The Argentine coach stressed that the midfielder is an important piece and has a chance of making the 2026 World Cup roster
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The former India pace spearhead also lauds Bumrah for his outswinger and Shami for his improved fitness
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2019The improved fitness levels of Mohammed Shami. Jasprit Bumrah’s outswinger to right-hand batsmen. Also, India’s fast-bowling bench strength, and the facilities now available in the country; all these are indicators of Indian fast bowling’s great health, according to former pace spearhead Zaheer Khan. Still, Zaheer would like to see Navdeep Saini given a chance in Test cricket.”The longer format, that’s the format that suits Saini,” Zaheer told . “Saini has got the pace and consistency in length.”Saini, who was among India’s reserves for the World Cup, put his pace and short-ball skills on full display on the tour of Florida and the Caribbean in August. On T20I debut, Saini was on a hat-trick after getting Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer off consecutive balls in Lauderhill. He finished that game with figures of 3 for 17, and the Player of the Match award.In the Test matches that followed, Bumrah was at his lethal best, with 13 wickets in four innings at an average of 9.23, including only the third hat-trick by an Indian in the format. Chief among Bumrah’s weapons in this series was the ball that moved away from the right-hand batsmen, and his newfound ability to bowl this delivery consistently makes him all the more potent, Zaheer said.”I have always said that if he had that outswinger for the right-handers, he will be a nightmare for the batting sides. I am glad that it has happened now,” Zaheer said. “He needs to work on his fitness and keep doing the things that have brought him this far. With experience he will keep getting better and better.”ALSO READ: Jasprit Bumrah – The complete bowler, whatever the formatZaheer said Shami – who had finished third on the Test-wicket charts in the West Indies, taking nine at 17.77 – was reaping the benefits of the work he had put into his fitness. “With Shami we all knew about the wrist position and the upright seam. The only iffy thing was fitness but now he has worked on that.”During the World Cup in England this year, Shami had spoken of how he had worked hard on that aspect of his cricket. Leg issues kept him out for parts of 2016 and 2017, and when he returned for India, it seemed obvious that his fitness levels were down. That phase culminated with him missing out on the Afghanistan Test in Bengaluru in June last year, after failing a fitness test.”I was heavy after the injury, I used to feel tightness in my knee after long spells, so I knew I had to do something extra if I had to play for a longer time,” Shami had said during the World Cup. “I have cut down on my food, I follow a diet and people laugh about it when I tell them that. It’s not strict, but I avoid stuff doctors tell me to. I don’t eat sweets or bread, it has helped me a lot.”Zaheer said the “hunger” Shami has shown to get to where he is at the moment was commendable. “He has been phenomenal in terms of getting his fitness level up to the standard that is required. This has been a huge plus for him. Ability was always there. Just that some injuries had kept him out for a year. He has come back strongly. A lot of credit has to go to him for how he is managing himself and the hunger that he has shown to come back and play at the top level.”When asked what has made the biggest difference in getting Indian fast bowling to the healthy state it is now in, Zaheer said: “Over the years, the infrastructure has improved. There is this access to better fitness facilities. There are these processes in place like the one at the National Cricket Academy where players are taken care of since Under-14s. There is also a proper passing of knowledge and that is helping in a big way.”
Celtic retained their eight-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a comfortable 3-0 win over St Mirren on Tuesday evening.
Brendan Rodgers' side have played two more matches than their closest rivals but it is a healthy lead to take into the second half of the campaign.
The Hoops found themselves 2-0 up inside the opening six minutes of the encounter as goals from Daizen Maeda and Matt O'Riley gave them a quick advantage, before a second half goal from Greg Taylor made sure of the three points.
O'Riley caught the eye with yet another terrific display in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants but he was not the only star of the show as Paulo Bernardo, who could turn out to be Jota 2.0, produced a fantastic performance.
The Denmark international produced a superb and incisive pass to find Maeda in the final third for the first goal inside the opening minute of the match.
He then took a touch inside the box before lashing a shot through the legs of the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 in the sixth minute to secure a goal and an assist.
O'Riley made four key passes and created one 'big chance' in total throughout the match as he used his creative brilliance to pick apart the opposition's defence.
It was a devastating display from the former Fulham prospect and Bernardo impressed alongside him with another excellent showing in midfield.
The 21-year-old maestro came into this game off the back of goals in back-to-back games against Dundee and Rangers, with the latter being a sublime volley to open the scoring.
He was not able to find the back of the net for a third game but, instead, his creative quality was on full display as the young gem destroyed Kilmarnock's backline with his skill and invention.
Bernardo assisted O'Riley's goal with a sublime Cruyff turn in the box that led to a pass across the box for his midfield partner to slot home.
His second assist was just as special as the Benfica loanee beautifully lifted the ball over the top of the packed opposition defence – a pass that was described as "genius" by Scott Brown during Sky Sports' post-match analysis – for Taylor to fire in the third.
He had 46 touches in the match and produced three key passes and two 'big chances' created in that time, to go along with two out of three dribbles completed, as the Hoops whiz carved them open at will to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates.
It was a sensational showing from the Portuguese magician and he is now well on his way to becoming Brendan Rodgers' own version of Jota.
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Jota's loan and permanent spells at Celtic (via Sofascore) |
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|---|---|---|
|
Jota |
21/22 Premiership |
22/23 Premiership |
|
Appearances |
29 |
33 |
|
Goals |
Ten |
11 |
|
Assists |
Ten |
11 |
|
Big chances created |
17 |
13 |
As you can see from the table above, his compatriot made a huge impact during his first season on loan with the Hoops under Ange Postecoglou before carrying his form over to his permanent spell the following term.
That led to a £25m switch to Al Ittihad last summer and Celtic could look to strike a permanent deal for Bernardo with a view to making a significant profit on him in the future if he is able to carry on his current impressive run of form.
Focus on young players as Zimbabwe build for the future, say the selectors
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2019Zimbabwe will contest the T20 tri-series in Bangladesh later this month minus their experienced allrounder, Sikandar Raza. While announcing a 15-man squad for the series that also includes Afghanistan, Zimbabwe Cricket said “the selectors have opted to leave out Sikandar Raza over pending disciplinary issues raised by the captain”.”It is important that we support our captain, whether it is [Hamilton] Masakadza or anyone else, by creating an environment in which we can be confident he will have the full support of all players, with everyone pulling in the same direction and able to trust each other. It is for those reasons that we have decided to leave Raza out,” convener of selectors, Walter Chawaguta, said.It would appear that Raza’s absence comes as a result of the divisions which arose during the spat between Zimbabwe Cricket and the Sports and Recreation Commission earlier this year. Masakadza hinted at a dressing room rift in a letter to Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry in July. The series will be Masakadza’s last; aged 36, he will be retiring from international cricket at the end of the series, which runs from September 13 to 24.Zimbabwe, who are currently banned from ICC events due to governance issues, will not play the 2020 T20 World Cup. So, the ZC release said, the focus will be building for the future rather than “simply winning a couple of matches in the T20 international triangular series”. The squad includes two players uncapped in T20Is in left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu and allrounder Tony Munyonga.Coach Lalchand Rajput said: “We are now shifting our focus to rebuilding a new team and to do that we must gradually blood in younger players and create a new culture that encourages unity, hard work, professionalism and excellence.”We will not make wholesale changes, as we definitely still need some of the experienced players to help the new generation find their feet in international cricket. That is why we have a good mix of youth and experience in the team that has been selected for the Bangladesh tour.”Following the Bangladesh tri-series, Zimbabwe will head to Singapore for another T20 tri-series, against the hosts and Nepal, and ZC named a squad for that tournament as well. ZC’s release said: “A much younger side that is more reflective of the new direction that Zimbabwe is taking has been picked for the Singapore triangular series.” Allrounder Sean Williams will captain that side.Squad for Bangladesh tri-series: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Regis Chakabva, Richmond Mutumbami, Sean Williams, Neville Madziva, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Tony Munyonga, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Christopher Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Ainsley Ndlovu, Timycen Maruma, Ryan BurlSquad for Singapore tri-series: Sean Williams (capt), Regis Chakabva, Brian Chari, Richmond Mutumbami, Neville Madziva, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Tony Munyonga, Daniel Jakiel, Tendai Chatara, Richard Ngarava, Wellington Masakadza, William Mashinge, Peter Moor, Timycen Maruma, Craig Ervine
Atletico Madrid are in talks with Chelsea over a potential move for Conor Gallagher, with the Blues having named their asking price.
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Aston Villa will be amongst the Premier League clubs battling to sign Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer with the 28-year-old falling down the pecking order at Anfield.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that the Englishman is considering his future in Merseyside and now former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has backed the Villans to be amongst the clubs targeting Oxlade-Chamberlain’s signature.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider it was revealed that Villa could be one of the teams in the race.
Speaking about the matter, Hutton said: “West Ham, Newcastle, Aston Villa, even the likes of Everton and Palace, all these teams are building for the future. They’re building something special as well and why would you not want to be part of that?
“He could be an integral cog for one of these teams moving forward. He’s still got a lot to give, plenty of time. The only question mark is the injuries.”
The 28-year-old has been limited to just nine Premier League starts this term and it is hard to see his current position in the Liverpool pecking order improving.
It is no secret that Villa boss Steven Gerrard is planning a major squad overhaul this summer with the Englishman set to take charge of his first summer transfer window in the West Midlands ahead of his first full season.
Recently, the Villans have been linked with a plethora of midfielders with the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Kalvin Phillips and Yves Bissouma all reported targets. Therefore, it is clearly an area of the pitch that Gerrard wants to strengthen significantly.
Out of the current crop of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsey, it could be argued that only the latter will be a long-term servant for the Villans in the middle of the park.
The 20-year-old has had a stellar breakthrough campaign this term making 32 Premier League appearances whilst scoring six goals and providing one assist.
Moreover, his manager is a strong admirer, having been a world-class midfielder, stating: “I want him to make his own headlines with his football. He is a top talent, I’m loving every moment of working with him.”
However, adding experience to the midfield would be shrewd and Oxlade-Chamberlain certainly possesses that, having racked up 374 club appearances having won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup four times and the League Cup.
Labelled as both “brilliant” and “dynamite” by manager Jurgen Klopp, the £125k-per-week Englishman needs to get his career back on track with his spell at Liverpool proving largely unfruitful.
A 16-month absence following a serious knee injury certainly did not help his cause in attempting to secure his spot as a regular starter for the Reds.
With bags of Premier League and Champions League experience whilst playing for England 35 times, the 28-year-old possesses the sort of pedigree that Gerrard wants to integrate into his squad and would make an excellent signing for the Villans. Just imagine him alongside the bustling Ramsey.
It was Seattle Orcas’ second win of the season, and lifted them to No. 4; Los Angeles Knight Riders, meanwhile, have now lost six of their seven games
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2025For the second game in a row in MLC 2025, Shimron Hetmyer took charge of the Seattle Orcas innings at a critical stage and smashed his way through to victory.He did it off the last ball against MI New York just about 24 hours ago even as he cramped up, but didn’t show any signs of discomfort when he did it again. This time, against Los Angeles Knight Riders, who were on top at different stages of the game but came unstuck in the end.The base for Hetmyer had been set by Aaron Jones.After Josh Brown had been sent back for a two-ball duck by Jason Holder in the first over, Jones and Shayan Jahangir put together 119 for the second wicket in 11.1 overs. Jahangir’s contribution was 42 from 29 balls, while Jones scored 73 in 38, a strike rate close to 200.But the innings needed something more if Orcas, after losing their first five games of the season, needed to make it two in two. That came from Hetmyer, who walked out at No. 5 with 77 still needed in just under eight overs.Two fours came off Ali Khan in the 14th over. Tanveer Sangha was then sent for two sixes in the 15th, and 48 from 30 balls looked very gettable for Orcas. There was a little blip as Andre Russell, who had earlier smashed 65 not out from 39 balls, bowled a five-run over, but it was business as usual for Hetmyer after that, as he took two more sixes off Holder in the 17th, and another off Ali Khan in the 18th.Andre Russell smashed 65 not out in 39 balls to lead Los Angeles Knight Riders’ batting charge•Sportzpics for MLC
Still, after Russell had bowled an eight-run 19th over, Hetmyer had a bit left to do. And when the fifth ball of the last over, bowled by Shadley van Schalkwyk, went straight down the ground, it was all done and dusted.Orcas have now risen from the bottom of the six-team table to No. 4, while Knight Riders have taken their place.After being asked to bat, Knight Riders stuttered to 41 for 1 in the powerplay, and then 66 for 3 at the halfway mark, with none of Andre Fletcher (strike rate 113.04), Unmukt Chand (84.61) and Sherfane Rutherford (125.00) able to get a move on.Russell, promoted to No. 3 and having reached 15 from 13, took off at that point. With Saif Badar for company, Russell took 16, 15, 10 and 21 runs off the next four overs, and suddenly Knight Riders were in business.Even after Badar fell for a 21-ball 41, Waqar Salamkheil getting his second wicket of the game, the big-hitting didn’t stop. In fact, the entry of Rovman Powell made it worse for the Orcas bowlers. Russell, not as belligerent as he usually is, ended with 65 from 39 balls with six fours and four sixes, but Powell was another story. All Powell’s four sixes came against medium pace – three off Jasdeep Singh. and one off Ayan Desai. He ended with 43 not out in 21 balls, with two fours to go with four sixes.Orcas didn’t help themselves with a couple of dropped catches, both off Powell, while captain Sikandar Raza’s decision to not bowl himself and leave the last few overs to Jasdeep and Desai didn’t come off. Hetmyer made sure it didn’t matter.
Aston Villa could well land a new striker in the next few weeks according to recent reports.
The Athletic revealed that striker Luis Suarez would be leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of the season for pastures new following a two-year spell at the club.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano then tweeted “Suárez is not considering MLS bids as of today, his priority is to continue in Europe.”
This can only be good news for Aston Villa. The links with the Midlands side date back to January and Steven Gerrard could well move for a reunion this summer.
Villa have had an up and down campaign this season, with Gerrard arriving in mid-November to much fanfare and despite little flashes of brilliance, the side has been underwhelming.
The manager will be aiming to take the club into Europe next season, and this will require several world-class players arriving in the midlands.
The recent permanent arrival of Philippe Coutinho could well be a catalyst for more, and Suarez will hopefully be next to link back up with his former teammate.
The 35-year-old has scored 34 goals in 82 appearances for Atletico Madrid in all competitions and it shows that he still has the ability to shine in the Premier League, a division where he has scored 69 goals in just 110 outings.
He won the La Liga title in his first season in the Spanish capital and his winning mentality can only be a boost to the Villans.
Gerrard only has two senior strikers available in the Villa squad, Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, so an urgent priority is to secure someone who can lead from the front and take the side to the next level.
On a free transfer, it would be a wise move from Gerrard’s point of view.
Megan Rapinoe says the “expectation is perfection” when it comes to elite women’s sport, with the USWNT set to play in the Paris Games
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Northants favourite played 13 Tests and 25 ODIs between 1979 and 1991
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2025Wayne Larkins, the former England and Northamptonshire batter, has died after a short illness aged 71.Larkins, popularly known as “Ned”, played 13 Tests and 25 ODIs between 1979 and 1991. His second England appearance was in the 1979 World Cup final – he batted at No. 7 and bowled two overs – but his finest hour came when hitting the winning runs at Sabina Park as England took an unexpected 1-0 lead on the 1989-90 tour of the West Indies.That was Larkins’ seventh Test, coming more than eight years after his sixth. He might have played more in between had he not been banned for three years for involvement on the 1982 rebel tour of South Africa.Renowned for his colourful off-field character as well as his strokeplay, Larkins spent most of his career with Northamptonshire, making more than 700 appearances for the club. He later moved to Durham, before winding down a career that saw him score 40,000 runs and amass 85 hundreds.His wife, Debbie, was quoted on the Northamptonshire website: “Ned loved everyone he met and everyone loved him. People were drawn to his infectious energy. He lit up every room and never wanted the party to finish.”He loved his soul mate of a wife and his precious daughters so much. He will be partying up in the sky, drinking a toast to everyone and to his own life. We are devastated but we’ll never forget his undeniably unique presence and his impact on our lives.”We will carry him in our hearts forever.”