All posts by h716a5.icu

Stats highlights from England’s nine-run win in the 2017 Women’s World Cup final

S Rajesh23-Jul-20173 – Number of World Cup titles for England. They had earlier won in 1993 (beat New Zealand at Lord’s) and 2009 (beat New Zealand in Sydney). This is England’s fifth final, though: they had lost the first two, to Australia, in 1982 and 1988. For India, this was their second loss in a final, after their 2005 defeat to Australia. England also won the inaugural World T20 title in 2009.6 – Wickets for Anya Shrubsole, the most by any bowler in a Women’s World Cup final, and her best in ODIs. No bowler had even taken five: the previous best was 4 for 34, by England’s Nicky Shaw in the 2009 final against New Zealand, while Australia’s Ellyse Perry took 3 for 19 in the 2013 final against West Indies. The joint fourth-best was also in today’s game: Jhulan Goswami’s 3 for 23. Shrubsole’s 6 for 46 is the third-best figures in any Women’s World Cup game; no player had taken six in a World Cup match since 1982, when New Zealand’s Jacqueline Lord took 6 for 10, also against India.28 – Runs added by India’s last six partnerships; they lost their fourth wicket at 191, after which they were bundled out for 219. Only once before have they had a worse collapse by the last six partnerships in a World Cup game: in 1982, their last six partnerships added 23 against New Zealand in Auckland. Overall, there have been five instances of their last six partnerships totalling fewer runs.167 – The biggest target successfully chased in a World Cup final: England chased down that target against New Zealand in Sydney in 2009. In five of the nine finals, the team batting first has won the final, defending scores of 184, 195, 215, 228 (today) and 259.2 – Players who have scored more runs in a World Cup final than Punam Raut, who made 86 today: Australia’s Karen Rolton made an unbeaten 107 against India in 2005, while Belinda Clark got 91 against New Zealand in 2000. Her partnership of 95 with Harmanpreet Kaur is also the third-highest in a World Cup final.21 Instances of Goswami taking three or more wickets in ODIs, which equals Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s record. No other bowler has more than 17.7.75 – India’s average opening stand since the first game of the tournament, when Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut added 144 against England. In their last eight games, they have aggregated 62 runs for the first wicket, with stands of 0, 7, 21, 4, 9, 10, 6 and 5. England’s opening stands, on the other hand, were consistent throughout the tournament: they had six 30-plus stands, though their highest was only 59.

The Australia allrounder talks about her fitness and diet regimes, gearing up for the ODI World Cup and her captaincy stint in the ongoing Hundred

Valkerie Baynes20-Aug-20251:24

Gardner on using the Hundred to gauge the opposition

Every franchise tournament has its own unique flavour and quirks, none more so than the Hundred. But for all its overs turned “sets” and scoring graphics which confuse rusted-on cricket fans and newcomers alike, this year’s women’s competition offers a more conventional platform as an information-gathering exercise ahead of the 50-over World Cup.Ashleigh Gardner, the Australia allrounder and Trent Rockets captain, says it’s inevitable that players will be sizing each other up ahead of the global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in six weeks’ time.”From an opposition point of view, it’s probably trying to pick up things off your team-mates or people that you’re playing against, little cues that you can take back to your homeland and plan accordingly,” Gardner told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast.Related

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“There’s no denying that and there’s probably other countries around the world, if you’re playing with another international, try and get some things from them or talk to them about, not necessarily their game plan, but just having those off-the-cuff conversations and trying to wrap your head around that because that’s so important.”We play a lot of cricket with these people and against them, so it’s, how can I try and get the upper hand where I can? Sometimes that’s going to be harder to do, but just looking at the game holistically.”While the formats differ and there are no India players involved in the Hundred this year, removing the chance to go up against players from a side Gardner believes will be a “huge threat” at the World Cup, there are several Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England stars in action.Australia will play an ODI series in India immediately before the World Cup and Pakistan will host South Africa from mid-September but for other sides, warm-up games will be the only other chance to gauge the opposition ahead of the tournament.”I’ve got potentially a longer time to bat and more overs to bowl, but I don’t think it really changes for me, I’ve always got the same mindset,” Gardner said. “I want to take the game on and I want to expose the areas of the game that I can, so for me, it’s trying to do that for longer periods of time.”India looked a class above their hosts in a recent 2-1 ODI series win in England, only losing the rain-affected second match at Lord’s, and Australia smashed England across formats during the Women’s Ashes in January, where the Australians’ superior fitness and athleticism was at the fore once again.1:32

Gardner: ‘Body image is a big one around female athletes’

The fallout from that series for England, who had already had their fitness questioned after their early exit from the T20 World Cup last October, was significant with a change of captaincy and new head coach Charlotte Edwards revealing that players would be held to minimum fitness standards from next year.Gardner gave some insight into how the Australians prepared for the “rude shock” of 50-over matches after playing in the shortened format of the Hundred.”We’re going to be spending double the time on our feet, so I know for us Aussie players, we play a game of cricket, but then the next day or that day we need to then run again, we need to gym,” she said.”It might be mentally taxing at the time, knowing that you have to play a game of cricket, which you’re obviously trying to win and be successful in, but also having one eye on the World Cup and making sure that our bodies are getting in the right spot.

“Body image is a really big one around female athletes and making sure that we’re fuelling and we’re not under-eating and things like that because of what someone else perceives your body to be”

“It’s making sure that training days are really big and you’re getting a lot out of that and then you’re doing your cricket skills, of course. Then game days, you’re trying to tick those off as well, so they do become quite big days.”I love playing franchise cricket, but playing for Australia is always going to be that No. 1 option for me, so making sure that I’ve got my focus on that as well.”Gardner also acknowledged the sensitivities around talking about fitness in women’s sport because the discussion becomes inextricably linked to body image.”Speaking from a personal perspective, I view myself as an athlete, so it’s how do I best get my body into shape and to be the fittest that I can be,” she said. “Body image is a really big one around female athletes and making sure that we’re fuelling and we’re not under-eating and things like that because of what someone else perceives your body to be. It’s making sure that you’re fit enough and you’re strong enough to complete those activities and making sure that you’re in the right head space while doing that.”People naturally get caught up with eating and things like that, which is obviously the real negative side to it because people naturally are worried about what other people perceive them as. I’ve certainly gone through things where you count calories and you do all this stuff and it clouds your mind. It actually doesn’t make you any clearer.Ash Gardner is leading Trent Rockets this year in the Hundred•Warren Little/Getty Images”For me, it’s, what does my body need from me right now? And making sure that I’m fuelling properly, because that’s what’s not going to get me injured. It’s making sure that I push my body to the limits in terms of I want to get really fit and strong, but how do I do that in the most manageable way possible to then be a good cricketer as well.”Meg Lanning, the former Australia captain, revealed last year that she had retired from international cricket in 2023 amid a battle with over-exercising and under-eating. Now in the next phase of her cricket career, she is leading the Hundred run-scoring charts.The Hundred has also given Gardner the chance to develop her captaincy skills. Having led Gujarat Giants during this year’s WPL, she took over at Trent Rockets when Nat Sciver-Brunt, the new England captain, opted for a player-only role with the franchise as a way of managing her workload.Trent Rockets sit sixth on the eight-team table with just one win from five games. Gardner has scored 130 runs at 26 and a strike rate of 144.44 with a highest score of 61 and taken three wickets at an economy rate of 7.76 including 2 for 14 against London Spirit in her side’s only victory this year so far.And while her ambition to leave the competition with the trophy has taken a hit, Gardner can still take plenty away from her experience.”Being able to lead, working through how I react in different situations and figuring myself out a little bit, I feel like once I do that, it gives me a really good opportunity to keep improving in that space,” she said. “Hopefully bringing success individually on the field and then being able to have the biggest impact for my team.”

As Wolverhampton Wanderers look to turn what has been a disastrous campaign around, those in the Midlands could reportedly swoop in ahead of both Liverpool and Arsenal to sign an MLS talent in 2025.

Wolves transfer news

A 4-1 victory at Fulham looked destined to be a turning point in Wolves’ season. It felt as though Gary O’Neil’s side would simply kick on from there and eventually leave their poor start behind. One 4-2 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth – in which they conceded three penalties – and a 4-0 loss against Everton at Goodison Park later, however, and O’Neil’s job has never been in a more fragile state.

Three points adrift of safety and sat as low as 19th on just nine points, things couldn’t be much more bleak for Wolves, who desperately need to January transfer window to arrive. Whether it’s O’Neil in charge by that point or his successor remains unknown, but there’s no doubt that his side need reinforcements if they want to survive.

With that said, according to Caught Offside, Wolves could now swoop in ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool to sign Gabriel Pec from MLS side LA Galaxy when 2025 arrives. The talented winger has attracted plenty of potential after rising to stardom in America and is seemingly on the radar of Wolves alongside their Premier League rivals as well as Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Inter Milan.

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It would be fairly ambitious to suggest that Wolves are favourites for his signature. In fact, in their current position, they should find themselves low down on the list of suitors, but what they can crucially guarantee the Brazilian over the chasing pack is consistent game time. With the chance to replace Pedro Neto once and for all, Wolves should go all out for Pec.

"Phenomenal" Pec can finally replace Neto

Whilst Carlos Forbs arrived in the summer transfer window, the Ajax loanee has yet to show the level needed to break into O’Neil’s side or go as far as replacing a player of Neto’s calibre. Without that firepower, Matheus Cunha has of course stepped up, but when it’s not him then it’s difficult to find another player who is capable of dragging Wolves to unlikely victory. Fellow Brazilian, Pec, could change that though.

The LA Galaxy star is enjoying a “phenomenal debut season” according to MLS insider Tom Bogert and has deservedly earned the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs as a result.

The 23-year-old has only continued his form since that praise too, scoring 21 goals and assisting a further 18 in all competitions for LA Galaxy in 2024. Involved in 39 goals in 40 games, Pec is clearly one to watch.

In Jasprit Bumrah and Manish Pandey, there might be a lesson for the selectors to back winners, and perhaps punt a little less

Sidharth Monga23-Jan-20161:23

‘Manish paced his innings well’ – Dhoni

MS Dhoni likes to take the game into the last over. He did at the SCG. Dhoni likes to hit the first ball of the said last over for a six. He did at the SCG. Much as we would like to console ourselves that Dhoni helped India finish their only win of the series, he was a pale shadow of himself. That he was there to take the match to the deep end was indeed the difference between Canberra and Sydney, but the old Dhoni would have done so with much more deliberation. Here, he did play a panicked shot, and was dropped. He did play across the line, and survived a plumb lbw decision.We don’t know when Dhoni’s next ODI will be, or if there will be one (can’t bank on a farewell tour for Dhoni), but more than thinking about whether he nearly botched up a fourth chase in the last five chances he will be extremely pleased that two youngsters helped India cross the line they have been finding so difficult to chase. Manish Pandey, in his fourth ODI, and Jasprit Bumrah, on debut, finally provided the support Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli so badly needed.When playing against a superior opponent, you need to scrap until the end. In Canberra, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav conceded 29 in the last two overs, in Sydney Bumrah bowled the rare Indian yorker to help India concede just seven after the 48th over. In Canberra batsmen other than top three choked, in Sydney, Pandey remained cool. Not to mention the 10 or so runs he saved in the field.There might be a lesson in here for the selectors to back winners, and perhaps punt a little less.Talk to anyone familiar with the Indian domestic circuit about Pandey, they will tell you he might not be the best technically but he scores on big occasions. In the 2009-10 Ranji final, he scored 144 as Karnataka fell six heart-breaking runs shy of a chase of 338. He became the first Indian centurion in IPL in a must-win game for his team in 2009, and followed it up with a Man of the Match in the semi-final. He went on to add a double-century in the Duleep Trophy semi-final in the 2010-11, and a half-century in the final. He won an IPL final off his own bat, with a 94 in a chase of 200 in 2014.Bumrah, with his unorthodox action that creates an illusion of extra pace, with the ability to bowl the yorker, and with the improvement made through the addition of the ball that holds its line, was part of the Gujarat team that won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2014-15. In the next season he was the leading wicket-taker in the domestic 50-over competition, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He bowled Dhoni with a yorker in the league stages and picked up five in the final.Pandey, though, had to sit out for no fault of his because he doesn’t bowl and because India don’t have other allrounders. Bumrah somehow didn’t make it to the original squad, and unconfirmed reports say they couldn’t get him a visa fast enough when Mohammed Shami got injured. Lucky they were playing because of more injuries, and under pressure in the dying moments, both of them delivered.

“The kind of innings Manish Pandey has played, it gives you extra 15 games to settle in and start to do what you need to do. And adapt to the demands of the game. Because a lot will also change when you play in the subcontinent. As of now he looks good at No. 5.”

An instructive moment was when Dhoni asked Ishant at the start of an over at the death what field he wanted, and you could hear: “Bumrah wali [the one that Bumrah had].” Here was a veteran trying to emulate what a debutant was doing, and he went on to find success. When it comes to finishing it off with the bat, the coolest cat with the bat could trust Pandey. The rookie might even have helped the veteran out.That Pandey knew what he was doing was evident from how he didn’t try the desperate shot, relied on his legs and his placement to get the couples, resisted the temptation of manufacturing shots to the shorter boundary, and then produced the masterful steer off a yorker in the final over to bring up his hundred and take India to within two of a win.Tangibly Dhoni’s 34 off 42 took the asking rate past 12, but intangibly he might have just imparted the invaluable wisdom you gain only by finishing games off again and again. Sample what Dhoni told Pandey: “The difference [between runs required and balls left] was 15-20 runs. Whatever happens we will get at least at least two boundaries. And also both of us are quick between the wickets, which means we will put pressure on the slower fielders or the ones that don’t have good arms. Ultimately we will get those extra runs rather than looking for the big six.”One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced batsmen make is feel they are running out of time. Dhoni might have taught him the most valuable lesson: there is more time than you think. Perhaps Pandey knew it himself?Dhoni is not one to get carried away with early success. He spoke well of the two youngsters, but remained guarded too. “Bumrah was fantastic playing in his first game,” Dhoni said. “It becomes slightly easy for you when youngsters come and perform in the first five games that they play. You see a glimpse of what they may become in the coming years if they don’t get injured. He bowled well with the semi-new ball, he bowled well in the middle overs, then he bowled well at the death. That is the kind of bowlers we are looking for. He has the variations, he has the slightly awkward action.”About Pandey he said: “Manish paced his innings really well. You have to realise it is not always about big hits. Over here the ground are big. If you mistime you can get out, but at the same time if you hit a good yorker, more often than not you get two. You rely a lot on your running. This innings will help him but what he needs to keep in is how he calculated the run chase. The kind of innings he has played, it gives you extra 15 games to settle in and start to do what you need to do. And adapt to the demands of the game. Because a lot will also change when you play in the subcontinent. As of now he looks good at No. 5.”When asked if this gave him reason to change his mind about lack of ready-made talent coming through from the system, Dhoni said it is important is to not get “high on individual performances”, and also said he can only judge by what the selectors give him, that it is their job to find the best talent and push it through to international cricket.In typical Dhoni fashion he remained noncommittal about what future held for Dhoni the ODI player, joking you might need a public-interest litigation to find out, but the wistfulness you might have felt looking at his diminished striking ability disappeared a little when you heard him talk with joy about a youngster who planned a chase as well as he wanted him to do.

Kylian Mbappe will take penalties for Real Madrid from their next match as Vinicius Junior is punished for missing a spot-kick against Valencia.

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Vinicius Jr stripped of penalty dutiesMbappe to take penalties for MadridBrazilian missed spot-kick against ValenciaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian winger failed to hand his team an early lead as he saw his feeble shot comfortably saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili. The penalty miss proved costly as Madrid eventually went down 2-1 against Valencia in La Liga last weekend. Now, reports that manager Ancelotti has decided to remove Vinicius Jr. from penalty duties as Mbappe is all set to take the club's spot-kicks, starting with their upcoming Champions League fixture against Arsenal.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The blunder against Valencia was the Brazilian's second penalty miss in the 2024-25 campaign, as he had earlier failed to convert a spot-kick against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The report also adds that if Mbappe now fails to convert penalties, the next in line to take spot-kicks is Jude Bellingham. Like Vinicius Jr, Mbappe too has missed two penalties this season, while Bellingham has missed once.

DID YOU KNOW?

Valencia goalkeeper Mamardashvili has revealed that he had offered a bet to the Brazilian winger. Vinicius was lining up to take a penalty when the custodian said he would pay the star €50 if he was to score, and Vinicius agreed to pay the same fee should he miss.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Los Blancos are set to visit North London to face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final fixture at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Everton have finally managed to put some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three, with David Moyes getting his first victory against Tottenham at the weekend, with a 3-2 win at Goodison Park.

The Toffees now sit 16th in the Premier League on 20 points, with Wolves and Ipswich below them on 16 points in 17th and 18th place.

The biggest problem for Everton this season has been sticking the ball in the back of the net, scoring just 18 goals in 22 games, making them the second-lowest scorers in the division, only Southampton scoring fewer with 15.

Everton are currently averaging 11.3 shots per game (6th lowest in the division for this metric), which shows their shot creation could be far better in attacking areas, meaning a January addition could be on the cards in order to give Moyes the tools required to avoid that relegation battle.

Moyes chasing exciting winger at Everton

According to reports from a journalist working with Caught Offside, Everton have enquired about Sporting CP star, Marcus Edwards.

The 26-year-old has just 18 months left on his current deal, which is raising eyebrows at Everton as a potential opportunity to sign the English ace.

Transfer Focus

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

The English winger predominantly operates as a right-winger, looking to cut inside on his stronger left foot, but has also shown the ability to play off the left, taking it to the byline and delivering crosses to his teammates. Edwards has, of course, played in England before, coming through the academy ranks at Tottenham.

Edwards has only made ten appearances for Sporting in all competitions this season, scoring three goals and totalling just 346 minutes. His lack of game time could provide the opportunity for Everton to strike, obtaining an extremely talented player for a fair price.

How Edwards compares to Everton target Nuamah

Another name Everton have been linked to in the window, is Olympique Lyon winger, Ernest Nuamah.

The 21-year-old winger has made 19 appearances for the French outfit in all competitions this season, scoring one goal, providing one assist and totalling 763 minutes played so far.

That said, his numbers are considerably worse than Edwards if we compare them across the last two campaigns.

Goals

0.23

0.12

Assists

0.23

0.12

xG

0.30

0.24

xAG

0.41

0.16

Progressive Carries

5.21

4.94

Progressive Passes

4.88

3.61

Total Shots

2.19

2.82

Key Passes

3.07

1.20

Passes into Pen Area

2.51

1.81

Shot-Creating Actions

5.77

4.46

Successful Take-Ons

2.05

1.45

When comparing Edwards’ metrics from last season due to lack of minutes this term with Nuamah’s numbers in 2024/25, you can see Edwards ranks ahead in all but one of the metrics analysed.

Now, this isn’t to say Nuamah’s numbers are poor, as most of them rank very closely, but the extra experience of Edwards does shine through in his underlying numbers and output.

Mauricio Pochettino said back in 2016, that Edwards plays like “the beginning of Messi” with Rob Daly then further reporting this and labelling one of Edwards’ runs against Tottenham as “Messi-like”.

That’s certainly evident in the stats as the English winger is a brilliant dribbler, completing 2.05 take-ons per 90 last season, also completing 5.21 progressive carries per 90, showing his quality to dribble and carry the ball out.

As we mentioned at the beginning, Everton lack shot-creation and whilst Nuamah also has brilliant metrics in these departments, and would prove to be an excellent addition to the Everton squad, Edwards offers a more experienced and ready profile to join and make an instant impact, which could be the difference between Everton’s Premier League survival chances.

Their next James Rodriguez: Everton offered to sign "underrated" PL winner

New Everton manager David Moyes is seeking reinforcements this month, so could the Toffees sign a multiple-Premier League winner on a free?

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The cricket world reacts to Rohit Sharma’s stunning T20I century in Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2017

Hitman at it again. Clean and powerful hitting at it's best. Take a bow brother. Double it up now. @ImRo45 #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/k3z00KqYNP

— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) December 22, 2017

So This is Christmas … the lights are on in the crowd… Fireworks from Rohit and Rahul … and SL showcasing the spirit of giving #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/1R03pfqh65

— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) December 22, 2017

First t 20 200 by an individual and the highest team score, both records in danger of being broken tonight!. @ImRo45 is just painting the big hits like an artist. #INDvsSL

— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) December 22, 2017

Wow again @ImRo45

— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) December 22, 2017

There are a few in the world, but none in India who can catch up with Rohit when he is in this mood. #Rohit

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 22, 2017

What a stunning century it was from Rohit Sharma. 35 ball 100. May this purple patch continue. pic.twitter.com/1MsNKfJd0F

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) December 22, 2017

Rohilicious….first individual T20 double hundred is a real possibility. #IndvSL #Indore #DilMangeMore

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 22, 2017

Everytime you think you have seen it all, you see something incredible. Today, Rohit Sharma has shown us that. I admit I am gasping.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 22, 2017

Tottenham Hotspur have been approached and offered the chance to sign a player who’s unsettled at his current club, with agents reaching out to Spurs as they work to find their client a new home.

Tottenham missing 10 first-team players for Liverpool clash

The Lilywhites take on Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg tonight, and manager Ange Postecoglou is yet again forced to contend with very limited options.

Tottenham informed they can sign £134k-per-week ex-Man City ace in January

The Lilywhites have been alerted to a potential deal.

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The 59-year-old is minus around 10 first-team players for their face-off against Arne Slot’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening, with Guglielmo Vicario, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr all unavailable through either injury or suspension.

Tottenham’s injury crisis has exposed Postecoglou’s lack of depth in recent months, seriously threatening their chances of a strong 2024/2025 Premier League campaign, and it has prompted the club to enter the January transfer market in search of reinforcements.

Arsenal (away)

January 15

Everton (away)

January 19

Leicester City (home)

January 26

Brentford (away)

February 2

Man United (home)

February 16

Spurs have already sealed a £12.5 million deal for goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who’s now took part in full first-team training, but the Czech won’t be their only new addition this month.

Tottenham are believed to be pursuing PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani, after the France international was deemed surplus by Luis Enrique and allowed to find a new club before deadline day on February 3.

There are also suggestions that Spurs could sign a new centre-back, given van de Ven, Romero and Davies’ absences have left Postecoglou with just Rady Dragusin as his only natural senior central defensive option right now.

“Look, we are still trying to help the squad and help the players,” said Postecoglou on January transfers at Spurs.

“We are still down significant numbers. We will have roughly 10 first team players missing tomorrow. That’s not easy so we are still looking to try to help the playing group. The club is working hard in a number of areas.”

According to some media sources, Tottenham could even bolster their midfield options before the clock runs out, and they’ve now been handed an opening to potentially negotiate a deal for one Serie A star.

Tottenham offered chance to sign Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi

According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi is “frustrated” at the San Siro, and he could leave the Italian champions as early as January – despite only just joining on a permanent deal from Sassuolo in the summer.

The Italy international has made 22 appearances in all competitions, but the majority of his cameos have come from the bench. Frattesi appears dissatisfied with this, and his camp are scouring the market for a new club to join.

One of them could be Postecoglou’s side, as TBR report that Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Frattesi by intermediaries after they made contact with the north Londoners.

His rumoured price tag stands at around £33 million, so this could be a doable deal for Spurs, and he is a player of real quality – even if the 25-year-old hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best time at Inter this season.

“He reminds me of Barella,” said renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano to Empire of the Kop.

“Liverpool had long-term interest in Nicolo Barella but he just extended his contract with Inter so it’s going to be more than complicated to sign him. Frattesi seems to be the next Barella. He’s this kind of player, super talented, very interesting, and Sassuolo are prepared to sell their players if top clubs pay.”

The ICC Women’s Championship has expanded to 11 teams with Zimbabwe’s inclusion, and a new T20 Champions Trophy has been introduced

Shashank Kishore04-Nov-2024The Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be played in January-February from 2026, while the Hundred (August) and WBBL (November) have been allotted dedicated windows in the new women’s Future Tours Programme for the 2025-29 cycle.The BCCI moving the WPL has resulted in Cricket Australia pushing back its women’s marquee summer fixtures from mid-January to February-March to avoid a clash with the most lucrative women’s franchise league.The 2024-25 women’s Ashes, which begins on January 12, will be the last international matches Australia will host in January until 2029. The first of Australia’s marquee home series in their new window is a tour by India for one Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is after the WPL in January-February 2026.The ICC Women’s ODI Championship has been expanded to 11 teams in the new FTP with the addition of Zimbabwe. This follows the addition of Bangladesh and Ireland to the ongoing cycle that will culminate with next year’s ODI World Cup in India in October. Zimbabwe’s inclusion means all of ICC’s Full Members except Afghanistan, who don’t field a women’s team, are part of the championship.With the expansion of the Women’s Championship, each country will play four teams at home and four away over a three-year cycle. In their maiden appearance in the upcoming cycle, Zimbabwe will host South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka and will tour India, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan.As expected, India and Pakistan will only play each other in world tournaments in the new FTP, and not in bilateral series.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn another addition that has been largely members-driven, teams have scheduled tri-series as part of their preparation for ICC events during this cycle.”Ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, England will host India and New Zealand for such a three-team T20I tournament while Ireland will host Pakistan and the West Indies,” ICC general manager Wasim Khan said. “Sri Lanka and the West Indies are among other Members scheduled to host tri-series, in 2027 and 2028, respectively.”A T20 Champions Trophy for womenThe ICC has introduced a T20 Champions Trophy – to be held in Sri Lanka in 2027 – as part of its strategic plan to have at least one women’s global tournament each year. This new tournament will feature six teams and will comprise 16 matches. The addition of this tournament to the women’s calendar means there will be three global events – including the LA Olympics (August 2028) and T20 World Cup (September 2028) – over a 12-month period.This takes the count of all ICC senior women’s events in the new FTP cycle to five: two T20 World Cups (2026 and 2028), two ODI World Cups (2025 and 2029), and a T20 Champions Trophy in 2027.The ODI World Cup will have 10 teams playing 48 matches from 2029 (up from eight teams, and 31 matches, till 2025), the T20 World Cup will be expanded to 12 teams playing 33 matches from 2026 (up from 10 teams and 23 matches till 2024).Women’s FTP – Test cricket•ESPNcricinfo LtdWest Indies to play Tests after 20 yearsA total of 15 women’s Tests have been included in this cycle, with West Indies set to return to the format after more than 20 years. They host Australia for one Test as part of a multi-format series in March 2026, play England in another at home in April 2027, and will play a Test in South Africa in December 2028.West Indies last played a Test in 2003-04, against Pakistan, and have only played 12 women’s Tests in all. India, meanwhile, will play Australia and South Africa in away Tests in 2026, while also hosting Australia and England later in the cycle.Having toured Australia for what was only their second women’s Test in nearly a decade, South Africa will host Australia for a Test for the first time in March-April 2027. The new FTP concludes in 2029 with the ODI World Cup, the venue for which is yet to be announced.

Real Madrid will have to pay a double-digit buyout fee in order to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso as manager this summer.

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Alonso heavily tipped to join MadridLaLiga outfit likely to part ways with Carlo AncelottiLos Blancos must pay a buyout fee to sign AlonsoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alonso is the hot favourite to replace Carlo Ancelotti as the manager of Real Madrid, especially following the Spanish giants' humiliating 5-1 quarter-final defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League. However, BILD reports (h/t Football Espana) that Los Blancos will have to pay a double-digit figure to Bayer Leverkusen in order to sign Alonso before his current deal, valid until June 2026, expires.

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Alonso is believed to have an agreement with Leverkusen CEO Fernando Cerro to allow him to leave for Real Madrid, but the German club will demand at least €10 million as fees for his release. Los Merengues are likely to negotiate the cost down, given their historical reluctance to pay large fees for managers. The timing, with the Club World Cup approaching, adds urgency to the decision. Indeed, there is just a 24-day gap between Madrid's final LaLiga fixture and the start of the Club World Cup. Not just that, but a host of Madrid players are expected to be on national duty in between, giving Alonso little to no time to work with the squad.

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Speculation surrounding a potential managerial change at Madrid has intensified in recent days. According to reports from Cadena SER, an intermediary from the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) was spotted in the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, fueling rumours of a possible managerial shake-up. Additional reports have suggested that former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could be enticed by the prospect of returning to management with the 15-time European winners, should the opportunity arise.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR XABI ALONSO?

Leverkusen's sporting director hinted last month that Alonso could remain at the BayArena for another season. "No, he's staying, that's it. He told me that there was nothing. He has a contract with us," said Rofles.

Alonso could lead Die Werkself to a second consecutive Bundesliga title, although with five games to go and with Leverkusen trailing Bayern Munich by six points, only a miracle could see them defend the league. They will take on St. Pauli in their upcoming clash, which will be played on Sunday, April 20.