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Arsenal have been told exactly what it will take for Benjamin Sesko to leave RB Leipzig this summer, as his agent speaks out about reports linking his client with a move away from the Red Bull Arena.

Arsenal offered 21-goal striker who's a "priority signing" for Tottenham

The north London clubs could go head-to-head.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2025

Sesko has just finished a career-best Bundesliga campaign, bagging 21 goals in all competitions, but he couldn’t quite guide Leipzig to a European spot – with the Germans missing out on a place in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

It is the first time Leipzig haven’t qualified for Europe since their top-flight arrival in 2016, and this will surely get Sesko thinking about his immediate future as Arsenal reportedly circle to offer him a route out.

The Slovenia international is a top target for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, who’s been chasing his signature for 12 months.

Arsenal had a proposal rejected for Sesko last summer, who instead put pen to paper on a contract extension to remain at Leipzig and further his development, with the north Londoners also having an attempt rebuffed in January (Ben Jacobs).

They’re now trying to make it ‘third-time-lucky’ with another move for Sesko, and “concrete talks” have been taking place since late May (Florian Plettenberg). However, as things stand, Sky Germany are reporting that Arsenal are unwilling to match Leipzig’s financial demands for the centre-forward.

With plenty of work still to do, the 22-year-old’s own representative, Elvis Basanovic, has now provided an update on his client’s future in an interview with GiveMeSport this week.

Arsenal told key transfer condition by Benjamin Sesko's agent

Speaking to GMS, Basanovic has revealed the key condition for Sesko to depart Leipzig before summer deadline day on September 1.

The agent claims he’ll only leave Leipzig for a “special” new destination, refusing to clarify whether Arsenal fall into this category. When asked if the plan for Sesko is to find a new club, Basanovic said: “Well, his numbers at his age compared to some strikers with already great careers at his age are confirming my words.

“He will move from RB Leipzig only when we recognise a special club, a special project with a special coach.”

More worryingly for Arteta, the intermediary even suggested that Sesko could stay at Leipzig for years if they deem it the right call.

“It can be next week, or next year, or in 3 years,” Basanovic continued.

“Even if there may be – or will be – a strong desire of the player to move to a certain club, we will never force or blackmail RB Leipzig. I believe this is not the right way, because the way you actually exit from the club shows your values. Values that you are bringing into a new club.

“I can understand in very big transfers, there are a lot of different interests, but no matter what, I believe in the football world ‘there’ should be more respect. So that’s why we do things in the right way, or we don’t do them. It’s very simple, even maybe in the media it looks very complicated.”

Even though there are four Premiership matches still to play, Rangers supporters’ focus is very much on their plans for the summer.

Sunday sees the final Old Firm of the season, with the Gers actually targeting a third successive victory over their fiercest rivals, although it hasn’t helped much, given that Celtic sit 17 points clear at the top, crowned champions last weekend.

If Rangers are going to bridge that gap over the summer, they’ll need to get their recruitment spot on, so could bringing a “massive talent” in on loan prove to be a smart move?

Arne Engels' impact this season

On deadline day last summer, as a replacement for Matt O’Riley, Celtic broke their transfer record to sign Arne Engels from Augsburg for a reported £11m.

So, has the Belgian proved to be good value for money this season?

Let’s have a look at the midfielder’s statistics to help decide.

Appearances

48

Minutes

3,017

Goals

10

Penalty goals

8

Assists

12

Big chances created

14

As the table outlines, Engels’ output this season is pretty impressive this season, albeit his goal-scoring numbers are somewhat inflated by the fact he has converted eight penalties.

Nevertheless, at 21-years-old, there’s still plenty of time for him to come good and, flipping it to Rangers, they simply cannot afford to spend £11m on a player, their record signing of the modern-era is the £7m paid to make Ryan Kent’s move permanent in 2019.

So, should the Gers utilise the loan market to add quality to their squad, with another ex-Liverpool youngster potentially available?

Rangers' midfield target

As outlined already this week, Rangers may have the chance to reignite their prior January interest in Bobby Clark, with the youngster in line for a loan exit from Red Bull Salzburg this summer.

The 20-year-old spent time in Birmingham, Newcastle and then Liverpool’s academies, making his breakthrough on Merseyside, appearing 14 times for the Reds’ first team, most notably winning the EFL Cup against Chelsea at Wembley.

Then, last summer, after Jürgen Klopp’s long-time assistant Pepijn Lijnders was appointed as Salzburg’s new manager, he convinced the Austrian Bundesliga side to pay £10m to secure his services, the third-biggest fee Salzburg have ever paid.

Fair to say, this has not worked out for anyone involved; Lijnders was sacked just before Christmas, while die Roten Bullen remain fourth in the table, on course for their lowest finish in two decades, set to enter the Conference League in the second qualifying round, having featured in the Champions League group phase in each of the last six seasons.

As a whole, this campaign has been a complete catastrophe for Salzburg, while it’s not gone much better for Clark personally.

Appearances

24

13th

Minutes

1,142

16th

UCL minutes

326

14th

Goals

1

=12th

Assists

2

=9th

Due to his lack of minutes, a report by Christoph Nister of Kronen Zeitung claims that the plan is for Clark to be loaned out next season, so should Rangers make a move?

Well, despite the fact it has not worked out for Clark in Austria, he is still a quality player.

Newcastle reporter Lee Ryder has hailed him as a “really exciting player”, Ciaran Varley of BBC Sport is impressed by his ‘fast footwork’ and eye for goal, while Caoimhe O’Neill of The Athletic described him as an “attacking midfielder” who “plays close to the striker” and “is very athletic”.

So, let’s analyse how he compares to the aforementioned Engels – with the pair noted as similar players in this season’s Champions League, as per FBref.

Non-penalty goals

31%

31%

Shots

23%

54%

Assists

28%

94%

Shot-creating actions

43%

70%

Pass completion

47%

4%

Progressive passes

32%

37%

Progressive carries

71%

52%

Successful take-ons

42%

36%

Tackles

83%

71%

Interceptions

24%

20%

Touches

68%

64%

As the table outlines, Clarke and Engels are stylistically very similar, with the Englishman actually coming out on top for a high proportion of these Champions League statistics this season, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Salzburg were generally hopeless in that competition, losing seven of eight fixtures, finishing third-bottom.

Thus, Clark would certainly be worth Rangers taking a punt on, a move that the 20-year-old may find even more attractive, if a certain Steven Gerrard is re-appointed manager.

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ByBen Gray May 2, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur secured their place in the semi-final of the Europa League last night, with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

Dominic Solanke’s first-half penalty was enough for Ange Postecoglou’s side, securing a 2-1 aggregate win after the 1-1 draw in North London last Thursday.

The triumph sets up a last-four clash with Bodo Glimt, moving the Lilywhites one step closer to European glory and potentially putting a superb end to a dismal season.

It certainly was a night to remember, giving a generation of supporters a new high in their time supporting the club, aiming to reach a first European final since 2019.

However, despite the impressive victory, numerous players failed to deliver in Germany, potentially putting their place in the side at huge jeopardy going forward.

Spurs’ poor performers against Eintracht Frankfurt

Winger Mathys Tel has been an inconsistent player to say the least since his January loan move from Bayern Munich, with last night no different for the Frenchman.

The 19-year-old only completed one of the five dribbles he attempted, whilst finding a teammate on just 33% of the times he delivered the ball into the 18-yard box.

He wasn’t the only one who struggled, with Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur looking a shadow of his former self during the victory over Frankfurt.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but only managed to win 17% of the ground duels he entered, along with getting dribbled past twice as he was unable to make a huge impact on proceedings.

Despite the showings of the aforementioned duo, one other player failed to impress, with boss Postecoglou desperately needing to drop him ahead of Monday’s game with Nottingham Forest.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Frankfurt

Injuries at Spurs have left Postecoglou with limited options at numerous points of the season, undoubtedly having a huge impact on the club’s lowly league standing.

Such an occurrence has allowed numerous players to stake their claim for a regular starting role, taking advantage of an opportunity that often wouldn’t be thrown in their direction.

Lucas Bergvall is arguably the biggest example of the situation, now being a vital member of the side, featuring for the entirety of the win against Frankfurt last night.

However, despite his success, winger Brennan Johnson was unable to have a similar impact, once again struggling to provide a reason as to why the hierarchy paid £47.5m for his signature.

The Welshman featured for 85 minutes before being replaced by Kevin Danso, with Ange opting to see out the result and switch to a back five for the closing stages.

Such a change was inevitable, but the 23-year-old did himself no favours during his time on the pitch, completing just 69% of the passes he attempted, whilst losing possession six times.

He also lost 66% of the duels he entered against the German opposition, whilst managing just 22 touches – a tally less than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who registered 45.

Minutes played

85

Touches

22

Passes completed

11/16 (69%)

Duels lost

4/6 (66%)

Possession lost

6x

Shots taken

0

Dribbles completed

0

As a result of his showing last night, Johnson was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by the London Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick – highlighting how disappointing he was in the triumph.

Given his display, Ange simply has to drop the winger ahead of the clash with his former side, needing to give other players an opportunity to demonstrate their quality.

He’s struggled massively in recent weeks once again, potentially needing to be taken out of the firing line to recapture his early season form in North London.

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ByEthan Lamb Apr 17, 2025

Surrey wicketkeeper opts to hone white-ball skills rather than be involved on tour of India

Matt Roller16-Jan-2024When England Lions line up against India A at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday, one player will be conspicuous by his absence. Jamie Smith hit a 71-ball century in the Lions’ most recent first-class match against Sri Lanka in the spring, but will be 1000 miles away from Ahmedabad preparing for the ILT20 in the UAE.Smith, a Surrey academy product, made his ODI debut in September and is widely considered to be a future England Test wicketkeeper. His record-breaking hundred for the Lions last year earned him rave reviews from Ian Bell, the Lions’ batting coach, and was enough to catch Ben Stokes’ eye while England were on tour in New Zealand.But rather than spending a second successive winter with the Lions, he has opted to fulfil a contract with Gulf Giants, where he will play under former England coach Andy Flower. It is a decision that many would interpret as a statement of priorities, but Smith himself is clear that it will help him achieve his ambition to be a three-format international cricketer.Related

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The ECB management are fully supportive. Smith spoke to Mo Bobat, the board’s departing performance director, before committing to the ILT20 and Rob Key, England’s managing director, is also on board. “It was a very open conversation between us,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo. “It wasn’t a case of ‘you can’t do this’ or ‘you have to do that’.”There’s always going to be a couple of conversations: my main goal is to play Test cricket for England and I don’t want to be blacklisted, but that was never the case and that was reassuring. I want to become a three-format player and I just felt at this time, I’ve probably had more experience in first-class cricket.”Smith has played more T20s (59) than first-class matches (50) but has not had a consistent role, batting everywhere from No. 1-9 in Surrey’s Blast side. “I’m a relative novice in terms of my T20 game,” he said. “I want to get more experience and a bit more exposure against quality overseas players, and expand my game that way.”The ECB were very supportive. I think they appreciate that I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on my red-ball stuff in the last few years. Last November, I was on the Lions camp in Dubai, had Christmas off then went over to Sri Lanka and was into the [county] season. There was no actual time spent practising any white-ball skills.”I was back into red-ball cricket, all the way through to the Blast and the schedule is so hectic. I finished our last Championship game [in May] and we were playing in the Blast straightaway. At the end of the year you always write down little things you want to explore and work on, but there just wasn’t actually any time I could dedicate to that.”

“I want to go out and be proactive in red-ball cricket, put people under pressure. In the past there has been a misconception that you’re only a white-ball player or a red-ball player. You have to look at the bigger picture”

But Smith believes that playing franchise cricket will not only help his T20 game. “I want to go out and be proactive in red-ball cricket anyway, and put people under pressure,” he said. “In the past there has been a misconception that you’re only a white-ball player or a red-ball player, you have to look at the bigger picture.”Whether you’re on a Lions tour or in a franchise competition, you’re still playing games of cricket against high-quality, experienced players and you’re still trying to better yourself. I’d say my T20 game is very similar to my red-ball game and to me, it’s just about batting and improving – whatever environment that is in.”Smith is also conscious that franchises can be fickle. “There’s a limited window when you can get picked up. There are two or three competitions going on at the same time in January and February, then you’ve got the PSL and then ultimately the IPL, which is another aspiration a bit further down the line.”Without putting your name in the hat, you see how people are nowadays: you can just get moved on. There’s so many players out there, and if you don’t start taking a few of these opportunities up then all of a sudden, they will pass you by and there’ll be other players that will go past you.”Smith had his most prolific Championship season in 2023 as Surrey won their second title in a row, averaging 40.88 with two hundreds from No. 4. “I’d had a few goes in the past and people told me, ‘you might struggle with the moving ball’ but this time I made it my own,” he said. “And we came away with another trophy.”He also thrived in his first full season of the Hundred, batting at No. 3 for Birmingham Phoenix after he was picked up for £50,000 in the draft. “They gave me so much confidence. My role was clear from the get-go: you’re not scared of failing because you know you’ll be given the opportunity.”But the highlight of Smith’s summer came at Trent Bridge in September, when he made his England debut as part of a second-string ODI squad that beat Ireland 1-0 in a rain-affected series. “It was an incredibly proud moment for me, and for my family,” he said. “It gave me a snippet of what is hopefully to come.”You want to play in all three formats but to tick off one, nobody can take that away from you.” The second and third ticks are unlikely to be too far away.

The hopes of Sunrisers, Kings and KKR hinge on these two teams slipping up

S Rajesh17-May-2022Sunrisers Hyderabad: Mat 13, Pts 12, NRR -0.230
Sunrisers Hyderabad finally broke their run of five successive defeats, but the margin of their victory against Mumbai Indians was only three runs. That means their qualification chances are still extremely slim due to their poor net run rate of -0.230.Even if they win their last game, and if Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore lose theirs, the margins of two of those results will have to be huge for Sunrisers to have any chance. If, for example, Capitals lose by 50 runs chasing 200 in their last game against Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers will have win by 73 (if they score 200) against Punjab Kings to surpass Capitals’ NRR.Also, they will have to hope that Kolkata Knight Riders lose their last game against Lucknow Super Giants and remain on 12 points; otherwise, Sunrisers will have to exceed the NRR of Knight Riders too.Delhi Capitals: Mat 13, Pts 14, NRR 0.255
Delhi Capitals’ comfortable 17-run win against Punjab Kings on Monday was good news for them, but not so encouraging for all the other teams trying to sneak into the playoffs. Their net run rate, which was already a healthy 0.210, went up to 0.255, but the runs that Punjab Kings scored towards the end ensured there is still a chance for other teams to catch up, should there be an NRR scramble for the last spot.From Capitals’ point of view, the equation is simple: win the last game against Mumbai Indians on Saturday, and they qualify for sure. Even if they lose and stay on 14, they will have a fair chance to qualify if Royal Challengers Bangalore lose to Gujarat Titans. However, if it comes down to NRR, they aren’t yet safe.If Capitals lose their last game by 30 runs (chasing 171), their NRR will fall to 0.123. Currently Kolkata Knight Riders are at 0.160, so a win by any margin in their last game will keep them above 0.123. If Capitals lose by 15, their NRR will be 0.179. Thus, Capitals could still be on a sticky wicket if they lose to Mumbai Indians. They play their last game after Knight Riders, though, so they will know the equation before they get into that game on Saturday.Punjab Kings: Mat 13, Pts 12, NRR -0.043
Kings’ qualification chances have taken a severe beating with their loss to Capitals. Their NRR has slid into negative space, and even a 40-run win against Sunrisers in their last game (after scoring 170) will only improve it to 0.112. However, big victory margins have been common in the last few games – in seven of the last 13, the winning margin has been greater than 50 runs, while another win came with 31 balls to spare – which should give Kings some hope.They also play the last game of the league stage, which means they’ll know if they have a chance at all, and exactly what they need to do. Obviously, if Capitals or Royal Challengers win their last match and move to 16 points, Kings will be knocked out.Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mat 13, Pts 14, NRR -0.323
Royal Challengers will need Capitals to lose their last game to stand a chance of qualifying. Even if Royal Challengers score 200 and win their last game by 100 runs, their NRR will only improve to 0.071. Capitals will be well ahead of that if they win by any margin.And if both these teams lose and stay on 14, Capitals will have to lose by an absurdly high margin for their NRR to slip below that of Royal Challengers. For instance, if Royals Challengers lose by one run, Capitals will have to lose by around 150 (depending on the exact scores).In other words, Royal Challengers will have to win their last game, against table-toppers Titans, and hope that Capitals lose theirs against bottom-of-the-table Mumbai Indians.Royals and Super Giants are locked in a tight tussle for a second-place league finish behind Gujarat Titans•BCCIKolkata Knight Riders: Mat 13, Pts 12, NRR 0.160
Knight Riders still have a chance of qualifying if they win their last game, and if Capitals and Royal Challengers lose theirs. As mentioned earlier, their relatively healthy NRR means they are best placed to capitalise if those two teams slip up.Lucknow Super Giants: Mat 13, Pts 16, NRR 0.262
Lucknow Super Giants are already on 16, a tally that only four other teams can reach. Among them is Royal Challengers, with an NRR of -0.323. For Super Giants to lose out on a playoffs spot, they will have to suffer a big defeat against Knight Riders while Royal Challengers pull off a huge win against Titans.If Super Giants lose by 60 runs (chasing 201), Royal Challengers will have win by 89 (after scoring 200) to sneak ahead on NRR. That means Super Giants should consider their qualification chances pretty safe. They will be aiming higher than that, and will want to finish among the top two. That will depend entirely on the results of the last games of Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals, who are also on 16 points, but with a slightly better NRR.Rajasthan Royals: Mat 13, Pts 16, NRR 0.304
Like Super Giants, Royals are quite safe in terms of securing a place in the last four. For them to lose out, they will have to lose by 80 runs, while Royal Challengers will have to win their last game by the same margin (or the sum of the margins of these results will have to be roughly 160, depending on the actual scores).If both Royals and Super Giants win their last game, NRR will decide who finishes second and plays the first qualifier. If Super Giants score 180 and beat Knight Riders by 20 runs, Royals will need a 10-run win with the same total to stay ahead on NRR.

More than a hundred years ago, South Africa lost their fastest bowler to the politics of segregation

Firdose Moonda14-Jun-2020If the personal is political then the playing field is even more so, especially in South Africa. This is a country where sport and public policy have always gone in hand in hand, where race and class, rather than access and ability, open the doors to professional teams, and where selection has never been simple or purely about merit.That’s right, never. Not even at the beginning.When South Africa played their first Test, in March 1889, one William Milton was part of the XI. Milton was a former England rugby player and also head of the Western Province Cricket Union. A year later he became head of the Prime Minister’s Department for Cecil Rhodes. From its outset, cricket in the Cape was politicised, with Milton using his influence to organise English tours to South Africa, and to promote the game in the country, according to his standards.When South Africa played their most recent Test, in January 2020, Temba Bavuma was part of the XI. Bavuma is the only black African batsman to have played Test cricket for South Africa, and the only person from the country’s largest demographic who played in that Test. That meant South Africa fell behind on their transformation target – they are required to field, on average over the course of a season, a minimum of six players of colour, of whom two must be black African. This makes selection in some instances a colour-by-numbers game, with questions raised over the integrity of the process. Perhaps those questions should always have been asked.By the time South Africa played their third Test, in 1892, Milton was a political and sporting hotshot. Rhodes’ private secretary at the time, he was also captain of the country’s cricket team. He was responsible for organising England’s 1891-92 tour to South Africa, whose success hinged on ensuring the hosts provided a competitive enough team to take on their visitors, and provided the gamblers with content to hedge their bets on. On that score, he failed. South Africa were defeated by an innings and 189 runs.But the tourists were challenged later in the month. A Malay team, made up of players from the Cape coloured community, played against the English in an additional fixture. Malay slaves, and rebels and outcasts from the region, had been brought to South Africa from South East Asia by the Dutch in the 17th and 18th century. They brought Islam to the country and formed strong ties with other exiles from Madagascar, East Africa and Brazil, who were also dumped in the Cape by the Dutch. Though the Malays lost the match, they put up more of a fight, and one of them made much more of an impression than any of the South African national players.William Henry “Krom” Hendricks, described by George Hearne as the “fastest bowler in South Africa,” kept the Malay team in the game. Hearne captained the English side in the match against the Malays, and his only Test was the one in Cape Town earlier in 1892; his brother Frank played in that match for England, interestingly enough. It did not go unnoticed that the South African national side had lost because they lacked a strike bowler. Hendricks obviously had the potential to fill that gap, but he never played for South Africa.Hendricks was the earliest big casualty of racial segregation in South African cricket•Penguin Random HouseLittle was known about Hendricks until now, with the publication of , written by Jonty Winch and Richard Parry, who have pieced together the social history of cricket in the Cape, mostly through newspaper reports. They found reports of the game among coloured communities from the 1870s, and reference the first Malay inter-town tournament in 1890. The matches took place at Newlands, which at that point was leased to the Western Province Cricket Club, who allowed it to be used by Malays because they brought with them an estimated 5000 spectators and substantial amounts in gate receipts. So much for the later narrative that people of colour are not interested in cricket. Winch and Parry paint a picture of a vibrant and engaged cricket community, of which Hendricks was a part.

Other notable political selections/omissions in South African cricket

1968: Basil D’Oliveira
Lack of opportunity at home prompted D’Oliveira, a Cape Coloured, to take a chance elsewhere. In 1966, when he made his debut for England, there was already talk about his inclusion in the proposed 1968 tour of South Africa. Between politicking and a slump in form, D’Oliveira was omitted from the tour, but was added back as an injury replacement later, which South African politicians would not accept. When it became clear that D’Oliveira would not be allowed to face his former countrymen, England cancelled the tour, which proved a major catalyst for South Africa’s 20-year sporting isolation.
2002: Jacques Rudolph/Justin Ontong
Rudolph was set to make his Test debut in the final match of a three-Test series in Australia, before South Africa’s board president, Percy Sonn, intervened, arguing that Justin Ontong should play instead as a like for like middle-order replacement for Lance Klusener, who was ruled out. Sonn also made it known that the pace of transformation had been too slow and said picking Ontong, a coloured player, rather than Rudolph, would help to speed it up.
2015: Kyle Abbott/Vernon Philander
South Africa went into the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland without Abbott, who had been their best bowler by average and economy rate and with Philander, who was carrying a hamstring injury. The official comment was that Philander’s ability to move the ball off the seam sealed the decision, but it transpired later that the CSA CEO, Haroon Lorgat, had stressed the need to field a team that was more in line with transformation guidelines.
2019: The Temba Bavuma issue
After a humiliating tour of India, in which South Africa were whitewashed 3-0, changes had to be made in their batting line-up for the home series against England. Bavuma was injured for the opening Test and dropped for the next two. Captain Faf du Plessis explained that Bavuma needed to force his way back in through “weight of runs,” while du Plessis played despite struggling with his own form, and his average of 20.92 in the season drew the ire of Bavuma’s supporters.

The man himself is something of a mystery. Nobody knows why he had the nickname Krom, or exactly where he traces his ancestry to (Hendricks himself claimed that his mother was from the island of St Helena and his father was Dutch and early stories about him confused him for another Hendricks, Armien). There were no photographs of him that could be used in the book; the illustration above was created by an artist, Bella Forsyth, off a tiny picture from the 1930s which showed Hendricks in his early seventies standing next to his grandson.What is clear is that Hendricks was an immensely talented bowler and that he impressed many who came across him. Apart from Hearne, Hendricks also impressed the heads of the Transvaal and Free State cricket unions and the journalist Harry Cadwallader, all of whom advocated for his inclusion in the South African side that was due to tour England in 1894.Cadwallader was also the secretary of the South African Cricket Association, in charge of the 1894 trip. He wanted both Hendrickses (Krom and Armien) and Ebrahim Ariefdien, all bowlers, to be part of the group that travelled to England. He had the support of the diamond tycoon Abe Bailey, who was also a cricketer, and who was more interested in ensuring South Africa were strong on the field than on insisting they were white. Ironically, the same argument is often used today against transformation, and it appears race and performance have always been regarded as mutually exclusive.Cadwallader’s good intentions took on a different light when, in an article publicly supporting Hendricks’ inclusion, he wrote that Hendricks would travel as both a player and a baggage handler. Hendricks objected to that idea in a letter written to the the next day. “I would state that if chosen, I would not think of going in that capacity,” he wrote.Interestingly, Hendricks argued his place in the team on the basis of race. He questioned why he was regarded as being of colour. “I must disclaim any connection with the Malay community,” he wrote. Hendricks referenced his father’s birth to Dutch parents and his mother’s heritage in St Helena (an island in the South Atlantic Ocean best known for being the place of Napoleon’s death, where people are generally dark-skinned) as evidence that he was not Malay, and though he did not ask to be considered white, the implication was clear.Rhodes was aware of the issue, and was against Hendricks touring on racial grounds. He is reported to have said, “They would have expected him to throw boomerangs during the luncheon interval.” Through Milton, Rhodes was able to block Hendricks’ selection, even when Hendricks turned around and sought Cadwallader’s help in being included. Cadwallader wrote a subsequent letter to the claiming Hendricks would be “pleased to go to England if required, on certain low terms for services rendered and would not for a moment expect to be classed with the rest of the team”.So began a long and desperately sad period in Hendricks’ life, in which he grappled with his own identity. He tried several times to petition to play for white clubs and failed. He wrote numerous letters to newspapers to make his case. These were meticulously unearthed by the authors of this book, including one from as late as 1904, when he was 47 years old. Then, he applied to play senior cricket for Milton’s Western Province Cricket Club and argued that he was European, based on his father’s bloodline. His request was denied, on the basis of race. Instead, Hendricks continued to play among the coloured community, had 11 children and 40 grandchildren (one of whom went on to play football for Liverpool) and is barely celebrated among South Africa’s cricket greats.Penguin Random HouseMilton, on the other hand, has a legacy that lives on. The first state high school in Bulawayo is named after him. It has produced 17 first-class cricketers, 14 of whom are non-white, and also Hendrik Verwoerd, who went on to become prime minister of South Africa and is known as the architect of apartheid. Under Verwoerd, South Africa’s racial segregation become entrenched, and sport, like all other areas of life had to fall in line with that.There were no further suggestions of white and black players competing with or against each other at national level. South Africa’s national teams were all-white, and black players formed their own unions and tournaments, initially in separate race groupings and then collectively under the South African Cricket Board of Control. In 1991, the white and black boards were unified and South Africa, pre-democracy, re-entered the international sporting arena. They are a year short of three decades into this new era and selection is still politicised, with a government-imposed target system in place to address the pace of change. Apart from Bavuma, only eight other black Africans have played Test cricket out of a total of 110 post-readmission players. The discussion around transformation is ever present.In women’s cricket worldwide, the last five years have marked a significant change, culminating in February’s record crowd at the T20 World Cup final. In South Africa, women have been professional since 2014. They were the first South African senior team to have a black African head coach, and they are more demographically representative than the men’s team. It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact reason for this other than that, typically, the women’s game is not steeped in the same traditions as the men’s. Players are not produced by a small number of elite schools, which might have allowed the women’s game to diversify. Instead, there are other issues, not least of which is remuneration, as women seek to close the gender pay gap. And so, even as we move through some of the politics on the playing field, others remain deeply personal.Too Black to Wear Whites: The Remarkable Story of Krom Hendricks, a Cricket Hero who was Rejected by Cecil John Rhodes’ Empire
Jonty Winch and Richard Parry
Penguin Random House
255 pages, R260

The India fast bowler was one of the main reasons the fifth Test entered its final morning, and he put in a match-winning performance

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Aug-20253:04

Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj

Mohammed Siraj is a massive Cristiano Ronaldo fan. His “siu” celebrations make that quite clear. So, on the final morning of the fifth Test against England, it was CR7 who was on Siraj’s mind after he woke up restless at 6am instead of the usual 8am.In a way, Siraj was responsible for the Test entering the final day; he had caught Harry Brook at long leg but stepped on the boundary to concede six on Sunday. Brook went on to score a century and have what seemed like a match-turning partnership with Joe Root. But Siraj was also responsible for the match being poised on a knife edge, delivering two long and amazing spells of fast bowling on tired legs with an old ball.So, with England needing 35 to win the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and The Oval colosseum filling rapidly despite it being Monday morning, the gladiator in Siraj wanted to leave his mark. England had four wickets in hand, albeit one was Chris Woakes with arm in sling, but Siraj had belief.Related

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“I usually wake up at 8am, but today I woke up at 6am. I told myself I can do it today. I went on Google and searched for this image,” he said at the press conference after the match, raising his phone to show Ronaldo’s picture with “BELIEVE” written above it. “I downloaded the image, and made it the wallpaper. So belief is very important.”Belief is what allowed Siraj to bounce back from the mistake of reprieving Brook on 19. He said it was a “game-changing moment” when Brook got away and went into T20 mode to nearly take the Test away from India. But Siraj did not let that setback defeat him. “But I’m a senior bowler. I will not let my shoulder drop.”He told himself things happen, and moved on quickly. Shubman Gill, his captain, sitting next to him at the press conference after India’s win, quipped that if Siraj had held the catch, he could have saved everyone a lot of stress.”Also, if you had taken the catch, [I’m] thinking [it] would have been too easy for us,” Gill said as Siraj broke into a chuckle like the rest of the room.5:30

Gill on Oval win: ‘Makes you feel the journey is worth it’

Belief underpins the Siraj story, which started with a tennis ball in his late teenage years before he was spotted, nurtured and developed by former India quick and fast-bowling coach Bharat Arun. Combining belief with skill, Siraj has, along with Jasprit Bumrah, quickly grown into India’s most dependable fast-bowling duo in the longest format. For the second successive day, Siraj showed his sharp bowling intellect. He applied pressure from the first ball, delivering mostly outswingers, pitching on a good length and on the fifth- or sixth-stump line, and moving the ball away to challenge the England batters to take a risk.The batter’s problems were exacerbated by Siraj’s ability to cut the ball sharply into the pads with the wobble seam: to play him as a swing bowler, or a hit-the-deck bowler, which Siraj, in a chat with Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, said he was? He did not relent even for a minute until he had knocked back Gus Atkinson’s off stump with a 143kph yorker – just like he had hit Zak Crawley’s off stump with a similar ball to end play on day three.Siraj, who won the Player-of-the-Match award for his nine wickets at The Oval, bowled 185.3 overs in the series to finish as the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets. After the win, Siraj bounced around the ground with the ball in hand, thanking the fans, and arrived at the press conference flashing a big smile. High on dopamine, he showed no trace of the toil he has had for the last two months.5:16

Harmison: Siraj never looked like running out of steam

“Body is fine right now because it is almost 187 overs,” Siraj said when asked whether he felt exhausted. “But [when] you play for the country, you give everything. Don’t think too much [whether] you bowl the sixth over or you bowl your ninth over. I don’t care. I believe you bowl every ball for your country, not for yourself. [When] you play for the country, give it everything. Rest doesn’t matter.”Siraj had coped with an extremely heavy workload during India’s previous five-Test series too – the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. India lost that series 3-1 despite Bumrah’s record-breaking numbers, as he took 32 wickets. But Siraj, who had bowled 157.1 overs in that series, the most for India, also took 20 wickets at an average of just over 31. Siraj said his role in Australia was different to that in England, where he was the leader of the attack with Bumrah playing only three of the five Tests.”In Australia, while Jassi [Bumrah] was performing, my only job was to bowl in partnerships and build pressure, and not try something else – because then there is a potential to leak runs, and that could build pressure on us,” he said. “As for my improvement, I always believe in my bowling that I can take a wicket in any situation. I don’t mind whether I am bowling the first spell or eighth. I just need to give 100%. I have never run after results. Rather [I’m] focused on the process of how to build pressure by bowling in partnerships.”3:04

Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj

Siraj has been part of several memorable moments in Indian cricket. He was part of the team when Ajinkya Rahane’s India triumphed at the Gabba in 2020-21 to win the series in Australia 2-1. He felt this drawn series in England would be ranked slightly higher, though.”I will rate it higher because [of] the way we have fought throughout this series, with each Test going into the fifth day,” he said. “There was a lot of belief in this dressing room, and everyone believed this morning [that] we would win this match.”The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been a series full of unforgettable moments. Two of its defining images are of Siraj: one on his haunches at Lord’s after being bowled by Shoaib Bashir, and another of him covering his face in the fading light on an overcast Sunday at The Oval after letting Brook off.”I don’t know why I am in these moments,” he said. “At Lord’s, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish. But the almighty clearly had something good written for me in his mind, and that’s why I am here at this moment, and I could take the wickets in the end.”Siraj knows exactly why he is where he is – bowling India to one of their most famous victories, and their narrowest, by a margin of six runs.”Stay honest to your game,” he says. “Believe in yourself. Without belief, nothing can happen.”

The Chicago White Sox appear to be heading towards new ownership, but not for a while.

On Tuesday, the team announced a “long-term investment agreement” had been made between owner Jerry Reinsdorf and billionaire Justin Ishbia that “establishes a framework" for Ishbia to take a controlling share of the franchise down the road.

Per the team’s statement:

Ishbia, brother to and co-investor with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, is already a minority investor in the White Sox, but now looks to potentially see his share of the franchise increase into a controlling interest.

Ishbia had previously been connected to potentially purchasing the Minnesota Twins, but has since refocused, and apparently come to terms, on a deal of sorts with the White Sox.

“Having the incredible opportunity to own the Chicago White Sox and be part of Major League Baseball for nearly 50 years has been a life-changing experience,” said Reinsdorf in the team’s announcement. “I have always expressed my intent to operate the White Sox as long as I am able and remain committed to returning this franchise to the level of on-field success we all expect and desire.”

With this being a dead rubber, Suryakumar did not bat at all despite India losing eight wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025

Sanju Samson scored a stop-start 56 off 45 balls•Associated Press

Innings Abhishek Sharma’s speedy 38 in the powerplay, in which India scored 60, and Sanju Samson’s stop-start fifty took India to 188 for 8 against Oman in the last league fixture of the Asia Cup after they had decided to bat in Abu Dhabi.With this being a dead rubber, India experimented with their combination ahead of the Super Four, resting their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and newly minted No.1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy. India also fiddled with their batting line-up, with their captain Suryakumar Yadav not batting at all despite India losing eight wickets. The returning Harshit Rana managed an unbeaten 13 off eight balls from No. 8. He closed out the innings with a scythed six over point.It was Abhishek who made the early running for India, clattering five fours and two sixes during his 38 off 15 balls. He got a reprieve on 21 when he tickled Mohammad Nadeem down the leg side, but Vinayak Shukla, the Oman keeper, shelled the catch and umpire Raveendra Wilalasiri eventually deemed it as a wide ball.Abhishek added 17 to his tally before nicking another one behind, Shukla making no mistake this time. Samson had a slow start – he was on 13 off 14 balls at one point – but a six and a four off Madhya-Pradesh-born wristspinner Samay Shrivatsava got him out of first gear. Samson proceeded to crash Zikria Islam for a straight six in the tenth over, but slowed down once again thereafter.Then, after bringing up his half-century off 41 balls, Samson holed out in the 18th over. India cobbled together 21 off the last three overs and managed to find the boundary just once during this period.Faisal Shah, Jiten Ramanandi and Aamir Kaleem shared six wickets among them for Oman.

A mixed start – and recent injury – for Benjamin Sesko may have put a dampener on things, although it’s hard not to be impressed by Manchester United’s summer recruitment, with it finally looking as if the Red Devils have invested wisely in the transfer market.

It is also worth pondering just how Ruben Amorim’s side might have looked if things had panned out differently at the start of the window, with United notably chasing Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, after wrapping up a £62.5m deal for Matheus Cunha.

The England striker – fresh off scoring 12 times at Portman Road in the Premier League – was an attractive target due to his £30m release clause, although despite lengthy negotiations, he ultimately opted for Chelsea and Champions League football instead.

There is a sense that perhaps United have had the last laugh with regard to the ex-Manchester City man, with Delap yet to score for the Blues this season, although frustration might still linger over the failure to prise Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

Ahead of ultimately forking out for Sesko, there were suggestions that the Old Trafford side were leading the race for the Ghanaian, amid the prospect of a potential £70m switch.

Frustratingly, the 25-year-old stayed put on the south coast, and is now flourishing again under Andoni Iraola, sparking hope that a renewed approach from Amorim and co could be in store in the New Year.

Latest on Antoine Semenyo's future

There was a sense over the summer that Amorim and co could put together a completely new-look, Premier League-proven forward line, with Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo potentially set to be joined by Semenyo as the attacking spearhead.

Sesko, ultimately, was recruited instead, although with the Slovenian scoring just twice since his arrival from RB Leipzig, a further forward still appears a necessity, hence potentially turning to Semenyo again in 2026.

The former Bristol City man – who can operate all across the frontline, as well as at wing-back – remains a worthy option amid what has been a stunning season so far in 2025/26, having registered nine goals and assists in just 11 league games.

Arguably the “best winger in the country”, in the view of pundit Chris Waddle, Semenyo is again likely to turn heads in January, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealing on Monday that there will be a release clause to activate in the player’s contract in that winter window.

Previously valued at £70m, the in-demand speedster will now cost ‘just’ £65m in January for a specific time period, with that figure then set to reduce again next summer.

As per the report, both United and Tottenham Hotspur are named as the clubs who ‘coveted’ him in the most recent window, although the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool are now also in the equation.

As already suggested, Semenyo’s red-hot form has certainly warranted such admiring glances, although back at Old Trafford, Amorim already has a similar figure to shout about.

Man Utd's own version of Semenyo

It has been remarkable to witness Semenyo’s rise under Iraola in recent times, having previously scored just 21 times in 125 games during his stint at Ashton Gate, as well as enduring a goalless seven-game spell at Sunderland in League One.

In 90 games working with the Basque boss, however, the £65m man has already chalked up 40 goals and assists, as per Transfermarkt, with his devastating brilliance best seen on the opening weekend against Liverpool, having run almost the full length of Anfield before lashing home in that 4-2 defeat.

He does look unstoppable right now, although the same can be said of the aforementioned Mbeumo, with Amorim and INEOS perhaps thanking their lucky stars that the Cameroonian decided to join them over the summer, after initially missing out on Delap.

Protracted negotiations with Brentford did ensure it was something of a waiting game to see if the 26-year-old would actually make the switch from west London, although since arriving in the door, the clinical left-footer has hardly put a foot wrong.

Indeed, since netting his first goal for the club away at Grimsby Town, Mbeumo has gone on to score five times in just 11 Premier League games – just one shy of Semenyo’s record – while also chipping in with a solitary assist thus far.

Fresh off the back of a standout 20-goal season with the Bees, the one-time Troyes starlet has already cemented himself as arguably United’s “best player”, in the words of Wayne Rooney, amid his rampant start to 2025/26.

Like Semenyo, the £71m man can operate on either flank or in a false nine role, having even interchanged nicely with Amad at wing-back of late, with the pair striking up a fruitful partnership down that right-hand side.

Games (starts)

11 (11)

11(11)

Goals

6

5

Big chances missed

5

3

Goal conversion

26%

19%

Assists

3

1

Big chances created

0

3

Key passes*

1.0

1.7

Pass accuracy*

77%

80%

Successful dribbles*

1.9

0.8

That likeness to the Bournemouth talisman in a positional sense is also backed up by their likeness in a statistical and stylistic sense, with the pair deemed to be similar players among those in their position in Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Two of the most in-form forwards in the Premier League right now, you would be splitting hairs to decide who is the better player between Semenyo and Mbeumo, with the two men so decisive for their respective sides.

In an ideal world, they might even be lining up together at some stage in 2026, although even if Semenyo doesn’t end up in Manchester, at least United have Mbeumo to hang their hat on these days.

The new Ronaldo: Man Utd preparing British-record bid for £200m superstar

Manchester United are looking to make further attacking investments after this summer’s spending.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025