Rain frustrates Originals and Spirit after Buttler's fireworks

Manchester Originals skipper Jos Buttler smacked five sixes in an entertaining 36-ball 62 but his side’s match in the Hundred against London Spirit eventually fell victim to the Manchester weather.The home side had reached 138 for 5 after 80 balls in the game’s only innings when umpires Graham Lloyd and Steve O’Shaughnessy took the players from the field for the second time. They did not return and the no result outcome means that each side have taken one point from their first two matches in the Hundred.The first interruption might have come at a useful time for Spirit’s bowlers and fielders. The former had conceded five sixes in 35 balls, three of the maximums being struck by Phil Salt, who was dropped by Dan Lawrence off Liam Dawson when only 8. Salt was eventually caught by Adam Rossington for a nine-ball 21 when he thin-edged a pull off Dan Worrall.

However, Max Holden was dropped at by Jordan Thompson at long-on off Matt Critchley when on 2 and Buttler was unbeaten on 26 when a shower forced the players from the field.That interruption reduced the match to a 90-balls per side affair at most with Spirit’s target being calculated using Duckworth-Lewis-Stern. On the resumption, Holden and Buttler continued to make hay with Originals’ skipper hitting three more sixes, two of them off successive balls from the legspinner, Critchley.The Essex bowler soon had some consolation, though, when he had Holden stumped by Rossington for 23 and Spirit immediately had another boost when Laurie Evans was bowled for 1.The introduction of Ravi Bopara’s medium pace completed Spirit’s fightback. Varying his pace intelligently, Bopara bowled Buttler with a slow yorker and had Paul Walter caught by Matthew Wade for 2.Related

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Having seen their side lose four wickets in 16 balls, Ashton Turner and Jamie Overton attempted to rebuild the Originals’ innings but their work was not completed when rain forced the players off for the final time. Bopara finished with 2 for 13 from his two sets of five.”It’s nice to get out there but it’s a shame we couldn’t get a full game in. But personally, it was a good day for me,” Buttler said. “There was a lot of energy left in the changing room – the guys were desperate to get out there and play, but it is what it is and fingers crossed that it won’t affect too much more of the competition.”There’s always a lot of anticipation in the build up to the Hundred. People are excited to get together in such a fun competition and in front of a really good crowd. I’m just disappointed for the boys – and the fans who don’t get their money’s worth and two full games today.”Meanwhile, at Edgbaston, Birmingham Phoenix’s fixture against Trent Rockets was abandoned without a ball bowled after persistent rain.

Man Utd target Matheus Cunha urged to snub Old Trafford transfer & hold out for a 'better team' amid Wolves heroics

Manchester United may not be the right destination for Wolves talisman Matheus Cunha, a former Molineux star has claimed.

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Cunha may have 'reservations' about move to Old TraffordDon Goodman believes Cunha could wait for better offersBrazilian star man in tough seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Wolves striker Goodman revealed he would be "shocked" if Cunha didn't receive offers from top clubs across Europe. A move to Old Trafford may not be the best option for him, Goodman told .

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Cunha has struck 15 goals in 30 Premier League appearances this season, a key part of Wolves' survival. While Vitor Pereira's side have been in outstanding form as of late, Cunha has excelled all campaign – the best goal-scoring season of his career so far. The Brazil international has been at the centre of transfer speculation for months, and is expected to move on in the summer amid links to Man Utd.

WHAT GOODMAN SAID

Goodman said: "I wonder whether Matheus Cunha should have reservations about signing for Manchester United. At this moment, if I were Cunha, I would be questioning whether it would be a good move right now joining United, who have a lot of ground to make up and rebuilding to do to get where he wants to be.

"I think he's a top player who could play for any team in the Premier League or in Europe. That's how good I think he is. He needs to sort his head out at times, which is a separate issue, but Manchester United would be very lucky to have him.

"From his perspective, and I'm not dismissing the history and tradition of Manchester United, I'd be shocked if Matheus Cunha didn't have options to join better teams. I know it was on a different level but when I left Sunderland, who are a huge club, to join Wolves, it was because Wolves were in a better position to get me to where I wanted to be at that time.

"I suppose Manchester United can still win the Europa League, which may change things, but Matheus Cunha will have to sit down and talk through all the offers he'll receive with his representatives when the season draws to a close."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CUNHA AND WOLVES?

With mid-table safety already secured, Wolves host Brighton on Saturday before encounters with Crystal Palace and Brentford to see out the campaign. Cunha will have a big decision on his hands as to where his future lies in the summer.

Arsenal targeted by PSG banner at Parc des Princes as Gunners gear up for first Champions League semi-final in 16 years

Paris Saint-German fans put up banners at Parc des Princes targeting Arsenal ahead of their Champions League semi-final clash.

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  • PSG fans unfurled anti-Arsenal banners
  • Lost 3-1 against Nice in Ligue 1
  • Will next Gunners in UCL semi-final tie
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Just days before facing the Gunners in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final fixture, newly crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG suffered their first defeat of the 2024-25 league campaign as they went down 3-1 against Nice at home. During the match, banners were unfurled at Parc des Princes by the home fans as they wanted to send out a fiery message to the Premier League giants. The PSG fans' banner read: "Eliminate Arsenal, bring us to the final."

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Arsenal are gearing up for their first Champions League semi-final appearance since the 2008-09 season, when they reached the last-four but eventually lost to English rivals Manchester United over two legs. Mikel Arteta's side reached the semis after they beat reigning champions Real Madrid 5-1 in a two-legged quarter-final tie.

  • WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

    The defeat against Nice left manager Luis Enrique frustrated as he said after the game: "Based on what I saw, I’m signing up straight away for Tuesday in London and the return leg. Not for the result, obviously, but I saw a team that had 30 chances to score. I’m not worried at all. We attacked, didn’t calculate, and we came up against a goalkeeper who made some incredible saves. We are the best team in France, by far. We proved it. We have to be brave now and think about winning the Champions League. Right now, the players are clearly affected. We deserved to win, no doubt about it. But if the opponent is 100 per cent efficient and you’re not as efficient as usual, things turn around. It’s as simple as that."

    The Spanish coach also explained his decision to field a full-strength squad in the league clash ahead of a crucial European game as he added: "Draw whatever conclusions you want from that. I’m not going to give any clues to Arteta."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

    After facing the French giants on April 29, Arsenal will be back in action in the Premier League on May 3 as they face Bournemouth at home.

England talking but Australia leading as Ashes reaches Lord's

The home side have confirmed one change to their XI but Australia are still pondering their final call

Andrew McGlashan27-Jun-2023Big Picture
Are you ready for round two? The opening of this Ashes delivered everything it had promised. Four more matches of that level of exhilaration will be a test for everyone involved.Given all the talk of the past week, where both teams have had some downtime, it would be easy to think England are the side 1-0 up. But courtesy of the partnership between Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, a stand that will go down in Ashes folklore, it is Australia who hold that advantage and, for now, are quite happy for England to say what they like.However, they also know the result could easily have been different. It probably would have been if England had held their chances, or even if Stuart Broad had not bowled Usman Khawaja with a no-ball. No one is getting carried away that Bazball has been shut down but the opening Test of an Ashes generally shows the way (albeit comparisons with 2005 abound).Related

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No smoke without fire: Ollie Robinson embraces Ashes target man status

Cummins and Australia will stay true to their approach

So to Lord’s, and five days that will likely decide if Australia can take a vice-like grip – and put themselves on course for a series win in England since 2001 – or whether the home side can draw level and set up a potentially great series.England, for all their talk, and perhaps that’s why they are doing it, have more questions to answer than Australia. Is it right to go without a frontline spinner? Is there enough point-of-difference in the attack? How much can Ben Stokes’ knee go through? Is Ben Duckett a sitting duck to Australia’s quicks outside off stump? Is attack the only way to go?One thing we know, if the players are to be taken at their word, is that they will respond to defeat by trying to be even more aggressive. It was a similar message put forward after the loss to South Africa last year which, ironically, was then followed by (relatively speaking) one of their more restrained batting performances, led by a captain’s innings from Stokes at Old Trafford.Australia believe they have considerable room for improvement. England may rue not winning a Test where Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith made just 35 runs between them. At Lord’s they are also going in with a base of knowledge they did not have before Edgbaston, although their camp is content with how the tactics played out under pressure.The marker for this series has been laid down. What happens next is really anyone’s guess. And that’s a tantalising prospect.Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)
England LWLWW
Australia WWDWLIn the spotlight
England’s response to defeat. What has been put together under Stokes and Brendon McCullum has clearly worked wonders, but it can’t be unquestionable. Last summer they bounced back against South Africa but the tourists had a poor batting line-up. Their only other defeat since then was the one-run loss to New Zealand in Wellington. Hitting back after going 1-0 down at the start of a home Ashes is something entirely different and the biggest test of the ethos (or cult?) that Bazball has created.Labuschagne was twice done by Broad’s new outswinger at Edgbaston, collecting his first golden duck in Test cricket in the process. In his last 17 innings he has made just two fifties at an average of 33 which is considerably below the extraordinary high standards he has set. Should he find his groove at Lord’s it would come at the ground where his Test career took off four years ago after he was parachuted into the team as Smith’s concussion sub.Team news
England have changed the balance of their side by calling up pace bowler Josh Tongue to replace Moeen Ali. Tongue took a five-wicket haul on his debut against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this season. They have backed James Anderson and Stuart Broad to get through another Test.England 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jonny Bairstow, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 James AndersonAustralia have narrowed down a 12 with the final decision likely to be between Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. England took Boland at nearly six-an-over at Edgbaston but the grass on the surface at Lord’s could keep him in the frame.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Scott Boland/Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodPitch and conditionsThere was a significant green tinge on the surface ahead of the game, but that is pretty normal for Lord’s. There is the expectation of more pace and bounce than Edgbaston provided. The forecast is fine for the opening day but there is a chance of some interruptions after that.Jonny Bairstow and Brendon McCullum stop for a break at England training•PA Images via Getty Images

Stats and trivia Nathan Lyon, who becomes the eighth player to put together 100 consecutive Tests, needs five wickets to reach 500 Stokes needs five wickets to reach 200 in Tests In the last five Tests at Lord’s, since the year-long gap due to Covid, spinners have taken 15 wickets at 50.60 Conversely, in the last five years the ground provides the lowest average for England’s quicksQuotes”Cricket’s a fickle game sometimes. He was the No.1 batter in the world then Broady nicks him off twice. Players like that don’t miss out too often. Broady produced two unbelievable deliveries and it’s always great to see the back of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith early but quality players always find a way to bounce back. We won’t be reading too much into it but it’s nice knowing there might be something there for Marnus.”
“My phone went crazy for a couple of days. These Ashes series, like World Cup finals, you realise how many people love cricket and how much it means to them. Hearing everyone’s stories about where they were when they found out what happened, or watching at all hours of the day is pretty cool.”

Jon Lewis: Culture, not fitness, at root of Australia's dominance of Women's Ashes

Head coach says outdoors lifestyle down under is key factor in producing natural athletes

Andrew Miller24-Jan-2025Jon Lewis, England Women’s head coach, has issued a robust defence of his team’s fitness levels, after they slumped to their fifth consecutive defeat of a troubled Ashes tour, but believes that cultural issues may be at the heart of Australia’s perceived edge in athleticism.Despite their best performance of the tour, England’s rain-affected loss in a closely fought second T20I in Canberra continued Australia’s dominance of a series in which they have now claimed the Ashes for a sixth consecutive series dating back to 2015. And with just two matches to come, including the one-off Test at the MCG next week, the prospect of a whitewash is looming large over the squad.The tour has also been overshadowed by an off-field row involving Alex Hartley, the BBC commentator, who claimed she had been refused a TV interview with Sophie Ecclestone after the first T20I, ostensibly due to her suggestion, in the wake of their T20 World Cup exit in October, that certain individuals were “letting the team down when it comes to fitness”.Though Lewis said he disapproved of Ecclestone’s reasons for turning the interview down, and that he would have encouraged her to do it had he known about the incident at the time, he was adamant that the squad could not realistically be expected to work harder on their fitness levels than they already do.”You guys need to come watch them. I promise you. I cannot defend them more around how hard they work on their physicality,” he said. “They are incredibly dedicated to what they do. I’ve never seen a cricket team work like this cricket team, and I’ve worked in professional cricket for 31 years.”Instead, he suggested the outdoors lifestyle in Australia was more conducive to producing natural athletes, and cited a recent trip to Bondi Beach in Sydney as an example.”On Sunday morning, pretty much every Australian in the eastern suburbs was in the water,” he said. “There’s about a million kids down there, and they were doing Surf Lifesaving, or playing touch rugby.”For me, that’s a cultural difference. I definitely think Australia have an advantage in terms of athleticism, and also our talent pool at the moment is small, so it’s important for us to grow the game.”However, Lewis also insisted that the gulf between the two teams was not as wide as the current 10-0 scoreline suggested, and that Australia’s seizure of key moments in each of the five matches to date had been the difference between the teams.Related

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“The space on the tour we didn’t get right was around the first two games,” he said. “Australia are a really strong team, obviously on their own patch. We knew that when we got on the plane. But in every game, there’s been moments where we feel that we’ve been in the game and had a good opportunity to try and push home a strong advantage. And we haven’t quite got those moments in the game right, and the opposition have.”Whilst it is 10-0, and whilst the margins of victory in the game have been at times large, I think the difference is isn’t as big as the margin suggests in terms of results, in terms of the performance.”The ECB are due to conduct a full review of the series at its conclusion, in which the roles of both Lewis and captain Heather Knight are sure to come under scrutiny. Despite a fighting innings of 43 not out from 19 balls in Canberra, Knight has now overseen five failed Ashes captains since taking over as captain in 2016, and at the age of 34, Lewis was unable to give her his unequivocal backing.”Like any selection, we make those decisions after the tour,” he said. “We will spend some time reflecting and make some rational decisions, and think about what the right thing is for the team further down the road. I don’t think now is the right time to consider that, to be honest,”We’ve got a game to play tomorrow, Heather’s in charge, and we’ve got Test match next week, which we need to get our heads round. And then after the tour, we’ll sit down, we’ll think about what the what the right thing is for team, and how we know we move forward, like we would do with every other selection.”On his own future, Lewis – who has been in the position since 2022 – was more forthright. “I’m really comfortable with the job that I’m doing,” he said. “I’ll continue to work to develop this cricket team as best as I can until someone tells me that it’s not the right time for you to do this anymore. I’m really excited about what the future holds for this team, and I feel like I’m the right person to coach it.”In the meantime, England have pride to salvage across their final two fixtures, starting with the third T20I in Adelaide on Saturday. Australia’s Grace Harris has already declared that her side will be gunning for a 16-0 points whitewash, adding that the aim was to “embarrass” their opponents. Lewis, however, argued that she had delivered his motivational speech for him.”I think Grace probably did my job for me,” Lewis said. “I’ll give her a pat on the back when I see her. The players are really aware that they need to win some cricket matches. They’re working incredibly hard to do that.”

Bosman's priceless spell clinches series win for South Africa Under-19s

England collapse after Archie Vaughan’s 60 before Bennie Hansen steadies run chase

ECB Reporters Network22-Jan-2025Daniel Bosman took three wickets in four balls as South Africa Men U19s clinched the Youth ODI series against England Men U19s with a four-wicket win in Stellenbosch.Young Lions captain Archie Vaughan top-scored with 60 but his dismissal prompted a collapse of four wickets in seven balls as the tourists were bowled out for 156.South Africa skipper Bennie Hansen then hit 56, falling just short of guiding his side home, after Tazeem Ali’s three wickets had caused a mid-innings wobble. The hosts steadied to reach the target in 35.1 overs.It was spinner Bosman who turned the game with his three wickets in the 37th over immediately after Vaughan, who had struck six boundaries, was caught off a miscue to the final ball of the previous over from Bandile Mbatha.Bosman’s key over saw Joe Moores bowled attempting a lap sweep before Harry Moore was stumped thanks to sharp hands from Hansen. Bosman then parried a return catch from Eddie Jack and saw it fall to him as he stumbled to the ground.South Africa made a solid start as Adnaan Lagadien and Chad Mason added 49 for the first wicket before Hansen took up the attack with a 46-ball half-century.The Young Lions battled back through Warwickshire spinner Ali, who returned 3 for 51, but the hosts needed only seven more when Hansen edged Alex Green to wicketkeeper Thomas Rew on 57.The two-Youth Test series begins at Coertzenburg Cricket Club in Stellenbosch on 27 January.

Chelsea hit by another injury blow as Trevoh Chalobah hobbles out of friendly with AC Milan just days after Levi Colwill sidelined

Chelsea may be faced with a defensive headache for the new season after Trevoh Chalobah was withdrawn against AC Milan due to an injury concern.

Chalobah taken off against MilanAnkle injury concernColwill underwent ACL surgery this weekFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chalobah was withdrawn in the 57th minute against the Italian giants after going down with what appeared to be an ankle injury. BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella reports on X that Chalobah limped off to be replaced by Josh Acheampong. The Blues will hope that the injury is not too serious.

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Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill underwent surgery on an ACL injury just days ago, confirmed by the club on Thursday. The 22-year-old may be out for several months, meaning an injury lay-off for Chalobah could leave the Blues short at the back. The club will hope it was just precautionary to withdraw the 26-year-old against Milan.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chalobah came into his own and earnt a regular starting spot for the Blues in the second half of last season, following a strong loan spell with Crystal Palace before Christmas. It would be a major blow if Chelsea were without two of their first-choice central defensive options in Chalobah and Colwill, two full England internationals, for the beginning of the new season.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CHALOBAH AND CHELSEA?

Chelsea face Chalobah's former club Palace on the opening day of the Premier League season on August 17. The Cobham academy graduate will hope to return to training in time to feature at Stamford Bridge as the Conference League and Club World Cup winners begin their domestic campaign.

Karachi Kings lack batting firepower; Peshawar Zalmi missing premium fast bowlers

Babar Azam will be leading Zalmi after switching over from Kings, who have Shoaib Malik back

Danyal Rasool10-Feb-2023Karachi KingsCaptain: Imad Wasim
Coach: Johan Botha
Batting Coach: Ravi Bopara
Assistant Coach: Michael Smith
Full squad: Imad Wasim, Haider Ali, Andrew Tye, Mohammad Amir, Imran Tahir, Matthew Wade, Shoaib Malik, Aamer Yamin, James Fuller, James Vince, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Akhlaq, Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram, Mohammad Umar, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ben Cutting, Musa Khan, Faisal AkramLast season: sixth
Just because a calamity can be foretold doesn’t mean it can be prevented. Kings’ 2022 squad looked unbalanced and disjointed from the outset, and that is exactly the way it played out across the season. Mohammad Amir was injured early, there were few good spin options, and almost no batting firepower to speak of. All that combined for the worst win-loss record in the history of the PSL, as Kings won just one match and lost nine.Related

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Babar replaces Wahab Riaz as Peshawar Zalmi's captain

Quetta to host matches during PSL 2023

Pollard, Sohail, Cutting among picks at PSL replacement draft

What has changed this season?Where do you start? Well, only one place, really. Babar Azam is no longer part of Kings, having moved to Zalmi during the trading window last November. He is the highest run-scorer in PSL history – aside from being the biggest name in Pakistan cricket at present – but that doesn’t necessarily mean his absence will spell disaster for Kings. One of their most enduring problems last season was the inability to get off to quick starts, and while Babar may be prolific, he is not as pacy up top as most T20 sides would want.But it is Kings’ inability to adequately bolster their batting firepower that remains their biggest concern. James Vince will likely take Babar’s place as opener, though his partial availability means Sharjeel Khan might need to provide most of the powerplay fireworks. In the middle order, Haider Ali and Ben Cutting, both of whom have PSL pedigree but have since fallen out of form, will need to come good.Shoaib Malik has returned to Kings from Peshawar Zalmi•PSLThe partial unavailability of Tabraiz Shamsi, another key player, spells trouble for Kings, who are, once more, short of high-class spin options. Joe Clarke has been replaced by Matthew Wade, who Kings showed enough faith in to pick in the Platinum Category. Shoaib Malik, too, has returned to Kings from Zalmi, with Imran Tahir and Andrew Tye the other high-profile signings.Player to Watch
Middle-order bat Tayyab Tahir was named Player of the Match in Pakistan’s One Day Cup – their premier 50-over domestic competition – final last month for hitting 71 in a win for Central Punjab, for whom he cracked 573 runs – the most by any batter – in the tournament. Those efforts earned him a maiden call-up to the national side, as he was also the third-highest run-scorer in the National T20 Cup last year, striking at just under 139. In a Kings side with limited power in the middle order, his contributions could be vital.Overall, by some distance, Kings’ is the oldest squad in the league; there are five players aged 35 and over. The timeless Imran Tahir, now 43, will need to shoulder much of the spin-bowling responsibility, and whether or not this season is a bridge too far for him might well determine how Kings go this season.Key stat
There are only two men over the age of 40 playing the PSL this year. Both – Imran Tahir and Malik – belong to Kings. No other side has a player over the age of 38 in their squad.Babar Azam has moved over to Zalmi from Kings•Pakistan Super LeaguePeshawar ZalmiCaptain: Babar Azam
Coach: Daren Sammy
Batting Consultant: Kamran Akmal
Full squad: Babar Azam, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz, Arshad Iqbal, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Haris, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Haseebullah Khan, Khurram Shahzad, Richard Gleeson, Peter Hatzoglou Sufyan Muqeem, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Usman Qadir, Jimmy Neesham, Haris SohailLast season: Eliminator
Zalmi faced an uphill struggle to guarantee playoff qualification given how the first half of their campaign went. They sat fifth after their first six games, having won just two matches until then and needing four successive wins to guarantee qualification. But a late-season surge thanks to a number of individual performances in key games ensured they achieved just that, ultimately finishing in third place. In the playoffs, though, that run came to an end in the first Eliminator, as Islamabad United pipped them in a thriller.What has changed this season?
Babar arrives and immediately takes over the captaincy, and how Zalmi and Babar work together would be fascinating. After seven seasons at Kings, a franchise that has been inconsistent throughout its history, he arrives at one which has sustained success; Zalmi are the only PSL side never to miss out on the playoffs.However, Zalmi have lost out on a number of power hitters that shone at crucial stages in 2022. Hazratullah Zazai, Haider Ali and Liam Livingstone have all left, as has Malik. It places significant responsibility on two young local batters in Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub, each of whom enjoyed breakout seasons in the last 12 months.Veteran Wahab Riaz, 37, will still be around for Zalmi•AFP/Getty ImagesBut in the West Indies duo of Sherfane Rutherford and Rovman Powell – the latter only partly available – as well as big-hitters Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Jimmy Neesham, they might just have replaced them adequately enough.The bigger concern might lie in the absence of premium fast bowlers, with the possible exception of Wahab Riaz, the 37-year old Zalmi veteran. Offspinner Mujeeb ur Rehman will only be partly available too, while Richard Gleeson will come in to cover while Powell is absent. Salman Irshad, Arshad Iqbal and Usman Qadir will have to ensure Zalmi’s bowling isn’t a pushover, while 18-year old left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem might also get a chance.Player to watch
Saim Ayub made his PSL debut aged 18 in 2021 at a time when the big stage perhaps came too quickly for him; he scored 114 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of only 108.57. But in the National T20 Cup last year, he was the second-highest run-scorer with 416 runs at a much-improved strike rate of 155.12. He followed it up with 461 at 107.20 in the Pakistan Cup, and won a contract at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on the back of his form. Still just 20, Zalmi’s roster offers him a glistening opportunity to light up the PSL this time around.Key stat
Zalmi now have the highest wicket-taker in PSL history in Riaz (103), as well as the most prolific run-scorer in Babar (2413).

Tottenham may be offered "quick" £26m defender in Radu Dragusin swap deal

Tottenham Hotspur had their defensive woes last season thanks to a plethora of injuries which debilitated their squad, and with Cristian Romero heavily linked to Atlético Madrid, it isn’t inconceivable to think they could be adding a centre-back this summer.

Thomas Frank confirmed as new Spurs head coach

We knew that Thomas Frank would be landing at N17 for the last few days, but on Thursday evening, the Europa League champions officially announced his arrival as new head coach to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Talks held: £190k-a-week Tottenham star may have "played his last game"

His agents have held exit talks.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 12, 2025

The Dane is set to lead Tottenham into their first campaign back in the Champions League since Antonio Conte’s final season in charge, and has an almighty task on his hands to inspire momentum from the club’s triumph in Bilbao.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

According to some reports, Frank has already made some Spurs transfer decisions behind-the-scenes, with the 51-year-old eager to keep hold of Mathys Tel on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich (TEAMtalk), and requesting that chairman Daniel Levy target a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze (GiveMeSport).

He also has a key call to make in regard to the future of Lilywhites legend Son Heung-min, who is attracting serious interest from the Saudi Pro League and could depart Spurs after 10 years of faithful service.

Saudi have reportedly held talks with Son’s camp already, but Frank will unlikely be comfortable losing both the South Korean and Romero in one window.

The latter is a top target for Atlético, and some media sources believe that Romero has informed Levy of his desire to leave Tottenham, regardless of their Europa League final win last month.

Meanwhile, his central defensive partner, Radu Dragusin, is now also attracting interest from abroad.

Suggestion Tottenham could be offered Fikayo Tomori in Radu Dragusin swap deal

According to Calciomercato.it, Spurs actually reached an agreement to sign AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori in January, but the move ultimately failed to materialise.

AC Milan's FikayoTomoriand Slovan Bratislava's Idjessi Metoko react

However, they suggest that a swoop for the 27-year-old could be back on the cards, namely due to Milan’s strong interest in signing Dragusin. The Romanian’s agent, Gabriele Giuffrida, held a three-hour-long meeting with Milan chiefs earlier this week, with Dragusin “hoping” to make a return to Serie A.

Calciomercato warned to pay “special attention” to him and a potential San Siro move, adding that Tottenham’s January agreement for Tomori could help to instigate a swap deal involving Dragusin.

Tomori is homegrown, out of contract in 2027 and may be keen on coming back to the Premier League after falling slightly down Milan’s pecking order. Valued at around £26 million, any swap deal involving Dragusin could also bring this price down further, and allow Spurs to reinvest the saved cash into bringing in other crucial new additions.

Tomori has serious credentials as well, having earned plaudits for his growth in Italy.

“He was very brave in going to another country and stepping out of the shadows of Chelsea to test himself,” said TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand about Tomori’s development.

“I saw a quote the other day from him saying a lot of the Italian strengths in defending he has started to pick up and learn. One of the things that stand out immediately is his tenacity and pace.

“He is remarkably quick, but the way he comes out and closes down people and spaces is tremendous to see. He would have learnt. He is a student of the game, he is intelligent, he will keep on growing.”

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi trains alongside teammates as return appears to be closer

The Argentine star has missed Inter Miami’s last two matches due to a muscle injury.

Could see minutes on SaturdayRodrigo De Paul absentTigres visit Wednesday in Leagues Cup playGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Lionel Messi trained alongside his teammates on Wednesday in a session open to the media, signaling that his return to the field is near after missing two matches due to a muscle injury suffered against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup.

The notable absence at Florida Blue Training Center was Rodrigo De Paul, who was not sidelined for physical reasons but to finalize a visa process.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

missed Messi last Saturday in their 4-1 loss to Orlando City, a defeat that dropped them to sixth in the Eastern Conference with 42 points, though they still have three games in hand compared to other MLS clubs.

Messi could return as early as Saturday against LA Galaxy, although head coach Javier Mascherano has stressed he's in no rush to bring his star back, aiming to have him fully fit for Wednesday’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal clash against Tigres.

DID YOU KNOW?

Saturday's match will be the first encounter between LA and Miami since the Galaxy won the title. However, barring something unforeseen, it won't be a preview of this year's potential MLS Cup. LA haven't lived up to expectations and are currently sitting 15th in the Western Conference. 

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

will await Messi's status ahead of hosting LA Galaxy on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways.

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