The three-match series against Sri Lanka, which begins under lights at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, is the first test of that approach.

Farhan, who led Pakistan to silver at the recent Asian Games and was the leading run-scorer at the 2026 T20 World Cup with 383 runs, has replaced Salman Ali Agha as captain. Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are absent from the 15-member squad.

Yet Farhan has played down the significance of his own elevation, repeatedly steering the conversation towards what he believes is within the team’s control: winning matches, adopting a faster T20 mindset and getting the best out of the players available to him.

“There is pressure… you are leading from the front,” Farhan told reporters on Thursday. “But it is not that we will let that pressure sit on our heads.”

He said his experience in domestic cricket and at the Asian Games had prepared him for the responsibility, while describing the current squad as “a proper mix-up” of youth and returning seniors, including Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan.

Farhan also indicated that Pakistan’s top order would be encouraged to maintain the aggressive approach that has characterised his own batting. The conditions in Rawalpindi, however, are expected to prompt a different combination from the one Pakistan used in Japan, with two spinners and three pacers likely to feature.

The numbers underline Farhan’s preference for a high-tempo game. He has scored 1,305 runs in 46 T20Is at an average of around 30 and a strike rate of nearly 137, with two centuries to his name.

One of those hundreds came against Sri Lanka in the Super Eights of the World Cup earlier this year, when he and Fakhar Zaman put together a tournament-record 176-run partnership.

His recent form has further strengthened his case for a leadership role. Around him is a squad that includes Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz — who scored 96 in the Asian Games final — Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed, alongside several uncapped or lightly capped players.

Farhan was careful to draw a line between leadership and selection, saying the latter remained the committee’s responsibility. His task, he said, was to make the most of the 15 players selected.

Pakistan’s recent T20 campaign has been characterised by inconsistency and frequent changes at the top. The latest reset appears to be built around a more flexible squad rather than a rigid hierarchy.

“This is the Pakistan team; it doesn’t belong to anyone,” Farhan said when asked about the absence of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan. “Doors are open for everyone.”

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, arrive under Kusal Mendis after a 0-3 T20I series defeat in England, but the captain believes the side can take positives from that tour.

“In England we had a little bit bad series in T20, but we have more positive things in bowling and fielding,” Mendis said during his pre-series media interaction. “Different conditions compared to England and Pakistan. We planned so many things and we try so many new things.”

Mendis backed the younger members of his squad, saying: “I know my players’ strength… they give 100 per cent every match. I have a very good trust in my players. No doubt in anybody.”

He identified bowling as Sri Lanka’s principal strength while acknowledging that Pakistan’s pace attack would pose “a very good challenge”. The Rawalpindi surface, he added, appeared to be “a little bit batting track”.

For Pakistan, the series represents the last significant T20 assignment before attention turns to the ODI format and preparations for the next World Cup cycle. Farhan, however, is resisting the temptation to look too far ahead.

That may also define the broader philosophy of the new Pakistan setup, featuring less emphasis on pedigree and individual reputations, and greater focus on execution, adaptability and collective intent.

Whether that process produces the consistency Pakistan have struggled to find will be decided on the field. For now, however, the direction under Farhan is clear.

In reality, the organisation was a shambles, a member of the Benin delegation told AFP.

The flight to Buenos Aires took not hours but days. There was no hot water in the hotel. Training facilities were “not up to scratch”.

And the African football associations invited didn’t receive any of the profits from the match, which potentially generated millions of dollars in revenue and TV rights, he said.

Before the match, the state-owned daily La Nation in Cotonou looked forward breathlessly to the team “showcasing Benin to the whole world”, and the national football association revelled in the “privilege” of being selected to play.

“I’m going to tell Messi, ‘You are a god’,” Benin defender Mohamed Tijani told the Argentine press of the country’s legendary No 10. “He’s the best player in the world.”

The Cheetahs lost 3-0.

Whilst there is no standard practice for organising international professional friendlies, smaller African teams generally rely on agencies to manage their away fixtures and don’t necessarily make any profit from the games.

“African football associations accept these deals because everything is taken care of. It saves them having to find opponents and organise friendlies,” explained an expert on African football who asked not to be named.

“But it’s true the travel and accommodation arrangements are substandard.”

Airport chaos

The Burkina friendly turned into a farce.

On the eve of kick-off, the Stallions were still stranded in Morocco after their connecting flight to Buenos Aires was cancelled.

When organisers eventually found them a plane at the last minute, the senior squad was so annoyed it refused to board and Burkina ended up hastily despatching an Under-23 team.

The young players arrived jet-lagged just a few hours before the match and were predictably thrashed 7-0 by this year’s World Cup finalists.

Piqued, Burkina’s military ruler Ibrahim Traore complained the country’s football was “in a sorry state” and threatened “significant decisions” to “remedy it”.

“The next international window in November is fast approaching,” Burkinabe Football Federation official Ibrahim Dianda warned on Facebook.

“If the relationship between the stakeholders doesn’t change, we risk a repeat of these difficulties and the consequences could be even more regrettable,” he wrote.

Cashing in

Fans want to know who is to blame for the humiliation.

Could it be the African federations that accept these one-sided deals? Or the Argentine Football Association (AFA), which is accused by some of capitalising on its high profile and on appearances by Messi — the country’s most famous living export — to maximise revenue?

Whatever the underlying motives, the AFA is in financial difficulty, faces a money laundering probe and has a president, Claudio Tapia, suspected of tax evasion.

In Argentina, some newspapers and social media channels pour scorn on what they sniffily refer to as “chatarra” (cheap, low-quality) fixtures.

Messi’s side also played Mauritania (110th in the FIFA rankings) and Zambia (91st) in World Cup warm-ups this year, beating them 2-1 and 5-0, respectively.

His team also pocketed a hefty sum — several million dollars — for travelling to Luanda in November 2025 for a friendly marking Angola’s 50th Independence Day celebrations.

An assist and a goal by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner ensured a 2-0 victory over the African side.

In reaction to the uproar in Burkina over the national team’s treatment, match organiser Eurodata Sport issued a terse statement shared online by the AFA that it had “honoured its contractual commitments”.

They declined to respond to AFP’s request for comment.

City head to Anfield on Sunday for their first league game since an independent commission found the club guilty of more than 100 serious breaches of the league’s financial rules over nine years, as well as charges relating to their failure to co-operate with the investigation.

City have appealed the decision and continue to maintain their innocence, saying the commission’s opinion contains “clear material errors” and that they possess evidence supporting their position.

For now, however, the legal battle and the football season occupy the same uneasy space.

City have carried on imperiously on the pitch, winning all five of their league matches to start the campaign, and will arrive at Anfield looking to preserve that perfect record.

“The feeling is fantastic, to be honest,” Maresca told City’s in-house media on Thursday.

“The players are excited for the next two games (they host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday), but especially they are excited because, at this moment, we are top of the league, so the players are just focused on that.

“They know that what we can control is the football side. They know they are professionals. They know that the noise is there, but they don’t care too much about the noise. They are just focused on this moment, how we can beat Liverpool, how we can, together with the fans, try to win at Anfield.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, have endured a less convincing opening, with two wins and three draws from their opening five league games.

That would normally provide more than enough intrigue for a fixture between two clubs that have shaped much of the top flight’s recent history, but events away from the pitch have transformed Sunday’s game into something far bigger.

“If they want an understanding of how angry the game is going to be, then Anfield will tell them as you would never believe,” former Manchester United captain and England defender Gary Neville declared recently on The Overlap podcast.

“I suspect there may be banners; there will certainly be chanting. There will be a reception as you have never seen for them at Anfield… it will be a brutal day.”

Sanctions yet to be determined

Every City appearance now comes with questions over what ultimately awaits the club, with the appeal process still to run and sanctions yet to be determined.

The uncertainty has already prompted discussion over possible compensation claims from opposing teams and players and the broader consequences for English football.

Anfield is hardly the gentlest place for City to return to domestic action after the international break.

The rivalry between the clubs already carried plenty of edge after years of battles near the top of English football.

Now Sunday’s encounter will provide the first indication of how City’s players handle the scrutiny generated by a verdict that reaches far beyond the usual rhythms of a title race.

There is plenty at stake for sixth-placed Liverpool, too. Victory would provide an emphatic lift after their modest start and land the first blow on a City team who have so far been flawless.

Defending champions Arsenal, who trail City by three points in second, kick off the weekend at home to Leeds United on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side know victory would lift them provisionally level on points with Enzo Maresca’s City.

Leeds have provided one of the season’s early surprises, sitting fifth after going unbeaten through five games.

Another heavyweight fixture follows later on Saturday when Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur, with both struggling sides desperate to inject some momentum into their seasons.

United are 12th with just one victory, while Spurs are bottom with just two points.

The meeting adds another layer of intrigue to a weekend already dominated by events at Anfield, with two traditional powers under pressure to turn around difficult starts when they meet at Old Trafford.

Yet inevitably most eyes will be fixed on Anfield.

After an unusually long pause in domestic football, the Premier League returns with its most contentious off-field controversy far from resolved.

French Open champion Andreeva, 19, broke 19th seed Alexandrova to move 2-0 ahead before falling 5-3 behind in a fluctuating opening set as both players struggled to hold serve.

The teenager, however, recovered to edge the tiebreak.

Andreeva seemed firmly on course for victory in the second, leading 4-1 and serving for the match at 5-3 before Alexandrova, 31, staged a late fightback to force another tiebreak.

Andreeva took control of the tiebreak with a forehand winner for a 3-2 lead and won five of the final six points to seal victory and reach her first Beijing semi-final.

“Even when I had an advantage in the second set leading 5-2, I felt like she was still pressuring me,” Andreeva said in her post-match interview.

“I felt like she was playing better, and I did not take my chances. I could have played more aggressively.

“But what a match this was. I’m super happy with how it went. She played unbelievably today, and I’m very happy to get my very first win against her.”

Bartunkova crushes Muchova

Earlier on Thursday, 26th seed Bartunkova reached her first WTA 1000 semi-final with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory over fellow Czech and seventh seed Karolina Muchova in 67 minutes.

Bartunkova, 20, controlled the contest from start to finish, winning five consecutive games to begin the match and the final seven games to complete the rout of Wimbledon runner-up Muchova, who is 10 years her senior.

“I follow her (Muchova) a lot,” Bartunkova said. “I have a similar style to hers — playing a lot of drop shots, volleys.”

Bartunkova continued her impressive run in Beijing after stunning four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka in the last 32.

Bartunkova will make her top 30 debut after the tournament.

“For sure (I did not expect it) before this tournament,” Bartunkova told a press conference. “I played a lot of practice matches with top players — (Iga) Swiatek, (Coco) Gauff and others. Maybe it helped a little bit. It was one week before the tournament.

“I tried to play a lot of practices, lot of matches. I think that was the reason I had good preparation for this tournament. I had confidence. But honestly, I didn’t expect these results.”

The window was finalised following consultations with the owners and representatives of the eight franchises at a meeting of the PSL governing council in London on Sept 1, according to the PCB.

The board said details of the schedule, venues and ticketing arrangements would be announced later, while the next phase of squad-building will include direct signings, player retentions, a trade window and the player auction.

PSL 12 will follow an expanded 2026 season in which the league featured eight teams for the first time following the addition of Hyderabad Kingsmen and the Rawalpindiz franchises. The 2026 edition also saw the PSL move from the draft system to a player auction for the first time.

The inaugural auction, held in February, saw 103 players sold to the eight franchises. The PCB had subsequently said that players retained or acquired at the auction would be on two-year contracts covering the 11th and 12th editions, with franchises allowed to retain up to seven players for the next season.

The 2026 season ended with Peshawar Zalmi claiming their second PSL title after defeating debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on May 3.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the previous edition had set a high benchmark for the league.

“HBL PSL 11 showed the world what this league is capable of – thrilling moments that had the whole nation transfixed, record crowds, record broadcasts,” he was quoted as saying in a PCB press release. “HBL PSL 12 will raise the bar further.

“We are committed to delivering another outstanding season and look forward to seeing all eight franchises compete once again for the title,” he added.

PSL chief executive Salman Naseer said Thursday’s announcement was the beginning of preparations for the next season.

“Last season changed what people expect from this league and we intend to meet every one of those expectations in 2027,” he said.

“Direct signings, retentions, the trade window and the auction will each bring their own excitement in the months ahead,” he added.

The eight franchises — Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindiz — will now begin preparing for the new season as the PCB works towards finalising the schedule and squad-building process.

Further details on the venues, auction and ticketing arrangements will be announced by the PCB in due course

The 34-year-old Sunderland skipper will not have to pay the fine provided he commits no further offences during a two-year probationary period.

“I was sentenced by summary judgment for obtaining a false certification to a suspended fine of 50 daily rates of 3,000 Swiss francs each with a two-year probationary period,” he wrote in German on Instagram.

“I accept the decision and take responsibility for my actions. Thank you for the many messages of support over the past few weeks. They mean a lot to me.”

Xhaka was playing for Arsenal at the time in 2022 before moving to Bayer Leverkusen the following year and joining Sunderland in 2025.

Switzerland’s most-capped player with 152 appearances, Xhaka withdrew from their Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia in the recent international break.

On Monday, Xhaka admitted that he had presented a forged certificate to avoid mandatory vaccination during the Covid crisis.

“At the time, I was very worried about the issue of Covid-19 vaccination… I felt deep mistrust regarding the vaccine and was gripped by anxiety and doubt,” he said on Instagram.

“Today I clearly see that I made the wrong choice. It was a mistake. I am sorry,” he wrote, adding that he was “cooperating fully with the relevant authorities”.

Switzerland are subsequently set to face Slovenia on November 13 and Scotland on November 16, also as part of the Nations League.

The 35-year-old middle-order batsman said he would be available for selection and remain with the team, but was giving up the captaincy with immediate effect.

“It’s my genuine opinion that the mantle should go down to the next generation,” de Silva said in a letter addressed to the selectors.

Sri Lanka will play two Tests in Pakistan, with the first starting in Rawalpindi on November 9 and the second beginning in Lahore on November 17.

Sri Lanka Cricket said it welcomed de Silva’s continued availability as a player and looked forward to his further contributions to the team.

De Silva has played 69 Tests since making his debut against Australia in 2016. He has scored 4,431 runs, taken 43 wickets and conceded 2,348 runs in the longest format of the game.

He has not been included in T20 and ODI teams since playing at home against England in January.

Kusal Mendis appointed Sri Lanka Captain

Sri Lanka’s cricket board appointed Kusal Mendis as the new Test captain on Thursday, replacing de Silva.

The upcoming Test series will be Mendis’s first assignment as national skipper, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

The 31-year-old played his first Test in 2015 against West Indies in Colombo. He has played 75 Tests and scored 4,836 runs.

Rabada was in contention for selection as he worked his way back to fitness after a hamstring injury in June, and trained with the team at Kingsmead on Thursday but has been left out to continue his recovery, captain Temba Bavuma told a press conference.

“It wasn’t an easy (decision). I think we did go the conservative route, to give him a couple of extra days to get closer to where he can be at 100 per cent fitness,” Bavuma said.

Rabada would be in contention for the second test in Gqeberha, which starts on October 18, he added.

“Obviously for us, as soon as he gets the green light from the medical team, we expect him to be in the starting lineup,” the skipper added.

Bavuma named a side that sees Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj lead a dual spin attack and pace bowler Anrich Nortje play in a first-class game for the first time in more than three years.

“It’s hard to ignore his X factor,” Bavuma said of Nortje, whose career has been hampered by injury.

“There aren’t many guys around who are bowling 150 (kph) plus. And I think as a batter that’s not something that I would look forward to.”

Bavuma said he expected conditions for the spinners to improve after the opening days of the test.

“Those spin twins, if I can call them that, have added another dimension to our bowling attack. As much as we’ve always been about fast bowling, when conditions have allowed for spinners to come into the game they’ve been able to play an effective role.

“If the conditions play that way, the whole team is confident in that they can put the opposition under pressure. I think there’s a healthy competition between them so that always helps,” Bavuma added.

SOUTH AFRICA XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wicketkeeper), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Anrich Nortje

Norris has good memories of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, where he won in 2024 and finished on the podium in 2023 and last year.

The Englishman looked to have regained the form that took him to the world title last year when he won back-to-back races in Hungary and the Netherlands in July and August.

But those performances have been missing in the four races since, where he picked up only one podium finish – in Spain last month.

The McLaren’s lack of straight-line speed has been a major problem and he took only two points in Baku and Sepang.

Norris said he was “hopeful” that the team had figured out the issues and could turn around their fortunes going into the hot and humid Singapore weekend, where there will also be a sprint race and the threat of rain.

“It’ll be good to see this weekend if some of that performance that we were missing does come back,” said Norris, who finished ninth in a rain-affected Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last Sunday.

“I need to get on the track first and see how much better it is,” added Norris, who has finished on the podium in four of the previous sprint races this season.

“It is obviously a circuit where straight line speeds are not the highest priority.

“They did a lot of work just trying to figure out things. I’m hopeful that it will be better this weekend, but honestly I’ll get on the track and see.”

The world number three said his body was still adjusting to playing demanding matches after coming back from a wrist injury that sidelined him from April until the US Open in August.

But he comes into Shanghai having won the Japan Open on Tuesday, beating Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in the final.

“I’m feeling very good. Physically I’m well, I’m feeling mentally fresh,” the 23-year-old told reporters in the Chinese city.

“I’m training very well, so we’ll see.” Alcaraz has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in Shanghai, and missed last year’s tournament due to fitness issues.

The former world number one has previously criticised the packed tennis schedule, particularly the autumn “Asian swing” that follows the US Open.

“If we see a couple years back, you know, probably this swing or this part of the season, it’s never been my best one,” Alcaraz said.

But he added that he was “ready to take on the challenge” in Shanghai, where he will kick off his campaign against either Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo or qualifier Nicolas Mejia of Colombia in the second round.

Alcaraz’s path to victory has opened up after current world number one Jannik Sinner announced on Tuesday he was ending his 2026 season with a knee injury.

His main rivals in the draw are Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the current world number two, and Serbian veteran Novak Djokovic, who claimed his 102nd career title in Beijing on Tuesday.

Djokovic hails Sinner’s ‘big-picture’ thinking

Djokovic, 39, told reporters in Shanghai that Sinner was “smart” to call time on his season to heal.

“He has to think long-term,” Djokovic said. “That’s smart because, you know, as someone that… always tried to have the big picture in my mind, I really support that.” “It’s important that you give yourself more years to your career, so you have more chances to accomplish all of your objectives,” added the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Djokovic is riding the momentum of his Beijing triumph into the prestigious Shanghai event, which he has won a record four times but not since 2018.

“It was a phenomenal week for me, Beijing, the best week of this year, no doubt,” the former world number one said.

“I’m trying to… use the confidence and hopefully have another great deep run.” Djokovic will start his tournament against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.

“If you remain stuck after losing [a major game] how can you progress?” Hasan told reporters at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium where Pakistan players practised for the Sri Lanka series.

“[Whereas] when you move while learning from your mistakes, you definitely improve. We will try to avoid the mistakes [which we made in the Asian Games final] in the forthcoming matches,” the 24-year-old added.

Pakistan face Sri Lanka in a three-match T20 International series starting in Rawalpindi on Friday. All the matches will be held in Rawalpindi.

The Green-shirts under Farhan lost a high-scoring Asian Games final to India by 19 runs in Nisshin, Japan on Saturday despite Hasan’s 51-ball 96 laced with seven sixes and five fours. Chasing a mammoth 212 in the final, Pakistan went down fighting as they posted 192-6 off the allotted overs.

When Pakistan last played Sri Lanka in February this year at the T20 World Cup in Pallekele, Salman Ali Agha was the Green-shirts’ skipper. He was later replaced with Farhan for the job, and axed from the team as well, for the Asian Games.

The Pakistan Cricket Board kept faith in Farhan’s leadership ability following the Asian Games. Experienced players like Salman, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi were also dropped from the T20 team — due to their topsy-turvy performance — for the Sri Lanka series as the PCB, it seems, wants to give some time to budding players for building a strong side as veteran pros continue to struggle in key international contests.

Youngsters including Hasan, Abdul Samad, Khawaja Nafay, Arafat Minhas, Maaz Sadaqat, Sufyan Moqim and Razaullah, the player who excelled with bat and ball in the final Test against England in Leeds last month, are now part of a new-look national T20 squad that will compete against the Kusal Mendis-captained Sri Lanka.

Frontline fast bowler Naseem Shah, who last represented Pakistan in T20s at this year’s T20 World Cup, also returned to the national side.

On their last T20 tour to Pakistan in November, Sri Lanka lost a three-game rubber 2-1.

Answering a question regarding a high-profile Asiad final, the right-handed batter regretted the Green-shirts’ loss.

“[Ironically] I was dropped last year [after failing against India in the T20 Asia Cup]. Now, I have made a comeback [by playing a fine knock] against them in the Asian Games final. However, in the end it was painful to lose that close game in which there were minor mistakes that led to our defeat,” Hasan said.

“We could have won, had we avoided those mistakes.”

Chasing a mammoth 212 in the final, Pakistan went down fighting as they posted 192-6 off the allotted overs in Nisshin, Japan.

“India are world’s top T20 team and performing against them definitely gave me a lot of confidence.”

Messi, 39, delivered one final masterclass in Argentina’s blue and white on Tuesday, scoring once and setting up two goals in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin before more than 85,000 fans at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium, where his farewell became a celebration of an extraordinary 21-year international career.

“Yesterday was my last game, and I already miss wearing the blue and white. I know I’m making the right decision,” Messi said in a lengthy Instagram post. “It’s been an incredible journey, full of joy and also some sadness, but I know for sure that every step I took was worth it…

“I don’t want to forget Diego (Maradona), who put our country where it deserved to be and who, as I always say, I know helped us both by being here with us and also from heaven, with every step we took.

“Thank you to the clubs where I played, for always respecting my feelings and allowing me to dedicate myself to my country whenever it was time to put on the national team jersey…”

Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024, while also helping them win the 2022 Finalissima.

“I am grateful. I love you all very much; I’m going to miss you, and I will always thank you for having been by our side, by my side,” the Inter Miami playmaker added.

Messi and Ronaldo have vied for recognition as the greatest player of their generation throughout their illustrious careers, with the 41-year-old Portuguese forward among those to respond to the post.

“Leo, after so many years of defending your country, you’ve made history that will last forever. I have the utmost respect for what you’ve accomplished with Argentina. A hug,” Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, is embroiled in a dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus following his abrupt departure from the national team’s training camp.

Australia are playing their first Test series in South Africa since the 2018 “Sandpapergate” scandal, when the tourists used sandpaper to illegally alter the condition of the ball in a bid to gain more swing, resulting in bans for captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

The scandal followed a series of ugly confrontations, including off-field fighting and on-field jostling between the two teams in a sport that prides itself on its etiquette.

Harmer believes the growth of Twenty20 franchise cricket, where international rivals regularly become team-mates, has taken some of the sting out of such contests.

“I expect Australia to come out firing and being competitive, but I think the nature of T20 cricket is such that you’re playing with a lot of players, a lot of the time,” he told a press conference on Wednesday.

“Gone are the days when you had these huge rivalries, where you would play against one another every 18 to 24 months, and it created that sort of argy-bargy on the field.

“I think T20 has softened that a little bit, but I don’t expect Australia to be soft by any stretch of the imagination.”

The 37-year-old Harmer, expected to be one of two spinners South Africa will use in the first Test, said Australia were always extremely competitive, and the series in South Africa would be closely fought.

“They fight to the death; their lower order always seems to score a lot of runs with a never-say-die attitude. I think it is quite a similar trait to South Africans. We’re resilient, and we probably do our best when our backs are up against the wall.

“I think that was there for the world to see in the World Test Championship final,” Harmer said of last year’s clash at Lord’s, where South Africa beat Australia by five wickets.

“I think it was almost a foregone conclusion that Australia were going to win that game, but our team found a way to get through it and to get the win.”

Along with Bryson DeChambeau, double major winner and former world number one Rahm was arguably the most prominent golfer to defect from the PGA Tour and join the free-spending Saudi-backed league.

But LIV filed for bankruptcy protection last month after its deep-pocketed Middle Eastern backers pulled the plug.

The tour is trying to relaunch next year with new investors as “LIV 2.0”.

Retaining popular stars like Rahm was widely seen as critical to its prospects.

“Mr. Rahm has independently reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0, as the parties have been referring to it, and has determined that those terms are unacceptable to him, and he will not be participating going forward in LIV 2.0,” his lawyer John Beck told a US Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey hearing on Wednesday.

Beck said that “advanced discussions for a consensual separation agreement of Mr. Rahm and LIV” are ongoing, according to a courtroom audio recording verified by AFP.

That agreement is expected to be presented before the court next month, he added.

“If the parties, for whatever reason, are unable to reach a consensual separation agreement, Mr. Rahm intends to press his objection through legal channels,” said Beck.

LIV Golf did not respond to an AFP request for a comment.

Launched in 2022, LIV Golf’s emergence led to bitter divisions throughout the sport as several of golf’s top names left the PGA Tour after signing big-money deals.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) poured an estimated $5 billion into the tour, before abruptly pulling the plug earlier this year.

Documents from bankruptcy filings show that LIV owes between $500 million and $1 billion in estimated liabilities to at least 1,000 creditors, including star players.

Rahm, DeChambeau and fellow golfer Dustin Johnson hold the largest unsecured claims against the tour, totalling more than $5 million each in immediate past-due payments, per the bankruptcy filing.

Still, new lead investor BC Partners Credit has pledged an initial funding commitment of a potential $300 million to help LIV relaunch in 2027.

Tour officials have outlined a shorter schedule and reduced prize money with tournaments across five continents, in locations including Australia, South Africa, Mexico, England, Hong Kong and the US.

Representatives for Rahm did not respond to an AFP request for a comment on the 31-year-old’s future plans.

Widespread reports have recently linked several LIV stars with potential returns to the US-based PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour has said that it currently has no plans to offer LIV players a pathway back.

Rahm continues to play on the DP World (European) Tour, though he announced on Tuesday that he would skip the upcoming Spanish Open to attend the birth of his fourth child.

The 55-year-old former Switzerland centre-back has been working in finance since he retired in 2004.

It is not the first time, though, that Vega has announced his intention to run for the top job at world football’s governing body.

He had considered running against Infantino following the resignation of Sepp Blatter in the wake of a corruption scandal in 2015.

And he tried to challenge his fellow Swiss in 2022, but failed to garner sufficient support to make it onto the ballot.

“The situation has evolved a lot since then,” Vega told AFP, adding FIFA’s member associations were “much more open to change” than when he previously sought to stand.

“I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game,” Vega added in an 11-page dossier announcing his candidacy.

“I believe I have a duty and a social responsibility to protect and defend football — its integrity, its people and its future.”

Pressure has been building on Infantino, who has lost the support of numerous FIFA member associations, since his aborted plan to create a commercial subsidiary to run FIFA’s biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.

Last week, the Swiss Football Association became the latest to withdraw its support for Infantino, citing concerns over his record on transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility.

“Faith and trust across the football family have been deeply damaged,” said Vega in his dossier.

“We must rebuild both, restore FIFA’s credibility and reunite the global football family.”

It is not clear whether Vega would be able to stand.

He must first gain the backing of at least five of FIFA’s 211 member federations, but also be proposed by one of those.

And the rules stipulate that a candidate must have been involved in football for two of the previous five years, and pass an eligibility review.

Potential candidates have until November 18 to meet those criteria.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic time-trial champion started fast and held off charging challengers to win by 6.59 seconds over Frenchman Bruno Armirail, with compatriot Maxime Decomble finishing third.

Roglic, 36, benefited from the absence of world and Olympic time-trial champion Remco Evenepoel and Italian specialist Filippo Ganna, and was cheered on by home fans on the 22km course in Sencur.

“It’s simply a great feeling. Of course, it’s my victory, but it’s also for all the people along the course and everyone who made it possible for the European Championships to take place in Slovenia,” said Roglic.

With French prodigy Paul Seixas also skipping the Euros to focus on this weekend’s final Monument one-day classic, the Tour of Lombardy, it meant none of the medallists from the world championships just over two weeks ago were on the start line.

World champion Marlen Reusser continued her dominance in the women’s race by winning the European title for the fifth year in a row.

Dutch rider Demi Vollering, who had won the world and European road race titles over the previous 10 days, came second, with Juliette Berthet of France third.

Messi, who scored a goal and provided two assists in the victory at the Monumental Stadium, took to the field after the win to express gratitude to fans and teammates as he reflected on his 21-year career with Argentina.

“It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years,” Messi told the 80,000-plus spectators in the stadium.

“Even in the worst moments we went through and that I had, I never stopped fighting, never stopped being here,” added the 39-year-old.

“Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I’d like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who was at the helm as Messi finally achieved his dream of winning football’s biggest prize the World Cup in 2022, said there would never be another player of his ability.

“He is unique,” said Scaloni, whose played alongside Messi for a year in the national team.

“I have never seen such a set of skills in any other player in all my life.” An emotional Scaloni, who cried during the national anthem, said to have been given the opportunity to coach a team with Messi in it was beyond his wildest dreams.

“I owe him a debt of eternal gratitude, for everything he gave to us,” said the 48-year-old.

“I told him in front of everybody, with the little energy that I still had: never in my life did I imagine I would coach the best footballer in history.”

‘Unbelievable legacy’

Messi said that returning to the Monumental – where Argentina played their first game after winning the 2022 World Cup – was bittersweet.

“Now I’m here on the saddest day of my career, which is the day I have to say goodbye to the national team, goodbye to all of you.

“But now I’ll be on that side (with the fans), supporting all the boys, everyone who comes in. Always united,” he said.

Messi though said that despite the sadness, he had no regrets about the timing of his international exit, citing the exertions of Argentina’s campaign at this year’s World Cup, where the South Americans battled through to the final only to lose to Spain.

Messi said the emotional roller coaster of that tournament – which included a 2-1 defeat of bitter rivals England in the semi-final – had taken a toll.

He was also to suffer a bodyblow in August when his father and agent Jorge died.

“Even though I want to be here all my life, I feel that this is the moment.

The last World Cup was too much, everything I had to live through,” said Messi.

“We had the dream of fulfilling my dream and the dream of the whole country, of becoming world champions again.

“In the last World Cup we were very close, and the reality is that nothing strange happened, as people say. The match against England took a huge toll on us physically, and emotionally it was very big.

“We arrived with just enough, we fought like we always did with this jersey, with all the teammates I got to be with and share things with, not only them but also those who were around in the time when we managed to win. We were very close.” Scaloni said Messi left an “unbelievable legacy” but he as coach must now focus on life without team’s talisman.

“The only way to make up for his leaving is to have a great team which means everyone brings something to contribute to the building of it. “

The American world number four, who is Black, turned in an uncharacteristically listless performance in Beijing, double-faulting eight times as she went down 6-3, 6-3 to her Belgian opponent.

Gauff, 22, was playing a day after she called out the “insane” amount of abuse she had received on the internet following her win over Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in the previous round.

“It has been kind of draining. I’m not going to lie,” Gauff said of the impact of the online comments. “But I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.”

Asked about the match, she said: “I think I just didn’t play well. I think I wasn’t moving well.

“There were a lot of things I didn’t do well. I thought Elise played well on the bigger points.”

During her previous match in Beijing, against Sun, Gauff requested a video review over flickering LED lights on the stadium’s advertising hoardings.

The move prompted some boos from the crowd. The umpire agreed to have the point replayed, and Gauff went on to win 7-5, 6-1.

Early on Tuesday, Gauff wrote on X: “Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.”

She was responding to a post that contained a racial slur.

“The amount of racist comments and messages I’ve received in the last few hours is insane,” she wrote.

Gauff also clarified that she challenged the point before Sun had returned the ball, when she noticed the lights flicker for a second time.

Asked about the incident, a spokesperson for the Women’s Tennis Association, the global governing body, said they were “appalled by the racial abuse directed at Coco Gauff and are in contact with her to offer our full support”.

It added in a statement to AFP that there was “no place for racism, discrimination, or abuse in tennis”, and that it was “seeking action” against the abusive content.

Gauff, who won the Beijing title in 2024 and made the semi-finals last year, is a popular player among fans at the tournament itself.

A group of supporters in the largely empty stadium tried to encourage her into a comeback on Wednesday.

Hours later, the Wuhan Open said Gauff had withdrawn from the prestigious 1000-level tournament “citing fatigue”.

“I’m disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion. I always love playing there,” Gauff said in a statement shared by the tournament on Instagram.

“After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover. I look forward to returning next year,” Gauff said.

The Wuhan Open runs from October 12 to 18 in China’s central Hubei province.

‘All too fast’

Mertens was undeterred as she punched her ticket for a quarter-final clash against Iga Swiatek.

The world number 19 called Gauff an “incredible player”, adding: “I knew it was going to be a very tough match”.

She dedicated her win to her coach, who is also her boyfriend.

Earlier, Swiatek swept aside American teenager Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes.

In the night session, China’s Zheng Qinwen pulled off another three-set victory to dispatch Alina Charaeva 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, ending a breakout week for the 118th-ranked player in which she beat freshly minted world number one Elena Rybakina.

“I started pretty well… but maybe during the second set I think I felt myself decline, also with the temperature getting colder and colder and the ball speed dropping,” Zheng said afterwards.

“I’m really grateful,” she told the crowd, tearing up as the on-court interviewer reminded fans it was the day before Zheng’s 24th birthday.

“All I can say is that it’s all come too fast,” Zheng said, smiling as the crowd wished her “happy birthday” in unison.

Zheng, the current world number 54, will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, the sixth seed, in the quarter-final.

The left-arm spinning all-rounder has replaced fast bowler Ali Khan, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Hassan, who turns 28 on October 16, will make his first senior international appearance nearly a decade after leading Pakistan at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. That squad also featured future Pakistan internationals Shaheen Shah Afridi and Musa Khan.

Once regarded as one of Pakistan’s promising young cricketers, Hassan saw his opportunities at home limited after making sporadic appearances in the Pakistan Super League. He subsequently moved to the United States, where he rebuilt his career through Major League Cricket.

Playing for the San Francisco Unicorns in the 2024 MLC season, Hassan scored 204 runs at an average of 40.80 and a strike rate of 143.66, besides taking 10 wickets.

He continued his strong form in the 2025 season, scoring 225 runs at a strike rate of 187.50 and hitting 17 sixes. Across the two MLC seasons, he accumulated 429 runs from 262 balls, including 30 sixes.

His performances also earned him opportunities in the Big Bash League, ILT20 and Caribbean Premier League.

Hassan returned to the PSL in 2026 with Hyderabad Kingsmen, scoring 139 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 195.77, with a highest score of 33 not out. He also claimed six wickets during the tournament.

The USA will hope Hassan can make an immediate impact as the team prepares for the World Cup Qualifiers in February, Cricbuzz reported on Wednesday.

The tourists efforts to roughen up the ball using sandpaper, and aid reverse swing, in Cape Town in March 2018 were caught on camera and led to a major reckoning for the game in Australia, with captain Steve Smith among those banned for their role in the subterfuge.

South Africa have played tests in Australia since Sandpapergate, and Australia have toured South Africa in the interim for limited-overs internationals.

The scandal has attracted little media focus in South Africa over recent weeks in comparison to the attention devoted to the incident in the Australian press.

After dethroning Australia last year in a thrilling World Test Championship final at Lords to win a first major title, South Africa are focused on improving their chances of a return to the final at the end of the 202527 WTC cycle.

Australia are also in need of a boost after a surprise home test defeat by Bangladesh in August and with an Ashes tour to England starting next June.

The pitch at Kingsmead often proves a fickle track but should offer the spinners a chance to play a leading role in a change from South Africas usually seamer-friendly surfaces.

It is unusual for South Africas chances to be largely entrusted to their spin attack, but Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj wreaked havoc in India last November when they triumphed in their last two test outings.

Spin was also a key factor for the home side as they beat Australia in the recent One-Day International series.

South Africa may therefore opt to rest frontline attack bowler Kagiso Rabada from the test as he continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.

Injury to Australia all-rounder Cameron Green opens up a chance at number five for Cooper Connolly, or a fairytale return for 34-year-old Nic Maddinson after recovering from cancer.

South Africas also has a choice to make over their number three batsman, with coach Shukri Conrad having several options including a potential first cap for 30-year-old Marques Ackerman.

After NZC announced in March that NZ20 would replace the existing Super Smash provincial competition, cricket great Richard Hadlee and former NZC President Lesley Murdoch criticised what they said was a lack of transparency in the process and the body’s refusal to share the Deloitte report with stakeholders.

NZC Chair Diana Puketapu-Lyndon said the governing body should have done a better job explaining the decision when it announced its plans.

The Deloitte report was just one of four expert reports considered by the board in making the decision, alongside analyses of community cricket, high-performance pathways and fan engagement, she added.

“Its analysis favoured exploring the Big Bash opportunity further, for reasons including financial upside and governance, but it also said weighing the options was for the board and encouraged us to continue exploring both options,” Puketapu-Lyndon said in a statement.

The board had also considered feedback from the country’s six Major Associations and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, both of which supported NZ20 ahead of seeking to put a New Zealand team in the established Australian league.

“When all of that was considered, alongside the board’s own due diligence, the board voted unanimously, 7-0, to support NZ20 as the preferred option,” said Puketapu-Lyndon.

NZC said it would not release the full report, citing confidentiality.

“This is the biggest change to domestic cricket in a generation, and we know not everyone agrees with it,” she said.

“NZ20 is genuinely aspirational. It has the potential to revolutionise the game of cricket in this country and ensure a sustainable future from the grassroots to the elite.” NZ20 organisers had initially planned to launch the six-team competition this summer but NZC postponed the tournament until the 2027-28 home season to allow more time to establish the privately owned franchise league and accommodate the international schedule.

An imperious Verstappen took his first chequered flag of the year at the wide open and fast Sepang Circuit at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday.

But it was in a race delayed for an hour and a half after a chaotic formation lap saw cars, including Verstappen’s, grind to halt because of a software glitch in the settings for running in wet conditions.

“It was insane,” said Verstappen. “At some points, we were five-wide on the straight because we couldn’t understand it… I saw eight cars crawling and Lewis (Hamilton) stopped… It’s not what you want for the sport.” Rain could again play a part in the tropical city state, with thunderstorms forecast to affect both Saturday’s sprint race and qualifying, and Sunday’s night grand prix.

Verstappen has never won at the twisty Marina Bay Street Circuit, where extremes of heat and humidity play a part in the most physically attritional race of the season on a circuit notoriously difficult for overtaking.

Drivers can shed up to three kilogrammes (more than six pounds) during the longest outing on the calendar, where completing the 62 steamy laps often lasts the maximum two hours race time allowed.

A floor upgrade coupled with Verstappen finally working out how to get the best from the new generation car led him to call the result at Sepang four days ago “amazing”.

Runaway championship leader Kimi Antonelli was second in the Mercedes and is likely to be challenging for the chequered flag again.

He was the beneficiary of yet more bad luck for his teammate and main title rival George Russell, who was “beyond disappointment” after an agonising power unit failure when running third with five laps to go in Malaysia.

“You’ve almost got to laugh… it’s just so many times this season it’s happened,” said Russell, who has failed to finish three times in 16 grands prix so far in 2026.

Lewis Hamilton has won four times in Singapore in the past and was buoyed by a drive at Sepang where he cut through the field to recover to third after starting on unsuitable dry tyres and dropping to the back.

“To finish on the podium after the way the race began feels really satisfying,” said Hamilton.

“It is a great reward for the hard work, determination and resilience everyone showed today.”

Russell won the Singapore Grand Prix a year ago, edging Verstappen and the current world champion Lando Norris of McLaren.

The 39-year-old’s final bow in front of more than 85,000 fans at a packed Monumental Stadium was less about football and more a national celebration of Messi’s service to the national team.

Landmarks across the capital glowed with the team’s iconic sky blue and white colours, while fireworks lit up the skies above the heaving stadium as fans poured their hearts into a rendition of Argentina’s national anthem.

Messi’s family watched proudly from the stands alongside some of Argentina’s World Cup winners of 1978, 1986 and 2022.

Hours earlier, a massive No. 10 shirt emblazoned with “Gracias” was unfurled at the National Flag Memorial in Rosario, Messi’s hometown.

As the team bus travelled from the training centre bearing his name, Messi wiped away tears as thousands lined the route.

When the teams took the pitch, Benin’s captain looked lost for words as he handed Messi a gift and letter during the pre-match handshake.

After a goalless first half, Messi supplied the assist for Nicolas Otamendi to tap home Argentina’s opener.

Otamendi shared 17 years with Messi in the national team, including four World Cups, and was also ending his international career.

Messi then set up Nico Paz, one of the players seen as a potential successor for Argentina’s No. 10 shirt, to score the second goal.

In a fairytale ending, Messi converted a penalty for 3-0, his 126th international goal, prompting another round of “Messi, Messi” chants from the crowd.

At the final whistle, team-mates, opponents and the referee gathered around Messi for embraces before a drone show lit up the sky to mark the end of his magnificent Argentina career.

Messi leaves as the country’s most-capped player (208) and record scorer, having transformed years of frustration on the international stage into a story of World Cup and Copa America triumphs.

For years, Argentina asked Messi to deliver. On Tuesday, it simply came to say ‘Thank You’.

Brazil’s Neymar, Messi’s former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain team-mate and longtime friend, said the whole world should be grateful for what the Argentine had given the sport.

“It’s not only Argentina that thanks you; the world thanks you for everything you have done for football,” Neymar wrote on Instagram, hours before Messi was due to play his 208th and final game for Argentina against Benin.

“Thank you for making me love football even more. It was an honour for me to have played against you and even more so to make history alongside you.”

For Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s close friend and Argentina team-mate who also plays alongside him at Inter Miami, the impact went far beyond football.

“He made me grow not only as a footballer, but also as a person. I became a better person, a better human being, a better athlete, a better father and a better friend,” De Paul said in a farewell message released on Tuesday.

“I want to tell him that I love him. He knows that he is my brother and that he has an enormous heart.”

Former Argentina team-mate Angel Di Maria said it was a day nobody had wanted to come.

“Seeing him with so much happiness, and that tranquillity of knowing that he gave everything he had, is what makes us all happy,” Di Maria said. “It will be a very special day for everyone. I thank him for life.”

Fans say goodbye

In Buenos Aires, fans flocking to the Monumental Stadium for the Argentina v Benin friendly expressed a mixture of gratitude and sadness.

“I cried because I was able to come and see Messi in his last game, and also because of the sadness of knowing that he won’t be here anymore,” 19-year-old Jose Garracedo told Reuters TV.

“He fought for this shirt … everything that was demanded of him. He knew how to stay the course, enjoy it and keep saying that he was going to fight for this.”

For Isaias Zenas, a 27-year-old medical student, Messi’s importance extended beyond football.

“The last joys we have had as an Argentine people, we owe to him,” he said. “All the cups he brought us, with the country in a bad economic situation, people who are struggling have their refuge in football. How could we not come here at this moment to say goodbye to him?”

Messi, who helped Argentina win the World Cup and two Copa America titles, enters the game with a national-record 125 goals and 68 assists for his country.

Before the final goodbye, he offered a simple message of his own.

“I leave in peace. I gave everything.”

“I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” said Ronaldo in a statement.

After Jesus left the forward unused on the bench for a Nations League match against Norway. Then, before the next game with Denmark, said Ronaldo would not start, and the 41-year-old walked out.

“I owe an apology to my national team team-mates for having left the camp,” wrote Ronaldo.

“Despite the absolute breakdown of trust in the head coach’s word… I shouldn’t have done it. The responsibility is mine alone.”

Ronaldo also apologised to supporters, while explaining his decision.

“I apologise to the Portuguese people once again, but a broken word has, for me, a defining impact,” said Ronaldo.

“I felt that, from that moment on, my presence would only harm the group, and I did what I always said I would do if I didn’t feel useful: I picked up my bags and left.”

Ronaldo said new Portugal coach Jesus had initially presented him with a plan for the international window which included starting the opening and final games at home, but not travelling for the Nations League matches in Norway and Denmark.

The Al-Nassr superstar rejected that proposal, saying it would set a poor example for the captain to remain in Portugal while his team-mates travelled.

Ahead of the Norway game, Ronaldo said Jesus unexpectedly asked if he was fit to play 30 minutes. He agreed and warmed up from half-time, without being brought on.

“The head coach failed to keep his word to me,” said Ronaldo, Portugal’s most capped player and all-time top goalscorer.

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward Ronaldo said he spoke with Jesus after that and agreed with him that the coach would apologise in a news conference ahead of the Denmark game.

However, Ronaldo said Jesus’s subsequent press conference was completely different from what was agreed in their conversation, with an “aggressiveness” he had never previously experienced from the coach.

“It was the second time he failed to keep his word. I decided to leave the camp without waiting for any further broken promises,” wrote Ronaldo.

The striker said he would serve any “suspension that is imposed” on him and accepted he should be punished for his actions.

“The consequence of this act of mine must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he explained.

“I understand that the punishment should not have mitigating circumstances. I’m not just any player, I’m the team captain, and that is an aggravating factor.”

Portugal won all four of their Nations League matches and qualified for the quarter-finals with two games to spare.

England eased to a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the other League A3 match, with captain Harry Kane scoring twice and setting up the third on the night he equalled Peter Shilton’s national appearance record with his 125th cap.

Spain top the group with 12 points, while England, who all but clinched a quarter-final spot, have nine, and Croatia are on three. The Czechs are still without a point.

Three days after Croatia were trounced 7-0 by visitors England, they threatened a major upset against Spain in Split when Ivan Perisic sent a well-placed header into the bottom-left corner in the 17th minute to give them the lead.

But substitute Merino equalised in the 61st to help preserve his nation’s undefeated streak stretching back to March 2024 when he found space in the middle of the box before firing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Croatia were reduced to 10 men when Perisic was sent off for a second yellow card in the 79th minute, and Merino completed Spain’s comeback 10 minutes later with another left-footed finish into the corner of the net.

“I would spend the entire press conference thanking my players,” said Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, who started five Barcelona players.

“We knew that the match was going to get like this, but we’ve managed to understand it very well. We haven’t dropped our arms.”

At Wembley, Thomas Tuchel was full of praise for his team after reaching 20 wins in the fewest games of any England manager in the nation’s history, with 26.

“I think we played a very good match, very fluid and, to put it into context, it’s the fourth match in 11 or 12 days, and I think we dominated through the whole match,” Tuchel told ITV.

“Very focused, created some good opportunities, got some beautiful goals and, yeah, subs were strong. So a very good performance again and a deserved win.”

Historic night for Kane

The World Cup bronze medallists went ahead after 27 minutes through a Vladimir Coufal own goal, with Kane providing the cross.

Kane then marked his historic night with a pair of goals, striking just before the break when Elliot Anderson launched a long ball to Morgan Rogers, whose first-time cross from the right found the 33-year-old in the box for a clinical finish.

Kane completed his double in the 57th when he rose to head Lewis Hall’s corner home from the back post to bag his 91st goal for England.

“It was the perfect night for me personally and also the team,” Kane said. “It’s been a tough camp, a long camp, and it’s been nice to finish it off at Wembley, a really proud evening for sure.

“You saw some fantastic football from England out there today.”

Elsewhere, Slovenia beat Scotland 2-1 with Aljosa Matko and Danijel Sturm scoring in the second half to cancel out Ryan Christie’s 31st-minute opener in League B1.

Switzerland’s Fabian Rieder, Johan Manzambi and Dan Ndoye scored in a 3-0 win over North Macedonia in the other game in that group.

The Swiss have 12 points ahead of Slovenia on seven, Scotland with four and North Macedonia on none.

The final two rounds of the group stage will be played in the November international break.

The eight teams finishing in the top two of the four League A groups will play in the knockout rounds beginning in March.

With India chasing 172 for victory, Iyer hit an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls to steer his team home with 32 balls to spare in Lucknow. India lead the five-match series 1-0.

With eight needed off 36 balls and Iyer on 95, Ishan Kishan handed his captain the strike and the top-order batter reached his ton with a six and then took a single to complete the chase.

“Definitely exultant — that’s the word I would use today,” said player of the match Iyer.

“I was actually thinking about getting my first century, and it came through. So, you know, I definitely want to say that dreams do come true.”

Iyer and the T20 team produced the win after they landed in India on Monday evening with an Asian Games men’s T20 gold medal.

While they were in Japan, a completely different India squad, led by Shubman Gill, beat West Indies 2-1 in an ODI series.

Swashbuckling Abhishek Sharma gave the hosts a brisk start in his 10-ball 21 before spinner Roston Chase got the left-hander caught out.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein then struck in his 100th T20 for the West Indies to send back Sanju Samson, caught and bowled for 11.

Iyer and the left-handed Kishan, who made 37, then took charge with a string of boundaries and put on an unbeaten stand of 137.

Iyer raised his first half-century off 28 balls after 10 T20 innings and then changed gear for his next set of 50 in 14 balls.

Spinners set up victory with debutant Naman Dhir returning figures of 3-31 to bowl out West Indies for 171.

India elected to field first, and despite a quick start by skipper Shai Hope, who made 52 off 37 balls, the spinners struck regular blows.

“I thought we maybe were a little bit too chaotic in the batting,” said Hope. “Very aggressive about playing. But yeah, when you’re playing in India, you’ve got to put runs on the board.”

Sherfane Rutherford top-scored with 56, but bowlers kept India in control.

Kuldeep Yadav and fellow spinner Axar Patel took two wickets each.

The second T20 is on Friday in Ranchi.

With the win, the 39-year-old Serbian extended his perfect run to 34 wins in 34 matches for his seventh title in Beijing, his first since 2015.

Djokovic said afterwards that in more than two decades as a professional player, “the grit and the dedication and the kind of never-die spirit that really is always with me” have carried him through.

“Tennis is “quite a cruel sport” with players competing in knock-out tournaments year-round,” Djokovic told reporters, adding that the stakes and pressure of performing in front of fans made the sport “so demanding and so special”.

“You can feel so much weight on your shoulders, but it is what I have been destined to do,” he said.

In front of a jam-packed stadium, Djokovic won the first set in the tie-break 7-6(7/3) and was down a game in the second set when the Australian ended the match early.

“I always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing,” Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony.

“But I was also quite aware that reality is a little bit different these days,” he said, adding that it had been a challenging year with “physical and health issues”.

“I was just trying to find the good feeling on the court,” he said.

The first set was a physical battle that lasted more than one hour, and both men needed medical timeouts before the second.

De Minaur, the world number nine, won the first game of the second set before retiring due to a left adductor strain.

The 27-year-old had walked back onto the court after his medical timeout with a white wrap around his left thigh.

“I don’t feel great,” de Minaur told the crowd afterwards. “I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch… I didn’t want to finish like this.”

De Minaur advanced to the final after his opponent Hubert Hurkacz retired injured from their semi-final on Monday, while Djokovic moved through when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a fan with a ball.

But Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, put on a valiant show to lift the trophy, ousting top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final after defeating home hope Bu Yunchaokete in a demanding three-set match.

It means Djokovic will end the season with at least one title for the 21st consecutive year, and as the oldest man to win a singles final after Ken Rosewall in Hong Kong in 1977 at age 43.

‘Really grateful’

In the women’s draw, Karolina Muchova beat former world number one Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarter-finals, triumphant in a tense tie-break.

Muchova, the seventh seed, overcame 50 unforced errors across the two-hour-and-52-minute match to beat Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(9/7).

Osaka, who represents Japan, saved eight match points but could not get past Muchova’s match-winning volley.

“I was shaking. I’m happy I made the last volley… Naomi could be standing here. It’s me, and I’m really grateful for it,” the 30-year-old Czech player told the crowd.

She next faces compatriot Nikola Bartunkova.

Earlier, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva beat Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2 to book her quarter-final spot against fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Alexandrova, ranked 28th, upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2, ending the Czech player’s bid to return to the Beijing final that she reached last year.

Winger Hammam Al Hammami opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a deflected shot from the edge of the box, sparking celebrations at King Abdullah Sports City.

Georgios Donis’ side continued their impressive start, with Feras Al Brikan making it 2-0 from close range two minutes later.

They almost scored again when Saleh Abu Alshamat, who started alongside his brother Mohammed, hit the bar.

The UAE were awarded a penalty, but VAR overturned the decision in the 38th minute.

Saudi goalkeeper Mohamed Al Owais denied Sultan Adil from close range after the interval, before UAE forward Fabio Lima struck the bar in the 88th minute, leaving Saudi Arabia with a clean sheet throughout the tournament.

The triumph gave the Saudis a fourth Gulf Cup title, their first since 2004.

Kaur, 37, captained India to their first women’s global title at last year’s ODI World Cup and has been synonymous with the team’s success in recent years. She also led the team to two Asia Cup titles, the most recent one coming last month.

“This is not an easy decision,” Kaur said in a social media post.

“It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

“I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket – my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions.” However, Kaur indicated she would continue to play.

“Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” she said.

Kaur’s role as leader was first questioned after India’s second successive group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup in June.

Her leadership also came up for discussion at a review meeting held by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Monday, local media reports said.

Kaur led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is.

Star batter Smriti Mandhana, who played a key part in the Asian Games victory, including hitting a stellar 45-ball 79 in the final against Sri Lanka, is a frontrunner to lead India.