Category Uncategorized

The chief executive and general manager, cricket, of the ICC talk about the next Future Tours Programme cycle and its many challenges

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi and Osman Samiuddin05-Aug-2022The ICC will soon publish the Future Tours Programme (FTP), the game’s new international cricket calendar for 2023-27. The squeeze on that calendar is the greatest it has ever been: more domestic T20 leagues marking out their own bits of territory, an ever-expanding IPL, more ICC events, more bilateral cricket.The ICC’s role in the discussions that led to this calendar is primarily as a facilitator. We sat down with two officials who played a lead role in that regard, the chief executive, Geoff Allardice, and its general manager of cricket, Wasim Khan, and talked about how and why the calendar is the way it is, the impact it has on player workloads, and the first-ever women’s FTP.Is international cricket in clear and present danger from T20 leagues?
Geoff Allardice: No. T20 leagues have been part of the cricket calendar for 15 years now. They have gradually been growing, but the number of countries putting on leagues – there have probably only been one or two new ones since the last FTP cycle [which ended in 2018].Related

• Is it already too late to sort out the balance of cricket's formats?

• Zimbabwe, Ireland, Afghanistan look up to ICC working group to address lack of Tests

• Cricket could learn from the NFL and start thinking of itself as a collective

• If 50-over cricket is dying, maybe it needs to be put on a pedestal

• Moeen Ali becomes latest player to predict demise of ODI cricket

The time set aside has changed a little bit, but the countries who put on those leagues are also committed to international cricket and have reinforced that at ICC meetings.Wasim Khan: Once we do publish the FTP, you will see that there are more matches in the next cycle than in the current cycle. So, though you hear a lot about bilateral cricket being squeezed out, the facts probably don’t back that up. Yes, there’s additional ICC events, but that also helps with the sustainability of the world game, which is critical. Apart from two or three nations who play a lot of lucrative international cricket, there’s others that are striving for that. We just have to find a way of coexisting, and looking at the FTP, I think we’ve found a way for that to happen in the next cycle [2023-27].Is there a contradiction in members trying to have their T20 leagues but also trying to find space for international cricket?
Allardice: Even four years ago, a large number of the countries set aside windows where their national team players could play in their domestic leagues. It’s just a case of fitting in the international fixtures around them. The balance that each country puts into its FTP regarding the number of ODIs, T20Is and Tests they play is very much a country-by-country choice, and it depends on their market and what appeals to their fans and their broadcasters.Geoff Allardice: “The idea of players choosing certain formats over others is not something that’s just started happening”•Patrick Bolger/IDI/Getty ImagesIs it true that Sourav Ganguly, who is the head of the ICC cricket committee and on the ICC board as BCCI president, said at the chief executives’ meeting that there needs to be a review of the volume of cricket being played going forward? Could you talk about those discussions?
Wasim: The conversation really was around whether anything needed to give, and that was a conversation that the members had between themselves, which we tried to facilitate. Sourav had his own views on the amount of cricket being played. But I don’t think anything concrete came out of that. Again, it was just a healthy debate that they all had around.Allardice: And there are some countries that have got busy schedules and they probably use more players than some of the other countries. Any increase in volume is probably [about] some of the lower-ranked Full Members rather than the top teams.The FTP isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach in terms of what formats you play. The only real structure around it is in [terms of] the World Test Championship. We will say: here’s your six series over two years, and they go off and schedule those. Then they can do things outside that in any format. And really, the volume of ODIs and T20Is is something that is very much up to every member as to how the ratio or balance between the formats should be.Was any commitment made towards maybe looking at how better to streamline T20 leagues within international calendar?

Wasim: There was a conversation around looking at the next cycle, post-2027, just to have a bit more discussion about the amount of cricket that is factored into that next cycle. But nothing in terms of where we are now, because the FTP commitments are set in place in many ways in terms of broadcast and commercial deals. And everyone seems comfortable in terms of where they’ve got to in the FTP.Is it correct that in this upcoming FTP there are about 15% more Test matches, 16% more ODIs, and 6% more T20Is than in the last one?
Wasim Khan: I’m not quite sure of the percentages, but there’s certainly more matches being played in the next cycle. There’s more ICC events in the next cycle. With more teams coming into, or taking part in, the World Cups – we have got five new nations playing women’s ODI cricket, which is a huge step forward for us, there’s going to be a 20-team men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, which is going to be massive for the game.Here today, the other side of the world tomorrow: all the world’s an airport for top players these days•Albert Perez/Getty ImagesUnderpinning that, we’re putting a high-performance strategy together that’s going to support development and growth in those countries. Because for us as the ICC, with these new nations that are coming in, making sure they are competitive is really critical. So we are looking at how we can support them, and provide them with some real high-performance resources to help them, so that when they do get on the world stage, they do themselves justice and it’s a good spectacle.Player workload has become a serious topic of discussion. Virat Kohli raised it. Ben Stokes took a break, came back and played, and now has retired from ODIs and called on administrators to take a look at what’s happening. Does it become a concern for the ICC when big players drop out? When somebody like Stokes, Player of the Final in the last World Cup is not at the 2023 World Cup, is it a hit to the ICC’s World Cup as a product?

Allardice: The idea of players choosing certain formats over others is not something that’s just started happening. When I started working in cricket, players were choosing Test cricket over ODI cricket or vice-versa, so that is going to happen.The only other caveat I’ll throw in is, the calendar at the moment is still playing a little bit of catch-up from Covid, in that there are series in the schedule that probably in a new world wouldn’t necessarily all be arranged in the way that they are. And it is because of tours being postponed or rescheduled, and trying to fit them into the period of this FTP or broadcast-rights cycle. There is still some of that going on at the moment and probably will be over the next nine months or so as well.But certainly, the balance of players playing international cricket versus domestic leagues will continue to evolve. I’m hoping that the best players play international cricket as often as they can. Playing international sport is a huge ambition for most players. They want to play in World Cups and ICC events, but if the economics of the domestic leagues change, then there’s going to be a continual juggle of the balance between those two things from an administrative point of view and players’ point of view. It’s a case of finding that balance in how they spend their calendar year, across which international competitions, which series and which leagues they should play.Wasim Khan: club vs country is not a dilemma that affects only cricket•Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty ImagesHow much concern do the members have about the workload of their own players? Is that something that keeps coming up?
Wasim: The workload question – and I’m talking with my old hat [as PCB CEO] on as well – that’s something that you have to manage as a cricket board. You are always trying to strike a balance between the issues that the players’ associations might have and those conversations that take place with the cricket boards, and to try and find a balance.In countries that don’t have a players’ association, that’s really the responsibility of the cricket boards to kind of look at the scheduling and balance it with playing enough cricket so the fans are satisfied and there’s enough commercial income being generated, while also looking at the health and well-being of players. That’s modern sport now, whichever way you look. You take football in England, for example. You are seeing players pulling out of playing for England – [it’s] the club-versus-country issue.In your experience with the PCB and the ICC, do you think members are by and large getting that balance right?
Wasim: Everyone’s trying to find it. Is it perfect? No. But is it something that the cricket boards are conscious about? Absolutely.At the end of the day, you are dealing with human beings, players. You want your best teams out there, but at the same time you want to make sure that you are trying to strike the balance. You are starting to see more countries now putting out two sides. We have seen recently ODI teams and Test teams [of one country] are playing simultaneously and that might be something that happens more and more as everyone tries to find a balance.Allardice: There are only some countries that are going to need to do that. There’s a lot of countries wanting international fixtures. There’s no shortage of demand for international cricket among the members.Like with the FTP for men’s cricket, the first FTP for the women’s game provides a frame, in the form of the Women’s Championship, and leaves the rest up to the individual boards•Mike Owen/Getty ImagesWasim is right in that the management of each player and their workload, what they do for the national team, what they do in domestic leagues, what they do in national domestic cricket, it’s very much an issue for each of the members to juggle themselves. The management of their players, it’s not something that necessarily bounces off to the ICC on any sort of regular basis.When the FTP is announced, each country will have its own message around that, in the way that they have structured it, who their opponents are, what their commercial arrangements might be, what it means for their players. For us to try and answer on behalf of each member and have that answer apply to all members isn’t really realistic; it’s going to be country by country.Has there ever been a thought given about the ICC having conversations with leading international players or captains on cricket issues?
Allardice: A long time ago, 10-15 years ago, there was the odd occasion when there were captains’ meetings around events. But these days getting people in one place at one time is a bit of a challenge. In today’s world, it’s more doable through virtual means, and it’s something we’ve discussed with FICA [the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations]. So if your question is, are we open to it, the answer is yes.Wasim: There’s a number of issues that could be discussed with the captains. There’s a huge amount of discussion at the moment around neutral umpires, for example. As Geoff said, we are always open to looking at that, it’s just making sure we can logistically make that work so that we can get a host of topics on the table – use those opportunities with the brains that are there to say: well, here’s three or four other areas that we’d like to get your feedback on. Because, you know, getting a broad spectrum of feedback from stakeholders to help us, inform us more about the game and therefore make more better decisions, is really, really important.Cricket has got to the point where the icon player of the last World Cup will not be on view in the next tournament, though he will be playing other formats•NurPhoto/Getty ImagesAre we soon going to see the end of the all-format player? And if so, will it hurt the quality of cricket?
Allardice: There’ll still be all-format players. Whether they play every match that their country schedules in those formats is a different question.The FTP comes about from a lot of members working in their self-interest to see what their calendars look like. Does that extract a cost in terms of a loss of collective vision for the game? Is that how cricket is?
Allardice: It is certainly at the moment, yes, in that [it’s] here are the global events, here are the competitions that you have all agreed to participate in, and beyond that, how you promote cricket within your territories is your decision. And that then comes down to management of players, the fan preferences, the broadcaster preferences, the seasons, the venues available, all those types of things. And if ICC was to try and have sort of a top-down calendar approach, it certainly wouldn’t satisfy all the countries because each of them would have their own things that they would prefer to do.Recently Ravi Shastri suggested that bilateral T20 series should be scrapped. Is there discussion about limiting bilateral T20 series to a few matches in the lead-up to a T20 World Cup?
Allardice: As an example, you may find one country decides that it wants to focus on T20 cricket – international and domestic. And if we decided that we are not going to play T20Is, then what’s that country going to do? Their whole strategic focus might be on that format. Another one might say, well, we want our domestic [T20] league to be the focus, and we will play ODIs only. And some other people are saying, we shouldn’t play ODIs, we should wind back ODIs. So that’s why there’s no right answer, there’s no one answer that works for everyone.Wasim: And again, the game is going to continue to evolve. Where the game is and what it might look like in four years’ time after the next cycle, it’s likely to be very, very different.Having captains’ conferences is something the ICC is open to. Wasim Khan: “Use opportunities with the brains that are there to say, well, here’s three or four areas that we’d like to get your feedback on”•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThe conversation then could be different: Where is the world game now? How are we balancing player welfare with having the right sort of mix of different formats? These are the sorts of conversations from the current cycle that we are already getting, and in four years’ time it’s going to evolve further.The first-ever women’s FTP – that is a fairly big achievement, a big shot in the arm for women’s cricket.

Allardice: The three things we want to do with women’s cricket is: get a calendar where people know what’s coming, and it’s coordinated. Secondly, we cover it, whether it’s streaming, broadcasts, whatever – make it as widely available and valuable as possible. And thirdly, run campaigns around making heroes out of the women players.This Commonwealth Games has been a fantastic opportunity to do that. We had a panel session with seven of the captains [during the ICC conference]. They were very excited about the opportunity, and it is great for us in that women’s cricket is front and centre. Cricket at the Commonwealth Games is the best female players in the world.The structure of the women’s FTP is the Women’s Championship. And then what they do around that is very much the members’ call.Is there more Test cricket in this women’s FTP?

Wasim: Firstly, in the Women’s Championship, it’s four home and four away series over a period of time [2022-25] for each team. Series of three matches each.The Champions Trophy makes a comeback into the FTP from the upcoming cycle•AFP/Getty ImagesAs for Tests, look, there has to be something that drives your game and grows your game. We as the ICC made decisions quite a while ago that to drive the men’s game, the format that we would focus on would be T20 cricket.Now there’s absolutely nothing stopping [women’s] teams if they want to play four- or five-day Test matches. That’s entirely their decision. We have certainly never restricted them and said there to be four- or five-day matches. The countries that wish to do it will do it. I mean, New Zealand made a strategic decision that they wouldn’t play [Tests]. That’s their personal decision.One thing that there was some discussion around is looking at domestic structures. When you leap from one thing to another, you have to show that there’s a foundation that’s going to support that. A lot of countries now turn their attentions to: what does our domestic structure look like if we have ambitions to play the longer format in the future?Allardice: Same answer as with the men’s: how you use the three formats to promote the game in your country or your local audience and with your potential players in the future is up to you. Some countries like multi-format series [Tests, ODIs, T20s, or at least two of those three formats, in one tour]. We don’t tell them that you should do this or that.The only structure we put in place was in the [women’s] ODI game, and that dates back to 2014. And what it’s done is given more countries a consistent volume of cricket, a consistent fixture list that is now the backbone of their FTP.

The former England batsman turned commentator discusses his recent health issue, and writing an autobiography when you don’t like talking about yourself

Matt Roller10-Jun-2020It didn’t take long for Rob Key to make the jump from overnight shifts as a guest on coverage of New Zealand versus Bangladesh to ubiquitous presence on Sky Sports. His dry wit and cynical tone make him a distinctive voice, and he is preparing to adjust to commentating in front of empty stadiums this summer.But rather than simply looking forward to cricket’s resumption, Key finds himself feeling anxious. Two months into lockdown, he felt dizzy as he stood up one evening. “Suddenly, my vision went,” he recalls, “for literally five or ten seconds. We went into hospital just to get checked, and it turned out I had one of these TIA [transient ischaemic attack] mini-strokes.”Key says that he is recovering, but finds himself on edge. “I feel fine, but you have a fair amount of anxiety until you find out exactly why it happened. That’s going to take a little bit longer before I have heart tests, and stuff like that.”The body is good – it gives you these early warning signs that you need to get things checked. Every now and then you have a quiet moment of worry. You’re more aware of everything in your body, so every time you feel something, you don’t just let it pass. You think, ‘Oh, what’s that?'”ALSO READ: Sam Billings: ‘Don’t want to be pigeon-holed as a white-ball player’Reading Oi, Key: Tales of a Journeyman Cricketer, his newly published book, there are elements of his lifestyle as a player that a clinician might consider to be red flags: Key recalls endless nights out in his days as a young pro, labels himself a binge drinker at the time, and outlines the extent of county cricket’s smoking culture when he was breaking through.But the frustration for him is that he has turned that around. “Even for the last ten years probably – as I’ve got older and had kids – I’ve been fitter than I had been. So when people talk about lifestyle, well, my lifestyle wasn’t particularly bad, to be honest. That’s why I need to look into why it [the TIA] happened at my age.”Key’s health scare came soon after he started to promote his book. It is not a typical sportsman’s autobiography, and it comes as no surprise to learn that his first response when he was asked if he wanted to write one was “not really”.”When you see celebrities that have won Big Brother or something writing autobiographies – I’ve always laughed at that,” he says. “But then I spoke to a couple of friends and thought, well, I did play in a great era of county cricket and English cricket, and with some of the best who have ever played the game. I thought maybe I could give some insight into them.”People say they do these things and find them therapeutic. I don’t generally enjoy talking about myself, so I certainly didn’t find it that. You know when your mates tell a story and it just falls flat, like a tumbleweed moment? You don’t know if that’s what every story in there is like. You start thinking: is that funny?”

“I was a half-decent player, but Trescothick, Strauss, Cook – these guys who came in for me became some of England’s greatest ever”

He needn’t have worried. Key played with some of the game’s great characters, meaning he has access to killer one-liners from Andrew Symonds, Muttiah Muralitharan, and – inadvertently – Adil Rashid. His ghostwriter, John Woodhouse, worked with Graeme Fowler on his acclaimed books, and aside from the odd flourish – it is hard to envisage Key using the phrase “minor contretemps”, for example – he nails his subject’s acerbic, wry manner.Key is particularly forthright in his attitude towards “the team-building stuff; the nonsense”, and says that he thinks “coaches, captains – they get too much credit at times. It all depends on the players you’ve got.””Take Michael Vaughan – he was an outstanding captain. But that coincided with the fact he had an unbelievable bowling attack. He still would have been the same great captain, in my eyes, had he not had that attack, but he might not have won as much, so he wouldn’t be regarded as highly.”ALSO READ: Rob Key on being a commentator: ‘It’s like cricket without the fielding’ (2017)He dismisses the notion that England’s 2019 World Cup success was simply down to Trevor Bayliss, or that the turnaround in the tournament itself came about at a team meeting after the group-stage defeat to Australia. “In every sport, it’s always about the players, especially the higher up you go. If that turnaround was all down to coaching, well, do that with the same players that played in 2015. Where you deserve the credit is for completely changing the personnel.”But Key is generous in his praise for Eoin Morgan, whom he captained as a 22-year-old on an England Lions tour to New Zealand, where he first spotted his ability to read the game. “You can see Morgan and think that he was disinterested and quite insular. But actually, that quietness – I thought there was a shrewdness to it,” he says. “Morgan was never bothered with trying to speak in meetings and ticking boxes. You might have had to coax it out of him a little bit, but when you gave him responsibility – I think we made him vice-captain – you saw straight away just how shrewd he was.”Three lions: Steve Harmison, Rob Key and Andrew Flintoff celebrate England’s 2004 series win against West Indies•Getty ImagesHe defends his close friend Andrew Flintoff’s record as England captain too. “The team had gone from the perfect balance of 2005 to Saj Mahmood batting at number eight,” he writes on the 2006-07 Ashes.”If Michael Vaughan, who was injured, had captained that side, I think it would have been a similar result. It doesn’t matter who you are in that situation, you’re on a hiding to nothing.”Key’s relationship with Flintoff is a running theme. Flintoff describes Key as “one of the greatest batsmen of his generation: ridiculously talented, ridiculously good” in his foreword, which Key admits he is yet to read. “The problem is that I can’t stand praise. He’s such a good mate of mine that it’s uncomfortable reading nice things – I’d rather four pages of abuse.”Both describe walking off after a successful run chase against West Indies at Old Trafford in 2004 at length. With ten needed, and Key on 90, Flintoff wanted to drop anchor; Key told him that all that mattered was them being able to leave the field together. He ended the game on 93 not out.ALSO READ: Steve Harmison: ‘Things were dark, but cricket was my release’“We all think that top sports teams are full of best mates and everyone gets on, whereas a lot of the time, you might not like people,” Key says. “But I was lucky that in an England team I had two of my best mates, Freddie and Steve Harmison. And on one occasion, we were able to win a game for England and walk off together victorious. There’s not many that get to do that.”Key considers himself unfortunate – though you sense it doesn’t keep him up at night – in that he played at a time when England’s batting stocks were so high. “I was a half-decent player, but Trescothick, Strauss, Cook – these guys who came in for me became some of England’s greatest ever.”I was unlucky that I was at a time when there were a lot of good players around. You look in the ’90s and 2000s, there were so many Australians that could have averaged 50 in Test cricket, but they had six all-time greats in that line-up. You’re at the mercy of the era and the time that you’re around.”White OwlBut while his timing was unlucky during his playing career, it could hardly have been better with his move into commentary. At the time he started to think about life after cricket, Sky had studio guests for the vast majority of the games they showed, and they had a stranglehold on the rights market in the UK.That gave Key a perfect opportunity to learn in a low-stakes environment, with overnight shifts in games that drew few viewers. He has become a regular on international coverage, and will not be daunted by the prospect of filling Ian Botham’s shoes this summer.Lockdown has provided him with a rare chance to hear himself back, with broadcasters filling dead time with re-runs of old games. “I always look with such a negative, critical eye – I listen now and think: Jesus, I could do with shutting up a little bit.”He isn’t drawn into describing what he feels his strengths are as a commentator, but relishes the chance to be proved right in his reading of the game. “Ian Smith once told me there’s nothing better than calling something that’s about to happen,” he says. “T20 is the best one for it – you can sense when something is going to happen either way: a wicket or a boundary.”You can generally predict it, and even if you get one right out of 50, it seems like everyone forgets the 49 you miss. You take a chance, and when it comes off, it’s a great feeling.”Oi Key: Tales of a Journeyman Cricketer
by Rob Key
White Owl
180pp, £20

Wrexham's seven-match unbeaten run in the Championship came to an end on Wednesday as they went down 2-0 against a dominant Hull City on the road. The Red Dragons' star forward Kieffer Moore had a night to forget as his two costly misses cost Phil Parkinson's side crucial points. Wrexham have dropped to 14th place in the second tier after the defeat.

• Hull return to winning ways with dominant performance

  Hull headed into the game on the back of a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Middlesbrough and were naturally under a lot of pressure. However, the Tigers took control of the game right from the start. It took the hosts just 10 minutes to break the deadlock as Kyle Joseph came up with a clinical finish.

  The move started with a long ball from their own half, which went straight to Mohamed Belloumi, who outpaced Dominic Hyam on the right side and entered the box before feeding Matt Crooks. Crooks attempted a first-time shot, which was initially stopped by Arthur Okonkwo but Joseph found the back of the net from the rebound.

  Wrexham striker Moore had a golden opportunity to restore parity just six minutes later as he found himself in a very good shooting position inside the Hull box, but his effort went wide of the far post. Hull dominated possession in the first period and created more positive goal-scoring chances as Parkinson's side found it difficult to break down the home defence.

  Moore then had yet another opportunity to equalise at the start of the second half as the Red Dragons earned a penalty, but the striker's weak spot-kick failed to trouble Ivor Pandur, who comfortably parried the ball away by diving to his right.

  The Wales international was punished for his wastefulness as Hull's Oli McBurnie came off the bench and doubled his team's lead with a clinical finish in the 67th minute. The 29-year-old forward, who returned to action after two months, made an immediate impact as he pounced on Ryan Giles' low cross inside the Wrexham box and put the ball past Okonkwo.

  This was Wrexham's first defeat in their last seven Championship matches as they dropped to 14th position in the league after today's result, while Hull moved up to sixth and the playoff places. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The MVP

  Sergej Jakirovic's decision to bring in McBurnie in the second half proved to be a masterstroke as the experienced striker doubled Hull's lead and sealed three points for them just four minutes after coming onto the pitch. The Scot had been sidelined since October due to a calf injury, but he has now regained fitness and is ready to star for the Tigers again.

• The big loser

  Moore joined Wrexham from Sheffield United in the summer transfer window and has proved to be a successful signing right from the off. He is the club's top goal-scorer in the 2025-26 campaign, with 10 goals in 20 matches across all competitions. However, on Wednesday, the star striker had a rare off day as his two costly mistakes, including a penalty miss, cost the Red Dragons crucial points.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

Goalkeeper Andre Onana has suffered another crushing blow after being left out of Cameroon’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. The 29-year-old has endured a torrid 2025-26 season, having lost his position as Manchester United’s No. 1 before being allowed to move to Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan in September.

Onana not included despite Cameroon selecting four 'keepers

Eyebrows were raised on Monday when Cameroon released their 28-man squad for AFCON, which gets under way on Sunday, 21 December when tournament hosts Morocco take on Comoros. Despite selecting four goalkeepers, Onana was a shock absentee from The Indomitable Lions’ roster.

Two players who have been included in the squad are United forward Bryan Mbeumo and Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, who was strongly linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford in the summer. Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou – who now plays for Saudi Arabian outfit Diriyah Club – has also been selected by his country.

AdvertisementOfficial: Cameroon's 28-man squad which does not include Onana

Cameroon squad for the 2025 AFCON:

Devis Epassy, Simon Omossola, Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Edouard Sombang

Samuel Junior Kotto, Gerzino Nyamsi, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nouhou Tolo, Flavien Enzo Boyomo, Nagida Mahamadou, Junior Tchamadeu, Christopher Wooh, Darlin Yongwa

Martin Ndzie, Carlos Baleba, Arthur Avom, Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, Fidel Brice Ambina, Danny Namaso, Christian Bassogog, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Jean Junior Onana, Olivier Kemen

Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Kofane, Frank Magri, Karl Etta Eyong, Patrick Soko

AFPFive-time AFCON winners also sacked manager on same day

Capping off a chaotic 24 hours, The Cameroon Football Federation – led by former Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o – sacked manager Marc Brys on the same day the squad was announced. 

The five-time AFCON winners, who have named David Pagou as Brys’ successor, face Gabon in their opening fixture in just three weeks’ time (24 December). Cameroon also take on Ivory Coast (28 December) and Mozambique (31 December) in the group stage.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Cameroon snub the latest blow in torrid 2025-26 season for Onana

Having been expected to be named in Cameroon’s squad, the snub represents the latest blow in what has been a dreadful season for Onana. Losing his place in the United XI to Altay Bayindir for the first three Premier League games of the season following a hamstring injury sustained in pre-season, the former Inter shot-stopper made two mistakes as the club were beaten 12-11 on penalties by League Two minnows Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup on 27 August.

Onana, who has earned 53 caps for Cameroon, was then allowed to leave United for Super Lig side Trabzonspor in early September, following the arrival of Senne Lammens from Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp. The 23-year-old has been a revelation since moving to the Red Devils, firmly establishing himself as the club’s new No. 1 ahead of Bayindir.

Defending one-day champions South Australia claimed a nine-wicket win over Queensland, banking a bonus point in their rain-marred victory.As rain restricted the match to a maximum 25 overs each, Queensland were bowled out for 128 in 23.5 overs at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide. The hosts were set 120 to win under the DLS method and won with with 47 balls to spare.Related

• McAndrew's five gets defending champions South Australia up and running

• Tasmania down WA to extend silky start to One-Day Cup

SA, the holders of the Dean Jones Trophy, now have two wins from four games – the same as Queensland.Their run chase was given early impetus by Jake Fraser-McGurk, who blasted six fours in making 27 from 14 balls. Fraser-McGurk’s cameo ended when bowled by a superb off-cutter from James Bazley.But opener Mackenzie Harvey and captain Nathan McSweeney then set about the chase with the bonus point in mind.South Australia needed to win inside 20 overs and Harvey and McSweeney easily reached that goal with an unbroken 80-run partnership.Earlier, Queensland slipped to 13 for 2 inside five overs before a lengthy rain delay. On return, only veteran Jimmy Peirson managed an innings of substance, smacking three sixes and three fours in making 42 from 83 ballsThe only other Queenslanders to reach double-figures were Bazley, Hugh Weibgen and Max Bryant. The visitors failed to bat out their 25 overs as SA skipper McSweeney claimed 3 for 12 from 3.1 overs with his offspinners. McSweeney had initially brought himself on when Wes Agar couldn’t complete his second over.Liam Scott and Lloyd Pope also enjoyed multiple success and paceman Nathan McAndrew returned figures of 1 for 7 from four overs.

Fernandinho has officially decided to bring down the curtain on an extraordinary career, drawing to a close more than two decades at the top of the game and a trophy cabinet that places him among Manchester City’s most decorated players of all time. The former Brazil international, now 40, confirmed he will not continue playing, ending speculation that had lingered since his return to Athletico Paranaense in 2022.

• A career built on brilliance and relentless standards

  Fernandinho spent nine seasons at Manchester City after arriving from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, where he had already earned six Ukrainian league titles and a UEFA Cup. Under Manuel Pellegrini and later Pep Guardiola, he became the anchor of City's midfield. Known for his exceptional reading of the game, immaculate tackling, and unrivalled positional awareness, his influence allowed the club’s creative talents to flourish. Across 383 City appearances, Fernandinho lifted five Premier League titles, six League Cups, an FA Cup and a Community Shield.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  A fitting final chapter in Brazil

  After leaving Manchester in 2022, Fernandinho went home, rejoining Athletico Paranaense, the club that first introduced him to professional football. His playing time naturally declined as the seasons passed, and the midfielder had not featured since December 2024 in a league match against Atletico Mineiro. Speaking after a charity game this week at the club’s stadium, he made clear his body had given him its final warning. 

  "I’m already tired. I ran for 30-something minutes today and I’m exhausted," he said. "There’s nothing in football that motivates me anymore. I’ve achieved everything I could. Now it’s time to enjoy my family."

  The 40-year-old added that his departure came after he and the club failed to reach an agreement on a new deal. 

  "We didn’t reach an agreement for a new contract, and that’s the most natural thing in the world. I’ve never hidden my gratitude, my respect and affection for Athletico, especially their fans," he said. 

• Guardiola was blindsided with his Man City exit

  When Fernandinho left City, he had not initially informed Guardiola about his decision. 

  "I didn’t know it," the manager told reporters during a press conference. "You gave me the news. We will see what will happen at the end of the season. I said many times we will see what happens. I said at the end of the season we will talk – maybe it is a family decision, maybe he wants more minutes. I would love to be with him."

  Guardiola suggested that the then sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, might have been aware of the development.

  "Maybe Txiki knows it and didn’t tell me," Guardiola said. "I don’t know. It is a surprise for me; I will say to him [Txiki]: 'What happened?' But I know his [Fernandinho’s] intentions. Another player would do it for his benefit. Knowing Ferna, it will not be this.

  "I want the happiness of my players and absolutely we are going to play tomorrow for him and give him the best farewell moment, reaching again the semi‑final of the Champions League and try to go through again. I understand the players want to play, it is completely understandable. Not just because he is 35 or 36. Look what happened with Ferran Torres: he wanted to play so joined Barcelona. I understand Ferna wants go back to Brazil, with his father and mother there, and I am pretty sure the club is going to help him do what he wants."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  What comes next for Fernandinho?

  Attention now shifts to Fernandinho’s future beyond the pitch. The Brazilian has previously expressed interest in coaching, and Manchester City have a history of integrating former players into roles across their academy, global network or ambassadorial programmes. With his intimate knowledge of Guardiola’s system, he would be a valuable addition should he choose to pursue the coaching path. However, as he mentioned, right now, he would opt for a quieter period dedicated to family life, after spending years at the elite level. 

Chelsea picked up all three points in their first game after the international break. The Blues were victorious against Nottingham Forest, securing a 3-0 win over Ange Postecoglou’s side at the City Ground to pile the misery onto the Australian manager.

Three second-half goals from Enzo Maresca’s side were enough to earn the win. The West Londoners opened the scoring through Josh Acheampong, who bagged his first goal in professional football. It was a well-directed header from the centre-back.

He was teed up by Pedro Neto, with the Portugal international getting on the scoresheet himself moments later. That goal came from a well-hit free kick from outside the penalty box, doubling the scoreline. Reece James added a third late on for Chelsea to cap off a wonderful showing.

It was complete dominance from Maresca’s side. They certainly tested Mats Selz in the Forest goal, and had 17 shots, finding the target six times. The visitors also slightly dominated possession, with 51%, and created four big chances.

There were certainly some standout players for the Blues, who picked up their second Premier League win in as many games.

Chelsea’s best players vs. Forest

TNT Sports awarded Chelsea captain James player of the match after a stellar performance against Forest. It was the Cobham graduate’s 200th game for his boyhood club, which he celebrated with a goal and assist.

Whilst the assist for Neto’s strike was a simple roll of the ball, a matter of yards, his strike was excellent.

The England international pounced on a misdirected punch from Mats Selz, which rifled into the back of the net to add a third for Chelsea.

It was arguably not the best goal of the match, though, with Neto’s low free kick a real standout. The Portugal international bent his effort into the back of the net with his left foot, managing to get his strike through a mass of Forest defenders to put Chelsea two goals up.

His cross for Acheampong was a well-paced delivery, too.

One person who was particularly impressed by the performances of both James and Neto was Matthew Judge, a journalist for Goal. He gave the Blues skipper an 8/10 and their number seven a 9/10 for their scintillating performances.

The Chelsea duo were two of their standout players at the City Ground, although one of their half-time substitutes also performed well.

Chelsea's new Werner

After a rather underwhelming first half, Chelsea manager Maresca shuffled the pack and made three half-time substitutes. Jamie Gittens replaced Alejandro Garnacho out wide, and Moises Caicedo came on in midfield for Romeo Lavia.

The other change the Blues made proved to be a smart move. Andrey Santos was replaced by Marc Guiu, with the Spanish striker impressing during his 45-minute cameo. It was a hard-working display from the former Barcelona star.

He “completely changed the game” in the second half, according to football podcaster Terry Flewers. He praised Guiu for the fact that he was a “real presence up top.”

Certainly, the 19-year-old stretched the play and made Forest’s defenders work hard to cope with his runs in behind.

It was a showing that certainly left a good impression on Judge. The journalist said Guiu was constantly ‘working tirelessly up top’ for his side, and praised him for winning the foul, which led to Neto’s free kick.

The stats from the game show how tirelessly the former Sunderland loanee worked.

He only had 13 touches, completed 100% of his passes and had three shots. He had a good impact in a short amount of time.

Pass accuracy

100%

Touches

13

Shots

3

Fouls won

1

Duels won

2

It wouldn’t be outlandish to compare Guiu’s performance to one Chelsea fans may have seen from Timo Werner.

Like the German striker used to do for the Blues, he ran relentlessly and was constantly making runs in behind to stretch Forest’s defence.

Yet, he did miss a couple of chances, rounding the goalkeeper but missing the target, and squandering a one-vs-one opportunity.

Of course, Werner – who notably missed 18 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League in 2020/21, as per Fotmob – was synonymous with wasting those golden chances, just as Guiu did at the City Ground, with little end product to match his impressive work ethic.

However, it is important to bear in mind he is just 19 years of age. There is still plenty of time for Guiu to hone the clinical side of his game, as he looks to nail down a regular spot under Maresca.

Certainly, his outing at Forest will have done him no harm.

Forget Gittens & George: Cobham teen is the "future of Chelsea & England"

Chelsea may have found the latest superstar to emerge from Cobham academy.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 17, 2025

With three defeats on the spin heading into the international break, it’s safe to say Arne Slot’s Liverpool were experiencing a mini crisis in confidence.

Now, after a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday evening, it’s clear that the Reds are engulfed in a major crisis, with 17 shots at the Red Devils’ goal not enough to nick a win, as the reigning Premier League champions went empty-handed for a fourth game in a row.

Mohamed Salah, again, showed signs of rust against Ruben Amorim’s visitors, as another big game passed the declining Egyptian by.

Salah's performance in numbers vs Manchester United

The 33-year-old attacker was seen as one of the world’s best last season as Liverpool romped home to the top-flight title.

Times have changed, however, with the once untouchable number 11 no longer his usual clinical self, with a total of three shots failing to beat Senne Lammens in goal for Amorim’s challengers.

Staggeringly, for a star that scored a blistering 29 goals last season in the Premier League, Salah is now without a non-penalty strike for seven straight top-flight games, with one big chance also agonisingly missed, as Harry Maguire broke Reds hearts late on.

With zero successful dribbles completed as well, on top of possession being carelessly given away 16 times, it’s clear that Salah is no longer the “top class” version of himself he has previously been – as he was once branded by Jurgen Klopp – with Slot perhaps ready to axe his usually undroppable number 11 for games to follow.

The Dutchman could well axe quite a few underperformers after the alarming defeat at the hands of their arch rivals, with one summer recruit once again struggling to get to grips with his new environment against the Red Devils.

3/10 Liverpool star was even worse than Salah

Salah wasn’t alone in letting his team down during the 2-1 defeat, with his attacking teammate in Alexander Isak, only managing 19 touches of the ball when leading the line for the lacklustre Reds.

Having cost a mind-blowing £125m to obtain from Newcastle, Isak must get up and running fast to dodge claims that he’s an expensive flop.

Milos Kerkez wasn’t purchased on the cheap, either, with the former AFC Bournemouth defender costing a mighty £40m to bring into the building this summer.

Unfortunately, despite being labelled as “one of the most explosive LBs in Europe” by one analyst ib social media shortly after leaving the South Coast behind for Anfield, Kerkez had a night to forget against the visitors from Manchester, as his Liverpool woes go on.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

62

Accurate passes

34/39 (87%)

Big chances created

1

Accurate crosses

1/8

Possession lost

15x

Total duels won

4/6

Indeed, when analysing the numbers, there are some positives for Kerkez to latch onto, with the Hungarian creating one big chance to try and steer his new employers back into the contest.

However, the negatives do start to pile up quickly on further inspection, with the 21-year-old only managing to register one accurate cross from eight attempted, which also led to the defender giving up possession a haphazard 15 times in total.

His unassured nature on the ball even led to Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp labelling him as a “nervous wreck” at half-time of the 2-1 defeat, with fellow pundit Gary Neville also once noting that Kerkez looks “naive” when donning Liverpool red, as opposed to excelling for the Cherries.

It could be time for Slot to bring back in the experienced head of Andrew Robertson for some calm, therefore, with London Evening Standard journalist Sam Tabuteau agreeing with the verdict on the young defender when brandishing a disappointing 3/10 rating his way at the close of the match, with Amad given “acres of space” down the left channel courtesy of the 21-year-old.

Kerkez will hope he can push on from this torrid start at Anfield in the games to come, but if Slot is potentially willing to drop Salah, he won’t bat an eyelid in getting rid of the promising full-back if needs be, as a drastic change of lineup could be needed to get the Reds out of their sophomore slump.