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The match, which is set to be Virat Kohli’s 100th Test, was initially scheduled to be played behind closed doors

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2022The first India-Sri Lanka Test match in Mohali will now be open to spectators, who will be allowed to fill the PCA Stadium to 50% capacity.The match – which is set to be Virat Kohli’s 100th Test – was initially scheduled to be played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions. Three days before the start of the match, however, the BCCI has confirmed that spectators will be allowed to attend it.”The first Test between India and Sri Lanka to be played at the Punjab Cricket Stadium in Mohali will not be held behind closed doors,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement. “The decision to allow spectators into the ground is one taken by the State Cricketing Associations and in the present circumstances, is based on various factors. I have spoken with the PCA office bearers and they have confirmed that cricket fans will be able to witness the historic moment of Virat Kohli playing his 100th Test match.”The statement suggested the decision was taken based on the decline in Covid-19 cases around the country. The third wave of the pandemic peaked in January in India, and the three-match ODI series against West Indies in early February was played behind closed doors in Ahmedabad. The T20I leg of the series in Kolkata, however, was opened up to crowds, as were the second and third T20Is against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala. The first T20I in Lucknow, however, was played behind closed doors because of the state elections that were taking place in Uttar Pradesh.”While we started off the West Indies Tour of India behind closed doors, the encouraging dip in COVID-19 cases allowed the hosting associations to permit crowds,” Shah’s statement said. “Based on the advisories by the State Health Authorities fans were able to witness the games in Kolkata and Dharamsala while UPCA had Lucknow T20I without crowds owing to polling a day before the match.”I am really looking forward to Virat Kohli’s 100th Test and wish our champion cricketer the very best. This is an occasion for our fans to savour. May he continue to represent the country in many more matches to come.”RP Singhla, the treasurer of the PCA, told the that online ticket sales would open on Wednesday.”We got the communication from BCCI about the allowing of fans at 50% capacity for the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Mohali starting March 4,” Singhla said. “So far, we will allow online sale of tickets from Wednesday onwards as it becomes crowded at the ticket counters at the stadium. Fans will be there to watch Virat Kohli play his 100th Test match and PCA will ensure that all Covid-19 protocols are followed.”

Aston Villa have got a long history of unleashing deadly strikers at the club throughout the Premier League era. Of course, one of those is playing in Claret and Blue now, namely Ollie Watkins.

The England international has scored 75 goals and has 29 assists in 184 games. Going back a bit further, there was Christian Benteke. The Belgian marksman scored 49 goals and had 13 assists to his name in just 101 games.

In the 1990s, Dwight Yorke was the main man up front at Villa Park. He was sensational for the club, and his form earned him a big move to Manchester United in 1998, where he won the treble. Dion Dublin was his replacement, and the Englishman was just as clinical in front of goal.

Next in line for that list of esteemed Villa strikers could well be Jhon Duran, who is on fire at Villa Park this term.

Duran’s Villa career

Duran’s rise to the top at Villa Park has been nothing short of astronomical. The 20-year-old joined the club in the winter transfer window of 2023, in a deal worth £18m from MLS side Chicago Fire.

So far, the young striker has played 66 games in that famous Claret and Blue shirt, scoring 16 goals. Whilst that might not seem a lot on the face of it, it is important to reference the fact Duran has played just 1834 minutes. That equates to just 20.3 full 90 minute games, meaning on average he scores almost one goal per 90 minutes.

He is yet to start in the top flight this term, having started just three times in the Premier League across his whole Villa career. Thus, the centre-forward, who has four goals in 11 league matches so far this season, has earned himself a reputation as a super-sub. In fact, of the eight goals he has in all competitions, Duran has scored only three as a starter.

The Colombian knows how to put on a show. He has scored some spectacular goals this term, including one against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a lob over Manuel Neuer’s head from just inside the penalty area, and a screamer against Everton from distance.

As good as Duran is, there may be a bit of regret at the club that another talented striker did not make it at Villa

Aston Villa's original Jhon Duran

The player in question here is centre-forward Keinan Davis. The 26-year-old – who is also a towering, left-footed striker like Duran at 6 foot 3 – came through the ranks at Villa Park after joining from non-league side Biggleswade, with the early signs certainly looking promising.

In 2017, ESPN broke the news that Davis, who was 19 years of age at the time, was wanted by some of the biggest clubs in English football. The report suggested that Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton, amongst others, were tracking the youngster, who was ‘highly regarded at Villa Park’.

The Stevenage-born marksman – who scored ten goals in 36 games at U21 level for the Villans – even made his first-team debut for the club at the age of just 18, while later earning notable praise from teammate Jack Grealish, who called him “absolutely unplayable” in training.

The praise went even further, with former Villa star Alan Hutton stating in 2020 that Davis has “everything to be a top centre-forward“, even if his role was somewhat limited.

Sadly, things did not quite work out for the centre-forward at the Villans. Over a span of five seasons, the attacker made 86 appearances, scoring six goals and grabbing seven assists in that time, managing just one goal in the Premier League, in 2020/21.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2016/17

6

0

0

2017/18

30

3

4

2018/19

7

0

0

2019/20

23

1

1

2020/21

18

2

2

Following reasonably successful loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Watford, who were both Championship clubs at the time, Davis made the move permanently away from Villa Park in 2023, with Unai Emery in charge of the club. Like with Duran in the present day to some degree, the challenge of ousting Watkins as the leading man in attack was ultimately too much.

As reported by The Athletic, he joined Udinese in Serie A for just £2m, in a deal which included a sell-on clause of between 15% and 20%

Sadly, Davis has struggled with injury in Italy. The striker has played just 22 times for I Bianconeri, scoring three goals in that time, albeit while registering three goal involvements in 14 games this season.

It must surely be disappointing for Villa fans to look back on his time at the club and wonder just what could have been if he had managed to live up to all that early hype.

Aston Villa signing who cost more than Duran is now in Turkey's 2nd tier

Aston Villa did not have the best of luck when they splashed the cash on this centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Nov 4, 2024

Chelsea managed a 1-1 draw in a tightly contested match against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, taking them third in the Premier League on 19 points, winning five games, drawing four, and losing two in their opening 11 games.

Despite having slightly less of the ball (49% possession), they managed to take 17 shots, creating one big chance and generating 1.28 xG.

Enzo Maresca’s side are now averaging 54.7% possession (the fifth highest in the division), 14 shots per game (ninth highest in the division), and 12.8 shots against them per 90.

But it’s some of the individual performances that have improved under Maresca that are just as impressive, with many players improving under the Italian since he took over from Mauricio Pochettino.

One of those happens to be Pedro Neto – who scored against the Gunners – but there are some other notable names alongside the Portuguese…

Players thriving under Maresca

Levi Colwill is one of the main examples, being used heavily as a left-back last season under Pochettino, and coming under some flack for his performances in that position.

But now under Maresca, back in his best position, Colwill is orchestrating games from the back, bringing another level of physicality to his game, and forming a great partnership at the back with Wesley Fofana. Between them, they boast a pass success rate of 89.3% and 89.5% respectively; not bad at all.

Another name is Moises Caicedo, who had a rocky start to life at Chelsea under Pochettino, following his £115m move to the Blues in the summer of 2023. Caicedo did have a very solid secondnd half of the season under Pochettino, but he’s taken it up another level under Maresca yet again.

The 23-year-old has made the second most tackles (38) and the joint-fifth most interceptions (18) in the Premier League this season, putting out fires in the middle of the park, and kick-starting attacks for the Blues, even providing two assists.

But perhaps the biggest improvement is a star who was reportedly set for the axe under Pochettino, Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard put in yet another big performance against Arsenal.

Marc Cucurella's performance in numbers vs Arsenal

Tasked with defending against one of the league’s best wingers in Bukayo Saka, Cucurella was absolutely excellent at minimising his ability to affect the game.

Winning four of his six ground duels, making three tackles, three interceptions, one block and two clearances, it was a superb defensive display from the Spanish defender.

Minutes

90

Touches

58

Accurate Passes

36/39

Long Balls

1/2

Ground Duels Won

4/6

Clearances

2

Blocks

1

Interceptions

3

Tackles

3

The 26-year-old has quickly become an undroppable figure in Maresca’s side, showing the tenacity and aggression the Italian manager likes in his defenders, giving them the ability to go man for man.

The Spain international has made 12 appearances this season, contributing to two clean sheets, and totaling 920 minutes played.

Cucurella has been used in a variety of ways already this season, becoming the left-sided centre-back in a back three, inverting into midfield, and even appearing further up the pitch in the left half spaces, operating as a number ten at times.

This allows Maresca to platform others in the team, to put them in their best positions to succeed, with Cucurella being a key man to allow that.

The form of Cucurella, mixed with the profile of the defender which suits Maresca so well, makes the 26-year-old undroppable, as Chelsea face Leicester City in their next game after the international break.

100% duels won: Chelsea star was even better than Neto v Arsenal

Chelsea picked up a point following a 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.

ByConnor Holden Nov 10, 2024

استطاع الفريق الأول لكرة اليد رجال بالنادي الأهلي، تحقق فوز ثمين على حساب نظيره طلائع الجيش، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ‏ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري.

المباراة أقيمت على صالة طلائع الجيش، وقدم خلالها الفريقان أداءً قويًّا على الصعيدين الدفاعي والهجومي والتصويبات القوية.‏

شهدت المباراة تقدم فريق رجال يد الأهلي في الشوط الأول بنتيجة 19-10، وفي الشوط الثاني واصل الأحمر تقدمه ليحسم المباراة بفارق كبير لتنتهي بنتيجة 37-22.

طالع أيضاً.. سيدات الأهلي يتأهلن إلى نهائي كأس مصر للكرة الطائرة بفوز كاسح على سبورتنج

وكان فريق رجال يد الأهلي قد فاز في المباراة السابقة على فريق هليوبوليس بنتيجة 40-23، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس مصر والتأهل إلى ربع نهائي البطولة.

ومن المقرر أن تقام منافسات دور ربع النهائي من كأس مصر يوم 11 إبريل المقبل.

Arsenal’s excellent start to the 2024/25 campaign continued on Saturday afternoon after a 3-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League at the Emirates.

Despite falling behind, goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka allowed Mikel Arteta’s side to maintain their unbeaten start to the new term.

The Gunners have picked up where they left off in 2023/24, hoping to end their two-decade wait for a league triumph – but after two near misses in a row, could they finally go one better?

Undoubtedly, Arteta will be reliant upon star men like Saka, who, as demonstrated yesterday, is capable of single-handedly changing a game with his goal and two assists.

However, as the lengthy season progresses over the coming months, one player could receive an increase in first-team minutes – potentially building on his excellent start to life at the club.

Ethan Nwaneri’s recent emergence at Arsenal

Before the 2022/23 season, youngster Ethan Nwaneri would’ve been an unknown quantity to many, but two years on, he’s now one of the most exciting talents currently plying his trade in England’s top flight.

The midfielder made his debut back in September 2022 as a 15-year-old, making him the youngest Premier League player in the process – but it’s the 2024/25 season that has seen him flourish in Arteta’s side.

Nwaneri has made two substitute appearances in the league, making a huge impact from the bench against Leicester with his restricted minutes, but he showcased his talents more efficiently when given the opportunity from a starting role.

He made his first start for the Gunners during the Carabao Cup clash against Bolton Wanderers last month, starring throughout and looking way beyond his years.

The academy graduate scored twice during the 5-1 victory over the League One outfit, taking full advantage of the club’s injury issues which have seen Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard spending time on the sidelines.

Sometimes you need that break in football to showcase your skills, with Nwaneri doing exactly that in recent weeks, giving Arteta a real decision to make about potentially including him from a starting role in the Premier League after the upcoming international break.

It could allow the boss to end the Arsenal career of one player who unfortunately has failed to make a huge impact since his big-money move to North London.

Nwaneri's rise is bad news for £34m flop

Portuguese ace Fabio Vieira joined Arsenal in a £34m deal back in the summer of 2022, with high expectations placed on him due to his price tag.

However, two years on, it’s safe to say that the move didn’t go to plan for the 24-year-old, who is now currently back on a season-long loan at Porto, the side that the Gunners bought him from.

Vieira has only featured 49 times for Arteta’s team since his big-money transfer, often unable to dislodge Odegaard from the starting lineup, largely having to settle for minutes off the bench.

The midfielder, who earns £45k-per-week, registered 12 goal contributions during his first two seasons in the capital, but it appears his career at the club could be coming to an unfortunate end.

His loan move this summer is undoubtedly a wise one to allow him to gain valuable first-team minutes to aid his development, but it’s also a signal that he’s no longer part of Arteta’s plans moving forward.

Given Nwaneri’s recent impact on Arteta’s side, it could see Vieira fall further down the pecking order upon his return to the Emirates next summer, giving him an even harder task of forcing himself back into the Spaniard’s plans.

Whilst he was a player who demonstrated real promise during his early days at the club, it’s safe to say the move hasn’t worked out as both parties would’ve imagined.

Arteta could look to offload him permanently to prevent a huge loss on the fee they forked out on him two years ago, which could see more trust added in Nwaneri to become a consistent first-team member over the coming months to allow him to continue on his current trajectory.

It's not Havertz: Arsenal may have just unearthed their next Ozil

Arsenal have a new assist king this season.

1

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 6, 2024

Big picture

Imagine this: You beat a Full Member and fellow Associate in a four-team pool, and feel you have done enough. But then you are told you have to win the third game too. It’s a reality Scotland are staring at. It could be frustrating for some, but Scotland are ready to embrace the pressures of a potential knockout.They were looking good to carve out a big lead in terms of net run-rate when Papua New Guinea slumped to 35 for 5 in their chase of 166 on Tuesday. But in playing a blinder that gave Scotland the jitters, Norman Vanua also reduced PNG’s margin of defeat to 17 runs, leaving Scotland, Oman and Bangladesh all bunched together.Now, the only way Scotland can progress with two wins is if PNG upset Bangladesh, though that seems a task too steep, on the face of it. Oman, meanwhile, simply have to win by any margin to make it through.Oman will ride on massive home support. Scotland will ride on form and familiarity of conditions, having trained and played in the country for close to six weeks now. There’s also the added incentive for the winners: a direct entry into next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Unfortunately for this tournament, only one of them might be left standing at the end of this. The good thing for the two teams, however, is that the Bangladesh vs PNG game will be over by the time they start.

Form guide

Scotland: WWLWL
Oman: LWWLW

In the spotlight

Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer hasn’t topped 17 in his last five innings, including the warm-ups. Against Bangladesh, he was out for a seven-ball duck, beaten on the outside edge. On Wednesday, PNG left-arm seamer Kabua Morea deceived him with an inswinger that beat his inside edge to crash into the stumps when he was on 6. But Scotland coach Shane Burger believes Coetzer is batting “unbelievably well” in the nets and it’s just a matter of time before the tide turns.Jatinder Singh is the main man when it comes to Oman’s chances•ICC via Getty

With scores of 73* and 40, Jatinder Singh has clearly towered over the rest of Oman’s batting. Five years ago, Jatinder was part of Oman cricket history when they recorded their first-ever World Cup win, against Ireland. On Thursday, he can add another chapter to that history if he can help Oman get over the line and qualify for the Super 12s.

Team news

Safyaan Sharif, the fast bowler, missed the game against PNG because of a groin strain. Burger said the team will wait on him, even though he’s in better shape now. However, with Alasdair Evans impressing with figures of 1 for 22 off four overs in his first outing of the tournament on Tuesday, it’s likely Scotland will remain unchanged.Scotland (probable): 1 Kyle Coetzer (capt), 2 George Munsey, 3 Matthew Cross (wk), 4 Richie Berrington, 5 Calum MacLeod, 6 Mathew Leask, 7 Chris Greaves, 8 Mark Watt, 9 Josh Davey, 10 Alasdair Evans, 11 Brad WhealAqib Ilyas, the Oman batter, said they could strengthen their bowling, bringing in either a fast bowler or a legspinner depending on the surface. That could mean one of the lower-order batters, Sandeep Goud probably, makes way. Fayyaz Butt could come in.Oman (probable): 1 Aqib Ilyas, 2 Jatinder Singh, 3 Khawar Ali, 4 Zeeshan Maqsood (capt), 5 Kashyap Prajapati, 6 Naseem Khushi (wk), 7 Mohammad Nadeem, 8 Ayaan Khan, 9 Fayyaz Butt, 10 Kaleemullah, 11 Bilal Khan

Stats and trivia

• George Munsey’s 55 sixes are the most by a Scotland player in T20Is. He also holds the record for the highest individual score for his country (127*) in the format.
• Coetzer and Calum MacLeod are the only two players from Scotland’s maiden T20 World Cup outing in 2007 to still be playing.
• Aqib Ilyas nearly qualified to play for the UAE after having moved there to study in 2010. The 29-year-old, who has a a civil engineering degree, excelled in club cricket and was even invited to train with the UAE national team. He chose Oman, his home country.

Quotes

“If there’s any team that understands this is a must-win game, it’s probably Scotland, who often go into competitions knowing every game is must-win game. We spoke of topping the group, that was a certainly a goal, something we wanted to achieve before we arrived here. We spoke about it, planned for it, it won’t surprise me if we do that.””Fielding is key, a player [Mohammad Naim] who was dropped in the 20s went on to make 70, that made a big difference against Bangladesh. We can’t afford to drop catches. Also as batters, we shouldn’t be leaving it to the other players. The small things matter.”

In May 2020 Australia were ranked No.1 in Tests and T20Is. The Test team had retained the Ashes away and won seven consecutive Tests at home. They had also won four consecutive T20I series including away victories in India and South Africa. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit they have lost five consecutive T20I series and a home Test series to India with reports of tensions between coach Justin Langer and the players running rampant in the media. Here’s how it unfolded.September 2020Australia toured England for three T20Is and three ODIs with a full-strength squad, their first assignment since Covid-19 halted world cricket. In the first T20I they needed 39 runs from 39 balls with nine wickets in hand and lost. Australia also dropped the second game to lose the series but won the dead rubber. They then won the opening ODI before succumbing to another batting collapse from a winning position in game two. Langer gave the group a verbal lashing post-match for not learning from their mistakes in the opening T20I. It secured the desired response in the decider with Australia pulling off a stunning chase off the back of twin centuries from Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey to win the series, which the coach described as one of the best series wins he’s been involved in.November 2020 Australia thumped India in the first two ODIs of the home summer thanks to two masterclasses from Steve Smith to win the ODI series with a game to spare.Steven Smith made back-to-back centuries against India•Getty Images

December 2020-January 2021 Injuries and the need to rest players from the biosecure bubbles saw Australia lose the T20I series with Aaron Finch, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, and Marcus Stoinis missing matches. Australia were back to full strength for the Test series and won the first match in Adelaide when they bowled India out for 36. But they lost the series from there against a second-string India side with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin all missing the decider at the Gabba. Australia’s batters failed twice in Melbourne, they dropped critical catches on the final day in Sydney to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory, before the bowlers ran out of gas at the Gabba with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant engineering a famous chase to claim the series.Related

• After week of stress, Australia might only have papered over the cracks

• Cricket Australia give backing to under pressure coach Justin Langer

• Finch: Dressing room leaks about Langer 'disappointing' and 'not ideal'

• Langer addressed 'confronting' team review with squad ahead of tour

• Team rumblings are a 'wake-up call' which Langer won't ignore

February 2021 Reports emerged in the papers in Australia of tensions boiling over between the players and the coach during the Gabba Test match suggesting players were concerned about the team environment. Langer was shocked by the media reports but said it was “a wake-up call”.Australia then had to select two squads for simultaneous Test and T20I tours in South Africa and New Zealand respectively. Langer was to take charge of the Test squad while senior assistant Andrew McDonald was tasked with leading the T20I squad. A first-choice Test squad was chosen but the tour of South Africa was abandoned due to Cricket Australia’s concerns over South Africa’s biosecurity protocols. Australia lost the opening two games in New Zealand before Finch and Maxwell stood tall to level the series at 2-2. But the batting failed to fire in the decider and they lost the series 3-2.There wasn’t always much to cheer for Australia’s T20 side•Getty Images

June 2021 Langer joined the contracted players at a pre-tour camp on the Gold Coast ahead of back-to-back limited-overs tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh. The findings of an internal review into Australia’s performance against India, conducted by leadership consultant Tim Ford, were presented to the group. Langer addressed the findings with the players, something Finch described as “confronting” for the coach but Finch the meeting was successful and the group was “behind him 100 percent”.July 2021 Australia toured the West Indies for five T20Is and three ODIs minus, Warner, Cummins, Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and Daniel Sams who all withdraw due to bio-bubble fatigue or injury following the postponement of the IPL. Australia’s selectors opted to leave Marnus Labuschagne in England and Cameron Green at home and a host of others with international experience weren’t selected. The T20I team again disintegrated from a winning position in the first game of the tour and loses the series 4-1. Finch suffered a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from the ODI series. Carey was promoted to captain one of the most inexperienced ODI teams Australia has ever fielded and they claim a series win 2-1 despite the series being interrupted due to a Covid-19 scare.Australia’s last five T20I series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

August 2021 Australia traveled to Bangladesh without Finch who headed home to have knee surgery. Matthew Wade took over as captain but the side capitulated on difficult batting surfaces to lose the series 4-1. They would have lost 5-0 save for an onslaught from Dan Christian in the third game and were bowled out for 62 in the last match.Two days after Australia arrived home, with the players and staff in hotel quarantine, the published a report of an incident that took place in Australia’s team hotel during the Bangladesh tour. Australia team manager Gavin Dovey was involved in a heated exchange with Cricket Australia’s digital journalist who was inside the Australian team’s bio-bubble as part of the touring party. Dovey was upset that a video had been posted on Cricket Australia’s website of Bangladesh celebrating their first-ever series win over Australia. Langer, a close confidant of Dovey’s, spoke briefly but firmly to the journalist in the immediate aftermath before the pair cleared the air the following day.The report sparked a flurry of media speculation about Langer’s coaching style and of tensions between the coach and the players resurfaced. Finch said the leaks from the dressing room were “disappointing” and “not a good look.” It led Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley to issue a statement supporting Langer and confirming he would continue on through the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Hockley and CA chairman Earl Eddings held an emergency zoom call with Australia’s three playing leaders Tim Paine, Finch, and Cummins to discuss the tensions with the coach.Paine spoke on his SEN podcast two days later vowing that the players would work with Langer for the summer ahead.

Australia will monitor the fitness of captain Aaron Finch ahead of the ODI series against West Indies after he picked up a knee injury during the final T20I in St Lucia.Finch twisted his knee in the field and was significantly hampered during the Australian chase, especially when running between the wickets. His innings of 34 was ended by a spectacular catch at long-on by Fabian Allen as Australia fell 16 short to concede the series 4-1.A Cricket Australia spokesperson said Finch had a mild knee complaint earlier in the tour, which he had fully recovered from.The squad travels to Barbados on Saturday ahead of the three-match ODI series, which begins on Tuesday. They are already without the majority of the players who would make up their usual ODI top order so they will want Finch to be available.Related

• Aaron Finch in race to be fit for T20 World Cup after successful knee surgery

• Phil Simmons wants West Indies' ODI top order to keep pushing themselves

• Marsh: 'Starc vs Russell – that's why you play'

• Zampa: Facing WI 'pretty daunting, but so much fun'

• Evin Lewis' sparkling display and scintillating fielding give West Indies 4-1 margin

Matthew Wade could potentially lead Australia if Finch were to be absent, having stood in for him during the T20I series against India last year, although there isn’t a permanent vice-captain on the tour.Ben McDermott (quad) and Ashton Agar (hamstring) missed the latter part of the T20I series with minor injuries.Given the nature of touring during the pandemic, Australia have a larger squad although the two travelling reserve players – Nathan Ellis and Tanveer Sangha – are bowlers, so they can’t provide any cover to the batting department.Although the major focus of this tour was the T20I series – five more matches will follow in Bangladesh if the biosecure plans are approved – the ODIs carry World Cup Super League points. Both Australia (third) and West Indies (eighth) have so far only played six matches in the league.Australia rung the changes for the final T20I, giving Mitchell Swepson and Andrew Tye their first outings of the tour – for Tye it was his first game since early February in the BBL – which meant 17 of the 18 players in the main squad had game time during the five matches, with only the uncapped Wes Agar not used.Having hauled West Indies back well from a very strong position after Evin Lewis made 79 – conceding just 30 runs from the last five overs – the batting fell away again from a promising position of 95 for 2 in the tenth over.”Thought the way we defended in the back ten overs in this game, we were staring down the barrel of 220-230, was impressive and our powerplay bowling has been pretty good in the other games,” Finch said at the post-match presentation. “We just haven’t backed it up with the bat. There’s some guys there with not a huge amount of international experience. When you are trying to stamp your authority on a game, it can be tough at times so not too critical of them.”There’s a bit more experience at the top and we probably didn’t give them the best platform. Winning would have been nice but feel as though we have some more information and plenty of stuff to think about.”Only Mitchell Marsh really enhanced his reputation during the series as he finished with 219 runs batting at No. 3 – the most on either side – along with eight wickets, although his success at the top of the order may only add to the logjam for those roles.”He’s growing into his new role at No. 3 and flourished,” Tye, his Perth Scorchers team-mate, said. “I’ve never seen him execute so well with the ball. He’s put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes with his bowling and trying to become that proper allrounder. It’s the best form I’ve ever seen him with the bat. It’s everything we’ve known he’s been able to do for years and we hope he can continue.”The bowling had moments when it stood up well; Josh Hazlewood’s performance in the opening match, Mitchell Starc’s final over to earn victory in the fourth, and Adam Zampa’s resilience under attack from West Indies’ big hitters were the highlights.

After a quiet summer transfer window, Liverpool have already turned their attention towards 2025 and potentially signing one particular winger who their scouts have reportedly just watched in the Champions League.

Liverpool transfer news

Now that Arne Slot has a better understanding of his new side – an understanding that will only grow with time – it should be far easier to identify transfer targets throughout his tenure.

Liverpool thought they had the new Gerrard, but he left under Klopp for £0

He was once seen as a very promising talent during his time at Anfield.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 19, 2024

As Slot was finding his feet at Anfield in the summer, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes seemed to be focusing on only landing opportunities they felt they couldn’t turn down rather than running the risk of signing a square peg for a round hole. This, of course, saw both Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili arrive with the latter instantly sent back on loan to Valencia as Alisson’s future heir.

Chiesa, meanwhile, made his Liverpool debut in the rather fitting San Siro as he made a swift return to Italy off the bench in the Reds’ 3-1 victory. Now, his Anfield debut is likely to be on the horizon with Liverpool playing host to Bournemouth this weekend. But as he continues to settle in, recent rumours suggest that those in Merseyside have their eye on further competition down the right-hand side.

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool took their first steps in their chase to sign Viktor Tsygankov from Girona by sending officials to watch the winger in Girona’s last-gasp defeat against Paris Sant-Germain in the Champions League.

Whether the Reds’ scouts were impressed by what they saw remains to be seen, but Slot is reportedly a fan of Tsygankov who is open to a Premier League switch amid interest from both Liverpool and Aston Villa. Now 26 years old and in his prime, it may well be now or never for the winger to complete such a move.

"Dangerous" Tsygankov is similar to Chiesa

It’s worth remembering that, as things stand, Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool as a free agent at the end of the season to hand the Reds the impossible task of replacing one of the best wingers that the Premier League has ever seen.

Whilst Chiesa’s arrival will help ease that potential blow, Liverpool’s tactic may simply be to reinforce the right-hand side and spread the responsibility of replacing the Egyptian’s goals around their side. Tsygankov, is a “dangerous creator”, as described by analyst Ben Mattinson, who thrives in one-on-one situations in two similar traits to Chiesa.

With eight goals and seven assists to his name as Girona shocked Spanish football to qualify for the Champions League last season, meanwhile, it’s clear that Tsygankov is not a player who would win Premier League Golden Boots, but perhaps one who would unlock the likes of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, whilst failing to disrupt Liverpool’s wage bill at £23k-a-week.

The first ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh went ahead after two of the three members of the Sri Lanka contingent who tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday night returned negative tests on Sunday. A third member of the squad tested positive twice but is understood to have had Covid-19 sometime over the past few months, so his returning positive tests was described by a team doctor as “normal”.At any rate, concerns that the tour might be called off and Sri Lanka would return home have been allayed, for now.Doubt had been cast on the series when the three positive tests had come back, particularly as medical professionals on the Sri Lanka side expressing concern over aspects of the bubble that had been set up for the touring party. Sri Lanka had been especially wary of the positive test results, with a limited-overs tour of England also coming up next month.News of the two false positives came through less than 90 minutes before the scheduled toss time for the first ODI, in Dhaka. BCB president Nazmul Hassan indicated during the game’s mid-innings break that things were under control. “We have an ICC guideline, as well as an agreement between the two boards. It mentions everything, including what happens when someone tests positive. Which doctor will look into it. Where to do the tests. Everything is in the protocol.”For example, in the case of Sri Lanka, three tested positive. But they tested negative before. Within our bio-bubble, it is impossible to see someone go from negative to positive. But it can still happen. We isolated the three, none of whom had any symptoms. When we tested them a second time, it was negative. One had positive. What we believe is that since he recovered from Covid recently, his dead RNAs were detected in the PCR [test]. We have sent for a third test.”The same thing happened with our Khaled Mahmud. His last test before entering the bio-bubble was positive. His next two tests are both negative. We have protocols in place. We are not worried, but remain alert.”There is no problem between us and the Sri Lanka board. We are happy with the system.”