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After lots of speculation hinted at the possibility, Ryan Mason is now officially the brand-new West Bromwich Albion manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign kicking off in the Championship.

It’s a bold next step for Mason, considering he has only ever taken the reins at Spurs on an interim basis, but his work behind the scenes has been praised in North London, meaning he could be the breath of fresh air needed at the Hawthorns to kickstart a promotion push.

The 33-year-old could well rely on these Spurs connections when looking to make some impactful summer signings, with one or two young faces at the Premier League titans already being linked to make the switch to reunite with Mason.

Mason could use Spurs connections

The Baggies had frequently utilised the loan market when the likes of Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray stood in the dug-out.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, raw gems such as Will Lankshear (0 goals in 11 games) and Lewis Dobbin (0 goals in 18 games) failed to ever get going at the Hawthorns, away from the more experienced Adam Armstrong who was also a disappointing capture, having netted three times in 16 matches.

Therefore, Mason will hope – if he’s given permission to raid his ex-side for some up-and-coming starlets – that these deals go swimmingly instead and aren’t categorised as similar failures, with Spurs attacking hotshot Jamie Donley one notable name previously linked with a move to the West Midlands.

This could go down as a big success story when you consider Donley is just fresh off collecting 18 goal contributions for Leyton Orient on loan, but Mason’s dream first Baggies signing could centre on one of the 20-year-old’s teammates.

Amazingly, if all went to plan, Mason might well win himself the club’s new Tom Fellows, with West Brom’s attacking personnel undoubtedly boosted by potential activity in the market.

Mason could sign the next Fellows

Whilst West Brom would depressingly let a playoff spot slip out of their grasp last campaign, Fellows still managed to be a bright spark for his boyhood club throughout the bumpy season.

By the close of the season, the dynamic 22-year-old had four goals and 14 assists next to his name in Championship action, with one Spurs youngster in the form of Mikey Moore wanting to follow in Fellows’ footsteps if he were to don Baggies blue and white shortly.

The time does feel right for Moore to spread his wings and gain an EFL education, with the 17-year-old now off the mark in the senior side when scoring the strike above in the Europa League earlier this year.

But, away from impressing here and there under Ange Postecoglou, the teenager needs regular minutes to fully strut his stuff with an appropriate platform surely coming his way now under Mason.

Reports do suggest that Mason has Moore on his early West Brom shopping list, and whilst the 17-year-old has lined up as a centre-forward and attacking midfielder during his fledgling Spurs career to date, he could well come into the Baggies step-up and terrorise defenders down the flanks much like Fellows.

After all, 18 of his Spurs appearances and counting have come down the left channel, with West Brom needing more numbers on the left too, owing to Mikey Johnston being the only recognised figure in Mason’s camp capable of wreaking havoc on this wing.

Moore @ Spurs: Senior and Academy level
Position played	Games	Goals	Assists
LW	18	4	6
AM	8	6	4
CF	7	11	4
RW	6	1	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

He can even slot in down Fellows’ trusty right-hand side if needed, but based on the numbers, Moore comes into his own as a creative force – much like the assist-heavy 22-year-old – when featuring on the left.

That is perhaps his best position with James Maddison having previously described him as “fearless” and a bit like Neymar in that role.

It will be intriguing to see if the North London prodigy can acclimatise well to the instant pressures of the Championship. If he can, Mason will have pulled off a dream first buy in the Hawthorns hot-seat.

West Brom targeting "fantastic" EFL ace who could be Mason's first signing

The Baggies are set to hold talks with Ryan Mason.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 29, 2025

Former South Africa wristspinner Paul Adams has been appointed as the bowling lead

Firdose Moonda05-Aug-2024 • Updated on 08-Aug-2024Imraan Khan, one-time Test cap in 2009 and Dolphins coach for the last five years, has been appointed the new batting lead at Cricket South Africa. Imraan is currently with the Test team in the West Indies, where he will work under national red-ball coach Shukri Conrad. He replaced Ashwell Prince, who was unavailable for personal reasons, as batting coach for this tour, and will now assume a more overarching role at CSA.In addition, CSA has also named former South Africa left-arm wristspinner Paul Adams as the new bowling lead with both appointments effective from September 1. Adams, 47, played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs and has been the spin-bowling coach for the South Africa Under-19 and Emerging men’s teams since 2023. He has previously assisted the South Africa A side and has domestic coaching experience with Cape Cobras, and more recently the Division 2 side Eastern Cape Iinyathi.Imraan has had a successful run as a provincial coach in South Africa’s top tier and has overseen the Dolphins to two four-day series titles – in 2020/21 and 2022/23 – a shared one-day cup in the 2020/21 season and to three CSA T20 Challenge finals.Under him, the Dolphins have produced several national players including Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen and Ottneil Baartman and Keshav Maharaj has developed into a competent leader. Imraan spent his entire professional career at the Durban-based union, where he played for 15 years.Related

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As a top-order batter, Imraan was best known for his long-format feats. He earned 161 first-class caps, scored 9,367 runs, including 20 centuries and averaged 36.58. His only Test cap came in 2009, against Australia, where he partnered Prince at the top of the order. He also featured in 121 List A matches and 51 T20s.”I want to thank the KZN Cricket Union for all their support,” Imraan said, in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’ve loved starting my coaching career at the union that has been my home for many seasons. This is an exciting step in my path as a coach, but Kingsmead will always be home, and I will miss everyone here.”The Dolphins have yet to announce a replacement for Imraan, with the domestic season set to start with the T20 competition in late September.

The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football, with some of the best players of all time starring in the competition, previously known as the European Cup. But who is the top goalscorer of all time in the famous club competition?

Football FanCast has listed the top 20 Champions League scorers, with a detailed look at the top 11.

All information correct as of 14th May 2025.

Champions League top goalscorers of all time
Rank	Player	Goals
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	141
2	Lionel Messi	129
3	Robert Lewandowski	105
4	Karim Benzema	90
5	Raul	71
6	Ruud van Nistelrooy	60
7	Andriy Shevchenko	59
8	Thomas Muller	57
9	Kylian Mbappe	55
=10	Mohamed Salah	51
=10	Thierry Henry	51
12	Filippo Inzaghi	50
=13	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	49
=13	Alfredo Di Stefano	49
=13	Erling Haaland	49
=16	Eusebio	47
=16	Sergio Aguero	47
18	Didier Drogba	44
=19	Neymar	43
=19	Alessandro Del Piero	43
=19	Antoine Griezmann	43

The 15 best Champions League/European Cup finals – ranked

Ahead of the Champions League final, here are the best showdowns of years gone by.

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Patric Ridge

May 30, 2025

Here is a detailed look at the top 11 Champions League goalscorers:

11

Thierry Henry

51 goals

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry got his first taste of Champions League football with AS Monaco, helping the French side to the semi-finals in 1997/98.

The Frenchman would go on to turn out for Juventus and then Arsenal, where he suffered heartbreak in the 2006 final against Barcelona. However, Henry would finally get his hands on the trophy after joining Barcelona, defeating Manchester United in the 2009 final.

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Mark Marston

May 15, 2025

10

Mohamed Salah

51 goals

Mohamed Salah has been at the top of his game for a while now, so reaching a half-century of Champions League is a more-than-deserving accolade for a player of his stature.

The majority of his CL strikes have come for Liverpool, with whom he won the Champions League in 2019, thanks in part to the Egyptian scoring early in the final against Tottenham Hotspur, as well at numerous stages along the way.

9

Kylian Mbappe

55 goals

Kylian Mbappe has been around for ages, and yet he is barely into his mid-twenties. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Frenchman has already racked over 50 Champions League goals – overtaking the likes of compatriot Thierry Henry in the process.

Now at Real Madrid, we can maybe expect the goals to continue to flow for the striker, and with more group stage games these days, there’s every chance he’ll reach triple figures before too long.

8

Thomas Muller

57 goals

Thomas Muller has been a fantastic servant for Bayern Munich over the years, notching 57 goals for the Bavarians at the highest level of European competition.

The German made his Champions League debut back in 2009 and won the competition on two occasions, in 2013 and 2020.

Only Robert Lewandowski has more goals (69) in a Bayern shirt than Muller, putting him in some healthy company.

7

Andriy Shevchenko

59 goals

Best known for his time with Dynamo Kyiv and Milan, Andriy Shevchenko netted 59 times in the Champions League, including a famous hat-trick at the Nou Camp against Barcelona for Kyiv.

Shevchenko, who also turned out for Chelsea, won the tournament with Milan in 2003. The Ukrainian retired in 2012 and went on to manage his country between 2016 and 2021.

The top 10 Champions League games of all time – ranked

That night in ’99 and the Miracle in Istanbul are both featured in the list of the Champions League’s greatest-ever games.

By
Freddie Taylor

Sep 25, 2023

6

Ruud van Nistelrooy

60 goals

Powerful Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy turned out for two of Europe’s biggest clubs in Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Upon retiring in 2012, Van Nistelrooy scored 60 goals in the competition and was the top scorer in three separate editions of the tournament, though he never managed to win the Champions League.

5

Raul

71 goals

Real Madrid icon Raul held the record as the all-time top scorer in the Champions League for a number of years and averaged a goal every other game in his 142 appearances in Europe.

The Spaniard lifted the trophy on three occasions with Madrid and became the manager of Real Madrid’s B side in 2019, so he could potentially be a future first-team boss at the Bernabeu.

4

Karim Benzema

90 goals

Another Real Madrid legend who scored plenty of Champions League goals at the Bernabeu is Karim Benzema, who also netted a number of his 90 goals in Europe for Lyon.

Now playing in Saudi Arabia, Benzema netted in a record 18 consecutive Champions League seasons, winning the tournament five times, as well as the top scorer award in 2021/22.

Ballon d'Or past winners: The best XI of former champions

Probably the only time you’ll ever see Messi and Ronaldo in the same team.

1

By
Barney Lane

Oct 23, 2024

3

Robert Lewandowski

105 goals

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski became the third player to reach 100 Champions League goals during his time at Barcelona, with the ton secured in their league phase win over Stade Brest in November 2024, 13 years after his CL debut.

Previously of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Lewandowski is Bayern’s top scorer in European football, scoring 15 times in 2019/20, when he lifted his only Champions League trophy.

2

Lionel Messi

129 goals

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi comes in as runner-up on the list, with 120 of his 129 Champions League goals coming for the Catalan giants.

Messi scored against 40 different teams in the competition, which is a record, but it was against Arsenal that he was most prolific, netting nine times against the Gunners.

The Argentine has also represented Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, winning the tournament with Barcelona on three separate occasions, the last coming in 2015.

Knocks from Gill and Pant and a quick cameo from Washington helped India resurrect their innings

Sidharth Monga02-Nov-2024The new and the old of India combined to leave New Zealand effectively at 143 for 9 in their pursuit to prevent their first-ever home whitewash in a series of three or more Tests. It wasn’t going to be an easy target on a pitch that has consumed 29 wickets in two days, but it was a comeback from the nightmare of the final 10 minutes of first day, which was reminiscent of earlier collapses in the series.Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant first resurrected the innings with a 90 and a 60, but it took a cameo of 38 off 36 from Washington Sundar to take India’s lead past 25 in the face of a resurgent Ajaz Patel, who took his second five-for in the city of his birth.The old firm of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja then combined to take seven wickets between them to prevent New Zealand from setting India a massive target on a crumbling pitch. Having lost his mantle as the new-ball bowler in second innings to Washington, Ashwin was instrumental in getting Jadeja to the favourable end and getting him his first wicket with a superb catch running back. However, a serene Will Young’s second fifty in the match and Glenn Phillips’ hitting made sure New Zealand had more than the bare minimum to bowl at.It was the youth that India were looking to at the start of the day having lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply again. Pant and Gill added 96 at better than five an over to arrest the rot that had set in in on the first evening. Pant, in particular, was severe, not letting the lead spinner Ajaz bowl at all. Overnight 1 off 1, Pant began as he meant to go. Ajaz was too full first ball of the day, which Pant push-drove straight of mid-off, who moved deeper after the boundary. To the second ball, Pant stepped out, and drilled it straight of that deep mid-off, who now moved to long-off. Gill joined him with an inside-out chip over extra cover in Ajaz’s next over.Ajaz Patel got into the action in the middle session of day two•AFP/Getty Images

Then Pant played the lap shot for four to push forward short leg to behind square, promptly offering what could have been catches for the forward short leg the following two balls. It was Pant’s attacking mindset that had forced New Zealand to choose one of the two areas to man. Pant rubbed it in with two sixes in Ajaz’s next two overs.Gill didn’t want to be left behind. He tried to hit Phillips’ first ball of the day for a six but ended up skying it to long-on where the substitute fielder Mark Chapman gave him a reprieve. That turned his innings around. He proceeded to put his head down and only took the boundaries on offer. He was 45 off 57 when dropped, his remaining 45 came off 89 balls.Matt Henry dropped Rishabh Pant in the first session•BCCI

Matt Henry dropped Pant too, but this miss cost New Zealand only seven runs as Pant fell lbw to a short ball from Ish Sodhi, who came on to bowl with only 84 runs left in the bank. Phillips, the unlucky bowler, was arguably the steadiest spinner of the three and was instrumental when Ajaz found his groove after lunch with a spell of 8.4-2-27-3.Ajaz had found the good length, the pitch started to misbehave even more, and the results followed. More than 10 overs went without a boundary, and brought the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan, the latter for a duck at his home ground.Both of them fell to the forward-defensive without reaching the pitch of the ball. Gill decided he was not going to be a sitting duck. He upped his intent by taking on Phillips. However, Ajaz eventually got one to turn from a good length and take the edge for another catch to Daryl Mitchell at slip.After holding India together, Shubman Gill fell ten short of a hundred•AFP/Getty Images

India were still 8 behind. Washington took over now, scoring 14 in a 20-run stand with R Ashwin and all of the 16 runs in the final stand with Akash Deep to take the lead past 25.Washington was given a bigger vote of confidence as he opened the bowling ahead of Ashwin, but it was Akash Deep whose around-the-wicket angle and seam movement got rid of another left-hand opener. India proceeded to operate with the combination of Washington and Ashwin, who got a wicket each, Devon Conway on the forward-defensive and Rachin Ravindra stumped trying to hit a six.Once the two right-hand batters, Young and Mitchell, got themselves in, all eyes went to Jadeja. Ashwin volunteered to have Jadeja bowl from his end, the end where Jadeja and Ajaz had taken wickets from. Rohit, though, wanted Ashwin to carry on bowling. The partnership swelled, ends were changed, and Jadeja got Mitchell out with more than just a hand from Ashwin, who ran back from mid-on to take a diving catch.Tom Blundell didn’t survive long, but Phillips hit three sixes in no time at all, two of them off Ashwin, who proceeded to pull out the carrom ball from his back pocket after a long time, knocking back the off stump. It was a surprise that top-order Test batters were not picking the carrom ball: even the accomplished and settled Young was out caught and bowled to one.Henry and Ajaz hit a six each, but Henry was bowled to an unplayable Jadeja delivery, which turned out to be the last one for the day.

Arsenal’s number one priority this summer is clear: sign a striker.

On Saturday morning, Fabrizio Romano reported that the Gunners are close to signing Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, expected to trigger his £51m release clause.

However, this is likely to be just the start of Mikel Arteta’s summer spending, with a new centre-forward top of the agenda, after Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain at the semi-final stage on Wednesday, despite accumulating an xG figure of 5.11 across the two legs, scoring just once.

So, could they secure a “huge talent” who might just be their best striker since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?

Arsenal's interest in a new striker

As reported earlier this week, Arsenal are believed to have made an offer for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap over the possibility of a summer move.

Following the Tractor Boys’ relegation, it was reported by Jacob Steinberg, Nick Ames and Jamie Jackson of the Guardian that Delap now has a £30m release clause, which represents a bargain, given that Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes he is a “huge talent”.

As a result, Arsenal are certainly not the only club interested, with Wayne Veysey of Football Insider noting that Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Chelsea are also courting the striker, while Danny Rust and Dean Jones of Give Me Sport claim that Tottenham have also ‘set their sights’ on signing him.

Nevertheless, on course for a third successive top two finish, and in serious need of a new centre-forward, Arsenal could be the most attractive proposition presented to Delap, so could he be the striker they’ve been searching for since a certain high-profile departure.

Why Delap could emulate Aubameyang

Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £55m in January 2018, still, to this day, the fourth-highest fee the club have ever paid, behind only Kai Havertz, Nicolas Pépé and Declan Rice.

The Gabonese international certainly made an instant impact in North London, scoring just 37 minutes into his debut against Everton, netting 92 times in just 163 appearances for the club in total, leaving him right up there in terms of modern Arsenal greats.

Thierry Henry

228

Ian Wright

185

Robin van Persie

132

Dennis Bergkamp

120

Alan Smith

113

Theo Walcott

108

Olivier Giroud

105

Paul Merson

99

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

92

Aubameyang’s finest moment came in the 2020 FA Cup, scoring twice to defeat Manchester City in the semi-finals, before bagging another brace against Chelsea in the final in a 2-1 victory, securing the club’s most recent major silverware.

Straight after the final, Aubameyang was rewarded with a new three-year contract but, by 6 December 2021, he had played his final game for the club, seeing this same contract terminated to allow him to join Barcelona as a free agent, following a high-profile falling out with Arteta.

So, could Delap be the Aubameyang replacement three and a half years in the making?

Well, let’s compare Delap’s exploits for Ipswich this season with Aubameyang’s best campaign at Arsenal.

Appearances

34

36

Minutes

2,515

2,732

Goals

12

22

Assists

2

5

Shots

64

89

Shots on target %

43.8%

38.2%

Goals – xG

+2.3

-0.5

Goals inside the area

11

20

Goals outside the area

1

2

Big chances missed

10

23

Shot-creating actions

62

60

Goal-creating actions

7

11

Touches in opposition area

101

149

Touches per 90

24

35

As the table outlines, when it comes to certain metrics in particular, Delap and Aubameyang are very similar.

Both scored more than 90% of their goals inside the box, while the numbers also underline that both are low-touch, high-shot strikers, with neither touching the ball frequently, but both registering more than two shots per game, which is particularly impressive for Delap, considering how poor Ipswich have been this season.

The Englishman actually outperformed Aubameyang when it comes to shots on target %, goals – xG as well as shot-creating actions, while the former Arsenal man actually missed 23 Opta-defined big chances, the most of any player in the division in 2018/19.

Transfer Focus

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

So, in a significantly stronger side, everything suggests Delap could be the lethal finisher that Arsenal desperately require to take them to the next level.

Best deal since Timber: Arsenal closing in on £25m star after Zubimendi

With Martín Zubimendi now close to joining Arsenal, could another La Liga star be on his way too, becoming the best signing since Jurriën Timber?

May 10, 2025

Agar, Behrendorff and Tye will likely still play for WA when available but have flexibility to take franchise deals while Stoinis is still exploring his franchise contract options

Alex Malcolm20-Apr-2024The landscape of how Australian cricketers are contracted is significantly shifting with Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye all being left off Western Australia’s contract list, giving them flexibility to take freelance franchise opportunities.All four would be walk-up starts in WA’s first-choice Marsh Cup 50-over team and have not retired from international cricket but none are on WA’s contract list for 2024-25. It comes after Agar and Stoinis were left off Cricket Australia’s 2024-25 contract list while Behrendorff is Australia’s reigning T20I player of the year.Agar’s absence is the most significant of the four as the 30-year-old elected not to take a state contract to pursue freelance opportunities globally, in part driven by the lack of cricket he played late last season having fallen by Corey Rocchiccioli as WA’s No. 1 Sheffield Shield spinner.Related

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Agar has made the decision in consultation with WA’s general manager of high performance Kade Harvey, WA coach Adam Voges, Australia coach Andrew McDonald and Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey.Not taking a contract frees Agar up to play franchise cricket during the Australian summer, with the SA20, ILT20, BPL and PSL all played during Australia’s domestic season.Tye signed a one-year deal last season with WA which did prevent him from playing in the ILT20 earlier this year due to the Marsh Cup final. He has opted to go freelance again as he did for the two seasons prior. Behrendorff will go freelance for the first time in his career having earned a CA upgrade last year. He had a year to run on his previous WA deal but opted to terminate it early to give him more flexibility.However, Agar, Behrendorff and Tye will all remain involved in WA’s program when they are not playing franchise cricket overseas even though they aren’t contracted and will be selected for Marsh Cup games when available. Agar is still keen to play Shield cricket whenever an opportunity may arise. All four would only need to play four Marsh Cup matches to qualify for a contract upgrade if they opted to take it.”Ashton, Jason and AJ will continue to be supported by our High Performance program as valued members of the WA Cricket setup,” Harvey said.Marcus Stoinis has not played for WA in any format since March 2023•Getty ImagesStoinis, 34, is in a slightly different situation, having not played for WA at all last season and only played four Shield matches and two Marsh Cup games since March 2020.He had long been planning to go freelance after missing out on a CA deal for 2024-25 but he is still keen to play for Australia beyond the T20 World Cup in June in both T20I and ODI cricket. It is understood that he is exploring the possibility of signing something akin to a year-round deal with his IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants which would see him commit to playing for the franchise’s various teams across a few different tournaments around the world across the calendar year. He has already played for Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 and LSG in the IPL this year.Stoinis has signed a three-year deal with the Melbourne Stars until the end of the 2026-27 BBL season. He also played for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket last year and is expected to play in season two after the T20 World Cup despite not being retained by Unicorns. He has previously played in the Hundred but missed last year’s tournament to rest ahead of the ODI World Cup.Stoinis said earlier this year he was still open to playing for WA when available, including Shield cricket. Stoinis has long-standing relationships with many people at WA cricket and it is understood further discussions may be had around his playing schedule later in the year.Meanwhile, WA have added former New South Wales wicketkeeper Baxter Holt and Victoria quick Brody Couch to their squad. Holt is a replacement for Josh Philippe who departed for NSW and looks likely to get plenty of opportunities in Shield cricket while Josh Inglis is away on international duty. Couch is looking for a fresh start having played his only Shield match for Victoria in 2021 and the last of his six Marsh Cup appearances in 2022.”Securing another wicketkeeper was a priority with Josh Philippe leaving for New South Wales,” Harvey said. “We think Baxter has lots of potential with the bat and gloves, so we’re excited to see how he goes when an opportunity presents.”Brody generates good pace and bounce and loves the contest. We really like his raw attributes, which should be well-suited to the conditions in WA.”WA have also elevated Jayden Goodwin to their senior list after his excellent Shield season last year.Western Australia contract list 2024-25: Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman (rookie), Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Cameron Green (CA contract), Sam Greer (rookie) Jayden Goodwin, Aaron Hardie (CA), Liam Haskett, Baxter Holt, Josh Inglis (CA), Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Mitchell Marsh (CA), Lance Morris (CA), Hamish McKenzie, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner, Josh Vernon (rookie), Corey Wasley (rookie), Sam Whiteman, Teague Wyllie

USA go into this game high on confidence, having shown heart against Canada and recently upsetting Bangladesh. Pakistan could hardly say the same

Danyal Rasool05-Jun-2024

Match details

USA vs Pakistan
Dallas, 10.30am local time

Big picture

“Pakistan the heavyweight, the USA the plucky underdog” isn’t a phrase that rolls off the tongue neatly enough, but those are the sobriquets thrust upon these two sides when they take each other on in Dallas. Cricketing matters aside, this game has enough of a tinge of off-field spice, but add to that an American uptick in form combined with a vulnerable Pakistan unit and the cricketing matters provide intrigue of their own.USA’s win over Canada in the first game neatly illustrates the danger the hosts pose. The temperament the hosts showed, turning what appeared a near-certain losing position into a comfortable victory, is emblematic of a side high on confidence following on from their stunning 2-1 series win over Bangladesh in the build-up to the tournament. The relative familiarity with the venue also gives USA an added edge, having played against Canada at the same ground.Pakistan meanwhile, have struggled to get a proper training session in, let alone an actual game, warm-up or official. Rain in Dallas for much of the past week forced Pakistan to move two practice sessions to makeshift indoor facilities, and instead of arriving early to acclimatise, Pakistan spent the past three weeks playing T20I series in Ireland and the UK. They didn’t exactly showcase a fearsome side in search of a title, as inconsistent performances saw them lose one of the three games to Ireland, and comfortably beaten in both completed matches against England.Pakistan’s woes have been compounded by the confirmed injury to Imad Wasim, specifically brought back to the squad for his US and Caribbean experience. In addition, as the final game against England made crystal clear, the opening combination of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam appears their only viable option, meaning much of the experimentation in the build-up over the past five months has not borne fruit. Several players severely struggling for form means there are points of weakness dotted throughout the order, with Saim Ayub, Azam Khan and Shadab Khan particularly beleaguered at present.If the tendency to hop about from triumph to disaster without warning is a characteristically Pakistani trait, belief and self-confidence is unabashedly American. You couldn’t set a better scene or plot more amenable circumstances for an upset, or at the very least a Texan thriller.

Form guide

United States of America: WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: LLWWL

In the spotlight

Aaron Jones would be a problem for any bowling side, but he matches up particularly well against Pakistan. Jones’ takedown of Canada’s pace and spin bowlers in the middle overs places a lot of pressure on Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s most in-form bowler in that phase. With Imad out and Shadab severely out of nick, there remains the potential for Jones to lead a middle-overs onslaught similar to the one that saw the US storm past Canada in the tournament opener.As the final T20I against England last week made brutally plain, there is no hiding place for Azam Khan. After a shocker of a game with both bat and gloves, he was singled out for the ire of Pakistan’s media and fans. Some of it was justified, the rest way over the top. But it is obvious Pakistan are struggling to answer the question of what to do with him. Having, in part, selected him because of his recent CPL pedigree, dropping him leaves them light on options for lower-order death-overs hitting. Selecting a player that low on confidence, though, brings its own conundrums, not least whether to give him the gloves when Mohammad Rizwan – a stratospherically better keeper – is a confirmed starter.

Team news

USA have no injury concerns following their win over Canada, and with the hosts playing at the same venue again, they are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination.USA: 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Monank Patel (capt), 3 Andries Gous (wk), 4 Aaron Jones, 5 Nitish Kumar, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Shadley van Schalkwyk, 9 Jasdeep Singh, 10 Ali Khan, 11 Saurabh NetravalkarImad has been unable to shake off a side strain that kept him out of Pakistan’s final T20I against England last week, meaning balancing the side is a problem for Pakistan. It likely means Shadab will keep his place for all-round potential, while Babar and Rizwan go back up top.Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan 2 Babar Azam 3 Usman Khan 4 Fakhar Zaman 5 Azam Khan 6 Iftikhar Ahmed 7 Shadab Khan 7 8 Shaheen Afridi 9 Haris Rauf 10 Mohammad Amir 11 Abrar Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

Rain sprayed Dallas in the week leading up to the tournament, but has for the large part stayed away since the World Cup began. That should continue to be the case on Thursday, with a full game expected.The wicket offered early seam movement in each of the first two games with decent bounce and carry, with the opening game – held at this venue – throwing up the two highest scores of the tournament so far.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan’s attempt to break up Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed on just about every count. Saim Ayub scored 229 runs in 15 T20I innings as opener, at an average of 15.26 and a strike rate of 126.51. That average as well as strike rate is lower than either Babar or Rizwan’s as opener since January 2022
• Haris Rauf is five wickets away from becoming just the second Pakistani – after Shadab Khan – to reach 100 T20I wickets
• Of the 23 sixes Aaron Jones has struck in 25 T20I innings, 10 came in his innings against Canada in the World Cup opener

Quotes

“Certain things are outside your control. We can’t control the weather. In the circumstances, we used the facilities available to us, with the batters and bowlers training indoors. Our team drills also took place indoors, so we’re just trying to utilise the best possible options we have.”
“You know, it’s T20. Once we have good 30-40 minutes on the field, you never know. We can take the game away.”

أثبت إهدار هوجو إيكتيكي مهاجم ليفربول لفرصة كبيرة ضد أتلتيكو مدريد على ملعب أنفيلد في دوري أبطال أوروبا صحة ما قاله النجم المصري محمد صلاح.

وكان ليفربول حقق فوزًا مثيرًا ضد العملاق الإسباني بثلاثة أهداف لهدفين يوم الأربعاء الماضي في أولى مبارياتهما في دوري أبطال أوروبا هذا الموسم.

وكان ماركوس يورينتي قد سجل هدفين لأتلتيكو مدريد ليتعادل للفريق الضيف، لكن قائد ليفربول فيرجيل فان دايك ارتقى عالياً ليسجل هدف الفوز في شباك يان أوبلاك في الدقيقة 92 ليحسم المباراة.

وضغط ليفربول بعد هدف فان دايك بقوة لتسجيل الهدف الرابع قبل صافرة النهاية، ومرر سوبوسلاي كرة إلى محمد صلاح الذي انطلق بسرعة على الجهة اليمنى ومررها عرضية إلى إيكتيكي ليسجل الهدف من مسافة قريبة ولكنه أضاع الفرصة بغرابة.

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ونشرت صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية أن إيكتيكي أضاع فرصة تسجيل هدف بعد أن أحرز بالفعل هذا الموسم ثلاثة أهداف حتى الآن، على الرغم من أنه كان حاضراً في اللحظة المناسبة لاستقبال تمريرة صلاح، إلا أنه ربما قد أخطأ في تقدير سرعة المصري في التعامل مع الكرة.

وتفسر هذه الفرصة تصريح محمد صلاح في وقت سابق حيث أكدت ما قاله بإنه لا يزال يفتقر للتفاهم الكبير في الملعب مع إيكتيكي، ونظراً لأن الثنائي لم يلعبا معاً إلا خمس مباريات فقط ولكن ذلك لا يثير القلق في بداية الموسم الحالي.

وقال صلاح صاحب الـ33 عاماً في وقت سابق إنه سيتعين التحلي بالصبر عندما يتعلق الأمر ببناء كيمياء مع زملائه الجدد في الفريق خاصة هوجو إيكتيكي.

ولم يقلل جلوس إيكتيكي على مقاعد البدلاء ضد أتلتيكو مدريد من الدعم الذي حظى به من جماهير ملعب أنفيلد، التي قامت بالغناء للفرنسي أثناء الإحماء وعند دخوله في الشوط الثاني.

وقرر إيكتيكي في لحظة مميزة بالنسبة له أن يتبادل قميصه مع أنطوان جريزمان لاعب أتلتيكو مدريد، والذي اعتزل اللعب الدولي العام الماضي، وكتب بعد نهاية المباراة عبر حسابه على إنستجرام وهو يحمل القميص مشيراً إلى مواطنه: “أسطورة”.

Leeds United are now seriously interested in signing an “excellent” £25 million ace to replace Illan Meslier should they be promoted to the Premier League, according to a new report.

Farke remains confident Leeds' promotion will be sealed

It looked as though it was going to be another successful weekend for the Whites on Saturday afternoon, as they were closing in on another three points to move them a step closer to promotion. However, a mistake by goalkeeper Meslier was punished not once but twice, as his fumble allowed Harry Darling to equalise at 1-1 and then Zan Vipotnik’s shot in the 96th minute snuck under the Leeds goalkeeper.

It is not the first time that Meslier has cost his side all three points this season, but despite the fact the Whites have only won one of their last five matches, their worst form of this campaign, Daniel Farke remains confident that Leeds will still win promotion to the Premier League.

“We have gone many, many steps, and right now it’s the final step. That’s always the most difficult,” the boss said this weekend.

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“There’s never a guarantee of success, but we have been in this situation before. I know how tricky it sometimes is to lead from the front, but also what is necessary to bring it over the line, and we will try everything to make sure the lads have the best chance to make the final step. If you ask me right now, I’m 100% convinced that next season we will play in the Premier League.”

Leeds looking to replace Meslier with Southampton star Ramsdale

Given Farke is confident that his side will be a top-flight team next season, it may be no surprise to see plans are already being worked on for the summer, and a new goalkeeper seems to be high on the agenda. According to TEAMtalk, Leeds have now placed Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on their transfer shortlist should promotion be sealed.

The report states that the Whites are now seriously looking to sign a new number one this summer, given the mistakes that Meslier has made this season, despite Farke’s public backing of the Frenchman. Meslier’s contract expires in 2026, so Leeds will have a decision to make on his long-term future, and this summer could be the only realistic chance to cash in and upgrade.

However, Leeds are not the only team interested in signing Ramsdale, as AFC Bournemouth are also keeping an eye on things and could make a move once the Saints are relegated.

Newcastle United are also fans of the goalkeeper and could move for him as they eye a long-term replacement for Nick Pope. The also adds that Ramsdale has a relegation clause in his contract, and any club wanting to sign him will have to offer him the guarantee of football, as he wants to compete for the England number one spot.

Apps

174

Goals conceded

262

Clean sheets

40

Leeds’ chances of signing Ramsdale, who cost the Saints £25 million in the summer, do rest on them securing promotion to the Premier League, as the Englishman is looking to remain in the top flight. Despite the fact that Southampton have been terrible in the Premier League this season, Ramsdale has impressed many, with former England goalkeeper Joe Hart labelling his performances as “absolutely excellent”.

Agni Chopra has become the first batter to score centuries in his first four first-class games after making his debut for Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy Plate League earlier this month. Chopra, 25, is the son of film critic Anupama Chopra and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who recently made the popular movie (KC Cariappa) and Mohit Jangra,” he told PTI. “They are inclusive and welcoming and I never felt like an outsider. I have been taught a few Mizo words and phrases and I don’t feel in a vastly different place.”Chopra admits that moving from Mumbai to Mizoram in the domestic circuit would not have been a lateral move and the bowling attacks in the Plate League would not be the same. While the top 32 teams in the domestic circuit play in four groups of the Elite League, six other teams, five of which are from the north-east region, feature in the Plate League.He says his current aim is to help Mizoram qualify for the Plate League final, which will promote them to the Elite League next season.”People will say what they have to say but, at the end of the day, it’s your performance and there are lot many players who are playing in the same division and not scoring that many runs. The standard is same for everyone.”I think I am trying to be in present and my aim is to take Mizoram to Elite division. If we are in Elite division, then there is nothing to think about in terms of quality of bowling and I will play for Mizoram.”