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Following the 5-0 T20I loss to Australia, the West Indies captain bemoaned his team’s consistency

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-2025

West Indies captain Shai Hope has bemoaned his side’s inability to put together a complete game with the bat after they were swept 5-0 by Australia in the T20I series.The visitors completed a three-wicket victory in the final match in St Kitts, after West Indies had been bowled out for 170 – the lowest total of the series. They reduced Australia to 60 for 4 inside the powerplay, and Akeal Hosein later took 3 for 17, but the loss of Alzarri Joseph to injury one ball into his third over removed a vital part of their attack.The first three matches of the series had been characterised by West Indies being unable to build on promising starts. In the opening match in Jamaica, they were 123 for 1 in the 13th over but managed just 189. In the second, 63 for 0 became 172 for 8. When the series moved to St Kitts, Hope and Brandon King put on 125 for the first wicket, but the middle order couldn’t flourish.Related

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In the last two matches, they somewhat overturned their poor starts – 67 for 4 became 205 and 9 and 32 for 3 became 170 – but on all occasions, Australia were able to get home with room to spare.”I just didn’t think we put together a proper batting display,” Hope said at the post-match presentation. “We either started well and finished poorly or the other way around. When you’re playing against quality opposition like Australia, you’ve got to put things together for a more complete game.Alzarri Joseph was injured one ball into his third over•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

“As a batting group, we didn’t really give ourselves the best chance to put a big score on the board consistently. And that’s probably where we fell short… We’ve always been one step behind the eight ball.”Hope wore a rueful smile when asked about the fact that his team didn’t get the chance to chase once in the series as Mitchell Marsh won all five tosses.”I think here in the Caribbean, we all know the stats show chasing is always the better thing to do,” he said. “Whether it’s the dew factor, wind factor, you always have that scoreboard in front of you, so you have an idea of how to go about the chase. But it’s something that I can’t control. Unfortunately, I didn’t win any [tosses]… It’s just one of those things for us.”However, despite the scoreline, Hope did see signs of encouragement from his bowling attack as the series developed: Jediah Blades, the young left-arm seamer, took three wickets in the fourth match. Alzarri Joseph’s pace made an impact in the final game too, before he was forced off the field. Hosein impressed after a belated entry with the ball on Monday.Jediah Blades struck crucial blows in the final match•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

“We understood the struggles of bowling spin here on this ground and surface,” he said. “But [Hosein] is a quality bowler and we just backed him to come and do the job, and he did exceptionally well for that four-over spell. Just unfortunate that, again, we didn’t have as many runs on the board as we would have liked.”I still must commend the guys for the effort that they showed in the back end, to give ourselves a chance to win the game. But once you don’t have that many runs on the board, then you [have] got to hope everything goes perfectly in the field. It just didn’t happen for us.”There is not much time for Hope and his team to reflect. West Indies face a quick turnaround before they play Pakistan in the first of the three T20Is in Florida on Thursday.”I think that we’re a little bit clearer in the bowling unit,” Hope said of what can be taken from this series. “We certainly executed a lot better than we did in the first few games. We’ve got to put this one behind us, and look ahead for the Pakistan series, and see where we can get that combination and that success going.”

Liverpool are now reportedly readying a stunning £70m move to sign another key Newcastle United star not long after swooping in to sign Alexander Isak in the summer.

Those at Anfield were in a ruthless mood in the summer, but that ruthlessness is yet to show itself on the pitch. Liverpool have been inconsistent champions after transforming their squad and only just turned their fortunes around after six losses in seven games. Arne Slot will be hoping that midweek victory over Real Madrid is enough to get his side going again, however.

Related Better than Guehi: Liverpool now chasing for 'one of the 'world's best CBs'

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With Manchester City up next, the Reds have the chance to end a much-needed week of wins in style, whilst also sending quite the statement. Slot knows a trip to the Etihad is rarely without its complications though, and has been full of praise for Pep Guardiola’s side in the build-up.

Liverpool are also aiming for three-straight clean sheets in what would represent their recent turnaround from initial defensive vulnerability. Achieving that up against one of, if not the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland would give that back four all the confidence they need.

That said, even after recent clean sheets, there are still problems for the Reds to address within their backline and one of those problems is finding a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool now readying Botman move

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool and FSG are now readying a move for Sven Botman worth as much as €80m (£70m) in 2026. Just one summer after breaking their transfer record to sign Isak, those at Anfield have set their sights on the Dutch centre-back in an attempt to solve their defensive problems.

Whilst the immediate thought may be that Botman would replace Ibrahima Konate, who is on course to leave as a free agent next summer, he may actually replace Van Dijk in the long-term. WhoScored went as far as to say that the 25-year-old is the next Van Dijk during his time at Lille and his time in the Premier League has only added further credit to that statement.

PL stats P90 25/26

Van Dijk

Botman

Minutes

900

552

Progressive Passes

6.30

3.11

Tackles Won

0.40

0.49

Successful Aerial Duels

4.70

2.79

As impressive as Botman is, however, the stats highlight the task that Liverpool have on their hands. Replacing Van Dijk is their very own mission impossible. Botman would bring Premier League experience and his ability in possession is still of a high standard, but that still may not be enough to fill the void left behind by the Liverpool captain.

Slot just found the new Gini Wijnaldum in "special" Liverpool star

The three-month ban can be reduced to one month if he completed ICC approved treatment programmes

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025

Netherlands fast bowler Vivian Kingma has been banned for three months after testing positive for a recreational drug. Kingma, 30, admitted to the offence and demonstrated the substance had been used out-of-competition.He was found to have Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite classified as a Substance of Abuse under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, in his sample following Netherlands’ ODI against United Arab Emirates in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition on May 12 in Utrecht.The test conducted was from a sample taken after the game and the ban is effective from August 15. The three-month period can be reduced to to one month if he satisfactorily completes an ICC-approved treatment programme.Along with the ban, Kingma’s records his games since the UAE ODI have been disqualified. That includes two ODIs against Nepal and Scotland, where he collectively took 2 for 122, along with a T20I against Scotland, where he was taken off after bowling three balls.South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell have both served bans for recreational drug use in the last 12 months. Both bans, as in the case with Kingma’s, were initially for three months but were reduced to a month after the players completed treatment programmes.

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A derrota do Flamengo na Libertadores fez os torcedores relembrarem as outras equipes comandadas por Paulo Sousa, Vítor Pereira e Jorge Sampaoli. Para os rubro-negros, o trabalho de Tite é “nota zero”. Confira as reações abaixo.

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يلتقي منتخب فلسطين، اليوم الخميس، مع نظيره منتخب تونس، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025 الجارية الآن في قطر.

ويواجه فلسطين نظيره تونس، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، على ملعب استاد لوسيل.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الأولى

يدخل منتخب الفلسطين المباراة بروح عالية بعد فوزه التاريخي على قطر بهدف نظيف في الجولة الأولى، ليحصد 3 نقاط ثمينة وضعته في صدارة المجموعة بالتساوي مع سوريا.

في المقابل، يجد المنتخب التونسي نفسه في موقف صعب بعد خسارته المفاجئة أمام سوريا، ليصبح مطالباً بالفوز للحفاظ على آماله في التأهل للدور المقبل. موعد مباراة فلسطين وتونس في كأس العرب

تقام المباراة في تمام 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر وفلسطين و3:30 مساءً بتوقيت تونس و5:30 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر القنوات الناقلة لمباراة فلسطين وتونس في كأس العرب

تنقل المباراة عبر قنوات beIN SPORTS HD وbeIN Xtra 1 وقناة الكأس ودبي الرياضية وأبو ظبي الرياضية والشارقة الرياضية الكويت الرياضية وعمان الرياضية ومنصة شاشا معلق مباراة فلسطين وتونس في كأس العرب

ويعلق علي محمد علي، ورؤوف خليف ومحمد الهنائي وشبيب الحبسي ومحمد العتيبي وهاني الشهري عبر القنوات والمنصات الناقلة.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have entered the 2025/26 campaign with huge expectations, especially after the Europa League triumph against Manchester United at the end of May.

The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a trophy in Bilbao, which has no doubt cranked the pressure up on Thomas Frank after he took the reins from Ange Postecoglou during the off-season.

He completed four deals of his own during his maiden summer in North London, with his arrivals racking up over £100m spent to help improve the options at the Dane’s disposal.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons made the move to join the Lilywhites, with the pair helping the side sit in fifth-place in the Premier League at present.

However, Frank will no doubt want to further bolster his squad in the upcoming January transfer window to improve the club’s chances of finishing in the Champions League places once again.

Numerous players have been strongly touted with a switch to North London, but one name has been continuously been mentioned over the last couple of weeks.

The latest on Semenyo's move to Spurs in January

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been named as one of numerous Premier League clubs in the hunt to land a deal for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in January.

The 25-year-old has been one of the division’s biggest talents in the 2025/26 campaign, with the Ghanian already scoring six times and registering three assists in his 11 appearances.

Such a tally of nine combined goals and assists is the second-highest of any player in the division, with only Erling Haaland notching more at this stage of the season.

Over the last couple of days, it’s become apparent that the winger could be available in the upcoming transfer window, with the Cherries potentially powerless to losing their starman.

It’s been reported that Semenyo has a £65m release clause which becomes active in the winter market, with Spurs just one side currently interested in a move for his signature.

The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool also remain keen on a deal for the attacker, but it’s unclear who is leading the race for his signature.

However, it would be yet another huge investment by Frank, especially after splashing upwards of £50m on two different additions during the recent summer window.

A deal for Semenyo would also be a joint-club record, with such a fee matching the price paid for Dominic Solanke after his own switch to North London from Bournemouth back in 2024.

If the club are to afford such a deal in the coming months, the club will likely have to offload numerous first-team players to help balance the books in the process.

How Spurs can fund the Semenyo move

Over the years, Spurs have spent big on numerous players across various areas of the pitch in an attempt to try and battle for Premier League supremacy.

The hierarchy have spent upwards of £400m in the last couple of years to back various managers, but their investment has often been wasted on numerous players who have failed to match the demands in North London.

Tanguy Ndombele is arguably the biggest example, after the hierarchy forked out a reported £63m for the Frenchman’s signature back in the summer of 2019.

He only made a total of 91 appearances for the Lilywhites over a five-year spell, before being released and returning to his homeland to join Nice back in the summer of 2024.

Frank’s current squad also does boast numerous big-money additions, with the centre-back partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero costing nearly £100m combined.

However, the pair have been worth every penny in North London, with the partnership helping the Dane’s side keep the fourth-best defensive record in the division at present.

However, not all the club’s big-money investments have paid off in recent years, with Richarlison one player who has massively struggled to match expectations at the club.

The Brazilian joined the Lilywhites for a reported £60m back in the summer of 2022, with such a move raising the eyebrows of many supporters given the nature of the transfer fee.

In the three and a half years since such a move, the 28-year-old has racked up a total of 108 appearances for the first-team, only finding the back of the net on 24 occasions.

This season alone, Richarlison has massively struggled to match the levels many expect of him, with the club desperately needing to move the former Everton man on in the near future.

He’s often been ineffective in numerous matches, as seen by his average of 22.3 touches per 90 this season, with the Brazilian only notching 10 touches in 90 mins against Bodo Glimt in the Champions League.

Other figures, such as a 50% dribble success rate and just 42% aerials won in the Premier League to date, showcase his poor all-round quality at the top end of the pitch.

As a result of his disappointing displays in recent months, Gabriel Agbonlahor stated that he believes the Brazilian is “one of the worst signings in Premier League history”.

Richarlison – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Pass accuracy

63%

Dribble success

50%

Aerials won

42%

Big chances missed

5

Fouls committed

1.5

Touches per 90

22

Stats via FotMob

The manager will no doubt want added quality in the final third, as seen by their move for Semenyo, but they will likely need to move Richarlison on to generate the funds needed to land the Ghanaian.

However, Richarlison has been subject to interest in recent months, with MLS outfit Orlando City FC already registering interest in a potential transfer for the striker.

Frank and the hierarchy will certainly need to jump at the rumoured interest, with this window one of the last opportunities to get some of their £60m investment back.

If the club want to land Semenyo, a sale of the Brazilian is desperately needed, with all parties needing a fresh start, which could help secure a move for the Bournemouth star in the process.

Related Spurs already have their answer to Semenyo out on loan & he's "like Son"

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Posts ByRobbie Walls Nov 19, 2025

India have never been swept in a bilateral ODI series against Australia as they aim to bounce back in Sydney

Tristan Lavalette24-Oct-2025

Xavier Bartlett dismissed Virat Kohli for a duck•Getty Images

Big Picture – Can India avert a clean sweep?In an anti-climax, considering the rivalry and general fanfare, the third ODI at the SCG will be a dead rubber after Australia clinched the series with a two-wicket victory in Adelaide.The final result probably flattered India, who fought to the end but were mostly up against it through the game. While valid excuses could be made for the truncated rain-affected opener in Perth, India were generally outplayed in the second ODI and could never quite recover from the early wickets of captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, who bagged a second consecutive duck for the first time in his legendary ODI career.India’s top-order has been completely pinned down by Josh Hazlewood, the standout quick across the two games as England watch on ahead of the Ashes. The much-hyped returns of Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not quite gone to plan, although Rohit top-scored with 73 in Adelaide, and there remains an unknown over their futures with some pushing for Yashasvi Jaiswal to freshen up the top-order.Related

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Without Hardik Pandya, India have looked unbalanced and they trotted out the same XI across the two games to no avail. There are clearly teething problems for Gill as he looks to start moulding his preferred line-up.In a notable contrast, Australia feel rejuvenated especially with fringe players Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen and Matthew Renshaw making valuable contributions in their successful run chase in Adelaide.Their performances would have pleased Australia’s hierarchy as they look to bed down a batting-order after the ODI retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell.Australia have never swept India in a bilateral ODI series, providing further motivation for a group that is currently in good spirits after a patchy run in 50-over cricket.Like in the previous two games, a pro-India crowd is expected amid a sold-out SCG.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWLL
India LLWWWShubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir talk during a training session•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Matt Renshaw and Shubman GillHaving waited nine years into his international career to play ODIs, Renshaw has fitted in seamlessly after finishing the job in Perth with an unbeaten 21 off 24 followed by a run a ball 30 in Adelaide. He has publicly spoken about shutting out the external noise and exuded composure after coming to the crease in Adelaide with Australia wobbling at 54 for 2. Renshaw helped change the momentum with a brisk 55-run partnership with Matt Short, but would have been annoyed to not make a big score after being knocked over by a looping delivery from left-arm spinner Axar Patel having attempted to launch over mid-off. Renshaw is set to get another chance in Sydney as competition hots up in this transitioning batting-order. There is also the Ashes hovering, with Renshaw considered an outside chance of being in the selection mix.There has been a lot of attention on the returns of Kohli and Rohit, which has somewhat deflected the slow start to Gill’s ODI captaincy. Gill has been unable to set the tone like he spectacularly did in Test cricket. He has made just 10 and 9 although hasn’t been helped by Rohit holding up an end early in the innings, putting pressure on Gill to counterattack. He will face some heat early in his captaincy reign if India succumb to just a sixth ODI series whitewash in their proud history, underlining the importance of this game.Team news: Hazlewood/Starc may opt for restAustralia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Matt Short, 4 Matthew Renshaw, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Cooper Connolly, 7 Mitch Owen, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Mitchell Starc/Jack Edwards, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan Ellis/Josh HazlewoodWith the match a dead rubber, Australia might be tempted to rest Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc with there being just one day of rest between games two and three. Nathan Ellis, who performed well in game one, might be recalled while allrounder Jack Edwards has been named in the squad on the back of strong form on Australia A’s tour of India. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann has also returned to the squad after an impressive effort in the first ODI but two spinners in the XI seems unlikely.Josh Inglis has joined the squad in Sydney after missing the first two but is unlikely to play as he continues to recover from a calf strain, which means the top seven will likely remain the same.Josh Hazlewood could be rested•CA/Getty Images

India (possible): 1 Shubman Gill [capt], 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Axar Patel, 6 KL Rahul (wk), 7 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 8 Nitish Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed SirajIndia decided to stick with the same XI in Adelaide but it did not do the trick and changes are almost certain. There has been a lot of debate over whether left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be in the side with the attack lacking some bite so far in the series. India have preferred the more conservative option of allrounder Washington Sundar, who has taken three wickets in the series but failed with the bat. Seamer Prasidh Krishna could be in the frame to replace Harshit Rana, who has been expensive in the series. It is also interesting to see if they find a way to give a game to Yashasvi Jaiswal.Pitch and conditionsClear and pleasant conditions are expected in Sydney on Saturday. While turn has not been as notable at the SCG in recent times compared to previous decades, spinners have still played a vital role on flat surfaces. Australia’s batters have feasted in the conditions, piling on huge scores during their current six-game winning streak in ODIs at the ground.Stats and triviaKohli still needs 54 runs to move past Kumar Sangakkara and into second place on the ODI runs list.India have lost the toss a record 17 times in a row in ODIs dating back to the 2023 World Cup final. India have not lost three consecutive ODIs since a four-game skid to Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2021-22 Australia have a commanding 16-2 (1 no result) record over India at the SCG. India’s only victories were six-wicket wins in 2008 and 2016.Quotes”We’ve got a lot of depth in Australian cricket. With Smudge [Smith] and Maxi [Maxwell] retiring from one-day cricket earlier in the year, there’s room for some younger guys to come through.”
“It definitely hurts [to lose the series]. I personally feel the way Australian bowlers bowl on such wickets, they have a fair bit of an advantage at the start and they utilised it pretty well.”

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Insatisfeitos com o início da atual gestão do Corinthians, sobretudo com as denúncias envolvendo o contrato de patrocínio máster com a VaideBet, conselheiros de oposição tentaram pautar o pedido de impeachment do presidente Augusto Melo na reunião ordinária que aconteceu na noite desta segunda-feira (28), no Parque São Jorge. A situação, no entanto, segue em processo de análise pela Comissão de Justiça do clube alvinegro.

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Presidente do Conselho Deliberativo corintiano, Romeu Tuma Júnior terá 20 dias para receber o relatório e marcar uma reunião extraordinária onde Augusto precisará esclarecer as acusações de que uma “empresa laranja” havia participado da intermediação no acordo com a empresa de apostas.

Ainda que o encontro desta semana no Parque São Jorge não estivesse com as polêmicas recentes em pauta, alguns conselheiros pediram a palavra e se manifestaram sobre, entre eles o ex-diretor de futebol Rubens Gomes. Principal aliado político de Augusto Melo na eleição presidencial, Rubão foi desligado do cargo de direção cinco meses após o início da administração, por conta de desentendimentos com o mandatário corintiano, principalmente por conta do contrato com a “Vai de Bet”.

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Mesmo que Augusto ainda tenha que passar por uma série de interrogações no Conselho, membros da oposição afirmam nos bastidores que as denúncias feitas através da imprensa, e que estão sendo investigadas internamente, já dão materialidade para que seja solicitada a destituição do presidente.

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Para que a abertura do processo de impeachment seja levada adiante, a maioria mais um dos conselheiros precisam assinar uma petição com a solicitação e estarem presentes na reunião onde a pauta será discutida. O órgão possui 200 conselheiros, onde os opositores não são maioria. Porém, pessoas eleitas através da situação atualmente mudaram de lado, parte deles articulados por Rubão. Atualmente, os membros estão divididos.

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A tendência é que um próximo encontro ocorra entre o fim de junho e início de julho, já a fim de discutir as denúncias recentes, mas com chances relativas de que o pedido de impedimento de Augusto Melo prossiga. Enquanto isso, os opositores vão seguir a pressão em cima de Romeu Tuma Júnior, para que o presidente do Conselho Deliberativo acelere os processos.

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أكد هانز فليك، مدرب نادي برشلونة، على قيمة بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا وأنها منافسة مختلفة، وذلك قبل مباراة فريقه ضد آينتراخت فرانكفورت يوم غدًا الثلاثاء.

وسوف يستضيف برشلونة فرانكفورت يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب كامب نو، ضمن الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الفوز على فرانكفورت، من أجل إنعاش حظوظه في التأهل إلى دور الـ16 بشكل مباشر ضمن الـ8 الأوائل في مرحلة الدوري بالمسابقة الأوروبية.

وقال فليك خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص باللقاء والذي نقلته صحيفة سبورت: “دوري أبطال أوروبا مختلف، كل ما حدث حتى الآن لا يحتسب، آينتراخت يمتلك فريقًا قويًا، شابًا، سريعًا، ومتماسكًا ويتأقلمون مع نظام اللعب، وعلينا أن نظهر أعلى مستوياتنا، ستكون المهمة صعبة لأنهم قادرون على إلحاق الضرر بنا كثيرًا، على الرغم من أن مبارياتهم الأخيرة لم تكن جيدة”.

واعترف فليك أن برشلونة عانى كثيرًا من الإصابات هذا الموسم، حيث أضاف: “الجميع يعلم ما حدث في الأشهر الثلاثة الماضية، إصابات كثيرة وغياب لاعبين أساسيين، لم نتمكن من توزيع الدقائق وفي الدقائق العشر الأخيرة ضد بيتيس كان اللاعبون مرهقين، ليس من السهل اللعب دائمًا بهذا المستوى”.

وأوضح: ”إنهم يقدمون أداءً رائعًا ومترابطين تحت الضغط. بالنسبة لي لقد لعبوا بمستوى مختلف عما كانوا عليه قبل شهر، وأبرزهم كوبارسي، البالغ من العمر 18 عامًا، هذا موسمه الثالث، لكنه مرر 87 تمريرة ضد بيتيس بدقة 100%، كان أول لاعب في تاريخ الدوري الإسباني يحقق ذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. جيرارد مارتن يعلق على مشاركته كقلب دفاع مع برشلونة.. ويشيد بـ فليك

وعن التأهل ضمن الثمانية الأوائل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري الأبطال والمنافسة مع ريال مدريد على لقب الدوري الإسباني أردف فليك: “ننظر إلى أنفسنا ولا ننظر إلى ريال مدريد، لا نريد الحديث عنه، نحن متقدمون بأربع نقاط في ترتيب الدوري لكن الطريق طويل جدًا وعلينا أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا. أهم مباراة الآن هي غدًا ضد آينتراخت”.

وعن استعادة برشلونة لمستواه الذي كان عليه الموسم الماضي تابع: “أعتقد أننا لا ننهي ما حققناه أبدًا فالتقدم ممكن دائمًا، ليس لدينا متسع من الوقت للتدريب لكن ما أراه هو أن اللاعبين يحاولون إظهار ذلك على أرض الملعب، أنا سعيد بالجودة التي نمتلكها لكننا نسعى دائمًا للتطور، لدينا إمكانيات كبيرة للتطور”.

وعن وضع حراسة المرمى في برشلونة هذا الموسم واصل فليك حديثه: “من الواضح أن خوان جارسيا هو الحارس الأول”.

واستكمل: “كان اللعب في كامب نو مرة أخرى حلمًا للجميع، إنه مهم أيضًا لدوري أبطال أوروبا، إنها مباراة يجب أن نحصد فيها النقاط الثلاث”.

وعن لاعب برشلونة، جيرارد مارتن ، استطرد فليك: “أحيانًا لا بأس بوجود لاعبين في الفريق يحبون العمل، بفضل عقليته يسعى دائمًا لتقديم أفضل ما لديه للفريق، لقد تحقق حلمه باللعب مع برشلونة، فهو واثق بنفسه ويؤمن بقدراته، إنه لأمر رائع، ففي مركزه وقدرته على اللعب بقدمه اليسرى تتيح لنا خيارات أكثر”.

وعن خسارة ريال مدريد أمام سيلتا فيجو في الدوري الإسباني قال المدرب الألماني: “كما حدث الأسبوع الماضي، كنت نائمًا واكتشفت ذلك عبر واتساب، لا أركز على هذا، فالأمر يهدر الكثير من الطاقة وأريد التركيز على فريقي”.

وعن سيطرة برشلونة على مجريات المباريات أضاف فليك: “لا أريد الكشف عن الكثير الآن لأننا سنلعب غدًا ضد خصم مهم، عندما نفقد الكرة علينا أن نغير أسلوب لعبنا”.

وأوضح: ”علينا أن ندافع ونركض أكثر، عندما نمتلك الثقة ونؤمن بأنفسنا علينا أن نكون في وضع جيد للسيطرة على الكرة، نحن فريق متماسك للغاية وعندما يكون الفريق مترابطًا جيدًا، حتى لو خسرت الكرة يمكنك خلق الفرص”.

وعن فرانكفورت أردف فليك: “آينتراخت فريق مميز، كنت أعيش بالقرب منه، حفيدي من مشجعي آينتراخت، إنهم يقدمون أداءً جيدًا وربما يفتقرون إلى بعض الثبات في المستوى، لكنهم يتميزون بالقوة والإيقاع ويمكنهم إيذاء الخصوم”.

واختتم فليك مؤتمره بالحديث عن وضع حارس مرمى برشلونة، مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، وإمكانية مشاركة الأخير مع منتخب ألمانيا في كأس العالم العام المقبل، إذ أتم: “أتحدث دائمًا مع مارك ولكن ليس مع جوليان ناجيلسمان، فهو لم يتصل بي”.

Smith disagrees with Head and Cummins on batting orders saying “it’s nice to have a single role”

Andrew McGlashan03-Dec-2025

Steven Smith has confirmed he will use the anti-glare strips under his eyes when batting during the day-night Test at the Gabba after some advice from Shivnarine Chanderpaul ensured he was wearing them the correct way up.Smith trained with them under lights in the lead-up to the second Test against England and said he definitely felt a positive impact. However, initially he had not quite used them the way they were designed.”I actually messaged Shivnarine Chanderpaul and asked him what his thoughts were, whether he wore the chalk or the strips,” Smith said. “He said the strips, and he thinks it blocks out 65% of the glare. And he also said, ‘I’ve seen photos and you’re wearing them the wrong way’. So yesterday I put them on the right way.”I agree with him. I think it certainly stops the glare. Yeah, I’ll be wearing them.”Related

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The ‘eye blacks’ – small, black, adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone – that Smith wore in training are commonplace in several American sports, and are designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.Smith is known to not be a fan of batting against the pink ball. In day-night Tests he averages 37.04 with one century compared to 58.31 in day matches with 35 hundreds.”It’s hard to bat all the time,” he said of any difference between twilight and complete darkness. “It’s a tricky one. The ball reacts obviously differently to a red one. It can change quickly. It can start moving randomly.”You’ve got to try and play what’s in front of you at that time and when it does shift on you and the ball starts doing something different, you’ve got to try and come up with plans to counter that, whether it be more aggressive, whether it be going to your shell and trying to get through that period. Everyone’s different. It’s trying to be one step ahead when it does start to shift.”Steven Smith wears black tape under his eyes•Getty Images

During the previous day-night Test at the Gabba, when West Indies famously won by eight runs in early 2024, Mitchell Starc commented about how the harder surface at the venue meant the pink ball went softer than it does in Adelaide where extra grass can act as a cushion.”I think Adelaide, the wicket they have down there, it’s quite furry, and the ball can kind of stay harder for longer,” Smith said. “Here it’s obviously renowned to be quite a hard, fast wicket, and it’s difficult to change your characteristics of the wicket. So at times [the ball] can get a little bit soft, and you can see guys batting comfortably at stages. So that’s one thing we have to weigh up going into this game, and see how it plays out.”Amid uncertainty over how Australia would line up for the Test, Smith said they would be open to in-match flexibility around the batting line-up, referencing the possibility of two nightwatchers. But he was not fully buying into the belief of Pat Cummins and Travis Head that batting orders were overrated despite having opened the batting in four Tests in 2024 at his own request, including the last pink-ball game at the Gabba where he carried his bat to finish 91 not out in Australia’s failed fourth innings chase.”I think [with the] pink ball, anything’s possible,” Smith said. “We’ve been pretty open in the past around maybe having two nightwatchmen and things like that, so it’s a completely different game.”You’ve got to play what’s in front of you at any given stage, but I’m not sure I completely agree with those two on the batting orders being overrated. I think it’s nice to be in a similar role and get used to that role over and over again.”So, it can change in games, and maybe that’s the way forward. But having certain spots for one innings and other spots for a second innings, I’m not sure about. I think it’s nice to have a single role and try to get used to that as much as possible.”