Fast bowler admits age may be slowing his recovery after recurrence of knee issue

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025

Mark Wood has cast doubt on his availability for the third Ashes Test and admitted concerns that, at 35, his body is no longer coping with the rigours of bowling 90mph/145kph.Wood had surgery on his left knee after hobbling out of England’s Champions Trophy campaign in February, and the series opener in Perth was his first Test match in 15 months. He bowled 11 wicketless overs across the match but was sent to a specialist after reporting more pain and has been wearing a knee brace since arriving in Brisbane.Speaking to Channel 7 at the tea break during the second Test at the Gabba, Wood suggested he was unlikely to be in contention for the Adelaide Test, which starts on December 17: “I think there’s a chance there, but more realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that… I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around.”Related

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Wood said that he has had painkilling injections in his knee since the first Test, and suggested that age is catching up with him. “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster, but I’m getting older now.”I don’t know if my body’s not coping with it as well [as it used to] but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on, to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. I’m hoping I can get this right and can charge in again.”I’m trying to just get through day-to-day at the minute. Later in the series is what I’m aiming for, but I can’t do that much at the minute. I’ve had a couple of injections, resting up, and slowly but surely, running [will] start soon, then back into bowling.”It’s more mentally difficult than physically. You’ve got to try and build it back up and come back again, and that’s probably the more difficult thing.”Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said on the eve of the Brisbane Test that Wood would do “everything” possible to remain in contention for selection in this series: “We’ve got a lot more time to go on this tour, and we’ll just see how things play out with that.”

How hard-hitting batter turned to another sport after injury curtailed his rugby career

Matt Roller16-Sep-2025When Ross Adair walks out to open the batting at Malahide on Wednesday he will complete a rare sporting double.The last time Adair pulled on a green Ireland shirt to face England, his opponents included the future England rugby union captain, Maro Itoje; this time, his opposite number at the top of the order will be Jos Buttler. Even if his encounter with Itoje was an Under-19s fixture, he will surely become the only man to have faced both modern English sporting greats in international competition.The prospect of playing against Buttler makes Adair grin. “I’m a 31-year-old man, and I’m trying not to be too excited about this guy – who is not much older than me – coming over to play cricket against me,” he says, sheltering from the wind on the Sport Ireland campus on the outskirts of Dublin. “To be in the presence of someone who’s done so much in the game will be pretty cool.”It is the latest landmark in a second sporting life that Adair himself admits seemed unlikely when he was recovering from the double hip surgeries that effectively ended his rugby career. “That was life’s way of telling me that I was on the wrong path,” he says. “I didn’t expect to be here, if I’m quite honest. It just sort of happened.”Adair and his younger brother, Mark, juggled both sports as teenagers, but went in different directions. “I got to a stage where there was Ulster Under-20s or the Under-19 Cricket World Cup,” he explains. “Ryan Eagleson (now Ireland’s bowling coach) was the Under-19s coach and he left me out… The cricket door closed, the rugby door was open, so away I went.”Primarily a winger, Adair struggled to break into a strong Ulster backline. “The back three when I was there was [Andrew] Trimble, [Jared] Payne and [Tommy] Bowe – effectively a Lions back three.” He made a single substitute appearance at senior level in the Pro12, scoring a try during his seven-minute cameo, before moving onto Jersey Reds in the English Championship.Ross Adair in action for Ulster’s A team during his rugby union career•Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty ImagesCricket went on the backburner. “We played one-hand, one-bounce in the changing rooms. That kept my eye in… I maybe came back and played a couple of games for Holywood, my local club – [Rory] McIlroy territory. But if I’d gone back to Jersey with a broken finger, they’ve have been like, ‘What are you doing?'”By the time a degenerative hip condition prompted two surgeries in early 2018, he had started to fall out of love with rugby. He returned to play for Ballynahinch and for Ulster’s A team, but recalls clearly when he realised it was time to quit: “The ref blew the first whistle, and I was counting 80 minutes down in my head… I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.'”Adair took a job in property development and started to play cricket again on the side – though an Ireland call-up was a long way off his radar: “It was just a bit of for me, a bit of fun.” Runs in club cricket earned him opportunities for Northern Knights in the Irish inter-provincial system – initially at No. 7 or 8 – before he blasted a century from the top of the order in 2022.His first Ireland call-up came on a tour to Zimbabwe, with senior players missing playing franchise cricket, and hitting 65 off 47 in his second cap ensured further opportunities would follow. He ran the drinks at last year’s T20 World Cup but marked his arrival at international level in September, launching nine sixes in a 57-ball hundred against South Africa.A combination of injury, bad weather and Ireland’s sparse fixture list means that he has only batted once since in T20Is, scoring 48 against West Indies in June. “I’ve had to watch the highlights of my hundred a couple of times, just to [remind myself], ‘You can still do this, you’re fine.’ Sometimes you second-guess yourself, but that’s all part of sport. It’s very normal.”By his own admission, Adair is a “raw” batter who relies more on temperament than technique. “I’m just glad I’m not one of the guys that go, ‘My head was a millimetre out of position there.’ You’d go insane… I like going with the flow. I could always strike a cricket ball, but I was just very, very raw. That helped me a lot when I came back.”He finds cricket more “mentally challenging” than rugby, particularly given the high-variance nature of his role as an attacking opener: “You could go five or six games in a row without getting any runs and you think you’re shit, but that’s not the case. There’s a score around the corner… It’s live by the sword, die by the sword. For me, it’s an amazing way to live.”Adair was inspired by England’s record-breaking hitting on Friday night, when they racked up 304 for 2 against South Africa: “That’s my kind of cricket. It always has been: see ball, hit ball.” He saw Phil Salt’s series – a first-baller, followed by an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls – as emblematic of the life of a modern T20 opener. “It’s scary… But that’s just the way it is.”When I went back to cricket, once I finished playing rugby, I could just go back and blast it. I wasn’t worried about the consequences… When it did take off a bit, I was trying to keep that mindset: don’t worry about it. If you get out, you get out. It’s fine. You could be 90 off 40, you could also be 0 off 1… That sense of freedom makes it a bit easier for me.”Related

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He believes there are more transferable skills between cricket and rugby than might be obvious – “being in front of a crowd, blocking out the noise… and I’ve taken a lot of high balls” – and sees T20 as the “closest thing” between the two. “It’s just such a good, explosive, aggressive version of cricket… That’s maybe why I love it the best.”Adair won his first central contract last year, shelving his day job to become a professional cricketer aged 30, and has one eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. “Hopefully with these games coming up, I can put my foot down for that opening role… They’re proper cricketing countries – the people there are mad for it – so it’s a very exciting time.”Facing England will be the biggest challenge of his career so far, but he will not be changing his approach. “I respect them so much because of what they do, and the cricket they play, but you have to park that sometimes… I’ll keep coming and trying to take them on, no matter who they are. I’ll park the respect once it comes to the game.”The two nations’ cricketing rivalry is not as deep as in rugby, but Adair is still “incredibly” excited ahead of Wednesday’s series opener. “I love playing England. I’ve had my experience with England before and even then, as an 18-year-old in the rugby sphere, you just want to get stuck in. It’s a bit different in cricket because it’s not as confrontational – but it still means a lot to us.”

While the results this season might suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a fair amount of talent in their squad.

For example, when he’s not getting himself sent off, Lucas Paqueta can be a magician on the ball, and while he’s still raw, summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf has an unreal cross on him.

Furthermore, Nuno Espírito Santo seems to be getting more out of Mateus Fernandes and has finally given Freddie Potts a proper run in the team, as fans have been calling for.

Finally, there is the club captain, Jarrod Bowen, who remains one of the best attackers in the Premier League, and therefore, fans should be excited about a young Potts-esque academy prospect who could well be the next Bowen.

Bowen's start to the season

Considering they finished down in 14th place, it would be fair to say that last season wasn’t exactly a great one for West Ham.

Yet, even though those around him were letting him down, Bowen once again proved he was one of the best attackers in the country by racking up a sensational tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances, totalling 3148 minutes.

That comes out to a world-class average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

So, with numbers like those, fans and pundits alike were expecting the former Hull City star to have another stellar personal campaign this season.

However, so far anyway, it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

Bowen’s recent form

Season

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

14

Minutes

3148′

1260′

Goals

14

3

Assists

10

2

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In his 14 appearances, totalling 1260 minutes, the Hammers’ captain has scored three goals and provided two assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games, or every 252 minutes.

With that said, it’s still early, and the start of the season was such a car crash that it feels almost unfair to judge him.

Moreover, Bowen has proved himself time and time again in claret and blue, so it’s likely just a matter of when and not if he rediscovers his best form and therefore, fans should be very excited about an academy product who could be West Ham’s next version of the Englishman.

West Ham's next Bowen

The good news for West Ham is that they have more than a few seriously exciting young prospects coming up through the academy at the moment.

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The likes of Preston Fearon, Josh Landers and Emeka Adiele, for example, could all get their chance with the first team in the coming years.

However, when it comes to a Potts-esque youngster who could go on to be the club’s next Bowen, it’s impossible to ignore Andre Dike.

The 17-year-old gem signed scholarship terms with the club in July 2024, and while he had a good 24/25, he has reached another level entirely this year.

For example, in 12 appearances, totalling 987 minutes, he has already scored six goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 141 minutes.

This ability to reliably produce goal involvements for his team is one of the reasons he could become the club’s next Bowen, and another is that he does so primarily from the right wing.

Moreover, like the first-team captain, he is more than just an output machine, as he’s got brilliant close control and an ability to create something from nothing, stemming from what Academy Manager Kenny Brown described as his “great technical ability.”

Finally, what makes him a Potts-esque prospect, you may ask.

Well, that is partly due to his impressive output, partly down to him being highly rated within the academy from people like Brown, and then partly due to him already making an appearance with the u21s despite being just 17.

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go for Dike, but West Ham look like they have a real talent in him and someone who could one day replace Bowen.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

Aston Villa centre-forward Ollie Watkins recently ended his goal draught with an impressive brace in the 4-3 win over Brighton in the Premier League earlier this month.

The England international had gone 11 matches without a goal, per Sofascore, and only had one goal to his name in the top-flight before those two strikes against the Seagulls.

After blanking against Arsenal on Saturday, though, Watkins is now on three goals, from 4.49 xG (Sofascore), in 15 appearances in the Premier League this season, which is far from an ideal return for the Villans striker.

The former Brentford marksman’s underwhelming form on the pitch this season may force Unai Emery to consider adding to his squad to bolster his firepower in the final third.

Aston Villa eyeing deal for Ligue 1 striker

The Villans are reportedly looking at a potential striker signing who could come in and be an upgrade on Watkins for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.

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According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Strasbourg centre-forward Joaquin Panichelli in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Villans, West Ham United, and Chelsea are all keeping close tabs on the Argentine marksman, ahead of a possible swoop for his services.

It adds that it could be difficult for any of those clubs to get a deal done for the 23-year-old star in January, as Strasbourg want a ‘big profit’ on the forward they paid £14m to sign from Alaves in the summer.

However, it is not impossible and Aston Villa should push to get a deal done ahead of West Ham and Chelsea because he could improve their squad in the centre-forward position.

Why Aston Villa should sign Panichelli

The Villans could land an upgrade on Watkins, who has struggled this season, by signing the Strasbourg star, because his form in Ligue 1 has been hugely impressive.

After a return of 21 goals in 44 matches on loan at Mirandes in LaLiga 2 in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, it was unclear whether or not the Argentine striker would be able to handle the step up to playing in one of Europe’s major leagues.

It is fair to say that he has made the step up with ease after his £14m transfer to Strasbourg, since his form so far this season has attracted interest from Villa, Chelsea, and West Ham.

U23 scout Antonio Mango described him as “one of the most in form Strikers in Europe” at the end of October, and that statement still rings true in December.

Panichelli has scored nine goals from 8.58 xG in 15 appearances in Ligue 1, compared to Watkins’ three goals from 4.49 xG in the Premier League, and only five striker in the top five leagues in Europe have outscored him.

Harry Kane

17

Kylian Mbappe

16

Erling Haaland

15

Ferran Torres

11

Igor Thiago

11

Joaquin Panichelli

9

Esteban Lepaul

8

Robert Lewandowski

8

Jonathan Burkardt

8

Vedat Muriqi

8

The Strasbourg centre-forward, as shown in the table above, has been one of the most prolific number nines in Europe at league level this season, which illustrates the level of quality that Villa could bring to the club.

On top of his domestic form, Panichelli has scored one goal from 0.23 xG in two Conference League outings, per Sofascore, whilst Watkins has no goals from 1.63 xG in five Europa League appearances for the Villans.

These statistics suggest that the Argentine striker could be the ruthless finisher that Emery’s team have lacked this season, due to Watkins’ dismal form in front of goal as a finisher.

Panichelli has been one of the most prolific scorers in Europe, whilst also doing so efficiently against his xG. This suggests that his goalscoring is sustainable if chances continue to be created for him.

Therefore, given that Watkins has had chances created for him that he has failed to make the most of, the Strasbourg star could arrive at Villa Park as an upgrade in the centre-forward position if they beat Chelsea and West Ham to his signature.

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It is now down to the board to ensure that they put enough money on the table to convince the Ligue 1 side to part ways with the impressive striker in the January transfer window.

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

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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.