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Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa’s women’s captain, was the big winner at the CSA annual awards, where she picked up five prizes including Women’s Player of the Year following a stellar 2023-24 season. Not only did Wolvaardt accept the leadership role permanently in the past season, she was also South Africa’s leading run-scorer in ODIs and T20Is in the period under consideration.Fittingly, she was named the Women’s ODI Player of the Year and Women’s T20I Player of the Year. Her popularity among her team-mates and supporters was clear as she also took home the Players’ Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year awards.She was joined by Marco Jansen, who was named as the Men’s Player of the Year in recognition of his all-round contributions which included 17 wickets at the ODI World Cup and impressive performances with bat and ball in the Boxing Day Test against India.Related

• CSA reports profits of R815 million for 2023-24 fiscal year

• Powerplay podcast: Ultimate allrounders – juggling cricket and motherhood

The awards recognise achievements from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, so performances at June’s Men’s T20 World Cup and in Test and T20I series in West Indies will be considered only at next year’s events. The reason for the awards being held in September rather than immediately after the season in May is because CSA’s sponsors require all nationally contracted players to appear at the ceremony and that would not be possible in May because of the IPL.South Africa only played four Tests in the period under consideration – two against India and two with a second-string side in New Zealand – which made choosing a Test player of the Year tough. David Bedingham, who scored 56 on debut against India and 87 and 110 in his two second innings in New Zealand, was recognised for his efforts. Bedingham was also named the International Newcomer of the Year.In white-ball formats, Quinton de Kock, who has now retired from 50-over cricket, was named the ODI Player of the Year after his four centuries at the 2023 World Cup. Reeza Hendricks, meanwhile, won the T20I Player of the Year award. Hendricks was the only South African batter to score a half-century in the period under consideration which excludes the T20 World Cup. Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner who defied medical odds to make his comeback three months early from an Achilles rupture and play at the ODI World Cup, was voted by his peers as the Players’ Player of the Year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Two other marquee awards were won by female internationals: the Best Delivery Fuelled by KFC and Makhaya Ntini Power of Cricket Award. Marizanne Kapp’s inswinger that bowled Beth Mooney in South Africa’s first ODI win over Australia was judged the best ball in the season while Masabata Klaas was acknowledged for overcoming the odds to carve a career in cricket. The Makhaya Ntini award, which is in its third year, seeks to recognise players who, like Ntini, have risen above tough circumstances and this is the first time the award has been won by a female cricketer.Klaas had her daughter Rethabile in 2013, just before South Africa’s women’s cricket professionalised, and she has been a single mother though her career. She took three years out of the game but with the support of her own mother, Paulinah, was able to return to cricket and played a key role in South Africa’s automatic qualification to the 2021 50-over World Cup. She became the 10th women’s bowler to take a hat-trick, doing it against Pakistan in 2019. She is seventh on South Africa’s all-time ODI wicket-takers’ list and sixth in T20Is. Earlier this year, she spoke to ESPNcricnfo’s Powerplay podcast about her journey in the game and how she has taken on a mentoring role in the women’s side. Klaas and other cricketing mothers were also on the most recent episode of Powerplay.On the domestic front, legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter who bowled the Lions to victory in the CSA T20 Cup and made his international debut in June was named the men’s Domestic Newcomer of the Season and T20 Challenge Player of the Season. Lions’ allrounder Wiaan Mulder, who was the third-highest run-scorer and took 16 wickets in division one of the four-day division one first-class competition was named four-day domestic Player of the Season. Western Province allrounder Mihlali Mpongwana, the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the one-day cup, won the one-day Domestic Player of the Season award. In the women’s domestic competition, left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was named women’s one-day Player of the Season, while Tazmin Brits won the women’s T20 Player of the Season award after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the domestic tournament, with three centuries.

Full-backs in today’s game have to be as good offensively as they are defensively, with modern-day managers wanting to see them high up the pitch in the final third.

However, it wasn’t always like that, and we have seen some brilliant no-nonsense left-backs since 1992. But who is the best left-back in Premier League history?

Ranking factors Appearances Longevity Titles Goals Clean sheets What others have said about them 20 best left-backs in Premier League history: in pictures 20 Aleksandar Kolarov Man City

Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov spent seven years at Man City and won two Premier League titles titles, proving to be worth the £16m transfer fee.

A powerful full-back who looked more like a centre-back than a left-back, Kolarov could also get forward and would also be on free-kick duty, scoring a goal in all seven of his top flight seasons at the Etihad.

Games

165

Goals

11

Assists

20

Clean sheets

46

Titles

2

19 Phil Neville Man Utd, Everton

A proper Premier League ‘Barclaysman’, Phil Neville could play as a right-back, holding midfielder or left-back, and was an extremely reliable performer for both Man Utd and Everton.

After winning six titles at Old Trafford, Neville moved to Goodison Park with the Toffees and continued to be a solid option at full-back, captaining Everton as he reached more than 500 Premier League appearances.

Games

505

Goals

9

Assists

25

Titles

6

18 Mikael Silvestre Man Utd, Arsenal

With Man Utd having plenty of world-class options to choose from at centre-back, Mikael Silvestre would be used as a left-back on a regular basis by Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999-2008.

The Frenchman was able to play there due to his pace and would win four Premier League titles at Old Trafford, with Ferguson calling Silvestre “a great servant and a wonderful professional”.

Games

275

Goals

9

Assists

19

Clean sheets

83

Titles

4

17 Gabriel Heinze Man Utd

Another Man Utd left-back, Gabriel Heinze’s time at Old Trafford was short but sweet and would eventually leave after a falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Signed from PSG and sold to Real Madrid highlights just how good Heinze was, and he was named the Red Devils’ Player of the Year in his first season, winning the title in his last campaign with United.

Games

52

Goals

1

Assists

1

Clean sheets

18

Titles

1

16 Wayne Bridge Southampton, Chelsea, Fulham, Man City, West Ham, Sunderland

Wayne Bridge played for multiple Premier League clubs between 1998-2012, and the Englishman would have won more caps for England if it wasn’t for somebody else on this list.

He liked to get forward and cross at every opportunity, while also being solid defensively, which resulted in Chelsea spending £7m on his services in 2003, with Bridge winning one title at Stamford Bridge.

Games

315

Goals

3

Assists

21

Clean sheets

100

Titles

1

15 Danny Rose Tottenham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Watford

Arguably Danny Rose’s career highlight came on his Tottenham debut against rivals Arsenal, where he announced himself in north London with a brilliant long-range goal.

Rose would go on to have a successful career in the Premier League, with Thomas Tuchel even admitting previously it took him three days to work out how to stop the left-back and his attacking threat ahead of a Champions League clash with Spurs.

Games

202

Goals

9

Assists

17

Clean sheets

42

14 Marcos Alonso Bolton, Sunderland, Chelsea

Marcos Alonso made a name for himself as a left-back who could score from distance at Chelsea following spells with Bolton and Sunderland, winning the Premier League and Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard’s tally of 26 goals and 17 assists in just 179 appearances in defence shows how good he was in the final third, and he was called a “spectacular signing” for Barcelona when leaving the Blues.

Games

179

Goals

26

Assists

16

Clean sheets

63

Titles

1

13 Luke Shaw Southampton, Man Utd

After bursting onto the scene as a teenager at Southampton, Man Utd paid a then-world-record £30m fee for a teenager to sign Luke Shaw.

Since then, Shaw has been named in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions and voted Man Utd’s Players’ Player of the Year twice. Called “the best left-back in the world” by former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag, Shaw has also had his critics but there has been more positives than negatives in his Premier League career.

Games

265

Goals

3

Assists

17

Clean sheets

70

12 Gael Clichy Arsenal, Man City

Part of Arsenal’s Invincibles side in 2003/04, Gael Clichy would also win two more titles with Man City and would make himself known as a brilliant attacking left-back in north London and Manchester.

The Frenchman was also solid defensively and had a great passing vision that was hailed by Arsene Wenger, who labelled Clichy as “awesome”.

Games

325

Goals

3

Assists

18

Clean sheets

115

Titles

3

11 David Unsworth Everton, West Ham, Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Wigan

David Unsworth, a left-back who could also play as a central defender when needed, is the highest-scoring full-back in Premier League, becoming somewhat of a penalty king in the top flight.

Best known for his time at Everton, Unsworth, in his prime, was extremely pacey and powerful on the left-hand side, acquiring the nickname of “Rhino” during his time at Goodison Park.

Games

364

Goals

38

Assists

18

Clean sheets

90

Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing update on Arsenal and their transfer plans for the summer window, with one target set to speak to his agents about the possibility of a move to the Emirates Stadium this week.

Mikel Arteta set for talks with Arsenal co-chairman over striker plans

The Times and journalist Gary Jacob shared some very interesting news regarding Mikel Arteta and Gunners co-chair Josh Kroenke.

Arsenal: Berta now targeting £80m Premier League star as Rodrygo talks stall

They’re having problems in pursuit of the Brazilian.

ByEmilio Galantini May 26, 2025

According to their information, amid a plethora of reports linking them with a striker, Arteta and Kroenke are set for internal talks over signing a prolific centre-forward in the next few days, with Arsenal looking to solve their goalscoring problem.

Arsenal surrendered the Premier League title to Liverpool, finishing 10 points behind Arne Slot’s side, with the north Londoners failing to reach their previous heights in terms of ruthlessness in the final third.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arteta’s men drew more games than any other side in the top ten over 24/25, scoring just 69 league goals in total, which is far fewer than the 91 and 88 they managed over the previous two seasons.

There has never been a more clear indication that Arsenal are in dire need of a striker, and Arteta publicly suggested that they have every intention of solving that issue among other concerns in the squad.

“Believe me, we are on it,” said Arteta about Arsenal potentially making a signing up front.

“We will try to squeeze and think and turn every stone that we possibly can, to make this club even more successful. But I think what these boys have done, the team has done, regarding everything that has happened, I repeat myself, I think they deserve a lot of credit.”

The result of these sit-down talks with Kroenke could have a profound effect on their chances of mounting a better Premier League title challenge next season, amid serious links to Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Viktor Gyokeres set to speak with agents about possible Arsenal move

The Swede ended 24/25 with 54 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, potentially signing-off on his Sporting career with a strike in the Portuguese Cup final against Benfica on Sunday.

Gyokeres is a top striker target for Arsenal, alongside RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but it remains to be seen which marksman ends up at N5.

The 26-year-old has plenty of options, including Arteta’s side, with Romano sharing an update to GiveMeSport on Gyokeres’ plans after what was potentially his last game for Sporting.

Romano reports that Gyokeres is set to speak with his agents “in the next days” and assess all new destinations, including a possible move to Arsenal, and the ex-Coventry City star will make a decision on his next club “soon”.

Gyokeres’ rumoured price tag comes in at around £63 million, which could be seen as a bargain considering his exceptional goalscoring record, and it is peculiar that he hasn’t managed to seal a big-money move until this summer.

It adds further weight to some belief that Gyokeres is “massively underrated” in terms of strikers, and while you can make a case for a lack of quality in the Primeira Liga, the forward’s haul is hugely impressive no matter what division you’re playing in.

Incredulity at The Oval as cloud cover causes umpires to intervene mid-over

Andrew Miller07-Sep-2024After an opening day dominated by a lengthy delay for bad light, the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval plumbed farcical new depths on the second afternoon, when Chris Woakes was forced to bowl spin midway through an over, due to the on-field umpires’ concerns about the deteriorating conditions.The incident occurred two balls into the seventh over of Sri Lanka’s innings, moments after they lost their first wicket when Dimuth Karunaratne was run out for 9 by Olly Stone’s direct hit from the covers.Kusal Mendis came in at No. 3 to face his first ball, but with an increase in cloud cover between deliveries, Joel Wilson and Chris Gaffaney decreed it was now too dark for quick bowling, albeit Woakes’ average speed in this Test match has been in the region of 80mph.The decision was met with a chorus of boos from a capacity Oval crowd, as well as bemusement in the commentary box. Michael Atherton declared on Sky Sports that “the game’s gone mad” as Woakes served up a first-ball long-hop that Mendis pulled to deep midwicket for a single, then added “oh, that’s filth” as Woakes’ next delivery pitched three feet outside off stump.Joe Root reacted with an amused raise of the eyebrows, while Ben Stokes – on the England balcony – gesticulated his disbelief before turning to walk into the dressing room.A third-ball long-hop was then dragged for four by Pathum Nissanka, meaning that the interlude cost England six runs from four balls. The farce was then compounded moments later, when the cloud cover rolled away, and Gus Atkinson, England’s fastest bowler on show, was permitted to continue after a subsequent light-meter reading.It was the third time in as many Tests that Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, had been required to make a decision about how England responded to the umpires’ concerns.At Old Trafford, he had chosen to stay on in gloomy conditions, bowling 12 consecutive overs of spin that arguably helped Sri Lanka to recover from a nadir of 113 for 7 to reach 236. At Lord’s, on the other hand, he chose to take his players off early rather than risk wasting the new ball, a decision that brought strong condemnation from England’s former white-ball captain Eoin Morgan.Pope then chose to stay on the field while the light faded once more after tea on the second afternoon at The Oval, with Bashir, Dan Lawrence and Joe Root bowling 17 consecutive overs of spin in the final session, as Sri Lanka again capitalised through Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis, who added 118 unbeaten runs for the sixth wicket before the umpires took the players off for good.According to Law 2.7.1, which pertains to bad light and other weather-related issues, “it is solely for the umpires together to decide whether either conditions of ground, weather or light or exceptional circumstances mean that it would be dangerous or unreasonable for play to take place”.However, the law subsequently adds: “Conditions shall not be regarded as either dangerous or unreasonable merely because they are not ideal.”The Woakes incident followed on from a frustrating opening day of the contest, which featured a near three-hour delay from 12.18pm to 3.10pm, in which barely a drop of rain fell but a dense layer of cloud cover prevented a resumption. Play was then suspended again at 5.54pm, and abandoned shortly before 6.30pm, with just 44.1 of the day’s scheduled 90 overs possible.Speaking at the close of the opening day, however, Ben Duckett defended the decision, and argued that England’s batting – led by his 86 from 79 balls and a first home-ground century for Pope – had given the fans their money’s worth.”I think they saw quite a good day’s cricket in the short amount of time there was,” Duckett said. “That’s living in England and playing cricket in England, they’re the conditions. It’s very easy to sit there as a supporter and want to see more cricket but if it does get really dark and more dangerous, we’re the ones out there playing.”

It was remarkably just over six years ago that Marcus Rashford enjoyed one of the greatest moments of his Manchester United career, with the Englishman rifling home from the penalty spot to send Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The United academy graduate had been the undoing of Paris Saint-Germain with that last-gasp spot-kick, while he also netted again in the Parc des Princes during the 2020/21 campaign, to clinch another famous win for Solskjaer and co.

Something about the Ligue 1 side appears to bring the best out of the 27-year-old, it would seem, with the in-form forward having again been electric when facing off with the Parisien outfit – albeit this time in Aston Villa colours.

The Red Devils outcast put in a simply masterful display through the middle for Unai Emery’s side, having notably produced a breathtaking assist for Villa’s third of the night as the hosts flipped the encounter on its head. In truth, it was vintage Rashford.

Frustratingly for the Villans, they could not complete the comeback after bravely crashing out, while for those back in Manchester, such a fine individual display may have Ruben Amorim thinking twice over his decision to exile the £300k-per-week marksman.

But would a return to Old Trafford really be in the best interest of all parties this summer?

Why Rashford still needs to be sold this summer

As far as Rashford is concerned, the decision to make the move to Villa Park back in February could hardly have gone better, with the Midlands side also still in the mix for a top five finish in the Premier League, while having also reached the last four of the FA Cup.

The polarising sensation has been central to Emery’s plans in recent months, with the assist for Ezri Konsa last night taking his total tally to nine goal involvements in just 15 appearances since making the move. Jesse Lingard at West Ham United anyone?

Free from the shackles and the scrutiny of being a Manchester United player, Rashford has looked reborn in claret and blue, with Tuesday night seeing him create four big chances in total – more than any other player on the pitch.

That display backed up Emery’s decision to once again select his loan star ahead of compatriot, Ollie Watkins, in the centre-forward berth, with the Villans boasting attacking depth that Amorim can only dream of – not least with Joshua Zirkzee now sidelined with injury.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, United legend Wayne Rooney suggested that he would “love” to see Rashford back playing for the Red Devils next season, while also claiming that the player himself “wants” to be back at the Theatre of Dreams.

That said, it was only in December that the England international outlined his desire for a “new challenge” after being given the cold shoulder by Amorim, with it difficult to see any form of reconciliation occurring ahead of next season.

Indeed, having found his groove at Villa, why would Rashford risk enduring another stop-start campaign back at his parent club – not least considering three of the last four seasons have been rather underwhelming for him in a United shirt.

Rashford’s last five Man Utd seasons (all comps)
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2024/25*	24	7	3
2023/24	43	8	6
2022/23	56	30	11
2021/22	32	5	2
2020/21	57	21	18
*Not including record at Villa
Stats via Transfermarkt

As for the club itself, the chance to rake in a £40m fee from Villa – a deal that would represent pure profit – is no doubt difficult to turn down, with it perhaps best for everyone that a permanent separation occurs this summer.

That said, even if Amorim and co do change their mind, at least they have only opted to loan out Rashford thus far, with the option of a homecoming still on the table. The same can’t be said for everyone that INEOS have let go…

Man Utd may have made a bigger mistake than Rashford

It appears to be a growing theme that players who have left Old Trafford have gone on to shine elsewhere, albeit with the club having largely been correct in moving those players on.

Indeed, in the case of Anthony Elanga, the Swedish speedster had scored just four goals in 55 games for United prior to departing for Nottingham Forest. David de Gea, meanwhile, was public enemy number one for his mistake in the FA Cup final, before being allowed to leave for nothing.

Equally, the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho – now on loan at Real Betis and Chelsea – had hardly pulled up any trees following their £86m and £73m arrivals, respectively, with the pair netting just 24 goals between them in 179 games.

Antony’s Man Utd record vs selected wingers (past and present)
Player	Games	Goals	Assists	Total G/A
Antony	96	12	5	17
Anthony Elanga	55	4	4	8
Amad	57	12	10	22
Jadon Sancho	83	12	6	18
Alejandro Garnacho	135	25	20	45
Dan James	74	9	9	18
Angel Di Maria	34	4	12	16
Henrikh Mkhitaryan	63	13	11	24
Memphis Depay	53	7	6	13
Stats via Transfermarkt

Even Rashford had endured a miserable 18 months after scoring just 15 goals for United following the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with few of a Red Devils persuasion having contested with any of those exits at the time.

In the case of Scott McTominay, however, it may well be a different story, with the Scotland star having actually been one of Erik ten Hag’s key men last term, before sealing a £25m move to Napoli over the summer.

Indeed, the 28-year-old was the Dutchman’s rescue act having repeatedly delivered the goods in an attacking sense, with the rampaging midfielder – who notably netted a brace at the death against Brentford – ending the season with ten goals to his name in all competitions.

The joint third-highest scorer for United in the end in 2023/24, McTominay appeared to be thriving in an advanced midfield berth, albeit with the desire to meet PSR regulations – and the pursuit of fellow midfielder, Manuel Ugarte – leading to INEOS deciding to cash in.

Ten Hag has since admitted that he “didn’t want” to sell the 6 foot 4 giant, yet was almost “forced” into agreeing to the decision due to the club’s financial constraints.

As it is, McTominay has gone on to dazzle in Naples in 2024/25 to date, with the midfield “monster” – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – notably netting twice last time out to keep Antonio Conte’s side in title contention.

Those latest strikes – both of which were assisted by Romelu Lukaku, no less – showcased just what the Lancaster-born hero is all about. Indeed, for his first of the night, McTominay charged from deep before curling home from outside the area. For his second, the ex-Red Devil expertly headed home after towering above the Empoli defence.

The emerging Naples sensation now has eight Serie A goals to his name this season, with only Bruno Fernandes able to match that tally for league goals back in Manchester.

McTominay is then picking up where he left off last term, with INEOS having made a rare move for United by selling a player who was actually in form – unlike the exiled Rashford.

With the Red Devils now in the midst of their worst-ever Premier League campaign, that bold call doesn’t appear to have aged well…

Forget Bayindir & Heaton: Man Utd could unleash "superb" Onana replacement

Man Utd’s goalkeeping woes continued on Sunday afternoon, with a solution needing to be found…

By
Robbie Walls

Apr 15, 2025

ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is likely to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments

Danyal Rasool13-Jul-2024The PCB is set for a collision course with some of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket after deciding to refuse an NOC to Naseem Shah for the Hundred.ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is likely to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments. While the Global T20 League in Canada has not yet been officially sanctioned by the ICC – without which the PCB cannot issue NOCs to centrally contracted players – it is believed Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will not be allowed to play there either way, with workload management likely cited as the reason.The immediate implications of the decision mean The Hundred’s Birmingham Phoenix will lose out on Naseem next month, while Afridi, Rizwan and Babar will be unavailable for the Global T20 League Canada. Neither tournament directly clashes with any international cricket Pakistan play, but with a busy upcoming schedule for the national side, it is understood the PCB wishes to see their all-format players rest up ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which starts on August 21.Related

• Shaheen, Babar, Rizwan denied NOCs to play in Global T20 Canada

• PCB mulls 'key changes', says domestic cricket 'compulsory' for players

• Wahab and Razzaq sacked from PCB selection committee

Though the GLT20 awaits official ICC sanction, the Pakistan players drafted were fully expected to be allowed to play the league; Afridi is scheduled to travel to Canada shortly, with the tournament officially slated to begin on July 25. Naseem, meanwhile was set to earn £125,000 for his time at The Hundred, which starts on July 23.This doesn’t necessarily mean no NOC requests will be entertained, with the latest NOC repressions likely to only affect those considered all-format regulars. Usama Mir, who had his NOC denied last month for the T20 Blast, will be allowed to play The Hundred, as will Haris Rauf.The NOC rejections are set to go further than just the leagues over the next month. Pakistan have a virtually non-stop cricketing schedule from October to May the following year. They play three Tests against England at home that month, followed by limited-overs series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, a Test series in South Africa, a home Test series against the West Indies, a home tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand, a home Champions Trophy, and the PSL. It is understood the PCB will entertain no NOC requests during that period for all-format players, which coincides with a spate of T20 leagues.The three-year central contracts the PCB and the players signed last year allowed for two overseas franchise leagues per year, as long as those tournaments did not clash with the player’s international commitments. While the contracts do state the PCB has the right to refuse NOCs if they feel it is in the best interests of Pakistan’s international obligations, the decision to withdraw the players from leagues which do not directly clash with international cricket is set to cause discontent among players affected, and questions around whether the allowance made in central contracts is being respected in spirit.The past month has seen an uneasy quiet take hold after Pakistan’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign which saw them exit in the first round. Initial reports suggested PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wanted to enact “major surgery” on the side, but no immediate ramifications followed in the wake of the exit. Of late, however, there have been signs that events are beginning to gather speed, with Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq sacked from the PCB selection committee.

Leicester City now want an “unbelievable” 4-2-3-1 manager, who is also wanted by Southampton, to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy, according to Sky Sports.

Leicester's relegation piles pressure on Van Nistelrooy

The Foxes’ relegation to the Championship from the Premier League was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, in what has been a disastrous season for the club. They have just 18 points to their name after 33 games, winning just four games in total.

Leicester City eye move for new 40 y/o manager who has same agent as Vardy

He’s been in the Championship before.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 9, 2025

The club chiefs hoped that Van Nistelrooy’s arrival would springboard the club into staying away from the drop zone, but just three wins in 17 games have not been enough to keep them in the Premier League.

That means the Foxes now have to prepare for life back in the Championship, and according to Sky Sports, Van Nistelrooy is expected to meet with Leicester’s hierarchy this week to discuss his future.

The Dutchman is expected to remain in charge for the remainder of the Premier League campaign, but there are doubts as to whether he will stay going into the summer, as both sides are unsure about continuing the relationship going into the Championship.

Another concern for Leicester is that sacking van Nistelrooy before the end of June would cause problems for them meeting PSR obligations, as the Dutchman is under contract until 2027, and therefore, he would need to be paid off.

Leicester want a 4-2-3-1 boss who is also wanted by Southampton

So while the club chiefs weigh up what to do with van Nistelrooy, according to Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Leicester are now interested in appointing Danny Rohl as their new manager after drawing up a managerial shortlist.

Dorsett reports that the Foxes have already drawn up a list of candidates to possibly replace Van Nistelrooy, and Rohl is one name that is under consideration. As well as Rohl, Leicester are also interested in former England interim manager Lee Carsley and ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin.

Rohl, who has been dubbed “unbelievable” by player Josh Windass, is a manager who continues to impress in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday, as finances and ownership at the club are making his job difficult. However, the German has managed to guide the Owls to mid-table in the second tier, 10 points above the relegation zone and 10 points adrift of the top six.

Games

87

Won

34

Drawn

17

Lost

36

The 35-year-old, whose preferred formation as manager is 4-2-3-1, will not be an easy man to get for the Foxes, as Southampton have made Rohl a top target in their search for a new boss.

Sheffield Wednesday is Rohl’s first job as a manager in England, but the work he’s done in guiding the club away from relegation last season and what he’s achieved in this campaign have now made him a highly rated coach in the second tier.

The win was set up by the South Africa fast bowlers, who combined to stop Netherlands at 103 for 9

Shashank Kishore08-Jun-20242:46

Miller: I knew I had to finish the game

South Africa made heavy weather of a modest chase in New York before David Miller and Tristan Stubbs dug deep to save them from a third straight defeat at Netherlands’ hands at an ICC tournament.Miller and Stubbs added 65 for the fifth wicket to lift them from the pits of 12 for 4 on a pitch that didn’t play anywhere as badly as the scorecard suggested, even though there was enough in it for quick bowlers – 13 of the 15 wickets fell to them, while there were two run outs.As he walked out to bat, Miller might have had a flashback of Adelaide 2022, where his wicket, with 47 needed off 28 balls, shut the door on South Africa and gave Netherlands a 13-run win. On Saturday, Miller stayed the course and remained unbeaten on 59, flicking on his best six-hitting self in the penultimate over with South Africa needing 16 off 12.In the end, in a game where 209 runs were scored in 38.5 overs, South Africa won with enough to spare.Vivian Kingma struck twice in the powerplay•AFP/Getty Images

The South African meltdownQuinton de Kock was run out without facing a ball. Reeza Hendricks got a peach from Logan van Beek that angled in and straightened to hit the top of off. Vivian Kingma had the first of a double when he strangled Aiden Markram down leg to leave South Africa 3 for 3. And when Heinrich Klaasen’s rush of blood had him picking out Tim Pringle attempting a pull off Kingma, Netherlands dared to dream – or maybe just expected the expected, considering the recent results between the two sides at ICC events.Miller and Stubbs take overBoth Miller and Stubbs are instinctive batters who love taking the bowlers on. But the situation they walked out to was not for that sort of batting, it was a crisis. A mis-step could have meant curtains. So they chose caution, saw off the powerplay without any further damage, and hit only a further two boundaries until the ten-over mark to leave South Africa needing 72 off the last ten overs.Stubbs was on 9 off 21 at this point, struggling to force the pace, especially when the ball was dug in to the pitch. A hint of grip for the spinners also made it difficult for him to hit out. So when Bas de Leede came on in the 11th, Stubbs gave him the charge and enjoyed a massive slice of luck as a thick inside edge flew wide of the midwicket fielder.Miller, too, rode some luck. A big hit down the ground off left-arm spinner Pringle only just eluded the long-on fielder in the 12th over with South Africa still needing 57 off 50.Stubbs finally shrug off the pressure that had built around him with a hoick for six off Vikramjit Singh, and then launched van Beek down the ground three balls later to turn the tide South Africa’s way.David Miller and Tristan Stubbs put on a match-winning 65-run stand for the fifth wicket•ICC/Getty Images

Miller lands the finishing blowsIt should have been a smooth ride from there, with South Africa needing 29 off 30. But there was another twist. First, Paul van Meekeren delivered a maiden over to Miller, and the pressure showed when Stubbs holed out to deep midwicket in the next, off Bas de Leede. Then, in the 18th, van Beek came back after being walloped for six by Miller to dismiss Marco Jansen.But, with South Africa needing 16 off 12, de Leede erred in line. Miller began the penultimate over by dispatching a half-tracker over fine leg, and then finished the game with a sequence of 2, 0, 4 and 6 – cue a roar and wild fist pumping.Miller had tamed the demons of Adelaide 2022.Sybrand Engelbrecht top-scored for Netherlands after walking out at a ricky time•ICC/Getty Images

Engelbrecht props up NetherlandsSybrand Engelbrecht, who represented South Africa at the Under-19 World Cup in 2008 and only recently made his Netherlands’ debut, top-scored with a 45-ball 40 on surface where the next best among the top seven was 12.At the toss, Netherlands were put in to bat seemingly because South Africa wanted to exploit the morning conditions, and had them tottering at 32 for 4. South Africa’s four-pronged pace attack, led by Marco Jansen, was breathing fire at that stage, with pace and bounce off the pitch for assistance.South Africa’s hostility didn’t end there, with Ottneil Baartman and Anrich Nortje ensuring there weren’t any freebies. This resulted in Netherlands attempting to manufacture strokes, like Scott Edwards did when he executed a reverse scoop for six, but they simply didn’t have enough.It came down to Englebrecht’s patient knock and his 54-run association with van Beek to get them into three figures. It would have been inadequate on most days, but Netherlands can give themselves a pat on the back for making a match out of it to keep Group D very open.

With promotion and League One title glory well within their grasp, Birmingham City have now reportedly turned their focus towards securing a bargain deal to sign a defensive addition this summer.

Birmingham strolling towards promotion

With games in hand on second place Wrexham, Birmingham sit clear at the top of League One and look unlikely to ease their hold on the top of the tree anytime soon. With just a handful of games left to play, the Blues are also on course to secure early promotion above third place Wycombe and could even seal their Championship spot as early as April 18 when they square off against the struggling Crawley Town.

Left delighted with his side’s most recent victory against Barnsley, watching on as they soared to a 6-2 win, manager Chris Davies told reporters: “It was a big three points. To score six goals at home and win 6-2 is a wonderful day for us.

“I thought were good throughout, we had to be patient when they went down to ten men but to score six in front of the home fans is brilliant. Against ten men, it’s a mental game. You can think it’s going to be easy, but it doesn’t work like that.

“To get a sucker punch after we score, with a long throw, that frustration can build so it was really important for me at half-time that I calmed the players down and made them see the game quite clearly and what we needed to do, the positions we needed to get into and how to attack them relentlessly. If we did that, we would score the goals to win the match and we did.”

That victory only strengthened their stride towards promotion and securing an early place should only benefit Birmingham as they go in pursuit of one particular summer bargain.

Birmingham plotting bargain Harry Darling deal

According ton Wales Online, Birmingham are now plotting a move to sign Harry Darling on a free deal once his current contract comes to an end at Swansea City this summer. The defender does reportedly have an offer on the table from the Championship side but is yet to put pen to paper on an extension – opening the door for his exit in the coming months.

That said, the Blues aren’t the only side reportedly interested, with Premier League hopefuls Sheffield United also linked to the Swansea contract rebel as the summer transfer window approaches.

The interest in the 25-year-old centre-back should come as no surprise either. Former Swansea manager Luke Williams is just one of few to praise Darling in recent months, telling reporters following a hard-fought draw against West Bromwich Albion in January: “Harry was outstanding, and it is impossible to question his commitment to the football club because that an heroic performance from him.

“He is fantastic at defending the goal, competing for everything with the opposition. But he also had plenty of brilliant actions in helping us to build-up to try and score. He was brilliant, he’s an excellent player.”

The legspinner doesn’t turn the ball too much, but by bowling full and out of the reach of batsmen looking for quick runs, he has been able to get the better of them

Sidharth Monga27-Oct-2017It is Chennai, a 21-over chase, the Australian top order is gone, and Glenn Maxwell has nothing to lose. India have their two wristspinners on, and Maxwell starts unleashing his sweeps. Like Hardik Pandya did to Adam Zampa earlier in the day, Maxwell hits Kuldeep Yadav for three consecutive sixes. There are long conferences. India should have this game in the bag, but there are squeaky bums around. Three sixes can do that to you. What if he keeps coming off for another three-four overs? It is a short chase after all.On comes the other leggie. Yuzvendra Chahal does less with the ball in the air and off the pitch than Kuldeep. Yet you don’t see him chatting that much with seniors between deliveries, even when Maxwell hits the fifth ball of this over for his fourth six in two overs. Chahal has hardened himself up bowling containing legspin in IPL matches in Bengaluru, where anyway beating batsmen in the air doesn’t amount for much because mis-hits sail for sixes.Now Chahal does what only he has done to Maxwell this innings: bowl full and wide. Maxwell has to drag it for his big hit, and Chahal has him caught at long-on. He holds his arms aloft, and then points one finger to his forehead.”Whenever I bowled to Gayle [in the RCB nets] I would bowl well wide outside off, and work out that if he isn’t able to hit me then I can try this against Warner and the likes,” Chahal told ESPNcricinfo last year.

In an earlier era, you might have dismissed this as Chahal’s luck. It is not. Denying boundaries in shorter formats is a bona fide way of taking wickets

It is Pune, and India have shackled New Zealand this time, but out comes Colin de Grandhomme batting like a dream, chipping straight balls over straight midwicket ala Mark Waugh and Carl Hooper. De Grandhomme hits Chahal for a four and a six before he comes back for another spell in the 44th over. And again, Chahal bowls that wide ball – this time on a length, the widest bowled to de Grandhomme all innings. He tries the big straight hit, and the edge carries to short third man.Chahal has tried the full and wide variety to big hitters in the lower order with success. James Faulkner once offered a return catch that Chahal failed to grab. Matthew Wade was stumped. He nearly had Tom Latham caught behind in Pune when again he tested the batsman’s reach. Against his 26 wide balls pitched on a length or fuller, New Zealand have not been able to hit a single boundary. Faulkner managed a six, but that was the only boundary Australia hit when Chahal practiced this line. On an average he slips in one full and wide ball every over.In an earlier era, you might have dismissed this as Chahal’s luck. It is not. Denying boundaries in shorter formats is a bona fide way of taking wickets. As a skill too, bowling out of the reach of the batsman but within legal limits is not to be scoffed at. For starters it is an extremely difficult delivery to execute, as commentator and former India spinner Murali Kartik remarked when Chahal got de Grandhomme’s wicket. You have to control the turn. Indian pitches are changing – which is not a bad thing in ODIs because they are preventing scores of 350 from becoming routine – so you have to bowl a length that doesn’t give the ball enough time to turn away and go past the wide lines.Then you have to choose wisely when and to whom to bowl this delivery. Chahal has kept the full and wide ones for big hitters who are not in a mood to be watchful: Maxwell, Faulkner, Marcus Stoinis, de Grandhomme in the 44th over. In that whole innings off 39 off 18 in Chennai, Maxwell faced only three wide balls, all from Chahal and none scored off. It also takes shedding of the ego to not mind being a legspinner whose signature delivery is the one bowled full and wide, not turning too much, not necessarily aimed at taking wickets.Defensive bowlers are getting due recognition with the abundance of limited-overs cricket. Analysts are looking at how well a player comes back when under pressure, when the batsmen have little to lose and the freedom to swing for the hills. Of all the spinners who have bowled in this limited-overs season in India, Chahal and Mitchell Santner have shown they find answers the quickest.Perhaps that is why Chahal has been preferred to Kuldeep when there is room for only one wristspinner in the Indian XI. Kuldeep has made all the highlight reels, practicing the rare art of left-arm leg spin well enough to pick up an ODI hat-trick, but Chahal has shown that when the pressure is high, on a flat pitch, a simple wide ball can be more valuable. Not to invoke his well-documented prowess at chess, it’s the hitters’ move now.