Looking to beat the clock ahead of the deadline, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly agreed a deal to sign a midfielder who could replace Mario Lemina in a deal worth over £17m.

Wolves transfer news

Whether the headlines have named Axel Disasi, Kevin Danso or Coady, it’s been no secret that Wolves have been after another central defender ever since welcoming Emmanuel Agbadou at the beginning of the window. Up until the deadline, the Midlands club have faced more and more frustration, however, with Danso eventually choosing Tottenham Hotspur, Disasi seemingly closer to Aston Villa and Coady off the table.

In pursuit of Premier League survival, Vitor Pereira’s side have a matter of hours left until the window slams shut and they’re denied the chance to welcome what would be a crucial addition. It’s not just potential incomings taking place at Molineux either, with Mario Lemina also threatening to steal the headlines on the exit front and reportedly closing in on an exit to join Galatasaray.

Senior Wolves player now gives green light to join new club in late twist

He recently saw an earlier potential move exit collapse…

1 ByTom Cunningham Feb 3, 2025

As the former captain departs, he could yet finally make room for a fresh arrival though. According to Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, Wolves have now reached an agreement to sign Marshall Munetsi having initially opned talks with Stade de Reims in pursuit of the defender.

In a deal set to be worth over €20m (£17m), Wolves are reportedly confident that they’ll get the reinforcement that the so desperarely need. At 28 years old, the experienced Reims defender represents an option who should need little time to make his mark and develop into a viable option for Pereira in the remainder of his side’s campaign.

Munetsi can reunite with Agbadou

In one January swoop, Wolves could end the window with two players who already know each other well in Munetsi and Agbadou, who played together at Reims this season. Replacing Lemina at the same time, the 28-year-old will be looking to make an instant impact and build on what has been an impressive campaign at times.

Starts

19

15

Progressive Passes

26

48

Progressive Carries

8

8

Goals

4

1

As the stats show, Munetsi should also provide more of an attacking threat than Lemina in what should be a boost for Pereira’s side in the face of Jorgen Strand-Larsen’s recent injury.

The midfielder may not be the end of Wolves’ business just yet either, given their aforementioned need for another central defender. Just who that will be remains to be seen, however.

For now, the Midlands club are at least on course to welcome a much-needed replacement for Lemina as he heads to Galatasaray. All being well, Wolves will hope to have their new signing on show as soon as their next Premier League clash – a difficult trip to Anfield to face league leaders Liverpool.

Following a relatively quiet January transfer window, Fulham could be forced to bid farewell to one star player amid growing contract doubts and a queue of clubs reportedly waiting to land his signature.

Fulham transfer news

There’s leaving it late and then there’s Fulham signing their first arrival of 2025 after the January transfer window, welcoming free agent Willian back to the club for his second stint at Craven Cottage, where the Brazilian will look to repeat his previous impact in West London.

Speaking to the club website for the first time since putting pen to paper, Willian expressed his delight at returning to Craven Cottage, saying: “I’m really happy to be back here. I think it’s a great opportunity again to play for this Club, and I’m fully motivated to get on the pitch and do things well for this Club.

“I’m completely happy, my family’s happy. We are happy to be back, and I think we can do good things until the end of the season, so I can’t wait to start with my teammates and do good things inside the pitch.”

Fulham tried to sign "brilliant" ace who was in West London on deadline day

It was too little too late…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 6, 2025

As one winger arrives, however, another is on course for the exit door. According to reports in Spain, three La Liga clubs have now made contact to sign Adama Traore, who is yet to sign a new Fulham contract despite his current deal coming to an end this summer.

The Cottagers have the option to extend the Spaniard’s deal for another year but that option is yet to be triggered, casting doubts over his future as Villarreal, Sevilla and Valencia form a queue to land his signature.

Of course, a lot can change in a matter of months and Traore could yet stay put but that doubt will only increase as time goes on and there’s no denying that he has become quite the asset under Marco Silva.

"Fantastic" Traore is a unique threat

The Premier League has seen a number of unique assets over the years, from absurdly tall forwards to even more absurd long throw-in takers. Now, Fulham have a unique asset of their own in Traore.

There isn’t a single player in English football – perhaps even in Europe – who shares the same driving power as the winger who has the perfect combination of incredible strength and unstoppable pace. It’s something which can change a game in an instant and something that the Cottagers should look to keep hold of.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Silva earlier this season, Traore should have no reason to depart either. Those in West London are better placed than ever under their manager and could yet cause an upset by challenging for a European place before the end of the campaign, using Traore’s freak athleticism.

So, whilst La Liga may well be forming a queue, they may be forced to wait even longer if Fulham manage to extend their winger’s contract and put to rest any increasing doubt over his immediate future.

Ipswich Town could buckle under the strain of the battle to stay up in the Premier League over the course of the next few contests, with two tough clashes against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United coming the way of the Tractor Boys in quick succession.

However, both reverse fixtures did see Kieran McKenna’s men impressively pick up a stunning away victory at Spurs, whilst also collecting a deserved point during Ruben Amorim’s first clash in the Red Devils dug-out.

Off the back of a battling draw with Aston Villa too, McKenna’s men won’t go into either encounter riddled with fear, especially if Liam Delap is on top form attempting to cause both inconsistent teams trouble.

Delap's red-hot form for Ipswich

It goes without saying now that the £20m capture of Delap last summer was a masterstroke of a buy on the newly promoted side’s end, with the ex-Manchester City wonderkid turning into a deadly Premier League centre-forward in Suffolk.

Indeed, as a result of his opener against Unai Emery’s shellshocked Villa, Delap is now up to ten goals for the season in the league, with Sammie Szmodics way behind his bumper total with four as Ipswich’s second top scorer.

McKenna will be hoping Delap’s continued excellence in front of goal gives his underdogs a fighting chance at survival, because if Ipswich do go down, there will be a whole host of higher-up suitors wanting to win the exceptional 22-year-old’s services.

But, whilst his bumper goal total is an obvious joy to behold for the Portman Road masses, there is one former Tractor Boys attacker who is actually bettering the 6 foot 1 forward’s electric goalscoring form now all the way down in League Two.

The unexpected star who's outscoring Delap

This ex-Ipswich man did have the unfortunate reality of being in a side that was languishing all the way down in League One, instead of one punching above its weight in the top flight.

Still, Armando Dobra’s lacklustre output of two goals and four assists from 30 largely forgettable appearances would see the Albanian attacker be moved onto Chesterfield in 2022 on a free transfer, with McKenna the cutthroat manager to finally wave him on his way.

Burton Albion 2-1 Ipswich, 14th of August 2021

1. GK -Vaclav Hladky

2. RB – Kane Vincent-Young

3. CB – Janoi Donacien

4. CB – Luke Woolfenden

5. LB – Matt Penney

6. RM – Armando Dobra

7. CM – Rekeem Harper

8. CM – Lee Evans

9. LM – Scott Fraser

10. AM – Louie Barry

11. ST – Joe Pigott

Whilst Vaclav Hladky and Luke Woolfenden would go on to be key parts of the jigsaw under McKenna – who both lined up alongside Dobra during his final ever Tractor Boys start – the 23-year-old had to go and repair his career with the Spireites and he has done just that based off his superb showings in League Two this campaign.

Where Are They Now

In all competitions, the one-time Ipswich reject is amazingly trumping Delap’s weighty ten goals with 11 of his own, alongside also boasting two assists as a constantly creative option for Paul Cook’s lower league side.

As assistant manager Danny Webb has stated, amid January interest in the forward, he is “a massive player” for the lower league outfit.

It’s not as if Dobra has suddenly sparked into life for Chesterfield either and become this rejuvenated presence, having now collected a bumper 32 goals and 15 assists from 116 clashes donning a more comfortable shade of blue.

Cook and Co even have an outside shot of the League Two playoffs in their sights, whilst Dobra’s former club have one simple survival aim etched into their brains all the way up in the Premier League.

Worth more than Hutchinson: Ipswich have struck gold on "remarkable" star

Ipswich Town struck absolute gold when signing this star.

1 ByKelan Sarson Feb 18, 2025

It has been an odd month in cricket

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Nov-2017The lapsed villain
Reports from New South Wales have suggested this month that former international umpire Darrell Hair, who had lorded it so stubbornly over several controversial incidents, pleaded guilty to stealing from the liquor store he was working at. Apparently, this was in order to fund a gambling habit that had spun out of control. The news was particularly startling for Sri Lankans (and perhaps Pakistanis) of a certain generation, because it humanised the man who had been among their foremost childhood villains. It was like discovering Darth Vader put out of action by a hip replacement, or that Hannibal Lecter no longer eats his victims because his teeth had started to fall out.The non-war
In the build-up to the Ashes, David Warner was roundly criticised for comparing the coming series with England to “war”, in addition to suggesting he would “dig deep” to develop “hatred” of the opposition. Apparently, Ashes sledges now cannot be one iota more inflammatory than abuse based on opposition players’ legitimacy of parentage, choice of preferred species for sexual relations, promiscuousness of spouse, stupidity of offspring, and gingerness of their hair. I suppose a line had to be drawn somewhere.The straight face
Chris Gayle won his defamation suit against Australia’s Fairfax Media, but the best line of the case surely goes to Gayle’s friend Donovan Miller, who without flinching told the court that Gayle had become reserved “and scared, especially [around] females” since the 2015-16 Big Bash League. It is unclear if he is referring to this condom ad in which Gayle cannot stop cowering amidst a gang of cheerleaders or this Instagram post in which Gayle appears to have been frighteningly ambushed by a posse of swimsuit-clad models.The victims of historical irony
For two decades, the Barmy Army’s go-to chant down under was one that preyed on Australia’s history as a British prison colony. Even when their cricketers were being resplendently shamed 5-0, England fans may have felt they could draw themselves to their feet, wipe the tears from ruddy cheeks, and croak out a sobbing rendition of “they’re the convicts over there”. The world, however, has been upended in 2017. Team England has left for the Ashes without Ben Stokes, who is suspected of exactly the sort of action that would have seen him transported to Australia in past centuries. As one of their own players now stands accused of antisocial behaviour, could it be possible that when groups of England supporters sit shirtless in sunny Australian stands, painted lettering upon flabby chests, lips foamed from the ninth beer of the day, they will reflect they are not intrinsically a more refined species of human being than the natives?”We essentially beat Pakistan in their own game”•Getty ImagesThe pitch scandal
The spectre of corruption was raised again in October, most notably with the allegation that Maharashtra Cricket Association curator Pandurang Salgaoncar had given pitch information to people posing as bookies, ahead of India v New Zealand ODI in Pune. However, it was not the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) – whose job it is to stamp fixing out of the game – that presented evidence against Salgaoncar. The issue was brought to light by an Indian TV channel, just as the 2010 Lord’s spot-fixing scandal had been the result of a media-driven exposé. All of this highlights long-held concerns about what the ACU actually does, apart from, as in this case, allow international matches to go ahead unhindered on what was apparently a suspect pitch.The tough act to follow
Commiserations are due to Cricket South Africa. One month after the IPL bagged what was effectively the biggest television rights deal in cricket, CSA was forced to postpone the 2017 T20 Global League, thanks partly to an inability to land a decent broadcast deal. This must have been like watching Michelangelo sculpt the famous statue of David before stabbing yourself with the chisel.The altruist
Particularly irked at this cancellation was would-be GLT20 star Kevin Pietersen, who tweeted: “I feel so sorry for all the youngsters who were going to learn & earn out of this comp!” Yes, what a pity for… “the youngsters”. We can have no reason to doubt that Pietersen’s immediate worry was for the younger players’ loss of earnings, based of course on his career, which was most distinguished by the concern he displayed for people other than himself.The collapsathon
If Pakistan are the classical masters of the batting collapse, Sri Lanka have in recent years perfected their own equally dramatic version: the neo-collapse. Their two-Test series early in the month, became, at times, a festival of batting incompetence. When Sri Lanka went into the third innings of the first Test with a three-run deficit, for example, they hurtled comically to 138 all out. They should have lost the match had they not been out-collapsed by Pakistan, who were all out for 114 less than a day after they had made 422 (in the first innings). The second Test was almost as extraordinary. Sri Lanka crashed to 96 all out after claiming a 220-run first-innings lead. Though at times in the chase Pakistan seemed like they had the measure of a big total, they lost 5 for 52 and 5 for 23, with a 173-chase in between.

With the Champions Trophy only eight months away, India’s ODI selections from here on will have to be geared towards the larger picture

Arun Venugopal15-Oct-2016When Jayant Yadav turned up to bat during India’s net session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday, he had a distinguished pair of non-regular bowlers bowling to him. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, bowling offbreaks, were amusing themselves by servicing a group of lower-order batsmen that included Amit Mishra and Umesh Yadav. There was some good-natured teasing of Jayant’s batting as Dhoni and Kohli bantered with the rookie.Jayant is one of the newbies picked for the first three ODIs with the established bowlers rested. Ajinkya Rahane said the arrival of these players was “energising”. Jayant is the only member in the squad without any international experience; he is not one of the 31 players who have played ODIs for India since the 2015 World Cup. He is, in fact, the only player who returned from the Zimbabwe tour in June without featuring in a single game.But Jayant’s is not a one-off situation. Only seven players have featured in 12 or more of the 19 ODIs India have played since April 2015. More than 10 players on the fringes have played at different points, particularly during the two limited-overs tours to Zimbabwe in 2015 and 2016 when many senior players sat out. The likes of Kedar Jadhav and Faiz Fazal would invariably make way for the bigger names once a more high-profile series began. There have also been injuries at different points, a reason for the high turnover of personnel. These patterns point to a larger issue; India’s ODI game has been in limbo for some time now, something that is easy to overlook because of their recent golden run in Test matches.India have lost nine of their last 19 ODIs since April 2015. While these numbers may not tell you much, consider this: India have lost three of their last five ODI series – against Bangladesh, South Africa and Australia – with their only wins coming against Zimbabwe. That they start the five-ODI series against New Zealand on almost equal footing despite playing at home and having swept the Tests tells you the story. India have only eight ODIs from now till the Champions Trophy – while New Zealand will play almost three times as many matches – to resolve some longstanding problems. With Dhoni almost certain to lead the team into the Champions Trophy, these ODIs present a timely opportunity to sort out the kinks.Take the case of his seemingly unending search for the seam-bowling allrounder. After trying Stuart Binny and Rishi Dhawan with varying degrees of success in recent times, Dhoni seemed to have found in Hardik Pandya a third seamer who could biff the ball in the lower order. But with Pandya’s form tapering off in the IPL, the selectors overlooked him for the Zimbabwe series. Now, despite not stacking up attractive numbers in India A’s tour of Australia, the selectors have reverted to taking a punt on Pandya in recognition of the pressing need for a seam-bowling allrounder, particularly in English conditions for the Champions Trophy.Another factor that would have bothered Dhoni is Suresh Raina’s slipping form since the 2015 World Cup. When Raina was at the top of his game, Dhoni could not only turn to him for middle-order insurance, but also use him as the fifth or sixth bowler. While Raina has been recalled without many runs to show in recent times, should he click, it will offer Dhoni the comfort of returning to a proven success formula.One of the more successful auditions in recent times has been that of Manish Pandey; he has not done much wrong since his hundred in Sydney. He has none of Raina’s bowling abilities, but with his attacking batting and fielding skills, he makes a good case for a middle-order spot. There is also Axar Patel, who is a much improved lower-order striker apart from being a niggardly bowler, as he demonstrated for India A against Australia recently. In Ravindra Jadeja’s absence, he has another opportunity to show why he can mimic the Saurashtra spinner’s role.Crucially for Dhoni, he now has Anil Kumble – who is into his first ODI series as coach – to lean on for tactical advice. With Kumble known to be a keen-eyed strategist, there could be a departure, even if just slightly, from the more gut-driven methods Dhoni had adopted in the past. No matter what Rahane or his team-mates say, India cannot afford to look at this series only for what it is. With bigger stakes looming in the form of the Champions Trophy, selection of personnel cannot be a one-off, and will have to be geared towards a larger and a more concrete game plan.

Several chances have been spilled in the field by Bangladesh on the New Zealand tour, especially in the slip cordon, compounding their batting and bowling woes

Mohammad Isam at Hagley Oval23-Jan-2017Mashrafe Mortaza had sounded an early warning when he talked about the body-language problem with Bangladesh’s fielders during the first ODI of this tour in Christchurch. Seeing how they have dropped catches so regularly through the rest of the tour, though, that warning seems to have gone unheeded.The 20 dropped catches on tour have affected Bangladesh adversely both in that particular moment and over the larger passage of play. This sloppiness in the field has compounded their woes, which have included batting collapses, the lack of big runs from senior batsmen and the inexperience of the Test pace attack.Mashrafe had tagged Bangladesh’s fielders “lethargic” after the ODI in Christchurch, where they allowed 27 twos and 111 singles. Back at the same venue for the second Test, their last game on tour, Bangladesh dropped seven genuine chances.In the fourth over of New Zealand’s first innings, Mahmudullah didn’t stay down for long enough when a Jeet Raval catch came his way at second slip off Mehedi Hasan. A little while later, his dive to his left at square leg couldn’t intercept a Ross Taylor flick. In between, Sabbir Rahman dropped a sitter at second slip offering Raval another life. Later Kamrul Islam Rabbi dropped Taylor at deep midwicket, and then Mehedi Hasan put Southee down at second slip. Nazmul Hossain Shanto also dropped a straightforward chance at gully; he had already shown poor technique at silly mid-off when Henry Nicholls had struck him on the body twice in the 44th over. Both would count as chances – albeit very tough ones – as it hit him on the full, but the bigger point was why was Nazmul ducking into the ball instead of jumping over it, as close-in fielding technique would demand in such cases.What was also confusing was the choice of slip cordon, where most of their catches have gone down. Mehedi Hasan continued to be there despite dropping two in Wellington Test as well. Sabbir dropped a catch in the first Test at third slip too, but continued in the same position in Christchurch where he dropped that sitter off Taskin Ahmed.Slip catching is considered a specialist’s job and Bangladesh haven’t really found their specialists. The reason for posting Sabbir and Mehedi Hasan in the slips was the absence of the injured Imrul Kayes, a recent regular in the spot. But he too had dropped one, that too one of the easiest chances on the tour, when Neil Broom had edged-behind in the third ODI in Nelson.That is not to say that catches have not been dropped elsewhere during both the ODIs and Tests. Some of these catches going down could be explained as a matter of pure luck – as Tamim Iqbal said after the loss in Christchurch, “it just happens”.* But several of these missed opportunities have translated into New Zealand batsmen going on to make a big score.Clearly, given the despair the matter has caused to some of the bowlers, it has been discussed in team meetings, and efforts must be underway to eliminate the problem. Tamim agreed that specialists need to be found. “We can definitely work on our catching, especially in our slip cordon. We will have more chances going to slips now that we will play more overseas. We have to look for specialists in that position.”The home side dropped catches too, and the issue has been brought up with their players in media conferences. Bangladesh’s extensive catalogue of problems on tour, though, has meant that their dropped catches have not really been questioned much. When he was asked about it, Tamim said the team just could not afford to fluff chances in conditions overseas. “We can somehow manage this thing at home. Conditions are such that chances are created quite regularly,” he said. “Here they [New Zealand] can drop five catches but we cannot afford to.”It takes a lot of effort for our bowlers to create one chance. I think our pace bowlers did very well here. But these things make a difference. It would have been so much better had we taken even 70% of the catches.”The easiest way to react to drops is to blame the fielder first, and then the fielding coach. But that is too simplistic a view. Fielding is about involvement and enjoyment out in the middle. If that’s missing when Bangladesh goes out to field, it might suggest deeper issues to look into. The faster the problem is pinpointed and sorted out, the better it will be for the team.*10.15 GMT, January 23: Tamim Iqbal’s quotes were added to this article at the end of day four of the Christchurch Test.

An iffy lbw decision followed by rain left Scotland so near, yet so far away from achieving their World Cup dream. For an Associate side that beat Afghanistan, tied with Zimbabwe and went toe-to-toe with West Indies, it was a cruel end to their qualifying

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2018

There are no words to describe this current feeling… we don’t deserve what’s happened to us in this tournament. Incredibly proud of this @CricketScotland team – shown again what we are about #WeWillComeAgain

— Matthew Cross (@crossy16) March 21, 2018

Amazing efforts by everyone involved with @CricketScotland. Gutted for the tournament to end the way it did after all the effort gone in from the players and staff. Unbelievable support shown from all back home…!! #followscotland

— Mike Jones (@mikejones04) March 21, 2018

Gutted. So close, heartbreaking to have a game and tournament like this decided by rain. Congrats to @westindies #followscotland

— Calum MacLeod (@calummacleod640) March 21, 2018

Gutted doesn’t come close, we played some fantastic cricket this tournament. Pleased to hear the @westindies celebrating dramatically after a game in the balance settled by rain beating us the associate!! I’m a proud of @CricketScotland lads!Thanks for the support!!

— George Munsey (@GeorgeMunsey) March 21, 2018

Thanks to all my family and friends for all the love and support you have shown me and the team throughout this tournament has been really amazing. We are all absolutely gutted for you all! Thanks once again! #followscotland

— Safyaan Sharif (@Safyaan50) March 21, 2018

Devestating to have lost the way we did after such a good tournament. The @CricketScotland team can hold our heads high! Thank you to everyone for your support!

— Brad Wheal (@Brad_wheal) March 21, 2018

I don’t have the words to describe the feeling. Beyond gutted. Thank you to everyone back home for the support. We truly felt it. We will be back stronger!

— Ali Evans (@AliEvans647) March 21, 2018

Gutted doesn’t even come close, the cricket this team has played is this tournament has been amazing, can’t believe it ended like that, @ICC @CricketScotland, thanks to everyone back home for all the support

— michael leask (@leasky29) March 21, 2018

Words can’t describe how heartbroken we all are @CricketScotland ! Congrats to @westindies! Also to everyone at @ICC I’m sure they’ll sleep tight tonight after a todays outcome #SqueakyBumTime #10teamworldcup

— mark watt (@markwatt123) March 21, 2018

Feel absolutely sick for everyone @CricketScotland , players, support staff, administration & supporters. It's all been said before, but this tournament has highlighted (again) so much that is wrong with the management, structure & priorities of world cricket @ICC #notgoodenough

— Craig Wright (@craigwright99) March 21, 2018

.@ICC I think you need to re-address your 'values' below, particularly your final point.

Your actions as a governing body are so misaligned with this it's frightening. pic.twitter.com/yUyu9gTt4c

— Preston Mommsen (@PrestonMommsen) March 21, 2018

Sanjay Manjrekar’s autobiography sets a template with its frankness and ability to cover areas other cricketers fear to tread

Sharda Ugra24-Mar-2018If a more honest book about Indian cricket is released this year, please turn up at ESPNcricinfo’s Bangalore office. Drinks are on me.When the title of Sanjay Manjrekar’s book was first revealed, it did sound a little intriguingly precious. Like  was aiming to be Andre Agassi’s , but with pads on. A few pages in, you don’t care: about the title, about the unremarkable photograph of Manjrekar on the cover, because it’s the stuff inside that rings through, grabs attention, and tells a story worth listening to.The disclaimer: Manjrekar happens to be the first of many cricketers to have been annoyed with something I wrote. The year was 1990, and he was the most accomplished of Indian top-order batsmen. His first Test century had come in Barbados, against Marshall, Ambrose, Bishop and Walsh. He was just off a drawn series against Pakistan, with more than 550 runs in four Tests against Imran, Waqar, Wasim and Qadir at 94; two centuries (one a double), three fifties. In an interview I did for , the first newspaper I worked for, not even six months into the profession, I asked Manjrekar if he had contemplated opening the batting. At the team’s pre-departure press conference before the England tour, Manjrekar voiced his unhappiness over getting into trouble with the selectors over his answer. A few months later, he’d forgotten all about it and I could go to him when explanation or clarity was sought about one or more of Indian cricket’s complicated tangles.Following his first few luminous seasons with India, the struggles that followed were discussed in low tones by the Mumbai faithful. As a “senior” during his second stint as Mumbai captain, he was always fun to be around at the end of the day’s play. Generous with his time, toothy grin and acerbic humour intact, tolerant of reporters’ questions. In , you rediscover Manjrekar and that time again, but in greater, far more finely drawn detail.He sets out with an unsparing portrait of his father, the great Vijay Manjrekar (“it took me a long time to realise he was an exceptional cricketer”), and through the book we hear Manjrekar talk frankly, without self-censorship, like he might to a friend or a therapist. Flaws are admitted, personal vulnerabilities uncovered – not just his own but of those around him.  is at once a discovery of the inner Manjrekar and a sharing of Indian cricket’s outer world in the 1980s and 1990s.On the way, we run into grace from the most unexpected sources: The West Indians, who were fearsome but gentlemen competitors, encouraging and supportive of a young Indian batsman; the Pakistanis under the generous dictatorship of the Imran Khan captaincy. This was at a time when there was a comparative lack of such leadership among the Indians.India had their individual titans in the ’80s and ’90s, but there was little guidance or support for younger players. We had heard about the dark corners in the Indian dressing room, the chasm between senior players and the younger ones, and the bad blood between players from different parts of the country. All true, and Manjrekar spells it all out so dispassionately that you wonder how India won anything. The amateurishness of it will astonish every young reader used to the Indian team travelling around with a support staff that’s about the size of a rugby team.The book is full of details and stories – why you’d try to be the first to the Podar College nets; why Ajay Jadeja thought Rahul Dravid wouldn’t make it; why Ravi Shastri tried to convince Manjrekar not to retire (because an inter-city league was being talked about); the advice an unnamed South African gave Manjrekar about sorting out his grip when playing in South Africa, and so on.There are memorable character sketches of Manjrekar’s family, particularly of his mother, and his colleagues (Mohammad Azharuddin, for one, is crying out for a more honest book and movie about his life), written with a mix of frankness and compassion.There is fine recounting of the Mumbai cricket scene, and its buzz about what was around the corner. “Scores of people talking about upcoming talent in Mumbai. When they met each other, that’s all they talked about… in essence, this community was the marketing team of Mumbai’s talent.”HarperCollinsThere are also Manjrekar’s admissions about himself as a young man – his cocksureness, arrogance, uncertainty, regret, and tendency to take technical perfection over run-scoring. It’s all there. Well, almost.Now the quibbles. Mostly about how the material is structured, and the book’s unevenness near the finish line. The final chapter, 25 pages long, is called “Commentary”, but unlike the rest of the book, the approach here is of an unsatisfactory broadbrushing. While it is hardly expected that Manjrekar would dish the dirt on his colleagues while still in the commentary box, a more clear-eyed examination of its environment (without naming names even) would have been insightful. The commentary scene is not all camaraderie and chortling. At one point, the Big Dads of Indian cricket commentary nicknamed Manjrekar and another of his Indian colleagues “Anna” and “Kejriwal” in mocking tribute to their desire to speak a few plain truths about Indian cricket.What we do get are a few lines about the “changing” role of a commentator, where once “grievances about the game were freely expressed”. Today it is more, Manjrekar writes, about “enhancing the viewer’s experience”. He says, “If you are a keen, opinionated observer of the game, it’s probably a good idea to express all your passionate views on the game on other platforms, not in the commentary box”. That’s a damn pity, Sanjay, don’t you think? Thinking, after all, is Manjrekar’s thing, and he laughs about a question Shoaib Akhtar once put to him: “Give your mind a rest. How much will you think? How much will you analyse?” ends abruptly, like a wicket against the run of play, in the wrong place, as if someone just tacked the last chapter about commentators on and sent the manuscript to the printers. It does not do justice to the rest of the book, which is a cut above the usual dish-the-dirt-burn-up-the-cash-register kind of memoir.Is  the most honest book to come out from an Indian cricketer over the last four-five years? Possibly. But this much is certain: in truth and in tenor it is most certainly the kind of book you wish every Indian cricketer would write.Imperfect
By Sanjay Manjrekar
Harper Sport, 2018
207 pages, Rs 699

The Bangladesh opener has often shown a tendency to get fired up and deliver with the bat when he or his team is being talked about. He did it again at Basin Reserve

Mohammad Isam at Basin Reserve12-Jan-2017Tamim Iqbal regularly follows the news and what’s going on on social media. That habit nearly derailed his career during the 2015 World Cup, when he felt that discussion about his poor form was being taken too far on social media. But, most times it seems to work for him; when there’s a lot of talk going around on a particular match situation, conditions or opponent, it’s hard to miss the fire in his belly when he comes out to bat. He has often delivered impressively soon after such talk surfaces.A few cases in point: when Bangladesh were said to be not good enough for Lord’s in 2010, Tamim responded with a breathtaking century. When the BCB president had questioned his fitness in 2012, he responded with four fifties in a row. Ten weeks ago, with everyone crumbling to spin around him, Tamim struck 104 on the first day of the Dhaka Test against England, one of his best efforts given the situation. He did it again in Wellington today.Leading up to this Test, doubts about Bangladesh’s ability to deal with a green Basin Reserve pitch swirled all around. The whispers grew in volume especially after someone posted a photo of what looked like a pitch made of AstroTurf. Bangladesh’s batting inconsistencies during the preceding limited-overs games, and the many collapses in 2016, added to the sense of unease. How did Tamim respond? Fifty-six off 50 balls, his fourth 50-plus score at a 100-plus strike rate in Tests.The pitch wasn’t as green on the first morning but the unease would have only got deeper when Kane Williamson put Bangladesh in to bat. Tamim responded with boundaries. He squeezed some through the slips but also cut and drove whenever he was offered width. He struck five fours in the first five overs. He could not convert the quick start into something more, but, by the time he was finally dismissed in the 15th over, nerves would have been eased in the dressing room.After the day’s play, Tamim said a positive dressing-room atmosphere is natural after someone bats like he did. “It might have given them confidence, though I wouldn’t say anyone got relaxed seeing me bat,” he said. “I think even I would have gained some confidence seeing someone bat comfortably. Before the first ball of this game, there was a question mark. But after seeing how someone like Mominul [and I] played, it became clear that scoring and surviving were both possible.”Mahmadullah’s brain-freeze gave New Zealand an opening•Getty ImagesTamim said all-out attack was not his plan; he just wanted to punish the bad balls. “I knew that I had to choose one way of batting in these conditions. I didn’t want to miss out on bad balls. Good balls are a given here, so I had to use the boundary balls properly to keep the scoreboard going and give me more confidence. I utilized the scoring opportunities. This was my plan. I didn’t go out there thinking of attacking every ball. I just didn’t want to miss out on scoring balls. I connected most of the deliveries that I went after, which was good.”New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner said Tamim’s aggression caught the hosts off guard, giving Bangladesh the early edge in the game. “I think today was Bangladesh’s day. I think we didn’t bowl well in partnerships for a long period today, and we got hurt. I think Tamim batted really well. They showed a lot of intent, coming out positively to put the bad ball away. It obviously put us on the back foot. We never really settled into a rhythm and into an area because of the way they batted.”Making life easier for the batsmen that follow, of course, is the opener’s duty. Stories abound about one former Bangladesh opener who used to make everyone nervous by always maintaining that ball was moving around like a snake off the pitch, particularly when they were playing abroad. Tamim, by contrast, is known as a very upbeat figure in the dressing-room, and his application in picking the right balls to hit must have been noted by Mominul Haque, who was getting his first bat on the tour. He started off quietly before finding boundaries regularly and ending the truncated day on 64 not out. Mahmudullah left most deliveries outside off quite well until a brain-freeze had him chasing a very wide one and getting out after getting set.When rain came down for the third time to end the day, Bangladesh were 154 for 3. Tamim admitted it would have been a better day for the visitors had Mahmudullah survived. “I think if you see how the others batted, it was different [to my innings] but they batted to their strengths. If [Mahmudullah] Riyad was at the crease till the end, it would have been a superb day for us.”Depending on how day two pans out – Bangladesh could yet collapse – Tamim’s 56 could well be soon forgotten, but, even so, it has to be appreciated for its immediate impact. He effectively scythed through the nonsense with his bat in the hope that the rest will follow suit.

Today’s countdown features a lone, all-powerful machine at the top, followed by nine outrageously powerful humans

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-201710. Kieron Pollard, 125 sixes in 97 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 38%There are not too many grounds in world cricket which Kieron Pollard cannot clear with his powerful forearms, and it is no surprise that he features on this list despite playing far fewer innings than most of the others. Pollard’s sixes are among the biggest in the tournament, and his match-winning contributions with both bat and ball have arguably made him Mumbai Indians’ most valuable player over the years.9. Yuvraj Singh, 133 sixes in 105 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 34%One of the cleanest hitters of his generation, Yuvraj has made it a habit of depositing cricket balls onto rooftops of stadia. Yuvraj’s ball-striking abilities, combined with a six-hitting map that extends across the entire wagon wheel, have produced some of IPL’s finest batting displays over the years.8. David Warner, 134 sixes in 100 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 24%‘Warner has repeatedly spoken about his philosophy of defending balls in his weak zone, and his ability to do so has been among the biggest changes in his game since he started off in the IPL. Earlier, his blistering starts would end with a rash shot while trying to accelerate. His ability to desist has coincided with some of his best six-hitting seasons, culminating in 31 sixes in 2016, when he led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first IPL title.MS Dhoni and sixes go hand in hand•BCCI7. MS Dhoni, 140 sixes in 128 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 26%The hitter of the most famous six in Indian cricket history has, over nine seasons, built a reputation of taking games deep into the death overs and pulling the trigger right in the nick of time. While his strike rate has dipped over the past few seasons, he remains among the most reliable finishers in the format, with a knack of muscling the most effortless sixes across the park.6. Yusuf Pathan, 140 sixes in 122 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 30%Yusuf’s big-hitting abilities for Baroda earned him a spot in India’s squad for the inaugural World T20 in 2007. Since the beginning of the IPL, his career has come a full circle – first the realisation of his all-too-known potential, followed by a lengthy lull where he has failed to put together innings of note in the tournament. What has not changed, though, is his place as one of Indian cricket’s most merciless hitters of the ball, a fact reflected in his strike rate of 146.78, despite going through multiple middling seasons.5. AB de Villiers, 141 sixes in 109 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 26%De Villiers has excelled in multiple roles over nine seasons in the IPL – as a finisher first, followed by a deserved shift up the order, where he continues to plunder bowling attacks for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Among the most consistent conjurers of outrageous shots that come with a please-don’t-try-this-at-home warning, his six-hitting history – from 13 sixes in 21 games in 2008-09 to 37 only in the 2016 season – goes some way to explaining his rise as one of modern cricket’s most destructive batsmen.You can fill trucks with sixes when these two bat together•BCCI4. Virat Kohli, 148 sixes in 131 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 22%Warner once spoke about Kohli being a “conventional player, who knows he cannot be like Gayle or de Villiers”. The reference was in a positive context, with Warner praising Kohli’s ability to score across the field with proper cricketing shots, without needing to clear the boundary all the time. While this remains true – Kohli gets 35% of his runs from fours – Kohli’s record-breaking 2016 season meant he has now leapfrogged a number of ‘traditional’ six-hitters.3. Suresh Raina, 160 sixes in 143 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 23%When he hangs up his boots some day, one of the most lasting sights from Raina’s career would be him in a yellow jersey, playing one of his powerful flicks over midwicket, or lofting a barely believable six over the cover boundary. Raina has been among the IPL’s most consistent performers over the years, and this reflects in his place as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer of all time.2. Rohit Sharma, 163 sixes in 138 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 25%At one point, during the first few seasons of the IPL, Rohit Sharma was known as the man who could pull off late-innings heists with feisty displays of six-hitting during tight chases. Since his move to Mumbai Indians, he has metamorphosed into a consistent opener, the position where T20s’ most impactful batsmen bat.1. Chris Gayle, 251 sixes in 91 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 44%The title of Gayle’s autobiography, , apart from being a cheeky innuendo, is explained by jaw-dropping numbers in the game’s shortest format. An astounding 44% of his runs come from sixes, and despite having played 47 fewer innings, he has hit 54% more sixes than his nearest competitor on this list. All this despite suffering a dip in form during the 2014 season.