Ammad Shakeel Butt (Getty Images)

Pakistan hockey captain criticises federation after troubled Australia tour during which his side didn’t just have to roam the streets for lack of accommodation but also “wash dishes before going to play a match”.Pakistan hockey captain Shakeel Ammad Butt has strongly criticised the Pakistan Hockey Federation after the team’s difficult tour of Australia.

Speaking to reporters at Lahore Airport, early this morning that the Pakistan Hockey Federation had been telling them lies and “enough was enough”.“We can’t work with this current management of the federation. When players have to clean the kitchen and wash dishes before going to play a match what result do you expect from us?” a livid Butt asked angrily.Butt said the players faced serious problems during the trip. He claimed the federation did not properly arrange accommodation for the team. According to him, the players had to wait 13 to 14 hours at Sydney Airport before flying to Canberra.When the team arrived at their hotel, they were told that no advance payment had been made, so there were no confirmed bookings. The players had to wait for hours and even walk around the streets before a place to stay was arranged. Pakistan lost 2-3 to Australia in their first FIH Pro League match and went on to lose all their matches during the Australia leg, including games against Australia and Germany.Butt said the situation was embarrassing and affected the team’s performance. “What was pathetic was that even the Airbnb accommodation was arranged for 10 days when we had to stay for 13 days. We had to move into a cheaper residence after 10-days,” Butt said.The Pakistan Sports Board said it had given more than 10 million rupees to the federation for hotel arrangements. Its Director-General, Noor us Sabah, said a detailed report is being prepared for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has ordered an inquiry into the matter.The Sharif is the patron-in-chief of the PHF.Butt also revealed that players were warned not to speak to the media. “I am speaking up because of what we have been through in Australia,” he said.“We need a foreign coach if we have to move forward. We have a good combination of players but we need a foreign coach and good management,” he added.

That night in Paris certainly felt significant last month.

No other Newcastle player won more duels (seven) and fouls (three) than Ramsey, who had the most shots (two) in the 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes.

He also ranked in the top two visiting players for successful passes (32) and touches in the opposition box (three) against the Champions League holders.

The fearless manner in which Ramsey demanded the ball, wriggled out of tight spaces and took his side up the pitch served as a reminder why Newcastle wanted to sign him back in August.

But it was always going to take time for Ramsey to cement his place in the most stacked area of the team.

Not only did Ramsey arrive after the season had started – he then went on to sustain an ankle injury on his full debut against Leeds United, which kept him out for six weeks.

The midfielder was left playing catch-up as he adjusted to the intensity, detail and structure of life under Howe.

Though Villa boss Unai Emery is a demanding figure in his own right, Howe’s sapping training sessions took a little while to get used to at first.

But there have not been enough of them in recent months because of the relentless nature of Newcastle‘s fixture schedule.

Ramsey has instead come to rely on analysis debriefs to learn the intricacies of his role – after previously playing on the left under Emery – and the summer arrival has mainly built up an understanding with his team-mates through games.

This “conscientious” figure has impressed Howe with his work behind the scenes while Ramsey feels Newcastle‘s aggressive playing style will ultimately bring out the best in him in his favoured position in the middle of the park.

Ramsey previously noted how many players improved under Howe after sitting down with those closest to him last summer to assess which of his suitors gave him the best chance of one day getting into the England squad.

The wait for a senior call-up goes on, but Howe hopes Ramsey’s first goal for the club proves a “turning point” in his Newcastle career as his side now prepare to face Qarabag for a place in the Champions League last 16.

“There’s nothing better than actually contributing and helping your team win a game,” he added.

“There’s no better way to feel part of the Newcastle family than that.”

The jockey Nash Rawiller distinguishes himself through courageous approaches to races and tireless finishes.

Joe Pride, his trainer, adds that discerning horse judgment completes his toolkit.

Their fruitful collaboration in late years shines brightest with elite sprinter Eduardo, teaching Pride to value Rawiller’s opinions.

Rawiller’s involvement has been crucial for developing sprint mare Weeping Woman, but weight restrictions bar him from the Triscay Stakes (1200m) on Saturday; however, Pride still recalls his recent trial evaluation vividly.

“Nash got off her the other day after her trial and he said, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if she graduates to being a Group One horse at some point, this mare’,” Pride relayed.

“I was a bit taken aback because I didn’t have her as that, but I have found over the years he is a bloody good judge, Nash.”

Weeping Woman’s most recent outing was victory in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) during December, with ongoing fitness from then.

Fellow stable resident Coal Crusher, a reliable performer, lines up again in the Expressway Stakes (1200m).

Previously second to King Of Sparta in the equivalent race two years ago, he tackles high-class opponents like Group 1 winners Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah on Saturday, a field Pride finds impressively deep for its limited numbers.

“This is a ripper of a version,” Pride said.

“He’s going to be a big price because everybody doesn’t think he’s got the class of the others, but I have kept him up to the mark.

He had a good hit-out in a trial the other day and went really well. I think he’ll run a cheeky race, and he’ll get out and scoot.”

Ridden by Chad Schofield at $15—the outsiders’ bracket in the six-horse affair—Coal Crusher follows Weeping Woman, the $4.40 top pick under Tim Clark.

Visit the racing betting markets to find the best prices for Saturday’s Triscay Stakes.

The post Weight keeps Rawiller from Woman in Triscay Stakes first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Former MLB All-Star Bo Jackson said that players in today’s game have one thing on their minds: going deep.

Jackson, 63, talked about how the game has changed over the years and how players get paid a lot of money despite having a low batting average because of the emphasis on hitting home runs.

“Everybody’s trying to hit the home run. Hit it out of the park or strike out. You getting guys making seven, $8 million a year, and they’re batting .241,” Jackson said during a recent appearance on “Green Light with Chris Long.”

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Former Kansas City Royals player Bo Jackson talks at his Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 29, 2024. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

There are numerous players who batted around .241 but found success because of their ability to hit the long ball. Last season, Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber hit .240 but slugged 56 home runs, and had 132 RBI and finished second in the National League MVP voting.

The 32-year-old then signed a five-year, $150 million contract in the offseason. Schwarber is Jackson’s example of how batting average has become devalued in today’s game, as the emphasis has shifted more to getting on base and slugging ability.

Jackson compared hitters with low batting averages who get paid to scout team players in the NFL making a large salary.

MIKE TROUT GIVES THE $35 MILLION REASON WHY HE WILL NOT PLAY FOR TEAM USA IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

Former Kansas City Royals player Bo Jackson (left) talks with Michael Massey (right) before a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 28, 2024. (Peter Aiken/USA TODAY Sports)

“That’s like somebody making minimum wage, that’s a guy on the scout team that you know isn’t supposed to be in the game making seven-eight million a year,” Jackson said.

The former multi-sport star also talked about how players don’t steal as many bases or play small ball.

“Stealing bases back then was a must. You don’t see guys except (Cincinnati Reds’ Elly) De La Cruz… You don’t see too many guys stealing bases or doing hit and runs now in baseball, or sacrifice bunts,” Jackson said.

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Former MLB and NFL player Bo Jackson and UFC champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk fool around before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, on July 21, 2016. (David Banks/USA TODAY Sports)

Jackson spent eight seasons in the big leagues. He began his career with the Kansas City Royals, then spent two seasons with the Chicago White Sox and one with the California Angels. In 694 games, Jackson had a career batting average of .250 with 141 home runs and 415 RBI, with 82 stolen bases.

He made the All-Star team with the Royals in 1989.

Jackson also played four seasons with the then-Los Angeles Raiders in the NFL. In 38 games, Jackson ran for 2,782 yards with 16 rushing touchdowns.

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Aeliana’s spring had her pressing Via Sistina on resumption, missing only Mr Brightside next out, and lining up in the Cox Plate, but Chris Waller wasn’t completely happy with her condition.

She produced thrilling runs in competition, though the elite trainer noted she never seemed right visually.

“She ate well through the spring, her bloods were good, but she never looked well,” Waller said.

“She looked light.”

Her eating and form remained solid despite her appearance, prompting Waller to believe growth was ongoing.

Now, post-break and paddock stint, she’s back 15kg heavier and presenting much better.

“I’m much happier. She’s perfect,” he said.

“She will be very hard to beat on Saturday, as we saw first-up in the Winx (Stakes) last spring. She almost beat Via (Sistina).

As long as we didn’t overtax her. That’s my only fear, but there was no sign of it. We pulled up after the Cox Plate, and she was a bit unlucky there.”

She joins five stablemates in Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick: exciting mare Autumn Glow and hardy gelding Lindermann among them.

The stable pinches hopes on that group of three, with Wootton Verni, Soul Of Spain and River Of Stars set to gain fitness.

Autumn Glow is the market elect at short odds, Aeliana third and Lindermann fourth, the latter after a fine spring claiming three from five.

Waller advised not to dismiss Lindermann lightly, with Nash Rawiller in the saddle.

“He’s pretty forward because first and second-up is his chance to beat the better ones,” Waller said.

“You’ve got Nash on, there’s always a Nash factor. He can always pull something out of his hat.”

For the Apollo Stakes in 2026, punters should check betting markets for the race at top online bookmakers.

The post Aeliana the embodiment of health ahead of Apollo Stakes return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Barcelona have an option to purchase Marcus Rashford for £26m – and the forward has made it clear he does not want to return to Manchester United

Manchester United have told Barcelona that they will not re-negotiate Marcus Rashford’s fee.

Rashford is on a season-long loan at the Spanish giants, who have the option to buy him for £26million at the end of the campaign. And according to the Daily Mail, United are said to be puzzled by speculation they are prepared to negotiate the fee.

The report also claims that Barca must pay the agreed figure in full, and United hope that selling Rashford and wiping his salary off the wage bill will contribute to some significant savings this summer.

The forward has largely impressed at Spotify Camp Nou, scoring 10 goals and claiming 13 assists in 34 games.

Rashford has not played for United since December 2024 and lost his ‘10’ squad number to Matheus Cunha under former coach Ruben Amorim during the summer.

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Before that Amorim said he would rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach as a substitute than a player who does not give his all, in response to a question about Rashford.

The forward spent the second-half of last season on loan at Aston Villa and was forced to train at a separate time from United’s first-team players in the summer before he joined Hansi Flick’s side.

Although Rashford has made clear that he wants to join Barca permanently in the summer, Flick revealed last month that the forward’s long-term future with the Spanish giants remains uncertain.

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“(Sporting director) Deco and I always speak about our team and what we can do,” the German said when quizzed about Rashford.

“Marcus’ performances have been really good until now, but we have to manage it. It’s Deco’s job and the club’s job to work on next season so we have to wait.

“We still have plenty more time, there are many months, many days, many weeks ahead of us, and that’s how it is.”

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Our senior Manchester United writer Tyrone Marshall answers your questions on the club and what is going on at Old Trafford right now, ahead of the team’s return to action at Everton on Monday

05:00, 18 Feb 2026

Manchester United are in the middle of a 13-day break between fixtures at the moment and the gap is the chance for the dust to settle on Michael Carrick’s start as head coach.

United grabbed an injury-time equaliser against West Ham last week to ensure it was five games unbeaten for Carrick and they remain in pole position for a return to the Champions League. Carrick will look to continue that momentum against Everton on Monday night.

But it’s been another chaotic week at OId Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments about immigration creating a storm inside the club and setting alarm bells ringing outside it. You’ve been sending in plenty of questions again this week and we’ve answered them below.

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We run weekly question and answer sessions, so click here to submit your questions, and we’ll answer them next week. Here are the answers to some of this week’s questions:

When will the past great Manchester United players stop provoking players on podcasts?

This has been a pretty big issue at Old Trafford this season. It reared its head again when Ruben Amorim mentioned people listening to Gary Neville’s opinion in his fateful press conference at Leeds, although it was believed that was an issue to people above him listening to Neville’s podcast.

We’ve also had Lisandro Martinez’s very public feud with Paul Scholes as an example of an issue that is becoming a little divisive. It is certainly something people at United are aware of.

No club dominates the public landscape quite like this one and there is an army of former players in media roles now, not just on TV and radio but increasingly in the podcast sphere, which represents a new challenge. You can be a little looser on podcasts than in mainstream media and we are seeing that happen.

The best way to shut them up, if that is what United’s players want to do, is to focus on winning games. The criticism has died down during Michael Carrick’s five games in charge and it will remain quiet if they stay on track for the Champions League.

For me, it doesn’t make sense that United could deny Carrick an opportunity because they need a big-name manager. It should be about the feeling within the club and the players and the players are happy with Carrick, so should Carrick not get the job?

This is an interesting point and it will be fascinating to see how much weight is given to the opinion of the players during this process, because both publicly and privately, they are speaking warmly of Carrick. He has put a smile back on the faces of a lot of those players and Bruno Fernandes has been very vocal in his support of the 44-year-old.

United insist they are planning a “thorough” recruitment process to get the right person in charge of the 2026/27 season, and Carrick has certainly put himself in the frame for that, but I wouldn’t expect any decision until much later in the season, and possibly beyond the end of the season.

But if the players are asked, then I think Carrick will get a lot of support, especially if results continue as they are. They have enjoyed his coaching sessions, the style of football and the subtle changes he has made behind the scenes.

We haven’t had an academy graduate hit the ground running since Mainoo and Garnacho. Could Amass solve the left-back issue? What has happened to Wheatley and are there any others with true potential?

One thing I would say is that it’s not easy to make it as an academy graduate at United. We have seen plenty get a chance recently and some of those will come again, but you’re right that Mainoo is the last to come through and really establish himself.

Amass is an interesting one. With Tyrell Malacia leaving this summer and Patrick Dorgu often playing further forward, there could be a first-team spot available. His momentum has stalled, however. He has played just 15 minutes of football in a little over six weeks, having picked up a hamstring injury since swapping Sheffield Wednesday for Norwich.

Wheatley had his moment in the first team, but is now focusing on development through loan spells. His step up to Bradford City and a League One promotion battle is a new test, but having been starting games at Northampton, he is now coming off the bench for the Bantams.

Sekou Kone is a better player than Carlos Baleba, so can he not be Casemiro’s replacement?

That is a huge statement and one that is almost impossible to justify. Baleba has had a difficult season and it does feel like he has lost his way a little since United’s attempts to sign him in 2025, but he remains a good Premier League performer and has plenty of experience under his belt.

At 22, he has played 102 games for Brighton and 82 of them have been in the Premier League. He also has 15 caps for Cameroon and is clearly a player who is going to go on to bigger and better things.

United have high hopes for Kone, but his adaptation from football in Mali to life at Old Trafford hasn’t been easy. He is 20 now but has no serious experience under his belt and clearly isn’t ready to be in the first-team squad.

There is hope that his loan with Lausanne Sport might do him some good, but he has been left out of their Conference League squad and has managed just 10 minutes in three games in the Swiss Super League so far.

What’s happening with Shea Lacey? That kid has a lot of potential.

We saw from Lacey’s first-team cameos in January that there is a serious player there. His last three appearances in Premier League 2 have delivered six goals, which suggests the 18-year-old might already be growing out of development football.

He hasn’t made the bench for the last couple of first-team games, and interestingly, he wasn’t in the squad when the Under-21s played Derby on February 6. I’m not aware of an injury issue at the moment but his last football was more than two weeks ago, when he scored a hat-trick against West Brom.

He is partly a victim of the lack of first-team games this season, because he would have got more minutes in cup competitions and would have made the bench for European games, when you can name more substitutes. It will be interesting to see if United keep his development in-house next season or opt for a loan, but they rate him very highly.

Why not try Amad as a striker?

Amad did play as a striker, or a false nine at least, during his time at Sunderland, but I don’t see it happening at the moment for United. The reality is that Bryan Mbeumo is better if you want a No. 9 who offers a bit more movement and link-up play. If you want an out-and-out striker, you’d pick Sesko.

If Sesko does come into the team, I would think it is Amad’s place that is vulnerable. His levels have dropped recently but he is still a relatively young player and that is to be expected every now and again. A couple of games as an impact sub might be a good thing for him.

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Michael Carrick aims to maintain his unbeaten run during this tenure as Manchester United manager when his team heads to Everton next week

Michael Carrick and Manchester United are benefiting from an extended spell without fixtures after their early exit from the FA Cup. Following their elimination under Darren Fletcher’s stewardship, United found themselves without a match over the weekend.

Attention turns instead to their upcoming Premier League encounter against Everton. By the time they return to action, United will have had 13 days since their 1-1 stalemate with West Ham.

Carrick will be aiming to extend his unbeaten streak, having overseen five matches without defeat thus far, including victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham. Currently, he holds the position until the campaign’s conclusion, but his brilliant beginning has already sparked considerable demands for his appointment beyond the summer.

One manager who has been suggested as a potential successor is Luis Enrique. However, the prospect of his arrival has now been dismissed by a club legend. The Manchester Evening News delivers the latest developments from Old Trafford.

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Luis Enrique prospect dismissed

United legend Wayne Rooney was questioned about who he’d prefer to see permanently replace Amorim and he backed Carrick. The England icon also downplayed the influence a manager such as PSG boss Enrique would bring.

“I think with Luis Enrique, I’ve been there and we’ve tried different managers. We tried [Jose] Mourinho and [Louis] van Gaal,” said Rooney on The Overlap Fan Debate.

“Then we tried the likes of [Erik] ten Hag and [Ruben] Amorim and they don’t work. I just think Carrick makes sense. I felt that from the minute I knew he was going in.

“He’s a real calming influence. I think we’re sometimes quick to overlook what’s right here in front of us and say, ‘We’ve got this manager from Turkey or Spain who is going to come in and do this.’

“But actually they’ve got no interest in the football club. At least this will give the foundations for the club to keep building. The infrastructure will be back at the football club.”

Club responds to Jurgen Klopp claims

Elsewhere on the managerial front, the representative of former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp made a bombshell claim on Monday, suggesting that both Chelsea and United approached the German following his departure from Anfield.

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Klopp departed in 2024 following a silverware-filled eight-year spell. His representative, Marc Kosicke, now alleges that both the London side and United subsequently sounded out Klopp.

However, sources tell MEN Sport that the club has dismissed claims of approaching Klopp. United rejected the suggestion they ever made contact with the manager either directly or via a third party. Chelsea are also understood to have issued a denial.

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