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Leeds United have been guilty of some poor transfer deals in the past but the appointment of Victor Orta in 2017 has helped to transform the Yorkshire outfit from Championship strugglers into a fairly solid Premier League side.

The Spaniard has also made mistakes, with the likes of Jean Kevin-Augustin no doubt at the forefront of Leeds fans' minds after the club were ordered to pay £24.5m in compensation to the rarely-seen Frenchman earlier this month, but in the large part, he has been responsible for signing some incredible players at Elland Road.

One such example is Tyler Adams, as the young midfielder's value has flown up during his time in the Premier League, and he looks set to be a vital player for The Peacocks in the significant future.

How much did Adams cost Leeds United?

Following the exit of Kalvin Phillips in the summer of 2022, it seemed clear that Leeds were going to have to invest heavily in a new defensive midfielder to fill the boots of the home-grown England international.

The USA international had accumulated 103 appearances during his time with RB Leipzig, contributing two goals and three assists, so represented a great option for Leeds when considering his experience of top-level football and obvious long-term potential.

Orta sanctioned a deal worth €17m (£15m), which could rise to €23m (£20.2m) with add-ons, and he has established himself as a key player at Elland Road throughout the 2022/23 campaign, earning regular starts under both Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia.

Across his 24 Premier League appearances so far this campaign, the tough-tackling midfielder has averaged a solid 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which sees him currently ranked as the fifth-best player in Gracia's squad.

Journalist Tomi Oladipo was quick to label Adams a "monster" in Leeds' midfield after their 3-0 demolition of Chelsea earlier this season and his average of 3.7 tackles per game, the best of anyone at Elland Road, certainly reinforces that.

Although Adams has been absent for Leeds' recent games through injury, with the Yorkshire outfit very much in the Premier League's relegation battle after their 5-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last time out, his performances have not gone unnoticed by the wider footballing world.

As per Football Transfers, the midfielder's transfer value has shot up to €39.6m (£34.8m), which represents a hugely impressive 133% increase on the £15m Leeds initially paid.

Therefore, Orta deserves a huge amount of credit for bringing in the £55k-per-week star on such a bargain deal, and Leeds fans will be hoping to see the 24-year-old continue to shine upon his return from injury.

ScorecardTymal Mills took three wickets and bowled a maiden in his four overs•Getty Images

South African David Wiese hit boundaries of successive deliveries in the final over to ease Sussex to a four-wicket win over Kent in a low-scoring thriller in the NatWest T20 Blast at Hove.Chasing 141, after Tymal Mills had again impressed with 3 for 15, Sussex needed eight off the final over but after David Griffiths conceded a single and then bowled a wide, Wiese – who has extended his stay as second overseas player at Hove for another two weeks – drove to the extra cover boundary before guiding the next delivery to the third man rope to seal victory with three balls to spare.It was Sussex’s other overseas player, Ross Taylor, who set up the win with a measured 62 off 50 balls. Sussex were struggling on 68 for 4 after 12 overs in their response when Taylor was joined by Chris Jordan in a match-winning stand of 61 from 39 balls.Taylor struck offspinner James Tredwell for 16 off three balls in the 16th over to tilt the contest Sussex’s way and although both he and Jordan fell to catches in the deep off Mitch Claydon in the penultimate over, Wiese held his nerve to secure a third win out of four in the South Group for his side.Claydon took 3 for 25, having earlier bowled Ben Brown while Matt Coles also impressed, finishing with 1 for 17 and claiming the key early scalp of Sussex skipper Luke Wright, who was caught at deep square leg for 3.Kent had been bowled out for 140 off the final ball of their innings, having been put in, after some impressive work from Sussex’s seamers on a slow pitch.England international Jordan led the way with 3 for 18. In his first spell he removed Daniel Bell-Drummond with a slower ball and returned to the attack to have Alex Blake caught at cover and Darren Stevens at midwicket.Jordan was well backed up by left-armer Mills, whose searing pace made it tough for the Kent batsmen. Mills yorked Coles and then removed Tredwell and Griffiths in his final over to finish with 3 for 15 while Wiese took 2 for 33 including Kent captain Sam Northeast, who returned to form with 53 off 33 balls which included two fours and four sixes, all struck in the area between long on and mid-wicket before he mis-timed a leg-side pull allowing Wiese to take a simple return catch.Sussex’s seamers were well supported by leg-spinner Will Beer, who had the dangerous Sam Billings lbw sweeping as Kent’s innings tailed off alarmingly, with the last five wickets falling for nine runs.

Surrey have announced Michael Di Venuto as their new head coach on a three-year deal to replace Graham Ford who has recently returned to work with Sri Lanka.Di Venuto, who played nine ODIs, is currently Australia’s assistant and batting coach and recently took charge of the team when Darren Lehmann suffered DVT. His final Australia assignment will be the T20 tour of South Africa next month and he will join Surrey in early April ahead of the start of their Championship campaign against Nottinghamshire on April 10.Greg Blewett, who is currently Australia’s fielding coach, will take on the batting responsibilities with the national side.Di Venuto has extensive experience of the county game having played for Sussex, Derbyshire and latterly Durham with whom he won back-to-back County Championship titles in 2008 and 2009.”It has been a huge honour and privilege to have worked with the Australian team but the chance to come to a club of the size and potential of Surrey as head coach was too big an opportunity for me to turn down,” Di Venuto said.”As someone who has always enjoyed the county game, I have followed Surrey’s progress over the last couple of years and look forward to working with this talented squad of players.”Alec Stewart, the Surrey director of cricket, said: “Following the departure of Graham Ford it was vitally important that we found another high quality coach with a great work ethic and excellent knowledge of the English county game.”Michael is a good people person and his twelve years of county experience will be invaluable. He is highly regarded within the Australian setup for his ability to work with and get the best out of players both individually and collectively.”Being able to appoint a coach from a top quality International team can only serve to benefit the club and I would like to thank Cricket Australia for their professional dealings and understanding in enabling us to make this appointment in time for the start of the new season.”Pat Howard, Australia’s general manager, thanked Di Venuto for his work alongside Darren Lehmann over the last three years.”Michael has played a very important role supporting the Australian team over the last three years, including this past home summer when he stood in for Darren Lehmann as head coach,” Howard said.”He has brought a tremendous work ethic and commitment to the role and we have no doubt that this head coaching opportunity with Surrey will provide him with fantastic experience leading his own team, continuing his rapid development as an elite coach.”

How fitting that India’s one-day triumph came exactly two months after the third day of the acrimonious Sydney Test, the eruption from where the series never recovered

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan05-Mar-2008

Just moments after what was arguably his finest hour, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a poignant and deeply symbolic gesture. “?” (Who’s the youngest?) he asked when the team assembled on the podium to pose with the CB Series trophy. Nothing could have summed up India’s triumph better, underpinning the value of the untried and untested. The sight of little Piyush Chawla, the youngest member, holding the trophy aloft captured the theme of the series.It marked the end of a highly-charged tour littered with controversy. How fitting that the one-day triumph came exactly two months after the third day of the acrimonious Sydney Test, the eruption whose effects were felt through the series. But the Indian team did in splendid manner, swinging in Perth, fighting in Adelaide and shattering expectations through the one-day series. Leaving aside the first Test and one-off Twenty20 – both in Melbourne – they were competitive in every match.The self-belief was evident through the tour. Dhoni grinned when asked about his side doing the unthinkable. “How higher would you take expectations? First tell me that.” Eight of the finalists hadn’t played a one-dayer in Australia before this trip and Manoj Tiwary was yet to debut. Here were a bunch of lambs ready for the slaughter.India rode on experience during the Test series. Batsmen had responded because they had been in similar positions before; bowlers had fought back because, in Anil Kumble’s words, “we’ve played enough cricket to know that a Test match can change very quickly”.The one-day series squad was picked amid controversy. Rohit Sharma and Robin Uthappa were included despite doing very little in the domestic circuit. Sourav Ganguly was jettisoned. Rahul Dravid was ignored. And a couple of selectors let it be known privately that it was a team picked at Dhoni’s behest.India don’t rebuild too well, partly because teams haven’t been granted enough latitude through the demanding phases. Youngsters have often been thrown in the deep, only for poor results to mess up the successions plan.Greg Chappell’s plan to put together a young side backfired when the losses piled up. Ditto in 1999, when a few greenhorns were tried in Australia, only to have their careers derailed. Youngsters fresh from domestic cricket have often found the transition too rough. A string of demoralising defeats – like in South Africa late in 2006 – would have blurred the selectors’ vision.Where would the runs come from? Who had the technique to counter the swinging ball? Who could guide a chase? Didn’t this side have too many chinks? What this side did have, though, was balance. Often they played five bowlers, a luxury that often tilts the way teams play. For the last few years, India’s one-day side has relied on an in-form Irfan Pathan, not so much for what he contributes but the options that open up with him in the side.Agility on the field helped. No way would India have competed in the giant Australian arenas with a sluggish side. Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik didn’t get a game but the energy levels perked up when they were on as substitutes. Tiwary made a couple of fine saves in the final and Chawla held his nerve to pouch a smart catch in the dying stages.The fielders backed up what was a sustained bowling effort. An outstanding strike bowler (Ishant Sharma) was complemented by a duo who stuck to the basics (Pathan and Harbhajan Singh). Praveen Kumar and Chawla held their nerve in the final while Sreesanth and Munaf Patel did their bit when called upon. They swung it in daylight and swung it more under floodlights. They were up against a wobbly top order, with Australia’s batsmen not at the peak of their confidence, but the Indian bowlers ensured that they stayed there.

The batsmen didn’t shine as bright – and it needed the mastery of Sachin Tendulkar to carry them through the finals – but the signs were promising. Every one of the batting line-up showed the willingness to change his game. Rohit carved out responsible fifties in the league phase before charging along in the first final; Uthappa blitzed a fifty in Sydney before patiently laying a platform in the final.Gautam Gambhir showed he could rip upper-cuts with the mightiest of biffs and charged spinners ferociously. Importantly he backed himself when under the hammer. Don’t forget Pathan’s cameos, both in the top and lower order.More than anything don’t forget Dhoni. He’s copped the blame for backing players – picking Tiwary on a ‘gut’ feel, sticking to Yuvraj despite the lean patch, throwing newcomers in the deep end – but struck gold. After going down to Australia in Adelaide he insisted that Yuvraj would play every match; a match-winning 76 was to justify his faith two days later.Within six months of being handed captaincy Dhoni has won the World Twenty20, beaten Pakistan and claimed the CB Series. He’s injected a sense of fearlessness and backed youngsters all the way. Eight years ago, from the rubble of the match-fixing scandal, another Indian captain began his tenure similarly. It was hailed as a new dawn. What an irony that Ganguly’s one-day career is all but over with Dhoni’s side beginning a mouth-watering new chapter.

Ryan Harris, the former Australia fast bowler and now coach, has been reprimanded and handed a suspended fine of A$3,000 (US$ 2300 approx) for voicing his displeasure at the obstructing-the-field decision made against Alex Ross when playing for Brisbane Heat against Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.In a series of tweets, Harris let fly at the umpiring decision resulting in Ross’ dismissal, a moment that the Heat captain Brendon MCullum later blamed on his opposite number George Bailey for failing to withdraw his appeal. Cricket Australia has subsequently defended the decision, while the Queensland Cricket chief executive Max Walters has questioned why the board was so eager to worry about technicalities over the wider appeal of the game.”Ryan Harris, CA High Performance coach, has been charged for breaching the CA Code of Conduct on 10 January 2018, in relation to a number of tweets he sent about the KFC Big Bash League match featuring Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes,” a spokesman said. “Harris was reported for breaching CA’s Code of Conduct Article Level 2.2.3 – public or media comment that is detrimental to the interests of cricket, irrespective of when or where such comment is made.”Every player and any player support personnel are required to adhere to Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct. This includes any person employed by, contracted to, representing or otherwise affiliated to CA or any State or Territory Association or BBL/WBBL team. The proposed sanction was a reprimand and fine of $3,000, fully suspended, subject to Harris not being found guilty of any further breach of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct for a period of 24 months from 10 January 2018.”There has been mounting discontent among players about numerous umpiring decisions during the BBL, at the same time as a surfeit of teams are penalised for slow over rates, including the Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers on Friday. However CA has stood by the third umpire Simon Lightbody and the on-field umpires Geoff Davidson and Simon Fry, who has also stood in seven Tests, 38 ODIs and 12 T20Is.”The dismissal of Alex Ross from Brisbane Heat saw the batsman change direction, turn to watch the direction of the throw and run on the pitch,” a spokesman said. “The third umpire concluded that the change of running direction of the batsman, after seeing the direction of the throw, obstructed the wicketkeeper’s opportunity to affect the run-out.”Obstructing the field is one of the more difficult decisions to interpret as it is based on umpires assessing the intent of the batsman. After assessing footage of the incident alongside the Laws, playing conditions, and cues that umpires are provided, CA believes the obstructing-the-field decision is justified.”Walters has said that while the Heat accepted the decision, he wondered at CA’s priorities. “The umpire is always right and we congratulate the Hurricanes on their victory,” he said. “It’s time to move on. But we need to understand clearly that mum, dad and the kids are interested in being entertained, not subjected to a forensic examination of the rule book.”For his part, Ross has explained that he was not intending to block the throw but to avoid being hit by the ball. “You must always respect the umpires decision, but I wanted to clear the air and state my intentions in the run last night,” he wrote on Twitter. “I can unequivocally say I was trying to run away from the line of the ball to avoid being hit, as I felt I was going to make my ground.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are 'trying to iron' out terms of a deal to potentially bring a vastly experienced former England international to Molineux this summer despite their known financial issues, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Will Wolves finally actually make a signing after Doherty?

Wolves have endured a tumultuous summer window that yielded shock news in the last few days after former boss Julen Lopetegui left the club earlier this week due to a breakdown in communication regarding recruitment behind the scenes, as per Sky Sports.

The Spaniard reportedly became frustrated at their Financial Fair Play situation and 'lost faith' in his capacity to change matters at the club when told that the near £70 million sum the Old Gold generated by letting players leave the club would not be reinvested in securing arrivals.

Ex-Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil has since took the hot seat at Molineux on a three-year contract and will be keen to ensure his side start 2023/24 in a positive fashion, as per BBC Sport.

One main target for Wolves this summer has been West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell and Football Insider report that they are 'expected' to complete the signing of the 33-year-old in the final weeks of the window.

Hammers boss David Moyes is demanding a fee of £4 million for the Liverpool-born left-back while Wolves have only stumped up £2.5 million so far in negotiations; nevertheless, they are keen to bring Cresswell to the West Midlands due to his extensive top-flight experience.

Last term, Cresswell made 38 appearances in all competitions for West Ham and played his part in helping the east London outfit to achieve Europa Conference League glory, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that both Wolves and West Ham are trying to find a solution regarding Cresswell following what has been a 'strange situation' over the last few weeks.

Jones stated: “This is a strange situation because West Ham weren’t asking for that much money, yet the initial deal hit the bumpers, and now the player is trying to get his head around what happens next.

“But with such a long-standing relationship with West Ham, I think there is a level of respect in trying to iron all of this out so that he does not end up stuck in limbo.”

What else could happen at Wolverhampton Wanderers over the coming weeks?

New boss O'Neil faces the difficult task of preparing his side to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford next Monday and will know his side will need to be at their best to stand any chance of claiming a result, as per Sky Sports.

West Ham veteran striker Michail Antonio is being eyed by the Old Gold as they aim to bolster in the forward areas between now and the close of play in the market, according to TEAMtalk.

Nevertheless, FootballTransfers claim that Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and Sky Bet Championship outfit Leeds United are also keen to acquire the Jamaica international.

Manchester City youngster James McAtee is another name on the radar for Wolves, though they will need to fend off competition from several clubs in Britain and around Europe to snap up the 20-year-old, as per The Daily Mail.

Either side of a stop-start hour in which the focus of the Delhi Test shifted to the quality of the city’s air, India extended their dominance over Sri Lanka with bat and ball

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Dec-20172:11

Chopra: ‘Kohli’s hunger for runs is insatiable’

Either side of a stop-start hour in which the focus of the Delhi Test shifted to the quality of the city’s air, India extended their dominance over Sri Lanka with bat and ball. Virat Kohli brought up his sixth double-hundred and carried on to post his highest Test score, and, following a declaration in bizarre circumstances at 536 for 7, India’s bowlers took over, reducing Sri Lanka to 131 for 3 in their reply. An unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 56 between Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal raised Sri Lanka’s morale towards the end of the day, but they still ended it trailing by 405 runs.Sri Lanka’s fielders came out wearing face masks after lunch, and play was twice held up in smoggy conditions, with the air pollution in the vicinity of the Feroz Shah Kotla going up to “very unhealthy” levels. The two fast bowlers, Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal, went off the field midway through their overs, and eventually, with Sri Lanka struggling to put 11 players on the park, Kohli declared, signalling pointedly that his team was happy to bowl in these conditions.When Sri Lanka began their innings, it was their offspinning allrounder Dilruwan Perera rather than Sadeera Samarawickrama – who had been off the field since being struck on the helmet at short leg on day one – who walked out to open alongside Dimuth Karunaratne.India’s fast bowlers, with a total of 536 behind them, charged in at full tilt in the half hour that remained before tea, and blasted out two wickets. Karunaratne fell to the first ball of the innings, done in by Mohammed Shami, who angled one into the left-hander from around the wicket, hit the pitch hard on a shortish length, and got it to seam away from him. Forced to play by the angle, he feathered an edge through to the keeper.Then Ishant Sharma, going wide of the crease, did the No. 3 Dhananjaya de Silva for length. Shuffling across the crease, and neither coming forward nor going back, he jabbed uncertainly at the ball, playing well outside the line, and was struck on the back leg in front of the stumps.In the first four overs after tea, India dropped two catches at second slip. First, it was Shikhar Dhawan moving in front of Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip, shelling a chest-high chance when Dilruwan drove away from his body at Shami. Then it was Kohli, falling to his left when Mathews poked uncertainly at an Ishant delivery that straightened in the corridor.Dilruwan, who had looked fairly comfortable since his reprieve, timing his cover drives particularly well, then fell at the end of a 61-run stand with Mathews, sent on his way after India successfully reviewed a not-out lbw decision from Nigel Llong. A straighter one from Ravindra Jadeja struck him in line when he stepped out of the crease, and ball-tracking suggested the ball would have hit the stumps. Dilruwan, however, could have survived had he stretched out a little further; it turned out that the ball had struck his pad 2.99m from the stumps – at 3m, ball-tracking cannot reverse the umpire’s decision.Mathews looked extremely shaky in the early part of his innings, camping deep in his crease and poking away from his body on numerous occasions. In an effort to bowl fuller at him, however, the fast bowlers occasionally overpitched, and he put those balls away, a straight drive off Ishant particularly eye-catching. Slowly, he grew in confidence, enough to greet R Ashwin’s belated introduction – he came on in the 28th over – by hitting him for successive sixes to bring up his fifty.In fading light, Mathews and Chandimal survived a testing period before stumps, against Shami’s reverse-swing and the accuracy of Jadeja and Ashwin. With a few overs under his belt, Ashwin began looking particularly dangerous, finding the right pace for this pitch and threatening both edges from over and around the wicket. Bad light brought the examination to a halt three minutes from time, but it will begin all over again when Sri Lanka resume their innings.India began the day’s play on 371 for 4, and Sri Lanka, having picked up two quick wickets late on day one, may have harboured some hope of clawing their way back into the Test match. If they did, Kohli and Rohit Sharma quelled it with a fifth-wicket partnership of 135. It came to an end off what was to be the second-last ball before lunch, when Rohit fell for 65, bottom-edging a square-cut to the keeper off Lakshan Sandakan.India lost two more wickets after lunch. Gamage got one with the first ball after the first pollution break, R Ashwin reaching out at a wide one without moving his feet and steering it to gully – it wasn’t the first time he had been dismissed in this manner in the recent past.Then, in the midst of all the breaks in play, Sri Lanka finally found a way past Kohli. It was Sandakan’s fourth wicket, another good ball amidst an otherwise inconsistent mix, and another reminder of the talent that Sri Lanka will need to nurture with care. Kohli went back to a flat one bowled from left-arm around, perhaps playing the trajectory rather than the length. It skidded on – slow-motion replays indicated it may have been a flipper – and rapped him on the back pad, in front of the stumps. Kohli reviewed, but the ball didn’t have far to travel, and ball-tracking suggested it would have hit a good chunk of leg stump.If the 87 runs Kohli scored on Sunday didn’t come with quite the same ease as his first 156 on Saturday, it had little to do with Sri Lanka’s bowling, which remained unthreatening and inconsistent. Kohli, instead, had to fight his own body, which was beginning to show the toll taken by scoring three successive Test hundreds. A stiff back slowed him down between wickets, and brought India’s physio onto the field, but Kohli just kept batting.Sri Lanka persisted with spin for the first six overs of the morning, hoping for Sandakan to conjure up a wicket or two, but neither he nor Dilruwan made any impact on the pair in the middle. Rohit, on 6 overnight, took no time settling in, and launched Sandakan over long-off in the fourth over of the day before picking up two more fours in the next two overs.On came the second new ball, and Kohli clipped Lakmal’s first ball to the midwicket boundary. It turned out to be the first of six fours – the pick of them a Rohit pull off Gamage, hit just wide of mid-on – in six overs from which Lakmal and Gamage conceded 32. Kohli soon swept past the 200 mark, getting there with a pulled double off Lakmal, after which Rohit reached his fifty with a straight six off Dilruwan.

Tottenham Hotspur target Harry Maguire could fit the mould of Ange Postecoglou's high-octane system and succeed at playing out from deep, but there are some doubts, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Which clubs are keen on Harry Maguire?

One report in Spain via Football365 claim that Tottenham could be about to 'accelerate' their pursuit of Maguire this summer as his time at Old Trafford ticks towards a close.

Spurs boss Postecoglou is believed to want to 'focus all of his efforts on Maguire' and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has emerged as a 'possible destination' for the £190k-a-week ace.

According to Sky Sports, West Ham United have emerged as another potential suitor for Maguire and have held early discussions with the England international over a move to the London Stadium.

Nevertheless, a gap in valuation is said to exist between the Hammers and Manchester United, who would ask for a considerable bid even to consider letting Maguire depart in this window.

Last term, Maguire, who was hailed at "classy" recently, made 31 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils and was mainly used as a rotational squad option, as per Transfermarkt.

In conversation with Lord Ping cited by METRO, former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham encouraged Maguire to move to Spurs this summer, stating: "Harry Maguire would be an excellent option for Tottenham. Whenever you watch Maguire play for England, he rarely lets anyone down. He is a solid, proven professional that is well suited for the Premier League."

Of course, the former Leicester City defender was recently stripped of the Manchester United captaincy and Bruno Fernandes has been appointed as his successor.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Maguire to Tottenham is a transfer he could see 'working out' under Postecoglou, though he also stated that his pace could be a "potential issue".

Brown told FFC: "I think the manager and he way he wants to play, you know, with a kind of high tempo, let's go at people kind of style. I think Maguire's ability in possession would be quite important for that, finding that first pass out of defence. I think he fits in possibly quite well there. The only thing I would say is that I don't think the Spurs backline is massively blessed with pace at the moment and neither is Maguire, so that could be a potential issue. In principle, it's one that I could see working out."

What next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Spurs boss Postecoglou will be keen to add to his additions of James Maddison, Gugliemo Vicario and Manor Solomon in the next few weeks as he readies his side for action in 2023/24, as per Transfermarkt.

Football London journalist Alisdair Gold has taken to Twitter X to reveal that Tottenham could be set to bid for Fulham central defender Tosin Adarabioyo, stating on the social media platform: "Also understand there is a growing expectation Spurs will make a bid for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo as one CB arrival. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on the move and Spurs have shown a lot of interest in him. Again, they can't hang around though."

In light of speculation surrounding the future of Harry Kane in north London, Flamengo striker Pedro has emerged as an alternative in case the England international is sold to Bayern Munich, according to The Independent.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been earmarked to replace Kane and has been made available due to financial problems at his current employers, as per Football Insider.

The USWNT received the most online abuse of any team at the 2023 Women's World Cup, per a FIFPRO and FIFA Report.

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FIFA study reveals online abuse stats during Women's World CupUSWNT subjected to twice as much hate as other teamsTwo unidentified players targeted more than othersWHAT HAPPENED?

The report, which was commissioned by FIFA and the Global Player's Union, identified that the perception of USWNT players not singing the national anthem often brought abuse online, with the theme of the team being 'unpatriotic' or 'anti-American.' The data from the study showed that the abuse piled on after the team were knocked out of the tournament in the round-of-16 by Sweden.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A message on social media from President Joe Biden, per the report, triggered the worst period of online abuse over the course of the tournament. It's added that one in five players were targeted with discriminatory messages, with "homophobic and sexual abuse" posts accounting for over one-half of all the hate on social media platforms over the course of the tournament.

The report adds that a U.S. player, along with an Argentine player, were targeted more than others.

WHAT FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO SAID

“There can be no place on social media for those who abuse or threaten anyone, be that in FIFA tournaments or elsewhere," he said in a statement.

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DID YOU KNOW?

This was the earliest departure from a Women's World Cup ever for the USWNT, with the team coming into the tournament as back-to-back champions.

South Africa will be looking to seal their qualification against the lowest-ranked team in the ICC Champions Trophy

The Preview by Danyal Rasool06-Jun-2017

Match facts

June 07, 2017

Start time 13.30 local (12.30 GMT)
3:14

Tait: Without Wahab, Amir needs to show authority

Big Picture

South Africa and Pakistan are cricketing opposites in every conceivable way at the moment. South Africa are the highest-ranked team in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan the lowest. South Africa hammered Sri Lanka to kick off their tournament, while Pakistan were at the end of a pasting – against arch-rivals India, no less. South Africa’s power-hitting stocks are the envy of virtually every other side in the tournament, while seemingly the only power-hitter in all of Pakistan has been suspended on charges of corruption during the Pakistan Super League. South Africa are favourites to win this game, Pakistan are not.Pakistan have traditionally gone into big tournaments believing their bowling to be their biggest asset, but anyone who took a look at their performance during the game against India would begin to seriously wonder if that was the case this time around. In any case, the top-two ODI bowlers according to the ICC rankings are South African – Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir – so their opponents certainly have the edge in that department.What other ways can we compare Pakistan and South Africa? Batting? What about (if only for amusement’s sake) fielding?South Africa did indeed lose the last series they played, but they got better with each game, culminating in a demolition of England in the final ODI. They continued that upsurge with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka, a game in which they were by no means excellent. It was a mark of their quality that victory never seemed to be in doubt, except for a brief period at the start of the second innings when Sri Lanka got off to a flyer. Hashim Amla scored a hundred, Quinton de Kock is perhaps the world’s best young batsman, Tahir was Man of the Match. You could run through all the other names, without finding any real chink in the armour.Pakistan can take inspiration from recent history. These two sides were similarly mismatched when they last took each other on at the 2015 World Cup, and South Africa were on course for a routine victory chasing a below-par total, before a few quick wickets derailed the chase and had Pakistan snatch an unlikely win. Eight of the XI that started for South Africa in the opening game of this tournament also played in that contest, so Pakistan may harness hopes of reopening old wounds.

Form guide

South Africa WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWLL

In the spotlight

David Miller is the sort of player Pakistan are crying out for: an explosive middle-order player who can have a devastating impact towards the close of an innings. He isn’t just a slogger, though; it’s just that South Africa’s top order is so reliable he doesn’t often get in before the 35th over. He’s fresh off a 51-ball 71 in a thrilling ODI against England not too long ago, and though it couldn’t get South Africa over the line, it highlighted the value Miller provides as a stable No.5 to a superb top order. Pakistan’s death bowling was clueless against India, and it has been that way against the better teams for a while now. Miller should be licking his lips at the very prospect of facing them tomorrow.Besides Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan was the only Pakistan bowler who could claim a passing grade from their game against India. The 18-year-old legspinner held his own against a daunting Indian batting line-up, ensuring the batsmen couldn’t target him in a tournament where spin bowlers’ chances haven’t been fancied. Fifty-two runs came off his ten overs, and he even provided the opening breakthrough, deceiving Shikhar Dhawan in the air. He might be expected to perform a similar role against South Africa, who will be aware of the damage quality legspin can do, what with Tahir’s heroics against Sri Lanka.

Team news

South Africa may be tempted to stick with the side that beat Sri Lanka so comprehensively, although that would mean they miss the transformation target – a minimum of six players of colour on average over a season – two games in a row. Phehlukwayo might be given a start, and in such an eventuality one of Chris Morris and Morne Morkel could make way.South Africa (possible): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel/Andile Phelukwayo, 11 Imran TahirWahab Riaz has been ruled out of the tournament, and Junaid Khan will take his place in the side. Sarfraz Ahmed also confirmed that Fakhar Zaman will open the batting, replacing Ahmed Shehzad.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid Khan

Pitch and conditions

There has been some drama surrounding the Edgbaston pitch. This game was scheduled to be played on an unused pitch, but it has gone soft due to the amount of rain. As a result, the match will be played on the same pitch that was used previously this tournament. As for weather, rain is expected to stay away for most of tomorrow, and a full game is expected.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have lost six successive Champions Trophy matches, a run that stretches back to 2009
• Hashim Amla became the quickest batsman to 25 ODI centuries with a hundred against Sri Lanka on Saturday. He needed 151 innings to get to the mark, overtaking Virat Kohli who took 162

Quotes

“Yes, definitely.”
“We have tried to lift the team’s spirits, and the mood in the camp is very good now.”