أعرب لاعب ريال مدريد وروما السابق عن استيائه بسبب العنصرية التي يتعرض لها أصحاب البشرة السمراء في مهنة تدريب كرة القدم.
وقال خوليو بابتيستا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” عن وصوله إلى روما في نفس يوم وفاة رئيس النادي: “أحيانًا يبدو أن روما لا تتذكر إلا الأخطاء، لا الأحداث الجانبية، حملت نعشه إلى جانب توتي، رأيته يبكي وفهمت ما يعنيه هذا النادي لجماهيره، لم أرَ مثله من قبل”.
وعن المعاناة التي عاشها البرازيلي تحت قيادة رانييري على العكس تمامًا ما كان عليه مع سباليتي: “لقد شعرت بالخيانة، كنت ألعب بشكل جيد مع البرازيل لكنني لم أكن ضمن خطط روما”.
وأكمل: “لم يخبرني رانييري بأي شيء أبدًا، غادرت لأنني كنت بحاجة إلى أن أشعر وكأنني لاعب كرة قدم من جديد”.
وأضاف: “قيل الكثير من الهراء عني، تحدث الكثيرون دون معرفة أين تكون الحقيقة، كانت فترة صعبة وبدلًا من أن أتلقى الدعم تعرضت للسخرية”.
اقرأ أيضًا | حكم مباراة برشلونة وإلتشي في الدوري الإسباني
وكشف: “قدمت أداءً رائعًا في روما لكن البعض يفضل التركيز على الجانب السلبي فقط، في إشبيلية كنت بمثابة دبابة، لقد سجلت 47 هدفًا وحصلت على لقب الوحش”.
واستطرد: “ثم جئت إلى ريال مدريد وآرسنال، وتلك المباراة التي لا تُنسى في أنفيلد أمام ليفربول والتي سجلت فيها أربعة أهداف وسط تصفيق حار من الجمهور، كانت تلك الليلة ساحرة”.
واسترسل: “كنت على وشك الانضمام إلى إنتر ميلان بقيادة مورينيو، في النهاية لم يحدث ذلك، وتعاقدوا مع شنايدر، ربما كان هذا هو سبب فشلي في دوري أبطال أوروبا”.
وعن حلمه بتدريب أحد الفرق الكبرى في كرة القدم، أتم: “اليوم وأنا في الثالثة والأربعين من عمري، لا أعرف ما سبب ابتعادي عن التدريب لكن كم مدربًا أسودًا ترى في الدوريات الخمس الكبرى؟ لا أرى الكثير، أود أن أعتقد أنها مجرد صدفة لكن للأسف، لا أعتقد ذلك، الفرص قليلة لنا للغاية، آمل أن أكون الشخص الذي يعكس هذا التفكير، أنا لا أعرف اليأس”.
Kuldeep was introduced as late as the 11th over, and bowled three wicketless overs for 27 runs
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-20253:06
Ganga; Kuldeep not finishing his overs a missed opportunity
In Delhi Capitals’ (DC) 14-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday, their captain Axar Patel used only three overs of Kuldeep Yadav, India’s premier wristspinner. Not only did DC not use spin in the powerplay, but Kuldeep was introduced as late as the 11th over. KKR eventually posted 79 for 1 in the powerplay, and that platform helped them post 204 for 9, a score that proved to be good enough on the night.Daren Ganga, the former West Indies captain, said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out that Kuldeep is a bowler who must finish his quota every game. He also said that using Kuldeep as a wicket-taking option in the powerplay could have slowed KKR down, and was a gamble worth taking with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane going hard at the other DC bowlers.”Kuldeep not finishing his spell to me was a bit of a missed opportunity,” Ganga said. “When you have a bowler like Kuldeep, regardless of the day he’s having, I’d like to see him exhaust his full complement of overs. That is something he [Axar] could’ve looked at – bowling Kuldeep’s one over earlier on, and then bowling three overs in the middle. That could’ve changed proceedings and probably informed how the other spinners would go on that surface.Related
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“I was having a conversation about teams and their reluctance to use conventional wristspinners in the powerplay phase. To me, if you’re trying to control a phase by taking wickets, that’s an option for you. And then if you know you have an issue with your bowlers not penetrating opposition batters, then I think it is worth a gamble for you to use, at least one over of wristspin in that phase.”Kuldeep finally entered the attack as DC’s sixth bowler, delivering the 11th, 13th, and 15th overs and finishing with figures of 0 for 27. But by then, KKR had already built a strong platform, and even a few hiccups couldn’t derail their momentum. Wasim Jaffer labelled it “strange tactics” not to use Kuldeep up front when DC were clearly in need of a breakthrough while Ambati Rayudu pointed to Kuldeep’s recent success against left-hand batters and said he could have troubled Narine.”Especially today when KKR batsmen were going great guns, I felt they should’ve brought a spinner on for sure. Kuldeep is a wicket-taker and he’s been bowling brilliantly to left-handers of late,” Rayudu said. “He’s been getting the dip now, which wasn’t there in his bowling earlier, and he’s not afraid to bowl googlies to left-handers, and he’s been getting wickets off googlies.”3:56
‘Axar should back himself to bowl in powerplay’
‘Axar could have bowled in the powerplay too’Kuldeep wasn’t DC’s only spin option. Vipraj Nigam was brought on in the seventh over, while Axar bowled four overs on the trot from the eighth to the 14th. Despite being effective, Axar too did not bowl in the powerplay, a surprising decision considering his performance in the powerplay in the previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).”I think [Axar could’ve bowled] definitely for an over at least,” Rayudu said. “They were going after pace and you had to slow things down, not only time-wise but also in terms of giving pace to the batsmen. I felt they missed a little trick there.”Axar has also become a much, much better bowler. He bowls the under-cutter, which he bowls to left-handers that goes away. And he has that height where he never bowls too full. I think he definitely should have bowled in the powerplay.”Jaffer served a reminder that Axar dismissed left-handers Jacob Bethell and Devdutt Padikkal against RCB too, nullifying the left-arm spinner to left-hand batter worry that some teams have.”I think he should have used at least one over himself, considering in the last game he got two wickets off left-handers,” Jaffer said. “[Not bowling] against Nicholas Pooran you would understand since Pooran is a different beast altogether, but against all other [left-handed] batters, he should back himself.”Ganga, meanwhile, acknowledged the captain’s dilemma when choosing between backing himself or deploying other bowlers. He said that Dushmantha Chameera’s recent inclusion might have influenced Axar’s choices. Still, he felt captains need to show greater conviction.”If the surface was offering a bit more turn, it might’ve prompted him to bowl in the powerplay phase,” Ganga said. “There are also times, as a captain, you find yourself between a rock and a hard place with you putting yourself as an option compared to using other options.”Chameera has been brought in recently to join this DC side. His USP is bowling in the first and last phase, so he was given an opportunity to, but at times, you have to be more determined, take the game by its horns and back yourself. I think we overrate match-ups, sometimes, bowlers can still trouble batters’ inside edge as well. I think at times captains can be a bit more enterprising and use that option.”
دافع النجم المصري السابق، محمد أبو تريكة، محلل قنوات “بي إن سبورتس”، عن نجم ليفربول محمد صلاح، قائد منتخب مصر، بعد الهجوم عليه بسبب سوء مستواه هذا الموسم.
ويعاني محمد صلاح هذا الموسم من تراجع في مستواه، خاصة المعدل التهديفي، على عكس الموسم الماضي، ما أثار تواجد الكثير من الانتقادات له.
ويستعد الفريق الأول لكرة بنادي ليفربول لمواجهة مانشستر يونايتد، اليوم الأحد، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي “الممتاز”.
ويستضيف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة الريدز أمام مانشستر يونايتد في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.
وقال تريكة، في تصريحات خلال الاستوديو التحليلي لمباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد: “صلاح كعبه عالي على الفرق الـ6 الكبار في الدوري الإنجليزي، وأقول لجماهير ليفربول ألا يمتلكوا ذاكرة السمك لأن صلاح هو من جلب دوري الموسم الماضي بمفرده”.
اقرأ أيضًا | تشكيل ليفربول أمام مانشستر يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح
وأكمل: “صلاح ليس مشكلة بل هو جزء من الحل، أما عن كوكوريلا فهو يقول إن ماريسكا أخبر اللاعبين بأن يهاجموا الجبهة اليُمنى لأن صلاح لا يعود للدفاع، في حين أنه لا يعود منذ الموسم الماضي الذي توج به مع ليفربول بالبطولة وكان هداف الدوري”.
واستطرد: “هل هناك فرصة لمحمد صلاح للعودة للتألق ؟ حتى وإن لم يعد للتألق فإن تاريخه يسمح له بذلك، قُلت قبل ذلك إن اللاعب إذا قدم موسم استثنائيًا فلن يقدم نفس المستوى في الموسم الذي يليه، لكن صلاح يبقى صلاح”.
وأضاف: “حتى إذا لم يحقق نفس مردود الموسم الماضي، فإن الجماهير دائمًا تنتظر اللاعبين الكبار في المباريات الكبيرة من أجل الحسم، صلاح ليس لديه شيء لإثباته، أقول له (إلعب يا نجم وعيش حياتك)، الفريق لديه نجوم كثيرين وصفقات قُدرت بحوالي نصف مليار، أين هم؟”.
وأتم أبو تريكة: “لاعب ظل 7 أو 8 مواسم يصنع الفارق مع الفريق وهو الآن 33 عامًا، يأخذ موسم راحة وزملائه من الصفقات الجديدة هم من يساعدونه، وإذا لم يصنع أي شيء هذا الموسم سيظل هو محمد صلاح”.
Racking up frequent flyer miles no excuse for South Africa, captain Temba Bavuma says
Danyal Rasool04-Mar-20253:30
Bavuma: ‘A good show between the two bowling attacks on offer’
It begins with a bit of football. The players stand in a circle keeping the ball up, excitement building as the rally lengthens. Then, a slightly wayward tee-up from one of the players puts Tabraiz Shamsi in a tricky spot. The eye test suggests he’s one of the less technically gifted football players; the rally is destined to end there. Soon after, the group disbands, and the South Africans begin to get into position for a conventional cricket training session.With a quick turnaround and a flight back from Dubai, New Zealand did not put their bowlers through much of a workload, Mitchell Santner saying New Zealand just needed to make sure they were ready. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma sees the bowling battle between the two sides as pivotal.”New Zealand’s bowling is formidable. Quite a disciplined bowling attack,” Bavuma said. “Up front, the guys with the new ball don’t give you much to score from. You’ve got to be decisive as an opening batter. And then in the middle, you’ve got guys again who are able to squeeze the game and force you to make mistakes. We know as batters we’re going to have to work hard. We’re going to have to bat ourselves into a position where we can make the play against them.”Related
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Bavuma’s respect is borne out by the numbers. Aside from India, who played their games at the less scoring-friendly Dubai, no team has sent down more dot balls this tournament than New Zealand, and none of them boasts a tighter economy rate. For games played in Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, three of the top four bowlers to have produced dot balls are from New Zealand – Michael Bracewell, Will O’Rourke and Mitchell Santner.Bavuma, though, rates his own bowlers highly, too. “We’re also quite confident in our bowling. It’ll be a good show on offer between the two bowling attacks. I don’t think there’s a lot between them.”Unlike New Zealand’s bowlers, though, South Africa’s went through a full workload, training later than usual, between 7pm and 10pm on the eve of the game.1:41
Santner: Our bowling combination won’t change too much for semi-final
Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder went through extended periods of bowling. Kagiso Rabada’s workload was lighter as he largely confined himself to fielding drills and the odd spurt. South Africa, after all, flew from Karachi to Dubai on Sunday in case they needed to play the first semi-final, only to fly right back to Lahore on Monday when it emerged they would play the second semi-final.Bavuma said it couldn’t be an excuse for his side, though. “Logistically, things could have been more efficient,” he said. “Having said that, the boys did enjoy the time to gallivant in Dubai. Some of the boys played some golf, some went sightseeing. So it was a bit enjoyable, some of them used the time to recover. Guys made use of it as best as they could.”Three weeks ago, these two sides played a game in Lahore that could not be further removed in terms of importance. It was the second game of the tri-series, a day game starting on a cold February morning. It was a flat surface, with a second-string South Africa side posting 304 before an unbeaten century from Kane Williamson, who has “always been a thorn”, guided New Zealand to a comfortable win.2:26
Kumble: South Africa have a slight edge over New Zealand
Bavuma said the differing stakes and circumstances of that game did not mean there was nothing to pick up from it. “It gave us a look at that New Zealand team,” he said. “That team we played against – I don’t think it’ll be too far to what they’ll put out tomorrow. We have different members, obviously. I guess there’s a difference there. When we played, it was a good wicket, but the last game here, between Australia and Afghanistan, the ball swung quite a bit.”Rabada and Mulder stand for catching practice under the lights, sharing a joke and a laugh. Ryan Rickelton whips Jansen into the on side; he looks the best batter in the practice session, the sound of the middle of his bat hypnotically echoing into the void of the empty stadium.Dale Steyn, in Lahore as a broadcast commentator, briefly goes to the practice pitches and has a chat with a couple of players. It is, as Jansen says, “just another game”, and South Africa are trying their best to treat it as just another training session.These two sides, full of golden talents but achingly missing silverware, know better than most that yearning for glory does not guarantee it. So Rabada takes a sharp catch, Rickelton creams one back down the ground, and Jansen bowls at full pelt. And then they do it all over again. As South Africa and New Zealand always do.
Ashleigh Gardner was relieved to not be stuck in the 90s for too long on the way to an “emotional” maiden international century which put Australia on the brink of retaining the Ashes.Gardner’s previous highest score for Australia was 93, made in a T20I against India in 2020, and in Hobart she became just the second women’s batter to score an ODI century from No. 6 or lower in the order.In the 45th over, Gardner was on 90 and facing Nat Sciver-Brunt when the England allrounder pushed consecutive balls down the leg side which Gardner was able to take advantage of, with a single off the final delivery of the over leaving her on 99 against Lauren Bell. One dot followed before she pulled Bell through square leg.Related
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“Because I haven’t made many hundreds throughout my whole cricketing life I had a feeling that I would get really nervous in the 90s,” Gardner said. “Thankfully for me, Nat bowled a couple down the leg and I was able to get those away to the boundary and race through the 90s.”The rest just fell in place and I was able to get to that milestone. It’s certainly something that I can be really proud of. I’ve played a lot of international games and haven’t quite made that mark…to be able to reach that was pretty emotional, but it was pretty cool to tick off.”Gardner had walked in with Australia tottering on 59 for 4 but was able to stitch together partnerships of 95 with Beth Mooney and a defining 103 from 83 balls with Tahlia McGrath before the innings was capped off by George Wareham’s 12-ball 38.Gardner made a conscious effort to try and put pressure on England’s leading spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, who she scored 24 off 29 balls against in what became Ecclestone second-most expensive return in ODIs.”For me and Moons, it was just to build a partnership and to ease the nerves a little bit and calm people down,” Gardner said. “The conversations just kept being around putting pressure back on them. I know for me, batting in those types of situations, you can go back in your shell.”For me that doesn’t really work because then I go too far the other way, so I still try to be really proactive. I tried to put pressure back on Ecclestone, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I guess it made her change something, and that was what I was trying to do.”The messages were kind of the same with T-Mac [McGrath]. That was probably the best I’ve seen T-Mac bat in a very long time. She just took a lot of pressure off me. I didn’t feel like because I was the one in that I had to keep going as hard.”Gardner put an exclamation mark on her performance with a spectacular parried boundary catch late in England’s innings to remove Ecclestone.Ash Gardner took a spectacular juggling catch on the rope•Getty Images
“I was probably off the rope too many steps, knowing that she hits the ball pretty hard and far,” she said. “After the initial catch, it was [about] trying to get my momentum to basically not fall over the rope. It was just one of those things where instinct kicks in and you throw the ball back and hope that you can catch it on the rebound.”I made a bit of a meal of it in the end, and I’m sure people will probably say that I put a bit of mayo on it. I didn’t mean for it to be caught that way, but I’ll take it.”Winning the ODI series has ticked plenty of early boxes for Australia and leaves them needing just two more points to retain the Ashes but with the memories of 2023, when 6-0 became an 8-8 draw, there is a determination not to be in that position again.”I know there was sort of redemption after the white-ball series that we played last time in the [last] Ashes. We weren’t up to it,” Gardner said. “I think the standard that we’ve shown throughout today was probably the most clinical batting performance that we’ve put out there. We’ve played on some tricky wickets, so it’s really exposed us at different times and being able to overcome that.”Knowing that we’re going into the T20s, which I think probably is England’s best format, being able to take confidence in what we’ve done in these last three ODIs into that first T20, I’d imagine England probably don’t have as much confidence as what we do, so we should really relish in that.”Having seen 59 for 4 turn into over 300, England still had a chance at 200 for 4, needing 109 from 80 balls, but when Danni Wyatt-Hodge was superbly caught Phoebe Litchfield, they lost 6 for 22.”You looked at the worms and they were bang on,” captain Heather Knight said of the chase. “I think we were ahead actually, for most of it. We felt like on the bench we could probably chase 10, 11 an over for the last ten. So being in that position, we felt pretty good. We just didn’t have that set batter to go on and go really big”Those key moments, when the game’s on the line, they [Australia] seem to be able to cope with them really well. We haven’t been able to seize the moment a little bit and really hammer down any advantage that we have got. It’s something that we need to do a little bit better, realising when we’re in a key moment of the match, can we go after this? Let’s go and win this. So hopefully we can show some progress in that in the T20s.”
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes that the Hoops need to sign another centre-forward to challenge Adam Idah for a place in the starting line-up before the end of the summer transfer window.
The manager recently said: “He was at his best here when was challenging for the position with Kyogo Furuhashi. He really needs that real competition beside him – I think that’s what you get the most out of him.
Idah started the opening two games of the Scottish Premiership season against St Mirren and Aberdeen, but failed to provide a goal or an assist for the side.
Why Celtic need a new striker
The Hoops need to find a new striker because the Ireland international has not proven that he has the quality to be the main number nine for the club in the league, as further evidenced by his struggles at the start of the current campaign.
In the 2024/25 season, the former Norwich City marksman was significantly more effective when coming off the bench to make an impact as a substitute for Celtic.
Appearances
19
16
Minutes
1,352
357
Goals
6
7
Minutes per goal
225
51
Assists
0
1
As you can see in the table above, Idah has had far more success when coming off the bench for the Scottish giants since he returned on a permanent deal, which suggests that the Hoops need a striker to allow him to be an impact substitute.
It was reported last month that Celtic are interested in signing CFR Cluj forward Louis Munteanu, who is reportedly valued at £7m, and he could be a big upgrade on the Irishman.
Why Celtic should sign Louis Munteanu
The Romania international’s form for CFR Cluj in the 2024/25 campaign suggests that he has the potential to come in and offer more than Idah as the main number nine for Rodgers this season.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described the striker’s output as “magnificent” and it is hard to argue with that assessment, as he scored 25 goals in all competitions for the Romanian side, per Transfermarkt.
Munteanu, who played for Fiorentina’s U19 team at youth level, proved that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis as a clinical finish in Romania, but it is worth remembering that he is not proven in the Premiership and there is no guarantee that his form translates.
Appearances
35
35
Goals
23
13
Big chances missed
16
19
Goals per game
0.7
0.4
Big chances created
7
6
Assists
3
0
That being said, you can see in the table above, the £7m-rated star does have the potential to be a big upgrade on Idah for Celtic if they can get him firing at his best in Glasgow, based on their respective performances last term.
These statistics suggest that Munteanu could offer way more quality as a goalscorer for the Hoops, because he scored ten more goals whilst missing fewer ‘big chances’ in the same number of appearances at league level.
This means that the Romanian forward is more clinical than Idah with the chances that come his way, which will be music to the ears of supporters after the Irishman’s three ‘big chances’ missed against St Mirren on the opening day.
Munteanu also created one more ‘big chance’ for his teammates in those games and could offer a similar level of creativity in comparison to the 6 foot 3 Irishman.
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Overall, though, the Cluj centre-forward appears to have the qualities to come in as a big upgrade on Idah if he can adapt to Scottish football, as he could be the prolific number nine that they are looking for to allow the ex-Canaries forward to play his role off the bench.
A 137-run stand between Charith Asalanka and debutant Nishan Madushka provided the base as Sri Lanka comfortably chased down a DLS-adjusted target of 232 in Pallekele, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.Asalanka top-scored with a 71-ball 77, while Madushka finished with 69 off 54. Both departed unable to see the chase through, but considering the precarious position at which they had come together – 45 for 3 in the seventh over – they had done more than enough to ensure the win.Kamindu Mendis was there at the end to see the win through, with an unbeaten 30 off 21, and alongside him was Janith Liyanage on a run-a-ball 18.Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, with figures of 3 for 47, while Alzarri Joseph grabbed two. Despite having reinforced their spin reserves in preparation for a dry Pallekele surface, none were able to offer as much penetration as Motie.While Motie too went at over six an over he at least posed a wicket-taking threat. This was not something the pair of Roston Chase and Hayden Walsh Jr. could boast, as they gave up 80 runs in the 10 overs between them.While this was down to a combination of errant bowling and ruthless batting, the West Indian spinners were also impacted by a wet ball as a result of a wet outfield. The rain also meant that the pitch had become easier to bat on by the time Sri Lanka took lease of the wicket.Earlier, Sherfane Rutherford’s counterattack had been cut short by rain to bring to a premature close the West Indies innings on 185 for 4 after 38.3 overs.But even with that caveat, the way Sri Lanka approached their chase made them well worth their victory. Madushka, making his debut in place of the injured Pathum Nissanka, opened the innings alongside Avishka Fernando but by the time he faced his fifth delivery in ODI cricket, Sri Lanka had found themselves already two down.Alzarri Joseph struck twice early•Getty Images
Avishka drove a widish delivery straight to point, while Kusal Mendis – who had looked in good nick with a trio of enterprising boundaries – top-edged an attempted pull. This brought Sadeera Samarawickrama to the crease, and he wasted little time taking the initiative, striking Jayden Seales for three boundaries in the fifth over of the chase.With the threat of rain looming, Sri Lanka’s game plan was clear – get ahead of the DLS equation. But when Sadeera fell, courtesy an absolute peach from Motie that knocked back off stump, Sri Lanka were suddenly at the risk of letting the game slip into dangerous territory – even with the safety of being able to bat until No 9.But if those watching on were feeling nervous, Sri Lanka’s skipper hardly let it show. Off just the second delivery he faced he swept Motie for four, before driving him exquisitely through the covers an over later. Madushka, who up until this point was content to turn over the strike to his more aggressive partners, finally notched his first boundary in the 10th over.And this partnership scarcely took the foot off the gas as the West Indies struggled to maintain tight lines and lengths. Between the 10th and 20th over only two overs didn’t contain a boundary, as Sri Lanka racked up 72 runs in that period. And the scoring only accelerated from that point on, with a further 41 runs scored between overs 20-25.Madushka eventually edged to slip, with Asalanka following shortly after trapped leg before – both off Motie – but the required run rate had dropped to nearly four an over by that point, and any peril long since neutralised.Nishan Madushka celebrates his maiden ODI fifty, which came on debut•Associated Press
West Indies’ best period of the game had occurred much earlier. Prior to the rain intervention, they had been in the process of regaining some lost momentum with Rutherford and Chase in the middle of an 85-run fifth-wicket stand off 78 deliveries.Wanindu Hasaranga had taken two wickets, while Jeffrey Vandersay and Asalanka had one apiece. But on a dry Pallekele surface, West Indies knew a trial by spin was always on the cards after they had won the toss and elected to bat.Dunith Wellalage was into the attack as early as the fifth over – and even before that medium pacer Liyanage had resorted to offcutters on a hard length – while spin was in effect from both ends not long after.Despite a promising opening stand it wasn’t long before West Indies had stumbled to 54 for 3, with Rutherford joining Keacy Carty in the middle, and the scoring rate now hovering at around four an over. It was during this period that Sri Lanka’s spinners took total control, as West Indies were content to play it safe, racking up numerous dot deliveries, and picking up the odd ones and twos.A Rutherford cut for four in the 17th over was the first West Indies boundary in 47 deliveries; by the traditional halfway point of 25 overs, they had inched to 94 for 3. It was here that a frustrated Carty unleashed a powerful one-handed loft over long-on for six to break the shackles somewhat, but that relief was shortlived as he fell going for a repeat performance the very next delivery. That brought to an end a 46-run partnership – the West Indies’ best of the innings until that point.But with the dependable Chase alongside him, Rutherford continued as before, picking off singles and attempting to pounce on any rare loose deliveries. But as their confidence grew and a persistent drizzle greased the surface, the pair struck 43 in the last five overs they faced. With the death overs still to come, a total in the region of 275 was on the cards. But then the rains came.
Leeds United were very much the entertainers in the Championship last season as they romped home to the title in style.
In total, the free-flowing Whites would fire home an emphatic 95 strikes across the 46-game campaign, with Joel Piroe also winning the second-tier’s top goalscorer accolade when contributing to a sizeable 19 of that high amount.
Still, the newly promoted side will know the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether, resulting in some proven top-flight attackers now appearing on their ever-growing shopping list, as their goalscoring heroics in the EFL are pushed to the side.
Leeds consider move for new number ten
At one end of the pitch, Farke and co appear to have finally sealed a replacement for Illan Meslier, in the form of Lyon’s Lucas Perri, with the 27-year-old set to sign for a fee of around £13m from the Ligue 1 outfit.
At the other end, Leeds have already added Lucas Nmecha to their forward options, with the German attacker already helping himself to a pre-season goal for his brand new team.
But, with his sketchy injury record, it would be foolish to halt the striker additions there, as Rodrigo Muniz continues to be talked about as one of the Whites’ priorities up top in winning themselves a Premier League-ready performer.
Rodrigo Muniz Premier League stats – Fulham
Muniz does have a respectable 17 goals next to his name in the tough division for Fulham, but it remains to be seen what amount Farke and Co. would be willing to fork out to land the clinical Brazilian, with £50m coming in as his reported, eye-watering valuation.
Alongside securing a fresh striker, Leeds will also be on the hunt for an exciting number ten to complement the striker makeover, with Bilal El Khannouss an option they’re now considering in this department from recently relegated Leicester City.
Leeds-centric journalist Beren Cross has revealed that development amid interest in the Moroccan playmaker also coming from Sunderland and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
This level of interest in the £22.5m ace’s services might make it hard for Leeds to sneak a deal over the line, but if they want a promising attacking talent that could set up Muniz with even more chances, they should persist in trying to bring the up-and-coming youngster to West Yorkshire.
Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Muniz
Muniz’s 17 strikes for the Cottagers in total look like a reasonable amount of goals for a striker to have next to his name on first inspection.
However, that amount suddenly holds more weight when you consider eight of those strikes were hammered in Premier League action last season from just eight starts, with one of his Fulham teammates in Willian, even declaring him as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” off the back of this blistering form.
An extended run in the team under Daniel Farke could well help Muniz become even more potent, with the likes of Daniel James no doubt chomping at the bit to supply him with golden opportunities, alongside El Khannouss if he ditches the King Power Stadium for Elland Road.
Even as Leicester fell through the relegation trapdoor last season, El Khannouss still managed to stand out as a thorn in the side of many top-flight outfits, with his promising output of two goals and three assists only telling the basic, surface-level story of an impressive individual campaign.
Indeed, if the 21-year-old had the potency of Muniz next to him in the Midlands, his assist count would be sitting at a far heftier amount, with a steep eight big chances created by the “sensational” El Khannouss – as he was glowingly labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – when donning Foxes blue.
Four goals and 14 assists would also come the slick midfielder’s way when performing out of his skin for Genk before Leicester came calling, culminating in Miguel Ribeiro – who coached the Moroccan sensation in Belgium – further lauding the 21-year-old for possessing “eyes in his back” regarding his split-second ability to carve out an opening.
Both signings – as well as that of Perri – could be key, therefore, as Leeds attempt to play with confidence and swagger in the attacking areas in the Premier League, over receding into their shell as relegation candidates.
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Uncapped 21-year-old allrounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe has earned a call-up for the series
Madushka Balasuriya23-Jul-2024
Charith Asalanka had led Sri Lanka in two T20Is against Bangladesh in Sylhet earlier this year•ICC/Getty Images
Charith Asalanka is the new captain of the Sri Lanka men’s T20I team. The news was confirmed when Sri Lanka Cricket announced the 16-man squad to face India in a three-match series starting July 27.Asalanka, who takes over from Wanindu Hasaranga after the latter had stepped down from the role earlier this month following a six-month stint, is no stranger to captaincy, though. He had led Sri Lanka in two T20Is on the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year when Hasaranga, the captain at the time, was serving a suspension. He has also captained the Sri Lanka Under-19s and, most recently, led Jaffna Kings to the LPL title, after having taken over the reins from Thisara Perera at the start of the season.The other big news is the return of the 34-year-old Dinesh Chandimal to Sri Lanka’s T20I fold. He last played a T20I back in early 2022, but his form in the LPL this year, where he struck 287 runs across eight matches at a strike rate of 168.82 – far above his career strike rate of 123.03 – opening the innings, made a strong case for his inclusion. But with one stalwart entering another made way, with Angelo Mathews, now 37, left out of the squad despite also having had a good time in the LPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Included is another surprise inclusion, the uncapped Chamindu Wickramasinghe. The 21-year-old allrounder from Kandy, who has been putting in time at the MRF Pace Academy in India, caught the eye of selectors following a breakout LPL campaign this past month. A right-arm seamer who can also bat, he showed great maturity for his Dambulla Sixers franchise lower down the order, picking up seven wickets across eight games while also scoring 186 runs at a strike rate 131.91 – including two clutch fifties. His rise is all the more remarkable seeing that he went unsold during the LPL auction, but was signed by the Dambulla franchise after their forced ownership change had offered up the opportunity to bring in unsigned players.There are also returns for Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando and Binura Fernando, but this means there’s no room for Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva and Dilshan Madushanka.Madushanka’s omission might be the most surprising of the lot, but it’s also the position in which Sri Lanka now have the most depth. While his 21 wickets at the 2023 ODI World Cup might still be relatively fresh in the memory, he didn’t play a single game at this year’s T20 World Cup, and he picked up just two wickets over six games for the Dambulla Sixers in the LPL.Replacing Madushanka in the squad is Binura Fernando, largely on the back of an excellent LPL outing. The 29-year-old left-arm quick has been in the Sri Lankan system for quite some time now – he made his debut back in 2015 – but consistency eluded him, primarily down to a poor injury record. This year, though, has been a watershed moment, as an unencumbered Binura took the LPL by storm, his clever variations helping him pick up 13 wickets across eight games at a miserly economic rate of 6.81. Equally, he put his body to the test, ending the season having played four games across five days.Binura Fernando picked up 13 wickets from eight matches in LPL 2024•Getty Images
Two others staking their claims on the back of a solid LPL season are Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando. The former, like Wickramasinghe, found his way to the Dambulla franchise belatedly having initially gone unsold in the auction, which itself followed a surprise exclusion from Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad. But Perera grabbed this fresh opportunity with both hands, crashing 296 runs across eight games at a strike rate of 169.14 – this included two fifties and a maiden T20 century, all at the top of the order.As for Avishka, after the disappointment of missing out on the T20 World Cup amid healthy competition in the top two spots, he made the No. 4 role his own to help Jaffna Kings to the title. Across 10 LPL innings he struck 374 runs at a strike rate of 162.60, including five fifty-plus scores. He ended the season as the third-highest run-scorer, and might have even topped the charts had he got an opportunity to bat in the final.The rest of the side comes through as expected, with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga completing a strong batting line-up.Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Wellalage will be the primary spin-bowling options with support from the ambidextrous Kamindu if needed. The seam-bowling contingent shows good variety with two slingers in Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana, Binura’s left-arm seam and Dushmantha Chameera’s right-arm pace, while Shanaka and Wickramasinghe can also roll their arm over when called upon.Sri Lanka squad for T20I series vs IndiaCharith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera (wk), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando
With Jaka Bijol signed and delivered, the 49ers have now reportedly turned their attention towards a fresh Leeds United move to sign a Bundesliga left-back.
Jaka Bijol "ready for the Premier League"
Welcoming their second signing of the summer for around £19m, Leeds officially unveiled Bijol earlier this week. The defender arrived from Udinese, signing a contract until 2023, and will be hoping to make an instant impact on Daniel Farke’s side as they return to the Premier League in August.
After putting pen to paper, Bijol told the club’s official website: “This is a big day for me, for my family and I’m happy to be here. Maybe the biggest one of my career so far, but I’m ready for it.
“I work for it and that’s why I’m here, because it’s a big challenge for everyone. It’s a big challenge for me, for the club, and we’re getting ready for it together. I think the club and myself are ready for the Premier League.
“I can promise that I will give everything, that I will give everything in every training as well to be ready for the first game of the season and then just go from there.”
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Even after Bijol and Lukas Nmecha, the 49ers have still reportedly got plenty of business planned. Names such as Nikola Krstovic have found themselves in the headlines as of late and reports have even gone as far as to suggest that Leeds have now got an agreement in place to sign the Serie A forward.
Meanwhile, those at Elland Road have now reportedly turned their focus towards a Bundesliga left-back who could replace the departing Junior Firpo this summer.
Leeds now targeting Lukas Ullrich
According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, the 49ers and Leeds are now targeting a summer swoop to sign Lukas Ullrich from Borussia Monchengladbach. The left-back has been part of Germany’s side at the U21 Euros this summer and has seemingly impressed enough to find himself on the Whites’ radar.
Whilst those at Elland Road face reported competition for Ullrich’s signature from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, the fact that the German is represented by the same agency as Bijol may hand Leeds an advantage in personal negotiations.
Lukas Ullrich chases Bayern Munich's Michael Olise.
Ullrich is certainly a talent worth the battle too following a breakout season in the Bundesliga which earned the praise of Gladbach boss Geraldo Seoane, who told reporters: “You can see that he’s got pace going forward and that he has a very good mentality. He’s confident, he’s active and he makes runs in behind. He brings a lot to the table playing as an attacking left-back”
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Ullrich
Firpo
Minutes
1,903
2,616
Assists
2
10
Tackles Won per 90
0.76
1.17
Ball Recoveries per 90
3.46
3.92
Whilst the numbers show that Ullrich still has a way to go before he reaches Firpo’s level, Leeds would be investing in a 21-year-old whose potential is undeniable.