Alice Capsey had scored just 17 runs across her five previous T20Is for England, but she chose the most opportune time to things around – before a record crowd at Lord’s in a must-win Ashes contest. But quite apart from arresting a run of single-figure scores, her 46 off 23 balls pushed the hosts to a landmark victory and kept them afloat in the multi-format series against Australia.”The series is still alive, which is amazing,” Capsey told Sky Sports after England’s five-wicket victory with four balls to spare in a rain-hit third match of their T20I series, which England won 2-1 on Saturday night. “T20 cricket, especially the way I play, sometimes I’m going to come off and sometimes I won’t. It’s just about getting better and trying to become more consistent at it. I’ve been working hard in the nets, and have been given a lot of backing by the coaching staff.”Capsey fell four shy of what would have been her third half-century in T20Is, after hitting 50 in England’s victory over South Africa in the group stages of the Commonwealth Games nearly a year ago, and 51 off just 22 balls against Ireland at the T20 World Cup in February. And against Australia at Lord’s, she demonstrated perfectly how she plays, which saw her make her international debut last summer – still only aged 17 – and which has now handed England two precious points while consigning Australia to their first series defeat since the 2017-18 Ashes, when they had also lost the T20Is 2-1.Related

• Sophia Dunkley to open batting as England embrace 'disruptors' role

• Capsey powers England to T20 series win and keeps Ashes alive

Capsey came in with England 39 for 2 after Danni Wyatt’s assertive 26 from 15 had set their run chase off to a strong start. A big six over deep midwicket off Jess Jonassen was followed by an even bigger one off Megan Schutt, which landed in the stands beyond the same area. In between, there were four fours to all four corners of the ground.And, as she spoke of having the coaching staff’s backing, this England side are backing themselves to upset Australia, who had scraped to a four-wicket win in the first T20I before losing by three runs in the second. Saturday’s match, in which England chased down a revised target of 119 from 14 overs after Ellyse Perry had rescued Australia from 66 for 3 to post 155 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, was played before a crowd of 21,610, a record for a women’s bilateral fixture in England, with three sold-out ODIs to come.England must prevail in all three of the remaining fixtures – in Bristol, Southampton and Taunton – if they are to win the Ashes for the first time since 2013-14, and they are full of self belief, according to Lauren Bell, the seamer who took the important wicket of Perry in the third T20I.”She was outstanding tonight,” Bell said of Capsey. “She definitely got us got us over the line. I think that’s why she was so gutted because she wanted to be there at the end. She had an outstanding performance. She very much contributed to the win.”Alyssa Healy said that England had “out-braved” her team ahead of the one-day series•Getty Images

“It’s definitely boosted our confidence,” Bell said of the win. “After the first two games, we felt like we could win and we just needed to do a few things better. Getting a series win against Australia is special, and now we can push on to the ODIs. We’ve got a lot of confidence in the group now.”Each ODI is worth two points, with Australia still leading the series 6-4. Alyssa Healy, the Australia captain, told broadcasters that England had “out-braved” her team ahead of the one-day series, a format in which her side is on a 15-game winning streak.Shelley Nitschke, their head coach, had echoed Healy’s appraisal after losing the second T20I at The Oval that the Australians were yet to produce their best cricket.”We’ve probably been off again a little bit for the three T20s to be fair,” Nitschke said after the defeat at Lord’s. “Even the first game that we managed to win at Edgbaston, I still felt like we still haven’t played our best cricket. I’s a tight turnaround now to the ODIs, but we’re still staying alive in the Ashes series, which is what we’ve come here to win.”We’ve just got to have a look at our game and make sure when we start the ODI series that we’re correcting some of those errors that we’re making and that we’re really sharp. They’re playing good cricket, so we certainly know that we have to play really good cricket as well. We certainly know that that it’s not going to be an easy task for us.”Both teams are yet to name their 50-over squads ahead of the first match scheduled in Bristol on Wednesday.

Club accept sanctions but express disappointment at being docked 48 points in County Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2023Yorkshire have been fined a total of £400,000, and handed points deductions in both this year’s County Championship and Vitality Blast competitions, following the announcement of long-awaited sanctions from the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).The punishments relate to Yorkshire’s handling of Azeem Rafiq’s revelations of institutional racism at the club, for which they admitted to four amended charges at the original CDC hearing in February. In those, they accepted that their conduct between 2004 and 2021 had been prejudicial to the interests of cricket and had brought the game of cricket into disrepute.On Friday, the CDC panel – comprising Tim O’Gorman (chair), Professor Seema Patel and Mark Milliken-Smith KC – issued the club with an official reprimand, in addition to a £400,000 fine, an immediate 48-point deduction in the 2023 County Championship, and a four-point deduction from the 2023 T20 Blast.Neither points deduction is likely to make any material difference to Yorkshire’s on-field ambitions this season. They finished fifth in the North Group standings in the Blast, and so missed out on a quarter-final berth of a competition that concluded earlier this month, while they are off the pace for promotion in Division Two of the Championship, after managing one win in their first ten fixtures.The official breakdown of the fine is as follows: £80,000 in respect of Charge 1 (the mishandling of Rafiq’s case);
£50,000 in respect of Charge 2 (the deletion and destruction of data);
£135,000 in respect of Charge 3 (not taking action relating to racist behaviour); and
£135,000 in respect of Charge 4 (the systemic use of racist language over a prolonged period)Of this sum, £300,000 is to be suspended for a period of two years.Responding to the CDC’s decision, Yorkshire issued a statement acknowledging that they accepted the sanction, but added that they were disappointed at the points deductions, echoing the concerns of their head coach, Ottis Gibson, who believed the club’s new regime should not be punished for past failings.”Following representations by the board at last month’s hearing, the CDC and ECB have today acknowledged the vast amount of work done by YCCC to overcome the cultural issues that existed within the club, which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged,” the statement added.”We are accountable for these issues, and we accepted four amended charges as part of a continued commitment to ensure we are able to move forward.”We are disappointed to receive the points deductions which affects players and staff at the club, who were not responsible for the situation. They have worked tirelessly on and off the field to rebuild Yorkshire into an inclusive and welcoming club that reflects the communities it serves. Greater clarity over our situation will allow us all now to look ahead.”There remains much to do, but we have made significant investments to put in place best practice processes and procedures, as well as driving equity, diversity and inclusion through a new framework and taking important steps to improve the matchday experience to encourage greater inclusivity and tackle discrimination. This is in addition to the real progress we have seen on our Performance Pathway, ensuring young cricketers from all backgrounds can take part regardless of their economic circumstances.”We look forward to continued dialogue with the ECB to ensure the financial penalty does not hinder our ongoing commitment to build on the strong foundations that have been laid. We remain focused on efforts to secure YCCC’s sustainability, ensuring the stability required to create a brighter future for all associated with Yorkshire Cricket.”Speaking after Yorkshire’s fixture against Division Two leaders Durham at Scarborough ended in a draw, with bad weather washing out days three and four, Gibson said: “At least next year we know where we stand. We have four games left in the Championship this season, and that’s 96 points that we can play for. We’ll try and win the next four games. That’s all we’re trying to do – win every game we play.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Expulso na derrota do São Paulo contra o Atlético-GO, por 3 a 1, Igor Gomes já é desfalque certo para o confronto de volta pelas semifinais da Copa Sul-Americana. Porém, não é de agora que o meia vive um ‘inferno astral’ na equipe.

RelacionadasSão PauloCeni não poupa Igor Gomes após expulsão em derrota do São Paulo: ‘Foi um erro dele’São Paulo02/09/2022São Paulo‘Virada agora é obrigação’, define Rogério Ceni após derrota do São Paulo em GoiâniaSão Paulo02/09/2022São PauloLuciano pede para ‘deixar a expulsão de lado’ em decisão na Sul-Americana e destaca confiança no São PauloSão Paulo01/09/2022

>ATUAÇÕES: Igor Gomes e defesa do São Paulo vão mal e complicam a equipe na Sul-Americana

Tabela
> Veja tabela da Copa Sul-Americana e simule os próximos jogos

Contra o Dragão, já não fazia um bom jogo. Contestado pela torcida e claramente sem confiança, cravou sua expulsão aos 40 minutos do primeiro tempo, após uma falta em cima de Edson, que gerou seu segundo cartão amarelo. Assim, além de deixar a equipe com um a menos em campo, não poderá ser uma opção para o duelo de volta, que acontece no dia 9 de setembro, no estádio do Morumbi.

E aí que um novo nome entra em discussão: Giuliano Galoppo. Quando o São Paulo anunciou a contratação de um meia – que até então é a mais cara de toda a história do clube – os torcedores acreditaram que Igor Gomes perderia um pouco do seu espaço no elenco e dividiria sua titularidade com o ex-Banfield. Mas não foi bem assim.

Igor Gomes está ‘de mal’ com os são-paulinos. No começo de agosto, na derrota por 2 a 0 contra o Flamengo no Morumbi, o atleta deixou os gramados sob vaias da torcida. Desde então, seu desempenho não tem agrado. Porém, isso não fez com que o meia perdesse chances na equipe.

Dos 48 jogos que disputou nesta temporada, não foi titular em somente seis. Mesmo com a oscilação mostrada em campo, continua sendo uma insistência de Rogério Ceni, que detém mais opções no elenco. Logo após este confronto com o Rubro-Negro, o treinador chegou a sair em defesa ao atleta e destacou que ‘não abriria mão’ do jogador.

– Eu já saí vaiado do Pacaembu por todo mundo. É parte da vida quando você se expõe publicamente, quando as notícias vão afetando o torcedor, pode acontecer uma vaia. O importante é que eles tenham cabeça boa, não desistam, nós não vamos desistir de ninguém até o fim do ano. São esses jogadores que encerram o ano, se não houver mais vendas – disse.

Quanto a Galoppo, o discurso se tornou outro. Desde quando foi anunciado, o Tricolor disputou doze partidas. Destas, esteve presente em sete, sendo somente duas como titular. Neste caso, Ceni justificou em jogos passados que o atleta ainda não tinha o ritmo.

– Ele não se adequou tão bem ao que imaginávamos. Vamos trabalhar para que possa encaixar melhor. É um jogador útil para a gente – disse o técnico há alguns jogos.

A instabilidade de Igor Gomes abre debate para outra discussão, desta vez, referente à uma possível renovação – que ainda não está certa.

Em números, a visão não é tão positiva. De acordo com dados levantados pelo FootStats, no Campeonato Brasileiro é o atleta do São Paulo com o maior número de passes errados (88). Em cruzamentos, conta com mais erros que acertos (36 contra 18).

Mas além dos números, a questão mental também parece estar pesando na conta. Muito pela pressão da torcida – e até mesmo por uma renovação de contrato – Igor Gomes tem adotado uma postura ‘nervosa’ em campo. Além da pressa na tomada de decisões, que leva muitas vezes ao erro, parece bem nervoso em diversos momentos. Isto foi bastante visto contra o Atlético-GO, quando levou os dois cartões que culminaram em sua expulsão.

– Quando você joga sob vaias, é complicado. O lance independe disso, foi um erro dele, já tinha o amarelo e não podia ter dado o carrinho. De resto, pode ser o psicológico, mas o lance crucial não tem a ver. Infelizmente, ele cometeu um erro, igual todos nós já cometemos na carreira. O jogo ficou mais complicado depois disso. O intuito agora é como virar o jogo no Morumbi. Temos condições, e nosso foco hoje é isso – disse Ceni após o caso.

Seu atual vínculo com o Tricolor paulista termina em março do próximo ano. O LANCE! adiantou que o meia recusou a primeira proposta feita pelo Tricolor e quer uma valorização salarial.

Neste contexto, o Botafogo chegou até a demonstrar um certo interesse na cria de Cotia. O clube carioca visava um pré-contrato, mas nada foi desenrolado de fato.

Em meio a esta insegurança em campo, pressão da torcida e incerteza no futuro, agora com sua suspensão, há a chance de Rogério Ceni optar – finalmente – por outras opções para a posição, a fim de tentar uma redenção do meia com os são-paulinos.

Veja os comentários de alguns torcedores sobre Igor Gomes nas redes sociais:

Rogério ceni n tem amor nenhum ao time colocando esse Igor Gomes de titular todo jogo sabendo que todo jogo ele só erra, expulso ou não ele não faz a mínima diferença

— Ariel (@_analauracm) September 2, 2022

muito difícil defender ainda o Igor Gomes.
Duas faltas desnecessárias, vários erros de passes e a expulsão que ajudou o São Paulo a sair derrotado hoje.

Como não joga a volta, tomara que se destaque positivamente no Brasileirão contra Cuiabá e Corinthians

— Thiago Sanches (@sanchesthiagoo) September 2, 2022

A torcida do SP sempre busca alguém pra crucificar, quase sempre exagerado, mas ta dificil defender o igor gomes

— Thomas (@Thomas_suter) September 2, 2022

Newcastle United advanced their claim to secure a place in the Champions League next season with a 2-1 win over Brentford at St. James’ Park on Wednesday night.

The Magpies took the lead through their star striker Alexander Isak, who bundled the ball in from around six yards out after Jacob Murphy whipped a terrific cross in.

Thomas Frank’s team found a leveller, though, after Nick Pope gave away a spot-kick and allowed Bryan Mbuemo to score from the spot to make it 1-1.

Eddie Howe’s men eventually found the winner in the second half when Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali scored a bizarre goal to seal all three points for the home team.

How Sandro Tonali scored his wondergoal

The Italy international found himself in a crossing position out by the corner flag on the right flank, with Joelinton, Callum Wilson, and Joe Willock all in the box awaiting a ball in from the former AC Milan man.

Instead of a cross, though, those three players watched a shanked effort fly into the roof of Mark Flekken’s net, as the Bees goalkeeper was caught out by what appears to have been a mishit from the central midfielder.

It caught everyone, perhaps even Tonali, by surprise but it is a piece of fortune that the Magpies will certainly take, as it puts them one step closer to securing a top-five finish in the Premier League.

The former Serie A dynamo may have secured himself a place as one of the undroppable stars, alongside Isak – who has scored 20 goals and started all 26 of his Premier League appearances, after scoring that either unbelievable or fluke of a goal.

Isak and Tonali are not the only Newcastle players who should be undroppable after that performance against the Bees, though, as Joelinton bossed the middle of the park.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Why Joelinton is undroppable for Newcastle

The Brazil international showcased his quality in and out of possession in the win over Brentford with a terrific display in midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Tonali.

Joelinton, who has started all 25 of his outings in the top-flight this season, reaffirmed why Howe has so much faith in him with a dominant defensive showing, winning six of his eight ground duels and six of his nine aerial contests.

The former Hoffenheim ace also won three tackles without being dribbled past a single time by a Brentford player, which shows that he was a man mountain in midfield for Newcastle.

As you can see in the table above, Joelinton was also far more efficient in possession in comparison to his midfield partners, whilst also outperforming them defensively.

The 28-year-old bruiser has consistently delivered on the defensive end all season with the most combined tackles, interceptions, and clearances (4.7) per game of any midfielder in the squad, providing Howe with an immovable anchor in the middle of the park.

Joelinton’s physicality allows the Magpies to take the game to opposition teams by pressing high and winning the ball back in great areas to create counter-attack opportunities for the likes of Isak and Murphy to make the most of.

He is, therefore, an undroppable cog in Newcastle’s machine, as further evidenced by his sensational display against the Bees, and Howe must continue to select him for the rest of the season.

Top 1% for assists: Newcastle join race for £25m "future Ballon D'or winner"

The Magpies are interested in signing a playmaker, who has 18 assists to his name already this season.

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 2, 2025

In the Asia Cup’s group of death, Bangladesh now face a must-win game against Afghanistan

Madushka Balasuriya31-Aug-20231:34

Mahroof: Pleased to see the planning from Samarawickrama and Asalanka

Fifties from Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama saw home a nervy chase in sluggish conditions, as Sri Lanka kicked off their Asia Cup campaign with an ultimately convincing five-wicket win over Bangladesh. The result means Sri Lanka have one foot in the Super 4 stage, while Bangladesh face a must-win tie against Afghanistan.Asalanka, who had come into this game in a lean stretch of form, ended unbeaten on 62 off 92 deliveries, just the kind of gritty knock that was needed on a two-paced Pallekele surface and against a Bangladesh bowling outfit that gave little away.Set a target of just 165, Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother at 43 for 3 when Asalanka joined Samarawickrama in the middle. Before that Dimuth Karanuratne had played all over a full in-ducker from Taskin Ahmed, while Kusal Mendis had been castled a Shakib Al Hasan arm ball. In between Pathum Nissanka had slashed and nicked a short, wide one from Shoriful Islam.Early wickets are crucial when defending a low total, and Bangladesh certainly felt they were in the game at that point, but in Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka had precisely the man they wanted in such a situation.Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama revived the chase after the loss of three early wickets•Getty ImagesBatting at No. 4, Samarawickrama took it upon himself to keep the scoreboard ticking. Back-to-back boundaries against Taskin, including a sumptuous cover drive, showed his intent, but the loss of wickets forced him to play more of an accumulator’s role.Once Asalanka joined him, the pair was initially content to nudge around for singles and play out dot balls when necessary, with the scoreboard pressure non-existent. Still, if there was any pressure building up, Samarawickrama released it with a couple of fours off Shakib in the 19th over.The two grafted together 78 before Samarawickrama fell, stumped off Mahedi Hasan, though by this point the chase was well in hand. Dhananjaya de Silva had his stumps disturbed by Shakib a short while after to keep give rise to a few more Sri Lankan nerves, but Dasun Shanaka joined Asalanka at the crease to see home the chase.It was a result where Bangladesh would wonder what could have been, especially seeing as they had failed to bat out the full 50 overs. Only Najmul Hossain Shanto with his valiant 89 showed any resistance against Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who had the rest of the Bangladesh line-up in a stranglehold and bowled them out for 164.Matheesha Pathirana capped his Asia Cup debut with career-best figures of 4 for 32, while the always-excellent Maheesh Theekshana picked up a couple. But it was the pair of Dhananjaya and Dunith Wellalage that provided the platform for Sri Lanka’s strike bowlers to thrive, as the right-arm- and left-arm-spin combo rifled through the middle overs, never allowing the batters to score freely, and most importantly allowing skipper Shanaka to hold back on the reintroduction of both Theekshana and Pathirana.Matheesha Pathirana ended with career-best figures of 4 for 32•Getty ImagesThis was crucial, as in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka were one strike bowler short. But on this difficult surface, Sri Lanka’s bowlers stuck to good lines and lengths and never really allowed the Bangladesh batters to get on top for any significant length of time.After Theekshana and Dhananjaya had removed openers Tanzid Hasan and Mohammed Naim cheaply, Shakib gloved Pathirana behind in the 11th over to leave Bangladesh reeling at 36 for 3.It was at this point that Bangladesh finally looked to get a foot in the game, with Shanto and Towhid Hridoy putting on a stand of 59, but the pressure that was built up in the middle overs began to tell. Shanaka brought himself on and had an advancing Hridoy lbw, via DRS.Mushfiqur Rahim and Shanto then added 32 for the fifth wicket, but the former fell foul of a textbook ploy – a couple of full deliveries followed by a short one – to hole out to deep third.Once Mushfiqur departed, not a single other Bangladeshi batter was able to keep Shanto company for long as Pathirana and Theekshana ran through the lower order. Apart from Shanto, only Hridoy managed to reach 20, while only two other batters reached double digits.

Bayern Munich are considering a move to gazump Chelsea in the hunt for Jamie Gittens' signature.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bayern chasing Gittens
• Dortmund winger had been expected to move to Chelsea
• Bayern chasing new left-winger

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The German club's sporting director Max Eberl left the Club World Cup surprisingly early to reportedly work on transfers, and it could be at Chelsea's expense. The Bundesliga champions have identified Jamie Gittens as a potential new signing and reports that the club are in talks with the player. It would be a blow for the Blues who had seen an initial offer knocked back by Dortmund as they look to bolster their front line.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Should Bayern prove too strong competition for Chelsea in the hunt for Gittens, then the west London club will have to explore other options. Lyon's Malick Fofana and Brighton's Joao Pedro have emerged as possible alternative options in attack, but little progress has been made on a move for either player so far. Chelsea have already added Liam Delap to their forward options, but a wide player to replace the outgoing Jadon Sancho is still wanted.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bayern are having their own problems with recruitment. Needing to replace the outgoing Leroy Sane, the Bavarian giants had been after Athletic Club's Nico Williams, but the young Spanish winger looks set to move to Barcelona. A move for AC Milan's Rafael Leao is also only at early stages and nothing substantial has materialised as of yet.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GITTENS?

  Gittens is currently in the United States with the Dortmund squad taking part in the Club World Cup. He made an appearance off of the bench against Fluminense in the opening group stage game, a 0-0 draw, but was an unused substitute in the 4-3 thriller against Mamelodi Sundowns. Their final game of the group stage is against Korean side Ulsan.

MatériaMais Notícias

O treino do Botafogo nesta quinta-feira contou com uma presença ilustre. Giovana Waksman, uma das principais jogadoras das categorias de base do clube, foi até o Espaço Lonier, futuro CT do Alvinegro, e conheceu as instalações do futebol profissional.

+Entenda por que John Textor ainda não fechou com a fornecedora para o uniforme do Botafogo

Como o Botafogo não possui categoria de base feminina, a meia atua entre os meninos e é a camisa 10 da equipe sub-13 do Glorioso. Ela é considerada como uma das principais promessas do futebol brasileiro.

+Giovanna Waksman superou o machismo para guiar Botafogo ao primeiro título da base na era SAF

Giovana conversou com Luís Castro, técnico do Glorioso, e acompanhou a atividade de perto. A presença da jogadora foi destacada nas redes sociais do Alvinegro.

RelacionadasBotafogoAdryelson analisa chegada ao Botafogo, destaca ‘parceria’ com Cuesta e exalta apoio da torcidaBotafogo15/09/2022BotafogoBotafogo x Coritiba: clube abre venda de ingressos para público geralBotafogo15/09/2022BotafogoBotafogo lança campanha para aumentar segurança das mulheres no estádioBotafogo14/09/2022

علق سيد عبد الحفيظ مدير الكرة السابق في الأهلي، على اقتراب حمدي فتحي، لاعب الوكرة القطري الحالي والأحمر السابق من الانتقال إلى صفوف بيراميدز.

وقال عبد الحفيظ عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “حمدي فتحي واحد من اللاعبين الأقوياء، صحيح أن ظهوره في كأس العالم لم يكن الأفضل، لكنه بشكل عام لاعب جيد جدًا”.

وتابع: “أما عن احتمالية انتقاله إلى بيراميدز، فهذا أمر طبيعي في هذه الأيام، لم تعد تأمن لأي لاعب كرة قدم؛ فقد يُقبل اللاعب الشعار ويُظهر حبه للجماهير، ثم يوقّع لنادٍ آخر”.

طالع.. كولومبوس كرو يهدد وسام أبو علي عبر “بطولات”.. وهل يحرضه ضد الأهلي؟

واستكمل: “لنتحدث بواقعية، النادي دائمًا هو الأعلى، لا يوجد لاعب سيزيد من حب الجماهير للنادي أو ينقصه، الجماهير تُحب الأهلي بمن فيه، والأهلي لا يتوقف على أحد”.

وأضاف: “صحيح أن الأهلي يسعى إلى العالمية، لكن من المهم جدًا ألا نغفل الأساسيات، لا بد أن يظل النادي هو الكيان الأعلى، وأي لاعب لا يريد البقاء فيه، نقول له مع السلامة، لكن لا بد أيضًا أن يحصل النادي على حقوقه، لسنا بحاجة إلى مع السلامة المجانية، أيًا يكن هذا اللاعب”.

وأردف: “منذ أربع أو خمس سنوات كنا في الموقف ذاته، ولم نتحدث، كان الأهلي بدون إمام عاشور وزيزو وبن شرقي ووسام، وجميعهم لاعبون مميزون ومع ذلك، حصل النادي على كل شيء، اسم النادي هو من يُضيف للاعب”.

وأتم: “لا أؤيد فكرة أن يُقال عن لاعب مثَل الأهلي موسمًا واحدًا، إنه لم يلعب كثيرًا، فطالما تواجد في الأهلي ولو لموسم واحد، فهو يُعتبر ابنًا من أبنائه، طالما التزم بسلوكيات النادي وقيمه، فهو على رأسي وعيني”.

Emiliano Martinez has been backed to emulate Peter Schmeichel at Manchester United if he seals a move to Old Trafford from Aston Villa.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

United linked with Aston Villa goalkeeperSeen as a potential replacement for Andre OnanaLee Sharpe urges United to get deal doneFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United have been linked with a summer swoop to sign Martinez from Villa, having reportedly first made a bid for the Argentina international in January. Martinez is reportedly keen on the move, and Lee Sharpe believes that he should be recruited to replace Andre Onana, who he does not feel was ever good enough to succeed David de Gea.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Martinez, a World Cup winner with Argentina, played in all but one of Villa's games in the Premier League last season, and also played in every minute of their Champions League campaign, as they reached the quarter-finals, losing to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. After the final game of the season, the stopper appeared to wave goodbye to the Villa Park faithful. And Sharpe believes he could emulate United great Peter Schmeichel, one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history, at Old Trafford.

WHAT LEE SHARPE SAID

Sharpe told Aceodds.com: “United have been linked with Emi Martinez and I don’t think there’s a club in the world that wouldn’t take Martinez. I think his attitude and charisma is great and he spreads that to his back four. He’s like Schmeichel. He makes saves he shouldn’t pull off and he’ll earn a team 10-12 points a season.”

The former United star added: “I think the goalkeeping area is a questionable one. Is it a priority? No. But if the opportunity comes along to upgrade and get a few quid for Onana then I think it’s something they’ll look at. I’m still surprised they let David de Gea go. I know his last two seasons weren’t great but I still think they were better than what Onana has been. He pulls off good saves but then he lets in school boy error goals.

“Onana hasn’t been helped by the fact United don’t score enough goals. If they scored two or three his mistakes would be under less scrutiny. He’d get away with the mistakes he’s making. Currently though he’s causing them issues. I understand he’s good with his feet and it’s like having an extra player but I think it’s costing United more than they’re gaining.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT?

United will open their pre-season campaign with a friendly against Leeds on July 19. It remains to be seen if they will formalise their interest in Martinez.

Big picture: Back to the 20-over format

Roll up, roll up! We’ve had rollercoaster men’s and women’s Ashes, the Hundred has enjoyed its month in the spotlight… but there’s still room in the sardine can for a bilateral white-ball series or three! Astute followers of the game will be aware that New Zealand arrived in the country a few days ago, but the rest of you are forgiven if you missed it between 100-ball shenanigans and World Cup squad headlines.The tour begins with four – yes, four – T20Is, starting at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, before four – yes, four – ODIs that will set England on the runway towards their 50-over World Cup defence. As such, the T20Is provide more of an opportunity to test the hosts’ depth, ahead of another global event in the US and Caribbean next year – although plans to blood a trio of young pace bowlers have already taken a turn after injuries ruled out John Turner and Josh Tongue.Gus Atkinson, one of the breakout stars of the season and a man capable of bowling 95mph/152kph, should, however, win an England debut over the next few days. Atkinson helped Oval Invincibles to the Hundred title at the weekend, having caught Jos Buttler’s eye during a head-to-head contest earlier in the campaign, and the Surrey man has shot up the pecking order to the extent that he is also in the provisional World Cup squad – despite having only played two List A games in his career.There should also be chances for the likes of Rehan Ahmed, Luke Wood and Will Jacks, while Jonny Bairstow is set to play his first T20I in over a year, having missed England’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign in Australia. Bairstow may be the immediate beneficiary of Alex Hales’ recent retirement, having only opened sporadically over the course of his international T20 career.Gus Atkinson is expected to make his England debut against New Zealand•Getty Images

Such is the sense of dislocation around the schedule, England haven’t actually played a limited-overs international since mid-March, when their world champion status was knocked by a 3-0 T20I defeat in Bangladesh. But Buttler, coming in off the back of a tournament-leading run haul in the Hundred, and Matthew Mott now have an intensive programme with which to fine-tune preparations for the subcontinent.As it happens, the tournament opener on October 5 will pit England against, yes, New Zealand, in a rematch of the 2019 final (with Player of the Match at Lord’s, Ben Stokes, back out of retirement, although he won’t be involved in the T20Is). Tim Southee, New Zealand’s T20I captain, acknowledged that all roads currently lead to Ahmedabad, and there is plenty for the tourists to get straightened out over while in England.They arrived on the back of a 2-1 win in the UAE with an experimental side – but saw a remarkable record of 39 games without defeat against non-Test nations ended in the second match of the series. The squad to face England will be significantly stronger, however, with several already in rhythm after plying their trade in the Hundred.For New Zealand’s World Cup hopes, the most-important element of this tour might be how Kane Williamson goes in his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury. Williamson is not expected to be involved against England, while Trent Boult will only play the ODIs as he returns to the fold after opting out of a central contract last year – but after several months in which the global T20 franchise circuit has dominated conversations, a different narrative is starting to build.Kyle Jamieson made his comeback to international cricket in the UAE last week•Emirates Cricket Board

Form guide

England LLLWW
New Zealand WLWWW

In the spotlight: Harry Brook and Kyle Jamieson

Jos Buttler last week described Harry Brook as unfortunate to miss out on selection for the World Cup, sentiments which he repeated before the game at Chester-le-Street. Brook is a T20 World Cup winner who averages 62.15 with a strike rate of 91.76 in Tests – and therefore perfectly suited to the 50-over game – but Stokes’ return has nixed his hopes of being in India (at least for now). Having responded to his omission by scoring the fastest century in the short history of the Hundred, off 41 balls, he will doubtless be keen to nudge the selectors again.Kyle Jamieson suffered a back injury on New Zealand’s tour of England in 2022 that subsequently ruled him out of action for much of the next 14 months. His phenomenal start to life as a Test cricketer led to a US$2.5m IPL deal in 2021, although life has not always run smoothly as he attempted to juggle his workload across formats. Jamieson has only featured eight ODIs and 11 T20Is for New Zealand but played his first cricket since February in the UAE and could yet be a key weapon at the 50-over World Cup, with his imposing height and ability as a lower-order hitter.

Team news: England test bench, NZ welcome big guns

England’s intention for this series had been to blood their next tier of white-ball quicks, ahead of next year’s defence of their T20 World Cup title, but two of those uncapped prospects, John Turner and Josh Tongue, have already been withdrawn through injury, with Brydon Carse and the old-stager Chris Jordan slotting in in their stead. The third of that trio of new boys, Atkinson, is sure to play at some stage as England seek to fast-track his international experience ahead of his prospective World Cup call-up, although having featured in Oval Invincibles’ victory in the men’s Hundred final on Sunday night, his involvement may yet be deferred. On the batting side, Brook is the squad’s cause celebre, although Ben Duckett and Jacks have plenty of incentive to impress as well, with Buttler having admitted last week that nothing is yet set in stone for the World Cup.England: 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Chris Jordan/Brydon Carse, 10 Luke Wood, 11 Gus AtkinsonMatthew Mott and Jos Buttler were reunited after a long break in the white-ball schedule•Getty Images

New Zealand’s squad is assembling Avengers-style from myriad corners of the cricketing universe. A scratch squad contested a brace of warm-up games against Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, but now a host of Hundred combatants are returning to the fray – among them Southee, Daryl Mitchell and Adam Milne, who provided three touches of Kiwi class in an otherwise dead-rubber clash between Birmingham Phoenix and London Spirit last week. In a rather more high-profile outing, Devon Conway and Finn Allen formed a potent alliance for Southern Brave in Saturday’s Eliminator at The Oval, and will slot back in at the top of the NZ order, after Tim Seifert and Chad Bowes stood in against UAE. Jamieson made his comeback in that series after a long-standing back injury, and will continue his progress over the coming games. Jimmy Neesham, a hero of the Hundred final for Oval Invincibles, is heading home for the birth of his child.New Zealand: 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman/Tim Seifert, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Rachin Ravindra/Cole McConchie, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Lockie Ferguson/Adam Milne, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

Chester-le-Street last hosted a T20 international in 2017, and is not known as a batter-friendly venue – in this year’s Vitality Blast, it was the third-lowest scoring of the major grounds, with runs coming at 8.27 an over. There is a chance of some rain to freshen conditions further on Wednesday, although the forecast for the evening is clear.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won eight and lost 14 of their previous 22 completed T20Is against England, including a tie in Auckland in November 2019 that Chris Jordan duly sealed in the Super Over, to claim a 3-2 series win in the two teams’ most recent bilateral outing.
• Since then, England and New Zealand have played twice more, at consecutive T20 World Cups. At the former event in 2021, Daryl Mitchell propelled his side to the final where they fell short against Australia; then, 12 months later, England exacted revenge in the group stage, en route to their victory in the final.
• New Zealand’s four-match series is set to match their previous tally of T20I fixtures against England in England. They’ve won one and lost two of their previous three completed matches in 2008, 2013 and 2015, with a two-ball wash-out at The Oval in 2013 completing the set.

Quotes

“I don’t think he has a point to prove. We all know what a fantastic player he is. He’s unfortunate to miss out on selection at this stage. We’ve said it for a long time in English white-ball cricket we’ve got a lot of depth and talent, and young players coming through pushing [for selection] has been a hallmark of the team. It’s natural that good players miss out.”
“Any cricket now in the lead-up to the World Cup is good cricket. For the guys that go on to that tournament, you’re playing against quality white-ball opposition. I know it’s a different format but I think any cricket leading into the World Cup is good cricket.”