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Defending champions will start T20 World Cup against Scotland on strip used for Namibia’s low-scoring shoot-out against Oman

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2024England will begin their defence of the T20 World Cup against Scotland on the same Kensington Oval surface which threw up a 218-run shoot-out between Namibia and Oman on Sunday night. They are heavy favourites against their British rivals but were beaten when the teams last met, in a 2018 ODI, and this slow, low surface could make life difficult for their batters.Jos Buttler, England’s captain, said on Monday that he will encourage his players to adapt and judge conditions for themselves and react accordingly, rather than heading into Tuesday’s match with “too many preconceived ideas”. But the evidence from Sunday’s match is that there could be variable bounce on a sticky surface on which wickets fell in clusters.Related

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Bairstow: 'It doesn't really matter to me where I bat'

Namibia emerged as winners, but needed a Super Over to do so after reaching 109 for 6 in pursuit of 110. Their fingerspinners, Bernard Scholtz and Gerhard Erasmus, both trapped batters lbw with balls which kept low, while Oman seamer Mehran Khan bowled Jan Frylinck in the final over with a grubber which deflected off his pad.David Wiese, Namibia’s match-winner in the Super Over, said the pitch was “a difficult wicket to start on the whole time… once you got wickets, you got wickets in clusters.” Zeeshan Maqsood, Oman’s ex-captain, suggested that Saturday’s rain in Barbados had impacted the pitch: “There was a little bit of stopping and coming, because a little wetness was there.”England and Scotland will use the same surface that Namibia and Oman did on Sunday•Getty ImagesButtler said he saw “bits and pieces” of Sunday’s match, but suggested that England should be accustomed to conditions in Barbados. They played a five-match T20I series held entirely at Kensington Oval in early 2022, and also played an ODI and a T20I there when they toured the Caribbean in December last year.”We’ve played some games here, so we know what conditions can be like,” Buttler said. “But it’s important not to have too many preconceived ideas and assume the pitch will play in a certain way. We’ve got to be prepared. That’s where communication and assessing conditions quickly – with bat or ball – will be key to the game.”He told the BBC: “We are trying not to play the game before the game has been played. It’s good to be here and get a feel for conditions, but on each day, you have to be ready to adapt… it is not in the batters’ favour all of the time in T20 cricket. We need to be able to adapt and communicate well as a team, and work out what will be a winning score.”

“He knows everything about the Caribbean, and he’s got that winner’s mindset. I think that’s something that we’re really tapping into.”Jos Buttler on Kieron Pollard’s influence

England have been joined in Barbados by Kieron Pollard, who has been enlisted as a consultant coach for this World Cup and has spoken to the players about the impact that stiff crosswinds can have in the Caribbean. “That’s part of selection discussions and team discussions, being aware of the wind and right-hand/left-hand combinations,” Buttler said.”[Pollard] has fitted in really well. Some of the guys have played with him, or played lots of cricket against him, so have a nice relationship to start from. Obviously, he’s got a wealth of T20 knowledge and everyone should have been tapping into that, sponging up any really good information that he’s got for us.”And obviously, [he knows about] local conditions. He knows everything about the Caribbean, and he’s got that winner’s mindset. I think that’s something that we’re really tapping into. He’s won a lot of competitions around the world… it’s great to have guys like that around the group.”Kieron Pollard will assist Matthew Mott during the T20 World Cup•Gareth Copley/GettyEngland come into the World Cup after beating Pakistan 2-0 in a rain-affected series, and Buttler said there is “a really good vibe” around their squad. “We had some good performances there, but we’re fully focused on the game tomorrow. We need to make sure we bring 100% intensity to that, first of all.”He acknowledged that England will be expected to beat Scotland comfortably, but said: “It’s a great game: our first of the World Cup. We’re all excited for that and we expect a tough challenge. They’ve come here to try and win games, and they want to beat us; we want to beat them. It’s pretty straightforward.”Buttler also declined to give any clues as to England’s XI for the opening match, saying: “I think we’ve got lots of really good options, from No. 1 to 15. We picked a squad with a lot of different options, and we’ve got to work out what we feel is the best combination for the first game.”

From Eastbourne to the MCG to the polling booth, Pakistan’s prime minister has always relished a challenge

Paul Edwards14-Jul-2020That CB Fry should once have been offered the throne of Albania is seen as another eccentric feature of an already eccentric life. It has become a quiz question. That Imran Khan should have wanted to become prime minister of Pakistan is viewed as almost a natural ambition from a man whose thirst for achievement appears unslakeable. It has become a reality.Other world-class cricketers have also sought to make a difference to life outside the game when they retire. All too often their plans founder as they struggle to cope with environments in which 6000 Test runs or 200 wickets do not seal contracts or persuade investors. After a few years they are content to return to the worlds they know and in which they lead fulfilling lives. They are reassured to see pictures from their pomp on the front of the cricket papers and in time they might have a pavilion named after them. Imran has had his face on the cover of magazine and has built a cancer hospital in memory of his mother.The Pakistani establishment told him he couldn’t build such a hospital and then they said he couldn’t run an institution in which about 75% of cancer sufferers receive free treatment. He did both things. They took him nearly ten years. “I have never not believed I am going to win,” he told Mike Atherton in 2016.ALSO READ: Odd Men In – Bill Farrimond and ‘Hopper’ LevettSome cricketers attend their county’s annual reunions and are pleased to be recognised by members who reminisce about the best days of distant summers. Imran has done so much since he retired in 1992 – virtually none of it connected to cricket – that a few junior players, even in Pakistan, might take a moment or two to recall that their prime minister once captained the national team on the greatest day in its history. Then they will recall photographs of a floodlit Melbourne Cricket Ground on a late March evening in 1992 and their captain in his lime-green shirt holding aloft a Waterford crystal trophy and saying how this victory over England should help him achieve his other ambitions. Nobody but Imran knew it at the time but he had played his last match. He was 39 and the best cricketer his country had ever produced now turned his formidable attention to other things.Imran’s continuing desire to fulfil his ambitions outside the game was perhaps sharpened by his being born into his country’s sporting aristocracy. Why achieve only the obviously achievable? Two of his cousins, Javed Burki and Majid Khan, were Oxbridge Blues and both captained Pakistan. (When Imran followed them as skipper of the national team, he dropped Majid from the side on the morning of his first Test in charge in 1982. There is as much steel as suavity in his character.) The family’s affluence ensured that he attended Aitchison College, which is Pakistan’s most famous school and was situated a short distance from the family home in the quiet Lahore suburb of Zaman Park. The high-quality coaching and excellent facilities at Aitchison helped to develop Imran’s burgeoning talent and on the strength of 11 first-class games he was included in the party to tour England in 1971. He was 18 years old.If his first trip to England proved to Imran that he was not yet ready for international cricket, it at least introduced him to the country where he would play the majority of his 382 first-class matches. He completed his secondary education at Worcester’s Royal Grammar School and spent three years at Oxford, captaining the university in his second year and playing for Worcestershire when term had ended. Having once been an inswing bowler who could score a few runs, he was gradually becoming a proper all-rounder whose top-order batting could change games and whose fast bowling included a wicked bouncer. The leap in his delivery stride made you catch breath, especially, perhaps, if you were female.Imran Khan is hoisted up by his team-mates after winning the World Cup•Tony Feder/Getty ImagesSome Oxford contemporaries said Imran was aloof but all of them appreciated his strength of will once he was resolved on a course of action. That determination would be revealed in other ways. Having represented Worcestershire for one full season and been capped when his century and 13 wickets set up an innings victory against Lancashire, he moved to Sussex the following year in 1977 so that he could be nearer London, where his increasingly active social life was based. (For many years the gossip columnists would be as interested in his doings as cricket correspondents. Mercifully the two groups have rarely overlapped.)He was banned for the 1978 Pakistan tour of England because he had joined Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket but he would later declare that his two Australian summers had been time well spent: Mike Procter had advised him on his run-up while John Snow had shown him how turning his left shoulder more towards fine leg would help his outswing.Before long Snow’s own county would be the beneficiary of those coaching clinics. Imran helped Sussex win two knockout trophies and had a leg-before appeal not been turned down in 1981 he might have been in the first Sussex side to win the County Championship. He did not want for self-confidence that summer, a trait noted by his skipper Johnny Barclay during the game against Derbyshire at Eastbourne where the visitors had five wickets in hand and a lead of over 230 on the final afternoon. A draw seemed in prospect. Imran decided he should bowl…”Imran immediately trapped Steele lbw and, a man inspired, wiped out the rest of the batting. Four wickets in five balls, all bowled or lbw. Rarely have I seen such a devastating spell of bowling with an old ball.

Imran Khan is one of those very few people who has a sense of personal greatness and personal destiny… He is the nearest thing cricket has produced to a world historical figurePeter Oborne

‘That was clever bowling,’ he said, as we left the field. ‘Now I want to bat… I want to bat high in the order, I feel it is my day, we must beat this lot. I think I shall bat at four. The others won’t mind.'”Imran made 107 not out, reaching his century with 11 fours and three sixes in 88 minutes. By the end of the match, nobody gave a monkey’s where he had batted, not least the large crowd on the last day of Eastbourne Week. Yet this determination to wrench a game of cricket into a shape of his own devising would be seen again on the game’s far larger stages. Most notably, perhaps, it would be seen in Test series against the mighty West Indian and Australian sides of the 1980s, against whom Imran led Pakistan in six series, winning one, drawing three and losing only in Australia (where he had helped New South Wales win the Sheffield Shield in 1983-84.) Imran instilled a sense of common purpose into a Pakistani team whose capacity to tear itself apart had often seemed unbounded.If anybody had doubted the new skipper’s resolve they were quickly disabused of their misgivings when he declared with Javed Miandad on 280 in the fourth Test against India at Hyderabad in January 1983. The match was won by an innings deep in the fifth day, a result which sealed a series victory. Imran’s approach to the various tasks of leadership was established. Then again it hardly harmed the cause that he had players of the quality of Miandad, Abdul Qadir and Wasim Akram in his side.And if defeats in three successive World Cup semi-finals were lowlights in his international career, first series wins in both India and England in 1987 were quite the opposite. Imran took ten wickets at Headingley to secure Pakistan’s only victory in the second of those five-match series and then made 118 at The Oval to ensure the overall victory was secure.Imran Khan addresses a political rally•Getty ImagesThere were many other days of glory and each of his millions of fans in Pakistan had their favourite. Despite a stress fracture in his left leg which prevented him bowling for three years Imran finished his career with 362 Test wickets and 1287 in all first-class games. There were also 17,771 first-class runs and 117 catches. But sitting in the garden of his home in 2016 he had to be persuaded to talk about his cricket by Atherton. After all it was a long time ago and there are other things in life. More important things, though he did not say this.”I always wanted to leave cricket once I had finished playing,” he said, “I think the potential of a human being only grows when we challenge ourselves. Once life becomes easy it is all downhill. Once I was no longer challenged I always felt I would decay. I never wanted to take the easy road and stay in cricket… In life to succeed you have to have total passion and total commitment. Everything else takes second place… The day I left cricket it was over for me.”He has not been inured to the controversies of his country’s cricketing past. He deeply regrets the match-fixing committed by other players and admits that he once changed the condition of a ball with a bottle-top. But those things, too, are in the past. Now there are hospitals to oversee and a country to run. When Pakistan’s wealthy élite refused to help him construct a memorial to his mother, he went to the people and asked if they could help. His place in sporting history is for others to judge. No one is better placed to do so than Peter Oborne, who, with Richard Heller, has written one of the two fine histories of Pakistan’s cricket.”Imran Khan is one of those very few people who has a sense of personal greatness and personal destiny,” Oborne said. “That destiny first of all manifested itself in an amazing cricket career when he forged a national team and made it the best in the world. And then it forged itself in this enormous monument to his mother: the great hospital which is still there. And then in a political career. [He] is the nearest thing cricket has produced to a world historical figure.”The gossip columnists have long been replaced by political journalists. Armed guards stand at the entrance to Imran’s house and accompany him wherever he goes. His Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) party is in power and is the subject of constant scrutiny. Its aim is to build a modern, egalitarian, democratic country, still Islamic, and with a welfare state. Most former cricketers are content to cast their vote every five years or so. Odd Men In

da bet sport： With Ruud van Nisterooy likely heading for the sack at Leicester City, the Foxes have reportedly set their sights on a new name from the Championship to replace their manager.

Van Nistelrooy's Leicester nightmare coming to an end

da doce： Leicester always looked likely to have an uphill climb after losing Enzo Maresca to Chelsea last summer, but their decision to replace Steve Cooper with Van Nistelrooy turned their mission impossible. The former Nottingham Forest boss was given just 12 Premier League games in which he won 10 points with two wins, four draws and six defeats – leaving the Foxes two points above the dropzone.

To put into context just how poorly Leicester’s season has gone since then, they’ve picked up just 11 more points in the six months that have followed Cooper’s departure and have officially been relegated back down to the Championship. Van Nistelrooy has endured a nightmare spell in charge.

Leicester under Van Nistelrooy

Premier League Record (via Transfermarkt)

Games

22

Wins

3

Draws

2

Defeats

17

Goals Conceded

13

Goals Scored

49

Recording more defeats than goals scored, it seems unlikely that the Dutchman will remain at the helm despite his own recent admission that he would like to stay put at the club.

Van Nistelrooy told reporters after his side’s recent 2-0 win against Southampton: “I know what I want my future to look like. I’m very clear. I have learnt a lot in the past four months, in terms of every aspect of the club and team. I know what’s necessary. Then, of course, it’s a matter of being aligned with the club. I’m waiting for that conversation to take place.

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“It’s important to make a good evaluation. Because of the experience I’ve had, I know what’s necessary. You have to be on the same page to move forward. That’s what’s important. And that’s what we have to find out. It’s important to have those conversations internally. But I won’t share this before they take place.”

Instead of keeping hold of the former Manchester United forward, reports suggest that the Foxes are turning their attention towards a summer swoop to sign a Championship manager.

Leicester eyeing Liam Manning swoop

According to talkSPORT, Leicester are now eyeing a summer swoop to hire Liam Manning from Bristol City. The Robins’ manager has enjoyed an excellent campaign and saw his side’s shock place in the Championship play-offs confirmed last weekend. Now preparing to square off against Sheffield United on Thursday, Manning could have plenty of fans from Leicester keeping a keen eye on his side.

Bristol City will, of course, do everything to keep hold of the 39 year-old, having only just welcomed him into the job in November. Instantly praising Manning following his arrival, club Chairman Jon Lansdown said: “Liam is a great fit for the club and the style of play we want.

“He has a very detailed approach to coaching, improving players and getting the best out of them as his record at MK Dons and Oxford United shows, while he has valuable experience within the (Manchester) City Group and in Belgium.”

da bet7k： Leeds United left it late on the final day of the Championship season but Manor Solomon’s dramatic strike right at the death would secure Daniel Farke’s men the title.

da bet7： Amazingly, both the Whites and their nearest competitors in Burnley would end their mightily impressive campaigns on 100 points each, but Leeds’ sturdy goal difference would hand the esteemed honours over to Farke and Co, instead of more party celebrations taking place at Turf Moor.

But, as much as the West Yorkshire titans have been able to blow teams away with ease in the second tier, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Therefore, some potential attacking recruits are now being linked with a switch to Elland Road to help navigate the tricky step-up in quality.

Leeds' list of attacking targets

Already, Leeds have been linked with a whole host of new faces up top, with reports suggesting that the newly crowned champions might look to snap up Omari Hutchinson from recently relegated Ipswich Town.

Moreover, other rumours indicate that Leeds are intrigued by the prospect of bringing AZ Alkmaar goal machine Troy Parrott back to England, meaning the striker department would also be given a potential facelift.

Yet, there’s one name that sticks out as a top buy away from both Hutchinson and Parrott, with TBR Football revealing that Farke and Co are looking at a number of targets from Celtic, including Hoops attacking hotshot Nicolas Kuhn.

The Whites have had success when shopping from the Glasgow giants in the past, with Whites legend Mark Viduka once plying for his trade for the Scottish titans before becoming a fan’s favourite at Leeds. So, there’s clearly a proven recipe for success right here.

How Kuhn could be even better than James

If Kuhn can lift his game to be on the same level as Viduka’s – who would score a colossal 72 strikes for Leeds – he would further go down as a more impressive winger than Dan James over time, even with the Welshman fresh off just winning the Whites’ Player of the Year accolade.

James should be commended for how he’s managed to turn around his up-and-down stay at Elland Road, with the ex-Manchester United attacker undoubtedly a top-drawer talent in the EFL having previously struggled in the top-flight.

Indeed, the blistering number seven has tallied up a sizeable 41 goal contributions in league action over the last two seasons, but there will be a concern in the air lingering that the 56-time Wales international isn’t cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League.

Indeed, his best tally for a campaign up a division currently sits at a mere four goals and five assists.

On the flip side, Kuhn has proven again and again for Brendan Rodgers’ men – albeit in a far less strenuous top division in the Scottish Premiership – that he can dazzle defences under immense pressure. He’s even scored in the Champions League.

Staggeringly, across all competitions this campaign, including on Europe’s grandest stage, the German forward has amassed a bumper 34 goals and assists from 47 clashes, with a chance in the Premier League to come a deserved next step for the former RB Leipzig winger.

Kuhn’s numbers this season by competition (24/25)

Competition

Games

Goals

Assists

SPL

29

12

8

Champions League

10

3

1

SFA Cup

4

0

1

League Cup

4

5

4

Sourced by Transfermarkt

In contrast, James accumulated a lesser 21 from ten fewer clashes, meaning he could take a back-seat now down the right flank for the “breathtaking” winger, as he’s been lauded in the past by pundit Marvin Bartley, to take over.

Obviously, it isn’t set in stone that Kuhn will be able to instantly acclimatise to the pressures of the Premier League, but history might well repeat itself here, especially if the Hoops number 10 can prove he belongs at the daunting level like Viduka before him.

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Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring an “exceptional” attacking midfielder, who is also a target for Champions League semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain, according to a report.

Spurs set sights on new midfielder

Tottenham have fallen way short of expectations in the Premier League this season, but they took a huge step towards Champions League qualification by progressing past Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League earlier this week.

With Ange Postecoglou’s side set to take on Bodo/Glimt in the semi-final, they should, on paper, stand a very good chance of going all the way in the competition, which would allow them to compete for some top players in the summer transfer window.

A new midfielder is of particular interest to Spurs, and they have recently been handed a boost in their pursuit of Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson, with it being revealed the 20-year-old is privately considering a move to north London, despite interest from Manchester City.

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The Lilywhites want to hold discussions.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 19, 2025

There appears to be a focus on youth ahead of the summer window, with it being revealed Tottenham are also keen on signing Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham, who could be available for around £20m.

A move for Bellingham wouldn’t break the bank, but there is another target on the shortlist who could also be available for a relatively low fee, with a report from Spain revealing Spurs are interested in signing FC Como’s Nico Paz.

Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the race for Paz, while Real Madrid hold a buy-back clause, which allows them to snap up their former player for just €9m (£8m), giving them an advantage over the other interested clubs.

That said, the Lilywhites are doing everything they can to win the race for the 20-year-old, whose market value could increase considerably, should he maintain his current levels of performance.

"Exceptional" Paz flourishing in the Serie A

The former Real Madrid man was unable to make the grade in La Liga, but he has flourished since making the move to Como last summer, picking up six goals and seven assists in 30 Serie A appearances.

It should be little surprise that the Spanish-born midfielder is performing very well in Italy, however, given that former Real Madrid man Toni Kroos spoke very highly of him during his time at the Bernabeu, saying: “This lad (Nico Paz) should be training with us every day because he’s exceptional.”

Not only that, but manager and fellow legendary midfielder Cesc Fabregas has also praised the Como star this season, saying: “Nico enjoys playing, he can play different roles and he is a very complete player.”

“I see a very, very big potential in him.”

As such, Paz could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham this summer, but it could be difficult to compete with Real Madrid, should the Spanish side formalise their interest.

Weekly Waiver Wire Report

CatcherDanny Jansen, TOR

The Blue Jays placed the rising Alejandro Kirk on the injury list with a hip issue. They expect him to miss a couple of months. Toronto will be forced to give Jansen the majority of starts. His bat projected to have upside coming into the majors, but he only hit .189 over his last 530 at-bats with 66 runs, 21 home runs, and 67 RBI. Jansen will take walks (9.7 percent) while being about league average in his strikeout rate (20.8). Over two games coming into Saturday, he hit a pair of home runs with three RBI. The catching pool lacks talent due to some injuries, giving Jansen some attention in the free-agent market as a C2 in deep leagues.

William Contreras, ATL

Travis d’Arnaud suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb that required surgery. They expect him to miss at least three months. Contreras project to receive the bulk of playing time if his bat is up to the task. He flashed in 2018 at Single-A (.293 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI over 307 at-bats). The following season, Contreras took a step back offensively (.255 over 381 at-bats with six home runs and 39 RBI) between High A and AA. His brother (Willson Contreras) has been a top catcher for the Cubs, which helps the intrigue with his game. Over his first three starts with Atlanta, he had four hits in 10 at-bats with three runs, one home run, and three RBI. Contreras is viable C2 in all formats.

First BaseBrandon Belt, SF

Belt is owned in only 40 percent of 12-team leagues in the high-stakes market. His counting stats (19 runs, six home runs, 18 RBI, and two steals) over his first 88 at-bats grade well, but he does have 34 strikeouts with risk in his batting average (.216). Belt has a minimum of one home run in each of the past five weeks. He is a must-own in 15-team leagues while being better than many of the corner infield or DH options in 12-team formats. I expect a correction in his batting average, making his overall package much more attractive.

Rowdy Tellez, TOR

The Blue Jays optioned Tellez to AAA after George Springer came off the injured list on April 28th. With Springer hurt again, he gets a second chance in the majors. Tellez only hit .172 over his first 64 at-bats with five runs, one home run, and three RBI, but his swing looked on the rise in 2020 (.283 with eight home runs and 23 RBI over 113 at-bats). He’ll see minimal at-bats against lefties, making Tellez only viable in deep leagues as a DH option or short-term injury replacement at first base. With 450 at-bats, he has the power to deliver 25+ home runs with a chance to surprise in batting average.

Second BaseStarlin Castro, WAS

Fantasy owners have started to launch Castro back into the free-agent pool in 12-team leagues (39 percent owned) after a slow start to the year (.253 over 83 at-bats with three runs, one home run, and 13 RBI in April). Heading into Saturday, he has quietly strung together a five-game hitting streak (7-for-19 with two runs, one home run, and three RBI). With Juan Soto back on the field, Castro will have plenty of RBI chances, and his career resume paints him as a 20+ home run hitter. A correction in his stats is coming.

Cesar Hernandez, CLE

Hernandez should be a much more productive hitter based on his approach (18 walks and 22 strikeouts over 133 at-bats), but he is only hitting .200 with two home runs and five RBI. Over his previous six games, Hernandez hit .292 with three runs, one home run, and four RBI over 24 at-bats. Cleveland will bat him at the top of the batting order on most nights, which helps his counting stats. He projects to be only a steady player with a 15/10 type skill set. Hernandez looks ready to find his rhythm, and he can be found in 70 percent of 12-team leagues in the high-stakes market.

Third BaseBrian Anderson, MIA

After an 11-game stint on the injured list with an oblique injury that appeared to be most serious, Anderson found himself in the free-agent pool in 65 percent of leagues in the 12-team high-stakes market. His season started with only 12 hits over 60 at-bats while delivering one home run and five RBI. Anderson has a three-game hitting streak (3-for-10 with three runs, one home run, and four RBI) since returning from the injury list. He should be own in all formats.

Miguel Andujar, NYY

Over the last week, the Yankees lost Rougned Odor, and Gio Urshela looks to be on a path for a trip to the injured list. They recalled Andujar on Friday night (6-for-13 at AAA with three home runs and five RBI), earning him a start at first base. His bat hit the ground running in 2018 (.297 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI over 573 at-bats), but a shoulder injury derailed his next two seasons (.193 with one home run and six RBI over 109 at-bats). His window to start looks short with Luke Voit expected back next week, and the injury to Urshela may be minor. Either way, Andujar is worth a one-week look as a hot bat could put him one injury away from full-time at-bats. For now, he looks like a buy-and-hold in deep leagues.

Marvin Gonzalez, BOS

The Rex Sox placed Enrique Hernandez on the injured list with a hamstring issue, creating a bump in playing time for Gonzalez. He has a five-game hitting streak (6-for-21 with a run and three RBI) heading into Saturday night. His bat has been quiet in 2020 and 2021 (.211 with six home runs and 31 RBI over 266 at-bats) while being much more serviceable from 2017 to 2019 (.271 over 1,369 at-bats with 54 home runs, 213 RBI, and 11 steals). Gonzalez looks ready for a hot ride while working as a replacement player in deep formats.

ShortstopAmed Rosario, CLE

Despite sitting out a pair of games over the past 10 days, Rosario shows signs of breaking out of his slump. He has eight hits over his last 28 at-bats with five runs, one home run, four RBI, and a steal. The slumping Andres Gimenez has opened up more playing time at shortstop. Rosario has a balanced skill set, but he needs to be productive to hit higher in the batting order. The chance at a bump in steals is his attraction to a fantasy team.

Niko Goodrum, DET

Over his last 45 at-bats, Goodrum amassed a frustrating 23 strikeouts. Despite his ugly stat line, his bat has picked up over his past seven games (10-for-27 with four runs, one home run, five RBI, and three stolen bases). He is playing better, but Goodrum is only a flash player in deep leagues while offering help in home runs and steals.

OutfieldHunter Renfroe, BOS

A favorable schedule for Boston over the last week helped Renfroe up his form. He has nine hits over his previous 27 at-bats early in his matchup against the Orioles with six runs, two home runs, and eight RBI. His power is streaky, and he’s flashing that pattern in May.

Josh Naylor, CLE

I may be Naylor’s biggest supporter in the high-stakes market, but I doubted my research and opinion in April (.254 over 71 at-bats with six runs and three RBI). His power stroke looked playable over the first week in May (7-for-27 with four runs, two home runs, and six RBI) while also chipping in with a steal. I see a .280+ hitter with the potential to hit 20 home runs and drive in 80 runs. Not quite ready to be a play in 12-team leagues, but I would snap him up if he somehow slipped through the cracks in deeper formats.

Kevin Pillar, NYM

After earning starting at-bats, Pillar made the most of his opportunity when Brandon Nimmo landed on the injured list with a finger issue. He has nine hits over 25 at-bats with four runs, two home runs, five RBI, and one steal. Pillar is two years removed from a .259/21/88/14 season. His only downside next week is that the Mets only play five games.

Starting PitchingDavid Price, LAD

The Dodgers won’t need a fifth starter until May 15th, which looks like enough time for Price to return from his hamstring issue. He’s back working off the mound, suggesting his return isn’t that far off. His season started with two disaster showings (five runs, 11 baserunners, and three home runs over 3.2 innings) before looking much sharper over his next five games (one run over five innings with nine strikeouts). I would look to roster him in 12-team leagues or smaller.

Alek Manoah, TOR

Injuries have cost the Blue Jays the back of their starting rotation. They should have Nate Pearson back this weekend, but they still need another upside arm if they want to stay in the playoff hunt. Manoah dazzled in his first AAA start (no runs over six innings with a dozen strikeouts). In his limited experience in the minors in 2019, he posted a 2.25 ERA over 20 innings with seven walks and 34 strikeouts. Manoah is a player to follow for now.

Elieser Hernandez, MIA

The Marlins hope to have Hernandez back in a couple of weeks after making progress with a right biceps issue. Fantasy owners pushed up his value in the late draft season after pitching well in spring training. In 2019, Hernandez posted a 3.16 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 25.2 innings. For a fantasy owner looking for help, he should be available in about 40 percent of 12-team leagues in the high-stakes market. 

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Chasing 249 set by Queensland, Carey hit a composed 111 from 135 balls to control the hosts’ innings and get them home with 14 balls to spare

AAP24-Feb-2024

Nicola Carey scored an unbeaten 111•Getty Images

Nicola Carey hit Tasmania to a WNCL three-peat, with an unbeaten century lifting them to a six-wicket win over Queensland in the final.Chasing 249, Carey hit a composed 111 from 135 balls to control the hosts innings and get them home with 14 balls to spare at Blundstone Arena.Perennial battlers in the 50-over competition for their first 10 seasons after joining in 2010-11, Tasmania only won their first title in 2022 before backing it up with two more.And they can thank Carey for the latest one. Not picked for Australia since December 2022, Carey knocked back a national contract last April in a bid to rejuvenate her game with a full winter at home. The decision has paid dividends. The one-time bowling allrounder topped the run-scoring charts in this summer’s WNCL, with Saturday’s runs taking her past 696 for the season. Carey’s runs came at an average of 69.6, a mark only bettered by Meg Lanning this season.On Saturday, Carey barely offered a chance, pulling powerfully and twice reverse-sweeping spinner Charlie Knott to the boundary. She brought up her century off 128 balls, after previously forming a 132-run partnership with Heather Graham (63 off 75) that swung the match.Queensland briefly had a sniff when Graham was bowled trying to reverse sweep Georgia Voll, before Naomi Stalenberg was caught three balls later for a duck. At that point Tasmania needed 67 runs from 68 balls with six wickets in hand, but Carey and Emma Manix-Geeves ensured there would be no late jitters.”I’m relieved, that was stressful,” Carey said. “I felt scratchy but Heather and EMG made my life so much easier. I love batting with Heather, it’s always good fun. She makes it look really easy and I make it look harder.”Earlier, Graham also took 3 for 39 with the ball to stop any hope of Queensland setting an unattainable target. With Queesland 115 for 2 in the 28th over, Graham got a ball to skid on and bowl Lauren Winfield-Hill for 28. She then had Mikayla Hinkley lbw on 33, before bowling a hard-hitting Knott for 73 late in the innings to keep Queensland to 248 for 7.Tasmania’s victory makes them the second state to achieve a hat-trick of titles in the WNCL, with NSW having at one stage won 10 straight between 2005-06 and 2014-15.

انتهى موسم الانتقالات الصيفي لعام 2025، في مختلف أنحاء أوروبا، بعد إثارة شهدها اليوم الأخير خاصة في إنجلترا، وتحديدًا فيما يخص نادي ليفربول.

وانطلقت نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية بصفة استثنائية في شهر يونيو الماضي في الفترة من يوم 1 إلى 10، للأندية التي شاركت في كأس العالم للأندية بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وأبرمت الأندية عدة تعاقدات حيث ضم مانشستر سيتي لاعبين مثل ريان شرقي، ريان آيت نوري، تيجاني ريندرز، كما ضم جيمس ترافورد.

وريال مدريد تعاقد مع ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، ألفارو كاريراس، ماستانتونو، ودين هويسن.

في حين ضم برشلونة كل من خوان جارسيا، روني باردجي، إلى جانب صفقة ماركوس راشفورد على سبيل الإعارة.

وتفاعلت الأندية بصفقات مميزة في السوق الصيفي، حيث أبرم ليفربول صفقات عديدة، وضم لاعبين مثل فلوريان فيرتز، هوجو إيكتيكي، ميلوس كيركيز، جيوفاني ليوني، جيريمي فريمبونج، أرمين بيتشي، ووفريدي ودمان.

وأعلن ليفربول أخيرًا صفقة تعاقده مع ألكسندر إيزاك، بعد التوصل إلى اتفاق مع نيوكاسل يونايتد في اليوم الأخير، مقابل رسوم قياسية بلغت 130 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

بينما فشلت صفقة انتقال مارك جويهي من كريستال بالاس إلى ليفربول، في آخر أيام الانتقالات، رغم اتفاق الناديين على الأمور بشكل تام.

ولم يعلن نادي مانشستر سيتي بعد عن صفقة تعاقده مع حارس مرمى فريق باريس سان جيرمان، جيانلويجي دوناروما، رغم وجود اتفاق حسب التقارير الصحفية.

بطولات قدم تغطية حية ومباشرة لليوم الأخير في سوق الانتقالات الصيفي على مدار اليوم

رسميًا | مانشستر سيتي يعلن التعاقد مع الحارس الإيطالي دوناروما من باريس سان جيرمان.

رسميًا | مانشستر سيتي يعلن رحيل مانويل أكانجي على سبيل الإعارة لإنتر ميلان الإيطالي.

رسميًا | مانشستر سيتي يعلن رحيل حارس المرمى إيدرسون (طالع التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | إنتر ميلان يعلن انتقال بافارد إلى مارسيليا على سبيل الإعارة مع خيار الشراء.

رسميًا | باريس سان جيرمان يعلن رحيل ماركو أسينسيو إلى فنربخشة، وكارلوس سولير إلى ريال سوسيداد، وانضمام راندال كولو مواني على سبيل الإعارة لتوتنهام الإنجليزي (طالع التفاصيل).

رسميًا | مانشستر يونايتد يعلن تعاقده مع الحارس سيني لامنس من أونتويرب على سبيل الإعارة.

رسميًا | كريمونيزي الإيطالي يعلن تعاقده مع جيمي فاردي في صفقة انتقال حر لمدة عام.

رسميًا | بايرن ميونخ يعلن تعاقده مع نيكولاس جاكسون من تشيلسي على سبيل الإعارة.

رسميًا | آرسنال يعلن رحيل زينشينكو إلى نوتينجهام فورست على سبيل الإعارة.

رسميًا | برشلونة يعلن إعارة هيكتور فورت إلى إلتشي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | ليفربول يعلن رحيل هارفي إليوت إلى أستون فيلا على سبيل الإعارة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | مانشستر يونايتد يعلن رحيل جادون سانشو إلى أستون فيلا على سبيل الإعارة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | ميلان يعلن تعاقده مع أدريان رابيو من مارسيليا.

رسميًا | ليفربول يعلن تعاقده مع ألكسندر إيزاك من نيوكاسل يونايتد (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | توتنهام يعلن تعاقده مع راندال كولو مواني من باريس سان جيرمان، على سبيل الإعارة لمدة موسم.

رسميًا | آرسنال يعلن تعاقده مع المدافع بيير هينكابي من باير ليفركوزن على سبيل الإعارة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

تقارير | انهيار صفقة انتقال مارك جويهي إلى ليفربول بسبب فشل كريستال بالاس في التعاقد مع بديل مناسب (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | مانشستر يونايتد يعلن رحيل أنتوني إلى ريال بيتيس، وإعارة هويلوند إلى نابولي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | بلال الخنوس ينتقل من ليستر سيتي إلى شتوتجارت على سبيل الإعارة لمدة موسم (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

تقارير | إيلكاي جوندوجان يقترب من مغادرة مانشستر سيتي إلى الدوري التركي وتحديدًا نادي جالطة سراي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | فاكوندو بونانوتي ينضم من برايتون إلى تشيلسي على سبيل الإعارة لمدة عام واحد، مع وجود خيار الشراء النهائي في نهاية شهر يونيو من العام المقبل (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

رسميًا | أعلن نادي أستون فيلا التعاقد مع فيكتور ليندلوف لاعب مانشستر يونايتد السابق، في صفقة انتقال حر.

رسميًا | غادر أليكس ماتوس، لاعب تشيلسي، النادي للانضمام إلى شيفيلد يونايتد بعقد لمدة ثلاث سنوات، لم يُكشف عن قيمة الصفقة.

رسميًا | إيدون زيجروفا لاعب ليل الفرنسي، ولويس أوبيندا لاعب لايبزيج، ينضما إلى يوفنتوس الإيطالي.

رسميًا | باير ليفركوزن يعلن التعاقد مع المغربي إلياس بن صغير قادمًا من موناكو الفرنسي، ويوقع على عقد حتى يونيو 2030.

تحدث هانز فليك المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة الإسباني، عن لاعبه الشاب لامين يامال، ووصفقه بالعبقري، مشيدًا بنضجه رغم صغر سنه (18 عامًا).

وافتتح برشلونة موسمه بفوز أمام ريال مايوركا بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل خلال مباريات الجولة الأولى للدوري الإسباني.

وفي الجولة الثانية تمكن برشلونة من الفوز على حساب ليفانتي بثلاثية لهدفين في الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع.

وقال فليك في تصريحات لصحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية: “لامين يامال عبقري بحق، خاصةً في سنه الثامنة عشرة، يحسم المباريات بمفرده”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فليك يصدم تير شتيجن: لا أقدم وعودًا

وأضاف: “إنه على الطريق الصحيح، كما أنه ذكي للغاية، لكن، بالطبع، لا يزال صغيرًا جدًا، في الثامنة عشرة من عمره، وعليه أن يتعلم من الآخرين”.

وأتم فليك تصريحاته: “نحن ندعمه، أنا واثق من أنه سيكون واحدًا من أفضل اللاعبين الذين شهدهم عالم كرة القدم على الإطلاق”.

Man United boss Ruben Amorim has already shared Sporting CP starlet Geovany Quenda’s one major weakness, with Chelsea now putting pen to paper on a £42 million deal for the winger.

Chelsea reach agreement to sign Geovany Quenda for 2026

News broke early this morning that Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Quenda from Sporting, but he is set to remain in the Primeira Liga next season before eventually making the switch to Stamford Bridge in 2026.

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The Portuguese is also expected to sign a seven-year deal at Chelsea as BlueCo add yet another very promising youngster to their books (Kaveh Solhekol), and one who has even drawn comparisons with Arsenal superstar Bukayo Saka.

“Geo is so demanding with himself in the defensive moments,” said former Sporting academy coach, Fabio Roque, to Sky Sports.

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Brentford (away)

April 5th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 12th

Fulham (away)

April 19th

“To close, to recover fast, to win the defensive duels for his teammates. It reminds me of Bukayo Saka at the beginning of his career when he played as a full-back.

“There is only one Geovany Quenda. He is different from any other player I trained. He can create a mark on football that is totally different. We are talking about, with Lamine Yamal and Estevao Willian, probably the best players in that generation born in 2007.”

This is high praise indeed for the 17-year-old, who’s been a mainstay for his side throughout 2024/2025 with an impressive 43 appearances in all competitions, despite being at such a young age.

In that time, Quenda’s racked up 10 goal contributions (two goals, eight assists), and he was given the starting nod in almost all of Sporting’s Champions League games before they were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea also hijacked Man United’s expected deal for Quenda, with the Red Devils missing out on his signature to their English rivals.

What Ruben Amorim thinks about new Chelsea signing Quenda

However, he is by no means the finished product, and Amorim has already shared the one main weakness in Quenda’s game.

Speaking in an interview with O Jogo late last year, Sporting’s ex-head coach explained that the teenager really needs to work on his end product, as he has a very real tendency to shoot over the crossbar.

“I’ve already said everything I had to say about Quenda,” said Amorim. “He’s a very talented kid, very strong physically, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That’s very important for a young player.

“I didn’t know he was the youngest ever to score. Congratulations. I think he has to improve a lot in his finishing. The amount of times he comes inside and shoots over the bar. He doesn’t put the ball in the goal well, that’s a detail he has to improve.

“He showed up well there. But that’s what I said at the beginning of the season. He had the opportunity and there was no chance to take him away, to have doubts, nothing. I think he’s going to be a great player, but let’s give it time.”

The Portugal Under-21 international can play on both wings and is seen by many as the “biggest wonderkid” in his country right now (Joao Paiva), but this bad habit of blazing the ball over will need to be worked on if he is to be successful in the Premier League.