Woakes has pulled out of the tournament along with a few other England cricketers

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2021

Australia bowler Ben Dwarshuis has replaced Chris Woakes in the Delhi Capitals squad for the rest of the 2021 IPL season.Woakes had pulled out of the remainder of the IPL because of personal reasons, joining Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Jonny Bairstow, Punjab Kings’ Dawid Malan and Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler in withdrawing from the tournament. Woakes had taken five wickets for Capitals in three games in the first half of the season.Dwarshuis has a haul of 100 T20 wickets – with a best of 4 for 13 – and a strike rate of 17.30. Dwarshuis, who plays for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 85 wickets in 69 matches.According to a statement from the Capitals, Dwarshuis will be “joining the Delhi Capitals team bio-bubble in the UAE soon”. This will be Dwarshuis’ second stint in the IPL after he was a part of the Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in 2018, though he didn’t get a chance to play.Separately, the Capitals players who were part of the Indian Test squad in England, reached Dubai on Sunday. Rishabh Pant, who had taken over as captain after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer picked up an injury during the first chunk of matches in April this year, R Ashwin, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav all tested negative for Covid-19 upon arrival.The Capitals are currently on top of the IPL points table with 12 points from eight matches. They resume their campaign against the Sunrisers on September 22.

Juventus outcast Paul Pogba met up with Patrice Evra one month after receiving transfer advice from his former France and Manchester United team-mate.

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Pogba met former colleague EvraEvra wants Pogba to join MarseilleFrenchman can resume playing from March 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Last month, Evra suggested that a proven performer like Pogba should consider returning to France to link up with Mason Greenwood at Marseille once his doping ban ends next year. The World Cup winner has seen his four-year suspension from football-related activity reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As a result, the French midfielder will be cleared to resume his professional career in March 2025.

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While Pogba will be ready to take the field next year, it is unlikely that he will appear for Juventus again as the Serie A giants are contemplating terminating his contract. There has been talk of the Frenchman potentially joining Lionel Messi and Co in MLS, however, Evra firmly believes that Marseille should be the midfielder's next destination where he can revive his career.

WHAT PAUL POGBA SAID

Amid speculation over his next move, the 31-year-old caught up with his ex-colleague in person, a month after Evra's Marseille suggestion, as they posed for a photograph together. Pogba got Evra in a headlock and joked in the caption: "What did you say..?!"

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

It remains to be seen what response Pogba transfer talk will get from Medhi Benatia – who is now the sporting director at Stade Velodrome. Pogba has been linked with a sensational return to Manchester United, too, while Saudi Arabia has also been mooted as a possible next destination for the World Cup winner.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： Em confronto válido pela 5ª rodada do Campeonato Paulista, o Red Bull Bragantino não decepcionou sua torcida ao derrotar a Inter de Limeira, na noite desta quarta-feira, no estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista. Tomando um susto com o rival abrindo a contagem logo no início, o Massa Bruta foi atrás da virada e, sem piedade, arrancou a virada, que acabou virando uma goleada, fechando a conta em 4 a 1.

Com o resultado, o time comandado por Maurício Barbieri chegou aos 10 pontos, mantendo-se na liderança do Grupo 4, enquanto a equipe comandada por Vinícius Bergantin, por conta do tropeço, acabou ficando na 2ª colocação, porém do Grupo 1, com seus 5 pontos somados até o momento.

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da betsul： >Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

INTER ABRE O PLACAR, MAS BRAGA EMPATA MOMENTOS DEPOIS

Tentando fazer valer o fator casa, a equipe do Red Bull Bragantino tratou de ir para cima da Inter logo no primeiro minuto, dando trabalho ao goleiro Lucas Frigeri que precisou afastar o perigo após cruzamento de Helinho. Entretanto, em uma resposta rápida, Felipe Baxola, em um lance de roubada de bola no meio-campo, avançou para a grande área e tocou para Ronaldo que bateu na saída de Cleiton. O placar estava aberto em Bragança Paulista.

Atrás no marcador, o Massa Bruta iniciou sua missão atrás do empate ainda na etapa inicial. E se deu bem. Após algumas tentativas sem sucesso por parte de Artur e companhia, aos 13 minutos, depois de uma cobrança de escanteio, Luan Cândido cabeceou a bola que bateu em Galdezani e voltou para Helinho, no rebote, balançar as redes do camisa 1 do time de Limeira. Tudo igual.

DONOS DA CASA EMBALAM E ENCONTRAM A VIRADA

O tento animou não somente os jogadores, mas também a torcida nas arquibancadas do Nabi Abi Chedid. Sendo assim, minutos depois, aos 17, em nova cobrança de escanteio, a defesa rival afastou em um primeiro momento, porém, no desenrolar do lance, Eric Ramires marcou em um arremate de fora da área, contando com um desvio da bola antes de entrar.

E não parou por aí. Mantendo-se em seu campo de ataque, o Red Bull queria mais, até que aos 22 minutos, Helinho cruzou na medida para Alerrandro e o camisa 9 marcou mais um fazendo 3 a 1.

Mais tranquila em campo, a equipe de Maurício Barbieri não quis saber de tirar o pé do acelerador. Criando ainda boas chances até a reta final da etapa, além de contar com boas defesas de Cleiton.

Artur ainda teve tempo de marcar um golaço de letra, aos 44 minutos, fechando a etapa inicial em 4 a 1.

RED BULL MAIS TRANQUILO NA VOLTA

Na volta para a segunda etapa, apenas o treinador da Inter, Vinícius Bergantin é quem optou por mudanças, trocando seus atacantes ao colocar Geovane e Celsinho nos lugares de Diego Tavares e Tito, respectivamente. Entretanto, apesar de um certo equilíbrio, as mudanças acabaram não surtindo o efeito esperado até meados dos 15 minutos, ainda com direito ao Massa Bruta quase conseguindo marcar seu quinto gol.

Na sequência, foi a vez de Maurício recuar para seus suplentes. Também em uma troca dupla, Bruninho e Bruno Tubarão entraram nos lugares de Hyoran e Artur, respectivamente. Não muito diferente de como aconteceu com o adversário, mesmo Inter ainda tentando descontar para colocar fogo no jogo, o Red Bull acabou não tendo grandes chances de marcar.

RETA FINAL SEM GRANDES EMOÇÕES

Já nos momentos finais da etapa, o panorama basicamente manteve-se o mesmo. Até os acréscimos, com direito a uma última mudança de Vinicius, colocando Gui Pira no lugar de Ronaldo, o atacante até chegou a criar uma boa chance, mas Celsinho acabou desperdiçando dando a deixa para a arbitragem colocar um ponto final no duelo.

FICHA TÉCNICA
RED BULL BRAGANTINO 4×1 INTER DE LIMEIRA

Data e horário: 09/02/2022, às 20h30 (de Brasília)
​Local: Estádio Nabi Abi Chedi, em Bragança Paulista (SP)
Árbitro:Edina Alves Batista
Assistentes:Marcelo Carvalho Van Gasse eFabrini Bevilaqua Costa
VAR:Vinícius Furlan

Gols: Ronaldo, 2’/1ºT (1-0); Helinho, 13’/1ºT (1-1); Eric Ramires, 17’/1ºT (2-1); Alerrandro, 22’/1ºT (3-1); Artur, 44’/1ºT (4-1)

RED BULL BRAGANTINO: Cleiton; Andrés Hurtado, Léo Ortiz, Natan e Luan Cândido (Guilherme, aos 29’/2ºT); Jadsom Silva, Eric Ramires e Hyoran (Bruninho, aos 16’/2ºT); Helinho (Sorriso, aos 33’/2ºT), Artur (Bruno Tubarão, aos 16’/2ºT) e Alerrandro (Gabriel Novaes, aos 29’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Maurício Barbieri)

INTER DE LIMEIRA: Lucas Frigeri; Léo Duarte, Rodolfo Filemon, Xandão e Rafael Carioca; Matheus Galdezani, Jhony Douglas e Felipe Baxola (Thiago Alagoano, aos 15’/2ºT); Diego Tavares (Geovane, no intervalo), Tito (Celsinho, no intervalo) e Ronaldo (Gui Pira, aos 44’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Vinícius Bergantin)

Punjab Kings head coach says their batters should have finished the chase in 19 overs

Shashank Kishore21-Sep-20214:52

Steyn: The better team lost tonight

Anil Kumble, the Punjab Kings coach, was at a loss of words to explain yet another loss from a winning position. Kings failed to score the eight runs they needed off the last two overs to lose to Rajasthan Royals by just two runs. It made their qualifying chances that much harder. A sixth loss in nine games now means Kings will have to win every single game to control their own fate.

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“It’s sort of become a pattern for us especially when we get to Dubai, it seems,” Kumble said. “The approach was clear, we needed to finish it in 19 overs. That was the approach, to not let it go till the end. But unfortunately, when you leave it to the last couple of balls, it becomes a lottery. Credit to [Kartik] Tyagi for the way he bowled.”The loss followed a somewhat similar pattern to their game against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi last year. Back then, they lost despite needing just 22 off 18 balls with nine wickets in hand. On that occasion, they turned a cruise into complete wreckage by throwing their bats around and then being bested by Sunil Narine. Here, they couldn’t quite get bat to ball.Kumble was particularly irked by his batters not being able to read Tyagi’s plans towards the end.”It was pretty clear he was going to bowl wide outside off, and somehow our batters didn’t take the right options,” he said. “We need to discuss this and sort it out. We have five more games to go, we don’t want to get bogged down by this defeat but it’s certainly a bitter pill to swallow.”Related

• Stats – The Rahul-Agarwal century partnership jinx, and Tyagi's excellent final over

• Mustafizur Rahman, Kartik Tyagi pull off a coup as Punjab Kings suffer yet another meltdown

• How Mustafizur and Tyagi won it for Rajasthan Royals

• Kartik Tyagi concedes just one run in final over to stun Punjab Kings

Asked if he thought Royals left them with too much to chase, Kumble felt the bowlers had done everything that was asked of them on a “good wicket.” And it was simply a case of the batters failing to see off the chase. Arshdeep Singh picked up his maiden T20 five-for, while Mohammed Shami’s late strikes meant Royals finished well short of the 200-plus they looked to get. In fact, they lost 6 for 19.”I think it was a very good wicket, and we really came back in the last four overs where we gave away just 20 runs and picked up six wickets or so. Arshdeep bowled brilliantly, as did Shami. [Harpreet] Brar bowled really well on a tough pitch. On a ground where one side of the boundary is short, at one stage Royals looked good to score 200-210. So to really squeeze them in the last four, I thought the bowling effort was really good.”With the bat also, we showed it till the 17th over. We were cruising but we were pulled back in the 18th and 19th overs after [Aiden] Markram’s six. As batters, they know what their scoring shots are. All it needed was a bit of hitting. Even if someone got out first ball, the next batter had five balls to get the runs. When it goes to the last couple of balls, it becomes hard. The messaging was clear. We had to finish it in 19 overs, unfortunately that didn’t happen today.”

Bench strength, being ruthless and overcoming pressure are themes England Women will look to build on ahead of next year’s World Cup after winning a hard-fought multi-format series against India.The hosts had to win their final T20I at Chelmsford on Wednesday night to win the series – encompassing a one-off Test, three ODIs and three T20Is. England prevailed by eight wickets after Danni Wyatt’s unbeaten 89 to claim the overall trophy by 10 points to six.Apart from opener Wyatt’s return to form after going more than 18 months without an international fifty, and another excellent performance by Nat Sciver, Player of the Series for the T20I leg, England’s ability to withstand the pressure of a must-win contest was particularly pleasing for Heather Knight, their captain.”There’s always pressure but we knew it was the culmination of five weeks’ hard work,” Knight said. “We’ve been in a semi bubble for that time as well so there’s a few tired people around and a few people that are ready to go home so I think today was a real show of character that we were able to put in that sort of performance under pressure.”With the bigger picture of the World Cup in New Zealand next February and March in mind, Knight drew a positive from the fact that India’s competitiveness had meant the series replicated the sort of tense situation her side could find themselves in at the global tournament.India won the third ODI in Worcester, which was a dead-rubber in the context of the 50-over leg but which gave the visiting side valuable points in the series as a whole. They also won the second T20I in Hove when England lost six wickets for 31 in the space of 5.4 overs.England’s collapse negated their impressive batting depth on that occasion but, provided they could avoid a similar performance in the final match, India’s total of 153 for 6 looked slightly below par, despite an impressive 70 from Smriti Mandhana. England duly overhauled the target with eight balls to spare for the loss of just two wickets, with Wyatt and Sciver putting on 112 runs together.Related

• Heather Knight: 'The first time I was at Lord's they had giant prawns on the table'

• Danni Wyatt's 89* seals T20Is, points victory for England

• Ramesh Powar wants to widen India Women's fast-bowling pool ahead of 2022 World Cup

“We were definitely under pressure with the way they batted,” Knight added. “It was a very good wicket and I thought Smriti, in particular, played really nicely, put us under pressure and we’ve responded brilliantly to that.”It’s always nice to have those victories, when there’s more on the line, you feel like you’ve really earned them, so I’m very pleased. We’ve not had it all easy, we’ve been put under pressure at a lot of points and reacted reasonably well most of the time, so that’s great for us as a side.”We’ve learnt a lot. Being ruthless has been a bit of a theme and I’m really pleased that we’re able to do that because there’s been times I guess where we’ve maybe taken our foot off the gas a little bit and let India back in. That’s a really good lesson for us, to really make sure we’re ruthless, taking individual responsibility to finish games off for the team.”Wyatt was overlooked in favour of Lauren Winfield-Hill for the ODI leg of the tour and, after scores of 31 and 3 in the first two T20Is, she was under some pressure to make a significant contribution. “About time” were her first words when interviewed by Sky Sports upon receiving her Player of the Match award.”I’ve always encouraged her to try and play her natural game, and she’s gone back to that brilliantly,” Knight said. “She’s got that role for us at the top of the order, we want her to be positive, aggressive, and take the game away from teams like we know she can.”She’s not going to come off every time but to see her play like that and finish the game off, more importantly, I think was a massive boost for her and will give her the world of confidence.”With Wyatt having made the most of her opportunity, Knight noted that there were other players “knocking on the door” just to get a chance.”We’ve got a real competitive squad forming, which is great to see, and it’s obviously pushing us forward as individuals,” she said. “We’ve got world-class players that have missed out.”Anya Shrubsole hasn’t played in this [T20I] series and Fran Wilson has been been going very well and obviously can’t get in the side at the moment so having that competitiveness and different people performing at different times is great for us as a team.”England will host New Zealand in three T20Is and five ODIs from September 1.

Edin Dzeko made a sensational claim that Inter chose to sign Romelu Lukaku permanently over retaining his services as he took a dig at the Belgian.

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• Dzeko claimed Inter released him to sign Lukaku in 2023
• Started ahead of the Belgian in Champions League final
• Dzeko joined Fenerbahce last summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After helping Inter reach the final of the Champions League in the 2022-23 season, Dzeko had to leave the Italian giants as the club reportedly opted to sign Lukaku permanently from Chelsea. Lukaku's transfer, however, did not materialise as he joined AS Roma on loan last summer before completing a permanent move to Napoli in 2024.

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  The former Manchester City star has now claimed that Inter could have easily retained his services for no cost, however, they chose to decide otherwise. The Nerazzurri went on to win the Serie A title and the Italian Super Cup in the 2023-24 season while the Bosnian forward joined Fenerbahce which is currently managed by Jose Mourinho.

• WHAT EDIN DZEKO SAID

  Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the attacker said, "If they chose this way, it means that everyone agreed, coach and executives. To me, it looked like a strange decision, because you could keep a player who started all the important games, including the Champions League final, at no cost and have four strikers in your squad. It looked very strange to me, that’s all. Then, I understood it with time and respected it, also because everyone treated me very well at Inter."

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  'He came with the scoreline still being 0-0, and then…'

  The 38-year-old was included in Simone Inzaghi's starting lineup in the Champions League final against City as Lukaku had to start on the bench. The Belgian came on as a substitute with 30 minutes left in the clock, however, he failed to make an impact and squandered an easy chance as they eventually lost 1-0.

  Speaking on the final match, Dzeko added, "Everyone can talk… But I say: do you think that a coach can choose to field a player who is not as good as the one he keeps on the bench? And doing it in a Champions League final? I remained calm, I knew what I could give to the team. For sure Lukaku was not happy not to start, it’s normal. But then you come on and make a difference, if you can: he had 30 minutes [in the Champions League final], he came with the scoreline still being 0-0, and then…"

Bowling for the first time since the Old Trafford Test, having put fitness concerns behind him, the fast bowler looked on the road back to his best rhythm

Srinidhi Ramanujam05-Sep-2025Every few minutes, a flight takes off from the airport just beyond the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) ground on the outskirts of Bengaluru. There’s a steady hum in the background, easy to tune out, and constant enough to notice if you’re paying attention. On the field, Anshul Kamboj’s bowling had a similar feel: there was an unhurried, deliberate rhythm to it, as he returned to action far from the spotlight that had briefly found him in England.After a challenging Test debut in Manchester in July, when he toiled for 18 overs for a solitary wicket, this Duleep Trophy semi-final for North Zone (NZ) against South Zone (SZ) marked a quieter, more controlled step forward.”I’m just trying to get into rhythm, focus on the present, and push myself without thinking too far ahead,” Kamboj had told ESPNcricinfo after the first day’s play. After missing NZ’s quarter-final due to a fitness concern, acknowledged that two weeks off from bowling had made this match just as much about rebuilding his body as it was about performance.Related

From injury to comeback: Gaikwad's masterclass in patience, power

“I felt really good this morning,” he said, reflecting on his first competitive match since the Test debut. “It’s been a month since I’ve played, so I’m just trying to get into the rhythm of playing a match again. I’m trying to push myself without thinking too much about what’s ahead, [and] just focusing on the present.”For Kamboj, the pre-season preparation is “just a matter of intensity”. It isn’t something that simply turns up on match day – it must be cultivated in the days leading up to it. That intensity was evident in his opening spells on the first and second days against SZ, when he steamed in with pace. His actions were sharp, and his focus clear.”For a fast bowler, loading [the body] during the off-season is crucial for the long season ahead,” Kamboj said. “You can’t train too much during the season; it’s about maintaining yourself. If you load your body well in the off-season, it helps you sustain performance over time.Anshul Kamboj picked up just the solitary wicket in 18 overs on Test debut in Manchester•Getty Images”When in competition, you focus more on refining your skills since you can’t train heavily. But in the off-season, you can build up gradually [by] working on both fitness and skills. The key is not to rest [for] too long, but to keep your body fit through shorter, focused training sessions. If you’re prepared in the off-season, you’ll just need to maintain it during the season, making it easier to perform consistently.”On Thursday, the first day of the Duleep match, Kamboj bowled a seven-over spell and almost had a wicket, forcing N Jagadeesan, on 9 at the time, to nick a length ball to the keeper only to be no-balled for overstepping. It turned out to be a costly mistake, as Jagadeesan went on to score 197 and pushed SZ’s total to 536. Kamboj, however, got on the wickets column soon after, getting Devdutt Padikkal caught behind just as tea approached.On day two, with 15 overs already under his belt, Kamboj’s workload was lighter, with spinners Nishant Sindhu and Mayank Dagar shouldering most of the responsibility, with Sindhu picking up a five-wicket haul. Kamboj still set the tone early on, however, running in hard, hitting the deck, and getting Mohammad Azharrudden caught at first slip with his second ball of the day.Kamboj, who finished with 2 for 67 in 24 overs, underscored the role of mental fitness in sustaining match intensity.”If you maintain the intensity of the match in practice, it puts a lot of pressure on the mind,” he said. “If you’re mentally fit, you can sustain that intensity in practice. But if you’re not, it becomes very difficult, and you might give up halfway. It’s about pushing yourself extra, even when it feels tough, because that’s how you build long-term results.”Last season, Kamboj was the highest wicket-taker in the Duleep Trophy. That followed a haul of 34 wickets in six matches for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. These performances fast-tracked his road to that India cap.Now, after that difficult Test debut, the selectors were at the CoE, watching him closely. As the new season progresses, Kamboj will hope his preparation, both mental and physical, will enable him to keep putting up these performances of quiet control.

أدلى واتارو إندو لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول بتصريحات صحفية، قبل مواجهة باريس سان جيرمان بمسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا 2024/25.

ويلاقي ليفربول نظيره باريس سان جيرمان، ضمن منافسات ذهاب دور الـ16 بدوري أبطال أوروبا، غداً الأربعاء، على ملعب “بارك دي برانس”.

وتقام المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، وفي تمام الساعة الحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

اقرأ ايضاً.. قائمة ليفربول لمباراة باريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. موقف محمد صلاح

وقال واتارو إندو في المؤتمر الصحفي قبل المباراة: “بمجرد أن رأيت القرعة، شعرت بحماس شديد لأن باريس سان جيرمان فريق جيد للغاية، لقد لعبوا بشكل جيد حتى الآن، كنت أعلم أنها ستكون مباراة صعبة، أعتقد أن الجميع متحمسون لمواجهة باريس سان جيرمان”.

وعن لاعبي وسط باريس، أكد إندو: “إنهم يمتلكون لاعبين جيدين في خط الوسط ولاعبين شباب جيدين، وأنا كلاعب رقم 6، يتعين عليّ الاعتناء بهم، كفريق، نريد أن نلعب كما فعلنا من قبل هنا”.

وأفاد إندو عن قلة المشاركة مع ليفربول قائلاً: “إنه أمر صعب بعض الشيء بالنسبة لي لأنني لا ألعب كثيرًا، أحاول دائمًا مساعدة الفريق. إذا سنحت لي الفرصة للعب، أبذل قصارى جهدي، هذا ما أفكر فيه دائمًا”.

وتابع: “أريد دائمًا الفوز باللقب، سيكون الفوز بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تجربة رائعة، نحن نركز على كل مباراة قادمة”.

وأشار إندو: “لقد لعبنا الموسم الماضي أيضًا، وتأهلنا لدوري أبطال أوروبا، وقال الجميع إننا نلعب بشكل جيد، ونأمل أن نستمر على هذا المنوال حتى نهاية الموسم ونحقق شيئًا ما”.

وأكد إندو: “اللعب مع ليفربول، تحتاج إلى الثقة، عليك دائمًا أن تحاول الفوز وأن تقدم كل ما لديك من أجل الفريق، كلاعب، أحاول دائمًا اللعب بثقة والفوز في جميع المباريات، هذا مطلوب في نادٍ كبير مثل ليفربول، الجميع مستعدون للعب، حتى لو لم تبدأ المباراة أو لم تبدأها، نحن جميعًا مستعدون للقتال وإظهار أنفسنا على أرض الملعب”.

وواصل حديثه: “أعتقد الآن أنني ألعب كثيراً في آخر 15-20 دقيقة من عمر المباراة، وخاصة عندما نكون فائزين، وأقوم بذلك لمساعدة زملائي في الفريق على أرض الملعب، أعتقد أنني ألعب بشكل جيد حتى الآن وساعدت الفريق في المباريات. وأحاول دائماً أن ألعب بشكل جيد عندما أحصل على فرص للعب”.

وأوضح إندو عما إذا كان قد تحدث إلى سلوت بشأن قلة وقت اللعب: “نعم، تحدثت مع سلوت عدة مرات خلال الموسم، لكنه أخبرني دائمًا أن موقفي وما قمت به لمساعدة الفريق لا يصدق، أشعر أنه يثق بي كثيرًا في الوقت الحالي، أنا سعيد لوجودي هنا، سأواصل العمل الجاد في التدريبات وعلى أرض الملعب أيضًا”.

وانهى اللاعب الياباني قائلاً: “نحن هنا لنظهر أنفسنا، هذا هو الشيء الرئيسي الذي نفكر فيه، ستكون مباراة مثيرة للغاية غدًا”.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and Glasgow Rangers have already been hard at work to improve their playing squad.

Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has brought in Oscar Cortes on loan from Lens, Jefte from Fluminense on a permanent deal, and Clinton Nsiala is set to arrive at Ibrox from AC Milan at the start of next month after his contract with the Italian giants expires.

The Light Blues are also reportedly in pole position to sign winger Yusuf Kabadayi from Bayern Munich on a permanent deal to add to their collection of new recruits.

They have strengthened their defensive options with Nsiala and Jefte and look set to add to the wide areas with Cortes and Kabadayi, but they could also add more firepower by bringing in a new centre-forward.

Cyriel Dessers was the main number nine for Rangers during the 2023/24 campaign and the former Cremonese attacker failed to make the most of the chances that were created for him.

His 16 goals in the Scottish Premiership came from an xG tally of 21.59, an underperformance of 5.59, and no other player in the Gers squad underperformed their xG by more than the 29-year-old dud.

Koppen could, therefore, dip into the market to land a more clinical forward for Philippe Clement to work with, and he already reportedly has at least a couple of names on his list.

Rangers targeting SPFL marksman

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are eyeing up Hearts centre-forward Lawrence Shankland for a possible move to Ibrox this summer.

The report claims that the Scotland international, who came on as a substitute for his country against Germany in the opening game of the European Championship on Friday, is a target for Clement and Koppen.

It states that the Premiership team would struggle to turn down a 'big' offer for his services, although it stops short of revealing what sort of figure would represent a big bid, as he has one year left to run on his current contract.

Football Insider adds that Rangers are also interested in signing Rapid Bucharest marksman Albion Rrahmani in a deal that could be worth up to £5m.

However, it does not reveal whether or not the Scottish giants would like to sign the Kosovo international as well as the Hearts skipper this summer.

The outlet does, though, state that Shankland would be up for a move to Ibrox if the two clubs can thrash out an agreement, which suggests that personal terms would not be an issue as the player is keen to make the switch to Glasgow.

If Koppen does decide to go ahead with a deal, the Scottish ace could come in and be lethal alongside Todd Cantwell at the top end of the pitch for the club next term.

Why Todd Cantwell is a striker's dream

The former Norwich City star is a dream attacking midfielder for a centre-forward because of his busy style of play, which sees him constantly buzzing about the field to link up play and create chances.

He averaged 51.6 touches per game in the Premiership this season, compared to Tom Lawrence's 35.3 per match as his alternative in the ten role, which illustrates how often the English whiz looked to get on the ball to make things happen.

This means that the lone striker for Rangers is rarely left isolated as Cantwell is always around them to provide a link between the midfield/wide players and the number nine.

The 26-year-old wizard also has the quality to be lethal in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals to form an exciting partnership with whichever forward is picked to play in front of him.

As you can see in the table above, the former Premier League ace produced 12 direct goal contributions in 24 starts – one every other start on average.

The fact he only registered five assists from seven 'big chances' created and 51 key passes, though, suggests that the Light Blues need a better finisher up front to make the most of Cantwell's creativity, and that is what they could get by signing Shankland this summer.

Why Lawrence Shankland would thrive with Todd Cantwell

Firstly, the Hearts star is a proven Premiership performer who would be able to hit the ground running at Ibrox due to his experience in the division.

The Glasgow-born centre-forward has played over 100 matches in the Scottish top-flight in his career, which means that he would not need time to adapt to the quality and physicality of the league – unlike an addition from a foreign division with no prior experience in Scotland may need.

Shankland's ability in front of goal on the pitch is another reason why he could be a lethal striker to play in front of Cantwell for the Gers next season.

The 28-year-old star, whose campaign was hailed as "remarkable" by journalist Josh Bunting, showcased his quality week-in-week-out in the Premiership.

He racked up a staggering 31 goals and eight assists in all competitions for the Scottish side, including three goals in four Europa Conference League qualifiers, and the majority of those goal contributions came in the top-flight.

He was crowned PFA Scotland Player of the Year thanks to the statistics above, as he consistently found the back of the net for Steven Naismith's side.

The Scottish marksman scored 24 goals from an xG tally of just 18.36, an overperformance of 5.64, and this shows that he was far more efficient with the chances that came his way than the aforementioned Dessers.

Bad news for Dessers: Rangers plotting bid for Scotland international

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in signing the Scottish centre-forward.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 13, 2024

Shankland has the quality to outperform his expected goals return, whereas the Nigerian forward spurned far too many opportunities, and that is why he could be a phenomenal addition to the team to finally make the most of Cantwell's creativity at the top end of the pitch next season.

Having played in the shadow of Shakib Al Hasan for a long time, he has now surpassed his hero’s wickets tally

Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2025To grasp Taijul Islam’s big moment, you have to get as close to the pitch as possible. You can’t sit in a cushy, soundproof press box to get a feeling of the height he has scaled. As a Bangladesh fan, the best you can do is witness the moment at the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s grandstand. A seat in the lower part of the grandstand could be useful, given how close it is to the action. It is a side view, though, so you might miss the nuances of Taijul’s bowling, but it is about moment.Bangladesh declared their second innings shortly after the lunch break on the fourth day in the Dhaka Test. Taijul broke Shakib Al Hasan’s record of most Test wickets for Bangladesh in the sixth over of Ireland’s chase. The Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, trying to work the ball away towards square leg, was undone by a slightly quicker delivery. The huge appeal was followed by the raised finger, before Balbirnie called for the review.The small crowd cheered. Taijul ran a little bit with his clenched fist. Mushfiqur Rahim, the man of the moment in Dhaka, tried to pick him up to take the celebration to the next level. Taijul would have none of it, as he politely asked to be let down. After the TV umpire confirmed the three reds, Taijul calmly walked back to his mark. If you blinked, you would have missed his smile.Related

• Taijul, Murad leave Bangladesh four wickets away from 2-0

In terms of Test wickets, Taijul has now surpassed the man who has practically built Bangladesh cricket. Shakib is someone he looked up to before he made his Test debut, and in whose shadow he became a top-class operator. If you peel back another layer, Taijul now rightfully wears the crown of the best Bangladesh bowler – the one that has come down from Mohammad Rafique, the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets for the country, and, of course, Shakib, the first to 200 Test wickets.According to Taijul, though, he never really targeted records but wanted to play for Bangladesh for a long time. He said that he understands what he needs to do at the highest level, although he doesn’t enjoy the “underrated” tag. “I always wanted to have a long career,” he said. “I never really thought that I would be on top of the wicket-takers’ list. You just don’t plan that way, especially when you are starting a Test career.”I think around the time [I got to 200 wickets], I probably had the consistency and experience to convince myself that I can serve Bangladesh cricket for a longer time. I think it was around this time that I considered that I might get a few more wickets. It is not about proving myself to anyone. I think performance is the most important aspect at the highest level. I am always tagged as an underrated bowler, but I think it’s only the media that considers me as underrated.”Seven of Taijul’s 17 five-fors have come in wins•Associated PressTaijul was Shakib’s understudy and played second fiddle to him for a long time. He wasn’t always an automatic choice outside the subcontinent. And if you consider his celebration on Saturday, he is an unassuming person who doesn’t have glamour or a glitzy social-media following.But he is reliable, and bowls tirelessly. He has made contributions, big and small and mostly impactful, in his 11 years at the highest level. Seven of his 17 five-wicket hauls and one of his two ten-wicket hauls have come in Bangladesh’s wins.His 10 for 184 in Bangladesh’s 150-run win against New Zealand in Sylhet in 2023 is probably his greatest moment. He took Kane Williamson’s wicket in both innings. When the chips were down, as was the case in Bangladesh’s first day-night Test in Kolkata in 2019, Taijul was the 12th man who had to step up as a batter as Nayeem Hasan’s concussion substitute. He took Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket and took a splendid catch of Virat Kohli. He batted bravely too.There were numerous times when Taijul stepped up when Bangladesh ran into trouble. Still, he is the one who has to prove his worth to the selectors often.Taijul took on the mantle of being the lead spinner in the attack in 2017, since Shakib became irregular in Tests. Ten of his 17 five-fors have come in the last five years, a period in which Bangladesh have increasingly played more Tests, and mostly without Shakib.”The national team is where you have to keep performing,” he said. “Look at Shakib – he was No. 1 in the world for a reason. He was always performing. That was his quality. We remember his suggestions. He would always share his experience with us.”Even in private conversations, Taijul doesn’t really stick out for his big proclamations. He will enjoy a quiet dinner with friends. His dry sense of humour will stick out from time to time. He will make his point, smile and enjoy the conversation. But at the same time, he is serving as a good example of hard work for the next generation. The good news is that finally, many are not only noticing him but also following him.