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Everton are reportedly now in contact over the potential signing of James Tarkowski.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the month, meaning that he can leave Burnley on a free transfer once it expires.

Given that they were relegated from the Premier League, it seems very unlikely that he will stay at the Clarets, with a number of clubs in the top flight expected to fight for his signature.

The Latest: Everton in contact over Tarkowski

As per i News, Everton are now hoping that they can wrap up a deal for Tarkowski, although Leeds United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also monitoring his situation.

Frank Lampard has promised the defender a platform to regain his place in the England squad before the World Cup starts in November, and the Merseyside club have been in contact over him in recent weeks and submitted a long-term contract offer.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

To sign a player of Tarkowski’s quality and experience for free is surely a no-brainer for the Toffees.

Once dubbed an ‘outstanding‘ defender by his former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, and a ‘real leader‘ at the back by ex-Premier League striker Noel Whelan, he should certainly help with Everton’s defensive problems from the 2021/22 season. They conceded no fewer than 66 times in the league, the fifth-most of any team.

Also, given the strong interest from other top-flight clubs, signing him would be a shrewd and satisfying coup from the Blues.

In other news, find out whose future now lies away from Everton

Manchester United are reportedly looking to make a bid to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku in the coming days.

What’s the news?

A recent tweet from Florian Plettenberg shed some very encouraging light on the matter from a Red Devils perspective.

The Sky Sports journalist said: “Yes, there is a good contact between #MUFC and the player’s management. It is said that an official offer could arrive in Leipzig next week. United bosses rate him as very good. Rangnick recommended his transfer as reported. RB still won’t sell.”

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After working his way through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth ranks, the 24-year-old joined RB Leipzig in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth €13m (£11m).

Since then, the Frenchman has grown into one of Europe’s top players by racking up 47 goals and 47 assists in 135 games for the Bundesliga outfit.

The 2021/22 season saw the former PSG youngster score 35 goals and supply 20 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League.

Ten Hag will be thrilled

To further highlight his attacking and creative talents, Nkunku ended up with the joint-highest number of goal-creating actions (28) in the Bundesliga alongside Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller.

With an overall performance rating of 7.64 from WhoScored, only Robert Lewandowski earned a higher rating for the 2021/22 German top-flight season, showing how special a player the Leipzig star is. He also ended the campaign with more man of the match awards from WhoScored (10) than any other player in the Bundesliga.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Nkunku would be a very exciting signing for United, and it would leave Erik Ten Hag thrilled if the Red Devils are able to get the 24-year-old to move to Old Trafford.

However, with Plettenberg claiming that Leipzig won’t be looking to sell him this summer, it could take a substantial offer from the Red Devils to get the Frenchman to make the move to England.

Also, with the prospect of playing in the Champions League not on the table for Nkunku at Old Trafford next season, unlike at Leipzig, this could also be a stumbling block in their efforts to sign the attacker this summer.

In other news: Ten Hag can finally axe MUFC’s big “waste of time” by signing £54m-rated “phenomenon”

Newcastle United are reportedly now ready to sign Lucas Paqueta in what would be a club-record deal this summer.

The Lowdown: Another Bruno…

Paqueta is very much cut from the same cloth as Bruno Guimaraes, in the respect that he is a silky Brazilian midfielder who plays for Lyon, with Bruno since moving to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.

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The Magpies fan favourite is a ‘good friend’ of Paqueta’s, and so could play his part in trying to persuade his former teammate to join him in the North East.

The Latest: Deal readied

As per The Times, the Tyneside outfit are now ready to break their transfer record to sign Paqueta, who would cost them in the region of £50m.

He is a ‘major target’ for Eddie Howe, and his side are now ‘weighing up’ an offer for the 24-year-old.

The Verdict: Sign

The prospect of getting Bruno and Paqueta playing on the pitch for the same team again is truly mouth-watering, and adding another Brazilian in Joelinton into the middle of the park is surely something that the Toon Army will want to see.

Hailed as ‘exemplary and a ‘soldier’ by his teammate Karl Toko-Ekambi earlier this season, he is even a player that Arsenal and Premier League legend Thierry Henry loves.

No wonder, as Paqueta managed 11 goals and seven assists from midfield in all competitions this term (Transfermarkt), and so would be an extra deadly weapon for the Magpies should they be able to get this deal over the line.

In other news, find out what shock triple raid of one top-flight club NUFC are now eyeing here!

BBC pundit Carlton Palmer has admitted that he remains confident that Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan will stay at the club next season.

The Lowdown: Missing out on promotion

Despite successfully securing a place in the top six in League One, Darren Moore’s side suffered a heart-breaking 2-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Sunderland in the play-off semi-final, meaning that they will be playing in the third tier of English football for at least another campaign.

Since the game, this has caused plenty of speculation surrounding the 31-year-old’s future, who might understandably have aspirations to play at a higher level than the club have been resigned to for next term.

The Latest: Palmer makes Bannan transfer claim

Palmer, however, believes that no potential suitor interested would be willing to pay Bannan’s huge wage packet, so therefore thinks he will stay put at Hillsborough. He told Football League World:

“Well, let’s not kid ourselves. Right. Barry. I know Barry, he’s a lovely kid.

“He’s a nice bloke. He’s 100% Sheffield Wednesday, he’s brilliant for Sheffield Wednesday.

“But let’s not kid ourselves, who is going to pay him £27k a week. He isn’t going anywhere.

“So him saying, ‘Oh, I’m going to commit to staying at Sheffield Wednesday.’ Yes, other clubs will be interested in him, but who’s going to pay him 27 grand a week.

“With all due respect, he’s better than the league. He’s miles better. He’s been Sheffield Wednesday’s best performer.

“He’s been brilliant since he came to Sheffield Wednesday, but he’s playing in League one, right. And he’s earning that amount of money. He’s not going anywhere.”

The Verdict: Second time lucky?

It’s no secret that the midfielder was one of the main reasons why the Owls managed to reach the playoffs, having scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in League One this season, as per Transfermarkt.

Once hailed an “incredible” player by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Bannan isn’t getting any younger, and with his age, it’s hard to imagine that any club would want to take him on in any of the divisions above, so his best option would be to remain with Wednesday in the hope that they can earn promotion at the second time of asking.

If the maestro can reach the performance levels that he has over this last year, then that should give his side a strong fighting chance to compete at the top end of the table again next season.

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a deal for Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, according to trusted Irons insider ExWHUemployee.

What’s the word?

Asked about the Hammers’ possible interest in the Frenchman on Twitter, the respected club source revealed that “he is one” that the east London club are targeting, as David Moyes seeks to bolster his defensive ranks this summer.

The 21-year-old centre-back had been linked with a move to the London Stadium in January, while Premier League rivals Newcastle United also reportedly placed a £33m bid to secure his services in the winter.

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The 6 foot 4 colossus has recently piqued the interest of any prospective English suitors by insisting that it would be a “dream” to play in the Premier League, with an offer of around £40m likely to be enough to lure him from the Stade Louis II.

In full, Ex said: “I did some of our centre back targets on the podcast this morning and I forgot to mention him but yes I believe he is one.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Signing a new centre-back appears to be high on the priority list for GSB this summer, with West Ham having been caught short in recent weeks due to a lack of depth in the heart of the defence.

Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson have predominantly been the first-choice pairing this term, although there is little quality in reserve beyond that duo, with 34-year-old Angelo Ogbonna yet to return from long-term injury, while Issa Diop has been linked with a departure after a frustrating last few seasons.

Reinforcements are needed and Badiashile could be the man to do the job, with the starlet having enjoyed another fine campaign in Ligue 1. In the current French top-flight campaing, he has averaged 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 2.7 clearances per game in his 23 outings, while also winning an impressive 77% of his aerial duels and 65% of his duels overall.

No slouch on the ball, the £25.2m-rated gem has also recorded an 88% pass accuracy rate in Ligue 1 this season, while also ranking in the top 6% among centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes.

Despite his youth, the £14k-per-week giant already has 118 senior appearances under his belt for Monaco in all competitions. Also, the club’s vice president Oleg Petrov has tipped the 21-year-old for a bright future, insisting that he is: “very good technically, very humble, very fast, gives a lot of comforts when he plays but still very young.”

Petrov added: “For a player of his age, playing all the games as a starter, it is a huge opportunity for him to develop into a player of the highest calibre.”

Such high praise would indicate that Badiashile is set for a long and successful stint at an elite level, with Moyes and co needing to do all they can to try and bring him to east London this summer.

The Irons’ fan base will surely enjoy hearing of the club’s efforts to bring in such a capable and precocious player in a position which badly needs addressing between now and the end of August.

In other news, 11 games, 0 goals: Bilic made “huge mistake” on West Ham dud who cost £2.5m per yellow card

Everton are close to tying down midfielder Lewis Warrington to a new contract, The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland reports.

The lowdown

Warrington’s deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2021/22 season, meaning he could have left as a free agent in a matter of weeks.

The Birkenhead-born starlet spent the second half of the season on loan at Tranmere Rovers in League Two.

And he’s attracted interest from a number of clubs who were aware of his contract situation.

Warrington is yet to make a senior debut for Everton, but he has played 20 times for them at Under-23 level.

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The latest

Boyland understands that Warrington is about to put pen to paper on a fresh deal, and the process could be completed ‘as early as next week’.

Frank Lampard will take an opportunity to run the rule over the youngster in Everton’s pre-season friendlies.

They will then decide what’s best for his development, with another loan at Tranmere a possibility.

The verdict

Warrington’s loan at Prenton Park has to be considered a resounding success.

He earned the trust of Micky Mellon almost instantly, starting the final 17 matches of the campaign.

The manager has described him as a ‘very highly rated’ and ‘very talented lad’ and marvelled at his technical ability.

It’s no surprise, then, that Rovers would be keen to take him back for 2022/23, and they’ll be keenly awaiting the results of Everton’s deliberations.

The Toffees may well decide that the step-up to the senior side is too great at this moment in time and sanction another temporary departure.

But will they want him to be playing at a high level than the fourth tier so that he’s better prepared? That may be a concern for Mellon and co.

In other news, an injury expert drops a big claim on Yerry Mina.

The action starts with a rematch of last year’s final on June 12

Deivarayan Muthu12-Jun-2025First things first. When does it start?MLC 2025 kicks off on June 12, with defending champions Washington Freedom taking on San Francisco Unicorns in a rematch of last season’s final at the Oakland Coliseum, which has hosted baseball and American football matches. The stadium was a prominent feature in the 2011 film , based on Michael Lewis’ book which documented the Athletics’ success following data-driven strategies in the early 2000s.Unicorns will play three home games at the Coliseum. The league will run until July 13, when the final will be played at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill will host matches for the first time this season, including a double-header on July 4. The Grand Prairie Stadium, which had staged games in 2023 and 2024, will host 16 of the 34 games this season, including the knockouts.So, who are the teams in action?The six teams are Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, MI New York, Los Angeles Knight Riders, Texas Super Kings and Seattle Orcas. Four of these teams are owned by IPL franchises. Apart from the three obvious ones, Orcas are owned by the GMR group, who co-own Delhi Capitals.Freedom, owned by Indian-American entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, have Cricket New South Wales as their high-performance partner. Unicorns, owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, have a strategic partnership with Cricket Victoria. The league is soon to expand with New Zealand Cricket coming on board as investors and set to part-own one of the new teams in 2027.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat else is new?Four of the six teams have new captains in MLC 2025. Nicholas Pooran, who had recently retired from international cricket at the age of 29, has been named MINY’s new captain while his former West Indies team-mate Jason Holder will lead LA Knight Riders. With Holder set to miss LAKR’s first two games because of international commitments, Sunil Narine will stand in as the franchise’s captain. Holder will join the LAKR side ahead of their third match against Freedom.Related

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Rashid and Omarzai set to miss MLC 2025

Freedom will also have a new captain, with Glenn Maxwell taking over from Steven Smith, who will only make a brief appearance this season. Having also retired from international cricket, Heinrich Klaasen will take charge of Orcas while Unicorns have retained Corey Anderson as their captain. Super Kings, who are big on continuity and consistency across leagues, have retained Faf du Plessis as their captain.The league also has a new CEO, with Johnny Grave replacing Vijay Srinivasan ahead of the new season, as it prepares for its expansion. Grave is a key figure in cricket administration, having most recently served as CEO at CWI for seven years. He was previously the commercial director at the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) in England.Any other exciting new additions?David Warner is set for his maiden MLC stint, having signed with Orcas. Warner, however, is a familiar face for the franchise, having played for them in other leagues: IPL (Delhi Capitals) and ILT20 (Dubai Capitals).David Warner will play in the MLC for the first time•Getty ImagesAustralia’s Mitchell Owen, among the most sought-after names in T20 cricket right now following his barnstorming century in the BBL final in January earlier this year, will reunite with coach Ricky Ponting at Freedom, having already worked with him at Hobart Hurricanes and Punjab Kings. Also watch out for Sherfane Rutherford, who is gearing up for his MLC debut with LAKR after impressing in franchise leagues around the world, including the IPL.Then there is New Zealand tearaway Ben Sears, who will join Owen at Freedom. Sears was also on Ponting’s radar at one point as a potential replacement for Lockie Ferguson at PBKS in the IPL. This will be Sears’ chance to announce himself to the franchise world.Are Afghanistan players available?While Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai (both MINY) have opted out of the tournament, Naveen-ul-Haq (MINY), Noor Ahmad (TSK) and Waqar Salamkheil (Orcas) have joined their respective teams after doubts emerged over the participation of Afghanistan players owing to the travel ban imposed by the US government.Two other Afghanistan players – Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who play for Orcas – are understood to be awaiting visas to travel to play in MLC.USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar is the MLC’s second-highest wicket-taker•MLCTell me about some domestic players to keep an eye onIt’s hard to look past Saurabh Netravalkar, the left-arm seamer who even made it to the IPL 2024 auction shortlist after his out-of-office spells for USA and Freedom. He is the highest wicket-taker among USA players in the MLC, with 25 strikes in 13 matches at an economy rate of 7.49, and the second highest overall.Among the young batters, Saiteja Mukkamalla (TSK) could make his MLC bow this season after producing outstanding numbers for USA in T20Is: the 21-year-old averages over 40 and has a strike rate of nearly 153 after 18 T20Is. Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who turned 22 earlier this month, is another serious talent in the Unicorns side with a wide array of shots in his repertoire.Don’t forget Agni Chopra, who became the first batter to score centuries in his first four first-class games. Agni has since ended his Indian domestic career with Mizoram and has moved to the USA, attracting the attention of MINY. Agni, 26, is the son of film critic Anupama Chopra and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who made the popular movie .What is the format of the league?Like most franchise leagues, the MLC will first have a round-robin league stage. The top two teams will meet in the Qualifier, with the winners of that match advancing to the final.The third and fourth-placed teams will meet in the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator will face the team that loses the Qualifier in the Challenger, where the second finalist will be decided.Is there a clash with any other league?Of course, the MLC overlaps with the T20 Blast in England and some international fixtures, including the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s. The MLC, though, has avoided a clash with the Hundred this season after the two leagues had overlapped by six days in 2024.

The new tournament will see 90 women’s players from Full Members and Associates and has applied to get sanctioned by the ICC

Firdose Moonda01-Dec-2025A restructured FairBreak has promised to create “the Wimbledon of cricket” in partnership with Saudi Arabia, which will see 90 women’s players from both Full Member and Associate teams compete at an elite level in a multi-team T20 event. The tournament, which has its roots in the FairBreak Invitational, has, through Saudi Cricket, applied for ICC sanction and will run for five years starting in 2026.”It’s an event played in one city, one stadium, with one hotel where everybody stays and it’s over in two weeks,” Ramasamy Venkatesh, FairBreak’s MD, told ESPNcricinfo. “It means that every day at breakfast, women across different countries and teams will be mixing, chatting, and forming relationships. Then you get players contacting their heroes like Shabnim Ismail and Katherine Sciver-Brunt and asking them questions as they continue playing. That kind of relationship-building and feedback is invaluable.”FairBreak, which was founded in 2013 by former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar and her manager Shaun Martyn, seeks to champion the cause of gender equality in cricket and democratise the space for women across the playing spectrum. After several invitational fixtures, it launched its first tournament in 2022, which included six teams.Related

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What makes it distinct from other franchise competitions is that there is no auction and squads are decided by a panel of between four and six selectors. Each squad composition is the same, with half the players coming from Full Members and the other half from Associates. Players are paid across four salary bands ranging from US$20,000 for category A to US$5,000 for category D (category B players earn US$15,000 and C players US$10,000). These signature features will remain in place for the upcoming event.All six teams will be owned by FairBreak, with the option to partner with a corporate sponsor for brand rights. Previous sponsors included the Barmy Army, and FairBreak intends to procure others, especially as that could impact players’ remuneration.”Our interest is always to increase the compensation to the women to make it more remunerative for them because we want the girls to be paid equally as men. That’s our long-term vision,” Venkatesh said. “If we get enough sponsorships to support an increase in pay, the first thing we’ll do this time is to increase the pay for the women.”The event has previously featured players from 35 countries, but none from India as the previous editions clashed with domestic tournaments in India. With FairBreak eyeing a September-October window that will fall after the Women’s Hundred and before the WBBL – both events that Indian players participate in – it is hoped there will be no obstacles to Indian players taking part this time. While only retired Indian men’s players can get NOCs to play in overseas leagues, active Indian women’s players have been involved in T20 leagues around the world, and FairBreak and Cricket Saudi are hopeful of achieving the same for this tournament.Chiefly, FairBreak’s focus is on casting the net as wide as possible to involve as many ICC members as they can. That will include Saudi Arabia, where there is a significant expat sporting community and women mostly play tape-ball cricket. “Right now, Full Member nations are getting a good amount of cricket, especially India, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia,” Venkatesh said. “Our aim is to make sure Associate nations can also take the step up to the higher levels. Today, women’s cricket is the fastest growing segment of cricket.”Shizuka Miyaji of Japan also played in the FairBreak tournament•FairBreak GlobalRecognition of this growth is growing after the ICC launched an Emerging Nations Trophy for women last month and confirmed the expansion of the Women’s ODI World Cup. FairBreak, while not part of the ICC, works in the same area of development and aims to continue to partner with member countries to raise the profile of the women’s game, especially as their organisation has come through a period of uncertainty to find stability.After their inaugural event in 2022 in the UAE, FairBreak held a second tournament in 2023 in Hong Kong and appeared to be growing. They were due to hold a third event in 2023 in the USA which was initially pushed back to 2024 and then postponed indefinitely. Venkatesh explained that the logistical challenges of hosting the 2024 event with the Women’s T20 World Cup in October that year and several other tours prompted the organisation’s decision to hold off as they also faced internal changes.In 2026 too, the new FairBreak tournament will face the challenge of a calendar clash with the women’s Asia Cup, which is also scheduled for mid-September to early October as of now, along with bilateral tours such as England touring Ireland for six white-ball matches in September and West Indies hosting Zimbabwe for eight white-ball matches mid-September onwards.Martyn stepped down in January 2024 and Venkatesh, who is also the founder of a multi-national healthcare group Gencor and an ICC Development Panel umpire, was confirmed the MD in September this year. By that time, talks on another tournament were in full swing and FairBreak had identified the Middle East as a potential region for an event. They began negotiations in the first quarter of 2025 and believe they have signed a deal that will ensure their “sustainability” into the future.

Christian Benteke has publicly thanked D.C. United and its supporters after the club declined his contract option for 2026, he said in messages to fans. The club had previously indicated it was in talks over a potential new deal, but the 34-year-old Belgian – who has spent three seasons in the nation’s capital – posted a farewell note, signaling his departure.

Getty Images Sport'Thank you to D.C. United'

Although D.C. United had hoped to negotiate a new deal, the Belgian star and 2024 MLS Golden Boot winner used his farewell message to signal he is moving on. Benteke thanked teammates, staff, and supporters for their backing since his arrival in 2022, acknowledging the relationships he built in the capital and making clear that his time at Audi Field has come to a close.

AdvertisementBenteke’s impact during three seasons in MLS

Since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2022 Benteke has been a focal point for D.C.’s attack, scoring regularly and earning individual honours including MLS All-Star nods and a Golden Boot campaign. Across his D.C. United tenure he has contributed to 47 goals and 10 assists which includes a 30 goal MLS regular season campaign during the 2024 season.

Impact on D.C.

Benteke appeared an odd fit on a largely rebuilding team, considering his veteran status and production. D.C. last year finished last in the Eastern Conference with 26 points. 

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Getty Images SportLooking ahead for Benteke

As Benteke contemplates the next phase of his career. With free agency looming and talks ongoing, Benteke now has several options: Sign elsewhere in MLS, or explore moves abroad.

WI captain saw their improved performance in Delhi after being forced to follow as a positive sign

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-20253:56

What made Campbell and Hope stand out?

Roston Chase saw encouraging signs in West Indies’ performance against India in Delhi, despite the visitors losing by seven wickets.Shai Hope and John Campbell made centuries, the first two for West Indies in 2025. The team also batted 80-plus overs in both innings after failing to get to that mark all year, improvements that meant more coming against a strong Indian bowling outfit that included Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.”Yeah, I think this is the kind of fight that I wanted to see from us, from matches before”, Chase said at the post-match press conference. “So, I think this is a stepping stone, a building step for us to go forward and improve as a Test-playing nation. This is a performance that I think will give us the confidence and boost us in terms of that belief that we can do it against proper Test-playing nations.Related

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“I just want to see the guys continue in this vein and don’t let us go back to those ways. Even if it’s for us to lose, we have to lose in a good way. In a positive way, where we can have a lot of positives coming out of the game.”West Indies came to India without two of their best fast bowlers, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, who were both laid low by injuries. Ultimately, it wasn’t the bowling that let them down though. Chase understood that his side needed to improve their batting to get their first points in this new cycle of the World Test Championship.”I think where we could improve mainly is our batting,” Chase said. “I think that’s what let us down for the last two series. I think we have a good bowling attack, we had a few injuries. I just think that once we can put good first-inning totals on the board, we will be able to fight for some wins in the Test Championship.”John Campbell and Shai Hope put on West Indies’ highest partnership of the 2025 so far•AFP/Getty ImagesBut this process is complicated by the way the West Indies cricket system currently functions.”When a lot of our players come into the international level, they play like 20 first-class games, 15 first-class games,” Chase said. “While other teams, when guys come into international cricket, they have like 80 first-class games, 100 first-class games.”Domestic competitions help batters learn how to score big runs and replicate the process over an extended period of time. West Indies, though, are having to manufacture success without that essential ingredient. This is part of why they have had one-off wins, against Australia in Brisbane and against Pakistan in Multan, but are struggling for consistency.”So for us, it’s always learning on the job,” Chase said. “So if a guy can get a little longer run [playing Test matches] so that he can adjust and adapt to this level and see what it takes for him to improve and to be consistent at this level, I think that’s good. And I just think that the fight that we showed in this last game will, as I said, give us that belief and that confidence to know that we have what it takes to perform at this level.”One bright spot for West Indies on this tour of India was the allrounder Justin Greaves, who finished the series with an unbeaten 50 from No. 7 and showed good skill in combating India’s spinners.”Yeah, well, actually, if we had batted first, he [Greaves] would have batted at No. 6,” Chase. “But obviously him being the allrounder, bowling allrounder, bowling many [14 out of 134.2] overs first, we just wanted to give him some rest. So we just put him at No. 7. But yeah, I think he’s a capable batsman. I know him for a long period and I personally think his batting is better than his bowling.”West Indies’ next Test match is in December against New Zealand. Chase accepted the first year of this WTC cycle has been hard on his team but hoped for better returns in 2026.”And I think that we had a chat and this first year in the cycle, we always know it was going to be tough with opposition like Australia, India and then we go to New Zealand. But I think that once we learn from what we’ve done in those series and take it into the next year where we have guys like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, guys that we are closer to in the rankings, I think that we can be more competitive against those once we learn from these games.”