All posts by h716a5.icu

Tamim Iqbal: We are in this position because of our errors

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Opener says the pitch holds no demons and it’s batting mistakes that have put Bangladesh in a spot

Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2021Bangladesh went into the second Test against West Indies with a spin-heavy attack, but two days into the game, the tactic hasn’t worked, with the home team finding themselves 105 for 4 in reply to West Indies’ 409 all out.Tamim Iqbal, who was dismissed in the last session of the second day for 44, said that the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium hasn’t matched his side’s all-out spin plan, and although the surface couldn’t be blamed for the four wickets Bangladesh lost on the second day, the mismatch has had a bearing on their overall strategy going into this game.Related

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“The wicket is extremely good even when we went out to bat today,” Tamim said. “None of our batsmen got out to great deliveries or due to something out of the wicket. All four were errors by the batsmen. If we were two down, we would have felt that we were in a better position. Since we lost four wickets, they are on top. We will get back into the game if we can have a 100 or 150-run partnership.”Like they have done in the past five years in home Tests, Bangladesh picked an XI with three spinners and one pace bowler in this game too. But over the first two days, they have only found slow turn with a bit more bounce than the pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium where the first Test was played.”Our plan wasn’t for this wicket,” Tamim said. “When a home team is picking three spinners, it is not rocket science to know that we expected from the wicket. We went ahead with a plan, but now that the wicket didn’t support the spinners, there’s bound to be talk about it. We went with the same combination against West Indies in 2018, and we were very successful.”

“None of our batsmen got out to great deliveries or due to something out of the wicket. All four were errors by the batsmen.”Tamim Iqbal

The opener also credited West Indies’ batting, which has been on an upswing since a remarkable chase of 395 to win the first Test.”We wanted to take early wickets today but the wicket was really good,” he said. “It didn’t help our spinners. They also batted exceptionally well. (Alzarri) Joseph played well for his 80-odd, and the wicketkeeper (Joshua Da Silva) did well. Not everything happened because of our mistakes. Credit where it’s due.”They played some exceptional cricket on the last day in Chattogram, otherwise we were on top for the first four days. However, they have played better cricket than us in this Test.”The nature of the surface offered hope for Bangladesh’s middle order to rescue the team, with the team relying on the fifth-wicket pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun to stitch a substantial partnership together.”The wicket hasn’t behaved in a way that should worry us,” Tamim said. “Our first session is very important. We have lost four wickets, and we don’t have much batting left. A lot depends on this partnership, which will have a bearing on the rest of the game for us.”You must have the belief. Liton is a very capable batsman. Mehidy had a good first Test. It is our fault that we are in this situation. We are in this position because of our errors.”Tamim, who blamed himself for playing an uppish drive off Joseph after he had been set on 44 off 51 balls, said that positive intent was the way to go for the Bangladesh batsmen.”I didn’t think I was aggressive. I had good intent,” he said. “Apart from the shot that I got out, I probably didn’t play too many false shots. I thought we shouldn’t go into this innings with a very defensive mindset. If you keep on playing to the merit of the ball, you are going to be fine. But the shot that I played, was not on.”

Jamie Smith averts England tailspin in latest show of class

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Wicketkeeper proves perfect man for a crisis with potentially series-changing knock

Matt Roller24-Oct-20241:09

Jamie Smith: If Duckett says it’s tough to sweep, it’s impossible!

An England middle order with nearly 25,000 Test runs between them managed only 25 in Rawalpindi. It took the mischievous, moustachioed Sajid Khan just over a session to dismiss all four of Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes: he celebrated each one by slapping his thigh and pointing to the sky, and soon had England’s rookie No. 7 in his sights.Home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka are about as gentle an introduction to Test cricket as they come for an England player, but Jamie Smith was now in at the deep end. At 118 for 6 on a pitch manufactured specifically to suit Pakistan’s spinners, England were in real danger of squandering the huge advantage they had gained when the coin came down tails-up on the first morning.Instead, Smith picked his moment to launch a stunning takedown of Sajid, demonstrating the ability to glide effortlessly through the gears that had first earned him his call-up. He defended resolutely against Noman Ali, the left-arm spinner who dismissed him twice in the second Test, but launched Sajid for five fours and four sixes in an assault which confirmed his rare combination of talent and temperament.

England looked spooked by the pitch during their middle-order collapse, with sharp turn on offer from the outset and several balls shooting through low. They tried unsuccessfully to sweep their way out of trouble and it took Smith’s calm head to recognise that the slow nature of the turn rewarded playing straight, especially early in his innings.”When Ben Duckett is saying it’s tough to sweep, then it probably is near-on impossible,” Smith said. “I took that on board, and definitely tried to put it as way as much as possible – even though it can be quite a good run-scoring shot out here. It was just about being a little bit more selective.”He made nine runs off his first 32 balls, slowly building a partnership with his Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson, before sensing his chance to put Sajid under pressure. Twice in succession, he skipped down the pitch and dragged him over midwicket: first along the ground, then clearing the rope despite an athletic attempt from Saim Ayub to parry the ball back into play.This was Smith’s opportunity. “I felt like he changed his plans a little bit, and started going slightly wider,” he said. “It felt quite samey with him going at one end and the left-arm spinner from the other. We thought, ‘How can we try to change the momentum of the game, and maybe dictate terms a little bit going into the back-end of the innings?'”Related

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Smith’s slog-sweeps and leg-side pick-ups earned him occasional glares from the animated Sajid, but finally forced Shan Masood to make a bowling change. For the first time since they racked up 823 in the first Test, England’s batters were making the running: when the seventh-wicket stand passed 100, they had emphatically reclaimed the ascendancy.Atkinson fell shortly after, and Smith upped the ante even further, using his feet and launching Zahid Mahmood’s legspin for two straight sixes in the space of three balls. He had to drag himself off after miscuing a slog-sweep straight up in the air to fall for 89, but his innings had changed not only the day, but potentially the series.This was the scenario that England had in mind when they picked Smith at the expense of Ben Foakes, who had scored at a strike rate below 40 in India. “We feel that he can soak up pressure… but his challenge is to bring that other side to his game,” said Rob Key, England’s managing director. “We want someone who can have both those forms of batting, and we feel that Jamie Smith can do that.”Key has admired Smith ever since he watched him play a breakthrough innings in Galle 18 months ago, hitting eight sixes in his 126 off 82 balls for England Lions. He had shown his adaptability across his first eight Tests, scoring three half-centuries and a hundred, but the circumstances made this his finest innings yet.Jamie Smith hits out during his six-laden innings of 89•Getty ImagesFor all that Smith looked the part during England’s home summer, playing overseas is a different matter altogether. It is not just about dealing with new conditions, but the intensity of the environment: Ben Stokes described this tour as “Groundhog Day”, with England’s presidential-level security confining them to their hotels outside of training and playing.Smith has never set foot in Pakistan before and his first experience of keeping wicket overseas in a Test match asked questions of his endurance as much as his skill. In Pakistan’s first innings in Multan, he took a leg-side strangle in the fourth over, then missed his only other chance – a stumping off Joe Root – some 143 overs later in the blazing sun.The second Test was harder still: “You will not get a tougher set of conditions to keep wicket,” said Brendon McCullum, a man who would know. Standing as close to the stumps off seamers as he had since Under-11s level, by his reckoning, Smith dropped a costly chance when Salman Agha was on 4. He went on to make 63, which took the game beyond England’s reach.But Smith has impressed England with his mentality throughout his first run in their side: assistant coach Paul Collingwood says he “never seems to change his demeanour, no matter what’s happening”. At 24, it is an impressive trait – one Smith believes he developed while playing with older team-mates when promoted early in Surrey’s age-group system.He is fast becoming England’s man for a crisis. “I don’t mind those situations: there is not too much to lose and seems like everything to gain,” he said. “I want to be someone that does it in all conditions – not just at home – and against spin and seam, so to come out here and to put in that performance is quite pleasing.”Smith will be named in England’s squad to tour New Zealand when this series ends but will be unavailable for at least one Test – and potentially all three – due to paternity leave, with his partner expecting in mid-December. He is yet to make a “firm decision” on how many games he will miss – but on this evidence, England will clearly miss him.

Man Utd ready to sell "imposter" in January for £35m, nine clubs queuing up for deal

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Manchester United are, reportedly, ready to part ways with forward Joshua Zirkzee after an inconsistent stint at Old Trafford.

Impressing across a two-year stint with Bologna in Serie A, helping them qualify for last season’s Champions League, Zirkzee signed for Man United in the 2024 summer transfer window. Getting off to a brilliant start by scoring on his debut against Fulham, Zirkzee has since endured a tough time in the Premier League.

Having become well-known for the brilliance, both on the ball and in his playmaking, he had at Bologna, Zirkzee has struggled to showcase his best form in England.

In his maiden season with the Red Devils, Zirkzee netted just three league goals in 32 appearances. Towards the end of the season, manager Ruben Amorim started sometimes using the 24-year-old as an attacking midfielder in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.

Across the 2025/26 campaign, however, Zirkzee has made just four league appearances after 10 matches. In those games, the Dutchman has played less than 90 minutes collectively, something that has sparked rumours about his future at the club.

Zirkzee set to leave Man United

According to James Marshment of TEAMtalk, interest from elsewhere in Zirkzee is “growing” ahead of the January transfer window. Supposedly, as many as nine teams both in the Premier League and around Europe are considering a move for the Dutchman.

Appearances

54

Goals

7

Assists

3

Yellow Cards

4

Zirkzee’s struggles in front of goal may have hampered his chances in the Man United first team anyway, but over the summer the club signed Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo in what was a complete revamp of their attack, pushing Zirkzee further down the pecking order.

The aforementioned trio are now finding form in Manchester. Amorim’s side are on a four-game unbeaten streak in the top flight, having beaten Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion before drawing with Nottingham Forest.

Although Man United would be willing to let Zirkzee leave, it would appear that the Red Devils are not yet ready to take a huge loss like they are with Jadon Sancho. Instead, the club would reportedly prefer to let him leave on loan “with or without an option to buy”, or for a minimum of £35m.

The hope, presumably, is that Zirkzee, who has been called an “absolute imposter” in the past, could find form somewhere else, with that perhaps leading the team who sign him on loan to permanently acquire him for a larger fee. Where Zirkzee ultimately ends up remains to be seen, but it is hard to see a clear path forward for the Dutchman at Old Trafford.

"Monster" is becoming Man United's own Gabriel

Calm, chilled and selfless: captain Asalanka steps into Sri Lanka cricket's melee

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Sri Lanka fans have been burned before, but on the face of it, Asalanka does have the credentials to potentially turn things around

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jul-2024To suggest that the Sri Lanka men’s team captaincy has been in turmoil recently doesn’t get close to capturing it. In the last ten years, since Lasith Malinga (himself taking over in an emergency-ripcord situation) led Sri Lanka to their last title in a global tournament, there has been serious churn in the leadership. So much churn that had it been strapped to a turbine, perhaps Sri Lanka’s electricity grid would not be under so much strain.Just in T20Is, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga – they’ve all had a turn.But such as it is, the island’s cricket mirrors the island’s volatile politics. And cricket here variously begs from, fights against, buddies-up to, and bear-hugs the island’s government. At present, there is something of a détente between the government and Sri Lanka Cricket, to follow the full-scale war that had taken place through 2023. How long this will last, who can tell?Related

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Into this fickle melee steps Charith Asalanka, the latest to take Sri Lanka’s T20I reins. At first blush, he is the most chilled and genial captain Sri Lanka have had since Rangana Herath briefly led the Test team. How chilled? Just this last Sunday, the team he captained in and won the Lanka Premier League, which despite its many flaws, produced some spectacularly compelling cricket this season.At the moment of victory, Asalanka did not charge the field like many of his franchise team-mates, choosing instead to quietly congratulate members of the support staff in the dugout. Then, when time came to lift the trophy, Asalanka carried it to his team-mates, handed it to two others in the centre of the group, and then shuffled off to the edge of the clump, letting others raise the trophy and claim the limelight in a moment of triumph.It is not as if Asalanka shrinks from duty. He has been marked out for leadership for as long as he has been known for his cricket, having led the Sri Lanka Under-19 side, as well as school sides at Richmond College in Galle. He has been impressive almost throughout his stay in the international side – particularly at No. 5, where he strikes at 150 in T20Is, and averages 46.19 in ODIs. But although you sense that he wants the job – and is happy to have it – he doesn’t need it in the way others have.His, you suspect, will be a lighter touch than that of, say, Hasaranga, who took the captaincy by the collar and attempted to shake some life out of it. It’s hard to imagine Asalanka abusing an umpire and landing himself a two-match suspension, or showing so much dissent at a decision upon his return that he cops another two-match ban and has to unretire from Tests to absorb.Wanindu Hasaranga took the captaincy by the collar and attempted to shake some life out of it•AFP/Getty ImagesAn arm around the shoulder of a struggling batter, team meetings where consensus is valued, and a pointedly-joyful celebration of a wicket a team-mate has been straining to get – these seem like the Asalanka moves. There is selflessness there, but also a sturdy sense of self. He knows he belongs. He doesn’t find himself constantly having to prove it.Is it what Sri Lanka need right now? It’s hard to say, really. He inherits the captaincy of a team that is very clearly now attempting to relive glories they do not currently seem capable of, if we’re being frank. The batting has been in a long-term decline, with Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka the only players in the top order to operate with some semblance of consistency in T20Is.It is largely on the batting order’s shoulders that repeated nosedives in T20 World Cups, and that gradually-worsening ranking in the format may be dumped. It’s worth remembering that between 2009 and 2014, Sri Lanka made the semi-final of the T20 World Cup on all four occasions, and reached the final three times. They were No. 1 for a stretch there too.Now, their new captain has to plug leaky holes all over the top order. Asalanka may have to reintegrate the likes of Avishka Fernando and former captain Chandimal back into the top five. He has got to ensure Sri Lanka’s middle order does not succumb so meekly to high-quality wristspin as they so often have over the last several years. And he has got to find firepower lower down, where Dasun Shanaka has been conspicuously modest in internationals for well over a year now.Dilshan Madushanka could easily have made the original squad if discussions had taken a slightly different turn•AFP via Getty ImagesAsalanka will thankfully be on firmer ground on the bowling front. Some of the sheen of the Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana duo has faded in the past 12 months, but they remain formidable. And Sri Lanka have arguably never had deeper fast bowling reserves. Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara have been ruled out of the upcoming series against India, but you imagine Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka – their replacements – could easily have made the original squad if discussions around the selectors’ table had taken a slightly different turn.The Sri Lanka men’s captaincy is a vexed thing. Has been for years. It has taken all types, spat out all types, ended some careers, sent others into decline, produced chaos in industrial quantities, and hilarity almost as often (Remember when Mathews was dumped as captain for allegedly running too many partners out?). We’re not in poisoned chalice territory just yet. But it has started to feel like a curse needs to be cast off. There has been a pattern: first the captain’s own performance tends to enter decline, then the whole team does.First up for Asalanka is one of the most difficult assignments in his sport. It would be unfair to expect Sri Lanka’s team to stun even a somewhat-depleted India. But some fight, some form for the batters, a decent series of catching, close games – these will feel like victories even if victories proper do not come.Sri Lanka fans have been burned on hope before, so perhaps it is wise to manage expectations, and stay tight on the tangibles: Asalanka has all the credentials of a captain who could potentially turn things around.

Crushing blow for Man City! Rodri is ruled out for rest of season with ACL injury sustained in blockbuster Arsenal draw

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Rodri has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained against Arsenal on Sunday.

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Rodri out in crushing blow for championsSustained ACL injury in 2-2 drawMay not play again this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per a new report from , Rodri is set to miss the remainder of the season after rupturing his ACL in City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, despite earlier reports to the contrary. The Euro 2024 winner is a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or but is now set for an extended period on the sidelines, giving Pep Guardiola a huge problem to solve.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Rodri does require further tests for the ACL injury to be confirmed, quotes a source who claims that all signs point towards a lengthy lay-off. The midfielder went down early in the first half clutching his knee. He played 50 times in all competitions last season and was central to Spain's Euros triumph.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rodri has rarely been injured throughout his career, with his longest lay-off coming at the start of this season, as he missed three games due to a hamstring injury. City will now have to find a way to replace him at the base of the midfield.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen if City try to source cover for Rodri in the January transfer window. In the summer, they were linked with a swoop to sign Crystal Palace and England defensive midfielder Adam Wharton.

Misbah earns stay of execution, committee to meet again following SA tour

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The committee expressed disappointment with recent results, but admitted that the Covid-19 pandemic had created a challenge

Umar Farooq12-Jan-2021Misbah ul Haq, alongside Pakistan’s coaching staff, has earned a stay of execution, with the Pakistan cricket committee opting against making any changes following the disappointing tour of New Zealand, resolving instead to meet again after the home series against South Africa later this month. The committee urged the team management to form a clearer approach to set and pursue adjectives, expressing disappointment with recent results.The PCB’s cricket committee met at Gaddafi Stadium to review Pakistan’s 2020-21 season, with the national team’s performance placed under scrutiny. Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis were called up to debrief the committee following the tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and T20Is 2-1. Batting coach Younis Khan, who joined before Pakistan’s tour of England last summer, was exempt. In the end, however, it was decided to take the unique circumstances under which cricket had been played the previous year into account owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, and give the management another chance to steady the ship.”The PCB Cricket Committee carried out a holistic but constructive, fact-based and objective review of the Pakistan men’s cricket team in the past 16 months,” Saleem Yousuf, head of cricket committee said. “There is no denying the fact that we all want to see our side ranked amongst the top three or four cricket playing nations and our recent performances do justice to neither those expectations nor the talent we boast.Pakistan’s performance under Misbah-ul-Haq’s coaching•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Nevertheless, we also need to take into consideration a number of other factors and the committee was of the view that cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic was one of the biggest contributing factors in the side’s dismal performances. The challenges of playing in Covid-19 protocols have not only been faced by the Pakistan men’s national team, but by all the sides presently involved in international cricket and these concerns have been regularly raised by the team coaches and elite cricketers.”Misbah brought up the limitations and constraints in the last seven months as a justification for some of the below-par performances, specifically prior to the tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan spent almost three weeks in quarantine in New Zealand. The team got six days of training and before the start of the series, they lost Babar Azam with a thumb injury. Before that, the Pakistani players were in a bio-bubble in England, as well as at home during the final leg of the PSL, the Zimbabwe series, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the National T20s. ESPNcricinfo understands that the team management was unhappy with the nature of the practice pitches, which they believe were responsible for the injuries to Azam and Imam-ul-Haq.”All professional and high-performing athletes require an environment where they can prepare their best for the international stage, which was not the case for the last two tours and most definitely not at the last tour where players had been confined to their rooms for two weeks due to the policies of that particular Covid-free country,” said Yousaf. “As a consequence, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq and Shadab Khan were unavailable for Test selections after Fakhar Zaman had missed the flight on the day of the departure. These big losses affected the team combinations.Pakistan’s performance under Mickey Arthur’s coaching•ESPNcricinfo LtdBut the management was not completely cleared of responsibility. “Notwithstanding these disadvantages, the PCB Cricket Committee strongly believes team selections and choice of players in the playing line-ups should have been made better. The committee also believes more scientific and data-based work needed to be done on the players with improved communication to not only prepare them for the bigger challenges but by also identifying players who can back their performances with other capability trades in a high-competitive environment on a consistent basis.”Misbah has a three-year contract with the PCB but his position has come in for scrutiny, often in the recent past as losses have piled up for the team. The latest review was the second in the last three months. With the next series starting in two weeks in Karachi, the committee confirmed they will sit again following the series, with the committee pointedly saying there would be no points awarded for second place.Other than the series against South Africa that includes three T20Is, the year is loaded with home and away series. Pakistan is slotted to tour South Africa, Zimbabwe, England, West Indies and Afghanistan, with a home series against New Zealand, England and the West Indies with the Asia Cup and ICC World T20 in India.

Blue Jays Get Key Injury Update on Bo Bichette Ahead of MLB Postseason

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Toronto Blue Jays are gearing up for the postseason, but they'll play the final stretch of the regular season without one of their most important players.

Bo Bichette has been sidelined since early September with a sprained left PCL, and manager John Schneider provided an update on the shortstop's progress on Tuesday.

Schneider told reporters that the team received a positive update on Bichette's PCL injury, and that the 27-year-old would only require rest and rehab in order to get back out on the field. Schneider said Bichette would not return during the regular season, but could resume baseball activity as early this week. That could indicate a return during or just before the postseason is a possibility.

The Blue Jays hold a five-game lead in the AL East and are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. They've not yet clinched a playoff berth, but with the best record in the American League, are on pace to not only secure a spot in the postseason, but to do so as the No. 1 seed.

Bichette has bounced back in 2025 after a down year in '24. He's slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and a 3.4 WAR across 139 games.

The Blue Jays conclude their regular season schedule at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 28.

Another "top" Celtic star struck by worrying injury with Carter-Vickers

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has dropped a nine-word injury update on a Hoops player with “absolutely everything”, adding to the concerns around Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Rodgers suffers Carter-Vickers blow in Celtic comeback

The Hoops secured an important victory in the Europa League on Thursday evening, winning 2-1 at home to Sturm Graz, bouncing back from last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers seemed more positive than he has been for most of this season so far, hailing his Celtic side’s performance at Parkhead.

“I thought we were brilliant in the game. I mentioned beforehand that with pressure you can go two ways. You can either make progress or you can crumble, and the performance of the players showed that they progressed so much tonight. We really dominated a very good team in Sturm Graz. You can see the goals they’ve scored and the physicality they have.

“I’ve said before that there are always games in your season that can be the turning point and I think that tonight is an all-round performance against a good side. Now we have to recover because we have a big game on Sunday and we have to put that same energy and focused mentality in to that game.”

While Thursday’s victory was a welcome shot in the arm for Celtic, they were brought back down to Earth with the news that Carter-Vickers has suffered an achilles problem and could be out for several months.

Rodgers confirmed the blow ahead of the trip to Hearts on Sunday, revealing an exact timeline is not yet certain but “its not great news”, and it might not be the only concern…

Iheanacho injury "looks like a hamstring"

Speaking to the media, Rodgers also provided a worrying nine-word injury update regarding Celtic striker Kelechi Iheanacho: “It doesn’t look great. It looks like a hamstring.”

The Hoops manager added: “We’ll see where it is, but it looks like hamstrings, which isn’t great. I’m not worried about (squad depth). I’m really only worried about how we played tonight, and that’s our focus. We’ll see what it is in the morning, and if they’re not available…we just have to accept it if we have injuries.”

Celtic face a huge Scottish Premiership clash with Hearts on Sunday lunchtime, with the latter topping the table by five points ahead of the reigning champions.

Not having both their starting number nine and top centre-half available for such a key match is a massive blow for the Hoops, with Rodgers lauding the Nigeria star during their time together at Leicester City.

“He’s a nightmare in training to be fair. He’s just a big strong lad who can put himself about, he’s fast, he’s got absolutely everything to be a top striker and he’s showing it now, which is great.”

Celtic star who Lennon dubbed "world-class" was even better than Nygren

This Nakamura-esque Celtic star was even better than Benjamin Nygren against Sturm Graz.

ByDan Emery Oct 24, 2025

With Iheanacho almost certainly out against Hearts, it is up to other Celtic attackers to step up to the plate, with the summer signing already scoring twice in three league starts this season.

Dansby Swanson's Game-Tying RBI Called Back After He Missed First Base

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson tied his team's contest against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night with an RBI infield single … until he didn't.

Down 3–2 with a runner on third and two outs on the board, Swanson took the plate against Reds reliever Graham Ashcraft. Swinging on a full count, he sent a grounder down the left side where third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes picked it and threw to first—but not in time, allowing Willi Castro to score. Upon further review, however, it was determined that Swanson missed the first base entirely. He was called out, the run was wiped and Cincy maintained their lead.

Take a look at the mishap here:

Swanson's blunder ended up being a costly one. No runs were scored for the rest of the game, and the Reds came away with a 3–2 win—cutting into Chicago's lead atop the National League wild card race.

It'll take a while for the two-time All-Star to live this one down.

Shakib on his illegal action for Surrey: 'I was doing it a little bit intentionally'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

He says he was bowling a lot at that time and was “so tired”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2025Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has revealed that he had been bowling with an illegal action “a little bit intentionally” when he was reported for a suspect action and subsequently suspended after his county stint with Surrey in 2024.Shakib had been suspended from bowling in all competitions organised by the ECB after his action was found illegal at an independent testing at Loughborough University in December last year. As per the ICC’s regulations, his suspension was automatically enforced in international cricket.”I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs [in one match],” Shakib told the podcast. “I never bowled 70 overs in my career in a Test match. I was playing that four-day match for Surrey against Somerset in Taunton. I was so tired.Related

'I am officially not retired from all formats' – Shakib reverses Test and T20I retirement

Shakib suspended from bowling in all top-level cricket

Shakib suspended from bowling in ECB-run cricket

“I played back-to-back Test matches in Pakistan. We won that series and then I went to play those four-day matches. The only thing I was thinking the umpire could have done was just warn me first, at least. But it is in the rules, so they had the right. I didn’t complain.”I went to do the test, I failed. And then I saw my test. I was like, ‘okay, so these things are happening’. Then I had to train for a couple of weeks so I went back to Surrey again and they were kind enough to help me. I did two sessions and I was back to normal. I was like, ‘it’s so easy’.”Shakib played just one game for Surrey last season and bowled 63.2 overs, split into 33.5 and 29.3 overs across the two innings. He was later cleared to bowl earlier this year after he gave his third bowling assessment test at Loughborough University in the UK. In the meantime he had failed a second bowling test in Chennai, after which the BCB selectors didn’t pick him for the Champions Trophy, even the board had clarified he was available to play as a batter in all forms of domestic and international cricket.