England manager Thomas Tuchel explains his decisions for selecting Manchester United players Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo for his upcoming camp.
He also says it was a “tough decision” to not include Trent Alexander-Arnold in the expanded 35-man squad.
The Three Lions continue their World Cup preparations with friendlies at Wembley Stadium against Uruguay on 27 March and Japan on 31 March.
Teams must submit their final World Cup squads by Saturday, 30 May.
The US says it is considering removing sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers at sea. Political economist Will Hutton believes this would signal the ‘beginning of the end of the war’.
The final act of a traditional England away Ashes is about to play out.
Hounded by the press from the moment the wheels touch down in Australia. Lose in Perth, lose in Brisbane, surrender the series before Christmas. Drink too much. Then comes the review.
It leads to this: administrators gathering at Lord’s in the spring to tell us where it all went wrong, what they have learned and what they will do better next time. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould and director of cricket Rob Key have got some ‘splainin’ to do on Monday.
“Review” was the word Gould used in January. In the lexicon of English cricket, a review usually means a raft of sackings, a meaty document and blaming county cricket.
This time is different. There will not be a ‘ta-da’, with white smoke rising across St John’s Wood. England cannot blame county cricket, because they largely ignored it anyway. They can’t rip up the domestic structure, because that was voted on last year. No one will be sacked.
Instead, Gould, Key, coach Brendon McCullum, Test captain Ben Stokes, ECB chair Richard Thompson and everyone else connected to the England team will look inwards, realise they are all collectively to blame and decide they will stick together.
They have been confronted with mistakes they could have spotted in November, and certainly would have been aware of by January.
England’s Ashes coaching staff was too skinny and they got key selection decisions wrong. Their preparation was inadequate and their relaxed approach was brutally exposed by the relentless Australians.
Fixing these problems is relatively straightforward and would not have required lengthy discussion.
England brought in a fielding coach for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and part of the T20 World Cup. A full-time appointment, along with a substantive fast-bowling coach, would beef up McCullum’s backroom.
A harder task for the England regime is to repair the damage caused to the relationship with supporters.
This was the worst overseas Ashes performance in years, and the anger towards what happened on and off the field was immense. Plenty of fans will be staggered that no one at the top has paid with their job.
Winning cures most ills, and there is a calculated gamble from Gould, Key and co that England have a good chance of success over the coming months.
Test series against New Zealand and Pakistan this summer are winnable, ditto for a winter in South Africa and Bangladesh, before the 150th anniversary Test against Australia in Melbourne. There is not another white-ball tournament until the autumn of next year.
Still, all triumphs for the foreseeable future will come with the asterisk of previous failures against the very best. Even if England regain the urn on home soil in the summer of 2027, this regime may already have its legacy defined by what happened in Australia.
Central to the immediate future of the Test team is the relationship between coach McCullum and captain Stokes.
Suggestions the two might not be on the same page come from the divergence in their messaging in Australia. While still publicly backing each other, McCullum suggested England did not stick to their method, while Stokes batted like Geoffrey Boycott and said teams had worked out how to play against them.
There was the notion that Stokes is the more powerful figure of the pair, yet his on-field output – certainly with the bat – has waned and his body refuses to complete a Test series without picking up an injury.
McCullum and white-ball captain Harry Brook seemed much more aligned during the T20 World Cup. It had echoes of Michael Vaughan galvanising the white-ball team in 2003, prompting Nasser Hussain to hand the Test reins to Vaughan.
While there is no question – yet – that Stokes should step down as Test captain, we are certainly heading into Bazball overtime, regardless of the Ashes debacle.
When he took charge of the Test team in 2022, the New Zealander signed a four-year contract. His tenure would now be over had he not signed an extension in 2024.
McCullum is now faced with a rebuild that has strong parallels to the situation he inherited four years ago.
Back then, England had been hammered in Australia and were disconnected from their supporters. Their early summer opponents were New Zealand, as they are this year. This year the first Test is at Trent Bridge – the venue of the second Test four years ago. It was Nottingham where Bazball was born – Jonny Bairstow and all that.
And there’s the rub. The environment McCullum created in those early days brought success and was celebrated. Somewhere along the way, culture began to border on cult. The approach for which McCullum was once lauded has become England’s biggest hindrance.
“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,” said Pope earlier this week.
“The perception that we weren’t fussed was probably the hard thing. Every individual is trying to manage the pressures of an Ashes series and get the best out of their performance. All everyone wanted to do was win.”
Pope’s words lay bare the issues McCullum has to tackle.
If the plan is to remove pressure, how do players then react when the pressure is at its highest?
Is the “informal” – his word – method that McCullum favours getting the best out of the players? They might honestly believe they gave themselves the best chance in Australia, on and off the field, because that is the approach McCullum instructed them to take.
When he first arrived, McCullum liberated the likes of Bairstow, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Mark Wood and plenty of others. They were experienced, with enough understanding of Test cricket to use a relaxed environment to their advantage.
Now McCullum must find a way to get the best out of inexperienced players who need more guidance than freedom – Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson.
There may be more new faces to come, too. Zak Crawley looks vulnerable at the top of the order and Smith had a poor Ashes. A frontline spinner needs to be identified, although an all-rounder like Rehan Ahmed or James Coles could be tried. There is a Chris Woakes-shaped hole for a new-ball bowler that could be filled by Tom Lawes.
Monday is unlikely to bring a seismic announcement, but it will begin the final chapter of the Bazball era.
“Time for us all to buckle up and get ready for the ride,” said Key when he appointed McCullum in 2022.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel’s decision to name an expanded 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley has afforded him room to experiment before this summer’s World Cup.
It has meant a recall for forgotten men such as Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with in-form Everton midfielder James Garner also winning his first call-up.
Calvert-Lewin’s England recall is testament to the striker’s self-belief and desire to emerge from the dark times of seasons when he struggled with injury.
When he spoke of renewed England ambitions after completing a free transfer from Everton to Leeds United in the summer, eyebrows were raised at both his optimism and whether Tuchel would ever seriously feel the need to call on him.
Now, Calvert-Lewin’s rejuvenation and continued fitness at Elland Road has prompted a return for the 29-year-old, who won 11 caps and made his last appearance in July 2021 when he played 17 minutes off the bench against Ukraine at the delayed Euros.
Calvert-Lewin deserves huge credit for his persistence – but his call-up also underscores a huge concern for England and Tuchel.
That worry is the massive drop-off in proven quality at international level should any misfortune befall England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was long considered the deputy, scoring the winner in the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, but his patchy club form means he is not even included in this squad.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke is the other striker, making his way back this season after several months on the sidelines with an ankle problem.
Marcus Rashford could fill the role but is now used in the wider positions, while Anthony Gordon has played through the centre for Newcastle United without ever looking a neat fit.
This demonstrates the alternatives to Kane – aged 32 but still in magnificent form for Bayern Munich – are worryingly thin for Tuchel and England.
Tuchel surely signalled the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup hopes when he was excluded from England’s latest squad, even with 35 players named and resources at right-back stretched.
England’s head coach has long appeared to hold misgivings about the 27-year-old Real Madrid star’s defensive capabilities, as did predecessor Gareth Southgate, who ended up using Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder in a short-lived, failed experiment at Euro 2024.
The former Liverpool defender is slowly settling into life at the Bernabeu, but this has cut no ice with Tuchel.
Alexander-Arnold can surely only read one thing into being left out of the 35-man squad when likely first choice Reece James is injured once more, while Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier have retired.
Tuchel’s squad is also ominous for Watkins, a long-time member of the England set-up but dropped completely this time.
Manchester United’s Luke Shaw may also have a similar sinking feeling, while Manchester City defender John Stones is a more complicated case.
Tuchel’s inclusion of Manchester United’s Maguire is reward for the 33-year-old defender who has shown superb character and inner strength to emerge from a spell when he was a figure of mockery for some opposition fans – and indeed England supporters – when his Old Trafford career looked over.
Maguire turned down potential moves to clubs such as West Ham United, eventually reviving his form to such an extent that he has played a key role in Michael Carrick’s rejuvenation at Manchester United this season, fighting his way back into England contention.
He was left out of Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad and has yet to figure under Tuchel, winning the last of his 64 caps against the Republic of Ireland in September 2024.
Tuchel has an embarrassment of riches battling for the number 10 position behind Kane, the hub of England’s World Cup operation.
At the end of Euro 2024, it was unthinkable that Jude Bellingham’s starting place would be a subject of debate for the 2026 World Cup.
And yet such has been the excellence for club and country of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers that he now poses a real threat to the Real Madrid superstar, who was portrayed as the key to England’s golden future.
Getty ImagesHe also has other options in that coveted position which he will get the opportunity to explore in these friendlies – the players’ last chances to give Tuchel food for thought.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has had a mixed season with form and injuries, but remains a stellar talent at his best.
He will still harbour hopes of at least making the World Cup squad – but will need to make a good impression if he gets an opportunity against Uruguay and Japan.
Phil Foden is listed among England’s attacking players, and has often been used wide on the left, but he will also be hoping to get a chance in his favoured more central role.
Tuchel’s decision to name this expanded squad, with rotation between the two friendlies, is a common-sense move designed to give him a longer look at his players in a camp setting.
Everton’s Garner is an eye-catching selection after the 25-year-old former Manchester United midfielder’s outstanding season so far.
A creator with an eye for goal, and also strong at set-pieces, Garner must be regarded as an outsider.
Tuchel, though, has been hugely impressed on several viewings and was seen locked in lengthy conversation with him after Everton’s win at Manchester United in November.
Brighton’s 35-year-old goalkeeper Jason Steele has not played in the Premier League this season, but appears to be auditioning for a different World Cup role, having been named “with the prospect of him joining the World Cup squad as a training goalkeeper during the summer”.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Russian oil is emerging as a key beneficiary of the US-Israeli war on Iran, as countries scramble to charter tankers following United States President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily ease sanctions, analysts say.
Following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 10, Trump said the US would waive Russian oil-related sanctions on “some countries” to ease the shortage caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which in peacetime carries 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas from producers in the Gulf.
This week, it was reported that a number of tankers carrying Russian oil bound for China had changed course and were heading for India instead.
According to figures from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Russia earned an additional 672 million euros ($777m) in oil sales in the first two weeks of the war on Iran, which began on February 28 when Israel and the US launched strikes on Tehran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.
Iran has since struck back, launching thousands of missiles and drones towards Israel as well as US military assets and infrastructure in neighbouring Gulf countries. The war stepped up a level this week, when Israel bombed Iran’s critical South Pars gasfield, and Iran hit back with strikes on Gulf energy assets, including Qatar’s Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility – the world’s largest.
This week, the average price of Urals oil – the Russian benchmark – was significantly higher than the pre-war price of less than $60, at around $90 per barrel.
Here’s more about who is buying Russian oil and which other nations might benefit from the oil crisis.
Iran’s effective closure of the Hormuz Strait, which is the only sea route from the Gulf to the open ocean, has “walled in” 20 million barrels of Gulf oil per day, George Voloshin, an independent energy analyst based in Paris, told Al Jazeera.
This has prompted the US to, at least temporarily, ease sanctions on shipped Russian oil to slow the ensuing energy crisis and potential global price collapse. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, has risen to above $100 a barrel since the closure of the strait, compared with about $65 before the war began.
Many analysts say a price of $200 is no longer “far-fetched”.
“Russia has emerged as a primary beneficiary of the Middle East conflict due to the massive supply vacuum created by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Voloshin said. “Global refiners are desperate for alternative medium-sour crudes, a need that Russia’s Urals grade specifically meets.”
He added that the US decision to grant a temporary reprieve for shipped Russian oil “has provided Moscow with a critical window to maximise export volumes and oil revenues, essentially allowing Russian crude to act as the world’s primary swing supply during the Iranian blockade”.
The price of Russian Urals has surged significantly, experts say. As a result of US sanctions, the oil had been trading at below $60 a barrel for some time. However, while “Urals historically traded at a significant discount to Brent due to Western sanctions”, Voloshin said, “that gap has narrowed as demand outstrips supply”.
“Since the beginning of the year, the price of Russian oil is estimated to have risen by nearly 80 percent – most recently close to $90 per barrel – and consistently trading well above the G7 price cap of $60 as buyers prioritise energy security over regulatory compliance in a high-volatility environment,” he added.
Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that at least seven tankers carrying Russian oil had changed course mid-voyage from China to India, citing data from Vortexa, the data analytics group.
Then, Indian media quoted Rakesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, confirming that the Aqua Titan, a Russian oil-laden tanker originally destined for China, is now expected to arrive at New Mangalore port on March 21 having been chartered by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MPCL).
India was the first country to receive a time-limited exemption from the US Treasury to import Russian oil that is already at sea, Voloshin said.
“There is clear evidence of a massive logistical redirection of Russian oil cargoes mid-voyage. Several tankers originally bound for Chinese ports have, indeed, switched trajectory to India. This shift is driven by India’s aggressive pursuit of discounted distressed cargoes to fill its strategic reserves and meet domestic demand, as well as the increased risk and insurance costs associated with long-haul shipments to East Asia via contested waters.”
Until recently, Trump had been strongly pressuring India to stop buying Russian oil, even slapping additional 25 percent trade tariffs on India last year in punishment for doing so. This was lifted earlier this year when Trump claimed he had received assurances from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India would start buying US oil, or even Venezuelan oil seized by the US, instead.
Indian media has reported that India’s purchases of Russian crude have surged in the past three weeks, since the war on Iran began and the Strait of Hormuz was closed.
“The primary buyers of Russian oil continue to be India and China, who together now account for the vast majority of Russia’s seaborne exports,” Voloshin said.
Turkiye is also a significant buyer, he added, now using Russian crude to stabilise its domestic market amid the gas shortages caused by the Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars field.
“Additionally, a shadow fleet of ageing tankers continues to move Russian oil to smaller, less-regulated refineries across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, often through complex ship-to-ship transfers designed to obscure the origin of the crude,” he added.
He said this shadow fleet is becoming the primary delivery mechanism for oil in several contested regions, meaning more buyers could appear. “Additionally, the degree of cooperation between the US and its European allies remains a wild card. If the EU continues to refuse participation in military operations near Iran, the diplomatic and economic pressure on the US to maintain the Russian oil reprieve will likely increase.”
If there is nowhere else to readily source oil, countries may continue to seek Russian crude even if the US reimposes sanctions, Voloshin said. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the closure of the Hormuz Strait has caused a shortage of 8 million barrels of oil per day.
If that persists, “major importers like India may feel they have no choice but to continue buying Russian oil to prevent domestic economic collapse”, Voloshin said.
If secondary sanctions on Russian oil are reintroduced, he added, buyers may demand much lower prices to compensate for the increased legal and financial risks of dealing with Moscow. “At the same time, in the presence of a continued severe market disruption, the US is very likely to roll over [extend] current exemptions,” Voloshin said.
Two other major non-OPEC energy producers that could benefit are Norway and Canada, experts say. However, this will largely depend on their capacity to increase production.
“He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives,” the statement said.
Norris reportedly fell ill on Thursday on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Norris turned 86 last week, marking the event with a video of him boxing on social media and saying, “I don’t age. I level up.”
The martial arts expert turned actor has starred in a slew of action films since his acting debut with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film, “The Wrecking Crew.”
Four years later, his epic fight with the kung-fu superstar Bruce Lee in “The Way of The Dragon” helped turn Norris into an icon on big and small screens alike.
