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When will the draft take place?

It all happens on September 1. The WBBL draft will take place first, starting at 3pm AEST, followed straight after by the BBL draft.

What order do the teams pick in?

This was determined by a weighted lottery a few months ago, based on last season’s finishing positions. In the WBBL, Hobart Hurricanes came out with pick No. 1 and Perth Scorchers last with pick No. 8. In the BBL, Melbourne Stars will have first pick and Sydney Sixers the eighth one.Related

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There are four rounds in all. Round one involves Platinum players only; round two Platinum and Gold; round three Gold and Silver; and round four Silver and Bronze.In the BBL, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder have traded their second-round picks as part of Wes Agar’s move to Thunder. So, in that round, Strikers have pick 11 and Thunder pick 13. In the WBBL, Strikers have traded picks 19 and 30 to Melbourne Renegades, getting picks 22 and 27 in returnThe third round (gold and silver) of each draft goes in reverse order. So, in the WBBL, Scorchers will have consecutive picks at 16 and 17 and in the BBL Sixers will have the same.The round one WBBL order reads: 1 Hobart Hurricanes, 2 Sydney Sixers, 3 Melbourne Renegades, 4 Melbourne Stars, 5 Sydney Thunder, 6 Adelaide Strikers, 7 Brisbane Heat, 8 Perth ScorchersThe round one BBL order reads: 1 Melbourne Stars, 2 Melbourne Renegades, 3 Sydney Thunder, 4 Hobart Hurricanes, 5 Adelaide Strikers, 6 Brisbane Heat, 7 Perth Scorchers, 8 Sydney Sixers.Cricket Australia

How many overseas players will be drafted?

Each team will need to draft a minimum of two overseas players on top of their pre-signed names, meaning they can pass in only one round. The new mechanism was introduced this season to allow clubs in both competitions to sign one player before the draft and on multi-year deals if they wish. All the clubs have already taken advantage of this option.During the draft itself, the clubs will need to nominate which round their pre-signed overseas players are allocated to, based on the value of their contract. While many of them will be Platinum – the highest paid – that won’t be case for all. Renegades, for example, have already confirmed that Tim Seifert won’t be a Platinum pick. It’s also understood that in the WBBL, Brisbane Heat allrounder Nadine de Klerk will go in one of the lower bands.Clubs can sign a fourth overseas player during the draft if wanted, but they would be considered a replacement player. A maximum of three can be fielded in an XI.Replacement players can also be signed after the draft but have to come from those who have nominated, unless the tournament technical committee approves them under special circumstances, as happened with Nat Sciver-Brunt last season.

Full list of pre-signed players

Adelaide Strikers: Smriti Mandhana, Ollie Pope
Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk, Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: Lizelle Lee, Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews, Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Marizanne Kapp, Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr, Akeal Hosein
Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu, Sam BillingsCricket Australia

So how much are the players paid?

There are four price bands. These figures are in Australian dollars.WBBL
Platinum: $110,000 (depending on availability)
Gold: $90,000
Silver: $65,000
Bronze: up to $40,000BBL
Platinum: $360,000-$420,000 (depending on availability)
Gold: $300,000
Silver: $200,000
Bronze: up to $100,000

Can players be retained by their previous team?

Yes, each club gets one retention pick. The basic example of a player who can be retained is one who played for the club the previous season. But there are other ways players qualify for retention. If they were signed last year but did not play (such as Danni Wyatt at Scorchers), they can be retained this year. When a club confirms which round their pre-signed player places into, that classes as their pick in that round and therefore they can’t then also use their retention.

What is player availability like?

Both competitions have now been reduced to 40-game regular seasons, with the WBBL’s new structure coming into effect this year after the BBL in 2023-24. There’s more of a squeeze on the WBBL this year while the BBL faces its usual headwinds from rival T20 leagues (SA20 and ILT20) and international cricket.The WBBL starts just seven days after the T20 World Cup finishes. There’s also various bilateral cricket at either end of the competition. India are due to play New Zealand straight after the World Cup while South Africa face England, which overlaps with the finals. England players selected for that tour will leave the WBBL but some South Africans, including Marizanne Kapp, will be available throughout and miss the T20Is.In the BBL, it’s even more of jigsaw puzzle although most of the pre-signed players have committed to a full season including the finals (that is a requirement for the 2025-26 season onwards, but optional for this one). Last season’s finals were decimated by an exodus of players to the UAE. However, some that are signed in the draft itself will again likely leave early with a host of them stating availability of six to nine games.The fixture congestion has been amplified for this season because the ILT20 has moved forward to make room for the Champions Trophy in February and will start on January 11, two days after the SA20 starts.

When do the competitions take place?

The WBBL runs from October 27 to December 1 and the BBL from December 15 to January 27.

Well, it feels like Liverpool and Newcastle United are primed for a summer of fencing over Alexander Isak. The Magpies striker is on FSG’s wishlist, even if there’s a prevailing sense that Eddie Howe’s side are going to ensure their talisman stays put.

In fact, PIF have priced the centre-forward at £200m and are reportedly prepared to make him the highest-paid player in Newcastle’s history.

It’s unlikely that this one will come to fruition for Arne Slot’s side, but the door isn’t completely closed on a stunning summer capture to complement the thick breadth of talent already being added to the Anfield ranks: Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz brought in from Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez just announced too.

Isak was only outscored by that man Mohamed Salah in the Premier League last season, and is one of the most mobile and talented nines in Europe, even remarked to have been “the best striker in the world” last season by analyst Raj Chohan.

Of course, in order to get such a deal over the line, Liverpool would need to make sure they offload Darwin Nunez.

The latest on Darwin Nunez's future

25 years old, Nunez should be heading into his prime – and he might be, but not at Liverpool. It hasn’t worked out for the man who cost FSG some £64m to bring over from Benfica (his full £85m fee will not be reached).

Anticipated to be on the move for several months, things are starting to move, with Serie A champions Napoli locked in talks with Liverpool to bring the player – who has green-lit the potential transfer – over to Naples.

Despite his flaws, Nunez remains popular within the Liverpool fanbase and is endowed with the archetypal physical faculties of the modern high-level striker. But consistency has proved elusive across his three years on Merseyside, and now it’s time for change.

Nunez actually regressed under Slot’s management, scoring just seven times across 43 matches in 2024/25. Others rose to the occasion, stepped up, but, tactically, the Uruguayan was incongruent in the system, unable to process the calculated and measured nature of the coach’s vision.

Liverpool might not sign Isak this summer, but it’s pretty clear that a new striker will be required to combat Nunez’s departure. Someone refined and respected as one of the continent’s sharpest marksmen.

And someone affordable at that.

Liverpool open talks for Nunez upgrade

According to Correio da Manha, Liverpool have entered the race for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, with Arsenal and Manchester United the notable competitors.

The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in Europe over the past few years and is believed to have a €80m (£68m) price tag, something Liverpool have confirmed after opening talks with the player’s representatives.

Said to be ‘heartbroken’ after Sporting president Frederico Varandas purportedly went back on a gentleman’s agreement to let him leave for a comparatively modest fee at the end of the 2024/25 season, Gyokeres has no intention of playing for the two-in-a-row Liga Portugal champions again.

Arsenal are the clear favourites in the race, but Liverpool are there, and they need a striker.

Why Liverpool should sign Viktor Gyokeres

Gyokeres is at the top of his game and has been profiled favourably by some of English football’s heaviest hitters. He might not have the same depth of talent as Isak, and indeed remains at this point unproven in the Premier League, but he’s a “ball-striking monster”, as per analyst Ben Mattinson and could prove a massive upgrade on Nunez.

When you consider he’s available for a fraction of the cost that FSG would need to pay to bring Newcastle’s goal-getter over to Anfield, snapping him up before rivals steal ahead feels like a bit of a no-brainer.

In fact, Isak’s 27-goal haul across the campaign is dwarfed by that of his compatriot, who fired 54 goals home for his outfit across domestic and European endeavours, playing only 52 matches.

1.

Viktor Gyokeres

33

39

2.

Kylian Mbappe

34

31

3.

Mohamed Salah

38

29

4.

Robert Lewandowski

34

27

5.

Harry Kane

31

26

Think of a forward, the best you can. They didn’t outscore Gyokeres in any of Europe’s top ten divisions last season, with the Swede’s 39-goal haul an illustration of his prowess.

His clinical nature – something that Nunez is decidedly lacking in – has even illustrated a sharper ball-striking quality than Isak, and if that can be translated over to English football, Slot will be a happy man indeed.

A fair criticism would be that he plies his trade in Portugal, and Nunez wrapped up his final campaign in the country with 34 goals across 41 matches in all competitions, prompting Jurgen Klopp to spend prodigally on his signature.

However, Gyokeres is far more accomplished, technically, athletically and physically, having been described as a “very physical striker” and a “powerhouse” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Moreover, he’s proven his ability to steal the show against the Premier League’s finest.

And if that’s not sold him, just take a look at FBref’s evaluation, Gyokeres’ data gleaned across a period of 12 months to paint a vivid picture of his completeness, not just a goalscorer.

Indeed, he ranked among the top 11% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal for assists, the top 1% for progressive carries and shot-creating actions, and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.

Nunez was much younger when he arrived in the Premier League, a raw prospect with the hint of something special. Conversely, Gyokeres is at the heart of his prime years, no doubt robust and confident enough to work well with Salah, Wirtz and the like.

Fans have always clung onto hope that their record forward would come good, but when Slot stated in February that he “can’t accept” his work rate after a string of disappointing performances, it became quite clear that his day was done.

It’s time for change, and Gyokeres would be a fantastic addition given his relatively affordable price tag and the existing depth of creative quality in Slot’s squad.

He'd be Wirtz 2.0: Liverpool stand a "chance" of signing the "next Mbappe"

Liverpool believe they have a good chance to sign a star who would be a Florian Wirtz repeat.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 26, 2025

Rangers are believed to have reached a verbal agreement over the signing of an “outstanding” two-time league champion this summer.

Who is Russell Martin looking to sign for Rangers?

Russell Martin knows the importance of hitting the ground running as the Gers’ next manager, as he looks to do a far more convincing job than Philippe Clement before him. New signings will only help in that respect, and the 39-year-old is already eyeing plenty of fresh faces.

Peterborough United attacker Kwame Poku looks likely to join Rangers in the near future, with the winger available on a free transfer, and his club’s current director of football Barry Fry has called him the “best player in League One” currently.

An audacious move for England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has also been mooted in recent days, with the former Arsenal man relegated with Southampton last season. The Saints stopper is unlikely to want to be plying his trade in the Championship, so moving to a club of Rangers’ size could appeal greatly to him, allowing him to be playing European football.

Similarly, Conor Coady is now back in the second tier of English football after suffering relegation from the Premier League with Leicester City, and he is another who Rangers are said to be interested in.

Rangers reach verbal agreement to sign Max Aarons

According to a report relayed by Ibrox News, Rangers have reached a verbal agreement over the loan signing of Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons this summer.

The Englishman was loaned out to Valencia last season, with the Cherries finding it hard to offer him regular football, and it looks like the same will happen again in 2025/26.

Aarons looks like an astute signing by Rangers, and the loan aspect of it also takes away plenty of risk, should the right-back struggle to impress at Ibrox.

There is no reason why that should be the case, however, with the 25-year-old an impressive player who has now racked up a total of 224 appearances in the Premier League and Championship combined.

Aarons is also a two-time league champion in the latter, twice finishing top with Norwich City in 2018/19 and 2020/21, and former manager Daniel Farke has lauded his qualities.

“Max is outstanding in many topics. I can’t praise him enough for what he has done since his first appearance. When you have the clubs interested in him who were interested it is easy to lose the ground under the feet. Maybe you think you know everything about football. He is always looking to work harder. Never ill, never injured. If the best clubs in the world are interested then maybe there is not that much more space to improve.”

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Posts ByDan Emery Jun 16, 2025

At 25, Aarons is still a relatively young player, so if he impresses for Rangers in 2025/26, there is no reason why a permanent move couldn’t come to fruition further down the line.

It feels like everything that could have gone wrong for Tottenham Hotspur this season has gone wrong.

Granted, there have been more than a handful of games in which either Ange Postecoglou has got something terribly wrong or his players have massively underperformed, but one thing has ravaged their campaign this year: injuries.

For example, there have been plenty of occasions in which the club have had just a single centre-back fit or no striker to play up top, and it has undoubtedly wreaked havoc on a side who have it in them to beat anyone on their day.

This terrible misfortune with injuries struck again recently, as Dejan Kulusevski is now set to miss the rest of the campaign, meaning that with no James Maddison either, Posetcoglou is going to have to make a bold decision on the midfield ahead of this weekend’s game and next week’s Europa League final.

Spurs' injury crisis

While there have been points in which Spurs have had even more players out with injury, the current situation can fairly be described as a crisis due to the number of players who play in the same position who are out and the simple fact that the biggest game in the club’s recent history is right around the corner.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The two biggest misses are undoubtedly Maddison, who injured his knee in the first-leg win over Bodo/Glimt and will be out until pre-season at the earliest, and Kulusevski, who came off against Crystal Palace on the weekend with what first looked like just a knock to his knee, but then turned out to require surgery, meaning he too will be out for a few months.

Worse still, the North Londoners will be without the incredibly impressive Lucas Bergavll, with the manager confirming yesterday afternoon that he has only just “taken his first tentative steps on the grass.”

Other than those three key players for the Lilywhites, Radu Dragusin is also out of contention due to the ACL injury he picked up in February, and now Timo Werner is confirmed to have suffered a hamstring injury in the same month, which is why he hasn’t featured since then.

In all, Spurs are not in great shape for the next two games, with their lack of natural attacking midfield options a serious concern.

However, with tonight’s game not mattering all that much in the grand scheme of things, Postecoglou has the chance to try something a little unorthodox to solve this problem ahead of the final next week.

Spurs' Kulusevski & Maddison solution

So, the truth of the matter is that Spurs do not have an ideal solution for the lack of a natural attacking midfielder at the moment, but there are at least a few unusual solutions that Postecoglou could try ahead of next week.

Perhaps the most realistic is bringing Son Heung-min back into the starting lineup and playing him in the most attacking midfield role.

Now, it is true that the South Korean international hasn’t got the speed or agility he once did, but he still has excellent technique and an evidently high football IQ.

Exp. Assisted Goal

0.36

Top 4%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.57

Top 4%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

3.80

Top 6%

Goals + Assists

0.71

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

5.13

Top 7%

Assists

0.40

Top 8%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.66

Top 9%

Passes into Penalty Area

2.25

Top 12%

We can see this in some of his underlying numbers, as according to FBref, the “incredible” ace, as dubbed by Postecoglou, sits in the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers for expected assisted goals, goal-creating actions from his live passes, the top 6% for shot-creating actions from his live passes, the top 7% for goals plus assists and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

So, with his ability to play dangerous passes still undeniable, playing him in the middle with rapid runners on either side of him, like Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson, could be the key to unlocking Aston Villa’s defence tonight and Manchester United’s on Wednesday.

Finally, on top of his technical brilliance, the former Bayer Leverkusen star remains the club captain, and with how important and pressurised this next week will be, his presence in the team may be needed more than ever.

Ultimately, it’s not an ideal situation that Spurs find themselves in, but with what is practically a dress rehearsal for next week tonight, Postecoglou can try and solve the team’s injury crisis by playing Son in attacking midfield.

Spurs can axe Solanke by signing £25m star who's only 4 goals behind Kane

Spurs could sign a striker who’s nearly on par with Harry Kane this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 12, 2025

Just when you think Liverpool have turned a corner, Arne Slot’s Reds ended up falling apart on their Premier League travels to Manchester City.

In the build-up to this showdown between two top-flight heavyweights, Liverpool had managed to collect two wins from their last two games in all competitions to ease concerns of a crisis occurring at Anfield.

However, football is a fickle old game, with the alarm bells ringing once more now, as City strolled to a 3-0 victory on their own patch.

Unfortunately, that demoralising defeat means Liverpool are already eight points behind Arsenal at the summit, as the likes of Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike continue to underwhelm in attack.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt marksman was branded an “anonymous” figure by Statman Dave after failing to fire a single effort on the City goal.

Still, it’s not as if Alexander Isak is banging down the door to replace the misfiring attacker…

Inside Isak's disappointing start at Liverpool

Isak remain rooted to the substitutes bench throughout the 3-0 defeat, with the Swede hoping he can get his Liverpool career up and running after the international break.

So far, the £125m summer recruit has been sparingly used, owing to a lack of pre-season being handed to him at former employers Newcastle United, with the expensive striker yet to break his Premier League duck for Slot and Co.

It’s way too early in his Anfield career to dismiss him as an extortionate flop, though, with Isak undoubtedly a Premier League goal machine when playing at his razor-sharp best, as seen when watching his 54-goal tally for the Toon.

But, he will need to start living up to his previous billing of being the “best striker in the Premier League”, a tag handed to him by ex-Liverpool great Jamie Carragher, particularly if Ekitike continues to also fail to recapture his own goal-scoring groove.

Slot does have other options up his sleeve in this frustrating lone striker spot if needs be, with an emerging 17-year-old talent at Anfield potentially in line to be the number 9 of the future.

Liverpool are brewing a mini Alexander Isak

The number 9 jersey at Liverpool is a shirt steeped in significant history, with Ian Rush becoming synonymous with that number when scoring an all-time best on Merseyside of 346 goals.

Moreover, in more recent times, Fernando Torres took on the weighty shirt and thrived, bagging 81 strikes from 142 games.

Unfortunately, Isak is going down the route of being remembered more as a Darwin Nunez-style figure now donning the number nine, who mustered up a weak 40 goals in total in England.

Who will be the next legendary 9? Well, a teenager by the name of Will Wright – a young individual being heralded as the “next Michael Owen” in some circles – will be praying it could be him.

Liverpool #9s – selected players

Player

Games

Goals

Ian Rush

654

346

Robbie Fowler

369

183

Ian St. John

424

118

Fernando Torres

142

81

Darwin Nunez

143

40

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, the young striker sensation has already been branded as a “great finisher” by Reds journalist Bence Boscak when plying his trade for League Two outfit Salford City while Total Football Analysis have suggested that he has ‘many of the characteristics to be a top-level centre-forward’.

In the academy ranks last season at the Ammies, Wright fired home a stunning 40 goals, which certainly shows off a striker capable of one day reaching Isak’s Newcastle heights in the senior set-up. It’s for that reason that the aforementioned Bocask believes he is a “brilliant signing.”

He even featured in pre-season under Slot when Athletic Club travelled to Anfield, with one big chance spurned when thrust into the thick of the action.

Arsenal reportedly had their eyes on the clinical youngster before Wright decided to move to Merseyside over North London, with the hope that he could live up to his early promise and become Liverpool’s next free-flowing number nine.

Injuries have curtailed his U21 minutes as of late, with the 17-year-old now out of action until December with a knee problem.

But, when he’s back, don’t write off a sudden rise into the first team scene that’s similar to Rio Ngumoha’s explosion, with the misfiring duo of Ekitike and Isak, also kept on their toes by some fresh blood.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 12, 2025

Harry Kane’s unique talent has been explained by Wes Brown in an exclusive interview with GOAL. The Bayern Munich striker is one of the most fearsome No.9s in world football, with the record books being rewritten in domestic and international competition. Kane is currently waiting to discover who England will face in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

• England's GOAT: Kane closing in on more records

  He will, fitness permitting, head into that tournament as captain of the Three Lions. Kane is a talismanic presence for his country, with his historic haul of goals being raised to 78 through 112 games. He is also just 14 caps short of beating Peter Shilton’s all-time appearance record.

  That bar is expected to be raised in the not too distant future, with many suggesting that Kane should now be considered England’s GOAT. If he were to capture a major trophy with the Three Lions – bringing 60 years of pain to a close – then it would be difficult to argue against that standing being enjoyed.

  England will be leaning heavily on their skipper next summer – after seeing him hit eight goals in a faultless qualification campaign – with it seemingly imperative that he is fit and firing when another bid for global glory begins.

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• Talismanic figure: Could England win without Kane?

  Quizzed on whether England could win the World Cup without Kane, ex-Manchester United and Three Lions defender Brown – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It would be very difficult. Harry Kane has been so good because he knows where to be. It’s the same as [Cristiano] Ronaldo in the sense that ‘we’re not as young now, but’.

  “I marked Harry Kane a few times, it was at Sunderland. Honestly, for the majority of the game you think you are absolutely fine. It sounds really weird but you can ask many people: Who would you rather play against, a really fast young guy who is trying to run everywhere, into corners and doing 800 stepovers, or play against Harry Kane? The weird thing is, you might think Harry Kane. But the problem is that Harry Kane will leave with a goal on that day. How? I don’t know, but he will because he’s clever and he knows what to do and where to be. Is he running all over the place? No, I don’t think he has ever done that. When he gets in the box and you take your eye off him for a second, he’s in the right spot and he will score. Sometimes you go home thinking ‘I don’t know how he scored today’. It’s hard to explain. There are players that can do that. You’re like ‘I’m not that tired, I’ve not been running everywhere, he’s done his job when needed, held it up, turned, and all of a sudden he has scored!’

  “He’s a player that you definitely need in that squad, 100 per cent. With that experience now, doing it in Germany as well. I’m not saying we won’t score without him, but he 100 per cent starts for me and is captain.”

  Getty Images

• Special precautions: England need Kane to be fit & firing

  Another former England star, Kane’s ex-Tottenham team-mate Fraizer Campbell, recently told GOAL when the same question was put to him: “It’s a difficult one. You have got [Ollie] Watkins, who is a quality player but he’s not in the same bracket as Harry Kane yet. It would be an issue.

  “We have got a lot of good, technical 10s who could potentially play higher up the pitch like a false nine. [Marcus] Rashford has played No.9 before and he’s doing well this season. It would be a big miss for us, but we would have to cope somehow. Maybe come the start of next year we just wrap him in cotton wool and tell him not to play too much for Bayern!”

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  World Cup draw: England to discover group stage opponents

  That may be the best solution, with Kane having surged beyond 100 goals for Bayern this season – on the back of breaking his trophy duck in Germany last term when becoming a Bundesliga title winner.

  He is now chasing down more medals with club and country and England will discover their 2026 World Cup group stage opponents when the draw takes place on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

Lahore Qalandars’ owners, Sameen Rana and Atif Rana, have agreed to renew their rights to the franchise for another 10 years. The reigning champions and three-time winners became the first of the six PSL teams to publicly confirm their acceptance of a re-evaluation conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board.The announcement ends mild uncertainty over the ownership status of what is considered the PSL’s most expensive franchise. While neither the Qalandars nor the PCB revealed the exact figure of any team, ESPNcricinfo understands the Qalandars have been valued by EY-MENA, the financial organisation tasked with assessing each PSL side’s worth, at approximately PKR 980 million (Approx USD 3.47 million) per year.But that is not the amount Qalandars’ current owners will have to pay. After new terms around the renewals, team owners will need to pay the old value – about PKR 425 million (Approx $1.5 million) in the Qalandars’ case – plus 25% of the new valuation. It means Sameen and Atif Rana will pay about PKR 670 million (approx. $2.37 million) as an annual franchise fee. Had new owners come in, they would’ve paid the market valuation, so about PKR 300 million (approx $1.06 million) more.Related

• Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen makes taunting apology to PCB

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“The franchise has accepted the PCB’s renewal offer to continue as a PSL team for the next 10 years,” Qalandars said in a media release. “Following an independent valuation by independent experts EY MENA, Lahore Qalandars have been recognised as the most valuable team based on combined on-field performance and organisational strength. This accolade reflects the franchise’s commitment to sustainable growth and long-term development.”Shortly after, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi also confirmed they were renewing their contract for a further ten years. ESPNcricinfo has learned their market worth was evaluated at approximately PKR 870 million (approx USD 3.1 million), up from PKR 270 million (approx USD 956,000) in 2016. Having renewed, Afridi will have to pay a franchise fee of about PKR 500 million (approx USD 1.8 million).”Retaining our franchise rights for the next ten years is both an honour and a responsibility,” Afridi said. “This is not just a continuation; it is a commitment to build bigger, aim higher, and deliver even greater value to the PSL and to Pakistan’s cricketing ecosystem. The next decade belongs to ambition, innovation, and a stronger Zalmi vision.”While the remaining franchises have yet to publicly confirm their renewal, it is expected that all, barring Multan Sultans, will ultimately do so.Qalandars have leapfrogged Karachi Kings, who were the most expensive franchise at the launch of the PSL at PKR 440 million, but who are understood to have seen the lowest percentage growth in value of the five original teams since 2016. Their current value is understood to have been set at just under PKR 800 million, meaning renewal would cost their current owner Salman Iqbal approximately PKR 640 million (approx $2.27 million) per annum.One of the points of contention in the discounted rate that retaining a franchise provides is that it only appears to apply if the new valuation is higher than the old value. Sultans, who came into the league in the third season, saw their annual franchise fee set at PKR 1.1 billion (approx $3.89 million). They have now been valued at approximately PKR 850 million (approx $3 million), the only franchise to see depreciation.To renew, however, Sultans will be required to pay the old value, given it is higher, as well as 25% of that old value as the annual franchise fee, something that has become a point of contention between Ali Tareen, the Sultans owner, and the PSL. His public criticism of the PSL led to Sultans not receiving an offer to renew when the other five sides did earlier this month, leading to Tareen threatening to take legal action.The PSL is also expected to add two new teams to next year’s edition. The names have not yet been finalised, and bidding is expected to take place early next year.

Ireland will welcome the experience of Josh Little and Mark Adair and search for a change in fortunes after losing the Test series

Mohammad Isam26-Nov-2025

Bangladesh’s busiest year in T20Is

When Bangladesh enter the field on Thursday, they will play their 28th T20I in 2025, making this their busiest year in the format. They go into this series without their main fast bowler, Taskin Ahmed, with the BCB having given him an NOC to play the Abu Dhabi T10 till November 30.Bangladesh’s fast bowling stocks have reached a level of quality that the team management is comfortable enough to give someone like Taskin a break. The current squad includes Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam and Mohammad Saifuddin in the fast-bowling department. They also have their best spinners in the format – Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain and Nasum Ahmed – all available for selection.Related

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Ireland look for sub-continent comfort

Ireland have played just six T20Is this year, which leaves them with a bit of a gap in form and experience. Chattogram has Bangladesh’s best batting conditions, which is good news for Ireland, who couldn’t quite get enough runs in the Dhaka and Sylhet Tests.Captain Paul Stirling will have to lead from the front, as he often does in Ireland colours. The likes of Ross Adair, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher provide the middle-order punch. Ireland will also hope to see runs from allrounders George Dockrell and Gareth Delany, while newcomers Ben Calitz and Tim Tector will no doubt look to soak in as much experience as possible.

Consistency eludes Bangladesh

Bangladesh captain Litton Das has to step up in the run-making as the batters look for consistency in T20Is. They haven’t had the best of times in 2025, particularly against West Indies last month, when they couldn’t chase modest targets in Chattogram.Saif Hassan is the man in form, as he fights for a position in the top order with Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon. Bangladesh’s top order is exciting but they don’t often click together. The likes of Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali will mind the middle order, while Nurul Hasan has attempted plenty of shots in his return to the T20I side recently. The selectors have picked Mahidul Islam Ankon ahead of Shamim Hossain, in an attempt to rejig the No. 4 or 5 positions.Josh Little is back for Ireland in the T20I setup•ACB

Ireland bowlers know better

Having played a role in the Test series, the likes of Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy and Craig Young would have gained good knowledge and understanding of Bangladesh conditions. Seamers McCarthy and Young didn’t play the Dhaka Test but left-arm spinner Humphreys has looked far better as the tour has progressed.They will also welcome the addition of experienced bowlers like Mark Adair and Josh Little, who have past experience of playing in these conditions. Legspinner Ben White, too, has played in Bangladesh before, so Ireland can feel confident of possessing a handy bowling attack.

Batting first more viable in Chattogram

West Indies found out last month that the Chattogram pitches have better bounce and movement in the second half of night games, despite the onset of dew after 8.00pm. They defended middling totals like 165 and 149, and later chased down 151 in the third game. Teams batting first will look to beat the average total of 155 from the October series. Bangladesh will also feel that they must end the year well, particularly this being their last T20I series ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

How a motley band of expats and part-timers powered the side to their first-ever senior ICC tournament

S Sudarshanan22-Jul-2025Jaspreet Singh inadvertently found himself in the middle of a historic moment. When he bowled the last ball of the men’s T20 World Cup Europe qualifier, Netherlands’ Max O’Dowd pulled it to deep midwicket to give his side a nine-wicket win, but it also sealed Italy’s first-ever qualification for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, alongside Netherlands.Jaspreet moved to Italy from India in 2006 as a cricket-crazy teenager when his father brought the family over to Telgate, a town about 60km north-east of Milan. A few years later, Jaspreet was playing informal tape-ball games and eventually got into the Bergamo Cricket Club, about 40 minutes from his town. He started playing in matches organised by the Italian Cricket Federation (FCRI) from 2016-17, which paved the way to his international debut in 2019.Crishan Kalugamage was 15 when he moved to Lucca, a town in central Italy, from Sri Lanka. He got into athletics for the first five to six years before playing amateur cricket in the local clubs from 2012. Three years later, he was spotted by a coach from Roma Cricket Club and went on to make his international debut in 2022.Related

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The qualification of Italy – the only European team other than Netherlands to make it to the 20-team World Cup – comes at a time when the country’s football is in shambles – the didn’t qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 (for the first time since 1958) and 2022, and are in danger of missing the 2026 edition as well.

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Kevin O’Brien has already been part of some World Cup epics for Ireland as an allrounder. In 2022, he took up a different kind of challenge: he was asked to go over to Italy for a couple of days to review some local players and scout others for their national side. Instead, he ended up becoming Italy’s assistant coach.”It’s absolutely amazing for me as a relatively new coach,” O’Brien tells ESPNcricinfo. “I am still finding my feet in the coaching world, but I am glad to be able to help players achieve something that not many would have thought they would.”O’Brien found Italy to be in a similar situation to what Ireland were in in 2007, when he was part of the team that beat Pakistan and Bangladesh in the World Cup: plenty of enthusiasm, talented players, with belief that they could win matches, but lacking the facilities needed for professional sport.Jaspreet Singh has been part of the national side since 2019•Getty Images”I think I can help the Federation navigate their way through this and identify what they need to improve at home, first and foremost, so that the players coming up in age-group cricket can train in better facilities in Rome or Milan or Bologna and better their skills.”The group of players O’Brien helped identify along with former captain and coach Gareth Berg have largely the same background of either having moved to the country or having familial roots there. Captain Joe Burns’ grandfather was an Italian prisoner-of-war in North Africa, and his family emigrated to Australia after the Second World War. Ben and Harry Manenti’s parents also relocated to Australia after the war for better opportunities. Emilio Gay, Thomas Draca and Grant Stewart’s mothers are Italian while both parents of Anthony and Justin Mosca are from the country. For the likes of Gay, Stewart and the Manenti brothers, among others, playing for Italy doesn’t hamper their chances of playing for England or Australia, should the opportunity arise.Besides O’Brien, Italy also recruited support staff with prior World Cup experience – head coach John Davison, the former Canada captain, played the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cups, while assistant coach Dougie Brown played for Scotland at the 2007 World Cup.Two weeks before the Europe qualifier started, the team gathered at the Italian National Olympic Committee (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI), the organisation that manages all sport in Italy. With cricket now being part of the Olympics, players are required to be regularly tested for fitness at CONI. After a few sessions there, they trained at the Roma Cricket Club on artificial turf, because Italy has no grass pitches, and then moved to Horsham, in West Sussex, to play three T20 matches against an Abu Dhabi T10 team. A couple of matches against Scotland and Guernsey in the Netherlands also helped lock in roles for every player and iron out any last wrinkles before the Europe qualifier.Peter di Venuto, Italy’s manager for the qualifier, has been part of the set-up since 2023 and a witness to the team’s past fumbles.

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