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Adelaide, meanwhile, has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2024

Australia and England will play a one-off Test at the MCG in March 2027 to mark 150 years of the format. The confirmation of the anniversary fixture in Melbourne came as Cricket Australia [CA] and state governments announced that the MCG, SCG and Adelaide Oval had locked in seven-year staging agreements for their regular Tests.The Test in 2027 will replicate the Centenary Test of 1977 which Australia won by 45 runs, matching the margin of the first Test played in 1877. In 1977, Rod Marsh and Derek Randall struck centuries while Dennis Lillee claimed 11 wickets.The annual Boxing Day (Melbourne) and New Year’s Tests (Sydney) have been guaranteed in until 2030-31 while Adelaide has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test after the South Australia government made a pitch for the New Year’s Test.Although the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) is only inked up to early 2027, England and India have confirmed tours in the four years after that.Related

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Ashes 2025-26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener

Is this the end for the Gabba?

Meanwhile, Optus Stadium in Perth will host the opening Test of the season for the next three seasons. Mike Baird, the Cricket Australia chair, said that it was the Western Australian government’s decision not to seek a longer deal. That means next year’s Ashes will start in the west rather than the traditional Gabba in Brisbane. They will then host New Zealand at the start of the 2026-27 season.The future of Gabba has been left clouded amid uncertainty over the redevelopment plans for the stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics and only the next two seasons – matches against India and England – have been confirmed with a chance the Gabba doesn’t host a Test for a considerable time after that. The 2026-27 season will be the first time in 50 years that the Gabba won’t host a Test.”In Brisbane it is harder [to plan] because of the infrastructure,” Baird said. “There is just uncertainty, so we’re not sure of the long-term solution. What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution.”We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Adelaide is the traditional home of day-night Test cricket having hosted seven of the 12 matches held in Australia although the new agreement does not guarantee that all future Tests there will be pink-ball encounters and the 2025-26 Ashes Test will be a red-ball game with Brisbane hosting the day-nighter. Adelaide Oval will also host a New Year’s Eve BBL game for the next seven years.England will tour for a five-match Ashes series in 2025-26 and New Zealand will be the visitors in 2026-27. The latter series will be extended to four Tests from the original three on the FTP and be played in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Australia are then due to tour India for five Tests in January and February 2027.With the additional anniversary Test, there is a potential squeeze on the calendar in March 2027 with Australia due to host Bangladesh in two matches which are part of the World Test Championship. There is a chance those games will be moved although under the current WTC structure would need to be played ahead of the June 2027 final.Although rival states made attempts to take the marquee Christmas and New Year Tests off Melbourne and Sydney it was always an unlikely outcome. Beyond 2026-27 there could be an opportunity for other venues to compete for a Test should the Gabba be unavailable which would bring Hobart and Canberra into the mix. Tasmania has ambitions to host indoor Test cricket at their proposed new multipurpose stadium although that won’t be available until at least 2028.The staging agreements confirmed on Sunday are one of the final big projects completed by outgoing CA CEO Nick Hockley who announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down next March.A future schedule for women’s internationals will be confirmed in the coming months when the next FTP is complete but Adelaide has been guaranteed an ODI or T20I every season.Cricket Australia match allocationsNew South WalesSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s New Year’s Test each summerQueenslandTwo seasons (2024/25 & 2025/26)
Confirmed matches: 1 Men’s Test to be played prior to 30 December each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summerSouth AustraliaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Day/Night Test vs India (2024/25), Men’s Christmas Test (2025/26 to 2030/31), 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer, 1 Women’s T20/ODI each summer and BBL match on New Year’s Eve each summerVictoriaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Boxing Day Test each summer, Women’s 90th Anniversary Day/Night Test vs England in 2024/25 and Men’s 150th Anniversary Test vs England in 2026/27Western AustraliaThree seasons (2024/25 to 2026/27)
Confirmed matches: First Men’s Test each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer

This summer appears to be massive for Tottenham Hotspur if they are to leap back up the Premier League table throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

Thomas Frank will be the latest manager tasked with taking the Lilywhites back towards the top end after the side registered a 17th-place finish this time around.

However, the Dane will have to find the balance between the league and Europe, with the club entering the Champions League as a result of their Europa League triumph.

Squad depth will be vital if they are to be competitive across both competitions, needing to strike a balance between the two to avoid any further embarrassment.

If the 51-year-old is to have the depth he desires, he will need the board to back him in the transfer market to allow him to land the stars he wants to be a success in his stint in North London.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Antoine Semenyo has emerged as a key target for Spurs this window, with the Ghanaian high on their list of priorities after netting 11 goals and registering five assists at the Vitality this season.

He’s not the only one on their radar, with Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz another talent on their radar, but it could cost a pretty penny with the Cottagers demanding £50m to part ways with the Brazilian.

However, despite the interest in the aforementioned duo, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has once again emerged on their shortlist, according to TBR Football’s latest update.

They claim that the Lilywhites are prepared to trigger his £68m release clause in his contract, with Frank’s men confident of completing a deal for the England international.

It also states that the 26-year-old is very keen on a move to join the North London outfit this window, even preparing to push for a move to depart his current employers during the off-season.

Why Eze would be Frank’s answer to Mbeumo

Bryan Mbeumo is a player who’s made a name for himself under Frank at Brentford over recent years, being a key reason for the success endured across the capital.

The Cameroonian international has endured his own rise after joining from French side Troyes back in 2019, registering 70 goals for the Bees in the last six seasons.

He’s exploded into life in 2024/25, notching 20 league goals – the best return of his professional career – cementing himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening talents.

After the Dane’s switch to join Spurs, he’s already attempted to bring the attacker to the club with him, but faces stiff competition from Manchester United for his signature.

It’s unclear whether the Lilywhites will be able to land the 25-year-old in this window, with attention potentially being turned in the direction of Eze as a result.

The attacking midfielder has caught the eye this campaign, registering 16 combined goals and assists in the league, even scoring the winner in their FA Cup triumph.

He could become Frank’s next version of Mbeumo should he complete a move, being his new talisman that can create endless opportunities – as seen with his respective tallies.

Eze, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by journalist Adam Keys and as a “superstar” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has registered 3.5 shots per 90, with 37% of his efforts going on target, showcasing his clinical edge in attacking areas.

His creative nature is also reflected in his tally of 2.1 key passes per 90, whilst also registering 3.4 progressive carries per 90, having the skillset to take the ball into attacking areas and carry the threat that Frank desires.

Games played

34

Goals & assists

16

Shots taken

3.5

Shot on target accuracy

37%

Key passes

2.1

Progressive carries

3.4

Take-on success

49%

The midfielder has also completed 49% of the take-ons he’s attempted, with 4.7 shot-creating actions per 90, having the tools to create and score on his own – replicating that of Mbeumo at Brentford.

Whilst £68m appears to be a hefty figure, it would be a deal that could hand Frank a completely new dimension within the final third during his first season at the helm.

Should he replicate the levels produced by the Cameroonian across the capital, it would be a superb piece of business, handing the side the best chance of returning to a European battle next season.

A better signing than Semenyo: Spurs set to make approach for £50m striker

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to make a move for a star who would improve Thomas Frank’s options in the final third.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 25, 2025

Will Delhi Capitals look to bring back former captain Rishabh Pant? And is Mohammed Shami the obvious choice for Gujarat Titans?

Dustin Silgardo19-Nov-2024What is the right-to-match (RTM) rule?
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, each team was allowed to retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.For the eight teams that did not use all of their six retentions, they can now use right-to-match options on players from their 2024 squads to fill up the remaining slots. The limits of five capped and two uncapped players still apply, so teams that have retained five capped players can use their RTM option on only one uncapped Indian player. And if a team has retained two uncapped players, they can use their RTM options on only capped players. If a team uses a RTM option on one of their former players at the auction, the last bidder will be allowed to raise the bid one final time, and the choice of whether to continue with the right-to-match option and match the bid then lies with the team using the RTM option.
Delhi Capitals
Players retained: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel
Purse remaining: INR 73 crore
Right-to-match options: 2The big question for DC ahead of the auction is whether they will use a right-to-match option on former captain Rishabh Pant. While DC did not retain Pant, there is talk that they still want him at the franchise. DC can use both their right-to-match options on capped players, so they could also target Khaleel Ahmed, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh or Harry Brook.Khaleel spent three years at DC and consistently provided powerplay wickets. That he is an Indian left-arm seamer also makes him someone worth using a right-to-match option on. While Mukesh is not the most spectacular T20 bowler, his death-bowling numbers over two seasons with DC have been fair. His name only comes up in Set 16, though, so DC may not have a right-to-match option remaining then. Nortje was one of DC’s retentions in 2022 after two strong seasons with them, but he had a shocker in 2024. He has regained some form since but is still a risky pick.Among the batters, Fraser-McGurk, who is in Set 3, is the name that stands out after his eye-catching first season. His international form since then, though, has been underwhelming. With Australian coaches at two other franchises, the bidding for Fraser-McGurk might go quite high, which will make the right-to-match option handy. Marsh and Brook have both failed to impress in the IPL but are proven internationals.If DC somehow reach the latter stages of the auction with a right-to-match option still in hand, they may look at 24-year-old uncapped seamer Rasikh Salam Dar, who had an impressive debut season in 2024. He is in Set 11.BCCIGujarat Titans
Players retained: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan
Purse remaining: INR 69 crore
Right-to-match options: 1 (capped)Will Gujarat Titans use their lone right-to-match option on Mohammed Shami? He was the Purple Cap winner in 2023 and played a crucial role in GT’s run to the final in both 2022 and 2023 before missing the 2024 season with injury. Injuries and age are the main concerns surrounding Shami. He played his first competitive match since 2023 just ahead of the auction and took seven wickets across two innings for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in a first-class game. That show of fitness could be the deciding factor in GT going for him.If GT don’t use the right-to-match option on Shami, the other options are David Miller, who is in Set 2, and Noor Ahmad, who is in Set 7. Miller, 34, had a disappointing 2024 season but was in fine form during the recent Caribbean Premier League. Noor, meanwhile, topped the wicket charts in the CPL and at 19, might be seen as an investment for the future.

Has Gill sealed a permanent place? And what about life after Ashwin and Jadeja

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Mar-20232:44

What could India’s XI look like for the WTC final?

India were expected to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and they met those expectations, but few would have imagined they’d be pushed as hard as they were by an Australia side that lacked Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green and David Warner during large parts of the series and Josh Hazlewood through all of it. Having gotten through that experience, India are now set to face Australia again in the World Test Championship final at The Oval in June. It promises to be a cracker, but before they get there, here are five questions they can ponder on in the short and long term.How do India approach the WTC final without Bumrah?India won’t play three spinners at The Oval, but they may seriously consider playing two. They played both Ashwin and Jadeja during the 2021 final in Southampton, as part of a 3-2 combination, and it didn’t quite work. Ashwin bowled beautifully, and was perhaps India’s best bowler in that game, but Jadeja went under-bowled, and New Zealand’s victory in overcast, seaming conditions was in large part down to their depth of seam options – they had four genuine quicks plus the medium-fast accuracy of Colin de Grandhomme, while India only had three fast bowlers.India played a five-Test series in England after that – spread over two tours – and never picked a 3-2 attack again. They went 4-1 in all five Tests, leaving out Ashwin and preferring Jadeja for being the better batter of the two.India drew that series 2-2 with that 4-1 attack, and they will probably want to stick to that combination at The Oval unless conditions seem unusually spin-friendly – an unlikely event in June. But India will be without Jasprit Bumrah, their pace spearhead. In his absence, India may find it hard to pick a four-man seam attack that offers the relentless control that won them Tests at Lord’s and The Oval in 2021.Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will probably be the first-choice new-ball pair, if both are fit, while Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat are the other pace options who could realistically be on that flight to the UK. Hardik Pandya, who last played a Test match in 2018, could be a left-field choice too, as the allrounder who can fill in as fourth seamer. But the first three names mentioned above didn’t bowl too many overs through the Border-Gavaskar series, with the spinners doing the bulk of the work, and the other three didn’t feature at all.Between now and the WTC final, India’s players will play no competitive red-ball cricket, with most of them set to get through a busy IPL season.Given this, it’s hard to see how India will assemble a four-man pace attack whose rhythm they can be confident of. There’s a chance, therefore, that they could go 3-2 again, and trust Ashwin and Jadeja to give them control even in conditions not ideally suited to their bowling.Jasprit Bumrah has been wrapped up in cotton wool to make sure he can play the ODI World Cup•Getty ImagesIs KS Bharat the right back-up for Rishabh Pant?Bharat began his debut series impressively behind the stumps, particularly while standing up to spin, but as the series progressed he began looking less assured. The new ball wobbled after passing the stumps on the first morning in Ahmedabad – a frequent scourge of overseas wicketkeepers touring England – and he struggled to cope with it, and put down a catch off Travis Head.Mistakes began to creep into his keeping against spin as well, particularly against edges travelling to his right, which often tended to miss his gloves and hit his right leg. On TV commentary, Dinesh Karthik – veteran of 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is for India – suggested that this particular issue was down to Bharat’s right foot being his anchor foot – keepers are advised to use their left foot as anchor, to be able to move quickly to their right, which is where they can expect to collect the ball most often. This also perhaps explained why Bharat was often so impressive while collecting the ball down the leg side of right-hand batters – his catch off a gloved sweep from Green, in Ahmedabad, was remarkable for how far he moved to get into position.As the series progressed, Bharat seemed to gain confidence with the bat – or stayed in long enough to show how much talent he has. The unbeaten 23 in India’s chase in Delhi and the 44 in Ahmedabad were both bright and enterprising cameos full of attacking strokeplay – his back-to-back pulled sixes off Green in the latter innings were particularly eye-catching – and India have reason to believe he can hold his own with the bat.The keeping could be more of a worry, but Karthik’s comments suggested his issues were technical and fixable.No team can fully replace Rishabh Pant, but India have invested plenty of faith in Bharat, and it’s likely that they’ll see his mixed debut series as a learning curve, and continue to believe he has a higher ceiling that he can reach with smart work behind the scenes.Wicketkeeper KS Bharat began the Border-Gavaskar series well but a few errors crept into his game later on•Getty ImagesHas Shubman Gill sealed a permanent slot in the Test XI?
There seems to be no end to Gill’s insatiable hunger for hundreds. He’s now scored five in his last 10 innings for India. It almost felt inevitable that he’d get to three-figures when India began their innings in Ahmedabad, but a lot of that feeling was down to how true and easy-paced the pitch was. The other four hundreds Gill has scored in this remarkable stretch have all come on white-ball surfaces, which tend to be considerably flatter than Test pitches.That takes nothing away from Gill’s achievement, of course. But it’s important for fans to understand that this sort of form can’t go on forever – unless Gill turns out to be the reincarnation of Don Bradman – and that he, like any other batter, could make a run of low scores if India play their next few Test matches on challenging pitches.This is why India gave KL Rahul a long run in the side before they replaced him with Gill, and it’s also why they’ll likely give Gill a long run too. He will face plenty of hurdles as his career moves forward – seaming pitches in England could potentially prove his biggest challenge, given that his game seems ideally suited for hard pitches and back-foot play – but India know he’s a special talent and will back him to find a way to score runs in all conditions.2:01

Tait: Gill has a huge future ahead of him

Who after Ashwin and Jadeja?They have 738 Test wickets between them, and they dominated the wicket charts to such an extent during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that the adjudicators decided to jointly award them the Player of the Series trophy. Oh, and they’re both genuine allrounders too, particularly in Indian conditions.R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are irreplaceable, but they’re also 36 and 34, and it’s almost impossible to see how India will replace them when the time comes.Rohit Sharma was asked this during his post-match press conference in Ahmedabad – whether he felt the two would still be around when India next host Australia for a Test series in four years’ time.”I don’t know, honestly, if they’ll be around,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll be around. But no, four years is a long time. For the sake of Indian cricket I hope they stay and they play a lot of cricket for India. Honestly, both of them are marathon players for us. They know exactly how to get the job done, especially in this part of the world.”You give them the ball, they get you those breakthroughs. With the bat they get you crucial runs. Very very important players for us. Where we stand today in terms of how we’ve performed, especially in Indian conditions, the credit goes to them. A large part of our success belongs to those two guys, obviously because it’s not just for a period of few years but it’s over a decade now.R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been marathon players for India•BCCI”It’s a long long time to keep performing in the way these two guys have done for us, and I can only hope that they continue to play as long as possible, because those shoes will definitely be very very big ones to fill.”Ashwin took 25 wickets at an average of 17.28 over the four Tests against Australia, and Jadeja 22 at 18.86. They also made crucial runs in difficult conditions, with Jadeja scoring 70 during India’s only innings in Nagpur and Ashwin contributing 37 to a lower-order rearguard in Delhi, where he and Axar Patel rescued India after they were 139 for 7 in response to Australia’s first-innings total of 263.Happily for India, they’re both bowling as well as ever – Jadeja’s bowling form seemed to tail off somewhat as the series went on, but it may possibly have been down to his having returned to action only recently after undergoing knee surgery – and they don’t need to answer that big question yet.And as much as its important for teams to plan how they handle transitions, they can’t be micromanaged, and they often take place in unexpected ways. Ashwin came to Test cricket with a bowling average of 28.12 and a strike rate of 63.3 after 34 first-class matches. He was viewed as highly promising, but no one could have imagined he’d go on to be one of India’s all-time greats.Likewise with Jadeja, who many viewed as a bits-and-pieces white-ball specialist when he made his Test debut in 2012-13, his bowling seen as accurate but limited and his batting achievements in first-class cricket – including three triple-hundreds – viewed with suspicion. Look where he is now.It’s possible that India will struggle for years to replace Ashwin and Jadeja. But it didn’t take them all that long to replace Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, and there was no grand plan as to how that happened.Axar Patel chipped in with useful runs but his bowling fell short of expectations•Getty ImagesWhat next for Axar Patel?The foremost candidate to partially answer the previous question is, of course, Axar, who is in some ways a Jadeja clone. He was India’s second-highest run-getter during the Australia series, and while his bowling fell well short of pre-series expectations both in terms of volume and potency, he seemed to find some rhythm when he got a chance to bowl longer spells on the flat deck in Ahmedabad. His dismissal of Head on the final day was one of the balls of the series, drifting away from the left-hander before spinning back sharply off the footmarks to bowl him through the gate.Axar looks, in every way, a long-term prospect, and while 29 isn’t young in cricket terms, it’s young enough for a spinner to enjoy a long career.In the immediate term, though, his bigger worry is about featuring in India’s XI overseas. Whatever the conditions are at The Oval in June, they’re unlikely to be of the sort that gets teams thinking of three spinners. He’ll probably be part of India’s squad, though, and he’ll keep working hard with both bat and ball to remind the team management that he can do a job if needed.To get to a stage where he becomes a candidate for the first XI in all conditions, however, there’s one thing he can work on. At present, his biggest threat comes from his unusual trajectory and exaggerated angle into the right-hand batter. If he can work on his stock ball so it turns sharply more often than it currently does, he’ll make batters worry about both edges rather than just one, and that’ll make him an incredibly potent bowler.

Our correspondent hatches a foolproof plan to exact revenge for subcontinental dustbowls

Alan Gardner16-Mar-2021″No, has no brain, and the Tin Man no heart, English batsmen have no technique against the twirly stuff. It never hurts to remind them of that fact – an approach Sunil Gavaskar seemed to enthusiastically embrace on TV commentary.Of course, a few little explosions on a first-day surface might help give those inner demons a nudge, and England were practically spun and done from the moment the Chennai groundsman lost his watering can after the first Test. Even Root, who had been playing spin in his plimsolls for the preceding month, found his innate Englishness impossible to overcome (although at least a top score of 40 from seven innings meant we didn’t have to start having the “conversion” chat once again).Never mind that often it was the ball not spinning that caused so much damage. That just proves the diabolical lengths these foreigners go to – coming up with deliveries that look like they are designed to go around corners in the manner of a heat-seeking missile, only to mooch straight on through the yawning gap you’ve quite deliberately left in your forward defensive.Related

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Ever since dear old Bernie Bosanquet came up with the googly, the English establishment has been suspicious of using such underhand means to take wickets. More than a century on, this moralistic stance has been extended to the point where England all but refuse to produce any spinners of their own. If you can’t win wherever you go in the world with a steady diet of right-arm seam, well, that’s not for us, thanks.Fortunately for the English sense of propriety, there will be a chance to teach India a lesson or two in return when they come over to Blighty this summer. And just as England can’t play spin, everyone knows India haven’t got any fast bowlers to worry about… right?

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Far be it from us to judge, since arranging our sock drawer is a struggle, never mind a T20 tournament in a pandemic – but you can’t help feel that if the organisers of the Pakistan Super League had put as much thought into biosecurity as they did for plugging a certain brand of tea on the TV coverage (the beverage of choice for commentators, cameramen, ground staff and assorted random fans), things might have gone better. Even Sri Lanka Cricket, with its famously low bar for administrative excellence – see Briefings passim – managed to pull off hosting the Lanka Premier League, having seemingly sketched out the idea on the back of a packet of face masks a few weeks in advance. Given how long it has taken to get top-level international and franchise cricket back into Pakistan, allowing all and sundry to leave their bubbles to go for a coffee looks a fairly big oversight; and having your competition postponed due to Covid twice within a year is only “world-beating” in the Boris Johnson sense.

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“Always leave them wanting more.” That’s what they say in show business. In cricket, supply and demand can be a bit more complex – although, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good un-retirement? Shahid Afridi has made a post-playing career out of them, and it seems Chris Gayle is going to take a similar approach (particularly after the recent revelation that rather than being a 41-year-old, Afridi is actually – shock, horror – way older). Anyway, Gayle returned to the West Indies fold against Sri Lanka declaring himself ready to fill “whatever role they want me to play”. For good measure, he added: “If it’s opening, I’m ready, No. 3, No. 5 – I’m pretty much flexible. I will still be the best No. 5 in the world, best No. 3 in the world.” The words of a born showman… and after scoring 29 runs from 37 balls in three innings, West Indies might agree he certainly left them wanting more than that.

أبدى مشجعو ليفربول إعجابهم بأحد لاعبي الفريق ولقطة إنكار الذات التي تخلى فيها عن الأنانية، ليصنع تمريرة حاسمة لزميله النجم المصري محمد صلاح.

وكان محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول قد ساهم في فوز ناديه على حساب كريستال بالاس بثنائية نظيفة، وشهدت المباراة مشاركة فيدريكو كييزا كبديل في الشوط الثاني.

ونشرت “فوتبول إيطاليا” أنه على الرغم من انطلاقة الإيطالي فيدريكو كييزا البطيئة نسبيًا مع ليفربول خلال الموسم الماضي، إلا أنه أصبحت لديه شعبية كبيرة في آنفيلد خلال موسم 2025-2026.

ورغم قلة مشاركاته مع ليفربول إلا أن كييزا قد أبهر الجميع بأدائه المميز كبديل، ودخل قلوب مشجعي ليفربول بشغفه وعزيمته، ويملك هدفين وصنع تمريرة حاسمة واحدة في 11 مباراة في الدوري الإنجليزي وشارك بها كبديل.

وكاد كييزا أن يضيف تمريرة حاسمة ثانية له في مساهماته هذا الموسم مع ليفربول، حيث انطلق بأقصى سرعة في نصف ملعب الخصم واستقبل كرة طويلة من فوق المدافعين بالقرب من منطقة الجزاء، وعلى الرغم من أنه كانت لديه المساحة والوقت الكافيان للتسديد لكنه رفع رأسه ومرر كرة عرضية لصلاح بدلاً من ذلك.

اقرأ أيضاً.. سوندرز: غياب محمد صلاح في كأس أمم إفريقيا مفيد لـ ليفربول

وذكرت شبكة “Anfield Buzz” عبر منصة “إكس”: “لحظات كهذه لها أهميتها، كان بإمكان كييزا التسديد بسهولة لكنه اختار مو صلاح بدلاً من ذلك، كل الاحترام له”.

وكتب أحد المشجعين: “كييزا قادر على فعل ذلك على كلا الجناحين ويتمتع بسرعة مذهلة حتى بعد كل تلك الإصابات وقطع الرباط الصليبي، مع مشاركة مو في كأس الأمم الأفريقية، نريد أن نرى المزيد منه”.

وذكر مشجع: “لعب كييزا 15 دقيقة فقط، ولا يستحق الجلوس على مقاعد البدلاء، الآن وقد انضم صلاح لكأس امم أفريقيا، يستحق كييزا أن يبدأ أساسياً، يبدو في قمة مستواه”.

واختتم مشجع آخر: “أتيحت له فرصتان للانفراد بالكرة وهو الخيار الأفضل، لكنه فضل التمرير لإيزاك ومحمد صلاح لأنه يعلم أنهما بحاجة للمزيد، لاعب متفاني ويملك روح الفريق، ومن أفضل صفقات ليفربول في السنوات الأخيرة”.

She’s coming off a run to the T20 World Cup semi-final with West Indies and the WBBL title with Melbourne Renegades, but she says: “I still have a lot more room for improvement”

Shashank Kishore16-Dec-2024West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin had just finished a team meeting ahead of the T20I series opener against India in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, when her name came up for bidding – the very first one out of the bag – at the WPL auction. West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and the coaching staff were in the team room with her to watch the proceedings.Although “anxious”, Dottin was confident of finding a bidder. She didn’t know, however, that she would go for “such a high price” – more than three times her base price of INR 50 lakh. When the paddle came down, she had been signed by Gujarat Giants for INR 1.7 crore (USD 200,000 approx.), which was nearly three times the price she had fetched (INR 60 lakh) at the inaugural auction in February 2023.”Well, to be honest, I knew that I was one of the big ones in the mini-auction, but to be picked first, I never expected that,” Dottin told ESPNcricinfo after Sunday’s game, where her 28-ball 52 was one of the few highlights for the visitors in a big defeat.Related

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“For my calibre and how I go about my batting, I guess that being a part of WPL is a chance to explore and showcase my talents and learn a lot from other players as well, even the younger players, and also just to give feedback and share my knowledge. So, I really appreciate being a part of the WPL and for being selected by Gujarat Giants.”I’ll be honest, it felt really good to know [that multiple teams were tussling for me].”Giants staved off fierce bidding from UP Warriorz to secure Dottin’s services. The signing heralds a new chapter to the Giants-Dottin story, which began in controversial circumstances when Dottin was ruled out by the franchise days before the inaugural edition due to an “injury” which she disputed publicly through a series of social media posts.That incident, which Dottin termed as “unfortunate” upon reflection earlier this year, didn’t seem to have any bearing this time around, with the franchise going all out to get her. In between that infamous incident and being picked on Sunday, Dottin had found no takers at the auction ahead of WPL 2024.For a team that finished last in the first two editions and is in dire need of batting firepower, going for Dottin seemed an obvious choice, especially since she also lends bowling depth and is an electric fielder. This is something head coach Michael Klinger confirmed after securing Dottin, who recently won the the WBBL with Melbourne Renegades.

“I also think that coming back in the World Cup then going over to the Big Bash, I want to do well every time I step on the field. There’s no options, there’s no fear.”Deandra Dottin

“Definitely WBBL form had a massive role,” Klinger, who also coaches Sydney Thunder at the WBBL, said. “Her power, the way she can change games in few overs with the bat, her speed and accuracy with the ball – she is a multi-dimensional player and that’s something we were after. Also, her role in West Indies making the semi-final of the T20 World Cup, we’ve seen some fantastic performances that we were after.”Dottin has had an interesting year overall. She came out of international retirement just prior to the T20 World Cup in the UAE in October, and helped West Indies reach their first semi-final since 2018. She aggregated 120 runs in the tournament, at a strike rate of 162.16, the best strike rate for any batter who faced at least 20 balls. In the WBBL that followed, she struck 148 runs at a strike rate of 151.02, her cameos often match-turning, and also picked up 10 wickets. But Dottin doesn’t believe she’s quite near her best yet.”I feel really good and I think my current form is… I don’t think it’s actually 100%, I still have a lot more room for improvement,” she said. “But I also think that coming back in the World Cup then going over to the Big Bash, I want to do well every time I step on the field. There’s no options, there’s no fear.”Every day won’t go as planned, but it’s how you actually move forward when you have bad days [which is important]. The determination and the passion and the fight I have with me, [but] I think I still have a lot more room for improvement. I’m happy with it [where my career is] at the moment and where it’s heading, but there’s still more work to be done.”

Brentford have a remarkable record when it comes to replacing their star players. Over the last six years, the Bees have continued to progress despite seeing the likes of Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma, Neal Maupay, David Raya and Ivan Toney all move on, thanks to the meticulous work of the club's recruitment department. Their latest success story is Brazilian powerhouse Igor Thiago, who has emerged as a genuine rival to Erling Haaland for the Premier League's Golden Boot during the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.

Many tipped Brentford to be fighting a relegation battle after the summer departures of talismanic attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, club captain Christian Norgaard and beloved manager Thomas Frank. Keith Andrews made the step up from set-piece coach to succeed Frank, and was deemed to be lacking the necessary experience and squad depth to keep the team competitive at the highest level.

But Andrews has defied his doubters by embracing the same direct style of play as Frank and placing his trust in Thiago to lead the line. The 24-year-old has netted 11 goals in 13 Premier League games – just three shy of Haaland's tally in Manchester City colours – to propel Brentford back into the top half of the table as he almost single-handedly plugs the gap left by Mbeumo and Wissa.

Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all now reportedly interested in signing Thiago, and talk of a maiden Brazil call-up is growing with each passing game. He could even jump to the front of his country's No.9 queue ahead of the 2026 World Cup if he can deal a major blow to Arsenal's title hopes when Brentford make the short trip to the Emirates on Wednesday.

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  From bricklaying to Bulgaria and Brugge

  Thiago grew up in Gama, Brazil, but didn't immediately pick up the football bug. “I was eight or nine when I started playing,” he recently told Brentford's official website. “I gradually started to gain the love of football. It mostly was my brother taking me at the weekend to games. I then saw Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Manchester United and that was the biggest thing. I saw Ronaldo playing and I said, ‘I want to be like him’."

  He started honing his skills at local club Vere FC, but Thiago's journey towards the professional game was put on hold after he tragically lost his father aged just 13. He would go on to work as a grocery carrier and bricklayer to support his mother, which shaped his strong character: "It helped me as a man, and it helped me as person. It helped me to appreciate the little and big things in life, because today I look at my life and see that I'm privileged with everything I have."

  Cruzeiro eventually handed Thiago his big break as an 18-year-old, and he scored 10 goals in 64 appearances for the club, attracting attention from Europe in the process. Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets snapped him up in March 2022, and he quickly adapted to life on a new continent.

  Thiago notched a combined 32 goals and assists as Ludogorets claimed successive league titles, along with the Bulgarian Cup and Supercup. By the summer of 2023, Thiago had outgrown Ludogorets, and they sold him to Club Brugge for €8 million – a Parva Liga record fee.

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  'Big potential'

  Thiago repaid Brugge's investment tenfold in his first and only campaign in Belgium. He scored 29 goals in 55 appearances across all competitions in 2023-24, with 18 of those coming in a prolific run through December and January, as Brugge clinched the Pro League crown and reached the semi-finals of the Conference League.

  The Brazilian picked up the Young Player of the Season award in the latter competition, with former Brugge boss Ronny Deila left delighted by his impact: "Thiago brings something to the team we didn’t have before. Defenders hate playing against him. He presses non-stop, runs all the time and kicks them. Apart from that, he’s also a top bloke, both on the pitch and in the dressing room. He should be capable of playing for a top outfit."

  Brentford gave Thiago the chance to make good on that billing when breaking their transfer record to bring him to the Gtech Community Stadium that summer in a £30m ($40m) deal. Frank described it as a "proactive" move from the club after resigning himself to the exit of Toney, adding: "Thiago is a very exciting striker who fits the role in our team. He is hard-working and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play. There is big potential."

  Unfortunately, a cruel injury blow would prevent Thiago from unlocking that potential in what turned out to be a testing start to his life in England.

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  'Learning season'

  In his very first game for Brentford, a 5-2 pre-season win over AFC Wimbledon, Thiago suffered a meniscus injury, and immediately went under the knife. He was forced to sit out Brentford's first 11 Premier League games of 2024-25 as a result, eventually making his competitive debut in a 0-0 draw with Everton on November 23.

  The Cruziero academy graduate featured from the bench again in subsequent outings against Leicester City and Aston Villa before impressing on his first start as Brentford beat Newcastle 4-2 at the Gtech. He was then sidelined again, however, after picking up an infection in his knee, much to the frustration of Frank.

  "The risk of getting a joint infection is very, very small, but apparently it's the opposite when you are a Brentford player; instead of a two per cent chance it's a 98 per cent chance," said the Bees boss.

  Thiago did not return until early May, and was only fit enough to make cameo appearances in Brentford's final four league fixtures. From the outside, it looked like a case of a dream transfer turning into a nightmare, but remarkably, Thiago was able to find enough positives that made him confident about his future.

  "It was a big learning season for me, learning my body and how everything reacts. It was a hard season in terms of not being able to play, but a good season for learning how my body works," he said. "I thought moving to England would be harder than it was, to be honest, but everything went well."

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  Unstoppable force

  Thiago scored the first goal of the Andrews era in a pre-season clash with Gil Vicente, and finally opened his competitive account in Brentford's opening game of the new Premier League campaign, converting a penalty in a 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest. He doubled his tally in a 2-1 reversal at newly-promoted Sunderland, powering a header in off the bar after stealing in between two defenders to meet a Frank Onyeka cross, but Brentford were languishing down in 17th towards the end of September with only four points amassed from a possible 15.

  The tide turned, though, when Andrews' side welcomed Manchester United to the Gtech. Brentford pulled off a thrilling 3-1 upset, and Thiago was the star of the show. He rifled a thunderbolt of a half-volley into the top corner to open the scoring before making it 2-0 with a reactive close-range finish inside the first 20 minutes, while excelling throughout the contest with his skills as a target man, bullying the United defence into submission.

  Since then, Thiago has been an unstoppable force of nature. He also scored the winning goal against Liverpool in October, and bagged two more braces in victories over Newcastle and Burnley. Even when on the periphery of games, the towering striker always poses a huge threat, as the Clarets learned to their peril on Saturday. Thiago came to life in the final 10 minutes of the match, first dispatching another penalty before smashing in the all-important second goal from a Jordan Henderson delivery, albeit with the aid of a deflection.

  Thiago has built up a good relationship with Henderson, as well as fellow attackers Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade, which is reaping great rewards for the Bees. He is clinical when he gets a sight of goal, both on the ground and in the air, but is also a selfless centre-forward who looks to bring others into play at every opportunity.

  "Everything we stand for can be seen in abundance in Thiago," Andrews said after the Burnley win. "I just love the way he plays the game."

Allrounder Beau Webster agreed that he could be squeezed out of Australia’s XI for the first Ashes Test depending on the make-up of the batting line-up, but he feels that he can contribute in the series if given the opportunity.Webster’s role in the Australia side has been a topic of discussion despite being one of the most reliable performers over the past seven Test matches. Webster had played as the sole allrounder in the XI across all of those matches since replacing Mitchell Marsh in January.But Cameron Green’s return to bowling, after playing as a batter only at No. 3 in the last four Tests, as well as Marnus Labuschagne’s return to form and questions around the need to pick another specialist opener, have created uncertainty about the make-up of the top six for Perth.Related

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George Bailey, the chair of selectors, guaranteed Webster would be in the squad for the first Test, saying “everyone can relax.” But there is a way Webster could be squeezed out of the XI if the selectors opted to reinstate Labuschagne at No. 3, either retain Sam Konstas or pick another opener in his place to partner Usman Khawaja, and move Green back to No.6, given he is expected to be fit to bowl again despite a slight setback in his workload progression.Webster had missed the first two Sheffield Shield games of the summer due to an ankle injury, which only added to the speculation. Speaking after day one of his return for Tasmania against Victoria at Junction Oval, where he took 1 for 26 with the ball from 12 overs, Webster hoped that “I’ll be thereabouts”.”We’ve obviously got a potential hole around the top of the order there, and see who fills that,” Webster said. “If they see me as a pure middle-order [batter], then I’m probably going to get squeezed out. That is what it is. I hope I’m still in the conversation, certainly as a batter only, and if not, if it’s just the makeup of the team I’ll plug the way back in first-class cricket. There’s a there’s a lot of Test cricket coming up in the next two years. I hope I’ll be thereabouts.”Webster, 31, has done very little wrong in his first seven Tests. He has four half-centuries from 12 innings, averaging 34.63, which does not do him justice given the difficulty of the surfaces he has played on. He also has eight wickets at 23.25 with the ball, striking at 45.1, and has taken 12 catches in the field, where he has been a huge asset, especially in the slips cordon.Beau Webster has done little wrong since his Test debut•AFP/Getty Images

He said it was nice to hear Bailey guarantee his spot in the Perth squad, but he had not been given the same guarantee about being in the XI.”That depends who you ask,” Webster said. “I’d obviously love to be in the XI. I think I’ve got a lot to contribute there, and especially this Ashes series, I feel like I’m playing the best cricket of my life at the moment. So I certainly want to be there. Sometimes it’s the make-up of the team and the balance and the overs and who bats where. It feels like this series has probably got more questions over that than any before.”Webster admitted he felt some rust on return for Tasmania. He took the new ball to front end his overs having come into the game on a 16-over limit from Cricket Australia’s [CA] medical staff. He used 12 of those on day one in four spells. He picked up the wicket of former Test opener Marcus Harris with a delivery that pitched back of a length outside leg and nipped sharply across the left-hander to scratch the outside edge. Webster later took a sharp catch at slip but dropped one he would normally take.”If I could sum my day up today, a few no-balls and a drop catch at first slip, it probably felt like I was five or 10% off what I usually am,” Webster said. “I mean, that comes when you have probably three weeks of not playing. I felt like I was probably just slightly off it. But to get out there today and bowling 12 overs and get some more time in the slips is always beneficial.”Webster said the time off was helpful to freshen up mentally and also to do some strength work in the gym, having played nearly a full winter with Australia and Warwickshire in the county championship.”I think there’s some benefits, no doubt,” Webster said. “I think looking back, I did play a lot of cricket in England, and that’s by choice. I play my best cricket when I’m constantly playing. To have a three-week gap there, it was nice to get back in the gym and do some running and probably freshen the body up physically, ready to go for a big summer.”

Sussex fight back after being bowled out for 122 but face stiff chase in fourth innings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025Hampshire took a firm grip of their Championship match against Sussex on the second day at Hove. In a low-scoring game they took a first innings lead of 104 after Sussex were bowled out for 122, losing their last seven wickets for 79.Hampshire then recovered from 89 for 7 to 173 in their second knock, with James Fuller top-scoring with 49. That set Sussex 278 and at the close they had reached 37 for the loss of Daniel Hughes. Eighteen wickets fell in the day, after 13 had gone down in the first. The losing team here will take just three points, and could be dragged into the relegation argument, but rain is forecast for the second half of the match.Sussex resumed on a precarious 42 for 3 and were almost immediately in deeper trouble. With the third ball of the morning nightwatch Sean Hunt was trapped in front of his stumps by Kyle Abbott.It was 60 for 5 six overs later when Hughes, only half-forward to a delivery from Abbott which nipped back off the seam, was also lbw. Hughes had spent 87 balls compiling 21, as if to prove that even determined application was not enough to overcome the challenging pitch. Abbott’s opening spell was 5-2-4-2. Hampshire supporters are delighted that the 38-year-old has signed a one-year extension to his contract.Tom Alsop and captain John Simpson added 31 for the sixth wicket in nine overs, slowly building hope in the Sussex supporters that their side could get somewhere near the Hampshire total.But at 91 Simpson got an edge to one down the leg side from the slow left-armer Bjorn Fortuin and Ben Brown, moving alertly to his right, took a smart catch. Jack Carson brought up the hundred in the 44th over when he swung Fortuin to leg for four. But he was bowled through the gate by a sharp nip-backer from Abbott; 104 for 7.It didn’t get any better. It was 115 for 8 when Fynn Hudson-Prentice, playing back when he should have been forward, was bowled by Fortuin for 7. Robinson made a premeditated slog-sweep to his first delivery and was lbw and the last wicket fell two overs later when Alsop, hitting out, was caught at deep midwicket for 39. So former Hampshire player Alsop had top-scored for Sussex just as former Sussex player Brown had made Hampshire’s best score the day before.When Hampshire batted again Fletcha Middleton had his off stump plucked out by Jaydev Unadkat in the second over and two balls later Nick Gubbins, trying to avoid a delivery from the same bowler, only succeeded in playing on. Robinson switched to the sea end and immediately uprooted Ali Orr’s off stump; 31 for three in the 12th.James Coles came on and after five overs the spinner’s figures read 5-1-15-4. Toby Albert was lbw, Tom Prest saw one turn past his bat and knock back his off-stump, Fortuin was caught down the leg side and Brown, after another vital innings of 30, scooped his attempted sweep up into the air. But the tail, led by Fuller, wagged to put Hampshire on top.