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ظهر نجم فريق باريس سان جيرمان، أشرف حكيمي، في مؤتمر صحفي منذ قليل للحديث عن مباراة برشلونة المرتقبة في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري.

وسُئل أشرف حكيمي في البداية عن رأيه تجاه مركزه في جائزة الكرة الذهبية لعام 2025، حيث احتل المركز السادس، خلف كل من عثمان ديمبلي، لامين يامال، فيتينها، محمد صلاح ورافينها.

وقال حكيمي، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “rmcsport” الفرنسية: “لا أعتقد أنها خيبة أمل بالنسبة لي، من الرائع أن أكون ضمن قائمة أفضل 30 لاعبًا في العالم، التواجد سادسًا هو شئ لم أفكر في ذلك قط في حياتي”.

وأضاف: “أنا أفكر أولًا بالألقاب الجماعية ثم يأتي الحديث عن الألقاب الفردية، أنا فخور بهذا المركز السادس، أريد مواصلة العمل، لم لا؟ للتقدم قليلًا في التصنيف”.

وواصل: “أشعر بحال جيدة بدنيًا وذهنيًا، أستعد لأكون في حالة بدنية جيدة طوال الموسم، أعتقد أن حارسنا كذلك يشعر بالارتياح، فهو واثق بنفسه، ويحظى بثقة الجميع، كما أنه قام ببعض التصديات الحاسمة لنا، خط الوسط مهم جدًا، سأساعد الفريق قدر استطاعتي باستخدام خبرتي وسرعتي، وأعتقد أن هذا هو المفتاح”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك: برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان متشابهان.. ولامين يامال ليس خارقًا

وعن كثرة غيابات باريس سان جيرمان في مباراة الغد، على رأسهم عثمان ديمبلي، قال: “لن يتغير الكثير، حتى لو كانوا لاعبين مهمين، نحن لدينا فريق قوي ولدينا فريق قادر على الفوز على برشلونة، سيختار المدرب اللاعبين الذين سيشاركون، وسنكون مستعدين لهذه المباراة”.

واسترسل: “انتقام برشلونة منا؟ لديّ ذكريات رائعة هنا، فقد فزنا في المرة السابقة، آمل أن نكرر ذلك غدًا حتى لو كان الأمر صعبًا للغاية، لديهم فريق جيد، يضم لاعبين رائعين وأسلوب لعب يشبه أسلوبنا، آمل أن تكون مباراة ممتعة لعشاق كرة القدم”.

وأوضح: “الفارق بينا؟ لا يوجد فرق كبير، إنهما فريقان يحبان الاحتفاظ بالكرة ويمتلكان شخصية قوية في التعامل معها، كلا الفريقين يتمتع بهذه الفكرة”.

وفيما يخص حفاظه على نفسه وعدم تعرضه للإصابات، قال وهو يلمس الخشب على الطاولة: “لا أفكر في خطر الإصابة، بل أبذل قصارى جهدي للفوز بالمباريات، أتعاون مع محترفين للحفاظ على لياقتي البدنية والذهنية، آمل أن أستمر على هذا المنوال لأبقى جاهزًا للعب مع فريقي ومنتخبي الوطني”.

واستكمل: “كثرة عدد المباريات؟ لا أعلم إن كان اللاعبون الآخرون يلعبون كثيرًا، إذا لعب باريس سان جيرمان كثيرًا، فذلك لأننا وصلنا إلى نهائيات جميع المسابقات، سيتطوع الجميع فورًا للعب كثيرًا لأن ذلك يعني أننا وصلنا إلى نهائيات مسابقاتنا، آمل أن نكرر ذلك هذا العام”.

وعن الدفاع ضد لامين يامال، قال: “ليس هذا رأيي لكنني أعتقد أنه سيلعب ضد أفضل ظهير أيسر في العالم، نونو مينديز، أعتقد أنه قادر على إيقاف لامين، كما فعل مع مهاجمين آخرين مشابهين له”.

وأكد: “سنحاول مساعدة نونو مينديز على تجنب مواجهة لامين وجهًا لوجه لأننا نعرف قدراته في هذا المركز”.

In what could be the end of an illustrious Test career for Shakib Al Hasan, the allrounder has had to make himself unavailable for the first home Test against South Africa. He was unable to make it to Dhaka while traveling from New York earlier this week. Shakib has been replaced by uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad for the first Test starting October 21 in Dhaka, which was supposed to be his farewell Test.Shakib, who was traveling from New York to Dhaka was asked to wait while in transit in Dubai on Wednesday, had expressed uncertainty around returning home because of protests against him in Dhaka amid political unrest. Shakib was initially included in the Test squad and it was supposed to be his farewell game at home, he had said on the tour of India last month.Shakib has not been able to return home in Bangladesh ever since the Awami League’s government resigned after 15 years in early August. Shakib, an MP with the Awami League, was already in Canada at the time for the Global T20 Canada and has not been to his home country since then. He flew to Pakistan for the two-Test series Bangladesh won, he went to the UK to play one first-class game for Surrey in the County Championship in September, before going to India for the two Tests. Unable to return home because of ongoing safety issues, he went to New York where he currently stays. Shakib has been named among 147 people in an FIR for an alleged murder during the unrest.Related

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Murad, 23, has taken 136 wickets in 30 first-class matches since his debut in 2021, and has already played two T20Is, in the Asian Games last year.”We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test,” chairman of BCB’s national selection panel Gazi Ashraf Hossain said in a press release. “He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that calibre with both bat and the ball to replace him.”However, Hasan Murad has performed consistently in first-class cricket and has been in our system. He will lend balance to our bowling, especially in home conditions. We believe he has the potential to deliver at this level.”The second Test between Bangladesh and South Africa will be played in Chattogram from October 29.

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed quick fifties to lead India’s onslaught, before R Ashwin struck twice

S Sudarshanan30-Sep-2024After two rainy, non-cricket days at Green Park, Kanpur sprung to life on sunny Monday with a speedy India breaking a few Test records. Rohit Sharma extended his white-ball cricket template that has given him immense success in the last couple of years to red-ball cricket, as he cracked 23 off 11 balls, with rest of the India line-up following suit. That approach saw them register the fastest team 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in men’s Tests, and declare their first innings on 285 for 9 in just 34.4 overs after Bangladesh were bowled out for 233.By stumps, R Ashwin managed to trap Zakir Hasan lbw and bowled nightwatcher Hasan Mahmud, while Shadman Islam survived a dropped chance on 3, as Bangladesh ended the day at 26 for 2 in the second innings, trailing India by a further 26.This was after Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul scored quickfire fifties for India, striking at 141.17 and 158.13, respectively, to give Indian bowlers another shot at Bangladesh’s batters in the dying hours of the penultimate day of the Test. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan picked up four wickets apiece on a surface that showed enough signs of spin.With the sun finally beating down after successive days of overcast conditions and rain, the pitch showed signs of better carry in the first session. But the inherent nature of the black-soil surface meant a few deliveries did keep a tad low.None of that mattered for Jaiswal, who kickstarted India’s response with a hat-trick of fours off Mahmud, who had picked up a five-for in Chennai. At the other end, Rohit thumped the first two balls he faced for sixes, first jumping down the track to fast bowler Khaled Ahmed to deposit him over long-on, before pulling one into the deep-square leg stands. The pair hit two fours and two sixes more to bring up India’s fifty in just three overs.Shakib Al Hasan picked four wickets in India’s first innings•Getty ImagesIn a bid to slow India down, Bangladesh brought Mehidy on, and though he was greeted with a four clubbed through midwicket, he almost struck fourth ball when Rohit was ruled out lbw. But Rohit reviewed and survived, with the ball hitting him outside the line of leg. On the next ball, though, Mehidy had the last laugh, getting one flighted delivery to keep low and spin back in sharply through Rohit’s defence.That did not deter Jaiswal, who went on a rampage against spin. India managed to hit at least one four in each of overs six to 12. In the process, Jaiswal brought up a 31-ball fifty and India got to 100 in just 10.1 overs. He used his reach well to put the spinners off their lengths, the highlight being a biggie he smoked over long-on off Mehidy, who also got the ball to dip in on a fullish length. However, the low bounce of the surface came into play when Mahmud’s length ball stayed a bit low to clatter into Jaiswal’s stumps.Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant also attacked from the get-go, with the former plonking Mehidy over deep midwicket after dancing down the track. But they perished off Shakib after tea, with India in ultra-attack mode. Yet, there was no slowing India down. Their attacking game had pushed Bangladesh back, and for most part, they had at least five fielders at the boundary.Kohli and Rahul used this to rotate strike and bat freely. Kohli was unafraid to use his feet, and switched his ODI mode on. This was after a mix-up with Pant should have sent Kohli back, but Khaled underarmed the throw at the striker’s end and missed despite getting to the stumps. Kohli was stranded out of the crease and had given up.He rubbed salt into Khaled and Bangladesh’s wounds by hitting him for back-to-back fours, the second off which was a loft over extra cover. He also used his feet against spin, thumping Taijul Islam straight over long-off. In a bid to slog Shakib over midwicket, though, he was bowled after one skidded through.Rahul, however, used the sweep and reverse sweep aplenty, and never for once stalled. He looked at ease against the lowish pace on the surface and managed to encash on any width. He put on a masterclass of playing against spin, and scored his fastest Test fifty, off 33 balls. But India went from 269 for 5 to 284 for 9 just before the declaration.Ravindra Jadeja got his 300th Test wicket•Associated PressThe day began with Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah bowling four maidens in the first five overs of Bangladesh’s first innings. The only run in that phase came via Mushfiqur Rahim’s inside edge, with both bowlers hitting the area around good length for varying degrees of lift-off. Bumrah then got an in-ducker to bounce more and take Mushfiqur’s inside edge for four, but knocked him over next ball after he shouldered arms. The boundary ball had landed on a good length outside off and deviated 2cms into the batter, as per broadcast; the wicket ball deviated about 6cms from the same landing spot, and led to Mushfiqur’s misjudgment.Rohit was unafraid to set attacking fields, and the sight of three slips and two gullies was a familiar one for a better part of the first session. That allowed enough gaps for the Bangladesh batters to hit fours, as Litton Das did three times in an over off Bumrah. But India’s disciplined bowling created enough pressure, and Litton fell in a bid to break the shackles, aided by a brilliant piece of fielding. He charged at a length ball from Mohammed Siraj, and slapped it aerially towards wide mid-off, where Rohit timed his jump perfectly to pluck a one-hander.Shakib’s stay in the middle then lasted only 17 balls, his attempt to use his feet against Ashwin proving to be his undoing. He could have got away with it, if not for Siraj backtracking from mid-off and holding on to a one-handed catch while falling backwards.Mominul Haque was the only Bangladesh batter who showed resistance, scoring his 13th Test century, and only his second away from home. He used the sweep to good effect against spin, and did not allow Ravindra Jadeja to settle. He also used his feet well, and got into the 90s by lofting him straight over. Mominul got a couple of lives when Pant failed to hold on to an under-edge feather on 93, and then on 95 when Kohli grassed him after diving to his left from wide first slip.After lunch, Mehidy hit Bumrah for three fours in seven balls, but the latter extracted revenge by getting him to edge a back-of-a-length ball that angled in and seamed away. Jadeja then caught and bowled Khaled to pick up his 300th Test wicket as Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for 121 runs.

Kavem Hodge described his battle with Mark Wood as “brutal” but said that only increased the level of satisfaction after his maiden Test hundred provided a platform for West Indies to hit back on day two of the second match of the series against England in Nottingham.Hodge, 31 and playing in his fourth Test, said that scoring a century was “a dream come true”, having had doubts about whether he would ever get an opportunity at the highest level. His innings of 120, the bulk of which came during a partnership of 175 with fellow Dominican Alick Athanaze, allowed West Indies to close on 351 for 5 and potentially put pressure on England by surpassing their first-innings score.”It’s a dream come true, you play the game from a youngster growing up that’s something that you want to do, especially at the highest level, in England against England,” he said. “I’m really happy and satisfied about it, especially also the position of the team, it’s always good to help the team’s cause.”Related

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Hodge successfully came through a short-ball examination from England’s attack during the afternoon, led by Wood. Of the 29 balls that Hodge faced from Wood, 24 were either short or short of a good length – and the majority over 90mph.”It was brutal,” Hodge said. “It’s not every day you rock up and you face someone that’s bowling more than 90mph every single ball. There was one point, I made a joke to him, I said: ‘Hey, I have a wife and kids at home.’ But I think that made the century a lot more satisfying. Test cricket is brutal, it’s challenging, it’s mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying.”While Hodge ducked and weaved successfully, as well as putting away several boundaries on the pull, Athanaze was struck on the helmet by Wood – prompting an expressive response from his batting partner.”I flinched. I thought I was going to get hit before him but it didn’t happen like that. But kudos to him that he bounced back well and was able to stand his ground and push on further.”We always bat good together, play for the same franchise back home, we’ve had a lot of big partnerships,” Hodge added. “He’s more aggressive than I am, I’m more of an accumulator, so I tend to go under the radar and go about my business quietly. Always good to spend time with him at the wicket.”Although Athanaze fell for 82 when flashing Ben Stokes to gully, Hodge stuck to it and eventually brought up three figures with a punch down the ground off Stokes. His roar of approval, which was followed by leaping into the arms of Jason Holder mid-pitch, made clear how much the moment meant to him.”It was amazing,” Hodge told Sky Sports. “I think from 97 I blanked out… I was just trying my best to stay in the moment and he bowled a big, booming inswinger and everything was just a blur, everything just happened in the moment. I told Jason I was still pinching myself after the celebration, I hadn’t grasped it yet.”Hodge only made his Test debut on the tour of Australia in January, having played three ODIs against UAE last year, and admitted that he had feared he would not get this far after repeatedly missing out on selection.”There were times when you start to doubt yourself, when you weren’t getting the opportunity,” he said. “There were times when to make the Test team, because of Covid, we had something called the best vs best, when they would bring the guys in and then split the squad into two and have warm-up games to select the team. I think I’ve taken part in that six or seven times and every time a selector or the coach would come to me and say ‘We’re not going to select you, we’re looking in this direction’.”So every time I went to a best vs best, it took a little bit out of me but I’m grateful that I stuck with it and things are working out, so I’m happy for that.”West Indies faced being written off as credible opposition after twice being dismissed for under 150 in the first Test at Lord’s, a game that lasted barely seven sessions. But Hodge said that the tourists had been focused on learning from their mistakes and was glad to have helped capitalise in more favourable conditions.”It was a matter of staying positive, we’re not the only team who have lost a Test match two days. It’s just a matter of learning from it, the conditions are new for a lot of us – this is my first time to England, so it’s just a matter of learning quickly, adapting to conditions and finding ways to improve. And when we get the opportunity to bat, take it deep. As we’ve seen, it was a very good batting wicket, so it was imperative that once we got the opportunity we stay in, dig deep and put our team in a good position.”

Heading into their away tie with Newcastle United on Sunday, Chelsea were deep in some pretty impressive form in the Premier League.

The Blues were five league games unbeaten heading into his one – which included a stunning 3-1 victory being picked up against Arne Slot’s title-winning Liverpool – but all that positive energy came crashing down at St James’ Park as Eddie Howe’s Magpies ran out comfortable 2-0 victors.

Chelsea’s task on the day was made a lot harder by a clueless first-half red card, but there would have still been a lot to moan about from Enzo Maresca’s perspective at the full-time whistle, irrespective of his side having to play all of the second 45 minutes a man light.

Chelsea's biggest underperformers at St James' Park

Before touching on the rash red card, the likes of Noni Madueke struggled to ever get going in attack for the visitors.

Whilst Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak busted a gut for the Toon cause up top, Madueke was timid and limp in approach, seen in the 23-year-old failing to a register a single effort on Nick Pope’s goal during his forgettable 45-minute stint, as well as losing all four of his contested duels.

Romeo Lavia would last far longer on the St James’ turf, but he wouldn’t be deserving of any praise himself come full-time either, with his lackadaisical approach early on gifting the ball to Newcastle to take the lead via Sandro Tonali.

Moreover, the usually electric Cole Palmer once again failed to spark into life with possession squandered a hefty 14 times, but the elephant in the room that remains is Nicolas Jackson’s hot-headed dismissal.

Jackson would brainlessly connect with Newcastle defender Sven Botman using his elbow, meaning the ex-Villarreal centre-forward will now be suspended for the rest of the season.

This could be the last time Chelsea fans see the 23-year-old lead the line for the Blues in the Premier League, therefore, with the pantomime villain very much turning into Stamford Bridge’s next Kai Havertz.

Chelsea's next Havertz

Much like Jackson now, Chelsea fans would regularly lament the amount of missed chances Havertz would spurn for their team when he was still on the books of the West London outfit.

That is the case despite the German popping up with 32 strikes overall – which included the now Arsenal man scoring a winner in a Champions League final.

Despite that, he would still infuriate the Stamford Bridge masses with his consistent wastefulness, seen in him missing a colossal 14 big chances in Premier League action during his final Blues season.

Games played

30

35

Goals scored

10

14

Assists

5

5

Big chances missed

19

24

Goal conversion %

13%

18%

Big chances created

6

8

Jackson has actually bagged a promising 29 strikes in total for Maresca’s men over two seasons, yet – much like Havertz – he gets regularly under the skin of the restless Chelsea fanbase with his off performances, seen in him missing a mammoth 19 big chances during the 2024/25 campaign.

Therefore, his hot-headedness away at Newcastle could be the final straw that sees Jackson – the club’s new Havertz-like scapegoat – moved on.

London Evening Standard journalist Dom Smith suggested that the £32m signing ‘ruined’ his side’s chances of a big win, handing him a dismal 2/10 post-match rating.

But, it shouldn’t be completely ruled out that the 23-year-old goes on to be a success elsewhere, with Havertz showing in flashes for Arsenal – as per his 29-goal haul from 85 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s men – that a damaging experience for the Blues isn’t the be-all-and-end-all.

As bad as Jackson: Maresca must axe Chelsea dud who lost 100% duels

Chelsea lost 2-0 away at Newcastle United to hand the Toon an advantage in the ongoing Champions League race.

ByKelan Sarson May 11, 2025

Tottenham recruitment chiefs have reportedly set their sights on an “elite” talent who Man City boss Pep Guardiola called “unbelievable”, with the looming January transfer window set to be an intriguing one for Spurs and Thomas Frank.

The Lewis family, after parting company with ex-chairman Daniel Levy, have made their intentions to back the club pretty known.

After injecting £100 million worth of new capital into Spurs via ENIC, they sought to re-appoint transfer guru Fabio Paratici as a co-sporting director, where he’ll work alongside Johan Lange overseeing their drive for new signings.

Amid their striker conundrum, with Randal Kolo Muani now sidelined with a jaw problem, Dominic Solanke still recovering and Richarlison largely out of form, Tottenham are exploring the possibility of a new striker arriving mid-season.

Frank has even reportedly held direct talks with Ivan Toney about a potential loan move to N17 with the 2026 World Cup looming and his England place in doubt, while Juventus star Dušan Vlahović is believed to be another Spurs target as his contract ticks down towards expiry.

According to other reports, the Lilywhites also have plans to bring in another winger and centre-back at the turn of the year, even if Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski are poised to return from their long-term injuries fairly soon.

However, according to a new report from TEAMtalk and journalist Dean Jones, Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is also attracting their attention.

Tottenham chiefs really want Spurs to sign Bournemouth sensation Alex Scott

The 22-year-old has started nearly all of high-flying Bournemouth’s 11 Premier League games this season and was a surprise inclusion for Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad to face Serbia and Albania. More interestingly, Tottenham hold an historic interest in Scott, which dates all the way back to 2022 during his Bristol City days.

Once likened to Jack Grealish, the Guernsey-native was dubbed an “elite” level talent on the rise back when he was 18 and making a name for himself at Bristol, with Guardiola confessed to be among his many admirers.

With Scott now making a name for himself in Europe’s most competitive division, Spurs’ admiration for the player hasn’t gone away.

As per Jones, some members of Tottenham’s transfer team are “very hot” on Scott right now, and a move for him in the near future could be on the cards.

According to Opta, no Bournemouth midfielder has made more dribbles than Scott or won more ground duels than the new England international — demonstrating his ability to excel both defensively and in the forward areas.

Scott also started in England’s victorious U21 European Championship final against Germany in June, with Spurs chiefs potentially taking interest in one of the country’s next rising stars who’s perhaps less talked about.

According to another report, though, he won’t be let go on the cheap.

Bournemouth could demand as much as £65 million for Scott, or more, with the Cherries aiming to make a near-triple profit on a player they signed for just £25 million.

Dwaine Pretorius’ late sixes trumped Kieron Pollard’s in a tense chase of 168 to start Guyana Amazon Warriors’ home stretch with a victory and boost their playoff chances. They are fourth now on the points table, just one point behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, but with three matches in hand compared to one for Falcons. Trinbago Knight Riders, second on the table and already through to the playoffs, were lifted to a competitive score single-handedly by Pollard’s unbeaten 54 off 18, but it didn’t prove to be enough on a night where batting got easier later on, according to Pretorius.Amazon Warriors were in a spot of bother once their set batters Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer were gone by the 16th over and they needed 38 to win off 18. Pretorius, fresh on the back of his 53 off 34 against Barbados Royals two days ago, ended the 18th over, from Andre Russell, with consecutive sixes to bring it down from 19 to 12, and further eased the nerves in the last over, of which they needed nine, with a hack over wide long-on off Pollard before they reached the target with a ball to spare.TKR got off to a sedate start after they were put in to bat. They kept attempting boundaries, but kept losing wickets in the process as Romario Shepherd rattled Alex Hales’ stumps and Moeen Ali did the same to Nicholas Pooran, leaving them on 40 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Moeen and captain Imran Tahir slowed them down further with a spin strangle, conceding just 18 in the next four overs with just one boundary. Moeen finished with 4-0-11-1 before Darren Bravo broke the shackles but soon holed out off Tahir for 33 off 35.On 100 for 4 after 16, TKR got a massive late lift when Pollard faced 17 off the last 24 balls and smashed the fastest half-century of the season, off 17 balls, studded with his trademark swings across the line after going back and across. He started with consecutive fours against Pretorius and smashed back-to-back sixes off Shepherd before Keacy Carty retired out for 29 off 34 at the end of the 18th. Pollard took on Tahir too, with a six that travelled 103 metres back over the bowler. The innings ended with a sequence of 6, 6, 4 and 4 as Pollard tore into Shepherd for a 21-run over.Amazon Warriors’ start wasn’t very impressive either, as Akeal Hosein sent back Moeen and Keemo Paul in his first eight balls. Hope, however, broke free with 6, 6 and 4 off Russell before Hetmyer hammered Usman Tariq for three sixes in an over to place them on an impressive 66 for 2 after six overs. But Amazon Warriors, too, slowed down after the powerplay, with the introduction of Sunil Narine. He added to the hosts’ woes by having Hetmyer hole out for 49 and trapping Hope lbw for 53. But Pretorious held his nerve by being prepared for yorkers and variations, and putting a bunch of them away to the ropes to see Amzaon Warriors home.

Carl Crowe, the KKR spin consultant, has been appointed LSG’s spin-bowling coach and joins the staff that also includes head coach Justin Langer and fast-bowling coach Bharat Arun

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2025

Kane Williamson has joined IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a strategic advisor ahead of the 2026 season, the team’s owner Sanjiv Goenka said on social media on Thursday, while Carl Crowe has joined the team as spin-bowling coach.The franchise also confirmed that Justin Langer and Bharat Arun would continue as the head coach and the fast-bowling coach, respectively.”His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team,” Goenka wrote of Williamson, the 35-year-old former New Zealand captain.Williamson said: “I’m really excited to be joining LSG. They have a hugely talented squad and a great group of coaches which I’m looking forward to working alongside. It’s always special being involved in the IPL, the best franchise competition in the game.”Williamson, who has been a part of the Super Giants franchise while with their Durban team in the SA20, last played for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final against India in March this year. He has not retired from international cricket yet but, having opted for a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket, his appearances are likely to be sporadic.