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The PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup is likely to be approved by the Asian Cricket Council

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2023The PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup is likely to be approved by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue where India can play their games. The model sees four – and possibly five – of the tournament’s 13 games being played in Pakistan. All the India-Pakistan games will be played in Sri Lanka, as will the final if India is involved.ESPNcricinfo understands an official announcement is likely after the weekend. The window set aside for the tournament currently is between September 1-17. For the Pakistan leg, the games are likely to be played in Lahore.The likely approval represents a significant breakthrough in an impasse which has not only dragged on for some time but has also threatened fallout for ICC events, most pressingly the World Cup in India this year but also the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. There is a possibility now that an agreement here could ease Pakistan’s path to traveling to India for the World Cup.The hybrid model was proposed as a solution due to India and Pakistan unwilling to travel to the other’s country. India’s refusal to tour Pakistan prompted Pakistan to go with this model in order to retain the hosting rights.Pakistan initially offered UAE as a second venue citing the lucrative opportunity for gate receipts during Pakistan-India matches in the tournament, but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather in the middle east in September.The PCB head Najam Sethi had presented details of the hybrid model to Pankaj Khimji, head of Oman Cricket and the ACC’s vice-president, in a meeting in Dubai a couple of weeks ago. It was the solution the PCB had proposed to account for the fact that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament because of ongoing political tensions between the governments of the two countries.Those political ties have led to a long and cumbersome path to this solution – the PCB, as appointed hosts, have been keen to ensure that at least part of the tournament is played in Pakistan. The UAE was in the running as a neutral venue, and Sri Lanka was keen to host the entire tournament. At one stage the BCB and SLC had said no to a hybrid model.India and Pakistan have been grouped together along with Nepal in the six-nation Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the 50-over format as preparation for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group.A total of 13 matches, including the final, are expected be played across 13 days. Like the format from 2022, it is expected that the top two teams from each group will advance to a Super 4s round, before the top two teams from that contest the final. That leaves open the possibility of India and Pakistan playing each other three times, should they make the final.

Dramatic, unpredictable, controversial – for over two decades now, the Border-Gavaskar trophy has been one of cricket’s great rivalries

Andrew McGlashan03-Feb-2023India vs Australia 2000-01India won 2-1
Though the two sides have had history before, this series took the rivalry up several notches and featured one of the greatest comebacks. Australia had built a formidable side – perhaps their best ever – under Steve Waugh, and their victory in the opening Test made it a record 16 wins in a row.Despite a hat-trick by Harbhajan Singh – the first ever by an Indian bowler in the format – Test No. 17 looked all but won in Kolkata when India were made to follow on. Then came VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. The pair batted throughout the fourth day, building a fifth-wicket stand of 376 and setting Australia 384 to get. At times the draw looked odds on, but Sachin Tendulkar blew the game open and Harbhajan secured a historic win.What followed in Chennai was scarcely less dramatic. Matthew Hayden scored a double-century to cap a remarkable series for him, and Harbhajan took 15 wickets. India needed 155 and edged over the line by two wickets.Australia vs India, 2003-04 series drawn 1-1
This series featured a truly epic encounter in Adelaide. Ricky Ponting’s 242 had led Australia to a seemingly impregnable 556, but once again Dravid and Laxman had other ideas. This time they added 303 for the fifth wicket, Dravid going on to post 233, as India almost drew level, to make it a one-innings contest. Then Ajit Agarkar had his finest hour, taking 6 for 41 to leave a tantalising target of 230. Again it was Dravid who led the chase, an unbeaten 72 securing another place in the game’s folklore.Australia hit back in the Boxing Day Test despite Virender Sehwag’s stunning 195, with another Ponting double setting up the series-levelling victory. The decider at the SCG saw India fill their boots to the tune of 705 for 7, with Tendulkar forging an unbeaten 241 and Laxman a majestic 178. Anil Kumble almost single-handedly bowled Australia out, but Justin Langer and Simon Katich hit centuries. After a second-innings dash (and another 91 not out from Dravid), Australia were set 443. They gave it a crack, led by Katich and Waugh in his final Test, before everyone ultimately shook hands and drew breath.Stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist shepherded Australia to their first series win in India in 35 years in 2004-05; injured captain Ricky Ponting sat out the first three Tests•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesIndia vs Australia, 2004-05 Australia won 2-1
Captained by Adam Gilchrist in the absence of an injured Ponting, Australia secured one of their finest overseas series wins. Gilchrist himself was key in the opening Test, in Bangalore, with a rapid century, alongside a majestic 151 on debut by Michael Clarke. A three-pronged pace attack, supplemented by Shane Warne, then worked through India’s batting with efficiency and precision.The second Test, in Chennai was a ding-dong battle until a final-day washout denied a gripping finish. Australia had folded from 136 for 0 to 235 all out in the first innings before Sehwag cracked 155. However, Damien Martyn’s century kept the visitors in the contest. At the end, everyone was left wondering about what could have been if it hadn’t rained with India in pursuit of a target of 229.There was no tight tussle in the match that decided the series: Australia steamrolled India in a 342-run win in Nagpur. Martyn had one of his finest Tests, with 114 and 97, while Clarke made 91. Jason Gillespie led the way with the ball, taking nine in the match. A fit-again Ponting returned for the final Test in Mumbai, on a hugely challenging surface, where India nicked a thrilling win, defending just 107 after Clarke had taken an extraordinary 6 for 9.Australia vs India, 2007-08 Australia won 2-1
A series that began with a comfortable Australia win at the MCG took a controversial, ill-tempered twist in Sydney, where a racism controversy involving Harbhajan and Andrew Symonds overshadowed the match. Harbhajan was initially banned for three Tests before the ban was overturned on appeal. Symonds dominated the early stages of that game with a career-best 162 not out, having survived an edge behind on 30 that umpire Steve Bucknor did not spot. There was more umpiring controversy on the final day when Dravid was given caught behind and Clarke secured a victory in the dying moments – equalling Australia’s previous 16-match winning run. The post-match conversation was fractious, with Kumble channelling talk from the days of Bodyline: “Only one team was playing in the spirit of the game.” Briefly, India threatened to quit the tour.Tempers had calmed by Perth, where Ishant Sharma rattled Ponting with a thrilling spell, and India produced a brilliant victory. Unfortunately, the series came to an underwhelming finish in Adelaide, where a flat pitch was the only winner, besides some batting averages.The pall of the racism scandal involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds hung heavy over the fractious 2007-08 Test series•Getty ImagesIndia vs Australia, 2008-09 India won 2-0
Australia failed to repeat their triumph of four years earlier, the weakness of their spin attack proving telling. They showed promising signs in the opening Test, with Ponting and Mike Hussey’s centuries dominating a drawn game, but India were far too good in Mohali, where the differences started to show.Delhi was a match for the batters. Laxman enhanced his brilliant record against Australia while Gautam Gambhir also made a double century. In a bid to try and level the series, Australia gave a debut to offspinner Jason Krejza in the final Test and he collected 12 wickets, although at the eye-watering cost of 358 runs. The visitors were made to pay for a first-innings slide from 229 for 2 to 355 all out, and eventually a target of 382 proved well out of reach.India vs Australia, 2010-11 India won 2-0
This short two-match series began with a classic in Mohali. Australia were given a strong base: Shane Watson’s century and Tim Paine’s 92 carried them over 400. No one passed three figures for India – Tendulkar fell lbw to Marcus North on 98 – with Mitchell Johnson taking five wickets to leave things almost all square. From 87 for 0, Australia then lost all ten wickets for 105 runs to leave a target of 216. At 124 for 8, the visitors were comfortable favourites but their arch nemesis, Laxman, found an ally in Ishant to get within 11 runs of the target. Amid late drama, Pragyan Ojha helped India scramble over the line.The second Test, in Bengaluru saw two big first innings. Tendulkar’s double-century was the dominant display as Australia fought hard to stay in touch. However, ultimately a target of 207 set early on the final day was well short of being competitive, and Cheteshwar Pujara broke the back of India’s chase.Run, mate: a sore VVS Laxman’s mad dash to the finish in the company of Pragyan Ojha sealed the two-Test series in India’s favour in 2010•AFPAustralia vs India, 2011-12 Australia won 4-0
After a hard-fought opening game in Melbourne, it became a one-sided series with the home side far too strong, although Australia did get their first glimpse in Test cricket of a certain Virat Kohli. At the MCG, India let a strong position slip when they were 214 for 2 in reply to 333, but they then had Australia rocking at 27 for 4. A stand of 115 between Ponting and Clarke – former and current captains – got the home side back on track and in the end 292 proved well out of reach for India.India were also overwhelmed in Sydney and Perth. At the SCG, Clarke hit an unbeaten 329 in huge stands with Ponting (134) and Hussey (150 not out) while at the WACA, David Warner made a scintillating 180 off 159 balls, including a century in a session on the first evening. Australia’s four-pronged pace attack was too much for India to handle. Ponting (221), with what was his last Test century, and Clarke (210) filled their boots again in Adelaide in another comfortable win, but India’s first innings included 116 from Kohli at a ground where he would continue to shine.India vs Australia, 2012-13 India won 4-0
As the previous series had been one-sided in favour of the hosts, so was this. For Australia it would forever be known for the “Homeworkgate” saga that led to four players – Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja – being dropped for the third Test, having failed to follow team orders.In the opening Test, Clarke’s 130 had given Australia a solid base, but Kohli’s century and MS Dhoni’s 224 showed they were well short; R Ashwin took 12 in the match. A thrashing by an innings and 135 runs followed in Hyderabad (in which Clarke funkily declared nine down late on the first day), where Pujara made a double-century and Ashwin bagged another five.The wheels then came off the tour, although Australia did not initially capitulate in Mohali. Warner and Ed Cowan opened with 139, a recalled Steven Smith made 92 in a sign of things to come, and Mitchell Starc flayed 99. However, M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan added 289 for the first wicket in reply, and although the bowlers did fight back, Australia could only set 133.In a bizarre twist, the dropped Watson then returned as captain when Clarke was injured for the final Test. A bowler-dominated contest was decided by the spin of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with Pujara bringing the runs.Australia played the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the shadow of Phil Hughes’ death•Getty ImagesAustralia vs India, 2014-15 Australia won 2-0
This series was overshadowed by the death of Phil Hughes just days before the start. It was a remarkable effort from the players, particularly the Australians, to play such exhilarating cricket in Adelaide as they did to secure victory late on the final day to honour Hughes.There were emotionally charged hundreds for Warner (twice in the game), Clarke and Smith, alongside a magnificent captain’s performance from Kohli who also scored two centuries in the match. His final-day 141 put India in with a chance of chasing 364, but the visitors slipped from 242 for 2 to 315 all out after Murali Vijay fell for 99, with Nathan Lyon claiming seven wickets.In Brisbane, India were again competitive, although late wickets made the result appear tighter than it was. There was another hundred for Smith, but it was the runs Australia’s lower order made, led by Johnson, that were vital: the last four wickets added 258 after they had been in danger of handing over a big lead.Smith and Kohli again traded hundreds in Melbourne, where India were able to hang on for a draw thanks to their middle order, while similar scenes played out in Sydney. The series returns for Smith (769 runs at 128.16) and Kohli (692 runs at 86.50) were remarkable.India vs Australia, 2016-17 India won 2-1
The most recent meeting in India, and one that Australia probably look back on as a missed opportunity after they took the opening Test in Pune on a surface that became increasingly challenging against spin. Steve O’Keefe had a remarkable match with figures of 12 for 70; India managed just 105 and 107. Smith (109) made one of his finest hundreds in the second innings, while Starc’s first-innings 61 proved vital.It was the second Test, in Bengaluru, that Australia missed their chance. Lyon’s 8 for 50 bowled India out for 189, but a lead of 87 wasn’t enough to kill the game. India battled to build a target of 188, then Ashwin got to work, picking up 6 for 41 as Australia crumbled for 112.Ranchi produced a high-scoring draw, with centuries for Smith, Pujara, Glenn Maxwell and Wriddhiman Saha, leaving a decider in Dharamsala. Smith again scored a hundred, but a first-innings total of 300 from 144 for 1 was a disappointment. India scraped ahead with a small lead, but Australia’s 137 proved no obstacle to the home side and that was the series.The taming of the crew: India clinched back-to-back victories in Australia in 2018-19 – their first-ever series win in the country – and 2021-22•David Gray/AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia vs India, 2018-19 India won 2-1
A landmark moment for India. It started with a gripping victory for them in Adelaide and would likely have finished with a 3-1 scoreline if not for rain in Sydney. The opening match, where the bowlers held sway, was an outstanding contest, decided by the brilliance of Pujara. Australia’s batting line-up was a patchwork affair – Warner and Smith were away serving out their bans after the Newlands ball-tampering scandal – but the lower order got them within range of a challenging target.The home side fought back in Perth at the new Optus Stadium, on what became a devilish surface that produced edge-of-the-seat action. Australia’s opening stand of 112 gave them a head start, but Kohli responded with a great century. Khawaja’s gusty 72 kept India at bay despite Mohammed Shami’s best efforts, and in the end India fell well short.Crucially, though, India believed they were the better side and showed it in Melbourne. Led by Pujara, they ground their way to a strong total and Australia wilted against the skill of Jasprit Bumrah. In Sydney they batted Tim Paine’s side into the ground – Pujara 193, Rishabh Pant 159 not out – and were able to enforce the follow-on when Kuldeep Yadav took five before the rain came.Australia vs India, 2020-21 India won 2-1
This series in the middle of the Covid pandemic became an instant classic that ended with India’s greatest ever victory, with which they ended Australia’s formidable run at the Gabba.In what would be Kohli’s only match of the series, India were bundled out for just 36 in the opening Test, in Adelaide. In an astonishing session, India nicked everything from Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood less than 24 hours after looking in control, having earned a useful lead.Bumrah shone at the MCG and Ajinkya Rahane, standing in as captain for Kohli, produced the defining innings with a brilliant 112. Australia should have won in Sydney but dropped vital catches on the final day as the injured duo of Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari put on an extraordinary display of resilience, aided by Pant’s almost hundred and the obduracy of Pujara.So to Brisbane for the decider. India’s injury list had mounted and their bowling attack was threadbare, to put it mildly. Australia seemed in control, until they weren’t. They failed to build on Marnus Labuschagne’s hundred, and Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar took the opportunity to revive India’s innings. Still, Australia were able to leave 328 for the final day, but when Shubman Gill and Pujara added 114 for the second wicket, it dawned on Australia that India had a chance.Then came Pant with an audacious display in what had effectively become a one-day run chase. A thumping drive down the ground as the shadows lengthened secured a place in history. “What I’ve seen is unimaginable, the resolve and character the boys have shown is simply superb,” coach Ravi Shastri said.What will this rivalry provide us next?

Over the years, Dhoni has passed on his wisdom to Hardik. Can he use the same to trump the old master on Friday?

Shashank Kishore30-Mar-2023The nets arena at Motera’s practice ground is quite a walk from the main practice square of the Narendra Modi Stadium. On Thursday evening, shortly before 5pm, security personnel had been stationed around the perimeter of the nets area as venue managers readied a yellow carpet at the entrance of the Chennai Super Kings dressing room.Within minutes of the Super Kings team bus arriving, there was chaos as the news spread. In the middle of the main stadium, lensmen who were trying to capture the lighting of the grand stage set up for a glitzy opening ceremony, with sunlight filtering through one of the gaps in the stands, could have given track-and-field aspirants a run for their money at that very moment.The reason behind their dash? They all wanted to get a perfect shot of MS Dhoni getting out of the team bus and walking into the nets area. What followed next was the whirr of a few hundred shutter clicks to capture Dhoni’s entry. Except Dhoni wasn’t on the team bus. He had arrived an hour earlier for the captains’ meeting and photoshoot, and was already done with some light warm-ups indoors.Related

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After the crowd had dispersed, he casually sauntered into the nets area and put his arm around Gary Kirsten, the Gujarat Giants’ mentor. Ashish Nehra soon joined them for some laughs. A few handshakes and high-fives later, Dhoni quietly went towards the main ground, where Hardik Pandya was seated beside Shivam Mavi, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Shubman Gill and Alzarri Joseph, and was having a long chat.Then as they dispersed to their respective nets on either side of the centre wicket, Hardik and Dhoni briefly crossed paths again.On one side was the fierce intensity of a captain who had led his side to the title in their very first season. On the other was the calmness of the grand old veteran, who will turn 42 in three months. His side had finished ninth last season but he was resonating vibes of someone who has seen it all but is fully comfortable in the space he is in, ahead of possibly one last dance.As Dhoni stood in the middle, crouching low and doing some lower-body drills, Hardik ran in and bowled, took outfield catches, and offered words of advice to his younger team-mates. Later, he played the role of an umpire to have a ringside view of his bowlers.Youngsters have often turned to Dhoni for advice and he too has always been there for them•PTI Then as the rain started to come down, Dhoni yelped from afar towards Hardik as they started to walk off. Watching all this from the outside, you couldn’t help but think of how Hardik has gradually stepped into Dhoni’s footsteps.When a raw Hardik made his debut in 2016, Dhoni was at the front and centre of Indian cricket. He had stood with Hardik at the top of his bowling mark to give instructions and advice ahead of that final over against Bangladesh during the 2016 T20 World Cup game in Bangalore. Just like Hardik does for his young Indian bowlers now.Dhoni was always there for his younger players, who would invariably turn to him for guidance. Ask Kuldeep Yadav or Ravindra Jadeja. Or an unheralded Mohit Sharma, who burst through to have the IPL of his life in 2013. Or Mukesh Choudhary last year.Somewhere along the way, with Hardik, this mentor-mentee relationship evolved into one between an elder and younger brothers. To the extent that Hardik would often be seeking life lessons from Dhoni. It’s said when Hardik found himself in a soup over comments made on a TV chat show, it was Dhoni who told Hardik to not become a recluse and switch off from all forms of social media.The Hardik we see today is a calmer version of the person that burst onto the scene. And it isn’t just the off-field attributes of Dhoni that he seems to be embodied. On the field, Hardik has been instinctive. But at the same time, he has also been calculative and has thrown himself into tough situations to shield younger players and give them a little bit of cushion.Like when he opened the bowling against New Zealand to allow a slightly off-rhythm Arshdeep Singh to settle in. Or promoting himself to No. 4 and doing the bulk of the heavy lifting, even if it meant having to go against his natural game of hitting sixes.0:46

Pandya: I took all the tips from Dhoni when we played together

Last year, for example, Hardik’s strike rate of 152.54 in the last four overs was the third-lowest for him in any IPL season. But that was because he was playing the role of an anchor, allowing the likes of Tewatia and David Miller to do the finishing.”I don’t mind playing the role that, somewhere down the line, Mahi used to play,” Hardik had said in February, during the white-ball series against New Zealand. “When he was around, I was young and hitting all around the park. But since he is gone, all of a sudden, that responsibility is on me. I don’t mind that. We are getting the results. It’s okay if I have to play a little slow.”I’ve always enjoyed hitting sixes. But that’s life; I’ve to evolve. I’ve believed in partnerships and want to give my batting partner and team some assurance and calmness that I’m there. I’ve played more games than any of these guys; I’ve learned how to accept and swallow pressure and make sure everything is calm.”It’s this calmness from their captain that Titans are feeding off. “Hardik isn’t closed-off, available to all the players at all times during the season,” Vikram Solanki, Titans’ team director, said. “He was a very mature captain last year, he took to captaincy very naturally. It was apparent he is a deep thinker of the game. You think of him as a character and personality, it plays through in the way he plays. He led with a lot of positivity and energy, and had a lot of time for people.”When Hardik steps onto the field to lead Titans in the opening game, he will know Dhoni will have a trick or two up his sleeve. The Hardik of a few years ago may have been consumed by that very thought. This version of Hardik is likely to soak it in with a smile and simply make plans on the fly to give Dhoni the slip, just like Dhoni did to the big crowd and lensmen who had made a beeline for him earlier in the evening.

Liverpool exceeded expectations when they won the Premier League last season, but Darwin Nunez struggled to perform at the expected level throughout.

The 26-year-old striker is a maverick, for sure, but he’s also erratic and chaotic and often incapable of harnessing and channelling his skills into something coherent.

With Luis Diaz’s future looking more certain to exist outside of Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich both vying for his signature and receiving plenty of encouragement, Liverpool might not want to cash in on Nunez.

However, the Uruguay international is in talks to join Napoli, and selling him may well be for the best.

Why Liverpool should sell Darwin Nunez

When Liverpool signed Nunez, they purchased a young and exciting striker who had just come off the back of a 34-goal campaign with Portuguese giants Benfica, scoring twice against Liverpool on Europe’s elite stage.

Klopp, perhaps, had a glint in his eyes when watching the Uruguayan run rampant over many of Europe’s finest; maybe the savvy tactician saw the reincarnation of Luis Suarez in Benfica’s man.

Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Nunez has flattered to deceive for much of his time on Merseyside, even if he’s shown flashes of the quality that convinced the German manager to fork out an initial £64m fee from FSG’s coffers.

He is expected to depart this summer, and while a popular figure, Nunez hasn’t succeeded in emulating his iconic countryman.

What Liverpool need is a striker who embodies some of Suarez’s qualities but also has experience competing consistently at the very highest level.

Liverpool eyeing Darwin Nunez upgrade

As per TEAMtalk, Slot’s dream signing for the rest of the summer is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, even if a deal would be extremely difficult to complete.

After the Magpies sealed their place in next season’s Champions League, The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed there was “no chance” he would leave St. James’ Park. This has since been corroborated by the news that he has been valued at an eye-watering £200m.

Recent events will rightly halt any immediate developments, but Liverpool may well make a concerted effort to challenge the Magpies for their star man later in the transfer window.

Why Alexander Isak can be the new Luis Suarez

Isak has played for Newcastle across three seasons, and he’s improved incrementally.

A shoddy fitness record has been left in the past, with the Sweden star’s athleticism and strength having come on leaps and bounds. His application even led Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to hail him as “the best striker in the Premier League” last season.

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In the Premier League, Isak played a monumental part in guiding Eddie Howe’s side back into the Champions League, sealing their place on the final day of the 2024/25 campaign.

His goals counted for plenty, with the 23 strikes put away in the Premier League bettered only by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

However, Isak also ranked among the top 16% of positional peers competing across Europe’s top five leagues last term for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

His all-encompassing attacking game even suggests that he could become Slot’s own version of former Redmen superstar Suarez, who, incredibly, posted 82 goals and 32 assists across only 133 appearances.

Suarez might have reached his career zenith at Barcelona, but who can argue against him being in a different stratosphere to the rest of the Premier League when he plied his trade on Merseyside?

Suarez was a devastating finisher, to be sure, but he was so much more than a simple goalscorer. Steven Gerrard once said the marksman “had everything”, and named him the best forward he had ever played with.

The iconic Anfield skipper went into further detail about exactly what set Suarez apart from his positional peers: “He could embarrass you, even with stuff that I don’t think that he knew he was doing. He was a ricochet merchant, he would run over you, he’d dominate you and bully you.”

Given the stage-by-stage progress that Isak, still only 25, has enjoyed in England, there’s certainly a good chance that he could reach the level of Liverpool’s one-time South American talisman, bringing a “world-class” striking ability, as has been praised by pundit and Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, to Slot’s squad.

But then, as the aforementioned FBref data suggests, Isak might also thrive in link-up situations, bouncing off the creativity of stars such as Salah and Florian Wirtz, who joined Liverpool in a deal rising to a British-record £116m.

After all, the £120k-per-week number nine created 11 big chances in the Premier League last season, as per Sofascore, emphasising just how creative and intelligent he is in his attacking play.

Suarez perhaps reached the highest level of any forward to have ever played in the Premier League when he was at his apex. Many would contest such conjecture but it’s an argument that would hold at any table.

In Isak, Liverpool might just find the perfect, belated successor, and Slot might secure his perfect new centre-forward.

The next Van Dijk: Liverpool plot talks for "immense" £40m Guehi upgrade

Liverpool are stepping up their search for a new centre-back…

ByRobbie Walls Jul 2, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da supremo： Vanderlei Luxemburgo foi demitido do Corinthians na tarde desta quarta-feira (27) e logo passou a ser ligado ao Santos, que está sem treinador efetivo desde a saída de Diego Aguirre. O técnico tem um admirador importante no clube: Alexandre Gallo, coordenador técnico alvinegro, mas o nome do profissional não é unanimidade na diretoria.

da bet7： + Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

O Lance! apurou que Gallo gosta de Luxemburgo e considera a possibilidade. Porém, o treinador encontra resistência interna e, em caso de negociação, a contratação pode ser reprovada pelo Comitê de Gestão santista. No ano passado, o Peixe negociou a chegada do treinador, mas o CG barrou a possibilidade.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Mesmo com este cenário, além de sondagens, não há tratativas oficiais em andamento entre Santos e Luxa. Neste momento, o Peixe está focado na decisão contra o Vasco, no domingo (1), na Vila Belmiro. A partida significa um confronto direto para o time tentar deixar a zona do rebaixamento.

Quem comandará o Santos será o interino Marcelo Fernandes, até então favorito para seguir no cargo no restante do Brasileirão. Porém, a continuidade está relacionada ao desempenho da equipe contra o Cruzmaltino. Posteriormente, a depender do resultado do duelo, Luxemburgo pode ganhar força internamente.

Antes, o preferido da diretoria era Fábio Carille, mas as negociações esfriaram. Luxa trabalhou no Santos em 1997, 2004, 2006-07 e 2009 e conquistou um Brasileirão, dois estaduais e uma Taça Rio-São Paulo.

Bayern Munich have reportedly withdrawn their interest from Stuttgart sensation Nick Woltemade after seeing their first two bids rejected.

• Bayern step away from Woltemade transfer
• Bavarians fail to land another top target
• Stuttgart remain firm on their asking price

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern are experiencing a difficult summer when it comes to their transfer market activity, with yet another top transfer target seeming to have slipped out of their grasp. After failing to sign the likes of Nico Williams, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, reports that Bavarians have now withdrawn their interest from Stuttgart's Woltemade.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report reveals that Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and sporting director Max Eberl have "suspended negotiations for the time being", which indicates that while they might have indefinitely stopped the pursuit of Woltemade, they could return for his signature later in the window. Stuttgart have come out as pretty tough negotiators during talks between the two clubs, having sent a fiery email demanding Bayern to stop all communication with the 23-year-old striker. Die Schwaben have already rejected two bids, with the second bid worth €55 million (£47m/$64m) including bonuses.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  further claims that Stuttgart are prepared to turn down a potential third bid worth €60m (£52m/$70m), remaining firm on their stance to entertain offers of at least €65m (£56m/$76m). Chairman Alexander Wehrle recently saidthat he is confident of Woltemade staying at the MHP Arena next season.

  "Nick Woltemade will play football for us next year," he said. "And if something extraordinary should happen, we're professional enough to discuss things at the table. But as I said: I assume he'll play football for us next year."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WOLTEMADE & BAYERN?

  Woltemade is expected to attend Stuttgart's pre-season training camp between July 28 to August 2, while Bayern will hope that they can catch a break by successfully capturing Luis Diaz from Liverpool, with an eye on Lyon sensation Malick Fofana.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are reportedly keeping tabs on Newcastle United star Alexander Isak after Liverpool's transfer interest was rebuffed.

• Newcastle rule out Isak to Liverpool deal
• Al-Hilal keep tabs on prolific striker
• Magpies digging their heels in

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Al-Hilal are eyeing Isak to strengthen their attack this summer. The Saudi team are said to be considering a 'massive offer' to convince the Sweden international and Newcastle to part ways with the prolific striker.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This comes shortly after Newcastle told Liverpool that Isak was not for sale, despite the Reds preparing to offer a British-record £130 million ($175m). As a result, it seems Al-Hilal will not find it easy to secure the 25-year-old's signature, despite the financial resources at their disposal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Isak scored 27 goals for Newcastle last season as they won the Carabao Cup, to end their 70-year wait for a major trophy, and qualified for the Champions League. And the Swede, who still has three years left on his contract, was a vital component of that success.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if other teams will try and lodge a bid for former Real Sociedad attacker Isak, with Eddie Howe's Newcastle seemingly intent on holding onto their prized asset ahead of next season.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betobet： O Palmeiras ainda tem até quarta-feira (2) para se reforçar nesta janela de transferências, algo muito improvável de acontecer. No entanto, já é possível dizer que se trata do clube de Série A que menos se movimentou no mercado nesta temporada. Se nada extraordinário acontecer nestes próximos dias, o Verdão fechará 2023 como o time da elite que menos contratou jogadores.

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da brdice： + Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Até o momento, as únicas contratações do Alviverde neste ano são Artur, comprado junto ao Bragantino, e Richard Ríos, que veio do Guarani. Ambos chegaram após o Paulistão, uma vez que o clube também não se movimentou antes do início da temporada, como é comum em qualquer agremiação do mundo. Pelo atacante, a transação foi de 8 milhões de euros (R$ 45 milhões na cotação da época), já pelo volante a quantia paga foi de R$ 6 milhões.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Na comparação com os outros clubes de Série A, quem mais se aproxima dos números palmeirenses são Corinthians e Flamengo, cada um com cinco contratações. O Fla trouxe Gerson, Varela, Rossi, Luiz Araújo e Allan, enquanto o Corinthians trouxe Romero, Barletta, Matheus Bidu, Matías Rojas e Lucas Veríssimo. Com exceção desses e do Atlético-MG (9), todos os outros times da elite se reforçaram com dez ou mais atletas.

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Cruzeiro, Coritiba, Goiás, Vasco, Bahia e Cuiabá já passaram das 20 contratações na temporada. Vale destacar que três desses clubes subiram neste ano para a Série A do Brasileirão e o processo de reformulação dos elencos sempre exige um volume maior de reforços.

+ ANÁLISE: Palmeiras faz o ‘básico’, volta a ser eficiente e mostra que pode seguir forte

Para a janela deste meio de ano, o Verdão também não conseguiu se reforçar. Assim como no início da temporada, o alvo era um “camisa 5” para suprir a saída de Danilo, vendido ao Nottingham Forest-ING. Acontece que o clube acumulou fracassos na busca por essa peça. Nomes como Matheus Henrique, do Sassuolo-ITA, Jean Lucas, do Monaco-FRA (hoje no Santos), Walace, da Udinese-ITA, foram alvos, mas não houve acordo.

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Mais recentemente foi a vez de Aníbal Moreno, do Racing-ARG, que se tornou o principal desejo da comissão técnica para esta janela. O clube chegou “ao limite” pelo jogador, mas os argentino não abriram mão do que queriam e mais uma vez o Palmeiras ficou a ver navios.

Sem sucesso nessa tratativa, o Alviverde não deve mais fazer movimentos no mercado até o dia 2 de agosto (quarta-feira). A tendência é que o foco seja na janela do início de 2024, quando também o clube precisará se preparar para possível saídas do elenco, algumas das quais foram evitadas neste meio de ano.

The ground-staff used electric fans and even tried a grass transplant but the outfield remained unfit for play

Ekanth10-Sep-2024The second day of the only Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Greater Noida suffered the same miserable fate as the first due to rain, albeit not during hours of play, and the quality of the outfield.The toss was scheduled half an hour earlier at 9am, to make up for day one being abandoned, but at 8.55 am came the announcement that conditions were unfit for play and that there would be an inspection at 12pm.The message on the broadcast at 9.10am was that “a thunderous overnight downpour last evening from 6pm, for 90 minutes, at one stage left the outfield completely and utterly flooded.” The moisture underfoot remained a major concern and there was little hope the ground would be fit for play by noon.Related

• Slushy patches, wet weather prevent Test from starting in Greater Noida

• Greater Noida under the weather ahead of Test debut

• Opening day of Afghanistan-New Zealand Test called off due to wet outfield

• A gloomy debut for Test cricket's newest venue in Greater Noida

The ground staff used electric fans to try and dry a few wet patches on the outfield. They cut out blocks of dry grass the practice nets and transplanted them on a damp region in the 30-yard circle. Despite the sun baking down, the ground wasn’t ready at noon and another inspection was planned for 3pm.New Zealand’s players arrived at the ground around 12:25pm, and a practice net was installed next to the main pitch so that they could practice. The spinners Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santer began to bowl first and were soon joined by the fast bowlers, while Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell had a hit. The Afghanistan players, on the other hand, did not arrive at the venue.Play was called off on the second day at 2.55 pm, with the toss yet to take place.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s girls came up short in the big final at the MCG, but there’s plenty to look forward to from them in the future

Srinivas S18-Mar-2020Dear Indian women’s cricket team,The 2020 women’s T20 World Cup has been a dream, and like many dreams do, yours ended in a nightmarish final against the best team in the format. There is no shame in that.Your captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, she of the sweet timing and monstrous sixes, which were missing during the tournament, has said that the everyone in the team need to continue to believe in themselves and that she believes in the team. This is a cliché that is regularly spouted by losing captains, but those words from Kaur sounded like the ones that come from a true leader. And we believe in the team too — among the ‘we’, many thousands of fans who, I suspect, started following women’s cricket only in the last few years. I am one of those fans, but I now see in the Indian women’s cricket team the Indian team. Whether it was the capitulation of Virat Kohli’s men in the recent Tests in New Zealand, or the comprehensive defeat suffered by Kaur’s women against Australia in front of more than 86000 spectators — they hurt equally. Victory in each case would have been equally sweet.An admission: the first women’s cricket match that I watched fully was the 2017 World Cup final at Lord’s between India and England, a riveting contest of punches and counterpunches in which you, India, should have prevailed. The heartbreak I felt after the match, I realised, was as intense as the prayers that had preceded it. I even wrote a long piece a few days after the final, recounting the important moments in the contest and my own responses to them, to get the emotion out of my system. While writing the piece, I realised two things: there were two Indian cricket teams, not one; and there was precious little I knew about one of those teams. I also wondered how much hurt you must be experiencing, having gone so far, despite few opportunities (at least compared to men), only to fall short.Two-and-a-half years on, there is still so much that I do not know about you (or women cricketers in general), but I read a lot more. The profile that did in November 2018 on your captain, Kaur, was, for example, the first long biographical piece that I read about a female cricketer: it offered rich insights into the socio-cultural fabric and the support system that have made her the cricketer she is today. Shortly afterwards, there was an interview with your vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, which also appeared on . Apart from these focused articles on high-profile individuals, there is a lot more coverage of women’s cricket in general. Even the Indian film industry has caught on to the trend, with the 2018 Tamil film highlighting the meteoric rise of a female cricketer (played by actor Aishwarya Rajesh) from an obscure sun-beaten village in Tamil Nadu.Sportswomen cannot thrive in a vacuum anymore than sportsmen can, which is why I am glad that your performances are receiving a lot more attention than they used to. We now know, thanks to the media, that Poonam Yadav, your talismanic legspinner, had a great T20 World Cup. If the tournament had not been televised, however, not many would have been able to witness Yadav’s slow magic that deceived the best in the air. Moreover, if writers had not thought it worth their while to write about Yadav’s craft, it would not have got the critical attention and acclaim that it has now received.There are many important systematic issues that remain to be addressed of course, among them a proper cricket calendar for you and (following the example of Australia) equal pay. The cricket climate is also crying out for a Women’s IPL. The fact that someone like Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind the idea is proof of that (in case one was required). You also need and deserve long-term coaches and support staff as well as a more streamlined domestic system, which would act as a natural feeder to the national team.It is difficult, perhaps even absurd, to imagine that the aforementioned changes will happen overnight. The hope though is that the changes will happen soon, revealing a clearer trajectory towards excellence for Indian girls who wish to take up cricket. In the meantime, fans like me will continue to believe in your team. We believe that your first global trophy is not too far away.Yours sincerely,
Srinivas S
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