Ian Bell, who last played for England in 2015, proved to be a surprise pick, while Shahid Afridi found a new home and Brendon McCullum was overlooked

Umar Farooq20-Nov-2018If Pakistan’s fourth-innings implosion against New Zealand on Monday was a poor warm-up, the Pakistan Super League 2019 draft lost much of its sheen to the PCB’s case against the BCCI being dismissed by the ICC dispute panel on Tuesday. However, the semblance of attention the draft received, as the glittery ceremony unfolded in Islamabad, came via its most celebrated pick – AB de Villiers – going to Lahore Qalandars, followed by the ‘Sixth Team’, formerly Multan, snapping up the banned Australia batsman Steven Smith.Aside from de Villiers and Smith, the focus was on veterans Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, as both had been released by their former franchises, making it tough for both players to remain relevant. Although Afridi’s chances of recruitment had been slim in the lead-up to the draft, the Sixth Team bought him in the Platinum category – the highest-paid bracket. Misbah reneged on his agreement with Islamabad United as a mentor to make himself available to be picked up Peshawar Zalmi in the Diamond category.The 36-year-old Ian Bell, who last played for England in 2015, proved to be the most surprising pick, by Islamabad United. A prolific season in county cricket was perhaps one of the factors that clinched the deal for Bell. Although thin on T20 experience in England colours, Bell flourished in the format in the last three years, amassing 1551 runs in 50 matches, at an average of 37.83 and a strike rate of 131. He has also played in the Big Bash with Perth Scorchers. ESPNcricinfo understands that Bell was seen as a like-for-like replacement for JP Duminy, given his ability to accumulate runs in a largely risk-free manner, in a team otherwise replete with power-hitters.Until last night, Lahore Qalandars were faced with a difficult choice between de Villiers and Smith – both red-hot picks of the season. They went with de Villiers, but later in the opening Platinum round, also picked Mohammad Hafeez, who was released by Peshawar Zalmi. They have retained spinner Yasir Shah, who was also part of the side through the last three seasons. They bolstered their legspin contingent with the addition of Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane, in the Gold category.The biggest omission from the top five categories was Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad, who is currently serving his doping ban but is set to return to action later this month. He was classified in the Gold category but was overlooked by all teams, before being relegated to the Silver category, where, too, his fate remain unchanged. However, Quetta Gladiators, who released him for the third season, picked him in the supplement category among four extra players.Abdul Razzaq and Imran Nazir, both on a quest to revive their careers, entered the draft but remain unpicked, as were Umar Gul and Salman Butt. The major miss, however, was former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. Among the younger lot, 20-year-old Ibtisam Sheikh, a legspinner who was originally released by Pesawar Zalmi, made it back to their squad.

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da pinup bet： O centroavante Julio Furch chega ao Santos com a missão de reforçar o ataque da equipe, acrescentando ao elenco de Paulo Turra uma opção para jogos de maior exigência física, especialmente nas disputas aéreas.

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da bet7： + Já atualizou sua camisa de 2023? Confira os novos uniformes do Peixe!

No entanto, se quiser atuar com frequência o argentino terá que desbancar o ‘dono’ da posição há três temporadas e artilheiro do time na atual temporada: Marcos Leonardo. Em tese, ambos ocupam a função de ‘camisa 9’. Porém, durante a apresentação na última quarta-feira (26), Furch comentou a possibilidade de atuar em dupla com o Menino da Vila.

– Posso jogar com outro companheiro (no ataque) com as características do Marcos (Leonardo). No México éramos praticamente dois ‘noves’. Marcos não é tanto de estar na área, mas de se mover um pouco mais. Pode ser uma boa complementação se pudermos jogar juntos – disse.

Recentemente, o técnico Paulo Turra modificou o sistema tático da equipe para um 4-4-2, formando uma dupla de ataque entre Marcos Leonardo e Stiven Mendoza, facilitando um possível encaixe do reforço santista no jogo coletivo do time. Com base nisso, tentamos desvendar se Marcos Leonardo e Julio Furch podem atuar juntos.

+ Olho no Brasileirão! Assine o Prime Video e acompanhe todos os jogos do seu time do coração!

Para início de conversa, o ‘Imperador’ considera Marcos Leonardo um atacante de movimentação, apesar de artilheiro do Peixe no ano com 14 gols marcados em 29 jogos. Ao mesmo tempo, ele se autodescreve com um jogador finalizador, que retém a bola e se aproxima para a execução de paredes.

No que depender de estatísticas, no entanto, a diferença entre os atletas não é grande. Dados da plataforma ‘Sofascore’ indicam que ambos os centroavantes são muito parecidos, tanto como criadores de jogadas como finalizando os ataques (veja mais abaixo). A diferença entre os dois está justamente na jogada aérea, característica citada por Furch como um ponto forte do seu jogo.

Vale destacar que estes números estão fora do contexto das partidas, ou seja, não têm relação alguma com o estilo de cada equipe, adversários enfrentados, nem mesmo indicam em quantos destes jogos os centroavantes atuaram sozinhos ou em dupla.

Um elemento de análise que poderia indicar se há diferença na movimentação dos atacantes seriam seus mapas de calor. No entanto, as figuras indicam que ambos os jogadores ocupam espaços semelhantes no campo. Na imagem abaixo, comparamos o posicionamento de Marcos Leonardo no Brasileirão deste ano (11 jogos) e de Julio Furch no Clausura da Liga MX, disputado no primeiro semestre deste ano (19 jogos).

Ainda que os dois tenham características distintas, os números indicam que ambos cumprem praticamente a mesma função em campo. Marcos Leonardo, apesar de se movimentar bastante, não tem como principal característica a capacidade de criação. Da mesma forma, Furch é tão bom finalizador quanto o jovem santista.

A decisão está nas mãos de Paulo Turra. Mas, se depender dos números, dificilmente o torcedor santista verá essa dupla tendo um bom encaixe em campo.

Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke and Jacob Duffy have been offered their first New Zealand central contracts while left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel returns to the list.Fast bowler Adam Milne has joined Kane Williamson and Lockie Ferguson in declining a contract and Blair Tickner has dropped out of the 20 players.Ravindra was a breakout star of the 2023 ODI World Cup where he made 578 runs and then scored his maiden Test century against South Africa in Mount Maunganui which he converted into 240. He became the youngest recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as the New Zealand men’s player of the year in March.Related

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“Growing up you’d see those contract lists come out each year and think it would be cool to be on that list one day – and for it to eventuate now is a pinch-myself moment,” Ravindra said. “It’s been a really cool past 12 months playing international cricket. I’ve learned a lot and the hunger is definitely there to keep improving and giving to the Blackcaps.”Pace bowlers Sears and O’Rourke impressed on their Test debuts last season. O’Rourke claimed nine wickets against South Africa in Hamilton and Sears took 4 for 90 against Australia in the fourth innings in Christchurch. Sears was also a regular member of the T20I side while O’Rourke debuted across both white-ball formats.Duffy, 29, is not a regular in New Zealand’s teams and is yet to make his Test debut. He has featured in six ODIs and 14 T20Is since his debut in 2020. Last season he took 31 wickets at 24.41 in the Plunket Shield.”It’s especially exciting for Ben, Jacob, Rachin and Will to receive their first contract offers, and well deserved following their hard work and performances,” New Zealand selector Sam Wells said. “These younger guys are the future of the team and it’s been encouraging to see their progress on the international stage.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Patel’s return to the contract list is a reflection of a Test-heavy schedule New Zealand have coming up which includes overseas assignments against Afghanistan (one Test), Sri Lanka (two Tests) and India (three Tests). They then play a three-match home series against England in December.Top-order batter Henry Nicholls retains his contract despite dropping out of the Test side last season. Kyle Jamieson is currently undergoing rehab from another back injury which was diagnosed in February and could keep him out for a year. He, too, is on the contract list.It was announced last month that Williamson would not take up a central contract as he will be heading to the SA20 in January but he is available for New Zealand either side of that and is expected to remain a regular in the Test side.One of the terms in the contract is availability to both New Zealand and the Super Smash T20 competition.”We’re producing international-ready Blackcaps and we’re pleased with the current depth,” Wells said. “The strength of the list is perhaps best measured by the quality of some of the players who weren’t offered contracts.”New Zealand will need a new white-ball captain following Williamson’s contract decision.The retired Neil Wagner is the other player to drop off the contract list from last season.

New Zealand central contracts 2024-25

Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young

Liverpool will have a commanding presence in the transfer window this summer and could use that leverage to pull off an audacious player-plus-cash deal to land an exciting target, according to a report.

Liverpool look to build on Premier League title triumph

After laying claim to their second title of the Premier League era, the Reds are winding down for the campaign and won’t be too frustrated at surrendering a two-goal advantage in their draw with Arsenal last weekend.

Ultimately, Arne Slot has led his side to the goal they set out to achieve at the start of the season. Now, many are beginning to wonder what happens next once their celebrations are in the memory bank.

That is still a while off yet, though Liverpool are active in their pursuit of summer reinforcements and could look to bring Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong to Anfield. The Netherlands international is someone the club are aware of as far as his situation goes, with a release clause of between £29.5 million and £33.8 million being something they are willing to exploit.

Lyon winger Malick Fofana is also being targeted by Liverpool, potentially becoming a replacement for Luiz Diaz amid the latter attracting interest from Saudi Pro League outfit.

Darwin Nunez is another that could be moved on to free up funds and space for reinforcements in a period where Slot is expected to be ruthless in his decision-making to mould a squad fit to defend their crown. Realistically, Liverpool have nothing to prove to anyone, but they could potentially surpass their jointly-held record of 20 titles that they share with Manchester United next term with a repeat performance of this season’s excellence.

Making strides to equip themselves to do so, the Reds are now eyeing a swap deal that could see one of Europe’s revered attackers arrive on Merseyside.

Liverpool eye Ademola Lookman and Federico Chiesa swap deal

According to reports in Italy via Sport Witness, Liverpool would be willing to swap Federico Chiesa for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman to bring the Nigeria international back to the Premier League. Formerly of Everton, Lookman has registered 19 goals and seven assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season. His current employers are unlikely to make allowances relating to his £50 million+ valuation, so Chiesa could be used to whittle that number down.

Better than Jota: Liverpool make contact to sign "world-class" £85m star

Liverpool have made contact to keep informed on a “world-class” star who is miles better than Diogo Jota.

2

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May 12, 2025

The Liverpool star could now be thrown into a potential swap arrangement after struggling to make an impact following his move from Juventus. Earning £150,000 per week, the Italy international has scored twice and registered two assists in just 13 outings, making him a prime candidate for a summer departure.

That said, it remains to be seen whether a swap would be the preferred option for both clubs or if conducting seperate deals is a more viable alternative to put through the books.

After such a dismal season in 2024/25, Manchester United have a huge opportunity to end the campaign on a high with the Europa League final on the horizon.

Ruben Amorim’s men face Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao on Wednesday night, looking to claim his first trophy in charge and secure a place in the Champions League next year.

Such an achievement could be vital in their pursuit of landing new talent this summer, with the manager already targeting new additions to help revitalise his current squad.

Qualifying for the biggest club competition in Europe could hand the Red Devils a boost of offering top-level talents an exciting project despite their lowly Premier League standing.

With the summer window rapidly approaching, work has already been done behind the scenes to hand Amorim with the tools needed to be a success at Old Trafford.

The latest on United’s pursuit of new talents this summer

Matheus Cunha appears to be edging ever closer to completing a switch to join United this summer, with the deal entering its final stages, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 25-year-old has already accepted a proposal to move to Old Trafford this summer, with the hierarchy ready to trigger his £62.5m release clause in four instalments.

However, he could be joined at the Theatre of Dreams by one of his compatriots, with Atalanta’s Ederson the latest player on their radar, according to reports in Italy.

They claim that the Red Devils have been in contact with a move to land the Serie A star, currently having the advantage over Manchester City and Juventus in the race for his signature.

The journalist also confirmed that the 25-year-old would cost a fee in the region of £50m this summer, but that the hierarchy are set to enter negotiations after the Europa League final.

Why United’s £50m target could be Amorim’s own Pogba

Paul Pogba still holds the club-record for the highest fee paid for a player, costing £89m from Juventus back in the summer of 2016, just a couple of years after departing on a free transfer.

The Frenchman made over 200 appearances during his second spell at Old Trafford, helping them win the Europa League – something which Amorim could hope to replicate this week.

The midfielder caught the eye in his box-to-box role for the Red Devils, often producing a moment of magic with the ball at his feet, resulting in countless excellent strikes in the North West.

Despite leaving on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, his spell at the club was a success, potentially replicating such a deal with a move for Ederson in the coming months.

The Atalanta star could follow in Pogba’s footsteps by completing a switch from an Italian outfit, also possessing a similar skillset, which could make him a key component in Amorim’s overhaul at the club.

When comparing his stats to those of Pogba’s from his first year at United, the Brazilian has managed to star at both ends of the pitch, making him a superb option as a box-to-box in the manager’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Ederson, who’s been labelled “monster” by The Mirror’s Ryan Taylor, has achieved a higher pass completion rate, handing other players at Old Trafford the chance to improve their own tallies.

Games played

36

30

Goals & assists

5

9

Shot-on-target accuracy

31%

23%

Goals per shot-on-target

0.4

0.3

Pass accuracy

86%

83%

Tackles won

1.6

1.3

Interceptions made

1.2

0.8

Despite registering fewer combined goals and assists, the Brazilian has notched a higher shot-on-target rate along with a better goal-per-shot-on-target rate – highlighting the clinical edge he possesses in attacking areas.

He’s also won more tackles per 90 and completed more interceptions, offering Amorim the added defensive cover he needs within the midfield department at Old Trafford.

£50m may seem to be another hefty investment from the hierarchy this summer, but it’s one that would drastically improve the options currently at Amorim’s disposal.

Should he manage to reach similar levels to those produced by Pogba, it would be an excellent pickup, potentially playing a key role in any success down the line under the current management team.

Man Utd flop who should be "fourth choice" has been even worse than Onana

This Manchester United flop has been an even worse signing than Andre Onana.

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Low jeopardy with Nottinghamshire safe from relegation as batter ends campaign on a high

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2024With all potential relegation permutations happily off the agenda at last, Warwickshire calmly settled down to avoiding defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on the final day of the 2024 Vitality County Championship. Saving the follow-on with five wickets down effectively saved the game.The draw, for which the pitch was probably intended from the start, thus duly arrived with ease, Notts taking 14 points to the visitors’ 13. Sam Hain signed off the season with an unbeaten 153 and his overnight partner Ed Barnard made 81 before Michael Burgess struck 56 from 71 balls in an eventual 373 for 7 after the resumption on 143 for 4.It was not until the 13th ball after lunch in fact that the fifth-wicket partners were finally separated after adding exactly 150. The wunderkind off-spinner Farhan Ahmed switched to bowling over the wicket for the first time in the day and Barnard, who had passed 5000 first-class runs on the way, immediately top-edged a sweep to the deep.The catch was well judged by the 21-year old substitute Sam King, yet to gain a first-class debut, with Brett Hutton briefly off the field. But only 84 more runs were then needed to avoid the follow-on, reduced to 58 by the time Hutton returned to take the new ball five overs later.In a challenging summer during which personal reasons and concussion had seen him miss six games, Hain had completed a heartening second hundred of the season from 202 balls just before lunch. As Ahmed shared the new ball, he remained the anchor while Burgess proved typically combative.The follow-on target of 333 was passed with 43 overs remaining but the match, bonus points aside, long since academic as certain to be drawn. Burgess entertained with four sixes in all until he swiped at Lyndon James 21 runs later and failed to clear mid-on. Ahmed came off next over with three for 93 from 33 overs, good figures on this pitch.A second substitute, James Hayes, also without first-class experience, then took a gentle catch at cover off Rob Lord as a loose cut undid Danny Briggs without score. After tea taken at 361 for 7, however, just four bonus-point overs remained, neither side adding to their tally. Notts brought Ahmed back on but he found no further success and bad light conveniently ended play at 3.50.Warwickshire could reflect on a season of just one win but the boon of no fewer than 33 batting points, a total bettered only by Surrey and Essex in Division One. Added to the reinstated increased reward of eight points for each of their nine draws, it served them very well.Nottinghamshire too benefited from eight draws and Lancashire would no doubt rue the fact that they arguably had a marginally better playing record than both their rivals but could muster just 15 batting points along with their four draws. They ended with three wins and six losses, compared to Notts’ two wins, four losses and Warwickshire’s one win also with four losses.

da pinup bet： As Rangers look to commence their summer business, the 49ers are now reportedly chasing a deal to sign an international defender for a bargain price in the coming months.

Rangers could rehire Steven Gerrard

da realsbet： Top of the 49ers’ list of priorities at Ibrox will undoubtedly be finding the next Rangers manager. With the Scottish Premiership season now over, the Gers will be desperate to put an end to any speculation and appoint what they hope to be a long-term appointment. A number of names on that front have already been mentioned too, but it’s Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard who are seemingly the leading candidates.

What is quite the indication that Ancelotti is among the candidates is the fact that he hasn’t joined his father, Carlo Ancelotti, at the Brazil national team as he looks to get his own managerial career underway.

Meanwhile, Gerrard needs no introduction. The Liverpool legend ended Rangers’ long wait for another league title in 2021, but then jumped ship to join Premier League side Aston Villa. Since then, however, things have only gone downhill. Sacked by Villa, who have gone on to become a side battling for European football, Gerrard then joined Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq only to face the same fate that he suffered in the Midlands.

A free agent once more, Gerrard could now have the opportunity to head back to Ibrox and make up for leaving four years ago. Whether the Scottish giants are in the mood to offer a shot at redemption is the big question, however.

It’s an appointment that Rangers cannot get wrong after Philippe Clement, but one that they must conclude sooner rather than later. What the appointment of Gerrard would at least do is hand the Gers a potential advantage in the race to sign one of their summer targets.

Rangers chasing £1m George Bello deal

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Rangers are now chasing a deal to sign George Bello from Austrian club LASK this summer. The USA international is reportedly valued at just £1m and represents the type of deal that the Gers could afford in the coming months.

What’s more, Bello is represented by the same agency as Gerrard, John Souttar and Danilo, which could hand the 49ers an unexpected opportunity to simplify any potential contract negotiations this summer.

The left-back would certainly be an interesting addition. Having initially come through the Atlanta academy, Bello decided to join Arminia Bielefeld in 2022 before struggling to adapt in Germany. But he didn’t give up his stint in Europe from there, opting to join LASK in 2023 and getting back to his best level ever since.

A new left-back would be no bad thing for Rangers, either, with Neraysho Kasanwirjo set to return to parent club Feyenoord this summer and Jefte in need of competition down that side.

Whilst appointing a new manager – be it Gerrard, Ancelotti or another name – will be Rangers’ priority in the coming weeks, players like Bello will be ones to keep an eye on this summer.