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The Pakistan captain made up for not scoring a ton against Australia in March, and gave his fans what they came for

Danyal Rasool03-Dec-2022It’s a curious thing, a third-wicket partnership for Pakistan, and it was no different on an otherwise sleepy Saturday morning in Pindi. The stadium hums with activity, the seats begin to fill up. Gazes move from smartphones to the action on the field, even if the thrum of excitement has little to do with any of the characters in the middle. The amplified interest isn’t down to Azhar Ali, brilliant as his career has been, or Imam-ul-Haq, despite his third consecutive hundred at this ground. It certainly can’t be explained by England’s bowling attack, which had comprised Jack Leach, Will Jacks and Joe Root for the entirety of the morning.Instead, the crowd is transfixed by the prospect of a man who hasn’t even left the pavilion. The cheers when Imam gets out might seem harsh on a player who’s scored 121, but despite his famous love-hate relationship with Pakistan’s fanbase, it isn’t personal this time.Related

'We are excited about the prospect of playing the WTC final' – Babar Azam

Pitch imperfect from Pakistan as duff selection deepens their woes

Late wickets give England an opening after Babar leads big Pakistan show with the bat

Joe Root, Abdullah Shafique promise to 'fight it out' as slow-burn Test reaches end-game

As Pakistan’s No. 4 steps out of the shadows and into gentle early December sunshine, the chants of “Babar!” reveal what the people have come here for. The Test itself is positively meandering towards meaninglessness, but Babar Azam’s purposeful strides to the middle have whipped the crowd into a frenzy.With seven Test hundreds in four different countries, few crowds could reasonably claim Babar wasn’t worth the price of admission alone, but those who showed up here against Australia in March may feel Babar owed them one. On a wicket as turgid as this one, he was the only member of Pakistan’s top four to miss out on a big score in the match, run out going after an unnecessary single the only time he batted. He might have had two prior centuries here, but for now, Babar has scores to settle, and scores to make.All of a sudden, there’s a spring in England’s step, perhaps as much down to the infectious enthusiasm of the crowd as the sudden fall of two wickets. Ollie Robinson is warming up, ready to bowl his first spell of the day. Root is shining the ball on Leach’s glistening scalp. Babar has just clipped him past mid-on for a boundary, and the crowd is baying for more. Azhar has just played out a maiden over against Jacks at the other end; some things don’t change, after all.When the Barmy Army basked in the entertainment of the first four sessions of this game, and England revelled into the brave new era Brendon McCullum was leading this Test side into, concerns about the pitch were pushed to the back of the mind. Not because they didn’t know this was a “terrible wicket”, as the characteristically forthright Nasser Hussain put it on commentary, but because if you don’t enjoy 657 runs in 101 overs, why are you even here? In the same vein, every Pakistan fan clustered around this intimate little cricket ground is well aware they’re watching a contest severely devalued by the strip laid out. But in the moment, watching Babar bat, they refuse to let their experience be sullied.Babar Azam celebrates his eighth Test hundred•AFP/Getty ImagesBabar survives the early salvos and makes inroads of his own. He’s sped along to 28 off 36 by the time lunch is called, looking as supremely untroubled as you’d expect from a batter of his character on a pitch that lacks any.England call upon James Anderson. The Pakistan captain was eight years old when Anderson made his Test debut, 11 when he last played in Pakistan. Yet somehow, this grandfather clock of English cricket finds himself in a position where Babar could be his first Test wicket in the country. It is the marquee match-up this series, so try stopping Rawalpindi from enjoying it, duff pitch or not.It’s an absorbing cat-and-mouse battle – Anderson might be getting no assistance from the conditions, but Babar knows better than to get carried away. Sixteen of Anderson’s 18 balls to him probe off or middle stump, and produce just three runs for the Pakistan captain. Off the two deliveries the old grandmaster strays down leg, Babar milks him for six runs, including a boundary through midwicket. England’s relatively more benign spin bowling – at least in the middle session – is dispatched with more fluency, their collective 93 balls to Babar conceding 92 runs. It included a majestic drive down the ground to bring up his half-century, but he still has promises to keep.It’s a procession, a cakewalk, an inevitability, and yet when the strike turns over to Babar, Pindi is entranced once more. Babar is suddenly on 96, having just slapped one off Ben Stokes in front of square. Pakistan are closing in on 400, still dangerously far away from England’s 657, but when Babar bats those hard numbers don’t quite seem to matter as much.It’s short and wide, and Babar swings his arms, all nonchalance and elegance. The contact is true, and the ball pings of the bat, racing through a vacant cover region. Babar lets his arms swing by his side, allowing himself a moment of personal reflection before raising them to acknowledge the rapturous applause thundering around the stadium. As he prostrates, Rawalpindi’s on its feet. The debt he accrued in March has been repaid.He ensures Pakistan avoid the follow-on he finally succumbs, a loose shot off Jacks’ first ball of the evening flying straight to point. Suddenly, Pindi falls silent, and as the next two wickets fall in quick succession, it becomes apparent how vulnerable Pakistan’s position actually is and the extent to which Babar’s presence seemed to inoculate his side from the hazards. He may have appeased the fans for one more day, but he still has miles to go before he sleeps.

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,

da 888casino： We’re now just a week away from the start of Celtic’s pre-season fixtures.

da 888casino： Next Friday night, Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops will make the short three-mile journey to Glasgow’s south side to take on Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden, having demolished the Spiders 6-4 in a friendly almost exactly 12 months ago.

After that, Celtic to Cork, Lisbon, the north of England and then face Ajax and either Al-Ahli or the hosts at the Como Cup.

So, just how many new signings will the Parkhead masses have the opportunity to cast their gaze at during these fixtures?

Celtic's star attacker set to depart

Both returning hero Kieran Tierney and new third-choice goalkeeper Ross Doohan have already signed for Celtic this summer, with deals for Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren close to being finalised too.

However, due to Celtic’s position in the global football food chain, they’re always in danger of losing a star player, and this summer is no different.

As has been widely reported by Josh McCafferty of the National and elsewhere, RB Leipzig have ‘intensified their interest’ in Nicolas Kühn, who is supposedly available for around £15m.

Well, now, according to Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News, Como have ‘made an approach’ as they target a move for Kühn.

I Lariani finished tenth in Serie A last season under Cesc Fàbregas, their first top-flight campaign since 2002/03, but are not your ordinary newly-promoted club, given that they are owned by the Djarum Group, making them the wealthiest club in Italy, as noted by James Horncastle of the Athletic.

So, potentially creating a bidding war could be good news for Celtic, as they seek to drive up the price for, what is set to be, one of their biggest sales of all-time.

Regardless, it appears very likely that Kühn will be sold in the coming weeks, so has Rodgers identified a potential replacement?

Who Celtic should sign to replace Kühn

As reported by Glasgow World, Aston Villa are open to selling youngster Louie Barry, to ease their ongoing concerns about breaching the Premier League’s Profitability & Sustainability Rules.

Thus, they add that Celtic are ‘weighing up a potential offer’ for the 22-year-old, given their long-standing interest in Barry, who they have been ‘keeping close tabs on’. Previous reports have suggested he could be available in and around the £12m mark.

Barry first made headlines by joining Barcelona’s fabled la Masia academy in 2019, before returning to England a year later, signing for Aston Villa for a reported £880,000.

He’s since been loaned out no less than seven times, making the biggest impression at Stockport County, scoring 24 goals in 43 league appearances for the club, with Sam Byrne of the Manchester Evening News describing his performances for the Hatters as “absolutely electric”, adding he “captured the imagination” of all supporters.

So, let’s assess his senior career statistics so far.

Louie Barry season-by-season statistics

Season

Tier

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25*

Championship

4

0

0

2024/25*

League One

24

16

3

2023/24

League Two

22

9

4

2022/23**

League Two

21

2

1

2022/23**

League One

32

1

3

2021/22

League Two

16

6

1

*moved to Hull City in January 2025.

**moved to Salford City in January 2023.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Barry very much burst onto the scene at Stockport this season, scoring 16 goals in just half a campaign, before moving to Hull in the EFL Championship, featuring just four times for the Tigers before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Jack Manship of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘highly-rated prospect’, while Mick Brown of Football Insider believes that Barry is ready to take the next step in his career and make a permanent move away from Villa.

Barry can be deployed centrally or on either flank, a position that Celtic might have vacancy to fill in the coming weeks, thus making him an ideal replacement for Kuhn.

The young attacker is certainly an extremely talented player, so the Hoops should do all they can to secure his signature, especially if they can do so at a reduced rate, with Villa needing to raise funds and fast.

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As Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his squad, could Celtic sign a “outstanding, box-to-box” midfield star for £3m; he’s the new Victor Wanyama.

Posts ByBen Gray Jun 26, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have commenced their fifth new managerial era since 2019 with the appointment of Thomas Frank, and he could be about to wave goodbye to one player already.

Tottenham now in talks to sign "extraordinary" teen star likened to Messi

Spurs are keen on a bargain deal.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 17, 2025

On Sunday morning, Spurs confirmed that Mathys Tel wouldn’t be going anywhere, announcing a permanent deal for the Frenchman who joins them indefinitely for a reported fee of around £30 million.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl stated in an interview with Abendzeitung München last week that talks were ongoing with Spurs over Tel’s future, and those negotiations reached a swift resolution over the weekend as Frank secures his first ever Tottenham signing.

While Tel is set to be a Spurs player for the foreseeable, the same cannot be said for star defender Cristian Romero, who’s a top target for Diego Simeone and Atlético Madrid this summer.

Romero has reportedly informed chairman Daniel Levy that he’d like to leave the club before September 1 (Marca), regardless of their place in the Champions League next season, and Son Heung-min could even draw the curtain on his 10-year-long stay in N17 amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Alejo Veliz spotted at Rosario Central amid talks to leave Tottenham

According to Argentine news outlet Via Pais, young striker Alejo Veliz is yet another player who could soon leave Tottenham.

His former club, Rosario Central, recently had a loan bid rejected by the Lilywhites, but talks remain ongoing over his potential departure. Frank’s side are clear – they want to sell the 21-year-old permanently and won’t accept a temporary deal.

Interestingly, Veliz has been pictured at Rosario’s training ground in the last few days, with the club’s official account sharing images of the forward’s reunion on X.

His presence there is apparently due to an emotional connection with his former side, but it is surely no coincidence that Rosario are currently trying to negotiate Veliz’s return.

The towering forward, standing at 6 foot 2, caught Tottenham’s attention with his impressive performances in Argentina’s Primera Division. He then joined Spurs on a six-year contract in August 2023 for a fee believed to be around £13 million, but Veliz has found an opportunity to fully break into the first team.

A succession of loan spells at Sevilla and Espanyol followed, but the Argentine managed just one La Liga goal over both spells combined.

The end appears to be nigh for Veliz and his time in north London, despite some bold predictions from Spanish football experts when Spurs first signed him.

“He has a certain something that means that occasionally he’ll try things, and you’re like ‘no’, I think he could be a 16 or 17-goal [striker] this season,” said Graham Hunter to Premier Sports TV.

“Which is a big ask, I know I might be wrong, but what I see in him are the special elements about judgement, about movement, about being able to hold players off.

“Raw, raw as a farm boy – partially because he is a country boy, but they have an exciting footballer.”

Wrexham are currently preparing for a season in the Championship after they finished second in League One to earn promotion up to the second tier.

The Red Dragons are yet to make their first signing since the end of last season, but there will be plenty of work going on behind the scenes to identify targets to improve the team.

Phil Parkinson will have to judge which of his players are ready to make the step up to the Championship after a season in League One, which means that some difficult decisions could have to be made.

Why Thomas O'Connor may be replaced

One player who could be replaced as a regular starter is left-sided central defender Thomas O’Connor, who has been at the club since they were in the National League.

The former Southampton academy graduate has never played above League One level in his career to date, and was a regular starter – starting 25 of his 31 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign – for Wrexham this season.

O’Connor was, however, an unused substitute in five of the last seven matches and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to handle the step up to the Championship, a level that he has never played at before.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The BBC reported earlier this month that Wrexham, Norwich, Birmingham, and Sheffield United are among the teams interested in a deal to sign Harry Darling on a free transfer from Swansea City.

His contract with the Welsh side is due to expire at the end of this month, and the Red Dragons are one of the sides looking to snap him up for nothing.

Why Darling would be an upgrade on O'Connor

Parkinson must push to convince Darling to make a move across Wales rather than joining Birmingham, Norwich, or Sheffield United, as he would improve the club’s options at the back.

Despite being right-footed, the 25-year-old Englishman often plays on the left-side of a centre-back pairing and this means that he could take O’Connor’s place as the left-sided centre-back in a back three at Wrexham.

Unlike the current Red Dragons defender, Darling is an experienced Championship defender who has made 108 appearances at that level, which means that he would arrive at the Racecourse as a proven second tier star.

He would be a relatively risk-free signing as someone who has been there and done it and could immediately improve Wrexham’s team, particularly when you take his performances this season into account.

Appearances

31

39

Goals

0

5

Clearances per game

2.9

5.0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.3x

Ground duel success rate

53%

66%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

64%

As you can see in the table above, Darling’s defensive work in the Championship, in terms of his success rate in duels and how often he was beaten by opposition attackers, was more impressive than O’Connor’s was at a lower level.

This suggests that the Swansea star, who was hailed as “outstanding” by former boss Luke Williams, is a big upgrade on the current Wrexham left centre-back, particularly from a defensive perspective.

Darling also, as shown in the table, scored five goals from centre-back, compared to O’Connor’s barren return in League One, and this suggests that he would offer a much greater goal threat in the 2025/26 campaign.

The English titan, who ranked in the top 31% of centre-backs in the league for progressive passes per 90 (3.70), is a ball-playing defender who has shown that he can mix technical quality and class on the ball with strength and reliable out of possession at Championship level.

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Wrexham could be about to land a big upgrade on Oliver Rathbone by signing this Championship-experienced ace.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 12, 2025

Therefore, he would be the perfect signing, as a proven second tier star, to come in as a big upgrade on their left-sided centre-back position this summer.

حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، فوزًا مهمًا على حساب نظيره جيرونا، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

وفاز برشلونة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وفي الدقيقة 90 خطف رونالد أراوخو الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة، بعد تمريرة رائعة من فرينكي دي يونج.

بهذا الفوز، ارتفع رصيد برشلونة للنقطة 22 في صدارة ترتيب الليجا، وتجمد رصيد جيرونا عند النقطة السادسة في المركز التاسع عشر.

طالع.. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وسجل بيدري الهدف الأول لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 12، بعدما استلم الكرة من جناح برشلونة لامين يامال، ليمر أمام مدافعي جيرونا ويحرز الهدف بطريقة رائعة. رجل مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وفاز بيدري بجائزة رجل المباراة بعد الأداء المميز الذي قدمه في اللقاء بإحرازه الهدف الأول لصالح فريق برشلونة وتقديمه أداءً مميزًا للغاية أمام جيرونا.