Taha Hashim

Bangladesh boycott brings a sad reality to T20 World Cup countdown | Taha Hashim Swirling force of subcontinental politics and a governing body lacking in credibility has led to a far from joyous situation

Next month will mark the 30th anniversary of an India-Pakistan combined XI taking on Sri Lanka in Colombo, a historic act of South Asian solidarity. Truly depressing where we've landed today:

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

From Ashes hangover to subcontinental scars as England bid to rewrite history Harry Brook’s side begin Sri Lanka ODI series in poor form but confidence is needed ahead of crucial winter period

Here's the piece summarised in seven seconds: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kou3...

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

Spin bowling on the back foot with pace dominating quickfire Ashes Nathan Lyon has been the only specialist spinner on show with touring tweaker Shoaib Bashir sidelined by England

The series has been a letdown for several reasons – a lack of spin is up there

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/d...

Reluctant trailblazer Khawaja confronts racial stereotypes before Sydney farewell | Taha Hashim The first Muslim to play for Australia has been an inspiration for many in the way he has broken down barriers during his career

Some thoughts on Usman Khawaja

www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

Spin bowling on the back foot with pace dominating quickfire Ashes Nathan Lyon has been the only specialist spinner on show with touring tweaker Shoaib Bashir sidelined by England

The series has been a letdown for several reasons – a lack of spin is up there

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/d...

Not going to get much attention ... but England Lions are heading to a big defeat against Australia A. Lost by an innings to them in Feb, too

Lions have also played five FC games against India A in last two years and won none. Things not ideal below the top either

England can’t change now: Bazball approach must be seen through to its conclusion | Taha Hashim This four-year experiment has produced exhilarating cricket – it is worth seeing the whole thing through before casting judgment

Let’s see this thing through

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...

Why Australia will win v why England can win: two Guardian cricket writers make their Ashes cases No 1-ranked Australia are favourites on home soil but through a forest of caveats for England, there is still a path to the urn

It's unlikely ... but here's my case for England

www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2...

The Spin | Times are bleak for Pakistan cricket but Test game offers hope of salvation Pakistan are suffering in short-form cricket but the World Test Championship and its two-year cycle could work in their favour

There's not a lot to shout about in Pakistani cricket at the moment. But there's also a practical route to the WTC final, a comp that feels increasingly vital in the Big Three era

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...

Vuelta chaos shows selling sport as a tool for peace can create its own battlefield | Jonathan Liew Once teams promote a country, are owned by states or have to reflect government policy, sport becomes a playground for power

Excellent from @jonathanliew.bsky.social on how the ship has long sailed on the idea of sport being an above-politics "tool of piece" www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...

Ireland’s near-empty cricket summer in stark contrast to England’s slate New stadium is hopefully on the way but Irish cricket needs boost after postponed T20 league and run of cancelled series

Lovely to be in Malahide for England’s three T20s against Ireland, who haven’t played since June.

Here’s something on their lack of action, a new stadium and a T20 league backed by Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan:

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...

Sonny Baker: ‘I want to be the guy where people are coming out of the bar to watch you bowl’ Hampshire signing and England hopeful on the season ahead, getting to know Andrew Flintoff and learning from other quicks of the past

Sonny Baker will make his England debut tomorrow. Was good fun speaking to him before the season

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...

The Spin | ‘I’ll bat anywhere for England’: in-form Jordan Cox confident of making the step up The Essex wicketkeeper-batter, currently dazzling in the Hundred, has the self-belief he can put past setbacks behind him

Spoke to Jordan Cox about his bad luck with injuries, that 29-ball 86 in the Hundred and the usual England stuff.

Here's his former Kent head coach, Matt Walker: “I think he believes he’s the best player whenever he takes the field."

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...

Palestine: NUJ deplores killing of Al-Jazeera journalists The Israeli government has admitted to killing five Al-Jazeera journalists and media workers in an airstrike on a tent outside the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza last night.

The NUJ has deplored the deliberate killing of Al-Jazeera journalists.

Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:

"This is a horrific attack. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the murdered journalists and their colleagues." [1/3]

www.nuj.org.uk/resource/pal...

When sport and real life collide: a story about getting divorced during the 2005 Ashes The 2005 Ashes was special. The Queen said it was ‘cricket at its best’. The prime minister said it ‘lit up the summer’. For one writer and England fan it was more than that: it was the storied series...

Twenty years ago today, I didn’t go to Edgbaston. www.theguardian.com/sport/the-ni...

A total non sequitur of an argument.

No-one has said that men's Test series played between members of the Big 3 are 'dying', or in any sort of danger.

That doesn't change the state of the game for rest of the world/sport.

Hundred returns for placeholder season before uber-rich enter the scene next year On-field drama may compete with host of off-field questions as tournament hands control over to crop of global investors

Here’s the biggest cricket story of the day

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...

Pant’s painful innings will stick in the mind but should he really have risked further injury? | Taha Hashim Seeing more balls threaten his already broken foot raises question of whether Test cricket should have replacements

Watching Pant today felt thrilling/joyous/stressful/morally dubious

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...

Old Trafford chaos as Lancashire try to woo India but forget local fans | Taha Hashim County apologise to visitors who struggled to get into ground on first day of fourth Test because of problems at the gates

“Lancashire Cricket is playing its role in supporting bilateral trade talks between the UK and Indian governments.”

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...

Twenty years later: how 2005 Ashes marked end of cricket as we knew it England’s titanic tussle with Australia enthralled a nation but then the Test game vanished from UK free-to-air TV

A piece in which I get to mention the most iconic moment of Kevin Pietersen’s career: his 2014 appearance on the Graham Norton Show with Taylor Swift

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...

Zohran Mamdani won by being himself – and his victory has revealed the Islamophobic ugliness of others | Nesrine Malik The vicious reaction to his New York mayoral success tells us this: the establishment will not countenance mainstream voters making common cause with Muslims, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

This week’s column is on people losing their minds, and insulting the public’s intelligence, over Mamdani.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Israel kills innocent Palestinians. Activists spray-paint a plane. Guess which the UK government calls terrorism | Sally Rooney If Palestine Action becomes a proscribed group, writing these words of support could become a serious offence. It’s vital we fight this alarming attack on free speech, says writer Sally Rooney

Israel kills innocent Palestinians. Activists spray-paint a plane. Guess which the UK government calls terrorism | Sally Rooney

The Spin | David ‘Syd’ Lawrence’s brave race against time to tell his remarkable story Former England bowler has motor neurone disease and his new autobiography vividly describes his daily experience

David Lawrence has a remarkable story to tell

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...

Despotism v capitalism: PSG v Inter is clash of styles on and off pitch | Jonathan Liew Champions League final features opposing tactical approaches and two radically different ownership models

Despotism v capitalism: PSG v Inter is clash of styles on and off pitch | Jonathan Liew

‘I worried I might start finding it normal. But I never did’ – what I learned as the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent After four years reporting from Israel and Palestine, our correspondent is returning to the UK. She reveals the grief, horror and hope that defined her time there

A brilliant, bracing read from our former Jerusalem correspondent Bethan McKernan on the reality of reporting the horrors that are still unfolding in Gaza

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

AFC Wimbledon revel in reaching League One after edging out Walsall in playoff final Myles Hippolyte’s goal in first-half stoppage time gave AFC Wimbledon a 1-0 win over Walsall in the League Two playoff final at Wembley

Wimbledon: underrated 2004 romcom and 2025 League Two playoff champions

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Twenty years later: how 2005 Ashes marked end of cricket as we knew it England’s titanic tussle with Australia enthralled a nation but then the Test game vanished from UK free-to-air TV

A piece in which I get to mention the most iconic moment of Kevin Pietersen’s career: his 2014 appearance on the Graham Norton Show with Taylor Swift

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...

Cricket paying the price for being ruled by the big stick, and the big cheque | Barney Ronay The suspension of the IPL has ramifications for the game worldwide, but it has allowed itself to be too in thrall to the Indian money machine

Cricket: time to pay the ferryman
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...

Israel committing genocide in Gaza, says EU’s former top diplomat Josep Borrell also criticises EU response to what he calls largest ethnic cleansing operation since second world war The former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has launched a blistering attack on Israel, accusing its government of committing genocide in Gaza and “carrying out the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since the end of the second world war in order to create a splendid holiday destination”. Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister who served as the EU’s top diplomat from 2019 to 2024, and president of the European parliament from 2004 to 2007, also criticised the bloc’s failure to use all the means at its disposal to influence Israel, saying expressions of regret were simply not enough. Continue reading...

Israel committing genocide in Gaza, says EU’s former top diplomat

Labour promised trans people dignity. I am not sure it knows the meaning of the word | Nicky Bandini The terror I felt after coming out as a trans woman was assuaged by the acceptance I encountered in the real world. Someone should let our policymakers know, says football writer and broadcaster Nicky...

Had to take a step out of my sports writing comfort zone this week to say a thing that needed to be said.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...