Tag Futebol

The team has most bases covered, going with a good blend of youth and experience

Madushka Balasuriya17-Jul-2024

Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoshi Priyadharshani will both be crucial to Sri Lanka’s attack•ICC via Getty Images

The experienced trio of Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasuriya and Anushka Sanjeewani have been restored to Sri Lanka’s T20 squad, having been rested for the recent series against the West Indies, as Sri Lanka named their 15-member squad for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup.The green pair of Rashmika Sewwandi and Imesha Dulani – the former yet to make her debut – unsurprisingly make way, while there’s also no room for the veteran spinner Oshadi Ranasinghe, who had just returned to the T20 side following a nine-month absence, and wicketkeeper-batter Kaushini Nuthyangana.This, however, remains a squad with a good blend of youth and experience. The highly-rated left-arm wrist spinner Shashini Gimhani is the youngest member, turning 16 only later this year. But while she’s yet to stake a claim in the starting XI, 18-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne has already locked down an opening berth alongside skipper Chamari Athapaththu.Related

India vs Pakistan at the Women's Asia Cup 2024 – a ready reckoner

Meet the Women's Asia Cup teams: Thailand, UAE, Nepal and Malaysia

Women's Asia Cup 2024: Key contests, the return of Nepal, and everything else

Spin-bowling allrounder Kavisha Dilhari, seamer Kawya Kavindi and leg spinner Sachini Nisansala are three more under the age of 25, with the latter’s strong showing against the West Indies proving enough to retain her spot in the squad.That’s the future and much of the present when it comes to this Sri Lankan outfit, but there’s also considerable know-how across the rest of the squad. Much of Sri Lanka’s strength lays in their batting, led by the incomparable Athapaththu, who has formed a formidable partnership at the top with Gunaratne. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanjeewani’s inclusion bolsters the lower order alongside Nilakshi de Silva, but it’s the resilience of a middle order containing Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera and Kavisha Dilhari that has formed the spine of Sri Lanka’s recent successes.On the bowling front, this is a spin-heavy attack, with the veteran pairing of Inoshi Priyadarshani and Sugandika Kumari supplemented by Nisansala, Gimhani, Dilhari and Athapaththu. The returning Prabodhani and Kulasuriya firm up Sri Lanka’s pace options in a contingent that also includes Ama Kanchana and Kavindi.Full squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani, Sugandika Kumari, Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Kawya Kavindi, Sachini Nisansala, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana

The last few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have lost the Premier League title and looked lethargic in games against Brentford and Crystal Palace.

However, in the Champions League, they’ve thrived and, thanks to a demolition job of Real Madrid home and away, are set to play just their third semi-final in history tomorrow night.

On top of that, recent reports have suggested that Thomas Partey could be set for a new deal, and the transfer of Martin Zubimendi remains a real possibility.

Undoubtedly, having the two midfielders would be a serious boon for Arsenal next year, although there’s another star in the squad worth more than both combined.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Why Arsenal want Partey and Zubimendi

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at why Arsenal would want Partey and Zubimendi next year, and when it comes to the former, there are two key reasons.

The first reason is that, while he has endured some significant injury problems in the past, he’s been available for practically the entire campaign this year and has arguably been in the form of his Arsenal career.

For example, he’s made 47 appearances so far, in which he’s scored four goals, provided three assists, and, according to FBref, is in the top 4% of Premier League midfielders for successful take-on percentage, the top 6% for tackles in the attacking third, the top 7% for passes completed and more, all per 90.

However, as he’s set 32 in the summer and still has a miserable injury record, the club will need to add more quality to the number six position, which is where Zubimendi comes in.

The Real Sociedad star has been just as important to his team this year, making 43 appearances, in which he’s scored two goals and provided two assists.

Moreover, like the Gunners’ number five, the Spaniard also has some impressive underlying numbers, with FBref placing him in the top 7% of midfielders in La Liga for shots blocked, the top 9% for clearances, touches in the defensive third and successful take-on percentage, the top 16% for aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

In all, it would be fair to say that even at his age, Partey is worth his €14.7m – £12.5m – valuation given to him by Football Transfers, and Zubimendi is deserving of his €55.2m valuation, which comes to £46.9m.

Yet, despite their impressive campaigns, there is another Arsenal star worth millions more than them combined.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Partey and Zubimendi

So, when it comes to the most valuable Arsenal players, most fans will understandably think of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba.

However, while they are worth enormous sums of money, the star in question is none other than Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain has been utterly sensational for the Gunners this season and, according to Football Transfers, is worth €116.4, which is about £99m, or £39.6m more than Partey and Zubimendi combined.

Now, that might seem like an awful lot of money for a central midfielder, but it would be hard to say it’s not warranted.

For example, in 47 appearances, the 26-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by podcaster and host Adam Keys, has scored seven goals and provided ten assists.

Rice’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Inswinging Corner Kicks	2.78	Top 1%
Assists	0.26	Top 4%
Goals + Assists	0.43	Top 5%
Progressive Carries	2.76	Top 5%
Corner Kicks	3.16	Top 5%
Carries into Penalty Area	0.60	Top 6%
Crosses	4.70	Top 7%
All Stats via FBref

Moreover, FBref has placed him in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 5% for goals plus assists, progressive carries and corner kicks, the top 7% for crosses and more, all per 90.

Moreover, there are certain intangible elements to his game, such as his leadership and ability to deal with the biggest occasions, that make him such an asset.

Ultimately, while Zubimendi and Partey would be incredibly useful players to have in the squad next season, we can’t see either one surpassing Rice as the club’s most important midfielder.

He's like Saka & Salah: Arsenal plan talks to sign £55m Ballon d'Or nominee

The free-scoring international could be just what Arsenal need.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 28, 2025

In what would be a statement of intent, Newcastle United have now reportedly made contact to sign a teenage sensation ahead of interest from European giants Real Madrid this summer.

Newcastle could deal Real Madrid another blow

As the summer transfer window approaches, the Magpies have already reportedly commenced their spending by securing the arrival of Antonio Cordero from Malaga. The young winger reportedly had interest from both Real Madrid and Barcelona, but has chosen Newcastle ahead of the Spanish giants.

Cordero may just be the start for those at St James’ Park this summer too, with Eddie Howe potentially backed in the transfer market for the first time in over a year as Newcastle break free from their PSR constraints.

With that in mind, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast surrounding just who could arrive in the coming months. The most prominent targets have so far arguably been both Liam Delap and Jonathan David, whilst names such as James McAtee have begun to steal headlines as of late.

All three of those names would undoubtedly add something to Howe’s side, but whether that results in a trio of arrivals for the Magpies remains to be seen. Of course, something which would change the landscape of Newcastle’s summer is if Alexander Isak decided to depart for a club-record fee.

Related PIF join tug-of-war to sign "special" midfielder who thrashed Newcastle 4-0

He’s a wanted man…

Posts ByTom Cunningham May 1, 2025

Instantly, PIF’s spending power would become clear in the face of Isak’s departure. Ultimately, however, it’s a situation that all involved at the club would rather avoid before setting their sights on targets of their own.

Newcastle make contact to sign Kofane

According to reports relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle have now made contact to sign Christian Kofane from Albacete this summer and are looking to beat Real Madrid to a second La Liga 2 striker in a matter of months. It’s not just the Magpies and Madrid who have registered their interest though, with ‘half of Europe’ reportedly plotting to sign the 18-year-old sensation.

That interest should come as no surprise, either. Like Cordero, Kofane has thrived in Spain’s second division – scoring six goals and creating one other in 15 La Liga 2 appearances so far this season.

With a reported release clause worth just €5m (£4m) too, Newcastle could land a bargain deal for a young player on the rise and one that RD Scouting described as a player with an “interesting” profile.

While Barry Ferguson remains in charge of Rangers for now, he’s highly unlikely to keep the job beyond the summer.

Last time out, the Gers were dumped out of the Europa League, battling to a goalless draw with Athletic Club Bilbao at Ibrox, before being beaten 2-0 at San Mamés last Thursday.

So, to conclude the campaign, the Light Blues have very little to play for, but have all five post-split Premiership fixtures to fulfill, starting with Saturday’s trip to St Mirren, all but mathematically guaranteed to finish second, 15 points adrift champions-elect Celtic and 13 points clear of Hibs.

Thus, attention has already started to turn towards plans for the summer, so could “one of the best managers” in football history be occupying the Ibrox dugout by the time their season commences with a Champions League qualifier in late-July?

The latest on Rangers' 49ers takeover

As reported by Sahil Jaidka of Sky Sports News on Wednesday, Rangers have confirmed they are in “productive conversations” with an American-based consortium who are planning to take over the club, thereby “injecting additional capital”.

Back in March, Lawrie Anne Brown and Sahil Jaidka also reported that Paraag Marathe, who is president of the investment arm of 49ers Enterprises, is the person spearheading this takeover, ‘aiming to acquire’ 51% of the shares at a minimum.

Ewan Paton of the National notes that, after posting losses of £17.2m last year, an unsustainably high figure, investment is badly needed.

Meantime, Michael Grant of The Times believes that the fact Kevin Thelwell has recently been appointed as head of football operations, arriving from Everton, suggests the 49ers have already started making behind-the-scenes decisions.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Show, Rangers supporter Findlay Marks expects the new owners will want to make a ‘statement appointment’ when it comes to the manager, so are they going to go after one of the most successful managers of all-time?

Rangers' first choice managerial target

According to a report from TEAMTalk late last week, José Mourinho is amongst the front-runners to become the new Rangers manager, with the piece claiming he ‘would be interested’ in taking over.

Well, last month, ahead of Fenerbahçe’s Europa League tie at Ibrox, Mourinho more than intimated that he’d be open to managing one of Glasgow’s big two in the future, adding the Premiership “is a league of passion. Passion in football is everything”.

His current club Fenerbahçe were dumped out of the Europa League by Rangers on penalties, and are staring down the barrel of a trophyless season, ousted in the Türkiye Kupası quarter-finals while currently second in the Süper Lig, five points adrift of Galatasaray with only six games remaining.

The Yellow Canaries appointed Mourinho in a desperate attempt to win their first title since 2014, but appear set to fall just short once again, having been runners-up six times in the last decade.

Nevertheless, fair to say, the 62-year-old has a pretty impressive CV, as the table below outlines.

José Mourinho’s managerial career

Clubs

Matches

Win %

Trophies

Benfica

11

54.55%

Zero

União de Leiria

23

52.17%

Zero

Porto

127

71.65%

6

Chelsea

185

67.03%

6

Internazionale

108

62.04%

5

Real Madrid

178

71.91%

3

Chelsea

136

58.82%

2

Manchester United

144

58.33%

3

Tottenham Hotspur

86

51.16%

Zero

Roma

138

49.28%

1

Fenerbahçe

50

62%

Zero

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

The trophies speak for themselves: two Champions Leagues, league titles in four different countries and, after getting his hands on the Conference League in charge of Roma, he got a tattoo to commemorate the fact he’d won all three major UEFA competitions.

While he was at Tottenham, Son Heung-min described him as “one of the best managers in the world”, while Oisín Doherty of Breaking the Lines believes he was the ‘most dominant manager in world football’ for over a decade.

Manager Focus

Expand Collapse

Of course, as outlined by Barney Ronay of the Guardian, some of Mourinho’s tactics are outdated, meaning he is past his best, but he would certainly represent a major coup for Rangers and would be box office for all of us who love Scottish football.

​​​​​​​

He would represent the perfect upgrade on Ferguson, no doubt about that.

Related Dream XI Mourinho could build at Rangers: No Tavernier & £8.5m star signs

Mourinho could build a solid starting XI should he take the Rangers job

Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Apr 22, 2025

Liverpool saw off neighbours Everton to make it a happy return to the Premier League, having missed last weekend’s action due to an early FA Cup exit, one week on from the March international break.

Candidly, the break came at the right time for Arne Slot’s side, whose imperious campaign suffered its most bruising blows in succession, a miserable week seeing Paris Saint-Germain advance in the Champions League before Newcastle United deservedly beat the Reds at Wembley to lift the Carabao Cup.

Slot, for all his brilliance, seems reluctant to enforce changes to his tried-and-tested starting line-up, but Liverpool have paid the price for such stubbornness after falling in each of the season’s competitive offshoots.

Victory against Everton was paramount. Anfield’s advantage at the top of the Premier League may be imperious at 12 points, but psychologically, recent setbacks required a bounce-back.

And bounce back Liverpool did. Curtis Jones, whose tactical dynamism seems to know no bounds, impressed in a moonlit right-back berth, but the biggest winner may well have been Diogo Jota, breaking his duck to expertly net the sole goal of the match, inching his team one step closer to the title.

Diogo Jota's performance vs Everton

It was a big night for Liverpool’s frontline, whose struggles since the turn of the calendar year have been scrutinised by pundits and online supporters alike.

Mohamed Salah

18 (18)

12

5

Cody Gakpo

14 (9)

5

1

Luis Diaz

19 (16)

1

3

Diogo Jota

15 (10)

3

1

Darwin Nunez

17 (4)

3

4

Federico Chiesa

5 (2)

2

1

Jota needed that goal. He’d gone 11 matches without scoring across all competitions for Liverpool and was spiralling toward a bleak end to the season, but he struck gold at the perfect time, adding his name to an illustrious list of derby-day heroes.

Dissenters online felt Luis Diaz was in an offside position in the build-up, but given that he wasn’t interfering with play and made no attempt to meet the ball, the official green-lit Jota’s well-taken goal.

It was a timely reminder that Jota, in spite of his recent woes, is a deadly man to have in the final third. Indeed, it was only last season that Jamie Carragher proclaimed the Portuguese to be “the best finisher” Liverpool have had in the Premier League.

Obviously, we’ve been treated to ‘better’ strikers in Red, but in terms of pure ball-striking ability when in space in the danger area, Jota’s one of the best for sure.

His balletic skip past Tim Iroegbunam, the shimmy to second-guess Everton’s meaty central defenders, the finish. Simple yet sublime. Jordan Pickford dove to Jota’s right, but Pickford’s dive was wrong, for Liverpool’s centre-forward deftly placed the ball leftwards, into an empty net.

The 28-year-old will now look to build on his performance. Make no mistake, Jota has been well below par in recent months, last scoring a goal against Nottingham Forest in mid-January. His prolific Liverpool career has been punctuated by injuries, and this term has been no different, Wednesday’s clash marking only the tenth top-flight start of the season.

This is particularly damning when considering Darwin Nunez has also failed to nail down a berth, leaving Slot to devise alternate measures.

Well, Jota will want to build, but Slot must now seek to implement another outside-the-box strategy to avoid late-season burnout and keep things fresh.

Having showcased his adaptability by fielding Jones at right-back, Liverpool’s boss should now place another of his troops in a fresh position.

Liverpool flop should be unleashed in new role

Slot might have a preferred starting line-up, but Liverpool have hardly been rigid in their football this season, playing in a myriad of different ways to get the job done.

Jota of course will want to use the win over Everton as a launchpad for a purple patch over the next two months, steering Liverpool over the finish line, but there’s little question that he’s been out of sorts recently. In fact, he was rather off the boil in the opening half.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore.

That’s why Slot might want to unleash Federico Chiesa from a focal striking role over the coming weeks. Signed from Juventus last summer on a cut-price £12.5m deal, the versatile forward has endured a tough term in Liverpool.

Injuries have wrecked Chiesa’s development over the past several years. So impressive at Euro 2020 when Italy defeated England in the final to clinch gold, with a horrendous anterior cruciate ligament injury affecting the 27-year-old’s 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.

The current campaign, a new chapter at Anfield, presented a clean slate for a talented player who has been described as a “wizard” by football media personality Roger Bennett, owing to his technical quality and fleet-footedness.

Moreover, the £150k-per-week star is a natural finisher, something that was perfectly illustrated by his late consolation goal at Wembley two weeks ago.

Chiesa was ostensibly brought in to cover Mohamed Salah at right wing, but given that he played the lion’s share of last season as Juventus’ striker, scoring nine goals and laying on three assists from 31 central appearances, Slot may well look to boldly drop Jota for a summer signing who is still waiting for their first Premier League start.

To be sure, he’s gifted enough to play a bigger role. As per FBref, Chiesa ranks among the top 1% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 8% for tackles made per 90.

Though Liverpool would need to craft the mother of all collapses to cede first place to Arsenal, Slot will demand maintained standards from his men, and Chiesa’s increased involvement might be the perfect way to achieve this.

Time is running out for the Italy international to widen the scope of his maiden campaign in English football, but there’s no doubt he’s shown flashes of exciting quality and allowing him to prove his worth over the next few weeks could make all the difference in his longer Liverpool career, even if that means returning Jota to the bench at some point soon.

102 touches, 89% passes: Liverpool ace is becoming as important as Salah

One Liverpool star is becoming as important as Mohamed Salah after the Merseyside Derby.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 3, 2025

With Rishabh Pant gone, the team will hope for a fresh start with a new captain and a new-look backroom

Ashish Pant19-Mar-2025Where they finished last yearSixth. Once Delhi Capitals (DC) lost four of their first five games, recovery was always going to be tough. They finished with seven wins and seven losses and failed to make the playoffs for the third season running.What’s new in 2025?A new captain. Axar Patel will lead DC in IPL 2025 after Rishabh Pant entered the auction and went to Lucknow Super Giants for a record INR 27 crore. There were a couple of new options for DC to consider, such as KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis, but the franchise went with Axar.Related

Spotlight on Rahul and Pant as DC and LSG begin new season with new hope

Harry Brook pulls out of IPL for second year running

Axar Patel to captain Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025

DC have also had an overhaul in their backroom staff. They brought in Hemang Badani as head coach, replacing Ricky Ponting, while former India batter Venugopal Rao is the new director of cricket. Kevin Pietersen has been named mentor, Matthew Mott the assistant coach, and Munaf Patel the bowling coach for IPL 2025.DC do have a lot of familiar players in their squad. They retained Axar, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abhishek Porel from last season, and bought back Jake Fraser-McGurk at the auction. Mukesh Kumar was with DC last year while Karun Nair has also played for the franchise in the past.DC had concerns with their fast-bowling unit last season and they invested in strengthening it, bringing in Mitchell Starc (INR 11.75 crore), T Natarajan (INR 10.75 crore), Mukesh (INR 8 crore) and Mohit Sharma (INR 2.20 core). Their other big-ticket signing was Rahul, whom they picked up for INR 14 crore. DC’s spin-bowling unit will be led by Kuldeep and Axar.Likely best XII1 Jake Fraser-McGurk*, 2 Faf du Plessis*, 3 KL Rahul (wk), 4 Abishek Porel, 5 Tristan Stubbs*, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Sameer Rizvi/Mohit Sharma, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mitchell Starc*, 11 T Natarajan, 12 Mukesh Kumar
Full DC squadDC will be KL Rahul’s fifth IPL team•BCCIBig questionWatch out forKL Rahul’s animated discussion with Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjeev Goenka became a major talking point last season. So did his auction price of INR 14 crore – much lower than what Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer went for. Now that he heads to his fifth IPL team, Rahul will want his cricket to do much of the talking. Without the responsibility of captaincy, he might enjoy not having the spotlight on him and become the free-flowing batter that he has shown himself to be in the past.Which version of Mitchell Starc will turn up for DC? He had a mixed season with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, but showed his quality with match-winning spells in the playoffs. He is coming off a long season and an injury layoff, but will be expected to lead the DC attack.Key stats Rahul’s batting average of 45.46 is the third highest in the IPL among batters to have played at least 20 matches. Porel was Bengal’s second highest run-scorer in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 335 runs at a strike rate of 158.76. Fraser-McGurk was DC’s enforcer in IPL 2024, striking at 234.04 while scoring 330 runs. But his form has seen a steep decline. In 24 T20 matches since the end of IPL 2024, Fraser-McGurk has only managed 382 runs at a strike rate of 136.91 and an average of 15.91.Who’s out or in doubt?DC had spent INR 6.25 crore for Harry Brook, but he’s pulled out of the IPL for a second season running. As a result, Brook is likely to face a two-year ban from the IPL according to the new rule which states that “any player who registers in the auction and after getting picked, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season, will get banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for two seasons.” That means Brook will only be available to play in the IPL from IPL 2027.Starc missed the Champions Trophy with an ankle injury, but he is fit and expected to play all of IPL 2025.Natarajan missed all of the 2024-25 domestic season with injuries but is fit to start the season.

The Bangladesh fast bowler talks about his comeback to the national side, and being in the vanguard of his team’s pace attack

Interview by Mohammad Isam17-Mar-2023Since his comeback in 2021, Taskin Ahmed has gone from cautionary tale to leader of Bangladesh’s fast-bowling attack, having played a part in several of Bangladesh’s most momentous wins, including most recently their 3-0 sweep of England in T20Is at home. In this interview he spoke about his comeback and the improvement that made to his mental health, and how he wants to be among the best fast bowlers in the world.Since your last interview with us, shortly after you played your comeback game for Bangladesh, it has been a remarkable time in your international career.
I have always wanted to be a complete team man since I made a comeback during Covid – as a bowler, batter and fielder. I want to give my best, but of course, it won’t happen all the time. I have a strong belief that if my process is in place, I can take on any opposition. Everything is decided on those 22 yards, regardless of who you are playing against, so whoever the opposition batter, I want to properly execute my strength. When that happens, life won’t be easy for the batter.Related

Taskin falling short of expectations as Rohit Sharma and co await

Donald impressed by 'Sylhet Rocket' Ebadot's explosive start to ODI career

Player rotation, trying out fringe players on Hathurusingha's agenda before ODI World Cup

Bangladesh reaping rewards of Taskin and Litton's changed mindsets in ODIs

Bangladesh's fast bowlers: from invisibles to match-winners

Mark Wood said recently that you impressed the England team and that their bowlers picked their lengths from you, and you kept their batters under pressure.
He is no doubt one of the best in the business. I want to be right up there. I appreciate what he said, but what he talked about is essentially my duty.One of your best spells recently came in the T20 World Cup game against India. No wickets, but you stuck to your guns in those four overs.
Wickets aren’t really the measure of good bowling. Sometimes you don’t bowl well but end up with three or four wickets. It is all about execution. End of the day, I have to ask myself if I have given my 110% in the field – how my execution was, what areas I can improve on. These are personal check boxes. When these three fields are ticked, I am not too bothered about wickets. That was a spell that went according to the team’s requirement in those conditions. It is a team game, so if you can execute the team’s plan, you are a good player.

“When your process is in place, your self-belief eclipses any worry you have about the opposition. You know you are honest off the field with your preparations. Homework done, I am well prepared, so why won’t I do well?”

Three years ago, did you think you could become the leader of the Bangladesh bowling attack?
Whoever has the ball in hand is the bowling leader. I am not competing with my team-mates. We are family. If a group of us are improving together, we will become a threat to opponents. We are around 60-70% there. I want to compete with the top fast bowlers in the world. I am preparing myself physically, mentally and skill-wise.All the steps you took three years ago, at the start of the pandemic, have helped, would you say?
When I started [to train] at the start of the pandemic, I wasn’t in the national team. I tried to find what I was lacking. I had below-average fitness. I wasn’t there skill-wise. I wasn’t fielding or batting well. It was hard to comprehend how I was going to play for Bangladesh again. But I had the belief that I could play – I didn’t just think about it, I turned it into action.It was [during] Covid, so it wasn’t possible to take coaching, but [physical trainer] Debu opened up his gym for me. I remember he and I used to be in the gym alone after .After a few months my fitness was developing, but what about my depression, anxiety, negativity? Those weren’t going away. I went to mind-trainer Sabit Raihan. I am still working with him. I am trying to develop my mentality. I am still fearful of being left out of the team, but I am working on how to get rid of the fear of failure. You can never win if you fear losing before the contest even starts.I want to be positive in every aspect of my life. Negative company, negative words, really irritate me. My system has changed, so when someone is being negative, I either change the topic or leave. Working with Sabit and Debu was really enriching. I had phone conversations with [BCB director Khaled Mahmud] Sujon sir and [former bowling coach Mahbub Ali] Zaki sir.I used places like the garage and the staircase of my house for training. I took gym equipment from the BCB. I did bowling drills, wristwork. Those were the small steps. I ran in the sand after early morning prayers. I had insane gym sessions after fasting the whole day [during Ramadan]. The trainer used to push me to the point where I thought I would break, but I didn’t give up. I thought to myself, I am dead inside seeing the team play on TV. I thought this is it – whether I break or I die, whatever happens, I will wear the red and green jersey again. I have come to believe that if someone really wants something from the heart, it can turn into his strength.In July 2021, Taskin and Mahmudullah put together a stand of 191, the second- highest Test partnership for the ninth wicket, in a win against Zimbabwe•Zimbabwe CricketI don’t think logic applies to everything. [They say] you are not supposed to train hard after fasting all day – you are hungry and dehydrated. But it is your desire. You have to get out of your comfort zone. My main target was to get back in the Bangladesh team after proper training. Now the target is to slowly rise in the rankings. When you are below 100, it doesn’t show [on the ICC rankings]. I was out of the top 100 in all formats. Now I am coming into the 50s, and if Allah wants, I will be in the top ten. Or No. 1. It will happen, Inshallah.There are two ways of asking Allah for what you want. Firstly, when you are not prepared for the exam, you can ask Him to save you. The other way is [to say], Allah I have prepared myself really well. You be with me. When your process is in place, your self-belief eclipses any worry you have about the opposition. You know you are honest off the field with your preparations. It is a huge gut feeling for a player. Homework done, I am well prepared, so why won’t I do well?Mental health comes from off-field preparations. Honesty and hard work are my main weapons. If the self-belief is in the right place, my skills will keep improving. Mental health is very important.Commentators and opponents these days talks about how you are a threat. Do you see batters viewing you as a threat?
Out in the field, I back myself fully. When I am executing properly, I see the batter, regardless of how good he is, questioning himself. They will have days when they will play great shots. Some days will be bad. But I try to keep up my end of the bargain, which is executing my skills properly.What do you think are the highlights from these two years since the comeback?
Winning Player-of-the-Match awards in two World Cup games and the Player-of-the-Series award in South Africa.The Test win against New Zealand.My 191-run stand with [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai in Zimbabwe. The close game against India in the T20 World Cup was another highlight.

“Bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, these guys will become legends by the end of their careers. I want to be regarded how they are regarded”

About that Test win against New Zealand – you seemed to enjoy Ebadot’s wickets in that Mount Maunganui Test.
My comeback raised my love for playing for Bangladesh. Representing the nation is a matter of huge pride. Having team feelings automatically means you enjoy team-mates’ success. His performance is helping the team win.I still remember Ebadot bowling after tea. I was standing at third man, making some calculations looking at the scoreboard. I thought, if we can bowl them out by lunch tomorrow [the fifth day], we can create a chance. If we can’t, then we have to find a way to draw this game. Suddenly he takes three wickets. I was like, what is happening?He took three more the next morning. I took three wickets. We shared nine wickets in the second innings. That’s it. We won. Beating New Zealand in their backyard is a massive achievement.Tell us the story of the five-wicket haul against South Africa.
I got a call from Lucknow Super Giants during that ODI series – I was denied the NOC [for the IPL]. We had Tests against South Africa at the time. Everyone dreams of playing in the IPL. I was a little sad about missing the opportunity. I told myself that I have to keep my focus on playing for the national team.I was overthinking the night before the third ODI, the series-deciding match. I kept thinking, if I play badly in the third game, the public will think that I played badly because of not getting the NOC. If I did well, I would be satisfied that I did well in this situation. On the field, you can pretend that you are confident with body language and reaction. You can pretend your way into genuine confidence. Everyone feels pressure before a big match.On the morning of the match, I was a little upset with a family matter. It happens to everyone on a long tour. Just imagine, I had to say no to the IPL. Then this family thing. The team bus leaves in half an hour. On my way to the ground, I thought I was going to put my emotions aside, bowl with all my heart. Whether I get hit for 80 in ten overs, or take five wickets, I will mean every ball. I did my warm-up, measured my run-up before everyone. Then I bowled the first ball, wide. Second ball, wide. I was questioning myself whether I was overexcited or not. I still told myself that I was going to mean every ball. A little later, it happened. Five wickets. We won. Everything worked out in the end.On being conscientious about his training: “I don’t think logic applies to everything. You are not supposed to train hard after fasting all day, but it is your desire. You have to get out of your comfort zone”•Associated PressYour mind and body won’t be 110% every day. But your desire, whether you are pretending or it’s coming for real, helps a lot. I try to give it my all every day. I am not the best fielder, but I try to take a catch. I try to bowl my best ball. I try to contribute with the bat. I want to have an impact as a team player.Talking about dropped catches, there have been plenty off your bowling. You don’t often react, do you?
A man can react maybe once or twice out of a hundred times ().Nobody drops a catch willingly. It is about luck. [Yasir Ali] Rabbi took a good catch in the slips in the World Cup. [Najmul Hossain] Shanto took two good catches in the slips against England.In a way, it is a positive that you are creating so many chances.
Yes, the main thing is creating the chances. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Some days I will get whacked. It is about consistency. Chances are created due to proper execution, movement and extra bounce. I bowl according to the field.You are rested from time to time, too. You didn’t play the third ODI against England. The team management wants you to be fit for the big games.
It is the body, you know. I want to play every game. I wanted to play the third ODI too but the coach and captain thought there’s a lot of cricket ahead. I played the first two ODIs with a groin niggle and back soreness. Fast bowlers will always have these things. Physios, trainers and coaches try to maintain the workload.There’s no point asking you what your favourite format is.
You are right. I really can’t pick a favourite format. It is slightly difficult to adjust between formats. Lengths vary. You have to go through the delivery variations. If you perform in all three formats, then you have done something. I want to be a player of that class.Who are the world-class bowlers that you aspire to being like?
Legends like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Wasim Akram are my heroes. Bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood, these guys will become legends by the end of their careers. I want to be regarded how they are regarded. There’s no point in working hard if I can’t reach that level. I have to take myself to their level.

“On the field, you can pretend that you are confident with body language and reaction. You can pretend your way into genuine confidence. Everyone feels pressure before a big match”

How have fast bowling coaches like Ottis Gibson and Allan Donald influenced you during your comeback years?
They have definitely been influential. They both had roles to play. Our local bowling coaches are good too. I speak a lot to Sujon sir about my bowling. Ottis Gibson helped me in certain areas. Allan Donald is a well-known coach. He talks to us. But at this level, you have to know what you must do yourself. A coach helps you fine-tune, but you have to do the rest of the work.Chandika Hathurusingha is back as our coach. He thinks differently than the other coaches. I like his style of coaching. His game awareness is going to help our players. The team management, in general, is really helpful towards me. They want me to keep doing well.Your comeback story in a way is a catalyst for the improvement of fast bowlers, and specifically why Bangladesh is now relying more on fast bowling. There was a time when they didn’t even pick a single fast bowler in a home Test. Now fast bowlers are match-winners. In this pack of fast bowlers, how do you see yourself?
It is a matter of pride. I want to carry it for a long time. I want to set the trend of fast bowling. How to come back and maintain it. I have more responsibility now. I have been able to inspire people, so I want to finish my career in a way that everyone remembers me. I hope I can help build a proper fast bowling culture. I want more fast bowlers to come through. Fast bowlers have to be built from the Under-15s. I had to reach this stage after a lot of ups and downs.We have the Bangladesh Tigers programme now. There will be fast-bowling camps in the future. Things will get easier. I did it on my own during the Covid pandemic. But now if someone wants to start from a young age, the path will be smooth. I want a fast bowler to know about proper discipline. He should be aware of his diet and training pattern. He must be aware of his own body, how it behaves in different situations. He will get help from the coaches, so when he can build all this into his system, he will be a better player.I want to take myself to a different level as a fast bowler, to give more to my country. I want to be more skillful and fit. I want to finish my career as a legendary player.

The near-identical dismissals of Pope in Ahmedabad highlight Ashwin’s mastery of flight, drift and dip

Karthik Krishnaswamy26-Feb-20212:37

Gautam Gambhir: Amazes me that R Ashwin doesn’t play white-ball cricket for India

He’s taken his 400th wicket now, and he’s done it in fewer Tests than anyone other than Muttiah Muralitharan. It’s amply clear that R Ashwin belongs among the very best spin bowlers the game has seen, so there’s little need for anyone to build an elaborate case for his greatness. We know already.So let’s talk, instead, about the beauty of his bowling.Let’s talk about wickets No. 396 and 399. Ollie Pope is the batsman on both occasions, and both times he’s bowled after being beaten on the outside edge. Ashwin does this from around the wicket on day one of the Ahmedabad Test, and from over the wicket on day two.Put the two balls side-by-side, and it’s mesmerising.

Ashwin Anna Magical ball to Pope pic.twitter.com/ik2d7Ztt4H

— shashank sri (@ravia123ash) January 10, 2022