Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies, England, South Africa and Pakistan will tour

Andrew McGlashan29-May-2022Australia’s home international season will begin in late August and the men’s team faces one of their busiest summers as the catch-up of Covid-impacted series continues in the final months of the current future tours programme.The men’s side will face Zimbabwe (ODIs), New Zealand (ODIs), West Indies (T20Is and Tests), England (T20Is and ODIs) and South Africa (Tests and ODIs) in the 2022-23 campaign – in addition to the men’s T20 World Cup – with the first two of those series taking place in Townsville and Cairns, starting on August 28, as international cricket returns to the Top End. The last time Australia’s men played in the region was 2008 although Townsville has since hosted internationals involving Papua New Guinea.The women’s team will host Pakistan for ODIs and T20Is in January before the T20 World Cup in South Africa while they are also set to travel to India for five T20Is before Christmas.The three men’s ODIs against South Africa, set to take place after the Test series in mid-January, remain to be confirmed after a request from CSA to have them moved but no alternative window has yet been found. It is understood CSA had hoped to play them before the Test series to enable players to return home in time for the recently-announced domestic T20 league.”Our strong intention is to play them as scheduled and we’re working through that with South Africa,” Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s head of operations and scheduling, said. “This is a really busy season of cricket and finding a spot will be difficult, but we’re engaged in that discussion with South Africa and we hope to finalise that in the coming weeks.”The T20Is against West Indies and two bilateral series against England will be squeezed in either side of the men’s T20 World Cup with the T20Is acting as warm-ups. Australia will also make a whistle-stop tour to India in mid-September for three T20Is. Originally, West Indies were slated for three T20Is but one match has been dropped due to the tight window with the CPL finishing in late September and them being involved in the qualifying phase of the World Cup.Australia men’s home season, 2022-23•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe five men’s Tests of the summer will take place across barely six weeks with Perth (November 30-December 4) hosting the opening match against West Indies followed by a day-night game in Adelaide (December 8-12). South Africa will play at the Gabba (December 17-21), MCG (Boxing Day) and SCG (January 4-8) before the ODI series wraps up the men’s home schedule ahead of a tour to India next February and March.That order of Tests means a move away from the tradition of the Gabba being the opening match (although that has also happened a number of times in recent years) but it allows both West Indies fixtures – played before the holiday period – to have a greater primetime slot on Australia’s east coast television market while CA are also looking ahead to when the Gabba is not available during its redevelopment for the 2032 Olympics.”We also know the Gabba’s going to be offline for a couple of years,” Roach said. “Taking the chance to look at some different opportunities when we’ve got the chance to us makes a bit of sense. We’ve got a very good record in Perth too. Moving away from fortress Gabba is not something that scares us.”After last season featured two women’s Tests against India and England, there are none on the calendar for the upcoming summer but they remain central to Cricket Australia’s ambitions. The two limited-overs series against Pakistan will take place from January 16-29 across Allan Border Field, North Sydney Oval and Manuka Oval with the teams then heading to South Africa for the T20 World Cup where Australia will defend their title.Unlike recent seasons, no women’s internationals have been scheduled for September with an eye on player workload heading into the World Cup while March has also been left vacant in case a Women’s IPL gets off the ground.There are some tight turnarounds in the men’s schedule with the first ODI against England in Adelaide taking place just four days after the T20 World Cup final on November 13, should either side make it that far, and there is a maximum of four days between Tests once that format begins on November 30.Pakistan Women tour of Australia, 2022-23•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in northern Queensland – both series which have been postponed due to Covid – are unlikely to feature a full-strength Australia side with a handful of players having deals in the Hundred which runs until early September while some may also be rested.Having not played any ODIs in the previous home season the men’s team have 12 scheduled in 2022-23. The three matches against South Africa are set to start earlier in the day than would be traditional to free up the evening for BBL matches. They could be the last home ODIs played in January as CA looks to create a window in the calendar for the BBL so that Australia players can be more involved.The domestic schedules will be announced in the coming months. The WBBL will take place from mid-October to late November with the BBL expected to start after the West Indies Test series and it may run into early February.With the men’s T20 World Cup also in October and November, plus Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup and WNCL matches to slot in, it has meant a challenging jigsaw puzzle to find suitable venues for all the formats. The expanded WNCL – now a full home-and-away tournament – is likely to start in late September ahead of the WBBL.Both West Indies and South Africa are expected to have warm-up matches ahead of their respective Test series.

Few things beat a dramatic stoppage-time goal in football, but which one ranks as the best in the history of the game?

From gripping Champions League nights, to dramatic Playoff ties, so many crucial fixtures have been decided right at the death. Is there anything sweeter than a goal in ‘Fergie time’?

It’s got us thinking about the greatest late goals throughout history, so here are our choices for the top 10…

10 Alisson v West Brom (2021) Goalkeeper's header keeps Liverpool's CL dream alive

You cannot beat a goalkeeper scoring in the last minute to save his side, can you?

Alisson’s last-second header for Liverpool at West Brom late in the 2020/21 season wasn’t only a great moment, but it was also huge for the Reds in terms of their Champions League qualification hopes.

It’s just a shame there were no fans inside The Hawthorns.

9 Sergi Roberto v Paris Saint-Germain (2017) Barca star completes the comeback of all comebacks

There have been so many epic Champions League encounters over the years – and Barcelona’s 6-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain could top the pile.

Having lost 4-0 in the first leg of their last-16 clash back in 2017, Barca produced a stunning turnaround after looking doomed, culminating in Sergi Roberto scoring right at the death, before being mobbed by his teammates.

8 Lucas Moura v Ajax (2019) Brazilian completes iconic turnaround to send Spurs to final

Tottenham Hotspur may have gained a reputation for being ‘Spursy’, though this was anything but, as they reached the 2019 Champions League final in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Having trailed 2-0 at Ajax in the semi-final second leg and needing three goals to progress – having lost 1-0 in the first leg in north London – Spurs won 3-2, thanks mainly to Lucas Moura’s hat-trick.

The Brazilian’s winner in the dying seconds is surely one of the best moments in the club’s history.

7 Rodrygo v Man City (2022) Real Madrid blitz City at the death on way to semi-final victory

Real Madrid simply never know when they are beaten in the Champions League, and their mental resolve was never on show more than against Manchester City in the semi-finals in 2022.

Even by Madrid’s standards, this was remarkable, with Rodrygo scoring twice in stoppage time, with the latter goal taking the tie into extra-time. They progressed to yet another final, of course.

6 Troy Deeney v Leicester City (2013) Classic breakaway goal settles play-off semi

This could arguably be the greatest moment in the history of the Championship, on a day that etched Troy Deeney’s name into football folklore forever.

Having looked within seconds of bowing out of the play-offs against Leicester City, Watford progressed to the final following an unbelievable passage of play.

Anthony Knockaert’s missed penalty blew the Foxes’ chance to win in the last seconds, only for the Hornets to burst clear up the other end, leading to Deeney eventually firing into the net from Jonathan Hogg’s knockdown. The scenes inside Vicarage Road were unrivalled.

5 Andres Iniesta v Chelsea (2009) Spaniard ends controversial tie with sucker-punch equaliser

In terms of sliding doors moments, Andres Iniesta’s strike for Barcelona against Chelsea back in 2009 is right up there. How successful would they have been under Pep Guardiola without that goal?

Somehow, Barca managed to scrape past the Blues in the semi-final second leg, despite being outplayed and being on the right end of some terrible refereeing decisions.

Iniesta fired a superb strike into the top corner in the last minute, with Guardiola and his players losing their minds in the celebrations. They went on to beat Manchester United in the final.

4 Jimmy Glass v Plymouth (1999) On-loan 'keeper rescues Carlisle from Football League demotion

If you’ve never heard of or seen this goal, you’re missing out!

On the final day of the 1998/99 season, Carlisle United knew they needed to win to stay in the Football League, and all hope appeared to be lost heading into the final seconds of the campaign.

On-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass made himself the most unlikely hero, coming up for a corner and firing home following a scramble in the penalty area. There have been few more dramatic moments in the history of English football.

3 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer v Bayern Munich (1999) Norwegian seals treble in quickfire United comeback

The best night in Manchester United’s history also had the most unforgettable conclusion imaginable, as they were almost improbably crowned Champions League winners.

Having trailed Bayern Munich 1-0 heading into stoppage time, Teddy Sheringham equalised to seemingly take the game to extra-time. However, United didn’t stop there, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gaining legendary status with one touch of his right boot from their next attack.

It was the crowning evening of Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary career, and the manner of his side’s win couldn’t have been a better advert for ‘Fergie time’.

Related Fergie Time: Man United's top 10 best late goals – ranked

Be it at Old Trafford or Camp Nou, Man Utd have scored goals in added time aplenty, but which are the best?

Posts ByRobin Mumford Oct 17, 2023 2 Michael Thomas v Liverpool (1989) Arsenal midfielder slots home to win league title at Anfield

In second place is Michael Thomas’ remarkable title-winning strike away to Liverpool back in 1989, in what could be the finest moment in Arsenal’s great history.

The Merseysiders were a relentless force during that period, so the fact that the Gunners knew they had to win by two goals at Anfield to win the First Division title on the final day summed up what a mammoth task it was.

Alan Smith’s opener in the second half gave Arsenal real hope, and it was left for Thomas to seal the most dramatic end to an English season, bursting through to send the travelling fans wild.

1 Sergio Aguero v QPR (2012) Striker delivers City's first Premier League title in nick of time

Could there really be anything else at No 1?

Seeing Sergio Aguero’s unforgettable winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011/12 season still sends shivers down the spine.

It looked as though Man City had completely blown their Premier League title hopes as they headed into stoppage time, trailing 2-1 at the Etihad. Even worse, United were on the cusp of beating their rivals to yet more glory.

Edin Dzeko’s added-time header gave the hosts the tiniest bit of hope, but incredibly, there was still time for Aguero to find space in the area, bury his finish and inspire the most joyous of celebrations. Unless you’re a United fan, it’s impossible not to love it.

Taylor Twellman is "not sure this USMNT would qualify" for the 2026 World Cup if they were not co-hosts, with important questions being asked.

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United States preparing to fill role of co-hostsFlopped at Copa America & in Nations LeaguePotential yet to be unlocked in exciting squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United States are, as a nation, counting down the days to the showpiece event that will be staged in North and Central America during the summer of 2026. Canada and Mexico will also be throwing open their doors to fans from every corner of the planet.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The US were expected to go well on home soil, with ex-Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino appointed to oversee the development of what is considered to be an exciting squad – one that includes the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna. Concerning setbacks have, however, been endured while heading down that path.

DID YOU KNOW?

On the back of Copa America humiliation in 2024, as the USMNT failed to make it out of the group stage, humbling defeats have been suffered against Panama and Canada in CONCACAF Nations League competition – leading to widespread criticism of underperforming players and coaching staff.

GettyWHAT TAYLOR TWELLMAN SAID

Ex-USMNT star Twellman has posted on social media, as he seeks answers to difficult questions: "Thankfully there are 48 teams and automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup because I’m not sure this @usmnt would qualify in the old format.

"How many of the players HAVE to play well to further their career both in earnings and club stature?! Do they HAVE to play well for USMNT to improve their club situation on a daily basis?! How important is success to the manager?! If he fails will that follow him to his next job?! Does he have any pressure?!

"Does the federation know or understand what’s wrong and how to fix it?! Has the dwindling attendance since 2018 at games caught their attention?! Has the sport grown in recent years?! These are things I’m thinking about and have been since 2018. I don’t know if I know the answers either."

Ex-Arsenal midfielder and Ousmane Dembele's France team-mate Matteo Guendouzi is confident of the PSG forward's chances of lifting the Ballon d'Or.

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• Dembele in the form of his life
• Has become a potent goal scorer at PSG
• Guendouzi backs former Barcelona man to win Ballon d'Or

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ex-Arsenal midfielder and Ousmane Dembele's France team-mate Matteo Guendouzi sung the praises of the Paris Saint-Germain forward's displays this season by saying that he was "starting to be scared of him" and going on to back the former Barcelona winger to win the highly prestigious Ballon d'Or award at the end of this year.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dembele has been in sensational form this season. He has already scored 30 goals in 37 games in all competitions — just 10 fewer than the total he managed in six years at Barcelona. A whopping 22 of those 30 goals have come in 2025 alone, and in just 17 appearances. He's also the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals and five assists.

• WHAT MATTEO GUENDOUZI SAID

  Speaking to the press earlier this week, Guendouzi backed Dembele to win the Ballon d'Or (h/t Get Football News France): "What he is doing makes him a credible candidate for the Ballon d’Or. He has always had the potential to do that. He is one of the best players in the world, even without the goals, top three at the moment, but he’s adding statistics. He is just confirming what we have thought for a long time. There are plenty of players that are starting to be scared of him.” 

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR OUSMANE DEMBELE?

  After starting for France in the first-leg of the Nations League against Croatia, Dembele will be hoping to find his goal scoring boots for Les Bleus in the return leg on Sunday, March 23.

Julen Lopetegui could be coming to the end of his time at West Ham, having only joined the club in July, as the Hammers find themselves languishing in 14th place in the Premier League after 14 games played.

West Ham take on Wolves on Monday night for their 15th Premier League game of the season, in a fixture being nicknamed “El Sackico” due to both teams’ managers’ struggles this campaign.

Should Lopetegui’s side lose on Monday, West Ham seem ready to pull the trigger, already reportedly having a shortlist of potential replacements, and one of these options would see a shock return to the Premier League.

Maurizio Sarri links

According to reports from FootMercato, Maurizio Sarri is one name that has been offered to West Ham, should they sack Lopetegui. The 65-year-old has managed in the Premier League before, spending one season at Chelsea in 2018/19, where he also won the Europa League, beating Arsenal 4-1 in Baku.

Much like Gianfranco Zola who managed the Hammers, it would be another Italian who has previously worked at Chelsea. The Italian is currently without a club, having quit Lazio back in March 2024. Sarri was in charge of Lazio from 2021-2024, averaging 1.64 points per match, taking charge of 137 games in his time at the club.

Sangiovannese

74

1.61

Pescara

43

1.26

Arezzo

22

1.18

Avellino

1

0.00

Hellas Verona

5

0.20

Perugia

18

1.28

Grosseto

10

1.20

Alessandria

36

1.58

Sorrento

17

1.76

FC Empoli

132

1.52

Napoli

148

2.16

Chelsea

63

2.08

Juventus

52

2.12

Lazio

137

1.64

The 65-year-old coach had his best stints in Italy, with his most well-known team being his Napoli side, which Pep Guardiola even named “one of the best teams I have ever faced”.

Sarri has never lost to the Irons in his career, playing them twice in his time at Chelsea, winning once and drawing once. Now the Italian could find himself in the opposite dugout, and that could make for a very interesting tactical evolution for the Hammers.

Manager Focus

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Maurizio Sarri's tactics

Sarri tends to prefer a 4-3-3 starting formation, with a clear philosophy based upon keeping possession in their own third, looking to break the lines with progressive passes, and interchanging attacking movements, with short, sharp combination play in the final third.

In his one season of Premier League football, Sarri implemented this style at relative speed, averaging 62.9% possession, which was the second highest in the league behind Manchester City, who averaged 67.9% possession.

This high possession, control-based style is something West Ham desperately want to implement, since deciding to move on from David Moyes in the summer. Sarri is the exact type of coach who would come in, and try to do exactly that, sticking to his key principles, and looking to transform the Hammers.

A key position in doing this would be the number six, often playing the “regista” role for Sarri’s side, orchestrating play and controlling the tempo of the game. Whilst West Ham have plenty of players who play defensive midfield, their passing qualities and football IQ are extremely important in this role, which could see someone like Carlos Soler preferred to Edson Alvarez or Tomas Soucek.

One thing is for certain, if West Ham go down the route of hiring Sarri, it would solidify the route they want to go down, implementing a new style of play, and sticking to it even if results aren’t going their way.

Not Potter: West Ham can get Fullkrug firing by hiring "incredible" coach

West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui is on the brink of being fired after wretched results this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 8, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Após o título do Campeonato Mineiro, o Atlético-MG volta o seu foco para a estreia na competição que é o principal objetivo da temporada: a Libertadores. Nesta quarta-feira (06), o Galo vai até a Colômbia enfrentar o Deportes Tolima, no Estádio Manuel Murillo Toro, às 21h, em duelo válido pelo Grupo D.

Para o primeiro confronto na competição, o técnico ‘El Turco’ Mohamed terá alguns desfalques. O atacante chileno Vargas segue com virose, enquanto o zagueiro Réver e o meia-atacante Zaracho apresentaram problemas físicos após a decisão do Estadual e também ficaram de fora da lista de relacionados. Já o lateral Dodô segue em recuperação de uma lesão no joelho. Por outro lado, o Galo contará com o retorno do zagueiro uruguaio Godín, recuperado de lesão.

RelacionadasAtlético MineiroAtlético-MG não terá Zaracho, Vargas e Réver na estreia da Libertadores 2022Atlético Mineiro05/04/2022Atlético MineiroAtlético-MG vence o Cruzeiro em clássico pelo Brasileiro FemininoAtlético Mineiro04/04/2022Atlético MineiroHulk recorda pênalti perdido e vê Atlético-MG mais preparado para jogar a Libertadores este anoAtlético Mineiro04/04/2022

Já a equipe colombiana, que já tirou o Corinthians da competição em 2011, vive bom momento na temporada. O time está na segunda colocação do Apertura, o campeonato local, um ponto atrás do Atlético Nacional-COL e pode ser um rival forte para o Galo na estreia da Libertadores.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA

DEPORTES TOLIMA X ATLÉTICO-MG
Data: 2 de abril de 2022
Horário: 16h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Manuel Murillo Toro, em Ibagué (COL)
Árbitro: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
Assistentes: Tulio Moreno e Jorge Urrego (VEN)
VAR: Jose Carpio (EQU).
Onde assistir: Conmebol TV (Operadoras Claro TV e Sky)
Onde seguir: Tempo Real LANCE, Itatiaia FM e Super FM
DEPORTES TOLIMA (Técnico: Hernán Torres)

Alexander Domínguez; Juan Camilo Angulo, Julián Quiñones, José Moya e Junior Hernández; Juan David Ríos, Brayan Rovira, Anderson Plata, Daniel Cataño e Andrés Ibargüen; Michael Rangel

Desfalques: Juan Fernando Caicedo, Juan Camilo Angulo, Andrés Mosquera e Julián Alveiro Quiñones (lesionados)

ATLÉTICO-MG (Técnico: Antônio Mohamed)

Everson; Mariano (Guga), Nathan Silva, Junior Alonso (Diego Godín) e Guilherme Arana; Allan, Jair e Nacho; Ademir, Hulk e Keno.

Desfalques: Zaracho e Réver (desgaste físico), Vargas (virose) e Dodô (lesão no joelho)

أكد وائل جمعة نجم الأهلي السابق، أن هناك بعض التحديات والقرارات المثيرة للجدل التي تحيط بالمدير الفني للفريق مارسيل كولر، مشيرًا إلى بعض التغييرات التي طرأت على طريقة تعامله مع اللاعبين، مُشددًا على ضرورة دعمه الآن خاصة في ظل التحديات التي يواجهها الفريق في دوري الأبطال.

ويستعد الأهلي لخوض مواجهة قوية وهامة أمام صن داونز، في تمام الثالثة عصر اليوم السبت، في ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

قال وائل جمعة في تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “تحدثنا مؤخرًا عن مارسيل كولر وتغييرات طريقة تعامله مع اللاعبين، وكان هناك بعض العناد في بعض قراراته وإصرار على تنفيذها”.

وتابع: “طلبنا تدعيمات للفريق، وبالفعل تم التعاقد مع لاعبين، لكن كولر استمر في تمسكه برأيه وطريقته في التعامل مع اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “نحن بعيدون عن التدريبات في هذه الفترة، ويجب أن نكون متعاونين معه خطوة بخطوة، لن أعلق على الأمور الآن وسأنتظر حتى بعد المباراة”.

طالع أيضًا | لاعب جنوب إفريقيا السابق لـ”بطولات”: قادرون على قهر الأهلي وبيراميدز وهذا الدليل

وواصل: “كان لدي رأي في طريقة لعب كولر التي لم أكن أراها مناسبة للأهلي، ولكن في هذه المرحلة، لا يجب أن تكون هناك انتقادات ونحن في نصف نهائي دوري الأبطال”.

وأكد: “لا ينبغي أن يتخذ النادي قرارًا ضد كولر في هذا التوقيت، أتمنى أن يعود للتركيز ويستعيد مستواه السابق مع الفريق لتحقيق النتائج المطلوبة وإرضاء الجميع”.

واستكمل: “من النقاط التي بها جدل، كانت مسألة العناد مع رغبة النادي في تسجيل علي معلول، كان كولر رافضًا لتسجيله، لكن النادي يقدر اللاعبين الذين خدموه طويلاً، لا أحد يختلف على قيمة معلول وعطائه للأهلي، لكن كولر اتخذ قراره بالمكابرة، والإدارة أصرت على تسجيله”.

وتابع: “هناك مشكلة بدأت بسبب التدخلات، بعد رحيل سيد عبد الحفيظ، وتعيين محمد رمضان، وأشعر أن التغييرات الكثيرة ليست في صالح المدير الفني، لكن عليه احترام سياسة النادي، إذا كان لديه مشكلة، كان عليه أن يرحل، نحن تعلمنا من جوزيه أن المدير الفني هو صاحب القرار النهائي، هو رئيس جمهورية الفريق، وإذا كانت هناك قرارات تخالف رغبته، عليه أن يرحل”.

واختتم: “إذا كان كولر يريد الدفع بمعلول، لكان منحه الفرصة من قبل، لكن أعتقد أنه لم يُقنع كولر وبالتالي لن يدفع به في النار، ويشارك في أهم مباراة للأهلي هذا الموسم”.

Ravi Shastri and Daniel Vettori believe that Virat Kohli needs a break, not because of his batting form, but to recharge himself mentally.Both ESPNcricinfo experts agree that having been “consumed” for seven years leading India and also being their best batter for several years across all formats, Kohli is still coming to terms with transitioning into the background as one of the players.Vettori and Shastri were reacting to Kohli’s statement about him intending to talk to the Indian team management, led by head coach Rahul Dravid, about taking a break in the near future and why he felt that was a “healthy” option. Kohli made those remarks in his chat with Star Sports, which was aired on Thursday.In the chat, Kohli also spoke to former India team-mate Harbhajan Singh. Kohli said he was going through one of the “happy” phases of his career and was totally unperturbed by his batting struggles, which has seen him clock three golden ducks this IPL and not score a century since November 2019. Kohli stressed there was nothing wrong with his batting, but he was keen to take a break to refresh himself.Vettori, who worked with Kohli for several years while serving as head coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore, said the senior Indian batter might be experiencing withdrawal symptoms from captaincy.”I don’t associate his lack of form with a mental break,” Vettori said on the T20 Time Out on Thursday. “He is working hard and he knows exactly what he needs to do with his game. We underestimate how consuming captaincy is and for a player who was seven years in the job, in all three formats, who meant so much to the team from a batting perspective, from an emotional perspective, from the leadership perspective and the captaincy. That’s overwhelming.”Vettori, himself a former international captain for New Zealand, admitted he “hated” being at the helm as it was a 24×7 job.”You don’t realise how consuming it is when you are in it and as soon as you are out of it, it almost estranges you completely,” Vettori said. “You are gone from talking to Ravi 24×7 to potentially no one consulting for a lot of things. So you actually get left in the background a little bit because the team moves on and the captain-coach relationship starts again with other people. So it’s a funny time.”A break could be the best thing, who knows, but Virat knows himself so well that he’ll understand exactly what he requires and what he needs to get himself back to his best.”Shastri, who was the head coach for the majority of Kohli’s captaincy reign, which ended earlier this year, agreed completely with Vettori.Virat Kohli has not scored a century in any format since November 2019•BCCI

“The fact that suddenly there is no one asking him for a press conference, who should play, who should not play, this time is the team meeting, you got to be there. You suddenly go to the other end of the spectrum, so it is very difficult to handle that for any human being, leave alone Virat Kohli.”So, it’s not a question of him batting badly. He must be ticking all the boxes in the nets, striking it beautifully. (But) mental fatigue creeps in, that’s the time you need a little bit of a break to just rejuvenate, to recharge the batteries and come back refreshed. It’s not a break because of form like Danny mentioned. It’s nothing to do with it. It’s just that little bit of overload that he’s had over the last few years – for that reason give him a break.”Shastri reckoned it would not surprise him if the Indian selectors were to rest senior players like Kohli, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and few other all-format players for the five-match T20I series at home against South Africa in June, only to have them fresh for the England tour comprising a one-off Test and a six-match white ball series.Shastri agreed that players like Kohli would do well and need such short breaks more frequently to keep “optimum form.””Absolutely no question about it,” Shastri said when asked if managing the workloads of key senior players was necessary. “Very difficult for a player to maintain optimum form, hunger, that passion if you are going to play all three formats constantly. And he is the one player amongst all Indian players who has done exactly that.”

Leeds United could move back into the automatic promotion places after their clash with Derby County in the Championship this weekend, if results go their way.

The Whites are only two points behind Sheffield United at the top of the table and could return to the top if both Burnley and the Blades fail to win, whilst they come out on top against Paul Warne’s side.

Daniel Farke’s team are third in the division at the moment and that is the position they finished in at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before they eventually lost in the play-off final.

The West Yorkshire outfit should be looking to avoid the play-offs this time around and that means that they need to aim for a top two finish to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Leeds fell out of the top two after they were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last time out, as the Whites failed to break through John Eustace’s defence.

The January transfer window opens for business next month and they have been urged to consider swooping for a striker to bolster their attacking options.

Leeds are crying out for prolific forward

Speaking to Football League World, former Championship midfielder and now pundit Carlton Palmer claims that the Whites are “crying out” for a striker like Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Dor Turgeman.

It was recently reported that Leeds have made an approach for the 21-year-old marksman and that his club are set to demand a fee of more than €5m (£4.1m) for his services, whilst they will also attempt to hold out until the summer.

At this moment in time, it is unclear as to whether or not the Championship giants are willing to splash that kind of cash on a forward in the upcoming January transfer window.

Palmer, however, states that signing the Tel Aviv gem could be a deal worth doing to bolster their frontline, because of the qualities that he could provide in the second half of the season.

He told Football League World: “They have made an official approach and he’s having a good season so far this season. He’s doing well and it might be worth a gamble. Depending on how much he’s going to cost, but Leeds are crying out for a striker for the way they play.

“They need someone who can split the defence and show composure in the penalty area, which is something Turgeman is showing in abundance.”

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

Palmer adds that it is a transfer that “makes sense” for the right price, as Joel Piroe has struggled at times in a “classic” number nine role, whilst Mateo Joseph has had “growing pains” as a starter at Elland Road.

Mateo Joseph's form this season

The Spain U21 international has emerged as a genuine starting-quality option for Farke in the Championship this season, after all 20 of his league appearances came off the bench last term.

A product of the academy, Joseph has developed throughout his time at Elland Road and has started nine matches in the second division so far this season, which shows that the German tactician has more faith in him than he did in the previous campaign.

It has not been a smooth transition to regular starts for the Spanish forward, who previously played for England at U20 level, however, as he has struggled at times in front of goal.

As you can see in the table above, Joseph has only scored two goals in 18 appearances in the division and has underperformed against his xG by 1.44 goals, which suggests that he should have between one and two more goals – at least.

He has, however, provided an impressive level of creativity from a centre-forward position, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts, and this shows that the youngster has provided value on the pitch for Leeds, albeit not as a regular goalscorer.

Farke, though, could now swoop for Turgeman, when the January transfer window opens for business, and land an even bigger prospect than Joseph for the Whites.

Why Dor Turgeman is a bigger prospect than Mateo Joseph

The Israel international, 21, is the same age as the Leeds youngster but has already showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at first-team level.

He has caught the eye with his performances for Tel Aviv during the 2024/25 campaign and, whilst you could argue that the Israeli top-flight is a different level to the Championship, the forward has delivered in the Europa League.

Turgeman has scored four goals and provided two assists in eight appearances in Europe, in qualifiers and league phase matches, so far this season, which shows that he has the quality to step up on the European stage.

This means that the 21-year-old centre-forward, who was described as “very exciting” by The Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson, has scored twice as many goals in Europe as Joseph (two) has in all competitions this term.

Along with his impressive performances in the Europa League, Turgeman has also provided regular quality at league level for his club this season.

As you can see in the table above, the £4.1m-rated marksman has produced a staggering 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just six league starts Maccabi Tel Aviv.

His one ‘big chance’ missed in his nine appearances speaks to the striker’s ruthless nature in front of goal, as the youngster has taken the majority of his big openings in the division.

Overall, Turgeman could arrive at Elland Road as an even bigger talent than Joseph as he has shown more quality, domestically and in Europe, as a scorer and a creator of goals than the Leeds man has at the same age.

Farke must sell Leeds flop who Marsch was "convinced" would be "great"

The Leeds United defender must be cashed in on at the earliest available opportunity.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 5, 2024

Therefore, Farke must push for the board to secure a deal to sign the impressive youngster ahead of the second half of the campaign, as he could provide an added goal threat for the Whites to push for promotion to the Premier League.

He joins a growing list of absentees, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed also unavailable for Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam10-May-2022

Shakib Al Hasan has tested positive for Covid, and is ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka that begins on May 15. He tested positive on Tuesday in a PCR and a rapid antigen test, pre-requisites for joining the team.Shakib was supposed to join the Bangladesh Test squad on Wednesday, two days after they started training in Chattogram on Monday. According to a BCB press release, he will now recover in self-isolation and will be re-tested in due course.Bangladesh haven’t named a replacement immediately but they did pick allrounder Mosaddek Hossain as cover for the injured Mehidy Hasan Miraz shortly after they had originally announced the Test squad.Shakib’s absence in Chattogram is going to be a major blow to the home side who are already without Mehidy and Taskin Ahmed, who wasn’t picked in the squad due to a shoulder injury he picked up in South Africa last month. Shoriful Islam is in the Test squad but his participation is subject to a fitness test ahead of the game.Bangladesh’s batting too needed Shakib’s experience in the middle order after they slumped to 53 and 80 in two fourth innings in South Africa. His absence usually means they have to pick two players to make up for his skills, but it is an even more significant blow since Bangladesh will be expected to put up better performances against Sri Lanka in a home World Test Championship series.It is the fifth Test that Shakib will miss since playing one against Pakistan back in December last year. He skipped the New Zealand series due to personal reasons and then had to miss the South Africa Tests due to illness in his family. Shakib has now played three Tests out of Bangladesh’s 11 since his return from the one year ban.