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He can’t play spin, they said. He made sure he could, and has been one of Australia’s standout performers in India on this tour

Andrew McGlashan10-Mar-20232:22

Ian Chappell: Usman Khawaja’s calmness this series has been exemplary

2011: Test series vs Sri LankaKhawaja’s first innings on an Australian tour of the subcontinent actually brought a century, 101 in the warm-up match before the three Tests. Khawaja, who had made his debut earlier that year against England, played the first two matches of the series, the first of which Australia won, before being left out.Related

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Khawaja, and the century he never expected to happen

2013: Test series vs IndiaKhawaja’s first Test tour of India turned into an interesting affair, and he didn’t even make it to the playing XI. He also became one of four players suspended for the third Test after failing to complete an assignment ordered by coach Mickey Arthur.2015: Australia A tour of IndiaThis was a second Australia A visit to India for Khawaja, and though the four-day matches provided only middling results, he was prolific during the one-day games with scores of 100 and 76 against India A and 73 against South Africa A.2016: Test series vs Sri LankaA return to Sri Lanka was not a happy experience for a number of Australia’s batters, Khawaja among them. He had considerable issues with offspinner Dilruwan Perera. Khawaja’s series ended when he shouldered arms to Perera in the second innings in Galle and lost his off stump.2016-17: Test series vs IndiaAnother tour carrying the drinks for Khawaja. “Throughout the middle of my career, I got told I couldn’t play spin, and that’s why I never got an opportunity to play in India,” he said.2017: Test series vs BangladeshLater that year, Khawaja was part of the squad to tour Bangladesh, where they lost to the home side for the first time. In the first Test, he fell for 1 and 1 which included running himself out in the first innings. He was dropped for the second Test, where Australia levelled the series. “Think it was a self-fulfilling prophecy in its own way,” he said in Ahmedabad of the spin struggle. “Anytime I got to spin people were like ‘you can’t play spin’. I probably started believing it myself.”2018: Australia A tour of IndiaAnother ‘A’ tour of India and this one brought impressive results across both formats. There was a first-class century, albeit in a game where the seamers played as much of a role as the spinners, and he also made a one-day hundred against India B. “Fortunately enough, I’m quite stubborn, so went out of my own way to learn then we had a couple of ‘A’ tours here in India which helped a lot,” Khawaja said. “Had to go back and figure it out all by myself.”2018: Test series vs PakistanFollowing hot on the heels of that trip was the Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, which produced one of the standout moments of Khawaja’s career. He produced an epic match-saving 141 in Dubai having also made 85 in the first innings. “I do feel like that monkey went off my back when I scored that hundred in Dubai,” Khawaja recalled after his Ahmedabad innings. “[But] that was Dubai, I wanted to do it in the subcontinent.”2019: ODI series vs India and PakistanHundreds on the subcontinent did follow, although as part of Australia’s ODI side ahead of the 2019 World Cup. Khawaja made centuries in both Ranchi and Delhi, either side 91 in Mohali, as he took the Player-of-the-series award. The white-ball runs continued to follow in the series against Pakistan back in the UAE with three more half-centuries.2022: Test series vs PakistanAn historic return to Pakistan after 24 years and for a Khawaja a chance to play Test cricket in the country of his birth. It was a triumph for him amid a prolific run of form as he made centuries in Karachi (160) and Lahore (104*). “A lot of people talked about how flat the wickets were in Pakistan, and obviously I scored a lot of runs there. I was the only person to score a hundred there,” he said.2022: Test series vs Sri LankaThe pitches certainly weren’t flat in Sri Lanka, especially for the first Test, and Khawaja played one of the key innings of the game with 71 to help lay the foundation for what became a matchwinning lead. “Went to Galle in the first game on an absolute bunsen and felt like I batted well there,” he said. “I felt like I’ve been contributing the whole time and that’s been the most rewarding thing because I’ve been contributing to some wins.”2023: Test series vs IndiaAnd so, back to India and some of the toughest pitches you could face. After a lean start in Nagpur, Khawaja made a fluent 81 in Delhi before Australia collapsed dramatically in the second innings. In Indore, he again led the way to take the visitors into the lead in a game that barely reached the third day. Then on a better batting pitch in Ahmedabad he cashed in with a century, 180, his sixth since returning to Test cricket. “I just never expected this to happen,” he said.

Overseas availability and the absence of Kolpaks were key features, but who will win it?

Matt Roller23-Feb-2021

The overseas question

There were seven overseas spots available at the draft, and teams faced a balancing act in terms of player availability: should they pick a star who might only be available for four or five games, or a slightly lesser player who was likely to be available throughout?The majority of teams leaned towards the first option. West Indies’ home series against Australia and Pakistan clash with the start and end of the Hundred respectively, while South Africa players will miss the first couple of games to play their T20I series against Ireland and Bangladesh’s series against Zimbabwe is also due to overlap with the season.Manchester Originals, for example, used all three of their overseas picks on players with partial availability: Nicholas Pooran is likely to play four games, while Kagiso Rabada and Shadab Khan should get around six each. But crucially, they will be able to retain those players in future seasons, when they hope they will be available throughout.Related

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Teams will be able to sign short-term replacements as required, and it is understood that discussions have already begun around who might be available. Oval Invincibles are the only side likely to have all three of their overseas signings – Sunil Narine, Colin Ingram and Sandeep Lamichhane – available for the duration of the season.”Full availability of overseas players was definitely something we paid close attention to in our squad construction – not only this year but last year as well,” Freddie Wilde, their analyst, said. “In a short tournament we recognised the importance of role and strategy stability and minimising the comings and goings of our overseas trio is a massive part of that.”Dan Weston, Birmingham Phoenix’s data insights manager, added: “We’ve got full availability for Kane Williamson, as far as we’re aware. Shaheen Afridi’s value has increased since the draft – I think he’s the best left-arm pacer in the world for this format – and retaining him is a strategy with an eye the future as well. Adam Zampa’s stock has risen too since the first draft, so we were pleased to retain both of those players.”

Retain or release?

Teams took drastically different approaches with regards to their retention strategies. Trent Rockets, Southern Brave and London Spirit retained 12 of the 14-man squads they had assembled at the initial draft in October 2019, while Welsh Fire released half of their players and Manchester Originals kept only four (excluding those with England Test contracts).Eleven of the 35 players released were Kolpak registrations, who no longer qualify as local players in English domestic cricket after the UK’s exit from the European Union. That affected some teams more than others, while some players were retained on higher or lower salaries following negotiations between teams and their agents.”We were really pleased with our original picks,” Weston said (Phoenix released only three players). “We did some detailed post-draft analysis and thought we had one of the stronger squads. We’ve identified some players who can grow with the franchise. We were quite aware of how the Kolpak situation might play out too, whereas some teams might not have taken that into account so much.”Harry Gurney was signed by Manchester Originals after his release by Trent Rockets•Getty ImagesThe Originals’ decision to overhaul their squad appeared to pay off, enabling them to pick up two of the top overseas players available in Pooran and Rabada and one of the best remaining English players in Harry Gurney. Other teams were well placed to target particular gaps in their squad, with Phoenix picking up Tom Abell early on to plug a middle-order hole.

Dutch courage after Kolpak drain

The exodus of Kolpak players meant bad news for Dane Vilas, who lost his £125,000 contract with the Originals and was not signed as an overseas player by anyone. Having released Rilee Rossouw, the Invincibles filled their one vacant overseas slot with Colin Ingram, signed as a Kolpak by Welsh Fire ahead of the 2019 draft. David Wiese, Ravi Rampaul, Simon Harmer, Hardus Viljoen, Wayne Parnell, Marchant de Lange, Kyle Abbott and Cameron Delport were the other players with Kolpak status or spousal/ancestral visas to miss out after signing deals in the first draft.However, the ECB’s post-Brexit registration regulations still allow those with settled status in the UK through an EU passport to qualify as local players. That meant Roelof van der Merwe could be retained by Spirit as a domestic player, while Timm van der Gugten, Brandon Glover and Colin Ackermann were picked up by Trent Rockets, Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals respectively to complete a quartet of Dutchmen. Ryan ten Doeschate failed to find a suitor, most likely on account of his £48,000 reserve price.

2020 vision

Players who missed out in late 2019 but were picked up in early 2021 included Daniel Bell-Drummond, Jamie Overton, Tom Lammonby, Steven Finn, Matty Potts, Callum Parkinson, Ian Cockbain, Josh Cobb and Samit Patel, all of whom pressed their case with strong T20 Blast campaigns last summer.”Recency bias always plays quite a big part in drafts and auctions,” Weston said. “With a few of the more experienced players who were picked – Bell-Drummond, Cockbain, Cobb – they’ve got the weight of runs and performances over a long period of time. There was a group of players who felt quite hard done by that they weren’t picked up in the original draft, who used that as a point of reassessment and were more proactive last year.”For others, a lean Blast season in 2020 proved costly: Ed Pollock, Eddie Byrom, Luke Fletcher, Ed Barnard and Leus du Plooy were among those to lose their deals after initially being drafted. Sam Hain and Jack Taylor both missed out again after failing to convince teams with their form last summer.”There’s always a balancing act between recognising recent form but not overreacting to it,” Wilde said. “We definitely had an eye on the future when building our squad – we’ve got one of the youngest in the comp – and this should enable us to build across a number of years rather than just a single season.”

Keeping focus

Squads for the Hundred are relatively small, with a core of 14 supplemented by one or two Test players and a Blast wildcard who will be signed shortly before the tournament starts. As a result, five teams have only found space for one wicketkeeper in their squads: Phoenix (Chris Cooke), Spirit (Adam Rossington), Invincibles (Sam Billings), Superchargers (John Simpson) and Brave (Alex Davies).In that light, it was particularly surprising to see Ben Foakes go undrafted, while James Bracey, Riki Wessels and Adam Wheater may also consider themselves unfortunate to have missed out. All four will be in demand as replacements if any of those sides suffer an injury to their only keeping option, and could be picked as Blast wildcards before then.Ben Foakes went undrafted•Getty Images”I felt that keepers were over-valued in the previous draft,” Weston said. “A few teams picked up several keeping options. Drafts and auctions are always about supply and demand, and the supply wasn’t necessarily there with domestic keeping options. You want someone who adds value with the bat in their own right and for us, Chris Cooke is a great hitter at the death against pace.”

Who will win it?

Southern Brave look like the strongest side, contingent on Warner and Russell’s availability, while Oval Invincibles are not far behind. Manchester Originals, Birmingham Phoenix and London Spirit all have the raw materials to compete, with one or two holes. Welsh Fire will need their seasoned county pros to step up, Trent Rockets’ bowling appears to be heavily reliant on Rashid Khan, and Northern Superchargers’ attack and top order look strong but their middle-order options are limited.”Obviously I would say this about a squad I helped build but I think we are one of the strongest sides in the comp,” Wilde said. “We focused on building a strong bowling attack which we’ve achieved and we’ve managed to do that without compromising our batting, which is very versatile and packed with young and dynamic players.”As you’d expect in a draft system all the teams have strong suits, but I was particularly impressed by how Manchester re-drafted their squad yesterday. And any team with two of the world’s top five T20 players in it will be dangerous; Southern Brave have managed that with Warner and Russell.”

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة لمواجهة جوادالاخارا ضمن منافسات دورالـ 32 من مسابقة كأس ملك إسبانيا 2025/2026.

كان الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم قد أجرى مراسم قرعة دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا ظهر أمس، الثلاثاء.

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق مباريات دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا، في الفترة بين 16 و18 ديسمبر، على أرض الفريق الأقل تصنيفًا، في مباراة واحدة فقط، وفقًا لما ذكره الاتحاد الإسباني.

وتشارك الفرق الأربعة المتواجدة في كأس السوبر الإسباني، بشكل مباشر في دور الـ32 من كأس ملك إسبانيا، وهي: “برشلونة، ريال مدريد، أتلتيكو مدريد وأتلتيك بلباو”.

اقرأ أيضًا | نتائج قرعة دور الـ32 من كأس ملك إسبانيا.. خصم سهل لـ ريال مدريد وبرشلونة

ومن المقرر أن تكون مباراة برشلونة أمام نظيره جوادالاخارا ضمن منافسات دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا مساء يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 16 من شهر ديسمبر الجاري.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا ثقيلًا على جوادالاخارا مساء يوم الثلاثاء في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

يُذكر أن برشلونة كان قد حقق فوزًا مهمًا بثنائية مقابل هدف على آينتراخت فرانكفورت مساء أمس، الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

Chelsea are weighing up the possibility of an early January move for one ‘magnificent’ forward with an agreement already in place for his arrival next year.

Liam Delap succumbs to another Chelsea injury blow

Liam Delap’s Chelsea career has descended into frustrating misfortune following another significant injury setback.

The 22-year-old suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder during Saturday’s goalless draw at Bournemouth, leaving the field in obvious discomfort after landing awkwardly following a challenge with Marcos Senesi.

Medical staff immediately applied a makeshift sling before Delap trudged directly towards the tunnel, his arm immobilised to prevent further damage.

Enzo Maresca then delivered a concerning post-match update that confirmed initial fears.

Reports suggest Delap faces approximately six to eight weeks sidelined, which comes as another devastating blow for the young forward after he was previously out of action for weeks with a hamstring injury.

Chelsea signed Delap from relegated Ipswich in June, beating the likes of Man United and Newcastle to his signature after an impressive maiden Premier League season.

The Winchester-born striker finished as Ipswich’s leading scorer with twelve goals across thirty-seven appearances last term, accounting for thirty-three percent of their total output despite their eventual drop to the Championship.

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Delap also earned a PFA Young Player of the Year nomination and convinced Maresca – who previously managed Delap during his tenure overseeing Man City’s Elite Development Squad – that he represented an ideal target man.

However, the Englishman has since struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, managing just sporadic appearances whilst failing to register a single Premier League goal for his new employers.

Player

Pedro

Guiu

Delap

Games

18

8

11

Minutes

1377′

280′

453′

Goals

4

1

1

Assists

3

1

0

His only Chelsea strike this season arrived against Barcelona in the Champions League, providing brief optimism before this latest injury.

Marc Guiu replaced Delap against Bournemouth but was rusty throughout, highlighting Chelsea’s lack of alternative options, and it has led to suggestions that Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha could arrive earlier than anticipated.

Chelsea weigh early January move for Emanuel Emegha

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea chiefs are evaluating whether to bring forward Emegha’s arrival from their sister club following Delap’s injury blow.

The Blues confirmed a deal worth around £22 million several months ago, that was scheduled to deliver Emegha to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

However, Delap’s absence has prompted internal discussions about accelerating that timeline to January.

Strasbourg initially resisted any mid-season departure for their captain, but circumstances have shifted considerably.

Argentine forward Joaquin Panichelli has emerged as Liam Rosenior’s first-choice striker, demonstrating excellent form which suggests the Ligue 1 side could accommodate Emegha’s premature exit.

The 22-year-old Netherlands international stands at a towering 6 foot 5 and recently earned his maiden senior caps for his country, establishing himself as one of France’s most promising attacking talents.

Should Chelsea trigger the January switch, they would also likely compensate Strasbourg by funding an immediate replacement through BlueCo’s multi-club network.

Emegha, who’s been called ‘magnificent’ by critics, scored 14 French top flight goals last season and ended the campaign as one of Ligue 1’s top scorers.

He’s also bagged seven goals across 11 appearances in all competitions this season, so he’s a man bang on form right now regardless of Panichelli’s rise.

Leeds United reportedly submitted a late offer in an attempt to sign Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia at the end of the summer transfer window, only to be blocked by their Premier League rivals.

The Argentina international scored 24 goals and provided 41 assists in 121 matches for Norwich under Daniel Farke, per Transfermarkt, and the German was looking for a reunion with him at Elland Road.

Unfortunately, Villa decided to keep hold of the 28-year-old star, which turned out to be a brilliant decision. Per Sofascore, Buendia has delivered five goals and three assists in all competitions for the Villans this season, recently scoring the winner against Arsenal.

Whilst the former Norwich star is now out of their reach, due to his fantastic form for Villa, the Whites could land their own version of him next month.

Leeds eyeing move for Champions League forward

The January transfer window is only a matter of weeks away from opening for business, and the West Yorkshire outfit have their eye on a potential target to add more quality to their squad.

Transfer Focus

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

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs lining up a move to sign Bodo/Glimt star Jens Petter Hauge in the winter window.

The report claims that Crystal Palace, Brentford, Leeds, and Brighton are all interested in signing the former AC Milan attacking midfielder, as they look to bolster their respective squads ahead of the second half of the season.

It adds that the Whites were keen on signing the Norwegian talent back in 2020, before his move to Milan, and they are looking to finally snap him up, five years later.

TEAMtalk, however, does not reveal how much money Bodo/Glimt are set to demand from any of the interested Premier League teams, should offers come in for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Jens Petter Hauge

Leeds should test the Norwegian side’s resolve with an offer for Hauge when the January transfer window opens for business, because he has the quality to be Farke’s new Buendia.

Like the Villa star, the attacking midfielder is a versatile playmaker who can play on the left, through the middle, or off the right to provide goals and assists on a regular basis.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “sensational” player who had lost his way, and the 26-year-old star is seemingly back to his ‘sensational’ ways in Norway.

Since returning to Bodo/Glimt in January 2024, Hauge has been in impressive form that suggests that he could be an exciting addition to Farke’s squad ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Norway international, who has been the most prolific dribbler in the competition, has scored three goals in six matches in the Champions League this season, after delivering four assists in two Champions League qualifiers, per Transfermarkt.

Since his return to Bodo/Glimt, Hauge has produced 24 goals and 22 assists in 93 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has provided goals and assists on a regular basis from attacking midfield positions.

Appearances

28

Goals

8

Minutes per goal

279

Key passes per game

2.1

Big chances created

8

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds transfer target ended the 2025 Eliteserien campaign with 16 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 28 outings for Bodo/Glimt.

This shows that, like Buendia, Hauge is another right-footed attacking midfielder who can provide quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator in equal measure, which makes him an incredibly valuable player.

Of course, he is unproven in the Premier League and it remains to be seen whether or not he can translate his current performances over to English football, but a return of three goals in six Champions League matches, including a goal against Borussia Dortmund this week, shows that he can perform at a high level.

This suggests that Hauge is a player who is worth taking a gamble on in the January transfer window in an attempt to add more quality to the side at the top end of the pitch.

A Viduka repeat: Leeds open initial talks to sign midfield "machine"

Leeds United are eyeing up a player from Scotland who could be their next Mark Viduka-type signing.

ByDan Emery 5 days ago

Leeds were unable to sign Buendia from Villa in the summer to reunite him with Farke, but the German head coach may see shades of the Argentine magician in this Bodo/Glimt star.

Leeds United will no doubt be disappointed after losing 3-2 against Manchester City this afternoon, but the fans can take some positives out of the clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Phil Foden’s first-minute goal could have signalled an afternoon of domination for Pep Guardiola’s men, but it wasn’t to be, with the hosts only boasting a two-goal lead at the break.

Daniel Farke’s substitutions at the break saw the Whites bring the game level within a matter of minutes, that’s despite many questioning his decision to withdraw Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto.

However, it wasn’t to be as Foden had the last laugh with his stoppage-time effort enough to secure all three points for the Citizens – resulting in a sixth Premier League loss in their last seven.

Despite the defeat, numerous players can leave Manchester with their heads held high, with one player deserving huge plaudits for his showing this afternoon.

Ethan Ampadu’s performance against Manchester City

For the 12th time in the league this season, midfielder Ethan Ampadu started at the heart of the Leeds side, doing so with the captain’s armband too.

His performance against Manchester City was one of a leader, with the Welshman putting in a phenomenal showing and one that was highlighted by his underlying stats.

The 25-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, completing a staggering 46 passes, with such a tally the highest of any player in Farke’s squad.

He also completed 50% of the dribbles he attempted, whilst making two passes into the final third – often trying to hit the hosts on the counter in the second half.

Ampadu’s incredible showing was also evident without the ball at his feet, subsequently making four recoveries and winning 67% of his ground duels – arguably being one unsung hero at the Etihad.

He certainly wasn’t alone in producing a performance to remember against the former Premier League champions, with Farke needing to select one other player on a consistent basis.

The Leeds player who should be undroppable after City

Many people would have anticipated a dominant victory for City this afternoon, but Leeds certainly put up a fight – which is the least you can ask for given the current situation.

Farke will likely receive some criticism for failing to see out the game for a point, but ultimately, individual errors were the contributing factors to the late goal.

The supporters should also remember it was the manager’s bold call at the break that gave the side the opportunity to get back into the game in the first place.

He switched to a somewhat unfamiliar 3-5-2 system, with the impact of Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the top end of the pitch certainly putting the hosts under huge pressure.

The Englishman replaced Gnonto at the interval, a decision that proved to be an inspirational one given the talisman’s impact during the second half at the Etihad.

His first goal since September certainly wasn’t the prettiest, but it was a reward for his determined efforts at the top end, before poking the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The 28-year-old was also hugely involved in the Whites’ second goal of the contest, with Calvert-Lewin caught in the area by Josko Gvardiol – leading to Lukas Nmecha’s rebounded penalty.

The substitutes’ underlying figures were also massively impressive, with the target man putting doubt into the opposition’s backline after his introduction.

He completed 100% of the dribbles he attempted, whilst also winning 80% of the ground duels he entered – subsequently offering a dominant option during the fightback.

Calvert-Lewin – stats against Man City
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	45
Touches	18
Pass accuracy	80%
Dribbles completed	100%
Ground duels won	80%
Passes into final third	1
Fouls won	3
Shots on target	100%
Stats via FotMob

Calvert-Lewin also completed a pass into the final third, whilst also drawing three fouls, with the former Everton man playing a huge part in the side’s ability to get off the canvas.

As a result of his showing off the bench, the striker was handed an impressive 9/10 match rating from Leeds United journalist Graham Smyth – further showcasing his impressive cameo off the bench.

After such a showing, there’s little denying the manager simply has to start Calvert-Lewin on a consistent basis, with his assets constantly causing havoc for the opposition.

Ampadu, too, has showcased this season why he’s a solid Premier League option, which could see both play a huge role in the club’s survival bid come the end of the season.

Bielsa 2.0: Leeds prepare for Farke replacement with "elite" boss in frame

Leeds are reportedly preparing to possibly replace Daniel Farke in the dugout with a LaLiga boss in the frame.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 28, 2025

The MLB Winter Meetings are here, and with Juan Soto reportedly agreeing to a contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night, teams can begin to conduct business unencumbered by a hypothetical $700 million earmarked to one player.

On Tuesday, here are three of the most important rumors to know about coming out of the meetings.

Pitcher Market is Priced High

Jon Morosi reports that a few executives have told him that free agent pitchers are asking for a lot of money that teams don't have an appetite to pay. It's creating a market of opportunity for teams with movable starting pitchers, with Morosi mentioning Framber Valdez (Houston Astros) and Dylan Cease (San Diego Padres) as possible candidates.

Both pitchers are under contract for one more year, so they would be rentals for acquiring teams. Other teams with strong pitchers on contract years could be possible options to sell for teams looking to retool if asking rates on free agent pitchers don't decline.

The rumor was validated later in the day when Max Fried agreed to an eight-year contract valued at $218 million, according to reports.

Kyle Tucker Gaining Trade Interest

Also on the topic of rentals, Kyle Tucker will hit free agency in a year, meaning teams are looking at him as a possible acquisition opportunity. Morosi reports that the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees have expressed their interest in Tucker to the Houston Astros, but that Houston is comfortable with him staying in Houston in his free agent year.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post confirmed the Cubs and Yankees were thought to be fits.

With Houston seemingly not overeager to move Tucker, he could be a candidate that is moved at the trade deadline if the Astros underperform. The price may not be deemed affordable for the Cubs, Yankees, and any other prospective destinations at this time.

Seiya Suzuki Has Garnered Interest From Two Teams

Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that Cubs outfielder/DH Seiya Suzuki has received interest from two possible trade teams. The information comes from Suzuki's agent through Cubs president Jed Hoyer.

Suzuki has a full no-trade clause as pointed out by Rogers, so he can control his destiny to some degree, but his agent admitted that Suzuki prefers to play the field rather than just DH. He told Rogers it's a "small universe" where Suzuki would consider going.

It's unclear which two teams have expressed interest in trading for Suzuki.

Ubaid Shah, the brother of Pakistan international Naseem, and left-arm wristspinner Faisal Akram were also picked in the 18-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2025Saud Shakeel will lead Pakistan Shaheens who will tour England for two three-day and three 50-over games from July 17 to August 6. Apart from Shakeel, who has played 19 Tests, the squad includes three capped players: Mir Hamza, Musa Khan and Sajid Khan.Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat, who were the top-two run-getters in the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam (QeA) trophy, were rewarded for their domestic form with call-ups to the Shaheens side.Musabir Khan, a prominent offspin-bowling allrounder in the QeA trophy, and Faisal Akram, a left-arm wristspinner, who has played for Pakistan Under-19s and Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), were also included in the 18-member squad. Musabir, 23, has played a solitary T20I for Pakistan, in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.Sajid and left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz strengthen the spin attack. Ubaid Shah, the brother of international Naseem Shah, was part of the pace attack alongside Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Aziz.The squad will take part in a training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi before departing for England on July 16.Pakistan Shaheens squadSaud Shakeel (capt), Ali Zaryab, Azan Awais, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Suleman, Mubasir Khan, Musa Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Shahid Aziz, Shamyl Hussain and Ubaid ShahSupport staffImran Farhat (head coach), Rehan Riaz (bowling coach), Mohtashim Rasheed (fielding coach)