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Heather Knight has urged the cricket community to lend its voice to the Afghanistan women’s team amid concerns that the group had been largely “forgotten” until a row broke out last week over the England men’s team playing Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy.England are due to play Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26 in their second match of the tournament and the ECB has faced calls from UK politicians to consider boycotting the match. UK prime minister Keir Starmer and ECB chief executive Richard Gould have called upon the ICC to show leadership on the issue.Women’s cricket in Afghanistan has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Further restrictions have included banning the sound of women’s voices from being heard in public.Related

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Some 22 women contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board before the Taliban took control fled to Australia and are now based in Melbourne and Canberra. A number of them will play for an Afghanistan Women’s XI against a Cricket Without Borders XI in a T20 match at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on January 30, the same day England and Australia begin their Women’s Ashes day-night Test at the MCG.Knight, England Women’s captain, plans to meet a number of exiled players, who are now based in Melbourne, when they attend the second Ashes ODI at Junction Oval on Tuesday.”I think it’s a really good thing that people are talking about it and it’s been in the news again because honestly, I think it’s been forgotten a lot which is a really bad thing,” Knight said. “Obviously, it’s a really complex situation with what’s going on but I think the biggest positive can be that group of women being talked about.”They’re playing a game at Junction the first day of our Test match so I’d love to see that broadcast far and wide. Let’s get that voice out there that those women are playing cricket, which is a really cool thing. I think that could be a really positive message from a pretty heartbreaking situation going on in their home country.”

تتزايد الدعوات في الوقت الحالي من أجل تعليق مشاركة إسرائيل في مسابقات كرة القدم، في ضوء المجازر التي يرتكبها العدو الصهيوني ضد الفلسطينيين في قطاع غزة.

ويتعرض أهل قطاع غزة لعدوان غاشم منذ ما يقرب من عامين على يد العدو الصهيوني، وأعلنت لجنة التحقيق التابعة للأمم المتحدة بشكل رسمي أن ما يلقاه الشعب الفلسطيني يُعد إبادة جماعية.

ويشارك المنتخب الإسرائيلي حاليًا في التصفيات الأوروبية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، بينما يشارك نادي مكابي تل أبيب في منافسات الدوري الأوروبي ذلك الموسم.

وقد أبلغ مسؤول بارز في أحد اتحادات كرة القدم، شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية، أن العديد من الدول تضغط من أجل إجراء تصويت على استبعاد إسرائيل من كرة القدم الأوروبية، وأن مسؤولي يويفا يرغبون في اتخاذ إجراء.

ووقعت مجموعة مكونة من 48 رياضيًا على رسالة مشتركة، يوم الجمعة الماضي، تدعو إلى تعليق مشاركة إسرائيل على الصعيد الرياضي، حسبما ذكرت شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أمريكا: سنتصدى لأي محاولات تمنع إسرائيل من المشاركة في كأس العالم

وأفادت صحيفة “تايمز” أن التصويت قد يُجرى في أقرب وقت، في غضون أيام، وأن رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو يشن حملة ضده، بينما تعهدت وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية بمقاومة أي محاولة لمنع إسرائيل من التأهل المحتمل لكأس العالم.

وأشارت “بي بي سي” إلى أن مجموعة الرياضيين، المذكورة سلفًا، دعت إلى تعليق مشاركة إسرائيل في كافة المسابقات الرياضية بشكل فوري حتى تلتزم بالقانون الدولي وتتوقف عن قتل المدنيين في غزة.

وأفادت أن الفرنسي بول بوجبا يُعد أبرز الموقعين على البيان، في حين أن لاعب خط وسط كريستال بالاس شيخ دوكوري هو اللاعب الوحيد في الدوري الإنجليزي الذي وقع على تلك العريضة.

إلى جانب ذلك، هناك المصري سام مرسي لاعب إيبسويتش تاون السابق، ولاعب تشيلسي السابق حكيم زياش، إلى جانب لاعب الكريكيت الإنجليزي السابق معين علي.

وقال الموقعون، في بيانهم، إنهم “صوت موحد لمحترفي الرياضة من جميع أنحاء العالم، يدافعون عن العدالة والإنصاف والإنسانية في الرياضة”، مؤكدين على أن “أفعال إسرائيل تنتهك القانون الإنساني الدولي وتتناقض مع مبادئ الاحترام والسلامة والسلام التي تمثلها الرياضة”.

وأوضحوا: “الرياضة ليست محايدة في مواجهة الظلم، الصمت يعني القبول بأن حياة البعض أقل قيمة من حياة الآخرين”.

وسبق لـ يويفا معارضة كافة دعوات منع إسرائيل من المشاركة في مسابقاته، حيث صرح ألكسندر تشيفيرين في أغسطس الماضي بأنه يعارض الحظر بشكل عام، قائلًا: “أعتقد أنه يجب أن تتاح لجميع الرياضيين فرصة المنافسة، وأن تُعامل الأمور الأخرى بشكل مختلف”.

وتعرض يويفا لانتقادات شديدة – بما في ذلك من نجم ليفربول محمد صلاح – قبل شهر عندما نشر خبرًا عن لاعب كرة القدم الفلسطيني سليمان العبيد على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، دون إيضاح ملابسات وفاته.

وكان الاتحاد الفلسطيني لكرة القدم قد أعلن بأنه اُستشهد في هجوم إسرائيلي أثناء انتظاره مساعدات إنسانية في جنوب قطاع غزة، مؤكدًا على أن عدد لاعبي كرة القدم الذين اُستشهدوا أو ماتوا جوعًا في غزة بلغ 421 لاعبًا، من بينهم 103 أطفال.

Tottenham Hotspur are now in contact to sign a £70m Premier League “superstar”, who is keen to leave his club this summer, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed.

Spurs set sights on new forward

It appears as though Son Heung-min is set to remain at N17 for at least one more season, although former scout Mick Brown has suggested Tottenham could look at replacing the forward in the near future, given that he is no longer the player he once was.

Brown said: “You look at his stats last year, they were nowhere near as good as they were the year before, but you know what type of player you’re getting.

“With just one year left on his contract, there’s more value in keeping him for a Champions League and Premier League campaign rather than selling him now. You don’t really want to lose that type of player and what Sonny can offer you.”

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Consequently, it may be time for Thomas Frank to start running the rule over potential long-term replacements for Son, and Southampton’s Tyler Dibling has recently been identified as a potential option.

However, Spurs are also targeting a current Premier League player, according to Bailey, who recently told The Boot Room: “Alejandro Garnacho wants to stay in England, and there are only so many options. Chelsea, we know, like him, whilst Tottenham have maintained contact.”

There may also be rival interest from Aston Villa, with Unai Emery’s side making contact over Garnacho, who is valued at around £70m, and Bailey states the winger would be open to a move to Villa Park.

One thing that is clear is that the Man United forward is likely to be on the move this summer, having already informed his current employers that he wants to leave.

"Superstar" Garnacho could reignite career at Tottenham

At 21-years-old, the United ace is still very young, with plenty of time to fulfill his lofty potential, and journalist Liam Canning believes the youngster is already a “superstar”.

The 2024-25 season was, of course, very difficult for the Red Devils, with Spurs ultimately coming out on top in the Europa League final, but the Argentina international still managed to impress at times, amassing 21 goal contributions in all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Premier League

36

6

2

Europa League

15

1

4

FA Cup

3

0

1

EFL Cup

3

3

3

Community Shield

1

1

0

Ruben Amorim was also left impressed by the starlet, praising him for his performance in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal: “I think Garnacho made a really complete game. He was upset last Thursday and today, he was amazing.”

As such, United’s loss could be Tottenham’s gain this summer, and Garnacho’s ability to play on the left-wing could make him a solid long-term replacement for Son.

Anderson believes his playing days are not behind him and is open to exploring T20 opportunities

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2024James Anderson has floated the possibility of an improbable foray into franchise cricket after his international retirement, a decade after his most recent T20 appearance. Anderson turned 42 two weeks ago, but believes that he still has “something to offer” as a bowler and has said that extending his playing career is “not off the table”.Following his final Test match at Lord’s last month, Anderson has been working with England’s bowlers in a coaching capacity and will continue in that role in their upcoming series against Sri Lanka. But he may step back for their tours to Pakistan and New Zealand this winter, which would leave his schedule open for opportunities overseas.”I feel there is something there, that I still want to play a little bit more – I just don’t know what that is yet” Anderson told the podcast. “I’m pretty open to anything at the minute. Things will become clearer as the rest of the year progresses. There’s two Test tours in the winter and I’m not sure I’ll be on them in this [coaching] role.”There’s plenty of things to think about and I just need to sit down and chat to people about it. I watch the Hundred and see the ball swinging around in the first 20 balls, and I think, ‘I can do that. I can still do that.’ I don’t know if that is a viable option, to maybe see if I could do a job in white-ball cricket? Franchise cricket is something I’ve never done.”Anderson has not played any white-ball cricket since 2019 and his last T20 match was the 2014 NatWest Blast final for Lancashire. But he remains England’s all-time leading ODI wicket-taker and believes that he still possesses the relevant skills, having bowled at England’s batters in the nets ahead of the second and third Tests against West Indies.”I don’t know how seriously I’m actually thinking about this myself right now,” Anderson conceded, “[but] the bowling thing is still a definite option for me, the way my body feels right now, the way my head is. From a skills point of view, the way Test cricket’s gone… I don’t think that’d be an issue. But I don’t know how much people would want a 42-year-old bowler in their team.”Anderson has not played T20 cricket in the last decade•Getty ImagesAnderson also intends to “give back” to Lancashire, the county where he developed as a young bowler. “I’ve played more Tests than I have first-class games for Lancs,” he said. “Whenever I’ve gone back, I’ve tried my very best and loved it. But there may be something there where I do feel like I could give something back to the club.”I’m actually quite excited about what’s next because I don’t know what that is, and that excites me. I’ve still got plenty of options, whether it is the coaching side of it, the media side of it, or whether it’s still playing in some capacity for a couple more years. I still feel like that’s not off the table, with the way that my body feels and the way that I’ve been bowling in recent years.”Anderson said that his body “at no stage has started to feel like it’s 42” and that he wants to make use of his ability to bowl fast while he still can. “There will be a time when I can’t turn my arm over at all and I can’t bowl at 50mph, never mind 80, so while I can do that, I want to keep doing it,” he said. “I’ll still dive around in the field if I play for Burnley in five years’ time.”

There’s no hiding from the fact that Manchester United fell by the wayside last season, but Ruben Amorim is intent on bringing Old Trafford back to the fore.

The Premier League giants were grounded, finishing 15th. Having also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, Amorim knows he has his work cut out, but with Matheus Cunha signed and conversations ongoing for the transfer of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, there’s hope yet that a corner can be turned in the coming months.

However, it’s not only the frontline that needs repackaging. Indeed, the Red Devils are also hoping to make some changes in the central engine room.

The latest on Man Utd's midfield search

Manchester United need a midfielder, hopefully someone who can help to dynamise and widen the scope of Amorim’s ball-playing tactical vision.

Juventus’ Douglas Luiz has been placed on the radar, but after a disappointing season in Italy that led to only three Serie A starts, would he be the best pick?

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Instead, United appear to be showing greater interest in Valencia star Javi Guerra, with reports from Italy claiming that the 22-year-old is actually close to joining United this summer.

A fee could be agreed for around €30m (£26m); this is an attractive figure, but it’s led to Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid also registering their interest.

United need to move quickly to get this one done.

What Javi Guerra would bring to Man Utd

While Christian Eriksen’s departure at the end of his contract takes away some experience from United’s ranks, last season’s travails have made it clear that some youthful exuberance would be a good thing for the progression of Amorim’s project.

Guerra would certainly offer that. His technical quality and trademark Spanish footballing IQ have led talent scout Jacek Kulig to liken him to Xabi Alonso, one of the finest playmakers of his generation.

More contemporarily, he’s perhaps cut from the same cloth as Martin Zubimendi, who has just signed for Arsenal in a deal worth £51m. In this way, United could land their own version of the distinguished Spain international, thus bridging the gap toward England’s leading pack.

Matches (starts)

36 (31)

36 (33)

Goals

3

2

Assists

3

1

Touches*

49.8

61.0

Pass completion

80%

84%

Big chances created

6

1

Key passes*

0.6

0.5

Dribbles*

0.8

0.5

Ball recoveries*

4.7

3.9

Tackles + interceptions*

2.0

3.2

Duels won*

3.5

4.6

Zubimendi is obviously the crisper and more refined player, with ex-Spain manager Luis de la Fuente even going as far as to name him one of the “best central midfielders in the world”.

Slightly more progressive and mobile, Guerra could add that robust number eight profile that the Red Devils so crave in the middle of the park. Guerra actually ranked among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

Hailed a “serious talent” by Statman Dave, Guerra might be young but he’s already proving himself capable against the best of them, one of only six U21 midfielders to have won over 50 tackles and take-ons each across Europe’s top five leagues last year, a list that also contains Jude Bellingham and Barcelona’s Pedri.

It’s a profile that United don’t quite have at present, especially now that Eriksen has gone. This could herald a new wave of quality through to this great football club, looking to get back on its feet after quite the rough patch.

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Former Sri Lanka batter Mahela Jayawardene, who had signed a one-year extension as their consultant coach in January, has handed in his resignation six months into his contract.”Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Mr. Mahela Jayawardene, who served as the ‘Consultant Coach’ of the SLC, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect,” an SLC media release said. “Jayawardene, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center.”Jayawardene, who started his role from 2022, had seen mixed results during his time with SLC, with an unexpected win in the 2022 Asia Cup followed by a run to the final a year later being the highlights. But poor showings at the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups, and the 2023 ODI World Cup, had brought his position under scrutiny, though SLC themselves had been keen to extend his role citing his good work behind the scenes.Related

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His primary role, however, had been in overseeing an overall cultural shift within Sri Lanka cricket. What was notable was his championing of the National Super League, Sri Lanka’s domestic competition in both first-class and List A cricket, and technical improvements brought to the High Performance Centre, as well as an increased focus on data and performance analytics.Even within the national side, Jayawardene’s role had been more pronounced in recent years – he had accompanied the side on tour for major tournaments 2022 and 2023 – but his absence was conspicuous at the ongoing T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, where Sri Lanka couldn’t make it to the Super Eight.ESPNcricinfo understands that the plan had initially been for Jayawardene to travel with the side, but as it transpired, recently-appointed cricket consultant Sanath Jayasuriya travelled with the team instead. Jayasuriya was announced in the newly-created role in December last year. On the face of it, the position seemed to have some overlaps with Jayawardene’s, with it understood to range from strategic and technical planning to the overall development of the national team.”It has become apparent to me that current decision-making is no longer fully aligned with the direction we were taking in some of these areas, and after careful consideration, I have concluded that it is best I step down,” Jayawardene had stated in his resignation letter, which ESPNcricinfo has seen.Jayawardene, who remains the second-most successful coach in the IPL, is currently the global head of performance at Mumbai Indians and its franchises.

Leeds United might have well strolled to automatic promotion in the end with a sizeable 100-point haul next to their name, but the Whites will know the Premier League is a different beast altogether compared to the Championship.

Indeed, Daniel Farke will be the manager tasked with turning the West Yorkshire giants back into a Premier League-ready outfit, with Leeds unfortunately falling back down to the EFL at the end of the 2022/23 season after three campaigns at the daunting level.

To help achieve that, the German looks to be in the market for some new defensive buys to shore up his newly promoted side, with a fresh goalkeeper very much a must when leaping up to the unforgiving top-flight.

Leeds' targets in defence

Of course, one of the main talking points towards the back-end of their promotion campaign was Farke axing Illan Meslier due to far too many errors seeping into the Frenchman’s game.

Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a great shock to anyone that the Whites are prioritising an upgrade in the number one position, with Serbian shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic reportedly catching their eye.

A new report from TEAMTalk suggests that Leeds are seriously considering a move for the Chelsea goalkeeper off the back of a standout loan stint in France with RC Strasbourg.

With Petrovic’s first-team situation uncertain at Stamford Bridge, Leeds could offer the 25-year-old plenty more game time, with the five-time Serbia international perhaps finding a new defensive teammate in Leonardo Balerdi if he also relocates to Elland Road shortly.

Further reports claim that the Whites are ready to put forward a bumper £38m bid for the Argentine centre-back, meaning their defence could have a fresh look ahead of their Premier League adventure if both signings enter the building, with the new duo in question potentially helping Leeds to stay afloat.

How Farke could transform Leeds' defence

Amazingly, despite playing for two separate Ligue 1 clubs currently, the standout pairing could both be donning Leeds colours next season if everything goes smoothly.

Both defensive figures do look ready for the challenge of top-flight football in England too, with Balerdi a calm orchestrator at the back for Marseille with a mammoth 104 touches of the ball averaged per league clash, alongside Petrovic also receiving some glowing praises in-between the sticks for Liam Rosenior’s men.

Petrovic’s constant class in goal for Strasbourg has even seen the ex-Hull City boss label the 25-year-old as “world-class”, alongside also stating that the 6 foot 4 ‘keeper will go on to have a “remarkable” career after his formative loan experience in France is up.

Leeds will hope the promising stopper morphs into an even better ‘keeper in West Yorkshire, therefore, with his numbers in Ligue 1 this campaign making him a huge upgrade on a waning Meslier in terms of being able to handle the pressures of a top division.

Games played

29

25

Minutes averaged*

90

84

Touches*

56.9

107.4

Accurate passes*

36.1 (78%)

89.4 (94%)

Ball recoveries*

9.0

6.1

Clean sheets

10

4

Combined, both Petrovic and Balerdi have managed to collect 14 clean sheets this season in league action, with the Serbian also proving himself to be a calm presence on the ball much like his South American counterpart, seen in him averaging a 78% pass accuracy from 29 league contests.

To add context, Meslier has only amassed 21 clean sheets in the Premier League from a far higher 107 clashes, with Petrovic already up to five at the intimidating level when infrequently featuring under Enzo Maresca.

Whilst Balerdi might find it hard to displace the likes of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in the heart of defence immediately, his hefty £38m price tag must count for something in terms of his game time not being too thin.

With a safer pair of gloves in Petrovic too, Leeds will pray they don’t fall victim to a leaky Premier League campaign that ends with the all-too-familiar taste of relegation.

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Crystal Palace have now made an enquiry to sign a 28-year-old on a free transfer ahead of rival interest from fellow Londoners Fulham, according to a recent report.

Palace shop for Glasner replacements just in case

Given how the season started for the Eagles and how it could end, it has been quite a turnaround for Oliver Glasner and Palace, as they remain in the hunt for a top-half Premier League finish and could win England’s oldest competition this month.

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Reaching the FA Cup final and guiding the club away from relegation trouble likely means that Palace chiefs are going to want to extend Glasner’s stay at Selhurst Park. However, the links of a potential move away at the end of the season are not going away. In the last couple of months, Glasner was linked with a move to RB Leipzig and it’s now being claimed that he is the number one choice for the Bundesliga side.

As well as RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in appointing Glasner as their new manager should Ange Postecoglou be sacked at the end of the campaign.

These links have made Palace put their own ducks in a row, and according to Sky Sports German reporter Philipp Hinze, Palace are interested in appointing Danny Rohl as their new manager should Glasner depart. However, they are not the only teams chasing the German, as Leicester City and Southampton are also keen on the Sheffield Wednesday boss.

Crystal Palace make enquiry to sign 28 y/o on free transfer

But while the future of Glasner remains up in the air, Palace chiefs are looking ahead to the summer and already have their eye on one player they would like to bring to Selhurst Park. According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace are now considering signing midfielder Yvan Neyou on a free transfer.

The report states that Palace are among the clubs who have joined the race to sign Neyou, who is set to leave Spanish side Leganes when his contract expires. It is claimed that La Liga side Valencia are leading the race to sign the 28-year-old, but his performances for a struggling side have alerted the attention of Palace as well as Fulham.

The Eagles have now made an enquiry to understand if Neyou would be interested in a move to Selhurst Park, but have yet to make an offer. Neyou’s consistent form, defensively and offensively, in a side that is struggling at the foot of the table has plenty of appeal to clubs operating on a smaller budget.

Yvan Neyou’s 24/25 La Liga stats

Apps

28

Starts

25

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches per game

49.0

Key passes per game

0.4

Passes per game (accuracy)

31.3 (87%)

Interceptions per game

0.9

Tackles per game

1.9

Balls recovered per game

4.0

Palace are of course wary of the interest in Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton – winning the FA Cup and gaining access to European football could be required to ensure Neyou joins the duo at Selhurst Park instead of replacing them.

England have said, over and over, that they are prepared to chase anything. Could that be about to change?

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Jul-20252:26

Were India too careful before declaration?

Black Sabbath playing their farewell gig at Villa Park while, five miles down the road, Rishabh Pant’s bat was soaring through the air at Edgbaston recalled one of the more iconic rock tales.During a gig in 1982, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne picked up what he thought was a toy bat – Sabbath fans would often toss animals or parts of animals (real and fake) on stage – and bit off its head.It was, unsurprisingly, disgusting. Not least for Osbourne, who remembers it all too well. And yet, it could not have been better for his and Sabbath’s legend.Heavy metal is as much about rough distortions of decency as guitars, and while Sabbath do have the latter, it is hard to argue their reputations, especially Osbourne’s, were not enhanced stratospherically by that misguided chomp. The flipside is the action itself remains, for Osbourne, a tedious subject to address. Its bitter aftertaste lingers not just on the tongue, but in decades of reminders of his moment of misguided impunity from all who cross him.And so, as Pant, bat in hand, strummed a half-century in keeping with his own reputation to put an absurd target of 608 in front of England, the expectation still hung heavy on England that, even at three-down for 72 overnight, they’ll still go for this. It’s an expectation rooted in a view of them of heroes or fools, depending on quite literally where you have been sitting at Edgbaston.This a team that famously chases anything. They have shown as much, chewing off six 250-plus targets chucked to Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum by darers. That includes their record of 378 achieved here, against India three years ago to the day, and last week’s 371 against them at Headingley. Akash Deep left Ben Duckett’s stumps in a mess•Getty ImagesHarry Brook’s aerial flick just beyond midwicket’s grasp – for the first of two boundaries in the final over of the day, as he walked off with a run-a-ball 15 alongside Ollie Pope, 22 off 43 with a 71 percent control – was more than a nod to the ambition that remains.”I think that’s their style,” Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, said when asked if he expected England to go for the remaining 536 runs. “Harry Brook is a guy who likes to take the game on, and is an entertainer.”You could argue that England’s failures in the fourth innings have been every bit as much a part of the narrative as their well-documented successes. The two previous times they have been asked to chase more than 400 runs (658 against New Zealand and 557 against India, both last year) they have lost by more than 400 runs (423 and 434 respectively). On neither occasion did they make it into the 49th over. Their fourth-innings mantra is get rich or die trying.Meanwhile, their words – oh God, their words! – have been so much louder. So loud, they squealed like feedback from the annals as the number required went up and up. Take Stokes’ comments after the 2022 success here, that a bit of him wanted India to get 450 “to see what they [his team] could do”, suggesting 378 had come a little too easy.And then there were the comments from Joe Root a year later. As revealed on documentary by Nathan Lyon, Root had told Australia’s offspinner during a break in the first Ashes Test – again here at Edgbaston – that England were “in the entertainment business – no more draws”. They lost that one. In Vizag last year, during the second Test against India, James Anderson said McCullum had gathered the players on night two, with England 171 behind having been skittled in their first innings, to tell them that they’d chase 600 if it was put before them. Set 399, they set themselves up nicely before succumbing to a 106-run defeat. Related

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A couple of weeks later, in Rajkot, we were treated to Ben Duckett’s immortal “the more the better” quote when asked what a reasonable target would be. Faced with 557, they lost by 434. Even last night, Brook basically shrugged when stating “everybody in the world knows we’re going to try and chase whatever they set us”. India did, too, with Brook’s words picked up by their management group and used as vindication for the third innings descending into a slow trudge. India, after all, are not the ones with a reputation to uphold, and it is no slight on their tactics to suggest their approach to this situation has simply been to call England’s bluff.As stumps approached, those same fans chanting “boring, boring India” rose in voice and from their seats as renditions of “stand up, if you still believe” coursed through the stands. Goading England with a monstrously big target and saying “go on then”, and swathes of the home support this evening looking at 5.96 an over for day five’s 90 and thinking “you know what …”: both sentiments come from the same place.India are wary of what England can do, especially on this deck, having somehow restricted their first-innings deficit to 180, having been 84 for 5 in reply to India’s 587. It is why they want three cracks with a hard ball – tonight, tomorrow morning and the second one due 64 overs into Sunday. And why it would be inexplicable in any other context for Shubman Gill to deploy a sweeper to the off side after Duckett lashed four boundaries in his first 11 deliveries.England, just as inexplicably, think there’ll be a time tomorrow when they might be in a position to have a reasonable go. Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick offered some logic to this apparent absurdity: “We’ve got a few overs, probably about another 10 to 15 overs, of the ball at its hardest before it gets a little bit soft. And then we’ll see how we’re going from that point really.”There is a clear halfway house here, which would involve England going at a steady rate – the runs so far this Test have come at 4.40 – without taking outlandish risks. It would be a positive way for the team to play for their first draw in 38 Tests under Ben and Baz, if you will.Would that pass the sniff test? Some fans may bemoan a shutting-up of shop at some point on day five. And there will be derision further afield of a team breaking their own promise to themselves. A lot will depend on how many wickets they have in hand.But there is clear value in the draw in this five-match series, particularly in a second Test that could preserve a 1-0 lead. And at no point should they fear their reputation will be harmed if they pass on the outlandish and stick to more conservative practice. Opponents will still fear them. Fans will still love them.Osbourne has not chewed the head of a bat in 43 years, but Villa Park is still sold out.

What do former Arsenal players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Emile Smith Rowe and Aaron Ramsdale all have in common?

They were three of the first names on the team sheet during the early days of the Mikel Arteta reign at the Emirates Stadium but it wasn’t too long before they were given the boot.

While Ramsdale was actually signed by Arteta, replacing Bernd Leno, the Englishman was eventually told to find a new club once David Raya had established himself as the number 1.

Aubameyang’s situation was altogether rather different. His public falling out with Arteta is well documented (video below) after the Spaniard famously stripped the striker of the club captaincy.

The forward’s attitude and punctuality were questioned on a regular basis. The Gabonese was regularly late for things.

Despite being key to the FA Cup, still Arteta’s only trophy to date, he left in controversial circumstances and is not remembered in too many glowing terms now.

The same cannot be said of Smith Rowe. His exit from north London was far sadder.

The downfall of Emile Smith Rowe at Arsenal

The date is 26th July 2018. Arsene Wenger is no longer in the hot seat and during Unai Emery’s first pre-season in charge, Arsenal face Atletico Madrid.

Not much is remembered about that game besides the impact a 17-year-old Smith Rowe made. He scored a sumptuous goal from range, showcasing an abundance of potential in the process.

For the most part, the young attacking midfielder lived up to his early hype, but it was not until the Arteta regime began that he became one of the finest in the Premier League.

Smith Rowe earned his England debut in 2021 and went from strength to strength, buoyed further by the emergence of fellow Hale Ender, Bukayo Saka.

In 2021/22, the goalscoring midfielder was in electric from, notably finding the net on 11 occasions.

However, a dismal run of injuries eventually halted the now 25-year-old’s progress. Smith Rowe still has a dazzling run in him but his fitness was totally unreliable. Show an unreliable trait and more often than not you don’t last very long with Arteta.

No one can fault the academy graduate’s commitment and attitude but so rotten were his injury problems that he only started three league games during his final year with Arsenal.

That said, even when he was available, he very rarely started many games of football towards the end. He was an unused substitute on a remarkable 18 occasions in 2023/24 and only played 346 Premier League minutes.

Smith Rowe looked bright in cameos but he must have known his race was run. A mighty fine player he was, but he had now fallen victim to injuries and Arsenal’s increased depth and quality. By now, Martin Odegaard had entered the fray.

So, in the modern day, who is now facing the same treatment from the manager?

Arsenal "warrior" is becoming their new Smith Rowe

The job Arteta and his transfer chiefs have performed in the transfer window in recent years has been extraordinary, but it took for Edu Gaspar to leave and Andrea Berta to arrive for things to really ramp up.

While many thought Liverpool had won the summer transfer window of 2025, spending British record sums on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, Arsenal were rightfully commended for the way they went about their business.

The forward line was finally bolstered but the defence was not neglected either, of course it wasn’t. Arteta loves a defender and he has totally transformed the Gunners’ backline since becoming head coach.

From the days of Rob Holding and David Luiz to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, it’s been quite the change. Well, this summer saw the arrivals of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie. In the process, it has hurt the game time of two players.

Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori are now ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order, while Benjamin White has perhaps suffered even more from Arsenal’s increased squad depth and quality.

White arrived in a £50m deal from Brighton back in the summer of 2021 and has proven himself to be a fabulous capture. It was an eye-watering amount of money to pay for a player with one full season of Premier League experience but that price tag has looked like a relative bargain considering his performances.

Arriving as a centre-back, he endured a tricky debut game against Brentford where Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville criticised his ability in the air and his strength.

While White has featured at centre-back plenty of times since then, it’s at right-back where he made a home for himself in Arteta’s side. His partnership with Bukayo Saka on the right flank became one of the club’s biggest weapons. Michael Owen said as much, describing it as “very important for Arsenal.”

It was a potent attacking threat but one that worked tremendously well defensively too. “The amount of defending he does for me is crazy. He never leaves me one-on-one,” White once said about Saka.

That once fabled partnership has been a rare one over the last year, however. That’s largely because of Jurrien Timber, but also because of injuries.

Timber bounced back from a horrific ACL injury during his debut year in north London to become the undisputed number one choice at right-back last season. The Dutchman played 48 times in all competitions, scoring twice and assisting four goals. White, on the other hand, featured in 26 matches but started on just 13 occasions in the league. That was not just due to Timber’s remarkable form but a troublesome knee problem.

This term, White has returned to full fitness but like Smith Rowe, cannot break into the team despite his qualities.

2021/22

37

0

2022/23

46

7

2023/24

51

9

2024/25

26

2

2025/26

6

0

In his final campaign with the Gunners, the attacking midfielder was regularly a substitute, something we’ve alluded to already, and White is suffering the same fate.

The 28-year-old played 71 minutes during the 1-0 win over Manchester United on the opening weekend of the campaign but has not played a single minute of Premier League football since. He has been an unused sub on eight occasions.

Firmly being given the Smith Rowe treatment, the defender is also struggling to break into the Champions League side, having played only 82 minutes across Arsenal’s four ties.

White has been an excellent servant since signing. He’s a “warrior” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig, but he has been surpassed swiftly by Timber, just as Odegaard surpassed Smith Rowe all of those years ago.

Whether the full-back gets back into the team only time will tell, but it may take an injury to one of the backline for him to save his career at the Emirates Stadium.