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Selector Hannan Sarkar says Amite needs to perform for Bangladesh A or their High Performance Unit before making the step up

Mohammad Isam14-Nov-2024Bangladesh’s selector Hannan Sarkar has said that the prolific domestic batter Amite Hasan is close to Test selection. He however said that Amite has to take a step further towards international cricket, by getting runs in the other representative sides like the BCB High Performance unit, before he is ready for the top flight.Amite’s name came into the picture after he made a strong start to the 2024-25 season, but couldn’t find a place in the Test team for the upcoming West Indies series. Bangladesh are without captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, while the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have moved on from the longer format.”Amite has been scoring quite regularly since making his first-class debut,” Sarkar said. “This is not the first season that he has scored runs. The next step for a cricketer is the BCB’s high performance unit. He has been playing in this level for three years. He has played a number of matches against international opposition. He was in the HP squad that went to Australia this year. He had four innings there. I was on that tour. I saw his batting.”Related

• Injured Shanto and Mushfiqur ruled out of West Indies Tests

• NCL round-up: Sylhet remain unbeaten, Chattogram pick up their first win

The selectors picked middle-order batter Shahadat Hossain who made a century in this season’s NCL, but someone who couldn’t quite make a splash in his first four Tests, since making his debut in November last year.Amite meanwhile has been Bangladesh’s second highest scorer in first-class cricket since his debut in 2019. He has scored 2,425 runs at an average of 49.48. His conversation rate is impressive too, scoring eight hundreds out of the 17 times he has reached 50 runs. In his latest NCL match, he notched his maiden double-century, scoring 213 against Khulna Division.Shahadat has scored 1,322 runs at 33.89 average in domestic cricket.Sarkar said that Amite needs to improve his batting when he plays for the representative teams like the High Performance unit or Bangladesh A, as there’s a huge gap between Bangladesh’s domestic standard and international cricket.”I think we have to pay more attention on how we can make a cricketer ready for international cricket, rather than putting them up on a tough stage. There’s nothing to hide here. There’s a huge difference between domestic and international cricket. We often see domestic performers struggling at the international stage. We have to think differently about him after one or two matches.”Shahadat was among the runs for Bangladesh A before his Test debut, including fifties against India A and West Indies A. But since his foray into Tests, he hasn’t made runs for Bangladesh A in the four first-class matches he played against Pakistan A in Australia and Pakistan. Amite meanwhile has a score of 70 against Pakistan A in Darwin.Sarkar said that they want to prepare Amite properly before giving him a Test call-up. They also considered him for the West Indies series when deciding upon their choice of batter to replace Shanto. Bangladesh also have Mahidul Islam and Jaker Ali, both of whom made their Test debuts against South Africa last month.”Amite scores regularly. He is within our system. We are preparing him. I believe in giving a cricketer enough opportunities. It is good for everyone to prepare that cricketer properly. It also matters where a player makes his debut. There was a number of things that were being discussed. Amite remains within our system. It is not like, he has scored only this season. He is scoring every year, and he is close (to selection).”Bangladesh play the two Tests against West Indies in November and December, their last matches in the current World Test Championship cycle.

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans will already be contemplating the return of Championship football to Molineux next season.

Indeed, the miserable Old Gold are currently sat at the bottom of the Premier League pile on a pitiful two points, which culminated in the dismissal of Vitor Pereira, who had managed to turn around Wolves’ fortunes when coming in mid-way through the 2024/25 season.

Unfortunately, in the here and now, Pereira couldn’t arrest the worrying slide, with the West Midlands outfit now on the hunt for a successor who can somehow lift the downbeat side off the very foot of the top-flight.

Gary O’Neil has already turned down the opportunity to come back to his old stomping ground as a dramatic saviour, with Wolves now having to look at alternative targets.

Wolves' ongoing hunt for a new manager

There have been several different names linked to the Molineux vacancy since Pereira was put out of his misery after a 3-0 defeat away at Fulham.

Rob Edwards has consistently been tipped to leave promotion-chasing Middlesbrough behind in the Championship to return to the side he lined up for as a player. At the same time, Wolves have also utilised their well-known Portuguese connections, with ex-Benfica boss Rui Vitoria allegedly on their radar.

Sky Sports News’ Lyall Thomas has fired back, though, to state that either Edwards or Vitoria replacing Pereira is considered “unlikely”, with Erik ten Hag also a shout that has been dismissed, as Wolves head into their next league encounter with youth team duo James Collins and Richard Walker at the helm.

A decision will soon have to be made, as Wolves fight a losing battle against the drop, with one name that Thomas hasn’t dismissed, still perhaps in the running as a clear upgrade on the Boro boss.

Why Wolves target would be an Edwards upgrade

Before delving deeper into why this alternative target would be an upgrade on Edwards, it does have to be said that the 42-year-old did a commendable job the last time he was in the top-flight with Luton Town.

Indeed, Edwards did make the Hatters a “difficult” team to beat, as were the words of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta.

But, away from initial admiration, the Championship promotion-winning manager did still take Luton down, with 47 defeats from 103 games in charge of the Kenilworth Road outfit, not exactly music to the ears of those at Molineux who crave a transformative clean slate.

This is where the reappointment of Bruno Lage could be a masterstroke, with reports from Portugal – via Sport Witness – indicating that the 49-year-old is weighing up the possibility of a return to the Black Country, having been on Wolves’ manager shortlist.

Wolves have arguably been on a decline since the one-time Liga Portugal champion left the building, with Lage’s tenth-place finish during the 2021/22 season yet to be bettered by the litany of managers that have come into the Old Gold dug-out since.

Lage also turned the Old Gold into a well-oiled machine when he was at the helm, which they are in dire need of right now, as only 43 goals were leaked across 38 league contests.

His fellow compatriot and ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal would even label his one full campaign in the dug-out as “the best success story in the Premier League”, with Lage even taking the West Midlands titans to the brink of a Champions League spot at one point, having masterminded a 1-0 away win at Manchester United in early 2022.

19 Premier League wins would come his way, subsequently, with Edwards stuck on just six, in stark contrast, from his time at Kenilworth Road.

With Lage favouring a 4-3-3 set-up, too, much like Pereira, the hope will be that Setubal-born boss can get the ball rolling again immediately on his return, having been described as “one of the best men I have met in football” by ex-Wolves skipper Conor Coady.

After all, he fared well last time out when the pressure was on him, having had to replace a modern Molineux great in Nuno Espirito Santo, as the “excellent” head coach – as he was once labelled by rival Premier League manager Thomas Frank – now tries to steer the ship back on course again.

Wolves in contact for new manager Abel Ferreira as Jeff Shi receives reply

A new name on the Molineux radar.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 6, 2025

The New York Mets enjoyed a scalding start to the 2025 MLB season but finally hit some road bumps earlier this month and are in the midst of their roughest stretch yet. Entering Saturday afternoon the Mets had lost 11 of their past 14 games but were hoping a date with the Pittsburgh Pirates might snap them out of the slump. It did not; New York lost 9-2 at PNC park to fall to 48-36 on the year and make it 12 losses in the last 15 games.

Frustrations apparently peaked at that point and several players, including star shortstop Francisco Lindor, acknowledged they held a players-only meeting following Saturday's defeat. It turns out Juan Soto delivered a five-word message of encouragement and hope to his teammates at that meeting, per Mets insider Mike Puma of the New York Post.

"Juan Soto was among those who spoke during the players' only meeting, according to a source," Puma wrote on his X account. "Soto's message? 'Keep going. Believe in it.'"

It is a simple message but it may be all the Mets need. They were easily one of the best teams in baseball in the first two months of the year. June has not been kind but there are still a ton of games left to be played. Just keeping at it is as good advice as any before the All-Star break.

Soto should know given his rollercoaster of a season so far. The superstar slugger, signed to a massive $765 million deal this past offseason, hit only three home runs and posted a .241 batting average through March and April. Since the start of May, though, Soto has hit .262 with 17 homers. He kept at it, believed in his process, and is looking far more like the historically great hitter New York believed it was signing over the winter.

The Mets' next chance to turn it around will come on Sunday against the Pirates as they try to avoid an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the third-worst team in the National League.

Bangladesh return to Tests after five months; Ireland will hope to make another splash after their win against Zimbabwe in February

Mohammad Isam10-Nov-2025Big picture: Two sides return to red-ball cricketTwo sides that haven’t played Test cricket in a long time converge in Sylhet as Bangladesh host Ireland on Tuesday. They have only played one Test against each other with this series representing an opportunity to not just renew ties but also regain form.Bangladesh have been up-and-down in white ball cricket. That may not have too big an impact on this game, especially in Sylhet where the conditions will be different than Abu Dhabi and Dhaka, venues that have hosted plenty of matches recently. What may be pertinent though is the fact they haven’t played any Test cricket in almost five months.Bangladesh will rely on their bowling attack to get them ahead, particularly the spin duo of Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Sylhet’s pitch having a bit of bounce would also mean the likes of Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud will always be in the picture. Bangladesh also have Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad up their sleeve.Related

Injured Ross Adair ruled out of Bangladesh T20Is

Najmul Hossain Shanto will have to lead a batting unit that has lacked confidence in recent times. Bangladesh have brought back Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the opening position, while Shadman Islam will be expected to carry forward some of his recent form (Test average of 40.57 this year). Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das will add experience to the middle-order, much needed if they are going to play with five bowlers contributing to a long tail.Ireland will be aware that coming into an away game with very little preparation behind them is a huge challenge. They’ve played only one Test in 2025 and they’ve brought over a squad that looks light on experience.Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling form key parts of Ireland’s line-up•AFP/Getty ImagesFour of the 15 members – top-order batters Cade Carmichael and Stephen Doheny, allrounder Jordan Neill and left-arm seamer Liam McCarthy – are first-time call-ups. Legspinner Gavin Hoey, who has travelled with the team previously, is also uncapped.Ireland would depend heavily on captain Andy Balbirnie, and the experienced duo of Paul Stirling and Harry Tector. Others like Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine will also add value to the playing XI. If the newcomers can combine well with the established players, Ireland can spring a surprise against an almost similarly under-prepared Bangladesh.Form guideBangladesh: LDWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland: WWWLLIn the spotlight: Najmul Hossain Shanto and Andy McBrineNajmul Hossain Shanto will continue as Bangladesh’s Test captain even though he stepped down after their last Test against Sri Lanka in June. Shanto said that he didn’t believe in a team having three different captains, but the BCB has convinced him to stay on till 2027. For a player who has always wanted long-term security, this could be a fresh start.Andy McBrine the only Ireland allrounder with 500 runs and 25 wickets in Test cricket. He will bat in the middle-order and bowl long spells of accurate offbreaks, both roles equally crucial to compete in the subcontinent. McBrine was Ireland’s best performer in their only Test this year, against Zimbabwe, when he earned the Player-of-the-Match award for scoring an unbeaten 90 and backing that up with four wickets. Ireland will expect him to continue the good form, and remember his six-for against Bangladesh in their last Test here, in 2023.Team news: Murad, Hoey could make debutsBangladesh will swap out Anamul Haque with Mahmudul Hasan Joy who returns to the side. Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad could make his Test debut.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Murad, 10 Ebadot Hossain, 11 Hasan MahmudAmong Ireland’s uncapped players, batters Cade Carmichael and Stephen Doheny are prime candidates for the playing XI, while legspinner Gavin Hoey could also enter the fray.Ireland (probable): 1 Cade Carmichael/Stephen Doheny, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Curtis Campher, 4 Harry Tector, 5 Paul Stirling, 6 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 7 Andy McBrine, 8 Barry McCarthy, 9 Craig Young, 10 Gavin Hoey, 11 Matthew HumphreysPitch and conditions: Batting first has advantages in SylhetSides batting first average 266 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium which has been enough to win three out of four Tests at this venue. Bright sunshine and cooler late afternoon temperatures are expected in Sylhet.Stats and trivia: Taijul needs ten for Bangladesh record Bangladesh have played 28 white-ball matches since their last Test in June. Ireland have played nine white-ball matches since their last Test in February. Taijul Islam is nine wickets short of Shakib Al Hasan’s 246 wickets, which is Bangladesh’s all-time highest among wicket-takers. Mominul Haque has the most centuries for Bangladesh, but his last one came in September last year.

The India captain walked off the field, massaging the back of his neck immediately after sweeping Simon Harmer for four

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2025Shubman Gill was just three balls into his innings in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata when he hurt his neck and had to go off the field. He did not come out to bat as India finished their first innings on 189, taking a lead of 30 runs.”Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said after the first session.India were 75 for 2 when Gill, facing his third delivery, slog-swept Simon Harmer for four over square leg. As he completed the shot and got up, he looked in discomfort, took off his helmet and rubbed the back of his neck. The physio came out and Gill had to retire hurt.Related

Gill hospitalised after suffering neck spasm

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At the end of the day, Gill, wearing a neck brace, was stretchered out of the dressing room and into the players’ ambulance for scans to Woodlands hospital with the team doctor. Since it’s not an external injury, he may not be allowed to bat at his usual No. 4 if he does not spend the required time in the field during South Africa’s innings.”Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well, so it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said after the day’s play. “Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time and… just bad timing.”Rishabh Pant replaced Gill at the crease, and India went into lunch at 138 for 4. But the wickets fell in a flurry after the break, with Harmer picking up 4 for 30 and Marco Jansen 3 for 35.Last October, too, Gill had to sit out the Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru because of a stiff neck.

Our writers pick the moments that they will most remember from the pulsating 25-day-long England vs India Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-20253:04

Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj

No one deserved it more than Siraj

Mohammed Siraj was everywhere. Taking a stunning catch at Edgbaston, on his haunches after falling short at Lord’s, sledging Joe Root, bowling long spells, and missing the catch that nearly lost India the series. He had to endure the crowd’s cheers when the replay of him stepping on the boundary triangle was played on the giant screen. Long the face of India’s misfortune, Siraj turned it around, took a five-for, and sealed India’s narrowest Test win with a cross-seam yorker at the base of off stump. This couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. There was a lot finger-pointing (and more) between Zak Crawley and Shubman Gill•Getty Images

Lord’s: When the mood of the series changed

It was the time-wasting row during the third Test at Lord’s that changed the mood of the series. When England’s openers walked out – 90 seconds late, according to Shubman Gill – on the third evening, India hoped to squeeze in three overs before the close. But Zak Crawley, clearly relishing his role as pantomime villain, repeatedly backed away as Jasprit Bumrah was running in, then called for the physio after being hit in the glove with one ball remaining. Gill was incensed, telling Crawley to “grow some f***ing balls” and later claiming that England’s actions were against the spirit of the game, and tempers frayed for the rest of the match – and the series.

Old Trafford: I can’t stand but I’ll bat

Amid the talk about the balls going soft too soon, this was a reminder the ball is still hard enough for a slower ball to break a foot. We also take for granted the amount of skill required to play the shots Rishabh Pant does. When one did go wrong, it hit him near the toe, which swelled immediately, an almost certain sign of a fracture. That should have been his series right there, but Pant came back to bat despite a fractured foot and also smacked a six that took him level on sixes for India.Pant, Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir carrying on with fractures, and Ben Stokes bowling on and on with a disintegrating shoulder, underlined how much Test cricket means to these athletes, some of whom can easily retire and make more money in the leagues. 2:02

‘A long time coming’: Stokes on Archer’s return

Lord’s: Archer’s long-awaited comeback

It was four years in the making, and who knows how much money was spent, to get Jofra Archer back to Test duty. In between, there were a few stress fractures of the back and elbow, a couple of false dawns, too.But, as he took the second over of India’s first innings at Lord’s, it had already been worthwhile. And then, with just three deliveries, an 89mph delivery across Yashasvi Jaiswal confirmed what English cricket had hoped for but never truly believed – Jofra Archer was not just back, but just as sharp. Just as good.As he wheeled away in celebration, screaming to the heavens in relief, it was clear that maybe he might have himself doubted that this moment would come. Visibly moved as he was mobbed by his teammates, the long roads of rehabilitation, the carefully managed route back via white-ball cricket, were finally behind him. 3:23

Bangar: Gill, the leader, gained confidence through the series

Shubman Gill: Aura well earned

They said he had no aura, they made fun of his high-pitched voice, but Shubman Gill quickly silenced them with three centuries in his first four innings as India’s Test captain. Gill batted imperiously, presenting his broad bat to everything, but the “aura” was earned when he came out of the dressing room at Edgbaston to declare India’s second innings closed, wearing black skins, showing his sculpted body, looking like the Black Panther. Oh, the agony! Mohammed Siraj watches as the ball trickles onto dislodge his leg bail•Getty Images

Lord’s: Bowled off the middle of the bat

The Lord’s Test looked all over when Nitish Kumar Reddy edged Chris Woakes behind, with India needing 81 to win with two wickets left on an up-and-down fifth-day pitch. But Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj dug deep, dragging the Test into its final session as England’s seamers toiled.Shoaib Bashir spent most of the match off the field after Jadeja’s straight drive had broken the little finger on his left hand, but re-emerged on the final day with it heavily strapped. His final act of the series was to see Siraj’s back-foot defence dribble back onto the stumps, and he was mobbed by his celebrating team-mates. Joe Root pays tribute to Graham Thorpe after his century•Getty Images

The Oval: Root’s Thorpe moment

Joe Root was more than a mentee of Graham Thorpe. He was his friend. And when Thorpe passed away last year, Root was one of many who did not just feel his loss, but knew the rest of his life would now be about doing right by Thorpe.That Root was a pall-bearer at Thorpe’s funeral highlighted the significance Thorpe played in his life. And so, upon reaching his 39th Test century, Root put on the white headband made to commemorate Thorpe’s life during The Oval Test and saluted to the heavens. In a series full of emotions, it was a moment that, even in the midst of a make-or-break run chase, made everyone take stock. The importance of life laid bare in front of us.

The moment Ricky Ponting called Joe Root eclipsing his Test match runs tally in the Old Trafford commentary box! pic.twitter.com/u4NPNsD8m1

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 25, 2025