Scenarios: What Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Netherlands and Scotland need to do to qualify for 2023 World Cup

Sri Lanka ahead in race, Zimbabwe need a win, Scotland and Netherlands face a steeper road

S Rajesh01-Jul-2023

Sri Lanka beat Netherlands in their Super Six fixture•ICC/Getty Images

Sri Lanka
A win against Zimbabwe on Sunday will ensure qualification for Sri Lanka as only one out of Zimbabwe or Scotland can reach eight points, as they are playing against each other. Even if Sri Lanka lose to Zimbabwe, they can still qualify if they beat West Indies in their last match on July 7. Zimbabwe and Scotland can also finish on eight points, but Sri Lanka should go through, given their excellent net run rate of 1.832.However, if Sri Lanka lose both their matches, then they can be knocked out, as Zimbabwe and Scotland can both finish above them on eight.Related

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Zimbabwe
Like Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe have taken all the points on offer from their three games so far, but their run rate isn’t as high as Sri Lanka, which leaves them more susceptible on NRR. For instance, even if they beat Sri Lanka, a defeat to Scotland could leave Zimbabwe in danger of missing out if Scotland win their last match and finish on eight, and if Sri Lanka beat West Indies.Zimbabwe’s NRR is currently 0.752, but if they beat Sri Lanka by a run and lose to Scotland by 40 (with first-innings scores of 300), then their net run rate will drop to 0.281, which can be overhauled by Scotland. However, if they beat Scotland on Tuesday, then they will qualify for sure, regardless of the result against Sri Lanka on Sunday.Scotland
Scotland have kept themselves in the hunt with the convincing win against West Indies. Not only have they added two points to their tally, but they have also improved their NRR to 0.188. Wins in their last two games will lift them to eight points, which will ensure qualification if Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe on Sunday. If Zimbabwe win that game, then all three teams could finish on eight, bringing run rates into play.Their next game, against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, is a must-win for them. A defeat will mean they can’t catch up with Zimbabwe on points, and Sri Lanka will almost certainly finish higher on NRR even if they lose both and stay on six points.Netherlands
Netherlands need to win both their games by fairly significant margins and finish on six points and then hope that several other results go their way. Their best bet will be for Sri Lanka to qualify, and for the second place to be a three-way battle among them, Zimbabwe and Scotland.To give an idea of result margins involved, if Netherlands win their last two games by a combined margin of 90 runs, and if Zimbabwe lose their last two by the same combined margin (with first-innings scores of 250), then Netherlands will sneak ahead of Zimbabwe on NRR.

Bigger talent than Guehi & Huijsen: Liverpool now eyeing "immense" £43m star

Liverpool are set to be in the market to add a new central defender to their squad after adding Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez to the group.

Wirtz and Frimpong have already been confirmed as new signings, both joining from Bayer Leverkusen, whilst Kerkez is reportedly on the verge of a move to Anfield.

Florian Wirtz

The Premier League champions will then need to find another centre-back to compete for a place in the team, because Jarell Quansah is set to move on from Merseyside.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a deal worth an initial £30m to sign the England U21 international from the Reds this summer.

Quansah was the third centre-back for Arne Slot during the 2024/25 campaign, behind Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, which means that the club will need to find another player to fill that slot.

Liverpool have already missed out on one centre-back they were reportedly interested in, though, as Real Madrid snapped up Dean Huijsen earlier this summer.

Why missing out on Dean Huijsen was a blow for Liverpool

It was reported in May that Liverpool were preparing to make a bid to sign the Spain international from Bournemouth, but Real Madrid swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £50m.

AFC Bournemouth's DeanHuijsen

Missing out on a deal for the 20-year-old defender was a blow for the Reds because he is a proven Premier League performer who could have hit the ground running at Anfield, having already showcased his quality in the division for the Cherries.

Huijsen started 26 of his 32 appearances for Bournemouth in the top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign, and his performances were impressive enough to earn a £50m transfer to the Bernabeu.

Progressive passes

4.89

Top 15%

Progressive carries

1.52

Top 9%

Interceptions

1.89

Top 4%

Blocks

1.48

Top 31%

Clearances

7.34

Top 4%

Aerial duels won

2.52

Top 23%

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish titan combined progressive play in possession with solid defensive work, as shown by how highly he ranked against his positional peers.

This further emphasises how much of a blow it was to miss out on the young centre-back, as he could have been a standout performer for Liverpool if he could carry that form over to Anfield.

Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.

The Reds could, however, land an even bigger talent than Huijsen as they are now eyeing up a very talented teenage central defender as a potential signing.

Liverpool eyeing up Ajax star

According to the Athletic, the Premier League champions are mainly interested in a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi to replace Quansah before the end of the summer transfer window.

However, the report claims that the Reds will only press ahead with a move for the England international if the Eagles, who won the FA Cup this season, quote a reasonable asking price for him.

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The Athletic, therefore, adds that Liverpool are looking at alternative options to Guehi, and Ajax central defender Jorrel Hato has emerged as a target for the club.

It was previously reported by FootballTransfers that Ajax value the centre-back at a fee of around £43m, and that fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also keen on the Dutchman.

Slot should, now, push for Liverpool to secure a deal to sign Hato this summer because he is an even bigger centre-back talent than both Guehi and Huijsen.

Why Hato is a bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen

The 19-year-old star’s progress with Ajax at an incredibly young age suggests that he has huge potential and could go on to be a top centre-back in the future.

Hato, despite not turning 20 until March 2026, has played a staggering 111 first-team matches for the Dutch giants. Huijsen, for reference, has only played 53 career games at the age of 20, whilst Guehi had played just 26 matches by the age of 19, and 71 games by the age of 20.

This suggests that the Dutch starlet is a bigger talent at his age than Huijsen and Guehi were, because he played more than twice as many games as the Spaniard and over four times as many matches as the Englishman at the same age.

Hato has also captained Ajax several times, at the ages of just 17 and 18, which suggests that he can bring leadership qualities at a very young age, just as Guehi, who is Palace’s captain, can.

Appearances

31

34

Goals

2

3

Assists

6

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.6

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.5x

Ground duel success rate

51%

63%

Aerial duel success rate

55%

54%

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old starlet also matched up well against Guehi at league level this season, despite being five years younger than the Eagles star, as he won a higher percentage of his ground duels and was dribbled past less frequently.

Hato, who was hailed as “immense” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also provides positional flexibility, as he has played 70 games or more as both a centre-back and a left-back.

Whereas Guehi has never played more than two matches away from a centre-back role, and Huijsen has never played any other position other than centre-back in his career.

This means that the Ajax titan would offer far more versatility to Slot, due to his ability to play at left-back, as well as the defensive and leadership qualities that he can offer.

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Overall, Liverpool could land an even bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen because of what Hato has already achieved in his career at such a young age, and the quality that he can provide in the here and now.

This is cricket, USA: Zampa's #420 and Allen's bizarre run out highlight first week of MLC

Anderson winds back the clock and de Kock impresses with the gloves as a sell-out Texas crowd welcomes the league

Ashish Pant17-Jul-2023The firsts…Lockie Ferguson nabbed MLC’s first-ever wicket, off his first ball no less, getting rid of Faf du Plessis for a golden duck. But fittingly, it was Ali Khan, perhaps the most recognisable American star and a Texas local, who delivered the first ball of the tournament. It did not take him long to feature in the wickets column either as he took out Lahiru Milantha, but not before the batter smashed the first six of the competition. Devon Conway hit the first four and became the first man to notch up a fifty in MLC, much to the delight of the local TSK fans, of whom there were plenty on the opening night.Related

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Anderson winds back the clock, gets back-up from ShadabCorey Anderson has a habit of announcing himself in style. Not many can forget his maiden ODI ton when he broke a 17-year-old record for the fastest century in the format’s history. The former New Zealand international, who is now vying for a place in the USA national team, got his MLC career going in style against MI New York, a franchise he has been a part of in the IPL previously.Corey Anderson’s unbeaten 91 was too hot for MI New York•MLCWith San Francisco Unicorns struggling at 22 for 3, which soon became 50 for 4 in seven overs, Anderson was at it from the get-go and found an ally in Shadab Khan. The duo added a 58-ball 129 for the fifth wicket to take SF to 215 for 5, the only 200-plus total so far in MLC. Anderson made an unbeaten 91 off 52, his innings laced with four fours and seven sixes, while Shadab hammered 61 off 30, with four fours and five sixes. MI NY could only manage 193 for 5. Allen slouches, de Kock stunsQuinton de Kock hasn’t fired with the bat yet, but the same can’t be said about his wicketkeeping. He plucked a hat-trick of catches in the 18th over of Seattle’s game against SF, the highlight being the final take which helped his side continue their spotless record. Cameron Gannon got a back-of-a-length ball to rise up sharply at SF’s No.11 Carmi le Roux, who fended at it and seemed to get enough bat to clear de Kock. But the wicketkeeper flung to his right, one-handed with the ball almost behind him to complete a stunning take.Finn Allen made the highlight reel as well, though for entirely different reasons. Chasing 178, SF were off to a flyer, reaching 41 in three overs, thanks largely to Allen taking down Wayne Parnell for 22 in the third over. A couple of balls into the fourth, he tucked a Gannon back-of-a-length ball to the right of midwicket, only to amble across what he felt was an easy run. But Shehan Jayasuriya sensed a chance as he swooped across and fired a throw at the non-striker’s end. Allen was caught off-guard and in response, tried to plonk his bat in, only for it to stick into the turf. The ball hit the stumps and Allen was sent packing. SF’s chase continued to slide thereon.

San Francisco’s high, LAKR’s lowWhile SF slammed the highest score of the tournament in week one, LAKR’s batting remained below par in both games. In the opening fixture, they were bowled out for 112 chasing TSK’s 182, while on Sunday, in pursuit of 156 against MI NY, they were knocked out for 50.On a sluggish surface, none of the batters found themselves at ease with only Unmukt Chand reaching double-figures and accounting for more than half of the team’s runs. MI NY used five bowlers and each of them picked up two wickets to bowl LAKR out in 13.5 overs. LAKR now have the two lowest scores in the competition so far.#420Players choosing unorthodox numbers at the back of their shirts is not uncommon, but Adam Zampa’s 420 has piqued some interest. While he sports the number 63 while playing for Australia, he did wear 420 on the back of his shirt earlier this year at the ILT20. Why he has chosen the number is anyone’s guess. If the cool shades weren’t enough, the number has certainly gotten people talking.Adam Zampa brings the #420 to USA•SportzpicsDomestic watch: Harmeet and KenjigeWhile the sample size is small, Harmeet Singh and Nosthush Kenjige were the standout domestic performers. Harmeet, the former India U-19 star, who has now moved to the USA, picked up three wickets in two games at an economy rate of just 4.87. He held one end up and was a key component in both of Seattle’s wins.Kenjige, part of the ODI World Cup Qualifiers recently, played just one game but left a huge mark. Turning out in MI NY’s second outing against LAKR, the left-arm spinner opened the bowling and trapped Martin Guptill with his third ball. He returned after the powerplay and immediately removed Jaskaran Malhotra to finish with figures of 3-0-7-2 on MLC debut.

'That was the turning point of the game' – Tahir toasts 100th CPL wicket

The Amazon Warriors captain is only the third player to the landmark after Bravo and Narine

Deivarayan Muthu22-Sep-2024In his seventh season – and second as captain – at Guyana Amazon Warriors, Imran Tahir, now the oldest player in the CPL at 45, became the first overseas bowler to take 100 wickets in the league. Tahir reached the milestone when he had Antigua and Barbuda Falcons’ Hassan Khan holing out to Gudakesh Motie right at the edge of the midwicket boundary in Amazon Warriors’ successful defence of 135 on a Providence turner.Tahir cherished the landmark, saying it was a game-changing moment. When Hassan, who is adept at playing spin, holed out for 10 off 12 balls, Falcons were reduced to 41 for 3 in the eighth over and were eventually bowled out for 108.”I think he [Motie] took a really good catch,” Tahir said after Amazon Warriors secured their spot in the playoffs. “I was quite pleased because Hassan is very dangerous and can play spin really well, so getting him out at that time was really crucial for the team. I am just glad it came off and it was a totally great effort from Motie. For me, that was the turning point to get back into the game.”After Motie completed the catch, Tahir set off on a signature celebratory sprint and even mimicked Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siuuu’ celebration. In his next over, Tahir trapped Kofi James with another slider, for 27 off 23 balls.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt was not a popular move when Tahir, 44 then, was named captain of Amazon Warriors last season, but he led the team to their first title. Continuing as captain, Tahir faced a stumbling block this time when he was injured midway through the season, but he returned to action and marshalled Amazon Warriors into the playoffs once again.”I just wanna be really grateful to Guyana for giving me the opportunity over the years to come and play here in this beautiful country,” he said. “Look, it’s a personal achievement [100 CPL wickets] but I hope my achievement includes whatever I’ve helped for the team and that’s what I look to do always. It’s a very good milestone and I’m very pleased.”Tahir also credited Moeen Ali for his calculated 42 off 33 balls, which propped Amazon Warriors up to 135 for 7 from 85 for 5. While Moeen was circumspect against Chris Green’s offspin, he lined up left-arm fingerspinner Imad Wasim for an electric sequence of 4, 6, 6, 6, 0, 4 in the 19th over.Related

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Amazon Warriors’ batters have been particularly good at acing their match-ups this season. For instance, when they met Falcons in North Sound earlier this season, Romario Shepherd played out Fabian Allen and Shamar Springer, who has quite a few slower variations in his repertoire, and instead smashed Mohammad Amir for 15 off five balls.”We knew it was going to be difficult from the start,” Tahir said. “I think we wanted to have a better powerplay, to be honest, but I still think we were okay because we didn’t lose a lot of wickets. It’s actually totally different than last year – it’s quite tough for the batters to adjust themselves. I think Moeen played really, really well.”Obviously, he had a chance, but then, I think, he capitalised on that all the way and he was incredible. One over changed the game. We were still thinking we could have done better but we knew 135-140 we can defend as a bowling unit.”The Providence has been a fortress for Amazon Warriors: their win-loss ratio of 1.71 at this venue is the best among all teams at home in the CPL. While Amazon Warriors have always had a deep and varied spin attack, which suited these conditions, Tahir attributed their sustained success at home to the Guyana crowd.”The support we get here from people,” Tahir said, “they are always here every single game and it’s sold out. As a professional sportsman, you want to play somewhere where you really enjoy and that’s what we felt over the years. I’ve been very lucky to be part of this franchise for the last seven years. It’s been incredible and that’s the only thing I can think of. The skills are there and obviously you’ve done your homework, hard work, this and that, but I think it’s the support and I just want to thank all the people in Guyana and all over [the world] where Guyanese people are. It’s incredible and we love playing here.”Jewel Andrew, 17, is among the positives for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in CPL 2024•CPL T20 via Getty Images’Shoulda, coulda, woulda’ – Falcons captain Green reflects on the seasonAfter Falcons suffered a group-stage exit in their first CPL season, their captain Green was left with a tantalising thought: what might have been. With Brandon King injured at the start of the tournament, Green took as captain and oversaw four home defeats in five matches in North Sound. Though Falcons did the double over the mighty Trinbago Knight Riders, they had already fallen out of the playoffs race.”It [captaincy] was a good challenge,” Green said. “I found out at the very last minute that I would be doing it in Antigua. Fortunately, I’ve got some really good people around me in my team. We had so much fun together and we had some really close losses unfortunately in those first two games and reflection on the season: shoulda, coulda, woulda. We showed glimpses of what we could do at times and then we were really poor at times and probably our fielding let us down and lack of big runs let us down as well throughout the tournament.”Green, however, was buoyed by the emergence of Jewel Andrew, the youngest player to ever feature in the CPL, and the re-emergence of Justin Greaves and Shamar Springer.”You look at some individual performances. Justin Greaves coming in and opening the batting and having the tournament he did,” Green said. “Shamar Springer, another one with the ball, and unfortunately he was injured. I’d have loved to see him get up the wickets column and finish a great tournament that he deserved. And then the youngster – Jewel Andrew how he started in the tournament and it’s a pity he didn’t play in the back end as well but at 17 years of age to come out and play the way he did. That’s three off the top of my head. Just outstanding individual performances throughout the tournament and they have got bright futures ahead of them along with other guys in the team.”

BCB set to meet new sports head as calls for reform grow louder

ICC to participating boards: “Contingency host options within the Asian region are being considered – tournament dates to remain the same”

Mohammad Isam10-Aug-2024Representatives of the BCB are likely to meet Asif Mahmud, the youth and sports adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, on Sunday to discuss the upcoming women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the country in October. The bigger talking points in Dhaka’s cricketing circles, however, is who among the main officials will remain in the BCB, and whether the new government will reform the board, too.Many in Dhaka believe that, as in 2007, the interim government could appoint an ad-hoc committee to run the BCB. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC will accept such a body as long as there is no direct government interference, especially if elections are held later on. The ICC will not interfere until that point. If, however, there is fear of government interference, the ICC will investigate the issue and take a stance. The ICC board had recently suspended Sri Lanka Cricket, from November 2023 to January 2024, because of government interference in its functioning.In case a new board is put in place, the ICC will ask the BCB to appoint a representative to attend all ICC meetings. When a committee of administrators appointed by the Supreme Court of India took over the BCCI’s administration some years ago, the CEO attended ICC meetings on the BCCI’s behalf.’Contingency host options within Asia being considered’

On Saturday, the ICC sent a mail to the boards of the teams participating at the women’s World Cup, saying, “The ICC is continuing to monitor the situation in Bangladesh and is working closely with BCB. Contingency host options within the Asian region are being considered. In case it is not possible to stage the event in Bangladesh, ICC will be in contact with the Board should the question of relocation need to be considered.”
The ICC has also said that the tournament dates will remain the same.

Currently, the BCB headquarters in Mirpur is mostly functional, with its employees running the show. The BCB’s chief executive, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, is in charge, but board directors including president Nazmul Hassan haven’t showed up since August 5, when prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, effectively ending the 15-year rule of her party, the Awami League. Several of the BCB’s directors have direct or indirect affiliations with the Awami League.The BCB, however, cannot function properly without its board of directors, especially with an ICC event looming. Speaking anonymously to ESPNcricinfo, a BCB director said very few of his colleagues are expected to show up in the coming days.”The BCB is an elected body but if there’s any directive from the government about a change in the BCB, we have to accept it,” he said. “I don’t think many directors will appear in the BCB. If a meeting is called, the number could be five or eight [out of 24].”Related

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Another board director, also requesting anonymity, said the main concern was the women’s T20 World Cup. “The BCB board is still there. We will hopefully get a guideline from the government, possibly tomorrow, when the board is supposed to meet the new sports adviser. We are not worried about ourselves but we have a few events coming up, like the World Cup.”Hosting the tournament could be problematic if the ICC wants a security guarantee from Bangladesh right away. The interim government took oath on August 8, and while the police force is not fully functional, many are hoping it will be up and running soon.BCB directors ‘had their own agendas’While the World Cup is a short-term issue, there are bigger problems in Bangladesh cricket that have remained unanswered for a decade and a half. Bangladesh remain a low-to-mid-table team in men’s cricket and have enjoyed very little success at major ICC events. Their only major success was the Under-19 World Cup win in 2020. The men’s team failed to win any of its Super Eight matches at the recent T20 World Cup, and won just two of its nine matches at last year’s ODI World Cup.Anti-government protestors display Bangladesh’s national flag after storming prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s residence•AFP/Getty ImagesSenior coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who is known as the guru of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal and several other leading Bangladesh cricketers, feels the BCB directors have deserted the country’s cricket at a critical time.”If they were true servants of cricket, they would be here. I don’t think they were serving cricket,” he said. “They had their own agendas, which they tried to implement. We have seen what they did to cricket, whether it is club cricket or BPL. They have spoiled the whole thing.”BCB is not a disciplined organisation. I have seen it from up close. BCB never made the best use of its opportunities. Some made intentional mistakes. We have to reduce the indiscipline within the BCB. Only then we can tackle every crisis.”The buck stops with the leadership. If that was fine, the rest sits in place. If we are going to talk about reform, we have to think about ICC’s governance policy. We want a BCB whose vision will allow us to dream big. There has to be transparency and accountability. We have a lot of people who can do this.”Fahim is one of several high-profile voices, including former national players Mohammad Ashraful and Imrul Kayes, who want change in the BCB. There is growing consensus among fans, too, that the BCB must fall in line with the new government’s mandate for reform.

It's not Wirtz: Liverpool could sign best forward since Salah in £126m star

Mohamed Salah is a player who’s exceeded all expectations at Liverpool Football Club, taking the club to new heights in the eight years he’s spent at the club.

The Egyptian joined the Reds in a £34m deal from Roma back in the summer of 2017 and has since registered over 400 appearances, breaking all sorts of records along the way.

He notched a total of 29 goals and 18 assists in his 38 Premier League outings, matching the record for the most combined goal contributions – highlighting his impact within the final third.

Liverpool's MohamedSalahreacts after conceding their second goal

The 2024/25 campaign was the fourth time the 32-year-old had claimed the division’s Golden Boot award, with his efforts undoubtedly leading Arne Slot’s side to title glory.

However, many other attackers on the books have struggled to make a similar impact at Anfield, with the manager needing to delve into the transfer market as a result.

Liverpool’s deals to land new attackers over recent years

The likes of Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz have all been signed by Liverpool in the last couple of seasons, costing a pretty penny in the process.

The trio have set the hierarchy back around £180m, but have struggled to deliver to the same level as Salah – scoring just 28 between them, lower than the Egyptian managed alone.

All three of the players have been linked with a switch away from Merseyside over the summer months, showcasing how much they’ve struggled to deliver on a consistent basis.

Saudi Arabia, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been touted as possible destinations for the current Reds attackers, but it’s unclear if the hierarchy would be willing to allow them all to leave.

However, if they were to leave the club, it would provide vital funds for Slot to land targets he wants to improve the side, leading to noise about potential additions.

The player who could be Liverpool’s best attacker since Salah

In recent days, Florian Wirtz has been labelled as a potential addition for Liverpool, with talks already being held to land the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

Bayer Leverkusen's FlorianWirtzreacts

The Bayer Leverkusen star has impressed throughout 2024/25, registering 30 combined goals and assists, with Bayern Munich also interested in his signature this summer.

However, it’s been claimed that the youngster only wants a switch to Anfield this summer, potentially linking up with current teammate Jeremie Frimpong in the process.

Despite the links to Wirtz, the Reds have also been linked with a move for Atlético Madrid’s Julian Alvarez over the last few weeks, with a real emphasis on improving the club’s front line.

The Argentine has also impressed massively this campaign, registering 36 combined goals and assists, offering a versatile option that can play right across Slot’s frontline.

Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez

He only joined the LaLiga outfit from Manchester City last summer, but could be on the move again, should any side agree to pay his lofty £126m release clause during the off-season.

Alvarez, who’s been labelled a “monster” by one journalist, has enjoyed the best year of his career, helping Diego Simeone’s side register a third-placed finish in Spain’s top-flight.

Games played

37

35

30

36

31

Goals & assists

23

14

7

18

22

Goals per 90

0.6

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

Shot-on-target accuracy

51%

38%

38%

42%

47%

Shots on target per game

1.3

1

1

1.1

1.2

Take-on success

52%

50%

34%

45%

49%

Aerials won

40%

39%

37%

25%

20%

When delving into his underlying stats, he’s outperformed current Liverpool stars Gakpo, Diaz and Nunez, whilst also being a better option than Wirtz for the Reds.

He’s registered the most combined goal contributions, handing Slot the added dimension in attacking areas to give the side the best chance of retaining their title.

Alvarez has also managed a higher shot on target rate than the quartet, showcasing the clinical edge that he could provide the squad in 2025/26 should he complete a switch to Merseyside.

The £105m fee mooted for his services is certainly a huge investment, but one that could allow him to follow in the footsteps of Salah and become a fan-favourite under Slot.

alvarez-atletico-madrid

If he gets anywhere near close to the levels produced by the Egyptian, he will be a sensational signing, one that would allow Slot to have another deadly attacker at his disposal ahead of next season.

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Gambhir: 'I would love to coach the Indian team'

Gambhir says there is “no bigger honour”, but it’s not clear yet if he has applied for the job

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2024Gautam Gambhir “would love to coach India” if he is given the opportunity.Gambhir, fresh from playing a key role – as mentor – in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) run to the IPL 2024 title, has been contacted by the BCCI for the job after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ends following the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup, though it’s not confirmed whether he has applied for it. The deadline was May 27, a day after the IPL final.”Look, I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team,” Gambhir said during an interaction with children at an event in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. “You are representing 140 crore Indians. And more across the globe as well. And when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that?”Related

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'GG has not just been a mentor, he's been a leader in every department'

Gambhir: 'Creating hype' around young players will 'backfire'

It was in response to a question, where a youngster also asked Gambhir how he would help India win a World Cup.”How can I help India win the World Cup – I think it’s not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians that will help India win the World Cup,” Gambhir said. “If everyone starts praying for us, and we start playing and representing them, India will win the World Cup. The most important thing is to be fearless and yes, I would love to coach India.”Dravid, it is learned, has communicated to the BCCI his decision not to seek another tenure. VVS Laxman, who had been expected to succeed Dravid, had made himself unavailable last year due to personal reasons.Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, had hinted that the board wants an Indian to get the job, and is in the process of “identifying individuals who possess a deep understanding of the Indian cricket structure and have risen through the ranks”.Gambhir will have to leave his job at KKR if he ends up as the new India coach due to the BCCI’s conflict of interest rules. He recently told that he wanted to continue working with KKR to make them the most successful IPL franchise in history.Gambhir, 42, has no experience of coaching at international or domestic level, but has been a mentor at two IPL teams: Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022 and 2023 – they qualified for the playoffs both times – and KKR in 2024.During a stellar international career, Gambhir was an important part of India’s T20 World Cup win in 2007 and the ODI World Cup win in 2011. He also captained KKR for seven IPL seasons, from 2011 to 2017, during which they won two IPL titles, in 2012 and 2014.

Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal submit opening £1m+ offer for "exceptional" gem

Arsenal have now submitted an opening offer for an “exceptional” young player, and they’ve had a response, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Gunners set sights on new goalkeeper

After initially usurping Aaron Ramsdale in the starting XI, David Raya has established himself as a key player for the Gunners, making 36 appearances in the Premier League this season, but there are signs that Mikel Arteta has now started looking at bringing in a long-term heir.

Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia is among the main targets, with the north Londoners recently holding talks over a deal for the Spaniard, who would prefer a move to the Emirates Stadium ahead of signing for Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Garcia has been a target for quite some time, having initially agreed to join Arteta’s side last year, and while they seem well-positioned to get a deal for the Spaniard over the line, Romano has now revealed that a move has been made for a different goalkeeper.

Arteta's a fan: Arsenal racing to sign "entertaining" Hazard-esque maestro

The Gunners have set their sights on a midfielder, who has been likened to former Chelsea star Eden Hazard.

By
Dominic Lund

May 11, 2025

In a recent update on X, the transfer expert stated that Arsenal have now submitted an opening offer of £1.25m for Chelsea goalkeeper Freddy Bernal, but the Blues were not convinced by their rivals’ proposal.

The Gunners’ rivals have knocked back the bid, given their eagerness to keep hold of Bernal, who is clearly impressing for the Blues at youth level, having also attracted the attention of several other unnamed clubs.

Arsenal’s remaining Premier League fixtures

Date

Newcastle United (h)

May 18th

Southampton (a)

May 25th

"Exceptional" Bernal catching the eye at youth level

Given that he is just 16-years-old, the Chelsea ace is likely to be some way off a first Premier League start, but he has caught the eye with his performances for the U18s, having been lauded for his “exceptional distribution” by scout Felix Johnston earlier this season.

The youngster was also the only Chelsea youngster to be named in the England U17 squad earlier in the campaign, highlighting his potential, so it is little wonder the Gunners are keen on taking him to north London.

That said, with the Blues knocking back Arsenal’s offer, it seems unlikely they will be able to prise the teenager away from their London rivals, and Garcia could well be a preferable option, considering the 24-year-old is already proven at a much higher level.

The Espanyol star made 35 appearances in La Liga last season, during which time he caught the eye of football scout Ben Mattinson, who appeared to suggest he could be the perfect heir for Raya, given the similarities in their play-styles.

'Best chance' for 'babies' South Africa to win World Cup – van Niekerk

‘We’ve got the best team we’ve picked in a very long time, but anything can happen in a semi-final,” she said

Annesha Ghosh in Sydney04-Mar-2020After a heartbreak in a final-ball thriller in the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final and a group-stage exit in the 2018 T20 World Cup, South Africa are faced with a moment of truth again. A team that for long has exuded promise on paper but come up short at vital phases, must now make the most of the “best chance” they’ve had in recent memory of winning a maiden T20 World Cup.”We’ve said from the start that this is the best chance South Africa has ever had to win a World Cup,” an emotionally charged Dane van Niekerk said on the eve of their semi-final against hosts and defending champions Australia.”We’ve got the best team we’ve picked in a very long time. It’s a semi-final; anything can happen. What happens on the day, we’re going to focus on what we do well and forget about the records. It doesn’t matter in a high pressure game like tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get one up on them for the first time in, I guess, forever.”South Africa will play in the semi-finals for just the second time in seven editions, on the back of topping Group B with three straight wins, including against last edition’s runners-up England. In contrast, Australia have not had it straightforward in the tournament, losing to India and doing just enough to avert a disastrous defeat against Sri Lanka.The odds might favour the visitors, but with uncertainty around the match-fitness of their star allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who is battling a respiratory tract infection, and given the pedigree of the opponents, van Niekerk is well aware that “babies” South Africa will need to put their best foot forward to qualify for the final at the MCG on Sunday.”It will probably be up there with one of the toughest games we’ve had,” van Niekerk said. “Australia have been in so many semi-finals and finals. We are babies compared to them when it comes to the experience.”It’s probably up there as one of the toughest games and one of the most competitive that we’ll be part of, bar the England game. The England game was quite competitive and stressful. We’re just excited to get out there – we just want to show the world what we’re made of as a South African cricket team.”South Africa’s standout performers in the league stage have come from both the bowling and batting departments. Opener Lizelle Lee clubbed a century against Thailand, young batter Laura Wolvaardt struck a fifty against Pakistan, Shabnim Ismail has often pegged the opposition back in their pursuit with her tight lines and pace, while spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba has also been penetrative with the new ball.The onus of orchestrating Australia’s undoing at the SCG rests, though, to a great extent on lesgpin-bowling allrounder van Niekerk and Kapp, given their familiarity with Australia and local conditions as members of the WBBL franchise, Sydney Sixers.

We don’t want the heartache of 2017 again. It was very tough for a lot of the players and management, we’re definitely going to do everything we can tomorrow to make sure we don’t have that feeling again

“Mentally, it’s a personal mindset shift,” van Niekerk said. “We’ve spoken a lot about how the Big Bash and the Super Leagues have helped a lot, you start to play against and with the best players in the world and you stop doubting yourself as a cricketer.”It’s very easy to not be in the big three in the world and think that if you don’t play for Australia or England that you’re not good enough. But when you start playing with and against them, you see that your skill holds up really well against those big names. We’ve got record-breakers within our side as well, the Big Bash has helped with confidence as individuals.”We have fond memories and love playing at the SCG, it’s our home away from home. I have to stay true to South Africa but this is probably my second favourite ground in the world. It’s given us a lot of good memories with the Sixers, we understand the deck better than people who haven’t played here.”We understand the ground and it helps in our favour. I thanked Cricket Australia and the Sixers – they helped us a lot with a lot of inside information bringing us over for the Big Bash.”All factors considered, the strongest driving force towards vying for nothing short of a win on Thursday, in van Niekerk’s view, remained as much the prospect of a glorious future for South African cricket as the hurt of heartbreaks that mired their past.”I think about 2014 – we were shell-shocked that we got into the semi-finals,” said van Niekerk. “You go there wanting to do well in a tournament, but it’s different to say you’re going to come and win a World Cup. I don’t think we quite understood then what it meant mentally, physically. We’ve been on tour 54 days already, it’s not as if we’ve just come over here and are on a 20-day tour.”We’ve played the most international cricket out of everyone, it just shows the preparation and learning how to go about it. That’s helped us a lot in this World Cup. We don’t want the heartache of 2017 again. It was very tough for a lot of the players and management, we’re definitely going to do everything we can tomorrow to make sure we don’t have that feeling again.”

Chelsea told they may sign "incredible" Ballon d'Or contender for £80m fee

Chelsea are huge admirers of an “incredible” Ballon d’Or contender, and they have now been informed they may be able to sign him for a fee of £80m this summer, according to a report.

Blues keen to strengthen in attack

BlueCo have spent heavily to strengthen Chelsea’s attack since their arrival at Stamford Bridge, but after some concerning performances over the past few weeks, it is looking increasingly likely at least one new forward will be brought in this summer.

A striker is of particular interest, given Nicolas Jackson’s struggles in front of goal, and a £60m offer is now being prepared for Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy, while they are also in talks to sign Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

It would be fair to say Enzo Maresca’s side have also lacked a creative spark in recent weeks, failing to score in away trips to Arsenal and Brentford, which means the manager may also be keen on bringing in a new playmaker.

Chelsea eager to sign £40k-p/w full-back who's "one of the best" in Europe

The Blues are set to battle it out for a defender, who has been in very impressive form this season.

ByDominic Lund Apr 21, 2025

Lyon’s Rayan Cherki certainly fits the bill in that regard, with the Blues now willing to submit a £20m bid for the Frenchman, who ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders for assists per 90 over the past year.

Cherki is an up-and-coming talent, but Chelsea have also been informed they could sign one of the world’s most established forwards this summer, namely Barcelona star Raphinha, who could now be available for £80m.

FC Barcelona'sRaphinhacelebrates scoring their fourth goal

The west Londoners are huge admirers of the Brazilian, and intermediaries have now hinted a deal could be possible this summer, with Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal also monitoring the situation.

Saudi Pro League sides are also keen on the 28-year-old, but he is currently happy at the Camp Nou, and Barcelona are looking to offer him a new contract to ward off the interest from elsewhere.

"Incredible" Raphinha is a Ballon d'Or contender

In the aforementioned report, it is detailed that Thierry Henry believes the Barca forward is a leading contender for the Ballon d’Or, given his very impressive performances in both La Liga and the Champions League this season.

TEAMtalk’s James Marshment has also hailed the Brazil international for his “incredible” goal and assist tally, which has played a major role in Barcelona reaching the Champions League semi-finals and going four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

La Liga

30

15

11

Champions League

12

12

7

Copa del Rey

4

1

4

Supercopa

2

2

1

It almost goes without saying that Raphinha would be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, but it seems likely they will have to qualify for the Champions League to stand any chance of competing for his signature.

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