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New Zealand Cricket has elected former allrounder and national selector Dion Nash to its board.Nash fills the vacancy left by Martin Snedden, who had to step down by rotation following a lengthy service to the game as a player, chief executive, board member, chair of the board and ICC director.”It’s good to have someone with Dion’s cricket and business experience coming onto the board at a time when Martin is stepping down,” NZC chair Diana Pukepatu-Lyndon said. “Dion has a strong interest in not just the playing of the game but [also] the business of the game, and that should help stand us in good stead.”Nash played 32 Tests and 81 ODIs from 1992 to 2002, and was part of New Zealand’s title-winning squad in the 2000 ICC KnockOut, which was later rebranded as the Champions Trophy. In just his fifth Test, he scored a half-century and grabbed ten wickets at Lord’s.When regular captain Stephen Fleming was injured in early 1999, Nash stepped in as skipper for seven ODIs and three Tests. After retirement, he was appointed as selector for the men’s team in 2005, before going on to make a career in business.

The new deal covers the next ODI World Cup as well as away Test series in India and England

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2024

Andrew McDonald will stay as the Australia men’s head coach until at least 2027•ICC/Getty Images

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has had his contract extended until the end of 2027 meaning he will guide the team’s defence of their ODI World Cup title that year as well as throughout next cycle of the World Test Championship.When McDonald was initially appointed in 2022 it was on a four-year deal which took him to midway through 2026. That would have seen him finish after the next T20 World Cup. He had stated that he was likely to be a one-term coach citing the demanding nature of the job and the fact that Justin Langer had only served one four-year term, despite Langer wanting an extension back in 2022.However, if McDonald had walked away in mid-2026, a new coach would have come in at an awkward time. Australia’s 2027 schedule looks like one of the heaviest calendar years the men’s team will have ever had. They host four Tests with New Zealand in December and January of 2026-27 before playing five Tests in India in January and February. Then they return home for a one-off Test against England in March to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket, with a two-Test home series against Bangladesh also scheduled but likely to be moved.Related

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There will then be a WTC final, if they qualify, followed by a five-Test Ashes tour. The next ODI World Cup then takes place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia during October and November 2027.Keeping McDonald in place for that period means CA has some stability to plan for the extensive schedule. McDonald has an established coaching group around him, including Michael Di Venuto, Daniel Vettori and Andre Borovec, and will add a national pace bowling coach soon. McDonald’s three assistants have each coached the team for different white-ball series in the last two years in order to share the load. McDonald is hopeful those three assistants will get contract extensions until 2027 as well.”Those people are incredibly important to the team and myself,” McDonald said. “So the idea would be to continue to surround myself with those people, and I think they’ve got an appetite to continue on. So I’m hoping that news will hopefully follow this news and they’ll be on the journey long term.”Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has recently suggested he would be open to remaining in his role for longer than may have first been planned, meaning he and McDonald could continue to work together until 2027 having developed a very close working relationship over the past three years.”I am very fortunate to have an exceptional group of leaders, players, coaches and staff who are fully invested in the ongoing well-being, success and development of this group,” McDonald said. “The professionalism, commitment and experience of my fellow coaches and the wider staff have ensured the journey has been extremely successful but just as importantly created a culture of unity, trust and inclusivity.”International cricket has many challenges for all teams and I am particularly proud how the group, players and staff, across all formats have navigated those together.”McDonald took over in the head coach role after the ugly departure of Langer in early 2022 and has guided the men’s team to significant success including the 2023 ODI World Cup and World Test Championship titles. The extension means he will have the opportunity for Test series wins in India and England which have recently eluded the side.Australia are currently in a race to qualify for next year’s WTC final at Lord’s in a bid to defend that title with the upcoming India series vital to their prospects.Nick Hockley, the Cricket Australia CEO, said: “Andrew has proven to be an outstanding men’s head coach who as well as delivering exceptional results has built a strong coaching team, methodology and an excellent environment for the team to perform at its best. We are delighted to extend his tenure for a further two years.”

Manchester United continued their pre-season preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with a 2-1 win over Premier League rivals West Ham United in America on Saturday night.

Bruno Fernandes scored both of the team’s goals in a narrow win over the Hammers, scoring from the spot in the first half before delivering a fantastic finish in the second.

There was another outing for new signing Matheus Cunha, who played the opening 66 minutes of the game, but Bryan Mbeumo was not ready to don the shirt for the first time.

Whilst fans have had the chance to watch last season’s team, along with Cunha, ramp up their preparations to improve on last year’s dismal showing, there are a number of players who have not been part of the travelling party.

Ruben Amorim decided to leave several players at home for this tour and the Premier League summer series, as the club are looking to move on from them this summer.

One of the players in the ‘bomb squad’ is Brazilian forward Antony, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Real Betis in Spain.

Why Man Utd should sell Antony

It simply has not worked out for the left-footed dud in England and it appears to be the right time to allow him to move on from Old Trafford on a permanent basis, after a successful loan spell.

United reportedly agreed an £85m deal with Ajax to sign Antony in the summer of 2022 to bolster Erik ten Hag’s options at the top end of the pitch, but he has only mustered up 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances for the club to date.

The 25-year-old star has not offered enough in the final third to suggest that he has much of a future in English football, rarely scoring or creating goals in his three years in Manchester so far, which is why it could be the right move to cash in on him this summer.

It could also be a smart time to cash in on the winger because he is fresh off the back of a successful loan spell with Real Betis, which shows that he does have the quality to make an impact in other leagues in Europe.

Appearances

17

9

xG

2.87

1.41

Goals

5

4

Big chances created

8

5

Key passes per game

2.2

1.1

Assists

2

3

As you can see in the table above, the former Ajax star caught the eye with nine goals and 13 ‘big chances’ created in 26 appearances for the Spanish side, which may help United to attract interest from other clubs this summer.

Whilst it remains to be seen where Antony will end up by the conclusion of the summer transfer window, there is an even bigger United flop closing in on a move away.

Man Utd flop agrees personal terms on exit

According to the print edition of Corriere dello Sport (26/07/2025), as relayed by Tutto Mercato Web, Jadon Sancho has agreed personal terms with Italian giants Juventus.

The report claims that the England international, who is not part of the club’s pre-season tour, has verbally agreed to a five-year contract with the Old Lady, which would see him earn around £5.2m-per-season.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that Sancho is aware that his race is run at Manchester United and he is willing to drop his wage demands from the £8.7m-per-season he is said to earn at Old Trafford in order to seal a move to Italy.

However, the sticking point is currently the transfer fee. United want a fee of around £22m for the former Borussia Dortmund star, whilst Juventus are currently offering up to £17m.

This is a move that appears to be heading in the right direction, though, given that he has already agreed personal terms, which means that flop could be closing in on an exit from Old Trafford.

Why Sancho is even worse than Antony

Cashing in on Sancho would be a great move for United because he has flopped in Manchester and is currently even worse than Antony as a wide option.

The English forward joined from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £73m in the summer of 2021 and has scored 12 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils in the subsequent four years, which is as many as Antony has scored for the club in three years.

Sancho was not a part of Ten Hag’s plans at the start of last season and the Dutchman sent him out on loan to Chelsea for the 2025/26 campaign, but he struggled to offer consistent quality for the Blues.

Appearances

26

42

xG

4.28

2.60

Goals

9

5

Big chances created

13

11

Assists

5

8

Games per goal/assist

1.85

3.23

As you can see in the table above, Sancho only averaged a goal or an assist every 3.23 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last term, as Antony outperformed him during his five-month spell with Real Betis.

These statistics show that the Brazilian winger was far more effective during his loan spell away from Old Trafford, as he scored more goals and created more ‘big chances’ in 16 fewer appearances.

As Jamie Redknapp said in the clip above, Sancho simply does not do enough in the final third to produce goals and assists to help his team win matches.

The 25-year-old flop has scored 12 goals in four years at United and only managed five goals in 42 games on loan at Chelsea, which backs up the pundit’s point about his lack of output at the top end of the pitch.

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Therefore, United should be delighted that Sancho has agreed personal terms with Juventus and is now closing in on an exit, with the finer details of the transfer fee just to be ironed out, because he is even worse than Antony, and possibly a bigger flop despite a smaller fee.

Glasgow Rangers boss Russell Martin knows that he needs to bolster his attacking options before the end of the summer transfer window, which officially re-opened on Monday.

The Light Blues boss could be about to lose first-choice number nine Cyriel Dessers, who has reportedly agreed a contract with Greek outfit AEK Athens, with talks ongoing to agree a fee.

Whilst a transfer is not yet complete, the Scottish giants have to be prepared for the possibility of being without the Nigeria international in the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.

Dessers scored 18 goals in 35 matches in the Scottish Premiership in the 2024/25 season, but also missed 21 ‘big chances’, and they will have to find a striker to replace those goals if this move to Athens goes through.

He is not the only attacking player who will have to be replaced this summer, though, because the Gers have already lost Vaclav Cerny, who has returned to Wolfsburg after his loan deal came to an end.

Why Rangers need to replace Vaclav Cerny

The Czechia international was a huge player for Rangers in the 2024/25 campaign, after joining on loan from the Bundesliga outfit, and will need to be replaced because he provided a huge threat in front of goal.

Cerny ended the season with a haul of 18 goals and nine assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, which shows that he offered quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the right flank.

The left-footed star, who liked to cut inside onto his favoured foot from the right wing, produced 12 goals and four assists in 33 outings in the Premiership for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson combined.

Cerny also caught the eye in the Europa League for Rangers, as they made it to the last eight of the tournament, with goals and assists on the European stage.

xG

4.26

Top 3%

xG on target

4.29

Top 3%

Goals

6

Top 2%

Shots on target

15

Top 1%

Assists

2

Top 23%

xA

0.93

Top 39%

Chances created

14

Top 14%

As you can see in the table above, the Wolfsburg loanee was among the top-performing wingers in the Europa League this season, both as a scorer and a creator.

These statistics illustrate why it is so important for the Scottish giants to sign a replacement for the Czechia international to bolster Martin’s options out wide.

The Gers need a winger who can deliver goals and assists on a regular basis, and a fresh report suggests that they are on course to sign one.

Rangers set to sign new winger

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are close to agreeing a deal to sign Kwame Poku from Peterborough United when his contract expires at the end of this month.

The Ghana international’s current deal with the League One outfit is due to expire in time for him to sign for a new team at the start of July, and this means that the Gers can snap him up for a compensation fee.

Transfer Focus

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

TEAMtalk adds that Rangers believe that they have won the race to sign the left-footed forward, who is now poised to become one of Martin’s first signings as the new head coach at Ibrox.

The outlet adds that the Premiership giants are set to beat off competition from teams in the English Championship and from abroad to bring the talented winger to Glasgow this summer.

It states that Birmingham, who have been promoted to the Championship, have been pushing hard to land the wing wizard, but it is Rangers who are now closing in on his signature.

What Kwame Poku could bring to Rangers

If the Light Blues get this transfer over the line, as this report suggests that they will do, then the club could have their next version of Cerny on their hands.

Like the Czechia international, Poku is a right-sided attacker who likes to cut inside onto his favoured left foot to deliver goals and assists in the final third on a regular basis.

The 23-year-old star, who former boss Darren Ferguson lauded as an “unplayable” winger at times, racked up 11 goals and seven assists in 39 appearances in the third tier in England in the 2023/24 campaign.

That was an impressive return for the young winger, given that he almost hit 20 goal contributions in total, but the whiz improved his output in the 2024/25 season for the Posh, as Poku proved that he can be relied upon to make a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.

xG

6.01

Top 11%

xG on target

7.74

Top 7%

Goals

12

Top 2%

Assists

8

Top 3%

xA

5.17

Top 7%

Chances created

33

Top 19%

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers target hit that 20-goal contribution mark this season in League One with 12 goals and eight assists.

This means that he scored as many goals as Cerny and provided four more assists than the Wolfsburg loanee did at league level this term, which suggests that the potential is there for him to offer even more in front of goal.

They appear to offer a similar goal threat but Poku could be more creative on the right wing, which would also make him a dream signing for whoever comes in to replace Dessers this summer.

Of course, the Peterborough star is unproven in the Premiership at this moment in time. However, his form down south is incredibly promising and, for a compensation fee, he appears to be an ideal signing to perfectly replace Cerny with a similar type of player on the right flank.

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Despite already reaching a verbal agreement to sign Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Cuiabano and Jair Cunha, Nottingham Forest have reportedly made an approach to sign another Brazilian ace.

Nottingham Forest set to sign Botafogo trio

Evangelos Marinakis has wasted no time before turning towards the South American market yet again at the City Ground. The Greek owner has had previous success when welcoming the likes of Murillo and may have completed another act of genius by reaching an agreement to sign the aforementioned Botafogo trio.

Jesus particularly stands out among the three. The impressive striker could quickly become the air to Chris Wood’s striker throne at the City Ground, having scored eight goals in Brazil throughout the 2024/25 campaign after netting 25 in all competitions in the season prior at both Botafogo and at Shabab Al-Ahli Club.

Meanwhile, if Nottingham Forest fans needed any further introduction to Jesus and Cunha, then one glimpse at the Club World Cup should have given them exactly that. Both players scored in Botafogo’s 2-1 win against Seattle Sounders, whilst Cuiabano also featured from the bench.

All signs point towards excellent business by Nottingham Forest, but the Tricky Trees are not done there. With European football to look forward to next season, those at the City Ground are in their strongest position for a long time to attract some top talents.

It’s not something that Marinakis is keen to waste, either. With three Brazilian talents already on the way, Forest have also been linked with moves for the likes of Yoanne Wissa. The Brentford forward was the subject of interest from the City Ground in January and now that interest has reportedly been reignited.

Meanwhile, Forest aren’t done in South America either amid reports that they’ve made an approach to sign a fourth Brazilian talent this summer.

Nottingham Forest make Romulo Cardoso approach

According to GE Globo, as relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest have now made an approach to sign Romulo Cardoso from Goztepe this summer. The impressive forward is still just 23 years old and would be arriving off the back of an excellent campaign which saw him score 17 goals and create another 13 in Turkey.

That said, Forest aren’t alone in the race to sign the forward. Joining them, RB Leipzig and Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers are also reportedly interested in signing Romulo this summer. The Bundesliga club will become a particular threat if they are forced to replace Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko in the coming months.

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Whether Forest’s growing Brazilian contingent helps to convince the clinical goalscorer will be interesting to see too. The City Ground is quickly becoming the place to be for South American stars on the rise and Romulo could become the latest to make his way to the Midlands.

With contact already made and a number of clubs chasing his signature, Romulo has arguably the biggest decision of his career to make so far this summer.

When it comes to brilliant players, Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with more than their fair share over the last ten years.

The likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were genuinely world-class for the Lilywhites and, as a result, formed one of the best attacking partnerships the Premier League has ever seen.

Likewise, Mousa Dembélé and Cristian Eriksen were sensational in midfield, but someone who arguably doesn’t get the credit he deserves anymore is Dele Alli.

While the Englishman is still struggling to find form in Italy at the moment, he was near enough unstoppable for several years at Tottenham, and based on reports from the last few weeks, Daniel Levy and Co could sign the club their next Dele.

Dele's Spurs career

In February 2015, Tottenham agreed to pay then-League One side MK Dons £5m for an incredibly exciting 18-year-old prospect by the name of Dele.

Transfer Focus

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

While it usually takes youngsters a number of years to get up to speed in a top-flight team, the Milton Keynes-born gem took no time at all and, by the end of his first campaign in the capital, had racked up an astonishing tally of ten goals and ten assists in just 46 appearances.

Such an explosive start to life at the highest level saw him win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and he did not stop there, as his sophomore season with the Lilywhites was even better and saw him score 22 goals and provide 12 assists in 50 appearances – enough to win a second successive Young Player of the Year award.

For a while, it looked like the youngster was going to become one of the very best players in the world, someone capable of playing in multiple positions at the highest standard.

However, as we know, that didn’t happen, and after a few seasons of increasingly disappointing performances, Dele moved to Everton in February 2020 – almost five years after signing for the North Londoners.

Appearances

269

Minutes

19162′

Goals

67

Assists

58

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

153.29′

The club haven’t had a player like the 37-capped international, but there is a chance they could do so soon.

Spurs' potential new Dele

The last few weeks have seen many talented players linked with moving to Spurs, but perhaps one of the most exciting names, and someone who could be the club’s new Dele, is Xavi Simons.

According to reports from late last week, the North Londoners are ‘favourites’ to land the incredibly talented international from RB Leipzig, although doing so would cost up to £67m.

Described as “one of the best 10s in the world” in the words of one analyst on social media, what is it about the Dutchman that means he could be the Lilywhites’ new Dele?

Firstly, he is incredibly versatile and can play on either wing, up top, as a second striker and in attacking and central midfield areas, so just like the Englishman, he could thrive just off the centre-forward or deeper if required.

Moreover, just like the former MK Dons gem in his early seasons in North London, the Amsterdam-born “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is an output machine.

Appearances

43

Goals

10

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

For example, in 43 appearances last season, he scored ten goals and provided 15 assists, and in 33 appearances this season, he scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 and 1.83 games, respectively.

Finally, and this is rather difficult to prove with statistics, but just like the Englishman was, the former PSG gem is capable of some utterly sublime bits of skill and has scored more than his fair share of brilliant goals for Leipzig and PSV.

Ultimately, Spurs have been crying out for another young talent to come in and have the sort of effect Dele did when he first joined almost a decade ago, and while he’s a little older, Simons could be just that player.

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Will Celtic secure a sixth treble in just nine seasons?

On Easter Sunday, the Celts swatted aside St Johnstone 5-0 at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, with Callum McGregor breaking the deadlock and Daizen Maeda bagging a brace, while Adam Idah and Jota were also on target.

Thus, the Hoops will now face Aberdeen in the final on 24 May, also looking to secure a fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title before then, requiring just a point against Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday to become champions again.

While Brendan Rodgers’ team continue to dominate on the park, does he have his eye on a new winger in the transfer market?

Celtic seeking to sign a new winger

As reported by Alan Nixon of the Scottish Sun earlier this month, Celtic are ‘eyeing’ a move to sign Stoke City winger Million Manhoef.

The 22-year-old only joined the Potters as recently as January 2024 from Dutch side Vitesse for a reported fee of £3m, but journalist Graeme Bailey believes he is now valued at £10m by Stoke.

So, would this be a good move, and could Manhoef emulate those among Rodgers’ current attacking options?

Why Celtic could be targeting the next Kuhn

Earlier this season, as outlined by Michael Shearer of Breaking the Lines, Nicolas Kühn was ‘poised to become Celtic’s next great attacking player’, starring in the Champions League and unquestionably the best player in Scotland.

However, in more recent times, the German has not been impressing quite so much, as shown in the table below.

Appearances

25

20

Minutes

1,713

1,298

Goals

14

4

Minutes per goal

122

325

Assists

11

3

As the table outlines, Kühn’s form has fallen off a cliff since New Year’s Day, in fact, he’s scored just two goals in 19 outings since bagging a brace against St Mirren on 4 January.

Rodgers stated that Kühn has appeared in the “most games he’s ever played” in a campaign, attributing his drop in form to fatigue, while Robbie Hanratty of the National adds that Kühn hasn’t looked the same since suffering a ‘suspected broken nose’ against Rangers in early January.

Kühn arrived from Rapid Wien for a reported fee of £3m in January last year, now worth £25m, well, according to his agent anyway, with Celtic hoping Manhoef – who is also a diminutive, left-footed right-winger – would experience a similar leap in valuation should he move to Glasgow, so let’s assess how the duo compare.

Appearances

37

46

Minutes

2,524

3,011

Goals

7

18

Assists

4

14

Goals – xG

-2.8

+1.3

Shots on target %

36.8

41.8

Chances created

49

43

Shot-creating actions

103

24

Take-on success %

38%

42.5%

As the table outlines, Kühn does rank higher than Manhoef for the majority of statistics included, albeit this’ll be largely skewed by his performances during the first half of the season.

Also worth considering that, according to Global Football Rankings, the EFL Championship is the 11th strongest league in the world, with the Scottish Premiership ranked 42nd.

Manhoef, to give him credit, does compare favourably, hence why Jacek Kulig from Football Talent Scout labelled him “quality and versatile”, while Dean Jones told Give Me Sport that the Dutchman is “the sort of player that will get fans off their seats.”

Thus, this would appear to be a good deal for Celtic, and they could open negotiations very soon, considering Stoke City’s season will conclude on 3 May.

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The 18-year-old only has a handful of professional appearances but has already been around the Test squad and played for Australia A

Deivarayan Muthu13-Aug-2025Since breaking into Australia’s Under-19 World Cup squad after being originally named as a non-travelling reserve last year, Ollie Peake has ticked off landmarks like items on a shopping list.In a space of 17 months, Peake has won the Under-19 World Cup, made his Big Bash League (BBL) debut for Melbourne Renegades, marked his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria with a half-century, and has even had a stint with the Australia side as a development player on their tour to Sri Lanka earlier this year.Related

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Peake, an 18-year-old left-hand batter, is currently in Chennai training at the MRF academy in the lead-up to red-ball four-day matches in Lucknow with the Australia A side. This is his third trip to the subcontinent, and he seems to have a reference point for what to do in these conditions, which are usually favourable to spin.”I guess the first time we came over here [with the Australia Under-19s], you have to play the bowling differently to Australian spinners because the conditions are more extreme,” Peake said. “Batting for ten minutes, I was absolutely cooked at the time. So, I had to learn how to sort of take a bit more pressure off mentally and try and relax a bit more. And then sort of worry about technique after that because if you can’t bat for more than 10 minutes, then you’re not going to have too much hope.”But, yeah, at the moment, trying a few different things like getting lower in my stance, try and be really proactive on my feet to the best I can. That’s something that all the boys are all doing pretty well. And then evolving with a few sweep shots and reverse-sweeps and stuff like that to counter the bowler’s best balls as well.”Ollie Peake was part of the Sri Lanka tour in early 2025 as a development player•Getty ImagesHaving coped with Chennai’s unforgiving heat and former Ranji Trophy champions Saurashtra during a three-day red-ball fixture at the MRF ground, Peake has been trying to find ways to accumulate runs in risk-free fashion.”I’ve picked up heaps of stuff in the last five or six days,” Peake said. “The training has been really intense and super beneficial as well. Apart from different sweep shots, I’m in the process of trying different stuff like how to defend more off the back foot, score off the back foot a lot more. So, I’m just trying to sort of find ways to mitigate risk and score quickly when the conditions are really extreme.”Peake believes his time with the senior Australia side in Sri Lanka is a key step in his progress.”It was a pretty cool experience going over there and learning off guys who I’ve watched on TV for ten years,” Peake said. “A lot of the stuff that I got out of the trip was not necessarily in the nets batting; it was more talking to people about their pathway and how they approach spin bowling and what they do outside of cricket as well. I found most value just talking to people, having dinner and that was really beneficial.”

It feels like it’s all happening pretty quick. I absolutely love playing cricket and travelling the world. You couldn’t really ask for too many better things, could you? But I don’t think it’s a fluke by any degreeOllie Peake on his rapid rise

Peake is still a teenager and has played just six professional games so far in senior cricket, but selectors see him as a player with immense potential and the Geelong cricket community sees him as their next hero after Aaron Finch.”It [Geelong] is a cool place to grow up,” Peake said. “I think everyone’s aspiring to be like Finchy in Geelong and dad [Clinton Peake] was lucky to play with him for a few years for Geelong cricket club and yeah, to learn off dad as well at Geelong has been great and the community is unreal.”The cricket club is really giving and really generous with their time. I think I’ve been there my whole life, so it’s pretty cool to try and turn into Finchy and for kids to look up to me in a way is a cool thing in a bit of a full circle moment.”When he was growing up Peake also played first-team football for Geelong Grammar before an injury seemingly ended his football ambitions. At Geelong Grammar, Peake was mentored by the late Troy Selwood, and he credits the former Brisbane Lions midfielder for shaping his sporting career.”A lot of my best mates are actually footy players, so I can still sort of connect with AFL and I guess live vicariously through them in a way and get my footy kick out of that,” Peake said. “Troy was a massive mentor for me. He really helped me with that sort of balance, life balance, which inevitably helps with your chosen sports performance and he was huge for me from Year 10 to 12. But I did love my footy growing up.”Ollie Peake will be pushing for a regular spot in the Victoria side this season•Getty ImagesClinton has been in his son’s shoes before – in 1995 at the MCG, he became the first player to record a triple-century in youth Tests – and continues to be a sounding board for Ollie.”We train in Geelong and whenever I feel like I’m not really batting too well, he [dad] is probably someone that I can go back to,” Peake said. “I do it less frequently now but after I walk away from a session with him, I feel ready to go to play against anyone.”I reckon probably my best skill in cricket is sort of the way that I think about the game, not necessarily having a really good pull shot or cut shot or cover drive. It’s more mental skills. So I think it’s been trained along the journey. I think dad’s been a massive help for that.”Peake’s elevation to the Australia A team may seem rapid from the outside, but for him it’s reward for his behind-the-scenes grind for a number of years.”Not a blur as such but, yeah, it’s definitely going from one thing to the other,” Peake reflected on his rise. “It feels like it’s all happening pretty quick. I absolutely love playing cricket and travelling the world. You couldn’t really ask for too many better things, could you? But I don’t think it’s a fluke by any degree.”I think it sort of goes back to Covid, when I was training every day and banking up hours and it just feels like everything sort of clicked. Very fortunate to be able to represent all these different teams.”It may not be too long before Peake makes the step-up to the main Australia team, especially if he has a successful tour of India with the A team in September.

Gazi Tyres and Partex earned promotion into next season’s DPL competition

Mohammad Isam13-May-2023

Key takeaways

Abahani Limited clinched the Dhaka Premier League title for the 21st time and the fourth time since the tournament became a List-A competition. They beat defending champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by four wickets in a last-over finish at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in front of a crowd of at least one-thousand, and a full press box. It concluded Bangladesh’s domestic season with its most successful team returning to win the coveted trophy for the first time since the 2018-19 season.Abahani and Shiekh Jamal Club, coincidentally both from the Dhanmondi neighbourhood, went into this game on 26 points each after Abahani dropped crucial points in the penultimate round against Gazi Group Cricketers. If Abahani had beaten them on May 10, this game would have been just a formality. Abahani didn’t fall at the final hurdle, though, winning the title they first won in the 1974-75 season.Prime Bank Cricket Club took third position after their 73-run win against Gazi Group, while Legends of Rupganj finished the season with a four-wicket defeat against Mohammedan Sporting Club.

Best batters

Abahani’s Mohammad Naim struck two fifties in the last two matches, including a 145-run opening stand with Anamul Haque in the finale against Sheikh Jamal. Naim (932 runs) and Anamul (834 runs) finished as the top two run-getters in the tournament. Anamul’s three centuries were the most in the competition.Afif Hossain was adjudged player-of-the-match for his unbeaten 60 in the last game. He also finished the competition with a bit of a flourish, much needed for a man vying for a World Cup place. Among the young batters, Naim and Saif Hassan stood out with their runs while Amite Hasan and Tanzid Hasan struck hundreds each.

Best bowlers

Sheikh Jamal’s overseas recruit Parvez Rasool was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. He took 33 wickets with 17.93 average and two four-wicket hauls. Shinepukur Cricket Club‘s left-arm spinner Hasan Murad was the highest wicket-taker among the home bowlers, taking 25 wickets at 18.40 average. His 3.97 runs per over was also remarkable. City Club‘s Robiul Haque was the local fast bowler with most wickets, taking 23 wickets.

Best match

Abahani beating Sheikh Jamal in the tournament finale stood out. Sheikh Jamal recovered from 16 for 3 in the fifth over, to take 79 runs in the last five overs to take their total to 282 for 7 in 50 overs. Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 89 powered the Sheikh Jamal total, hitting eight fours and three sixes in his 70-ball stay.Abahani’s openers Naim and Anamul added 145 for the opening stand but the middle-order couldn’t immediately take advantage. But Afif added 68 runs for the fifth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, before completing the win with a 14-run unbroken seventh-wicket stand with Tanzim Hasan Sakib who hit the winning boundary.

Points to ponder

Apart from the six Super League clubs, Rupganj Tigers, Brothers Union, City Club and Shinepukur remained in the Dhaka Premier League for next season. From the league below, Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy and Partex Sporting Club earned promotion for next season’s DPL. Agrani Bank and Dhaka Leopards go down to the Dhaka First Division Cricket League.

Players to watch

Afif and Parvez Hossai Emon had a 100-plus strike-rate among batters to score more than 500 runs in this season. Mahmudullah’s pursuit for a World Cup spot got a bit of a boost with six fifties for Mohammedan. Afif too will be in the selectors’ mind. Anamul Haque and Naim have done enough to be considered as backup openers in the ODI setup.Among the younger bowlers, Robiul Haque, Tipu Sultan and Sumon Khan were among the wickets. Mrittunjoy Chowdhury did enough to earn an ODI spot, but Tanzim and Rejaur Rahman will also be in the bowling coach’s mind.

Ramiz Raja, the new PCB chairman, was among the many voices from Pakistan expressing their disappointment at New Zealand’s decision to abandon the tour

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2021

Crazy day it has been! Feel so sorry for the fans and our players. Walking out of the tour by taking a unilateral approach on a security threat is very frustrating. Especially when it’s not shared!! Which world is NZ living in??NZ will hear us at ICC.

— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) September 17, 2021