Arya and Suryavanshi in Jitesh-led India A squad at Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup

Naman Dhir is Jitesh Sharma’s deputy, while the squad also includes Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Priyansh Arya, Ramandeep Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Suryansh Shedge, Abishek Porel and others

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025Jitesh Sharma has been named captain of the India A squad for the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, earlier the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. Naman Dhir has been appointed his deputyThe selectors have also included 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the squad, which explains his absence from the four-team Under-19 Challenger Trophy. Over the years, that tournament has been used as a key marker by the junior national selection panel to finalise their squad for next year’s Under-19 World Cup – for which Suryavanshi appears to be a certainty.The 15-member squad, picked by Ajit Agarkar and his senior men’s selection panel, comprises some stellar IPL performers, most notably Punjab Kings and Delhi Premier League (DPL) star Priyansh Arya.ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

In his maiden IPL campaign in 2025, Arya struck 475 runs at a strike rate of 179.24 – the third-best in terms of runs for the franchise behind Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh. Last week, Arya was handed a first-class debut by Delhi in the Ranji Trophy.The other key state and IPL performers include Abishek Porel, currently captaining Bengal in Abhimanyu Easwaran’s absence, and Harsh Dubey, who has been a regular feature across various India A squads over the past few months.The fast bowlers include Gurjapneet Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yudhvir Singh and Yash Thakur – all of whom are part of BCCI’s targeted pool of fast bowlers. Ramandeep Singh and Suryansh Shedge are the seam-bowling allrounders.Pakistan A and Oman will kick off the tournament, with the showpiece India A vs Pakistan A match slotted for November 16. The teams are divided into two groups: Group A has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, while Group B has India, Oman, Pakistan and UAE.This will be the first cricketing exchange between the men’s teams of India and Pakistan since the senior Asia Cup in September, though the senior women’s teams faced off at the ODI World Cup earlier this month.When the men played the Asia Cup, there were no handshakes or any other form of greetings between the players of the two countries, and it ended with India, the tournament champions, leaving Dubai without the trophy.It emerged that they had decided not to receive the trophy from the ACC chief, Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be PCB chairman and the country’s interior minister.India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup T20 tournamentPriyansh Arya, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir (vice-capt), Suryansh Shedge, Jitesh Sharma (capt, wk), Ramandeep Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ashutosh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Vijay Kumar Vyshak, Yudhvir Singh, Abishek Porel (wk), Suyash Sharma

وكيل نجم تشيلسي يعترف: برشلونة كان قريبًا من التعاقد معه

اعترف وكيل أعمال نجم نادي تشيلسي، أن اللاعب كان على وشك الانتقال إلى صفوف برشلونة في وقت من الأوقات، وذلك قبل الذهاب إلى البلوز.

برشلونة واجه تشيلسي يوم أمس الثلاثاء في دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث تعرض لخسارة ثقيلة في ملعب ستامفورد بريدج بثلاثة أهداف مقابل لا شيء، وكان البلوز الطرف الأفضل في المباراة.

وشهدت مباراة الأمس تألق نجم نادي تشيلسي الشاب، إستيفاو ويليان، والذي قدم عرضًا رائعًا وسجل هدف النادي الإنجليزي الثاني.

وراوغ استيفاو لاعبي برشلونة داخل منطقة الجزاء، ليسدد الجناح الأيمن كرة قوية في شباك البلوجرانا عجز حارس المرمى، خوان جارسيا عن التصدي لها.

اقرأ أيضًا .. فرص برشلونة في التأهل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الهزيمة أمام تشيلسي

وكشف وكيل أعمال استيفاو، أندريه كوري، أن برشلونة كان قريبًا من ضم اللاعب، لكن وضع البلوجرانا المادي منع حدوث الصفقة في نهاية المطاف.

وقال كوري في تصريحات نقلتها ”Barcauniversa”: “لطالما وافق المسؤولون عن الأمور الفنية في برشلونة على التعاقد مع استيفاو، لكن ديكو كان مقيدًا لأن الوضع الاقتصادي للنادي لم يسمح بذلك”.

واختتم كوري حديثه: “تحدثنا مع برشلونة بشأن استيفاو في أعوام 2021 و2022 و2023 و2024، عرضنا اللاعب على الأندية الكبرى لأنني كنت أعتقد أنه سيحظى بمستقبل باهر، لكن برشلونة لم يكن في وضع جيد اقتصاديًا”.

استيفاو بدأ مسيرته مع بالميراس، حيث تألق مع النادي البرازيلي ليوقع مع تشيلسي خلال صيف العام الحالي مقابل أكثر من 30 مليون يورو.

وبرزت موهبة استيفاو سريعًا مع تشيلسي وحصل اللاعب على ثقة المدرب إنزو ماريسكا والذي يعول على الجناح الشاب بشكل كبير.

Wharton upgrade: Man Utd keen to sign Amorim's "perfect player" for £53m

Manchester United’s midfield depth is becoming a bit of an issue under Ruben Amorim. Whilst he has found his first choice pivot in Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, the Portuguese manager does not seem to trust his squad depth in those deeper areas.

His stubbornness at not playing Kobbie Mainoo is bizarre, given how talented the young Carrington graduate is. It now seems that the England international will leave his boyhood club on loan this winter, with Napoli one potential destination.

As for Manuel Ugarte, he has only played 301 Premier League minutes and seems off the pace for the Premier League, having been described as “not good enough” by Gary Neville, following the Manchester derby defeat.

With that in mind, it might not come as a surprise that United are targeting a new midfielder.

Man Utd’s latest midfield target

Midfield is clearly an area United are looking to improve this winter. They have already been linked with Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace in the last few days, although they will face lots of competition for the Englishman.

Another player the Red Devils could target is Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller.

According to reports in Spain, United are one of the sides ‘interested in acquiring his services’, with the German international one of the top names on their midfield shopping list.

Transfer Focus

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

However, despite having seemingly made an ‘approach’, they will not be alone in the hunt for Stiller’s signature.

United’s competition comes in the form of Real Madrid, with Los Blancos looking to add to their own midfield depth after losing Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the last few seasons.

As for a price, Stiller – who is said to be keen on moving to the Spanish capital – could cost upwards of £53m to tempt Stuttgart into a sale.

How Stiller compares to Adam Wharton

Five-cap Germany international Stiller has shone in the middle of the park for Stuttgart over the last few seasons. Described as a “complete” midfielder by football analyst Ben Mattinson, he oozes class on the ball, controlling play from deeper areas.

This season has been no different for the midfielder, who was born in Munich and has played for Bayern Munich at senior level. Stiller has played 17 times so far this term, chipping in with one goal and assisting five.

Indeed, those assists from deeper areas are a key theme of Stiller’s game. He has 22 assists in 98 games for Stuttgart. This pass against FC Augsburg is an example of how creative he can be, looking to pull the strings from the edge of the final third.

Of course, the German is not the only midfielder United are looking to sign. Wharton is also a name high up on their shopping list, as he is for many clubs.

The Palace midfielder has shone for the Eagles again this season, playing 15 games across all competitions.

His former manager at Blackburn Rovers, Jon Dahl Tomasson, said, “on the ball, he’s Champions League level.”

Indeed, like Stiller, Wharton is a true controller, able to dictate games from deeper areas. Look at the influence he had in midfield against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final last season.

It might well be the case that United only end up signing one of Stiller or Wharton, given how alike their profiles are. Whilst the former Blackburn star has Premier League experience, it might be the case that Stiller is actually a better signing.

The stats go a long way in supporting this theory, too. So far this season, the German averages more progressive passes, with 7.56 to Wharton’s 5.06 per 90 minutes, and more ball recoveries, with 5.47 compared to 4.68 each game.

Progressive passes

7.56

5.06

Passes into final third

7.44

3.77

Passes into penalty area

2.33

1.04

Progressive carries

2.21

1.17

Ball recoveries

5.47

4.68

It is easy to see why bringing Stiller in over Wharton could be a better move for United. Not only does he rank ahead of him in several key metrics, but the former Bayern star is also someone who has more of an impact in the final third and racks up far more assists.

As Mattinson said in a separate post, the 24-year-old is “the perfect player for Amorim’s style of play.” He could certainly be that controller in United’s pivot, with the skills he has in possession, whilst also contributing in attack.

A fee of £53m is not too expensive in the current transfer market. Stiller could be the ideal candidate to add depth to United’s midfield that Amorim trusts.

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Man Utd’s midfield could be improved grealty with this signing

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

Rangers star was forgotten under Martin, now he'll be Rohl's own Braga

Glasgow Rangers decided to splash the cash in the summer transfer window to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, their most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal, which was aided by some fairly dismal goalkeeping, in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gers so far, per Sofascore.

Michael Stewart criticised his “poor” finishing in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic on Sunday, as he spurned two great chances, whilst Ally McCoist said that he was “showing nothing” up front against Brann in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Hearts, who are top of the Scottish Premiership, reportedly paid a fee of around £400k to sign Claudio Braga, who has been far more impressive.

Why Rangers need to find their own Claudio Braga

Instead of splashing huge money on project players, like Chermiti, Rangers should be looking at bargain options to bolster their squad, because you can find some real gems.

Hearts paid less than a million pounds to sign Braga from the second division of Norwegian football, and he has been a huge success for the Jam Tarts.

The Portuguese attacker has delivered nine goals and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, per Sofascore, this season, which shows that he has provided far more quality than Chermiti has since his £8m move to Ibrox.

Whilst Rangers can learn from the Jam Tarts to utilise different markets for cheaper prices in future transfer windows, Danny Rohl may have his own version of Braga, from a stylistic perspective, in the building.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Rangers can unearth their own Claudio Braga with this forgotten star

Before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, Brazilian centre-forward Danilo appeared to be forgotten about by Martin as a genuine first-team option for the Scottish manager.

The striker only made one appearance for the first-team under Martin in September and October, which was an 11-minute cameo off the bench against Sturm Graz.

Danilo’s last 10 matchday squad appearances

Opposition

Manager

Minutes played

Celtic

Danny Rohl

45

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

45

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

69

Brann

Danny Rohl

14

Sturm Graz

Russell Martin

11

Genk

Russell Martin

0

Hibernian

Russell Martin

0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0

Celtic

Russell Martin

0

Club Brugge

Russell Martin

59

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, he was an unused substitute on several occasions, when he even made the matchday squad, before Martin’s exit in October.

Rohl came in last month and immediately made the Brazilian striker an option, as he has played in all four of the manager’s games so far, and scored two goals.

Like Braga, Danilo is not a towering and physical striker who can bully opposition defenders. He is dynamic and looks to use his control and movement to create chances and score goals, as he did brilliantly against Hibernian.

For Hearts, Braga has struck up a partnership with Lawrence Shankland, who is a physical presence, and Rohl can unearth his own version of that partnership by continuing to play Danilo off another striker, whether that is Chermiti or Bojan Miovski.

Danilo, who ex-teammate Ofir Marciano claimed “has the quality to be a big player for Rangers”, scoring two goals in two Premiership matches under Rohl shows that he can be effective in the final third.

However, it is now down to the manager to find the right blend alongside him to ensure that his skillset is used to its fullest potential, as Hearts have done with Braga by playing him alongside Shankland.

Martin claimed Rangers star was a "huge asset", now he looks "rotten"

This Rangers signing was heavily praised by Russell Martin, now it looks like he needs to be sold.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 3, 2025

Once forgotten by Martin at Ibrox, the former Feyenoord centre-forward looks like he might have a bright future under the German head coach.

Ben Curran and Sikandar Raza in Zimbabwe squad for NZ Tests

Ben Curran has recovered from a fractured hand sustained in a warm-up match against South Africa in Arundel and has been named in Zimbabwe’s 16-player squad to take on New Zealand next month.At the moment, the squad does not include Brendan Taylor, whose three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC anti-corruption code ends on July 25. ESPNcricinfo understands he will be added to the squad once his ban expires on Saturday and is expected to be available for the first Test that starts July 30. The squad does feature four other changes from the one that lost 2-0 to South Africa.Sikandar Raza, who was playing in the MLC during the South Africa Tests, returns to the squad alongside Roy Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni. Opening batters Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Prince Masvaure, middle-order batter Wessly Madhevere and seamer Kundai Matigimu, who debuted against South Africa, have been left out.Related

  • Matt Fisher earns first NZ call-up, Williamson remains unavailable for Zimbabwe Tests

  • Glenn Phillips ruled out of Zimbabwe tour with groin injury

Blessing Muzarabani leads the seam attack, but there was no room for Richard Ngarava. The left-arm quick had injured his back in the Test against England but returned in the ongoing T20 tri-series featuring Zimbabwe, South Africa and New Zealand.Brian Bennett, who was concussed in the first Test against South Africa and had returned in the T20Is, is also in the Test squad. Dion Myers, who was covering for Bennett, has been released.Both Tests will be held in Bulawayo, where conditions are difficult for quicks and run-scoring can typically be slow, though South Africa scored at 5.49 runs to the over in the most recent Test there.This is the first time Zimbabwe will play Tests against New Zealand since 2016, when New Zealand visited Bulawayo and won the series 2-0. It also marks the end of a busy period of Tests for Zimbabwe for the time being.Since December last year, they have played eight Tests, including five at home, all at Queens Sports Club. Zimbabwe have lost all their home games and only won one of their last 15 Tests. They will next play Tests towards the end of the year when they host Afghanistan.The matches are not part of the current World Test Championship cycle.Zimbabwe squad: Craig Ervine (Captain), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Roy Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Clive Madande, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nicholas Welch, Sean Williams

Leeds are brewing the next Kalvin Phillips in exciting 17-year-old starlet

Leeds United have always gained great pride from allowing their homegrown starlets eventual minutes in the first team.

Kalvin Phillips would become a household name in the Premier League after making his Elland Road breakthrough, with Archie Gray also going on to be a £30m purchase by Tottenham Hotspur after he exploded into life in the senior picture at the Whites.

With Daniel Farke also recently stating that the development of youth is one of the “cornerstones” of the club’s ongoing philosophy, it wouldn’t be a great shock to see a new Phillips or Gray emerge in the very near future.

Amazingly, another member of the Gray family in Harry Gray, is already making considerable strides to break into the men’s set-up.

Harry Gray's rise at Leeds

With the young pair also having Leeds royalty deeply ingrained into their family tree in the form of great uncle Eddie Gray, it appears as if Elland Road is just woven into their DNA.

Before anyone gets too carried away, the 16-year-old striker has only made one fleeting cameo in Farke’s first-team to date, but his future does look very rosy in West Yorkshire, with his early goalscoring form in the Premier League 2 this season only adding to his immense hype.

From just four games this campaign in all competitions, Gray has helped himself to a blistering four strikes, with his weighty goal tally for both the U18s and U21s now standing at a very impressive 15 goals from 22 outings.

Branded the “real deal” by analyst Ben Mattinson, it does only feel like a matter of time now before the teenage sensation is leading the line for Farke’s men, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin potentially pushed all the way for a starting spot very soon by the England U17 international.

However, he isn’t the only hotly-tipped youngster at this moment in time in the U21 picture.

Leeds could even be brewing their next Phillips when looking at this very promising midfield talent who just signed his first-ever professional contract at his boyhood employers.

Leeds' next Phillips

While his career path has hit many a bump since exiting Leeds in 2022, with just 31 Manchester City appearances coming his way in three years, it goes without saying that he is the standard that many of the new rising crop at Thorp Arch still try to hit.

Indeed, under Marcelo Bielsa’s transformative guidance, Phillips would turn into an extremely hot midfield commodity, with a senior Three Lions call-up even falling into the 29-year-old’s lap, before moving on to the Etihad for a substantial £40m.

While Ollie Pickles is way off hitting those heights at the moment, he will hope – sometime down the line – that he can experience these same amazing highs, having just penned his first-ever professional contract at Elland Road that runs until 2028.

The 17-year-old hotshot warranted that deal coming into play, too, with Pickles even donning the captain’s armband for the U21s last time out to show off similar leadership skills to those of Phillips in the main team.

DM

22

2 + 1

CM

10

3 + 2

AM

5

1 + 0

RW

1

0

LW

1

0

The similarities don’t just end there, however, with Pickles also showing off a similar eye for a goal and an assist to that of the former Bielsa favourite, with a standout five-goal contributions tallied up from the central midfield position from just ten outings.

Arguably, his added adaptability to slot into a right-wing or left-wing spot if needed also stands him in good stead to replicate Gray’s sharp rise, with the Spurs number 14’s malleable nature turning him into a constant regular under Farke.

Still, with previous interest in his services coming from the likes of Gray’s new employers, it could be that Pickles goes on to be another major sale for Leeds in the midfield department, like Phillips.

Before anything more concrete pops up over Pickles leaving, however, the teenager will have to prove himself in the senior side, with chances potentially handed to him in the near future.

Danny Murphy says Leeds "will" go down and names Farke's "biggest problem"

The talkSPORT pundit has revealed why he thinks the Whites will go down, despite the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

2 ByDominic Lund Sep 23, 2025

Paul Merson claims Nuno Espirito Santo is only joining West Ham for one worrying reason

West Ham abruptly sacked Graham Potter on Saturday morning, ending his uninspired nine-month spell in charge, with Nuno Espírito Santo set to replace him.

Nuno Espírito Santo agrees deal to join West Ham

After talks with chairman David Sullivan and Karren Brady earlier this week (ExWHUemployee), and despite some uncertainty surrounding the finances of his contract (Sports Boom), Nuno has now agreed a multi-year deal to join West Ham.

When Potter told his players the news that he’s no longer West Ham boss, it left members of his squad “shocked”, but Nuno is expected to immediately step into the tactician’s shoes by taking charge of training this afternoon.

Potter leaves West Ham after 25 games in charge, having recorded the club’s second-worst win percentage during his time in the hot seat, behind only Avram Grant who relegated the Hammers in 2011.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

A formal announcement is expected in the coming hours, with West Ham managing to navigate the finances of a deal for Nuno to deliver the club’s third manager in just 12 months.

West Ham’s managerial shortlist also included the likes of Slaven Bilic, Scott Parker, Marco Silva, Sean Dyche, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick, but Nuno was always in pole position for the job after his excellent work at Nottingham Forest.

During his time at the City Ground, Nuno steered Forest away from relegation at the end of 2023/2024 to qualification for the Europa League last season, all whilst shoring up their leaky backline, establishing a clear counter-attacking identity and getting the very best out of their squad.

This, combined with his free agent status, understandably appealed to the West Ham hierarchy — but Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that the tactician himself is only taking this job for one worrying reason.

Paul Merson reacts after West Ham appoint Nuno Espírito Santo

Speaking on Sky, in reaction to the news of his appointment, Merson says that Nuno has agreed to replace Potter at West Ham out of “panic”.

The 51-year-old’s eagerness to get straight back into management was reported before his arrival, and Nuno’s priority was always to remain in the Premier League (Sports Boom).

It perhaps speaks volumes about his character and work ethic, which, if anything, is a very good sign for West Ham as the east Londoners seek to end what has been a disastrous 2025 on a high.

While Nuno’s style isn’t exactly the ‘West Ham way’, their defensive fragility and exposure to set pieces is something that Nuno has a proven track record of fixing at previous clubs like Forest and Wolves.

His spell in the Middle East at Al-Ittihad yielded a Saudi Pro League title as well, so he boasts some trophy-winning experience, even if Nuno was sacked just months later.

The ex-FC Porto boss’ appointment is a very intriguing one, but it is clear that, of all the managers readily available, Nuno was perhaps the most obvious choice given his proven Premier League experience.

Arsenal are brewing a right-footed Dowman in Hale End's "insane" 17-year-old

Arsenal are a club with a proud history of developing and platforming some of the most exciting youngsters in English football.

In generations past, the club have been the starting point for legendary superstars like Ashley Cole, Ray Parlour, and Tony Adams.

Then, in more recent years, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly have forced their way into the team.

The most recent name to join the list of extraordinary talents who have made the jump from Hale End to the Emirates is Max Dowman, and it already looks like the academy is producing another young talent in his mould.

Why Max Dowman could become an England and Arsenal superstar

If it weren’t for his fellow Hale Ender, Nwaneri, Dowman would have become the youngest Premier League player in history when he took to the pitch against Leeds United last month.

However, unlike the 18-year-old, the Gunners’ latest academy gem has remained a part of the first team squad, and instead of waiting over a year to make his second league appearance, he had to wait just a week.

Moreover, it didn’t come at the end of a comfortable drubbing of a newly promoted side; it came away to Liverpool, when the team were in desperate need of an equaliser, and if that doesn’t tell you just how highly Mikel Arteta and Co rate the youngster, nothing will.

It’s easy to understand why the club believe him to have such a high ceiling, as the Chelmsford-born gem has an outrageous record at junior level and has made a habit of playing well beyond his years.

For example, in just 25 appearances for the U18s, totalling 2104 minutes, he managed to put the ball in the back of the net 20 times and provided ten assists for good measure.

Appearances

25

Starts

23

Minutes

2104′

Goals

20

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

1.2

Minutes per Goal Involvement

70.13′

In other words, the teenage phenomenon averaged 1.2 goal involvements per game, or every 70.13 minutes, while playing in an age group well beyond his own.

He’s also made quite a name for himself in the international setup, becoming the youngest player ever to feature for England’s U19s when he came off the bench to face Ukraine last week.

Overall, even though it’s notoriously difficult to predict a youngster’s future, it feels like Dowman is heading to the very top in the not-too-distant future.

So, it’s more than good news that Hale End may already have a right-footed version of him ready to make his own way into the team in the coming years.

Arsenal's right-footed Dowman

Even after the likes of Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, and Dowman, Arsenal appear to have a number of genuinely exciting prospects emerging from the Hale End ranks, including Mari Solomon and Andre Harriman-Annous.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Yet, when it comes to someone who could be seen as a right-footed Dowman, it’s impossible to look past Alex Marciniak.

The 17-year-old Welshman may not quite have the output to match the now-first-teamer at the moment, but there are several apparent similarities between the pair and plenty of encouraging signs.

First of all, while the “insane” Cardiff-born talent, as dubbed by academy expert Will Balsam, is primarily viewed as an attacking midfielder at present, he has shown an impressive level of positional versatility over the last year or so.

He has played out on the left wing, in left midfield, and has even made an appearance in defensive midfield, so, like Dowman, he could come in and play wherever the manager needs him.

Second, the teenage gem has a similar ability to glide past opposition defenders, thanks in large part to his “above-average technique”, Rising stars XI put it, and his “tidy footwork,” per Balsam.

Moreover, even though he hasn’t got the numbers of Dowman just yet, there is every chance he could by the end of the year.

Hale End prodigy left Arsenal for £0, now he's better than Gyokeres & Isak

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ByMatt Dawson Sep 7, 2025

For example, he’s already scored a goal and provided an assist in three appearances for the U18s, has “an eye for goal”, and, according to Balsam, “has a big season ahead of him.”

Ultimately, even though he still has plenty of developing to do, Marciniak looks like he could be the next Hale Ender to make the jump to the first team, and in the process become Arteta’s right-footed Dowman.

Ashwin's YouTube channel 'to step away from covering CSK games'

The platform will continue creating content around non-CSK games

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2025

R Ashwin has three wickets from four games this season with an economy rate of 9.23•PTI

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) games will not be previewed or reviewed on R Ashwin’s YouTube channel for the remainder of IPL 2025.”Given the nature of the discussions on this forum over the last week, we want to be mindful of how things can be interpreted and have chosen to step away from covering CSK games, both previews and reviews, for the rest of this season,” read a note from the admin of Ashwin’s channel. “We value the diversity of perspectives that come through on our shows and remain committed to ensuring the conversation stays true to the integrity and purpose of the platform we’ve established. The views expressed by our guests do not reflect Ashwin’s personal opinions.”A controversy arose last week when Prasanna Agoram, a former data analyst for South Africa and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and a regular on the channel, criticised CSK’s decision to pick Afghanistan wristspinner Noor Ahmad despite having Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the squad. Ashwin himself does not take part in these discussions.The video was taken down after sharp reaction on social media. After CSK’s chase against DC petered out on Saturday, coach Stephen Fleming was asked if such chatter about the team on a player’s YouTube channel might make things awkward. “I have no idea,” Fleming said. “I didn’t even know he [Ashwin] had a channel, so I don’t follow that stuff. That’s irrelevant.”

Healy out of New Zealand tour but confidence over ODI World Cup

Wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum has been handed her first call-up for the three-match T20I series in late March

Tristan Lavalette26-Feb-2025

Alyssa Healy has battled a run of injuries and is now targeting the ODI World Cup in India•Getty Images

Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss next month’s T20I tour of New Zealand, but there is “no doubt” over her status for the ODI World Cup as she rehabilitates after a wretched run of injuries.With Healy absent as expected due to a foot injury, Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper-batter Nicole Faltum has been called up in Australia’s 14-player squad for the three-match series starting in Auckland on March 21.Tahlia McGrath will captain with Ashleigh Gardner to be her deputy, while Beth Mooney will again take the gloves in Healy’s absence.Related

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Faltum, 25, has yet to play international cricket but is coming off a strong season for WBBL champions Renegades and captained the Governor-General’s XI against England in January. She beat out Tahlia Wilson and Maddy Darke for the New Zealand tour.”We just see Nic slightly ahead of the others, particularly for the T20 format,” Australia chief selector Shawn Flegler told reporters. “It’s really unlikely that she will play. Obviously, Beth will take the gloves for this tour and she did a really good job during the Ashes replacing Alyssa.”But we just thought it was a great opportunity for Nicole to come in and be around the group, train with them and get to see the environment first hand.”Healy, who turns 35 in March, was not named in the squad due to the stress fracture in her right foot. She missed the T20I portion of the Women’s Ashes and had to prove her fitness for the MCG Test before playing as a specialist middle-order batter.Healy had ruptured her plantar fascia in her foot at the T20 World Cup in October last year which saw her miss Australia’s final group match and the semi-final against South Africa. She also suffered a knee injury in the early stages of the WBBL which meant she missed the remainder of the season and the subsequent ODI series against India.Healy had to skip the ongoing Women’s Premier League, but a return to the field could take place at the women’s Hundred ahead of an ODI series in India in September that runs straight into the World Cup.”My understanding is that there’s no doubt that she’ll get through to the World Cup, that’s for sure,” Flegler said. “She’s had a complicated last couple of years with some different injuries that’s been related to foot…some Achilles and stuff.Nicole Faltum will be part of her first Australia tour•Getty Images

“We certainly don’t want to rush it. As far as I’m aware, there’s no risk that she’ll miss out on that World Cup.”Allrounder Sophie Molineux will continue to be on the sidelines as she recovers from a knee injury that ruled her out of the multiformat Ashes series. “We want to make sure that she’s right for that World Cup, we think she’ll be an important member of that side,” Flegler said.”When she came back into the team, she played a really good role for us across all formats. We’re not going to rush her back. It’s a bit of a complex injury, but we want to make sure that she’s good to go in September.”But there is no set timeline for Tayla Vlaeminck, who dislocated her bowling shoulder just moments into Australia’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan last October. She is hoped to return at some stage next summer.Australia will enter the T20 series against New Zealand in high spirits after their historic 16-0 Ashes triumph. But Australia should feel extra motivated facing the reigning world champions on their turf in what will be rare matches in the format ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in England.”We were really disappointed with how the T20 World Cup ended for us, and New Zealand did extremely well to win that World Cup,” Flegler said. “It’s a great chance for us to go up against them. There’s always a great rivalry against New Zealand and I’m sure they’ll be keen to play well against us.”We don’t have that many T20s leading into the next T20 World Cup, so every opportunity we get is really important to keep trying those different combinations and getting players used to those positions that they are now in.”Australia squad for New Zealand tourDarcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

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