Tag Futebol

He can surpass Gravenberch: Liverpool ready big bid to sign £50m "machine"

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Liverpool have won back the Premier League from Manchester City, five years after they last stoop atop the mountainous English pyramid.

Pep Guardiola’s side have broken records to win four in a row since Jurgen Klopp put Liverpool back on their perch, but City have fallen by the wayside this season and Arsenal have never managed to build the requisite consistency to end their recent runner-up reputation.

But consistency has been Arne Slot’s middle name this year, his first since replacing Klopp in the Anfield dugout and putting the Reds back in the ascendency.

It bears testament to FSG’s business model that already sporting director Richard Hughes is liaising with Michel Edwards ahead of the summer transfer window, with signings needed in defence and attack to protect this exciting new position at the summit.

Ryan Gravenberch, a revelation

Gravenberch is a Premier League-winning midfielder. The Dutchman has started every single match as Liverpool have capered toward the title, deeply set in the midfield soil, no way of being uprooted.

Who saw it coming? Many of a Liverpool persuasion will no doubt admit they had reservations after a stop-start 2023/24 campaign, his first in England after Klopp completed his midfield rebuild by signing the Bayern Munich prospect for a £34m fee at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.

The Netherlands international, 22, has recently spoken of the adversity he has had to overcome after playing so infrequently last year, and while he’s looked a little sapped at times recently, Gravenberch has been “first-class all season” in the eyes of pundit Peter Crouch.

Ryan Gravenberch in the Premier League

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

26 (12)

34 (34)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

4

Touches*

28.8

67.3

Pass completion

83%

89%

Key passes*

0.6

0.7

Dribbles*

0.9

1.0

Ball recoveries*

2.8

5.3

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

3.6

Duels (won)*

2.8 (47%)

5.0 (58%)

Stats via Sofascore

He’s effectively improved across every metric, turning from a meandering midfield prospect into a deep-lying general of surpassing quality.

However, Gravenberch has indeed alluded to the fact that he’s been overworked, and it’s something Slot and Hughes have considered, for Liverpool seem to be getting ready to sign a midfield rival this summer.

Liverpool ready to sign Premier League midfielder

According to reports, via Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing FA Cup hero Adam Wharton this summer and are preparing to lodge a £50m offer in the coming months.

Wharton, 21, has been a revelation at Crystal Palace and is not going to be short of suitors, with Arsenal and Manchester United also reported to be keen on doing a deal.

Though Liverpool’s title-winning midfield is probably the area of the pitch least in need of external assistance, Wharton might prove to complete the puzzle and maybe even leave Gravenberch sweating over the security of his starting berth.

Why Adam Wharton would be perfect for Liverpool

Crystal Palace produced a consummate performance against Aston Villa last weekend to set their place in next month’s FA Cup final. Wharton was among the standouts, with BBC pundit Shay Given even likening him to a rather well-respected midfielder of old.

Centre-midfielder Wharton left Blackburn Rovers in the Championship to sign for the Eagles for an initial £18m fee, leaving the club that had reared him.

He’s not going to have looked back, striking from the get-go a reputation for his slick passing and composed stride in the centre of the park.

His renown has burgeoned over the past 15 months, reaching its apotheosis (so far) after dismantling a Villa side at Wembley to move within touching distance of a first major trophy in Palace’s long history.

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton

As per FBref, Wharton ranks among the top 5% of Premier League midfielders this season for progressive passes, the top 9% for ball recoveries and the top 15% for shot-creating actions made per 90, perfectly illustrating his elite passing game, crisp as you like while being creative too. He’s also a thoroughbred athlete, covering so much ground.

It’s a similar profile to that of Gravenberch. Although the argument that he’s performing such metrics to a lesser standard is there. It’s recorded that the Dutchman ranks among the top 31% of said midfielders for progressive passes, but also among the bottom 36% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Given that both players operate in positionally similar zones, it’s easy to ascertain that Wharton is the better man in distribution. Moreover, he doesn’t shirk from his defensive duties either, winning 1.8 tackles per Premier League game this season, as per Sofascore.

There’s nothing to say that these two players couldn’t work in conjunction within Slot’s Liverpool set-up, but there’s little question that Gravenberch lacks the natural-born seamlessness in possession. Not to say it’s a tactical deficiency of his, but rather, a glowing endorsement of Wharton’s talent.

The fact is, Gravenberch has lulled, and while he has areas that eclipse that of Palace’s man, the semblance between the two, which still manages to contrast and show off distinctive qualities, suggests that Liverpool would hit the jackpot in forging ahead with a deal for Selhurst Park’s midfield star.

Slot’s finely-wrought system hasn’t seen too much tinkering this term, but Wharton would be able to ply his work effectively at number six, fitting in for Gravenberch and given the opportunity to make the role his own.

He’s demonstrated his capacity on the big occasion, with esteemed journalist Henry Winter describing Wharton as a “passing machine” and the “best player on the pitch” during the FA Cup semi-final.

You could even make the strong claim that the one-cap England international has the superior ball-playing game to Gravenberch and may well be a more fitting number six in Slot’s flowing system.

In any case, having both in the mix would hardly be a bad thing; indeed, this is exactly the type of move that Liverpool need to make so as to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

Bad news for Diaz: Liverpool have firm interest in £70m "game-changer"

Liverpool’s reported interest in this Premier League star could be bad news for Luis Diaz.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 26, 2025

He's becoming their new Ozil: Arteta must axe "frustrating" Arsenal ace

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

It might be over two decades since they won the Premier League, but Arsenal have had some sensational players represent them since then.

The likes of Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexis Sánchez were all near enough unstoppable on their day, even if they couldn’t deliver the club the biggest prizes.

However, perhaps the star who felt most likely to drag the North Londoners back to the pinnacle when he arrived was Mesut Özil.

The German playmaker was an unreal talent, but unfortunately, his Arsenal career fizzled out into nothingness, and now there’s a player in the current squad in danger of having the same happen to him.

Ozil's Arsenal career

On transfer deadline day 2013, Arsenal announced the shock £42.4m signing of Ozil – to fan delirium – and there was a level of hope that the former Real Madrid superstar would be the one to bring the glory years back to N5.

For the first few seasons, while there was no league title or European glory, the World Cup winner certainly delivered on his end of the bargain, racking up 61 goal involvements in his first three seasons and helping the club win some FA Cups.

However, as time passed, and especially after signing a new £350k-per-week contract, the former Werder Bremen gem seemed to become less and less effective.

In fact, once Arteta was appointed manager in 2019, the German superstar eventually saw himself frozen out of the team entirely, with fans and pundits alike lambasting his apparent lack of effort off the ball.

Eventually, after over a year of barely playing for the club, he left for Fenerbahçe for free in January 2021.

Ozil remains a popular figure with much of the fanbase today and left with an impressive tally of 44 goals and 75 assists in 254 appearances, but there is no denying that he left the club failing to achieve what many thought he would, and on a low rather than a high.

Unfortunately, a current Arsenal player might be falling down the same path this season, a player the boss should look to drop from the starting lineup for some time.

The Arsenal star emulating Ozil

On the back of Tuesday night’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, it would be easy to lambast the entire starting lineup for not playing well enough, but in retrospect, it wasn’t quite the battering some may try to portray it as.

Chalkboard

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

Arsenal had their chances to score, and for much of the game, the likes of Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Bukayo Saka and David Raya did their jobs.

However, there was one starter who was as bad as everyone initially said: Martin Odegaard, who was anonymous at best and actively ruining attacks at worst.

The Norwegian fully deserved the 4/10 match rating he received from the Independent’s Jamie Braidwood, and the worrying thing is that it wasn’t a massively surprising performance either.

Yes, even though he picked up his second successive Player of the Year Award last season, the “frustrating” playmaker, as dubbed by podcaster Rohan Jivan, has been seriously poor all season, and as content creator Rimedi pointed out earlier this year, he’s just “not at the level.”

In all, the player who is supposed to be the team’s creative hub has amassed just 15 goal involvements in 39 games this season, which is undeniably underwhelming and feels eerily similar to Ozil’s slow decline.

As this collapse in form is showing no signs of reversing, Arteta should take him out of the team for the next game at least and start Ethan Nwaneri in the middle of the park, as he looked more likely to make something happen in just five minutes of action on Tuesday.

Odegaard’s 24/25

Appearances

39

Minutes

2982′

Goals

5

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.38

Minutes per Goal Involvement

198.8′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, Odegaard is an incredibly talented player, but at the moment, he is not showing it, and therefore, he should be dropped and given time to figure out what’s going wrong, lest his Arsenal career end the same way Ozil’s did.

Better than Trossard: Arsenal want to sign 'one of the best in Europe'

The vastly experienced dynamo could be just what Arsenal need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 30, 2025

Rangers messed up selling "mountain" who is better than Propper

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers delivered a resolute display in their Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against La Liga side Athletic Bilbao, despite being reduced to ten men early on.

Robin Propper was sent off after he was deemed to have prevented a scoring opportunity and from then on, it looked as though the Spanish side would go on to score a few goals.

Bilbao had 19 shots throughout the match, yet couldn’t find the back of the net. They even had a penalty saved following a decision by the referee after a VAR review and this set up the match nicely ahead of the second leg.

One person who will miss that game, however, is Propper. Perhaps this could work wonders as the Light Blues look to reach the semi-finals.

Why Robin Propper was sent off against Athletic Bilbao

Prior to being dismissed, the Dutchman had yet to win a single duel contested while he lost possession twice, failed to deliver an accurate long ball from two attempts, and took just 16 touches.

After fouling Nico Williams on the edge of the penalty area, Propper was initially given a yellow card for his troubles.

Metric

Highest-ranked

Accurate passes

Daniel Vivian (84)

Key passes

Nico Williams (6)

Tackles

James Tavernier (5)

Shots on target

Oihan Sancet, Maroan Sannadi and Alex Berenguer (1)

Ground duels won

James Tavernier (7)

Following a VAR review, however, referee Istvan Kovacs upgraded this yellow to a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

According to IFAB rules, denying an opportunity outside the box results in a red card, although the sentiment wasn’t quite shared by the Ibrox crowd.

Thankfully, the Gers were able to secure a 0-0 draw that puts them in a solid position heading into the second leg.

Propper hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best maiden season at Ibrox. Did the club sell a player last year who is better than the former FC Twente captain?

The former Rangers star who is miles better than Propper

After spending six seasons with Rangers, making 309 appearances for the club in that time, Philippe Clement sold Connor Goldson last summer to Aris Limassol.

The timing was right, as the centre-back wasn’t at his best throughout 2023/24, but there is no doubt he still would have been a better option than Propper.

Connor Goldson

Hailed by former manager Steven Gerrard as being “an absolute mountain” back in 2021, Goldson’s influence waned, hence his move to Cyprus.

The English titan averages a 90% pass success rate this season in the Cypriot top flight, along with winning an impressive 75% of his aerial duels and succeeding with 53% of his long ball attempts.

Comparing this to Propper, who has an 89% pass success rate domestically, while winning 64% of his aerial duels and succeeding with 48% of his long ball attempts, proves that Goldson is enjoying the best campaign from a statistical viewpoint.

Furthermore, Propper simply cannot handle the physicality of Scottish football, as opposition attackers can get the better of him, having been dribbled past ten times in the Premiership so far.

Of course, I’m not saying Goldson is the answer to the club’s prayers, but given the choice, he appears to be a better option in comparison to Propper, based off their respective form this season.

As bad as Propper: Ferguson must axe Rangers dud who made just 4 passes

Having battled to a goalless draw at Ibrox, Rangers manager Barry Ferguson must axe his “frustrating” star at San Mamés in next Thursday’s second leg.

ByBen Gray Apr 11, 2025

This is why the Gers messed up when they cashed in on the former Brighton man last year because he is currently miles better than the Dutch dud, who is yet to prove his worth at Ibrox.

Stats – Rashid Khan, T20 king in every phase and every league

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Afghanistan wristspinner gave no indication that he would become this good early on. But now he stands at the pinnacle

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Feb-2025Rashid Khan has gone past Dwayne Bravo to become the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket. Bravo, who retired from professional cricket in 2024, finished his T20 career with 631 wickets. Rashid surpassed that tally when he castled Dunith Wellalage of Paarl Royals in the SA20 Qualifier 1 on Tuesday.Entering the third season of SA20, Rashid needed ten wickets to move beyond Bravo’s tally, and it took him ten matches to seal the record.When Rashid made his T20 debut in October 2015, Lasith Malinga was the format’s leading wicket-taker. Bravo took the title in April 2016, at 31, becoming the first bowler to reach 300 wickets. Bravo’s reign at the top lasted nearly eight years and ten months, more than twice that of any other bowler; he had the record for almost 40% of the T20 format’s overall lifespan up until then.Unlike Bravo, Rashid, who’s now 26, will have age on his side, allowing him to potentially add more wickets to his record and hold it for even longer. Before turning 38, Bravo had accumulated 614 wickets but took only 17 in the 26 matches he played thereafter until his retirement.

Only one player younger than Rashid has ever held the top position on the T20 wickets list – Jimmy Ormond, who was 25 years and 297 days old on the opening day of the T20 Cup in 2003, which was the starting point for the 20-over format. Ormond took five wickets on debut for Surrey against Middlesex, but his stint at the top lasted just three days.It is also rare for a spinner to be top of the pile in T20 cricket: only two others have held that position before – Jason Brown and Nayan Doshi. Brown, an offspinner, became the leading wicket-taker during the inaugural T20 Cup in 2003 after claiming ten wickets in his first four matches, but he went down in the rankings within four days.Nayan, a left-arm orthodox spinner and son of former Indian cricketer Dilip Doshi, held the top spot between July 2006 and June 2008 while playing for Surrey and Derbyshire in England.Rashid’s quick surge to the topRashid had just 19 wickets in 14 matches and was yet to experience franchise cricket when Bravo became the leading T20 wicket-taker. By the end of 2016, he was not in the top 500 wicket-takers, with only 38 wickets – 329 behind Bravo’s total.Then, Rashid became a highly sought-after player in the T20 format in 2017, following his IPL debut. By the end of 2019, he was ranked 11th among the top wicket-takers in men’s T20s and moved to second place behind Bravo in 2022.

Rashid’s impressive rise was fuelled by consistent performances. He took over 50 wickets in T20s for eight consecutive calendar years from 2017 to 2024. No other player has achieved 50-plus wickets in more than five years, and no one has done it more than three times in a row.In 2018, Rashid nearly claimed 100 wickets, finishing with 96 from 61 matches – the most by any bowler in a calendar year. He also took 81 wickets in 2022 and 80 in 2017. Bravo is the only other bowler to claim 80 or more wickets in a year, with 87 in 2016. Rashid has taken 75 or more wickets in a calendar year four times. No other bowler has done it more than once.

At home in every phaseThe only phase where Rashid’s numbers may not be utterly dominant – at least by his own high standards – is in the powerplay. In this phase, he has an average of 25.57 and an economy rate of 6.94 (this data only includes matches for which ball-by-ball data is available). Only 19 of the 150 players who have bowled over 1000 balls in the powerplay have better averages and economy rates than Rashid.At the death (overs 17-20), however, Rashid takes it to the next level, becoming extremely hard to score against. He has an economy rate of 7.92 at the death, the second-best among the 67 players who have bowled over 800 balls in that phase in men’s T20s.ESPNcricinfo LtdRashid has taken 124 wickets in the death overs, with an average of 14.57, the best among those 67 bowlers.Like most spinners, though, Rashid has taken most of his wickets in the middle overs.He has taken 436 wickets while bowling between overs seven and 16, about 80 more than the next-best in this phase, Imran Tahir (355). Rashid’s average of 18.25 is the fourth-best among the 67 players who have taken over 100 wickets in this phase, and his economy rate of 6.18 ranks third.Finding success in every leagueRashid has 149 IPL wickets, sitting at No. 12 on the league’s wickets charts. His tally is the joint-highest across the eight seasons since his debut, alongside Yuzvendra Chahal.Despite the increasing run rates, Rashid has maintained an economy rate under seven in the IPL. His economy of 6.82 places him just behind Sunil Narine (6.73) among the 24 bowlers with over 100 wickets. Only Muthiah Muralidaran (6.67) sits higher than these two among the 72 players with 50-plus wickets.

Rashid has also made his mark in the Big Bash League, playing in entirely different conditions from the IPL, which illustrates his adaptability. Although he has not played the BBL since the 2022-23 season, he remains the league’s leading wicket-taker among overseas players with 98.Rashid has also succeeded in the Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League, getting 29 and 44 wickets respectively, while maintaining a low economy rate.He has accumulated 410 wickets from 310 matches across T20 franchise leagues. Only Bravo (493) and Narine (460) have more, but both have played over 400 games.

Rashid’s success goes beyond T20 leagues and domestic competitions. He is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in T20 Internationals, with 161, just three behind Tim Southee. His impressive tally of 37 wickets in men’s T20 World Cups places him among the tournament’s top five, especially noteworthy since his first T20 World Cup was only in 2016.Holding the edge against top battersIn T20 leagues, Rashid has dominated most of the batters he has encountered. Among the 120 batters who have faced at least 24 balls from or been dismissed twice by him, 80 either average below 20 or strike at less than a run a ball against him. That illustrates how tough it has been for batters to score quickly against him while also preserving their wicket.

Rashid has consistently managed to keep the top run-scorers in T20 cricket in check. Against batters who have currently scored over 8000-plus runs in their T20 careers, he’s struck 92 times. Only Sunil Narine (95) and Bravo (94) have claimed the wickets of these batters more frequently (in matches where ball-by-ball data is available).Rashid stands out when it comes to bowling averages. Batters with 8000-plus T20 career runs average 22.09 against him, the third-lowest average among 115 bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 500 balls to them. Additionally, the combined batting strike rate for these players against Rashid is 111.88, the fourth-lowest among those 115 bowlers.ESPNcricinfo LtdOther prominent numbers from Rashid’s career4 – Rashid has four hat-tricks in T20s, the most by any bowler. He has one each in the CPL, BBL and IPL, and one for Afghanistan in a T20I.209 – The number of T20 wickets that have come through bowleds for Rashid, the most for any bowler in T20s and 56 more than the next best, Malinga.136 – The number of T20 wickets Rashid has through lbws, the most for any bowler in the format. Imran Tahir has the next highest, with 87.20 – Hauls of four wickets or more for Rashid in T20s, four more than any other bowler.

Stats – Jason Roy and Quetta Gladiators rewrite PSL records

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A look at the records that tumbled during Quetta Gladiators successful chase against Peshawar Zalmi

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Mar-2023241 Target chased by Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi. It is the highest successful target chase in the PSL, surpassing Multan Sultans’ 207 against Lahore Qalandars in 2022. The chase by Gladiators is also the fourth-highest successful target chase in T20 history.ESPNcricinfo Ltd243 for 2 Gladiators’ total against Peshawar Zalmi, the third-highest team total in the PSL. Islamabad United’s 247 for 2 against Zalmi in 2021 is the highest PSL total, followed by 245 for 3 by Multan Sultans against Gladiators in 2022. Zalmi’s 240 for 2 on Wednesday is the fifth highest total in the league and the highest by the franchise.145* Jason Roy’s score against Zalmi is the highest individual score in the Pakistan Super League. The previous highest was an unbeaten 127 by Colin Ingram for Karachi Kings against Quetta Gladiators in 2019.ESPNcricinfo Ltd27 Innings Roy needed to complete 1000 runs in the PSL. He is now the fastest batter to the milestone, bettering Shan Masood, who needed 29 innings. Roy is also one of the three batters to score multiple hundreds in the PSL.44 Balls Roy needed for his hundred, the second fastest by any player in the PSL. The fastest is by Rilee Rossouw, who scored a century in just 43 balls for Multan Sultans against the Gladiators last year. Babar Azam, who took 60 balls for his hundred, recorded the joint-slowest of the league.ESPNcricinfo Ltd88 for 1 Gladiators’ score in the powerplay. It is the second highest powerplay total for any team in the PSL, behind United’s 97 for 0 against Gladiators in 2021. The Quetta Gladiators raced to 100-run mark in 6.5 overs, the second fastest team 100 in the PSL behind United’s in 6.2 overs against Gladiators.8 Hundreds for Babar Azam in T20 cricket, the joint-second-most by any batter. Only Chris Gayle is ahead of Babar with 22 centuries, while Aaron Finch, Michael Klinger and David Warner, all have eight tons each.ESPNcricinfo Ltd162 Partnership runs between Babar and Saim Ayub for the first wicket, the second highest stand by any pair in the PSL. The highest is 176 by Karachi Kings’ opening pair of Sharjeel Khan and Babar, against the Islamabad United in 2021.483 Runs between Zalmi and Gladiators on Wednesday, the highest aggregate for a PSL match. The previous highest was 479 runs between Islamabad United and Gladiators in 2021. The aggregate of 483 runs by Zalmi and Gladiators is also the highest for a T20 match in Asia.

RCB bank on big-ticket Maxwell to ease the load on Kohli and de Villiers

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Without Morris, the death bowling – one of the team’s perennial bugbears – will be in focus again

Saurabh Somani07-Apr-20212:14

Team preview: Can RCB go all the way this season?

Where they finished in 2020 Fourth on the points table and fourth overall, losing in the Eliminator to the Sunrisers Hyderabad. This was the first time the team had made the playoffs since 2016.Potential XI 1 Devdutt Padikkal, 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), 6 Dan Christian, 7 Kyle Jamieson, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPS: Devdutt Padikkal was in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, but he has now joined the squad after returning two negative tests.Can Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli combine to deliver RCB their maiden IPL title?•BCCIBattingIt’s IPL 2021 but the Royal Challengers Bangalore story still seems to be one that stars Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, and hopes that the supporting cast will step up. If both Kohli and de Villiers have middling IPLs – it’s unlikely to happen but it’s a useful thought experiment to gauge batting strength – it leaves the team looking fairly uncertain. Glenn Maxwell, of course, could turn up and snatch games away on his own, but he remains an enigma in the IPL. He’s got the talent, the nous and the performances all over the world, but he’s somehow not clicked in true Maxwell style in the IPL apart from a couple of seasons.The Royal Challengers have some exciting new talents in Padikkal and Finn Allen, but both of them would be better off being allowed to bat with freedom, instead of being burdened with the pressure of carrying the batting.They didn’t sign a lot of lower-order hitters in the IPL 2021 auction, which puts the onus on Maxwell to marshal the second half of their batting. If all three of Kohli, de Villiers and Maxwell play true to form and class, then the team will be scarily good.Kohli has said he’ll open the batting, which might work towards giving the Royal Challengers some of the batting thrust they missed at the top and in the middle in IPL 2020. They were the slowest team in the middle overs, with a strike rate of just 113.51.Their powerplay strike rate wasn’t too hot either, at 116.05, but while that might not change too much, where Kohli opening could work is that he would be well-set by the middle overs and thus able to score quicker.ESPNcricinfo LtdBowlingThe Royal Challengers let go of Chris Morris, whom they had bought for INR 10 crore, but went up as high as 9.75 crore while bidding for him at the 2021 auctions. If letting Morris go was a puzzling decision at the outset, being prepared to shell out almost the same amount to buy him back was even more baffling.Morris had the death-overs economy rate of bowler in IPL 2020 (minimum 20 balls), conceding a mere 7.03 per over. The next best for the Royal Challengers were Isuru Udana (9.44) and Mohammed Siraj (10.06). Morris was not just outstanding at the death, he was incisive and economical during all phases, and the Royal Challengers don’t have a similar bowler to bank on in their current squad.Without Morris, the death bowling in particular – one of the team’s perennial bugbears – will be in focus once again. They will hope that the big-ticket buy of Kyle Jamieson pays off, and if he can give them some control at the death, their bowling attack will wear a nicely rounded look. Washington Sundar’s control in the powerplay and Yuzvendra Chahal’s guile in the middle overs give them some stability. If Siraj and Navdeep Saini can hit their best bowling form in tandem, that could still make for a very competent attack, even without Morris.Related

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Devdutt Padikkal links up with RCB after testing negative for Covid-19

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Hit the ball hard: the Finn Allen mantra

Young player to watch out for Finn Allen was picked up as a replacement for Josh Philippe before he had even made his New Zealand debut. A top-order batsman who can keep wickets too, Allen was a like-for-like replacement for Philippe in terms of roles, but given the initial promise he has shown, the Royal Challengers might have just found an upgrade. He had a bumper Super Smash 2020-21, smashing a chart-topping 512 runs at a strike-rate of almost 194 to power the Firebirds to the title. Then, in his third T20I, he uncorked a 29-ball 71 against Bangladesh, reaching his half-century off just 18 balls. Allen, who will turn 22 during the second week of the IPL, might not make the starting XI immediately for the Royal Challengers, but he’s likely to get a few games as the tournament goes on.Coaching staff Mike Hesson (director of cricket operations), Simon Katich (head coach), Adam Griffith (bowling coach), S Sriram (batting and spin bowling coach), Sanjay Bangar (batting consultant), Shanker Basu (strength and conditioning coach), Evan Speechly (physiotherapist)Poll

حاتم الطرابلسي: الإعلام الأوروبي لا يتعامل مع محمد صلاح باحترام.. وسلوت أساء له

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

انتقد اللاعب التونسي السابق حاتم الطرابلسي، تصرف المدرب الهولندي آرني سلوت، مع النجم المصري محمد صلاح، جناح ليفربول، بعد أزمة التصريحات مؤخرًا.

وقام سلوت باسبتعاد محمد صلاح من قائمة ليفربول للمباراة أمام إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا، والمقرر خوضها غدًا الثلاثاء ضمن مباريات مرحلة الدوري.

وجاء قرار سلوت بعد تصريحات محمد صلاح في أعقاب المواجهة أمام ليدز يونايتد بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز التي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي (3-3)، حيث أكد اللاعب أنه غير راضٍ على جلوسه بديلاً لـ 3 مباريات متتالية في البريميرليج، واتهم النادي بالتخلي عنه، وأشار لانقطاع علاقته بالمدرب.

وقال حاتم الطرابلسي خلال الستوديو التحليلي بشبكة قنوات “بي إن سبورتس”: “أرى أن ليفربول لم يتعامل مع موضوع محمد صلاح بشكل جيد، نحن نتكلم عن أفضل لاعب محترف داخل نادي ليفربول”.

وأضاف: “بالأرقام.. محمد صلاح نجم الفريق لمواسم عديدة ويجد نفسه علي دكه البدلاء لـ 3 مبارايات متتالية بدون أي تبرير، وإن كان صلاح لا يلعب بشكل جيد فهناك لاعبين عدة لا يلعبون بشكل جيد أيضًا في ليفربول”.

وواصل: “حين نتكلم عن محمد صلاح فهو يستحق أن يكون متواجدًا بشكل أساسي في الفريق، وأنا أرى أن هناك سوء تعامل كبير من المدرب، ليس هكذا تعامل النجوم، أنت تريد تصدير محمد صلاح للجمهور بأنه هو الأسوء في الفريق وأنه هو الذي يصدر المشاكل”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أليسون عن أزمة محمد صلاح: مصلحة ليفربول أولاً.. والقيادة تُثبت بالأفعال لا بالكلام

واستطرد: “اليوم الكل يدافع عن سلوت لأنه أحرز أول لقب في موسمه الأول مع ليفربول لكن كانت نسبة كبيرة في هذا تعود لمحمد صلاح وتألقة في الموسم وتسجيله للأهداف”.

وأكد: “استبعاد محمد صلاح وعدم ذهابه مع الفريق لدوري أبطال أوروبا عيب على المدرب، كان من الممكن حل المشكلة، ويجلس المدرب معه ويقدم له بعد الجزيئات المطلوبة، يجب أن يعامل صلاح باحترام لأن الصحافة والإعلام الأوروبي لا يتعامل مع صلاح باحترام”.

وأتم: “ما قدمه هذا اللاعب في عده مواسم سيعجز أي لاعب آخر عن تحقيقها مع الفريق، من السهل أن تحقق الإنجاز في موسم أو إتنين، لكن صعب جدًا تحقيقه في 7 أو 8 مواسم متتالية”.

Bavuma, Harmer and Jansen script sensational South Africa win at treacherous Eden Gardens

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

India roll over for 93 in their chase of 124 with their captain Shubman Gill absent with a neck injury

Sidharth Monga16-Nov-20252:52

Philander: South Africa found ways to get a win

South Africa started the day staring at defeat, only 63 ahead with three wickets in hand, but registered a stunning win, their first in India in 15 years and the second-smallest successful defence in Asia. The whooping and cheering among the South Africa players echoed amid a shocked Sunday crowd at Eden Gardens as the visitors bowled India out for 93 in the absence of their injured captain Shubman Gill.Temba Bavuma was ever present, scoring the only half-century of the match and taking South Africa to a lead of 123 on a pitch with extravagant sideways movement and variance in bounce. He was helped a little by some ordinary spin bowling on the third morning, but he had earned the errors after defending resolutely on the second evening.Related

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Stats – South Africa's first win in India since 2010

The target of 124 was always going to be tricky with Simon Harmer outbowling India’s spinners in the country where he had a forgettable tour in 2015-16. The uneven bounce made Marco Jansen a handful, causing the double jeopardy you need to defend small totals.India began the day in the ascendance but not with bowlers likeliest to take a wicket. Axar Patel opening the day was a surprise, and as the singles flowed with ease you could sense panic. Rishabh Pant, who had been excellent with his rotation of bowlers and field placements on the second evening, began to change bowlers too quickly and also took a desperate review against Bavuma when Ravindra Jadeja had clearly pitched outside leg from over the wicket.That Jadeja was bowling over the wicket in itself was a sign of desperation when all you really needed to do on this surface was bowl a good length and shut the scoring. Jadeja, who until day two was the best player of the match, just struggled to maintain that length and bowled seven overs for 21 runs. Washington Sundar, one of the three spinners in the last four home Tests, was not used at all.Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch added crucial runs in the morning•Getty Images

Bavuma’s defence found an ally in Corbin Bosch’s big hits, which he deployed mainly against Kuldeep Yadav. The two added an invaluable 44 for the eighth wicket, 25 of which came off Bosch’s bat. Eventually it was the fast bowlers that kept India alive. Jasprit Bumrah hit the top of Bosch’s off, and Mohammed Siraj, in only his second over of the innings, got the better of Harmer and Keshav Maharaj with reverse swing.It was always going to be a tough target on this pitch, but India had hope in South Africa’s selection of only two spinners, one of whom, Maharaj, had gone for 16-1-66-1 in the first innings. Jansen, though, stunned them at the start in his first two overs to send back the openers. Both these balls jumped off a length, got big on the batters, and took the outside edge.Simon Harmer was unplayable at times•BCCI

Washington, India’s newest No. 3, played resolutely again, mirroring the first half of Bavuma’s innings and facing the most balls in the match, but as it tends to happen on these pitches, Dhruv Jurel put a long hop into the hands of deep midwicket. The ball did stop on him as it tends to happen on these pitches.Harmer might have got on the board with this fortunate wicket, but he bowled beautifully to earn that stroke of luck. Ten years after a crushing tour of India, he is back a much-improved bowler. He could change his trajectory subtly, most of the times able to bowl a good length at different paces. It showed in how he completely tied up the most dangerous batter in the India line-up, Pant, and eventually earned a return catch with dip and turn.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

At 38 for 4, Washington and Jadeja added 26 runs, looked comfortable, but this is when Jadeja’s old-school method of defending with the bat behind the pad came back to haunt him. Just like in the first innings. Once again out lbw pad-first to Harmer, Jadeja ended forgettably a Test he had been largely good in, one during which he became only the fourth man to take 300 wickets and score 4000 runs.Aiden Markram reminded India of the nightmare Glenn Phillips had been on lottery pitches last year when he came on and finally got the edge of a distraught Washington, who scored 31 off 92 to go with his 29 in the first innings. Harmer then spun one past Kuldeep when he slowed it down tantalisingly.At 77 for 7, India were left needing a miracle from Axar, who threatened one when Bavuma gave him a sighter against Maharaj. He hit two sixes and a four, but when he happened to mishit he found a calm Bavuma making a difficult over-the-shoulder catch look ridiculously easy.Siraj lasted only one ball, triggering wild celebrations, the loudest from Kagiso Rabada, who has tasted only defeat on two previous tours of India and was missing this Test with a rib injury.

Urvil Patel smashes 31-ball ton; Rahane, Suryakumar star in Mumbai win

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Bhuvneshwar takes 2 for 23 in UP’s victory against Goa; Rahane fifty helps Mumbai beat J&K

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2025

File photo – Urvil Patel went on a boundary-hitting spree•GCA

Urvil Patel smashes 31-ball ton for GujaratUrvil Patel marked his T20 captaincy debut with a remarkable 119 not out off just 37 balls as Gujarat opened their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign with an eight-wicket win over Services in a Group C fixture in Hyderabad.Retained by Chennai Super Kings after being signed midway through IPL 2025 as an injury replacement, Urvil reached his hundred off just 31 balls, the third fastest by an Indian. His fireworks at the top of the order turned a chase of 183 into a cakewalk. Urvil hit 12 fours and 10 sixes as Gujarat won with 45 balls to spare.

Urvil also holds the record for the joint-fastest T20 hundred by an Indian with Abhishek Sharma. Both hit 28-ball hundreds, against Tripura and Meghalaya, respectively, in the 2024-25 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In 2023, Urvil had struck the third-fastest century by an Indian in List A cricket when he hit a 41-ball century against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Urvil’s to-be CSK colleague and Kerala captain Sanju Samson struck an unbeaten 51 as Kerala romped to a 10-wicket win over Odisha. Samson’s knock was overshadowed by Rohan Kunnummal, who struck an unbeaten 60-ball 121 – his second T20 century.Bhuvneshwar stars in UP winIn his first competitive fixture since winning the IPL 2025 final with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bhuvneshwar Kumar showed he hadn’t lost his swing or zip, picking up 2 for 23 in Uttar Pradesh’s six-wicket win in a Group B fixture against Goa in Kolkata.Put in to bat, Goa posted 172 for 9 on the back of Abhinav Tejrana, who top-scored with a 35-ball 72 on T20 debut. UP’s chase was then powered by Aryan Juyal, the wicketkeeper, who finished unbeaten on 93 off 57 balls, to seal UP’s chase with 10 balls to spare.File photo – R Smaran set up Karnataka’s win with a half-century•R Smaran/KSCA

Dubey’s last-over six steers Karnataka homeLegspin-bowling allrounder Praveen Dubey proved his all-round chops to haul Karnataka to a thrilling win over Uttarakhand in a Group D fixture in Ahmedabad.Needing 7 off 2, Dubey launched a six before hit the winning runs as Karnataka chased down 198 off the last ball. Dubey, who was released by Punjab Kings, finished 38 not out off 24 balls, the unbroken sixth-wicket stand with Shubhang Hedge worth 70 off just 40 balls.Karnataka’s chase was set up by R Smaran, who top-scored with a 41-ball 67 to show Sunrisers Hyderabad what they could expect come IPL 2026.File photo – Shardul Thakur led Mumbai’s attack•Associated Press

Rahane, SKY power Mumbai home; Shaw misses outAjinkya Rahane smashed a 31-ball half-century, while Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with an enterprising 47 off 30, as Mumbai eased past Railways’ 158 for 5 by seven wickets and its 25 balls to spare in a Group A fixture in Lucknow. Rahane top-scored with 62 off 33, falling hit wicket to legspinner Karn Sharma. Mumbai’s bowlers shared the wickets, with captain Shardul Thakur leading the way with a tidy 1 for 15 from four overs. Shivam Dube also struck once in his three-over spell.It wasn’t such a happy outing for Prithvi Shaw on T20 debut for Maharashtra as they lost to Jammu & Kashmir by five wickets in a Group B fixture in Kolkata. Shaw, looking to attract the interest of IPL franchises after going unsold in 2025, made just 5 before he was one of three victims of seamer Auqib Nabi. Umran Malik too impressed with 2 for 24.Abhishek Sharma managed just 4, but Punjab beat Himachal, while Jaydev Unadkat’s three-for helped Saurashtra grab full points against Tripura in Ahmedabad.

Darren Lehmann lures Nathan McSweeney to Northants in statement signing

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Three-cap Australian opener signs all-format deal for 2026 summer

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2025Northamptonshire coach Darren Lehmann has made a statement signing by luring Australia’s Nathan McSweeney to Wantage Road for the 2026 season. The deal covers all formats and the club expect McSweeney to be available “for the whole season” barring an international recall.Lehmann joined Northants last summer and took them to T20 Blast Finals Day for the first time since 2016, though they finished second-bottom of Division Two in the County Championship and won only once in the One-Day Cup. He signed an extension mid-season which means his contract now runs until the end of 2027, and has started to strengthen his squad for next year.Lehmann was an assistant coach when McSweeney captained Brisbane Heat to the BBL title in 2023-24, and presented him with his baggy green cap when he made his Test debut against India last year. McSweeney was harshly dropped after only three caps – four of his five dismissals were to an in-form Jasprit Bumrah – but has not featured for Australia since.McSweeney previously worked with Lehmann at Brisbane Heat•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesAs a result, he should be available throughout the English summer. He will play alongside his South Australia team-mate Harry Conway for the first half of the Championship season, with Yuzvendra Chahal set to take over from Conway for the second half of the Championship and the One-Day Cup. Allrounder Louis Kimber has also joined from Leicestershire.”When the chance came up to sign with Northamptonshire, it was an easy decision,” McSweeney said. “The club has a strong culture and some quality players, and working with Boof again made it even more appealing. I’m eager to get over there, settle in, and help the team win games.”Lehmann said: “Nathan McSweeney is a brilliant player who has so much talent and potential. He’s a classy individual who will hopefully provide us with some stability in that top order. We can’t wait for him to arrive and hit the ground running.”

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