Cost £5.1m, now worth 194% more: Sheffield United struck gold on elite star

Sheffield United will still believe they have what it takes to pip Leeds United to the Championship title as Daniel Farke’s Whites begin to show some visible chinks in their armour.

The well-oiled Leeds machine has come unstuck recently with a defeat to Portsmouth taking everyone in the second tier by surprise, but Farke’s men have since recovered to return to the top of the division with a slender two point advantage over the Blades.

Yet, nothing can be taken for granted in the unpredictable nature of the EFL’s elite league, as Chris Wilder and Co attempt to leapfrog their West Yorkshire foes between now and the close of May.

Whilst the Blades do boast a standout attack, Wilder will have been left equally impressed by his defence making the step back down to the second tier, especially after a disastrous relegation saw them leak a jaw-dropping 104 goals.

Sheffield United's standout defenders

The South Yorkshire outfit were way out of their depth last campaign, with the return of the much-loved 57-year-old to the Bramall Lane dug-out during the season not enough to stop an inevitable relegation from happening.

Now, any lingering pain from slipping down to the Championship has been forgotten about, with the Blades only shipping 28 goals from 37 league clashes.

The promotion chasers have been boosted by the addition of new shot-stopper Michael Cooper with the ex-Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper an inspired pick-up from Devon, considering he has kept a hefty 18 clean sheets across 35 league matches.

Moreover, away from new additions, faces such as experienced centre-back Jack Robinson have found a fresh lease of life, with the 31-year-old winning 5.3 duels on average when featuring.

United did have to sign Rob Holding on a loan deal to add to their somewhat threadbare options at the back, but there will be no real regrets that they didn’t take a punt on Ipswich Town man Luke Woolfenden instead, knowing they have a colossus already in South Yorkshire.

Indeed, the promotion hopefuls were reportedly keen on adding the Tractor Boys defender to their ranks in January, but no such deal would come to fruition.

It wasn’t just the Blades that Woolfenden was linked with, as some reports declared there was interest from Inter Miami, a team owned by David Beckham and featuring the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

The Ipswich centre-back spoke about those rumours in a recent interview.

Messi or Tom Cannon? Instead, he’s still in the Premier League playing alongside Liam Delap and Co.

That shouldn’t frustrate Wilder too much though. Here’s why…

Sheffield United's "elite" star is worth more than Woolfenden

This could have been a worthwhile purchase – considering Woolfenden is still fresh off entering into the top flight with Kieran McKenna’s men – but Wilder already has Anel Ahmedhodzic at his disposal and the 26-year-old is worth a great deal more than the Ipswich-born centre-back.

Moreover, away from the likes of Robinson and Cooper already being mentioned, the Bosnian has been an absolute rock at the back this campaign for his side, with a well-timed header in February one of three goals he’s contributed to in the Championship.

This isn’t a one-off standout season from the 25-year-old, however, with the “elite” defender – as he’s been labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – one figure who managed to cover himself in some glory during his team’s dire relegation, with two goals picked up alongside winning 4.5 duels per Premier League match.

Ahmedhodzic’s numbers this season

Stat (per 90 mins)

Ahmedhodzic

League games played

29

Goals scored

2

Assists

1

Touches*

58.6

Accurate passes*

42.5 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Clearances*

4.8

Total duels won*

3.8

Clean sheets

13

Value when purchased

£5.15m

New value

£15m

Stats by Sofascore/Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that United hit absolute gold purchasing Ahmedhodzic when they did, with the Bosnian once costing the Championship side just £5.15m.

Now, the 6 foot 5 brute is worth a bumper £15m – as per Transfermarkt – with the one-time target of Woolfenden worth just £1.6m on the contrary.

Sheffield United's Anel Ahmedhodzic

Therefore, there will be no agony on United’s end that a move for Woolfenden didn’t happen, with any defensive purchases moving forward having to accommodate around main man Ahmedhodzic.

Sheffield United must regret selling a star who's "like Ronaldo"

The former Sheffield United centre-forward has enjoyed a great career since moving on from the club.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 13, 2025

WBBL: Kerr, Sippel and Hancock take Heat to Challenger

125 for 9 (Athapaththu 41, Sippel 3-9, Hancock 2-16) by 44 runsQuicks Courtney Sippel and Nicola Hancock effectively utilised a bouncy WACA surface as Brisbane Heat comfortably beat Sydney Thunder in the elimination final.Heat kept their season alive after allrounder Amelia Kerr top-scored with 48 before Sippel and Hancock combined for five wickets under lights to crash Thunder’s chase of 170.Heat will play in the Challenger against Perth Scorchers on Wednesday at the WACA. The winner of that match will face Adelaide Strikers in Saturday’s final at Adelaide Oval.”Perth are a quality side and they have got world class players, we’re going to have to play well to beat them,” Kerr said after getting the player of the match award. “It’s about recovering tonight and then getting ready to go again tomorrow.”In good batting conditions, Thunder never seriously challenged in a disappointing ending to a bounce back season after last season’s wooden spoon.”It [surface] definitely bounced a lot…we didn’t quite make use of the conditions,” Thunder captain Heather Knight said.Both teams had to endure a cross-country journey after tailing off in the regular season to miss finishing in the top two. Thunder won the toss and elected to field in cool and overcast conditions in a notable change to oppressive recent weather in Perth.Heat’s fortunes of a revival seemingly rested on opener Grace Harris, who had gone off the boil recently mirroring her team’s spiral. After a watchful start, Harris took a liking to the wayward bowling from Thunder’s quicks. She particularly capitalised on seamer Sammy-Jo Johnson, who repeatedly bowled back of a length and was subsequently punished for three boundaries in the sixth over.Harris’ timing was exquisite, but she also showcased her trademark power by smashing offspinner Lauren Smith into the gigantic sightscreen near the rubble where the Prindiville Stand once stood.Courtney Sippel took three wickets for nine runs in her four overs•Getty Images

With her half-century in sight, Harris on the next ball attempted another lusty blow but she mistimed to deep midwicket. Harris had dominated the opening stand with Georgia Redmayne, whose struggles this season with being tied down at the crease continued. She made a sluggish 18 off 24 before being caught behind off seamer Hannah Darlington.Kerr took over with sweet shots around the wicket as Heat eyed a total around 200. She effectively went aerially in the power surge, while Laura Harris was keen to make up for lost time in her second match back after being sidelined for two months with a calf injury.Harris smashed Smith over deep midwicket for six off her first ball then whacked Darlington on her next delivery with a crunching blow through the off-side.But she soon fell lbw to a superb full slower delivery from Johnson, who found her length and ignited a late comeback from Thunder. Left-arm spinner Samantha Bates bowled accurately at the death to restrict Heat to a total that only felt par.Thunder’s batting all season had relied on Chamari Athapaththu, the newly-minted player of the tournament. But she struggled to find rhythm on a hard surface and was left rattled after a disastrous mix-up saw opener Tahlia Wilson run out in the eighth over.But the dismissal seemed to ignite Athapaththu, who went after left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen with decisive footwork. She was less assured against pace and it proved her downfall on 41 when Athapaththu succumbed to a well-targeted delivery from Sippel.When Kerr had Phoebe Litchfield caught and bowled, Thunder slumped to 61 for 3 at the halfway point and they never recovered as Heat lived to fight another day.

Warner makes plea for return of his missing baggy green

He reached out on social media ahead of his final Test after the bag containing his cap was lost

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-20243:51

Warner: ‘It’s been surreal to be here for 112 Tests’

David Warner has made a plea on social media for the backpack containing his baggy green cap to be returned after it went missing on the journey from Melbourne to Sydney ahead of his final Test.Warner will make his final Test appearance at the SCG this week and is desperate to have his cap returned.Related

  • Cummins hopes for 'a silver bullet' to halt Test cricket's devaluation

  • Hopes high for a competitive SCG Test in Warner's farewell

  • An all-format great with plenty of controversy – Warner's career timeline

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  • Warner: 'I had Lord's penciled in as my last Test'

“Hi all, this is my last resort,” he wrote on Instagram, alongside a video, “but my backpack, which contained my Baggy Green, has been taken from my luggage, which was transported to Melbourne airport and flown on @qantas to Sydney a few days ago. @qantas have said they checked their cameras and have not seen anyone open our bags and take the backpack, however they do have blind spots. If you are the person, who was either working for the company driving it to and from the airport or working for @qantas and have, by chance, just wanted the backpack, I have one for. I would be grateful if this were returned asap. Thanks.””Please reach out to Cricket Australia or myself via my social media and I’m happy to give this to you if you return my baggy greens,” Warner added in the video. The bag is understood to contain two caps, including the one that Warner has worn for the majority of his 111 Tests. In 2017 he was provided with a replacement cap when his original could not be located before his wife, Candice, found it in a bag at home.”I think there should be a countrywide search right now from the Australian Government,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said. “We might need the best of detectives to get that back.”Because he’s been a great ambassador and he deserves every bit of respect and every bit of celebration for his unbelievable career. He’s an example to openers. And just personally I love watching him bat and love watching him play.”Nick Hockley, the Cricket Australia CEO, said: “I implore anyone with information about the location of Dave’s bag and baggy green caps to come forward so he can proudly wear his cap for a final time at the SCG.”Speaking a few minutes before the news of Warner’s baggy green became public, captain Pat Cummins lauded him as a game-changer in the Test format.”I think everyone will think of him in their own way,” he said. “Personally I think of him when he first came on the scene and really changed Test cricket. He was striking at over 70 which is unheared of, especially for an opening batter, averaging 40 or 50. That’s the Davey I remember – walking out there and taking the game away from the opposition in the space of an hour or two, and doing it for over a decade.”His longevity is something that gets overlooked. Just the bulk of cricket he’s played over the last 12-13 years is pretty much more than anyone else in the world. Every time he walks out there, he’s competitive and ready to go. Just a champion of Australian sport. Hopefully he gets a good send off this week.”Cummins confirmed that Australia would take an unchanged XI into the Sydney Test as they look to secure the series 3-0.

Xabi Alonso reveals Real Madrid role change for Jude Bellingham – with England international stepping out of No.10 berth

Xabi Alonso has revealed that Jude Bellingham will see his role tinkered with slightly as Real Madrid prepare to usher in a new era.

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World Cup winner appointed as Blancos bossHas a star-studded squad at his disposalThree Lions star will be dropped a little deeperFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Having bid farewell to Champions League-winning coach Carlo Ancelotti, another familiar face has been welcomed into the dugout at Santiago Bernabeu. Former Blancos midfielder Alonso has returned to his homeland after overseeing title glory during his time at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

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World Cup winner Alonso is understandably keen to put his own stamp on a side that surrendered domestic and continental crowns in 2024-25. More movement on the transfer front is expected, while legendary playmaker Luka Modric is leaving as a free agent.

DID YOU KNOW?

It is in the middle of the park that Bellingham operates – with a further 14 goals and as many assists added to his tally in the season just gone – and he will be pulled back from a No.10 berth under Alonso in a bid to make the most of his energy in Real’s engine room.

Getty ImagesWHAT XABI ALONSO SAID

Alonso has told reporters of Bellingham: “He can be special anywhere because he’s a special player. His eruption is that of an era-defining player for Real Madrid. He’s 21 years old I think and will be fundamental to the club’s future projects.

“The feeling I get is that he is in a good place and good moment to work with him. I see him as a midfielder. We’ll try to make him as efficient as possible.”

£91k-per-week striker sold on joining Arsenal with Arteta in pole position

da aviator aposta: Arsenal have been handed a boost in the race to sign a prolific striker for manager Mikel Arteta, with the player apparently “sold” on joining them as the Gunners enter pole position for his signature.

Arsenal plunged into injury crisis as Havertz misses rest of 24/25

da premier bet: On Thursday, Arsenal officially confirmed that Kai Havertz would miss the rest of this Premier League campaign, following David Ornstein’s exclusive report which originally broke the bad news (X).

Arsenal can sign once-£130m striker in emergency deal after Havertz blow

The German will miss the rest of this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 13, 2025

Havertz suffered a hamstring injury during Arsenal’s warm-weather training trip to Dubai, which will require surgery. The German is expected to undergo this procedure in the coming days, with Havertz then set to begin rehab which will extend into pre-season for 2025/2026.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Leicester City (away)

February 15th

West Ham (home)

February 22nd

Nottingham Forest (away)

February 26th

Man United (away)

March 9th

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

As a result, the £280,000-per-week striker has played his last game of the campaign, leaving Arteta short of attacking options as he bids to catch Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are also on the treatment table right now, with the latter also set to miss the rest of this season (Sky Sports). Right now, Arteta has just Raheem Sterling as his sole senior striking option, and the lack of numbers in Arsenal’s final third could seriously threaten to derail their title chances – if they weren’t slim enough already.

Arsenal will be keen to avoid a similar scenario next campaign, and those around the club will be left disappointed by the fact they didn’t bring in another number nine when the January transfer window was open.

Arsenal manager MikelArtetalooksdejected

Arsenal had a bid rejected for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, and were linked with more high-profile forwards throughout the window. However, unless the north Londoners opt to sign an emergency free agent like Diego Costa, then they’ll have to wait until this summer to bring in another number nine.

Benjamin Sesko "sold" on joining Arsenal this summer

According to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on the GiveMeSport Market Madness Podcast, RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko appears to be the main candidate to bolster Arsenal’s forward line.

Other reports have claimed that Arsenal are considered favourites in the race to sign Sesko, with Jacobs providing a further update on the £91,000-per-week striker’s future at Leipzig.

RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskoshoots at goal

He says that Sesko is “sold” on joining Arsenal after already being convinced by the project, and Arteta’s side are confident they can strike a deal for the Slovenia international who’s scored 15 goals and bagged four assists in all competitions this season.

“Now, Chelsea also like Benjamin Sesko. The good news for Joel is that I think Arsenal are leading that race. So I can foresee a situation where everyone wants Alexander Isak,” Jacobs said.

“He doesn’t leave Newcastle. Arsenal go for Benjamin Sesko. Player’s sold on the project.

“He just wanted to wait and do an extra season at Leipzig. But when he was presented with that choice between Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Sesko picked Arsenal and then made a secondary choice that he was going to stay at Leipzig. So Arsenal are quite confident on Sesko.”

That being said, he won’t come cheap, with German media claiming Leipzig are holding out for £83 million as they anticipate a bidding war.

Australia 'very hopeful' Green could play World Test Championship final as a batter

The allrounder underwent back surgery in October and was ruled out of the entire home season

AAP09-Jan-2025Australia hope to have Cameron Green back available for the World Test Championship final, while preparing for him to return as a batter only.Green posted a video of himself running on social media on Wednesday, almost three months after undergoing season-ending surgery on his back.Chief selector George Bailey confirmed on Thursday he was “very hopeful” Green would be available to play at Lord’s against South Africa.Related

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  • Ankle problem makes Cummins a doubt for Champions Trophy

Green is due to undergo further post-operation scans next month and is expected to be back batting in May. He will have to wait longer to bowl, potentially after Australia’s three-Test tour of West Indies in June and July.Green’s return adds further questions to Mitchell Marsh’s chances of extending his Test career, after he was left out of Australia’s 16-man squad for Sri Lanka.While Beau Webster retained his spot after an impressive debut in Sydney, Marsh will be left to wonder when his next Test will come at age 33.But Bailey suggested there was still potential for Marsh to return to the team in next summer’s Ashes, after his impressive return to the team against England in 2023.
“I don’t necessarily see it as the end of the road for him,” Bailey said. “I think Mitch at his best and with a longer-term view of potentially what the Ashes may look like and what England may throw at us there.”He’s got a skill set that suits there, not taking away from the fact that at some stage clearly we’re going to have the return of Cameron Green as well into the team. But unlike some, I’m probably not as glass half empty around where that leaves Mitch.”Webster’s selection comes after he hit 57 and an unbeaten 39 in Sydney, but his ability to shoulder a heavy workload with the ball could also be crucial in Asia.He also bowled offspin for the majority of his career before turning to medium pace during Covid, but Bailey said it was unlikely his tweakers would be called upon in Sri Lanka.Instead, Travis Head can provide support to Australia’s spinners Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy, who could both feature as frontline spinners in the XI alongside Nathan Lyon.”[Webster’s spin] probably wasn’t something that came up as a factor in selection,” Bailey said.”I think we’ve got plenty of spin options there. It’s a nice fourth or fifth bow for Beau to have up his sleeve, but I don’t necessarily think that we’ll be heading down that path.”

Josh Naylor Set to Return to Mariners on New Five-Year Contract

Josh Naylor and the Mariners agreed to a five-year contract in what is the first major splash of this year’s MLB free agency, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Seattle made it a top priority to keep Naylor in the organization after acquiring him at the trade deadline in a deal with the Diamondbacks. He played a key part in the team’s run to the ALCS, their longest stay in the postseason in franchise history, and now he’ll be sticking around for at least another five seasons.

Naylor played in 54 games for the Mariners after the mid-season trade. He slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, racking up an impressive 2.2 bWAR in that span. He was also a key postseason contributor. In October, Naylor had 16 hits in 12 games and recorded three home runs and five RBIs.

The financial terms of Naylor’s new contract with the Mariners have not yet been reported.

Naylor likely had plenty of suitors in free agency, but Seattle moved quickly to ensure they were able to keep him in town. He immediately emerged as a fan-favorite at T-Mobile Park, and he’ll now be part of a formidable lineup alongside Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez for the foreseeable future.

England ponders after West Indies snub: What now for Stuart Broad?

England’s decision to overlook Stuart Broad for first Test against West Indies raises questions over veteran quick’s future.

George Dobell in Barbados23-Jan-2019Where now for Stuart Broad?He had hoped, after a quiet time of things in Sri Lanka, that this tour would present an opportunity to resume normal service. The Kensington Oval has one end named after Malcolm Marshall and another named after Joel Garner, after all. It has a history – albeit a distant one – of encouraging fast bowlers. Any fast bowler would be excited by the opportunity to play here.But, for the third time in four Tests, England have been unable to find room for Broad. After a decade taking the new ball with James Anderson, they have now not played together for four Tests with every chance that they won’t in Antigua, where the pitch is expected to be slow and low, either. On this occasion Broad’s place has been taken by a man 12 years his junior. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to conclude that England are in transition and moving on from him.The truth may not be quite so simple. England’s last four Tests – including this game on an oddly sedate Barbados surface – have been played in what, for them, are slightly unusual conditions. In Sri Lanka, for example, they made room for three spinners in their side and, finding they could win with such a balance, have become more open-minded about altering the make-up of their side. Conditions will be different when England return to England. So will their team.Things have changed, though. For a long time, leaving Broad out was hardly considered. Until the first Test in Sri Lanka, he had played every time he had been fit since the end of 2012 when he was left out in India. Before that, he was previously left out in 2008. That his place is now negotiable does not bode especially well for him.The balance of England’s side is not helping him, either. With Ben Foakes making such a strong start to his Test career, England are no longer playing a wicketkeeper who is batting in the top six as Jonny Bairstow had at times. As a consequence they are having to take tricky decisions with every selection. Broad is currently the unlucky man based on the surfaces the team is encountering but, in other circumstances, it is not impossible that Bairstow – who has also been left out in recent times – Jos Buttler or even Foakes could be fighting for their places.Anderson’s enduring excellence may also count against Broad. The England management insist they try to select the strongest possible team for each game without too much planning for the long-term future. But they must know that both fast bowlers are closer to the end than the start of their careers. They know they have to plan for a future without him and don’t want to be left in a situation where they have to blood an entirely new opening pair. It does make some sense to explore their other options.

If England were picking a side for the first Ashes Test right now, there is a very strong chance Broad would be in it

Broad had, for a while, appeared to be in gradual but inexorable decline. His top pace was reduced and the away swing he once generated seemed to disappear. At times, when he talked of ‘never having been a swing or outright pace bowler’ it appeared he was in denial about both factors for, at his very best, he had both pace and swing. His Test bowling average in the 12-months up to the end of the 2017-18 Ashes was 38.80 and he has claimed only one five-wicket haul in the last three years.To his immense credit, however, he acknowledged the issue and resolved to improve. At an age where other fast bowlers might start looking at the commentary box and wondering if talking about the game might not be somewhat easier than playing it, Broad went back to basics in a bid to carve out another two or three years at the top level. He talked to various coaches and former players – including his father’s former Nottinghamshire teammate, Sir Richard Hadlee – and worked to improve his wrist position and shorten his run-up. This, he argues, helps him remain high at the crease – he has always had a propensity to fall away a little – and bowl with better rhythm and control. The figures – he has averaged 25.55 in the 12-months since that Ashes series – suggest he may be right.He has looked good in limited opportunities of late. He finished wicketless in Colombo, for example, but saw two chances put down off him in the slips and bowled with impressive pace in trying conditions. He claimed a hat-trick – and four wickets in five balls – in one of the warm-up games here and generated more swing than has been the case for some time. If England were picking a side for the first Ashes Test right now, there is a very strong chance Broad would be in it.His absence was felt here, too. For all the skill and promise of Anderson and Sam Curran respectively, it is hard to think of a contemporary new-ball Test attack that is so lacking in pace. Curran’s average speed in his first spell was under 80 mph, with Anderson’s just under 82 mph. Perhaps Broad, hitting the pitch a bit harder and offering something just a little different to the two swing bowlers, might have found a little more life in the surface? Those who know him best still believe that Curran will end up as a batting allrounder.Broad can’t taking anything for granted, though. Chris Woakes can also consider himself unfortunate to be left out and there are other seamers – the likes of Jamie Porter, Olly Stone and Jamie Overton – who will be pushing by the time the Ashes starts. Fast bowling doesn’t get any easier at his age, though, however the freak that is Anderson makes it seem, and there are many miles on the clock.The smart money still suggests that Broad will play a part in the Ashes, though. Such is his enthusiasm for the game and his hunger to remain at the top, it can be taken for granted that he will continue to work on his form in fitness in a bid to win a recall. England have only produced one bowler in their history with more Test wickets than Broad; they won’t discard him casually. It’s a different phase of his career, for sure. But it’s not quite the end.

'We had a clear plan' – Azhar Mahmood puts his spin on Multan pitch

Babar Azam has been rested keeping in mind Pakistan’s busy schedule, Mahmood says

Danyal Rasool14-Oct-2024In desperate need of a result following an innings defeat in the first Test, Pakistan have seemingly had a complete change of heart on the sort of pitches they want at home, and opted to use the same one from the first Test. To that end, they have lined up with three spinners, with seam-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal the only pace outlet.According to assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, though, this is precisely how Pakistan had planned it all along.”We had a clear plan of what pitches to prepare for Bangladesh, and what to prepare vs England,” he said on Tuesday. “Our approach was pace wickets against Bangladesh and spin pitches against England. Our instruction to the curator for the first Test was that the ball should spin after the second day. But the pitch didn’t take turn until even the fifth day. Hopefully the ball will begin to take turn on the ninth day.”Related

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Ben Stokes finds his house still in order after enforced absence

If the expectation was that the pitch would take turn from the second day in the first Test, Pakistan’s line-up did not necessarily reflect that. Legspinner Abrar Ahmed was the only specialist spinner in the XI, with Pakistan lining up with Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Jamal to round the attack out. Now, unless one of the part-timers are thrown the ball, it will be the first time Pakistan play a men’s Test with only one quick bowler.It wasn’t an attack that left the Test with its reputation enhanced. England piled out 823 for 7, the highest score Pakistan have ever conceded. Captain Shan Masood was critical of the bowlers, and the focus has shifted to finding a way to take 20 wickets by any means necessary.”You have to take 20 wickets,” Mahmood said. “We thought about how we’re going to take those. We thought that if we use that pitch, the thinking was how do we take 20 wickets against England and we thought spin was the way to do it.”The players who are coming in are experienced. They are all experienced and have been playing first-class cricket for a while. The best option is to play players at home on pitches they are used to, so I don’t think there’ll be that much pressure on that.”

“Pakistan has so much cricket coming that the selection committee decided to give Babar a rest, because Pakistan have to go to Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa”Azhar Mahmood on Babar Azam being omitted from the Test squad

While each of the incoming spinners – Zahid Mahmood, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan – have accumulated plenty of first-class experience over the years, none of it has been particularly recent. The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy season hasn’t started yet, meaning these players’ last red-ball involvement was in the previous season – none of them have played a first-class match since January this year. Thrown in against an England side that broke a multitude of records on this very pitch last week, it is not a particularly gentle easing in.Mahmood also attempted to downplay all the changes from the first Test, particularly the leaving out of Babar Azam, which he insisted was “rest” rather than “drop”.”Babar is our No. 1 player in terms if technique and ability,” he said. “Pakistan has so much cricket coming that the selection committee decided to give Babar a rest, because Pakistan have to go to Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.Jason Gillespie and Azhar Mahmood hatch their plans•Getty Images”We need to take advantage of our conditions. We announced the team for one Test match because we knew we would have changes. After this we’re flying to Australia to play white-ball cricket. We knew we’d have to rest Shaheen and other important players because we have non-stop cricket for the next six months.”There may be some scepticism towards Mahmood’s reasoning. None of the upcoming white-ball tours are as significant for Pakistan as a three-match home Test series against England. This is arguably the biggest series for Pakistan in this current season, and there will invariably be questions about why the upcoming white-ball series couldn’t serve as a more appropriate avenue for rotation.Fielding three spinners in addition to Salman Agha, who Mahmood said in August was a “specialist spinner”, requires a certain degree of confidence that the pitch will take turn. “We left a lot of grass on the pitches and wanted the ball to turn to use the pitch in our favour. Let’s see if it works for us.”

موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري اليوم في الدوري المصري

يستعد فريق الكرة الأول بنادي بيراميدز، لمواجهة نظيره الاتحاد السكندري، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، اليوم الأحد.

وتقام مباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري، ضمن مواجهات الأسبوع الثالث عشر من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وكان بيراميدز قد فاز في الجولة الماضية على فاركو، بهدفين مقابل لا شيء، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ11 من الدوري الممتاز.

طالع.. قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة الاتحاد السكندري في الدوري المصري

أما فريق الاتحاد السكندري، كان قد خسر في الجولة الماضية أمام وادي دجلة، في الجولة الماضية، بهدفين مقابل هدف، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ12 من الدوري.

ويحتل فريق بيراميدز المركز السابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز برصيد 17 نقطة، بينما يحتل فريق الاتحاد السكندري المركز الـ20 في جدول ترتيب الدوري الممتاز برصيد 8 نقاط. موعد مباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري في الدوري

ومن المقرر أن يواجه فريق بيراميدز نظيره الاتحاد السكندري، اليوم الأحد، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي، في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 6 بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري

وسوف تذاع مباراة بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري، على قناة “أون سبورت 2”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

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