Category Uncategorized

George Linde, the South Africa allrounder, has left Kent in order to maximise his availability for franchise cricket, while Delray Rawlins has agreed to terminate his Sussex contract after returning to Bermuda.Linde, who has been capped by South Africa in all three international formats, signed for Kent as an overseas player on a two-year deal ahead of last season. He was available in all formats but has been left out of their County Championship side this year, and has left the club after their group-stage elimination from the T20 Blast.He will instead feature in the upcoming Zim Afro T10 in Zimbabwe, before travelling to the Caribbean to play for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. “Unfortunately I haven’t had much opportunity to play in the four-day game this year so I have decided to try and play more franchise cricket,” Linde said.Related

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• Linde joins Kent on two-year, multi-format deal

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He added: “I’d like to thank everyone at Kent, my team-mates and coaches as well as all the staff, members and supporters, for making me feel a part of the Kent Cricket family during my time here.”Rawlins, 25, meanwhile, asked Sussex for time away from the game immediately before the start of the Blast in order to return home to Bermuda, and both parties have now agreed a termination of his contract.Rawlins was a highly rated young allrounder who represented England Under-19s on a tour to India that featured Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Will Jacks in early 2017 but has struggled to kick on in recent seasons.He said in a statement released by the club that he wanted to spend time at home, having left as a teenager to take up a scholarship at St Bede’s School in Sussex. “I moved away from home at the age of 14 and haven’t really had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends and I felt this was the right moment to have some time back home,” Rawlins said.”For me this isn’t the end of my professional career, I feel as if I have a lot of cricket left in me. I just want to thank the club and everyone involved for everything they have done for me over the past seven seasons.”Rob Andrew, Sussex’s CEO, said: “We were all very disappointed when Delray returned home just before the start of the Blast. We fully respected his request for some time away from the game and had hoped that he would return.”We have however mutually agreed to end his contract with us with immediate effect. Delray has made a big impression on everyone in his time at Sussex and we all wish him every good fortune for his future.”

At one stage, Everton’s final-ever season at Goodison Park looked it could end in relegation down to the Championship.

Now, with the trusty figure of David Moyes back at the helm, the new era on the horizon at Bramley-Moore Dock doesn’t look as bleak.

Instead, it looks rather promising, with the Scotsman capable of steering Everton to a top-half finish in the Premier League if positive results don’t suddenly dry up.

Still, there will be some tough decisions for Moyes to wrestle with this approaching summer, including who to keep around for the stadium relocation, as first-team personnel such as Jack Harrison could soon leave the building.

Harrison's future at Everton

The 28-year-old attacker is only present at Goodison at the moment as a loan option, with Harrison simply returning to Leeds United at the end of the season if Moyes and Co don’t want to strike up a permanent switch.

That eventually would seem unlikely, considering there were calls in January for his loan spell to be cut short midway through the campaign. That ultimately didn’t happen, however, with reports at the beginning of March suggesting Leeds are gearing up for his return to Elland Road.

As a consequence, it’s said that the Championship side have held exploratory talks about the winger heading back to MLS where he previously played for New York City.

Helping himself to just one goal this campaign in all competitions, the Toffees number 11 isn’t exactly banging down the door to stay put, with other loan faces in attack such as Jesper Lindstrom also underwhelming with only two assists next to his name from 30 outings.

Harrison could cost around £13m to win permanently – as per Transfermarkt – with Everton perhaps slightly hesitant to fork out that much money for such a hit-and-miss performer.

Amazingly, as much as the Leeds loanee has struggled in large patches this season to get going, there is a former Everton flop worth less than the hot-and-cold attacker right now.

It’s safe to say he struggled in a very similar way to Harrison at Goodison Park.

What happened to Everton's new Lukaku

Whilst Harrison has been prone to an off-day or two donning Everton blue, it’s unlikely he will be categorised entirely as a flop, with the 28-year-old winger at least offering up five goals and three assists across 64 total games.

Another winger, the lesser-spotted Henry Onyekuru, on the other hand, undoubtedly goes down as a big waste of time.

Indeed, the one-time £7m buy never went on to make a single appearance at Goodison, despite being on the club’s books for two whole years and once being heralded as the second coming of Romelu Lukaku for his exploits in Belgium.

It was a particularly troubling transfer window on Everton’s end away from Onyekuru’s cursed arrival, with the summer of 2017 seeing the Farhad Moshiri-backed Toffees splash out excessive wads of cash to land the likes of Davy Klaassen for £24m, who also exited English soil in a swift manner.

At least the Dutchman actually featured for the Merseyside outfit, however, with the Nigerian experiencing constant setbacks involving work permit issues which would result in a number of loan moves away from England occurring, rather than making a name for himself at his parent side.

Onyekuru’s overall Everton numbers

Games played

0

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Original fee

£7m

Amount sold for

£12m

Value now

£3.3m

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Still, there would end up being a happy ending for the forgotten-about forward, with the Lagos-born attacker leaving Everton behind for a hefty £12m in August of 2019 to AS Monaco, a move that would have suited all parties swimmingly.

Everton would end up making a pretty £5m profit to at least salvage something from the whole ordeal, with the deal looking like even more of a masterstroke when you take into account his measly £3m valuation in 2025.

That’s way less than Harrison’s £13m valuation, with time still on Everton’s side to deliberate about keeping the Whites loanee around, whilst Onyekuru – who is goalless while plying his trade at Al-Fayha in Saudi Arabia – has likely put his ill-fated Merseyside stay right to the back of his mind.

Related Everton's £12m signing is already looking like a £40m star in the making

He could be a real star under David Moyes at Everton.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 17, 2025

The England pacer, who should continue to take on new-ball duties in New Zealand, has particular issues with the ball used in day-night Tests

Vithushan Ehantharajah12-Feb-2023

Ollie Robinson: “Traditional Test cricket – there’s nothing wrong with it. I don’t think we need to play these pink-ball games”•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

The drive to Mount Maunganui from Hamilton takes barely a session, through the lush greens and postcard backdrops you’d associate with New Zealand. But on Sunday the vistas were blurred by the first winds and driving rains ahead of Cyclone Gabrielle’s visit to the North Island at the start of next week.Preparations ahead of the opening Test on Thursday at Bay Oval are set to be severely hampered, with domestic flights to nearby Tauranga Airport cancelled, and with no indoor facilities beyond an admittedly impressive marquee that will probably end up as a glorified kite. England are not worried, believing their two-day match against New Zealand XI in Hamilton supplemented by seven intense practice sessions since arriving in the country at the end of February should hold them in good stead.They were certainly in no rush to get down on Sunday evening, stopping along the way for a barbecue at casa del McCullum, which sits at a neat halfway point just outside the town of Matamata. And by all accounts, they aren’t in a rush for the series opener, their seventh pink-ball Test.Related

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“It’s a bit gimmicky,” said seamer Ollie Robinson on day-night matches in general. Perhaps an unsurprising viewpoint from an Englishman given they have lost five out of the six they’ve played, each by considerable margins. The last one over here came just up the road in Auckland back in 2018 – a humiliating innings and 49-run defeat after getting bowled out in their first innings for 58.”They’re trying to get crowds and and change the game a little bit. But the way England are playing Test cricket at the moment, I don’t think that needs to happen. We could stick to how we’re going and we’re entertaining people as we are so I’m not sure if it’s necessary really.”Just traditional Test cricket – there’s nothing wrong with it to start with. I don’t think we need to play these pink-ball games.”The ball is the main gripe, something not limited to this group of players. Especially the Kookaburra version which has been used most in the 23 day-night matches so far. Criticisms range from a loss of colour to varying degrees of hardness dependent on the batch. And, of course, little assistance off the seam or through the air. Even the greater threat to the twilight period seems to be due to batters struggling to adjust their eyes.”I think they’re all different. Every time I play with it, they’ve been different. Some have swung, some have seamed and some are harder. Some are softer. The warmup game the other day, I got hit with a 65-over-old ball and it hurt more than a brand new ball. It’s just like a rock.”I’m not a massive fan of that, no. We’ve been trying to get them to swing this last week and they’re very inconsistent and the seams a bit grippier in the surface. They’re just not a traditional cricket ball.”Robinson has a pretty good record with the pink Kookaburra. Across the three times he’s used it, all in Australia – two Tests during the recent Ashes series (Adelaide and Hobart) and against Australia A at the MCG for the Lions in February 2020 – he has taken 12 wickets at 24.41. Throw in a match with the Dukes equivalent for Sussex against Glamorgan in 2018, and his overall pink average drops to 21.06, close to an overall first-class average of 20.71.Clearly, whether he likes it or not, he has found a way to make it work for him. Therefore you would expect him to continue this week in his newly acquired opening role. It was as much something he took from Stuart Broad as the veteran quick gave to him upon Robinson’s return to the side for the second Test against South Africa last summer. Ahead of the match at Old Trafford, Broad suggested to Ben Stokes the 29-year-old’s skills warranted first dibs after overcoming general fitness concerns.The captain agreed and Robinson went on to 12 wickets at 15 in the remaining two matches of the summer, as England overturned a 1-0 deficit against South Africa.”To get that opportunity to bowl with Jimmy [James Anderson] at the other end was really special for me and my career. And Broady was really good about it as well. Every morning he’d tap me on the back, good luck, go well. Talk to me at mid-off every other ball. So the three of us have got a really good relationship about it. And it’s been going really well for the last 18 months.”A more wide-ranging part came in Pakistan as the only quick bowler to play all three back-to-back matches. Wedding the usual control with relentless spells of bumpers and even reverse swing, he finished with nine dismissals at 21.22.Starting 2023 with 60 at a ridiculous 20.01 from 14 caps so far, and more equipped for the rigours of multiple spells across multiple days, he has offered more than a glimpse of a future beyond Broad and Anderson. England’s dexterity with their bowling this tour centres around the opposition’s batting which is left-hand heavy at the top of the order with Tom Latham and Devon Conway, with Olly Stone the outlier given his extra pace.The improved durability, more of a lifestyle change than a short-term fix, is something that is on the way to becoming a standout trait for Robinson, even given the outright skill he possesses. His aim, in essence, is to prove him worth of being a constant, much like Anderson, to allow others to come in and out and do their work around him.”That’s obviously what I’m going for. Try and be economical, let the boys around me with pace sometimes go hard and I’ll try and hold the game like we did in Pakistan when Woody [Mark Wood] played. That’s probably my role and if I can play as many games as possible to help the team that’s what I’ll do.”It proved crucial in Pakistan and will be especially so this summer with six Tests across seven weeks, with the one-off match with Ireland and a condensed Ashes series. The prospect of the latter meant a number of England players have been following the start of Australia’s tour of India, which culminated in a collapse for 91 on Saturday evening in New Zealand to confirm defeat inside three days.”It’s always good to see the Aussies lose,” Robinson said with a wry smile. Even then, he appreciated the nature of the wicket and the way the game fell, believing India’s batters had the better conditions to bat: “Sometimes you win the toss, bat first but then it almost plays better second day”.Nevertheless, he was taking what cues he could on how Pat Cummins’ charges might approach the summer. All the more important as he enters his third year at this level – one he regards as the most important so far.”I think it’s probably the biggest year of my career now. It’s an exciting year and I think with the group and the environment we’ve got it’s going to be amazing. The memories that we’re going to create and hopefully the Test match wins we’re going to do. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Aston Villa were emphatically thrashed 4-1 at the hands of high-flying Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Tuesday night.

Unai Emery’s side faced the Eagles off the back of an impressive 2-1 comeback win against Chelsea, but collapsed in disappointing fashion in South London.

It was a frustrating first half for the Villans, who went 1-0 behind thanks to a goal from Ismaila Sarr. The Palace winger got on the end of a parry from Emiliano Martinez, who tipped Chris Richards’ header into his path.

Morgan Rogers had a goal ruled out in the first half after Ollie Watkins was offside in the buildup, but he did get on the scoresheet to equalise for Emery’s side. Running onto a flick on from his England teammate Watkins, the former Boro star brought the ball under control superbly with his head, before swivelling and firing home.

Things only went downhill for the Villans from that point onwards. Just seven minutes after Rogers’ equalsier, Jean-Philippe Mateta fired home after latching onto a loose ball just inside the penalty box to give his side the lead.

The Eagles added a third in the 71st minute courtesy of Sarr once again, before second-half substitute Eddie Nketiah scored their fourth to put the icing on the cake for Oliver Glasner’s side.

It was a tough night for Villa, and Emery’s decision to switch the system perhaps did them no favours.

Aston Villa’s system change vs. Palace

After playing his esteemed 4-2-2-2 system at Villa Park for the last 18 months or so, it was arguably a surprise when Emery tinkered and played a back three against the Eagles, especially given the centre-back shortage within his squad.

The Spaniard has played a back three or back five just four times in the entirety of his Villa career so far. Perhaps he did it to better match up with Palace’s system. Glasner deploys his side in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Whatever the reason, it did not work for Villa. The Athletic reporter Jacob Tanswell said the West Midlands side “looked sturdy in the new shape” until the Eagles scored, from which point “things became loose” at the back.

In many ways, it was far too easy for Palace. The Eagles carved open Villa’s defence, shown by the stats at full-time, courtesy of Sofascore. The home side had 19 shots and created six big chances, compared to six shots and two big chances created from the visitors.

It was certainly a tough nigh at the office, with two of the back three in paruclar struggling for Emery’s side.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

The Aston Villa defenders who struggled most

When your side concede four goals, it is never going to be a night in which you covered yourself in glory as a defender. However, for January arrival Axel Disasi and Lamar Bogarde, it was a particularly tough game.

The centre-backs started on the right and left of Villa’s back three respectivley, but both had their own issues against a deadly Eagles attack. Bogarde had to directly defend Sarr, who was running riot all night, and Disasi came up against Eberechi Eze, who created three chances.

John Townley, journalist for Birmingham Live, gave the pair a 4/10 for their performances. They were two of seven players he gave such a rating to, showing just how tough of a night it was for the visitors.

Indeed, some of their stats from the game reflected the ratings Townley gave the centre-backs. For example, Disasi won a total of just five out of 11 duels, and lost the ball 11 times. As for Bogarde, he lost the ball five times.

Touches

55

66

Duels won

5/11

5/8

Pass accuracy

85%

96%

Number of times ball lost

11

5

Clearances

2

4

Villa’s form has been awful of late, and Emery is now in a precarious position. He must find the right balance, and perhaps that does not include Bogarde and Disasi playing together in a back three again.

It is essential that they get their form back ahed of a big run in, and starting those two defenders at centre-back with ach other might not be ideal in such a key time.

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ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025

Casemiro will reportedly receive a huge pay rise if Manchester United win the Europa League this season.

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Casemiro in line for pay rise Will get it if Man Utd win Europa LeagueWages will match what Ronaldo hadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Daily Star states if United win the Europa League, with Ruben Amorim's men currently in the semi-finals, Casemiro will receive a 25 per cent pay rise due to a clause in his contract. The report states that the midfielder will see his wages rise to around £500,000-a-week – which is what club legend Cristiano Ronaldo got during his second spell at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Casemiro had a good first season at United, the 33-year-old has not lived up to his hefty wages and huge £70 million ($88m) transfer fee from Real Madrid in 2022. The veteran has been heavily criticised by pundits for his displays, and it seems he is on the decline, with the club said to be keen on moving him on soon. So to potentially receive this huge wage hike would be quite telling about the Red Devils' state of affairs.

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The report states this could cause a problem for United, who may yet sell Casemiro to the Saudi Pro League, with head coach Amorim being asked to slash the wage bill by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

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Casemiro's United will hope to advance to the Europa League final this week when they host Athletic Club on Thursday with a 3-0 first-leg cushion.

Since Graham Potter took over at West Ham, they have played three times, conceding two goals in all three games, despite a positive shift in their out-of-possession approach.

Under Julen Lopetegui, the Hammers often found themselves with huge gaps between their defensive line and their forward line during the press, with the midfield often deciding to sit off in deeper areas due to their lack of athleticism.

Potter has clearly encouraged his side to apply man-to-man pressure when pressing in opposition goal kick scenarios, which requires extra mobility in the middle of the park, in order to press effectively and cover ground.

Therefore, West Ham have been linked with a number of midfield players this month, and one man in particular could be the perfect addition for Potter’s system in more than one way.

West Ham looking at Ligue 1 star

According to a “senior” club source via Hammers News, West Ham have been talking to the representatives of Lille midfielder, Angel Gomes, who could be set for a battle to sign the England midfielder.

Transfer Focus

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

Tottenham are also said to be interested in the 24-year-old, with both clubs exploring options for the midfielder whose contract is up in the summer. However, it’s the Irons who are ‘really pushing’ to get a deal done.

Due to his contract expiry in a few months, this would allow teams to sign Gomes on a pre-contract this month for a free transfer in the summer, but it could also open the door to Lille accepting a fee for him now, in order to extract a fee for the player, rather than losing him on a free in six months time.

Gomes has made 16 appearances for the French outfit this season, scoring one goal, providing one assist and totalling 907 minutes played so far.

How Gomes compares to Banzuzi

Another midfielder who is being linked with a move to West Ham is Ezechiel Banzuzi from OH Leuven. He has made 21 appearances this campaign in the Belgian Pro League, scoring one goal and providing five assists but it’s evident to see who would be the better signing for Potter and Co.

The 19-year-old, who is a 6 foot 3 midfielder, does possess the extra mobility and physical qualities needed to improve the West Ham midfield, but with a lack of experience, it is likely the youngster would take some time to adapt, perhaps making some mistakes along the way whilst getting used to the pace and tempo of the league.

As a result, Gomes would be the better addition for the Hammers in the here and now. Here’s how the duo compare.

Assists

0.3

0.0

Passes Attempted

59.3

48.6

Passing Accuracy %

91.34%

86.73%

Long Passes Completed

4.00

2.00

Through Balls

0.4

0.3

Passes Completed (Own Half)

24.9

24.0

Duels Won

3.2

5.7

Ground Duel Success %

53.16%

51.43%

Ball Recoveries

4.4

5.2

Gomes would still bring the mobility needed in midfield, but he’s an effective duel winner too, still winning 3.2 per 90, while winning 53.16% of his ground duels and making 4.4 ball recoveries per game.

But he would also bring a controlling figure into Potter’s midfield, being a key progressor in the build-up, dropping in to release long passes, circulate play and provide line-breaking passes.

Since the manager took over at the London Stadium, the team have looked to be more direct in their approach, perhaps realising they don’t have the quality in midfield to receive the ball in tight spaces and play through the lines with more control, an addition such as Gomes would allow this, due to his “busy” nature, always looking to pass and move, as labelled by Roy Keane.

If West Ham manage to sign both Banzuzi and Gomes, they would be adding a controller who can dictate the tempo of the game, whilst also adding mobility in the middle of the park, alongside a promising young and athletic profile in Banzuzi, who would massively improve the Hammers’ ability to cover ground in central zones.

That said, it’s the “special” Gomes – as he was dubbed by French manager Jocelyn Gourvennec – who would walk into the starting XI more immediately.

Imagine him & Bowen: West Ham ready to sign "electric" Duran alternative

West Ham United failed in a bid to sign Jhon Duran from Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

ByDan Emery Jan 22, 2025

Deandra Dottin’s six-laden 68 not out undone in impressive run-chase at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2022

Laura Wolvaardt plays the drive•Getty Images

Northern Superchargers 164 for 3 (Wolvaardt 90*) beat Manchester Originals 160 for 3 (Dottin 68*, Lee 40) by seven wicketsDeandra Dottin produced some of the finest hitting seen in either edition of the Women’s Hundred but her efforts were trumped by Laura Wolvaardt, whose perfectly judged 90 not out took the Northern Superchargers to a seven-wicket victory with one ball to spare at Clean Slate Headingley.Wolvaardt batted through the Superchargers’ innings and faced 49 balls, hitting 13 fours and two sixes as the Leeds-based side overhauled the visitors’ 160 for three to secure a victory that keeps their chances of making the knockout stages of the competition very much alive. By contrast, the Originals’ hopes of making further progress hang by the slimmest of threads.But such an outcome seemed unlikely when Dottin, who was playing her last game in this year’s Hundred before going back to captain Trinbago Knight Riders in the inaugural women’s Caribbean Premier League, hit five fours and six sixes, including three in a row off Linsey Smith, in her 30-ball 68 not out and shared in the 74-run partnership with Sophie Ecclestone that enabled the Originals to post a formidable score.And the Originals’ innings had begun in sprightly fashion when Lizelle Lee took at least one boundary of each of the first five sets and made 40 of the 57 runs she put on with Emma Lamb when she top-edged an attempted drive off Katie Levick and was caught by the wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy.Lamb soon followed for 14, although it took a brilliant catch running in from long-on by Alice Davidson-Richards off Heather Graham to remove her and that dismissal was in sharp contrast to the departure of Ami Campbell, who was run out for 7 when she was dozily strolling back into her crease and was beaten by Hollie Armitage’s sharp throw and Healy’s quick thinking.The score was 86 off 38 balls when Campbell had to stroll back to the dugout but that was only a prelude to the astonishing hitting of Dottin. At the other end Ecclestone was not quite outshone – she whacked three successive fours off Jenny Gunn – but her unbeaten 24 was overshadowed by her partner’s remarkably clean hitting.Undaunted by their stiff target, the Superchargers began very positively with Healy hitting six fours in an 18-ball 25 before she was caught at mid-off by Lea Tahuhu off Kate Cross. Lamb’s excellent throw then ran out Bess Heath for three but Superchargers’ skipper, Armitage regained the initiative with a 20-ball 24 before being bowled by Lamb.Meanwhile Wolvaardt was coolness personified even when 75 runs were needed off 40 balls and 55 off 25. In company with Graham, she put on an unbroken 55 in 24 balls and the winning runs were scored off Dottin, whose day was spoiled when her last over contained a front-foot no-ball and thereby a free hit.

Zimbabwe will also be without Sean Williams, who is unavailable for personal reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2022

Regis Chakabva will lead Zimbabwe for the three-match series against Bangladesh•AFP/Getty Images

Wicketkeeper-batter Regis Chakabva has been named Zimbabwe captain for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh with regular captain Craig Ervineruled out with hamstring and knee injuries. Allrounder Sean Williams will also miss the series, with Zimbabwe Cricket saying he had been granted leave to “attend to some personal matters”. Blessing Muzarabani, who missed the T20I series against Bangladesh with an injury, continues to remain unavailable.Zimbabwe have also brought in fast bowler Brad Evans in place of the injured Tendai Chatara. Evans is yet to play an ODI, but was influential in Zimbabwe’s win in the third T20I, taking two wickets to hamper Bangladesh’s chase.Left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava returns to the ODI side, while quick Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza are also included. Masakadza was the third highest wicket-taker in last season’s Logan Cup (Zimbabwe’s domestic 50-over tournament) with 35 wickets in seven games while Nyauchi finished fourth on the list with 32 wickets in seven matches.Allrounder Tarisai Musakanda and batters Tadiwanashe Marumani and Tony Munyonga have also been added to the squad. Musakanda, who has played 15 ODIs so far, last played for Zimbabwe in the format in 2021. Marumani made his debut in the ODI series against Bangladesh last year – where he scored 21 runs across three matches – and has not played in the format for Zimbabwe since. Munyonga, meanwhile, is yet to make his ODI debut.Chakabva, who made his Zimbabwe debut in 2008, will lead the side for the first time.”It is an honour, one that I will definitely cherish,” Chakabva said. “I am a cool, calm guy so I will try to be myself as I always am. A bit unfortunate to lose Craig, who I have learned a lot from. I don’t think I will do anything different from my normal character. I will try to rally the guys.”While they have lost their last two ODI series, against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in January and June this year respectively, Zimbabwe have been on a roll in T20Is. They have won seven of their last eight T20Is, including an unbeaten qualification campaign that has earned them a spot in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. They followed that by beating Bangladesh in last week’s T20I series 2-1 – the first time Zimbabwe have won a T20I series against Bangladesh.Chakabva said the ODIs would be a different prospect. “Bangladesh are a strong side. We have been playing some good cricket. We look forward to a good challenge with these guys. We expect to keep playing that way. The results will follow from that.”Obviously, ODIs are a different challenge. You have to play well for longer. It won’t be a T20 in a one-day game. We are looking to play positive cricket for a longer period of time. Points or no points, it is still a big series for us. We are looking forward to be as challenging as we can. We have India and Australia after this, so in some way, it is just one preparation for us leading up to those series.”The first ODI will be played on August 5, with the second and third to follow on August 7 and 10 respectively. All three matches will be played in Harare.Zimbabwe squad: Regis Chakabva (capt), Ryan Burl, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Wesley Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tarisai Musakanda, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba

حرص نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، على تقديم رسالة وداع لزميله ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد بعدما أعلن الأخير رحيله عن النادي الإنجليزي، بمجرد انتهاء عقده هذا الموسم.

وأعلن أرنولد، صباح يوم الإثنين، رحيله بشكل رسمي عن صفوف ليفربول، بعدما قضى 20 عامًا في “الأنفيلد”.

وسينتهي عقد الظهير الإنجليزي مع ليفربول في 30 يونيو المقبل، حيث رفض مسألة التوقيع على صفقة جديدة، على العكس من زميليه محمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك.

ومن المتوقع انضمام ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد إلى صفوف ريال مدريد، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي المقبل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ماك أليستر يطلب من ليفربول التعاقد مع زميله في منتخب الأرجنتين

من جانبه، كتب محمد صلاح عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع إكس: “لقد كان من دواعي سروري مشاركة صداقة مميزة معك واللعب إلى جوارك”.

وأضاف صاحب الـ32 عامًا في تغريدته: “أتمنى لك كل التوفيق، وأنا متأكد من أننا سنلتقي مجددًا”.

It’s been a pleasure sharing a special friendship with you and playing alongside you. I wish you the best and I am sure we will meet again. @TrentAA pic.twitter.com/6AtSSEkNtm — Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) May 5, 2025

وحسم ليفربول لقب الدوري الإنجليزي، 2024/25، الأسبوع الماضي بعدما فاز على توتنهام بخمسة أهدافم مقابل هدف، ليحقق البطولة رقم 20 في تاريخه.

With the extent of Ruben Amorim’s task becoming clearer by the day, Manchester United are now reportedly interested in beating Liverpool to one of their priority targets in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils very nearly made it a third-straight game without victory against Viktoria Plzen, only for Rasmus Hojlund’s late second to snatch all three points to avoid what would have been a disaster start under Amorim. The former Sporting boss has so far struggled to make an instant impact, but given the mess left behind by Erik ten Hag, United’s struggles have come as little surprise.

It doesn’t get any easier for Amorim’s side either, who square off against Manchester City in the Manchester derby this weekend in a battle between two sides growing more and more desperate to turn their recent slumps around.

Meanwhile, as the action continues on the pitch, the Red Devils have seemingly turned their attention towards potential reinforcements. According to Brazilian outlet UOL, INEOS are now interested in signing Joao Pedro ahead of Liverpool, who have reportedly made the Brighton & Hove Albion forward a priority target ahead of 2025, hoping to sign an upgrade on the struggling Darwin Nunez.

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Manchester United secured a third consecutive Europa League victory last night.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 13, 2024

Manchester United already know all about Pedro’s quality, given that he’s scored three goals in five games against them, including a last gasp winner over the Red Devils from the penalty spot back in August. A thorn in Harry Maguire’s side, the Brazilian came away with the winning goal to his name and on the right end of five duels, whilst his defensive opponent made just one block and was hooked in the 79th minute, as per Fotmob.

"Leader" Pedro would hand Amorim instant Zirkzee upgrade

Whilst Hojlund is beginning to benefit from the arrival of Amorim, the same can’t be said for Joshua Zirkzee, whose best role is yet to be defined as the rumours over a potential exit already commence. By signing Pedro, however, Manchester United would end any attacking doubts and put an end to what is a failing Zirkzee experiment at Old Trafford.

Minutes

589

594

Goals

4

3

Assists

3

1

Expected Goals

2.4

3

Brighton, like they have been with a number of players so often in the past, will be keen to keep hold of Pedro amid such interest, especially following Fabian Hurzeler’s recent verdict.

The Brighton boss told reporters as relayed by The Guardian after his side defeated Bournemouth: “In possession he is unbelievable. He makes the difference for us today. It’s also very important to see how he works against the ball. He invests a lot out of possession. He does a lot of work in the shadow and the work that is unseen. That’s why it is very good to have him as a leader on the pitch.”