Manchester United have now reportedly held internal talks about signing a Premier League midfielder who will be cheaper than Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

Man Utd prioritising Anderson move

Anderson has quickly become the most sought-after midfield talent in the Premier League. The Nottingham Forest star has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel’s best England side and put himself on the radar of Liverpool, Manchester City and those at Old Trafford.

In terms of the physical profile that thrives in the Premier League these days, he ticks several important boxes. They are, as things stand, boxes that Man United’s current options struggle to meet, which makes it no surprise that the Red Devils have reportedly identified Anderson as their top transfer priority.

A deal to sign Anderson will not come cheap, however. Some reports have claimed that he will cost clubs as much as £100m to sign in the summer. Whether United have the spending power to match the likes of City as a result is the question that those around Old Trafford will now be asking themselves.

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It’s clear that Ruben Amorim is seeking reinforcements too, having laughed off suggestions that Kobbie Mainoo could solve some of Man United’s problems. The United boss said when asked about the midfielder: “I see it. I just want to win, I try to put the players, I don’t look who it is, I don’t care about that, I’m just trying to put the best players on the pitch.”

As the Premier League’s top clubs chase Anderson and Forest set their price, however, United may have no choice but to turn towards Mainoo or cheaper alternatives in the market like Joao Gomes.

Man Utd hold internal talks about Joao Gomes

According to the Daily Mail, Man United have now held internal talks about signing Gomes to fix their midfield problems in 2026. The Wolverhampton Wanderers man will be cheaper than Anderson at a reported £44m and it will be interesting to see if the price drops if the Midlands club drop down to the Championship this season.

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Gomes may be a fair bit cheaper than Anderson, but the quality drop off is there for all to see. The Brazilian has by no means endured a poor season on a personal front even as Wolves have struggled. Alas, Anderson has blown him away in comparison both on and off the ball.

Dubbed a “super talent” by former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, it’s not a major surprise that Gomes has found himself on United’s radar. He ticks the box for Premier League experience for a bargain price tag, but he is ultimately not on the same level as the likes of Adam Wharton and Anderson.

He’s "similar to Xhaka": Man Utd to push Madrid for £30m Wharton alternative

تحدث مدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت، في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم الإثنين، قبل مباراة فريقه أمام ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وعلّق على المواجهات القوية التي تنتظره.

ويلاقي ليفربول خصمه ريال مدريد غدًا الثلاثاء، في مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا، ثم يواجه مانشستر سيتي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يوم الأحد القادم.

وعن مواجهات ليفربول القوية أولاً أمام ريال مدريد ثم مانشستر سيتي، قال سلوت: “لا، مباراة الأحد ليست في حساباتي عند اختيار التشكيل، أمامنا بضعة أيام بين المباراتين، بينما في فترات أخرى يكون لدينا فقط يومان بين المباريات، مثل الآن”.

وأضاف: “لكن هذه المرة، ولأول مرة هذا الموسم، سيكون الوضع متساويًا بيننا وبين الخصم من حيث عدد أيام الراحة لذلك، تشكيل الغد لن يكون له أي علاقة بمباراة الأحد”.

وعن جماهير ليفربول، طلب سلوت: “أدعوهم للحضور غدًا كما فعلوا يوم السبت، لقد قدّموا دعمًا كبيرًا، وغدًا نواجه فريقًا يمرّ بفترة رائعة، اللعب على أرضنا دائمًا ممتع، لأننا لم نلعب إلا مباريات خارج أرضنا تقريبًا، وقد أظهر آنفيلد أهميته يوم السبت”.

وحول خصميه ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي، أفاد: “كل مباراة نخوضها تُعدّ اختبارًا حقيقيًا، ليس كالمباريات السابقة، فقد لعبنا المباراتين على أرضنا، لكننا نلعب خارج أرضنا ضد السيتي”.

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وأسترسل :”عانى ريال مدريد من إصابات كثيرة، والآن تحسنت الأمور، نحن فريق مختلف، وقد أجرى السيتي بعض التغييرات مثلنا، كل مباراة نخوضها الآن تُعدّ اختبارًا حقيقيًا لنرى أين نحن، كان ذلك قبل أسبوع، وقبل أسبوعين، وهذا هو الحال هذا الأسبوع”.

وسُئل سلوت عن رأيه في تصريحات ستيفن جيرارد، وأجاب: “أجد صعوبة دائمًا في الرد على ما قاله شخص آخر، لن تكون هذه المرة الأولى في حياتي التي يغير فيها أحدهم كلمة أو كلمتين، لست متأكدًا مما قاله جيرارد، فهو من أشد مشجعي ليفربول”. 

وعلّق: “نواجه فريقًا كبيرًا وناجحًا للغاية، بفريق رائع، ومدرب ولاعبين رائعين، أحترم الجميع، مثل جيرارد، الذي يُقدّر ريال مدريد وليفربول بنفس القدر، لن أعلق على ما قاله”.

وكان جيرارد دافع عن سلوت في تصريحاته، وأشار إلى أن ليفربول سيحقق الفوز أمام ريال مدريد في ملعب “آنفيلد”.

وبشأن ريال مدريد، شدد: “بالنسبة لي، من الصعب مقارنة مباريات الموسم الماضي وهذا الموسم، عانى الفريق من إصابات عديدة الموسم الماضي، بينما قدم أنشيلوتي أداءً رائعًا، وضمّ بعض اللاعبين، وهذا قد يؤثر سلبًا على أسلوب اللعب، رأيتُ ريال مدريد جيدًا جدًا، والآن هو نفسه، لذا لطالما كان قوةً كبيرة، كم مرة وصلوا إلى نصف النهائي في السنوات القليلة الماضية؟ فريقٌ رائع”.

وفيما يتعلق بمدرب ريال مدريد الحالي تشابي ألونسو، أبدى رأيه متابعًا: “اسألوا تشابي، لا أعرف ماذا فعل… لسنوات عديدة، حقق نجاحًا باهرًا تحت قيادة كارلو أنشيلوتي، أربع بطولات دوري أبطال أوروبا! ليس سيئًا، لذا لا يسعنا إلا التحدث باحترام”.

وأتم: “لم يخسر تشابي سوى مباراة واحدة، ما هو تأثيره هنا؟ لقد فاز بدوري الأبطال هنا، ولا يسعني إلا أن أخبركم أن وقت لعبه كان منذ زمن بعيد، وكان له تأثير كبير على أدائه، لكن الجالسين بجانبي متفائلون أيضًا بشأن شخصيته ولاعبه عندما كان هنا في ليفربول”.

The former South Africa batter and captain looks back at her career, ahead to the World Cup in her country, and league life after

Firdose Moonda08-Feb-2023Mignon du Preez broke cricket’s glass ceiling in heels. Sort of.”When people hear the word ‘cricketer’, they think you need to be a little bit more butch. They don’t think you can be a cricketer and be girly. They think if you’ve got your nails done, surely you can’t catch a ball. I tried to show that you can still be a girly girl and be competitive,” she says. “There was a definitely a time when people would think cricket and that it’s only for boys.”Du Preez was one of the “Iconic Women” who took part in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour recently. Now retired and hoping to start a family, she played international cricket for over 15 years in a career that spanned South African women’s cricket’s transition from amateur to professional. And she did it all with long blonde hair.Related

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“We had to change people’s perception,” she says. “There was lack of visibility. Nobody knew about us. Our games were not televised and girls’ cricket was not a mainstream sport in schools. The hardest thing was to get girls to take up the sport.”Her own primary school did not have a girls’ team, so, like so many from the pioneering generation of women’s cricketers, she played with boys. “There was one parent that had a complaint because there was a girl [du Preez] in the team and their son was not playing and I remember the coaches said, ‘But she’s better than him,'” she says.There was no arguing with that. Du Preez was only 12 years old when she struck 258 in a 40-over match and “kind of realised that cricket could be a career choice”.Five years later she made her international debut. “It was during the holiday time and one of the players got injured and I got a call-up,” she says.Du Preez holds up the World Cup trophy during a promotional event for this year’s tournament in South Africa late last year•Liezl Zwarts/ICC T20 Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour by NissanIt was only seven years into her career that South Africa’s matches were first televised. In September 2014, SuperSport screened the three-match T20I series between South Africa and England. Earlier that year the team du Preez led reached the semi-final of the T20 World Cup. The broadcast interest in them was reward for a decent campaign but they were unable to repay the faith immediately. South Africa were completely outplayed in the first two matches in England and also lost the third, though they put up more of a fight in that game.At the time du Preez was halfway through her captaincy, a role she was thrust into almost by accident at 22, when the regular captain was injured. “I was a very young captain, so tactically I felt like I kind of was thrown into the deep end and I didn’t really know much,” she says. “On the first couple of tours, I almost needed to have script notes for who is going to bowl when and where.”But what I thought I was really good at was people-management skills. I had an open-door policy and definitely wanted to get the best out of the players. We weren’t professional and so we were just trying to change perceptions.”That same year du Preez played her first, and only, Test, where she scored the century she describes as one of her career highlights, although not for the reasons you may think.”It was really special but also quite a challenging experience. What I remember most was how I got out in the second innings,” she says. “Because I did so well in the first innings, I just kind of hoped I would pick up where I left off. Poonam Yadav was bowling to me and I had this plan that if she tossed it up, I was going to use my feet and hit her. But then also, she’s a legspinner, so a sweep was a good option if she tosses it down leg. She ended up tossing it up and down leg, I double-stepped and missed it completely and got stumped. It was not your typical Test-match shot. Today you can get away with it, with a lot of innovative cricket being played, but then it was not the typical dismissal you would see in a Test.”Most South Africans would not even have been aware that the match took place. The women’s team didn’t become a big part of the national cricket conversation until 2017, when du Preez stepped down from the leadership but played in her 100th ODI and South Africa made the semi-final of the 50-over World Cup. “That’s when people started taking notice and our players started becoming role models. That was where the big change happened,” she said.Du Preez during a partnership with Celeste Raack of Ireland in the Fairbreak tournament in 2022. “What made that tournament special was the camaraderie,” she says. “It was where sport just united everybody”•FairBreak GlobalNow in 2023, South Africa find themselves in focus in women’s sport. Last month they hosted the inaugural Under-19 women’s T20 World Cup, and this month they host the senior event. In July-August, they will stage the netball World Cup, and the national women’s football team will compete in the World Cup for the second successive time – an incredible feat against the backdrop of the men not qualifying for the same event in 20 years (they qualified automatically as hosts in 2010).Du Preez is no longer involved in a playing capacity for South Africa but remains a keen observer from the sidelines, and is still a sportsperson through and through. On the day of this interview she was also in the nets.”It’s almost like riding a bike but sometimes it’s not like that,” she says. “The last time I didn’t play for a while, I struggled to get the timing because I was just so eager to get bat on ball and I’d be too early on every shot. But today I think it was a lot more relaxed. I think that comes with age. Practice is there to make mistakes and it ended up being fewer mistakes than I thought.”Like so many female cricketers, du Preez has put her name in the hat for the WPL auction, where she hopes to get what could be a life-changing deal. Although she recognises that the growth of leagues could be a threat to the international game, having spent so much of her career in the amateur era, no one will begrudge her cashing in. “These leagues pay their players really well but ultimately you want your best players to be available for national selection, and to do that you also need to ensure that you pay them well enough so that they want to play for their country,” she says.Essentially that’s part of the story for her own reasons for retiring. After she opted to step away from ODI cricket in April last year, du Preez was unable to keep her central contract because CSA do not offer single-format-only deals. With bills to pay, du Preez decided to call it quits completely and seek opportunities in franchise leagues.She won’t be lured into a national comeback for the World Cup but will be involved in the tournament in a commentary role. She will be rooting for South Africa, though.”If I think with my heart, I’m going to say they are going to win,” she says. “But if I think with my head, realistically, Australia have dominated women’s cricket in the last couple of years and they are just so far ahead. They’ve got a lot of talent to pick from. In South Africa we don’t have such a big pool. But I am excited to see a few other teams. England – they’ve also invested quite a bit – and then India, they’ve been really good recently and it will be really good if they do well because if India does well, women’s cricket does well.”Du Preez top-scored with 76 not out in the semi-final of the 2017 50-over World Cup but it wasn’t enough to get South Africa across the line•Getty ImagesClosing the gap between those top-tier teams and the rest is a subject that interests du Preez. She was involved in the inaugural Fairbreak T20 tournament in the UAE last year and has since become a marketing consultant for the organisation. She sees competitions like that one as a way to level the playing field.”Fairbreak gives opportunities to players that come from Associate nations to earn a living from cricket. They get their first professional contract and they get to play alongside their heroes. We had all the big names, from Stafanie Taylor and Sophie Devine to Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka,” she says.And though events like Fairbreak are competitive, it’s less about which team wins or loses and more about individuals gaining from it. “What made that tournament even more special was the camaraderie. When you go to a World Cup or the WBBL or the Hundred, it’s really feisty and the competition is fierce. This tournament was where sport just united everybody. It was so good just to see the interaction between the players and how the players from the Full-Member nations shared their knowledge with the Associate players and how everybody was rooting for them to do well. I remember everyone cheering for Wini [Malaysia captain Winifred Duraisingam]. It’s growing and it’s going to offer more opportunities.”One of the players at the tournament was then 18-year-old Henriette Ishimwe from Rwanda, who went on to take four wickets in four balls at the U-19 World Cup, leading Rwanda to a historic first win at a major tournament. Well before Ishimwe achieved that feat, she had fans from her time at Fairbreak. “My husband actually asked me to speak to Henriette because he wanted her shirt,” du Preez says.And in doing that du Preez and her husband, Tony, shattered another glass ceiling. It’s only recently that female sportspeople, especially in team sports, have become role models and du Preez believes that as perceptions continue to change, that will only increase. “I was part of the commentary team for the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup and I was looking through the player bios and so many of the girls had women role models, and I was like, wow, we’ve done something right. Finally.”

Arsenal have been told exactly what it will take for Benjamin Sesko to leave RB Leipzig this summer, as his agent speaks out about reports linking his client with a move away from the Red Bull Arena.

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The north London clubs could go head-to-head.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2025

Sesko has just finished a career-best Bundesliga campaign, bagging 21 goals in all competitions, but he couldn’t quite guide Leipzig to a European spot – with the Germans missing out on a place in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League.

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It is the first time Leipzig haven’t qualified for Europe since their top-flight arrival in 2016, and this will surely get Sesko thinking about his immediate future as Arsenal reportedly circle to offer him a route out.

The Slovenia international is a top target for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, who’s been chasing his signature for 12 months.

Arsenal had a proposal rejected for Sesko last summer, who instead put pen to paper on a contract extension to remain at Leipzig and further his development, with the north Londoners also having an attempt rebuffed in January (Ben Jacobs).

They’re now trying to make it ‘third-time-lucky’ with another move for Sesko, and “concrete talks” have been taking place since late May (Florian Plettenberg). However, as things stand, Sky Germany are reporting that Arsenal are unwilling to match Leipzig’s financial demands for the centre-forward.

With plenty of work still to do, the 22-year-old’s own representative, Elvis Basanovic, has now provided an update on his client’s future in an interview with GiveMeSport this week.

Arsenal told key transfer condition by Benjamin Sesko's agent

Speaking to GMS, Basanovic has revealed the key condition for Sesko to depart Leipzig before summer deadline day on September 1.

The agent claims he’ll only leave Leipzig for a “special” new destination, refusing to clarify whether Arsenal fall into this category. When asked if the plan for Sesko is to find a new club, Basanovic said: “Well, his numbers at his age compared to some strikers with already great careers at his age are confirming my words.

“He will move from RB Leipzig only when we recognise a special club, a special project with a special coach.”

More worryingly for Arteta, the intermediary even suggested that Sesko could stay at Leipzig for years if they deem it the right call.

“It can be next week, or next year, or in 3 years,” Basanovic continued.

“Even if there may be – or will be – a strong desire of the player to move to a certain club, we will never force or blackmail RB Leipzig. I believe this is not the right way, because the way you actually exit from the club shows your values. Values that you are bringing into a new club.

“I can understand in very big transfers, there are a lot of different interests, but no matter what, I believe in the football world ‘there’ should be more respect. So that’s why we do things in the right way, or we don’t do them. It’s very simple, even maybe in the media it looks very complicated.”

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

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• 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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  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.

Signing a replacement for Andre Onana has seemingly been one of Manchester United’s biggest priorities since the start of the summer. Now, chasing exactly that, the Red Devils have reportedly joined the race to sign a Club World Cup star.

Man Utd's goalkeeper search goes on

Although reports have suggested that Onana believes he’ll still be the No.1 at Manchester United next season and he’s keen to fight for his place, Ruben Amorim may not share that view. The Portuguese manager must be ruthless and showing the Cameroon international the door should be one of his first acts this summer.

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That said, the Red Devils must get their next move right after Onana. They cannot risk signing another liability. Whoever arrives, be it Emiliano Martinez, Andriy Lunin, Diogo Costa or another option, simply has to be a significant upgrade on the former Inter Milan man.

Whilst Martinez has been the most prominent name in recent rumours, the numbers indicate that the Aston Villa man would not be the much-needed upgrade that Amorim needs, as highlighted by Statman Dave.

Four errors leading to shots is far from an ideal record, but signing Martinez wouldn’t exactly solve that problem for United. Instead, their troubles may simply take the shape of a new No.1 if they sign the World Cup winner this summer.

Those at Old Trafford certainly have plenty to think about and that thinking has reportedly seen them turn towards the Club World Cup for a fresh option.

Man Utd plotting John Victor move

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Manchester United are now plotting a summer swoop to sign John Victor from Botafofo who has a release clause worth just $8m (£6m).

The impressive shot-stopper agreed to stay put at the Brazilian side to play at the Club World Cup in a decision which has resulted in a moment to remember against Paris Saint-Germain.

Joining Alisson Becker as the only goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet against PSG this season, the Botafogo goalkeeper played a pivotal part as his side shocked the Champions League holders to win 1-0.

For just £6m, Manchester United could sign a goalkeeper who managed to keep Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia out and someone who is ready to step into European football.

Having reportedly sent scouts to watch the 29-year-old in action, United should be well aware of Victor’s talents and, more importantly, his ability to play at the very top level.

Rather than signing the likes of Martinez or Costa this summer, INEOS could yet turn towards an unexpected option in the Brazilian.

Manchester City have wasted no time in filling the famous No.10 shirt, handing it to French prodigy Rayan Cherki in the wake of Jack Grealish’s departure to Everton. The 21-year-old arrived from Lyon just before the FIFA Club World Cup in a deal worth €36 million (£30.5m), with further add-ons potentially inflating the fee.

Cherki takes City’s iconic No.10 shirtGrealish heads to Everton on loanGuardiola eyes fresh start for new season at MolineuxFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Cherki’s move is being billed as a long-term masterstroke, with City seeing him as a creative spark to help bridge the gap left by the exits of club icon Kevin De Bruyne and now Grealish. Known for his silky close control and ability to glide past defenders, the youngster has been on City’s radar since emerging as a standout talent in Ligue 1.

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Last season, Cherki notched the joint-highest number of assists (11) in the French top flight and was one of only two non-Paris Saint-Germain players to earn a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season. Soon, after his unveiling, he hinted at his preferred playing position, which aligns with his jersey number, "I prefer to play No.10, but right now I just want to play. Where I am on the pitch is not important; I just want to be on the pitch and help the team to win. I am ready.” 

DID YOU KNOW?

While Cherki’s arrival marks a new chapter, Grealish’s loan move to Everton marks the end of a turbulent period at City. The England international, signed for a British-record fee in 2021, has struggled for consistency under Guardiola and saw his minutes dwindle last season. 

Now heading to Merseyside on a season-long loan, Grealish will work under David Moyes in what could be a career-defining stint. Everton have secured an option to make the deal permanent next summer for around £50 million ($67m), a figure that could tempt City to cut ties for good if the 29-year-old flourishes. 

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

Pep Guardiola’s men will begin their Premier League campaign on Saturday with a trip to Molineux to face Wolves. After an underwhelming season, as per City's high standards, they will look to dethrone Liverpool from the perch and reclaim domestic dominance. 

England, meanwhile, will be looking to maintain their winning start to the tournament when they take on Scotland

Sruthi Ravindranath12-Oct-2024England vs ScotlandSharjah, 2pm local timeEngland squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni WyattScotland squad: Kathryn Bryce (capt), Chloe Abel, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Olivia Bell, Sarah Bryce (wk), Darcey Carter, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Saskia Horley, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Abtaha Maqsood, Megan McColl, Hannah Rainey, Rachel SlaterTournament form guide: England have won both matches they’ve played so far – against Bangladesh and South Africa – while Scotland are coming into the match having lost all three of their games.News brief: These teams will be facing each other for the first time in T20Is. England are coming into this match after a gap of five days, having last played against South Africa on Monday.Scotland are out of the semi-final race. The Group B table has three teams – England, West Indies and South Africa – still in contention for the semi-final, with England having the lowest net run rate among them. England will be looking to improve their NRR with a big win.”There was a little bit of illness at one point but I think hopefully everyone will be available,” England captain Heather Knight said of player availability ahead of the match.This will also be Scotland wicketkeeper-batter Lorna Jack-Brown’s last international match.Player to watch: Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been solid at top of the order for England. Chasing a tricky target of 125 on a slow Sharjah pitch, with left-arm spinners bowling from both ends, she dropped anchor after the early loss of Maia Bouchier and stitched a 64-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt. She finished with 43 in as many balls, which followed her Player-of-the-Match performance of 41 against Bangladesh.Harmanpreet Kaur’s 52 took India to a win against Sri Lanka•ICC via Getty ImagesAustralia vs IndiaSharjah, 6pm local timeAustralia squad: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia WarehamIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, S SajanaTournament form guide: Australia have three wins in three matches and are coming into this contest having comprehensively beaten Pakistan. With that win, they also all but sealed a semi-final spot thanks to their net run rate of 2.786. India have two wins in three games. In their previous match, they posted the highest total of the tournament so far – 172 for 3 – and in return bundled Sri Lanka out for 90 to post their biggest win by runs at the T20 World Cup.Related

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News brief: Australia have major injury concerns heading into the crucial clash. Just four balls into the match against Pakistan, Tayla Vlaeminck was out with a right shoulder dislocation. To make things worse, captain Alyssa Healy suffered “an acute right foot injury” while batting on 37 as she hobbled off the field with Australia needing 14 runs to win. Both players went for scans on Saturday.India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had hurt her neck in the match against Pakistan, turned up with a pain-relief patch on the right side of her neck during the Sri Lanka match. She also didn’t take the field during the chase. Fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar bowled full-tilt before the Sri Lanka game but didn’t play.India will want a big win against Australia. If they win by more than 61 runs, they will move ahead of Australia, thereby automatically qualifying for the semi-final. In a case where India win by fewer than 60 runs, they will hope New Zealand win by a very small margin against Pakistan on Monday. For instance, if India make 150 against Australia and win by exactly 10 runs, New Zealand need to beat Pakistan by 28 runs defending 150 to go ahead of India’s NRR. If India lose to Australia by more than 17 runs while chasing a target of 151, then New Zealand’s NRR will be ahead of India, even if Pakistan beat New Zealand by just 1 run while defending 150.Overall, India have won just eight out of 34 T20Is they’ve played against Australia. Two of those wins came in the group-stage games of previous T20 World Cups, in 2018 and 2020.Players to watch: Two of their best batters finding their form bodes well for India heading into the big game. Harmanpreet and Mandhana’s collaborative effort against Pakistan boosted India’s NRR with the semi-final race heating up. Mandhana, after a cautious start to her innings, changed gears and took on Sri Lanka’s spinners to make 50 off 38 balls. Harmanpreet, continuing from where she’d left against Pakistan, played a classic, hitting eight fours and a six on her way to a 27-ball 52. It was just what India needed to reinvigorate their T20 World Cup campaign.

A superb unbeaten century by Phil Salt led England to a convincing eight-wicket victory over West Indies for a 1-0 lead in their five-match T20I series in Barbados.Saqib Mahmood took career-best figures of 4 for 34, including three wickets in the powerplay and a tight over at the death, but in the meantime West Indies blitzed their way through three key partnerships to set England a lofty target, despite having lurched to 117 for 8.Nicholas Pooran, who top-scored for the hosts, and captain Rovman Powell put on 41 runs together from just 17 balls but it was Pooran and Andre Russell who defied a steady flow of wickets to add 39 from 26 and then tailenders Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd with 49 off 26 who pumped up the hosts.Their efforts were ultimately futile, however, in the face of Salt’s remarkable 103 not out off just 54 balls in which he attacked from the outset, helping himself to 22 runs off one Shamar Joseph over and never looked back.It was a case of two second-home lads doing good as Salt, who spent six of his pre-teen and teenage years living in Barbados, shared an unbroken 107-run stand with Jacob Bethell, the latter raising his maiden T20I fifty to enthusiastic support from the crowd, having been born and raised in Barbados up to the age of 13.All-out (as)SaltWhen Salt struck five consecutive boundaries off Joseph to take his side past the 50-mark in the fourth over of the run-chase, England looked all business. He brought up his own half-century off 25 balls with the second of three sixes to come off Motie’s first over, crunched over deep midwicket before Will Jacks launched the third over long-on. Jacks fell on the next ball, bowled middle stump attempting to sweep, but by that time England had closed out the powerplay at 73 for 1, compared to West Indies’ 58 for 3. Motie couldn’t stay away from the action, his brilliant one-handed take at third removing Jos Buttler, batting at No. 3 on his return to action after a five-month injury lay-off, for a first-ball duck.For all his big hitting, Salt’s deft punch for four just behind backward point off Joseph in the ninth over was prettier than any of his four sixes up to that moment and highlighted the range of shots which comprised his innings. Bethell mimicked the shot, slightly finer off Shepherd, as he settled into just his third innings in T20Is, playing the perfect supporting role to Salt, his unbeaten 58 coming off 36 balls and including an elegant six over cover off the penultimate ball.He followed that immediately with the winning runs, pulling Shepherd for two to seal victory with 3.1 overs to spare. Salt had moved into the nineties swinging Shepherd to square leg, where the ball shot through the fingertips of Sherfane Rutherford as he tumbled over the boundary for six more before he brought up his ton in what turned out to be the last over of the game with four down the ground. It was Salt’s third century in T20Is, all of them coming in the Caribbean against West Indies.Saqib Mahmood celebrates dismissing Brandon King•Getty Images

In the MahmoodMahmood struck early when Brandon King, a centurion as West Indies won the third and final ODI for a 2-1 series win, slammed his fifth ball – the 11th of the match – straight to short cover. In his next over, Mahmood had two wickets in as many balls as Bethell took an excellent low catch running in from the rope at deep backward square to remove Evin Lewis and then luring Shimron Hetmyer with a superb length ball that moved away ever so slightly as it took an edge through to Salt. It was quite the comeback from Mahmood, playing just his third T20I since January 2022 after suffering two stress fractures in his back. His two other matches in the format since had yielded 2 for 21 and no wicket for 37 against Australia in September, but now he had 3 for 12 from two overs.Meanwhile fellow seamer Reece Topley conceded 20 runs from 15 balls, including Powell’s nurdled four through deep third then six over square leg immediately before Topley slipped in his follow-through clutching his right knee. Topley was visibly limping as a brief rain shower arrived, sending the players from the field for just over half an hour. Topley returned after the stoppage, only to be greeted by a lofted drive for six by Powell and that was enough to send the bowler from the field for the rest of the innings with what was later confirmed as a jarred knee as Jamie Overton finished his third over. Mahmood returned to have his figures blighted by conceding 18 runs off his third over, Pooran heaving over the fence at wide long-on, threading four through deep backward point and swinging over deep midwicket for another six.No fearAdil Rashid entered the attack in the seventh over and struck with his second ball, Powell going big again but unable to clear a leaping Overton just inside the boundary at long-on. Although he had handed the wicketkeeping gloves to Salt, returning captain Buttler sprung with the reflexes of a cat to snare a brilliant one-handed catch at slip in Rashid’s next over to remove Rutherford. Pooran and Russell forged a defiant partnership, Russell slamming back-to-back sixes off Rashid and moving to a 16-ball 30. But Liam Livingstone managed to end their union when he responded to seeing his third ball deposited back over his head for six by having Russell caught at deep cover by Dan Mousley. Pooran followed for 38, falling to another spectacular catch by Buttler, launching himself high and twisting in the air in the covers off Overton.West Indies looked determined to go down blazing. Rashid claimed his third when he pinned Akeal Hosein at the second attempt with an excellent leg-break. But just as it looked like the hosts’ fightback might fizzle, Motie strode to the crease at No. 10 and struck 16 runs off the first three balls he faced, including back-to-back sixes off Rashid. He had raced to 33 off just 14 balls by the time Mahmood had him caught on the deep midwicket boundary to claim his fourth wicket of the match. It ended Motie’s ninth-wicket stand with Shepherd, who ended with an unbeaten 35 off 22, their union helping West Indies to a total which had seemed so unlikely earlier.

They have won close to two-thirds of their Tests in the most recent cycle, and their fast bowlers and spinners alike have delivered stellar numbers

Kartikeya Date12-Jul-2023India have now lost four knockout matches in ICC tournaments in England in Tests and ODIs, all at two-year intervals, in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. In among these four setbacks, their T20 international side failed to win any World Cups too. It has been a humiliating period for India’s millions of fans, and like most humiliated fans, they’re asking questions.It is now just past ten years that India last won an ICC tournament, when they beat South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and then England in a rain-affected final in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. In this period, they have won the ODI and T20I Asia Cups once each, and the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, but no ICC title. Across three formats, in ten years, India have lost eight ICC knockout matches – three ODIs, three T20Is and two Tests. In these ten years, India have played 207 other ODIs, 151 other T20Is, and 96 other Tests, and won them all at a ratio of close to two wins to each loss – a rate that no previous Indian side has approached. By any reasonable measure, this is not only the best Indian side yet, it is one of the greatest cricket teams in the history of the game.Related

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This article looks at only Test cricket, since that’s where India have apparently most recently failed. However, it is difficult to compare Test teams because unlike, say, a formal league (such as the IPL, or the English Premier League in football), Test cricket does not operate on a regular calendar. The Future Tours Programme provides for home and away tours over a four- or five-year cycle. Leaving Afghanistan and Ireland aside for now, since they are just beginning their time as Test teams, the other ten Test teams are supposed to play each other home and away regularly. One way to evaluate teams, which is used in this article, is to consider each team’s most recent home and away series against the other nine teams.Note: For many seasons in the 21st century, Pakistan fulfilled their “home” fixtures in the Test tours calendar in the UAE (several teams, several seasons), in Sri Lanka (2002-03 vs Australia), and in England (2010 vs Aus). These fixtures are counted as home fixtures for Pakistan in this article.This method is not perfect. No method is. But considering that the key virtue of Test cricket is that it tests its contestants under a wide variety of circumstances, looking at the most recent home and away results is among the better ways of evaluating Test teams. There are some obvious problems here, such as India not having played Pakistan in Tests since 2007-08, and India having played Australia twice in Australia in the last five years. In all such cases, the most recent series result is included. Eighteen series are considered for each team – nine at home and nine away.