ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2015Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain greeted both squads before the start of the first T20 international•AFPThe visitors chose to bat at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and got off to a steady start with openers Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda, racing to 54 off six overs•AFPMohammad Sami removed both openers off consecutive deliveries to leave Zimbabwe on 58 for 2 after seven overs•AFPPakistan managed to pick up more wickets and pull Zimbabwe back•AFPElton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwe captain, however, had other ideas. He smashed eight fours and a six in his 35-ball 54, which pushed Zimbabwe to 172 for 6•AFPAhmed Shehzad and Mukhtar Ahmed put on 142 for the opening stand off only 81 balls. Shehzad struck six fours and a six for his 39-ball 55 before being dismissed in the 14th over•Associated PressMukhtar, who had shown more aggression in the stand, departed in the next over after making a 45-ball 83 smashing 12 fours and three sixes•AFPThe match headed for a tense finish as Pakistan lost three wickets for 12 runs, leaving them with six to get off the last over•AFPBut Shahid Afridi brought a smile on the faces of the spectators at the Gaddafi Stadium when he smashed a four of his first ball to hand Pakistan a five-wicket win with three balls to spare•AFP
After their unexpected success in South Africa, India’s batsmen start the Test series in New Zealand with reputations to maintain
Abhishek Purohit in Auckland05-Feb-20140:00
Dravid asks for consistency from Dhawan, Rohit and Rahane
India’s Test totals from their trip to South Africa are 280, 421, 334, 223. There is nothing earth-shattering about these numbers. There is only one score over 350. These are not totals that will easily win you Test matches. But these are not totals that will send you hurtling to innings defeats either. These are totals that show you can compete. They show you won’t be easily brushed aside. And when you consider the inexperience of the line-up that put them together, against the No 1 Test side, you appreciate the true significance of these scores.M Vijay, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara had played a handful of Tests outside India before the South Africa tour. Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane were playing their first Tests away from home. Kohli and Pujara came out of the tour with bigger reputations. Vijay and Rahane took important steps towards building theirs. Only Dhawan and Rohit faltered.Not that it hasn’t already been recognised, but in time to come, the magnitude of what this bunch of young men achieved in South Africa will be appreciated even more – especially if they continue to build on that unexpectedly impressive start on their several upcoming tours, starting with New Zealand.Shikhar Dhawan has the swagger, the power and the talent, but he might need to rein in his instincts in seamer-friendly conditions•AFPAgain, the challenge is daunting. There is plenty of grass on the Eden Park pitch for the first Test. The ball might swing more in New Zealand than it did in South Africa. The overcast skies expected in Auckland for the first Test will further assist Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Corey Anderson. Like some of the Indian batsmen, Southee is still a young man but with an already established reputation. The other three are left-hand bowlers of different types. Boult swings it like a banana into the right-handers when the conditions are favourable. The tireless Wagner is at you all day. Anderson is more than a handy fourth seamer, and can get it to dart around and kick off the seam. New Zealand have developed a potent pace attack in home conditions.How will the Indians tackle them? Vijay went into the South Africa series termed a walking wicket outside off by many. The discipline and patience he showed in leaving deliveries was refreshing. The angles from the three left-armers will be harder to judge and leave. It was only one innings in a practice match against a fringe side in Whangarei, but Vijay fell playing loosely from the crease, and that is a tendency he will have to resist against the swinging ball.The honeymoon is well and truly over for Dhawan. He was dropped for the decisive fourth ODI in Hamilton. He has the swagger, he has the power, he has the talent. But can he adapt? Can he rein himself in and see out the new, swinging ball? Can he resist having a go at the bouncer? New Zealand might tell us if Dhawan can be a long-term prospect as Test opener.Pujara and Kohli are men with quite some standing in the game now. Both made hundreds in South Africa. Kohli did it in his first Test innings in the country, and nearly got two in Johannesburg alone. Pujara made one of his big hundreds in the second innings. These two are the drivers of the Indian line-up now, both home and away. That is a huge responsibility to have. Both know how crucial their wickets are, how dearly the opposition wants to send them back early.”I know now that the opposition wants to get me out,” Kohli had said after making an ODI hundred in Napier in his first international innings in New Zealand. “That’s why they are going to try to rattle me and try to get me into a fight but that gives me one more reason not to get out.”These words show how much Kohli has matured. Pujara has appeared mature since the time he debuted. It is upto them to make this tour another notable chapter on their journey in international cricket.Few thought Rahane would punch tall South African fast bowlers for four off the back foot. Rahane was probably the most delightful batting surprise for India in South Africa. No one has held that No 6 position for India for any decent period for years now. A couple of solid knocks on this tour might just seal the slot for Rahane for some time to come.Rohit’s is probably the most interesting case. He was brought down to earth in South Africa after the home highs against Australia and West Indies. Irrational aggression, irrational caution, both led to his downfall. He can be iffy against the moving ball, especially early, and will have to tighten up that aspect, especially if there is cloud cover and Boult is steaming in. In his favour, the longest format does seem to be the one his game appears more suited to.On the whole, not many teams in cricket are blessed with such an exciting crop of young batsmen. They were expected to fold over on their first collective tour, but surprised the world. The second one is here now, and this time, there are some expectations and reputations to live up to.
Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test between England and West Indies at Trent Bridge
George Dobell at Trent Bridge25-May-2012Selection of the day The selection of offspinner Shane Shillingford was widely anticipated. Not only did West Indies miss the variation of a specialist spinner at Lord’s, but there was a concern that the burden on Kemar Roach was growing too heavy. Conditions in Nottingham may prove tough for Shillingford, though. Going into this game, Graeme Swann had not taken a Test wicket on the ground (he has played two Tests at Trent Bridge before this one) and since 2008 spin bowlers have taken just four wickets here for a cost of 561 runs. That is an average of 140.25 per wicket. Even if wickets prove hard to come by, however, Shillingford should at least help Darren Sammy retain a measure of control in the field: he is slightly more economical than Swann and, in his last game, claimed ten wickets against Australia.Review of the day West Indies were 64 for 4 when Asad Rauf adjudged Marlon Samuels, who had made only a single, lbw to Tim Bresnan. The review subsequently showed that the ball would have passed well over the top of the stumps and a reprieved Samuel went on to play perhaps the finest and important innings of his career. It was an out-of-character error from the normally excellent Rauf, who did not enjoy the best of days. But for the DRS, West Indies would have been 64 for 5 and Samuels would have endured a miserable – and unfortunate – day.Wicket of the day Bearing in mind that Shivnarine Chanderpaul is rated as the No. 1 Test batsman and that, until that moment, he had resisted for 510 deliveries and scored 224 runs for only one dismissal in the series, his wicket was automatically crucial. But on this occasion it was relevant for two more factors. For a start it was the second time in the day that a decision by Rauf had been overturned upon review and it was also Swann’s first Test wicket at Trent Bridge. It was a fine delivery, too, drawing Chanderpaul forward and then turning past his bat.Shot of the day There are several candidates, most of them provided by Samuels. An apparently effortless on-drive off the bowling of Stuart Broad, a delightful stroke that raced back past the stumps for four, was hard to beat, but the shot of the day was the one that brought Samuels his second half-century of the series. The ball from Bresnan was neither particularly wide nor particularly short, but Samuels forced through cover off the back foot to reach 50 for the 17th time in his Test career. While Samuels endured a turbulent start to this innings, he later provided a reminder as to why he once seen as the future of West Indies’ batting.Quote of the day No. 1 Asked how hard it was to have endured a prolonged period out of the West Indies side, Marlon Samuels replied with a phlegmatic shrug: “I wouldn’t tell you it was difficult … I got to spend quality time with my family and go to the beach.”Heated moment of the day Frustrated after a day that included a couple of dropped chances, James Anderson’s temper came close to boiling point after an lbw appeal – a very long lbw appeal – against Darren Sammy, on 79, was turned down by Aleem Dar. A few moments later, Anderson threw away the pieces of his broken sunglasses and Dar asked him to pick them up. In the end Swann picked them up, put them back together and placed them around Dar’s sunhat. Combined with Anderson’s ‘talkative’ approach to Samuels and the England fast bowler may well be called to see Roshan Mahanama, the ICC match referee, at the end of the Test. “Things can get a little bit out of hand,” Anderson admitted afterwards. “He just told me to be careful. He said if the cameras caught me I could get a punishment, but it all seemed quite friendly at the time. My sunglasses broke. In frustration, I tossed them away.”Quote of the day No. 2 Asked about Anderson’s commentary on his batting – a feature of the day – Samuels replied: “James Anderson should know I am batting for the team. A lot of balls that could’ve been hit for the boundary I left them alone. But when I get a double [century] tomorrow, I would like James Anderson to say something to me.”
Kings XI Punjab’s leading wicket-taker’s summer really took off only after it was almost over
Firdose Moonda30-Apr-2009As the sun began to set on the South African summer this year, Yusuf Abdulla was preparing to play his last cricket of the season. His schedule would see him compete in three more matches – all of them first-class four-day domestic fixtures for his franchise, the Dolphins. Thereafter, he could look forward to a mild Durban winter of rest and recovery. Little did Abdulla know that his summer would stretch on for a few weeks longer.His fine domestic Pro20 form, which saw him claim 10 wickets at an average of 17.10, earned him a call-up to the South African Twenty20 squad to face Australia. He was given just a single bite at the cherry, and only featured in one of the two matches against the Aussies, but he made sure he bit hard. His figures of 1 for 16 in three overs included the prize scalp of Ricky Ponting. That was enough to get him noticed by the people who matter.”I thought my season was going to end, but Tom Moody saw me in that game and the next day he called me up asked if I would be interested in playing for Punjab in the Indian Premier League”, Abdulla recalls. The speed at which he had gone from being just another domestic player to a part of cricket’s
premier 20-over tournament still shocks him. “I still can’t believe how quickly it all happened. By that stage I knew the tournament was going to be held in South Africa, and it couldn’t have worked out any better”.The IPL has given many little-known Indian players their 15 minutes of fame but how did South Africa’s stocky swing bowler get in the frame?Abdulla is from a Muslim family and grew up in Lenasia, a largely Indian suburb in the south of Johannesburg. He spent some of his high-school career in Gauteng, before his family moved to the coal-mining town of Dundee in KwaZulu Natal (KZN). At 18 he was selected for the KZN academy and taken under the coach Yashin Ebrahim’s wing.”I always knew he had potential because of his natural ability to swing the ball,” Ebrahim says. Abdulla spent his time with the Dolphins priming himself for the big time. After a solid 2006-07 season, in which he took nine wickets at an average of 12.00 in the Pro20, Abdulla was picked as one of 20 amateur players to attend the national academy based at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. While the academy’s only competitive cricket was against Zimbabwe A, Abdulla saw it as an opportunity to learn everything he could. “I had already been coached by Graham Ford and Phil Russel, so I had a lot of good mentorship. I still wanted to work on my weaknesses and the academy gave me the room to do that”.His performance in the season that followed was testament to his hard work. In the 2007-08 season he took 10 wickets at an average of 13.40 in the Pro20. Besides being the Dolphins’ main strike bowler in the shorter form of the game, Abdulla also refined his Twenty20 technique. He learnt to disguise his slower ball well, and to fire it in fast from a low and wide angle outside the off stump.Ebrahim says that apart from the minor adjustments to his technique, Abdulla’s success can be largely attributed to his strong will. “When he started to back himself, it came together. He worked hard on his mindset even more than his technique. It was no surprise when he was selected for the national side.”Despite his sterling performances in the shorter version of the game, he has only managed to record one five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. His fitness has also often come under question because of his rotund build. “Ideally we would want him to lose some weight, but he has passed all our tests,” says Ebrahim.While Abdulla is looking to improve his form in the longer version of the game, he has one eye on being selected for the World Twenty20 in June and has emerged as one of the few Twenty20 specialists in South African cricket. “He is immensely competitive and seems to thrive on limited-overs cricket. In that form of the game, he is the go-to man for wickets and is as good an opening bowler as anyone in the country,” says Ahmed
Amla, the Dolphins captain.Ultimately it was these factors and local knowledge that swung him into favour with Punjab. With the team playing six out of their 14 matches in Durban, and Jerome Taylor ruled out injured, they opted for a South African bowler to assist in leading the attack.Their first two games were rain affected, and Abdulla’s performance could hardly be judged on those lines. He was flogged for 19 runs in the solitary over he bowled to the Delhi Daredevils. That baptism of fire exposed him to batsman he rates most highly. “Even though I only bowled the one over, I can tell you that Virender Sehwag is one of the most difficult batsmen to bowl to in the world”. Punjab lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders in their second match, with Abdulla being clobbered for 20 runs in two overs.A change in the Kings XI’s fortunes has been followed up with a change in fortunes for Abdulla as well. He’s notched up figures of 4 for 31 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, among them the wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Jacques Kallis. His return of 3 for 21 against the Rajasthan Royals catapulted him into the top five leading wicket-takers in the tournament. And he went to joint second with a stellar last over in Punjab’s victory against the Mumbai Indians last night.Eager student: Abdulla is keen to learn from his more experienced Punjab team-mates•AFPMany credit his success to the softer wickets of the coast, which tend to favour swing bowlers, and say the real test will come when the IPL moves inland. Abdulla himself says it hasn’t been that easy. “Everybody says the wickets in Durban and Cape Town will suit me, but it has been tough. These wickets are being played on for anything like three matches in a row and by then they are behaving differently to what I am used to. It all depends on what happens on the day and how well I bowl.”Abdulla is still overwhelmed by the leap from provincial cricket into the IPL. He says the immense quality of players in the IPL still mesmerises him. “The main difference between the IPL and domestic cricket is that, for example, when I play against the Lions I am bowling to an opening combination of Alviro Petersen and Jean Symes, but in the
IPL it’s to Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. So even though I am not saying domestic cricket isn’t challenging, the IPL is a step higher and there’s one quality player after the next”.That exposure to players of the highest calibre is also affording Abdulla the opportunity to absorb advice from international players. “I believe in learning wherever I go. The best thing about the IPL is that I am learning from more than one guy all the time. I get advice from players like Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Irfan
Pathan.”At 26 he is not ashamed of seeking guidance. “I am quite close to Hashim Amla, not just in cricketing matters. I talk to him about all sorts of things, and I’d say we are the best of friends”.Abdullah says he couldn’t be happier about his extended summer. “There has been absolutely no strain on my body at all and I am really happy to be a part of this. I am just really enjoying it.”
“Of course, it would have been amazing. But what took me there was my thinking and my process to score runs”
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2024India’s innings was only the second time in Test cricket since August 2018 that the first five wickets fell to attacking shots. And judging from the words of one of their three half-centurions, that approach isn’t going away any time soon.India’s batters bazballed England, particularly on the first day, with the help of a Yashasvi Jaiswal running amok. The 22-year-old opener playing his first Test at home hit the first ball of the innings for four and the first ball of spin for six. That is the way he wants to play and he has no regrets that it was also the way he was dismissed, 20 runs short of a century.”Of course, it would have been amazing if I would have scored a hundred,” Jaiswal said on Friday at the post-match press conference. “But what took me there was my thinking and my process to score runs and I was quite positive in my mind and I was just thinking, making sure I can build an innings. But it was good actually.”This is my first Test match in India and I was just thinking of contributing well and doing well for my team. When I was playing in the West Indies and South Africa, it was quite a different environment. Here also the environment is quite different. I was really enjoying all the places, of course. It is a proud and honour moment every time I go and play for my country.”Jaiswal seemed to enjoy the fact that all three of England’s frontline spinners were turning the ball into him and took a particular liking to the debutant Tom Hartley. That head-to-head read 44 runs in 26 balls with six fours and two sixes. When asked if it was a deliberate tactic, Jaiswal answered, “No I don’t think so. I was just thinking about how I can play a certain ball.”It wasn’t until the innings was in its 24th over that someone whose stock ball goes away from Jaiswal came on. He walloped Joe Root for four second ball of the day but fell two balls later, caught playing an aggressive shot.”I knew that at some stage he was going to bowl. I was prepared for him. He can bowl first over. But as I said, I was trying my best to do what I could and sometimes I can make a mistake and get out. Still, I’m learning. If I do make a mistake, I’ll make sure that I try to learn from it.”
Wrexham are reportedly ready to waive a transfer fee for Paul Mullin and allow the 110-goal striker to leave as a free agent in the summer window.
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Frontman has slipped down pecking orderUnder contract until summer of 2027May be moved on to free up squad spaceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The 30-year-old frontman moved to SToK Racecourse in 2021, a matter of months after Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their stunning takeover in North Wales.
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Mullin is a three-time Player of the Year at Wrexham and has formed part of squads that have rewritten the history books by securing three successive promotions. He did, however, tumble down the attacking pecking order in 2024-25.
DID YOU KNOW?
Questions are being asked of Mullin’s future, with Wrexham expected to spend again ahead of a step up into the Championship, and Alan Nixon has posted on his account that the Red Dragons are prepared to let their iconic No.10 leave for nothing despite being under contract until 2027.
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Phil Parkinson has said when asked about the role Mullin and fellow experienced forward Ollie Palmer have to play in his plans after finding game time and spots in matchday squads hard to come by: “Of course there’s always players who would have liked to have played more. Equally, contributions can come in many forms, so I’m delighted with everybody as a group. Mulls and Ollie will always be legends at this club for what they’ve done. They’re under contract next year and they’ll be back in pre-season ready to go again.”
Liverpool could reportedly make a shock move for Harry Kane's Bayern team-mate as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah. At 33, the Egyptian king still reigns supreme at Anfield, smashing in 34 goals last season, firing the club to their historic 20th league title, and becoming the only player in history to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award three times. But time waits for no man.
Liverpool plot move for Bayern wingerSalah’s age prompts long-term succession planningBayern links could ease transfer talksFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Anfield hierarchy have been crystal clear in their summer business: building for the next era. With Alexander Isak (25), Florian Wirtz (22), and Hugo Ekitike (23) all added to the attacking ranks, the message is obvious: the future must be young, hungry, and dynamic. Now, claims the Reds are targeting Michael Olise, the dazzling French winger who only joined Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace in July 2024 for £45 million ($61m).
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Liverpool see Olise as the heir apparent to Salah, a wide forward capable of cutting in, scoring, and creating with equal menace. His age, skill set, and Premier League pedigree make him an ideal candidate to inherit the right-wing throne. The 23-year-old has wasted no time in making waves in Bavaria, already notching three goals in his first two appearances this season, while boasting 24 goals and 23 assists during his spell in Germany.
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Liverpool believe they have an ace in the hole: their strong, long-standing relationship with the German giants. The two clubs have conducted several major deals over the past decade. Pepe Reina, Sadio Mane, and Luis Diaz have all swapped Anfield for Bavaria, while Liverpool have brought in Thiago Alcantara and Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern in return. Go back even further, and you find names like Markus Babbel and Alou Diarra making similar switches.
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Olise’s journey to the top has been rapid. After bursting onto the scene with Reading, he made his name in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, where he racked up 16 goals and 25 assists in just three seasons. When Bayern swooped last summer, beating off interest from the likes of Manchester United, eyebrows were raised. But the Frenchman has embraced the challenge, adapting seamlessly to the Bundesliga.
O Fluminense faz nesta quarta-feira (9) sua última partida da temporada no Maracanã. Já classificado para a Copa Libertadores de 2023, o Tricolor das Laranjeiras recebe o Goiás às 19h em jogo com casa cheia válido pela 37ª rodada da competição nacional. O LANCE! transmite o jogo em tempo real.
A torcida tricolor já adquiriu em torno de 30 mil bilhetes antecipadamente e esgotou um dos setores do estádio. Embalada por três vitórias consecutivas, a equipe de Fernando Diniz luta para ratificar sua presença no pelotão da frente no Brasileirão.
Com 64 pontos, o Flu aposta na qualidade de Ganso e Jhon Arias, e no poder de decisão de Germán Cano, para sair do último jogo em casa em 2022 com três pontos diante da torcida.
>>> Quem escalar no Cartola FC? Confira as dicas posição por posição!
Após afastar o risco de rebaixamento, o Goiás volta-se nesta reta final para tentar uma vaga na Copa Sul-Americana. O técnico Jair Ventura tem dúvida entre Luan Dias e Fellipe Bastos no meio. Já no setor ofensivo, a presença de Vinícius também é incerta.
O Esmeraldino, que tem 46 pontos, deposita as fichas na boa fase de Pedro Raul, que está nas primeiras colocações entre os artilheiros do Brasileiro.
FICHA TÉCNICA
FLUMINENSE x GOIÁS
Data e hora: 9 de novembro de 2022 (quarta-feira), às 19h (de Brasília) Árbitro:Paulo César Zanovelli da Silva (MG) Assistentes:Guilherme Dias Camilo (Fifa/MG) e Fernanda Nândrea Gomes Antunes (Fifa/MG) VAR:Daiane Caroline Muniz dos Santos (Fifa/SP) Transmissão: Premiere. O LANCE! faz o tempo real do duelo.
FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)
Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Nino, Manoel e Cris Silva; Martinelli, Yago Felipe, André e Ganso; Arias e Germán Cano.
Suspensos: Nenhum
Desfalques: Calegari (lesão no músculo da coxa esquerda), Luan Freitas (ruptura de ligamento cruzado anterior no joelho esquerdo), Marrony e Pineida (em transição)
GOIÁS (Técnico: Jair Ventura)
Tadeu; Diego, Lucas Halter, Reynaldo e Sávio; Auremir, Luan Dias (Fellipe Bastos) e Marquinhos Gabriel; Dadá Belmonte, Vinícius (Renato Júnior) e Pedro Raul.
Suspenso: Hugo (terceiro cartão amarelo)
Desfalques: Caetano, Caio Vinícius (lesionados) e Danilo Barcelos (fora por questões contratuais)
The hamstring injury picked up against South Africa has put paid to his tournament
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-20232:07
Have New Zealand been unlucky?
New Zealand quick Matt Henry has been ruled out of the ODI World Cup due to the hamstring strain he picked up against South Africa with Kyle Jamieson confirmed as his replacement.Jamieson, who was a traveling reserve earlier in the tournament before returning home, had already been called up to join the New Zealand squad in India after their injury list grew during the game in Pune. He will come straight into contention for the game against Pakistan in Bengaluru on Saturday.”We’re fortunate to have a player of the class of Kyle waiting in the wings,” head coach Gary Stead said. “His skills and physical attributes always make him a threat with the ball and it’s an added bonus he was able to train with us in the first two weeks of the tournament.Related
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“Kyle’s had to work really hard to return from two separate back injuries and I know he’s really excited about being involved in his first ODI World Cup.”Henry’s injury had added to those of Kane Williamson (thumb), Mark Chapman (calf), Lockie Ferguson (Achilles) and James Neesham (wrist) which meant New Zealand had just 11 fit players part way through the game against South Africa.Matt Henry’s World Cup is over•AFP/Getty Images
Henry had taken 11 wickets at 28.63 with an economy rate 5.79 in seven matches. He started the tournament with back-to-back three-wicket hauls against England and Netherlands before coming in for some harsher treatment in recent matches.”We’re gutted for him,” Stead said. “Matt’s been a crucial part of our one-day side for a long time and to see him ruled out as we reach the business end of this tournament is immensely disappointing.”He’s consistently been ranked inside the ICC top 10 ODI bowlers for the past few years which is testament to his class and skills. Moreover, Matt’s a great team man and we’re all going to miss his personality and experience.”Stead was hopeful that Ferguson could be available to face Pakistan while adding that Chapman was recovering well and x-rays had cleared Neesham of any broken bones. Williamson had started batting again and will be further assessed in the next couple of days.”We’re faced with a little bit of adversity with injuries,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said after the South Africa game which was their third defeat in a row. “Pretty quick turnaround in Bangalore so we need to reflect on this quickly and go into the next game with a positive mindset. We don’t become a bad team overnight.”
Aston Villa are already beginning to work on plans for the summer transfer window, as they are interested in signing an “exceptional” new winger who would cost around £54 million, according to a recent report.
Emery green lights Villa deal amid rumours of spending spree
The Midlands side have been busy in every transfer window since Unai Emery arrived at Villa Park, and it doesn’t appear this summer is going to be any different – the Villans have already been linked with a move for Genoa’s Morten Frendrup.
Meanwhile, Emery has been watching Villarreal’s Juan Foyth live in action and Villa are also in pole position to sign young striker Charalampos Kostoulas.
Aston Villa now leading the race to sign young £25m striker for Emery
Aston Villa find themselves in a Premier League race to sign a young striker.
ByBrett Worthington Mar 19, 2025
But the transfer news doesn’t stop there, as according to a report from Spain, Villa have expressed an interest in signing Ferran Torres from Barcelona. It is claimed that the Premier League side have been keeping a close eye on the Spain international this summer but do face competition from teams such as Manchester United and Liverpool.
FC Barcelona'sFerranTorrescelebrates scoring their second goal
However, Villa are considered the team most likely to make a move for Torres, as Emery has given his approval to the signing, as he believes he will fit into his attacking system. Torres has been a key player for Barcelona this season, but the Spanish giants still need to clean up their accounts, and therefore, they would be willing to listen to offers of around 35 to 40 million euros for Torres.
Aston Villa now keen on signing £54m Atalanta star Lookman
While Emery has given the green light for Torres, he is not the only wide player they are interested in signing, as according to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on Ademola Lookman, who is expected to leave Atalanta at the end of the campaign.
Atalanta's AdemolaLookmanin action
The report states that as well as Villa closely monitoring Lookman, several Premier League teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are all doing the same as well. The 27-year-old, who has been at Atalanta since August 2022, is expected to leave this summer, as he will enter the final year of his contract.
Lookman, who has been described as “exceptional” by former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o, is said to be available for a transfer for around €65 million, which is roughly £54 million. As well as facing a fight from the Premier League, Villa also face a battle to win Lookman’s signature from Spanish giants Barcelona.
That is because the La Liga side have already contacted the player’s agents regarding a move to Spain this summer, but their ongoing financial problems mean it may be hard for them to complete a transfer. Atlético Madrid and Juventus are also keeping a close eye on Lookman’s situation.
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Lookman was outstanding for Atalanta last season, as he helped the Italian side on their way to Europa League glory. He has continued that fine form this season, netting 13 goals in 23 league games, but comments from manager Gian Piero Gasperini over a missed penalty have now left his long-term future at the club in doubt.