All posts by h716a5.icu

ODI PLAYER’S NAME VENUE VERSES/DATECAP’S # 1

Shoaib Ahmed06-May-2002

ODI     PLAYER'S NAME      VENUE         VERSES/DATECAP'S # 1.      Asif Iqbal         Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19732.      Asif Masood        Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19733.      Intikhab Alam      Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19734.      Majid Khan         Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19735.      Mushtaq Mohammad   Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19736.      Nasim-ul-Ghani     Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19737.      Sadiq Mohammad     Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19738.      Saleem Altaf       Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 19739.      Sarfraz Nawaz      Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 197310.     Wasim Bari         Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 197311.     Wasim Raja         Christchurch  V NZ, 11 Feb 197312.     Imran Khan         Nottingham    V Eng, 31 Aug 197413.     Zaheer Abbas       Nottingham    V Eng, 31 Aug 197414.     Naseer Malik       Leeds         V Aus, 7 Jun 197515.     Javed Miandad      Birmingham    V WI, 11 Jun 197516.     Pervez Mir         Birmingham    V WI, 11 Jun 197517.     Mohsin Khan        Berbice       V WI, 16 Mar 197718.     Aamer Hameed       Sahiwal       V Eng, 23 Dec 197719.     Hasan Jamil        Sahiwal       V Eng, 23 Dec 197720.     Liaquat Ali        Sahiwal       V Eng 23 Dec 197721.     Mudassar Nazar     Sahiwal       V Eng, 23 Dec 197722.     Shafiq Ahmed       Sahiwal       V Eng, 23 Dec 197723.     Haroon Rasheed     Sialkot       V Eng, 30 Dec 197724.     Iqbal Qasim        Sialkot       V Eng, 30 Dec 197725.     Sikander Bakht     Sialkot       V Eng, 30 Dec 197726.     Arshad Pervez      Lahore        V Eng, 13 Jan 197827.     Naeem Ahmed        The Oval      V Eng, 26 May 197828.     Azmat Rana         Sialkot       V Ind, 13 Oct 197829.     Mansoor Akhtar     Karachi       V WI, 21 Nov 198030.     Mohammad Nazir     Karachi       V WI, 21 Nov 198031.     Taslim Arif        Karachi       V WI, 21 Nov 198032.     Ashraf Ali         Sialkot       V WI, 5 Dec 198033.     Ijaz Faqih         Lahore        V WI, 19 Dec 198034.     Rashid Khan        Lahore        V WI, 19 Dec 198035.     Saleem Pervez      Lahore        V WI, 19 Dec 198036.     Tahir Naqqash      Lahore        V WI, 19 Dec 198037.     Rizwan-uz-Zaman    Melbourne     V WI, 21 Nov 198138.     Saleem Malik       Sydney        V WI, 12 Jan 198239.     Jalaluddin         Karachi       V SL, 12 Mar 198240.     Saleem Yousuf      Karachi       V SL, 12 Mar 198241.     Tauseef Ahmed      Karachi       V SL, 31 Mar 198242.     Shahid Mahboob     Lahore        V Ind, 31 Dec 198243.     Abdul Qadir        Birmingham    V NZ, 11,12 Jun 198344.     Azeem Hafeez       Hyderabad (I) V Ind, 11 Sep 198345.     Qasim Umar         Hyderabad (I) V Ind, 11 Sep 198346.     Saadat Ali         Lahore        V Eng, 9 Mar 198447.     Anil Dalpat        Karachi       V Eng, 26 Mar 198448.     Naved Anjum        Karachi       V Eng, 26 Mar 198449.     Manzoor Elahi      Quetta        V Ind, 12 Oct 198450.     Sajid Ali          Sialkot       V Ind, 31 Oct 198451.     Zakir Khan         Peshawar      V NZ, 12 Nov 198452.     Shoaib Mohammad    Faisalabad    V NZ, 23 Nov 198453.     Wasim Akram        Faisalabad    V NZ, 23 Nov 198454.     Mohsin Kamal       Sialkot       V NZ, 2 Dec 198455.     Masood Iqbal       Multan        V NZ, 7 Dec 198456.     Rameez Raja        Christchurch  V NZ, 6 Feb 198557.     Zulqarnain         Rawalpindi    V WI, 4 Dec 198558.     Saleem Jaffer      Peshawar      V WI, 17 Oct 198659.     Asif Mujtaba       Gujranwala    V WI, 4 Nov 198660.     Ijaz Ahmed         Sialkot       V WI, 14 Nov 198661.     Younis Ahmed       Calcutta      V Ind, 18 Feb 198762.     Zahid Ahmed        Lahore        V Eng, 18 Nov 198763.     Shakeel Ahmed      Peshawar      V Eng, 22 Nov 198764.     Haafiz Shahid      Antigua       V WI, 15 Mar 198865.     Aamer Malik        Port-of-Spain V WI, 18 Mar 198866.     Moin-ul-Atiq       Port-of-Spain V WI, 20 Mar 198867.     Aaqib Javed        Adelaide      V WI, 10 Dec 198868.     Saeed Anwar        Perth         V WI, 1 Jan 198869.     Mushtaq Ahmed      Sharjah       V SL, 23 Mar 198970.     Shahid Saeed       Sharjah       V WI, 14 Oct 198971.     Waqar Younis       Sharjah       V WI, 14 Oct 198972.     Sohail Fazal       Sharjah       V WI, 17 Oct 198973.     Akram Raza         Bombay        V Aus, 23 Oct 198974.     Maqsood Rana       Melbourne     V Aus, 3 Jan 199075.     Nadeem Ghauri      Melbourne     V Aus, 3 Jan 199076.     Sajjad Akbar       Sharjah       V Ind, 27 Apr 199077.     Mansoor Rana       Sharjah       V SL, 29 Apr 199078.     Zahid Fazal        Sialkot       V NZ, 6 Nov 199079.     Moin Khan          Multan        V WI, 13 Nov 199080.     Aamer Sohail       Sharjah       V SL, 21 Dec 199081.     Inzamam-ul-Haq     Lahore        V WI, 22 Nov 199182.     Iqbal Sikander     Melbourne     V WI, 23 Feb 199283      Wasim Haider       Melbourne     V WI, 23 Feb 199284.     Tanvir Mehdi       The Oval      V Eng, 22 May 199285.     Rashid Latif       Nottingham    V Eng, 20 May 199286.     Ata-ur-Rehman      Perth         V WI, 4 Dec 199287      Arshad Khan        Sharjah       V Zim, 1 Feb 199388.     Ghulam Ali         Cape Town     V WI, 25 Feb 199389.     Basit Ali          Kingston      V WI, 23 Mar 199390.     Aamer Nazir        Port-of-Spain V WI, 26 Mar 199391.     Nadeem Khan        Port-of-Spain V WI, 27 Mar 199392.     Aamer Hanif        Sharjah       V SL, 2 Nov 199393.     Irfan Bhatti       Lahore        V Zim, 27 Dec 199394.     Ashfaq Ahmed       Colombo       V SL, 3 Aug 199495.     Kabir Khan         Colombo       V SL, 11 Sep 199496.     Shakeel Ahmed      Harare        V Zim, 22 Feb 199597.     Naeem Ashraf       Sharjah       V Ind, 7 Apr 199598.     Zafar Iqbal        Sharjah       V Ind, 7 Apr 199599.     Mahmood Hamid      Sharjah       V SL, 11 Apr 1995100.    Javed Qadeer       Sharjah       V SL, 11 Apr 1995101.    Mohammad Akram     Gujranwala    V SL, 29 Sep 1995102.    Saleem Elahi       Gujranwala    V SL, 29 Sep 1995103.    Saqlain Mushtaq    Gujranwala    V SL, 29 Sep 1995104.    Saeed Azad         Rawalpindi    V SL., 3 Oct 1995105.    Shadab Kabir       Nottingham    V Eng, 1 Sep 1996106.    Shahid Anwar       Nottingham    V Eng, 1 Sep 1996107.    Shahid Nazir       Nottingham    V Eng, 1 Sep 1996108.    Azhar Mahmood      Toronto       V Ind, 16 Sep 1996109.    Shahid Afridi      Nairobi       V Ken, 2 Oct 1996110.    Hasan Raza         Quetta        V Zim, 29 Oct 1996111.    Azam Khan          Lahore        V Zim, I Nov 1996112.    Abdur Razzaq       Lahore        V Zim, 1 Nov 1996113.    Zahoor Elahi       Peshawar      V Zim, 3 Nov 1996114.    Mohammad Wasim     Karachi       V NZ, 8 Dec 1996115.    Mohammad Zahid     Karachi       V NZ, 8 Dec 1996116.    Mujahid Jamshed    Hobart        V Aus, 7 Jan 1997117.    Ijaz Ahmed Jr.     Perth         V WI, 10 Jan 1997118.    Mohammad Hussain   Mohali        V NZ, 9 May 1997119.    Akhtar Sarfraz     Sharjah       V WI, 12 Dec 1997120.    Manzoor Akhtar     Sharjah       V Ind, 14 Dec 1997121.    Fazl-e-Akbar       Dhaka         V Ind, 11 Jan 1998122.    Yousuf Youhana     Harare        V Zim, 28 Mar 1998123.    Shoaib Akhtar      Harare        V Zim, 28 Mar 1998124.    Asif Mahmood       Peshawar      V Aus, 8 Nov 1998125.    Wajahatullah Wasti Dhaka         V BDESH, 16 Mar126.    Imran Nazir        Vishakapatnum V SL, 27 Mar 1999127.    Shabbir Ahmed      Toronto       V WI, 19 Sep 1999128.    Shoaib Malik       Sharjah       V WI, 14 Oct 1999129.    Imran Abbas        Karachi       V SL, 14 Feb 2000130.    Yasir Arafat       Karachi       V SL, 13 Feb 2000131.    Younis Khan        Karachi       V SL, 13 Feb 2000132.    Faisal Iqbal       Lahore        V SL, 19 Feb 2000133.    Irfan Fazil        Grenada       V WI, 16 Apr 2000134.    Atiq-uz-Zaman      Singapore     V NZ, 20 Aug 2000135.    Imran Farhat       Auckland      V NZ, 17 Feb 2001136.    Humayun Farhat     Sharjah       V SL, 8 Apr 2001137.    Mohammad Sami      Sharjah       V SL, 8 Apr 2001138.    Kashif Raza        Sharjah       V SL, 13 Apr 2001139.    Taufiq Umar        Sharjah       V SL, 27 Oct 2001140.    Danish Kaneria     Sharjah       V Zim, 31 Oct 2001141.    Naved Latif        Sharjah       V Zim, 31 Oct 2001142.    Misbah-ul-Haq      Lahore        V NZ, 27 Apr 2002

Some Everton fans have been buzzing as an update emerged on James Rodriguez.

As cited by the Daily Mail, the Colombian FA released a statement claiming that the former Real Madrid ace was ‘not at optimum level to compete’ in this summer’s Copa America and was subsequently  dropped from the squad with question marks over his fitness.

Rodriguez missed numerous games for the Goodison Park club through injury in the 2020/21 season, which ended up proving costly as they missed out on European qualification for next term.

While it is a shame that the 29-year-old will be missing out in playing for his country in the Copa America, some Everton supporters have taken a positive view from the update, as it means that he will now be able to fully focus on getting himself 100% fit in time for the new club season.

Everton fans on Rodriguez update

These Toffees were buzzing as the update was shared on Twitter, with a couple of fans branding it as ‘good news’:

“Gutted for him but that’s really good for us. He can a proper rest this summer now and hopefully have an excellent run at next season”

Credit: @AshleyAbbott09

“Good news for Everton and everyone”

Credit: @Jesudian15

“Remarkable. Looks like he’s gonna have to put a shift in for us to get back into Colombia. Might work out for us.”

Credit: @Jaypers3

“A mega plus for us this one!!!”

Credit: @croupier1970

“Good news for Everton, not so much for James and Colombia.”

Credit: @petduff

“This is good for Everton”

Credit: @nickweinstein27

In other news, find out who some Everton fans have been pleading for the club to sign!

West Ham United could be on the verge of repeating a familiar, yet fatal, mistake…

What’s the word?

The Irons have been mooted with interest in Blackburn Rovers sensation Adam Armstrong for quite some time, with The Sun claiming last month that they were the front-runners to seal his signature.

It was also thought that Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion and Everton were in the running, too.

And now another three teams have been mooted with interest this week.

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, newly-promoted Norwich City are the latest side to enter the race to sign the prolific 24-year-old talisman, whilst Southampton and Newcastle United have also been linked by the Express.

Toney 2.0

If the Hammers aren’t careful here, then they could be about to get a worrying sense of deja vu.

Last summer, the East London outfit were linked with a move for then-Peterborough star Ivan Toney after his 24 goals and six assists caught the eye in League One.

Posh chairman Barry Fry recently told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that West Ham co-owner David Sullivan rejected the chance to sign the forward. He said:

“I spoke to David Sullivan before I sold him to Brentford because I thought Ivan Toney would be ideal for West Ham. But David didn’t agree and thought I wanted too much money and didn’t think he would have the impact in the Championship.”

He cannot afford to have history repeating itself with the Blackburn dynamo as there’s every chance he feels that the young forward will struggle in the Premier League, especially given the disaster surrounding Jordan Hugill several years ago.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-news-irons-transfer-gossip-rumours-more-moyes-striker-gsb” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Not to mention David Moyes’ desperate need to bolster his frontline – following Sebastian Haller’s exit in January, the Scot was left with just one first-choice senior striker and that was an injury-prone Michail Antonio, who has never started more than 24 games in any top-flight season.

However, Toney has since gone onto prove how stupid a call that was, bagging 33 goals and ten assists, helping steer the Bees to promotion to the Premier League He should now get that chance in the big time.

Armstrong has all the attributes to cause Moyes a similar sort of headache at the London Stadium – even more so if he plumps for one of their rivals instead.

Once compared to Sergio Aguero by Irons legend Joe Cole, the £25m-rated forward provided 29 goals in all competitions this season, which is the same number as all three of West Ham’s top goalscorers combined.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray also described him as “explosive” and “devastating” in an interview with The Athletic at the start of the year, having managed him at Ewood Park, as well as Coventry.

There certainly isn’t anyone who knows him better than Mowbray.

On the above evidence, the Hammers could well be making a mistake by not pushing to sign Armstrong and given their fatal blunder on Toney, the club’s owners really must ensure that lightning doesn’t strike twice.

AND in other news, Moyes could secure West Ham’s best striker since Di Canio in “perfect” 30-goal monster…

A back injury has cast doubt on whether John Crawley will be able to make a comeback to international cricket after an absence of three years

Stephen Lamb13-May-2002John Crawley is optimistic that his injured back will be fully recovered in time for him to make a comeback to international cricket after an absence of three years.Crawley, recalled to the England squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka, was encouraged by a prctice session with his team mates at Lord’s today. He sustained the injury while batting for his new county, Hampshire, against Kent last week.”We’ve had three or four sessions today and it’s improved immeasurably. It should be 100 per cent tomorrow,” Crawley said.”It was a problem with a ligament on the left-hand side of the back. It’s a minor problem but it was enough for me not to play for Hampshire against Gloucestershire.”I have a strenuous day tomorrow to make sure there’s no chance of a recurrence, but I don’t think either the physios or I are worried,” Crawley added.Crawley was included in the 13-man England squad after a wonderful start to the season for his new club, including 272 in his first Championship innings.It is understood that Warwickshire’s 20-year-old batsman Ian Bell, who was considered for the original squad, is on standby to take Crawley’s place.”We will have to see how John is before we make any decisions about who weare likely to call up,” said David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors.

Rangers have suffered a possible blow in their quest to sign Joseph Okumu this summer, with Lorient making a bid to sign the defender.

The Lowdown: Rangers keen on signing Okumu

Steven Gerrard is eyeing up reinforcements ahead of next season as the Gers seek to clinch a second successive Premiership crown.

Rangers have been linked with Elfsborg centre-back Okumu, with Old Firm rivals Celtic also tipped to make a move for the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Lorient make the first move

There has been a fresh twist in the saga, however, with L’Equipe claiming [via Daily Record] that Lorient are now the front-runners to sign Okumu, having tabled a €2.5m (£2.1m) bid for him.

Elfsborg are believed to be holding out for closer to €4m (£3.4m), though, as the Kenyan’s future remains up in the air.

The Verdict: Time for Gers to act

This update represents a setback for Rangers, considering that Okumu has been such an impressive performer for the Swedish club, even being compared to Virgil van Dijk – who won three Premiership titles with Celtic – by Elfsborg teammate Johan Larsson.

He has also made seven appearances for Kenya and averaged 1.7 tackles per game at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, impressing on the international stage.

Okumu’s age means he is likely to improve further in the coming years, too, so Gerrard would be wise to consider making an offer for him, especially with the defender wanting to test himself in a stronger league and the Gers at risk of being beaten to the punch by the more proactive Lorient.

In other news, a pundit has tipped one player to jump at the chance of moving to Rangers this summer. Find out who it is here.

Comment Article: Agha Akbar on the Super Challeng II, 2002 final match

Agha Akbar19-Jun-2002Pakistan were not at their best or their sharpest. There was a batting collapse in all three matches of the Super Challenge Series. Their fielding was at best patchy, and so was the bowling, more so in the first game. With Abdul Razzaq and Saqlain Mushtaq adding weight to their bank accounts by preferring to feature in county cricket than play for their country, it was not a full strength team either.Furthermore, they had an elite and an Australian umpire to contend with too. At least three decisions went against them in the second game. The situation was even worse in the third, as the vast majority of verdicts quite inexplicably wentagainst the visitors. So repetitive were the mistakes, regarding them all as cases of human error would require lots of imagination.Yet the Pakistanis emerged victorious, beating the best team in the world quite convincingly in the third game to make it 2-1. So convincing was the win that with 31 overs still to go, the Aussies were down and out. Reduced to eight for 83, they didn’t have a ghost of a chance. Before the last rites, they reached 165 but not without their highest scorer, all-rounder Shane Watson, benefiting from the umpires’ largesse and two dropped chances. Ironically it was substitute Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan – otherwise the best of Pakistani fielders from the quartet that includes Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi – who spilled the catches.But it didn’t matter. With the run rate spiralling up quickly, the Pakistanis were under no threat of losing the match and with it the series. Their grit had got them through in the second game, and in the series decider, despite some moments of madness especially while batting, they were all over Australia.This series win is significant, in more ways than one. Pakistan have beaten indisputably the best team in the world, in an away series. They have done it in a manner, despite so many chinks in every department, that was quite impressive. Secondly, since the ’99 World Cup final, the green shirts had lost all crunch games to Australia. Indeed, they had not just been defeated in those games – the 2000 World Series Cup finals and last year in the NatWest Trophy at Lord’s – they were humbled and humiliated. It was not their skills that were in question, but their mental strength.In the third, decisive match of the Challenge Series they handed the Aussies a dose of their own medicine. Needless to say, it wasn’t very palatable for the hosts, but it should bury the bogey of Pakistanis lacking mental strength for quite some time to come. Especially if the doses are repeated in the three-nation one-day tournament and the Test series that Pakistan has to play against the Aussies later this year, though where these would be played, if at all, is a point of conjecture at the moment.The best thing about the win, however, was the teamwork and the never-say-die spirit. They came from one match down, a bruising defeat that hurts the ego. In both the matches they won, Pakistan’s wickets fell in a cluster. Yet Pakistan went on to win the second tie, though it went down to the wire, and post a highly competitive total in the third, and then bowled the Aussies out of the match well before the midway stage in the second innings.While Younis Khan proved his tenacity and class once again at Melbourne, only one innings of substance was delivered by three of Pakistan’s leading maestros – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Saeed Anwar. That said, in the context of the result of the series, Youhana’s 65 off 85 deliveries was quite important, and he atoned for the two run outs he engineered to nearly complete Pakistan’s collapse by doing a neat job on running out Adam Gilchrist.Akram played a superb cameo, a 32-ball 49 which included two sixes off Glenn McGrath on successive deliveries in the penultimate over to take Pakistan soaring to 256. It was one of Akram’s most memorable innings, and it reminded all of the 19-ball 33 which had decimated England in the ’92 World Cup final as much as his two wickets in the middle of the innings then. And Akram’s bowling too must have silenced quite a few doubters. He literally made the ball talk to set Pakistan oncourse to leveling the series in the second game, and got the first breakthrough in the third.In both of Pakistan’s victories, Shoaib Akhtar started skimming through the Aussie order once Akram and Younis were pulled out of the attack. Unarguably the best first change bowler in the world now, Shoaib’s pace and accuracy was too hot to handle. Other than Jason Gillespie, four out of his five victims were top batsmen; three were either bowled or leg before. A testament to his precision. And the way he got Michael Bevan, shuffling back to freeze at the crease and guiding the ball to the ‘keeper, reflects the awe he inspires even in the best batsmen.Then, as if that trial by pace was not enough, there was Afridi wheeling away his fastish leg spin, enjoying the bounce off the wicket, not giving away many runs and winkling out wickets to boot.All in all a super team effort; one which Waqar and his charges deserve to savour for a while. More so because it would go a long way in re-igniting faith and self-esteem in themselves.A word on umpiring.
If one recalls Sunil Gavaskar’s comments made to Tony Greig regarding Australian umpiring following Sri Lanka’s controversial tour in 1997, it would not come as a surprise that umpiring down-under has arguably evolved into one of the most biased in world cricket. In both matches that Pakistan won, the umpires, both the Australian and the third-country one from the ICC’s elite panel, gave decisions clearly not fitting the highest level, though this did not prevent the world champions from crumbling in face of a characteristically fierce bowling performance from the touring side.Saeed Anwar was adjudged caught at first slip off his pads, Rashid Latif was adjudged caught behind after playing through the air. Similarly, when bowling, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi all came to grief because of the umpires’ decisions, despite replays showing there was not much doubt to cloud their judgment. A fact acknowledged in most cases by the Aussie experts too on the TV. We also had the case of Inzamam being declared not out after he had cut a ball into the ‘keeper’s gloves.These incidents could be passed as oversights if one did not bear in mind the unfortunate history of recent umpiring and the quality of the ‘elite’ too. It would be going too far to suggest umpires could resort to foul play merely to keep one side or the other at the top, but one can understand how such suspicions surface. Such incidents, even recently in the West Indies, not only undermine the professionalism of the teams but also project an image that hardly becomes any team.

The last day of the match between Somerset and the West Indies ‘A’ was one of the most fascinating days seen at the County Ground for a long time

Richard Walsh26-Jul-2002The last day of the match between Somerset and the West Indies ‘A’ was one of the most fascinating days seen at the County Ground for a long time.The West Indies declared on their overnight total of 266 for 7, which left the Cidermen needing 454 to win, and all day to get them.When Chris Gayle started to bowl the last over of the day, Somerset needed 8 runs to win with their last pair at the wicket. Matt Bulbeck scored 5 off the first three balls, Graham Rose scored a single from the fourth and Bulbeck then levelled the scored from the fifth ball.Facing the final ball with just a single required for victory, the veteran Rose who batted with Matt Wood as a runner, gave a catch to Suliman Benn fielding at short fine leg, and the game ended as a tie, with honours even.Earlier there had been an impressive 140 from Pete Trego, which included 19×4’s and 2×6’s, Piran Holloway played another solid innings, and was unlucky to be out for 88, and later on Wes Durston batted sensibly for his 55, which came at a time when Somerset were really in the hunt.At the end of the day Somerset Coach Kevin Shine told me: "This was a brilliant game, when you consider that we were chasing 454, and had been outplayed for the first two days."He continued: "All of our debutants made a valuable contribution to the game, and today Pete Trego, Piran Holloway and Wes Durston have all played their part in helping us to get this result."Chief Executive Peter Anderson said: "As with the one day victory over Sri Lanka we have produced another excellent day’s cricket. It’s just a pity that were so few spectators here to see it."

Leeds United have reportedly agreed terms with young goalkeeper Darryl Ombang, as he edges closer to a summer move to Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Summer business expected

Marcelo Bielsa could be a busy man in the transfer market in the coming months, looking to add further quality to his Whites squad.

While Leeds’ ninth-place finish back in the Premier League was a superb effort last season, they now have to kick on and find players who will take the team up another gear.

Chairman Andrea Radrizzani is expected to be aggressive in the market, according to the Transfer Window Podcast (via Leeds Live).

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

The Latest: Ombang deal edges closer

According to Football Insider, Ombang is on the verge of signing a three-and-a-half year deal with the Whites, joining from Bradford City.

A recruitment source claims terms been agreed with the 16-year-old, who has been tipped to be a future No.1 for England, such is his potential.

Ombang is expected to become a Leeds player next month, having opted to move to Elland Road over Reading.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-5/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: One for the future

While the teenager clearly wouldn’t represent an immediate first-team option, he looks a hugely exciting prospect for the future.

Ombang could even be viewed as a long-term replacement for Illan Meslier between the sticks, with Leeds likely to find it hard to keep hold of the Frenchman long-term if his incredible rise continues.

It is refreshing to see Bielsa seemingly planning for the future, rather than only looking at the short-term picture, and perhaps tells us a little about how long the Argentine plans to stick around.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be interested in signing a central midfielder this summer. Find out who it is here.

Brookside Junior School from Romford, Essex, will line up alongside 15 otherPrimary School teams for the Final of the 2002 Sport Relief Kwik Cricketcompetition at Nottingham’s international Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on Friday 19 July (start,

Essex CCC Media Release17-Jul-2002Brookside Junior School from Romford, Essex, will line up alongside 15 otherPrimary School teams for the Final of the 2002 Sport Relief Kwik Cricketcompetition at Nottingham’s international Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on Friday 19 July (start, 10.15am). A once-in-a-lifetime prize will be on offer for the winners.The victorious team will win a 30-minute coaching session with England Cricket captain, Nasser Hussain, and England Team coach, Duncan Fletcher – the captain and coach partnership credited with reviving the fortunes of the English national team.The 16 finalists have all won their way to Trent Bridge from an entry list of over 5,000 Primary Schools from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The tournament, which began in March, is the UK’s largest cricket competition and each team has progressed through local, county and regional finals to reach the national final.Each school will bring a squad of 10 players, from which mixed teams of eight boys and girls will be chosen. Four groups of four teams each guarantee every side three matches during the day, with the group winners progressing to the semi-finals and then final.Tim Lamb, ECB Chief Executive, said, “This is cricket’s biggest UK-widetournament with over 50,000 boys and girls taking part. To just get to thenational finals is a great achievement so all the teams have already performed fantastically well. To win a coaching session with Nasser and Duncan, however, really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them – apart from the England national team, no other side has ever had the benefit of their expert combined cricket coaching knowledge. I wish them all the best.”The competition has been sponsored by the BBC’s Sport Relief charity to boost its awareness in cricket and each team in the competition has had the chance to gain local sponsorship and raise money for the charity’s worthy causes.Sport Relief, a new joint fundraising venture from Comic Relief and BBC Sport raised more than £10 million following a star-studded night of TV on BBC ONE on July 13th thanks to the generosity of the UK public.The tournament is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), cricket’s governing body, in conjunction with the England Schools CricketAssociation.

West Ham United fans have been reacting to Fabrizio Romano’s claim that the club are interested in a move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah.

The Hammers are named as a possible suitor for the England Under-21 international, along with fellow Premier League sides Watford and Crystal Palace.

Bayer Leverkusen are also competing for his signature and are said to be intent on a permanent deal rather than a loan.

Nketiah is about to enter the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium and a recent offer from Arsenal has yet to resolve the uncertainty around his future.

Another Arsenal striker making move across London?

Back in 2018, West Ham signed another striker from Arsenal in the form of Spaniard Lucas Perez.

They paid £4million to bring him in but he only made 19 appearances for the club, scoring six goals in that time.

Twitter account West Ham Fan Zone relayed the Nketiah news, and here’s what supporters made of it.

West Ham fans not impressed by Eddie Nketiah links

“If we get him I will no longer want to live”

Credit: @callumwhu123

“Please no I’m begging”

Credit: @adamhammer7261

“No more gooner cast offs thank you.”

Credit: @HappydaysBarry

“I don’t understand this, we finish above Arsenal and our way of building onto that is buying a player who can’t get into their 11”

Credit: @rn_whufc11

“I’d sign him as an option, but never a first choice. No more than £10m at the very most”

Credit: @ShaneBailey92

“No no no and even more no”

Credit: @Curtis_Clarke16

In other news, this Premier League star would jump at the chance to join West Ham.