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Before a ball had been kicked this season, 30 BBC Sport pundits were asked to jot down their Premier League pre-season title predictions. Not one pundit picked Liverpool as champions.

In fact, only two pundits – Stephen Warnock and Fara Williams – had the Reds in their top two, for Jurgen Klopp had left, and in his place was Arne Slot, former Feyenoord boss and relative unknown.

Rivals rejoiced, because Klopp was gone, and with him a legacy that would not easily be mimicked. Liverpool, you see, had fallen by the wayside under Brendan Rodgers and looked headed for more interminable years in the background of Europe’s biggest scene.

Well, here we are. The 2024/25 campaign has reached March and Liverpool find themselves in top spot, some 13 points clear at the top of the ladder, with Arsenal depleted and Manchester City all but deposed, startlingly below their usual lofty standards.

Liverpool have been immense. Mohamed Salah is a shoo-in for the Player of the Year awards at this point, but Liverpool are certainly not a one-man outfit.

Liverpool's best players in 24/25

In case you hadn’t heard, Salah’s doing rather well this season, scoring 30 goals and supplying 22 assists for his teammates across 38 matches. Three months of the season remain, by the way.

In defence, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been impregnable at times. No team in the Premier League has kept more clean sheets than Liverpool’s 12.

The midfield has been the lifeforce, with Klopp’s 2023 summer rebuild paying dividends this season. Alexis Mac Allister’s mischievous and battling personality has seen him go as one of the unsung heroes of the campaign. But still, he’s very much integral.

Ryan Gravenberch’s rise from the murkly waters of untapped potential has been the glue which has kept Slot’s vision together. After efforts to sign Martin Zubimendi failed last summer, the silky and mobile midfielder was identified as an internal solution, pushed into a more disciplined and deeper central role. He’s been a revelation.

Then there’s Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been playing out of his skin in recent times and is now looking at the prized number ten position in English football.

Slot has hit the jackpot on Dominik Szoboszlai

This is Szoboszlai’s second season in Red, having left RB Leipzig for Merseyside in a deal worth £60m in 2023.

He had his ups and downs last term but has gone from strength to strength in Slot’s system, with his performances over the past few months leading content creator Asim Mahmood to describe him as an “absolute monster” and a “champion performer.”

Hailed as an “absolute engine” by journalist Bence Bocsak, the Hungary skipper is uncontainable at times, running at full throttle amid a forest of tired legs in late stages. He just doesn’t stop churning.

And now, with greater clinical output in the final third, Szoboszlai is being compared to a name that holds some weight at Liverpool: Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool when he played for Borussia Dortmund, before the Reds opted out and focused on a more evenly spread central overhaul.

The Three Lions superstar, 21, might be one of the best players in the world but it’s hard to argue against FSG’s logic, with Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all playing important roles.

And according to FBref, Szoboszlai’s form has actually put him in the same bracket as Bellingham, who is one of the deadliest midfielders in the game but also works with an indefatigable drive.

Both looking to get on the ball whenever they can and influence play, Szoboszlai’s energy outstrips his Los Blancos rival’s, though Bellingham does boast the superiority in goal involvements.

Szoboszlai can also defend when needed. Liverpool put themselves in an almost uncatchable position when beating Newcastle in the Premier League on Wednesday, and while the 23-year-old got his name on the scoresheet after bagging at the Etihad last weekend, he also won eight of his ten contested duels and made five tackles, as per Sofascore, further illustrating his complete nature.

Only one month ago, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said he wasn’t “Szoboszlai’s biggest fan,” acknowledging the player’s energy but raising questions over his clinical output.

This is fair enough. After 81 Liverpool appearances since signing, Szoboszlai has scored 14 goals and provided ten assists for his teammates, marking a goal contribution rate of 0.30 per game.

In the same timeframe since joining Real Madrid, Bellingham has clinched 58 goal involvements from 78 matches, a rate of 0.74 per fixture.

There’s a reason he’s regarded as “one of the best midfield talents in the world” by his colleague David Alaba, with CIES Football Observatory, the world’s leading platform in statistical football studies, recording that the £331k-per-week talent is currently valued at about £225m on the modern market.

This is staggering, and not a figure that Szoboszlai is likely to reach during his career. No shame in that, Dom.

However, it does act as a barometer of sorts that can determine the quality of player that Liverpool have on their hands. Quite simply, Liverpool’s robust and athletic number ten is proving himself to have the wide-ranging arsenal to inflict damage on opponents, control matches through technical distinction and indeed get stuck in

He has the full gamut, just like Bellingham. Liverpool have their own version of the English sensation, and they also have a dynamic midfield comprised of important parts.

FSG won’t rue their decision to look elsewhere back in 2023.

Slot is creating his own Gordon in Liverpool's "special" 17-year-old

Liverpool are gearing up for a long and successful chapter under Arne Slot’s leadership.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 27, 2025

Looking ahead to the future, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly leading the race to sign an impressive in-demand 18-year-old for Nuno Espirito Santo this summer.

Nottingham Forest set sights on future star

Those at the City Ground are within touching distance of Champions League qualification in what would be a monumental achievement for all involved, having previously struggled in the bottom half since returning to the top flight.

With just nine Premier League games remaining, Espirito Santo’s side sit as many as six points clear of fifth-place Manchester City and seven wins away from a place among Europe’s elite.

It may not be long before Forest attempt to flex their new-found Champions League muscles, either. The Midlands club have recently been linked to a mega move for Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swede has been one of the most clinical strikers in Europe this season and has attracted interest from the likes of Barcelona as a result. Yet, as the summer approaches, it’s Forest who could yet win the race to secure what would be one of the signings of the window.

Meanwhile, those at the City Ground have also reportedly turned their attention towards the future. According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are now in pole position to sign Cathal O’Sullivan from Cork City this summer.

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The young right midfielder recently turned 18 years old and could yet become the latest Irish talent to make his way to the Premier League – following in the footsteps of Evan Ferguson and, more recently, Mason Melia.

In a move with the future in mind, Forest would be landing a top prospect, albeit one who would have to wait for his chance at the City Ground. In pole position to sign O’Sullivan, the midfielder is one to watch.

"Brilliant" O'Sullivan is one for the future

Whilst it’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga lighting up the flanks for Nottingham Forest this season, there seems to be every chance that it’s O’Sullivan tasked with doing exactly that in years to come. The 18-year-old has already taken strides in senior football too, making two appearances for Cork City and even grabbing himself an assist this season.

Cork manager Tim Clancy was full of praise for his young star when asked about his recent rise, telling reporters: “I’ve spoken to Cathal about how I want him to be more positive and get at players, and if he gives the ball away, we don’t mind, because we want him to be more energetic and positive, and he’s got so much ability.

“Last week, he got his first assist of the season, and he’s added to that by getting his first goal now. He’s flying, and he’s doing really well for us and we are looking forward to the progress he makes.”

Also earning praise from The Next Wave – an X account run by a scout based in London – O’Sullivan was dubbed “brilliant” back in January as he prepared for the current campaign.

The Oval is known to assist spinners from time to time, and Ponting wants India to field both Ashwin and Jadeja, with Jadeja batting at No. 6

Ashish Pant29-May-2023Ricky Ponting wants India to play as many X-factor players as possible if they want to have an edge over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Like Ishan Kishan, who, Ponting feels, is a stronger bet than KS Bharat to play as the wicketkeeper-batter in the absence of Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav.Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review podcast, Ponting said his India XI at the WTC final would also include both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with Jadeja playing primarily as a batter at No. 6, with Suryakumar above Jadeja in the middle order.”If I was them [India], knowing the importance of this game – and you have to win this Test match – I’d be going with Ishan Kishan in this game,” Ponting said. “He provides that little bit of X-factor that you need when you might be pushing for a win in a Test match. Obviously, if Rishabh Pant is fit, he is playing, and he provides that X-factor for India. But with him not being there, and this is no blot on Bharat whatsoever, but I think Kishan just provides that little bit more X-factor, who’d do a good job with the gloves but can provide that really high-scoring run rate that is required in a one-off Test match to push for a win.Related

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“I’d be going with as many X-factor players as I could and put some real pressure back on Australia.”Neither Kishan nor Suryakumar are Test regulars. Kishan is yet to make his Test debut, though he was in the squad for the home Test series against Australia earlier this year, while Suryakumar played his only Test in that same series, making eight runs the only time India batted in Nagpur, where they won by an innings and 132 runs on their way to a 2-1 series win.Both players, however, have decent first-class records.While Suryakumar has scored 5557 runs in 80 first class games at an average of 44.45, Kishan has 2985 in 48 matches, averaging 38.76. They have both, however, made their names mainly as explosive short-format batters.While Ponting did not elaborate on why he wanted Suryakumar to bat at No.5, he did say he was happy to see Ajinkya Rahane back in the Test fold.Rahane, India’s No. 5 until he was dropped in early 2022, had a good domestic season (2022-23) where he finished as Mumbai’s highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy with 634 runs in seven matches at 57.63. Rahane also surprised many watchers with his aggressive stroke play as a top-order impact batter for Chennai Super Kings in the latest IPL.”Jinks (Rahane) has had an incredible IPL as well. It’s funny, isn’t it, how IPL runs can now get you picked back into a Test match squad,” Ponting said. “Jinks has been on the outer for the last couple of years in Test cricket, but everyone saw how confident he looked and how well he played in the IPL and that was enough to get him back in.”I think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin because Jadeja can hold that No. 6 batting spot”•BCCI”He has been there and done it before in Test cricket. It was probably a bigger hurdle for him to climb to get back into playing really good T20 cricket than it is for him to go back and play good Test cricket. His make-up is much more suited to the Test game than it is to T20 cricket. He has rediscovered some confidence and if he does get picked, I won’t be surprised to see him get runs in that Test match.”He has always been a really high-quality player and we saw him even with his leadership qualities here in Australia, in that last series to turn things around.”The 15-man India squad has three frontline spinners – all of them spin-bowling allrounders – in Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel. While Axar has showed consistency across formats in recent months, Ponting expects India to opt for Ashwin and Jadeja purely because of the nature of the pitch at The Oval, where the Test will be played from June 7 to 11.”I think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin because Jadeja can hold that No. 6 batting spot,” Ponting said. “His batting has improved that much that they can pick him as a batter now that might just bowl a few overs if required. There is no doubt that Ashwin is a more skilled and better Test bowler than what Jadeja is, but if Jadeja can hold down that batting spot and then as the game goes on, getting into the fourth and fifth day, if it does start to turn, then you have got that really high-class second spin bowling option if required.”Historically, the Oval pitch has been a very good batting wicket. It’s generally offered something for the fast bowlers on day one, not a lot. But I have also played some games there where it has turned a lot. If it starts a little bit dry, it can turn a lot.”

India batter Tilak Varma has become the first player – male or female – to hit centuries in three successive innings in T20 cricket. He achieved the feat when he struck 151 off 67 balls in Hyderabad’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 opener against Meghalaya in Rajkot.Tilak, 22, headed into the domestic T20 competition on the back of consecutive hundreds in South Africa – 107 not out in Centurion followed by an unbeaten 120 in Johannesburg. With his knock for Hyderabad, he became the first Indian male cricketer to have a 150-plus score in T20s. Kiran Navgire, who now plays for Maharashtra, had scored an unbeaten 162 playing for Nagaland against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy in 2022.Tilak batted at No. 3 against Meghalaya and finished with a strike rate of 225.37 after walking out in the first over, hitting 14 fours and 10 sixes before falling on the last ball of the innings. He was severe on medium pacer Dippu Sangma, off whom he scored 50 off 18 balls with six fours and three sixes. He added 122 for the second wicket off just 48 balls and that formed base for Hyderabad’s 248 for 4, their highest score in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. It is also the fifth-highest total in the history of the competition.Tilak was one of five players Mumbai Indians retained ahead of the auction for IPL 2025, having played for them for the past three seasons.

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.

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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.