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Brazil forward Neymar has made significant improvement on his knee recovery and could be fit to play on Oct. 21, sources told ESPN Brasil on Monday.
The Al Hilal star has been sidelined for a year since sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee while on international duty with Brazil.
Neymar, 32, returned to train with Al Hilal on Sept. 29. People closely monitoring Neymar's progress believe the player could return to play in time for Al Hilal's Asian Champions League game at Al Ain on Oct. 21.
Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus will have the final say on when Neymar will return to action.
However, he will first need the approval of Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, who carried out Neymar's surgery.
Lasmar is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to evaluate the player's fitness.
Neymar, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, joined the Saudi Pro League side in August 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain but played just five games before getting hurt.
Brazil's Football Confederation is monitoring the situation closely and is hopeful of having Neymar available in time for the November World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.
USA-Mexico: Who makes the all-time XI for each team?
With two national team programs that have a combined history of 200-plus years, there's obviously no lack of legends that have represented either the United States or Mexico.
The rivalry has had iconic luminaries from the 20th century and younger superstars who have taken charge in the modern game -- as a result, it's no simple task to select the best of the best from each nation. Nonetheless, with another rivalry game for the two Concacaf powerhouses around the corner, we've done just that.
Here are the all-time best XIs from the United States and Mexico.
United States
GK: Brad Friedel
This was a tough one, especially when you consider that Tim Howard and Kasey Keller could make an argument for themselves. That said, Friedel narrowly takes the best XI spot when you consider his gargantuan number of English Premier League appearances (450) and his role in the Americans' quarterfinal finish in the 2002 World Cup.
DF: Steve Cherundolo
Is Sergiño Dest currently more talented than Cherundolo was at right-back? Probably, and it's only a matter of time before he takes the all-time spot, but Cherundolo maintains the No. 1 position because of his lengthier run of reliable play for club and country.
DF: Eddie Pope
A key central defensive figure in the famed 2002 World Cup squad and a constant rock in the middle of the USMNT backline. The aggressive defender won numerous titles with D.C. United, while also having the ability to occasionally find the back of the net at the domestic and international level.
DF: Marcelo Balboa
A two-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year, a looming central defensive presence who earned three World Cup appearances, and the first U.S. player to reach 100 caps. Beginning his career in the pre-MLS era, Balboa was significant in the growth of American soccer.
DF: Carlos Bocanegra
It's inevitable that current left-back Antonee Robinson eventually takes the all-time No. 1 spot, but until then, it belongs to the former captain and looming presence, Bocanegra. A leader for both club (Fulham, Rennes, Saint-Etienne, Rangers) and country who would often play as a central defender, Bocanegra was a versatile and well-respected option who was capable of supporting the attack.
MF: Weston McKennie
A perfect example of how certain U.S. players can blossom in the modern elite European scene, McKennie is an impressively well-rounded figure who has made his mark at the UEFA Champions League level. He has yet to reach the peak of his abilities and could establish himself as a true icon in the 2026 World Cup.
MF: Claudio Reyna
A player on the U.S. team from 1994 to 2006 who would have no issues adjusting and thriving in the modern era, Reyna was highly entertaining with his intelligent ball distribution that few (if any) have been able to replicate in the current pool of U.S. players. It's no wonder why his son Giovanni Reyna appears to be one of the next big things in American soccer.
AM: Landon Donovan
At the risk of leaving out the tremendously proficient Tab Ramos or a defensive midfield stalwart like Michael Bradley, we need to clearly make room for the greatest American player in this midfield XI. Pacey, clever and always thinking two or three steps ahead, Donovan stepped up when it mattered most in crucial World Cup matches, which highlighted his abilities that have held him as the all-time U.S. leader in assists and joint-leader in goals.
AM: Christian Pulisic
Pulisic isn't far from surpassing Donovan as the greatest American player. He's a UEFA Champions League winner, a four-time earner of U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year, and is currently excelling in Serie A with AC Milan. Keep in mind: He still has plenty of gas left in the tank at 26.
Herculez Gomez believes Christian Pulisic is in the best form of his career.
FW: Eric Wynalda
Brian McBride and Jozy Altidore were options here, but we'll give the No. 9 to Wynalda, the team's former career scoring leader. Making a name for himself in Europe before MLS had even kicked off, the efficient forward became an invaluable U.S. attacker in the 1990s.
FW: Clint Dempsey
Alongside Donovan, Dempsey shares the U.S. career goals record. Few have matched his tenacity or his swagger, which backed up his ability to find the back of the net in three separate World Cups for the U.S. At the club level, he was Fulham's player of the year winner in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Coach: Bruce Arena
The plaudits speak for themselves. Three Concacaf Gold Cup victories and a thrilling quarterfinal run in the 2002 World Cup that continues to resonate with fans to this day. Mauricio Pochettino may be the best hire that the U.S. has ever had, but time will tell whether he'll accomplish what Arena did.
Mexico
GK: Jorge Campos
When El Brody played for the Mexican national team back in the 1990s, Mexico's dominance over the United States was a common sight in Concacaf. However, the northern neighbors were starting to show growth in their football. The former Pumas goalkeeper was a three-time World Cup participant and won two Gold Cups: the first one in 1993 with a 4-0 victory over the United States, and the second in 1996 when they defeated Brazil 2-0.
During the World Cup qualifiers of that era, the team had no trouble securing its World Cup spots with Campos as the goalkeeper, who was also a key player in winning the 1999 Confederations Cup, which, by the way, was held in Mexico.
DF: Ramón Ramírez
Ramírez played as a winger in his clubs, but for the national team, he was converted into an offensive left-back. His excellent technique and good ball control gave him an advantage when attacking, as he could deliver a perfect cross or switch the play toward the center of the field. He played almost 120 matches for the national team and was part of Mexico's great reign in Concacaf, when he won three Gold Cups (1993, 1996 and 1998). He was a World Cup participant in USA 1994 and France 1998, and an undisputed starter.
DF: Rafa Márquez
El Kaiser played for one of the best Barcelona teams in history and appeared in a record five World Cups with Mexico, serving as captain at just 23 years old. One of the darkest moments of his successful career came during his first World Cup in 2002, when Mexico lost 2-0 to the United States in the round of 16. However, the defeat to their rival wasn't the only humiliation: Márquez was also sent off for a violent and unnecessary head butt on Cobi Jones.
8 men have been selected for five World Cups:
Antonio Carbajal
Lothar Matthäus
Gigi Buffon
Rafa Marquéz
Leo Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Andrés Guardado
Guillermo OchoaEl Tri make up 50% of the Cinco Copas club.
Squawka x @WrldSoccerShop pic.twitter.com/kShJU4z1dz
Squawka (@Squawka) November 22, 2022
DF: Claudio Suárez
Before Márquez and Héctor Moreno, Mexico had Suárez, a center-back with great technique and ball distribution and a rare ability to read the game, seldom seen in Mexican football. El Emperador was, for many years, the player who wore El Tri's jersey the most in 177 official matches, a record only surpassed by Andrés Guardado, who currently has 179 caps.
Suárez's time with the national team was remarkable: he participated in three World Cups, playing a key role in two (1994 and 1998). He was also a vital part of the team that finished runners-up in the 1993 Copa América. Suárez played in four Gold Cups, winning three of them (1993, 1996 and 1998), and he is the only captain of the senior national team to lift a trophy, the 1999 Confederations Cup at Estadio Azteca.
DF: Salvador Carmona
Carmona was a legendary right-back for Toluca and the undisputed owner of Mexico's right flank in two World Cups (1998 and 2002). He was a player with great energy, constantly running up and down the right side, with excellent defensive awareness, never afraid to take on any winger or forward. His list of titles includes two Gold Cups (1998 and 2003) as well as the 1999 Confederations Cup.
MF: Nacho Ambriz
Ambriz is one of the best defensive midfielders in Mexican football, shining in the 1993 Gold Cup when Mexico defeated the United States 4-0 at Estadio Azteca. Ambriz opened the scoring in that match with his signature long-range shot. Ambriz also played in the 1994 World Cup and was a key part of Mexico's runner-up finish in the 1993 Copa América.
MF: Andrés Guardado
El Principito is the player with the most official appearances for Mexico (179), and he could reach 180 if he plays against the United States, which will serve as a tribute to his career with the national team. Guardado experienced Mexico's partial dominance in Concacaf, winning three Gold Cups (2011, 2015 and 2019).
He is also one of seven players to have participated in five World Cups, alongside Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and others. Guardado holds the record for the most appearances by a Mexican in European football, with 542 matches after playing in LaLiga, Bundesliga, Eredivisie, Europa League and Champions League.
AM: Pável Pardo
He wasn't the tallest, fastest or strongest player, but Pardo's technique, ball-striking ability, positional sense and game-reading skills set him apart. He played in two World Cups for Mexico (France 1998 and Germany 2006) and won two Gold Cups (1998 and 2003). He was also part of the 1999 Confederations Cup squad.
AM: Giovani dos Santos
Few players can claim to have given more to the Mexico national team during their careers than dos Santos. Just shy of his 17th birthday, dos Santos lifted the U-17 World Cup title in Peru in 2005, and later won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. In both tournaments, he contributed with goals and assists.
He played in three World Cups, helping Mexico take the lead against the Netherlands in Brazil 2014 before being inexplicably substituted. One of the most important moments of Gio's career came against the United States in the 2011 Gold Cup, when he scored the title-winning goal for Mexico, arguably the best goal in the historic Concacaf rivalry.
No hay nada más temeroso que tratar de frenar a Giovani Dos Santos en busca de un gol pic.twitter.com/KVfeocnMFm
Gold Cup (@GoldCup) October 31, 2020
AM: Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Blanco is without a doubt one of the most iconic players in Mexican football, known for his talent and boldness. He is the third-leading scorer for the national team with 38 goals, despite not being a traditional center-forward. Blanco scored in three different World Cups and exceled in three Copa América tournaments.
In the 1999 Confederations Cup, Blanco was the best player, scoring a brilliant goal in the final against Brazil and finishing as the tournament's top scorer alongside Ronaldinho with five goals. In that tournament, he also scored a golden goal against the United States in the semifinal.
FW: Jared Borgetti
Borgetti is the first Mexican to play in the Premier League, with a brief stint at Bolton Wanderers. For the national team, his crowning moment was his headed goal against Italy in the 2002 World Cup. Against the United States, Borgetti had a crucial moment when he scored at the Estadio Azteca, giving life to a team that was struggling to secure its place in the 2002 World Cup.
Coach: Javier Aguirre
He's on his third stint managing the Mexican national team, and faces his biggest challenge so far because of the criticism from fans with a home World Cup ahead of him.
Of course, the defeat against United States in the Round of 16 in 2002 still hurts, but we shouldn't forget the important results against Italy and France. He's arguably been the most accomplished coach for the country, especially considering his successes with Osasuna, Mallorca and Atlético Madrid on a club level.
Can Pochettino, Aguirre breathe new life into USMNT-Mexico?
Historically two of the biggest teams in the Concacaf region, the United States and Mexico have failed to impress in recent times. In efforts to breathe new life into their programs following their underwhelming 2024 Copa América campaigns, both countries made changes to their coaching staffs, with the U.S. hiring Mauricio Pochettino and Mexico bringing back Javier Aguirre for a third spell in charge of El Tri.
What do those appointments say about each federation's aspirations? And what are Concacaf's giants getting in their new hires? A rare friendly in Mexico between the two on Tuesday night will provide us with a first meaningful glimpse at the next chapters for the USMNT and El Tri.
Pochettino tasked with revitalizing stalled-out USMNT
Few things inspire more rose-colored optimism than that of an ambitious coaching hire.
Two months after careening out of the Copa América group stage, which led to the firing of Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. men's national team then turned a promising corner with the September introduction of Pochettino. Signing the former Chelsea manager was a clear signal of the lofty aspirations held by U.S. Soccer's power structure. It's also symbolic of the belief that the men's roster can one day become an elite side on the global scale.
"Hiring a manager like Pochettino shows that you're serious about growing the game," said Crystal Palace's Chris Richards earlier this month. "We could have gone down the safe route by choosing a potential coach from the MLS, but I think them going for a coach that might turn them down, and going for coaches of [his] caliber is very impressive from U.S. Soccer."
In the honeymoon era of Pochettino's tenure, and with co-hosting duties set for the 2026 World Cup, excitement is undoubtedly high among the players.
"It's funny, people ask me when I'm playing for Team USA: 'How far do you think you can go in the World Cup?' I say 'I want to win it,'" Richards added.
Pochettino echoed a similar sentiment in his first news conference last month.
"We are here because we want to win," said the 52-year-old Argentine, who noted the need to mirror the success of the U.S. women's national team. "We have many examples next to us we need to follow. We need to believe we can win the World Cup."
A message like that is undoubtedly music to the ears of USMNT fans.
During the modern era of the men's national team, supporters have been eager to see the intriguing up-and-coming generation of players reach their full potential. In order to do that and join the upper echelon of the global game, the USMNT required a coach that could match their grandiose dreams. That meant making the investment and putting trust in a figure like Pochettino, who has coached powerhouses in European club soccer. With full respect to his predecessor, that meant looking beyond MLS.
The hiring is a big step in the right direction, but keep in mind, it's just one of many that need to be made for a team that has taken a few steps backward since 2022. Long gone are the days when the fanbase and those in charge would be appeased by simply defeating another backsliding rival like Mexico. Aside from regional Nations League titles, there has been little evidence to show that the USMNT are more than just a big regional fish in the small Concacaf pond.
The USMNT's dismal run in the 2024 Copa América, and two winless friendlies against the likes of Brazil and Colombia heading into the tournament, cemented this idea. For all of the promise and hopes of a talented generation of players that have a high ceiling, it became apparent that they remained a work in progress under Berhalter.
For Pochettino, that means there must be an immediate revitalization of a team that needs a jump-start in attitude and confidence. Just a few weeks back, captain Christian Pulisic stated that "there's a lot of things that need to change" under their new manager, while noting the mentality and culture of the group.
On the field in the coming months, it will also be fascinating to see whether Pochettino will have the players adapt to his system or if he'll also have to adapt to his players. Playing out of the back, high pressing and using a fluid attack are signifiers of the Argentine's energetic approach, though one that might not click with the full player pool. Although a more pragmatic system emerged in his days with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, the initial training sessions for the USMNT hint at the arduous nature of Pochettino's three-a-day sessions.
"It's intense," Tim Ream said last week. "We had a pretty long session, I'd say one of the longer ones we've had with the national team setup."
A similar message was shared by Brenden Aaronson. "One thing that we know for sure that we've really rehashed [with Pochettino] is the intensity of what we want to play at," said Aaronson. "We want to play at a high intensity, we want to play in the other team's half, we want to have possession of the ball."
The youthful status of the USMNT player pool can lend itself to what Pochettino did with Southampton and Tottenham, which is where his managerial career took off.
"He was a game-changer," said Hugo Lloris to ESPN. "He was very demanding but in the right way. He wanted us to play with intensity. We used to train so hard so then games would feel easier. We would press so much, recovering the ball so high to attack straight away."
All that said, there are questions about whether the U.S. has the personnel in defense and in net that can comfortably play out of the back -- if Pochettino decides to bring that aspect of his style to the USMNT fold. As for the training sessions, the grueling nature of those sessions may become a source of frustration once the honeymoon period is over.
Can he overcome those kinds of obstacles and change the USMNT for the better?
Time will tell if the marquee manager will breathe new life into the group of promising up-and-comers. With a need to alter the USMNT culture and elevate budding stars like Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around, the clock is now ticking for Pochettino. -- Cesar Hernandez
Mexico turns back the clock in Aguirre's third spell
Amid a deluge of uncertainty, Mexico opted for the proven commodity that the 65-year-old Aguirre has demonstrated for El Tri in the past. Fresh off a solid two-year showing at Mallorca, Aguirre did not renew his contract with the Spanish side despite shepherding them to safety in LaLiga and, most notably, taking them to the Copa del Rey final.
This isn't the first time Aguirre has been called upon with the national team in crisis. In 2001 and 2009, Aguirre took over Mexico teams in dire straits, in danger of missing out on the 2002 and 2010 World Cups entirely, and eventually steered them to the knockout stages both times. This time, with Mexico co-hosting the World Cup, there will be none of the stressful preamble of qualification.
Aguirre seems to thrive amid the chaos of the Mexico job. In his first two spells, he quickly turned around teams that seemed lost on the pitch, finding the ideal tactics to maximize the available talent, and coached them toward respectable World Cup finishes.
Following a quick exit from last summer's Copa América, Mexico again finds itself in disarray. The federation is on its fourth coach (Gerardo Martino, Diego Cocca, Jaime Lozano and now Aguirre) since 2022, and the parallels to Aguirre's previous rescue missions are hard to ignore.
When Aguirre took hold of the team in 2001, Mexico was highly competitive in the Americas despite having few of its players play for European clubs. Eight years later, during his second stint, it had evolved into a program that prided itself on exporting many of its top talents.
Today, it has notably regressed in that regard, falling behind Concacaf rivals Canada and the USMNT. Further complicating things, the national team's contract with Soccer United Marketing (SUM) has meant El Tri plays sparingly in Mexico, opting instead for big-money friendlies in the United States. In short, Aguirre inherits a team that is perhaps worse off than the one he managed nearly a quarter century ago.
Mauricio Pochettino says his USMNT will have to be adaptable to bring success in the future.
"To have someone come in for a third time to try and right the ship, don't you think that means we haven't done things right?" Ricardo Osorio said in an interview with ESPN this August.
Osorio, a former defender who played under Aguirre at the 2010 World Cup, also played four seasons in the Bundesliga with VfB Stuttgart.
"[Aguirre] isn't at fault here: he's here to fulfill a contract. He'll do what he does. He's a motivator, but I'm tired of doing the same thing. We haven't advanced, we've gone back in time."
Opinion is split around Mexican soccer circles with the choice to bring in Aguirre and his particular brand of crisis management. However, it is hard to argue with his history with the national team, as the former El Tri midfielder at the 1986 World Cup is seemingly at his best when tossed into near-impossible situations.
Aguirre's secret to success stems from coming in and emphasizing order to struggling sides, solidifying the defense and working from there to right the ship. Last season, Mallorca allowed just 44 goals in 38 matches -- only four LaLiga sides allowed fewer -- as he secured first-division play for another year. The mantra is clear: If they can't score, you can't lose. The result is often tight, unspectacular play that emphasizes efficiency and concentration in the back, while making the most of counterattacks and limited buildup opportunities for offensive players.
In his previous World Cup runs with Mexico, Aguirre's teams have never given up more than one goal in a single group stage match. However, the 2024 version of El Tri that Aguirre walks into is vastly different than the ones he encountered in 2001 and 2009. This Mexico is not a team that needs to figure out a way to defend, rather one that desperately needs to figure out how to create chances for its standout attacker, Santiago Giménez, who is currently out for three months due to a thigh injury.
"[Aguirre] is not a coach who has to play exactly the same way. I think he adapts himself well to what he wants to do to have success," said Jared Borgetti in an interview with ESPN. Borgetti, who played under Aguirre at the 2002 World Cup, is now a commentator for ESPN Mexico. "I believe his experience will help him identify the players he wants for a system that suits Mexico moving forward."
At the Copa América, Lozano's Mexico conceded just one goal in three games against Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica. It also just scored once, preventing it from qualifying for the knockout stages. Giménez, a top striker at the club level for Feyenoord, scoring 23 goals in the Eredivisie last season, has not netted for Mexico since July 2023, when he came off the bench in the Concacaf Gold Cup final against Panama to clinch El Tri's record ninth title in the competition.
In the past, Aguirre has had undeniable issues with teams that are expected to always be on the attack. At Monterrey, the Liga MX side he coached between 2021 and 2022, the Mexican coach was gifted with a luxury he arguably hadn't had since he managed Atlético Madrid in the late-2000s: a squad built to compete for trophies.
"I think he adapts well to what he has, we saw it in Monterrey, being able to play a different way than he has with most of the Spanish clubs he's coached," Borgetti said.
Although Aguirre won a Concacaf Champions League title at Monterrey early in his tenure, he later struggled. Fan pressure mounted, and after an underwhelming performance at the FIFA Club World Cup, he was dismissed after winning just 43% of his games there.
With Mexico, similar scenarios have played out. In 2002, Aguirre thrived as the underdog by beating Croatia and drawing against Italy at the World Cup, only to lose to the United States in crushing fashion in the round of 16 when all signs pointed to El Tri being favored. In 2010, his team beat France convincingly 2-0 in the group stage, only to again fall short in the round of 16 against Argentina.
The question, then is: How will the notoriously cautious Aguirre muster a winning formula to snap Mexico out of its offensive funk? The answer may lie in how much influence assistant coach Rafa Márquez has over the man in charge.
A youth coach at Barcelona, the club he once starred for, Márquez employed the La Masía way during his four-year stint in Spain, and at Barcelona Atletic, the main club's feeder, had a role in developing top-tier talent such as Gavi, Héctor Fort and, most notably, Lamine Yamal.
The tried-and-true Barcelona formula, however, is notably difficult to apply outside of the club for players who have not been immersed in it from an early age. Should Márquez and Aguirre be able to apply even a few helpful measures, though, it could go a long way toward nudging the team back toward relevancy and giving Márquez the necessary credibility to take over in 2026.
At the World Cup, the expanded 48-team format and local scheduling for Mexico offers (on paper, at least) a way for it to improve on past showings. For seven consecutive tournaments, Mexico was dogged by the curse of "el quinto partido," or "the fifth game," failing to get past the round of 16 from 1994 to 2018. Of course, 2022 was even worse, with El Tri failing to get out of the group stage. In 2026, el quinto partido won't mean a quarterfinals berth, but it will mean Mexico has won a knockout stage game for the first time since 1986.
Will that be enough to bring fans back into the team's good graces? A cash cow in the United States and Mexico for decades, El Tri's current state of futility has seemingly had its effect on attendance and the team's overall popularity in recent years, with fans and media regularly criticizing it in a manner not seen for quite some time.
Aguirre and the FMF will hope that their third time together is the charm, and that Mexico can not only salvage the opportunity presented for 2026, but launch itself into the future with another legend at the helm. -- Eric Gomez
'If you play only one way, you don't grow' - for Gambhir, it's adaptability above all else
"We want to be that team which can score 400 in a day and bat for two days to salvage a draw," Gambhir said ahead of India's first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. "And you call that growth, you call that adaptability, you call that Test cricket. If you play only one way, then there is no growth.
"I can't talk about world cricket. Every team has their ideologies, their methods to play Test cricket. I can only talk about my team. If we are ever in such a situation where we have to bat for two days to draw a Test, we have players in the dressing room who can bat for two days. Ultimately, our first motive is to win a match and then if there is a situation where the team has to play for a draw, we have to keep those options open as well. That is the kind of Test cricket that we want to play."
As for the "high-risk, high-reward" approach, Gambhir was on board, and even doesn't mind India getting bundled for 100 in the process as long as the batters play their natural games and take the game head-on - even in Test cricket.
"Yeah, we want people to be aggressive, we want people to go out there and play their natural game. If they can play the natural game, if they can get 400-500 runs in a day, why not? We will play it that way - high-risk, high-reward; high-risk, high-failure," Gambhir said. "There will be days when we'll get bundled up for 100 but we'll continue to back our players.
"That's how we want to play and that's how we want to entertain the people of this country and, even in Test cricket, we want to keep the game going forward and get the results in whatever situation we are in."
"We want to try and play the game as hard as possible on the cricket field. Once the game is done, we want to be as humble as possible"
Gautam Gambhir
"I think New Zealand is a completely different challenge," Gambhir said. "We know that they're a very, very good team. They've got some really high-quality players. They've got players who can hurt us. They've got players who can do the job for them as well. They keep fighting and we expect them to fight as well. So we respect them, but we don't fear anyone.
"I've said it many times that we will always respect every opposition. We want to be selfless. We want to try and play the game as hard as possible on the cricket field. Once the game is done, we want to be as humble as possible."
With 74.24% points, India are well placed for a third consecutive WTC final appearance, and while a series win here will not guarantee them a spot in the final, it will make things easier for them especially considering that they next take on Australia in a five-match series in Australia.
"See, the first thing is that the World Test Championship is in June [2025]. And the second thing is that the Test match in Australia is on November 22. Right now, only New Zealand is on our mind and nothing else," Gambhir said. "When you play international cricket, you don't think about how to prepare for the five Test matches in the Australia series or how to prepare for the World Test Championship final. Right now, the most important thing is how to be ready on October 16 at 9.30am. That is more important because you don't see ahead that far.
"Whatever match you play for your country, you try to win it irrespective of who is the opposition and where that series will take place. Whether it is New Zealand or Australia, we will try to win our country in every match."
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
Anya Shrubsole: England will believe they can go 'toe-to-toe' with Australia
Since then, Heather Knight's team has reached the last four on four separate occasions across the 20- and 50-over World Cups, including two finals in 2018 and 2022. However, Australia have lifted the trophy on each occasion, most recently in South Africa in February 2023, where they claimed their sixth T20 title in seven stagings since 2010.
The Aussies remain the strong favourites for this year's event in the UAE, having marched through to the semi-finals in an unbeaten start to their campaign. However, England are also flying high on the other side of the draw, and will remain on course to meet Australia in the final if they can avoid defeat to West Indies in their final group match on Tuesday.
"England are pretty well placed," Shrubsole told ESPNcricinfo. "Australia just have that belief that they're going to win, and more often than not, they do. But I sense from this group, they really do believe that they can beat Australia. And I would argue, at times previously, that out-and-out belief maybe wasn't there. I think that Ashes [last summer] gives them a huge amount of confidence."
That remarkable series in June and July 2023 ended as an 8-8 draw, with Australia's victory in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge meaning that England went into the white-ball leg of the series realistically needing at least five victories in the six matches to reclaim the Ashes. In the end, they came agonisingly close, landing 2-1 wins in both the T20I and ODI series, which still amounted to Australia's first losses in a white-ball bilateral series since 2017-18.
"It's one thing doing it in a bilateral series, compared to doing it in a World Cup final, and that's one of the things that Australia have in their favour," Shrubsole said. "But that Ashes performance showed that, if England put them under pressure and play really good cricket, they can go toe-to-toe with them."
England's first three matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup were in Sharjah, where the slow, low surfaces played very much into the squad's strengths, with no fewer than four frontline spinners featuring in their opening wins over Bangladesh and South Africa. They tweaked that formula a touch in their most recent match against Scotland, with Lauren Bell slotting in as an out-and-out seam option, but Shrubsole is impressed with England's willingness to dispense with convention and back the options that suited their requirements.
"England have got to be agile, but that quartet of spinners has been working really well," she said. "Linsey Smith bowls so well in the powerplay, it allows Sophie Ecclestone to bowl more through the middle and at the death. But those four spinners are outstanding, and a real asset to England."
England's captain, Knight, is now approaching her ninth year in the role, having taken over from Charlotte Edwards in June 2016. It's a tenure that has coincided with the exponential growth of the women's game, meaning she has needed to be a spokesperson off the pitch as well as a leader on it, and for the most part Shrubsole believes she has balanced those requirements with impressive agility.
"She's had to grow as women's cricket has grown, and she's been a real figurehead for that," Shrubsole said. "She speaks about the game really well, and tries to push the agenda, which can be pretty time-consuming and draining at times, and she's had to work through a couple of coaches as well in that time. She seems to have really embraced the change that Jon Lewis has brought in. And she's someone who keeps evolving her game as well, and leading from the front in that perspective."
"One of her biggest strengths is her calmness," Shrubsole said. "She's pretty unflappable. She's the sort of person you'd want in a sticky situation, especially a run-chase. She thinks really clearly about what she's doing in the game, and when she's at full flow, she's pretty hard to bowl at.
"She hits the ball harder than probably than any cricketer in the women's game, especially off the back foot. But she's just a really calming presence. She's the sort of person that, when she's batting, you think everything's going to be okay."
Shrubsole herself retired from professional cricket at the end of last summer, bowing out in glory at Lord's once more with victory in the Women's Hundred final. This month, however, she renewed her association with the ground as she took up a new role as chair of MCC's Women's Players and Fixtures sub-committee, with a remit to drive female playing membership at the club.
"I'm honoured to be able to give back to cricket a little bit, and hopefully do something that has a meaningful impact," Shrubsole said, with Lord's set to host its first women's Test, against India, in 2025.
Lord's did not admit its first female members until 1999, and last year the club was criticised by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) review for its failure to do more for the women's game, with the report finding that "the home of cricket was principally a home for men". However the club's female playing base has been growing year on year, and Shrubsole hopes that her involvement can help to accelerate that change.
"Everyone is aware of the need for MCC to change things a bit with regards to gender equality, but some huge strides have been made in that space, which is really exciting, and hopefully I can help push things on," Shrubsole said.
"In the 14-15 years I was playing for England, if we don't count the World Cup, we had maybe two or three games at Lord's, which doesn't feel like enough. It feels like there should be a Women's International at Lord's every summer, but with the Test next year, that seems like it's moving in the right direction."
Anya Shrubsole is the new chair of MCC's Women's Players and Fixtures sub-committee. Anyone interested in joining MCC should contact the Club by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
NZ knock Pakistan (and India) out; secure first T20 World Cup semi spot in eight years
New Zealand 110 for 6 (Bates 28, Halliday 22, Sandhu 3-18) beat Pakistan 56 (Sana 21, Kerr 3-14, Carson 2-7) by 54 runs
India's hopes briefly arose. New Zealand could perhaps feel a sense of déjà vu. Pakistan themselves threatened to do the unthinkable. Only for all of it to come crashing at the end of it all.
New Zealand crushed Pakistan in their final group game to qualify for the semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup for the first time since 2016. Batting first, they could only finish on 110 for 6. India needed Pakistan to beat New Zealand for them to make the semi-final. Pakistan themselves needed to hunt down the score anywhere inside 11.3 overs to qualify for the last four at the expense of India and New Zealand. In a bid to do so, they were bowled out for 56, their lowest all-out total in T20 World Cups.
Bates, Plimmers and a fours-ful start
When Suzie Bates drove the second ball of the game down the ground to beat mid-off, it looked as if New Zealand's decision to bat first was vindicated. An over later, both Georgia Plimmer and Bates managed to hit a four apiece off Fatima Sana before Plimmer bisected the gap at extra cover in the fourth over. By the end of five overs, New Zealand had hit five fours and looked good for more, despite a slightly higher number of dot balls faced.Only when Omaima Sohail was brought on for the final over of the powerplay, did there come a sign of what was to follow.
Pakistan drop catches, NZ drop scoring
Nida Dar's first over, the fifth of the game, gave an indication of her fortunes for the day. Bates attempted a reverse lap on the second ball against Dar, only to deflect it to the wicketkeeper. But Muneeba Ali failed to hang on. That was the first of five dropped chances Pakistan missed off Dar's bowling alone. In the sixth, Bates pulled Sohail straight to midwicket but Sandhu could not hold on. A ball before, Plimmer had survived a run-out chance.Plimmer and Bates could not make those chances count. With New Zealand's score on 41, the former skewed a top edge off Sandhu towards cover, where Sana fumbled before hanging on. In Sandhu's next over, Bates hit one down long-on's throat. Sohail had grassed a tough caught and bowled chance when Amelia Kerr was on nought but manage to have her caught at the deep midwicket ropes cheaply.
Boundaries were hard to come by. Sophie Devine tried using her feet to counter spin but to no avail. She was also given a life when she was on 13. Pakistan dropped five catches in the last three overs. Despite that, New Zealand could hit only seven fours - the last two coming off Brooke Halliday's bat - and were restricted to a total that seemed very gettable at the halfway mark. Sandhu finished with 3 for 18 while Dar, Iqbal and Sohail also picked up a wicket apiece.
Pakistan's attacking ways play into NZ's hands
Pakistan knew they had to hunt down the 101-run target inside 12 overs for a semi-final place. Their intentions were clear when they sent Aliya Riaz up to open the batting alongside Muneeba. It was only the second time that Riaz had walked out to open in a T20I, the first time since 2014. Her stay lasted only three balls as she miscued offspinner Carson to cover. Muneeba began solidly, first skipping down to loft Carson straight back and then pulling Lea Tahuhu through deep backward square leg - aided by a misfield. But Tahuhu got one to seam in, past the inside edge, to make a mess of Muneeba's stumps.That was the start of a massive collapse from Pakistan. They lost five wickets inside the powerplay to be 28 for 5. A massively reworked batting order - that saw Dar bat at No. 7 - did not bear the desired result. Dar and Sana's 24-run partnership for the sixth wicket was Pakistan's best. But once their most experienced allrounder fell in the tenth over, Pakistan folded as quickly as New Zealand started. They lost their last five wickets for just four runs in 11.4 overs, the exact over mark by when they had to complete the chase to qualify.
BCCI scraps Impact Player rule in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s
October 15 at the T20 World Cup: England, WI with little room for error as semi-finals race heats up
England vs West Indies
Dubai, 6pm local timeEngland squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt
West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton
News brief: Barring a couple of extreme scenarios, which will see both West Indies and England go through, this will be a virtual knockout game, with the winner directly advancing to the semi-finals. South Africa have one foot in the semi-final, but aren't quite there yet, as England can still get into the next stage with a loss against West Indies, provided their margin of defeat is small enough: a one-run loss if the first innings total is between 97 and 134 or a two-run loss if they are chasing between 61 and 96; if England are batting first, they can afford to lose with one or two balls to spare only.
West Indies will hope Stafanie Taylor is available for their final group game. The experienced Taylor, who opened against Bangladesh, was forced to retire hurt after ten overs in the small chase. Captain Hayley Matthews later said Taylor had been nursing a knee problem through the tournament: "She knows how to manage her body pretty well. She's a crucial part of our lineup, but once again, she's a fighter, and I don't think any of our doctors of physios would have her out here if she wasn't up for the challenge."
Coach: Watson still gives Browns best shot to win
One day after the Cleveland Browns' offense continued to crater in a 20-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, coach Kevin Stefanski again placed his support behind Deshaun Watson as the team's starting quarterback.
"I think Deshaun gives us the best chance to win, continues to give us the best chance to win," Stefanski said Monday when asked why he wouldn't insert backup Jameis Winston as the starter. "We need to play really good offensive football at his position, and really at every position to be successful."
In Sunday's defeat, Cleveland's fourth straight, the Browns became the first team since the 2014 Jacksonville Jaguars to fail to reach 20 points in each of its first six games. Cleveland is also the only team that has not recorded 300 total yards in a game this season.
Watson has posted a 21.5 QBR, the lowest among qualified passers, but Stefanski said after the game that he is sticking with Watson at starting quarterback.
On Monday, he reiterated the decision to keep starting Watson is his own.
When asked if co-owner Jimmy Haslam is "forcing" him to stick with Watson, Stefanski said, "I don't get caught up in narratives, but we have a good dialogue with myself, [general manager] Andrew [Berry], ownership about all things that have to do with this team. They've been nothing but supportive, and any decision when it comes to football is my decision."
Lions' Hutchinson has surgery to fix tibia, fibula
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Detroit Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson underwent successful surgery Sunday night at a Dallas-area hospital to repair his fractured tibia and fibula, the team announced Monday.
Hutchinson will return to Detroit this week and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timetable for his return to play, the team said.
A source, however, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Hutchinson's season is over, as his injury typically carries a recovery timeline of six to eight months. A rod was placed in Hutchinson's leg during the surgery, the source said.
Hutchinson injured his left leg on a play in which he was sacking Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during Sunday's 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Hutchinson's leg appeared to snap above the ankle when it collided with the left leg of teammate Alim McNeill as Hutchinson was pulling Prescott down.
Members of the Lions and Cowboys quickly circled around Hutchinson as team doctors rushed to his side. Hutchinson's leg was placed in an air cast, and he exited on a cart.
"Hate it for Hutch. That's tough. It was tough," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "He's in good hands right now. He's being taken care of. He'll stay back here, and obviously he's going to be down for a little while. So, that's tough and it's hard when you lose somebody like him, but we'll know a lot more after this and obviously wish him the best."
McNeill called the injury "frightening to see." And he wasn't initially aware of the severity of Hutchinson's injury after it happened, although he was involved in the play.
"That's what I felt, but I haven't seen it myself so I couldn't really tell," McNeill said after the game. "I didn't know if that was him or not, but I did feel somebody, like, leg with me and then I saw Hutch down ... that's crazy. "
Lions running back David Montgomery, who finished with two rushing touchdowns, said he has faith that Campbell and his staff can prepare players to fill Hutchinson's role.
"It's an unfortunate loss for us. A big, big, big blow for us, and it's just more personal for us now because of the kind of guy that Aidan is and the kind of character that he has and what he brings to the locker room and to this team," Montgomery said. "So, I know for me personally, I'm going to take it real personal for a guy like Aidan because he was the heartbeat of this team, and he still will be."
Hutchinson, the second pick of the 2022 NFL draft, has 7.5 sacks this season, the most through five games by a Lions player since 1983 (William Gay), per ESPN Research. Entering Week 6, Hutchinson led the NFL in sacks, pressures and pass rush win rate even though the Lions were coming off their bye week.
Without Hutchinson, Detroit will likely rely heavily on defensive linemen Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, DJ Reader and Isaac Ukwu to help pick up the slack. The injury could reopen the door for James Houston, who was ruled inactive for the game at Dallas.
"We're all feeling for him 100 percent," Onwuzurike said. "It's hard to rebound from a guy like Hutch. That s--- is tough. He's a freak. He was probably going to break the sack record this year, so when you lose someone like that, that's real tough, but we've got hungry guys. ... So, I think the guys will handle business 100 percent."
McNeill said he and his teammates on the defensive side of the ball don't anticipate any major schematic changes.
"We're still going to get off the ball off that edge, play that run and set that edge. But I don't think too much will change, maybe like some third-down stuff, but I don't really think too much, too much will change," McNeill told ESPN while exiting the locker room. "It will just be a change of rotation and stuff like that, but I don't think anything will be too drastic, though."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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