Shemaine Campbelle and Kycia Knight back in West Indies squad for ODIs against England

Stafanie Taylor is yet to recover from the injury she sustained during the series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2022

Shemaine Campbelle was ruled out of the ODIs against New Zealand after being named in the original squad•PCB

Shemaine Campbelle and Kycia Knight are back in West Indies’ squad for the three-match Women’s ODI series against England in Antigua from December 4 to 9.While West Indies will welcome the return of these two experienced keeper-batters from injury, they will be without allrounder Stafanie Taylor, who is yet to recover fully from the injury she suffered during the third ODI against New Zealand in September.Related

Knight ready for England comeback after successful hip surgery

Winfield-Hill earns recall as England name Caribbean squads

The selectors have also picked the uncapped left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz, who had taken part in a ten-day training camp with the West Indies players during the New Zealand series while not being part of the official squad.Shamilia Connell, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean and the uncapped fast bowler Jannillea Glasgow have been left out after being part of the squad against New Zealand, with the playing group downsized from 17 members to 14.The series is an important one for both West Indies and England, who are looking to bounce back after defeats in their respective opening bouts of the 2022-25 ICC Women’s Championship. While West Indies suffered a 2-1 loss to New Zealand, England were blanked 3-0 by India, with both defeats coming in home series.West Indies are currently in fifth place on the Women’s Championship table, and England are seventh among the eight teams who have played so far. Australia and Bangladesh are yet to begin their campaigns.The top five teams at the end of the 2022-25 cycle will qualify automatically for the 2025 ODI World Cup in India.”This series against England comes on the heels of the New Zealand tour to the West Indies and continues our important preparation for the upcoming tri-series against India and South Africa and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to follow,” lead selector Ann Browne-John said. “It gives the players a great opportunity to develop and push for final selection for the tri-series and World Cup.”West Indies ODI squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Shakera Selman (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight (wk), Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Rashada Williams

'We knew!' – Mikel Arteta admits he was wary Arsenal would fail in title challenge after purposely leaving squad 'super short' last summer

Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal were "super short" when it came to having a squad capable of mounting a Premier League title challenge this season.

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Liverpool ease to Premier League titleArteta says Arsenal's squad was "super short"Didn't have right "ingredients" to win leagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After Liverpool romped to the Premier League title late last month, Arsenal boss Arteta has admitted his squad did not have the right "ingredients" to challenge Arne Slot's men. The Spaniard added that the Gunners had several players at risk of injury – with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and more, all having spells on the sidelines – but "couldn't do anything about it."

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He told reporters: "We knew from the beginning of the decision that our squad was super short and being super short we had some players that had a high probability of getting injured, because that’s what they had in the last few seasons. So we knew that and we cannot do anything about it. But that (availability) is a big thing to win trophies, you know, and Liverpool did that extremely well. They managed to maintain that consistency, that level of players, a system, a coach, a stadium that has created again, and consistently, an incredible atmosphere for them. So you need a lot of ingredients or you don't win the Premier League. That's the difficulty of it, and it's true that this season we never found that consistently because of the issues that we had."

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report that Arteta chose to have a smaller squad at Arsenal because he likes a tight-knit group but that gamble has backfired as they stare a fifth-straight trophyless season in the face. The Gunners had the chance to strengthen more last summer and in January, but didn't do so – something Arteta was frustrated about earlier this year. But it seems they won't make that mistake again this summer.

Arteta added: "We will do everything that we can to improve the team and especially improve the players that we already have and whatever the market offers to give us a better chance to win for sure we will try to do it."

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WHAT NEXT?

Arteta's Arsenal, who are 15 points behind champions Liverpool with three games to go, travel to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday.

Unadkat replaces Shami for Tests in Bangladesh

Abhimanyu Easwaran has already been called up as cover for the injured Rohit Sharma

Shashank Kishore10-Dec-20221:35

Jaffer: Unadkat has worked tirelessly to improve as a red-ball bowler

Jaydev Unadkat has been called up to India’s Test squad in Bangladesh as a replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami. Unadkat is currently in Rajkot, waiting to complete his visa formalities, and is expected to link up with the Test squad in Chattogram over the next couple of days.Shami is currently undergoing rehab for a shoulder injury at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. He picked up the right shoulder niggle during a training session prior to the Bangladesh tour. After he missed the ODI leg of the tour, there was a slim chance that Shami would be fit for the Tests, but that has now been ruled out.Related

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Blunt in the middle – India have a bowling problem

For 31-year-old Unadkat, this is only the second call-up to the Test squad. His only appearance so far in the format was almost exactly 12 years ago, as a teenager straight out of the India Under-19s, in the first Test of the 2010-11 tour of South Africa. In that Test, in Centurion, he ended with figures of none for 101 as India lost by an innings and 25 runs.Unadkat is the second player set to join India’s Test squad in Bangladesh as an injury replacement. On Friday evening, Abhimanyu Easwaran, the Bengal player who led India A to a 1-0 win in the four-day series against Bangladesh A on a shadow tour, was called-up as cover for Rohit Sharma, who has flown home to Mumbai to nurse a finger injury he picked up during the ODI series. Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar is also in line to replace Ravindra Jadeja. Saurabh finished the ‘A’ tour with a haul of 15 wickets across two red-ball matches.Over the past five years, Unadkat has built up an impressive body of work with Saurashtra, the team he has led to a wave of success in the Indian domestic circuit. He was front and centre during their first Ranji Trophy title win in 2019-20, picking up 67 wickets, the second-highest haul by a bowler in a season. Over the last three Ranji seasons, Unadkat has picked up 115 wickets in 21 matches.Jaydev Unadkat has built up an impressive body of work with Saurashtra in the Indian domestic circuit•Hemant Brar/ESPNcricinfoUnadkat’s bowling average of 16.03 since the start of January 2019 is the best in all first-class cricket in that period. He has picked up 126 wickets in 24 matches in this period, including nine five-fors and three ten-wicket match hauls, with a best of 7 for 56.In an interview with ESPNcricinfo last week, ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, Unadkat reiterated that “the hunger and fire to play and perform for the country is still burning bright”. Unadkat led Saurashtra to the title, finishing as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets in ten games.”I do look at my individual performances, but from a way that it takes the team through, not in a way where I think if it will help me get selected for India or India A,” he had said. “At the end of the day, that’s the space you want to be in and I’m happily trying to help the team win as many games as possible. If you love the way you play the game, all other things will fall in place. I love this space and the mindset I’m currently in and don’t want to change that for anything. But the hunger and fire to play and perform for the country is still burning bright.”Over the years, Unadkat has built his USP around bowling on the famously lifeless decks in Rajkot. His ability to swing the new ball and reverse the old ball has brought him lots of wickets, and his improved fitness has helped deliver longer spells, something he did tirelessly during that 2019-20 campaign that he later described as “career-defining”.One Test aside, Unadkat has also featured in seven ODIs and ten T20Is. He was last part of the India team during their Nidahas Trophy campaign in Sri Lanka in March 2019.

Viktor Gyokeres, Ronald Araujo and the six players who will become Man Utd transfer targets if Red Devils win Europa League and seal game-changing Champions League qualification

Returning to Europe's top competition would give Ruben Amorim an extra £100m to work with, as well as raising the calibre of player he could target

Just a few weeks ago, Manchester United were preparing themselves for having no European football for the first time in a decade, wondering how they would fill their weeks between Premier League games. But now, they are just a couple of steps away from sneaking back into the Champions League despite their worst domestic season in 51 years.

The Red Devils have one foot in the Europa League final after their brilliant 3-0 win over Athletic Club in Bilbao, and even considering their capacity for disaster, they should be able to navigate their way through Thursday's second leg and make it to the final. Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt would await them at San Mames, where they would be one win from dining at European football's top table once more.

Winning the Europa League, then, is about far more than one glorious evening in Bilbao; it is about playing in the biggest club competition, the one that every player wants to appear in. And that means that United will suddenly be able to attract a higher calibre of player than they would were they only offering potential targets Premier League football and their storied history. And just as crucially, they will be able to afford the elite players that would previously have been out of their reach.

As Ruben Amorim put it last month: "The Champions League can change everything. If you are in the Champions League, you play top teams on a Wednesday and at the weekend. This is the best thing. If you have Champions League, you know you have a better budget to put forward a different team next season."

United will be refreshing their squad in the summer even if they are left with no European football and they are believed to be close to signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves. But if they play their cards right, then many more names that they had previously dismissed as being beyond their grasp would suddenly be within reach.

GOAL takes a look at the players United will suddenly be in the market for if they win the Europa League and seal their ticket back to the Champions League…

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    Viktor Gyokeres

    Viktor Gyokeres turned into one of the most lethal forwards in Europe under Amorim's guidance at Sporting CP, and he has continued to score goals for fun since the Portuguese left for United, as the Sweden international has netted 52 times in all competitions this season with three games to go. Naturally, Gyokeres has been seen as a dream signing for the coach at Old Trafford, particularly given Rasmus Hojlund's struggles and the Dane's measly return of nine goals this season, just four of which have come in the Premier League.

    However, Gyokeres' €100 million (£85m/$113m) buy-out clause seemed to put him out of United's reach, with Arsenal instead leading the race to sign him. Champions League football would also be a must for a striker who has only recently played in Europe's top competition for the first time and thrived in it, bagging a hat-trick against Manchester City in November.

    So if United can clinch Champions League football then the Red Devils would be considerably more attractive to Gyokeres. And who better to lead the line for Amorim than the man who fired him to the Portuguese title and helped make him such a coveted coach in the first place?

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    Liam Delap

    Only two English players have scored more Premier League goals than Liam Delap this season – Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins – and neither play for a team like Ipswich Town, who have been fighting relegation from day one. Delap has the physical prowess that matches the demands of the Premier League and could achieve great things at a top-six club. He is also relatively cheap compared to other players of his ilk, available for £30m ($40m) and therefore affordable for United regardless of whether they get into the Champions League.

    But Europe's top competition is believed to be a huge draw for Delap and one of the reasons it has been reported that he would prefer a move to Chelsea over United. But if the Red Devils are playing in the Champions League after all then it becomes a much tighter race to sign him.

    Chelsea, of course, are far from assured of a top-five finish in the Premier League this season, and should the Blues miss out on Champions League football, Delap's best chance of testing himself against the continent's best defences would be to move to United.

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    Ronald Araujo

    Until last season, Ronald Araujo was seen as the leader of Barcelona's defence for many years to come. But the emergence of Pau Cubarsi from La Masia, coupled with the the reliability shown by Inigo Martinez has threatened the Uruguayan's place in Hansi Flick's line-up, and Araujo is thus beginning to consider a move away from Catalunya to ensure he is not consigned to being a bit-part player.

    Signing Araujo would be a huge coup for United given their defensive struggles, although the centre-back is wary of the fact that leaving Barca for the Red Devils could be a huge step down, especially as the Catalans are closing in on winning La Liga and reached the Champions League semi-finals this season.

    However, if United are back in the Champions League and have the financial capacity to keep on growing and further boosting their squad, then Old Trafford suddenly becomes a far more attractive destination for Araujo to consider.

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    Jonathan Tah

    With United low on cash and cutting costs at every corner, they have naturally taken a keen interest in one of the top defenders in the world who is running down his contract will be available on a free transfer this summer. Jonathan Tah – described by Arne Slot as "the best defender in Germany" – underpinned Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten season and Bundesliga title win last year, and has already been linked with Barcelona as he prepares to depart the BayArena.

    Barca's struggles to register new players due to their deep financial problems is, however, believed to be a stumbling block to the move, and United would be well-placed to step in and hijack the move – as long as they win the Europa League.

    The Germany international will have plenty of other suitors this summer, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and United might end up losing out to those two giants in the end. But to stand a chance of winning the tug-of-war they simply have to be able to offer Tah Champions League football.

Tottenham and Ange now keen to sign new £29m "hero" ahead of West Ham

Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing a defender who could be available for £29m this summer, but they may have to do battle for his signature with their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Tottenham returning to form in the Premier League

Amid the injury crisis at N17, Tottenham have been through a tricky spell, but they are now showing much more promising signs in the Premier League, winning their last three games on the spin.

Most recently, Ange Postecoglou’s side put Ipswich Town to the sword at Portman Road, emerging as 4-1 winners, and the good news doesn’t stop there, as several key members of the squad are set to return soon.

Both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero should be available for the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 tie against AZ Alkmaar, which will be welcome news for Postecoglou, having been severely limited on options in defence for some time.

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ByEmilio Galantini Feb 22, 2025

When everybody is fit, Postecoglou has some solid options at centre-back, with Kevin Danso also joining from Lens in the January transfer window, but a report has revealed Tottenham are looking at signing another defender in the summer.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Spurs are keen on signing Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti, with the Italian club open to selling for a fee of €30m – €35m (£25m – £29m) in the summer in order to fund their own transfer business.

Juventus' FedericoGattiand Khephren Thuram celebrate after the match

West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are also named as potential suitors for Gatti, so there could be competition for his signature, but the Lilywhites are thought to be particularly keen.

The 26-year-old is thought to be open to a move to the Premier League, but the fact he may not be guaranteed a starting spot in Postecoglou’s side could prove to be a stumbling block.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Manchester City (h)

February 26th

AFC Bournemouth (h)

March 9th

Fulham (a)

March 16th

Chelsea (a)

April 2nd

Southampton (h)

April 5th

Gatti could be a solid squad player

The injury crisis Postecoglou has been forced to endure this season underlines the need to have strength in depth, particularly when competing in Europe, and there are signs the Juventus defender could be a solid option.

Lauded as an “absolute hero” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Italian has been a regular starter for Juventus in the Serie A this season, while also making nine appearances in the Champions League.

It would of course be difficult to displace Van de Ven and Romero in the starting XI, but Gatti’s experience at the top level make him a good rotation option to have at the very least.

The only issue is it could be difficult to convince the Rivoli-born defender to make the move without a guarantee of regular game time, but it is certainly worth a try.

Stoinis returns to form with 35-ball 74 as Stars secure thrilling win

Marcus Stoinis bludgeoned his way back to top form before Luke Wood held his nerve with the ball to steer Melbourne Stars to an eight-run BBL victory over Adelaide Strikers.Stoinis crunched 74 off 35 deliveries, including six sixes, to steer the Stars to 186 for 7 in Saturday’s marquee Adelaide Oval fixture in front of 40,373 fans.Adam Hose struck his maiden BBL half-century while Rashid Khan (24 not out) produced a thrilling late cameo. With 33 required from the last two overs, Rashid helicoptered Stoinis for six, then squirted a four past third man to leave 17 needed off the 20th over.Stars’ slow over rate meant they had to have an extra fielder inside the circle for the final six balls but Wood was up to the challenge.Earlier, Stoinis walked out to the middle hopelessly out of form with just 14 runs at an average of 3.5 for the tournament before recapturing his best form in brutal fashion. Openers Joe Clarke and Tom Rogers set the platform which allowed Stoinis to tee off.Stoinis smashed 24 off one Peter Siddle over before going off for 6, 6, 6, 4 and 6 off successive balls from Golden Arm leader Henry Thornton, who conceded 29 in the 18th over.Strikers’ reply started poorly when New Zealand superstar Trent Boult sent the dangerous Matt Short packing in the first over.Chris Lynn threatened to replicate Stoinis’ fireworks but his stay was brief, holing out to deep square leg for 21 from Stars captain Adam Zampa’s second delivery.With the asking rate escalating, Hose and Henry Hunt raised the tempo with a 74-run third-wicket partnership.The game looked in Stars’ keeping when Liam Hatcher dismissed Colin de Grandhomme and Thomas Kelly off successive deliveries before Rashid created a few late murmurs.The only negative for the visitors came when Rogers left the field after injuring his left shoulder while sliding to save a boundary.

Not just Propper: Ferguson must drop Rangers flop who the 49ers must sell

Glasgow Rangers turn their attention to the Europa League this evening as they prepare to travel away to Turkey to take on Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side.

The Light Blues are fighting for a place in the last eight of the competition and will take on the Turkish giants, away and at home, in their next two matches, with a weekend off this week due to their loss to Queen’s Park in the SFA Cup.

Rangers come into this game off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, and interim head coach Barry Ferguson may look to make some changes to the starting line-up.

One player who could be taken out of the XI is Dutch central defender Robin Propper, who was hauled off at half-time in last weekend’s loss.

Why Robin Propper should be dropped

The former FC Twente star lost 100% (2/2) of his ground duels in the first half against Motherwell, before Leon Balogun came on to win three of his five as Propper’s replacement in the second half.

Ex-Gers defender Craig Moore said the Dutchman “is not a real physical player” and claimed that opposition forwards find it too easy to get the better of him in physical battles, which is backed up by his form in the Europa League.

Robin Propper

The 31-year-old flop has lost 54% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial contests in Europe this season, whilst Balogun has won 73% of his battles on the deck and 100% of his aerial duels across three appearances.

With this in mind, Ferguson should – as he did at half-time on Saturday – switch Propper for Balogun from the start for this clash with Fenerbahce to improve the physicality of the Rangers defence.

Chalkboard

The former Eredivisie defender is not the only player who should be taken out of the XI, however, as Cyriel Dessers should also be dropped to the bench.

Why Cyriel Dessers should be dropped

The Nigeria international, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed can be “awkward” to play against, did score in the defeat to Motherwell at the weekend, but he also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost all seven of his duels with opposition defenders.

Cyriel Dessers

That, more or less, sums up the Dessers experience for Rangers. He has the ability to step up with a goal but his general play, duelling with defenders, leaves a lot to be desired, and the forward is far too wasteful with the chances that do come his way.

24/25 Europa League

Cyriel Dessers

Appearances (starts)

8 (5)

xG

5.13

Goals

2

xG differential

-3.13

Big chances missed

9

Duel success rate

37%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Cremonese striker has been particularly wasteful in the Europa League this season, underperforming his xG by more than three goals.

Dessers, who also scored one goal in seven matches in the Europa League last term, has proven himself to be unreliable in Europe and that is why Ferguson must ditch him from the XI for this big clash with Fenerbahce, playing Hamza Igamane in his place.

Cyriel Dessers

Football FanCast recently published an article explaining why the club’s prospective new owners, the 49ers, must part ways with the striker in the summer transfer window, and his lack of consistency as a finisher was the biggest reason.

Dessers, as shown by his aforementioned statistics, has not provided a physical presence to make the ball stick for Rangers in European matches, nor has he offered a clinical touch in front of goal, and Ferguson must drop him to the bench to ensure that his wastefulness does not cost the team this evening.

49ers must bin "sloppy" Rangers dud who earns more than Igamane

Three of the Rangers players who should be moved on by the 49ers in the summer transfer window.

ByDan Emery Mar 4, 2025

Fulham considering move to sign £6m+ a year Premier League player for free

The summer transfer window could be a busy period for Fulham, as they are already considering a move to sign a high paid Premier League player on a free transfer, according to a new report.

Fulham’s summer transfer plans beginning to take shape

It has been a very impressive campaign for the Cottagers, as they continue their push to qualify for Europe next season. A penalty shootout win over Manchester United last weekend means they also have a shot at the FA Cup to gain that qualification.

David Ornstein says Fulham want to sign "fantastic" 51-cap star this summer

Marco Silva appears keen to consolidate at Craven Cottage.

BySean Markus Clifford Feb 28, 2025

If European football is secured for next season, then the summer transfer window could be a very busy and important time for the London side. There are still a few months left of the season, but already the Premier League outfit have put plans in place for when the transfer window opens.

Last month it was reported that Fulham are among the teams keeping a close eye on Tammy Abraham, as he looks set to leave AS Roma at the end of the season. Abraham’s potential arrival could see him replace Raul Jimenez, whose current deal expires at the end of the campaign.

AC Milan'sTammyAbraham

As well as looking to possibly sign a new striker, Fulham are also admirers of Celtic defender Alistair Johnston, according to David Ornstein. Johnston has just signed a new contract with the Hoops, but the Cottagers are keeping a close eye on him ahead of the summer, as Marco Silva has his eye on adding to his defence.

Fulham considering move to sign Man Utd defender Lindelof

Johnston is not the only defender who could arrive at Craven Cottage in the summer, as according to Caught Offside, Fulham are weighing up a move for Victor Lindelof, who looks set to leave Man United at the end of this season.

Lindelof is the subject of interest from teams in the Premier League, Serie A, and the Portuguese league as he nears the end of his time at Old Trafford. The centre-back is out of contract in the summer, and there have been no talks about extending his stay at the club. Fulham, as well as West Ham, Everton and Wolves, are among the teams interested in signing him on a free transfer.

However, these English teams face stiff competition, as Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Benfica, who sold him to United, are also keen on landing the Sweden international.

Apps

6

Starts

0

Minutes per game

15

Interceptions per game

0.3

Tackles per game

0.5

The 30-year-old, who earns £6.2 million a year at United, has found game time hard to come by this season, playing just 11 games in all competitions. Most of his appearances have come in the Premier League, but of those six games, none have come as a starter. Fulham already have some decent options at the back in the form of Calvin Bassey, Joachim Andersen, and Issa Diop, to name a few, but Silva may want more competition and experience, and that is where Lindelof could come in.

'It's a ruthless environment, and that's how it should be' – Agar on being sent back from India

After picking up five wickets in the Marsh Cup final, Ashton Agar is hoping to play a lot of cricket in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup

Tristan Lavalette09-Mar-2023With Western Australia on the verge of defending their Marsh Cup title successfully, left-arm spinner Ashton Agar was back in his element as the rowdy WACA faithful willed him on to take a five-wicket haul in the final against South Australia. He was unable to remove Wes Agar, his brother, but sealed the 181-run win by having Spencer Johnson stumped, to trigger scenes of celebration from the WA players and a strong 2700 crowd.After SA got off to a fast start chasing a daunting 388, Agar showed why he’s Australia’s second-choice white-ball spinner behind Adam Zampa, and looms as an important part of their World Cup plans later in the year. He bowled with trademark accuracy to frustrate the SA batters and finished with 5 for 64 in his best-ever Marsh Cup figures.It was a much-needed boost for Agar after the ignominy of returning from Australia’s Test tour having been overlooked for selection. Having arrived in India as Australia’s second spinner behind Nathan Lyon, Agar struggled in the nets and was quickly leapfrogged by uncapped offspinner Todd Murphy and left-armer Matthew Kuhnemann, who was parachuted into the touring squad.Related

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The bizarre handling of Ashton Agar

“[They] felt I wasn’t bowling as well as I needed to be,” Agar said after the Marsh Cup final as he reflected on his departure from India. “It’s a very clear direction for me now to just work on it and improve.”I harbour no ill will or ill feeling at all. I’m very well supported in that (Australian) camp and they’ve kept in constant communication with me, so it’s all in a good place.”I’ve been a professional cricketer for ten years now, so I’m far more resilient than when I started. It’s a tough game, it’s a ruthless environment, and that’s how it should be because it’s the pinnacle of the sport.”The 29-year-old Agar has only claimed nine wickets at 52 in five Tests, and went wicketless against South Africa at the SCG Test in January. Due to his international white-ball commitments, Agar has rarely played for WA in the Sheffield Shield in recent years and sports a modest first-class average of 42.There is growing competition within WA’s spin ranks as 25-year-old offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli has enjoyed a breakout Shield season, where he has claimed 24 wickets at 30 from eight matches.

“I don’t have a lot of cricket coming up. I’ve chucked my name in the ring for The Hundred… I would like to play cricket in the winter. But the next big target is the World Cup”Ashton Agar

There has been some belief that perhaps Agar’s destiny lay with being a short-form specialist, but he was not ready to pull the plug on red-ball cricket. “I’ve always wanted to play as much as I could for Australia in whatever format that is and just take my opportunities when they come,” he said. “Playing for Australia in all forms, of course, I still want to do that. But my focus is just on cricket, you just play what’s in front of you and you try and do as well as you can.”Returning home proved a wise call with a rejuvenated Agar set to head back to India for the ODI leg of the tour with a confidence boost and having spent valuable time out in the middle.Agar was hoping the three-match series could prove a springboard as he set sights on the World Cup, where he should to play an important role alongside Zampa in conditions that should suit him.”Zamps is entrenched as the white-ball spinner. It all depends what we’re doing – playing two spinners or just the one,” Agar said about Australia’s possible makeup at the World Cup. “If I do play, I usually bat at eight and try to get my ten overs out. I’m certainly looking forward to the World Cup.”I don’t have a lot of cricket coming up. I’ve chucked my name in the ring for The Hundred… I would like to play cricket in the winter. But the next big target is the World Cup.”

Harry Kane reveals new trophy target after breaking silverware curse – with Bayern Munich & England striker getting a taste for champagne-soaked celebrations

Harry Kane has revealed his new trophy target after finally breaking his silverware curse as a Bundesliga title winner with Bayern Munich.

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  • Duck finally broken by Bundesliga title win
  • Wants to win the biggest prizes on offer
  • Champions League & World Cup targets
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    Having left Tottenham in search of tangible success, Kane saw his barren run continue during a frustrating debut campaign in Germany. He has, however, got his hands on a gold medal after firing Bayern to a domestic crown in 2025.

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    Kane had suffered several near misses prior to that, with Spurs and England, but never lost faith in his ability to get over the line – as detractors took great delight in seeing him fail on an annual basis.

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    DID YOU KNOW?

    With a trophy finally in the bag, the challenge now is to ensure that said triumph does not become a one off. Kane is already turning his attention to major honours with Bayern – such as the Champions League – and World Cup glory as captain of the Three Lions.

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  • WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

    Kane told of breaking his duck: “Every athlete will tell you that there isn’t one straight line to the top, there are a lot of bumps along the road. You have to be resilient, finding ways to go again and keep that mindset to keep pushing even when it feels like it’s not your day or not your luck. That is kind of what my career has been.

    “I would love to have won a trophy earlier in my career, but it wasn’t to be. It doesn’t mean that I stop. Even now I’ve won, it might change the perception for a lot of people, but for me it’s about enjoying it and then we go again and see how many more we can win. I’m in a great club, I feel really good myself, so I’m trying to keep improving. I won’t let this slow me down.”

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