Tag Futebol

Liverpool are believed to have sent scouts to watch a £74m-rated “leader” in action in recent days, according to an exciting new transfer claim.

Van Dijk closing in on new Liverpool deal

Mohamed Salah’s contract extension at Anfield is the biggest news to emerge this week, with the Egyptian legend signing a new deal that will keep him with the Reds until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Now, Liverpool supporters will be dreaming of Virgil van Djik doing the same as his teammate, and recent reports suggest he is also closing in on committing his future to the club he has been at since midway through the 2017/18 campaign.

The Athletic’s James Pearce is among those to claim that it is now effectively a matter of time until the Dutchman pens a new contract, with a two-year deal also expected to be coming his way.

At 33, Van Dijk is not getting any younger, but he has enjoyed a wonderful season at the heart of Liverpool’s defence, and given his style of play, there is no reason why his level should drop much over the next couple of seasons.

However, eventual successors will need to be found, and one such figure has been linked with a move to Anfield.

Liverpool send scouts to watch £74m "leader"

According to an update from The Boot Room, Liverpool were among the clubs who sent scouts to watch RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba last week.

His two teammates, Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko, were also thought to be watched by the Reds, with Arsenal and Chelsea

also reportedly having scouts present to eye up the trio.

Lukeba is a centre-back who could have a massive future in the game, so the idea of him coming in as Van Dijk’s partner – or eventual long-term replacement – at Liverpool is mouthwatering.

At just 22 years of age, the Frenchman is already an undisputed key man for Leipzig, making 19 appearances in the Bundesliga this season and averaging three clearances per game, and four in the Champions League.

Stat

Lukeba

Konate

Appearances

19

25

Starts

14

24

Minutes played

1217

2055

Clearances per game

3.0

3.9

Tackles per game

1.4

1.4

Aerial duel wins per game

1.1

2.6

Goals

0

1

Assists

0

2

Lukeba has been described as a “leader” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, while he has been valued at as much as £74m in some reports this year, highlighting what a top prospect he is.

Liverpool confident of winning race for "amazing" £60m+ star this summer

The Reds are in a good position to strike a deal…

2 BySean Markus Clifford Apr 12, 2025

While Van Dijk should remain Liverpool’s main man in defence for the foreseeable future, provided he signs a new deal, the Leipzig ace could be a perfect option to come in and partner Ibrahima Konate for years to come.

تحدث أردا جولر، نجم نادي ريال مدريد، عن المقارنات التي عقدت بينه وبين جناح نادي برشلونة، لامين يامال خلال الفترة الأخيرة.

جولر برزت موهبته وبشدة مع نادي فناربخشة، مما دفع نادي ريال مدريد للتعاقد معه قبل عامين من الآن مقابل حوالي 30 مليون يورو وبعقد طويل الأمد.

وعلى الرغم من معاناة جولر في أول موسمين له مع ريال مدريد، إلا أن الوضع قد اختلف تمامًا لابن الـ20 عامًا هذا الموسم، إذ أصبح الدولي التركي لاعبًا أساسيًا ولا غنى عنه في الفريق الملكي تحت قيادة المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو.

وفي الناحية الأخرى يعتبر يامال أهم لاعب في تشكيلة برشلونة، ومن بين أبرز المرشحين للفوز بالكرة الذهبية هذا العام.

أقرأ أيضًا .. لاعب برشلونة يغيب عن أولى مباريات فريقه في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وقال جولر عن يامال في مؤتمر صحفي نقله موقع ”Barca universal” :”أنا ويامال لا نلعب في نفس المركز، لذا، ليس من الصواب مقارنتنا، لكنني أتفهم ذلك، هو في برشلونة وأنا في ريال مدريد وأتمنى له كل التوفيق غدًا”.

ويستضيف المنتخب التركي نظيره الإسباني مساء يوم غدًا الأحد، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات، ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم العام المقبل، والتي سوف تقام في كندا والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك.

England have a long way to go before they can claim to be the best Test side in the world. For starters, they need their batsmen to step up

George Dobell in Bridgetown27-Jan-2019Imagine how it felt to be James Anderson on Saturday afternoon.He mentioned, after the first day of the game on Wednesday, how weary he was, having claimed four wickets as England fought back with the ball. But little more than two-and-a-half hours after West Indies’ first innings had ended on day two, he was forced to pull on his boots once more. He gave his all and looked, at times, close to exhaustion on an unresponsive pitch, under a hot sun and against a batting line-up that put a high price on their wickets. He didn’t take a wicket but he couldn’t have tried harder. Nobody can ask for more than that.But imagine how he felt as he watched his team-mates in their second innings. Imagine how he felt as he saw them squander their wickets as if this were a benefit match. Imagine how he felt, having being blunted by a batting line-up who gave him nothing, seeing his batsmen show all the fight of a pacifist kitten in the fourth innings.”There were a few very soft dismissals in there,” Joe Root admitted afterwards. “There wasn’t a huge amount on offer for West Indies and it was disappointing to see some of the dismissals.”England have suffered several batting collapses in recent years. Three times – in Dhaka, Auckland and Nottingham – they have lost 10 wickets in a session. You only have to go back to Thursday for an example of an occasion when they lost nine. It’s hard to deny the conclusion they are brittle.On each of those occasions, however, there was a degree of mitigation. On each occasion, they were faced with either outstanding bowling, demanding conditions or a combination of both.It would be hard to claim that was the case here. Roston Chase bowled nicely enough. He has excellent control, he bowled in good areas and he gave England no ‘release’ deliveries. But the pitch offered him little and, before this game, he had a Test average of 47.61. To lose eight wickets to him – eight: more than Malcolm Marshall or Joel Garner ever claimed in Test cricket – spoke of an alarming lack of application from England’s batsmen.It was, in its own way, as poor a display of batting as England have produced in Trevor Bayliss’ reign as coach.ALSO READ: ‘Holder a legend’, says Chase after mammoth winChase’s bowling was, to some extent, simply the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was the beneficiary of a performance that had seen Kemar Roach and co. dismantle England for 77 on day two and a double-century from Jason Holder that both exhausted and dispirited England in the field on day three. They had been set 628, for goodness sake. They might as well have been set a unicorn.But it was alarming how they capitulated. It’s all very well to talk of aggression and positivity, but teams need discipline and fight, too. England didn’t show enough of either here, losing their last six wickets for 31 in a sequence that included a catch on the midwicket boundary, a stumping, two slashes to slip and two forces into the leg side.We should retain some perspective. Going into this match, England had won eight of their nine previous Tests including an away series cleansweep in Sri Lanka and a home series victory over the No. 1-rated team, India. They can still win this series. “We’re better than this,” as Root insisted. “We’re still a good side.”But this was a reminder, if any were needed it, that they have a long way to go before they can claim to be the best side in the world. To see West Indies’ seamers gain life from a surface that appeared dead to England’s and to see England’s spinners thumped out of the game while West Indies’ bamboozled batsmen were reminders of perennial problems within the English game. It is not producing enough fast bowlers or spinners. Focusing on white-ball cricket – and the heart of the season now belongs to the white-ball game – dilutes the skills required for Test cricket. The Championship hasn’t produced an indisputably top-class Test opening batsman since Alastair Cook a decade-and-a-half ago.In the immediate aftermath of this defeat, attention will fall on England’s selection. And it is true, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid had disappointing games. The latter may even have played his last Test. Stuart Broad may well have offered more with the ball than Curran, who endured his first poor game, and Jack Leach would have offered more control. The selectors almost certainly got it wrong.Ben Foakes may also feel pressure in the coming days. With England having other keeping options within the squad, there will be talk of dropping him and asking Bairstow to keep in order to make way for another bowler.But it should not be forgotten: England were bowled out for 77 in the first innings and lost eight wickets against gentle offspin in the second. It is the batsmen who failed. No one is suggesting the likes of Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler be dropped, but their career averages are 33.33 and 35.77 respectively. England need more from their Nos. 5 and 6. Equally, Keaton Jennings averages 25.86 after 16 Tests and Moeen Ali is averaging 17.56 since the start of the Ashes, in November 2017, and 9.75 since the start of the Sri Lanka tour a year later. More is required of all of them if England are to achieve greater consistency.Anderson, as is fitting, was the undefeated batsman on Saturday afternoon. Some of his team-mates would do well to reflect on his commitment, discipline and desire.

Hardie suffered calf tightness in the Shield match against Tasmania and was withdrawn as a precaution

Alex Malcolm18-Feb-20241:43

Where does Glenn Maxwell rank in T20 cricket?

Aaron Hardie has missed out on an opportunity to press his T20 World Cup case after being withdrawn from the New Zealand series with a minor calf issue as Australia’s revolving door of white-ball selections continues with Spencer Johnson called in at short notice.Hardie was not originally selected for the three-match series starting in Wellington on Wednesday but was called into the squad on Friday when Marcus Stoinis was ruled out with a back injury. He was playing in Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania in Hobart and did not travel with the squad on Saturday.Related

WA allrounder Aaron Hardie ruled out of Marsh Cup final against NSW

Opening act: Can Conway shake off his funk to fly high again with Allen?

Meet Josh Clarkson, New Zealand's most 'dangerous' T20 hitter

Smith, back-up pacer and other questions Australia need to answer in New Zealand T20Is

Boult back in New Zealand T20I squad; Williamson on paternity leave

He was due to fly to Wellington on Monday morning and was set to miss day four of the Shield clash. But he experienced calf tightness while bowling on the second day and was sent for a scan.It is understood the initial scan did not reveal any damage but he was kept off the field on day three as a precaution and was also withdrawn from the New Zealand series. WA coach Adam Voges confirmed he will be available to bat on the final day if required.”He’s got a tight calf,” Voges said. “It’s more precautionary. He’ll bat if required tomorrow. Hopefully, it’s nothing too significant.”Cricket Australia confirmed on Sunday night that Johnson would be called into the squad. Australia will also be without vice-captain and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade for the opening match of the series as he has stayed in Hobart for a few extra days due to the birth of his first child. He is expected to be available for the second and third T20Is in Auckland on Friday and Saturday.Aaron Hardie suffered a tight calf in the Sheffield Shield game•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Matthew Short is also returning from a low-grade hamstring injury while Nathan Ellis is coming back from a rib injury. He is behind Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in Australia’s T20 fast bowling pecking order, with all three set to play in the New Zealand series after resting for all or part of the series against West Indies. Ellis is hopeful of bedding down a berth in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad.”I was spewing to miss that West Indies series,” Ellis said in Wellington on Sunday. “For me now it’s time to hit the ground running and put my name forward for the World Cup.”There’s not a lot of cricket outside of IPL [before] the World Cup after this series. Security [of a spot] isn’t there. I don’t think it’s ever there. It still feels like a dream to play for Australia so I just want to relish every opportunity I get. The goal is to play a World Cup for Australia so I’ll be doing my best to keep my hat in the ring.”

Naveen will instead take part in the SA20 league, which runs almost concurrently with the ILT20

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2023

Naveen-ul-Haq has moved from the ILT20 to SA20•AFP/Getty Images

Naveen-ul-Haq has been banned by the UAE’s ILT20 for 20 months for breaching his player agreement with Sharjah Warriors when he “refused to sign the retention notice” for the second season of the tournament, to be played in January-February next year.The decision effectively bars Naveen from playing in the ILT20 in 2024 and 2025, but he has signed with Durban’s Super Giants – owned by the group that owns IPL team Lucknow Super Giants, of which he is a part – in the South African SA20 league, which will be played almost concurrently with the ILT20.Warriors, who had signed Naveen on for the inaugural edition of the league in 2023, had “earlier this year sent him a retention notice on the same terms and conditions,” an ILT20 statement said. “Sharjah Warriors approached the ILT20 to intervene in this dispute. The ILT20 first initiated a mediation process through an independent third-party mediator, however the mediation failed.”The league’s disciplinary committee, comprising ILT20 chief executive David White, head of security and anti-corruption Col Azam, and Zayed Abbas, member of the Emirates Cricket Board, heard the points of view of both Warriors and Naveen and examined the evidence before them before communicating their verdict.”We do not take pride in making this announcement but all parties are expected to comply with their contractual commitments and recognize that non-compliance can cause damage to the other party,” White said. “Unfortunately, Naveen-ul-Haq failed to honour his contractual obligations with the Sharjah Warriors and as such the league had no option but to impose this 20-month ban on him.”The disciplinary proceedings against Naveen were conducted in a transparent manner and both parties involved were given opportunities to prepare and present their submissions.”Naveen was one of the better performers for Warriors in the 2023 season, finishing as their joint-highest wicket-taker (11 wickets) along with Junaid Siddique. Warriors, however, had a rough time of it, winning just three of their ten games to miss the playoffs.

Celtic’s march towards yet another Scottish Premiership title at Parkhead continued this week.

On Tuesday night, the Hoops swatted aside Aberdeen 5-1 at Parkhead, with Daizen Maeda scoring both the first and the last goals of the evening, with Jota, Callum McGregor and Yang Hyun-jun on target in between.

The Celts therefore remain 13 points clear of Rangers at the top, ahead of Saturday evening’s trip to St Mirren.

Meanwhile, a former Celtic striker, who Brendan Rodgers thought so highly of, is not living up to expectations elsewhere, enjoying two goal-filled, trophy-laden years in Glasgow, but having now disappeared into the footballing wilderness.

Celtic's best modern-day strikers

Daizen Maeda’s double on Tuesday took his tally to 54 goals for Celtic, a whopping 25 of which have come this season, hence why current right-back Alistair Johnston described the Japanese forward as “one of the most in-form players in Europe”.

Meanwhile, speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart believes that Maeda has “stepped up a level” this season, becoming “top class”.

So, let’s analyse how he compares to Celtic’s other best centre-forward of the last decade or so.

Daizen Maeda

2022-present

54

188

4

Kyōgo Furuhashi

2021-25

85

126

8

Odsonne Édouard

2017-21

87

140

7

Moussa Dembélé

2016-18

51

121

7

Leigh Griffiths

2014-21

123

118

3

As the table outlines, somewhat surprisingly, Leigh Griffiths boasts the best minute-per-goal ratio of any Celtic striker over the past decade, also spending the longest period of time at the club.

One of the centre-forwards on that list, who racked up very impressive statistics during his time in Glasgow, has not quite lived up to the hype since departing for pastures new.

Celtic struck gold selling "world-class" striker

Shortly before his 20th birthday, Moussa Dembélé joined Celtic on a free transfer from Fulham, becoming Rodgers’ first signing for the club back in 2016.

Well, the Frenchman would make quite the impression, straight away scoring crucial goals during Champions League qualifiers against Astana and Hapoel Be’er Sheva, before netting a perfect hat-trick during his Old Firm debut, a thumping 5-1 victory, becoming the first Celtic player to score a Glasgow derby hat-trick since Stevie Chalmers in 1966.

Dembélé then starred in the Champions League group phase too, bagging a brace on matchday two against Manchester City, before also netting away at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

This makes him one of only nine Celtic players to have scored three or more goals in a single European Cup campaign since 1978, as outlined below.

Maeda

4

2024/25

Idah

3

2024/25

Kühn

3

2024/25

Dembélé

3

2016/17

Samaras

3

2012/13

Miller

3

2006/07

Sutton

3

2003/04

Larsson

3

2001/02

Mo Johnston

3

1986/87

His manager Rodgers described the striker as an “outstanding young talent”, before also adding he has the potential to be “world-class”.

In total, Dembélé scored 32 goals during his first season at Celtic and then 16 times the following campaign, winning back-to-back trebles, before he was sold to Olympique Lyonnais for £20m, at the time a Scottish transfer record fee.

He scored a respectable 70 goals in 172 appearances for Lyon, spending a brief period on loan at Atlético Madrid, only featuring seven times for los Colchoneros, not starting a single match, but earning a La Liga winners’ medal.

Following the expiration of his Lyon contract in 2023, Dembélé joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.

There, up until his sacking in January, his manager was former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, also playing alongside current Scotland international Jack Hendry as well as ex-Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

Dembélé did score 12 Saudi Pro League goals last season, only 12 players managed more, netting 21 times overall, but won’t be adding to this tally any time soon, undergoing surgery on a ruptured achilles tendon suffered against Al-Okhdood earlier this month.

At 28-years-old, the Frenchman should be in his prime, but is now set to be sidelined for around nine months, hence why his Transfermarkt value has plummeted to around £7m, at his peak he was worth around six times that, proving that Celtic were right to cash in when they did.

Sold for £2.5m, now worth 300% more: Celtic may rue selling Engels upgrade

There are many former Celtic players thriving in the Premier League right now, but one in particular has become the division’s “best ball-winner”.

1 Feb 24, 2025

Rangers reportedly want Davide Ancelotti as their new manager, with Steven Gerrard's potential Ibrox return seemingly on hold.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Carlo set to leave Real Madrid & join BrazilHis son Davide has been long-time assistantRangers also linked with Gerrard reunionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Rangers appear to be leaning towards the 35-year-old Italian tactician over a possible return for former boss Gerrard. The Scottish Premiership side are actively working to secure a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, who was dismissed earlier this year after a 16-month tenure. Barry Ferguson, the former Rangers captain, has stepped in as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Having spent his entire coaching journey alongside his father, Davide Ancelotti could now be ready to step into the spotlight on his own. From Paris Saint-Germain to Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and currently Real Madrid, he has built his resume as a reliable assistant coach across Europe’s top leagues.

Should he take the Rangers job, Davide is reportedly planning to bring along fellow Real Madrid assistant Francesco Mauri as part of his technical team. Meanwhile, Carlo is set to be joined in Brazil by former Real Madrid assistant Paul Clement.

TELL ME MORE

According to Italian outlet , Serie A newcomers Como are also monitoring the situation closely. If their current manager, Cesc Fabregas, departs – possibly to Bayer Leverkusen amid Xabi Alonso’s expected move to Real Madrid – they may try to persuade Ancelotti Jr. to return to Italy instead of heading to Glasgow.

DID YOU KNOW?

The prospect of Davide landing the Rangers role could leave Gerrard disappointed. The Liverpool icon had been rumoured to be interested in returning to the Ibrox dugout, where he achieved significant success from 2018 to 2021. During his stint with Rangers, Gerrard famously halted Celtic’s nine-year title run, completing the 2020–21 league campaign unbeaten and finishing a massive 25 points ahead. However, his subsequent managerial spells have been far less fruitful. After leaving Glasgow in late 2021 to manage Aston Villa, Gerrard’s tenure lasted less than 12 months before he was let go. His move to Saudi Arabia with Al Ettifaq ended similarly, with the club in 12th place when he was relieved of his duties this January.

Lamine Yamal was snapped swapping signed shirts with former Barcelona forward Thierry Henry after their 4-3 Clasico victory over Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Yamal scores as Barcelona win Clasico clashCatalans now on bring of league titleWonderkid keeps shirt swap promiseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Henry had been wowed by Yamal during Barcelona's 3-3 draw with Inter at the end of April and the pair agreed to swap shirts after this weekend's Clasico during a post-match interview on CBS Sports. The former France star revealed he planned to be in attendance for the game and asked for the teenage sensation's jersey, but Yamal was keen to get an Henry shirt for himself from the deal.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Henry is an all-time great thanks to his spells at Arsenal and Barcelona but Yamal is already on the way to similar heights after a breathtaking start to his senior career. The 17-year-old helped Spain win Euro 2024 last year and is leading Hansi Flick's club side to a 28th La Liga title, playing a starring role in Sunday's 4-3 victory over Real Madrid which took them seven points clear at the top of the table with only three games remaining.

WHAT YAMAL SAID

Yamal spoke to the media after the Clasico win. He said: "It was a very important match to gain a considerable lead. After the Champions League match, it was very important to win, and even more so if it was against Madrid. Today is time to enjoy it."

WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL AND BARCELONA?

Yamal and Barcelona have the chance to wrap up the title on Thursday night when they take on city rivals Espanyol, with the teenager very likely to be involved.

As dream starts go, this could take some beating for player who turned professional two days ago

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-May-2023 Kent 278 (Evison 77*, Lawes 3-41) and 80 for 4 (Mueyeye 42, Crawley 31*, Lawes 2-2) trail Surrey 362 (Abbott 78, Sibley 60, Atkinson 55*, Bhuiyan 4-65) by 4 runsThere was still one delivery left in the 83rd over, but Arafat Bhuiyan already had his jumper off down at fine leg. Realising his error, he chucked it over the boundary rope, walked in for the final delivery, then chucked his hat on top of that and hurried to the bottom of his mark at the Vauxhall End to continue his spell with the second new ball. For a player who has waited for seven years to break into the professional game, he didn’t want to waste a second.It was a show of faith from Kent captain Sam Billings to give first dibs to a bowler in just his second day of first class cricket, but Arafat had earned it. Surrey had just slipped into the lead with only two wickets remaining. Sean Abbott had passed fifty for the second time this season and was hellbent on hitting the red off the ball, alongside Gus Atkinson who had his eye in. There was scope for a sizeable lead, and Kent needed to put a stop to it.Their fears would be realised as Atkinson struck three gorgeous sixes – all down on one knee – in a superb 55 that helped established a lead of 84. The good news for Kent is they whittled it down to four by stumps on day two, thanks to an eye-catching 42 from Tawanda Muyeye and an unbeaten 31 from Zak Crawley. The bad news came in the form of a thrilling late burst from Tom Lawes, nipping out Muyeye and then Jack Leaning with the final ball of the day to leave Surrey with just six second-innings wickets to take.The visitors go into the weekend up against it, not least because there aren’t many better than the Division One leaders and defending champions at turning the screw in the second half of matches. That Kent were able to go toe-to-toe with them for most of Friday was thanks to Arafat.The 26-year-old’s 4 for 55 had Surrey on the ropes, with 180 for 6 on the board, before Abbott counter-attacked to 329 and Atkinson’s blow landed them on 362. There was no dismay from the seamer as he missed out on a five-wicket haul on debut. The four he did nab were as impressive as any milestone.Related

Craig Overton's five-star Lord's show secures rout of Middlesex

Zak Crawley 'doesn't care' about social media critics after Test retention

Keith Barker proves main tormentor on tough day for Northamptonshire

Matt Henry makes merry with bat and ball as Somerset turn screw on Middlesex

Matthew Montgomery drives Essex to drink as Notts take command at Trent Bridge

Arafat’s maiden first-class dismissal was none other than newly appointed England vice-captain Ollie Pope, crown prince of Surrey, lord of this manor what with a red-ball average of 97 here at the Kia Oval. A usual dance down the track, a usual flick through midwicket went unusually awry as Pope found Grant Stewart at a well-placed midwicket.Jamie Smith became the second; indeterminate footwork and a loose attempt at a punch sending an edge to Jack Leaning at second slip. In the space of four deliveries, he had Ben Foakes – another catch to Leaning – and Will Jacks, who had struck Arafat for six over square leg before being too slow on a pull and gifting a catch to Michael Hogan at mid-off.Past, present and future England internationals in his first go at this level. As far as dream starts go, this could take some beating for a cricketer who only turned professional two days ago. The action itself is smooth, energy collected in the gather and released with a smoothness that suggests there’s a lot to work with, particularly an outswinger that moved late enough to surprise an impressive batting line-up beyond the dismissals on the scorecard. The run-up starts tentatively, but that can be smoothed out at this level. He is more than capable, and willing to get better.”To be able to get four first-class wickets on my debut in the first innings, I’m over the moon really,” Arafat said. “I’m here to do well and I’m always going to keep my mind that way.”He admitted to nerves when he first took the ball on day one, though he did start with a maiden against Dom Sibley, whose 60 carried the first 50 overs of Surrey’s response to Kent’s first innings.”I was more nervous yesterday than today,” he said. “Today I came in and I needed to bowl some overs in the nets. I was more nervous bowling than batting yesterday. But today it came out quite nice.”Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Arafat moved here at the age of 14 and has UK residency. Living in east London, it was only a short train to Chelmsford, where Bangladesh were playing Ireland in three ODIs last week. Arafat, though, was unable to attend as he was up in Kidderminster preparing for a 2nd XI match for Worcestershire against Warwickshire. Rain ended up washing out the match completely.That pretty much reflects Arafat’s journey to this point. A lot of second-team cricket and a lot of waiting. As it happens, a first taste of county seconds came at Surrey, playing alongside Pope against a Kent XI that also featured Crawley back in 2017. Stints for Derbyshire and Essex twos followed. There was a period on the MCC Young Cricketers’ Scheme, though that came to an end after just a year. To have fallen through the gaps in a programme regarded as a safety net must have been a blow. But Arafat’s persistence won out.He gives special credit to the South Asian Cricket Academy, an initiative established ahead of the 2022 season, which didn’t just catch him but allowed him to thrive. SACA, co-founded by Tom Brown and former England international Kabir Ali, made arrangements to move Arafat up to Birmingham over the winter to join their training programme on a full-time basis. He then showcased his talents during a trial session at Leyton Cricket Ground’s indoor school in February, with Kent head coach Matt Walker in attendance.After impressing in Kent’s seconds with 17 wickets, he was offered a contract earlier this week to improve the club’s bowling depth, becoming SACA’s seventh “graduate” to move from the scheme onto a county contract. All the hard work, all the second team gigs, all the waiting had come good. That he is only one of three British Bangladeshis to have been on staff at a county – a community in excess of 600,000 – speaks to the necessary work SACA are doing to improve British Asian representation in the county game.”I’ve worked hard for this,” Arafat said. “Seven years is a long time to become a professional cricketer. Playing for different counties, trialling around. There are quite a lot of other people, it’s not only just me. There are a lot of people trialling, still trying. I happened to be at Kent in pre-season, and obviously being at SACA has helped me. I’m going to give credit to Dr Tom Brown who has helped me during the winters.”Arafat’s team-mates from Blackheath Cricket Club have been at the Oval these last couple of days, congregating down at fine leg with him between spells and occasionally using the advertising boards to drum their approval throughout his 20 overs. His twin brother has been watching him intently, and there is hope his parents will be in attendance on Saturday.They will have to watch him bat first as Kent look to establish a good enough lead to give him and their bowlers something to work with. That nightwatchman Wes Agar was one of the four lost in the evening session does at least mean there are a few batters to come to pump up this second-innings score, along with Crawley who looks settled and hungry for something big.Surrey could argue they should be further in front given the nature of some of the decisions against them. Most contentious was Sibley’s on the stroke of lunch, after Joey Evison had found his edge. In real time, it looked a spectacular diving catch from Leaning to his left, but replays were less than convincing. Even Sam Curran, always of Surrey but a Punjab King until the end of May, took to Twitter to offer an opinion – very not out, to paraphrase – with an accompanying screenshot, both of which were deleted pretty quickly.Lawes, too, felt aggrieved when Agar used the new ball get some extra lift off the pitch. An edge ballooned to first slip, though assessment of the replays and the loop of the ball suggested the deflection was off the right shoulder of his body rather than the bat. Fair to say they had their revenge by stumps.

She seemed like she had thrown her wicket away in the 80s again, but a stroke of luck saved her and she brought up her first hundred since 2019

Annesha Ghosh01-Oct-2021WV Raman, who was India Women’s head coach until earlier this year, remembers Smriti Mandhana as a “very chilled-out character” who didn’t overthink her game, or “talk cricket” too much, or overdo things at training.”She had it in her head all that time that ‘I need to provide a good start, I need to contribute a lot being a senior cricketer’ and stuff like that,” Raman recalled when speaking on Sony Sports India on Friday about Mandhana’s mindset when going through a dry run.He was alluding to the up-and-down phase after Mandhana’s breakout 2018 following the middle-to-late-tournament lull at the 2017 ODI World Cup. After racking up runs for fun and becoming the 2018 ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Mandhana kicked off 2019 with the promise of plenty, even hitting a blistering 105 in India’s very first match of the year. But in the 48 innings since, before Friday, not once could she get to three figures. In 12 of those innings, Mandhana lost her wicket after reaching a half-century. And had a front-foot no-ball – which also happened to be a full toss – by Ellyse Perry on day two of the ongoing pink-ball Test against Australia not ruled out a catch, Mandhana would have had a 13th missed hundred to her name.”I actually get scared of bad balls quite a lot. When that happened on the second ball of the day [I faced]… I got a full toss and I was like, ‘Oh, s***!’ I was like, ‘Oh, God, what is this! I prepared so much overnight, and I have got out to a full toss!’ For us, we thought the catch was taken and the no-ball came out of the box,” Mandhana said of the lifeline, regaling reporters with her animated narration after the truncated second day’s play at Carrara Oval.Related

• India coach Ramesh Powar: We are looking at Smriti Mandhana 'as a leader'

• Matthew Mott: India 'held all the aces' for the best part in the pink-ball Test

• India stand tall to take the honours in day-night draw

• Mandhana aces pink-ball test after 'two nets sessions'

• Mandhana hits highest score by a visiting player in Australia

On a day when she hit 127, breaking the 72-year-old record for the highest score by a visiting batter in women’s Tests in Australia, Mandhana mostly looked the part of the “determined” batter she had set out to be, after finishing overnight on 80.In an in-play interview with 7 Cricket, she also acknowledged the mental hurdle that the protracted spate of near-misses had become: “Really happy that finally I got through this 80[-run] period because I keep getting out in 80s and 90s, so I was really focused and wanted to at least cross that and try and get to three figures… Disappointed I gave it away towards the end. Nevertheless, I am happy with the performance.”

“From 2018 to this year, the way I would have loved to bat, I was not able to. Even though I was getting the fifties or whatever scores I was getting, I was still trying to search the kind of feel I wanted to search”Smriti Mandhana

The monkey off her back, Mandhana opened up on what the anguish of losing her ability to bat the way she visualised felt like. This, especially when going through her past performances with elder brother Shravan and longtime personal coach Anant Tambvekar back at home.”From 2018 to this year, the way I would have loved to bat, I was not able to,” she said. “Even though I was getting the fifties or whatever scores I was getting, I was still trying to search the kind of feel I wanted to search. With family also I just kept asking about… we kept checking the videos of what has gone different. The only thing which I was working on was to try to get the kind of feel I wanted to get as a batter.”Whenever the tours were coming, I was not thinking about that because at the end whatever you bat at that time, you have to deal with it and just go forward and try and look to play the match. But, definitely, this series I was feeling much better as a batter and definitely wanted to make it count because of the few chances I had lost in the last two years [because of the lack] of my feel. So, I wanted to try and make it up and still want to try and make it up.””Runs will keep flowing – whether you go for them or not,” WV Raman recalls telling Smriti Mandhana•BCCI/UPCAMandhana had batted all of “two nets sessions” with the pink ball before opening the batting for India on Thursday. But it was down to her that India, despite the lack of familiarity with the pink ball or long-form cricket in general, had got into a position of strength, the opener laying the marker with her “tempo”, as Meg Lanning described it.On Friday, Mandhana added seven fours to take her tally to 23 boundaries in a 216-ball knock. And when the milestone came on the back of two fours – the second a deceptively languorous short-arm pull – off Perry in the 52nd over, an uncharacteristically energetic celebration followed.”In the 14-day quarantine [in Brisbane, ahead of the start of the series], I was doing all of that only: I was trying to visualise me batting and trying to celebrate my century,” she explained, deconstructing the celebration that saw her take the helmet off, raise both arms and tap her name on the back of her shirt with the bat, as if to make a statement.In his evaluation of Mandhana’s 127, Raman jogged his mind back to conversations when he would insist she “consumed overs”, for staying in the middle alone would be enough for her naturally fluent style of run-scoring to dictate the pace of her – and India’s – innings. “Runs will keep flowing – whether you go for them or not… even if you take some time, you will always make up,” he remembered saying.On the evidence from the first two days of the Test, she might be on her way to making up for the missed hundreds too.