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A first-hand account of Friday afternoon, when the Bangladesh team found itself yards away from the scene of the worst terrorist attack in New Zealand’s history

As told to Mohammad Isam16-Mar-2019Tamim Iqbal spoke to ESPNcricinfo’s Mohammad Isam about ‪the events of Friday afternoon‬, when the Bangladesh team had a brush with death near one of the two mosques in Christchurch that were the target of terrorist attacks that have claimed at least 49 lives.***Let me tell you what happened before we got on the bus. It will help you understand how those two or three minutes made such a huge difference for us. Normally Mushfiq [Rahim] and Riyad [Mahmudullah] want to be present during the [sermon], which is why we want to reach the prayers early. The bus was scheduled to leave ‪at 1.30 pm‬, but Riyad had gone to the press conference. A bit of time was spent there, and after finishing the press conference, he came to the dressing room.In the dressing room, we got engaged in a game of football. Taijul [Islam] didn’t want to lose, but the others wanted him to lose in that game. Taijul and Mushfiq were having a one-on-one game, which took up a few more minutes. These little things saved us in the end.ALSO READ – Bangladesh team leaves Christchurch and tries to move onWe got on the bus right after that. The plan was to go to the team hotel after prayers, which is why Shree [team analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekaran] and Soumya Sarkar (both non-Muslims) were with us. Since it was optional training, those who weren’t going to practice, they’d stay back at the hotel, and those who had practice, they’d come back to the ground. This was the plan.I always sit on the sixth seat on the left. When we were getting near the mosque, everyone on my right started to see something outside the window. I saw that a body was lying on the floor. Naturally, we thought either he was drunk or had fainted. So then the bus kept going, and stopped near the mosque. But everyone’s attention remained with that man lying on the ground.While that was happening, my attention went to another man, bloodied, and about to fall down. Panic set in at that point.Our bus stopped in front of a car near the mosque. We saw that the bus driver was talking to a lady who was literally shaking and crying. She was saying, ‘There’s some shooting going on, don’t go, don’t go’.Bangladesh players arrive at Christchurch airport to catch their flight to Dhaka•AFPOur bus driver said that these guys are going to the mosque. She replied, ‘No no no, don’t go to the mosque. It is happening in the mosque.’ She started to cry. Everyone heard and saw her, and we started to panic a little more. At that point we were about 20 yards from the mosque. Literally get out of the bus and walk to the mosque. That close. We saw some more bloodied bodies lying around the mosque.When we saw more dead bodies, we couldn’t figure out what to do. Those wearing the cap, they took it off in fear. I mean, we figured out that something was going on. Those wearing punjabi [shalwar kameez] they started to wear a jacket over it. What else to do?We then just lay down on the floor of the bus. It had been about seven or eight minutes at that stage. We still didn’t exactly know what it was but we knew that there was some kind of violence happening.We were panicking big time. Look at me, I can’t even talk properly. We told the bus driver to get us out of there. Do something. But he wasn’t moving. Everyone started to shout at him. I was shouting at him. For those six or seven minutes, there was no police.Then suddenly the police appeared, and the way the special forces stormed the mosque, we just went numb. My whole body went cold. More injured and bloodied people started to come out of the mosque.ALSO READ – ‘There’s shooting here, please save us’That was the time we couldn’t control ourselves. We started screaming, ‘let us go!’ Someone said, ‘What if they shoot us when we get out?’ Someone else said, ‘We are in danger if we are stuck in the bus.’ I also felt that we would have a chance to escape if we got out of the bus. We become a big target in the bus. But where will we go? Both doors are closed.Right at that point, for some reason, the driver took the bus 10 metres ahead. I don’t know why he did this. We were at breaking point at that point. Everyone lost it. We started to bang the middle door. We were kicking and punching that door. He opened the door.When he took the bus forward, I started calling you. You thought I was joking. I was not in a position to tell you, ‘Isam I am being serious.’ You heard me, right? I lost my mind when I saw Mazhar [Uddin, another journalist] calling me. I didn’t know what was happening.It was about eight minutes when we finally got out of the bus. Everyone said let’s run though the park. Someone said that we become easier targets in the park [Hagley Park], what if the shooters just notice us there and start shooting?The Bangladesh team left Christchurch on Saturday•AFPThe next thing that really scared us was how the police may react seeing us running with bags, etc. By that time I saw you three there [Isam and fellow journalists Utpal Shuvro and Mazhar Uddin]. I didn’t realise it then but last night, I realised how big a risk you three took.There will be very few people on earth who will take that risk. I don’t think many close people would have turned up in that situation, like you came. I actually got relieved when I saw you guys. Then we all started to walk. By the time we had gone a fair distance, everyone started to run towards the ground [Hagley Oval].You know, you had seen death with your own eyes. Your body goes cold. It was something we will never forget. And it is such a thing, it is getting worse with every hour we pass. I have spoken to a lot of my team-mates, and everyone is talking about it. The good thing is that everyone still has a little smile on their face. But trust me, inside, everyone is shattered.We returned to the team hotel and went straight to Riyad ‘s room. We started to watch the shooter’s video. The players started to weep, like they were doing in the dressing room.One thing for sure, Isam , it will take a long time to get over. I hope the families help us. We might need counselling. I close my eyes, and I am seeing those scenes. Last night most of the cricketers slept in groups. I slept with [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz and [masseur Mohammad] Sohel . I dreamt that those guys are shooting in a bike.On our way to the airport, we were telling each other that if things had gone wrong by even a little bit, it would have been our dead bodies, not us, going home. It was just a matter of 30 seconds.

The allrounder won’t feature in T20Is against West Indies or New Zealand due to a focus on red-ball cricket this month

Andrew McGlashan09-Feb-20240:56

Is Smith in? Finch names his T20 World Cup starting XI

Cameron Green remains firmly in the thoughts of Australia’s selectors for the T20 World Cup with the upcoming IPL to play a role in how they put together the final squad ahead of the tournament in June.Green has been left out of the two T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand to prioritise red-ball preparation for the Tests against the latter – which will include a Sheffield Shield outing for Western Australia against Tasmania next week – but he could yet feature in the World Cup.He will return to IPL in late March, where he has been traded to Royal Challengers Bangalore from Mumbai Indians, and performances in that competition could still sway the selectors.Related

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“Yeah, very firmly,” national selector George Bailey said when asked if Green was still in the frame. “We know he’s going to go to the IPL and getting a big batch of T20 cricket in. It’s a constant conversation with multi-format players, working out the priority at any given time, and making sure they get what they need but he’s certainly one whose name I think, as we are finalising that 15 for the World Cup, will be firmly in the mix.”Green made his mark at the top of the order in T20Is shortly before the previous World Cup in 2022 when he hammered two rapid half-centuries against India. He was then elevated into Australia’s squad when Josh Inglis was injured although only played once in that tournament, in the final match against Afghanistan.He did not feature in any of Australia’s eight T20Is last year with the priority given to Tests and ODIs. Green endured a challenging 2023 across formats after his first IPL stint, struggling for runs in Tests before losing his place at the end of the Ashes and only having a bit-part role in ODIs which included suffering a concussion against South Africa when he’d been earmarked for a run at No. 4.He has since returned to the Test side in a new role at No. 4 amid the post-David Warner batting reshuffle, which has seen Steven Smith move to open. Three innings against West Indies brought a top score of 42 and he’ll get another chance in that position against New Zealand with selectors happy to play the long game.”There’s a skill set there that’s unbelievable across all three formats,” Bailey said. “[We’re] really confident that just continuing to expose him he’ll get better and better and learn more about his game.”But like any player, I don’t think it’s going to be a straight line – there’ll be fluctuations throughout, as there always is. His last two years have been a whirlwind, I imagine, at different times. He’s travelled with the team basically non-stop.Cameron Green made a half-century in the ODI series against West Indies•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”It’s a challenge that all those players do go through, but I guess when you are younger and you get exposed to that, it can be tough. But I’m sure if you ask Cam he wouldn’t have it any other way.”Like for Green, the IPL could play a part in who takes the final pace-bowling slot in the T20 World Cup squad although Nathan Ellis’ skills at the death currently have him at the head of the queue, meaning T20 player of the year Jason Behrendorff has a challenge to get in with Sean Abbott also likely to be squeezed out.Behrendorff will face West Indies but is not part of the New Zealand tour. Ellis was due to feature in both but has been withdrawn from the West Indies games as he continues to recover from a rib injury sustained late in the BBL. Behrendorff has an IPL deal with Mumbai Indians while Ellis is with Punjab Kings. Spencer Johnson, who was one of the big-money signings at the auction, will feature for Gujarat Titans.Behrendorff has developed his death bowling to the extent that he was Australia’s second-most economical bowler in that phase last year, behind Ben Dwarshuis who played just two games, conceding 8.51, while Ellis went for 10.90 although he did send down more than double the number of deliveries.”It’s not necessarily who’s in front, it’s more the roles you are looking for them to fill,” Bailey said. “Working through the what ifs and what skillsets you want to prioritise if something happens to another player, where you’ve got cover and what you need to make sure you have access to.”Nathan’s skills at the death are fantastic, think we have some great new-ball bowlers there. Can’t fault the work that Jason Behrendorff’s done over the past 12-18 months and his ability to add to his game…the ability to be able to now bowl through the middle and at the death is really impressive so he’s another one who is really putting their hand up.”Again, it’s just trying to get that balance of how we can get some information through these next six games and which guys will be getting an opportunity in India in the IPL which we’ll obviously be watching really closely.”

Much like their near Yorkshire neighbours in Leeds United, Sheffield United slipped up in the intense automatic promotion battle this weekend in the Championship.

Indeed, Chris Wilder travelled back to former employers Oxford United and was dealt a firm body blow in the form of a 1-0 loss, leading to Burnley jumping up to the top of the second tier at the away side’s expense.

Wilder will be particularly irked by the continued poor displays by £10m man Tom Cannon, with the attacker joining the building back in January with a reputation for being a goal machine, only to now be regularly fluffing his lines.

Cannon's poor displays at United

The £10m price tag that was instantly put above the 22-year-old’s head did have the potential to backfire against him, with the Irishman demanding that hefty fee off the back of a goal-laden loan spell with Stoke City.

Unfortunately for the automatic promotion hopefuls, Cannon’s blistering form in front of goal for the Potters – which saw him bag an impressive 11 strikes from 25 games – is yet to come to the forefront at Bramall Lane, with the United number 28 still goalless in his new location.

Stat

Record

Games played

10

Games started

4

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Games played

25

Games started

24

Goals scored

11

Assists

1

Instead of leading the line as United’s main marksman, Cannon has been reduced to a background figure for Wilder’s men, with just four starts coming his way from ten overall appearances.

Patience will have to be exercised on the end of the promotion chasers – considering the 22-year-old cost such a lavish amount to bring in – but they must rue selling this former attacker now who could well have been the club’s original Cannon.

Sheffield United sold the original Tom Cannon

Thankfully for Wilder and Co, other attackers have stepped up to the mark whilst Cannon flounders, with Tyrese Campbell boasting ten goals for the season now as the Blades’ star striker.

But, the United boss wouldn’t say no to having Daniel Jebbison back at his disposal as another exciting attacking option, with plenty expected of the Canadian forward when he was still situated in South Yorkshire.

After all, in a similar fashion to Cannon, Jebbison was tipped for big things from a very young age, with the then 17-year-old attacker tapping home this effort in the Premier League way back in 2021.

Helping himself to a stunning six goals from six games in the U18 structure too – much like Cannon who fired home a ridiculous 28 goals for the Everton U18s – Jebbison must have been anticipating that this strike against Everton would catapult him into stardom at Bramall Lane, but his reality would unfortunately play out much differently.

The one-time Canada international would only go on to amass two more goals for United from a further 33 first-team outings, before he was sold on to AFC Bournemouth in 2024 to bring his long-standing association with his boyhood club to a close.

Now out on loan at Watford, United must wonder if Jebbison could be the goalscoring machine they desire in the here and now if he was back on their roster, with his national team manager in Jesse Marsch recently stating that the 21-year-old still possesses “massive potential.”

Annoyingly, Jebbison never exiting might well have saved United significant amounts of cash in buying Cannon, but Wilder will pray he can get a tune out of the former Leicester City man sooner rather than later, as huge games come thick and fast in the brutal promotion race.

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2021 St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have been one of the better franchises in the National League over the last 21 seasons. They’ve made the postseason in back-to-back years, with 14 trips to the playoffs and two World Series wins since 2000. St. Louis has 12 championships (1886, 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, and 2011) over the team’s 139-year history.

St. Louis pushed all in the offseason to acquire 3B Nolan Arenado from the Rockies for SP Austin Gomber, IF Mateo Gil, IF Elehuris Montero, RP Tony Locey, and RP Jake Sommers. Colorado will also pay over $50 million of Arenado’s contract.

They lost 2B Kolten Wong, 3B Brad Miller, and C Matt Wieters to free-agency. The Cardinals re-signed C Yadier Molina and SP Adam Wainwright.

The only other minor deal was OF Dexter Fowler traded to the Angels for a minor league player. The Cardinals picked over $12 million of Fowler’s contract.

Their starting rotation has one ace in Jake Flaherty, supported by three veteran arms. SP Kwang Hyun Kim has a short resume of success starting for the Cardinals, but he showed the ability to offer good winning innings in 2020. St. Louis would be significantly helped if SP Carlos Martinez can regain his early-career form.

Offensively, the Cardinals have strength at the top half of the lineup. To push higher in runs and home runs, they need their young outfielders (Dylan Carlson, Tyler O’Neill, and Harrison Bader) to become more consistent and productive.

The bullpen should be in good hands with RP Jordan Hicks back from TJ surgery while also having two other arms (Alex Reyes and Giovanny Gallegos) with closing potential. RP John Gant and Ryan Helsley will also help shorten games.

Something brewing in the Caribbean as Windies win third T20I series under Rovman Powell’s captaincy

Matt Roller21-Dec-2023The final game of England’s tour ended much like the first: with Shai Hope clinching victory for West Indies with a match-winning six. His unbeaten, run-a-ball 43 was the highest score of a tense low-scorer in Tarouba, and his clean strike over cover off Chris Woakes sealed the series decider with four balls remaining.Something is brewing in the Caribbean. Since their ignominious first-round exit at last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, West Indies have won three T20I series out of three under Rovman Powell’s captaincy. In August, they beat India 3-2 in Daren Sammy’s first T20I series as white-ball coach; in December, they beat the defending world champions by the same margin.Related

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This finale was played on the same strip at Trinidad’s Brian Lara Cricket Academy as the one used in England’s 75-run win 48 hours previously, but the games could hardly have been more different: after 459 runs in 35.3 overs on Tuesday evening, Thursday’s game saw just 265 in 38.5, culminating in a scrap for the finish line.In pursuit of 133, Hope soaked up 31 balls for his first 23 runs before finally shifting up a gear when he squeezed Rehan Ahmed away for his first boundary. West Indies made things difficult for themselves, but England’s late collapse after being sent in – they lost their last six wickets for just 22 runs – proved decisive. They will fly home empty-handed on Friday, after losing both the ODI and T20I legs of this tour.A pinch of Salt
Phil Salt hit centuries in both the third and fourth games of this series, and looked in pristine touch in the Powerplay. Oshane Thomas, who replaced Matthew Forde for West Indies, saw his first ball of the night crunched through the covers, then conceded back-to-back boundaries in his second over: the first through point, the second straight back down the ground.Jos Buttler fell early, scooping Jason Holder to short fine leg for 11 in the fourth over, while Will Jacks’ innings summed up his series: a glimmer of promise, crunching Akeal Hosein over long-on for a straight six, then brought back down to earth when cramped for room by an arm ball which scuttled into his stumps.By the time Salt launched Gudakesh Motie over long-off for six to take England to 60 for 2 after three balls of the seventh over, he had broken Mohammad Rizwan’s record for the most runs in a men’s bilateral T20I series. But he fell to the next one he faced, which angled in then spun past his outside edge – a sign of what was to come through the middle overs.Spin smothers England
Buttler bemoaned the time it took England to realise that this was not the belter of two nights previously, which allowed Motie and Hosein to thrive. Harry Brook fell to his sixth ball, gloving Motie behind as he shaped to scoop; only once more, when Moeen Ali dragged one over midwicket, did he concede a boundary.Moeen fell for 23 to an excellent relay catch between Andre Russell and Powell at long-on and long-off, having added 40 in 6.2 overs for the fifth wicket. Liam Livingstone hit two towering leg-side sixes – one off Thomas, the other off Holder – but chipped a catch back to Motie to give him his third wicket.England’s lower order offered little resistance: Russell cleaned Chris Woakes up with an inch-perfect yorker, then reacted quickly to take a fine catch off his own bowling when Rehan hit a full toss back at him. Adil Rashid ran himself out while getting Curran back on strike, but Curran could only pick out long-on. From 267 for 3, England were bowled out for just 132.Hope drops anchor
Johnson Charles, replacing Kyle Mayers at the top of the order, made an early dent in the target, swinging Woakes over square leg for six before steering him away through point. But England’s bowlers picked up the early wickets they craved: Brandon King swung Reece Topley straight to mid-on, and Nicholas Pooran chopped Woakes onto his own stumps.England tried to replicate West Indies’ spin squeeze, and Rashid – celebrating his ascent to the top of the ICC’s rankings in this format – struck in his first over. The breakthrough came thanks to the worst ball he bowled, a loopy full toss outside off stump that Charles slapped straight to short cover.Sherfane Rutherford provided a vital cameo of 30 off 21 balls, slugging Rashid down the ground for six and pulling Curran over long leg, as Hope steadied the ship from the other end. They added 41 off 38 balls for the fourth wicket before Rutherford crunched Rashid’s googly to Curran at short extra cover, breaking the game back open.As the game went deep, the chase became frantic. Powell dumped Rehan down the ground for six to take the required rate below six but then steered Topley to short third, and Russell swung like a rusty gate before heaving Curran’s full toss down long-on’s throat as West Indies managed one run off the first five balls of the 19th over.Holder was nearly run out off the final ball of the over, but Curran’s close-range attempt to deflect Rashid’s throw onto the stumps went wide. When Holder’s inside-edge off Woakes’ first ball of the 20th left six required off five balls, Hope decided to finish it with a single blow: he crashed Woakes over the off side, prompting celebrations that would continue long into the night.

After a whirlwind introduction to Test cricket in 2018, Dom Bess has had to bide his time. But, he knows that a good showing on the Lions tour is an investment in his England future

Sruthi Ravindranath in Wayanad14-Feb-2019A youngster, coming from a family of cricketers, chooses cricket for a career over the other sport he equally loves. He goes on to make his Test debut on the hallowed turf at Lord’s just two years later.Sounds like the plot of a feel-good film, doesn’t it? Well, it also happens to be Dom Bess’ real-life story. A keen rugby player, all it took for the England allrounder to pick cricket was just one winter at the Darren Lehmann Academy in Adelaide.”I think I’ve really kicked on the late development bit, though I’m just 21 now,” Bess tells ESPNcricinfo. “When I was about 18, I didn’t get a contract so I went to Australia for a winter after school. My game hadn’t really kicked on until then. I loved rugby but I was never good enough to play it professionally. But if cricket hadn’t worked for me, I’d be playing rugby now.”That’s when I went to the Lehmann Academy. After that, once I came back, I started playing continuously for the next one and a half years. Living by yourself when you’re 18 … I matured that way as well. As I went on, I performed in the second team at Somerset, playing games in the end. I played in the U-19s. I took two five-fors and it all rolled into one. After that winter in Australia, I knew I wanted to be a cricketer.”An offspinning allrounder? How did that happen?”I have three cousins who are older than me who play cricket.  As a family we play a lot of sport, rugby being one. Especially if I was to be with my grandfather, I always had to pick up the ball. My older cousins would also always want to bat. So that’s why bowling came easier to me, my batting came much later on.”In 2018, Bess made his England debut against Pakistan at Lord’s. An injury to his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach had opened the door for him in the first Test of the summer. He went wicketless on debut, but impressed with a hard-fought 57 in a losing cause, and followed up with three wickets and a 49 as nightwatchman in the win at Leeds.But the big break did not mean it would all be rosy for Bess from then on. With Leach back from injury, he found himself going from the Test team to Somerset’s second XI in a span of four weeks. He did not make the squad against India and Sri Lanka later that year. Since that memorable debut series, he has been travelling with the England Lions, who are currently playing in India.”It’s been unbelievably tough actually,” Bess says. “A lot of that happened very quickly. The dream come true, the rise and until now. It was the quickest three weeks I had in my life and it just flashed by. For me, after it finished, it was all about sitting and taking in that fact.”When he [Leach] came back from the New Zealand tour [in 2017-18], we were fighting for that Somerset spot as well. From then until now, I haven’t played much cricket. Since then I’ve been trying to get myself back into the county side with every opportunity I get. One thing is that I’ve had massive highs and massive lows, so I understand it’s going be a long journey.”After that winter in Australia, Bess had a meteoric rise. He found himself in the limelight on his Championship debut in 2016 where he picked up 6 for 21, the best figures by a Somerset championship debutant since 1961, on a rank turner in Taunton.He found success bowling alongside Leach in 2017, when Somerset were fighting relegation, taking 36 wickets at 23.42. Somerset beat Middlesex in their last match to stay in the top tier and both Leach and Bess ended up in the Lions side. A whirlwind of a year then followed.Dominic Bess with Saqlain Mushtaq during a practice session•Getty ImagesThe fact that that whirlwind has now blown over hasn’t brought him down though. He knows England’s tour of India is not far away and is well aware of what he can bring to the team in those conditions.”Firstly, Andy Flower [England Lions head coach] is here, who was a key in Ashes wins, and the India win back here [in 2012-13]. He knows the conditions and the set-up in India. The selectors will go to him and he surely knows what we’re doing – especially if we perform here and with the India tour [2020-21] not far away.”This is a key development and learning curve. As soon as you know how to play out here, it’s going to put you in a good stead. If people adapt quicker here, it’s a place to show the coaches and selectors what you can do.”That England’s selectors have been looking at youth over experience is good news for the likes of Bess. He is looking to turn that to his advantage, especially with the senior team’s batting under scrutiny after the series loss in West Indies.”If I think about my batting right now, one thing I need to do is score regularly,” he says.”I’ve got to get those 100s. I’ve got one, and I’ve got one 90. Getting better at batting will only open doors for me. If I’m making runs, I can obviously ask the question why can’t I bat higher, apart from bowling. If you’ve got an early game at home and you need only one spinner, I’m just going to be knocking on the door by scoring runs as well. You might get in the team that way.”While he was not a part of the series against India at home last summer, he trained with the senior side and played in the tour match against India A. That’s when he caught up with the legendary Saqlain Mushtaq, the team’s spin-bowling coach, who he feels has “done wonders” for his spin compatriots. Bess also admits to having learned a few tricks from the former Pakistan offspinner.”When India had come to England I was with the group unofficially, I worked with Saqlain for a little bit. He’s fascinating. He’s a subcontinent spinner, I feel like his bowling style is way different to a traditional English spinner. To get his views and beliefs on spin is fascinating.”He talks more of the spin coming off the finger, which I haven’t thought of before, to add to my technique, so that’s a great understanding for me. That’s one big thing I picked from him. Hopefully, if I find my way back into the Test side I’ll get to interact with him a bit more. He’s done wonders for Mo [Moeen Ali] and Rash [Adil Rashid], and now for Leach as well.”With Bess and Leach vying for the same spot in the England and Somerset line-ups, Bess is looking to use the competition to his benefit.”It’s a fascinating relationship. But at the end of the day we’re betting against each other. We also work together, we try to figure out from each other how we can improve. I think that’s how you can see why we’ve had a rapid rise. Of course, we’re challenging each other at the same county. At times it’s harder when it comes to the England side because we’re fighting for the same spot.”I’ve been on two England tours and Lions tours. I’ve had people like Leachy at my county to compete with, and he’s helped me. It’s made him better as well for him to be one step ahead in preparation. I saw him come back from Sri Lanka, he’s on a different level. He’s found another gear, now I’ll have to keep up with him.”

Manchester United have now joined the race to sign a “superstar in the making”, who has already snubbed a move to rivals Manchester City, according to a report.

Man Utd eyeing move for attacking midfielder

As we approach Ruben Amorim’s first summer transfer window as Man United boss, it is clear the manager will need to strengthen in a number of key areas, if his side are going to be competitive in the upper echelons of the Premier League table next season.

United are 13th in the standings with just nine games left to play, having arguably been overreliant on Bruno Fernandes to provide goals and assists, with the Portugal international leading the way on both metrics.

As such, the Red Devils may want to bring in another attacking midfielder this summer, and Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha is one of the names on the shortlist, although contact is yet to be made to discuss a potential deal.

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Southampton’s Tyler Dibling is also under consideration, with talks being opened over a deal for the 19-year-old, but the Englishman is not the only young attacker Amorim has his eye on.

According to a report from Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), Man United are now in the race to sign Genk’s Konstantinos Karetsas, who has previously snubbed a move to rivals Man City.

Liverpool, Newcastle United and Napoli are also interested in a move for Karetsas, who has started to attract widespread interest from across Europe, courtesy of his performances this season.

The 17-year-old is said to have established himself as one of the best young talents in the world, and the race for his signature is now hotting up.

Karetsas impressing for club and country

Despite his age, the teenager has already managed to establish himself as a key player for Genk, making 25 league appearances this season, during which time he has amassed two goals and two assists.

Having impressed in the Belgian Pro League, the Greek attacking midfielder recently earned a call-up to his national side, where he has continued to perform very well, breaking the record to become the youngest Greece player to score a competitive goal.

Following the starlet’s magnificent performance to help Greece prevail against Scotland, he also received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who tipped him for future success.

As such, it is exciting news that Man United are in the race for Karetsas, and they will be hoping the youngster’s previous snub of Man City will give them a better chance of winning the race for his signature.

Alexis Mac Allister has expressed his desire for Liverpool to sign a Tottenham star, who he claims to be the "best in the world" in his position.

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Mac Allister lavished praise on Romero Shares the same dressing room on Argentina dutyWants Liverpool to bid for the Tottenham defenderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mac Allister has made a passionate case for his club to pursue a transfer for fellow Argentine international Cristian Romero, praising the defender as one of the finest in the world. When asked by to name a player he would want to join him at Anfield, Mac Allister instantly responded with Romero’s name. His reasoning went beyond national camaraderie, pointing instead to Romero’s quality on the pitch and the trust he inspires during matches.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT MAC ALLISTER SAID

“Oh, Cuti [Romero]. He’s a player I love,” said the World Cup winner. "The way he speaks and plays, sometimes you feel like he’s too much because he makes everything so easy. He gives me confidence. For me, he’s been the best centre-back in the world for several years."

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Mac Allister and Romero have built a strong partnership on the international stage, featuring prominently in Argentina’s recent success. Both players were part of the squads that lifted the Copa America in 2024 and the 2022 World Cup. The duo’s on-field chemistry and mutual respect are evident, and Mac Allister now appears eager to bring that connection to Merseyside, where Liverpool are looking to strengthen under Arne Slot following a successful Premier League campaign.

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Despite Mac Allister’s hopeful endorsement, a move to Liverpool for Romero appears improbable in the short term. The Tottenham defender is being pursued by Atletico Madrid, and the defender has done little to silence the speculation, telling reporters: "I'd love to play in La Liga. I'd love to play in La Liga. I like watching a lot of games, and I have a lot of teammates who play there in Spain, and we watch them. It's one of the leagues I'd like to play in."

“It always helps to practise with the mindset that you’re a couple of wickets down and have to get say 100 runs in eight overs”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-20232:50

Moody: Hetmyer showed how to navigate a difficult run chase with a calm head

Twelve overs into their chase at Motera, Rajasthan Royals were going at less than a run a ball, and they needed 14 runs an over with four batters already back in the dugout. It seemed lost-cause territory, Gujarat Titans well on their way to their fourth successive win against this opposition. But Shimron Hetmyer, Royals’ big finisher, had been training for just this kind of situation.Related

Rajasthan Royals' hustle trumps Gujarat Titans' pragmatism

Hetmyer counter-attacks to take Royals clear at No. 1

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After the game, which, with some help from his captain Sanju Samson, he won for Royals with four balls to spare, Hetmyer explained. “I just practise it really. It always helps to practise with the mindset that you’re a couple of wickets down and you have to get say 100 runs probably in eight overs. You just try to program your mind that way, and so far it’s working.”Samson got things moving in the 13th over, hitting Titans’ lynchpin Rashid Khan for three successive sixes. The following over Hetmyer, on 4 off seven balls at the time, took Alzarri Joseph for a four and a six, and from there the big hits never ceased. Samson fell to left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad in the 15th, but only after taking him for a four and six, before Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel took full toll on Joseph again, going 6, 4, 6 in a 16th over that went for 20. Shami, Titans’ best bowler on the night, managed to prise out two wickets in the penultimate over but was himself dispatched for 16 runs by Jurel and R Ashwin. That left Hetmyer, now on 48 off 24, on strike for the final over, with just seven runs to get, and facing up to the spin of Ahmad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I was actually pretty happy, to be honest, to be facing [a spinner in the final over],” Hetmyer said. “But I think he had bowled pretty well tonight. So I was just thinking, if I can just get a double off the first ball and then just see what happens after that.”What happened was Hetmyer received a short one from Ahmad, and duly pulled it into the stands to seal an improbable chase with time to spare. And this was a win that Hetmyer “really wanted”. “Just really wanted to win against these guys because they beat us three times [in the league phase, in the qualifier, and in the final] last year,” he said. “So it was a kind of revenge really.”It might have seemed improbable from the outside, but Samson said he knew this chase was not beyond his team. “With the start we had while batting [being reduced to 4 for 2], it was very important to know how good a wicket this was. With the quality of bowling they had in the powerplay, we had to respect them.”But we knew at this ground, on this wicket, chasing would be really nice with the power we have at the end.”Titans will take due note. As their captain Hardik Pandya said after the game: “The game is never over till it’s over. So I think this is one more lesson for us.”

Bayern Munich look set to miss out on signing Xavi Simons after the RB Leipzig star reiterated his desire to join Chelsea this summer.

Bayern make fresh enquiry for SimonsSimons only wants Chelsea moveBayern also in talks for NkunkuFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Bundesliga giants have been strongly linked with a move for Simons, 22, after the Netherlands international told Leipzig he wished to leave the club following their failure to qualify for any form of European football. And according to Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, Bayern have since made a fresh enquiry to Simons' camp as they look to gauge his interest in moving to Munich.

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However according to Plettenberg, Bayern have been told Simons only has eyes for Chelsea and is waiting for the Premier League side to agree a deal with Leipzig. The Blues are currently trying to offload players in order to raise enough money to match Leipzig's reported £60 million ($81m) valuation.

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In what could turn out to be a transfer merry-go-round between the three clubs, the report also claims Bayern are in talks with Chelsea to sign forward Christopher Nkunku. And should a deal be agreed between the two clubs, Enzo Maresca's Chelsea may then have the means to bring Simons to Stamford Bridge.

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Bayern have the chance to earn their first piece of silverware of the new season when they take on Stuttgart in the German Super Cup on Saturday. Meanwhile, Leipzig are set to face SV Sandhausen in the German Cup on the same day, whereas Chelsea will lock horns with Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture on Sunday.