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With the country co-hosting the T20 World Cup, Pankaj Khimji believes the national team will be stronger contenders in their second appearance in the tournament

Interview by Shashank Kishore03-Oct-2021A decade ago Oman didn’t have a single grass cricket field. Today, there are two, next to each other, in Al Amerat, a short drive from the capital, Muscat. These two venues will put Oman on the cricket map when it hosts six matches in the first round of the 2021 T20 World Cup. With the national team participating and looking to qualify for the Super 12s, it’s widely seen as a landmark moment for cricket in the country, as Pankaj Khimji, chairman of Oman Cricket, says.Give us a sense of how big it is for Oman to be hosting a World Cup.
How often does an Associate nation get to host a World Cup?I’m told by Star Sports [the host broadcasters] that this might turn out to be the third-largest televised sporting event of all time, potentially reaching an audience of 3 to 3.5 billion people. Even if Oman gets a billion people watching the first six games, and showcases itself just to the Indian subcontinent, it’s massive. It has never happened before, so we’re over the moon. We have the full blessings and support of every authority in the country, right from the highest body to the local municipal council, saying let’s put Oman on the map.Related

• The World Cup showed that Associates have not kept up in T20 – because they're playing too few games

• Well-prepped Oman primed to usher in new era against first-timers PNG

• T20 World Cup to have fans at 70% capacity across venues

• Maqsood to lead Oman at T20 World Cup, uncapped Dhamba, Ayan make the cut

• Men's T20 World Cup 2021 – what the squads look like

What is the mood among the cricket fraternity in Oman about the team’s participation?
Two things. One, Oman is going to be seen by a global audience. Few people remember we made history by beating Ireland at the T20 World Cup last time [in 2016 in India]. Now we’re probably one of the only Asian Associates to qualify for the second round of a T20 World Cup. It’s no fluke.Two, we’ve defined our purpose. We are here among the top 20 in the world in white-ball cricket. No one can tell us we made it to one World Cup and vanished. We’re hoping to qualify for the Super 12s. The team is focused on that. If we do that, we will automatically qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia too. So the motivation is high. Suddenly a whole new band of football-loving people are saying we’ve done an amazing thing by bringing a World Cup to Oman.How have you managed to prepare the team in these Covid times, where match time has been elusive?
We’re all amateur cricketers in Oman. We play weekend cricket. Our domestic season comprises weekend tournaments from September to April. All our boys have come back from hibernation five, six weeks ago. In this time, the trainers have got them back into shape, getting them to lose the kilos they’ve put on. That said, the team is in super shape.We played a very good T20 series against Mumbai, beating them 2-1. After the series, at a dinner, Amol Muzumdar [the Mumbai coach] told me, “You guys managed to ignite the kind of fire [within the Mumbai team] even I couldn’t.” The T20 series loss spurred Mumbai to beat us convincingly in the one-dayers, but then we couldn’t have got better practice than playing a quality side like Mumbai. When you train against a tougher opponent, you learn. Weaker opponents just help you to loosen up. A side with an average age of 22-23 against ours, whose average is 33-34. It was literally like a young team against a veteran’s team. The preparation has been excellent.The Mumbai team that toured Oman for three T20Is and three ODIs in September•Oman CricketTell us about your director of cricket, Duleep Mendis, and his influence over the team.
He’s been with us for ten years now. I don’t think he thought he’d hang around for this long. At Oman Cricket, we count our blessings to have him shaping our team. Since qualifying for the 2016 T20 World Cup, we’ve moved somewhere from being ranked 40th to about 14th or 15th in white-ball cricket. What more can we ask for? He has built it step by step.The World Cricket League (WCL) is a measure of our qualifying pathway to the 2023 ODI World Cup, and after a third of the matches, we’re on top of the standings. The only thing I tell my colleagues is, let’s not interfere with the cricket, let’s leave that to Duleep. We’re just administrators. So as long as you draw the line and let him get on with the cricket, it’ll be terrific. Cricket isn’t a judgmental sport like football, where you sack the manager if you lose five in a row. Losses are part and parcel of the progression. Fortunately, we’ve won more than we’ve lost [in the last five years].Is there a feeder system in place for talent?
We have a wonderful school system here, and currently four players have come through to the national team from the Under-13s to 16s, 19s, to the main side. The Indian and Pakistani school system is very strong here, and we’re trying to strengthen it further. We have a mix of home-grown players and expats. A lot more players who haven’t had the opportunity to flourish back in their country may now consider Oman as a place to pursue their interest.We rolled out our grassroots development programme in January 2020 [before Covid hit]. We adopted ten government schools, where our coaches teach boys and girls aged as young as eight-nine the basics of the game and then see if they can take it to the next level. We get them over to our main ground and allow them to train at the indoor centre, try to inculcate the fun factor. They don’t get to watch much cricket at times, so we try to ensure they play as much as possible. We have a strong residential block around our main venue in Al Amerat, and we’ve thrown it open to the residents to come over and have their evening walks, use our lawns to exercise. We’re doing what we can to see if in another ten to 15 years we can have 50% of Omanis constituting the national team.Oman’s players, most of whom have day jobs, have only recently returned to training ahead of their series against Mumbai and the World Cup•Oman CricketHow long before you think cricket goes fully professional in Oman?
We’d rather be realistic and keep it as a semi-professional structure. All our players have nine-to-five jobs. They still find it difficult to get leave for camps and big tournaments. Some players are on a semi-hybrid contract, where they’re employed by an organisation but paid for by Oman Cricket [when they’re absent from work]. We’d honestly much rather be rookies pulling the carpet out from under some of the higher-ranked teams rather than regularly beating the smaller teams. You can’t hope to go fully professional when you have a team largely comprising expats. That doesn’t sound right.A tournament of this magnitude calls for massive infrastructure upgrades. How have you gone about it?
Our ground [at Al Amerat] was like a glorified English countryside venue. We had a clubhouse on one side, which is one-third the size of the CCI [Cricket Club of India, in Mumbai] club house. The rest of it was full of neem and gulmohar trees, and benches of the kind you see in parks across London, where two or three people sit on each bench and enjoy a game of weekend cricket. But as World Cup hosts, we had to change that, so we first chalked out how many people we want to allow. With Covid protocols coming in, we said 3000 could be manageable. So from 200-300 we’d host on park benches, we’re now ready to host 3000.We’ve put up 30 air-conditioned corporate boxes and a media centre at a vantage location above the sightscreen. One commentary box isn’t enough because we now have commentary in multiple languages, so we had to develop a huge area for that. I can’t say we have the Lord’s media box, but we’ve got a nice little set-up. Then we were told 1000 lux [for floodlights] is a thing of the past. If you want to televise an event on 4K HD imagery, you need a minimum of 3500 lux. Then we were told you don’t use metal halide lamps anymore, we need LED lamps that you can switch on and off with a flick of a finger. So we got that done up.One by one, everything is now in place. It’s just six games, but it’s the World Cup. So these are exciting times.

Real Madrid’s plea to delay their La Liga opener has been denied, forcing the club to play Osasuna despite minimal preseason preparation.

• Madrid requested a delay for Matchday one
• RFEF’s sole judge denied the appeal
• Los Blancos return to training on August 4

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Madrid’s formal request to delay their La Liga opener against Osasuna on August 19 has been rejected by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The club argued that they needed more time for preseason preparation following their involvement in the Club World Cup and a mandatory 21-day holiday break.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Los Blancos hoped to push their season start to Matchday two, citing a lack of adequate training time. However, RFEF’s sole referee for professional competitions, Jose Alberto Pelaez, ruled that the reasons provided didn’t meet the "force majeure" criteria. He noted that the Club World Cup was already scheduled and not an unforeseen event, and Madrid were never left with fewer than 11 available players.

• TELL ME MORE…

  Xabi Alonso’s squad is set to resume training on August 4, but with the league opener on August 19, the club claimed they wouldn’t get the minimum three-week preparation window. Despite this, the judge emphasised that the three-week prep is not guaranteed under any collective agreement and that Madrid still had a full squad of 23 players. The appeal was dismissed, and the match will proceed as scheduled at Santiago Bernabeu.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Los Blancos now have 48 hours to submit an appeal to the National Appellate Committee. If that fails, the club can escalate the matter to the Spanish Court of Arbitration for Sport (CASA), however the chances of success remain slim based on the current ruling.

For West Indies, Kemar Roach is unwell, while Joshua Da Silva has been dropped

Danyal Rasool16-Jan-2025

Big picture: Expect plenty of turn in Multan

The timing of this series does not exactly help raise its profile. It comes after the top two World Test Championship (WTC) berths have been decided at the tail-end of the cycle. West Indies are at the bottom of the standings, Pakistan only fractionally ahead of them. This series was originally due to be held in January 2024 and would have carried the potential to turn a side’s cycle around but T20Is against New Zealand replaced it. This time, in that larger competition, it is little more than a basement battle.At a remove from the WTC, though, there’s more intrigue. West Indies will be playing a Test in Pakistan after more than 18 years, although they have played Pakistan in the UAE in the meantime. This series will be a continuation of the PCB’s experiment, so successful against England last year, to turn the pitches in Pakistan into havens for spin bowling. It was in Multan, where both Tests against West Indies will be held, that this was first tried. Pakistan have made no secret they will look to replicate it there again, with heaters and a makeshift greenhouse making this look as much cutting-edge horticulture as pitch preparation.They have the squad, especially the bowlers, for such conditions, too. The express quicks have been left out, and Sajid Khan is back to partner Noman Ali, as is Abrar Ahmed, who had missed the last two Tests against England with illness. Shan Masood continues to lead the side. He will open the innings in a batting line-up that has also seen a tweak. Abdullah Shafique’s loss of form and Saim Ayub’s injury have pushed Masood up the order and also brought Muhammad Hurraira into the fold who is set to make his debut.Related

• Pakistan go spin-heavy for WI Tests, leave out Abbas and Naseem

• Andre Coley hopes WI batters back up good work of the bowlers

• Jangoo earns maiden WI Test call-up for Pakistan tour; Motie back

But the spin-experiment could meet more resistance from West Indies than it did from England. The latter attempted to subdue Pakistan with the same cavalier belligerence that has served them well on flatter tracks, ending up playing right into the hosts’ hands. West Indies are unlikely to do the same, and while they do not possess a star-studded batting line-up, they will show up with one that has experience in these conditions – as well as a spin attack that can potentially thrive in them.However, West Indies sit at the bottom of the WTC points table for a reason. Their results – both at home and away – haven’t been consistent enough. The exhilarating win over Australia in Brisbane feels like a long time ago. It was followed up by England clean-sweeping them away, a home series defeat against South Africa, and a drawn one against Bangladesh.They are aware things need to change, and have made a significant call already; vice-captain Joshua Da Silva has been dropped after a run of underwhelming performances with the bat. However, Brathwaite and his team will know their problems run deeper than that, and this series allows them, at the very least, the chance to move off the bottom.

Form guide

Pakistan: LLWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)

West Indies: LWLDLGudakesh Motie’s height gives him a whole array of options to work with•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Saud Shakeel and Gudakesh Motie

Batters proficient at negotiating spin-friendly conditions will become invaluable, and this is where Saud Shakeel comes in. In theory, Shakeel should thrive with the slow, low turn Multan will provide. But he has, somewhat counter-intuitively, suggested he enjoys playing on quicker wickets. And in Pakistan’s most recent Test in Multan against England, where spin was heavily favoured, Shakeel scored 35 runs across two innings. On the whole, though, he still averages over 50 in six innings on this ground, and if he can come close to matching that in what is likely to be a quick, low-scoring game, he could well be a point of difference with the bat.Few people should enjoy this series more than Gudakesh Motie. West Indies’ perceived greater spin ability than England makes the preparation of slow-turning tracks potentially riskier than it was against England, and it is the left-arm orthodox that Pakistan will be most wary of. Nine Tests in, Motie’s ceiling remains to be determined, but his height gives him a whole array of options to work with on surfaces conducive to his skill set. Motie has a better bowling average than Sajid and almost the same as that of Noman – Pakistan’s most potent threats in these conditions against England – even if 19 of his 28 wickets have come against Zimbabwe.

Team news: Roach unwell, Imlach to debut

Pakistan have named their XI, featuring three spinners, as well as uncapped Muhammad Hurraira.Pakistan (probable): 1 Shan Masood (capt), 2 Muhammad Hurraira, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Kamran Ghulam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Agha, 8 Noman Ali, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Khurram ShahzadKemar Roach is unwell, while Anderson Phillip is not likely to be picked either in what is set to be a spin-heavy West Indies side. In Roach’s absence, their seam attack will be led by Jayden Seales. Tevin Imlach, who made an unbeaten 57 against Pakistan Shaheens in the tour game, will make his international debut in Multan. Meanwhile, Da Silva has been dropped, with uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo all but set to debut.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Justin Greaves, 4 Tevin Imlach, 5 Alick Athanaze, 6 Kavem Hodge, 7 Amir Jangoo (wk), 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Kevin Sinclair, 10 Jomel Warrican, 11 Jayden SealesWest Indies last played a Test in Pakistan in 2006•AFP

Pitch and conditions

This is the question, isn’t it? Pakistan continue to rage against the elements, determined to suck the Multan surface dry in bitter cold by erecting a greenhouse on the square to heat the surface up. This has never been attempted here in January before, though Pakistan did succeed in bending the Rawalpindi surface against England to their will in October. If they’re successful once more, expect significant turn right from the outset, and for spin to operate almost across the Test without pause. The weather, meanwhile, is expected to be bitterly cold.

Stats and trivia

• Kraigg Brathwaite is 99 runs away from surpassing Richie Richardson’s Test tally, and 149 away from becoming the tenth West Indies batter to score 6000 Test runs.
• The last Test these two sides played in Multan, in November 2006, saw just 27 wickets fall across more than 439 overs and five days, with more than 1400 runs scored.

Quotes

“Home conditions are very important in Test cricket. We’ve adopted a certain style of play and pitch preparation, and we want to take the momentum of the England series forward.”
“We’ve adjusted well – similar conditions to Islamabad [where the warm-up game was held]. We have acclimatised and are looking forward to the Tests.”

Also: who has collected the most golden ducks in Tests?

Steven Lynch02-Aug-2021Wanindu Hasaranga took four wickets in a T20I on his 24th birthday recently. Was this the best birthday bowling performance? asked Anura de Silva from Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga’s 4 for 9 against India in Colombo last week was indeed the best performance in a T20I by a player on his birthday. The only other man to take four was another legspinner, Imran Tahir, who claimed 4 for 21 for South Africa against Netherlands in the World T20 in Chittagong, on his 35th birthday in March 2014. Next comes Francis Damiao Couana, with 3 for 10 for Mozambique against Malawi in Blantyre, on his 23rd birthday in November 2019, and Yuvraj Singh, who took 3 for 23 for India against Sri Lanka in Mohali on his 28th birthday in December 2009.The one-day international record is held by Vernon Philander, who took 4 for 12 for South Africa against Ireland in Belfast on his 22nd birthday in June 2007; it was also his international debut. England’s Stuart Broad claimed 4 for 44 against Australia in Cardiff on his 24th birthday in June 2010.I noticed that Neil Wagner has now played more than 50 Tests without ever appearing in a one-day international. Is this a record for the ODI era? asked Sanket Singh from India

The World Test Championship final in Southampton in June was the 54th Test match for New Zealand’s Neil Wagner – and you’re right, he has not appeared in a one-day international (or a T20I) in that time. The record (since ODIs started in 1970-71) is 71 Tests but no ODIs, by England’s Mark Butcher, which always struck me as rather odd, since he was an attacking player who had a pretty good county one-day record.Two Sri Lankans are next on the list: Kaushal Silva has so far played 39 Tests but no ODIs, while Tharanga Paranavitana won 32 Test caps without cracking the white-ball team. The great offspinner Erapalli Prasanna played 27 of his 49 Tests after the first ODI in 1970-71, and never did appear in a one-day game for India.The Pakistan batter Azhar Ali has so far played 87 Tests without appearing in a T20I while Cheteshwar Pujara is just behind with 86 Test caps before the series against England. VVS Laxman played 73 of his 134 Tests after T20Is started in 2004-05, while current batters Dimuth Karunaratne and Kraigg Brathwaite have played 72 and 70 Tests respectively, but no T20Is. Brathwaite, indeed, has never played a professional T20 match of any description.Who has collected the most golden ducks in Tests? asked Kerry Canning from Australia

There’s a Sri Lankan flavour to the top of this particular list: Muthiah Muralidaran was out first ball on 14 occasions in Tests, three more than his successor as the side’s No. 1 spinner, Rangana Herath. The only other man in double figures is Courtney Walsh, with ten, although he might yet be joined by Stuart Broad, who’s currently level with Steve Harmison and New Zealand’s Chris Martin on nine.Overall, Walsh leads the way with 43 Test ducks (not just first-ballers), six ahead of Broad, with Martin (36), Glenn McGrath (35), Shane Warne (34), Ishant Sharma (33) and Murali (33) all over 30.Muthiah Muralidaran has 14 golden ducks against his name in Tests•Adam Davy/Getty ImagesI remember hearing a story about someone who didn’t actually see any of the only first-class match he ever played, after a late call-up – does this ring any bells? asked Frank McDonald from England

I think the man you’re referring to is Percy Herbert, who is in the record books as having played one first-class game, for the Gentlemen of the South against Players of the South at The Oval in 1920. This was a benefit match for Surrey’s pavilion attendant, and as such seems to have been quite a relaxed affair. Percy Fender was the captain of the Gents’ team, and on the first day, a Saturday, he discovered he was a man short – so he sent a message to his uncle, a decent club cricketer, asking him to make up the numbers. The other Percy, who was nearly 42 at the time, couldn’t make it on the first day, on which the Players racked up 551, with Jack Hobbs scoring 115. Herbert was ready to go on the Monday – but rain prevented any play on that day or the next, so he didn’t actually see any of the action.Uncle Percy is not alone. An entertaining book by Keith Walmsley, called Brief Candles – about those who made just one first-class appearance – was published by the Association of Cricket Statisticians in 2012. It lists a dozen people who never set foot on the field of play, and a couple of them (in addition to Herbert) were probably not at the ground for any of the play that was possible.Regarding last week’s question about players who scored fifties on their one-day and T20 international debuts, shouldn’t Robin Uthappa be on the list? asked Atul Kumar Yadav from India

Robin Uthappa hit 86 in his first one-day international, against England in Indore back in April 2006, but he didn’t bat on his T20I debut, against Scotland in Durban during the inaugural World T20 in 2007. Uthappa was particularly unlucky, as that match was abandoned – but because the toss had been made, it counts in the records, thanks to an ICC decision from 2004. Uthappa did score 50 in his next match, against Pakistan in Durban the following day. We seem to have this conversation every other week, but that was his second match, not his debut. It’s admittedly unfortunate for Uthappa, but if there was a list of such things he’d have to be a footnote rather than an entry on the main list.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Arsenal have now held talks over a deal for an “unbelievable” forward, amid doubts over Gabriel Martinelli’s future, according to a report.

Gunners could now be ready to sell Martinelli

It has been revealed that Mikel Arteta may now be ready to sell Martinelli this summer, as the manager looks to reshuffle his squad, and AC Milan have emerged as potential suitors, with Rafael Leao’s future at the San Siro still very much up in the air.

Should the Gunners decide to cash in on the Brazilian, they would be looking to receive a fee of at least £50m, although he is currently planning to fight for his place in the starting XI, and has no plans of pushing for a move elsewhere.

It would certainly seem harsh to sell the 23-year-old, considering he has been a regular source of goals and assists over the past four seasons, but Arteta has shown he is willing to make big decisions in the past, most notably replacing Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya.

According to a report from Football Transfers, Arsenal have now held talks over a deal to sign West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus, who could seemingly be brought in as a replacement for Martinelli, as he is said to be capable of playing on both flanks.

However, the two London clubs may be some way apart in their valuation of Kudus, as he has a €100m (£84m) release clause in his West Ham contract, while the Gunners are hesitant to stump up more than €55m-€60m (£46m – £51m).

The Ghanaian is keen to leave the Hammers this summer, as he intends to play in Europe next season, meaning a move to the Emirates Stadium could be of great appeal, although Chelsea and Newcastle United are also in the race for his signature.

"Unbelievable" Kudus could excel at the Emirates

The 2024-25 campaign was not the 24-year-old’s best, picking up just five goals and three assists in the Premier League, but he was part of a West Ham side that underperformed as a whole, and the winger’s previous exploits indicate he could be a success at Arsenal.

Indeed, the former Ajax man enjoyed a very impressive debut campaign in England, amassing 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions, during which time he was lauded as “unbelievable” by teammate Michail Antonio.

Antonio was left particularly blown away by the winger’s dribbling ability, which was also on display regularly last season, despite not setting up or scoring as many goals as in previous campaigns.

There are certainly signs that Kudus could kick on at the Emirates Stadium, but that said, he should not be brought in as a direct replacement for Martinelli, considering the Brazil international is still young, and it would be very harsh to sanction his departure this summer.

The Blue Jays are signing starting pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Cease was one of the most sought-after arms on the market this winter. Just two years after striking out on a frontline starter in Shohei Ohtani, the Blue Jays have struck big time with Cease.

Last season, Cease went just 8–12 with a 4.55 ERA in 168.0 innings pitched. However, Toronto is banking on the former Cy Young runner-up returning to form to help solidify the starting rotation.

The Blue Jays went 94–68 last season and lost to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. Toronto is expected to be in the mix in the American League pennant race once again in 2026 with Cease figuring to be a major part of the rotation.

Less than 24 hours out from ball one, Shan Masood and his team were still weighing up whether to play a spinner at the expense of a fast bowler in the XI

Danyal Rasool02-Jan-2025There’s a fine line between maximum preparation and cluelessness, and Pakistan are trying to make sure they tread the right side of it. With less than 24 hours to go before the second Test, Pakistan have not yet named a final XI, wanting to glean as much information as possible about what the Newlands surface will do. However, the later, they leave it, the harder it is to make the case the visitors have a side they will be comfortable with heading into the game.The captain Shan Masood admitted balancing the team was “tricky”. “We’d like to have one final look at the pitch,” he said. “Looks a bit different, less grass cover. South Africa have had the luxury of having a training session earlier than us. We’d like to take our time and see what the best possible XI is.”The Newlands surface is under scrutiny following what happened in the previous Test played here. In the first Test for new groundsman Braam Mong, India beat South Africa in a game which lasted barely 100 overs. Fast bowlers dominated the game, with uneven bounce between bat and ball, with no spin bowled; the pitch was given an “unsatisfactory” rating.Related

• Invincible Rickelton gives his international cred a shot in the arm

• Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma centuries drive South Africa's day

• Deflated Pakistan look to set record straight in South Africa and level series

• Pakistan bring in 2025 with rigorous training session

• Not yet 19, Maphaka has a chance to 'be the man for the team'

With this being the same groundsman’s second Test, interest in the nature of this strip is high on both sides, with Temba Bavuma half-joking he was told he “wasn’t allowed to talk about the pitch”. Over the last couple of days, the strip that will see the Test played has had a significant amount of grass removed from it, with heavy rollers going over the surface multiple times.Either way, South Africa have named their side, with spinner Keshav Maharaj coming in. But it’s a bit more complex for Pakistan. Masood pointed out one of South Africa’s strengths was their seam bowling allrounders and deep batting line-up, saying it went right down to “Rabada at 10″, following his heroics in the fourth innings in Centurion.If Pakistan are to play a specialist spinner, it will invariably come at the expense of a seam bowler. That leaves them with just three seamers, which Masood appeared reluctant to commit to.”South Africa still have four seamers playing,” Masood said. “They have the luxury of quite a lot of allrounders in the squad. Mulder, Jansen, Bosch, so they can afford to make those decisions. For us, it’ll be slightly trickier. We still feel pace will have a large role to play in these conditions. There was a pattern that was successful for us where [Salman] Agha bowled really well in Australia and take that forward with us. We’ll have to see and probably make a decision in the evening.Further complicating matters, Aamer Jamal, who played the least significant role among the quicks in Centurion for Pakistan, is their only allrounder, with Masood effectively confirming his place in the XI.”Aamer links the team together. He’s a very important player in the Test team going forward. That No. 8 position where you can bat as a very decent batter and bowl like a proper fast bowler. Unfortunately, the situation of the match was such apart from his first spell at Centurion he didn’t really get a go. He was brought on at a time where we just took a gamble to have something different, maybe hit the wicket and force Rabada or Jansen to do something else. That was the reason behind that. But we hope he’ll bowl more on this surface.”It means whichever way Pakistan go, there will be compromises one way or another. But Masood said Pakistan had been taking heart from the way they competed against the side that are “No. 1″ in Test cricket. But with Pakistan letting slip a number of dominant positions over the last nine Tests, seven of which Pakistan lost, he understands belief in a side or a system can fall apart if results to prop it up aren’t forthcoming.”You want to compete against the best, and win against the best,” he said. “It’s heartening to compete, but we have to be ruthless, and we have to cross that line somewhere. There’s a lot of potential in that side, and if we’re not crossing the line, we’re not doing our talent and ability justice. That only comes from a place of care, and yes we all make mistakes and sometimes don’t cross this line, but I really believe this side has the ability, and people have seen there is a lot more to this side than the results suggest.”Moments after Pakistan finished training, the pitch was, unconventionally, given another heavy dose of watering under a hot sun. After that, the groundstaff threw a white sheet over the strip, and the two surrounding it. The secrets of this Newlands pitch remain concealed overnight, although, even when it stood exposed, few – especially in the Pakistan camp – seemed to really know what to expect from it.

Abdellah Ouazane’s move to Real Madrid collapsed after a failed medical, with Manchester United now expected to step up their interest.

• Ouazane failed his medical examination
• Initially chose not renew with Ajax
• United are interested in the okayer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ouazane had previously rejected a contract extension from Ajax, but following the collapse of his move to Real Madrid, the Dutch club are now hopeful of securing his renewal, according to

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Moroccan midfielder underwent a second medical examination with the Amsterdam UMC which showed that he has in perfect condition but somehow Real were not convinced. With Madrid stepping back from negotiations, English side United are interested in the midfielder.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Madrid have already completed the signing of Alvaro Carreras from Benfica. Carreras was a product of the Real Madrid youth system that has now shone through.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR OUAZANE AND MADRID ?

  Ouazane will hope that his failed medical examination with Madrid was only a clerical error. Madrid, meanwhile, will look elsewhere to strengthen their youth team with players like Nico Paz and Carreras showing how their youth system is capable of churning out some real gems.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have turned their attention towards the summer window and now have a versatile star on their radar that could be available for a modest fee, according to a report.

Wolverhampton Wanderers enter life without Matheus Cunha

Vitor Pereira deserves immense credit for preserving Wolves’ top-flight status since arriving at Molineux. However, the 56-year-old will be the first to admit that their successful survival mission wouldn’t have been possible without Matheus Cunha.

The Brazil international netted 15 goals in 33 Premier League appearances, all from open play, which will heighten the importance of finding a replacement for the classy forward amid his £62.5 million move to Manchester United.

In the midst of their hunt for reinforcements, Wolves are considering bringing former Al Shabab sporting director Domenico Teti to Molineux as part of a shake-up in their recruitment department.

Matt Hobbs has left the club and talks are underway to secure the 48-year-old as their new technical director. He has also occupied roles at Verona, Sampdoria, Lugano and Apoel Nicosia and would arrive with a vast knowledge of European and Asian markets.

Old Gold full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri appears set for a move to Manchester City, leading Wolves to pursue Brondby youngster Clement Bischoff as a direct successor due to his versatility across the left flank.

Romano: Wolves make approach to sign "highly rated" gem wanted in Europe

The Old Gold are making moves for the future…

By
Sean Markus Clifford

May 30, 2025

Despite avoiding the drop, the summer window will be one of change for Pereira’s men. Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss is also on their radar; nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the landscape lies when it comes to new faces in the West Midlands.

Now, another exciting figure who could help replace Cunha’s end product has come to the attention of the Wolves hierarchy, per recent reports.

Wolves battling to sign Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche

According to reports in Spain via Sport Witness, Wolves are in a three-way battle to sign Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche, who can also feature as a second striker or centre-forward.

Leeds United and Brentford are also keen on the Nigeria international – he has a release clause in his current deal at the La Liga side that can be triggered for £21 million this summer.

Dubbed “fabulous” by boss Jose Bordelas, the 22-year-old registered four goals and seven assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this term.

Earning international recognition for the first time this year, Uche is clearly a rising star and has previously been tracked by Chelsea due to his progress.

Cunha’s departure may mean that more than one solution is required to replicate his influence at Molinuex, but Wolves supporters can take solace from the fact that they are already scoping out the market for quality reinforcements.

Liverpool are still keeping tabs on Alexander Isak despite signing Hugo Ekitike, with the Newcastle United striker keen to leave St James’ Park. The Reds remain interested in a potential £130 million ($176m) move, but will only act if the Magpies soften their stance and Luis Diaz departs. Despite reports, it is now reported that Isak is not currently in talks with Al-Hilal.

• Liverpool still interested in Isak despite Hugo Ekitike arrival
• £130m package possible if Diaz leaves Anfield this summer
• Isak prefers top-level football over Saudi Pro League switch

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As per reports, Isak has formally told Newcastle United he wants to explore a move away, with Liverpool and Al-Hilal both showing interest. The Swedish striker missed the Magpies’ pre-season tour, officially due to injury, though speculation continues to rage about his future.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool have been in direct contact and are considering a bid if conditions align. As per Fabrizio Romano, despite securing the signing of Ekitike, the Reds still view Isak as a priority target. The transfer guru has added that the Reds are prepared to act if the Magpies agree to sell and if Diaz leaves Anfield.

• TELL ME MORE…

  The report also added that negotiations with Al-Hilal haven’t progressed as Isak prefers to continue playing in Europe. He is believed to be more open to joining a Premier League side, especially the current champions. Newcastle remain reluctant to let their star forward go, but a £150 million ($203m) offer could change their approach. The Swedish striker is also reportedly pushing for a new contract worth around £ 300,000 per week if he stays.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ISAK?

  Liverpool are monitoring the situation closely and may return with a formal offer if Newcastle shift their stance. Isak’s desire for top-level football makes a move to Merseyside more likely than Saudi Arabia. For now, Newcastle must decide whether to keep pushing for a contract extension or cash in.