Australia are not the same team without a 100% fit Mitchell Starc – and that includes when Starc is actually playing

Daniel Brettig at Sydney04-Jan-2018Australia are not the same team without a 100% fit Mitchell Starc – and that includes when Starc is actually playing.Conspicuous by his absence in Melbourne, nursing a bruised heel some way back towards full health as the rest of Steven Smith’s bowling attack was humbugged by a lifeless pitch, Starc returned for a home SCG Test, with all its attendant fanfare.If the start was delayed by wet weather, there was nothing damp about Starc’s expression, grinning broadly in the minutes before he sent down the first over in front of family, friends and teammates happy to see him back. There was promising swing and bounce in that first over, too.But Test cricket is not an affair in which a few swift overs are enough. Sustained speed is the thing, demonstrated so ably by the Australians when the Ashes were up for grabs. As the day wore on, it became increasingly apparent that Starc was not exactly near to his best nor his fastest, giving England’s batsmen the sort of respite they must have pined for during the decisive first three matches.It was in terms of speed that the difference was most apparent: where Starc had been part of a bowling attack that averaged 141kph in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, here he seldom passed 140kph, and slid as low as 127. The second new ball did swing in Starc’s hands, but it was more charity than venom that had Joe Root clipping a half volley to square leg in the day’s penultimate over. A subsequent yorker to Jonny Bairstow ticked over at 142.5kph, and Hazlewood’s follow-up with the new ball meant Australia broke even on the day, but the earlier dip to 127kph will have been noted.That, coincidentally, had been the speed of the first ball Jackson Bird delivered in Melbourne, where Alastair Cook in particular took advantage of Starc’s missing pace, left-arm variation and penchant for reverse swing. This time around, Starc’s presence at considerably less than his best and fastest underlined the difference between “100% fit” as Glenn McGrath had described it pre-Test, and “fit to play” as wounded cricketers over many years have protested to captains, coaches, selectors and medical staff.Years of careful planning had gone into ensuring that Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins would be in the former category for the Ashes. Helped significantly by the pace-friendly environment in which young fast bowlers are raised, Australia’s approach is nonetheless different to many other nations, emphasising strength and conditioning training to enhance speed, maintain it and also ensure a bowler’s upper register can be reached within a few balls of starting a spell.Dips in pace are carefully monitored, and both Doug Bollinger (in 2010-11) and Peter Siddle (in 2014) were dropped for slipping too far below the preferred level. Equally, Chadd Sayers has been left in international selection purgatory for lacking the extra few kilometres so beloved of the selectors, who want impact from their fast bowlers, used adroitly by their captain.Never was this more evident than in Mitchell Johnson’s shattering influence as a short, sharp shock spell bowler in 2013-14, when Michael Clarke harnessed him with rare expertise. That template was more or less followed four years later with Starc and Cummins. Hazlewood, meanwhile, has benefited from targeted training designed to extract greater swiftness from his action, whether through a faster run-up or more efficient direction of bodily force through the crease.At the same time the number of balls bowled by each fast man is carefully monitored – a contentious element of the management of many pacemen around Australia, but based on the principle that a bowler’s highest velocity simply cannot be sustained beyond certain levels of fatigue or repetition.”It’s something we do really well in Australia and I put that down to the coaches and the medical staff,” Cummins said this week. “They realise you can only bowl so many balls a year or in a couple of weeks or whatever the period is, and as fast bowlers they want you bowling as fast as you can for that.Joe Root fell for 83 in the closing moments of the first day•Getty Images”Most of the balls we bowl in the nets are for a purpose, we want to try to get better or get our body moving, we won’t just bowl for the sake of it. Sessions like a couple days out from a game we just want to try to blow the cobwebs out and get our body moving so that once we come on [to bowl] it doesn’t feel like it’s been too long since we’ve bowled and that first spell feels like we’ve found that balance between being fresh but also ready to go flat out straight away.”Balance was a consideration for Australia ahead of Starc’s selection. Pointedly, Smith spoke on the eve of the match about advising Starc to take care of himself in this match if he was passed fit to play, and not risking the potential to cloud his availability at full speed for South Africa. “I think the break he’s had from bowling has helped his heel heal,” Smith had said. “It’s coming along nicely so he’s confident and you’ve also got to take the player’s word sometimes. Hopefully he gets through and he’s fine.”[My advice is] make sure you’re completely fit and don’t be doing further damage. We’ve obviously got some one-dayers after this and Twenty20s and an important series in South Africa as well. So that was the conversation I had after the Perth Test match – we’ve wrapped up the series, which is great and we want to continue winning, that’s important, but you’re a key member of our line-up and don’t do further damage because we need you in South Africa.”At the same time, Starc naturally wanted to play at the SCG, to perform for his home crowd and also to feel he was ending this Ashes series as an active participant rather than a cussed spectator. It was a fair decision to trust Starc, given his 40 Test matches worth of experience and assiduous efforts to get himself fit after the heel problem, including a teetotal night in Perth after the Australians had secured the urn. But his off-peak display on day one provided a reminder that those extra few kilometres really are critical, not only in edging Australia ahead of England, but giving them the best chance of also vanquishing South Africa.

Dan Lawrence, Ben Foakes raise tempo in final session during stand of 131 in 35 overs

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2024Surrey 340 for 5 (Lawrence 91*, Smith 86, Sibley 76, Foakes 52) vs Worcestershire It was normal service resumed for leaders and champions Surrey on day one of the Vitality County Championship match with Worcestershire at ‘Visit Worcestershire New Road.’Surrey had suffered an innings-and-278-runs defeat against Hampshire in their previous Championship fixture at the Utilita Bowl ahead of the Blast in contrast to their previous four-day form.But fifties from Dom Sibley and Jamie Smith laid the foundations before Dan Lawrence and Ben Foakes increased the tempo during the final session during a stand of 131 in 35 overs.Foakes fell just before the close – to a fourth catch for Adam Hose – but Lawrence remained undefeated on 91 from 126 balls.It was Surrey’s first visit to New Road since they lifted the 2018 title on the ground and they are well placed to post a formidable total on the second day.Worcestershire captain, Brett D’Oliveira, was side-lined with a shoulder problem and Jake Libby skippered the side.Pace trio Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, who all played in last month’s encounter at the Kia Oval, were ruled out through injury.Ethan Brookes, Tom Taylor and on loan Somerset spinner, Shoaib Bashir, all made their Championship debut for the home side.Taylor’s younger brother, James Taylor, made his first Championship appearance for Surrey since April 2022.Surrey were put in on a rock hard looking pitch and quickly lost skipper Rory Burns.Tom Taylor took the new ball and struck with the third ball of the morning as Burns turned a delivery straight to Bashir at mid wicket.Ollie Pope looked in good form and cover drove Taylor for four and used his feet to turn on loan Essex seamer Ben Allison to the midwicket boundary. But he then gave Allison the charge and nicked through to Adam Hose at first slip.Allison, signed because of injuries to Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, bowled an excellent opening spell of 7-3-10-1.But Sibley was in excellent touch, straight driving and cover-driving Adam Finch for boundaries, and coming down the wicket to hit Bashir down the ground for four after he came into the attack.Smith also took advantage of over-pitched deliveries from Finch to collective successive boundaries and the 100 came up in just 27.2 overs.Allison bowled another probing post-lunch spell and Sibley edged just short of second slip.Waite again also asked questions of both batters but Sibley and Smith were determined and reached their respective fifties off 108 and 103 balls respectively. The stand was worth 149 in 40 overs when Bashir broke it as Sibley picked out Hose at short midwicket.Smith departed in a similar manner with again Hose the catcher after Finch came into the attack.Lawrence and Foakes upped the tempo during the final session after playing themselves in up until tea.Foakes pulled Bashir for a maximum over wide long-on before having a let off on 31 when dropped at deep midwicket off Finch.Lawrence cut Brookes for four to reach a 66-ball fifty and Foakes went to the same landmark from 104 deliveries.But Finch broke the stand after the second new ball had been taken when Foakes (52) fell to a low catch diving to his right at first slip by Hose.

MatériaMais Notícias

da lvbet： No empate sem gols com o Atlético-MG, o Santos registrou a terceira partida consecutiva sem triunfar. Contudo, em um olhar clínico para os setores do campo, o Alvinegro Praiano apresenta uma melhora na defesa no decorrer da temporada. De uma das piores defesas do Paulistão com 17 gols sofridos, o Peixe sofreu apenas um gol nos últimos cinco jogos.

Além disso, desde o retorno da intertemporada, o clube possui menos problemas com as bolas aéreas que tanto atormentaram o primeiro trimestre alvinegro. Para alcançar mais resultados positivos, o Santos tem que melhorar as decisões ofensivas e voltar a encontrar o caminho do gol.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosJogadores do Santos sentem incômodos musculares, e Odair comenta possibilidade de poupar peçasSantos24/04/2023SantosPreços: Santos abre nesta segunda a venda de ingressos para jogo contra o Botafogo-SPSantos23/04/2023SantosVÍDEO: Os melhores momentos do empate entre Santos e Atlético-MG pelo BrasileirãoSantos23/04/2023

da mrbet： ATUAÇÕES: Santos tem atuação irregular, e Ângelo sai vaiado em empate com o Atlético-MG

Esse problema na parte final da conclusão das jogadas é notório. Desde que retornou ao Santos, Soteldo não estufou as redes, Ângelo, que possui 113 jogos com a camisa do Peixe, tem apenas três gols. Principal artilheiro, Marcos Leonardo passou em branco nos últimos três duelos. Diante disso, Odair Hellmann assumiu esse problema e prometeu evolução na conclusão das jogadas.

-Eu acho que nós temos evolução precisamente na parte defensiva, na parte de competição , de intensidade de compactação do time. Temos que corrigir a parte final. Último passe, última tabela. Hoje erramos no primeiro tempo em boas situações. Evoluímos nos outros aspectos e competimos contra Grêmio e o Atlético-MG, que são times experientes – disse o técnico.

Oportunidade para reecontrar os bons resultados, O Santos encara o Botafogo-SP, nesta quarta-feira (26), no duelo de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. A bola rola a partir das 19h (de Brasília).

Leeds United are believed to be readying a move to sign of a player who Daniel Farke has described as “brilliant”, according to a new transfer report.

Leeds one step closer to Premier League return

The Whites picked up another priceless three points in the Championship promotion tussle on Good Friday, battling their way to a 1-0 victory away to Oxford United.

Manor Solomon’s second-half goal proved to be the difference between the two sides, and with Burnley and Sheffield United also winning on the day, victory was imperative.

It means Leeds are now within touching distance of sealing a return to the Premier League from the Championship, sitting five points clear of the third-place Blades with only three matches remaining. It would need a capitulation at this point to prevent the Whites from getting back into the top flight.

If Farke’s side do earn promotion, the manager and the 49ers Enterprises will know that lots of reinforcements are required in the summer transfer window, with the gap between England’s top and second-best league never feeling greater, with the three promoted teams set to go straight back down again for the second year in a row. Now, a new Leeds transfer rumour has emerged.

Leeds pushing to sign "brilliant" goalkeeper

According to Football Insider, Leeds and 49ers Enterprises are “readying a move” for Norwich City goalkeeper Angus Gunn this summer, seeing him as a replacement on the error-prone Illan Meslier.

The Scot is “yet to be offered a contract extension” by the Canaries, meaning he could leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Gunn could be an astute addition for Leeds ahead of next season, with the Norwich stopper now an experienced head who has proven himself over an extended period of time.

The 29-year-old has 164 appearances to his name in the Championship, showing that he can perform in an extremely competitive league, and he also has 15 caps for Scotland.

Meanwhile, Jackie McNamara has hailed Gunn as an “excellent” player, while even more promisingly, Farke is an admirer, having worked with him in the past, saying:

“Angus is very highly-rated and a really talented goalkeeper. He’s brilliant with his feet as well as his hands and is tall too. We’re happy to have him here for the next season and are thankful to Manchester City for helping us with this deal. I’m looking forward to working with such a great talent.”

The fact that Gunn would be available on a free transfer makes this even more of a no-brainer for Leeds, meaning that it wouldn’t even be much of a risk if it ended up not working out.

Fewer touches than Darlow: Leeds need to upgrade on £15k-p/w star & Gnonto

Leeds moved one step closer to the Premier League, although work still needs to be done

ByRobbie Walls Apr 19, 2025

There is nothing to suggest that that would be the case, however, and while Meslier has had good games this season, his penchant for making mistakes has been costly too often, so an upgrade such as the Norwich ace is required.

England, meanwhile, don’t have history on their side against their next three opponents at this World Cup

Shiva Jayaraman21-Jun-20191 Number of wins Sri Lanka had managed in their last 12 ODIs against the teams in this World Cup. That win, too, had come against Afghanistan earlier in this World Cup, after they were bowled out for just 201. Their previous win against any of the top teams was against England, in Colombo, in October last year. England’s earlier loss in the tournament had come against Pakistan, another team who had not been fancied to beat them, having lost 11 straight ODIs before that match.Watch on Hotstar (India only) – Fall of wickets – England’s innings1999 The last time England beat Sri Lanka in a World Cup match, at Lord’s. Since then their record against Sri Lanka has been 0-4. Until the 1999 World Cup, England had won six of the seven meetings between the teams at the World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Other England losses in ODIs while chasing targets of 275 or less since the 2015 World Cup. That solitary defeat came against Bangladesh, in Dhaka, when they were chasing 239 and were bowled out for 204. This was only their second loss in 24 such matches since the last World Cup.0 Other England losses while chasing targets of 275 or less at home in ODIs since the 2015 World Cup. This was their first such loss in 13 such matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd51 Wickets in the World Cup for Lasith Malinga, who played a stellar role in Sri Lanka’s win with a haul of 4 for 43. He became just the fourth bowler to take 50 or more wickets in the World Cup. Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan and Wasim Akram are the others to achieve this distinction. Click here for a list of the top wicket-takers at the World Cup.0 Number of World Cup matches England have won against their next three opponents – Australia, New Zealand and India – in the last 27 years. Their last such win came against Australia at the SCG in the 1992 World Cup. Since then, they have played these teams on 10 occasions and lost three times against Australia, four times against New Zealand, and twice against India. One other match against India in the 2011 World Cup ended in a tie. Their last win against India in the World Cup was in 1992, and against New Zealand in 1983.

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.

أقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب مانشستر سيتي: محمد صلاح أصعب خصم واجهته في مسيرتي

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”.

Legendary Paralympian accepts nomination to succeed Sir Howard Bernstein

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2024Dame Sarah Storey is set to become Lancashire’s next club President after accepting a nomination from the board.Storey, Great Britain’s greatest Paralympian, has won 28 medals for cycling and swimming across eight Paralympic Games, including 17 golds. She is building towards her ninth appearance in Paris this year, having been made a Dame after the London Games in 2012.Her presidential nomination will be put forward at Lancashire’s annual general meeting in May, with the current incumbent Sir Howard Bernstein stepping down after a decade in the role.”It is an incredible honour to have been asked by the Lancashire Cricket Board to become the club’s next President and follow in Sir Howard’s significant footsteps,” Storey said.”As a kid, I recall many happy memories watching the Red Rose with my family. As a member and fan, to have this opportunity to serve this great Club and bring my experience to bear is very exciting.Andy Anson, Lancashire’s chair, said: “I am delighted to confirm that Dame Sarah Storey has accepted the Board’s nomination as the Club’s new President.”Sarah is an outstanding candidate for the Presidency. With a peerless record as Britain’s most successful Paralympian, she is an inspirational presence who has a proven track-record in high-performance elite sport and as a strategic advisor in a variety of public-facing roles.”The Board looks forward to Dame Sarah’s nomination going forward to a members’ vote at the Annual General Meeting and working together over the next two years. Having someone of Dame Sarah’s calibre and first-hand experience of high-performance elite sport on board will offer invaluable support to both our men’s and women’s squads.”Storey also serves as Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, a Visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, a board member at the Department of Transport, and also works with the development of other athletes and supporting charitable causes.Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance, added: “Dame Sarah has operated at the very top level of elite sport throughout her career, she knows what it takes to succeed, and it will be fantastic to have somebody on the Board with her experiences and knowledge as we look to achieve our goals on the field in the coming years.”

The solution to finding form as a Manchester United player? On current evidence, it would seem that sealing a move away is the perfect answer.

Having stepped out of the intense spotlight at Old Trafford, a number of individuals have rediscovered their groove elsewhere, with Marcus Rashford notably reaching double figures for goals and assists in just 17 games on loan at Aston Villa.

Even the much-maligned Antony – a player who arguably ranks among the worst signings in Premier League history, considering the limp return on his £86m investment – has dazzled for Real Betis in recent months, with five goals and four assists in 18 games out in Spain.

Perhaps the biggest success story, however, lies with Scott McTominay, with the towering midfielder spearheading Napoli’s Scudetto charge, having scored 11 Serie A goals in 2024/24 – including five in his last three league outings.

Were United and INEOS right to let him go?

Why Man Utd sold Scott McTominay

A miserable 2023/24 campaign under Erik ten Hag was one of few bright spots – excluding the FA Cup final triumph to round things off – although the displays of McTominay were one element to shout about, with the Scotland star scoring ten goals in all competitions.

That stellar impact included memorable efforts like his stoppage-time brace against Brentford to seal a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, as well as his opener in the 4-3 thriller with Liverpool, having become a figure whom the Dutchman could rely upon.

Having had just a year left on his deal heading into last summer, however – and with United feeling the need to comply with PSR regulations – the new INEOS regime took the decision to cash in on the 28-year-old, raking in £25m of ‘pure profit’.

That sale – which allowed the Red Devils to subsequently sign fellow midfielder, Manuel Ugarte – was one that Ten Hag certainly didn’t agree with, having later admitted that he “didn’t want” to sell a player who he labelled as having “Manchester United in his veins”.

Not only were there financial benefits to that decision to sell, but the problem for McTominay was the lack of an obvious starting berth in the side, having actually only started 27 games in that final campaign at the club.

The 6 foot 4 ace – as his goal return showcased – was not defensive-minded enough to operate as a deep-lying midfielder, while it was also unlikely for him to be able to dislodge captain Bruno Fernandes in a number ten berth.

In the end, McTominay was parachuted in as something of a makeshift striker or false nine in the final weeks of the season, albeit with that hardly representing a long-term solution.

As it is, despite being a reliable presence loved by his manager and a player who had starred last term, a permanent place in the side looked unlikely moving forward. Could the same now be set to occur with one of his former colleagues?

The Man Utd star facing McTominay repeat

As alluded to, McTominay lacked that real quality in a defensive sense to thrive at the base of the midfield, having ranked in the bottom 31% of midfielders in the Premier League for interceptions made per 90 in 2023/24, as well as in just the top 35% for tackles made per 90, as per FBref.

Equally, his ability on the ball, particularly creatively, could also be brought into question, as he ranked in just the bottom 8% for shot-creating actions, the bottom 8% for passes attempted and the bottom 17% for progressive passes.

In essence, despite his role as a box-crashing game-changer, McTominay couldn’t truly settle on a regular position under Ten Hag, with that a fate that could befall Noussair Mazraoui heading into next season.

First and foremost, the £12.9m arrival from Bayern Munich has proven to be an “outrageous bargain” amid a promising debut season in Manchester, in the words of journalist Liam Canning, having become the club’s ‘Mr Consistent’ due to his impressive availability and reliability.

Indeed, the Moroccan star has played 51 games in all competitions, with 34 of those coming under Ruben Amorim’s watch – the joint-most of any player since the Portuguese coach took charge.

Like McTominay was under Ten Hag, Mazraoui is a player beloved by his manager, with Amorim describing the 27-year-old as the “future of our team” back in December, while also later lauding the defender’s “amazing” work ethic.

Like McTominay too, however, there could be a case that in the new manager’s 3-4-3 set-up, the versatile asset is potentially too much of a jack of all trades, having floated between right wing-back, left wing-back or one of the centre-back berths.

With Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven all in contention to feature at centre-back when fit – as well as the stricken Lisandro Martinez – there are more suitable long-term options than Mazraoui in those roles.

Equally, at wing-back, the former Ajax man’s lack of genuine attacking threat could also be his undoing in the long term, considering he has only registered three assists while failing to score this season.

Idrissa Gueye

123

Daniel Munoz

109

Noussair Mazraoui

102

Moises Caicedo

100

Joao Gomes

99

Alexis Mac Allister

95

Victor Kristiansen

85

Tyrick Mitchell

85

Antonee Robinson

84

Youri Tielemans

82

There’s no denying that Mazraoui – like McTominay before him – has been something of an unsung hero this term, not least considering he ranks third in the division for tackles made, but there does need to be questions asked over what his role will be on a permanent basis moving forward.

At present, the £135k-per-week star is proving invaluable due to his ability to cover up the club’s lingering injury woes with his positional flexibility, although once Amorim has been handed a summer to spend and settle on a side, will Mazraoui feature quite so prominently?

Again, in a similar mould to McTominay, such a valued squad member might not be afforded the starring role that his quality deserves.

Better than Osimhen: Man Utd close to agreement for "hottest CF in Europe"

Man Utd are ramping up their search for a new centre-forward this summer

ByRobbie Walls Apr 29, 2025

Four-hundred-and-fifty-three days since he last played a competitive match, India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is “jittery” to resume playing cricket on Saturday afternoon when he will lead Delhi Capitals in their IPL opener against hosts Punjab Kings. The hiatus was forced on Pant after a life-threatening car crash on December 30, 2022, from which he successfully recovered after extensive rehab.”Jittery, nervous, excited – all of it,” Pant described his emotional state on the eve of his first IPL match in two years, having sat out the 2023 season. “But at the same time, just happy being able to come back to professional cricket. I’m just looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow.”As soon as the BCCI’s medical team had declared Pant fit, both as a wicketkeeper and batter, Pant flew to join the franchise’s preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam, where Capitals will play home matches in the schedule announced so far. Like a kid who had been kept away from doing his favourite thing, Pant batted obsessively in the nets, according to Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting.Related

• Rishabh Pant is back – celebrating life, loving cricket

• Inside the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Punjab's new open-air venue in Mullanpur

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Pant felt he did that because he wanted to practise as much as possible and give himself “the best chance to become a better cricketer”.Ponting described Pant as the “heartbeat” of the team. “There’s no doubt last year we missed our captain, we missed one of the best players in the world,” he said. “Just his attitude, his smile, the way he goes about his cricket, he’s a winner. He wants to win games.”He wants to do the best he can for the team all the time. And when you have that attitude coming back into a team, that’s infectious. Everyone wants to be like Rishabh and play the way that he plays his cricket. He’s our leader. He’s the heartbeat of this franchise and having him back is going to make this team a lot better and a lot stronger.”Ponting the coach is usually a positive and smiling person, but Pant’s return has got him super excited for the new season as Capitals attempt to win the IPL for the first time. “The fact that he is back smiling puts a smile on my face as well. Knowing that I’ve got my captain back, knowing that I’ve got one of the best players in the world in all three formats back in my team, I’m smiling, his team-mates are all smiling.”

Arsenal have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres, with a clause greasing the wheels of €60m deal.

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Arsenal handed Viktor Gyokeres boostClause in contract revealed

€60m deal to be struck

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A Bola in Portugal report that from July 1, any offer of €60m for Gyokeres that Sporting reject would see the club have to pay €6m to the player's agent. That stipulation could mean a deal moves fast if any club can hit that figure.

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The same report goes on to state that "Arsenal are willing to reach this value". The Gunners have been on the hunt for a new number nine all summer and this development could see the Swede move to the top of the queue.

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Mikel Arteta's side were previously said to be closing in on a deal for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, though negotiations have proved difficult. They are also reportedly back in the mix for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike.

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Arsenal will be keen to get a new striker in the door in time for the beginning of the new Premier League campaign, which they kick off against Manchester United on Sunday August 17.