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Sri Lanka’s dominant series win against New Zealand has been one to savour not just for the way they won the second Test but also because it allows, even fleetingly, for them to ponder the prospect of a World Test Championship [WTC] final berth next year.As things stand Sri Lanka are placed third behind Australia and India on the WTC points table, but only 6.94 percentage points behind second-placed Australia, with a home tour against them to come in this cycle.Captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who has navigated Sri Lanka to their best year in Tests since 2006, is not getting too far ahead of himself. Before that Australia series, the next port of call for the Test side will be in South Africa in November-December.Related

• Jayasuriya takes charge: 'It's about confidence and trust, and a little bit of luck'

• Stats – Kamindu's dream start in Test cricket puts him alongside Bradman

• Kamindu adds another banger to his growing list of hits

• 'I didn't feel he was on debut' – Jayasuriya lauds Peiris for 'showing Test potential'

• Peiris, Jayasuriya crush New Zealand to hand Sri Lanka series sweep

“We’re only looking at it from one match to another,” Dhananjaya said when asked about his side’s WTC final prospects. “If you look too far ahead you can miss out on what’s immediately important.”It’s what I always tell the young players as well, if you do what’s required from one match to another, then what needs to happen in the points table will take care of itself.”Among those young players is Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya’s junior back in their school days at Richmond College who has fast become an integral part of the Test side.But despite that years-old connection, there was no room for sentiment when Dhananjaya called for a first-innings declaration with Kamindu 18 short of a maiden double century. Asked if he had been tempted to continue through till Kamindu reached the milestone, de Silva explained that it was not a decision he would take if it meant impacting the team negatively.”More than Kamindu’s double hundred, I wanted Kusal Mendis to get a hundred because he hadn’t scored one in quite some time,” he said. “But once we got to that point in the match, I think that was the best decision to take.”Kamindu, who sat beside his captain at the post-match press briefing, was quick to back up his skipper when questioned on the same.”We had put a big total on the board, even at lunch I had 136. So the plan even then was to score a little bit more and then put them into bat,” Kamindu said. “I think the decision was taken at the right time because we all know that in Galle batting in the last hour is quite difficult. And I think it’s because of that decision that we were able to bowl them out the following morning.”Nishan Peiris finished with nine wickets in his debut Test•AP

With two wickets picked up in the dying minutes of day two, Sri Lanka rolled New Zealand over for 88 on the third morning to all but guarantee the win. A bulk of the damage in the game was done by another youngster, Nishan Peiris.The 27-year-old offspinner who was making his debut ended up with nine wickets in a stellar first Test outing, and Dhananjaya revealed it was his particular skillset that bolstered the team following a hard-fought first Test.”Nishan had bowled really well in domestic cricket for quite some time, and what I had stressed on was to bring in a bowler that could keep the economy rate low, especially on a turning track,” Dhananjaya said. “That’s how you put pressure on the opposition, with Prabath [Jayasuriya] at the other end. And I think he did his job excellently in this game.”With six Test wins this year, Sri Lanka have moved up to fifth in the Test rankings. For Dhananjaya, this has been reward for the work the side has put in, and the bench strength they’ve developed.”I have been part of the side for six years and we’ve always wanted to come up in rankings but we tried and failed,” he said. “We just couldn’t get the right team makeup, but we have got it right now. And now we also have combinations that can work on any surface, both at home and overseas.”

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.”

This summer looks set to be a massive one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta told us as much in April, and considering his side finished a distant second place to Liverpool in the Premier League this season, it’s not hard to see why.

However, on top of bringing in some truly game-changing attackers to help push the club over the finish line at home and in the Champions League, the Gunners need to address other areas of the team.

For example, while Martin Zubimendi looks set to join, the midfield could still do with more rejuvenation, and based on recent reports, that might happen as the club circle an up-and-coming talent who could send Thomas Partey packing.

Arsenal transfer news

For some time this season, it looked as if Thomas Partey would be thanked for his service and allowed to leave at the expiration of his contract this month.

Transfer Focus

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

However, on April 23rd, The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke the news that talks had begun over a new deal that could see the former Atlético Madrid star remain in North London for two or more years.

Since then, there have been a few updates on the talks, but nothing definitive either way.

Interestingly, while talks are still going on, the club have now been linked to an exciting midfield talent who could be an ideal replacement for the 32-year-old: Lucien Agoumé.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are now very interested in the Sevilla star.

In fact, the report claims that Arteta, in particular, wants the club to sign the Frenchman, who has caught the eye of Manchester United as well.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but considering the £17k-per-week ace joined the Spanish side for €4m – £3.4m – last summer, there is a chance he wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Even so, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Agoumé, as he looks incredibly promising and someone who could make resigning Partey unnecessary.

How Agoumé compares to Partey

So then, if Arsenal are looking to sign Agoumé this summer and as a potential replacement for Partey, how do the pair stack up to one another?

Well, as they are both primarily defensive midfielders by trade, the best way to see what’s what is to take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.

Interestingly, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly, it’s the Sevilla gem, who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as a “10 out of 10 talent” who comes out on top when we do this.

Now, while the Gunners’ star does better in some areas, such as passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area and goal-creating actions per 90, he is a distant second in practically every other relevant statistic.

For example, the former Inter Milan gem comes out on top in things such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, tackles, blocks, interceptions, clearances, key passes, ball recoveries and many, many more, all per 90.

On top of all of that, the Yaoundé-born star also has a far better injury record, having missed just 16 games for club and country across his entire career.

In stark contrast, the Odumase Krobo-born titan has missed 81 games for club and country since the start of the 20/21 campaign.

Ultimately, Partey has been a great player for Arsenal and could well contribute for another year or two, but if there is an opportunity to sign Agoumé, the club have to take it, as he looks like the perfect midfielder to come in and replace the 32-year-old.

He's just like Saka: £68m winger is Tognozzi's dream target for Arsenal

The exciting wonderkid would be a superb addition to the Arsenal squad.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 13, 2025

Celtic are preparing for an exciting summer under Brendan Rodgers, though they may now be resigned to losing one of their most talented young prospects.

Celtic look forward to chance to complete domestic treble

Domestic trebles have become a speciality for the Hoops over recent years, and they will have a chance to complete another clean sweep against Aberdeen this weekend in the Scottish Cup final.

Rodgers was able to soak up the acclaim of supporters after witnessing his side lift the Scottish Premiership trophy last weekend. However, the Irishman knows there is still work to do before the champagne can really start to flow at Parkhead.

Speaking ahead of the clash, he said: “We’ve had some great performances and results against Aberdeen, but finals are finals.

“I enjoy the occasion, I enjoy the pressures of finals, but we can only really enjoy it if we go in with the right mentality, the right preparation and then we can see where it takes us.”

Coming to the end of a long season, Rodgers will already have one eye on the transfer market as Celtic prepare to strengthen on all fronts to put up another fight for silverware and European progression next term.

Rodgers has struck gold with Celtic star who's worth more than Kvistgaarden

Celtic have hit the jackpot with this star who is worth more than reported target Mathias Kvistgaarden.

1

By
Dan Emery

May 20, 2025

Blackburn Rovers star Tyrhys Dolan is a target for the Bhoys on a free transfer and could join Kieran Tierney in walking through the Parkhead entrance once the window opens.

Nevertheless, departures will also be expected to make room for new arrivals to settle into life in Glasgow, and one of the Hoops’ most prodigious stars could now be on his way out of the club, per recent developments.

Celtic gem Cummings spotted at West Ham's London Stadium

With his contract set to expire at Parkhead, Celtic striker Daniel Cummings was spotted at West Ham United’s London Stadium on Sunday, a stadium which is bigger than Parkhead, taking in their 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. It has been claimed that a move to the Irons looks imminent for the forward.

The Scotland Under-19 international has been in brilliant form for the Hoops’ B Team this campaign, registering 29 goals in 37 appearances, combining his first-team outings and exploits further down the ladder.

Commended for his “spectacular” finishing by The Young Team, he now appears poised to leave his boyhood club after months of no progress over a contract extension.

West Ham previously tried to sign Cummings on deadline day earlier this year, though they now look to have prevailed in their attempts to bring the clinical poacher to East London.

From a Celtic standpoint, losing another young talent is a sign of the limited pathway to the first team for homegrown stars, but most will acknowledge that this has been coming for a long time.

While they haven’t necessarily seen much success in the modern era, Tottenham Hotspur fans have been blessed with incredible players.

For example, for years, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were arguably the most dangerous duo in the entire Premier League.

Before that, it was Gareth Bale, Luka Modrić and Rafael van der Vaart who wowed fans on a weekly basis, yet for all the incredibly talented players just mentioned, none of them was able to deliver a moment quite as magical as a certain Lucas Moura.

The Brazilian winger might not have been the best player to grace N17, but he was undeniably talented, lively, and capable of producing here and there, and now it looks like the club might have found their new version of him.

Moura's Spurs' career

Moura joined Spurs from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018 for a fee of around £23m, which, looking back today, doesn’t seem unreasonable.

His first six months in North London were relatively unremarkable, as he was limited to just 457 minutes of first-team football across 11 appearances, although he was still able to score one goal and provide four assists.

However, it was the following season, the 18/19 campaign, that brought with it his finest moment in a Tottenham shirt and the moment that cemented his place in the club’s proud history.

In the Premier League, he did well enough, scoring ten goals and providing one assist in 32 games, but it was in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, away to Ajax, where he did something awe-inspiring.

The Lilywhites were already a goal down from the first leg, so when the hosts went in at halftime two-nil up, it felt as if the club’s European adventure had come to an unfortunate end.

However, Mauricio Pochettino must have given the team talk of his life, as Moura came out like a man possessed in the second half and scored a hat-trick, with the third goal coming in the 96th minute.

The former PSG gem would spend the following few seasons in and out of the team, eventually returning to Sao Paulo in August 2023 with a tally of 66 goal involvements in 221 games, but with the appreciation of the fanbase for that magical night in Amsterdam – and now it looks like the club have found their new Moura.

Spurs' new Moura

So, while Brennan Johnson has an eye for goal in him and Wilson Odobert has shown glimpses of something special, neither player could be considered Spurs’ new Moura.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That title belongs to Mathys Tel, and there are a few reasons for this.

The first is the simple fact that, like the Brazilian, he arrived at Tottenham in January from a massive European club where he was struggling for game-time, this time Bayern Munich.

On top of that, the youngster arrived with quite a bit of hype around him, with journalist Graeme Bailey revealing that Spurs themselves were describing him as “a generational talent.”

That might sound hyperbolic, but in their defence, the “mind-blowing” attacker, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored ten goals and provided six assists in just 1406 minutes of first-team football last season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 87.87 minutes.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

Finally, like the former Lilywhites star, the Sarcelles-born dynamo is incredibly direct, rapid and capable of making things happen on his own, and had the team been on song against Nottingham Forest on Monday night, he could have easily picked up a couple of assists, as he played five key passes and created one big chance.

Ultimately, while it’s still early on in his career, and there is even a chance they don’t sign him permanently in the summer, Tel looks to be an exciting prospect and someone who could become Spurs’ new Moura.

However, fans might be hoping he can produce magical moments on a more consistent basis than the Brazilian did.

One of his poorest-ever displays: 5/10 Spurs dud was worse than Richarlison

Spurs suffered yet another Premier League defeat, this time at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 22, 2025

Everton are nine games unbeaten in the Premier League. Nine. David Moyes lost his opener against Aston Villa after replacing the beleaguered Sean Dyche, but the progress has been otherwise breathtaking.

This Toffees team is a far cry from the previous version, refashioned only a few months ago with just Charly Alcaraz welcomed from the transfer gates in January.

If the 15th-placed club are to compete at a higher level over the coming years, it’s important that the market is well utilised. What Everton need is a superstar signing, comparatively speaking.

Well, The Friedkin Group certainly have a shock move lined up. You need only look over to Anfield Road to find this player’s signature.

Everton lining up move for Liverpool star

According to recent reports, via The Mirror, Everton are weighing up a move for Liverpool talent Ben Doak in what would be a shocking transfer. Doak has excelled on loan at Middlesbrough this season and Moyes is thoroughly impressed.

The Toffees are preparing to test the waters with a £25m offer, which falls into a similar ballpark as bids from Bournemouth and Crystal Palace back in January, both rebuffed by the Reds.

Dealings between the Merseyside rivals have been sparse in modern times. In fact, Abel Xavier is the last player to transfer directly between the two teams, joining Liverpool from Everton in 2002.

Everton could land their next Wayne Rooney

Let’s be honest, this would be as difficult a deal to orchestrate as any. However, saying that, Liverpool have been open to selling Doak in recent months and their ostensible interest in Jarrad Branthwaite suggests negotiations could be somewhat amenable.

And Doak would be worth the effort. Only 19, the Scotland winger has dazzled through the maiden years of his career, so brisk and powerful and purposeful down the right flank.

On that note, with Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom’s loans at Goodison Park wrapping up this summer, the urgency for a fresh right flanker is doubly important.

Across 24 Championship appearances this term (21 starts), he’s scored three goals and assisted seven more, leading former Scotland manager Craig Levein to say: “This kid could be a world-class player.”

Few teenagers carry themselves with such swagger and potency, but Doak’s certainly one of them. Moyes knows a thing or two about developing exciting prospects – he handed Wayne Rooney his professional debut, after all.

Rooney: scorer of great goals, leader of men. He’s one of the greatest footballers to do it in the Premier League, behind only Alan Shearer and Harry Kane in the division’s all-time scoring charts (with 208 goals).

Any youngster compared to the retired Three Lions captain is worth their salt, and Doak has indeed been claimed to have a stylistic semblance to Rooney, with his agent, Jackie McNamara, actually labelling him “a Scottish Wayne Rooney.”

His electric pace, his strong-limbed bursts into the danger area, do carry a hint of the former Premier League star, with Doak’s metrics from the 2024/25 campaign highlighting his barrelling style.

Goals scored

0.15

Top 69%

Assists

0.35

Top 9%

Shot-creating actions

4.15

Top 30%

Pass completion

79.1%

Top 21%

Progressive passes

2.83

Top 65%

Progressive carries

6.78

Top 1%

Successful take-ons

1.77

Top 24%

Everton need such a player, and Moyes has shown in the past that he has the tactical nous to bring the best out of such a youngster’s talent.

Now, it boils down to Liverpool and Everton’s ability to negotiate. It won’t be easy, but this could be quite the deal if pulled off.

A dream for Branthwaite: Everton will have £25m bid accepted for Mina 2.0

Everton are planning to strengthen in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 31, 2025

T20 franchises won’t be too bothered by his middling T20 numbers as long as he brings genuine pace, left-arm angle, height and swing

Sidharth Monga22-Mar-2024When Mitchell Starc runs in at Eden Gardens on Saturday and lets the ball go for the first time in an IPL match since 2015, it will cost his franchise upwards of INR 6 lakh (approx. US $7,200). It’s the cost of every legal ball that Starc delivers, assuming he bowls his four overs in every game, plays every match, and that Kolkata Knight Riders play 17 games. If you look at cold numbers, you might call this a big gamble.Since the start of the T20 World Cup in 2022, Starc has played just two T20 matches outside World Cups in one-and-a-half years. The last time he was available for a T20 World Cup match, Starc was dropped by Australia. Outside his replacement Kane Richardson, Starc was Australia’s most expensive frontline bowler at that World Cup at home in 2022.The last time Starc played T20s outside international cricket, he was representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL in the year 2015. Since that game, Starc has conceded 8.14 runs an over across all T20s, as against his overall career economy of 7.47. His average in the intervening period, meanwhile, has been 25.53 versus a career average of 19.74. And during the same period, Starc has gone at 9.62 runs an over in the death overs – his career economy in that phase is 8.74 – which ended up becoming the reason for his being dropped during the World Cup in 2022.Related

• Starc gets back into T20 groove ahead of World Cup

• Australians at IPL: Green's WC bid, Starc returns, Langer at Lucknow

• 'Harden the f*** up' – Stern words that led to Starc's durability

• 'Nothing I could've imagined' – Starc reacts to becoming costliest IPL buy

And yet, Starc is one of the most sought-after players at the IPL. Only seven players made more than Starc’s INR 5 crore in the 2014 auction, the first time he played in the IPL. RCB retained him, and that yielded 20 wickets in the next IPL. Injury and workload management kept him away in 2016 and 2017, but in 2018, only five players attracted higher bids than the INR 9.4 crore Starc got from KKR. Injuries, preference to ODIs and Tests, and other personal reasons kept Starc away from the IPL since then until he came back for this season as the most expensive player bought at an auction ever: for INR 24.75 crore (approx. US $2.97m).Even if you set aside the idiosyncrasies of auctions, Starc’s appeal to the IPL has been constant and universal. In throwing big money at Starc, the IPL teams show they appreciate two things about T20 cricket: that bowlers have limited agency, and that potential trumps non-recent form. In a crunched format with ten wickets still available, it becomes even more important to separate actions from results when assessing bowlers in particular.When it comes to Starc, the IPL doesn’t see his numbers from the five matches he plays every year on an average. What it instead sees is the genuine pace, the left-arm angle, the height, the ability to swing the ball, and that he is an absolute great in the other two formats. There is also acknowledgement that it is easier for longer-format specialists to adjust to T20 than the other way around.This year will see just the 28th IPL match for Mitchell Starc•BCCIThere is not a substantial amount of cause you can establish for Starc’s middling numbers in T20s. Yes, the new ball swings less, and there is hardly any reverse, but that is true for all bowlers. Starc’s handicap perhaps is his smooth action, which makes for spotting the ball sooner than irregular actions, thus making his pace appear lesser to the batter than what the speed gun registers. Still, if he can consistently stay north of 145kph, it is a big asset in the IPL regardless of the smoothness and the orthodoxy of his action.Evidently, we have precious little to go by. Starc has hardly ever played a tournament for long enough for proper analysis or match-ups to develop, or for him to make alterations against certain players and come back. On Saturday in Kolkata, Starc will begin addressing one of the anomalies of our times when he goes up against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the side led by Pat Cummins, another great fast bowler in other formats, and who also happens to be the second-most expensive buy at an IPL auction ever.This year will see just the 28th IPL match for Starc; he has played fewer in the BBL, and none in any other league.Not only is Starc fit and available and ready for a full IPL season, but he will also get on the ride to try to correct his own numbers and reputation in T20s. The last time he was left out by Australia, Starc said he had some “pretty strong” feelings about the decision, and he had let his team management know. Now comes the IPL and the T20 World Cup hot on its heels, where he can actually demonstrate why he shouldn’t have been left out.

As captain, he is showing the ability to hit out as well as safely play out certain bowlers in the same innings

Sidharth Monga14-Apr-20224:30

Manjrekar: ‘Hardik stayed in the moment this innings and it paid off’

Hardik Pandya scored 50 off 42 in Gujarat Titans’ last match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Yash Jha tweeted an insightful stat after the innings. Pandya was the latest in the line of maverick India batters who had started to play “responsibly” the moment he was given captaincy. In their first season as an IPL captain, each of these batters’ strike rates took a big dip from their last two seasons. Pandya’s was the biggest: from 151.67 to 122.6.Of course, it is not just the captaincy. The structure of the Titans squad is such that Pandya is the main middle-order batter. In just four matches this season, Pandya had faced more balls in the first 10 overs than he has in any of the eight IPL seasons he has taken part in. There was a role to be performed, and Pandya was showing he could play that role. But in the process, were we losing what made Pandya special, especially the power-hitting that struck fear in the hearts of the bowlers?Related

Super Kings vs Titans, the IPL's humble pie derby

Hardik brings the thrill as Titans top table

Three days on, though, Pandya showed batting responsibly doesn’t necessarily mean batting slowly. Walking in at 15 for 2 in the third over, Pandya scored an unbeaten 87 off 52 while others scored 86 off 52 when he was at the wicket. ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats valued Pandya’s innings at 100.42 smart runs.While Pandya’s earlier role in Mumbai Indians of maximising the 10-15 balls he used to get carried its own challenges, these longer innings ask a wider set of questions. Pandya’s responses were deliberate. He went after Kuldeep Sen but played out the first few exchanges against Yuzvendra Chahal – brought on to bowl the fourth over just for Pandya – and R Ashwin.Pandya came in with a strike rate of 104 and 100 against Chahal and Ashwin, and it didn’t take long to see why. Pandya enjoys a much better strike rate against pace than spin – 160 compared to 129 – but Chahal and Ashwin bowled just the right lines and lengths to Pandya. Neither of them gave him room nor did they pitch it in the slot. Pandya kept respecting them until it came down to the last six overs.”I am not used to batting this long,” Pandya told Star Sports when collecting his Player-of-the-Match award. “It is two games in a row that I have batted 15 and 17 overs. But I like it. It gives me time. I can calculate and take the right risks. I think in the last game it didn’t come off how I wanted but today I made sure that I had a sense of approach where I was ready to take on bowlers.”

“Batting at No. 4 gives me time to rightly calculate and take down certain bowlers and certain overs”Pandya on his new role

The intent, as Pandya said, was much better in this game, which could have to do with realising how difficult it can be for the death-overs specialists if those batting long don’t take the bowling on. Asked of the thought process behind taking on the No. 4 role, Pandya said: “It allows other players to play freely and not take too much pressure. I have been in the situation many times where I have taken on the bigger role which is to come in at the death and hit a 12-ball 30. I find it very difficult but because of that experience, batting at No. 4 gives me time to rightly calculate and take down certain bowlers and certain overs.”Thanks to this innings, Pandya’s numbers are looking much better for the season: an average of 76 at a strike rate of 137. He will still know that the strike rate needs to go further north even if it is at the expense of that lofty average. That balance is not easy to master especially in your first season in this role, but Pandya has made a start to getting back to the shape where he had made a case for himself just as a specialist batter in limited-overs internationals.In a press conference after a team selection, talking about Pandya’s mysterious fitness status, a journalist asked – rather told – the chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma that Pandya doesn’t play any domestic cricket and if he performs half-decently in the IPL, he will be right back in the World Cup side at the expense of other allrounders who are working hard. Chetan’s response was along these lines: do not speak on our behalf and conclude it is so easy for Pandya to get back in.However, if Pandya continues to bat the way he is, showing both the ability to hit out and play out certain bowlers in the same innings, forget Chetan, even the lovers of domestic cricket might have to concede. Plus his bowling fitness is a bonus. And, he confirmed the discomfort on the night was just cramps.

Meet the teenage Warwickshire player who might end up as one of the fastest bowlers in the women’s game

Valkerie Baynes21-Mar-2020Issy Wong doesn’t just make solving a Rubik’s Cube in a matter of seconds easy, she makes it like the simplest thing in the world too.When a spectator at last year’s Kia Super League Finals Day was spotted with a Cube – that 3-D puzzle that ranks alongside Pac-Man and Space Invaders as the quintessential icon of a 1980s childhood well spent – someone in the Southern Vipers’ dugout dropped their team-mate right in the spotlight: “You should see Wongy, she can do it in 30 seconds.”So there she was, a teenager who had barely played a handful of games for the Vipers, on live TV, reeling her way through a complex puzzle as her team cheered her on. For the record, she solved it in 33 seconds, smashing her previous personal best of 35.

Just 33 seconds!

17-year old Isabelle Wong was speedsolving the Rubik's Cube during #KSLFinalsDay

: @ECB_cricket pic.twitter.com/SQKIJSxtgb

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 2, 2019

“I think we can call that performing on the big stage,” Wong says with a laugh. “I was the most nervous I’ve ever been, I was shaking like a leaf in the wind.”Asked how she does it, she responds with the most astute of analogies.”With most things, if you know what you’re looking for, it becomes a lot clearer, so there’s certain patterns, certain things you can look for, and once you see that, that’s almost like a trigger for the next pattern of moves,” she says. “Like in cricket, if you see a half-volley outside your off stump, you know the next step is a cover drive. It’s almost the same thing but on a much smaller scale.”Wong is not just quick with a puzzle in her hand. Put a cricket ball in it and she is seriously rapid too. She hovers around the 70mph mark at the age of just 17, and has her sights set on going much faster.”It’s obviously a long way off at the moment, but the 80-clicks mark has never been hit by a girl yet, so it’s certainly an ambition of mine over the next few years,” she says. “Hopefully I can keep getting stronger, keep getting quicker. I just want to keep going, and that’s in the back of my mind.”Clever, ambitious and precociously talented, Wong has created quite the buzz among some high-profile peers, and the excitable chatter accompanying her emergence on the elite scene has been recognised with a call-up to play for Birmingham Phoenix in the Women’s Hundred.Tony Marsh/CricpixThere, presuming the tournament goes ahead despite the current uncertainty over what impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on the English season, Wong will be captained by New Zealand captain Sophie Devine.”Issy Wong is a name that really stands out for me,” Devine says. “I’ve heard a lot of her name thrown around the last year or two. Any bowler that can bowl at some decent clicks is certainly going to catch your eye over a lot of people.”Word of mouth is that she hits the deck hard and hurries batters up, which I think is a really exciting thing in the women’s game.”We’re seeing a lot more of it now – bowlers bowling with real pace. And she’s certainly going to offer something slightly different for us in having that extra pace. She’s obviously a pretty smart cricketer as well, so there’s lots to work with there.”Born in London to English parents – her father has Chinese heritage – Wong acknowledges the cricketing traditions of her mother’s native Yorkshire, but her only real connection with the sport lies with her grandfather “who played a bit when he was younger”.”When I was in trouble and it was a bit awkward, I always used to say, ‘So Grandad, how’s the cricket going?’ to change the topic,” she says. “But apart from that no one in my family really played.”The Wongs moved to Warwickshire when Issy was five, and she started playing the game at an after-school club. One of the coaches suggested she join her local club, which she did around the age of seven and from there she joined Warwickshire.Progressing through the county’s youth pathway, she was part of the Warwickshire women’s side that lifted the county T20 trophy last year, and then she was named in the England Women’s Academy squad.Now in her final year at Shrewsbury School, where she became the first girl to play for the 1st XI in 2019, Wong plans to delay going to university so that she can focus entirely on cricket for a few years “and see where that could take me”.Paul Greetham, Warwickshire’s high-performance manager, describes Wong as a “major success story” of the county age-group system.”From a very early age she had this obvious desire to bowl quicker than anybody else, particularly, and as her batting’s developed, she’s learnt she can hit the ball quite a long way as well, so she’s always had a bit of X-factor about her, and always shown a high level of ambition without coming across as arrogant or cocky,” Greetham says.Tony Marsh/Cricpix”I can remember as a 12- or 13-year-old she was stating that she wanted to be the fastest women’s bowler ever. She’s always had that about her.”The other thing that I think sort of set her apart is that she always seemed very comfortable playing amongst boys, and she wasn’t just satisfied with playing alongside them, she wanted to beat them. I’ve always admired that about her.”A smooth run-up and energetic attack on the crease, combined with a good technical bowling action, lend Wong the speed that has so many people talking about her, but Greetham believes desire plays a big part too.”Not everybody’s got that,” he says. “She still is a developing athlete. I genuinely think she can get close to 80 miles an hour at some point, and I don’t think there has been a female seamer that has reached those heights. She’s got that ambition to do it. “Bowling aside, at this early stage of her career there is still the prospect of Wong developing into an allrounder given the enjoyment she derives from hitting the ball a long way and her lack of inhibition when it comes to hitting in the air.”My batting is, um, hit and miss, I’d say,” Wong says. “When it comes off, it’s, I think the word is ‘entertaining’. I’m certainly more of a bowler, but looking to keep developing my batting and hopefully develop into an allrounder as I get older.”Greetham believes her batting can reach a high level. “I think she’s better than a lower-order batter,” he says. “I think she could develop into definitely a middle-order batter, there’s no two ways about that. She’s got enough about her and she loves batting as well.”Should the English season get underway in some form or other, and the inaugural Hundred goes ahead as planned, Wong will have the opportunity to expand her cricketing education among some of the best in the business.”It will be a big step for her in terms of who she’ll be playing with or against,” Greetham says. “Any 18-year-old would be relatively inexperienced, but the thing that she won’t be is daunted. She’ll just see it as another game of cricket and one that she wants to have an impact upon.”It seems Issy Wong is making something of an impact on the game as a whole already.

Liverpool's title defence lays in tatters after a woeful run of six defeats in 14 matches leaving them ninth in the Premier League table and Reds captain Virgil van Dijk has taken aim at the club’s senior players, saying none of them can take their place in the starting XI for granted. Mo Salah has had to sit out the start of Liverpool’s last two games and has been warned his performances must improve.

Reds suffer early season struggles

Liverpool have suffered seven defeats in their last ten matches across all competitions, a run that included a demoralising 4-1 Champions League home loss to PSV and a 3-0 League Cup elimination to Crystal Palace. A major focal point of their struggles is the performances of talisman Salah. Last season, he was Player of the Year, with 29 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League, but during this campaign, the 33-year-old has managed just four goals and two assists in 13 league appearances. His dip in form, coupled with a change in his role under boss Arne Slot, has led to him being dropped from the starting line-up for the recent games against West Ham and Sunderland. He looks a shadow of his former self, struggling with his finishing and overall impact, which reflects the team's wider problems and lack of cohesion. 

And while captain Van Dijk believes Salah will remain an important figure for the club, he has urged the Egyptian icon to raise his game. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportVan Dijk: 'I need him around as one of the leaders'

Van Dijk said: "It's not like you have unlimited credit, everyone has to perform. Mo has been doing that but the manager made that decision in the last two games. We all want the best for the club. I am pretty sure Mo will still be a big part of what we are trying to achieve because he is an amazing player and he has shown it consistently. But we are all trying to find consistency and he needs us to be in our best shape and we need him and that's what we are all trying to find."

He added: "He is still a fantastic player and we still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that. I need him around as one of the leaders. I'm not worried. He's disappointed but that's absolutely normal as if you're not disappointed when you're not playing two games in a row then there is an issue as well."

Positive signs for Salah

While Salah has started on the bench for the Reds' last two fixtures, his Dutch boss has hinted he could be re-introduced for the match against Leeds on Saturday. Speaking to the press, Slot said: "I think for every player in my mind can start and Mo is an exceptional player for us. He is always in my mind to either start or to come (off the bench). The chatter, yes (I understand it) because he deserves that, he has been so influential for me for six or seven years. It's completely normal for people to talk about it when he isn't (playing)."

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Getty Images SportTough test awaits at Elland Road

Liverpool face Leeds on Saturday evening with the hosts buoyed by the performance and 3-1 result against Chelsea in the week. And the Reds’ recent away record is woeful, having lost seven of their last 11 on the road. And, speaking ahead of the match, Slot said: "Leeds went very aggressive in one-v-one (against Chelsea) and then a low block to stop chances. It is difficult for us that style, and many other teams. We saw them coming back from two down to Manchester City, Phil Foden made the difference with a moment of magic there and against Chelsea Leeds were very strong. What to expect is what we have faced in many other games."