O Fluminense anunciou nesta terça-feira (7) o retorno de Thiago Silva. Formado nas categorias de base do clube, o zagueiro de 39 anos assinou contrato até julho de 2026 e chega como principal reforço da equipe comandada por Fernando Diniz para a temporada.
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O jogador desembarca no Rio de Janeiro para se juntar ao restante do elenco ao fim da temporada europeia, após o término de seu vínculo com o Chelsea, da Inglaterra.
A janela internacional de transferências abre no dia 10 de julho. Portanto, Thiago Silva estará à disposição da comissão técnica para as oitavas de final da Libertadores e Copa do Brasil – caso o Tricolor consiga a classificação.
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O Fluminense venceu a concorrência de equipes da Inglaterra e da Arábia Saudita para garantir o retorno de Thiago Silva ao clube após 16 temporadas.
Faça as suas apostas na Libertadores 2024: quem será o campeão? Vem pro Lance! Betting!
Depois de deixar Xerém, o zagueiro se transferiu para o futebol europeu, onde se tornou ídolo dos gigantes Milan, da Itália, PSG, da França, e Chelsea, da Inglaterra. Com 4 Copas do mundo no currículo, Thiago Silva disputou 113 jogos oficiais pela Seleção Brasileira e contribuiu com sete gols.
يفتتح منتخب قطر مشواره في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 بمواجهة قوية أمام نظيره فلسطين، بالمباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات البطولة الدولية.
وتقام المباراة بين قطر وفلسطين على أرضية ملعب البيت، في الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات لـ كأس العرب.
ويتواجد منتخبا قطر وفلسطين في المجموعة الأولى مع منتخبي تونس وسوريا، وتقام بطولة كأس العرب، في قطر، إذ تنطلق في الأول من ديسمبر وتستمر حتى 18 من الشهر نفسه بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا.
موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة تونس وسوريا اليوم في كأس العرب
ويسعى منتخب قطر صاحب الأرض والجمهور لبداية قوية أمام منتخب فلسطين الطموح والذي يبحث عن انطلاقة إيجابية في البطولة.
وتحظى مواجهة قطر وفلسطين باهتمام جماهيري وإعلامي كبير، في ظل قوة المجموعة الأولى، واستعدادات المنتخبين للظهور بشكل مميز في النسخة الثانية من البطولة تحت مظلة الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”. موعد مباراة قطر وفلسطين اليوم في كأس العرب
تقام مباراة قطر وفلسطين، اليوم الإثنين 1 ديسمبر 2025، على أرضية ملعب البيت، في تمام الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة وفلسطين، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة والدوحة. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة قطر وفلسطين اليوم في كأس العرب
من المنتظر أن تُنقل مباراة قطر وفلسطين في كأس العرب 2025 عبر قناة المفتوحة beIN Sports، وقناتي الكأس 1و2، إلى جانب أبو ظبي الرياضية ودبي الرياضية. معلقو مباراة قطر وفلسطين اليوم في كأس العرب
ومن المقرر أن يتولى مهمة التعليق على أحداث المباراة، كل من “علي سعيد الكعبي وخليل البلوشي وسمير اليعقوبي”.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has made clear that bilateral contests are off but matches in multi-nation tournaments can go ahead
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025
India’s last meeting with Pakistan was during the 2025 Champions Trophy•Associated Press
India will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral contests, but their athletes and teams can take part in multi-nation events that also involve Pakistan, clearing the path for their upcoming fixtures in the men’s Asia Cup in September and the women’s ODI World Cup in October.Pakistan sportspersons can also participate in multilateral events hosted by India.The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports set down these guidelines in a statement, clarifying the Indian government’s position on sporting relations with Pakistan at a time of strained political relations between the two South Asian countries. The statement left one question unanswered: whether Indian athletes can take part in multilateral events hosted by Pakistan.Related
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No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup
The statement comes less than three weeks from the scheduled start of the Asia Cup in the UAE, where India and Pakistan, drawn in the same group, are set to meet at least once (on September 14 in Dubai), and potentially up to three times. It will be India’s first cricket match against Pakistan since the two countries exchanged cross-border hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.There have been calls, in this climate, for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan. During July’s World Championship of Legends, a tournament featuring retired players, both matches between the teams from the two countries had been abandoned, with the India Champions forfeiting their semi-final against the Pakistan Champions.With the Indian government making its stand clear, India now have official sanction to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, which was originally to be hosted by India before being moved to the UAE in July.”In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry’s statement said.In a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, calls for India to boycott all sporting contact with Pakistan have grown louder•Associated Press
“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.”Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.”To position India as a preferred destination for hosting international sporting events, the visa process for sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies shall be simplified. In respect of office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies, a multi-entry visa shall be granted on priority basis for the duration of their official tenure, subject to a maximum period of five years. This shall facilitate their smooth movement into and within the country, in accordance with international norms. Due protocol and courtesies, as per established practice, shall be extended to the Heads of International Sports Governing Bodies during their visits to India.”The statement lays down in unambiguous terms what have been the Indian government’s unwritten guidelines for cricketing engagements with Pakistan for more than a decade. The two countries have not met in a bilateral series in any format since 2012, but they have faced off multiple times at the ODI and T20 World Cups, the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.Pakistan have visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016 and the ODI World Cup in 2023, but India did not visit Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their matches, including their semi-final and final, were played in Dubai. The BCCI and the PCB have agreed on this hybrid model for all remaining ICC events in the 2024-27 cycle.
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.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is on the verge of winning back-to-back championships. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
The Dodgers made three third-inning runs stand up, barely. With two outs and a runner on second base in the third, Toronto manager John Schneider ordered Gausman to intentionally walk Ohtani, even though Ohtani was 0-for-8 with four strikeouts since his exhausting Game 3. Will Smith followed with an RBI double.
Gausman pitched too carefully to Freddie Freeman and walked him, perhaps knowing the ice-cold Mookie Betts (3-for-24) was up next. The Blue Jays throughout the series had blown away Betts with fastballs in the zone, a pitch diet he normally devours. He hit .339 on the season against in-zone heaters with an average launch angle of 17°. But in the World Series, Betts kept dipping underneath those pitches, getting his head and torso too far in front of his feet and falling across the plate on his follow-through after a boatload of pop-ups and routine flyballs. He was hitting .100 against Toronto’s in-zone fastballs with an absurdly high 41° launch angle.
With the count 1-and-1, Gausman threw a high fastball. Betts swung under it.
The next pitch was another high fastball. Betts swung under that one, too, fouling it back.
Now, Gausman had an almost unhittable splitter in Game 6. It is his favorite pitch to put hitters away. But the Blue Jays saw no reason not to keep pumping fastballs in the zone at Betts.
Gausman threw a third straight heater. Betts this time kept his swing plane flatter and drove the ball on a line through the left side for a two-strike, two-out, two-run dagger of a single. Launch angle: 6°.
“They were just reading the game,” said Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. “In that spot they probably felt like they had done enough damage throughout the game with the split, and they thought they could get one by him.
“It was just a really good swing. He’s incredibly talented and he is in a good spot. He can do just about anything up there.”
The Dodgers in the ninth would need Glasnow and two high IQ baseball plays from Kiké Hernández to make the runs stand. With one on against Roki Sasaki, Addison Barger smashed a long fly ball to center. Improbably, the ball lodged between the ground and the padding of the wall. As center fielder Justin Dean raced after it, he turned and looked over his left shoulder. He saw and heard Hernández, the hustling left fielder, throwing his arms up and declaring “Dead ball!” Dean took his cue and immediately did likewise, thus rendering the play immediately dead, stopping the runners at second and third.
Roberts summoned Glasnow. Incredibly, the game was over three pitches later. Ernie Clement popped out on the first pitch. With Andrés Giménez batting, coach Dino Ebel, who positions the Dodgers outfielders, got the attention of Hernández and rubbed his hands up and down his chest, the signal to play shallow. The Dodgers all series have played Giménez shallow to the opposite field.
Two pitches later, Giménez drove a pitch to left field that initially looked like a run-scoring single. But Hernández’s shallow positioning made it easy for him to get there on the catch. An overeager Barger drifted too far, thinking the ball would not be caught and was doubled up on a quick throw from Hernández.
It was a historically bad mistake. Barger needed to check the outfielders’ depth before the pitch and understand that even if that ball should have bounced in front of Hernández, he would not have scored. Eagerness and youth cost him. George Springer, one of the greatest sluggers in World Series history, would have been the next batter.
Having thrown only three pitches—though very high-leverage at that—Glasnow could well come back to start Game 7. But this is where the Ohtani Rules, which MLB designed specifically to accommodate his two-way uniqueness, hamstring Roberts and his pitching plans.
If Ohtani starts on the mound and DHs, per usual, he can remain in the game as the DH once removed from pitching. But if he starts as DH and enters the game as a relief pitcher, the Dodgers would lose the DH once Ohtani is removed as a pitcher.
There’s one more complication to using Ohtani in relief. According to Michael Hill, vice president of on-field operations for MLB: Upon the first mound visit to Ohtani as a reliever he must be moved to another position, such as outfield, to keep him in the game, in which case the new pitcher would take the batting spot of the fielder Ohtani replaced.
The Dodgers do not want to be without Ohtani’s bat in any circumstance. The only way to assure that is the case and to use him as a pitcher is to start him on the mound.
It’s been nine years since anyone started World Series Game 7 on three days of rest. That start did not go well for Corey Kluber of Cleveland against the Cubs (six innings, four runs, no strikeouts). The last pitcher to start and win on short rest was Chris Carpenter of St. Louis back in 2011, light years ago when it comes to how the workload for pitchers has changed.
Starting pitchers on three days of rest in the postseason since 2020 are 4–12. Ohtani has started once on three days of rest in MLB: April 21, 2023. But that was coming off a rain-shortened start of just two innings and 30 pitches. He last made a relief appearance in 2023 in the World Baseball Classic final, famously striking out then Angels teammate Mike Trout.
Ohtani is the single greatest engine to the growth of the game over the past few years. He, along with Yamamoto and Sasaki, and the Blue Jays, who are Canada’s team, have made this the most truly series ever.
Why not have the series and the season come down to one game: Ohtani, on short rest, against Scherzer, the 41-year-old legend. The best player in history in his prime against the most prolific ultimate game pitcher in his twilight.
Before Roberts huddled with his staff, the front office and eventually Ohtani himself, to nail down when Ohtani will pitch in Game 7, he said, “Right now, there’s no wrong answer.”
He is right about that assumption. It’s amazing when you stop and think about it. After taking 801 at-bats and playing in 174 games, 17 of them as a two-way player with a twice-repaired elbow, Ohtani is likely to be pitching the final game of the season on short rest after a start, something no Dodger has done this year. There is no wrong answer—not when the answer is Ohtani.
Mariners outfielder Victor Robles is working his way back to MLB after suffering a shoulder injury while making a phenomenal catch in the outfield earlier this season.
Currently rehabbing at Triple-A Tacoma, Robles was ejected from Sunday's game after a truly wild outburst stemming from him getting hit by a pitch. The first pitch of Robles' at-bat in the third inning ran up and inside, prompting Robles to chop at it in order to avoid getting hit.
Irate, Robles retaliated by launching his bat in the direction of the pitcher's mound, immediately resulting in the home plate umpire signaling for his ejection. Robles had some words for the opposing pitcher before attempting to charge the mound, though he was ultimately held back by the umpire and some of his teammates.
The meltdown didn't end there, however. After exiting the field, Robles continued his tirade into the dugout where he proceeded to litter the field with some snacks before eventually retreating into the locker room.
A truly shocking meltdown from the veteran outfielder.
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has been backed to manage Liverpool one day but the pundit making the suggestion does not believe Arne Slot's job at Anfield is under threat. The Reds tried to bring the Spaniard to Merseyside after news of Jurgen Klopp's impending exit was announced in 2024. While he stayed at Bayer Leverkusen before joining Madrid this year, an old team-mate of his thinks a Reds return is possible.
Liverpool reunion for Alonso?
Al-Ahli head coach and former Liverpool player Igor Biscan can see Alonso heading to the Premier League side one day. He added that he wouldn't blame the Reds for chasing the ex-midfielder, such is his pedigree.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Premier League betting, Biscan, who played with the Spaniard at Anfield in 2004-05, said: "Xabi Alonso as Liverpool manager? I think that's always a possibility. If he keeps on doing what he's doing, and to be successful and make a difference. Whenever you watch his teams, they are doing so well, they have a clear structure, and the quality is always there. Who wouldn't want to have a manager like him?"
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot's job 'not in danger'
Following Liverpool's humbling 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, question marks have been raised about Slot's future at the club amid a run of six defeats in their last seven games. However, the fact that he led the Reds to the Premier League title means he has enough credit in the bank and the former Feyenoord boss insists the results will turn soon. Moreover, Biscan thinks the Dutchman needs more time to right this ship.
He added: "There is pressure, but for every manager at that level, there is always pressure. I don't think his job is in question. Even if he doesn’t win the league, just by doing what he did last year, after what happened before he arrived and how difficult his job was, it was exceptional. Everybody was saying it would be extremely difficult for him to really continue what Jurgen Klopp had done before him. He is a quality manager, and he deserves a lot of credit and he needs time. There are so many new players, and you need time to make them work together. I'm really sure that they will start winning again very soon."
Liverpool 'not out of title race'
Despite their wretched run, which has left them 11th in the table, Biscan thinks Liverpool can still mount a title challenge. While they are eight points behind league leaders Arsenal, which could stretch to 11 if the Gunners beat Tottenham on Sunday, bigger deficits have been clawed back in the past.
Biscan said: "I won't be too negative because of the many defeats in the last six, seven, or eight games, especially in the league. I think there is still a good chance for Liverpool to compete for the title. Now they will have a run of games which, at least on paper, should be easier. Hopefully, if they can win a few in a row, I think they will be back in the title race."
The former defender also thinks Alexander Isak, who has struggled since his big-money move from Newcastle United, can come good, too.
"Which team would not have wanted to sign Alexander Isak at the beginning of the season? I don't think there is any team, any manager, any set of fans who would say: ‘No, no, we don't like him. We don't believe that he will be good enough for our team'," he said. "He's a special player. He's a top-class centre-forward, like everybody knows. And yeah, he missed pre-season and then the lack of match fitness, sharpness, for sure, takes away a bit of your ability. But it's the same situation like what we said about Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, you know, the quality is there. And there is for sure quality. It's always been there. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring. It's just a matter of getting into the right rhythm, scoring some goals, and then again, a little bit of this momentum back. And the whole team needs that, and when this happens, then we will see a different story."
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Getty Images SportCrunch period for Liverpool
While things are looking bleak for Liverpool right now, fortunes can change very quickly in football, just as Slot's side have shown for the worse in recent weeks. The Reds, who were top of the table earlier on this season, return to Champions League action on Wednesday at home to PSV Eindhoven. A victory there could give them confidence heading into winnable games against West Ham, Sunderland, and Leeds United.
It would be fair to say that the atmosphere around Tottenham Hotspur is not a positive one at the moment.
Thomas Frank’s side might be sixth in the Premier League, but the performances so far this season have been hard to stomach, none more so than the one against Chelsea on Saturday.
Despite being at home, the North Londoners were utterly toothless, bereft of ideas, and the player who best encapsulated their dire display was summer signing Xavi Simons.
It’s still early in his Spurs career, but so far, the Dutch international has been a massive disappointment and should therefore be dropped for another young talent who could perhaps offer a little more urgency.
Simons' start to life at Spurs
Perhaps in part due to missing out on Eberechi Eze, there was a tremendous amount of excitement in the Spurs fan base when Simons was announced.
After all, he’s long been considered one of the most exciting young attackers in European football and, at one point, looked destined to join Chelsea.
Unfortunately, it would be fair to say that the 22-year-old has come nowhere close to justifying the hype so far this season.
In 12 appearances for the club, he has failed to score a single goal and has provided just one assist, which came in his first appearance, away to West Ham in gameweek four.
With that said, while that is a poor return, could it be that the former PSV Eindhoven gem is simply someone who starts seasons a little slower than most?
Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
For example, in his first 11 games for RB Leipzig last year, before he got injured, the Amsterdam-born gem managed to score three goals and provide two assists.
Likewise, the campaign preceding that saw the youngster rack up an even better tally of four goals and five assists in his first 12 matches, excluding the curtain-raising DFL-Super Cup.
Therefore, while it would be nice to say that Simons is doing what he does every season and will therefore eventually come good, that is not the case.
Therefore, Frank should keep him on the bench for now and look towards the academy for a temporary solution.
Spurs' Simons solution
With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison still out, Frank could and probably should look to the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar-Sarr to start ahead of Simons.
Chalkboard
However, there is another, far bolder option, one he could go with for the ‘easier’ games, or as a first option from the bench ahead of the Dutchman.
That option is Hotspur Way’s most exciting prospect since Mikey Moore: Luca Williams-Barnett.
Now, the first argument one might put forward here is that the Englishman is too young.
However, that would carry a lot more weight if the suggestion was to start the youngster in game after game, but that is not the case.
Instead, it might be worthwhile for Frank and the club to use the youngster as a substitute more often, and then potentially against the weaker teams, hand him a start.
After all, at 17 years old, he is two years older than Arsenal’s Max Dowman, and according to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, is “one of England’s best talents”.
Moreover, when you take a look at his form for the youth sides, it’s clear that he’s way beyond that level now and more than deserving of more senior football.
Williams-Barnett’s youth record
Team
U18
U21
Appearances
30
8
Goals
22
7
Assists
13
5
Goal Involvements per Match
1.16
1.5
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, in 11 games for the junior side this season, he has scored eight goals and provided seven assists, which is an average of 1.36 goal involvements every game.
Last season, he was even more effective, scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists in just 23 appearances, which works out to an average of 1.39 goal involvements per game.
Ultimately, even if it is not from the start, Williams-Barnett has earned the right to play some meaningful minutes for Spurs this season.
Moreover, picking him over Simons could be the wake-up call the Dutchman needs to start playing to people’s expectations.
Spurs have signed a frightening young talent who can end Kolo Muani's stay
Tottenham have some painful attacking teething problems under Thomas Frank.
Former England women’s head coach returns to home county in newly created role
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2025
Jon Lewis looks on during England Women’s training•ICC via Getty Images
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.”
Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.
Man City make Semenyo a top target
It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.
It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.
“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”
It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.
The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.
Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.
Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move
As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.
Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"
City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.
ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025
The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.
England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”
Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan
Kartikeya, Jain created a late collapse that skittled South Zone after a 192-run stand
Ashish Pant14-Sep-2025
Ankit Sharma was dismissed for 99•PTI
For close to two sessions, Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth kept Central Zone waiting on the fourth day of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final. But a frenetic last half an hour, where South Zone lost their last four wickets for 12 runs, which included Ankit falling on 99, saw them get bowled out for 426, leaving Central Zone 65 to chase on the final day.Having reduced South Zone to 222 for 6 before lunch, leading by 140 runs, Central Zone were in pole position to inflict an innings defeat. But a stunning rearguard action from Ankit and Siddarth, where they added 192 runs for the seventh wicket, ensured the final went into day five.Resuming on 129 for 2, Ricky Bhui showed intent straightaway, jumping down the track and lofting Saransh Jain over long-off on the fourth ball of the day. While Ravichandran Smaran was prepared to graft it out, Bhui continued to attack. Smaran, though, did cut Deepak Chahar through point when he was offered width.C Andre Siddarth scored a patient fifty•PTI
Bhui’s sprightly knock ended on 45 when he chased a harmless fuller-length delivery from Chahar and edged a comfortable catch to Shubham Sharma at first slip. Smaran, meanwhile, reached his half-century off 70 balls with a clip to deep midwicket.Mohammed Azharuddeen had an enterprising 40-ball stay in the middle. He was dropped twice – once by Patidar at short cover and then by Danish Malewar at first slip, who failed to latch on diving to his right. He also got Central Zone to burn a review when Chahar thought he had the South Zone captain strangled down leg.In between, Azharuddeen clubbed Aditya Thakare through midwicket and smashed Jain over mid-on, but failed to carry on. Kumar Kartikeya dropped one short with the ball holding up a touch and Azharuddeen, early into his shot, top-edged a pull to Kuldeep Sen at midwicket.Salman Nizar took the aggressive option immediately, sweeping Jain through square leg and then pulling him through midwicket. But he soon fell, when his across-the-line miscue off Kartikeya was held brilliantly by Patidar running to his left from mid-on. Ten balls later, Kartikeya struck again, sending back Smaran, who swept a fuller-length ball straight to deep square leg, for 67.With South Zone still well behind in the game, Ankit took his chances early. He launched Kartikeya straight over long-on second ball before working Jain through midwicket for four. Siddarth was more circumspect. He twice went after Kartikeya before lunch, punching him past mid-on and then through point off the back foot.South Zone folded quickly after Kumar Kartikeya got Ankit Sharma•PTI
While Siddarth was largely unhurried, Ankit looked a bit fidgety after lunch. As Sen went short to him, he would often clear his front leg, looking to hack across the line. He got a few top-edges which fell safely, but once he got a hang of the surface, his defence got tighter.With the pitch having flattened out, the fast bowlers did not get any movement even with the new ball as Ankit reached his 13th first-class fifty by thumping Sen over mid-off. It was an attritional afternoon session, where South Zone added 86 runs in 23 overs.Siddarth and Ankit upped the scoring rate after tea, with Siddarth also finding the boundaries regularly. He jumped down the track, lifting Jain over mid-on to reach his fifty before Ankit took South Zone into the lead in the 99th over, paddling Shubham to the fine-leg fence.Ankit swiftly moved through his 80s and 90s but lost focus, one short of his century. With the field up, he tried to mow Kartikeya across the line, got a top edge, and Patidar at short midwicket did the rest.It was a quick end thereafter. Jain sent back Gurjapneet Singh, while MD Nidheesh was run out. V Koushik was the last wicket to fall, with Jain getting him stumped, leaving Siddarth unbeaten on 84.If Central Zone manage to chase down the 65-run target on the fifth morning – which they should – it will be their first Duleep Trophy win since the 2014-15 season.