The home side were bundled out for 157 as the game rushed to a three-day finish
AAP05-Oct-2023Tasmanian Beau Webster’s all-round excellence was instrumental in his side’s seven-wicket Sheffield Shield win against South Australia.Webster took a career-best 4 for 32 as the home side folded for just 157 in their second innings at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval on Thursday.The meagre total left Tasmania needing 84 runs to win, achieved just after tea on day three.SA posted 307 in their first innings and in reply Webster made 62 as the visitors compiled 381.SA resumed in trouble on day three at 47 for 3, and any hope of setting the Tasmanians a challenging target vanished early.Captain Jake Lehmann was soon out for 8, trapped lbw by paceman Gabe Bell. And a brief Jake Fraser-McGurk cameo of 29 from 20 balls ended when he shouldered arms to a Lawrence Neil-Smith ball, which slid off the bat-face to his stumps.Webster, 29, once a potential AFL draftee from the Tassie Mariners who opted for cricket, soon captured the big wicket of Nathan McSweeney.McSweeney had anchored SA’s innings, striking eight fours in making 48 from 97 balls, but edged to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.Webster’s impact heightened in the next over when, at second slip, he grasped a sharp catch, diving low and forward, to dismiss Harry Nielsen as Bell struck again.Webster then mopped up the SA tail, taking the last three wickets for his best bowling figures in 72 first-class matches.In the run chase, Tasmanian opener Caleb Jewell, after making 87 in the first dig, was trapped lbw for a second-ball duck by paceman Wes Agar.First-innings centurion Charlie Wakim and ex-Redback Jake Weatherald both fell to SA quick Jordan Buckingham.Captain Jordan Silk was unbeaten on 24 when the Tasmanians secured a comprehensive win to open their Shield campaign.
Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford is eyeing a move to Barcelona and the Catalan side are reportedly open to signing the England international.
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Rashford wants to make move to Barcelona
Barcelona said to still be interested in winger
Forward certain that he wants to leave United
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Rashford decided to part ways with his boyhood club, Manchester United, in January after falling down the order under Ruben Amorim, with Barcelona having been said to be interested. However, after being unable to secure a move to Catalonia, he moved to Aston Villa on a short loan deal without an option to buy in the summer for the Midlands club.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Rashford is said to still be keen on leaving United in the summer after having impressed on his loan stint with Aston Villa, and is hoping that a move to Barcelona can come to fruition. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that the Catalan side are still open to a move for the England winger as they are keen on signing a left-winger this summer.
WHAT ROMANO SAID
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano said: “Let me tell you that, internally at Barcelona, they still believe that Marcus Rashford could be an option for the summer transfer window.
“They believe at Barcelona that Rashford might be available on the market. They believe at Barcelona that Rashford could be a good solution because he can play as number nine, he can play on the wing, so he can help in several positions and he’s a player appreciated by those at Barcelona.
“Barca already wanted Rashford in January. It didn’t happen because Ansu Fati didn’t leave, and so in terms of Financial Fair Play it was not possible to balance the deal, but Marcus Rashford remains on the list of Barcelona.
“If Rashford is not staying at Aston Villa, we will see what happens as he is one of the options under consideration at Barcelona.”
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?
The 27-year-old has already taken a major step to try and sign with Barcelona as he is working with super agent Pini Zahavi, who is said to be very close to the Catalan club's top management, including president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.
حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، فوزًا مثيرًا على نظيره فاركو برباعية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
والتقى الأهلي مع فاركو على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز موسم 2025-2026.
وحقق الأهلي أول انتصاراته في مسابقة الدوري بعد التعثر بالتعادل مع مودرن سبورت بهدفين لكل فريق.
طالع.. فيديو | “قص الشريط”.. زيزو يسجل هدف الأهلي الثاني أمام فاركو برأسية رائعة
وافتتح محمد شريف العائد إلى الأهلي في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية، الأهداف في الدقيقة العاشرة بعد عرضية من محمد هاني قابلها برأسه في الشباك.
ووسع أحمد سيد زيزو الفارق بالهدف الثاني، في الدقيقة الحادية والعشرين بعد عرضية من محمد علي بن رمضان، قابلها برأسية رائعة في الشباك.
وجاء هدف الأهلي الثالث عن طريق زيزو في الدقيقة 59 بعد عرضية من أشرف بن شرقي قابلها زيزو بقدمه اليمنى في الشباك.
وسجل محمد فخري في الدقيقة 70 هدف فاركو الوحيد بعدما لعب محمد هاني الكرة برأسه بمصطفى شوبير الذي أخطأ في إدخال الكرة للملعب ليسددها فخري في الشباك.
وأحرز جراديشار الهدف الرابع للأهلي في الدقيقة 81 من عمر المباراة بعد انفراد مع حارس فاركو ليراوغه السلوفيني ويسددها في الشباك.
ورفع الأهلي رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في المركز الثاني من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، بينما فاركو في المركز التاسع عشر برصيد نقطة وحيدة. أهداف الأهلي وفاركو اليوم في الدوري المصري
Former Australia opener says it’s a “good strategy” to have “outliers” in the squad that can keep the other players “honest”
Sruthi Ravindranath21-Aug-20231:29
Moody: Tilak’s selection is down to his temperament
Matthew Hayden believes Tilak Varma’s inclusion in India’s squad for the men’s Asia Cup is a “good strategy” as it would put pressure on Suryakumar Yadav and keep the rest of the frontline batters in the side “honest”.”We’ve seen the class of Tilak Varma. I think it’s a good strategy in terms of not just this World Cup but even potentially getting into the next World Cup as well,” Hayden said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards ceremony in Mumbai. “The great thing about India is it’s got a really solid one-two-three combination. Similar to Australia actually, when you look at their last four or five months, they’ve had a really good and strong – what we like to call – the engine room. And then they’ve got some good problems to solve through the middle order.”And if they can fill spots with talented young players like Tilak Varma, put pressure on someone like Suryakumar Yadav, I think that’s a good strategy. Keep everyone honest in the side and performing. So not a bad move. I think it’s a great side.”Related
Rahul, Shreyas and Tilak make it to India's Asia Cup squad
Ganguly feels Kohli, Iyer and Rahul can all bat at No. 4 if required
Rohit wants India to be flexible, in mind and batting order
Tilak, who hasn’t played an ODI yet, was included on the back of his promising performances during the T20I series in the Caribbean. Hayden said the emergence of such young talents is one of the positives to come out of injuries to various senior players in the Indian side. Jasprit Bumrah, India’s No. 1 bowler, has just returned from a 11-month hiatus and has been named in the 17-member squad. Ditto with KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who have missed the last few months because of injuries too.”In the landscape of modern cricket now, you’re going to get injuries,” Hayden said. “We’ve seen that with Jasprit Bumrah and we’ve seen the emergence of players in and around him that have had an opportunity because he hasn’t been playing. They look at their bench strength as much as they look at their playing make-up because ultimately you’re going to be challenged.”When I look back at the World Cup campaigns that I was a part of, I remember [Shane] Warne was out with a drug-related incident [in 2003] and then [Brad] Hogg comes into the side and has an unbelievable series in South Africa. So as much as we’d love to see superstars feature in World Cups, the outliers tend to be those players that might win you a World Cup. It might be Ishan Kishan, for example. He might have an unbelievable World Cup and blast everyone away. The selectors don’t write their names down first, but they have something special and they can deliver it on a World Cup stage.”There are some key questions for India heading into the 50-over World Cup at home this year: who will be their No. 4? What will their middle order look like? While captain Rohit Sharma said he wanted to keep the batting order flexible, Hayden said the Asia Cup would give India a chance to fine-tune their plans and possibly find answers they need.”The Asia Cup is kind of where you’re going to see a lot more answers to those questions,” Hayden said. “Playing in their home conditions, in the build-up to the World Cup – the World Cup’s on our doorstep – that’s about as good as you get from the subcontinent teams, playing in Sri Lanka, in Pakistan, ahead of an enormous campaign here in India. There’s no question that you’re going to have bench players playing in this World Cup. Your outliers are as important as your key players. And it’s in your favour.”But we all know how much everyone loves cricket here as well. To be at home, there’s an enormous pressure that will come with that. But I think that you’ve got good lead up time and good preparation.”
Also: what’s the highest Test score to include a duck, and the lowest without one?
Steven Lynch26-Mar-2019I saw that Suresh Raina became the first to score 5000 runs in the IPL. Is this the most for any T20 competition worldwide? asked Ashok Mithunali from India Suresh Raina nipped past the 5000 mark in Chennai Super Kings’ first match of the new IPL season when he reached 15 of his eventual 19 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on Saturday. Barring accidents, Virat Kohli will be next to the landmark: after that Chennai match, he was just 46 short of 5000. Next come Rohit Sharma (4498) and Gautam Gambhir (4217). The leading non-Indian, in seventh place with 4099 as I write, is David Warner.Helped by the fact that the IPL teams play so many matches, Raina’s haul is the most for any senior T20 tournament. Next comes the English Twenty20 Cup, in its various guises: Kent’s Joe Denly leads the way here with 3927 runs since his debut in 2004; he is ahead of Luke Wright (3699), Riki Wessels (3495) and Samit Patel (3465). The top scorer in the Caribbean Premier League is Chris Gayle, with 2111, while Michael Klinger tops the charts in the Australian Big Bash with 1947 runs, two more than Chris Lynn. The leader in the Bangladesh Premier League is Tamim Iqbal, with 1825.Was Isuru Udana’s score the other day the highest by a No. 8 in a T20I? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa Isuru Udana’s blistering unbeaten 84 – from 54 balls – for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Centurion last week was easily the highest by a No. 8 in a T20 international. There had been only two previous half-centuries: Simi Singh made 57 not out for Ireland against Netherlands in Rotterdam last June, while Kenya’s Rageb Aga hit 52 not out against Scotland in Dubai in November 2013.I noticed that Ireland’s team for their second Test showed five changes from their maiden one. Was this a record? asked David O’Connor from Ireland Ireland’s side for their second Test match – against Afghanistan in Dehradun earlier this month – did indeed show five changes from the team for their inaugural Test, against Pakistan at Malahide last May. Part of the reason for this was that Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien have retired, but the other changes were largely tactical.The only other team to make five changes between their first and second Tests were India, in matches against England at Lord’s in 1932 and in Mumbai in 1933-34. England, in Australia in 1876-77, are the only team to go into their second Test with exactly the same team as in the first.England’s total of 903 at The Oval in 1938 included Len Hutton’s 364, but also Eddie Paynter’s four-ball duck and Denis Compton’s 1•Getty ImagesWhat’s the highest Test total that included at least one duck in an innings? And conversely what’s the lowest score without one? asked Sukrit Jaiswal from Singapore The highest Test score that included a duck is England’s 903 for 7 declared against Australia at The Oval in 1938. Len Hutton grabbed the headlines with 364 – but Eddie Paynter bagged a four-ball duck, and Denis Compton didn’t do much better, being out for 1. England’s total remained the Test record until 1997, when Sri Lanka piled up 952 for 6 against India in Colombo in 1997.The lowest total without a duck is Australia’s 75 against South Africa in Durban in 1949-50. No one was out for 0, but six men made 2 (including a not out) and Colin McCool managed only a single. Remarkably, Australia won that match despite a first-innings deficit of 236, reaching their target with five wickets to spare, thanks mainly to a magnificent unbeaten 151 from Neil Harvey.Is Ramnaresh Sarwan the only batsman to have made unbeaten scores of 99 and 98 in ODIs? asked Davo Kissoondari from Guyana The short answer is yes, Guyana’s Ramnaresh Sarwan is the only player to have suffered this particular fate in one-day internationals. He made 99 not out for West Indies against India in Ahmedabad in 2002-03, and an unbeaten 98, also against India, in Kingston in May 2006. If we include dismissals, the leader in the oh-so-close stakes is Sachin Tendulkar, who was out for 99 three times and 98 once. Sanath Jayasuriya made two 99s and a 98. Michael Clarke (99 not out and 98), Adam Gilchrist (99 and 98), Matthew Hayden (99 and 98), Dean Jones (99 not out and 98), Mushfiqur Rahim (99 and 98) and Marlon Samuels (two 98s) all had two near-misses.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
Virgil van Dijk has called on Liverpool to strengthen in attacking areas yet further, despite their already huge summer outlay.
Van Dijk calls for more signingsAnother Isak bid being readiedPalace lift Community ShieldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Reds have already signed Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to bolster their attacking options, with Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong adding threat down their flanks, to take their spending to almost £265 million ($369m). The impact of the new players is already evident with Ekitike and Frimpong scoring on their competitive debuts in Sunday's Community Shield defeat on penalties to Crystal Palace. Yet, Van Dijk still wants further reinforcements following the departure of Darwin Nunez.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT VAN DIJK SAID
Speaking to talkSPORT, the Liverpool captain said: "Well, we just lost Darwin, He went to Saudi and we lost Lucho [Luis Diaz], obviously he went to Bayern.
"I think there's always room for an attacker in order to strengthen us so let's see what the window brings in terms of the balance of the team."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Liverpool's desire to bring in Alexander Isak from Newcastle is well-documented. The Reds' initial bid was turned down by the Magpies, but they are expected to make another offer for the Swedish striker. Isak wants to move to Anfield and would significantly strengthen their front-line, but whether Arne Slot's side will be able to convince Newcastle to part with their key player remains to be seen.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
Another bid for Isak does appear inevitable, but an end to the saga does not feel imminent. With the Magpies missing out on all of their alternative striking options to replace Isak, it may not be until late in the window that a deal is sealed.
Curran or Billings? Ingram or Gregory? There are several difficult calls for head coaches ahead of Thursday’s local icon draft
Matt Roller02-Oct-2019
Ageas Bowl
There are plenty of sensible options available to the Southampton-based team, including Mason Crane, Liam Dawson and Tymal Mills, but their best option is to recruit a ready-made opening partnership.James Vince and Phil Salt are both off to the Big Bash this winter to further their franchise T20 experience, and should complement each other very well. In T20 since January 1, 2017, Salt has been immense against pace (SR 169), while Vince cruises against spin (SR 145, av. 48.2).Most importantly in a competition with an abbreviated format, neither wastes time getting going: Vince’s strike-rate after five balls of an innings in the 2019 Blast was 122.22, while Salt’s was 142.85.
Cardiff
The Cardiff team would be foolish not to lock Tom Banton down after his stunning breakthrough season, and will hope that he opens the batting for several years to come.Tom Banton should be picked up as a local icon for the Cardiff team•Getty ImagesIt is understood that Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram is likely to be the team’s second local icon, and he could well end up captaining the side. Ingram has been a prolific run-scorer in domestic T20 over the past few years, but has showed some signs of decline in the past six months, with a relatively lean run across the IPL, the Blast and the CPL.Instead, it might have made more sense to pick Somerset’s Lewis Gregory. He is one of the few specialist finishers in the English game, and has a strike rate of over 200 at the death against pace in the past three years. There is evidence that he is relatively weak against spin, but the sample size is small, and teams continue to see it as a risk to hold back spinners until the final few overs.If Gregory isn’t snapped up at this stage, expect him to be an early pick in the main draft.
Edgbaston
Adam Hose and Ed Pollock will prove shrewd signings in the main draft, but in the local icon draft the Edgbaston team would be remiss not to pick up the best player available in Moeen Ali.T20 analysts regularly highlight players who can bowl four overs of spin and bat in the top order as the most valuable, and Moeen fits that profile perfectly. His strike-rate of over 165 against both pace and spin means he has no obvious weakness, and he would be an ideal captain and posterboy for the new team.For their second pick, the Birmingham side should plump for Pat Brown, a death-specialist who could be relied upon to bowl the final ten balls of an innings. No-one comes close to Brown in the wickets charts at the death in the Blast over the last two years, and his (knuckle)balls of steel have earned him a place in England’s T20I squad for the New Zealand tour.
Headingley
Again, there are two obvious picks for the Leeds-based team, and there should be few dilemmas. David Willey is an obvious pick given his prowess with the new ball – he could bowl 15 balls in the 25-ball powerplay – and can give it a whack with the bat too, while Adil Rashid will be one of the best legspinners in the competition regardless who ends up entering the draft.Adil Rashid and David Willey could be reunited at the Leeds-based team•Getty ImagesTom Kohler-Cadmore or Scott Steel might be attractive alternatives if a low salary band cannot be negotiated, but Darren Lehmann shouldn’t be kept up at night thinking about this stage of the draft.
Lord’s
Eoin Morgan is a likely pick despite his slightly underwhelming recent T20 record, not least because of his nous as a captain and the fact his face will be plastered all over North London for marketing and branding, but the team’s second selection is less clear.There are no realistic options from Northants – though Josh Cobb could be an interesting main draft selection – and both Essex and Middlesex were expensive with the ball throughout 2019, but there are three batsmen with three relatively different profiles who must be considered.Dawid Malan is an impressive player, but he is pedestrian at the start of an innings (powerplay SR 122 since 2017) and might eat up too many balls at the top of the order given the fielding restrictions are lifted so soon (after 25 percent of the innings, rather than 30 percent in T20). Ravi Bopara starred under pressure in the second half of the Blast, but similarly takes ten balls to bed in, and has a more obvious weakness, as a slow-scorer against spin.That opens up Dan Lawrence as an option, who would likely be cheaper than the other two. Lawrence is exceptional against spin (SR 154, av. 36.3 since 2017) and useful against pace (SR 148, av. 26.35), and bowls useful offspin to boot; he is the perfect man to keep things moving in the middle overs.
Old Trafford
The two obvious picks from the Lancashire squad are Liam Livingstone and Matt Parkinson, and it is hard to see them being overlooked. Livingstone had an underwhelming 2019 Blast but is a bully against pace and can tick over against spin, while Parkinson has been the most prolific spinner in domestic white-ball cricket over the last three seasons.Richard Gleeson and Saqib Mahmood are slightly less expensive alternatives, but the Old Trafford team has a fairly simple set of decisions to make.
The Oval
With arguably the best pool of stars to pick from, the South London team’s choices will depend as much on which player offers themselves up at the most competitive price as anything else.Jason Roy is probably a lock, given his T20 pedigree, leaving a shoot-out between Sam Billings, Tom Curran and Joe Denly for the final spot.Tom and Sam Curran could link up for the South London team•Getty ImagesAll three have such different profiles that it is hard to compare them, but death bowlers should prove to be sufficiently valuable that it is worth locking Curran down before the main draft.
Trent Bridge
With the exception of Wayne Madsen, it is hard to think of a player from either Derbyshire or Leicestershire’s squads who would get close to a first-choice Notts XI, and there are two clear stars that Stephen Fleming should swoop for.Alex Hales is among the best English batsmen against pace in all T20, and hammers spin at Trent Bridge with a strike-rate above 200 against slow bowlers there since 2017. If he is weaker against it on bigger playing surfaces, he is still worth picking up at this stage.Harry Gurney, meanwhile, has become one of the most sought-after death bowlers of the T20 circuit over the past few years, and is another man who could feasibly bowl the final ten balls of an innings. He is increasingly impressive in the middle overs too, especially on slower wickets, as demonstrated in this year’s IPL for KKR.
The alleged incident happened during the 2023 ODI World Cup, for which he has been suspended for two days and will be “terminated immediately” after; Phil Simmons takes over his role
Mohammad Isam15-Oct-2024
Chandika Hathurusinghe (right) with Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto•Getty Images
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe has been sacked by the BCB for the alleged “assault” of a player during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He has been suspended for 48 hours in lieu of a notice period, and he is to be “terminated immediately” after that period. He was also served a show-cause notice by the board.The BCB also announced the appointment of Phil Simmons, the former Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Indies and Afghanistan head coach, as Bangladesh’s interim head coach until the Champions Trophy in February 2025.”Hathurusinghe has two counts of misconduct,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed said at a press conference in Dhaka on Tuesday. “First is about an assault on a player. Secondly, he took too many leaves, more than what was in his contract.”The suspension-cum-sacking is because of an incident at the 2023 World Cup when, during a match against New Zealand in Chennai, Hathurusinghe allegedly hit a player during one of the drinks breaks. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the player had had a slightly delayed reaction to the drinks break – he had been tasked with taking drinks out to his batters in the middle – prompting Hathurusinghe’s reaction. Apparent eyewitnesses reported the incident to the BCB’s higher-ups in Kolkata two weeks later, but it went unaddressed.Ahmed also said that Hathurusinghe was guilty of misconduct as a BCB employee because of all the extra leave he took. ESPNcricinfo understands that Hathurusinghe’s contract with the BCB capped his leave at 45 days per year, but he took 112 days in 2023 and 59 days till date in 2024.The BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury handed over a letter to Hathurusinghe, informing him of the decision, at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, hours before Ahmed’s media announcement.”There were couple of incidents about the current coach which, for me as a former player, were quite painful,” Ahmed told the media. “As it doesn’t set a good example for the Bangladesh team, we have served him with a show-cause notice and suspension from duty as head coach today. His suspension is for a 48-hour notice period, which we are not bound to give him. But we did it out of courtesy as he is an international figure. We have suspended him, and with immediate effect afterwards he will be terminated.”There was a misconduct with a player, and misconduct as an employee. He also spent more than three months [on leave], that is also a large part of his misconduct. He informed us in a scattered way, in one or two emails, that he has to go home. It can’t be for more than three months. Even as a board president, I cannot do what I want. I am guided by some rules. It is the norm. So there was a serious breach in that regard.”BCB not naming player involved in incident: ‘The victim is not very comfortable about it’Ahmed would not name the player involved in the alleged assault incident. “It was a sad incident for the particular player. I am not defending anyone, anything might happen in the heat of the moment, but you cannot hit a player. It is not on. This is the right punishment. It should have happened some time ago,” he said.”The victim is not very comfortable about it. I will not mention his name. We will only talk about the misconduct. This incident shouldn’t have happened.”Ahmed said he had read about the incident before he became the BCB chief, and he started an investigation after being elected to the post in August.”I investigated myself. I spoke to the victim. I spoke to the eyewitnesses,” Ahmed said. “Both of their versions are already in the report. [The incident] was mentioned in a previous report.”I remember feeling really disappointed when I read about the incident last year. I felt something should have be been done about it at the time. The ICC is quite strong about racism and abuse. They would be more serious about assault.”Hathurusinghe returned for his second stint as Bangladesh coach in February 2023. In August this year, shortly after Ahmed was appointed as board president, he had said that Hathurusinghe should no longer continue as Bangladesh’s head coach. Ahmed said Hathurusinghe’s sacking had nothing to do with “personal reasons” though.”When I spoke about Hathurusinghe previously [before being elected BCB president], I spoke as a former player who was assessing a coach. I said at the time that he doesn’t have much more to give to Bangladesh. My decision today isn’t influenced by personal reasons.Under Hathurusinghe, Bangladesh produced underwhelming performances during last year’s ODI World Cup and this year’s T20 World Cup. His biggest achievement in this stint was Bangladesh’s 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan in August. It was their maiden win in Pakistan, and first overseas Test series win in 15 years. However, following that, in India, they lost 2-0 in the Tests and 3-0 in the T20Is which included a 133-run thrashing in the third match.Simmons appointed after BCB speaks to ‘a number of coaches’Ahmed expressed satisfaction at Simmons being appointed interim head coach. He said that they got a coach with a good track record, who has worked in several countries and with several franchises. He said that Simmons will be the head coach from the home Test series that starts against South Africa starting next week, running up till the Champions Trophy in February 2025. In this period, Bangladesh will also play an ODI series against Afghanistan and tour the West Indies for an all-format gig.”We have appointed Phil Simmons for the interim period. His initial contract is up to the Champions Trophy. He was head coach in different countries. He has a very good track record. He has worked with many franchises, including tournaments like the Pakistan Super League and Major League Cricket.”He has had a healthy career as a coach. We spoke to a number of coaches, and we got a really hard-working guy.”
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.
Gabriel and Saliba
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?
Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
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.
Huijsen vs Saliba
Statistics
Huijsen
Saliba
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.15
0.10
Non-Penalty G+As
0.16
0.06
Progressive Passes
4.68
4.15
Progressive Carries
1.45
0.50
Passing Accuracy
83.4%
94.2%
Key Passes
0.56
0.22
Passes into the Final 1/3
5.89
5.42
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.28
0.19
Shot-Creating Actions
1.61
0.81
Goal-Creating Actions
0.12
0.03
Tackles Won
0.93
1.11
Blocks
1.45
0.74
Interceptions
1.98
0.65
Clearances
7.06
3.44
Errors Leading to a Shot
0.16
0.19
Ball Recoveries
3.87
4.52
Aerial Duels Won
2.58
1.80
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season
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.
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MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga, Chris Gayle, along with others like de Villiers and Malik, are close to the end of their careers
Gaurav Sundararaman21-Jul-2020MS Dhoni It’s impossible to speculate when it comes to MS Dhoni, but with the IPL and the World Cup originally scheduled for April and October this year, you’d think Dhoni had a perfect sign-off planned. However, we are talking about another year now, and Dhoni hasn’t played any cricket for India since July 2019. He will be 40 by then too, and will need two solid IPLs to stand a chance, which makes it highly unlikely. But it’s Dhoni we are talking about – can’t rule him out, can we?Lasith Malinga The leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 107 strikes, Lasith Malinga had earlier announced that he would be retiring after the 2020 World Cup. Does the change mean he will hang around? He will be past 38 then. That said, the last year or so has been great for Malinga, who helped Mumbai Indians win the IPL again and followed it up with four wickets in four balls against New Zealand in September 2019. Fitness will be a concern, but form might not be, and it might come down to whether he is up for one more tilt or not.Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo have been two of the most iconic T20 players in the world•Getty ImagesChris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo Chris Gayle is perhaps the most recognisable face on the T20 circuit, and even at 40 – close to 41, actually – he is a force to be reckoned with in the format. Gayle has hinted at extending his career but would be very lucky to make it at the end of the postponement. Also, Gayle has lot of competition for his spot in the side, so making the cut might require a combination of form and fortune, not to mention fitness.Gayle’s old colleague Dwayne Bravo came out of retirement earlier this year with an eye on the World Cup. Since his return, he has taken seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.15. With potentially an IPL and a CPL before the World Cup, Bravo was all gung-ho. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the tweaked situation. From his point of view, the best thing would be to play as much franchise cricket as possible, and hope the West Indies team management still has room for him, and his unique skills.Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik The Pakistan duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik were expected to script their swansongs in Australia. Hafeez, who will be 40 in October this year, had said that he would delay his retirement if the tournament is rescheduled, and might go ahead and do just that now, though whether he will fit into the team’s plans a year on remains to be seen. Ditto for Malik, who will turn 39 in February.Pakistan may have found many competent youngsters the last few months to not miss the two veterans, and the fact that both of them have similar skills means fitting both of them in the squad could be a bit of a stretch. But big performances between now and then, and who knows…Both Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers want to play the T20 World Cup•AFP via Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis and AB de Villiers Faf du Plessis had announced his desire to captain his side till the end of the T20 World Cup. But that was a long time ago, and Quinton de Kock has replaced him at the helm since then. Du Plessis will be 37 by the time the next World Cup starts, and it’s not unthinkable that South Africa would have looked at younger players to take the team forward by then.As for AB de Villiers, well, the question marks around him linger. The much-speculated comeback has been put on ice, but he is certain to be active in the franchise circuit, whatever the number of tournaments that get on the road eventually. Therefore, there’s not much difference between now, when he is 36 and a half, and next year. The bigger issue, of course, is whether he wants it or not.