Nissanka returns to the squad led by Karunaratne, whose fitness status is unclear
Madushka Balasuriya13-Jul-2023Dilshan Madushanka, the promising left-arm quick from Sri Lanka, will be eyeing a Test debut soon after being picked in the 16-member squad to play the first of two matches against Pakistan starting July 16. The 22-year-old was not initially slated to play but has been picked as a replacement for Asitha Fernando, who was ruled after contracting dengue.Madushanka’s stock though is on the rise, having already caused a stir in the white-ball circuit – he was the biggest buy at the Lanka Premier League auction last month and was considered good enough to be part of Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup side in 2022 before injury forced him out of the tournament. And while he wasn’t originally picked for the World Cup Qualifier, with the selectors preferring to let him play against a touring South Africa A side, he was brought in as an injury replacement for Dushmantha Chameera, where in his four outings he managed to pick up eight wickets at an economy rate of 4 an over.Dimuth Karunaratne, who missed the final of the WCQ with a hamstring strain, will continue to captain Sri Lanka, even though he had expressed the desire to step down following the home Tests against Ireland, which the hosts won 2-0.Sri Lanka’s most recent exertions were all in the one-day arena where they went through tough competition in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe to book a ticket to India for the ODI World Cup in October. Some of those players – Pathum Nissanka and Kasun Rajitha – are part of this Test squad as well, alongside a new face – Lakshitha Manasinghe, a 23-year old offspin-bowling allrounder with 1111 runs and 124 wickets from 37 first-class matches.Manasinghe’s inclusion follows an impressive string of displays domestically and for Sri Lanka A against South Africa A, during which he picked up 12 wickets – inclusive of two five-fors – in two unofficial Tests. He also grabbed a four-for against Pakistan in the two-day warm-up game in Hambantota.Nissanka returns to the side after an absence of a year – his last Test against Australia in July last year – during which he’s missed Tests against Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland. His exclusion from those games had raised eyebrows, considering that the Australia tour was the only time where he faced a real dip in form in his brief career thus far. Since making his debut he’s notched up five fifties and a century in 15 innings at an average of 38.35. He finds his way back in the side following a fruitful outing in the World Cup qualifiers, where he was the second-highest run-scorer with 417 runs at an average of 69.5 – including back-to-back tons.Rajitha, who had been omitted from the Tests against Ireland, returns to the fold to spearhead a fairly threadbare seam unit, alongside Madushanka and Vishwa Fernando.The spin department however is stacked – understandable considering both Tests will be in spin-friendly Galle. Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama comes into the side at the expense of legspinner Dushan Hemantha. Fellow left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya will lead the attack, while there will be ample support if needed from the likes of Manasinghe, and allrounders Ramesh Mendis, Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.On the batting front, things are fairly settled with Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva and Sadeera Samarawickrama the most likely combination in the middle. The only uncertainty remains at the top, with Karunaratne’s match fitness still unclear. If he is cleared to play, it’s likely Nishan Madushka – who notched a double-ton against Ireland in his last Test innings – will be favoured over the returning Nissanka.Sri Lanka squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Nishan Madushka (wk), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Vishwa Fernando, Lakshitha Manasinghe
Tottenham have apologised after their social media team manually blocked Spurs fans for comments under a post which included winger Manor Solomon.
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Tottenham apologise for social media activityFans were blocked manuallySolomon stuck in Israel after weddingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Tottenham were forced to apologise after their social media team blocked accounts responding to a post which included a photo of Solomon's wedding. Some comments referred to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with Solomon previously sharing his support for Israel, his homeland.
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An internal review found some social media users who posted their support for Palestine under the post were manually blocked by Spurs' social media team. The club already has an automated process in place for banning users who use abusive or threatening behaviour towards any of their players.
WHAT TOTTENHAM SAID
A Tottenham statement delivered to reads: "We have been made aware of a number of X accounts that have been blocked manually by the club's social media team following posts aimed at one of our players related to the current conflict in the Middle East.
"Following an internal review, we recognise some of these posts do not meet the threshold of malicious communication defined in our policy and we acknowledge an error of judgment has been made in these instances. We have unblocked these accounts and are reviewing our internal procedures.
"The club should like to wholeheartedly apologise to those impacted. We continue to stand for peace and acceptance for all, while standing firmly against all forms of abuse and discrimination."
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Solomon is currently stuck in Israel, having flown back to the region for his wedding. Their country's airspace has been closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran, but Spurs have confirmed they are in contact with the 25-year-old regarding a return to the United Kingdom.
The legspinner had reacted angrily to Australia pulling out of their ODI series against Afghanistan
AAP24-Aug-2023Cricket Australia has been given a significant boost with Rashid Khan relenting on his threat to boycott the BBL and telling officials he intends on playing in the tournament this summer.Rashid created headlines in January when he threatened to quit the BBL over Australia’s decision to withdraw from a white-ball series against Afghanistan on human-rights grounds.The world’s top-ranked T20 bowler was upset Cricket Australia had cancelled the series based on the Taliban’s ban on university education for girls in the country.”I am really disappointed to hear that Australia have pulled out of the series to play us in March,” Rashid said in a statement at the time.Related
Rashid Khan threatens to pull out of BBL over Australia's refusal to play Afghanistan
Warner to fulfil BBL commitments with Thunder before heading to ILT20
“If playing Afghanistan is so uncomfortable for Australia, then I wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. Therefore, I will be strongly considering my future in that competition.”The official list of players available for next Sunday’s overseas draft will not be released until Monday. But AAP has been told by league sources that the 24-year-old has nominated to feature in the tournament.CA made it clear in January that they stood by their position on skipping Afghanistan matches, but Rashid and any other players from the nation were welcome in the BBL.Fellow Afghan players Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmed and Izharulhaq Naveed have also now nominated for the draft after playing in Australia last summer.The biggest of those stars, Rashid will be available to Strikers as a first-round retention pick for this summer, and would be expected to be kept by the franchise as their platinum selection.It is likely Rashid would feature in at least the first seven games for the Strikers, before the South African T20 League begins on January 10 with the Afghan already signed on for.Rashid first made his name in Australia as a 19-year-old when he was the leading wicket-taker in 2017-18, claiming 18 scalps to help spin the Strikers to their first title.Popular worldwide, Rashid is easily the Big Bash League’s most marketable overseas star. His 98 wickets are the most of any overseas player, while an average of 17.51 and economy rate of 6.44 are also the best of any bowler with more than 30 scalps.Elsewhere, officials have confirmed the lucrative ILT20 will begin on January 19 next year, allowing the majority of the BBL’s overseas stars to see out the majority of the Australian regular season.David Warner is among those to have signed up for the competition, however he would only be able to play if cleared by CA and in matches that do not clash with BBL or national commitments.
Paul Pogba has fans convinced he's heading to Real Madrid thanks to his latest post on social media from his training base in Florida.
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Pogba's future still uncertainHis social media activity has fans excitedSupporters think he could head to MadridFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The former Manchester United man is still yet to confirm his future ahead of the 2025-26 season but has been working hard on the training ground ahead of the new campaign. Pogba's latest Instagram post has caused a stir, with the French midfielder sharing a picture of himself in action wearing a Real Madrid shirt, and the caption: "I think it's time."
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Fans were quick to react to Pogba's post and seem convinced he is now heading to Spain.
abdou_jr.15 posted: "Paul Pobga to Real Madrid. Here we go the deal is done."
And masta.mind.58 added: "All roads lead to Madrid…"
Supporter aaminshaikhh replied: "You look good in madrid jersey" and imad+badi_15 shared a similar view: "Come to Madrid the shirt suits you isn't it."
Finally, iks_guineaman posted: "Hope it's time for you to join Madrid. God bless you."
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Pogba's most likely destination this summer had appeared to be Monaco. The Ligue 1 side want Pogba and Barcelona's Ansu Fati this summer but have yet to complete a deal for either. Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad have renewed their interest in Pogba and have been in touch with the former Manchester United man.
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Paul Pogba InstagramWHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?
Pogba hasn't played competitively since September 2023, after being hit with a four-year doping ban that was subsequently reduced to 18 months on appeal, but is hoping to try and resurrect his career. Yet fans will have to wait and see where the former Juventus midfielder decides to play his football next season, with a transfer still yet to be announced.
After the likes of Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Alex Popp took Euro 2022 by storm, who could follow in their footsteps at the tournament in Switzerland?
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Secure your Women's Euro 2025 tickets for this summer's international tournamentLocation: SwitzerlandStadiums: Various, including St. Jakob Park, Stadion Wankdorf, Stade de Genève and moreDate: July 2 – 27Final: July 27, St. Jakob Park
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Secure your Women's Euro 2025 tickets for this summer's international tournamentLocation: SwitzerlandStadiums: Various, including St. Jakob Park, Stadion Wankdorf, Stade de Genève and moreDate: July 2 – 27Final: July 27, St. Jakob Park
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Book hotels, apartments and accommodation across Switzerland for the Women's EurosSearch for places to stay near the stadiums, across Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva and moreLook for accommodation based on your dates, number of bedrooms, and budget on Booking.com
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Women's Euro Tickets
Secure your Women's Euro 2025 tickets for this summer's international tournamentLocation: SwitzerlandStadiums: Various, including St. Jakob Park, Stadion Wankdorf, Stade de Genève and moreDate: July 2 – 27Final: July 27, St. Jakob Park
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Book hotels, apartments and accommodation across Switzerland for the Women's EurosSearch for places to stay near the stadiums, across Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva and moreLook for accommodation based on your dates, number of bedrooms, and budget on Booking.com
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Every major tournament has its breakout stars, and this summer's European Championship will be no different. At Euro 2022, though she was already 27 years old, Beth Mead felt like the big name propelled into the spotlight like never before, as the England winger went on to finis second in the Ballon d'Or voting and release a book in the months that followed a tournament that she took by storm. The likes of Ella Toone, Lena Oberdorf, Chloe Kelly and Alex Popp also firmly enhanced their reputations.
At the 2023 Women's World Cup, Spain's Aitana Bonmati was the player who went from being highly-rated and incredibly respected in women's football circles to a genuine global star, that tournament helping to secure the first of her two Ballons d'Or to date. But there were other names who announced themselves to a wider audience, too, such as Colombia's Linda Caicedo or Japan's Hinata Miyazawa, whose move to Manchester United followed her Golden Boot-winning summer.
Sometimes, these breakout stars can be easy to predict. After all, Bonmati went into that World Cup arguably already deserving of the Ballon d’Or, while Caicedo felt primed for the moment after stealing the show at Copa America the year prior. Others, like a Miyazawa, though, can come more out of the blue in a manner that can change a whole career.
So, with Euro 2025 set to get underway on Wednesday, who are the players with the potential to really grab the tournament by the scruff of the neck and announce themselves to the continent, and even the world? GOAL picks out seven possible breakout stars…
Getty ImagesSydney Schertenleib (Switzerland)
This summer is such a big opportunity for Switzerland. As hosts of the tournament, La Nati have been granted a much kinder group draw than they would've otherwise received, one which gives them a genuine chance at making the knockout stages of the Euros for the first time. They've got some talented and experienced players in their squad aiming to help them achieve that feat, such as three-time Champions League winner Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Lia Walti, who just won that title with Arsenal last month. But the Switzerland player who feels primed to really announce herself at Euro 2025 is Sydney Schertenleib.
The 18-year-old has had a whirlwind 12 months, which began with a move to Barcelona and will conclude with her representing her national team at a home Euros. What is most impressive about the past year, though, is how easily Schertenleib has taken it all in her stride. Bumped up into the Barca first team within weeks of arriving in Catalunya, the versatile forward will earn plenty of new fans because of the joy with which she plays the game, her undeniable talent and the her ability to produce moments of magic.
Though still so young, Schertenleib could make a big difference in Switzerland's bid to make history.
Alongside Switzerland in that competitive Group A will be Norway, Finland and Iceland, the latter of whom Sveindis Jonsdottir represents. The former Wolfsburg winger had a mini-breakout season a few years back, when her long throws and electric wide play caught the eye in the Champions League. However, as the overall development of the two-time European champions' young squad seemed to somewhat stall, Jonsdottir didn't really kick on from there, with her eventually departing this summer for Angel City in the NWSL, the U.S. top flight.
However, for her country, she remains a deadly and key figure, especially given the fantastic understanding she has with Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir, the Bayern Munich forward who is another good shout to be a breakout star of Euro 2025. Both were bright lights in Iceland's frustrating Euro 2022 campaign, which saw them miss out on the last eight by a point, and should be even better this time around, driven by that disappointment and enhanced by greater general experience.
Jonsdottir is quick, direct and works hard, while those long throws will not only mark her out from the crowd, they'll also cause defences plenty of problems.
Getty ImagesAggie Beever-Jones (England)
Alessia Russo was another of England's breakout stars at Euro 2022, owing to her incredibly impactful performances from the bench. Indeed, only Mead and Popp actually scored more goals than the then-Manchester United striker, despite her not starting a single game. At Euro 2025, Aggie Beever-Jones will be hoping to have a similar summer.
The Chelsea star is likely to occupy the role that Russo had three years ago, and her recent performances for the Lionesses suggest she can certainly be influential in it. Beever-Jones scored her first senior international goal in April, bagged a hat-trick at Wembley a month later and comes into the Euros off the back of a terrific club season. No one scored more goals for Chelsea in their treble-winning campaign than the 21-year-old, with her exploits for the Blues also highlighting her ability to handle the sort of pressure that England will be under in Switzerland.
Beever-Jones' status in her home country is already growing and she could elevate that much, much further at Euro 2025.
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Getty ImagesClaudia Pina (Spain)
Not everyone can stand out in a Barcelona team that has reached six of the last seven Champions League finals and won three of them. Playing alongside stars like Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, who have four Ballons d'Or between them, it's not always easy for others to grab the headlines. Claudia Pina, though, did a fantastic job of stealing some of the attention this past year, winning the UWCL Golden Boot despite only starting six of her nine appearances. She scored 10 goals in 485 minutes of action – that's a remarkable rate.
Pina has been similarly effective for Spain in 2025, racking up four goals and two assists in six Nations League outings, including a match-winning brace from the bench to help La Roja come from 1-0 down to beat England last month. That sort of form should land the 23-year-old a starting role for her country's charge at a European title, and she can certainly make a name for herself by continuing that momentum for the reigning world champions.
Kent’s cushion above relegation zone cut to one point by Middlesex but Denly remains 105*
Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Sep-2023It sums up the state of the English schedule that Wednesday at Canterbury began in earnest on Tuesday afternoon in Bristol.Zak Crawley, England’s captain for the ODIs against Ireland, gave a debrief after the most forgettable of three-match series ended with a second washout. With the help of a good legal team, you could argue the most important information to glean was whether he would be coming into Kent’s final Division One match against Lancashire from day two.Preservation of top-flight status was high on the agenda, and the return of an international calibre opener, the only Kent batter to register more than one Championship hundred coming into this round, was only going to be a boost. Yet despite being the nominated player to sub into this fixture, along with Lancashire’s spinning allrounder Tom Hartley, Crawley was “not certain” if he would be parachuting in.That uncertainty remained as day two began, with Kent starting their first innings after dismissing Lancashire for 327. Full bowling points meant they led second-bottom Middlesex by four points with Crawley nowhere to be seen. Maybe he’d be around from day three? Spitfire fans have had much to rue all season, but positive vibes were a must ahead of their most important three days of the summer.Fast forward to 2.39pm, and the fear had returned. Official news came that Crawley would not play any part in the match due to illness, meaning Kent would stick with the same XI. By then, their cushion above the relegation zone was cut to a single point after Ryan Higgins’ 137 powered Middlesex beyond 350.The situation, the broader game, the wider world – all worthy of lament at that juncture. At the other end of the table, Surrey’s own stars for the understudy series had returned – Will Jacks immediately, with Jamie Smith due in for Ryan Patel from the third innings.Related
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Sanderson dents Essex's lingering hopes of clinching title
On social media and in the stands, Kent fans asked questions, and cursed their luck. And all the while, Ben Compton, the man Crawley would have replaced, scratched his guard, got behind the ball, walked away, came back, scratched his guard some more, then left the next one.Mr Keep Calm And Grind It Out was doing just that on his way to a 95, inching his team to safety. By stumps, Kent were leading by 18 through Joe Denly’s first century of the season, accrued off the back of Compton’s graft, even if the man who fashioned the foundations with his bare hands could not reach three figures himself.It leaves the hosts in with a shout of two more bonus points to extend the overnight three-point lead they hold over their relegation rivals. All thanks to one of their great modern survivalists.In a world where the slow burners are quickly going out of fashion, there remains a lot to respect about Compton’s methods. Yet even amid the defiance, impressive concentration and the odd soft-handed edge just short of the cordon, there were moments you wondered how the ghost at this feast would have played the various scenarios that emerged throughout the day.Sure, Crawley would have scored quicker, particularly on a surface that started reliably enough for Tawana Muyeye to provide 46 of the opening stand’s 64 from just 61 deliveries. Compton had 15 off 51 when Muyeye was superbly caught by Keaton Jennings, one-handed, diving to his right, off seamer George Balderson.Crawley would probably have not let left-arm spinner Jack Morley settle into a comfortable groove that saw him stitch together an impressive spell for his brace of wickets. Turn and bounce did for Daniel Bell-Drummond, before Jack Leaning lost his off stump with a delivery from around the wicket that drew him forward before spinning sharply past the outside edge. That may well be Morley’s last act if Hartley comes into the XI from day three.In fact, Compton’s approach to the turning ball was such that Tom Bailey decided to park his seam for some off spin when the left-hander was on strike. Others might have lost their heads at the disarming sight of a 6-foot-4 quick twirling away with shades on, Compton never lost sight of the bigger picture.Ben Compton fell five runs shy of his century•Getty ImagesThat he was unable to cash in fully, pulling Jack Blatherwick around the corner to fine leg at the start of the 70th over was a shame, though not the first time he has been undone by the short ball this summer. And it would have stung that the umpires called the players off for bad light two deliveries later.But the ball before the stoppage, Denly’s wearing of a Blatherwick bouncer ran away beyond the wicketkeeper to take Kent to their first batting point. And upon the return after a 25-minute delay, two beamers from Blatherwick resulted in him being pulled out of the attack, unable to bowl for the rest of the innings. Luke Wells delivered the final ball of the over.Sandwiched in between both above-the-waist no balls was Denly’s pull through square leg to take him to fifty from 86 deliveries. It was his second successive half-century after 73 against Somerset last week.A bowler down, with the seamers worn down, not unrelated to Comtpon’s belligerence, Lancashire lost the thread of the match, a point backed up by the 38 extras they’d eventually send down by stumps.Denly cashed in, smashing over the midwicket fence then driving powerfully through covers for four in successive balls as Wells continued from the Nackington Road End. The 50 stand duly arrived for the fifth wicket, with Harry Finch providing just 10 before the 300 was brought up to huge applause from around the ground.Those were bettered when Denly drove aerially through the off side for the three that took him to a 28th century for his home county, with his former club Middlesex indirectly on the receiving end. The extra decibels on the ovation solely to the man, even with the improvement of the state of play.This was the 37-year-old’s first hundred in 18 innings, a sequence that includes five ducks and five single-figure scores. His 2023 red ball average coming into this final round was 13.08, but the fluency here – the second fifty took just 51 deliveries – was a reminder of the talent that remains within.There was time to tick off the century stand (Finch with 24) and get ahead before bad light brought a permanent end to the day at 5:52pm. The scope for Thursday will be quick runs before 110 overs and then any runs as the side quests of bonus points move aside and the match result comes into view. At this juncture, Kent are just about favourites.
Jadon Sancho is ready to take a massive pay cut to leave Manchester United for Juventus but the Serie A club have yet to meet their asking price.
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Sancho wants Serie A moveJuventus interested in wingerYet to meet United's demandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Per the Daily Mail, Sancho is willing to cut his wages by ÂŁ200,000-per-week to complete a move to Juventus from United but the Serie A club have yet to meet the Red Devils' asking price, nor the player's wage demands. He currently earns over ÂŁ300,000-per-week and is said to be willing to cut his salary to ÂŁ7 million ($9.5m) per year, which would see him earn just over ÂŁ180,000-per-week. Thus far, Juve have proposed a salary of ÂŁ5m plus add-ons, which equates to ÂŁ130,000-per-week.
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United are keen to receive around ÂŁ25m ($34m) for Sancho this summer, after he formally requested his exit. He has, per the report, been told to stay away from the training ground, with Ruben Amorim's side now attempting to find him a new club. It is unclear if Juve will meet their, or his, demands.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sancho made 31 appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea last season during his loan spell at Stamford Bridge but he managed just three goals and five assists. His United contract runs until 2026, so this is the last summer in which the club can receive a fee for him.
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United play Leeds in a pre-season friendly on July 19. Sancho will not be involved.
“Every opportunity we get to play together is vital now to try and find our mojo again,” says England coach ahead of Sunday’s India game
Matt Roller27-Oct-20232:53
Have England failed to plan well for this World Cup?
Matthew Mott accepts that his position as England’s white-ball coach will come under pressure with his side on the brink of an early World Cup exit, but said he is “fully determined” that he and captain Jos Buttler can turn things around in the future.Mott was appointed on a four-year contract in May 2022 and Rob Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, made clear to him that he would be judged on results at World Cups rather than bilateral series, where England have routinely rested first-choice players.He oversaw their success at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year, sealing England’s legacy as world champions in both white-ball formats. But after four defeats in their first five group games in India this month, England’s semi-final hopes are merely theoretical and Mott’s role will be scrutinised.Related
England balancing act leaves them staring into World Cup abyss
England's woes weigh heavy on Jos Buttler, the captain
“Jos and I are incredibly aligned and united,” Mott said after England’s latest defeat, an eight-wicket thrashing by Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. “Rob Key has been an amazing support to us [but] when you lose tournaments like this, everyone’s under scrutiny; everyone’s place will be questioned.”I’m fully determined that we can turn this around. I’ve got great faith in Jos: he’s hurting now and he’ll be feeling like there’s a lot on him. I certainly feel like I could have done things a lot better. But I’ve been in the job 18 months: we’ve won a World Cup and lost a World Cup. I think I’ve shown the capability that I can coach this team.”Buttler said on Thursday night that he retains “a lot of confidence and belief in myself as a leader” despite England’s results, but conceded that his future lies in the hands of the ECB. “If you’re asking if I should still be captaining the team, that’s a question for the guys above me,” he said.Mott is used to coaching at World Cups with high expectations after seven years with Australia’s women. Under his leadership, they won one 50-over World Cup and two T20 World Cups – though were also shocked by West Indies in the 2016 T20 final, and India in the 2017 50-over semi-finals.”I think, having experiences from the past where I’ve had tournaments like this, I’ve shown an ability to be able to turn things around,” Mott said. “So that’ll have to happen pretty quickly. But yeah, what will be, will be.”Matthew Mott•Getty ImagesEngland travelled to Lucknow on Friday ahead of their next fixture against India on Sunday, for which they are massive underdogs. “[They] are probably raging favourites at the moment,” Mott said. “That’s an opportunity to restore some pride and confidence in the group, and every opportunity we get to play together is vital now to try and find our mojo again.”After picking a side comprising 11 players aged 30 or over for the first time in their ODI history against Sri Lanka, England will consider making changes again on Sunday. All four of the squad members who did not feature on Thursday – Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse and Sam Curran – are aged between 24 and 28.Mott did not commit to using young players for the rest of the World Cup, despite widespread expectations that England will overhaul their ODI set-up after this tournament. They still have four group matches to play, with fixtures against Australia, Netherlands and Pakistan after Sunday’s clash with India.”We’ll just try and keep picking our best side for the conditions – as we’ve tried to do all the way throughout,” Mott said. “What we need to get our heads around is restoring pride… that is our first priority at the moment: to make sure we come out and give India a good scrap, and hopefully perform a lot better than we have.”Brook was left out in favour of Liam Livingstone against Sri Lanka, but is England’s third-highest run-scorer of the tournament and one of only four batters to reach 50 in an innings. Asked specifically about his omission, Mott said: “Harry Brook is going to be a world-class player in all three formats.”We picked what we thought was the best balance for this and certainly after losing those wickets, the deeper batting line-up gave us a chance. We thought we could keep throwing punches through the back-end but it wasn’t to be today. Harry will have an amazing white-ball future: he’s a special player.”
Arsenal are closing in on signing Spanish centre-back Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia this summer. The Gunners have agreed personal terms with the defender and are close to finalising a deal with the La Liga side. The youngster, who recently represented Spain at the U-21 European Championship, is being considered as a perfect back up for William Saliba and Gabriel.
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Arsenal set to sign MosqueraHave agreed personal terms with the playerArteta on a spending spree in the summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to , Arsenal are on the verge of sealing a transfer for Mosquera. The 21-year-old appeared in 41 matches across all competitions and played in 37 out of Valencia's 38 La Liga matches. The Gunners had earlier tried to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, but after he moved to Real Madrid, the club turned their attention to Mosquera.
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Mikel Arteta is on a spending spree in the summer transfer window to bolster their squad ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. They have already announced the arrivals of midfielders Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi from Brentford and Real Sociedad, while Kepa Arrizabalaga made the switch from Chelsea. The North London side have also agreed on a deal to sign Noni Madueke from the Blues and are also on the verge of signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.
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The Premier League giants are also working on a new long-term deal for wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri, as the youngster is all set to commit his future to his boyhood club.
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Arteta and his team are already back in training as they are scheduled to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong later this month, where they will play pre-season friendlies against AC Milan, Newcastle and Tottenham.
New Pakistan team director wants “aggressive mindset” from players as they seek to end long losing run in Tests
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2023Mohammad Hafeez, the new Pakistan team supremo, is seeking “excitement” in the daunting prospect of his side’s three-Test tour of Australia, a land where they have lost their last 14 consecutive Tests.Hafeez, the team director and effectively head coach, has never played a Test in Australia but on the eve of their departure urged his side to play modern, aggressive cricket and see Pakistan’s losing streak as an opportunity rather than a burden.”When there is an excitement in your challenge, when there is a nothing-to-lose opportunity and a lot to gain, you’re winning,” Hafeez said. “As a team our goal is not what history says but what we can go out there and achieve. The mindset is very clear – this is a very exciting challenge ahead of us and, together, we can bring better results. I can’t answer for past results, but from here on you will see inshallah better results for Pakistan.”Related
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Those past results make for grim reading. Fourteen losses across three generations, four by an innings, one by nearly 500 runs, three by nine or ten wickets: it is not a streak that is easily offloaded.Pakistan fly out early Thursday morning and they do so in a bit of the disarray of the bad old days. A new captain is in place who never feels too far away from being dropped (as Shan Masood’s 30 Tests in 10 years and an average under 30 show), there is no official head coach (Grant Bradburn is officially still with the PCB), the old team director Mickey Arthur has been sidelined not let go and they’re on a fifth chief selector this year.On the field, as has been the case on their past three tours, the worries revolve around the bowling attack. Shaheen Shah Afridi is the spearhead but it’s less clear who will step up alongside him. The absence through injury of Naseem Shah, the stagnation of Hasan Ali and the inexperience of Abrar Ahmed as the main spinner means prospects aren’t especially bright.But Hafeez remains confident. “It is an exciting challenge and I repeat that a lot because when you want to gain something, you get excited. Naseem is injured, but I don’t think you can pin losses on the absence of one player. Every player has to deliver.”In this team, the bowling unit has good bowlers, the best ones in the Pakistan system have been selected. The bowling line-up that we have, I have a very strong gut feeling that they can give winning performances there. When you take 20 wickets, that is when you have a chance of winning. I think our bowling is capable of doing that.”Amid the gloom of the Asia Cup and World Cup results, Naseem’s injury, the management changes and ongoing administrative instability, it’s easy to forget that Pakistan’s last Test assignment was an uplifting one. They swamped Sri Lanka across two Tests in Sri Lanka and did so with an entertaining, attacking verve.The batting order is in good health and Hafeez said he expected Babar Azam’s game to flourish even more now that he has been relieved of the captaincy. Hafeez didn’t refer to the much-trumpeted “Pakistan Way” – the attacking brand Arthur and Bradburn brought to the side in April – but he did insist that attacking cricket is the clear message to the players.”Every team has their own winning mantra and strategy. We will not play according to how another team plays, but we will have to make our own strategy of how we are going to win. Pakistan’s cricket has always done better when they are being aggressive. That is the very clear message to all the players that we want them to play with an aggressive mindset. We will not change to someone else’s style, but we want to have our own strong style.”Pakistan cricket had been left behind somewhat by the modern game, Hafeez said, and only once they had accepted it could they move on.”Modern-day cricket is not a pill that you swallow and you suddenly start playing it,” he said. “It is an intent, a way of thinking, that you want to play in a dominating position, to stay ahead of the game at all times, and to bring in impactful performances. Everyone at this level performs but it’s no point unless it is impactful. We need to come out of our comfort zones and work towards achieving team goals and being impactful. You will hopefully see Pakistan cricket take the first step towards playing modern-day cricket.”