Scotland have called up right-arm quick Charlie Cassell and medium pacer Jasper Davidson for their first-ever bilateral men’s T20I series against Australia this September in Edinburgh. The 15 players who played the men’s T20 World Cup in June make up the rest of the squad, which will be captained by Richie Berrington.Cassell made a sensational start to his international career, taking 7 for 21 – the best ODI haul on debut – against Oman in the Cricket World Cup League 2 in July. He’s played two ODIs for Scotland so far and was also recently part of three matches in the One-Day Cup for Somerset.Davidson also made his ODI debut in the CWC League 2, against Oman, and took four wickets in that game.”After coming into the squad at CWCL2 and doing so well, it’ll be great for Jasper and Charlie to have the experience of what it’s like playing against the best, in front of a fairly large crowd,” Doug Watson, Scotland’s head coach, said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to play one of the best teams in the world, and I’m pretty sure that our players won’t need any motivating for this series. It’s a great opportunity for them to share the field with world-class players. They’re wanting to put in some huge performances and compete, and really push this Australia team.”The goal for us is to win this series. The first game is really important – if we can win that, it’ll set up the next two matches. The whole week will be brilliant for the squad, staff, supporters, and all of Scotland.”It will be Australia’s first tour of Scotland in 11 years. The sides will meet just three months after their T20 World Cup 2024 game in St Lucia, where Australia won a close match by five wickets. The games will be played at The Grange on September 4, 6 and 7.
Scotland T20I squad vs Australia
Richie Berrington (capt), Charlie Cassell, Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Jasper Davidson, Chris Greaves, Ollie Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal
Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta are getting busy behind-the-scenes, and supporters are very eager to see them strengthen with key new signings after a lacklustre Premier League title challenge.
Mikel Arteta has already expressed the need for Gunners officials to bolster his squad in certain areas, with the Spaniard publicly predicting a “big” next few months in the transfer window.
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The dynamic winger would be an excellent addition to Arsenal’s squad.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Jun 16, 2025
The arrival of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi has already been agreed after months of talks dating back to January, and despite some concerns over his cryptic comments recently, the move apparently remains on track with Arsenal regarding the Spaniard as “done and signed” (David Ornstein).
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
Arsenal are still believed to be closing in on a deal for Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga too (BBC), despite the wait for an official confirmation from north London, but a lot of the noise is centered around their pursuit of a striker.
Last week, Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres was reportedly subject to a failed bid from Arsenal, according to Portuguese newspaper Record, with Berta appearing to simultaneously work on deals for both the 27-year-old and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
As reported by Romano there, talks remain ongoing over the latter despite the Gyokeres noise, coming after the Slovenia international rounded off a career-best Bundesliga campaign with 21 goals in all competitions last season.
However, there are some discrepancies over his price tag, and he could end up being a costly operation, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg saying that Sesko’s final price could be up to £85 million despite reports of a release clause below that figure.
Arsenal could sign Benjamin Sesko in the next two weeks
According to talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, speaking on a call with the broadcast giant this week, an Arsenal move for Sesko remains alive, and they could still strike a deal for the 22-year-old before the end of June.
“Well, I think it also comes down to the player. If they agree a fee for Sesko, I think that one could actually be done when the window opens on the 16th of June,” said Jacobs.
“I’m not saying day one of when the window reopens, but certainly in the last two weeks of this month.”
Sesko is a player who Arsenal wanted last summer and attempted to sign in January (Ben Jacobs), so he’s long been on Arteta’s radar, but the negotiations appear to be dragging on somewhat – indicating some potential issues behind-closed-doors.
News of Gyokeres being very keen on a move to N5 in his stead comes as a welcome boost for Arsenal, though, with their striker search shaping up to be one of the major stories of the summer.
Despite winning the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign, Liverpool are incredibly active in the summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster their squad.
The window officially opened for business on Sunday and the club have already confirmed Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong as their first signing of the year.
He has come through the door as the direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has completed a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup.
Liverpool are also reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, as David Ornstein has claimed that the Germany international is keen to make the move to Anfield.
The 22-year-old star delivered 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen during the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that the Reds could be bringing in an influential figure at the top end of the pitch.
These new signings coming in could provide added competition for the existing stars at Anfield, and one player who may need to be on his toes is Ibrahima Konate.
Why Ibrahima Konate could be concerned this summer
The France international started 30 of his 31 appearances in the Premier League during the 2024/25 season, as the main partner for Virgil van Dijk at the back.
However, it did not always look like that was going to be the case for the former RB Leipzig star. Last summer, Football Insider reported that Arne Slot was not convinced by the centre-back, due to his performances on the pitch and in training, as well as his injury record.
Ibrahima Konate warming up for Liverpool
That was seemingly backed up by the Dutch head coach’s decision to go with Jarrel Quansah next to van Dijk ahead of Konate on the opening day against Ipswich Town. However, the English youngster endured a difficult half against Liam Delap and was replaced by the French titan at half-time.
Konate then went on to be a regular starter in the Premier League, despite those early concerns about his place in the side, but there were still moments that could throw his long-term future into doubt.
Appearances
31
Starts
30
Ground duel success rate
61%
Aerial duel success rate
71%
Error led to shot
2
Error led to goal
1
As you can see in the table above, the French colossus was largely dominant in duels on the deck and in the air, but was also no stranger to making a mistake at the back.
Errors crept into his performances, with three errors leading to shots or goals for the opposition, in the Premier League, and that is why the club’s reported interest in a new central defender could leave him concerned this summer.
Liverpool eyeing deal for new centre-back
According to Football Insider, the path has been cleared for Liverpool to pursue a deal to sign RB Leipzig central defender Castello Lukeba in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
The report claims that the German side’s seventh-placed finish in the Bundesliga, which means that they will not be playing European football next season, has cleared the path for the Reds to swoop in for the centre-back, making them one of the favourites to secure his signature.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It states that the French star has a release clause of £74m in his contract with Leipzig, and that Liverpool are on high alert after his team failed to qualify for Europe.
The report adds, however, that the Premier League giants will attempt to use the situation to negotiate a lower fee for the 22-year-old titan, which means that they could sign him for less than the £74m release clause.
Konate could, now, be concerned by this news because another centre-back arriving at Anfield this summer could create competition for his place that could see him drop out of the starting XI on a regular basis.
If Liverpool can get a deal over the line for Lukeba in the coming weeks or months, Slot could have a centre-back on his hands who has the potential to be an upgrade on his current partner for van Dijk.
Why Castello Lukeba could replace Ibrahima Konate
Analyst Ben Mattinson described him as the “perfect” left centre-back slash left-back hybrid, which could mean that he could move over to the left side of the pairing with the captain on the right in order to replace Konate.
The Leipzig star’s reliability, first and foremost, is what may attract Slot to him. In 103 appearances in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga for Lyon and Leipzig combined, the 22-year-old star has not made a single error that has directly led to a goal for the opposition.
On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that Mattinson has also referred to him as “one of the best defensive prospects in world football” and one of “the best U21 centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.”
In comparison, Konate has made five errors leading to goals in just 82 appearances in the Premier League, which suggests that he is nowhere near as reliable as Lukeba in that sense.
This means that Slot could rely on the £74m-rated star more to deliver consistent performances without making critical mistakes that create chances for the opposition.
Appearances
31
23
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.8
2.0
Dribbled past per game
0.3x
0.3x
Ground duel success rate
61%
65%
Aerial duel success rate
71%
65%
Error led to shot
2
0
Error led to goal
1
0
As you can see in the table above, Lukeba also made slightly more tackles and interceptions per game on average at league level this season, whilst also winning a higher percentage of his ground duels.
Konate appears to have the edge over him when it comes to winning aerial duels, although the Leipzig star is not weak in that respect, but overall, the Liverpool defender comes out second-best.
These statistics indicate that the Reds number five should be concerned about his place in the starting XI if Lukeba walks through the door, because the young titan has the qualities to displace him next season.
Slot could improve his team by signing the French star to provide a more reliable presence at the heart of the defence in comparison to Konate, due to his lack of errors in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, which is why this could be an excellent addition for the club.
He's like Wirtz: Liverpool can axe Diaz by signing 'England's best winger'
Liverpool face the summer sale of one of their most important players.
On Saturday, the Hoops demolished Dundee United 5-0 at Tannadice, Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah both bagging braces, as they secured a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title, and a 13th in only 14 seasons.
So now, even with an Old Firm to come on Sunday, Brendan Rodgers’ focus has already, somewhat, turned towards summer plans, so could he snap up a “quality” new wide-forward?
Celtic's winger target
According to a report by Bréhima Diakité of Africa Foot earlier this month, Celtic are ‘monitoring’ Ajaccio winger Moussa Soumano, with Brentford, Leicester City, Leeds United and Atalanta amongst those also interested.
Soumano is just 19-years-old, his 20th birthday is coming up this summer, and he plays for Ajaccio in Ligue 2, scoring four goals and providing two assists for L’ours this season, with the Corsica-based club down in 13th, despite being in France’s top-flight as recently as two seasons ago.
Thus, could Ajaccio be forced to sell their most-prized asset?
How Soumano compares to Celtic's current forwards
Scout Mathieu Duhamel describes Soumano as a “quality” winger, adding that he is “capable of dribbling” with both feet and is a “promising player” who “should leave Ajaccio this summer” in order to “take a step forward” in his development.
Avradeep Mukherjee of Sports Illustrated believes Soumano would be a ‘valuable’ squad member for Rodgers, considering he can play both out wide and as a centre-forward, while the original report notes that he is valued at around €3m (£2.5m).
So how does he compare to Celtic’s current forward options? Well, he’s unlikely to usurp Daizen Maeda in the depth chart, considering the Japanese forward has now scored 33 goals this season.
With four Premiership matches remaining, followed by the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen, Maeda is still on course to break a few records, as the table below highlights.
Celtic players to score 25+ goals in a season (2004-present)
Players
Season
Goals
John Hartson
2004/05
30
Scott McDonald
2007/08
31
Gary Hooper
2011/12
29
Gary Hooper
2012/13
31
Kris Commons
2013/14
32
Leigh Griffiths
2015/16
40
Moussa Dembélé
2016/17
32
Scott Sinclair
2016/17
25
Odsonne Édouard
2019/20
29**
Kyōgo Furuhashi
2022/23
34
Daizen Maeda
2024/25
33*
*season ongoing. **season curtailed by Covid-19.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As shown in the table, since Henrik Larsson’s 41-goal haul in 2003/04, only Leigh Griffiths nine years ago has broken the 40-goal mark in a single Celtic season, with Maeda requiring seven goals from the final five fixtures to match this; it’s very possible.
However, Maeda aside, the other two positions in Celtic’s attack are very much up for grabs.
Kyōgo Furuhashi was sold to Stade Rennais for £10m in January, while Jota, who rejoined the club from Rennes in the winter, is set to spend the next few months on the sidelines, after suffering a knee injury against Dundee United on Saturday, joining in the post-match celebrations at Tannadice on crutches.
Jota, Celtic forward (now Al- Attihad)
Meantime, Kühn’s form has fallen off a cliff since the turn of the year, Yang Hyun-jun, who’s currently sidelined, is very hit-and-miss, while Adam Idah is also yet to establish himself as a regular starter.
Thus, these positions in Celtic’s attack are certainly up for grabs, and Soumano certainly appears to have the talent to come in and stake a claim.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Similar to Maeda, as already alluded to, Soumano is comfortable playing both as a striker and a winger, while his £2.5m valuation would be a bargain, just as the Japanese forward was, arriving from Yokohama F. Marinos for a reported £1.5m back in January 2022.
That deal has proven to be a masterstroke for those at Parkhead – perhaps this could be the next transfer coup?
Celtic set to lose "fantastic" player until 2025/26 after painful injury
The Bhoys will have to do without one of their star men.
This summer is a fresh start for Everton, having the opportunity to create a new era for the football club upon their move to the new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium.
For the last couple of years, the side have been constantly in the bottom half of the Premier League table, often having to rely on last-day relegation battles.
However, David Moyes has returned to the club and turned their fortunes around, losing just twice in the league to Manchester City and Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
Everton manager David Moyes
If the Scotsman is to take the club to the next level in 2025/26, the hierarchy desperately needs to hand him the funds he needs to make the changes he desires to the first-team squad.
With the summer transfer window just around the corner, it appears the board have wasted no time in identifying players to make the first season at the new stadium one to remember.
The latest on Everton’s hunt for new signings this summer
There’s no denying the striker role has been a constant issue at Goodison Park, with the Toffees desperately needing to address such an issue in the coming months.
Former Arsenal star Mika Biereth has emerged as one player on their shortlist, starring after his January move to join French outfit Monaco, scoring 12 times in his 13 league games since his transfer.
Mika Biereth scores for Monaco
However, it remains unclear how much they will have to fork out for his signature, given he joined the Ligue 1 side for a reported £15m less than four months ago.
Another name has reemerged on their list of targets, in the form of Chris Rigg, who has starred in the Championship with Sunderland at the tender age of just 17.
According to Football Insider, the Toffees are leading the race for his signature, with the Black Cats demanding a whopping £38m to part ways with the talent this summer.
Why the £38m star could be Everton’s biggest star since Rooney
Wayne Rooney will remain one of the best talents to ever come out of Everton, after bursting onto the scene in the first-team as a 16-year-old back in 2002.
It was unheard of for a player of that age to make such an impact on the first team, scoring his first professional goal against Arsenal – in spectacular fashion too.
His first spell at Goodison Park saw him make 35 appearances, scoring eight goals, leading to a huge move to an English giant that would catapult him to stardom throughout his professional career.
Rooney eventually joined Manchester United for a fee in the region of £25.6m during the summer of 2004, before returning to his boyhood club for a second spell between 2017 and 2018.
Wayne Rooney playing for Everton
However, a move for Rigg this window could allow the club to land a star who could be as talented as Rooney, undoubtedly set for huge things at the top level given his achievements as a teenager.
The Sunderland ace has already notched 67 appearances for the Black Cats since his debut in January 2023, cementing himself as a first-team regular in their hunt for Championship promotion.
He’s notched four goals and one assist in his 40 league outings to date, creating 1.2 chances per 90 for his teammates – showcasing the threat he poses in attacking areas.
Rigg has also completed 1.2 successful dribbles per 90, along with an 80% pass success rate, having the tools to transform their fortunes within the final third throughout 2024/25.
Games played
40
Goals & assists
5
Pass completion rate
80%
Successful dribbles
1.2
Chances created
1.2
Duels won
5.1
Tackles won
57%
Whilst he’s mainly an attacking player, he’s also starred out of possession, winning 5.1 duels per game along with a 57% tackle success rate – having the ability to improve massively in the future, given his tender age.
It’s been a long time since the Toffees have had a talent as good as Rooney, but Rigg could finally end their wait, having the skill set to be a key player on Merseyside for many years to come.
Sunderland'sChrisRigg
£38m may appear to be a mammoth fee for such a young star, but given the figures he’s produced coupled with his potential, it’s a risk worth taking, with Moyes reaping the rewards in the Premier League should he make the move in the coming months.
Outscoring Salah in 2025: Everton chasing DCL upgrade who's "like Haaland"
Moyes needs to strengthen Everton’s frontline this summer.
England’s No. 3 has welcomed red-ball break while honing leadership skills in T20
Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Jun-2024It was Laurie Evans who broke the news to Ollie Pope that his unbeaten 100 in vain against Sussex last Friday was one short.Surrey’s Vitality Blast captain had arrived early in a chase of 214, lasting the course as they fell 36 runs short for their first defeat of the campaign. With an improbable 38 needed from the final two deliveries, Pope clocked the Kia Oval scoreboards, which showed he was on 99 not out.”It’s probably the one time you can be a bit selfish,” Pope says. “You know – ‘oh go on then, I’ll take the easy single’.” A snick through to the keeper on the bounce brought the run, followed by a sheepish raise of the bat.Related
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Alas, the scoreboard was wrong. Pope was actually on 98 when he faced the penultimate ball of the innings.”I got back into the changing room and Laurie Evans came up, shook my hand and went, ‘Nice 99 mate, well played!’ I was like, ‘What?!'” It would have been Pope’s first limited-overs century.”It was obviously annoying, but at the same time, we lost the game. If I did get a hundred, we still lose the game. That’s the thing that’s wrong with cricket – people think that one run should make a difference. It’s obviously nice to get those milestones. But when you lose, it doesn’t really matter.”Last Friday’s hiccup aside, Surrey have enjoyed a strong start to the Blast, winning three out of four and sitting third, with Somerset and Sussex above them in a strong South Group. Regular skipper Chris Jordan’s presence at the World Cup – one of three Surrey players in the England squad, along with Will Jacks and Reece Topley – presented Pope, England Test vice-captain, with the opportunity to enhance his leadership CV. He admits the last couple of weeks have been a crash course in captaincy, particularly game management.”It’s been good so far,” Pope says. “The thing for me is that I haven’t really played T20 cricket, so I was a bit behind – not the rules, but I guess just managing it. You forget how hectic and frenetic it can be out there. That first game [against Hampshire] we had to field with five inside the ring for the last over because we were slow between the overs. I felt like I couldn’t go any quicker! So there are a few things like that you need to sharpen up as quickly as you can.”The bowlers have bowled nicely overall, which makes my job easier. The last game [against Sussex] was probably the first time we’ve been put under some real pressure. They played nicely and it’s just trying to find a way to keep your calmness around the group. And also be at peace in T20 cricket that someone might get you. If someone hits the ball you want to bowl for four or six, then you have to be at peace with that.”Despite the new challenges, Pope is glad for the Blast after an uncharacteristically tough start to the County Championship season. Surrey sit top, but Pope is averaging 24.00 from nine innings, a paltry return considering he arrived into the summer boasting an average of 70.31 in first-class cricket for the county. Off the back of a tour of India, which began with a match-winning 196 in the first Test at Hyderabad before falling away to finish with a series total of 315, it was the last thing he wanted.
“I’ve had some good runs, good innings and then periods like the back end of India. If I can get an early score, can I back that up in the next game and the game after that? It’s about being ruthless”Ollie Pope on his Test form
“Coming back from India, I was like, ‘Right, have a couple weeks off and get stuck into the county stuff’. There was always this expectation for me to just go and score runs week in and week out. And then when I don’t, it’s like, ‘Why is this happening?'””I had a couple of low scores early, made a sixty [63 against Worcestershire] and a forty [44 against Warwickshire] and just struggled to get going. It has been kind of frustrating, but at the same time I think it’s quite a nice time for this T20 block to come. You can go and express yourself; you can hit balls, strong shots on the up, pick up length quickly and hit good pull shots. Sometimes, playing county cricket, it can feel like every ball is around the knee roll. It’s a great challenge but freeing up can help my red-ball game as well.”It speaks to how strong India finished the Test series, moving on from Hyderabad emphatically to triumph 4-1, that Pope’s memories of his century – one that drew rave reviews from many, including India head coach Rahul Dravid – are minimal, to a point.”It wasn’t until I got back and people were like ‘well done in India’ that I was like, ‘oh yeah – thanks!’ I’ve got high expectations of myself so I was disappointed with how the rest of the series went.”Hyderabad, he says, will always have a special place in his heart, the best feeling he has had in Test cricket, though he has not watched the innings back. But the fits and starts that followed – two 23s, a 39, three single-figure scores, including two ducks, then 11 and 19 in the final Test – still irk. Three dismissals in particular.”The last two [in Dharamsala] were annoying because I felt good on a good pitch. I ran past Kuldeep and top-edged a sweep off Ashwin. The other was my first innings [in Ranchi, the fourth Test], where I ran down the wicket when it was nipping around a bit. Somehow DRS said it was out, but, again, the shot I wasn’t too happy with after. Everything I’ve worked on over the last few years is trusting my defence, which I didn’t do.England’s tour of India ended on a low note for Pope•Gareth Copley/Getty”You get a few good balls – you always do – but there were dismissals where I’m thinking, ‘Why did I do that?’ They’re the learnings I can take. You become a better player by learning from those mistakes.”The summer is an opportune time to channel those frustrations. Pope will play the remainder of Surrey’s Blast matches in this block ahead of the return of the County Championship at the end of June. He will play away to Worcestershire, starting June 23, before missing the next round ahead of the first of three West Indies Tests, at Lord’s on July 10. Three more Tests against Sri Lanka follow, before tours of Pakistan and New Zealand before the year is out.Though England’s batting remains largely settled, they are likely to broach the prospect of a new wicketkeeper in a bid for more consistency after Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes shared duties over the last two years. Pope’s Surrey team-mate Jamie Smith has been touted as an option, likewise Lancashire’s Phil Salt, who has been in impressive T20 form.But what of Pope, who has fulfilled the role for England on three occasions? Would he be game? He laughs when the option is put to him. The last time he kept wicket was the second Test of the Pakistan tour at the end of 2022 – one of only eight times he has done so in a first-class match.”I’d do whatever is required from me,” he answers diplomatically. “Me as a keeper, I’ve always been a keeper, but batting at three over the last two years back in the Test team, that’s been my focus.”My volume of keeping hasn’t been up to what it should be. I’ve not been able to train much with it. I’d never say no to anything like that, but it’d mean I’d have to get my keeping gloves and dust them off. I’m not sure. I’ve not kept in a good while but if that’s the case, it’ll be crack on and work hard.”The No. 3 position he has assumed since Ben Stokes took the captaincy in 2022 is going well – averaging 41.75, set against a career Test average of 34.04 – even if he does want to adopt a more bloody-minded streak. That, at this juncture, remains his primary focus.”I’d like to keep making it my own and churn more consistently in that spot. I’ve had some good runs, good innings and then periods like the back end of India. If I can get an early score, can I back that up in the next game and the game after that? It’s about being ruthless.”
“The next three or four weeks is going to be about challenging ourselves outside of our comfort zones,” says the middle-order batter
Firdose Moonda21-Nov-2022South Africa’s red-ball batters are trying to make themselves as uncomfortable as possible as they prepare for their three-Test series in Australia next month. All the Test batters, with the exception of white-ball captain Temba Bavuma, who has been given time off, will play in at least one of the three rounds of domestic first-class matches taking place before the squad leaves in early December.For Rassie van der Dussen, who is returning from a finger injury, which sidelined him for over two months, his training is as much about runs as it is about readying himself for a hostile reception in Australia.Related
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“The next three or four weeks is going to be about challenging ourselves outside of our comfort zones,” van der Dussen told ESPNcricinfo at the launch of the SA20 league recently. “When you go to Australia, from a skill point of view, they have some of the best in the world. Their bowlers hardly bowl any bad balls and keep you under pressure. And then, from a pressure point of view, the media, the crowds, it’s those kinds of things you need to expect when you go there, from what I have heard. So the next few weeks will be about pushing myself out of my comfort zone and making sure I address all those factors so, when I get there, I know I have done the hard yards and the uncomfortable yards in practice.”Van der Dussen, like most of the line-up barring captain Dean Elgar and Bavuma, has never played a Test match in Australia. South Africa have not toured Australia over the Christmas-New Year period since the 2008-9 season, when they won a series there for the first time. They have not lost a series in Australia since, but haven’t played Tests there since late 2016.That may suggest South Africa head to Australia with some advantage. But Australia are currently the top-ranked team on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. South Africa sit second, and one of the main reasons for it has been their bowling unit. In the current WTC cycle, South Africa’s attack has the best bowling average (22.98) and lowest strike rate among all teams, taking a wicket almost once every seven overs. Contrastingly, their batting has struggled. Only Bangladesh and West Indies have scored fewer runs than South Africa since July 2021, during which time South Africa have only crossed 300 five times in 19 innings, and gone past 400 just once. They have been bowled out for under 200 eight times and have the fewest number of centuries: two.
“Numbers-wise, we haven’t done what we have wanted to, which is to score more hundreds and get the team to 400-plus, but the Test Championship table shows that we’ve done all right”Rassie van der Dussen
Van der Dussen acknowledged that the numbers have not been up to standard, but he suggested that difficult conditions were somewhat to blame. “If you look at the averages of the batters, it’s not up there. But you have to see the context, in terms of the conditions we’ve played in for the last two years – it’s been very bowler-friendly. For example here (in South Africa) against India and in New Zealand and England.”Numbers-wise, we haven’t done what we have wanted to, which is to score more hundreds and get the team to 400-plus, but the Test Championship table shows that we’ve done all right. We’re sitting second and we will definitely look to improve.”Asked if the line-up’s inability to convert their starts into big scores was an indicator of a systemic problem, van der Dussen moved to quell serious concerns. “I am not worried. I know what we are about as a batting unit. I refer to some characters and backgrounds. I know the types of people we have in our batting line-up and the resilience we’ve shown,” he said. “There’s got to be a time when it’s going to click. We’ve got to keep doing the same things in training, keep doing the hard yards and the uncomfortable work and we’ve got to believe we are one innings away from your next big innings.”It feels like the idea of runs being just around the corner is a line South Africa consistently use. It was used when asked about South Africa’s dearth of hundreds or more recently, Bavuma’s form in T20 cricket and specifically at the recent World Cup. After missing South Africa’s tour to England because of an elbow injury, Bavuma returned to score 70 runs in five World Cup matches, the least among South Africa’s specialist batters, and with the lowest strike rate, apart from Tristan Stubbs (31 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 100.00).Rassie van der Dussen is hoping to get his white-ball place back after missing the T20 World Cup with a broken finger•Getty ImagesVan der Dussen backed Bavuma, and said strike rate could be over-rated at international events, where temperament was more important. “In domestic tournaments, strike rate, boundary count is a big thing. But sometimes the value of a calm head gets overlooked. I think people make too much of it at international cricket,” he said. “In domestic leagues, it’s a big thing, people want to see sixes being hit and a lot of action but when the pressure is on in an international tournament, I believe we need guys with calm heads and clear thoughts.”That’s what van der Dussen hoped that the likes of Bavuma, Elgar and he would provide to a Test squad that heads to Australia without their No.3, Keegan Petersen, who tore his hamstring in the domestic T20 competition. They also have an interim coach, Malibongwe Maketa, following Mark Boucher’s departure. They have added two back-up batters in Heinrich Klaasen and Theunis de Bruyn, who have 13 Test caps between them but have been playing professionally for a decade and eight years respectively.”If you look at the squad, we have guys who have been seasoned domestic cricketers for years and years,” he said. “It’s guys who have been around the block, maybe not in terms of number of Test matches played but we are hardened first-class cricketers and we are going to lean on that going to Australia. We hardly have any youngsters in the batting line-ups so it’s up to us to step up.”Klaasen, Elgar and wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne all warmed up with centuries in last week’s round of fixtures, where van der Dussen made his comeback. He scored 45 and 10 in his first match back and his progress is on track for the first Test in Brisbane which starts on December 17. “I’ve been batting for the last four weeks and I’ve been back to facing full bowlers for the last two weeks. It went better than I expected.”He was also aiming to get his white-ball place back after missing the T20 World Cup as he recovered from a broken finger, and would be in action for MI Cape Town in the SA20 before pushing for a place in South Africa’s ODI squad. “I like to think I will be back in the mix, seeing that I am fit again now,” he said. “I love white-ball cricket and I love the challenge of T20, and the tactical and strategic part of T20.”
CA’s leaders must show humility about their own actions, and curiosity about the needs of their owners and partners
Daniel Brettig05-Jun-2020A week ago, Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison announced that the 28-year-old system of state and territory leaders meeting twice every year with the federal government was going to be scrapped. It has been replaced by more regular contact that emerged out of the Covid-19 pandemic: fortnightly or monthly “national cabinet” video conferences. This change was not just the fruit of all involved realising that regular, less formal communication was more functional and practical, it was also the result of lobbying behind the scenes and on camera, by two former state New South Wales and South Australia premiers Mike Baird (Liberal) and Jay Weatherill (Labor).Nowhere in Australian life is there a greater contrast to this than what has overtaken cricket over the past two months. Baird has had a front-row seat here too, as a board director with Cricket NSW, and it would not surprise if he has wondered aloud at how government has leaned on greater collective communication while in cricket the conversations have been far less rounded and less effective.Perhaps the most extraordinary single fact of a period in which Cricket Australia has stood down more than 200 staff on 20% pay, and every state but NSW has followed by cutting a total of more than 150 staff thus far, is that 49 days have passed since the chairmen of CA and the six states held their own “national cabinet” meeting. The Australian Cricket Council, a body notionally formed after a cultural review in 2018, has not met even once, having last convened in October 2019.A mess of confusion, disillusionment, anger and mistrust has swept into this vacuum, as opportunistic decisions have been made in some quarters, survival efforts attempted in others, and previously sound relationships have frayed or cracked up altogether. CA has, based on modelling put together in March, forged on with a plan for stand-downs followed by redundancies that have undeniably talked down the game, and completely contradicted last week’s announcement of the international schedule for next summer.In Victoria, some 60 staff, most from community cricket, have lost their jobs, while the Cricket Victoria board, composed primarily of delegates beholden to Melbourne’s club competition, ring-fenced cash and assets valued at some A$70 million. Most of the money contributing to CV’s A$1 million financial loss for 2018-19 – a primary justification for the “restructure” – had been spent on severance settlements for the ex-CEOs of the Melbourne Stars and the Melbourne Renegades as part of the previous restructure only a year before. If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry.
Roberts has lost the confidence of a wide range of figures in Australian cricket who gave him a second chance after the 2017 pay dispute with the ACA, partly by deflecting much of the blame for that and other issues to the former chairman David Peever. Eddings, a more natural communicator than Roberts, has a greater supply of goodwill but cannot escape blame for the chaotic way the cost-cutting has unfolded, and is also distracted by conflicts and conundrums at the ICC.
Events in South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have been a little less dramatic but, in many cases, just as damaging to the game’s future growth. Queensland were forced, with just A$7 million in reserves, to cut some 32 staff though still disputing CA’s request for a 25% reduction in their annual grants, while SA was compelled to move first with some 23 job cuts due to the loss of immediate revenue drawn from their co-dependency on Adelaide Oval’s postponed AFL fixtures.CA is planning to make as many as 20% of its total staff redundant as soon as next week, and is still arguing individually with NSW, Queensland and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) over terms of their own cutbacks. After a failed first attempt to articulate its position in April, CA’s chief executive Kevin Roberts went out on an information campaign this week, but both the dissenting states and the ACA were unimpressed at being handed forecasts more or less unchanged from those cobbled together in March.In the simplest terms, a 50% revenue drop for the 2020-21 season may have been possible to contemplate three months ago, but now that India have committed to a tour worth some A$300 million in broadcast revenue and sport has resumed in Australia? No chance. If broadcasters had been making undeniably panicky noises in March about the need for reductions in rights fees, it was only in a moment where the loss of an Australia international summer was possible. Now the schedule has been announced, and there is a contract to honour for another four years.This is all to say that CA, the states and the ACA have used up more than eight weeks of precious time not available to the winter football codes in squabbles over a course of action the central governing body committed to before it had any way of knowing how Covid-19 and its financial shocks would unfold. Now that much more is known, a fresh round of conversations must be had, and fast.Relationship-building has been one of Earl Eddings’ key strengths•Getty ImagesUndoubtedly, cricket in Australia is due a reassessment of its cost-base, but that much was obvious even before. When CA returned a surplus of just A$18 million for a 2018-19 summer featuring four Tests, three T20Is and three ODIs against India, the same programme as 2020-21, it was clear that the commitment of cash to operating activities had gone too far – beyond even the windfall provided by effectively doubling CA’s Australian broadcast rights deal to A$1.18 billion in 2018. This is without mentioning big overseas deals with Sony (India) and BT (UK).But such a conversation requires unity, transparency and shared purpose – anything but the dog’s breakfast of individual negotiations and arguments that have bubbled across since March. Roberts and the CA chairman Earl Eddings must have realised this much after they watched aghast at CV’s indiscriminate job cuts, which mean CA must take more responsibility for developing community cricket in the state, while also seeking a way to bring the state association’s self-destructive elements to heel.Realisation, of course, is not the same thing as action. Plenty of scar tissue must be overcome. Roberts has lost the confidence of a wide range of figures in Australian cricket who gave him a second chance after the 2017 pay dispute with the ACA, partly by deflecting much of the blame for that and other issues to the former chairman David Peever. Eddings, a more natural communicator than Roberts, has a greater supply of goodwill but cannot escape blame for the chaotic way the cost-cutting has unfolded, and is also distracted by conflicts and conundrums at the ICC.Inaction by CA will only add weight to the arguments of those who would like to see the Board overturned, with the current system of nine independent directors replaced by a hybrid model of six direct representatives from state boards and three independents. That model would, at least, ensure that the states are privy to major strategic and budgetary decisions in a more natural way, even as it carries the risk of what has taken place in Victoria, where the delegates have run roughshod over the bigger picture.Such a shift would require constitutional amendments that consume time, energy and grey matter best used in a quieter moment. For now Eddings and Roberts need to be practical, seeking solutions through a method akin to that pushed by Baird and Weatherill in an opinion piece for : “leaders of different levels of government with different affiliations gathering as peers, looking for joint purpose and creating constructive ways of managing differences.”CA’s leaders must show humility about their own actions, and curiosity about the needs of their owners and partners. Fire up Microsoft Teams, Zoom or even House Party, get the state and ACA chairs together, and work out how to move forward in a sporting economy that, for the first time in decades, is less likely to grow than to shrink. Australian cricket’s health depends on it.
Histórico! O Novorizontino está classificado para a semifinal do Paulistão. O time venceu o São Paulo, nos pênaltis, no Estádio do Morumbis, na noite deste domingo (17), após empate por 1 a 1 no tempo normal, que teve gols de Rômulo e Ferreirinha.
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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
Nas cobranças, o time visitante fez 5 a 4 no Tricolor, que perdeu dois chutes, com Michel Araújo e Diego Costa. Pelo lado do Novorizontino, apenas Lucca desperdiçou.
⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O primeiro tempo começou com um susto para os donos da casa. Rômulo, com apenas 12 minutos de jogo, abriu o placar de cabeça para o Novorizontino no Morumbi. Após o gol, o Tricolor reagiu com o apoio de mais de 55 mil pessoas, e Ferreirinha aproveitou ótima jogada de Lucas para empatar. O atacante, no entanto, saiu machuado após o gol. Os dois times ainda tiveram chances de sair do empate ainda no primeiro tempo, sem sucesso.
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O que vem por aí?
O segundo tempo continuou frenético, com chances dos dois lados, mas as principais para os donos da casa. Lucas Moura conduzia o meio-campo tricolor e brilhava em jogadas individuais. Do lado são-paulino, Luciano, André Silva, James Rodríguez e Erick arriscaram na tentativa de virar o jogo, mas não deu tempo. A decisão foi para as pênaltis.
O que vem por aí?
O Novorizontino está na semifinal do Paulistão e agora vai encarar o atual bicampeão estadual, o Palmeiras. O time de Abel Ferreira chego a essa fase da competição após golear a Ponte Preta, por 5 a 1.
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➡️ Veja confrontos do mata-mata do Paulistão
✅ SÃO PAULO 1 (4) x (5) 1 NOVORIZONTINO Quartas de final doPaulistão – Jogo único
Data e horário:domingo, 17 de março de 2024, às 18h (de Brasília) Local:Estádio do Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP) Árbitro:Flavio Rodrigues de Souza Cartões amarelos:Arboleda (São Paulo) / Chico, Marlon, Lucca e Waguininho (Novorizontino) Cartões vermelhos:-
Rafael; Rafinha (Igor Vinícius), Arboleda, Diego Costa, Welington (James Rodríguez); Alisson, Pablo Maia, Lucas e Ferreirinha (Erick), Luciano e André Silva (Michel Araújo). Técnico: Thiago Carpini.
Liverpool are already reportedly working on their move to sign a £100m winger to replace Mohamed Salah, who was left out of the squad entirely for their trip to face Inter Milan.
Thierry Henry: Salah "wrong" for public Liverpool spat
In truth, Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw at Elland Road feels like an eternity ago such is the drama that’s unfolded since. Salah’s bombshell is still leaving shrapnel around Anfield and around the Premier League, with Jamie Carragher delivering a brutal assessment on Monday Night Football and Thierry Henry since adding to that in midweek.
The Frenchman said on CBS’ Champions League show: “Look, nobody is talking about what Mo Salah has achieved in the game. We’re talking about a moment in time that I think he got wrong.
“You do not talk about your personal situation openly when your team is struggling. You do it in a dressing room. I’ve done it. I went to the dressing room and smashed everything in. I went to the office of the boss and complained about stuff.
“When I was at Barcelona, I went away with the team. They put me in the stand. Did you hear me talking about it? No. There is a team. You need to protect your team at all costs, all the time.”
"Similar" to Semenyo: Liverpool in daily talks to sign £88m Salah successor
Liverpool appear to have turned their attention to signing a suitable successor to Mohamed Salah.
ByRobbie Walls 4 days ago
Arne Slot, meanwhile, is still awaiting an apology and has at least seen his side bounce back from the Leeds game with a professional 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro.
The Athletic believe that Salah’s outburst was either aimed towards securing an exit away from the club or to put pressure on Slot’s position. If it is the former and there really is no way back then the Reds could reportedly turn their attention towards Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
Liverpool begin "work" on Barcola move
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are already “working” on a move to sign Barcola in an attempt to replace Salah in 2026. The PSG man is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal in France, leaving the door ajar for those at Anfield to make their move.
Sources told Caught Offside: “Liverpool have already begun background work on replacing Salah. A player they really like, and have been following closely for some time, is Bradley Barcola.”
Even though he’s yet to sign a new deal, Barcola’s current contract doesn’t expire until 2028. That means Liverpool will likely have to pay a premium fee to secure his signature, with reports in the summer suggesting that PSG value their winger at as much as £100m.
Dubbed “special” by Como scout Ben Mattinson last year, it’s easy to see why Barcola has emerged as an option to replace Salah. In 1,274 minutes so far this season – the same as around 14 games – the Frenchman has scored five goals and assisted another three from out wide.
Replacing Salah will be one of the toughest jobs that Richard Hughes has had as sporting director, but he may already have an ideal candidate in mind.
He could be captain after Van Dijk: £35m star very keen on joining Liverpool