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Fran Jonas is a notable omission from the squad which will lean heavily on the experience of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2025Allrounder Flora Devonshire, who is uncapped at ODI level, has been included in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Polly Inglis, Bella James and Bree Illing, who have just eight ODIs between them, have also been included for their first World Cup campaigns.Devonshire, a 22-year-old left-arm spinner, made her T20I debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year and was part of the New Zealand A tour of England in June and July. Her inclusion in the 15-player squad meant that fellow left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, who has 26 ODIs to her name, was a notable omission.Related

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“It’s never easy when you have multiple players pushing for the same spot and that of course made for some tough selection calls,” head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Having to leave out the likes of Fran in favour of Flora was a tough decision. We know Fran is a quality player and at 21 we believe she still has her best years in front of her.”Left-arm seamer Illing took four wickets in her first ODI series against Sri Lanka, while James made her ODI debut against Australia late last year. Inglis, who hit an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls in her second outing against Sri Lanka in March, will also provide wicketkeeping back-up to first-choice Izzy Gaze.”I’d like to especially acknowledge the four players set for their first World Cup – they’ve all earned this opportunity and I’m excited to see what impact they can have on the tournament,” Sawyer said. “I’m really pleased with the balance of the squad. I think we’ve got the right mix to tackle what we’ll come up against in terms of conditions and opposition.””Bree puts batters under pressure early with her swing and has great ability with the new ball. Her and Flora have both shown they can consistently bring the stumps into play, which will be effective in the conditions we’re going to face.”Flora’s got an attacking mind and skillset with the bat, which is valuable down the order. Bella’s a versatile batter who can hit 360 degrees around the ground and can bat in most places in the line up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Polly gives us another option with the gloves within the squad, and she possesses great grit and determination, which are qualities that will be important in trying conditions.”The experienced core of the squad includes captain Sophie Devine, who will retire from ODI cricket after the World Cup, Suzie Bates, Lea Tahuhu, Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr.”I can honestly say that in the four world events I’ve been part of with this group, we are the best prepared we’ve ever been,” Sawyer said. “Having no international cricket in our calendar since April has given us the ability to work really hard on our physical skills in particular, which is something that could be the difference in India.”The squad leaves for the UAE on September 13 for a pre-tournament camp, which includes two warm-up matches against England, before heading to India. Their opening World Cup match is against Australia on October 1 in Indore.New Zealand for Women’s ODI World CupSophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu

Every so often, sports fans are reminded of just how entertaining hot mics are during sports games.

Fox's nationally-televised broadcast of the Houston Astros' 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday served as one such reminder, as the mics briefly gave fans a fly-on-the-wall experience for an exchange between home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi and the Astros dugout.

It was the top of the eighth inning with two outs, Astros righthander Bryan Abreu on the mound and Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien at the plate. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Abreu threw a four-seam fastball in on the hands that appeared to catch the inner half of the plate. Semien checked his swing and Astros catcher Yainier Diaz appealed to first-base umpire Clint Vodrak, who ruled that Semien didn't swing, a somewhat controversial call.

The Astros certainly didn't agree and let home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi know it. But Cuzzi, who was uninvolved with the call, didn't want to hear it.

"What are you yelling at me for?!" Cuzzi loudly asked the Astros dugout. The veteran umpire then appeared to indicate that the Astros should be directing their complaints to Vondrak, who made the call. We're sure Vondrak appreciated that!

In all seriousness though, as the broadcast went on to point out, the Astros' gripe with Cuzzi was that he didn't initially rule the borderline pitch a strike, putting the call in Vondrak's hands. Had Cuzzi ruled the pitch a strike, there would be no need for the check swing appeal.

Semien went on to belt a solo homer two pitches after the controversial first pitch of the at-bat, but the Astros ultimately prevailed in 11 innings.

Hooray for hot mics!

Vincent Kompany has fiercely rejected criticism of Manuel Neuer after Bayern Munich's 3-1 Champions League defeat to Arsenal, insisting the goalkeeper made no mistake despite two high-profile moments in London. With Bayern’s unbeaten run gone and pressure rising, the coach pushed back against growing scrutiny, while preparing his side to reset immediately in the Bundesliga.

Bayern’s unbeaten run ends as Neuer faces spotlight

Bayern's 18 game unbeaten streak came to a halt at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal exposed defensive gaps and capitalised on rare errors from Neuer. Jurrien Timber opened the scoring after the Bayern captain appeared blocked during a crowded corner sequence, and although Lennart Karl equalised, the Premier League leaders took control after the break.

Noni Madueke restored Arsenal’s advantage before Gabriel Martinelli sealed the result with a calm finish past Neuer, who had rushed high off his line in an attempt to intervene. The moment triggered widespread debate in Germany, with pundits and fans questioning whether the 39-year-old should have approached the situation differently. That criticism quickly became the centre of Bayern’s media briefing setting up Kompany to deliver a firm defence of his goalkeeper.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKompany rejects criticism of Neuer and insists no mistake was made

Speaking ahead of the Bavarians' Bundesliga clash with St. Pauli, Kompany made it clear he would not entertain talk of a goalkeeping controversy, starting with a blunt dismissal of the claims. "Mistake, what mistake?," the Belgian said. "No. If you call that a mistake, then I have a different opinion."

He then repeated his view, specifically addressing the Gunners' third goal: "What are you supposed to do as a goalkeeper? Either wait and then it's one-on-one, or you defend the space and try to help your teammate who's playing against a faster player. I have a different opinion on that."

The Bayern coach also addressed the earlier corner incident and stressed that even if errors do happen, Neuer’s pedigree remains unquestioned. "Sure, mistakes can happen, he's made them before and will make them in the future. But he's an outstanding goalkeeper. This is the first I've heard of it, so I'm a bit surprised."

Turning to the match as a whole, Kompany emphasised Bayern’s strong opening hour but admitted the final stretch was below standard: "The analysis is always clearer once you've rewatched the game. After a match like that, it's straight on to the next one. But of course, we have to learn from it. We were solid for the first hour and played on equal terms away in London. However, the last half hour wasn't up to our standard, and Arsenal deserved to win. Now we're seeing which players are ready… we're just looking at minor details."

Neuer explains his decision and criticism intensifies

While Kompany defended him, Neuer himself offered a more detailed breakdown of what happened during the crucial third goal, acknowledging the risk involved in his aggressive approach. "When you're behind, you simply have to take a bit more risk, and in that situation, the pass was initially good because it wasn't really going in deep. I could already see that Martinelli was running against [Joshua Kimmich] and was also a bit faster than Jo. I knew then that it would lead to a one-on-one situation and a great chance. I tried to clear it beforehand, and he took him down well. The touch was simply crucial, and then I couldn't reach it anymore, although I knew I was taking a big risk."

Not everyone agreed with his decision. Former Die Roten and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack delivered a sharper assessment of the moment: “That wasn't necessary. Manuel made the wrong decision there. If he goes for the ball, he has to get it, he knows that himself. He decided to take the risk, and is being punished for it.”

The contrasting views reflect a growing debate about Neuer’s form, especially as Bayern navigate a demanding season and weigh long-term choices around the goalkeeper position, though Kompany remains adamant that discussion is closed.

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Getty Images SportBayern look to reset as St. Pauli test awaits

Attention now shifts back to domestic action, with the Bavarians preparing for a potentially tricky meeting against St. Pauli. Despite their opponents’ run of eight straight defeats, Kompany warned that complacency cannot be allowed to creep in.

"The most important thing is that we don't differentiate between St. Pauli and Arsenal in our preparations," he said. "When we look at them, we see that they're doing well and what they're capable of. We've played them twice, and against the same coach, and both matches were difficult. We deserved to win, but we fought hard. Even if they've lost eight times, maybe a game against Bayern will be different for them."

All eyes now turn to Saturday, where Bayern will aim to rebound quickly, steady their form, and avoid further questions ahead of their next Champions League assignment.