England’s attempts to push for victory in the decisive third Test against West Indies were held up by the Manchester weather, with no play possible on the fourth day. England must win the series to regain the Wisden Trophy – before it is replaced by the new Richards-Botham version – but the sight of a sodden Old Trafford left West Indies the cheerier of the two teams.The task for the tourists will now be to try and bat through the final day, against an in-form Stuart Broad – still one away from the 500-wicket mark – and a refreshed England attack.Jermaine Blackwood’s 95 in the first Test remains the highest individual score for West Indies in the series – but Phil Simmons, the head coach, said after play on the third day that he would be challenging his batsmen to “set themselves targets of getting a big hundred on this wicket”, despite the difficulties of facing Broad and James Anderson, closing in on 600 wickets himself, in helpful conditions.But while a draw will do for West Indies, England need to win – which makes forecasts for more rain on Tuesday particularly worrying for the hosts and not the slightest bit dreary for the tourists.Watching the rain fall at Emirates Old Trafford on Monday, the lyrics and droning chorus line of the Beatles’ “Rain” was particularly apt.Weather aside, West Indies had some further good news with confirmation that wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich has been deemed fit to bat after suffering a cut lip when he was hit in the mouth by a Shannon Gabriel delivery which deflected off his gloves on the third day. They also have plenty of players with points to prove, not least the two men at the crease, Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope.The trouble for them is they are facing a four-man pace attack with a mix of greatness, on the cusp of greatness, jaw-droppingly talented and “Mr Dependable”. You know who they are. So, in the interests of a chance to witness something special from someone let’s hope that on Tuesday, in the words of that other foursome – the fab kind – it’s not so much “Rain, I don’t mind” and more “Shine, the weather’s fine.”

Former NZ batsman takes over from Neil McKenzie who had resigned on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2020

PTI

Former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan has been appointed as Bangladesh’s batting consultant for their upcoming tour to Sri Lanka. He takes over from Neil McKenzie who had resigned on Thursday.The BCB stated that McMillan will work with the Bangladesh side only for the Sri Lanka series although Akram Khan, the cricket operations chairman, had said recently that the board is looking for a permanent batting coach.McMillan had served as New Zealand batting coach from 2014 to the 2019 World Cup before taking up an IPL role with Kings XI Punjab. McMillan had also worked with Canterbury in Middlesex in the past.ALSO READ: Neil McKenzie resigns as Bangladesh batting coachThe BCB wanted McKenzie to fulfill the role for the Test series in Sri Lanka, even though he was predominantly Bangladesh’s white-ball coach, but he pulled out, citing family reasons.McKenzie was appointed as Bangladesh’s batting consultant in July 2018 under Steve Rhodes, and was one of the few survivors in the coaching staff after Bangladesh’s early exit from the 2019 World Cup. McKenzie became an effective instructor and has often been credited by many Bangladesh batsmen for their progress in ODIs and T20Is.Bangladesh will play three Tests in Sri Lanka, the first of which begins from October 24. The squad is set to leave for Colombo a month earlier to complete the mandatory quarantine before training.

تعثر آرسنال بتعادل إيجابي خارج ملعبه أمام فولهام، ضمن منافسات الجولة 15 من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بقيادة الحكم كريس كافانا.

آرسنال دخل المباراة من أجل تقليص الفارق مع ليفربول المتصدر، بعد تأجيل مباراته أمام إيفرتون لسوء الأحوال الجوية.

تلقى الجانرز الهدف الأول من المكسيكي راؤول خيمينيز، لتشتعل مدرجات كرافن كوتيدج فرحًا بتصويبة مهاجم ولفز السابق في شباك المدافع.

ظل آرسنال يبحث عن الهدف على مدار الشوط الأول، لكنه لم يتمكن من التسجيل في شباك حارسهم السابق.

في الشوط الثاني، حصل آرسنال على ما أراد، ركنية من الجانب الأيمن لمرمى فولهام، نفذها ديكلان رايس وحولها كاي هافيرتز بالرأس، لتجد ويليام ساليبا الذي يسجل في مرمى بيرند لينو.

طالع أيضًا| بعد اهتمام ريال مدريد.. ساليبا يحسم موقفه من الرحيل عن آرسنال

الهدف جاء في الدقيقة 52، قبل أن تتم مراجعته من قبل تقنية الفيديو، ولكن الحكم يعود ليشير إلى أحقية الجانرز في التعادل.

أجرى كل مدرب العديد من التغييرات، ولكن في الدقيقة 90، أرسل مارتينيلي البديل عرضية رائعة سجلها بوكايو ساكا، في شباك لينو.

بعد احتفالات هيستيرية من الجانرز، ألغى الحكم كريس كافانا الهدف بسبب وجود مارتينيلي في موقف تسلل قبل استلامه الكرة.

بعد ذلك توترت الأجواء، ولم يتمكن آرسنال من التسجيل ليطلق الحكم صافرته، بتواجد آرسنال في المركز الثاني برصيد 29 نقطة.

فولهام ظل في المركز العاشر برضيد 23 نقطة، بالتساوي مع برينتفورد، في انتظار مباراة توتنهام وتشيلسي.

فشل آرسنال في تقليص الفارق مع ليفربول، وأصبح أمام تشيلسي الفرصة للانفراد بالمركز الثاني في حالة الفوز على توتنهام. أهداف مباراة آرسنال وفولهام في الدوري الإنجليزي

Norwich City's 2023/24 season ended in dismal fashion on Thursday night as they were humiliated at Elland Road in a 4-0 defeat to Leeds United.

The Canaries had held the Whites to a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road in the first leg and gave themselves a platform to go and attack the match in Yorkshire, but failed to do so.

David Wagner's side knew that they could not let the hosts get off to a fast start, to prevent the crowd from getting behind them early, yet that is exactly what happened.

Leeds dominated the game from the first whistle and found their first goal, through Ilia Gruev, after seven minutes and were 2-0 up inside the opening 20, thanks to a header from Joel Piroe.

Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville then added a third and a fourth either side of half time to book the Whites a place at Wembley and the Canaries a ticket to their summer holidays.

Norwich now have another season in the Championship beckoning and have reportedly decided to sack Wagner, with Carlos Cuesta and Steve Cooper of interest, but the German boss was not the only person from last night's encounter who must surely have no future in Norfolk.

One player who must have played his final game for the Yellows after his poor showing at Elland Road is central defender Ben Gibson.

Ben Gibson's performance against Leeds in numbers

The 31-year-old defender's lack of mobility was on full display in Yorkshire as he simply struggled to cope with the pace and intensity of the performance from the home side.

Rutter, Wilfried Gnonto, and Summerville's athleticism and pace when running at the Norwich backline was a frightening sight, as Shane Duffy and Gibson looked terrified every time a Leeds player got turned and started running towards them.

In 63 minutes on the pitch, before Kenny McLean was moved back to centre-back in his place, the veteran defender failed to win a single duel on the deck or in the air.

Minutes played

62

Duels won

0/2

Clearances

1

Interceptions

1

Tackles

0

Dribbled past

1

As you can see in the table above, Gibson did very little to stem the flow of Leeds attacks during the match, as he was dribbled past as many times as he made tackles and interceptions.

His failure to win a single duel, as well as the fact the defender only competed in two, summed up the team's performance from a Norwich perspective. The Canaries did not get close enough to the hosts all evening and came out second best all over the pitch with their passive approach.

Gibson did complete 95% (56/59) of his attempted passes but they did not amount to much as the Yellows failed to score and did not offer a consistent threat in possession.

The Pink'Un's Samuel Seaman awarded the former Middlesbrough star a dismal player rating of 4/10 for his display on Wednesday night, which may even seem generous given the score and his lack of impact on the defensive end – as shown in the aforementioned statistics.

It is now time for sporting director Ben Knapper to be ruthless in his approach, unlike Norwich on the pitch this week, and ditch the left-footed enforcer when his contract expires later this summer.

Why Ben Gibson should be released

The experienced defender's current deal at Carrow Road is due to expire at the end of June and the time now feels right for the club to move on from him ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Gibson has racked up 124 appearances for Norwich since his initial loan move from Burnley in 2020, which turned into a permanent one in 2021, and the 4-0 defeat to Leeds must be his last.

The 6 foot 1 colossus started 33 Championship games during the regular season and both of the play-off semi-final clashes with Leeds, which shows that Wagner relied upon him in the heart of his defence.

Norwich ended their campaign with the fifth worst xGA per 90 in the division (1.45), below relegated Huddersfield Town, and this speaks to how vulnerable their backline was with Gibson, along with the likes of Duffy, Jack Stacey, Sam McCallum, and Dimi Giannoulis.

Ben Gibson

£40k-per-week

Jack Stacey

£35k-per-week

Shane Duffy

£35k-per-week

Ashley Barnes

£30k-per-week

Josh Sargent

£25k-per-week

As you can see in the table above, the central defender is currently the highest earner in the squad and his performance in the play-offs and Norwich's defensive record this term suggests that they have not been getting value for money.

At the age of 31, there may not be much, if any, development left for Gibson to go through, which is why Knapper must now look to the future beyond him, and hope to bring through a younger, more athletic, heir.

The player who could replace Ben Gibson

Norwich may already have a replacement for the veteran centre-half already in the building in the form of academy graduate Brad Hills, who just spent the year on loan with Accrington Stanley in League Two.

The 20-year-old, who was born in Norwich, won the fourth tier side's Player of the Season award for his fantastic efforts in the heart of their defence.

Whilst not a naturally left-footed player, Hills could play on the left side of the Canaries backline or he could play on the right, with another signing brought in to offer a left-footed balance when playing out from the back.

Appearances

35

41

Sofascore rating

6.85

7.10

Tackles per game

0.5

2.1

Interceptions per game

1.3

1.8

Clearances per game

3.7

5.6

Duel success rate

54%

66%

As you can see in the table above, the young colossus enjoyed a significantly better season than Gibson, albeit in League Two and it remains to be seen how he would cope with the step up to the second tier.

Hills, as shown in those statistics, has the potential to be an upgrade on the current Norwich centre-back by winning the ball back with greater regularity, whilst also dominating opposition players in physical duels with greater success.

The first step for the Canaries and Knapper, however, is to release Gibson at the end of his contract, making the 4-0 defeat to Leeds his final game for the club.

Carlo Ancelotti's side followed a fantastic first half with a poor second, and were perhaps fortunate to run out winners

Real Madrid started in style before finishing in uncertainty in a tense 3-2 win over Alaves. For 45 minutes, Los Blancos were rampant, the Vinicius Jr-Kylian Mbappe-Rodrygo trio purring to give the home side a 3-0 lead. But two late Alaves goals made things interesting – and almost saw Carlo Ancelotti's men collapse.

The Madrid opener came from an unlikely source, Lucas Vazquez sweeping Vinicius' cutback into the bottom corner. Mbappe made it two shortly before half time, a quick interchange with Jude Bellingham leading to an easy finish for Los Blancos' big summer signing.

Rodrygo scored the third shortly after half time, sliding one through the keeper's legs after far too easily evading two Alaves defenders. Endrick came close to adding a fourth within minutes of entering the fray, his deflected shot pinging off the post.

Alaves stuck around, though. Carlos Protesoni grabbed the first, curling one off the post from outside the box. Veteran Kike Garcia added a second two minutes later, setting up a nervy finish. Los Blancos held on, though, some smart defending securing a win that turned out to be far from easy.

GOAL rates Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (5/10):

  Nothing to do until the 85th minute, when he was beaten by a long range strike. Couldn't stop the second either.

  Lucas Vazquez (5/10):

  Scored the opener with a smart finish. Gave it away for the Alaves first, and could have been tighter on the second.

  Antonio Rudiger (7/10):

  A few nice bursts of pace halted opposing attacks. Can't be blamed for either goal, really.

  Eder Militao (7/10):

  Spent most of his time passing the ball sideways, and had very little defensive work to do. Madrid were markedly worse at the back when he went off.

  Ferland Mendy (6/10):

  Went about his usual shielding role with aplomb. His defensive cover allowed Vinicius to do all of the fun attacking things.

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• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

  Recycled possession and passed it forward when he needed in the first half – probably his best 45 minutes of the season. Followed it with an unsteady second.

  Federico Valverde (8/10):

  Never stopped running. Won the ball deep, got involved in the final third. A fine shift.

  Jude Bellingham (7/10):

  Held onto the ball for too long at times, but was more decisive when it mattered. Combined wonderfully with Mbappe for the second. Less effective – and perhaps a bit tired – in the second half.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Vinicius Jr (8/10):

  Spent most of the game making opponents look very silly. Assisted the opener. Unlucky not to grab a goal of his own.

  Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

  Was a more willing runner than in past weeks. Took advantage of the acres of space offered to him by opposing defenders. Dropped deep and connected well, when needed. Much, much better.

  Rodrygo (8/10):

  Held width, stayed patient, got his goal. Did some important defensive work, too. Still playing out of position, but was incisive when it counted.

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• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Endrick (5/10):

  Hit the post within minutes of coming on. Could have been sent off for a reckless kick.

  Luka Modric (5/10):

  Lacking defensively, didn't add much going forward.

  Jesus Vallejo (3/10):

  A rare appearance to give Militao a rest. Had a nightmarish 15 minutes.

  Arda Guler (N/A):

  Made a couple of vital defensive interventions late.

  Fran Garcia (N/A):

  Late legs for Vini.

  Carlo Ancelotti (5/10):

  What a confusing one! His side were rampant in the first half, but so, so poor after the break. A few more minutes on the clock and they really could have throw it away. He won't be happy whatsoever.

West Bromwich Albion could well be new victims to the managerial merry-go-round currently going around the Championship, with Carlos Corberan very much in the running to become the next Leicester City manager, according to reports.

It would hurt, no doubt, if the Spaniard was to depart the Hawthorns this summer having overseen a relatively successful season this campaign just gone, getting the Baggies into the Championship play-off picture only to come unstuck against Southampton in the semi-final stages.

The West Midlands outfit were blown away by the eventual promotion winners at St. Mary's, losing 3-1 on aggregate with all of the strikes coming in an action-packed second leg, with Grady Diangana for the visitors struggling throughout to be the spark his team needed to upset the Saints.

The former West Ham United man could well have played his final ever Baggies game in that disappointing play-off exit, therefore, as rumours begin to mount that the Congolese international is being lined up for a surprise return to ex-employers.

Grady Diangana's future at West Brom

According to a report from Africa Foot, Julen Lopetegui's newly inherited side are keen on striking a deal with West Brom to re-sign their former youth star, who left for West Brom permanently in the summer of 2020 after a successful loan stint.

The Hammers would propose a price of £9.8m to try and win back the 5 foot 11 attacker's services, according to Africa Foot, with Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton and Hove Albion all interested too from the Premier League alongside interest from further afield in AS Roma and Lazio.

West Brom wouldn't stand in Diangana's way if he was keen on a move away, having disappointed those at the Baggies in recent seasons, after an electric loan stint initially excited those at the Hawthorns.

Diangana would pick up an impressive 15 goal contributions from 31 games during his first stint at the club, helping his loan side win promotion up to the Premier League in the process, triggering West Brom into spending a whopping £18m to keep him rooted in the West Midlands for the step-up.

Games played

30

Goals

8

Assists

6

Shots per game

1.6

Big chances missed

5

Big chances created

8

Described as being an "unbelievable" talent by fellow West Brom teammate Jed Wallace before a ball was kicked this season, his output could have been viewed as a little underwhelming when push came to shove, which might well see the exit door be swung open soon for the Congolese forward to leave.

Diangana's season in numbers

The £20.3k-per-week winger didn't set the world alight for his failed playoff side this campaign with the 26-year-old funnily matching those numbers put in from the 2019/20 season but from eight more games.

That doesn't tell the full tale of his season, however, with the ex-Hammers man failing to contribute to a goal finding the back of the net for his side from the last seven games, which included uninspiring performances being dished up in the play-offs when Corberan would have wanted his enigmatic attacker to shine.

Diangana would only last 64 minutes of the second leg before being hauled off the St. Mary's turf by his irritated manager, putting in a largely anonymous showing on the night with a meagre 27 touches managed and just one off-target shot registered, to close out an inconsistent and frustrating individual campaign.

With the Baggies showing a lot of confidence in homegrown gem Tom Fellows towards the latter stages of the season down the right wing, who has shades of Diangana's directness in his locker patrolling down the flanks with nine goal contributions tallied up from 39 games, the Congolese forward's settled spot in the starting XI could be no more even if he does stick it out at the Hawthorns amid the swirling transfer gossip.

This summer could be the perfect opportunity to start afresh and cut ties with the loyal Baggies servant, who has tallied up 167 appearances over five years now.

Still, there won't be any time for sentimentality when it comes to potentially selling him on, with Diangana's transfer value – according to Football Transfers – crashing significantly of late.

Diangana's transfer value in 2024

West Brom should snap off any suitor's hand wanting to bid in the region of £9.8m for their winger, with his value sitting at an extremely low £1.7m, according to Football Transfers, after failing to keep up the blistering form he started life with in the West Midlands.

That is some way off the extortionate £18m the Baggies paid to land him back in 2020, with the deal now viewed as somewhat of a misfire – even that £9.8m bid would represent a drop of just over £8m on his initial transfer fee.

The 26-year-old attacker's importance to the West Brom cause wanes when compared to Okay Yokuslu or Darnell Furlong, who have higher worths of £3.1m and £3m respectively and will be kept around for another potential promotion push next campaign.

Gaining £9m or so back for Diangana wouldn't be disastrous, however, as that would place him just inside the top five sales in West Brom's history still, and the money recouped would be far more than the lowly £1.7m estimate handed out by Football Transfers.

With his contract up next year as well, there might well be very real fears in the air that the Congolese forward could end up leaving for nothing further down the line, if West Brom don't attempt to offload the wideman sooner rather than later.

Player

Sale value

1. Salomon Rondon

£15.5m

2. Matheus Pereira

£15.3m

3. Saido Berahino

£11.8m

4. Nacer Chadli

£10.2m

5. Jay Rodriguez

£8.5m

After so much early promise and charm donning a West Brom kit during the infancy of his stay instantly endeared him to supporters, Diangana's exit would be somewhat bittersweet as he couldn't quite maintain this maverick entertainer label all across his mixed spell.

But, recouping some of the £18m they spent on him this summer is better than seeing him exit for zilch.

West Brom must step up pursuit of "wonderful" Thomas-Asante partner

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Despite excelling defensively under boss Sean Dyche during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, Everton have struggled within the attacking third to produce quality on a regular basis.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure both notched up seven goals in the league, but endured droughts throughout the campaign, with the latter failing to score for over four months – a period that saw the club pick up just one win in 15 outings.

The Toffees only managed a tally of 40 goals in their 38 Premier League matches, with only bottom club Sheffield United producing a total fewer than Dyche’s side.

They desperately need reinforcements in the final third but will need to act in a sensible manner to prevent breaching the Premier League’s strict PSR rules for a third time in the last 12 months.

Related Financial Fair Play: What is PSR, how does it work and who's in trouble?

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Posts ByStephan Georgiou Apr 16, 2024

Outgoings will undoubtedly be the focus this summer, but the club should also target a forward, with the Toffees already eyeing up one player to improve the goalscoring situation at Goodison Park.

Everton interested in a talented youngster

According to the Daily Mail, Everton are interested in signing Newcastle United youngster Yankuba Minteh this summer, after the Gambian impressed away from St James’ Park this season.

The 19-year-old has scored ten goals and provided five assists in his 27 appearances for Arne Slot's Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, as he looks to gain experience ahead of a potential first-team spot for Newcastle next season.

However, despite his stellar campaign in the Netherlands, Eddie Howe’s side, like the Toffees, are enduring their own FFP worries and may look to cash in on Minteh this summer despite never making an appearance for the Magpies’ first team.

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards has previously stated that Newcastle could look to move the forward on in the summer to try and combat their FFP and PSR situation, with Everton looking to take advantage and secure a player capable of improving the Toffees’ forward line tenfold.

Minteh could become Everton’s next Anthony Gordon

Anthony Gordon is arguably the best player in even years to come out of the club’s academy, featuring in the first team before departing for a colossal £45m transfer fee in 2023.

He’s since excelled in the Premier League under Howe, reaching double figures in goals and assists for the first time in his professional career, subsequently now named in England's provisional squad for the Euros.

It might be a far-fetched comparison, but when delving into the duo’s respective stats from 2023/24, there’s real evidence that Minteh could follow in Gordon’s footsteps at Goodison.

Whilst he’s featured in a lower-quality division, Minteh, who’s been described as a “jewel” by scout Jacek Kulig, has dominated the former Toffees forward, demonstrating the quality he possesses at his tender age.

The Gambian has been influential under soon-to-be Liverpool boss Slot, averaging 7.9 progressive carries and 3.7 successful take-ons, with Gordon unable to get near the youngster with his respective tallies of just 4.3 and 1.7.

Anthony Gordon vs Yankuba Minteh in 2023/24

Statistics

Gordon

Minteh

Progressive carries

4.3

7.9

Successful take-ons

1.7

3.7

Shot-creating actions

4.5

5.8

Shots per game

2.5

3.5

Touches in attacking areas

4.6

9.9

Stats via FBref

He’s also created more opportunities in the final third, creating 5.8 shot-creating actions and averaging 3.5 shots per 90, with Gordon averaging one less per match in each category.

Minteh likes to feature on the opposite side to Gordon, but his attacking stats and ability to cut inside onto his stronger foot, make him a great option for Dyche on the right-hand side and one that could certainly replicate Gordon's time on Merseyside.

Whilst he’s unproven in the Premier League, the club must take a plunge on Minteh this summer, with the attacker potentially available at a cheaper price than many other attackers of his quality.

He would undoubtedly improve Dyche’s attack, whilst providing the opportunity to make the club a hefty profit in the years ahead – making the Toffees more sustainable and helping their current financial situation.

Related Everton must rue losing a star who's now worth £42m more than Lookman

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Posts ByEthan Lamb May 23, 2024

Visitors must move on from Test disappointments as England white-ball team enters bubble

The Preview by Danyal Rasool27-Aug-2020What a difference a session makes to the outlook of a tour. It was one Day 4 session in the first Test at Old Trafford that sketched the wafer-thin border between triumph and disaster for England and Pakistan; a passage of play that – in the wake of a washed-out second Test – denied the visitors a shot at a first series win in England in 24 years, and set up the hosts for their first against Pakistan anywhere in a decade.And who knows how much the sting of that failure will linger for Pakistan as they enter the T20 leg of their tour. In ordinary times, a preceding Test series might be rendered irrelevant, but on a tour of close-knit bubbles, isolation protocols and empty stadiums, it might actually be Pakistan’s only true frame of reference.For England, it’s a strikingly different scenario. A wholly different squad, even down to the management staff, will rock up to Manchester for this leg of their bio-secure summer, and while it might appear that a touch of insouciance has crept into England’s white-ball cricket since they lifted the ODI World Cup last year, with two T20 World Cups in the next two years, there’s no reason for that to extend to the shortest format.Babar Azam and Eoin Morgan pose with the series trophy•Getty ImagesCurrently ranked behind only Australia in T20s, Eoin Morgan’s side have an opportunity to work up handy white-ball momentum before Australia rock up for three T20Is and three ODIs next month, although they will once again be lacking a host of shoo-in names with the likes of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer all out of contention after their time in the Test bubble – not to mention Joe Root, who is set to feature for Yorkshire in the Blast in a bid to restate his credentials in the shortest format.England’s most recent form reference is a slightly bonkers T20I series against South Africa in February, where all three T20Is went down to the final over and they just about held their nerve to eke out a 2-1 series win. It kept alive an unbeaten T20I series run that extends to more than two years now, and if they can keep that going over the next month or so, England could truly think of this as, given the circumstances, just about the ideal home season.If their memories stretch that far, Pakistan would do well to look upon a tour of England four years ago. Well beaten in the ODI series, they approached the one-off T20 with a certain elan that would set the gold standard for T20I cricket in the three years to follow, as they stormed to the World No.1 ranking and put distance between themselves and the rest. England were thrashed by nine wickets, commencing a run from Pakistan which would see them win 29 of 33 T20Is, including 11 consecutive series triumphs.They’ve come back down to earth with an unseemly splat in the 18 months since – that No.1 ranking is certainly long gone – but a younger side that still retains several characters from those heady days may wonder if they can hit the restart button and go again once more. Babar Azam, now leading the side, and the world T20 batsman rankings, has another opportunity to put his stamp on a team one imagines he’ll feature in for much of the next decade. A series win here would certainly be the most gratifying way to have the last laugh.Mohammad Rizwan gets a piggyback from Shaheen Shah Afridi•Getty ImagesEngland WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLLLTom Banton’s breathtaking form for Somerset in the 2019 Blast catapulted him into the national team, but in his (admittedly very brief) stint at the top, it hasn’t quite clicked for him. Fifty-six runs in three T20Is against New Zealand were followed by an underwhelming ODI start, and while eight international innings is no kind of sample size, his most recent T20 numbers don’t make the best reading either. The PSL was an immense struggle for him, managing just 74 runs at the top of the innings – 34 of them in one rain-curtailed 12-over match – even as his opener partner Kamran Akmal finished as the seventh-highest runscorer in the league. He ended up being benched, and while the Old Trafford surface won’t quite be the same as any in Pakistan, he will face some of the bowlers who troubled him there. It’s one to watch out for.ALSO READ: Eoin Morgan challenges young players to seize World Cup rolesBanton’s Peshawar Zalmi teammate Haider Ali was one of Pakistan’s few PSL success stories with the bat, with 239 runs at a strike rate a shade under 160. It followed on from a decent World Cup but it’s not just the numbers when it comes to the 19-year old. The obviously freakish talent, both as striker and stroker of the ball, has led him to reap rewards in T20 cricket as well as first-class. He said recently his batting idol was Rohit Sharma, and while any comparisons would be ludicrous, you can see why the Indian opener is the ideal cricketer for Haider to seek to emulate. The T20 World Cup’s postponement might prove ideal both for him and Pakistan, for if he is to emulate his domestic success on the international stage, he’d be among the first names on the team sheet.With Jason Roy ruled out by a side strain, Dawid Malan appears set to get another opportunity, having scored 103 not out from 51 balls in his last-but-one outing in New Zealand. Old Trafford has historically favoured spin bowling, so Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are set to resume their fruitful alliance. England have a wealth of all-round options to bulk out their middle order, but Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan and Sam Billings, who enjoyed a productive run against Ireland, may need to provide the batting ballast.England (possible): 1 Tom Banton 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk) 3 Dawid Malan 4 Eoin Morgan (capt) 5 Sam Billings 6 Moeen Ali 7 Tom Curran 8 Dawid Willey 9 Chris Jordan 10 Adil Rashid 11 Saqib MahmoodA dearth of spinners isn’t exactly a problem for Pakistan, with Shadab Khan one of as many as five potential options Pakistan could line up with. Rizwan’s brilliant Test series may be enough for him to retain his T20 slot even with Sarfaraz Ahmed poised to make a first appearance for Pakistan in nearly a year.Pakistan (possible): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Shadab Khan, 4 Haider Ali, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Mohammad Rizwan/Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Iftikhar Ahmed, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Shaheen AfridiIn T20s at Old Trafford since 2017, the overall run rate has been 7.98 runs per over, suggesting 160 might be a par score. Rain is expected through much of the day, but should clear in good time for the game to get underway at 6pm. Persistent rain over the week will mean conditions are damp, which could result in a slow outfield. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see Pakistan open with a spinner, as they did to great success while on that jolly T20 streak.Stats and trivia Shoaib Malik is 108 runs away from becoming the first non-West Indian to score 10,000 T20 runs. He needs 31 more to surpass Brendon McCullum, who sits on 9,922. In all T20s at Old Trafford since 2017, spinners have conceded 1.3 fewer runs per over than seamers. Their economy rate is 7.27, while seamers have seen their overs go for 8.57.”This is another opportunity for guys who potentially sit outside that 15 to present their best case, moving forward, for winter tours and the World Cup next year. Opportunities like this don’t come around very often when we have our squad at full strength”
England skipper Eoin Morgan challenges his side to make the most of their chances

Manchester United have told one player he is free to find a new club this summer, according to a fresh update.

Man Utd manager rumours

Erik ten Hag appears to be under big pressure at Old Trafford after a disappointing Premier League campaign, with the Red Devils potentially missing out on European football next season.

The Dutchman said after Monday’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace when asked if he was still the right man for the job: "Absolutely. If the right players are available, we have a good squad. We miss almost the whole backline and then we have problems. I will keep fighting. I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, I have to take responsibility for that but I will find energy and prepare them for Sunday's game."

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Ben Browning

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS already have candidates lined up to possibly replace Ten Hag, with England manager Gareth Southgate thought to be a top target. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is seemingly on course to leave the German giants over the summer and finds a return to England, and specifically a move to Old Trafford, “appealing”.

Most of the spotlight may well be on Ten Hag’s future over the coming weeks, but United officials are also planning for the first transfer window under Ratcliffe as co-owner. A number of high-profile departures could be on the cards, with speculation over the futures of Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Harry Maguire in recent weeks, but the new Red Devils chief has seemingly already told one player he is free to leave.

Brandon Williams to leave Man Utd this summer

According to Football Insider, left-back Brandon Williams has been told by Man Utd, and by extension Ratcliffe, that he is free to find a new club over the coming months.

The 23-year-old is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of June, and a permanent move to Ipswich Town, where he spent last season on loan, is looking unlikely, the report adds.

Williams, on £65,000-a-week, has actually only played one game under Ten Hag, so it comes as no surprise that United are happy for him to depart for nothing over the coming weeks.

He did come in for praise from Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna during the 2023/24 campaign, with the former Red Devils assistant saying: "For Brandon to take the game and the moment by the scruff of the neck and produce a great goal was a big moment.

"He's getting stronger game-by-game, getting back into good habits as a football player on and off the ball. "He's getting back towards the levels that I know he's capable of, but more importantly it's about pushing him past those levels."

It will be interesting to see where Williams ends up next, with the full-back missing large parts of the latest Championship season through injury.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians pode estar próximo de desatar um dos nós mais incômodos de sua história recente: a dívida com a Caixa por conta da construção da Neo Química Arena. Isso porque o presidente Duilio Monteiro Alves revelou que em breve deve anunciar acordo com o banco por uma nova forma de pagamento para que o clube passe a receber o dinheiro da bilheteria dos jogos.

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> Jemerson e Otero dão adeus! Veja quem já deixou o Corinthians em 2021

A Caixa emprestou R$ 400 milhões ao Corinthians para a construção de sua arena, no bairro de Itaquera , por conta de juros e correções monetárias, a dívida cresceu, até ser executada pelo banco no valor de R$ 539 milhões, em 2019, pois o clube atrasou pagamentos das parcelas do acordo anterior.Esse valor, também devido aos juros, subiu para R$ 650 milhões. Após inúmeras suspensões e negociações entre as partes, o banco aceitou diminuir o valor.

-O Corinthians tem hoje uma divida apenas com a Caixa, há algum tempo desde o mandato do presidente Andrés Sanchez, no fim do ano passado com o acordo com a Caixa sendo colocado no papel na parte de contrato. Não é um negócio simples, envolve muito dinheiro, um fundo, que é quem cuida da Arena, que seria o dono da Arena, que tem hoje Corinthians e Caixa, a Odebrecht deixa esse fundo agora – explicou o mandatário em entrevista para a Rádio Capital, no último sábado.

Segundo o GE,o acordo anterior previa que o Alvinegro pagasse toda a dívida até 2028, mas com o dinheiro do naming rights, que será pago em 20 anos, a negociação ganhou novo rumo e o prazo fechado com o banco estatal seguirá o tempo de contrato com a Hypera Pharma, que termina em 2040, quando depositará a última parcela dos R$ 300 milhões pela exploração do estádio.

Esse novo acordo também dará dois anos de carência ao Corinthians, ou seja, só começará a quitar o restante da dívida em 2022, com prestações anuais e não mais mensais como era anteriormente. Atualmente o débito está em R$ 569 milhões, que serão abatidos ao longo do tempo pelos R$ 300 milhões da Hypera Pharma, restando R$ 269 milhões para serem diluídos em 17 anos.

Com o acordo assinado, o Timão pode voltar a receber valores referentes às bilheterias dos jogos, algo que não acontece desde 2014, quando passou a jogar na Arena. De lá para cá, todo o dinheiro arrecadado foi para o fundo que administra o estádio. Segundo Duilio, isso está perto de mudar, já que revelou que se reuniu com o presidente da Caixa, recentemente, para discutir o acordo.

-Na semana passada estive em Brasília, na presidência da Caixa, numa reunião muito boa e a gente vem finalizando esse acordo. Então o Corinthians, neste momento, tendo a volta do público, teria a receita da Arena pelo menos até o fim do ano que vem. Isso vai nos ajudar bastante, lógico que a volta do público com responsabilidade, pensando sempre na saúde em primeiro lugar, mas a gente espera que a pandemia passe rápido e a gente possa ter essa receita e possa melhorar ainda mais o nosso planejamento, a nossa parte de contas e colocar o clube em ordem.

Ainda segundo Duilio Monteiro Alves, o anúncio desse acordo não deve tardar. Para ele, uma definição deve acontecer ainda neste mês de agosto, no máximo em setembro, para que o quanto antes o clube possa receber a arrecadação da Arena em dias de jogos e, assim, possa prosseguir na reestruturação financeira iniciada em janeira deste ano quando assumiu a presidência alvinegra.

-Eu imagino que em agosto ou em mais um mês a gente tenha esse acordo finalizado com a Caixa, que a gente possa anunciar as bases que ele foi feito. Mas vai nos ajudar bastante, é uma receita que o Corinthians não tem há sete anos. Nos últimos ano todos os clubes do Brasil ficaram sem essa receita, e a gente viu grandes déficits no fechamento das contas, com valores negativos acima de R$ 100 milhões. Se você colocar isso na balança, o Corinthians vem há anos sem esse dinheiro, sem essa receita, foi um dos motivos pelos quais a dívida cresceu. Muito se falou que o estádio era de graça, que não teria que pagar, pelo contrário, o Corinthians vem pagando, por isso teve esse acréscimo grave de dívida no últimos anos, e ficou claro com a pandemia – concluiu.

Além desse valor em relação ao estádio, o Corinthians tem uma enorme dívida do clube que chega perto da casa de R$ 1 bilhão. O dinheiro de bilheteria certamente aliviaria as finanças corintianas, principalmente nos débitos de curto prazo, que precisam ser pagos em até um ano. Até aqui, Duilio conseguiu enxugar cerca de R$ 3,3 milhões em salários, mesmo com as contratações.

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