I Dig Sports
Six Nations to use 20-minute red cards for first time
This year's Six Nations will use 20-minute red cards for the first time.
The trial was in place for the Autumn Nations Cup in November and has been extended to this year's men's, women's and Under-20s Championships.
Lawmakers say the 20-minute red card is designed to "punish the player and not the team", with sides able to replace a dismissed player after 20 minutes.
The men's Six Nations starts on Friday, 31 January with France hosting Wales in Paris.
While referees are still able to award a full and permanent red card for "deliberate and dangerous acts of foul play", the 20-minute red card constitutes a major change to rugby union's disciplinary process.
A crackdown on head contact has been in place since January 2017, with a number of the sport's biggest recent matches affected by red cards.
The losing side in the past two Rugby World Cup finals - England's women against New Zealand in 2022 and the All Blacks against South Africa in the 2023 men's showpiece - played the majority of the match with 14 players, as did Bath when beaten by Northampton in last year's Premiership final.
"Across the game, everyone is working together to ensure we are exploring new and innovative ways to make the game as safe as possible, alongside ambitions to enhance the spectacle for fans, and the experience for players," said Six Nations chief of rugby Julie Paterson.
There are two global law trials which will also come in during the 2025 Championship, with scrum-halves being given more protection at the base of rucks, mauls and scrums, while throws that aren't straight when the line-out is uncontested will not be penalised.
Reduction in the time allowed for conversions as well as quicker formation of scrums and line-outs - introduced in the autumn - will also continue into all three championships, as will referees broadcasting key decisions over the public address system for the benefit of fans in the stadium.
Rice signs off on UCL with Arsenal passage secure
The mathematics were still causing a few heads to be scratched after Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, but Declan Rice gave the new Champions League format a thumbs up.
"It's been really, really good. It's the first time trying it out and I think everyone was a little bit confused how it would work when it first got announced, but playing in this format has been really interesting," the midfielder said.
"Playing big teams, coming up against different opposition, I've really liked it."
Rice scored the opener as Arsenal made it a virtual mathematical certainty that they will finish in the top eight of the 36-team group stage which this season replaced the established format of eight groups of four.
They are in third place with 16 points and in reality can already start planning for the knockout phase, even if manager Mikel Arteta could not bring himself to say it.
"We haven't been told. I know we're in a really strong position," the Spaniard said after Arsenal extended their unbeaten home run in Europe to 15 games.
Kai Havertz took his season's tally to 14 with Arsenal's second goal and Martin Ødegaard poached his first goal since November in stoppage time to wrap up a comfortable win.
"Overall, we got the job done and well done. We didn't concede a shot on target which is really positive again. It shows that the team is really well-rounded," Arteta said. "Overall, scoring three goals, winning in the Champions League at home, another clean sheet at home -- four in a row -- and having made some changes as well.
"We rotated players that didn't play that many minutes and they responded really well."
Avoiding a Champions League playoff will also guarantee the Arsenal squad some winter sunshine as Arteta said a break is now likely to recharge batteries seeing as they are already out of the FA Cup, which continues on Feb. 7-11.
"It was very helpful [last season] and with the schedule that we've had for the last three months, you can have a break, reset a little bit and work on things and rest some people, while some people are back, that would be great," he said.
Pep: City down to 'last chance' to avoid UCL exit
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City have one "last chance" to salvage their Champions League campaign after a 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain left the 2023 European champions facing a humiliating early exit from the competition.
Despite taking a 2-0 lead early in the second half with goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, City surrendered their advantage and ended up losing convincingly at the Parc des Princes.
The loss means that City must now beat Club Brugge at the Etihad next Wednesday to reach the playoff round. Anything other than a victory will see City eliminated.
But after seeing his team outplayed by PSG, Guardiola had no complaints about the result or City's fate.
"We have a last chance against Brugge and if we don't go through it's because we don't deserve it," Guardiola told reporters. "We have to recover against Chelsea in our next game and just move forward.
"Tonight, they [PSG] were better. Congratulate PSG and accept it. The law of football is like that -- how intense and aggressive they were in key positions. You have to recover players and do it better.
"Their players suffered and they were better. They were better in the duels and we found our moment with 0-2 for the goal, but the first half they had two clear chances."
City surrendered a winning position for the ninth time this season and the defeat was their third successive away loss in the Champions League having previously gone 12 games on the road without a loss in the competition.
And Guardiola said he felt City's defeat was due to being unable to dominate the game in midfield against PSG's energetic unit.
"When they had the ball, they dropped, but we created problems," Guardiola said. "After 2-0 and especially 1-2 we could not play. You have to play with the ball and they were better.
"They had an extra man in the middle with the false nine and it was difficult. They were better. They had one more player in the middle and we expected with the buildup and to have more aggression. but they jumped back and squeezed really well and we could not make the process. The connection with Bernardo [Silva] and Kova [Mateo Kovacic] was not possible or not good and we could not make the process."
Guardiola said Manchester City could not "cope with" PSG in the transition game.
"We had to defend with the ball and it's impossible to play well," he said. "PSG played better in their games and couldn't win. Today they were able to. In the big stages, the big teams, we struggle. We have to accept it. Recover and go to Chelsea. We have to recover our game."
It's been a journey into the unknown, but the new-look 36-team Champions League is finally reaching the climax of the league phase.
While we're starting to get some kind of idea of who's going to go through, a lot can happen in the final round. We only know two of the eight clubs that will go straight through to the round of 16, and 18 of the 24 teams who will be in the knockout rounds.
That said, nine teams have already been eliminated with only three more to come -- so jeopardy is limited.
Unlike in previous seasons, no teams will drop into the Europa League from the Champions League.
Unexpectedly, Man City are in real danger of being eliminated, which might not have been the case under the old format.
Let's take a look at what's at stake and how the final matchday is shaping up.
How does it work?
The teams in position 1-8 go straight to the round of 16, and won't have to play games in February.
The clubs in places 9-24 will face the playoff round next month.
Those in 25th to 36th are eliminated.
Does it matter where you finish in the table?
Yes, because the league placings create the knockout bracket. Unlike in previous seasons, where there would be open draws, paths will be set after this phase has been completed.
The new "seeding" system means the highest-placed teams can't face each other until the latter stages of the knockout round.
For instance, if we look at the table right now, Liverpool and Barcelona are in first and second and they would not be able to play each other until the final. The teams in third and fourth -- currently Arsenal and Inter Milan -- can't play Liverpool or Barcelona until the semifinals.
However, the value of being placed high in the table has been complicated by poor European seasons for Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, who have unexpectedly become possible opponents earlier in the knockout rounds.
The teams in first and second will play 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th in the round of 16. A host of top clubs could yet finish in one of those positions, including Real Madrid (16th) and Juventus (17th).
Finishing seventh or eighth is to be avoided, and that creates a direct collision course with first and second in the quarterfinals.
What are the league phase tiebreakers?
1 - Goal difference
2 - Goals scored
3 - Away goals scored
4 - Wins
5 - Away wins
6 - Higher number of total points collected by league phase opponents*
7 - Higher goal difference attained of league phase opponents*
8 - Higher goals scored by league phase opponents*
9 - Disciplinary points
10 - UEFA club coefficient.
*You add up the record of the eight teams faced in the league phase, effectively creating a difficulty level of opponents.
Who is already through to the knockout rounds?
Round of 16:
Liverpool are through and are guaranteed to finish first or second, and thus take a top seeding position in the bracket.
Barcelona have also secured a top-eight finish with a dramatic winner in a 5-4 comeback victory at Benfica.
Guaranteed at least a place in the knockout playoff round:
Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Internazionale, AC Milan, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, Brest, AS Monaco, Lille, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Celtic
How it looks: the battle to go through
Before the competition began it was thought that 16 points would secure a place in the top eight, but the low spread of points at the bottom of the table means it could take 17 points to be absolutely certain of going through. It now looks possible to finish outside the top eight on goal difference with 16 points.
1. Liverpool (21 points, goal difference +13)
PSV Eindhoven (a)
The Reds are through and certain to finish in the top 2.
2. Barcelona (18, +15)
Atalanta (h)
A direct place in the round of 16 is booked and they can finish no lower than sixth, though goal difference realistically means they will be top four.
3. Arsenal (16, +12)
Girona (a)
4. Internazionale (16, +7)
AS Monaco (h)
Arsenal and Inter could both still miss out on goal difference if they lose, but Arsenal are in a very strong position on +12. The Gunners would need to suffer a big defeat to Girona, or three of Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Inter, AS Monaco, Feyenoord, Brest or Lille would need huge wins to overtake them on 16 points.
Inter are slightly less safe with goal difference of +7, and if they were to lose by two goals at home to Monaco wins for Arsenal, Leverkusen and Villa could possibly put them into the playoffs. But they look good.
5. Atlético Madrid (15, +5)
RB Salzburg (a)
6. AC Milan (15, +4)
Dinamo Zagreb (a)
A win for Atlético and Milan would send both clubs through to the round of 16.
A draw could be enough, but it would place them right on the edge of qualification and into a goal difference battle on 16 points. Big wins for teams who are now on 13 points would put them in the playoffs.
A loss is very unlikely to keep them top eight.
7. Atalanta (14, +14)
Barcelona (a)
The Serie A side's 5-0 victory over Sturm Graz has put them right in contention for the top eight.
A draw could be enough ... but Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, AS Monaco, Feyenoord, Lille and Brest would need to fail to win.
Realistically, Atalanta must win at Camp Nou to go through directly.
8. Bayer Leverkusen (13, +6)
Sparta Prague (h)
9. Aston Villa (13, +5)
Celtic (h)
10. AS Monaco (13, +3)
Internazionale (a)
11. Feyenoord Rotterdam (13, +2)
Lille (a)
12. Lille (13, +2)
Feyenoord Rotterdam (h)
13. Brest (13, +2)
Real Madrid (h)
It's a real hit and hope for all six sides on 13 points.
What do their chances look like? Arsenal have far superior goal difference, while Inter, Atlético and AC Milan have favourable fixtures.
Does that mean there could be only one or two places open in the top eight if Atalanta stumble at Camp Nou? They must hope for shock results.
Leverkusen sit eighth, while Villa are best placed to squeeze into it with their goal difference and decent home fixtures.
Lille and Feyenoord play each other, but both only have goal difference of +2.
Brest would probably need a big win at home to Real Madrid to pull it off.
14. Borussia Dortmund (12, +8)
Shakhtar Donetsk (h)
15. Bayern Munich (12, +6)
Slovan Bratislava (h)
16. Real Madrid (12, +5)
Brest (a)
17. Juventus (12, +4)
Benfica (h)
18. Celtic (12,+1)
Aston Villa (a)
All five sides are assured of the knockout playoff round, and while mathematically they have a chance of making the top eight on goal difference, it would take a crazy set of results to do so.
Atlético Madrid and AC Milan must lose, and five of the seven teams from 7th to 13th fail to win.
19. PSV Eindhoven (11, +3)
Liverpool (h)
20. Club Brugge (11, -2)
Manchester City (a)
These are only two teams who are locked in the knockout playoff round.
21. Benfica (10, +2)
Juventus (a)
22. Paris Saint-Germain (10, +2)
VfB Stuttgart (a)
23. Sporting CP (10, +1)
Bologna (h)
24. VfB Stuttgart (10, -1)
Paris Saint-Germain (h)
All four teams know that victory secures a place in the knockout playoff round. Club Brugge would be overtaken by Man City if they lose at the Etihad, and the Belgian club would then have to hope they are not overtaken by the clubs on 10 points. That would require Stuttgart vs. PSG being a draw and wins for both Benfica and Sporting.
Paris Saint-Germain effectively only need a draw vs. Stuttgart as Zagreb's goal difference is so inferior.
25. Manchester City (8, +2)
Club Brugge (h)
26. Dinamo Zagreb (8, -8)
AC Milan (h)
Man City sit outside the top 24 but they are guaranteed to go through on goal difference with a win at home to Club Brugge. The only question is whether that would be at the expense of the Belgian club, or one of the teams on 10 points.
Dinamo Zagreb must win at home to AC Milan and hope at least one of Benfica, PSG/Stuttgart or Sporting lose. Make that two if Man City win.
27. Shakhtar Donetsk (7, -6)
Borussia Dortmund (a)
Shakhtar Donetsk have very slim hope. They would have to win first of all. Manchester City and Dinamo Zagreb must fail to win. And one of the teams on 10 points must lose with a big goal difference swing.
28. Bologna (5, -5)
Sporting CP (a)
29. Sparta Prague (4, -12)
Bayer Leverkusen (a)
30. RB Leipzig (3, -6)
SK Sturm Graz (a)
31. Girona (3, -7)
Arsenal (h)
32. Red Star Belgrade (3, -10)
Young Boys (a)
33. SK Sturm Graz (3, -10)
RB Leipzig (h)
34. RB Salzburg (3, -19)
Real Madrid (a), Atlético Madrid (h)
35. Slovan Bratislava (0, -18)
Bayern Munich (a)
36. Young Boys (0, -20)
Red Star Belgrade (h)
The bottom nine have been eliminated.
How does the final round of games work?
All 18 matches are played at the same time in a bumper round where every goal will change the table.
The games take place at 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. UK on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
When is the draw for the knockout rounds?
The draw for the knockout playoff round -- featuring the clubs that finish ninth to 24th -- will take place on Friday, Jan. 31 at 6 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. UK.
How does the knockout draw work?
In the knockout playoff round draw, teams are paired by their final position
Before the draw, teams will have two possible opponents.
For instance, 21st (Benfica) and 22nd (PSG) will be paired to play either 11th (Feyenoord) or 12th (Lille).
The two pairs of fixtures will then be drawn into opposite halves of the bracket.
The teams placed 9th to 16th are seeded and will be at home in the second leg.
First legs: Feb. 11-12, 2025
Second legs: Feb. 18-19, 2025
After the knockout playoff round draw, the teams who finish inside the top eight will still have four possible opponents.
For instance, fifth (Inter) and sixth (AC Milan) would still be able to play any of 11th, 12th, 21st and 22nd.
Once the knockout playoff round is complete, the teams in fifth and sixth would have two possible opponents remaining, the winners of those ties.
The round of 16 draw then takes place on Friday, Feb. 21, when fifth and sixth would be drawn into opposite halves of the bracket -- which would create a fixture against a winner of a knockout playoff round tie.
The teams placed 1st to 8th are seeded and will be at home in the second leg.
First legs: March 4-5, 2025
Second legs: March 11-12, 2025
The knockout bracket is now set. There is one more draw, straight after the round of 16 draw, to determine the home teams in the second leg for the quarterfinals and semifinals.
PSG's second-half comeback shows Haaland's need to step it up for Man City
PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain pulled off a stunning comeback to overturn a 2-0 deficit and seal a 4-2 win against Manchester City that revived their UEFA Champions League qualification hopes and left Pep Guardiola's team facing a humiliating exit.
Two goals in three minutes from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland at the start of the second half looked set to seal a comfortable win for City in Paris, but the home side roared back to equalise within seven minutes through Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola.
With City on the back foot and struggling to cope with PSG's spirit and desire, Luis Enrique's team then won the game with goals from João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos on a famous night at Parc des Princes. PSG will now qualify with at least a draw away to VfB Stuttgart next week while City must beat Club Brugge at the Etihad to have any hope of reaching the knockout phase playoffs. -- Mark Ogden
A magical night for the Parisians
It's another one of those European nights that PSG fans will never forget. Too often, the Parisians had been on the receiving end of comebacks in their recent Champions League history. It was them with their hearts broken after having taken the lead before wasting it, but not this time.
The game might not have been make-or-break -- as neither team could have been eliminated on Wednesday -- but it was nevertheless crucial, and PSG showed their character, talent, and personality. This team might not have the superstars and big world-class names anymore like Neymar and Lionel Messi, but showed great heart with their talent and their energy. They also have belief too, despite their young players.
At 2-0 down straight after the break, they could have collapsed, but they didn't. Their comeback could be a turning point in this European campaign, but they will have to finish the job next week in Stuttgart to qualify. -- Julien Laurens
City blow a lead and cave in yet again
For those who believed that Manchester City's recent mini-revival of four wins in five games had drawn a line under their slump of nine defeats in 12 games before Christmas, think again.
Guardiola's team reverted to their old ways in Paris by throwing away a lead through complacency and a lack of being able to match the opposition for effort and desire. This was the ninth time this season that City had surrendered a winning position and failed to win the game. That is the reason they are now in such a hole in the Champions League.
There were so many issues against PSG. City lacked any kind of leadership once defender Rúben Dias was substituted at half-time due to being on a yellow card and close to a second one that would have reduced the side to 10 players, but they were also unable to match PSG for energy in midfield.
Out wide, Savinho was anonymous before being replaced by Grealish at half-time, and although the England winger scored one and made one within eight minutes of coming on, he did little else. Rico Lewis was poor at left-back and Matheus Nunes was out of his depth at right-back. However, despite all of the problems, with a 2-0 lead, City should have seen the game out.
This means that the crisis is back and City showed once again that their squad is nowhere near as good as it was two years ago. -- Ogden
A tactical first half followed by an attacking second half
Guardiola and Luis Enrique have been close friends for 30 years. They are the same age, they played together at Barcelona, they coached together and they ended up being two of the best managers in the world at the same time by sharing similar values, methods, and principles.
Of course, they have differences in their personalities and their football, but when they faced each other tonight, we got what we expected: a very tactical first half, narrow lines, compact blocks, good pressing and counterpressing.
But between two attacking sides and full of talent going forward, there was no way this match was staying 0-0 after the break. And it didn't.
Mistakes were made and exploited, on both sides. When Manchester City were gifted two goals really by two ricochets off the Paris defence, the hosts scored their goals. They put the City defense under pressure, and in the second half, you got six goals, 23 shots (18 for PSG, five for City), nine on target, and more than three xG (expected goals) combined.
After one of the best tactical halves of the season, the game flipped to one of the most spectacular halves of the season. -- Laurens
Haaland needs to be more than a tap-in guy
Haaland probably thought he had won the game for Manchester City when he scored a tap-in at the far post to make it 2-0 in the 53rd minute.
When a striker scores the decisive goal in a game, he is entitled to feel like it is a job well done and bask in the plaudits, but when the game slips away from his team and they end up losing, he needs to ask whether he did enough to make a difference.
Alejandro Moreno reacts to PSG's win over Manchester City and what it means moving forward.
And the reality in Paris was that Haaland didn't. Aside from scoring, Haaland did nothing. He was well marshalled by Marquinhos and looked nothing like a player who has just signed the longest contract in football by penning a new deal for 10 years. Haaland is unquestionably a ruthless goal scorer, but when he doesn't score, he contributes nothing.
Other great strikers do far more for the team and bring others into play, but for now, Haaland is just a goalscorer. That surely cannot be enough for City to be successful in the years ahead? -- Ogden
Barcola shows why he is PSG's star player this season
Bradley Barcola had only scored one goal in 16 Champions League appearances in his career before Wednesday, and if there was one game where he needed to step up to improve this stat, it was against Manchester City.
The adage that big games belong to the big players made sense for him. In a must-win game for Paris, they needed Barcola to be special. He has the talent for it, but so far, the top European competition was showing his limits. But his goal and his assist in a breathtaking second half, is the game that can change everything. The former Lyon winger and PSG's top goalscorer this season in all competitions, showed all his talent and potential.
"His season is exceptional so far," said Luis Enrique about his player at the weekend. It became even better on Wednesday night. -- Laurens
It's now win or bust for City
Manchester City are now fighting for Champions League survival and must beat Club Brugge next week to progress to the knockout phase playoffs.
Their 4-2 defeat in Paris saw the 2023 Champions League winners drop below the trapdoor of the top 24 teams and leave them facing an early exit from the competition if they fail to beat the Belgian side at the Etihad. Such a game would have been a formality not too long ago, but even though City will be favourites to clinch the win they need, Brugge need just a point to be certain of qualification.
Coach Nicky Hayen has overachieved with his team this season, guiding them to wins against Aston Villa and Sporting CP as well as earning a draw against Juventus on Tuesday.
All three of those teams have beaten City this season, so City should be warned. -- Ogden
Exiled Afghanistan women players to men's team: 'Please be the voice of the girls'
Don't ban the Afghanistan men's side from playing international cricket but do expect them to do more for the women and girls who don't have the same rights they do. That's the opinion of two formerly contracted Afghanistan women's players living in exile in Australia.
Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 and have narrated their story of escape to a new life on ESPNcricinfo's Powerplay podcast. Both women continue to play club cricket in Australia, with hopes of representing their country someday even though that will not be possible until the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) put up a women's team. Under Taliban rule, the ACB cannot do that because of the country's laws, which forbid women from playing sport, studying and working.
Given that Afghanistan are ICC Full Members, and that one of the conditions of that status is to have a women's side, there has been debate over whether or not to sanction the Afghanistan's men's team. Both Australia and England refuse to play bilateral series against them in protest, but continue to play them at ICC events, while the other nine Full Members engage with Afghanistan, sometimes amid growing calls to boycott them. South Africa are the most recent and relevant example, given they were isolated from the 1970s to 1990s for the country's race-based Apartheid system. While the country's sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, recently cited gender discrimination as a reason not to play Afghanistan, Cricket South Africa believes punishing the men's players for a situation beyond their control will not force change. Amiri and Hashimi hold similar views but it is important to know that some of the other players are known to feel differently.
"The Afghanistan men's team brings a kind of hope. They are role models for us. I don't want to say I'm not supporting them at all," Amiri told ESPNcricinfo in May 2024, when we first interviewed her. "But when I cannot play for Afghanistan, what's more heartbreaking is when you see the men can do something and the women cannot do it - which is absolutely wrong. Everything men can do, women can do as well."
Australia, where Amiri and Hashimi live, refuse to play Afghanistan in bilateral cricket. This has caused Amiri to wonder whether selective shunning of the men's team is worthwhile. "If it has an impact on our team, that we can put pressure on the Afghanistan Cricket Board to make a women's team, then we will be happy, but only if it's a way we can start playing cricket."
Though she considered the thought of a ban, Amiri recognises that the Afghanistan men's team has made rapid progress and its success could be more of a statement than a ban. "They are in a good position at the moment in the world and if they start supporting us, they'll have a big impact on our team. They can be very, very helpful for us and for all the women. If women can start playing sport, women can start studying as well. It can be a pathway.
"If they start supporting us, it's going to be a way for all women. If they can hear my voice from here: Afghanistan, national players, please, please be the voice of the girls at the moment. Please do more for us. Start doing something for women. You are the voice of Afghanistan. They are the most famous people at the moment. They can be the voice of millions and millions of girls."
Despite her plea, Amiri recognised that the men's players may be risking their own safety if they speak out. "I know that there were always some challenges for them as well. Some of their families are still in Afghanistan. We don't want you to be in danger."
"We don't want to make another problem by stopping them or keep talking about stopping them from playing cricket. Now we have our base, we want to play for the Afghan XI. We want to make a better future for Afghanistan women inside Afghanistan and make a change in cricket."
"It is one of the most complex pieces I've seen," Jones said. "There's nothing black and white about this at all but I do think there's a question around leadership. People take on positions of leadership to lead, and it's not to say that you have to make a black and white decision about things but I think you have to stand up and be a voice and lean into some tough situations. And this is a really tough situation.
"I think the frustration has been the lack of conversation around it. And so here's this amazing group of women who are trying to rebuild their lives and still connect to cricket. And they've hardly had a conversation with our leaders right across the world. And that's the most frustrating thing for me. We might still get to the same point and decisions that we are now regardless of those conversations. But give these women their due. Give them space that's probably the one piece that I would say we've been really bad at over the last three or four years: it's that people turn their back on that conversation. And I would hope that if we'd learn anything from this, is that if something like this happens again, whether it's a different country or a different group of people, if it's a men's team somewhere or something like that, that we just don't turn our back on people and hope that silence will make it go away, because it just doesn't."
Episode 2 of the ESPNcricinfo Powerplay podcast will look at where Amiri and Hashimi find themselves now as well as the practicalities and challenges of the Afghan women in exile playing as a team.
Episode 1 one of ESPNcricinfo's Powerplay Special on Afghanistan will be available on January 22, followed by Episode 2 on January 29.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket. Valkerie Baynes is a general editor, women's cricket, at ESPNcricinfo
'Defined his generation' - Clarke joins Australia's Hall of Fame
Clarke, 43, accepted the honour on Thursday, nearly a decade after he closed the chapter on his remarkable playing career. He is the 64th inductee, with two further members to be named this season.
Making his first-class debut for New South Wales at 17, Clarke captained Australia to victory in the 2015 ODI World Cup and led the side across 47 of his 115 Tests.
He followed up his SCG performance with a double century in the fourth Test against India, before notching two further double centuries against South Africa the following season.
It had been in 2011, after England won the Ashes 3-1 in Australia, that Clarke succeeded Ricky Ponting as captain. At his peak, he was ranked the best batter in the world. He was also at the helm for the Ashes whitewash in 2013-14 and retired at the end of the lost 2015 campaign in England.
"To be able to sit along so many wonderful players, idols, role models growing up as a kid and looking up to is something I'm honoured by," Clarke said. "Retirement does a lot of things to you. Through stages of watching cricket now, you miss parts.
"When you play at the highest level, people talk about your international career but for me, it started at six years of age. I retired at 34 so it was my life. It's still a part of my life.
"Cricket - it's probably so similar to life in general. You walk out and make 100 and then lift the bat, and then you walk out to field, field in slip and drop a catch second ball of the game."
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame chairman Peter King praised Clarke as a player who "defined his generation".
"Michael's extraordinary first-class playing career started at just 17 at the SCG - the place where many of his highlights occurred, including a Test triple century against India in 2012," King said.
"Michael's career will forever be remembered fondly by the Australian public and his standing held alongside those at the upper echelon of our game."
KD fondly recalls Nets' big 3 despite 'dysfunction'
NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant is proud of what he believed the Nets were building in Brooklyn before "dysfunction" brought it quickly crashing down.
Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden played just 16 games together and their tenure became better known for the chaos off the court than the brilliant basketball they delivered on it.
But it seemed the bad times were forgotten Wednesday night, when a large number of fans rushed to get Durant's autograph before the Nets' game against the Phoenix Suns in his second trip back to Barclays Center since being traded.
"Even though we went through a lot of dysfunction, I guess you could call it, for lack of a better term," Durant said, "but regardless of that, a lot of people in those stands still supported, still came out and cheered loud as hell for the game of basketball and for the Nets, so that's what stood out the most."
He and Irving came together in the summer of 2019. Harden was acquired in a trade in January 2021. But all three battled injuries and Irving was largely off the court in the 2021-22 season after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19,
"I think that was the main thing, that we just didn't get on the court together," Durant said. "A lot of injuries. Injuries to me, James and Kyrie kind of played a factor, along with COVID. That whole thing just confused a lot of [stuff]. But I think basketball-wise, chemistry-wise, camaraderie-wise, teamwork-wise, I thought it was the perfect, ideal situation."
The Nets looked like a title favorite when the three were healthy in the 2020-21 season. But both Harden and Irving were injured in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals and Milwaukee overcame a 2-0 deficit and Durant's brilliance in Game 7 to win the series.
Irving's absences and Durant's injury sent the Nets tumbling the next season and Harden asked to be traded. Irving and Durant were dealt away days apart at the 2023 trade deadline. Durant maintains it was bad luck more than bad attitudes that created such an empty era.
"There was a lot of narratives going around about each individual player -- me, James and Kyrie -- about our mentality as men. But once we got on the court and once we actually played together, once you seen the culture that we were building, it was something that the fans could get behind I think," Durant said.
"That first year when James got here halfway through the season, that was some of the most incredible basketball that I've seen, I've played in. But more so than anything, the locker room, the bus rides, the plane rides, the hotels, that was the culture we were building and a lot of people didn't get to see it but I wish they could have. It was special."
This season isn't, with the Nets rebuilding. Maybe they can eventually get to where Durant believed they were once headed.
"It didn't culminate into a championship, but people who had season tickets, who get into their car in the cold, come down and watch us play, still remember some moments, some regular-season games, a couple playoff games," Durant said. "Some moments that people can hold onto and you can feel that love when I come through here."
Green still sorry but tells Poole: 'Move on, bro'
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has apologized for punching former teammate Jordan Poole and says it is time to move on from the incident that fractured the Warriors locker room over two years ago.
Green's latest apology came after Poole said Saturday he loves "most of those guys over there" when asked about the warm reception he received in his return to Chase Center as a member of the Washington Wizards.
Green posted a tweet in response to Poole's comments that read, "I really am sorry."
"I responded because it's been three years," Green said Wednesday on "The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis." "Like let's move on. We've moved on. I really am sorry. That statement [by Poole] was kind of like it was looking for some sympathy ... kind of keep on make me out to be the bad guy. Move on, bro. It is what it is.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have punched him. But it happened. Let's move on."
A video was leaked from a preseason practice in October 2022 in which Green and Poole exchanged words. Green walked over to Poole, who shoved Green. Green punched Poole. He later publicly apologized to Poole and his family. He was fined by the team and voluntarily left the team for a stretch but did not miss any games or face any discipline from the league.
The punch took place in the team's camp after the Warriors had won the championship the season before. They lost in the Western Conference semifinals that postseason, and Poole was traded to Washington in a deal for Chris Paul in June 2023.
"I kind of go back and forth with this," Green said on the podcast. "I know I was wrong but you can't call a man a b-word and push him and not get hit either. So I kind of sit in both of those spaces sometimes. Like the reality is, the answer is probably somewhere in the middle, right? I shouldn't have knocked him out like that. If anything I should have hemmed him up. It kind of was just a natural reaction.
"I think for him you are kind of bringing that back up on yourself. Like when you do that, you just bring up that moment back on yourself. You just got to move on and keep it pushing, man. Got to let it go."
Last season, Green was suspended for five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and then was suspended indefinitely for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face, ultimately missing 12 games.
During that latter suspension, Green underwent counseling and mandatory check-in Zoom calls with executives from the NBA, the Warriors, the players union and his agent in order to return to play. Green told ESPN that helped him become a "different" player and person this season. He said he had two therapists and a sports psychologist but that the check-in calls truly helped him.
This season, Green has eight technical fouls but one ejection compared to four last season.
"I want people to say, 'Man, right here was a little bleak. But then look where it went from there. And that's due to because he took accountability,'" Green told ESPN. "Regardless of how I felt about the Rudy situation, the Nurkic situation ... the Jordan Poole [incident], any situation, I took it on the chin. I took accountability for it, and I moved forward.
"They're my fault. I needed to be better, and I failed. We all fail. But I'm not a failure."
Green injured his left calf at the start of the win over Washington. He missed Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings and will be re-evaluated next week.
Howard, Planck & Van Pelt Selected To NE Dirt Mod HOF
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. Pennsylvania powerhouse and 34-time titleholder Duane Howard, the late New York pro Dale Planck, a multi-time NASCAR and DIRTcar Series champion and Twin Tier titan Billy Van Pelt, who rewrote every record at Woodhull Raceway, will officially be inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in July.
These three racing legends add their names to a stellar list of Modified standouts that was started in 1992 when the Hall of Fame was established on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds.
The 33rd annual induction ceremonies honoring the Class of 2025 will take place on July 24 at 7 p.m. in the Northeast Dirt Modified Museum and Hall of Fame, on the grounds of the state-of-the-art Weedsport Speedway.
Two days later, Weedsport Speedway will kick off a blockbuster weekend featuring the Super DIRTcar Series Hall of Fame 100 and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars.
Duane Howard
For anyone from Central Pa., it always starts at Reading. Howards family had box seats at the old Fairgrounds Speedway so he got to see Hall of Famers named Chamberlain, Brightbill and Tobias mix it up each week as a kid.
At 18 he started racing Go-Karts, with help from Alan Finch who worked alongside Duane at the Howard family farm. In 1983, the pair procured a Late Modeland promptly won at Grandview. They made the move to the headlining small-block Modifieds in 1985 and found out fast just how big a jump that was. Putting finances together, learning the ropes, the team went winless for almost three seasons. But once Howard scored that first one, at Big Diamond in 87, there was no stopping him.
Local car owners took notice: by 1989, first Dick then Buddy Biever hired both Howard and Finch. Through 1993, Howard won 25 races and five championships for Buddy, including a Penn National 100 and his first Freedom 76 at Grandview. Exhausted, Howard sat out 1994, returning in 95 driving for Craig Hirthler, then Cary Duncan before landing a pro-level ride with Hall of Fame car owner Glenn Hyneman in late 1997. Hyneman wanted to race big-blocks so Howard became a regular at Bridgeport Speedway, notching three Modified titles in the No. 126. When Glenn stepped back after the 2005 season, Howard smoothly switched to another high-profile ridethe Chad Sinon No. 4, with his old friend Al Finch as crew chief.
They won right away and kept on winning through 2013. Rides with the Petruska team, Norm Hansell and Hyneman again followed. Since 2021, Howard drives for Butch Getz on a more limited basis. Known as The Diamond Cutter for his mastery of Big Diamond, Howard pulled seven Coalcracker victories and nine championships out of that track. Hes won the Freedom 76 five times, as well as six titles at Grandview, one at Penn National and four at Bridgeport. Howard is a four-time champion in both the PA Tri-Track/Dual-Track Series and American Racer Cup Modified Series.
He was named NASCAR PA State Champion five times and was third in the country in 2010. His career win list stands at 277 at 14 tracks in Pa., N.J., Del. and N.Y.
Dale Planck
Scheduled for Hall of Fame induction in the Class of 2025, Cortland, N.Y.s Dale Planck tragically didnt make it: at the age of 53, he died suddenly on his way home from Brewerton Speedway on June 22, 2024. Prior to his passing, he made his mark.
A second-generation driver, Dale watched his dad Denny wheel to small-block championships at Weedsport, Brewerton and Skyline in the 1970s. He was born into ita natural, as they say, earning that fitting nickname. Planck started young, a little kid running Karts against the adults in the four-stroke classand winning regularly.
At 14, he graduated to a 4-cylinder Mini-Mod; the following year, 1985, he was standing in victory lane at Five Mile Point and Dundee. The move up to small-block Modifieds, in 86, didnt produce results right away. For two years, Dale didnt even qualify for a feature event. It wasnt until the team towed into Fulton in 1989 that things began to click. And Planck found his home: on the Fulton high-banks he took down 61 victories in his career, four track championships and the 1994 Victoria 200.
The Outlaw Circuitconsisting of Fulton, Brewerton and Utica-Rome in the 80s and 90swas Dales playground. He was a 42-time winner and five-time champion at Utica-Rome. Competing under NASCAR sanction at Fulton and U-R, Planck was regional champion in NASCARs Winston Racing Series three years running, from 199496. Later on, he stormed the rival DIRTcar ranks with equal success, claiming Mr. DIRTcar 358 Series titles in both 2009 and 2012. Dale was a rare entity: with one foot on the Outlaw Circuit and the other planted on DIRT turf, he deftly straddled that deep divide. He showed well everywhere he went: across the Northern border, he was a star at Cornwall Speedway, a three-time track champ. At PAs Grandview Speedway, he outright stole a $6,000 special from the regulars.
Ultimately, Planck is credited with 203 certified wins at 21 tracks in three states and two Canadian provinces. He gave up the wheel to launch Dig Race Products in 2016 with his son Brandon, specializing in shock absorbers and suspension tuning for the Modified trade.
Billy Van Pelt
Following in his older brother Curts footsteps, Westfield, Pa.s Van Pelt got into a big car in 1987. Van Pelt had been racing three-wheelers and snowmobiles until then; Curt poised to win a Mr. DIRT 358 Series title for the Sherwood teamhad left the family car. So Dad Jim tapped the younger son for the seat. The venue was Woodhull Raceway. In the ensuing 35 years, Billy not only dominated at the little third-mile bullring straddling the N.Y.-Pa. border he trashed every track record for all time.
Driving for his father, Ted White, Kevin Chilson, Grant Hilfiger and finally for Chilson again, Van Pelt racked up 198 documented wins and an incredible 23 championships at Woodhull alone. He absolutely understood every nuance of the track: where it could get slickwhere there was bitethe color of the claythe shadows off the wallwhere the room was to complete a pass. No other driver came close.
Fans remember a Man or Mouse challenge instituted by former track promoter Vern Wasson in the mid 2000s: Van Pelt could choose to be a man and elect to start last; or be a mouse and draw for starting position. Billy opted to fall in at the tail of the featureand collected a publicized bonus for the win. But BVPs success wasnt confined to Woodhull. All total, he holds 30 championship titlesin addition to the 23 at Woodhull, Van Pelt won two titles at Black Rock (now Outlaw Speedway) in 1995 and 1997; one at Freedom Motorsports Park in 2018; and four championships in the T3 All-Star Series for 358 Modifieds which took him to eight tracks in Pa. and N.Y.
He has 242 confirmed career victories at eight raceways in N.Y. and Pa., with probably another dozen outliers still unverified. Following a big $5,500 win at Woodhull, his final for Chilson on August 6, 2022, Van Pelt retired on the spot. If I go out on top, then they never beat me, was his thinking. Billy still helps upcoming drivers with setups, which he loves doing, and took over as race director at Freedom Motorsports Park in 2024.
Also being honored at the July 24 induction ceremonies are Vinny Salerno (Gene DeWitt Car Owner Award), Tommy Conroy (Mechanic/Engineering Award), Charlie and Joyce Cathell (Leonard J. Sammons Jr. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Auto Racing), Fred Voorhees (Andrew S. Fusco Award for Media Excellence) and Jane Cella (Outstanding Woman in Racing Award).
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
