Latest news with #MartinRickett
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Sheffield Wednesday captain expects Championship opener at Leicester to go ahead
Sheffield Wednesday Supporters' Trust plans to protest against under-fire owner Dejphon Chansiri during Sunday's televised fixture against the Foxes at the King Power Stadium. Club owner Dejphon Chansiri is under pressure to sell Sheffield Wednesday (Martin Rickett/PA) Asked if there was a prospect of players going on strike, Bannan, who on Saturday signed a new contract at Hillsborough, told talkSPORT: 'No, I don't think so. 'We pulled out of the Burnley game at the weekend, that was simply because it's happened too much now and I think it's a lot easier to pull put of a pre-season friendly game than it is a Championship fixture. 'We've come into training and just got on with it and made it look to the outside world like we're fine with it, so that was our choice then to say enough's enough really.'
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Sheffield Wednesday captain expects Championship opener at Leicester to go ahead
Wednesday's players refused to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley on Saturday after wages were not paid on time for the fourth time in five months. Sheffield Wednesday Supporters' Trust plans to protest against under-fire owner Dejphon Chansiri during Sunday's televised fixture against the Foxes at the King Power Stadium. Club owner Dejphon Chansiri is under pressure to sell Sheffield Wednesday (Martin Rickett/PA) Asked if there was a prospect of players going on strike, Bannan, who on Saturday signed a new contract at Hillsborough, told talkSPORT: 'No, I don't think so. 'We pulled out of the Burnley game at the weekend, that was simply because it's happened too much now and I think it's a lot easier to pull put of a pre-season friendly game than it is a Championship fixture. 'We've come into training and just got on with it and made it look to the outside world like we're fine with it, so that was our choice then to say enough's enough really.'
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Stokes' fitness, Pope's form and pace options – the questions facing England
There are just over three months until England arrive in Perth and the planning can now begin in earnest. Here, the PA news agency looks at five key questions England need to answer. Will Ben Stokes be fully fit? Ben Stokes's exertions have taken their toll on his body (Martin Rickett/PA) England are a completely different team when their inspirational captain is firing on all cylinders. He was in brilliant form this summer, rolling back the years with ball in hand, but missed the Kia Oval decider with a shoulder problem. A six-to-10-week lay-off will follow but any further setbacks would raise serious alarms. Having been struck down by knee, hip, hamstring and shoulder injuries in the past two years, is it too optimistic to expect him to be in peak condition throughout a gruelling tour? What is the pace bowling pecking order? Who will join Jofra Archer in England's frontline pace attack? (Martin Rickett/PA) England have talked up the importance of building deep reserves of fast bowlers but when the first Test kicks off in Perth they must be clear on their best combination. Jofra Archer looks certain to be in it after his long-awaited comeback, Mark Wood hopes to be back after missing the entire Test season, while Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, Chris Woakes and Sam Cook all played this summer. Woakes looks like missing out with a dislocated shoulder, but how do the others stack up? How do they get the best out of Ollie Pope? Ollie Pope remains inconsistent (Ben Whitley/PA) A big hundred against Zimbabwe and another century in his first knock against India removed some of the questions that had been circling about Pope's spot at number three. But he finished the series averaging 34 and was 10th on the run-scoring charts. Jacob Bethell's disappointing effort in the fifth Test against India has weakened his case as a replacement but England need more from a senior player in a key position. Could taking the vice-captaincy off him and promoting white-ball skipper Harry Brook be part of the answer? Is the spin situation settled? Is Shoaib Bashir the man to carry England's spin threat? (Joe Giddens/PA) A lot of faith has been placed in Shoaib Bashir, with England backing their hunch that he can do well in Australia. It has been a mixed bag so far, with 68 wickets in 19 Tests but a stubbornly high average of 39. His broken finger opened the door for them to have an overdue second look at Liam Dawson, but the county scene's standard-bearer was dropped after taking one for 140 at Old Trafford. Will he travel as competition for Bashir, could there be a return to Jack Leach or might England look at using all-pace attacks for some Ashes contests? How will they prepare for the war of words? David Warner, right, unsurprisingly fired an early shot in the phoney war (Mike Egerton/PA) Australian players, fans and media cheerleaders have been paying close attention to the India series and it is has not been hard to realise the long-range sledging has already started. From David Warner's recent jibe at Joe Root to the social media barrage about the merits, or otherwise, of 'Bazball', the heat is already rising. Expect that to continue all the way until Glenn McGrath shockingly predicts a 5-0 win for Australia. England have refused to entertain much Ashes talk in recent months but the temptation will rise as the weeks tick by. Will they fire some broadsides of their own or keep things on the field?
The Herald Scotland
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Tensions, Stokes' fitness, Bumrah dilemma – talking points ahead of fifth Test
Will tensions spill over? Harry Brook says England must ditch their "nice guy" persona 🏴#ENGvIND — England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 22, 2025 Relations between the sides have become increasingly strained, with a time-wasting spat at Lord's, some overly aggressive send-offs, plenty of sledging and the handshake row at Old Trafford. With just three days between games there has barely been a chance for cooler heads to prevail, and another highly charged contest must be expected. The team that channels their emotions best in the finale could claim an important edge. Can Stokes hold it together? Ben Stokes has been battling a variety of niggles this summer (Martin Rickett/PA) England skipper Ben Stokes has had a wonderful series, including player-of-the-match performances in each of the last two games. But it is no secret that his body is creaking under the weight of his workload. He has already sent down 140 overs and faced almost 600 balls, with bouts of cramp and concerns over his knee, calf and bicep. It is almost four months until the start of the Ashes but the one thing England cannot countenance is their captain breaking down. Will anyone be able to stop him pushing himself too far? Bumrah to go fourth? India will be mulling over Jasprit Bumrah's readiness for one more Test (Bradley Collyer/PA) India tied their hands unnecessarily at the start of the tour by repeatedly committing to the idea that the world's number one bowler Jasprit Bumrah would only play three Tests. The rationale, to prevent exaggerating existing back issues, was sound but the policy was always too rigid. Now they find themselves in a must-win situation with Bumrah's allocation already used. The temptation to bust their own guidelines will surely win out. If it does not, England's batters will be the ones breathing a sigh of relief. One and done for Dawson? Well worth the wait, Daws! 🙌 Jaiswal caught by Brook off Dawson 🤲 🇮🇳 1⃣2⃣0⃣-2⃣ — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 23, 2025 Shoaib Bashir's broken finger led to a recall for Liam Dawson, eight years after his previous Test outing. The Hampshire stalwart struck early in the first innings but did not bag another wicket, leaving him with just one success in 62 overs. He was tidy but toothless for long spells and England may conclude that they are better loading the attack with pace and relying on Joe Root for occasional bouts of spin. It is a combination that some favour for Australia and now could be the chance to take a look. Will the bowlers finally have their day? Bowlers will be hoping for more success at the Kia Oval (Martin Rickett/PA) The combination of unresponsive balls and flat pitches has made for a run-fest this summer, with all four matches going the distance as bowlers toiled away for long, taxing spells. In all there have been 18 centuries and a further 22 fifties. Might the Kia Oval finally offer a plot twist, with ball getting the better of bat? Surrey have been known to prepare greener surfaces and there is a steady pattern of teams bowling first to exploit early movement. Neither side have suffered a batting meltdown yet but the conditions for a collapse could come together in south London.
Glasgow Times
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Tensions, Stokes' fitness, Bumrah dilemma – talking points ahead of fifth Test
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key issues ahead of the fifth match. Will tensions spill over? Harry Brook says England must ditch their "nice guy" persona 🏴#ENGvIND — England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 22, 2025 Relations between the sides have become increasingly strained, with a time-wasting spat at Lord's, some overly aggressive send-offs, plenty of sledging and the handshake row at Old Trafford. With just three days between games there has barely been a chance for cooler heads to prevail, and another highly charged contest must be expected. The team that channels their emotions best in the finale could claim an important edge. Can Stokes hold it together? Ben Stokes has been battling a variety of niggles this summer (Martin Rickett/PA) England skipper Ben Stokes has had a wonderful series, including player-of-the-match performances in each of the last two games. But it is no secret that his body is creaking under the weight of his workload. He has already sent down 140 overs and faced almost 600 balls, with bouts of cramp and concerns over his knee, calf and bicep. It is almost four months until the start of the Ashes but the one thing England cannot countenance is their captain breaking down. Will anyone be able to stop him pushing himself too far? Bumrah to go fourth? India will be mulling over Jasprit Bumrah's readiness for one more Test (Bradley Collyer/PA) India tied their hands unnecessarily at the start of the tour by repeatedly committing to the idea that the world's number one bowler Jasprit Bumrah would only play three Tests. The rationale, to prevent exaggerating existing back issues, was sound but the policy was always too rigid. Now they find themselves in a must-win situation with Bumrah's allocation already used. The temptation to bust their own guidelines will surely win out. If it does not, England's batters will be the ones breathing a sigh of relief. One and done for Dawson? Well worth the wait, Daws! 🙌 Jaiswal caught by Brook off Dawson 🤲 🇮🇳 1⃣2⃣0⃣-2⃣ — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 23, 2025 Shoaib Bashir's broken finger led to a recall for Liam Dawson, eight years after his previous Test outing. The Hampshire stalwart struck early in the first innings but did not bag another wicket, leaving him with just one success in 62 overs. He was tidy but toothless for long spells and England may conclude that they are better loading the attack with pace and relying on Joe Root for occasional bouts of spin. It is a combination that some favour for Australia and now could be the chance to take a look. Will the bowlers finally have their day? Bowlers will be hoping for more success at the Kia Oval (Martin Rickett/PA) The combination of unresponsive balls and flat pitches has made for a run-fest this summer, with all four matches going the distance as bowlers toiled away for long, taxing spells. In all there have been 18 centuries and a further 22 fifties. Might the Kia Oval finally offer a plot twist, with ball getting the better of bat? Surrey have been known to prepare greener surfaces and there is a steady pattern of teams bowling first to exploit early movement. Neither side have suffered a batting meltdown yet but the conditions for a collapse could come together in south London.
