As Real Madrid president Florentino Perez looks to make room for even more stars this summer, Manchester City could reportedly take full advantage by welcoming an attacking talent of their own.
Man City "a thousand million points behind Liverpool" – Guardiola
It was around this time last year that Manchester City were on their way to securing a fourth consecutive Premier League title before squaring off against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. On a Wembley outing which ultimately ended in defeat, Pep Guardiola’s side could have been forgiven for their title hangover which allowed United to take full advantage.
A year on, however, they will not be handed that same forgiveness if they fall to defeat against Crystal Palace this weekend. The Citizens are no longer champions. It’s Liverpool’s crown to lose these days. Instead, Guardiola has endured his most difficult season in the Manchester City dugout and is yet to secure Champions League qualification with just two games remaining.
Guardiola even went as far as to admit that victory in the FA Cup final would not suddenly turn City’s season into a success, telling reporters: “The damage would be minimum. It’s not going to confuse [that] the season has been good. The club has to take the decision, the right ones, so next season will be better.
“We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool. I said many times the season hasn’t been good because we define if the season is good or not with the Premier League. This season it could not happen, at the same time we tried to avoid the damage. We have to be calm now and recover.”
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However, what such a difficult campaign has seemingly done is spark Manchester City into life in the transfer market. Already, names such as Florian Wirtz are threatening to steal the headlines and he could yet be joined by a Real Madrid star at The Etihad.
Man City in direct contact with Rodrygo
According to Sport in Spain, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are now in direct contact with Rodrygo over a summer move. The Real Madrid winger is someone that Perez is reportedly willing to sell for the right price, whilst the Brazilian himself has grown discontent with his role towards the end of Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure.
It’s not often that Madrid lose a Galactico, but as Rodrygo looks to become the main man, the Spaniards could do just that if Manchester City make their move in the coming months.
With 13 goals and 10 assists to his name this season, the Brazilian winger has impressed once again under Ancelotti, who has been a fan of his for some time despite the winger’s reported discontent.
The Real Madrid boss told reporters in 2022: “Both Valverde and Rodrygo are special players. And that’s what modern-day footballers have to be. They can play in different positions and they possess both technical and physical attributes.”
Manchester City find themselves on a decent run of form, which has seen them remain unbeaten in their previous six games in the Premier League and FA Cup.
With an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest to look forward to this weekend, especially as the competition represents the only chance they have of silverware this season, Pep Guardiola will be desperate for a win.
With just five league games left between now and the end of the campaign, City are yet to guarantee a top-five finish, which will see them secure qualification for the Champions League for the 15th year in a row.
It promises to be an exciting end to the season for the club. If FA Cup glory is achieved, plus a solid finish in the top flight, Guardiola could enter the summer with some renewed hope of starting a fresh era at the Etihad.
After several signings made during the winter transfer window, the Spaniard is already thinking ahead to the summer equivalent as one of Europe’s top young talents is being earmarked for a move to City.
Man City's summer transfer plans
With Kevin De Bruyne set to depart the Etihad Stadium this summer, City will be in the market for a new attacking midfielder.
Kevin De Bruyne
Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest’s mercurial playmaker, has already been earmarked for a possible summer switch but the Citizens may have to pay upwards of £100m.
The England international isn’t the only player on City’s radar in the attacking midfield positions, however.
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Indeed, according to Football Insider, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz remains the number one target for City to replace De Bruyne this summer.
German publication Bild reported last week that City could be set to pay the £129m fee that the German side has set for the player, although Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also showing plenty of interest in the German international.
This high fee could give City a major advantage over the other teams, as detailed by former City financial advisor Stefan Borson who told Football Insider: “The impression I get is that they see Wirtz as that kind of headline signing to replace Kevin De Bruyne, and they recognise that to do that deal is going to cost what it costs.
“I think in some ways City might quite like the fact that that is the price because it pretty much rules out Real Madrid from the situation, and it possibly also rules out Bayern Munich as well.”
Replacing the ageing Belgian with someone who has the world at their feet could boost their confidence heading into next season, no doubt about that.
He is also comparable to another young maestro who is making waves on the continent – Lamine Yamal.
Why Wirtz could be Man City's very own Yamal
Yamal has been breaking records since he made his Barcelona debut at the age of just 15 years, nine months and 16 days in April 2023, becoming the youngest-ever debutant for the club in La Liga.
He hasn’t stopped there. A few months later, the winger made his debut for the Spanish national side aged just 16 and even scored, becoming both the youngest player and scorer for his country after the win over Georgia in September 2023.
At the 2024 European Championships, Spain won the title with Yamal playing a key role. His stunning goal in the semi-final against France set the nation on their way to an eventual 2-1 win, which powered them into the final.
He is on a fast track to greatness, and this season has been his most productive yet. Indeed, the 17-year-old has scored 14 times while grabbing 22 assists as Barcelona edges towards the La Liga title.
Although he plays in a different position to Wirtz, operating as a natural winger rather than an attacking midfielder, the two share some similar statistics this season.
Real Sociedad'sJonAramburuin action with FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal
Yamal is even the seventh-most comparable player to the Leverkusen star as per FBref.
The pair have registered similar statistics across a range of metrics in their respective domestic leagues, including goals and assists (19 vs 18), shots on target per 90 (1.26 vs 1.15), shot-creating actions per 90 (5.76 vs 5.53), touches in the attacking penalty area (122 vs 187) and successful take-on percentage (50.3% vs 49.6%) this season.
Should Guardiola get a deal for Wirtz over the line in the coming months, he could be signing his very own version of the Spanish superstar, that’s for sure.
Despite being only 21 years of age, it feels as though Wirtz has been around for a lifetime. He made his debut for Leverkusen during the 2019/20 season, even scoring in the Bundesliga.
The next two seasons saw him go from strength to strength, registering 18 goals and 22 assists for the club across just 69 matches. His emergence from raw talent into a potential world-class star was evident, but then disaster struck.
In March 2022, he suffered a cruciate ligament tear that saw him miss 43 games for club and country, ruling him out of the 2022 World Cup in the process.
This type of injury may have kept plenty of players down on their luck. Not Wirtz, who has arguably returned even stronger.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has previously hailed the 21-year-old as a “superstar”, and that is exactly what he was last season for Leverkusen. The club won the domestic double.
Florian Wirtz’s stats for Leverkusen this season
Metric
Champions League
Bundesliga
Goals
6
9
Assists
1
10
Big chances created
4
16
Key passes per game
2.8
1.9
Successful dribbles per game
2
2.7
Via Sofascore
Throughout the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, Wirtz created 12 big chances, averaged 2.3 key passes per game and succeeded with 2.5 dribbles each match – a success rate of 51% – which helped the club claim their first ever league title.
Although Leverkusen won’t win any silverware this term, Wirtz has still contributed superbly, netting 15 goals along with recording 13 assists in all competitions.
He has yet to hit his peak and this is what is so enticing about the youngster. Guardiola will be able to push him towards becoming one of the best in the world should he end up at City this summer.
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Pep Guardiola might well have his own Declan Rice at Manchester City with this terrific talent.
Series has been marked by Sri Lanka fightbacks, but only because of catastrophic top five
Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Aug-20240:59
Kamindu Mendis hasn’t given up hope of Test fightback
Milan Rathnayake dropped his hands, crouched, swayed and did not turn his back on the ball. And yet having done pretty much everything right, he still ended up wearing Olly Stone’s bouncer flush on the grille.Stone, closely followed by the rest of the England team, checked to see if he was okay before the Sri Lanka physio ran on for a more thorough assessment. Once the concussion protocols were administered – and passed – Rathnayake shaped up again. Stone bumped him again. This time he ducked, turned his head, closed his eyes and prayed as the ball cannoned into his gloves.The bowling allrounder lasted just two more balls, eventually walking back up to the away dressing-room in the Lord’s pavilion, to which Sri Lanka’s top six had already returned the best part of 10 overs beforehand. This is Rathnayake’s second Test, and so the experience probably still fresh, new and exciting. But he would have been within his rights to throw his arms in the air once he got back to his senior batters and ask, “lads – any chance?”Sri Lanka’s first innings was only 29 overs old with his dismissal, but they were already seven-down and trailing by 309 runs. Rathanayake had arrived at six-down, with just 87 on the board. Though he was unable to do as he had done in last week’s first Test, Kamindu Mendis, their second-innings hero in Manchester, mustered 74 to provide the faint silver lining on this particular mushroom cloud of a batting performance. That England did not enforce the follow-on with a lead of 231 was out of comfort for their bowlers rather than convenience.Nothing, though, was ever going to cover for yet another top-order failure. One that looks a whole lot worse when you win the toss and decide to bowl in pristine batting conditions, asking an attack who had never previously toured England before to take ten wickets when the sun is out and the cloud spotless. Oh – and having dropped the only bloke with any previous experience on these shores. The least you could do in that situation is give them a bit of time off and get somewhere near 400. That was the whole point of asking the hosts to go first, right?Dimuth Karunaratne was out chopping on, for 7•Getty ImagesThe small crumb of comfort for Dhananjaya de Silva , who made that call at 10:30am on Thursday morning, was that at least his dismissal for a four-ball duck was one of the more excusable. Even so, as the skipper was squared up by Matthew Potts on the downward slope, you did wonder if he had to commit as much as he did to an attempted push into the leg side. Some of his fellow experienced batters, however, warrant further scrutiny.Dimuth Karunaratne, an opener regarded as one of the steadiest accumulators in the game, has been collecting only regrets these last two weeks. The latest being diverting a delivery from outside off onto his own stumps when it was always going across him, with lunch due at the end of the over. Angelo Mathews, while brilliantly picked off by Potts, had been too accommodating to the Durham quick. Four of the seven dot-balls he faced, before the knockout blow that squared him up to clip the top of off, could have been worked away for singles, either through cover or off the legs. Something – anything – to elicit a change in length. As for Dinesh Chandimal, only a note on his pillow last night would have offered him more notice than Ollie Pope waving Dan Lawrence into a catching position just behind square leg.That trio were not the only ones deserving of criticism. Pathum Nissanka was also guilty of failing to clock a field shift, working the ball so confidently to leg slip that he even added a little flick of the wrist as a flourish. But Karunaratne, Mathews and Chandimal are all on their third tour of England. And while you can talk about gaining experience in county cricket, playing more warm-up matches and addressing financial inequality, sometimes it’s just about doing better because you really should know better.Even with only one match against a mish-mashed England Lions – which they lost, by the way – the squad has had a decent build-up to this series, with some in situ as early as August 6. Other decisions also warrant an explanation. It’s one thing to give Nishan Madushka the gloves – even if he is only the third-best keeper in the squad – but persisting with him as an opener, despite the fact Nissanka is better equipped to do so outright, was a tad confusing. When Madushka walked out at 12:18pm to start the reply to England’s 427, having kept for 102 overs, it looked like an elaborate joke.Milan Rathnayake ducks into a short delivery from Olly Stone•AFP/Getty ImagesEven as you are reading this, there is probably some pen-pusher at Sri Lanka Cricket’s head office, inside the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, who has been ordered to fire up his computer and open that file labelled “Guys, what the hell? – Bad Tour Review Template, DO NOT DELETE.doc”. A few of those columns have probably already been filled.Sri Lanka’s top five are currently boasting a combined average of 19.26, the third-lowest for a visiting side to England in 50 years. In that same period, across first innings alone, only Bangladesh’s top five in 2005 have averaged less than Sri Lanka’s 11.80 in 2024. Unsurprisingly, this is the worst first-innings performance from a Sri Lanka top five in any series of two Tests or more.We are only halfway through this series, even if it feels like this second Test – and series – has just one more meaningful day to go. And there is a world where Sri Lanka fight back in their second innings as they did last week.But just as was the case then, they probably won’t as far as the result is concerned because of how badly their most trusted batters have botched the first.
The 12 remaining teams will vie for four semi-final spots as the tournament heads towards an exciting conclusion
Raunak Kapoor21-Jan-2023The format
While it is called the Super Six, there are still 12 teams left in the tournament, as the top three sides from the four groups in the group stage have made it to the next round. These include – in that order – Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka from Group A; England, Pakistan and Rwanda from Group B; New Zealand, West Indies and Ireland from Group C; and India, South Africa and UAE from Group D.In the Super Six, teams will be divided into two groups of six each, but each team only plays an additional two matches in this round. For instance, Bangladesh, who topped Group A, will now play South Africa and UAE, who had finished second and third respectively in Group D. Similarly, Group D toppers India will play Australia and Sri Lanka, who were second and third in Group A. Thus, these six teams comprise Super Six Group 1.Over to Group 2 in Super Six, which consists of England, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan and Rwanda. England had topped Group B, and will thus play West Indies and Ireland, who had come second and third from Group C. On the other hand, New Zealand, who were first from Group C, will meet Pakistan and Rwanda from Group B in the Super Six.Related
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Also, teams carry forward the points and the net run rate from the group stage from the two matches against the other teams from their group who also qualified for the Super Six. So India’s points and net run rate against fourth-placed Scotland will not be included; the same for New Zealand against Indonesia, and England against Zimbabwe, etc.Eventually, the top two teams from each of the two Super Six groups advance to the semi-finals.Who are the favourites after the group stage?
The four group toppers are best placed to make the semi-finals after the Super Six stage. Bangladesh, England, New Zealand and India were group winners, with three wins out of three. While India, England and New Zealand dominated each of their games, Bangladesh were tested to a degree by Australia and Sri Lanka, but otherwise looked comfortable. With two wins carried forward for each of the table toppers, if they win their two super six games, they will cruise to the semi-final. No other team will be able to reach four wins.Shweta Sehrawat (left) is the highest run-getter of the tournament so far•ICC via GettyKey fixtures
India vs Australia on January 21 will headline the Super Six line up. Bangladesh’s opening-day win over Australia means India will now have arguably the toughest Super Six fixtures against Australia and Sri Lanka. What is more, India play Sri Lanka the very next day on January 22.New Zealand have had it quite easy so far after restricting Indonesia and Ireland to 74 each, and West Indies to 68 in the group stage. While they took 27 of 30 wickets, they lost just one across the three matches, having had to bat for less than 24 overs so far. But their biggest test will be against Pakistan on January 24.Stand-out players
India’s Shweta Sehrawat leads the run-scoring charts with 197 runs in three games, along with the tournament’s highest individual score of 92* against South Africa. Sehrawat has faced 116 balls so far without yet being dismissed. Shafali Verma, India’s captain and Sehrawat’s opening partner, is striking at 233.96, the highest by some distance in the tournament, with scores of 45 from 16 deliveries, and 78 off 34. But she missed out in the last group game against Scotland.England captain Grace Scrivens was very impressive in the group stage. She has 120 runs in three innings, and five wickets to go with that.The top three six-hitters of the tournament feature two names from Bangladesh: Afia Prottasha with five – just as many hit by Shafali – and Shorna Akter with four.England captain Grace Scrivens was very impressive in the group stage•Getty/ICCWhat to expect?
In spite of the unfriendly schedule, India start firm favourites against both Australia and Sri Lanka. Sehrawat’s form and G Trisha’s runs in the group stage mean India do not rely only on the experience of Shafali and Richa Ghosh. Moreover, they will also take confidence after restricting UAE to 97, and Scotland to 66.England should cruise through to the semi-final with fixtures against Ireland and West Indies, both of whom have looked well below par when up against formidable opposition.New Zealand have a potentially tricky game against Pakistan, who troubled England in phases with the ball but couldn’t stay in the game with the bat. That New Zealand start their Super Six campaign against Rwanda could mean their batting remains untested ahead of their match against Pakistan.Bangladesh have been outstanding in the group stage. If they keep up the standard they did against Australia and Sri Lanka, they should cruise past UAE and hosts South Africa, who have had their moments with the ball, but got only 112 against both Scotland and UAE in the group stage, even if they won both matches. And so it is their bowling and catching that have largely kept them alive in the tournament.The tournament has already given us one run-out at the non-striker’s end, two hat-tricks – including a haul of four wickets in as many consecutive balls – along with a highest team score of 219 by India, and a lowest of 25 by Zimbabwe. But what have been missing so far is a century by a batter, and a Super Over finish.
From being seventh not so long ago, the Sunrisers Hyderabad turned it around to finish third in the league stage
Hemant Brar05-Nov-2020At one stage in IPL 2020, the Sunrisers Hyderabad were lurking at the seventh place with just three wins from nine games. They were also hit by a spate of injuries to their key players: Mitchell Marsh was ruled out in the very first match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar after four matches, Kane Williamson was in and out while Vijay Shankar picked up niggles. Then, to book a playoff spot, they needed to win their last three league matches against the top three teams on the points table.And, yet, somehow everything fell into place for David Warner’s men. They not only beat the Delhi Capitals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians in successive matches but also did it so comprehensively that by the end of the league stage, they were positioned third.Here’s a look at the factors that have helped the Sunrisers turn their campaign around.Finding the right combination A big factor in a team’s success in the IPL is how quickly they can find their best XI. It took the Sunrisers nine matches. And even then it was more by accident than design.When Williamson pulled out injured for the match against the Rajasthan Royals, the Sunrisers were left with no other option than to play Jason Holder. Playing his first IPL match in four years, Holder made an instant impact by picking up three wickets and effecting a run-out as the Sunrisers went on to win by eight wickets.Holder’s performance meant he was there to stay. Once Williamson was fit, he couldn’t be left out either given the Sunrisers’ fragile middle order. Therefore, the Sunrisers had to replace Jonny Bairstow with Wriddhiman Saha and that’s how they stumbled upon their best combination.The Holder effect Holder was in the middle of a vacation when he was called up as a replacement for the injured Marsh. He didn’t get a game straightaway but once he made it to the playing XI, he benefitted the side in more than one ways.Jason Holder has delivered immediately•ESPNcricinfoAfter Bhuvneshwar was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury, the Sunrisers were looking for someone to lead their pace attack. Holder filled that void. With Abdul Samad not living up to the expectations, the Sunrisers wanted someone to shore up their lower-order batting. Holder put his hand up.With the ball, Holder has picked up ten wickets from five games at an economy of 7.90. With the bat, his decisive 26 not out off ten balls saw the Sunrisers over the line in a tricky chase against the Royal Challengers.Sandeep bowling three overs in powerplay Of all the Holder benefits, arguably the biggest one is him taking care of the death overs along with T Natarajan. That allowed the Sunrisers to use Sandeep Sharma’s three overs upfront, a move that has worked wonders.Sandeep’s ability to swing the new ball both ways at an annoying pace fetched the Sunrisers good returns in the powerplay. His effectiveness was further augmented by his canny use of the knuckle ball and the slowing nature of the pitches in the second half of the tournament. In his first six games, Sandeep had three powerplay wickets at a strike rate of 26. In the last five, he has six at a strike rate of 15.Sandeep Sharma has the led way for Sunrisers Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfoWickets in the powerplay mean Sandeep not only got big names out but also got them out cheaply: Shikhar Dhawan for 0, Virat Kohli for 7 and Rohit Sharma for 4, among others. In terms of most wickets in the powerplay this season, he is behind only Trent Boult and Jofra Archer.Warner back to his aggressive best All the above factors helped the Sunrisers stay competitive but the one which rammed the advantage home was Warner rediscover his mojo.In the first ten games of the tournament, Warner had 335 runs at an average of 41.87 and a strike rate of 124.07. Decent numbers for an anchor but not for someone who is supposed to set the tone. Compare them to his last four outings: 194 runs at an average of 64.66 with a strike rate of 165.81. That’s the Warner the Sunrisers were missing.What liberated him? Opening up his front leg and going all out to find some runs on the pitches that were getting slower and slower. That decision could have also stemmed from having Williamson and Holder down the order. Either way, the Sunrisers aren’t complaining.David Warner has hit form at the right time•ESPNcricinfoSaha striking with the bat Replacing Bairstow with Saha was a brave decision, because who separates as prolific an opening pair as Warner and Bairstow had been in the last season. However, it paid off handsomely.In the IPL, Saha has been one of the best strikers of the ball in the powerplay and he proved it once again with the knocks of 87 off 45, 39 off 32 and 58* off 45 in the last three innings. With Warner at his aggressive best at the other end, there was no respite for the bowlers.Against the Capitals, Warner and Saha added 107 in just 9.4 overs to set the platform for a formidable total. Two games later, the two chased down 150 against the Mumbai Indians all by themselves.
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez is baseball's consensus top trade candidate this season, as the Diamondbacks appear primed to rent out their slugger ahead of his free agency.
However, a wrench was thrown into their plans Monday. Suarez was hit on the hand by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers, forcing him out of the game.
Tigers pitcher Will Vest threw the fateful pitch in the ninth inning—a 95 mph sinker with his team ahead 5–1. Suarez left the contest 1-for-3.
This season, the Venezuela native is slashing .247/.319/.579 with 36 home runs and an MLB-best 87 RBIs—yet another plus season for one of the game's most consistent sluggers. Suarez owns six 30-homer seasons and three 100-RBI seasons since debuting in 2014.
After the game, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo signaled Suarez would receive X-rays and called him day-to-day, via Cody Stavenhagen of .
The Diamondbacks are currently 51-56, and is 6.5 games back of the National League's final wild-card playoff spot. It will play two more games against Detroit before the trade deadline, which is Thursday.
Russell Wilson and his family are in attendance for Sunday's edition of the Subway Series, as the New York Yankees prepare to host the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium.
Prior to the game, Wilson and his family got to spend some time on the field during batting practice, during which Wilson's children got to meet some of their favorite ballplayers, including superstar outfielder Aaron Judge.
Judge had an awesome surprise ready for the kids, too. After greeting Wilson's children, Judge was seen gifting each child a pair of his batting gloves.
Wilson has some strong ties to New York and the Yankees organization. In addition to joining the New York Giants in the offseason, Wilson was previously acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the Texas Rangers, who had acquired him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2013.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback, who also played middle infield as a high schooler, was drafted by two MLB teams, once in the 41st round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 when he was coming out of high school, and again in the fourth round by the Colorado Rockies in 2010.
New York traded for him in exchange for cash considerations in 2018 and even invited him to spring training. Wilson suited up for the team in a Grapefruit League game that spring, serving as a pinch-hitter for Judge.
Although Wilson never fully lived out his baseball dreams, he's remained close to one of the organizations that gave him an opportunity, and he got to experience a wholesome moment with his family ahead of Sunday's game.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has withdrawn the national team from next month’s tri-series in Pakistan following the death of three local cricketers in a cross-border attack in the Urgun district of the country.Following the incident, the ICC and BCCI expressed solidarity with the ACB, who also urged “the implementation of firm and decisive measures against those responsible for this inhumane attack.” Pakistan’s government issued a statement contesting the claims that “cricketers” had died in an “airstrike”.In a post on X on Friday, the ACB claimed several lives had been lost in the attack, including three local cricketers who had been returning home after playing a “friendly” match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province. “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” it said in a statement.Describing the incident as “tragic”, the ACB said “as a gesture of respect to the victims” it had “decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series.”
A day after the ACB’s decision, the ICC and BCCI issued statements expressing “solidarity” with the Afghanistan board. “The International Cricket Council (ICC) is deeply saddened and appalled by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who lost their lives in a recent airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.”The three young men had returned home after participating in a friendly cricket match when they were killed in an attack that also claimed the lives of several civilians. The ICC strongly condemns this act of violence that has robbed families, communities, and the cricketing world of three bright talents whose only ambition was to play the sport they loved.”The BCCI said: “The BCCI stands in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the cricket fraternity, and the families of the departed players during this moment of profound grief and condemns this ghastly and unwarranted attack. The loss of innocent lives, particularly those of promising sportspersons, is deeply distressing and a matter of great concern. The BCCI conveys its heartfelt sympathies to the people of Afghanistan and shares in their pain and loss.”On Saturday evening, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar gave Pakistan’s first official response, in a statement on ‘X’. “Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s selective, biased and premature comment that advances a disputed allegation, as established, that three ‘Afghan cricketers’ died in an ‘airstrike’. The ICC has cited no independent verification to substantiate these claims. Pakistan strongly rejects the characterization and contests the ICC’s claim and call for immediate correction.”Following the statement from the ICC, the ACB issued another statement expressing “sincere gratitude” to the governing body. “The ACB has consistently upheld the principle of keeping sports separate from politics and has maintained this stance within the framework of the ICC. The Afghanistan Cricket Board once again strongly condemns this act of violence. While deeply appreciating the ICC’s expression of solidarity, the ACB urges the implementation of firm and decisive measures against those responsible for this inhumane attack.”The T20I tri-series, between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, had been arranged by the PCB last month, and was scheduled to be played between November 17-29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.The tournament would have been the second tri-series involving Afghanistan and Pakistan this year, following their meeting in August-September prior to the Asia Cup. However, it was to be their first in Pakistan. Afghanistan had previously played in the country in the 2023 Asia Cup and earlier this year in the Champions Trophy, without playing against the host nation.Pakistan and Afghanistan had been scheduled to play each other twice in the tournament – on November 17 in the series opener, and again on November 23. Zimbabwe will now take Afghanistan’s place. The tri-series had been finalised at time when the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were already deteriorating.
Chelsea midfielder Roméo Lavia and his injury hell has continued into this season, with the Belgian hauled off after just six minutes against Qarabağ in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Lavia, who was spotted launching a water bottle in frustration moments after being substituted in Azerbaijan, was forced to sit out 226 days last term through injury, and managed just over half an hour throughout the entirety of 2023/2024 after his near-£60 million move from Southampton.
Estevao
8.2
Alejandro Garnacho
7.5
Leandro Andrade
7.4
Matheus Silva
7.0
Marko Jankovic
7.0
via WhoScored
The stats surrounding his absences make for very grim reading, and what’s more, Lavia has never even completed a full 90 minutes for the west Londoners.
The 21-year-old was once Southampton’s “shining star” and a player to get “very excited” about, according to journalist Sam Tighe in 2023, but injuries have plagued Lavia ever since he signed on the dotted line at Stamford Bridge.
On his day, and when available, Lavia is a phenomenal alternative to the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández in Chelsea’s midfield, with Enzo Maresca effusive in his praise for the ex-Man City academy star.
However, his consistent lack of availability is a major cause for concern, and supporters are beginning to speculate whether the Blues could decide to pull the plug and sell him next year.
Now, journalist Graeme Bailey has provided an update.
Chelsea tipped to move for Adam Wharton amid Roméo Lavia injury
Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, Bailey tips them to potentially enter the race for Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton next year, albeit not in January, or other big-name midfielders like Real Madrid duo Aurelien Tchouameni or Eduardo Camavinga.
However, he emphasises that Chelsea were already planning to sign a new midfielder before Lavia’s latest injury, so it isn’t exactly a reactionary decision, and the club remain huge fans of their 2023 signing.
Wharton, in particular, would be an intriguing option for BlueCo.
The 21-year-old earned a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the last Euros after his stellar 2024 form, but he was forced to sit out most of last season after needing groin surgery.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham were among the clubs scouting Wharton at Blackburn Rovers before Palace ultimately took the plunge (The Guardian), with reports now suggesting that the Eagles value Wharton at an eye-watering £100 million.
Unless Wharton rediscovers his 23/24 prowess, Palace are very unlikely to get a fee of that magnitude, even if he is still considered by some as one of England’s brightest midfield prospects right now.
Worcestershire powered through to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final with a 131-run (DLS) victory over Somerset at New Road.Put in, the home side totalled a solid 275 for 9 as Daniel Lategan struck his List A-best 78 against a disciplined Somerset attack with Jack Leach’s excellent 10-1-28-2 at its heart. Ben Green took 4 for 52.The target looked around par on a good pitch but Somerset’s top order imploded against Khurram Shahzad (4 for 36). The visitors lurched to 108 for 7 from 23.4 overs before rain arrived with them more than 100 runs behind the DLS score.After the resumption they further crumbled to 141 all out as Worcestershire emphatically secured a place in the final at Trent Bridge on September 20.Somerset chose to bowl but were kept waiting for their first breakthrough as openers Lategan and Brett D’Oliveira (45) added 85 in 15 overs. The bowlers gave little away though and, as risks were taken in search of acceleration, wickets began to fall.D’Oliveira drilled Kasey Aldridge to extra cover. Kashif Ali was caught with the greatest nonchalance by Finley Hill on the midwicket boundary off Green. Jake Libby skied Aldridge to mid off.Nineteen-year-old Lategan posted a polished maiden List A fifty but fell lbw, reverse-sweeping, to Leach as the spinner built pressure which also saw him bowl Rob Jones through a failed sweep. After Ethan Brookes was lbw, sweeping Tom Lammonby, Worcestershire needed some late order contributions. They got them from Henry Cullen (32) and Matthew Waite (24) before Tom Taylor (22 not out) clubbed three sixes to hoist the total to 275.Pakistan international Shahzad then began with two wides, one of which went for four, in his first three balls. From the dubious platform of 0.1-0-6-0, however, he built an opening spell of 7-2-36-4. Lammonby and Lewis Goldsworthy were beaten for pace when trying to pull and sent up catches. Archie Vaughan was brilliantly caught by Ben Allison at mid-wicket. Thomas Rew edged to slip.Worcestershire’s other seamers deepened Somerset’s plight. Waite had Joshua Thomas well caught by Lategan on the long-leg boundary and Allison dismissed Finley Hill, caught at slip, and Green, caught at mid-off.Green fell to the last ball before heavy rain arrived with Somerset in dire straits at 108 for 7. They resumed needing another 165 from 14.2 overs and quickly lost Aldridge, caught behind, and Leach, stumped, off Brookes.Last pair James Rew and Jake Ball needed to find 137 runs from ten overs. They managed five before Rew lifted Brookes to long off to trigger loud and long celebrations from the home fans.