Axar Patel has been appointed captain of Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. He has been with DC since 2019 and was their top retention for INR 16.50 crore ahead of the mega auction last November. While his captaincy experience isn’t extensive, he was named India’s T20I vice-captain in January this year.Axar, 31, has led his state team Gujarat in 23 matches across formats, most recently in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024-25. He captained DC in one IPL match last year – a must-win fixture that they lost to RCB to miss out on the playoffs – when Rishabh Pant was serving a ban for a slow over-rate.With Pant’s exit from the DC franchise ahead of the mega auction, Axar was their most experienced player. He’s played 82 games for them across six seasons; last year he scored 235 runs at an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.65.Related

• 'Nothing can beat experience' – Rahane keen to learn from T20 heavyweight Bravo at KKR

• Ajinkya Rahane to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025

• Harry Brook pulls out of IPL for second year running

• Mayank Yadav set to miss first half of IPL 2025 with back injury

“It is my absolute honour to captain the Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners and support staff for placing their faith in me,” Axar said in a DC statement. “I’ve grown as a cricketer and a human being during my time here at the Capitals, and I feel ready and confident to lead this side going forward.”Our coaches and scouts have done a superb job at the mega auction by putting together a balanced and robust squad which has tremendous potential. We have plenty of leaders in the group, which is also very helpful for me, and I can’t wait to join the team as we look forward to a very successful season for the Capitals, backed by the immense love and support of our fans.”The squad has KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis, who have both led other IPL teams in the past, and Mitchell Starc among the senior international players.”We are delighted to appoint Axar as the Delhi Capitals captain. He has been an integral part of the Capitals family since 2019 and embodies the values that this team is built on,” DC chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi said, “This decision reflects the natural progression for him as a leader – from being our vice-captain for two seasons to now leading the team, he has always stepped up to the occasion for us. Axar has the full support of our coaching staff and the experienced leadership group, and I wish him the very best for this new role which I am confident he will excel in.”DC co-owner Parth Jindal said, “I have witnessed Axar’s progression as a cricketer and a leader first-hand at the Delhi Capitals,” said. “Having personally picked Axar in 2019, my relationship with him is one that goes beyond cricket. Having seen him as the vice-captain of the team over the last two years, it is safe to say that he is a much-loved character in the dressing room and is someone who I am sure will motivate the players in the squad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“From being an economical spinner who had an immediate impact when he came onto bowl, Axar has blossomed into a brilliant, mature cricketer whose all-round prowess was on full display in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy winning campaigns recently. I wish him good luck as he starts a new innings in his cricketing journey. With seniors like KL Rahul, Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc being part of our leadership group, I believe this is the start of something special for the Delhi Capitals.”Axar comes into this IPL season having played an important role in India’s triumphant Champions Trophy campaign. Axar took five wickets with an economy rate of 4.35 and made vital contributions batting at No. 5 in the tournament.Of the IPL’s original eight franchises, DC are one of three – along with Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru – to have never won a title. They finished sixth last season, having won and lost seven games each. This year, Axar will work with a new team management at DC, comprising Hemang Badani (head coach), Venugopal Rao (director of cricket) and Matthew Mott (assistant coach). They begin their IPL 2025 campaign by hosting LSG in Visakhapatnam on March 24.With DC announcing Axar, all five teams that needed a new captain after the mega auction have named their leaders: RCB will be led by Rajat Patidar, Kolkata Knight Riders by Ajinkya Rahane, Lucknow Super Giants by Rishabh Pant, and Punjab Kings by Shreyas Iyer.

Wayne Rooney has continued his back and forth with under-fire Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, pointing out that the Portuguese should “expect to be criticised” given how desperate the situation has become at Old Trafford. Amorim continues to see his future called into question after just 50 games in charge of the Red Devils, with positive results proving hard to come by.

• Safe for now: Amorim's win ratio as Man Utd boss

  Amorim kept his neck off the chopping block, for now at least, when seeing United to a 2-0 victory over Sunderland in their final game before the latest international break. While that win has helped to raise collective spirits a little, it is just the 19th success enjoyed by the Red Devils under their current coaching team.

  A win ratio of 38 per cent is considered to be well below par for a manager at Old Trafford, with United eager to push themselves back into contention for the most prestigious of honours. Rooney, as the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer, has suggested that he cannot see that happening any time soon.

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  Amorim's response to criticism from Rooney & Neville

  He told podcast when casting a critical eye over events in Manchester: “I just don't know what's going on. I have tried my hand in management and it didn't work out too well, I get it. Ruben Amorim is my age, he is still a young manager and I'm sure he still has a massive future, but what's going on at Man Utd, this is not Man Utd. I honestly hope he can turn it around and he does. But if you're saying to me, 'do you believe he will?', then, after everything I've seen, honestly, I've got no faith in it.”

  When quizzed on those comments, with Gary Neville another United legend who has asked uncomfortable questions of United and their tactical approach of late, Amorim said: “It’s normal, you can not run away from the results and then you have the baggage from last season. Last season, for me, it doesn’t matter. In relation of this season, we have already spoken about that. I am not saying this team will play better in a different system or not, that is not my point. My point is that if I look at the games we didn’t win, the most important thing when I watched the game was not that we lost because of the system. People have different opinions, that is ok.”

• Rooney hoping to see reversal in fortune for Man Utd

  Rooney has now joined the discussion once more, adding on his when reacting to the latest quotes from Amorim and his reluctance to consider a change in philosophy: “When I made them comments, it's not something I really want to do, but I feel you have to tell the truth on it. And Ruben Amorim himself has been critical of the players. And, you know, it wasn’t long ago he was telling us it was the worst Man Utd team in the history of the club. And that's him being honest, and if that's his thoughts, that's his thoughts. But for the players, they have to keep focused on what they're doing and he's the manager, listening to what he's saying and tactically what he wants and try and win games.

  “And that's the only way it changes really. Unfortunately, I've been there as a player and, you know, being criticised as a player and you have to just try and focus on your job and try and win games. And you are at Manchester United – it's still one of the biggest clubs in the world, so you have to expect to be criticised when you don't win or don't play well. And on the flip side to that, the benefits of playing well and winning games are huge.”

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  Anfield next up: Man Utd preparing for Liverpool trip

  Amorim has a couple of weeks to work with players who are not heading off with their respective countries on international duty. He will hope to have United ready to claim back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they take in a testing trip to old adversaries Liverpool on October 19.

Newcastle United have done some major business this summer, and their first Premier League game of the season allowed them to see their new winger, Anthony Elanga, in black and white, but they have to wait a little longer to see some of the other signings in action.

Monday’s clash with Liverpool could allow fans the opportunity to see their new defender, Malick Thiaw, and their new midfielder, Jacob Ramsey. It’s unlikely that their loanee goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, will displace Nick Pope in any of the major Premier League fixtures, but fans could see him in action once Newcastle enter the domestic cups and the Champions League.

Ahead of the clash, Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, spoke of the attacking threat that Newcastle poses, even without Isak, and provided an injury update that will give the Magpies a confidence boost as he revealed that Jeremie Frimpong will be unavailable for the fixture.

Behind the scenes, the board are continuing to work on improving the attack that already causes concern for the Premier League-winning manager by approaching one of last season’s Champions League finalists about one of their up-and-coming talents.

Newcastle approach Inter over promising young striker

Newcastle United have “come forward” to Inter Milan to sign striker Francesco Pio Esposito. The 20-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan at Spezia and is yet to make his Inter debut. Atalanta are also said to have approached Inter about signing Pio Esposito, while Napoli have submitted a bid worth around £38.9 million.

These reports come from Italy, via Sports Witness, and with Napoli’s bid rejected, Howe’s side are reportedly reluctant to pursue the transfer further unless Inter change their stance. The Italians are looking to move players on in the last few weeks of the window, but they would prefer to keep Pio Esposito, seeing him as a player for the future. They are more inclined to sell Mehdi Taremi, with Fulham reportedly interested in the Iranian striker.

Why Newcastle are considering a move for "terrorising" Pio Esposito

Newcastle look to be pushing to sign Brentford’s Yoanne Wissa as a replacement for Isak, but Pio Esposito would further add to their attacking depth.

The Italy under-20s star could also serve as a replacement for Callum Wilson, who left Tyneside for West Ham when his contract expired. The 33-year-old only scored once in 22 appearances for Newcastle last season, so Pio Esposito would likely be an immediate upgrade. Last season at Spezia, the youngster scored 19 Serie B goals, making him the league’s second-highest goalscorer. He was also the only teenager in the league’s top 125 goalscorers.

Italian football expert Siavoush Fallahi had previously shared on X his thoughts about the Italian youngster.

He continued: “Strong, big guy, who’ll strike if the ball falls to him. Terrorising for defenders because they’ll keep him quiet for all game but then he’ll turn up and score, useful for the team, I love that randomness of crosses into the box randomly ending at his feet. Stuff happens around him”.

If Newcastle can change Inter’s mind on selling Pio Esposito, then they will have a very talented player on their hands. Potentially, they could approach Inter to loan Pio Esposito, so the Italian side doesn’t lose him permanently, and Newcastle have a temporary replacement for Wilson.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set to be without key first-team players following a series of injury blows, with their extended 2024/2025 as a result of the Club World Cup appearing to have dire consequences.

There were concerns about how the squad would react to both a summer tournament after an already-long campaign last term, not to mention their extremely limited pre-season.

Defender Levi Colwill will be out for the majority of this season after tearing his ACL at the end of a Cobham training session, prompting Stamford Bridge chiefs to briefly consider the possibility of signing a new centre-back on loan in the summer transfer window (Simon Phillips).

Meanwhile, midfield general Moises Caicedo has been spotted with a strapped-up knee training in Ecuador — adding further concerns for Maresca ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League return against Brentford at the bizarre kick-off time of 20:00 on Saturday.

Chelsea fans are also sweating over the fitness of Cole Palmer, and there is a real lack of clarity when it comes to the extent of his injury or when he’ll be available for selection once again.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

In some better news for Maresca, Benoit Badiashile and Roméo Lavia have returned to training this week, meaning it cannot be long before both men are ready to be selected in Chelsea’s matchday squads. Some west London insiders are backing Badiashile in particular to stake his claim under Maresca and play a role this season (Ben Jacobs),

However, in the last 24 hours, Chelsea were dealt a major blow with news that summer signing Liam Delap will be out until November after his hamstring injury in the win over Fulham.

The striker is poised to miss some huge games in the next two months, including a trip to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a London derby against Tottenham and a crucial face-off against English champions Liverpool.

Games Liam Delap is expected to miss

Brentford (H) – Premier League

Bayern Munich (A) – Champions League

Man United (A) – Premier League

Lincoln City (A) – EFL Cup

Brighton (H) – Premier League

Benfica (H) – Champions League

Liverpool (H) – Premier League

Nottingham Forest (A) – Premier League

Ajax (H) – Champions League

Sunderland (H) – Premier League

Tottenham (A) – Premier League

Qarabag (H) – Champions League

Delap’s injury prompted Chelsea to reconsider loaning Nicolas Jackson to Bayern, but they eventually agreed to the Senegalese departing for Bavaria on better terms whilst deciding to instead recall Marc Guiu from his temporary spell at Sunderland.

Chelsea dealt another injury blow as club release Dario Essugo statement

Now, Maresca can add another summer signing, Dario Essugo, to their list of absentees.

Chelsea have confirmed that the 20-year-old has undergone surgery on a thigh problem he sustained on international duty with Portugal’s Under-21s, with Essugo now set to undergo extensive rehab.

Taking to social media, the “exciting” midfielder has claimed that he will be out “for a while”.

يستضيف فريق مانشستر سيتي، عصر اليوم السبت، خصمه إيفرتون في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإنجليزي، لذلك الموسم، على ملعب “الاتحاد” معقل مانشستر سيتي.

ويدخل مانشستر سيتي تلك المباراة وهو يمتلك 13 نقطة في المركز الخامس، في حين أن إيفرتون لديه 11 نقطة ويحتل المركز الثامن في جدول البريميرليج.

وأكد المدرب بيب جوارديولا في تصريحاته الصحفية، أمس، عودة النجم المصري عمر مرموش إلى التدريبات حيث سيعود إلى الملاعب في الفترة المقبلة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا). تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام إيفرتون في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: ماتيوس نونيز، روبن دياز، جفارديول، نيكو أوريلي.

خط الوسط: نيكو جونزاليس، برناردو سيلفا.

خط الوسط الهجومي: فيل فودين، تيجاني ريندرز، جيريمي دوكو.

خط الهجوم: إيرلينج هالاند. 

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Toss Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl in Tuesday’s afternoon game at Eden Gardens against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). KKR made one change for the home game, replacing allrounder Moeen Ali with left-arm seamer Spencer Johnson. LSG named an unchanged team.”The wicket looks really good,” Rahane said at the toss to Danny Morrison. “It hasn’t been hot in Kolkata, wickets will not change [in the second half]. Everybody is looking forward to this game after all our units did well in the last game [against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)].”Rahane said KKR were not worried about their opening partnerships not clicking, backing Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine at the top. “People are going to talk about it,” he said. “Sunil and Quinny are match-winners, so we are not worried.”2:15

Bangar: Varun and Narine will be key to counter LSG’s big-hitters

LSG captain Rishabh Pant said he wasn’t very happy with the team’s start to IPL 2025 – they have won two and lost two so far – but hoped for an upward trend in this critical period of the season. They fielded the same team that defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday.KKR’s decision to field first was an interesting one because captains in day games have preferred to bat so far this season. The team batting first has also won eight of the last 17 games at this venue.This fixture is a rescheduled one. It was originally meant to be held on Sunday, April 6. The game was moved to Tuesday after local police said they were not in a position to provide security owing to the Navratri festivities in the city that day.Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, David Miller, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi

Newcastle United are now firmly out the other side of a whirlwind summer transfer window.

The main obvious talking point towards the end of the hectic window that clouded over every Toon conversation was Alexander Isak’s future, with the superstar Swede eventually moving on to Premier League rivals Liverpool in a staggering £125m deal on deadline day, after a well-known refusal to line up for the Magpies again.

Eddie Howe’s men thankfully bounced back from this expected departure by adding two new strikers to their camp late on, with the hope that both Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade can immediately hit the ground running, having cost a pretty penny to bring them both in.

What Wissa & Woltemade can offer Newcastle

Replacing a striker of Isak’s unbelievable quality was always going to be a tricky task.

However, Howe and Co. will pray that throwing both Wissa and Woltemade into the mix will make their former star-man’s absence feel less obvious, with Wissa especially well-versed in what it takes to succeed in the demanding Premier League.

Indeed, the 29-year-old – who cost an excessive £55m to bring in – already has 45 Premier League strikes next to his name when lining up for Brentford, with the Congolese attacker no doubt chomping at the bit to score goals by the bucket load at his new employers, after missing Newcastle’s weekend clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers owing to injury.

New £69m recruit Woltemade might well have to lead from the front, therefore, if Wissa is stricken with injury, with more pressure on the former Stuttgart man’s shoulders, arguably, considering he has never stepped foot onto English soil in his career to date.

He certainly knows where the goal is, though, when assessing his red-hot Bundesliga numbers from last season, with 13 strikes coming his way from just 28 starts.

It will just be whether Woltemade can immediately leap into the Premier League in style, with his bumper price tag upping the pressure levels on his shoulders. He has, of course, lessened that strain immediately when heading home a debut effort against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.

The worry will still be that Howe’s side might well have overpaid for both these attackers in their desperation to fill their Isak-shaped hole, with this consistent first-team star at St James’ Park coming in with a heftier valuation, despite all the fanfare surrounding Newcastle’s two new major purchases.

The "monster" worth more than Wissa & Woltemade

Newcastle have spent big all summer long away from the additions of Wissa and Woltemade, with Anthony Elanga costing an inflated £55m to further bolster the Magpies’ new-look attack.

According to Football Transfers, however, Isak’s fellow compatriot is already worth a slightly lesser £51m, with both Wissa and Woltemade also falling victim to reduced values when using the same site.

Staggeringly, the ex-Bees forward’s value has already dropped all the way down to a meagre £22m when weighed up next to Elanga’s value, with that amount more in line with Newcastle’s original valuation of the 29-year-old, which stood at £30m, before Brentford drove a harder bargain.

Moreover, Newcastle could well have splashed more cash than they needed to with Woltemade as well, with the lethal ex-Stuttgart man worth just £32m, a far cry away from his high £69m valuation.

Amazingly, when judging all these new values, Newcastle fan favourite Joelinton even has a bigger transfer worth next to his name, which is arguably a testament to how vital the Brazilian has been to Howe’s cause over the past few seasons, even when many fresh faces have arrived through the door.

When first joining the Magpies ranks, many might have worried that the former Hoffenheim man was going to be known as an extortionate waste of cash, having struggled to initially settle after a whopping £40m was forked out to win his services.

Now, however, the South American “monster” – as he was once labelled by journalist Liam Kennedy – is a guaranteed starter when fit, with his value not wavering too far away from the millions originally spent on his services back in 2019.

Joelinton’s valuation now comes in at a slightly lesser £35m, which isn’t as dramatic a dip as Wissa and Woltemade have immediately experienced, with the 29-year-old keen to add even more goals and assists to his Toon back catalogue to help Howe and Co. surge up the early Premier League standings.

Games played

224

Goals scored

29

Assists

21

Trophies

1x

Original value

£40m

Value now

£35m

Having missed some games already this season through his own injury difficulties, the St. James’ Park faithful will be keen to see Joelinton back in the starting XI moving forward, knowing his added presence could see Newcastle kick on, as much as both Wissa and Woltemade can also be difference-makers.

Newcastle can get Woltemade hitting Isak levels by unleashing "unsung hero"

Newcastle United take on Wolves at St. James’ Park as they look to get their season up and running.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 13, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Após forte desabafo contra o racismo depois da vitória sobre o Universitario, pela Copa Sul-Americana, o lateral-esquerdo Matheus Bidu, do Corinthians, recebeu diversas mensagens racistas em sua rede social.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansRóger Guedes fala pela primeira vez sobre a possibilidade de deixar o Corinthians após receber proposta do futebol árabeCorinthians19/07/2023CorinthiansNão foi só a comemoração de Ryan! Entenda o contexto da confusão no fim de Universitario e Corinthians pela Sul-AmericanaCorinthians19/07/2023CorinthiansApós classificação, Luxemburgo diz que Corinthians está dando atenção à Sul-AmericanaCorinthians19/07/2023

+ Cantillo na lista! Confira 30 jogadores que ainda não fizeram sete jogos no Brasileirão e podem trocar de clube

“Macaco de mer.., “Negro asqueroso”, além de emojis com figuras de bananas e macacos são algumas das mensagens que Bidu recebeu em sua conta na rede social. Antes, o lateral fez uma postagem, com tom bastante indignado, envolvendo os episódios racistas que antecederam o jogo em Lima, no Peru.

– Inadmissível existirem seres humanos imundos como vocês, lixos de pessoas. Acham normal atos racistas? Enquanto existirem pessoas como vocês, o mundo não vai para frente. Racistas de m… – escreveu Matheus Bidu em suas redes.

continua após a publicidade

+ Veja tabela com os confrontos das oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana

Antes do duelo em Lima, a delegação corintiana foi recepcionada por alguns torcedores peruanos imitando sons de macaco em direção aos jogadores do Timão. Ao final do jogo, quando Ryan Gustavo marcou o gol da vitória corintiana, o garoto tirou e mostrou a camisa para a torcida do Universitario, gerando uma confusão generalizada no Estadio Monumental, que resultou em polícia dentro do gramado e quatro jogadores expulsos.

Vale ressaltar que na partida de ida entre os clubes, Sebastián Avellino Vargas, preparador físico do Universitario, fez gestos racistas imitando um macaco em direção à torcida corintiana. O profissional da comissão técnica peruana foi preso em flagrante na madrugada da última quarta-feira (12) e segue detido no Brasil, após ter a decisão mantida em audiência de custódia e o pedido de habeas corpus negado pelo Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo.

continua após a publicidade

Celtic are now in talks to sign a versatile defender who has been compared to Hoops star Alistair Johnston.

Celtic on course to sign Balikwisha

It could be a busy last week of the transfer window for those at Parkhead, with Hoops supporters voicing their frustrations at the lack of signings in the club’s 0-0 Champions League qualifier against Kairat Almaty.

Boost for Rodgers: The new signing Celtic want to make alongside Balikwisha

This is music to the ears of Hoops supporters.

By
Henry Jackson

Aug 22, 2025

So far this summer, Celtic have spent just under £4m on seven new players, whereas they received an initial £16.5m by selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como. Brendan Rodgers admitted after the draw in midweek that Celtic “need” more signings before the September 1 deadline.

“We need to improve the squad. There was clarity around that for a long time. So we see that. I think supporters see that. We certainly do in football. We need to improve. This is a performance club. This is a club that has to perform. And that starts on the field. You do that with getting the very best players you possibly can to allow you to perform.”

The Hoops have been heavily linked with Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha and now look set to sign the Belgian. Taking to X on Saturday, Sacha Tavolieri said:

It isn’t just Balikwisha who the Hoops are after, though, with defensive additions also on the agenda.

Celtic also in talks to sign full-back Marcelo Saracchi

According to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Celtic are interested in signing Boca Juniors full-back Marcelo Saracchi. It is claimed that the Hoops have “opened negotiations” for Saracchi, with a potential loan-to-buy option on the cards.

The 27-year-old is primarily a left-back but can also play as a right-back or left midfielder when required so would offer plenty of versatility to Rodgers’s squad.

A Uruguay international, Saracchi has previous experience in Europe, playing in the Champions League for RB Leipzig. He has also turned out for Turkish side Galatasaray and Spanish outfit Levante before moving to Boca Juniors in 2023.

Since then, Saracchi has made more than 50 appearances for his current employers, scoring four goals and registering five assists.

As can be seen, Saracchi has also been compared to Johnston among other impressive full-backs, so he could be the competition Rodgers is after for the Canadian and Kieran Tierney, possibly filling in for the right-back who will be out for three months with a hamstring injury.

Lancashire’s 42-year-old former England seamer “excited” for new season despite suffering calf strain

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Apr-20251:30

Will James Anderson be able to play for three more years?

The grand opening of James Anderson’s 24th season of English cricket has been delayed. On Tuesday, it was confirmed England’s all-time leading wicket taker will miss the first month of Lancashire’s County Championship season with a right calf issue.At a time of year when pre-season optimism reaches fever pitch – Lancashire, in this instance, bolshy about their chances of returning to Division One following last year’s relegation – news of Anderson’s injury was a rare dampener. The neatness of a return to Lord’s – site of his 188th and final Test last July, which also happens to be his last competitive match – to play Middlesex in the season opener will not be realised.Damage to the calf – the same one that ruled him out of all but the first session of the 2019 Ashes – was sustained last week, on a pre-season trip to Desert Springs in Spain. It scuppered what had been an otherwise steady stint of training from the start of the year ahead of fulfilling his season-long deal.Related

Anderson set for T20 comeback in new Lancashire deal

Anderson registers for Hundred draft

Gladiator or gimmick? Anderson snub epitomises Hundred's conflicted purpose

“I reckon it’s been about since Christmas, really,” Anderson said at Lancashire’s media day of his prep to date. “It’s been a good block. I’ve been away a couple of times with England, but in between – it’s only been 10 days or so that I’ve been away – it’s mainly been here with the lads training. I feel great. My fitness is as good as it’s been. My bowling’s been good. I’m really excited.”That excitement is genuine. It was around this time last year that Anderson was called to a Manchester Hotel for the meeting where Rob Key, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes enforced retirement upon him. The time since involved a lot of introspection, especially after his Lord’s swansong. What did he want from his immediate future? Inevitably, the answer was to keep playing.His bowling consultant role with England might have also pushed him towards that decision. There is currently no agreement in place for Anderson to assist England this summer, having done so last year and at the Champions Trophy, partly through his choosing.”I want to give playing a good go, so that’s what I’ve told them,” Anderson said. “I want to prioritise playing cricket for Lancs. If there’s opportunities throughout the summer where they want me to come in and do stuff, we’ll have to cross that bridge.”It would be great to be part of an Ashes trip [later this year]. But if I’m not involved much this summer they might want to go in a different direction.”James Anderson is all smiles for the Lancashire team photo•Getty Images

For all the talk of Anderson’s value to the set-up and the wisdom of 704 Test wickets across 21 years at the very top, it was an awkward union. Just four days separated his emotional walk off into the sunset and reemerging in the shadows, taking the mitt at Trent Bridge for newly ex-team-mates. Less than a week between still believing he could do a job for England and fine-tuning his replacements.The ad hoc nature of Anderson’s role was characterised by his absence in the build-up to the first Test in Pakistan for a pre-arranged golf trip. Indeed, his main takeaway from that tour seems to have been stints bowling in the nets at Joe Root, which helped him preserve his skills.Though the likes of Gus Atkinson, Josh Hull, and even long-time team-mate Chris Woakes, spoke glowingly of his advice from the sidelines, it was always an odd fit. One that would surely only grow odder with Anderson back playing again.Would it dull his mentoring qualities? Perhaps not. But replicating the form he showed for his one-off appearance for Lancashire last season – taking 7 for 35 in the first innings against Nottinghamshire at Southport – would elicit tricky comparisons with those under his care. All being well, he should rout Division Two.Focusing on a return to action, even if delayed by a month, has evidently narrowed Anderson’s perspective. When asked if there had been reflections on his international retirement, his response was curt: “Not really, but I don’t want to dwell on it.” He insists he is not motivated on trying to prove England wrong. His desire to play as much cricket as he has left evident in the two unsuccessful draft attempts in the IPL and the Hundred.”I’m not going to think about that,” he reiterated on what England ambitions he may still harbour. “I think that ship’s well on its way. All I can do is focus on the future and what my job is, which is to play cricket for Lancashire. I’m fully focused on that.”Anderson will not struggle for influence at Lancashire, looking to add to 376 wickets and just five first-class appearances away from a century for his boyhood county. The last time he was as available for this much of a Championship campaign was the summer of 2005, when he played 16 times while also featuring in England squads during that famous Ashes series.Even his longevity brings novelty to the Emirates Old Trafford dressing room. The 42-year old has not only played international cricket with Rocky Flintoff’s father, Andrew, but was also a Burnley CC team-mate of RP Singh, who played two ODIs for India and whose son, Harry, is in the Lancashire squad.And yet, despite the lift he will bring his Lancashire team-mates, it is hard to escape the personal nature of this season, particularly when squaring the conflicts of Anderson’s own ambitions. Proclaiming to be as fit as ever is contradicted by his calf, and the eyebrow-raising claim to the BBC that he would not rule out “playing for another one, two or three years” came not long before he conceded to the written media that this whole thing may be over much sooner.”I could get a month in and think ‘absolutely not’. But I could have a great year, we could win everything, and they might want to keep me next year so we’ll just have to wait and see.”Who knows how long this intriguing final stanza of Anderson’s career will last. Over the coming months, the rest of us will get a clear idea just how brightly a love of the game and its grind burns within him.For the man himself, it feels more about control. Closure, even. Having had his Test retirement taken out of his hands, Anderson can still bow out on his own terms.