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There's a long list of talented academy graduates that have risen through the age groups at Aston Villa, taking their chance in the first-team and leaving for a substantial fee later down the line.

Creating a legacy for blooding through the youth, Villa have seen a number of their very own become household names.

Gareth Barry, who graduated through the club's academy and made his debut for the club in 1998, went on to become one of the most iconic midfielders in the Premier League – and his record of 652 appearances still stands as the most in the competitions' history.

Likewise, Gary Cahill, Gabby Agbonlahor, Lee Hendrie and Steven Davis have all emphasized the academy's success, particularly during the early 2000s as Villa showcased their ability to churn out talent at a rapid rate.

In the present day, Jacob Ramsey is the latest academy star to become a revelation in the first-team, while Carney Chukwuemeka, Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene all departed the club for big money moves this summer, and they aren't the only ones to have done so in recent times.

After making a club-record £100m move to Manchester City in 2021, Jack Grealish became the most prolific example of the gems that Villa have unearthed.

When did Grealish make his Villa debut?

On May 7th 2014, a teenage star was born as Grealish made his Premier League debut against his future employers, Man City and although many knew of his precocious talents, few would have envisaged him achieving the success he has today.

Having made his senior debut at 18 years old, the Englishman went on to make 213 appearances for the club, chalking up 32 goals and 43 assists, propelling him towards the realm of club legend status.

During his 19-year association with the Villains, Grealish produced several memorable moments that saw him rise to prominence as the most talented graduate to come from the club's academy.

In Villa's FA Cup semi-final tie with Liverpool, a 19-year-old Grealish served up a stellar performance, notching up an assist which helped his boyhood club to their first FA Cup final in 15 years.

While Villa would struggle in the years that followed, suffering relegation to the Championship in 2016, Grealish was instrumental in their rise back to England's top table, becoming the figurehead of their success and the player for the big occasion.

Having captained the club back to promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, he registered 37 goal contributions in the following two seasons as his magnificent performances earned him the opportunity to work under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

What has Grealish achieved at Manchester City?

In their first season working under Guardiola, many players have struggled to acclimatize to the Catalan's demands, including Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias.

After joining in the summer of 2021, Grealish was no different as he only managed six goal contributions in 36 Premier League appearances, albeit most of his playing time was restricted to substitute appearances.

That soon changed as the following season saw the £300k per-week star become instrumental to their stunning treble-winning campaign as the 28-year-old recorded 18 goal contributions in all competitions with Guardiola hailing him as "exceptional".

While Grealish has seen his output dramatically increase in the final third, he's also producing world-class numbers for an array of his attacking attributes, ranking in the top 4% for progressive carries, fouls drawn, progressive passes and carries into the penalty when comparing him to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, as per FBref.

From dreaming of playing in front of the Holte End to joining an exclusive bracket of treble winners, it's been some journey for Grealish and despite what he goes on to achieve across his illustrious career, he'll always bleed claret and blue.

As for the Villans, despite suffering the frustration of losing their prized possession, to have raked in such a sizeable for an academy product is further evidence that they did truly strike gold by nurturing the fleet-footed sensation.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEden Park was transformed into a T20 batting paradise as Australia pulled off a world-record run chase in Auckland, reducing Martin Guptill’s 49-ball hundred – and a host of other records – to a footnote. D’Arcy Short and David Warner hammered aggressive fifties to set the tone of the reply and Australia’s middle order kept the pedal to the metal at a stage where New Zealand had stuttered to seal victory with more than an over to spare.The stands were peppered for 32 sixes – equalling the T20I record – as the odd-shaped boundaries at Eden Park produced a lop-sided match in which batsman were able to swing with impunity and bowling became an exercise in damage limitation. No team had successfully chased as many in all T20 cricket.Aaron Finch and Alex Carey celebrate Australia’s record-breaking win•AFP

New Zealand were left to rue a passage at the back end of their innings when they didn’t score a boundary for 18 balls, but the point at which the game tipped decisively came in the 17th over of the chase. Australia needed 42 from 24 but Ben Wheeler, in the side after an injury to Mitchell Santner, delivered a no-ball that Aaron Finch struck for six, followed by a four and another high full toss.Wheeler was removed from the attack, the equation had become 29 from 23, and although his replacement, Trent Boult, had Short caught behind top-edging a pull, another four and a six from Finch left Australia needing less than a run a ball. Finch’s unbeaten 36 off 14 at No. 5 provided a muscular contrast with the way New Zealand had faltered and it was probably apt that he finished things off with the final six of a gluttonous encounter.Australia had ransacked their way to victory, leaving Guptill in the shade despite several personal milestones. Their fourth win from four in the tri-series left the home fans muttering quietly to themselves but would have been cheered down in Hamilton, as it helped keep England in with a chance of pipping a shell-shocked New Zealand to a place in the final.Guptill became the leading run-scorer in all T20 internationals, surpassing Brendon McCullum, while also striking the fastest hundred by a New Zealander (one delivery quicker than McCullum) and moving up above his former team-mate to second on the all-time six-hitting list, too. But from Guptill’s dismissal in the 17th over, New Zealand stumbled. Kane Richardson picked up two wickets as New Zealand lost 4 for 12 and it required a couple more sixes from Ross Taylor – one of which was adroitly held by a fan in the crowd wearing a sponsor’s shirt – to ensure the innings didn’t dribble to a conclusion.Guptill became the leading run getter in T20Is•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

This was a night to make bowlers question their life choices. AJ Tye conceded 64 from his four overs, soothed a modicum by two wickets, but he could probably spare some sympathy for New Zealand’s Wheeler, who was left with 0 for 64 from just 3.1. Perversely, the most economical bowler on either side – Ashton Agar – did not deliver his full quota.Having been on the receiving end of untrammelled aggression from Guptill and Colin Munro, who struck six sixes of his own in making 76, Australia’s openers took the Spinal Tap route and turned the amps up to 11. Short’s first three boundaries all came off the edge of the bat – the first flying all the way over the rope at third man – and he might have been caught on 18 gloving a pull at Tim Southee, but Tim Seifert could not hold on one-handed down the leg side.Warner, whose run of poor form in white-ball cricket had extended 10 innings without a fifty, had 12 off seven balls when he twice latched on to Wheeler for leg-side sixes. Five wides over the keeper (among 20 extras down by the New Zealand attack) turned the fifth into a 22-run over, and Warner cleared the ropes two more times in the next as Australia equalled the Powerplay record of 91 in T20 internationals.A 20-ball fifty from Warner had clearly shaken New Zealand’s resolve, though he fell shortly after missing an attempted pull at Ish Sodhi’s googly. Chris Lynn struck one towering blow before being caught by Guptill – who had dropped him two overs before – but Short crashed two sixes and a four from his next four legitimate balls to keep Australia on track.Australia raised their 150 in the 12th over, just as New Zealand had. Short had not looked as imperious as Guptill but he was striking the ball ever-more cleanly; Glenn Maxwell, meanwhile, continued the theme of the night by hitting his second ball for six over long-on as New Zealand’s late-innings lull began to look ever-more costly. Something had to give and it turned out to be Wheeler.Having chosen to bat, and knowing that victory would make their final game against England an irrelevance, New Zealand set about the Australia attack with calculated fury. In the first match of the tri-series, New Zealand had limped to 117 for 9 at the SCG; back on home soil, they crossed that mark in the 11th over.Guptill flicked his first delivery for four and cleared the ropes for the first time in the second over, smoking Billy Stanlake down the ground. Munro took a little longer to find the boundary – two balls – and then, from a steady start, began to stage an exhibition of six-upmanship with his opening partner.Only one over in the Powerplay went for less than 10, as New Zealand piled up 67 without loss. Munro climbed into Agar with sixes in the seventh and ninth overs, bringing him up to parity with Guptill. It was the latter who reached his half-century first, from 30 balls, when he munched Short’s left-arm wrist spin – making its first appearance at international level – over long-on; Munro then got there in identical fashion, three balls faster, later in the same over.The 12th threatened to become a Tye-breaker when Munro hit the first three balls for six, but the bowler held his nerve to instead break the stand via a mistimed blow to long-on. Guptill maintained the tempo, clearing the ropes for the ninth time to bring up his hundred with 28 balls still remaining in the innings, but he was also removed by Tye as New Zealand lost power at a crucial juncture. Australia in with a chance? You’d better Adam and Eve it.

Manchester United have already made a couple of high-profile additions this summer but it would appear there is still more business to be done. Transfer insider Dean Jones has spoken to GIVEMESPORT about the possibility of a new defender arriving at Old Trafford before the transfer window slams shut.

Is this the man to replace Harry Maguire?

A large amount of the chatter surrounding Manchester United is regarding the future of Harry Maguire.

He no longer wears the captain’s armband for United and the chances of his future lying away from Old Trafford has been building and building.

Complications have arisen with his reported move to West Ham United and Fabrizio Romano has since said that “West Ham want Kostas Mavropanos as new centre back after Harry Maguire deal collapsed.”

Even though Maguire may well be staying put now, Erik ten Hag is on the hunt for another body at the back. As per the MailOnline, Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich is the man in question and he himself is actually pushing for a move to Manchester.

Social media had their say on Pavard’s recent Instagram comment, pointing out that it may well be the Frenchman showing his intent. He commented on Raphael Varane’s post following the former Real Madrid man’s winning goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Romano has since tweeted that “Pavard [is] pushing with Bayern to make the deal happen” as a result.

Pavard, who has been called an "underrated" player, started at right-back in the German giant’s defeat to RB Leipzig in the DFL Supercup so it’s not as if he is struggling for game time in the Bavarian region. Headlines were made by two players in that game as Harry Kane made his Bayern debut whilst Spaniard Dani Olmo netted a hat-trick to win it for Leipzig.

Bayern will begin their title defence against Werder Bremen on Friday night and so it will be fascinating to see if Pavard features in Thomas Tuchel’s matchday plans.

What is Dean Jones' update?

Transfer insider Dean Jones reveals the plans for Manchester United to GIVEMESPORT regarding the potential signing of a defender.

"They still want Maguire to come to a conclusion and move on. I think we've reached the stage where a centre-back – or at least a defender – is a high priority.

"They want to get someone in that squad that replaces Maguire in there. I think that Pavard seems to be the one that makes most sense to them at this stage, and they are pursuing it."

What else is going on at Manchester United?

As well as the potential addition of a defender, Ten Hag is keen to bring on board another midfielder as reported by The Guardian.

Their new goalkeeper who signed from Inter Milan may not be the only Onana at the club if the Dutch manager gets his wish with United targeting Everton’s Amadou Onana.

The Belgian is into the last year of his contract at Goodison Park and he is of a quality that shouldn’t be embroiled in yet another relegation fight.

Onana is still just 21 and so would be a signing for the present as well as the future, adding to the purchase of Mason Mount who of course arrived from Chelsea earlier in this window.

The medium-pacers helped pull things back for Comilla Victorians after Chittagong had put on 80 in eight overs, before Jos Buttler and Marlon Samuels helped them chase 144

The Report by Mohammad Isam07-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo’s celebrations were catchy as ever•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyComilla Victorians inflicted a collapse on Chittagong Vikings, before an efficient chase took them to an eight-wicket win. Mohammad Saifuddin and Dwayne Bravo starred with the ball for Comilla, before Jos Buttler scored 48 to help them chase 144.Chittagong would rue giving away a good start, having reached 91 for 1 in the 10th over, but hardly making any noise in the final half of the innings – making only 52 runs and losing six wickets.After Buttler had set up Comilla’s chase, Marlon Samuels and Imrul Kayes finished the job with efficiency as the Chittagong bowlers couldn’t quite force the issue.Soumya’s reverse-sweep headlines fast startLuke Ronchi had struck a six off the first ball of the third over but when Soumya timed his reverse-sweep to perfection, Comilla knew they were in trouble. The left-hander had been in woeful form for much of Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa, except for the two T20Is at the end.The switch-hit was followed by Ronchi striking Al-Amin Hossain for consecutive fours in the next over. He then went on to hit twin sixes off Dwayne Bravo, the first one a fantastic piece of timing despite being beaten by the slower ball. Soumya struck two more fours in the sixth over before Ronchi fell for 40 in the same over, having struck three sixes and four fours in his 21-ball knock.Dilshan Munaweera tried to keep up the pace while Comilla also erred in the field. Having dropped Ronchi when he was on nine in the second over, Al-Amin’s movement at deep midwicket was astounding as he didn’t get under a Soumya mis-hit. He signalled that it was the sun but he was wearing a cap; Bravo, the bowler, was unhappy. Chittagong reached 91 for 1 after 10 overs, with one eye on a 200-plus score.A stuttering collapseComilla’s fightback began in the 12th over, when Munaweera needlessly scooped one to Marlon Samuels at short fine leg. Saifuddin then got into the game with two consecutive wickets in the 14th over. Sarkar missed a paddle sweep to be bowled before Anamul Haque was caught at long-on for three. After three more wickets fell, Sikandar Raza struck two fours in the last over – there were three in the last 10 overs – to take them past the 140-mark.Buttler gets underwayLiton Das and Jos Buttler let fly from the second over of the 144-run chase, hitting a flurry of fours and sixes. Liton struck Shuvo for a four through the covers and a swept six over fine-leg. Taskin Ahmed was hit through point over mid-on for a four and six respectively by Buttler. Sunzamul Islam was given the triple treatment – a four through midwicket, a blast over long-on for a six and a chip over midwicket for another four.Subashis Roy trapped Liton leg-before in the fifth over, after which Buttler and Imrul Kayes added 57 runs for the second wicket. Buttler was caught behind off Subashis too, after making a 42-ball 48 with three fours and two sixes.A well-orchestrated finishSamuels and Kayes, didn’t allow any more hiccups in the Comilla chase, adding the remaining 44 runs in just 3.4 overs. Samuels struck four boundaries and a six in his unbeaten 18-ball 35, while Kayes struck a four and a six in his 31-ball 33. Comilla won with 16 balls to spare.What they said”Sometimes it happens when you have 80-odd runs and you are going ten an over, you starting thinking ahead to 200-plus. I think in the coming games we need to be very careful about that in the middle overs, even if we are playing a T20 game. We need to be sensible.”

The inaugural season of the GLT20, Cricket South Africa’s franchise T20 tournament, will not take place as scheduled in November and December

Firdose Moonda10-Oct-20172:06

The rise and fall of the T20 Global League

The inaugural season of Cricket South Africa’s T20 Global League, which was scheduled to begin on November 3, has been postponed to November 2018 instead.The franchises understood that the delay in securing a stable television broadcast deal and central rights sponsorship for the tournament were the main reasons for postponing the GLT20, the brainchild of former CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat who had parted ways with the board last month.SACA expresses “concern and disappointment”

The South African Cricketers Association has called for an “independent review” into what has caused the postponement of the T20 Global League.
“This has a very significant impact on a large number of local and overseas players, all of whom have signed contracts to play in the league,” Tony Irish, chief executive of SACA, said. “Some players turned down other opportunities in order to commit themselves to these contracts. We will be looking at all implications of this for players, including what compensation should be paid to them.”
“SACA is well aware of the fact that this will also affect various other groups including franchises, coaches and stadium owners. I think it will be necessary for CSA to appoint its own independent review into what has actually transpired here as there are significant implications across South African cricket.”

ESPNcricinfo learned that CSA had informed all the eight franchises of the decision over the past few days. “We have not come to this decision lightly,” CSA’s acting CEO Thabang Moroe said. “Having discussed it with all our stakeholders including the franchise owners, we believe that the interest of the league should be our first priority. We have re-assessed our strategy and believe that postponing the first edition of the T20 Global League to next year will serve us well. We will regroup and come back stronger and better.”With less than a month to go before kickoff, the event faced numerous logistical challenges, not least the inability to secure a broadcast deal or a title sponsor, resulting in hefty financial losses. Though local broadcaster SuperSport is understood to have been close to putting pen to paper, the deal was going to be worth much less than CSA anticipated.Last week, Moroe told reporters that CSA was bracing for a $25 million loss on the first edition of the tournament, which amounted to half of the organisation’s cash reserves. He also provided an assurance that the tournament would go ahead as planned.Moroe had taken over from Lorgat, who parted ways with CSA on September 28, after his relationship with the board became untenable. The board’s unhappiness with Lorgat’s methods of organisation of the T20 Global League was one of the reasons for his departure, but one of the GLT20 franchise owners told ESPNcricinfo that Lorgat’s absence had created “much bigger challenges” in putting the tournament together, because he was its driving force.”When you know that something is not right then you should not do it,” the owner said. “We are half-prepared and it will be a bigger disaster if we go this way.”There was no indication that any of the current owners, seven of whom are from overseas, would withdraw from the event. Moroe met with the franchise owners on at least one occasion and was confident they remained committed to putting the tournament together. However, the time-frame was too short to put together an event of the quality CSA and the owners wanted.The postponement of the GLT20 leaves an enormous gap in the South African cricket calendar. For six weeks in peak summer, neither the national team nor the domestic franchises will be in action because CSA had created space for the event. Zimbabwe are due to visit South Africa over Boxing Day for a four-day, day-night match that is awaiting Test status, which means that after Bangladesh’s tour ends on October 29, South Africans will not see any live home cricket until December 26, unless a contingency plan is made.

Everton will need to continue to strengthen this summer after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League last term, and Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho has been earmarked to bolster the attacking ranks.

What's the latest on Everton's move for Kelechi Iheanacho?

That's according to former editor-turned-scout Ignazio Genuardi, the Toffees are "active" on the case of the Nigerian striker after missing out on Almeria's El Bilal Toure, who is closing on a move to Atalanta.

Sean Dyche has already wrapped up moves for Ashley Young on a free transfer and Arnaut Danjuma on loan, and Iheanacho, who boasts a wealth of Premier League experience, could be another shrewd investment given his availability for just £10-15m following the Foxes' relegation.

Leeds United dynamo Wilfried Gnonto is also attracting attention, but the Whites have seemingly "closed the door" on his departure as they look to keep their most coveted attacking prospect tethered to Elland Road after relegation to the Championship.

Could Everton sign Kelechi Iheanacho?

Immediately, Iheanacho would offer something different for the Merseyside outfit in attack after a season that yielded fewer goals in the top-flight than all but Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the 26-year-old having scored eight goals and supplied five assists from just 13 starting appearances across all competitions.

Primarily a centre-forward, Iheanacho also finds success on the right wing, utilising his natural inclination to strike with his left foot to swerve in-field and bypass the opposing net, while also maintaining a creative flair that will no doubt have left Dyche eager to further negotiations.

Indeed, as per FBref, the £90k-per-week ace ranks among the top 2% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, which illustrates his dynamism and aptitude as a driving force, which strengthens the argument that he could find success marauding up the Goodison Park right flank.

While some may view him as an alternative to talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been decimated by injury issues over the past two seasons and missed 30 matches, Iheancho's arrival could actually be the genesis of a slick new strike partnership.

Calvert-Lewin, also aged 26, is an imposing 6 foot 2 menace who ranks among the top 8% of positional peers for aerials won per 90, and his most fruitful fortunes are found through his expertise in serving as a focal point in the attacking box and a conduit through which his squad's flow can be channelled.

Deploying Iheanacho's versatility beside him could prove to be the formula for success under Dyche's leadership, creating a dynamic balance to avoid the team stagnating.

Once praised as a "special talent" by pundit David Cottee, the 45-cap Nigerian could pay dividends for the Blues with his electric pace, direct and variegated approach when it comes to his attacking intent, and Premier League experience with both Leicester and Manchester City, having chalked up 70 direct contributions from 196 total appearances in the English top-flight.

And with Calvert-Lewin hoping to get back to his best to spearhead a desired resurgence, Iheanacho would be the perfect choice to ensure that the misfortune that has stained Goodison Park across recent years is irrevocably expunged.

India making the final was not a surprise. Pakistan was. But here they are and if they play like they did against England, the contest could be one for the ages

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando 17-Jun-2017Match factsJune 18, 2017
Start time 1030 local (0930GMT)Big pictureHow is it that we have got here? It seems surreal. In the age of skirting around stereotypes and upending norms, here comes a contest almost as old as partition itself: Pakistani bowling v Indian batting, and still, though we have all tasted this and read some version of this script, it doesn’t feel even slightly hackneyed, not even a little stale.How could it be? Australia might be the winningest outfit in the game, but are there two prouder cricket nations than India and Pakistan? Close your eyes. Bring to mind the players of yore. Waqar Younis and his yorkers, with tails like comets, making matchsticks out of the stumps; Mohammad Azharuddin, his flicks like brushwork, the ball teleporting through the leg side, reappearing so far into the distance you only knew it had arrived when it thwacked the boundary board. Here is Sachin Tendulkar tapping his bat, so poised, so zen at the crease; there blows Shoaib Akhtar like a hot wind, limbs whipping through that elastic action. An India v Pakistan match is not so much a new chapter in a rivalry, as a clash of cricketing bloodlines.And an elemental force has each side been in this tournament. India, sleeker now than they have been in previous decades, have overpowered oppositions to get to this final. Not since Australia in the last decade, has an ODI team looked quite so clinical, quite so bristling with purpose. They have a formula about their game too: start steady with the bat, surge through the middle, and finish big. With the ball: strangle up front, make incisions through the middle, and let the opposition innings bleed out. They stand now, muscles rippling, only once – against Sri Lanka – having had to break a sweat.Pakistan, meanwhile, have been the same old manic vortex: awful sometimes, amazing at others, transitioning from one to the other between matches, or within the same over – who knows how the mood will strike? While India are a knowable, quantifiable outfit, Pakistan’s strength is their imperviousness to any kind of rational breaking down of their game. How can you plan against that?Still, it is Pakistan who will have to spring the surprise here. They are the team that has to make the charge on Minas Tirith. It is up to them to gird up their strike power for the raid on the Death Star.At these global events, they have long been the race-car that goes from zero to a hundred quicker than anyone else, it’s just that sometimes, that is while tumbling off a side of a cliff.Form guideIndia WWLWL (completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWLWIn the spotlightNo one has quite lived out India’s dominance in the Champions Trophy, nor their appetite for the big events, like Shikhar Dhawan, whose 317 runs at an average of 79.25 (and a strike rate of 102), places him at the top of the run scorers’ list. Much like with his team, there is a brooding confidence in Dhawan’s game at the moment. He is resplendently unflustered by slow starts, backing himself to score quickly later on. So well-placed is India when he typically departs, that it’s not just that he has laid the foundation, he has helped complete most of the building. All that remains for the likes of MS Dhoni to do is stick a spire on the top, and run the flag up the pole.And who better embodies the campaign of what was the eighth-ranked team in the tournament than the man who was thought to be only the fourth-best quick in the squad. Hasan Ali has a hint of the old Pakistan sorcery about his bowling: the in his approach, the theatrical celebration, the wisps of reverse swing. With ten victims at an average of 17.20, and a wonderful economy rate of 4.52, he has the potential to be the pebble that jams up India’s cogs, and brings the machinery tumbling down.Team newsR Ashwin was seen with a heavily-taped right knee on the eve of the match, and had appeared to pull a muscle. He required the physiotherapist’s attention and was then seen doing short run ups followed by stretches later. If he is ruled unfit, Umesh Yadav, who took 3 for 30 in the opening match against Pakistan, may slot back into the XI. Such is the quality in India’s squad, that they can lose a player of Ashwin’s stature and still not be too badly dented by it.India (possible) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin/Umesh Yadav,10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Jasprit BumrahMohammad Amir has been ruled fit after missing the semi-final with a back spasm, meaning Rumman Raees is likely to exit the XI, despite his excellent debut.Pakistan (possible) 1 Azhar Ali, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Mohammad Amir, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid KhanPitch and conditionsA fresh pitch is being used for the match and appears mostly dry, so perhaps the track will favour batsmen and scores in excess of 300 are likely. The forecast is for a slightly cloudy, but mostly dry day, with temperatures reaching the high twenties.Stats and trivia Although Pakistan have an overall lead in the head-to-head stakes, having won 72 matches to India’s 52, they have lost eight of the 10 matches the teams have played in global tournaments. India have scored 1098 runs at a per-batsman average of 91.50 in the tournament, which makes them by a distance the best batting side on show. The next-best average is England’s 41.11 Pakistan’s 31 wickets are the most taken by any team in the Champions Trophy. Since that opening loss to India, they have taken 28 wickets at 23.78 and maintained an economy rate of 4.46.Three of India’s top-five average higher than 43 against Pakistan – Rohit Sharma (37.90) is the lone exception.Junaid Khan has taken eight wickets at an average of 21.50 in five matches against India. He has dismissed Kohli three times, and conceded only two runs to him.Quotes”I don’t see any relevance of the first game here because you can never tell how a particular team starts a tournament. Some teams start very confidently and then they fade off. Some teams might not have the best starts, and they come back amazingly, which Pakistan have done. So everyone is aware of the kind of talent they have in their team, and on their day they can beat any side in the world.”
“I said before the Edgbaston game [against India], that I thought they were really, really calm. But they’re very, very excited now, and there’s a hell of a good vibe in that dressing room. Let’s hope we can pull out our ‘A’ game again tomorrow. If we play our ‘A’ game together and do the basics well, we can beat anybody.”

Arsenal have been linked with Porto striker Mehdi Taremi; however, he is not 'on the radar' for the time being at the Emirates Stadium, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

How good is Mehdi Taremi and who has been linked with signing him?

Taremi is a player with a knack of finding the back of the net and enjoyed a masterful campaign for Porto last season, registering 31 goals and 14 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored take into account that Taremi was extremely consistent for the Portuguese giants in 2022/23, recording an average match rating of 7.47/10 in Liga Portugal alongside taking on 2.9 shots per game.

His clinical form in front of goal has attracted interest from the Premier League and O Jogo via TEAMtalk have reported that Arsenal and Manchester United among others are keen to secure the £29k-a-week ace's services in the off-season.

The Sun have picked up on a potential hint from Taremi's agent Borna Khoramdel, who is the CEO of Arvand Sport, that he could be on his way to join Manchester United following a post on Instagram that showed a picture of his representative at Old Trafford.

Sky Sport cite that AC Milan are big admirers of Taremi and claim that Porto have lowered their asking price for the Iran international to €20 million (£17.09 million) plus bonuses. Roma and Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal are said to be monitoring his situation.

Football Insider mooted back in April that Mikel Arteta could look to bring another striker to north London this window that possesses a different profile to current options Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, targeting a physical presence in the frontline.

Nevertheless, transfer insider Jones doesn't think that Arteta will move to bring in an alternative forward to add to his options in the final third.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones stated: "Yeah, I mean, Mehdi Taremi is suddenly being linked with a lot of clubs. Whenever that happens, I'm always a little bit cautious about whether he's just being touted around and what the meaning is behind it.

"I haven't heard too much on this one in terms of Arsenal's genuine interest. As far as I've been told, a forward of this sort of mould isn't really on the radar at this sort of time."

What else is going on at Arsenal this transfer window?

The Gunners have already already secured their first signing in the summer in the form of Kai Havertz, who has moved across London from Chelsea for a fee in the region of £65 million, as per Sky Sports.

West Ham United captain Declan Rice and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber have both underwent medicals at the club and will be officially announced this week, according to The Evening Standard.

Speaking to The Residency quoted by 90min, Arsenal midfielder Jorginho admitted that he has 'no idea' when both deals will be announced.

Southampton star Romeo Lavia is another midfielder that is under consideration from Arteta as he aims to bulk up his midfield, as per The Guardian, signifying that some exciting times may be in store at the Emirates in the next few weeks.

Leeds United are still without manager after falling from the Premier League this year, but that has not stopped rumours filtering through of the club's interest in Amad Diallo.

According to The Mirror, the Manchester United winger has emerged as an option for a loan move this summer with Wilfried Gnonto eyeing a departure from Elland Road after relegation from the Premier League.

The Championship outfit's soon-to-be-confirmed owners, the 49ers, will be targetting a swift return to the top-flight, and the Ivorian could hold the formula after a prolific loan spell with defeated Championship play-off semi-finalists Sunderland.

Signing for the Red Devils from Atalanta for a fee potentially rising to £37m in January 2021, the 20-year-old is certainly an unlikely candidate given the historic rivalry between the respective outfits but it could serve as a move to fit the interests of all parties.

How would Amad Diallo perform at Leeds?

The £29k-per-week winger has only made nine appearances for Manchester United since his arrival, scoring one goal and supplying one assist, and after an indifferent loan spell with Scottish giants Rangers, Diallo has found his feet in England's north east.

With Sunderland returning from the obscurity of the third tier last term, a stellar season is the only way to describe the job that Tony Mowbray did in mounting a promotion push, with the one-year deal for Diallo proving a masterstroke as the prodigious talent served as the offensive centrepiece.

Indeed, the three-cap gem scored 14 goals and supplied four assists from 43 matches across all competitions, including a goal against promoted Luton Town in the play-offs – his feats are even more impressive when noting that he blanked across his first eight matches in the Championship.

Earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.98 after complimenting his direct return with an 86% pass completion rate, averaging 1.8 shots and 1.1 key passes per game, Leeds would inject a "wizard" of a winger, as he has been called by journalist James Copley.

He could even emerge as Elland Road's next Raphinha, with the Brazilian "magician" – as he has been hailed by Dan James – departing the club for Barcelona for £55m last summer.

Like Diallo, Raphinha is an electric flanker with the capabilities to conjure up something out of nothing from the right wing, darting inside onto his favoured left foot to wreak havoc.

Indeed, for the Whites, he posted 17 goals and 12 assists across his two Premier League campaigns with the outfit, and given that he averaged 2.2 and 2.5 shots, and 2.1 and 1.9 key passes a game – as per WhoScored -across the two terms, it's clear that Diallo can match his presence in the second tier as Leeds target an instant return.

Perhaps their dynamic nature can be best compared via their dribble success. Both can beat an opponent with ease out wide, with Diallo registering 3.72 progressive carries per 90 in the last year to Raphinha's four per 90.

Blessed with trickery and speed to bamboozle any defender, such a signing would surely have fans at Elland Road standing to attention.

Diana Edulji, the former India women’s captain, knew she was in the reckoning for the panel as Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae, had asked if she would be interested in such a role

Arun Venugopal30-Jan-2017

In the afternoon, Diana Edulji had almost given up hope of anything definitive emerging from the Supreme Court hearing where a panel of administrators was due to be appointed. The former India women’s captain knew she was in the reckoning as Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae, had asked if she would be interested in such a role. But, while Edulji admitted to a tinge of expectation, the adjournment of last week’s hearing had made her “sceptical”. Now, she had seen no news of the hearing on television for nearly two hours and was going to turn it off when the phone rang.”I got a call from one of the channels congratulating me. I said, ‘There is no breaking news anywhere.’ Then suddenly, every channel started carrying the story one after the other,” Edulji told ESPNcricinfo. “Given the number of twists and turns this case has been taking, I was a little sceptical. This time also it [a decision] didn’t come up till 3.45 or 4pm. When the first time it didn’t happen [during the earlier hearing], I didn’t go deeper into it. I left it to God – if it is due for me, I will accept it. If it doesn’t come also, I am okay.”Edulji, who has played 20 Tests and 34 ODIs between 1976 and 1993, is the only cricketer on the four-member committee which also includes Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Ramachandra Guha, the historian and cricket writer, and Vikram Limaye, managing director and CEO of IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation). She is also a part of the four-member steering committee, led by former union home secretary GK Pillai, that has been tasked with the responsibility of setting up a players’ association.Edulji felt her presence in the interim committee of administrators was symbolic of what the Lodha reforms aimed to achieve. “It is a very good thing because what I have wanted [to do], now I am in a position to implement it, if that is the role that is given to us,” she said. “I first thought it was the steering committee and the players’ association, but this is a bigger and more prestigious role given, that I am the only player in India to be nominated by the Supreme Court. I hope I will live up to the expectations.”Edulji hadn’t spoken with her colleagues yet – “I don’t even have their numbers” – and wasn’t sure about the nature of her role with the terms of reference of the panel yet to be issued. While she was aware it wouldn’t be an easy job, she was confident her experience as sports officer in the Western Railways would serve her well.”I was administrating 40 games and 40 teams there. Right from the recruitment to the promotions, to the practice sessions, to the departmental tournaments, everything was looked after,” she said. “It was a huge job but a very satisfying job. Tomorrow [January 31], I complete one year of my retirement – so this is my third innings, I would say.”Edulji also said she was prepared to handle the mudslinging – a possible occupational hazard of being an administrator, even if on a short-term basis – that might come her way. “I am quite used to it,” she said, adding that she would rather work “amicably” and hoped to be a bridge between the old administration and the new era.It helped that former board secretary Ajay Shirke and veteran administrator Niranjan Shah were among the first people to congratulate her. “In fact all MCA [Mumbai Cricket Association] office-bearers rang me up,” she said. “I immediately left for MCA. I wanted to be with them at this moment, because they have been so nice with me.”I got a message from the [BCCI] CEO, Mr Rahul Johri, congratulating me and looking forward to working with me. That was a good sign also. Because I am the only player, it may just work out in my favour, [everybody] may co-operate with me.”