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A non-league match had to be called off at half-time after the referee was targeted with alleged sexist abuse. The game featuring AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Coventry Sphinx could not continue beyond the first half after sexist abuses were hurled at a female referee officiating the game. The FA are now set to conduct the necessary investigations to get to the bottom of the incident.

Match abandoned after official targeted with sexist abuse

A Northern Premier League clash between AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Coventry Sphinx had to be abandoned at half-time after a female referee was allegedly targeted with sexist abuse on the pitch. AFC Rushden later released a statement condemning the act, which read: "A comment of a sexist nature was allegedly directed toward the female match official towards the end of the first half. Attempts to identify the individual were unsuccessful. We are deeply concerned and disappointed that such behaviour has occurred at one of our matches. Discriminatory language or actions of any kind have absolutely no place within our community club or the wider football community."

Home side Coventry Sphinx too released a statement, which read: "We will undertake an investigation into the incident and will respond to any queries received from the league and the FA."

AdvertisementGetty Images NewsFA to conduct investigation

The FA have told that a thorough investigation will be conducted to identify the offender, after contacting the officials, the home and away clubs, and other authorities. 

Diamonds chariman Rob Usher said: "The club fully respects the protocols put in place. The club is currently conducting an investigation into the alleged behaviour of a spectator and as such feels that further comment is inappropriate until such a time as this investigation is concluded."

Speaking to the club's official media, Diamonds manager Elliot Sandy said: "Someone in the crowd had accused her personally and she requested that the person be removed or the game would be abandoned. That person was removed, as far as I’m aware, and we carried on, but she came in again at half-time and she did not feel her head was 100 per cent in it. We will undertake an investigation into the incident and will respond to any queries received from the league and the FA"

He added: "I obviously condemn what’s happened today; there’s no place for it in football and I feel really sorry for her that it has actually happened."

Diamonds seek help from fans

Diamonds have also urged the fans gathered at the venue to help them identify the offender, saying that anyone who witnessed the incident should contact the club at the earliest.

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Diamonds were leading 1-0 in the first half after Bruno Andrade converted a penalty in the 36th minute. It remains to be seen when the match will be rescheduled by the league and the FA. Diamonds are currently languishing in the 20th position in the eighth tier of English football with 19 points from 16 matches. Sphinx, on the other hand, are currently placed ninth in the league with 25 points from 17 games.

Manchester City cruise through to yet another Carabao Cup quarter-final.

On Wednesday night, despite actually falling behind early in South Wales, the Citizens ultimately swatted aside Swansea City 3-1, thanks to goals from Jérémy Doku, Omar Marmoush and then Rayan Cherki.

This is the 11th time in 19 seasons that the Citizens have reached the quarter-finals, hoisting the trophy aloft on six occasions since 2014, firm favourites to beat Brentford at home in the last eight just before Christmas.

As Manchester City, largely, motor on impressively this season, has Pep Guardiola found his new Lionel Messi, but it is not someone who caught the eye at the Swansea.com Stadium?

Rayan Cherki's importance

Having sat out eight matches due to a thigh issue, Rayan Cherki started for the first time since August on Wednesday night, putting in a sparkling, man of the match display, capped off by firing home the clinching third.

The table below documents just how impressive the Frenchman was in the EFL Cup.

Goals

1

1st

Assists

1

1st

Shots on target

1

1st

Shots off target

4

1st

Attempted dribbles

4

2nd

Accurate passes

74

3rd

Key passes

6

1st

Ground duels won

5

5th

Possession lost

31

1st

Touches

119

2nd

As the table highlights, Cherki was the outstanding player on the pitch in mid-week.

He ranked first for shots and second for attempted dribbles, behind only Jérémy Doku, while his tally of six key passes is off the scale; normally a player would not register that many in a month!

The Frenchman did lose possession on 31 occasions, almost twice as often as anyone else, which obviously isn’t ideal, but underlines that he is always trying to make something happen.

The 22-year-old arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m too much excitement, given that Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles labelled him “the best natural talent I’ve ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball”.

Upon his arrival in Manchester, Guardiola said that Cherki “is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career”, high praise from a manager who has coached Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Thierry Henry, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Thiago Alcântara, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, oh and a certain Lionel Messi.

Despite their stylistic similarities, Cherki is not the new Messi in this Manchester City side, that acclaim goes to a rather more high-profile “monster”.

Guardiola's new Lionel Messi at Man City

By scoring twice against Nashville in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in round one of the MLS Cup play-offs, Messi has taken his tally to 891 senior goals for club and country.

Of these, 672 were scored for Barcelona, with 211 coming during Pep Guardiola’s reign, most notably bagging 91 goals in just 69 appearances for club and country in 2012, featuring hat-tricks against Switzerland, Brazil, Bayer Leverkusen, Málaga twice, Valencia, Granada, Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruña.

This is surely a calendar year record that will never be beaten but, if there is one player who could come close, it is of course Erling Braut Håland.

Already this season, the Norwegian striker has scored 15 goals for Man City, which accounts for 65% of all goals they have managed across the Premier League and Champions League.

Former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gómez labelled Håland a “monster”, adding “I think every team on the planet has to fear” him, while Barney Ronay of the Guardian describes him as “the complete centre-forward” who is more than just a goal machine.

Nevertheless, right now, Håland’s goals are perhaps masking Manchester City’s issues, over-reliant on him to score in every game, but if you’re going to be over-reliant on someone, he isn’t a bad choice!

In 2025 so far, he has scored 43 goals for club and country, while his most productive year was 2023, netting 50 times overall, four more than he managed in 2022.

This merely underlines how mind-boggling it is that Messi reached 91 in 2012, but with Norway almost guaranteed to return to the World Cup next summer, their first appearance since France ’98, an injury-free Håland could trouble that record in 2026.

Back in 2010/11, when Guardiola’s Barcelona won La Liga and the Champions League, Messi scored 53 goals across all competitions, just one fewer than Barça’s next three highest scorers that season combined, namely David Villa, Pedro and Iniesta.

Well, considering Håland has 15 goals this season, while Man City’s second-highest scorers, namely Cherki and Doku, have just two goals, the Sky Blues are even more reliant on their superstar forward than Guardiola ever was in Catalonia.

Nevertheless, this is a recipe that has proved fruitful before, if Guardiola has the right ingredients of course, so Håland could well fire the Sky Blues to the game’s biggest trophies pretty much all by himself.

The Norwegian requires another 72 goals to become the highest scorer under Guardiola, a record held by Messi of course, but one that he could break in double quick time.

​​​​​​​

Not just Doku: Man City star who was "streets ahead" is now undroppable

Manchester City survived an early scare away at Swansea City to clinch a 3-1 victory in the EFL Cup.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 30, 2025

After New Zealand declared overnight, with a lead of 476, Zimbabwe were bowled out in 28.1 overs in an extended first session

Firdose Moonda09-Aug-2025Zakary Foulkes picked up the best figures by a New Zealand player on Test debut as New Zealand recorded their biggest Test win. Their innings and 359 run victory over Zimbabwe emphasised the massive gulf between the two sides as Zimbabwe capitulated for their fourth-lowest score against New Zealand to suffer their heaviest defeat in the format.After New Zealand declared overnight, with a lead of 476, Zimbabwe were bowled out in 28.1 overs in an extended first session. They have now lost their last six Tests and have been dismissed for under 170 in all four innings in this series. New Zealand finished their tour of Zimbabwe unbeaten, after winning all their matches in the T20I tri-series including the final, and both Tests.Foulkes, who was called into the XI after injuries to Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke, showed the wealth of New Zealand’s bowling depth with an incisive eight-over spell headlined by devastating inswing. He ensured Zimbabwe had no let up after Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy made the opening incisions and that stand-in captain Mitchell Santner was not required at all.Related

Stats – New Zealand record third-biggest win in Test history

For Zimbabwe, technical questions over their batting remain. Their inability to cope with the moving ball, or genuine pace was exposed, more so when the two are in operation together. As has been the case throughout this series, only one batter made a score of note – Nick Welch’s 47 – there was only one other player who got into double figures and a highest partnership of just 25.The damage started as early as the third ball when Brian Bennett walked straight into the trap set for him. After two balls that moved away, Henry brought the ball back into him. Bennett played down the wrong line and his middle stump was uprooted. Brendan Taylor scored the first runs when he guided Duffy’s delivery between point and gully but only lasted until the fifth over as he was caught in the crease to a fuller ball from Henry and edged to second slip.Duffy, also on debut, found some extra bounce and Sean Williams could only get a leading edge as he tried to turn him leg-side. The ball went high and gave Duffy enough time to take the catch off his own bowling for his first Test wicket.Welch and Craig Ervine showed some fight against the short ball before Ervine pushed at a full ball from Matthew Fisher and edged to third slip. He was dismissed in almost identical fashion in the first innings which suggests a pattern that Zimbabwe need to address. Similarly, Sikandar Raza’s glaring problem against the short ball continued. For the fourth time in the series, Raza was undone by one, this time as he fended off a delivery from Foulkes and was caught at gully. Raza was brought back into the squad after missing the South Africa Tests for the MLC and recorded scores of 2, 5, 5 and 4.New Zealand finished their tour of Zimbabwe unbeaten in T20Is and Tests•Zimbabwe CricketFoulkes had Tafadzwa Tsiga caught behind, playing at a ball that straightened on him and then produced two absolute peaches to bowl Vincent Masekesa and Trevor Gwandu. Both were clueless against deliveries that landed outside off, shaped back in and beat their defences to hit the stumps. It’s difficult to choose between them on quality and both could easily be labelled the best deliveries of the game. Blessing Muzarabani became Foulkes’ fifth when he top-edged him to square leg, where Santner took a comfortable catch. That wicket gave Foulkes match figures of 9 for 75.Duffy thought he had wrapped up the innings when he had Tanaka Chivanga caught in the cordon but he had overstepped – the only mistake New Zealand made all morning. In his next over, Chivanga was caught at gully by Devon Conway, who is also the series’ leading run-scorer, to end the match five minutes before a delayed lunch would have been taken.The defeat ends a long run of Test cricket for Zimbabwe for now. They have played eight Tests in 2025, and won one against Bangladesh, but have lost all their games at home. They will turn their attention to the T20 World Cup Qualifiers which Zimbabwe will host in September.New Zealand leave Zimbabwe with a problem of plenty. Conway, Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra all scored centuries while all their seamers were among the wickets. Henry’s 16 wickets in the series was the standout and he has established himself as a leader in the attack. New Zealand do not play any Tests until November-December this year, when they host West Indies to start their 2025-2027 World Test Championship campaign.

Spending a ton of money does have consequences in Major League Baseball.

On Tuesday as MLB held the lottery for its 2025 draft, three teams were punished and won't have selections in the reverse order of the final standings. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees all exceeded the second surcharge threshold of the league's competitive balance tax during the 2024 season. As a result, their first selections in the 2025 draft will be dropped 10 spots.

As a result of this penalty, the Mets will have the 38th overall pick, while the Yankees will own the 39th selection and the Dodgers will have to wait until the 40th pick to start their draft.

The Washington Nationals won the lottery, while the Los Angeles Angels nabbed the second pick and the Seattle Mariners will select third. The Colorado Rockies tied for the best odds to earn the first pick but will settle for selecting fourth. The St. Louis Cardinals will pick fifth and the Pittsburgh Pirates will get the sixth selection.

The Miami Marlins were tied for the best odds to nab the top selection but fell completely out of the lottery portion and will pick seventh.

A significant update has now emerged regarding Raphael Wicky becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, as the Championship side look to find the right replacement for Rob Edwards in the near future.

The exit of Edwards to Wolves has knocked Boro for six at an important point in the season, but it is vital that they don’t allow it to derail their Championship promotion push in the coming weeks and months.

A number of candidates have already been mentioned as potential options as the Englishman’s successor, including former Young Boys manager Wicky.

It has been claimed that Boro are serious about appointing the 48-year-old as their next boss after he impressed during talks, although he is far from the only candidate being mentioned for the job.

Former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a contender for the Championship side, with the Dutchman reportedly given Gareth Southgate’s endorsement, following their time working together with the England national team. Steven Gerrard, Gary O’Neill and Carlos Corberan are some of the other names to have been thrown around.

Wicky keen on taking Middlesbrough job

Now, according to a fresh claim from The Northern Echo, Wicky is keen on becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, with the Swiss very much in the mix to come in.

He is said to be one of a host of overseas bosses who are “interested” in taking charge at the Riverside Stadium, following his exit from Young Boys last year, having spent two years at the club.

Wicky stands out as a strong option for Boro, with journalist Graeme Bailey describing him as an “impressive” individual, following a successful managerial career to date.

He won both the Swiss league title and Swiss Cup with Young Boys in the 2022/23 season, outlining his winning mentality, and at 48, he is still a relatively young manager who will bring fresh ideas to the Riverside.

It remains to be seen if the 4-4-2 diamond-playing Wicky will ultimately be Boro’s pick as their new boss, but the fact that the job appeals to him can only be a good thing, and his trophy-winning pedigree isn’t something that should be ignored.

Middlesbrough now considering move for ex-QPR manager recommended by Southgate

He’s been out of a managerial job since 2022.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

It is vital that the club don’t rush into the decision, however, instead ensuring that they have the best possible choice of manager to hopefully spearhead their return to the Premier League, rather than making a quick call and bringing in the wrong man.

How Middlesbrough feel about Raphael Wicky as Swiss manager holds Riverside talks

Rocchiccioli was the most successful Australian bowler, picking up 3 for 159

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025Devdutt Padikkal scored his seventh first-class hundred to lead India’s response as the first four-day game in Lucknow ended in a high-scoring draw.India A resumed the day on 403 for 4 with Padikkal on 86 and Dhruv Jurel on 113. Jurel could add only 27 to his overnight score but Padikkal carried on. Along with Tanush Kotian, he added 41 for the sixth wicket. Padikkal hit 14 fours and a six in his 150 before falling to Corey Rocchiccioli’s offspin.Soon after that, India declared their innings, on 531 for 7, one run behind Australia’s first-innings total. The Australian openers, Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway, came out to bat for 16 overs, in which they added an unbroken 56.Just like the previous three days, rain once again interrupted play on Friday.”Unfortunately, the rain probably didn’t help us over the four days,” Rocchiccioli said. “I think if there were no rain, it probably would have allowed for a result somewhere along the line. But it was an invaluable experience with the group that we have picked. The players who have played here… first hit out for some of them in a while. So to be able to play in some foreign conditions, learn your game a little bit better, have some really good conversations in the change rooms, I think has helped everyone be better for these conditions and move forward to the next game.”Rocchiccioli was the most successful Australian bowler, picking up 3 for 159 in 36.1 overs. Apart from dismissing Padikkal, he got rid of Shreyas Iyer and Kotian.”Look, there’s actually probably no direct plan,” he said when asked about the Iyer lbw. “I was just hoping to land the ball on the stumps. I probably didn’t bowl my best leading into that moment. Luckily enough, one sort of spun and took his pad. He is obviously a really big player that we looked at a lot during the pre-game, but there was nothing there that I thought was a weakness or anything. I just knew that I had to bowl good balls and ask good questions and I was lucky enough to have the wicket at that moment.”The second four-dayer will also be played in Lucknow, from September 23.

England have been eliminated from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in spectacular fashion, losing 4-0 against Austria in the round of 16. Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez's red card shortly after the Young Lions fell behind early in the second half proved to be a crucial moment, with Austria eventually going on to run up the score-line in the latter stages of the knockout tie.

England collapse in Qatar

At the Aspire Zone in Qatar, where the world's best teenage players have been performing for the past couple of weeks, England proved no match for an Austria side enjoying what is already their country's best ever performance at this age-restricted tournament.

Austria took the lead two minutes into the second half when Hasan Deshiksu managed to dribble his way into the penalty area and squeezed a shot between Jack Porter and the near post, something the Arsenal goalkeeper will no doubt be disappointed with. Then came Rodriguez's red card, which handed Austria an advantage they made sure to fully take.

Johannes Moser doubled the lead from the penalty spot after 70 minutes, before adding an Austrian third less than 10 minutes later. As England collapsed, the fourth goal came from defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe in the closing stages, tapping in on the line after Porter had saved an initial attempt.

AdvertisementThe MVP

Based at Red Bull Salzburg feeder club FC Liefering, Johannes Moser scored twice to help fire Austria in the quarter-finals, where they will face Japan. The 17-year-old midfielder was playing regularly at frst-team level in Austria's second tier prior to this tournament and his 2025 is only getting better.

Getty ImagesThe big loser

Lyon's Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez was guilty of missing a hatful of chances in England's shock opening group stage defeat to Venezuela, ironically the country he switched allegiance from to play for the Young Lions, and was again at the centre of things for the wrong reasons here.

His dismissal, the result of a late challenge on Austrian goalkeeper Daniel Posch, wasn't the only reason England are out of the tournament. But it certainly didn't help, coming at a poor time right after falling behind with almost half the game still left to play. From that moment, England were up against it and the momentum was firmly with Austria for the rest of the tie.

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Getty ImagesMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

Unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a hot start to the 2025 MLB season, having won each of their first five games of the campaign. The most talented roster in recent memory has lived up to the billing early on, though not every player on the team has enjoyed individual success.

Rookie starting pitcher Roki Sasaki has struggled out the gate through the first two starts of his MLB career. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings during his Dodger Stadium debut on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers before getting pulled prior to the end of the second frame. Sasaki had thrown 61 pitches and struck out two batters while surrendering three hits, two runs and four walks.

Asked about his struggles after the game, Sasaki admitted that he didn't have his best stuff during Saturday's outing.

"I felt like I was able to get into the game pretty well, without any nerves," the Japan native said through an interpreter, via ESPN. "I just didn't feel like I had the stuff today."

"I don't expect myself to be able to fix everything in a short period of time. With that being said, though, I am going to be pitching every week, so I do expect as a major league pitcher to be able to put up quality outings. But it's something I can expect myself to work on throughout," he told reporters.

Through two starts in MLB, including one at the Tokyo Dome during the season-opening series against the Chicago Cubs, Sasaki has pitched 4 2/3 innings with a 5.79 ERA, five strikeouts and nine walks. It's far from the dream start the coveted 23-year-old was hoping for, but there's plenty of time for him to get back on track.

Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten run in the Champions League came to an abrupt end last night, with holders PSG securing a huge 5-3 triumph in Paris.

The Lilywhites twice took the lead at the Parc des Princes, but Thomas Frank’s men were unable to hold and secure yet another victory in Europe’s biggest competition.

Vitinha’s hat-trick was enough to get Luis Enrique’s men across the line on home soil, leaving Frank with huge work to do to get his squad out of their current losing spree.

Goals from Kolo Muani and Richarlison weren’t enough to get the Lilywhites all three points, but it certainly does give the manager something to build on in the final third.

However, the same can’t be said for numerous members of the first-team squad, with various starters unable to take full advantage of the chances handed their way.

Spurs’ poor performers against PSG last night

After questions were asked about the midfield department following the defeat against Arsenal, Frank decided to once again change shape and hand Pape Sarr a start in central midfield.

Many were crying out for the Senegalese international to return to the starting eleven, but ultimately, he was unable to take advantage of his opportunity.

He was arguably at fault for PSG’s third effort, with the 23-year-old robbed of possession in his own defensive third before Fabian Ruiz fired home for the hosts.

The youngster wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with full-back Djed Spence once again unable to pounce on his starting role on the left-hand side of the back four.

The Englishman failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles or crosses, subsequently highlighting the lack of contribution he made when in transition.

However, without the ball, the 25-year-old was just as lacklustre, as seen by his measly tally of just 33% ground duels won whilst also being dribbled past on one occasion.

The Spurs star who had his worst game for the club v PSG

After Kolo Muani put Spurs ahead for the second time at the Parc des Princes last night, there was a belief within the Spurs faithful that the club could pull off a famous European result.

However, in true Lilywhites fashion, as of late, they were unable to sustain such a scoreline, with the collapse in the last half an hour no doubt frustrating manager Frank.

Certain players can absolutely leave such a defeat with credit and with their heads held high, with the aforementioned Kolo Muani undoubtedly having his best game for the club.

Other players, like Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray also impressed at the heart of the side, with the pair the beneficiaries of the manager’s selection roulette.

The same can’t be said for numerous players, with Cristian Romero undoubtedly one that springs to mind when focusing on players who failed to deliver in Paris.

The Argentine, who’s the Lilywhites captain, endured a torrid evening against the reigning European champions, which no doubt contributed to the loss last night.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but not without struggle, with the centre-back needing to share some of the blame for Sarr’s mistake with his poorly timed pass into the midfielder.

Romero was also adjudged to have handled Vitinha’s effort late on, which led to the Portuguese international stepping up from the penalty spot to complete his first senior hat-trick.

His underlying stats further showcase his lack of impact, with the defender committing two further fouls and being dribbled past on two separate occasions.

Minutes played

90

Touches

37

Passes completed

22

Possession lost

6x

Duels lost

50%

Fouls committed

3

Penalties conceded

1

Dribbled past

2x

Other numbers, such as six times possession lost and 50% duels lost, further highlight his lack of impact and why it was perhaps his worst display in a Spurs shirt yet.

To top off his dismal night in Paris, Romero was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold, reaffirming how disappointing he was against the Frenchmen.

After such a showing, Frank will no doubt be questioning his starting role, with flashes of the Argentine’s rash nature rearing their head during the defeat.

However, the player will be hoping he’s still selected at the weekend to try and make amends and lead the club to a needed win the Premier League against Fulham.

New Kane & Son: Paratici plotting to sign two mega-money forwards for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making huge strides in completeing a deal for a new deadly partnership.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 26, 2025

Afghanistan have not played a Test since January, when these two sides met in Bulawayo

Firdose Moonda19-Oct-2025 Big picture: Zimbabwe back to Harare International cricket is being played from A to Z this month, quite literally. Afghanistan visit Zimbabwe for the fifth men’s series of October all against the backdrop of the Women’s World Cup. Yes, these sides saw each other as recently as earlier this year; yes, they played a Test then and yes, they are playing a Test now.Despite not being part of the World Test Championship, this short tour opens with a one-off Test before three T20Is all squeezed into a two-week window. The T20Is make sense given that both sides will compete at next year’s T20 World Cup and, as things stand, Zimbabwe have no other international fixtures scheduled. Afghanistan are due to host West Indies and New Zealand for T20Is preceding the World Cup but the longest format has barely been on their radar unless it involves Zimbabwe.Since these teams last met in a festive Test series over Boxing Day and New Year, Afghanistan have not played a Test while Zimbabwe have featured in eight. Only one of those matches went well – victory in Sylhet – and they’ve lost four of their last six by an innings and plenty. The players will want to show they have learnt from those chastening defeats.Related

Rashid rested for one-off Test against Zimbabwe, will return for T20Is

Belgium-born Antum Naqvi set for Zimbabwe debut

Not only will Zimbabwe enjoy home comforts for this game, but they will return to the ground considered their primary home: Harare Sports Club. The capital has not hosted a Test since 2021 as Zimbabwe played their last nine home games in Bulawayo, all without success. Things haven’t been better at HSC. Zimbabwe last won a Test in Harare in 2013, which is more recent than their 2001 victory in Bulawayo, but far enough in the past for 39-year old Brendan Taylor to be the only Zimbabwean to have played in that match. He is also in the squad for this game.Afghanistan’s long-format history is much shorter. They had not even played their first Test when Zimbabwe last won at home and have only participated in 11 matches since 2018. But they’ve beaten a variety of opposition including Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and affirming themselves as the best performing of the so-called smaller nations will be high on the agenda.Form guideZimbabwe: LLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan: WDLLL In the spotlight: Antum Naqvi and Zia-ur-Rehman Zimbabwe’s batting has been their Achilles’ heel after they were bowled out for under 200 in their last four innings so the inclusion of Belgian-born Antum Naqvi holds much promise. Naqvi has recently been naturalised as a Zimbabwean after spending time in Australia and has two years of experience in Zimbabwe’s domestic set-up. A regular No. 4, he could slot into the role left vacant by Sean Williams’ absence for personal reasons and Zimbabwe will hope he shows off the form that saw him become the country’s first red-ball triple-centurion. Naqvi’s most recent exploits are a first-innings 68 and second-innings 108 against MCC last week.Antum Naqvi holds much promise•Zimbabwe CricketWithout Rashid Khan, who was the highest wicket-taker in the series the last time Afghanistan played Zimbabwe, they will have to look to others in the attack to get the job done. Left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman claimed five wickets in the series earlier in the year and six against Ireland in 2024. He also has 215 first-class wickets at an average of 20.47 and was the third-highest wicket-taker in the Ahmad Shah Abdali four-day tournament earlier in the year.Pitch and conditions: Early seam but lots of runsThere’s been a fair amount of cricket at Harare Sports Club recently, which hosted the Africa Region’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers earlier in the month. It is, however, a venue used to high traffic and should not affect conditions too much. Expect something a little quicker than Queens, with the possibility of early movement for the seamers, but generally good batting conditions. Day time temperatures have been warm in Zimbabwe for early summer and though there is a spot of rain about, it should be pleasant all week.Stats and Trivia: Muzarabani on the riseZimbabwe and Afghanistan have played four Tests against each other, and two in the last ten months. Afghanistan have a 2-1 head-to-head advantage. Blessing Muzarabani is already in Zimbabwe’s top Test five wicket-takers and needs seven more to join Henry Olonga at fourth and nine more to catch up to Paul Strang at third. No Afghanistan batter has scored 1000 runs in Test cricket and the closest to that mark – Rahmat Shah on 970 runs – is out with an injury. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi is 243 runs away.