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Manchester United have failed to build on an encouraging debut season under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, winning just half of their Premier League matches so far in 2023/24.

The Old Trafford side have found the Champions League rather more difficult than first expected following their return to the elite competition, losing to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray across their opening two matches, and it means Ten Hag is the first United boss to achieve this.

Although the Dutchman managed to recruit the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat during the summer transfer window, it wasn’t the window that many of the supporters expected.

Combine this with the fact he still has players such as Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Anthony Martial in his squad, who have been at United for 18 years combined, and the depth of his squad is hardly ideal.

Another player who is still at the Red Devils despite a lack of playing time and potential future is Donny van de Beek and if Ten Hag wants to establish his side as one of the best in England and lead them to their first league crown since 2013, this deadwood simply has to go.

Van de Beek in particular has been a dreadful signing and another case of United splashing the cash on a talented gem who has failed to live up to expectations while seeing their market value decline rapidly.

How much did Man United sign Donny van de Beek for?

Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first full season as manager, where he led the Old Trafford side to a third-place finish in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign – their second highest since last winning the title – and he was looking to continue the momentum which had been gathering.

Edinson Cavani was lured to Manchester on a free transfer, while Alex Telles and Facundo Pellistri were also signed as promising youngsters who could become a part of the senior side in the years to come.

It was the arrival of Ajax starlet Van de Beek however which looked as though it could be their best signing that summer, especially judging by his performances for the Dutch side over the previous 12 months.

The Dutchman joined for a transfer fee in the region of £39m and the 23-year-old signed a five-year contract with the club had all worked out well, the move would have turned out to be an excellent bargain.

Fast-forward three years though, and the midfielder has struggled majorly with football in the Premier League and his value has diminished rapidly during that time period.

How much is Donny van de Beek worth now?

When he joined United, his market value stood at €39m (£33.6m) according to Football Transfers and this meant they had overpaid slightly, yet with his relatively young age plus his experience on the biggest stage, there was no doubt his value would increase rapidly.

2022/23

7

0

0

2021/22

15

2

0

2020/21

19

1

1

Stats via Sofascore

Just six months later, his market value had risen to €55m (£47.5m) and it certainly looked as though this upward trend could continue.

Unfortunately, that was the highest figure it would reach and two and a half months later, he is now worth only €8.4m (£7.2m), representing an 81% decline from the initial transfer fee paid to sign him in September 2020.

He becomes just another expensive cog in a faltering machine and is it any wonder they haven’t reestablished themselves at the summit of English football in recent years?

Why has Donny van de Beek’s value dropped?

During his spell at Ajax, the Dutchman mainly operated either in a central or attacking midfield role and this allowed him to burst forward often and showcase his creative talents.

Indeed, across 175 games for the Dutch giants, he scored 41 goals and grabbed 34 assists, making him an attractive option for many European clubs and United obviously won the race for his signature.

During his first full season, he made 30 appearances for United, yet managed just one goal and one assist, a staggering drop from his often excellent totals at Ajax.

His performances didn’t get better during his second term either as he made only eight appearances for the Red Devils in the league before being loaned out to Everton and across the whole Premier League season, he started just five games.

Not only that, but the Dutchman succeeded with just 29% of his attempted dribbles, averaged just 25.5 touches and made 0.3 key passes per game, hardly the sort of form that was going to establish him as a regular at Old Trafford.

Injuries haven’t helped his cause either, and he has missed a grand total of 48 games under Ten Hag, indicating that he hasn’t been able to really get any sort of form to prove to his former boss why he should be in the starting XI.

When he was given a chance, Van de Beek ranked way down in 26th position across the United squad for Sofascore rating (6.49) while ranking 15th for key passes per game (0.4) and 17th for successful dribbles per game (0.3) and his performances were criticised.

Journalist Steven Railston lamented his display against Aston Villa last November, saying: “MUFC never recovered after conceding two early goals and they were second-best all over the pitch. A really disappointing performance. Donny van de Beek was anonymous again and he shouldn't be anywhere near the starting XI. Bruno Fernandes couldn't return quick enough.”

The Red Devils have certainly endured a transfer howler on the 27-year-old as he has simply failed to live up to any sort of early promise when joining.

It’s a shame as he could have developed into one of the finest midfielders on the continent had he continued his rapid upward trajectory at a club like United, yet it clearly hasn’t panned out well.

Due to injury problems and a lack of squad depth, Ten Hag has still given him two appearances this term, albeit he has played only 21 minutes, but it looks as though his career at United is basically dead in the water.

What next for the 6-foot Dutchman is anyone’s guess, but if he doesn’t return to some kind of form sooner rather than later, he could end up forgotten about almost as quickly as he appeared on the scene, that’s for sure.

Curran had been looking forward to seeing county attacks trying to keep Kohli quiet but now he knows that demanding task might fall to him

Andrew McGlashan01-Jul-2018

Sam Curran collected his first ODI wickets•Getty Images

Sam Curran has been savouring the “rollercoaster” for the last few weeks after earning England debuts in Tests and ODIs and is now eyeing up a chance to challenge himself against Virat Kohli after missing out playing alongside him for Surrey.Kohli had been due to play a month with Surrey in preparation for India’s tour of England but a neck injury sustained towards the end of the IPL put paid to that. Curran had been looking forward to seeing county attacks trying to keep Kohli quiet but now he knows that demanding task might fall to him as part of England’s T20I squad for the three-match series, which starts at Old Trafford on Tuesday, where Curran would complete a hat-trick of debuts in a little over month should he play.”I was pretty excited when he was meant to be my team-mate at Surrey and I was expecting to be laughing at the other county bowlers,” Curran said. “Now if I get the chance it’ll be my chance to get taken down! It’ll be fun.”You want to play against these big names and test yourself, find out where you need to improve. All the Surrey boys were gutted he didn’t come because we were expecting some big crowds and learning the way he trains, apparently he’s a freak in the gym, so it would have been special to work with him.”India, who completed a 2-0 T20I series win over Ireland last week, should prove a much sterner challenge than Australia provided, with Kohli part of a power-packed batting line-up. England, though, have had a stellar season in the white-ball game having whitewashed Australia in the ODIs, during which they piled up a men’s world-record 481, then careered to 221 in the T20I at Edgbaston.Sam Curran on…

His first Test wicket “In two years’ time I’ll say Keaton was fielding at first slip! It was pretty special and I won’t forget it for a long time.”
Being England’s youngest ODI wicket-taker “Those are just stats that just come along the way. After my first two overs I thought it would be a pretty long day and that I’d end up going for 100! Luckily enough it swung round quickly and I’ll take those couple of wickets.”
His future role “Definitely I see myself at 4, 5, 6, especially higher up in one-day cricket. Maybe a bit like Stokesy does for England, I could see myself doing that at Surrey. Who knows how it’ll pan out over the next couple of years but I do want to be a batter who bowls, but it will always be tough to get up the order when you’re bowling as much as I am.”
Amar Virdi’s wicket celebrations “I think he is slowly starting to realise he’s got to save his energy in a long four-day game! They are getting smaller and smaller. There was another big one when he got [Cheteshwar] Pujara out. Your emotions take over and you lose control.”
Surrey’s T20 Blast hopes “We go into the Blast every year with some serious names. We have [Aaron] Finch and [Jason] Roy up top who is pretty explosive, and we’ve signed Nic Maddinson to slot in behind them after a couple of games. Morne Morkel is a massive signing, and is scaring a few people in four-day cricket and with a packed house at The Oval it’ll be the same. Everyone wants to get to Finals Day so hopefully we can be there.”

Curran was drafted into England’s ODI squad for the final two matches against Australia and, for a short while, batted alongside Jos Buttler in the early stages of his magnificent century at Old Trafford to seal the whitewash. “Bowling at Kohli is probably like what other teams think bowling at England at the moment,” he said. “They are special, particularly on these wickets.”Curran overcame an expensive start on his ODI debut at Old Trafford to grab two middle-order wickets making him England’s youngest one-day wicket-taker ahead of Stuart Broad and it included the sight of Ashton Agar leaving a straight delivery. “I was surprised if I’m honest. Even Jos, as soon as it left my hand, he said, this is ending badly. One of those, [Kumar Sangakkara] was saying it pitched on middle and hit middle, but I’ll take it!”His white-ball debut followed a maiden Test match against Pakistan at Headingley. He joked that in years to come he’ll describe his first wicket as caught slip, rather than Shadab Khan being taken at deep midwicket, but said it was “surreal” to be part of the attack.”It’s been a pretty special couple of weeks. Wouldn’t have thought it at the start of the summer, thought I’d just deal with my Surrey stuff but that’s how things go, you just get on a roll and ride the rollercoaster and just try to enjoy it. Watching Jimmy and Broad on the sofa and then next thing I know I’m stood at mid-on watching while they are steaming in. It’s pretty surreal. I won’t forget it.”As it stands, Curran is not part of the one-day squad to face India although that may change if his brother, Tom, does not shake off a side strain which will keep him out of at least the first T20I. There could be the chance of an England Lions appearance in the four-day match against India later in July and Curran will remain in the Test mix when Ben Stokes is unavailable for the Lord’s Test against India due to his trial in Bristol.In the shorter-term, however, Curran will switch his focus back to Surrey duty and the Vitality T20 Blast. Curran is one of a host of young players making a big impression with the county who are top of the County Championship. Earlier this season Curran played alongside Ryan Patel, Amar Virdi and Ollie Pope as the first quartet of teenagers in a Championship side in the post-war era and he hopes their success can move into the T20 format.”It’s been pretty mad,” he said. “I started first, then Ollie Pope came through last year in T20s, and Ryan Patel and Amar Virdi in the four-day stuff. This year Will Jacks is in. I have played with them since U-15s and some of them have played together since U-9s or below. It’s pretty cool, some of the wickets Amar Virdi has got this year is amazing. He has got some serious players out when filling the shoes of Batts. Pope has three hundreds this year. He whacked it in T20s and has taken it to four-day stuff. Hopefully it carries on.”

The camaraderie – and needle – in the lead-up to the women’s exhibition T20 match in Mumbai is at a high; so is the desire to grow the game and share cricketing knowledge

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai22-May-20182:55

Exhibition T20 a precursor to women’s IPL

Ten months on from that scintillating World Cup semi-final performance, Harmanpreet Kaur has satisfied one of her long-held desires: to bat alongside one of her “favourite players” – Australia captain Meg Lanning.Ten months on from India fluffing their lines in a thrilling World Cup final, Smriti Mandhana’s self-proclaimed “boring” teetotal habits has found her an admirer in England batsman Danielle Wyatt.Ten months on from helping make either match-up possible for India at the World Cup, Veda Krishnamurthy has won over New Zealand allrounders Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine with “awesome chats”.

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Not for the first time has Harmanpreet, Mandhana or Krishnamurthy rubbed shoulders with non-India internationals; at the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia it’s been the norm since 2016. But for them – or any of their 17 India team-mates – to train at the Wankhede Stadium alongside ten top overseas players, to move to Bhangra numbers on team-bus rides, to discuss “life and cricket” during a welcome dinner at the iconic Taj hotel in Mumbai… Their journey these past few days has already become as momentous as their destination: the first ever Women’s T20 Challenge, set up as a double-header with the men’s IPL Qualifier 1.”When I went to Big Bash, all of them used to ask, ‘When is IPL starting?’ and I had no answer for them,” Mandhana, one of the captains in the one-off exhibition match, recalls on the eve of game.Annesha Ghosh

But now, as she prepares to lead Bates and her New Zealand team-mate Lea Tahuhu, Australian duo Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, and England offspinner Danielle Hazell, Mandhana could possibly venture a tentative answer: not too long from now.

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Ten years ago, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy had been watching Brendon McCullum “start the IPL with a bang”, live at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Then part of an age-group New South Wales cricket tour, the now best friends will be facing off at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.”Looking at world figures for major sporting tournaments, the IPL’s right up there in terms of crowd numbers along with NFL and Superbowl,” Perry said after training with her team, the IPL Supernovas, at the Brabourne Stadium. “From a female perspective that’s what we want to do: bring in more fans to the game, people who like watching the women’s game, appreciate the skill and nuances of the game, and also get to have their own heroes in different teams.”That, Perry believes, is the “real goal” for women’s cricket, and the match showcasing the best in women’s T20 at the IPL is a “huge landmark” in planning for the same.For Healy, who jokes about having “a bit too much of a personality” for her Trailblazers captain Mandhana to handle, the camaraderie that has blossomed in the two days’ of interaction between players is as important.”Obviously, going to the IPL and seeing all the boys learning off one another is really important for the game of cricket in general, and I don’t think women’s cricket has had that for very long,” Healy says. “There’s the Big Bash and [England’s] Kia Super League, but for us to be able to come over here and mingle with the Indian players especially and learn how to play better in their conditions, it’s only going to improve women’s cricket all around the world.”

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Suzie Bates is aware of the threats that await her in the future, both near and not so near. “I have played a lot of cricket against Jhulan Goswami, but over the past two days, I’ve had a few battles with [legspinner] Poonam Yadav in the nets. So [India T20I vice-captain] Smriti has already warned me the next time India play New Zealand, I’ll have to deal with a lot of overs from Poonam.’Annesha Ghosh

While chuckling at the prospect, Bates takes a moment to emphasise how alive she is to the immediate challenges at hand, especially from her New Zealand team-mate allrounder Sophie Devine.”They [Trailblazers] have really solid batting line-up. Meg Lanning, the way Danni Wyatt’s been batting, and Mithali Raj is a great ambassador for the game. I do enjoy having Sophie Devine in my team, but having her in the opposition is not going to be too much fun.”

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In the closing moments of the nets session at the Brabourne Stadium, Devine walks up to the India quick-bowling allrounder and her Supernovas team-mate Pooja Vastrakar. A brief, animated chat later, Vastrakar ends her session with a string of lofted strokes over an imaginary infield and a few flamboyant strokes down the ground.Putting aside these obvious benefits of such young India internationals meeting and mixing with the best in the women’s game, there are more advantages to be had by the next tier of players too. One of the four back-up players for India’s forthcoming Asia Cup, young quick bowler Sukanya Parida, isn’t part of either squads for Tuesday’s match. That, however, she refuses to count as a missed opportunity. “Why should it when you can bowl in the nets with someone like Devine?”And pick up tips on swinging the ball both ways, while you’re at it, of course.”That’s the cool thing,” Devine says of her interactions with the Indian players. “You can learn things from people who may not belong to your own team. It’s two-way traffic and I think to be able to share the knowledge this way… that’s what grows the game.”

Celtic have unearthed a number of clinical goalscorers over the years and have not found it difficult to find a reliable number nine at Parkhead.

You have the iconic Henrik Larsson and then, more recently, players like Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele, Leigh Griffiths, and – currently – Kyogo Furuhashi.

The Japan international is the club's current lethal marksman and scored 27 goals in 36 Scottish Premiership matches for Ange Postecoglou throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

Who are Celtic's most expensive striker signings?

Player

Fee (via Transfermarkt)

Odsonne Edouard

£8.9m

Chris Sutton

£8.2m

John Hartson

£7.8m

Alban Ajeti

£4.8m

Kyogo Furuhashi

£4.7m

The table above shows that the Hoops have been willing to splash the cash in order to find a consistent goalscorer to lead the line at Paradise.

However, it does not always take a huge, record-breaking, transfer fee to unearth a gem and Neil Lennon produced a fantastic example of that when he signed goal machine Gary Hooper in the summer of 2010.

The former Bhoys boss moved to sign the English centre-forward from the lower leagues down south and proved that there are bargains to be had in the transfer window if you know where to look.

How much was Hooper worth at Scunthorpe?

At the time of his move to Parkhead in 2010, Transfermarkt valued the lethal scorer at just €750k (£651k) after his two-year stint with Scunthorpe.

Hooper, who had scored 11 goals in 19 League Two matches for Hereford during the 2007/08 campaign, joined the Iron in the summer of 2008 and enjoyed a fantastic couple of seasons there.

They were in League One at the time of his move there and his fantastic performances throughout the 2008/09 season propelled them up to the Championship.

He racked up an outstanding 30 goals in 56 appearances for the club in all competitions, with 24 of those goals coming in 47 league outings – including two play-off matches. His phenomenal scoring rate made him a reliable option for the third-tier side and helped them to move up to a higher level.

Hooper was then able to prove that he could handle the step up to second-division football in England as he provided a consistent goal threat once again during the 2009/10 campaign.

The English ace, who started his career with Southend, scored 20 goals and provided seven assists in 39 games in all competitions for Scunthorpe, which included 19 goals and six assists in 35 Championship clashes – more than one strike every other match on average.

His goalscoring form caught Lennon's eye at Celtic and convinced the Northern Irish head coach to swoop to secure his services in 2010 as the talented gem had proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer at League One and Championship level in England.

The Hoops took a gamble on the impressive youngster in the hope that his form would be able to translate over to Scottish football and it certainly paid off for them as he went on to be a huge success at Parkhead over the subsequent few seasons.

How many goals did Hooper score for Celtic?

Hooper was a very prolific marksman for the Scottish giants as he racked up an eye-catching 82 goals in 132 appearances for the club in all competitions across three years.

He was able to hit the ground running in Scotland for Lennon with 20 goals and nine assists in 26 Scottish Premiership matches during the 2010/11 season. This shows that the talented forward was involved in more than one goal contribution every game on average, which highlights how remarkably consistent he was at the top end of the pitch.

The English whiz also scored one goal in one Champions League qualifier appearance but was unavailable for the club's loss to Utrecht as they failed to qualify for the Europa League later that summer.

Hooper followed that up with 29 goals and 11 assists in 50 matches for Celtic in all competitions throughout the 2011/12 campaign, which included 24 goals and seven assists in 37 Premiership clashes.

This means that the ex-Scunthorpe star averaged a goal contribution every 1.19 league games that term as he, once again, showcased his ability to provide a consistent threat in the final third.

The former Southend prospect then enjoyed a fantastic final season with the Hoops as he plundered 31 goals and ten assists in 51 matches in all competitions during the 2012/13 term.

He scored 19 goals and assisted eight in 32 Premiership outings and found the back of the net twice in seven Champions League appearances, with two goals against Spartak Moscow in the group stage.

How much was Hooper worth in 2013?

At the end of his final season with the Scottish giants, Transfermarkt valued Hooper at a whopping €5m (£4.3m) and this was a staggering increase of 567% on the initial €750k he was priced at in 2010.

He completed a move to Premier League side Norwich City that summer and his value did shoot up to €7m (£6m) in 2014 but has not moved above €5m since then.

Hooper, who was once dubbed "clinical" by former teammate Elliott Bennett, only scored six goals in 32 top-flight matches for the Canaries as they were relegated to the Championship and followed that up with 12 goals and six assists in 32 second-tier outings during the 2014/15 campaign.

After his spell with Norwich, he went on to play for Sheffield Wednesday, Wellington Phoenix, and Omonia Nicosia before his move to Gulf United in the U.A.E, where he currently plays.

The 35-year-old has not scored more than 13 league goals in a single season since his exit from Parkhead in 2010 after a return of at least 19 Premiership strikes one each of his three years in Scotland.

Therefore, Lennon struck gold for Celtic with the signing of Hooper as his market value soared throughout his time with the club and he proved himself to be a terrific player on the pitch with his consistent stream of goals and assists from a centre-forward position.

The decision to sell him to Norwich in 2013 also proved to be a fantastic decision by the Northern Irish boss as the English finisher failed to sustainably increase his market value or replicate his goalscoring form for the Hoops elsewhere.

أسدل اليوم الستار على منافسات الجولة الرابعة للمجموعة الأولى من منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة لـ كأس العالم 2026، التي تضم منتخب مصر.

واصطدم منتخب مصر تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب الوطني حسام حسن، بنظيره غينيا بيساو، بملعب 24 سبتمبر بالجولة الرابعة من تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وفرض التعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق كلمته على مباراة مصر وغينيا بيساو بهدفي ماما بالدي ومحمد صلاح.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، بجانب منتخبات جيبوتي وإثيوبيا وبوركينا فاسو وسيراليون وغينيا بيساو.

وفي خضم منافسات الجولة والمجموعة ذاتها، استطاع منتخب جيبوتي أن يحصد أولى نقاطه في المجموعة بالتعادل الإيجابي مع إثيوبيا، بنتيجة 1-1.

كما تعادل منتخب سيراليون أمام بوركينا فاسو في ختام مباريات الجولة لحساب نفس الجولة بهدفين لكل فريق.

طالع.. مجموعة مصر | جيبوتي تتعادل إيجابياً مع إثيوبيا في تصفيات كأس العالم

ويتصدر منتخب مصر ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 10 نقاط، من الفوز في الثلاث جولات الأولى من عمر مرحلة المجموعات لـ تصفيات كأس العالم والتعادل أمام غينيا بيساو. ترتيب مجموعة مصر في تصفيات كأس العالم

1- منتخب مصر – 10 نقاط – 4 مباريات.

2- غينيا بيساو – 6 نقاط – 4 مباريات.

3- بوركينا فاسو – 5 نقاط – 4 مباريات.

4- سيراليون – 5 نقاط – 4 مباريات.

5- إثيوبيا – 3 نقاط – 4 مباريات.

6- جيبوتي – نقطة واحدة – 4 مباريات.

يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب مجموعات تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لـ كأس العالم 2026 محدث باستمرار من هنا.

With limited-overs cricket becoming an increasingly unfamiliar environment for fingerspinners, R Ashwin has amped up his efforts to remain relevant. Over the past few years, he has been working towards becoming a wristspinner and was confident enough to try those variations in a domestic one-day match against Gujarat on Monday. He finished with figures of 2 for 38 in 9.1 overs as Tamil Nadu won the match by 76 runs.Ashwin was one of the two top-ranked bowlers in Test cricket when he was given a break from India’s ODI squad. Legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav were brought in to fill the void but now have become an intrinsic part of why India are so hard to beat in 50-overs cricket.To keep pace with the competition, Ashwin has been practicing legspin himself. “This is part of my plan going into the IPL,” Ashwin told reporters on the sidelines of Tamil Nadu-Gujarat Vijay Hazare Trophy match. “I am just trying to build my armoury. I used to bowl good legbreaks with my offspin action when I was playing league cricket in Chennai. Over a period of time, in a search to get my stock ball right, I obviously had to cut out a lot of those things. I had possessed a lot more variations. Having bowled offbreak as the stock ball for almost 10 years, trying to change things around is challenging. But I don’t really settle for anything. At no point in my career, I thought ‘this is it’ and decided to settle for the rest of my career.”Ashwin said he has largely been working alone. “As of now everything is cooked by me. I try to take feedback from our coaches in my academy. L Balaji has been of great help. First time I was bowling legspin, we were working on some actions on how to gain momentum. How I can make a repeatable action work for me. For example, my arm doesn’t go 45 degrees which is perfect for a legspinner. I am more upright. I have to adjust my action. It has been a painful ride. One day it will come out well in the nets, and the next day it won’t come out all right. It will be frustrating. I have gone through the entire journey and have reached a place where I can land the ball where I want to.”The IPL presents the next opportunity for Ashwin to make a case for himself in limited-overs cricket. Although this season, when he goes home to play in Chennai, he would line up as part of the opposition: Kings XI Punjab bought him for INR 7.6 crore (USD 1.18 million approx).”I was a tad disappointed because I have been here for the last ten years,” Ashwin said. “Literally, I have owned that space around Chepauk. Every time I came on to bowl, the kind of roaring and cheering I got will always stick on in my head. Coming back there, to play against CSK, will probably motivate me more.”

The BCB has said it does not want to make a “hasty decision” since it wants a candidate who would stay with the team for “two-three years”

Mohammad Isam05-Dec-2017

Mushfiqur Rahim and Richard Pybus speak to reporters on arrival•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Richard Pybus arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday to be interviewed for the position of Bangladesh’s head coach. He is no stranger to the role, having been in charge for a few brief months in 2012.Pybus, who was seen sitting with BCB president Nazmul Hassan and watching the second BPL game of the day at Shere Bangla stadium, is on a shortlist of candidates the BCB is hoping to meet in the near future. ESPNcricinfo understands that former West Indies coach Phil Simmons is one among that list.”He [Pybus] is in our short-list,” Akram Khan, the cricket operations committee chairman, said. “We will finalise it after talking with all the [BCB] directors. We don’t want to hastily make a decision, as we want to take a coach for 2-3 years. We have three or four coaches in our shortlist. We are thinking of interviewing all of them. But we will finalise it after talking to [Pybus].”Pybus was Bangladesh’s head coach from June to October 2012 before he left, rather unceremoniously, due to issues relating to his contract and interference from the BCB directors. He said at the time: “My position was undermined consistently by interference from the board, some of whom were not only obstructive, but seemed to be completely ignorant of cricket.” Pybus has also served as director of cricket for West Indies.The Bangladesh head coach position has been vacant since Chandika Hathurusingha tendered his resignation in October. Neither the BCB nor Hathurusingha has revealed the exact reason for the development.

Liverpool supporters will be desperate for a few more incomings before the summer transfer window closes next week, and manager Jurgen Klopp will be assessing his options ahead of that fateful day.

While the Reds missed out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, the astute if surprising signing of the experienced Wataru Endo at least provides some defensive stability after the acquisitions of creative midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai earlier in the window.

Bolstering the attack will not have been at the forefront of Liverpool's focus this summer, but following revelations regarding Saudi Arabian interest in Mohamed Salah, the Anfield side look to be searching for an heir.

Who could replace Mo Salah at Liverpool?

According to Calciomercato, Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane is being considered by the Liverpool hierarchy to replace the Egyptian phenom, with Federico Chiesa and Karim Adeyemi also on the shortlist.

Valued at £42m by Football Transfers, Sane has entered the penultimate year of his contract at the Allianz Arena, and Liverpool could look to take advantage by testing Bayern's resolve.

How good is Leroy Sane?

Liverpool will be hoping to produce a more successful season than last time out, as Klopp's side failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

While they are adamant that Salah is not for sale this summer, the 31-year-old has also entered the final two years of his deal at Anfield and it is possible he would be sold next year to recuperate as much as possible for such a first-class forward.

Sane, who used to play for Manchester City, boasts creativity and incisiveness in abundance, having scored 40 goals and supplied 37 assists from 135 appearances for Bayern, having once been dubbed "incredible" by former Bavarian boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Having netted twice in the opening Bundesliga match of the current season against Werder Bremen, the 53-cap Germany international now ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals per 90, as per FBref.

Given that he also ranks among the top 10% of peers for pass completion, the top 11% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, Sane's ball-playing and dribbling skills are showcased and hence underlining the dynamism he could bring to Klopp's team.

By maintaining his diverse attacking nature, he could find the perfect attacking partner in Cody Gakpo, with the Dutchman's all-encompassing approach on the pitch aligning with wide players such as Sane's skills.

Indeed, Liverpool's £35m January signing has been immense since arriving, and ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe for assists, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 1% for tackles per 90.

Described as "something special" by Fabrizio Romano, Gakpo's selflessness, creativity and movement would allow Sane to weave inside and wreak havoc, and it truly could be the inception of a "world-class" duo – as the 27-year-old Bayern ace has been called by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Liverpool will lose an irreplaceable asset when Salah does exit Anfield for the final time, and while Sane does not boast the prolificness of his £350k-per-week peer – alas, few do – he does offer a superlative range of tricks and skills to cement a starring role under Klopp's stewardship and thrive.

And with Gakpo pulling the strings from the centre, the high-octane energy of Liverpool's frontline might just remain intact.

Zimbabwe are often a side that only really gets going a couple of games into a tour and the chastening experience of the first Test will likely spur greater resolve in what is a must-win game if they are to level the series

The Preview by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo28-Oct-2017

Graeme Cremer loses his stumps to Jason Holder•WICB

Big PictureCash isn’t the only thing in short supply in Zimbabwe. During the first Test, it also seemed patience was lacking from the hosts’ batting. In an effort to get ahead in the game, batsmen perished in a flurry of soft dismissals across both innings and Zimbabwe let slip the golden opportunity created by their bowlers. The batsmen were particularly generous during the afternoon denouement on day four, crumbling from a relatively healthy 219 for 4 to be 316 all out, with the tailenders bettering anything the middle order had to offer. The match was over with a day to spare, but despite the fact that Zimbabwe will be playing a four-day Test in two months’ time, it wasn’t a great advertisement.The second Test presents an opportunity for Zimbabwe to get things right. Playing as little top-level cricket as they do, Zimbabwe are often a side that only really gets going a couple of games into a tour and the chastening experience of the first Test will likely spur greater resolve in what is a must-win game if they are to level the series. The first job will be to win the toss. The second will be to bat long into the second day.That sounds a simple equation, and it is one that West Indies seem to have a greater aptitude for. The first-innings blip aside, their batsmen showed far greater tenacity in the first Test, and it tells that this West Indies squad has played three times as many Tests as Zimbabwe this year. West Indies were far more able to absorb the pressure and more conscious of the amount of time left in the game, waiting as long as necessary for a bad ball from which to score. If they can get the basics once again, they will be very hard to beat.Zimbabwe will have the added challenge of tuning out any potential off-field distractions in the build-up to this match after it was revealed that Zimbabwe Cricket has been hit by a financial crunch which could affect salaries for all employees, including players. An internal memo informed staff that they would only be receiving half their October salaries this month, a situation ZC is hoping to rectify in November. It’s no secret that Zimbabwe is dealing with one of its most serious economic crises in recent times, with a cash shortage the most recent symptom.While it is unclear if this has contributed directly to ZC’s current financial malaise, the entire country is reeling under the current crisis. ZC is no stranger to financial difficulties, but the relative stability enjoyed this year was key to the luring back of players such as Brendan Taylor and Kyle Jarvis, and this will be an unwelcome distraction. Chris Gayle’s ongoing defamation case aside, West Indies have no such distractions and they will go into the second match as favourites.Form guideZimbabwe LLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLWLLIn the spotlightZimbabwe’s lower middle order crumbled twice in the first Test match, with Nos. 5 to 8 making 36 runs in the first innings and 48 in the second. West Indies’ combination of legspin and reverse swing did much of the damage, and with a very quick turnaround between Tests, there is little time to put things right. Zimbabwe would do well to follow the example set by the visitors, whose simplified tactics allowed them to occupy the crease and dictate the game.Devendra Bishoo seems an unlikely spearhead for a West Indies bowling attack traditionally dominated by pace, but the last 12 months have been reasonably productive for the legspinner. Bishoo is within touching distance of 100 Test wickets, and 39 of his dismissals have come in the last year. He found conditions to his liking in the first Test with a match haul of 9 for 184, and with the second match being played at the same ground he will once again be West Indies’ main bowling weapon.Team newsZimbabwe coach Heath Streak suggested there would be no major tactical changes for Zimbabwe, and with a variety of bowling options and seven Test centurions in their likely playing XI, the hosts are nicely balanced on paper. The conditions might dictate that Hamilton Masakadza has a little more bowling to do, but the main question for Zimbabwe lies behind the stumps. Regis Chakabva effected a couple of good stumpings in the first Test, but also dropped a catch and contributed little with the bat. Zimbabwe could bring in Peter Moor to strengthen their batting – although Moor didn’t keep wicket in the A warm-up game ahead of this series. Their other less likely option would be to hand a debut to Mid West Rhinos wicketkeeper Nyasha Mayavo.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Regis Chakabva/PJ Moor (wk), 9 Graeme Cremer (capt), 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu.Consistency has been part of West Indies’ selection policy this year, and after their victory in the first Test, there seems little reason to tinker with the playing XI aside from injury. Jermaine Blackwood had a quiet first Test, out stumped twice for single figures, but West Indies are unlikely to make any unforced changes.West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Kyle Hope, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel.Pitch and conditionsAfter the first substantial rains of the season coincided with the first Test, there has been a bit of a concern in the second game too. The rain could leave a slow outfield even soggier, while the added moisture will also mean that the ball won’t reverse swing quite so easily. Around this time of the year the weather always becomes a bit of a gamble, and while the forecast suggests that rain will not ruin the Test, it could play a part.Stats and trivia The team winning the toss has won four of the last five Tests played at this ground. Zimbabwe won the toss 11 times in the first 12 Tests played at Queens, but have done so only four times in their 10 last games here. Devendra Bishoo needs two more scalps to reach 100 Test wickets. From the current team, Brendan Taylor is Zimbabwe’s leading batsman at this ground, with 453 runs including a century and four fifties from the six Tests he has played here.Quote”We’re unlikely to make unforced changes. We’ve got a couple of niggles that we’re managing, so we’ll have a final check tomorrow on one or two guys, but we’ll try not to change the team too much.”

However, the Cricket West Indies president was personally quite satisfied by security arrangements in Lahore for the final match of the World XI series

Umar Farooq16-Sep-2017Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron said it was a “challenge” to convince the West Indies players that it was safe to visit Pakistan. Cameron was on a two-day trip to the country to watch the final T20I of the World XI series, an event which the PCB hopes will convince other nations to send their teams for international tours.”I have enjoyed my two days in Pakistan,” Cameron said in a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. “As Najam [Sethi, the PCB chairman] said, we’ve been talking about this for some time and have our own challenges back in the West Indies. We’re only 5 million people, and as you heard there was recently a hurricane passing through our islands as well. But my challenge is to convince the players that it’s safe enough. It’s our duty to help as well. I felt that if I came over here to show that it’s safe enough that would go some way in convincing the players. InshAllah [God-willing] in November, we’ll be here.”This is the second time PCB has approached West Indies to tour, after they refused to travel to Pakistan in March upon receiving security advice from the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA). In the report then, FICA warned that the risk level in Pakistan remained “at an extremely elevated state” and that “an acceptable level of participant security and safety cannot be expected or guaranteed”. It had also discouraged players strongly from travelling to Lahore for the Pakistan Super League final.But things have improved since, as ICC’s chief executive officer David Richardson noted at a press conference on Wednesday. The security arrangements were overseen by international security consultants. The ICC bore the cost of the security advisors and have agreed terms to assist the PCB for every series they host in Pakistan from hereon in.But Cameron also explained that the matter may not necessarily be in his hands, with the board not having the final say over whether its players tour a particular nation. “We’ve had the security team here for the final of the PSL and they’ve seen these matches as well,” he said, when asked if FICA could be convinced. “Here, Pakistan’s board makes decisions [regarding where to tour]. My board’s a little bit different, with the WIPA [West Indies Players Association] also having a big say. We have to respect their decision.”We want to ensure that when the players come over, everyone actually wants to come and enjoy the experience, and we don’t want to be seen to be forcing anyone. We’ve had Darren Sammy here and Samuel Badree and they’ve loved it. Sammy’s on his second trip and I think that will also convince the players that it is safe to come.Cameron also gave the security arrangements in Pakistan a personal vote of confidence. “From what I believe I’m very convinced. The hospitality has been great, and the security has been first-class, and from where I stand right now, everything looks good.”