Steve Waugh questions whether Australia selectors can make tough calls

The former captain was critical of George Bailey on the day the first Ashes squad was named

AAP05-Nov-2025Steve Waugh has accused Australia’s chief selector George Bailey of rarely having the appetite to make tough calls, adamant the transition of the Test team depends on it.One of the most reserved figures from Australia’s golden era, Waugh used a rare media appearance on Wednesday to question the handling of Australia’s ageing side.Bailey then insisted he and his panel were willing to make tough calls, and asked what they were meant to do while older players were still performing.Related

  • The Australia selectors' aversion to risk might have boxed them into a corner

  • Konstas dropped, Weatherald called up for first Ashes Test

  • Ashes squad talking points: Kingmaker Green to dictate Australia's plans

  • Steve Waugh sees his own career in Sam Konstas' early challenges

Australia’s 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test includes just one player aged under 30, with the regeneration of the team a hot topic in recent years.David Warner is the only player to have retired in recent years, with fellow opener Usman Khawaja to turn 39 next month.Quicks Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood will also all be 35 or older by the end of the summer, while Nathan Lyon turns 38 this month.One of Australia’s greatest ever captains, Waugh was on hand at the SCG on Tuesday to receive the MCC Waterford Crystal Ashes Trophy.Waugh retired at age 38 in 2004 before the last big transition of the Test team, with Ian Healy and Mark Waugh having been dropped in previous years.Asked how he felt the current transition of the Test side looked, Waugh said selectors needed to intervene to manage the process.”George Bailey’s going to have to make some tough calls,” Waugh said. “I think in the past he’s shown he hasn’t really had the appetite for that at times, so he’s going to have to step up to the plate with the other selectors.”The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are getting on as well. That’s natural for every team. You just want to make sure that three or four players don’t go out at the same time. That leaves a big hole in the team. So they’ve got to just make sure that it is a transition, but not all at once.”Asked if that meant tapping players on the shoulder to suggest they retire, Waugh said the matter should be taken out of players’ hands.Steve Waugh with the crystal Ashes trophy•Getty Images

“I’d like to see the selectors pick the sides, not the players,” Waugh said. “There’s been a lot of players recently picking sides and saying who should be in the team. That’s the selectors’ job.”Waugh’s comments came after Khawaja last week suggested Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne join him in Australia’s top three, which would have forced a squeeze elsewhere.Bailey on Wednesday defended players supporting their state teammates when asked questions by media, insistent those views never influenced the panel.And he maintained he and his panel of Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide had found other ways to blood young talent.”My question back, is there a tipping number once a player hits an age you move them on?” Bailey said. “Is that what it should be for all the guys in the team still performing? Should that be the most important criteria?”That’s not to say you’re not aware of the age profile of the team, but we see each and every Test as being important. You have Australia A tours, getting guys across to the sub-continent … getting guys in and around Test squads, utilising one-day cricket as an entry point.”Bailey also defended the selection of Khawaja and backed his experience, with the opener’s 232 in Sri Lanka in January one of just two scores above 50 in his past 26 Test innings.Australia are also yet to settle on the role of his opening partner since Warner’s retirement, with Steven Smith first going into the position.Youngsters Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas were both given chances last summer, with Labuschagne or Jake Weatherald likely to open in the first Ashes Test in Perth.

West Ham get Crysencio Summerville injury update after eight-word message from insider

West Ham have been handed an injury update on Crysencio Summervile after the winger missed their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth last weekend.

The Hammers have rediscovered hope in their battle against relegation after an impressive three-game unbeaten streak that has breathed new life into their campaign under new manager Nuno Espírito Santo.

West Ham United’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Liverpool (h)

November 30th

Manchester United (a)

December 4th

Brighton & Hove Albion (a)

December 7th

Aston Villa (h)

December 14th

Manchester City (a)

December 20th

The turnaround began with a crucial 3-1 home win over Newcastle at the start of November, ending a dismal 248-day wait for a London Stadium victory. Lucas Paqueta’s strike and Sven Botman’s own goal overturned Jacob Murphy’s early opener before Tomas Soucek sealed the points in stoppage time.

The victory was significant not just for the three points but for demonstrating resilience after falling behind early, a scenario that had previously prompted capitulations against Chelsea, Tottenham and Brentford.

Six days later, West Ham delivered another comeback against Burnley, grinding out a vital 3-2 victory. After Zian Flemming’s header put the visitors ahead, Callum Wilson equalised before halftime with his eighth career goal against Burnley. Soucek then produced another crucial intervention, bundling home with thirteen minutes remaining before Kyle Walker-Peters wrapped up all three points just minutes from full-time.

The momentum continued at Bournemouth, where Wilson tormented his former club with two excellent first-half goals. Although Nuno’s side surrendered their two-goal advantage through Marcus Tavernier’s penalty and Enes Unal’s late equaliser, the 2-2 draw extended their unbeaten run to three matches.

West Ham have now got eleven points from their last twelve games, climbing out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Striker could join West Ham for £30m after giving Bayern Munich and Man City nightmares

He’s emerged as one of their arguable best options.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

Nuno has brought defensive organisation and tactical discipline that was absent under his predecessor Graham Potter. Wilson’s form has been crucial too. Despite initially not being fancied by West Ham’s boss (ExWHUemployee), the summer signing has now bagged four goals in his last three matches.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman have improved recently as well, among others, with vice-chair Karren Brady’s decision to push for Nuno’s appointment now paying dividends.

Nuno is on record suggesting that Summerville will be a crucial player for West Ham, and the winger had started every Premier League game for West Ham’s new boss before last weekend’s draw.

ExWHUemployee shares Summerville injury update out of West Ham

Nuno will be keen to have him back to face Liverpool this weekend, and the consensus is that may well be likely.

However, ExWHUemployee has shared an update erring on the side of caution.

Writing via his Patreon, Ex claims that, while Summerville’s injury is perceived as minor, an eight-word message from one of his sources suggests that there is a degree of uncertainty.

If Summerville isn’t fit enough to take part against Liverpool, Nuno will likely call upon Brazilian talent Luis Guilherme, as he did against Bournemouth last Saturday.

Better than Nancy: Celtic shortlist "attractive" Rodgers replacement

When Celtic return to action on 22 November for a rare Saturday night extravaganza against St Mirren, who will be sat in the away dugout in Paisley?

Well, interim manager Martin O’Neill has done a pretty good job since being parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, winning both Premiership matches 4-0, with goals from Johnny Kenny, Kieran Tierney, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels downing Kilmarnock on Sunday.

​​​​​​Now, as we head into an international break, the Celtic board are surely intensifying their search for a permanent head coach, with last Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League hammering at the hands of Midtjylland perhaps underlining O’Neill’s shortcomings.

So, which of the leading candidates for the Parkhead hot seat should they prioritise appointing?

What Wilfried Nancy would bring to Celtic

In recent days, the surprise, left-field candidate who has emerged for the Celtic job is Wilfried Nancy.

The 48-year-old’s entire coaching career, to date, has come in North America, his first managerial role coming in 2021, succeeding Thierry Henry as CF Montréal head coach.

With the Impact, who are one of the lowest spending teams in Major League Soccer, Nancy miraculously led them to second in the Eastern Conference in 2022, thereby third in the overall standings, having also won the Canadian Championship the year before.

Manager Focus

However, he has seriously made a name for himself since joining Columbus Crew.

Since swapping Québec for Ohio, Nancy has enjoyed huge success in charge of the Black and Gold, winning MLS Cup in his first season and then Leagues Cup in 2024, also leading the Crew to their first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, ousting two Mexican juggernauts en route, ultimately beaten 3-0 by Pachuca in the final.

At the weekend, Columbus’ 2025 campaign came to an end, dumped out of the MLS play-offs by Hell is Real rivals FC Cincinnati, which may mean Nancy is more available now than he would have been a week ago.

This though should not denigrate what Nancy has achieved in Columbus.

Joe Lowery believes he is the most talented coach in MLS history, describing the Crew’s “patient possession” play as “so much fun to watch”, but does this mean the Frenchman would succeed in Glasgow?

Well, the step from Major League Soccer to top-level European football is massive.

Other coaches such as Gerhard Struber, Jaap Stam, Raphaël Wicky, Bob Bradley and Patrick Vieira, who have made the jump, have often struggled to make their mark at the top level, meaning it is impossible to tell if the 2024 coach of the year would fare any better.

So, who knows, appointing Nancy would certainly be a massive risk, so is there another manager already operating at the top level in Europe the Celts should chase first?

Who should be Celtic's first choice to replace Martin O'Neill

Given the current economic climate in European football, it is increasingly difficult for clubs outside Europe’s big five leagues to compete, a reality Celtic supporters experience every season, despite the fact their side have won 13 of the last 14 Premiership titles.

Well, a club who have continued to punch above their weight are Bodø/Glimt, hence why, as reported by Sky Sports, Celtic’s managerial shortlist features Kjetil Knutsen, with the report outlining that he still remains among their lengthy list of targets.

The 57-year-old has been in charge of the Yellow Horde since 2018, when they were still a second-tier outfit, but has transformed them into Norway’s dominant force.

Bodø/Glimt, who had never won the league before, have picked up four of the last five Eliteserien titles, including setting the league’s single-season points record of 81.

With two matches remaining of this campaign, which concludes on 30 November, they are second, one point below Viking, who are seeking their first title since 1991, but the race will go down to the wire.

This domestic domination has given Bødo/Glimt a platform on which to shine in Europe, which is where their most eye-catching results have come.

2021/22

Conference League

Quarter-finals

2022/23

Europa League

Group stages

2023/24

Conference League

Knockout stages

2024/25

Europa League

Semi-finals

2025/26

Champions League

League phase

As the table documents, Bodø/Glimt have been European regulars over the last five seasons, most notably reaching the Conference League quarter-finals and last season’s Europa League semi-finals, before qualifying for the Champions League proper for the first time ever earlier this year, smashing Sturm Graz in the play-off round.

These are performances Celtic can only dream of, considering the Hoops have not won a European knockout tie since 2004, one of their numerous defeats coming at the hands of Bodø/Glimt in February 2022, Knutsen’s team demolishing Postecoglou’s side 5-1 on aggregate.

The Norwegian champions have also enjoyed noteworthy victories over Roma, Beşiktaş​​​​​​​, Crvena zvezda, Porto, Olympiacos and Lazio, while they have lost only seven of their last 38 European home matches, winning 29 of them, making Aspmyra the fortress that Celtic Park yearns to become once more.

Looking at Knutsen specifically, across his 351 matches in charge, he has always deployed an attacking 4-3-3, with width provided by adventurous full-backs, allowing wingers, including current star Jens Petter Hauge, to drift inside and score goals.

Former Norway international Jan Åge Fjørtoft praised Knutsen’s “clear philosophy” and “attractive” style of play, forecasting that he is destined to land one of the biggest jobs in European football.

So, as Celtic aspire to be as competitive on the continent as Bodø/Glimt have become, Knutsen would be a statement appointment, surely one an entire divided fan base could get behind.

Nancy has his own credentials, but it is Knutsen who might just be the ideal pick.

117 touches, 96% passing: Celtic star just had his best game all season

Celtic demolished Kilmarnock 4-0 in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, and one of Martin O’Neill’s players enjoyed their best game of the season.

ByBen Gray Nov 9, 2025

فيديو | "سوبر هاتريك" مبابي يقود ريال مدريد لفوز صعب على أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد لاستكمال مبارياته في الموسم الحالي 2025/2026 بعد الفوز على أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على أولمبياكوس في اليونان، في الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري، دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025-2026، على ملعب “جورجيوس كارايسكاكيس”.

ونجح ريال مدريد في تحقيق فوز صعب على أولمبياكوس برباعية مقابل ثلاثة أهداف في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم، الأربعاء.

وافتتح أولمبياكوس أهداف المباراة في الدقيقة 8 عن طريق تشيكينيو بعدما سدد كرة قوية على يمين الحارس لونين.

ونجح كيليان مبابي في تسجيل أربع أهداف “سوبر هاتريك” بقميص ريال مدريد أمام أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستطاع مبابي تسجيل أهدافه الثلاثة “هاتريك” في 6 دقائق و42 ثانية، إذ سجل على الترتيب في الدقائق (22، 24، 29) ليصبح بذلك ثاني أسرع هاتريك يُسجل في تاريخ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اقرأ أيضًا | ترتيب هدافي دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد سوبر هاتريك مبابي في مباراة ريال مدريد وأولمبياكوس

جاء هدف التعادل لـ مبابي بعد تمريرة بوجه القدم الخارجي من فينيسيوس جونيور جعلته ينفرد بالمرمى وسجلها بنجاح مبابي، ثم أضاف الهدف الثاني من ضربة رأس بعد عرضية رائعة من أردا جولر.

وسجل مبابي الهدف الثالث له والثالث في اللقاء بعد تمريرة ولا أروع من كامافينجا لينفرد بالحارس مرة أخرى ويسدد الكرة في شباك حارس الفريق اليوناني.

ثم في الدقيقة 52 نجح مهدي طارمي، في تقليص الفارق وتسجيل الهدف الثاني لصالح أولمبياكوس، لكن سرعان ما قضى مبابي على آمال الفريق اليوناني مستغلًا تمريرة فينيسيوس الرائعة ليضع الكرة بسهولة في المرمى.

لكن في الدقيقة 81 نجح أيوب الكعبي في تسجيل الهدف الثالث لصالح أولمبياكوس بعد عودة الحكم الإنجليزي مايكل أوليفر إلى تقنية الفيديو.

بتلك النتيجة، رفع ريال مدريد رصيده من النقاط إلى 12 نقطة بالمركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا. أهداف مباراة ريال مدريد وأولمبياكوس اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

Past and present weigh on India, and Australia, as the fabled Gabba beckons

Australia’s fortress. Venue of India’s arguably greatest Test win. Australia lost here just this year. India’s struggling batters face an early-season pitch. The storylines are endless, as always, at the Gabba

Alagappan Muthu12-Dec-2024In 2003, Sourav Ganguly’s men ended up on the receiving end of a pretty rough time in Brisbane. None of the top three could get into double-digits in their first innings, only one did, barely, in their second. “Indian summer over,” said the newspaper headline, reporting on that tour game ahead of the four-match Test series.The Gabba has offered sterner welcomes over the years, particularly in the days when the game was played on uncovered tracks. England resorted to inverting their batting line-up – Alec Bedser moved from No. 10 to No. 5 and Denis Compton from No. 4 to No. 9 – in a chase of 193 and it still wouldn’t work. They lost that series 4-1. Australia don’t use this place to say “welcome”. They use it to say “beware”. This is where they would usually meet visiting teams for the first Test and break them right off the bat. No acclimatisation. But maybe subjugation.”By the end of this tour, we will find out how good we are, individually and as a team,” Ganguly said 21 years ago. He was leading his team into a fortress. At the time India had won only three out of 29 Tests in Australia, and when they slipped to 127 for 4 responding to 323, there was a crushing sense of the status quo.Related

Gill toasts old Gabba memories as he prepares to make new ones

Welcome to the fortress: a brief and stormy history of the Gabba

McSweeney hopes to 'throw a few more punches' at Bumrah

Mitchell Marsh 'ready to bowl as much' as Australia need him

Then an Indian left-hand batter decided to do something about it and history was made. Ganguly made perhaps his finest century to help draw that first Test in the tour of 2003-04. His 144 remains the highest score by a visiting captain at this ground. India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on that tour. They backed up 2001 with 2003. The Gabbatoir, which was meant to whittle the opposition down into selfs, both doubt and loathing, became the scene of a revolution. The wet weather even switched sides.India have had a fair few highs in Australia since then (and one abysmal failure). Perth 2008 which was a saga of its own. Adelaide 2014 which is fondly remembered despite it being a loss. All of it led to 2018 and peaked three short years later.Back in the present, KL Rahul, after wrapping up a batting session that took over an hour, navigated the cold, steel, underground labyrinth of walkways that connects the nets with the main ground and there he just sat, in the dugout, with the ground unfurled at his feet. He wasn’t part of the win in 2021; he had sprained his wrist at training at the MCG and had to go home. But one of his best friends was present. Mayank Agarawal had walked alongside Rishabh Pant as they took a lap of honour around the ground. Rahul would have heard all the tales from that night.The final play of the first Tied Test – where else but at the Gabba?•ESPNcricinfo LtdJasprit Bumrah was injured too but he was still there. And he is once again here. He began his net session imitating R Ashwin. He called out a carrom ball and bowled it and almost hit off stump. That groin trouble that left him on the floor for several minutes in Adelaide seems to have passed. He bowled full tilt at the nets. Several audible grunts confirmed that. And just in case anyone’s curious, Rahul’s play-leave also frustrates his own bowlers.India feel good here. Washington Sundar, who has named his dog after the Gabba, might be featuring in a video put out soon by the BCCI, walking around the ground. Either that or he wanted a mental snapshot because after the Ashes Test next year, they’re going to redo the Gabba into a multi-sport centre in preparation for the Olympics in 2032.All the history that this place contains. The first ever tied Test in 1960. Selector Don Bradman and captain Richie Benaud having a famously casual conversation over tea, about Australia not giving up. The greyhound track installed in the 1970s and removed in the 1990s. Kevin Mitchell Sr running onto the field with his groundstaff behind him in a tractor to the bewilderment of the Australian and the New Zealand players in 1989 and saving a one-day match from being lost to rain. Nasser Hussain doing that thing at the toss.The Gabba: fast-bowlers’ paradise•Getty ImagesAustralia love it here. Allan Border, who has a statue at the Gabba, a Sheffield Shield win after retiring with Queensland, a home in Brisbane and also a stadium in his name in the city, used to say, “The wickets are hard and this traditionally suits Australian cricketers who are reared on hard surfaces – on malthoid, cement and matting. They are new-ball wickets with the ball coming on and they suit our cricket best.”There have been blips lately – West Indies took Australia down here just this year in a pink-ball Test – but that was played in January. This one against India is being played at the start of the season, when the pitch is a lot fresher. A recent Shield game, albeit a day-night one, had 15 wickets falling on the first day. The Gabba is not for the faint of heart. It never has been.

Rangers must sell flop who’s “worse than Chermiti” as Rohl eyes new signing

Glasgow Rangers parted ways with sporting director Kevin Thelwell at the start of last week after the Englishman had just one transfer window in his role.

In the summer, the former Everton chief was given plenty of money to spend and splashed £8m on Youssef Chermiti, which made him the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years, since they paid £12m for Tore Andre Flo in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal in 15 matches for the Light Blues in all competitions, per Sofascore, which illustrates how difficult he has found the move to Ibrox so far.

With Danny Rohl now in the building and Thelwell gone, the Scottish Premiership giants are reportedly making plans to make changes to the squad that Thelwell built in the summer.

The latest on Rangers' plans for the January transfer window

According to TEAMtalk, the German head coach wants to make three ‘major’ additions to the squad in the January transfer window next month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that the former Sheffield Wednesday boss is eyeing a new striker, another ‘dynamic’ central midfielder, and a full-back who can provide competition on both sides of the pitch.

TEAMtalk does not mention any names of specific players, but the outlet reveals that Rohl has been watching players and will be backed by the owners with funds to make these ‘major’ additions ahead of the second half of the season.

The report also states that the Rangers manager wants a ‘proven’ number nine who can hit the ground running and provide an instant threat on the pitch, rather than another ‘project’ player, like Chermiti.

Why Rangers should sell Bojan Miovski

With this news in mind, the Light Blues should ruthlessly cash in on Macedonia international Bojan Miovski just a matter of months on from his move to Ibrox.

The left-footed striker’s form for Aberdeen, as shown in the graphic above, made him an exciting signing in the summer because he was billed as a ‘proven’ performer in Scotland, arriving in what should be the prime years of his career at 26.

Unfortunately, though, it simply has not worked out for him on the pitch for the Ibrox giants so far this season, as he has scored one goal in 11 appearances in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

With Rohl looking to sign a ‘proven’ centre-forward to come in and start matches week-in-week-out, the Light Blues may need to move on one of the three senior strikers they already have in the building.

Given that Miovski was signed in the summer, for an initial fee of £2.6m, to be that proven goalscorer for Rangers, it may be his position at the club that is most under threat.

Age

26

21

26

Games

18

15

20

Starts

10

7

13

Goals

2

1

3

Big chances missed

6

5

3

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old attacker has missed more ‘big chances’ than Chermiti and Danilo, whilst he has also scored fewer goals than the latter.

Journalist Mark McDougall described Miovski as an “awful” player who is “worse than Chermiti” at the end of last month, and it is hard to disagree when you look at their all-round play.

Chermiti, to his credit, has won 43% of his duels and 52% of his aerial duels in the Premiership, per Sofascore, which shows that he offers the team a physical outlet at the top end of the pitch. Miovski, however, has won 32% of his ground duels and 31% of his aerial duels in the league.

This shows that, whilst both players have only scored one goal in the league, it is the former Everton man who offers more to the team overall with his hold-up play and physicality.

On top of that, Chermiti is five years younger and was signed for £5.4m more, which means that there are more reasons for Rangers to stick with him and hope that he proves to be a good signing in the long run.

Therefore, attempting to cash in on Miovski in order to free up room for the proven striker Rohl wants to sign in January could make the most sense for the Light Blues.

0 tackles, 0 interceptions: Rangers flop must never start under Rohl again

Rangers are still paying the price for a dismal summer of recruitment…

ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 2025

It is not an ideal situation, given that he only joined in the summer, but the Macedonia international appears to be the most viable option to sell out of the three strikers they currently have.

Maple Leafs Fans Stuck Around to See Blue Jays Eliminate Yankees in Awesome Moment

Wednesday was an incredible sports night for the city of Toronto. The Maple Leafs, who enter this year with high hopes of finally breaking through for a Stanley Cup, skated past the Canadiens in the NHL season-opener. Then, more crucially, the Blue Jays completed a four-game series win over the rival Yankees to secure a spot in the American League Championship Series.

Fans who stuck around Scotiabank Arena after the Leafs' win were able to experience both moments as the team did a very smart thing and put the final innings of Blue Jays-Yankees on the scoreboard.

That led to a great payoff as those in the building were treated to an electric air-horn punctuation to the Blue Jays recording the final out of the night.

That's how it's done right there.

There's a chance there will be further opportunity for cross-promotion as the Maple Leafs host the Red Wings on Monday afternoon in advance of ALCS Game 2 in town. There's a decent chance the Blue Jays will be hosting the Tigers, setting up a pretty unique doubleheader.

'It was forbidden for him to leave' – Mikel Arteta admits he forced Leandro Trossard to turn down summer transfer after Belgian kickstarted Tottenham thrashing

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted after his team's north London derby win over Tottenham that he prevented Leandro Trossard from leaving the club in the summer transfer window. Trossard was linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners invested heavily in their squad, but Arteta did not want him to depart. The Belgium international has been in good form so far in the 2025-26 season and shone again in the win over Spurs.

Eze and Trossard down Spurs

Trossard opened the scoring for Arsenal against Tottenham in the 36th minute on Sunday at the Emirates before Eberechi Eze bagged a hat-trick to complete a 4-1 win. The victory moves Arsenal six points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table as Arteta's men aim to end their long wait for the title. Eze was one of a host of big-name signings at Arsenal this summer, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke also arriving, leading to speculation Trossard could move on. Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce and Besiktas were just some of the clubs believed to be interested in Trossard, however, the 30-year-old ended up staying and has even been rewarded with a pay increase and a new contract that runs until 2027.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArteta refused to let Trossard go

The Arsenal manager spoke about the situation after the game at the Emirates and admitted there was "no chance" he would have sanctioned an exit for Trossard. He told reporters: "For me it was forbidden for him to leave. No chance. I know the player that he is, and surrounded with the players that we have, he's a player that is going to make a difference for us. I fully agree. It was one of the best games, so aggressive with and without the ball, so effective, he could have scored another one or two goals, and he was involved in so many positive actions. So that's what we need. As I said, I think individually the players were excellent today."

Trossard enjoys 'perfect night' against Spurs

Trossard could not hide his delight after victory over Spurs and admitted it was a perfect day for the Gunners. He told the club's media: "I enjoyed that a lot! I think it was important to get that goal. After that it gave us the edge to go on and score more goals, to create chances. I think we were dominant before, but obviously that gives you that extra bit of confidence to go and win the game. It was a perfect night for us. It was a really good game overall in every aspect, from defence to attack. We're really happy with all the goals we scored as well.

"It was just joy. Everyone was cheering, there's not much to say about it. That's what we really wanted and it's nice that we could give this back to the fans. The atmosphere was amazing, it was so good, they pushed us forward as well. So yeah, it's a really good night today.”

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Arsenal unbeaten when Trossard scores

Trossard's goal continued an incredible record for the Belgian for Arsenal. The 30-year-old has now scored 32 goals for Arsenal and has never been on the losing side when he has found the back of the net for the Gunners. Arsenal have won 24 and drawn eight of the games in which Trossard has struck since his arrival at the club from Brighton in 2023.

Online Gaming Bill: BCCI to lose Dream11 as sponsor

Fantasy sports company Dream11, which recently shut down its real money games after the central government passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 in both houses of parliament, has intimated to the BCCI that it won’t be able to continue as the lead sponsor of the India cricket teams as its revenue stream is expected to be severely hit.Dream11 has a US$ 44 million (INR 358 crore approx.) deal with the BCCI – 2023 to 2026. Between them, Dream11 and My11Circle, another fantasy sports company, contribute around INR 1000 crore to the BCCI through the sponsorship of Indian cricket teams and the IPL.The new government bill states that “no person shall offer aid, abet, induce, indulge, engage in offering online money gaming services nor shall involve in any advertisement which directly or indirectly promotes any person to play any online money game”. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia declined to comment on the development and the way forward, but it is understood that Dream11 might not have to pay a hefty penalty as the contract has a specific clause about getting a waiver in case there is a government regulation in place.

While the new bill allows social gaming and subscription-based use, the ban on real money gaming means that the biggest chunk of Dream11’s revenue stream is gone.In a recent statement, Dream11 said, “We have always been a law abiding company and have always conducted our business in compliance with the law. While we believe that progressive law would have been the way forward, we will respect the law and fully comply with ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025’.”The writing was always on the cards once the real money gaming was banned in the bill. That itself accounts for at least 90% of the revenue of all major players in the fantasy market,” a fantasy gaming industry insider told PTI. “The next interesting phase will be what My11Circle, which pays Rs 125 crore annually to BCCI for being official fantasy partner of IPL, do?”They might also have to go the Dream11 way. As far as individual endorsement of cricketers with various apps are concerned, that market will also be severely hit.”

Scotland's Aitken-Drummond juggling a three-pronged World Cup dream

Full-time mom, Cricket Scotland administrator and elite sportsperson. She doesn’t want to have any regrets later

Shashank Kishore06-Oct-2024Abbi Aitken-Drummond has a full-time role as the executive assistant to Cricket Scotland’s CEO in her day job. Away from work, she co-parents her 13-month-old daughter. Between these two demanding roles, she plays cricket, and is now, quite incredibly, part of Scotland’s maiden T20 World Cup 2024 squad.Aitken-Drummond, 33, is one of Scotland’s longest-serving players, having first come into the set-up in 2003-04 at the age of 14. She captained from 2008 to 2015 and was more recently the team manager at the 2023 Women’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa to players she now calls colleagues.”The other day, we were chatting about our journeys and Olivia Bell told me she was one year old when I made my debut,” Aitken-Drummond tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was like, ‘Wow, thanks for making me feel so old’ ().”Related

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For Aitken-Drummond, the World Cup seemed like an afterthought, especially after she had to miss the Qualifiers to be on parental leave. But she made the push when a second shot at being part of a history-making squad presented itself.”I knew it wasn’t a right that I’d be back when available,” she says. “I had to work for it. I played for Scotland A with county teams in England [during the build-up], featured for Scotland in a tri-series with Netherlands and Papua New Guinea. But in my mind, I wasn’t sure I’d done enough.”But upon her return to Edinburgh, when Aitken-Drummond received an unexpected phone call from Cricket Scotland, her heart fluttered. “It was our head of performance to tell me I’d been picked,” she remembers.”When my phone rang, I was actually eager to know which of my phones were ringing: work phone or personal phone. I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be the work phone () because it would’ve then been some admin-related stuff.”When the phone rang, in my mind I was like ‘this is now or never. Which phone is it?’ And then I saw his name pop up on my personal phone. I kind of knew it was about selection. Had I known we’d get calls that day, I may have been beside the phone, restless all day. It’s a good thing I didn’t know when the squad was being picked.”

“I know just being part of the 15, whether I play or not, I can provide a lot of support. I’ve been team manager to four of them in the past and I’d like to think my door is always open.”Abbi Aitken-Drummond

Aitken-Drummond isn’t privy to sensitive matters, such as selection, despite being a Cricket Scotland employee. It’s a boundary she has learnt to draw having juggled a career as a player and administrator. Having studied Event Management in university, Aitken-Drummond has loved to apply some of her learnings to “this side of the rope as well as the other side.””Most players tend to go down the coaching path, but my passion lies in the administration,” she says. “Our CEO Trudy Lindblade has been in the role for eight months now. She’s my line manager back home, but over here [in the UAE] she’s like, ‘we’re not speaking work. Focus on your game and enjoy it.’ I’ve been away from my laptop, enjoying being on this side of the fence.”Aitken-Drummond had to put in long days – sometimes they stretch 18 hours – to make this journey possible. The motivation for her daughter to say, “my mum played in Scotland’s first World Cup” and for her partner [Annette Drummond, former Scotland player] to “live a dream she missed out on” pushed her.”It has needed a whole new level of organisation skills,” she says. “I’m at work for 10 hours a day, four days a week – Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm. Quite often I’m able to work from home, so that helps being around our daughter. Then I head to the nets for my training. No two days are the same. It’s so much easier when you have a routine, but that’s been challenging.”Sometimes, it’s not possible and then I’d feel that guilt of not training enough. But I also recognise if you’re not able to sleep enough, those gym sessions are unlikely to be productive either. So, I’ve learnt to be flexible about these things. So, most days after dinner, when I’ve put my daughter to sleep, I head over to the gym, try sneak in a session or two indoors. It’s tough to juggle everything, but you try and do as best as you can.”I don’t want to look back and regret these small things later on, they grow up quick. But I’m really grateful to my partner for the support. This wouldn’t be possible without her. She pushed me, saying, ‘I don’t want you to regret later, this is your chance, go get it.'”For the moment, Aitken-Drummond is happy being part of the group, irrespective of her role within the set-up. “If you’d told me 20 years ago Scotland would play in a women’s World Cup, I’d have laughed.”The big goal was to make sure I was here. I know just being part of the 15, whether I play or not, I can provide a lot of support. I’ve been team manager to four of them in the past and I’d like to think my door is always open.”I enjoy one-on-one sessions. If girls are struggling, happy or overwhelmed – just be there for them. Any game I play, I play like it’s my last. Life changes quickly, juggling so many priorities, I don’t want to regret that I could’ve potentially played my last game not having known that. So, I tried each day as it comes.”

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