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Manchester United have started talks with a big club over the sale of a “world-class” Red Devils player, according to a new update from Sky journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

Several struggling attackers could leave Man Utd

Wholesale changes are needed in Ruben Amorim’s attack in the summer transfer window, both in terms of signings coming in and current players moving on, following a dismal 2024/25 season at Old Trafford.

Jadon Sancho was loaned out to Chelsea last summer, following an underwhelming three years in a United shirt, while Marcus Rashford and Antony also departed on a temporary basis midway through the campaign, joining Aston Villa and Real Betis respectively.

Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund experienced a hugely taxing period leading the line for the Red Devils, scoring just four goals in 32 Premier League appearances, while Joshua Zirkzee didn’t exactly set the world alight after completing a move from Bologna.

For that reason, it’s no surprise that a host of attacking players have been linked with a move to United this summer, with Matheus Cunha already arriving from Wolves. Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike are reportedly being considered, with the former looking likely to come in.

Man Utd in talks to sell Jadon Sancho

According to Sky journalist Gianluca Di Marzio [via Sport Witness], Manchester United have entered talks with Juventus over the sale of Sancho in the last few hours. The Serie A giants are said to have “intervened” in Friday, looking to beat Napoli to the signing of the 25-year-old, having had a long-time interest in him.

Believed to be on more than £250,000-a-week, Sancho has been an undoubted disappointment for United, also struggling to impress at Chelsea, only starting half of the Blues’ league matches last term (19) and bagging only four assists in 31 outings in the competition overall.

For that reason, it does make sense for the Red Devils to part ways with the Englishman permanently, even though Lucien Favre has waxed lyrical over him in the past.

“Jadon’s a world-class player, no question about that – but you have to remember he’s only 19 years old. It’s hard to be outstanding in every game.”

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ByEthan Lamb Jun 20, 2025

Sadly, Sancho simply hasn’t backed up his early-career hype when he was at Borussia Dortmund, and at 25, there is a feeling that he will never reach his vast potential that existed at that point.

United need to sign attackers who can consistently perform and produce end product on a weekly basis, and Sancho has shown for long enough now that he can’t be that player in the Premier League.

Borussia Dortmund

158

53

67

Man Utd

83

12

6

Chelsea

41

5

10

A move to Serie A could benefit him however, in terms of the pace and physicality of the league not being as intense as the English game, with United using the funds received for the winger on a summer upgrade.

Aston Villa have booked a medical for a transfer target after agreeing terms over a four-year deal at Villa Park, and he could be the club’s next Jhon Duran.

How Jhon Duran is doing in Saudi Arabia after Aston Villa sale

It looked as if the 2024/25 season would be Duran’s big breakthrough campaign under Unai Emery, especially after he scored a famous winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League league phase.

Duran’s stats for Aston Villa
Games	78
Goals	20
Assists	1
Minutes played	2,275

However, despite being a regular in the first half of the season, Duran was sold by Villa to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in the January transfer window. Talking after moving to Saudi Arabia, Duran said: “I’m really happy about the move. People in general and the media speculate about a lot of things. I think of only my family, my agent and me. I know why we make the decisions that we make. My family are especially important in these decisions. I don’t think it’s a backwards step for me. I’m moving to a competitive league and there are many stars here.”

Villa could go on to receive more than £70m after only signing Duran for £18m from Chicago Fire in January 2023, and the Colombia international has gone on to score on a regular basis for his new employers. In 18 appearances for Al-Nassr, Duran has scored 12 goals, partnering Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.

Villa are now on the search for their next attacking gem, and they feel they may have found it in likely first summer signing Zepiqueno Redmond following talks last month.

Aston Villa book medical to sign Zepiqueno Redmond

According to Football Insider and reporter Pete O’Rourke, Aston Villa have planned for Feyenoord forward Redmond to have his Midlands medical early next week.

The teenager has agreed a four-year deal with Villa and a move will be made official when his Feyenoord contract expires at the end of June.

Aged just 18, Redmond can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder alongside his centre-forward role, and according to O’Rourke, ‘Emery and Monchi believe the Netherlands youth international can become as successful as Duran, the last teenage striker they signed.’

It is a big claim, and if Redmond can have the success Duran did in the Midlands, then Aston Villa will definitely be onto a winner and could go on to make big money further down the line.

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By
Dominic Lund

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Fabrizio Romano has called Redmond “a talent” and “a striker with important potential”, with clubs in Italy also keen on the forward before Villa made their move.

The youngster will arrive at Villa after scoring two senior goals for Feyenoord in just nine appearances, so we may see him in Emery’s match day squads from the off in 25/26.

Liverpool clinched their 20th Premier League title on Sunday, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur to bestow upon Anfield the hometown celebrations they have craved for 35 years.

The wider squad came together in a huddle of pure joy as they danced across the pitch and celebrated in front of the wide-beaming supporters. However, one or two may have felt the niggling concern that this is their final trophy in a Liverpool shirt.

Diogo Jota, for example, sadly doesn’t look to have the same snap and athleticism he once had, the 28-year-old only scoring one goal across 15 appearances since recovering from muscular issues in January.

But Darwin Nunez is the player widely expected to be leaving this summer, having fallen by the wayside after his club-record £85m move from Benfica in 2022, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the news on several occasions.

The club need a new star at number nine, but who that might be is as yet indeterminable.

Darwin Nunez’s Liverpool Career by Season (all comps)
Season	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
24/25	43 (17)	7	7
22/23	54 (33)	18	15
21/22	42 (26)	15	4
Data via Transfermarkt

One thing’s for sure, Liverpool miss Bobby Firmino in his pomp.

Why Liverpool miss Bobby Firmino

It was perhaps summed up best when Nunez was played through on goal and had the chance to add a sixth as Liverpool laid siege on Spurs’ flimsy defences and claimed the Premier League title.

The Uruguayan, drained of confidence after three testing years on Merseyside, opted against striking on goal himself, sealing some form of poetic justice in capping off the title-winning result, and instead played a pass across goal to the onrushing Salah.

Firmino would have played the pass with weighted perfection. Or, perhaps, he would have recognised that striking on goal himself was by far the best option, and done just that.

Nunez, sadly, lacks in temperament what he boasts in tenacity and toughness, and after Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot have failed to crack the nut, Firmino’s replacement is set to leave, with a new version of the silky Brazilian targeted once again.

While Firmino’s unique take on the striker’s game is not something readily replicable, FSG are looking to sign a player with a noteworthy technical quality, actually gearing up to hijack another club’s deal.

Liverpool ready to hijack deal for new centre forward

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are gearing up to land a hijack on Inter Milan this summer, with the Serie A title contenders pushing to sign Jonathan David when his contract at LOSC Lille expires this summer.

Inter presented their offer to David’s camp in March and are confident that they are getting closer toward an agreement, though the temptation of Saudi Arabian riches is there and Arsenal and West Ham United want to add him to their ranks too.

While opting for a free transfer might feel somewhat deflating, David is a clinical striker with a ball-playing game that most strikers don’t boast. In that way, he could prove to be a Firmino-esque presence at number nine once again, albeit with a wildly different take.

Why Jonathan David would be perfect for Liverpool

David is a talented goalscorer, sure, but he’s also known to have a crisp and intelligent passing game. It’s one which could see him grow into a role as Slot’s very own version of Firmino, with Nunez having failed in his season-long audition for that role.

The 33-year-old didn’t score every game, but he was so important in engineering a sense of unmatched fluency, centred between Salah and Sadio Mane.

In David, Liverpool might find their best striker since the attacking maestro, one whose goalscoring skills are actually above those of both Firmino and Nunez. Indeed, since the Canadian star left Gent and signed for Lille back in 2020, he’s scored 109 goals and supplied 29 assists across 229 outings.

Jonathan David: Lille Stats by Season
Season	Apps	Goals	Assists	G/A Rate
24/25	47	25	11	0.77
23/24	47	26	9	0.74
22/23	40	26	4	0.75
21/22	48	19	0	0.40
20/21	48	13	5	0.37
Stats via Transfermarkt

Still only 25, David has demonstrated incremental growth across his five campaigns in France, with his last three campaigns establishing him as a top-class goalscorer with creative qualities to applaud.

This newfound creativity is a product of his much-improved ball game. As per FBref, David actually ranks among the top 1% of centre-forwards across Europe over the past year for pass completion, with an average success rate of 83.4%.

Firmino had plenty of tricks and flicks, but David doesn’t embroider his football with such fleet feet. He’s more economical, but that suits Slot.

The Dutch tactician is sure to be looking for a striker with a proven track record in front of goal while adding a bit flair and, most importantly, coherence to the attacking ranks.

Nunez, for example, has completed just 68% of his passes over the past year, putting him among the bottom 35% of strikers for that metric.

When Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro described David as “one of the best strikers in the world” back in 2022, many undoubtedly scoffed at such a high-held opinion.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

But consistency is the key. Just ask Nunez, for his big Liverpool move has been derailed by a distinct lack of the stuff.

David has all the ingredients to become a success for the Anfield side. He’s scored ten goals in the Champions League already (including against Liverpool this season), having played just 18 matches.

The Canada international is athletic, powerful and pacy with a crispness in possession that Firmino would be proud of.

Oh, he’s not cut from the same cloth as Liverpool’s dazzler, but then no one is. But David has a style of play, and it’s an approach which really could work a treat for Slot’s title-winning side.

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1

By
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Apr 28, 2025

Whilst recent weeks have been filled with frustrations away from the pitch, Sheffield Wednesday are now reportedly ready to sign as many as five future stars in a major EFL haul.

Chansiri yet to receive Sheffield Wednesday offers

The job that Danny Rohl is doing at the club continues to look like a miracle with every passing week. Although players and staff were finally paid for March last week, it’s not the first time that owner Dejphon Chansiri has landed the club in hot water over finances. And it looks as though his reign is set to continue amid a lack of offers to buy the Owls.

The Thai businessman addressed the fans in a letter on the club website, which read: “We have all seen speculation and stories that a consortium or individual is ready to come in and take over. But I can guarantee there have been no offers at all.

“There has been some interest but nothing at all substantial that has been followed through. During this situation no one has come forward. To say I am in the way or I prevent this or prevent that, it is not true. This is the football business and I repeat if the right package is agreed, I will not be the one to stand in the way.”

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This would be a big boost for Danny Rohl.

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On the pitch, meanwhile, the Owls are at least all but safe even after going without a win in their last five games. Whether their Championship status will remain without a manager of Rohl’s talent is something that Sheffield Wednesday will have no choice but to consider this summer, either, given reported interest from RB Leipzig and Southampton.

Losing the German would represent their biggest blow yet and could leave them among the favourites to suffer the drop next season. That said, planning has still gone on for the summer transfer window, which could yet see the arrival of as many as five future stars.

Sheffield Wednesday readying academy haul

According to The Star, Sheffield Wednesday have now taken as many as five EFL talents on trial as they ready their move to seal a number of rising stars from Championship rivals.

The Star report that Luca Jackson and Adam Abbas from Burnley, Cole McGhee from Preston North End, Liam McAlliney from Leicester City and Leeds United’s 17-year-old Owen Grainger all lined up for Sheffield Wednesday’s youth side in a 1-1 draw against Brentford on Monday night. Five players covering both the backline and Wednesday’s frontline, it seems as though the Owls have set their sights on the future of their side.

Welcoming young players from both Burnley and Leeds would be particularly impressive, given that both sides are likely to earn promotion to the Premier League this season. Financially speaking, meanwhile, signing players with such potential rather than those more established certainly makes sense for Sheffield Wednesday amid their ongoing problems.

Whether all five have done enough to earn permanent deals remains to be seen, but welcoming a haul of young Championship players on trial was certainly a wise decision from those at the club.

“One of the best coaches ever” is now a front-runner to replace Ivan Juric at Southampton, who have already identified a number of managers as potential targets, according to a report.

Southampton part ways with Juric after relegation

The Saints’ relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed on Sunday, following a 3-1 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, although in truth the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, after a disastrous campaign.

Juric inherited a difficult situation at St. Mary’s, with Russell Martin being sacked in December, at which point his side were already nine points from safety, but there were very few signs of improvement after the 49-year-old’s arrival.

With just seven games left to go, the soon-to-be Championship side need to collect two more points to avoid breaking an unwanted record, with Derby County’s 11 points in the 2007-08 campaign currently the lowest total in Premier League history.

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Next season, the aim will undoubtedly be to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and the board have now started to identify managers who could give them a very good chance of doing exactly that.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Southampton have a number of options in mind, including Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, but Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is believed to be one of the front-runners.

BlueCo may not make it easy for the Saints to snap Rosenior up, however, as they are determined to keep hold of the up-and-coming manager, with Strasbourg faring very well in their pursuit of qualification for the Champions League.

As such, Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl could be a more attainable target, given that the German coach has a relatively affordable £5m release clause included in his contract with the Owls.

Rosenior impressing in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg

It is little wonder Southampton are keen on appointing the Englishman, given the job he has done at Strasbourg this season, with his side currently in fourth place, just three points behind second-placed Marseille.

The 40-year-old has orchestrated a phenomenal turnaround, with Strasbourg finishing 13th under the helm of Patrick Vieira last season, and he has previously been hailed for his ability on the training ground.

Clinton Morrison praised the work the Strasbourg boss did during his time as Derby County’s caretaker manager, saying: “I actually think he’s a top manager,”

“I spoke to a few people at Derby. He was unlucky to lose his job, the players respected him. He’s one of the best coaches ever.”

Club

Matches

Points per match

Strasbourg

31

1.77

Hull City

78

1.40

Derby County

12

1.92

However, with Strasbourg on course to qualify for the Champions League, it seems unlikely that Rosenior would be willing to manage a Championship side next season, particularly with BlueCo so eager to keep hold of him, so Rohl could be a more realistic appointment for the Saints.

Managing director Vikram Banerjee on tournament’s challenges ahead of transformative sixth edition

Matt Roller28-Aug-2025The Hundred’s squads will be overhauled ahead of the 2026 season in a “reset” evoking the IPL’s mega-auction, marking the arrival of new investors in the eight franchises. Vikram Banerjee, the tournament’s managing director, expects the move to prove unpopular with coaches but believes it is necessary to maintain the league’s competitive balance.Teams were allowed to retain up to 10 players from their 2024 squads for the ongoing season, which concludes at Lord’s on Sunday. Women’s squads were overhauled between the second and third seasons but some men’s teams – most notably Oval Invincibles, who are hunting a third successive title – have kept a consistent core throughout the Hundred’s short history.The ECB have started to discuss retention rules with teams, with some new investors pushing for an auction model to replace a draft. The regulations are yet to be finalised, but Banerjee – who has spent every day of the Hundred’s fifth season at a match – believes the timing is right to refresh squads as he bids to “supercharge” the tournament in its new era.”I’d like next year to be a bit of a reset,” Banerjee told ESPNcricinfo. “All these leagues do it over time, and next year should be one of those. There are three things that are non-negotiable. You want to make sure whatever you do brings the very best players in; whatever the mix is between draft, auction, direct signings, retentions, the very best players in the world choose to play here.Related

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“But you also need competitive balance… That ‘Any Given Sunday’ philosophy, that you don’t know who’s going to win this game, that’s a good thing. Coaches won’t like that, but from a league level, that’s an important thing. The third thing is that it has to work [for both] men and women, and that’s really important to us.”A handful of men’s players signed contracts this year aligning with new investors – such as Rashid Khan at the Invincibles (Reliance) and Steven Smith at Welsh Fire (Washington Freedom) – and that trend is likely to accelerate, with the four IPL owners involved seeking greater continuity across their global networks of franchises.The risk of a “reset” is that significant player turnover will further dilute the identities of teams that have only existed for five years. The Hundred will undergo significant change over the next 11 months, with centralised kit manufacture (New Balance) and sponsorship (KP Snacks) deals expiring. At least three team names are set to change, along with some colourways.But Banerjee believes the 2025 season has shown that the “tribalism” he hoped would develop around Hundred teams has started to emerge. “I stand by that objective,” he said. “I love the amount of yellow [in the stands] when I go to Nottingham, or green when I go down to Southampton… That fan affinity is something that we need to keep building on.”He was buoyed by the occasional needle between teams, most evident when Liam Livingstone, riled by Tom Curran allegedly calling him a “fat slob”, blazed a match-winning 69 not out: “I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is great… It’s so important for the high-performance element that this is the [league] that they love playing in.”The glut of flags in the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston has been a sign of the Hundred’s growing ‘tribalism’, according to Banerjee•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesWhile new investors will not assume operational control of their franchises until October 1, they have all attended games this season: Sanjiv Goenka rang the bell at Emirates Old Trafford, the ‘Tech Titans’ posed for photos on the Lord’s pitch, and Akash Ambani visited the dressing room after an Oval Invincibles home win.”We take a lot of what we do for granted, but a full house at The Oval or Emirates Old Trafford, or 6,000 flags in the Hollies Stand, is something special,” Banerjee said. “We’re having some great conversations already about the tournament in general and while the 2026 season will come around fast, we’ve got a decent amount of time.”I would like us to be the unmissable event of the summer for families… If we can be that, then in season 20 – or whatever the number is, season 50 – I would love us to be standing shoulder to shoulder with all of the great sports brands… If I ask you what the very best sporting leagues are in the world, I would like us to be in that list [with] NFL, IPL, Wimbledon.”It is a lofty ambition, and one that many believe will only be possible if the Hundred becomes a T20 tournament. The 100-ball format does have some advantages – it suits the double-header model well, shaving an hour off each matchday, and fits into a tighter broadcast window – but has also proved unexpectedly bowler-friendly.While overwhelming support for a shift to T20 among new investors could, in theory, prompt the ECB to attempt to change ongoing broadcast contracts, a change appears highly unlikely for at least three more seasons. “People have bought into a product that is hugely successful,” Banerjee said. “[The format] allows it to go onto the BBC… It’s quite a complex conversation.”Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, set a long-term target to sell out a women’s Hundred match earlier this year, but the double-header model will remain for next season. Banerjee said he is “absolutely not” concerned that investors will only focus on the men’s competition: “The excitement, growth and equality that we’re trying to drive, they have all bought into that.”

I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is greatBanerjee on the ‘fat slob’ spat between Curran and Livingstone

Slow pitches remain a concern, with groundstaff stretched by the sheer volume of fixtures staged at major venues by the time the Hundred starts. “It’s easy for me to say, in my position, that I’d like, on every pitch, the ball to fly through at 90mph and scream into the middle of everyone’s bat so it goes flying out of the park,” Banerjee said. “They have a lot on their plate.”This season has been something of a holding year for the Hundred, the bridge between the tournament’s inception as a product run entirely by the ECB and its reincarnation as a league between privately-owned franchises from 2026. But Banerjee believes it has been the best edition yet, citing strong ticket sales and high attendances at women’s fixtures.”We were really keen that it wasn’t a transition year and it wasn’t a nothing year. Actually, I think this year has been the best year. It’s important that the tournament that people have bought into continues to grow, continues to be successful… It is a great tournament and it’s great fun to be at. I’m very pleased that it’s not really been a ‘transition’ [season]. It’s been a great start.”I see no reason why we can’t be that unmissable event of the summer… We need to be brilliant at knowing our fanbase on TV, digital, and in-bowl, and serving them brilliant cricket and brilliant entertainment… If we continue with our fan-first approach and philosophy and continue to invest in the things that are important to us, we can achieve that aim.”

“He might flunk. He might thrive. It could be galling. It could be glorious.”

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Jun-2023Whatever your views on plucking Moeen Ali out of Test retirement for the Ashes, we can all agree on one thing. It is one hell of a call.A cricketer who polarised opinion throughout his initial seven years in the format is back for one last job. Arguably the biggest of the lot.As soon as Jack Leach’s back stress fracture was discovered, the pull of a mercurial off-spinning allrounder was too great for Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key. Contact was made with Moeen on Sunday before news of Leach’s injury was made public that evening, just over 24 hours after the conclusion of the Ireland Test at Lord’s.On a roster of precocious, recently-capped and reliable spin replacements, it was no surprise the free-wheeling vibe merchants opted for someone of their ilk. What you can say about selection during the Stokes-McCullum era is they have got every marginal call right, most recently with opting for Josh Tongue over Chris Woakes against Ireland. This, however, is top-tier bombastic, even by their standards.The best of a 64-cap career – and, now, counting – featured glorious shot-making and magic deliveries among 2,914 runs and 195 wickets. Ahead of these five Tests against Australia, Moeen’s experience, both time around the traps and pull on the soul, sets him above the rest.Related

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It is no secret Stokes and others involved with this Test group are Moeen stans. He will fit into the dressing room culture seamlessly, still very much wired into the grander system of English cricket as Jos Buttler’s vice-captain in the limited overs set-up. And there’s something to be said for Stokes’ powers of persuasion. It is less than a year ago that Moeen spurned advances to get him on the tour of Pakistan. He made a note of saying Test cricket is “hard work”.It is by no means an opinion unique to Moeen, which formed part of the remit for Stokes and McCullum when they first came into their positions. Their success in stripping away the rougher edges of the format – on and off the field – means the culture Moeen walks into is one far better suited to his mercurial ways.This is no slight on previous regimes per se, but an important consideration in all this. For a player who has batted every position from opener to No.9, operated as the primary, secondary and tertiary spinner and was once “rested and rotated” out during the Covid-19 series against India at the beginning of 2021 after playing just one Test, role clarity would have been a key selling point in coaxing him back.Stokes will likely do with Moeen as he has done with Leach: sorting his fields on his behalf, which included either constant tweaking or refusing requests for a sweeper. That made Leach a braver bowler, casting worry from his mind, which is unheard of from an English Test spinner since Graeme Swann. That Leach wore his unusually high average in Stokes’s 13 Tests – 38.22 – as a badge of pride, alongside 45 wickets, speaks of a shift in mindset.There is no question a peak Moeen would thrive in this environment, geared towards doing what they can to bring an individual’s best to the fore. Whether with bat or ball, Moeen has always played the game like it was his duty to entertain, and when on song, there weren’t many more enjoyable to watch. The question is, what does the best of this Moeen look like?Well, who knows? The player himself certainly doesn’t. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo a couple of months ago, Moeen admitted his bowling had dropped off in red-ball retirement. The bank of work was not what it once was, partly because he hadn’t played a first-class match since his last Test cap against India in September 2021.While the intervening period has been packed with white-ball glory, with two IPL titles for Chennai Super Kings sandwiching a T20 World Cup, his bowling has been sporadic at best, making any extrapolation broadly meaningless. He bowled twice in six matches at the World Cup, sending down a single over each time. In the recent IPL, he operated as one of CSK’s supplementary slow bowling options, with most of his 26 overs coming in helpful conditions.Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali pose with their T20 World Cup medals•Associated PressThere are reasonable doubts about his durability, as much over the course of a Test as a series with five matches in seven weeks. Leach’s endurance was a vital tool in an attack constantly pressing for wickets. His 515.1 overs under Stokes reflects the scale of his workload, and even if the role Moeen undertakes will not necessarily be with a focus on controlling the scoring, you do wonder about his multi-day stamina.There is also Moeen’s spinning finger, which has caused him trouble in the past. He tore it open on the 2017-18 tour of Australia leading to a grim return of five dismissals at an average of 115 across five Tests. It is also part of the reason he was dropped after the first Ashes Test in 2019.Step back a bit and further quandaries emerge. Unless the next couple of months go spectacularly well, one imagines Moeen won’t tour India for that Test series at the start of 2024. Part of his motivation for turning down a Test recall last year was due to a packed winter schedule. This one coming up is almost identical, with a 50-over World Cup followed by those now regular franchise commitments with the ILT20 and IPL. Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed might also have an eye on that circuit too, given it has been made clear they are not as close as they think. All the more reason why the ECB have to ace their imminent revamp of central contracts and match fees.Moeen has always been a choose-your-own adventure cricketer, and perhaps it is fitting he returns in such a choose-your-own argument fashion.He averages 64.65 with the ball against Australia, but 33.28 against allcomers at home. He has been out of the game for too long, but long enough to feel refreshed. He could have been better under previous captains, but who knows how good he could be under this one?He is not Mr Right, but he is Mr Right Now. He might flunk. He might thrive. It could be galling. It could be glorious.What we know for certain is, should he get the nod at Edgbaston for the first Test, he won’t be Jack Leach – he will be Moeen Ali. And we’ll only know what that means when the Ashes are done.

The offspinner looks back at the Chennai Super Kings’ first IPL title victory

As told to Himanshu Agrawal26-May-2021Being in an IPL final is always good because you are going through that entire grind. There are a lot of games and ups and downs through the tournament, and 2010 was when I made my mark.I had been waiting in the wings for a good two years. I played two games in the 2009 IPL and did pretty well in the last game I played, but couldn’t play the semi-final.Then I got a start in the 2010 season but got left out after five games. When I came back, we were almost out of the tournament. From there on, I had a very impactful performance. It didn’t look like we would qualify [for the semi-finals], but in Dharamsala we chased down over 190 against the Kings XI Punjab before we went to the final.There weren’t any clear strategies for the final. MS [Dhoni] doesn’t discuss strategies elaborately. He likes to keep it really simple. He is one of those captains who plays the card in front of him, backs his players, and has his own set of plans for the particular day.Related

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With regards to our score of 168, the difference then was the bats. We are talking of 11 years ago, when they were pretty good but still nowhere as good as what they are right now. The stadiums also weren’t made as ridiculously small as they are now. And there was a certain amount of grass always.Most of the tracks have changed since the IPL began. Most of the pitches [these days] play really well, making it difficult for the bowlers to restrict the batters. The bats are much harder now. But in 2010, and up to about 2012-13, it was a lot better for the bowlers than it is right now.The DY Patil Stadium [where the final was played] and the CCI [Brabourne Stadium] were also slightly bigger. With that score, the kind of bowling form we were in, and the way we were striking in the powerplay – Doug Bollinger and I had a really good combination at the back half of that season – we almost closed the game out against Mumbai at that stage.Yes, Kieron Pollard had that late blast, but I had bowled a maiden over [to Shikhar Dhawan] upfront and Dougie got an early wicket. Mumbai were sort of stuck at 30 or 40-odd at six runs an over and the [required] run rate shot up over ten. It was very difficult to imagine scoring over ten an over on those sort of surfaces with the bats of those days.Also, though Sachin Tendulkar was in great form that season, I wasn’t looking at who was in front of me but rather looking at the opportunity and relishing it. Only after the season was over did I look back and say, “Wow, that was good accomplishment”, because I had come across some of the greatest batters and got on top of them on many occasions.Suresh Raina was CSK’s leading run scorer in the 2010 IPL, with 520 runs at a strike rate of 142.85•Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty ImagesPreviously, Sachin <i<paaji used a lot of his sweep shots and slog sweeps [against me], but in the final he made a very concerted effort of trying to hit me straight down the ground. And ever since 2010 till whenever paaji played, he never really hit me across the line. It gave me a lot of confidence seeing him take calculated risks against me.When it came to our batsmen, a lot of them were worried about going after the bowling from ball one, but Suresh Raina wasn’t, because he really blossomed under MS. He didn’t have to think and wait for the 20th over – that was MS’s role.The immediate impact that I can remember is that almost zero legspinners or zero left-arm spinners could bowl at him; and if you were under 130 or 135 in pace, he would almost make mincemeat of you. He hit some extraordinary shots. One of the hallmarks of Suresh was the way he went over extra cover. It made the margin for error very small. A few catches were dropped by Mumbai, but he came out with a lovely knock.What really worked for Suresh in my opinion is the freedom with which he played under MS. He knew that MS could always cover up towards the back end, so he didn’t have to think about closing a game out. He was constantly looking to be the aggressor and take the challenge to the opposition. Whenever I saw him bat, I saw that sense of freedom. A total of 200 has almost become a par score in T20 cricket but to play with that freedom throughout an innings back then was something he set the trend for.Suresh has also bowled a lot, so it was not a one-off when he dismissed Harbhajan [Singh] in the final. He was a more than handy bowler for the early part of his career. He even got Virat Kohli out lbw in the 2011 final. In fact, I remember that in his Under-19 days, he bowled six to seven overs consistently for the India U-19 side, so him bowling in the final was not a surprise at all.Ashwin on Dhoni: “MS doesn’t discuss strategies elaborately. He is one of those captains who plays the card in front of him, backs his players, and has his own set of plans for the particular day”•Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty ImagesMS used Suresh in almost every game. If someone’s having a good day, MS backs him to do a lot more in that game. He might give that person the additional responsibility.Later in the game [in the 18th over] when Pollard hit Bollinger for 22 in an over, nobody had really done that with such élan before. We knew that one or two overs can happen like that but the game cannot be closed out. Those were the virgin years of T20 cricket – it was unheard of to knock off 50 or 60 runs in three or three and a half overs. So when Pollard hit Bollinger, we knew that the game could still come back into our bag and we were quietly confident. The surface and the bats back then made the game a lot more controllable for the bowlers.A lot of people acknowledged the fact that I was doing one of the hardest jobs. I had zero idea that I would go on to do the same thing for the next ten years – bowling in the powerplay as a spinner. But a lot of players – Albie [Morkel], Stephen Fleming [the coach], the trainer, and even Suresh – came up to me and said that it was an incredible tournament. What happened over the next 18 months was even more miraculous for me – the Champions League double [in 2010 and 2014], the 2011 IPL win, and the 2011 World Cup victory were a dream for me, starting from a really low point in 2010 when I got left out of the squad.All I can say is that it really set up a very, very memorable career if I look back at it now.The stability, in terms of the combination and the confidence one gives to the players, is what leads to an IPL title. In a lot of franchise cricket, people tend to get carried away with a group of results – after two or three games, they want to chuck a few players out and change the combination. That’s where the crux of it changes, because in cricket form can change overnight. If you know that someone’s got that ability then it’s important to back them. Those four or five years gave a blueprint to CSK in terms of how to back players in order to get championships.When it came to the celebrations of the 2010 victory – I have never really been a massive one for celebration, and CSK has also been like that. I have been in a few other franchises and celebration is one thing that happens very minimally at CSK. There is team bonding all through the year. There is fun and frolic, but it is not that people sit and harp on it and have a big night. People just caught up at the restaurant after the final. We had a chat and that was about it.Fleming brought in a culture where the big nights were a definite no-no, because in the IPL it’s very difficult to manage your time as it is, with the travel and the pressure. CSK treated a win just like they treated a loss. That’s one of the reasons why the team has got its laurels.

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Pakistan, meanwhile, set a couple of follow-on records in a high-scoring second Test in Cape Town

Shubh Agarwal06-Jan-20257 – With the win at Newlands, South Africa have registered seven consecutive Test wins. It is their second-longest streak of wins behind their nine in a row in the 2002-03 season, which also involved two home Tests against Pakistan. On the flip side, this was Pakistan’s ninth consecutive Test defeat in South Africa – the longest streak for any team in South Africa. Bangladesh have lost all their eight Tests here while South Africa themselves lost their first eight Tests at home back in the 19th century.3 – It was only the third time in Test history that a team knocked off a first-innings deficit of 400 or more. The previous two instances feature Pakistan overcoming a 473-run deficit against West Indies in 1958 and South Africa getting past a deficit of exactly 400 against Australia in 2002.478 – Pakistan’s second-innings total is the second highest by any team following-on and ending up on the losing side. The highest is India’s 510 in the follow-on against England at Leeds in 1967.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1348 – The most runs scored in a Test match in South Africa since the Cape Town Test against England in 2016.145 – Shan Masood now has the highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in South Africa. He surpassed Azhar Mahmood’s 136 in Johannesburg in 1998.54 – Kagiso Rabada completed an unfortunate fifty on day four, bowling his 50th no-ball in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The next on the list is Alzarri Joseph with 35 no-balls. In the Newlands Test alone, Rabada bowled 17 no-balls with 13 coming in the second innings.4 – It was only the fourth time in the 21st century that three or more South African bowlers had conceded over 100 runs in an innings in a home Test. Rabada, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj all gave away over a 100 runs in the second innings. The last time this happened was also in Cape Town, against England in 2016. Overall, South Africa have suffered this fate 14 times in their 254 home Tests.