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Offspinner hurt his left shoulder while putting in a dive off his own bowling

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2020R Ashwin’s fitness was put in doubt after he left the field with a left-shoulder issue, after diving to try and stop a Glenn Maxwell punch down the ground during the Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2020 season opener against the Kings XI Punjab in Dubai on Sunday. The Capitals’ captain Shreyas Iyer, speaking after the game, indicated the injury was not as serious as it first appeared, but the team was still waiting on the physio’s word.The incident occurred on the last ball of the sixth over of the Kings XI innings, Ashwin’s first over of the game, in which he had already sent back Karun Nair and Nicholas Pooran to give the Capitals a distinct edge. Maxwell, the new man in at the fall of Pooran’s wicket, drove the ball, Ashwin dived, and looked in pain straightaway after landing awkwardly. Patrick Farhart, the team physio, reached Ashwin on cue, and the bowler went off with his left arm in a makeshift sling, fashioned from his team jersey.Iyer later sounded a positive note when speaking to the official broadcaster, after his team secured the game in the Super Over, saying, “I briefly spoke to Ashwin, and Ashwin said he’ll be ready for the next game, but at the end of the day it’s the physio’s decision. He [Ashwin] is a strong-minded guy, and hopefully he’ll be available.”The Capitals’ next game is against Chennai Super Kings on September 25.

It's been a rough couple of years for Chelsea Football Club, a couple of years that have seen them stuck in midtable mediocrity despite spending absurd amounts of money on promising young players.

That said, Todd Boehly and Co have also recouped a reasonably sizeable sum of money through player sales in that time, although one Frank Lampard signing has yet to be sold.

The star's value has plunged in recent years and is now worth even less than Trevoh Chalobah.

Hakim Ziyech's time at Chelsea

Yes, the flop in question is Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, who agreed to join Lampard's Blues in a £33m deal in February 2020 before moving to the club a few months later.

There was a lot of excitement around the deal, as the Dronten-born ace had been scintillating for Ajax in the years prior. For example, in the 2019/20 campaign, he scored nine goals and provided 20 assists in 35 appearances.

However, his brilliant form didn't carry over to England, and in his first season in Blue, he returned just six goals and four assists in 39 appearances and missed 14 games through injury.

While his second season at Stamford Bridge was not bad, it was just as underwhelming as his first. In 44 games, the 5 foot 11 wideman scored eight goals and provided six assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 3.1 games.

Unfortunately for all involved, it wasn't third time lucky, as the 2022/23 campaign saw the left-footed ace lose his place in the first team and return his worst haul yet: just three assists in 24 appearances.

At this point, it was crystal clear that the former Ajax star had no future with the Pensioners.

After a permanent move away from the team failed to materialise in the summer, he was sent to Galatasaray on loan, where it would be fair to say things have gone from bad to worse.

Hakim Ziyech's valuation this season

It really has been a disaster of a season for the 31-year-old this year.

A succession of injuries has seen him miss a whopping 26 games for club and country, and when he has played, he has once again been underwhelming.

The tricky winger has made 17 appearances for the Turkish giants so far, in which he has scored four goals and provided three assists, a return that has done little for his valuation.

In fact, the player who once cost the Blues £33m is now valued at just €9.5m by Transfermarkt, which converts to around £8m, or a £25m loss.

The 60-capped international is now worth even less than the injury-prone Chalobah, who has made just eight first-team appearances under Pochettino this season. Transfermarkt values the defender at €13m, which is around £11m, or £3m more than the once dynamic winger.

Ultimately, with just a year left on Ziyech's Chelsea contract at the end of this season, the club simply must sell him this summer and get what they can for a player who has been a flop in west London.

Chelsea could sign the ideal Sterling upgrade in "incredible" £43m talent

The exceptional attacker has just lifted silverware and has been described as being “on another level.”

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 9, 2024

Manchester United are reportedly lining up a shock move for Sporting CP's powerhouse captain Morten Hjulmand after their pursuit of Brighton's Carlos Baleba hit a wall, with the Seagulls demanding a jaw-dropping £120 million for their Cameroonian star. United boss Ruben Amorim is desperate to bring Baleba to Old Trafford, but Brighton's sky-high asking price left Old Trafford chiefs wincing.

• Man Utd eye Sporting skipper Hjulmand
• Baleba chase halted by £120m demand
• Arsenal-loving Dane could join Red Devils

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Baleba was a revelation last season, ranking among the Premier League’s best for tackles, interceptions, blocks and recoveries. Brighton aren't budging, seeing him as a pivotal piece for the campaign ahead after starting 31 of 38 league games last term.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to Brighton's firm stance has forced United to shift their focus to Hjulmand. United are preparing a £50m bid, with Sporting likely to consider an offer about £10m shy of his £68m release clause if performance add-ons are met. The Dane is no stranger to Amorim’s high-intensity, structured style, having played 65 matches under him at Sporting. Together, they lifted two Primeira Liga titles and a Taca de Portugal, with Hjulmand wearing the captain’s armband.

• TELL ME MORE

  If United pull the trigger on Hjulmand, the savings could fuel another high-profile raid – this time for Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, as they seek a new long-term goalkeeper. However, they must act quickly, as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are also lurking, with the Spaniard also eyeing Baleba as a potential long-term heir to Rodri.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Hjulmand is a lifelong Arsenal supporter, and he’s literally got the ink to prove it, with a Gunners-inspired tattoo on his body. That’s unlikely to sit well with sections of the United faithful, but Amorim believes his ex-captain’s mentality could win over even the most sceptical fans. 

Rangers are now planning to accept permanent bids for a "superb" £18,000-a-week player who has struggled to make his mark at Ibrox, according to a fresh transfer update.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers continue to be linked with new signings at the end of the season, with Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie one player who is seen as a possible candidate to come in. In fact, the Englishman has even talked up his hopes of moving to Ibrox, speaking of his admiration for the club since his childhood.

Fabio Silva had a poor game in Rangers' 3-3 draw at Celtic on Sunday, even though he won the penalty that James Tavernier converted, but there is still the potential for the Portuguese's loan move from Wolves to become a permanent switch in the summer window.

Rumours linking the Scottish Premiership side with a move for in-form Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland are also refusing to go away, with former Celtic attacker Frank McAvennie admitting that he is concerned about him moving to Ibrox: "I think it’ll be an interesting one if he goes to Ibrox – it’s a real step in the right direction and something Celtic will have to be aware of – they’ll be worried."

Rangers to accept bids for "superb" player

According to a new report from Football Insider, Rangers are willing to accept offers for Sam Lammers this summer, with the £18,000-a-week attacker deemed surplus to requirements.

A recent report claimed that there is confusion over his future with the Gers with the player himself admitting he has no idea what's next, having joined Dutch side Utrecht during the January transfer window after being limited to 10 starts in the league and not being seen as a key man by Philippe Clement.

For that reason, it makes total sense to consider offers for him in the next few months, even though Heerenveen manager Kees van Wonderen has hailed his "superb work ethic" in the past.

The brutal truth is that a tally of just two goals and assists apiece in 31 appearances for Rangers is not good enough, especially for an attacker, and while he is faring far better in the Netherlands currently – he has netted seven times in just 13 matches for Utrecht since January – the Scottish giants need to be looking at other options.

Rangers could replace Jack with their "outstanding" academy talent

Rangers have several talented youngsters emerging from the academy

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 9, 2024

Whether they decide to sign Silva or Abdalla Sima permanently remain to be seen, but Shankland arguably looks like the strongest option, considering he has 20 Scottish Premiership goals in 2023/24 to date – more than anyone else.

Dhoni felt that the start the Super Kings got wasn’t good enough in a tall chase, and also said the team needed to do a better job at not bowling no-balls

Saurabh Somani22-Sep-20204:14

Gambhir: Dhoni batting at No. 7 makes no sense

Before IPL 2020, MS Dhoni had batted at No. 7 – the lowest he’s ever batted in the tournament – only six times in 12 years. In the two matches the Chennai Super Kings have played this year though, Dhoni has come out at No. 7 both times, in a winning cause against the Mumbai Indians first up, and in a losing one against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.Dhoni said his lack of time in the middle – his match against Mumbai was his first competitive game in 437 days after India’s World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand in 2019 – was the primary reason he was coming lower down the order.”Oh I haven’t batted for a very long time, you know and the 14-day quarantine doesn’t really help,” he told Star, the host broadcaster, about his batting position. “[I’m] slowly trying to get into the tournament. Also at the same time, we want to try a few different things like Sam [Curran] or [Ravindra] Jadeja, sending them up.”It’s something we haven’t done for a very long time and this gives us an opportunity to do that, at the start of the tournament. And as the tournament progresses you’ll see the senior players stepping in and taking that responsibility, but otherwise we have been one team that has kept doing the same thing. I feel we have an opportunity over here where we can try a few different things if it works. If it doesn’t work, we can always go back to what our strengths are.”ALSO READ: Gambhir slams Dhoni’s decision to bat at No. 7: ‘Makes no sense to me’Dhoni came in 114 for 5 in the 14th over, and was on 9 off 12 before ransacking 20 runs off the five balls he faced in the final over. That took the Super Kings to 200 for 6, a 16-run defeat after the Royals had piled on 216 for 7.Stephen Fleming, the Super Kings coach, echoed Dhoni’s words at the post-match press conference and held that in terms of overs remaining, the captain came in at the right time.”We have this question every year,” Fleming said on being asked if Dhoni had come in too late. “He was in in the 12th over [it was actually the 14th over], which is pretty much optimal time, and sort of batted accordingly. He is coming back from not playing a huge amount of cricket, so the expectations – to see him at his best – is going to take some time. But you see him towards the end, he was very good. Faf du Plessis carried the form, so we weren’t too far away. It wasn’t the batting that was the worry to be honest.”Dhoni felt that the start the Super Kings got wasn’t good enough in a tall chase, and also said the team needed to do a better job at controlling the things they could, such as avoiding bowling no-balls. While not explicitly naming Lungi Ngidi, Dhoni pointed out that the Royals could have been restricted without the extras. Ngidi bowled the final over the innings, giving up 30 runs. He bowled two no-balls during the over, both of which were hit for sixes by Jofra Archer.”I think with 217 on the board, we had to have a very good start, which was not the case,” Dhoni said. “At the same time, we need to give credit to their bowlers also because there was a lot of dew. That’s one thing you know, if you put runs on the board then you have seen in the first innings that what is a good length to bowl on that wicket, and I think that’s what they did. They kept putting the ball in the same areas. Especially the spinners, they didn’t try too many different things.”It was important on this wicket to keep it away from the batsmen. Yes, they’ll hit a few shots but at least you’re not confused. A smaller outfield, you know you’ll get hit a few from back of the length or short ones, then you’ll get hit when you bowl up. I feel that was an error that our spinners committed in the first couple of overs that they bowled, two each. After that, we did come back nicely in the game.”Without singling out anyone, I think what we could have done – which is a controllable – is [avoided] no-balls. Even when you’re under pressure, try not to give no-balls because that’s a controllable. You can’t really control how the opposition batsman is batting. I feel that’s one area we can improve in. If we could have maybe restricted them to 200, it would have been a very good game.”

Harry Maguire has warned his Manchester United team-mates that there can be "no excuses" heading into the 2025-26 campaign after a strong pre-season under Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils fell to a shocking 15th-place finish in the Premier League last term, their lowest position in over half a century, marking one of the darkest chapters in the club’s storied history.

• Maguire says United must deliver
• Club endured worst season in 51 years
• Focus now fully on domestic success

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  For the first time in years, United will be completely absent from European football after their painful Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao back in May. Without continental competition on the calendar, their fixture count could drop significantly. Should they exit early from the League Cup or FA Cup, the team could even end up playing only 40 matches over the course of the campaign.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The reduced workload puts an even greater emphasis on excelling in the Premier League, which now becomes the club’s undisputed priority. United’s top brass have made it clear that a return to European football by the 2026-27 season is non-negotiable. For that, the team must perform well domestically to earn a place among the continent’s elite.

• WHAT MAGUIRE SAID

  Maguire, who has featured sparingly in pre-season preparations, starting just one of the club’s opening four summer friendlies, is fully aware of the significance of this season. Speaking to , the centre-back emphasised the need for accountability and unity as the club seeks redemption.

  "I just want to be part of a successful team this season," Maguire said. "I think last season was a tough season for everyone individually, but also as a team, as a squad, as a club. This season, there are no excuses. We're going to have a lot of time to prepare for the Premier League games, and we've got to make sure we're ready. So, for myself, it's making sure I'm available, I'm fit, I'm ready to go, and give everything I can to this team and this club."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  United have had a gruelling pre-season under Amorim, and Maguire believes that the Portuguese manager has built a strong tactical foundation for the upcoming season.

  "It's something that [Ruben Amorim] reiterated, that we didn't have enough time on the training pitch," Maguire continued. "This pre-season, it's been tough on the legs, but the majority of it has been tactical. So, it's nice to do the drills that are tactical rather than running around poles and running around the pitch.

  "It's been an enjoyable pre-season, but a pre-season that we've all learnt from. We know the system a lot better, and we've just got to take that into the games now."

Sarwan, the assistant coach of the franchise, was granted personal leave to travel home to Guyana

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2020Ramnaresh Sarwan, assistant coach of the Jamaica Tallawahs, has decided to exit the CPL bio-secure bubble in Trinidad ahead of the upcoming season due to personal reasons, as per reports. Vinod Maharaj and Ryan Austin have been named assistants to head coach Floyd Reifer.Michael Hall, CPL Director of Operations, confirmed to that Sarwan was granted personal leave to travel home to Guyana.”Yes, it’s a big loss,” Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller told . “Sars (Sarwan) brings a lot to the game – his knowledge, his experience and the way he has dealt with the players over the years, so it is a great loss.”We are going to look to move forward. This is a rebuilding year for us, [but] I don’t just want to say rebuilding. We are here to win the tournament. I think we have a great team and the guys are keen and ready to go, and let’s see at the end what happens, but we are definitely looking forward to having a great tournament this year.”Sarwan’s exit comes three months after an acrimonious public feud with former captain Chris Gayle, who alleged Sarwan had played a part in his dismissal from the franchise. Sarwan hit back at Gayle, calling the allegations scandalous. Gayle then moved to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots before eventually pulling out of the season due to personal reasons.”That [dispute] is behind us,” Miller said. “We have 12 new players on our franchise this year from last year, so there is no baggage from last year. We are focused this year and the guys are focused on CPL, not what happened in the past.”

After a disappointing campaign, Erik ten Hag's future at Manchester United has been thrown into doubt, particularly after the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. And now, following links with England boss Gareth Southgate, another top manager has been name-dropped.

Man Utd's next manager

It seems as though not even a dramatic FA Cup last-eight victory over Liverpool can mask Ten Hag's failure at Old Trafford this season, which could see him become part of Ratcliffe's clear-out this summer. Some of the Dutchman's failures were laid bare despite the victory over Liverpool, with the gap between United's defensive line and frontline highlighting exactly why they sit outside of the Premier League's top four.

With that said, reports suggested earlier this week that Ratcliffe has made Southgate his number one choice to replace Ten Hag this summer in what would be a shock move. Southgate, of course, has enjoyed relative success with England but has seen his side fall at the final few hurdles on one too many ocasions. Now, Euro 2024 could be his final shot at international glory before United potentially come calling.

Man United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe planning to move for “important player”

The update comes courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

By
Henry Jackson

Mar 10, 2024

If it's not Southgate, however, then it could be Roberto De Zerbi. According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, De Zerbi is a top target to replace Ten Hag at Manchester United and has leapfrogged Graham Potter on their shortlist. This comes as little surprise, given the success that the former Sassuolo boss has had at Brighton & Hove Albion, transforming the Seagulls into a Europa League club.

The thought of De Zerbi is certainly more enticing than Southgate, who has earned critics for his less exciting style of football when in charge of England. But, it remains to be seen whether the Italian is keen to leave Sussex just yet.

De Zerbi is better than Southgate

There are not many more exciting managers in the Premier League than De Zerbi. His transformative impact at Brighton has come whilst working on a budget created by selling his best players and then finding cheaper solutions in arguably the most impressive model in English football. And whilst injuries have caught up to his side this season, resulting in a slight dip, the conclusion about De Zerbi remains the same; the Italian is a top manager.

Southgate, meanwhile, wouldn't be an upgrade on Ten Hag. He would be a safe option who may level things out at Old Trafford, but ultimately not the man to take the Red Devils back to the top. What's more, if England fail to win the Euros this summer with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Trent Alexander-Arnold to choose from – just to name a few – then Southgate's critics will be louder than ever.

Of course, before De Zerbi, Southgate or another name can enter the hot seat, Ten Hag must be displaced and that's still not a certainty in itself after the victory over Liverpool.

The 18-year-old took four wickets on his first-class debut at the SCG last season

Andrew McGlashan24-Jun-2020Wil Parker, the 18-year-old legspinner, has opted for a professional cricket career over Australian Rules Football by signing a full contract with Victoria for the 2020-21 season.Parker made his first-class debut late last summer and impressed in his first outing at the SCG where he claimed four wickets to help Victoria to victory.He is also a talented footballer, who was tipped as a top-20 pick in the AFL draft and had earned interest from some clubs, so he had a decision to make as to which sport he would pursue at the professional level. The lack of football being played in age-group competitions due to Covid-19, which left Parker unable to showcase his ability, was a big part in the process.ALSO READ: Wil Parker dreams of meeting Shane Warne after ‘special’ debut“It was a very hard decision, one I weighed up for a long time, I love both sports,” Parker said. “I had to choose one eventually. Especially in these circumstances with Covid-19 I couldn’t pass it up. There’s been no footy on so it didn’t give me the chance to see where I’m at and how good I am. Having the experience last year in cricket it gave me a good idea that I’m a chance to make it in cricket rather than hedge by bets in footy.”If I’d had the chance to play footy I could have been in a totally difference position at the moment, I could have had a great season and made the draft, but in the current circumstances I didn’t feel confident going for the draft and had the opportunity for cricket.”Parker began as a medium-pacer before a back injury forced him to turn to spin – “I took up legspin for fun and it came out alright,” he said – and he has been mentored by former Australia legspinner Jim Higgs in club cricket.”Wil is a talented athlete and we’re excited he’s chosen to pursue cricket,” Cricket Victoria’s general manager of cricket Shaun Graf said. “He gave us a glimpse of what he’s got to offer in his two Shield games last season, we believe he’s got the skill and temperament to succeed in what is a difficult cricketing artform. His initial experiences last season will hopefully give him some added confidence moving forward in his career.”Elsewhere on Victoria’s contract list their pace-bowling resources have taken a hit with Chris Tremain moving to New South Wales which follows the departure of Peter Siddle to Tasmania. Andrew Fekete has also retired meaning a lot will be on the shoulders of Scott Boland, Will Sutherland and James Pattinson when the latter is not on Australia duty.”‘[Chris] had a taste of first-class cricket in New South Wales but he really established himself as one of the leading fast bowlers in Shield cricket with us over the last few years,” Graf said.”That form has seen him go very close to Australian Test selection on a number of occasions, hopefully he achieves that ambition one day. He has been a consistent performer and a good team person to have around our group during the several seasons he was with us.”While we’re disappointed to see him go, it was a contract that gave him long term security while fulfilling a desire to return home to NSW to be closer to his family.”Aaron Ayre, Jackson Coleman, Jake Reed, Eamonn Vines were also not offered contracts for the next season. Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris have returned to the Victoria books after losing their Cricket Australia deals.Victoria are still without a coach for their men’s set-up after Lachlan Stevens, who took temporary charge last year when Andrew McDonald became Justin Langer’s assistant, took on the head coach role with the women’s team.Victorian Men’s squad Scott Boland, Xavier Crone, Travis Dean, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch*, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sebastian Gotch, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell*, Jonathan Merlo, Tom O’Connell, Wil Parker, James Pattinson*, Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski, Matthew Short, Will Sutherland*CA contractedRookies Brody Couch, Sam Elliott, Tom Jackson, Cameron McClure, Todd Murphy, Patrick Rowe

Switzerland star Alisha Lehmann scored a brace in Juventus' 9-1 demolition of FC Zurich in a pre-season friendly on Friday. One of the two goals scored by Lehmann was a top-corner banger from the edge of the box, while the forward also performed her famous fishing celebration. The 26-year-old rejoined the Juventus women's squad earlier this week after taking part in Euro 2025.

• Lehmann scored a brace in pre-season
• Juventus beat FC Zurich 9-1
• Performed 'fishing' celebration

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lehmann was on fire on Friday as she contributed two goals in Juventus' thrashing of FC Zurich in a pre-season friendly. Lehmann's first goal of the match was an absolute banger, which entered the goal through the top corner after the forward unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box. After scoring her second goal of the day, the 26-year-old was spotted performing a 'fishing' celebration, which involved her pulling out an imaginary fishing rod to reel in her catch.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After reaching the Women's Euro 2025 quarter-final with the Swiss national team, Lehmann had jetted off to Ibiza on a well-earned vacation after a hectic 2024-25 campaign. She returned to Italy earlier this week to join her Juventus team-mates for pre-season. 

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  The Italian club still have plenty of time to get ready for the upcoming campaign. The 2025/26 Serie A Women's season is due to kick off on the weekend of October 4-5, with Juventus set to begin the start of their title defence against Sassuolo.