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The teenager explains what Pakistan did differently post-lunch in Rawalpindi to change the game

Umar Farooq in Rawalpindi11-Dec-2019After conceding 89 runs in the first, wicketless session in Rawalpindi, Pakistan remarkably got back in the game in the second. They had bowled 48 balls on a full length in 26 overs in that opening session, conceding 47 runs off these deliveries and straying on leg stump as well. Wayward in line, ineffective in length, captain Azhar Ali’s statements the previous day on the important of discipline in Test format seemed lost on this attack. Speaking after the day’s play, 16-year-old Naseem Shah admitted that new plans had to be drawn up for the second session, and those centred around containing the Sri Lanka batsmen.It was the first time in 24 years that Pakistan were playing at home with an all-pace attack. The last time this happened was in 1995, against Sri Lanka in Sialkot. The hint of grass on the Rawalpindi pitch in combination with the earlier overcast conditions seemed to suggest it was the way to go but, at the toss, Sri Lanka opted to bat, baffling many. A lack of swing duly followed, and Pakistan conceded 3.4 runs to the over in that first session. In all, 120 balls were pitched on a length or fuller to concede 74 runs.When asked if his side misread the pitch, Shah said: “It’s cricket and it happens… yes there was moisture in the pitch but we couldn’t get wickets early. They also batted well and we didn’t bowl according to the plan in the first session.”So we had to re-plan and went out to contain in the second session. Overall the pitch was good, all you have to hit the good areas for success. We could have taken another wicket [in the day] but we will come back fresh tomorrow to get them as quickly as we can to restrict them under 250 to have a full control [of the game].”Shah finished the day with two wickets, as Sri Lanka slipped from 96 for 0 to 189 for 5. At stumps they were 202 for 5, and Shah, playing his second Test after a testing debut in Australia, was facing a crowed press conference for the first time. He came across as confident in answering whatever question was thrown at him. When asked about being rested in the second Test in Australia despite holding his own in the first, he kept it brief: “There wasn’t any issue. Our management understands better how they want to take care of me, so nothing to worry about.”Of course, the Rawalpindi Test is a homecoming for Test cricket in Pakistan, and Shah was happy to soak up the atmosphere. “In Australia I saw how the crowd there was behind their bowlers all the time and their support really gave them a push,” he said. “And today, playing at a home venue in front of my own crowd gave me the exact sense I got in Australia. The crowd was outstanding and they were cheering on every good ball I bowled, so playing at home wasn’t about me being under pressure but instead I was enjoying the atmosphere.”

Celtic were in the market to land a new centre-forward to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch during the recent January transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers eventually landed Norwich City marksman Adam Idah on loan on deadline day, with no options to buy, after having been linked with a move for Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk, who went on to sign for the Canaries to replace the player the Hoops signed.

The Dutch number nine is the son of former Bhoys sensation Pierre van Hooijdonk, who the club hit the jackpot with during his time at Parkhead.

Celtic struck gold when they swooped to sign the attacker from Dutch side NAC Breda in January 1995 to improve then-manager Tommy Burns' attacking options.

How much Celtic paid for Pierre van Hooijdonk

The Hoops signed the Netherlands international for a reported fee of £1.2m and the impressive marksman produced four goals in 14 Scottish Premiership matches.

Van Hooijdonk followed that up with a staggering 26 goals in 34 Premiership matches during the 1995/96 campaign, to take his tally to 30 league goals in his first 18 months at the club.

The then-26-year-old fired in 14 goals in 21 league appearances for the Scottish giants during the first half of the 1996/97 campaign before a move to Nottingham Forest in March 1997.

In total, the 6 foot 4 colossus moved on from Celtic with a fantastic return of 52 goals in 84 games in all competitions, which is a goal every 1.62 matches on average across his just-over two-year spell in Glasgow.

How much did Celtic sell Pierre van Hooijdonk for in 2024 money

Per Totally Money, Premier League side Nottingham Forest splashed out a fee of £5.4m at the time of the deal to bring him down south to England in 1997.

Adjusting for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years, per Totally Money's index, that £5.4m fee would be worth a staggering £39.4m, which illustrates how much of a blinder the Hoops played with the signing of van Hooijdonk back in 1995.

They struck gold with the prolific marksman as they made a healthy profit on the 52-goal forward, who was a star on the pitch and made them a huge sum of money by the time he moved on from Parkhead.

1996/97 (Premier League)

8

1

0

1997/98 (First Division)

39

29

0

1998/99 (Premier League)

21

6

2

As you can see in the table above, van Hooijdonk failed to replicate his goalscoring prowess in Scotland in the Premier League with the Tricky Trees, with a return of seven goals in 29 games in the English top-flight.

The Netherlands international went on to enjoy spells with Benfica, Vitesse, Fenerbahce, and Feyenoord after his time with Forest, before his retirement in the summer of 2007.

Overall, Celtic hit the jackpot with van Hooijdonk as they got immense value out of him on and off the pitch after his £1.2m move from NAC Breda back in 1995, and it remains to be seen whether Sydney – now at Norwich – will be able to hit the same heights as his father during his career.

Liverpool fans are salivating at the prospect of signing a midfield star once coveted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

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Liverpool eager to sign £52m midfielderSpain star expected to agree to transferReds fans delighted by likely dealWHAT HAPPENED?

The Reds are expected to wrap up the signing of the midfielder after it was reported they are prepared to trigger the €60 million (£52m/$66m) release clause in his contract, and the Spain international is said to be eager to make the move.

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The signing of the Real Sociedad star would be a major coup for the Anfield club given he was previously wanted by other top sides. It was claimed in May that he decided against a move to Arsenal, while United had identified him as an alternative to Manuel Ugarte. Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were also said to be after him.

WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

A move to Merseyside appears to be the likely outcome at this point, though, and the prospect of beating other top teams to his signature has lifted the mood of a few Reds supporters.

After outlining the top European sides that Zubimendi has rejected in order to choose Liverpool, X user Raws declared: "Now that’s what you call pull."

Another fan said on social media: "Zubimendi said he’s not leaving Spain to Arsenal, Man Utd and Bayern, until Liverpool came along and he’s already got his bags packed. When you’re big, you’re big." They followed that up with another mocking post, saying: "Mikel Arteta, who is Spanish, went to Real Sociedad, a Spanish club who he played for, asked for Zubimendi and was told to f*ck off. If I speak, I’m in big trouble."

"Zubimendi to Liverpool basically done in a day….well done. That's how you operate as "Best in class"," said Manchester United fan channel presenter Mark Goldbridge.

Sibi stated: "Took us one day to wrap up Zubimendi. Liverpool FC we don't mess around".

"Zubimendi has accepted the move to Liverpool.. tears in my eyes," said another member of the Liverpool faithful.

Matt Thielen said: "VERY excited for this one. Zubimendi seems the perfect No.6 for Slot's system—quite the first senior signing for [sporting director Richard] Hughes and co."

After pointing out that he will be signing for around half the price Arsenal paid to get Decan Rice, Nick Davies wrote: "WE ARE SO BACK".

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

The Reds are yet to finalise the deal, with reporting that the two clubs have not yet reached an agreement on a transfer fee, but Real Sociedad expect him to make the switch to the Premier League side.

Tottenham Hotspur will need to bounce back from a blunt performance against West Ham United in midweek as the London side host relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou will expect his squad to clinch three points against Forest, but Spurs have struggled in 'winnable' home fixtures throughout recent weeks and have been guilty of slow starts.

That said, Tottenham have secured victory in seven of their past eight Premier League games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and while Richarlison has been ruled out after feeling discomfort in his knee, there are tools aplenty to fashion attacking success.

It's unlikely that the team's Australian manager will ring the changes after Tuesday evening's draw but he could make two alterations to the starting line-up.

1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario is such a consistent performer for Tottenham and he made three saves and three clearances as his side drew to the Hammers last time out.

After the woes of the 2022/23 campaign, it's great to see a formidable shot-stopper with the quality to succeed between the sticks for years to come.

2 RB – Pedro Porro

Pedro Porro has bloomed into the high-level right-back that Tottenham have craved over the past several years, with predecessors such as Matt Doherty and Serge Aurier flattering to deceive at the club.

He's been described as a "bulldog" by teammate Dejan Kulusevski and indeed offers ferocious energy, offensive sharpness and defensive solidity that has shaped – and still is shaping – him into one of the Premier League's finest.

3 CB – Cristian Romero

Signed from Atalanta for £42m back in August 2021, Cristian Romero has long been regarded as one of Europe's most talented centre-halves, though he is hampered by his overzealousness at times.

The 25-year-old has scored four goals from 25 matches this season and has the ability to squash the Tricky Trees forwards in their efforts to cause an upset.

4 CB – Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven makes such a difference, with his pace, athleticism and dogged defending reinforcing the club's previously flagging backline with steel.

As per FBref, the Dutchman ranks among the top 2% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

5 LB – Destiny Udogie

FootballJOE's Hunter Godson remarked that Destiny Udogie had enjoyed a "sickeningly good" start to life in the Premier League after making his introduction in August, also saying that he "gets into nearly every team in the world already."

Fleet-footed, dynamic and all-encompassing, Udogie really is a top talent and will be quite the thorn against a battling Forest team.

6 CM – Yves Bissouma

Having started the campaign so strongly, Yves Bissouma is in a state of ebb and flow and will need to recall that early-season prowess for this pivotal period of forthcoming football.

As per Sofascore, the Malian midfielder has completed 92% of his passes in the top flight, averaging 3.0 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 4.7 ball recoveries per game while succeeding with 73% of his dribbles and winning 61% of his ground duels.

7 CM – Pape Matar Sarr

The £75k-per-week Rodrigo Bentancur was handed his first start in a month last time out and while he didn't play badly, Postecoglou might opt for a bit more spark and zest in the engine room.

The Uruguayan hasn't rekindled the emphatic form that preceded his anterior cruciate ligament layoff over one year ago, and while he's a "Rolls-Royce" on his day – as said by football writer Tom Robinson – Sarr must be unleashed tomorrow.

8 RW – Dejan Kulusevski

Brennan Johnson has been in fine form recently, scoring four goals and supplying three assists so far in 2024, and while he netted the early opener in midweek, he limped off with a feared injury.

While Postecoglou has allayed concerns, he might return to the bench, allowing Kulusevski to reclaim his place in the starting lineup.

The Swede will be desperate to pick up form after a recent dip.

9 AM – James Maddison

He's not been at his freewheeling best recently but he is, let's not forget, still James Maddison. One of the division's elite playmakers, the England international will be desperate to hit a rich vein of form soon, and he could be key tomorrow.

West Ham (A)

1-1 draw

5/10

Luton (H)

2-1 win

5/10

Fulham (A)

3-0 loss

3/10

Aston Villa (A)

4-0 win

8/10

Crystal Palace (H)

3-1 win

7/10

10 LW – Timo Werner

A few eyebrows were raised across the Premier League scene when Timo Werner returned to England on loan with Tottenham in January, having previously won the Champions League but divided opinion with Chelsea.

Postecoglou has expressed that he hopes to sign the Germany international on a permanent deal in the summer, and after scoring two goals and adding three assists from seven league starts – why not?

He's fast, versatile and creative, and he will stretch the Forest backline and tear openings for himself and his peers.

Captain believes back-to-back wins has cemented authority in squad brimming with young talent

Andrew Miller20-Jan-2020Joe Root believes there is now a greater “outside” impression that he is the right leader to take the Test team’s fortunes forward into a new era, after overseeing England’s second away win in consecutive matches in their innings-and-53-run win over South Africa at Port Elizabeth.Though Root himself starred with the ball with four second-innings wickets in the third Test, he turned the praise onto two of his new-look team’s youngest players, Ollie Pope and Dom Bess, who, at the age of 22, played crucial roles with bat, ball and in the field to deliver a 2-1 series lead with only Friday’s fourth Test at the Wanderers to come.The pair’s efforts followed the maiden Test century that Dom Sibley recorded in England’s second-Test win at Cape Town two weeks ago, and with the injured Jofra Archer also chipping in with a five-wicket haul in defeat at Centurion in December, England have now had four players aged 24 or under with a significant milestone on this tour.And with England now on the verge of their first series win since Chris Silverwood took over as head coach in October, Root believes that the quality and range of the performances augurs well for the rapid development of his squad.”That is a really strong effort,” Root told Sky Sports, “and a strong message to the rest of the guys that that anyone’s capable of doing something special out here. And that breeds confidence within the whole group.”England’s victory was founded on their first-innings total of 499 for 9, in which Pope’s maiden Test century came for the most part in a 193-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ben Stokes, before Bess’s five first-innings wickets pushed South Africa towards the follow-on.”I think this game has been a brilliant template for us moving forward,” said Root. “Big first-innings runs, a big partnership in there, and then really driving the game. I couldn’t be more proud of the group, and for the young lads to be stepping up yet again, and showing that they’re more than capable to perform at this level.”Asked if he felt as if this was “his team”, Root replied: “It absolutely does, and it has done for a while. I think the fact that we’re starting to see results now might make it look like that from the outside, but I very much feel like the guys are listening to my message, the way we want to play the game. And now, because we’re starting to see results, it’s really feeding through the group and long may that continue.”Ollie Pope was player of the match•Stu Forster/Getty ImagesAt the age of 29, and with more than 7400 runs in his 91-Test career, Root is living proof of the rewards that are on offer to England’s young players if they seize their opportunities in the Test team, just as he himself did with a fifty on debut in Nagpur at the age of 21. And as a consequence, Root believes that the squad newcomers are particularly eager to absorb the message from the team’s leadership.”More than anything, they’re very willing to listen and very willing to learn,” Root said. “Not that the other guys aren’t, but they haven’t seen any other way, if you like, and we’ve got a really clear direction of how I want to take the team forward. The guys that have come in have responded really well to that, and when you start seeing results that starts really hammering home the message.”But it’s not just the youngsters,” he added. “It’s the senior guys that are still learning as well. Broady, yesterday and this morning, was finding different deliveries and being open-minded enough to not just run and bowl seam-up, but legcutters and cross-seam balls, and trying different things. At his age, to still now be finding ways to take wickets on flat ones, is really impressive.”One of the more memorable off-field moments of the Test came when the cameras panned to Root in the dressing room when Pope, on 74, was reprieved via DRS after an on-field lbw. The captain’s desire to see his young player push on to his maiden hundred was tangible, and Root admitted it was an important achievement for the team that he went on to do so.”I think everyone’s been in that position where you desperately want something,” he said. “You could see how he’s a wonderful talent, you know he’s got such a brilliant game on him, and when you see someone with that ability, once they believe it themselves then I suppose the sky’s the limit for them.”You don’t want to get to that position where other players have been, with five, six, seven fifties, and the feeling that it’s never going to come. But for Ollie to do that this week was a massive marker for himself and for Test cricket in general really, seeing a very talented young player show that he’s ready for this. He wants to be very hungry for runs and make it count when he gets in.”ALSO READ: ‘Wanderers Test could be my last’ – du PlessisBess’s achievement was, in its own way, even more remarkable, given that he hadn’t been part of England’s original squad, as well as his lack of consistent opportunities at county level since making his Test debut against Pakistan in 2018. He claimed each of the first five wickets to fall in South Africa’s first innings – a remarkable feat for any bowler let alone an offspinner – before adding Anrich Nortje on the final morning for match figures of 6 for 87.”He’s had a remarkable journey but he works incredibly hard at his game,” said Root. “He’s gone and played on loan [from Somerset to Yorkshire] at different times to make sure he’s getting the cricket that he needs, and he probably could do with more if we’re being brutally honest, as could a lot of spinners around in the English game. But he’s been given an opportunity to go away and work at his game with guys like [Rangana] Herath, and he’s come back with a lot of different deliveries that he didn’t have last time he played for England.”He’s come back into this team, worked very well with Jeetan [Patel, spin-bowling coach], and he thinks very well about the game. He’s very smart for a youngster.”Looking ahead to the Wanderers on Friday, Root admitted it was hard to say whether Archer would be fit after missing the third Test with an elbow injury, but said that the squad was fully focused on finishing the job they have started, and signing off from the Test series on a high.”It’d be a great achievement for this group of players [to win the series] and I think more than anything it would be a massive step in the right direction,” he said. “I think we’re nowhere near the finished article, we’re very aware that we’ve got a lot of learning to do, but we’ve got a lot of youngsters that are willing to do that. And we’ve just got to keep looking to get better.”

Former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has urged Eddie Nketiah to join his former club Marseille this summer.

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Aubameyang wants Nketiah to leave Arsenal for MarseilleLigue 1 side submitted a bid for the strikerArsenal unlikely to accept initial offerWHAT HAPPENED?

Aubameyang, who left the Ligue 1 club earlier this summer to complete a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, has advised out-of-favour Gunners forward Nketiah to move to France amid interest from Les Phoceens. Per , the French side have submitted a €20m (£16.9m) bid for the striker, however, the Premier League giants are unlikely to accept the offer as they rate the player at €59m (£50m).

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The 25-year-old academy product appeared in 37 matches across all competitions last season and clocked only 1,393 minutes on the pitch where he scored just six goals. The attacker is under contract at Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2027, but due to a number of names being ahead of him in Mikel Arteta's pecking order, the Englishman wants to leave the club.

WHAT PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG SAID

In one of Aubameyang's X posts, a fan left a comment that read, "Tell Nketiah to come to OM (Olympique Marseille). In response, the 35-year-old wrote, "Already done".

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arteta's men will play their final friendly match of their US tour on Wednesday as they take on Premier League rivals Liverpool at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

ESPNcricinfo’s live updates on the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2019