on 72 off 69.Mandhana was dismissed when she failed to clear short fine leg against Prendergast. But there was no respite for Ireland as Richa Ghosh, promoted to No. 3, took over the baton and scored 59 off 42. She and Rawal added 104 in 12 overs.Rawal opened up after her hundred and raked in 54 off the next 29 balls she faced. Today’s innings took her ODI run tally to 444 – no batter has scored more in her first six innings.Pratika Rawal brought up her maiden international hundred•BCCI
By then, there was more interest in if India could reach 400. They got there with four overs to spare, and then got some more.With Renuka Singh rested, Titas Sadhu and Sayali Satghare opened the bowling for India. Both picked up a wicket each with the new ball but also conceded 15 extras in the first seven overs. India’s fielding was also as poor as their counterparts, with Mandhana dropping a skier from Sarah Forbes off Deepti at extra cover.Forbes and Prendergast made India pay for their mistakes and took the side to 85 for 2 after 14 overs. Tanuja Kanwar broke the 64-run stand by dismissing Prendergast. The batter tried to steer her towards deep third but failed to connect and was bowled. It was Kanwar’s first wicket in ODIs. Three overs later, Forbes was run out going for a quick single.Ireland capitulated after that. From 100 for 3, they were all out for 131. Deepti was the most successful bowler for India, with figures of 3 for 27. Kanwar chipped in with 2 for 31 and two batters were run out.
Calleri se despediu de Rogério Ceni nas suas redes sociais. O agora ex-treinador do São Pauloteve sua saída anunciada pelo clube na tarde desta quarta-feira (19). O argentino agradeceu pelo ‘tempo que tiveram juntos’ e destacou o trabalho feito pela equipe. O centroavante ainda destacou que ‘Rogério sempre será São Paulo’.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloApós saída de Rogério Ceni, Dorival Júnior é opção para assumir o cargo de treinador do São PauloSão Paulo19/04/2023São PauloCaiu! São Paulo confirma a saída de Rogério CeniSão Paulo19/04/2023ListasRogério Ceni deixa o São Paulo: veja 25 técnicos brasileiros livres no mercado da bolaListas19/04/2023
Pressionado, o futuro de Ceni após a partida contra o Puerto Cabello, da última terça-feira (18), era uma grande incógnita. Após uma reunião envolvendo a diretoria, sua saída foi acertada. Embora ainda não tenha deixado o CT da Barra Funda, o clima de despedidas já começou.
ATUAÇÕES: Em noite ruim, Marcos Paulo salva, e Calleri mostra que faz diferença em vitória do São Paulo
Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro
– Rogério, gostaria de agradecer por esse tempo que passamos juntos. A oportunidade de ter convivido foi bem especial. Seu profissionalismo e competitividade são coisas que sempre levarei comigo. Você sempre será São Paulo – escreveu Calleri na homenagem.
continua após a publicidade
Quanto ao sucessor, embora ainda não tenha sido anunciado de forma oficial pelo Tricolor, Dorival Júnior é o principal cotado.
Veja a postagem realizada por Calleri nas redes sociais:
Two black-soil surfaces are being prepared, but it isn’t clear yet which one will be used for the Kanpur Test
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-20242:23
Manjrekar: I will play Kuldeep Yadav for second Test
There is some uncertainty around the conditions that the second Test between India and Bangladesh will be played in with representatives from both teams admitting that they didn’t know which pitch will be used.”To be honest, I don’t know which surface we are going to play on yet,” India batting coach Abhishek Nayar said on Thursday afternoon, which followed similar thoughts expressed by Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Wednesday.”Yes I had a look at [the pitch],” Hathurusinghe had said, “But the groundsman has prepared two pitches. We don’t know on which we will play on. Tomorrow we will find out.”During Wednesday’s training session, India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir had a look at the two pitches that have been prepared for this Test match. They seemed to spend a little more time looking at the drier of the two black-soil surfaces.Related
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Weather and pitch in focus as India, Bangladesh ponder three spinners
Indications are it might start as a good batting surface before taking slow and low turn from the third day onwards. But the weather in the week of the Test match might complicate matters. It’s overcast and there are thunder storms expected on the first three days of the game, which may slow down the natural wear and tear that helps subcontinental pitches become spin-friendly. There was some rain after India’s training session ended on Thursday as well and the groundstaff were quick to get the square covered.India, as a result, are waiting until the morning of the Test to finalise their XI, specifically whether they need an extra spinner instead of the extra seamer they used on Chennai’s red-soil surface.”Both the pitches look pretty good,” Nayar said. “Kanpur is always known to have good pitches. I am not sure about the bounce yet. I think, with the conditions and the forecast, it is going to be interesting as to how when we turn up to go in the morning, the conditions are. I think a lot will depend on that because as you know in Test wicket, conditions can be a huge factor in how the pitch plays. So it is too early for us to judge and decide or have any sort of thought process on the pitch or the conditions. But we are hoping we come in tomorrow to a sunny day and not an overcast Kanpur.”India lead the series 1-0 and if they go in with a spinner over a seamer, their choice will be between local boy Kuldeep Yadav, who had an outstanding series against England at the start of the year, and Axar Patel, whose ability to relentlessly attack the stumps can come in quite handy if there is low bounce. Axar joined R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the last Test that India played in Kanpur, against New Zealand in 2021, which went into the fifth day with the visitors holding onto their last wicket and drawing the game.
Leeds United made their second signing of the summer transfer window on Monday evening when they officially confirmed the arrival of Jaka Bijol from Serie A side Udinese.
The central defender is now set to compete with the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, and Joe Rodon for a place in the starting XI in the Premier League next season.
Daniel Farke is also in the market to add another number nine to his squad, having already brought in Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg.
Football Insider claims that Leeds are interested in a deal to sign Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz, but the Cottagers are confident of keeping hold of the Brazilian frontman.
The report adds that the Whites have already had an offer of £32m rejected by the fellow Premier League team, and that the London-based side are prepared to price the Championship champions out of a move for the striker.
This latest update suggests that the Fulham marksman will not be making his way to Elland Road this summer, but what could he have brought to the team?
What Rodrigo Muniz could bring to Leeds
If Leeds can turn it around to sign him, the 24-year-old attacker would join the Whites to provide Farke with a Premier League-proven number nine who has shown that he can score goals at that level.
In the last two seasons, Muniz has racked up 17 top-flight goals for the Cottagers, which shows that he knows how to find the back of the net in the top division in England.
Rodrigo Muniz (Premier League)
23/24
24/25
Appearances
26
31
xG
8.72
5.81
Goals
9
8
Big chances created
2
1
Key passes per game
0.7
0.2
Assists
1
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian forward also outperformed his xG in both of those seasons, showing that he is also a reliable and clinical finisher.
However, creativity is not his strong suit. A return of two assists in two seasons, and a peak of 0.7 key passes per game, does not suggest that he would create many high-quality opportunities for his teammates.
Muniz would, though, offer physicality in the number nine position. He won 52% of his duels and won 2.2 aerial battles per game in the Premier League this season, which shows that he can hold his own against top-flight defenders.
Whilst there are clearly a lot of strong qualities that the Fulham star could bring to West Yorkshire, Leeds are now reportedly pursuing a striker who could be an even better signing.
Leeds pursuing deal for Serie A star
According to Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are expected to make another bid to sign Nikola Krstovic from Lecce in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Championship champions have already had an offer of £19.7m rejected by the Italian side for the Montenegrin centre-forward, but they are now plotting another attempt to snap him up.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It also reveals that AS Roma are interested in signing the 25-year-old marksman, and that they would be prepared to offer a player in exchange for him, although they have yet to make an official bid.
Meanwhile, the print edition of Corriere dello Sport, via MOTLeedsNews, reports that Lecce value the forward at a fee of around £26m, and claims that Leeds are ready to pay big money to get a deal done for the striker.
It now remains to be seen whether or not their second offer for the Montenegro international will be enough to tempt the Italian team to part ways with the attacker.
Why Leeds should sign Nikola Krstovic
The Premier League new boys should push to sign the Lecce number nine before the end of the summer transfer window because he would be an even better signing than Muniz.
Nikola Krstovic
Krstovic would be considerably cheaper if the latest reports are to be believed, with Lecce valuing him at £26m compared to the significantly more than £32m that Fulham want for Muniz in order to price Leeds out of a deal.
This means that it could be more financially viable for the Whites to pursue the Montenegro international, which would also free up more funds to be spent on other areas of the squad as they look to build a team that can compete in the Premier League.
Krstovic, as shown in the clips above, is a versatile goalscorer who has shown that he can find the back of the net in a variety of ways, with either foot, from close or long range, and with his head.
The Lecce sensation, who was dubbed “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, has proven that he can score goals in a major European league, netting 18 Serie A goals in the last two seasons combined.
24/25 season
Muniz (Premier League)
Krstovic (Serie A)
Appearances
31
37
Sofascore rating
6.88
7.14
Goals
8
11
Big chances created
1
5
Assists
1
5
Duels won per game
3.7
4.9
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Krstovic outperformed Muniz at league level in the 2024/25 campaign, with three more goals and four more assists, whilst also winning more duels per game.
The Montenegro international’s ability to generate high-quality opportunities for himself is one of his most impressive attributes, as he has accrued 24.80 xG in two seasons in the Serie A, compared to the Fulham man’s tally of 15.32 in two Premier League campaigns.
Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic.
This could suggest that Krstovic is better at getting himself into goalscoring situations, which could be particularly useful in a season that Leeds are expected to be battling relegation in.
Overall, the Lecce star could be a better signing than Muniz for the Whites as the striker may be able to offer more goals and assists in the top-flight, whilst being a cheaper addition to the squad.
Best signing since Raphinha: Leeds close to landing "exceptional" £21m star
Leeds United are closing in on a deal for a star who would be their best signing since Raphinha.
Charith Asalanka had been appointed their T20I captain just before the ongoing series against India
Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Jul-2024
Charith Asalanka is now Sri Lanka’s captain in both limited-over formats•SLC
Sri Lanka’s selectors have appointed Charith Asalanka as the new ODI captain, replacing Kusal Mendis. Asalanka had been named T20I captain as well, ahead of the ongoing series against India after Wanindu Hasaranga had resigned from the role following Sri Lanka’s early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup.The same set of selectors had appointed Mendis as the ODI captain in December 2023, though he had also led Sri Lanka in several matches in last year’s World Cup in an acting capacity. Though Mendis has been in good touch with the bat, and Sri Lanka won six of the eight completed ODIs under his leadership, the selectors opted to go in a different direction. Under Mendis’ captaincy Sri Lanka had won five consecutive home matches against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, but lost 2-1 away to Bangladesh.Asalanka’s elevation to the T20I captaincy was expected following Hasaranga’s resignation, but a change in the ODI leadership was somewhat unexpected, largely because Mendis has not been in the position long. Nevertheless, Asalanka has been one of Sri Lanka’s more consistent ODI batters, averaging 43.59 with a strike rate of 90 across 52 innings.Test batter Nishan Madushka, 24, has also been included in Sri Lanka’s squad for the three ODIs against India on August 2, 4 and 7, while the likes of Akila Dananjaya and Chamika Karunaratne receive recalls.Seamers Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando, who were only added to the T20I squad after Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara were ruled out, will stay on for the ODI series. Left-arm spinning allrounder Dunith Wellalage has also found a place.The remainder of this squad is largely as expected. Illness continues to keep Chameera out, while a fractured thumb makes Thushara’s participation impossible. In addition to Madushanka and Asitha, Matheesha Pathirana is the only other specialist seamer. This is understandable given Khettarama stadium in Colombo, where the three matches will be played, tends to be spin-friendly. There is no room for Lahiru Kumara or Pramod Madushan, who had played in Sri Lanka’s most-recent ODI series, against Bangladesh.On the spin-bowling front, Sri Lanka have plenty of options, between Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dananjaya and Wellalage. Kamindu Mendis and Asalanka himself can send down some part-time spin as well.The top order seems fairly set. Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, and Mendis are likely to form the top three. Kusal Perera has not been included, despite some good T20 performances recently. Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, and Kamindu are in the mix to be in the middle order. Captain Asalanka will likely bat at No. 5.Sri Lanka squad for ODIs vs IndiaCharith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Nishan Madushka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando
2025 has been the year of the returning hero at Celtic Park so far.
Kieran Tierney has returned to Celtic, six years after departing, following in the footsteps of Jota, who re-joined the Hoops during the January transfer window.
So now, could Brendan Rodgers, who is no stranger to a Glasgow return himself, be re-united with a star he once labelled one of Europe’s best young players?
The reaction to Kieran Tierney's Celtic return
After completing his return to his boyhood club last week, Tierney said it “feels amazing” to be back, adding “my ambition is just for Celtic to be as successful as possible”.
Rodgers too exclaimed that he’s “delighted” to add a “talented and high-quality” player to his squad, while Tierney is unquestionably a fans’ favourite in Glasgow’s East End, having come through the academy to make 170 appearances for the club during his first spell, winning 11 major trophies.
So, while there is major excitement about seeing the left-back bedecked in green and white hoops once again, could an even bigger talent also be back later this summer?
Celtic's search for a new striker
Tierney’s return to Parkhead this summer has been met with glee, but when has a left-back ever been more exciting than a new striker? Arguably never.
The Scot has the potential to come back and be a roaring success down the left channels, carving out goalscoring opportunities at will for teammates, but who will be on the end of his teasing balls into the box? Well, another Celtic return could be on the cards and it’s more eye-catching than Tierney.
Indeed, as noted by Ryan McDonald of the Daily Record, Celtic could re-sign striker Odsonne Édouard this summer, with ex-Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believing the club shouldn’t think twice if they are able to add a “fantastic player” to their ranks.
The striker initially arrived at Parkhead on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, scoring on his debut against Hamilton Academical at New Douglas Park, before his move was made permanent the following summer, costing a then-club-record £9m.
In total, Édouard scored 87 goals in 179 appearances for the Celts, numbers that are comparable with the club’s other great centre-forwards of modern times.
Kyōgo
165
85
126
Giakoumakis
57
26
97
Édouard
179
87
140
Dembélé
94
51
120
Griffiths
262
123
118
Hooper
138
82
136
The numbers above rubberstamp why he was more exciting than Tierney in green and white, with only Leigh Griffiths having scored more goals for Celtic since Henrik Larsson’s departure in 2004, with the Scotland international doing so in 83 more appearances.
Former Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.
Édouard ultimately departed for Crystal Palace in August 2021, costing around £18.5m, scoring 21 times for the Eagles, including bagging a memorable double on his debut against Tottenham, but his career has gone off the rails in the last year or so.
Not in Oliver Glasner’s pre-season plans, the Frenchman joined Leicester City on a season-long loan last summer, but this has to go down as one of the most disastrous loan spells of all time, now valued at just £7m by Transfermarkt.
Appearances
6
Minutes
113
Starts
1
Matches an unused sub
3
Matched not in the squad
31
Total matches
40
Édouard was completely frozen out by both Steve Cooper and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester, most recently a substitute on Boxing Day, his last appearance coming on 10 November, while his one and only start for the club came in the Carabao Cup at Walsall in September.
Odsonne-EdouardOdsonne-Edouard
As outlined by John Percy of the Telegraph, having featured for both Palace and Leicester in 2024/25, FIFA regulations stipulate that he was unable to represent a third club in the same season.
Thus, Édouard remained stranded in the proverbial wilderness from January onwards, despite the fact the Foxes broke all sorts of records when it came to not scoring, most notably losing eight successive Premier League home games to nil, an unprecedentedly miserable run.
Nevertheless, still 27 years old, the striker certainly still has plenty to offer.
When Édouard signed permanently for Celtic in the first place, Rodgers labelled him one of European football’s “elite young talents”. While he may not still be too young, he still has elite potential, particularly if it took him to Scotland again.
Still searching for a Kyōgo Furuhashi replacement, if the Frenchman becomes available at a cut-price, this would surely be a no-brainer.
More exciting than Tierney: Celtic expected to complete "no-brainer" deal
Celtic are expected to seal the signing of a star who would be more exciting than Kieran Tierney.
With European football secured, Nottingham Forest now reportedly want to sign a Ligue 1 captain who is represented by the same agency as Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Although Nottingham Forest secured European qualification on Sunday, that was only half the story as they fell to a frustrating 2-2 draw against a relegated Leicester City side. From potentially finishing as high as third, a place in the top five is now out of Forest’s hands after picking up just one win in their last five Premier League games.
Many were left disappointed around the City Ground following the draw against Leicester, but none more so than Evangelos Marinakis. The Nottingham Forest owner marched onto the pitch to seemingly air his discontent at manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Marinakis has since released a statement revealing that his anger was aimed at the medical staff who misjudged Taiwo Awoniyi’s ability to carry on following his collision with the goal post in the dying embers, but the moment certainly sparked plenty of controversy.
The forward gave staff the green light to continue before then coming off not long after Forest had decided to make an alternative substitution.
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He has won 10 caps for England and played at the World Cup.
ByHenry Jackson May 12, 2025
The Greek owner said in his statement: “We are extremely proud and close to Nuno and the team, and we must all celebrate the historic achievements of this season.
“Everybody – coaching staff, players, supporters and including myself – we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgment on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game. This is natural, this is a demonstration of the passion we feel for our club. Let’s all be grateful, passionate and keep on dreaming!”
Away from any on-pitch controversies, meanwhile, it looks as though Marinakis is looking to put European qualification to instant use. According to The Telegraph, Nottingham Forest now want to sign left-back Adrien Truffert from Stade Rennais this summer.
The club’s captain at just 23 years old, whether Forest can pry Truffert away from Stade Rennais remains to be seen in the coming months, but what should help any deal is the fact that he’s represented by the same agent as Anderson and Gibbs-White.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Adrien Truffert
Neco Williams
Minutes
2,662
2,414
Key Passes
38
17
Tackles Won
34
48
Ball Recoveries
137
101
In terms of numbers, Truffert has endured an excellent season in comparison to Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams. Outperforming the Welshman when it comes to ball recoveries and key passes, there’s every chance that the Frenchman would gain a starting place at the City Ground if he completed a move this summer.
Rennes left-back Adrien Truffert
What his move would do as well is add key depth for Espirito Santo. As his side step into European football, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss will need quality in depth more than ever and Truffert would seemingly provide that at left-back.
Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 season pulled cascades of tears from many of a Liverpool persuasion.
But, in a documentary chronicling the German’s last hurrah at the helm, he issued a sharp closing statement that proved to presage Arne Slot’s incredible Premier League triumph.
“They will be fine, or maybe even more.” Maybe Klopp knew that he was doing something drastic when stepping down, something that would create not ripples but waves across Merseyside and beyond. Rivals tittered, and why not?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bows out
After Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger left their respective long-held posts, both Manchester United and Arsenal fell by the wayside. Surely the same would be true for Liverpool, whose resurgence was crafted almost single-handedly by Klopp’s brilliance?
It hasn’t proved to be true. Liverpool have equalled the Red Devils’ 20-time title-winning record as they consolidate their position as England’s most successful club.
Slot replaced Klopp and Liverpool went up a level. The fact that transfer investment has been so minimal over the past 20 months bears testament to FSG’s model, but fresh faces are now required to defend their crown and challenge down other lanes.
Liverpool's budding search for a striker
After Liverpool failed in their bid to sign Martin Zubimendi last summer, FSG made the bold decision to cease efforts to add a player to Slot’s midfield. This was met with dismay from some circles of the fanbase, but it paved the way for Ryan Gravenberch to make his name.
Instead of redoubling their efforts, Liverpool turned toward the frontline and signed Federico Chiesa for a cut-price £12.5m fee. The injury-prone Italian hasn’t started a Premier League game and he’s the only arrival of the Slot era so far.
Federico Chiesa in action for Liverpool
Chiesa has been linked with a move back to Italy after his disappointing term, while the under-fire Diogo Jota could also leave.
Liverpool need forwards. Darwin Nunez is also expected to depart at the end of the season and Alexander Isak has been listed as the perfect signing to front Slot’s project.
He’s so far ahead of Nunez that it’s clear to see why Liverpool are keen. Salah, soon to be 33, will need some assistance next year, after all.
Prem 24/25 – Alexander Isak vs Darwin Nunez
Stats (* per game)
Isak
Nunez
Matches (starts)
31 (31)
26 (8)
Goals
22
5
Assists
6
2
Shots (on target)*
2.9 (1.3)
1.2 (0.5)
Big chances missed
18
6
Pass completion
76%
71%
Big chances created
11
3
Dribbles*
1.4
0.3
Duels won*
3.0
2.2
Stats via Sofascore
While Nunez has featured infrequently from the starting whistle this season, it’s clear to see the disparity in quality between him and Isak, one of the best in the business.
If Liverpool can bag the Sweden striker, they could leap even higher next year, but with Chiesa’s future uncertain and Jota’s too, FSG look ready to invest in another attacking player who could prove perfect for the Anfield side.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Liverpool ready to bid for new forward
Liverpool are interested in signing West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen this summer, with Caught Offside revealing that the Merseysiders are considering submitting an offer in the coming months.
Though Bowen is the centrepiece of Graham Potter’s plans, West Ham have fallen by the wayside following David Moyes’ departure last summer, languishing in 17th place in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old, who can play off the right in a central striking berth, wouldn’t come cheap, with the east Londoners set to face bids of €60m (£51m) for the England international.
It won’t be a one-horse race either with Tottenham Hotspur also said to be keen.
Why Jarrod Bowen could be a fantastic signing
West Ham’s talisman over the past five years, Bowen has been synonymous with the club’s rise into European competition and, indeed, glory, scoring the winning goal to seal the Conference League title in 2022/23.
Regarded as a “club legend” by his former Irons teammate Declan Rice, Bowen has paid his dues at the London Stadium but is sure to be disgruntled by the club’s regression this season, and Liverpool present an attractive package for sure.
If he were to join an already deep and devastating frontline that may yet add a number nine of Isak’s ilk, it’s got to be a no-brainer for the £150k-per-week talent, whose leadership and experience would be exactly what the Reds need to compete across multiple fronts.
Jarrod Bowen celebrates for West Ham
Bowen might be regarded as something of a natural goalscorer, but he’s far more dynamic than that, ranking among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
This could see him serve well in Salah’s stead when rotation is needed, providing the clinical Isak with a flowing stream of creative support that has been proven in its consistency over the past years at West Ham.
Jarrod Bowen’s West Ham Career by Season (PL)
Season
Apps (starts)
Goals
Assists
24/25
30 (30)
9
9
23/24
34 (34)
16
6
22/23
38 (36)
6
6
21/22
36 (34)
12
12
20/21
38 (35)
8
5
19/20
13 (11)
1
4
Stats via Transfermarkt
Such a consistent and balanced attacking player would be perfect for Liverpool’s system. It’s not likely he would start all the time, with Salah nailed down on the right wing, but Bowen has ample experience at centre-forward too and could finally play in the Champions League with a move to Merseyside.
He’s certainly got the ability to do so. In fact, Bowen was remarked in the past to have joined the “Salah club” by talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino, owing to his skill in swerving inwards and curling unstoppable strikes into the back of the net.
He’s cut from the same cloth as the Egyptian King. Of course, Bowen isn’t on Salah’s level, but he shares similar base properties that Slot could make excellent use of.
If a striker such as Isak is brought in, a dynamic partnership really could be forged over the coming years, with the Newcastle man not just a goalscorer either, actually hailed as “a better all-round centre-forward” than Erling Haaland by pundit Ally McCoist.
Fruits could grow from such a dynamic duo, completing Liverpool’s frontline and filling in the gaps which prevented Slot from winning multiple pieces of silverware this season.
Still, bagging the Premier League in your first year is nothing to be sniffed at.
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The first man from St Kitts to play Test cricket for West Indies talks about his quick rise to the West Indies team and his first series
Nagraj Gollapudi08-Aug-2024Becoming the first player from the island of St Kitts to play for West Indies, meeting King Charles, making a Test debut at Lord’s, getting his first Test cap from Viv Richards, facing his first ball in international cricket from James Anderson. Mikyle Louis has quite the story to tell.When the West Indies contingent were told they were going to be meeting the King of Britain, the talk quickly turned to how one greets a monarch. Louis says his team-mates joked about whether go with a handshake or bow. He himself had other ideas.”In my head I always was planning to give him a fist bump. But the thing is, I don’t know if in the UK that’s a common greeting, like in the Caribbean. So I wasn’t sure if he would be able to respond. So I did ask a question [to the royal staff] if this is something that would be possible. They told me it would be funny, so I just went through with it.”Louis was the second player, after West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, to greet the king. As Charles spoke about a visit in the past to St Kitts and asked if Louis “specialised” as a batter or bowler, the player raised his clenched left fist, which the King bumped with his right. “My pleasure, my pleasure,” Louis, with his hair braided and tied into a knot resembling a hook, was heard saying, crossing his right hand over his heart.Soon after, Louis’ older brother Jeremiah, taught the king how to execute an elaborate handshake (), which triggered a happy chuckle from the monarch.When Natalia Meish Louis watched the video clip above of her two sons exchanging pleasantries, fist bumps and handshakes with the King of Britain, she burst out laughing. We meet at the West Indies team hotel, the day before the third Test of the England series in Edgbaston. It showed the king in a new light to Natalia. “We realised how the King had stepped out of his comfort zone for a moment and looked like a happy man, and jovial,” she says.The King and I: Louis says hello to King Charles, in bespoke style•Yui Mok/AFP/Getty ImagesHer younger son’s life has taken a dramatic upswing since February this year, when he made his first-class debut for Leeward Islands and finished as the leading run-maker in the West Indies Championship, the Caribbean domestic first-class tournament. He scored three centuries including two in a match against Guyana. The next best batter on the run-scorers’ list, Brathwaite, was 117 runs behind. That form prompted the selectors to pick Louis for the England tour.During our chat two days before the Edgbaston Test, Louis listens attentively, occasionally flashing a smile that reveals his braces. He is happy about the quick upswing in his career, but remembers well that not long ago, things were quite different and he was brooding.”For a long period of my life, I felt like I have been working hard but I have just been stagnant. There were many times when I was laying down on the bed, looking at the roof, wondering like if [I am] doing enough.”Alick Athinaze is one year older than me. Kirk McKenzie, we are the same age. Jayden Seales is one year younger than me. And this is just a few examples. You would look at their progress and they would’ve been performing in regional, international cricket, and you are wondering to yourself: am I working hard enough? Am I training hard enough? Am I giving it my all? And these are the questions that would keep me up at night.”The self-doubt, Natalia says, made Louis want to give up playing. This was around the time he was allowed to train with the Leeward Islands squad before the 2023-24 season but found it hard to summon the motivation to turn up. When she saw him miss practice a couple of days, she confronted him.Louis says his brother Jeremiah (right) has been more like a mentor to him. “He believed in me more than I believed in myself at some points”•Nick Potts/PA Photos/Getty Images”I said, ‘What you doing home?’ He won’t answer. Next day I asked again. He said he felt like he wasn’t wanted here [Leewards Islands]. I said, ‘No, no, no. Failure is not an option. You have to get up. You can’t stay here. You have to go.'” Her voice rises on the last few lines.Eventually Louis did get into the Leewards squad and had the excellent debut season that would catapult him into the West Indies side. “We have to leave that door open and always make sure we continue pushing our children in the right direction,” Natalia says, looking back. “Some people mature later. It is very important.”Louis also credits his success to his brother Jeremiah, the oldest of the four siblings. “He influenced me in many ways,” he says. “While I was in my stagnant phase, he was playing for Leeward Islands or West Indies A or President’s XI games. He would come back and have a conversation, saying, ‘Yo, I bowled to this batsman in the nets. You are not far off, you continue working. Trust me, bro, based on skill you have time to grow.’ Those conversations would give me hope and the self-belief that, okay, I’m good enough.”Louis says Jeremiah, who hurt his hamstring on the eve of the Edgbaston Test, is not just a brother but also a mentor and a good friend. “He believed in me more than I believed in myself during certain periods of my life.”When he was selected finally to play for Leewards in February, Louis says he had four sleepless nights, during which he kept telling himself he wanted to make the opportunity count and not go back to being “stagnant” again.A successful start to his maiden domestic season made him train like he was already selected for West Indies, he says, because he wanted to be prepared if the call came. Unaware that the selectors were looking to pick him for the England trip, he had started preparing for the 2024-25 Super 50, the domestic 50-overs competition, soon after the completion of the four-day tournament. Then, when he was picked for the England tour, things, Louis says, went “crazy” for him overnight.The King and I, Pt 2: Louis meets his role model at Lord’s•Getty ImagesTo honour the first cricketer from the island to play Test cricket, the government in St Kitts and Nevis approved naming the South Stand at Warner Park Cricket Stadium, and a road, after Louis, and allocated him a plot of land. He also received a $10,000 (East Caribbean dollars, about US$3700) grant from the government to help him prepare for the England trip.”All the politicians and the leaders of the country, they started to call me and congratulate me and ask for meetings and those kinds of stuff. A lot of people started to follow me on social media, message me, a lot of phone calls… it happened .”Three days after his fist bump with King Charles, Louis made his Test debut. Lord’s was dressed festively for Anderson’s farewell Test. Louis received his cap from one of the greatest ever to have played cricket: fellow Leeward Islander Viv Richards, who took Louis by the shoulders in fatherly fashion and said, “Big, strong young man, you are going to make your debut now. You want to be great. This is a good time to start.”Louis’ best moment didn’t come with the bat at Lord’s. On the second afternoon he spectacularly ran Shoaib Bashir out, which meant Anderson walked in to bat – for the last time in Tests, as it would turn out. West Indies had originally planned to give him a guard of honour, but most fielders had dashed towards Louis, who had himself rushed to his brother, who was under the Warner stand in his substitute vest.”I was pointing at [Jeremiah] because we generally try to raise each other’s standards,” Louis laughs. “He was the 12th man and on a few occasions [that day], he was telling me: ‘You are not looking energetic, you are not looking active, you are not looking like you are giving it your all, your standards have dropped.'”Louis has a chat with West Indies assistant coach Jimmy Adams ahead of the Edgbaston Test•PA Photos/Getty ImagesLouis patted his right shoulder with his left hand as they celebrated the run-out. “He was telling me that that my shoulder’s weak and I can’t throw the ball to the keeper, so then I was tapping my shoulder to say: ‘This a weak shoulder? I have a bullet arm.'” In the Compton Stand, at the Nursery End, Natalia jumped and danced in delight.The previous day Louis had faced the first ball of his international career. A delivery he had played out in his head, like all batters, several times mentally. “As a human, negative thoughts are going to come in your mind. So leading up to that first ball, they were: don’t let Anderson give you a one ball on debut.”What I always tell myself is: trigger early, make sure you are heading forward, try to play the ball as late as possible. I was just repeating this to myself, then I defended the first ball, the second ball. Third ball I hit for four.”When I hit that four I just relaxed after that.”In their exchanges, Anderson left Louis a little wiser about how the best fast men operate. “In the short space of time I faced him, I could see the experience and the skill that he has. He was bowling from many different areas on the crease. He had different wrist positions for the different balls, and you could just see that he was trying to work me out. This is one of the best fast bowlers ever and I have the honour of playing against him.”Louis made 27 and 14 at Lord’s. West Indies lost the match in just over two days, but in both innings he showed he had the patience to face the new ball and leave the ball alone for the first hour, as the textbook recommends.Mind them feet: “Everybody tells you, ‘Mark Wood [is] fast, don’t get hit, make sure you wear all your protective gear,'” Louis says•Stu Forster/ECB/Getty ImagesThose qualities allowed him to get a start in the second Test too, at Trent Bridge, where he Mark Wood, operating at top pace. Louis was square in the sights for Wood’s first spell, which included a 97.1 mph delivery.He was up for the challenge. “When I was facing him, it was more of me telling myself: ‘Mikyle, be brave. You are well prepared. It’s still a cricket ball. It’s still a cricket game. It’s nothing new.’ So me facing Mark Wood was just more of me being brave as opposed to with Anderson, which was more of a battle of skill, if you understand. Everybody tells you, ‘Mark Wood [is] fast, don’t get hit, make sure you wear all your protective gear.'”Louis says he came prepared for Wood and even Jofra Archer. Back home he had placed the bowling machine closer in the nets. “It was set probably three quarters of the pitch, compared to the normal length. I set it for short balls. It was a on a concrete strip. The speed was about 91mph. It felt really fast.”That allowed him to evade the short balls, get himself into good positions to duck and weave, as opposed to turning his head and getting hit. Louis claps his hands while talking about the theatre and atmosphere Wood generates in front of a full house as he charges in to bowl.What is it like, facing a delivery at 97mph?”It’s quick,” he says. “You don’t have time think about what shot you are going to play. You just have to rely on muscle memory. It was just a matter of being strong mentally and staying brave.”Barring the second innings in Edgbaston, where he batted for 140 minutes, he tended to slip up after batting the first hour in England. Most commonly he was out poking at the ball moving away outside off stump to nick behind. Was it about not being able to switch on and off successfully, which made him drop his concentration?Louis says his being picked for the England tour and playing three Tests made up for his times of self-doubt. “If I had known then that this would be at the end of the tunnel, I would’ve been training, smiling, as opposed to staying up at night”•Nick Potts/PA Photos/Getty ImagesLouis does not believe he repeated his mistakes. “My four innings, I wouldn’t put them down to one problem. I have made different mistakes on the four different occasions. There was an innings, yes, where [Ben] Stokes got me caught behind the second time [Lord’s] – we had the water break and then they changed the ball. I wasn’t switched on then. But the other times, I don’t think it is me lacking concentration.”One of his takeaways from his first Test series has been to make sure he plays the ball as late as possible while sticking to his basic trigger movements. “[Before the England tour] I practised with the intent of looking to get forward, but now I am trying to get that big stride in or play it late. I don’t think I have mastered it yet, it’s something I am working on.”One advice Kraigg shared was, you don’t change your work ethic or your workload because you are doing better. You still work as hard or even harder when you are doing good or when you are doing bad. You keep the same motivation.”On the eve of the Lord’s Test, the captain’s counsel to Louis was: “Don’t just play for West Indies, be the first [of this generation] to score 30 hundreds. You’ve got to think big; don’t think small.”Louis says Brathwaite took him to dinner the second day after West Indies landed in England. “We had a few deep conversations. There were a few times in the first few practice sessions where I was feeling a little frustrated because I was trying to… I want to use the word ‘impress’, I was trying to impress the coaches and the [support] staff so that nobody feels like I don’t deserve to be here, or that I was given a favour by being selected. That was really my focus.”He settled me and told me: just continue doing what you have been doing. You were selected because you are a good cricketer. Him and Jason Holder, there’s no praise high enough to give them – they really settled me in terms of allowing me to just focus on the cricket aspect as opposed to attempting to be what I’m not.”First Test meets final Test: Louis faces James Anderson at Lord’s•Alex Davidson/Getty ImagesLouis came home with 162 runs across six Test innings but not short on learnings.”I just feel proud,” he says. “I feel proud that when I knew it was dark and nothing was happening for me in terms of progress or opportunities, I didn’t give up. If I had known then that this would be at the end of the tunnel, I would’ve been training, smiling, as opposed to staying up at night [thinking] ‘One day if I ever make it…’ and so forth. It’s a proud moment.”West Indies are now playing South Africa in Trinidad in the first of a two-match Test series. Natalia will be back home, managing the family business, but Jerry, Louis’ father, is expected to be at both venues to watch their son.Natalia can’t wait for his maiden Test hundred. “I’m praying, I’m praying,” she says, eyes welling up. “That will be like… heavens for me.”On that first morning at Lord’s when the national anthem was being played, it was like so many different emotions started to flood through. Seeing the camera come across Jeremiah and Mikyle’s faces as being players of West Indies, it was one the best, one of the warmest, feelings that any mother could experience or feel. It was just one of the proudest moments. Tears just started to run down my eyes.”As for Louis himself, he has his goals but he’s not quite willing to reveal them. As we say our goodbyes, he bursts into a chuckle when asked about his ultimate dream, which he says he is “editing”. I push him a a little: give us a hint.”I want to be like Viv Richards,” he says.
It’s a question that could quite quickly look silly, but at the moment it feels relevant
Andrew McGlashan12-Oct-2022Ben Stokes can do things on the cricket field that few others are capable of, but is he among the best seven T20I batters in England?It’s a question that could quite quickly look silly being asked, but at the moment it feels relevant.On the international stage, it has been the least convincing of the three formats in Stokes’ career – currently a batting average of 19.08 and strike-rate of 133.52 from 30 innings – but it’s now one of two he plays having retired from ODIs during the home summer.It is natural for England to want Stokes in the team, but right now it doesn’t quite seem an easy fit. He has won an ODI World Cup for his country and his influence, as has been seen with the Test side this year, amounts to much more than purely runs and wickets. In this game there was the additional funkiness of him bowling the first over of a T20 innings for the first time.But he’s never really found his role in the format and, little more than a week out from the T20 World Cup starting, there is a sense that it’s still being searched for, although No. 3 or No. 4 – depending on the game situation – is the task he has been earmarked for.Related
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The opening T20 of this series in Australia was the first time he had picked up a bat in the middle for a month and even someone of Stokes’ ability needs time to get back in the groove. However, he has played unconvincingly in Perth and Canberra.In the first game he came in at No. 3 after the rollicking opening stand between Jos Buttler and Alex Hales and couldn’t really maintain the momentum. He fell for 9 off 9 having also taken a blow on the chin for his troubles when he tried to reverse sweep Daniel Sams.In Canberra the end product was 7 off 11 when he missed a sweep at Adam Zampa and threw his head back in frustration. This time he had come in at No. 4, inside the powerplay, and did have some time to construct an innings but during his stay he collected just seven singles.This was also the first time England got to look at the No. 3-4 combo of Stokes and Dawid Malan after the latter was shunted down the order in Perth. Stokes is taking a few deliveries to get himself set – and, currently, is not being able to go on from there – which is a style that has been attributed to Malan for parts of his T20 career despite some outstanding overall numbers.There was data that emerged from the Hundred earlier this year that showed Malan’s intent in his first 10 balls and increased markedly. He struggled for the most-part in Pakistan on the slow surfaces, but in Canberra was much more at home, as he has been in the past on Australian surfaces, with more pace to play with. In an interesting contrast to Stokes, in the first five balls of his innings he had a four and a six.If Stokes is going to soak up a number of early deliveries before he feels he can launch, it becomes even more imperative that Malan maintains that brisker early tempo especially if the pair find themselves together. Malan finished with a superbly-constructed 82 off 49 balls, reading the situation expertly from 54 for 4. A penny for Steven Smith’s thoughts on that.Ben Stokes makes a spectacular save on the boundary•Getty ImagesIt feels very unlikely that Stokes is left out of the World Cup starting XI, but Liam Livingstone may yet have a part to play. At the moment, the assumption is that if his ankle comes good then he will slot in at No. 7 for the opening game against Afghanistan in Perth, followed by four bowlers. But there is a balance of side that sees them play with one batter fewer – as they have done in this series so far – and utilise an extra bowling-allrounder. Sam Curran may not have been in the original starting plans but is hard to leave out now.The other aspect to factor in, is an unquantifiable one: Stokes on the big occasion. Ideally he needs a substantial innings in the last game in Canberra on Friday or the warm-up against Pakistan in Brisbane but, in reality, it might not matter when he’s in the heat of the battle in a game that matters.It’s a point of debate whether he’s among England’s best T20 batters but, as epitomised by the gravity-defying boundary save at long-off, you suspect if things get tight over the next few weeks there’s few others Buttler will want by his side.