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Tottenham Hotspur have a new manager at the helm in Thomas Frank, though he could now have a decision to make on one of his key stars, according to a report.

Tottenham make Tel second signing under Frank

There were plenty of mixed opinions when Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties at Tottenham. He delivered on his promise to bring a trophy to North London, but Daniel Levy couldn’t look past the Lilywhites’ dismal form in the top flight.

Frank has since been appointed and arrives as a revered figure among many of his Premier League peers. The former Brentford boss released an emotional statement after swapping Hounslow for N17 as he gets to work ahead of pre-season.

He stated: “I want to extend my profound gratitude to the club for giving me the chance to pursue my dreams and for everyone involved who made the journey such a memorable one.

“For my family and I, it has been a privilege to be allowed to be part of such a special community – it’s an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life. So, thank you.”

Mathys Tel has been announced as a permanent Tottenham star and has signed until 2031, becoming an early signal of the former Brentford man’s transfer intent. Kevin Danso has also joined after his loan spell from RC Lens.

Looking to tempt one of his old flames to work together again, Spurs boss Frank is targeting a move for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who has reportedly changed his stance on potentially swapping the Gtech Community Stadium for Manchester United amid recent talks.

Tottenham meet asking price for "key" Thomas Frank target after lodging bid

The Dane personally wants him in north London.

6 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 14, 2025

Jadon Sancho has also been linked with a surprise switch to Spurs. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the Red Devils would be willing to deal with a direct Premier League rival after his spell at Chelsea.

Making inroads, Frank has now been left with a crucial decision to make after a big-money proposal came to light for one of his established stars.

Tottenham star Son Heung-min has offer to join Fenerbahce

According to reports in Spain, Fenerbahce have tabled a big-money proposal to Tottenham icon Son Heung-min that could see the South Korea international earn around £195,000 per week in Istanbul.

The outlet suggests that a deal between all parties is ‘very close’ despite nothing being fully set in stone, which could mark the end of an era for the 32-year-old after lifting the Europa League trophy last month following a decade-long wait for silverware.

Son Hueng-min – the end of an era at Tottenham Hotspur?

Appearances

454

Goals

173

Assists

101

Trophies won

UEFA Europa League

Admittedly, he did wane during a difficult campaign on a week-to-week basis for the Lilywhites, though he still managed to register 11 goals in 12 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.

From a personal perspective, Son bowing out with a winners’ medal in-hand would be the perfect way to depart, even if his exit would be an emotional one following his excellent ten years in North London.

Nigar Sultana and Nahida Akter headlined Bangladesh’s maiden win against West Indies in any format

Mohammad Isam22-Jan-2025Bangladesh are one win away from direct qualification for this year’s Women’s ODI World Cup after they beat West Indies by 60 runs in the second ODI in Basseterre on Tuesday. It was Bangladesh’s first win against West Indies in any format as they levelled the series 1-1 after West Indies had won the first game by nine wickets on Sunday.Bangladesh are now in seventh place in the ODI Women’s Championship points table with 21 points, the same as New Zealand who are placed sixth. The top five teams from that table and hosts India will gain direct entry into the ODI World Cup and the the third ODI between West Indies and Bangladesh will be the final game of this Women’s Championship cycle. If Bangladesh win the final game or there is a no result on Friday, they will overtake New Zealand and get direct qualification for the ODI World Cup for the first time.West Indies are languishing in ninth place with 16 points and are out of the race for direct qualification. The remaining four teams from the Women’s Championship table will play in the ODI World Cup qualifiers along with two more teams for the remaining two spots for the main event.On Tuesday, captain Nigar Sultana led the way with 68 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 184 in 48.5 overs. She struck five fours in her 120-ball stay, bringing up her fifth half-century in ODIs. Nigar was the anchor of the innings, adding a 51-run stand with Sobhana Mostary for the fourth wicket. Offspinner Karishma Ramharack took four wickets for the first time in ODIs, while fast bowler Aaliyah Alleyne picked up three wickets.Nahida Akter led the Bangladesh charge with the ball, taking three wickets, which included two of West Indies’ top three. Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan and Fahima Khatun all took two wickets each as the hosts were bowled out for 124 in 35 overs. Shemaine Campbelle top scored with 28 while the big hitters Hayley Matthews (16) and Deandra Dottin (2) fell for low scores.After the match, Nigar said that she had the World Cup qualification in the back of her mind, but it was far more important to bounce back after the big defeat in the first ODI.”I think it was great to see how we bounced back in such a short turnaround time, especially after the nine-wicket defeat. We definitely wanted this momentum,” she said. “Of course, the two points are priceless but we really also want to achieve a series win by winning the next game. We haven’t won an overseas series before.”Nigar said that she took her time in building her half-century, but was pleased the runs came in a winning cause for her team.”I took a long time to settle down in the middle, [I] played out a lot of deliveries, but the runs turned out to be important,” she said. “I am really happy to contribute to the team’s cause. It was, however, a team performance. We gave an outstanding effort out there.”The team had belief. We didn’t score a lot of runs on this wicket where the bowlers have a tough life defending a low total. We just planned to bowl in the right areas, and wait for the batters to make mistakes.”

سقط نادي الزمالك، في فخ التعادل الرابع له ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، هذا الموسم، أمام فريق البنك الأهلي، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما مساء أمس الخميس.

الزمالك واجه البنك الأهلي، في الجولة الـ12 من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري، وانتهي اللقاء بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1.

طالع.. فيديو | الزمالك يواصل نزيف النقاط ويتعادل مع البنك الأهلي في الدوري

ويحتل نادي الزمالك المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 19 نقطة، بعدما خاض 11 لقاء حتى الآن، في ظل التراجع الكبير للنتائج والأداء يتردد بقوة أنباء إقالة المدرب البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا من تدريب الفريق.

وأفاد مصدر من داخل الزمالك لـ بطولات: “الاتجاه داخل الزمالك في الوقت الحالي هو استمرار يانيك فيريرا على رأس القيادة الفنية حتى بطولة كأس السوبر المصري”.

وأضاف: “الرأي المقترح بتواجد مدير فني آخر قبل السوبر قوبل بالرفض من قبل جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي بسبب ضيق الوقت”.

وأكمل: “لكن النتائج في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، لنادي الزمالك ستكون الفيصل في مسيرة يانيك فيريرا”.

ويلعب الزمالك مع طلائع الجيش، يوم الأحد المقبل، في منافسات الجولة الـ 13 ببطولة الدوري، ثم يسافر إلى الإمارات للمشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر، حيث يستهله بمواجهة بيراميدز في دور نصف النهائي يوم 6 نوفمبر.

Once notoriously injury-prone, he’s improved his fitness, amped up his pace, and become the leader of Bengal’s attack

Shashank Kishore02-Jan-2020It can be hard to make inferences from domestic cricket scorecards. You need match footage, a live telecast or, better still, be there to watch in person.The scorecard of Ishan Porel’s Ranji Trophy debut in November 2017 will tell you this: Vidarbha’s openers put on 259 in the first innings, laying base for a total of 499. Bengal lost by 10 wickets, after following on. Faiz Fazal, an India international, made a century, and Wriddhiman Saha, the India wicketkeeper, missed one by three runs.It would be easy to miss the figures next to the name of a 19-year-old debutant playing for the losing side. But India’s junior selectors were at the venue, and didn’t miss a thing.They were in the midst of narrowing down the India squad for the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. They had watched Porel before, but hadn’t been enthused by his fitness history. He had already gone through a side strain, a medial collateral ligament injury, an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and a partial tear in his left knee while fielding in a selection match.But Porel’s bowling had always been talked of highly. So the selectors watched him bowl 22 wicketless overs on the first day. On day two, they watched him bowl unchanged between lunch and tea.”He was sharp, accurate, and generated bounce from a docile track,” Venkatesh Prasad, the junior selection committee chief, said at the time. In 35-degree heat and sapping humidity, Porel sent down 47 overs in Vidarbha’s first innings, nearly a third of the 138.1 overs Bengal bowled, and finished with figures of 4 for 139. It was enough evidence of his fitness.Porel was soon part of India’s squad for the Under-19 Challenger Trophy, and eventually the Under-19 World Cup. He returned from New Zealand in February 2018 as a World Cup winner. His story could have been a lot different if he hadn’t been noticed that day.Two years on, another set of selectors, the ones who pick the senior India team, are keeping a close eye on Porel. He’s been part of India A squads, bowled a title-winning spell in the Deodhar Trophy, featured in the Duleep Trophy, and will return to New Zealand in January 2020 with the India A team that is shadowing the senior India squad’s tour of the country. Later this year, he will share a dressing room with his Bengal senior Mohammed Shami at Kings XI Punjab.Ishan Porel runs in to bowl•ICC/Getty ImagesIn 2014, Porel was categorised as “underweight” at the National Cricket Academy. He had a wrong-footed action – “somewhat like Sohail Tanvir,” he says – that played a part in sparking his spate of injuries. The basic assessment was that he was unfit. “Not overweight, unfit,” Porel stresses.For a year, he worked on his fitness in his own way. Running. Not in air-conditioned gyms, but from his home in Chandannagar to the railway station, a 30-minute journey, with his kit resting on his shoulders. From there, he’d board a train to Howrah and then take a bus to Salt Lake or Eden Gardens. On his way home, he’d repeat the run back.”For one year, I worked on my fitness without going to the gym. Just running, some hand and shoulder exercises, good diet,” Porel says. “I wanted to prove I could bowl fast. In my first year at NCA, batsmen used to hit me all over the park. It hurt me that I was classified as medium-fast. I wanted to be ‘Ishan Porel, fast’ or Ishan Porel, fast-medium’. That was my goal.”A year after the NCA snub, he was part of a Bengal Colts team in Bangladesh. “That tour, I did really well,” he says. “I played with a lot of the current Bangladesh Under-19 players. One of the coaches complimented me also. He said ‘why don’t you come to Bangladesh and play for our club? We don’t have fast bowlers.’ I’m sure they said it jokingly, but it was a good compliment.”The Colts tour helped Porel establish himself in the Bengal age-group teams, and from there he worked his way up until he was playing in an Under-19 World Cup. That high was followed by what could have been a crushing low, as a heel injury forced him to hobble off 4.1 overs into India’s tournament-opener. He would be out for two weeks. “I was crying every day,” he says.Rahul Dravid, the then India Under-19 head coach, understood that this was the moment Porel had trained for. Sending him back home would crush a young dream, even if it may have been the easiest thing to do. Instead, Porel was given confidence and recovery time. An injury reinforcement was called in, but Porel stayed on and worked, sometimes overtime, with Anand Date, the trainer.He returned for the quarter-final against Bangladesh, bowled a match-winning spell of 4 for 17 in the semi-final against Pakistan, and ended the tournament with a tight opening spell, and the wickets of both openers, in the final against Australia.He came back to a “Chandannagar hero returns home” headline, keys to a brand new motorbike – a Royal Enfield Classic 350 – and the promise of a big future, which is what he continues to pursue.”Ranji Trophy teaches you patience,” he says. “I have been in the circuit for three years. No two wickets have been the same. You can’t bowl the same way in Eden like you do in Bangalore or Hubli. I hadn’t figured this out earlier, but playing domestic cricket allows you to learn on your own and figure things out.”Back of a length isn’t something you can bowl on good tracks in India, and that is my natural strength because of my height. So I’ve learnt to bowl up, swing the ball. Earlier, I used to do it at 130kph. Now, I’m close to 140. That has also made a difference.”Ishan Porel goes up in appeal•Getty ImagesPorel’s ability to swing the ball at a good pace, and his improving death-bowling skills, made an impression on the IPL’s talent scouts. He had been snubbed twice earlier – “when I wanted to badly get into the IPL” – and was understandably cautious when the player auction got underway in December.”Last year, Kolkata Knight Riders were impressed and asked me to be ready, but it didn’t happen,” he says. “Even before that, I had my hopes high. This year, Sunrisers Hyderabad called me on trials on 15 December. I would have had to travel on 14th, come back on 16th and play a Ranji game from 17th.”I’ve learned from my past injuries. Also, Ranji Trophy is a different league altogether, the emotions are different. I didn’t want to take a risk and start a game tired. If I do well, I will be picked. If I don’t, I won’t. For two years, I wanted to play badly, but I didn’t get a chance. Even this year, I hoped to be picked but it wasn’t like I was constantly thinking about it, and it worked.”It did, and Kings XI picked him up at his base price.Either side of the auction, Porel has taken eight wickets in two Ranji Trophy games at an average of 17.38. In Ashok Dinda’s absence for disciplinary reasons, he has become the de facto leader of Bengal’s pace attack. He relishes the responsibility.”I’m looking forward to it,” he says. “Every match I play, be it for Bengal, India A or Board President’s XI, I approach it with the same intensity. The goal is to win matches, get the team into a better position than they were at earlier. It’s that simple. If we all do that together, we will all be moving in the right direction.”Asked to pick a favourite spell, Porel says nothing has come close to the rhythm he felt in the second Ranji Trophy game of his debut season, against Punjab in Amritsar. “I bowled badly in the first innings because I got carried away looking at the wicket,” he says. “Then in the second innings, the ball was reversing, and I came back really well to pick up five wickets in the second innings and we won the game. That was something.”Indeed it was something. He was full of confidence, having just been told he would be playing in an Under-19 World Cup. It’s this confidence he hopes to carry with him to become a flagbearer for Bengal, and maybe India, for years to come.

أصبح من حكم المؤكد أن رافينها لاعب برشلونة سيغيب عن مواجهة ريال مدريد مساء الغد على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو في الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

وغاب الجناح البرازيلي صاحب الـ28 عاماً عن الملاعب لمدة شهر بسبب إصابة في أوتار الركبة، وقد أستأنف التدريبات قبل أن تستمر معاناته من الألم ويتأكد غيابه عن مباراة الكلاسيكو غداً في البرنابيو.

ووفقاً لصحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية وبعد تأكد غيابه عن مباراة ريال مدريد، قام رافينها بزيارة المدينة الرياضية لبرشلونة صباح اليوم لتحية زملائه ودعمهم قبل الكلاسيكو.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ألونسو يعلن قائمة ريال مدريد لمواجهة برشلونة.. موقف أرنولد وكارفاخال

ولم يكن رافينها في أفضل حالاته بعد استبعاده من رحلة برشلونة إلى البرنابيو، ولكنه تصرف كقائد حقيقي للبلوجرانا وحضر في يوم مهم للفريق دعماً لزملائه وتمنى التوفيق لهما.

وكان رافينها قد اتفق مع برشلونة على عدم المخاطرة والتعامل بحذر، ولا يوجد حتى الآن جدول زمني أو تاريخ محدد لعودته على الرغم من أن المؤشرات تشير لعودته بعد فترة التوقف الدولي الشهر المقبل.

Their historic victory showed how well they had planned after their disastrous World Cup, using their limited resources

Mohammad Isam09-Sep-2019If a team has just performed poorly at a World Cup, a structural overhaul of some kind is usually in order. With Afghanistan, there was a sudden change in captaincy just prior to the event, which hadn’t gone down well with some of the senior players. But, as they crashed out after losing all their nine games, other issues came to the fore, and even the players’ temperament was called into question. Changes were inevitable.In the period since, the ACB handed the captaincy reins to Rashid Khan, and when Phil Simmons left as head coach, they put Andy Moles, the chief selector, in his place on a temporary basis.While Moles’ appointment highlighted the lack of options, Afghanistan have shown over the years that they tend to make the best of whatever resources they have. In fact, their ability to compete despite limited resources is what endears them to the neutral, besides lending more weight to wins over higher-ranked teams.Their 224-run win over Bangladesh in the one-off Test, in their first match since the World Cup, has that wonderful glow. Rashid, one of the best bowlers in the world, took 11 wickets in the match and scored a crucial half-century, in his first match as captain. Rahmat Shah struck the team’s first-ever Test hundred, Asghar Afghan made two half-centuries, and Mohammad Nabi took crucial wickets.ALSO READ: Nabi backs Rashid, blames last-minute captaincy changes for World Cup debacleBut this victory didn’t just come because of them. Ibrahim Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Zahir Khan and Qais Ahmed also chipped in with handy contributions. Afghanistan had depth in their talent pool, and it showed how well they had planned, and prepared.Afghanistan A’s tour of Bangladesh in July made it better. They had dominated that series, winning the unofficial Test series 1-0, and then rain deprived them of the one-day series triumph, with Bangladesh A salvaging a 2-2 draw in the five-match series.Ibrahim was the standout performer then, averaging 96.40 in the seven matches, hitting a century and three fifties. Qais, the legspinner, took 15 wickets including ten in the first unofficial ‘Test’ that they won convincingly. Of the 19 players who toured then, four played the Test in Chattogram. Another six players are in the T20I side that will take part in the tri-series in a few days.Now take Afsar Zazai, the wicketkeeper-batsman. He didn’t score many runs but left Bangladesh with a better understanding of their opponents and pitches. When he saw no grass on the Chattogram pitch, he could even tell his seniors what the home side was planning.Smile while you’re winning – Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi after the Test victory•BCBNabi, who announced his retirement during the Test, said that his faith in this crop of youngsters was the reason behind his decision to leave the format. He said that he has done his bit to achieve the Test status, and now wants the youngsters to build on it.”It is a great feeling [to win the Test match] because we are new in this format,” Nabi said. “We have won two out of three Tests. It shows our domestic structure is strong. The way the youngsters adjusted to the conditions, it was brilliant. It is a bright future for the youngsters.”For the last 15 years, I have served Afghanistan. It was my dream to play Test cricket. We worked hard towards it. We achieved this target in the last seven to eight years. We won the Intercontinental Cup twice and once were runners-up, which helped us gain the Test status. I am really happy to be part of that long journey for Afghanistan. I am leaving Tests because I believe the youngsters have a bright future in Tests. I want to focus on ODIs and T20s, and Insha Allah I will try to keep my body fit for those formats.”Nabi said that the Test win wasn’t just built on potential, but hard work in the camps – in Abu Dhabi and in Chattogram – over the last month. He said that in someone like Ibrahim, he saw the ability to tackle Test cricket. “We had our preparation camp in Abu Dhabi where we spent five days in 46-47 degrees, so it was nice to come here in better weather. We adjusted to these conditions, and we prepared really well for this game. It reflected on how we batted and bowled.”Our batsmen put up a good total in the first innings, and then I must congratulate young Ibrahim for his performance. He proved that he has the ability and talent to play for the national team.”Some of the more senior Afghanistan players, like Rahmat on the first day, also credited the Intercontinental Cup as one of the foundations of their preparedness for Test cricket. But as Zazai said after the fourth day’s play, they are more known for their white-ball exploits, so winning this game was far more important for them in that regard.”It would mean a lot, to be honest. The people know that our players are good enough for white-ball cricket, but we don’t have that much experience in Test cricket,” Zazai said. “So in this Test and the last one against Ireland, we showed we can play Test cricket as well.”It means more than T20 and ODI for us. We discussed in the dressing room that this is an important game for us, to prove in this level.”They didn’t just prove that they have a group of competent cricketers. They proved they were mentally prepared too. After all, they have just conquered tough conditions and opponents away from home in just their third Test.

The Punjab Kings’ bowling coach talks about their newest recruits, finding balance in their attack, and their objectives for this IPL

Interview by Varun Shetty08-Apr-2021Damien Wright’s coaching has taken him all around the world, but this year will be his first at the IPL, as bowling coach for the Punjab Kings. He talks about his approach to analytics, and working with fellow-Australian IPL debutants Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson.Are you generally a coach who uses a lot of analytics and data?
If it’s at your disposal, I think it’s very important. I don’t think it’s for all coaches and all players, but for me, I like to make a lot of notes, and take a lot of data down. It just helps you to look at areas to improve, and also what sort of attack we’re going to have. We’ve got some good options, so it allows you to go, “Oh at this ground we can go this way” and whatnot. So it is very useful.Is death bowling one of those key areas? Only the Rajasthan Royals had a worse record in the death overs last season.
Last year, in Abu Dhabi, it was a little bit different in regards to conditions. We’re back in India now, and we have one of the greatest bowlers in the world, Mohammed Shami, in our team, who’s very helpful with that sort of information. It can help new [players like] Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson, [to know] about grounds and things like that. But yeah it was an area we had to improve, and it’s certainly no secret what we’re trying to do in our training. We’re also going to have options, with the two I just mentioned and Chris Jordan’s been such a fantastic cricketer for a number of years now. He’s also got so much experience in that area and will probably take a major role in that.Related

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As a coach are you partial to fast bowlers?
() Yeah I have to say I probably am, a little bit.I do love working with the spinners. It’s such a great thing to experience over here, working with legspin, offspin, all of that. You see the ball move so much more in India than it does in my home conditions in Australia. I’ve had some great chats already with M Ashwin. [Ravi] Bishnoi is a young and enthusiastic guy who bowls a bit different to Ashwin – so it’s learning as you go with that stuff. But we’ve got Anil Kumble [director of cricket operations] here as a coach, so I think if I need to talk to anyone about some areas of spin bowling, I’ve probably got the best in the business to help me out.You’ve been coaching for about ten years now. Have you coached in these conditions before? What are the challenges, especially with fast bowling?
I’ve come over and played a few times in India but I’ve also coached in the Champions League Trophy in 2014, with Hobart Hurricanes. I was head coach at the time, and we had a pretty successful campaign – we made it through to the last four and KKR knocked us out. It certainly is challenging, with fast bowling in particular. I think the ball in conditions here can swing a lot up front, at night, in humidity, so that’s something we’ve got to really utilise as a weapon.Mohammad Shami (right) and Ravi Bishnoi (left) were the top two wicket-takers for the Punjab Kings last season with 20 and 12 apiece, while Chris Jordan picked up nine•BCCIBut the other difficult part is a lot of dew. That is very common over here. We’ve trained at night a couple of times and you can already see how wet the ball gets and how difficult it is sometimes for the bowlers to hold it. They’re the little challenges for the pace bowlers.You played a fair bit of T20 towards the back end of your career. T20 looks a lot different these days. What does a modern coach in this format have to do to evolve?
I don’t look at it like it’s really hard. It’s exciting, the game’s evolving all the time. I think we’re seeing so many different [versions] of even the shorter formats, you know? You’ve got the ten-over [T10] competition in Dubai, and The Hundred about to begin over in England. You’ve got to come up with your message and your styles and things that are going to work for you.Funnily enough, we had a chat with Anil at training yesterday and we had a game situation, centre-wicket if you like, and the good old yorker is still a pretty good delivery. The game might be getting shorter and changing more, but if you can show that you can execute your skills when you’re put in those situations, it’s pretty much all it comes down to.What makes the ideal T20 bowler?
It can be broken down to the key areas of the game. There’s bowlers that are really fired up in the powerplay – that’s a very difficult time to bowl. Through the middle you’ve got your allrounders generally and spin bowlers that are able to hold things [together]. And the death, that’s the part where you have to have the execution on song, to be able to nail yorkers, or if you’ve got a very good slower bouncer, to get that right. It’s such a game of chess as it goes down.Ideally you’ve got to have somebody like Shami up front, swinging the new ball. And Jhye, specifically in those areas where the ball moves through the air. I think it’s really important to swing the new ball. In the middle you can have some good-quality spinners. Someone like Riley for us is a fantastic addition, to have that raw pace and to be able to take wickets. It’s really important to take wickets at every phase. And then at the end you want the best yorker bowler – [Lasith] Malinga, who’s unbelievable, has shown us how to do it over so many years. Somebody like that, ideally, in your perfect team.I can’t quite explain the exact bowler that I want – probably want about four of them! They’re all a little about those specific skills, if you know what I mean.From a coaching perspective, how do you train for something like that? Do bowlers specifically train for the phases they’re good at?
You still have your good old-fashioned nets, for people to get ready to play the game. We’re very lucky with the set-up we have over here to prepare our players. Plenty of wickets – there’s centre wickets, there’s tired wickets, all sorts of stuff. You have a big group of people you’re training with, and specific training sessions as well. We’ve done a lot of game scenarios, different set-ups – chasing, defending – depending on what it is.Arshdeep Singh played eight of 14 IPL matches for the Punjab Kings last year, taking nine wickets. Wright thinks he has a “huge future” ahead of him•BCCIWhat you really want is for them all to be able to bowl in those periods when required, or needed. It’s not just, you know, someone’s going to play a part up front and that’s it. It might be a key area that you’re very good at [bowling at the start], and we’re going to improve you through the middle and at the end, if that’s the case, or the other way round. If you’re able to do that, then you can have a very balanced attack going into your tournament and you can throw the ball to anyone at any given time.The other teams are analysing your [attack] as well, so you’ve got to be able to throw a few curveballs, get ahead of the game a little bit and try to upset their rhythm and hang on as long as you can in a 20-over match.Is it hard getting that sort of a rapport when it’s a short tournament?
Yeah it is, but at the IPL you’re mixing with the best in the world. And they’re all so used to being in these environments now, in this format, and going from one to the other. And what I’ve seen so far in training has been absolutely brilliant. They’ve come out of Test matches against England into one-dayers… just seeing the great players come back, they’re more than capable of going from format to format within a day or a night. It’s quite impressive. Richardson and Meredith are first-timers. Richardson is potentially going to lead the attack in his first season in the IPL.
It’s good, it’s healthy competition too. In the auction they [the management] did a marvellous job in regards to where they needed a bit of strike power, and support for Shami. He was sort of the sole man last year, did an awesome job and you know he’s going to perform for you throughout this tournament. He just needs a bit of support from other fast bowlers to help him and I thought the two signings were terrific.I know Riley really well. Jhye I’ve seen progress through the Big Bash to play for Australia. So he’s going to bring great skills. I think the conditions here are going to suit both of them. I’m keen to see how they go, because I think they’ll really shine in this tournament.Could you tell us a bit about both of them, starting with Richardson?
What’s really good about Jhye is that in specific roles for the teams he plays with – certainly with the [Perth] Scorchers, and he’s done a bit of it with Australia as well – he bowls the really tough overs. He’s asked to bowl up front with the new ball, then he’s asked to bowl in the different powerplays [in the BBL] – he’s bowling one of those overs already, and then he comes back and bowls one at the death. And his numbers are exceptional for somebody who has to do that every game. He knows his role and is able to execute. But he does swing the ball both ways, and that’s a hell of a weapon to have. He’s got a terrific slower ball and when he wants to bowl a bouncer, it’s a pretty good one. We’re really grateful and lucky that we’ve got him.Jhye Richardson was the BBL’s leading wicket-taker of the 2020-21 season. “He’s got a terrific slower ball and when he wants to bowl a bouncer, it’s a pretty good one,” Wright says•Getty Images Meredith is probably thought of as a tearaway fast bowler. Does he have a lot of variations?
I’ve known Riley a long time. I coached him from his rookie seasons back when I was in Tasmania, and he was always destined to play at the highest level. It was very exciting to see a young fast bowler coming through the Tassie ranks – he was fast and had plenty of skill.It’s been done really well back in Tassie, how they actually progressed his cricket. He was well managed from the very start by Stewart Williamson, who is a great physio back at home. And that’s paid off beautifully for Riley and he’s doing really well, not just for the [Hobart] Hurricanes but for Australia. His tour of New Zealand was outstanding.He bowls at a good pace. He really knows one way, which is to attack. That’s probably one of the areas we’ll talk to him about, on what we’re going to do at the death or if he does bowl up front. He’s pretty comfortable doing so, but it’s probably the end of the innings where he’s going to have to work a little bit harder. But he brings so much in regards to exactly what we wanted, which is a bit of firepower.What are the other strengths of this bowling unit?
The best way to describe this unit is, it’s versatile, very flexible. A lot of options, a lot of different ways we could go about things, and I think that’s the first time – certainly over the last couple of years – that we’ve been able to do that. There’s a chance to go all-out, strike with fast bowling, or to pull it back with spin options with an allrounder.It’s a well-balanced attack. [Apart from the] two we talked about [Richardson and Riley], there’s also Chris Jordan, who’s such a dynamic fielder, can hit the ball out of the ground late in the innings and also bowl a fantastic yorker. I’m really excited about the different ways we could go with our attack, supporting our No. 1 man Shami up front.You also have guys like Arshdeep Singh and Ishan Porel. Who from the domestic bunch has impressed you?
Arshdeep has just arrived; he was in quarantine for a while. But I had a centre-wicket bowl with him, just him and I, last night, and mate, he was fantastic. I think having a left-armer in your attack is also a big tick. I’m really impressed already with the one or two sessions we’ve had so far – he’s got a huge future ahead of him.Riley Meredith was “always destined to play at the highest level”•Getty ImagesI think Ishan as well, we’ve had a good week together and he’s a terrific young fella who is keen to do well. You want people, young kids, who are really willing to work hard to get there. He’s bowled with good pace at training so far, good aggression.And Darshan [Nalkande], he’s a quality little allrounder. He’s another one who’s a bit hungry. You can tell from his eyes he’s keen to play, and if his opportunity comes, I know that he’ll grab it as well. Those three in particular have been great to work with.Would you say the fast bowlers are going to be carrying a major part of Punjab’s bowling this season?
It’s a hard one. We’re stacked in that regard – we’ve got a quality pace attack now, with all the guys we’ve mentioned. That’s actually quite a nice place to be. But watching our legspinners bowl – I’ve taken the mitt to them – they’ve had terrific tournaments last year, both Bish and Ashwin. So we’ve got some quality spinners as well. I wouldn’t say we’re certainly going to go all pace. We can play to any conditions, and we’ve got a nice, balanced attack to choose from.What would a successful season look like for you, personally, in your first time here?
Every team comes here wanting to win. So that is the benchmark. But for us, success would certainly be to make the semi-finals, the last four. I think they were unlucky last year to miss out by a game. And you can tell they’re really hungry to make amends for that.I think that’s great – to experience a little bit of disappointment and then to do what they’ve done in the auction and get it right. I think we’re going to see some exciting times from the Punjab Kings. I believe that’s where we want to go first. We want to get into that last four, and that would, for me, be the bare minimum that we want to achieve. And then, from there, let’s hope we can create a bit of history.Have you ever worked with anyone on this staff before?
I’ve had a little bit to do with Andy Flower over the years, crossed paths with him. I’ve never with Andy before but we know each other well, so that was handy. It’s always nice to have somebody you’re familiar with. But I can say that getting involved with this team and this group, feels like I’ve known these guys for a long time. So that’s credit to Anil and his staff, and all the players we have here.

Imraan Khan, one-time Test cap in 2009 and Dolphins coach for the last five years, has been appointed the new batting lead at Cricket South Africa. Imraan is currently with the Test team in the West Indies, where he will work under national red-ball coach Shukri Conrad. He replaced Ashwell Prince, who was unavailable for personal reasons, as batting coach for this tour, and will now assume a more overarching role at CSA.In addition, CSA has also named former South Africa left-arm wristspinner Paul Adams as the new bowling lead with both appointments effective from September 1. Adams, 47, played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs and has been the spin-bowling coach for the South Africa Under-19 and Emerging men’s teams since 2023. He has previously assisted the South Africa A side and has domestic coaching experience with Cape Cobras, and more recently the Division 2 side Eastern Cape Iinyathi.Imraan has had a successful run as a provincial coach in South Africa’s top tier and has overseen the Dolphins to two four-day series titles – in 2020/21 and 2022/23 – a shared one-day cup in the 2020/21 season and to three CSA T20 Challenge finals.Under him, the Dolphins have produced several national players including Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen and Ottneil Baartman and Keshav Maharaj has developed into a competent leader. Imraan spent his entire professional career at the Durban-based union, where he played for 15 years.Related

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As a top-order batter, Imraan was best known for his long-format feats. He earned 161 first-class caps, scored 9,367 runs, including 20 centuries and averaged 36.58. His only Test cap came in 2009, against Australia, where he partnered Prince at the top of the order. He also featured in 121 List A matches and 51 T20s.”I want to thank the KZN Cricket Union for all their support,” Imraan said, in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’ve loved starting my coaching career at the union that has been my home for many seasons. This is an exciting step in my path as a coach, but Kingsmead will always be home, and I will miss everyone here.”The Dolphins have yet to announce a replacement for Imraan, with the domestic season set to start with the T20 competition in late September.

Glasgow Rangers have failed to win the Scottish Premiership title in each of the last four seasons, having last lifted the trophy under Steven Gerrard in 2021.

The English head coach led the Ibrox giants to the title in the 2020/21 campaign, going unbeaten in the process, and none of his successors have been able to match that feat.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson have all tried and failed to win the division in the subsequent four seasons.

During that season, Gerrard had an excellent squad that were able to deliver consistently brilliant performances on the pitch, and Ryan Kent was one star who stepped up time and time again.

The English winger racked up ten goals and nine assists in 37 appearances in the Premiership, as he provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Gers.

However, Rangers have failed to find another left-winger as influential as Kent since he left Ibrox on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, which is one of the problems that the 49ers should sort out this summer.

Why Rangers need their next Ryan Kent

During the 2024/25 campaign, Clement and Ferguson did not have a regular starter in the left wing position, as several players played out wide on the left.

Hamza Igamane, a centre-forward, and Ianis Hagi, an attacking midfielder, are two players who were utilised in that role, whilst Nedim Bajrami and Oscar Cortes failed to deliver enough quality at the top end of the pitch.

Rangers have already confirmed that Hagi will be released by the club at the end of his contract this summer, and Igamane is a centre-forward by trade, so he should not be a long-term option on the left wing.

That leaves Bajrami and Cortes as the left-wing options for the new head coach to assess in pre-season, and their respective performances in the Premiership do not suggest that they are good enough to be the first-choice in that role.

Appearances

24

28

10

Goals

4

2

0

Big chances created

6

4

0

Key passes per game

1.7

1.0

0.4

Assists

5

1

0

As you can see in the table above, neither player managed more than three goal contributions in the top-flight, whilst Cortes did not provide a single goal or assist in his ten appearances in the division.

This does not suggest that they are likely to reach the incredible tally of 19 goals and assists that Kent managed when Rangers last won the Premiership title under Gerrard.

Therefore, it should come as good news to Rangers supporters that the club are reportedly interested in a deal to bring a new left winger to the club ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Rangers eyeing deal for Leeds star

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are eyeing up a deal to sign winger Largie Ramazani from Premier League side Leeds United in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Light Blues have emerged as a potential suitor for the Belgian forward, who only started seven matches in the Championship on his side’s way to the league title.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that Ramazani has shown ‘flashes of brilliance’ since his £10m transfer from Almeria last summer, but the Gers are now hoping to capatilise on his lack of minutes by swooping for him this summer.

TEAMtalk adds that the Scottish giants are monitoring his situation at Elland Road for now, and that a decision could be made on his future by Daniel Farke during pre-season, which means that any move is unlikely to happen until next month.

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell should, now, push for a deal to be done whenever Leeds make a final decision over his future because he could finally replace Ryan Kent at Ibrox.

Why Largie Ramazani could finally replace Ryan Kent at Rangers

First and foremost, Ramazani is a natural left winger who likes to play on that side of the pitch to cut inside onto his stronger foot, just as Kent did during his time in Glasgow.

Whereas, Bajrami is more of an attacking midfielder who wants to be in central positions. Cortes is a natural left-winger, like Ramazani and Kent, but his return of zero goals and zero assists in ten league games simply was not good enough this season.

Despite his lack of game time at Elland Road, the £10m-rated winger showed plenty of signs of the kind of quality that he could deliver as a regular starter on the left flank.

The Whites star, who was described as an “explosive” forward by journalist Joe Donnohue, scored six goals and provided two assists in 28 matches in the Championship, despite starting just seven times.

Ramazani also produced three goals and five assists in 16 starts in LaLiga for Almeria during the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that he can perform well in Europe’s major leagues.

Appearances

29

Starts

7

xG

4.67

Goals

6

Touches per game

16.0

Big chances created

1

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star was clinical in front of goal, outperforming his xG, and landed eight goal contributions despite only averaging 16 touches per game.

For context, Kent averaged 58.8 touches per game in the Premiership during the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, and Bajrami averaged 34.6 touches per match in the league this term.

Now, imagine the kind of impact Ramazani could have at the top end of the pitch, bearing in mind what he did with minimal touches at Leeds, if he had between 34 and 58 touches a game on the left wing week-in-week-out in the Premiership.

The exciting attacker could thrive as a regular starter at a lower level in Scotland, reviving his career after a season of riding the bench for the most part, and that is why he could finally be the replacement for Ryan Kent that the Gers desperately need.

Dessers upgrade: 49ers want to make "living legend" 1st Rangers signing

The 49ers are interested in making this star their first signing for Rangers, and he could be an upgrade on Cyriel Dessers.

ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

It now remains to be seen whether Russell Martin, who is reportedly set to be the new head coach at Ibrox, would be interested in working with the Leeds dynamo.

Nat Sciver-Brunt declared herself sore but satisfied after a formidable allround performance at Chelmsford, as England’s women signed off from their Pakistan series in style with a 178-run victory in the third and final ODI.Sciver-Brunt top-scored in England’s innings of 302 for 5 with a mighty 124 not out from 117 balls, then signalled a return to bowling after a long-standing knee niggle with two wickets in her designated five-over spell, including Pakistan’s top-scorer, Muneeba Ali, for 47.She left the field immediately after her spell with a slight hamstring niggle, with England’s substitute fielder Sophia Dunkley claiming the series-sealing catch at long-off. But afterwards she insisted it was “nothing a rest-day tomorrow can’t fix”.”I had a great time, and it’s a great way to finish the series,” Sciver-Brunt said during the post-match presentation. “The body is pretty sore! It’s probably not my quickest five overs ever, but I was happy to bowl in a consistent area.”England’s bowling performance was set in motion by two wickets for Lauren Bell in the powerplay, then sealed by the spin of Sophie Ecclestone, whose 3 for 15 included her 100th ODI wicket in a women’s record 64 matches.But the batting rested almost entirely on Sciver-Brunt’s ninth ODI hundred, and her fourth in her last nine innings. Danni Wyatt was England’s next-highest scorer with 44 from 42 balls, and though Alice Capsey finished strongly with 39 not out from 42 at No.7, run-making was never quite as easy as Sciver-Brunt made it look in the final analysis.”I’m pretty happy with the level of skill, but the mental game of it as well,” she said. “I managed to get through those tougher patches today and communicate well with my batting partner. I felt pretty natural going onto the back foot, it’s probably more that I’ve worked on manipulating the field [with paddles and sweeps] and getting fielders into places to make it easier for my more comfortable shots.”After arriving at the end of the 11th over following the loss of England’s openers, Sciver-Brunt negotiated the further loss of Heather Knight for 12 before playing second-fiddle to the forceful Wyatt, who took the initiative in a fourth-wicket stand of 79 in 13.2 overs.After reaching her fifty from a measured 58 balls and her century from 110, it wasn’t until the final throes of the innings that Sciver-Brunt truly cut loose, with consecutive sixes off Diana Baig as she and Capsey added 47 runs in the final three overs.”That probably tells you it was more situational, rather than how I was feeling in that period around 80 to 90,” she said. “I did a lot of thinking about my innings whilst I was out there, just trying to be really present.”I was taking my time because, at times, I didn’t feel very free-flowing. But I guess that ebb and flow of the innings is something that I could get through today, which I was really happy with. Hopefully I can use that next time I’m in a bit of strife out there, or it’s not coming out that good. It’s something to fall back on.”Despite the self-proclaimed scratchiness of her innings, Sciver-Brunt’s only clear-cut chance came on 86, when she was dropped by the wicketkeeper Najiha Alvi after charging and missing an attempted whip to leg off Nashra Sandhu.Related

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“I felt like I wanted to get on with it a bit quicker, but I probably could have done that with just getting off-strike,” she said. “I was probably [looking to score] a few more boundaries at that point. So, on reflection I probably didn’t need to do that too much. Or if I was going to, keep hitting straight.”The extent to which Sciver-Brunt had to battle chimed with Heather Knight’s pre-series assessment that England needed to get better at managing the moments that can crop up over the course of a full 50-over innings.And though the 20-over World Cup is the team’s immediate priority, the 50-over version is approaching quickly in 2025, and Sciver-Brunt acknowledged that adapting between formats was something that all the players would have to do better in an ever-more-crowded professional era.”At the end of the day, the skill is pretty much the same,” she said. “It’s just elongated, or you might use different things in your armoury at different times. But international cricket is a bit like a merry-go-round. It’s evolved massively since I started playing, so individually, it’s about working out your freshest mindset for whatever tournament comes up next.”You used to have two or three months to work on your skills, then go into a tournament or series. But actually learning on the job now is so important, and that’s something that we’ve realised as a group. You don’t have that luxury of two months working on a skill, you have to do that live in games. It’s something we’re a bit more used to now.”