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Manchester United are closing in on what looks to be their final transfer of the summer window, with Erik ten Hag creating a framework to build on last season's exploits.

What's the latest on Sofyan Amrabat to Manchester United?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are finally securing the services of Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with the 27-year-old "on his way to Manchester shortly" to complete a medical.

The Fiorentina ace, who is joining on an initial loan deal with a 25m (£21m) buy option, has been of a vested interest to the Premier League outfit all summer, and they now look set to seal a deal at the final stage.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

With fears of a deal stagnating, United director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves flew to Italy earlier today to finalise a deal, and it now looks like he has succeeded.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

The Red Devils have been tracking the pass-proficient midfielder after his stunning performances with his nation at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he starred as the fulcrum of Morocco's fourth-placed finish.

Having been hailed for his “masterclass” of a performance against Spain in the last-16, the £32k-per-week powerhouse cemented his name as one of Europe's first-class midfielders with his international escapades, and his sustained performances with his Italian outfit Fiorentina have affirmed to Manchester United the decision they are making is the correct one.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 machine ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 2% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

He has also been lauded for his "defensive instinct" by pundit Joe Cole, and very much looks the high-octane force the Old Trafford side covet to enhance the club's fluidity and cohesion in the engine room.

With such iron-clad protection in the centre through his defensive application and the assurance that a superlative passing presence will keep the play ticking in metronomic style, Red Devils captain and chief playmaker Bruno Fernandes could take his prolific game to the next level.

Hailed as a creative "genius" by journalist Muhammad Butt, Fernandes has posted 65 goals and 55 assists from just 188 outings for United since joining from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m in January 2020.

The £240k-per-week star ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for passes attempted and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90, and Amrabats' supplementation and presence in the deep-lying role would allow the Portugual star to maintain this and then some.

The fact that Fernandes also ranks among the top 11% for tackles and the top 7% for clearances per 90 underscores his own defensive work rate and tenacity, which would allow Amrabat to implement his game on English shores and perhaps be the foundation of a stunning new midfield partnership at the Theatre of Dreams.

Ten Hag must ensure that an unthinkable late slip does not occur as Manchester United home in on Amrabat, with the midfield "monster" – as said by reporter Carlo Garganese – just what the Premier League club needs to close the gap on those at the top of the league ladder.

Following Division Five in Jersey, teams have had to navigate through Division Four in Los Angeles and Division Three in Uganda. Now, another hurdle in Namibia in their bid for a World-Cup spot

Peter Della Penna in Windhoek07-Feb-2018The Kenya players enjoy a celebratory jig after their 42-run win•ICC/Donald MacLeod

KenyaSome of the east African side’s results in the WCL Championship – wins over Hong Kong and tournament champion Netherlands – show they are more than capable of being a strong competitor should they advance to Zimbabwe. However, they are playing in Division Two because of their wild inconsistency.The biggest positive for Kenya is that they swept both matches in Namibia during the WCL Championship, giving them a leg up with their experience in local conditions. Captain Rakep Patel, Collins Obuya and Irfan Karim all scored more than 300 runs in the WCL Championship and are expected to have strong tournaments on the traditionally high-scoring pitches of Windhoek.UAEThe only side with ODI status in this event, UAE are under heavy pressure to make it to Zimbabwe, failing which they lose their ODI status until 2022 at the earliest. UAE struggled early in the WCL Championship trying to recover from the retirement of Khurram Khan, but found their feet midway through the competition and finished by winning four of their final six matches, including a series split in Namibia, a win over Papua New Guinea and a sweep of Nepal in Abu Dhabi. Most recently, they knocked off a target of 300 against Scotland to pull off their highest successful ODI chase.Shaiman Anwar did the bulk of UAE’s scoring for much of the WCL Championship, finishing sixth overall with 431 runs. Adnan Mufti and Ghulam Shabber lightened the burden by coming through with big scores in the most-recent series against Nepal while Rameez Shahzad propelled the record chase against Scotland with his maiden ODI ton. A balanced bowling unit, featuring the opening pace pair of Mohammad Naveed and Zahoor Khan, makes up for the absence of Amjad Javed. The spin combo of legspinner Imran Haider, left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza and captain Rohan Mustafa completes the tournament’s most balanced attack.Sharad Vesawkar and Gyanendra Malla get together•Kaushal Adhikari

NepalAfter scoring two wins at the 2014 World T20 against Afghanistan and Hong Kong, Nepal has struggled to stay afloat in the top tier of Associate cricket. Of their opponents in this event, they can take consolation from the fact that they swept Namibia for half of their four wins in the WCL Championship, though that series win was achieved in Kathmandu. They also have positive memories of the last time they were in Namibia at WCL Division Two in 2015, when they secured a spot in the WCL Championship despite a last-day stumble.While the captain and vice-captain duo of Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla often get most of the plaudits for their batting acumen, middle-order finisher Sharad Vesawkar actually led the team in runs during the WCL Championship, with 415 runs at an average of 51.87. On the bowling side, spin has been Nepal’s strength over the years with the left-arm tandem of Basant Regmi and Shakti Gauchan. However, most of the attention at Division Two will be on teenage legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who garnered global attention last month after being taken by Delhi Daredevils at the IPL auction.NamibiaThe tournament hosts only managed to win three out of 14 games in the WCL Championship, but two of those – over Hong Kong and Scotland – had a significant impact on the final standings at the top of the table. In particular, the win in Edinburgh showcased what Namibia are capable of when operating at full strength. A rare appearance from Otago allrounder Christi Viljoen severely dented Scotland’s hopes of chasing Netherlands down for the title.Viljoen is back again for this tournament in an effort boost Namibia’s seam bowling and middle-order batting. Stephan Baard offers an explosive weapon at the top of the order while Gerhard Erasmus’ coming-of-age against Netherlands in the final round of the WCL Championship – a fluent 52 and 81 in both innings against the champion Dutch side – shows Namibia’s batting nucleus may be hitting form at just the right time.Oman celebrate after being crowned tournament champions•Peter Della Penna

OmanOman is attempting to follow in the footsteps of Afghanistan’s rapid ascent up the Associate ladder that began in Jersey at the 2008 WCL Division Five, by taking an identical journey to the World Cup Qualifiers. Oman secured three consecutive promotions beginning in Jersey in 2015 with a myriad of contributors along the way.In Jersey, it was Zeeshan Maqsood’s explosive batting paired with the swing bowling duo of Rajeshkumar Ranpura and Munis Ansari that took them forward. In Los Angeles, legspinning allrounder Khawar Ali’s Player-of-the-Tournament performance, including 74 and a five-wicket haul in a do-or-die showdown with Denmark, secured another promotion. At Division Three in Uganda, Khawar continued his impact with the ball but it was a host of characters led by Aqib Ilyas with the bat and left-arm swing bowler Bilal Khan who rallied them to the title.Entering Division Two, Ranpura and Ansari have faded out of the squad, but the ICC’s revised eligibility guidelines – which allow players to represent a country after just three years of residency – have opened the doors to two key allrounders: former Sialkot player Ahmed Fayyaz and former Saurashtra player Jayesh Odedra. The lifting of the ICC’s other stipulation, a maximum of two four-year residents in a starting XI, has also allowed for the recall of tall medium pacer Kaleemullah, who troubled batsman with his height and bounce last year at the Desert T20 Challenge. The trio may provide Oman with yet more difference-makers in an attempt to vault into the World Cup qualifiers.CanadaMuch like Netherlands and Kenya, Canada is an Associate that may have once taken a place in the World Cup for granted, having qualified four times including thrice from 2003 to 2011. But Canada not only failed to qualify for the 2015 event but lost ODI status through a poor performance at the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. However, unlike Kenya and the Dutch, who rebounded at 2015 WCL Division Two to earn a place in the WCL Championship, Canada’s bottom-two finish three years ago dropped them back to Division Three.It took Canada more than two years for the opportunity to climb back up, but they’ve produced a triumphant display in Uganda, propelled by the electric batting and canny medium pace of Rizwan Cheema, who was also named the Player of the Tournament. Teenage opening batsman Bhavindu Adhihetty played a strong support role, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer with 222 runs. Adhihetty’s value to the senior side is such that he stayed away from the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand – having previously captained Canada Under-19 to victory in the Americas Regional Qualifier – so that he could be with the seniors on their Division Three warm-up tour in South Africa.Like Oman, Canada have – for the moment – moved on from someone who helped get them to this point with Cheema not included in the Namibian touring squad. Yet like Oman, they are bolstered by reinforcements that give them an excellent chance of advancing. The recalled top-order duo of Ruvindu Gunasekera, who has spent most of the last two Canadian winters playing first-class cricket in Sri Lanka, and Srimantha Wijeratne provide a fire-and-ice combo that bridges the gap up to captain Nitish Kumar’s class in the middle order.

After missing out on the Scottish Premiership in a campaign to forget last season, Rangers now have the hard task of preventing Celtic from making it three consecutive title wins.

The man in charge of standing in the way of Brendan Rodgers' new side is Michael Beale, who will be hoping to use the remaining days of the transfer window to gain an edge over his Old Firm rivals.

As things stand, however, reports suggest that Celtic have already taken the lead off the pitch, potentially beating Rangers to their transfer target.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

So far this summer, Rangers have welcomed a total of eight reinforcements, with Feyenoord's Danilo and Atalanta's Sam Lammers the pick of the bunch, alongside Jack Butland and Kieran Dowell.

With seven days still remaining in the summer transfer window, however, Rangers may yet hope to welcome even more fresh faces. It's clear so far that Beale's side could do with all the help that they can get if they are to dethrone Celtic this season.

After two games in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers have lost one and sealed all three points in the other, with their opening day defeat against Kilmarnock a particular shock.

Of course, the Gers have since defeated Livingston with ease to get back on track on the pitch, but off the pitch, things aren't going quite so well.

According to The Daily Mail, Rangers' rivals Celtic have launched a £3.5m bid to sign Gers target Luis Palma. Rangers reportedly viewed the winger as a replacement for Ryan Kent, who left the club earlier in the window, but now look likely to miss out following Celtic's reported bid.

No matter which club takes pole position in Scotland, however, they will still have to reportedly battle it out for Palma's signature against Watford and Anderlecht this summer.

Is Luis Palma any good?

Currently plying his trade for Greek Super League side Aris, Palma was involved in an impressive 21 goals last season, scoring 13 and assisting a further eight in all competitions.

Meanwhile, so far this season, the 23-year-old has already found the back of the net twice and made three assists in five appearances. From Beale and Rangers' perspective, they could be missing out on a player in form who looks likely to only get better. Worse is the fact that it is Celtic who could secure Palma's signature, too.

At his best, the Honduran has earned plenty of praise, including from Aris manager Apostolos Terzis, who said, via Daily Record, after Palma scored twice in his side's 4-2 victory in the Europa Conference League: "Luis has done that all season. He has been a huge player for us. We know there has been a lot of interest in him and it's not surprising. Hopefully, playing in Europe next season will persuade him to stay with us."

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

Palma, himself, also commented on his future at the end of last season, saying, via Daily Record: "First of all, there have been no concrete proposals or offers for me. It's just been speculation.

"I am completely focused on my team. Nothing can distract me during this important time. In my mind, I am only thinking to try and help Aris to get as many points as possible. If a good proposal comes after that, then we can talk. But for now, I only care about this season and Aris."

Liverpool have been linked with snapping up PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare during the summer transfer window and there is still hope of a deal being struck, following a new update regarding his future in the Netherlands.

How old is Ibrahim Sangare?

The Ivorian is still only 25 years of age and has become a key man for PSV since joining from Toulouse back in 2020, proving to be an effective shield in front of the defence.

Sangare has made 137 appearances for the Eredivisie giants to date, and while he is renowned for the defensive side of his game, he has also had an impact in an attacking sense, scoring 14 goals and registering 10 assists, showing what an impressive all-round midfielder he is.

The PSV ace is contracted at his current club until the summer of 2027, so if anyone wants to sign him this summer, it is clear that he won't be available on the cheap. Liverpool are one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for him before the end of the month, seeing him as a strong option in the No.6 role after the exit of Fabinho to Saudi Arabia.

Wataru Endo's arrival from VfB Stuttgart has added some depth in that area of the pitch, but it is imperative that a younger option also comes in, such as Sangare or Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure, having missed out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in recent weeks.

It looks as though Sangare could still become a Reds player in the near future, following a new claim, although it won't be easy for them to sign him.

Will Liverpool sign Ibrahim Sangare?

According to a report from Spain [via Paisley Gates], the Reds remain interested in acquiring the signature of the PSV man, but face stiff competition from Bayern Munich. In fact, the Bundesliga champions are the favourites to sign him, but the Merseysiders are not giving up without a fight and will seek to submit one last offer to hijack the deal.

It is encouraging to hear that Sangare is still a target for Liverpool in the remainder of the summer transfer window, considering what a formidable defensive midfielder he is, having been called "extraordinary" by Aad de Mos.

The Ivory Coast international possesses the priceless ability to cover ground and break up opposition attacks in the middle of the park, averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Eredivisie last season, and at 25, he could be coming in at the perfect point in his career, in terms of being experienced but still right in his prime.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

There is every chance that Bayern end up pipping Liverpool to the signing of Sangare, but even if that does happen, this update does suggest that the Reds are still pushing hard to sign another defensive midfielder on top of Endo, which is something that many will see as exciting.

The money is clearly there to make further additions, considering they were willing to pay £110m for Caicedo but were beaten to his signature by Chelsea, and failing to truly fill the No.6 position with a top-quality option may be a big mistake as the season goes on.

The visiting captain strokes 104 out off a total of 201 for 7

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017West Indies A keeper Jahmar Hamilton watches Sri Lanka A captain Dhananjaya de Silva hit a six•WICB MediaWest Indies A declared overnight on 364 for 8, and then proceeded to carve through Sri Lanka A on another shortened day of cricket. The only spark for the visitors amid the gloom was captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who stroked 104 off 143. His knock included ten fours and three sixes, and when he was dismissed in the 48th over, the sixth man out, he had 104 off Sri Lanka A’s 181 runs. The next highest scorer on the day for them was Wanindu Hasaranga with 24.The hosts’ bowlers shared the wickets around, with the pace of Sheldon Cottrell and Keon Joseph and the legspin of Damion Jacobs accounting for two each. Offspin-bowling allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall also chipped in with the wicket of Hasaranga as Sri Lanka A slipped to 201 for 7 in 53 overs, still 163 away from drawing level with their opponents.

يشهد اليوم الإثنين الموافق 22-4-2024، العديد من المباريات الهامة والمرتقبة على مستوى الدوري المصري، بالإضافة لمواجهات مُثيرة بالدوري الإسباني والإيطالي.

في الدوري المصري، الاتحاد السكندري يواجه الإسماعيلي في قمة ساخنة بكرة القدم المصرية، والداخلية وفيوتشر يبحثان عن فوز ثمين في صراع الدوري.

وعلى مستوى الدوري الإيطالي، عشاق كرة القدم على موعد مع قمة نارية بين ميلان وإنتر ميلان في معركة شرسة خلال صراعهما في البطولة.

ويستعد فريق كرة السلة الأول رجال بالنادي الأهلي لخوض مواجهة مرتقبة أمام بانجي بطل إفريقيا الوسطى، وذلك ضمن مواجهات بطولة إفريقيا لكرة السلة BAL.

ويخوض فريق الكرة الطائرة الأول رجال بالنادي الأهلي لاستكمال مشواره في بطولة إفريقيا للأندية، وذلك بمواجهة النصر الليبي.

وفي بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد، يلتقي الزمالك مع جي إي كي الكونغولي مساء اليوم الإثنين، في إطار مواجهات الدور الرئيسي لبطولة إفريقيا للأندية، ويواجه الأهلي مع بلدية ميلا الجزائري

طالع أيضًا | رسمياً | المقاولون يشكو حكام مباراة بلدية المحلة ويطالب بأطقم دولية في المواجهات القادمة مواعيد مباريات اليوم الإثنين 22-4-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري المصري اليوم

زد ضد الجونة، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sport”.

الاتحاد السكندري ضد الإسماعيلي، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sport”.

الداخلية ضد فيوتشر اف سي، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sport”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم

إشبيلية ضد ريال مايوركا، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 3”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم

روما ضد بولونيا، الساعة 6:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “AD SPORTS Premium”.

ميلان ضد إنتر ميلان، الساعة 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “AD SPORTS Premium”. مواعيد مباريات كأس آسيا تحت 23 عامًا اليوم

اليابان ضد كوريا الجنوبية، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “ssc”.

الإمارات ضد الصين، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “ssc”.

تايلاند ضد طاجيكستان، الساعة 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “ssc”.

السعودية ضد العراق، الساعة 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “ssc”. مواعيد مباريات بطولة إفريقيا لكرة السلة اليوم

الأهلي ضد بانجي، الساعة 8 بتوقيت مصر، 9 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر عبر قناة النادي الأهلي، والموقع الرسمي لبطولة الدوري الإفريقي لكرة السلة THE BAL. مواعيد مباريات بطولة إفريقيا للكرة الطائرة اليوم

الأهلي ضد النصر الليبي، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر الصفحة الرسمية للاتحاد الإفريقي للكرة الطائرة. مواعيد مباريات بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد اليوم

الأهلي ضد بلدية ميلا، الساعة 3 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة صفحة الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة اليد، قناة الاتحاد الإفريقي عبر موقع يوتيوب.

الزمالك ضد جي إس كي، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة اليد على اليوتيوب.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Norwich City are locked in a stalemate over the potential transfer of Milot Rashica, with Nevzat Dindar, via Pink Un, reporting that the Canaries want £8.5m for the winger this summer.

How many goals has Milot Rashica scored for Norwich?

The 27-year-old didn't play for the Championship club during the 2022/23 season, instead spending the campaign out on loan with Galatasaray in the Super Lig. The Turkish side, who are now wanting to add him to their ranks permanently, managed to get four goals and six assists from the winger in the league over the course of 26 appearances. It meant that his goal contribution per 90 tally stood at 0.53 – the second-best of his career, showing how the side were able to get the best out of the forward.

The Canaries so far have failed to see the same output from Rashica in England. Having signed him back in 2021/22 when they were in the Premier League, he managed only one goal and two assists in 31 division outings as the club finished rock bottom of the table. With the side condemned to the Championship, he played four times for them in the second tier, with one assist, before heading to Turkey on a short-term basis.

Are Norwich City selling Milot Rashica?

Now, Galatasaray want to bring him back to the club permanently – doing a deal for the 27-year-old this summer though seemingly won't be easy. That's because, according to a report from Nevzat Dindar, via Pink Un, Norwich have laid out the fee that they want for the forward – but the Super Lig outfit are not prepared to pay it.

The EFL side want around 10 million Euros (£8.5m) in order to sell Rashica this summer. That would mean that they generate a similar fee to the amount they initially stumped up to bring him in. However, even though he has impressed in Turkey, the European giants are not keen to spend so much money on the winger. Instead, they will only go as high as 7 million Euros according to this report (or £6m). It would leave the Super Lig side over £2m off the asking price – so right now, it appears a potential deal is at a stalemate.

The best solution for both sides may be to reach a compromise and sell the 27-year-old on. His time with Norwich hasn't resulted in the kind of performances that the second tier outfit would want, with his small goal contribution tally meaning he hasn't repaid much of the money they initially spent on him.

He is also now playing for them whilst they are in the Championship – and with the signing made during their stint in the Premier League, it may be better to get him off the books so they can use the extra funds elsewhere. Right now though, it appears as though the two sides are at an impasse – and something will have to give for a transfer to get over the line.

West Ham United's search for a striker has led them to Habib Diallo, with Football Insider reporting that they have firmed up their interest in the 28-year-old.

Who is Habib Diallo?

The forward currently plays his football for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 and has impressed for them in attack over the last three seasons. He has improved year on year in the league for the French outfit, with his goal tallies only increasing with each passing campaign.

In 2022/23 for example, he produced 20 goals and one assist in just 32 starts. That led to an average of 0.66 goals or assists per 90 on average, an impressive return for a club fighting relegation.

Prior to that, he managed totals of eleven and nine goals in Ligue 1 for the club. It means that his overall tally for the side stands at 40 goals in 75 starts for the French outfit – a very solid return.

Before joining up with his current outfit, he was equally as impressive in Ligue 2 for Metz, helping them to earn promotion to the top flight. His 26 goals in the second tier helped them to claim the title and despite having to adapt to a new league upon their promotion in 2019/20, his first season in Ligue 1 saw him hit the back of the net on 12 occasions there.

Are West Ham signing Habib Diallo?

Now, according to a report from Football Insider, the star striker is being lined up for a switch to the Premier League. West Ham have a firm interest in signing him this summer it seems, with David Moyes eager to add another striker to their ranks this transfer window.

Diallo is firmly on the wish list, as Irons chiefs have formally registered their interest with an approach to Strasbourg. It won't be easy for them to get a deal done though, with other top flight clubs interested in the 28-year-old – both Brentford and Crystal Palace also have Diallo on their transfer radar.

Right now, it appears that there is just interest from West Ham rather than a formal offer, but the report claims a mystery unnamed English club has made a bid, so perhaps that could be Moyes and Co.

He's clearly a talented player, with those who have worked with him lavishing praise on his ability – Diallo has been labelled a "reliable" option for Strasbourg by former boss Frederic Antonetti, who also stated after a two-goal game for the French outfit that he was confirming "all the good things everyone thinks of him".

He's highly regarded then as an option in attack and if West Ham want to better their strikeforce, then the 28-year-old could be a solid and proven option for them to add to their squad this summer window. Gianluca Scamacca is expected to leave London this summer, and with Michail Antonio ageing and Danny Ings not always a fit, a move for a player who so consistently hits the back of the net makes perfect sense.

The hosts shocked Pakistan with a record chase in the first ODI and are on the brink of a series win – something they haven’t managed against Pakistan since 1991

The Preview by Danyal Rasool08-Apr-2017Match factsApril 9, 2017
Start time 09:30 local (13:30 GMT)
1:06

‘Need to be even stronger on Sunday’ – Ashley Nurse

Big PictureWest Indies will barely have recovered from the high of a record-breaking win in the first ODI against Pakistan when they go at it again in the second game on Sunday. It had looked every inch the average game you would expect against a depleted West Indies side before lesser-known Jason Mohammed dismantled Pakistan’s fabled fast-bowling attack, sealing a chase of 309 with an over to spare. As a result, they prepare for the second game in the knowledge that they have the opportunity to wrap up a long-awaited series win against a top side.Pakistan’s shock at losing the first ODI was written large across each of their faces, none more so than captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who seemed to run out of ideas and composure in equal measure as Mohammed began his brutal onslaught in the last ten overs. His leadership will be tested right away, as he faces the responsibility of lifting his team after a morale-sapping defeat.There was much scrutiny on the pace of Pakistan’s innings during the middle overs, especially the sluggish way Mohammad Hafeez went about his innings, even though he did make up for it in the closing overs. However, Mickey Arthur also made plain his disappointment at the bowlers not being able to execute their plans at the back end. While there may be plenty of soul-searching for the visitors to do, they don’t have much time to do it.Form guide
West Indies WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLW
In the spotlightChadwick Walton was chosen ahead of Kraigg Brathwaite because West Indies coach Stuart Law felt he could take better advantage of the first Powerplay. But Walton’s ODI strike rate of 52.17 and average of 4.80 suggest Law’s faith stems from what he may have seen in practice or domestic cricket. While six ODIs isn’t a large sample size, those numbers are desperately disappointing by any standards, especially for an opener. As such, he may already be feeling the pressure to justify his coach’s faith, particularly if he is to make a case for inclusion in the upcoming Tests, a format where his average reads an even more forlorn 3.25 in four innings.Chadwick Walton is yet to deliver on the expectation of quick runs in the Powerplay for West Indies•AFPNo one splits opinion in Pakistan quite like Wahab Riaz, a true specimen of raw Pakistani fast bowling in all his bouncer-bowling, reverse-swinging, toe-crushing glory. But the other side of the left-armer is becoming impossible to ignore too. He has days – too many to be mentioned in the same breath as true fast bowling greats – when he is wildly inaccurate, struggles to keep his foot the right side of the crease or away from the danger zone down the middle of the pitch. With the criticism growing all the time, Wahab’s career may be at a crossroads and the upcoming months, starting with Sunday, could shape the mercurial cricketer’s future.Team newsThe result on Friday papered over what was a largely insipid performance from West Indies with both bat and ball for much of the contest, but the feel-good factor the win generated might tempt them to stick with the same eleven.West Indies XI (possible): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Chadwick Walton (wk), 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Jason Mohammad, 6 Jonathan Carter, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Shannon GabrielPakistan have more pressing selection quandaries than the hosts. Hafeez top-scored, but didn’t seem to convince many, even if his contribution with the ball should see him retain his place. Mohammad Amir and Wahab were both poor at the death, and Junaid Khan could get his chance at the expense of one of them.Pakistan XI (possible): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Kamran Akmal, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid KhanPitch and conditionsThe newly-laid surface at the Providence Stadium played much better than its predecessor had established a reputation for. A mockery was made of the wisdom that a low-scoring series was expected, as the ground record for an ODI innings was broken twice in four hours. Going purely off the first game, fans can expect another run-fest. Some cloud cover is expected, but rain is unlikely.Stats and trivia West Indies have not won an ODI series since August 2014, when they beat Bangladesh 3-0 at home. The last time they beat Pakistan in a bilateral ODI series was back in 1991, when Richie Richardson captained them to a 2-0 win against Imran Khan’s Pakistan In his last seven innings in 50-overs cricket, Jason Mohammed has failed to go past fifty only twiceQuotes”The team morale is really good. The boys believe in sticking together and being a family. We have to come back even stronger on Sunday. We can’t rest on the victory. The important thing is to close out the series.”

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Turning up on a Sunday morning, maybe a bit worse for wear – at least that’s the excuse you give – before putting in a performance worthy of the Hall of Shame.We’re talking ball rolling under your foot bad, open goal misses kind of bad. The type of performances that really make you think, is this it? Is it time to bring an illustrious career of games on what we somehow call football pitches to an end? The answer, by the way, is definitely a yes. Hang those 20-year-old boots up.If only professional footballers could forget about a disasterclass so easily. Instead, their mistakes are thrown into compilations, to be forever remembered, and eventually thrown into lists such as this.With that said, after fans took to Twitter to name the worst performances in Premier League history, we at Football FanCast have ranked them.

5 Dejan Lovren vs Tottenham Hotspur, 2017

Ironically, without this performance from Dejan Lovren, Liverpool may not have gone on to win every trophy possible in club football in the six years that followed. This October day to forget was the final straw for Jurgen Klopp, who welcomed Virgil van Dijk in January. And the rest is history.

Nonetheless, the performance still deserves a place on this list after the defender was at fault for two of Tottenham Hotspur’s first goals, before being hooked in the 31st minute.

4 Romelu Lukaku vs Crystal Palace, 2022

You have to feel for Romelu Lukaku here, in a way. He started life back at Chelsea so well, practically bullying Arsenal on his debut, finding the back of the net as the Blues won 2-0.

It went downhill from there, however, culminating in an embarrassing afternoon for the Belgian against Crystal Palace, as he touched the ball just seven times – a Premier League record – as Chelsea avoided a narrow escape to seal all three points.

His time at Stamford Bridge is summed up by that game.

3 Tiemoue Bakayoko vs Watford, 2018

When Tiemoue Bakayoko first joined Chelsea, the immediate partnership that he formed with N’Golo Kante was one of the best in the Premier League as the London club won the league title under Antonio Conte.

That was as good as it got for the Frenchman, though, in a short peak of form in England’s top flight.

The midfielder’s display against Watford in 2018 was the nail in the coffin, as the Hornets smashed Chelsea 4-1 after Bakayoko was sent off just 30 minutes in, having looked way off the pace throughout.

Here’s a brilliant Twitter compilation showing just had bad he was:

2 Steven Gerrard vs Manchester United, 2015

When Brendan Rodgers benched Steven Gerrard against Manchester United back in 2015, he would have done so with the thought in the back of his mind of lighting a fire underneath the Liverpool captain.

This would mean that when Rodgers did need to turn to the Reds legend, he would have himself a player ready to turn the game around. Benching Gerrard didn’t just light a fire, however, it lit a raging, destructive inferno.

Indeed, the captain stepped from the bench at half-time, before launching into challengers, and receiving an instant red card just 38 seconds after coming on – the third-fastest dismissal in PL history.

Speaking in his book which was serialised by the Daily Mail, Gerrard said of the incident: As I left the pitch I asked myself: “What have you just done? Are you f****** stupid?”

1 Jonathan Walters vs Chelsea, 2013

You’d have thought it can’t get much worse than scoring two own goals in a Premier League game, but Jonathan Walters somehow took things another level further by then missing a penalty at the other end against Chelsea.

We’re not just talking any penalty miss here, either. No. We’re talking, the ball is likely still travelling high into the sky type of missed penalty. It simply cannot get worse than the game Walters had.

First came the own goals, which, to his credit, were two inch-perfect headers – albeit at the wrong end – to give Chelsea a two-goal advantage. The Blues then went on to score twice more to make it 4-0 against Stoke City, before their top goalscorer for the day had a chance to restore face, only to blast his penalty over the bar.

It doesn’t get any worse than that.