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Leeds United turn their attention away from Championship action as they prepare to travel away from Yorkshire to take on Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup.

The two sides held each other to a 1-1 draw in the first match and now have to go through a replay to decide who will go through to the fifth round of the competition.

Daniel Farke's side head into this game off the back of a 1-0 win away at Bristol City in the second tier, thanks to a second half goal from Wilfried Gnonto.

The Italy international came in from his position on the right flank to get on the end of a ball from Junior Firpo before remaining composed to fire his shot past the goalkeeper to secure all three points for the away side.

Farke could now look to make a few changes from the starting XI that defeated the Robins in order to offer opportunities to other players for this cup clash.

With this in mind, here is FFC's predicted Leeds line-up to take on Plymouth in the FA Cup this week…

1 Illan Meslier

The French shot-stopper – Illan Meslier – retained his place in goal for the first clash between these two sides in the FA Cup and the manager could give him another outing between the sticks on Tuesday night.

2 Sam Byram

The first change to the XI could come at right-back as Sam Byram could replace Archie Gray, to provide the teenage starlet with a rest after his start on Friday night.

Farke could unleash his former Norwich star from the start in his more natural position on the right of the defence, having been utilised on the left for the majority of this season.

The 30-year-old titan has made 24 appearances in the Championship so far this season and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game for his side.

3 Joe Rodon

At the heart of the defence, Joe Rodon could once again start to lead the Leeds defence. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee, as you can read in FFC's recent article below, was a colossus at Ashton Gate and will hope for a similar display against Plymouth.

"Outstanding" 99-touch Leeds titan was the hero over Gnonto on Friday

The Whites colossus produced a superb display at Ashton Gate for Daniel Farke.

ByDan Emery Feb 3, 2024 4 Liam Cooper

Alongside the Spurs ace, Liam Cooper could be the second change by coming into the defence to replace Ethan Ampadu, who could move further up the pitch.

The Leeds skipper started the 1-1 draw with Plymouth at Elland Road and produced a solid display. He won four of his six duels and made two interceptions, two blocks, and one clearance throughout the 90 minutes.

Cooper, 32, has only started seven Championship matches and this cup clash is the perfect opportunity for Farke to hand him some minutes on the pitch.

5 Junior Firpo

Junior Firpo could keep his place at left-back to avoid wholesale changes to the defence ahead of another run of key Championship fixtures in the race for promotion.

The 27-year-old dynamo has provided four assists in his last five league appearances for the Whites and could look to make an impact at the top end of the pitch in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

6 Glen Kamara

Another player who could start again is Finland international Glen Kamara. The former Rangers metronome has been a reliable presence in midfield for Leeds this season with his pass success rate of 93% in the league, which shows that he rarely gives possession away to the opposition.

7 Ethan Ampadu

Bringing Cooper in at centre-back would free up Ampadu to start in his more natural position alongside Kamara in the midfield for the Whites.

This would also provide midfielder Ilia Gruev a rest ahead of the clash with Rotherham at Elland Road in the Championship on Saturday.

8 Jaidon Anthony

On the right of the attacking trident behind the striker, Jaidon Anthony should be brought back into the starting line-up after his sensational goal in the first game between these sides.

The on-loan Bournemouth winger was dropped to the bench against Bristol City but produced a fantastic goal, cutting in from the left to find the far corner, against Plymouth at Elland Road, and should be given another chance to catch the eye in the replay of that match.

9 Wilfried Gnonto

With the focus on getting promoted to the Premier League, cup matches are the perfect opportunity for Farke to try new things and offer mintues to players who may not play much in the second tier.

Gnonto did start, and score, against Bristol City but an interesting move the German head coach could make is to unleash the Italian forward in the number ten position.

He came over from the right and into a central role to score his goal and playing him in that area of the pitch from the start could provide him with more chances to find the back of the net, instead of being stuck too far from goal on the wing.

This change would also see Georginio Rutter ditched from the starting XI to provide him with a rest after four games without a goal or an assist in all competitions.

The French whiz has produced five goals and nine assists in the Championship this season and keeping him fresh and sharp, avoiding fatigue and injury, could be key ahead of the run-in, which is why it could make sense to drop him for this match.

10 Crysencio Summerville

Farke's options to rotate his attack are somewhat limited as Dan James is currently out injured and Crysencio Summerville could start once again as a result.

The Dutch winger has produced 12 goals and seven assists in the Championship so far this season but is yet to make an appearance in the FA Cup this term.

Glasgow Rangers managed to put four goals past fourth-tier side Dumbarton in their Scottish Cup fourth-round clash on the weekend, but it could have been more for Philippe Clement's side.

The Ibrox manager will have been pleased with the professionalism shown by his team, while a few players managed to secure some much-needed minutes following recent injury problems, most notably Ryan Jack and Borna Barisic.

Among those on the scoresheet was Cyriel Dessers, who netted his tenth goal of the season in the 4-1 victory against the Sons.

He has netted a goal roughly once every three games since joining the Ibrox side last summer and on the surface, that is a decent enough statistic, yet he has missed 11 big chances in front of goal and his performances have been poor throughout the campaign.

With the transfer window closing next week, Clement does not have long to add another striker who could be an upgrade on the Nigerian. Here are three forwards who could arrive at the Light Blues this month and replace Dessers in the starting XI.

1 Tommy Conway

First up is the latest name to be linked with a move to the Gers. According to Football Insider, Clement is reportedly monitoring the Bristol City striker ahead of potentially making a move for the youngster during the winter window.

They face competition from Old Firm rivals Celtic along with the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford for the City hitman as he has clearly attracted plenty of attention due to his performances.

Having recently scored the winner against West Ham United in their FA Cup replay – being dubbed “clinical” by Statman Dave in the process – Conway has shown he can shine against the elite and this may tempt Clement into a move.

Although he has two goals less than Dessers this season, he has missed only five big chances in the Championship, which is six less than the Gers striker and it proves he is more accurate in front of goal.

The 6 foot 1 machine is only 21 and is eight years younger than the former Feyenoord frontman, which suggests his best years are still to come and this could very well tempt the Belgian into luring him to Scotland sooner rather than later.

He is not the only striker who has been linked with a move to Rangers as a possible Dessers replacement however as the next name on the list is from close to home…

2 Lawrence Shankland

Perhaps the player who has been mentioned the most when it comes to leaving their current club to join the Light Blues, Lawrence Shankland is a hot commodity right now.

According to Football Insider, the Gers could be looking to bring the Scot to Glasgow this month in the hope that he can continue his stunning goalscoring form that has seen him shine at Hearts since the start of last season.

He could cost around £3m potentially and while this does not appear much on the surface, Shankland will be 29 this year and paying that sort of money for a player with little to no resale value could be a mistake.

In the short term, however, he would be an upgrade on Dessers. Indeed, this season, Shankland has netted more goals (18 vs ten), along with registering more shots per game (3.6 vs 2.9), more successful dribbles per game (0.9 vs 0.4) and a better scoring frequency (a goal every 145 minutes vs a goal every 187 minutes) and these statistics show that the 28-year-old could score more regularly in Scotland than Dessers.

Former Rangers icon Barry Ferguson even claimed that the Hearts striker would be a good fit for the club, saying: “Let’s start with Lawrence Shankland who catches my eye every time I see him play for Hearts.

“This guy has improved his game to such an extent over the last couple of years that I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up already but, watching him on Wednesday, I saw a ready-made Rangers centre forward.”

Clement could supercharge Cantwell in Rangers move for £3m gem

Rangers could be eyeing a move to sign a Scottish striker this month

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 13, 2024

A move to Rangers could see the former Dundee United gem play in Europe and challenge for trophies. If a move was to be made, he may find it very hard to turn down, that’s for sure.

3 Emmanuel Dennis

The final name on the list is one that Clement knows very well during his spell with Club Brugge, as Emmanuel Dennis has been linked with a move during the current transfer window.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri confirmed earlier this month that the Gers had been offered the player, saying: “Emmanuel Dennis has been proposed to the club but there hasn’t been an official approach as of now. I can confirm the player’s interest for Rangers though.”

The Nigerian scored ten goals in 46 games under Clement at Club Brugge, netting against the likes of Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester United in the Europa League during his stint in Belgium.

This clearly proves he has what it takes to score against the very elite and while his form this term is hardly prolific, his ability to play across a few positions could appeal to Clement.

Indeed, the 26-year-old can operate on either the left or right wing as well as through the middle and he has even been known to play just off the main striker during his career.

A move to the Light Blues could see him reunite with the 49-year-old and this may be what Dennis requires in order to start performing at his best again.

These three players would all offer something different for Clement as he aims to strengthen his squad, but it remains to be seen whether the club manage to bring any of them to Scotland in the coming days.

If the former AS Monaco coach wishes to add more trophies to the League Cup that was secured last month, at least one other centre-forward will need to be signed and this could well be the main focus before the transfer window slams shut next week.

With series level at 1-1, both sides have one eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia

The Preview by George Dobell04-Nov-2019Big pictureGiven the recent history between these teams, it’s hardly a surprise that the series is level at 1-1. For both of them, though, these games are much more about looking to the future – and the T20 World Cup in Australia, which is less than a year away – than dwelling on the past.Partly for that reason, England are using the series to take a look at fringe candidates who could force their way into that squad. So days like Saturday – when the inexperience is obvious and expresses itself in batting collapses, poor choices with the ball or, as was the case in Wellington, fielding errors – are probably unavoidable.With that in mind, they look set to continue to experiment in the third match. Tom Banton looks likely to come into the side in place of the rested Jonny Bairstow, while there may be a temptation to look at leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, too. Chris Jordan, who has been England’s player of the series, could drop out safe in the knowledge that his long-term position is secure, while Sam Curran has also made a fine impression.Even while accepting there is a bigger picture than victory in this series, England will be looking to improve markedly in the field. For while the England management will accept the odd spilled catch – there were four or five at Wellington, depending on how harsh a judge you may be – they are less likely to tolerate any sense of timidity in the field. It’s an area they will have to improve if they are to challenge in Australia.New Zealand aren’t at full strength either. With Kane Williamson to miss the T20I series and Trent Boult not expected back until the fourth match, they have relatively few options among their 13-man squad. With leg-spin proving expensive in the series to date, though, they may be tempted to play an extra seamer.They won in Wellington largely due to their superior fielding, but they may be just a little concerned by the lack of runs from their top order. Martin Guptill at least registered his highest score in 12 international matches (dating back to June 1) but none of their batsmen have yet scored more than 44 in the series. Ross Taylor, who to be fair has slipped into the middle order, hasn’t made a T20I half-century since March 2014.Form guideEngland LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLLWWIn the spotlightMitchell Santner is not, at first glance, an especially eye-catching cricketer. But with his excellent control, his extravagant changes of pace and his intelligence, he has developed into a fine limited-overs bowler who is currently not only the leading wicket-taker in the series (he has taken six; three in each match) but also the most economical (of those who have delivered more than two overs) going for exactly a run-a-ball. His success looks particularly admirable when compared to the other spinners, both leggies, in the series: Adil Rashid and Ish Sodhi have each taken two wickets in the series and are conceding their runs at 8.87 and 9.37 an over respectively. He was man of the match in Wellington and is currently fifth in the global T20I bowling rankings.It’s probably unfair to expect too much too soon fromTom Banton. He is just 20-years-old, after all. But such was the invention, such was the power, such was the audacity of his batting for Somerset this season, that comparisons with Jos Buttler and Kevin Pietersen have not only been made but are understandable. He showed an appetite for the big occasion when top-scoring (equal with James Hildreth) as Somerset won the Royal London One-day Cup final at Lord’s and was the highest England-qualified run-scorer in the T20 Blast with four fifties and a century from his 13 innings. His run-rate in that competition – an eye-watering 161.47 – underlined his dominance and he was named both the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the Cricket Writers’ Club young player of the year for the 2019 season. His form on this tour to date has not been especially promising – he made 6 and 11 in his two warm-up innings – but it may be some encouragement to him to recall that he made a century in his most recent Youth ODI against New Zealand in Queenstown in January 2018.Team newsWith a squad of just 13 for these first three games, New Zealand’s options are limited. They looked stronger in Wellington with the recall of Jimmy Neesham for Scott Kuggeleijn but, with an eye to the future, may be tempted to take another look at either bowling all-rounder Kuggeleijn or medium-fast seamer Blair Tickner, who has played only one international; a T201 victory over India. Ish Sodhi looks the most vulnerable if New Zealand decide they require only one spinner. Lockie Ferguson, who has bowled with impressive pace and control, is set to play his final game of the series before Trent Boult replaces him in the squad for the last two matches.New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Colin de Grandhomme, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Jimmy Neesham, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Ish SodhiBanton looks set to come in for Jonny Bairstow in this game, with Dawid Malan expected to make way for the final two games. That means Malan may need to make quite an impression here if he is to see off the inevitable return of Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes et al. There may be a temptation to take a look at Matt Parkinson, too, though such has been the fate of leg-spinners in the series he could face a tough baptism. If Parkinson does play, it may have to be in place of fellow leggie Adil Rashid. Rashid still looks a bit out of sorts, leading to fears that his shoulder injury is a little worse than he likes to admit. Given Lewis Gregory’s fine start with the ball in the previous game – he became the latest man to start his international career with a first-ball wicket – Eoin Morgan may feel he can trust him to a larger role in that department.England (possible): 1 Dawid Malan, 2 Tom Banton, 3 James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Tom Curran/Saqib Mahmood, 10 Adil Rashid/Matt Parkinson, 11 Pat BrownPitch and conditionsThis is very early season in New Zealand. Indeed, there had never been an earlier international game on the South Island than the series opener in Christchurch, So while the boundaries at Saxton Park – about 160 miles north of Christchurch, on the northern coast of the South Island – are not especially long and while the weather is set fair (cloudy and a bit windy but dry), it would be a miracle if the ground staff were able to coax much pace from this wicket. For that reason, there may be just a little grip for spinners or cutters and just a little difficulty in timing the ball for batsmen.Stats and trivia The mayor of Nelson, Rachel Reese, is married to former Somerset (and, briefly, Yorkshire and Central Districts) batsman Richard Harden. This is only the second T20I at the Saxton Oval in Nelson. New Zealand won the previous one, against West Indies, at the end of 2017. New Zealand have won six of the seven completed ODIs they have played at the ground; Sri Lanka beat them on New Year’s Eve in 2015 while the match between the same sides a few days later was lost to the weather. England’s men have never played an international game at the ground. The ground is named in memory of a Shropshire-born John Saxton who farmed in the region – he was something of a pioneer in realising the value of sheep farming on such land – as well as providing invaluable information for future generations as a diarist and painter.Stats that matterTim Southee requires two wickets to become the eighth man to claim 75 T20I wickets.Adil Rashid requires one more wicket to draw level with Jade Dernbach as the fourth-highest T20I wicket-taker for England. Dernbach took 39 T20I wickets. Only Graeme Swann (51), Chris Jordan (52) and Stuart Broad (65) have more for England.Colin Munro requires 41 runs to draw level with Kane Williamson’s run-tally of 1,505 for New Zealand in T20Is. The pair have played the same number of games (57), though Williamson has batted once more often. Only three men (Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor) have scored more T20I runs for New Zealand than Williamson. Eoin Morgan requires 32 runs to move equal 10th in the list of the top T20I run-scores of all time. He is currently 12th.England have won 11 and lost six of the 18 T20Is played between the nations. One game was lost to the weather.Quotes”That’s probably my most common question: have you gotten over it yet? I don’t think it’s about getting over it, it’s just accepting it. It will be there forever, you can’t change it. It doesn’t mean you have to dwell on it any more than a fleeting thought every now and then.”
“We want guys continuing to attack the ball and find themselves in hot spots if they’re good enough.”

Liverpool have “concrete” interest in an “exceptional” England international and are planning an approach for him, according to a new transfer update.

Diaz out and Isak in at Liverpool?

The Reds haven’t had a summer this exciting in many years, with so much incoming and outgoing business happening since the end of last season. Luis Diaz’s time as a Liverpool player is now set to reach its conclusion, with the Colombian winger closing in on a move to Bayern Munich, following three-and-a-half years at Anfield.

Meanwhile, the Premier League champions are continuing their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, in what could be a remarkable signing, just weeks after Florian Wirtz joined as the most expensive addition in the history of British football.

If Liverpool were able to sign Isak on top of Hugo Ekitike, with Diaz and Darwin Nunez making way, it could prove to be outstanding business, with all due respect to the two South Americans. A new centre-back will also be needed, though, and a key update has dropped regarding their search for one.

Liverpool planning approach for "exceptional" ace

According to a new update from Football Insider, Liverpool have “concrete” interest in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, as has seemingly been the case for some time now.

Similarly to Isak, the 24-year-old has “informed” the Eagles that he is “not planning to sign an extension” this summer, with the Reds now “expected to make a fresh approach to Palace in the coming weeks”.

With Jarell Quansah leaving for Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, Guehi stands out as the ideal choice to come in and bolster Liverpool’s defensive options. In fact, he would be an upgrade on the young Englishman.

The Palace skipper has grown so much as a player in the past year or two, standing out as arguably England’s best player at Euro 2024, with former Three Lions goalkeeper Joe Hart showering him with praise.

“Huge shoutout to Marc Guehi. I thought he was exceptional. He really stepped in and was really calm on the ball. I thought Guehi allowed John Stones to play his game. The more Marc plays, the better that [centre-back] partnership will get.”

This feels like the right time for Guehi to leave Palace and kick on at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will make it hard for him to be a regular starter, plenty of minutes should still come his way.

Liverpool now in contact to sign £17m forward who Man Utd are in talks for

The Red Devils could be hijacked by those at Anfield.

ByCharlie Smith Jul 27, 2025

The £50,000-a-week defender’s price tag is one drawback, especially as Liverpool have already paid huge money on signings this summer, but if FSG make the funds available, the Reds should view him as a fantastic option.

Albania scored a dramatic late equaliser to claim a 2-2 draw against Croatia and keep their slim Euro 2024 dreams alive.

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• Albania scored early yet again
• Croatia fought back in second half to lead
• Huge drama in final moments sees Gjasula equalise

• Getty Images
  

  TELL ME MORE

  Another game and another early goal for Albania! Qasim Laci was brought into the starting line-up for this fixture and wasted no time in making an impact, as he latched onto a tantalising cross from Jasir Asani in the 11th minute to glance his header home.

  One of the shock stories in this tournament weren't done there, either. Nedim Bajrami found himself free in the box and forced Dominik Livakovic into a smart save down to his right. Albania were pushing for a second.

  Croatia did, however, attempt to address the issues within their line-up at half-time as they made a flurry of changes. Mario Pasalic and Luka Sucic were introduced and they did look more threatening following the changes. Indeed, the goals were coming and they eventually arrived as Andrej Kramaric slotted an equaliser past Thomas Strakosha, before Sucic's effort cannoned off an Albanian defender and gave Croatia the lead.

  Now 2-1 ahead, it looked as if the game was over and the points were in the bag for Croatia. How wrong were we! Albania continued to push and eventually found a stoppage-time equaliser through Klaus Gjasula, keeping their Euro 2024 dreams alive.

Advertisement

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Croatia and Albania had never met in a competitive match prior to their clash in Hamburg on Wednesday – despite the two sides only being separated by just over 500 kilometres.

• CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images
  

  THE MVP

  With all the odds stacked against them yet again, Albania simply a found a way to get something from this fixture. They dominated the first half and were forced to adapt after the break – and eventually they got their reward. Hard work, perseverance and belief have kept their Euro 2024 hopes alive as they sit third in Group B.

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIG LOSER

  You can't look past Croatia as a collective being the big losers here. For all their promise in the second half of this fixture, and how threatening they looked in attack, they failed to hold out and secure all three points in the dying embers of the game.

  It looks like this tournament is going to be a step too far for the old guard, and Monday's final group-stage fixture against Italy may well be the last time we see Luka Modric in a Croatia shirt. Sad times.

(Humming to themselves) “It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming…”
Excuse me … wasn’t it your mate who stopped me in the street the other day and told me all about the cricket coming home…?Umm … that sounds entirely probable. I do apologise, he’s perfectly harmless really.
No, no, not at all. We watched it for the first time the other day and it was AMAZING!What, really…?
YES! Oh my God … the tension, the atmosphere, that finish! I can’t believe I’ve spent 40 years on this planet without knowing how awesome this sport is![Puffs chest out] Well, yes, it is rather splend…
… it was SOO good … that Super Over decider, what a brilliant concept! And that moment where that bloke dived at the ball to hit it over the rope for a treble! What skill and foresight! I can’t believe you guys do this sort of thing every week!Err, yes… We like to keep things interesting…
We couldn’t believe our luck. We were completely wiped out after watching Federer v Djokovic, and then there it was, hiding in plain sight on the other channel! How we hadn’t noticed it before, I just don’t know!Well, yes, quite…
Anyway, we’ve taken the plunge, and booked tickets for the Ashes at Lord’s next week!Ummm [checks date] … next week?
Yes! We heard there were tickets going spare at The Home of Cricket (I know, I couldn’t believe it either!) so we thought, let’s get ourselves down for the third match on Friday – who knows, we might get to see the decider!Third day.
Sorry?Third day. It’s all the same match …
Ohhh … so this is one of those famous five-day Test matches you were talking about?Ummm… yes. Except this one is a four-day Test.
R-i-i-i-i-g-h-t. I thought the Ashes was all about tradition?Well, it is. But that’s between England and Australia. This is between England and Ireland.
Ireland? But wait, aren’t they on the same side, like that rugby team? I mean, isn’t your captain Irish?Yes, yes he is. Or was.
Was?Yeah, he hasn’t played Test cricket for seven years.
Okay … that makes no sense at all. Still, those two guys who did all the hitting at the end, they were awesome too, can’t wait to see them.James Anderson takes part in England training•Getty Images

Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler? They aren’t playing either.
Wow … even they aren’t good enough for five, sorry four-day cricket! What a format this must be!No, they are good enough … they just needed a rest
Oh okay… well, what about that nice young man who threw the ball at the end?Jason Roy? Oh yes, he’s playing! Making his Test debut in fact!
No, not him … though that’s nice. That other guy who did all the throwing?Oh, the bowler, Jofra Archer?
Yes!Err, no. He’s currently getting splattered in paint on a holiday in Barbados.
Right … so who is playing?Well, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see two of England’s greatest fast bowlers, with more than 1000 Test wickets between them.
Ooh, don’t tell me, don’t tell me … Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett! Oh I’m so pleased, I was telling my mate, “new-ball swing, cross-seam in the middle overs”, it’s a recipe for greatness, and now you’re telling me I’m right!Umm, no, though they are both jolly good too… no, I’m talking about James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Who?[Sighs] Look them up online (though only via official rights-holding accounts, of course).
Okay… so, what about the Irish? Anyone we should look out for?Well, there’s Tim Murtagh, who comes from South London and plays for Middlesex, and Boyd Rankin, who’s got a fascinating career history. He played for Ireland in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups … where he helped beat England in one of the greatest…
[Picks ear-wax and gazes into middle distance…]… but actually went on made his Test debut for England against Australia in the Ashes! But then he never got picked again, so he went back to playing for Ireland…
[Interrupting] Fascinating! Anyone else notable?Well, there’s Kevin O’Brien, whose 50-ball century beat England in the 2011 World Cup, and who scored Ireland’s first Test century against Pakistan last year.
I’ve heard of him. Isn’t he the Irish Backstop?No, that’s his brother, Niall, who’s retired. And it’s wicketkeeper…
Yeah, that’s what I said… This is getting complicated. Can I have a rethink? Oi, where are you running off to…?!

‘He’s back as the world’s No.1 allrounder – and that’s where we think he belongs. But he’s got a point to prove to make sure everybody else believes that’

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2019

Thanks to the finger injury that kept him out of Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand, the recently concluded tri-series in Ireland was Shakib Al Hasan’s first taste of ODI cricket in nearly five months.He recovered from that injury in time for the IPL, but only got to play three matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament. In Ireland, Shakib played an important role in Bangladesh winning their maiden non-bilateral ODI tournament, scoring two unbeaten fifties and bowling economically. Though he missed the final with a side strain, the performance was enough to move him back up to the top of the ICC rankings for ODI allrounders, 20 points clear of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.Shakib is fit again in the lead-up to the World Cup, and, according to Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes, is looking to prove a point.”Shakib is fine,” Rhodes told the ICC in Cardiff, after Sunday’s warm-up match against Pakistan was washed out. “He’s in a great position physically. He had a little problem in Ireland but he’s got over that and is raring to go.”He’s looking forward to a wonderful tournament. I think he’s got a bit of a point to prove and he probably thinks that as well. He seems to have been a little bit forgotten but now he’s back as the world’s No. 1 allrounder in ODI cricket – and that’s where we think he belongs.”But he’s got a point to prove to make sure everybody else believes that.”Another Bangladesh player who hasn’t been at full fitness of late is Mahmudullah, who has been playing as a specialist batsman in recent matches thanks to a shoulder issue that is keeping him from bowling his offspin. While admitting that the injury was affecting the balance of the side, Rhodes expressed confidence that Mahmudullah would be back to bowling in matches at some point during the World Cup.”Mahmudullah’s shoulder is coming along a little slowly,” Rhodes said. “I don’t think it would have been possible for him to bowl against Pakistan. We’re very optimistic that we can get him up and running for the early stages of the World Cup.”It may affect our balance slightly, but the good thing about Mahmudullah is that he doesn’t need a lot of practice to be good at bowling.”Bangladesh’s squad is among the most experienced at the World Cup, featuring five players with 175 or more ODIs under their belt.”People keep telling me that to win a world tournament you need experience,” Rhodes said. “I’m glad because we’ve got a wealth of experience there. I listen to them a lot because why wouldn’t you with that vast experience?”It will be a good thing when it gets a little tight towards the end of the group. There are 10 teams in this World Cup, but when I looked at the odds, we were ninth favourites and Afghanistan were tenth favourites – but on our day we both could beat the favourites.”There’s going to be a lot of winning and losing by all teams.”

Under this amnesty, reporting any previous corrupt approach in Sri Lankan cricket will not result in the player being punished

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2019The ICC has announced a 15-day amnesty from January 16 to 31 to participants who have previously failed to report corruption-related offences in Sri Lankan cricket. Under this amnesty, reporting a previous corrupt approach now will not result in any punishment for the player.”This is the first time the ICC has held an amnesty and it is in response to the very specific challenges we face in Sri Lanka,” Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager, said.”If any player or participant has any information concerning corrupt conduct they should come forward and share it with us now without fear of any repercussions.”ALSO READ: Jayasuriya charged under ICC anti-corruption code; Zimbabwe series in focusUnder normal circumstances, failure to report a corrupt approach without delay can result in players being banned. With the amnesty in place, this won’t happen.Three former Sri Lanka players, including Sanath Jayasuriya, have been charged under ICC anti-corruption code in the past few months. In October after Jayasuriya was charged, Marshall stated that a team was on the island “as part of [their] ongoing investigations into serious allegations of corruption in cricket in the country”.Former fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa, who had been working as a coach in the Sri Lanka system, and allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige, have also been charged.Reports can be made 24 hours a day in the following ways:ICC Integrity App, which is available for download by searching ‘ICC Integrity’ via the Apple ‘App Store’ or ‘Android Apps’ICC ACU Hotline: +971 565 458909ICC ACU e-mail: [email protected]

Suranga Lakmal will captain Sri Lanka in Chandimal’s absence, as he did during the two-Test series against South Africa earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2018Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been ruled out of the second Test against England in Pallekele. Chandimal suffered a groin injury during the defeat in Galle and will be out for two weeks, which could also make him a doubt for the third Test, in Colombo, starting on November 23.Suranga Lakmal, the team’s senior pace bowler, will captain Sri Lanka in Chandimal’s absence, as he did during the two-Test series against South Africa earlier this year, when Chandimal was serving a ban.Uncapped batsman Charith Asalanka has been called up to the squad, which also includes Roshen Silva. Asalanka, who scored an aggressive 68 in the second warm-up match against England, comes in ahead of Lahiru Thirimanne and Kusal Perera, who were the two batsmen on standby.Sri Lanka will also have to make a change to their bowling attack for the second Test, with Malinda Pushpakumara expected to come in for the retired Rangana Herath, while the news that Akila Dananjaya faces his action being tested – although he will still be eligible to play in Pallakele – is another headache.Meanwhile, team manager Charith Senanayake has resigned the position for personal reasons. Jeryl Woutersz, who has previously fulfilled the role, has been named as Senanayake’s replacement with immediate effect.

The opener has looked Australia A’s best batsman in India, but hasn’t pushed onto make substantial contributions

Varun Shetty in Alur08-Sep-2018

“The answer is straight up ‘no’.”That was Australia coach Justin Langer’s response to the when asked a few weeks ago if he knew who the best six batsmen in Australia were.”You take Smith who has got 79 hundreds, you take Warner who has got 88 hundreds — I am talking about all A-grade cricket — you take those out. You take [out] Cameron Bancroft who you could say had just started to find his feet, he was a bit of the heartbeat of the team…there are certainly some questions,” Langer had said.That was a few days before the Australia A squad flew to India for a quadrangular one-day series, and about two weeks before Australia A’s four-dayers against India A. With just one batting innings left in the series for the Australians, Langer, perhaps, still doesn’t have too much clarity on who those best six are, with Australia’s tour of the UAE looming. So inseparable have been the performances from the Australians, that barring Khawaja’s grand performances on one extreme, and an underperforming Peter Handscomb’s on the other, the contest is neck-to-neck.In that middling group is New South Wales’ Kurtis Patterson, who had been pushed up to open – what he calls the “best place to bat” in the subcontinent. He has looked the visitors’ best batsman so far, but hasn’t converted his starts into substantial scores.”Yeah it is a bit frustrating,” Patterson said. “I feel like I’m batting nicely and having not opened that much in my career, I know that opening over here is probably one of the better places to bat. It starts turning later and skidding and playing tricks. So a little bit disappointed that I haven’t been able to push on.”Patterson made 48 off 71 balls, including eight classy boundaries, before he was bowled through the gate by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem in Alur. Until the dismissal, it was an innings full of grace, and he was particularly fluent down the ground against spinners who were taking the ball away from him. In his batting were glimpses of why the 25-year-old left-hander is rated highly, but the premature exit marked something of a career trend.Patterson began his first-class career in style, when he became New South Wales’ youngest centurion in Sheffield Shield cricket at the age of 18, on debut in 2011. Not long after that, Patterson turned down a Big Bash League contract in order to focus on a national Under-19s tournament and a NSW Second XIs appearance.These were signs of a man leaning towards conventional growth as a batsman, but things haven’t gone along that trajectory. Patterson’s 157 on debut continues to be his highest score in first-class cricket, and he has since made four hundreds in 90 innings, with the last one coming in October 2016. Not ideal numbers for a top-order batsman over seven years, but his average still sits at 40-plus. The bigger concern is that since that debut innings, Patterson has faced more deliveries on only four occasions.But Patterson downplayed it, and felt he wasn’t far away from a big score. More importantly, he said, he is now a better player than he had ever been. Patterson was the tenth-highest scorer in the Sheffield Shield in 2017-18, with 672 runs in 19 innings, and for the second season in a row, made more than 600 runs.”I’m a lot better player than I was back then [during the debut].” Patterson said, “I had a lot of luck in that innings. It was one of those days that comes along once every now and then in your career, and I was just lucky that it was my first day when it happened.”I feel like I’m a lot better player and cricketer, a lot more mature person than I was. To win a title with my state team, both one-day and Shield cricket and also a Big Bash title in there as well. It’s been a good six years and hopefully it continues in that trajectory.”With Australia A captain Mitchell Marsh approaching a hundred in Alur, the battle for what could be the final few spots for the Pakistan series has ostensibly narrowed into that of one starter and one reserve batsman. Handscomb, Head, and Patterson would appear the frontrunners, with Queensland’s Marnus Labuschagne, who wasn’t picked for the four-dayers originally, a left-field choice.”We’re all aware that there are some spots available, it doesn’t take a genius to know that,” Patterson said. “But I think the thing we’ve really done well is come over here and play as a team and put in two good performances. We obviously did that in game one, and we’re doing the exact same in game two.”I think that’s the best way. When you’re winning, generally, a lot of players are picked. We all know as batters we’ve to try and get runs. Yes there’s a carrot there with the Test side, but I think what the leadership group has done really well is emphasie the importance of playing as a team and playing to win.”At the moment, even with average numbers in India, Patterson comes in second in the aforementioned three-horse race. But in an Australian cricket year that’ll be long remembered for its tumult, and with a management focused on repair, there isn’t a better chance for Patterson to finally turn his potential into a baggy green. If only he can make that last innings count.