Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew scored magnificent One-Day Cup centuries while Spencer Johnson took four wickets to lead South Australia to an emphatic nine-wicket win over Victoria.The victory at Karen Rolton Oval completed a wonderful week for South Australia after they earlier completed their first Sheffield Shield win over the Victoria in nine years.Harvey’s unbeaten 134 off 110 balls, his first in the format, was complemented by skipper Alex Carey initially in an 80-run opening stand before Drew (108 not out off 86) made an equally impressive ton to chase down Victoria’s 286 for 7 in the 38th over to claim a vital bonus point.Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb had earlier rescued his side from a precarious position with an excellent 104 from 121 deliveries after Johnson and Brendan Doggett tore through the top order.Harvey, 24, gave the run chase a real kick along when he took 16 off Sam Elliott’s first over. It was a masterclass by the stylish left-hander who grafted for his runs early before accelerating and dominating his former team to earn player-of-the-match honours.Harvey, the nephew of former Australia allrounder Ian Harvey, easily surpassed his previous highest domestic one-day score of 61.Drew, 28, was just as impressive and lifted the tempo to ensure his team claimed the win inside 40 overs to get what could be a crucial extra competition point.Earlier, Johnson took 4 for 46 in a fast and furious spell that set up the win after Carey had won the toss. Johnson removed big-hitting Josh Brown when his former Brisbane Heat teammate was brilliantly caught by a diving Drew at mid-off.His second wicket was a tribute to the left-armer’s searing pace and attacking mindset. Johnson let rip with a straight short ball that had Campbell Kellaway rushing his pull shot and gloving through to Carey.Handscomb came in with Victoria reeling at 42 for 3 and showed aggression and patience depending on what was required. After lashing a suite of boundaries and two imperious sixes, Handscomb accumulated 15 singles in a row.He was dropped on 83 when Liam Scott was unable to grab a caught and bowled chance. An effortless lofted cover drive to the boundary against spinner Lloyd Pope summed up Handscomb’s absolute control for much of the innings. He found a willing ally in Jonathan Merlo (78 off 71) but the final tally was nowhere near enough.

A £140,000 a-week Liverpool player is now excited about leaving the Premier League champions after his agent met with a top European club, according to a new report.

Liverpool announce Kerkez and close in on Marc Guehi transfer

Liverpool announced their third major signing of the summer on Thursday, as Milos Kerkez joined the Reds in a deal worth £40 million from AFC Bournemouth. His arrival now takes Liverpool’s spending to £170 million so far this summer, but the Reds and Arne Slot are not finished there.

Liverpool set to send nearly £10m to Chelsea as they close in on centre-back deal

Liverpool are closing in on another signing following Kerkez’s arrival.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jun 26, 2025

According to Daveockop, Liverpool are now close to signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The England international is in the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, and the Reds are hoping that can work in their favour as they try to bring Guehi to Anfield in a deal between £40-45 million.

It’s been reported that the Premier League champions are close to agreeing personal terms with the defender, and that could see this deal progress as they now switch their attentions to their next transfer target.

But these big arrivals mean Liverpool are going to be looking to move some fringe players on, and they have now received a boost in their bid to see one player leave this summer.

£140,000-per-week Liverpool ace excited to leave

According to Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez is now keen on joining Napoli after a meeting between the Serie A club and his agent on Wednesday.

The report states that Nunez is “fired up” by the idea of playing under Antonio Conte and sees a move to Naples as a chance to rediscover his best form. While his agent and the Italian side have held numerous rounds of talks, there is still a long way to go for the two clubs to agree a transfer fee.

It is claimed that Liverpool are now looking to sell Nunez for around €58.6 million, which is roughly £50 million. This is still considered high for Napoli, and they are trying to reduce this transfer fee through intermediaries.

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Nunez, who currently earns £140,000 a week at Anfield, joined the Reds back in August 2022 from Benfica. The forward came with a promising reputation after scoring 26 goals in 28 Liga Portugal games in his final season with Benfica. However, while Nunez has scored goals, he has struggled to replicate the form he showed in Portugal.

Last season, Nunez scored just five times in 30 Premier League games, which was a considerable drop-off from the 11 he scored in the previous campaign. The Uruguay international is still under contract until 2028, but his departure for around £50 million would allow Liverpool to balance the books in what has been a summer of heavy investment.

Knighthead Capital are understood to have submitted winning bid of £82 million (100% valuation)

Nagraj Gollapudi31-Jan-2025NFL legend Tom Brady could soon be seen at Edgbaston after Knighthead Capital Management LLC, where the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay quarterback has a business partnership, picked up a stake in Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Knighthead made a winning bid of £82 million on Thursday, the opening day of the ECB’s sale of the eight Hundred franchises.The amount Knighthead bid was equivalent to 100% value of the franchise, which means they will pay close to £41 million for the 49% stake in Phoenix. None of the stakeholders, including the ECB, Warwickshire – Phoenix’s host county – and Knighthead have made any comment.Brady’s association with Knighthead could prove a shot in the arm for the Hundred if he can draw interest – both from fans and commercially – to cricket, a sport that has been attempting for several decades to widen its footprint. Brady already has a presence in Birmingham after he bought minority ownership in Birmingham City, a third-tier football club in England.Related

• Ends justify the means for ECB as Hundred's millions prepare to roll in

• Sun Group secures 100% stake in Northern Superchargers

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Knighthead are understood to have declared the winner through the sealed bid exercise which was put in place by ECB for franchises with only two investors on the shortlist. While global fund manager CVC Capital were meant to be originally on the shortlist to buy a stake in Phoenix, it could not be confirmed if they made a bid.Knighthead bought Birmingham City in 2023 and have proved popular with the club’s supporters despite their relegation to League One last season. Tom Wagner, Knighthead’s co-founder and the club’s chairman, has pledged to invest over £2 billion in a new “sports quarter” in the city and has bought a new 48-acre site for a new stadium.Tom Brady and Knighthead Capital are involved with Birmingham City FC•PA Photos/Getty Images

In the other auction conducted on Thursday, CVC, who own Gujarat Titans in the IPL, were among the three contenders to buy a 49% stake in Oval Invincibles, which was eventually bagged by Indian business behemoth Reliance Industries Ltd, owners of Mumbai Indians, for about £123 million (100% value). RIL made the highest bid in a live virtual auction, a process decided by the ECB to determine the winner where there were more than two investors on the shortlist. They defeated rival bids from CVC and the consortium of global technology giants comprising heads of Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Palo Alto Networks and Times Digital.RIL were also on the shortlist for Manchester Originals. It is understood that RIL had successful conversations with Surrey management, the host county for Invincibles, with both parties agreeing to synergise cricketing decisions. Another significant factor was Invincibles, who have won the men’s Hundred competition for last two seasons, being serial contenders for the title, something RIL has placed at the forefront of its investments in the T20 franchise circuit.The losing bids from CVC and the tech consortium could not yet be confirmed. As part of the virtual auction bidders gave themselves a code name. Though the amount has not been revealed, the base price was determined by ECB from the floor valuation bids submitted by the shortlisted investors in the second round of the sale process in December. During the live auction, each bid was separated by 15 minutes with incremental bids in steps of £3 million.The next step for the winners will involve them sealing the agreement withing eight weeks after the ECB’s auction process, which is scheduled to finish on February 10. This process will include deciding whether to pay the money upfront or in instalments spread across five years.

“It has definitely helped me to get better, be more instinctive, be on my toes, and think correctly at the right moment”

Deivarayan Muthu24-Jan-20252:51

Varun excited for first home game in Chennai: ‘Important day for me’

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has given a ringing endorsement of the country’s domestic system, more specifically the 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, saying it is “almost on par” with the IPL and international cricket.”The level of cricket in the domestic [circuit] is extremely high,” Varun said on the eve of the second T20I against England in Chennai. “I would say [it is] almost on par with IPL and the other international matches we play. I would really suggest everyone to go and play the Syed Mushtaq Ali because we play on small grounds. It is very challenging [for bowlers].”Related

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Varun himself has benefitted from regular game-time in domestic white-ball cricket over the past two seasons. In the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2023-24, his first List A tournament in five years, Varun came away as the joint-highest wicket-taker, with 19 strikes at an average of 13.05. In the most recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker, with 18 strikes in six innings at 12.16. In this season’s 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was put under pressure on the easy-paced, bash-through-the-line pitches on a small ground in Indore. For instance, in Tamil Nadu’s opening game of the tournament, he was taken for 49 runs by Tripura in four overs.”I find it very tough playing SMAT,” Varun said. “It has definitely helped me to get better, be more instinctive, be on my toes, and think correctly at the right moment.”Over the past two years, Varun has also been active in other T20 tournaments like the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and the DY Patil tournament in Mumbai.Varun Chakravarthy took a match-winning three-wicket haul in the first T20I in Kolkata•BCCI

On Friday, he returned to Chepauk, the scene of his emergence as an international player. His family and friends will turn up at the venue on Saturday to watch him in action in his first international at home. Even before he had featured in TNPL 2018, which first put him on the T20 map, Varun bowled at the Chepauk nets to the Chennai Super Kings batters. It was his first professional stint in top-flight cricket after he had transformed himself from a medium-pacer in tennis-ball cricket to a mystery spinner. Having worked as an architect and made a cameo appearance in a Tamil movie back in 2014, Varun is eager to reintroduce himself as an international cricketer at his home ground.”Definitely [special],” Varun said of his homecoming. “Back to Chennai and in the blues is very important for me. I see it as a very important day for me. I’m coming back to Chennai after a long time. Playing for the country in front of my parents and the home crowd. Yeah, it is very special for me.”At his press conference, Varun was also asked about stepping into the shoes of the recently retired R Ashwin, his former India team-mate and current captain at Dindigul Dragons, under whom he won TNPL 2024.”It’s a big deal for me that you’re making this comparison,” Varun said. “Ashwin has played all three formats. I’m only just coming back into the team, and I’ve not yet done enough to merit this comparison. But still, everyone wants to get into the Indian team, and I’ve been doing my processes, and I’ll go wherever that takes me. I can’t think about filling the shoes of someone like Ashwin – he’s played so many matches, taken 500 [Test] wickets, big shoes to fill, I’m not even close yet.”R Ashwin, Varun’s captain at Dindigul Dragons, has encouraged him to bat up the order•TNPL/TNCA

During TNPL 2024, Ashwin had encouraged Varun to bat up the order and, in one of the games, he even batted above at Ashwin at No.7. Varun said he has also been working on his batting with Abhishek Nayar, the former assistant coach at Kolkata Knight Riders who is now with the India team in a similar capacity.”I have been working on batting for the last six-seven months,” Varun said. “I started my preparation in KKR only with Abhishek Nayar. That kind of helped me. There is still a lot of work to do.”In the first T20I against England, Varun took 3 for 23, including the big wickets of Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone in the same over. With England’s Bazballers gearing up for a backlash, Varun might have to do more work with the ball on a fresh Chepauk pitch, where the ball is expected to slide onto the bat, and he’s prepared for it.”Even when you see Eden [Gardens], it’s a small ground,” Varun said. “Bowlers have the challenge of bowling [with smaller boundaries]. We do plan for that also. If they [England] are looking to have an aggressive approach, that is how T20 is. I cannot complain or be shocked by their approach. I am expecting that. I also have certain plans for that.”

تحدث الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن تطورات إصابات لاعبي الزمالك قبل انطلاق بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، مؤكدًا أن الجهاز الطبي للفريق يواجه ضغطًا كبيرًا بعد تعرض ثلاثة لاعبين للإصابة في المباراة الأخيرة أمام طلائع الجيش بالدوري.

واستضاف الزمالك نظيره طلائع الجيش، أمس الأحد، على ملعب استاد القاهرة، بالجولة الثالثة عشر من عمر مسابقة الدوري المصري، واستطاع الفارس الأبيض تحقيق الفوز بثلاثية مقابل هدف.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية صباح اليوم الاثنين: “جماهير الزمالك كانت في حالة قلق بالأمس بعد الإصابات الثلاثة، وسأوضح الموقف بالتفصيل وفقًا لتوقعي ومتابعتي”.

وأضاف: “اللاعب خوان بيزيرا تعرض لإصابة في العضلة الخلفية، وكان يبكي بعد المباراة بشدة، ومن المقرر أن يخضع لفحوصات لتحديد حجم الإصابة، ولكن حسب المؤشرات، الإصابة تحتاج على الأقل لعشرة أيام من العلاج، وبالتالي من المؤكد بنسبة 100% غيابه عن بطولة السوبر”.

طالع أيضًا | شيكابالا يكشف هل أجبره جون إدوارد على الاعتزال.. وموقفه من رحيل فيريرا عن الزمالك

وأوضح شوبير أن إصابة العضلة الخلفية عادة ما تستلزم راحة أطول مقارنة بإصابة عضلة السمانة، مشيرًا إلى أن بيزيرا شعر بآلام واضحة أثناء المباراة.

وعن حالة الحارس محمد صبحي، قال: “صبحي يُعاني من إجهاد بسيط، وهذه الحالة عادة لا تستغرق أكثر من يومين أو ثلاثة على الأكثر، لذا سيكون جاهزًا للمشاركة في السوبر، ولا توجد أزمة في مركز حراسة المرمى خاصة في ظل وجود مهدي سليمان ومحمد عواد كخيارات مميزة”.

أما بشأن أحمد فتوح، أوضح شوبير: “فتوح بخير، ورغم خروجه المقلق خلال اللقاء، إلا أن الجهاز الطبي رفض إجراء التبديل السادس الخاص بحالات إصابات الرأس، حتى لا يدخل اللاعب في البروتوكول الطبي الذي يُلزم بالغياب أسبوعًا على الأقل، بناءً على ذلك، أرى أن فتوح قد يغيب يومًا أو يومين فقط، وسيكون جاهزًا للسوبر”.

واختتم شوبير حديثه بالإشارة إلى أن آدم كايد لن يتمكن من اللحاق ببطولة السوبر بشكل مؤكد، بينما موقف فتوح وصبحي مطمئن، وبيزيرا هو الغائب الأبرز عن اللقاء.

There has been some criticism against the opener for his strike-rate but on Tuesday he put that all to bed

Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2020By breaking his own 10-year old record, Tamim Iqbal has given another reminder that his appetite for big runs is far from over. In the last eight months, he has been sending some strong signals that he is gearing up for a new phase in his career, but not many paid attention.During a self-imposed hiatus from the game last year, Iqbal topped up his fitness under Ben Coleman, a world famous trainer, in Bangkok. He was in the frontline of the players strike last October, too, and last month, he set the national record for the highest individual first-class score with his unbeaten 334.But up until this superb 158 against Zimbabwe, his international return in January didn’t include one of his trademark big knocks. And because it is Iqbal, a noted match-winner in the Bangladesh side for a long time, criticism wasn’t too far away. The anxiety surrounding the team’s all-time highest run-getter in ODIs came to a head when batting coach Neil McKenzie had to do a deep-dive in a press conference.McKenzie explained that the questions about Iqbal’s strike-rate were unfair, and that all he needed to do was hit two extra boundaries in the Powerplay to appease the naysayers. Iqbal struck 10 in the first 10 overs in this game, and 20 in total, apart from the three sixes.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt looked like a strong riposte to the questions asked about his intent and the lack of big runs since his international comeback. Among his first 10 fours, were two shots that looked very forceful – a pull over midwicket and a chip over wide mid-on – while the rest were picked up through cover or behind square on the leg side.Then till he reached his hundred, Iqbal consolidated to make up for the loss of Mushfiqur Rahim, as he and Mahmudullah batted conservatively till the last 10 overs. Iqbal made his last 58 runs off 30 balls, with six fours and three sixes, as the fourth wicket partnership changed gear. He finished on a strike-rate of 116.17, having batted for 45.4 overs, which is no mean feat.The recent criticism of Iqbal’s batting is rooted in his cautious approach during the World Cup, where he made good starts but didn’t capitalise. He later admitted that he ‘made bad decisions’ as the pressure to perform became too much.Iqbal’s return to top level saw him making a cautious fifty against Pakistan in a T20I in Lahore. It drew criticism as Bangladesh lost the game meekly but really, wouldn’t it have been stranger if he had gone out in that game and started smashing everything knowing the rest of the batting line up was very inexperienced?Over the last five years, Iqbal has worked out three separate methods for each format, and has been a mostly successful opener. Bear in mind, Bangladesh don’t provide featherbeds at home for their batsmen, who also have to face tough conditions in away matches too.His numbers since the 2015 World Cup suggest that he has come of age, although he would have liked to score some more runs in T20Is. Nevertheless, like he had provided stability to an often volatile opening stand for Bangladesh all those years ago when he started his career, he is now providing stability in a side slowly devoid of experience.Iqbal’s hunger for runs is what should mostly matter for the Bangladesh team, and if his method works out in the end, his experience at the international level should be reason enough to give him the leeway to get things right.

PSL starts on January 27 in Karachi, with all sides picking two supplement players to cover for injuries and Covid-19

Umar Farooq12-Dec-2021The six PSL franchises firmed up their full squads for the seventh edition of the competition scheduled to begin January 27 in Karachi. Each franchise had the opportunity of retaining a maximum of eight players. Then they met in Lahore to finalise the remaining squad and complete an 18-man side, including two supplement players to prepare for scenarios such as injury and Covid-19 cases in any camp. However, it was agreed that these players can feature in the XI regardless of circumstances.Teams were allowed three platinum, diamond and gold players each, five silver ones, and two apiece from the emerging and supplementary categories. However, no one could pick more than four players combined – both overseas and local – in the platinum and diamond groups. A team had to choose at least three foreign players among their first nine picks, and could get the other foreigner from the supplementary round.That apart, sides must field a minimum of three overseas players and a maximum of four in their playing XIs. The 16-man squad must include five foreign and 11 local players, while the 18-player group could have been a combination of either six foreigners and 12 locals or five foreigners and 13 locals. Also, according to PSL regulations, an emerging player should either be Under‐23 as of January 1 of the playing season, or someone who has played an aggregate of ten or more games in the PSL over two seasons, but is not eligible to be in the emerging category as per age.Lahore Qalandars squad for PSL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdLahore QalandarsDraft picks: Fakhar Zaman (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique, Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Kamran Ghulam, Dean Foxcroft, Zaman Khan, Maaz Khan, Samit Patel and Syed FaridounRetained: Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (both Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond; Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Mohammad Hafeez (both Diamond), Ahmed Daniyal, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver)Potential first XI: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Phil Salt, Mohammad Hafeez, David Wiese, Kamran Ghulam, Samit Patel, Rashid Khan, Zaman Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris RaufMultan Sultans squad for PSL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdMultan SultansDraft picks: Tim David, Odean Smith, Rumman Raees, Asif Afridi, Anwar Ali, Rovman Powell, Imran Khan Sr, Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah and Blessing MuzarabaniRetained: Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (both Platinum), Imran Tahir (Diamond; Mentor), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold; Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood (both Gold)Potential first XI: Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, Tim David, Odean Smith, Abbas Afridi, Imran Khan Sr/Rumman Raees, Imran Tahir and Shahnawaz DahaniKarachi Kings squad for PSL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdKarachi KingsDraft picks: Chris Jordan, Lewis Gregory, Umaid Asif, Tom Abell, Rohail Nazir, Mohammad Imran (wildcard: from Emerging to Silver), Qasim Akram (Right to Match), Faisal Akram, Talha Ahsan, Romario ShepherdRetained: Babar Azam, Imad Wasim (both Platinum), Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nabi (both Diamond), Joe Clarke (Gold; Brand Ambassador), Aamer Yamin, Sharjeel Khan (both Gold) and Mohammad Ilyas (Silver)Potential first XI: Babar Azam, Sharjeel Khan, Joe Clarke, Imad Wasim, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Nabi, Aamir Yamin, Chris Jordan, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Amir and Talha AhsanIslamabad United squad for PSL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdIslamabad UnitedDraft picks: Colin Munro, Marchant de Lange, Muhammad Akhlaq, Reece Topley, Danish Aziz, Zafar Gohar, Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (Right to Match), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Athar MahmoodRetained: Asif Ali, Hasan Ali (both Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond; Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold; Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr (both Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver)Potential first XI: Paul Stirling, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Shahdab Khan, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Zeeshan/Mubasir Khan and Marchant De LangePeshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdPeshawar ZalmiDraft picks: Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Qadir, Salman Irshad, Arshad Iqbal, Sameen Gul, Kamran Akmal, Sirajuddin, Mohammad Amir Khan, Ben Cutting and Mohammad HarrisRetained: Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (both Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold; Brand Ambassador) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Silver)Potential first XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Ben Cutting, Hussain Talat, Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Saqib Mahmood and Salman Irshad/Arshad IqbalQuetta Gladiators squad for PSL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdQuetta GladiatorsDraft picks: Jason Roy, James Faulkner, Umar Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Ben Duckett, Naveen-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashir Qureshi, Ahsan Ali and Noor AhmedRetained: James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz (both Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Gold; Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold; Brand Ambassador) and Naseem Shah (Gold)Potential first XI: Jason Roy, James Vince, Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed, James Faulkner, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Hasnain and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai

Barcelona will report to La Liga that Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to be out for around four months following the goalkeeper's surgery.

• Barcelona have filed a four-month lay-off for Ter Stegen
• Goalkeeper publicly stated recovery will not take as long
• Barca intend to unlock salary cap space to register Garcia

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from , Barcelona's medical report to the league will specify a four-month lay-off for goalkeeper after his recent back surgery. The report, authored by surgeon Amelie Leglise, was promptly prepared after the operation and forms part of a detailed documentation package Barcelona must submit to La Liga's medical committee. The club aim to have 80 per cent of Ter Stegen’s salary freed up for registration purposes under La Liga's injury provision, a rule that applies if a player is ruled out for at least four months. This move comes even as Ter Stegen himself declared on social media that his expected absence would be three months, a figure that does not meet the threshold for the salary exemption. Barcelona’s report will be reviewed by an independent panel of doctors appointed by La Liga.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The discrepancy between the club's official timeline and Ter Stegen's public prognosis highlights ongoing tensions between player and management. Ter Stegen’s three-month estimate was perceived by club executives as potentially undermining Barcelona’s financial strategy, which hinges on satisfying La Liga’s requirements to register new signings such as Joan Garcia, who has replaced the German as first choice goalkeeper. Barcelona, already exceeding their salary cap, are under financial constraint and need this long-term injury ruling to facilitate the squad’s registration process. The club will provide extensive medical evidence, including recovery guidelines, imaging and assessments, to support their claim. Final approval rests with La Liga’s committee, which recently ruled in Barcelona’s favour in a similar case involving Andreas Christensen.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Under La Liga rules, clubs can use 80% of a long-term injured player’s salary to register new signings if a four-month lay-off is certified.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN?

  Barcelona has up to 30 days to complete and submit the medical file, but intend to present it as early as next week. La Liga will then decide if the four-month absence is sufficiently substantiated to trigger the salary exemption. With Ter Stegen dropped to third choice by Hansi Flick, the 33-year-old faces an uncertain future at the Catalan side.

Who do you pick from among the stellar middle-order players going around? Our in-house selection panel tackles that and other thorny questions

Sreshth Shah03-May-202027:19

Which players would make it to a current World Test XI?

In the first instalment of , a new series where we ask our writers to pick all-star teams based on certain criteria, we selected the best XI from among all the Asian World Cup-winning sides. In episode two, George Dobell, Osman Samiuddin and Andrew Fernando take up the unenviable task of selecting the best Test XI (along with a 12th man) from among the world’s current cricketers. Quite a few players were unanimous choices, but there was plenty of debate too. Watch how our selectors arrived at their picks in the video above.4:38

Don’t we have any top-drawer Test openers?

The opener dilemma
Let’s face it. Very few compelling choices exist among openers successful in all conditions. Does Tamim Iqbal’s form in England earn him a place? Has Tom Latham proved his worth in Asia? Does Mayank Agarwal’s Test average of 57.29 make him an obvious choice? Who did our selectors eventually pick?Come down to the middle order and it’s the opposite. Smith, Kohli, Williamson, Labuschagne, Pujara, Azam and Co. You can pick only three. Who’d be a selector?3:28

A toss-up between two offspinners

Who will keep? Who will spin?
Two front-line contenders in the race for the wicketkeeper’s spot. Guess who they are, and who our panel picked. (They didn’t spend too long debating this one.)Two offies, a leggie, and a left-arm orthodox tweaker were the contenders for the spinner’s spot. One was swiftly discarded based on current form, but the other three offer such varied benefits that they needed to be weighed against each other. Ravindra Jadeja is the ideal allrounder, Nathan Lyon has been excellent on surfaces in Australia – where spin bowling has never been simple – but R Ashwin’s success in Asia cannot be ignored either. Can the experts fit more than one into this XI?6:44

Spoilt for choice with fast bowlers

Does Pat Cummins score over Jasprit Bumrah?
Is it fair to judge Bumrah – who plays most of his Tests in seam-friendly conditions while being rested in Asia, where fast bowling is toughest – on the same yardstick as other seamers? How strong a case do Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult make? What about one of the other Indian seamers? Questions, questions. Dream Teams,

All the statistical highlights from the quick’s record bowling performance in the second Test in Johannesburg

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Jan-20227 for 61 Shardul Thakur’s bowling figures in Johannesburg, the best for India in Test cricket against South Africa. R Ashwin’s 7 for 66 in Nagpur in 2015 were the previous best bowling figures for India against South Africa.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Thakur’s bowling figures are the third-best in Test matches between India and South Africa. Lance Klusener bagged eight wickets in 1996 at the Eden Gardens, while Dale Steyn had 7 for 51 in Nagpur in 2010.1 Number of visiting pacers in South Africa with better figures than Thakur in the last 100 years. Andy Caddick had 7 for 46 in Durban in 1999, while Matthew Hoggard also had figures of 7 for 61 in Johannesburg in 2005. Thakur also has the joint-second best figures by a visiting bowler in South Africa since their readmission.17.5 Overs bowled by Thakur for his seven-wicket haul, the second-fewest by an Indian pacer in a Test innings. Irfan Pathan bowled just 15.2 overs for his seven wickets against Zimbabwe in 2005. Only six of the previous 46 seven-plus wicket hauls for India came at a quicker rate than Thakur.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Instances of Indian pacers returning better bowling figures in away Tests than Thakur’s 7 for 61. Kapil Dev took eight wickets each in an innings in Lahore, 1983 and Adelaide, 1985 while Irfan Pathan took 7 for 59 against Zimbabwe in 2005 in Harare. Thakur’s bowling figures are overall the sixth-best in away Tests for India and also the second-best for an Indian pacer in any Test innings since 2000, behind Pathan’s effort against Zimbabwe in 2005.7 Number of pacers before Thakur to bag a seven-wicket haul while coming in as the second change or later. The last of the previous seven such pace bowlers was Neil Wagner against West Indies at the Basin Reserve in 2017. No Indian pace bowler before Thakur had more than five wickets in a Test innings while coming in as second change or later.