Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rose to the occasion in Game 6's do-or-die win over the Mariners in the ALCS on Sunday night. So too did one very shrewd cameraman.

Guerrero's solo home run along with the Blue Jays' stingy defense helped Toronto avoid elimination and force a Game 7, their first since 1985 when they played the Royals in the ALCS. Sunday's win marked Toronto's first at home in the ALCS, and it sets up a climactic final game for what has been a thoroughly entertaining Blue Jays-Mariners series so far.

After the Blue Jays' crucial win, Sportsnet reporter Hazel Mae pulled Guerrero aside for a brief interview and, thanks to the help of camera operator Alex Frazao, was able to capture an instantly iconic cinematic moment.

Mae asked Guerrero if he was ready for Game 7 against the Mariners, and as she directed the mic to the Blue Jays star, the camera zoomed in on Guerrero's beaming face. Guerrero soaked it all in and looked around at his home fans at Roger Centre while the camera spun around, giving viewers a cinematic 360-degree view of Guerrero on a special and historic night for Toronto.

The camera then zoomed in on Guerrero again as he addressed the roaring Blue Jays fans: "I was born ready. I was born ready, and I want it all for this city."

10 out of 10, no notes.

MLB fans praised the TV crew for their great storytelling and for living up to the big moment:

The Blue Jays and Mariners will face off in Game 7 on Monday night with a trip to the World Series on the line.

The Tigers might be poised to do what was once unthinkable.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Jorge Castillo discussed the two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal, in a piece recapping the winter meetings. He said the most interesting thing he heard this week was that a Skubal trade is now likely.

That is quite a bombshell, but not entirely unexpected.

Skubal will almost certainly garner the biggest contract ever given to a pitcher—not including two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Yoshinobu Yamamoto currently has the biggest contract of any MLB pitcher, clocking in at $325 million over 12 years. Skubal should blow that number away and is likely to have an average annual value in the $40 million range. It’s unlikely the Tigers would be able to shell out the $400-plus million it might take to lock him down, so the team is smart to consider moving him while it still can.

He has been MLB’s most dominant presence on the mound over the past two seasons, and all 30 teams would want him. Starting a bidding war for his services is a no-brainer at this point.

In 2025, Skubal turned in what was easily his best season. He went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, and 241 strikeouts against 33 walks in 195 1/3 innings. His 6.6 fWAR led all MLB pitchers, while he was second in FIP (2.45) and xERA (2.72).

That improved on an equally remarkable 2024 campaign in which he went 18-4, with a 2.39 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 228 strikeouts against 35 walks in 192 innings.

At 29 years old, Skubal has plenty of his prime years left and seems be getting better.

If Skubal was going to move, the Dodgers would, of course, be in the mix. L.A.’s farm system could easily provide the prospects to satisfy the return Detroit would be looking for, and the Dodgers could also move a piece from their deep MLB rotation to help the Tigers. Tyler Glasnow’s name was tossed around at the winter meetings, and he’d be a fit atop Detroit’s rotation.

Other teams that would make sense are the Mets, Astros, and Red Sox, and no one should ever count the Padres out as long as A.J. Preller is still manning the ship. The Orioles appear to be all-in and have a ton of young players, so they could also be a player.

Trading Skubal would be painful for the Tigers, but they are likely to lose him in free agency next offseason, and the haul he’d bring back could set the franchise up for success long term.

أسدل الستار على مباريات الجولة الثالثة ودور المجموعات بالكامل في بطولة كأس العرب 2025، والمقامة على الأراضي القطرية.

وانطلقت بطولة كأس العرب 2025، في دولة قطر، بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا، في الأول من ديسمبر وستنتهي في 18 من الشهر ذاته.

وشهدت مرحلة المجموعات توديع منتخب مصر الثاني البطولة بعد الخسارة أمام الأردن بثلاثة أهداف نظيفة، اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة.

وودع منتخب مصر بطولة كأس العرب بعد احتلاله المركز الثالث برصيد نقطتين، فيما تأهل عن هذه المجموعة منتخبا الأردن الذي حقق العلامة الكاملة بتسع نقاط، والإمارات في الوصافة، برصيد 4 نقاط.

ومن المجموعة الأولى، تأهل إلى دور الـ 8 “ربع النهائي”، كل من فلسطين وسوريا في المركزين الأول والثاني على الترتيب برصيد 5 نقاط لكل منهما.

وفي المجموعة الثانية، حسم منتخبا المغرب والسعودية تأهلهما إلى دور ربع النهائي بعدما أنهيا دور المجموعات في المركزين الأول والثاني.

وفي المجموعة الرابعة، حسم منتخب الجزائر تأهله إلى دور الـ 8، متصدرًا المجموعة، ثم منتخب العراق في الوصافة.

طالع.. بالمواعيد | مواجهات دور الـ 8 من كأس العرب 2025 ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد انتهاء دور المجموعاتترتيب المجموعة الأولى بعد انتهاء دور المجموعات

1- فلسطين، 5 نقاط.

2- سوريا، 5 نقاط.

3- تونس، 4 نقاط.

4- قطر، نقطة. ترتيب المجموعة الثانية بعد انتهاء دور المجموعات

1- المغرب، 7 نقاط.

2- السعودية، 6 نقاط.

3-عمان، 4 نقاط.

4- جزر القمر، نقطة واحدة. ترتيب المجموعة الثالثة بعد انتهاء دور المجموعات

1- الأردن، 9 نقاط.

2- الإمارات، 4 نقاط.

3- مصر، نقطتان.

4- الكويت، نقطة واحدة. ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة بعد انتهاء دور المجموعات

1- الجزائر 7 نقاط.

2- العراق 6 نقاط.

3- البحرين 3 نقاط.

4-السودان نقطة.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em parceria com a Adidas, o Cruzeiro divulgou nesta sexta-feira (26) imagens do novo segundo uniforme da equipe para a temporada. Inspirado na Igreja da Pampulha, o fardamento é predominantemente branco, com detalhes em azul na gola e nas mangas.

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🤑 QUAIS OS PRECOS?

A nova camisa já está à venda e custa entre R$ 299,99 (modelo infantil) e R$ 349,99 (modelo masculino). Além dessas opções, o Cruzeiro também disponibiliza uma versão feminina, comercializada por R$ 349,99.

Camisa 2 Cruzeiro EC 24/25 MasculinaCamisa 2 Cruzeiro EC 24/25 MasculinaA camisa está disponível nos modelos masculino, feminino e infantil Compre aqui

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QUANDO SERÁ A ESTREIA DO NOVO UNIFORME?

A data de estreia do novo uniforme ainda não foi divulgada. No entanto, é provável que a equipe mineira estreie o fardamento contra o Alianza, fora de casa, pela quarta rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana.

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There has been some understandable concern from some sections of the Leeds United fan base over the club’s recent run of results in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the division, to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, despite taking the lead in the last two games.

This run of results has left the West Yorkshire outfit in the relegation zone, albeit only on goal difference, with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon in the Premier League.

Leeds travel to The Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend before a clash with Chelsea at Elland Road in midweek and a game against reigning champions Liverpool next weekend.

Unless the Whites pull off a surprise result in one of those matches, which is not impossible when you consider that Farke did beat City with Norwich in 2019, they could find themselves adrift in the relegation zone.

If Leeds lose all three of those games, it would be six defeats on the spin and a spot in the bottom three for the club. That is a hard position for any manager to keep their job in.

The case for Leeds to stick with Daniel Farke

Farke’s Premier League record will, naturally, come into question after his dismal time in the top-flight across two seasons with Norwich and the Whites’ form this term.

The German boss has lost 42 of his 61 games in the league, averaging 0.61 points per game, per Transfermarkt, with the Canaries and Leeds combined, which is a concerning statistic for any supporter looking to the manager and hoping that he can keep the team in the division.

However, it is worth adding some context. Norwich spent money on one permanent signing, Sam Byram for £750k, in the 2019/20 campaign and they had to play their last nine games behind closed doors. Before the second season, Farke’s best player, Emi Buendia, was sold to Aston Villa just weeks after they earned promotion from the Championship.

Then, of course, Farke wanted Leeds to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window, but the club were unable to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day, which has left the manager short of options in the final third.

xG

14.3

13th

Goals

11

19th

xGA

16.1

12th

Goals conceded

22

17th

xGD

-1.8

12th

GD

-11

19th

As you can see in the table above, Leeds should be in midtable based on their performances, but the players have not taken their chances and their goalkeepers have conceded more than expected.

Whilst all of this mitigation is a case to save Farke’s job, a fresh report suggests that the club may be making a change in the dugout in the coming weeks.

The latest on Daniel Farke's future at Leeds

According to Football Insider, the owners are ‘preparing’ to part ways with the German boss if he is unable to oversee an improvement in the team’s results in the next week or so.

The report claims that the club are planning to sack Farke if he does not pick up any points from the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, as harsh as that may seem given the level of opposition.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It adds that the Whites are already looking at possible options to come in and replace the German manager in the dugout if they do have a decision to make in the next seven days.

Football Insider reveals that Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan is one of the names in the frame to possibly replace Farke, stating that he has moved ahead in the race to move to the Premier League.

If Leeds are able to convince their former U21s boss to return to Elland Road, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke and the club’s new Marcelo Bielsa.

Why Leeds should appoint Carlos Corberan

Whilst, as aforementioned, there is plenty of mitigation that suggests that Farke would be somewhat unfortunate to lose his job, this latest update clearly shows that Leeds are preparing for a change.

With this in mind, the focus should be on getting the best possible manager in to take the job, and there may not be many better and realistic options than Corberan, due to his history with Leeds and his managerial career to date.

The Spanish boss, who has played a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 in LaLiga this season, was a first-team coach under Bielsa at Elland Road before taking his first senior posting outside of Cyprus with Huddersfield in 2020.

Since then, he has managed Olympiacos, West Bromwich Albion, and Valencia, gaining vital experience, and has had his coaching style compared to that of Bielsa’s, as shown in the post below.

This suggests that the Whites would be signing a more pragmatic manager than Farke, and one who may be able to implement more subtle tactics within matches to secure results.

That is backed up by his record in LaLiga with Valencia since he made the decision to move on from West Brom to make the move to Spain midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

Matches managed

61

34

Wins

9

12

Draws

10

11

Losses

42

11

Points

37

47

Points per game

0.61

1.38

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Leeds U21s manager has a far better record in a major European league than Farke has, with ten more points from almost half as many games.

Of course, there is the aforementioned mitigation to take into account for Farke, but the Valencia boss is now a proven operator at that level of management, whilst the German is still yet to prove that he can successfully keep a team up.

Corberan was once hailed as “elite” by scout Petar Petrov for getting more out of his group of players than expected, which is exactly what the Whites need in the position that they are currently in.

Therefore, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke, due to his proven ability to get the most out of his players at the top level in Europe, whilst also being Bielsa 2.0 with his pragmatism and willingness to adapt, which is why the club should move for him if they sack Farke.

Leeds have a "laughable" signing who's a bigger waste of time than Perri

Leeds United fans must now be scratching their heads as to why their beloved side ever signed this dud.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 28, 2025

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is welcoming his Gunners squad back to training in London Colney ahead of his side’s crucial derby against Tottenham this weekend.

The face-off carries significant weight in this year’s Premier League title race, with Arsenal looking to maintain their position at the summit while Tottenham seek to disrupt their neighbours’ title aspirations.

Arsenal enter the match off a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, which ended their 10-match winning run in all competitions and eight-game run without conceding a single goal.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

The Gunners have been in exceptional form this season, averaging over two goals per match and establishing themselves as the team to beat. Their defensive prowess has been particularly impressive, conceding just five goals so far and boasting the best defence in all of Europe’s top five leagues.

Fifth-place Spurs drew 2-2 with Man United in their last outing and currently hold the best away record in the Premier League with 13 points won from a possible 15, having scored the joint-most goals (12) and conceded the fewest (three) on their travels (NBC Sports).

Despite having won just three times at Arsenal since the Premier League’s inception, this remarkable away form makes them dangerous opponents and Arteta will be very aware of the threat Thomas Frank’s side pose.

Arsenal also face a real selection headache, with star defender Gabriel Magalhaes poised to be out for at least a month after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil.

Arteta’s attacking depth faces a severe test heading into the derby too, with multiple forwards battling to prove their fitness. Viktor Gyokeres is still a doubt for the match, with little certainty around Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann revealed that Havertz had a “minor relapse” of his knee injury and is expected to return “towards the end of the year”, casting doubt on his involvement in this weekend’s derby.

Captain Martin Odegaard’s situation remains unclear as well. Norway boss Stale Solbakken said Odegaard is “some distance away”, but the player himself stated the injury is “starting to look better” and will hopefully be back soon (TV2).

Noni Madueke was actually close to making the Sunderland squad, so he could well return to the fold for Spurs, but the game comes too soon for striker Gabriel Jesus.

Gabriel Jesus pictured in Arsenal training with teammates after lay-off

The Brazilian hasn’t played a single minute since rupturing his ACL in an FA Cup defeat to Man United at the start of the year, and reports suggest he’ll be the last in a long line of Arsenal attackers to return from injury (Simon Collings).

However, Jesus is back in Arsenal first-team training, with football.london relaying that the 28-year-old was pictured taking part in a session this week alongside Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White.

The former Man City star, once he makes his comeback, is set to play a role under Arteta this season, despite reports of a potential January exit.

Arteta has called Jesus an ‘unpredictable’ weapon he can’t wait to call upon, while the player himself is adamant that he’s not going anywhere.

It is unclear when Jesus will be available for full selection again, but it could well be soon given he’s back with the squad.

After a short three game slate on Monday, all of Major League Baseball is back on Tuesday.

While teams are starting to find themselves in the crosshairs of postseason races, preconceived notions are forming around certain teams and players. However, I'm fading some pitchers that started the season strong, but are due to regress as the season goes on, and at a big price tag.

Below, you'll find my betting analysis on every game on the Tuesday, July 2nd slate, including why I'm backing underdogs such as the Giants, Reds and Diamondbacks.

White Sox vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick

Pick: White Sox (+170)

The Guardians may be in the lead in the AL Central, far ahead of the last place White Sox, but I can’t trust Carlos Carrasco given his current state at this high of a price tag. 

Carrasco gets no movement on his pitches anymore, fourth in pitching run value with a 5.27 ERA. 

Simply put, it’s a dead fade of the veteran right hander who appears to be far from a quality arm anymore. 

Cardinals vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

Pick: Pirates (-125)

Mitch Keller has turned it on after a slow start, and I’ll back him and the Pirates as small home favorites. 

Keller is off a June in which he posted a 2.35 ERA, after posting a 1.30 ERA in four May starts, and will have a significant pitching edge against soft tossing Kyle Gibson.

Gibson has an ERA of 3.70, but an xERA of 4.84 that signals regression can come swiftly for the right hander. 

Red Sox vs. Marlins Prediction and Pick

Pick: Red Sox (-170)

Boston was fourth in OPS in June and should have little issue out-pacing the Marlins, who were last in that same metric, the only team to post a sub-.600 OPS. 

Mets vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mets (-140)

The Mets are the far better team when hitting left handed pitching, which is impactful when both teams are starting southpaws. 

New York is fourth in OPS against lefties while the Nationals are 28th.

Reds vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

Pick: Reds (+165)

Luis Gil’s slide has been noticeable over his last two starts, allowing 12 earned runs in less than five full innings. With erratic control and diminishing velocity, I’ll fade Gil once more at this number. 

Astros vs. Blue Jays Prediction and Pick

Pick: Astros (-105)

I’ll ride with the streaking Astros, who took the first game of this early week series and are in line to win yet again on Tuesday. 

Jose Berrios remains untrustworthy as his xERA is far higher than his actual ERA (4.50 vs. 3.38), signaling that he can face a downturn in the second half of the season. 

I’ll take the better team as slight underdogs. 

Giants vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

Pick: Giants (+155)

I’ll take the big underdog in Atlanta. 

San Francisco will start Hayden Birdsong for the second time. While he struggled in his first start, he showcased some serious velocity (85th percentile fastball velocity) and generated swings and misses. 

Against a free-swinging Braves team, Birdsong may be in line to put together a strong start with low expectations. Meanwhile, I’m interested in fading Reynaldo Lopez, who has a 1.70 ERA but an xERA of 3.98. 

Tigers vs. Twins Prediction and Pick

Pick: Twins (-110)

The Tigers receive the benefit of the doubt with AL Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal on the mound, but this offense isn’t up to the task. 

Detroit is hitting .228 as a unit this season and ranks 28th in OPS over the balance of the season. 

Meanwhile, Minnesota may be up to the task to knock around Skubal, posting the second highest OPS against southpaws. 

Padres vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Padres (-105)

The Padres have been rounding into form, top 10 in OPS in the month of June, and likely have a slight pitching edge with Dylan Cease on the mound. 

Cease has lowered his walk rate to a career low level (less than three per nine) while maintaining a massive strikeout rate with more than 11 punchouts per nine innings. 

Phillies vs. Cubs Prediction and Pick

Pick: Phillies (+105)

The Phillies will start prospect Michael Mercado, making his second appearance of his career, likely as an opener. While there may be some concern about his viability, I’m thrilled to get the Phillies at an underdog price against the Cubs, who are off a month in which it was bottom third in the bigs in OPS.

Rays vs. Royals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Royals (-120)

Kansas City maintains a fantastic home record, 30-16 at Kauffman Stadium. 

In a coin flip matchup, the Royals have the hitting edge and home field advantage to get this done in the series opener.

Brewers vs. Rockies Prediction and Pick

Pick: Rockies (+105)

Dallas Keuchel will be pitching in the hitter friendly Coors Field, which sets up to be problematic for the journeyman left hander. 

Keuchel hasn’t struck out more than 15% of batters in the last three full seasons with a walk rate above 8%, highlighting in bloated ERA’s that have consistently been above 5.00. 

I can’t trust him as a favorite even with a talented Brewers lineup backing him up.

Orioles vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mariners (-105)

The Mariners will have the better pitcher on the mound in George Kirby, who has elite command and has done a fantastic job of limiting hard contact. The right hander is in the 99th percentile in walk rate with a 72nd percentile hard-hit percentage. 

I’ll take a stab on Seattle as slight home underdogs. 

Angels vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

Pick: Angels (-115)

In a battle of two poor teams, I’m taking the road favorite who has shown a bit more of late. 

The Angels hit league average in June in terms of OPS while the A’s checked in 28th. 

Further, Jose Soriano (1.93 ERA in two June starts) has been better than Mitch Spence (5.40 ERA in five June starts), leading me to the Halos. 

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Diamondbacks (+160)

I’ll take a flier on the underdog Diamondbacks as a way to bank on the surging offense and fade the Dodgers’ starter, Bobby Miller. 

Miller is a hard throwing right hander, but hasn’t seen the results come together just yet, posting a 6.75 ERA through five starts, mainly due to a near-14% walk rate. 

Miller will face a strong D-Backs lineup that just hit .269 in the month of June (seventh in the bigs) and draws walks at a top 10 rate. 

The Phillies saw their 2025 season come to a dramatic end in Thursday night's Game 4 loss to the Dodgers, a bitter defeat that arguably stings that much more due to how the game ended.

With bases loaded and two outs, Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering had the chance to end the 11th inning after Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages hit a weak ground ball right to him. Kerkering had an easy toss to first base to get the third out, but he instead chucked it to home plate way above catcher J.T. Realmuto's head. That wild throw drove in Dodgers pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim for the winning run, allowing L.A. to clinch the 2-1 win and punch its ticket to the NLCS.

Kerkering bafflingly threw to home despite Realmuto very clearly pointing to first base right after Pages's grounder. Maybe the Phillies catcher could have given him a more audible heads-up instead of physically gesturing, but the error ultimately fell on Kerkering for automatically throwing it to Realmuto for some bizarre reason.

A photo of Realmuto pointing to first just before Kerkering makes his unfortunate error is going viral on social media, and it's a pretty sad one:

Better luck next time for the Phillies.

SEATTLE — Max Scherzer had not pitched in 22 days, had been left off the Division Series roster of the Blue Jays, had stumbled to the finish of the regular season with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts and had enough physical maladies over the past two seasons—back, shoulder, triceps, hamstring, thumb, lat, neck, etc.—to mimic a 41-year-old weekend pickleball player, not the 41-year-old three-time Cy Young Award winner that he is. His start in Game 4 of the ALCS had the trappings of a tour of a 1970s band: cutely nostalgic, but nothing more.

Then he started warming up in the T-Mobile Park visiting bullpen and something magical happened. The ball flew out his hand with ease and power. He spun the ball with precision. Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker could hardly believe what he was watching.

“I knew when he was warming up it was going to be good,” Walker said. “He wanted this one bad and you’d probably ask anybody in that clubhouse and they, they felt it, too. When he was warming up, I felt some of the hairs that are barely there on my arm standing up because I could tell he had it.”

What we do in the prime of our work is what most defines us. It is the first paragraph of our obituary. But sometimes it is what we do in the twilight of our careers, long after a reputation has been earned, that burnishes the oeuvre, if not creates a legend of its own. Late career greatness has the added emotion of bittersweetness, born from the uncertainty that it may well be the last of it.

Scherzer had one of those nights. He defied age, time, injury and, almost comically, his own manager. He threw harder than he had in two years. He had the best curveball of his life. He stomped around the mound like a young lion. He pitched two outs into the sixth inning to earn his ninth career postseason win, but first one in six years, as Toronto evened the series at two games each with a second straight pounding of the Mariners, 8–2.

He has the top strike rate in the game but needs to play “smarter” if he is to fulfil England predictions

Matt Roller22-May-2020If you were asked to close your eyes and picture the fastest-scoring batsman in T20 cricket, you’d probably think of a Jamaican with a mohawk, bulging biceps and shiny gold helmet rather than a slight, 5ft 10in Englishman with a side parting and an economics degree. But incongruous as it might seem, it is Ed Pollock who holds the record for the highest career strike rate in the 20-over game, his 174.93 pipping Andre Russell’s 171.29 in a photo finish.A 24-year-old left-hander hardly known outside of the West Midlands, Pollock has played only 29 games in his T20 career, but his top-order pyrotechnics in a Birmingham Bears shirt have earned him notoriety in the North Group of the Vitality Blast as a star in the making. And yet, despite his eye-catching strike rate, he is yet to earn a franchise gig overseas, or even to pull on an England badge as part of an age-group or Lions team. With his average the wrong side of 25, you could be forgiven for thinking that he is something of a one-hit wonder.Pollock, you might assume, is the sort of player who has emerged as a natural result of the introduction of the Twenty20 Cup in 2003 – the first professional T20 competition in the world, hailed as an immediate success for attracting fans to county cricket. Tom Banton, the Somerset starlet and former team-mate of Pollock’s at Worcestershire club Barnt Green, cites watching Neil Carter as a pinch-hitter for Warwickshire as his earliest cricketing memory. That players of his and Pollock’s generation are such clean hitters surely relates to the fact they have grown up with the shortest format?ALSO READ: How our readers voted in the greatest T20 player bracketNot quite. “You see it talked about, how guys my age have grown up playing T20, but I think it was only in my last year at school that I started playing it as I do now – taking advantage of the powerplay, that sort of thing,” Pollock says. “Growing up, I was quite small, and I was very much a blocker until the age of 15 or 16. At that stage I realised I could start hitting sixes, and I think I got a bit carried away with it from there.”More than a T20 baby, Pollock is part of the generation of English players raised on the 2005 Ashes. After playing primarily as an offspinner who batted at number seven or eight in Worcestershire’s academy, he was released soon after his 18th birthday, at which point he was thought he “nowhere near good enough to be a professional cricketer”.