Category Uncategorized

It’s only a month away now until Premier League action finally returns to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland fans have been waiting for this moment to arrive all summer, and with the amount of whirlwind business that has taken place off the pitch this off-season, with high-profile additions galore, it must be hard for the Black Cats faithful not to feel excited at the moment, yet impatient in equal measure.

The latest jaw-dropping arrival was Simon Adingra from Brighton and Hove Albion, with the Premier League-ready attacker joining up with Regis Le Bris’ camp for £18m.

More cash will surely be splashed between now and the opening match of the campaign versus West Ham United, as Le Bris and Co. begin to hunt down some new defensive bodies to strengthen even more.

Sunderland firming up interest in £24m star

In particular, the Black Cats will be looking to add some reinforcements in the heart of defence based on recurring rumours.

Transfer Focus

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

The likes of Duje Caleta-Car, Joe Gomez, and Charlie Cresswell have all been tipped to join the Stadium of Light ranks this summer in this department, with reports even going as far as to suggest that Cresswell could be purchased for around the £18m mark.

However, there is a fresh target has now emerged in this area of the pitch in the form of Bologna titan Jhon Lucumi, with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio suggesting that the newly promoted side is showing an interest in the imposing Colombian.

That has been followed up by a report from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, with the respected insider revealing that the Black Cats are ready to make an official bid, having been in contact over the last 24 hours or so.

With a reported release clause coming into play at around the £24m region, it will be intriguing to see what Sunderland are willing to fork out to snap up the 6-foot-2 defender shortly, with Lucumi arguably an even bigger talent than the up-and-coming Cresswell.

Why Lucumi is an even bigger talent than Cresswell

Whilst the former Leeds United man is the talk of the town at the moment after a breakout Toulouse campaign and an imperious Euros tournament, he is still a relatively inexperienced figure in the grand scheme of things.

Indeed, when adding up the 22-year-old’s career appearances to date, 39 of his 101 overall clashes have come about in the U21 ranks at Elland Road, with just one meaningful senior season under his belt in a top division in Ligue 1, which came about just last campaign.

Games played

32

31

Goals scored

0

3

Assists

1

1

Touches*

73.2

63.3

Accurate passes*

57.9 (92%)

41.2 (83%)

Ball recoveries*

5.5

3.3

Total duels won*

3.9

4.9

Clean sheets

10

9

On the flip side, the Bologna number 26 has been a mainstay in Serie A for some time now – with a high 94 Italian top-flight contests next to his name – and as can be seen glancing at the table above, his powers haven’t waned whatsoever as a dominant and assured presence in the backline of Vincenzo Italiano’s side.

If anything, he actually managed to trump Cresswell in many different areas of their respective defensive games last season, with Lucumi having been noted for his “ice-cold composure” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Indeed, he averaged more accurate passes per league clash than the Preston-born centre-back, on top of tirelessly registering more ball recoveries as an energetic body at the back.

Further hailed as being “ridiculously impressive” by Mattinson, it does feel as if Lucumi would be better placed to go in and make an impact on the Sunderland side immediately than Cresswell, considering he also excelled in the Champions League last campaign when battling against the likes of Aston Villa with 4.6 total duels won on average in Europe’s elite competition.

Cresswell will undoubtedly find himself back in the English game at some stage, having been rashly discarded by Leeds.

But, in the here and now, Sunderland should attempt to push the boat out more to land the Colombian, as more and more cash is thrown around to help boost the Black Cats’ survival chances.

Better than Diarra: Sunderland racing PL clubs to sign £9m "genius"

Sunderland are now in the race to pick up this brilliant £9m gem.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 14, 2025

Everton have enjoyed plenty of success when it comes to signing players from the EFL since 2004.

Tim Cahill was the first real star to move from the Championship to Everton that summer, before the likes of Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Dwight McNeil have followed throughout the years.

It is a place where talented players can be signed for a reduced fee, especially if a club has just suffered relegation.

The transfer window is already weeks old and only Carlos Alcaraz has signed permanently. The Toffees faithful will be hoping David Moyes can change this sooner rather than later by welcoming in another player from the EFL.

Everton eyeing Championship starlet

A move for Villarreal striker Thierno Barry looks close to being sealed and this could act as a catalyst for more incomings.

Barry looks set to cost around £34.5m, but there is no doubt that he is exactly the type of signing Everton needs.

Now, according to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, a move for Ipswich Town starlet Omari Hutchinson could be next.

The journalist stated the player would love the chance to return to the Premier League, with the publication specifically name-checking the Toffees as one possible destination.

The Englishman has a release clause in his contract worth £35m and this is surely an enticing proposition for Moyes.

Considering the club’s success at poaching talented players from the Championship in recent years, this is a move the Toffees should be all over in the coming weeks.

With Iliman Ndiaye on one wing and Hutchinson in the middle, Everton could provide Barry with plenty of opportunities next term.

Why Omari Hutchinson could be Ndiaye 2.0 at Everton

Ndiaye was particularly impressive for the Toffees last term. Following his summer arrival from Marseille, the Senegal international scored 11 goals, including nine in the Premier League.

These efforts played a huge part in the club preserving their top-flight status, and he will be key for Moyes next season.

Hutchinson, who was hailed as “dazzling” by Statman Dave in 2024, is cut from a similar cloth and despite not being able to get on the ball as much during Ipswich dismal Premier League campaign, he did shine for England at the U21 European Championships this summer.

Goals

1

Assists

1

Key passes per game

1.8

Big chances created

3

Successful dribbles per game

2

Shots per game

1.5

He scored in the final against Germany, which saw his country defend their title, and a move back to the Premier League now seems inevitable.

Interestingly enough, Hutchinson could perhaps become Ndiaye 2.0, as the Senegal star is his fourth-most comparable player according to FBref.

Last season, the pair registered similar statistics across a range of metrics, including shots (1.57 vs 1.3), shot-creating actions (2.82 vs 2.41) per 90 minutes, successful take-ons (51 vs 68), touches in the attacking penalty area (92 vs 83) and carries into the penalty area (37 vs 32), suggesting the pair offer plenty in the final third.

Ndiaye settled in nicely at the club last term, eventually ending it as their top scorer across all competitions.

Should Hutchinson swap East Anglia for Merseyside, there is every chance he could sparkle under the tutelage of Moyes next term.

It could turn into an excellent signing. That much is certain.

Everton now ready to pay £5m+ to sign new star with same agent as McNeil

The Toffees are ready to take advantage…

1 BySean Markus Clifford Jul 7, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a race to sign a versatile £6.7 million international who could be a replacement for Nélson Semedo, according to a recent report.

Wolves target new midfielder and new striker

Given the fact the Midlands side have already seen Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri leave the club in big-money deals, Wolves have a rather large back pocket full of money. Manager Vitor Pereira will be hoping the club chiefs allow him to spend that money in the transfer market, as they look to avoid another relegation battle.

Wolves make approach for "major talent" also wanted by seven other clubs

The Old Gold are in the market for reinforcements…

1 BySean Markus Clifford Jul 4, 2025

According to a report from Spain, one way the Premier League side want to spend some of their cash is by signing Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid. It is claimed that Wolves are among the teams wanting to sign the midfielder, and they would be willing to pay as much as £43 million to bring him back to England. The Spanish giants could be open to letting the England midfielder leave in this transfer window, as that would allow them to improve their squad in other areas.

As well as a new midfielder, Wolves also want to add more firepower to their team and have made an approach to sign El Bilal Toure from Atalanta. The striker, who scored three goals in all competitions last season, is very much a wanted man this summer, as teams from France, Turkey, and England are all queuing up with an interest.

Wolves in race to sign Tchatchoua to replace Semedo

As well as looking to strengthen their midfield and forward line, the Premier League side may be in the market for a new right-back, and according to Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Molineux News, Wolves are interested in signing Jackson Tchatchoua from Hellas Verona.

Wolves are still working on a deal to keep Semedo at the club, as his contract expired at the end of June and he has been offered fresh terms. However, they are yet to receive an answer, and now the Premier League side are looking at possible replacements and therefore have turned their attention to Tchatchoua, who is also wanted by Everton, Marseille and Galatasaray.

The 23-year-old, who has earned 10 caps for Cameroon, joined Hellas Verona on loan for the 2023/24 season, and that move was made permanent last summer. He can operate as a right-back as well as a right midfielder, scoring two goals to go with three assists in 36 Serie A games last season.

Tchatchoua

Semedo

Apps

36

34

Starts

36

32

Goals

2

0

Assists

3

4

Progressive carries

88

67

Progressive runs

163

119

Tackles (Won)

50 (31)

62 (36)

Blocks

21

32

Interceptions

14

23

Clearances

75

104

It has been previously reported that Hellas Verona value Tchatchoua at €8 million, or roughly £6.7 million, which could be an absolute bargain if Fosun can convince his agency, DWMA, to bring him to England. The group also represented Wesley Fofana in his £75m move from Leicester to Chelsea however, so may be looking to drive that price up.

Arsenal are undergoing a major restructure of their squad ahead of the 2025/2026 campaign, with manager Mikel Arteta desperate to end the club’s long wait for a Premier League title.

Arsenal in discussions for £85m Serie A star as "close" circle contacted

The north Londoners have a number of targets they’re exploring.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 20, 2025

New sporting director Andrea Berta’s arrival in north London three months ago brought plenty of anticipation with it, and the Italian has already been busy for a long time behind-the-scenes.

Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is set to join Arsenal after the Gunners and Berta agreed to pay over his release clause. While Arteta’s side need to stump up a larger fee overall for the Spain international, this cost will be spread out across installments, allowing Arsenal to both navigate PSR regulations and take less of a chunk out of their summer transfer kitty for this year.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is also still joining Arsenal from Chelsea as David Raya’s new back-up goalkeeper (The Times), and the experienced 30-year-old is set to compete for Arteta’s number one spot between the sticks.

While Arsenal are yet to bring in a new striker, despite talks for both Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Arteta’s dire need for a centre-forward means it’ll surely only be a matter of time.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Amidst all of this activity, when it comes to recruitment, players deemed surplus to requirements have been going the other way as well.

Jorginho and Kieran Tierney have officially departed Arsenal, with the former terminating his contract early so he can link up with Flamengo for the Club World Cup, and the latter re-joining former club Celtic on a free transfer.

Now, amid challenging talks over a new deal for star £200,000-per-week midfielder Thomas Partey, the Ghanaian is close to joining them.

Thomas Partey could leave Arsenal in the next few days

He made over 50 appearances under Arteta last season in what was his best-ever campaign for Arsenal, prompting the club to open discussions over an extension, but these negotiations have gone nowhere.

As things stand, Partey could now leave Arsenal in a matter of days, as explained by Fabrizio Romano.

The 32-year-old seemed nailed-on to quit the north London club before 2024/2025, given his well-documented past injury problems, but Partey’s resurgence has suddenly made the star’s exit a much bigger blow for Arteta.

Arsenal’s manager was public in his desire for Partey to remain in N5, after the ex-Atletico Madrid man thrived playing in both midfield and as an emergency right-back last term, which included some pretty big performances against the likes of Real Madrid.

Amid serious interest from AC Milan and José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, the curtain appears to be drawing on Partey’s five-year stay at the club, which could now leave Arteta one “sensational” player short in the engine room.

Manchester United have been in contact to sign a “standout” £10m midfielder this summer ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

Fernandes hints he could leave Man Utd after Europa League final

The nail in the Red Devils’ coffin for the season was hammered in by Spurs on Wednesday night, with Ange Postecoglou getting the better of Ruben Amorim in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

A 1-0 win for Tottenham ensured they’d win their first trophy in 17 years and qualify for the Champions League, whereas United will now have to make do with no European football and one of their worst seasons for more than 50 years.

Bruno Fernandes captained Man Utd in Bilbao but failed to take his side to glory, and with a summer of uncertainty at Old Trafford incoming, spoke about his future in Manchester.

“I will be here until the club tells me it is time to leave. I am available to make the club have great days again.

“The day the club thinks I am too much, or it is time to leave, football is like that and you never know. If the club thinks it is time to leave, because they want to make some money, that is what it is and football is like that sometimes.”

The Portuguese star is wanted in Saudi Arabia by Al-Hilal, and with the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen also ageing and on big money, a new midfield gem could be on the to-do list for the Red Devils and Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead of his first summer transfer window as co-owner.

Man Utd in contact to sign £10m midfielder ahead of Spurs

According to TBR Football, Man Utd are one of numerous clubs who have been in contact with Motherwell over a deal to sign midfielder Lennon Miller.

The 18-year-old is emerging as one of Scotland’s most exciting talents and has had approaches from the Red Devils, Spurs, Arsenal, Brighton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham.

Lennon Miller’s Motherwell stats this season
Games	39
Goals	4
Assists	8
Minutes played	3,398

Atalanta, Bologna and Como in Italy are all keen on Miller, as are French side Strasbourg and Scottish champions Celtic, with reports earlier this year claiming Motherwell would want £10m for the teenage gem.

Set to turn 19 in August, Miller has already made more than 75 senior appearances for Motherwell, even captaining them between November and December last year.

Talking during that time, Barry Ferguson called Miller a “standout” performer for Motherwell and said “he has the potential to play at the highest level”.

The Red Devils have already shown they are looking at the future with recent deals for Patrick Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi-Martin, and by the looks of things, Miller could be the next if they manage to win the huge race for his services.

Whilst the clock ticks down to Saturday’s huge Championship playoff final to decide who the final Premier League team will be ahead of next season, Burnley are already sat at the top-flight table.

Scott Parker’s Clarets would resoundingly finish inside the top two positions alongside Daniel Farke’s Leeds United, meaning any stress that inevitably comes from a big day out to Wembley hasn’t been felt by the Lancashire outfit whatsoever.

Instead, Burnley are filled with anxiety now about a number of their star Championship performers moving on this off-season, with standout defensive star CJ Egan-Riley already reportedly off to France.

The latest on CJ Egan-Riley's future

Unfortunately, these are the pitfalls that come with success, with a lot of Burnley’s imperious defenders now being eyed up by far-off suitors.

Reports are suggesting that Egan-Riley, who contributed to a bumper 26 clean sheets, has agreed a deal to join Liam Rosenior’s RC Strasbourg, with his out-of-contract situation no doubt irking Clarets fans after such a superb season in the second tier.

The unwanted misery doesn’t stop there with James Trafford also routinely linked with a move to the likes of Newcastle United, on top of Josh Brownhill being chased by Everton and West Ham United after chipping in with 18 league strikes in attack.

Of course, both Trafford and Brownhill might not follow Egan-Riley out of the door, but there is another notable face being touted with a switch away that will further iritate Clarets supporters considering he could go on to become the club’s next Ben Mee when climbing up a division.

Burnley's new version of Ben Mee

Amazingly, Mee has still been shining in the Premier League for Brentford three years on from his Turf Moor departure.

Whilst he did reaffirm his status as a reliable centre-back option with the Bees, he really did come into his own donning a Clarets jersey, away from lining up here and there for Thomas Frank’s men, with Mee going on to make a ridiculous 376 appearances over more than a decade.

Maxime Esteve will hope he can follow in Mee’s footsteps if he stays put with Parker’s side, with the Frenchman definitely capable of having a prolonged career in the Premier League like the 35-year-old, judging by his sterling Championship numbers.

Much like Mee during Burnley’s second tier title winning heroics back in the 2015/16 season, the “unbelievable” 22-year-old – as he was labelled by Parker – was an everpresent part of the Clarets’ formidable defence as promotion was won, with the Montpellier-born centre-back now ready for what awaits him in the top-flight with or without his current employers.

Games played

46

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

78.0

Accurate passes*

60.5 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

3.7

Clearances*

5.0

Total duels won*

3.6

Clean sheets

30

It’s clear from the table above that Esteve excels both as a battler for Parker’s side but also as a comfortable operator of the ball, with a steep 30 clean sheets won, on top of also averaging 78 touches as a confident figure playing out from the back.

Mee operated in much the same vein for Burnley during only his second campaign at the daunting level, with the now-experienced defender finishing his 2016/17 season with nine clean sheets next to his name from 30 league contests, alongside also averaging 50.7 touches as a composed body.

It will be intriguing to see if Esteve wants to stick it out at Turf Moor to be held in the same high esteem as Mee, therefore. After all, he’s reportedly wanted by Crystal Palace and the temptation of moving on to Oliver Glasner’s FA Cup-winning side may prove to be too strong a pull.

Either way, Burnley are in a worrying state of limbo at the moment as to what their team will look like ahead of top-flight football returning to Turf Moor, with plenty of fingers crossed that Esteve becomes part of the furniture over being known as a fleeting promotion winner.

Worth more than Brownhill: Burnley have struck gold on "exceptional" star

This Burnley star has now seen his transfer value rise way above Josh Brownhill’s price-tag.

ByKelan Sarson May 18, 2025

Last night might have been a real reprieve for Tottenham Hotspur, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this season has been a difficult one for the fans.

Ange Postecoglou’s side crashed out of both domestic cups and have lost 17 games in the Premier League.

While injuries have undoubtedly played their part, it would also be fair to say that the team have simply not performed to the required level.

So, it’s not surprising to see Daniel Levy and Co working to find new recruits ahead of the summer, with recent reports touting a standout striker for a move to the club, someone who could be a dream upgrade on Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attacking stars that Tottenham are reportedly interested in, such as Tyler Dibling.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

The Southampton gem could be available for around £35m in the coming months, and while that might seem like a lot for someone who is still just 19 years old, it’s because a lot is expected of him in the coming years, with the Saints’ academy manager Andy Goldie dubbing him a “world-class talent.”

A more developed star Spurs are also keen to sign in the summer is Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who could be available for a fee of about £70m.

Now, while that is an enormous sum of money, it might well be worth it, as even though he’s playing for an upper mid-table side in the Cherries, the Ghana international has still been able to amass a total of ten goals and six assists in 36 appearances this term.

However, when it comes to potentially replacing Solanke, the North Londoners will want someone even more prolific, which is where Jonathan Burkardt comes in.

According to journalist Christian Falk’s Daily Briefing via Caught Offside, Spurs are one of several sides interested in the Mainz striker.

Alongside the North Londoners, Falk has revealed that Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion have all scouted the German international.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Burkardt’s goalscoring ability, it is worth pursuing, especially as he could be a dream Solanke upgrade.

How Burkardt compares to Solanke

So, if Spurs are to get their man this summer and bring Burkardt to North London, his main competition for game time would be Solanke, but who would come out on top?

Well, when it comes down to their raw output, which is what matters most for a striker, it’s the German international who comes out ahead, and by quite some way at that.

For example, in just 24 league appearances, totalling 1679 minutes, he’s scored 15 goals and provided three assists, equating to a goal involvement every 1.38 games or every 93.27 minutes.

In contrast, the former Cherries star has scored just seven goals and provided three assists in 23 league appearances, totalling 2033 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.3 games, or every 203.3 minutes.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Is it just as one-sided a comparison when we take a look under the hood? Unfortunately, for the Lilywhites’ record signing, it most certainly is.

Burkardt vs Solanke

Statistics per 90

Burkardt

Solanke

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.76

0.57

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.86

0.44

Progressive Passes

1.95

2.00

Progressive Passes Received

6.86

3.78

Progressive Carries

1.35

1.29

Shots

2.76

2.49

Shots on Target

1.19

0.98

Key Passes

0.81

0.62

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.81

0.40

Live Passes

21.0

13.4

Shot-Creating Actions

2.05

1.64

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

0.36

Ball Recoveries

3.24

1.56

Aerial Duels Won

0.97

1.82

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

For example, in almost every metric, the Darmstadt-born ace, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga”, comes out on top, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, key passes and passes into the penalty area, shots and shots on target, shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Solanke is a good striker, but he hasn’t been prolific this term and from output to underlying numbers, Burkardt looks to be the better player, so Levy and Co should do all they can to sign him this summer.

Related 100% dribbles, 9 duels won: Spurs' 9/10 titan is as undroppable as Solanke

The Spurs star reminded everyone how good he really is last night.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 18, 2025

Full-time mom, Cricket Scotland administrator and elite sportsperson. She doesn’t want to have any regrets later

Shashank Kishore06-Oct-2024Abbi Aitken-Drummond has a full-time role as the executive assistant to Cricket Scotland’s CEO in her day job. Away from work, she co-parents her 13-month-old daughter. Between these two demanding roles, she plays cricket, and is now, quite incredibly, part of Scotland’s maiden T20 World Cup 2024 squad.Aitken-Drummond, 33, is one of Scotland’s longest-serving players, having first come into the set-up in 2003-04 at the age of 14. She captained from 2008 to 2015 and was more recently the team manager at the 2023 Women’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa to players she now calls colleagues.”The other day, we were chatting about our journeys and Olivia Bell told me she was one year old when I made my debut,” Aitken-Drummond tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was like, ‘Wow, thanks for making me feel so old’ ().”Related

• Powerplay podcast: First impressions from the Women's T20 World Cup

• Bryce sisters to lead Scotland at Women's T20 World Cup 2024

For Aitken-Drummond, the World Cup seemed like an afterthought, especially after she had to miss the Qualifiers to be on parental leave. But she made the push when a second shot at being part of a history-making squad presented itself.”I knew it wasn’t a right that I’d be back when available,” she says. “I had to work for it. I played for Scotland A with county teams in England [during the build-up], featured for Scotland in a tri-series with Netherlands and Papua New Guinea. But in my mind, I wasn’t sure I’d done enough.”But upon her return to Edinburgh, when Aitken-Drummond received an unexpected phone call from Cricket Scotland, her heart fluttered. “It was our head of performance to tell me I’d been picked,” she remembers.”When my phone rang, I was actually eager to know which of my phones were ringing: work phone or personal phone. I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t be the work phone () because it would’ve then been some admin-related stuff.”When the phone rang, in my mind I was like ‘this is now or never. Which phone is it?’ And then I saw his name pop up on my personal phone. I kind of knew it was about selection. Had I known we’d get calls that day, I may have been beside the phone, restless all day. It’s a good thing I didn’t know when the squad was being picked.”

“I know just being part of the 15, whether I play or not, I can provide a lot of support. I’ve been team manager to four of them in the past and I’d like to think my door is always open.”Abbi Aitken-Drummond

Aitken-Drummond isn’t privy to sensitive matters, such as selection, despite being a Cricket Scotland employee. It’s a boundary she has learnt to draw having juggled a career as a player and administrator. Having studied Event Management in university, Aitken-Drummond has loved to apply some of her learnings to “this side of the rope as well as the other side.””Most players tend to go down the coaching path, but my passion lies in the administration,” she says. “Our CEO Trudy Lindblade has been in the role for eight months now. She’s my line manager back home, but over here [in the UAE] she’s like, ‘we’re not speaking work. Focus on your game and enjoy it.’ I’ve been away from my laptop, enjoying being on this side of the fence.”Aitken-Drummond had to put in long days – sometimes they stretch 18 hours – to make this journey possible. The motivation for her daughter to say, “my mum played in Scotland’s first World Cup” and for her partner [Annette Drummond, former Scotland player] to “live a dream she missed out on” pushed her.”It has needed a whole new level of organisation skills,” she says. “I’m at work for 10 hours a day, four days a week – Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm. Quite often I’m able to work from home, so that helps being around our daughter. Then I head to the nets for my training. No two days are the same. It’s so much easier when you have a routine, but that’s been challenging.”Sometimes, it’s not possible and then I’d feel that guilt of not training enough. But I also recognise if you’re not able to sleep enough, those gym sessions are unlikely to be productive either. So, I’ve learnt to be flexible about these things. So, most days after dinner, when I’ve put my daughter to sleep, I head over to the gym, try sneak in a session or two indoors. It’s tough to juggle everything, but you try and do as best as you can.”I don’t want to look back and regret these small things later on, they grow up quick. But I’m really grateful to my partner for the support. This wouldn’t be possible without her. She pushed me, saying, ‘I don’t want you to regret later, this is your chance, go get it.'”For the moment, Aitken-Drummond is happy being part of the group, irrespective of her role within the set-up. “If you’d told me 20 years ago Scotland would play in a women’s World Cup, I’d have laughed.”The big goal was to make sure I was here. I know just being part of the 15, whether I play or not, I can provide a lot of support. I’ve been team manager to four of them in the past and I’d like to think my door is always open.”I enjoy one-on-one sessions. If girls are struggling, happy or overwhelmed – just be there for them. Any game I play, I play like it’s my last. Life changes quickly, juggling so many priorities, I don’t want to regret that I could’ve potentially played my last game not having known that. So, I tried each day as it comes.”

The team’s quicks have come a long way in four years, and are now perhaps all Bangladesh can pin their World Cup campaign hopes on

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2022Ebadot Hossain found inspiration from team-mates in Mount Maunganui. As he laboured through a spell late on the fourth day, Bangladesh needed to break a crucial partnership. They had done the hard part against New Zealand, a side they had never beaten at home, but Ross Taylor and Will Young stood in their way. Finally Ebadot skidded one past a pull by Young. The off bail went for a spin.Ebadot, who averaged 81.54 in Tests then, bowled the most memorable spell in Bangladesh cricket history. His 6 for 37 in the second innings sank New Zealand, the defending World Test champions, to an eight-wicket defeatA couple of months later in South Africa, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers scripted another miracle. Taskin Ahmed took 5 for 35, this time in an ODI, to fire the visitors to their maiden series win in South Africa. Until then, Bangladesh had lost all 19 matches in the country.Related

Donald impressed by 'Sylhet Rocket' Ebadot's explosive start to ODI career

Taskin Ahmed: 'I told myself, whether I break or I die, I will wear the red and green jersey again'

'Bowl patiently, wait for mistakes' – Taskin's mantra for fast bowlers in flat Chattogram

'It gives us a breather but it's not the ultimate goal' – Tamim on Bangladesh's World Cup qualification

Under-fire Shanto and Mustafizur finally come good

These were not one-off performances but rather the culmination of two years of hard work on and off the field, not least in convincing Bangladesh cricket’s bosses, the architects of a spin-only policy, that fast bowling is back.Now, going into the T20 World Cup in Australia, Bangladesh are in woeful T20 form, having won just four of their 16 T20Is this year. Still, assistance from the conditions down under will help, and also the confidence from the tremendous 2021 their fast bowlers had in the format. Also, they are fit, and most crucially, for once they have the trust of the captain and team director.Taskin Ahmed was injured for part of the year, but was more than handy when fit•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesA year for bowling fast
Bangladesh’s best cricket this year involves fast bowling. Taskin bowled with intelligence and maturity either side of his injury layoff in the middle of the year. Ebadot will walk away in possession of the greatest moment for Bangladesh in a Test in 2022. And Khaled Ahmed finally came of age, with bursts in South Africa and West Indies. Shoriful Islam, initially dropped from the World Cup squad, only to be reinstated later, took the most wickets in all formats among the fast bowlers. Hasan Mahmud has looked sharp in between his injuries.Russell Domingo, the side’s head coach, has enjoyed this, being the first establishment figure to want to break away from Bangladesh’s spin-only policy at home. He has had to be more pragmatic since then, but his backing of pace has never wavered.”There has been great progress by Bangladesh’s fast bowlers,” Domingo said. “They have developed into a really good bowling unit in the last two years. They will be dangerous [in the T20 World Cup]. If they can get good scores on the board, guys like Taskin, Ebadot, Mustafiz [Rahman] or Hasan Mahmud can put any batting line-up under pressure. The fast bowlers are going to be central for Bangladesh.”Better fast bowing has definitely made our side more competitive when we go away from Bangladesh. In all formats. No doubt about that. But they are still a work in progress, a long way to go.”There’s a good group now: Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman. There’s also Khaled [Ahmed]. They have become good international bowers, but we want two or three of them to become some of the best in the world. It is their next big challenge.”Kamrul Islam Rabbi was a casualty of Bangladesh’s spin-reliant years, falling by the wayside•Ishara S Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesThat aspiration is a sign of how far fast bowling has come in the last two years. In Domingo’s first Test in charge, in September 2019, Bangladesh didn’t play a single fast bowler. Afghanistan stomped all over a one-dimensional attack, trouncing them by 224 runs.Domingo wasn’t the one taking decisions in that game, and every decision-maker back then was so hypnotised by the spin-only policy that not having a fast bowler was normal. Nobody batted an eyelid, except when looking at the result.Death valley
For years Bangladesh pretended they took fast bowling seriously. Batters ruled Bangladesh cricket – either in the form of the team’s senior players or of former batters taking administrative decisions in the BCB. And given the evidence that Bangladesh batters couldn’t cope with visiting fast bowlers, the pitches started to go lower and lower.Still, the likes of Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain and Tapash Baisya emerged. When Mashrafe became white-ball captain in 2014-15, he pushed for a bowling attack that was pace-heavy. Results were immediate, with consecutive ODI series wins against Pakistan, India and South Africa at home. Mashrafe imparted the lessons of his long experience to Mustafizur and Taskin, while Al-Amin Hossain was great against left-handers, and Mohammad Saifuddin was fast-tracked from the Under-19s.It was a bit of a false dawn, though. A year later, coach Chandika Hathurusingha and captain Mushfiqur Rahim decided to go all in with spin again. Kamrul Islam Rabbi, who played seven Tests during Bangladesh’s pace-lean years, did not bowl a single over during the England fourth innings in Mirpur in 2016, only his second Test. Just 31 overs of pace were bowled by Bangladesh in that series, fewer than 10% of all the overs bowled.Khaled Ahmed with Bangladesh bowling coach Allan Donald earlier this year. His first Test wicket came three years into an interrupted career•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesAgainst Australia the following year, fast bowlers bowled 14.5% of all overs, and a remarkably small 2% against West Indies during the 2018 home series. And in the one-off Test against Afghanistan mentioned earlier, Bangladesh didn’t pick any fast bowlers.”The hardest thing for me was the lack of faith in me,” Rabbi said. “Captain, vice-captain, coach or the fast-bowling coach, nobody had faith in fast bowling. For example, nobody would even bother to shine the ball carefully. You know, one might get reverse swing if the ball is taken care of. The moment I bowl a bad over, a spinner comes into the attack.”The ripple effect was felt on the domestic scene. Around this time, most domestic teams mimicked the national team. Already, clubs or divisional sides mostly picked fast bowlers only as token gestures, and as each season wore on, they would point-blank pick line-ups full of left-arm spinners. When the few fast bowlers there were went abroad, they didn’t know how to bowl there, and often were short on bowling experience, having sat out of most Tests earlier in the season.”It is a whole host of things,” says Domingo. “Conditions, backing them and giving them confidence, and them being more secure. We have been so reliant on spinners that fast bowlers weren’t really looked at as big threats for Bangladesh. Now, the captain is looking at Ebadot, Taskin and Shoriful to get those breakthroughs. This confidence that the captains have will also help the fast bowlers get better.”A corner turned
Some point to two domestic tournaments in late 2020 as having changed things. Eight of the top ten wicket-takers in the BCB President’s Cup that year were fast bowlers. In the Bangabandhu Cup, that number was nine out of ten. Fresh pitches and rusty batting, as players emerged from lockdowns and biosecurity bubbles, played a part. But it certainly helped that the fast bowlers were the fittest they had been for a while.Shoriful Islam has taken the most wickets across formats among Bangladesh bowlers this year, 28, followed by Ebadot Hossain with one fewer•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesThis was around when the changing attitudes of the likes of Taskin, Ebadot and Khaled became noticeable. The wickets reinforced the faith that they could keep doing well. Khaled, who has had a complicated career though he is only nine Tests old, returned after a knee injury and finally took his first wicket – three years into a disrupted Test career.”Everyone thinks that only taking wickets means good performance,” he said. “Nobody notices good bowling. Only wickets get noticed.”I saw that people started blaming me. I tried hard to play regularly at the highest level. I think it is important to bowl for long in a Test match, so that you can get the idea about how you can actually take wickets.”Soon after the knee injury, Khaled said he started to think about how to avoid injuries. The pandemic meant a lot of free time at home and he worked on his fitness in Sylhet. A few hundred kilometres west, in Dhaka, Taskin was doing the same: he would run on sand, find local parks in which to bowl off a full run-up when the garage of his apartment building fell short, and even forced his gym owner to open during the height of the pandemic.”When you are healthy, you will have a great mindset,” Khaled said. “When you are tired, your brain doesn’t work. The moment I recovered from my injury, the pandemic happened. I had a lot of time. I focused a lot on running and gym work, as I had bought equipment for my home. I tried to bring my body into a shape.”When I got that first wicket against Pakistan after almost three years, I felt boosted. I thought I could do it. I didn’t get to play in New Zealand, but I had a target of doing well in the next opportunity. Sujon sir [Khaled Mahmud] helped me a lot in the South Africa series. He encouraged me a lot, told me to think hard about how I wanted to bowl. He supports all the fast bowlers,” said Khaled, who was impressive in South Africa and West Indies this year, both otherwise difficult Test series for Bangladesh.Rabbi, who continues to play in the National Cricket League for Barishal Division, said fast bowlers have been handled better in the senior set-up over the last two years or so. “Nowadays a fast bowler isn’t just discarded after one bad Test. Ebadot has been traveling with the team for a long time and he is reaping the rewards. It was different six years ago. Then, if you did badly in one game, you’d be dropped for the next game. If you did badly in two games, you’d be forgotten for the next series.Domingo, who will return to Bangladesh duty after the T20 World Cup, said he is looking forward to a more robust fast-bowling unit. “A year or two ago they were an inexperienced bowling unit. Now Ebadot has played 20 [17] Tests, but we want him to learn and not make the same mistakes. I want them to become more consistent. I know what I am going to get from Taskin. The other fast bowlers are not quite there yet with their consistency.”They just need to have less bad spells than in the past. I am not looking for continuous match-winning spells, I am just looking for consistent spells where they are able to hold the game, and keep control of the run rate. I think it is their next phase. They have the ability to take wickets, but they should have the ability to stay in control against world-class batters.”

From Bodyline to Sandpapergate, these contests are remembered for the controversies they sparked

Mohammad Isam12-Jul-2020Bodyline for Bradman

A cricket series so acrimonious it ended a talented fast bowler’s career, led to the ostracising of a famous captain, soured relationships between two countries, and led to a permanent change in cricket’s rules. By the time the 1932-33 Ashes rolled around, Don Bradman was well on his way to becoming a cricketing God – he had scored 974 runs at 139.14 in the previous Ashes. To counter his brilliance, Douglas Jardine, the England captain, a man who, reportedly, had a special hatred for Australians, decided to employ “leg theory”, a tactic of placing a ring of close fielders on the leg side and bowling short at the batsman’s body. Harold Larwood, one of the fastest bowlers of the time, was charged with attacking the batsmen’s heads and ribs and left many of them bruised. While England won the away series 4-1, the Australian board protested, declaring the tactic unsportsmanlike, and the MCC eventually agreed it was not in keeping with the spirit of the game. Bodyline bowling was subsequently outlawed.”West Indies aren’t coming out”

Clive Lloyd’s mighty West Indians had already won in India, England, and Australia. It seemed a foregone conclusion they would add New Zealand to the list. But, when they travelled there in 1979-80, umpiring took centrestage. West Indies were already upset at having seven lbws given against their batsmen over two innings in the first Test, and things kicked off, literally, when Michael Holding was refused a caught behind in the fourth with New Zealand 28 for 2, chasing 104. The batsman, John Parker, was already removing his gloves, prepared to walk back to the pavilion after watching the keeper complete the take, but umpire John Hastie ruled not out. Exasperated, Holding kicked down the batsman’s stumps. New Zealand ended up winning by a wicket.In the second Test, incensed by another caught-behind denial on the third day, West Indies threatened not to take the field after tea, eventually coming out 12 minutes late. They seemed to intentionally play below par from then on and even threatened to leave the tour. Things got ugly when Colin Croft deliberately flicked the bails off at the bowler’s end after umpire Fred Goodall had given a no-ball. Croft then barged into Goodall while bowling the next ball. That Test and the next ended in draws, but not before there was another threat from some West Indies players to take early flights home. There were also reports that Goodall had made racist remarks about the West Indians, which led to a tense relationship between the two teams for several years after.Patrick Eagar/Popperfoto/Getty Images”A little war erupted”

Fights between the players, with someone in the stands, a walk-out by the umpires, a letter to a president – there was drama enough for a mini-series when Imran Khan’s Pakistan visited Sri Lanka in early 1986. There was already some tension between the sides as Duleep Mendis, the Sri Lanka captain, had complained about biased umpiring when his side toured Pakistan the previous year. Early in the series, Sri Lankan umpire Alane Felsinger allegedly told the visitors this was “not Pakistan” while turning down an appeal. Defiant, the Pakistan players appealed more often and longer, causing the umpires to walk off in protest. Khan had to apologise to convince them to return.In the second Test, Javed Miandad first got into an altercation with the Sri Lanka fielders and then with someone in the stands who had thrown a stone at him. After losing, Pakistan were in such a forlorn mood they considered going home before the third Test. “We felt as though we were locked in a darkened room without a chink of light,” Khan wrote in his book . He wrote to Pakistan president Zia-ul-Haq, who told them to stay put.As a result of that series, Khan became an advocate for neutral umpires, setting an example by inviting them to stand in Tests in Pakistan.The summer of suspicion

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took 43 wickets between them as Pakistan beat England 2-1 over five Tests. The world heralded the coming of two generational talents, but the British press could not wrap their heads around how the duo could get the old ball to swing so much, and so late. Akram and Younis, along with Aaqib Javed, had played on the county circuit, and there were already murmurings about them tampering with the ball, which only got louder as they ripped through England again and again. Things came to a head during the fourth ODI, at Lord’s, when the ball was changed during the lunch interval of England’s innings. The ICC never made it clear why the match referee changed the ball, leaving a cloud hanging over the incident.The atmosphere was made even more edgy by contentious umpiring, with memories of Mike Gatting’s ugly spat with Pakistan umpire Shakoor Rana from England’s 1987 tour of Pakistan quickly resurfacing when umpire Roy Palmer warned Aaqib Javed for intimidatory bowling at the tail in the third Test, before appearing to dismissively toss Javed’s sweater at him at the end of the over. Javed and his captain, Javed Miandad, were livid. In the next Test, Roy’s brother, Ken, adjudged Graham Gooch not out when he had fallen well short of the crease, and then Mervyn Kitchen turned down a Mushtaq Ahmed appeal for caught-behind, causing the Pakistan fielders to vociferously protest.Writing in , journalist Martin Johnson summed up the series: “As far as Pakistan are concerned, cricket in England is run by arrogant racists. As far as England are concerned, Pakistan cheat. Today, the two countries are as far apart as ever.”This was the first of several series in which Asian teams playing against cricket’s old powers, England and Australia, were accused of bending the rules. In 1995, Muttiah Muralitharan was called for chucking in Australia, and then in 2006, Inzamam-ul-Haq forfeited a Test at the Oval after his side was accused, this time officially, of tampering.Associated Press”Only one team was playing in spirit of the game”

It takes a fair bit to make the usually even-keeled Anil Kumble angry, so when he accuses a team of not playing in the spirit of the game, you know a series has become really heated. In the Sydney Test, the second of the series, umpire Steve Bucknor made several mistakes that went against India. But what irked Kumble and his team was first that the Australians refused to walk, even when the edges seemed clear, and second that Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, insisted a catch taken by Michael Clarke close to the ground was clean, raising his finger to signal to the umpire it was out. Replays suggested the ball may have hit the ground, but since the teams had a pact to take the fielder’s word for close ground catches, Sourav Ganguly had to walk off when Ponting made his gesture to the umpire.For their part, Australia were left fuming when Andrew Symonds accused Harbhajan Singh of using a racial slur against him. India denied the accusation, leading to a situation so acrimonious India reportedly considered pulling out of the tour before the third Test. After Kumble’s famous “spirit of the game” statement and Bucknor being withdrawn from the rest of the series, India played on and won the next Test, in Perth.Dressing-room threats and Sandpapergate

On the second day of the four-match Test series, Australia players were heard using ambush marketing tactics in protest of having the stump mic volume turned up. By the end of the series, that would be barely a footnote as they lost their captain, vice-captain, opening batsman and coach before the final ball was bowled.The series was bad tempered from the off. Nathan Lyon appeared to drop the ball near a diving AB de Villiers in the second Test, and then Quinton de Kock and David Warner got into an argument on the staircase leading up to the dressing-rooms. The incident was caught on camera, and Warner was seen being held back by team-mates as he yelled at de Kock. Warner was at the centre of more controversy when CSA officials were shown photographed next to fans wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks in an attempt to ridicule Warner, whose wife had been involved with Williams years before.In Cape Town, Kagiso Rabada shoulder-barged Steven Smith and Warner confronted a fan, but nothing could prepare the cricketing world for what would transpire on the third day. Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera shoving a piece of sandpaper down his trousers, and Australia were accused of ball tampering. Bancroft and Smith, his captain, made an apology at the end of the day, but the Australian public called for long bans, and even the prime minister decried the incident.Eventually, Smith, Bancroft, and Warner, who was identified as chief conspirator, were handed lengthy bans, coach Darren Lehmann resigned, and Cricket Australia ordered a cultural review into Australian cricket.