The former New Zealand fast bowler, and current Rajasthan Royals bowling coach, talks about playing with and after injury

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi30-Mar-2025Ace former fast bowler Shane Bond, who has worked with Jasprit Bumrah at Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and who was no stranger to injury himself during a stop-start career for New Zealand, spoke to us during the Champions Trophy about Bumrah’s troubles with his back, and the challenges of managing bowling workloads effectively.Can you break down the biomechanics of Bumrah’s action and why it is unique?
His run-up’s an interesting one, isn’t it, because he sort of [starts in] fits and starts, but the last five metres, he accelerates through the crease, gains momentum. Obviously, he’s got those levers [long arms]. He has a very short delivery stride, so he gets his front foot down quickly, which means he has to then, all of a sudden, catch up with his arms. So he generates velocity through his arm speed, [and has] got a very strong locked front knee to increase that pace. And then he has an exceptional wrist on the back of it.It’s just one of those ones where the timing of when he releases everything is almost perfect. I look at someone like Hardik Pandya, who’s not a very big guy but he hits the ball enormously hard and a very long way because of the same thing: his kinetic chain, where he just releases all his energy – just the timing’s perfect and he smacks it, and that’s what Boom has.Related

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Does the braced front knee, which bears all the weight, mean his back carries a lot of stress?
Yeah, I suppose. I can think of guys who I played with in New Zealand, [Jacob] Oram, [Kyle] Mills, [Chris] Cairns. They had [front] knees that just collapsed a little bit. And not that they didn’t have back injuries, but patellar tendons [the ligaments that connect the knee cap to the shin bone] were also a cause of concern because the load went through the knee.The force will go up the chain: through the calf, the hamstring, the glutes and the back. And so if you are not strong in those areas, the force will end up in the back at some point. So if you think of any top bowler, at some point in time when you have been bowling for a long time, your hamstrings, your calves, are going to fatigue and that force will get taken somewhere.

“If you go to the gym and want to do ten sets of ten and do that day after day after day after day without resting, you will probably break something. And it’s very similar in bowling”

So when you look at strength and conditioning, what you are trying to do is build the strength through the calf, through the hamstring, through the glutes, the core, so that the abs bear a lot of the force, and the sides. Being able to do that and sustain that for a period of time to take the pressure off the back.Everybody is different in terms of how much they can handle. So a big thing for me when I became a coach was working out how much a certain bowler could take. So I could look at a Tim Southee and a Trent Boult, they could comfortably operate at around 40 to 45 overs in a match, and Neil Wagner could probably handle 60, and Adam Milne was probably 30, so when he started to have back-to-back days, there were issues. That’s what you are trying to work out: what is the real risk area and where is the sort of sweet spot where they can sustain and stay on the park. The longer you play and you build that tolerance, the better it is.You look at the Australian bowlers, they have done a pretty good job. They walked out of that series [against India in Australia], they are all fit, but they still had injuries in other areas. They are all dealing now with niggles, they were out of the Champions Trophy. So they just had other stuff because of the sheer volume of overs they bowled. The top bowlers you talk to, particularly as you get older, they will talk about how they don’t want to stop bowling. They might take a week or two off to refresh and let some of those niggles settle, but they don’t want to take three or four months off because coming back, they have got to rebuild and that’s a big risk period again. They like to keep ticking over all year round.What is a stress fracture and why is it debilitating?
If you go to the gym and you lift weights, you sort of stretch the muscles and then they often say you take a day’s rest and the muscles repair and they grow and they expand, and that’s how you build big muscles. It’s a little bit like that with the bone. So every time you bowl, you cause a little bit of damage in the bone, it breaks up a little bit, and if you give it a rest, it’ll harden. And if you do that over a period of time, that bone in your back will firm up and become quite strong. So the more load you can put through it, especially if it’s gradual, you will actually build strength over a period of time. Now that’s called chronic load.Bond says not ramping up slowly to larger bowling loads – like going from bowling in T20s directly to a long Test series – increases the risk of back injuries•Mumbai IndiansWhen that bone’s breaking down, if you just put too much load on it, bang, bang, bang, it can break [develop tiny cracks], you can go all the way through the bone, or if you bowl day after day after day when that bone’s sort of breaking down and you hammer it, it can break. If you go to the gym and want to do ten sets of ten and do that day after day after day after day without resting, you will probably break something. And it’s very similar in bowling.There’s a lot of research around where the sweet spot is with bowling loads, but the bottom line is, if you look at all the techniques around the world, they are all very different. But you are dealing with super-professional athletes – the Boultys [Trent Boult], the Bumrahs, the Mitchell Johnsons, the Pat Cumminses, the Mitchell Starcs – all their actions are unique, but there seems to be a couple of things that stand out. If you bowl too much for too long… and I have to look at like a Booms – first time he had a stress fracture [2019], he came out of IPL and played Test cricket. So you are bowling 20 overs a week and all of a sudden you bowl 50 overs a week – stress fracture. Trent Boult was the same.So if you go too hard too early or with not enough load behind you, you are likely to break. And generally the top bowlers break when they either come back too quick and the [injury] recurs or they have been playing for a while and then that load just goes ba-boom! And that’s the real challenge [for] coaches when you are transitioning between T20, especially tournaments like the IPL, and then you go to the World Test Championship a month later, where you could be expected to bowl 50 overs, and then you walk into a Test series – danger! And it’s really hard with the scheduling to look after that because you just can’t get that volume of work in the IPL. It’s too hot, the travel schedule’s too busy to be able to bowl probably as much as you want to [to prepare for the Test series].There were times where I was really sore for a number of days, but generally what will happen is, if you have some pain, it will settle down quite quickly, and within two or three days you could feel completely normal. Except, as soon as you bowl a cricket ball, bang, that pain is instantaneous, it’ll come back and it will really hurt. So what Rowan [Dr Rowan Schouten, a Christchurch-based orthopaedic spine surgeon, who has operated on Jofra Archer and others] said to me is: a stress fracture or fracture in the vertebrae of your back is like having a broken arm. Imagine you have got a fractured arm. They put a cast on it to keep it steady, to protect it. You don’t do that with your back. So generally, when you get that stress fracture, you will have [to have] six weeks of doing absolutely nothing.

“Generally, if you have some pain, it will settle down, and within two or three days you could feel completely normal. Except, as soon as you bowl a cricket ball, bang, it’ll come back and it will really hurt”

So no running, just trying to stay as steady as you possibly can to let that heal. In the case of Bumrah, he’s now had that six-weeks period, maybe a little bit more, of rest, but of course then he has to build all that bowling load back up. We call it Level 1, 2, 3 -half a run-up, three quarters of a run-up, full run-up. Working through the intensities, getting up to that top intensity and then building some volume through that top intensity. In an ideal world that’ll take, I don’t know, six to ten weeks, which, obviously when you have got a busy playing schedule it’s very easy to want to rush a player back into the next tour, and that’s the danger. If you go too much too soon, you can have a recurrence of that injury.In Bumrah’s case, as we understand it, it is likely that it was more akin to a stress reaction?
When you get on a scan, it’s called bone edema [a build-up of fluid in the bone marrow]. That gets to a point where it is starting to get painful. And the next step after that is it actually fractures. So the pain’s kicking in and the bone’s on the borderline of cracking. For a stress fracture, you are sort of looking at [minimum] four months before you come back and start bowling. For a stress reaction, they will say six weeks and then you’d be wanting to re-scan, but conservatively eight, maybe. And that’s what that looks like with Booms. I’m sure they’ve re-scanned, that [stress] reaction probably cleared up, there’s no crack anymore, and then they can get on with it.What does surgery for a stress-related back injury involve? Bumrah has had one already, two years ago.
What happens is, they chisel into it and they stimulate the blood growth in the bone and they take some chips off your hip [bone] and they pack it all together with some wire to make it stronger to stimulate growth with a sort of binding around it. With all going well, it will completely re-heal and it should be stronger because you have got some bolts and screws holding all that in place.Kyle [Jamieson] and Jasprit now, I think, are the only couple [of fast bowlers] who have had a re-injury [stress-related]. Matt Henry had the surgery at 21 and he’s been going over ten years. I had another sort of six years when I played post-surgery. Kyle’s was the same. He came out of a T20 programme, went into a Test match, bowled [about] 40 overs, lots of bouncers, re-injured. Booms played five Test matches and bowled a heap of overs [in the Australia series], and the sheer volume just got them in the end.Kyle Jamieson had surgery for a stress fracture of the back in 2023, but suffered yet another one in 2024 that kept him out of the game for a year•Getty ImagesWhen I had my surgery, mate, I couldn’t bend for about four days, so I was completely straight. You imagine trying to go to the toilet when you are completely straight. Every day I just got a little bit more movement back. After six weeks I sort of got my training gear on and I went for a walk. When I saw Cameron Green – he is the last one who’s had back surgery, he had it just before Christmas [2024], and within two days he was up and around walking for 20 minutes. Like, sitting up normally.And by day four he had walked for about 40 minutes. He said it was too much, he got a bit sore, but you are progressing a lot more quickly now. Because I was the first guy to have the procedure done in terms of cricket, I was a little bit envious when I saw Cameron [be mobile so quickly].It is the first time Bumrah has been forced to sit out since his back surgery in 2023, when he was 29. You had back surgery when you were at a similar age and went on to play for a number of years. What is the challenge the first time the injury recurs or you feel discomfort in the same area?
Psychologically, it’s a challenge. I still had times when I played with my back really locked up, my muscles down my back would spasm. I called it a concrete back – I couldn’t move. So I played a couple of Test matches where I felt like I had no movement through my back and it was really sore, but I knew it wasn’t broken. So I had to be careful and I had glucose injections in my back and a long massage to make sure that I was loose.For me it was, yep, I know it’s been fixed, I know I’m okay, but it still doesn’t take away the lingering doubt. Every day I bowled was like, is today the day where it’s going to go pop? And I’m sure Kyle and Jasprit will be the same.I always tell my players, take a week at the front end and that could save you six months at the back end. Spend a little bit longer in your preparation and your build-up because it will give you a better chance to stay on the field. Obviously from a Rajasthan [Royals] standpoint, I don’t really want to see him [Bumrah] (), but I do want to see him back on the field. I do hope they take it conservatively to give him the best chance to come back and come back for the next however long he wants to play.Despite numerous injuries, and after back surgery, and various niggles in other parts of the body, you did not hold back. You told us in 2010, soon after you retired, that you saw the value you brought to New Zealand was that of an “Olympic” bowler. Do you have any advice to Bumrah in that regard?
That’s why I really enjoyed listening to Dale [Steyn, who the recently interviewed, alongside Bond]. What made Dale one of the all-time greats is his ability to lift the gears up – he could operate here () and then all of a sudden, lift his game to a different level (). Booms does that pretty well. In Australia it was just the sheer volume of overs that got him in the end – in those five Test matches his performance was ridiculous, and they leaned on him a lot and I think he might’ve bowled 50 overs in a Test match.

“You are not going to avoid an injury, you are just trying to avoid the really bad ones, and I’m hoping Bumrah can avoid another one of these”

And I suppose the lesson is, you can’t have him bowl that many overs again in a Test match. Forty-five might be the top, and we can’t risk it because he’s too valuable. And I’m sure they have got all those things considered around the bowling loads and they would have reflected on why he’s had that injury. He’s a professional, Boomsy, he does everything right. All you are trying to do is prevent that… you are not going to avoid an injury, you are just trying to avoid the really bad ones, and I’m hoping he can avoid another one of these.India play five Tests in England back to back in a matter of one and a half months later this year. While it’s for the bowler himself to take the call, what would be your advice?
See I would always go, no it’s not [the bowler’s call]. Because my experience with any player is, they will tell you that they are okay and that’s always the risk. If you give any player the option, it’s like, nah, I’m good to go. And I have seen players who want to play and they are injured and they will tell you they want to play and actually they have played probably sub-par, they are not really ready. That’s the coach’s role, to say, look, this is the plan for you. And it’s easy to have that plan when you are winning. When you are losing, it becomes, oh, are we going to throw that [away]?While he can’t remodel his action, would you ask someone like Bumrah to change something about his bowling?
I don’t think so. He had the [2023] surgery, but he played all that [Australia] Test series, performed unbelievably. At the end of the day, he just bowled too much over a one-month period. And it hasn’t cracked, he hasn’t got a fracture, he is on the borderline of a fracture. But what India would have learned is, if you then look at a five-Test match series in England and they do the same thing, they are probably going to get the same result. So you can’t do that. You need a squad of bowlers where you can sort of pick and choose.Because if you lose him, you have got T20 World Cups, you’ve got 50-overs World Cups and he’s an important member across all formats, IPL, all that sort of stuff.

Kate Abdo and Co. can fly into the UK as Paramount Plus has reportedly won the rights to the Champions League from 2027 to 2031. The move signals the end of TNT Sports’ decade-long grip on Europe’s most prestigious club competition and marks a major expansion of the American-owned streaming giant into the UK market.

• Paramount+ set to takeover UK

  According to Paramount+ has committed a substantial financial package to secure the rights, outbidding powerful rivals and positioning itself as the next major player in European football coverage. The company delivered a “knockout” offer, believed to be significantly higher than the competition. The decision, which spans six seasons, aligns the UK broadcast strategy with Paramount’s operations in the United States, where its affiliate CBS Sports already hosts the Champions League with presenters like Abdo, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Jamie Carragher. That star-studded team may now extend their presence to British screens as part of a seamless international expansion.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  TNT Sports’ decade of Champions League coverage draws to a close

  It is a major turning point for TNT Sports, formerly BT Sport, which first acquired the rights in 2013 through an enormous £897 million deal that prised them away from Sky Sports. The partnership began with the 2015–16 season and grew to include coverage of the Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. However, TNT saw its exclusivity diminish in 2022 when Amazon Prime entered the fray, picking up one game per week. Now, in just two years’ time, TNT’s association with UEFA club competitions will end completely. Despite this setback, the broadcaster still holds the rights to several domestic properties, including the Premier League until 2029 and a four-year FA Cup contract secured last year that guarantees extensive third-round coverage.

  Although Paramount+ has emerged victorious in this bidding war, the development places yet another financial burden on viewers already juggling subscriptions to Sky Sports, TNT, Amazon, and DAZN. With the fragmentation of sports rights accelerating, British fans may soon find themselves paying more than ever to follow Europe’s top clubs. However, there is a silver lining as reports that Paramount intends to air a selection of matches for free through Channel 5, its UK terrestrial network. This strategy mirrors its approach in other territories and could soften the blow for supporters reluctant to pay for yet another streaming platform.

• Streaming giants Netflix and Disney+ also tested the waters

  Although Paramount came out on top, the race was far from one-sided. Both Netflix and Disney+ reportedly explored bids, especially after Netflix’s breakout success with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing spectacle last year. That event drew an extraordinary audience of more than 100 million viewers, convincing the streaming pioneer to continue experimenting with live sports. Its latest splash, broadcasting Paul vs. Anthony Joshua this week, suggests Netflix’s ambition in the sports market remains strong, even if it fell short here. The scale of Paramount’s investment reflects the soaring value of Europe’s top football competitions. The current set of Champions League rights is estimated at close to £3 billion per season, highlighting just how fiercely broadcasters compete for a slice of the action. UEFA’s revamped tournament format, which launched in 2024, might be a factor in driving the value even higher.

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• AFP
  

  What happens to the Super League?

  While the broadcast landscape transforms, UEFA is simultaneously working through another massive development, which is a renewed proposal for a European Super League. According to a confidential eight-month negotiation process has been underway involving UEFA, A22 Sports Management (the Super League’s backers), and powerhouse clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. The discussions aim to bring an end to years of conflict by reshaping the structure of elite European competitions in a way that satisfies all parties. The most groundbreaking element of the proposal may be its broadcasting model. The Super League concept introduces UNIFY, a global streaming service offering both free, ad-supported broadcasts and premium paid options. Designed to give worldwide supporters unrestricted access to every match, UNIFY marks a radical departure from the existing broadcasting service. 

  With Paramount+ preparing its UK takeover and UEFA weighing fundamental structural changes to European football, the mid-2020s are shaping up to be an era of profound change. How these developments intersect, and whether the new Super League format might redefine the broadcasting landscape once again, remains an open question.

Celtic have now been told how long they’ll have to wait to appoint Kjetil Knutsen with their search for a new manager taking another frustrating blow.

The Bhoys have been in no rush. After Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit, they know that they can’t afford to get their next appointment wrong and have handed Martin O’Neill the position on an interim basis to buy themselves some time.

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A boost for the Bhoys…

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To the 73-year-old’s credit, he has so far rolled back the years in the dugout. A Champions League defeat at the hands of Midtjylland aside and victories over Old Firm rivals Rangers and Falkirk have represented a step in the right direction.

Even after those three games, however, O’Neill has continued to distance himself from the permanent job. In midweek, he told reporters that he’ll be at Celtic until they no longer need him, before revealing that he’d be “absolutely fine” if Sunday’s Kilmarnock clash is his final game.

Alas, as the search for the next Celtic manager has continued, so have the rumours that they could yet turn to O’Neill until at least the end of the season. And it’s easy to see why. The Northern Irishman is about as experienced as it gets, representing a safe option until the right candidate emerges.

A decision to keep their interim boss until at least next year would also allow Parkhead chiefs to play the long game and perhaps land a frontrunner for the job in the long-term.

Celtic handed fresh Knutsen problem

As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Knutsen wants to finish his Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt before taking any job with Celtic. This means that the Bhoys could be forced to wait until next year with the Norwegian side’s last group game coming in 2026.

As things stand, they sit 29th and unlikely to qualify for the next stage. This means that their final Champions League game may well be against Atletico Madrid in January before Bodo take a break from football altogether until March. It’s then that it would make perfect sense for Knutsen to take the job.

What also helps Celtic’s pursuit is that the 57-year-old is reportedly keen to take the job if he gets his Champions League wish. So, the big question for Celtic will be whether he’s worth the wait.

A deeper dive into his history suggests that the Bodo/Glimt boss is certainly an interesting option. Having managed the club since 2018, Knutsen can boast four Norwegian league titles and showed his managerial expertise in full with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on the European stage this season.

Andy Robertson makes Celtic return decision

Cricket Australia will trial an injury replacement rule in the first five rounds of this season’s Sheffield Shield competition, and allow the opposition to make a corresponding substitution, with a view to passing on the findings to the ICC as discussions continue about the introduction of injury substitutes in Test cricket.CA has communicated with the six state teams in recent weeks, outlining the details of the rule which will be implemented across the first half of the season, which starts on Saturday. It will differ significantly from the “serious injury replacement substitute” rule the BCCI has brought into India’s domestic first-class competition recently.The Australian version has been designed with the aim of covering all injuries, preventing fit fast bowlers from being overloaded for the remainder of the match if they lose a fast-bowling mate early in the game, and to maintain competitive balance within matches while trying to avoid any manipulation.Related

• Abbott first to be subbed out under new Sheffield Shield injury rule

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• Van Heerden becomes first injury substitute under new trial

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• BCCI introduces 'serious injury replacement substitute' rule in multi-day competitions

Currently, teams can make unlimited concussion substitutions across all four days of a Shield game – and that will remain unchanged – but under the trial there will be an additional like-for-like injury replacement available to both teams up until stumps on day two.Teams will be allowed to replace any player with another player of the same skill set (for example, a fast bowler for a fast bowler, a batter for a batter, a spinner for a spinner) as a result of any injury or illness that has occurred from any point after the toss. Teams will need to make a request to the match referee, who will determine the legitimacy of the injury and approve the replacement.This differs from the BCCI rule, which dictates the injury has to have happened during the game and needs to be external (like taking a blow resulting in a deep cut or fracture) rather than internal (like a hamstring strain).The issue was in the spotlight during the recent England-India Test series where both sides had players suffer significant external injuries: Rishabh Pant with a fractured foot at Old Trafford and Chris Woakes with a dislocated shoulder at The Oval.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

An interesting element to what CA is introducing is the ability for the opposition to match a substitution. If a team uses the injury replacement rule, the opposition will be allowed to bring in a “tactical substitute” in response by the close of day two. But that substitute must be the same type of player as was injured in the opposition.For example, in the round one clash this week between Western Australia and New South Wales at the WACA ground, if a WA fast bowler was injured and was replaced by another WA fast bowler, NSW could make a tactical substitution but could only swap out a fast bowler for a fast bowler. They could not make a tactical substitution like swapping a batter for a batter because of form in the first innings.The match referee can also put restrictions on the involvement of both replacement players. A batter may be instructed that they cannot bowl if they are replacing a batter who does not regularly bowl. The replacement players also automatically inherit any warnings that have been imposed on the replaced player, such as for running on the pitch.Another key element is that in the case of the player who is ruled out through injury or illness, they will undergo a mandatory 12-day non-playing period that starts from the second day of the match that they were subbed out of.This means that if a player were to be replaced for injury in the first two days of round one, their non-playing period would start from October 5, meaning they would not be eligible to play in the One-Day Cup matches on October 9 or the second Shield round, which begins on October 15.There is a slight wrinkle for the states to manage in that teams will only initially be permitted to travel with 12 players, as has been the norm in Australian domestic cricket for many years, with the exception being Western Australia or teams travelling to Western Australia due to the length of that flight and the difficulty in getting other reserve players there on short notice. WA, when they travel interstate, and teams who travel to WA, are permitted to have a squad of 13.Teams who are playing away from home on the east coast will be able to fly an injury replacement in at short notice if needed on the first two days of a game if the 12th man is not a like for like. The states have been encouraged to carry a spare fast bowler as the 12th player on most occasions as the majority of replacements will be to fast bowlers based off the injury data CA has used to help form this new rule. CA wanted to avoid teams carrying large squads unnecessarily.The ICC has agreed that all matches during the trial period will retain first-class status. During the first five rounds, CA will be sourcing feedback from the states on the success of the trial and it is leaving open the possibility of continuing it further into round six and or round seven. CA will also look at potential alterations to the trial from round seven onwards or cancelling it altogether.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo goleou o Juventude, por 5 a 1, na terceira rodada do Brasileirão. Os gols alvinegros na noite deste domingo (21), no Estádio Nilton Santos, foram marcados por Júnior Santos, Tiquinho Soares, Danilo Barbosa, Savarino e Jacob Montes, enquanto Danilo Boza descontou para o Alviverde. Confira o Lance! Final no player acima.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoCertezas se empolga com goleada do Botafogo: ‘Já dá pra sentir o dedo do Artur Jorge’Fora de Campo21/04/2024BotafogoLance! Final: Botafogo atropela o Juventude no Brasileirão em noite mágica do coletivoBotafogo21/04/2024Onde AssistirBotafogo x Juventude: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e escalações do jogo pelo BrasileirãoOnde Assistir21/04/2024

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO 5 X 1 JUVENTUDE – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
3ª RODADA
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 21 de abril de 2024, às 18h30 (hora de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
🟨 Árbitro: Arthur Gomes Rabelo (ES);
🚩 Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires (FIFA-GO) e Eduardo Gonçalves da Cruz (MS);
🖥️ VAR: Daiane Muniz (FIFA-SP).

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Artur Jorge)
Gatito Fernández; Mateo Ponte (Damián Suárez); Lucas Halter, Bastos (Pablo) e Hugo; Marlon Freitas e Danilo Barbosa; Jeffinho (Diego Hernández), Savarino, Júnior Santos (Jacob Montes) e Tiquinho Soares (Eduardo).

continua após a publicidade

JUVENTUDE (Técnico: Roger Machado)
Gabriel; João Lucas, Danilo Boza, Lucas Freitas e Gabriel Inocêncio; Caíque, Luis Mandaca (Abner), Lucas Barbosa (Thiaguinho), Nenê (Rodrigo Sam) e Jean Carlos (Marcelinho); Erick (Ruan).

Tudo sobre

BotafogoBrasileirãoFutebol NacionalJuventude

أسدل الستار على مباريات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب 2025، والمقامة في قطر، والتي شهدت مواجهات ونتائج مثيرة.

وانطلقت منافسات بطولة كأس العرب يوم 1 ديسمبر بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا، مقسمة على 4 مجموعات، كل مجموعة تضم 4 منتخبات.

وشهدت الجولة الأولى نتائج مثيرة، ففي المجموعة الأولى فاز منتخب سوريا على تونس بهدف نظيف، فيما حقق منتخب فلسطين انتصارًا على نظيره القطري.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الثانية

وفي المجموعة الثانية، فاز المغرب على جزر القمر 3-1، فيما انتصر الأخضر السعودي على عمان 2-1.

أما المجموعة الثالثة، شهدت تعادل منتخب مصر مع الكويت بهدف لكل فريق، فيما نجح منتخب الأردن في تحقيق الفوز على الإمارات، بهدفين لهدف.

وأخيرا، في المجموعة الرابعة، تعادل الجزائر مع السودان سلبيًا، فيما فاز العراق على البحرين 2-1. ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الأولىالمجموعة الأولى

1- منتخب فلسطين، 3 نقاط.

2- منتخب سوريا، 3 نقاط.

3- منتخب تونس، دون نقاط.

4- منتخب قطر، دون نقاط. المجموعة الثانية

1- المغرب، 3 نقاط.

2- السعودية، 3 نقاط.

3-عمان، بدون نقاط.

4- جزر القمر، بدون نقاط. المجموعة الثالثة

1- منتخب الأردن، 3 نقاط.

2- منتخب مصر، نقطة.

3- منتخب الكويت، نقطة.

4- منتخب الإمارات، دون نقاط. المجموعة الرابعة

1- العراق، 3 نقاط.

2 – الجزائر، نقطة من مباراة.

3 – السودان، نقطة من مباراة.

4 – البحرين، دون نقاط.

The first half of the season went about as good as the Mets could have hoped. The team jumped out to a comfortable lead in the National League, having gone 45-25 in their first 70 games.

Since then, the wheels have come off completely. New York has lost 13 of its last 15 games and eight of its last nine, many of which have included painstaking blown leads and inexplicably un-clutch performances.

Thursday night was much of the same, as the Mets fell victim to another late blown lead against the rival Braves. New York entered the eighth inning with a 3–2 lead, but trade deadline acquisition Ryan Helsley's struggles out of the bullpen continued as he surrendered a pair of runs to give Atlanta 4–3 lead. The Braves would hold on to win by that same score.

Mets fans wish they could say this was an unbelievable collapse, but given the state of the team of late, it was totally believable.

The loss puts the Mets at 64-57 on the year, and they're just a half-game ahead of the Reds for the final National League wild-card spot.

Naturally, Mets fans were in full panic mode on social media after another disastrous defeat.

The 2025 MLB season has come to a close, and it was capped off by a wild weekend.

While most of the playoff spots had been earned before the weekend, a lot happened over the season's final three days to get us to the final playoff picture. What follows is a chronological look at all the biggest moments from the weekend, starting on Friday.

Tatis Sinks the Snakes

The Diamondbacks somehow stayed in the NL wild-card race over the season's final two months after selling at the deadline. It was a valiant effort from Arizona that ended with a bang on Friday evening.

The Dbacks led the Padres 2–1 in the fourth inning with rotation stalwart Zac Gallen on the hill. The veteran righty loaded the bases, then tried to slip a 95 mph fastball past Fernando Tatis Jr. on a 3–2 count. He immediately regretted it. The ball left Tatis’s bat at 111.7 mph and landed in the second deck at Petco Park for a grand slam.

The Padres took a 5–2 lead en route to an eventual 7–4 win. The loss eliminated Arizona from playoff contention.

Red Sox Walk Off Into the Playoffs

Boston entered the bottom of the ninth of Friday's game against the Tigers locked in a 3–3 tie with their magic number down to one. A two-out single by Romy Gonzalez gave Ceddanne Rafaela the chance to be a hero. He delivered.

Rafaela blasted a 1–0 pitch from Tommy Kahnle off the center field wall. It kicked around in the outfield, and Gonzalez raced home with plenty of time to spare to send Boston to the postseason.

The Red Sox will travel to Yankee Stadium to face their bitter rivals in what should be a blockbuster wild-card series.

Busch Goes Deep Twice as Cubs Clinch

Michael Busch homered twice in the first five innings on Saturday against the Cardinals; the second gave the Cubs a 3–1 lead they never relinquished.

Busch hit a home run, double, and another home run to rack up 10 total bases in his first three at-bats. He ended the game 4-for-4, with two home runs, a double, and a triple, leaving him a single short of the cycle. More importantly, he launched the Cubs to a 7–3 win, which clinched the top wild-card spot and a home series against the Padres in the opening round of the playoffs.

Jahmai Jones Clutch Single Lifts Tigers to Playoffs

After a horrible September that saw them lose their massive lead in the AL Central, the Tigers were able to salvage a playoff spot thanks to a 2–1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday night.

Jahmi Jones had the big hit with a two-out, fifth-inning single that scored two runs and put Detroit in the lead for good.

They closed out the game to finally earn some good news by clinching a playoff spot.

Guardians Unconventional Walk-Off Clinches Spot

The Guardians joined the Tigers in the playoffs in one of the weirdest ways possible Saturday night. Cleveland's remarkable march back into the AL Central race overcame the longest of odds, and what happened in the ninth inning against the Rangers Saturday night only added to the surreal nature of their September surge.

After Rangers reliever Robert Garcia got the first two outs in a 2–2 game, Johnathan Rodriguez walked and Kyle Manzardo singled, sending pinch runner Petey Halpin to third. Texas intentionally walked Gabriel Arias, putting CJ Kayfus at the plate with two outs and the bases loaded.

After getting strike one, Garcia hit Kayfus, forcing in a run and sending the Guardians to the playoffs.

Incredible.

Red Sox Win Central for Cleveland

On Sunday, the Tigers entered Fenway Park on Sunday with a chance to win the AL Central. All they needed to do was beat the Red Sox and hope Cleveland lost. Neither of those things happened.

The Tigers took an early 3–1 lead, but in the bottom of the fourth, Chris Paddack gave up a two-run home run to light-hitting infielder David Hamilton, then back-to-back doubles to Nick Sogard and Jarren Duran.

That gave Boston a 4–3 lead, leaving Detroit with five innings to get another run. The Tigers couldn't do it. They put two on base in the top of the ninth but couldn't bring anyone across and surrendered the division to the Guardians with the loss.

Cleveland's players found out it had won the AL Central during their game with Texas and celebrated.

To top it off, Brayan Rocchio launched a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th against the Rangers to enter the playoffs in style.

Alejandro Kirk Leads Blue Jays Blowout For AL East Crown

Toronto's task was simple on Sunday: beat the Rays and clinch the American League East and the top seed in the AL. The Blue Jays did that. Emphatically.

Alejandro Kirk stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first inning with the game tied 1–1. It didn't stay that way for long. On a 2–2 pitch from Ian Seymour, Kirk sat on a changeup and annihilated it. He sent the ball 387 feet into the left-center field stands at the Rogers Centre, and sent Blue Jays fans into a frenzy.

The rout was on after that, and Toronto wound up taking a 13–4 win. That relegated the Yankees to the AL’s top wild-card slot, setting up a series against the Red Sox.

Mets Complete Collapse, Exit Postseason Picture

The Mets needed to win and get help on Sunday. One of those things happened, the other didn't. The Reds owned the head-to-head tiebreaker with New York, and the two teams entered the day deadlocked with identical 83–78 records. Cincinnati lost to the Brewers 4–2, which meant all New York had to do was beat the Miami Marlins. You can guess what happened.

Miami and its $67 million payroll team bested the franchise with a $323 million payroll by the score of 4–0, as the Mets went out with a whimper. They only mustered five hits off of Edward Cabrera and four relievers. The game and the team's season ended when Francisco Lindor grounded into a double play in the top of the ninth. New York's broadcasters lamented the team's epic collapse.

The Mets had MLB's best record on June 12 at 45–24. They went 38–55 after that. A deserved, depressing ending to the season.

Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly responded to Mike Ashley’s bid to buy the club, with the former Newcastle United man now plotting his next step.

Finance expert reveals extent of interest in Sheffield Wednesday

It’s been a busy month at Hillsborough, with the Owls receiving plenty of takeover interest after entering administration. Setting a soft deadline of December 5, things look destined to accelerate in the coming week in the hope that Sheffield Wednesday finally enter a new era and put Dejphon Chansiri behind them for good.

Football finance expert Stefan Borson recently revealed that there are as many as 11 bidders to buy Sheffield Wednesday, telling talkSPORT: “I’m working with one of the bidders. There are a number of bidders in play, a number of credible players around.

Sheffield-born takeover candidate makes key contact in race to buy Sheffield Wednesday

He could buy his local club.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

“Apparently, there’s 11 that have given proof of funds for £50m of liquid assets. That is a serious process, and there is serious interest. The issue is actually that you can’t just look at the headline price here. This is a club that’s not had a lick of paint for quite some time and by the end of this season it will be in League One.

“It will have almost no squad and it will have a stadium that needs significant spending. So anybody that comes in is going to have to have deep pockets. I think the people that are circling do have deep pockets, but it is not going to be a cheap deal for anybody. The challenges are great.

Among those 11 bidders could be John McEvoy, who was one of the first names linked with a move to buy the club, and former Newcastle man Ashley. The 61-year-old is seemingly keen on a return to English football and has already received a response from Wednesday.

Mike Ashley submits bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday

As reported by Sky Sports, Ashley has now submitted a £20m bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday, who have turned that offer down. The former Newcastle owner is now plotting his next step and could yet return with an improved second offer, however.

If he is to return with a second offer, then Ashley will likely have to at least match other bids in the region of £30m to stand a chance of completing a takeover. Whilst it isn’t as simple as accepting the highest bid for the Owls, they won’t sell the club at a cut-price in the face of so much interest.

Of course, if Ashley does match other bids then he could become one of the better options available. He has experience in English football and, financially speaking, he stabilised Newcastle during his time at the club.

Sheffield Wednesday return to Sheffield United takeover merger

Jurrien Timber says Harry Kane is one of the best players in the world but admits that Arsenal are relishing the chance to keep the Bayern Munich striker in check. The Gunners have had an outstanding start to their Champions League campaign, scoring 11 goals and conceding none in four games. That record has only been bettered by Bayern, who top the competition's league phase table on goals scored. Now, they are preparing to lock horns.

Getty Images SportArsenal host Bayern in heavyweight clash

On Wednesday night at Emirates Stadium, Premier League leaders Arsenal entertain Bundesliga table-toppers Bayern in a mouth-watering contest. Both teams have 12 points from a possible 12 in their Champions League campaigns so far and both have comfortable leads in their respective divisions. The German giants have scored a remarkable 41 goals in 11 Bundesliga matches, winning 10 of them, whereas the Gunners are six points clear ahead of second-placed Chelsea in the Premier League. Arguably for both sides, this is their biggest test of the season. Both teams are in strong positions to make it through to the knockout stages of the competition, and a defeat in north London will not be terminal. But bragging rights are on offer, likely sending a message to their European rivals. One man who has helped Bayern reach this point is England captain Kane, who has continued his prolific scoring form this season. If Mikel Arteta's side can stop him, they may come out on top.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKane presents 'a nice challenge'

Arsenal defender Timber is well aware of Kane's quality. The 32-year-old has scored 26 goals in 19 appearances for club and country this term, but on the flip side, the Gunners have conceded just six times in all competitions. Either way, this is a clash of two juggernauts fighting for supremacy.

When asked about having a plan to combat Kane, he replied: "That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker, everyone knows that. He has so many qualities. He has been doing it for such a long time already, and now at Bayern Munich he has been one of the best players in the world. So, it is going to be a nice challenge for us as a team, as defenders, to stop him tomorrow. I think when you face an opposition with Harry Kane as the striker, he is a topic and you discuss him as defenders, because he is one of the dangerous players. It is the same with any other game, we discuss their players and the way they play. For tomorrow, it is the same."

Timber also talked up how hard it is for teams to breach Arsenal's defence, with the players eager to be part of that collective effort.

"If you look at Ebs’ [Eberechi Eze] performance the other day against Tottenham, he scored three goals but defensively he was amazing as well," he said. "So, I think it is the whole team that is trying to step up and do a bit more also. You have the example of Gabriel, everybody knows he is out and at the same time we know as defenders, as a team, we have to step up when a big player like him goes out of the team. I think it is just everyone taking their responsibility in defending and also attacking."

Kane wary of Arsenal's threat

You don't have to go too far back for an Arsenal vs Bayern clash. Indeed, the two clubs faced off against one another in 2024, with the Bavarian outfit knocking out Arteta's side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Kane himself had an excellent record against Arsenal while playing for Tottenham, with the striker finding the net on 11 occasions. But he thinks that won't have much bearing on Wednesday's fixture.

Ahead of the game, he said: "With Tottenham, it was always one of the biggest games of the season against Arsenal; I have friends who are fans of both teams. It's not quite the same with Bayern as we don't always play against each other – we got an important win against them in the quarter-finals two years ago. I've scored a lot of goals here in this stadium – but haven't won many games. I hope we can change that tomorrow. Obviously when I was at Tottenham, the North London derby was always a big moment. But it's not about me against Arsenal, it's about Bayern against Arsenal. I'm in good form and it's all about helping my team and scoring goals."

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Getty ImagesArteta ready for big Bayern test

While some sides may balk at a challenge such as facing Vincent Kompany's high-flyers, manager Arteta is chomping at the bit for this one.

He told reporters on Tuesday: "For sure, this is the kind of game in the competition that we want to face, and we've been very consistent in both competitions and as you mentioned they have as well. Tomorrow is a great test for us to see where we are."