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Former England manager Gareth Southgate has addressed the chances of returning to management, amid “strange” rumours with a new national side.

What Southgate has been doing since leaving England role

The former Three Lions boss left his role as national team manager in 2024 following the European Championship final defeat to Spain.

Thomas Tuchel has since taken over as England manager, with Southgate talking about England’s current crop of players.

“I think they’ve obviously got lots of good players. There is, as always, some exciting young players coming through. It’s important for me not to say too much more than that, really, because I don’t want to step on Thomas’ toes at all.”

Games

102

Wins

64

Draws

20

Losses

18

Average goals scored per game

2.25

Average goals conceded per game

0.84

Players used

99

The 54-year-old, who was linked with Man Utd last year, also told the PA news agency what he has been up to since resigning from the England job, speaking at the PFA Awards in Manchester.

“I’m enjoying my life. I’ve got quite a lot on. I’m in the middle of writing a book, I’ve got several business interests. I do some work on leadership, help with some young coaches.

“But I’ve also got time to travel and play a bit of golf, play a bit of paddle tennis, so yeah, I’m very much enjoying that balance.”

Every England manager's first game in charge

Thomas Tuchel is the latest manager to make his Three Lions debut.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 14, 2025 Southgate calls links to national team “strange”

Southgate was then asked if he is looking at returning to management, to which he described rumours linking him to the Poland job over the summer as “strange”.

There were claims that Southgate applied for the role to the Polish FA back in June but was rejected.

Poland ended up appointing Jan Urban as their new manager back in July, replacing Michal Probierz after star striker Robert Lewandowski announced he would not play for the team under Probierz.

In the wake of a 2-0 loss to South Korea, Lalas said there is too much at stake with a home World Cup to risk poor results

Lalas claims investment hasn't panned outSays U.S. Soccer thought it had a better teamLikes Pochettino but doesn't think he's a good fitFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas says that if he were in Matt Crocker's position as U.S. Soccer sporting director, he would dismiss manager Mauricio Pochettino, given the lack of tangible progress in the first year under the Argentine's leadership.

The FOX Sports analyst said there's too much at stake with a home World Cup to risk an underwhelming performance. 

"Yeah, I would," Lalas said on his "State of the Union" podcast when asked if he would fire the manager. "I've spent time with Mauricio Pochettino. I think he's a quality coach… What I'm basing it on is Mauricio Pochettino himself. What he's said and done… He's come to the realization that, with his experience – and he's talked about it – that this isn't a soccer-first country.

"OK, we all understand that. But you know what they would do in a soccer-first country? They wouldn't abide by this. It would be on to the next one."

Though admitting that it's unlikely that U.S. Soccer would make such a rash move at this point, Lalas suggested that alarm bells should be ringing at the federation after another disappointing performance. The USMNT lost to South Korea, 2-0, in New Jersey on Saturday night.

"Again, this is a home World Cup. It's unique in that aspect, and therefore, the stakes are much higher," Lalas said. "Whether you're Matt Crocker or anyone else at the United States Soccer Federation, this is going to happen under your watch. If you let it happen, and it doesn't go well, and it's a failure, then everyone should be out."

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Ex-USMNT player Stu Holden said that, if results at next year’s World Cup are ultimately what matter, then pundits are overreacting to Pochettino’s poor results as he experiments with lineups. 

"All that matters is how this team ultimately does in the World Cup next year," Holden said. "There's no pressure right now. The pressure comes next year. He could lose every game until the World Cup, and if he goes to the World Cup and goes to quarterfinals or semifinals, then this would be viewed as a success."

Given the level of investment in Pochettino, Lalas said the team's performances should have improved. Pochettino has won nine of 17 matches in charge of the USMNT.

“How would you quantify bombing out of a World Cup, or doing poorly at a home World Cup? What’s that worth to America?” Lalas asked. “Why the hell are we paying him $6 million if he can’t do anything with these players? The whole point of bringing him in is that he could do more with these players – and he’s done less.”

WHAT LALAS SAID

Lalas said that he remains pessimistic that the U.S. will show progress by next summer. 

"If you ask me today if I'm confident that this team is going to do great things next summer, given what has happened? Hell no!" he said. "And Mauricio Pochettino would have to say the exact same things. This is what we do. We judge through the games. We are reactive, we are emotional about it, we are passionate about it. There are a lot of people who are like 'Oh my goodness, we're in deep you know what come next summer.'

"If we don't make a change, then that's what's going to come into fruition. I don't want that on my watch. I don't want that to happen to my country. I don't want that to happen to my sport."

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AFPDID YOU KNOW?

The deepest run the U.S. have made in the World Cup was the quarterfinals in 2002, with a Bruce Arena and Landon Donovan-led squad.

Manchester United have submitted a loan proposal to sign an “outstanding” £166,000-a-week star from Bayern Munich, according to a new report.

Man Utd submit Nicolas Jackson enquiry as they close in on Mbeumo

The Red Devils have only managed to make one signing so far this summer, and that came right at the start of the window with the arrival of Matheus Cunha from Wolves. The hope was that Bryan Mbeumo would soon become the club’s second signing, but it is a transfer that has taken a long time to get over the line.

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Brett Worthington

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Those at Old Trafford have already seen two bids turned down for the Cameroon international, but they have not given up on finding an agreement, and according to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, United are expected to wrap up the transfer of Mbeumo in the coming days ahead of their tour to the USA. The Premier League side are expecting a breakthrough in talks in the coming days after having opening offers turned down by the Bees.

Despite the arrival of Cunha and the potential arrival of Mbeumo, United and Ruben Amorim are keen to add a new striker to their ranks. The Red Devils have been linked with several forwards, with the latest name being Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea. Jackson could leave Stamford Bridge this summer, and United have made an enquiry over signing the striker, who could be available for just £60 million.

Man Utd make loan proposal to sign £166k-p/w Bayern ace

Mbeumo and Jackson are not the only players United are chasing, as according to Caught Offside, Man United have made a loan proposal for Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha, but the German giants have turned it down.

Palhinha, who earns a weekly wage of €192,308 (£166,481), is considered to be no longer in the plans of manager Vincent Kompany and therefore can leave the Bundesliga champions this summer. United have identified the Portuguese international as a target, but they were keen on striking a loan deal, which Bayern aren’t on board with.

Bayern Munich want to sell Palhinha on a permanent basis and are looking to get between €30-35 million, which is roughly £25-30 million. United are not the only team chasing the midfielder, as Tottenham Hotspur have also made an enquiry, while Fulham and West Ham are also interested in a potential deal.

The 30-year-old, who has been dubbed “outstanding” during his time at Craven Cottage by John Wenham, played just 17 games in the Bundesliga last season, and he only featured once in the Club World Cup, which was 45 minutes against Benfica.

Palhinha’s potential arrival at Old Trafford would see him likely replace Casemiro and partner his international teammate Bruno Fernandes in Amorim’s midfield selection. However, United would have to stump up money to sign the midfielder, and given their financial situation, they may look to alternative targets, whether they are cheaper or on a temporary basis.

Australia batter looks forward to Hundred return, but believes more boundaries need to be pushed

Andrew Miller24-Jul-2024

Beth Mooney, Australia’s opening batter, says that women’s cricket must “keep pushing the boundaries” when it comes to demanding equal pay for global competitions, as she prepares to return to the Hundred after a year’s absence, this time as Manchester Originals’ star overseas signing.Mooney, 30, was Originals’ first pick in this year’s draft, landing herself a top-tier £50,000 deal, two years after her only previous stint in the competition, for London Spirit in 2022.Although that sum was a significant increase on the £31,250 that the ECB had established as the top salary bracket for the 2023 draft, it pales in comparison to the men’s top-tier salary of £125,000 – let alone the £200,000 that Mooney picked up from Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL auction in February 2023.And so, while the overall direction of travel is positive, Mooney is not about to buy into any premature self-congratulations about the state of women’s cricket in England, even though she acknowledges that the Hundred, with its shared facilities and double-header match-days, is one of the trendsetters in terms of offering equal opportunities for the men’s and women’s tournaments.”I’m not sure it’s quite equal billing, because the men still get paid more,” Mooney told ESPNcricinfo during a KP Snacks event at Cheetham Hill. “But yeah, in terms of the exposure, and the fan base, and the quality of the tournament, it’s certainly up there with one of the best going around. It’s doing a great job with getting more opportunities for women in this country to play cricket but, as with any women’s sport, we’re not quite there with equal billing.”Last summer, a wide-ranging report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) recommended that English cricket needs to be in a position to offer equal salaries for the Hundred by 2025. The ECB pushed back on that commitment, however, arguing that the commercial and media value of the women’s game still falls significantly short of that of the men’s.Beth Mooney (left) at a KP Snacks event at Cheetham Hill, the site of one of 100 all-weather community cricket pitches they will install across England and Wales by 2025•Wasserman

Mooney agreed that that was still the case. “I don’t know if it’s quite an achievable goal,” she said. “The men obviously bring in a lot of revenue across the world, in terms of the viewership and the broadcast and things like that, so the remuneration piece is always a bit of a tough one.”But we’ve got to keep pushing the boundaries a bit,” she added. “I think we’ve got to keep asking the right questions of the ICC, and of each of the different boards of the countries, and make sure that we’re still striving to get, first and foremost, more girls in the game, but making sure there’s equal opportunities across the board for each country and the females as well.”This time last year, a glut of Australia’s top female talent pulled out of the Hundred, partly as a consequence of their windfalls at the WPL – the average spend on the 14 Australians picked up at the auction was more than £100,000 each – but also because their major focus for their off-season had been the Women’s Ashes in June and July. This turned into a tussle for the ages, as England squared the multi-format series at 8-8 after four wins out of six in the white-ball legs.After years of dominance across formats, this was the closest Australia had come to relinquishing the Ashes since 2013-14. However, with the T20 World Cup looming in Bangladesh in October, Mooney was phlegmatic about the challenge to her team’s pre-eminence, arguing that it was the natural upshot of the huge growth in popularity of women’s cricket globally.”I don’t know if there’s really such thing as a gap, to be honest,” she said. “I think every team in the world has been getting better, just like we have. We play a lot more cricket now, so there’s always going to be times where different teams beat each other. We’re just fortunate to have those opportunities to put the game out there, and play competitive cricket.”Either way, she doesn’t envisage the sort of situation that has begun to crop up in the men’s game, whereby team-mates in franchise tournaments – such as Kuldeep Yadav and Tristan Stubbs at Delhi Capitals – are reluctant to face one another in the nets and give away secrets ahead of international tournaments.Two of England’s key bowlers, Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Filer, will be lining up alongside Mooney at Manchester, but she’s fairly confident that that won’t be an issue at practice.”You’d have to ask them, to be honest, but I don’t know if there’s really any chat about that in the women’s game,” she said. “We play so much franchise cricket now, and a lot of us are really good mates. And there really aren’t any secrets in the global cricket game anymore, because there’s so much vision on everyone. There’s nothing that I’m going to do that they’re going to be overly surprised about, whether it’s in the nets or in a game.”She knows, however, that there will be high expectations surrounding her Hundred return, partly as a consequence of her price tag, but also due to lingering memories of her maiden Hundred appearance in 2022 – 97 not out from 55 balls for London Spirit against Southern Brave, at the time the highest score in the competition’s history.”I mean, I’m here to score runs and help the team win games of cricket, and hopefully give bits of advice to different players along the way,” she said. “I certainly don’t look at it as anything more or less than that. Like any tournament I play in, whether it’s for Australia or back home in the Big Bash, I’ve got a job to do, and that’s that doesn’t change, no matter what colour shirt I put on.”There are certainly high expectations from my point of view. But I also know that cricket is a fickle game, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. So, at the end of the day, you can’t hang your hat on the number next to your name, because that isn’t always a measure of success in my eyes.”KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, is continuing its initiative to build 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales, with 35 brand new pitches going down in 2024. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

Everton have reached a “verbal agreement” over the signing of a Premier League player this summer, according to a significant update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who are Everton being linked with signing?

The Blues continue to be linked with possible summer signings, with David Moyes well aware of bringing in immediate key men and also young players with bright futures.

Nineteen-year-old Reims ace Valentin Atangana has been backed to join Everton before the start of next season, potentially being seen as a long-term successor to Abdoulaye Doucoure at the heart of the midfield.

The Blues are also thought to be leading the race to sign Jack Grealish from Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola making it clear that the Englishman no longer has a future at the Etihad, having failed to justify the £100m paid for him back in 2021. He could love the idea of a new challenge on Merseyside, however, with Moyes allowing him to express himself.

In terms of outgoings, Jarrad Branthwaite’s Everton future continues to be a big talking point, as they try to keep hold of arguably their most prized asset. Chelsea are among those who have been mentioned as suitors for the Englishman, but many huge clubs are keen on him.

Everton reach "verbal agreement" with £50,000-a-week Tete

Writing on X, Romano claimed that Everton have now come to a “verbal agreement” with Fulham right-back Kenny Tete over a three-year move to the club this summer, with his £50,000-a-week Fulham deal coming to an end this month.

Tete may not be the most earth-shattering signing for the Blues, but he has proven to be a solid servant for Fulham, more than holding his own in the Premier League and being hailed by pundit Robbie Mustoe.

“I just love the way they defend as well. Kenny Tete I think is often another one who is underappreciated. He doesn’t half do a good job, he’s a good defender, steady on the ball, I think he’s a fan favourite and he was missed last year, I think it was last year that he was out for a while. I just made a quick note about him, he was one of those unsung guys at a club that is really important to the way they defend.”

Kyle Walker had been linked with a summer move to Everton from City, but Tete is 29 years of age, and therefore six years younger than him, meaning he could be the more shrewd choice.

Related Same agent as McNeil: Everton eyeing swoop to sign "incredible" PL rival

He’s got plenty of experience.

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The fact that Tete has shown that he can perform in the Premier League makes him a safe bet for the Blues, rather than bringing in someone from a different league, and he can provide several years of good service at the club.

We will be keeping tabs on how these five young women go at the latest edition of the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia

Shashank Kishore17-Jan-2025Caoimhe Bray (Australia)A seam-bowling allrounder like her role model Ellyse Perry, Bray became the youngest to feature in the WBBL late last year when she was just 15. She marked the occasion by dismissing Deandra Dottin and then hitting the winning runs for Sydney Sixers.She had come into the spotlight after amassing nearly 1000 runs in the New South Wales Under-18s competition in 2024, which included a double-century in the final. Last September, she made her Australia Under-19s debut in a tri-series, where she hit 84 and picked up 4 for 20 against New Zealand.Bray has also represented Australia’s junior football team as a 14-year-old at the AFC Women’s Under-17 championships in Indonesia.Tilly Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket•Getty ImagesTilly Corteen-Coleman (England)A left-arm spinner who dismissed Meg Lanning on her Hundred debut as a 16-year-old, England’s Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket, where she picked up four wickets in four deliveries for South East Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.She followed that up with an impressive outing at the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2024, where she picked up nine wickets in eight games as South East Stars finished runners-up.Corteen-Coleman has already gained valuable experience in Asia, having represented England Under-19s in Sri Lanka last year.Niki Prasad recently led India to the Under-19 Asia Cup title•ICC via Getty ImagesNiki Prasad (India)As a 15-year-old in 2021, Prasad hit Deepti Sharma for towering sixes at a club tournament in Bengaluru, and there was a buzz around her in the cricket circles in the city. But a departure from her aggressive game to try and bat longer pushed her down the pecking order after she was initially in the running to play in the inaugural edition of this World Cup in 2023.Over the past 18 months, Prasad has rediscovered her big-hitting abilities through dedicated power-hitting sessions as well as a transformation in her fitness routine. In 2025, she will lead India as they hope to defend their crown. She is one of five players from the current India squad to have been picked up in the latest WPL auction; Prasad will play for the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals.Karabo Meso has already featured in two T20Is as a wicketkeeper-batter•Cricket South AfricaKarabo Meso (South Africa)Set to play in her second Under-19 World Cup, Meso is seen in South Africa as the natural successor to incumbent wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.Meso comes from a family with a sporting background. Her mother played netball and her father played softball. Meso herself started off as a prodigious track-and-field athlete before shifting to cricket and choosing the big gloves. She earned a maiden national call-up for the home series against Sri Lanka last April, and has subsequently featured in two T20Is.Related

All you need to know about 2025 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup

Her eight dismissals and superb glovework at the previous edition of the tournament was noticed when she was picked in ICC’s team of the tournament despite South Africa not making it past the Super Six stage.Limansa Thilakarathna (Sri Lanka)Daughter of former Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Melbourne-raised Limansa, an Australian national, wants to be a legspinner like another famous Victorian, the late Shane Warne. In 2021, she became the youngest female cricketer – at 12 – to play at the premier level, when she was chosen for Cricket Victoria’s Under-16 squad. She currently represents Melbourne Cricket Club.Limansa’s Australian nationality has caused debate within Sri Lankan cricketing circles, but the selectors have stuck to their decision of picking her citing her all-round abilities – she bats left-handed and in the top four, apart from being a legspinner.

There were lessons, bonhomie and great moments aplenty in two fine games on Sunday night

Mark Nicholas28-Mar-2023The cricket match we had been waiting for came the day before yesterday at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Sure, I was lucky enough to be present at a thriller of a game in South Africa (a little more of that in a while) but the one in Mumbai was the final of the first Women’s Premier League, and the question was, could it live up to the billing. Hurrying back to a Johannesburg hotel room from a breathless Supersport Park – the crowd still dizzy from the home team’s spectacular run chase against West Indies – I settled in front of the televison for the nub of the matter between Delhi Capitals, led by the Australia captain, Meg Lanning, and Mumbai Indians, led by India’s Harmanpreet Kaur.Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet were at the wicket, nervously chipping away at the Delhi total of 131 and meeting mid-pitch for short conversations and little fist-punches, the touchy-feely performance recognition of cricket’s modernism.Lanning was a study of concentration: cool in the deployment of her bowlers and accurate in the positioning of her fielders, each of whose attention and athleticism would likely decide the outcome. These three, alongside Marizanne Kapp, South Africa’s totemic allrounder and Lanning’s go-to game-breaker, are among the game’s greatest players. They fly the flag for nations steeped in the cricket history of men and now telling stories of women who delight and surprise in equal measure.Related

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It was a hard game to call, especially after Alice Capsey whipped off the bails to run-out Harmanpreet, but the suspicion lingered that Sciver-Brunt was not for turning, and therefore Lanning’s war was at the other end. What she cannot have reckoned on was Amelia Kerr’s brazen counterattack. When it got really tight, Kerr simply thumped a few to various boundaries, and suddenly Sciver-Brunt was paddling the winning runs.What happened next was riveting. Mumbai Indians swarmed the field and hugged the hell out of each other – of course they did, this was a big deal. But wait, did I see right? The coach, Charlotte Edwards, stayed boundary-side, wiping the fall of tears from her cheeks. Meanwhile, Lanning – as good and tough a cricketer as Edwards – immersed herself among the Mumbai horde to shake every hand, have a squeeze or two herself, and warmly smile her way through the pain of defeat. She’s a winner, and this sort of thing doesn’t come easy. But the humanity of her actions was rather moving. Lanning saw the big picture for what it was, a canvas on which women’s cricket can be painted alongside any of the existing masterpieces.Australia are the benchmark for women’s cricket. Lanning is the best batter, a great pro and superb captain. Not long back she took time away from the game to recharge and rethink. Since returning she has won the T20 World Cup with her hugely professional and widely gifted team. South Africa gave the Aussies a run in the final – a fabulous occasion at Newlands incidentally – but one team was better than the other. The speed at which women’s cricket is now moving is astonishing. On the field, the power of shot, speed of bowler and agility of fielder has improved beyond measure, even during the past year or so. Off the field, the players are commanding a heady price at auction; Sciver-Brunt cost the Mumbai franchise about US$ 390,000, and she rewarded the faith.

The quality of the bats is a good thing for women, who are now challenging boundaries and frequently hitting amazing shots, giving their natural game of skill and touch another exciting dimension

The trick now will be to take stock. The development of the professional women’s game has come from a blank sheet of paper and is all the better for it. But the lines on the paper are filling up fast. Burnout is a very real threat to the globetrotters of the day. Sciver-Brunt was another who took time away from the game in the second part of last year to reboot. The highest compliment one can pay her is to recount that while she was at the crease on Sunday, there was an inevitability about the outcome. Richie Benaud used to say that the key to a run chase was to be there at the end. Sciver-Brunt must have been listening. The party began, and how!The scene took me back to the first men’s IPL final, when Chennai Super Kings were outwitted by Rajasthan Royals. It was Shane Warne triumphant against MS Dhoni and Muthiah Muralidaran; Warne inspiring his misfits and igniting Ravindra Jadeja; Warne investing both emotionally and physically in franchise and tournament. Warne being Warne. Royals swarmed then as Mumbai did on Sunday night, and Dhoni warmly congratulated. It was good between the teams, as if they were all on the same mission – the justification of something new that the players saw as opportunity.WPL night was ever so slightly different. Yes, it was something new but it was part of a mission that has defined who we are and what we believe to be right. The communal celebrations were the branches of an olive tree that will, metaphorically, live forever. Women’s cricket is no longer an idea or even a movement. It is an integral part of cricket life. The Indian franchise-league presence is the final piece of the jigsaw. Lanning instinctively knew it and saw that on this glittering night, in front of a full house, the winner was less relevant than the writing on the wall. She lost with dignity, which has not always been said about sportspeople in this angry age, but which seems to be back in fashion – among cricketers anyway.The IPL takes its share of the credit, since players who previously only knew one another from opposite sides of the fence now spend long periods of the year living in each other’s pockets. As must Brendon McCullum, who convinced his New Zealand players to dumb down the histrionics and see cricket for what it is – not trivial but not life and death either. Such was his impact that the generously spirited reaction to cruel defeat in the 2019 World Cup final by his successor Kane Williamson and the whole team will live long in the memory.Johnson Charles and Kyle Mayers put on 135 in 58 balls in the epic Centurion T20I•AFP/Getty ImagesThe women have an unfettered sense of joy in their game – an innocence almost – that suggests both unity and an old-fashioned morality. A well-used piece of footage during the later stages of the WPL had Jemimah Rodrigues in the Delhi Capitals dugout leading some of her team mates though an impromptu and wonderfully fluent dance, after which they all fell about with laughter. It was a reminder that we can take ourselves and the game too seriously. Ben Stokes has worked this one out too but applies his conclusions in a rather different way. Part of England’s recent success comes from upping the fun factor and lowering expectation.There was something of the same at Supersport Park early on Sunday evening as West Indians mingled among South Africans after 517 runs had been scored in 38 overs and five balls. In the television preview to the match, I interviewed Johnson Charles, who said he wasn’t bothered by arriving the day before the first match and that, anyway, he wasn’t the sort of player who studied the pitch and weighed up his options; rather, see ball and hit ball was the message. After which we walked to the middle together and, prophetically, he said we should expect a 245 game on a pitch this good. I can’t say I took him seriously. Duh me. He made 118 of them himself, in 46 balls.The balance between bat and ball is a true essential in the ongoing review of cricket’s health. So yes, these matches are heavily loaded in favour of batters, but on other occasions in other places, the ball has its say. Where possible, boundaries should be pushed back for men, whose physical strength has exponentially increased with the quality and amount of wood in the bats. The problem is how easily the mishit flies over not just the infield but the boundary riders too. This is obviously unfair to bowlers and takes much of the fear out of attacking batting, thus making the task of a big hit under pressure easier on the mind. The quality of the bats is a good thing for women, who are now challenging boundaries and frequently hitting amazing shots, giving their natural game of skill and touch another exciting dimension.The summary of all this is that whenever the critics – and I have been one – bang on about overkill in the short-form space compromising Test cricket, it is easy to forget cricket is in a generally happy place. Aspects of today’s game are not for everyone but then nor are aspects of today’s life. In a worn cliché it is said that cricket reflects life. This may be so, it may not. But as long as the grounds are full of enthusiastic spectators, the rudiments of technique remain – they form the aesthetic – and the contest goes to the wire, there is nothing to do but celebrate. Lanning had her day in the South African sun on February 26th, when her team won the T20 World Cup against South Africa at Newlands. On Sunday it was the turn of Harmanpreet in Mumbai and Lanning was first to applaud her. How the great world spins…

All you need is a smartphone and a tripod to find out more about your bowling

Deivarayan Muthu28-Nov-20204:02

Lockie Ferguson: ‘Wanted to put technology in people’s pockets’

Speed is “everything” for Lockie Ferguson. His pace was noted in 2008, when he competed with Jimmy Neesham in a fast-bowling competition on the sidelines of the New Zealand vs England Test at Basin Reserve.Ferguson’s elder brother Mitch Ferguson was also known for his rapid pace back in the day at Auckland Grammar but then slipped through the cracks, and is now a software developer. The Ferguson brothers’ need for speed drove them to develop an application called Machineroad with which bowlers can measure their speeds on their smartphones. In addition to being a pocket speed gun, the app allows you to record your training sessions while providing real-time feedback on lengths and bounce points among other analytics.So, all you need is a smartphone, a tripod set up 1.5 metres high and two metres behind the bowling crease, and “find out more about your bowling”.Watch the cricket on ESPN+

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“It was Mitch’s baby to start with. Fortunately, I’m in cricket as well, so it was a good avenue to get technology this cutting edge into everyday users,” Lockie told ESPNcricinfo during a virtual interaction. “Obviously, as professionals, we get the opportunity to have HawkEye, ball tracking, and pitch mapping and all these sorts of analytics, which help to become a better cricketer and now we’re trying to put that in someone’s pocket.”So, obviously pretty easy with me being a quick bowler and easy alignment for our product there, but certainly from a young age, I wanted to be a quick bowler because my big brother was a fast bowler and I wanted to be faster than him. Off the back of that, I think everyone will probably agree – even talking to some of the batters in the team, getting the app out at training, they’re all charging in and trying to bowl quick. So, it just shows you that there’s a lot of passion for fast bowling and everyone wants to know at some stage how quickly they can bowl.”Mitch drew from his experiences as a raw fast bowler – mismanaging bowling loads and lack of enough awareness about fast bowling – to make the app “hugely scalable” for club cricketers.Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi test out the Machineroad app at the KKR nets•KKR/Machineroad”I guess the main reason behind [creating] the app was some of the stuff that I went through as a young cricketer,” Mitch said. “I was going through the grades and involved in a lot of representative cricket and obviously having quite a few injuries during that time as well. Ultimately, it was kind of based around how we can provide visibility to some of those young players because I definitely missed out on my fair share of opportunities.”You’ve got HawkEye and a range of other pieces of equipment that does enable you to capture some of this data, but one of the biggest things around that is a lot of that equipment is quite expensive, especially when you try to bring that equipment and technology to clubs and lot of other remote areas throughout the world as well. One of the key things that we really wanted to focus on was how we can take that technology, how we can simplify that data.”

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Recently, the Ferguson brothers used the app with the Parnell Plums Women’s side in Auckland, where Maddy Curran clocked 110kph, catching the attention of Northern Districts, who have now called her to their academy.”One of our best [things] happened with the Parnell Women’s team,” Lockie said. “We were out there testing the app with the Parnell Plums – which is a great women’s team in Auckland. Maddy Curran, one of the opening bowlers was bowling on the app and she’s quite quick. It picked it up – she was bowling at almost 110ks – then I posted it on our Machineroad Instagram and my Instagram. And next week, the ND coach got in touch with her and she is now involved with their academy. That might kick-start her career and if we can create more of those stories then that’s awesome.”While the immediate focus is to build engagement and gamification tools in the app to encourage cricketers around the world to challenge themselves against each other, Lockie reckoned it could also help bowlers test their plans at the nets and execute them better in the middle.”In the developing part, one thing Mitch and I talked about was… I hate to quote games, but last year at the World Cup, we were sort of faced up against Steve Smith. So, we were working out a game plan on what my strengths are against a batter like him who is so leg-side dominant and obviously got great plans. So, we sort of talked about this leg-gully option and at the time I wasn’t potentially in a position to be able to do that, but had I had that at training and actually filmed myself working on trying to hit a spot… I’m not always going to bowl that far on the left shoulder – a bumper. Tough to do it in the nets against our batters because they don’t want to face it too much.”But there is an element that I’m trying to create a plan that I think will work, but then how do I train and get real-time feedback? Then, this app is more or less on those lines where you can work on a skill like that [spot bowling] and hopefully, get the wicket or have Martin Guptill catch a one-hander at leg gully .”

Manchester United are now willing to outbid Real Madrid to win the race for Tijuana wonderkid Gilberto Mora, who starred at the recent U20 World Cup.

It was recently revealed that Ruben Amorim is putting a heavy emphasis on bringing young players through the ranks, having introduced a number of academy stars to first-team training, with 18-year-old winger Shea Lacey particularly catching the eye.

Amorim plans to rebuild the link between the academy and the senior squad, and Lacey is one of the main youngsters who could push for a place in the match-day squad before the season comes to a close.

Bringing players through the academy has always been a part of United’s DNA, and their current manager has made it clear he wants to continue that tradition, saying: “We want to maintain it. The past of Manchester United is built on kids.

“I don’t want to be the guy that breaks that.”

The Red Devils have also set out to sign impressive up-and-coming talents from elsewhere, with it recently emerging they are in concrete talks to sign AIK Fotboll striker Kevin Filling, and they are now looking to sign another young attacker.

Man Utd willing to outbid Real Madrid for Mora

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United are willing to put a lot of money on the table to win the race for Tijuana attacking midfielder Mora, following his impressive performances at the recent U20 World Cup.

Such is United’s level of interest, they are willing to raise the price to a point where Madrid would be forced to back out of the race, but there could be competition for his signature, with Paris Saint-Germain also prepared to spend big.

In order to win the race, the Red Devils are aware they will need to move swiftly, with a deal expected to amount to €4.5m (£4m).

The 17-year-old certainly caught the eye at the U20 World Cup, receiving plaudits from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances in the group stage.

Not only that, but the teenager has already gained a plethora of experience for Tijuna at first-team level, having made 44 appearances for the Mexican side, during which time he’s amassed seven goals and two assists.

Mora is yet to prove himself in a major league, but his performances for both club and country have been extremely impressive, and it would be a real statement if Man United were able to beat Real Madrid to his signature.

Man Utd now enter race for Jeremy Monga Man Utd now enter race to sign new forward dubbed "England's Ousmane Dembele"

The Red Devils are looking to sign a “deadly finisher”.

ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Ontem, segunda-feira (3), ocorreu a quarta edição do Leilão Beneficente do Instituto Neymar, no Clube Monte Líbano, em São Paulo. O craque, que está no sétimo mês de recuperação de uma da ruptura no ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho esquerdo, respondeu algumas perguntas logo na sua chegada e esfriou qualquer possibilidade de voltar para o Brasil em 2025.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasOnde AssistirSantos e Botafogo-SP: onde assistir, escalações e horário do jogo pela Série BOnde Assistir03/06/2024BotafogoJúnior Santos, do Botafogo, diz que espera renovar contrato e brinca com TextorBotafogo02/06/2024SantosSantos define estratégia para contratação de novo goleiro; saiba nomesSantos01/06/2024

Sonho do presidente Marcelo Teixeira e da torcida santista, Neymar garante que fica no Al Hilal, da Arábia Saudita, por mais uma temporada.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

– Não (existe a possibilidade de voltar ao Santos ano que vem). O que falaram é totalmente mentira. Não tem nada planejado. Tenho mais um ano de contrato com o Al Hilal. Espero poder fazer uma grande temporada. Fiquei fora essa última. Vamos viver pouco a pouco. Tem muito tempo pela frente. Óbvio que o Santos é o time do meu coração, um dia quero voltar, sim, mas não tem nada planejado na cabeça.

O camisa 10 da Seleção Brasileira afirma que conversou com Vinicius Junior antes e depois da final da Liga dos Campeões da Europa, e acredita que o atacante do Real Madrid será eleito o Melhor Jogador do Mundo.

continua após a publicidade

– Quanto ao Vini, obviamente a Bola de Ouro é dele. Estou na torcida. Mandei mensagem antes do jogo, pós-jogo. É um menino que eu amo de paixão. Grande amigo que o futebol me deu. Com certeza, será coroado com a Bola de Ouro. Ele está incrível, carregando a bandeira do nosso país ao redor do mundo. A gente fica muito feliz e torce por ele – disse Neymar.

Confira as outras respostas de Neymar:

Recuperação da lesão

– Tá indo (a recuperação). É dolorido. Muito sofrimento. Mas estou me recuperando. São sete meses já da lesão. Faltam alguns ainda. Mas estamos indo.

continua após a publicidadeAusência na Copa América

– Vai ser triste (acompanhar a seleção de longe). É muito ruim ficar fora, obviamente, mas estamos na torcida, como vocês. Espero que o Brasil possa ganhar. Tem time para isso, jogadores de muita qualidade. Estamos na torcida. Espero que o Dorival faça um grande trabalho com todo mundo. Estarei na torcida.

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