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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has offered his thoughts on Xavi Simons and his performances in training, while addressing the decision to bench him in Spurs’ last four matches.

Thomas Frank set for Brentford reunion amid poor Spurs run

Spurs welcome Brentford to north London on Saturday, desperately needing to end a dismal run that has seen them plummet to 11th in the Premier League table with just 19 points from 14 games.

Frank’s side approach this clash winless in their last five league outings, including three defeats.

Cristian Romero’s dramatic late overhead kick salvaged a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United in their last match, with a controversial VAR penalty to Newcastle denying them all three points.

Their home form has completely collapsed too, with the club now going six consecutive league matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without a single victory.

16. Burnley

2

1

4

7

-2

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

6

1

-11

That shocking run includes 10 home defeats throughout the entire calendar year of 2025, matching the club’s worst-ever records for home losses in a single year.

Most concerning was their last appearance on home soil, where Fulham raced into a two-goal lead within the opening six minutes before securing a 2-1 victory.

The final whistle brought a cacophony of boos ringing around the stadium, aimed squarely at Frank and his struggling squad.

The ghosts of their 4-1 capitulation at Arsenal last month continue to haunt the team. During that humbling derby defeat, Tottenham managed an expected goals figure of just 0.07, one of their lowest outputs this season, highlighting their serious lack of creativity which has become a concern.

Injury problems compound Frank’s difficulties.

Player reveals Daniel Levy blocked his dream transfer to Chelsea from Tottenham

The ex-Lilywhites chairman held him hostage.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 4, 2025

Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined, robbing Spurs of crucial attacking impetus, with James Maddison not expected back until the new year. Meanwhile, Yves Bissouma also has no set return date yet.

The Lilywhites really need Simons to step up right now after his marquee £55 million move from RB Leipzig, but the Dutchman has scarcely been given a chance lately.

Simons’ highlights in a Spurs jersey are few and far between, with the ex-PSG sensation putting in a Player of the Match display against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League and notching an assist against West Ham way back in September.

That is, however, the sum of his contribution this season, with the ex-Eredivisie starlet attracting criticism.

Thomas Frank makes Xavi Simons training claim in response to Tottenham snubs

Simons could end up costing the club £125 million when factoring in wages, agent’s fees and other add-ons over a potential seven-year contract, but to be fair to him, it’s hard to justify that price with limited game time.

Speaking in his latest press conference, Frank addressed why he hasn’t been starting for Simons for Tottenham lately — claiming it is down to a matter of form with alternatives and different personnel for contrasting matches.

The Dane also shared how Simons has been impressing in Tottenham training lately, so it is absolutely not a question of work ethic.

With the pressure on Simons to perform, Saturday sets the perfect stage, and he could become a hero by helping to arrest the club’s barren home form through a convincing display against Frank’s former club.

Major names in line for lucrative deals after equity sale transforms Hundred finances

Matt Roller10-Dec-2025Harry Brook is set to earn nearly £500,000 for playing in the Hundred next year as the tournament’s new investors scramble to secure their direct signings and retentions ahead of March’s auctions.Brook, who is in Noosa on England’s mid-Ashes break after their eight-wicket defeat to Australia at the Gabba, has captained Northern Superchargers for the last two editions of the Hundred and has agreed a deal worth around £470,000 to stay with the team in their new guise as Sunrisers Leeds, which could make him the tournament’s highest earner.Brook is serving a two-year ban from the IPL after withdrawing from a contract with Delhi Capitals, and said when he was named England’s white-ball captain last year that overseas franchise cricket would have to take “a step back”. But new investment in the Hundred ensures that he will still secure a hefty payday on top of his two-year England central contract.The eight Hundred teams were centrally run for the tournament’s first five seasons but operational control has now transferred to host counties and private investors, who will run the franchises as joint ventures. Sunrisers are the only exception, having bought out Yorkshire’s entire 51 percent stake earlier this year.The recruitment model has changed from a draft to an auction, and teams can only pre-sign a maximum of four players since the ECB are keen to maintain competitive balance. Of those, at least one must be a retention from last year’s squad; at most two can be overseas players; and at most two can have held a central contract in either 2024-25 or 2025-26.The retention window opened on November 27 and teams have been quick off the mark to make their signings as early as possible. The ECB have specified set deductions from team salary caps depending on the number of players pre-signed, but teams can split the money however they see fit within those constraints.Brook’s new deal means that top wages in the Hundred have nearly quadrupled in the space of two years. The highest salary band increased from £125,000 (2024) to £200,000 (2025) in the men’s competition, and from £50,000 (2024) to £65,000 (2025) in the women’s.Phil Salt has been a fixture at Manchester Originals but is set to sign for Welsh Fire•Nathan Stirk/ECB via Getty ImagesPhil Salt is also in line for a substantial payday of around £450,000 after Welsh Fire won a three-way race for his services, beating London Spirit and Manchester Super Giants. Salt has been with Manchester Originals since inception and captained them for the last two seasons, but was born in North Wales and has been openly targeted by the franchise.ESPNcricinfo has learned Sunrisers have also signed Brydon Carse and Mitchell Marsh along with Brook, and may yet sign an overseas fast bowler before the auction. They will be coached by Daniel Vettori next year, after Andrew Flintoff quit citing a low-ball contract offer from the new owners.Fire are leaning on their sister franchise Washington Freedom, which is also run by new co-owner Sanjay Govil, with Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra both targets along with Salt. Mike Hussey will continue as coach, with Michael Klinger joining in a joint role as general manager and women’s coach.Manchester Super Giants are set to retain Jos Buttler, Noor Ahmad and Heinrich Klaasen from their 2025 squad, with Tom Moody taking charge in his new global role as director of cricket and Justin Langer in line to replace Simon Katich as head coach.Trent Rockets, under Peter Moores (head coach) and Adam Voges (assistant), have lined up Joe Root and Ben Duckett, while Birmingham Phoenix are interested in signing Rehan Ahmed and Donovan Ferreira as well as retaining Jacob Bethell under new coach Shane Bond.MI London are expected to retain Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Rashid Khan, with either Nicholas Pooran or Trent Boult rounding out their overseas contingent. London Spirit, under Mo Bobat (director of cricket) and Andy Flower (head coach), have signed Liam Livingstone and Jamie Overton, and are targeting Adam Zampa. They have also announced Dinesh Karthik as their batting coach and mentor.Jofra Archer is understood to have signed a lucrative deal to stay at Southern Brave under new owners GMR Group, who have also lined up Jamie Smith, Marcus Stoinis and Tristan Stubbs. Hemang Badani, the Delhi Capitals head coach, is the favourite to take over from Adi Birrell.Related

The Hundred to introduce player auction for 2026 season

Harry Brook pulls out of IPL for second year running

In the women’s Hundred, Marizanne Kapp is expected to move across the Thames to London Spirit after five years with Oval Invincibles. Meg Lanning is understood to have signed for Manchester Super Giants, who have lined up Matthew Mott as their new women’s head coach.Lauren Bell has signed a lucrative new deal with Southern Brave despite significant interest elsewhere, while allrounder Freya Kemp is set to join Welsh Fire on a six-figure deal. Sunrisers, the defending champions, are expected to retain both Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland.The eight men’s and women’s teams must finalise their retentions by January 16, ahead of the inaugural auctions in March. The Hundred will run from July 21 to August 16 next summer, sandwiched between England men’s series against India (five T20Is and three ODIs) and Pakistan (three Tests).Several prominent England players are hoping for paydays in next Tuesday’s IPL auction, with Livingstone expected to attract several bids after his release by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Jonny Bairstow, Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith are also likely to win deals, while Josh Tongue is a notable name on the longlist after finishing last season as the Hundred’s leading wicket-taker.

Raphinha's brace sent Barcelona seven points clear at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Osasuna. Hansi Flick's team were toothless in front of goal for long periods but the former Leeds United star came up trumps just when his team needed him in the second half. The result widened the gap to rivals Real Madrid, with Xabi Alonso under increasing pressure to keep his job.

Barcelona made a bright start to the game, with Ferran Torres twice going close, while Marcus Rashford had a penalty appeal turned down. At the other end, Ante Budimir worked Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia and the pacey Victor Munoz caused the home defence a number of problems. It looked like the hosts had taken the lead in the 24th minute when Ferran Torres headed in Rashford's pinpoint cross, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside in the build-up from the corner. 

Torres was a whisker away from breaking the deadlock with an overhead kick, while Munoz shot just wide on the counter-attack. Rashford brought out a good save from keeper Sergio Herrera from a free-kick, and then some desperate defence denied the 28-year-old soon after. Just when it looked like the away side would frustrate the league leaders, captain Raphinha produced something out of nothing when his 20-yard shot whipped into the corner in the 70th minute. 

Jorge Herrando tucked the ball in the net five minutes from time but the goal was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Joan Garcia, and shortly after, Raphinha volleyed in from three yards to well and truly end Osasuna's stubborn resistance. The Blaugrana are now seven points clear but Madrid could cut that to four if they beat Alaves on Sunday night.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Joan Garcia (7/10):

Had to be alert to the dangers of Budimir and particularly Munoz and did a decent job in goal.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Wasn't able to get forward in an attacking sense as much as usual as Osasuna's swift offence were a handful.

Pau Cubarsi (5/10):

The young centre-back didn't have a great night. He was sloppy at the back and found it difficult to keep a lid on Osasuna's attack.

Gerard Martin (6/10):

Struggled to handle the rapid Munoz but also showed good pace when getting back to clear the danger. 

Alejandro Balde (6/10):

Had some good races with Munoz, and sometimes came off second-best, but largely had a competent evening. 

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Eric Garcia (5/10):

Didn't add a great deal to Barcelona's midfield at a time when they needed more creativity to break down a stubborn away team. 

Pedri (7/10):

The Spaniard worked his socks off and kept chugging away when trying to unlock the away defence. He got an assist and is such a force for Barca.

Raphinha (8/10):

The Brazilian wasn't at his best on the whole but he took his first goal in brilliant fashion. Then was in the right place at the right time for his second.

Getty Images SportAttack

Lamine Yamal (7/10):

While the teenager was a threat, Osasuna's Abel Bretones did a decent job against the Spanish winger. Still showed off some lovely bits of skill, mind. 

Ferran Torres (6/10):

Was unlucky to have an excellent header ruled out but other than that, should have scored a couple. 

Marcus Rashford (7/10):

Continues to earn his place in Barcelona's starting XI, with his trickery and crossing ability a real bonus. After a lively first half he wasn't quite as good in the second, though.

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Fermin Lopez (7/10):

The attacking midfielder looked sharp off the bench.

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

Was about to come on to turn the tide in Barca's favour but Raphinha did that so his impact wasn't really needed or felt.

Marc Casado (N/A):

Too little time to make an impact.

Andreas Christensen (N/A):

Came on with minutes to spare.

Roony Bardghji (N/A):

Barely touched the ball when brought on.

Hansi Flick (7/10):

His team created a hatful of chances and had the lion's share of possession but they weren't clinical in front of goal for the majority of the contest. Will be thankful he has Raphinha back fit again as he resisted going to his bench for a long time.

Two days, two walk-off wins for the Minnesota Twins.

One day after Harrison Bader walked it off in a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday with a 378-foot homer in the bottom of the ninth, Brooks Lee did the same Saturday. Only his heroic knock traveled about 300 feet less.

With Byron Buxton representing the game-winning run on third base and nobody out in the ninth inning, Lee squared up to bunt on the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay reliever Garrett Cleavinger.

The Rays weren't expecting it. By the time first baseman Yandy Diaz could field the ball, Buxton was already home. Diaz's only chance to save the game was to let it roll foul—but Lee's bunt stayed about six inches into fair territory all the way to first base.

That's a walk-off bunt for the win.

"I was surprised too," Lee said of the call to bunt in that situation to Twins.TV reporter Audra Martin. "Any way we can get it done. I've been bunting my whole life—West Coast baseball. That's [Cal Poly baseball coach] Larry Lee right there. And it paid off."

That bold call to bunt secured the 500th career win for Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. The 43-year-old skipper is the fourth manager in Twins history to notch at least 500 wins, joining Tom Kelly (1,140 wins), Ron Gardenhire (1,068 wins) and Sam Mele (524 wins).

"It's awesome. I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about it, but we're gonna," Lee said with a smile about Baldelli's milestone.

The Twins climbed to 43-46 with the win over Tampa Bay. They are 12 games back of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.

A series against India could be memorable for a power-packed middle order, two returning quicks, and a windfall for the board

Firdose Moonda07-Nov-2024South Africa’s fairly short but full home international summer starts this week with a four-match T20I series against India, which has at least two strong but incorrect narratives around it.The first is the most obvious: that this is a rematch of the World Cup final, and South Africa have the opportunity to exact revenge. Yawn. A bilateral series with a slightly different squad will never have the same significance as a World Cup final, so before you even start entertaining thoughts of that, stop. What happened in June, happened and India are world champions. That means South Africa know the magnitude of their task.Related

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Tabraiz Shamsi opts out of CSA contract

Jansen, Coetzee set to make T20I return against India

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The second is that this will provide preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is 15 months away. As South Africa themselves proved after being blanked 3-0 by West Indies either side of this year’s World Cup, form doesn’t count for that much at a big tournament. It’s more about momentum and luck. So scratch that too and simply enjoy this for what it is: cricket for cricket’s sake and, at best, a chance to deepen talent pools.These are some of the things South Africa will be looking for in the series.The return of middle-order muscleHeinrich Klaasen and David Miller are both playing their first internationals since the T20 World Cup and will bring much-needed stability to South Africa’s line-up. In their absence, across five T20Is, South Africa found themselves on scores like 42 for 5 against West Indies and lost 9 for 61 against Ireland. They also did not manage to find a consistent big hitter at Nos.5 or 6. They did, however, see an uptick in performance from Tristan Stubbs, who scored his second half-century in the format, and first since the first time he batted in a T20I game in 2022. Now imagine all three of them in form. With a middle order of Stubbs, Klaasen and Miller, the big hits may be even bigger.What did Jansen and Coetzee gain from their conditioning break?The series will mark the international comebacks of the first two players to be put on extended leave by Cricket South Africa (CSA), which has recognised the need for players to work on their conditioning without match-day pressures. Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee had shoulder and hip problems to fix but also spent time on their fitness, and the results, according to captain Aiden Markram, could be dangerous for opposition batters.”It’s been exciting to see lots of energy, pace on the ball, and they are hitting the bat really hard, if I’m speaking from a batter that’s facing them point of view,” Markram said. “They just look really excited to get back on the park and I’m sure they’ll bring lots of energy and excitement.”Gerald Coetzee is back after a conditioning break•ICC/Getty ImagesMihlali Mpongwana and/or Andile Simelane to debut – but are the only ones not auditioningThe two uncapped allrounders in the squad have been around the national team over the last few months and may get a game, but ironically, they’re not the ones with a side-point to prove. That’s every other member of the South Africa squad, who, apart from Klaasen who was retained from Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be at the IPL auction.The fact that they are playing against the IPL host country means South Africa’s players have the perfect opportunity to put their names up in lights and catch the franchise owners’ eyes, and they know it. “We’re fortunate that we’re playing a series against them pretty much just before the auction happens,” Markram said. “That would be the bonus of doing well, firstly, collectively and then for the individuals that put their hands up. I don’t think it’s your motivation to do well. I think it’s the bonus that potentially could follow.”Nqaba Peter and the spin succession plan In what has been a breakthrough year for legspinner Nqaba Peter, he now has the opportunity to establish himself as a regular in the national T20I side. Peter has been preferred over left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi for this series, which provides some indication of CSA’s future planning, especially for a World Cup in the subcontinent. Shamsi opted out of a national contract last month but remains available for selection and white-ball coach Rob Walter explained his absence as part of a plan to see what other, lesser known players can offer. “Giving Nqaba Peter an opportunity to play was a priority,” Walter said.Expect to see Markram turning his own arm over as well as South Africa seek out as many bowling options as possible.Millions in broadcast fees And now to the main reason for this series taking place: CSA’s bank balance. Without being too crude about it, it cannot be ignored that the fees from hosting India are significant and believed to be around R150 million (USD 8.5 million) for a T20I match. That’s a much higher amount than the profits from CSA’s shareholding of the SA20, which is the next biggest money-maker and brought in R54 million last year (USD 3.02 million). In an otherwise loss-making season – South Africa host Sri Lanka and Pakistan, both of whom do not command massive revenues – should ensure CSA have a third successive profitable year.The benefits down the chain are also apparent. Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium, which does not host a Test for the second summer in succession, has one of the four fixtures. The other three are in Durban, Gqeberha and Centurion, and big crowds are expected at all four venues. While this doesn’t spread the game to some of the country’s other stadia, it ensures four of the big five (Newlands doesn’t get a game this time), have the highest-profile games.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are struggling, which is a statement that hasn't been written much in the last decade.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Dodgers fell to the Milwaukee Brewers in extra innings, extending their current losing streak to six games. While that doesn't seem like a lot, it is for L.A. The Dodgers are now in the midst of their longest losing streak since April of 2019. Oddly enough, two of the losses in that streak came against the Brewers.

On Wednesday, it appeared as if L.A. was finally going to break the streak. Closer Tanner Scott was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead. He surrendered three singles, allowing Milwaukee to tie the game. After the Dodgers came up empty in the top of the 10th, the Brewers scored the winning run on a Jackson Chourio single in their half of the inning. That completed a sweep, the second in a row the defending World Series champions have suffered.

During the current streak, the Dodgers have only scored 10 runs, and have a run differential of -34.

Despite losing six in a row, the Dodgers still have the best record in the National League, and remain 18 games over .500. They'll be fine.

That said, there are cracks in the team's seemingly impenetrable armor. Injuries have been a major issue all season. Tyler Glasnow returned to the mound on Wednesday for the first time since late April. He tossed five shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out five. It was a good first step back. The team also has Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki still out, though Snell is set to begin a rehab assignment and may be moving towards a return.

Perhaps most concerning for the Dodgers has been the offensive drop-off from Mookie Betts this season. Through 86 games this season, Betts is slashing .246/.316/.286. All three numbers would be career-worsts. His OPS of .702 is 161 points lower than his performance from the 2024 season.

Luckily for the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Andy Pages are all having excellent seasons to make up for Betts's drop off.

Astros fans will gladly take infielder Carlos Correa's performance through his first nine games back with the team—a .405/.476/.622 slashline with two home runs and six RBIs.

However, to Correa, his return to Houston has a deeper meaning. Asked by reporters Monday what his favorite part of being back with the Astros was, he provided a simple response.

"Playing with (second baseman, left fielder and designated hitter) Jose Altuve again," he said via Michael Shapiro of the .

The two infielders played together from 2015 to '21, where their journeys were bound for better or for worse. When Houston won its first World Series title in 2017, both were in the lineup; when the Astros' sign-stealing operation came to light in 2019, both took public image hits.

In 2022, Correa signed with the Twins—only for the reeling squad to trade him back to Houston on July 31 of this year.

Though both are in their 30's and playing several different positions, they have resumed their collective status as one of baseball's most visible infield tandems—and figure to get a huge ovation against the Red Sox Monday.

The Blue Jays roared back in the ALCS on Wednesday night with a 13-4 beatdown of the Mariners after dropping the first two games of the series in Toronto. As has been the case all postseason, Vlad Guerrero Jr. was the engine that drove his team's offensive production. The star slugger went 4-for-4 from the plate with three runs and came up a triple shy of a cycle.

It was a near miss, though. In the eighth inning with the game well in hand Guerrero mashed a double into the gap in right field. It was a bit of a slow roller so from the broadcast view it looked like the Blue Jays star have gone for third and become the second player to ever hit for the cycle in the playoffs. But he held up at second and missed his shot at history.

Guerrero didn't seem terribly concerned about that while speaking to the Fox Sports crew afterwards, which makes sense; his team still won by nine runs. Derek Jeter decided to have some fun with it and pressed Guerrero on why he didn't try for the historic achievement. Guerrero explained his third base coach held up the stop sign and he has to listen to his coach, leading to a perfect reaction from Jeter.

"Next time blink and tell him you didn’t see him," Jeter said.

A fun exchange, and one well-earned by Guerrero.

The Blue Jays are still up against the wall, down 2-1 with two more games to play in Seattle before heading back to Toronto if the series gets that far. But they carved out some breathing room with the dominant Game 3 win.

Guerrero will look to do it again on Thursday night. Maybe he'll take Jeter's advice, too.

During my playing and broadcasting career, I saw the toxic effect prejudice and ignorance could have on people and the game

Ian Chappell21-Jun-2020As racism is playing a prominent role in the current turbulent times, it’s worth reflecting on my experience of prejudice in and around cricket.As a youngster growing up in a family where there was no notable prejudice, despite being in the era of the White Australia Policy, I wasn’t really aware of racism. I had the good fortune to commence my Sheffield Shield career in the same team as champion West Indian allrounder Garry Sobers. That was a wonderful education in both cricket and life.My first overseas tour was to South Africa in 1966-67 and it was an eye-opener. The apartheid regime was in power and we got a taste of its abhorrent nature after winning the second Test in Cape Town. “Why don’t you pick Garry Sobers? Then you’ll have a team full of blacks” was the offensive comment directed at Australian batsman Grahame Thomas by an ignorant patron in the team hotel. Thomas has Native American lineage dating back to the days of slavery. Sensibly he walked away from any confrontation.ALSO READ: ‘I refuse to allow any other person to make me feel mentally less’ – Daren SammyAs captain in 1972-73, prior to commencing a home series against Pakistan and then touring the Caribbean, I spoke to the Australian players. I warned them if there were any terms of address prefixed by the word “black”, there would be trouble. I said: “You don’t call someone a lucky white bastard, so why include the word ‘black’ in any outburst?” I never heard any such comments from those Australian players.In 1975-76, my brother Greg captained Australia against West Indies. In a book published after the series, Viv Richards suggested there had been some racially prejudiced comments. I asked Greg, who had a similar outlook to me, if he’d heard any such and he said, “No”. I later spoke to Viv on the subject and he said he was referring to one player and assured me that it had all been sorted out.In 1972 I played in a double-wicket contest in Zimbabwe. On a rest day a few players were drinking in the back bar at the Victoria Falls hotel. We had been there a while when the proprietor suddenly told Basil D’Oliveira, a South African-born Cape Coloured man who played for England, that he had to leave the bar. I asked why.

I said: “You don’t call someone a lucky white bastard, so why include the word ‘black’ in any outburst?”

“Because he’s been swearing in front of my wife,” came the unconvincing reply. “Turn it up, mate,” I responded. “There’s a few of us been swearing, why pick on Basil?” The man insisted that Basil was the only one swearing, so we all put our unfinished beers on the bar and walked out.During the 1975-76 tour of South Africa by a mixed-race International Wanderers side managed by Richie Benaud and captained by Greg, we travelled to a ground outside Port Elizabeth to watch players of colour who weren’t allowed to compete in the Currie Cup competition because of South Africa’s apartheid laws. John Shepherd, who played for West Indies and Kent, and is of the most gentle people on this earth, was part of our side. As we were leaving, a member of the crowd shouted out: “Why don’t you paint yourself white, Shepherd, and then you can be like the rest of them.”ALSO READ: Sambit Bal: It’s time we South Asians understood that colourism is racismShep stopped abruptly and turned to face the crowd with a withering glare. I happened to be next to him. I grabbed his arm and said: “You don’t have to put up with this – let’s leave.”Shep’s arm was as firm as a steel rod, but without redirecting his glare he simply said: “You keep going. I’ll be there in a minute.” Then as a reassurance he added: “There won’t be any trouble.”I had another experience of the harmful effects of racism in Jamaica in 1991. At a television forum there, the moderator introduced the subject of the ICC. In answer to a question I said the power of veto that Australia and England held over ICC decisions was a disgrace and should have been abolished long ago. I did not anticipate that many in the audience would be aware there was a power of veto, but the crowd burst into applause. That made a mockery of the standard reply from Australian cricket administrators when that particular issue was brought up: “The power of veto has never been used, so why would it upset anyone?”This is the sad reality of racism. What is implied often cuts deepest.

On a slow, grippy pitch where every other batsman struggled for fluency, he smashed 73 not out off 33 balls

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Oct-20203:09

Ian Bishop: Players like AB de Villiers cannot be judged by normal people’s standards

Genius is hard to describe. AB de Villiers scored an unbeaten 73 off 33 balls on Monday night against the Kolkata Knight Riders, on a pitch where everyone else made 218 off 207, and while that’s obviously extraordinary, it didn’t extraordinary.Or let’s put it this way. It didn’t look extraordinary.It looked like any other extraordinary T20 innings de Villiers has played. He didn’t stand differently at the crease, or grip his bat differently, or play any shots you haven’t seen before. There were no new tactics devised on the spur of the moment to combat a slow and grippy pitch where every other batsman struggled for fluency. It was just AB de Villiers batting like AB de Villiers.It was the kind of innings that makes you reach for supernatural explanations. Virat Kohli faced 28 balls in the same innings and hit just one boundary, off his outside edge. He watched all of de Villiers’ innings from the other end, and at the presentation ceremony called him “superhuman”. He spoke of the “zing” in de Villiers’ eyes. de Villiers himself said he’d felt an “energy” when he’d got on the bus to the stadium, and felt “a bit of light out of my eye”.ALSO READ: Kohli praises bowlers after de Villiers’ masterclassThere were certainly moments during de Villiers’ innings when a ghostly light seemed to shine from his eyes. Something not quite of this world seemed to take place, for instance, when he drove the third ball of his innings straight back down the pitch. The ball hit the stumps at the other end, deflected by some 45 degrees, beat mid-off’s dive to his left, and kept running away from that fielder even as he sprang up and gave chase, seeming to accelerate as it approached the boundary as if the laws of physics had been briefly suspended.As remarkable as the innings was, though, we know it was bat and ball and flesh and blood, and it was all explicable in some way. Kohli got to the essence of it.”I just have to say that a lot of people can do what you’ve seen in the other games, but on a pitch like that, to bat like that, I think it’s only AB who can do that, just because of the way he sets up and he’s so still when he’s seeing the ball clearly and he’s so dangerous, because he can wait for the slower balls and deposit them out of the stadium, so it was a special knock,” Kohli said.Still.That word gets to the heart of what makes de Villiers so good. This was a pitch so slow that de Villiers didn’t once dip into his considerable repertoire behind the wicket, and he consequently did not move around the crease as extravagantly as he often does. But even when he moves all over the place, he’s perfectly still at the moment when the ball leaves the bowler’s hand.The quickest feet in the business, and the stillest head.Sometimes, the moments that best illustrate what makes someone like de Villiers tick are those rare moments when something goes wrong, when the finely tuned inner machinery of his game misses a beat.Take the second ball of the 16th over, a slower offcutter from Kamlesh Nagarkoti, clocking 112.1kph. It was the kind of delivery that had frequently wrenched batsmen out of shape throughout the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings, up to that point, and it wrenched de Villiers – batting on 10 off 10 – out of shape too. He swung too early at it, missed, and ended up getting hit on the thigh pad.AB de Villiers smacks one through the leg side•BCCIIt was an illustration of everything that usually never happens when de Villiers bats – a loose, imprecise swing with bat reaching out too far in front of his body, causing a loss of balance that tips his head to the off side at a most un-de-Villiers-like angle.When everything is working well, de Villiers’ bat-swing is like a golf swing. He mentions this in this video, where he explains what he calls his “box theory”.”I always talk about a little box that’s around me,” he says. “I don’t want any part of my bat, feet, head, nothing, to leave this box. Everything must happen in this box, because that’s where I have all my power, right here, in this box, everything to be played right here.”In golf, they talk about a compact golf swing. You’ve got to feel like you’re almost swinging in a box, and it’s the same with my batting.”ALSO READ: Talking Points: How did spinners do so well in Sharjah?de Villiers had reached out of that box against that Nagarkoti slower ball. But that’s what good slower balls can force batsmen to do on sluggish pitches, offering them no pace and asking them to manufacture all the power themselves.Where other batsmen might look for other ways to compensate for that lack of pace – by batting out of their crease, perhaps, to meet the ball earlier – de Villiers simply went back into his box, stretching, by a fraction of a second, that moment of stillness that defines him.It sounds simple when you read it, but it surely isn’t. You’re working against your muscle memory, which has been honed over tens of thousands of balls on mostly quicker pitches, and while every innings involves a recalibration of muscle memory – it’s what “getting your eye in” essentially means – it takes a freakish level of ability to do it in the space of 11 balls on a pitch like this one in Sharjah.Watch the next two balls that follow the ball that beats de Villiers. They’re slower offcutters too, delivered at similar speeds (116.6kph and 114.8kph), but de Villiers holds his shape for longer against them. It’s often said that the best batsmen have more time to play their shots; against these two deliveries, de Villiers is poised and waiting for what seems an eternity.His back foot has stepped across to off stump in his trigger movement, and his wrists are cocked, holding his bat up just above the flap of his right pad. His head, having dipped slightly at release, is still, eyes perfectly level. Everything, in that moment that stretches and stretches, is still, as he waits for the ball to enter his box.In his box, out of the park. The first one’s just a touch short, and he opens up and swats it over midwicket. It goes over the stadium roof and into the speeding traffic. The next one’s full, angling into leg stump, and he clears his front leg and unleashes that golf swing, his bat finishing over his left shoulder as the ball clears another roof, beyond long-on this time. One more dent in one more car.It looks absurdly simple. You tell yourself, hey, those slower balls are getting predictable now. Perhaps the lengths are wrong. But de Villiers keeps doing it, over and over, while at the other end, and at other times in this game, other batsmen, fine batsmen, struggle. Look closer, then. Maybe there is a light shining out of his eye.