Rangana Herath conceded 400 career wickets would be “nice to have”, while reiterating that at 39, he considers his future in the game after every series. Having taken 6 for 59 in Sri Lanka’s victory in Galle, Herath is now the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests, surpassing Daniel Vettori’s career tally of 362. This was also his 29th five-wicket haul – only Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble have achieved more.”If you can get to a target like that it would be terrific, because very few people have taken 400 Test wickets,” Herath said. “I’d love to get there, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be in this form forever. But I’ll keep playing and contributing as I can for the team and for the country, and hope that the wickets keep coming.”That Herath is now among the most successful bowlers in the game is all the more extraordinary, given he did not have a long run in the team until he was 31. Before 2009, when he became a fixture in Sri Lanka’s Test XI, Herath had played only 14 Tests at sporadic intervals.”I have no regrets about starting late,” he said. “I have already played 79 Tests and I am happy with what ever I have achieved so far.”Herath needs 34 more Test wickets to get 400, and if matches are played per-schedule, Sri Lanka play six further home Tests this year before they are due to go overseas for a bilateral tour. In those matches, Herath may find himself sharing the spin duties with two other slow bowlers, however – Sri Lanka now having fielded three specialist spinners in each of their last four Tests on the island. Unusually, in this match, they also played two seamers, bringing the number of frontline bowlers to five. As acting captain, Herath said having so many bowlers at his command provided him with a wealth of possible strategies.”We talked a lot about playing six batsmen and five bowlers, and ultimately it was the selectors who made that decision,” Herath said. “I look at it the positive way. I have loads of options when you have three spinners. When we bowl long spells bowlers will get tired, so in that situation having five bowlers is a clear advantage.”As you saw today, playing against three spinners with such a large score to get is difficult for the opposition. The pitch wasn’t turning as much as usual, but we had the bowlers who did well – Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan gave a lot of support.”Though Sri Lanka were rarely pushed in this match, they did drop three catches in the first innings. Catches had been liberally spilled in recent tours of South Africa and Australia as well. 

”After a game we look at the weak points in all three departments, and we have to be more cautious when it comes to fielding, as we missed a few chances,” Herath said. “But we are learning. We will work hard and come good.”

Leeds United defender Robin Koch is “ready to fly” to the Bundesliga to complete his temporary move to Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

When did Robin Koch join Leeds?

The Whites centre-back has spent the past three years at Elland Road having first joined from SC Freiburg back in August 2020. Across the reigns of Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce, he’s been a regular feature of the first-team, having started 36 from 38 top-flight games last season.

However, the 26-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the next campaign meaning that the ongoing window will be Daniel Farke’s only chance to cash in should he not want to risk losing him for free, but despite this possibility, it sounds as if he is happy to take a short-term chance.

The Athletic have reported that the Championship outfit would be willing to get the German off their wage bill as a result of him earning £40k-per-week in order to secure a loan fee as part of a deal to send him out for 12 months, and he isn’t the only one to have been linked with an exit.

According to reports, Brenden Aaronson is close to sealing a temporary move to Union Berlin and Marc Roca is also on the verge of linking up with Real Betis, with the latter’s respective switch believed to hold an option to buy, and the defender could soon be following in their footsteps.

Is Koch leaving Leeds?

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday evening, Plettenberg revealed that Koch is all set to hop on a plane overseas to finalise his imminent move to Eintracht Frankfurt. He wrote:

“No doubts, Robin #Koch will join @Eintracht! Confirmed again: It’s a one-year loan! Regardless of the fact that his contract expires in 2024! Koch, ready to fly to Germany. The medical check could take place in the next 48 hours. Been told: Krosche was a crucial factor in this deal!”

Is Farke right to sell Koch?

Leeds will be aware that Koch isn’t one to get involved with the action in the final third having recorded zero goals or assists during his three years at the club, but being strong in the natural defensive aspect of his game and more importantly a “real leader”, as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, Farke and the 49ers are making a mistake by letting him go.

The 11 Wins client last season averaged 4.1 clearances, 3.1 aerial wins and 1.5 tackles per top-flight game, via WhoScored, so he was a real rock at the heart of the backline despite the group’s collective efforts not being enough to save them from suffering relegation.

The Kaiserslautern native is also a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions since the start of his career, including all across the backline and even two roles in the midfield, so he would have been a fantastic option to have available given the relentless fixtures in the second tier, but this is a quality that the boss will have to be without next season.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to improve Ange Postecoglou's squad in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club are in discussions with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal to sign central defender Edmond Tapsoba ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Although, the Premier League side are also eyeing up VFL Wolfsburg enforcer Micky van de Ven as an alternative option if they fail to land the Burkina Faso star.

The reporter Tweeted: "Edmond Tapsoba remains in Tottenham list as talks are still ongoing. He's always been top target as new CB. #THFC Spurs are now working on both van de Ven & Tapsoba deals; up to the club to decide who they want to sign, also based on financial package."

It has been reported that a fee in the region of £61m would be required to sign the centre-back this summer and it remains to be seen whether or not Daniel Levy is willing to match that figure.

Is Edmond Tapsoba good?

The Leverkusen enforcer is an excellent defender who has caught the eye with his performances for his current club in the Bundesliga in recent seasons.

He is a dominant battler who also has the quality to build play out from the back and the 24-year-old titan would come in as a big upgrade on Davinson Sanchez for Postecoglou.

The above graphic, as provided by Opta, shows that the talented ace is one of the best players in his position when it comes to winning possession back for his team, whilst his duel success rate of 59% in the Bundesliga last term also shows that he is efficient at doing just that.

Tapsoba averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 over 33 league outings for Leverkusen last season, which would place him above the likes of Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Sanchez, and Clement Lenglet within the Spurs squad.

Meanwhile, Sanchez averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.76 across 18 Premier League outings, which suggests that the Burkina Faso titan would be an upgrade in terms of the general standard of his performances week-in-week-out.

The £61m-rated colossus would also offer more in possession. He has averaged 7.22 progressive carries and progressive passes combined per 90 over the last 365 days, which places him among the top 8% or higher of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions in that time.

Whereas, Sanchez has averaged 4.09 per 90 for Spurs and does not rank higher than the top 37% of centre-backs in either statistic, which means that the Colombian international is not an outstanding progressor of the ball.

This suggests that Tapsoba, who journalist Raphael Honigstein once hailed as "outstanding", would offer far more than the former Ajax man in possession due to his exceptional ability to drive his team forward, with passes and carries to get his side into better positions on the pitch to cause damage to the opposition.

Couple this with his defensive strength alongside his average performance level and you have a player with the potential to be an extraordinary addition to Postecoglou's squad if he is able to translate his Bundesliga form over to the Premier League next season.

Tom Helm’s 5 for 33, the second-best figures by an England Lions bowler, allowed the side to pip ahead in a rain-affected match and cut the margin of defeat in the series to 3-2

The Report by David Hopps in Colombo11-Mar-2017
ScorecardTom Helm’s 5 for 33 was the fifth five-for in Lions history•ECBTom Helm had expressed modest ambitions for his first England Lions tour. “One of my main aims was to leave the tour in one piece,” he said. A young fast bowler can soon become philosophical when his early career is strewn with stress fractures and injury mishaps in the field. But he has not merely survived, he has finished with his reputation enhanced.With Helm to the fore, England Lions again chose the colonial-style backdrop of Colombo Cricket Club to salvage respectability from their lost one-day series in Sri Lanka. A second win in 48 hours cut the margin of defeat to 3-2 and, after the batting exploits of Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tom Alsop on Thursday, came the fast-bowling promise of Helm, who returned the second-best figures in Lions history.Finally, records are available for nearly 30 years of Lions cricket in all its guises ­ – the ECB deserves credit for that ­ – and they reveal that Helm’s 5 for 33 was only the fifth five-wicket haul in Lions history, surpassed only by Tom Curran’s 5 for 16 against UAE in Dubai before Christmas. Curran was pulled out of the one-day leg of the Sri Lanka tour to join England’s senior squad in the West Indies; Helm did enough to encourage hopes that one day he may follow.Even before this display, Helm felt like one of the successes of the tours, only without the stand-out performance to amplify the thought. His director of cricket at Middlesex, Gus Fraser, was on hand when he was limited to two wickets in a four-day affair in Kandy, although they were good ones as he made both balls bounce to leave Fraser nodding with appreciation. He found ways to concern batsmen on Sri Lankan pitches, was unafraid to vary his approach and was forewarned of the challenges ahead by England age-group experience in India earlier in his career.A Lions tour had not been on his mind after a season in which he made only four appearances in all competitions. He was pleased enough to be called up to a fast bowling camp, but he quickly impressed and with England’s youthful pace resources not exactly limitless his promotion quickly followed.Strangely, he looks more powerful on the pitch than off it, which might say something about a strong, repeatable action as well as a mild disposition. England might still want him to bulk up a little, especially considering an injury record that he will hope is now behind him. His parents have watched him throughout the tour and have even been able to draw pleasure from the first six of his List A career.Helm will now go to Dubai for a Middlesex pre-season tour (Fraser having abandoned the practice tent at Radlett in deference to last year’s Championship win) and for the Champion County match against the MCC.”I couldn’t be happier with how the winter’s turned out,” Helm said. “It’s not really how I expected it to go. It’s a lovely place to come, but tough as a seamer. I bowled a lot of balls that should have been hit to the fence, and they ended up hitting them to fielders. I felt like other days I’ve bowled better but they’ve hit good balls to the fence.”As the Lions’ tour of Sri Lanka drew to a halt, the other match in Colombo 7 was still attracting more attention. Down the road at Sinhalese Sports Club, the 138th Battle of the Blues was heading for another inevitable draw, or at least deemed that way by a convivial Bar-Propper, with a grand beard and even grander feathered hat who marked the start of play at Colombo Cricket Club with his first hard liquor of the day.”I might go down there later,” he said, signalling down Maitland Place, where the unerring responsibility shown by the young players of Royal and St Thomas Colleges were being watched ­ – or half-watched – by a crowd of 10,000, “but I tend to get stuck here.” There are worst places to linger than the members’ bar at CCC, but when Sri Lanka A crumbled to 82 for 6 by the 21st over, he rose from his seat to find consolation in Sri Lanka’s most historic schools contest.Helm had begun that decline in his first over with two wickets in successive balls, grateful when Ron Chandraguptha slapped one to cover and bowling Sadeera Samarawickrama first ball. Two wicket-keeper catches accounted in later spells for Angelo Perera and Dasun Shanaka, before he returned for a final time to end a vexing last-wicket stand of 52 with a leg-stump yorker to remove the imposing Ramith Rambukwella.”I’m glad I got him out first ball because I was cramping,” Helm said. “It would have been a long over otherwise.”Helm’s incursions had been followed by another unyielding spell of off spin by Liam Livingstone, 2 for 27 this time as his reliability drew self-destructive moments from Charith Asalanka and Ashan Priyanjan, whose slog sweep down straight midwicket’s throat was a curious shot from a captain at that stage of the contest.Livingstone has not bowled offspin for long, but you would not credit it. He began the tour intending to bowl legspin (his more common style) at right-handers and offspin at left-handers, but the left-handers in Sri Lanka’s line-up have kept coming and because he has been in the groove, as series figures of 7 for 144 in 40 overs testify, the legspin has rarely appeared. His promise as an attacking England one-day batsman and sixth bowler is apparent.Name a third player to prosper and Ben Foakes, the neatest of wicketkeepers has obvious Test potential. As for the three Test top-order batsman, Haseeb Hameed (in the four-day series) and Ben Duckett and Keaton Jennings throughout the tour have had a largely frustrating time, although without any sense that the disappointment will be terminal.On the same surface used 48 hours ago, Sri Lanka A were not without hope in defending 192. When the captain, Jennings, holed out at mid-on, so completing his frustrating tour of twenties and thirties, a murder of crows landed malevolently by the England dressing room.At 90 for 4, chasing 193, the Lions were not dead, but they were certainly unwell. The air was dense with the threat of rain and Sri Lankan expectation. But then came the threat of lightning, the players never returned, and Messrs Duckworth and Lewis proved to be a couple of old colonials. Club sandwich anyone?

Liverpool are looking to make tweaks to their successful squad this summer following a disappointing season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Pau Torres?

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are one of the many clubs who have been admiring Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres.

As per the report, Aston Villa are working hard to get a cut-price deal done for the talented defender, whilst Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and the Reds are named as admirers of the player.

Would Pau Torres be a good fit for Liverpool?

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp's top priority this summer has been a midfield rebuild, however, the Reds are also seemingly on the hunt for a left-footed centre-back who can offer balance in the back-line as the current crop of central defenders at Anfield are all right-footed.

Liverpool have been linked with VfL Stuttgart ace Micky van de Ven and RB Leipzig titan Joska Gvardiol, both of whom are dominant on their left foot with the latter now reportedly agreeing on personal terms for a potential €100m (£86m) deal to join treble-winning Manchester City.

As a result, the signing of Torres could be an opportunity for Klopp to secure a centre-back with an extremely similar profile as Gvardiol but also would be much cheaper than his Croatian positional peer, with Villarreal possibly considering a fee as low as €40m (£34m), per some reports.

According to FBref, Gvardiol is named as the third most comparable player to Torres over the last 12 months, and it's not hard to see why when you consider their vast similarities.

When comparing the defensive duo, the pair shared resemblances in many key attributes last season including aerial duels won (55.1% v 55.8%), ball recoveries (195 v 167), blocks (36 v 34), shot-creating actions (1.21 v 1.20) per 90, tackles and interceptions won (56 v 57) and pass accuracy (85.1% v 85.9%).

Not only that, Torres – once hailed as an "extraordinary talent" by former Villarreal star Javi Calleja – is one of the most progressive defenders in the top five European leagues, ranking in the top 7% of his positional peers for progressive passes, progressive carries and shot-creating actions per 90, demonstrating unrivalled ability in his ball-playing role in Villarreal's defensive set up.

With that being said, if Liverpool could table an attractive offer to rival their competitors for Torres this summer he could be a fantastic signing for the club and provide Klopp with the profile of centre-back that he clearly desires to acquire ahead of next season.

Limiting Nepal to 112 for 8 in a rain-hit match, Kenya then chased down a target of 95 with five wickets and 11 balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Shem Ngoche finished with figures of 3 for 18 from six overs•AFP

The efforts of Kenya’s bowlers, particularly left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche, set the base for their five-wicket win (Duckworth-Lewis method) as they limited Nepal to 112 for 8 in a rain-affected match in Kirtipur.The match was reduced to 38 overs a side after a delay due to rain and Kenya, having opted to field, immediately stifled Nepal. The hosts lost their first five wickets with only 66 on the board from 23 overs and, at 82 for 8 in the 32nd over, were in danger of being bowled out for less than 100. However, a ninth-wicket partnership of 30, the best for Nepal, between Shakti Gauchan and Sompal Kami lifted them to 112 for 8 before rain arrived again in the 36th over. Gyanendra Malla, captaining the side in place of Paras Khadka, top-scored with 27 while Ngoche had returns of 3 for 18. Ngoche was well supported by Nelson Odhiambo, who took 2 for 17, while three others bowlers took a wicket apiece.Upon resumption, Kenya were set a revised target of 104 off 29 overs. Spinners Sagar Pun and Basant Regmi quickly prised out Kenya’s top three by the seventh over, with Pun striking off successive deliveries to dismiss Irfan Karim and Dhiren Gondaria. However, Collins Obuya and Rakep Patel kept the chase on course with a steady 44-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Rakep carried on after Obuya was dismissed, stitching a useful stand with Gurdeep Singh. The score had reached 76 for 5 in the 22nd over before another rain break left the side with a revised target of 94 from 26 overs. Patel ended the match with a six off Sompal Kami to finish unbeaten on 34 and seal Kenya’s fifth win in the tournament so far.

يشهد اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 26-3-2024، العديد من المباريات الهامة والمرتقبة حيث تُقام عدة مواجهات في مختلف البطولات القارية والدولية.

ويخوض منتخب مصر الأول مباراة قوية أمام كرواتيا، على أرضية استاد مصر في العاصمة الإدارية مساء اليوم في نهائي البطولة.

وكان منتخب مصر قد فاز على نيوزيلندا في لقاء نصف النهائي بهدف وحيد سجله مصطفى محمد، بينما تأهل منتخب كرواتيا على حساب منافسه تونس بضربات الجزاء الترجيحية.

وينتظر عشاق المنتخبات العربية مواجهات مُثيرة في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا 2026، وتصفيات كأس أمم أوروبا، بينما يترقب عشاق المنتخبات الآسيوية مواجهات حاسمة في تصفيات كأس العالم.

وتُقام أيضًا العديد من المباريات الودية بين منتخبات عالمية كبيرة، مثل إنجلترا ضد بلجيكا، وألمانيا ضد هولندا، وإسبانيا ضد البرازيل.

طالع أيضًا | مصدر لـ بطولات: لاعب الأهلي أصبح جاهزًا للمشاركة مع المنتخب أمام كرواتيا في نهائي كأس عاصمة مصر مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 26-3-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس عاصمة مصر الدولية اليوم

مصر ضد كرواتيا، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sport 1”.

نيوزيلندا ضد تونس، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sport 2”. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات أمم إفريقيا اليوم

اسواتيني ضد الصومال، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “beIN Sports”.

موريشيوس ضد تشاد، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “beIN Sports”.

ليبيريا ضد جيبوتي، الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “beIN Sports”.

جنوب السودان ضد ساو تومي وبرينسيبي، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “beIN Sports”. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات كأس أمم أوروبا اليوم

جيورجيا ضد اليونان، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 4”.

أوكرانيا ضد آيسلندا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:95 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 3”.

ويلز ضد بولندا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:95 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم

لبنان ضد أستراليا، الساعة 10:45 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر، 11:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Alkass One HD”.

بنجلاديش ضد فلسطين، الساعة 11:30 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر، 12:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Alkass Two HD”.

الفلبين ضد العراق، الساعة 1 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 2 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Alkass One HD”.

الصين ضد سنغافورة، الساعة 2 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Alkass hd”.

فيتنام ضد إندونيسيا، الساعة 2 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Alkass extra”.

تايلاند ضد كوريا الجنوبية، الساعة 2:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

الهند ضد أفغانستان، الساعة 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

قرجيكستان ضد الصين تايبيه، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

ماليزيا ضد عمان، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

أوزبكستان ضد هونغ كونغ، الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

طاجيكستان ضد السعودية، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

تركمانستان ضد إيران، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

سوريا ضد ميانمار، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

الأردن ضد باكستان، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

البحرين ضد نيبال، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

اليمن ضد الإمارات، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”.

الكويت ضد قطر، الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر شبكة قنوات “Alkass hd”. مباريات ودية منتخبات اليوم

إنجلترا ضد بلجيكا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 5”.

ألمانيا ضد هولندا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD Xtra 2”.

إسكوتلندا ضد إيرلندا الشمالية، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1 English”.

النمسا ضد تركريا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 6”.

سلوفينيا ضد البرتغال، الساعة 9:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD Xtra 1”.

فرنسا ضد تشيلي، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD Xtra 3”.

إسبانيا ضد البرازيل، الساعة 10:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Pakistan women have recalled Marina Iqbal and Kainat Imtiaz and included uncapped Waheeda Akhtar in their 15-member squad for the ICC Women’s World Cup, which begins in June in England.

Pakistan women’s squad

Ayesha Zafar, Nahida Khan, Marina Iqbal, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nain Abidi, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Sana Mir (capt), Kainat Imtiaz, Asmavia Iqbal, Diana Baig, Waheeda Akhtar, Nashra Sandhu, Ghulam Fatima, Sadia Yousuf.

Wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz, who had missed the ICC World Cup Qualifier in Sri Lanka earlier this year due to a leg injury, has recovered and has been picked in the side. Asmavia Iqbal and Diana Baig have also been recalled, part of five changes to the team that toured Sri Lanka.The players who have been dropped are Aiman Anwer, Aliya Riaz, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali and Rabiya Shah.Marina, an opening batsman who also bowls seam, last played an international match for Pakistan in the T20 format in November 2015. Her last appearance in ODIs was in October 2015, on the side’s tour of the West Indies.Imtiaz, a seamer who has played four ODIs and one T20I, also last played a 50-over match for Pakistan in 2015.Asmavia has not played a match for Pakistan since the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Bangkok last year, while Baig was part of the side for the New Zealand tour in November 2016.The squad will be captained by Sana Mir. Pakistan had finished seventh out of eight teams in the ICC Women’s Championship, and had to play the Qualifier in Sri Lanka to secure their place in the World Cup. They finished second in Group B and qualified for the Super Six stage, and went on to secure a place in the World Cup despite a loss to India in their final match of the tournament.Sabih Azhar, who replaces Kabir Khan as the team’s coach, will oversee the team’s preparation for the tournament.The World Cup will be played between June 24 and July 23, with Pakistan’s opening match on June 25 against South Africa. The team will play two warm-up matches before that: on June 20 and 22, against West Indies and Australia respectively.

Crystal Palace are one of the clubs competing to sign Wolfsburg midfielder Aster Vranckx, who could be available for a fee of around €9m (£8m) this summer, according to a recent report from Spain.

Who are Crystal Palace signing this summer?

With Luka Milovojevic and James McArthur leaving this summer, Palace have made bringing in a new central midfielder one of their priorities, having already agreed a deal to sign AFC Bournemouth's Jefferson Lerma, who has now linked up with the squad.

Roy Hodgson seemingly has no plans to stop there, however, with Lyon's Romain Faivre also emerging as an option for the Eagles, and transfer expert Dean Jones thinks he could be a quality addition to the squad, saying:

"I think he’s a good level of player to be looking at. He's very confident on the ball. He’s very confident in his decision-making. He's got a bit of cheekiness about him too."

Palace had been keeping tabs on former FC Koln midfielder Ellyes Skhiri, however, the Tunisian has now completed a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, so Hodgson is now considering another player from the Bundesliga.

According to a report from Faro de Vigo (via Sport Witness), Palace are chasing Wolfsburg's Vranckx, but they are not the only Premier League club in the race for his signature, with Burnley and Fulham also said to be in the picture.

The central midfielder spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at AC Milan, but the Italian club have decided against making his stay permanent, and the door could now be open for a move elsewhere.

From the player's point a view, the goal is to move to England, however, he may also have the opportunity to sign for Celta Vigo, who are currently "well-placed" to win the race for his signature.

As the Belgian has three years left on his deal, Wolfsburg are still in a position to demand a fee to sanction his departure, and he could be available for around €9m (£8m).

Who is Aster Vranckx?

The Wolfsburg ace is only 20 years old, but he has already managed to rack up two senior caps for Belgium, and he has been playing first-team football for a number of years, having first made his breakthrough with KV Mechelen in the Jupiler Pro League.

Last season was a real opportunity for the youngster to kick on, but he did not make the impact he would've been hoping for at the San Siro, playing just 235 minutes in the Serie A across the entire season.

The maestro is now at an age where he needs regular game time if he is to fulfil his lofty potential, having been compared to Steven Gerrard by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who has also lauded him as one of a number of "talented" Belgian midfielders.

Having captained Belgium at youth level, there are indications that Vranckx would be a positive influence in the dressing room, and his first-team experience in the Bundesliga suggests he could be able to make the step up to the Premier League, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was rocked by the exit of one of his star players earlier this month as Portuguese winger Jota completed a move away from Parkhead.

The 24-year-old phenomenon opted to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, where he will play alongside French internationals Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanta, in a deal reportedly worth £25m.

However, the Hoops will not see all of that fee as Benfica, who sold him to the Scottish giants last summer, are due to receive £7.5m from their 30% sell-on clause.

£17.5m is still a hefty profit on the £6.5m they paid to sign the exciting winger on a permanent basis in 2022 and it could provide Rodgers with the funds he needs to find a replacement.

Who could replace Jota at Celtic?

The Northern Irish tactician could find Jota's heir by securing a deal to sign Yang Hyun-jun from South Korean side Gangwon FC this summer.

Football Scotland reported earlier this month that the club have agreed to a £2.1m deal to sign the young winger but the K League 1 outfit are pushing to keep their prized asset until January as they battle against relegation to the second tier.

Celtic must now push to bring him in immediately as the potential is there for him to be an exciting replacement for Jota heading into the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

Yang's form for Gangwon in 2022 suggests that he could be an excellent addition for Rodgers as the 21-year-old magician impressed in spite of his team's average season.

The South Korean side scored 47 goals in 33 league matches and lost more games (14) than they won (13).

During that time, the South Korea U23 international plundered eight goals – 17% of the club's total – and created six 'big chances' for his teammates, which was rewarded with five assists.

The talented youngster, who was described as "highly creative" by FC Twente philosopher and analyst Joost van der Leij, was able to showcase his attacking quality as a scorer and creator without playing in a successful team.

Now, imagine what he could do as part of a dominant Celtic squad that scored 114 goals and won 32 of their 38 Premiership matches last season. 17% of that goal tally would work out as 19 strikes, which highlights the difference playing in a more productive outfit can make for an attacker.

Jota proved himself to be a consistent performer out wide as he scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 26 league starts for the Hoops, with only Kyogo Furuhashi (27) able to boast a better goal return for the club.

Yang, who is three years younger than the Portuguese ace, may not have reached those impressive numbers at the top end of the pitch in his career so far but his form for a struggling Gangwon side in 2022 indicates that he could thrive if given the opportunity to line up as part of a lethal Celtic attack next season.

Therefore, Rodgers could unearth a dream replacement for Jota by getting a deal over the line for the South Korean whiz and helping him to adjust to playing in a thriving team, which could – in turn – improve his output in the final third.