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MLB has used PitchCom since 2022 so pitchers and catchers can transmit calls instead of visually giving signs. The transmitters have helped with the pitch clock, too, since pitchers now have less time to shake off signs. But have you ever heard what the system sounds like in a player's ear?

Well, SNY and New York Mets field reporter Steve Gelbs gave us a walkthrough on Thursday night of the sounds that are passed directly into the ears of MLB stars as calls are made. The default English setting sounds like a generic, almost Siri-like voice spewing pitch types and locations. You can watch the fun segment and hear it for yourself below:

Gelbs mentioned there are default Spanish sounds, too, which includes all pitches and calls except for "sweeper" because, well, there isn't a Spanish word for sweeper.

The device is customizable allowing you to record your own calls or in other languages, which some players and clubs have had fun with before. This isn't the first time we've seen a PitchCom demo at the MLB level as the Colorado Rockies went through how they use the devices last season.

Still, it's a great inside baseball segment that probably helped a lot of fans figure out why pitchers are always messing with their hats or covering their ears with their gloves.

One mystery still stands, though—who is the mysterious PitchCom voice? Gelbs asked that question and didn't get a clear answer, but he did provide a prime suspect—the PitchCom founder, which could either be John Hankins or Craig Filicetti.

They might have suffered their first defeat in months at the hands of Aston Villa on Saturday, but this season is still shaping up to be a memorable one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League and Champions League tables and still haven’t reached their full potential.

Moreover, while injuries have taken their toll, the Gunners have a squad bursting at the seams with incredible players, and Bukayo Saka, arguably their most important player, has produced three goal involvements in his last four games.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to a player who has been compared not only to the Englishman but also to summer target Rodrygo.

Arsenal target Saka & Rodrygo hybrid

Uncharacteristically, Arsenal went on something of a spending spree in the summer, bringing in the likes of Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and others.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Therefore, it would be understandable if the North Londoners held off on any major signings in the January window.

However, it would appear that the Gunners are determined to further improve their already impressive squad, and are now looking at a player who has been compared to both Saka and Rodrygo.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Arsenal are very interested in signing Yan Diamonde.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Premier League leaders have now identified the winger as a priority target.

However, the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are also said to be keen on the youngster and that RB Leipzig would need a fee of up to €100m to sell their star asset, which is about £87m.

It would therefore almost certainly be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Diomande’s ability and potential, one Arsenal should fight for anyway, especially as he’s been compared to Saka and Rodrygo.

How Diomande compares to Saka & Rodrygo

So, starting with the obvious and somewhat surface-level similarities, like Saka and Rodrygo, Diomande is a seriously exciting winger plying his trade for a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Moreover, unlike some other wingers for top teams, the 19-year-old is someone who can back up his flashy ability with output.

For example, in 15 first-team appearances this season, totalling just 951 minutes, the Ivorian star has scored seven goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 86.45 minutes, which is a rate of return that really lends credence to journalist Bence Bocsák’s claim that he is a “generational talent.”

However, the comparisons to the two international wingers go deeper than just their positions and ability to produce goal involvements.

For example, FBref has ranked Rodrygo as the second-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Leipzig star across Europe’s top five leagues, and ranked Saka as the ninth-most similar.

The best way to understand how these comparisons have been made is to take a look at the underlying numbers in which the players rank so closely.

Progressive Carries

6.74

6.74

Shots on Target

1.35

1.40

Key Passes

1.46

1.40

Blocks

1.35

1.16

Passing Accuracy

80.9%

83.5%

In the case of the Real Madrid star, these metrics include progressive carries, key passes, shots on target, and passing accuracy, all per 90.

In other words, the teen phenom is as capable as the two-time Champions League winner at getting the ball up the pitch, whether by carrying or passing.

Expected Goals

0.34

0.36

Shots

2.37

2.60

Shots on Target

1.35

1.21

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.57

1.48

Shot-Creating Actions

4.29

4.55

Tackles Won

0.56

0.65

Ball Recoveries

5.39

5.56

Now, when it comes to the Gunners’ mercurial number seven, similar metrics include shot-creating actions, ball recoveries, tackles won, shots on target, expected goals, and more, also per 90.

This suggests that the youngster is as willing to help out with the defensive side of the game as the 24-year-old is, while also still being a serious goal threat.

Ultimately, it would require a significant amount of money, but Arsenal should do what they can to sign Diomande, as, in addition to being a great prospect in his own right, he also has a lot in common with Saka and Rodrygo.

Arsenal star was playing like Saka, now he's being treated like Smith Rowe

The incredible Arsenal talent could end up following Smith Rowe’s trajectory instead of Saka’s.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes 2 days ago

Mark Wood has cast doubt on his availability for the third Ashes Test and admitted concerns that, at 35, his body is no longer coping with the rigours of bowling 90mph/145kph.Wood had surgery on his left knee after hobbling out of England’s Champions Trophy campaign in February, and the series opener in Perth was his first Test match in 15 months. He bowled 11 wicketless overs across the match but was sent to a specialist after reporting more pain and has been wearing a knee brace since arriving in Brisbane.Speaking to Channel 7 at the tea break during the second Test at the Gabba, Wood suggested he was unlikely to be in contention for the Adelaide Test, which starts on December 17: “I think there’s a chance there, but more realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that… I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around.”Related

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Wood said that he has had painkilling injections in his knee since the first Test, and suggested that age is catching up with him. “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster, but I’m getting older now.”I don’t know if my body’s not coping with it as well [as it used to] but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on, to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. I’m hoping I can get this right and can charge in again.”I’m trying to just get through day-to-day at the minute. Later in the series is what I’m aiming for, but I can’t do that much at the minute. I’ve had a couple of injections, resting up, and slowly but surely, running [will] start soon, then back into bowling.”It’s more mentally difficult than physically. You’ve got to try and build it back up and come back again, and that’s probably the more difficult thing.”Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said on the eve of the Brisbane Test that Wood would do “everything” possible to remain in contention for selection in this series: “We’ve got a lot more time to go on this tour, and we’ll just see how things play out with that.”

It was a year in which Sri Lanka carved a glorious arc through world cricket, and at the heart of it was a man who did everything, everywhere, all at once

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Jun-2025There was no indication early on that 2014 would turn out to be such a roaring tornado of a year for Sri Lanka’s men, though it did start strangely.Sri Lanka and Pakistan began a Test on the last day of 2013, and played it into the fourth day of 2014, a game that turned out to be a staid draw in the end. But upon this first match of the calendar year (there is some debate on which year this game belongs to) Angelo Mathews made sure to write his name. Without his 91 in the first innings, Sri Lanka would have been skittled for far less than their eventual 204. Without his 157 not out in the second innings, his team would have struggled to keep the opposition at bay.There was a lot going on at the time. The previous year, Mathews had been made captain of the Test and ODI teams at age 25, which at the time was unusually young for a Sri Lanka leader. The board, additionally, was in its brashest era. Sri Lanka Cricket was backed by a government that at the time controlled practically everything on the island, which in turn empowered SLC to fight battles on two important fronts – against the Big Three, who made their first brazen attempt to control the global game in the first quarter of 2014, as well as against the top men’s players, whom the board felt were too highly-paid while the SLC was trying to claw its way back from enormous debt.Related

• Mathews defies drama, one last time

• 'It's quite sad'- Mathews calls for more Tests for Sri Lanka

• Dhananjaya de Silva: SL missed 'big chance' to make WTC final

• Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: New beginnings for both teams as WTC restarts in Galle

• Ambidextrous spinner Rathnayake among new faces in SL squad

The men’s schedule was packed as well. There was an Asia Cup coming up, a full away tour to Bangladesh, Test tours away to England and Pakistan (UAE), and late in the year, an away series in New Zealand. At home, there were Tests against South Africa and Pakistan, plus Mahela Jayawardene’s Test retirement. If you add to this the intolerable weight of having made it to four ICC tournament finals since 2007 and always having been runners up, there was clearly a lot of pressure on the main event of 2014 – the T20 World Cup.The team’s response to all of this was to be electric and unmissable right through those 12 months. And within that team, there was no one as electric, or as unmissable, as Mathews, across almost all fronts. He was, that year, as adept at taking new-ball wickets in T20Is and ODIs, as stonewalling when the team faced a major Test deficit, as crashing boundaries in big knockouts, as prowling the covers and ranging the boundaries, as marshalling the tail, as rebuilding after a collapse, as sneaking red-ball wickets in crucial passages. Because he was the main captain, Mathews would also find himself at the centre of various controversies, including a ‘Mankading’ dismissal in England.Angelo Mathews lifts the Asia Cup in 2014•AFPIn the Test at Lord’s Kumar Sangakkara deservedly got the headlines for his determined entry into the honours board in what would be his final Test there. But Mathews’ 102 in the first innings, and 90-ball 18 in the second, were vital to pushing that match so deep that Sri Lanka were able to save it by the skin of their teeth. In the T20 World Cup, Rangana Herath and the frontline quicks dominated the middle and death overs. But Mathews had often set the stage for them with his miserly early spells. In the semi-final against West Indies, his 40 off 23 was Sri Lanka’s best. In the final, he claimed figures of 1 for 25 off four overs.In a home Test series against South Africa, Mathews didn’t get out for any fewer than 63, showcasing remarkable consistency. Then in the following match, against Pakistan, he pushed himself up the order and began hooking manically into the stands as Sri Lanka chased a Test victory in the dying moments of the fifth day, a raucous crowd thronging Galle’s fort ramparts as well as the grass banks in the stadium. Mathews hit the winning run just as the heavens unleashed a torrent.Mathews and Sri Lanka’s finest hour: the 2014 T20 World Cup win over India•ICC”He was just one of the best cricketers that fit any situation,” Sangakkara says about Angelo Mathews. Sangakkara, by the way, was having no-less epic a year. But as exceptional as Sangakkara was with the bat and the gloves, no one was firing on as many cylinders as Mathews.”He never went in and read the situation wrong,” Sangakkara says. “For someone to instinctively do that at such a young age was phenomenal. Everyone talks about Michael Bevan and these other late order batters who were so good, but Angie was also exceptional in that – the way he batted with the tail, the way he attacked and cleared the boundary with such clarity. He seemed to have an answer to every match situation.”His greatest moment in Tests came in Headingley that year, when his 4 for 16 with the ball restricted England to a lead of only 108 when they’d been headed for much more, before his bruising 160 in the second innings – which featured a 149-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Herath, turned the match on its head. So often in this stretch of Mathews’ career, tailenders would observably bat with more responsibility if he was the batter at the other end, like office workers who would quit chit-chatting, straighten their ties, and get back to the desk when the boss walked in. In that second innings at Headingley, Mathews had thrown his bat in anger when Dhammika Prasad (who could bat a bit) squandered his wicket first ball. So desperate was Prasad to redeem himself, that he came out and produced the bowling performance of his career, to help Sri Lanka win that game, or so the story goes.There will always be the disappointment that Mathews didn’t keep this up. Why wasn’t he roughly this good for so many more years? Why does he now average less than 45 with the bat? Why has he not strode his way to 10,000 Test runs? There is the obvious structural difference post-2015, which is that Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Tillakaratne Dilshan, whose excellence had created space for the young Mathews, retired and left a young team to its own devices. Where the senior batters had once cleared the dancefloor on which Mathews busted his moves, after 2015 so many situations into which Mathews arrived felt like a crisis.Sri Lanka’s 2014 tour of England: Mathews was never far from moments of magic, or controversy•PA PhotosThere is also the sense that he flew a little too close to the sun. Between 2010 and 2015, no one played more international cricket. He wishes he’d clocked this workload at the time, but then asks when he would possibly have had the time to take a step back and adjust? In 2014, he was a leading figure of one of the greatest Sri Lanka sides ever assembled, desperate to finally win the silverware to reflect that greatness. Within six months in 2014, Sri Lanka won an Asia Cup, a T20 World Cup, a Test series in England, and a home series against Pakistan. Mathews was instrumental to every one of those victories.That Mathews was coming in lower down, bred the kind of trophy-winning aggression even the top order displayed. “It gave me huge confidence knowing that Angie was there, because you know you’re in absolutely in good hands,” Sangakkara says. “It gives you a lot of freedom to bat, and up your tempo, or reverse pressure and be a little more aggressive. You knew you had this exceptional batter to come.”There are other exceptional Mathews moments. His captaining of the 3-0 home whitewash of Australia is an obvious. Batting all day with Kusal Mendis to save a Test match at the Basin Reserve in 2018 is another.But even without any of that, Mathews’ 2014 was enough. This was a year in which Sri Lanka carved a glorious arc through world cricket, stirring controversy sometimes with their own board, sometimes with the opposition, enrapturing their fans for months on end. In addition to the great batters already mentioned, the likes of Lasith Malinga and Herath have also had their legacies partially defined by the trophies won through this stretch.All those superstars needed 2014’s wins to provide the late validation their great careers deserved. All those superstars needed every bit of Angelo Mathews they got that year.

West Ham United look to be in absolute free fall at the moment.

Not even the new appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo has been able to stop the Premier League losses from piling up in East London, with the forlorn Hammers at least thankful to Wolverhampton Wanderers for picking up no wins to keep them off the very foot of the division.

Still, West Ham only have the one dire win from nine league matches themselves, as the ex-Nottingham Forest boss grows increasingly concerned that he is steering the ship straight down to the Championship.

Max Kilman has received plenty of pelters in recent weeks for his disastrous performances at the back, with the £40m recruit looking anything but a stable presence defensively in the daunting Premier League.

Kilman's woes at West Ham this season

With Kilman in the heart of defence this season, West Ham have leaked a shambolic 20 goals already in league action, which is the worst defensive record in the entire division.

He isn’t helped by his regular partner being Jean-Clair Todibo, who has just one clean sheet in claret and blue from 30 Premier League appearances, but the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man is very much on borrowed time when focussing in on the number 3’s woes, having been descrobed as “shocking” by one West Ham content creator during the 2-0 loss to Brentford last month.

Igor Thiago for the Bees completely bullied the weak 28-year-old all night long, with Kilman’s feebleness in the air, and when going in for duels one major concern. Indeed, he won only two of his eight duels against Keith Andrews’ visitors.

He did improve on this weak area against Leeds United last time out, with 100% of his aerial duels successfully won, but he still isn’t in the West Ham fans’ good books off the back of a debut season in East London that saw him collect just six clean sheets from 38 league outings.

His ex-Old Gold manager in Gary O’Neil has even opened up to state that one of Kilman’s biggest problems is his frustrating nature to “switch off” during games, with Nuno now potentially wanting to get rid having seen how shoddy the 6 foot 4 defender has been already during the early stages of his West Ham managerial career.

Thankfully, in the long term, West Ham could already have an in-house replacement for the £40m flop.

West Ham's "unreal" Kilman replacement

Nuno could look towards the next generation emerging up the ranks at West Ham to try and breathe life back into his side’s disastrous season, with Freddie Potts one face who could be deserving of a senior shot soon.

Alongside Potts, Kaelan Casey also looks ready for some first-team action imminently, having already been labelled as an “outstanding” asset to have at Swansea City by his short-term boss Alan Sheehan, after not looking fazed by the challenge of Manchester City in the EFL Cup.

Looking at his numbers above, Sheehan was right to shower the 21-year-old with praise, with Swansea in danger of being on the receiving end of a drubbing without Casey stepping up to the mark, as seen by the number 26 registering a mammoth 14 clearances all across the 3-1 defeat, on top of winning every single duel and tackle that came his way.

With a full EFL season soon to be under his belt, it’s clear that Casey could soon be fast-tracked to the first team picture back at the London Stadium, having already lined up for three senior games for his boyhood employers.

He also has 106 games next to his name for the Hammers U18s and U21s, with Declan Rice once even labelling Casey as an “unreal” talent off the back of him scoring 11 goals as a dependable defensive figure in youth football.

Kilman will know that he’s on borrowed time in East London, and if Casey returns with even more impressive showings to boast about – like his imperious night against City – he will soon surely be demoted down the pecking order for the 21-year-old to shine.

How Jarrod Bowen really feels about leaving West Ham after £53m Tottenham claim

The England winger is reportedly attracting interest from north London.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 31, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio perdeu para o Huachipato, do Chile, por 2 a 0, na noite desta terça-feira (9), pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. Os golaços na Arena do Grêmio foram marcados por Loyola e Montes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFinançasLucro ou prejuízo? Veja saldo dos clubes da Série A com operação de jogos nos EstaduaisFinanças09/04/2024Futebol NacionalPower Ranking #3: os melhores times do momento no futebol brasileiroFutebol Nacional08/04/2024Fora de CampoGrêmio provoca o Inter após conquistar o hepta do GauchãoFora de Campo07/04/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Grêmio começou pressionando o Huachipato e, logo de cara, quase abriu o placar com Soteldo, que acertou uma bola na trave. No entanto, os chilenos souberam se aproveitar das dificuldades do Tricolor e abriram o placar com Loyola.

Cristaldo empatou a partida, mas o gol foi anulado por estar em posição irregular. O meia ainda teve mais três chances.

Já que Cristaldo não aproveitou, o Huachipato foi letal. Ainda no primeiro tempo, após cobrança de lateral, Rodrido Ely afastou a bola, e Montes pegou de primeira, de fora da área, para fazer mais um golaço da equipe chilena na Arena do Grêmio.

continua após a publicidade

No segundo tempo, o Grêmio precisou se lançar ao ataque. Já o Huachipato teve chances para ampliar. Ao final, o placar se manteve intacto.

📆 O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
Agora, o Grêmio volta a entrar em campo para estrear no Campeonato Brasileiro. O Tricolor viaja até o Rio de Janeiro, onde vai enfrentar o Vasco, em São Januário. A bola rola neste domingo (14), às 16h.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalGrêmioLibertadores

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is enjoying his All-Star break elsewhere, but he may have won the Home Run Derby night with an unbelievably funny sequence of posts on his X account as he watched with the rest of us.

The fourth-year first baseman got all his thoughts down on the internet and provided some colorful commentary as the drama unfolded at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Pittsburgh Pirates star Oneil Cruz put on a show in the first round, smashing 21 home runs including a 513-foot bomb. He smacked line drives so hard that the youth fielders shagging balls could only run to get out of the way. In case any fans questioned that incredibly savvy business decision, Pasquantino assured everyone that he feels the same way when playing against Cruz:

Later, he had a hilarious post about Seattle Mariners star catcher and Major League home-run leader Cal Raleigh putting on a show just like he has the whole season:

In case anyone thought he was serious—don't worry, it was just a joke:

He also made an incredibly honest admission when he noticed Paul Skenes with Spanish-speaking stars Elly De La Cruz, Ketel Marte and Fernando Tatís Jr.

He had some thoughts on Raleigh advancing on an extremely close longest home run tiebreak over Athletics slugger Brent Rooker:

He took to X a couple weeks ago to make a joke about being the batter for two of Shohei Ohtani's fastest pitches thrown, too. Never change, Vinnie. Never change.

Newcastle United will need to show they can pick up results on the road consistently to continue their fine start to December.

At St James’ Park so far this month, which is the Magpies’ dependable fortress, Eddie Howe’s men have collected a draw and a win, with only two losses from eight matches coming their way on their own turf this season so far.

In stark contrast, three losses have been tallied up away from home, with only one away win next to their name sticking out as a worrying fact.

In their defence, the only success on the road this season saw them emphatically get the better of Everton 4-1 in the Premier League, which might well stand them in good stead against Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland to come.

Howe will hope his team’s up-and-down nature has been rectified by the time the January transfer window swings back open, with a potentially busy month ahead for the Toon in terms of incomings.

Newcastle looking to sign new midfielder

The unpredictability of January could also see Newcastle offload a couple of players, too, with reserve centre-forward option William Osula alleged to be keen to move away from St James’ Park.

There are also rumours bubbling away about fresh faces joining the building, with former Leicester City ace Bilal El Khannouss just one of many options catching the Toon’s eye in the middle of the park. On top of him, a cut-price £13m move for Ferencváros TC star Alex Tóth could be on the agenda.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has added more fuel to the fire by revealing that Howe and Co are set to make a move for rising AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit, with the reported transfer fee floating about for his services coming in at the £30m price range.

The inconsistent Toon have long been admirers of the well-rounded Dutchman, and with Manchester United and Liverpool circling, this would be seen as a statement move in January, as Newcastle prepare to spend the big bucks once more. Hope has already described the youngster as “one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers” so this one is certainly something to kick and scream about.

How Smit can be Howe's future Guimaraes

Howe will hope, by landing Smit, that he wins himself a future Bruno Guimaraes, which will be music to the ears of the devoted Tyneside fanbase, after the much-loved Brazilian only affirmed his legendary status at the club more with that audacious strike versus Burnley.

The 28-year-old is now synonymous with Newcastle, with his corner kick effort sailing straight over the head of Martin Dubravka, further backing up comments by his manager that he is a “difference-maker”.

Of course, Smit has some way to go before he’s pulling off screamers like Guimaraes’ ingenious effort regularly in the Premier League, but the 19-year-old does have a powerful effort up his sleeve, with his ability to conjure up a moment of magic from a very early age also seeing scout Jacek Kulig laud him as a “super talent.”

Indeed, this sumptuous effort in the U19 Euros in the summer shows off a star who is incredibly confident and assured in front of goal, with Smit now up to ten goal contributions in the senior ranks at AZ. Newcastle’s beloved captain is up to 27 goals and 29 assists himself in the senior picture at St James’ Park, with Howe hopeful that Smit could reach these levels in time, so he can replace the 28-year-old down the line.

It’s not just their output in terms of goals and assists that makes the two talents in question similar, however, with Smit’s energy and determination centrally also placing himself on the same pedestal as the industrious South American, which has led to the AZ number 26 even being branded as a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, a tag regularly placed on Guimaraes’ shoulders.

Smit’s league numbers for AZ

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

24/25

25/26

Games played

18

14

Goals scored

0

2

Assists

0

2

Touches*

38.8

62.7

Accurate passes*

23.3 (85%)

42.7 (89%)

Key passes*

1.3

1.8

Big chances created

3

3

Ball recoveries*

3.3

5.7

Total duels won*

2.9

3.3

Stats by Sofascore

Smit has certainly grown into being more of a lively performer centrally this season in the Eredivisie, when looking at the table above, making 5.7 ball recoveries and winning 3.3 duels per game.

In constract, the Newcastle skipper has made 5.1 ball recoveries, but he does blow Smit out of the water in the duels department, having won a fierce 5.4 duels so far this campaign in the demanding Premier League.

Still, with the upward trajectory the table outlines, he could reach Guimaraes’ commanding levels very soon, as Howe prepares to win himself a standout talent for the future in January, by securing Smit’s coveted services.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

“Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Umran Malik, who is making his comeback from a hip injury, says

Rajan Raj07-Dec-2025

Umran Malik will not compromise on his speed. It’s his “identity” and his “natural ability”, and though he is on a comeback trail after over a year out with injuries – a hip issue the last – he will keep bowling as fast as he can since it’s a point of difference between him and other quicks in the country.”Every fast bowler in the world knows that injuries are going to be a part of his career. But speed is my natural aspect. How can I compromise with that? Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Malik told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of Jammu and Kashmir’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Hyderabad in Kolkata on December 4.”You can’t bowl at 150(kph) straight away. You reach that speed gradually. I don’t want to show my speed to anyone, but I want to show my wickets. But it is also that after ten years [of bowling at a competitive level], I want to bowl at 140 [from 150] and not come down to a speed of 130 from 150.”Before turning out in the latest edition of the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournaments, Malik had last played in in March 2024 in the IPL that year, for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Mumbai Indians (MI). He was with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 but could not play a single match.Coming back from a serious injury takes a toll on the body as well as on the mind, and Malik’s focus has changed a bit now.”After spending time at NCA [BCCI’s Centre of Excellence] and talking to many experts, I have started to understand my body better,” he said. “I now know what things need to be managed better if I want to avoid injury.”Though KKR have let go of a number of their players, including some big-ticket stars, Malik has been retained ahead of IPL 2026.”I know that for many Indian fast bowlers, it is not that difficult to be part the IPL. It’s probably easy for me too, but I’m not just thinking of taking part in the tournament,” he said. “Money is not a concern. The first and last thing is that my fitness and form should be such that I play every match for the team and take wickets. If I can’t do this, then what will be my value as a player?”I will work as hard as I have to. I will learn where I make mistakes. I will take care of myself and want to make my comeback memorable.”Those who have watched him bowl this season have found a slightly different Malik, who has maintained his speeds while also appearing to bowl within himself a bit.At present, Malik’s eyes are focused solely on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but it is with an eye on the future, starting with the IPL.

And do his achievements trump those of the others in the Fab Four?

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Aug-2025Joe Root has an outside shot to become the most prolific Test batter of all time. He is second on the list right now. If you’re a major Sachin Tendulkar fan, you don’t have to like it. But perhaps it is better to prepare yourself for the possibility.We will be throwing a lot of numbers at you through the course of this article, so let us whet appetites with roughly when the momentous pipping of Tendulkar may occur. Since the start of this decade, Root has scored an average of 89.62 runs per Test match. If he were to continue at his 2020s runs-per-Test rate (there are zero signs that he is about to slow down), he would need roughly 27 further Tests to plonk himself atop this chart.Related

Joe Root, the Peter Pan of batting, has pulled ahead of Cook and Pietersen. Will he reel Tendulkar in?

Root marches on towards Test summit

Stats – Root second only to Tendulkar for most Test runs

According to the currently available programme, England are scheduled to play 16 Tests until the end of April 2027. By then, Root will be 36 years and four months old. By the end of the 2028 northern hemisphere summer, England will have time for 11 further Tests at least. Root would be 37 then – a very normal age for batters to play to. If he continues to an Anderson-esque 40, and continues to clobber attacks, many more records could be in trouble.First let us put a little context around the place of Root’s run tally. Have his runs come easier than those of other all-time prolific batters? If you look at career spans, Root has actually scored his runs in a tougher era for batting than the others among the top five run-scorers – Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Rahul Dravid. During Root’s career, the overall batting average was 29.83. While his own average is the lowest of the top five run scorers (by a hair), he certainly deserves his place among them.