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But fast bowler believes England fightback leaves team in ‘box seat’

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jun-2022After falling agonisingly short of a Test century on debut, then returning with a fiery spell in the final session, Jamie Overton was refreshingly philosophical at the end of day three of the third Test at Headingley.Both efforts contributed to England’s cause, ensuring a first innings of 360 for a lead of 31, before cutting New Zealand down to 168 for five late on. The tourists led by 137 at stumps, with in-form batters Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell at the crease.After an initial spell of five overs for 17, Overton came out after tea and immediately took the wicket of Tom Latham, who had looked back in form in reaching 76 before succumbing to a misjudgement outside off stump from round the wicket. Overton then hit Devon Conway in the head with the very next ball, setting the tone for what was a engaging four-wicket session for England.However the pain earlier of falling for 97 earlier in the day was the main point of conversation when it came to Overton’s work on Saturday. He was crestfallen after nervously waving at a wide delivery from Trent Boult which nestled into the hands of Mitchell at first slip. By stumps, however, he had just about made his peace with the three runs he did not get.”Obviously I was very disappointed getting out on 97,” he said. “But me and Jonny put us in a great position [a partnership of 241 – a new record for the seventh wicket]. And that knock from Broady (42) coming in and getting us into a lead has put us in a great place going into the second innings. It was obviously disappointing but I feel I’ve contributed to the team more than enough.”Understandably, Overton did not get the best night’s sleep on Friday, having come in on 89 not out, and that reflected in a quiet start the following morning, in which he only managed eight runs in the 40 minutes before his dismissal.”I was tossing and turning for quite a lot,” he admitted. “I’m always going to be a little bit nervous but I felt like I was in sort of in a great place this morning and just didn’t quite get over the line. The ball was there to hit and I just hit it to the wrong place.”Related

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Bairstow, who was eventually dismissed for 162, accompanied Overton for a portion of his slow walk-off, putting his arm around him and offering some consoling words: “He just said, soak it all up, you played a great knock.”Overton was good by those words come the evening. England’s middle session lacked a little something, allowing New Zealand to move into a strong position of 125 for one at tea, and a lead of 94. With the help of the crowd, they responded with far more urgency and endeavour to take four for 43 in the 18.5 overs they were able to get in before the rain.”We chatted at tea that potentially the afternoon session wasn’t that great for us,” Overton said. “We obviously didn’t go for loads of runs but we didn’t feel like we bowled and fielded the way we wanted to, so coming out after tea it was just trying to enjoy ourselves, put the New Zealand guys under pressure, and that’s what we did. The crowd obviously got involved a little bit and we tried to gee them up because that always helps us as well.”There is still work to be done, especially given how Mitchell and Blundell have performed – in this match alone, never mind the series, with 109 and 55 in the first innings, respectively. Overton, though, feels England are ahead.”I think that last session put us right in the box seat. We would like to go back out there at the end but couldn’t quite get out there with the with the covers needing time to get them off.”But yeah, we’re in a great position going into tomorrow and hopefully we can get the two early wickets, the two key wickets. But we feel like we’re in a good place. And if we can get those two early, then we’re in a great place to win the game.”

As the January transfer window approaches, Southampton have reportedly joined the race to sign a striker worth as much as £100m for incoming new manager Ivan Juric.

Southampton transfer news

A 5-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur – in which the Saints conceded four first-half goals – proved to be the final straw in Russell Martin’s Southampton reign. Bottom of the Premier League and as many as nine points adrift of safety, Southampton are in a perilous position and simply must hope that pending new manager Juric can pull off what would be the greatest of escapes.

Convincing the manager to depart AS Roma just three months after he arrived to replace Daniele De Rossi, Southampton have reached a verbal agreement with Juric, who is now working on exit terms to leave the Italian club according to Fabrizio Romano.

Seemingly deciding against chasing the signature of Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, those at St Mary’s will hope to get their deal to welcome Juric over the line before instantly backing their new manager in January.

According to GiveMeSport, Southampton have now joined the race to sign Evan Ferguson from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2025. The young striker has struggled to break into Fabian Hurzeler’s side and could now leave Seagulls on loan amid interest from West Ham United, Chelsea, Manchester United and now Southampton.

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If the Saints are to pursue his signature in 2025, however, then they’ll likely be in position to land a loan deal and loan deal only, given that Brighton reportedly value their striker at a staggering £100m.

"Amazing" Ferguson would be a major coup

Even just on loan, if Southampton managed to win a hectic race to secure Ferguson’s signature until the end of the season then it will be one the most impressive coups of the winter window.

Juric’s pending new side are sat rock bottom and no side have managed to score less goals than the 11 that they’ve managed in 16 games. For a player of Ferguson’s quality to arrive, Southampton may need to put together quite the pitch.

The Irishman, although enduring recent struggles, has been the subject of much praise since breaking through the Brighton ranks, with former teammate Alexis Mac Allister telling reporters via BBC Sport after a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth in 2023: “Evan is an amazing player. He was not having his best evening, but he showed his quality. We are really happy for him, we know how important he is.”

Of course, whilst they may be struggling, what Southampton can offer Ferguson is the chance to be a Premier League starter week in, week out in what may well give the Brighton striker plenty to ponder ahead of 2025.

Former England opener offers latest reminder of what the Test team is currently missing

Andrew Miller07-Apr-2022There’s a cutting on the press box wall at Chelmsford with a certain timeless quality. “Cook for England” states the back page of the Essex Chronicle from November 10, 2005, after the most promising opener in the country received the first of his international call-ups – as injury cover for Michael Vaughan on that winter’s tour of Pakistan.Seventeen years, 64 first-class centuries, and one knighthood later, those words could now be framed as a question (“Cook for England?”), a demand (“Cook for England!”), or a plea (“Cook for England, pretty please? With sugar on top?”). For here, at the start of his 20th season of first-class cricket, was 266 balls-worth of further evidence – stretched over six hours of unflappable application – that the man who stepped down from Test duty as a national record-breaker remains as dryly addicted to run-making as ever.Nick Browne also made a century, it should be noted – at a quicker lick, and with the more eye-catching flourishes too, particularly when leaning through a series of compact straight drives. But while he and Alastair Cook were in harness, ticking along at 2.7 an over in a 220-run opening stand, there was little for Kent’s fielders to do but chase leather in exchange for warmth on a bitingly blustery day, and rue the early optimism that had persuaded their skipper, Ollie Robinson, to bowl first after winning the toss.For this was April … the alternative narrative. The one in which county cricket’s livid green seamers are lifeless with permafrost, and where icy cross-winds buffet the bowlers to such an extent that an extra five overs could have been factored in through aborted run-ups. In fact, those watching on the ECB’s (somewhat bouncy) live stream might have thought they had tuned back into Big Jet TV by mistake, and when Matt Quinn bailed out three times in an over, some might have figured that watching Jumbo Jets cock up their approach would be rather more fun in this weather.Related

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“Me and Cooky batting isn’t going to bring the crowds to county cricket,” Browne joked afterwards. “It was a good day for concentration.”And yet, the first part of that statement wasn’t strictly true. Despite the disconcerting rattle of the floodlights on their wobbly gantries, and the prospect of the sponsor’s tarpaulin breaking its moorings on the roof of the midwicket pavilion, a very healthy crowd – upwards of 1200 of county cricket’s hardiest – braved the chill and embraced the intermittent shafts of spring sunshine to welcome home a long-lost format.For Essex haven’t had much of a chance to cement their red-ball mastery in recent seasons. The Bob Willis Trophy was more than just a consolation prize when Covid struck in 2020, but last year’s Division Two “title” was greeted with the disdain of a Champions League runner-up flinging their medal into the crowd. This, however, is more like it. Essex are back to the top flight that has been in suspended animation since their 2019 title was won, and notwithstanding Kent’s four-wicket rally with the new ball, they’ve opened their account with a statement of intent.And yet, the pandemic did have one significant side effect. It is almost certainly the reason why Cook is still here at all, rather than tending to his new-born lambs or further sharpening those incisors as a media pundit, as he begins to discover that his wisdom is more likely to be heard when it is delivered with conviction.”It’s been a bit of a stop-start three years, hasn’t it?” Cook said earlier in the week at Essex’s media day. “I never planned to do three years. But then Covid came along and it didn’t feel right, and then last year was a conference system and again it didn’t feel right. It’s a big commitment to do it with what goes on in the other parts of my life, but I genuinely enjoy turning up, and when you feel you can be competitive you might as well carry on.”And so here he was, to the fore once more – that familiar angular stance, like a sculpture made of coathangers, pressing forward, rocking back, chopping hard and nudging off his hip like … well, like a county opener nudging the England selectors, ideally, but, beyond any equivocation, that ship has sailed.Nick Browne brings up his half-century for Essex•Andrew MillerAnd alongside him for 82 overs, his friend and acolyte Browne – and who’s to say that he can’t do some nudging of his own, given the Test team’s open-book status, and the clear run of opportunities between now and the New Zealand series in June.Browne’s approach – tall, left-handed, risk-averse – is not dissimilar to Cook’s, albeit rather more smoothed at the corners, and between them they gave Kent’s toiling attack not a sniff until two loose drives at the Aussie import Jackson Bird – a bowler who must be sick of the sight of Cook in particular. The last time they met, on a Melbourne featherbed in December 2017, Cook walked away with 244, and Bird never played Test cricket again.Up until that point, both men had produced chanceless knocks – although the look on Darren Stevens’ face after a lively lbw shout against Cook maybe begged to differ. County cricket’s elder statesman toiled to no avail for 14 typically economical overs, albeit eight of his 28 runs were served up in the space of his first four balls, as he twice offered Browne too much width for his favoured cut. Thereafter he knuckled down like the old pro that he literally is, confirming – much like Cook, in fact – that hunger remains the defining factor when gearing up for the season-long grind.Cook found fewer freebies to help kickstart his innings – he made just seven runs in the first hour, but then more than doubled his output in two balls as Quinn strayed onto the leg side, and that rapacious ability to pounce on mistakes surged back into view. By lunch, he had made 34, with Browne already past a 109-ball fifty, but Cook picked up his tempo as Kent’s optimism waned in the mid-afternoon, and as he fairly sprinted into the 80s it seemed for a moment he would win the race to the century. But another of Browne’s compact punches down the ground soon settled that score.A penny for Dan Lawrence’s thoughts as he watched this attritional masterclass playing out for the bulk of the day’s three sessions. His own England endeavours haven’t warranted any press-box cuttings just yet, but he’s the man in possession as the Test season approaches, and on the season’s eve, he had made it clear he planned to pick Cook’s brain in particular, to a bid to unlock the mental side of his burgeoning career.Alas for Lawrence, Cook denied him the chance for some on-field tutelage, by settling instead for a “do as I say not as I do” moment of practical demonstration, as he lost his shape and his concentration, four balls after knocking his landmark single off his hip, and snicked an edge through to Robinson. Lawrence had time in his 21-ball stay to flick Matt Milnes through fine leg for four, but had reached just 7 when he shouldered arms to an inducker from Quinn, and was sent on his way lbw. It was a very similar demise to his final-day duck in Grenada, in fact – and quite conceivably betrayed a surfeit of risk-aversion, as he over-thinks the transition required to make his starts count in red-ball cricket. But then again, blaming the white-ball game for such matters is a “big cop-out that a lot of journalists use”, so what would I know?Essex’s day was not without blemish, off the field either. The day began with a well-meaning but amorphous “moment of reflection”, with both teams lined up on the boundary’s edge to contemplate everything from Shane Warne’s death, to the war in Ukraine … to the contents of an Essex racism report that is rumoured to be close to seeing the light of day, but also seems to be at the centre of a row every bit as divisive as the one that has beset Yorkshire all winter long. Among the first-day attendees was Essex’s ex-chairman, John Faragher, who declined the club’s request that he lie low following his resignation for allegedly using racial language in a board meeting. However this one ends, it’s unlikely to end quietly.Ultimately, all such matters belong on a spectrum of incidents that inform English cricket’s ongoing cultural revolution. The ground announcer’s amusingly self-conscious attempts to say “batter” instead of “batsman” was another reminder that habits, once ingrained, are hard to amend overnight. For better and very much for worse, the County Championship remains a bastion for doing things the old-fashioned way.

The last few years have been more than a little turbulent for Tottenham Hotspur.

From numerous managerial changes to the loss of Harry Kane and a complete change of style on the pitch, it’s fair to say that the fans have been put through quite a lot following their team.

Fortunately, despite there still being undeniable issues that need to be ironed out in the coming years, Ange Postecoglou has seemingly instilled in many, including the board, a sense that Spurs are at the start of what could be an incredibly exciting journey.

However, to reach his goal, the Australian will undoubtedly have to overhaul parts of the squad, which should, in turn, see an exciting youngster like Mikey Moore given more game time regularly, although the young Englishman could soon have an incredibly promising rival to develop alongside in the coming years.

Mikey Moore's incredible talent

So, before we get to the youngster who could challenge Moore in years to come, let’s look at why so many people are, and so many more should be excited about the young Englishman.

The main reason is his frankly ridiculous record at the youth level, as in 33 matches for the Lilywhites’ various junior sides, the “fearless” 17-year-old, as dubbed by James Maddison, has found the back of the net on 20 occasions and provided 15 assists to boot, equating to an average of 1.06 goal involvements every game.

It’s not just in the academy where he’s impressed either, as in 36 appearances across the England U15s to U19s, the Southwark-born sensation has scored 19 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he’s maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games at the international level.

Finally, while he hasn’t scored a competitive goal for the senior side just yet, he’s looked impressive in his ten appearances to date, particularly against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, when he won the Man of the Match award and was compared to Neymar of all people by teammate Maddison.

However, with all that said, he could be competing with another exciting youngster for game time in the coming months, someone who’s showing as much, if not even more talent at a senior level.

The prospect who could challenge Moore

So, the youngster who could prove to be Moore’s biggest rival at Spurs is none other than 18-year-old Min-hyeok Yang, who signed for the club from South Korean club Gangwon FC in the summer but is set to officially join up with Postecoglou’s squad before January.

According to Transfermarkt, the Lilywhites paid €4m for the exciting attacker, which is about £3m and a record for a player coming straight from South Korea to European football.

Now, the reason the Gwangju-born dynamo could become a big rival for Moore following his arrival is that, like the Englishman, he’s primarily a winger who can play off the right or left, meaning that, as well as pushing each other, there is also a world in which the pair become the club’s starting wingers a few years down the line.

With that said, how has the promising youngster performed this season? Are fans right to get excited about his arrival? In short, very well and yes, they certainly are.

In 37 first-team appearances this season, the promising prospect has racked up a seriously impressive haul of 11 goals and six assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement once every 2.17 games despite being so young.

Now, it would be unfair to expect the talented winger to come into the first team and make a difference straight away, but the signs are encouraging.

Ultimately, Spurs are fortunate to have two sensationally talented youngsters in Moore and Yang in the squad, and while there is every chance they both make it into the first team, they are sure to provide the perfect competition for one another as well.

Mourinho loan flop is now outscoring Solanke after leaving Spurs

The former Spurs loanee has been enjoying life away from North London.

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Jack Salveson Holmes

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انتهت مباراة الأهلي والهلال السوداني في ذهاب دور الثمانية من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا بفوز القلعة الحمراء بنتيجة 1-0 على استاد القاهرة الدولي.

ولكن قبل صافرة الحكم التشادي الدولي، محمد الحاج، كانت له واقعة غريبة بالدقيقة 57 عندما قام بدفع ظهير أيمن الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، محمد هاني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. وكيل كولر يرد عبر بطولات على أنباء رغبته في الرحيل عن الأهلي

محمد هاني يسجل الهدف الأول للأهلي#دوري_أبطال_إفريقيا#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/DzGiouR5a1 — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 1, 2025

وكان المحلل التحكيمي لقناة “الأهلي”، ناصر عباس، يرى أن الحكم التشادي يجب أن يتم معاقبته من قبل الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، بجانب رغبة النادي في تقديم شكوى ضد محمد الحاج.

وبتواصل بطولات مع الخبير القانوني في لوائح الاتحاد الإفريقي، عامر العمايرة، أكد أن لقطة اعتداء محمد الحاج على محمد هاني قد يعاقب عليها بالفعل بالتحذير أولًا ثم استبعاده لبضع مباريات.

واختتم العمايرة: “الحكم بهذا المستوى السيئ قد لا نجده في أي مباراة متبقية في الأدوار المتقدمة من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os encontros com o Vasco têm sido, até aqui, especiais para Diego Gonçalves no Botafogo. O camisa 11 marcou gols em todas as oportunidades contra o Cruz-Maltino vestindo a camisa alvinegra. Ele terá a chance de manter a escrita viva neste domingo: as equipes se enfrentam às 20h no Castelão, em São Luís-MA, pela 6ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca.

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O clube de São Januário, inclusive, é a maior vítima de Diego Gonçalves pelo Glorioso: é o único clube que ele marcou duas vezes desde que virou jogador do Botafogo, no começo da Série B do ano passado.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

A primeira oportunidade foi no Nilton Santos. Em contra-ataque, ele precisou de toques após receber passe de Luís Oyama para encontrar o fundo das redes. Em São Januário, no segundo turno, o gol veio de cabeça em jogada ensaiada de escanteio.

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Também teve uma assistência na goleada por 4 a 0 na Colina Histórica – o gol de Rafael Navarro, o segundo naquela tarde, teve o cruzamento do camisa 11. Ou seja, são três participações diretas em bolas na rede em dois jogos contra o Vasco.

A possibilidade de reencontrar a “maior vítima” vem a calhar. Se foi bem nos primeiros dois jogos do Carioca, Diego não repetiu a dose contra o Fluminense, na última quinta-feira. Apagado, o camisa 11 passou batido em campo na derrota por 2 a 1.

Dinesh Chandimal’s poor form might prompt Sri Lanka to bring in Charith Asalanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Oct-2021Big pictureOf all the matches in this qualifying round, this one seems to most have the feel of a dead rubber. Not only do Netherlands have no chance of making the Super 12s, but Sri Lanka are also highly likely to finish top of Group A thanks to their superior net run rate.For Netherlands, this is a chance to make a mark in a tournament in which they will feel they have underperformed. In the first match, their batting was blown away by Ireland’s seam bowlers, while in the second, their bowlers could not withstand David Wiese’s assault for Namibia.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have earned themselves an opportunity to find a solution to their top-order issues. Dinesh Chandimal had another failure against Ireland on Wednesday, thus finding his position at No. 3 in serious peril. The likeliest replacement may be Charith Asalanka, but Dhananjaya de Silva is also in the squad.Related

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Their fast bowlers, meanwhile, might get a rest. Lahiru Kumara has had a particularly taxing workload over the past few weeks, although it may be Dushmantha Chameera that Sri Lanka would prefer had a night off to recharge for the Super 12s.Form guideNetherlands LLLTW
Sri Lanka WWLLLThis year, Max O’Dowd has hit 293 runs in just six innings, and at a strike rate of 137.•ICC via GettyIn the spotlightOne of the few bright spots for Netherlands has been the batting of opener Max O’Dowd. He hit 51 off 47 balls against Ireland while the rest of the top order blew up around him, before making a 56-ball 70 that was the backbone of Netherlands’ innings against Namibia. He has got arguably the best attack of the qualifying stage to contend with in this match, though. Can he maintain his output?Pathum Nissanka has promised a lot more in Tests than he has in the shortest format, but in hitting his first half-century against Ireland, he suggested he could find success in this World Cup yet. He was unambitious in the early overs while wickets fell around him, but never seemed bogged down either, finding a way to keep his score moving until the boundaries eventually came. After all, Sri Lanka desperately need a reliable run-scorer in their top three.Pitch and conditionsThis will be both teams’ first match in Sharjah. During the IPL, the Sharjah tracks were slow, turned a bit and had variable bounce. Temperatures are expected to hover around the low 30s Celsius range again. If the conditions in Abu Dhabi are anything to go by, dew could be an issue too.Team newsAlthough No. 5 is a more familiar position for Asalanka, he may slot in at No.3, leaving Bhanuka Rajapaksa at No. 5.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Avishka Fernando, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Binura Fernando, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Lahiru KumaraNetherlands may bring in Brandon Glover in place of Timm van der Gugten.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Stephan Myburgh, 3 Roelof van der Merwe, 4 Colin Ackerman, 5 Ryan ten Doeschate, 6 Scott Edwards (wk), 7 Bas de Leede, 8 Pieter Seelar, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Fred Klaassen, 11 Timm van der Gugten/Brandon GloverStats and trivia In the only previous T20I between these teams, Netherlands were bowled out for 39, a game which Sri Lanka won with 15 overs to spare. That was, however, during the World T20 in 2014, when Sri Lanka had arguably their greatest T20I side – a team which went on to lift the trophy. This year, O’Dowd has hit 293 runs in just six innings, and at a strike rate of 137. In 14 innings in 2021, Wanindu Hasaranga has 23 wickets and an economy rate of just 5.43.

Following a difficult start to life under Julen Lopetegui, West Ham United have reportedly turned their focus towards the transfer market, where sporting director Tim Steidten could land a long-term loan move.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers were among the Premier League’s biggest spenders in the summer transfer window as they welcomed the likes of Jean-Clair Todibo, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug. However, those at the London Stadium are yet to reap the rewards for such spending amid a tough start under new manager Lopetegui. Fresh from the David Moyes era, the Spaniard will be desperate to gain a foothold in charge of the Hammers.

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If he manages to weather the storm until the January transfer window, that’s when Lopetegui may find his feet by adding the finishing touches to his squad. Ahead of the winter window, the transfer rumours are already coming thick and fast. The east London club have already been linked with moves for the likes of Leo Ortiz and Charles De Ketelaere, who would likely steal the headlines.

Meanwhile, they may even look towards one of their London rivals for reinforcements. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Steidten could now land a long-term loan deal to sign Ben Chilwell from Chelsea in the January transfer window. West Ham chiefs reportedly admire the England left-back, who has been frozen out under Enzo Maresca in a ruthless act that many have become familiar with at Stamford Bridge.

In a possible 18-month loan deal, West Ham would be signing a player with plenty of experience to compete against Emerson Palmieri in an interesting battle given the Italian’s own Chelsea ties. However, with Chilwell earning a staggering £200,000 a week, West Ham would likely need to find a way past the defender’s hefty salary if they want to land his signature in 2025.

"Aggressive" Chilwell desperately needs move

From vice-captaincy to the Chelsea reserves, Chilwell’s fall from grace has been as brutal as it comes at Stamford Bridge, but there’s still time for the left-back to prove Maresca wrong elsewhere – and that’s where West Ham could come in. They’ve already benefited from Emerson down the left-hand side and could now swoop for another Chelsea defender in need of a career turnaround.

So far this season, Chilwell has made just one appearance in all competitions, which came in the Carabao Cup against Barrow. Still 27 years old and in the prime of his career, there won’t be many players more frustrated than the former Leicester City star in the current campaign.

Former England manager Gareth Southgate was one of many to be full of praise for Chilwell not so long ago, making his current struggles all the more unexpected. After the left-back impressed for England despite defeat against Brazil back in March, Southgate told reporters (via Metro): “Ben Chilwell was very good, he was aggressive in his defending and he gave us width.”

When January arrives, Chilwell should be first on the list of Chelsea departures, with West Ham potentially lying in wait to land the defender’s signature.

Captain admits to regrets as allrounder chooses to step away from red-ball cricket

Andrew Miller27-Sep-2021

Joe Root, England’s Test captain, says that Moeen Ali will be remembered as a “wonderful role model” and “one of the great guys to play alongside”, in the wake of his decision to retire from Test cricket, but admits he’ll have some regrets about the circumstances that persuaded one of England’s premier allrounders to focus his attentions on the white-ball form of the game.Moeen confirmed his decision in a joint interview with ESPNcricinfo and the Guardian on Monday morning, claiming that he had struggled to “get into the zone” during his three-match comeback against India this summer. He also admitted that the circumstances of his axing from the squad in 2019, when he was omitted after the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston then lost his ECB central contract later that summer, “did break [him] a little bit”.Root captained Moeen in 27 of his 64 Tests, including his very first match in the role, at Lord’s in 2017, when Root himself scored 190 while Moeen was named Player of the Match for his ten-wicket haul and an innings of 87 from 149 balls. He finished that same series with a remarkable double of 252 runs and 25 wickets – the first player in Test history to do so in a four-match series. That tally included a hat-trick at The Oval, while in his retirement interview, he recalled his carefree half-century in the final Test at Old Trafford as the single best day of his career.”First and foremost, it goes without saying that Mo’s career speaks for itself and what he has achieved,” Root said during a Zoom interview organised by the PCA. “He’s done some wonderful things in Test cricket. He’s been one of the great guys to play alongside. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing that dressing room with him and we’ve had so many wonderful memories, on the field and off the field.”Related

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However, Moeen’s more recent Test experience has been mixed, including a bout of Covid-19 that caused him to isolate during the series in Sri Lanka in January, as well as an unfortunate misunderstanding in the wake of his departure from the subsequent tour of India, when Root erroneously stated that he had “chosen” to go home, when in fact his time off had been pre-arranged under the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy.”There are a number of things I’ll look back on when I’m finished as captain, that I could look back on with regret that I could have done slightly differently,” Root admitted.”The one thing I will say is when Mo has played, he’s been brilliant. You look at the amount of games he has affected, the amount of special moments he has had on a cricket field in the Test match format has been exceptional. I’ll certainly remember a lot of amazing things that he has achieved. Of course, there might have been times we could have done things slightly differently, but I could say that about a lot of things.”Moeen was not considered for selection in the first three Tests of the 2021 summer – including the drawn first match against India at Trent Bridge, despite claiming eight wickets against the same opponents at Chennai in February – and Root admitted he had not been aware that Moeen felt “he was on a different path” to the rest of the team prior to his announcement, even after he was named as his vice-captain for what turned out to be his final Test at the Kia Oval last month.”I didn’t at the time, no,” Root said. “I’ve spoken to him in the past week and the way he has dealt with it has been, as you’d expect, first-class. But he’ll be a huge loss to the group for so many different reasons. But more than anything I just want to wish him well for everything he has got coming up and the rest of his career because he’s still going to go on and achieve so many great things, I’m certain of it.”I think at times he has been underappreciated. Not within the dressing room but outside of that. He’ll be a huge loss. He’s a great personality to have in and around the dressing room, and he’s a great brain for younger players to learn from and to feed off. I just wish him every success in everything he chooses to do from now. Hopefully there’s a lot of cricket I can still get to play with him in the ODI side with England as well.”Moeen’s immediate focus will be on the IPL, where he is back playing for Chennai Super Kings in the UAE, following the tournament’s resumption last week. After that, he will be competing for a berth in England’s T20 World Cup team, while on the domestic front, his status as a homegrown captain of Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred means that he will remain a significant figure in English cricket for the foreseeable.”He’s been a wonderful role model,” Root said. “I really hope that, off the back of what he has done and achieved at Test cricket, there will be so many young boys and girls out there wanting to follow in his footsteps because he’s done fabulous things. The way he holds himself. The way he carries himself, the way he goes about things is fantastic. He leaves a legacy.”

With the summer transfer window closed and the international break underway, Liverpool have reportedly turned their attention to offering one key man a fresh long-term deal.

Liverpool contract news

Amid so many positives at the start of Arne Slot's reign, the one negative yet to reach a resolution is Liverpool's growing contract panic. As things stand, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all set to walk away for free next summer in what would be a true calamity at Anfield. The case could be made that they're Slot's best three players, yet they're heading closer and closer to the exit door.

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Mohamed Salah seemed to send a message to the Anfield hierarchy after Liverpool's 3-0 mauling of Manchester United at Old Trafford, publicly stating that he is yet to receive a new contract offer and, as things stand, has played his late game at the home of the Reds' bitter rivals.

The same seems to be the case for club captain Virgil van Dijk, who is also yet to agree terms over a new contract. But as both Van Dijk and Salah face uncertainty, one Anfield star is reportedly set to receive a new deal even after his side's perfect start to the Premier League campaign.

According to Jack Lusby of This is Anfield, Liverpool are set to offer Luis Diaz a new long-term deal at the club, which may result in a pay rise up from his current £2.9m-a-year salary (£55,000-a-week).

Liverpool reportedly want to offer the winger a new deal to fend off the interest of Barcelona once and for all.

"Incredible" Diaz's electric start under Slot

Amid Liverpool's links to Anthony Gordon and his own links away to Barcelona in the summer, if any player needed a fast start under Slot, it was Diaz. And now three games in, it's fair to say that he's enjoyed an electric opening to the campaign, with his Old Trafford brace representing a rejuvenated player.

The Colombian struggled when it came to end product at times last season, occasionally guilty of failing to turn his quick feet into an effective weapon instead of anything much more than an added excitement for the Kop. This time around, however, he has been clinical with three goals and one assist in three games quickly putting any previous doubts to rest.

If his form continues, then there's no doubt that Slot will inevitably fall in love with the same player that former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was often full of praise for.

The Anfield legend instantly praised Diaz at the start of his time at the club, saying via MARCA: "We saw now two games when Luis played – came on or played – where he was absolutely incredible."