South Africa will be especially worried about the poor form of Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje ahead of the T20 World Cup

Firdose Moonda26-May-2024

[File photo] Johnson Charles hit 69 off just 26 balls•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

West Indies swept the three-T20I series against South Africa to conclude their T20 World Cup preparations in the most commanding way possible. South Africa, on the other hand, have won just two of their last 11 completed T20I matches since the last T20 World Cup, and have lost series to West Indies twice and Australia once, and enter the global competition on the back foot.If there’s any consolation, it’s that none of South Africa’s powerhouse middle order of Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs were part of this series, but all will return for the World Cup. Still, there remain concerns over Quinton de Kock, who scored 64 runs in three innings and didn’t have a good time of it at the BBL, the SA20 and the IPL earlier, while also appearing to pick up a back injury on Sunday; and Ryan Rickelton, who managed only 43 runs in three innings.Related

T20 WC: McCoy replaces injured Holder in West Indies squad

Equally, Anrich Nortje’s economy rate of 12.16 through the series and the absence of any wickets to his name raises questions over his readiness for international cricket after an almost-nine-month absence following a lower-back stress fracture. But he is part of South Africa’s final squad for the World Cup.West Indies head to Trinidad to play Australia in a warm-up match before their first World Cup match in Guyana, and they appear as ready as they can be. They have won four out of five series since the last T20 World Cup, and beat South Africa 3-0 for the first time in this one. After defending totals of 175 and 207 to win the series, they were made to chase and hunted down 164 inside 14 overs to ease past South Africa again.Obed McCoy, added to the T20 World Cup squad in place of the injured Jason Holder, was the most successful bowler in the final match with 3 for 39, while stand-in captain Brandon King finished as the series’ leading run-scorer.[File photo] Gudakesh Motie finished with 2 for 21•AFP/Getty Images

The redemption of Johnson CharlesIt was against South Africa, 15 months ago, that Johnson Charles made the case to reclaim his spot in the T20I squad with 118 off just 46 balls in a T20I in Centurion. But since then, it has been lean going for him. Charles went ten innings without crossing fifty, and questions over his T20 World Cup-squad involvement were more than just whispers.But he silenced those questions with a knock of complete assurance and authority to bring up his fifth T20I half-century, and set the platform for another West Indies win. Charles’ takedown of South Africa’s fastest, Nortje and Gerald Coetzee, was most impressive. He scored 25 runs off just ten balls from Nortje, and 22 off four from Coetzee, including three successive sixes. Only three of his 69 runs came in singles, and even though he was dismissed in the seventh over, he had already put the result beyond doubt.Motie makes the most of itAfter taking three wickets in each of his last three games, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie seemed set for a similar haul after two exceptional overs. He was brought on immediately after the powerplay, and displayed good changes of pace to have de Kock trapped lbw, as the latter played a reverse sweep too early and was given out.In Motie’s next over, Matthew Breetzke hit the ball back over the bowler’s head. It looked like a clean strike but wasn’t timed as well as he intended, and Shamar Joseph took a good catch inside the boundary rope to end a disappointing tour for the CSA T20’s top run-scorer for the 2023-24 season.After two overs, Motie had 2 for 5, but his day didn’t finish as well as he would have hoped. He conceded 11 runs off his final over, as Rassie van der Dussen hit him for two sixes, and he wasn’t used again.[File photo] Rassie van der Dussen rescued South Africa from 50 for 4•AFP/Getty Images

Van der Dussen’s statement inningsExcluded from South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad but asked to captain them in this series, van der Dussen has not had the easiest few months. But he had a strong last say on this tour. Van der Dussen scored a 30-ball fifty to take South Africa from 50 for 4 to 163 for 7, and demonstrated strong hitting skills straight down the ground. All five of his sixes were scored in the V between long-off and long-on, and his 77-run fifth-wicket stand with Wiaan Mulder was the difference between a South African collapse and a semblance of competitiveness.Mayers misses, and then he doesn’tVan der Dussen’s knock could have ended on 9 when he dragged a Hayden Walsh Jnr delivery from outside off to long-on, where Kyle Mayers was waiting for the catch. He took it cleanly but misjudged how close his back foot was to the boundary rope and stepped over it with the ball in hand. Van der Dussen was the first to gesture that he had earned six.Six overs later, Mulder mis-hit a McCoy slower ball to long-on, where Mayers was ready to take the catch two-handed, with more than enough space behind him to tumble, hold on and avoid giving away a boundary.With the bat, Mayers cracked four sixes in an unbeaten knock of 36, helping wrap the chase up after Charles had laid the foundation. But Mayers remains a reserve player in the West Indies T20 World Cup squad.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet vitoria： Vanderlei Luxemburgo segue sem vencer no comando do Corinthians. O Timão foi até o estádio Diego Armando Maradona e empatou com o Argentinos Juniors por 0 a 0, pela 4ª rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores. Paulinho saiu lesionado no primeiro tempo, e a equipe argentina jogou com um homem a menos nos últimos 20 minutos da partida em Buenos Aires.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol LatinoDiante do Corinthians, Argentinos Jrs quer repetir feito contra o PalmeirasFutebol Latino24/05/2023Fora de CampoNeto afirma que Corinthians não ganha a Libertadores: ‘Não chega nem nas quartas de final’Fora de Campo24/05/2023FlamengoApós vitória do Flamengo contra o Corinthians, Sampaoli fez discurso sobre sacrifício no vestiárioFlamengo24/05/2023

da spicy bet： + Jogador ex-Timão na seleção da Itália? Lembre brasileiros que defenderam ou podem defender outros países

Com o empate, o Timão chega aos quatro pontos no Grupo E, mesma pontuação do Liverpool-URU, mas segue na terceira posição pelo saldo de gols. Mais cedo, os uruguaios superaram o Independiente del Valle por 1 a 0. Dessa forma, os argentinos lideram com oito pontos, e o Del Valle ocupa o segundo lugar, com seis pontos.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Ataque faz jogo apagado e ‘luz’ do Corinthians na Libertadores começa a falhar

Os comandados de Vanderlei Luxemburgo voltam a campo na Libertadores no dia 7 de junho, em duelo de vida ou morte contra o Independiente del Valle, fora de casa. No domingo (28), a equipe alvinegra tenta sair da zona de rebaixamento do Brasileirão e recebe o Fluminense, na Neo Química Arena.

continua após a publicidade

+ Não perca nenhum lance do Timão na Liberta. Assine o Star+ por apenas R$40,90 por mês e torça onde quiser!

CRIA DO TERRÃO QUASE ABRE O PLACAR

Como esperado, o Argentinos Juniors teve o controle da posse de bola nos minutos iniciais, e o Corinthians repetiu a estratégia defensiva que aplicou nos últimos três jogos, com dificuldades para sair jogando do campo de defesa. A melhor chance do Timão veio aos 17 minutos, quando Murillo roubou a bola no ataque, Yuri Alberto rolou para Bruno Méndez, que cruzou na medida para o zagueiro, mas o Cria do Terrão, livre, chutou por cima do gol.

Aos 28 minutos, o Alvinegro teve uma péssima notícia. Paulinho dividiu bola com um atleta do El Bicho e imediatamente caiu no gramado com a mão no joelho esquerdo, pedindo substituição. Luxemburgo colocou Roni no lugar do camisa 15.

continua após a publicidade

QUASE UMA LAMBANÇA

O Argentinos Juniors cresceu com a saída de Paulinho e quase inaugurou o placar em um lance inusitado da defesa corintiana. Metilli invadiu a área pelo lado esquerdo e cruzou na área. Bidu tentou fazer o corte, mas pegou mal na bola e mandou contra a própria meta. Atento, Carlos Miguel evitou o gol.

SUFOCO ARGENTINO

O roteiro da partida seguiu o mesmo após o intervalo, com o Corinthians tendo dificuldades para sair do campo de defesa, e a equipe da casa rondando a área de Carlos Miguel e controlando as ações ofensivas, apostando em jogadas pelos lados. A primeira chance do Timão no segundo tempo veio aos 18 minutos. Bidu cruzou na área, mas Yuri Alberto testou por cima.

NA RUA!

Os ânimos das equipes esquentaram na parte final da partida, e o Argentinos Juniors ficou em desvantagem numérica aos 31 do segundo tempo. Nuss, que havia entrado minutos antes, acertou uma cotovelada em Roni. O árbitro havia dado cartão amarelo ao atleta argentino, mas mudou de ideia após ver o sangramento na cabeça do volante, e expulsou o atacante.

A expulsão deu uma injeção de ânimo no Timão, que tentou sem sucesso se lançar ao ataque em busca da vitória. Porém, a equipe de Luxemburgo não ameaçou o goleiro Arias. Mesmo com um homem a menos, os mandantes chegaram com perigo. Metilli disputou com a zaga e ajeitou para Heredia, que cabeceou batendo. A bola desviou e passou ao lado da meta de Carlos Miguel.

+ Timão vivo na Libertadores? Veja os resultados e como ficou o grupo do Corinthians após a rodada

ARGENTINOS JUNIORS 0 X 0 CORINTHIANS

Local:Estádio Diego Armando Maradona, em Buenos Aires, na Argentina
Data e hora:24 de maio de 2023, quarta-feira, às 21h30
Árbitro:Carlos Ortega (COL)
Assistentes:Alexandre Guzman (COL)eMiguel Roldan (COL)
VAR:Jose Cabero (COL)
Cartões amarelos:Roni, Murillo (COR)
Cartões vermelhos:- Nuss (ARG)
Público/Renda:Não informado
Gols:-

ARGENTINOS JUNIORS:Martín Arias; Leonel González, Mac Allister, Torren e Montiel; Moyano, Fabrício Domínguez (Heredia, 10/2ºT), Cabrera, Álan Rodriguez e Metilli; Verón (Nuss, 21/2ºT).Técnico:Gabriel Milito.

CORINTHIANS:Carlos Miguel; Bruno Méndez, Gil, Murillo e Matheus Bidu (Fábio Santos, 45/2ºT); Paulinho (Roni, 28/1ºT), Fausto Vera e Maycon (Romero, 28/2ºT); Adson (Wesley, 45/2ºT), Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes.Técnico:Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Tudo sobre

Argentinos JuniorsCorinthiansLibertadores

What was The Oval Test all about? Numbers, of course

Andy Zaltzman13-Sep-2018An intriguing, fluctuating series, between two sides that blended brilliance with fallibility in a compelling if curious cricketing cocktail, had already been decided, so expectant crowds flocked to The Oval largely to see History Being Made. And History duly stepped up to the plate, plonked a smorgasbord of statistical nuggets onto that plate, and whispered “bon appetit” in its most seductive accent.Day one may not have seen the Alastair Cook farewell hundred that some had predicted was “written in the stars” (the stars, it transpired, had an even better story written in them) (there are quadrillions of stars; everything that has ever happened is written in them if you look at them in the right way – even Hashan Tillakaratne scoring 17 off 61 balls in his final Test innings in 2004). However, it did give the history-hungry spectators the consolation of seeing England reach 128 for 1 after 60 overs – the lowest 60-over opening-innings score by a team that has lost fewer than two wickets since 2003, and the second-lowest such score in any innings since 2005.Then the famous old ground basked in the moment as Jonny Bairstow became:(a) the third England player to make three ducks in a home series batting in the top seven (after Graeme Hick against West Indies in 2000 and Ben Stokes in the 2015 Ashes, both of which were also victorious series for England, suggesting there was scientific backroom method behind the splattering stumps).(b) the second top-seven player ever to be bowled for a duck three times in a single Test season (after New Zealand’s Matt Poore in 1955-56).(c) the fifth player to be bowled out six times in an English Test summer (after Ted Dexter in 1960; and Wilfred Rhodes, and South Africa’s Aubrey Faulkner and Tip Snooke in the Triangular summer of 1912).On days two to four, Virat Kohli, needing seven runs with two dismissals in hand to reach 600 for the series and become the second player after Don Bradman to reach that total four times in his career, proceeded to edge two successive balls in the corridor of temptation. The second was a fatigued poke after a six-week series of dedication, brilliance and restraint. It was followed by an eight-hour marathon session of futile fielding as England slowly cranked their superiority, followed by approximately 14.7 seconds of quality downtime while Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara blunted the new ball with their pads.Nevertheless, the noisy Indian support could celebrate their skipper instead becoming the third batsman, after Bradman and Garry Sobers, to score 593 or more in four or more different series. A stat is a stat, even if it is the frayed remnant of another imploded stat.How The Oval cheered as it watched both teams put on a double-century stand in the second innings of a Test for only the second time ever (the previous instance was South Africa v India, Johannesburg, 2013-14). “I prayed last night,” a teary-eyed father chirruped to his wonderstruck children, “that you would see this stat come true. And also, my darlings, that you would see England’s first 200 partnership in the second innings of a home Test since 1998, when, of course, Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart added 226 for third wicket at Old Trafford against South Africa.”Having lost the series, Virat Kohli gives up his wicket for 0 at The Oval to make a point about the balance between positive and negative values•Getty ImagesDay five saw one of the estimated 364 standing ovations in the match greet tyro wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant becoming just the eighth player to make a fourth-innings Test century before the age of 21. Five of the previous seven to do so – Abbas Ali Baig, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Wasim, Dwayne Smith and Nafees Iqbal – have combined for a total of one more Test century in their careers. The other two were George Headley and Sachin Tendulkar. Some shining examples for Pant to strive to (a) not emulate and (b) emulate.Even the defunct Oval gasholders twitched with excitement as Pant finally fell to Adil Rashid, ensuring that no bowler would take a six-for in the series, and thus a new record for Most Wickets Taken by Bowlers in a Series That Did Not Feature a Six-Wicket Haul would be set (eventually finalised as 177 wickets).There were other momentous moments that simply dripped with momentousness.Ravindra Jadeja’s new Record Number of Overs in a Test Match by a Bowler Who Has Bowled Three or Fewer Maidens (77).Ten different batsmen making ducks in a Test in England for the first time since 1912.The first Test in England (and eighth anywhere) with three scores of 80 or more by players batting at seven or lower.Three or more wickets being taken in all four innings by the fifth-or-later bowlers used for only the third Test ever (after Australia v England in 1970-71, and Australia v India in 1967-68, both at the SCG), enabling this series to smash the record for Most Wickets Taken by Bowlers Coming on as Third Change or Later in a Series in England (now set at 35), testament to both teams’ bowling depth.England finishing with a series tally of 880 runs from Nos. 7 to 11, their third-highest series tally, and highest in a five-Test series, testament to one team’s batting depth.Cook, Joe Root and KL Rahul making this only the fourth Test ever in which three batsmen have made 125 or more in their team’s second innings.This match becoming the second Test ever to contain both four centuries and nine or more ducks (after New Zealand v England, Christchurch 2001-02). And the first Test with nine 50-plus scores and ten ducks.Keaton Jennings working his way onto the podium for Top Three Batsmen With the Worst Average in Home Tests (minimum eight matches). He averages 17.7 after ten Tests in England, a figure anti-bettered only by Lou Vincent (17.0 in nine Tests as a Top-Three player in New Zealand), and South Africa’s William Shalders (16.0 in 9, for South Africa, 1899-1906), who always dreamed of being a stat.So. Much. History.Then there was Cook’s staggering cricketing valediction, which became the highest ever second-innings score by a batsman in his final Test, and set a new record for Most Second-Innings Test Hundreds in a Career (15).And James Anderson breaking Glenn McGrath’s record for Most Test Wickets by a Pace Bowler (a tidy effort for a player who averaged almost 40 in his first 20 Tests over four and a half years, but whose last 200 wickets have come at an average of 20.2). By knocking the middle stump out to win a Test match.On reflection, people seemed more excited by those bits of history. For whatever reasons.I am starting to think I may be watching cricket the wrong way.This little Jimmy blew down the house•Getty ImagesA few further Oval reflections:A pre-match flutter on the four centurions all carving their names on the honours board in the second innings of this Test would have brought rich rewards. Perhaps not as rich as a pre-series bet that Alastair Cook (aged 33, fit as a cucumber) would be dismissed in his last ever Test innings caught by Pant (back-up wicketkeeper) off the bowling of Hanuma Vihari (not in the squad, not a bowler), but rich nonetheless.Rahul, who played one of the finest too-little-too-late-but-still-majestically-magnificent innings you could see, had averaged 21.2 in his previous 19 second innings, and Pant had made 1 and 18 in the second innings of his two Tests, dismissed twice in 18 balls. Root had made 12 of his previous 13 Test hundreds in first innings, and failed to convert his last 20 second-innings half-centuries, while Cook, a second-innings statistical titan for much of his career, had declined to such an extent that his last 14 second innings had brought just 150 runs at an average of 10.7 (the second-worst 14-knock second-innings sequence by a top three batsman in Test history, behind only M Vijay’s 139 runs in his last 14), and had just two second-innings hundreds in his last 58 innings (after 12 in his first 71).These were four varying bolts from the statistical blue. Cook had not even scored more than 20 in both innings of a Test in his previous 24 Tests, let alone two scores over 70 (it was his fifth Test with two 70-plus scores, matching Atherton’s England record).His first-innings struggle to 71 was, as with many of his high-value and often-overlooked-in-rightly-glowing-career-retrospectives non-centuries, less celebrated but of immense value to England.Vihari can proudly tell all of his current and future relatives that he took just 26 balls to dismiss a batsman whom Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh were collectively able to extract from the crease only six times in 1082 deliveries, or once every 30 overs.For the fourth time in the past five series between the two teams, England’s spinners have returned a better average than India’s (the exception being the overwhelming tweak supremacy of India in the 2016-17 series, 30.3 to 48.1; England’s slow bowlers had an average advantage of 47.6 to 93.8 in 2011; 28.6 to 40.6 in 2012-13; 23.7 to 44.0 in 2014; and 26.6 to 33.3 this year). India had a spin-average advantage in 11 of the previous 12 series, from 1981-82 to 2008-09 (some more relevant than others – in 1996, India’s spinners took 6 for 439, England’s 1 for 231). The one exception was the 1990 series.The staggering longevity and statistical milestones achieved by Cook and Anderson have been made possible not only by their own talents and dedication to the crafts of cricket, nor simply by the regular secret sacrifices of herds of oxen to Zeus, conducted covertly by the ECB to ensure the fitness of their prized assets, but also by the era of central contracts.Since 2000, England have won more Tests than they have lost in 17 out of 19 summers; they were even (won two lost two) in 2012, and had a losing summer in 2001. From 1984 to 1999, England had a losing record in ten out of 16 summers, were even in 1995 and 1998, and had only four winning home seasons (1985, 1990, 1991 and 1994). Whether this improvement was due to central contracts, which brought a reluctant abandonment of the grand English traditions of flogging bowlers into the ground through an unending county summer and dropping players for fun after a couple of bad matches (or one bad match) (or no bad matches) (or a poorly timed sneeze), or due to English cricketers just much preferring years beginning with 2, we may never know.The improvement away from home has been considerably less marked. Central contracts have brought England six winning winters out of 18, with two even, and ten losing. From 1983-84 to 1999-2000, they had four winning winters, 12 losing, out of 16 (they played no Tests in 1988-89).

Following the news that Kevin De Bruyne is set to depart as a free agent this summer, Manchester City have now been handed a fresh concern by Real Madrid’s reported interest in signing one of Pep Guardiola’s star men.

Guardiola preparing for Man Utd revenge

In what will now go down as De Bruyne’s final Manchester derby, Guardiola and his Manchester City side will be seeking revenge over their rivals after Amad Diallo’s shock last-gasp winner left them on the losing side earlier in the campaign. In what has been a campaign to forget, the Citizens will be hoping to at least compile the misery on Manchester United.

Forget Foden: Pep already has the perfect De Bruyne replacement at Man City

Manchester City will lose Kevin de Bruyne this summer, handing Pep Guardiola a task to replace him.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 4, 2025

Guardiola reiterated that his side are currently in a good place ahead of the chance to earn revenge against their rivals, telling reporters: “Good. The last two games we were good and hopefully we continue in the last eight games in the Premier League and prepare. The people rest and tomorrow we’re going to prepare the game.”

However, the Spaniard’s main focus was on De Bruyne’s announcement and how he will miss the Belgian’s quality, saying in his pre-match press conference: “Sad day. It’s a happy day for the fact of the pleasure that I live this time that I have with him. He gave all of us his humanity and of course his influence in all our success. The last decade would not be possible to imagine without him.”

That said, De Bruyne may not be the only star man that Guardiola is left bidding farewell to this summer, with Real Madrid now readying a shock move to sign one particular Manchester City star.

Real Madrid readying Bernardo Silva move

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are now readying a move to sign Bernardo Silva this summer, with the midfielder keen to leave the Etihad and end an incredibly successful tenure in the Premier League. Like De Bruyne, Silva has played a pivotal part in City’s dominance over the years as a jack of all trades at Guardiola’s disposal.

After a difficult campaign, however, the Portugal international could be among those allowed to leave the club in what would arguably be coming at the right time for all involved.

Once dubbed “irreplaceable” by Guardiola, Silva is now struggling to keep up with the pace of the Premier League and must make way for a much-needed rebuild at Manchester City this summer. And if that means a move to Real Madrid, then not many could argue over whether a player of his success deserves such a move.

India’s chief selector said the move will also help them manage Hardik Pandya’s workload better

S Sudarshanan22-Jul-20241:26

Agarkar: Fitness the reason for choosing Suryakumar over Hardik as T20I captain

The decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain and hand the white-ball vice-captaincy to Shubman Gill was because “the captain should be on the park”, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has explained. In other words, Hardik Pandya’s struggles with his fitness had worked against him.”Why Surya was made the captain, because he is one of the deserving candidates,” Agarkar said at a press conference on Monday in Mumbai. “He’s been around the group over the last year, we get feedback from the dressing room a lot. [He has a] good cricket brain, and [is] one of the best T20 batters in the world.”One of the main issues [discussed] was that you want a captain who’s likely to play all the games. We think he is a deserving candidate and hopefully we’ll see over time how he develops into the role.”Related

• Where does the elevation of Gill and Suryakumar leave Hardik?

• Axar: When the team needs someone to stand up, they bank on me to deliver

• What is the road ahead for Jadeja, Shami, Hardik and Rahul?

• 'Trust, freedom, success' – Gambhir lays out his coaching philosophy

• Gambhir on working with Kohli: 'We are going to be on the same page'

Hardik was India’s vice-captain in the shorter formats till the T20 World Cup 2024, stepping up to lead the team whenever Rohit Sharma was unavailable rested or not available. However, since the start of 2022, Hardik has featured in only 46 of the 79 T20Is India played. He suffered an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup in India last year, and was out of action till the start of IPL 2024. The value of a fully fit Hardik was seen at India’s T20 World Cup win, where he scored 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 and returned 11 wickets at an average of 17.36.Agarkar said the move to not give him additional leadership responsibility will allow the team management to manage his workload better. “We want him to be the player he can be, because those sorts of skillsets are difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years. Then it [appointing Hardik captain and losing him to injury] becomes a bit difficult for the coach as well as the selectors. We have now got a bit more time till the next T20 World Cup where we can look at a few things. He’s an important player and his performances are more important for us.”His fitness is a challenge and we wanted someone who is available more often than not. Surya has the qualities you need to succeed as a captain. Two years is a bit more time to try and look at some things a bit differently. In this way we can manage Hardik better.””Every time you play, your place is on the line. These conversations don’t happen overnight. We’ve discussed them over the last few months, leading up to the World Cup as well. You get feedback from the dressing room as well, and the biggest thing is that the captain should be on the park. It’s a prerequisite really. Hopefully Surya does it and so far, there hasn’t been a concern over his T20 batting anyway.”

Shubman Gill being groomed to be India captain

0:56

Agarkar: ‘Gill shows a lot of qualities that we hear from the dressing room’

Gill got his first taste of top-flight captaincy at IPL 2024 with Gujarat Titans, and then led India on the tour of Zimbabwe earlier this month, where they won the T20I series 4-1. His place in the ODI and Test teams is certain, and, with Rohit’s T20I retirement, he seems to be the preferred opener in the format alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.”Shubman is the guy, we feel. He’s a three-format player, seems to show a lot more qualities over the last year or so that we hear from the dressing room. That’s why we want to have somebody who can learn from the senior guys – Surya in this instance and Rohit, who is still around.”KL [Rahul] hasn’t been part of T20Is now for a little while. You look at some of the feedback that you get, we’ve got a chance to hit the reset button a little bit, we have got a bit more time to plan. When Hardik did get injured, [captaincy] was a challenge at the point when Rohit wasn’t playing. While Rohit was still around, [it] made our life easier – that he could come and lead. We don’t want that situation going forward. We don’t want to face the same challenges where suddenly we have to look around for a captain in case there are injuries or loss of form somewhere.”[Shubman] has shown some decent leadership qualities, and we want to try him to get experiences. There are no guarantees but at this point, that’s the thought.Rishabh Pant made his return to international cricket in the T20 World Cup 2024•Associated Press

Why Pant over Samson for the SL series?

Despite scoring a century in his last ODI – against South Africa – Sanju Samson did not find a spot in the squad for the Sri Lanka tour. Rahul retained his spot as first-choice wicketkeeper after a successful World Cup last year, Rishabh Pant came in as the back-up gloveman, leaving no room for Samson.”Before his unfortunate [car] accident, [Rishabh] has been a key player for us,” Agarkar explained. “KL has been terrific in one-day cricket and had a great World Cup. Unfortunately, someone had to miss out, and in this instance, it was Sanju. These guys will have to keep getting runs and performing otherwise you know there is a quality player waiting. With a big Test season coming up, we feel these two will have a huge role to play. To get Rishabh playing 50 overs will be a step forward, hopefully he’ll build on what he’s done so far.”With Pant only now making his way back in the longer formats, India did not want to burden him with the responsibility of being the vice-captain.”Rishabh’s been out for a long time, we need to get him back playing,” Agarkar said. “He is a key player, hasn’t had a lot of cricket. We’ve seen what he can do in international cricket, he’s won Test series almost off his own bat. We want him back playing, that’s the first thing. We don’t want to burden somebody again who’s coming back after over a year.”0:38

Gambhir: ‘Our responsibility to have Bumrah fresh for important games’

Jadeja has not been dropped

Agarkar also said that Ravindra Jadeja “was not dropped” from the ODI set-up, but was left out to give opportunities to Axar Patel.”It would have been really pointless to take both him and Axar for this short series. We know what Jaddu has done. He’s had a terrific World Cup. All options are open. But there was [a chance that only] one of them would have played all three games if we had taken both. There’s a big Test season coming up where he’s likely to feature in a lot of the Tests. I don’t think three games would have mattered. So, no, [he is] not at all dropped.”Agarkar also made it clear that with Shreyas Iyer, Rahul and Pant back in ODIs, Suryakumar is being looked at as a T20I player for India.

Some Test players likely to play Duleep Trophy

Agarkar said that some of India’s Test players are likely to play the first Duleep Trophy game this season. The Duleep Trophy this season will be held between September 5 and 22 in Anantpur. India are expected to start their home season with a Test series against Bangladesh in mid-September.”We haven’t discussed with Gautam yet – it’s not always easy – but there will certainly be enough players out of that squad that are likely to play the first [Duleep Trophy] game at least,” Agarkar said. “That’s the only game they can really play. We’ll sit down and discuss which guys really need to play. It’s nice for the competition if all your top players come and play. It is not easy with such a packed and long season, tough for the players if they have a week off somewhere to make them play. There will be some in the squad who will play.”Agarkar said that the goal for Mohammed Shami is to get fit in time for India’s home Tests. The fast bowler has not played any cricket since November 2023 and had to undergo ankle surgery later on. He has just started bowling again at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. “There are so many Tests coming up. In India, you don’t play three seamers in the XI but going forward we’ll need some depth and have conversations around it.”

There might still be a chance for Arsenal to end the season with a bang in the Champions League, but that hasn’t stopped the onslaught of transfer rumours in recent weeks.

With the Gunners’ need for attacking reinforcements impossible to ignore, it would be fair to say that Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as one of the most significant links.

It’s not hard to see why the club would be interested in signing the Swedish international, as so far this season, he’s scored a simply sensational 52 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 appearances for Sporting CP.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, another striker from the continent has emerged as a target, a striker who may well be a better signing than Gyokeres.

Arsenal's search for a new striker

A number of strikers, such as Ollie Watkins, have been linked to Arsenal in recent weeks.

The Aston Villa ace was a surprise target for the club towards the end of the winter window and is supposedly available again this summer.

The former Brentford ace may be on the older side of players the club likes to target, but with 16 goals and 13 assists in 50 appearances this term, he’d undoubtedly make the team more dangerous.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

At the other end of the age range, the club continue to be linked with Benjamin Sesko.

The 21-year-old Slovenian international is reportedly available for close to £58m and has bagged 20 goals and provided six assists in 42 appearances this year.

That said, it could be argued that he still lacks enough experience to make it at a club like Arsenal, which couldn’t be said about Jonathan David.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Gunners are one of several teams interested in the Canadian international.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has revealed that Liverpool, Newcastle United and West Ham United are all keen on the striker, who’ll be available for free at the end of the season.

However, Inter Milan appear to be leading the race for his signature as things stand.

It’ll likely be a complicated deal to get done, but given his ability, it’d be more than worth fighting for, especially as he could be a better signing than Gyokeres.

Why David would be a better signing than Gyokeres

So, the first thing to say is that if you were to base this solely off their goal tally, then Gyokeres appears to be the better signing.

However, what is incredibly important to remember here is that while his output is out of this world, the Swede is playing in the Portuguese league, which is ranked as the seventh best in Europe, while Ligue 1, where David plays, is in the top five.

Moreover, while the former Coventry City was in the Championship just a couple of years ago, the Canadian ace was still with LOSC Lille and still tearing it up.

Appearances

48

40

47

46

Goals

19

26

26

25

Assists

0

4

9

11

Goal Involvements*

0.39

0.75

0.74

0.78

For example, since the start of the 21/22 campaign, the 61-capped goal machine, whom journalist Tony Marinaro dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world,” has scored 96 goals and provided 24 assists in just 181 club appearances.

That means that across four seasons of top-flight football in a top-five league, the New York-born star has averaged a goal involvement every 1.50 games – talk about consistency.

Finally, on top of having a more extensive track record, the 25-year-old would make far more sense from a financial perspective, as a lack of transfer fee would free up so much money to be spent elsewhere, either on wingers, midfielders or even another defender.

Ultimately, either Gyokeres or David would be a good signing for Arsenal this summer, but from experience to cost, the Canadian international would be a better one.

He's like Saka & Salah: Arsenal plan talks to sign £55m Ballon d'Or nominee

The free-scoring international could be just what Arsenal need.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 28, 2025

Ademola Lookman has emerged as an option for Napoli as they prepare to add attacking options amid Victor Osimhen’s possible move to Galatasaray.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Napoli view Lookman as a priority targetArsenal also exploring a move for Atalanta winger27-year-old valued at around €50mFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

With a significant cash injection expected from Osimhen heading out the door this summer, the Serie A giants are planning to strengthen both their attacking and wide options, and reports one of the names on their radar is Lookman. The Atalanta winger, who dazzled in the 2024 Europa League final with a hat-trick, is reportedly being lined up as a crucial signing alongside a striker.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lookman's stock has been on high since his legendary hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final. The 27-year-old winger is under contract with Atalanta until 2027 and is currently valued at around €50 million (£43m/$49m).

Napoli are interested in bringing the Nigerian international to fill the void left by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but they aren't alone in the chase. Arsenal have long admired Lookman and are exploring the option to bring him back to the Premier League, while West Ham and Atletico Madrid are also said to be monitoring his situation.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the interest from English clubs, it has been reported that Lookman is not currently interested in a Premier League return, which could give the Serie A giants an edge.

Still, Napoli are keeping other options on the table. If a move for Lookman doesn’t work out, they are reportedly ready to shift their focus to Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Bologna’s Dan Ndoye as backup targets.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LOOKMAN AND NAPOLI?

Napoli may make an official move once Osimhen’s transfer is finalised, but competition for Lookman’s signature is expected to heat up in the coming days. Atletico have reportedly begun early talks with his camp and are willing to meet Atalanta’s asking price. With Arsenal, West Ham, and Napoli all in the race, Lookman’s next move could lead to a bidding war, which is what Atalanta would be hoping for.

Embattled Cricket Scotland board calls for unity as more grievances emerge

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2024

Hamza Tahir played against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup in 2021, but missed out on the 2024 tournament•Getty Images

Cricket Scotland is braced for another bout of legal action from an aggrieved former player after Hamza Tahir, the 28-year-old left-arm spinner, announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. In his retirement statement, Tahir declared that a fellow South Asian player had told him that, to succeed in the Scotland set-up, “you have to perform twice as well”.Tahir, 28, claimed 63 wickets in 48 matches for Scotland, including a best of 5 for 38 against Oman in 2019. However, he was omitted from the squad for the recent T20 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean, having been cut from Cricket Scotland’s list of contracted players in March.In his statement, Tahir declared that “enough is enough”, as he listed the grievances that had brought him to his decision, including a solitary appearance at a major international event, against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup in 2021, and an allegation that a senior coach “used the P word several times” during a national tour in 2020.”This is only a snippet of the obstacles put in place of players of colour,” Hamza said. “In major tournaments such as World Cups I’ve always felt l’ve been held back and not allowed to go and showcase to the world what I can do, and make a name for myself on the world stage.”Tahir’s comments come amid a period of intense turmoil for Cricket Scotland, a body which was found to be institutionally racist two years ago, after complaints by two other former players, Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, prompted an independent review. The entire board resigned on the eve of the publication of the “Changing the Boundaries” report in July 2022, which listed 448 examples of racism and discrimination, of which just five have progressed to disciplinary procedures.In recent weeks, Cricket Scotland has been embroiled in a row with a further former player, John Blain, who claims he was “exonerated” of allegations of racist behaviour after receiving a letter from the former interim CEO, Peter Fitzboydon, in January, but subsequently accused the board of attempting to “rewrite history” in its reappraisal of that position.In a statement, Cricket Scotland reiterated its “utmost sympathy for anyone who has experienced discrimination whilst involved in our sport”, and thanked Tahir for being a “tremendous servant to the Scotland men’s national team”.Trudy Lindblade, Cricket Scotland CEO, added: “I sympathise with those who harbour a feeling of injustice, and we will continue to engage respectfully throughout the mediation process.”The only viable route to common ground is through independent mediation in order to achieve reconciliation. Only then can we speak openly and work together to provide an inclusive sport that we can all be proud of.”Ongoing instability and recrimination, played out in front of the media, will only cause further damage to relationships and reputations, and deepen the wounds that need to heal.”

قدم ليفربول دعمه الفوري لعائلة البرتغالي الراحل ديوجو جوتا، بعد أن ترك خلفه زوجته وأطفالهما الثلاثة عقب مصرعه مع شقيقه أندريه سيلفا في حادث مأساوي.

وسدد ليفربول ما تبقى من عقد ديوجو جوتا مع النادي، وأكد آرني سلوت مدرب الريدز أن النادي دفع مستحقات العامين المتبقيين من عقد جوتا لعائلته.

وقال سلوت في تصريحات نشرتها “تي إن تي سبورتس”: “ينتقد ملاك الأندية بشكل رئيسي مثلهم مثل المدربين، لكن طريقة تعاملهم مع هذا الوضع، بدفع مستحقات العقد لزوجته وأطفاله أمر جدير بالثناء”.

وأضاف: “ربما يظن الناس أن هذا أمر طبيعي لكنه ليس كذلك في كرة القدم”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. ليوني يوجه رسالة لجماهير ليفربول بعد إصابته بالرباط الصليبي

ويبدو أن القيمة الدقيقة في عقد جوتا غير معروفة ولكن يعتقد بأن اللاعب صاحب الـ28 عاماً يتقاضى ما يزيد عن 100 ألف جنيه إسترليني أسبوعياً، ولذلك فإنه لن يتقاضى أقل من 10 ملايين جنيه إسترليني.

وكان توم فيرنر رئيس مجلس إدارة ليفربول والشريك في ملكية النادي من مجموعة “فينواي الرياضية” قد ألمح لدعم عائلة ديوجو جوتا وأنه حدث تواصل فورًا مع أرملته وتأكيد أنهم عائلة واحدة.

With rumours continuing to arrive around Bruno Fernandes’ future, INEOS are now reportedly readying a big-money move to sign a £67m star who could eventually succeed their captain at Manchester United this summer.

Bruno Fernandes concern still lurking

Where Manchester United would be without Fernandes is a scary thought, given that with their captain they’ve fallen as low as 16th in the Premier League. But it’s a reality that they may be forced to live out this summer amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

In a squad full of struggling players, it is Fernandes who has been at the centre of anything good during Ruben Amorim’s six-month stint. Even as those around him have struggled, the Portugal international has managed a stunning 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions. Take those 38 goal involvements away and the worst-case scenario would become all too realistic for the Red Devils.

With that said, Amorim has made his stance as clear as anything when it comes to Fernandes’ potential departure, recently telling reporters: “Our idea didn’t change. We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.

Amorim now personally driving Man Utd move to sign £80m+ Carrick-esque star

Amorim is reportedly a huge fan.

ByTom Cunningham May 15, 2025

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here. It’s normal a lot of clubs want a player like Bruno. He is a leader and he’s the captain, so he’s really important. He is a top player, we need top players.”

Man Utd readying Sancet move

Amorim’s stance has not stopped those at Old Trafford from preparing for the worst, however. According to reports in Spain, INEOS are now readying a big-money move to sign Oihan Sancet, who has a release clause worth as much as €80m (£67m) at Athletic Bilbao. The deal, therefore, certainly wouldn’t come cheap, but Sancet’s talent is undeniable nonetheless.

Starts

18

33

Goals

15

8

Assists

1

9

Key Passes

19

88

With 15 goals to his name in just 18 La Liga starts this season, Sancet is one of few box-crashing midfielders who could replace Fernandes’ goalscoring touch at Old Trafford, albeit whilst lacking the same creative output.

Amorim’s system could be a perfect fit for the Bilbao star too, with his 3-4-2-1 system operating with two No.10 roles. Sancet would, of course, seamlessly slot into one of those roles, but it’s hard not to imagine the partnership that Manchester United could form if they sign the Spaniard and keep hold of Fernandes this summer.

Dubbed “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Sancet could finally find his place in the spotlight by completing a move to Old Trafford in the coming months.