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Finishes with 109 wickets in 41 first-class matches and 47 wickets in 46 limited-overs games

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2020Uttar Pradesh’s Sudeep Tyagi, 33, called time on a stop-start 13-year career on Tuesday, the highlight being his elevation to the Indian team in 2009. In all, he featured in four ODIs and one T20I – all in the same year.Tyagi finishes with 109 wickets in 41 first-class matches and 47 wickets in 46 limited-overs games. He played a majority of these matches for Uttar Pradesh, the side he debuted for in 2007 with a 10-wicket haul. He followed that up with a nine-for in his second outing as Uttar Pradesh made their second straight Ranji Trophy final. Later on, he had brief stints at Saurashtra and Hyderabad.Tyagi’s India call-up came on the back of some incisive spells in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings in 2009. Although he managed just five wickets in eight games, the then selection committee, led by Kris Srikkanth, considered him a “great prospect” and handed him a debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka later that year, a match that was abandoned because of a poor pitch.”I have achieved what is every player’s dream to represent the country and wearing the Indian flag is a dream I lived,” he said in a statement. “I want to thank MS Dhoni under whom I played my first ODI. I want to thank my role models Mohammad Kaif, RP Singh and Suresh Raina. It is very difficult to do this but to move ahead we must let go.”A mixture of injuries and form meant he couldn’t be a regular in the domestic circuit anymore. His last competitive game was in 2017.

Jesse Lingard finally opened his account in South Korea as the former Manchester United star bagged his first goal for FC Seoul from the spot.

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• Lingard on target against Gangwon FC
• Opened the scoring in a 2-0 win
• Got his first goal in his 10th appearance

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The English forward joined the Korean giants in the winter but had struggled to find his feet in new surroundings. However, he finally scored his first goal for Seoul in a 2-0 triumph over Gangwon when he converted from the penalty spot in the 56th minute.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lingard had to undergo a knee surgery in March which kept him sidelined until the third week of May. He has been gradually gaining confidence and was even applauded by the fans in a recent 3-0 win over Suwon FC in the K League.

• WHAT LINGARD SAID

  Lingard took to Instagram to celebrate his goal and wrote: "This feeling. Proud of the lads today! Have to keep pushing @fcseoul."

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha on loan for the season with a €30 million (£26m) buy option. The 30-year-old will become the second player to join Spurs from the German champions this summer, following Mathys Tel's permanent switch. Palhinha will undergo medical tests before finalising the move to north London.

• Palhinha to join Spurs on loan with €30m buy clause
• Second Bayern player to move to Tottenham
• Spurs finally address defensive midfield problem area

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palhinha is set to join Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich, with Spurs covering his full salary, as per . The deal reportedly includes a €30m (£26m) buy option, though the purchase clause will not be mandatory and the north Londoners could send the former Fulham man back to Germany at the end of the season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palhinha's arrival addresses a long-standing gap in Spurs' midfield, adding much-needed steel and experience. He will soon become Tottenham's second signing from Bayern this summer after Tel, who starred in their Europa League-winning campaign on loan last season, before the Lilywhites decided to make the move permanent.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tottenham accelerated talks in the last 24 hours to beat any late competition for the Portugal international. Despite Bayern's original reluctance to add an option to buy, Spurs negotiated a €30m clause. With no plans at present for Palhinha in Munich, the German club readily agreed to the terms, especially considering that the Lilywhites are also ready to pay his full wage packet.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PALHINHA?

  The 30-year-old will complete his medical and join up with Spurs for the rest of pre-season. Frank is likely to integrate him quickly to strengthen the midfield ahead of their UEFA Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain and the Premier League opener with Burnley.

There is no crisis to be dealt with but this is a team looking for a rebuild and long-term planning in all formats, apart from domestic reforms

Danyal Rasool26-Sep-2019There was a time when Misbah-ul-Haq, now hailed as the epitome of a cool, collected man in the most bubbling cauldron, looked like he would only be remembered for one ostensible moment of madness. Almost exactly 12 years ago to the day, he had gone down on one knee against Joginder Sharma and looked to use his pace to scoop him over fine leg, with Pakistan six runs away from winning the inaugural World T20.We all know what happened next. Joginder Sharma doesn’t have much pace to work with, and Sreesanth stood perched underneath the high ball, taking a comfortable catch, giving India that immortal five-run win. Misbah had been almost solely responsible for getting Pakistan to within one hit of victory, but fans directed much of their frustration towards his fateful choice of shot, and his failure to see the game through nervelessly.It was expected to be the tail-end of a meandering career that had seen most of its time on Pakistan’s nearly invisible domestic circuit, and indeed Misbah was on the verge of retiring when handed the captaincy three years later at the age of 36. Suddenly tasked with picking Pakistan back up after the spot-fixing scandal, which ensnared the then captain, the best bowler and his would-be successor, Misbah would become the country’s security blanket, a sanguine, imperturbable presence which shielded Pakistan from the next crisis that, invariably, seemed round the corner. No such crisis would come for seven years, the longest-ever unbroken stint by a Pakistani as captain.Is that what Pakistan want from him today, too? The present state of the team is worlds removed from that dispirited wretch he inherited almost a decade ago. There is no crisis in Pakistan cricket presently, no fires to be put out. No captains have been sacked or banned; in fact, there hasn’t been a single change of captain since Misbah retired and left the role for Sarfaraz Ahmed to take up. The recently concluded World Cup saw Pakistan finish outside the top four on net run rate alone. The T20I side is number one in the world. What is the need for a security blanket when everyone is nice and toasty already?

“The picture is clear to me, and it is only a matter of being confident about taking the right decisions. And that I’m ready to do.”Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq

It isn’t, of course, quite as straightforward. After Misbah’s departure there was a slump in Pakistan’s Test form, though it may be argued that it had begun since before he retired, with the side losing six Tests on the bounce at one point before the career-capping victory in the West Indies that allowed him to go out on a high. Pakistan have now won seven and lost 15 of their last 23 Tests. Since Misbah’s retirement, they have won five of 14 Tests played, with eight losses. Nine months before Misbah retired, Pakistan were the top-ranked Test team in the world. Currently, they’re seventh.And then, of course, there are the domestic reforms, so inextricably linked to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s vision of a fresh approach to bringing talent through to the national side in an orderly fashion, groomed by what aspires to be a professional system. It is a facet of Pakistan cricket few know more about than Misbah. Until as recently as December 2018, Misbah played the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, consistently calling for higher standards of pitches and facilities on the domestic circuit, and a narrowing of the yawning quality gap between international and domestic cricket. He spent most of his early career relying on domestic cricket for his bread and butter, only getting a shot at regular international cricket after he was well into his 30s. This isn’t a man to pay lip service to the plight of domestic cricketers in this country; he experienced first-hand its benighted state for nearly half his career.It is a point he drew upon in Karachi today addressing a press conference ahead of the series against Sri Lanka, and termed it a major reason for accepting the job. “Obviously, it is a challenge for me, this role. Whenever you take on a new project, it is challenging. But the reason I accepted it was being Pakistan captain until very recently, and having played plenty of domestic cricket like I have, too, you know the facts on the ground very well. That equips you to take decisions with as much information as possible. It is far harder when you don’t know any of these things, and don’t know many of the players. The picture is clear to me, and it is only a matter of being confident about taking the right decisions. And that I’m ready to do.”ALSO READ: Five captains who became coachesThe series against Sri Lanka, set to begin in Karachi on Friday, may not provide much of an indicator of anything. International cricket’s return to Pakistan remains in those embryonic stages where the venue always upstages the scorecard, and with such a weakened Sri Lanka team travelling, this will by no means be Misbah’s biggest test as coach. But the brand of cricket Pakistan bring to the field in Karachi, as well as the players selected – Misbah, remember, is also the chief selector – makes it strategically intriguing enough to be worth paying attention to. Will Mohammad Rizwan, seen as Sarfaraz’s successor behind the stumps, play as a specialist batsman? Misbah said today, “You can’t survive without fitness in international cricket now.” But will that continue to bear out on the field?There may be no crisis, but Pakistan are looking for a rebuild. There are many questions and several uncertainties about the direction this team will take, and long-term planning is called for in each format. The World Test Championship is a two-year project, and with the World Cup just over, there are four years to work with before the next big event in the 50-over format. In T20 cricket, Pakistan need to sustain their momentum until the T20 World Cup next year. There will be times for considered contemplation, forensic detail and intelligence over impulse. You might not have believed it a dozen years ago, but today, that sounds like a mission for Misbah.

It’s no secret what Arsenal’s biggest weakness has been this season: their attack.

Injuries and poor form have seen Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool all score more goals than Mikel Arteta’s side in the Premier League.

Yet, for everything that’s gone wrong this year, the Gunners have still got the best defensive record in the competition, largely thanks to the incredible centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Unfortunately, the pairing could soon be broken apart, with Real Madrid now upping the ante in their pursuit of the Frenchman.

However, it’s not necessarily all doom and gloom, as recent reports have linked Arsenal with another sensational centre-back who could prove to be a perfect replacement.

Transfer Focus

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

Arsenal's search for Saliba's successor

Because he has been performing at such a high level for a considerable period now, Saliba has long been linked with Real Madrid.

However, a recent report from French outlet L’Equipe has claimed that the Arsenal ace is now one of Los Blancos’ primary targets and someone they want to come in and lead the defence next season.

Losing the Bondy-born monster would undoubtedly be a massive setback for the North Londoners, but if they can secure the previously reported £86m for his services, then they can at least go out and look for a replacement.

In fact, that appears to be what they are doing already, as, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen, who is “the most in-demand centre-back in the world” in the words of data analyst Ben Mattinson.

Alongside the Gunners, Romano has revealed that Liverpool and Chelsea are also in the “race to sign” the Spanish international, who has a £50m release clause in his current contract.

It might be a lot to spend on a youngster, but given his ability and immense potential, it would be worth it, especially as he could be the ideal Saliba replacement.

Why Huijsen would be a great Saliba replacement

If Arsenal can get ahead of the chasing pack and sign Huijsen in the coming weeks and months, what makes him a potentially great replacement for Saliba?

First and foremost, even though he has only recently turned 20, he already has plenty of top-level experience.

For example, in addition to the two senior caps he’s won for Spain, the potentially “world-class” gem, as dubbed by one analyst, has made 33 appearances for Bournemouth this term, 27 of which have been starts, scored three goals and provided one assist.

On top of that, Arsenal fans will already be annoyingly aware of his immense ability, as not only did he start in the Cherries home win over the North Londoners in late October, he started in their win over the weekend, where he won his fourth Man of the Match Award this season and scored his third goal.

Finally, when we directly compare him to the Gunners’ supremely talented number two, the “perfect” Spaniard, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, actually comes out on top.

For example, he does better in practically every relevant metric, including but not limited to, expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive and key passes, passes into the final third and penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, blocks, interceptions, clearances, aerial duals won and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while keeping hold of Saliba should be Arsenal’s primary objective, Huijsen looks like he’d be the perfect replacement.

If anything, he’s someone they should look to sign regardless of what happens to the Frenchman.

He'd revive Odegaard: Arsenal aiming to sign "the new Mbappe" in £85m deal

Arsenal need to sign a player who could revive the fortunes of Martin Odegaard.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 5, 2025

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner won't be much use to his country next year if he continues to play at a lower level

"Peace has cost you your strength; victory has defeated you," the muscle-bound, arch-villain Bane tells Batman after catching one of his punches in the hit movie 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The time-worn caped crusader continues to fight as hard as he can, but is ultimately left with a broken back at the end of the scene, having succumbed to the most dangerous pitfall of all: complacency.

There was a similar feeling of futility generated by watching Lionel Messi toil in the second half of Inter Miami's Club World Cup last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last weekend. Even at the ripe old age of 38, Messi was still able to produce dazzling moments of genius, including a beautiful first-time pass for Luis Suarez that should have earned him an assist, but it was nowhere near enough to lay a glove on an opponent operating at the highest possible technical and physical level.

It was sad to see perhaps the greatest player in the history of the sport fighting a battle he was never going to win. "The match was what was expected," Messi admitted to after the 4-0 thrashing. "They’re a great team, winners of the last Champions League, and they’re in really good shape. We tried to do our best, and I think we left a good impression at the Club World Cup."

Is simply leaving a "good impression" the goal now for Messi at this stage of his illustrious career? The diminutive wizard has found peace in Miami, but he's also become complacent, and that's bad news for Argentina one year out from their World Cup defence. However, fresh rumours of a potential return to Barcelona have also surfaced in recent days, which would change everything for Messi and the Albiceleste…

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  Contract uncertainty

  Those rumours were sparked by Esteban Edul, who claimed Messi is considering a move to a more competitive league once his current contract at Inter Miami expires in December, so he can have the best possible preparation for the World Cup. But the truth of the matter may not be that clear-cut.

  Spanish journalist Guillem Ballague has suggested that "nobody knows, least of all, Messi himself" if the Miami captain will even play at the 2026 tournament. "At the moment, he is just taking it game by game, tournament by tournament," Balague added to .

  "If he renews and stays in America, he'll evaluate the situation when he needs to, but for the time being he is just taking things step by step. Everyone involved wants to see him leading Argentina at the World Cup in America in a year's time. But he has not indicated to anyone what his final decision is."

  has since reported that Messi is open to signing an extension with Miami, who are confident that negotiations are heading in the right direction. But if Messi does decide to appear at his sixth World Cup, and he's serious about making a decisive impact, it would make little sense for him to stay in MLS, which is still a long way behind the most competitive leagues in Europe.

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  Club World Cup embarrassment

  That fact was underlined by how Miami, LAFC and the Seattle Sounders fared at the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup. Miami beat Porto 2-1 in the group stage, courtesy of a sublime Messi free-kick, to become the first club in CONCACAF history to defeat a European opponent in an official competition, and the first from America to win a Club World Cup match, while earning draws against Al Ahly and Palmeiras to secure passage to the round of 16.

  That was also a first for any team in MLS history, but LAFC and the Sounders finished bottom of their respective groups without a single win to their name. LAFC's failure was especially disappointing given their favourable draw alongside Chelsea and two very beatable sides in Flamengo and Tunisian outfit Esperance Tunis.

  Miami's humiliating thrashing at the hands of PSG also completely overshadowed their record-breaking achievements. The Sounders only lost 2-0 to Luis Enrique's side in their group clash, but Miami were four goals down by half-time in what turned out to be the mismatch of the tournament so far.

  It would likely have been even worse for Javier Mascherano's side had PSG not taken their foot off the gas after the restart, too, as Luis Enrique made five substitutions before the 70-minute mark. Miami didn't even register a shot until the 50th minute – a deflected effort from Messi – such was PSG's dominance.

  Miami's Club World Cup campaign cannot be painted as a success after such a chastening defeat, and it would be perfectly understandable if it has left Messi contemplating his future.

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  'Isn't the Messi I know'

  Indeed, it was all too much for one of Messi's former colleagues to bear. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played alongside the Argentina icon at Barcelona in 2009-10, told immediately after the final whistle put Miami out of their misery against PSG: "Messi plays with statues, not team-mates. He's surrounded by players who run as if they were carrying bags of cement."

  Ibrahimovic added: "This isn't the Messi I know. If you put him in a real team, he'd go all-out. There are no coaches, no stars, not even players who understand how to move without the ball. If he were on a real team, any great team, you'd see the real lion. Messi plays alone because he loves the game, because he can still do what 99 percent of players can't. But this isn't the Messi I know."

  Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets complete Miami's contingent of Barcelona legends, with another in Mascherano currently serving as head coach, but they have precious little star quality in their ranks beyond that, and PSG ruthlessly exposed their glaring weaknesses.

  Ibrahimovic is right: Messi is a big fish in a very small pond and he's having to shoulder way too much responsibility. Messi needs to be a key part of a cohesive unit to reach his maximum, with fellow world-class players to bounce off, not a messiah-like figure who is quite literally expected to win games on his own.

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  Unfinished business

  If the "real lion" is to roar again in 2026, Messi has to return to Europe, or more specifically Barcelona. It's certainly difficult to imagine him representing any other European club, especially after his underwhelming two-year stint at PSG.

  There is still a real sense of unfinished business between Barca and Messi, too. La Masia's ultimate academy jewel left Camp Nou without a proper goodbye in 2021 because the Blaugrana couldn't afford to renew his contract after being plunged into an unprecedented financial crisis by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

  It was a terribly sad way for Messi's 21-year association with the club to end, not only because the Argentine maestro had smashed the club's all-time scoring record while helping to deliver 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues, but also because he still had so much more to give. There is, though, still time for Barca to put things right.

  New reports in Spain have suggested that Joan Laporta, who was elected as Barca president for a second time shortly after Messi's exit, wants to bring the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner back on an initial six-month contract in January. If Messi leaves Miami at the end of the year, Barca can sign him on a free transfer, so it would be a surprise if the possibility hasn't at least been discussed in the club boardroom.

  Staying within La Liga's wage limits is still a concern for Barca, but Laporta is said to be willing to move heaven and earth to arrange Messi's homecoming so that it coincides with the full reopening of the renovated Camp Nou.

Also, how many times has a wicket fallen off the first ball of a Test?

Steven Lynch15-Aug-2017How many people have hit their maiden first-class century in a Test, as Hardik Pandya did in Pallekele? asked Chandrakant Sarwate from India

Hardik Pandya, whose previous highest score was 90, was the 41st batsman – the 14th in the current century – to score his maiden first-class hundred in a Test match. The first instance was in the very first Test match of all, by Charles Bannerman for Australia against England in Melbourne in 1876-77. Bannerman’s famous 165 retired hurt in that game was actually his only century in a career of 44 first-class matches. The list includes four other Indians: Vijay Manjrekar (1952), Kapil Dev (1978-79), Ajay Ratra (2001-02) and Harbhajan Singh (2010-11, in his 88th Test).How many wicketkeepers have been out for 99 in a Test, as Jonny Bairstow was? asked Michael Ward from England

Jonny Bairstow’s important 99 at Old Trafford was only the third such score by a wicketkeeper in a Test. The first to fall for 99 was Brendon McCullum, for New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Napier in 2004-05. He was followed by MS Dhoni, for India against England in Nagpur in 2012-13. Bairstow was the unlucky 13th batsman to be out for 99 in a Test for England, but the first since Kevin Pietersen against Bangladesh in 2009-10. Mike Atherton and MJK Smith were both dismissed for 99 twice, while Geoff Boycott – who was out for 99 against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1973-74 – was also stranded on 99 not out against Australia in Perth in 1979-80. Alex Tudor, against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999, is the only other man to make 99 not out in a Test innings for England.Who was the first man to play 100 ODIs? asked Wayne Johnstone from Australia

The first man to reach the milestone of 100 one-day international appearances was Australia’s Allan Border, in January 1985. The record he overhauled shortly before was held by another Australian, Rod Marsh, with 92. Border was also the first to play 200 ODIs, reaching the mark in February 1990, at which point Viv Richards had played 177 and Desmond Haynes 171. First to 300 was Mohammad Azharuddin, in September 1998; he had gone past Border’s final tally of 273 earlier that year. And the first of the four men so far to reach 400 was Sanath Jayasuriya, in October 2007. At that time Sachin Tendulkar had played 397 ODIs; he went past Jayasuriya in February 2011, and finished with 463 one-day caps.Hands up if you think he’s out for a golden duck•Getty ImagesThere were four first-ball ducks in South Africa’s second innings at The Oval – was this a record? asked George Symons from South Africa

South Africa’s disappointing second innings in the third Test at The Oval was indeed the first in Tests to contain four golden ducks – Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel all perished first ball. With the proviso that there are several matches for which we don’t have complete ball-by-ball records, there appear to have been 12 previous instances of an innings containing three golden ducks, most recently by India (Abhinav Mukund, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar) against England at Trent Bridge in 2011. The first such instance was in an Ashes Test at Edgbaston in 1902, when the Australian trio of Warwick Armstrong, Ernie Jones and Bill Howell were all out first ball. In Melbourne in 2003-04, Sachin Tendulkar, Parthiv Patel and Ajit Agarkar were all out first ball, while Zaheer Khan also faced just one ball, but finished with 0 not out.I know that the first delivery of a Test match was hit for six only once, but how many times has the first ball of a Test match resulted in a wicket, and which team has done it most often? asked Allan Alexander from the United States

There have now been 30 instances of a batsman being dismissed by the first ball of a Test, most recently when Mitchell Starc dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne in the second Test in Galle in August 2016. West Indies have done it most often – eight times, helped by the fact that Pedro Collins three times dismissed Bangladesh’s Hannan Sarkar with the opening delivery of a match. Australia have started five different Tests with a first-ball wicket, England four, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa three, and Bangladesh one.Just in case anyone doesn’t know about the first-ball six you mention, it was struck by Chris Gayle off Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi in Mirpur in 2012-13. It was actually Gazi’s first ball in Test cricket!Leave your questions in the comments section

He says England’s attacking cricket has made him focus on restricting batters as well as taking wickets

Shashank Kishore13-Feb-2024India’s left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has said he enjoyed his first taste of England’s Bazball approach in Visakhapatnam because it not only created more wicket-taking opportunities but also made bowlers think about restricting batters in Test cricket.”Usually in Tests you’re not used to teams attacking you with this kind of approach [Bazball], but it also involves you a lot more,” Kuldeep said ahead of the third Test against England starting on February 15 in Rajkot. “As a spinner it makes you more focused on how you want to bowl and what your approach is.”Normally when you play Tests, you don’t worry about batters attacking you, you’re only focused on how you want to get them out. But here the approach is different, they’re in attacking mode so you also have to plan how to restrict them. When they play shots, you have those many opportunities to take wickets. It’s interesting. The last game was my first [against Bazball], I enjoyed it a lot, it’s good for cricket.”Related

• India vs England, round three: scores level, stakes high

• Theme for a meme Kuldeep makes Test cricket a lot of fun

• Can India's batters restore the balance of power against England's spinners?

• India's selection puzzle: is there room for both Kuldeep and Axar?

• Rahul ruled out of third Test against England; Padikkal called up

The Visakhapatnam Test was only Kuldeep’s ninth Test since he made his debut in March 2017. It was his first in over 15 months. Kuldeep picked up three of his four wickets in the first innings as India took a 143-run lead that helped them level the five-Test series 1-1.”It’s been good,” Kuldeep said with a smile when asked about finally getting a chance in Test cricket. “Whatever Tests I’ve played, I’ve performed well. I have three five-fors, so yeah it feels good when you see the stats. I’m very happy.”The pitches for the first two Tests of this series have not been rank turners and, if that trend continues in Rajkot, Kuldeep could keep his place in the XI even if Ravindra Jadeja returns. Kuldeep’s accuracy and extra bounce made him more effective than Axar Patel in Visakhapatnam.”Am not sure of my position,” he said when asked about his chances of playing in Rajkot. “If I get the opportunity, I’ll be more than happy. I don’t think too much about whether am playing or not. I just enjoy my day and keep working hard. Combination is such a thing that it matters in a team game. As simple as that.”Kuldeep needed no reminders of his previous Test in Rajkot, where he took a five-for against West Indies in 2018.”It’ll be a batting wicket,” he said when asked about the pitch for the upcoming Test against England. ‘It doesn’t mean there’ll be 700-800 runs scored. It’ll be a good wicket. It won’t be a rank turner, it will be a live wicket, good for cricket.”Why has there been a sudden shift in the nature of pitches for this series?”I haven’t played on rank turners, I don’t know what the approach or thought is, it’s a team management decision,” Kuldeep said. “Obviously everyone wants to watch good cricket. I don’t know if I’ll get an opportunity or not, but whether it’s flat wicket or rank turner, I enjoy it. I think batting is also important, not just spin bowling. Fast bowling comes into the game as well. It’s good for cricket. It’s not like you’ll see rank turners only, but hopefully you’ll see it [laughs].”

Barcelona have handed a professional contract to teenager Roberto Tomas after he emerged as La Masia’s top scorer.

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• Roberto Tomas has been handed his first professional contract at 16
• He was the top scorer of La Masia
• Has earned rapid promotion through the youth setup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona have handed a professional contract to 16-year-old Roberto Tomas, who finished the season as La Masia's top scorer. Notably, this is the teenager’s first professional deal with the club.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Roberto Tomas is currently enjoying his third season at La Masia and is considered a huge prospect for the future. During his Infantil A days, he played both as a No.9 and an attacking midfielder, scoring 21 goals in the process.

  His performances prompted the coaching staff to promote him directly to Cadet A rather than Cadet B. Although younger than many of his teammates and opponents, he adapted well and was deployed both as a false No.9 and in an attacking midfield role. This season, he has been pulling double duty, playing for Juvenil B as well as stepping in for Cadet A when needed, scoring 10 goals for the former and 12 for the latter.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Roberto Tomas is set to turn 17 next February and is nearly 19 months younger than Lamine Yamal, who currently plays for the senior team.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERTO TOMAS?

  Tomas will now represent Barcelona’s U-18 squad and is contracted to remain at the Catalan club until 2028. He is widely expected to break into the senior team in the coming years.

Arne Slot is well on his way to securing his first Premier League title with Liverpool in his first attempt, currently sitting top of the tree on 67 points after 28 matches played, 13 points ahead of second-place Arsenal who do have one game in hand.

Liverpool are unsurprisingly the league’s top scorers, scoring 66 goals in their 28 games played, taking the most shots per game with 16.6 and averaging 56.7% possession; the fourth highest in the division.

Mohamed Salah has scored a whopping 25 Premier League goals this season, whilst also providing 17 assists and totaling 2,485 minutes played.

Behind Salah, the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota have all contributed with goals, as has Dominik Szoboszlai in recent weeks, being deployed as a false 9 at times under Slot.

This has left Darwin Nunez’s future in doubt, as he clearly finds himself out of favour.

The Darwin Nunez conundrum for Liverpool

Nunez was signed by Liverpool back in 2022, joining for a club-record fee of around £85m from Benfica.

Since joining the Reds, Nunez has made 132 appearances, scoring 39 goals, providing 22 assists and totalling 7,105 minutes played.

The story of Nunez’s time at Liverpool can largely be put into perspective with his missed chance against Aston Villa.

Whilst he gets himself into very good positions, working hard for the team and constantly offering a threat on the break, his ability to provide that final clinical touch has proven to evade him at times.

This term, he has missed 13 big chances which remarkably is an improvement on last season where he missed a colossal 38 across all competitions.

Some of his misses have been described as “unacceptable” by pundits, and the longer this continues, the more you begin to wonder if Nunez will eventually be replaced, even if it’s by someone from Liverpool’s academy system.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Liverpool's "special" star could replace Nunez

The Reds are currently bringing through a number of highly-rated young forwards at the moment with Jayden Danns perhaps the most exciting from a striker perspective.

However, in the shape of Ben Doak, they have a winger who could also take minutes away from Nunez heading into Slot’s second term.

Liverpool signed Doak from Celtic back in 2022, with the youngster joining for a measly £600,000 compensation fee from the Scottish giants.

The 19-year-old has found himself on loan at Middlesbrough this season, making 24 appearances, scoring three goals, providing seven assists and totalling 1,789 minutes.

Doak can play on both wings, which opens the opportunity for Slot to continue using the likes of Diaz, Szoboszlai, Jota and even Curtis Jones through the middle, looking to exploit his attacking firepower out wide with the likes of Salah and Gakpo.

The Scotland international was described as a “special” young player by Jürgen Klopp, whilst Jones described the Liverpool youngster as a “potential game-changer” when he joined Boro in the summer on loan.

Doak is clearly an extremely talented player, who is expected to make the jump to Premier League football next campaign one way or another.

If Slot is willing to put his trust in the 19-year-old next season, Doak could offer some extra firepower to their attacking line, leaving the door open for Nunez to be sold, which may become more feasible if he remains out of favour under the Dutch manager.

Sold for £15m: Klopp’s Liverpool star is playing like a £100m Salah heir

This former Liverpool star could have been a valuable asset in Arne Slot’s system.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 28, 2025