Sports
How Team USA won a thrilling gold medal game against Canada
The Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game promised to be an epic showdown between the United States and Canada. And it delivered.
Following goals by Team USA’s Matt Boldy and Canada’s Cale Makar in regulation — and a slew of incredible saves by Team USA’s Connor Hellebuyck and Canada’s Jordan Binnington — the game went into overtime Sunday.
In that extra session, Jack Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and buried it past Binnington, giving the U.S. a 2-1 victory and its first gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.
Here’s what went right and wrong for both teams, the MVP of the game, and what this result means for the rivalry moving forward.
Why Team USA won
It would be easy to write the words “Connor Hellebuyck” and leave it at that.
The Winnipeg Jets star is the reigning NHL MVP and winner of the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender. He cemented himself as the best netminder in the world with a gold medal game performance for the ages.
He stopped 41 of 42 shots against Canada, 27 of them coming from the slot and 17 of them coming from the inner slot, according to Hockey Stats. His paddle save on Devon Toews on a point-blank chance was the best stop by a goalie in the tournament. His breakaway stop on Macklin Celebrini was equally as clutch. The Americans have had great performances from goalies in their history, from Jim Craig in the Miracle on Ice to Ryan Miller in Vancouver. None of them top what Hellebuyck gave the Americans in this gold medal game.
THAT WAS ONE HELLE-BUYCK OF A STOP. 😳 pic.twitter.com/N3wCimdBGw
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026
But if we’re being honest, leaning on Hellebuyck to be their best player was not exactly an ideal scenario for Team USA against Canada, who basically carried play for the final two periods with a 33-18 shot advantage.
Both Canada and the U.S. probably didn’t anticipate their special teams needing to be so vital in the championship final, but their penalty kills were also a key to the game. The Americans killed off a 5-on-3 power play for 1:42 in the second period against the best offensive talent in the world. After the U.S. failed to score on a double-minor high sticking penalty issued to Canada’s Sam Bennett late in the third period, they had to then kill off a Canadian power play after Hughes was whistled for a high stick.
There were times in which it looked like the Americans were falling back into their old role as the team trying not to lose to Canada instead of trying to win. That could have spelled the same kind of disaster they experienced in Sochi, for example. But Hellebuyck prevented the dam from breaking.
The U.S. won gold for the first time since 1980 because it converted in the 3-on-3 overtime. This format is, of course, entirely unfair to the two teams that battled for 60 minutes in a traditional hockey game. Let’s face it: There’s a reality in the multiverse in which the U.S. and Canada don’t even make the gold medal game if their 3-on-3 luck was different in the quarterfinals.
But if there’s going to be 3-on-3 to decide the gold medal, there are few American players you want out there more than Hughes. The New Jersey Devils star is fast and creative and has been a force in the NHL overtime with nine game winners in 404 games, the second most in team history.
JACK HUGHES DELIVERS AMERICA’S GOLDEN MOMENT IN OVERTIME. pic.twitter.com/4foFDOri53
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026
Hughes’ goal doesn’t happen without a great forechecking play by Werenski, who knocked Nathan MacKinnon off the puck and then slid a pass to the streaking Hughes for the golden goal.
The American players brought out the late Johnny Gaudreau’s Team USA jersey on the ice during their celebration. Werenski was a teammate and a close friend. That’s one of those “hockey family” moments you won’t forget.
For Johnny Gaudreau. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rWycdK8NUo
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026
Hellebuyck was the story of the gold medal game for Team USA. Jack Hughes was the story of the tournament for the Americans. He was maligned by critics for his play in the 4 Nations Face-Off, looking overwhelmed after shifting from center to wing. He started on the fourth line for Team USA, was arguably the team’s best forward in group play and earned a larger role in the elimination tournament. That he scored the golden goal was only appropriate.
Move over, Mike Eruzione. No, it wasn’t a miracle. But it was the most consequential goal ever scored in American hockey history.
Why Canada lost
There’s little question that the Canadians were “goalied” by Hellebuyck in the gold medal game, but they also had a multitude of chances that they should’ve cashed in on — even against otherworldly goaltending. MacKinnon missed a gaping net. Celebrini had six shots on goal, including a breakaway chance, but the 19-year-old couldn’t conjure the magic that he had earlier in the tournament.
Coach Jon Cooper put his lines in a blender during the game, hoping to spark something that would lead to a potential game-winning goal. He never found the right mix.
Some credit has to go to the American defense corps. While the goaltending disparity between these team got the most attention, it was the depth of Team USA’s defense that was its greatest advantage. In the first period, those defenders did a great job of disrupting plays in the attacking zone. The rest of the game was bending, not breaking, and then having Hellebuyck clean up the rest. They didn’t really activate offensively enough because of their responsibility in the D zone, but in the end, that group won out against the Canadians’ incredible offensive forces.
But let’s face it: There is also a Sidney Crosby-sized caveat to the Americans’ victory. The Team Canada captain and Pittsburgh Penguins star sustained a lower-body injury against Czechia, missed the Canadians’ semifinal game against Finland and was questionable for the gold medal game. That he couldn’t go was a surprise — Hockey Canada was using his photo to promote the game, for what it’s worth — and his absence was felt heavily.
Nick Suzuki, Crosby’s replacement between Mitch Marner and Mark Stone, lost six of seven faceoffs in the game. It’s hard not to believe that one of those Canadian power plays might have converted with the Penguins star out there; Crosby is 12th in NHL history with 607 power-play points. That’s not to mention the loss of his leadership. In such a tight game, having a two-time gold medal winner — capturing one of those golds against the Americans in overtime, no less — could have made a difference.
For a year, American fans have talked about not having Quinn Hughes, Charlie McAvoy or a healthy Matthew Tkachuk in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off. That Crosby didn’t play in this gold medal game might serve as the same asterisk for Canadian fans.
There has also been some early quibbling about the officiating from Canadian fans, including a slash on McDavid that was ignored and a non-call on a Team USA too many men penalty. But they had ample chances to beat Hellebuyck and couldn’t. They had the puck in overtime and couldn’t find a hero until Hughes accepted the mantle for the Americans.
The Canadians deserved gold with this effort. The Americans ended up with the medal around their necks. Now it’s a real rivalry.
Gold medal game MVP: Connor Hellebuyck
As Jack Hughes caught his breath in a postgame interview with NBC, the only thing he praised more than the brotherhood of USA Hockey was the play of his goaltender.
“He was our best player today by a mile. That was a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there,” Hughes said.
Hellebuyck played well in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but losing the title game conjured up past criticisms from his NHL career, claiming he doesn’t play his best when the pressure is turned up in the playoffs. Team USA management shook that off and made Hellebuyck the starter for the 2026 Olympics, outside of a failed audition by Jeremy Swayman in group play.
Hellebuyck had a .947 save percentage heading into the gold medal game and ends the tournament at .956. His goals saved above average was 5.92, the most of any goalie in the Olympics and indicative of how incredible he was in the gold medal game.
It was expected the Americans would have the goaltending advantage over Canada. That was mostly a criticism of Canada’s depth, and the suspicion that Binnington might cost them eventually. Instead, the advantage turned out to be that the Americans had a goaltender who could carry them to the gold medal on his own. As Hughes said, Hellebuyck was Team USA’s best player “by a mile.” And the reason its anthem played.
State of the U.S.-Canada rivalry
The state of the rivalry is that it’s now actually a rivalry.
The U.S. and Canada women’s rivalry became the most heated one in hockey because they are seen as equals. The U.S. won in Nagano, Canada won four straight gold medals, and now the U.S. has won two of the past three Olympics. The Americans won 11 of the past 16 IIHF world championships. Both teams had strong talent pipelines (we’ll see your Hayley Wickenheiser and raise you a Hilary Knight). Every game was one battle after another, and the winner was never predestined — even in Milan, with the U.S. almost squandering its best roster ever against its archrivals.
The U.S. and Canada men’s rivalry had, for the most part, been extremely lopsided since the NHL started sending players to the Olympics in 1998. Canada won Olympic gold in Salt Lake City against Team USA in 2002. The Canadians famously beat the U.S. in 2010 in Vancouver on Crosby’s golden goal in overtime. They sent the U.S. to the bronze medal game in Sochi in 2014. They won the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, where the U.S. was a nonfactor. They won the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 on McDavid’s golden goal in overtime.
Outside of preliminary-round wins in Vancouver and in that fight-filled game at 4 Nations, there weren’t many best-on-best moments for the Americans in this rivalry. Team USA was a yapping puppy, an annoying little brother, a team that entered games with Canada convinced it was the lesser of the two hockey superpowers — and frequently played that way.
But bubbling under the surface over the past two decades was a rich pipeline of American hockey talent. The Americans made inroads in the IIHF world junior championship tournament, winning more gold medals (six) than Canada (five) since 2010. The players they were churning out from their national development program weren’t the blue-collar grinders that USA Hockey felt it needed to produce in the penumbra of the Miracle on Ice. They were players like Patrick Kane and eventually the Hughes brothers, the Tkachuk brothers, Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews. Elite, skilled talents that are among the brightest offensive stars in the NHL.
And so the Americans entered the 2026 Olympics believing, for the first time in this rivalry’s history, that they were equals to the Canadians. Not necessarily based on on-ice results — although forcing overtime in 4 Nations while missing Quinn Hughes, McAvoy and having an injured Matthew Tkachuk certainly inspired confidence — but on the deepest hockey talent pool the country had ever created.
But they needed to beat Canada for any of this to matter, and now the Americans own the gold medal in men’s hockey for the first time since the miracle.
Canadian fans are already resting on the twin crutches of Crosby’s absence and Hellebuyck having the game of his life, and that’s fantastic for this rivalry. The Americans have the gold. The Canadians still have their arrogance of hockey superiority by birthright. All that means is that we’re going to be doing this dance together for a very long time, except now on equal footing.
As Jack Hughes said after winning Olympic gold for the Americans: “We wanted to go through Canada and beat them.”
Now it’s a rivalry.
-
Buster Olney
Multiple Authors
Spring training camps are underway, which means it is time to look at the state of baseball. As part of our 2026 MLB season preview, ESPN’s Buster Olney surveyed those around the industry to help him rank the top 10 players at every position as part of his annual positional ranking series.
Today, we rank the best of the best at second base.
The objective of this exercise is to identify the best players for the 2026 season, not who might be best in five years or over their career. We will roll out a position per day over the next two weeks. Here’s the rest of the schedule: starting pitchers (Monday), relief pitchers (Tuesday), catchers (Wednesday), first basemen (Thursday), third basemen (Feb. 23), shortstops (Feb. 24), corner outfielders (Feb. 25), center fielders (Feb. 26), designated hitters (Feb. 27).
The most coveted free agent in the fall will be Tarik Skubal, probably commanding offers that might well shatter the record for a starting pitcher — the $325 million contract signed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2023. But as for impending free agent position players, Jazz Chisholm Jr. would seem to be a candidate to land the biggest deal, with some gaudy numbers on his résumé.
He was a 30-30 player for the Yankees last season, with 31 homers and 31 stolen bases, after swiping 40 bases in 2024. He has been an All-Star twice and won a Silver Slugger Award. He has been on the cover of MLB: The Show. The speed, the power, it’s all there. One evaluator says Chisholm could hit 40 homers in a season: “The strength in his wrists — just incredible.” He ranks fourth among all second basemen in Fangraphs’ defensive metric, just behind Xavier Edwards and just ahead of Bryson Stott.
But what Chisholm has lacked — what he needs in the season ahead, as he builds interest in his upcoming free agency — is consistency: a season with more peak performances and fewer valleys, longer stretches when he’s affecting games. Last April, he batted .151/.279/.312 with 35 strikeouts in 27 games. Then, in 23 games from June 16 to July 11, he hit .315/.390/.652. In 21 games from Aug. 10 through Sept. 2, he mashed .271/.398/.700 with nine homers and 16 walks. Over the final 31 games — including seven in the postseason — he scored only 10 runs and batted .207. Underneath that 30-30 accomplishment, his triple slash was .242/.332/.481 for an OPS of .813.
Look, slumps are inevitable — Shohei Ohtani, the greatest player we’ve ever seen, went through one during the playoffs last year. But the feedback from evaluators around the sport is they just want to see Chisholm’s talent affect games more often.
He’s going to get paid when he hits free agency, undoubtedly. Whether he gets a monster deal could largely depend on how consistently he hits this season; he probably has as much — or more — at stake than any position player in the big leagues.
Chisholm ranks high among the top 10 second basemen in the game entering the 2026 season.
Top 10 second basemen
1. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
You can understand why Arizona maintained a high asking price on Marte before deciding not to trade him. Over the past three seasons, he has produced about 15 fWAR, or about $135 million in value, while making $40 million under the terms of his contract. Even in a season in which he invited scrutiny by going AWOL after the All-Star break following his home being robbed — a decision for which he eventually apologized to his team — he was still an incredibly effective player, with 28 homers, 87 runs and a 145 OPS+ in 126 games. He excels offensively, and while the numbers suggest he is just average defensively, he continues to be the preeminent player at this position.
He led all second basemen in fWAR last season, doing what he does best — excelling on defense and winning his second Gold Glove Award; scoring 89 runs in 156 games; and stealing bases at a high rate (29 in 35 attempts). Hoerner hit .297 and his strikeout rate was 7.6%, third lowest in the big leagues (behind Luis Arraez and Jacob Wilson).
3. Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees
Based on Chisholm’s production in WAR, ESPN analyst Paul Hembekides says he believes his contract value as a free agent could look like this — $80 million over two years, or $140 million over four years. But Chisholm probably needs to balance his home/road splits to draw heightened interest from teams other than the Yankees. These were his 2025 numbers:
In Yankee Stadium: .277/.364/.528, for a 150 wRC+
In all other parks: .207/.299/.432, for a 101 wRC+
Again: Consistency. Teams will pay for it.
4. Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
He was one of MLB’s breakout stars last season, performing so well that he earned some down-ballot support in the National League MVP voting. Turang scored 97 runs in 156 games, with an OPS+ of 121, and he continues to improve in his power production — he had 28 doubles and 18 home runs to go with 24 stolen bases in 2025. That was all part of a larger design: Turang’s exit velocity jumped from 85.1 mph to 89.2 mph (with his strikeout rate also spiking). His defensive numbers dipped last year, with his defensive runs saved falling from a remarkable 22 in 2024 to seven last season.
5. Brendan Donovan, Seattle Mariners
He could play some third early in the season, or get some time in the outfield, but if the Mariners decide to play top prospect Cole Emerson on the left side of the infield, Donovan could get a lot of games at second. No matter where he lands, he’s going to get on base and he’s going to create opportunities for runs. He had a 119 OPS+, with 32 doubles and 10 homers in 119 games, and he appears to be a prime candidate to lead off for Seattle against right-handed pitching. Last year, Donovan hit .315 with a .383 OBP against right-handers.
6. Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers
That Torres accepting a one-year qualifying offer from Detroit is a strong indication that he knows he needs a strong offensive performance to set himself up for a multiyear contract (with the benefit of breaking away from draft pick compensation). As Torres has gained experience, he’s drawing more walks and getting on base at a higher rate — he accumulated 136 hits and a career-high 85 walks last season, while reducing his strikeout rate from 20.1% in ’24 to 16.1%.
7. Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins
The shift from shortstop to second base seemed to really benefit him last season — he had 12 defensive runs saved and nine outs above average while playing only 96 games at second. The 26-year-old accumulated 159 hits and 49 walks in 139 games last season, for a .343 on-base percentage.
8. Marcus Semien, New York Mets
He’s still a high-end defender and now part of David Stearns’s effort to improve the Mets’ run prevention, even at age 35. But the Rangers made him available for a trade largely because of the decline in his offense the past two seasons:
2023: 126 OPS+
2024: 103 OPS+
2025: 97 OPS+
9. Bryson Stott, Philadelphia Phillies
If the Phillies had acquired Bo Bichette — and they thought they were going to get him — then Bichette probably would’ve played second base for Philadelphia, with Stott moving to third. Stott will hit for some power and steal some bases (24 last season), but his struggles against lefties were acute last year: a .225/.287/.575 slash line, with one homer in 123 plate appearances.
10. Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays
He makes this list on the strength of how well he performed this past October. Facing the best pitching under the most pressure, Clement made contact, batting .411 over 18 games in the postseason. With Bichette’s departure and the shift of Andres Gimenez to shortstop, Clement takes over second, a spot where he excelled last year, with 10 defensive runs saved in only 423 innings.
Honorable mentions
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros: Houston is obviously well aware of his defensive issues at second base, which is why they tried him in left field. But Altuve can still do damage offensively — he hit 26 homers and had an adjusted OPS of 112.
Luis Arraez, San Francisco Giants: He wants to return to his former position, so he signed with the Giants, who are buying into his goal of becoming playable at second base — and into his ability to make contact.
Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles: Still just 22 years old, he improved in his second year in the majors, hitting 17 homers and becoming more of a threat against left-handed pitching. But he’ll probably sit out the start of the season after suffering a hand (hamate bone) injury.
Brandon Lowe, Pittsburgh Pirates: Here’s the good stuff: 31 homers and a slugging percentage of .477 last season. The not-so-good stuff: minus-14 defensive runs saved and minus-13 outs above average.
Luke Keaschall, Minnesota Twins: You could make a reasonable case that he should already be in the top 10 after his strong showing in 49 games last year, when the former second-round pick hit .302 and generated 2.0 bWAR.
Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves: He remained largely injury-free last year, playing in 157 games, but he dipped to a .671 OPS and 89 OPS+. The Braves hold a $7 million club option for 2027.
Chase Meidroth, Chicago White Sox: One of the players acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade, Meidroth mustered 1.3 bWAR over 122 games in his rookie season of 2025.
Kent State did the unthinkable this past week. After pushing LSU to the edge in Baton Rogue in a midweek matchup, the Golden Flashes took that momentum with them into Knoxville and won a road series against Tennessee. And as a result, the Vols took a big slide in this week’s rankings, dropping seven spots to No. 20.
How will the Vols respond? Well, they’re facing the top team in the country in UCLA on Friday, so they’ll have to bounce back fast. The Bruins, and the four teams behind them, held steady in the rankings after dominant performances, but after that there were more shakeups.
TCU had a rough week overall. After losing its midweek game to UT Arlington, it got swept by UCLA in Los Angeles, causing the Horned Frogs to drop 11 spots. The week’s biggest risers were Southern Miss and Oklahoma, which each climbed up eight spots. Louisville fell out of the rankings completely, paving the way for Ole Miss to break through at No. 25.
Here are how the entire top 25 rankings look as of Feb. 23, plus our favorite plays and what we’re watching in the week to come.
Top plays
Not that LSU needs anymore power than it already has, now it has Jake Brown launching home runs like this.
Jake Cannon Brown Everybody 💣@JakeBrown_14 | SECN + pic.twitter.com/WTy1th1r6v
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) February 17, 2026
And how about another home run? This one from UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky. He certainly is living up to all the hype he had before the season started.
Roch goes dead center 🤯
📺B1G+#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/zXXISgXcrM
— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) February 22, 2026
Player to watch
Jackson Flora, RHP, UCSB
Flora has been rising up draft boards, and for good reason. The junior, who Kiley McDaniel has at No. 4 in his MLB draft rankings, touched 100 MPH in his 2026 debut and he has kept up the heat since then. Does he have enough to over take Cholowsky for the No. 1 pick? We’ll just have to wait and see.
FLO-STATE 🌊
Back-to-back strikeouts for Flora as he escapes the bases loaded jam!
T2 | Pilots 0 – Gauchos 1
📺 ESPN+
🎧 https://t.co/TYosww6CZU#GoChos pic.twitter.com/HXE196J0xl— UC Santa Barbara Baseball (@UCSB_Baseball) February 21, 2026
Games to watch
No. 10 Florida at No. 17 Miami
Game 1: 7 p.m. on Friday (ACC Network Extra)
Game 2: 6 p.m. on Saturday (ACC Network Extra)
Game 3: 1 p.m. on Sunday (ACC Network Extra)
We can’t get enough of these early top-ranked series, and an in-state one makes this all the better. Miami has been solid to open the season, and though the Canes are ranked behind Florida, they do sport a perfect 7-0 record for the year, while the Gators have already dropped one game. Florida will have to be ready for Miami’s Alex Sosa, who has been dominant this season so far with five home runs and 17 RBIs. And if he wasn’t a tall enough task, there’s Daniel Cuvet right behind him with five homers himself to go along with 13 RBIs. It looks to be a high-scoring affair in Coral Gables this weekend.
Updated top 25
Here are D1baseball.com’s latest rankings, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
1. UCLA Bruins
Previous rank: 1
Record: 6-1
Next game: vs. Tulane, 8 p.m. on Tuesday
2. LSU Tigers
Previous rank: 2
Record: 8-0
Next game: vs. McNeese, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
3. Texas Longhorns
Previous rank: 3
Record: 7-0
Next game: vs. UTRGV, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
4. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Previous rank: 4
Record: 8-0
Next game: vs. Austin Peay, 5 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous rank: 5
Record: 8-0
Next game: at Georgia State, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
6. Arkansas Razorbacks
Previous rank: 8
Record: 6-1
Next game: vs. Arkansas State, 4 p.m. on Monday (SEC Network+)
7. Auburn Tigers
Previous rank: 9
Record: 6-1
Next game: vs. West Georgia, 7 p.m. on Wednesday (SEC Network+)
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous rank: 10
Record: 6-1-1
Next game: vs. NC A&T, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
9. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Previous rank: 6
Record: 5-2
Next game: vs. Campbell, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
10. Florida Gators
Previous rank: 12
Record: 7-1
Next game: vs. FIU, 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
11. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous rank: 14
Record: 6-1
Next game: vs. Troy, 3 p.m. on Wednesday (SEC Network+)
12. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Previous rank: 20
Record: 6-1
Next game: vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
13. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous rank: 21
Record: 7-0
Next game: vs. Arizona State, 5 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
14. NC State Wolfpack
Previous rank: 17
Record: 5-1
Next game: vs. Richmond, 3 p.m. on Tuesday
15. Clemson Tigers
Previous rank: 19
Record: 7-0
Next game: vs. Presbyterian, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ACCNX)
16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Previous rank: 22
Record: 6-1
Next game: at UNCG, 5 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
17. Miami Hurricanes
Previous rank: 23
Record: 9-0
Next game: at FAU, 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday
18. TCU Horned Frogs
Previous rank: 7
Record: 2-5
Next game: at Loyola Marymount, 4 p.m. on Monday
19. Oregon State Beavers
Previous rank: 11
Record: 4-3
Next game: at Houston, 3 p.m. on Friday
20. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous rank: 13
Record: 5-2
Next game: vs. Bellarmine, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
21. Florida State Seminoles
Previous rank: 16
Record: 4-2
Next game: vs. North Florida, 5 p.m. on Wednesday (ESPN+)
22. Kentucky Wildcats
Previous rank: 18
Record: 5-2
Next game: vs. Western Kentucky, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
23. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous rank: 24
Record: 7-0
Next game: vs. Lamar, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
24. West Virginia Mountaineers
Previous rank: 25
Record: 5-1
Next game: vs. Ohio, 1 p.m. on Wednesday (ESPN+)
25. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous rank: NR
Record: 8-0
Next game: vs. Southeast Missouri State, 5 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
PALLEKELE: Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting line-up to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash in the T20 World Cup Super Eights.
Pakistani batter Sahibzada Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday.
Farhan said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground in Kandy on Tuesday night.
Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out.
A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka for 95 to win by 51 runs, through to the semi-finals with a game to spare.
Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four.
“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said the in-form opener Farhan on Monday.
“Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip,” said Farhan.
Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the four matches so far. Their seamers have dismissed only seven batsmen.
History will be against Pakistan as they have never beaten England in the three previous Twenty20 World Cup clashes.
“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Farhan, who scored an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Pakistan’s final group match.
“We are focused on this match to win and progress.”
Farhan, who tops the T20 World Cup run-scoring chart with 220, said he was ready for the threat of England’s express pace bowler Jofra Archer.
“Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” said Farhan.
“So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”
Pakistan are likely to bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seaming all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.
England may name an unchanged side for the fifth match in succession with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell providing their spin options.
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the two other teams in Pakistan and England’s Super Eights group. They face each other in Colombo on Wednesday.
The top two teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
We Tested Duffel Bags for Weeks. These Are Our Favorites
Airlines halt Puerto Vallarta flights after violence following Mexican cartel leader’s killing
Air ambulance with seven on board crashes in Jharkhand
-
Entertainment6 days agoQueen Camilla reveals her sister’s connection to Princess Diana
-
Tech7 days agoRakuten Mobile proposal selected for Jaxa space strategy | Computer Weekly
-
Politics6 days agoRamadan moon sighted in Saudi Arabia, other Gulf countries
-
Entertainment6 days agoRobert Duvall, known for his roles in "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now," dies at 95
-
Politics6 days agoTarique Rahman Takes Oath as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Following Decisive BNP Triumph
-
Business6 days agoTax Saving FD: This Simple Investment Can Help You Earn And Save More
-
Tech6 days agoBusinesses may be caught by government proposals to restrict VPN use | Computer Weekly
-
Sports7 days agoUsman Tariq backs Babar and Shaheen ahead of do-or-die Namibia clash