Nottingham Forest are having a brilliant campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo and there is every chance their progress could secure Champions League football, which is bound to appeal to prospective summer targets.
Nottingham Forest could enjoy a transformational summer window
At the beginning of the season, there wouldn’t have been too many Premier League fans who would’ve had Nottingham Forest on their bingo card to finish in the Champions League slots.
Nevertheless, the Tricky Trees have put themselves in a remarkable position with nine matches left to play, potentially paving the way for an exciting market period at the City Ground.
Pushing their level of ambition to the limit, Nottingham Forest have made contact with Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres’s representatives. The Sweden international is viewed as an ideal long-term replacement for prolific marksman Chris Wood.
Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham is also of interest to the East Midlands-based outfit. Securing a mercurial return to Europe’s top table doesn’t seem to be enough for Espirito Santo, so it is no surprise he is aiming to cement their status as one of the most exciting sides in the English pyramid.
While their efforts in the Premier League could reap significant rewards, Nottingham Forest still find themselves in contention for the FA Cup and evidence that silverware is achievable at the City Ground is only likely to further their scope for savvy recruitment.
Nottingham Forest in ongoing talks over signing record £60m+ star for Nuno
He could be a fantastic addition this summer.
ByHenry Jackson Mar 23, 2025
Undoubtedly, the temptation to shell out big fees for premium talent will be on the mind of Evangelos Marinakis. However, value for money appears to be king under Espirito Santo’s reign if their latest target’s contract situation is anything to go by.
Nottingham Forest position themselves for cut-price Yoane Wissa deal
According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are set to reignite their attempts to sign Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and could land the in-form frontman for a ‘reduced price’ of between £15-20 million, as per Pete O’Rourke.
The Democratic Republic of Congo international will enter the final year of his deal at the Gtech Community Stadium this summer and is viewed internally as ‘smart business’ should the Tricky Trees manage to push an agreement over the line.
Yoane Wissa’s excellent season for Brentford
Appearances
30
Goals
15
Assists
2
Shot-creating actions (Premier League)
49
Non-penalty Expected Goals (Premier League)
13.6 XG value
Labelled “remarkable” by Bees boss Thomas Frank, he has also managed to create 17 chances and take 117 touches in the opposition’s penalty area this campaign on league duty, illustrating his capacity to bring others into play.
Stepping forward to fill the void left by Ivan Toney’s departure, Wissa has proven himself as a Premier League starter and may be cashed in on by Brentford to avoid the scenario where he departs on a free transfer in 2026.
Seizing their opportunity, Nottingham Forest will now hope to convince the 28-year-old that committing his future at the City Ground is the best course of action in light of the club’s upward trajectory.
Arsenal have appointed former Atletico Madrid chief Andrea Berta as their new sporting director. Berta replaces Edu, who left the club he re-joined in 2019.
The Brazilian’s departure came months before a January window that saw Arsenal fail to bring in a striker to bolster their depleted attacking ranks as their Premier League title challenge faltered.
Jason Ayto stepped in on an interim basis, but this did nothing to help the north Londoners continue their decent transfer record under Edu, who had overseen deals for the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice as technical and sporting director.
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Berta left Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in January 2025 after seven and a half years in the same technical role.
The Italian arrived with an intriguing back catalogue of transfer deals for Diego Simeone’s side, who last enjoyed major success with their La Liga triumph in the 2020/21 season.
Atleti were not afraid to splash the cash at times during Berta’s tenure. Here are the 10 biggest deals since his promotion to the sporting director position in the summer of 2017 – could this be a taste of things to come for the Gunners?
Rank
Player
Signed from
Fee
Joao Felix
Benfica
Julian Alvarez
Man City
Alvaro Morata
Chelsea
Diego Costa
Chelsea
Thomas Lemar
Monaco
Conor Gallagher
Chelsea
Vitolo
Sevilla
Marcos Llorente
Real Madrid
Rodrigo De Paul
Udinese
Alexander Sorloth
Villarreal
10 Alexander Sorloth Transfer fee: £26.9m from Villarreal (2024)
Alexander Sorloth – international teammate of Martin Odegaard for Norway – had finally found his feet at the top of European football in Spain, having starred for Villarreal in the 2023/24 season.
Formerly of Crystal Palace, the Norwegian exploded into life while at Trabzonspor, scoring 24 Super Lig goals – his best league return to date.
Following his €32m (£26.9m) switch to Atletico Madrid last summer, Sorloth has now started each of the last three seasons with a different La Liga club, with spells at Villarreal and Real Sociedad handing him a shot at league and Champions League glory in the Spanish capital.
9 Rodrigo De Paul Transfer fee: £29.9m from Udinese (2021)
Rodrigo De Paul’s reward for starring in Argentina’s successful Copa America campaign was a transfer to then-La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, with Berta and Simeone sanctioning a near-£30m move.
It has been a successful one for the midfielder, who remains one of Atleti’s key men as they seek silverware this season, with 39 appearances in all competitions to his name ahead of their Champions League decider with Real Madrid.
8 Marcos Llorente Transfer fee: £31.2m from Real Madrid (2019)
Marcos Llorente made the not-too-often trodden path across the city from Real to Atletico, with Los Colchoneros paying up to €35m (about £31.2m) for his services including add-ons.
Llorente was signed as a replacement for Rodri, who joined Manchester City that same summer. Having filled in multiple positions since his arrival, you’d have to say this was money well spent.
7 Vitolo Transfer fee: £33m from Sevilla (2017)
One of Berta’s first signings after being promoted from technical to sporting director, Vitolo joined in the summer of 2017, but was unable to be registered until the turn of the year due to a club transfer ban.
Atletico met the player’s reported £33m release clause to sign him, and while they had to wait around six months to get him on the pitch, Vitolo started his time at the club with a Europa League triumph.
His career petered out soon after, but did bow out a league champion before a couple of loan spells prior to his retirement.
6 Conor Gallagher Transfer fee: £33m from Chelsea (2024)
Conor Gallagher was a surprise summer exit as Chelsea attempted to balance the books as they spent heavily in the off-season once again.
Atletico Madrid were the fortunate beneficiaries on this occasion, though not after some drama as Gallagher was remarkably sent back to Cobham with the deal all but finalised after a planned swap with Samu Aghehowa fell through.
In the end, Atletico were able to offload Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge to finally shake hands on a £33m deal for Gallagher, perhaps hinting that Berta will use any tools at his disposal to get his way at Arsenal.
5 Thomas Lemar Transfer fee: £52.9m from Monaco (2018)
One of several Monaco players to leave the club soon after their title win a year earlier, Thomas Lemar joined Atletico Madrid in 2018 during the World Cup.
Interestingly, Arsenal were among Lemar’s admirers, but Berta and Atletico Madrid got a deal over the line, spending just under £53m to bring the Frenchman to the Metropolitano.
It could be argued that his transfer hasn’t been an undoubted success, but Berta managing to beat several European sides to a hotly contested signature could be a positive sign of things to come for Gunners fans.
4 Diego Costa Transfer fee: £57m from Chelsea (2018)
Diego Costa’s return to Atletico Madrid marks one of the more peculiar deals under Berta’s reign.
The Spain striker had left Chelsea after falling out with Antonio Conte, but despite a clear intention from both parties to part ways, the Blues still got a sweet deal out of Atletico Madrid, who paid around £25m more to bring Costa back compared to his sale price in 2014.
Given Chelsea’s decent record when it comes to selling players, we can maybe give Berta the benefit of the doubt – plus Costa contributed to their Europa League win, so perhaps his hefty price tag wasn’t felt so much in Madrid.
3 Alvaro Morata Transfer fee: £58.3m from Chelsea (2021)
We’re on the fence with this one from a financial standpoint. Yes, Chelsea were made to settle for a loss when they sold Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid, but even €65m (£58.3m) seemed high for a player whose Stamford Bridge career never really took off.
However, Berta and Simeone can feel vindicated by their exploits following his arrival, initially on loan, in 2019.
Though he never won silverware there, Morata – never the most prolific of strikers – posted his best goals-per-game record while at Atletico (0.38 per game).
And although they let Morata leave on a two-year loan midway through his spell, they made up a decent chunk in loan fees and in his eventual transfer to Juventus and Milan respectively.
Arsenal have had a history of letting players go on the cheap in recent years, so perhaps Berta is someone who can make the best of a tricky situation.
2 Julian Alvarez £81.5m from Man City (2024)
alvarez-atletico-madrid
Atletico Madrid welcomed one of their record signings in the summer, with Julian Alvarez – fresh from winning another Premier League title with Manchester City – joining for a potential £81.5m including add-ons.
It was a brave move in the transfer market, and his 22 goals in 42 matches at the time of writing suggest it has been a pretty promising one so far, particularly as Alvarez rarely completes the full 90.
1 Joao Felix £113m from Benfica (2019)
Unfortunately, a big outlay is by no means a guarantee of success, and Atletico Madrid finally took a £68m hit on Joao Felix in the summer when selling him permanently to Chelsea.
Upon Joao Felix’s £113m arrival in 2019, he was one of the most exciting teenagers in the game, having scored 20 goals in all competitions for Benfica at just 19.
However, that campaign is still his best goalscoring season, while he has hopped around Europe looking for a long-term home as his potential remains unrealised.
Whether these deals can offer more optimism than despair for Arsenal and their supporters remains to be seen, but a summer of business under Berta will almost certainly be entertaining.
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Kaitlin Olson joined up with husband Rob McElhenney and the Wrexham squad in Las Vegas to celebrate the club's promotion to the Championship.
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Wrexham celebrating promotion in Las Vegas
McElhenney and Olson join party in Sin City
Hollywood stars proud of their team
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Wrexham's players have been celebrating a third successive promotion with another party in Las Vegas. Co-owner Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have splashed out yet again on a trip to Sin City to celebrate the team's impressive achievement.
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McElhenney and Olson joined the party in Vegas as the players enjoyed some down time in Nevada that included a pool party and a mechanical bucking bronco. Olson also shared some photos from the party and revealed her pride at seeing Wrexham secure a spot in the Championship.
WHAT KAITLIN OLSON SAID
She posted a message on Instagram with the caption: "@wrexham_afc /Vegas collab. Three years in a row!? Sure! Back to back to back history makers. So very proud of you. Now get back to work!"
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM
Wrexham's players will indeed get back to work after some well-deserved time off. The squad are due to fly out to Australia and New Zealand in July for pre-season fixtures against Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix.
After seeing their Champions League campaign come to an abrupt end on Tuesday night, will Celtic get back to winning ways on Saturday?
The Hoops, who’ve never won a Champions League knockout phase match before in their entire history, came so close to a famous victory in Bavaria, 1-0 up on the night, pulling it back to 2-2 on aggregate, only to suffer a heartbreaking gut-punch right at the death, ousted 3-2 by Bayern Munich.
So now, attention turns to trying to secure a sixth treble in just nine seasons, facing Hibernian at Easter Road in Saturday’s early kick off, already a humongous 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
So, while Celtic supporters and players are, largely, loving life right now, one former fans’ favourite very much is not south of the border.
Celtic's best strikers of the last decade
Daizen Maeda’s recent form has earned wide-spread rave reviews, with teammate Alistair Johnston describing him as “one of the most in-form players in Europe”.
That’s because the Japanese striker has scored 11 times since Boxing Day, taking his tally to 51 goals in 144 appearances for the club overall, since arriving in January 2022.
Meantime, having netted against Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge and then Bayern Munich in Europe this season, Maeda became the first Celtic player since Joe Craig 47 years ago to score four or more goals in a single Champions League campaign.
How ever good Maeda may be, he’ll never exceed the legacy left by Henrik Larsson, widely considered Celtic’s best player of the modern era.
Larsson scored 224 goals in 292 games for Celtic between 1997 and 2004, scoring every 113 minutes on average, before departing for Barcelona, helping the Catalan giants win the Champions League in 2006.
Speaking on the Soccer 101 Podcast, Graham Ruthven, believes Larsson to be the best player Scottish football has seen in the post-SPL era (1998 onwards), describing him as “legitimately one of the best strikers in the world”, which, he adds would “never happen now” in the Premiership.
So, let’s compare Larsson to some of the best Celtic centre-forwards of more modern times.
Player
Years at Celtic
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Minutes per goal
Henrik Larsson
1997-2004
292
224
61
113
Daizen Maeda
2022-present
144
51
25
196
Kyōgo Furuhashi
2021-2025
165
85
19
126
Moussa Dembélé
2016-2018
94
51
18
121
Odsonne Édouard
2017-2021
179
87
38
140
Leigh Griffiths
2014-2022
262
123
51
118
Gary Hooper
2010-2013
138
82
30
136
As the table shows, none of the strikers who’ve come since have scored more goals, nor registered a better minutes-per-goal ratio than Larsson.
Fast forward to today, one of the strikers included in the table, currently 27 years old, once labelled the best since Larsson, isn’t enjoyed a season to remember.
Former Celtic striker in Premier League exile
Odsonne Édouard initially arrived at Celtic on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, but impressed to such an extent that the Hoops were convinced to spend a then-record £8m to secure his services permanently.
Martin O’Neill, who was manager during the glory years of the early-2000s, stated that he believed Édouard to be Celtic’s “best striker since Larsson”.
Affectionately known as French Eddy, he scored 87 goals in 179 appearances for the Hoops, before being sold to Crystal Palace for £14m in August 2021.
Well, his career in South London could not have started much better, scoring twice off the bench on his debut as the Eagles beat Tottenham 3-0 at Selhurst.
Édouard scored a steady yet unspectacular six, seven and then eight goals during his three seasons at Palace, but was deemed surplus to requirements by Oliver Glasner last summer, given Jean-Philippe Mateta’s red-hot form and following the arrival of Eddie Nketiah.
The Frenchman was allowed to join Leicester City on loan but this move, that John Percy of the Telegraph describes as a ‘shambles’, certainly has not worked, with Édouard making just six appearances for the Foxes, totalling a mere 113 minutes, not even named on the bench for 13 of their last 14 Premier League fixtures, most-recently appearing on 10 November.
Odsonne-EdouardOdsonne-Edouard
FIFA rules stipulate that a player can only play for two clubs in a single season so, given that the striker featured twice for Palace in August before making the move, he’s not able to be registered by a third club.
However, to cut a long story short, because MLS is a summer league, their equivalent of next season starts this weekend, so Atlanta United did reportedly bid £15m for Édouard in January, but this move did not come to pass, and he remains in exile, out of the picture at Leicester and unable to appear for anyone else.
Where Are They Now
Celtic supporters will be sad to see the predicament Édouard has ended up in, but this suggests they were right to cash in at £14m, given that his status has surely plummeted in recent years.
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da betcris： O casamento entre São Paulo e Adidas, sua atual fornecedora de material esportivo, ganhou mais um capítulo de rusgas entre as partes, na pré-temporada do clube, que começou na quarta-feira (14), no CT da Barra Funda. Tudo por conta da falta de atualização dos uniformes de treinos usados pelos jogadores, que continua expondo uma marca que rompeu o contrato de patrocínio no início de setembro.
Segundo o LANCE! apurou, pessoas próximas do presidente Julio Casares estão irritadas com o fato de as camisas de treino e outros uniformes do clube ainda exibirem a marca da Roku, fabricante de players de mídia on-line, cujo acordo com o Tricolor venceu há três meses e não foi renovado.
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da bet nacional： 🎥 Nossa quinta-feira na #SPFCplay#VamosSãoPaulo 🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/ecFYNFeISE
— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) December 15, 2022
+ Edenilson próximo de novo clube, gigante brasileiro quer Nikão… o Dia do Mercado!
Pessoas ouvidas pela reportagem apontam o que chamam de ‘sinuca de bico’. Ou seja, o clube não recebeu fardamentos atualizados para oferecer aos jogadores. E por isso continua trajando as peças que sua rouparia tinha à disposição.
Para piorar, a situação só deve mudar no fim de janeiro, quando, enfim, o clube deverá lançar parte da sua nova coleção.
– Falamos com o Casares e avaliamos que tampar a marca com esparadrapo ou outra fita adesiva seria uma solução ainda pior e passaria a imagem de amadorismo, o que não é verdade, já que a culpa não é nossa – ponderou uma pessoa da cúpula tricolor.
Não é o primeiro atrito entre o clube do Morumbi e a multinacional alemã. Também em setembro, o clube se viu refém da marca esportiva e taxou como ‘descaso’ o fato da terceira camisa são-paulina, que faz alusão ao agasalho usado pelo elenco campeão mundial de 1992, ter sumido das lojas após esgotado o primeiro lote.
Lançada em agosto, a peça esgotou em um fim de semana. E a reposição do lote de 3 mil unidades, prometida pelo Tricolor à torcida na ocasião, em até 15 dias demorou quase dois meses.Depois de arrecadar quase R$ 1 milhão no fim de semana de lançamento da camisa, a previsão do marketing são-paulino é que o clube deixou de arrecadar mais R$ 6 milhões com a peça por causa das listas de espera de clientes feitas por lojas.
Desde o ano passado, o clube reclama de não ter tratamento semelhante a de rivais também servidos pela marca, como Flamengo, Atlético-MG e Internacional.As queixas giram em torno dos valores pagos e material disponibilizado à venda, com a ausência de camisas e agasalhos na mesma variedade.
No início de 2022, a rescisão chegou a ser estudada pelo jurídico tricolor, mas os valores da multa impediram o avanço do planejamento. O contrato entre as partes vai até o fim do ano que vem.A desavença é tamanha que o técnico Rogério Ceni entrou no ‘fogo cruzado’ ao usar roupas da Under Armour, antiga fornecedora são-paulina, no jogo contra o Juventude, em abril, pela Copa do Brasil.
A reportagem não conseguiu contato com a assessoria da multinacional alemã até a conclusão desta reportagem, para comentar as informações.
> Confira tabela e resultados da Copa do Mundo-22 no Qatar > Confira tabela, classificação e simule resultados do Paulistão-23
The Crew defender was seen displaying a limited-edition gold and diamond-studded basketball featuring the Cavaliers' logo and spotted courtside
French-born defender photographed in Cavaliers merchandise
Moreira held team's commemorative gold basketball during presentation
The Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat in the first game of their playoff
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WHAT HAPPENED
Columbus Crew right back Steven Moreira was captured supporting fellow Ohio sports franchise Cleveland Cavaliers, during their recent NBA playoff matchup, with the French defender receiving special recognition during a game break. Moreira, a key defender for the Crew, was presented with a gold, diamond-encrusted commemorative basketball featuring the Cavaliers' logo during a timeout ceremony acknowledging Ohio's professional sports connections.
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WHAT THE COLUMBUS CREW POSTED
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This comes after Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was seen at a Columbus Crew’s game against Inter Miami where he was their designated fan to ignite the match before kick-off.
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WHAT’S NEXT?
Following this high-profile loss in Cleveland against Inter Miami, Columbus Crew will return to their regular home at Lower.com Field for upcoming MLS fixtures, looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season. They are in third place on the Eastern Conference table with 18 points and host back-to-back home games against San Jose Earthquakes and Charlotte FC on April 26 and May 3 respectively.
Manchester United face a dilemma over Rasmus Hojlund after Fulham contacted the Red Devils about a potential deal for the Denmark striker.
Fulham make Hojlund enquiryUnited expected to move striker onAC Milan previously tipped with interestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
United would prefer to sell unwanted striker Hojlund to a foreign team rather than a Premier League rival, according to . The Danish forward is expected to leave Old Trafford during the final few weeks of the summer transfer window following the arrival of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, having endured two difficult seasons after joining the Red Devils from Atalanta.
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Fulham may be in for a new striker if Rodrigo Muniz – who earned the Cottagers a point at Brighton on Saturday having been heavily linked with Atalanta – moves on during the next fortnight or so, but the Red Devils would prefer to strike a deal with a club from abroad. AC Milan are thought to be one such interested party, with the Italian giants' sporting director recently admitting the 22-year-old is "a good option for us".
DID YOU KNOW?
Hojlund himself previously asserted his desire to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, though his measly haul of four Premier League goals last season coupled with Sesko's signing seems to suggest manager Ruben Amorim is forging a path forward without him. He was also completely left out of the United squad that lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR HOJLUND?
United are thought to want around £40 million (€46.3m/$54.1m) to part ways with Hojlund this summer but there's every chance the Dane is sent out on loan temporarily if no permanent deal materialises soon.
The batter, who averages nearly 70 in first-class cricket, has been picked in the Zimbabwe squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Batter Antum Naqvi is in line for a Zimbabwe debut in their upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan after being named in their 16-man squad. Fast bowler Tinotenda Maposa, who has played 14 white-ball internationals for Zimbabwe, is another potential debutant.Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava and allrounder Brad Evans, both of whom were not part of Zimbabwe’s most recent Test series against New Zealand in July-August earlier this year, returned to the squad. Evans, 28, has played a solitary Test so far, which came in February 2023.Of Indian and Pakistani descent, Naqvi was born in Brussels, Belgium and moved to Australia when he was four, where he earned a commercial airline pilot’s license. He put his aviation career on hold, as per BBC Sport, to pursue cricket. He has recently qualified to represent Zimbabwe, according to a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket.Related
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Naqvi is one of the brightest emerging talents in Zimbabwe, boasting an average of over 60 in both first-class and List A cricket. In January 2024, he became the the first player from a Zimbabwean team to hit a triple-century at any level of representative cricket. Overall, he has racked up 1626 runs in 26 first-class innings at an average of 67.75 and strike rate of 72.65.In his most recent first-class fixture, he scored 68 and 108, his sixth hundred in the format, for Zimbabwe A against MCC in Harare last week.Sean Williams, Trevor Gwandu, Newman Nyamhuri, Clive Madande and Vincent Masekesa all were left out from the previous Test squad. It is understood that Williams missed out due to personal reasons.Craig Ervine will captain the team, with Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Blessing Muzarabani lending more experience to the team.Harare will host the one-off Test against Afghanistan from October 20 to 24. This will be Zimbabwe’s first international assignment since they secured qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Zimbabwe squad
Craig Ervine (capt), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Roy Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Wellington Masakadza, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor, Nick Welch
For too long it’s appeared as if touring Pakistan is the last thing a Western cricketing nation wants to do; this series has the power to change all that
Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2022Take a stroll through the streets of Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi, and the eye test bears out what the numbers tell you. Young people throng the streets, choke roads, shops and public spaces in their thousands. There’s a vibrancy, but, inevitably, also a kind of chaos that can oscillate between uplifting and panic-inducing. Pakistan is, after all, one of the faster-growing countries of the world, the population rapidly approaching a quarter of a billion. It is also among the youngest, with the average age under 23.That may carry all sorts of demographic implications, but for cricket at this present moment, one of them is startling: most Pakistanis weren’t alive the last time an Australian cricket team arrived on these shores to play international cricket.Related
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That might explain the unique atmosphere the arrival of a side led by Pat Cummins in Islamabad appears to have generated. It was in 1998 that a Mark Taylor-led side last came to Pakistan to play a three-Test series, one that’s taken on a larger-than-life form in the imaginations of those old fogies – by Pakistan standards – who still recall that somewhat drab affair. By the end of that series, it felt like Pakistani spirits had been all but broken, even if Sir Donald Bradman’s record somehow wasn’t.The world has changed dramatically in the intervening 23 years, and Pakistan even more drastically so. The country’s population has grown by nearly 100 million people. A new format of cricket has been invented, and subsequently, become dominant. It is so long ago, for heavens sake, that Shoaib Malik hadn’t even made his debut then, and Shahid Afridi made his Test debut in the third of that series. It’s practically ancient.Cummins himself alluded to the notion that his side’s presence here was about a little more than just cricket. “The whole previous generation of Australian teams didn’t get to experience Pakistan so we feel really lucky and fortunate that we are the first team to be back playing in Pakistan,” he said in a candid, self-aware reflection to the media. “It’s great that we are playing over here. I think this will be a tour at the end of our career we’ll look back on and think that was really special. As much as anything the way we’ve been looked after with the security presence, we’ll probably never experience anything like that in our lives. Great life experience, really proud and happy to be experiencing Test cricket over here. Hopefully there’s plenty more of it in the future.”It is perhaps tedious to rehash the off-field significance of a touring side visiting Pakistan, but it remains pertinent because, frankly put, it’s appeared for too long as if that’s the last thing a Western cricketing nation wants to do. Less than six months earlier, New Zealand were here in this very same city to play a landmark tour of their own, only to pull out citing security concerns on the day of the first game. Australian cricketer Ashton Agar’s partner received a threat, ultimately dismissed as a hoax, in the last few days, and the security presence around the Australian team hotel is extensive.But all that only establishes the dazzling opportunity this is for Pakistan cricket to make the most powerful off-field statement since 2009. Australia were the only side to reject a tour to Pakistan even before the terror attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team.Mark Taylor scored 334 in the drawn Test in Peshawar in 1998•AFPIn 2002, war was raging in neighbouring Afghanistan and drawing ever closer in Iraq when Australia decided they didn’t want to tour Pakistan. It was Australia then who set the template for what would be Pakistan’s home post-2009, when they dragged Pakistan out to the UAE. For those young enough to remember the UAE as something of a Test fortress for Pakistan, that 2002-03 tour was a different world. The nadir of that truly dismal two-Test series was a two-day Test, its brevity failing to compensate for its horror as far as Pakistan were concerned. It would be immortalised in two numbers for a generation of Pakistani fans: 59 and 53.If the current incarnation of that Australian side now sits in the heart of Islamabad – replete with first-choice superstars – gearing up for a full, three-format series, Pakistan may genuinely begin to believe the low of 2009 and the war on terror may, at least, be consigned to the past as far as this nation’s cricket is concerned. This visit of Australia kickstarts what should be a bumper home year for cricket in Pakistan, with New Zealand and England, two sides who pulled out last year to much criticism, set to visit in the autumn. Pakistan has not seen a home year like this since the 1990s.The relatively unfamiliar Pakistani conditions for the visiting side add an extra layer of intrigue to a series Pakistan has been clamouring for since as long as they can remember. At a time when Test cricket repeatedly wrestles with existential crises every time there’s a dull session in England or a wicket turns too much on the first day in India, Rawalpindi is officially sold out for all five days. There’s a panoply of angles that should make this series particularly delicious viewing, and cricket afficionados may rightly point out the quality of the cricket should, stripped of all context, be enough to justify these levels of excitement.But, with the vague, unreliable memories of the five-year-old that I was in 1998, I can recall the stifling drudgery with which Mark Taylor plodded along towards his triple-century, and Australia racked up 599 for 4 in 174 overs sitting on a 1-0 lead in a series they would go on to win by that very margin (until that point, only Pakistan’s third home series loss since 1980). 1-0 scorelines can be just as dreary in cricket as they are in football sometimes, so I’d insist I have it on good authority that a visit of Australia doesn’t magically make for exciting cricket.But a lot of growing up can happen in 23 years, especially if you happen to spend them in Pakistan. That’s why, as the newly minted Benaud-Qadir trophy shimmers on the eve of the series, Pindi, in unison with Pakistan, pulses with cautious excitement. Who knows if the cricket will really be good, but Pakistan knows that the fact there’s any cricket at all is very good indeed.
Nineteen-year-old fast bowler impressed against Australia with South Africa grooming him for the future
Firdose Moonda11-Aug-2025
Kwena Maphaka impressed with a four-wicket haul in his ninth T20I, against Australia on Sunday•Getty Images
Kwena Maphaka is the youngest player to represent South Africa but that doesn’t mean he has the least to say. Quite the opposite, in fact, which he showed when he also became the youngest bowler from a Full Member country to take a four-wicket haul in a T20I, against Australia in Darwin.Australia were off to a flying start at 71 for 4 in the powerplay when Maphaka was brought on and the left-arm quick responded with the wicket of Mitchell Owen. The danger man, Tim David, had scored 18 off the first seven balls he had faced, including two sixes, and wanted to take Maphaka on. The first ball David faced from Maphaka was short and slow and he pulled it for one. The second was shorter, strayed down leg and was called wide. And the third was better directed, at David’s chest. He could only splice it to point and at the height it came, David thought Maphaka needed to bowl it again.”He went to the umpire and he was asking about it,” Maphaka said the day after the match, which South Africa lost. He also revealed that he was having none of David’s complaints. “I just told him to let the umpires deal with umpiring the game and he must focus on batting.”Related
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David took those words to heart. He went on to score 83 runs off 52 balls, including 13 off 11 balls from Maphaka but he was the only batter to send the 19-year-old to the boundary. Maphaka’s four overs cost only 20 runs, he was the most economical bowler of the match and David was among the batters he dismissed in a career-best haul. After what he called “a few bad performances in Zimbabwe,” where Maphaka picked up three wickets for 92 runs in 10.5 overs, he showed he belongs at this level.”It feels really good, coming off a few bad performances in Zimbabwe and just building up, playing some more professional and competitive cricket in the past few months, it feels really good to put in a good performance for the team and make history while doing it,” he said.Maphaka opened the bowling in the second match South Africa played in the Zimbabwe tri-series last month and bowled two overs in the powerplay that cost 19 runs. He was used at first change in two matches after that, including the final, and both times also bowled in the powerplay. But against Australia, with Kagiso Rabada back in the South African XI after a rest, Maphaka was only called on after the fielding restrictions were lifted and that seemed to suit him better, though he was cautious not to see it as an attempt to shield him.Kwena Maphaka showed he belongs at this level•Getty Images”It may have been a tactical ploy, but I think it’s also just about giving me a little bit more freedom,” he said. “I’m a guy that likes to take wickets in the middle and I think the team understands that. It was really just a tactical ploy in terms of getting wickets through the middle rather than protecting me as a player.”With Australia going as hard as they could upfront, South Africa needed someone to slow them down. Maphaka and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy provided that. In the four overs after the powerplay, they gave away only 17 runs and took two wickets between them, which left Australia 88 for 6 at the halfway stage.”When a team is coming out all guns blazing, there’s a few more opportunities to take wickets so it’s about being smart and understanding what you have to do when you’re faced with those situations,” Maphaka said. “Sometimes you go to a yorker, a bumper or a slower ball. It’s all about reading the game and understanding what you need to do at that moment and keeping your plans as simple as possible, really.”
“It’s not about trying to over-complicate things or make it seem like it’s a game of 20,000 deliveries. Just go to your best ball.”Kwena Maphaka
All of those variations were on display as Maphaka was also given the job of bowling the penultimate over, where he took two wickets and mixed up his lengths well. He had David caught off a full delivery and dismissed Adam Zampa with a short ball and backed his skills to limit Australia to 178 at the end.”It’s not about trying to over-complicate things or make it seem like it’s a game of 20,000 deliveries,” he said. “Just go to your best ball at a particular moment in time and back your plans. Belief is a massive part in performance, and I think I might have been a little bit short on belief in Zimbabwe, so that’s probably one of the big takeaways from that series.”Before the Zimbabwe series, Maphaka had played five T20Is, two ODIs and a Test for South Africa, all before he had turned 19. Though his returns had been relatively modest, he would have had no doubt that South Africa see him as a key player in their future. Already, he has learnt how to manage that expectation.”The most important part is just really accepting the fact that you’re going to have bad days, you’re going to have good days, and it’s just sticking to your game plan and sticking to whatever you do best. I’m not going to be the best player in the world overnight, and I understand that,” Maphaka said. “It’s all about growing as a player day by day, and just keeping focused on the grind and what I have to do to make myself better on a daily basis.”He has also learnt not to shy away from speaking about his aims to fulfil every ounce of his potential. “I’ve always been pretty confident and a real competitor,” he said. “I never like losing. I always want to come out on top of the fight. It’s something that’s been instilled in me since I was really young.”Some would say, he still is.