Guarani e Chapecoense medem forças na noite desta quarta-feira, às 21h15, no Brinco de Ouro da Princesa, em Campinas (SP), pela oitava rodada da Série B. O Bugre está em sétimo, com 13 pontos, enquanto a Chape ocupa a 12ª posição, com oito pontos. Em caso de vitória em casa, o time comandado pelo técnico Bruno Pivetti pode entrar no G4.
+ Confira a classificação atualizada da Série B e veja a tabela completa
GUARANI X CHAPECOENSE
Data/Horário: quarta-feira, 24/05, às 21h15 Local: Brinco de Ouro da Princesa, Campinas (SP) Árbitro: Paulo Henrique Schleich (MS) Auxiliares: Leandro dos Santos (MS) e Fernanda Kruger (MS) Onde assistir: Premiere
Bayer Leverkusen managing director Fernando Carro admitted the club made a mistake in hiring Erik ten Hag, but claims they reacted in a timely manner by sacking the Dutch coach after just two matches. That was followed by the appointment of former Denmark national team manager Kasper Hjulmand, who guided Leverkusen to a 3-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in his first game in charge.
Leverkusen's brutal start under Ten Hag
Ten Hag was sacked after disappointing performances against league rivals Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen. The sacking of the Dutch manager came as a shock, but managing director Carro says the club were right to let him go, reiterating the sentiments of sporting director Simon Rolfes. Reportedly, the club were furious about Ten Hag pushing to sign players from his agency, and they further argued that the coach's tactics and handling of the dressing room didn't inspire confidence in them.
For his part, Ten Hag blamed his early exit on the extensive overhaul the Bundesliga team has undergone, with a host of star players leaving and many new faces being added to the squad.
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Leverkusen managing director calls Ten hag's signing a mistake
In an interview with the program, managing director Carro spoke about sacking Ten Hag, saying: "I would clearly describe this as a mistake on our part. Nevertheless, such things can happen. Anyone who makes personnel decisions knows that. It's annoying, but a normal matter that we handled professionally. It's nothing serious. When a mistake is made, you have to react in a timely manner."
Nine-man Leverkusen beat Eintracht Frankfurt
Leverkusen sealed their first win of the season under new boss Hjulmand on Saturday. The German team saw two red cards handed out to midfielder Robert Andrich in the 59th minute and Equi Fernandez in the dying minutes of the game. Left wing-back Alejandro Grimaldo was named the man of the match as he scored two direct free kicks.
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Leverkusen to kick off their Champions League campaign next
Bayer will now be flying to Denmark to face Copenhagen in their opening fixture of the Champions League on September 18.
كشفت تقارير صحفية ما قاله المشجع المتهم بالعنصرية تجاه الأرجنتيني دييجو سيميوني، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي أتلتيكو مدريد خلال مباراة ليفربول ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وحقق ليفربول فوزًا قاتلًا على أتلتيكو مدريد بنتيجة 3-2 في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، والتي أقيمت مساء أمس، الأربعاء، على ملعب “آنفيلد”.
وقد اشتكى دييجو سيميوني من الإيماءات المهينة التي قام بها أحد الأشخاص من الصف الأول بالمدرجات، حيث أشار المشجع بأحد أصابعه نحوه (إشارة مهينة) وهو ما يعتبر في أنفيلد وفي إنجلترا بشكل عام أمر غير لائق خاصة لقرب مقاعد البدلاء من المدرجات، وفقًا لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.
اقرأ أيضًا | سيميوني ينتقد نفسه بسبب تصرفه الغريب مع جماهير ليفربول: رد فعلي غير مبرر
ونشرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” ما قاله المشجع صاحب المشادة مع سيميوني خلال المباراة وقال: “الآن أريد أن أتحدث عما حدث مع سيميوني، أعتقد أنه جبان بعض الشيء لأنه عندما عقد مؤتمره الصحفي، سألوه عما قيل إن كان عنصريًا أو إن كان له علاقة بحرب جزر فوكلاند لكن لم يقل أي شخص آخر أي شيء عنصري، لم يكن هناك أي ذكر لحرب جزر فوكلاند لكن حقيقة أنهم سألوه ولم يُجب واكتفى بالوقوف، تركت الأمر مفتوحًا للتكهنات”.
حرب جزر فوكلاند حدثت بين الأرجنتين والمملكة المتحدة البريطانية في عام 1982 بسبب إقليمين واقعين على المحيط الأطلنطي وهما حزر فوكلاند وأقاليم جورجيا الجنوبية، وانتهت الحرب بهزيمة الأرجنتين.
ثم أضاف مشجع ليفربول: “تلقيت رسائل على جميع المنصات، لا أعرف كم شخصًا يقول ما قلته أو لم أقله لكنني لم أقل شيئًا سوى الإشارة بإصبعي”.
وأتم موجهًا اتهامًا خطيرًا لأحد مساعدي سيميوني: “عندما سجلوا هدف التعادل، احتفلوا أمامنا، وصفناهم بالسوء أو ما شابه فجاء مساعدهم وبصق عليّ”.
أعلنت لجنة الحكام في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، عن طاقم تحكيم مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي، التي تقام بين الفريقين، مساء الخميس المقبل، في منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز.
ويلتقي الزمالك مع الإسماعيلي، في إطار الجولة السابعة من عمر مواجهات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب استاد هيئة قناة السويس. موعد مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي في الدوري المصري
تقام مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي، في الدوري المصري، يوم الخميس 18 سبتمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
ويدخل الزمالك المباراة متصدرًا جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 13 نقطة، حيث فاز في 4 مباريات وتعادل في لقاء وخسر مثله.
طالع | ميدو: لاعب الزمالك مودريتش الكرة المصرية.. كل ما بيكبر بيحلى
بينما على الجانب الآخر، يحتل فريق الإسماعيلي، المركز الثامن عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 4 نقاط، من فوز وحيد وتعادل و4 خسائر. حكم مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي في الدوري
The transfer news is starting to heat-up at Rangers.
Following Russell Martin’s appointment, and with the start of Champions League qualifying little over five weeks away, Rangers need to act quickly in the transfer market, seeking to rebuild their squad at Ibrox.
Southampton manager Russell Martin.
So, with one centre-back seemingly on his way out of Ibrox, could the Gers’ land a vastly experienced defender?
Rangers' search for a new centre-back
Defence is clearly an area the Gers are looking to improve this summer with links to English centre-back Harry Darling emerging on a regular basis.
That being said, Darling isn’t the only defender on the club’s radar heading into the forthcoming weeks.
According to a report by the Leicester Mercury, Rangers have initiated talks to sign Conor Coady from Leicester City this summer, having lodged an enquiry in a bid to understand what it might take to sign the former England international.
Football Insider revealed on Sunday that, with the Foxes needing to offload players following their relegation to the EFL Championship, Coady could be one name on the chopping block, handing Martin and Co encouragement in their attempts to sign the defender.
The 32-year-old is vastly experienced, having made almost 200 Premier League appearances to date, joining Leicester from Wolverhampton Wanderers two years ago for a reported fee of around £7.5m.
Analyst John Walker labels Coady “highly intelligent”, praising his in-possession play, so could Martin convince him to move to Glasgow?
How Conor Coady could finally replace Goldson at Rangers
Back in the summer of 2018, following Steven Gerrard’s arrival in Govan, Rangers signed Connor Goldson from Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported fee of £3m, and what a bargain this would prove to be.
Despite requiring heart surgery during his time with the Seagulls, the Englishman would go on to make 309 appearances for the Light Blues, winning all three domestic trophies, a near ever-present fixture of the Gerrard-era, as well as being a key figure in the side that reached the Europa League Final in Seville three years ago.
Graham Falk of the Scotsman labels him a ‘stalwart’ of Rangers’ recent success, and many would argue that the club have not replaced him since he was allowed to leave for Aris Limassol last summer.
The need to replace him has only been made greater by news surrounding Robin Pröpper, who could be poised to depart Rangers this summer.
Indeed, reports suggest that FC Twente are ‘desperate’ to re-sign the centre-back for £1.5m, just a year after the Eredivisie outfit sold him to the Gers for around double that fee.
Robin Propper
They go on to say that Pröpper ‘will hold talks’ with new manager Martin before making a concrete decision over his future, but few supporters would mourn his exit, given that Ewan Paton of the Rangers Review asserts that Scottish football is ‘too quick and physical for his capabilities’.
So let’s assess if Coady would be an upgrade.
Coady vs Pröpper 24/25 comparison
Statistics (per 90)
Coady
Pröpper
Appearances
26
43
Minutes
2,002
3,210
Tackles
0.6
1.2
Interceptions
0.7
1.2
Clearances
3.8
4.9
Blocked shots
1.3
0.7
Ball recoveries
3.3
4.4
Aerial duel success %
37.14%
54.04%
Ground duel success %
53.33%
53.26%
Passing accuracy %
91.47%
85.81%
Touches
64.6
75.5
Average Sofascore Rating
6.60
6.69
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, SofaScore and Squawka
The table suggests that Pröpper was more impressive than Coady this season, with the Dutchman boasting better statistics for most metrics included, but some context is required.
Rangers finished second in the Premiership while Leicester were relegated from the Premier League, thereby skewing the data, while it is worth considering that England’s top flight is, according to Global Football Rankings, the strongest division in the world, with Scotland’s first division ranked all the way down in 43rd place.
The most interesting statistic from the table above, however, is Coady’s excellent pass completion percentage – better than Propper – which would fit into Martin’s style of play perfectly.
Meanwhile, as outlined by Tim Spiers of the Athletic, the Englishman is known for his outstanding leadership qualities, describing him as an ‘intelligent ball-playing centre-back’.
Thus, still only 32 years old, Coady still has plenty to offer and, if Rangers are able to snap him up on the cheap, he would be an excellent addition, reminiscent of Goldson’s move to Glasgow all those years ago.
Balogun upgrade: Rangers line up move to sign "heroic" defender for Martin
Russell Martin will be aiming to bolster his squad in the coming weeks.
Liverpool are preparing for the 2025/26 campaign by packing Arne Slot’s squad with high-quality additions. After winning the Premier League last term, the Reds are looking to defend their title and challenge for silverware across other fronts.
As you will likely have seen, Liverpool have agreed a £116m deal with Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer of Florian Wirtz, who has been described as a “game-changer” with a skillset that is “dangerous for every opponent” by former Bayern Munich technical director Marco Neppe.
With Darwin Nunez’s sale expected at some point in the coming months, Anfield will surely welcome a new number nine through the gates, but there are other areas of the field that need attention too.
Indeed, the Reds have already tried to sign one of the best young centre-backs in the world in Dean Huijsen.
Why Liverpool wanted Dean Huijsen
Why did Liverpool want Huijsen? Well, for the same reason as everyone else: the Dutch-born Spain star was immense for Bournemouth after joining from Juventus for £15m, with analyst Ben Mattinson even declaring him “the most in-demand centre-back in the world.”
Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.
The problem, as ever, was that Real Madrid also wanted the 20-year-old, and when they came knocking, the youngster’s decision was set.
Activating his £50m release clause, Los Blancos have added one of the finest young defenders to their ranks, and Liverpool will now need to turn their attention elsewhere, for more depth is needed in the rearguard following a paucity of defensive signings in recent years.
Ah well, he’s not the only young defender worth their salt playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues right now. In fact, he might not even be the best up-and-coming centre-back from the recent Premier League season.
There’s another, albeit with a bit more experience, who is on Liverpool’s radar and could prove an upgrade on the Spain international.
Liverpool in race for new centre-back
As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still concerned about Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation, with the Frenchman entering the final year of his deal.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As such, FSG have stayed in the race for Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. The 22-year-old has been fantastic over the past couple of years on Merseyside, taking another step in his development since David Moyes was appointed in January.
Liverpool are not alone in their interest. Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the £70m-rated star, while Manchester United have a historic interest and would be certain to make their name known if more clarity were to be provided on the Englishman’s future in the coming weeks.
A move wouldn’t be made until Konate’s future is sorted, but if a breakthrough cannot be found, Branthwaite could become a hot topic on Merseyside this summer.
Why Liverpool want Jarrad Branthwaite
Standing at 6 foot 5, Branthwaite is a powerful and menacing defensive presence, protecting his backline with iron-clad resolve and steel-tipped challenges.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
Though he’s less at home in a pass-heavy environment than Huijsen, there’s a strong case to be made that the Evertonian could have the brighter future ahead of him, with the Toffees actually valuing their prized possession at £75m when the Red Devils came calling last year.
Looking at the data from the English top flight last year, you can see that while Huijsen outperformed his positional peer from an attacking standpoint, Branthwaite was more confident in the duel and maintained a similar passing crispness despite his tactical deployment.
Matches (starts)
32 (26)
30 (28)
Goals
3
0
Assists
2
1
Touches*
63.9
51.9
Pass completion
84%
83%
Key passes*
0.5
0.1
Ball recoveries*
3.3
3.1
Tackles + interceptions*
2.7
2.1
Clearances*
6.1
6.3
Ground duels (won)*
3.6 (56%)
3.9 (63%)
It’s worth noting that more active defensive numbers don’t automatically qualify for superiority as a centre-back. In fact, Branthwaite’s ability to read the game like a scholar and act only when the situation demands is not too dissimilar to Virgil van Dijk’s approach.
Given the Everton man’s left-footedness, he might be the Dutchman’s perfect heir, albeit one who would arrive in contentious circumstances.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
But no matter. Liverpool, after all, are currently dealing with a potential double swoop from the Toffees for two of their first-teamers: Ben Doak and Joe Gomez have been reported to be on their rivals’ radar.
And for Branthwaite’s part, there’s a subtle undertow to his actions this year that suggests he would be up for the cross-city switch. In March, the English defender expressed concerns after being overlooked by England manager Thomas Tuchel, who once again neglected to call him up for the recent (difficult) camp.
In all likelihood, Tuchel was wary about bringing a defender into the fold whose club-level tactics are at such variance to the on-the-ball style the Three Lions are looking to implement.
16th
Leicester
45.4%
17th
Crystal Palace
42.8%
18th
Nott’m Forest
41.2%
19th
Everton
40.9%
20th
Ipswich
40.6%
Huijsen, sure, has already established a ball-playing game to admire, but Branthwaite isn’t against the kind of tactical principles that would see him hit his stride at Liverpool.
Indeed, when out on loan at PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23, he completed 87% of his passes, averaged 0.3 key passes per game and also completed an impressive 64% of his long balls, as per Sofascore.
Of course, Branthwaite is also just an “absolute monster” of a central defender, as he was called by talent scout Jacek Kulig after his exemplary breakout campaign in 2023/24.
A major player for Everton once again over the past 12 months, Branthwaite has surely proved enough over the past couple of years to convince Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, and the rest of the transfer team that he could be the perfect addition.
Perhaps not quite so attuned to a ball-playing style as Huijsen, the hulking defender may yet sharpen that element of his game, and under Slot’s wing, his overall ability would surely see him prove an upgrade on Real Madrid’s new recruit.
A bigger mistake than Diaz: Liverpool now in talks to sell £50m star
Liverpool should think twice about parting ways with this talented first-teamer.
Celtic clinched their 55th top-flight title when they won the Scottish Premiership with a 5-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice Park on Saturday.
An own goal from Ryan Strain put the Hoops ahead before Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah both netted braces to secure a comprehensive victory for the away side, and one that wrapped up the title.
One player who was not involved in the matchday squad for the crowning moment, however, was Maik Nawrocki, who has fallen out of favour despite a couple of impressive outings recently.
Why Maik Nawrocki's time at Celtic might be over
The Polish defender, signed from Legia Warsaw, has only played two games in the Premiership this season, despite being available for every match, and they both came in March in back-to-back games against Rangers and Hearts.
Minutes
90
90
Clearances
7
9
Blocks
0
3
Tackles + interceptions
5
1
Duels won
7/10
8/9
Dribbled past
0x
0x
Pass accuracy
93%
98%
Error led to shot/goal
0
0
The rarely-seen star stepped up in those matches, as shown in the table above, with dominant defensive displays, whilst also being reliable in possession.
However, he was then an unused substitute in the next two games and was not named on the bench against Dundee United, with Liam Scales preferred as a starter and Auston Trusty preferred on the bench.
Nawrocki has only played 12 Premiership matches in almost two seasons at Parkhead and that may be why his time at the club could be over heading into the summer window, as the defender may want to go and play regular football.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The 24-year-old ace may not be the only centre-back to move on from Parkhead this year, though, as Celtic must ruthlessly bin Stephen Welsh as well.
Why Celtic should sell Stephen Welsh
Once dubbed “excellent” by Brendan Rodgers, the 25-year-old flop was sent out on loan to Mechelen in Belgium during the January transfer window but he’s done very little to suggest he deserves a future at Parkhead, something the player clearly wants.
Welsh has started 11 matches in the Pro League during the second half of the campaign, and his team are yet to keep a single clean sheet – conceding 25 goals in the process.
Celtic defender Stephen Welsh.
Those statistics do not suggest that the Scottish dud is likely to return to Parkhead to challenge for a starting berth next season, given how poor his current team’s defence has been with him in the side as a starter.
His disappointing form is reflected in his current market value of £700k, as per Transfermarkt, which is even lower than Nawrocki’s valuation of £1.7m, despite him having only played two league games this season.
Welsh’s current contract at Celtic does not expire until the summer of 2027. However, the decision to send him out on loan, coupled with his market valuation and his dismal defensive numbers with Mechelen, suggests that he does not have much of a future at Parkhead.
Therefore, the club must ruthlessly bin the central defender by cashing in on him in the upcoming summer transfer window, and Nawrocki may follow him out of the door if he wants to play regularly next term.
Celtic can bin Idah by signing "absolutely sensational" £10m star
Brendan Rodgers could land an instant upgrade on Adam Idah by signing this star for Celtic.
Here’s a not particularly original statement: Arsenal should probably sign a striker!
The Gunners’ Premier League title hopes have been over for a while now, and it’s their lack of attacking firepower that supporters want to see addressed in the summer.
Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford was the 22nd time in all competitions Mikel Arteta’s team have scored either zero or one goal in a match, doing so in a whopping 50% of their Premier League fixtures.
Thus, do the Gunners lead the race for one of Europe’s most sought-after centre-forwards?
Which striker are Arsenal seeking to sign?
According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are hoping to complete the signing of Sporting Clube de Portugal striker Viktor Gyökeres, who he believes will be available for as little as £55m this summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
David Ornstein and James McNicholas of the Athletic previously reported that the Gunners have ‘developed a strong interest’ in the Swedish international striker, with recently appointed new sporting director Andrea Berta described as a long-term admirer.
They add that Arteta’s preference would actually be to sign Gyökeres’ international teammate Alexander Isak, but Newcastle United ‘have no intention’ of selling their most-prized asset, let alone to a direct rival.
So, could Gyökeres be the final piece in the jigsaw?
How Gyokeres would improve Arsenal's attack
Both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are currently sidelined long-term; the Brazilian ruptured his ACL against Manchester United in the FA Cup in January, while the German required hamstring surgery after suffering this injury during the warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
However, despite scoring 29 goals for the club, Havertz was never supposed to be Arsenal’s striker, initially signed as a midfielder.
Jesus, meantime, simply has not been the same since suffering a knee injury against Cameroon at the last World Cup, as the table below outlines.
Gabriel Jesus’ Arsenal career in numbers
Statistics
Jesus pre injury
Jesus post injury
Appearances
22
74
Minutes
1,453
4,008
Goals
5
21
Minutes per goal
291
190
Assists
6
14
Minutes per assist
242
286
Matches missed due to injury
0
48
% of matches missed
0
37.8%
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As the table outlines, Jesus simply cannot be counted upon due to fitness reasons and is unlikely to feature again until Christmas, so he cannot be in Arteta’s immediate plans.
As a result, for now, Mikel Merino is spearheading Arsenal’s attack, his stunning strike against Real Madrid last Tuesday actually his eighth for the club, six of which have come since becoming the emergency striker at Leicester in February.
Nevertheless, Gyökeres would be a clear upgrade on the Spaniard, as his remarkable statistics at Sporting prove.
Gyökeres’ Sporting career in numbers
Statistics
Gyökeres at Sporting
Appearances
95
Minutes
7,779
Goals
87
Minutes per goal
89
Assists
26
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
Gyökeres in the Champions League 2024/25
Statistics
Gyökeres in UCL
UCL rank
Goals
6
13th
Goals per 90
0.89
7th
Shots per 90
3.26
24th
Goals – xG (min 4 goals)
+1.5
15th
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com
Gyökeres’ statistics at Sporting are obviously frightening, hence why Romano has labeled him a “goal machine”, adding that he is “wanted by several clubs for the summer”.
Meanwhile, Ben Mattinson of Breaking the Lines believes the Swede is a ‘clinical finisher with great movement’, also impressed by his ‘link-up play, physicality…. [and] top-quality ball-striking’.
Speaking on the Arsecast Extra, Andrew Mangan claims Gyökeres would represent a ‘win now’ signing, which is exactly what Arsenal are attempting to do, hence why they should push the boat out to make this move happen. He’s be a phenomenal upgrade on their current options.
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Arsenal could sign their answer to Alexander Isak in a £60m deal.
Stand-in captain falls to brilliant catch, but all-or-nothing innings have been feature of his year
Matt Roller08-Oct-2024A missed stumping, a dropped catch, an injured opener and a second-ball duck: this was the chaotic half-hour under the Multan sun which underlined the scale of England’s challenge.England were ground down across a 149-over innings in which Pakistan posted 556 all out. Rather than pulling the plug early – as they did in a recent 10-wicket defeat to Bangladesh – Pakistan drove England into the dirt, with their physical and mental exhaustion evident as the innings wound to its conclusion.The longest Ollie Pope had spent in the field in his first series as England captain, against Sri Lanka, was 89.3 overs. This was new territory, with his seamers flagging after more than 20 overs each in punishing conditions, no assistance in the surface for his spinners, and the lingering knowledge that he would likely have to bat on the second evening despite his fatigue.Before he knew it, he was walking out to open the batting for the first time in first-class cricket, let alone Tests. Pope was off the field for a comfort break when Abrar Ahmed, Pakistan’s No. 11, slashed Joe Root’s attempted bouncer straight into Ben Duckett’s left thumb at slip, and the decision was quickly made that he should replace him at the top of the order.After waiting five-and-a-half sessions to bat, Pope’s innings was over after two balls. Naseem Shah dropped short, Pope latched onto a pull and Aamer Jamal flung himself to his right at midwicket, holding onto a blinding catch. As Jamal ran off in celebration, Pope dragged himself off as though in disbelief.This has been a bizarre year for Pope, albeit one that has encapsulated his curious Test career. It started with an epic, match-winning 196 in Hyderabad, one of his three hundreds in 2024, yet he has also failed to reach 20 in more than three-fifths of his innings. His average for the year, 35.47, is almost identical to his career figure.In fact, his duck on Tuesday – his third of the year – brought his career average back below 35, midway through his 50th Test match. He increasingly looks as though he will be remembered as a player of great innings rather than a great player, and his all-or-nothing record is more that of a middle-order strokemaker than a long-term No. 3.Jamal’s catch was the culmination of a bruising couple of days for Pope, which started on the first morning when he lost an important toss. In the field, Pope then missed a diving run-out opportunity when Abdullah Shafique – one of Pakistan’s three centurions – was on 34, and could not cling onto a half-chance at point when Shan Masood had 133.Related
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Olly Stone to leave Pakistan tour to get married this weekend
Crawley leads England reply after Salman hundred sets up Pakistan
If comparison is the thief of joy then Pope is doomed to a life of misery when held up against Ben Stokes, perhaps England’s best captain of the modern era. Even Stokes would have struggled to restrict Pakistan on this surface – they racked up 579 against his side on a similarly lifeless pitch at Rawalpindi two years ago – and Pope did his best to get creative.England’s seamers shifted between orthodox plans, sustained bouncer ploys and umbrella fields but struggled to find any lateral movement, while their spinners generally bowled to in-out fields after Shoaib Bashir’s expensive first spell on the first day. Pope tried almost everything, but could not bend the game in England’s favour.By the time Abrar joined Salman Agha, Pope had burned his 11th and 12th reviews of his tenure, and is still yet to enjoy his first success. He needed a quick kill and a chance to put his feet up in the dressing room, but instead watched Jamie Smith miss a simple stumping and an weary Gus Atkinson let a catch slip through his fingers at midwicket.In reality, Pope’s batting is significantly more important to England’s medium-term planning than his captaincy, which is only an interim solution. Just over a year before the start of the Ashes tour which they have been building towards, he remains the most vulnerable member of their first-choice top seven.Duckett’s injury was the last thing that Pope – or England – needed to cap off two gruelling days in the heat, compounded only by Jamal’s catch. The only relief for Pope was that Zak Crawley and Joe Root batted serenely to chip away at the daunting deficit before the close, and there is nothing in the surface to suggest that England should not bat through the third day.If they do, Pope will have the chance to reflect on two of the most challenging days of his England career. When ruling himself out through injury, Stokes said that England’s seamers would quickly learn in Multan “how hard Test cricket can be”. If the stand-in captain did not know it already, then this was a reminder to Pope of the same lesson.
He is slotted ahead of Latham and isn’t fussed about the low returns so far
Deivarayan Muthu23-Jan-2023Daryl Mitchell prides himself on being an adaptable player. Ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, head coach Gary Stead had so much faith in his adaptability that he bumped him up to the opening slot along with Martin Guptill after Mitchell had originally been picked in the side as a finisher. In the World Cup semi-final against England in Abu Dhabi, Mitchell was particularly slow off the blocks in the powerplay, but he ramped up the pace to seal a famous victory for New Zealand.Now, ahead of this year’s ODI World Cup, Mitchell has been given a new role – a promotion to No. 4 ahead of Tom Latham. Mitchell has batted at the spot six times – five of which have come in Pakistan and India – managing only 93 runs at an average of 15.50 and strike rate of 72.09. But he isn’t fussed about the low returns and backs himself to slot into the new role.”I’m just proud to be representing New Zealand in whatever position I bat in,” Mitchell said on the eve of the third ODI in Indore. “If you’ve followed my career, you can see that I’ve batted in many positions across all three formats. So, I’m just doing my job; [there are] some good days and bad days. That’s the nature of the game we play and yeah really looking forward to tomorrow, as a group, to come out and put in a good performance and walk away with a win in the ODI series.”
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Having also batted at different positions for his domestic teams – Northern Districts and Canterbury – Mitchell is ready do any job for New Zealand in ODI World Cup in India later this year. He is also pushing his case as a seam-bowling allrounder in the absence of Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme who have become free agents. In the first ODI in Hyderabad, Mitchell was New Zealand’s most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 30 in his five overs when India amassed 349.”For me, it’s something that I guess as a skillset is to adapt to different numbers in the line-up as well as different situations and I’m a competitor at heart,” he said. “That’s why I play the game and I love competing to try and win those moments. That’s what drives me whether I open the batting or batting at No. 3, 4, 5 or 6. For me, that doesn’t worry me and it’s about getting stuck in and being really proud to represent the country, which is something I dreamt of doing since I was a little kid. And I’m very fortunate to be in this position. I do it with a smile on my face, and puff my chest out, and try and take them on.”Mitchell’s current role at No. 4 has often left him starting against spin. Though he has been dismissed by spinners four times in his last five ODI innings in the subcontinent, Mitchell is still one of the better players of spin in the New Zealand line-up. He uses his long reach to meet the pitch of the ball and is particularly strong at hitting down the ground.”I’m 31 years of age now and [I] know how my game works and how I want to go about the middle phases of one-day cricket [against spin],” Mitchell said. “Always in Test cricket, you do face a lot of spin, so yeah I’m comfortable with how I go about my game and again, it’s about trying to win little moments for the team and hopefully that means we can win games of cricket.”The absence of the seniors – Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Tim Southee – for the ongoing series in India as well as the five ODIs in April-May in Pakistan, which will clash with IPL 2023 – will give New Zealand an opportunity to test out different combinations ahead of the ODI World Cup. Williamson (Gujarat Titans), Boult (Rajasthan Royals) and Southee (Kolkata Knight Riders) are set to be handed NOCs to feature in the entire IPL 2023.”I think everyone in this room knows that games of cricket like the other day [in Raipur] happen,” Mitchell said. “It’s the nature of the game. Yeah, you lose the toss and get put in on a slightly challenging surface and you’re five down for not many. Us as a group, we’re pretty level and it’s something we pride ourselves on. The group is really excited about tomorrow and about not having Tim and Kane here, I think it’s a great opportunity for our group to test out some new formations and different balances, and give different guys experience over here in India that a lot of us haven’t had.”