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The New Zealand coach is content to work out flexible agreements with casual contract players

Andrew McGlashan06-Oct-2025

Kane Williamson’s availability for the New Zealand home summer is unclear•ICC via Getty Images

Kane Williamson’s availability for New Zealand’s home summer will take a little longer to lock in. However, head coach Rob Walter is content to give a player of his standing the extra time.Williamson, who is one of the group of players to hold a casual contract with NZC, made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia, having previously missed the tour of Zimbabwe to play county cricket and the Hundred.The next part of New Zealand’s home season sees them play England in T20Is and ODIs before an all-format visit by West Indies in November.”Kane, we’re still in conversations as to what the summer is going to look like,” Walter told reporters after the Australia series. “He will play, no doubt about that. Just what and where is still in discussion.Related

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“I think the reality is we’re dealing with all the guys on casual contracts, actually in different positions from a playing point of view. Kane is one of those and he deserves the opportunity to sit and talk about what the rest of his year will look like. But I keep coming back to the most important thing, [which] is that he wants to play for his country, and so nutting out exactly what that looks like can take an extra week or two, but surely, he deserves that.”Walter confirmed that New Zealand would continue to be without Finn Allen (foot) and Adam Milne (ankle) for the visit of England while Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) and Glenn Phillips (groin) were unlikely to be fit.However, he was hopeful that white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, who was a late withdrawal from the Australia series after suffering a facial injury colliding with the boundary boards at training, will have recovered in time for the series which starts on October 18 in Christchurch.Walter was unperturbed about not being able to get his full-strength T20I side together in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.Mitchell Santner is likely to be available again•ICC via Getty Images

“I think we don’t live in an ideal world and so that’s part and parcel of it,” he said. “I’ve been part of a World Cup campaign [with South Africa] where the team assembled at its full strength three days before our first game and that team managed to make a final.”For me, it’s just the way it works. I think what’s more important is the environment and the team culture that sort of assimilates together when it needs to. We do know that by the back end of the India series [in January] prior to the World Cup, that’s when our full World Cup squad will be together.”For me, as long as the guys are playing competitive cricket, that’s important, and almost everyone has been part of the environment at some point so I would assume that they can fit seamlessly back into it.”Should all players be fit and available for the World Cup, there will be some selection squeezes, especially around the pace bowling and top-order batting. Tim Robinson took his chance after Ravindra’s injury to make an impressive hundred in the first match against Australia, while Jimmy Neesham claimed a four-wicket haul in the third game.Australia won the T20I series against New Zealand•Getty Images

“Ultimately when things are operating the way they should, everyone’s not fighting for their position, but understands that competition for places is there,” Walter said. “Ultimately you want your best crop of players in the park and in the squad.”They’re all quality players. At the end of the day, there’s going to be a quality player that’s left out, whoever that may be. As you’ve heard me say many times before, the stronger the player that’s left out, the better the system.”Reflecting on the Australia series, Walter was encouraged by the way his side fought back from 6 for 3 in the opening match and forced a collapse with the ball in the second but conceded they had areas that needed improving before facing England.”There’s little bits [of positives] here and there but, to be fair, we were a little bit off our best game and when you do that against [Australia], who’s won 25 of their last 30 T20 internationals, you’re going to find yourself on the wrong end of the result,” he said.”Some of the areas that we weren’t competitive in are actually quite easy fixes, [they] just require a little bit of extra time on our part…like any loss there’ll be some positives most of the time and then some stuff that you walk away with and understanding that you have to do better as we move forward.”With England arriving, you’ve got a team that’s going to play very similar to how Australia played in the series. So again, we get to check out if we actually have improved in the areas that we’ve identified and spoken about.”

There is little to suggest that Liverpool are close to turning a corner and sustaining a respectable level of performance any time soon. What is most concerning is that the Reds and their boss, Arne Slot, have shown little sign of finding a solution to any of the many problems plaguing their campaign.

Liverpool’s Premier League title defence lies in tatters. There is a grudging acceptance across the red streets of Merseyside that Arsenal’s grip on top position is out of reach. Certainly, the gulf in quality between the two sides this season suggests that Liverpool will have to settle for a lesser prize on the league front.

Liverpool have been outclassed in successive top-flight fixtures, and change is surely needed now. Indeed, Liverpool languish in 11th place in the Premier League, having scored 18 goals and conceded 20.

Defensively, it’s been a mess, and the noise concerning Ibrahima Konate is only intensifying after the thrashing dealt by Nottingham Forest brought the French defender’s season to its lowest ebb.

Why Konate is becoming a huge problem for Liverpool

Konate, 26, was immense throughout the 2024/25 campaign, a powerful partner for Virgil van Dijk. He, of course, won the Premier League title, settling as a regular starter in Didier Deschamps’ France squad too.

Now, Konate is only offering the vestiges of that former level. What is most frustrating is that he has proven his quality before, but the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold beside him as exposed Konate’s issues in establishing confident build-up patterns.

But these two versions of Konate are so staggeringly opposed that it is hard to accept this is the same player. Errors and baffling decision-making have been central parts of the £70k-per-week talent’s season, and you can’t help but question whether he is somewhat distracted by outside noise.

Konate is playing out the final year of his contract at Anfield, and though FSG have offered him an extension, there has yet to be a breakthrough as speculation regarding Real Madrid’s interest continues to linger.

The season-ending injury suffered by Giovanni Leoni in his first game for the club after signing from Parma for £27m this summer was a cruel blow. A detrimental blow. The 18-year-old’s absence has been keenly felt, not least because a move for Marc Guehi fell through on deadline day.

With Slot insinuating that Liverpool’s focus this winter might be on areas further upfield (heavy speculation centres on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo), it might be that the Reds opt to make do at the back.

If this is to be the case, Slot must surely hand one of the club’s most talented young defenders a chance to shine.

Liverpool's academy Konate solution

Slot has shown a willingness to give youth a chance since taking over at Liverpool before the start of last season. Amara Nallo, for example, has been handed a few opportunities at senior level, albeit with those outings on the major stage leaving the up-and-comer beleaguered after red cards in both matches.

However, Nallo isn’t the only teenage centre-back who is playing himself toward senior contention, with 19-year-old Wellity Lucky inching toward a breakthrough after commanding displays for Rob Page’s development side.

The Spain-born defender moved to England aged 11 before joining Liverpool’s academy scene, and he has gone from strength to strength in the years since joining, having now made 60 appearances for the club’s respective youth levels.

Earlier this season, the “highly-rated” defender, as he was described by Reds reporter Ben Bocsak, made his professional debut off the bench as Slot’s side were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.

In the process, he was rewarded after being “outstanding this season” in the Premier League 2, as has been said by youth correspondent Jack Lusby.

A commanding and dominant defender with a promising ability to read and then snuff out opposition attacks, Lucky has shown that he can take his power and potential and transfer that over to contests against senior opponents. In the Football League Trophy this term, Lucky has impressed against the bustle of outfits like Crewe Alexandra and Chesterfield for the U21s.

Front-footed and fast, you could even say that he offers shades of a player like Konate, which could make adding him to the mix an attractive prospect from a stylistic standpoint.

Wellity Lucky – EFL Trophy Stats (25/26)

Match Stats (* per game)

#

Matches (starts)

2 (2)

Touches*

90.5

Accurate passes

61.5 (88%)

Key passes*

0.5

Dribbles*

1.5

Ball recoveries*

6.0

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

Clearances*

5.5

Duels (won)*

5.0 (83%)

Data via Sofascore

It might not have been against top-level opponents, but for Lucky to have won 83% of his duels across the two fixtures bespeaks his incisiveness in defensive phases. Moreover, his cameo against Palace last month saw him complete all 22 of his attempted passes while making a recovery too. Small factors, but promising nonetheless.

Slot continues to show a reluctance to give Joe Gomez a run of chances, and if Konate continues to flatter to deceive, it’s surely only a matter of time before things change there.

Could that open up an opportunity for a youngster such as Lucky? After all, he has earned Slot’s approval already this year, and Nallo’s struggles under the boss’s wing suggest that Lucky could be set for a promotion sooner rather than later.

To throw Lucky into the deep end would hardly be a propitious move, but if Slot can ease him into life among the big boys, this could add an exciting and fresh dimension to a defence crying out for support.

Read between the lines and you could surmise that Liverpool will prioritise a wide forward this summer. In this, the need for academy support at the rear is significant, and Lucky could be the shrewd solution to thread the connection between the club and the fanbase back together.

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Posts ByMatt Dawson Nov 23, 2025

There are plenty of reasons for Chelsea fans to be very optimistic at the moment.

Yes, the performances have been a little inconsistent, and the transfers haven’t all worked out, but Enzo Maresca has a squad full of incredible players.

For example, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, and even Reece James, now that he has overcome his injury problems, can all be counted among the best in the world in their respective positions.

Moreover, there is now another gem in the side who could surpass them all to become the outright best in the world.

Reece James' resurgence

So, the first thing to say is that nobody worth listening to has ever questioned James’ innate ability, nor his place among the best full-backs in world football on that ability alone.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, as the saying goes, availability is the best ability, and for a significant portion of the last few years, that has been something that has gone against him.

For example, while he managed to make 26 league appearances in the 21/22 season, he made just 45 over the following three campaigns.

This inability to remain fit and make a significant number of appearances every year was something often held against him when it came down to conversations over who the best right-back was in the country.

However, so far this season has been a different story entirely, as he has not missed a single match due to injury and has played all 11 league games, seven from the start.

In addition to simply being present, the Englishman has also once again reminded rival fans that, at his best, he is capable of things most full-backs couldn’t even dream of doing.

For example, he already has three goal involvements to his name, along with some seriously impressive underlying numbers.

Total Passing Distance

1163.65

Top 1%

Pass Completion % (Short)

94.9%

Top 1%

Passes Completed (Medium)

28.05

Top 1%

xA: Expected Assists

0.19

Top 1%

Passes into Final Third

6.35

Top 1%

Interceptions

1.90

Top 1%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

45.57

Top 1%

Goals + Assists

0.38

Top 4%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.23

Top 4%

Progressive Passes

6.60

Top 4%

Passes Completed

65.75

Top 4%

Passes Attempted

77.43

Top 4%

Passes Attempted (Medium)

31.61

Top 4%

Passes Completed (Long)

6.09

Top 4%

Live-ball Passes

63.85

Top 4%

Through Balls

0.51

Top 4%

Switches

0.63

Top 4%

Corner Kicks

2.79

Top 4%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.89

Top 4%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.13

Top 4%

Touches

87.84

Top 4%

Touches (Live-Ball)

87.84

Top 4%

Carries

51.41

Top 4%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of full-backs for total passing distance, expected assists, passes into the final third and interceptions, the top 4% for goals plus assists and more, all per 90.

In all, now that he’s staying fit, it’s undeniable that James is one of the best right-backs in the world, and if that isn’t enough, another young talent Chelsea have signed looks like he could become one of the best players in the world outright.

Chelsea's future world-beater

The likes of Caicedo and Palmer might be pushing for the title of best in the world, but based on raw talent and what those in the know say about him, Dastan Satpayev could surpass both.

Chelsea signed the incredibly exciting prospect from the Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty in February of this year for a fee of around €4m, which is about £3.5m.

Yet, as he’s still just 17 years old, he is not allowed to join up with the club until next season.

The Kazakh wonderkid may not be particularly well-known to fans in England, but he is regarded by many as a seriously significant prospect.

For example, one analyst with extensive knowledge of Kazakhstani football has been bold enough to describe the teenager as “a future Ballon d’Or winner.”

Yet, if that wasn’t encouraging enough, he has also been dubbed “a future rival to Lamine Yamal,” or in other words, someone who will vie for the title of the world’s best as he gets older.

With that said, what about him has people so excited? First of all, despite turning 17 in the summer, the dynamic forward made 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, in which he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.31 games, or every 94.59 minutes, which would be an incredible rate of return for a seasoned veteran.

Then, this season he has already made 11 appearances in the Champions League, seven of which were in the qualifying rounds and the other four in the competition proper.

In other words, the youngster is not only producing in the league but is also gaining a tremendous amount of experience in club football’s biggest competition.

Ultimately, it is early on in his career, but Satpayev is already looking like an excellent player, and if those in the know are right, he could become the world’s best at Chelsea.

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 10, 2025

Every so often, sports fans are reminded of just how entertaining hot mics are during sports games.

Fox's nationally-televised broadcast of the Houston Astros' 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday served as one such reminder, as the mics briefly gave fans a fly-on-the-wall experience for an exchange between home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi and the Astros dugout.

It was the top of the eighth inning with two outs, Astros righthander Bryan Abreu on the mound and Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien at the plate. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Abreu threw a four-seam fastball in on the hands that appeared to catch the inner half of the plate. Semien checked his swing and Astros catcher Yainier Diaz appealed to first-base umpire Clint Vodrak, who ruled that Semien didn't swing, a somewhat controversial call.

The Astros certainly didn't agree and let home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi know it. But Cuzzi, who was uninvolved with the call, didn't want to hear it.

"What are you yelling at me for?!" Cuzzi loudly asked the Astros dugout. The veteran umpire then appeared to indicate that the Astros should be directing their complaints to Vondrak, who made the call. We're sure Vondrak appreciated that!

In all seriousness though, as the broadcast went on to point out, the Astros' gripe with Cuzzi was that he didn't initially rule the borderline pitch a strike, putting the call in Vondrak's hands. Had Cuzzi ruled the pitch a strike, there would be no need for the check swing appeal.

Semien went on to belt a solo homer two pitches after the controversial first pitch of the at-bat, but the Astros ultimately prevailed in 11 innings.

Hooray for hot mics!

Tottenham Hotspur have identified a “fantastic” forward as their top target ahead of the January transfer window, with Thomas Frank personally an admirer.

Spurs keen on strengthening attack in January

Tottenham brought their five-game winless run to an end on Saturday afternoon, with Frank getting one over his former club by securing a 2-0 win against Brentford, and the manager was happy with his side’s performance on the front foot.

The Dane said: “I think it was a very good performance overall. A quite complete performance. Offensively we looked a big threat going forward. We were much more dynamic and producing good chances and good moments. I really like that.”

That said, it is still too early to suggest Spurs have turned a corner, considering just how poor they have looked going forward at times this season, recording an xG of just 0.1 in the home defeat against Chelsea at the beginning of last month.

Some of Frank’s summer additions have also struggled, including Randal Kolo Muani, who received a SofaScore match rating of just 6.1 against Brentford, the lowest of any Tottenham player, and the Frenchman is still searching for his first Premier League goal.

As such, the north Londoners may look to bring in some more attacking firepower in the upcoming transfer window, and a report from TEAMtalk has now revealed that AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been identified as their top target.

Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause in his contract, is being targeted by a whole host of Premier League clubs, with Manchester United and Manchester City also keen, so Spurs may have to fend off interest from elsewhere to get a deal over the line.

At this point, it is unclear who the Ghanaian would prefer to sign for, but national team manager Otto Addo has suggested he needs to take the ‘next step’ in his career soon.

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Posts 1 ByDominic Lund 5 days ago "Fantastic" Semenyo lauded by Frank

The Bournemouth star has been catching the eye in the Premier League for quite some time now, with Frank saying last season: “Semenyo can play wherever he wants to play – he’s a fantastic player. I think he’s been the best individual player for Bournemouth this season.”

The 25-year-old then went on to make a flying start to the current campaign, although he hasn’t been at his best of late, having failed to register a goal or an assist in his last six outings in the Premier League.

That said, the former Bristol City man is still on course to record a better combined goal and assist tally than last season, having displayed year-on-year improvement since first becoming a key player in the 2023-24 campaign.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

33

11

2024-25

37

17

2025-26

14

9

Semenyo has proven that he is now ready to make the move to a bigger club, and Tottenham should trigger the £65m release clause when the January transfer window opens, in light of their attacking woes.

In 16 seasons’ worth of IPL cricket, he did everything his teams expected him to, and then a little bit more

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2025A debut to forgetAshwin made his debut for his home IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2009, in their first game of the season against Mumbai Indians in Cape Town. But the debut was rather unmemorable as Ashwin, rumoured to have been brought on board primarily as a net bowler, didn’t get a chance to bowl after MS Dhoni’s CSK opted to field, and was not required to bat as CSK lost with seven wickets down.With the team management preferring Muthiah Muralidaran as their main spinner, Ashwin played just one other match that season. But it was a sign of things to come both from Ashwin and CSK, as he returned 2 for 13 in a low-scoring, spin-dominated win over Kings XI Punjab.R Ashwin is mobbed by his team-mates after getting Chris Gayle out in the first over•Associated PressThe new-ball starYou might score 205 in a T20 game, but if Chris Gayle is in the opposition, and enjoying one of the greatest seasons of any IPL batter, it can quickly seem like too few. Enter Ashwin, with the new ball, in the first over of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s chase in the IPL 2011 final. Never one to not think each of his deliveries through – with respect to the batter in front of him – Ashwin started with flight and big turn with his first two balls, and then pushed up his pace with his third, and got the ball to skid on. Attempting to cut, Gayle nicked, and Dhoni did the rest.”The plan was […] that I’d spin a few past him and then slip in an arm ball to get him out lbw or bowled,” Ashwin later said. “But […] it spun and bounced and I think Gayle was a little late for his shot.”Ashwin ended the tournament as CSK’s highest wicket-taker, with 20 strikes.It was also one of the initial acts of Ashwin the new-ball bowler. No spinner has bowled as much in the powerplay in the IPL. Ashwin leads with 1252 balls in the first six overs. Sunil Narine, second on the list, has bowled 918. Only three others – Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel and Krunal Pandya – have crossed 450. That’s a fairly dramatic difference.If it can be done, R Ashwin made sure he tried to do it•BCCIOffspinner? Legspinner? YesThroughout his career, Ashwin has been unafraid to experiment. Turning the ball right and left, experimenting with speeds and lines and lengths, wide of the crease and close to the stumps, the pause at the point of delivery, carrom balls, reverse carrom balls – you name it and he’s done it. He’s even bowled legspin, which, really, offspinners are not meant to do. Not just the odd legbreak, mind you, but the legspinner’s full repertoire.It was in 2015 that he started trying to get it right, and by 2017, he had what he needed. And in IPL 2018, his first season with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), it was on show at the IPL too.It didn’t actually happen till much later, but here’s R Ashwin warning Steven Smith for leaving his crease in 2012•AFPNot an inch given…He made things tough for the spirit-of-cricket obsessives on more occasion than one. Take running out the non-striker backing up. He wasn’t the first to do it, but he ended up making himself an ambassador for the dismissal, which is legal but frowned upon by many.As far back as 2012, there was Steven Smith in the line of Ashwin’s fire and finger-pointing ire, being asked to stay in or else. He had gone ahead and run out Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Thirimanne in this manner in an ODI the same year, only for his captain Virender Sehwag to withdraw the appeal. The actual didn’t happen until 2019, when Jos Buttler became the first run-out-backing-up victim in the IPL. Courtesy Ashwin, of course.If it’s legal, he’ll do it. If you don’t like it, hard luck.2:15

Retired out – yay or nay?

Retired, but not hurt about itCut to 2022, and again, entirely legal, but rarely put to practice: retiring out. And it had to be Ashwin to do it even if, really, the call must have been the Rajasthan Royals team management’s to make.It was against Lucknow Super Giants at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on April 10. Ashwin walked out at No. 6 with Royals well behind the ideal scoring rate, 67 for 4 in 9.5 overs. Ashwin did something of a rebuilding job in Shimron Hetmyer’s company, scoring 28 off 23 balls, but with ten balls left in the innings, he suddenly rushed off the pitch, bringing the more explosive Riyan Parag to the crease.At his post-match press conference, Royals’ cricket boss Kumar Sangakkara said Ashwin had himself played a role in the move’s conception. “It was a combination of both [Ashwin and the team management],” Sangakkara said. “It was the right time to do that, Ashwin himself was asking from the field as well, and we had discussed it just before that, as to what we would do.”Ashwin wasn’t the first batter to be retired out, and he won’t be the last, but it hadn’t happened in the IPL before that night.To Ashwin, it wasn’t even something that had to be analysed. Just something that was done, and something that should be done more often, especially in T20s. “Already we’re late, but I believe this will happen a lot in the coming days,” he said. “I don’t think it will be a stigma like running someone out at the non-striker’s end.”