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Ramesh Mendis has missed out, while Nishan Peiris has been picked in a slightly different looking Sri Lanka spin department

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Nov-2024

Lasith Embuldeniya is back in the Test squad•Associated Press

Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya has been named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the two Tests in South Africa, more than two years after he last played a Test. Offspinner Nishan Peiris, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in September, has also been included.Ramesh Mendis, the offspin-bowling allrounder, misses out on selection, though he claimed six wickets in his only Test appearance this year. Ramesh, additionally, can bat.Though Prabath Jayasuriya leads the spin contingent, this amounts to something of a shake-up in the ranks with Sri Lanka playing in Durban and Gqeberha, where the tracks are expected to take more turn than most South African surfaces, particularly as matches wear on.The squad is largely as expected in the batting and seam-bowling fronts, however. Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha and allrounder Milan Rathnayake make up fast-bowling outfit. Top order batter Oshada Fernando makes it in into this squad, but Nishan Madushka – who has made a bright start in ODIs – does not.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Both Embuldeniya and Oshada have partly been picked on account of their good performances in South Africa in 2019, when Sri Lanka had also played in Durban and what was then Port Elizabeth. Embuldeniya took six wickets at 23.83 across three innings on that tour, while Oshada hit a fourth-innings 75 not out alongside Kusal Mendis to see Sri Lanka home in what could have been a tough chase. Neither player, though, has been especially impressive in domestic cricket over the last season, though Embuldeniya did have a decent outing in the four-day National Super League.Several Test specialists are already in Durban for a pre-series training camp, overseen partially by former South Africa batter Neil McKenzie, who serves as Sri Lanka’s consultant on this trip.Kusal Mendis, Asitha, Kamindu Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have also been pulled out of the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, after Sri Lanka sealed that series on Sunday. This is so those players can have a couple of extra days to recover and begin preparation for the Tests in South Africa.The first Test is scheduled to start on November 27, in Kingsmead, Durban.Both Sri Lanka and South Africa have a shot at finishing in the top two on the World Test Championship table.Sri Lanka squad for Test series in South AfricaDhananjaya de Silva (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Lasith Embuldeniya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha

As their battle with Manchester United to sign Benjamin Sesko continues, Newcastle United have reportedly initiated contact to sign a Serie A alternative this summer.

Sesko deals Newcastle fresh blow

It’s the story of their summer, but a story that is far from finished and the latest twist to the tale is that Sesko now reportedly prefers a move to Old Trafford rather than St James’ Park in the next month. For all they’ve got to offer over Manchester United these days, the RB Leipzig forward is seemingly destined to join a long list of players to turn down a move to Newcastle this summer.

It’s a list of rejections that Newcastle didn’t anticipate ahead of this summer and one which includes Hugo Ekitike, James Trafford and potentially now Sesko.

Just where the Magpies go from here is the big question. After endless rejection, those at St James’ Park will find themselves back at square one just two weeks before the Premier League campaign gets underway if Sesko joins Manchester United.

Before the impressive striker has even made his decision official, however, Newcastle have at least reportedly set their sights on some equally impressive alternatives.

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Ollie Watkins, for example, is a player now on Newcastle’s radar amid Aston Villa’s PSR problems and their own desperate need for an attacking reinforcement. What’s more, if Sesko chooses United, then the Magpies may well be out on their own in the race for Watkins’ signature in what would feel somewhat refreshing given how this summer has gone.

The Aston Villa man isn’t the only name on the shortlist, though. Alongside him, Newcastle have also reportedly set their sights on a Serie A star.

Newcastle initiate contact to sign Dovbyk

As reported by Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Newcastle have now initiated contact to sign Artem Dovbyk from AS Roma. The forward has reportedly been shown the door at the Serie A club after returning to pre-season with fitness struggles.

Available for just €38m (£33m) as a result, Newcastle have now reportedly made their first move for a player who was named in the Ballon d’Or top 30 last season.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Dovbyk

Sesko

Minutes

2,418

2,380

Goals

12

13

Assists

2

5

Expected Goals

11.9

10

When compared, it’s clear to see why Dovbyk has become an option for Newcastle. For around £40m cheaper, the Ukraine international could provide Eddie Howe with a similar level of output and another forward who outperformed his expected goals last season.

There are still some concerns to address, however. Dovbyk’s fitness struggle in pre-season, for one, should not be ignored. Then, Newcastle must decide whether splashing out on a younger option would be a smarter plan this summer even if their immediate output only matches or is even less than Dovbyk’s.

Dovbyk may have been dubbed a “great finisher” by Italian legend Daniele De Rossi, but the Roma forward has arguably reached his peak at 28 years old and Newcastle should set their sights on a striker who has the ability to eventually reach 20 goals a season.

حذر بيدجا مياتوفيتش، لاعب نادي ريال مدريد السابق، فينيسيوس جونيور وذلك بعدما جلس الأخير على مقاعد البدلاء خلال مواجهة الفريق الملكي يوم أمس الثلاثاء أمام أوليمبيك مارسيليا بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ولم يدفع مدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، بفينيسيوس بشكل أساسي أمام مارسيليا، ضمن دور المجموعات أو مرحلة الدوري من دوري الأبطال على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.

وفضل ألونسو التعويل على رودريجو جوس بشكل أساسي كجناح أيسر، حيث فاز ريال مدريد 2-1 في نهاية المطاف.

ونزل فينيسيوس في شوط اللقاء الثاني بدلًا من رودريجو وساهم في حصول ريال مدريد على ركلة جزاء سجل منها كيليان مبابي هدف الفوز للميرنجي.

اقرأ أيضًا .. فالفيردي: تلقينا ضربة موجعة أمام مارسيليا.. ونريد تسهيل الأمور على مبابي

ويعتقد مياتوفيتش في تصريحات إلى ”El Larguero”، أن فينيسيوس إذا لم يلعب بشكل جيد، فسوف يكون بديلًا مع ألونسو وهي فلسفة الأخير مع ريال مدريد.

وقال مياتوفيتش عن فينيسيوس: “أعرف فلسفة تشابي ألونسو ومنهجيته وهذا لا يفاجئني، لن يجد تشابي أي مشكلة في إراحة أي لاعب”.

وأضاف مياتوفيتش في حديثه: “يريد تشابي الحفاظ على حيوية جميع اللاعبين مع منحهم دقائق لعب كافية في كل مباراة تقريبًا، سواء في الدوري الإسباني أو دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

واختتم المهاجم السابق: “إذا لم تتدرب جيدًا دون حماس، لأنك لست لاعبًا أساسيًا فمن الواضح أنك لن تلعب مع ألونسو، لا داعي للقلق كثيرًا والأمر يعتمد على فينيسيوس. إذا بذل جهدًا أكبر سيلعب، وإذا لم يفعل سيلعب لاعب آخر”.

Sunderland are looking to build a squad capable of thriving in the top-flight and have now entered the race to sign a striker who excelled last season, according to a report.

Sunderland begin exciting summer of recruitment

Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra have been brought in at the Stadium of Light from Roma and Strasbourg, respectively, with the former becoming the Black Cats’ first addition of the window after a fine loan spell last season.

However, another brilliant piece of news for Sunderland is that Florent Ghisolfi has now arrived as their new Director of Football in the North East, and BBC radio’s Simon Pryde believes his remit will be solely focused on recruitment with Kristjaan Speakman handling external matters.

He stated: “I think Ghisolfi will be on recruitment. His umbrella will be over player recruitment and the first team squad. Speakman has a wide brief at the moment and this will allow him to focus because the structures in the Premier League are vastly different than those in the EFL.”

He added: “Ghisolfi has plenty of experience. (He was) assistant manager at Lorient for two years. (As a football director) he’s been at Lens, and he’s been at Nice, so he has a glowing reputation within football as a director.”

With that in mind, who could arrive to bolster the ranks? Reports suggest Lorient star Arthur Avom Ebong could be next to join Sunderland and discussions are an advanced stage between all parties over a £4 million deal.

Sunderland’s first five Premier League fixtures
West Ham United (H)	Stadium of Light
Burnley (A)	Turf Moor
Brentford (H)	Stadium of Light
Crystal Palace (A)	Selhurst Park
Aston Villa (H)	Stadium of Light

Now, the Black Cats are reportedly in the hat to sign a striker who showed a clinical edge in front of goal last term that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Sunderland position themselves to sign Luis Suarez

For the avoidance of doubt despite a name that will attract attention, Sunderland have entered the race to sign Almeria forward Luis Suarez this summer alongside Sporting Clube de Portugal, according to reports in Spain via Sport Witness.

The Colombia international registered 31 goals and eight assists in 43 matches across all competitions, though his side failed to gain promotion to the top-flight of Spanish football in the end.

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Notably, Sunderland and Ghisolfi are willing to pay the £21.5 million fee needed to tempt Suarez to England, while Sporting feel that figure is excessive.

However, they have doubts the Santa Marta-born man would favour a switch to the Stadium of Light as he is being lined up in Lisbon as a replacement for Viktor Gyokeres.

Talks have taken place with ‘several’ clubs regarding his future, though the Black Cats’ interest in the 27-year-old is said to be fresh, so it remains to be seen how this one pans out as Regis Le Bris looks to bolster his side’s chances of remaining in the Premier League.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes playing in Chennai is a “great opportunity” for the side to get used to the conditions, given it could be one of the venues for the Women’s ODI World Cup next year.India’s women’s team last played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk in a Quadrangular series in 2007. They last played a women’s Test here in 1976, and the ground hasn’t hosted any women’s T20Is yet. Since the end of 2022, all women’s internationals in India have either been in Navi Mumbai or Mumbai, till the ODI-leg of the South Africa series was hosted in Bengaluru last week. Following the one-off Test against South Africa starting on Friday in Chennai, India will also be playing three T20Is against them at the same venue.”As a team, it’s a great opportunity for us,” Harmanpreet said on the eve of the Test. “We are getting used to home conditions… even though they are home conditions, we don’t have much experience here. But I think this series will definitely give us a lot of confidence to see how the wicket is going to behave and what combinations we can look for [for the World Cup]. Before the World Cup, with [about] one year left, I think as a team we are taking this opportunity with both hands whenever we are playing home series. It’s a great opportunity to see how the wickets are and how we can improve our skills.”Related

• Laura Wolvaardt: 'Incorporate red-ball into domestic cricket or we must leave it'

• When Chennai hosted its first women's Test: 'They came to watch the cricket, not just to see if the girls could play'

• Muzumdar: 'Not a bad idea to have Test Championships for women'

This will be India’s third Test in seven months. They played back-to-back Tests against England and Australia in December 2023, posting massive wins in both matches. Harmanpreet says playing those two matches has helped the side get rid of “overthinking” while playing in a format.Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur take part in close-catching drills•PTI

“In the long format you have to be there [in the middle] for four days. But if you think like that as a player you can overthink. The last time [we played a Test] we only thought about winning the sessions and that really helped us. This time also we will focus on each session. The best thing about Test cricket is you have time to come back. If you lose one session, you always have time to [make up for] things.”That’s the key point which our support staff told us: ‘just focus on each and every session and if you can [break it] down to two to two-and-a-half hours, think about how you’re going to perform as a player’. I think that really helps, [rather] than thinking that it’s a 100 overs [roughly per day] game which makes you overthink. Those little points really helped us win the last two Tests and we just want to continue [to apply] those.”India will be relying on head coach Amol Muzumdar’s red-ball experience heading into the Test, Harmanpreet said. Muzumdar, who played 171 first-class matches in a 20-year-long career, has also played two red-ball matches at Chepauk.”I didn’t have much experience in Test cricket when I got to captain those two Tests,” Harmanpreet said. “Amol sir help me. He has played lot of Test [red-ball] cricket and he has a lot of experience. With his experience, he has helped me with things like how to take decisions on the field. I do have a bit of an idea now.”We don’t have much idea about how Chennai wicket is going to play. We have only seen when the men were playing but women’s cricket is totally different… the pace, the way we bowl and bat, I think we’ll know that only once we take the field tomorrow, see how the pitch behaves and take decisions. The experienced support staff are definitely going to help us.”

Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta is personally keen on a high-earning centre-forward, who’d now reportedly jump at the chance to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal two-man striker target list with Andrea Berta holding talks

According to recent reports, two players currently stand out as Arsenal’s most desired striker targets – Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

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Going by the on-field and off-field numbers, it is clear to see why this is the case.

Gyokeres, who’s racked up a phenomenal 53 goals in all competitions for Sporting this season, could also depart the Primeira Liga side for a fee of up to £60 million, according to Fabrizio Romano, so he’d be an arguable bargain when factoring in the 26-year-old’s record.

Sporting CP

101

96

28

Coventry City

116

43

17

Brommapojkarna

67

25

9

FC St. Pauli

28

7

4

Swansea City

12

1

0

Brighton

8

1

1

Meanwhile, Sesko’s current release clause stands at £67 million, and the Slovenia international actually bettered his goalscoring tally from last season (18) with 21 goals across all competitions.

While some reports in Portugal earlier this week stated that Arsenal have agreed a £59m fee to sign Gyokeres from Sporting (O Jogo), this claim appears to have jumped the gun, as Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg stated on Friday that Berta is holding serious talks over a move for Sesko.

Arsenal’s pursuit of a top goalscorer remains very much open, as Berta identifies targets who he believes would be best-suited to Arteta.

Interestingly, as per journalist Simon Phillips last week, Arteta would personally prefer Sesko, while Berta is believed to be more of a fan of Gyokeres.

What’s clear, though, is Arsenal’s glaring need for another striker. Arteta has been forced to utilise midfielder Mikel Merino as an emergency striker for most of this calendar year, following injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

While the latter has since returned to action, it is imperative that Arsenal don’t wait any longer to sign a 25-plus-goals-per-season forward, as they look to mount a successful Premier League title challenge.

Dušan Vlahović would "immediately" join Arsenal this summer

According to some reports, there are other centre-forwards on Berta’s shopping list, albeit further down the pecking order when compared to Sesko and Gyokeres.

Journalist Daniele Longo, writing a piece for Calciomercato, shares that Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is one of them.

The Serbia international is entering the final 12 months of his £359,000-per-week contract at Juve, and with no sign of a renewal, it would appear that the Old Lady must be more inclined to sell him this summer, rather than lose Vlahovic for nothing in 2026.

Longo states that Vlahovic “would immediately pack his bags” and join Arsenal if given the opportunity, and Berta personally wants the ex-Fiorentina star, even if he’s less of a transfer priority.

The “starting” price of any negotiations for Vlahovic comes at around £42 million, which could be seen by some as good value, considering the “machine” has scored at least 14 total goals per season since 2020/21.

If Berta were to seriously pursue him, Arsenal’s major obstacle would undoubtedly be Vlahovic’s extortionate wages.

While the mood around the club has dramatically improved following their Europa League win on Thursday night, Tottenham Hotspur have had to deal with plenty of problems this season.

The most significant has been the near-endless stream of injuries, which has made it impossible for Ange Postecoglou to field his first-choice defence for much of the campaign.

So, it’s not surprising to hear that Daniel Levy and Co are looking to add to their defensive ranks in the summer.

In fact, recent reports have touted a former Premier League player with a move to N17, a player who’s been compared to Cristian Romero.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

It looks like it will be a big summer for Spurs this year, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a few of the club’s other targets, such as Oihan Sancet.

Transfer Focus

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

The Athletic Bilbao monster will reportedly cost around £69m in the coming months, and while that is a lot, it might well be worth it, as in just 30 appearances, he has scored 17 goals and provided three assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.30 games, almost exclusively from midfield.

An even more expensive signing could be Matheus Cunha, with reports from earlier this month claiming that the North Londoners would be willing to spend £75m to secure his services ahead of the chasing pack.

Again, it’s an enormous sum of money, but given the fact that the Brazilian international has scored 16 goals and provided four assists in 30 appearances this season, it might well be value for money.

However, as mentioned above, bringing in some more defensive cover appears to be one of the club’s priorities this summer, which helps explain their interest in Eric Garcia.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are interested in signing the former Manchester City gem, who is currently on loan with Girona, from Barcelona.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the Lilywhites are ready to make an offer of around €15m for the Spanish defender, which amounts to about £13m.

It could be a bargain for a relatively young centre-back who has plenty of experience playing at a high level, and he’s already won comparisons to Romero.

How Garcia compares to Romero

So, before getting into the other reasons Spurs might want to sign Garcia this summer, it’s worth exploring this comparison to Romero and where it comes from.

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Argentine star is the fourth most similar centre-back to the Spaniard.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, passes into the penalty area, live passes, goal-creating actions, tackles, blocks and more, all per 90.

Garcia & Romero
Statistics per 90	Garcia	Romero
Non-Penalty Expected G+As	0.16	0.14
Shots on Target	0.40	0.53
Passes into the Penalty Area	0.48	0.53
Live Passes	73.4	71.5
Goal-Creating Actions	0.32	0.26
Tackles	2.06	2.17
Blocks	1.35	1.18
Aerial Duel Win %	55.6%	60.6%
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

On top of winning comparisons to the World Cup-winning Lilywhites ace, the £99k-per-week “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has some seriously impressive underlying numbers in his own right.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for goals, goals plus assists, shots on target, non-penalty expected goals, penalties won and tackles in the middle third, the top 3% for long pass completion and passes into the final third, the top 5% for progressive passes and much more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even if he cost more than is being reported, Spurs would be smart to sign Garcia, so if they can get him for around £13m, then that would be a no-brainer, as he’d be an ideal backup for Romero and Micky van de Ven at the very least, if not a competitor for game time.

100% dribbles, 9 duels won: Spurs' 9/10 titan is as undroppable as Solanke

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Jack Salveson Holmes

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Ruben Amorim watched on as his Manchester United side failed to fire once again away to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, albeit with the Portuguese coach perhaps as culpable as anyone for those struggles in front of goal.

The 40-year-old had bizarrely opted not to start Rasmus Hojlund at centre-forward for the trip to the City Ground, despite the fact that the struggling Dane had finally ended a 21-game goal drought at Leicester City prior to the international break.

That move was all the more perplexing considering that his replacement, Joshua Zirkzee, had even admitted to TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand prior to the match that he isn’t an orthodox striker – a fact that was evident as the Dutchman failed to register a single touch in the opposition box in the first half.

To Amorim’s credit, the former Sporting CP boss recognised his mistake after introducing Hojlund at the break, although despite a few clever runs from the 22-year-old – as well as an effort that lashed into the side netting – the club’s number nine never truly looked like getting on the scoresheet.

With talk already rife regarding the potential signing of a new centre-forward this summer, namely Victor Osimhen, that need was heightened even further as Amorim was forced into chucking on Harry Maguire as an auxiliary striker in the closing stages as a last resort.

Harry Maguire's late cameo vs Forest

Having previously also deployed Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine against Crystal Palace in early February, the signs are there that the United boss isn’t fully invested in his striking options, a fact that Maguire’s impact certainly exposed.

After Zirkzee toiled and Hojlund also struggled to get into the game, United’s two best chances ultimately fell the way of the England international, as he made a nuisance of himself in the Forest box.

Looking like an old-fashioned number nine, the 32-year-old was unable to convert after heading Patrick Dorgu’s cross wide with the goal gaping, before coming even closer to snatching a draw at the death.

The 6 foot 4 centre-back brought the ball down and prodded it goalbound in the final knockings of stoppage time, only to see his last-gasp effort denied by opposite number, Murillo, on the line.

While those two openings perhaps came amid the mere chaos of throwing Maguire into the fray, it is telling that the experienced defender posed more of a threat in just under ten minutes than Zirkzee and Hojlund provided in 87 minutes prior to that.

Unless Amorim looks to mirror Mikel Arteta’s Mikel Merino experiment in even more extreme fashion – with the Spaniard now scoring five goals in eight games as Arsenal’s makeshift striker – then Maguire won’t be a short-term solution up top.

A permanent role change could be needed elsewhere, however, with regards to Bruno Fernandes.

Why Amorim needs to permanently change Fernandes' role

The Man Utd “genius” – as hailed by former boss Erik ten Hag – was shifted back into a number ten berth against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, having largely operated in a deep-lying role in recent weeks.

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

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On the evidence of his first-half display, the Portuguese playmaker seemingly appears better suited to being a permanent fixture of the midfield two, rather than operating in a more advanced role, having struggled to dictate proceedings in the opening 45.

While the 30-year-old did force a save from Matz Sels early on, after combining with Alejandro Garnacho, he largely found himself marked out of the game by opposition skipper, Ryan Yates, having been forced to then drop deeper anyway to try and get on the ball.

Fernandes’ stats vs Forest

Stat

Record

Touches

110

Pass accuracy

79%

Key passes

6

Shots on target

2

Shots off target

0

Big chances created

0

Successful dribbles

2/5

Duels won

7/17

Long balls completed

7/12

Possession lost

31x

Dribbled past

3x

Stats via Sofascore

It wasn’t until the half-time change, which saw Hojlund replace Manuel Ugarte, that Fernandes started to take control, a fact that was epitomised by his stunning switch to pick out the advancing Garnacho in behind.

In all, the £300k-per-week talisman registered six key passes on the night, with his creative quality in possession now looking better suited to that midfield berth, rather than as part of the forward line.

This isn’t a one-off either, with Fernandes having sparked a dramatic comeback against Everton back in February, after moving into the midfield two on the hour mark.

That has largely been his home since then, resulting in a run of form that saw the midfield maestro score against the likes of Fulham, Arsenal and Leicester, having also bagged a hat-trick in the Europa League against Real Sociedad.

To see the in-form star shining in that deeper berth is perhaps no surprise considering he has previously hinted at his desire to move “further back” as his career progresses, having also pointed to the win over the Toffees in April 2023, in which he lined up as a number six, as “one of the most complete games [he’s] played, at all levels”.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick had even suggested prior to that that Fernandes was better suited away from an attacking midfield role, having stated in 2022:

Getting Fernandes closer to goal has largely looked the best solution to help reinvigorate the floundering attacking unit, yet with Mason Mount returning, and with Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo also in line to feature again this season, there are others perhaps better suited to that advanced berth.

As such, while the Maguire experiment may prove a short-lived change, the new United skipper must now enjoy a permanent switch to become one part of the first-choice midfield duo moving forward.

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Man Utd once again came up short in the final third, as Nottingham Forest ran out 1-0 winners

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All the stats as Akeal Hosein’s record five-for helps West Indies bag a mammoth win

Sampath Bandarupalli09-Jun-202439 Uganda’s total against West Indies is now the joint-lowest at the men’s T20 World Cup. The Netherlands also got bowled out for 39 runs against Sri Lanka in the 2014 edition.1 Uganda’s 39 all-out is also the lowest by any team against West Indies in men’s T20Is. Ireland’s 68 all-out in the 2010 T20 World Cup was the previous lowest against West Indies.It is also Uganda’s lowest total in men’s T20Is, with their previous lowest being 58 all-out against Afghanistan earlier in this tournament.134 West Indies’ win margin against Uganda is their first win by a margin of 100-plus runs in the men’s T20Is. Their previous biggest was by 84 runs against Pakistan in the 2014 T20 World Cup.2 West Indies’ 134-run win is the second-biggest by runs for any team in the men’s T20 World Cup. The biggest win was by 172 runs for Sri Lanka in 2007, when they bundled out Kenya to 88 while defending 260 for 6.1 Akeal Hosein became the first bowler from West Indies to bag a five-wicket haul at the men’s T20 World Cup. The previous best bowling figures for West Indies were 4 for 15 by Samuel Badree against Bangladesh in 2014.1 Number of bowling figures in men’s T20Is for West Indies, better than Hosein’s 5 for 11 against Uganda. Obed McCoy’s six for 17 against India in 2022 are the best figures for West Indies in this format.Hosein is also the first spinner to take a five-wicket haul for West Indies in the men’s T20Is.10 All ten batters dismissed in Uganda’s innings scored less than ten runs, the second instance of all ten batters getting out for a single digit score in an innings at the men’s T20 World Cup.
West Indies were the batting side in the first such instance, during the semi-final of the 2009 edition against Sri Lanka.8 Uganda batters were dismissed leg-before-wicket or bowled by the West Indies bowlers. Only once before, there have been eight or more leg-before-wicket or bowled dismissals in an innings at the men’s T20 World Cup – 9 by Scotland against Afghanistan in 2021.

The Punjab Kings seamer, who has been picked for India’s T20I squad, talks about his success as a death bowler this IPL season

Interview by Hemant Brar02-Jun-2022Punjab Kings were on their way to the Wankhede Stadium for the last league game of IPL 2022 when Arshdeep Singh heard he had been picked for India’s T20I squad for the South Africa series. With a match on hand, he couldn’t let the excitement overwhelm him at the time, but as the series gets closer, the feeling has been sinking in.Arshdeep was retained by Punjab ahead of the season, and he repaid that trust by becoming their go-to bowler in the death overs. Among those who bowled at least ten overs at the death, his economy of 7.58 in that phase was second only to Jasprit Bumrah’s 7.38. Overall, he picked up ten wickets in 14 games at an economy of 7.70. Arshdeep spoke about what went into the making of his breakout season.Was there any pressure of being a retained player for Punjab Kings?
There was no pressure as such. Whenever you get a chance for a team, you try to give your 100%, no matter if it’s your first year or tenth, if you have been retained or have come through the auction. If a team has shown confidence in you, you have to do well for them and give your 100%.Related

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How do you see your growth as a bowler in the last couple of years?
I feel I am a lot more consistent now. Earlier I used to bowl loose balls in between. Now I have worked on that a lot so that I don’t give the batter that release ball. All the batters who come to play in the IPL are quite experienced. They are aware and are good enough to hit you for a boundary whenever they get a bad ball. That’s one thing I have worked on a lot, that I consistently bowl in good areas with a good plan. In the coming days, the focus will be on how to improve it further.What specific drills did you do to become more consistent?
I did a lot of single-wicket practice. Lots of repetitions of length ball and yorker. After doing it so many times in practice, you start understanding where your ball will land if you run at this particular speed with this particular angle.. I guess with all those repetitions, you start getting that feeling and that makes a lot of difference.Are you working on improving your bowling speed as well?
Right now, I am trying to focus on consistency. The main thing is how consistent I am in hitting those lines and lengths, and in executing my plans.What about the fitness part?
As a sportsperson, the goal is to stay as fit as possible. Every season, every month, every day, you try to work on it so that when you wake up in the morning, you feel energetic and not fatigued. So that’s the main focus – to maintain a good fitness level and that’s what I have been working on.”I feel I am a lot more consistent now. That’s one thing I have worked on a lot, that I consistently bowl in good areas with a good plan”•BCCIHave you made any changes to your diet to achieve that?
As you know, it’s not easy to follow a diet in Punjabi households.Adrian Le Roux, our trainer at Punjab Kings, says that the best way of recovery is to sleep for at least eight hours [in a day] and keep yourself hydrated. I try to tick those boxes and it has helped my game a lot.You and Jasprit Bumrah bowled the joint-most yorkers this IPL season. Is that a delivery you worked specifically on?
As I said earlier, repetitions make a lot of difference, because your control improves tremendously and you start getting the confidence that you can bowl it in the match as well. You practise with a normal ball, or with a slightly wet ball if there’s a chance of dew in the game. Sometimes you bowl to a batsman, sometimes you do single-wicket practice. Sometimes you can place boots or some other target to aim at. You can even challenge other bowlers in the nets to see who can hit the target the most times. That adds a fun element.You were the designated death-overs bowler for your team this season. Was that something communicated to you in advance?
I guess the team’s combination was such that I was supposed to bowl one over at the start, one in the middle and two at the death. I was told before the tournament what my role would be. So in the practice games, I bowled accordingly. I thank the team management a lot for the role clarity they gave me. That helped me immensely as I knew when I have to bowl and so I could plan accordingly.When did you start feeling confident that you could bowl well at the death?
I guess the first thing is, you must have that self-belief. Only then others will show confidence in you. Whenever you step onto the field, you step on with the confidence that no matter who is up against you, you will back your skills and do well for your team. You reach this level only if you have the required skills. After that, it is about who can adapt to the situation in the middle and excel.