Mark Goldbridge claims £100k-p/w star "end up staying" at Man United

Mark Goldbridge has been reacting to news that Dean Henderson could be set to stay at Manchester United to provide support for Andre Onana, despite previous rumours suggesting he could be set to leave Old Trafford.

Is Dean Henderson leaving Manchester United?

According to The Manchester Evening News, Henderson could now be set to stay at Manchester United following an injury to Tom Heaton that is expected to keep the veteran stopper out for a few weeks.

Henderson had been expected to join Nottingham Forest on a loan deal with an option-to-buy amid discussions between the Tricky Trees and Manchester United, yet his future plans could now be taken out of his hands due to a lack of available options between the sticks.

Kicker via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Matej Kovar, who is another one of Erik Ten Hag's understudies at Old Trafford is expected to join Bayer Leverkusen, as he stated on Twitter X: "Bayer Leverkusen sign Matěj Kovář from Man United on permanent deal. Fee will be €9m, as per Kicker. First part of medical tests will take place today."

Last term, £100k-a-week earner Henderson made 20 appearances on loan at Nottingham Forest and managed to keep six clean sheets in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Last year, Manchester United goalkeeper Henderson famously blasted the Premier League giants after they were believed to have failed to follow through on their promise of allowing him to replace David De Gea as number one stopper at the club after the EURO 2020 Championships.

Cited via talkSPORT, the England international said some time after joining Nottingham Forest on loan: "The conversation I had coming out of the Euros squad was 'you're coming back here to be the No.1. I got COVID, came back, so I should have still been the No.1, but then unfortunately nobody followed through with what they had told me. It was frustrating because I turned down so many good loans last summer for that reason, and they would not let me go. To sit there and waste 12 months, it is criminal really, at my age, I was fuming."

Nottingham Forest have also moved to bring in USA international goalkeeper Matt Turner this window on a four-year contract and it remains to be seen if any knock-on effect will be had with regard to Henderson's potential return to the City Ground as the window drags on, as per BBC Sport.

United in Focus cite that Red Devils boss Ten Hag has signalled that Henderson will not be available to take part in Manchester United's Premier League opener with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, with the Dutchman stating the following: “All the others (players struggling with injuries), like Henderson and Hojlund, are quite short but it will take a few weeks."

What has Mark Goldbridge said about Dean Henderson?

Speaking on The United Stand YouTube channel, Goldbridge thinks that there is 'no chance' Henderson would be able to upstage first-choice goalkeeper Onana if he is to be kept on at the club.

Goldbridge said: "There's a very big chance that Dean Henderson will have to stay and be the understudy and he has got no chance of being the goalkeeper ahead of Onana unless Onana gets injured and then if Onana comes back, he'll be out anyway. I don't really care if Dean Henderson stays as a backup goalkeeper, because he's a good goalkeeper and as a backup, that'd be absolutely fine, but it's 100% not what he wants to happen and also, it's another player really we needed to sell to bring some money in.

"It's bad news in that sense, it's horrific news for the player, but apparently Tom Heaton's got a bit of an injury so Dean Henderson may well end up staying now."

Henderson may well have to stay put for now and undoubtedly is a more than able deputy for Onana when necessary; however, you can't help but feel that his own career trajectory may suffer if he isn't gaining regular first-team involvement at Manchester United.

Newcastle United admin brutally trolls Sunderland after FA Cup win with daring Stadium of Light insult after hugely controversial week

Newcastle's admin posted a cruel dig with an edited image of Sunderland's Stadium of Light, with the words "Howay The Lands" written instead.

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  • Newcastle admin trolls Sunderland
  • Magpies beat The Black Cats 3-0 in FA Cup
  • Shared an edited image of Stadium of Light's north stand
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Premier League side outclassed their rivals 3-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby on Saturday to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup. After a heated battle between the two rival clubs, the Magpies admin posted an edited photo on X of the north stand at the Stadium of Light with the words "Howay The Lads" written on it, instead of the actual phrase "Ha'way".

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    WHAT WAS SAID

    The photoshopped image of the Stadium of Light stand shows a key difference in the same phrase used by the rival cities. Newcastle fans tend to use "Howay", a term roughly translating to "come on!", whereas those from Sunderland say "Ha'way". While just a small semantic difference, the significance is great for both clubs and their respective identities.

    It continues a week of banter between the rival clubs, as referenced by the caption "We've been made to feel right at home this week." This refers to the ongoing feud over Sunderland's controversial choice of bar decorations, which received widespread condemnation from the Black Cats fanbase.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Magpies star Bruno Guimaraes also took a dig at their rivals by sharing an image on his Instagram which had him playing a video game where his club took a 3-0 lead over The Black Cats within the first 26 minutes. He shared a screenshot of his story on his X account with the caption, "I knew it a long time ago."

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  • DID YOU KNOW?

    'Ha' Way The Lands' is a famous Sunderland fans' chant which is often sung by the club loyalists at the Stadium of Light while cheering for their players on the pitch. The lyrics of the song are as follows, "Haaaaaway the lads, Haway the lads, Haway the lads haway! Haway the lads, Haway the lads, Haway the lads haway!"

Man United Submit Offer For Exciting 20 y/o Colossus

Manchester United have now submitted an offer for Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, but it has been knocked back by the Japanese club, with the player himself focussing on representing his country at the 2024 Olympics, according to a report.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

With Andre Onana's arrival now confirmed, Man United have been running the rule over potential back-up options for the Cameroonian, having recently been linked with a £5m move for Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

The Daily Mail report the Red Devils are considering a move for the Turkey international, who could come in as a replacement for either Dean Henderson or Tom Heaton, with the future of both goalkeepers in doubt.

Henderson is due to join Nottingham Forest and Luton Town have offered Tom Heaton the opportunity to start regularly, so a move for Bayindir could make sense, particularly considering the fact that Fenerbahce are expecting him to be sold.

According to reports from Japan (via The Nottingham Post), Man United have made a bid for Suzuki, who is highly-rated in his native country, however it has been turned down by Urawa Red Diamonds, and the player himself has no interest in leaving.

The 20-year-old is fully focussed on representing Japan at the 2024 Olympics, and staying where he is will give him the best opportunity to do that, rather than making the switch to Old Trafford to play second fiddle to Onana.

The Nottingham Post explain that the Red Devils are actively trying to sign a new goalkeeper while Forest try to re-sign Henderson, who left a lasting impression during his loan spell at The City Ground in the 2022-23 campaign.

Who is Zion Suzuki?

The young goalkeeper, who was born in the USA, has been lauded as "one of the most exciting goalkeeping prospects coming out of Japan" by the media, in part due to his "exceptional" passing ability, which has caused him to be compared to Ederson.

The 6 foot 3 colossus has already started to force his way into the starting XI for Urawa Red Diamonds, however he is yet to establish himself as the J1 League side's first choice, having made 29 appearances in all competitions since his debut in 2021.

Given his limited first-team experience, little is known about whether Suzuki would be able to make the step-up to a club the size of Man United, so it is not too disappointing the Red Devils have had an offer rejected, as they still have some other solid targets.

Man United boss Erik ten Hag

Of course, Onana is likely to be Erik ten Hag's first choice, for large parts of the season, but the aforementioned Bayindir could be a decent alternative option, given that he has represented Turkey five times at international level.

At 25-years-old, the Fenerbahce shot-stopper is a lot more experienced than Suzuki, making a total of 141 first-team appearances for his current club, including 11 in the Europa League, indicating he would be capable of filling in for Onana on occasion.

Man Utd and Erik ten Hag handed fitness boost as Christian Eriksen returns to training after knee injury

Christian Eriksen has returned to Manchester United training after recovering from an injury that has kept him out of action since November.

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  • Eriksen back in training with Man Utd
  • Midfielder has been out since November
  • Danish star recovered from knee injury
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Eriksen was back in practice with his fellow United team-mates on Monday after being sidelined for over a month due to a knee injury. The return of the Denmark international will come as a significant boost to Erik ten Hag's team as they have struggled with injury concerns this season.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The Red Devils have been without Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo and Mason Mount for an extended period, while Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were kept out of the weekend's 0-0 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Eriksen had been an important figure for the Old Trafford club before sustaining the injury in the first half of the home game against Luton on November 11. He has made 15 appearances in all competitions for Ten Hag's team, scoring one goal and registering two assists.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

    It is not yet known if Eriksen will be back in action for United for their Premier League match against West Ham on Saturday. Failing that, he could be given the nod to feature when they take on Aston Villa on December 26.

WATCH: Chelsea's Sam Kerr makes hilarious WSL titles gesture to Arsenal fans in response to taunts after 4-1 drubbing at Emirates Stadium

Chelsea star Sam Kerr issued a cheeky reminder to Arsenal fans of the Blues' Women's Super League dominance despite defeat to the Gunners on Sunday.

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  • Kerr taunted by Arsenal fans after Chelsea defeat
  • Gunners beat the Blues 4-1 on Sunday
  • But striker reminded them of Chelsea's WSL dominance
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Chelsea were on the wrong end of a 4-1 result when they visited Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday and when Kerr passed a pub full of the Gunners' fans afterwards, they taunted her by chanting the club's name. However, Kerr responded with a hilarious gesture, holding up four fingers to represent the four successive Women's Super League titles that Chelsea have won in the last four seasons.

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  • WATCH THE CLIP

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    It was a tough day out for Kerr at the Emirates. The Chelsea striker had minimal service on a day where Arsenal ran riot, their 4-1 win dealing the Blues their heaviest WSL defeat in five years, since a 5-0 loss to the Gunners back in 2018. It also put the north London club level on points with Chelsea at the top of the WSL table, though still behind the reigning champions on goal difference.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR KERR AND CHELSEA?

    Chelsea are back in action on Thursday night when they welcome Hacken to Stamford Bridge in the Women's Champions League. The Swedish side are top of Group D after two games, having impressively beaten both Paris FC and Real Madrid. The Blues, however, can displace them at the summit with a victory.

Tottenham: Spurs Table "Crazy" Double Signing Bid

Tottenham Hotspur have tabled a "crazy offer" for Galatasary duo Victor Nelsson and Nicolo Zaniolo, according to reports out of Turkey.

Who will Spurs sign after Maddison?

The Lilywhites have surprisingly got a couple of deals over the line already, and new manager Ange Postecoglou will be thrilled.

Spurs confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli recently in a deal worth around £17.2 million, and just days later, playmaker James Maddison joined for £40 million from Leicester City.

Maddison in particular is a pretty big coup for £40m, especially considering he was the Foxes star player last season and racked up an impressive 19 top flight goal contributions (10 goals, nine assists).

It is believed Spurs aren't done there, though, with the north Londoners chasing a star centre-back to plug their leaky defence which conceded more league goals than any other side above 15th last season.

The likes of Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) and Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven are reliably thought to be of interest with talks ongoing, but according to a piece of news from the continent, Nelsson is also still on their radar.

Turkish news outlet Milliyet (via Sport Witness) has an interesting update on the Dane, and his teammate Nicolo Zaniolo, with Tottenham apparently making a "crazy offer" in an attempt to sign the Galatasary duo.

Italy midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo.

Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur has apparently travelled to London for talks, where Spurs are mentioned, and it is believed he "sat at the table" with Tottenham to discuss both players.

In what is a very unique bid, Postecoglou's side apparently lodged an offer of two to three of their own players plus €30-35m (£26m-£30m) in cash for Zaniolo and Nelsson, thought there is no mention as to which Spurs stars were sacrificed.

Timur is allegedly eager to negotiate player exits and raise funds, and while he was not happy with Tottenham's proposal, talks remain ongoing.

The Galatasary chief originally valued both players together at around £52 million.

What's been said about Nelsson and Zaniolo?

Reşit Ömer Kükner, a member of the Galatasary board, holds Nelsson in very high esteem with the centre-back being called a "Danish lion" and model "athlete".

Meanwhile, former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson praised Zaniolo during his previous links to Tottenham – branding the Italy international a "steal".

The ex-England international even likened his potential transfer to the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, who have done well since singing for Spurs.

"Perhaps he could be the next Kulusevski or Bentancur – a steal from Italy in the January window," said Robinson to Football Insider.

Ryan Reynolds and Co building for the future! Wrexham Young Player of the Year Sam Dalby signs new contract in North Wales

Wrexham's young star Sam Dalby has signed a two-year contract with the Welsh club, it has been confirmed.

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  • Dalby signed new contract with Wrexham
  • Tied to League Two club until 2025
  • Was named Young Player of the Year
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Dalby, 23, joined Wrexham from Southend in August 2022 and has impressed enough to earn a new deal that ties him to the club until the summer of 2025.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The striker scored six goals in 41 National League appearances as Wrexham went on to break the division's points record and earn promotion to League Two. He also struck twice in their run to the fourth round of the FA Cup and was named the club's Young Player of the Season.

    Dalby has already featured 12 times in League Two this season and came off the bench to set up his team's winning goal as they came back from two goals down to beat Salford City 3-2 last week.

  • WHAT THEY SAID

    The former Watford and Leyton Orient player says he is delighted to commit his future to the ambitious side, telling their website: "I’m really excited. I love it here. I’ve loved it from the start – everyone was really welcoming. Obviously we’re building something big here, so it’s a pleasure to be a part of. We had a great season last year, and we’re building on it already, and I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season."

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    WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    Phil Parkinson's team are in action again on Saturday when they face Bradford in League Two.

Bangladesh to play 100th Test in March

The second Test of their tour of Sri Lanka will be Bangladesh’s 100th. Having begun their journey in November 2000, they will have taken little over 16 years to their century

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2017

Bangladesh will play their 100th Test, against Sri Lanka in Colombo•Associated Press

Bangladesh will play their 100th Test match, against Sri Lanka, on March 15 in Colombo. Having played their first Test in November 2000, Bangladesh will be the last of the Full Members to complete the century, having taken little over 16 years to the mark.The visitors will begin their tour with a two-day practice game in Moratuwa before the first Test in Galle on March 7 and their milestone match at P Sara Oval a week later.The limited-overs leg begins with a warm-up game on March 22, before Dambulla hosts the first and second ODIs on March 25 and 28. The series concludes in Colombo – unusually at the SSC, which has not hosted an ODI since 2011.Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said the decision to play this match – a day game – was made on the basis that Bangladesh were not a major drawcard. The SSC has a capacity of about 10,000.”The reason we don’t host one-day games at SSC when we play other teams, is because we feel we won’t be able to accommodate the crowds there – the capacity is very limited at SSC,” de Silva said. “But when we play against Bangladesh, though there will be crowds, it will not exceed the capacity which can be accommodated as SSC, I’m sure.”When you play at a smaller ground also, it would seem like there are crowds – even for a Bangladesh tour. We can market it better.”The two T20Is to finish the tour, however, will be played at Khettarama.The Bangladesh squad is expected to be announced by February 20, while training begins in Mirpur on February 24. This is Bangladesh’s first bilateral tour of Sri Lanka since 2013, when they drew the Galle Test and also secured a 1-1 result in the three-match ODI series.

Not good enough, Vlatko! USWNT winners and losers as Andonovski's decisions doom defending World Cup champions in frustrating Netherlands draw

The U.S. boss didn't set his team up to succeed and then left them out to dry in a game that was dying for a change

Heading into the World Cup, the United States women's national team had more question marks than ever before. How would they cope with an obvious lack of depth at center-back? Would they ever find an answer at the No.6 position? Could the team's young stars step up to the moment in their first real opportunity on a stage this big?

As it turns out, though, their draw with the Netherlands showed that the USWNT's biggest question mark may just be their coach. Despite escaping with a point, this 1-1 draw showed that, if the USWNT are to win this World Cup, they're more likely to do it in spite of Vlatko Andonovski, rather than because of him.

This is a long tournament, of course, and Andonovski, like his players, will learn from this. Still, this is a game that will feel both like a lucky result and a missed opportunity for a number of reasons.

Few players will leave this one feeling good, especially given how the game played out, but Andonovski, in particular, will now know that he'll have to do something different if the U.S. are to really make a run this summer.

GOAL has you covered with the winners and losers from the USWNT's draw with the Netherlands…

Please enable Javascript to view this contentGettyLOSER: Vlatko Andonovski

This was a mess from a coaching perspective. Where do we even begin? It makes sense to start with the line up, in theory. Andonovski went with an unchanged XI, rolling out the same starters that cruised past Vietnam last game. Risky, but understandable, despite the fact that there were some obvious rotations to be made if he wanted to.

We can excuse the optimism, even if it was shut down very quickly. The USWNT looked like a team totally unprepared to face the Netherlands' three-at-the-back system. Whenever the Dutch center-backs stepped up, the U.S. looked clueless, allowing passes to break all of the lines and totally bypass the midfield.

That, we can also excuse. A coach won't always get the XI right, and Andonovski definitely didn't, but you do get the benefit of substitutions, right? Well, Andonovski only made one. In a World Cup game. With the deepest team in the world.

His one sub, Rose Lavelle, was spot on, but the decision to not make a single other change is baffling, to say the least. Early in the second half, this game was dying for a player to help the U.S. establish control. Later, it was dying for a player with the ability to steal a winner. Instead, Andonovski let several gassed players run around aimlessly in the name of continuity. No Lynn Williams, no Alyssa Thompson, no Megan Rapinoe… nothing.

It's something you simply can't do at this level. Rest is at a premium, and the USWNT has an advantage over just about every team when it comes to depth. Why, then, would Andonovski not roll the dice when the U.S. was so obviously not getting what they wanted out of the game?

The USWNT survived it this time, only just. It wasn't due to some change in tactics or game-changing coaching decision. No, it was due to the fact that Lindsey Horan got angry and dunked on the Netherlands out of revenge. It was frustration, not coaching, that got the U.S. out of this mess.

For years, Andonovski has, perhaps unfairly, been criticized for many of this team's shortcomings. The USWNT has never quite been a dominant force under his leadership, and that isn't totally his fault. Injuries have played a part, for sure, as have some irregularities in the player pool. You can't control everything.

What you can control is something as simple as substitutions. Andonovski didn't. It's a mistake that went relatively unpunished, thankfully for the USWNT, who simply can't get away with this type of coaching against the best teams in the world

AdvertisementGettyWINNER: Lindsey Horan

As it turns out, Horan called her shot. "You get trash talk every single day from Dan van de Donk," she told GOAL just before the World Cup, "and once we play them, you'll see it. She'll be coming for my ankles like every single play so watch out for that. That will be fun!" Prophetic, huh?

Horan was right all along, unfortunately for Van de Donk, who woke up her Lyon team-mate in a big way. After a collision between the two and some obvious frustration from Horan, the USWNT captain stepped up with a huge header just moments later, turning her anger into a game-tying goal.

It was the type of moment you'd expect from a captain. She had her difficulties in the first half, for sure, but as the game wore on and frustration mounted, Horan turned it into the moment this team needed. Job well done for the USWNT captain. Who knows what she'll predict next?

Getty ImagesLOSER: Trinity Rodman

Early on, Trinity Rodman was the USWNT's only bright spot. Her pace made her dangerous and she nearly got a goal seconds after the USWNT conceded. There was a pretty significant amount of time that it looked like the goal was most likely to come from something Rodman did.

But you just have to look at the numbers to see that this wasn't the game the USWNT needed from Rodman. The young winger attempted 23 passes; she completed just 10 of them. That's 43 percent. She was also dispossessed six different times. So many attacks came to an end once the ball got to Rodman's feet. You simply can't give up the ball that often at this level.

Now, Andonovski should have seen that and taken her off. She obviously faded as the game went on and, generally, a coach would have thrown on fresh legs for some fresh ideas in the attack. Instead, Rodman was left out to dry a bit.

The bright spots should ensure her confidence doesn't dip too much. Rodman is a legitimate weapon, one that kept the Netherlands on the back foot right up until they scored. She'll have better games than this, for sure, and she'll learn from what was a very, very big lesson on the biggest stage.

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GettyWINNER: Rose Lavelle

We all knew that Lavelle was important to this team, but this first half proved just how vital she is. The Netherlands cut through the USWNT midfield like Swiss cheese throughout the opening 45 minutes, completely dominating the American midfield three with ease. That is until Lavelle arrived to save the day.

The balance totally shifted when the midfielder was tossed into the game as she replaced Savannah DeMelo, who may just have been the team's best midfielder in the opening half. Lavelle immediately got herself stuck in in what was a physical game, helping provide some fight back against the tide.

Her assist on Horan's goal, meanwhile, was fantastic, helping the U.S. salvage a point. Andonovski only made one sub on the day, and he did get that one right as Lavelle was the player to change this game.

The question is what comes next. Is she healthy enough to finally go 90 against Portugal? The U.S. better hope so. They can't win this thing without her.

Buoyant Pakistan eye whitewash against world champions

Match facts

September 27, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1600 GMT)

Big Picture

Bereft of confidence and 0-4 down, not much was happening for Pakistan’s limited-overs squad in their ODI series against England last month. But, as is the case in sport, one moment of clear thinking can help a team turn around. Pakistan achieved that through a partnership between their best limited-overs batsmen, Shoaib Malik and Sarfraz Ahmed, in a demanding chase of 303 in Cardiff. Three convincing T20 wins followed, and now, Pakistan have an atypical sense of belief in their own game, and camaraderie under newly-appointed captain Sarfraz has hit a new level. Although this series is done, Pakistan are still striving to find the glue that can hold it all together: consistency.Pakistan’s series win against West Indies has been built around the same modus operandi they’ve used for decades – bat to par and bowl well above that. Reducing the world champions to 48 for 8 and 89 for 7 in the first two T20s showed their discipline with the ball. A youthful side has also shown the ability to save runs on the field. But, how will Pakistan’s new-look outfit hold their own under the duress that this format often brings?As teams master the T20 format, they also sometimes deem a “bad day” acceptable. West Indies’ batsmen suffered two in succession, which has cost the team the series; their six-hitters have hit the wall when unable to find the boundary. “West Indies are known to be a boundary-hitting side. But it’s up to us to find a way around that,” batting coach Toby Radford said after the second T20. If they don’t, a whitewash may be inevitable.

Form guide

Pakistan WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LLWWW

In the spotlight

Shoaib Malik has been one of Pakistan’s most consistent T20 performers. In his last 16 T20I innings, Malik has failed to register a double-digit score just once. Malik’s experience and fielding prowess have also helped Pakistan in their dramatic limited-overs revival.West Indies’ middle order, which includes Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite, is arguably the best in the world. Bravo resurrected West Indies’ innings in the first T20 with a 54-ball 55. But for them to be at their destructive best, West Indies’ top order has to set a base from where the middle order can attack effectively.

Team news

Pakistan have no reason to change their winning combination with a whitewash in sight, although coach Mickey Arthur said on the eve of the game that there might be changes on the fast-bowling front. “We would like to bring in [Mohammad] Amir, and start him bowling before the ODIs,” he said. “I want to know how Rumman Raees goes too, but we will take a final decision tomorrow.”*Pakistan (probable): 1 Sharjeel Khan, 2 Khalid Latif, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Sohail Tanvir, 11 Hasan Ali/Mohammad AmirWith the series gone, captain Carlos Brathwaite said they are likely to hand a debut to one or two players. Rovman Powell may make it into the XI for Nicholas Pooran, who has scores of 5 and 4 in his first two T20Is. West Indies may also rejig their misfiring top order.West Indies (probable): 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Andre Fletcher (wk), 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 8 Rovman Powell/Nicholas Pooran, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Jerome Taylor

Pitch and conditions

Abu Dhabi, with its larger dimensions, will provide a different challenge to the batsmen. Pakistan’s batsmen scampered through for plenty of twos in the smaller Dubai outfield, which could continue. West Indies’ six-hitting ability and adaptability will be tested. The nature of the pitch is unlikely to be too dissimilar from the first two T20Is, and temperatures are expected to be in the late 30s again.

Stats and trivia

  • Before this series, Pakistan had never won more than one match in a three-match T20I series
  • Pakistan’s left-arm bowlers have taken 14 wickets this series, the joint most for any team in a bilateral T20I series
  • Pakistan have won only one of the four T20Is they have played in Abu Dhabi

Quotes

“The dot-ball percentage was always far too high [previously in limited-overs cricket], so we had to rotate the strike more and we particulary worked hard to score off good balls. It was pleasing to see us score so many [87] off the last ten the other night.”
“I haven’t lost confidence in anyone as a team”.
*18.00GMT, September 26: The preview was updated after Mickey Arthur’s media interaction

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