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Chelsea’s policy in the transfer market under Todd Boehly has been split into two separate strategies, which has seen one half already yield success, with the other yet to be determined.

The American has splashed huge funds under various managers to hand them the tools to be an immediate success at Stamford Bridge, investing in players who can slot straight into the first-team picture.

Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández are just three examples of the calibre of player brought into the club, enabling Enzo Maresca to try and secure a top-four Premier League finish this season.

However, the owner has also invested in youth talent all over the world, keeping one eye on the future of the Blues – potentially setting them up for longer-term success in the years to come.

This window presents an opportunity to do just that once more, eyeing multiple talents who could provide a balance between an immediate impact whilst keeping an eye on the future.

Chelsea’s ambitions to land an attacker in January

Over the last couple of days, numerous players have been touted with a move to Stamford Bridge, including Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens after his superb start to the 2024/25 campaign.

The 20-year-old, who was once a part of the Cobham academy setup, has scored 11 times in 27 appearances throughout the ongoing season, leading to interest from the Blues as well as Liverpool.

He’s undoubtedly set for a big-money move in the near future, with his talents certainly improving the options at the disposal of Blues boss Maresca in the years ahead.

Alejandro Garnacho is another player who’s been on Boehly’s shortlist after his surprise availability with current side Manchester United wanting to raise funds for PSR.

The Argentine has yet to fully prove himself as a regular under new boss Ruben Amorim, further adding fuel to a potential departure from Old Trafford – with Napoli also keen on the youngster who could be available for just £55m.

However, with both the attacking stars on the radar, players may also need to be sold from the first-team squad this month to make room and raise funds – with one player certainly needing to be offloading before the end of the window.

The player Chelsea need to sell before the end of January

Given the high volume of additions in recent years, it’s understandable that not every single player will be favoured by Maresca after his appointment in the summer.

The Italian has come in to work his magic, picking players he wants, which has left numerous out in the dark and pondering their long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

One player who’s barely featured under the former Leicester boss is left-back Ben Chilwell, making just one appearance in 2024/25 since the new boss made the move to the capital.

His only outing came against League Two Barrow way back in September, coming off the bench at the break and featuring for just 45 minutes – an example of how out of favour the 28-year-old has been in recent months.

His injuries have certainly plagued him in previous seasons, but no one could’ve anticipated such a rapid decline, especially after he cost the club a whopping £50m back in the summer of 2020.

However, his lack of minutes has seen him made available for transfer, with West Ham previously touted as an option for the Englishman, potentially linking up with former boss Graham Potter.

A move is desperately needed, allowing Chilwell to gain a fresh start for the sake of his career, whilst also clearing needed funds of the current wage bill in West London.

1

Reece James

£250,000

£13,000,000

=2

Wesley Fofana

£200,000

£10,400,000

=2

Ben Chilwell

£200,000

£10,400,000

4

Christopher Nkunku

£195,000

£10,140,000

5

Enzo Fernández

£180,000

£9,360,000

6

Marc Cucurella

£175,000

£9,100,000

The left-back currently pockets a huge £200k-per-week, a figure that is way more than potential new additions Garnacho and Gittens, who currently earn £50k and £47k-per-week respectively at United and Dortmund.

Given such funds, it’s vital that the hierarchy and Maresca act quickly to move him on before the end of the January transfer window, desperately needing to clear finances off the books.

Such a transfer could allow for the additions of both of the aforementioned talents, further strengthening their ambitions of a Champions League finish come the end of May.

Better than Mainoo: Chelsea make enquiry for "one of the best in the world"

Enzo Maresca appears to be wanting reinforcements all over the pitch this month.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 23, 2025

A total of nine overseas players have been sprinkled into three teams. Matches start on August 24 and go on till September 4

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2022Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu and the South Africa trio of Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon are in a list of nine overseas players set to take part in the inaugural women’s CPL. These players have been split into three teams, which will also be involved in the 6ixty, a T10 tournament. Matches start on August 24 and go on till September 4.Most of the big names in women’s cricket are currently involved in The Hundred in England, which ends only on September 3. This includes the captains of Barbados Royals and Trinbago Knight Riders. However, Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin are expected to cut their stay short and return to the Caribbean soon.Athapaththu, Sri Lanka’s highest run-getter in T20Is, will join Khaka, the fast bowler recently named South Africa women’s player of the year, at Guyana Amazon Warriors. They will be led by Stafanie Taylor.Luus, who has 931 runs and 48 wickets in 91 T20Is, will be with Knight Riders, and play alongside Hayley Jensen, the seam-bowling allrounder who helped New Zealand win the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games recently.Anisa Mohammed, the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, and Dottin, who retired from international cricket over issues with Cricket West Indies the other day, bring the local flavour.The Royals’ contingent includes Tryon, the South Africa veteran who has played 174 times for her country, and Fatima Sana, the 20-year-old at the start of her career as a seam-bowling allrounder for Pakistan.All three teams are made up of 14 players and include one each from the USA: 15-year-old Snigdha Paul (Royals), 16-year-old Isani Vaghela (Amazon Warriors), and 18-year-old Geetika Kodali (Knight Riders).Barbados Royals: Hayley Matthews (capt), Shakera Selman (vice-capt), Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Snigdha Paul (USA), Reneice Boyce, Mandy Rangru, Britney Cooper, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Japhina Joseph, Chinelle HenryGuyana Amazon Warriors: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Shermaine Campbell (vice-capt), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa), Isani Vaghela (USA), Rashada Williams, Rachel Vincent, Kaycia Schultz, Chedean Nationa, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shamilla Connell, Karishma Ramharak, Shabika Gajnabi, Zaida JamesTrinbago Knight Riders: Deandra Dottin (capt), Anisa Mohammed (vice-capt), Hayley Jensen (New Zealand), Sune Luus (South Africa), Geetika Kodali (USA), Lee Ann Kirby, Kyshona Knight, Kycia Knight, Natasha McLean, Sheneta Grimmond, Caneisha Isaac, Jannillea Glasgow, Steffie Soogrim, Shawnisha Hector

Hales, Vince, Topley, Potts, Carse, Parkinson, Gregory, Mills, Gleeson and Pope have also nominated themselves

Alex Malcolm27-Jul-2022Liam Livingstone looks likely to be a Platinum pick in the upcoming BBL overseas draft as the headline act of 70 Englishmen who have nominated themselves, but availability will be a key consideration for teams, with a number of players likely to head to other leagues halfway through the tournament.Livingstone is set to be the most sought-after English player among a group that includes Alex Hales, James Vince, Tymal Mills, Reece Topley, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Lewis Gregory, Matt Parkinson, Richard Gleeson and Ollie Pope.The nominees who are also involved in England’s current white-ball set-up are notionally available for the whole tournament, given England do not have any international limited-overs games scheduled in either December 2022 or January 2023, with their first series of the new year set to be an ODI series in South Africa that is likely to be played in February after the new South Africa T20 league is completed.England have a Test series in Pakistan set for early December meaning that the likes of Pope, Potts and possibly Parkinson could be late arrivals to the BBL if all three tour Pakistan.But of greater concern for the BBL is the fact that a number of English players, including Livingstone and Hales, are likely to leave the BBL halfway through to play in the proposed UAE T20 league in January, given they are likely to earn substantially higher wages for a shorter commitment there.Related

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The BBL overseas draft is here: how will it work?

Melbourne Renegades get first pick in BBL overseas draft

The BBL is scheduled to run from December 13 to February 4, but South Africa and UAE leagues are set to start in January. The UAE league is proposed to run from January 6 to February 12. Both Ricky Ponting and Usman Khawaja raised concerns last week about overseas players only nominating for the first half of the BBL, leaving themselves open to joining the other leagues and leaving the BBL short on star overseas players.The BBL is offering AUD340,000 (roughly £196,000) to a select group of Platinum picks, while those who have nominated themselves in the Gold category are set to earn approximately AUD260,000 (roughly £150,000). Those are guaranteed wages no matter how many games the players have nominated themselves for.The challenge for BBL clubs is to evaluate if the likes of Livingstone and Hales are worth selecting in the draft at those prices if they are only available for the first half of the tournament, with a large portion of each wage to count in the AUD 1.9 million salary cap.Livingstone played in the BBL two seasons ago with Perth Scorchers and has expressed an interest in playing there again. Scorchers are also interested in having him back but they can’t use a retention pick because he did not play last year and they have pick No. 6 in the draft order, which means Livingstone could well be snapped up in the first five picks.Alex Hales could be a retention pick for Sydney Thunder•Getty ImagesSydney Thunder can use their retention pick to retain Hales given he did play for them last season. They have already lost one half of one of the most successful opening duos in BBL history with Khawaja joining Brisbane Heat. If Hales is only available for the first half of the tournament, Thunder will need to find not one but two openers to fill the gap.There are a number of other English players who are eligible for a retention pick. Evans and Mills could be retained by Scorchers. Vince could be a retention pick with Sydney Sixers having had a very successful relationship with that club in recent years. Topley (Melbourne Renegades), Joe Clarke (Melbourne Stars), Jordan Cox (Hobart Hurricanes), Iain Cockbain (Adelaide Strikers) and George Garton (Adelaide Strikers) could also be retention picks for clubs having all played last season. But clubs only get one retention pick, with Strikers likely to take Rashid Khan.Like Livingstone, Jake Ball (Sydney Sixers), Danny Briggs (Adelaide Strikers), Benny Howell (Melbourne Renegades), Gleeson (Melbourne Renegades) and Gregory (Brisbane Heat) have all played in the BBL previously but are ineligible for a retention pick because they did not play last season.There are 98 players in total who have nominated themselves for the draft so far. Livingstone looks set to join Faf du Plessis, Kieron Pollard and Rashid among the Platinum picks, which are to be decided by the BBL.There are likely to be a host of Pakistan players nominating themselves in the coming weeks although there is some doubt about the availability of some of them due to international commitments. Pakistan host a Test series against England in early December and then two Tests and three ODIs against New Zealand, which are likely to run into the third week in January and will also be part of the World Cup Super League. The PSL is set for February meaning it would be virtually impossible for Pakistan’s multi-format players to come to the BBL, although those not involved in the Test matches could be available for the first half of the tournament.All current draft nominationsAfghanistan: Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Waqarullah Ishaq, Izharulhaq Naveed, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hazratullah ZazaiEngland: Colin Ackermann (also Netherlands), Rehan Ahmed, Martin Andersson, Gus Atkinson, Josh Baker, Sonny Baker, Jake Ball, James Bracey, Danny Briggs, Henry Brookes, Brydon Carse, Matthew Carter, Jordan Clark, Joe Clarke, Josh Cobb, Ian Cockbain, Jordan Cox, Mason Crane, Matt Critchley, Liam Dawson, Brett D’Oliveira, Ben Duckett, Jacobus Leus Du Plooy, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Matt Fisher, James Fuller, George Garton, Richard Gleeson, Lewis Gregory, Sam Hain, Alex Hales, Miles Hammond, Tom Hartley, Jack Haynes, Freddie Heldreich, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Benny Howell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Danny Lamb, Jack Leaning, Jake Lintott, Liam Livingstone, Lewis McManus, Ben Mike, Tymal Mills, Daniel Mousley, Steven Mullaney, Callum Parkinson, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Michael Pepper, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Adam Rossington, George Scrimshaw, John Simpson, Prem Sisodiya, Olly Stone, Tommy Taylor, Reece Topley, Liam Trevaskis, James Vince, Joe Weatherley, Ross Whiteley, Chris Wood, Luke Wood, Saif ZaibNew Zealand: Colin Munro, Todd AstleSouth Africa: Faf du Plessis, Marchant de Lange, Rilee Rossouw, David Wiese (also Namibia)West Indies: Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sheldon Cottrell, Chemar Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Ravi Rampaul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Tion Webster, Nyeem Young

Ruben Amorim will be looking to lead his Manchester United side into the semi-final of the Carabao Cup when they take on Tottenham Hotspur in North London tonight.

The Red Devils come into the clash in fine form after their victory over local rivals Manchester City on Sunday, despite trailing for the vast majority of the encounter.

Amad Diallo once again stepped up for United, scoring the winning goal, undoubtedly being the biggest player to benefit from the 39-year-old’s appointment last month.

However, they will face another side in buoyant mood after Ange Postecoglou’s men picked up a huge 5-0 win against Southampton at the weekend, ending Russell Martin’s tenure with the Saints in the process.

Recent history suggests that United could hold the edge in the clash, potentially moving one step closer to Amorim securing his first trophy during his debut campaign at the helm at Old Trafford.

Manchester United’s last four visits to face Spurs

The Tottenham Hotspur stadium opened back in April 2019, with the two sides facing off four times since – all of which have come in the Premier League.

19/08/2023

2-0

Loss

03/10/2021

3-0

Win

11/04/2021

2-0

Win

19/06/2020

1-1

Draw

However, in those matches, it is United who hold the edge over their North London opponents, only losing one meeting, coming back in August 2023, falling to a 2-0 defeat.

The other three fixtures have seen the Red Devils claim two victories and draw the other, with the last win coming in October 2021, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani all managed to get themselves on the scoresheet in a 3-0 win.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the only United boss to ever win a game at Spurs’ new stadium, but undoubtedly Amorim will be wanting to add himself to that list this evening.

After such an impressive display at the weekend, you would imagine that the 39-year-old will opt for a similar starting lineup to help secure a place in the last four.

However, he must drop one player who simply has been unable to match his performance levels from last season following the arrival of the former Portugal international.

The player who Amorim needs to drop ahead of Spurs clash

Full-back Diogo Dalot claimed the United Player’s Player of the Year award last campaign, often being the shining light in a dismal season that saw the club finish eighth in the Premier League.

However, the 25-year-old may have started all 16 matches in the league to date, but his performance levels haven’t been at the same quality as the aforementioned year, with Sunday’s game another example of his lack of positive impact.

During his 90-minute display at the Etihad, Dalot only managed 51 touches and completed 34 passes, but it was his defensive stats that failed to impress throughout.

Minutes played

90

Touches

51

Passes completed

34/40 (85%)

Duels won

0/7 (0%)

Tackles won

0/1 (0%)

Crosses completed

0/2 (0%)

Fouls committed

4

He failed to win a single tackle, losing all seven of the duels that he entered throughout the victory, committing four fouls in the process – struggling despite the dramatic late comeback.

As a result of his below-par showings to date, he was dubbed as “dreadful” by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, potentially needing to be dropped for him to regain his best form at Old Trafford.

Whilst Luke Shaw still remains sidelined after his latest injury setback, the cup competition could allow for added minutes for Tyrell Malacia as he looks to build up game time after his long-term injury lay-off.

Tonight presents an excellent opportunity to move one step closer to Amorim’s first trophy at the helm in Manchester, but as previously mentioned, Dalot needs to be taken out of the side to recapture his best form.

The lack of squad depth has given him continuous opportunities to prove his worth, but Sunday’s display needs to see him taken out of the firing line and hand players such as Malacia the added opportunity he needs to regain full fitness.

LaLiga giants want him: Man Utd heading for Ronaldo repeat with £95m star

Manchester United could lose one of their most promising stars for big money.

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 17, 2024

Will Pat Cummins play the Gabba Test? And if he does, will he be captain? And who will he replace – Nathan Lyon or Brendan Doggett?

Andrew McGlashan03-Dec-20250:54

Clarke: Australia going to a venue where they play well

It was a question that summed up the slightly curious situation that has become the discussion around Australia’s selection for the Gabba Test. Steven Smith, the stand-in captain, was asked if he would still be leading if Pat Cummins made a surprise return: “I wouldn’t have thought so,” Smith said.There have been plenty of chances this week to say that Cummins definitely won’t make his comeback in Brisbane. Adelaide had long seemed the most likely timeline and he has never officially been made part of the squad. But the door has not been slammed shut.At the time Smith spoke on Wednesday, Australia’s hierarchy wanted a further look at the pitch before making a call on their XI. It was due for another cut from the groundstaff, which duly came at around 3pm, although, in truth, it did not seem to change its distinct green tinge much at all – at least from 100 or so metres away.Related

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A short while later, Smith and chair of selectors George Bailey wandered out to the middle for a look and a prod. There were chats with the curator. How much grass was left, how firm was it? Around 15 minutes later another inspection followed, this time including Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald.There was a hug exchanged between Cummins and McDonald, but that could have meant absolutely nothing, and they will have been well aware that plenty of eyes were watching. Remember when Mitchell Marsh marked out his run at Edgbaston before the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes?Shortly after 5pm, in which time the Gabba had been evacuated due to a smoke alarm, it was confirmed Australia would name their XI at the toss. Yes, that has taken quite a lot of words to say something completely unremarkable. But there’s been 11 days without cricket.

“We’ll look at the surface, as I said, and we’ll sum things up from there. I think here’s a place where Nathan’s done really well in the past. He’s a quality bowler, but we’ll weigh up the options”Steven Smith on Nathan Lyon

On a slightly more serious note, the intrigue around Cummins has been fuelled by how impressive he has looked during his ramp up in bowling over the last two weeks. On Monday in Brisbane, he bowled twice either side of a having a bat. On Tuesday, he went out to Allan Border Field, along with Mitchell Starc, where bowlers are able to get full run-ups unlike in the Gabba nets, although it could not be ascertained what he did there.”He looked in red-hot form the other night, as good as you’ll see [from] a fast bowler charging in in the nets,” Scott Boland said.But, perhaps significantly, Smith made reference to how nets and the middle are different beasts. “He looks pretty good to me,” he said. “The way he’s bowled in the nets, obviously the game’s a different intensity for sure, but he’s tracking really nicely. He knows his body well, and we’ll wait and see.”The other interest in all this comes from who Cummins would replace. It’s understood that a week ago the only realistic way for him to feature in Brisbane would be as part of an all-pace attack so that workloads could be managed, which would mean Nathan Lyon being left out.2:10

England hedging their bets on Will Jacks is ‘worrying’

Lyon didn’t play Australia’s previous pink-ball Test in Jamaica, bowled only two overs in Perth and sent down just one in last season’s day-night Test in Adelaide. But he had an important role to play at the Gabba in the ground’s previous day-night Test against West Indies, and concerns linger about how the harder surface here could make the ball so soft. Overall with the pink ball, Lyon has 43 wickets at 25.62.”We’ll look at the surface, as I said, and we’ll sum things up from there,” Smith said. “I think here’s a place where Nathan’s done really well in the past. He’s a quality bowler, but we’ll weigh up the options.”The other way back for Cummins would be in place of Brendan Doggett, although there may be a risk of having him as one of three frontline quicks without another two weeks of work under his belt, albeit Cameron Green was barely needed in Perth.England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged he didn’t know who he would be walking out with tomorrow afternoon. “Pat’s awesome,” he added. “Has been for a very, very long time. He’s done great things, not only as a player, but he’s been great since he’s been given the responsibility of being captain for Australia.”0:46

McGlashan: An unfortunate end if Khawaja’s Test career is over

The home side has another decision to make, but the replacement for Usman Khawaja feels more certain with Josh Inglis, who made a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year, strongly favoured to come into the middle order with Travis Head continuing the opening role he took on with such dramatic effect in the second innings in Perth.It would mean Beau Webster being unfortunate for the second Test in a row, but Inglis’ strength against the short ball, something Australia expect to continue to receive plenty of, is highly rated by the selectors. He was very impressive against Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood (the latter now injured) when he crunched 120 off 86 balls at the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”He’s obviously a pretty attacking batsman,” Smith said. “He did really well on his debut in Sri Lanka. He’s been in really good form… he plays fast bowling really nicely. He’s been a really good player for a long period of time. He’s come up through the system and I think he just continues to get better and better. Every opportunity he’s got at any level, whether it be T20, ODI or Test cricket, he’s put his best foot forward and done a good job for the team.”But tomorrow afternoon, all the interest will be around one man. Is it all a smokescreen? You know, those dastardly Ashes mind games. Or is it a genuine selection discussion? Either way, one of Smith or Cummins will be in their blazers to toss the coin and then this Ashes series can finally resume.

Naseem’s injuries and Afridi’s ineffectiveness have forced him to do different things and it has been a struggle

Deivarayan Muthu26-Oct-202327:08

The incredible rise of Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf to Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Short, wide, four.Rauf keeps digging the ball into the Chepauk pitch and keeps offering width. Gurbaz disdainfully thrashes him for two more fours in similar fashion in his first over.Rauf had started with a short, wide loosener in his previous game as well, against Australia. David Warner made that ball disappear beyond backward point and then launched one onto the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Rauf leaked 59 runs in his first four overs that day, leaving Babar Azam scrambling for answers.At this World Cup, Rauf doesn’t have Naseem Shah to feed off from the other end. Shaheen Shah Afridi, the spearhead of the attack, is also searching for rhythm. The spinners have lacked penetration too. Rauf’s form – or the lack thereof – is part of a bigger problem for Pakistan.”Sometimes, you know, when you’re a batter or a bowler, sometimes you go through these stages, everyone goes through these stages who played this professional sport,” Shadab Khan said on the eve of Pakistan’s game against South Africa. “So they go through these stages, but the main concern is like everyone is going [for runs] at the same time. That’s a problem we are having… because if someone is in good form, then [we] might be in a better position. But we are struggling as a unit. And at the same time, that’s a problem we are having [sic]. So hopefully it’s changed tomorrow, and everyone starts on their right track. So hopefully we’re starting from tomorrow.”With Afridi not finding the kind of prodigious swing that he is famous for, Pakistan have needed Rauf to operate in the powerplay. Except, Rauf isn’t a swing bowler and hasn’t had enough control over his lines and lengths to bowl in the first ten overs, with just two men outside the circle, on his first tour of India. In this tournament, Rauf has bowled six overs in the powerplay while giving up 66 runs without taking a wicket. His economy rate of 11 is the worst among all bowlers who have bowled at least six overs during this phase.Haris Rauf and Morne Morkel spar at practice•AFP/Getty ImagesThe margin for error, especially with the new ball, is also very small on these Indian pitches, which often allow batters to hit through the line, something that Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel alluded to after the game against Australia.”This venue [Chinnaswamy] is famous for a boundary festival,” Morkel had said. “I think upfront we leaked a little bit of soft boundaries and we gave width. One of our key discussion points is to keep the stumps in play and keep on hitting the deck. We know in India, any bit of width you can throw your hands through the line and that’s an area we’ve sort of discussed.”If they force some good shots, we can live with that. As a bowler, you’ve got six balls, [and] the batsman can make one mistake. So, you need to hunt for that one mistake. I felt today we couldn’t string enough balls on the stumps. That’s an improvement we need to make in the World Cup because those are the small margins – they’re going to hit your good balls for four. We’ve got to eliminate our bad balls and bowl a less percentage of those, especially upfront.”Rauf is more familiar with bowling in the middle overs and had, in fact, bossed that phase in 2023. Until the start of this World Cup, he was the top wicket-taker between overs 11 and 40, with 12 strikes in 13 innings at an economy rate of 5.55. But, even that strength has deserted him in this tournament, managing just two wickets in five innings during this phase while conceding almost seven an over.At Chepauk on Monday, Afghanistan’s batters used Rauf’s pace to their advantage and peppered the square boundaries, which is somewhat shorter than the straight ones. Rauf kept banging the ball into a black-soil surface that was more conductive to spin than seam. He didn’t have a Plan B. The challenge for Rauf and Co will only get stiffer against South Africa’s explosive middle order. But the conditions could actually be in their favour on Friday.The track that was used for the Bangladesh vs New Zealand game – the quickest one in Chennai, which is a bit of a throwback to the venue’s old days – is set to be reused for this game. Can Rauf let it rip like Lockie Ferguson did the other day and revive his own flagging form as well as Pakistan’s campaign?

He’s bounced out Rohit Sharma, he’s yorked Hardik Pandya, and his numbers suggest he’s an utterly transformed bowler

Alagappan Muthu02-Oct-20212:54

Manjrekar: Avesh Khan is confident, and he has the range as a bowler

It’s a lot of fun being Avesh Khan. Now.He is barely into his first over and he has Rohit Sharma hopping about. He’s making one of India’s very best look out of place, but there’s nothing out-of-the-box about how he’s doing it. Avesh has always been a hit-the-deck fast bowler. It’s just that now he’s learned to put the ball exactly where he wants to.

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Kids who become superstars at Under-19 level produce a lot of excitement in India. Call it the Virat Kohli syndrome.Avesh once belonged in this bracket. At the 2016 Youth World Cup, when India went all the way to the final, he was their highest wicket-taker. But while his peers from that tournament have gone on to bigger things – Rashid Khan is probably the world’s greatest T20 bowler now, Shadab Khan is Pakistan’s No. 1 limited-overs spinner, Shimron Hetmyer and Alzarri Joseph are West Indies regulars, and even Sandeep Lamichhane travels the world playing franchise cricket – Avesh has been stuck.He couldn’t even break into an IPL team. Avesh made his debut back in 2017. But until 2021 he had played only nine games in four years.Imagine that. This is a new-ball/death bowler. A resource every team needs. And he clocks 140 kph and more. An asset in any form of the game. Plus, he’s Indian, which means not only does he cover a specialist position for you, he also frees you up in your search for overseas picks. While most other franchises scour the globe for a quality quick, you could go and get a six-hitter or an allrounder. There’s a lot of one and not a lot of the other.But Avesh – the old Avesh – wasn’t all that good. He gave away a boundary every four balls and he took 36 (roughly) to pick up a wicket.Avesh Khan has become a completely different bowler this season•ESPNcricinfo LtdCut to 2021 though, and Avesh is a bowler transformed. Now, it takes about seven balls for him to concede a boundary and only 13 to pick up a wicket.”I don’t know if he can go any better than this,” Anrich Nortje said midway through the Delhi Capitals’ game against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday. And here’s why.Avesh is in his last over, the 19th of the innings, and he completely nails Hardik Pandya.This is a yorker. Not just any yorker. It’s an inswinging yorker. And it’s a corker. At 141kph. Hardik is, at first, set up to helicopter the ball away. But it starts moving in the air. Moving scarily. Hardik is not in the right position. He’s falling over and the ball keeps surging in. It slips through the gap between his feet – his feet! – and knocks back leg stump.The old Avesh could produce such moments. But he wouldn’t have finished a T20 game with an economy rate of 3.75. Top-class fast bowlers make it seem like they can do everything. Strike first, strike late, keep the runs down, make batters wet their pants. Avesh is finally starting to look like he can tick all those boxes.

Arne Slot is determined to put things right at Liverpool. Because it’s all gone very wrong this season, the champions 12th in the Premier League standings after losing five of their past six matches.

There is more than enough time for the Dutch coach to turn things around, but improvements are needed quickly if Slot is to repel rising noises regarding the security of his position in the hot seat.

The curious case of Alexander Isak. Liverpool’s record-breaking striker has flattered to deceive since joining from Newcastle United for £125m this summer, and getting him up to speed is paramount if the Reds are to fire on all cylinders going forward.

And with Mohamed Salah struggling and the Anfield side altogether imbalanced up front, FSG appear to be turning toward the transfer market once again.

Liverpool lining up new forward

Salah, 33, is waning. Then again, Liverpool have malfunctioned this season and the Egyptian superstar will surely rekindle his form after a lifetime of genius on Merseyside.

But, regardless, Liverpool need to draw up a succession plan, and they appear to have done exactly that after earmarking a former Premier League sensation to take his berth on the right wing.

As per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool view Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise as a “future dream target” to replace Salah, who extended his stay on Merseyside until the end of the 2026/27 season in April.

Olise would cost a pretty penny, though, having been priced by Die Roten at a staggering €140m (about £122m).

Still, FSG have shown they will do business for such a fee in recent times.

Why Michael Olise would be perfect for Alexander Isak

Olise was immense throughout his debut season in Germany last season, steering Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title and earning acclaim for his dynamic attacking displays.

The 23-year-old has gone up a gear this term, posting nine goals and ten assists from 18 matches in all competitions, and TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves said that he “could be as good as anyone” after one Champions League performance.

Whether Olise winds up at Liverpool remains to be seen, but his remarkable physical traits and natural playmaking qualities make him a tailor-made winger to accommodate Isak and Hugo Ekitike at number nine.

One thing’s for sure: he would provide a huge upgrade on this current version of Salah, whose wastefulness in front of goal is being matched by an inability to influence as he usually does across other areas.

Goals scored

0.63

0.34

Assists

0.63

0.17

Shots taken

4.62

2.43

Shot-creating actions

6.82

3.27

Touches (att pen)

7.55

6.21

Pass completion (%)

81.6

68.1

Progressive passes

6.40

4.19

Progressive carries

5.45

3.94

Successful take-ons

2.31

0.92

Ball recoveries

4.72

2.77

Tackles + interceptions

1.36

0.34

Isak is one of the best strikers in the world, but he needs service. The Sweden international darts upfield and finds space in between the lines. Olise could help activate this area of his skillset at Liverpool, averaging over six progressive passes per Bundesliga game this term.

Olise is also less focused on goalscoring side of the game. That’s not to say he’s not capable of show-stopping strikes, as has been seen numerous times in the Premier League, but serve as evidence that he could be the perfect counterweight in Liverpool’s attacking system to give rise to Isak’s striking ability.

Such an athletic and hungry wide forward with a proven pedigree in the Premier League could prove the key to success at Liverpool, whose forwards are toiling and surely need some fresh inspiration to lift them back into the ascendancy.

He's "as good as Bellingham": Liverpool submit record bid for Fabinho 2.0

Liverpool are getting ready to add new flavours to their flagging midfield.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 25, 2025

England boss Thomas Tuchel has hinted that the glitz and glamour of the 2026 World Cup ceremony was rather unnecessary. The Three Lions eventually found out that they will face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama at next year's competition in North America. However, those watching the draw had to wait a long time to find out the results, something Tuchel believes they could have "done without".

• 'I don't need it'

  On Friday, the football world discovered who will play who in the group stages of the World Cup, with England facing 2018 finalists Croatia first up in the tournament. For those tuning in, though, it took an eternity for the nations to actually be drawn in Washington D.C. Earlier on in the ceremony, United States President Donald Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino designating it for a person who has "taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace" and "united people across the world". Trump was given a large gold trophy, a medal, and a certificate, while Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand was also heavily involved in the draw. Going by Tuchel's comments, he didn't appear to be a fan of the whole affair.

  He told : "I do not, not like it but we could have done it like, without all of this. I don't need it. But of course, it's a huge stage and it's big entertainment. I was very well aware that it's not about the deep insight of football today."

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  England face 'difficult' group

  While England are favourites to win their group and progress to the knockout stages of the World Cup, many Three Lions fans have not forgotten Croatia dumping them out of the tournament at the semi-final stage in 2018. And former Chelsea boss Tuchel is certainly wary of their upcoming opponents, even though they beat them in Euro 2020.

  "Difficult group, difficult opener. Difficult group with Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups and two proud and strong nations. Panama, I don't know much about Panama at the moment but we will find out about it before the tournament starts, of course," he said. "For me, I'm only experienced group football in Champions League formats and the way to approach it was to always give it the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult like our group now but we are confident and we will be well prepared when we arrive.

  "Nobody should be underestimated. Of course, Croatia is the standout, they're the highest ranked team from pot two that we got into out group but listen, Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise and has a big history in World Cup football, and also Panama will try to make the most in their underdog role. No one can be underestimated, everyone deserves the fullest respect and we can show that."

• Tuchel's preference…

  On paper, Croatia is the most difficult side England face in the group stage, with their European rivals six places below the Three Lions in the world rankings in 10th. Incidentally, Panama are down in 30th, and Ghana sit in 72nd. While some nations may want to ease into the competition with an easier match, Tuchel had no preference. 

  He said: "I had no preference because why would I worry? I cannot influence. The legends took the draw and this is what we get and what we have to deal with now. We know now our opponents, we know we will start late in the tournament if players are involved in European finals, hopefully. We didn't desire anything we just handled the situation as it is. You get a little more days before and then you get a condensed schedule later in the tournament. Everything comes with in upside and downside."

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  What comes next for England?

  England are expected to face Croatia in their World Cup opener in Toronto, Canada, or Dallas, in the United States, on June 17. Before then, the Three Lions will have to confirm some friendly fixtures earlier on in 2026 to get them ready for the showpiece event.

The World Test Championship is likely to expand to 12 teams from 2027

Tristan Lavalette11-Nov-2025The next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is likely to feature all 12 Full Members in one division after plans to split nations into two tiers failed to gain widespread support, while a resurrection for the short-lived ODI Super League is also on the cards.A working group, led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, tasked with addressing pressing issues over cricket’s three formats provided recommendations to the ICC board and Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) during last week’s quarterly meetings in Dubai.There had been a sense of urgency behind it with countries already having started conversations for bilateral series that will be part of the next WTC cycle (2027-29).A two-tier system, which has cropped up in talks periodically for over a decade, was again among topics discussed when the working group was formed at the ICC annual conference in July.But doubts over whether a funding model could be implemented contributed to scuppering the two-tier model. It had been mooted that India, England and Australia could support those in division two through a financial distribution, but those talks did not go far.Nations likely to occupy division two, such as West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, were opposed to the idea due to the likely lack of playing opportunities against the bigger nations.Promotion and relegation was also a thorny issue, the big three concerned about the financial impacts of relegation.”We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India?” ECB chief Richard Thompson told the BBC in August. “That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here.”Instead the working group has proposed a 12-team WTC, with Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland, potentially part of an expanded league for the next cycle, which begins in July 2027. The teams will be expected to play a minimum number of Tests – the exact number is not yet known – during the cycle. No extra funding is likely to be available for hosting Tests – which has been part of the struggle for members such as Ireland.”It guarantees that everyone is playing Test cricket,” a board director told ESPNcricinfo. “Those that really want to play the format now have opportunities and there is an incentive for other teams to play them.”There were also developments on the white-ball formats, with the ODI Super League possibly to be revived, having been scrapped following the 2023 World Cup.The 13-team league, which only began in July 2020, had been developed in a bid to create more context for the waning 50-over format. But it fell by the wayside amid an increasingly cramped calendar much to the chagrin of smaller Full Members and Associates.The proposal did not detail how many teams would be part of a new league, which can only return from 2028.”The Super League could help revitalise the 50-over format,” one administrator said. “Maybe the problem is not that the format is necessarily dead, it’s finding the proper structure.”There does not appear to be any push to increase the number of teams at 50-over World Cups, which will be a 14-team competition in 2027 after being limited to just ten in the previous two editions.The T20 World Cup is also set to remain at 20 teams even though there is a push from some administrators to incrementally increase it by four, with the aim ultimately of getting to 32 teams.Hall of Famers Matthew Hayden and Hashim Amla with the WTC mace•ICC via GettyAssociate members have also put forward a proposal into revamping the T20 World Cup qualifying format. In a similar concept to the men’s Olympic qualifying pathway, and commonly seen in other major sports, a global qualifier would determine the final spots and may feature not only Associates but Full Members who did not automatically qualify through rankings.A global qualifier is hoped to provide a revenue source for Associates, while appeasing some Asian nations who believe the current regional pathway limits their chances of qualifying for T20 World Cups.Associate administrators hope the global tournament can be part of the qualification process for the 2028 T20 World Cup.Despite having some influential support, with leagues popping up around the globe, the 90-minute T10 won’t be an official format.The board is expected to debate these issues at the next ICC meetings early next year.