Toni Kroos has hit out at the decision to send off Luis Diaz during Bayern Munich’s win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, insisting that "it wasn't a red card”. The German and Real Madrid legend believes referee Maurizio Mariani was influenced by Achraf Hakimi’s injury rather than the tackle itself. Diaz, however later apologised publicly, while Bayern backed their forward.

Kroos weighs in after Diaz red card sparks controversy

Bayern’s statement 2-1 win away at PSG in the Champions League was overshadowed by a highly debated refereeing decision. Colombian international Diaz, who had scored both goals for Bayern in the first half, was shown a straight red card following a VAR intervention for a tackle on PSG full-back Hakimi. Initially given only a yellow, referee Maurizio Mariani changed his decision after reviewing the incident on the monitor, citing excessive force and danger to the opponent.

Hakimi, who left the field in clear pain and in tears, was later diagnosed with a syndesmosis tear and deltoid ligament damage expected to keep him sidelined for around eight weeks. 

The moment dramatically shifted the tone of the match, even as Bayern held on for a crucial away victory to extend their winning run under Vincent Kompany to 16 straight matches across competitions. The incident has since become the primary talking point across European football, with varying opinions from pundits, former officials and players, and one of the most vocal critics has been the German legend Kroos.

Advertisement'It wasn’t a red card' – Real Madrid legend questions referee’s judgement

Speaking on his podcast, Kroos was emphatic in his belief that the referee made the wrong call. “For me, it’s clear: it wasn’t a red card,” Kroos said, insisting that the referee “let Hakimi’s injury have too much of an influence on his assessment of the play.”

The German argued that the challenge itself, while forceful, did not indicate malicious intent from Diaz. “If Hakimi had gotten up after the challenge, nobody would have reviewed the play.”

Kroos also turned his attention toward the role of the VAR team, suggesting that replay slow-motion angles can distort reality, “In situations like these, the referee should judge the action itself, not the consequences.”

His position echoed the sentiment of several Bayern players, including Joshua Kimmich and Josip Stanisic, who suggested that the injury may have influenced the decision. However, Kimmich admitted upon reflection that “seeing the replay and how he catches him, you can understand the referee showing a red card.”

Getty Images SportRegret and support after a night of mixed emotions

Diaz addressed the incident after the match, posting a message on Instagram that said: “Football always reminds us that in 90 minutes, the best and the worst can happen… I wish Hakimi a quick return to the pitch.”

Bayern boss Kompany expressed sympathy for PSG and Hakimi, citing Bayern’s own past injury experiences with Jamal Musiala, while also defending the Colombian winger. 

“I hope Hakimi recovers soon, it’s terrible. We went through the same thing last year with Musiala. I don’t think Diaz meant any harm; it was just an unfortunate incident in a high-intensity match,” said the Belgian coach.

Despite the controversy, Diaz’s performance before the red card reinforced his growing importance under Kompany, decisive, direct, and ruthless in transition. Kroos then moved to tactical commentary, praising Bayern’s bravery in pressing PSG high and suggesting their superiority would likely have produced the same result, regardless of Hakimi or Diaz's presence. 

"Bayern were clearly superior and could have gone into halftime 3-0 or 4-0 up. I don't think PSG would have created any danger with eleven against eleven," he said.

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Getty Images SportBayern maintain momentum while PSG face injury concerns

Bayern sit top of the Champions League table and will turn their attention to domestic action, where they face Union Berlin next, a fixture Kompany warned could become a “trap game” after the emotional and physical intensity of Paris.

For PSG, the focus is now on recovery and rotation, and Hakimi’s absence adds further pressure on coach Luis Enrique, who is already dealing with Ousmane Dembele’s injury, who also left the pitch earlier in the game due to a calf injury. The French champions need solutions on the flanks, especially with decisive Champions League fixtures still ahead.

Leeds United decided to revamp their options in the centre-forward position in the summer transfer window after they won promotion from the Championship.

The Whites swooped to sign experienced striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer from Everton to be Daniel Farke’s first-choice number nine for the Premier League season.

So far, though, the former England international has scored one goal and missed nine ‘big chances’ in eight appearances in all competitions, per Sofascore, for Leeds, with five ‘big chances’ missed in the top-flight.

Because of his struggles in front of goal for his new club, Calvert-Lewin may be worried and looking over his shoulder at emerging academy talent Harry Gray.

Why Harry Gray will have Leeds strikers worried

The 17-year-old centre-forward, who made his first-team debut against Stoke in the Championship last season, has been on fire for the club’s academy, and could be a future star for Farke.

Gray has scored four goals in four Premier League 2 matches for the U21s side this season, per Transfermarkt, whilst he also scored a hat-trick against Scunthorpe United in the National League Cup.

This means that the teenage forward has plundered seven goals in all competitions for the young Whites, whilst Calvert-Lewin has scored one goal for the first-team.

Gray also scored eight goals in 11 matches for the U18s before making the step up to the U21s, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has been a regular goalscorer for several seasons.

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His impressive goalscoring form will have the current Leeds strikers worried because he appears to be on course to crash into the senior side to take one of their spots in the squad, if he can translate his academy form over to the first-team.

The Leeds striker on borrowed time because of Harry Gray

Despite his struggles in front of goal in the Premier League this season, it is not Calvert-Lewin who is on borrowed time because of Gray’s potential. It is Lukas Nmecha.

The former Germany international joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, as the first signing of the summer, and scored on his debut from the penalty spot against Everton.

Since that debut goal, Nmecha has rarely been seen by supporters, despite featuring in every match, as he has been used as a late substitute in almost every game.

No Leeds player who has featured in all eight games has played fewer minutes than Nmecha, per WhoScored, as he is the only player to have played in every match without hitting at least 242 minutes.

Calvert-Lewin, on the other hand, has started six of his seven appearances in the Premier League, playing 534 minutes in total, which suggests that his place in the squad is not under as much threat as Nmecha’s is.

Unlike the former Toffees man, Farke does not seem to trust the German centre-forward to play significant minutes in games, which does not bode well for his future at Elland Road.

Nmecha’s return of five goals in all competitions in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, per Sofascore, does not suggest that he is likely to catch fire in front of goal and establish himself as a regular starter.

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Therefore, it may be the former Wolfsburg number nine who is on borrowed time because of Gray’s emergence as an incredibly exciting striker prospect at U21 level, as the 17-year-old could break through and take his place to compete with Calvert-Lewin for a starting berth in the not-too-distant future.

The Detroit Tigers have been the best team in baseball for most of the season but reverted back to the pack over the past few weeks thanks to a brutal slump. Entering last Sunday's game they had dropped 12 of 13 games and fallen out of position for one of the byes in the American League playoff picture. So Riley Greene took the drastic step of turning his beard into a mustache, hoping the change in facial hair could be the thing that finally turned things around.

And it has.

The Tigers drubbed the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night for their third consecutive victory in the 'stache era. Greene himself homered and had two doubles for his first three extra-base hit game in his already impressive career. Gleyber Torres, who was seen rubbing the lip fuzz for luck, blasted an opposite-field home run. Wencel Perez was a homer shy of the cycle and stole two bases.

"It's not a good look," Greene said after the game. "It's not a good look. But if it means winning, then I’ll keep it."

"We've all touched it," Tigers A.J. Hinch said. "I'm not sure how that's going to go over with quotes around it. Then in the handshake line, he said, 'We're 3-0 with it.'"

Detroit goes for the sweep against Arizona on Wednesday afternoon. Greene is now forced to keep the look until they lose. He knows it doesn't look good but it's a small sacrifice to pull everyone out of a dreadful quagmire.

If the Tigers keep playing well you can rest assured the crowd is going to have more mustaches in solidarity. Something to look forward to.

Texoma FC rejects the idea of “self-relegation,” yet their drop to USL League Two and surprise second club have pushed them into an unexpected multi-club future.

The phrase Ben Watson keeps hearing is “self-relegation.” 

He can’t stand it. The owner of the now former-USL League Two club Texoma FC insists that his team, which announced it was moving down a division on Oct. 28, is not an early version of the promotion-relegation model soon to come to USL. 

Instead, Watson asserts, Texoma saw where the soccer landscape in Texas was going and simply realigned. The reality is perhaps a little more complex. But whatever your interpretation may be – strategic realignment or a noble sort of demotion – Texoma is now an amateur club in USL League Two. 

And in addition, Watson has unveiled a second team altogether. He now owns “Rodeo SC” which is set to debut in 2027. It’s in a new city, Celina – a 30-minute drive down the road from his current side. It operates in a fresh market, with a different vibe altogether. 

Somehow, accidentally, Watson and his fellow investors have fallen into what is effectively multi-club ownership in USL. 

“We were the first ones to do what we did. So we've definitely pioneered it. But I would say, yeah, it's unique in nature, because you have a League One team that has a League Two affiliate, but they're not in the same market,” Watson told GOAL.

• Texoma FC
  

  'Thinking pro-rel'

  This is a complicated thing that requires balance. Texoma struggled in their first season of play. Their potential as a long-term investment – and that’s what soccer clubs are – is limited. But they can also be part of a multi-club system in North Texas, Watson argued. 

  “It's two completely different identities, two different communities that really can latch on to that community club feel, but they still can feed to the same place,” Watson said. 

  His solution, then, is to keep Texoma chugging along in its current market, and also establish a bigger club in a bigger area – with a more distinct identity – that can push for genuine relevance as promotion and relegation come into the fold. 

  “I think it's safe to say all the clubs in the USL are thinking pro-rel route. All of us know it's coming. We're all making moves to figure out how we realign, or how we position ourselves long term to be successful,” Watson said. 

  More broadly, the hope is that it can all be one ecosystem. Watson’s vision is that of shared academies, a talent pool that both teams can dip into, and, at its best, a fully fleshed-out system that can allow a duo of franchises to thrive.

Advertisement

• Chris Linscott
  

  'USL League One was too high of a league for us'

  It is worth, first, acknowledging that Texoma, in its inaugural season of existence, simply failed to hit the heights that the owners expected. On the pitch, the product wasn’t great. They finished 12th in the league, just six points off the bottom. 

  And off the field, things were perhaps just a little miscalculated. Texoma is based in Sherman, Texas, a city with few sporting credentials and a population of just over 50,000 (it is admittedly rising). Attendance was poor. They had the third-lowest average in the league, with just over 1,200 routinely showing up to games. At one point, they had just 216 fans in the stands (although that was after a number of rain delays in mid-July). 

  Even those in the stands knew that there was something wrong. 

  “I actually felt that from pretty early on in the season that USL League One was too high of a league for us,” Richard McKibbin, a regular attendee at games, told GOAL. “I’m realistic. I saw the crowds that we were getting in Sherman and knew that the long-term viability of a professional team in Sherman was questionable at best.” 

  More broadly, though, Texoma had one glaring problem: the market could not sustain a soccer team. Watson had to accept that. 

  “I think we realigned to fit the community better. The Texoma community is a smaller market. It fits extremely well with the USL League Two,” Watson said. 

  Texoma's owners had known that harsh reality for a few months before they announced anything. For six months, they were seriously looking at new markets for a fresh franchise, while admitting that their current team wouldn’t be in USL League One for long. 

  “You look at a club like Portland Hearts of Pine. We were the same year as them, Year 1 to Year 1.. You're like, they're doing something right. So from our shoes, we look at it and go, 'Okay, well, what can we do to create something that people want to be a part of?'” Watson said.

• IMAGN
  

  Fall festivals and high school football games

  Their solution has been a new brand in a new city. Watson studied the market extensively once he knew that Texoma wasn’t going to sustain a professional team long term. He found that the most successful USL clubs come in places with a distinct culture, a market looking for a sports team, and, long term, the potential to build a stadium. 

  “We spent about six, seven months in season, working through ‘Does this make sense? Are the city leaders interested? Is there a long-term potential here to build a venue?’ All those conversations took place,” Watson said. 

  Celina, Texas, is, mathematically, a better market. Right now, it’s roughly the same size as Sherman by population. But it’s also a 30-minute drive away, and part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Eight years ago, 7,000 people lived there. City leaders are preparing for a boom that will leave the city with around 300,000 – such is the rapidly expanding population of the Dallas area. And in those numbers, Watson sees potential. 

  “We know this community has grown. We know it's a great place. We really like the city leadership, and so all these things kind of allude to this can be a successful franchise,” Watson said. 

  There’s also already a sporting culture in Celina (albeit with a different kind of football). They pack the stands for high school football games. And people just gather for pretty much anything. 

  "They do a lot of downtown things where 15-25,000 people will show up in a day to one event. Their high school football games are sold out. We went to their homecoming game the other day, and they had to bring in extra bleachers to the stadium,” Watson said.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'They're going to dress up in overalls'

  They are already calling themselves the “Rodeo Clowns.” Within 24 hours of announcing the brand, Rodeo SC had their first three supporters. 

  “They're going to dress up in overalls and a cowboy hat, and they're gonna have the full thing. When you start to hear it, you're like, ‘that is the most Texan American thing you can ever think of’,” Watson said. 

  They were sold on the vision immediately. The name is a slightly dorky thing, but also an homage to the West. This is a place of cattle and rodeos and cowboys. The Jerry Jones-owned NFL team nearby – the clue is in name – became one of the biggest brands on earth by leaning into where they’re from. Rodeo SC are doing the same. 

  “Texas has a lot of rodeo heritage, and Celina is known for the Longhorn cattle. It's got a whole identity around that side. We're like, man, we could lean into this. We could create this concept where it's fun, almost gimmicky, but, like, obviously, it's still football,” Watson said. 

  It works on multiple levels. The first, of course, is the uniqueness. But the second is the idea of entertainment associated with the name. Soccer franchises can no longer be only about the game on the field – or what happens in 90 minutes. Rodeo SC, then, are about the matchday experience. While some have backed away from their roots and just put out a team, Watson wants to lean into theirs – to a fault. 

  “The cool part is, if you come in town from Maine, or you come in from Washington, Florida – wherever you're coming from, even internationally – you're gonna come and go, ‘I want to experience Texas.’ We want you to leave and go, 'yes, that was Texas', and that's Rodeo Soccer Club,” Watson said.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set to miss the two-match home Test series against West Indies, starting in Ahmedabad from October 2.India’s selection meeting for the series is scheduled for September 24. ESPNcricinfo has learned the Ajit Agarkar-led panel will pick 15 players, which is two fewer than the squad for the New Zealand Tests last October, the last home series India played.Pant, who was India’s vice-captain in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England this year, suffered a fractured left foot during the fourth Test in Manchester. While he limped out to bat in the first innings, he was replaced by N Jagadeesan in the squad for the final Test at the Oval. Pant is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.It is learned that Pant has been undergoing strength and conditioning and is awaiting further updates from the BCCI medical team before he can resume batting and keeping. There is no firm timeline drawn for his return. India are scheduled to play a white-ball series in Australia from October 19, after the West Indies series.In Pant’s absence, Dhruv Jurel is expected to be India’s wicketkeeper during the West Indies series. Jurel, who is currently in Lucknow playing against Australia A, kept wicket in the final two Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Jagadeesan, who opened in the first match against Australia A as well as swapped keeping duties with Jurel, could be the back-up in case the selectors opt for a second specialist wicketkeeper for the West Indies series.It is also understood that the selectors are likely to consider Nitish Kumar Reddy and Devdutt Padikkal for the Test series. Padikkal, who made 150 for India A against Australia A in the first four-day game in Lucknow, has played two Tests so far. He was part of the Perth Test against Australia last year, when he made scores of 0 and 25 from No. 3.Reddy was also part of that series, as well as the England Tests that followed, and has played a total of seven Tests so far. Reddy, who was supposed to make a comeback from the knee injury he suffered in England in the first four-day game against Australia A, did not make the XI. Both players are in the squad for the second four-day game which begins on Tuesday.The India-West Indies Tests are part of the World Test Championship (WTC). India are currently third on the WTC table, after drawing the five-match England series 2-2. West Indies are sixth after three losses in three games.

This season is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s best in a very, very long time.

Now, there is still a lot of football to be played, but going into the third international break of the campaign, Mikel Arteta has his side top of the Premier League and with four wins from four in the Champions League.

What makes it all the more impressive is the fact that, aside from the defence, there is a real sense that the team aren’t even operating at their best.

Moreover, the club have a significant number of injured players set to return in the coming weeks, which will massively bolster the squad, although it might also make it clear that a certain player appreciated by Thierry Henry needs to be moved on.

Arsenal's injury crisis

Now, Arsenal supporters will be the first to admit that the team just weren’t good enough to win the league last season.

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However, a significant reason why the side was lacklustre on the domestic front was the absurd number of injuries Arteta has to deal with.

Understandably, the club sought to avoid a similar situation this year by signing eight first-team quality players in the summer, rather than spending record sums on individual players.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea

Eberechi Eze

Palace

Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting

Piero Hincapie

Leverkusen

Noni Madueke

Chelsea

Cristhian Mosquera

Valencia

Christian Norgaard

Brentford

Martin Zubimendi

Sociedad

It’s an approach that has already paid off multiple times this season, as even though it hasn’t been discussed as much, the squad has once again dealt with a barrage of injuries this season.

Noni Madueke was able to cover for Bukayo Saka; Cristhian Mosquera covered for Gabriel Mahgaelese; Eberechi Eze stood in for Martin Odegaard, and Viktor Gyokeres was thrown into the deep end in place of the injured Kai Havertz.

However, the dam can only hold out for so long, and over the last few weeks, the injury list has grown too significant, with Mikel Merino once again starting up top for two matches in a row.

In all, Arsenal were without six first-team players for the draw against Sunderland, and all six of them were attacking players, which helps explain why the bench looked so short on options and why the manager brought on only Mosquera.

The good news is that most of them will be back in contention after the international break, and all should be available to play by the new year.

However, that means the squad could become quite bloated in attack, and so it might be time to sell someone Henry was once very complimentary about.

The Arsenal star who should be sold

With Gyokeres and Madueke being summer signings and Havertz clearly a firm favourite of Arteta, it feels like, of all the injured players, it’s £45m man, Gabriel Jesus, who should be moved on.

Now, that is no indictment of the player himself, as at his best, the former Manchester City star was almost unplayable and capable of things that no other Arsenal attacker could even think of doing.

That’s not hyperbole either, as following a particularly impressive showing against Seville, the legendary Henry said he “would have loved to play with him” due to his close control and ability to create for others.

However, that was over two years ago, and it’s been over three years since he was at his utterly incredible best.

Since then, there have been flashes of that sensational ability, but every time he seems to build up any steam, he goes down with another injury.

Since the start of his Arsenal career in the 22/23 season, the Brazilian international has been injured seven times, which has seen him spend a grand total of 559 days on the sidelines and miss 90 games for club and country.

It doesn’t really matter how talented a player is; if they are that unreliable, then they are not an asset to a club.

24/25

370 days

56

23/24

89 days

17

22/23

100 days

17

20/21

60 days

14

19/20

34 days

5

18/19

26 days

6

17/18

76 days

13

16/17

68 days

15

Moreover, it’s not like the 28-year-old is on a modest wage; he’s currently earning a whopping £265k-per-week, which makes him the second-highest earner at the club.

Ultimately, Jesus is undeniably an excellent footballer, but he’s just never available when the club need him and considering he has such an enormous wage, it might be time to sell him in the winter, or at the end of the season.

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Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was praised for his display against Fulham in the Premier League.

Everton 2-0 Fulham

Gueye and Michael Keane supplemented Everton’s misfiring attack in a 2-0 win which extended Fulham’s woes on the road to a fifth successive match.

With the Toffees’ two strikers Beto and Thierno Barry scoring just one Premier League goal between them so far this season, there is an imperative for others to chip in. But in a team boasting the attacking talents of Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, it was their defensive midfielder and centre-back who made the difference.

The two teams had scored just 22 between them in 20 combined Premier League matches so the first goal was important and Gueye’s intervention, in the fourth minute of first-half added time, was even more crucial as an offside flag denied Everton on three occasions in a match they should have won more comfortably.

Gueye stabbed home his second of the campaign after Tim Iroegbunam had completely fluffed his shot in front of goal from a James Tarkowski header which rebounded off the crossbar.

After failing to score at all last season, Gueye is well on his way to beat his best return of four in an Everton shirt from 2023-24. Keane flicked home a Dewsbury-Hall corner with 10 minutes to go to banish any late anxiety. They were contributions gratefully received by boss David Moyes, whose side ended a run of one win in eight matches in all competitions.

Unsurprisingly, Gueye’s performance against the Cottagers was highly praised in the aftermath of the game.

Gueye was "brilliant" against Fulham

After opening the scoring against Fulham, pundit Sue Smith, as per Sky Sports, said of Gueye:

Idrissa Gueye Stats vs. Fulham

Minutes Played

90

Goals

1

Assists

0

Passes Made (Accuracy)

41/48 (85%)

Recoveries

3

Clearances

3

Interceptions

1

Aerial Duels Won

1/1 (100%)

Times Dribbled Past

0

All stats are from SofaScore

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Everton Extra noted that Gueye was “very, very good” in the first half against Everton, form that continued after the half-time break. Initially alongside Iroegbunam until the 22-year-old was replaced by Merlin Rohl in the 67th minute, Gueye helped Everton limit their visitors as they maintained their impressive start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In six Premier League games at their new home, Everton have lost just once, picking up 11 points from an available 18. Everton will not play now until after the November international break, which they enter with a win that Gueye contributed heavily towards.

New Iwobi could be unleashed for Everton

Just a few weeks ago, the mood around West Ham United was as dour as it had been in years, and yet now there is a genuine sense of optimism surrounding the club.

This quite dramatic change in sentiment is, of course, down to Nuno Espírito Santo’s side finally putting in performances worthy of the badge, beating Newcastle United and Burnley 3-1 and 3-2, respectively.

On top of the wins, the fans have also seen Freddie Potts given a genuine chance in the first team, and so far, he’s looking every bit the future star so many thought he’d be.

So, supporters should be seriously excited about another player in the academy who could be the next Potts.

Why West Ham fans should be excited about Potts

Now, the headline from the last couple of gameweeks is, and should be, the fact that West Ham have picked up six points from six.

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However, it’s impossible to ignore the side story of Potts finally getting his full first-team debut and then earning a second start in as many games.

The Englishman was utterly impeccable against the Toon. He delivered quintessential all-action central midfield performances and was more than deserving of his Man of the Match award.

He was once again bossing the midfield against the Clarets on Saturday afternoon before going off with what looked like a leg injury, although thankfully it has since been revealed to have only been a dead leg.

Despite being on the pitch for just 62 minutes, the 22-year-old played three key passes, took 56 touches, won 66% of his tackles, made six clearances, won six of nine ground duels and made four recoveries.

It was another showing that demonstrated just why fans are right to be excited about the academy gem.

The Barking-born monster, who, according to one analyst, is blessed with a “supreme confidence and ability to create time and space on the ball”, looks like he could develop into the perfect central midfielder for a Premier League side looking to climb the table.

So it’s good news that the academy may have already produced another prospect who could be Nuno’s next Potts.

West Ham's next Potts

While the first team has been largely disappointing over the last couple of years, the academy has continued to produce exciting prospects for West Ham. One of those talents, and someone who could be the next Potts, is George Earthy.

Now, while the youngster can and has played in several positions across the pitch, he is primarily an attacking midfielder. However, where he plays on the pitch has very little to do with the comparisons to and why he could be another Potts.

Instead, one of the main points of comparison is that, while he hasn’t had many first-team chances, the 21-year-old is viewed as one of the most exciting prospects at the club and has a youth record to prove it.

For example, in 60 appearances for the u18s, totalling 4804 minutes, he scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 111.72 minutes.

Then, in 53 appearances for the u21s, totalling 3573 minutes, he scored 17 goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.76 games, or every 119.1 minutes, and was enough for him to be named Young Hammer of the Year at the end of the 2023/24 season.

With it clear that the “priceless” gem, as dubbed by coach Steve Potts, was too good for academy football, the club sent him on loan to Bristol City last season, where he once again won another young player of the year award.

Now, in addition to being very highly rated from a young age, something else the Havering-born gem shares with the Hammers’ current man of the moment is a love for the club.

Yes, on top of being one of their own, having graduated from the academy, the 21-year-old is a West Ham supporter and even travelled to Prague to watch the side lift the Conference League as a fan.

Ultimately, while they play different roles, Earthy shares a lot in common with Potts, and his impressive record in the academy and with Bristol should see him earn his first competitive start for West Ham sooner rather than later.

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For all the flutter the revelation of the plan has created, it remains to be seen how far it will go if the BCCI isn’t on board

Osman Samiuddin19-Mar-2025Plans for a new Grand-Slam-style circuit of T20 tournaments, with financial backing from Saudi Arabia, based on a blueprint drawn up by player associations, represents a bold attempt at an incursion into cricket by forces outside the closed shop that is traditional cricket governance.But for the all the flutter the revelation of the plan has created, it remains to be seen how far it will go if it fails to co-opt, or at least interest, the organisation that holds the key to cricket’s biggest market: the BCCI.Talk of a Saudi Arabian entry into cricket is not new, of course. It’s been a fixture for two years, with only the precise mode of entry a variable: a stake in an IPL franchise, an entirely new league, an unspecified but wholesale takeover of the sport, take your pick. Meanwhile, the country’s actual entry has been far more gradual. Sponsorships at the IPL, a partnership tied up with the ICC and, most recently and definitely most prominently, as host of the IPL auction.Related

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Protected international windows on WCA wishlist for 'sustainable future' of cricket

Saudi Arabia dipping its toes into cricket might be the start of something big

World Cricketers Association hopes to find solution to 'broken and unsustainable' cricket schedule

It’s about time, some will argue, given its impact on other major sports. It’s always been a footballing nation – a major Asian force – but it is its forays into boxing, tennis, F1, MMA and golf that have signalled its wider intentions to become a sporting force.At the moment, there is little detail to these plans. Seven to eight teams from around the world, playing four tournaments in a year, each tournament envisaged to last 10-12 days. These are early sketches with little detail on how such tournaments will fit into what is already a calendar bursting at the seams. For it to be incorporated successfully, it would almost certainly need to cause collateral damage, most likely to some formats of international cricket, such as context-less bilateral ODIs and T20Is. Which countries will be involved? And which teams will they send? National sides, as seems to be one suggestion, or those from already established T20 franchise leagues (and so, is this a revival of the Champions League?), or some other elite geographical representation?The IPL apart, how many leagues have actually brought in big broadcast money?•BCCIAs significant as the involvement of SRJ Sports Investments, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s sports arm, is that of the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA). The idea is said to be the brainchild of Neil Maxwell, the former NSW and Victoria all-rounder and former ACA board member who is now a prominent player manager. It’s been brewing since at least last year, if not earlier. The ACA has confirmed to the that it was behind the idea: “The ACA’s early interest in exploring this concept is motivated by a desire to develop and normalise best-practice collective bargaining and an international gender-equity pay model for male and female cricketers. And to develop a competition creating value for distribution to cricket’s governing bodies to protect and subsidise Test cricket and the continuing growth of the women’s game for all nations.”WCA, which has been advocating for change to the broken international calendar for a number of years, is believed to be taking the lead on plans now. It as offered no comment on the matter, but is busy at the moment with something not entirely unrelated: a comprehensive review of the game’s global structure, the results of which it is due to release imminently. Is more cricket the answer? No, but perhaps the first player-led tournaments in the cricket calendar, somewhat like tennis’ ATP, is (although the tour is currently the subject of a lawsuit by players).This is not unimportant. Players are at the sharpest end of the impossibilities of this calendar and have been vocal about needing change. Given the player associations involved, some of the world’s leading players will be behind this. But this won’t be exactly like the ATP, because the plans also envisage a stake for the ICC. According to some accounts, Danny Townsend, the chief executive of SRJ, is believed to have interacted with Jay Shah on the sidelines of the IPL auction and brought up, albeit briefly, these plans. It would suggest that Saudi Arabia does not want to make the kind of turbulent and disruptive entry into cricket that it has in golf, for example, where it has created a parallel circuit altogether.The talk so far has been that revenue from the circuit will be split in some formulation between SRJ, the player associations and the ICC. The ACA’s statement acknowledges that earnings will find a way back to governing bodies, in the hopes that Test cricket can be subsidised.That revenue, of course, will be the thing because it isn’t clear how and how much of it such a league can generate. The IPL apart, how many leagues have actually brought in big broadcast money? And there are plenty of signs that cricket’s broadcast rights market may have peaked and that the ecosystem is now under stress, as the ongoing tension between the ICC and JioStar over their rights deal suggests. The Saudis can put in the kind of money to start up a league, but what are the prospects of making it – and much more – back?Saudi Arabia’s most prominent incursion into cricket so far was its hosting of the IPL 2025 player auction•BCCIAnd, of course, the reality is that, for that to happen, the circuit will need Indian players. That is why Shah was sought out at the IPL auction, given he was BCCI secretary at the time, as well as the ICC chair-elect. Few things of this magnitude can happen successfully in cricket without Shah – or the BCCI – buying into it. And why would the BCCI buy into a concept that, in its fullest ambitions, actually rivals the IPL?The earliest noises from another major board have been of extreme scepticism. The ECB’s chief executive Richard Gould has told the unequivocally “there is no scope or demand for such an idea,” emboldened, no doubt, by the injection of a half-billion-pound private equity bounty into the Hundred. Other member boards could be swayed by the prospect of another revenue stream, but the bottom line is, if the BCCI is not on board with the plan, a big broadcast deal becomes that much more difficult.A final point to ponder is the idea of the WCA and the ICC working together. The WCA has become increasingly – and justifiably – frustrated with the way the game is being run by the ICC and its members. When it launched its review into the structure, the chair Heath Mills said it had “given up hope” that the game’s leaders could establish a “clear and coherent structure” housing both international cricket and domestic leagues.The relationship has, at times, been adversarial. A number of full members, including the BCCI and PCB, don’t even have player associations. Both the ICC and WCA recently sparred over the former’s use of player image rights. It led to WCA signing a long-term deal with Winners Alliance (an affiliate of the Novak-Djokovic-backed Professional Tennis Players Association, the body currently suing the ATP), which will negotiate collective commercial deals for players who are members of WCA-affiliated players’ associations. A player-led league would be a win for the WCA, but how easy is it going to be when a lot of those players remain contracted to the various member boards that constitute the ICC?It’s almost inevitable that Saudi Arabian money will come into the game. It has broken through into most other major sports and given that attracting Indian tourism remains a key goal, cricket is an obvious in. It’s just far from certain whether this is that way in.

Weibgen rescued Queensland from 38 for 4 after Joel Curtis’ century had powered Western Australia to 321 for 9

AAP21-Sep-2025

Hugh Weibgen was the hero as Queensland recovered from a top-order collapse to post a thrilling two-wicket victory over Western Australia at Allan Border Field.Joel Curtis struck 116 off 108 balls and Sam Whiteman a run-a-ball 83 as WA posted a formidable 321 for 9 on Sunday.In reply, Queensland slumped to 38 for 4 before Weibgen (115* off 94 balls) produced a masterful knock to lift his team to victory with just five balls to spare. Jack Wildermuth (74 off 49) and Michael Neser (41 off 23) also produced important knocks in the remarkable chase.Weibgen, 20 and playing just his second List A match, cracked nine fours and five sixes in an unforgettable innings. Wildermuth provided plenty of fireworks with five fours and six sixes, while Neser (three fours, three sixes) produced a handy late cameo to ensure the required run rate stayed within control.Fittingly, Weibgen hit the winning runs when he crunched a Matthew Kelly full toss for four.WA looked to be in an unbeatable position after removing Queensland’s top order.Dangerman Marnus Labuschagne, who posted 130 in Queensland’s’ win over Victoria earlier this week, was out for 2 off 19 balls. Jack Clayton (5), Matthew Renshaw (5) and Jimmy Peirson (18) were also part of the top-order collapse.Weibgen walked to the crease with the scoreboard reading 38 for 4 in the 13th over.He was dropped on 109 by Sam Fanning with Queensland still needing 11 more runs for victory, and the miss proved costly.Earlier, third-gamer Curtis struck 12 fours and four sixes during his sparkling knock, combining with Fanning for a 124-run third-wicket partnership for WA. Curtis brought up his maiden One-Day Cup century by hooking Neser (1 for 62) for six.It would take something special to remove Curtis, and Mitchell Swepson obliged with a spectacular one-handed catch at mid-off while running with the flight of the ball. Cameron Bancroft’s quest for early-season runs went unfulfilled, as he was out for 12 when he edged Tom Straker behind.Legspinner Swepson snared 4 for 52 and Straker chipped in with 3 for 65, but it was Weibgen’s heroics with the bat that set tongues wagging.