McCullum’s contract with England ends in the autumn of 2027. He said he has not thought about the possibility of an extension so, as it stands, his final Test series in charge will be the home Ashes next summer.

By then, England will have not held the urn for almost a decade and not won a five-match series since 2018.

And 44-year-old McCullum, who played 101 Tests for New Zealand, said his team must use their latest Ashes failure as a “lesson” for the challenges ahead.

“The lesson we were taught down in Australia needs to help galvanise us moving forward, otherwise it was just a beating and incredible dispointment,” he said.

“If we’re able to make good on what we’ve been taught and what we’ve gone through and it makes us a better side, whilst it still hurts, it will make us a better side.”

In the aftermath of the Ashes, players who have been discarded by McCullum’s regime have been critical of the England set-up. Liam Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow added their voices to the frustration expressed by pundits and fans.

In response to some of the Ashes shortcomings, England have added extra coaches to their backroom staff, imposed a midnight curfew on players and staff, and will soon be joined by a full-time chef.

“I’ve always had authenticity to how I like to operate as a person. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea,” said McCullum. “Not everyone is going to love you all the time. That’s OK.

“I have firm conviction in the way we try to she and build teams. I’m not rigid about development, improvement and refinement.

“There has been a period of reflection, things we have needed to change and things we have changed. We’ve made some adjustments and now the key from a cricket point of view is winning those moments when the game is on the line.”

Piero Hincié looks set to join Arsenal permanently after his loan from Bayer Leverkusen, but could Barcelona spoil the party? Meanwhile, Real Madrid want to bring in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder João Neves. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades

TRENDING RUMORS

– Barcelona are considering a move for Bayer Leverkusen‘s Piero Hincié this summer, according to The Daily Mail. Arsenal signed the versatile defender on loan last summer, which includes a permanent option clause of £45 million. But the Gunners are yet to confirm whether they will trigger that deal, which would see the Ecuador international sign on a five-year deal. As a result, Barcelona are sounding out the possibility of a move as they search for a new left-sided center back.

– COPE reports that Real Madrid want to bring in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder João Neves. Neves, 21, is one of the top prospects in Europe and has a contract until 2030, so would not come che. Another player who could boost Madrid’s flagging squad is their former winger Víctor Munoz, who could be re-signed from Osasuna as the club still own 50% of his rights. And the report also states Madrid want to secure some defensive reinforcements and are targeting Inter Milan center back Alessandro Bastoni at around €50 million.

– Juventus are interested in taking Liverpool backup goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili on loan for a season, if they can’t land the club’s No. 1 Alisson Becker on a permanent deal. Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juve have failed to convince Liverpool to part with Alisson, who has a deal until 2027. But with Mamardashvili looking for game time, a loan may benefit all parties. Meanwhile, the

– Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries has emerged as an option for Liverpool, says The Daily Mail. The Reds are keen to find options for the right flank following Conor Bradley‘s long-term injury absence and the struggles of Jeremie Frimpong. Dumfries, 30, has a €25 million clause that activates in July and is entering the final two years of his contract, so is available. But the club are also discussing the possibility of bringing Jarell Quansah back from Bayer Leverkusen this summer as a possible replacement for center back Ibrahima Konaté, reports TEAMtalk. Konate, 27, is set to leave at the end of his contract and Liverpool have a return clause in Quansah’s contract reportedly valued at £69 million.

– Bernardo Silva want to move to Barcelona when he leaves Manchester City as a free agent his summer, according to The Times. Silva, 31, has been offered deals by Atletico Madrid and Benfica, while Juventus have also been in the mix, the Portugal international is keen on a switch to Camp Nou where there is an offer in the region of €100,000-a-week on the table.

ESPN SOURCES

– Tottenham are moving closer to a deal to sign Andy Robertson on a free transfer, sources have confirmed to ESPN. The 32-year-old left back has ended his nine-year association with Liverpool after playing his final game for the club last Sunday against Brentford. Read

– Brentford have tabled a bid in the region of £40 million ($54m) for FC Cologne star winger Said El Mala, sources have told ESPN, with Cologne still considering the offer. Read

– Barcelona will turn their attention to Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez after agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Gordon, various sources have told ESPN. The Spanish champions are hopeful they can win the race for Álvarez, who is also interesting Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, after being informed the Argentina forward would prefer to join them over his other options. Read

– Manchester United are close to an agreement with Atalanta for midfielder Éderson, sources have told ESPN. United are ready to pay around £35 million for the Brazil international, who is set to become the first new arrival at Old Trafford this summer. Read

OTHER RUMORS

– Tottenham are set to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on a free transfer. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Arsenal have intensified interest in Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers, but a deal could cost upwards of £80 million. (TEAMtalk)

– Striker Julian Alvarez has informed Atletico Madrid that he wants to leave the club, as he continues to be linked with a transfer to Barcelona in the region of €100 million. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott has been offered a new contract to fend off any interest. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Arsenal are increasingly confident of landing a deal to sign Leicester City youngster Jeremy Monga. The 16-year-old winger has interest from Manchester United and Manchester City following the Foxes’ relegation to League One, but the Gunners pear to be frontrunners. (TEAMtalk)

– Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley is a transfer target for Tottenham this summer, with the 25-year-old potentially available after a loan move at Marseille earlier this campaign. (Football Insider)

– Manchester City winger Savinho is keen on joining Tottenham, with the Brazilian looking for more game time. (Football Insider)

– Newcastle, Liverpool, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund are eyeing a move for Lille midfielder Angel Gomes. (Sun)

– Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are interested in signing Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg, 17. (GMS)

– Barcelona’s interest in Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni has cooled in recent weeks, with the €70 million valuation set for the 27-year-old’s transfer complicating the deal. (Sport)

– Juventus are in the race to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta as the 28-year-old looks set to leave Crystal Palace after firing the club to Europa Conference League glory in midweek. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Galatasaray are preparing an offer for West Ham defender Emerson Palmieri. (Football Insider)

For the third year in a row, Littler finished top of the Premier League standings.

He went on to reach the final for the third consecutive year and has won the title in two of them.

He set a new record for night wins in the league phase in 2025 and matched that tally of six in 2026.

Despite that, Littler said he felt like he did not want to “go to the next Premier League night”.

He added: “Tonight was one of those wins where I had to get it done. Even sat at home, I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t want to go to the next Premier League night but we’ve done it.

“We’ve all got feelings, not just as dart players, we’re humans. I can’t believe I’ve won.”

The current Premier League format lasts 17 weeks if you reach finals night and sees players travel across the UK, Republic of Ireland and Europe to play every Thursday during the league phase.

The event only features eight players – the world’s four top-ranked players and four players who are invited by the Professional Darts Corporation – and runs alongside ProTour events.

Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle highlighted how former world champions Gerwyn Price and Phil Taylor have felt a similar strain to Littler in the past.

He said: “It is not a rarity for the Premier League to become too much. Week after week, it is an endurance test.

“Sometimes you can feel down and if you feel down, you become mentally weaker.

“We know how strong Luke Littler is mentally but when you are feeling like you’re public enemy number one, you can feel like you don’t want to turn up, but he did turn up and this is now the by-product of turning up.”

Despite coming close to leaving the competition, Littler’s dominance in the sport continues to grow.

His victory means he has added the Premier League to his World Championship title, World Masters and UK Open successes this year.

Littler holds seven of the eight ranking titles that the Professional Darts Corporation have, plus the Premier League.

“There is a point in everyone’s career when they are at their peak – we don’t know if this is his peak but we know this is peak level because Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor’s peak was this kind of standard,” added Mardle.

“We’re assuming he must be near his peak and it is good enough time and time again. There are no weaknesses really.”

Among the next things for Littler to tick off is glory alongside Luke Humphries for England in June’s World Cup of Darts.

If the pair play anything like they did in London on Thursday night, you wouldn’t bet against them.

While the New York Knicks rest up, having clinched their first pearance in the NBA Finals since 1999, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will head to a pivotal Game 6 (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC), having traded blows for five games.

The defending champion Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals with a decisive Game 5 win that saw OKC’s role players step up again in the absence of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Now back at home, the Spurs will look to strike back and even the series, looking for a better performance from All-NBA center Victor Wembanyama, who struggled in Game 5.

History is on the Thunder’s side. This was the seventh time they’ve won a Game 5 in a series that was tied 2-2, and in all six previous instances they went on to win the series. On the flip side, this was the 10th time the Spurs have lost Game 5 in a 2-2 series, and they’ve only come back to win the series once in the previous nine instances (the 2008 conference semifinals against the New Orleans Hornets).

Our NBA insiders take a look at what you need to know ahead of this epic showdown.

Jump to a section:
How Thunder win | How Spurs win
On-court trend | Stat to know | Scouts’ take

What do the Thunder need to do to win this series in Game 6?

Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deliver a closing performance the way he did in the previous two series?

The Spurs have succeeded in containing the back-to-back MVP. He has averaged 26.2 points while shooting 38.8% from the field in the five games as the Spurs have rotated an arsenal of primary defenders and used a variety of aggressive schemes designed to slow him. He shot worse than 50% from the field in three consecutive games for the first time all season.

The Lakers also made it tough on Gilgeous-Alexander in the second round until the elimination game. Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points on 11-of-22 shooting as the Thunder completed a sweep in Los Angeles.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a similar game in the first-round sweep finale in Phoenix, scoring 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

With defenses loaded up against him, Gilgeous-Alexander has flourished as a facilitator this postseason. He’s averaging 8.2 assists, including 9.8 in the West finals.

Maybe Alex Caruso — arguably the series MVP so far — and the Thunder’s role players can have another hot shooting night. But putting the finishing touches on such a formidable foe probably will require an MVP-caliber performance from the man who hoisted that trophy to start this series. — Tim MacMahon

What do the Spurs need to do to extend this series?

Get Wembanyama going. San Antonio needed a 41-point, 24-rebound performance for the Spurs to topple Oklahoma City in double overtime of Game 1, and a 33-point effort in Game 4 to win that one. In San Antonio’s two victories, he delivered spectacular performances for the Spurs. San Antonio will need that again from Wembanyama in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in Oklahoma City.

Wembanyama took only 15 shots in Game 5.

“He’s got to take more than 15 shots,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Even with the [12] free throws [he took], he’s going to have to score more than 20 points for sure.”

Wembanyama also needs to be a dominant defensive force, considering Oklahoma City connected on 49% of its shots with him on the court in Game 5, which ranks as the best field goal percentage a team has achieved this postseason against the 22-year-old, according to ESPN Research. Widely proclaimed the best player currently in the NBA, Wembanyama needs to show it for San Antonio to stave off elimination. And though he has shocked observers with a seemingly otherworldly skill set, Wembanyama ultimately needs to figure out how to showcase those qualities on a more consistent basis for the upstart Spurs to knock off the defending champs, led by a two-time MVP. — Michael C. Wright

What has been the most surprising on-court trend in this series?

Entering the conference finals, Caruso had played in 12 playoff series in his career. He’d never averaged more than 10 points in any of them.

But the veteran role player is all the way up at 17.0 PPG in the conference finals, even though he put up a goose egg in Game 4. His 31 points in Game 1 represent a playoff career high, and his 22 points in Game 5 are the second most in his postseason career. In all, four of Caruso’s eight highest-scoring playoff games have come in this series.

Those extra points have been critical for a team missing Williams and Mitchell. Caruso ranks second on Oklahoma City in points in the conference finals and third in field goal attempts, as he has blown a hole in the Spurs’ strategy of leaving him open on the perimeter.

It’s not a surprise that Caruso has boosted his performance in the most important moments, but it is a surprise that he has done so in this particular way. Caruso was already a valuable role player when he was averaging single-digit points, as he did in previous title runs for the Lakers and Thunder. Now, as a 32-year-old facing the most fearsome defense in the West (other than the Thunder’s own), he’s scoring more than ever. — Zach Kram

Which stat will most define Game 6?

Wembanyama left the arena without speaking to reporters after San Antonio’s Game 5 loss to Oklahoma City, a sign that perhs the star center was less than thrilled by his subpar play. With San Antonio down 3-2 and facing elimination, Wembanyama must reestablish his paint presence on offense.

During San Antonio’s two wins in the series, he averaged a whopping 14.5 shots from within 5 feet and converted 69% of those attempts. The contrast couldn’t be sharper in the Spurs’ three losses: The MVP finalist averaged just 5.3 shots from within 5 feet, though he still converted 63%.

In San Antonio’s wins, Wembanyama has put on a dunk and layup parade. In its losses, he has drifted toward the perimeter and been overly reliant upon his jumper to the detriment of his offensive impact. The Spurs’ guards can do a better job setting him up in the post against the Thunder’s savvy front line, but Wembanyama must first decide that he’s not willing to settle. — Ben Golliver

What are scouts saying about this series?

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps spoke to multiple scouts across the league ahead of Game 6, and here’s what they’re saying about the matchup:

• “It’s been awesome. Absolutely incredible stuff. Everyone knew who Wemby was [before the series began], but seeing him on this stage has been awesome. That Game 1 performance is legitimately one of the craziest f—ing things I’ve ever seen. I agree he should’ve faced the media — having a s—ty game doesn’t mean you are excused from that. But this is the growing pains of going through this for the first time.”

• “The team that’s made shots has won each game — that’s not a big surprise. When Victor hasn’t been awesome, they haven’t won, and [De’Aaron] Fox and [Dylan] Harper are both not themselves. The question about the Spurs all season long was could they make shots when they needed to, and are their supporting guys around Victor good enough? In the games they lost, they haven’t been.”

That clearly suited Gordon.

Digging deeper, according to Opta, the England international has had a significantly better shot conversion rate in the Champions League (38.5%) compared to the Premier League (12.5%) in 2025-26.

Gordon has also had more shots (three) and touches in the opposition box (6.1); attempted more dribbles (3.9); and had a better dribble success rate (45.5%) per 90 minutes in Europe than when playing in the English top flight.

He averaged a goal or assist every 64 minutes in the Champions League in contrast to just one every 227 minutes in the Premier League in the campaign just gone.

The difference in numbers reflects some of the opponents Gordon has come up against after facing some particularly solid Premier League sides throughout the campaign.

But it also illustrates how he has tended to raise his game in Europe, which feeds into a wider point that Gordon’s best matches for Newcastle have often come against the biggest teams over the years.

The test at Barcelona will be to deliver week in, week out, particularly given the level of competition for a starting place, as he battles it out with Rhinha among others.

According to BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague, Barcelona have also opened talks to sign Julian Alvarez, with an agreement in place with the Argentine forward.

But Atletico Madrid are likely to turn down the 90m euros Barca are expected to offer.

Whoever else does come in, Gordon can expect tough competition.

“That will be a challenge [Gordon] will relish to take his game to the next level,” Ritchie added.

“I don’t think the stage or badge will change him as a person. He will always have this inner drive, this mentality, to be the best.”