Samit Dravid, son of former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, has bagged his maiden Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 contract with last season’s runner-up Mysuru Warriors at the auction in Bengaluru on Thursday.Dravid, an 18-year old allrounder, was bought at a price of INR 50,000. A medium-pacer and middle-order batter, he was part of the Karnataka Under-19 team that won the 2023-24 Cooch Behar Trophy, and also represented KSCA XI in a three-day game against the visiting Lancashire side in AlurAt Warriors, Dravid will be led by Karun Nair, who was retained as captain by the team. Warriors also picked up allrounders K Gowtham for INR 7.4 lakh and J Suchith for INR 4.8 lakh, while fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who recently underwent surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon, went for INR 1 lakh.Wicketkeeper batter LR Chethan, who played for Gulbarga Mystics last season, was the most expensive player at the auction, joining Bengaluru Blasters at a price of INR 8.2 lakh. Blasters will be led by Mayank Agarwal, who was retained along with Suraj Ahuja, Shubhang Hegde, and Mohsin Khan. Legspinner Shreyas went to Mangaluru Dragons for INR 7.6 lakh.Mystics retained Devdutt Padikkal, who missed the previous season due to injury, along with Vijaykumar Vyshak and acquired the services of Luvnith Sisodia for INR 7.2 lakh. Defending champions Hubli Tigers secured legspinner KC Cariappa for INR 4.2 lakh. They will once again be led by Manish Pandey and also have fast bowler Vidwath Kaverappa in their ranks.The 2024 season of the Maharaja Trophy is likely to be held from September 15 to October 1 with all the matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Maharaja Trophy squads

Hubli Tigers: Manish Pandey, Shrijith KL, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Manvanth Kumar L, Cariappa KC, Mohammed Taha, Thippa Reddy, Karthikeya KP, Kumar LR, Aadarsh Prajwal, Kruthik Krishna, Aneeshwar Gautam, Madhav Prakash Bajaj, Shreesha S Acahar, Daman Deep Singh, Mitrakant Yadav, Nishchith Pai, Rishi BopannaMysore Warriors: Karun Nair, Karthik CA, Manoj Bhandage, Karthik S U, Suchith J, Gowtham K, Vidyadhar Patil, Venkatesh M, Harshil Dharmani, Goutham Mishra, Dhanush Gowda, Samit Dravid, Deepak Devadiga, Sumit Kumar, Smayan Srivastava, Jasper EJ, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Sarfaraz AshrafShivamogga Lions: Abhinav Manohar, Nihal Ullal, Koushik V, Shivaraj S, Pradeep T, Hardik Raj, Dhruv Prabhakar, Anand Doddamani, Rajvir Wadhwa, Avinash D, Dheeraj Mohan, Bharath Dhuri, Aadithya Vishwa Karma, Aditya Mani, Rohit K, Rohan Naveen, Sharath HS, Mohith BAGulbarga Mystics: Devdutt Padikkal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Smaran R, Aneesh KV, Pravin Dubey, Luvnith Sisodia, Sharath BR, Aaditya Nair, Monish Reddy, Sharan Goud, Yashovardhan Parantap, Nathan Dmello Joachim, Faizan Riaz, Ritesh Bhatkal, Wahid Faizan Khan, Abhishek Prabhakar, Prithvi Shekhawat, Shimon LuizBengaluru Blasters: Shubhang Hegde, Mayank Agarwal, Mohsin Khan, Suraj Ahuja, Anirudha Joshi, Naveen MG, Prateek Jain, Chethan LR, Melu Kranthi Kumar, Santokh Singh, Aditya Goyal, Rakshith S, Varun Rao TN, Niranjan Naik, Lavish Kaushal, Varun Kumar HC, Shikhar Shetty, Bheem Rao NavaleMangaluru Dragons: Rohan Patil, Paras Gurbax Arya, Siddharth KV, Nikin Jose, Shreyas Gopal, Dheeraj J Gowda, Darshan MB, Macneil Hadley Noronha, Tushar Singh, Lankesh KS, Samarth Nagaraj, Sankalp SS, Abhilash Shetty, Nischith Rao, Lochan S Gowda, Pranav Bhatia, Sanjay Ashwin, Sagar Solanki

This will be the first time the two teams face off in the longest format

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2024 • Updated on 27-Jul-2024

Afghanistan are set to play their third Test in 2024•AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan are set to face New Zealand in a one-off Test in September. The match will be played in Greater Noida in India. This will be the first time the two teams face each other in the longest format.This will be Afghanistan’s 10th Test, and their third in 2024 – the most they would have played in a calendar year.It will also be their first Test at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, which has previously served as Afghanistan’s adopted home ground.The Test is likely to be from September 9 to 13. That’s roughly one month before New Zealand’s three-Test tour of India, with the first of those games set to begin on October 16. New Zealand will tour Sri Lanka for a Test series in between – the dates are yet to be announced.”We are delighted to host a quality New Zealand Test team for the first time in our cricketing history. This is a testament to the hard work we have put in through numerous discussions and meetings with different boards on the sidelines of the various ICC Board Meetings,” ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said. “The Blackcaps are an outstanding all-format team in world cricket, and we hope to reach an agreement with New Zealand Cricket for white-ball bilateral matches in the future.”Following the New Zealand Test, England, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa will be the only countries to not have played against Afghanistan in a Test match yet. Australia had pulled out from hosting them in a Test in 2021 citing humanitarian reasons.Australia had also pulled out of three-match T20I series scheduled for August this year, meaning Afghanistan had a hole in their schedule which will be partly filled by this New Zealand TestIn their two Tests so far in 2024, Afghanistan have lost to Sri Lanka and Ireland. They had also lost their one-off Test in Bangladesh last year, and their last win in the format came in March 2021, when they beat Zimbabwe in the UAE. In all, Afghanistan have a commendable 3-6 win-loss record in their first nine Tests.

Newcastle United are on the hunt for what seems to be their primary target this summer, a new right winger.

The Magpies have a huge season ahead of them, with Champions League football returning to St James’ Park, and are looking for extra depth on the right to go along with Jacob Murphy.

After being rejected by Bryan Mbeumo, the Magpies seemingly switched their attention to Anthony Elanga.

According to David Ornstein, they placed a bid of around £45m, but that was rejected by Nottingham Forest, the Sweden international’s current club.

Whilst there is still a chance they could return with a bid for Elanga, there have been reports about their new targets out wide.

Newcastle's new right-wing targets

It is definitely a blow for the North East giants to perhaps lose out on the signing of Elanga. He was a player they have seemingly targeted for a while, having made a move for him last summer. However, they certainly have other options.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It seems as though Newcastle could move for a new target after they failed to sign Elanga. Keith Downie of Sky Sports reported a few days ago that they are ‘exploring’ a move for other players, including Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi.

If Eddie Howe’s side decide to try and sign the Germany international, he could cost £43m, according to SportBILD a few weeks ago.

The same report also suggests that Juventus, Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested in the winger, although it is not clear if they will challenge the Magpies in their move or Howe gets a clear run at his latest winger target.

How Adeyemi compares to Anthony Elanga

At 23 years of age, Adeyemi has already played a great deal of football at the highest level and has made a great impression. He notably impressed last season for Dortmund despite struggling with an injury, and is now playing in the Club World Cup in the United States.

In 2024/25 so far, including the ongoing competition happening Stateside, he has played 38 times, scoring an impressive 12 goals and grabbing a further nine assists. Given that he has featured for just 2,261 minutes, the equivalent of 25.1 full 90-minute games, contributing to 21 goals in that time is a great effort.

The Magpies will certainly know a bit about the damage Adeyemi can cause. Having played against him twice before in the Champions League, he grabbed an assist against them at Signal Iduna Park. Adeyemi’s quick feet and excellent long pass enabled Julian Brandt to counter-attack Newcastle, which he ended up scoring.

Sweden international Elanga had a fantastic campaign in the Premier League last season too. He played all 38 of Forest’s games, scoring six goals and grabbing 11 assists, including a sublime effort against former side Manchester United.

Those numbers are fairly similar to the ones Adeyemi put up in the Bundesliga; he contributed 13 goals and assists in the German top flight, but played just 25 games.

Described as a “counter-attacking weapon” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and as “unstoppable” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, you can certainly see how that is similar to Elanga by watching how quick he is in the above goal. Adeyemi is not exactly slow, and, as per Speeds Database, has a top speed of 36.30 km/h.

Statistically, via FBref, Adeyemi has numbers which far exceed Elanga. For example, the German international averaged 0.82 goal involvements and 0.69 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to the Forest star’s 0.61 goals and assists and 0.65 goal-creating actions each game.

Adeyemi vs. Elanga key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Adeyemi	Elanga
Goals and assists	0.82	0.61
Goals per shot on target	0.39	0.25
Progressive carries	4.28	3.67
Take-ons completed	2.52	0.90
Goal-creating actions	0.69	0.65
Tackles and interceptions	1.7	0.90
Stats from FBref

If this is the type of profile Newcastle want to sign this summer, and they miss out on Elanga, they might end up with the better option in Adeyemi. The Dortmund attacker is quick, dangerous in transition and able to score and assist at a consistent level, more so than Elanga.

For £43m, a fee they’re clearly willing to spend, this seems like a fantastic addition to the Magpies’ squad, and could be a better option than the Forest star.

Advanced talks: Newcastle accelerating move to sign "incredible" £30m ace

The Magpies are closing in on their man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 25, 2025

Liverpool don’t want to sell Luis Diaz this summer, but they might have to. Keeping a player on the books whose heart is set elsewhere is an ill-fated move, and the Colombian wants to leave Anfield.

You can see his case. Aged 28, Diaz is one of the finest wingers in the game, but he earns a comparatively modest salary at Liverpool and has entered the second-to-last year of his contract.

Diaz wants a pay rise, but Liverpool aren’t inclined to give him one, instead willing to see out his contract.

Rank

Player

Gross pay per week

Gross pay per year

1

Mohamed Salah

£400,000

£20,800,000

2

Virgil Van Dijk

£350,000

£18,200,000

3

Florian Wirtz

£195,000

£10,140,000

4

Andrew Robertson

£160,000

£8,320,000

=5

Alexis Mac Allister

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Alisson

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Ryan Gravenberch

£150,000

£7,800,000

=5

Federico Chiesa

£150,000

£7,800,000

16*

Luis Diaz

£55,000

£2,860,000

Data via Capology

He was a crucial part of last season’s success. Diaz scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists across all competitions for Liverpool, his best return for the club.

His electric pace, tenacious fight and versatility proved perfect for Arne Slot as the Dutch coach led the Reds to the Premier League title.

But Bayern Munich are persistent in their bid to sign the Colombian winger, having already seen a £58.5m bid knocked back this summer.

However, Sky Germany confirm that the Bundesliga champions continue to push, and with Liverpool set to sign a new striker, perhaps his sale for a mammoth fee wouldn’t be such a bad thing in the long run.

The latest on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has been one of the more coveted names on the market this summer. Manchester United and Newcastle United have both shown an interest, but it’s the Reds who will likely prevail, the Frenchman submitting a transfer request on Thursday to seal a deal with the Anfield side.

Valued at €100m (£85m) Ekitike will cost a pretty penny, all right, but he’s worth it, already regarded “one of the best strikers out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

While Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak has been sporting director Richard Hughes’ first choice, the Magpies have rejected Liverpool’s advances, so the Reds have stolen their top target instead.

He’s not as good as Isak, but the 23-year-old does have sky-high potential, the genuine chance to make headway over a number of years at Liverpool and reach that pedestal.

While Diaz spent a fair share of time as a makeshift striker in 2024/25, he is at his core a left-sided forward. With Darwin Nunez supposedly off as well, Liverpool might need to sign a winger to go alongside Ekitike.

Liverpool line up Luis Diaz heir

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Liverpool have retained an interest in signing Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, having come close to signing him one year ago.

The England international, 24, is valued at £75m and any concrete move is dependent on Diaz’s future. However, the long-standing interest and Gordon’s Merseyside affiliation could see him push for a return to Anfield, having left Liverpool’s academy as an 11-year-old.

While Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is also on Liverpool’s radar, with preliminary talks having taken place, Gordon might be the man to go for.

Why Liverpool want Anthony Gordon

In Cody Gakpo, Liverpool have a prolific and proven left winger. However, Diaz’s departure would call for a direct replacement, and while Rodrygo would be a stunning signing, Arsenal also have a vested interest, and Real Madrid are seeking upwards of £87m.

Gordon would be a more than acceptable fallback. A high-speed runner with a dogged approach to his football, the Newcastle star has bloomed into one of the Premier League’s finest over the past couple of years, with teammate Bruno Guimaraes describing him as “special”.

Technically sharp and physically robust, he certainly fits the mould that Diaz would leave behind, and this dynamic skill set could be the perfect thing for a young striker in Ekitike, who will need support as he steps into the cauldron of fire that is the English top flight.

Ekitike will, of course, have the likes of Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz to lead the supply line, but in Gordon, Liverpool could retain the sense of energy and completeness that Diaz brings to the table.

And anyway, the Toon talent has already demonstrated in the Premier League that he’s capable of throwing down with the likes of Diaz, and indeed Rodrygo, whose skill has led Luka Modric to describe him as a “world-class superstar” in La Liga.

Let’s dig a little deeper. Now, we’re going to skew the data a tad. Gordon’s 2024/25 campaign left plenty to be desired, but he was a force to be reckoned with the season prior.

Looking at that 2023/24 term, comparing it to Rodrygo and Diaz’s league efforts last term, we can see that he’s got the potential to make quite the impression at Liverpool.

League Comparison – Gordon vs Rodrygo vs Diaz

Stats (* per game)

Gordon (23/24)

Rodrygo (24/25)

Diaz (24/25)

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

30 (22)

36 (28)

Goals

11

6

13

Assists

10

5

5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

1.8 (0.7)

2.0 (0.8)

Big chances missed

9

1

11

Pass completion

82%

91%

86%

Big chances created

16

5

8

Key passes*

1.6

1.6

1.6

Dribbles*

1.5

1.6

1.5

Ball recoveries*

3.6

2.4

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.1

1.3

Duels won*

5.3

3.8

3.8

Stats via Sofascore

Quite the effort. Gordon’s performances, notching 21 goal contributions across Newcastle’s injury-hit year, led to the honour of the club’s Player of the Year. It was his first full season on Tyneside, and an illustration of his capacity for high-level performances.

And while his high duel rate, creativity and potency in the final third would elevate Ekitike as he makes his maiden way in England, the centre-forward could certainly return the favour, with a style of play that is truly layered and vast.

Indeed, as per FBref, Ekitike ranked among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last season for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool’s transfer window being anything other than a success. Slot proved his worth last season, and now he’s being rewarded with the parts to create a lasting squad of champions.

Related Better than Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool make £142m "monster" a dream target

Liverpool have two primary candidates to bolster their forward line; Alexander Isak & Hugo Ekitike.

Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson Jul 17, 2025

Whilst they are yet to officially get their summer business underway, Nottingham Forest have reportedly set their sights on several rising talents and that includes a young Bundesliga left-back.

Nottingham Forest reject Elanga bid

As those at the City Ground push to welcome the likes of Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula, they also face a fight to keep hold of Anthony Elanga amid interest from Newcastle United. The Magpies reportedly formalised their interest with a bid worth £45m earlier this week only for Nottingham Forest to reject that bid without any counter as they look to keep hold of a key player.

Whether Newcastle return to the negotiation table remains to be seen, but Forest’s stance may not change anytime soon. The Tricky Trees will be desperate to enjoy a repeat of last season, if not better, when August arrives and keeping hold of players like Elanga will play a large part in matching those ambitions.

Given that Botafogo duo Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus are also reportedly on their way, it’s clear that Evangelos Marinakis is only in pursuit of boosting Nuno Espirito Santo’s attacking options rather than selling key men for profit.

Dream Elanga replacement: Nottingham Forest open talks to sign £12m winger

Nottingham Forest may lose Elanga this summer.

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 25, 2025

One player that the Greek owner will need to replace, however, is Harry Toffolo. The experienced left-back is now a free agent following the expiration of his contract at the City Ground and Forest would be wise to find a replacement.

To that end, it looks as though those in the Midlands have set their sights on young options who could challenge the likes of Neco Williams for years to come and that may see one particular Bundesliga talent arrive.

Nottingham Forest join Ullrich race

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign Lukas Ullrich from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer. The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Bundesliga last time out and has since played his part in helping Germany reach the semi-final of the U21 Euros.

The Gladbach man particularly impressed against Elliot Anderson’s England side in the group stage, providing an excellent assist as Germany ran out 2-1 winners.

Anderson received a first-hand glimpse of the type of quality that he could benefit from next season if Nottingham Forest push on with their move to sign Ullrich.

It won’t be an easy race to win, however, given that they are joined by Premier League rivals Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in pursuit of the Bundesliga talent.

Gladbach, meanwhile, may not be keen to lose their defender who manager Geraldo Seoane has not been shy to praise. The manager told reporters when asked about Ullrich: “You can see that he’s got pace going forward and that he has a very good mentality. He’s confident, he’s active and he makes runs in behind. He brings a lot to the table playing as an attacking left-back.”

Celtic will be in the market to add to their options in the wide department after Nicolas Kuhn officially completed a permanent transfer to Como for a reported fee of £16.5m.

The German forward racked up 13 goals and nine assists from the right flank in the Scottish Premiership last season, which shows the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost.

On top of that, Portuguese winger Jota may be out until January or February with a knee injury that was sustained against Dundee United back in May.

This means that the Hoops are short out wide, even with the addition of Benjamin Nygren this summer, which is why they are reportedly keen on adding another winger to their squad.

Celtic place star at the top of their wishlist

The Scottish Premiership champions are looking to dip into a rarely-utilised market, for them, as they plot to repeat the masterclass they played with Victor Wanyama by signing another star from the Belgian Pro League.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to the Daily Record, Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha is at the very top of their wishlist to replace Kuhn during the summer window.

The report adds that the Belgian winger is out of contract at the end of next season and that Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars has opened the door to sales for players in that situation.

It has previously been claimed that the Hoops have been in talks with the Pro League side to discuss a deal for £5m-rated attacker, and this latest update now suggests that he is a priority target for the Scottish giants.

Why Balikwisha could be a Wanyama repeat

As per the Daily Record, Rami Gershon from Standard Liege in 2013 was the last player the club signed from the Pro League, whilst the last notable signing was the deal to bring Wanyama to Parkhead from Beerschot in 2011.

The Kenya international went on to score 13 goals in 91 appearances for Celtic in all competitions as a central midfielder, before Southampton signed him for a reported fee of £12.5m in the summer of 2013.

Balikwisha could be the first player to become a star at Parkhead after moving from the Pro League since Wanyama made that successful transition between 2011 and 2013, based on his form for Antwerp over the past two seasons.

The 24-year-old forward, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, racked up 14 goals and nine assists in 59 games in all competitions between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined.

Starts

27

12

xG

6.46

2.65

Goals

7

4

Big chances created

6

7

Key passes per game

1.5

1.6

Assists

5

3

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has delivered 11 goals and eight assists in his last 39 games in the Pro League, outperforming his xG as a finisher in both of those seasons.

These statistics show that he is an efficient finisher who could thrive in a dominant Celtic team, which has won the Premiership in each of the last four years, that creates plenty of chances for him from the wing.

His creative numbers, with at least 1.5 key passes per game, also show that he has the potential to create opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis on the flank, if the youngster can translate his form from Belgium over to Scotland, as Wanyama did over a decade ago.

It is fair to say that Celtic hit the jackpot when they signed Wanyama, who was a key player on the pitch and made the club a fortune, and Balikwisha appears to have the qualities to follow in his footsteps next season.

He's even better than Miller: Celtic circling to sign "tenacious" £9m star

Celtic are reportedly eyeing up a move for a star who is even better than Lennon Miller.

ByDan Emery Jul 14, 2025

Therefore, the Belgian whiz could be a shrewd addition from a market the club rarely looks to explore if they can wrap up a deal for him this summer.

Availability of Matthew Breetzke still to be determined by CSA

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2024

Ashton Agar had a successful spell with Northants in the group stage•Andy Kearns/Getty Images

Northamptonshire have confirmed the return of Australia spinner Ashton Agar for their vitality Blast quarter-final against Somerset.Agar was signed as a replacement for Sikandar Raza during the group stage, joining after the T20 World Cup and helping Northants to four wins out of five as they qualified from the North Group in second spot.The club are also working to try and bring back Matthew Breetzke, the South Africa opener who is currently Northants’ leading run-scorer in this year’s Blast, with 460 at a strike rate of 153.84 – although head coach, John Sadler, said the decision was in the hands of Cricket South Africa.Breetzke was recently involved on South Africa’s Test tour of West Indies but is not part of the squad currently playing a three-match T20I series.”We’re hopeful that Matt will be able to get over but we’re not sure how that’s going to pan out,” Sadler said. “We obviously want to get him back because he’s been brilliant for us but we’ll see how it unfolds.”It’s a situation that is out of our and Matt’s hands to be honest. I know he’s desperate to come back but he’s on the verge of playing for South Africa in all three formats so that’s understandably his main driver.”I also know that he so wants to come back and play for us that he’s happy to fly in, play and fly back out but that is a situation that we’ll have to negotiate with Cricket South Africa.”Agar, who opted to go freelance earlier this year, will be available after completing a stint at the Global T20 Canada, and strengthens Northants’ options ahead of a soldout game at Wantage Road against the defending champions on September 5.”Ashton is in, he’s booked to come back and he’s incredibly excited,” Sadler said. “He has been over at a tournament in Canada so he’s off back home to spend some time with his family but then he’ll be back with us so we’re absolutely delighted with that.”

Tahlia McGrath’s 22-ball 51* ensured Australia A made short work of India A’s modest total of 120 in the third and final T20 to complete a 3-0 series whitewash. Grace Parsons, Maitlan Brown and Nicola Hancock took two wickets apiece after Tayla Vlaeminck’s first-over strike to set up Australia A’s comfortable win.Vlaeminck, who was benched in the second T20, made instant impact on her return to the Australia A side. The 25-year-old fast bowler came away with remarkable figures of 4-0-6-1. She bowled Shubha Satheesh for a duck second ball of the match.The rest of India A’s top and middle order didn’t do much better. Priya Punia made 11 off 18, Shweta Sehrawat struggled for 15 off 28, while Tanuja Kanwar fell for a 10-ball 7.When Sajeevan Sajana fell for 10 – Parsons’ picking up two wickets in the 13th over – India A were in trouble on 47 for 5. But Kiran Navgire and captain Minnu Mani combined for a 57-run stand that helped the team get through the 20 overs.Navgire was the aggressor, smashing 38 off 20, while Mani made 22 off 23 before she was dismissed by Brown, who also returned to the playing XI after the first T20.Wilson got the chase underway with two boundaries in the first over from Meghna Singh, and after a couple of quiet overs, she took on Kanwar, hitting her for two fours and a six.Shabnam Shakil removed Katie Mack in the fifth over and Mannat Kashyap halted Wilson’s march in the eighth over but McGrath did not let Australia A lose any momentum. From the start of the tenth over, she kept hitting boundaries in clusters, targeting Kanwar, Meghna and Kashyap. Her aggressive knock meant that even Charli Knott’s wicket in the 13th over was not going to cause any hiccups for the hosts.McGrath hit three consecutive boundaries off Shabnam in the 14th over to finish the job and bring up a half-century, to follow up on her unbeaten 47 from the last game. McGrath hammered eight fours and two sixes.

أعلن مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، تمديد تعاقده مع أحد لاعبي فريق كرة القدم، في إطار الحفاظ على العناصر المميزة.

ونجح الزمالك في تمديد عقد أحمد صفوت صانع ألعاب فريق كرة القدم مواليد 2009، لمدة 3 مواسم، حتى موسم 2027 / 2028.

طالع| انفراجة في أزمة سحب أرض أكتوبر من الزمالك

ووقع اللاعب على عقود التمديد في حضور حسين السيد، ومحمد طارق عضوي مجلس إدارة النادي، وبدر حامد رئيس قطاعات كرة القدم بالقلعة البيضاء.

وأكد بدر حامد رئيس قطاعات كرة القدم بنادي الزمالك أن أحمد صفوت من اللاعبين المميزين داخل قطاع الناشئين بالنادي، بالإضافة إلى أنه عنصر أساسي في منتخب مصر مواليد 2009.

وأشار رئيس قطاعات كرة القدم إلى أن تمديد التعاقد مع أحمد صفوت يأتي وفقًا للاستراتيجية الموضوعة للحفاظ على العناصر المميزة بجميع المراحل العمرية، و يتم التنسيق في هذا الأمر مع حسين السيد عضو مجلس إدارة النادي.

It has not been the easiest summer transfer window for Newcastle United. Eddie Howe’s side have constantly seen their first-choice targets across the pitch turn them down, or they have lost out to other clubs. Bryan Mbeumo’s proposed move to Manchester United is a prime example of that.

Well, the Magpies have lined up a deal for former Man United academy star Anthony Elanga as an alternative to the Brentford winger, with the Nottingham Forest man set for a medical before a proposed £55m move.

At the other end of the pitch, Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini is a clear target for the Tynesiders. However, the Italian is not the only defender Howe’s side are lining up this summer.

Newcastle’s new defensive target

It remains to be seen just how realistic a deal to sign Scalvini is for Newcastle this season. The Magpies were reportedly engaging in discussions with Atalanta over the weekend, as per reports.

Well, another centre-back that the North East giants are pursuing is Chelsea’s French international defender Axel Disasi. According to a report from RMC Sport, Newcastle are one of a few sides who ‘have begun talks’ for the former AS Monaco star.

They are thought to be ‘interested in the international’s profile’, and could look to do a deal in the region of £25m, the fee Chelsea want from the move.

However, they are not the only club in the race, with Spanish outfit Villareal the one side ‘particularly persistent’ ahead of the deal.

Why Disasi would be a good signing

The 2024/25 campaign was by no means an easy one for 27-year-old Disasi. He fell out of favour under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea and departed the club on a six-month loan deal in January, joining Aston Villa temporarily.

The centre-back, who was a part of France’s 2022 World Cup squad, made 27 appearances across all competitions for the Blues and the Villans last term. However, with just 852 Premier League minutes under his belt for both sides, he surely did not play the number of games he may have wanted.

Yet, the Frenchman did impress at Villa Park, despite the lack of football he played last term. Villans boss Unai Emery said in March that Disasi was a player “growing in confidence” the more he played. That came after a Player of the Match performance against Brentford away from home.

As football talent scout Jacek Kulig once said, he is a “dominant” player when at his best.

The Chelsea defender could be the perfect alternative to Scalvini, who also didn’t play in 2024/25. However, that was due to injury, with the 21-year-old first recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, before picking up a shoulder injury which essentially ended his season.

So, last season, the Italy star made just eight appearances. However, in 2023/24, a season in which Atalanta won the Europa League, Scalvini played 44 games. In the final, he played 45 minutes against a Bayer Leverkusen side who had, until that clash, gone invincible. He helped keep a clean sheet and steer his side to a 3-0 win.

With little football for both players last season, it is perhaps tough for the Magpies to judge who is best to sign. However, stats on FBref from the 2023/24 season can be used to help make a better call, with Disasi’s numbers stacking up well against his Italian counterpart.

For example, the Chelsea number two, who will surely leave Stamford Bridge this summer, averaged 3.9 progressive passes and 3.55 clearances per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Atalanta star averaged 4.1 progressive passes and 2.51 progressive passes each game.

Progressive passes

3.9

4.1

Progressive carries

1.05

1.06

Tackles

1.15

1.87

Clearances

3.5

2.51

Ball recoveries

5.23

5.76

Aerial duel win rate

69.9%

66.7%

Whilst there is no doubt that Scalvini would be a good addition for the Magpies, his injury record is a worry, and Disasi could prove to be the dream alternative. The 27-year-old brings experience, progression from the back and good reading of the game, as stats like ball recoveries show.

For just £25m, this could be the dream addition for Newcastle this summer, to enhance the quality they have at the back.

He'd be a dream with Scalvini: Newcastle very close to signing £30m star

As Newcastle United increase their interest in Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, the Magpies are also “very close” to sign a “world class” star.

ByBen Gray Jul 6, 2025