Green has made three half-centuries in his last three T20Is when batting at No. 4, all in successful chases, and has struck 14 sixes across those innings

Alex Malcolm24-Jul-20251:38

Watch – Green hammers back-to-back fifties for Australia

Fitting the giant puzzle piece of Cameron Green into Australia’s best XI in each of the three formats has been one of the more vexing challenges the national selectors and coaching staff have faced across the all-rounder’s career to date.They have yet to find the right spot for him in Tests, with their latest attempt to settle him at No. 3 returning some dividends after previous stints at No. 6 and No. 4. But whether he stays there remains to be seen especially when he returns to bowling later in the year.They aren’t the only team to have trouble finding his optimal role in T20 cricket specifically. He batted in four different positions in his first seven BBL games for Perth Scorchers. He debuted for Australia in T20Is at No.6 but then opened in his next seven games.Related

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Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

Mumbai Indians (MI) paid AUD 3.15 million for his services ahead of the 2023 IPL and bounced him through four different spots, despite having success at No.3 including scoring an unbeaten 100 off 47 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad.MI released him and Royal Challengers Bengaluru took on the challenge in 2024 and used him in four different positions including batting in three different spots in his last three games of that season.But as Australia looks to regenerate their T20I line-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup following the retirements of David Warner and Matthew Wade, Green looks like he may have become the new fulcrum at No.4.Once the exclusive domain of Glenn Maxwell, who now looks set for a slightly different role as a specialist spin-hitter in certain scenarios given his indifferent play against pace bowling in recent times, Green looks to be thriving in what is arguably one of the toughest roles in short-form cricket.Four of his last six innings have come at No. 4, either side of a ten-month layoff due to back surgery. In those innings he has scored 36 off 29 and 62 not out off 39 against Scotland last September, and 51 off 26 and 56 not out off 32 against West Indies in the first two T20Is in Jamaica. The last three of those innings have come in successful chases. Against Scotland he walked in during the powerplay at 18 for 2 with Australia needing 150.Cameron Green and Josh Inglis put up a big stand•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesAgainst West Indies in the first T20I, he walked out in the powerplay again and watched Australia slump to 78 for 4 chasing 190. In the second one, he again entered in the powerplay chasing 173 and shared a record third-wicket stand with Josh Inglis.”He’s playing beautifully,” Inglis said after Tuesday’s win at Sabina Park. “He’s been champing at the bit for this series. At the end of the Test series he was so excited to get into the colours, and he obviously hasn’t played much T20 cricket in the last few years. So I think to do what he’s done so far in this series has been outstanding. He’s put the bowlers under pressure, but I think he’s read the situations of the game really well also.”There has been some luck involved. But what has been noticeable is Green’s ability to hit both pace and spin from the outset. In game one, he walked out to face a fired-up Alzarri Joseph who was bowling quicker than anyone had in the game and launched three of his first five balls for six whilst getting pinned on the shoulder in between. There was a sizeable gulf between the way Green handled the pace and bounce compared to Maxwell at the other end.

“He’s put the bowlers under pressure, but I think he’s read the situations of the game really well also.”Josh Inglis on Cameron Green

But when spin was thrown at Green and Mitchell Owen straight out of the drinks break, Green picked up three twos into the leg side with good placement and sharp running to complement Owen’s power at the other end before later unleashing himself.Green has hit nine sixes in the series out of Australia’s 29 across the two games so far. They have out-hit West Indies, who won two World T20 titles with a power-based brand, by eight across the two matches. Green has struck 16 sixes across his last four innings at No.4 in T20Is. What will impress Australia’s leaders the most is his fearlessness, especially when contrasted against his tentativeness at times in his Test career. His form at the back-end of the Test series in brutally challenging conditions, combined with his experience in the IPL will have no doubt boosted his confidence ahead of this series.It is very early in Australia’s build towards the T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka. They have three more games in this series plus another 12 (and possibly more) before the tournament starts. But one of Australia’s key targets across those games was to bed down a middle-order combination that could succeed the one that won them the 2021 T20 World Cup.A power combination of Green, Tim David, Owen and Maxwell in some kind of order looks ominous for opponents, with Marcus Stoinis still in consideration to come back in at some stage. That would follow a likely top three of Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head and Inglis. Green could be the man to gel it all together if his form at No.4 continues.

Southampton have been granted permission following a managerial application ahead of Championship action returning, it has been revealed.

Southampton fan pundit calls for “experienced” manager

The Saints and Sport Republic have taken their time in regards to appointing Will Still’s permanent successor after sacking him at the beginning of the month.

A number of bosses have been linked with the St Mary’s vacancy, but it is interim manager Tonda Eckert who has been catching the eye after back-to-back wins against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday prior to the international break.

There have been suggestions the 32-year-old is in line to receive the permanent Southampton manager job, however, the pressure is on Sport Republic after a number of failures in recent times. Southampton fan pundit Ray Hunt even stated that supporters “want to see an experienced manager” come in.

“Sport Republic have appointed five permanent mangers in their three full seasons in charge. During that period, they have overseen two relegations from the Premier League, and one promotion with their only success, Russell Martin, but failed to give him the tools needed to succeed in the top flight.

“Moving forward, fans will want to see an experienced manager, who’s widely respected with a clear structure. We cannot repeat mistakes from the past. It is a huge task they simply have to get right. Take your time, give Tonda time in that interim, but ultimately make the right decision. The fans won’t tolerate another failure.”

Meanwhile, it has been added that Eckert is set to get the next three Championship fixtures to increase his chances of landing the role.

Now, it has been revealed the lengths the Saints have had to go to for Eckert to be in the dugout over the coming weeks despite already being employed as U23 coach.

Southampton apply for new visa to keep Eckert in charge

According to Sport 1, ‘Southampton applied for a work visa for Eckert for the upcoming matches so they could continue working with him’. It is claimed that the Saints ‘already received this visa for the next few games – meaning Eckert can continue’.

Tonda Eckert’s coaching career

Role

Years

1.FC Koln U17

Assistant manager

2013-2016

RB Salzburg YL

Assistant manager

2016-2017

RB Leipzig YL

Assistant manager

2017-2019

FC Bayern U17

Assistant manager

2019-2020

Barnsley

Assistant manager

2020-2022

Genoa

Assistant manager

2022-2025

Southampton U23

Manager

2025

Southampton

Interim manager

2025 – present

Eckert had a different visa as U23 coach, with the situation labelled ‘complex’ as ‘England’s employment law is extremely complicated, especially in football’, with clubs needing to ‘provide detailed justifications to the authorities as to why they prefer a foreign coach to an English candidate’.

Should Eckert get another positive result at The Valley this weekend and then again at home to Leicetser City and away to Millwall, then the speculation surrounding him landing the job on a long-term basis will only increase.

Southampton told to appoint new manager over Eckert who "ticks every box"

Some spots are taken, but with India having played just five T20Is this year, there could be competition for the remaining positions

Shashank Kishore18-Aug-202515:24

Will Gill get a chance? Can Shreyas make a comeback?

Who will return – Gill and/or Jaiswal?

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are the incumbent opening batters, having paired up in each of India’s last 12 T20Is.Abhishek was the standout batter in the most recent T20I series India have played, against England in January. He topped the charts with 279 runs at a strike rate of 219.68, including a 54-ball 135 at Wankhede. Not to forget the left-arm spin alternative he provides – he picked up three wickets in five overs in that series.Samson has been a slightly more hit-and-miss. He struggled with injury and inconsistent form in the IPL and against England, where he was repeatedly troubled by Jofra Archer’s hard lengths and high pace. But, prior to that, Samson was sensational against South Africa and Bangladesh, hitting three centuries in five innings.With Abhishek seemingly a shoo-in, unless the selectors opt for continuity, Samson could yet miss out if Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal is picked to open.Jaiswal was India’s back-up opener during last year’s T20 World Cup. Gill, India’s Test captain now, was a travelling reserve, but was subsequently named captain in Zimbabwe and vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav in Sri Lanka.

The compelling case of Shreyas Iyer

With Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel locked in for the middle order, two – or even three – middle-order spots remain.At No. 3, it could be a close contest between Tilak Varma, the incumbent, and Shreyas Iyer. Tilak, like Abhishek and Samson, was impressive in South Africa with two centuries and 280 runs at a strike rate of 198.48, but his IPL was a modest one: 343 runs in 13 innings at an average of 31.18 and strike rate of 138.30.Shreyas, meanwhile, lit up IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings. His strike rate of 175.07 was only behind that of Chris Gayle (2011) and Suryakumar (2023) among those with 600 or more runs in a season. Shreyas’ spin-hitting, especially, makes him a tantalising prospect.If the two are in contention for No. 3, with Suryakumar at No. 4, India could opt for a middle-order finisher as second keeper, if Samson doesn’t make the cut. In which case, Jitesh Sharma, proven in that role for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), could be in the mix.

Varun and Kuldeep | Varun or Kuldeep?

Kuldeep Yadav was recovering from injury at the time and missed India’s T20I series against England at the start of the year – the only T20Is India have played in 2025. In his absence, Varun Chakravarthy made a big case for himself by topping the wickets charts, his 14 wickets in five games coming at an economy rate of 7.66.That performance helped Varun make a late entry in India’s ODI squad. He was subsequently part of the Champions Trophy-winning side, in the UAE, where he and Kuldeep played as part of a four-pronged spin attack.If Varun and Kuldeep are to feature together in the XI, it’s likely India will either have to sacrifice batting depth or play just one specialist seamer, with Hardik as the second seam option, like they did at times in the Champions Trophy.

Who joins Bumrah and Arshdeep?

If fit, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, walk into the side. The third seamer’s spot could be a toss-up between Prasidh Krishna, IPL 2025’s purple cap winner, and Harshit Rana, who picked up three wickets on debut against England in January after coming in as a concussion sub for Shivam Dube.

Dube, Parag, Rinku…?

And now the lower-middle order.Nitish Kumar Reddy is recovering from injury and is unlikely to be considered. The others in the fray are Washington Sundar, the only frontline offspinner in contention, Dube, Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh. Among them, Rinku may find it hard to break in if the selectors prefer someone who can chip in with the ball.Dube has been a regular in the T20I squad when fit over the past two years, and was the highest run-getter for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at IPL 2025. Parag, who missed the South Africa and England series, is back having recovered from a shoulder injury. But he last played nearly a year ago against Bangladesh.Two other left-field alternatives could be Ramandeep Singh, who was drafted in as Reddy’s replacement for the England T20Is, and legspinning allrounder Vipraj Nigam, who was recently part of a camp for targeted players at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.The two had contrasting IPLs. Nigam, 20, had a breakout maiden season with Delhi Capitals, picking up 11 wickets in 14 matches. He also hit 142 runs at a strike rate of nearly 180. Ramandeep was in the side for the series against South Africa late last year, but didn’t do much, and struggled with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), was dropped, and ended the season with 47 runs at a strike rate of 134.28 from seven innings.

Fast bowler had hamstring discomfort while playing for Lions against Western Province

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2025Fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, who was named in South Africa’s second-string squad to play a T20I in Namibia on October 11 and their white-ball sides to tour Pakistan later this month, is being assessed for an injury he sustained while playing a domestic match.Maphaka, 19, was in action for his provincial side, the Lions, in a four-day match against Western Province at Newlands last week. He bowled 5.5 overs in the first innings but had to leave the field with hamstring discomfort. He was taken for a scan which revealed no major damage and returned to take the new ball in the second innings. His 3 for 26 in 10 overs led the Lions’ charge to victory by an innings and 134 runs. He will now have a precautionary MRI to confirm his fitness ahead of a busy season.Maphaka is expected to be a part of South Africa’s international engagements over the next two-and-a-half months, which include tours of Pakistan and India, though there has been conversation about ensuring he has more time in the domestic game, particularly the four-day competition. To date, he has only played six first-class matches, which includes two Tests. He has also played three ODIs and 13 T20Is for South Africa and was signed by Durban’s Super Giants for the fourth season of the SA20.South Africa are due to play Namibia in a one-off T20I on Saturday to inaugurate the new stadium in Windhoek. The match takes place the day before the Test side begins the World Test Championship title defence in Pakistan, which has ruled several frontline players including captain Aiden Markram, out of the trip across the border. South Africa will be captained by Donovan Ferreira, who will lead Quinton de Kock in his international comeback. De Kock reversed his ODI retirement and made himself available for international cricket last month.

England's centre-back room looks almost unrecognisable this month to how it has for the majority of Sarina Wiegman's tenure. With Millie Bright having recently retired, Leah Williamson still injured, Alex Greenwood ruled out for a few weeks and Jess Carter granted a period of rest, Wiegman is set to name a starting defence without any of that quartet for just the second, and third, time in her four years in charge of the Lionesses when her side take on China and Ghana over the course of the next week.

It's no wonder Wiegman has described this camp as "an opportunity" for other centre-back options to "step up" then, and for no one does it feel like a greater opportunity than Maya Le Tissier. Fresh off the back of making her first England start in a central position last month, having won all nine of her previous caps for her country as a full-back, the 23-year-old feels well-placed to benefit from what is certainly an unfamiliar situation for the Lionesses.

The timing feels important, too. These are England's final friendly matches before qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup begins in the New Year and, with only the group winner to automatically book a spot at the tournament, and the Lionesses having been pooled with Spain, obtaining results is going to be the priority. As such, it's one of the last windows for a while in which Wiegman is going to experiment and hand out chances. Le Tissier will be out to take hers and show that she should be considered as a valuable option at centre-back, not just right-back, moving forward.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Plenty of debate

  Le Tissier has been a lightning rod for debate when it comes to the Lionesses in recent months. "I was expecting that," Wiegman laughed when asked about the Manchester United captain following her start as a centre-back against Australia in the last camp, having been bombarded with questions about her since re-emphasising that she saw Le Tissier as more of a right-back than a centre-back just a couple of weeks prior.

  That stance sparked a frenzy on social media, particularly after United, somewhat incredibly, got involved. "Maya Le Tissier has started 104 games for United," a post on the club's official X account read. "103 of them have been at centre-back." Ian Wright, meanwhile, took to Instagram to state that he simply didn't "understand" Wiegman's point of view, calling Le Tissier "the most consistent" English centre-back in the Women's Super League.

  "I think it's hard not to see it. It's everywhere," Le Tissier said of the public questioning of her role when talking to . "Obviously I play centre-half at club level every single week and every single day in training. So for me, I love playing centre-back, and full-back is a different challenge. I enjoy that as well, but I don't feel as kind of confident.

  "It's hard when you go play a different position that you don't play at all. I just try and do whatever Sarina asks of me, just to get on the pitch, no matter if it's at full-back or centre-half or anywhere else where Sarina thinks I could play!"

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• Getty Images
  

  Softening stance

  How Wiegman used Le Tissier during the October camp suggested something of a softening on what had, at times, previously felt like a very strong position. The defender started as a right-back in the first game of that international break, a defeat to Brazil, but ended it at centre-back. Then, three days later, she started at the heart of the defence as England bounced back with a victory over Australia.

  "I think in both positions, she has done really well," Wiegman said after the latter outing. "I'll have a review on that. We'll discuss it over the next couple days, because I want to see this game back. But I think she did really well."

  Those comments were the cherry on top of what felt like an incredibly positive camp for Le Tissier, in which she went about her business at full-back without any sense of complaint before showing what she could do when deployed in the position she knows best.

• Getty Images
  

  Unfamiliar situation

  This week is now a real opportunity to build on that. It's hard to overstate just how different Wiegman's centre-back options are this month when compared to what she has been used to during her four years in charge. In that time, Bright, Williamson, Greenwood and Carter have been mainstays, with at least one of them starting in the defensive line in all of her first 71 games as England manager. That run only came to an end in England's most recent outing, when Wiegman started Le Tissier alongside Esme Morgan for the visit of Australia, in her 72nd game in charge.

  Indeed, that became only the 11th time in those 72 matches that the centre-back pairing or the back three – taking into account the period which saw the Lionesses regularly set-up in a 3-5-2 shape – was not exclusively made up of a combination of Bright, Williamson, Greenwood and Carter. However, none are available for this upcoming window, with Wiegman instead to have to pick from Le Tissier, Morgan, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Grace Fisk.

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• Getty Images
  

  Changing pecking order

  Previously, it would've felt like an opportunity for Wubben-Moy, who was granted a start in four of those first seven occasions when Wiegman turned to a centre-back outside of her trusted quartet. It could well be this week, too, as after finding game time extremely hard to come by for most of the year, the Arsenal defender is starting regularly again, owing to a devastating ACL injury for rising star Katie Reid that saw the teenager join Williamson on the sidelines for the Gunners.

  But it is still the case that Wubben-Moy has fallen down Wiegman's pecking order in recent times. In fact, she was not actually in England's final squad before the Euro 2025 announcement, not until Bright decided to take an extended period of rest that would eventually progress into her missing the tournament and, more recently, retiring.

  Instead, Morgan's status in this team has increased steadily in the last couple of years and she has got the nod for those moments of change in the defence, as evidenced by her start in the Euros semi-final clash with Italy. With Fisk uncapped, and rarely called up under Wiegman, Morgan and Le Tissier do feel like the first-choice starting centre-back partnership for this week, with variations dependent on how much Wiegman wants to rotate a spine that is already missing starting goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.

Honorary Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness slammed Barcelona for their financial mismanagement amid a debt that has ballooned to €1.45 billion (£1.27bn/$1.68bn). Hoeness, who expressed pride over how the Bavarians operate, claimed that Barcelona's way of functioning is highly unsustainable and would've resulted in demotion from the top-flight in any other country.

Inside the financial collapse at Barcelona

Barcelona's financial struggles are well-documented. During the final years under the presidency of Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Catalans spent recklessly and turned a blind eye to financial management. It has resulted in major repercussions for Barca in the recent past, with the club having to sell some of its assets in a desperate attempt to stabilise their sinking ship. 

Barcelona are currently trapped under the staggering €1.45bn debt rubble. This all traces back to the €222m windfall from Neymar's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017, followed by a devastating drop in revenue due to Covid-19, and the skyrocketing costs associated with the €1.5bn Espai Barca redevelopment project. Instead of stabilising after Neymar's exit, the club opted to go on a lavish spending spree, racking up €960.3m in transfer fees over three years, with a net spend of €399m. Football costs soared as well, with wages and amortisation costs jumping from €367.4m to €593.9m, which consumed a whopping 81% of the club's revenue in the 2017-18 season, according to figures from .

Lionel Messi's contract in 2017, which was valued at up to a mind-boggling €555.2m over a four-year period and ultimately cost around €515m, added even more strain to the finances. Matchday income plummeted from €174.9m to just €23.7m during the pandemic, leading to €389m in deferred salaries. By the end of the 2020-21 season, the Blaugrana reported a record loss of €555.4m, prompting president Joan Laporta to take drastic measures. He activated a series of 'financial levers,' such as selling 25 per cent of La Liga TV rights for €667.5m and offloading 49 per cent of Barca Studios – the club's main entity responsible for creating, producing, and marketing all of the club's audiovisual content – for €200m, although that deal has since lost value, with only €20m realised.

To cover short-term losses, the club also recognised €71.6m from a €100m sale of VIP seats at the Camp Nou, all while the budget for Espai Barca inflated from an initial €600m to €1.5b, with actual spending already hitting €975m and revenue taking a hit due to the temporary move to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Heavy borrowing ensued, including €595m from Goldman Sachs with €30m in annual repayments, a €265.7m bullet payment due in 2031-32, and €907.7m linked to the stadium project, making Barcelona the most indebted club in football. 

AdvertisementAFPBayern chief lambasts Barcelona’s reckless descent into debt

Speaking on the this week, Bayern honorary president Hoeness didn't mince his words while addressing Barcelona's spiralling debt crisis. Hoeness insisted that Barcelona’s approach is incompatible with sustainable club management and admitted he is astonished they’ve managed to stay in the top flight given their financial turmoil.

“Barcelona isn't the model I envision. In any other country, they wouldn't even be in the first division," he said. "When you have 1.3 billion euros in debt, how are you supposed to function? I find it absurd and incomprehensible that they're still playing in the top division. It's a club model I would never respect. In any normal country, a club run like that wouldn't even be in the first division. Honestly, it's a miracle they're still allowed to play in the first division.

"It contrasts completely with the control we have at Bayern and our sound finances, which should be an example for all clubs in Europe. We can boast of solid management, with sound economic judgment, and a level of sporting quality that doesn't depend on financial manoeuvres.

“The strict German licensing regulations and the pressure of audits would immediately paralyse a club with a debt of 1.3 billion euros."

Barca still owe money to several clubs

Barcelona's financial report of the 2024-25 season revealed some major details about the clubs still owed money by the reigning La Liga champions. Per the report, Barca still owe an outstanding amount of €159.1m (£140m/$184m) to several clubs. Premier League side Leeds United top the list, who are yet to receive the remaining €41.9m (£36m/$48m) for the transfer of Raphinha, signed in 2022. 

Bayern Munich are owed a further €20m (£17m/$23m) for Robert Lewandowski, while Barca will need to pay €24.5m (£21m/$28m) for the services of Jules Kounde. All three aforementioned names arrived in Catalonia over three summers ago. 

The debts extend further: Manchester City are due €13.3m (£11.5m/$15m) for Ferran Torres, and Real Betis are owed €8m from the sale of Emerson Royal. Smaller outstanding payments also remain with clubs such as Girona, Valencia, Sporting CP and Rennes.

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Getty Images SportBarcelona nearing their best on the pitch

While the Catalans remain deeply mired in financial troubles, things are starting to look very bright as far as on-field matters are concerned. Despite losses to PSG, Sevilla, and Real Madrid in recent weeks, not to forget the shock 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League, Hansi Flick and his team look like a rejuvenated outfit. Despite missing regulars such as Pedri and Gavi amid an injury crisis, the defending league champions have done a commendable job of cutting down Real Madrid's five-point lead down to just one. They will next face Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Thomas Frank’s time in charge of Tottenham Hotspur may not be going exactly to plan at this moment in time, as his side have been in concerning form of late.

The Lilywhites have conceded 11 goals in their last three games in all competitions, losing 5-3 to PSG and 4-1 to Arsenal in their last two outings since returning from the international break.

Tottenham have won one of their last six games in all competitions, keeping one clean sheet in that time, and this shows that Frank and his staff have plenty of work to do to improve the team’s defensive record.

Spurs let in 65 goals in 38 Premier League games in the 2024/25 season under Ange Postecoglou, which shows that this is not a new issue, and it may take time for the problem to be solved.

Whilst there is plenty of attention on the defensive side of their game, and rightly so given recent results, there should also be attention given to where they need to improve at the other end of the pitch.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with one assist, was one of the standout performers for PSG, as he moved to eight goal contributions for the season, but Spurs do not have similar quality in their wide areas.

Ranking Tottenham's wingers this season

The Lilywhites spent £55m to sign Mohammed Kudus from Premier League rivals West Ham to bolster their ranks out wide in the summer transfer window, and he has been arguably the best winger at the club this season.

In the 2025/26 campaign, the Ghana international has more assists (five) than any other player in the squad for Spurs, with one assist on top of all of that creativity, per Transfermarkt.

However, even then, there is plenty of room for him to improve because of a return of one goal in 17 appearances in all competitions is far from an exceptional return for a £55m signing.

On the flip side, Brennan Johnson has scored four goals in 18 matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, yet he has failed to provide a single assist for his teammates, which shows that he needs to improve on the creative side of the game.

As you can see in the table above, Wilson Odobert ranks just below the two of them, because he has one goal and two assists in just 751 minutes of football as a young player who is still learning and improving.

Xavi Simons, signed for £52m from Leipzig, and Mathys Tel, who have both played centrally and wide, have each registered just two goal contributions in all competitions, which is why they must rank fourth and fifth.

All of this shows that Frank does not have many amazing options in the wide areas, but that could change for the second half of the season if things go to plan.

Spurs told that £50m bid will be accepted for Premier League forward

According to former Aberdeen, Everton, and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, Tottenham Hotspur could sign Savinho from Manchester City in the January transfer window.

The ex-Premier League chief has told Spurs that a bid of £50m could be enough for them to tempt the Cityzens into cashing on the Brazil international, after the Lilywhites failed with a £60m approach for the forward in the summer.

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Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness said: “There are a lot of City fans complaining about him, et cetera, et cetera. But I do think he’s a quality player.

“I think a change of scenery would obviously do him the world of good. And I think it’ll give Spurs a chance to get a better deal with City. And I do expect something like this to happen in January. So I do expect probably a bit of not so much cut-price, but certainly lower than expected, maybe around a 50 million mark even with bonuses for a player of that quality.”

Savinho has only started four matches in the Premier League for Manchester City so far this season, with the likes of Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku ahead of him, and Wyness seemingly believes that his lack of game time could open the door for Spurs.

It is now down to Fabio Paratici and Frank, though, to do a deal with City and to convince the Brazilian star to make the move to North London, because he could be their own Kvaratskhelia.

Why Spurs should sign Savinho

Like Kudus, Savinho is not a winger who is likely to come in and score 20 or more goals a season like Mo Salah or Vinicius Jr, because he has only scored four goals in all competitions since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

However, the 21-year-old talent is an exceptional dribbler and creator who could provide an exciting presence for supporters to watch out wide in the second half of the season and beyond.

Kvaratskhelia, who is valued at £79m, is one of the best wingers in the world, having won Ligue 1 and the Champions League, scoring in the final, last season, so it would be unrealistic to expect Tottenham to sign a winger who is exactly like him in every area of the game.

However, as you can see in the chart above, Savinho is very much like the Georgian star when it comes to creating chances and dribbling past opposition players on the wing, based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days.

In fact, the Brazilian Spurs target was one of the most creative players in his position in all of the top five major European leagues in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the table below.

Whilst he may not be in the best moment at Manchester City, with one goal and two assists in 15 appearances, his form last term shows that he is capable of being an elite creator and dribbler in the Premier League.

Savinho, who Paul Merson claimed could be a “superstar”, ranked in the top 6% of his positional peers for xAG (0.27) in the Champions League and the top 4% in the Premier League with 0.35 xAG, per FBref.

These statistics and his statistics in comparison to Kvaratskhelia suggest that Spurs would be signing an exceptional young creator on the wing if they snap him up in January.

That is why Paratici should hope that Wyness is right and that a deal could be done for £50m, because the Brazilian could arrive in North London as their own version of the PSG superstar because of his creative and dribbling skills.

Romero upgrade: Spurs "ready to make" £35m bid for "world-class" defender

Tottenham Hotspur look set to make a huge January move for a new centre-back.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 28, 2025

Former England women’s head coach returns to home county in newly created role

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2025

Jon Lewis has joined his old county Gloucestershire in a newly-created director of cricket role which will cover both men’s and women’s cricket, after losing his job as England women’s head coach earlier this year.Lewis, who won 16 England caps across formats as a swing bowler, spent the vast majority of his playing career at Gloucestershire and has worked at the ECB in various coaching roles since, including as Under-19s head coach and fast-bowling coach in the men’s game. “It feels like I’m coming home,” he told the club’s YouTube channel.He took over as England women’s coach in late 2022 but paid the price for their disastrous 16-0 Ashes defeat in Australia last winter, which saw him replaced in the role by Charlotte Edwards. Lewis also spent three years at UP Warriorz in the WPL, and will oversee Gloucestershire’s push towards a fully professional women’s set-up in the years to come.Lewis will work closely with Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire men’s head coach, who won the T20 Blast in his first season in charge but oversaw a disappointing 2024 campaign. His arrival will belatedly fill the vacancy left by Steve Snell’s removal as performance director midway through the 2023 summer.”It’s a big job. There’s a lot to do,” Lewis said. “I’m excited to be back at a place that has a really special meaning for me. It created a lot of opportunities for me to be better as a player, and hopefully I can give people opportunities to do the same things that I did here.”Ajeet Singh Dale is among several seamers leaving Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Lewis said that a long-term priority will be to bring through more players from the local area. “We haven’t had a really strong production line of cricketers coming from Gloucestershire and Bristol. That’s a high priority for us here at the club, to make sure that we put the processes in place that are able to produce Gloucestershire cricketers from Gloucestershire.”Gloucestershire’s men have already lost a swathe of seamers ahead of next season, with Archie Bailey (Durham), Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Josh Shaw (Somerset), Dom Goodman and Tom Price (both Sussex) all leaving the club. Craig Miles (Warwickshire) and Will Williams (Lancashire) will both join, but Lewis wants further reinforcements.”It’s important that we try to work out how to replace those players, whether it’s from within the squad or also from outside, or from overseas,” he said. “We’ve got some real thinking to do in that space to make sure that the club becomes really competitive across all formats next year.”Gloucestershire’s women play in Tier Two of the ECB’s new domestic set-up, but Lewis hopes that will change in the long term: “That’d be a big goal for us here at the club… I’m hoping that this becomes a place where players become really fond of playing, and they feel like they’re able to grow, to learn, and to get a lot better at playing cricket.”Stevens returns to Kent for 2026Darren Stevens was a fan favourite in his playing career for Kent•Nathan Stirk/ECB/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kent have announced that club legend Darren Stevens will work in Adam Hollioake’s coaching staff as a bowling consultant in 2026. Stevens left the county three years ago when, at 46, he was not offered a new contract and has since worked in coaching roles for South East Stars and Essex women.He will work alongside Kent’s newly-appointed bowling coach Sam Faulkner, who has progressed through the club’s backroom staff and will replace Robbie Joseph in the role. Jaahid Ali, a former Pakistan A player, has replaced Toby Radford as batting coach.”Stevo coming back to Kent to join our bowling coaching provision will undoubtedly by popular with our members and supporters,” Simon Cook, the club’s director of cricket, said. “His experience and coaching skills will be invaluable to our first-team bowlers as we head into a new season under Adam Hollioake.”With Sam and Jaahid, there will be clear guidance and mentoring for our young talent at first-team, Academy and Pathway level to make any transition to a higher level more seamless from a playing perspective. Both Sam and Jaahid have worked closely with our Talent Pathway for a number of years now and are both held in high regard by our Pathway players and staff.”

TORONTO — He was one of the first ones dressed and out of the clubhouse. Outfitted in a loose-fitting pinstriped grey suit with a cream-colored silk T-shirt, Shohei Ohtani flung a soft black bag over his shoulder and wore a black baseball cap backward to complete the Paris runway look that fairly screamed . His jacket billowed behind him appropriately like a cape. He was out the door of the Dodgers’ clubhouse on Halloween night to prepare for yet another date with history, of which he has more already than David McCullough.

How much more effort can the Dodgers ask of him? How much more greatness can we demand from him? How much more history can one man write?

If there are boundaries to the wonder of Ohtani, we have not discovered them. But the greatest test of those limits likely will come in Game 7 of the 121st World Series Sunday night against the Blue Jays.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts wasn’t ready to announce specifics about his Game 7 pitching plan, but Ohtani, he said, “is certainly going to be a part” of it. Because the only way to assure Ohtani’s bat remains in the lineup is to use him as a starting pitcher, not a reliever, he could very well be Roberts’s Game 7 starting pitcher.

On three days of rest. After throwing 93 pitches in Game 4 just 17 hours after reaching base nine times and fighting through body cramps in an 18-inning marathon. After 65 innings pitched coming off a second elbow surgery while throwing more 100 mph pitches than every pitcher with at least 15 starts except Hunter Greene and Tarik Skubal. After taking 801 plate appearances, fifth most ever. After hitting 63 home runs and stealing 20 bases, the first 60-20 player in an extended season. After scoring 158 runs. Against 41-year-old Max Scherzer, who will be the oldest of the 90 pitchers to ever start a World Series Game 7 and who will have started more double-elimination games (six) than any pitcher in history.

If that doesn’t get your blood pumping, get thee to a cardiologist

“I mean, it doesn’t make sense,” said Dodgers lefthander Justin Wrobleski, who provided one of three scoreless but scary innings of relief by the Los Angeles bullpen to save a 3–1 win for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and set the stage for the greatest Game 7 matchup since Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling went at it in 2001. (Yes, even better than Scherzer vs. Zack Greinke in 2019).

Wrobleski is a guy who survived Tommy John surgery, a broken nose, getting cut from the first of three college teams, a season wiped out by COVID-19 and 28 days without pitching entering the World Series only to get meaningful outs with his team facing elimination. What doesn’t make sense even to a pitching survivor like himself, he said, is that a pitcher could be taking the ball for Game 7 after playing for 6 ½ hours Monday, throwing into the seventh inning Tuesday, going 0-for-4 Wednesday and scoring the winning run Friday after the Blue Jays didn’t have their ace, Kevin Gausman, dare pitch to him.

“Nothing makes sense with that guy,” Wrobleski said. “He's a … I'm not sure if he’s a robot or an alien or, or which one he is, but we will find out eventually. But no, it's crazy! He’s a special, special player. Special, special dude. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes the ball tomorrow.

“I wouldn’t be surprised about whatever he does any time, whatever it is.”

After six innings of that Game 4 start, on a hot night after the most exhausting night of baserunning the World Series has ever seen, Ohtani, who almost never gets lengthy breaks the way most pitchers do because he must prepare for his next at-bat, was approached by pitching coach Mark Prior.

“Got one more inning?” Prior asked.

“I’ve got three,” Ohtani said with dead seriousness.

Says Roberts, when asked about his concerns handing the ball to Ohtani, “Zero. I mean, not zero, but it’s just watching him. He’s like, ‘Whenever I pitch, if I just pitch and I’m feeling good, I can keep going.’” I run a hypothetical past Roberts.“You know Shohei better than anyone,” I say to him.

“I do. I do.”

“If he’s got the ball in his hands, Game 7, to start …”

“He’s going to go.”

“…the confidence level is 100 percent?”

“One hundred percent.  I’m going to watch the game and I’m not going to … there's no pitch counts. Just watching how it looks.”

The Dodgers planned for this eventuality. The rest of the world just assumed Tyler Glasnow was starting Game 7. But Roberts texted Glasnow after Game 4.

“You’re not going to pitch tomorrow [Game 5] but be ready for Game 6.”

The Game 7 starter normally would be in the dugout for Game 6. Glasnow watched Game 6 with his spikes on from the bullpen, where he would be needed to play a huge part in one of the wilder endings to a World Series game.

يشهد اليوم الخميس الموافق 11 ديسمبر 2025 إقامة عدة مباريات قوية في بطولة الدوري الأوروبي إلى جانب مواجهات بارزة في كأس العرب وكأس الرابطة المصرية.

تقام اليوم مباراة مهمة في بطولة كأس العرب، حيث يواجه منتخب السعودية نظيره الفلسطيني في دور ربع النهائي، وكذلك يلتقي المغرب مع سوريا.

ويدخل منتخب السعودية مباراته أمام فلسطين بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد تصدره المجموعة الثانية برصيد 7 نقاط وحصوله على فوزين وتعادل واحد.

طالع | طاقم مصري يدير مباراة فلسطين والسعودية في ربع نهائي كأس العرب 2025

بينما يخوض منتخب فلسطين اللقاء بعد حصوله على المركز الثاني في مجموعته برصيد 5 نقاط، ويسعى للمفاجأة والعبور إلى نصف النهائي.

كما يشهد اليوم إقامة العديد من مباريات الدوري الأوروبي في الجولة السادسة من دور المجموعات، بمشاركة أندية أوروبية كبيرة، وكذلك منافسات الجولة الخامسة لـ بطولة دوري المؤتمر. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الخميس 11-12-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العرب 2025 اليوم

سوريا أمام المغرب، في تمام الساعة 04:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر وفلسطين، 05:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قنوات الكأس 1، beIN Sports المفتوحة، أبو ظبي الرياضية، دبي الرياضية، الشارقة الرياضية 1، منصة شاشا.

السعودية ضد فلسطين، في تمام الساعة 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر وفلسطين، 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قنوات الكأس 1، beIN Sports المفتوحة، أبو ظبي الرياضية، دبي الرياضية، الشارقة الرياضية 1، منصة شاشا. مواعيد مباريات كأس الرابطة المصرية اليوم

المصري ضد الاتحاد السكندري، في تمام الساعة 4:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة ON SPORT 1.

وادي دجلة أمام بتروجيت، في تمام الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة ON SPORT 1. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الأوروبي اليوم

أوتريخت أمام نوتنغهام فورست، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 1.

ليل أمام يونغ بويز، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 2.

نيس أمام سبورتينج براجا، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 3.

دينامو زغرب أمام ريال بيتيس، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 4.

رينجرز أمام فيرينتسفاروش، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 5.

شتورم جراتس أمام سرفينا زفيزدا، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 7.

آستون فيلا أمام بازل، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 1.

روما أمام سيلتيك، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 3.

ليون أمام غو أهيد إيغلز، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 4.

بولونيا ضد سيلتا فيغو، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 5.

سالزبورغ أمام فرايبورغ، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 6.

فنربخشة ضد بران، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 7.

بورتو ضد مالمو، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 8.

فينورد أمام فيسبي، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 9.

باثانايكوس أمام فيكتوريا بلزن، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS XTRA 3. مواعيد مباريات دوري المؤتمر الأوروبي اليوم

فيورنتينا أمام دينامو كييف، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 6.

دريتا ضد الكمار، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 8.

باجيلونيا بياليستوك أمام رابيد فيينا، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 9.

شكنديا ضد سلوان براتيسلافا، في تمام الساعة 7:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS XTRA 2.

شيلبورن أمام كريستال بالاس، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 2.

إيرلندي ضد ستراسبورغ، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS XTRA 1.

ليغ بوزنان أمام ماينز 05، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS XTRA 2.

راپيد ضد أومونيا نيقوسيا، في تمام الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 1 EN.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.