Nottingham Forest are now leading the race to sign a “world-class” £34 million star who already has an offer from West Ham, according to a new report.
Forest are still in the dark when it comes to the future of Morgan Gibbs-White, as Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in the England international after reportedly triggering his release clause, which the Reds believe was done illegally.
Nottingham Forest submit £6m bid for La Liga ace who's now pushing to join
The Tricky Trees have stepped up their pursuit of a defender.
By
Dominic Lund
Jul 22, 2025
In case Gibbs-White does leave the City Ground, Forest are looking at players who could replace their number 10 if needed. Manchester City’s James McAtee has been on Forest’s radar for a while now, and at the beginning of this week, it was reported by the Telegraph’s John Percy that the Reds are set to advance their pursuit of McAtee this week.
The England under-21 international looks free to leave the Etihad this summer, as his contract expires next year and he has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola.
The Blues are said to be looking for a fee of £25 million, but the Reds will need to fend off other teams from the Premier League as well as the Bundesliga for the young attacking midfielder.
Forest leading the race to sign “world-class” Douglas Luiz
As well as looking to wrap up a deal for McAtee, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by The Mirror, Nottingham Forest are now ahead in the race to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
The report claims that Forest’s global head of football, Edu, is pushing the Reds to sign the former Villa man this summer. Despite only joining Juventus a year ago, the Italian giants are keen to offload the Brazilian, and Forest are one of the sides who are strongly interested.
However, they face stiff competition as Everton are also interested in a deal, while West Ham have already submitted an offer for Luiz, as Juventus look to get around £34 million for the midfielder.
Given the interest from England, this new update has revealed that Luiz’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, is flying into London to hold talks with the interested teams.
Douglas Luiz’s Premier League stats
Apps
175
Goals
20
Assists
18
Luiz, who has been dubbed “world-class” by journalist Leonardo Bertozzi, was brought to Juventus by former manager Thiago Motta, but he struggled to make an impact for him, as he failed to nail down a starting spot before the Italian boss was sacked.
That is completely different from the situation he was in at Villa Park, as the Brazil international played 35 of 38 league games in his final season and scored nine goals and recorded five assists in the process.
حسم المدرب السويسري لوسيان فافر، المدير الفني السابق لبوروسيا دورتموند ونيس، الجدل حول أنباء دخوله في مفاوضات مكثفة مع النادي الأهلي خلال الساعات الماضية.
وخرجت بعض التقارير الصحفية وأفادت بوجود مفاوضات قوية بين الأهلي ولوسيان فافر لتدريب الفريق في الفترة المقبلة، رغم غيابه عن التدريب منذ رحيله عن نيس في سبتمبر 2023.
اقرأ أيضًا | عمرو الصفتي: لا بد أن يعدم الأهلي هذا المسؤول.. وزيزو لم يكن يومًا أحسن لاعب في مصر
وفي تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، نفى فافر بشكل قاطع صحة ما تردد، قائلاً: “كذبة أخرى جديدة”.
وأضاف: “قلت منذ أكثر من عامين ونصف إن الأمر انتهى بالنسبة لي في التدريب، على أي حال، لم أكن سأذهب إلى هناك أبدًا (الأهلي)، والآن، أنا آسف، لكنني لم أعد متاحًا على الإطلاق”.
وجاء رد المدرب السويسري ليضع حدًا للشائعات التي تحدثت عن وجود ترحيب منه بتدريب الأهلي، مؤكدًا أن مستقبله التدريبي قد حُسم منذ فترة طويلة.
بهذا التصريح، يكون فافر قد أغلق الباب أمام أي احتمالية لعودته إلى العمل من جديد، بعد مسيرة طويلة في الملاعب الأوروبية.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to back new manager Thomas Frank in the summer transfer market, as the Lilywhites scour for more new forward options after sealing a £30 million permanent deal for Mathys Tel.
Tottenham hold talks to sign £65m star, but his club prefer he joins Chelsea
Spurs are set for a transfer tussle with their London rivals.
6
By
Emilio Galantini
Jun 20, 2025
Tel showcased flashes of his ability during his initial loan, which has now been made permanent for £15 million less than the originally agreed £45 million buy-option with Bayern Munich, and Frank has expressed his serious excitement over this move by chairman Daniel Levy.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025
Average match rating
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
“Very, very excited about Mathys signing with a permanent deal,” said Frank.
“I think he’s a very talented player that can play across the front four positions. He’s a goalscorer that we can develop even further to be more consistent in his all-round game but also to more consistently land in the right positions in the box. So I’m looking forward to it.”
The Frenchman will help to replace Timo Werner, who’s returned to parent club RB Leipzig after a lacklustre one-and-a-half-year temporary stint in N17, but Spurs may soon find themselves needing another wide player.
Son Heung-min’s exit from Tottenham is seen as a real possibility this summer, with the 32-year-old about to enter the final 12 months of his contract. Levy just has this window to make any significant cash back off his sale, and he’s apparently placed a £50 million price tag on his head, according to reports in Asia.
Frank’s need for a potential Son replacement has prompted links to a few intriguing targets this week, including Man City’s Jack Grealish, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.
Brentford's BryanMbeumoreacts
The latter bagged 20 goals in all competitions under Frank last season, and Tottenham are believed to have held initial talks over signing Mbeumo, even if Man United have been tipped as his preferred destination (Sky Sports).
Fabrizio Romano also claims that Tottenham began internal conversations over a move for the Cameroonian as soon as Frank signed his Spurs contract, so he appears to be a serious option if United cannot meet Brentford’s valuation.
Good chance that Bryan Mbeumo chooses to join Tottenham
According to journalist Duncan Castles on The Transfers Podcast this week, there is a “good chance” that Mbeumo chooses to join Tottenham, contrary to reports of his United preference, but Levy needs to meet his £70 million asking price.
“The indication from Manchester United was Mbeumo had chosen to move there and verbally told them that his preference was to move there,” Castles said.
“But I’m not hearing exactly the same on that. I think there is a good chance that Mbeumo, should Tottenham get to the price that Brentford are asking, that he might choose Spurs ahead of Manchester United.
“There are a couple of obvious reasons for that. One is that it allows him to stay in London, and secondly, it allows him to carry on playing for Thomas Frank, who has joined Tottenham as the replacement for Ange Postecoglou.”
The versatile African would be a quality heir to Son on the right-hand side, and he’s adept at playing as a centre-forward too, meaning both Mbeumo and new signing Tel could help to ease the goalscoring burden on club-record signing Dominic Solanke.
Essex 339 (Walter 134, Critchley 53, Potts 4-71) and 208 for 2 (Elgar 120*, Westley 63*) drew with Durham 587 and 184 for 8 dec (Borthwick 71, Harmer 4-75, Porter 3-18)Dean Elgar reaped his 50th first-class century as he and Tom Westley dropped anchor to secure a draw against Durham in the Vitality County Championship.Former South Africa international Elgar batted the whole of day four, almost exclusively with Westley, to make sure Durham didn’t have a sniff of victory.He ended up with 120 after an epically stoic 165 runs, 421 balls and 276 minutes third wicket stand with Westley – who scored 63 not out.Essex are now 12 points behind leaders Surrey ahead of their meeting next week, while Durham remain in the chasing pack having collected 16 points from a match they led throughout.The hosts needed 405 runs to win on the final day, a tough but not impossible task, but made no attempt to secure a fifth victory of the season.The rationale made sense with a draw meaning Essex would fall 12 points behind table-toppers Surrey – but victory at the Kia Oval next week would likely even things back up.Durham’s initial aim had been to see off the night watcher Jamie Porter.They managed to do that in the fifth over as the day when Matthew Potts beat his fellow fast bowler for pace and crashed into his off stump.From then on, Elgar and Westley got their tents and airbeds out to camp out for the day – as Durham couldn’t extract anything from the pitch to aide a wicket.Westley took 19 balls to get off the mark, and when he did, he also ended a 27-ball spell barren of runs.The lack of opportunity or entertainment seemed to get to the Durham team who took to slow clapping the bowler, in a similar manner to a long jumper preparing to leap.Members of the crowd did not take kindly to the jesting and things got testy when a shout of “no ball” went up as Ben Raine was halfway through his run-up. The incident prompted the umpires to chat to Durham captain Scott Borthwick, while angry comments were volleyed between spectators and fielders.Elgar and Westley were unfazed by the shenanigans as they reached lunch with just 54 runs scored in the morning session.Things didn’t change afterwards, but milestones began to appear. The fifty stand came in 168 balls, Elgar reached a half-century in 96 deliveries and the century partnership in 247 balls.As close as Durham came to a wicket was when Elgar tried to clip Borthwick into the leg side but the ball struck Michael Jones at short leg and ballooned up for Ollie Robinson to pouch. But the umpires, and subsequent replays, made it clear it had been a bump ball.It was one of only three appeals against Elgar, with the other two hopeful lbw shouts at best, with technique and temperament coming to the fore.His maiden first-class century had been scored in Bloemfontein for Free State against Limpopo in 2007 as a 19-year-old.Now 37, Elgar has a half-century of them to help Eagles, South Africa A, Knights, Somerset, Titans, Surrey and Northerns, although his most prized will be the 14 Test tons he plundered before retiring from international cricket last winter.This one came up in 170 balls with a pronounced tickle around the corner before he lifted his helmet, clapped the balcony, and earned a hug off Westley.A mere 85 runs came in the afternoon session, and once Westley had reached an 86th first-class fifty in 198 balls – and 17:00 BST had been reached the hands were shaken on a draw.To sum up Elgar and Westley’s solidity, exactly 400 dot balls had been delivered in Essex’s second innings.
Heading into their away tie with Newcastle United on Sunday, Chelsea were deep in some pretty impressive form in the Premier League.
The Blues were five league games unbeaten heading into his one – which included a stunning 3-1 victory being picked up against Arne Slot’s title-winning Liverpool – but all that positive energy came crashing down at St James’ Park as Eddie Howe’s Magpies ran out comfortable 2-0 victors.
Chelsea’s task on the day was made a lot harder by a clueless first-half red card, but there would have still been a lot to moan about from Enzo Maresca’s perspective at the full-time whistle, irrespective of his side having to play all of the second 45 minutes a man light.
Chelsea's biggest underperformers at St James' Park
Before touching on the rash red card, the likes of Noni Madueke struggled to ever get going in attack for the visitors.
Whilst Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak busted a gut for the Toon cause up top, Madueke was timid and limp in approach, seen in the 23-year-old failing to a register a single effort on Nick Pope’s goal during his forgettable 45-minute stint, as well as losing all four of his contested duels.
Noni Madueke for Chelsea
Romeo Lavia would last far longer on the St James’ turf, but he wouldn’t be deserving of any praise himself come full-time either, with his lackadaisical approach early on gifting the ball to Newcastle to take the lead via Sandro Tonali.
Moreover, the usually electric Cole Palmer once again failed to spark into life with possession squandered a hefty 14 times, but the elephant in the room that remains is Nicolas Jackson’s hot-headed dismissal.
Jackson would brainlessly connect with Newcastle defender Sven Botman using his elbow, meaning the ex-Villarreal centre-forward will now be suspended for the rest of the season.
This could be the last time Chelsea fans see the 23-year-old lead the line for the Blues in the Premier League, therefore, with the pantomime villain very much turning into Stamford Bridge’s next Kai Havertz.
Chelsea's next Havertz
Much like Jackson now, Chelsea fans would regularly lament the amount of missed chances Havertz would spurn for their team when he was still on the books of the West London outfit.
Kai Havertz
That is the case despite the German popping up with 32 strikes overall – which included the now Arsenal man scoring a winner in a Champions League final.
Despite that, he would still infuriate the Stamford Bridge masses with his consistent wastefulness, seen in him missing a colossal 14 big chances in Premier League action during his final Blues season.
Jackson’s Premier League numbers by season for Chelsea
Stat
Jackson (24/25)
Jackson (23/24)
Games played
30
35
Goals scored
10
14
Assists
5
5
Big chances missed
19
24
Goal conversion %
13%
18%
Big chances created
6
8
Stats by Sofascore
Jackson has actually bagged a promising 29 strikes in total for Maresca’s men over two seasons, yet – much like Havertz – he gets regularly under the skin of the restless Chelsea fanbase with his off performances, seen in him missing a mammoth 19 big chances during the 2024/25 campaign.
Therefore, his hot-headedness away at Newcastle could be the final straw that sees Jackson – the club’s new Havertz-like scapegoat – moved on.
London Evening Standard journalist Dom Smith suggested that the £32m signing ‘ruined’ his side’s chances of a big win, handing him a dismal 2/10 post-match rating.
But, it shouldn’t be completely ruled out that the 23-year-old goes on to be a success elsewhere, with Havertz showing in flashes for Arsenal – as per his 29-goal haul from 85 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s men – that a damaging experience for the Blues isn’t the be-all-and-end-all.
As bad as Jackson: Maresca must axe Chelsea dud who lost 100% duels
Chelsea lost 2-0 away at Newcastle United to hand the Toon an advantage in the ongoing Champions League race.
Manchester United lost for the 16th time in the Premier League this season when they were beaten 4-3 by Brentford away from home at the weekend.
The Red Devils have endured a dismal domestic campaign, under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, and are just two points ahead of 17th in the table.
There is the mitigation of their place in the semi-finals of the Europa League, though, and that may have had an impact on the manager’s team selection for this match, as the likes of Chido Obi Martin, Tyler Fredricson, and Harry Amass were named in the starting XI.
Obi Martin, 17, made his full Premier League debut and was given the full 90 minutes by Amorim, but was, unfortunately, unable to find the back of the net.
Meanwhile, Brentford’s forwards, Yoane Wissa, Kevin Schade, and Bryan Mbeumo caught the eye in an excellent win for the Bees against Manchester United on Sunday.
Mbeumo, in particular, is a player who is reportedly of interest to the club. It was recently claimed that the Brentford star and Wolves forward Matheus Cunha are both targets for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Why Mbeumo and Cunha are attractive targets for Manchester United
The headline is that both Mbeumo and Cunha are proven Premier League performers who have shown that they can contribute with goals and assists at that level on a consistent basis.
This suggests that they would be more likely to hit the ground running and be successful signings for Manchester United compared to a signing from abroad with no prior experience of the English top-flight.
Mbeumo has produced 18 goals and seven assists in 39 appearances in all competitions for Brentford so far this season, which speaks to the goal threat that he can provide at the top end of the pitch.
The Cameroon international has scored eight or more goals in each of the past four seasons in all competitions since the Bees were promoted to the top-flight.
Matheus Cunha
Meanwhile, Cunha has caught the eye with his performances for Wolves in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, as he has showcased his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate.
Appearances
30
2
1
xG
7.94
N/A
N/A
Goals
15
2
0
Big chances created
12
2
0
Key passes per game
1.8
2.5
0
Assists
6
0
0
As you can see in the table above, the Brazil international has racked up 17 goals and six assists for the Old Gold, including 15 goals in the Premier League.
These statistics show why Cunha and Mbeumo are both attractive options for United this summer because they have both provided their respective teams with plenty of goals and assists this season.
However, the Red Devils are also reportedly interested in an even more prolific forward from abroad who could come in to bolster the club’s attacking options.
Manchester United in regular contact over deal for Bundesliga star
According to The Boot Room, Manchester United are one of a number of clubs lining up a move for RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that fellow Premier League sides Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea are also keeping tabs on the Slovenian marksman, and that they had scouts in attendance to watch him score against Bayern Munich at the weekend.
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It states that a move to England to play in the Premier League is the most ‘likely’ outcome for the Leipzig sensation this summer, as his representatives are currently in talks with multiple clubs.
The Boot Room adds that Manchester United and Newcastle United are in regular contact with the player’s agents ahead of a potential swoop for his services in the coming months.
INEOS must push to win the race for Sesko, who is reportedly valued at £60m by Leipzig, because he is even more prolific than Cunha and Mbeumo and could be an excellent addition to Amorim’s squad.
Why Manchester United should sign Benjamin Sesko
Firstly, the Slovenia international is only 21 and would come in as a long-term option for the Portuguese head coach, as a player who has plenty of time left to develop and improve.
He is four years younger than both Mbeumo and Cunha, who are both 25, and this suggests that he has more scope to grow and progress as a footballer during his time at Old Trafford, whilst also having the quality to provide goals in the short-term.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
The 21-year-old marksman has also outscored the Brentford and Wolves forwards with a return of 21 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig this season, which shows that he is more prolific in the final third.
Sesko, who was once dubbed a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has been in fine form for Leipzig in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, showcasing his lethal finishing at the top level.
Appearances
31
8
xG
9.87
3.57
Goals
13
4
Big chances created
5
0
Assists
5
0
As you can see in the table above, the £60m-rated ‘monster’ has been incredibly clinical in those two competitions, with 17 goals from between 13 and 14 Expected Goals.
Sesko has proven that he knows how to find the back of the net on the European stage and in one of Europe’s major leagues, as well as scoring four goals in the DFB Pokal, and this suggests that United would be signing a striker who is in-form and able to make an instant impact at Old Trafford.
Of course, he has not played in the Premier League, or in England at all, and that could make him a riskier addition than Mbeumo or Cunha, who are currently thriving in the division.
But his goalscoring record across all competitions and his age profile suggest that it would be a high-risk, high-reward, signing for the Red Devils, which is why they should take a gamble on him and attempt to win the race for the impressive young forward in the summer transfer window.
As bad as Shaw: Amorim must axe Man Utd dud after 4/10 Brentford display
Ruben Amorim must ring the changes for Manchester United’s next game.
A scuffed-up ball and a fired-up fast bowler combined for one of the great passages of reverse
Vithushan Ehantharajah28-Jul-2024It started with a six.Mikyle Louis, just as he had threatened throughout his debut Test series, was batting like a dream. West Indies were three down and only 12 ahead, but Louis was moving the dial in controlled fashion. And when he slog-swept Shoaib Bashir into the RES Wyatt Stand at long-on to bring up his first half-century, he had reason to believe the blow would resonate throughout the innings. In a way, he would have been right.About four hours later, the Botham-Richards Trophy was being polished before being handed to England for the last formalities of the post-series presentations. By then, West Indies were back in their dressing room, still trying to come to terms with being blown out of the water by Mark Wood’s 5 for 40, with assistance from Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, in what will be remembered as one of the most remarkable spells of reverse-swing bowling of the modern era.The ball, now in Wood’s possession, with which he strung together five wickets across 21 deliveries and then held up to the adoring Birmingham crowd, carries a notable blemish on its rough side. One which it picked up off the back of Louis’ strike. From that point on, as Stokes put it, “It started doing loads.”Related
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“You need to blame Louis for this,” the England captain said to Kavem Hodge out in the middle as the No. 5 sat in the worst seat in the house, unable to avert his eyes for five of the seven wickets to fall in this hellacious spell of reverse.You can convince yourself Stokes was speaking with a bit of empathy until you realise he was the one that instigated all this.Upon realising the ball would start to tail, Stokes decided to have first dibs. An eight-over spell from the Pavilion End – which accounted for Louis, finding the edge with a lack of movement after lavish lead-up deliveries – was a throwback to previous such spells. Before he was captain, Stokes was used as the ideal conduit for reverse swing, with his slight left-lean in his gather and cantered right arm pushing the ball in, encouraging movement through the air before the rough-and-smooth work against one another.That he took just one wicket – Zak Crawley busted his little finger on his right hand dropping a deserved second – means Edgbaston 2024 won’t join the likes of Chattogram 2016 and Cape Town 2020 for memorable dalliances with the untameable craft. But this was another nod to a previously troublesome left knee that has a new lease of life.Reverse swing is a collaborative process. From Atkinson taking up the City End – and snaring Jason Holder, who Crawley had shelled – to the rest of the team ensuring the ball remained in condition. Joe Root has often been the one to buff, but this time it was Harry Brook charged with keeping the shiny side pristine, using the top of his right pocket to polish.The rough side is harder to manage, but every fielder did their bit. Touches on the ball were few and far between, holding the ball across the seam, with the sweatier members avoiding it altogether. Undoubtedly the most important part was recognising the scuffed side was the right kind of scuffed; ideally a fuzz rather than tatters. In a series that has had more ball changes than actual days of cricket (10), they did well to recognise that this defacement of the Dukes was to their benefit.Mark Wood roars after dismissing Kavem Hodge•Getty ImagesAnd yet, while reverse swing is never solely about one man, it certainly felt that way after lunch. “I think that’s one of the best reverse swing performances I’ve seen in a long time,” Stokes beamed of Wood’s six-over spell from lunch, which in isolation carried figures of 5 for 9. What a way to make a killing.Type in “reverse swing dismissals” into Chat GPT and not even AI would be able to conjure the kind of imagery Wood was serving up. Inswinging yorkers (Joshua Da Silva), uprooted stumps (Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales) and the thinking man’s reverse-swing dismissal – the nick (Hodge).Even before Wood made his Test debut in 2015, he was embued with reverse swing lessons from ECB coaches. During his time with the Lions he would hone those skills at Loughborough with balls that were deliberately scratched and loaded, a characteristic achieved by soaking one side in water.It was from these groundings that Wood figured out what works best for him. Slightly lowering his arm, bowling a little fuller than normal but not consistently yorker length, to get that extra zip to attack the pads. All with his use of the crease, which here included going wide to the right-handers to open their stances up a little more, thus further offsetting their front foot.As quickly as the wickets came, England were not all that greedy, which James Anderson preached at lunch. Anderson told the quicks that given the scale of movement out there, pace was not the priority. By focusing on skills, they would be able to gain just as many rewards. During his playing days (which only ended a couple of weeks ago) Anderson’s use of reverse swing centred around patience, with such skill that batters would not realise the ball was “misbehaving” until they were watching their dismissals back in the dressing room.Jayden Seales loses his off stump•ECB via Getty ImagesHe advised them to use the short ball, which Wood did to great effect as the lead-in to the dismissals of Joseph and Seales. And the focus on the right areas ensured West Indies’ scoring – and thus strike rotation – was kept to a minimum. It meant Hodge was caught cold; his looseness on 55 outside off stump was through facing just 18 deliveries in 10.1 overs of the middle session.For all the calculation and cold-hearted cunning, there was raw emotion on show as Wood finally got his flowers – and a player-of-the-match award – for what have been two exceptional Tests. He had just four wickets from three innings to show for it before Sunday, sending down the fastest overs by an Englishman and beating so many edges you wondered if he had taken up breaking mirrors in his spare time.There is also the fact that Wood has, peculiarly, found himself in the crosshairs of some of the West Indies players. A number of them have chirped him when he’s batting – nothing malicious or, well, out of turn considering he has bagged two ducks out of three. But as Kevin Sinclair found out at Trent Bridge, and Seales here after lauding his dismissal of Wood as the nightwatcher in the first innings, there are better targets to rile than someone who cracks bones and dislocates stumps. He was basically laughing at Seales when he sent his off stump so far back that Brook paced out the distance as he returned it.All in all, this has been a tame series. James Anderson’s farewell gave Lord’s a testimonial feel. Trent Bridge was more of a contest until the final half-session, when it was anything but. And what jeopardy there was at the start of day two in this dead rubber had dissipated by third morning.By Sunday afternoon though, the game was at its most febrile. Its most carnal. Its most watchable. For that, we have reverse swing, England and Mark Wood to thank. And, of course, Mikyle Louis.
Brathwaite’s performance beat Yuvraj’s 70 in the 2007 World Cup semi-final against Australia
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2022Carlos Brathwaite’s stunning effort in the 2016 final has been voted the greatest men’s T20 World Cup performance in a fan vote conducted by ESPNcricinfo. Brathwaite emerged as the winner from a set of 16 shortlisted performances. The 16 were paired in match-ups of two, with the winning performance progressing to the next round. Brathwaite’s performance beat Yuvraj Singh’s 70 in the 2007 World Cup semi-final against Australia, getting 58% of the votes polled in the final match-up. Brathwaite’s performance also emerged on top in an internal ESPNcricinfo staff poll, with Yuvraj in joint-second alongside Marlon Samuels’ 78 & 1-15 in the 2012 final against Sri Lanka.ESPNcricinfo LtdWinner: 3-23 & 34*(10) vs ENG | Carlos Brathwaite | Kolkata, 2016
Nineteen to win in the final over. Four balls, four sixes. “Carlos Brathwaite, remember the name!” Those hits at Eden Gardens will forever remain part of cricketing folklore. What gets forgotten is that Brathwaite was effective with the ball too: he picked up the key wickets of Jos Buttler and Joe Root to finish with figures of 4-0-23-3. He then came in at No. 8 with West Indies 107 for 6 in 15.3 chasing 156, and took them to their second title in the company of Marlon Samuels.Runner-up: 70 (30) vs AUS | Yuvraj Singh | Durban, 2007
India’s young side had made a slow start in the T20 World Cup semi-final and were 41 for 2 at the end of the eighth over. Yuvraj began with a swivel-pull against Stuart Clark – one of the best bowlers of the tournament – for six off the second ball he faced, and smashed a 119-metre pick-up shot off Brett Lee in the next over. His entire innings was like a highlights reel: the 70 off 30 balls included five sixes and as many fours, and he almost single-handedly took India to a match-winning 188.
The biggest and richest cricket tournament outside the World Cups begins on Saturday. Here’s all you need to know about it
Shashank Kishore18-Sep-2020The Indian Premier League (IPL) begins in the UAE on Saturday. The biggest and richest cricket tournament outside the World Cups, it is usually held in India but has been taken outside because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s all you need to know about the tournament – and why holding it at all is such a big deal.First up, why should we care about the IPL taking place in the UAE?
The IPL is at the front and centre of India’s – and the world’s – cricket economy. It is so important that, typically, very little other top-level cricket is scheduled at the same time. A cancellation, because of the pandemic or otherwise, would have led to losses of between US$500-530 million for the Indian cricket board (BCCI) – and that’s just the value of the media rights for a year. The fact that the tournament is being held this year, though a few months off its original March-May window, is an encouraging sign in a challenging economic climate. The IPL economy goes far beyond India – cricket boards of the smaller nations, like Afghanistan, too earn incomes for letting their players participate.Why not hold the tournament in India?
Logistics, mainly. Cricket has resumed since its mid-March halt, with England hosting the international teams of West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Australia, but the IPL is an entire tournament, logistically a more complex operation and far more international in nature. It involves eight teams and several hundred players, support staff and officials. The usual IPL scheduling template, involving eight venues across the country and multiple (and often very long) flights, wouldn’t have worked in a Covid-19 world. More so given India’s climbing infection rate. What was needed was a more compact host country, in roughly the same time zone, with stadiums close to each other, reachable by short road journeys, and with top-level communication, accommodation and other facilities. And reasonably virus-free.Mumbai Indians are the defending champions•BCCIWhy the UAE?
Simply put, the UAE ticks those boxes: size, facilities and location. It’s roughly the geographical centre of the cricket world. Most of the players are from India but the overall mix of those involved is truly global: Other countries represented this year are New Zealand, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Afghanistan and several Caribbean nations. And the Covid-19 infection rates are still very low and localised. The UAE is anyway a long-standing venue for cricket matches – it has been Pakistan’s “home” venue since 2009 – and also hosted part of the 2014 edition of the IPL.So how has the tournament been organised there?
Like the NBA did by putting together a bio-bubble in Orlando, the IPL, along with the eight franchises, have put together bio-bubbles in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, where the matches will be held. Players and officials have had to clear a total of five Covid-19 tests – two before flying out and three in their first six days of arrival in the UAE – before entering the bio-bubble. Then, all squad members will be tested on the fifth day of every week throughout the tournament.Under IPL rules, no person can leave the bio-secure bubble during the course of the tournament. Strict social distancing norms have been recommended, including squad members discouraged from having any close contact even within the bubble, which includes moving between hotel rooms. Squad members have also been asked to wear masks outside their rooms at hotels and avoid any unnecessary movement. There will be exceptions, of course. If an injured player needs to visit a hospital for X-rays or scans, then the guidelines suggest the movement be restricted to the clinic with minimal interaction with outsiders. All the teams have booked out entire wings of hotels or resorts from a safety standpoint.This is similar to the rules for the cricket matches in England, isn’t it?
Yes, it is. England hosted West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Australia at two venues: Ageas Bowl, Southampton and Old Trafford, Manchester. Both these grounds have on-site hotels, which made local travel and accommodation simpler. Players were all part of a bio-bubble for the duration of the matches. Simple breaches – like a player taking a detour home while travelling from one venue to another – were dealt with very strictly.Andre Russell and Virat Kohli are among global cricket superstars•BCCISo the stage is set, then. Are the players ready?
You’d hope so. They’ve been in the UAE since the end of August, first completing their quarantine process and then getting down to training. The fans definitely will be ready because they’ve been starved of cricket. Indian players, on an average, play for 10-11 months a year. That includes eight-nine months of international cricket and two months of the IPL. But they last played in early March, before the pandemic struck. That has made it seven full months of no cricket for a cricket-crazy country. That could potentially make this the most-watched IPL ever.Really? What are the numbers usually like?
According to a report in the , the IPL final in 2019 – the Indian equivalent of the Super Bowl – had 462 million TV viewers worldwide. On digital media, Star India’s video streaming service recorded a reach of over 300 million viewers, with a peak concurrency of 18.6 million viewers for the final, between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.What are the big talking points this season?
MS Dhoni, the celebrated former India captain, is now retired from international cricket but will captain Chennai Super Kings. Virat Kohli is a global superstar, who has made the Forbes list of richest athletes in the world for a few years now, but his team, Royal Challengers Bangalore, have never won the tournament. Among the foreign players, there’s Jamaica’s Andre Russell, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Australia’s David Warner – all of them are global cricket superstars.Is there any American interest?
For the first time ever, an American national will be part of the IPL. Ali Khan, 29, resides in Ohio and plays for the USA national team. He was first noticed while playing a local T20 tournament at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, by a few talent scouts. Over the last three years, he has already featured in T20 leagues across the Caribbean and Pakistan. This year, he will play for Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
We have a genuine title race on our hands in Scotland.
On Sunday, in a match branded the biggest club game played on Scottish football for generations, it proved to be an afternoon of celebration for those bedecked in maroon.
Heart of Midlothian beat Celtic 3-1 at Tynecastle, a Dane Murray own goal breaking the deadlock in Edinburgh, only for Callum McGregor to equalise soon after, but quick-fire goals from Alexandros Kyziridis and then Lawrence Shankland secured the points.
This leaves Hearts eight points clear, with Celtic having now lost back-to-back league games, also beaten at Dundee a week earlier, just the second time Brendan Rodgers has tasted defeat in successive Premiership games, after December 2023, the second of which back then was also at the hands of the Jambos.
Falkirk will visit Parkhead on Wednesday, before all eyes will turn to next Sunday’s Glasgow derby at Hampden in the League Cup semi-finals, but which players played their way out of contention for that one with a less than impressive display in the capital?
Celtic's centre-back crisis
Last Thursday’s come from behind Europa League victory over Sturm Graz came at a serious cost, considering Kelechi Ịheanachọ and Alistair Johnston were both forced off with injuries in the first half, but the biggest blow of all was losing Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The American international has been a mainstay in the Celtic team since joining the club from Tottenham in 2021, but could be sidelined until March due to an achilles injury.
In his absence, Murray got the nod to start at Tynecastle, this only the 22-year-old’s 29th senior appearance, 20 of which have come for Queen’s Park.
Well, his inexperience was very much apparent when, with only eight minutes on the clock, he lashed a calamitous own goal into Kasper Schmeichel’s top corner.
Given this woeful error, on what was only his third start for Celtic, he may have to wait a little while for his fourth, with Auston Trusty and forgotten man Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who may as well be on Interpol’s missing persons list at this point, surely better options to partner Liam Scales going forward.
However, which other Celtic starter, who has a much higher profile and cost a hell of a lot more money, also did not impress in Gorgie?
Expensive Celtic signing could be back on the bench
Against both Sturm Graz and Hearts, having been part of the midfield trio to start the campaign, Benjamin Nygren has been deployed on the right-wing, largely due to a lack of alternative attacking options.
His header pinched the points in Europe on Thursday, while the Swede was denied a goal at the weekend on the cusp of half time by a smart save from Alexander Schwolow, possibly paying the price for his indecisiveness.
This positional move has opened up a midfield spot, with Arne Engels returning to the starting lineup, but he certainly has not grasped this opportunity with both hands, and the table below documents his miserable afternoon in Edinburgh.
Engels’ stats vs Hearts
Stats
Engels
Match rank
Shots
1
5th
Key passes
Zero
13th
Big chances created
Zero
3rd
Accurate passes
41
4th
Passing accuracy %
82%
9th
Duels contested
11
7th
Duels won
4
13th
Possession lost
24
1st
Touches
77
4th
SofaScore rating
6
29th
Stats via SofaScore
As the table documents, the Belgian’s statistics at Tynecastle do not make for good reading.
While only Murray, Scales and Callum McGregor completed more passes than Engels, he did little with this possession, creating no chances, losing possession a total of 24 times, the most of any player on the pitch, while Kieran Tierney, the next highest Celtic man in that ranking, only did so on 16 occasions.
Engels arrived in Glasgow just over a year ago to sky-high expectations, considering he was replacing Matt O’Riley while costing a club-record fee of £11m.
After an up and down first campaign, the 22-year-old had only started three times this season prior to the last two fixtures, yet to score a goal, while both of his assists have been set-piece deliveries.
Also, central midfield is possibly the only area of Rodgers’ squad with genuine depth and competition for places.
Captain McGregor’s name is written in permanent marker on the team sheet, while Nygren, Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan are all also vying for minutes.
Having been given a chance, Engels may have played his way to the back of the queue for next Sunday’s Old Firm, so it would frankly be a surprise if he was included in the starting lineup for the visit of Falkirk on Wednesday.
Not Trusty: Celtic must replace Carter-Vickers with "exceptional" youngster
With Cameron Carter-Vickers set to be sidelined for 5 months, Rodgers must trust Celtic’s “exceptional” youngster, not Auston Trusty, to start.