connolly struck 88.

Craig Burley delivered an extraordinary on-air tirade aimed at Virgil van Dijk, accusing the Dutchman of shrinking from responsibility in the lead-up to Sunderland’s goal at Anfield. It was an equaliser that ultimately denied Arne Slot’s men two valuable points, and the former Chelsea player lashed out at the Liverpool skipper for his error in judgment.

• Liverpool continue to struggle for form

  Liverpool were buoyed only slightly by last weekend’s narrow win over West Ham, but produced another flat and fractured first half that left supporters restless. Their creativity was limited, the tempo was sluggish, and the home side struggled to threaten a Sunderland team that have been regularly punching above their weight this season to find themselves within touching distance of the top four. The visitors arrived brimming with confidence and struck the woodwork twice before the interval through Trai Hume and Omar Alderete. The warning shots were not heeded. Sunderland capitalised shortly after the restart when Chemsdine Talbi was afforded the freedom of Anfield’s penalty arc. The midfielder took aim, and his effort clipped the retreating Van Dijk before curling into the far corner. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s attack drifted between laboured and predictable, and Sunderland’s organised defensive line appeared increasingly comfortable as the match wore on. But fortune intervened for the hosts when Florian Wirtz slalomed into the box and toe-poked a scuffed attempt that ricocheted cruelly off Nordi Mukiele, looping over the goalkeeper for an own goal that spared Liverpool from another defeat.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Van Dijk’s season under the microscope

  Van Dijk has never hesitated to call out mediocrity. After the damaging home loss to Nottingham Forest last month, he admitted that Liverpool had become "a mess", urging teammates and himself to take accountability. Ibrahima Konate and new left-back Milos Kerkez have absorbed most of the media pressure in recent weeks. Even Van Dijk’s bizarre concession of a penalty in the subsequent defeat to PSV Eindhoven failed to ignite widespread condemnation. That equilibrium was shattered on Wednesday night when pundit Burley ripped into the Liverpool skipper in a withering outburst.

  He said: "I’m fed up sitting here and (listening to people saying) ‘it’s Mo Salah not playing well, Florian Wirtz can’t find his feet, Alexander Isak, Ekitike, the midfield's dynamic has changed’. He (Van Dijk) is the barometer of what is wrong this year. He is supposed to be the leader. All he has done all season is throw Kerkez under the bus, (and) throw his arms up in the air. He is making as many mistakes as any other player. Every game, you could watch him and go … ‘what’s he doing?’."

• Van Dijk's time to take ownership of his mistakes

  Burley reserved his harshest indictment for Van Dijk’s defending in the build-up to Talbi’s strike. He continued by accusing Van Dijk of scapegoating teammates rather than taking ownership.

  "He does everything wrong. Pass, doesn’t close it down and turns his back like a coward," he said. "It’s just absolutely crazy. He (Van Dijk) seems to be coming out of it relatively unscathed, and it is everybody else’s fault. But for me, at the back, he has been as bad as anybody else. And I think that goal and the way that he refused to close it down and the fact that he turned his back is the epitome of his performances this season."

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  Title defence hanging by a thread

  The draw leaves Liverpool 11 points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, a gulf that looks monumental given the inconsistencies that have plagued Slot’s team. Six defeats in the Premier League already tell the story of a squad that has struggled to find rhythm or resilience. Injuries, tactical reshuffles and a lack of fluency in key areas have played their part, but Wednesday’s setback reinforced a more worrying pattern that Liverpool are repeatedly failing to impose themselves in matches they once dominated with authority. 

  The road ahead offers little respite. Slot takes his side to Elland Road on Saturday evening, where a buoyant Leeds United await. Daniel Farke’s team stunned Chelsea in midweek and will be relishing the prospect of meeting a Liverpool side visibly short of confidence. They snapped their four-match losing streak, and the three points took them back to safety. Another victory will definitely provide them with some breathing space in the relegation battle. 

Most of the players in Pakistan’s Test squad have not played first-class cricket since February

Danyal Rasool10-Oct-2025Pakistan host South Africa for a two-Test series starting on Sunday, marking the beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle for both sides. It is a battle between opposites, with the winners of the previous cycle playing the team that finished last. For Pakistan, it is also their first Test series since January, something their red-ball captain Shan Masood termed unacceptable at the time while hoping his side would find a way to play more matches.More notably, though, Pakistan struggled to get their first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, up and running in time to give their Test players match practice ahead of this series. Only one round of that competition was possible, from October 6 to 9. Even those games were severely curtailed by unseasonal rain in much of the country, and with most of the Test squad already in a training camp by then, only two were able to participate.ESPNcricinfo takes a look at the amount of red-ball cricket the players in Pakistan’s Test squad have played since their last Test.Related

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Shan Masood – 4 games
The Pakistan Test captain’s red-ball participation is one of the brighter sparks in the void. He played two President’s Trophy matches in Karachi in February, shortly after the conclusion of the series against West Indies. He also played two matches for Leicestershire in the County Championship in September, scoring 90 and 111.Abdullah Shafique – 7 games
Abdullah Shafique has played the joint-highest number of first-class games among the players in the squad, though most of them were in February. His only red-ball game since was a County Championship match for Yorkshire with a batting-friendly Kookaburra ball in June, where he scored 5 in his only innings.Babar Azam – 0 games
Despite losing his spot in the T20I squad, Pakistan’s premier batter has been unable to fill his time with any first-class cricket. Pakistan’s most recent Test in January was the last time he played a red-ball match.Imam-ul-Haq – 3 games
Imam-ul-Haq has been on fire for Yorkshire in List A cricket recently, but he has played precious little first-class cricket as he works his way back into Pakistan’s Test squad. He played two President’s Trophy matches in February and March, and one game for Yorkshire in the Championship in July, where he made 19 in his only innings.Mohammad Rizwan scored a hundred in the QEA Trophy in the first week of October•ICC/Getty ImagesMohammad Rizwan – 1 game
Another player who fell out of Pakistan’s T20I squad, Mohammad Rizwan comes into the series against South Africa with extremely limited red-ball match practice. His only game since the West Indies series was earlier this week in the rain-affected round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scored an unbeaten 123 in a drawn game.Rohail Nazir – 3 games
Pakistan’s back-up wicketkeeper is a case study for how difficult it has been to play first-class cricket in this long gap between Tests. Despite not being part of any international team, his only red-ball matches were in the President’s Trophy in February, where he scored two hundreds in three games to burnish his credentials.Saud Shakeel – 1 game
Saud Shakeel, the Pakistan batter perhaps more suited to this format than any other, has played a solitary first-class game in this period. It came in March in the President’s Trophy, where he scored 2 and 45 for State Bank of Pakistan.Salman Agha – 1 game
With his increased profile within the national set-up, Pakistan’s T20I captain has been busy. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that added responsibility has come at the expense of first-class opportunities. His only red-ball game in the last nine months was for Lahore Whites in the first round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last week, where he scored 47 runs and took one tail-end wicket.Asif Afridi – 3 games
The 38-year-old left-arm spinner’s inclusion in the side gives away the kind of pitches Pakistan will hope to prepare against South Africa. He has never played international cricket and his most recent first-class cricket was also in February, where he took 5 wickets at 31.80 in three games.Kamran Ghulam – 0 games
Kamran Ghulam, who scored a hundred on Test debut against England this time last year, has played no first-class cricket between January and now.Sajid Khan – 2 games
It is a series where Pakistan’s fate depends almost entirely on Sajid Khan and his left-arm compatriot Noman Ali. Despite being one of Pakistan’s MVPs, Sajid has played little red-ball cricket recently. His last two first-class games, too, were in February and he took ten wickets in those President’s Trophy fixtures.Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have also not played any red-ball cricket since February•Getty ImagesNoman Ali – 3 games
The other half of that duo, Noman, is a similar tale. He hasn’t played first-class cricket since February, when he appeared in three matches. If Noman, 38, is to light up Pakistan’s Test arena at home once more, he will have to do so on the back of fairly degraded muscle memory.Abrar Ahmed – 0 games
The fourth spinner in the Test squad is now Pakistan’s premier white-ball option. But Abrar Ahmed has not played first-class cricket since January, despite being viewed as Pakistan’s first-choice Test spinner before the heel-turn that led to the spinning tracks produced, which shot Sajid and Noman back to prominence.Hasan Ali – 0 games
Hasan Ali has had several injuries and gradually nursed his way back to health. He last played first-class cricket in 2024.Khurram Shahzad – 7 games
Arguably Pakistan’s most successful exponent of the red-ball in this barren nine-month period. Despite Pakistan’s clear preference for spinners at home, Khurram Shahzad threw himself into first-class cricket immediately following the West Indies series, playing four games in February. After that, he played another three games for Worcestershire. His performance in the County Championship was adversely impacted to an extent by the use of the Kookaburra ball, which is more conducive to batting and less to the kind of swing he likes to deploy. Even so, he took 6 for 42 in his first innings against Warwickshire.Shaheen Shah Afridi – 0 games
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s waning interest in Test cricket is no secret by now. As his performances in white-ball cricket show signs of resurgence, there is little indication of what that means for his red-ball career. He has not played a first-class match since Pakistan opted to go spin-heavy, his last Test coming in October 2024.