In every great Manchester United side, you’ll typically find a midfield lynchpin, a driving force behind it all from the centre of the park.

In Sir Alex Ferguson’s pomp, he was blessed with two such figures in the form of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, the two men forming the bedrock of the side that would claim treble-winning glory in 1998/99.

Ironically, also the two men who actually missed the crowning moment at Camp Nou through suspension and injury, respectively, the Keane and Scholes pairing is arguably the best there’s ever been at Old Trafford.

There’s an argument, too, that they are the “best pair in the history of English football”, in the view of an – unbiased – Gary Neville.

It would be unfair to suggest that the modern-day duo of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are way off that status, considering their own individual quality, but this is still a brittle pairing, a short-term fix that Ruben Amorim has almost been forced to resort to.

Having bolstered the top end of the pitch over the summer, United are just about getting by despite a lack of midfield reinforcement – could that all change in 2026?

Latest on Man Utd's midfield search

There is a frustration that the Red Devils left themselves somewhat short in midfield for the new season, although it was fanciful to assume that after splashing out £250m on four senior signings, another sizeable investment would be dished out on a midfielder.

There was notable interest in the likes of Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, with the latter man believed to be particularly keen on making the move to Old Trafford. A reported £100m plus price tag, however, proved prohibitive.

Rather than merely turning to a bargain alternative, United have perhaps wisely played the waiting game instead, ready to attack the market again, be it in January or next summer.

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According to recent reports from Caught Offside, there is said to be a growing confidence that Jason Wilcox and co can strike a deal for Nottingham Forest star, Elliot Anderson, with the England international said to be ‘open’ to making the switch.

That willingness to join Amorim’s ranks has sparked hope back in Manchester that United can secure a ‘bargain’ fee for his signature, seemingly far below the widely touted £100m asking price that Forest are believed to have set.

As per the report, a figure closer to £60m might be more realistic, with Anderson perhaps representing the midfield solution that Amorim is desperate for.

How Man Utd's £60m target compares to Casemiro

Anderson is certainly man of the moment right now, with recent international breaks seemingly seeing him nail down a number six role alongside Declan Rice for England, ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Kobbie Mainoo might be a cautionary tale of what can happen to those who enjoy a meteoric rise at club and international level, but the Forest man can only be judged on what he’s doing right now.

At present, he’s looking sensational.

In the view of talkSPORT’s Max Scott, the 22-year-old simply “has it all”, with the reporter even going as far as to suggest that the ex-Newcastle United talent has “a bit of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Zinedine Zidane all rolled into one”.

A rising English star, like Scholes, Anderson could well follow in the footsteps of Keane by moving from the City Ground to the Theatre of Dreams, with that switch having proven so fruitful for the Irishman under Ferguson.

Those might be wild, hyperbolic comparisons to be making, although that is the level of quality that the £60m maestro possesses, having even been likened to a young Paul Gascoigne amid his prior emergence on Tyneside.

Newcastle’s PSR-related loss has certainly been Forest’s gain, with United now hoping that they can steal a march on the competition and tempt the £40k-per-week playmaker into jumping ship in 2026.

Casemiro is currently holding the fort alongside Fernandes, although the 33-year-old’s inability to last the full 90 minutes is a growing problem, having been substituted off on seven occasions this season, while seeing red against Chelsea.

Only five of the 20 goals United have conceded in all competitions have come when the resurgent Brazilian is on the pitch, but he certainly isn’t the Champions League-winning force that he once was. On current evidence, Anderson is looking a step above.

Non-penalty goals

0.44

0.00

Assists

0.15

0.09

Shot-creating actions

1.32

4.18

Passes attempted

52.77

76.45

Pass completion

81.4%

83.4%

Progressive passes

4.40

8.82

Progressive carries

0.15

1.36

Successful take-ons

0.29

1.27

Tackles

3.22

2.64

Interceptions

0.72

0.91

In the Premier League this season, for instance, the younger man ranks in the top 1% of midfielders for passes attempted and progressive passes, as well as in the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.

Casemiro, by contrast, ranks in just the top 36%, the bottom 45% and the bottom 30% for those same three metrics, respectively, albeit while coming out on top for both non-penalty goals and tackles made.

That said, Anderson is certainly no slouch in that latter department – as his 2.64 tackles per 90 record illustrates – providing Amorim with a potential all-round, all-action, athletic upgrade who can instantly hit the ground running in the much-discussed 3-4-2-1 system.

While it remains to be seen if it will require a bid of closer to £100m or £60m to secure his services, United must do what they can to make Anderson the new centre-piece of Amorim’s ageing midfield.

Man Utd "confident" they'll sign Anderson for £40m less than Forest's asking price

He’s keen on an Old Trafford transfer.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 22, 2025

On Wednesday, the Pohlad family announced a shocking reversal of course regarding the sale of the Twins.

In a statement, the Pohlads revealed they would no longer be pursuing a sale of the franchise and instead will retain ownership of the Twins while adding two "significant limited partnership groups." The ownership group had spent the last year looking into selling the franchise.

"For more than four decades, our family has had the privilege of owning the Minnesota Twins," the statement read. "This franchise has become part of our family story, as it has for our employees, our players, this community, and Twins fans everywhere.

"Over the past several months, we explored a wide range of potential investment and ownership opportunities. Our focus throughout has been on what's best for the long-term future of the Twins. We have been fully open to all possibilities.

"After a detailed and robust process, our family will remain the principal owner of the Minnesota Twins. To strengthen the club in a rapidly evolving sports landscape – one that demands strong partnerships, fresh ideas, and long-term vision – we are in the process of adding two significant limited partnership groups, each of whom will bring a wealth of experience and share our family values.

"We see and hear the passion from our partners, the community, and Twins fans. This ownership group is committed to building a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for."

Back in March reported the Pohlads were seeking a sale price of at least $1.7 billion and that the team had accrued over $425 million in debt, which may have complicated a possible sale.

The Pohlads now embark upon their promised quest of building a "winning team and culture" in Minnesota, which has proven difficult during their 40-plus year stewardship. It will be even more difficult going forward after the Twins underwent a dramatic firesale at the MLB trade deadline and shipped off most of the top talent on the roster, headlined by Jhoan Duran and Carlos Correa.

Major League Baseball is set to implement an Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) beginning in the 2026 season, the league announced on Tuesday. Each team will receive two challenges per game, and the challenges can be kept if they are successful. The challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher or batter immediately following a pitch.

Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken Jr. was asked about the ABS system coming to baseball next season, and voiced strong support of it in an appearance with 106.7 's show on Thursday.

"I'm for the system," Ripken said. "I really believe the whole game can swing on one pitch. You know, it's a 2-1 count, bases loaded and a slider's gonna be down and away and they get the call—it's 2-2 as opposed to 3-1 with the hottest hitter at the plate. It changes the opportunity. Tennis does a good job, football does a good job with the technology, and we have that here. I guess the question is, 'Is two challenges enough?' So it's going to be a little bit of a learning period and a tweaking period and who knows, maybe it goes to all ABS at some point. But I like the idea."

It will certainly be a change that some fans will support and others—baseball purists—may not. But it is baseball's foray into 21st century technology and the challenge system in a sport that is difficult to officiate is long overdue.

Saturday night's epic Game 7 closed out a thrilling World Series and drew baseball's biggest television audience in eight years.

According to early numbers from Nielsen, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings brought in an average of 25.98 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and Fox Sports. Viewership peaked between 11:30-11:45 p.m. to 31.54 million as both teams tried to find what would prove to be the World Series-clinching run.

More detailed numbers are expected on Tuesday, but Fox Sports is already trumpeting what looks to be an incredible success. The last broadcast to deliver such a number was Game 7 of the 2017 Fall Classic between the Houston Astros and Dodgers, which came in at 28.29 million viewers.

While any headline about historic viewership is welcomed with open arms by baseball, this one is especially impressive considering that these numbers do not include the massive Canadian audience tuned into the event.

It's hard to imagine two teams working together to create more spectacular drama—and more of it—than what the Blue Jays and Dodgers were able to put together. Avoiding any overlap with the NFL and getting a showcase for Game 7 against a weaker college football primetime slate helped push the number even higher.

Well, that was nothing short of unbelievable.

The Dodgers and Blue Jays gave us an instant classic Monday night in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series, though it took a long time to get there. After 18 grueling innings, Freddie Freeman sent most of Dodger Stadium home happy with a walk-off bomb in the bottom of the 18th inning, giving L.A. a 6–5 win and a 2–1 lead in the series.

Monday night's contest was one of the best World Series games we've seen in years. A back-and-forth affair that saw several huge plays and just as many blunders. And it ended with a classic, walk-off moment that will stand the test of time.

It was the kind of game that reminds us why we love baseball.

Freddie Freeman does it again

Can this guy get any more clutch? Freeman won Game 1 of the 2025 World Series with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, and was back at it again Monday night. He launched a 3–2 pitch from Brendon Little over the center field wall to give the Dodgers an enormous victory and a 2–1 lead in the series.

Freeman hasn't had the best postseason. Before Game 3, he was slashing .222/.340/.400, with a solo homer representing his only RBI in 12 games. But when L.A. needed him the most, he was there, coming up with one of the biggest hits in franchise history. Again.

With all the ink Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts get, it's easy to forget Freeman is a former MVP himself. He's a nine-time All-Star, the 2020 National League MVP and was the MVP of the 2024 World Series. Moments like the one he created Monday night are a reminder that he’ll almost certainly end up in the Hall of Fame.

Eric Lauer and Will Klein were phenomenal

In an 18-inning game, teams need pitchers to step up, and both teams got stellar performances from their bullpens, especially from lesser-known guys.

Blue Jays lefty Eric Lauer entered the game with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning and proceeded to go 4 2/3 shutout innings, while allowing two hits and four walks and striking out two. He walked a tightrope at times, but threw 68 pitches and battled his way through the Dodgers' powerful lineup several times. In the end, he recorded as many outs as Max Scherzer, who started the game for Toronto. Lauer was phenomenal and kept his team in the game and fighting.

On the other side, Dodgers righty Will Klein was outstanding in just his second postseason appearance. The 25-year-old tossed four shutout innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out four. He was exceptional and kept the Blue Jays' lineup off-balance. He eventually earned the win for his efforts.

Klein's previous high for pitches thrown in an outing this year was 36. He threw 72 on Monday night. He earned a well-deserved day off on Tuesday.

Shohei Ohtani is still unbelievable

There are no words for how good Shohei Ohtani is and how he can completely wreck a game. On Monday night, he was at his absolute best at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and two doubles. But it gets better.

Ohtani came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with Toronto leading 5–4 with one out and the bases empty. He was already 3-for-3 with a home run and two doubles, yet for some reason the Blue Jays allowed Seranthony Domínguez to attack him. Big mistake. Ohtani launched the first pitch he saw into the left-center field stands to tie the game 5–5, where it stayed for what felt like three days.

That was enough for Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who decided to walk Ohtani in every at-bat after that. Four came via the intentional variety, and one was all but on purpose. Frankly, I'd be shocked if Ohtani sees a decent pitch with first base empty the rest of the series.

The soon-to-be four-time MVP reached base a postseason record times in Game 3. We saw a lot of crazy things Monday night, but nothing topped that stat.

John Schneider over-managed the game, and it cost Toronto

The decisions managers make are put under a microscope during extra-inning games, and whether it's fair or not, Schneider is getting that treatment here.

In a piece of bad luck, George Springer exited the game in the seventh inning after suffering an injury. Then, after Bo Bichette hit an RBI single to score Vladimir Guerrero Jr. later that frame, Toronto's manager pulled his second-best hitter, using Isiah Kiner-Falefa to run for him. That move was understandable. The Blue Jays had a 5–4 lead, and Bichette just returned from a knee injury. Kiner-Falefa went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a walk over the next 11 innings. In hindsight, it may not have been the best move, but it was at least understandable. A few others were not.

Addison Barger has been on fire in the postseason, and in the top of the eighth, he reached on a throwing error by Mookie Betts. With the score 5–5, Schneider opted to pull him in favor of the faster Myles Straw. It seemed like a bad idea at the time and is worse in hindsight. Straw wound up stranded on third base, then over the course of the next 10 innings, he went 0-for-4 and looked mostly helpless at the plate, including when he popped out on an attempted bunt in the 12th inning. Toronto missed Barger in those spots.

Schneider's most egregious move came in the top of the 12th after catcher Alejandro Kirk walked to start the inning. He brought in the faster Tyler Heineman to pinch run for his star catcher, then watched as Straw failed to bunt him over. Heineman wound up stranded at third, and the Blue Jays lost one of their best hitters, not to mention one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. In the top of the 18th, Heineman came to the plate with runners on first and second and two outs, and struck out to end the inning. That should have been Kirk.

Straw and Heineman combined to go 0-for-7 with two strikeouts after entering the game. It's a reminder that it's a terrible idea to take out your best bats in a tie game. Schneider simply outsmarted himself by overthinking and over-managing. It cost the Blue Jays.

Losing George Springer is a huge blow for the Blue Jays

George Springer suffered what appeared to be an oblique injury while fouling off a pitch in the seventh inning. The 36-year-old has been enormous for the Blue Jays this season, and if he's out, it is a massive blow to the team's lineup.

Springer turned back the clock in 2025, as he finished the season slashing .309/.339/.593 with 32 home runs, 84 RBIs, 106 runs, a career-best wRC+ of 166 and 5.2 fWAR. He had continued that momentum in the postseason, as he's slashed .246/.323/.571 with four home runs, nine RBIs and a wRC+ of 153.

We don't definitively know if Springer will miss time, but if it is an oblique injury, it could end his season. Losing his bat for the rest of Game 3 hurt Toronto; losing him for the rest of the World Series could be devastating. With Bo Bichette already hobbled, injuries are piling up for the Blue Jays' lineup.

Sophie Devine has hit her purple patch right in time to lead New Zealand into the Women’s T20 World Cup

Alex Malcolm19-Feb-2020If New Zealand allrounder and now captain Sophie Devine leaves the MCG on March 8 with the World T20 title, a mountain of runs to her name and a bag of wickets, her rivals from Australia and England will have had a significant part to play.Devine, 30, enters the T20 World Cup in career-best form, ranked the world’s No. 1 allrounder, equal with Ellyse Perry, and the world’s No. 2 ranked batter.The newly minted New Zealand captain became the first player, male or female, to reach 50 in five consecutive T20Is less than two weeks ago, completing a stunning sequence with her maiden T20I century against South Africa in Wellington to help the home side to a 3-1 series win after being clean-swept in the preceding ODI series.ALSO READ: Sophie Devine’s form gives New Zealand hope of successThis came off the back of the WBBL, where she was the player of the tournament for her part in the Adelaide Strikers’ run to the final. She was the leading run scorer of the WBBL and was joint fourth among the wicket-takers.Devine partly credits her scintillating summer to a rare pre-season in Perth with Western Australia in Australia’s Women’s National Cricket League. The unusual opportunity came about through then WA coach and now England coach Lisa Keightley, who had previously worked with Devine at Loughborough Lightning in England’s Women’s Super League.”The pre-season I had in WA was fantastic for me,” Devine says. “It was the first pre-season I’d had in a number of years. So to be able to go back to basics and work day-in-day-out and with a great bunch of coaches [was great].

“Cricket can be a really fickle game, particularly T20. You can train the house down and feel a million bucks and get an absolute peach of a delivery and you’re out for a golden duck”

“We didn’t have anything New-Zealand-wise, so it was almost pure luck really. I don’t think it happens too often [that] you invite Kiwis over, but I really do appreciate everything the WACA provided for me.”Devine only played four games for WA in the WNCL either side of her WBBL commitments with the Adelaide Strikers and her Wellington and New Zealand duties, but she had a profound impact on the group during the pre-season.She made a match-winning century for WA against a Victoria attack featuring Australia trio Perry, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux in January. WA went on to win their first ever WNCL title last weekend against New South Wales, despite Devine and Keightley being absent.She also credits her form to her Wellington mentor Christie van Dyk, who pushed her to become a more consistent player. “A lot of my success recently has to go to him. He’s just really pushed me to be better, to want more for myself and to value my wicket,” Devine says. “If you asked players about me a couple of years ago, they would have said, ‘Could be a great player but just throws away her wicket a little bit.'”So I instilled that in my training and in games – really valuing my wicket and wanting to be a batter and spending time at the crease. Looking at my strengths, I know I can have that power side of the game, but if I can be in for more than 10-12 overs, I can hopefully cause some damage.”Devine’s consistency has been stunning. She made nine half-centuries in the WBBL in 16 innings at a strike-rate of 130.33. She then backed that up with a century and two more half-centuries for Wellington to win the Women’s Super Smash, with the hundred for WA in between.Devine’s maiden T20I hundred capped a five-match run of 50-plus scores, the first in T20Is for any player•Getty ImagesShe rolled that form into her first official T20I series as captain of New Zealand. She says there was no magical technical or physical change in her preparation that has seen her game go up a level. The change was simply an attitudinal one.”I think a massive part is the mindset,” says Devine. “The top two inches is the most important thing in cricket, and that’s been something that I’m really striving to want more from myself.”The other really important thing is, cricket can be a really fickle game, particularly T20, in that you can train the house down and feel a million bucks and get an absolute peach of a delivery and you’re out for a golden duck. I guess as long as you’re consistent with your processes, your performance looks after itself.ALSO READ: Sophie Devine named WBBL player of the tournament”That’s certainly important for me as a captain, and even as a team-mate, just passing on that knowledge and experience I’ve gained. Cricket has plenty of ups and downs, and if you ride each and every one of them you’re going to be pretty knackered from it. Staying consistent and level-headed and working as hard as you can helps performances out on the park.”Captaincy can be a burden for some players but Devine seems to be thriving, having taken over from Amy Satterthwaite. “I’m really honoured,” she says. “Any opportunity you get to play for your country, let alone leading the team into battle, is special and something I don’t take for granted.”The key thing for me at the end of the day – I’m a player first. I’m an allrounder that wants to perform with bat and ball, and if I can do that, lead from the front, hopefully I can drag a few of the others alongside me. It’s about me focusing on doing my role, what’s required for the team at the time, and then worrying about the captaincy almost after that.”

“If you asked players about me a couple of years ago, they would have said, ‘Could be a great player but just throws away her wicket a little bit'”

Her biggest challenge as captain will be how and when to bring herself on to bowl. She only bowled 8.5 overs in the four matches against South Africa, preferring to give others an opportunity.”That’s a challenge that any bowling captain has,” Devine says. “I guess I’m really fortunate that I’ve got Suzie Bates in the team, who has obviously led the team for a long, long time, and really successfully, and I’ve relied a lot on her for her honesty and her thoughts. There have been times where she has literally thrown the ball to me and said, ‘You need to bowl’, and you do need to have that support and courage to bowl yourself. So having her on my shoulder helps massively.”Though it’s all about the match-ups. I might be ideal to bowl to someone but not against another team, but that’s something we’ll be looking towards in this World Cup.”Devine admitted New Zealand are entering the World Cup not knowing what their best side looks like, having used 15 players in the South Africa series. “I’m actually really comfortable with it,” she says. “I think it’s a really good thing for us. We’ve got plenty of options and that’s what you want heading into these events. Then it just comes down to who the best match-up is. We’ve got 15 players who can all do a job.”She will lean on the experience of Bates, Lea Tahuhu and Rachel Priest through the tournament. But if her form and mindset are anything to go by, Devine is more than capable of carrying New Zealand on her shoulders, and perhaps even heading home with the trophy for the first time.

The Rest of World need to defend 23 runs off two overs against Australia Women. Who bowls the 19th?

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2020Scenario: You are captaining a Rest of World XI against Australia in a benefit match at the MCG after the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. Australia have just lifted their fifth trophy. Your ROW XI sets 190 to win, and Australia bring it down to 23 off two overs with six wickets in hand. Alyssa Healy and Nicola Carey are at the crease. Whom do you give the 19th over to?Andrew McGlashan:
Ecclestone has shown nerves of steel at various points in her young career – not least earlier this year when she was given the Super Over against Australia in a tri-series game – and has risen to be the No.1-ranked T20I bowler in the world. Her height enables her to fire the ball in at the batters’ feet, which will be vital to prevent Healy and Carey getting underneath the ball, but neither is she afraid of holding a delivery back and tempting them. It could be a bit of a risk with her spinning the ball into the left-handed Carey, but you would back her to hold her nerve and give her team-mate enough runs to defend in the final over.Vishal Dikshit:
With Healy and Carey at the crease, the 19th over should be given to a bowler who is familiar with both batters and the conditions in Melbourne. I’d also want someone who is aggressive and performs well under pressure. That would make me go for Marizanne Kapp. A gun bowler, Kapp has won South Africa close matches with both ball and bat. To add to her credentials, she was the Sydney Sixers’ top wicket-taker in the 2019-20 WBBL and had been the most economical bowler in the four editions before that. Also worth remembering is her impressive performance in the Super Over against the Melbourne Renegades in the 2019 WBBL semi-finals. Bowling to big-hitters Dani Wyatt and Sophie Molineux, Kapp had conceded just six runs.Against Australia, I’d back her to run in with intent and target the stumps. She’s got pace, accurate yorkers, variations, the ability to bowl full and wide, and the discipline to bowl to her field. Also, it was in the 19th over that she claimed a WBBL hat-trick against the Melbourne Stars just eight months ago.Getty ImagesAlan Gardner:
Experience, a cool head, and a decent yorker are the required ingredients in order to close down Australia’s chances ahead of the final over. Getting rid of Healy would be handy too, so let’s turn to the bowler who has had most success against her in women’s T20Is – Brunt has taken Healy’s wicket eight times (the next best is three). She may not have the pace of her pomp, but Brunt has been at the forefront with England for over a decade, winning games and trophies with her combative approach. She’s also done the job in an almost identical scenario: with Australia needing 22 off 12 at Bristol in the 2017 World Cup group stage, Brunt conceded five runs and a leg bye. Full and straight or a bumper barrage, Brunt’s got the tools and knows how to use them.Shashank Kishore:
Ideally, you want to bowl someone who can nail yorkers at will. Having opened the innings, Healy may have just tired a little by the 19th over. Also, very rarely do we see her scythe the ball over point or squeeze it between point and short third. Healy’s game is built on brute force and taking apart spin. That’s where Kapp’s experience will come in handy. She uses the crease well and can execute yorkers. So the plan to Healy will be to pack my off side and attempt wide yorkers for a couple of deliveries. For Carey, I’ll have two fielders behind square – a deep square and fine leg – and look to go full, straight, and fast. Those two fielders are just for insurance, in case she attempts to scoop or paddle.Sharda Ugra:
It would be nice to bung Deepti Sharma in here and watch the lovely loop lull the most explosive batter in the game into a trap. But no. Healy’s power overrides the absence of pace on the ball, and her game awareness gets her past the opposition’s well-telegraphed intentions. Healy will have to be stopped before Carey and Australia feel the pressure. The best person to remove Healy then is a hardy, reliable campaigner. In steps Brunt. She is the one bowler who has had Healy’s number, dismissing her eight times in their 18 T20I encounters. It is Brunt’s speed and ability to bowl the heavy ball or the skiddy bouncer along with her changes of pace that could get Healy tied up and then hitting out. Take out Healy in the 19th and you take Australia out of the game.Annesha Ghosh:
Let’s assume the pitch is on the quicker side, similar to the one used in the final. Against a left-hand right-hand combination boasting the power and insouciant gap-piercing ability of Healy and Carey, you need a quick with the ability to move the ball both ways. Given a stable base is the predominant source of Healy’s power, South Africa pacer Marizanne Kapp may be able to trouble her with what Smriti Mandhana calls her “in-between” swingers. Kapp is good at subtly adjusting her length and, though she has never dismissed Healy in international cricket, the duo’s familiarity with each other as Sydney Sixers team-mates could work in the bowler’s favour. Kapp’s angry-fast-bowler zip and bag of tricks might do enough to frustrate Carey, the more inventive of the two batters, with a reputation for plucky cameos built on reverse paddles and relentless plundering off the back foot square of the wicket.

The Afghanistan director of cricket talks about getting used to a prosthetic leg after an emergency amputation and looking forward to getting back to Kabul

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Jul-2020″Surgeon spoke to me at 7.30am. By 20 to eight, I told him: ‘Let’s get it done,'” Andy Moles says. “By 12.30pm, I was wheeled down to the operation theatre. And I woke up between 4 and 4.30 and the amputation had been done.”Moles talks about the events of April 4 in a matter-of-fact way from Cape Town, where he lives with his partner Megan when he is not in Kabul, serving as the director of cricket and chairman of selectors for Afghanistan. From early in the year he was regularly in touch with his surgeon to deal with an infection in his left little toe. While Moles was in India with the Afghanistan team at the start of the year, the team doctor had been nursing the wound, but it did not get better. Moles, who is diabetic, did not want to take chances.The diagnosis in Cape Town revealed the little toe had been infected with a “superbug”, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). A person usually gets infected with MRSA in hospitals but can also get it by touching or sharing clothing with someone who has it, or by touching objects on which the bug might reside. Moles has no idea how he caught it. The infection was aggressive and he was admitted to Cape Town’s Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt hospital in late March. Soon after, his left toe was amputated to stop the infection spreading, but the move did not work.While Moles agrees that the day of his surgery was the toughest of his life, it was “just something that had to be dealt with.”They had tried to cut away the dead flesh for two weeks, but the infection was resistant to antibiotics and it was getting worse and worse. The options were trying to cut away the infected flesh and try to flush out the bacteria. But whilst it was spreading there was a danger of septicaemia, which would have meant either I could have lost the whole leg or, even worse, my life. So with those options, it was a simple decision: either to risk my life or to lose the leg below my knee.”It was traumatic. When you are told you are going to lose your left foot, it comes as a shock.”Moles is planning to raise money for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, which paid for his prosthetic leg•Andy MolesUnderstanding that he did not really have an alternative and that many in the world could not even afford to get treatment, Moles decided to stay positive and “tackle it head on”. He says he was “knocked out by painkillers” for nearly a day and slept for over 24 hours after the operation.”I went into the operation knowing what’s going to happen. The surgeon was excellent. He explained everything that would happen and what the process would be after the operation. As soon as I woke, once I had got over the first 24 hours of grogginess and pain, it was just a case of moving on. My biggest fear was to make sure there was no infection to the wound.”How difficult was it for his family to come to terms with?”They all were shocked,” Moles says. “My sons [one in China and the other in the UK] first didn’t how to approach it – whether to joke with me or feel sorry. I just told them, ‘It is what it is.’ You just have to get on with it. We just face this challenge together.”About a month after the surgery, having used a wheelchair or crutches to move around, Moles was fitted for his prosthetic leg, which he has named Jake. He has been practising walking on it for the past month with the help of crutches.ALSO READ: Jarrod Kimber: In the classroom with Andy Moles (2015)“It obviously feels a bit different. When you wear a brand new pair of shoes, you have a new sole. Similarly, my stump [left leg] is inside the prosthetic leg. When I am walking, I have to just gain the confidence and that will come as I walk more and more.”This week Moles has had pain in his left knee, which doctors have told him is due to “wear and tear” from his playing sport in the past. He plans to take cortisone injections to start walking on the prosthetic again.Depending on how sore the leg is, he walks anywhere between 100 and 400 metres a day. He intends to walk an aggregate of ten kilometres before or during the second Test between England and West Indies in Manchester, with the aim of walking the final kilometre unaided if he can. He is using the 10k challenge to raise money for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust in the UK, which paid for his prosthetic.”They have been very supportive to me. [They have paid] for this new leg that I’ve got, which is around £10,000. Also, they have given me a lot of support on the mental-health front to make sure I am fine.”Moles has created a Just Giving page and donations made there will go to the trust. “I am using this challenge to get myself up and mobile, but also hopefully [looking to] use it as an inspiration to other people, so that they can get over difficulties in their life. And also use it to raise funds for this great charity that looks after first-class cricketers in England that have fallen on difficult times.”Moles is looking forward to returning to Kabul to work with the Afghanistan players once the pandemic situation eases up•Mark Nolan/ICC/Getty ImagesIn 2014 when Moles took over as Afghanistan’s head coach, he knew it was going to be the most challenging assignment of his career. He had earned his badge as a solid and dependable batsman at Warwickshire, and had served as head coach for New Zealand, Kenya and Scotland after retirement.The thrill of working in a land of untapped cricketing talent drew him to Afghanistan. Even a warning from his brother, who works in counter-terrorism, to not work in a country considered one of the most dangerous in the world did not dissuade him. In Kabul, even when he only travels between the hotel and the Afghanistan Cricket Board office, Moles sees the ravages of war, including people living without limbs.”None of us know what is in store in our future. I would have never thought I would walk on a prosthetic, but there you are. I have got to make the best of the situation that I find myself in.”Lutfullah Stanikzai, the ACB chief executive, says that Moles has been brave to stay and work for the last five years in a country that hardly gets any overseas visitors.”He is a very courageous guy. That is what is important.”Moles has been integral to the development of the region’s cricket, especially young talent, and he is well respected by the players. In 2018, he was the coach when Afghanistan reached the U-19 World Cup semi-finals, and last year he was the interim head coach when they won a Test in Bangladesh.”His disability actually has not been a problem for us,” Stanikzai says. “We haven’t considered that as part of him not being able to do his job well. It is his experience, expertise, knowledge and understanding of Afghan cricket that matter to us. He is a very passionate guy. We as the administration have tried to retain him for as long as we can. He has been a good member of our [management] team.”Moles is looking forward to cricket restarting after the Covid-19 pandemic, which has given him time to recuperate. “I am lucky there has been no cricket going, so I have been able to rest at home. But I am looking forward to getting back to Kabul, seeing the players and plotting fixtures and camps.”Cricket remains the same. I haven’t got my brain cut. I haven’t lost my vision or mobility or tactical awareness. It is just a case of: I have got half a leg. That’s it. That’s all it is. I still have to assist and help many players and teams be the best they can be. That’s my role as a coach.”It is a new challenge. So far as work is concerned, it is all the same. The main work at the moment is basically ensuring cricket restarts in the country and make sure everybody is safe and looking after themselves.”

Sometimes in one-day cricket, an innings is never in more peril than when it’s almost in the bag

Himanshu Agrawal15-Sep-2020Australia squandered a golden opportunity to inflict a rare ODI series defeat on the world champions England, when they lost 7 for 32 in a stunning collapse at Old Trafford this week. Here are nine other occasions when a one-day innings imploded in styleEcstasy and dejection: Kane Williamson and Pat Cummins display contrasting emotions•Getty ImagesIndia v New Zealand, Vizag 2016
R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had tormented the visitors in the Tests, and in the ODI decider, it was the turn – in every sense of the word – of the wily legspinner Amit Mishra to fox New Zealand. They restricted India to 269 on a turning pitch with the ball coming on slowly, enough ingredients for Mishra and his men to exploit.At 63 for 2, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor looked ready for the long haul, but Williamson’s attempted loft off Axar Patel found long off. In the next over, Taylor departed while cutting Mishra and two balls later, a clueless BJ Watling was bowled by a googly. Not to be left behind, even debutant offspinner Jayant Yadav stepped in to trap Corey Anderson plumb lbw. New Zealand were six-down in a flash, but Mishra wanted more. He drifted one away from the left-handed Jimmy Neesham to castle him in typical legspinner fashion and in the same over, had Tim Southee stumped.Mishra then got five after Sodhi top-edged a heave in his next over and soon, the game ended when Patel bowled Santner. New Zealand were cleaned up in ten overs of spin, but who knew Mishra – Man of the Match and the Series – would never play an ODI again despite figures of 5 for 18.Australia v India, Canberra 2016
Has there ever been a more bizarre way to throw away a game? Australia posted 348 and India’s chase took off in a hurry. Though Rohit Sharma fell for 41, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli batted with ridiculous ease. Both found boundaries ruthlessly to give the impression of 349 being a routine chase in modern ODI cricket, only for India to be stung by panic.Having added 212 in less than 30 overs, Dhawan and Kohli were left with just 72 to get from 75 deliveries. But that is when the mockery started: Dhawan, on 126, slashed John Hastings to point and three balls later, MS Dhoni tickled one to the keeper for nought. Kane Richardson then returned and with a sudden new-found zing, rushed through India.He first persuaded Kohli to spoon one to mid-off for 106; and in each of his next three overs, Richardson had Ajinkya Rahane, Rishi Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar effortlessly caught. In between, Gurkeerat Mann fell while sweeping Nathan Lyon and soon enough, Mitchell Marsh wiped out the tail. Richardson finished with 5 for 68, as India slumped from 277 for 1 to 323 all out – in spite of three dropped catches in the mix – with Australia dancing to victory by 25 runs.New Zealand v Australia, Auckland 2015
In an excruciating day of cricket, this game showed how the ball remains a handy weapon despite the rarely contested dominance of the bat in ODIs. Both sides slipped, fumbled and jostled to keep the tension alive until the final ball was bowled. Australia were the first to throw away all the momentum, as despite being 80 for 1, they were skittled for 151 as Trent Bo(u)lt ran through the middle order for fun to claim 5 for 27.In reply, Brendon McCullum flew to a 23-ball 50 to all but kill the contest. But despite taking New Zealand to 78 for 1, McCullum started a procession by falling to Pat Cummins. Next over, Mitchell Starc got two in two balls by firing searing yorkers at Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott. Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson calmly added 52 after what seemed only like a temporary jolt; but once Anderson departed, the chase turned into a farce. Luke Ronchi gloved one behind off Starc, Daniel Vettori chipped a catch to mid on and Starc again fired consecutive yorkers to the tail. Watching all the drama was Williamson, as New Zealand required six runs with 27 overs but – shockingly – just one wicket remaining.Next ball – as if unmoved with whatever happened around him – Williamson deposited Cummins for six over long on as Starc’s 6 for 28 went in vain. Game over. Eden Park erupts.Dale Steyn is pumped after dismissing Yusuf Pathan for a duck•AFPIndia v South Africa, Nagpur 2011
During the 2011 World Cup, India had collapsed against England, South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan, but this one was the worst of the lot. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar had added 142 in less than 18 overs in a sensational start, and Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir continued by adding another 125 before Dale Steyn and company took matters into their hands.In the batting Powerplay, first Tendulkar fell to Morne Morkel for 111, sparking the fire to come. Steyn immediately had Gambhir caught at mid off before Yusuf Pathan mistimed one to cover. Yuvraj Singh hit a six – India’s only boundary after Tendulkar’s wicket until the innings concluded – before holing out for 12 and Virat Kohli’s return catch to Robin Peterson meant India’s Powerplay was wasted. Two overs later, Steyn struck again when a dead-straight yorker accounted for Harbhajan Singh. Peterson also removed Zaheer Khan before Steyn proved too hot to handle for Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel to finish with a Man-of-the-Match performance of 5 for 50.In no time, India crashed from 267 for 1 to 296 all out as MS Dhoni witnessed everything unfold. Half-centuries from Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers then meant South Africa hunted down the target in the final over, confining India to their only defeat of an otherwise successful campaign.Sri Lanka v South Africa, Providence 2007
A target of 210 was meant to be a cakewalk for South Africa after Charl Langeveldt’s 5 for 39 had bowled Sri Lanka out for just about a competitive score. They were steady at 160 for 2 in the 33rd over with the well-set pair of Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs at the crease. That is when the veteran Muttiah Muralitharan arose to give the opposition some trembling. He first dived for a fine return catch off Gibbs before trapping Mark Boucher on the crease next ball. Five overs later, South Africa were still firm favourites when Kumar Sangakkara nimbly stumped Justin Kemp for 5, but who knew what was coming.With four runs to get from more than five overs, Lasith Malinga started a carnage that lasted four balls. First, he bamboozled Shaun Pollock with a dipping yorker, then made Andrew Hall balloon a catch to cover, completed his hat-trick as Kallis was caught behind and finally, crashed Makhaya Ntini’s stumps to become the first man in international cricket to take four wickets in as many deliveries.Moments earlier, a South Africa win had been a formality. Now they were reduced to 207 for 9 and it required an outside edge from Robin Peterson off Malinga to help his side over the line.Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sharjah 1999
It was a comedy of errors from all the batsmen. Pakistan surrendered when 250 seemed imminent after wickets were given to even part-timer Russell Arnold amidst a flurry of run outs of Mohammad Yousuf, Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood, as 131 for 2 became 196 all out.But that was not it. More drama was reserved for Sri Lanka’s innings. Sri Lanka were cruising courtesy of a stable stand of 115 between Romesh Kaluwitharana and Arnold. All they needed was 40 from more than 14 overs with nine wickets in hand. But Abdul Razzaq dealt the first blow by having Kaluwitharana caught behind for 75 before Shoaib Malik bowled Arnold for 61. Soon after, Wasim Akram got his counterpart Sanath Jayasuriya for 1 and Aravinda de Silva for 9 before Razzaq ran riot.His next four overs accounted for four scalps, including two off successive balls. Razzaq got rid of Mahela Jayawardene and Suresh Perera in the 46th over, and bowled Chaminda Vaas in the 48th. That left Sri Lanka with three to get from two overs with Chamara Silva still lurking. But to add to Pakistan’s momentum, Malik’s direct hit from square leg ran out Muttiah Muralitharan and next ball, Razzaq also removed Silva for 13. On a day of high-class thrill, the match ended in a tie after Razzaq bagged 5 for 31.Makhaya Ntini is bowled by Lasitha Malinga, who took four wickets in four balls•Associated PressSouth Africa v Pakistan, East London 1993
Rain had knocked South Africa out of the 1992 World Cup just about a year earlier, and it once again pushed their required run rate in an otherwise gettable chase. Pakistan were restricted to 214 by Fanie de Villiers but the hosts had their target reduced to 172 in 31 overs after rain during the lunch break. South Africa needed to go at nearly six an over but remained on course with Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes batting with command.The requirement was down to 25 from 30 balls with seven wickets in the bank. But the magician Wasim Akram had far from given up. He attacked the right-handers from around the wicket, bowling Rhodes in the 27th over to open the floodgates. Waqar Younis didn’t take time to send the new batsman, the free-scoring Dave Callaghan, packing either and Akram then spoiled the debut of wicketkeeper Errol Stewart.With pressure mounting, Brian McMillan’s attempted flick had him trapped, leaving Cronje as the only dependable batsman to score the remaining 15 runs from 13 balls. But Cronje ran himself out by getting into a tangle with tailender Meyrick Pringle in search of a desperate single. Soon after with ten to get, Pringle himself was caught short of his crease in a case of utter hustle and bustle, as Akram bagged the last man Allan Donald to wrap up the game by nine runs.South Africa v Pakistan, Durban 1993
Just days earlier, South Africa had suffered another hurtful collapse as Pakistan scripted a miraculous comeback win. In yet another low scoring thriller, Pakistan had put on 208, another manageable chase even by the then-ODI standards. Openers Andrew Hudson and Kepler Wessels knocked off 101 out of the required 209 before Wessels went back for 42. Hudson and Peter Kirsten then added 58, but Asif Mujtaba – after a crucial 49 not out with the bat – removed Kirsten to start the fun.Quickly, Hudson also found himself back in the hut when a rapid Waqar Younis yorker castled him for 93 in the 43rd over. Two balls later, Daryll Cullinan suffered similar fate and abruptly, South Africa’s required rate had risen above six with 29 to get from 27 balls after Hansie Cronje was also bowled by Younis for 11.The situation had become so demanding that Jonty Rhodes ran himself out in a suicidal attempt to sneak a bye; what followed was even more shambolic with Wasim Akram running out Brian McMillan by a yard. Craig Matthews couldn’t survive the threat of Younis either, who – after Dave Richardson was also found short while running – finished with 5 for 25 for Pakistan to win by ten runs in an astonishing choke that South Africa would soon become famous for.West Indies v Sri Lanka, Sharjah 1986
Fancy chasing 249 against West Indies with Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Roger Harper to face? Sri Lanka did, only to end up folding for 55, the last eight of those wickets nabbed for just ten runs. Brendon Kuruppu’s lackadaisical run-out was signal enough of what was to come, and Roshan Mahanama’s needless poke against Marshall proved just that. Asanka Gurusinha and Arjuna Ranatunga struggled while adding 23 for the third wicket, but Harper had Ranatunga caught by Walsh at long off, then bowled Gurusinha in the same over and soon ran out de Silva.Sri Lanka were five down for 50, and from there on, the game was all about Walsh, who commenced an unstoppable onslaught. After getting the opposition captain Duleep Mendis, he scythed through the tail with all four of Asantha de Mel, Ravi Ratnayeke, Rumesh Ratnayake and Graeme Labrooy clean bowled with pace and movement. At one stage, Walsh’s figures read a surreal 4 for 0, and ended with a stupendous 5 for 1 to hand West Indies victory by 193 runs.

From Eastbourne to the MCG to the polling booth, Pakistan’s prime minister has always relished a challenge

Paul Edwards14-Jul-2020That CB Fry should once have been offered the throne of Albania is seen as another eccentric feature of an already eccentric life. It has become a quiz question. That Imran Khan should have wanted to become prime minister of Pakistan is viewed as almost a natural ambition from a man whose thirst for achievement appears unslakeable. It has become a reality.Other world-class cricketers have also sought to make a difference to life outside the game when they retire. All too often their plans founder as they struggle to cope with environments in which 6000 Test runs or 200 wickets do not seal contracts or persuade investors. After a few years they are content to return to the worlds they know and in which they lead fulfilling lives. They are reassured to see pictures from their pomp on the front of the cricket papers and in time they might have a pavilion named after them. Imran has had his face on the cover of magazine and has built a cancer hospital in memory of his mother.The Pakistani establishment told him he couldn’t build such a hospital and then they said he couldn’t run an institution in which about 75% of cancer sufferers receive free treatment. He did both things. They took him nearly ten years. “I have never not believed I am going to win,” he told Mike Atherton in 2016.ALSO READ: Odd Men In – Bill Farrimond and ‘Hopper’ LevettSome cricketers attend their county’s annual reunions and are pleased to be recognised by members who reminisce about the best days of distant summers. Imran has done so much since he retired in 1992 – virtually none of it connected to cricket – that a few junior players, even in Pakistan, might take a moment or two to recall that their prime minister once captained the national team on the greatest day in its history. Then they will recall photographs of a floodlit Melbourne Cricket Ground on a late March evening in 1992 and their captain in his lime-green shirt holding aloft a Waterford crystal trophy and saying how this victory over England should help him achieve his other ambitions. Nobody but Imran knew it at the time but he had played his last match. He was 39 and the best cricketer his country had ever produced now turned his formidable attention to other things.Imran’s continuing desire to fulfil his ambitions outside the game was perhaps sharpened by his being born into his country’s sporting aristocracy. Why achieve only the obviously achievable? Two of his cousins, Javed Burki and Majid Khan, were Oxbridge Blues and both captained Pakistan. (When Imran followed them as skipper of the national team, he dropped Majid from the side on the morning of his first Test in charge in 1982. There is as much steel as suavity in his character.) The family’s affluence ensured that he attended Aitchison College, which is Pakistan’s most famous school and was situated a short distance from the family home in the quiet Lahore suburb of Zaman Park. The high-quality coaching and excellent facilities at Aitchison helped to develop Imran’s burgeoning talent and on the strength of 11 first-class games he was included in the party to tour England in 1971. He was 18 years old.If his first trip to England proved to Imran that he was not yet ready for international cricket, it at least introduced him to the country where he would play the majority of his 382 first-class matches. He completed his secondary education at Worcester’s Royal Grammar School and spent three years at Oxford, captaining the university in his second year and playing for Worcestershire when term had ended. Having once been an inswing bowler who could score a few runs, he was gradually becoming a proper all-rounder whose top-order batting could change games and whose fast bowling included a wicked bouncer. The leap in his delivery stride made you catch breath, especially, perhaps, if you were female.Imran Khan is hoisted up by his team-mates after winning the World Cup•Tony Feder/Getty ImagesSome Oxford contemporaries said Imran was aloof but all of them appreciated his strength of will once he was resolved on a course of action. That determination would be revealed in other ways. Having represented Worcestershire for one full season and been capped when his century and 13 wickets set up an innings victory against Lancashire, he moved to Sussex the following year in 1977 so that he could be nearer London, where his increasingly active social life was based. (For many years the gossip columnists would be as interested in his doings as cricket correspondents. Mercifully the two groups have rarely overlapped.)He was banned for the 1978 Pakistan tour of England because he had joined Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket but he would later declare that his two Australian summers had been time well spent: Mike Procter had advised him on his run-up while John Snow had shown him how turning his left shoulder more towards fine leg would help his outswing.Before long Snow’s own county would be the beneficiary of those coaching clinics. Imran helped Sussex win two knockout trophies and had a leg-before appeal not been turned down in 1981 he might have been in the first Sussex side to win the County Championship. He did not want for self-confidence that summer, a trait noted by his skipper Johnny Barclay during the game against Derbyshire at Eastbourne where the visitors had five wickets in hand and a lead of over 230 on the final afternoon. A draw seemed in prospect. Imran decided he should bowl…”Imran immediately trapped Steele lbw and, a man inspired, wiped out the rest of the batting. Four wickets in five balls, all bowled or lbw. Rarely have I seen such a devastating spell of bowling with an old ball.

Imran Khan is one of those very few people who has a sense of personal greatness and personal destiny… He is the nearest thing cricket has produced to a world historical figurePeter Oborne

‘That was clever bowling,’ he said, as we left the field. ‘Now I want to bat… I want to bat high in the order, I feel it is my day, we must beat this lot. I think I shall bat at four. The others won’t mind.'”Imran made 107 not out, reaching his century with 11 fours and three sixes in 88 minutes. By the end of the match, nobody gave a monkey’s where he had batted, not least the large crowd on the last day of Eastbourne Week. Yet this determination to wrench a game of cricket into a shape of his own devising would be seen again on the game’s far larger stages. Most notably, perhaps, it would be seen in Test series against the mighty West Indian and Australian sides of the 1980s, against whom Imran led Pakistan in six series, winning one, drawing three and losing only in Australia (where he had helped New South Wales win the Sheffield Shield in 1983-84.) Imran instilled a sense of common purpose into a Pakistani team whose capacity to tear itself apart had often seemed unbounded.If anybody had doubted the new skipper’s resolve they were quickly disabused of their misgivings when he declared with Javed Miandad on 280 in the fourth Test against India at Hyderabad in January 1983. The match was won by an innings deep in the fifth day, a result which sealed a series victory. Imran’s approach to the various tasks of leadership was established. Then again it hardly harmed the cause that he had players of the quality of Miandad, Abdul Qadir and Wasim Akram in his side.And if defeats in three successive World Cup semi-finals were lowlights in his international career, first series wins in both India and England in 1987 were quite the opposite. Imran took ten wickets at Headingley to secure Pakistan’s only victory in the second of those five-match series and then made 118 at The Oval to ensure the overall victory was secure.Imran Khan addresses a political rally•Getty ImagesThere were many other days of glory and each of his millions of fans in Pakistan had their favourite. Despite a stress fracture in his left leg which prevented him bowling for three years Imran finished his career with 362 Test wickets and 1287 in all first-class games. There were also 17,771 first-class runs and 117 catches. But sitting in the garden of his home in 2016 he had to be persuaded to talk about his cricket by Atherton. After all it was a long time ago and there are other things in life. More important things, though he did not say this.”I always wanted to leave cricket once I had finished playing,” he said, “I think the potential of a human being only grows when we challenge ourselves. Once life becomes easy it is all downhill. Once I was no longer challenged I always felt I would decay. I never wanted to take the easy road and stay in cricket… In life to succeed you have to have total passion and total commitment. Everything else takes second place… The day I left cricket it was over for me.”He has not been inured to the controversies of his country’s cricketing past. He deeply regrets the match-fixing committed by other players and admits that he once changed the condition of a ball with a bottle-top. But those things, too, are in the past. Now there are hospitals to oversee and a country to run. When Pakistan’s wealthy élite refused to help him construct a memorial to his mother, he went to the people and asked if they could help. His place in sporting history is for others to judge. No one is better placed to do so than Peter Oborne, who, with Richard Heller, has written one of the two fine histories of Pakistan’s cricket.”Imran Khan is one of those very few people who has a sense of personal greatness and personal destiny,” Oborne said. “That destiny first of all manifested itself in an amazing cricket career when he forged a national team and made it the best in the world. And then it forged itself in this enormous monument to his mother: the great hospital which is still there. And then in a political career. [He] is the nearest thing cricket has produced to a world historical figure.”The gossip columnists have long been replaced by political journalists. Armed guards stand at the entrance to Imran’s house and accompany him wherever he goes. His Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) party is in power and is the subject of constant scrutiny. Its aim is to build a modern, egalitarian, democratic country, still Islamic, and with a welfare state. Most former cricketers are content to cast their vote every five years or so. Odd Men In