Tag Futebol

After Brentford turned down their latest offer to sign Yoane Wissa, Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on another Premier League rival.

Newcastle walk away from Wissa deal

It has been a miserable summer for the Magpies. From early frustration in pursuit of Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo to Liverpool’s swoop to sign Hugo Ekitike and the unraveling Alexander Isak saga, to say not much has gone to plan would be an understatement.

Now, Brentford have seemingly made things worse. After missing out on Ekitike, Newcastle reportedly turned towards Wissa in hope of finally landing a top target.

The forward left the Bees’ pre-season camp amid the rumours and things looked to be heading in the right direction. As has been the case all throughout this summer, however, things have now reportedly changed.

According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Brentford have now closed the door on selling Wissa for anything less than £50m+ after Newcastle raised their bid to over the £30m-mark. As a result, the Magpies – for now – have walked away.

Wissa, meanwhile, has reportedly refused to train amid disappointment over Brentford’s stance and the pact that they’ve broken which should have allowed him to leave for £26m this summer.

Whether the forward can be persuaded to return to training remains to be seen. Of course, if the situation stays unresolved, then it will be interesting to see if Newcastle return with another attempt to sign the 28-year-old.

More prolific than Sesko: Newcastle targeting move for £87m "monster"

Newcastle are looking to bring in another striker or two this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 27, 2025

For Eddie Howe, the saga represents yet more frustration after he admitted that it’s been a difficult summer in pursuit of targets.

He told reporters: “I wish I could give you clarity, and some kind of guarantee that this or that is going to happen, but I can’t. My wish was for us to do our business early, and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be.”

Frustrated or not, Newcastle have now reportedly returned to the drawing board and shifted their focus towards yet another striker option.

Newcastle now eyeing Watkins move

Following the Wissa bombshell, those at St James’ Park reportedly have another option in mind. According to The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, PIF and Newcastle are now eyeing a summer swoop to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.

As the stats highlight, Newcastle’s backline are already well aware of Watkins’ quality and have been on the end of it five times in nine games over the years. As alternative options for Wissa go or even replacements for Isak, the England man certainly wouldn’t be a bad option.

Full of praise for his star striker last season, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery told reporters: “He’s amazing. Because he’s a really hard worker and his commitment to work every day is amazing.

“When he is scoring goals, it’s the main objective he can have. Where he is assisting as well, he’s contributing to help the team. But even when he’s not doing both, he’s working for the team. Defensively, the commitment was always high. He is in the press to the opponent.”

Shubman Gill takes over as vice-captain in both white-ball formats

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-20243:13

Bal: Selectors taking a long-term view with SKY as captain

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been selected in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka, which is one of their two 50-over assignments scheduled before the 2025 Champions Trophy.Both Rohit and Kohli have spent time abroad with their families after the T20 World Cup felicitation event in Mumbai on July 4. There was speculation they would skip the tour of Sri Lanka and only return for the start of the home season in September, but they are now part of the 15-man squad for the series.Related

Where does the elevation of Gill and Suryakumar leave Hardik?

Harshit Rana credits Gautam Gambhir for his success 'above everyone else'

Suryakumar confirmed as India's T20I captain for Sri Lanka tour

Rathour on India's transition: 'Needs to be done gradually'

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire tour, while Hardik Pandya – who missed out on the T20I captaincy – will feature in just the T20I-leg.Shreyas Iyer, who lost out on a BCCI central contract earlier this year, has been picked in the ODI squad. KL Rahul also returns after a long injury layoff, one of two frontline wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant, who last played an ODI prior to his car accident in December 2022.Shubman Gill named India’s vice-captainShubman Gill has been elevated to vice-captaincy in both white-ball formats, following his captaincy stint with a second-string squad in Zimbabwe, where India won 4-1. Gill’s also been prolific with the bat in ODIs of late – he’s the second-highest run-getter worldwide in the format since the start of 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Hardik absent from the ODIs, seam-bowling allrounder Shivam Dube, whose only ODI so far was in 2019, earns a recall. Dube’s stocks in T20 cricket have grown considerably since IPL 2023, when he made a name for himself as an enforcer against spin for Chennai Super Kings.The selectors also rewarded Riyan Parag by picking him in both formats. His one-day elevation can be looked at as a reward for his domestic form – he was the leading run-getter in the Deodhar Trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, where he made seven straight half-centuries while leading Assam to their first-ever semi-final.Fast bowler Harshit Rana was also handed a maiden ODI call-up. Rana was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL-winning side of 2024 and finished as his side’s joint second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps in 13 outings.The pace attack will be spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj, with Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed completing it. Washington Sundar’s Player-of-the-Series performance in Zimbabwe earned him a berth in both squads for Sri Lanka; he’s one of two spin-bowling allrounders alongside Axar Patel.Ravindra Jadeja, who (like Rohit and Kohli) is now retired from T20Is, did not make the ODI squad.No Kuldeep, Abhishek for T20IsAs many as nine members from the young squad that won 4-1 in Zimbabwe earlier this month have been picked for the Sri Lanka T20Is, led by new captain Suryakumar Yadav.Abhishek Sharma did not make the cut despite his T20I exploits in Harare•Associated Press

Gill, who led in Zimbabwe, is likely to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad.Sanju Samson retained his place (a second option with the gloves alongside Pant), but there was no room for Ruturaj Gaikwad or Abhishek Sharma, who struck a 46-ball hundred in just his second T20I in Zimbabwe. Rinku Singh and Dube are likely to be options as finishers.Kuldeep Yadav will play the ODIs but was not picked for the T20Is, leaving Ravi Bishnoi as the frontline wristspinner. There was no place for Yuzvendra Chahal, who didn’t feature in a single game during India’s World Cup campaign, in either squad.India’s tour of Sri Lanka is the first assignment for new coach Gautam Gambhir, who was appointed after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup. The tour begins with three T20Is in Pallekele on July 27, 28 and 30, followed by three ODIs in Colombo on August 2, 4 and 7.India squad for Sri Lanka ODIsRohit Sharma (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.India squad for Sri Lanka T20IsSuryakumar Yadav (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

With the summer transfer window set to open on the 1st of June, it is clear that Chelsea are going to sign a striker. The Blues, who face Real Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday, are strongly linked with several new names who could lead the line for them.

A recent report from Kieran Gill for The Mail named some of the striker targets the Blues are chasing this summer. They include Eintracht Frankfurt youngster Hugo Ekitike, also wanted by Liverpool, and fellow Bundesliga striker Benjamin Sesko, currently playing for RB Leipzig.

However, there is another man the West Londoners are interested in, for whom they are thought to be leading the race to sign.

Chelsea’s main striker target

It will be fascinating to see who the Blues pursue this summer, with regards to their centre-forward targets. Of course, they seem to be strong contenders to sign Ekitike and Sesko, but they are arguably not their preferred choice.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, according to a report from Chris Wheeler of The Mail, Chelsea are currently the favourites to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. The Blues have ‘edged ahead’ in the race in recent days, perhaps swung by their Champions League qualification, which was confirmed on Sunday.

This has been corroborated by journalist Graeme Bailey, with the transfer insider outlining that the Blues are now ‘confident’ that they will beat Manchester United in the battle for his signature, having already held ‘fresh talks’ with the player.

Any deal for the in-demand striker would cost in the region of £30m, owing to a relegation release clause in his contract at Portman Road.

Why Delap would be a good signing

Few players in their first Premier League campaign have made as much of an impression this season as Delap. In what was a disappointing season for Ipswich as a whole, the England under-21 forward certainly made a big impact.

The 22-year-old, who is the son of Stoke City cult hero Rory, played 37 times in his first full Premier League season. In that time, he managed to bag himself 12 goals and also chipped in with two assists.

One of the biggest positives about Delap is his consistency. His longest goal drought in 2024/25 was seven games, which actually came in the final few games of the season.

Aside from that, he was a consistent scorer for the Tractor Boys, even finding the back of the net against Chelsea in a 2-0 win at Portman Road.

If the Blues do manage to sign Delap, then he is in safe hands under Enzo Maresca. The Italian coach certainly knows how to get the best out of a clinical goalscorer, given the form Jamie Vardy showed under him for Leicester City last season in the Championship.

In 37 games under the now-Chelsea boss, the Foxes legend helped himself to 20 goals and two assists. That included 18 strikes in 35 Championship appearances, to help his side win the league and return to the top flight.

Maresca certainly knows how to handle a deadly centre-forward and get the best out of him, be it as an individual goalscorer or his general striker play.

In a team that scored 89 goals in 2023/24, Vardy had to be selfless too, and Maresca helped him fit in with the team’s dynamic.

Well, that can certainly be said about Delap, too. One person full of praise for the Ipswich star is analyst Ben Mattinson, who described him as “a problem for every Premier League defence”. He’s also been described as a “monster” by teammate Alex Palmer.

The stats on Sofascore from this season show he is more than just a goalscorer, but a well-rounded striker. For example, Delap won an average of two aerial duels per game and played 21 key passes this term.

Shots

2.3

68

Shots on target

1.1

32

Dribbles completed

1.4

40

Aerial duels won

2

58

Expected goal involvements

0.37xGI

10.75xGI

Vardy and Delap are also noted as similar players among those in their position in both Europe’s top five leagues and in the Premier League, as per FBref, reflecting their statistical likeness.

For example, the Ipswich forward averages 0.34 goals per shot on target and 0.24 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes. In comparison, Vardy averages 0.35 goals per shot on target and 0.32 goal-creating actions each game.

The fact that they are so similar surely plays into Maresca’s hands, too. He surely knows how to get the best out of his number nines, and they are certainly like-for-like players, as the stats back up.

Maresca knows what he is doing when it comes to getting the best out of a striker. Delap will surely fit the bill nicely, as someone who is happy to work hard for his team and can score goals at a good rate, too.

If he can be as good as Vardy was under Maresca, then Delap will surely be a success at Stamford Bridge.

He's shades of Drogba: Chelsea open discussions to sign "the next Mbappe"

Chelsea needs to sign a striker or two this summer

2 ByRoss Kilvington May 27, 2025

Since Mikel Arteta took charge of Arsenal in December 2019, he’s got more things right than wrong.

After all, the club were languishing in tenth place when he was handed the reigns, and he has turned them into perpetual challengers in the Premier League and now the Champions League.

Moreover, while he has made his fair share of dud signings – see wingers from the blue half of West London – he’s been key to securing some of the team’s current stars, like Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya.

However, when it comes to one player who was arguably allowed to leave too easily, many fans will point to Granit Xhaka, but if recent reports are to be believed, the club are now looking to sign someone with plenty of similarities to the Swiss international.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other midfielders linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like Martin Zubimendi and Morgan Rogers.

Transfer Focus

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

The former received the Fabrizio Romano ‘here we go’ treatment on Saturday morning, so he looks like he will be on his way to the Emirates in the summer, and given his vast experience with Real Sociedad and Spain, £51m feels like a fair deal. treatment on Saturday morning

On the other hand, Rogers remains a rumour at this stage, but with 14 goals and 14 assists to his name in 52 games this season, his reported £100m valuation doesn’t feel too absurd.

However, neither of these players could really be described as being similar to Xhaka, unlike Andrey Santos.

Yes, according to a recent report from France, Arsenal are now incredibly interested in signing the Chelsea ace, who’s currently on loan with Racing Club de Strasbourg.

The report claims that French giants Paris Saint-Germain are also keen to secure the Brazilian’s signature this summer but that the Gunners are ‘hard at work’ to bring him to the Emirates.

A price is not mentioned in the story, but according to a report from last month, the midfielder could be available for around £43m.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Santos’ ability and potential, it’s one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he shares some key similarities with Xhaka.

How Santos compares to Xhaka

So, before looking at some of the other reasons Arsenal might want to sign Santos this summer, what about his game makes him similar to how Xhaka was at his best in North London?

Well, the first thing is that, like the Swiss international, the Brazilian talent has the ability to play deeper as a six but is currently thriving as a more box-to-box midfielder who’s involved in everything from defence to attack.

For example, respected analyst Ben Mattinson claimed the Blues gem has “everything you want in a CM,” from “top tackling ability” to a real level of “composure in front of goal.”

We can see this in his underlying numbers, as according to FBref, the 21-year-old sits in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals and tackles, showing that he really can do both parts of the role incredibly well, as the former Gunners’ ace did in his final campaign in England.

Furthermore, if underlying numbers aren’t your cup of tea, then he’s got the raw output to back up the praise he’s received for his attacking prowess as well.

Appearances

33

Minutes

2934′

Goals

10

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.45

Minutes per Goal Involvement

195.6′

In just 33 appearances for Les Bleu et Blanc, totalling 2934 minutes, the 5 foot 11 “duel monster,” as dubbed by Mattinson, has scored ten goals and provided five assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.2 games, or every 195.6 minutes.

Ultimately, Santos would play second fiddle to Rice for a while, but given how incredibly well he has played in France this season, he would be the perfect backup.

Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him, as he might just be their next Xhaka.

He's a dream for Saka: Arsenal doing lots of work to sign £67m "monster"

The sensational striker would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 13, 2025

Everton have finally got their head above the water, and David Moyes is planning on strengthening his squad this summer to ensure Bramley Moore has a good chance of tasting more lucrative successes than Goodison Park has been treated to in recent years.

While fans will hope for a flashy new forward, a rock-sold defender with a modern twist, it’s important to remember that a couple of under-the-radar, pragmatic signings will be essential in establishing a balanced and dynamic team.

Central midfield probably needs the least amount of work, but Moyes is planning on signing a former favourite to complete his set.

Everton chasing PL midfielder

According to Wednesday’s edition of MF Dnes – via Sport Witness – Tomas Soucek has major reservations about continuing at West Ham United, given Graham Potter views him as a utility option.

Transfer Focus

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

The experienced star is seemingly keen to remain loyal to his current employers, with two years left on his current deal, although he seemingly won’t accept an ‘inferior’ role under the new Potter regime.

This opens the door for Everton, with Moyes taking the Czech midfielder under his wing for the lion’s share of his Premier League career.

However, newly-promoted Leeds United are also keen, so The Friedkin Group will need to act quickly to avoid any embarrassment in securing a shrewd summer signing.

Why Moyes wants Soucek at Everton

Hailed as a “machine” by former West Ham correspondent Tom Clark, Soucek has been a regular feature for West Ham across the 20s, signed by Moyes from Slavia Prague on loan in January 2020 before his signing was wrapped up on a permanent basis for about £19m at the end of that season.

The 30-year-old played a vital role in winning the Conference League and challenging in European competition across three seasons in Moyes’ system, scoring 39 goals across 240 Irons appearances, including seven in the Premier League this term.

In spite of his prolificness and strong presence in the middle of the park, Potter’s not convinced, and it seems like Everton are ready to pounce on this opportunity and sign a replacement for Doucoure, 32, who is indeed out of a deal this summer.

This is probably the right decision, given he’s the club’s top earner at £130k per week. Moreover, the well of goals, Doucoure’s trademark, has dried up, with just three Premier League goals to his name this season.

1.

Martin Peters

355

98

2.

Sir Trevor Booking

514

81

3.

Mark Noble

550

62

4.

Billy Bonds

645

49

5.

Tomas Soucek

240

39

He knows how to find the back of the net, but Soucek, once remarked to be a “revelation” at West Ham by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, certainly isn’t a one-trick pony, with his physicality and industriousness forging a complete midfielder, perfect for Moyes’ system.

It’s no surprise the Scottish manager wants his towering 6 foot 3 general back in his fold, and with the likes of Idrissa Gueye getting on a bit, making a summer move makes sense irrespective of the Moyes factor.

West Ham might not be the most exciting team in the Premier League this season but Soucek has retained his threatening presence in the final third nonetheless, with FBref ranking him among the top 5% of centre-midfielders in the division this term for goals scored and the top 1% for touches in the box per 90.

Given that the data-driven site list Doucoure as one of Soucek’s most statistically comparable players, it feels like something of a no-brainer, not least because Moyes knows Soucek well, trusts him.

Moreover, Soucek’s scoring knack from midfield offers shades of Tim Cahill.

Cahill is one of Everton’s most memorable stars of the Premier League era, having scored 56 goals from 226 matches for the Toffees, predominantly from an attacking midfield standpoint.

Despite his smallish stature, Cahill was something of an aerial monster, a further similarity to Soucek, who, albeit, is much taller.

It feels important that Everton address their goalscoring issues with a wider scope this summer, not just bagging a new centre-forward but indeed signing a player such as Soucek who could add a much-needed dimension from deeper, making those effortless runs into dangerous positions to emulate Cahill and add a string to the manager’s tactical bow.

Hailed as one of Europe’s “prolific central midfielders” by esteemed analyst Michael Cox, Soucek has the qualities to step into Cahill’s boots, so to speak, fuelled further by the past connection with Moyes.

The Malian’s offensive sharpness has waned in recent years, and Soucek could be the perfect addition to uphold Moyes’ values at Bramley Moore.

The Czech international has averaged 5.1 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, and would freshen up the Toffees ranks for sure.

With Potter not all that enamoured, West Ham’s loss will prove to be Everton’s gain.

Moyes' biggest star since Rooney: Everton leading race to sign £38m star

Everton appear to be making moves to land a talented youngster ahead of this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 24, 2025

She isn’t used to batting too early in the innings in ODIs, but it’s happened two games in a row now, and Chloe Tryon has come good on both occasions

Vishal Dikshit14-Oct-20253:33

Review – South Africa find ways to win under pressure

“We like the challenge, we like the pressure.”South Africa have flipped the script in this World Cup more than once since being rolled over for 69 in their opening game against England. And even though the routes they have taken to get to two points in their last two fixtures haven’t been cruises, they have almost started to enjoy the obstacle-ridden paths, as their latest hero Chloe Tryon put it.If stumbling to 142 for 6 in a chase of 252 against India was not enough, South Africa tottered to 78 for 5 chasing 233 against Bangladesh on Monday. Nadine de Klerk smashed the winning six on both occasions, but what will really soothe South Africa’s nerves heading into the second half of the league stage is that they have had a new batting star in each game since Tazmin Brits’ century against New Zealand, South Africa’s only convincing win so far. After de Klerk silenced the home crowd the other night, half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Tryon against Bangladesh have given their batting a new lease of life.Related

• From 69 all out to statement win – SA restore credentials

• 'Simplicity is everything' and impossible is Nadine

Despite the staggering form Brits has been in this year – a record five centuries so far – such was her fate that on one of the best batting tracks of the tournament, she bagged back-to-back ducks and couldn’t even get the ball past the bowler. Against Bangladesh, the lower order would have felt the glare of the spotlight even more after Laura Wolvaardt fell for 31 – Sune Luus sat out with a hip flexor strain. When they were five down, Tryon joined Kapp, who has batted from No. 3 to 8 and turned out in more than 20 ODIs in India. Tryon, a lower-order specialist, found herself in the middle in the 23rd over, not too far from her entry point in the 20th over against India.Tryon is not used to batting so early in the innings: she had faced more than 70 deliveries only twice before in 96 ODI innings. It was not just an unfamiliar situation but unknown territory too. While the crowd against Bangladesh was sparse, she had been in front of over 12,000 vocal home fans in the fixture against India.As much as the WPL in particular and the women’s game in general have seen crowds of over 50,000 on occasion in India in recent years, Tryon has hardly been part of the party. She has been in the Mumbai Indians squad in all three WPL seasons but somehow never got a game. She last toured India in July 2024 for three T20Is but barely faced 35 deliveries in the whole series, and her last ODI assignment in the country was over ten years ago. It didn’t matter as she put her head down and narrowed it down to spending time in the middle to get South Africa closer.

“Yeah, I wish I could stay in for the last couple of runs and actually take the team over the line, but yeah, I’ve just been taking that responsibility”Chloe Tryon

“I was still quite positive the way I wanted to go about it, and so really good intent,” Tryon said after the Bangladesh game – she scored a 69-ball 62 to go with Kapp’s 56 in 71 balls. “I think, the other day with India, the crowd can play into it a lot and you can kind of put pressure on yourself for no reason. So, I think for me, it’s just cutting all of that out and just going, sticking to my plans and what works best, but still trying to be really positive and just building really good partnerships.”In both games, Tryon had the advantage of stitching stands with more experienced batters – Wolvaardt and Kapp – but she had to grind it out for over an hour-and-a-half on both occasions, battling a fitness issue that has left her left leg completely strapped; she even needed some attention in both chases.”It’s just something that’s there,” she said of her leg. “But, yeah, I don’t think too much about it, whether I’m batting or bowling.”I feel like, in a tournament like this, you want to be batting as long as you can and getting good partnerships and once you get a really good partnership going, it can thrive off that. And yeah, we then got finishes at the back end, that make it look nice and easy. But I think, for me, just making sure that I’m taking the responsibility. You know, I’ve been at my third or fourth World Cup, so a lot of experience on that, but just knowing that the longer you bat, the easier it can get. So just grinding a little bit more in the beginning.”Chloe Tryon did not let the momentum slip for South Africa at any stage•Getty ImagesThat grinding paid off most against Bangladesh – although with a slice of luck – when Kapp fell with 70 to get from 58 and de Klerk was fresh in the middle. Tryon soon whacked legspinner Rabeya Khan to wide long-on but knew she didn’t get enough to clear the rope. Once she saw the catch slip through Sumaiya Akter’s hands for a four, she added more muscle for the slog sweep the next ball and this time sent the ball sailing for six.When she ended the over with a four on the other side of the pitch, the equation had come down to nearly a-run-a-ball, which tilted the scales heavily in South Africa’s favour. Even though she was run-out trying to pinch a single in the next over, she knew most of the job was done.”Yeah, I wish I could stay in for the last couple of runs and actually take the team over the line, but yeah, I’ve just been taking that responsibility,” she said. “And now coming in really early in the India game and today as well, myself and Marizanne just spoke about taking it as deep as we could and just take it over. We knew we had time on our hand and we knew we had Nadine in the back end. We didn’t want to bring [her] in too early, so we kind of went low risk and still kind of chipped away at the runs as much as we could. And I’m just happy we still find ways to get over the line.”Tryon and South Africa know they “haven’t played our perfect game yet” but for now they sit third on the points table and such is their tried-and-tested batting depth that their remaining three oppositions have to start finding new ways to put pressure on this batting order.

He hasn’t reinvented the wheel just yet, but the last thing you can accuse Shan Masood of is sleepwalking through the role

Danyal Rasool02-Jan-2024They might have got there in their own colourful way, but perhaps serendipity has got Pakistan to the right place after all. Pakistan’s appointment of Shan Masood as Test captain wasn’t so much a carefully managed transition of an experienced player into a position of responsibility as it was throwing names at a wall and hoping one would stick.But that kind of al fresco decision making at least meant the appointment wasn’t the wrong way around, as most captaincy appointments are in cricket now. Many captains are often criticised for captaincy by autopilot, but the same charge could be levelled at the appointments themselves. Pakistan, for one, didn’t appoint Babar Azam as skipper, not because there was a long and promising history of strategic nous, but because he was comfortably the side’s best batter across formats, and didn’t need to worry about his spot in the side for the foreseeable future. Shan wasn’t appointed for the guarantee he had locked down a place in the team, but in spite of the fact that he never has.Related

• Jamal's 82 saves Pakistan after another Cummins five-for

• Afridi rested for SCG Test; Ayub to debut and Imam dropped

• Cummins hopes for 'a silver bullet' to halt Test cricket's devaluation

• Pakistan cautious over Abrar's participation in Sydney Test

There can be plenty of cynicism around every aspect of Masood’s involvement in any aspect of Pakistan cricket, but perhaps only because that’s the easiest thing to do. The PCB didn’t manage Babar’s departure from the captaincy with great decorum – not that anyone expected them to – but in naming his successor, the thinking was fairly simple: appoint a captain who can be a good captain. And sometimes, that kind of simplicity is the highest form of sophistication.Masood wasn’t reinventing the wheel with the approach he brought to the role, but the last thing you could accuse him of is sleepwalking through the role. He had barely landed in Perth before he began to speak of the approach Pakistan needed to adopt to take on Australia, and, despite his soft-spoken, non-confrontational demeanour, he has been demanding it of his team all series. When Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq adopted the antithesis of that approach to score 74 runs in 36.2 overs, Shan charged down the wicket off the second ball he faced, tonking Nathan Lyon over long-on for four. It felt as much a message to his own side as it did to Australia.It is an approach that risks looking silly – as it has perhaps done with some of Masood’s dismissals, but as he said on the eve of the third Test, there is a risk-reward calculation that supersedes specific optics. Two expansive drives off fast bowlers in Perth to get out looked technically deficient, and dancing down the track to Lyon only to hole out in Melbourne appeared irresponsible.But across the two Tests, no other Pakistan player has two half-centuries, none of his team-mates have scored more runs and Mitchell Marsh aside, no player across both units can boast a higher strike rate. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-tracking numbers, only Travis Head – who has faced around half as many balls as Masood – has managed to exceed the Pakistan captain’s attacking shot percentage of 22.39% across the series. And his defensive shot percentage is significantly lower than everyone else’s at 30.85%; for all of Head’s belligerence, he defends over 37% of balls he faces.Masood’s Pakistan have made a point out of not hanging anyone to dry•Getty ImagesIt is something he has spoken of so frequently even if he was bashful about coming off as repetitive.”I’ll sound like a broken record but there are some things you have to do in Test cricket,” he said. “The first thing is to take 20 wickets; we had that box ticked [in Melbourne]. The second is the scoring rate. If you score at the significantly lower rate than your opposition like happened in Perth, where there was a difference of two runs an over at least, then you’ll be way behind in the game. We batted 100 overs and they batted 110. That’s not much of a difference but the scoring rate set us back quite a bit. Our target is to hopefully bat at a quicker rate and obviously bat a decent amount of overs too.”His cynics will argue about how likely it is that Pakistan bat the same number of overs if they’re scoring at higher run rates, and point to the irrefutable fact that he, like every Pakistan captain before him in 24 years, has overseen a series defeat in Australia. But being cynical about Masood is somewhat easier than winning Test matches in Australia. Few will disagree that Pakistan pushed Australia closer than most expected in Melbourne, and while that in itself may not guarantee this strategy’s long-term effectiveness, there is a serious attempt at problem-solving not always evident with Pakistan.It has also been evident in the way Pakistan’s fielding positions keep twitching and tinkering. Short legs have come in and gone out depending on the batter and the tone Pakistan have looked to set in the field. Marnus Labuschagne was most notably done in by squeezing him down the legside moments after Masood went to have a word with Shaheen Shah Afridi; Pakistan put in a leg slip and Afridi sent one down legside that he nicked off to the keeper. Against Marsh, Pakistan tried to smother him by bringing short midwicket up and bowling straighter. In Perth, when Australia threatened to get away on the first day, Pakistan put fielders in catching positions behind the stumps and bowled short, getting three cheap wickets towards the end of the day.Masood may not be the guy to read out the riot act in the dressing room, but ten years on and off with the national side, as well as many across the red-ball and franchise circuit, has exposed him to various ideas and multiple leaders.Masood fidgeting, tinkering and thinking, in pursuit of a solution he will eventually stumble upon•Getty Images”In 10 years, you play under a lot of captains and you learn a lot from different individuals,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from the captains I’ve played under, be them international, domestic, County or PSL. When you meet different characters, your horizons expand. But you need to bring your own individuality to the role as well.”The circumstances that he took over in meant this could have been one of those Pakistan tours where the dressing room becomes a toxic environment, and the fighting spirit disappears completely. But even with a severely depleted bowling line-up against what he called “the best Test side in the world”, there is little doubt that Pakistan are scrapping for every possible advantage, even if they come up short.Masood’s Pakistan have made a point out of not hanging anyone to dry. There was a protective wall around Abdullah Shafique after a Test where his spilled chances likely cost Pakistan a win. On the eve of the second Test, when Pakistan announced Sarfaraz Ahmed had been dropped for Mohammad Rizwan and he was asked about it, Masood began his response with a lengthy riposte defending Sarfaraz’s inclusion in the first place.

“There are ups and downs but you be there for people. It’s easy to reward a good player or praise them, but how you look after someone who’s not playing well or having a rough time is something that’s at the forefront of my mind as a captain”Masood on the importance of a unified front

It’s a philosophy he appears to have sworn by. “I believe as a captain, you need to stand up for your players, and for their wellbeing,” he said. “Sometimes you need to leave cricketing performance to the side. You need to care for and understand your players. Off and on the field.”Sometimes you have to take such decisions because you can only play 11 players and have 18 in a squad. If you don’t understand your players well you can end up making mistakes. My first thought is not to do anyone injustice. There are ups and downs but you be there for people. It’s easy to reward a good player or praise them, but how you look after someone who’s not playing well or having a rough time is something that’s at the forefront of my mind as a captain. It’s impossible to be everyone’s favourite; there will be people who won’t be happy with you, but you do whatever you can for someone.”Masood will never have the mass support his predecessor Babar enjoys, or the lengthy, unencumbered run Misbah-ul-Haq got with his Test side. It is hard to say where Pakistan, and Masood, will be by the time Pakistan play their next Test series, which could potentially be another 10 months away.But until then, he’s doing with the armband what he’s always done with bat in hand: fidgeting, tinkering and thinking, in pursuit of a solution he will eventually stumble upon. And if this doesn’t work, he’ll always have one more thing he can try. He always does.

Raw power meets technique and instinct in a shot the batter has made uniquely her own

Valkerie Baynes01-Mar-2022She’s been called “Harmanpreet Thor” and when she’s raining hammer blows on the opposition, it’s rather apt. And yet to put the word “slog” in front of Harmanpreet’s glorious sweep sounds so unrefined, and not entirely accurate, for her version is more nuanced. Sure, the aggression, power – and result – are there, but the effortlessness of her action makes it a thing of beauty as well as brutality. Dropping to her back knee, head over the front one to form a perfectly balanced base as she brings her bat down and lets her levers do their devastating work – pow!Slog, conventional, paddle, reverse. Watch Harmanpreet and you forget momentarily that her way is not the only way. Her action looks infinitely repeatable, from the set-up through the swing to the sight of the ball sailing over the fence, often several times in an innings. Brisbane Heat witnessed it during her 23-ball fifty for Sydney Thunder. And again as she slugged their attack for six sixes en route to 65 off 32 for Melbourne Renegades last November.India are no strangers to Harmanpreet’s impressive array of strokes, in which that sublime sweep features heavily, like during her unbeaten 171 in the 2017 World Cup semi-final.Biju George was India Women’s fielding coach at the time before going on to join Sunrisers Hyderabad and now the Sports Authority of India, and he reckons Harmanpreet’s sweep is as much about instinct as technique. “Normally, what the batter will hear taught right from the beginning is, if the spinner flights the ball, you come out and play the ball. The sweep is like a secondary shot, not your main shot,” he says. “But for Harmanpreet it’s an expression of her identity, her individuality.”While many players sweep late and fine, Harmanpreet takes the ball early and hits it square of the wicket or ahead of square – and hard. Once set, she’s not afraid to play the shot against medium-pacers either. A combination of coordination and bat speed enable her to generate huge power.”She hits it like a rocket,” says George. “She is there to dominate, make no mistake about that. When she goes out to bat, in my mind I see a big flag waving over her: ‘Here I am.'”She has thought out her game really well. People might think she’s an impulsive player [but] she’s an instinctive player. She reacts to the ball, she reacts to the situation.”Like Harmanpreet, England captain Heather Knight has a wonderful collection of strokes, her reverse sweep particularly effective. And while her vice-captain, Nat Sciver, has the inventive “Natmeg” in her bag – threading a full delivery between her feet and fine to the leg side – she can also produce a powerful conventional sweep.Sophie Devine admits there’s little more satisfying as a batter than punching a straight drive back past the bowler, but she values the rewards the sweep – or slog sweep as she is quick to clarify – has brought her. It is a shot players often learn later, after coaches teach the “safer” strokes, but Devine has advice for those wanting to add it to their game: “I just say, hit the ball hard. That’s the great thing about cricket, you’ve got to commit fully, whatever shot it is.”Who Does it Best?: The cutter | The pull | The googly | The cover drive | The yorker | The cut | The bouncer | The sweep

Nothing sets the mood for playoff baseball quite like a Capital One ad.

As the Blue Jays were two outs away from their first World Series appearance since 1993, the Fox broadcast cut to an advertisement for Capital One, a move that did not gel well with the built-up tension for fans watching at home. Check it out below:

The importance of each pitch in playoff baseball, let alone in the ninth inning of Game 7 in the American League Championship series, is impossible to overstate. So viewers were not happy about the interruption, to say the least:

Toronto prevailed in the end, shutting the door on the Mariners in a 4-3 win thanks to George Springer's electric go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. Springer's dinger powered the Blue Jays to overcome homers from Seattle stars Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh earlier in the game.

Game 7 of the ALCS lived up to the hype despite the vibe killer of an ad during the ninth inning. Let's all hope Fox learns from its mistakes during the World Series, where the Blue Jays are off to meet the defending champion Dodgers in a Game 1 slated for Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Postseason baseball is the best, with drama on each pitch. Let's keep it that way.

حسم منتخب مصر مواليد 2007، بقيادة المدير الفني وائل رياض، تفاصيل برنامجه استعدادًا للمشاركة في تصفيات شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس أمم أفريقيا.

ويضم الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر للشباب مواليد 2007، وائل رياض مديراً فنياً ويساعده شريف عبد الفضيل وأحمد رؤوف وإبراهيم عبدالجواد مدرب حراس المرمي ومحمود حرب المدير الإداري والدكتور قاسم قدري مخطط أحمال وأحمد مصطفي محلل أداء.

طالع.. خاص | إصابة لاعب منتخب مصر في كأس العرب

وأوضح مصدر خاص بمنتخب 2007 لـ”بطولات”: “المنتخب سينتظم في معسكر منتصف الشهر الجاري في مشروع الهدف استعدادًا لتصفيات شمال أفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس أمم أفريقيا”.

وحتى الآن لم يحدد الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم البلد المستضيف لتصفيات شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس الأمم.