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Gatland bids to avoid equalling worst losing run
Welsh rugby has long had an unhealthy obsession with the number 10 but perhaps this weekend it is justified with an unwanted record lurking.
Since the days of Cliff Morgan to Barry John and Jonathan Davies, the number has shone as a symbol of excellence.
Now it could represent a banner of failure as Wales aim to avoid a 10th Test defeat in a row.
Warren Gatland faces Fiji on Sunday desperate not to equal the worst losing run in Welsh rugby history.
It was, by coincidence, under another New Zealander - Steve Hansen - that Wales sank to new depths between 2002 and 2003 before Romania were rolled out as cannon fodder before that autumn's World Cup.
There are clear parallels between now and then and, at times, Gatland's words could have come straight out of Hansen's mouth 21 years on.
The need to fast-track a new crop of players at the sharp end of Test rugby - 13 uncapped players used in 2024 alone - against a period of domestic upheaval.
In 2003, Welsh rugby was in the process of ditching 120 years of history with the formation of regions, which today is fighting to survive.
The national team is a reflection of the regions but for all the need for patience as foundations are laid, a win on Sunday is now surely a non-negotiable or Remembrance Day could be remembered in rugby for all the wrong reasons.
New Zealand bat first, hand debut to Mitch Hay
New Zealand opt to bat vs Sri Lanka
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first on what Mitchell Santner thought was a "good surface maybe a touch on the slower side". With "no rain on the forecast", Santner was more emboldened to bat first in the first T20I. Charith Asalanka said he would have batted first also.
Sri Lanka have not made changes to the XI that won their last T20I against West Indies. Slingers Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara form the fast-bowling contingent, while Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dunith Wellalage are the main spinners.
New Zealand: 1 Tim Robinson, 2 Will Young, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Michael Bracewell, 6, Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Josh Clarkson, 8, Mitchell Santner (capt.), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Zakary Foulkes, 11 Jacob Duffy
Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt.), 6 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Dunith Wellalage, 9 Maheesh Theekshana
Benched Russell 'committed' to Lakers, Redick
LOS ANGELES -- For the second straight season, D'Angelo Russell was in the Lakers' starting unit on opening night only to be moved to the bench in response to the team grappling with an early losing spell.
Only this time, after Friday's 116-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Russell sounded completely at peace with the move.
"I just wanted to win," Russell said after scoring 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting with three assists as a reserve. "So whatever it took, change of plans, whatever it is, whatever Coach needs, try to get the win and be a part of that."
Cam Reddish taking Russell's place marked the first strategic adjustment to the starters made by first-year coach JJ Redick this season.
Redick did not hold an open competition for the starters in training camp, naming LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and Russell as his first five before the preseason began, citing their 18-6 record together in 2023-24.
Russell only found his place with that starting five, however, after losing his job in late December with L.A. in the midst of a 1-5 skid.
Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham, whom Russell struggled to connect with at times, kept him with the second unit until mid-January.
"I left all that, all my baggage at the door this summer once we changed coaches and new staff came in," Russell said of the difference in his digesting Redick's decision. "I was committed to whatever it takes. That's what y'all see now."
The adjustment came after L.A. stumbled on its recent road trip, going 1-4, ending with a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies when Redick benched Russell midway through the third quarter and played him just 22 minutes total, a season low.
Before Redick called timeout to sub Russell out of the game in Memphis, the point guard struggled on both ends through a handful of possessions and the game broadcast camera caught the Lakers' coach pounding his chair in frustration.
"Basketball is, to me, an emotional game," Redick said before Friday's game when asked about the clip of his outburst. "I'm a competitive person, I'm a passionate person. Sometimes ... for a brief period of time, you lose control of that emotion. It's not the first time that it's happened, I'll be honest with you. Maybe it's the first time that something like that was over Twitter, but it's going to happen again. It may happen two hours from now. That's just the reality."
Redick had nothing but praise for Russell after Friday's win lifted the Lakers' home record to 4-0.
"We've asked him to do things. He's been accepting of the role," Redick said. "He has talked with me all the time. He has a really strong desire to win, and he has a really strong desire to be coached. And our communication level from June 20th to today has been nothing but open, honest and transparent. And I would assume it will continue to be."
Beyond the defensive lift that Reddish provided on Philadelphia's Paul George, helping to hold him to just nine points on 4-for-13 shooting, Russell infused some offense to L.A.'s bench unit that came into the night with the lowest scoring average in the league.
"Big-time pop for us off the bench," Redick said after Russell tied the highest scoring game by any Lakers player off the bench through their 5-4 start. "A really efficient night for him. And he just played really good basketball."
Beyond Russell's impact, Davis' 31 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in his return from a one-game absence because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot; James' 21-point, 13-assist, 12-rebound triple-double; and Reaves' 20 points and seven assists got the Lakers back on track.
Redick stressed that he is still tinkering to find the right mix with his lineups.
"I think the balance of the group and for the balance of roles, this felt like the right thing to do right now," Redick said. "But I just want to be clear, this is all very fluid."
And Russell vowed to go with the flow.
"My approach has been to be professional from day one," he said. "And I'm committed to it through not playing, through coming off the bench, through whatever it may be. I'm egoless. So, I just want to win."
India will not travel to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy
The BCCI has informed the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan to participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy. ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCCI told the ICC it had been advised by the Indian government not to send the team to Pakistan. The eight-team Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played at three venues in Pakistan between February 19 and March 9 but this development means the ICC and the PCB will need to activate a contingency plan, likely involving a hybrid model where teams will shuttle between Pakistan and a second venue.
The ICC was informed of the BCCI stance earlier this week, though it could not be confirmed whether the BCCI had orally communicated its decision. It is possible the ICC is looking for written communication before it can relay that to the PCB. Naqvi had insisted on Friday that the PCB would need "in writing" any objections the BCCI had and if so, then he would need to discuss it with his government before any final decision was taken.
ESPNcricinfo has sought responses from the ICC, the PCB and the BCCI on the developments.
Naqvi's stance on Friday was notably more unequivocal than it has been on the issue, insisting the PCB was not "prepared to accept" the hybrid model. He referred to "great gestures" the PCB had made previously, in the team travelling to India to play in the ODI World Cup in 2023, despite India refusing to travel to Pakistan for the preceding Asia Cup. That tournament eventually adopted a hybrid model, with the latter stages played in Sri Lanka. He also made clear that any future travel to India by Pakistan would not be a given and would be a government decision.
The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams, with two groups of four followed by semi-finals and a final. The competing teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. Monday, November 11, will mark 100 days until the start of the event, although the schedule and ticketing details are yet to be announced. ESPNcricinfo has also been told that a schedule-announcement event in Lahore next week is likely to be postponed because of these developments.
As a result of fraught political ties between the two countries, India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup despite the latter playing several ICC events in India including the 2023 World Cup. The sides have played just one bilateral series since then, a white-ball tour Pakistan made in 2012-13.
Additional reporting by Osman Samiuddin
Replacement player Bekker takes centre-stage as Renegades win Melbourne derby
Melbourne Renegades 146 for 6 (Capsey 33, Faltum 29, Stalenberg 26*, Kapp 2-22) beat Melbourne Stars 141 for 9 ( Deepti 23, Illingworh 1-8, Bekker 1-9) by 15 runs
Bekker was playing just her second WBBL game after being called into the squad to replace injured spinner Sophie Molineux (knee). The 20-year-old didn't let the big stage of a Melbourne derby faze her, returning the miserly figures of 1 for 9 from her four overs to be named player of the match.
"It's been a bit of a whirlwind," Bekker said. "I was at the pub a couple of days ago with my mates, and then got the call [to join the squad]. I played against the Scorchers which was really cool. And then hopped on a flight. It's been really rushed."
Bekker's maiden WBBL wicket was none other than superstar batter Meg Lanning.
"Everyone was cheering me on, I was just trying to bowl my best ball, and it happened to be Meg Lanning, which was kind of awesome," Bekker said.
The Renegades were 54 for 2 after 10 overs when they took the power surge. Although Deandra Dottin fell for 7 shortly after, Renegades cracked 29 runs off the two overs. Alice Capsey and Wareham fell in quick succession before Stalenberg and Faltum steadied the ship with a 55-run stand.
Stars' run chase started slowly with the scoreboard reading 16 for 1 after five overs. Bhatia was lucky to still be there after being dropped by wicketkeeper Faltum in the first over when she was yet to score. The opener scored 22 off 26 balls, but the rest of her team-mates struggled for fluency as the required run rate ballooned out.
Bangladesh bat against unchanged Afghanistan and hand debut to Jaker Ali
Toss Bangladesh chose to bat vs Afghanistan
Afghanistan, meanwhile, named the same team which gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
While Jaker is playing his first ODI, he has already represented Bangladesh in 19 T20Is and a solitary Test. He has so far played 93 List A games, and averages 35.75, with two centuries and 12 half-centuries.
Afghanistan had won the first ODI by 92 runs, leaving Bangladesh in a must-win situation on Saturday in order to keep the series alive.
Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan Tamim, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Jaker Ali (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Konstas and Webster guide Australia A home in a nervy chase
Australia A 223 (Harris 74, Prasidh 4-50, Mukesh 3-41) and 169 for 4 (Konstas 73*, Webster 46*) beat India A 161 (Jurel 90, Neser 4-27, Webster 3-19) and 229 (Jurel 68, Rocchiccioli 4-74, Webster 3-49) by six wickets
Australia's A chase got off to a disastrous start and Australia's selectors did not get the final pieces of information they were hoping for from Harris and McSweeney. Harris played a half-committed drive to a very full ball and was given out caught behind off the inside edge. His luck from day two might have evened out as it was not entirely clear whether he hit it. Bancroft's horror run of form continued when he was hit on the toe by a cracking yorker and given lbw. It was tight to leg but probably hitting. Bancroft has scored 29 runs in eight first-class innings so far this season, including four ducks, with any hopes of a Test recall completely dashed for the time being.
McSweeney looked organised in his last bid to convince selectors he is worthy of opening the batting in the Perth Test. He hardly made an error in his 69-ball 25. But he was undone by a cracking delivery from Mukesh Kumar that angled into off and nipped away to catch the edge.
Konstas, 19, then showed the composure and the batting craft that has so many astute judges in Australian cricket cooing. He weathered the storm with resolute defence and then began to expand as the ball got softer and Kotian came into the attack. He unfurled a cracking pull shot off Prasidh and then skipped out to Kotian several times to bang him over the top down the ground. He also sat back and punched him through the off side. He didn't get sucked into playing at balls outside his leg stump when a short leg and leg gully were set for him.
He lost Ollie Davies for a brisk 21 when his New South Wales team-mate misjudged the length from Kotian completely and was bowled attempting an ambitious cut shot.
Webster settled after a nervy start and hit the ball with trademark power to help ease the pressure of the chase. The pair rattled along, striking 13 boundaries and a six between them. They scored fast enough for the umpires to extend play with an extra half-hour to win the game on the third night. Konstas only gave one life, with substitute Abishek Porel dropping him at deep square with 15 runs to win.
Unlike the first innings though, he did need a large stroke of luck. Early in the morning, on 25, he uppercut Scott Boland to deep third absentmindedly with a fielder placed there for that exact shot. Ollie Davies had to run forward and dive but he spilled the difficult chance offered despite getting two hands to it. Had that been held, India A would have been 85 for 6, leading by just 23 and in danger of losing before lunch.
Thereafter, the momentum swung in India A's favour. Jurel and Reddy shared a pivotal 94-run stand to give their side a chance. Jurel's class shone through again. He pounced on anything short or overpitched and was rock solid in defence. While his team-mates have looked all at sea against the extra bounce at the MCG, Jurel has looked right at home with a game tailormade for Australian conditions.
Reddy played his best innings of the tour to-date, striking five fours and a six in a key supporting role. Australia A struggled to penetrate given they were a bowler down after the loss of Michael Neser on day one.
But just as Jurel got a stranglehold on the game, he holed out to deep square off Rocchiccioli to open the door to the tail. Three overs later, Reddy fell to Webster for the third time in four innings. It was also the third time he was bounced out, gloving one to the keeper trying to hook to fine leg.
That left India A 162 for 7 with a lead of just 100. But the last three wickets added 67 to ensure Australia would have a tricky chase. Kotian and Prasidh frustrated the bowlers with an entertaining and vital 49-run stand. They struck nine fours and a six between them. Kotian posted the fourth-highest score of the match, making 44. Prasidh's innings was bewildering. He consistently backed away but slapped the ball with power both sides of the wicket in a breezy 29. He eventually fell to a sensational diving catch at deep midwicket by Konstas.
Kotian added 28 with Mukesh Kumar who scored just 1 before miscuing one to mid-off. Rocchiccioli wrapped up the innings with his fourth wicket, pinning Mukesh plumb lbw.
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
'Error-strewn Ireland display may force Farrell into shake-up'
For the Ireland players, a grim post-match review awaits on Sunday, but Farrell may already be mulling over his selection for Friday's match against Argentina, who have beaten New Zealand and world champions South Africa this year.
Before this campaign, Fiji's visit to Dublin on 23 November appeared the most likely arena for Farrell to experiment and delve deeper into his squad, but the Englishman may feel as though wholesale changes are needed for Argentina.
Farrell went for a tried-and-tested team against the All Blacks, with 10 of his line-up having started the World Cup quarter-final.
The craft and game management of Sexton, the only player missing from a familiar backline, was sorely missed. Jack Crowley, who has started in the 10 jersey in every game since Sexton's retirement, was unable to orchestrate the Irish attack.
Crowley was withdrawn after 58 minutes. Ciaran Frawley, who starred in the South Africa summer series with his Durban drop-goal double, did not fare much better.
Sam Prendergast, the third fly-half in the squad, is viewed by some as Ireland's long-term solution at 10. He is uncapped but surely can't be too far away from his debut.
But Farrell's selection issues extend beyond fly-half. He may feel the need to reintroduce Ryan Baird and Craig Casey, who were unlucky to miss out on the matchday squad, while Calvin Nash - who ably deputised for the injured Mack Hansen in the Six Nations - will be itching for another chance.
"There were a lot of question marks with some of the bench picks," observed 2009 Grand Slam winner Bowe.
"The likes of Cian Healy, who has 130 caps, Tom O'Toole, Iain Henderson, Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray. Is it time to give an opportunity to the young guys to try and take this team on to the next World Cup?"
This was Ireland's third defeat in five games, after losses away to England and South Africa.
But it was also their most puzzling and ineffective performance.
That is what will concern Farrell the most. And that is why he may feel the need for a shake-up before Argentine come to town.
Barbra Banda scored two goals and the Orlando Pride opened the National Women's Soccer League playoffs on Friday night with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Red Stars.
Haley McCutcheon and Marta also scored for the Pride, who won a playoff game for the first time in franchise history. They will face the winner of Saturday's game between the Kansas City Current and the North Carolina Courage in the semifinals.
"I'm looking forward to the next game, and more goals in the next game," Banda said.
After missing the playoffs for the past five seasons, the Pride finished atop the standings and won the NWSL Shield for the best regular season record. Orlando (18-2-6) had a league-record 60 points and Banda had a team-high 13 goals.
The Red Stars (10-14-2) finished in eighth in the standings to secure the final playoff spot. They ended the regular season on a three-game skid.
McCutcheon scored on a header in the 26th minute, her first goal of the season.
Banda outraced a pair of defenders and placed her shot just left of Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher to put the Pride up 2-0 in the 39th. The goal came just moments after Orlando's Summer Yates was subbed out with an injury and replaced by Adriana.
Banda displayed her speed again on her second goal in first-half stoppage time. Former NBA star Grant Hill, who is part of the Pride's ownership group, cheered the goal from the stands.
Marta converted a penalty in the 56th minute to make it 4-0.
Jameese Joseph scored about three minutes later for the Red Stars.
The Pride's only other playoff appearance was a 4-1 loss to the Portland Thorns in 2017.
Confident Pakistan eye rare series win against weakened Australia
Big picture: Pakistan confident, Australia shorthanded
Australian soil has mostly been the site of nightmares for Pakistan over decades. But ignited by fiery bowling from quick Haris Rauf, Pakistan are on the verge of a rare series victory in Australia and go into Sunday's decider at the Optus Stadium highly confident after a nine-wicket hammering of the world champions in Adelaide.
It can, of course, be fraught with danger to feel any type of certainty over such a volatile team but Pakistan deserve to enter the third and final ODI in Perth as favourites. They probably should have already wrapped up the series if not for Pat Cummins' late heroics with the bat at the MCG.
Pakistan bounced back superbly with a masterclass in the second ODI, blowing away Australia's batters with skilful pace bowling before impressive young opener Saim Ayub treated Australia's frontline attack with disdain.
It's hard to recall a more clinical performance by a visiting team in Australia. Pakistan, whose white-ball coach Gary Kirsten quit amid upheaval just a week before the tour, can almost sniff an unlikely series victory and they will face a weakened Australia.
Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Marnus Labuschagne won't play as they start preparing for the first Test against India.
While the series is viewed as an entrée to the blockbuster Test summer, as underlined by modest crowds in Melbourne and Adelaide, there is added significance for both teams ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Form guide
Australia LWWLL (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan WLLWW
In the spotlight: Josh Inglis and Haris Rauf
Team news: Mass changes for Australia
Quick Sean Abbott, who played in the series opener, is likely to return for Australia along with experienced allrounder and Perth local Marcus Stoinis. Hometown heroes Lance Morris and Cooper Connolly will be in consideration, while quicks Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett are also in the squad.
Australia (probable): 1 Matt Short, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Josh Inglis (capt, wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Aaron Hardie, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Spencer Johnson/Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Lance Morris
After such a comprehensive victory in Adelaide, Pakistan are set to remain unchanged.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Saim Ayub, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Kamran Ghulam, 6 Salman Agha, 7 Irfan Khan, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Mohammad Hasnain
Pitch and conditions
A fast and bouncy surface is expected at a ground that aims to mimic the famous conditions at the nearby WACA. But runs usually flow at the ground in white-ball cricket as batters target the relatively short straight boundaries.
"The same three principles... pace, carry and bounce but more of a batter's wicket. Lots of runs," WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo.
It has been a relatively mild spring in Perth and pleasant temperatures in the mid-20s are expected throughout the day fixture.
Stats and trivia
- Salman Agha has the fifth-highest strike rate (94.86) in Pakistan's history of batters who have faced at least 500 deliveries.
- Glenn Maxwell needs 50 runs to reach 4000 in ODIs.
- The teams have never played an ODI at the Optus Stadium. Pakistan held a 4-3 edge at the WACA.
- Only two ODIs have been played at the Optus Stadium. In front of more than 53,000 fans, England's 12-run victory over Australia in January 2018 was the first official sports event at the Burswood ground, while South Africa beat Australia by six wickets later that year.
Quotes
"We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method. We're committed to the style we want to play."
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald
"The most important thing was that the team won. This performance, we planned to be positive and not think about the result."
Saim Ayub on Pakistan's win in second game
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
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