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Everton are now “ready” to make an offer for a “complete” player this summer, according to a fresh claim from journalist Sebastien Vidal.

Everton pushing for signings from Spain and Portugal

The Blues know the importance of getting further transfer business over the line before their return to Premier League action, in order to be a top-half team again, rather than looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone.

Some exciting names are being linked with summer moves to Everton, including Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo, who has been likened to Lionel Messi, in terms of his style of play. A new right-sided player is needed, and he could be the ideal addition for David Moyes, with contact already made over a potential move to the club.

Added midfield depth is also important for the Blues, with a dominant force needed in front of the defence, and Benfica’s Florentino Luis has been mentioned as an option.

Everton are said to have enquired about the availability of the Portuguese ace, as have Burnley and Leeds United, but they will reportedly have to pay around £22m to prise him away from the Primeira Liga giants.

Everton "ready" bid for £38m starlet

Now, according to a new update from Vidal on X, Everton are preparing a £38m offer for Como winger Assane Diao, looking to beat Nottingham Forest to his signature this summer.

At just 19, Diao is far from the finished article as a footballer, but that doesn’t mean that Everton shouldn’t be going all in on him ahead of the new season.

The Como ace has already scored eight goals in just 15 appearances for his current club, with such ruthless end product rare for teenage wide players. He also has two caps to his name for Senegal, having switched his allegiances from Spain, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “complete” player.

Diao is at his most comfortable on the left wing, so he could come in as a strong backup option to the influential Iliman Ndiaye, but his versatility means he can also shine on the right flank, which is a more pressing area to add quality for Everton, hence the interest in Kubo.

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Hopefully, the Blues are successful in their imminent bid for the Senegalese, with the Como starlet having the ability to grow into a formidable option for Moyes over time.

Ireland were bowled out for just 132 inside 32 overs

Abhimanyu Bose02-Oct-2024

South Africa 271 for 9 (Rickelton 91, Stubbs 79, Adair 4-50, Young 3-45) beat Ireland 132 (Dockrell 21, Williams 4-32, Fortuin 2-28, Ngidi 2-35) by 139 runs Career-best ODI scores from Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs respectively and career-best List A figures of 4-32 from Lizaad Williams helped South Africa crush Ireland by 139 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Rickelton and Stubbs put on a 152-run partnership in the middle of two mini-collapses to help South Africa get to 271 before Williams’ three-for in an eight-over opening spell left Ireland five down inside 14 overs. Ireland eventually only got to 132.South Africa got off to a watchful start, with Rickelton doing a majority of the scoring early on. He cut Mark Adair through point for a boundary off the first ball of the match before hitting a couple of cover drives off Graham Hume and Adair.In between, Hume induced the outside edge from him but was dropped by wicketkeeper Stephen Doheny.But Adair got the breakthrough in the seventh over, when he changed tactics and banged one in short. Tony de Zorzi got a top edge as he looked to pull and was taken at deep backward square.Temba Bavuma was then given out lbw first ball as a length ball jagged in from outside off, but was reprieved as he reviewed and ball-tracking showed the ball going over middle stump.But it was short-lived relief for the South African captain, as Craig Young got another inducker to beat his defence and crash into the stumps.Two wickets in two overs became three in three as Adair ended his first spell by getting Rassie van der Dussen to edge to second slip.Once the first powerplay ended, spin came in and that led to more chances. Stubbs tried to reverse-sweep Andy Mcbrine but hit it straight to short third where Craig Young shelled a catch in the seventeenth over. One ball later, Rickelton lofted debutant legspinner Gavin Hoey down the ground and just cleared long-on, who was standing a few yards inside the ropes and had to track back.Hume came back into the attack in the 22nd over, and was launched over long-on by Stubbs as he brought up a half-century stand with Rickelton.Rickelton brought up his maiden ODI half-century off 74 balls in the 26th over and immediately put his foot down on the accelerator.Hoey bowled a couple of half-volleys and Rickelton first lofted him down the ground before slog-sweeping him over midwicket. When Hoey shortened his length, Rickelton adjusted to steer it past the wicketkeeper for a boundary in what was an 18-run over.Stubbs brought up a 62-run fifty in the next over, before Rickelton slapped Campher through backward point for another boundary to bring up the century stand. While the first fifty runs of their partnership took 73 balls, they took just 39 balls to get the next fifty.Stubbs then came down the ground to Craig Young for a six over long-on that brought up 150 for South Africa in the 30th over, before Hoey was swept behind square by Rickelton next over.Even as Stubbs hit McBrine and Adair for boundaries, that was the last one Rickelton hit. After facing ten balls without a boundary, Rickelton tried to go after a full and wide delivery from McBrine but ended up dragging the ball on, falling nine runs short of a maiden ODI century.File photo: Lizaad Williams ended with 4 for 32•ICC via Getty Images

That dismissal sparked another mini-collapse as Adair combined with Balbirnie for two wickets in his next two overs. Stubbs pulled the fast bowler to Balbirnie at short midwicket before Phehlukwayo was done in by a slower ball and ended up spooning it short cover.A slower ball brought about another wicket as Wiaan Mulder was early in his attempt to pull Young and holed out at deep midwicket.Young then had his third when Williams skied his pull to deep midwicket, as South Africa lost five wickets for 38 runs.Bjorn Fortuin took South Africa past 250 as he hit Young for two boundaries before pulling Hume to midwicket for a 34-ball 28. Ngidi then hit a four and a six to take South Africa to 271.Ngidi continued giving South Africa momentum when the chase began, as he got Paul Stirling to chop on.Balbirnie and Curtis Campher then rebuilt for Ireland, adding 35 runs including top-edged sixes from both batters, before Williams drew an inside edge from Balbirnie that hit the stumps.Harry Tector brought out two gorgeous drives, one through point and one down the ground, off consecutive balls from Williams before he was trapped in front next ball.Williams then got one to stop on Campher, who was early into a shot and ended up offering a simple catch to cover.Debutant Ottneil Baartman then had his maiden ODI wicket when he got one to jag in and go through Doheny’s defence. George Dockrell and Adair hung around before the latter got a feather edge off Ngidi in the 21st over.Four overs later, Dockrell chopped on off Mulder before Fortuin trapped Hoey in front next over to ensure all of South Africa’s bowlers got on the wickets column.Williams returned to complete his quota and bounced McBrine out in his final over before Fortuin had Hume caught at mid-off to wrap up the win.

Availability of Matthew Breetzke still to be determined by CSA

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2024

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.”

Arsenal have a massive season ahead of them.

After all, they finished second in the Premier League for the third time on the bounce last season, and there is only so much time Mikel Arteta will have to bring the glory days back to the Emirates.

The good news is that the board seem intent on giving him all the help they can in the transfer window this summer, with a host of brilliant players already touted for a move to N5, like Eberechi Eze.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, Arsenal are now closing in on a deal to sign an international star who would be an even more exciting addition to the team than the Englishman.

Arsenal move to sign a new goalscorer

It was last week that stories linking Arsenal to Eze began to appear, but it was over the weekend that things supposedly accelerated in a meaningful way.

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According to reports from Monday, the Gunners had held talks with the Crystal Palace star’s camp, and, according to Fabrizio Romano, he’s now more than open to a move to the Emirates.

The 27-year-old has a release clause in his current deal widely reported to be worth around £68m, but even at that price, he could still be worth going all out for.

Yet, it appears as if the North Londoners are now making serious progress in their attempts to sign someone who’d be an even more exciting addition: Viktor Gyokeres.

According to a recent report from Belgium, Arsenal are now in “advanced talks” with Sporting CP over the Swedish international, and feel like they are near the “final line” of the deal.

Moreover, it has been revealed that the club and player have already agreed personal terms.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this week claimed that a fee in the region of £69m could be enough to seal the deal.

It’s a lot of money to spend on one player, but given Gyokeres’ recent record, it could prove to be more than worth it, and he could end up being a far more exciting signing than Eze.

Why Gyokeres would be more exciting than Eze

While there are so many different things to enjoy in football, from a well-timed tackle to a wonderful ball over the top, there is one thing that excites fans more than anything else: goals.

When it really comes down to it, what supporters want to see above all else is their team putting the ball in the back of the net, and when it comes to that, there seem to be few, if any, better than Gyokeres.

It’s this reason why his arrival would be more thrilling than Eze’s, as he’s been a lean, mean goalscoring machine over the last two years.

Gyokeres’ recent form

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

50

52

Minutes

4169′

4248′

Goals

43

54

Assists

15

13

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.87′

63.40′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in his first campaign with Sporting, the “ball-striking monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 43 goals and provided 15 assists in 50 appearances, totalling 4169 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 71.87 minutes.

Then, somehow, he managed to do even better last season, scoring 54 goals and providing 13 assists in 52 appearances, totalling 4248 minutes, which comes out to a simply sensational average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes.

In contrast, Eze has scored 48 goals and provided 28 assists in the 167 appearances he’s made for Crystal Palace since joining them in 2020.

Ultimately, it is a little simplistic, but sometimes football can be an extraordinarily simple game, and based on the sheer weight of goals he’s scored in recent seasons, we can’t imagine many, if any, players being a more exciting signing for Arsenal than Gyokeres would be.

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Celtic have already brought in one left-back as Greg Taylor edges closer to the exit door and could be set to recruit another if recent reports are to be believed.

Celtic star Greg Taylor set to leave after Kieran Tierney arrival

Making a start to the window that has created plenty of headlines, Celtic announced Kieran Tierney’s arrival on a free transfer from Arsenal after finding an agreement to bring the Scotland international home in January.

In light of this, long-serving defender Greg Taylor appears to be on the move to PAOK on a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. Should he depart under freedom of contract, that will leave the Bhoys in need of another left-back this summer.

The question then becomes, who could become a realistic competitor to Tierney? According to reports, Sassuolo star Josh Doig is being tracked by Celtic and may be on the move back to Scotland after starting his career at Hibernian.

There is also the prospect of a youth player such as Matthew Anderson or Mitchel Frame coming in to fill the void. If that scenario arises, B team manager Stephen McManus believes there is no better role model than Kieran Tierney at Parkhead for young stars to look up to.

He explained: “Kieran’s coming back at the age that he’s at, his full career’s ahead of him. For the national team, for us as a club, it’s tremendous.

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“It’s given everybody a real boost and for the younger lads it’s another role model that we’ve got to look up to.”

Supporters are eagerly anticipating movement on incomings and there could now be potential for Celtic to land a Scottish Premiership star if reports are to be believed.

Celtic in James Penrice scouting mission

According to The Daily Record, Celtic have ran scouting checks on Heart of Midlothian left-back James Penrice and could look to strike on the market for the former Partick Thistle man in their hunt for a competitor to lock horns with Tierney.

Although their watchful eye isn’t to be mistaken for something more, it does show that Rodgers and company are doing their due diligence on potential targets to strengthen their backline.

James Penrice in Scottish Premiership action – 2024/25 (FBRef)

Chances created

56

Successful crosses

69

Successful dribbles

21

Tackles won

48

Recoveries

116

Labelled “outstanding” by Neil Critchley, Penrice registered two goals and seven assists in 40 appearances across all competitions last term as Hearts narrowly missed out on a top-six finish.

Nevertheless, with Derek McInnes now at the helm, it remains to be seen whether the ex-Kilmarnock boss would be willing to part ways with one of his prize assets.

Hearts and Celtic don’t share a great deal of rapport on and off the pitch, so it would likely take a significant fee to tempt the Jambos into letting Penrice leave Tynecastle for a divisional rival.

Celtic are already building towards next season and could see plenty of movement in both directions once the summer window comes around at Parkhead.

Celtic begin to make inroads in the transfer market

While Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed another remarkably successful season at Parkhead, the Irishman still has the small factor of focusing on winning a domestic treble before fully looking ahead to 2025/26.

After claiming the Scottish Premiership title, Premier Sports Cup and putting on a brave showing in the Champions League, he will hope his side have demonstrated more than enough appeal to prospective summer recruits.

Recently, Celtic have been linked with a move for Heart of Midlothian forward James Wilson. The Scotland international has enjoyed a breakout campaign at Tynecastle, though it remains to be seen whether he would be given first-team guarantees in Glasgow.

Sarpsborg star Sondre Ørjasæter has been on the Hoops’ radar since January, suggesting that bolstering the ranks from middle to front could be a key priority for Rodgers. Nevertheless, there will also be a number of departures to clear the decks for fresh blood to enter the fold, even if Celtic are likely to fight hard to hold on to key stars.

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ByBen Gray May 2, 2025

Daizen Maeda is attracting reported interest from Liverpool and Arsenal, signifying that high-profile sides may be casting an eye over a number of Hoops men ahead of next season. Now, further information has emerged regarding who could become Celtic’s early casualties and four players are now set to head through the exit door once their contracts expire.

Celtic set to part ways with four starlets this summer

According to The Daily Record, Celtic are set to part ways with Daniel Cummings, Joe Morrison, Alasdair Davidson and Lewis Dobbie, with the latter three not being retained by the Scottish champions.

Notably, Cummings has previously been offered a new contract by the Bhoys, but the Scotland Under-21 international has been frequently linked with a move to West Ham United after the Hammers saw a £500,000 bid turned down for the striker in January.

Celtic’s four departing youngsters in 2024/25

Daniel Cummings

Appearances: 37

Goals: 29

Assists: 0

Lewis Dobbie

Appearances: 26

Goals: 13

Assists: 0

Alasdair Davidson

Appearances: 10

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

Joe Morrison

Appearances: 12

Clean sheets: 6

Goals conceded: 10

Seemingly, any efforts from Celtic to try and retain the prolific forward have fallen on deaf ears, and it remains to be seen whether a move to the London Stadium becomes a likely prospect in the summer months.

While there is an appetite from supporters to witness their academy system produce more talent for the first-team, it appears that none of the quartet mentioned will be household names at Parkhead.

Instead, they will focus on finding a steady path to senior involvement elsewhere, leaving Lennoxtown bosses to work with their existing pool of options.

Chelsea are now ready to launch a £51m offer for an “unplayable” Premier League forward, according to a report.

Blues looking to bolster attacking options

Enzo Maresca will be pleased that Cole Palmer managed to get back among the goals on Sunday afternoon, with the attacking midfielder ending his drought and bagging his 15th Premier League goal of the season.

However, the manager may feel he is a little short on top-quality attacking options, given that Nicolas Jackson has scored just 10 league goals, and signing a new striker is on the agenda in the summer transfer window.

The Blues have now stepped up their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, making an approach to sign the England international, while they are also in the race for the likes of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap and Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha.

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Delap is an intriguing option, having outscored Jackson despite playing for already-relegated Ipswich, but an even more prolific striker is now in the west Londoners’ sights.

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now ready to launch a €60m (£51m) offer for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who has caught the eye of Stamford Bridge chiefs with his impressive performances in the Premier League this season.

There is a belief that Mbeumo would be an ideal fit in Maresca’s frontline, having already proven himself in the Premier League, and the Blues are willing to spend big to ensure they win the race for his signature.

It is unclear whether Brentford would be willing to accept an offer in that region, but negotiations could accelerate over the next few weeks, and it is looking increasingly likely that a move across the capital could be on the cards.

"Unplayable" Mbeumo could be upgrade on Jackson

Jackson has spent time on the treatment table this season, but a return of just 10 goals is still below par, so it is no surprise the Blues are looking to bring in an upgrade this summer, and there are plenty of indications the Brentford star could fit the bill.

The France-born forward has been prolific in front of goal this season, picking up 18 goals and six assists, and his performances have impressed manager Thomas Frank, who lauded the forward as “unplayable” back in December.

The Cameroonian, who has 6 goals in 22 caps for his nation, has predominantly featured at right-wing for the Bees, but he has featured through the middle on a number of occasions, scoring while playing at striker in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge back in December.

Regardless of whether Mbeumo is brought in to play out wide or as a centre-forward, there is every indication that he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, and a fee of around £51m seems reasonable, given that he is only 25-years-old.

With Liverpool looking as though they’re set to claim the Premier League title this season, Arne Slot has the chance to build on his first-season success next year.

The Reds have only lost two matches in the league to date, showcasing how impressive they have been during the Dutchman’s debut year at the helm after taking over from Jürgen Klopp.

Any chances of building on their success have been given a major boost after the news that Mohamed Salah signed a new two-year deal on Merseyside earlier today.

With the Egyptian set to continue at Anfield, the 46-year-old can turn his attention to the transfer market, targeting players who could allow for further success in the years ahead.

Slot’s wasted no time in identifying talents to add to his already impressive squad, making moves to land a player who could massively strengthen one department of the pitch.

Liverpool plotting summer move for talented attacker

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool have completed their scouting and are leading the race for Feyenoord’s talented winger Igor Paixao this summer.

The 24-year-old has registered 14 goals and 13 assists within his 41 appearances throughout 2024/25, with six of his contributions coming within the Champions League.

Despite the interest, they face strong competition from fellow Premier League side Arsenal and Serie A duo Atalanta and Napoli, with Slot needing to pull out all the stops to win the race for his signature.

The report also states that the Brazilian could be tempted by a move to England’s top flight, with a real belief that he has all the tools to be a leading talent in the division.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for Paixao would set the Reds back this summer, he would be a superb addition – potentially being the club’s best left-winger since one star departed.

Why Paixao could be Liverpool’s best LW since Mane

Sadio Mané joined Liverpool in a £34m deal from Southampton back in the summer of 2016, with the Senegalese international thriving beyond all imagination during his time at Anfield.

The now-33-year-old registered a total of 269 appearances during his six-year stint at the club, notching 120 goals – helping them claim four major honours during his spell on Merseyside.

He was part of a phenomenal front three along with Salah and Roberto Firmino, with the trio undoubtedly being the key reason behind the success they endured under Klopp.

However, Mane would leave for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, with Luis Diaz subsequently having the responsibility of filling the void left by the fan-favourite.

Whilst the Colombian has impressed at times, he’s struggled to produce his best performance levels on a consistent basis, as seen by his tally of 10 goals in 30 league matches throughout 2024/25.

When comparing the 28-year-old’s stats with Paixao from the ongoing season, the Feyenoord star has massively outperformed him in numerous key areas – further showing why he’d be the Reds’ best left-winger since Mane.

The Brazilian, who’s been labelled “explosive” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has managed to register more combined goals and assists this season, whilst also registering more shots per 90 – showcasing his attacking qualities in the final third.

Games played

28

30

Goals & assists

21

15

Shots taken

2.2

2

Through balls completed

0.2

0.01

Tackles won

1.7

1.2

Crosses completed

3.1

0.7

Aerials won

50%

46%

He’s also completed more crosses and won more of the aerials he’s entered this campaign, offering Slot a more all-around presence than Diaz – having the tools to thrive should he move to Anfield.

Given the stats produced compared to the Colombian, it’s evident that he would be an upgrade on him, subsequently being the best forward since Mane, given the fact Diaz has been the man to fill the void.

Should Paixao reach anywhere near the levels achieved by the former Southampton ace on Merseyside, he would be a phenomenal addition, handing Slot the chance to build on his early success at the club.

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With the summer transfer window approaching, Aston Villa now reportedly lead the race to sign a Champions League striker who would cost them just over £33m in the coming months.

Aston Villa set to finally replace Duran

If those in the Midland believed that Unai Emery’s attacking options were too good to be true at the start of the season then they were quickly proven right in the January transfer window. The Villans were spoilt for choice with both Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran – both of whom were in excellent form in the opening stages of the season – but it was not a luxury that the latter appreciated.

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Often forced to perform in cameo roles as Emery’s super sub, Duran headed for the exit door in January, swapping the Midlands for Saudi Arabia and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side. And whilst since then Marco Asensio has joined Marcus Rashford to add more firepower to their frontline, Villa need a permanent solution away from their loan deals.

With money still to burn from Duran’s sale, a fresh attacking option could be on the cards given recent links to previous target Joao Felix and now another Serie A star.

According to TeamTalk, Aston Villa are now leading the race to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus this summer ahead of their Premier League rivals. The Serbian striker has gradually fallen down the pecking order in Turn and new manager Igor Tudor has now reportedly been told to hand him game time in an attempt to maximise his value.

As things stand, Vlahovic is worth just €40m (£33.5m) in what would hand Villa the chance to land an undeniable bargain. Emery has already helped both Asensio and Rashford rediscover their best form and could now take a gamble on Vlahovic before doing the same next season.

"Amazing" Vlahovic needs Aston Villa move

Villa Park is the place to be for struggling stars to rediscover their golden touch and that may not be any different for Vlahovic. It’s worth noting that, even amid criticism as Juventus, the Serbia international has still scored 14 goals in all competitions in a record that could only improve given that he’s just 25 years old.

It wasn’t so long ago that the forward found himself at the centre of praise either, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing the Juventus man as “simply an amazing centre-forward when fully fit” midway through last season.

Juventus already made one mistake by letting Dean Huijsen leave for the Premier League last summer, before watching the defender thrive at Bournemouth. Now, a year on, Villa could take full advantage of their exit door swinging open once again as Vlahovic desperately seeks the chance to get back to his best.

He also became the first spinner to bag six wickets in the first session on day one

Sampath Bandarupalli25-Jan-20255 Noman Ali became only the fifth bowler to take a hat-trick for Pakistan in men’s Tests and the first spinner to do so. Wasim Akram took a hat-trick in consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka in 1999, while Abdul Razzaq in 2000 and Mohammad Sami in 2002 also took hat-tricks against the same opponents. The last hat-trick by a Pakistan bowler was taken by Naseem Shah against Bangladesh in 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Wickets taken by Noman before Lunch on Saturday. He is only the sixth bowler to take six or more wickets in the opening session of a men’s Test. He is the first spinner to bag six wickets in the first session on day one.He is also the first Pakistan bowler to achieve the feat, as only Abrar Ahmed took a five-wicket haul (On debut against England in 2022) previously before lunch on the first day’s play.38y 110d Noman’s age on Saturday, making him the second oldest to claim a hat-trick in men’s Tests. Rangana Herath was 38 years and 139 days old when he took a hat-trick against Australia in 2016.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Number of instances of a team’s top three individual scores coming from their No.s 9, 10 and 11 in a men’s Test innings: both by West Indies in the ongoing series against Pakistan.Jomel Warrican (31* at No. 10), Jayden Seales (22 at No. 11), and Gudakesh Motie (19 at No. 9) were the top contributors in West Indies’ first innings in the first Test, while Motie (55 at No. 9), Warrican (36* at No. 11) and Kemar Roach (25 at No. 10) did the same on Saturday.Related

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5 Consecutive Test matches with a five-wicket haul for Noman. Only Sydney Barnes, Charlie Turner and Alec Bedser had a longer streak than Noman, with five-fors in six successive Tests, while Yasir Shah also took five-wicket hauls in five consecutive matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd41.72 Percentage of West Indies’ first innings total in Multan contributed by their tenth wicket partnership. It is the second highest for West Indies in men’s Tests, behind the 50% by Kemar Roach and Miguel Cummins, who added 50 out of 100 all-out against India in 2019.6 Bowlers to take a hat-trick before lunch on the first day of a men’s Test, including Noman. All the previous five bowlers were pacers only, with the last one being Irfan Pathan against Pakistan in the 2006 Karachi Test.