خالد جاد الله: ريبيرو تسبب في مشكلة بغرفة الملابس قبل مباراة مودرن.. ولاعب الأهلي طلب الرحيل

علق خالد جاد الله لاعب الأهلي الأسبق، على تعادل الأحمر في مباراة الأمس أمام مودرن سبورت بهدف لكل فريق، في افتتاح مشوارهما ببطولة الدوري المصري موسم 2025-2026.

وقال خالد جاد الله في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “صدى البلد”: “قصة نجوم الأهلي لا نريد أن نتحدث عنها كثيرًا، النجم بالنسبة لي هو ما يقدمه في الملعب، لكن النجم بالكلام لن ينفع النادي الأهلي ولا جماهيره، على اللاعبين أن ينسوا النجومية ويفعلون ما عليهم”.

وأكمل: “عرض الأهلي في مباراة الأمس غير جيد وغير مُقنع، الوحيد الذي كان جيدًا هو ياسين مرعي، وهذا غير مقبول في ظل العقود التي يتقاضونها، هذا المستوى لا يليق، وأتمنى أن يتدخل محمد يوسف ويخصم من مستحقاتهم مثلما يحصلون على مكافآت عند الفوز”.

وأردف: “واضح إن خوسيه ريبيرو ليس على مستوى الأهلي ولن يُعطينا بارقة أمل في أن نرى عمله بالملعب، هو يعتمد على أن اللاعبين يظهرون إمكانياتهم الفردية، لكن لم نر أي عمل جماعي، واضح أنه بعيد عن مستوى الأهلي ولن يُلبي طموحات النادي”.

وأضاف: “ريبيرو لا يُجيد الكلام، وطوال الوقت يقف على الخط صامتًا وتشعر كأنه مثل أي متفرج، (لا بيزعق ولا بيشخط ولا بيتكلم مع اللاعبين)، اللاعبون لو وجدوا المدرب عنده حماس ينتقل لهم هذا الحماس والعكس صحيح”.

وواصل: “مستوى ريبيرو أقل من المتوسط ولا يليق بالنادي الأهلي ولا بطموحه، اختيار المدربين الأجانب ليست عملية سهلة، نحن كرماء جدًا، ندفع أموالاً كثيرة للمدربين واللاعبين أيضًا، عكس شمال إفريقيا، اللاعبون هناك لا يتقاضون هذه الرواتب، وأنا لو كنت المدير الرياضي للنادي الأهلي كنت سأخصم من كل لاعب ليس أقل من 250 ألف جنيه، لو أنا لست أهلاويًا كنت سأقول أن هؤلاء اللاعبين مستواهم بعيد جدًا”.

وزاد: “ريبيرو واضح أنه لا يُعطي اهتمامًا لـ أليو ديانج، وهناك أمر قد يُصبح مشكلة، وهي أن الأهلي تعاقد مع 3 لاعبين نجوم في كل مركز، كل لاعب منهم لا يريد أن يجلس احتياطيًا، اللاعب الذي يجلس احتياطيًا وهو غير مقتنع بجلوسه بديلًا ستكون مشكلة، مثل ديانج”.

طالع | نادر السيد: ريبيرو لا يصلح لقيادة الأهلي.. وصفقة الزمالك ستترك بصمة

وأردف: “اللاعب مُقتنع أنه لا بد أن يكون أساسيًا، وإذا لم يلعب أساسيًا فهو يريد الرحيل، أحمد رضا لا يلعب على ديانج إطلاقًا، فعندما يجد ديانج نفسه يجلس بديلًا ويلعب أحمد رضا ستكون مشكلة”.

وتابع: “أمس الشناوي ومصطفى شوبير لم يكن أيًا منهما يعرف أنه سيلعب المباراة إلا في غرفة الملابس قبل المباراة، وهذه معلومة حصلت عليها من اللاعبين، وهذا أمر خاطئ وحدثت مشكلة، لكن مشاكل الأهلي لا تظهر في الإعلام”.

وأتم: “هذا تصرف خاطئ، أول طريق للنجاح هو كيفية التعامل مع النجوم وأن أي لاعب لن يشارك لا بد أن يكون مُقتنعًا، ومعلومة مؤكدة أيضًا إن محمد الشناوي طلب الرحيل عن الأهلي في يناير”.

Labuschagne replaces Agar in Australia's World Cup squad

Travis Head has been retained in the side despite being unavailable for the first half of the tournament

Andrew McGlashan28-Sep-2023

Marnus Labuschagne has made 421 runs in at 60.14 in eight matches•AFP/Getty Images

Australia will carry an injured Travis Head through the first part of the World Cup but have provided themselves with extra batting cover by including Marnus Labuschagne at the expense of Ashton Agar who has been ruled out with a calf injury.Head, who suffered a fractured hand against South Africa, has been included in the final 15-player squad but will be unavailable for first half of the tournament. However, given he did not require surgery, there is confidence he will be fit to play later in the round-robin stage and he is viewed as so valuable to Australia’s chances that they are willing to initially go in with 14 available players.Related

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Since returning to the ODI side in March 2022, Head has made 791 runs at 60.84 and a strike rate of 119.84. While he recovers, Mitchell Marsh will likely continue to open with David Warner.Agar’s injury, which was confirmed by scans when he returned home from South Africa for the birth of his child, created a vacancy in the squad and the selectors have opted to change tactics and include Labuschagne rather than pick another frontline spinner.Glenn Maxwell’s four-wicket haul in Rajkot was timely in that regard, suggesting that he can be a second spinner alongside Adam Zampa, but it remains a gamble by the selectors given the uncertainty over how Maxwell will cope with the workload as he continues to feel the effects of the broken leg he suffered last year.It also means there is no specialist spin cover for Zampa. Fellow legspinner Tanveer Sangha will remain with the squad until at least the end of the warm-up matches along with allrounder Matt Short.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“There has been one change to the original preliminary squad of 15 announced a month ago with Marnus replacing Ashton,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “This was a tough call but unfortunately, we couldn’t carry both Travis and Ashton into the tournament with the injuries they have.”We have made the decision to carry Travis through the early stages with the aim of him being available around the mid part of the tournament. He has been a really important player in this ODI team and we are hopeful his return can provide a positive impetus as it gets to the business end of the tournament.”It has been a rapid revival of Labuschagne’s one-day fortunes after he was initially not meant to play a part in either the South Africa or India series this month. He was recalled as a replacement for Steven Smith as the latter recovered from a wrist injury, and in the opening match against South Africa in Bloemfontein was parachuted in as Cameron Green’s concussion sub where he made a match-winning 80 not out.He went on to make 421 runs at 60.14 in eight matches, including a century, also in Bloemfontein, and 72 off 58 balls in Rajkot on Wednesday.Agar initially suffered a calf strain in pre-season and was ruled out of the T20I series in South Africa. He recovered to play the opening match of the one-day series but pulled up sore after that outing and did not feature again.He would likely have played a part at various stages during the World Cup, teaming up with Zampa when conditions warranted two frontline spinners. There was also his batting ability, which he showed when helping guide Australia to victory in Bloemfontein.Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green are both short of runs heading into the World Cup while Alex Carey’s 99 is his only significant score in the lead-in.Australia have warm-up matches against Netherlands on September 30 and Pakistan on October 3 before opening their World Cup campaign against India, in Chennai, on October 8.

Mithali Raj: Time for 'saturated' India to move on from Harmanpreet as captain

Former India captain feels Rodrigues could be the right person to lead in T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2024If India are looking at moving on from Harmanpreet Kaur as their captain, the time is now. That’s the opinion of Mithali Raj, following India’s group-stage exit from the women’s T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet has been in charge since replacing Raj in 2016 and has led the team at four T20 World Cups, but the latest one has been the poorest in terms of results – they made at least the semi-finals in the three previous editions.”If the selectors decide to change, I would go for a young captain,” Raj told . “This is the time [to change]; if you delay more then we have another [ODI] World Cup on the horizon [October 2025]. If you are not doing it now, then don’t do it later. Then it is too close to the World Cup.”Smriti [Mandhana, the vice-captain since 2016] is there but I think someone like Jemimah [Rodrigues], she’s 24, she’s young, she will serve you more. And [she] is someone who I feel on the field gets that energy. She speaks to everybody. I was very impressed by her in this tournament.Related

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“Despite playing those cameo roles, she never could convert her starts, but [she is] someone who really made an effort to build a momentum if there was no momentum; and if there was momentum, she tried to carry that momentum [forward].”Raj highlighted India’s inability to adapt quickly as the main reason for their poor show. India came into this tournament on the back of two months of camps and match simulation in Bengaluru, unlike Australia or New Zealand, who played each other, or South Africa, who scheduled a late tour to Pakistan.”Surprisingly, we took time to adjust to the slowness of the wicket,” Raj said. “Unlike an ODI World Cup, it is a short tournament, you don’t have a lot of time to adjust to the conditions. Someone like [New Zealand captain] Sophie Devine was able to score that many runs [57 not out] against us and she is not used to playing on slow tracks. We were not quick enough to adjust.”Looking at the bigger picture, Raj lamented the India team’s lack of “growth” over the past three years. She felt India had been “content” beating the lower-ranked teams and were “saturated” when it came to tackling big teams like Australia.

“Why does the men’s team do well? Immediately after a big series or a big tournament, they try others. If we are talking about depth, then when are we giving them chances?”Mithali Raj

“I feel that in the last two-three years, I’ve not really seen any growth in this team,” Raj said. “In the sense, like, I mean, beating the best side is what you always prepare for, but it seems like we are saturated in the sense we are beating other teams, and we are pretty happy in that. Every other team has shown growth despite limited depth, a case in point being South Africa. We have not.”Raj questioned some of the team management’s tactics in the lead-up to the World Cup too. Like at the Asia Cup, where India chose to field the regulars and did not give opportunities to fringe players.”I was doing commentary in the Asia Cup. To be very honest, I didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “I’m sure they were aware that Asia Cup is the last series of matches that they’re going to play before the World Cup. When you know that this is the last game time that you’re going to have before you enter the big tournament, you do at least 70% of your planning or 80% of your planning. Like who your No. 5 or No. 6 is, these are people who would walk in a particular situation. But there it seemed they were playing only for that tournament.Mithali Raj wants to see Jemimah Rodrigues given the reins of the T20I team•ICC/Getty Images”It didn’t seem like it was anywhere closer to… what we got to see in the World Cup. We could have given more opportunities to the bench against lower-ranked teams in Asia Cup, but we didn’t. Why does the men’s team do well? Immediately after a big series or a big tournament, they try others. If we are talking about depth, then when are we giving them chances?”Raj was also critical of the fitness levels of some of the players, which she felt contributed to them dropping catches. Against Australia, India dropped three catches and could have possibly converted two more half-chances.”Against Australia, I was very disappointed to see, other than Radha Yadav and Jemi to some extent, I don’t think there was anybody,” she said. “So we cannot have just two players out of 11 being good.”In terms of fitness, we need to have a benchmark. Honestly, how much can you work in a month? It’s something that you do around the year. It’s not like just before the tournament, you have a camp and it’s just going to really show the difference on the field.”

Inzamam, Misbah, Mushtaq and Anwar inducted to PCB Hall of Fame

An 11-member independent panel including existing Hall of Famers, former players and journalists voted for the inductees

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2025

Misbah-ul-Haq led Pakistan to the top of the ICC Test rankings in 2016•AFP

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Mohammad and Saeed Anwar have been inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Hall of Fame. They join ten others in the Hall of Fame, which was launched by the PCB in 2021.”On behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board, I extend heartfelt congratulations to these four cricketing legends on their well-deserved inductions into the PCB Hall of Fame,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement. “This honour represents a tribute to their outstanding contributions to Pakistan cricket and to the global game”Mushtaq Mohammad is regarded as one of Pakistan’s finest captains, known for his astute leadership and inspiring style. Inzamam-ul-Haq’s immense talent and match-winning ability have left an indelible mark on the sport. Misbah-ul-Haq took charge of the Pakistan team during challenging times, guiding it to the pinnacle of Test rankings and achieving a historic series win in the Caribbean. Saeed Anwar, with his natural grace and classical technique, redefined the role of an opener and thrived against some of the world’s best bowlers under all conditions.Inzamam, who helped Pakistan win the 1992 ODI World Cup, played 120 Tests, 378 ODIs and a lone T20I. He scored 8830 Test runs and 11,739 runs in ODIs. His 329 against New Zealand in 2002 is the second-highest Test score by a Pakistan batter, eight short of the record held by Hanif Mohammad.”I owe immense gratitude to my fellow cricketers, dedicated support staff and my family, without whom this journey would not have been possible,” Inzamam said. “Representing Pakistan during an era with such high-caliber players was a privilege and their influence played a vital role in my growth and development as a batter.”Inzamam’s induction into the Hall of Fame means the internal conflict of interest inquiry initiated by the PCB administration of Zaka Ashraf against him in 2023 when he was chief selector is over with no consequences against him.Anwar amassed 4052 runs in 55 Tests and 8824 runs in 247 ODIs. His 194 against India in 1997 was the highest ODI score at the time.”It’s humbling to join the ranks of my childhood heroes and team-mates with whom I shared and celebrated some of the most defining moments of Pakistan cricket,” Anwar said. “As an opening batter, I was privileged to play in an era graced by some of the most talented and accomplished cricketers who represented Pakistan. I cherished every moment of laying the foundation for our team, taking on the world’s best bowlers, and partnering with match-winners to bring joy to our fans.”Misbah is among Pakistan’s most successful Test captains. He took over the captaincy after the spot-fixing scandal in 2010 and led Pakistan to the No. 1 ranking in 2016.”Representing Pakistan was an absolute privilege, captaining the team was a profound honour and this recognition by the Pakistan Cricket Board serves as the perfect crowning achievement of my journey,” Misbah said.Mushtaq made his Test debut at the age of 15 in 1959 and remained the youngest debutant in Test cricket until 1996. He scored his first Test hundred at the age of 17 and went on to play 57 Tests and ten ODIs. He memorably led Pakistan to their first Test win in Australia.”To be honored and recognised 45 years after playing my last match for Pakistan is truly humbling,” Mushtaq said. “Joining a small group of some of the finest cricketers, including my legendary brother Hanif, is even more gratifying.”The inductees were voted in by an 11-member independent panel that included existing Hall of Famers Wasim Akram Zaheer Abbas, former Pakistan players Azhar Ali, Bismah Maroof and Nain Abidi, and six cricket journalists and analysts.

Wolves make approach for "major talent" also wanted by seven other clubs

Wolverhampton Wanderers are pressing on in their hunt for additions and are now advancing as they aim to bolster the forward ranks, according to a report.

Fer Lopez became the Old Gold’s first arrival of the summer window, and Jorgen Strand Larsen has since joined him at Wolves permanently after an excellent loan spell at Molineux.

After putting up a tally of 14 goals and five assists in the Black Country, the Norway international is now fully focused on improving on his exploits next term under Vitor Pereira.

He stated: “It’s been a good first season in the Premier League. I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’ve been able to take the steps earlier than I’ve done before. Previously, when I moved to a new country, I needed more time to get into it and score goals.

“As a striker, the team need you to score the goals and be on the end of the crosses, so to score 14 goals – and come back after my injuries and a little dip of form – it was a good season for me in that respect.”

Now prioritising other areas, Wolves are interested in Udinese defender Thomas Kristensen again after making a £12 million bid for the Dane during the January transfer window.

Wolves now closing in on deal to sign £4m+ colossus who "wants" PL move

The Old Gold have made progress in their pursuit of a “highly-rated” player, who is keen on a move to the Premier League.

ByDominic Lund Jul 2, 2025

Another potential solution at the back for the Old Gold is Brighton & Hove Albion star Igor Julio, albeit it remains to be seen whether the Seagulls will entertain selling to a Premier League rival.

However, despite Strand Larsen deciding to extend his stay, Wolves are now keen to land another centre-forward to star in the new campaign.

Wolves make approach for El Bilal Toure

According to Africa Foot, Wolves have made an approach to sign El Bilal Toure from Atalanta, though the 23 year-old is also wanted by Marseille, Stade Rennais, Paris FC, Como, Villarreal, Galatasaray and West Ham United.

In an injury-ridden campaign on loan at Stuttgart, the Mali international, who was previously labelled a “major talent” by Graeme Bailey, registered three goals and one assist in 17 appearances across all competitions, exactly mirroring his debut season for Atalanta in 2023/24.

Five similar players to El Bilal Toure (FBRef)

Mateo Retegui

Atalanta

Marcus Thuram

Inter Milan

Nicolas Jackson

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Jonathan David

Juventus (to be finalised)

Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid

Nothing has been determined as yet, but the Serie A outfit are set to decide on Bilal Toure’s next move sooner rather than later as he isn’t expected to be a major part of Ivan Juric’s plans in 2025/26.

Wolves are a little short on forward options after Matheus Cunha’s departure. Besides, there is a suspicion the likes of Hwang Hee-chan, Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic could leave Molineux this summer due to their status as peripheral figures.

Bilal Toure has endured mixed fortunes since arriving in Italy. Nevertheless, a move to the Premier League could be the perfect tonic to get his career back on track.

Man Utd now make contact to sign "sensational" £34m Ballon d'Or contender

Manchester United have now held talks with the agent of a “sensational” player, who is among the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or, according to a report.

Man Utd's pulling power called into question

The Europa League loss against Tottenham Hotspur means, of course, that Champions League football has once again eluded Man United, and Roy Keane has suggested his former club no longer have the pulling power to attract top players.

However, Old Trafford clearly remains an attractive destination, even though European football will not be on offer next season, with it recently being revealed that Bryan Mbeumo would still prefer to join United ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

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There have also been suggestions that Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres remains interested in a move, despite the highly sought-after striker attracting the attention of some other top clubs, suggesting the Red Devils clearly still have pulling power.

As such, Man United have now stepped up their pursuit of the highly-regarded Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, making contact with his agent, Enzo Raiola, in order to discuss a potential summer move.

Donnarumma’s PSG contract is set to expire next June, meaning he could be on the move this summer, despite expressing a willingness to remain at the French club, saying: “My priority is to stay at PSG. I don’t think there will be problems in the negotiations.”

Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in an upgrade on Andre Onana, but it could be difficult to tempt the goalkeeper into a move, considering his desire to remain in Paris, and Champions League finalists Inter Milan could provide competition for his signature.

"Sensational" Donnarumma emerges as Ballon d'Or contender

With just one year left on his deal, the Italian could be available for just £34m this summer, which could be a bargain fee for a player vying to win the Ballon d’Or, currently ranked fourth in the 2025 Power Rankings.

In recent times, a player from the Champions League winners has often scooped up the prestigious award, and the 26-year-old kept a clean sheet in PSG’s 5-0 demolition of Inter in the final, although Desire Doue was arguably the star of the show.

Not only did the PSG shot-stopper impress in Munich, but he also caught the eye of Joe Prince-Wright in the semi-final against Arsenal, with the reporter suggesting the Italy international was one of the main reasons his side progressed past the Gunners.

Evidently, Donnarumma could be a fantastic signing for Man United, but it seems unlikely that he would be willing to leave the European champions to move to Old Trafford.

Fit-again Rahul amps up preparation in a bid to bring back his old fluency

The opener hasn’t played a single T20I this year but knows the next two weeks are crucial with the T20 World Cup looming

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-20224:16

KL Rahul: ‘Playing Shaheen Shah Afridi could have helped challenge ourselves ahead of the T20 World Cup’

KL Rahul is yet to feature in a T20I this year because of injuries, and in the time he has been away, India have shifted towards a new approach to the format from a batting perspective. He may not have been an active part of this process, but he’s aware of it, and happy to buy into it as India look to fine-tune preparations leading into the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.On Thursday, Rahul had his first hit with the T20I squad after arriving from Zimbabwe, where he led India to a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series. With scores of 1 and 30 in the two innings he played in Harare, his own batting form was patchy, and Rahul’s focus in the nets was simply on enjoying an extended session.Even as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav brought out their artistry, Rahul seemed intent on bringing back his fluency. VVS Laxman even jokingly stopped him from coming out of the nets twice. Rahul enjoyed three stints in all, over a three-hour session.Related

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He was edgy against pace initially, and was beaten on length on at least three occasions by Arshdeep Singh’s angle away from him. Rahul held his own against Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing, though, getting right behind the line and moving swiftly into position to drive and play straight. His sessions were closely monitored by two cameras – one behind the stumps and another in front of cover, just outside the net.After his first 30-minute session, Rahul cooled off for a bit and went back in for round two against spin. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin challenged him by pushing him back with a series of quicker ones and sliders. Rahul focused on his back-foot play, and the big shots that weren’t seen in his first session slowly surfaced late into his second as he tonked a straight hit over the sightscreen.In the third session, Rahul was simply focused on meeting the ball with giant forward strides, especially against Arshdeep, who bounded in tirelessly. The left-arm seamer was tossed a new ball that he swung back in from different lines, ranging from fourth stump to middle, just to get Rahul playing straight and ensuring he wasn’t bringing his front pad in the way. For someone who has all the shots in the book, this session was all about the basics.Then, as the last round was called, Rahul had fun, paddling and ramping deliveries before ending with a flat-batted slap to walk off tired and happy. The punch on the bat as he walked off resonated with satisfaction at grinding his way in.KL Rahul last played a T20I in November 2021•BCCIOn Friday, Rahul spoke of India’s new approach and of enjoying the challenge of bringing it to life. At IPL 2022, his most-recent competitive T20 outing, Rahul’s powerplay strike rates barely crossed 100, drawing plenty of chatter from pundits and former players. In the death overs, though, which he seemed intent on building towards, he struck at 198.36. Overall, Rahul ended the season with the second-most runs – 635 in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.38 – behind Jos Buttler.”This new approach, we’d spoken about it much before when I was part of the team early on in the year as well and just after the [2021 T20] World Cup,” Rahul said. “Last season we had spoken about what we need to improve individually and how as a team we try to be more aggressive, put the bowlers under pressure by going out there and play with a lot of authority, freedom and aggression.”So I was there when that happened. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play too many T20Is since then, but we have played the IPL, and I played with the same approach, tried to see how with that same approach I can be consistent and still contribute to the team. I haven’t played since the last two-three months, and that is a challenge for me, one I am looking forward to.”It’s done really well for us, the new approach. What the team wanted and what the captain needed has been embraced by everybody, every player in the team, which is great to see and that is the biggest step. That big step has already been taken and embraced by the players, so from now on it’s only about building on it and getting stronger and by the time the World Cup comes, everyone knows exactly what to do.”The next two weeks could be another test of Rahul’s work towards returning to being the white-ball destroyer he can be. He isn’t the captain, and he has a middle order that can take apart the best of attacks. From a team point of view, it’s all systems go. Rahul couldn’t ask for a more ideal scenario than this.

How Tottenham fumbled Morgan Gibbs-White deal in transfer blunder before midfielder signed new Nottingham Forest contract in surprise U-turn – revealed

Tottenham Hotspur thought they had a deal in place for Morgan Gibbs-White after they activated the midfielder's release clause, however, Nottingham Forest refused to bow to pressure, as they threatened legal action against their Premier League rivals. The transfer saga finally ended last weekend when Gibbs-White signed a record-breaking contract at the City Ground.

  • How Spurs failed to sign Gibbs-White
  • Forest threatened legal action
  • Midfielder signed new Forest contract
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    reports that after Spurs submitted their bid for the English midfielder on July 10, Forest were convinced that the north London side had breached a certain level of confidentiality, and there were also doubts whether they matched all the conditions of the release clause.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The report added that Forest immediately sent a notice of legal action to Spurs owner Daniel Levy and also considered lodging an official complaint with the Premier League. The saga finally ended last Saturday when the 25-year-old put pen to paper on a lucrative three-year contract, which will make him the highest-earning player in Forest’s history.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was determined to keep Gibbs-White at the club, as he considered Levy's approach an insult to his team and was not ready to lose this particular battle to Spurs chief.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR FOREST?

    Forest are in Portugal for pre-season and will play a friendly match against local side Estoril Praia on Wednesday.

Glamorgan bring in Asitha Fernando for first Championship block

Sri Lanka seamer was leading wicket-taker on recent tour of England

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2024

Asitha Fernando took 17 wickets on Sri Lanka’s recent tour of England•Getty Images

Glamorgan have signed Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando for the first two months of the season. He is expected to be available for seven County Championship fixtures up until the end of May.Asitha, 27, has taken 72 wickets 26.66 in Tests and impressed on Sri Lanka’s tour of England earlier this year, when he finished as the leading wicket-taker on either side as well as winning a spot on the Lord’s honours board for his first-innings five-for.He has played county cricket previously for Nottinghamshire, and will become the first Sri Lankan to represent Glamorgan.”I would like to thank Glamorgan Cricket so much for this opportunity,” Fernando said. “I am extremely thrilled to be a part of Glamorgan and to return to the county cricket scene this year.Related

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“My last stint helped me to improve my game a lot. I am looking forward to playing with Mason [Crane], Colin [Ingram] and all of the Glamorgan team, and am hoping to do my very best during the upcoming season.”Glamorgan’s director of cricket, Mark Wallace, said: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome a bowler of Asitha’s quality to Sophia Gardens for the start of the 2025 season.”Asitha has good experience of conditions in the UK having played county cricket previously and also while performing very well in Sri Lanka’s series with England here last summer. We look forward to Asitha taking the field for Glamorgan as the first Sri Lankan player to represent the club.”

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