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‘Weren’t fussed’ claim was tough to take: England’s Ollie Pope on Ashes criticism | Cricket News

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'Weren’t fussed' claim was tough to take: England's Ollie Pope on Ashes criticism
England’s Ollie Pope bats on day two of the first Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Perth. (AP)

England batter Ollie Pope has responded to criticism following his side’s Ashes defeat in Australia, saying the perception that the team “weren’t fussed” is not accurate, while accepting why that view took hold among fans and experts.England, led by Ben Stokes, lost the 2025/26 Ashes series 4-1 to Australia cricket team. The tour is still under review by the England and Wales Cricket Board.Apart from results on the field, the tour also drew attention due to reports around team culture. During a break in Noosa, there were claims of players drinking heavily. There were also reports that vice-captain Harry Brook had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during a pre-series visit to New Zealand.

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Pope said the team remained focused on winning the Ashes and pointed to the first Test in Perth as a key moment.“Going into that series, there was a lot spoken about the preparation of it,” Pope told reporters. “As a team, the misconception might be that we weren’t as fussed as it came across.”Speaking at Surrey’s media day, the 28-year-old said the outcome of the opening Test shaped the narrative.“The tough thing for everyone in that first game (Test) was the nature of it. Had we won that, and we’d done slightly better on day two, the idea is different.“Of course we want to be a well-liked team, on and off the pitch, and unfortunately our performance didn’t allow that to happen in Australia.”“I can understand why people felt that way, but at the same time the perception that we weren’t fussed was probably the hard thing. All we wanted to do was go and win the Ashes…All anyone wanted to do was to win,” Pope said.“And for us at times it was just trying to, in our minds, take the pressure off the actual Test match.”Even before the series began, questions were raised about England’s preparation in Australian conditions. Their build-up included a three-day match against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth.“As we’ve done over the previous years, we tried to treat it like a normal series to get the best out of ourselves,” Pope said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go to plan.”He added: “I know what I need to be as ready as I can be. From a personal point, I felt as ready as I could have been for that first Test.”Pope was dropped after the third Test, having averaged 20.83 across the first three matches. Jacob Bethell replaced him and scored a century in the fifth Test in Sydney.Despite the setback, Pope said he is focused on returning to the side.“I still feel like my best batting years are to come.”He was speaking after the ECB reversed a plan to restrict Ashes players from speaking to the media ahead of the county season while the review of the tour continues.

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Fabregas Reacts As Okoye Shines In Udinese Draw

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Maduka Okoye delivered an outstanding performance, but Cesc Fabregas admitted he was not fully satisfied with his team after Como’s goalless draw with Udinese on Monday night.

Fabregas said the game was tight and very tactical, with both sides struggling to find space and control the tempo.

“Both teams had difficulties finding spaces, it was a very tactical game and nobody really took the initiative,” he said.

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Despite his side creating two good chances, Fabregas was not impressed with how Como handled the ball, noting that several players did not perform at their best.

“In general, I didn’t like the way the team played in possession, there were many players who were below par today,” he added.

The Como boss also pointed out that Udinese offered little attacking threat, but stressed the importance of staying solid at the back.

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“At the same time, Udinese created very little danger and we kept our 15th clean sheet.”

Fabregas admitted he expected more from his team but accepted the result, especially given recent challenges.

“When you are in these situations, it is important not to lose and not to concede, even if I am the first to admit that I expected more.”

Okoye was the key figure in the match, making several important saves to deny Como and secure a clean sheet for Udinese.

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Callum Smith vs David Morrell fight off after injury suffered in Smith training camp

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The upcoming battle between Callum Smith and David Morrell will no longer be happening.

Smith last fought in February 2025 when he was involved in a fight of the year contender against Joshua Buatsi, claiming the unanimous decision win in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to secure the WBO interim light heavyweight title.

Over 12 months on from that bout, he was set to make his long-awaited return against Morrell in his hometown of Liverpool on April 18, but with less than two weeks to go until the showdown, disaster has unfortunately struck.

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According to journalist Mike Coppinger, the Liverpudlian has been forced to pull out of the bout after sustaining an injury whilst training.

“Callum Smith suffered an injury in training camp and is withdrawing from his light heavyweight fight vs. David Morrell on April 18 in Liverpool, sources tell Ring Magazine.”

Smith was hoping to move one step closer to becoming a two-weight world champion, having previously reigned as WBC super-middleweight champion thanks to a win over George Groves in 2018 before he lost that belt to Canelo Alvarez in 2020.

That prompted the move to 175lbs, and despite a defeat to Artur Beterbiev in January 2024, Smith remained one of the key fighters in the light heavyweight division.

The bout against former WBA Regular champion Morrell was set to serve as a tough test for Smith, with Morrell only having lost to David Benavidez in his career so far, but now it is unknown whether or not the clash between the two men will be rescheduled.

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Hurt Coco Gauff pens emotional message after facing brutal social media abuse over new photoshoot

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Coco Gauff recently penned an emotional message after facing brutal social media abuse over her new photoshoot. The American stated that the constant criticism reminded her why she shouldn’t be active on certain platforms.

Gauff is one of the WTA’s biggest women’s singles stars and the 22-year- old draws an immense amount of attention for her actions on and off the tennis court. Earlier this month, the two-time Grand Slam champion posed for fashion brand Miu Miu, but her look for the photoshoot gained immense scrutiny, with many expressing their disappointment about her natural hair.

Reacting to the hate, Coco Gauff wrote on X,

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“Deleted twitter for a month, came back today, and got instantly reminded why I should not be on here lol :/.”

At the Miami Open earlier this year, Gauff had admitted that she was taking a break from X to avoid the online toxicity.

Coco Gauff weighs in on social media negativity, demands accountability from platforms

Gauff speaks to the media at the 2026 Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)Gauff speaks to the media at the 2026 Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)
Gauff speaks to the media at the 2026 Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)

At the 2025 German Open, Coco Gauff discussed at length the negativity on social media surrounding players. In a conversation with the media, she shared that tennis stars often receive death threats and that online users frequently message family members as well, saying,

“It’s the worst you can get. Death threats, to your family, to yourself. I’ve had people DM [direct message] my boyfriend and friends about it. Racist comments, like all you can imagine. Nudity, things like that. It’s a gross kind of thing that we have going on in tennis.”

She went on to demand accountability from platforms, asking them to ‘step in’ in order to foster a more healthy environment for everyone,

“It’s something that we have to keep bringing awareness to. I would love for some of the social media platforms to get involved, not only when it comes to tennis players. Influencers, other athletes, they all get these comments, so it’s something that can be addressed. I know the WTA is doing what they can to make us feel protected, but I definitely think that a lot of these platforms can step in as well.”

On the tennis end of things, Coco Gauff was last seen in action at the Miami Open. The Florida-native reached the finals on home ground, before going down against World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.