Nathan Astle has retired from international cricket, citing a lack of motivation just six weeks before what would have been his fourth World Cup. Astle told a press conference at Perth his international career was over but he was undecided on whether to continue at first-class level.”I have been fighting this day for about eight months,” Astle said. “I so desperately wanted to go to my fourth World Cup, but deep down inside I knew that I was lacking motivation and the enjoyment levels were just not there.”Probably the first indications were last year when I was having a good run and not really enjoying the success that I was having. But because I wanted to go to the World Cup I probably fudged over these feelings, which was fine until about a month ago when it really started to hit home that this was no longer the place for me. Enjoyment has always been a huge factor for why I play the game and when that faltered I knew it was time to move on.”Once I had made the decision that I would not be going to the World Cup, for the sake of the team, I needed to go as soon as possible to make way for another player. I don’t believe it would have been fair on my team mates to hold on.”One of New Zealand’s most successful limited-overs cricketers who also built a respectable 81-Test career, Astle called it quits after a disappointing start to the CB Series in which he scored 0, 45, 0 and 1. He has also struggled in Test matches recently, averaging only 24.30 from his last eight games.Astle, 35, leaves the game as New Zealand’s third-most capped player and second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket, with 7090 runs at 34.92 from his 223 appearances. In Test matches, he is fourth on his country’s list of most games and fourth on the run tally. His 4702 Test runs came at an average of 37.02 from 81 matches.His 16 ODI centuries – by far the most of any New Zealand player – rank him equal ninth on the all-time list and above such legends as Viv Richards and Adam Gilchrist. His most recent hundred came early last year when he finished unbeaten on 118 as New Zealand wrapped up a series win against West Indies at Christchurch.A destructive top-order batsman and nagging medium-pace bowler, Astle first appeared on the international scene in 1995 when at the age of 23 he made his limited-overs debut under Ken Rutherford against West Indies at Auckland. It took four games to make his mark – 95 opening the batting against Sri Lanka – and in early 1996 the Canterbury batsman was given his first taste of Test cricket.
Back-to-back hundreds on a tour of West Indies in his third and fourth Tests earned him a permanent place in the side and he peaked in 2002 with the fastest Test double-century. He reached the milestone in only 153 balls against England at Christchurch and went on to finish with 222, his highest Test score.The later stages of his career have been far from smooth sailing and it was just over a year ago that Astle was dropped from the one-day side to make way for Stephen Fleming, who was returning from paternal leave. John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, said at the time he wanted to expand the team’s depth ahead of the World Cup. But Astle returned with a string of outstanding scores, including the 118 against West Indies, before struggling to have any impact at the Champions Trophy and in the CB Series.Fleming said he would miss his most experienced offsider out on the field. “Nath was a very uncomplicated, naturally aggressive player who was just great to watch,” Fleming said. “He was also a great sounding board for me as a captain because of his calmness and consistency. He will be missed.”Bracewell said it would be hard to fill the gap Astle had left. “Statistically his record puts him into the position of greatness but probably the greatest loss will be his stability and influence inside the team,” he said. But Bracewell said the timing of Astle’s announcement left a lot to be desired.”It was a bit of a shock to all of us and quite disruptive to our plans but I respect his decision,” Bracewell said. “Timing’s never great this close to a big tournament and Nathan was going to be a serious part of that because of his experience and the younger players he was assisting to mentor.”
An unbeaten century from Marcus North, which included 13 fours and three sixes, was not quite enough to take Western Australia to victory in their floodlit one-day match against Queensland at Perth. Instead the Bulls maintained their 100% record in the ING Cup – four wins out of four – and lead the table with 19 points. Tasmania, with three wins in three matches, lie second.Queensland piled up 291 in their 50 overs, with handy contributions right down the order. Jimmy Maher, their captain, led the way with 72, which included 11 fours and a six. Andrew Symonds then took over, slamming 77 from as many balls, with three sixes and five fours. On 21, Symonds had a slice of luck after clubbing Brad Hogg towards the boundary as Brett Dorey was unable to hold the rebound from Steve Magoffin who fell back towards the ropes. When he eventually fell – one of three quick wickets for the unorthodox slow left-armer Hogg – Queensland were 7 for 245 in the 45th over, but a rapid 32 not out from Australia’s newest Test cap, Nathan Hauritz, propelled them to 291.WA were soon in trouble, losing Scott Meuleman for a duck and Adam Voges for 2, both to Andy Bichel, but North and Mike Hussey (21) repaired the damage in a stand of 65. Murray Goodwin then stepped in to score a forthright 63. He and North put on 134 for the fourth wicket, and WA were reasonably placed when Ashley Noffke finally dismissed Goodwin in the 40th over (4 for 210). But Ryan Campbell and Kade Harvey followed quickly, and although North stayed there and Hogg biffed 25 not out from 18 balls, they couldn’t quite do enough under the lights. Queensland had bowled 19 wides and still managed to win.
ScorecardAfter Michael Bevan’s sixth century in seven games threatened to keep Victoria from the final, a rapid stand between Jason Arnberger and Brad Hodge pulled the game back Victoria’s way. Both scored half-centuries after losing Matthew Elliott to the fourth ball of the innings. They took their team to 1 for 121, giving them an overall lead of 252 with a day to go.Tasmania were dismissed for 346 shortly after tea, after Bevan struck 144 and was involved in a 101-run stand with Sean Clingeleffer (46). This left Bevan with five innings to beat Matthew Elliott’s record of seven centuries and 1381 runs. Bevan currently has 1023 runs. “I’m overjoyed with the season I’ve had so far,” he said to AAP, “and hopefully there can be a couple more before the end of the season. There’s going to be a result which is good for both teams, obviously good for Victoria given their position and it would be nice for us to have a win … as well.”Cameron White, Victoria’s captain, did not let on at what score he would declare, but said that it would be a tantalising prospect for the chasing team. Victoria require an outright victory to keep their Pura Cup hopes alive.
Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwe Test batsman now with Essex, has fractured his finger while playing for South Australia.Flower sustained the injury towards the end of December in a Pura Cup match against Queensland. It is hoped that he will be able to return in the match against Victoria on January 23.He had just been coming into some form before his injury with scores of 82 and 56 against Queensland. However, in the return fixture, he picked up his finger injury during an innings-defeat.Flower will be returning to Chelmsford in 2004 for his third season with Essex, and he is now an EU-qualified player, meaning Scott Brant and Danish Kaneria will play as the two overseas players.
Rather like a business chief executive marking up a a rising sales graph, Mark Richardson, the 31-year-old Auckland opening batsman, added another asset to his portfolio with a century against Otago at Colin Maiden Park today.Richardson scored an even 100, the 16th of his first-class career which carried him into international cricket a few years ago.This was Richardson’s second century in consecutive games after reaching 133 against Northern Districts last week, and his third for the summer which gave him a Test century against Bangladesh.For Richardson today’s 100 proved to the doughty left-hander that he had worked his way out of the bad patch which had been his indifferent start, and then dismissal, from the VB one-day series in Australia.”I enjoyed the Test cricket in Australia, and the overall cricket atmosphere with the excellent playing and training and match ground facilities,” said Richardson.The tour also gave Richardson the chance to watch and admire his favourite batsman, Matthew Hayden, the formidable Australian left-handed opener.However, Richardson’s total admiration for the man whom he regards as the best batsman in the world was later diluted by the fact that he played only four One-Day Internationals during the VB Series, and then twiddled his thumbs on the sideline for the remaining six matches.”That was the real downer for me,” said Richardson today.”So in my matches for Auckland I have tried to get back into the methods I used at Test level, concentrating on scoring through the vee, playing down the ground.”I have had a couple of long innings, I have not hurried over my runs, the pace of my hundred today was similar to that against ND last week.”But I feel good, that I am striking the ball reasonably well and getting back into Test-match methods.”Now Richardson will have to wait until next week to find whether the national selectors want him for the three home Tests against England. On recent form Richardson should be among the first players picked.
All four matches of the first round of the National Cricket League (NCL) ended in draws after rain hampered play across the country. The third days of every game were washed out, but there was some play possible on the fourth in Fatullah and Khulna.File photo: Mosaddek Hossain struck 133 for Barisal Divison, but they had to settle for a draw against Rajshahi Division•ICC
Tier 1
At the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, Khulna Division made home advantage count. Their 153-run first-innings lead over Dhaka Division puts them on top of the NCL points table.Batting first, Dhaka were bowled out for 187 with only 16-year old Saif Hassan offering any resistance. He batted over three hours for his 68, which included 10 fours, but found little support from the other end. Left-arm pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman and experienced left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak took four wickets each.Shakib Al Hasan, playing his first domestic first-class match in nearly three years, had a tough day. He took 1 for 49 and was dismissed for 13, batting at No. 3. However, Khulna were stabilized by fifties from Mohammad Mithun and Nurul Hasan. That foundation set up a formidable first-innings total of 340. Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took 7 for 119, the fourth time he has taken a haul this big in a first-class innings.The other Tier-1 match in Bogra lost two of four days to rain forcing Rangpur Division and Dhaka Metropolis to settle for a draw.Batting first, Dhaka Metropolis were bowled out for 238. Marshall Ayub, Shamsur Rahman and Elias Sunny made half-centuries while offspinner Mahmudul Hasan took his sixth five-for in first-class cricket.Rangpur had run into early trouble as well, slipping to 45 for 3, but Dhiman Ghosh’s unbeaten 85 helped them recover well enough to claim a slim first-innings lead and eight points as a result. He added an unbroken 133 for the sixth wicket with Ariful Haque (48 off 99) to put Rangpur ahead by 28 runs at the end of the second day. That was where they stayed with the final two days washed out.
Tier 2
In Fatullah, Chittagong Division could only bat for 18 minutes on the fourth and final day after Sylhet Division declared on 352 for 8.Rajin Saleh, Ruman Ahmed and Rahatul Ferdous made 74, 80 and 56 not out respectively. Left-arm spinner Nabil Samad switched from Sylhet to Chittagong this season and took it to his old team, claiming 3 for 78 in 37 oversAfter sitting out most of the second and third days, Chittagong’s openers could bat for just four overs, in which Tamim Iqbal and Yasir Ali added 36 runs.In the other Tier-2 match, hosts Rajshahi Division may have been the only team benefited by rain as they escaped with a draw against Barisal Division.Batting first, Barisal were led by Mosaddek Hossain’s 122 and fifties from Shahriar Nafees and Sohag Gazi to post 302 runs in 78.2 overs.Rajshahi’s left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam took 6 for 123. But his team-mates produced an appalling display with the bat to be bowled out for 93. Fast bowler proved their undoing as Tawhidul Islam took 6 for 31 and Golam Kabir contributed three wickets.The rapid pace of the match continued as Rajshahi then bowled Barisal out for 160 with Sunzamul completing his second 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Set 370 to win, Rajshahi were 25 for 0 when rain arrived.
So often a month of chaos and desperation, the winter window has provided the Reds with gem after gem in recent times, with 2026 hopefully set to be no different.
Indeed, a string of what would prove to be stellar names have signed for the Merseysiders at the start of the year, ranging from Luis Suarez to Philippe Coutinho to Virgil van Dijk and to Luis Diaz, among plenty more.
Among that plethora of names is also 2013 arrival, Daniel Sturridge, with the then-23-year-old arriving at Anfield following a forgettable stint at Chelsea, prior to securing cult hero status for himself in his new surroundings.
A central part of the side that came so close to Premier League glory in his first full campaign at the club, the now-retired striker – who registered 98 goals and assists in 160 games for the club – proved something of a bargain considering his £15m fee, even while enduring frequent injury setbacks.
As the case of Sturridge, and others, has showcased, there is value to be found in the January market, with Arne Slot and co no pressing ahead with their own potentially astute moves in the present.
Liverpool ready to offer terms to Premier League star
In the latter days of Jurgen Klopp, the German genius also used the winter window to great benefit, having acquired Diaz in 2022, ahead of Sadio Mane’s exit just a few months later, while also adding Cody Gakpo into the fold in 2023.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
A new winger, amid the uncertainty of Mohamed Salah’s future, is likely to again be on the agenda heading into the new year, with recent reports indicating that Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has decided that he wants to join Liverpool in 2026.
Available for a £65m fee, the in-demand Ghanaian is likely to have a queue of clubs chasing him, however, with the same also true of another leading Premier League target, Marc Guehi
As reported by TEAMtalk, Liverpool and FSG are believed to be among a list of 13 elite clubs who have informed the Englishman’s camp that they are ready to offer terms to him, with the 25-year-old’s current Selhurst Park deal set to expire in June.
The report hints that while the likelihood remains that Guehi will leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, after missing out on his Anfield switch over the summer, Crystal Palace could still look to sell in January, rather than lose their captain for nothing.
The Reds may be somewhat back to square one, considering just how much rival interest there is in the centre-back now, yet if there is a slim chance of landing the ex-Chelsea man next month, FSG should certainly take it.
Why Guehi could be another Sturridge at Liverpool
There’s nothing better than a player arriving mid-season and hitting the ground running immediately, with Sturridge doing just that back in 2013, having scored 11 goals in just his first 16 games for the club in all competitions.
That six-month spell set the tone and the foundations for what was to follow in 2013/14, with Rodgers’ famed ‘SAS’ frontline coming within a whisker of securing the Premier League crown, with Sturridge plundering 32 goals and assists in 33 games in all that year.
While it is at the other end of the pitch where the priority lies in the modern era, another exciting English talent with Chelsea links could perhaps have a repeat impact in 2026, with Slot so desperately needing a figure like Guehi to slot in just as smoothly.
The hope would be that the ex-Swansea City loanee could help to turn the tide of this turbulent season under the Dutchman, before going on to form a central part in another title bid next season.
There may be question marks over whether a centre-back can be quite so influential, although the woes of Ibrahima Konate have highlighted the glaring need for an upgrade, with the Frenchman a “bit too much at the crime scene”, in the view of his manager.
Guehi vs Konate – 24/25 PL stats
Stat (*per game)
Guehi
Konate
Games
34
31
Starts
34
30
Goals (Assists)
3 (2)
1 (2)
Pass accuracy*
84%
90%
Key passes*
0.5
0.3
Tackles*
1.8
1.3
Interceptions*
0.8
0.5
Total duels won*
59%
66%
Clean sheets
11
11
Stats via Sofascore
Like the 2013 version of Liverpool, who desperately needed a rival or partner for Suarez to lead the line, the current iteration desperately needs a suitable colleague for Van Dijk at centre-back, with Guehi surely the prime candidate.
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Lauded as a “monster” of a defender by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi – albeit while operating as part of a back three – is about as ready-made as they come, having proven his Premier League quality time and again in recent seasons.
As for 2025/26, the Three Lions talent notably ranks in the top 6% of top-flight centre-backs for assists, shot-creating actions, and progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, as well as in the top 8% for progressive passes, highlighting just what an asset he is in possession.
A threat in the opposition box, Guehi is also a master at defending his own, winning 71% of his aerial duels on average this season, as per Sofascore, as well as winning 65% of his ground duels.
Like with Sturridge and others before him, there should be no reason why he can’t come in and flourish immediately. Let’s face it, Slot no doubt needs someone too.
Worse than Konate: Liverpool star is now a "far bigger issue than Salah"
A number of Liverpool’s star players have slumped in form this season.
Manchester United were pipped to the title on the final day of last season by bitter rivals Manchester City, relinquishing their stranglehold on the league in the process. A key part of manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s gameplan last term was the blooding in of several younger faces, yet the Da Silva twins – Fabio and Rafael – still both struggled for time on the pitch. It begs the question, when will they ever break into the starting eleven?
Liverpool clinched the signings of Florent Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec in a joint deal back in 2001 from French club Le Harve to much fanfare, reportedly beating off competition from the likes of Juventus and Barcelona in the process after the pair sparkled in the European U-16 Championships and later the U-17 World Championship. At the time, the move was heralded as something of a transfer coup, beating some of Europe’s elite to the signatures of two of its hottest prospects.
However, while at Anfield, they failed to make the grade in the first-team despite their reported huge promise. They were shifted about on loan to various countries in an attempt to grant them the first-team opportunities that they were being deprived of at their parent club before finally being allowed to move on, with Sinama Pongolle moving to Spanish side Recreativo in 2006 and Le Tallec ending up at Le Mans in France in 2008.
I think it’s fair to say that both struggled to live up to the hype and while the Da Silva twins are clearly players of more potential and greater quality, you have to wonder if the two situations are in danger of mirroring themselves with both players being linked with loan moves away this summer.
The Manchester United defence isn’t in the best of shape. It’s sure to be bolstered by the return of club captain and all-round hard egg Nemanja Vidic, alongside either Jonny Evans or Rio Ferdinand in central defence. Then, of course, there are the likes of utility defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, while Patrice Evra firmly remains the club’s first-choice left-back.
Nevertheless, the defence is in more of a state of flux than in years gone by; these are transitional times for the United back four and, you would think, the ideal period for both the Da Silva twins to make their mark, but a series of niggling injuries and penchant for the treatment table have seriously hindered their progress in recent years.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Everton left-back Leighton Baines this summer, which would indicate that Ferguson has finally cottoned on to the significant drop in performance of Evra over the past year or so. This would indicate two things – firstly, that the club are in the market for a new left back and long-term heir to the Frenchman and secondly, that Ferguson simply doesn’t trust Fabio yet.
Rafael battled gamely with John O’Shea the year before last for the right-back role and with the Irishman having surprisingly been allowed to move to Sunderland at the beginning of last season, the spot was there for the taking, but he went on to make just 18 appearances in total last term and you have to wonder if his chance has now passed, more by circumstance as opposed to any real fault of his own.
They both clearly have fantastic potential – energetic, committed (sometimes too much) and with an excellent work-rate – the only thing really missing is the fact that they lack positional discipline, which is something that’s easily solved the more that they play, but they’ve made just 44 league appearances between them in the last two seasons.
Injuries have hugely restricted their development at a crucial time in their respective careers. Now should be the time when we are talking about how settled the side are when it comes to the full-back positions for the next decade or so, particularly when you consider their age, but it still hasn’t happened yet.
Ferguson has utilised the loan market to his benefit in the past, with Danny Welbeck at Sunderland and Tom Cleverley at Wigan both earning rave reviews playing week-in, week-out which granted them the platform to push on once they returned to Old Trafford, and the Da Silva twins are more than capable of doing the same.
However, with both Welbeck and Cleverley, you could understand why their route into the starting eleven remianed blocked for the time being, considering the established players and depth of talent that they had in front of them, but that simply doesn’t apply to Fabio and Rafael.
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The French pair of Le Tallec and Sinama Pongolle were expected to achieve great things at Anfield but ultimately, they not only fell well short, they were cast by the wayside and there remains a very real worry that Ferguson is beginning to see a future beyond the talented Brazilian twins, instead choosing to cast his eye elsewhere at more reliable and durable options. If they manage to stay at the club next season, it will remain the biggest of their careers, for even the word ‘potential’ has an expiry date on it.
The clubs pushing for a spot in the top four have to try and compete both on and off the pitch. Whilst in terms of recent achievements on the pitch teams like Liverpool and Tottenham are falling behind their rivals, both have invested time in considering a new stadium to better compete at the top of the Premier League and in Europe. But should both clubs consider the perils of investing heavily in a new ground?
Building a new, bigger stadium would on the face of it be a huge bonus with increased gate receipts and larger revenues that improved infrastructure can generate. The growth of teams often comes hand in hand with investment on and off the pitch. In recent months both Tottenham and Liverpool have been reportedly keen on building new stadiums. The disappointment over missing out on the Olympic Stadium has not deterred Spurs and Daniel Levy from believing that a new ground is essential to Tottenham’s future growth. Liverpool have been weighing up the prospects of redeveloping Anfield or building a completely new stadium. But would the financial burden of a new ground come at the cost in other areas of the clubs?
Arsenal’s move to the Emirates from Highbury in 2006 was a fantastic long-term move for the Gunners but the project cost £390million with a reported loan of £260million to finance the move. The burden of debt (thought to reach nearly £318million at Arsenal in recent years but now slashed considerably) will always have an impact of financial resources and free cash available in other areas of the club, most notable to fans would be transfer fees and wages. Loans taken out for new stadiums mean interest rates and repayments are a continued issue. The true effect of the debt on spending will only be known by the Gunners’ hierarchy but Arsenal’s conscientious spending on new players in recent years has meant that whilst their infrastructure has improved greatly, they have not developed sufficiently on the pitch.
But there are fantastic benefits of having a new ground. The Gunners are reaping the awards of increased gate revenues and being able to sustain competitiveness with an impressive stadium. There is no doubt that to expand, infrastructure is often key. The fact that Arsenal can generate nearly £94million from a 60,000-seat stadium compared to just under £37million in the 36,000 capacity White Hart Lane hit Spurs hard. But clubs like Tottenham and Liverpool must consider whether they are happy being potentially uncompetitive in the transfer market until sufficient revenues could be generated from any move?
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Plans for Spurs’ new £400million stadium will need to be properly financed so there is no long-term debt effect. Tottenham have applied for public funding whilst another possible option reported last month was asking supporters to pay some of their fees for long-term contracts upfront that would effectively part fund any new stadium and hopefully pay off any debt quickly, thus reducing any impact on player investment.
Liverpool are facing the same issue as Spurs and are considering whether redevelop their famous home Anfield or build a new ground in their push for growth. The Reds’ plans have hit many stumbling blocks recently in their desire to increase Anfield’s 45,000 capacity. A potential move to Stanley Park would be an ideal way for Liverpool FC to continue to expand as a brand and business but the financial burden for a club riddled with recent money problems would be a huge risk for the current owners to take.
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The prospect of a new stadium is exciting for any club but for teams like Liverpool and Tottenham, chasing the top tier of the Premier League both on and off the pitch is risky business. The burden of stadium debt may take a toll on other areas of the club and like Arsenal have shown, a new ground doesn’t generate instant success on the pitch. Fans may be looking forward to watching their team in an impressive new stadium in years to come but the true scale of such an investment may come at a cost to more than just the bank balance of clubs.
Should Liverpool and Spurs burden themselves with debt for a new stadium? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5