De volta à seleção, Andreas demonstra otimismo antes de amistoso: 'Brasil é favorito contra qualquer seleção do mundo'

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Na sua coletiva de reapresentação, Andreas Pereira, jogador do Fulham, da Inglaterra, falou um pouco sobre as suas expectativas para o amistoso contra a Inglaterra, que acontecerá em Wembley, às 16h (Brasília) e sobre o quanto amadureceu após jogar no Flamengo.

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Rafael Devers Had Announcers in Awe With His Monster Home Run vs. Mets

Rafael Devers is trying to break the San Francisco Giants out of their frustrating, months-long slump, and took his team's collective frustration out on a baseball Sunday afternoon.

During the top of the third inning of the Giants' matchup with the New York Mets at Citi Field, Devers turned around a 94-mph fastball from Frankie Montas and launched it into the upper deck. It had the team's announcers in awe.

Video is below.

Officially, the ball came off the bat at 105.9 mph and went 403 feet, but that looks much farther than the official tally shows.

Since acquiring Devers from the Boston Red Sox on June 15, the Giants have the worst record in baseball at 14-26. The All-Star slugger has struggled to fit in with his new team. Entering Sunday, he had played 39 games with the Giants and was slashing .219/.322/.363 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. His fifth home run with the team sure was memorable.

Devers and the Giants are currently punishing the Mets 7-1, so maybe a breakout is on the horizon.

Rockies Make More Unwanted History After Embarrassing Sweep Against Blue Jays

The Rockies are having a tough year.

That is an understatement.

The Rockies are having one of the toughest years in baseball history. Even that might be gentle, but we’ll go with it for now. With 48 games left to play, Colorado sits with a record of 30–84 on the season, 54 games below .500. They are 35.5 games behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West, and 23.5 games behind the Diamondbacks for second-to-last place in the NL West.

They stand alone as the worst team in baseball, with the Chicago White Sox 12 games above them.

While it’s obviously been a struggle all season for the Rockies, they continue to find innovative ways to dig deeper into the depths of baseball despair even into August, as their recent sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays showed.

Colorado dropped three straight games against Toronto by scores of 15–1, 10–4, and 20–1, despite holding leads in the first inning in two of the three contests.

But the sweep wasn’t just any old blowout—it was a historic one. The Blue Jays set franchise records for both runs (45) and hits (63) in a three-game series, and their 63 hits are the most of any team in a three-game series since at least 1901, per MLB.

“It’s a really good team that puts the ball in play a ton. That’s what they do,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said after the series was mercifully over. “It’s why they’re on top of the American League. So you’ve got to tip your hat to them, and we’ve got to make better pitches.”

It’s a simple bit of advice, but there’s really not much else you can say after such an epic beatdown.

For what it’s worth, not every run and hit the Blue Jays secured came against a Rockies squad that was playing for the win. Colorado was trailing by just 11 runs (woof) heading into the ninth inning on Wednesday night, and let catcher Austin Nola take the mound in relief to finish the game. He gave up eight runs including two homers before he was finally able to get out of the inning.

Last year’s White Sox currently hold the record for worst 162-game MLB campaign with a 41–121 record. While the Rockies are currently on pace to finish just ahead of that mark, their performance against the Blue Jays shows that this team is plenty capable of making some more demoralizing history.

Barcelona star "given the green light" to leave with Tottenham offered loan deal

Tottenham have been criticised as of late for a perceived lack of creativity, with it being clear they’re far from the finished article.

Tottenham travel to Everton after lacklustre Monaco draw

Thomas Frank’s side travel to Everton on Sunday with the aim of getting back to winning ways after two uninspired performances.

Their 2-1 loss at home to Aston Villa last weekend heightened concerns around Spurs’ inability to dominate matches or create openings on a consistent enough basis, as critics call for Frank to shake things up.

Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur have been in fantastic form individually, particularly the former, but questions surround whether they should be the north Londoners’ starting pair in central midfield every game.

Frank’s men are struggling to connect defence with attack, and this was on full display during their stalemate in France.

Goalkeeper Gugilelmo Vicario was by far their player of the match against Monaco, saving Spurs time and time again with a string of excellent stops — thwarting ex-Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun three times in the first 45 alone.

Monaco 0-0 Tottenham – Champions League

Monaco

Team Stats

Tottenham

21

Shots

10

9

Shots on target

4

50%

Possession

50%

399

Passes

328

91%

Pass accuracy

89%

13

Fouls

12

0

Yellow cards

1

0

Red cards

0

1

Offsides

1

5

Corners

4

In terms of their attacking players, some believed winger Wilson Odobert had his “best game in a Spurs shirt” at the Stade Louis II, but the Frenchman was forced off through injury in the second-half and couldn’t make a further impact.

Even though Vicario has attracted criticism for his handling of crosses into the box this term, based off their 0-0 at Monaco, Frank’s goalkeeping department looks like one of the areas least in need of strengthening come January.

However, journalist Graeme Bailey reports that co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange now have the chance to bring in a pretty big name for that position.

Tottenham offered Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen on loan

According to Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has been offered out to Spurs, with the 33-year-old told that he can leave in January.

Ter Stegen, who’s made just nine appearances in all competitions since the beginning of last season due to injury, has watched summer signing Joan Garcia take his number one spot.

The German, who is still captain of Barça regardless of his unavailability over the last 12 months, is close to returning from a back problem, but the La Liga champions have told his camp to find him a new club when the winter window opens.

Tottenham have been approached by intermediaries over signing ter Stegen as a result, with the Lilywhites handed an opportunity to strike a temporary deal.

A six-time Spanish champion with Barça and Champions League winner, ter Stegen’s proven top-level experience could be invaluable to a largely young Spurs dressing room.

However, his fitness issues, combined with a pretty lofty £280,000-per-week pay packet, makes this potential move a fairly risky one, even on loan.

Vicario’s heroics against Monaco prove that Frank already has that base pretty covered, and the club should really be prioritising new additions further forward.

Dominic Solanke’s fitness issues and concerns around Richarlison’s form have prompted reports that Tottenham are targeting a new striker in 2026, with ex-Brentford star Ivan Toney among the names linked as Frank looks to bolster his attack.

Paratici and Lange, after Tottenham failed to sign Savinho in the summer, could also look to target a new winger in the winter.

Fewer touches than Pickford: Everton flop must be axed if Richarlison joins

David Moyes’ blistering start back to life in the Everton dug-out feels like a very long time ago now.

Indeed, the Scotsman was just the antidote the Toffees needed after the wheels came off Sean Dyche’s miserable reign, with just two defeats picked up from his opening ten games back in charge of the Premier League titans last season, steering them comfortably away from relegation.

The Merseyside outfit is still six points clear of that dreaded relegation zone in the here and now, but there are concerns in the air at the Toffees all the same, with Everton only coming out on top with a win in the league once across their last five matches.

A 3-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday would have only added to those worries, as former Everton hero Richarlison stood out for Thomas Frank’s away side.

Richarlison's potential Everton return

Richarlison has often found his time at Tottenham Hotspur to be fraught with bumps, but he would put the game beyond all doubt on Sunday evening when heading into the path of Pape Matar Sarr to make it 3-0.

The passionate Brazilian only has 23 goals next to his name for Spurs from 104 total appearances, but recent reports – as perTEAMTalk – suggest that the North Londoners are willing to cash in on their one-time £60m buy in January, and that Everton are circling.

It would well be a masterstroke of a return as the Toffees attempt to feel comfortable about their striker options again.

CF

77

23 + 6

LW

51

24 + 8

RW

22

6 + 1

While Richarlison might be remembered most fondly by those on Merseyside for his gung-ho performances down either wing, it feels unlikely that the South American – despite his previous heroics at the club – would be able to displace the likes of Jack Grealish on his favoured left channel at the moment.

Consequently, he stands his best chance at making waves on his return as an out-and-out centre-forward, when assessing Richarlison’s previous goal tally as a striker at Everton, with 23 goals picked up from 77 outings, leading to one of his ex-managers at Goodison Park in Carlo Ancelotti, hailing him as a “fantastic” finisher of chances.

Despite murmurs that Spurs want to offload their hot-and-cold number nine in the coming months, he is also able to boast a healthy haul of three goals and two assists next to his name from nine clashes this season.

Bringing back such a former beloved figure could signal the end for Beto in Everton blue, with the Lisbon-born striker struggling once again to get going yesterday evening, to the dismay of his impatient fanbase.

Why Beto is on borrowed time at Everton

You would think a striker in Moyes’ current set-up would be licking their lips at the prospect of how many goals they could put away, with the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and the aforementioned Grealish tricky customers intent on putting chances on a plate for the chosen marksman leading the line.

Unfortunately for Moyes and Co. though, Beto often fluffs his lines when a golden opportunity comes his way, with the former Udinese striker desperately unlucky not to find the back of the net on Sunday evening, when an acrobatic effort in the second half – with the scoreline still standing at 2-0 – was somehow clawed away by an alert Guglielmo Vicario.

That’s about as good as it gets for the under-fire 27-year-old, however, with his minimal 14 touches of the ball meaning he often cut an isolated figure at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, so much so that Jordan Pickford even managed to accumulate more touches himself, having tallied up 36 in total.

With just one goal next to his name in the Premier League this season, it isn’t a great shock to read all the widespread backlash he is receiving for his recent dismal displays, with Everton-based podcaster Paul Brown stating at full-time that the goal-shy number nine is “hopeless”.

Moreover, another Toffees podcaster in the form of Steven Kelly also stated that the ongoing striker situation is “killing” Moyes’ side at the moment.

It really does look like Beto is on borrowed time on Merseyside, therefore, with his precarious position in the starting XI becoming ever more shaky if the passionate South American potentially returns to the blue half of Liverpool shortly.

Alongside Beto: Moyes must drop 4/10 Everton star who lost possession 19x

Everton were humbled on their own patch as Tottenham Hotspur ran out convincing 3-0 winners.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 27, 2025

The new Rice: Arsenal have a Hale Ender who's like "Vieira and Diaby"

Arsenal are well equipped to go all the way in their battle for the Premier League title this season, having brushed up their squad after three successive second-place finishes.

But while the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze have all established themselves as star members after big-money summer transfers, Mikel Arteta has ensured the Hale End academy has remained as important and influential as it has ever been, with some talented teenagers intermingled with the senior squad in north London.

Under Arteta’s wing, Arsenal have made incremental progress, with silverware the only thing missing since the Spanish coach replaced Unai Emery in 2019 and took his squad to the FA Cup final and won the trophy.

He has maintained his upward trajectory by entrusting Arsenal’s academy with regular opportunities.

Arsenal’s Youngest Prem Debutants under Arteta

Player

Opponent

Age

Ethan Nwaneri

Brentford

15 years, 5 months, 28 days

Max Dowman

Leeds

15 years, 7 months, 23 days

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Man City

17 years, 11 months, 27 days

Marquinhos

Brentford

19 years, 5 months, 11 days

Folarin Balogun

Brentford

20 years, 1 month, 10 days

Data via Transfermarkt

Arsenal have so many exciting stars looking to establish themselves as the next Bukayo Saka or the new Declan Rice. The latter might not have cut his teeth with the Gunners, but they are certainly reaping the rewards.

Declan Rice's journey to superstardom

Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is one of the first names on the team sheet for both club and country, and, aged 26, he has matured into a leader as well as a technical and athletic phenomenon.

It all started at West Ham United.

David Moyes nurtured his young protege to the fore and shaped him into the player he is today. Arsenal paid £105m for the Hammers man’s signature in 2023, with Rice having led his side to the Conference League title a month before.

Once a member of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, Rice is unquestionably one of the most talented Englishmen to have emerged in recent years, having evolved from a defender to a six to a first-class all-rounder.

The north London club are well stocked in the engine room, but with the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri all emerging from Hale End in recent years, it might be nice to see an all-action midfielder burst onto the scene and help continue Arteta’s remarkable rise.

After all, who better to learn from than Rice?

Jack Wilshere’s declaration that Rice is a one-of-a-kind player and an inspiration and teacher for someone like Dowman is right on the money, but there’s actually an exciting Hale End midfielder who could more beneficially absorb the fruits of the Three Lions star’s labours over the coming months and years.

Arsenal's new version of Rice

Rice is one of the best English midfielders of his generation, and it’s for this reason that teenager Ife Ibrahim will be keen to take a leaf or two from the 26-year-old’s book as he looks to make his way from the Emirates academy into Arteta’s senior squad.

The London-born prospect has attracted praise for his performances at youth level this season and has enjoyed his first two caps for England U18s, having made his bow only a few weeks ago.

With the right moves over the next few years, Ibrahim could be just the player to learn from Rice and develop into a similarly special midfielder at the highest level, with the 17-year-old having already edged his way into U21 action at Arsenal despite his youth an inexperience.

Said to have a bit of “Vieira and Diaby” about him by analyst Harvey Diamonds, the rangy midfielder is adept at breaking up play and keeping things ticking from the base of the centre. He might not be the flashiest, but this is the kid of counterpoint you need against, say, someone like Nwaneri up ahead, creating and adding to the attack.

Whether Ibrahim even scratches the same ballpark as Rice in the future is, of course, another question entirely, but he has the physicality and progressive nature to succeed in the Premier League and learn some tricks from the superstar’s trade.

Having featured 54 times for Arsenal’s various development levels, Ibrahim has plenty of experience under his belt and has even featured three times against senior oppposition, in the EFL Trophy, this season, with data from Sofascore showing us that he won 59% of his duels across those three outings, averaging two interceptions per game and completing 87% of his passes. The teenager’s heat map suggests he covered plenty of ground across the midfield, stretching back to cover his defenders and barrelling forward when the chance presented itself.

This is all to say that Arsenal have a gem on their hands, one of many glittering underneath the surface level of Arteta’s squad. Given the need for a physical profile at number six to contrast with the elegance of Zubimendi, it might just be that Arteta strikes the jackpot once again with a talented academy star, free to grow into their skin and feeling the trust from the boss.

As with Rice (and Vieira, for that matter), Ibrahim appears to have a propensity for using his muscular frame and sharp bursts of pace to hold off opponents and dart upfield.

Arsenal youth correspondent Jeorge Bird has already confirmed that Arteta has welcomed the youngster into some senior training sessions over the past year, clearly with a view toward full integration down the line.

It wouldn’t be the first time Arteta has done such a thing.

After Saka & Rice: Arsenal can hand Tuchel the "biggest talent in England"

The incredible Arsenal gem could become a bigger star for England than Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 14, 2025

PIF have signed an "explosive" talent who can end Gordon's Newcastle career

Newcastle United fans will be growing extremely restless with how poor their beloved side’s away form continues to be.

The inconsistent Magpies must wish they could play in front of their passionate St James’ Park masses every week, with another away day loss in the Champions League against Marseille meaning the Toon have lost their last four matches on the road.

In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men have won their last six matches in a row back on home soil.

Of course, home advantage is a common phrase uttered in football – hence the labelling of certain home grounds as fortresses – but this Jekyll and Hyde form will seriously be worrying Howe, with TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole saying “there’s too much of a gap” between the strugglers at their very best and their very worst, after the defeat in France.

Anthony Gordon is seriously letting his side down wherever they’re lining up at the moment, though, with a regret now possibly in the air that PIF didn’t cash in on the up-and-down performer when they could’ve.

Latest on Gordon's future at Newcastle

Indeed, during the summer of 2024, Liverpool were reportedly keen to tempt the England international to Anfield, with last summer also seeing them come back with more interest, as he was touted to have a bumper £100m price-tag above his head.

Gordon warranted all this fervent interest, too, with 37 goals and assists coming his way across two campaigns for Howe’s men.

His confidence was so sky-high that the Liverpool-born forward even labelled himself a “nightmare” for defenders to contain, amid interest also coming from top-flight rivals Arsenal.

Now, however, he has thudded back to reality, with zero goals or assists coming his way from seven Premier League games so far this season, with just 40% of his dribbles accurately completed, as per Sofascore, as he continues to look a worrying shadow of his former self.

Consequently, Liverpool have moved on to another batch of high-profile targets in attack in the form of Michael Olise and Antoine Semenyo, with writer Thomas Hammond stating that a forthcoming sale of Gordon would be “favourable”, just to get him off the books, concerning his ongoing no-shows.

While he has contributed massively to his own downfall, his Newcastle career could be in even more tatters by the emergence of this promising star on Tyneside, who PIF signed on a free transfer earlier this year.

The "explosive" star who can end Gordon's career

Howe could soon have to be bold with what he does in the St James’ Park hot seat, with the current state of affairs unfolding, leading him down the unwanted path of a dismissal.

For the tie at the Orange Velodrome, Howe did bravely decide to gift 16-year-old Sam Alabi a chance from the substitutes bench, with Antonio Cordero another promising star that might be in line for some first team chances soon, partcularly if Gordon continues to frustrate.

For the time being, the former Malaga winger is out on loan in Belgium with KVC Westerlo, but when he returns, he will have even more senior action under his belt, as he attempts to unsettle Gordon, with his standout time in the senior squad at Malaga, leading to one analyst page hailing him as an “explosive” talent.

Despite only being 19, Cordero – who has also been labelled as “exciting” by former Magpies sporting director Paul Mitchell – managed to tally up a weighty 60 appearances for the senior side, with goals and assists aplenty also coming his way.

LW

33

5 + 6

RW

16

2 + 3

AM

2

0

RM

1

0

Looking at the table above, Cordero would manage to tally up a blistering 11 goal contributions for his former employers down Gordon’s usual left-hand side from just 33 appearances.

The hope will be that Newcastle landing the teenage sensation for nothing proves to be a masterstroke in time, with Cordero further capable of also playing as a right winger, or as a number ten if needed.

The promising youngster has even been noted as being “like Gordon” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with Newcastle perhaps better served now to look to the future and put their energy into the Spaniard, than persisting with Gordon to come good.

In a few years, he might well be a household name on Tyneside, with the ex-Everton attacker off the Magpies roster, subsequently.

Alongside Pope: Howe must bin Newcastle hero who won 0 duels vs Marseille

Eddie Howe must now ditch this Newcastle United defender alongside a woeful Nick Pope.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Makes Blue Jays History With Seventh Home Run of Postseason

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed his seventh home run of this year's MLB playoffs on Tuesday night during Game 4 of the World Series.

Guerrero hit a 395-foot two-run homer in the third inning to put the Blue Jays up 2–1 over the Dodgers. This was a huge moment for Toronto, and it was also a huge career moment for Guerrero.

With his seven career homers, Guerrero officially surpassed Blue Jays legends Joe Carter and José Bautista for the most home runs hit in the postseason by a Toronto player, per Sarah Langs. Carter and Bautista each had six homers during their postseason careers with the Blue Jays. It took Guerrero 21 career playoff games to hit this milestone and make franchise history—though all seven home runs have come during this playoff run.

There will at least be one more World Series game (maybe more if Toronto wins Game 4 to tie the series), so Guerrero has the opportunity to continue adding to his record.

On Monday night, Guerrero and Alejandro Kirk made Blue Jays history by both having at least five home runs in a single postseason for the first time in team history. This year marks the most homers the Blue Jays have hit in a single postseason with 25 so far in 15 games. That total will likely continue increasing. Will Toronto be able to win its first World Series title since 1993, too?

Braves Announce Change to Role of Manager Brian Snitker

Braves manager Brian Snitker will be moving into an advisory role in the front office and will not manage the club moving forward, the franchise announced on Wednesday morning.

"The Atlanta Braves and Brian Snitker today announced that the long-time manager will transition into an advisory role within the organization for the 2026 season, and will be inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame prior to a game next year. …He exits his managerial post with the third-most wins by any skipper in the history of the franchise. Snitker completed his 49th season in the Braves organization in 2025, and his ninth full campaign as the Braves manager. [Snitker] joined the organization as a non-drafted free agent in 1977," the release said in part.

Snitker, who turns 70 later this month, just concluded his 10th season as manager after taking over in the middle of the 2016 season, and has gone 811-668 with two 100-plus win seasons and a 2021 World Series title to his resume.

The Braves went 76-86 this season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

What we learned from watching the 1992 World Cup final in full again

Wides, lbw calls, swing – plenty of things were different in white-ball cricket back then

Sidharth Monga30-Mar-2020 #RetroLive Last week, we at ESPNcricinfo did something we have been thinking of doing for eight years now: pretend-live ball-by-ball commentary for a classic cricket match. We knew the result, yes, but we tried our best to go in as ignorant about the actual match as possible, so as to react “naturally” to what was happening. The odd joke aside, we stayed in character and didn’t let our knowledge of cricket’s evolution since then inform our commentary.However, we can break kayfabe now and talk about what we learnt from how cricket was back then, which in this case is the World Cup final of the year 1992.Are we not calling wides?
Wide calls back then seemed to be based more on the umpires’ judgement of the bowlers’ intent than on how wide the ball was of the batsman’s stumps. There were no tramlines for starters (yes, it is easy to forget such a time existed in limited-overs cricket). Quite regularly balls outside leg were not wided: be they wrong’uns starting from within the stumps, inswingers gone wrong, or full tosses outside leg from a left-arm spinner. Just as regularly, the umpires were too harsh on wides outside off.The only explanation for this – other than it being a residue from amateur limited-overs cricket where umpires were lenient in order to complete matches before it got dark – is that they saw it as being the same as in Tests: nobody would intentionally bowl down the leg side, which would be bad bowling, but they might intentionally bowl wide outside off to restrict scoring. As a result, the bowlers had a much bigger margin for error if they bowled straight, but on the flip side, they couldn’t use the space outside off tactically.Wide calls are much less subjective today, except when the batsman has moved around in the crease or changed his stance before the ball has been delivered. The tramlines, introduced just as a guide, have now become an objective parameter in most cases. Going down leg is a strict no-no, but those tramline yorkers are fascinating to watch.Who do I have to kill to get an lbw?

Yes, pitches have got flat, bats heavier, and rules are loaded in their favour, but to really appreciate modern batsmen, you have to watch a rerun – not highlights – of a 1992 World Cup game. Let alone getting a positive reaction from the umpires, the bowlers were so conditioned to receiving apathy that they didn’t even appeal for lbws that were so plumb that even Virat Kohli might not have reviewed them. Batsmen back then hardly ever got out if they so much as got onto the front foot, and often they just pretended to play a shot if they were in trouble. Mad respect for modern batsmen.ALSO READ: Twenty-five things from 1993 that are no longer aroundWhite doesn’t swing? Says who?
It is hard to believe but that was a time when the white ball swung more than the red one. This is not a view based on watching just one rerun; it is based on the first-hand experience of commentators and cricketers.To make it worse for batsmen – and bowlers who struggled to control their swing – one new ball was used at each end in the 1992 World Cup. This is why teams, especially the winners, Pakistan, developed a strategy of batting the first 30 overs almost as if in a Test match. Imran Khan promoted himself to perform just that role. Bowlers struggled too: over the course of the tournament Wasim Akram, for example, went from being a quick bowler to trying to bowl within himself, to once more going all out when cutting the pace didn’t have any impact on the wides.It is amazing how we have a reached a stage where the same manufacturers are struggling to manufacture a ball that will swing.The wrist is history: Mushtaq Ahmed’s success in the 1992 World Cup heralded the age of the wristspinners•Getty ImagesNon-strikers stole ground then too

In the 24th over of the chase, Aamer Sohail pulled out of his delivery to warn Allan Lamb – who had just taken a quick couple the previous ball – against stealing ground before the ball was delivered. Boos punctuated the confused hush that fell over the MCG. Umpire Steve Bucknor called it a dead ball. Sohail ran in again, saw Lamb moving again and pulled out again. This time Bucknor had to intervene and break off a conversation between the two.After the over, the transmission cut to the studio in Hong Kong. Sunil Gavaskar was the expert in the studio, weighing in with analysis and comments between overs and during drinks breaks. The anchor said, “Running a batsman out who has left the bowler’s end is not considered cricket. You’d normally expect a warning first.” Not in limited-overs cricket, where every run is vital, said Gavaskar, whose tone suggested annoyance at Sohail being questioned.The lines were being drawn already: Asian sides were much more serious about limited-overs cricket, and wanted the law enforced over the spirit. Later in the year, Kapil Dev would go on to run Peter Kirsten out after warnings, only for ugly scenes to play out thanks to South Africa’s righteous indignation.ALSO READ: Retroreport: The 1992 World Cup finalImagine Gavaskar’s and Dev’s annoyance then, when 27 years later, exactly on the same day as that 1992 final, R Ashwin ran Jos Buttler out without a warning, only to be lambasted and ridiculed the world over. However, it is not a losing battle anymore, and people are beginning to realise the batsman is gaining an unfair advantage and needs to live with the consequences. Without a warning.Wrist and reward

Pakistan were a horribly balanced side. They had a specialist batsman, Ijaz Ahmed, playing at No. 9, with his utility being only part-time seam-up overs. Sohail was called upon to bowl his full quota. Imran Khan was injured, so he played mainly as a batsman whose job was to fast-forward the game to the 30th over without losing wickets. If other sides had slightly more urgency, they would have punished the bowling lightweights in the Pakistan side, but in one respect, Khan’s team was also ahead of its time.There was only one specialist wristspinner, and he wore the iconic light-green jersey. There was only one spinner in the top 19 wicket-takers in the tournament, and it was the same man, Mushtaq Ahmed. Khan insisted he wanted a legspinner in his side as Abdul Qadir reached the end of his career. Ahmed’s impact was clear not just from his numbers but visibly too, with batsmen finding him as illegible as modern batsmen do left-arm wristspinners. Ahmed, the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament, was, as is known these days, the point of difference between others and the champion side.The time was ripe for Shane Warne and Anil Kumble to rule the world.Other lessons

  • Imran Khan could come to the toss wearing what looked like an undershirt and not be fined.
  • The world still didn’t know much about reverse swing. The stage was set for a testy summer in England.
  • A bouncer above the head was a no-ball even if you touched it. Nowadays it is called a wide, and if you happen to play it, it becomes a legal delivery.

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