Tag Futebol

Rabada, Maharaj, Nortje, Jansen, Shamsi, Miller and Klaasen not included in any of the squads

Firdose Moonda09-Sep-2024

South Africa will rest several first-choice players on their tour of the UAE this month, where they face Afghanistan and Ireland in white-ball matches, as their Champions Trophy preparation gets underway. None of Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Gerald Coetzee, David Miller or Heinrich Klaasen will feature in either the ODI or T20I squads. The management has widened the player pool instead with some fresh names.Allrounder Jason Smith, who made his T20I debut in West Indies last month, has been given a maiden ODI call-up alongside legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter, who has recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the Caribbean tour. The other new face is 21-year-old seam-bowling allrounder Andile Simelane, who has been part of South Africa Emerging and ‘A’ sides recently and has been named in both the ODI and T20I squads against Afghanistan.South Africa ODI squad vs Afghanistan, Ireland•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Lungi Ngidi, who suffered a right calf injury during the Caribbean tour, has recovered and is expected to lead the attack but Quinton de Kock, who has not confirmed his retirement from T20Is, does not feature. Kwena Maphaka, who made his debut against West Indies, has not been included as he completes his final school examinations. Donovan Ferreira is the only other player from the West Indies T20I series who will not be on this tour, while Matthew Breetzke has been included in the T20I squad.Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks and Simelane are part of the ODI squad against Afghanistan, but not for the ODIs against Ireland. Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton are present only for the Ireland ODIs.South Africa T20I squad vs Ireland•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We have decided to give opportunities to some of the fringe players as well as those who have impressed in recent weeks and months,” Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach, said in a statement. “This has been a deliberate move from management, in line with our goal of building a wider pool of players to choose from, as we prepare for the major ICC tournaments taking place over the next 18 months, with a long-term view on the 50-over World Cup in 2027.”South Africa ODI squad against AfghanistanTemba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nqabayomzi Peter, Andile Simelane, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams.South Africa T20I squad against IrelandAiden Markram (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad WilliamsSouth Africa ODI squad against IrelandTemba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams

Crystal Palace are now on the verge of sealing a deal to sign an “elite talent”, who is excited by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, according to a report.

Decision looms over Palace's Europa League spot

Palace were due to find out whether they will be allowed to play in next season’s Europa League on Monday, however, UEFA have once again delayed the verdict, stating they need more time to come to a final decision.

Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol added: “Players such as Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta are in demand and this latest UEFA delay will only add to the uncertainty surrounding their futures at the club.

“Palace cannot plan and prepare properly when they do not know which competitions they will be playing in next season.”

Should the Eagles not be allowed to compete in Europe next season, it could lead to the departures of some key players, while it may also impact the calibre of player Oliver Glasner is able to attract this summer.

Crystal Palace submit £8.5m bid to sign 21 y/o who wants Selhurst Park move

Palace have submitted a bid to sign a new striker…

ByBrett Worthington Jun 30, 2025

However, there has now been a promising update on Crystal Palace’s pursuit of Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande, with a report from Portugal (via Sport Witness) revealing they are now closing in on a deal for the centre-back.

Palace are nearing an agreement, which is set to amount to €55m (£47m), with that figure likely to include bonuses, and the two clubs are now negotiating the final details, including the percentage Sporting will receive from a future sale.

Personal terms are unlikely to be an issue, with Diomande attracted by the project on offer at Selhurst Park, where he will receive a ‘millionaire salary’, and excited by the prospect of playing in the Premier League.

"Elite talent" Diomande could excel at Selhurst Park

Some top clubs have been linked with moves for the starlet as of late, including Premier League rivals Chelsea, but a move to South London could make perfect sense, given that the youngster is likely to receive more game time.

There are also signs the 21-year-old could excel at Selhurst Park, with the ace very highly-rated by scout Jacek Kulig.

It is clear that Palace will need to sign a new centre-back this summer, with Liverpool closing in on a deal for Guehi, and given the Sporting defender’s age, he could be a perfect long-term replacement.

Having already made 101 first-team appearances for Sporting, including nine in the Champions League, Diomande could make an instant impact at Selhurst Park, and it is exciting news that a deal is now close to completion.

Reports pertaining to Liverpool’s interest in Alexander Isak just won’t go away; for Newcastle United fans, this isn’t that dissimilar to an incessant fly tracking your ice cream on a hot summer’s day (much like this one).

The thing is, though, Isak’s going nowhere. Eddie Howe masterminded triumph in the Carabao Cup last season, also restoring the Magpies’ fluency and venom from 2022/23 and creating a stunning run of form through and beyond the new year, which ultimately sealed their place in next term’s Champions League.

Isak will play in the Premier League once again next season, and he will play on Tyneside. The Athletic’s David Ornstein has confirmed the Sweden striker “is going nowhere” after his 27-goal campaign, with PIF pricing him north of £150m.

He will need some more attacking support, however, and Newcastle are circling on their chosen target.

Newcastle open contacts for new forward

A number of talented forwards have been touted with a move to St James’ Park in recent weeks, namely Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga. But, their efforts at improving the forward line do not stop there.

As per The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Newcastle are on the brink of opening talks with Brighton & Hove Albion as they look to sign Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, who is valued at £60m.

Brighton are willing to sell Pedro, 23, after a training altercation in May with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke, and Newcastle’s recent setbacks in trying to sign forwards such as Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo appear to have prompted them to accelerate their interest.

Indeed, with Chelsea also hot on the case, Howe won’t want to see this one slip through his fingers, especially when considering the partnership that could be forged with Isak.

Why Newcastle want Joao Pedro

Callum Wilson, 33, remains in negotiations with Newcastle for an extension on his current deal, scheduled to expire at the end of the month, but even if the veteran renews, injuries limited him to 18 Premier League appearances in 2024/25, with just two starts and not a single goal involvement.

Enter Pedro. The attacker is a man of style and dynamism, rhythmic on the ball and intelligent with his out-of-possession movement. Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has actually declared him “magical” when with the ball at his feet.

Sure, he has a volatile streak, but Howe would bang him into shape and the talent bespeaks a deserved place within the Toon squad, ranked among the top 1% of Premier League forwards last year for assists, the top 17% for passes attempted and shot-creating actions, and the top 12% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

Two years ago, Brighton signed Pedro from Championship side Watford in a deal just shy of £30m, and his Premier League performances over two years point toward a combativeness and creative core which would see him dovetail right into the United squad, playing off the left, behind Isak or covering him at number nine.

Matches (starts)

31 (19)

27 (23)

Goals

9

10

Assists

3

6

Shots (on target)*

2.4 (0.8)

1.7 (0.7)

Big chances missed

9

7

Pass completion

83%

75%

Big chances created

9

11

Key passes*

1.2

1.1

Dribbles*

1.4

1.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.4

0.9

Duels won*

5.6

4.9

Pedro can perform as an out-and-out striker, but his on-pitch approach, making a high number of forward passes and creating plenty of chances, suggests he could improve Newcastle’s supply line and ensure their talisman reaches an even loftier tally next year and beyond.

It might be needed. Even though Howe has guided Newcastle to silverware and back through the Champions League doorway, they only created 81 big chances, putting them eighth on that chart. The term before, United ranked joint-second with Manchester City (97 big chances created).

Make no mistake: here is a phenomenal player, one whose pedigree in England’s top flight has been verified over the past few years – and his best is yet to come.

Isak will remain at St. James’ Park, hopefully beyond just one season, and with Pedro added to the mix, he might just reach levels not yet achieved in black and white. Just imagine that.

Dream Mbeumo alternative: Newcastle keen to sign "unplayable" £55m winger

With Bryan Mbeumo seemingly on his way to Manchester United, have Newcastle identified a dream alternative described as “amazing”, worth £55m?

ByBen Gray Jun 15, 2025

When it comes to brilliant players, Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with more than their fair share over the last ten years.

The likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were genuinely world-class for the Lilywhites and, as a result, formed one of the best attacking partnerships the Premier League has ever seen.

Likewise, Mousa Dembélé and Cristian Eriksen were sensational in midfield, but someone who arguably doesn’t get the credit he deserves anymore is Dele Alli.

While the Englishman is still struggling to find form in Italy at the moment, he was near enough unstoppable for several years at Tottenham, and based on reports from the last few weeks, Daniel Levy and Co could sign the club their next Dele.

Dele's Spurs career

In February 2015, Tottenham agreed to pay then-League One side MK Dons £5m for an incredibly exciting 18-year-old prospect by the name of Dele.

Transfer Focus

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

While it usually takes youngsters a number of years to get up to speed in a top-flight team, the Milton Keynes-born gem took no time at all and, by the end of his first campaign in the capital, had racked up an astonishing tally of ten goals and ten assists in just 46 appearances.

Such an explosive start to life at the highest level saw him win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and he did not stop there, as his sophomore season with the Lilywhites was even better and saw him score 22 goals and provide 12 assists in 50 appearances – enough to win a second successive Young Player of the Year award.

For a while, it looked like the youngster was going to become one of the very best players in the world, someone capable of playing in multiple positions at the highest standard.

However, as we know, that didn’t happen, and after a few seasons of increasingly disappointing performances, Dele moved to Everton in February 2020 – almost five years after signing for the North Londoners.

Appearances

269

Minutes

19162′

Goals

67

Assists

58

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

153.29′

The club haven’t had a player like the 37-capped international, but there is a chance they could do so soon.

Spurs' potential new Dele

The last few weeks have seen many talented players linked with moving to Spurs, but perhaps one of the most exciting names, and someone who could be the club’s new Dele, is Xavi Simons.

According to reports from late last week, the North Londoners are ‘favourites’ to land the incredibly talented international from RB Leipzig, although doing so would cost up to £67m.

Described as “one of the best 10s in the world” in the words of one analyst on social media, what is it about the Dutchman that means he could be the Lilywhites’ new Dele?

Firstly, he is incredibly versatile and can play on either wing, up top, as a second striker and in attacking and central midfield areas, so just like the Englishman, he could thrive just off the centre-forward or deeper if required.

Moreover, just like the former MK Dons gem in his early seasons in North London, the Amsterdam-born “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is an output machine.

Appearances

43

Goals

10

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

For example, in 43 appearances last season, he scored ten goals and provided 15 assists, and in 33 appearances this season, he scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 and 1.83 games, respectively.

Finally, and this is rather difficult to prove with statistics, but just like the Englishman was, the former PSG gem is capable of some utterly sublime bits of skill and has scored more than his fair share of brilliant goals for Leipzig and PSV.

Ultimately, Spurs have been crying out for another young talent to come in and have the sort of effect Dele did when he first joined almost a decade ago, and while he’s a little older, Simons could be just that player.

Massive Tel upgrade: Spurs ready £38m offer to sign "unstoppable" star

Spurs could sign an upgrade on Tel for £38m this summer.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 27, 2025

Celtic have the chance to win the domestic treble for the second time in the last three seasons when they face Aberdeen in the final of the SFA Cup.

Brendan Rodgers clinched his second Scottish Premiership title in as many seasons last weekend when his side swept Dundee United away with a 5-0 win.

The Hoops will want to continue their dominance for seasons to come, and have already swooped to make one high-profile signing in the form of Kieran Tierney.

Why Kieran Tierney is an impressive signing

The Scotland international will officially join Celtic on a free transfer when his contract at Arsenal expires at the end of June, returning to the club after six years in England.

As you can see in the graphic above, the academy graduate enjoyed a phenomenal first spell in Glasgow, winning five league titles and making 170 first-team appearances.

At the time of writing (01/05/2025), Transfermarkt currently values Tierney at £8.5m, which is a drop from the £25m he was sold for, but that still means that the club are signing an £8.5m-rated asset for £0. He is an impressive addition for the Hoops because he is a proven Premiership star and a valuable asset.

Celtic do, however, have numerous valuable assets at the club, in what is a very talented squad, and one of those who is worth even more than Tierney is Daizen Maeda.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Daizen Maeda

The Hoops swooped to sign the Japan international, who was described as a “snip” by pundit Chris Sutton, for a fee of just £1.6m, in the summer of 2022 from Yokohama F. Marinos.

Maeda, who was recently hailed as “brilliant” by Rodgers, has soared in value over the past three years in Glasgow, and is currently enjoying his best season at the club.

The 27-year-old forward has plundered 33 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, which is a tally of 44 goal contributions that beats his return of 14 and 18 in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, respectively.

Date

Market value

March 2025-present

£9.3m

December 2024

£6.8m

October 2024

£6.3m

May 2024

£5.9m

December 2023

£5.5m

June 2023

£5.1m

December 2022

£4.2m

June 2022

£2.9m

Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s value has skyrocketed as a result of his improved output at the top end of the pitch in the current season, going from £5.9m last summer to £9.3m at the time of writing.

His current market valuation of £9.3m also means that his value has soared by 481% from the £1.6m that Celtic paid for his services back in 2022, and that he is now worth even more than Tierney, who was once sold for £25m.

This shows that the Scottish giants have hit the jackpot with Maeda because he has provided sensational performances on the pitch this term, and the Japan international is now an incredibly valuable asset who is worth even more than a big summer signing.

Related Worth less than Nawrocki: Celtic must axe flop who "wants to be at the club"

Celtic must ruthlessly bin this player who is now worth even less than Maik Nawrocki.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 29, 2025

The leader of South Africa’s bowling attack talks about the team’s philosophy, and how he approaches his own bowling

Firdose Moonda04-Nov-2024Kagiso Rabada doesn’t get too excited about being the most lethal bowler in the 300-wickets club, or about his other records, because all he wants to do is play for South Africa.”Every kid dreams of playing for South Africa and that was my dream,” Rabada says from Chattogram, where South Africa won their first series in the subcontinent since the start of his career. “My dream was to represent South Africa and to be the best and to be a part of winning South African cricket teams. Along the way, you don’t really think about stats.”Except one number: 0.That’s how many times South Africa have won a World Cup, and like so many who have gone before him, Rabada says it’s what he most wants to achieve. “I just want to win the World Cup. That’s literally my dream. So, hopefully, I don’t have any other metrics really.”Rabada was part of South Africa’s disastrous 2019 ODI World Cup campaign and the much better 2023 one, in which they reached the semi-finals. He has also played in four T20 World Cups, and experienced exiting after the group stage three times before South Africa pulled off an eight-match unbeaten run to reach this year’s final. He described the current group of players as having found a “sweet spot” between experience and youth without being haunted by the ghosts of greats gone by.Related

Rabada – the most lethal bowler in the 300-wicket club

Rabada back at No.1 in Test bowling rankings; Ravindra, Shakeel break into top 10

Spinners, Rabada's complete performances hand South Africa their biggest innings win

'Worth the hours, worth the sacrifice' – SA savour subcontinent high after a decade's wait

South Africa's batting close to finding the 'sweet spot' again

When Dean Elgar played his final Test earlier this year, he was the last player of a South Africa side that had been ranked No. 1 in Tests. His exit may also have been the last in a steady stream of big-name retirements that began with Mark Boucher in 2012. Back then Rabada was a schoolkid with stars in his eyes. Three years later, he was an international, in the side in place of an injured Morne Morkel, and playing a Test alongside Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. Three years after that, in March 2018, as the other three struggled with fitness concerns, he found himself the leader of the attack in a home series against Australia, which South Africa won 3-1.Throughout, Rabada has had the opportunity to play alongside a range of bowlers, from the ones he idolised to ones he grew up with. It is with this current generation that he feels the most settled.”Those guys [Steyn, Philander, Morkel] were my heroes growing up and I played with them. And now I’m playing with guys I played with at school, so there’s more familiarity because we grew up together – played against each other at school, played together at the provincial level, at Under-19…”Rabada went to school with Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder, who is three years his junior. He won the 2014 U-19 World Cup under the leadership of Aiden Markram. Lungi Ngidi and Kyle Verreynne were among the top performers in the national schools weeks in 2013 and 2014. All of them now represent the country. “We play for each other,” Rabada says.After he won the Player-of-the-Series award in Bangladesh for his 14 wickets at an average of nine, Rabada first showered praise on the batters for giving the bowlers over 500 runs to work with in Chattogram. And even though their coach, Shukri Conrad, wasn’t convinced about enforcing the follow-on, Markram, the captain, was certain that Rabada, who had taken a five-for in the first innings, was fresh enough to have another go at Bangladesh. As it turned out, South Africa’s spinners did the job the second time round, but the point holds that Markram would likely have batted again if he did not believe the leader of his attack could do the job, which speaks to Rabada’s continued importance to the side and the significance of managing his workload.”Pace is important but you need the skill with the pace. When you combine the two, you can become very lethal. The older you get, the harder you have to work”•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThis year Rabada was rested from white-ball series in the UAE to focus on Test preparation, and he will similarly sit out the four-match T20I series against India to get ready for the home Test summer.By his own admission, more of that needs to happen to prolong his time at the top level. “I’m not getting any younger, and with the amount of cricket that’s being played, you have to think about it in terms of finding periods when you’re going to rest in order to be the most effective you can be.”But he does not put his success down to that alone. “It speaks to hard work,” he says.Over the last few years Rabada’s work has been less about speed and more about skill. He regularly swings and reverse-swings the ball, and always seems to know when to bowl with the most intensity. He identifies the new ball and periods just before or after a break as being times when he has to be particularly switched on.”Pace is important but you need the skill with the pace. When you combine the two, you can become very lethal. In Test cricket, you have to maintain the pace, but when it’s not there, you obviously have to be a bit crafty because, especially in the subcontinent, it’s hot. Obviously you want to really make an impact with the new ball. It’s about being consistent with it and bowling at a good pace. The older you get, the harder you have to work. You won’t get away with what you got away with when you were younger.”If Rabada sounds older than his 29 years, that’s because in Test cricket terms, he probably is – with 66 caps across nine years, he is the most experienced player in the side. In that time, while he has experienced highs like beating Australia home and away, he has also seen South Africa go from No. 1 to No. 7 on the rankings.”Of course, there were times where I was like, ‘Man, what’s going on here?’ But then in the morning, you wake up and you just have to front up. People go through that on the daily, but as players, we have a spotlight on us. Everyone’s going to comment on whatever we do. There have been times in my career when I’ve been disappointed, but it becomes worth it when you do achieve what you want to achieve.”Some would say being back at No.1 on the ICC’s rankings for Test bowlers, having occupied that spot for most of 2018 and 2019, is one kind of achievement, but it’s not Rabada’s favourite one. “If I was No. 5 or No. 3 and we’re winning, then I’m really happy. If I’m No. 1, I’m even more happy, but as long as we’re winning – that’s the major thing for me. It’s not about being No.1 the world, it’s all about the process and being obsessed with that. I know it sounds so cliché, but cliché is a kind of reality.”He acknowledges that his numbers do have some effect on him in that “they motivate me, but I’m not fixated on them”. Then he goes back to his original mantra: that as long as the team is winning, that means more than anything else, and there are still a few big things he wants them to win. “I’m happy with it [the No. 1 Test bowling ranking], but I’m not going to think about it too much. The work continues.”

A look at how this unglamorous shot made all the difference for India, and why Australia could not employ it effectively themselves

Karthik Krishnaswamy19-Feb-2023Cheteshwar Pujara faced five of the last six balls of the Delhi Test match. First, he levelled the scores with a flicked single to deep square leg after skipping out to Travis Head. Then, getting the strike back at the start of the next over, he played two more flicks off Todd Murphy, one to square leg, one to short midwicket.After another dot ball not involving a flick, Pujara hit the winning runs: down the track again, and a firm whip over midwicket for four.Five balls, four variants of the leg-side flick. And in that lay a story, perhaps even story of the 2022-23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.The flick can be a delightful stroke to watch, but it isn’t always a glamorous one. ESPNcricinfo, for instance, runs a video series titled , where current or former players pick their favourite exponents of eight shots that circle the dial: straight drive, cover drive, cut, reverse-sweep, scoop, sweep, pull and the lofted hit down the ground. The flick, as you may have noticed, isn’t one of them.The flick, however, is the Test batter’s run-scoring lifeblood. Since the start of 2021, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, the flick has brought batters more Test runs than any other shot – 17,697, to be precise – with the cover drive way behind in second place at 12,979.Related

• Andrew McDonald: Australia batters wilted under 'perceived pressure'

• Jadeja and Axar: Sweep and reverse sweep are difficult here

• The ladders have gone, only snakes lurk in Rahul's Test path right now

• India almost through to WTC final after beating Australia in Delhi

• Rohit: 'The confidence Jadeja has in his ability is massive'

In that time, batters have played the flick a whopping 22,373 times. It’s in third place behind defended (62,637) and left alone (25,277), of course, but those aren’t scoring shots.The reason why the flick is such a key part of Test cricket is simple. Bowlers target the top of off stump constantly, and when they miss their lines and lengths at Test level, they usually only miss it by small margins. So while the rank long-hop and the wide half-volley are rare occurrences, the ball that’s a touch straighter than ideal, or a touch fuller or shorter, is more frequent. Test batters can flick balls from all sorts of lines and lengths – if the angle is just right, a back-of-a-length ball can be worked to deep backward square leg from a fourth-stump line.Spinners are particularly prone to getting flicked, and not just with the turn. Top batters can use their feet to get to the pitch of the ball, or go deep in their crease to give themselves time, and twirl their wrists to play the shot against the turn too. Because of the pace spinners bowl at, their margin for error is smaller, and the more turn there is, the smaller that margin becomes – the ball turning into the batter is likelier to end up on the pads, and the ball turning away is likelier to start from a line closer to leg stump.The first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been played on pitches with plenty of help for the spinners, and the margins for error have consequently been fairly small.Over these two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi, India’s batters have been able to play the flick far more frequently against the spinners than Australia’s batters. They’ve also had to defend significantly fewer balls.There are many ways of looking at these numbers. You could say Indian batters are naturally wristy and fond of playing the flick. You could say they use their feet better to get down the pitch or go deep in the crease, to create opportunities to play the flick. You could say that the two teams have employed different batting gameplans, India’s revolving around positive footwork and shots down the ground or through the on side, and Australia’s around the sweep.This last argument is particularly compelling if you watched the closing stages of the Delhi Test, and watched and read the post-mortems. Australia lost a lot of wickets to sweeps and reverse-sweeps, and India barely ever played those shots. The experts shook their heads and told you how unwise these shots were on this third-day surface, where the ball was frequently shooting through low.But here’s the thing. Australia’s players and team management know this. They know how dangerous cross-bat shots can be on pitches like this. But R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have bowled with the sort of control that has left them with few other scoring options. They’re certainly not getting drive balls and cut balls, and they’re not getting a whole lot of flick balls either.They’ve chosen two different responses to this challenge in the two Tests of this series. In the second innings in Nagpur, Australia defended for their lives and were bowled out in 32.3 overs. In the second innings in Delhi, they swept at everything and were bowled out in 31.1 overs. Their captain Pat Cummins said their batters had underplayed their hand in Nagpur and overplayed it in Delhi.Against spinners with the control of Ashwin and Jadeja and on pitches with both turn and natural variation, those can be the only options for visiting batters. Neither is the right answer, but there’s no real middle way either, unless the bowlers have an off day.In the given conditions, the sweep shot was fraught with danger, but Australia were left with little choice•Getty ImagesAnd in Delhi, the sweep helped Australia compete on a level footing with India over the first two days. It was a defining feature of Usman Khawaja’s 81 on day one, and of Marnus Labuschagne’s batting when Australia raced away to a quick start in the third session of day two.The sweep, therefore, was a symptom of Australia’s problems and not its cause.And the problem hasn’t been that they’re a bad team. The problem is that they’re just not as good as India in Indian conditions. You would only back a handful of teams over the game’s history to beat this Indian team in Indian conditions.Australia’s spin attack on this tour is among the best that has visited this country in a decade – Nathan Lyon is a world-class offspinner with more than 450 Test wickets, while Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann have bowled with terrific control for visiting spinners who’ve made their Test debuts on this tour. They’ve bowled with better control than a lot of overseas spinners who’ve come to India with a lot more Test experience, and they’ve barely bowled any long-hops or genuine half-volleys.But it’s only natural that Australia’s spinners don’t have the inch-perfect control of Jadeja and Ashwin on Indian pitches. The margins for error are tiny. Minute errors in line and length don’t leap at you in real time, but they all add up over the course of a series, one flick at a time.

ESPNcricinfo experts Aakash Chopra and Tom Moody put their heads together to figure out the best spinner in T20 cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-20207:37

Moody: Rashid never shirks away from the workload

Aakash Chopra: What is it about Rashid that is so, so special and unique?Tom Moody: Firstly, forget about his bowling as such, (it is) his character. He is an enormously gifted character that loves the contest. He is a real fighter. And when he was selected out of the (2017) auction, that was probably something that wasn’t known. What was known was what we’re seeing quite regularly everytime we watch him bowl – and that is his genius with the ball, his ability to spin the ball sharply, more so into the right-hander and away from the left-hander, but also generate that great deal of pace off the wicket, which is his greatest asset.Chopra: Let’s dive deeper and dissect the craft of Rashid’s legspin because that is unique. A quick bowling action, fairly flat and quick in the air, off the surface as well. But it was felt that he was figured out last season (2019 IPL) when people were just playing him out: “don’t attack him, he can’t get you out”. This season we have seen a different side to Rashid Khan. He’s picking wickets even when people are defending. How has he been able to do it?Moody: As you said, last year, and I think around the world, a lot of people have decided against attacking Rashid Khan, “let’s just preserve wickets and accept that his four overs are going to go for 24, and on a good day, we might get 30 off him”. So they’ve taken that strategy. So they’ve really taken away the ability for him to take wickets with batsmen looking to be positive against him.In the early parts of his career, batsmen were trying to dance down the wicket, hit him down the ground or sweep him or reverse sweep him or give themselves room and try to hit through the off side. And on every occasion… well, certainly more often than not, they were found unstuck because he’s a very, very difficult prospect to face.Rashid Khan sets off in celebration•BCCIAnd one of the main reasons he’s so difficult is because of that speed he gets off the wicket and the fact that the batsmen aren’t reading which way it is turning. He doesn’t turn his legbreak enormously, but he turns it enough. It is mainly that wrong ‘un. And that is his main weapon.One of the reasons he probably is having more wicket-taking success this year is that batsmen, when they’ve come across Sunrisers, have found that there’s been a little bit more pressure at both ends. So, therefore, they can’t just sit on Rashid when they are not scoring as freely as they’d like at the other end. So what they’ve had to do is take a little bit more risk against him. He is obviously a year older and a year smarter. He’s come into this tournament, having played a full Caribbean Premier League. So he’s got a lot of overs under his belt. So he’s ready and prepared.Chopra: The pitches in the UAE are a lot faster off the surface, so you can’t possibly just see him out. Secondly, earlier when he used to come to play the IPL, he would have bowled 12 months of non-stop overs in T20 cricket. And over a period of time, if you have bowled a lot of overs, sometimes that fizz, that zip actually goes away. You want to be accurate, but you are not that accurate because the limbs are tired. Could that be a factor? Could just the faster nature of these pitches as compared to a lot of pitches in India in April and May could that be a factor – people who are defending now, they are not even going against him. He is now conceding like three-and-a-half runs an over in a lot of games, but he’s still picking up two or three wickets.Moody: It is a good point you make about the surfaces being a little bit quicker. And there is probably a little bit more bounce as well at a couple of the stadiums in the UAE. Spinners do relish that extra little bit of bounce. I still feel that the overs that he’s had leading into this tournament in the Caribbean were important. I don’t think anyone can come into the tournament cold and expect to hit the ground running. He’s coming in ready to go. He’s had that rest in quarantine anyway, so freshened up in quarantine.

One of the reasons he probably is having more wicket-taking success this year is that batsmen, when they’ve come across Sunrisers have found that there’s been a little bit more pressure at both ends. So, therefore, they can’t just sit on Rashid when they are not scoring as freely as they’d like at the other end. So what they’ve had to do is take a little bit more risk against himTom Moody, former Sunrrisers’ head coach

Chopra: What is his training procedure, Tom? Is he actually one of those who does sit and analyse the opposition? How does he actually prepare for a game?Moody: Rashid is someone that is very thorough with his training. I wouldn’t say he’s someone that over-analyses the game. He does keep it very simple. He’s got very simple plans, which in a way works to his advantage, because he knows that his strength is this, don’t overcomplicate it and try to bowl three or four different (types of) balls in one over just to confuse the batsman. His good ball on a repeated loop is good enough for 24 balls in a four-over stint.What he does do is he definitely bowls a lot of overs at training. He doesn’t shirk away from the workload. He’s very aware that he needs to maintain his rhythm in his bowling. Yes, he would want to bowl specifically to left- and right-handers, according to who we are playing against. So if you are playing against a side that’s got a heavyweight in their top order of left-handers, for instance, he’ll want to bowl the majority of his overs in training to the left-handed batsmen just so he could formulate his lines and these lengths.He will look at some video, particularly if he hasn’t seen a batsman. But in this day and age, the players know, you know each other inside out, they play against each other at various leagues or on the international stage often enough, they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.Rashid Khan finished his spell with a double-wicket maiden•BCCIChopra: But that information is not always knowledge and wisdom. He does get taken for runs once in a while. I remember that one game against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali when Chris Gayle just went after him. And that was the first time I saw him getting clobbered in that fashion. How did he actually bounce back in the reverse fixture? How does he come back from fear failure, a rare one?Moody: Yeah, that was a rare one. And it was a space that he hadn’t been in. It was very interesting, actually. He was very reflective of his performance. He didn’t shirk away from analysing and reflecting on that effort. I remember sitting with him for a period of time and discussing it. It was really him that, which was the important thing, came to the conclusion that really the thing that was undoing him was his length to Chris Gayle on that day, it was just probably a foot to two too full.And the harder he tried, the harder he found it to find the right length because he was putting himself under pressure. So instead of just taking a step backwards and taking a deep breath, and just getting his rhythm and finding his right length, he was rushing himself through his overs and therefore presenting the wrong length, which proved to be the right length for Chris Gayle.Chopra: Would it be fair to say that in terms of success formula, length is the critical component: if you pitch too full you get taken for runs, if you pitch too short you don’t pick up those many wickets?Moody: That’s pretty much the formula for any spin bowler, or any bowler, period. But, particularly for Rashid, for him to be in that space where he is a nightmare to face to where he’s someone that you can actually rotate strike if not hit boundaries against, and once he gives that a little bit of freedom it is welcomed by the batsman because they are sitting and waiting for options and opportunities to score. Because, unlike a lot of spinners, when he hits his right lengths, it is very hard to change that length by using your feet because of his speed through the air.A lot of spinners you can use your feet and throw them off their length. But, with Rashid, batsmen have found it very difficult to be able to come down the wicket and put the spinner under pressure with his length. So he’s got that ace up his sleeve always.Chopra: Can people play him as an offspinner? I’m just finding ways to counter him because if you keep playing dot ball after dot ball, eventually you get dismissed trying to go for a big one? Moody: Good luck, just playing him as an offspinner!Chopra In terms of scoring areas, Tom – instead of off side, you are looking to score, say, long-on, midwicket. Robin Uthappa got the better of him one season where he decided he was going downtown and nowhere else?Moody: I remember that clearly too. Robin Uthappa was playing (Rashid) nearly like a straight sweep slog over sort of straight midwicket to midwicket, and he did it did very effectively, as you said. So he was just banking on the ball turning in, but you are talking about a player that is an established and very good player of spin.A lot of batsmen have talked about trying to cover their stumps and play Rashid Khan through mid-on, midwicket, go with the tide of what they think the spin is. And if Rashid does see batsmen look to do that, what he will look to do to counter that is just change his release position at the crease. So he’ll just change the angle of the balls coming down. He may not necessarily change the delivery, but he’ll change the arrival of the delivery. So it may come six inches or a foot wider over the crease than it would have done in the previous six balls.

Bruno Fernandes has for so long been Manchester United’s shining light, often being the man to get themselves out of trouble during the Ruben Amorim tenure.

The Red Devils may have finished in 15th place last campaign, but it didn’t stop the Portuguese international from ending 2024/25 with a total of 37 combined goals and assists.

However, the £200m spending spree during the recent summer window has seen some of the responsibility taken off his shoulders – as seen by the goals scored by Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo against Brighton.

As a result, the 31-year-old has since dropped into a slightly deeper midfield role, resulting in Bruno only registering two goals and one assist from his first nine Premier League outings in 2025/26.

Amorim could be utilising the club captain in such a role to try and bridge the gap to one player who has prematurely offloaded during the tenure of the previous management team.

Man Utd’s mammoth mistake in selling McTominay

To combat their heavy spending in recent years, the United hierarchy have had to offload numerous players from their books to prevent any financial problems.

Midfielder Scott McTominay was one of the players sacrificed by the board, with the Scottish international leaving in a £25m deal to join Napoli in the summer of 2024.

Such a deal was seen as excellent business at the time, with the midfielder often receiving a fair amount of criticism from the supporters over his displays at Old Trafford.

However, he’s taken his career to the next level in Naples, thriving under Antonio Conte’s guidance in 2024/25 as the Italian outfit claimed the Serie A title.

The 28-year-old scored 12 times and registered four assists in Italy’s top-flight, subsequently winning the division’s MVP award, whilst also being nominated for the Balon d’Or.

The former Red Devil has continued his phenomenal form into the current campaign, with his sensational strike against Inter Milan on Saturday securing the club all three points.

His £25m departure now appears to be a huge mistake, but Amorim shouldn’t be worried with the manager already stumbling upon his next version of the Scotsman.

The United star who’s becoming their next McTominay

Whilst Bruno has largely operated in the role vacated by McTominay, numerous other talents have also shared the responsibility at the heart of the United side.

Manuel Ugarte joined a £50m transfer from PSG last summer, with the hierarchy seeing him as the perfect player to fill the void left by the departing academy star.

However, the Uruguayan has subsequently fallen way below the expectations of the fanbase, with Amorim only starting two of the club’s nine Premier League outings in 2025/26.

Kobbie Mainoo was a first-team mainstay before the 40-year-old’s arrival last year, but like Ugarte, he’s found minutes extremely hard to come by within the starting eleven.

The Englishman has failed to start a single game and only appeared for a total of 138 minutes off the bench in England’s top-flight during the current campaign.

The aforementioned duo’s lack of impact is largely due to the performances of Casemiro, with the Brazilian international nailing down a starting role to the surprise of many.

He’s previously been slated by numerous figures over the years, with Jamie Carragher infamously stating ‘the football has left him’ and that he needs to move to Saudi Arabia.

Such a situation is similar to that of McTominay, with the former United star taking his career to unimaginable heights after his own switch out of Manchester.

However, Casemiro has managed to turn his Red Devils career around in recent months and subsequently shut up a lot of his doubters along the way in the process.

The “world-class” star, as dubbed by Gus Poyet, has started seven times in the Premier League this year, registering two goals and an assist within his recent outings.

His latest showing against Brighton was arguably his best of 2025/26, scoring once and teeing up compatriot Cunha for his goal for the Red Devils.

Minutes played

70

Touches

48

Passes completed

25

Passes into final third

7

Tackles made

3

Clearances

1

Interceptions made

2

Recoveries

5

Casemiro’s underlying stats further showcase how impressive he was against the Seagulls, with the 33-year-old having a huge effect at both ends of the football field.

Tallies such as three tackles and five recoveries made highlight his importance without the ball – arguably being the perfect all-round option at the heart of the side to allow Bruno to express himself in attacking areas.

Such a turnaround in form is huge credit to the experienced midfielder, with his recent outings making him one of the club’s most important players at present.

His partnership with Bruno has allowed for the recent impressive form – potentially saving Amorim’s job and allowing him to reach new heights in his tenure.

Forget Cunha & Mbuemo: Man Utd star was the shining light against Brighton

Manchester United secured their third win in a row against Brighton & Hove Albion last night.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 26, 2025

يستعد منتخب مصر الثاني لخوض مباراة قوية أمام الأردن، في المواجهة التي تجمع بينهما في إطار لقاءات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر الثاني نظيره الأردن، اليوم، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر الثاني في المجموعة الثالثة في بطولة كأس العرب، رفقة منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والكويت.

بالمواعيد | مواجهات دور الـ 8 من كأس العرب 2025 (محدث باستمرار)

وكان منتخب مصر قد تعادل في الجولة الأولى مع منتخب الكويت، بهدف لكل فريق، ثم تعادل بالنتيجة ذاتها مع الإمارات.

ويشهد التشكيل المتوقع لمنتخب مصر الثاني مفاضلة بين الثنائي محمود حمدي الونش ورجب نبيل في مركز قلب الدفاع، وكذلك هناك حيرة بين مشاركة محمد النني أو عمر السولية بـ خط الوسط. تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام الأردن اليوم

حراسة المرمى: محمد بسام.

خط الدفاع: يحيى زكريا وياسين مرعي ومفاضلة بين الونش ورجب نبيل وكريم العراقي.

خط الوسط: أكرم توفيق ومحمد مجدي أفشة ومفاضلة بين النني والسولية.

وفي الهجوم: ميدو جابر ومروان حمدي وإسلام عيسى.