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Powell gave Capitals a sniff with three back-to-back sixes in the last over and a controversy followed

Sidharth Monga22-Apr-20223:43

Did Delhi Capitals get their plans all wrong against Buttler?

The end was chaotic with Delhi Capitals threatening to call their players back and sending an assistant coach on to the field to get a call overturned, but the serenity of yet another Jos Buttler hundred trumped all else in the final equation.Buttler began looking unable to get bat on ball. His first 11 runs took 14 balls, eight of them off edges. By the time he was done, though, the opposition captain Rishabh Pant didn’t look happy with his bowlers, the bowlers didn’t look happy with the fielders, and the fielders looked sick of the leather hunt. Buttler ended with 116 in 65 balls, hitting nine sixes, one of them 107metres long.Rajasthan Royals lost their sixth toss in seven matches, the joint-worst luck at the toss, but that was the last thing they lost as Buttler’s third century of the season set them up for the highest score of this IPL, 222, which they defended eventually comfortably.It came down to 36 required off the final over, and Rovman Powell hit the first three for sixes. The third of those was a high full toss. The batter and the Capitals dugout immediately remonstrated to get a no-ball call, but it wasn’t called on the field. Then the dugout stopped play, insisting on the third umpire’s intervention, but the playing conditions allow the third umpire to come in only if it is a foot-fault no-ball or if there has been a dismissal off the ball. Obed McCoy made a comeback after the break to bowl a dot and get Powell off the last ball.A circumspect start
You wouldn’t have guessed from the start what carnage we were about to witness. Khaleel Ahmed troubled him with his left-arm angle and also some seam movement, and Buttler edged away two boundaries in the first over. Shardul Thakur followed it with a maiden, and Lalit Yadav snuck in a boundary-less over of part-time offspin.A massive shift in momentum
So far Devdutt Padikkal has been an innocent bystander as Buttler has carried on hitting hundreds, but in this game Padikkal took the pressure off Buttler by hitting three fours in Mustafizur Rahman’s first over. Buttler followed it up with two sixes off Khaleel in the sixth, turning it into an acceptable powerplay of 44 for 0.Royals have been the best batters of spin this IPL, comfortably averaging the highest and scoring the fastest against them. Capitals’ spinners have been among the best. But both Buttler and Padikkal went after Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, taking 12 and 15 from the eighth and the ninth overs.When Buttler put the returning Thakur in the top tier in the 10th over, he messed around with all of Capitals’ plans, who were missing Ricky Ponting, who had to stay back because a family member had tested positive for Covid-19.2:02

Jaffer: Calling players back was way out of line from Pant

Pant felt forced to go back to Lalit to give him a cushion for an expensive frontline bowler, but Buttler tucked into his non-turning offbreaks, taking 35 off his two overs. Buttler enjoyed great support from Padikkal, who offered a majority of the strike to Buttler despite going faster at the start of the innings and scoring a 35-ball 54 himself. Padikkal’s dismissal in the 16th over brought out a bigger headache for Capitals: Sanju Samson, who just went after everything in his 19-ball 46.Buttler’s pristine hitting continued, making his grip on the orange cap formidable. In fact he has scored more in boundaries than the second-highest run-scorer in the competition.Shaw, Warner get a quick start
If there is an opening pair that can scare you in a defence of 222, it is David Warner and Prithvi Shaw. Shaw began with two fours first two balls, Warner went to 28 off 13, and if the dew had materialised, the chase was on. Prasidh Krishna, though, cramped Warner up and drew the edge to slow Capitals down.Spinners control middle overs
R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal once again controlled the middle overs. Ashwin had Sarfaraz Khan in the sixth over, Chahal backed it up with tight overs, and Ashwin then got Shaw caught at deep cover. When Prasidh came back to get Pant, bowling hard lengths again, to make it 124 for 4 in the 12th over, it seemed game over.Powell turns it around
It was in the 18th over that Powell struck fear. They needed 51 to win off 18, and Powell hit two sixes right at the end of the over to make it 36 off the last two. Prasidh came back to seemingly kill the game with a wicket-maiden, bowling around the wicket with a strong cover field on the fence and hiding the ball wide.However, the last over was to be bowled by McCoy who had had an ordinary night, conceding 26 off the ninth over. And when Powell began to send them into the night sky, the nerves were palpable. Conferences became longer, the pauses between deliveries too. The one between third and fourth was the longest because Capitals wanted a decision reversed, which was not possible under the playing conditions.A slower short ball after the layoff brought the dot, and that was the game.

In a ruthless move, Liverpool have now reportedly opened talks to sign a Premier League defender who would likely replace Andrew Robertson amid his recent struggles.

Liverpool transfer news

Although arguably harsh given that Liverpool sit top of the Premier League and Champions League, if you were to pick out a recent weakness of theirs then it is Robertson. The left-back was even dropped by Arne Slot after he was torn apart by Bukayo Saka in an eventual draw against Arsenal, before the Dutchman restored his place against Aston Villa last time out.

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Amid links to the likes of Antonee Robinson, however, the Scot recently reiterated his desire to prove recent doubters wrong, saying via TNT Sports: “The last couple of games I’ve been on the bench and I got doubters for the first time in a long time, first time at this club.

“But it suits me in this position. I am trying to prove people wrong again. I missed pre-season, which is never ideal for any player. And then I have had the ankle struggles. I got another knock on it against Wolves and it took a bit of time to settle down.

“So, look, I feel good. Obviously, taking a couple of games out was frustrating. I want to play every game, of course, but that was not possible. I knew that the next time I got a chance I would take it and that’s what I tried to do.”

Even amid such defiance though, the Reds seem intent on welcoming another left-back. According to Anfield Watch, Liverpool have opened preliminary talks to sign Milos Kerkez, who is now their top target ahead of 2025.

The Bournemouth defender was signed by Richard Hughes in the summer of 2023 whilst he was at Bournemouth and could now join up with the sporting director yet again – this time at Liverpool.

"Brilliant" Kerkez could replace Robertson

Kerkez has certainly been one to watch in the current campaign, helping Bournemouth to victories over both Arsenal and Manchester City. At just 21 years old, he’s one of the best up and coming defenders in the Premier League and looks ready-made to replace an ageing and recently struggling Robertson.

Starts

11

9

Assists

2

0

Tackles Won

7

7

Ball Recoveries

48

41

Given Hughes’ Bournemouth connection, Liverpool should be confident that they can get a deal done to sign the Hungarian. Just what his arrival would mean for Robertson’s Anfield future remains to be seen, however, after he recently stated his desire to fight for his place.

Throughout an excellent start to the campaign, Kerkez has earned many fans, including senior journalist and Hungarian Bence Bocsak, who described the left-back’s performance in victory over Arsenal as “brilliant”.

As Robertson’s struggles continue and Liverpool reportedly step up their pursuit to sign Kerkez, Slot could make his most ruthless move yet at Anfield.

Two Arsenal players are expected to say their goodbyes to the north London club in 2025, and there is a “good chance” that they will indeed depart Mikel Arteta’s side.

Players who could leave Arsenal next year

The Gunners will have to navigate the January and summer transfer windows without Edu Gaspar, but it is believed that Arsenal’s transfer planning is still well underway minus the Brazilian’s influence.

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Attacking midfielders like Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, Villarreal’s Alex Baena and Barcelona star Raphinha have been players linked with moves to Arsenal after the turn of the year, while reports also suggest Arteta is still after a striker.

While a lot of attention will be on incomings, it will also be interesting to see which members of Arteta’s squad are set for the exit door.

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Kieran Tierney is widely expected to leave Arsenal in January, with the Scotland international racing to get back from a hamstring injury and display his quality for potential suitors, if Arteta does give him a chance to shine in the first team before the winter window reopens.

Meanwhile, Jakub Kiwior is also attracting interest from Serie A, and the Poland international is another pretty likely departure considering his lack of minutes under Arteta this season.

Kiwior has now formally told Arsenal he wants to leave, according to some reports, so this is certainly something to keep an eye on as we approach January.

“It’s been a familiar theme during the last couple of windows and I’m expecting no different this time around,” said reliable Arsenal journalist Charles Watts via his Dailybriefing this week.

“There was a chance Kiwior could have gone in the summer, but Arsenal decided to keep him for squad purposes.

“But when you see the game time he’s had so far this season and consider that teenage Myles Lewis-Skelly has been used ahead of him at times recently then it’s tough to see the Poland international getting many minutes. So, if a decent offer arrives for Kiwior from Italy then I think it’s one that Arsenal would consider, and I don’t think Ben White’s injury will impact their thinking.”

Jorginho and Thomas Partey expected to leave Arsenal

There is also the matter of Thomas Partey and Jorginho, two big-name midfielders who are out of contract at the end of the season. According to CaughtOffside and reporter Watts, there is a “good chance” the £310,000-per-week duo will quit Arsenal in the summer.

Indeed, as things stand, both Partey and Jorginho are expected to leave Arsenal, despite the former becoming a mainstay in Arteta’s midfield after a difficult 2023/2024.

A decision will most likely be made on the pair soon, and if both leave, Watts fully expects Arsenal to go in the transfer market for a new engine man next summer. That player could even be Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, who once partnered Mikel Merino in the La Liga side’s midfield.

MatériaMais Notícias

Uma ocorrência registrada na 4ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher na Zona Norte de São Paulo aponta um suposto crime sexual ao zagueiro Robson Bambu, recentemente contratado pelo Corinthians.

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Uma jovem de 25 anos acusa o atleta de estupro de vulnerável em caso que ocorreu na última quinta-feira (3).A informação foi inicialmente publicada pelo “GE”.

> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Corinthians no Paulistão
> GALEIRA -Veja todos os técnicos estrangeiros na história do Corinthians

Segundo as informações divulgadas, o crime teria acontecido após Robson, a vítima, uma amiga da vítima e um amigo do jogador terem aproveitado uma festa em uma casa noturna no bairro do Tatuapé, Zona Leste de São Paulo.

A mulher que acusa o atleta corintiano afirma que houve ingestão de bebidas alcoólicas por todos, que posteriormente se dirigiram a um hotel na mesma região e que houve relação consensual entre a denunciante e o amigo de Bambu e que o zagueiro foi para outro quarto com a amiga da vítima. No entanto, a autora da denúncia relata que dormiu e quando acordou viu o jogador nu, sobre ela e introduzindo o dedo em seu órgão genital. De acordo com o relato em processo, o colega do jogador estava no quarto e observou todo o ato.

A amiga da vítima prestou depoimento à Polícia Civil de São Paulo, confirmou que manteve relações sexuais com Robson Bambu de forma consensual, mas que após acordar ouviu batidas na porta vindo da mulher que acusa o atleta corintiano, que relatou o crime sexual sofrido. Após isso ambas deixaram o local do suposto crime via carro de aplicativo.

De acordo com a acusação, o zagueiro negou em todos os momentos que tenha violentado a denunciante.

Oficialmente, nem Robson Bambu, nem o Corinthians se manifestarão enquanto o caso não for apurado. O Timão, por sua vez, deixa claro que não compactua com quaisquer tipos de violência.

Contratado por empréstimo neste início de ano, vindo do Nice, da França, Robson Bambu chegou ao clube corintiano para retomar o bom futebol, após perder boa parte da última temporada por conta de uma lesão no tornozelo. O atleta ainda não foi inscrito para a disputa do Campeonato Paulista e treinava no Corinthians para se recondicionar fisicamente e voltar a jogar.

They need to ace the Afghanistan spin test if they are to keep themselves alive in the tournament

Alagappan Muthu02-Nov-202110:52

Jayawardene: Role clarity and team construction lacking in Indian team

Big pictureIndia are teetering on the brink of this T20 World Cup, depending on other teams to hand them a lifeline, and as dire as that may be, they’ll need to keep telling themselves that it is not over.A couple of bad tosses resulted in them getting the worst of the conditions. Their batters panicked because they knew they needed an extra 20-30 runs to even make a match of it, and their bowlers were handicapped by the dew that always comes in during the evenings in the UAE and flips the script. It wouldn’t have been fun watching Pakistan and New Zealand score their runs so easily when they kept struggling so badly.Related

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Still there is hope. India must beat Afghanistan – preferably by a big margin – and then hope Afghanistan can in turn beat New Zealand, which is very much possible given the way their bowlers have performed at this World Cup. Rashid Khan continues to dominate this format and Mujeeb Ur Rahman – assuming he’s recovered from injury – functions at almost the same level. So it is game on.Form guideLast five matches, most recent first
India: LLLLW
Afghanistan: WLWWWIn the spotlightVirat Kohli has already announced that he will relinquish the India captaincy in the shortest format. He will not go quietly into the night though. He set in motion India’s last loss, going for a big hit when he probably should have tried to bat out the 20 overs. It’s unlikely that a batter of his quality, and more so his hunger, will make a mistake like that again.India will need to beat Afghanistan and then hope Afghanistan beat New Zealand to stay alive in the T20 World Cup•Getty Images

Hamid Hassan ended a five-year hiatus from T20I cricket when he took the field in Afghanistan’s last match. In that time he’s dabbled in coaching and in commentary but somehow nothing suits him quite as much as being out there in the thick of all the action. He’s still got the headband. He’s still got the yorkers. He’s still a threat.Team newsIndia’s experiment with Rohit Sharma down the order may come to an end, which may mean that KL Rahul slips down to No. 4. Suryakumar Yadav missed the last game with back issues and it is unclear if he has recovered from them.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 KL Rahul, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahWith Asghar Afghan’s retirement, Afghanistan will be looking to either Hashmatullah Shahidi or Usman Ghani to step up and fill the hole he’s left behind.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 3 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi/Usman Ghani, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Karim Janat/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Hamid HassanPitch and conditionsTeams chasing have won six of the eight matches played in Abu Dhabi at this T20 World Cup. The forecast is for clear skies on Wednesday with a temperature in the low 30s degree celsius.Stats and trivia In 2021, fast bowlers (76 matches, 308 wickets, 8 economy rate) have performed better than spinners (76 matches, 128 wickets, 7.6 economy rate) at this venue. Rashid Khan dominates KL Rahul in T20 cricket: 18 runs, 30 balls, three dismissals Ishan Kishan, on the other hand, has a much better record against the Afghanistan legspinner: 64 runs, 51 balls, no dismissals

Celtic continued their fantastic start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season with a 2-1 comeback win over Ross County in Dingwall on Sunday.

The Hoops have now won seven of their matches in the division so far this term and have only conceded one goal, which came from the penalty spot at the weekend.

Ronan Vale found the back of the net at the second time of asking after Kasper Schmeichel was adjudged to have been off his line after saving the first effort.

This means that the Scottish giants are still yet to concede a goal from open play in their seven outings in the Premiership this season, which is a remarkable start to the campaign defensively.

Offensively, Celtic have scored an eye-catching 22 goals in seven games – seven more than any other team in the division – and this shows that they are not missing Matt O’Riley, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer.

The Denmark international racked up 18 goals and 13 assists in the Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but the club’s impressive goal return so far this term suggests that his absence has not been felt.

Celtic have been great at finding replacements for the stars that they decide to cash in on and they may have finally found their new version of Jota, who left the club last year.

Jota's time with Celtic

Ange Postecoglou initially signed the Portuguese forward on a season-long loan from Benfica ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and he enjoyed a terrific first year with the Scottish giants.

The flying winger produced ten goals and ten assists in 29 appearances in the Premiership that term to help the Hoops to win the title, after Rangers had won the division unbeaten in the previous season.

His sublime form in the Scottish top-flight convinced the Bhoys to trigger the option to make his loan deal a permanent one for a reported fee of £6.5m, whilst it was claimed that Benfica retained a ‘significant’ sell-on clause as part of the agreement.

That turned out to be a fantastic decision by Postecoglou and the club as Jota went on to enjoy even more success in his second season in the Premiership for Celtic.

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

1.9

Assists

11

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese dynamo was directly involved in 22 goals in 33 appearances in the league, two more than he had been involved in during his first campaign at that level.

That form convinced Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad to swoop in for the winger last summer, and they splashed out a reported fee of £25m for the attacker – £7.5m of which went back to Benfica as part of their sell-on clause.

Celtic did win the league again in the 2023/24 campaign but they failed to find their new Jota as none of their wingers managed more than seven goals or nine assists.

However, Brendan Rodgers may well have found the club’s new Jota-esque talisman in Nicolas Kuhn, who spent the second half of last term settling into life at Parkhead.

How much Celtic paid for Nicolas Kuhn

In January of this year, the Northern Irish head coach decided that he needed more quality in the attacking areas and swooped to sign the German winger and Adam Idah, initially on loan from Norwich City before his deal was made permanent this summer.

Sky Sports reported that the Hoops spent a fee of around £3m to sign the former Bayern Munich trainee from Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna on a permanent basis.

Appearances

16

Goals

2

Big chances created

11

Key passes per game

1.8

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn had showcased his creativity quality in the Bundesliga during the first half of the season, albeit his goalscoring record was not particularly impressive.

The 24-year-old attacker produced two goals and two assists in 14 appearances during a solid, albeit not spectacular, start to his Celtic career in the Premiership last term. Although, towards the end of the season, teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers hailed him as a “really good” player and lauded his performances in training.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This season, the German wizard has taken his displays in training and enjoyed a sensational start to the campaign, emerging as the club’s new Jota.

Nicolas Kuhn's sublime form this season

The left-footed star, who was hailed for his “magical” play by Rodgers in pre-season, has hit the ground running this term and showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants.

He has already racked up six goals and eight assists in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, which shows that he has consistently contributed in the final third.

The German talent has got supporters off their seats with his terrific play in possession. He has completed 2.0 dribbles per game, with a success rate of 61%, and this shows that he had the beating of defenders far more often than not.

Kuhn, who scored the winning goal against Ross County with a composed left-footed finish into the bottom corner on Sunday, has been a star in the Premiership for Rodgers.

Appearances

7

Goals

3

Big chances created

4

Key passes per game

2.0

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old magician has been directly involved in seven goals in seven matches and has created two chances per game on average so far this term.

These statistics mean that Kuhn is currently on course to reach double figures for both goals and assists this season if he continues at his current rate, which would see him match Jota’s achievements in his two seasons in the division.

None of Celtic’s wingers managed that feat in the 2023/24 campaign but – in Kuhn – Rodgers appears to have finally found a talismanic forward who can replicate the Portuguese dynamo’s impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position.

Rodgers must cash in on Celtic midfielder who's played less than Palma

The Hoops do not appear to have struck gold with this particular signing.

2 ByDan Emery Oct 8, 2024

The upcoming tournament will be the former South Africa allrounder’s second T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2021Former South Africa allrounder David Wiese has been included in Namibia’s squad for this year’s T20 World Cup. Wiese qualified by descent since his father was born in Namibia. This will be Wiese’s second T20 World Cup, five years after his first, for South Africa.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Wiese last played an international match in 2016 before signing a Kolpak deal with Sussex in 2017. He has picked up 24 wickets, with a best of 5 for 23, in 20 T20Is. Namibia also have South Africa-born Pierre de Bruyn (head coach) and Albie Morkel as part of their management team.Namibia will be led by Gerard Erasmus but the team will be without opener JP Kotze and spinner Zhivago Groenewald, who have retired from international cricket since the World Cup Qualifier in 2019.This will be Namibia’s first appearance in the T20 World Cup after they beat Oman in the playoffs of the qualifiers in Dubai in October 2019 to qualify for the main event. Namibia’s first match will be against Sri Lanka on October 18 before also facing Netherlands and Ireland in Group A of the first round. Two teams from each group in the first round will qualify for the Super-12 stage.Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (capt), Stephan Baard, Karl Birkenstock, Michau du Preez, Jan Frylinck, Zane Green, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Michael van Lingen, David Wiese, Craig Williams, Pikky Ya France

Crystal Palace appear to be working on having everything in place to sign a £10m player before the January window opens.

Crystal Palace’s summer signings

The Eagles were busy in the final weeks of the summer transfer window, bringing in a total of eight new players ahead of Oliver Glasner’s first full season in charge at Selhurst Park.

The most eye-catching deal from a financial point was landing striker Eddie Nketiah, who scored his first Crystal Palace goal in the week against QPR in the Carabao Cup.

Crystal Palace summer signings	From	Fee (Transfermarkt)
Eddie Nketiah	Arsenal	€29.70m
Maxence Lacroix	Wolfsburg	€18m
Ismaila Sarr	Marseille	€15m
Chadi Riad	Real Betis	€15m
Daichi Kamada	Lazio	Free transfer
Louie Moulden	Wolves	Free transfer
Trevoh Chalobah	Chelsea	Loan transfer
Matt Turner	Nottingham Forest	Loan transfer
Crystal Palace fees received	To	Fee (Transfermarkt)
Michael Olise	Bayern Munich	€53m
Joachim Andersen	Fulham	€29.5m
Sam Johnstone	Wolves	€11.9m
Jordan Ayew	Leicester City	€5.9m
Scott Banks	FC St. Pauli	€400,000

However, in the Premier League, things haven’t exactly been going to plan for Glasner’s side, who remain without a win after four top-flight fixtures. Talking after the recent 2-2 draw with Leicester City, Glasner remained relaxed, saying:

“It was OK. Many parts of the game are OK. It’s a draw, so it’s our job that we play better, that we are more consistent in defence, that we concede fewer goals, and then we will get the win and I will be really happy.

“We have to invest to create chances and score goals, and sometimes how easily we gave them their goals. That says there’s a discrepancy, and this is what we all feel.

“But this comeback quality, this great impact from the subs, shows that we have a great group again and we will work hard to go from OK football to good football and then to excellent football.”

Before we know it, January will be upon us, allowing the Eagles to add to their ranks further. In recent days, Palace, and by extension chairman Steve Parish, have been linked with signing Real Sociedad forward Sheraldo Becker, claiming a move was being readied. Now, an exciting new update has been shared.

Crystal Palace transfer latest – Sheraldo Becker

According to reports in Spain, relayed by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace now want to get ‘everything sealed’ on the transfer for Becker before the January market opens, so he can move to England at the beginning of the window.

The Eagles are ‘trying to close’ a deal with Real Sociedad and will reportedly pay £10m, with the La Liga side not putting any obstacles in the way.

In fact, Sociedad appear to be keen on selling Becker, as they will make a healthy profit after signing him for €3m in January. The 29-year-old, who is a Suriname international, has scored 48 goals during his career, turning out for the likes of Union Berlin, ADO Den Haag and PEC Zwolle prior to joining Sociedad.

Now, his next move could be to Selhurst Park, providing Glasner with another option out wide and through the middle.

The spinner didn’t play a single game at the 2014 T20 World Cup or the 2015 50-over World Cup

Firdose Moonda13-Jul-2021

Aaron Phangiso last represented South Africa in 2018•AFP/Getty Images

Aaron Phangiso played a key role in advocating for South Africa’s reserve players to be paid a portion of match fees to ensure that those who do not play many matches on tour, such as himself, are compensated. Phangiso, who was part of South African squads from 2013 to 2018, could have played in 97 international matches but only featured in 37. He did not play a single game at the 2014 T20 World Cup or 2015 50-over World Cup, growing frustrated with both non-selection and non-payment. Speaking at Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings, he explained how he campaigned for reserve players to be paid as well.”If you were wearing a bib, there was one match allocated to four players. I went and spoke to our team manager and told him I have got a problem with this. I told him that on tour I am one of the few guys that miss out on a whole lot of games and we need to relook at this,” Phangiso said, detailing one chapter of the five he submitted to the SJN.”The team manager saw reason and said, ‘let me speak to the senior guys in the team and see how we can rectify this.’ I had a meeting with two senior players and said this is where I stand. The response that I got was shocking. It just showed that people will always think for themselves. The response I got was, ‘Phangi, you expect that a guy sitting on the bench must get the same amount?’ And I said, ‘Yes, why not? How does that affect you as a player? It’s not coming out of your salary. I got into a lengthy discussion with them and I showed them reason and they did see a bit of reason and they said yes, we will go back and talk to SACA (the South African Cricketers’ Association). Two days later, the guys came back to me and said they spoke to SACA and the best that we can do is to add an extra match fee. Instead of four guys sharing one match fee, they were sharing two. I still don’t think it’s fair. You can play only XI. Are the other guys worth any less? No. That’s how I feel.”ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that South Africa’s match fees per game were increased from 12 to 13 in the 2018 MoU signed between Cricket South Africa and the SACA – which governs, among other things, player salaries, and that this has been increased again, to 14 match fees, to cater for bigger squads during the Covid-19 pandemic. South African players’ match fees are R25,000 (US$1,700) per ODI and R12,500 (US$850) per T20I, which means bench players’ amounts had increased in ODIs from R6250 (US$425) to R12500 (US$850) and T20Is from R3125 (US$213) to R6250 (US$425) in the time Phangiso played to R16,666 (US$1140) and R8333 (US$570) since November 2019.By then, it was too late for Phangiso, who last represented South Africa in 2018 and said in the hearings he felt he should have played more. He narrated numerous incidents of being told to “wait for your time,” as a specialist spinner in a cricketing landscape that favoured quicks. But he expressed confusion about not getting a game at the 2014 World Cup, which was played in Bangladesh, and only playing two of South Africa’s four matches at the 2016 T20 World Cup, in India.Phangiso said he understood he was considered next in line to Imran Tahir but felt there were instances when they could have played together, as they did at the Lions franchise. “I understand Imran was doing well. But in games Imran and I played together we dominated and did well as a combination.” Phangiso said.Related

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His biggest disappointment, however, was the 2015 World Cup where he also didn’t play a game despite South Africa qualifying for the knockouts, with a group game to spare. Phangiso revealed he felt isolated on that tour but also suffered some of the aftermath of South Africa’s exit.”I was happy to go to a World Cup again, thinking I would get the chance to contribute, but going into the tournament as the only (black) African player was also tough. I am not sure a lot the public can relate to what it’s like being the only person of your own race,” he said. “You are away from home. We are there for more than a month-and-a-half, all alone, no game time, no nothing. And then to come home and know you have disappointed everyone. People ask if you think you are not good enough to play and what happened? You get into a mental state, I wouldn’t say depression, but it’s exhausting.”Like the other participants at the SJN Hearings, Phangiso also spoke extensively about racial discrimination he endured as a player, especially in the early days of his career. Phangiso started playing in the South African domestic set-up in 2004, when transformation targets demanded all franchises field four players of colour in their XIs and all provincial teams, five.”You would just be there as a number. There were times when one would take the field and not do the discipline one specialises in,” he said, recounting an incident from a match in 2005 when he only bowled five overs out of more than 110 for Northerns.”I was on the field for three days and I didn’t bowl (much) and I actually started crying on the field and my current coach (Mandla Mashimbyi of Northerns) came to me and said: ‘don’t worry, all will be fine, you will get your turn’. Those are the words we tell ourselves: ‘keep pushing the struggle’.”The SJN hearings are due to run for the next two weeks after which transformation ombudsman Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, will produce a report and recommendations to CSA.

Newcastle United were unable to adorn St. James’ Park with bells and whistles this summer but they did bolster their backline and they also avoided a detrimental sale of a key first-team star.

Heading into the transfer window, Eddie Howe’s outfit clearly needed reinforcements after turning up a day late and a dollar short in the race for European qualification, one year on from the victorious and unforeseen campaign toward the top four, earning a place in the Champions League.

But it was a season of misfortune for the Magpies, who were knocked by persistent injuries and ultimately finished seventh in the Premier League, losing their Conference League qualifying spot after Manchester United, who finished eighth, won the FA Cup.

It must be said that while Newcastle kept the essence of their project intact, they didn’t make any actual improvements to their frontline, missing out on top attacking target Anthony Elanga.

Why Newcastle wanted Anthony Elanga

There was plenty of talk about Miguel Almiron’s future on Tyneside this summer. The Paraguayan winger has been a stalwart over the years but is not prolific enough to warrant a regular starting spot on the flank. Jacob Murphy is another to play a present part in Howe’s plans, but he too could be displaced by a superior wideman.

Miguel Almiron: Premier League Stats by Season

Season

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

24/25

2 (0)

0

0

23/24

23 (13)

3

1

22/23

29 (24)

11

5

21/22

19 (8)

1

0

20/21

28 (22)

4

1

19/20

35 (34)

4

2

18/19

9 (8)

0

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

The 30-year-old could still make an impact this season, but a player of Elanga’s quality could have made a positive impact on Howe’s unit, taking the starring role on the right and allowing his older peers to contribute when called upon.

Last summer, Nottingham Forest signed Elanga from Manchester United for a fee believed to be £15m. The winger, who completed a five-year move, had shown promise at Old Trafford but was not going to work his way into Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup.

Their loss. The Tricky Trees thoroughly enjoyed his performances last season, with Elanga wrapping up the campaign with five goals and nine assists across his 36 Premier League fixtures, proving to be instrumental in the (successful) fight to stay in the division.

He might be waiting for his first goal contribution of the current campaign but the Sweden international hasn’t exactly been slacking, with an average 91% pass completion rate and 2.7 key passes per game across his opening top-flight appearances, as per Sofascore.

It’s no surprise that Newcastle have a vested interest in his signature. The Toon had been hoping to sign him on a £45m deal in the summer but were batted away with each advance.

It’s a rueful one. He’d be deadly on the right wing, and the perfect partner for Anthony Gordon on the alternate – a player who is even more valuable than him.

Anthony Gordon is shaping into a superstar

Gordon is turning into quite the player. His voracious love for reading and determined personality are eloquent of his elite mindset, and his performances in Newcastle colours have been indicative of just that.

It hasn’t always been plain sailing for the England international on Tyneside, who forced his way out of Everton in January 2023 and signed for £45m. Across the latter half of the 2022/23 campaign, Gordon worked hard but to little avail, scoring his first goal on the final day, during a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Last season, however, he put any notion of being a ‘flop’ to bed, actually winning Newcastle’s Player of the Season award after scoring 12 goals and claiming 11 assists across all competitions, hailed by Bruno Guimaraes for his “unbelievable” performances.

Premier League 23/24: Anthony Gordon vs Anthony Elanga

Stats (*per game)

Anthony Gordon

Anthony Elanga

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

36 (25)

Goals

11

5

Assists

10

9

Touches

44.9

30.5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

1.5 (0.6)

Big chances created

16

14

Pass completion

82%

75%

Key passes*

1.6

0.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.1

Ball recoveries*

3.6

2.7

Dribbles*

1.5

0.8

Total duels won*

5.3

2.9

All stats via Sofascore

The 23-year-old is only going to get better and better, and while he has a distance to go before sitting alongside Europe’s very finest attacking midfielders, he carries the trappings of such a player, with the profile of a top, top superstar.

After all, he caught Liverpool’s attention during the off-season…

Anthony Gordon's market value in 2024/25

Liverpool were interested in signing Gordon this summer, with a £75m deal preliminarily in place that would see the winger return to Merseyside and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez head to St. James’ Park in return.

Newcastle circumvented their PSR problem without losing any of their most important players – namely, Gordon, Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.

It was fantastic that this was achieved, especially when considering the gravitas of Newcastle’s task: restoring its place among Europe’s elite and continuing to push for silverware.

Gordon will be instrumental in this regard. Signing Elanga would have been nice, but he’s not performing at the same level as Gordon, who is combative, cultured and creative – the full package, and he’s “fearless” besides, as has been said by Alan Shearer.

A player on the rise, the Englishman was only actually valued at £7m, as per Transfermarkt, at the time at which PIF took over Newcastle back in late 2021, although he has since soared to that £75m price tag – an increase of 971%.

When we look back at Newcastle’s summer activity, there might be an element of regret at having not bolstered as had been desired, but keeping a grip on a player of Gordon’s ilk might just prove to be more influential than the signing of Elanga would ever have been.

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