The two wristspinners sit at opposite ends of the age spectrum at 41 and 15 respectively

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2020The Melbourne Renegades have boosted their overseas contingent for the upcoming BBL season with the signings of two wristspinners in Imran Tahir and the Afghanistan left-armer Noor Ahmad. Tahir will only be available post-Christmas, and Ahmad is expected to fill in for him until then.The signings fall on extreme ends of the age spectrum. The South African Tahir, who retired from international cricket following the 2019 World Cup, is 41, while Ahmad is just 15.”Imran Tahir has excelled in the T20 format right across the world and he’ll provide another genuine wicket-taking threat,” Renegades coach Michael Klinger said. “We’ve [also] been tracking Noor Ahmad closely for more than a year now and although he’s in the early stages of his career, he’s an exciting prospect and he has a few tricks that’ll make life difficult for batsmen.”The Renegades still have another overseas spot vacant despite the return of Mohammad Nabi to their ranks, following the recent ruling that allows BBL clubs to field three foreign players in their XI.Tahir, who is currently in the UAE playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, is yet to appear in the BBL despite having played more than 300 T20 games and having become a much-sought-after property in T20 leagues over the years.ALSO READ: AB de Villiers opts out of BBL, Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns to Brisbane Heat”I’ve watched the Big Bash from afar [and] have admired how competitive it is,” he said. “I’m looking forward to joining my new Renegades team-mates and working hard with them to produce a successful season.”Ahmad, meanwhile, made his T20 debut for the Mis Ainak Knights in the Shpageeza League last year, when his side won the title under Nabi. That season, Ahmad was the third-highest wicket-taker for the Knights with eight wickets, and returned an impressive economy rate of 6.48. This season, he took 11 wickets as the Knights ended as runners-up. In 15 T20 games so far, Ahmad has 19 wickets at an average of 21.42 and an economy rate of 7.11.Ahmad was set to play in this year’s Caribbean Premier League after being drafted by the St Lucia Zouks, but was forced to miss the tournament after failing to secure a transit visa through the UK.”The Renegades fans and followers of the Big Bash may not know much about Noor at this stage, but I can tell you [that] he is a very exciting talent who I feel has a big future in the game,” Nabi said of Ahmad.The BBL begins on December 3, with the Renegades playing the Adelaide Strikers in the opening game of the season.

Arsenal chiefs are convinced that a £57,000-per-week player will choose to join them this summer after making a "big offer" behind-the-scenes.

Edu and Arteta eyeing new attacking signings for Arsenal

The Gunners are believed to be targeting new attacking signings for manager Mikel Arteta, with the transfer window's opening on the horizon.

£150,000-per-week ace unhappy at Arsenal and could now leave this summer

The Gunners are open to selling.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 4, 2024

Arsenal narrowly missed out on the 2023/2024 Premier League title to Man City, despite being in phenomenal form for the majority of this year and scoring over 90 goals in the top flight alone.

Pep Guardiola's City side have set a very high bar for competitors who wish to challenge them, and Arsenal finishing the season on 89 points still wasn't enough to pip the Sky Blues, who won their fourth consecutive domestic crown.

Arteta has set a target of 90-plus points for next season, according to journalist Miguel Delaney of The Independent, and it is also believed that Arsenal wish to bring in an elite natural striker before their pre-season tour.

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

There have been many players of real quality linked in the past few months and in the build-up to June 14, which is when the transfer window officially opens. However, one man who is being mentioned more and more is RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenia international bagged 18 goals in all competitions last term, and the £55 million release clause in his Leipzig contract has turned heads across Europe. Arsenal are firmly in the conversation to sign Sesko, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano backing that he has "possibilities" to join Arteta's side.

“He has a big proposal from Leipzig on the table. It's a big contract proposal to extend this contract, to change the release clause, and to get a very big salary at the club, to be the new star of Leipzig, also for next season. So now the first step is he has to decide whether he wants to reject this proposal and leave and go to the Premier League or stay at the club.

“So, basically, this is the first step, and he's not decided yet. And then, in case he decides to go to the Premier League, he has possibilities with Arsenal.”

Arsenal convinced Sesko will join them after making "big offer"

Now, as per TEAMtalk, Arsenal are convinced that Sesko will join them after making a "big offer" to sign him behind the scenes. On a reported £57,000-per-week, it wouldn't take a hugely marquee salary offer to essentially double the 6 foot 5 striker's salary, and it is claimed that Sesko is "impressed" by the project at Arsenal as he bides his time to consider all approaches.

The 20-year-old has many years ahead of him at the very highest level, and his excellent form last season has motivated a growing clamour for his services, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

Western Australia allrounder Cameron Green is hopeful of making his long-awaited return to bowling in Friday’s Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania.Green, 21, has not bowled in either a domestic or club fixture since November 2019 due to lower back concerns. He has had multiple stress fractures in his lower back dating back to junior cricket and the WACA have been ultra-conservative with him since his most recent fracture late last year.He has been bowling over the winter and has been making some technical changes with WA bowling coach Matt Mason and he is hopeful of finally bowling in a game this week.”I’m having a bowl today,” Green told RSN Radio. “I’m having a couple more sessions before game day. Hopefully maybe a couple of overs this game but if that doesn’t happen, hopefully, the game after. But it will only be a handful of overs I would say.”Green has two five-wicket hauls in Sheffield Shield cricket and both have come against Tasmania, including 5 for 24 on debut as a 17-year-old.But since being unable to bowl, Green has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the Sheffield Shield scoring 929 runs at 84.45 in nine games including four centuries.His career-best 197 against New South Wales last week has put him firmly in the Test selection frame but Green is determined to keep his head down.”I’m going okay,” he said. “I haven’t really gone through a bad patch since I scored my first hundred so I’m just going with the wave and going with the flow of doing well and for some reason, it’s just paying off at the moment but I’m trying to keep a level head.”Cricket doesn’t owe you anything. As soon as you think you’re better than you are, it catches up to you. I’m just trying to keep a level head.”

Manchester United are ready to sell Harry Maguire and have significantly lowered their asking price for the defender.

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Maguire could be sold in JanuaryMan Utd reduce their asking priceWas linked with West Ham last yearFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Maguire has dropped down the United pecking order over the last few seasons under Erik ten Hag. He was stripped of the captaincy last year, with Bruno Fernandes handed the armband in his place. The English defender was also linked with a move to West Ham during the summer of 2023, but a transfer did not materialise.

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The Daily Star now reports the Red Devils will try to move on from the 31-year-old centre-back in the upcoming January transfer window and have significantly reduced their demands from £30 million ($38m, €36m) to £10 million ($13m, €12m).

DID YOU KNOW?

Maguire's game-time has dwindled in recent seasons but he has been brought in from the cold in that time due to the club's various injury problems. However, he himself recently suffered a fresh injury during United's draw against Aston Villa earlier this month and is expected to remain sidelined for the next few weeks.

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Ten Hag's side, who are winless in their last five outings across all competitions, will aim to get back on track on October 19 as they host Brentford at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

New York City FC head coach Nick Cushing has become Arsenal women's top target to replace Jonas Eidevall after the Swede's recent resignation.

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• Arsenal in hunt for new manager
• Have made NYCFC boss top target
• Cushing guided them to MLS playoffs

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After winning just one of their first four matches of the new Women's Super League season, Eidevall stepped down from his post last week, sending the north London team into a desperate search for a new head boss early in the campaign.

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  Cushing has become the favoured candidate to take charge of the Gunners, according to The 39-year-old spent seven years as Manchester City women's manager before he accepted a role as assistant coach for NYCFC's men's team. He was then promoted to head coach in 2022.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cushing has guided his current club to the MLS playoffs and is contracted to the club until the end of 2025, which may hinder Arsenal's pursuit. However, he is not the only candidate for the job and the Gunners have confidence in Renee Slegers' ability to lead the team as interim coach for now.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arsenal finished third in the WSL last season and currently sit fifth in the table – five points behind leaders City. The London team's next match is against Manchester United, who are third, on November 3.

Leeds United face Premier League competition as they look to pull off a move for a new striker this summer.

Leeds set for attacking changes

Facing another season in the Championship, Daniel Farke could be in charge of a very different looking Leeds United come the opening day of the 2024/25 season.

Leading the exodus is Crysencio Summerville, with the Championship player of the season reportedly wanted by clubs across Europe and almost certain to leave this summer as Leeds look to balance their books, with the club needing to raise a reported £100m from player sales this summer.

Leeds keen to sign "machine" who taunted Elland Road last season

He could prove a very savvy signing with Championship experience.

ByBen Browning Jun 25, 2024

Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe has already outlined the plan for the summer, explaining that: "We have the funds we need to do what we need, but there will need to be some trade-offs because of [profit and sustainability rules]".

"It is not just outs, it is ins as well, looking at scouting possibilities, but we need to make trade-offs. I can't talk about specific players right now, it is too early.

Speculation also surrounds attacking duo Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter, with the pair both having been linked with moves away from the club in a series of deals that would leave Leeds looking very threadbare in attack following the end of Jaidon Anthony's loan and his return to Bournemouth. Clearly then, fresh faces in the Leeds frontline could soon be required, and the Elland Road outfit are seemingly trying to land one.

Leeds chase £12m forward

Now, it has been reported that Leeds are one of several clubs chasing 21-year-old striker Adam Hlozek, who is set to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

The striker still has three years left to run on his £30,000 a week deal with the German champions, but managed just five starts last season as Victor Boniface and Patrick Schick were Xabi Alonso's favoured options to lead the line.

He was once considered one of the most exciting prospects in world football and was even reportedly considered by Borussia Dortmund as their replacement for Erling Haaland when he joined Manchester City.

However, he has struggled at the BayArena since his arrival, with just seven goals in two seasons at Leverkusen since his move from Sparta Prague, and it has been reported that he will be free to leave this summer for just £12m.

Adam Hlozek at Bayer Leverkusen

Appearances

80

Starts

36

Goals

14

Assists

11

Minutes per goal or assist

120

This has attracted the attention of Leeds United, with German outlet Bild [via Sport Witness] explaining that both the Whites and West Ham are keen to sign him this summer, though they add that no offers have been received yet.

With Leeds still seemingly under pressure to sell players, any move may well come later in the window should they firm up their interest, though whether they can convince the title winner to swap Leverkusen for Leeds and the Championship this summer is another matter entirely.

انتهت قبل قليل مباراة فريقي حرس الحدود وطلائع الجيش في خضم منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري “النيل” 2024-2025، بفوز الحدود بثلاثية نظيفة.

المباراة أقيمت على ملعب استاد المكس بالإسكندرية ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

فيديو | أبو تريكة عن الأرقام والإحصائيات: لعبت للمتعة ولا يتحدث عن نفسه سوى إبليس

افتتح التسجيل فريق حرس الحدود عن طريق حازم محمد في الدقيقة 23، بعد تمريرة فوزي الحناوي محرزًا الهدف الأول في مرمى طلائع الجيش.

وفي الشوط الثاني، واصل حرس الحدود سيطرته على مجريات اللعب، ليضيف الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 53 عن طريق موفوسي كاريديولا، بعد تمريرة محمد أشرف روغعقا.

وفي الدقيقة 82 زاد عبدالرحمن جودة من غلة الأهداف بتسجيل الثالث مستغلًا صناعة فوزي الحناوي مرة أخرى.

على الجانب الآخر، حاول طلائع الجيش تعديل النتيجة، لكن دفاع حرس الحدود بقى صامدًا، مما حال دون تسجيل الفريق الضيف أي أهداف.

وفي الدقيقة الثانية بعد التسعين أشهر الحكم وليد عبد الرازق البطاقة الحمراء في وجه حميد ماو لاعب طلائع الجيش بعد الرجوه لتقنية الـvar، لتدخله القوي على إيزي إيمكا.

الجدير بالذكر، أن طلائع الجيش تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب عبد الحميد بسيوني، قد تعادل في المباراة الماضية أمام الزمالك بهدفين لكل فريق.

بتلك النتيجة، يرتفع رصيد حرس الحدود إلى 6 نقاط، محققًا الانتصار الأول له هذا الموسم بعد تحقيق 3 تعادلات وتلقيه 3 خسائر ليتقدم للمركز الرابع عشر.

أما طلائع الجيش فيتجمد رصيده عند 8 نقاط محتلًا المركز العاشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل” بعد تلقيه الخسارة الثالثة فيما حقق انتصارين وتعادلين. أهداف مباراة طلائع الجيش وحرس الحدود

 

Canada Soccer has revealed an interim coaching staff for the women's national team as Bev Priestman remains suspended after the Olympic drone scandal.

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Canada head coach Priestman still suspendedRemains away from team after drone controversyCanada Soccer announces interim coaching staffFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Back in July, FIFA suspended Priestman for one year due to "offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play" following the drone controversy at Paris 2024. That came after a member of Canada's coaching staff was caught filming the training session of New Zealand, its first opponent at the Games, sparking a huge scandal that rumbled on throughout the tournament.

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subsequently released a report alleging that Canada's men's and women's soccer teams have 'engaged for years in efforts to film the closed-door training sessions of their opponents, including during the women's gold-medal winning Olympic tournament in 2021'. Canada Soccer would soon suspend Priestman, just before FIFA did, and open its own investigation into events.

DID YOU KNOW?

While that investigation continues, and Priestman remains suspended, Canada Soccer has assembled an interim coaching staff for the women's national team's October friendly against Spain, the world champion. Returning coaches Andy Spence, Jen Herst and Neil Wood will be joined by performance analyst Maryse Bard-Martel, former player Diana Matheson and Katelyn Collar, who is the coach of Whitecap FC Girls Elite.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PRIESTMAN AND CANADA?

It remains unclear what Canada Soccer's long-term plan is for the coaching staff with the women's national team, and whether Priestman will be part of it – especially while its own investigation into the drone controversy continues.

The home side’s seamers broke the Test wide open by picking up 15 wickets on day three

Alagappan Muthu05-Dec-2020It happened suddenly. Blue skies giving way to grey clouds. New Zealand loved that. They could sense an opportunity. A chance to break this Test wide open. And they did, by picking up 15 wickets in the day.Watch the cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand vs West Indies is available in the USA on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the series

People say that in Hamilton, the pitch doesn’t matter so much as the overheads, because even though it might be frighteningly green, it will play fairly true. But the moment there is something in the air – a little moisture, a little humidity – batsmen become endangered creatures. The overseas variety especially.West Indies had shown a capacity to resist on day two. But they were being hunted now. Tim Southee was relentless. His ability to set up batsmen was on show in the first over itself, when he fed John Campbell a steady diet of inswingers, and then ambushed him with a wobble seam delivery.The rest of his wickets – he took 4 for 35 – were just as impressive if a bit repetitive. Outswingers to right-handers, who had no choice but to play them and were out caught-behind.Southee is the leader of this attack. He set the tone. And when he was done, even the new kid knew what to do.Kyle Jamieson is a truly exciting prospect. Especially in Test cricket. At 6’8″, his back-of-a-length deliveries carry through like bouncers, often producing oohs and aahs. The experts call that pretty bowling. The kind that looks nice but is mostly harmless. Darren Bravo might disagree with that considering he got hit on the glove by a vicious lifter.It began playing on his mind. He became preoccupied with all that extra bounce and never saw the full one coming. Jamieson, even in his short career so far, has always been able to pitch the ball up to devastating effect. That alone is remarkable because so many tall bowlers – Morne Morkel, Ishant Sharma – struggled for long to incorporate it into their game. And here is a rookie who not only does it at will, he gets swing too. Neither Bravo nor his off stump stood a chance.New Zealand took nine first-innings wickets for 89 runs in 38 overs on Saturday. They were able to do that because of two crucial aspects that define their bowling. The ability to hit the same spot on the pitch over and over, and the variety to always pose a threat. Seventy-eight percent of their wicket-taking deliveries were between the 4m and 6m mark. That’s the kind of length that makes batsmen unsure whether to go forward or not, while also ensuring the ball takes the edge and doesn’t just beat it.Jermaine Blackwood waged a lone battle in the second innings•Getty ImagesWest Indies had to deal with more of that with no rest in between as they were asked to follow-on. Only this time they came out with a new plan. They had seen it was no use trying to outlast the swing. The conditions were too lush for that. So they shifted focus to hitting out. If a delivery was even half in their area, they went for the boundary option.But that brought with it its own problems. Like three wickets in six balls.It all began with Bravo, who soon after pasting Southee over the covers twice, got stuck in that mode and Neil Wagner exploited his looseness.That brought Shamarh Brooks in but he couldn’t keep his flick down. Even the ultra-sensible Brathwaite ended up caught behind going for an upper cut. The scoreboard read 27 for 4. And West Indies were in the muck. They couldn’t defend. They couldn’t attack. They could only collapse.Jermaine Blackwood found a way to rise above the rubble though. He made an unbeaten 80 off 98 balls and nearly all of them were eye-catching. A man with a million shots, he even went after New Zealand’s enforcer and took him down. Wagner has turned entire Tests with his short-pitched bowling. But here, Blackwood flick-pulled him for six and established a dominance that was both thrilling and unexpected.At 89 for 6, and with Shane Dowrich unable to bat due to a finger injury, New Zealand would have been dreaming about a three-day victory. Ironically though, that only served to undercut their discipline and had such a negative effect on their performance that West Indies’ No. 8 was able to whack ’em around and score his maiden half-century. Alzarri Joseph walked off with an unbeaten 59 against his name and his team lived to fight another day.

Steve Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood will not play any long-form games prior to the Test series

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan12-Nov-2020

It has been a tough start to the season for Joe Burns•Getty Images

Joe Burns could have a final chance to keep his Test place in a head-to-head battle with Will Pucovski after both were named in the Australia A squad for the two warm-up matches against India.Fellow Test specialists Tim Paine and Travis Head have also been included, but Steven Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood will not play any red or pink-ball cricket prior to the four-Test series.Selectors named a 19-man Australia A squad for two three-day tour games against India in Sydney on the same day they announced the 17-man Test squad. The most interesting aspect will be the head-to-head between Burns, who made just 57 runs in five Sheffield Shield innings, and Will Pucovski for who will open in the Test series following the latter’s back-to-back double hundreds.”[It] could well do,” national selector Trevor Hohns said when asked if the A-games could decide the Test line-up. “Particularly those who won’t be playing any cricket between now and the Test match [we] will certainly be using the Australia A games to give us an indication of where some of our players are at that stage.”Hohns indicated that the judgement call will be between current form and the success the Test side had last season during which they went to No. 1 in the world. Although Burns did not score a century last summer his partnership with Warner has been a success.”If we’re looking at where Will bats up the top there, the partnership that our openers have formed over the last 12 months have been instrumental in helping us get to that No.1 position in world cricket,” he said. “So we have to take that into account, but of course it would be nice to have everybody in form right now.”Hohns added there wasn’t any consideration given to keeping Pucovski or Cameron Green, who is also in both squads as well as the limited-overs set-up, away from the Indians ahead of the Test series.”We are using these games really as preparation,” Hohns said. “Also, it gives our players the opportunity to have a look at the Indian players so I don’t see that as an issue at all.”The first tour game against India A will take place at Drummoyne Oval, starting on December 6, while the final two games of the Australia India T20 series is happening across town at the SCG. The second game is a day-night fixture at the SCG starting on December 11, which will be the final warm-up for both nations prior to the first test in Adelaide.Paine, Burns, and Head will all likely play in the first fixture after all three played in the opening four rounds of the Sheffield Shield fixtures in Adelaide. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey has also been included in the A squad and looks poised to replace Paine for the second fixture once the T20 series is completed. Carey missed the first four Sheffield Shield rounds due to IPL duty.But Warner, Smith, Cummins, and Hazlewood will not play any long-form cricket prior to the Test series having missed the opening four rounds of the Sheffield Shield due to IPL duties in the UAE. They have all been included in Australia’s limited-overs squads but could be rested from some of the six white-ball matches to allow for time at home prior to the Test series.Mitchell Marsh has been included in the Australia A squad subject to fitness after suffering a serious ankle injury early in the IPL that ruled him out of the tournament and the early rounds of the Shield season.Moises Henriques, Ashton Agar and Sean Abbott have all been included in the Australia A squad despite being in the limited-overs squads and could well play in one or both of the A matches.Marcus Harris missed out on the Test squad but has been included along with fellow Victorian’s Nic Maddinson and Will Sutherland.Jackson Bird, Harry Conway, and Mark Steketee have been rewarded for their consistent wicket-taking over recent seasons, joining Michael Neser, James Pattinson, and Mitchell Swepson who have also been included in the Test squad.Australia A squad Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Joe Burns, Jackson Bird, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh (subject to fitness), Michael Neser, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Mark Steketee, Will Sutherland, Mitchell Swepson