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New Zealand have recalled Kane Williamson for their upcoming three-match ODI series against England, beginning October 26 at Bay Oval, marking the veteran batter’s return to international cricket after a brief medical layoff.

The 35-year-old, who has been out of action for the past month due to a minor medical issue, missed the ongoing T20I series against England.

Williamson, who now holds a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), also skipped the T20Is against Australia and the Zimbabwe tour earlier this year to honour county and Hundred stints with Middlesex.

All-rounder Nathan Smith has also been cleared to play after recovering from an abdominal injury sustained during the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in August.

The 27-year-old has completed his rehabilitation and returns to bolster the pace-bowling department.

Head coach Rob Walter expressed delight at the duo’s return, emphasising their importance to the side.

“Kane and Nathan have had to work hard to overcome their respective injuries and illness,” Walter said.

“We all know what Kane means to the Blackcaps; to have his skill, experience, and leadership back in the group is fantastic. Nathan’s still relatively new to international cricket but has already shown great all-round ability and energy in the field.”

Williamson’s comeback will mark his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final in Dubai earlier this year, a match where Smith also featured as a late replacement for the injured Matt Henry.

Mitchell Santner, who led the Blackcaps in that final, will continue as captain of the ODI side. The left-arm spinner, recently recovered from an abdominal injury himself, is currently featuring in the T20I series against England.

The team will assemble in Tauranga on Friday ahead of the series opener on Sunday. The remaining two ODIs will be played in Hamilton (October 29) and Wellington (November 1).

New Zealand ODI squad

Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

READ: Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique steady Pakistan in Rawalpindi Test

RAWALPINDI: Shan Masood’s composed knock and Abdullah Shafique’s hard-fought fifty laid a solid platform for Pakistan, but South Africa clawed back with late strikes to leave the opening day of the second Test finely balanced.

At the end of day one here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan were 259-5. Saud Shakeel remained unbeaten on 42 from 105 balls while Salman Ali Agha scored 10* from 25 deliveries.

The home side continued their innings from 177-3 after the tea break, with skipper Shan Masood adding 35 more runs with Saud Shakeel.

The scorecard read 212 when the visitors got a vital breakthrough in the form of Masood. The southpaw made 87 from 176 balls, striking three sixes and two fours.

With the wicket of the set batter in the dying hours of the day, South Africa sensed an opening as Mohammad Rizwan arrived at the crease. He added another 34 runs with Shakeel before getting caught for 19 from 39 deliveries.

Consequenlty, Pakistan were reduced to 245-6 with still few overs to play. However, Salman Ali Agha and Shakeel added 13* more and survived the day to set up an intriguing second day’s play.

For South Africa, Simon Harmer and returning Keshav Maharaj were pick of the bowlers, scalping two apiece, whereas Kagiso Rabada had one to his name in the wickets column.

At tea break, Pakistan made 177-3 with skipper Shan Masood standing firm on 77 off 144 balls alongside Saud Shakeel, who was unbeaten on 6, steering Pakistan to a steady position after a productive afternoon session.

Resuming at 95-1 after lunch, Masood and Abdullah Shafique extended their second-wicket partnership, adding 111 valuable runs to keep the Proteas at bay.

Both batters brought up well-crafted fifties, Masood his 13th in Test cricket and Shafique his sixth, as the pair looked set for a big stand before South Africa found a way back.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer, who had struck earlier in the morning session, broke through once again, dismissing Shafique for 57 off 146 deliveries.

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The dismissal ended what had been a resilient partnership that formed the backbone of Pakistan’s innings.

Soon after, Keshav Maharaj joined the act, removing Babar Azam for 16 off 22 balls, leaving the hosts at 167-3 in 56 overs.

Despite the quick wickets, Masood held his composure, mixing solid defence with timely aggression to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Earlier, Pakistan had opted to bat first after winning the toss. Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique started confidently, negotiating the new ball well before Harmer provided the breakthrough by bowling Imam for 17 off 35 balls.

Masood’s arrival immediately shifted momentum back in Pakistan’s favour as the left-hander took the attack to South Africa’s spinners, striking three sixes and a boundary before lunch.

He and Shafique ensured Pakistan headed into the first break comfortably placed at 95-1.

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Pakistan entered the match with one change from the opening Test, handing a long-awaited Test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi, who replaced Hasan Ali.

South Africa, meanwhile, welcomed back Keshav Maharaj from injury, while Marco Jansen also returned, replacing Wiaan Mulder and Prenelan Subrayen.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan began their ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign in style last week, defeating defending champions South Africa by 93 runs in Karachi to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

READ: Marnus Labuschagne reveals reason behind continued batting struggles

Kylian Mbappe extended his goalscoring streak to 11 consecutive games to help Real Madrid reclaim top spot in La Liga with a 1-0 victory at nine-man Getafe on Sunday.

After rivals Barcelona briefly displaced Los Blancos with a narrow win over Girona on Saturday, Xabi Alonso’s side restored their two-point advantage before next weekend’s Clásico.

Getafe fended off Madrid until Allan Nyom was dismissed a minute after coming on, and Mbappe quickly pounced to decide the game in the 80th minute. Alex Sancris was also sent off as Getafe unravelled in the final stages.

Alonso started with Brazilian star Vinicius Junior on the bench, with the Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday and Barca’s impending visit in mind.

The winger turned out to be key as a second-half substitute, with both of Getafe’s red cards issued for fouls on him.

Kylian Mbappe returned after an ankle problem kept him out of a France World Cup qualifier earlier in the week, leading the line at Getafe’s Coliseum stadium.

The French forward had scored in his previous 10 consecutive appearances for club and country and found the net once again.

Mbappe twice came close before Getafe earned a foothold in the game and began to frustrate the visitors, stopping them from creating much danger.

Only towards the end of the first period did Madrid perk up again in attack, with Soria saving from Rodrygo Goes after good work by Jude Bellingham.

Getafe’s goalkeeper made a good stop from a powerful David Alaba free-kick, and Fede Valverde flashed a strike across the face of the goal before half-time.

Alonso sent on Vinicius in the second half, and his spark began to worry the hosts, who resorted to fouls to fend off the Brazilian.

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Bellingham fed Mbappe, who fired off target, and then whipped a free-kick inches wide, as Madrid remained comfortably on top.

The game changed when Getafe substitute Nyom, under a minute after coming on, needlessly knocked down Vinicius off the ball with his arm and was sent off.

Moments after play restarted, Real Madrid took the lead.

Arda Guler fed Mbappe, who was just onside, and he turned nicely before firing past Soria and in off the post for his 10th league goal of the season, leading the charts both in La Liga and in the Champions League.

Getafe continued to self-destruct, and Sancris was sent off for a second yellow card, gained for another unnecessary foul on Vinicius, leaving Jose Bordalas’s side with nine men.

Alvaro Carreras fired wide after a cheeky scoop over the defence by Vinicius, whom Getafe fans booed.

Despite their significant numerical disadvantage, the hosts had one golden chance to level in stoppage time, but Thibaut Courtois saved from Englishman Abu Kamara with his knee.

Getafe coach Bordalas said he did not believe Nyom deserved to be dismissed before Madrid’s opener.

Elsewhere, newly-promoted Elche continued their good start to the season with a 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao, which left them seventh, one place above their Basque opponents.

Rayo Vallecano climbed into 10th with a 3-0 win at Levante, while struggling Real Sociedad snatched a late 1-1 draw at 10-man Celta Vigo.

READ: Asif Afridi becomes Pakistan’s second-oldest Test debutant at 38

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan handed a Test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi in the second Test against South Africa on Monday here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Afridi, who replaced fast bowler Hasan Ali in the playing XI, was preferred over Abrar Ahmed to bolster Pakistan’s spin attack alongside Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.

The hosts are fielding only one pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, in the second Test, reflecting a spin-heavy strategy on the Rawalpindi surface.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

With his debut, Asif Afridi becomes Pakistan’s second-oldest Test debutant at 38 years and 299 days, making him the oldest to earn a Test cap for the country since Miran Baksh, who debuted at 47 back in 1955.

Having made his first-class debut in 2009, Afridi endured a long break before re-emerging in 2015 to establish himself as a consistent performer in domestic cricket.

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Over 57 first-class matches, he has taken 198 wickets at an average of 25.49, alongside scoring 1,630 runs, including a century, underlining his value as a lower-order contributor.

For the visitors, South Africa welcomed back Keshav Maharaj, who missed the first Test due to injury, while Marco Jansen returned to the side as well, replacing Wiaan Mulder and Prenelan Subrayen.

READ: Azhar Mahmood wary of Maharaj threat ahead of second South Africa Test

Max Verstappen made it clear that he is chasing a spectacular fifth world title after reeling off his third win in four races with a masterclass in Sunday’s sizzling United States Grand Prix.

After avoiding direct comment on the championship for several weeks, Red Bull’s four-time champion said he felt sure he now has a real chance of snatching the title from the grasp of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Boosted by cutting Piastri’s advantage to 40 points with five Grands Prix remaining, including two more sprint races, a buoyant Verstappen called for Red Bull to maintain their momentum.

“Yeah, for sure, the chance is there,” he said. “We just need to try and deliver these weekends until the end. We will try whatever we can.”

After winning both Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix race, Verstappen has 306 points in the title race, in third place, leaving Piastri on top with 346 points and Norris on 332.

McLaren have already won the constructors’ title for the second consecutive year, but have focused on preparing for 2026 and stopped introducing updates to their car for this year, leaving their drivers nervously scrambling to keep their title bids on track.

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The 28-year-old Dutchman has now collected 119 points from a possible 135 over the last five Grand Prix weekends, a run that has also coincided with improvements in form from both Mercedes and Ferrari.

Verstappen added: “It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew that the race was not going to be super straightforward, and I think, if you look at the whole race, the pace between me and Lando was really close.

“I think the first stint is where we made the difference. I could eek out a little bit of a gap, and that is basically what we kept until the end.”

He added, “I am incredibly proud of everyone for delivering a weekend like this, and now we just have to keep the momentum.”

Verstappen’s late-season charge has prompted memories of the 2007 season when Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari went into the final race in Brazil trailing both McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, but emerged as champion.

READ: Marnus Labuschagne reveals reason behind continued batting struggles

Australia middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne opened up about his poor form with an Ashes spot looming, admitting that he had been trying too hard instead of relying on his natural batting strengths.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Marnus stated that he wants to enjoy his game and play with freedom.

“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. The only thing I really wanted coming into this summer — take everything out, selections, everything else — I just wanted to be back playing cricket the way I want to be playing, playing with that freedom,” he said.

“It’s nice to have come out and started the way I have. Coming into this summer, runs was going to be the currency and that was probably the big focus point,” he continued.

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With Ashes looming, Marnus has picked form and scored four hundreds in his last six innings in Australia’s domestic competition.

He was going through a poor run of form from last couple of year, eventually sidelining him from the Test squad ahead of their three-match series against West Indies across June and July earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like; just find a way to keep scoring runs. Since then, my technique moulded into whatever the game needs,” he explained.

The right-hander lamented diving too deep into the technical aspects of his game instead of focusing on what natural ability he had in his batting.

“There’s a few technical things that I’ve ironed out of my game and had a bit of time to work on.

(I was) getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I’ve got; just going out there, reading the game and then using my technique to adjust to whatever they’re bowling and how they’re trying to attack me,” he concluded.

Australia has started its action-packed summer on a high note with a thumping seven-wicket victory over India.

Meanwhile, the first of the five Ashes Tests against England will begin on November 21 at the Perth Cricket Stadium.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

RAWALPINDI: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram expressed confidence in his side’s ability to counter the spin challenge and bounce back against Pakistan in the second Test, scheduled to be played tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Markram lavished praise on Keshav Maharaj, who is set to return after missing out on the first Test in Lahore.

“Kesh is available, that’s why he’s here. It’s great to have him back in the camp — he brings lots of experience and a really good skill set as well,” he told reporters in the pre-match presser.

“For us, it’s very important to try and level the series, and we’re looking forward to this game starting tomorrow,” he continued.

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South Africa were outplayed by spin from Pakistan in the first Test played at the Gaddafi Stadium. Noman Ali starred in the match with a ten-wicket haul, troubling the Proteas batter with his magical spin bowling.

Markram admitted that he is ready to face more spin, and they have plans to counter the threat posed by the home side spinners.

“We’re expecting more spin; the wicket looks pretty good to the eye, but we’ve expected these types of conditions from day one. It’s about us having done some homework post that first game and coming up with new plans to hopefully counter that,” he explained.

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Regarding his batting, the South Africa skipper emphasized net practice and stated that he is in good shape to score vital runs for his team.

“I’ve been feeling good, spending time in the nets trying to come up with ideas that suit my game in these conditions. I feel like I’m mentally in a really good space and very hungry to contribute and lead from the front.”

The 31-year-old remained confident in his side’s chances to avoid a 2-0 clean sweep.

“When you get to spinning conditions, the guessing game is always how long till it really starts to spin exaggeratedly, so we’ll have to assess that as quickly as we can.

We know how this game works — it doesn’t always come off — but I’ll always live and die with my heart on my sleeve and give it a good fight.,” Aiden Markram concluded.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh guided his side to a comfortable seven-wicket win against India in a rain-affected first one-day international in Perth on Sunday.

Chasing 131 for victory in a match that was reduced to 26 overs a side, Marsh scored 46 not out as the home side cruised to an easy win to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Matt Renshaw was unbeaten on 21 alongside Marsh as Australia reached 131-3 with 29 balls remaining. Josh Philippe contributed 37, batting at number four.

“I was proud of the way our young guys came out and got the job done.”

Marsh, who was also named player of the match, won the toss and chose to field due to the inclement weather around the Western Australia city.

It paid dividends as India’s innings was hampered by rain delays, which frustrated the visitors who struggled to build any momentum.

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A quickfire 38 off 31 balls from KL Rahul helped India to recover to 136-9, with Australia set 131 to win after the total was adjusted on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.

Australia’s opening bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, troubled the Indian batters with a good line and movement.

Hazlewood had Rohit Sharma caught at second slip for eight before Starc claimed Virat Kohli without scoring, leaving the visitors 21-2.

India skipper Shubman Gill was caught by wicketkeeper Philippe off Nathan Ellis for 10 before the first rain delay, with India 23-3 after 8.5 overs.

Hazlewood grabbed his second victim when Shreyas Iyer gloved a ball to Philippe before another long delay with India at 45-4.

When they eventually resumed, the game was reduced to 26 overs.

Rahul smashed two huge sixes but fell on the boundary going for a third.

Nitish Reddy blasted 19 runs off the last two overs, but the reduced total was never enough.

The two teams meet again in Adelaide on Thursday before the final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?

RAWALPINDI: Interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood has hailed South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj as a world-class spinner, emphasizing that his return will bring significant challenges for Pakistan.

Keshav Maharaj will make his return to the side after missing out in the first Test, and he will pose a threat to Pakistan batters; however, Mahmood braces for better execution and decision-making in the match.

“We’re playing against the best team and they’re obviously not going to take this lightly, they’ll give it their all to comeback; they were relying heavily on one of their spinners [Keshav Maharaj], who’s one of the best in the world. It’ll bring a lot of challenges for us.”

“We know what challenges will come, and we need to see how to tackle those. On the day, it’s all about execution and making the right decision when you bat, bowl, or field,” Azhar told reporters in a pre-match press conference.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

Azhar emphasized a dry Pindi pitch and hinted that the playing XI will be tweaked according to the surface.

“We will decide tomorrow morning about the playing XI. Currently, the pitch is looking on the dryer side, and there is a possibility of changes, “but not too many,” he remarked.

“It’s possible we go with a 3-1 combination [three spinners and one pacer], but it hasn’t been decided yet,” he said.

“With regards to the toss, we don’t want that the whole match is decided by the toss. Even, if we lose the toss, our aim is that even if we lose the toss, we try to make 350 (runs) in the first innings,” he continued.

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Azhar Mahmood also termed the process as key for winning the World Test Championship (WTC), stating that the players’ confidence is on the higher side.

“Obviously, we need to go step by step to reach there — you need to play in conditions abroad, play in the West Indies, Bangladesh, and England. So the process that I keep talking about, we need to take the matches one by one. With Test matches, we’ll take it session by session.

“This team has been playing for quite some time now, the boys’ morale is quite high, they knew it was important to win the match, and you saw the effort they put in. They’re confident, and they’re all getting along well and playing together. This is what a team needs to build up,” he concluded.

READ: WATCH: Mitchell Starc removes Virat Kohli for duck in ODI series opener

PERTH: India batting maestro Virat Kohli return to international cricket was cut short by Australia ace pacer Mitchell Starc, who bowled a terrific delivery to send the right-hander back for a duck in the first ODI here on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, India did not have the best of a start as returning Rohit Sharma perished for just eight from 14 balls.

As a result, the visitors were 13-1 at the end of the fourth over with Virat Kohli coming at his long-occupied No. 3 spot.

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The right-hander’s much-awaited return was highly anticipated; however, he could not open his account after playing eight deliveries and was caught at backward point.

Notably, this was Virat Kohli’s first duck on Australian soil in 65 matches played from 2011 to 2025. Overall, the right-hander has scored 3616 runs at a stellar average of 51.65 with 11 centuries and 19 fifties to his name.

Yet, India set Australia a 137-run target in a match reduced to 26 overs per side, courtesy of KL Rahul and Axar Patel’s 39-run stand, which lifted the visitors out of trouble.

Rahul made 38 from 31 balls with the aid of two sixes and two fours, whereas Patel struck three fours on his way to 31 from 38 balls.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, and Josh Hazlewood scalped two wickets each.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Josh Hazlewood.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?