All posts by h716a5.icu

A fan is overjoyed and overwhelmed at seeing his childhood cricketing heroes playing together in New York

Sheikh Minhaj Hossain09-Nov-2015Choice of game
There is a famous quote which ends the Brad Pitt movie “Troy”. It says, “Men rise and fall like the winter wheat but these men will never die.” As I passed my childhood by watching 90s cricket players, I want to change the quote of Troy to: “I lived in the time of Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram and many more and these men will never fade away!”I had goosebumps when I first heard that all the cricket stars of last 25 years who have retired from the game will be playing together in a match, and that too in the United States! For a cricket lover like me this is like a fairytale to even think of. But with the leadership of Sachin and Warne, all these stars turned this fairytale into a reality. This is the time when we could watch Sachin vs Wasim, Lara vs Warne, Shoaib vs Ponting again! All these years we could only imagine a dream scenario where two greatest legends of the game Lara and Tendulkar would be batting together on the same pitch! And Cricket All-Star 2015 made this possible.Team supported
Before the match, I didn’t have any prediction for a win. But I thought that the match would be competitive. Although it looks like that Sachin’s Blasters are stronger on paper but players like Ponting, Kallis, Sangakkara from Warne’s Warriors would make any day tough for the opponents. I was just there to enjoy the show, not thinking much about the win-loss scenario.About the series, I would be very happy if both the teams could share the trophy. As Warne’s Warriors won the first game, I deeply want Sachin Blasters to win the second match. And the third match will end up in a tie! This series cannot be valued by a trophy. This is beyond that.Key performer(s)
Shane Warne should be considered as the key performer of this match. The way Sehwag and Sachin started Basters’ innings, they could easily get to a total of 200. But Shane dismissed Sachin, Lara and Laxman, and Blasters were bundled out for 140 runs. The underestimated bowler in this match was Vettori. He bowled all four overs and gave only 13 runs with the precious wicket of Sehwag. Sangakkara and Ponting built a partnership to give Warriors a real chance of winning.Things I’d have changed about the match
All the people in the crowd were waiting for Lara to come and bat with Sachin Tendulkar. When Sehwag was hitting fours and sixes for Blasters, even some Indian fans in the gallery were discussing that Sehwag should retire hurt after completing his half-century and Lara should come to bat with Sachin. That would be a dream moment. But Sachin got out to an astonishing flying catch by Kallis and the scorecard looked like “Tendulkar c Kallis b Warne”! You never can have such precious one-liner in the scoreboard!One more thing I would like to change is the size and shape of the field. A baseball field can never be as good as a cricket field. Some of the sixes hit by both teams’ players could easily be caught if the ground was slightly bigger.Just like old times•Rob Tringali/ESPNWow moment
One of the most incredible experience at the match was the mentality and emotion of Indian people towards Sachin Tendulkar. I always heard of it, but never experienced it myself. In this match I witnessed Indians’ love for Sachin in front of my eyes. One example can describe this scenario: before the match, I saw a booth from one of the sponsor companies which was providing a big, white placard to write on. I was standing in the line to write something like “Reminisces of Childhood” and around 10 Indian people were standing in front of me, writing different placards. They were from different groups but all of them had written one common word. That was “GOD”! All of them were calling Sachin Tendulkar the GOD! Someone was writing “Thank you GOD for bringing cricket to America”, while other people were writing that famous dialogue, “Cricket is our religion and Sachin is our GOD”.Yes, if you never experienced this in person, I promise you this is completely different and unbelievable! The whole stadium was chanting “Sachin, Sachin” almost all the time. But the biggest cheer was heard when he came in to bowl the 18th over. The whole crowd went crazy! They knew that they are going to lose the match but still chanting the name of Sachin!Honestly, I never had the experience to watch a match live in India with Indian crowd before. But today in presence of most of the Indian crowd, I understood how they treat Sachin. They really worship him like GOD!Also when Shoaib Akhtar came in to bowl and bowled those deadly bouncers to Kallis and Rhodes, an Indian, who was standing beside me said, “It seems like Shoaib Akhtar is still the fastest bowler of the world! Is he still faster than Steyn, Johnson etc?” Well, I hardly had any doubt about that after watching those lethal bouncers. People were chanting “Shoaib, Shoaib” when he was bowling. Definitely those bouncers from Shoaib were a huge surprise for the whole crowd! Nobody expected this pace from him. Beside that there were chanting for “Viru” when he was in full form and hitting Walsh and Donald out of the park!One of the best parts of this game was not having cheerleaders! Cricket never needed any cheerleaders when these legends were playing. The main attraction of cricket is to create the battle of bat and ball on the field. These legends made sure that their play is more enjoyable than cheerleaders’ dance! They were and they are still successful.And last but not the least was the Mexican Wave! This is something which crowd enjoys for pure entertainment. And we did it too in the gallery.Banner of the day
One of the crowd changed the famous saying “God bless America” to “Sachin GOD blessed America!” Genius!Shot of the day
I’m not going to pick only shots from batsmen. I think some ‘shot’ can be created by bowlers too! In the death overs Akram bowled some beautiful swinging slower yorkers. We were mesmerised after watching this. We were also thrilled to watch Ponting’s hook again. When he hooked Shoaib Akhtar on the last ball of his spell, that special shot reminded me that he is one of the greatest hooker/puller of the history of cricket! And Jonty Rhodes reminded his trademark reverse sweep to finish the match!Overall
There were many wonderful moments in the gallery and on the field. The moment when Sachin and Sehwag were taking guard and Wasim Akram was waiting to run in to bowl was awesome. We all had a thrill, excitement to begin the dream. The famous movie “Back to the future 2” was celebrated on 21st October 2015. This match is like a real version of “Back to the future” movie in the USA. It is like we all have a time machine on which we are riding and going back to the past to watch that surreal scene again.When the match was about to start, the feelings we were having cannot be described by words! This was surreal and the atmosphere was absolutely unbelievable! I saw a number of people were in tears when they saw these players in front of their eyes, playing together after many years. I myself also got deeply emotional by thinking about all of the most precious cricketing moments of childhood. The experience of that moment can only be felt by a hardcore cricket lover who loves cricket wholeheartedly. Overall the organising capabilities were superb. Everything was electrifying! I enjoyed each and every moment thoroughly.Marks out of 10
The match deserves 10/10

As Kumar Sangakkara’s runs tally has grown, his cheekiness on the field has declined. Has the flawless batsman made the flawless man then?

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Aug-20154:17

‘There are two sides to Sangakkara’ – SL players and staff recall their favourite moments

No matter how much he attempts to distance himself from it now, Kumar Sangakkara was once a serial sledger. He has often been asked about his verbal spats in recent interviews and has usually been quick to assert he has “probably mellowed over the years”. It’s true. He has rarely gone looking for trouble this decade, and has only occasionally added his voice to the volleys his team-mates fire at batsmen – rare in themselves. But on the eve of his farewell, a jaunt into his combative past might help us better gauge the man he has become.It’s important to put his sledging in context. Early 2000s Sangakkara was basically a batting limpet. That desire to become the best has always blazed inside him, but his cricket was a little limited. He specialised in looking like he won’t survive the next over, yet was the man oppositions just could not shake off. He batted long and slow. The likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva and Mahela Jayawardene slashed and drove around him.It was while he was this top-order medicine in Sri Lanka’s candy shop of aggressive delights that Sangakkara spent his most garrulous years. Behind the stumps in a famously spicy 2002-03 tour of South Africa, he was a mosquito buzzing around batsmen’s heads, always yapping on about a slip-up in a recent press conference, about an opponent’s poor form, or the pressure they were under. His “weight of all these expectations” rant to Shaun Pollock is the most famous example. Other times he delivered scathing one-liners. “Hey Bhajji,” he was heard saying to Harbhajan Singh when he came out to bat on one occasion, “you look handsome in your short sleeves. Why don’t you wear them when you bowl?” He copped a fine for the minor altercation that followed.In public, he sometimes seemed caught between owning his reputation for being one of the wittier sledgers in the game and playing down his use of words. As a 26-year-old, he spoke professorially on the subject: “The public perception of sledging is to go out there and abuse someone in obscene language, questioning their parentage or sexual preferences. That kind of abuse does not belong on the field of play. Sledging, as coined and pioneered by the Australians, is a measured comment designed to get a reaction out of a player.” Okay, poindexter, but what are you trying to say? That the Australians never made jibes about sexual orientation? That you didn’t either?About eight months later, not only did he say he “would never practise sledging or use it as a tactic” unless heckled first, but that sledging altogether “doesn’t belong on the cricket field” and is “not the way the game should be played”. Words at clear odds with his actions here, he comes off looking a little like Genghis Khan wearing a “make love, not war” t-shirt.The picture of Sangakkara that emerges from these early interactions with opposition and media is of a young man seeking to set himself apart and become noticed, but also of someone a little unsure of himself. The barbs which dug at opposition insecurities seem to have been made sharper, in hindsight, by his own experiences with self-doubt.As the years wore on, Kumar Sangakkara shed his mouthiness and earned the admiration of most•AFPLatter day Sangakkara, though, is a transformed man. He is now more likely to cast aspersions on his own cricket than jab at opponents. Before the last Test match in Galle, he said he did not understand how anyone could find his batting attractive. At other times, when he has been held up alongside other batting greats, he has been self-effacing. “If I’ve matched Brian Lara, I’ve matched him in very little,” he said last year, when he drew level with Lara’s nine 200-plus scores. He would go on to score two more within 10 months.In his latest, most sublime years, Sangakkara has mauled attacks with a creativity and fearlessness that had eluded him in the first half of his career, but his lips have become ever more still (apart from, of course, when he is appealing). Maybe he has learned to save his best lines for when a standing ovation is on offer. More likely, after crossing the 30 Test hundreds and 10,000 runs threshold, he has been at peace with himself. In some innings, like against England at the recent World Cup, a century has seemed almost inevitable since the early moments.The tons now are celebrated with restraint. The bat comes up slowly. The helmet usually stays on. Sometimes he even looks bored. In 2014 he struck more international runs than anyone has managed in a calendar year, but his most animated moment was at the non-striker’s end in Bangladesh, when team-mate Kaushal Silva reached his maiden hundred.As his farewell Test arrives now, it seems like the whole occasion is not really for Sangakkara, just as a funeral is not really for the deceased. Sangakkara has been adamant that no exorbitant fanfare is made of his exit. There were no cutouts on the Galle Fort, as there had been for Muttiah Muralitharan and Jayawardene. The board had offered to move his final Test to his home town of Kandy, but the man himself had wanted no change of plans. It is the fans who need the closure. Sangakkara has been ready to depart for some time now.The island has been divided along its many fault lines this week. The general election on Monday was peaceful, but closely contested. Rural Sri Lanka went one way. The cities went another. The north and east headed in another direction entirely. But so complete has Sangakkara’s metamorphosis as person and cricketer been, that the nation will come together to celebrate him as one. Once a mouthy prick, now the sultan of slick, Sangakkara retires content.

Manchester United would elect to choose Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani over Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund as Erik Ten Hag eyes an elite forward at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news on Manchester United's striker hunt?

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are continuing talks to sign Kolo Muani and Hojlund as Ten Hag looks to secure a striker in pre-season to help spearhead their attack this term.

Both players are admired at Old Trafford and would represent good options in attack. However, with no takeover agreement on the horizon, either of the pair arriving could derail the Red Devils' search for a new goalkeeper in turn.

Football Insider claim that Eintracht Frankfurt star Kolo Muani could cost as much as £85 million to prize away from the Bundesliga outfit this window.

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also keeping an eye on the France international as they try to replace Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, respectively.

Another report from The Daily Mail indicates that for Manchester United's alternative striking target, Hojlund, his parent club Atalanta will try and hold out to receive a blockbuster £86 million fee before considering selling one of their most important assets.

Chelsea also 'remain in the wings' to try and acquire the 20-year-old, though have recently signed Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, which could put a spanner in the works of their pursuit.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that if Manchester United were to have a choice to make between the two, they would favour bringing Kolo Muani into the building over Hojlund.

Jones told FFC: "In Manchester United's mind, Kolo Muani is valued at a value, that is really, twice what Hojlund should be. That's what they're trying to factor in right now. If Kolo Muani was cheaper, I 100% think they would be going for him right now, but he's got that clause and it's making it difficult."

Who would be a better fit for Manchester United?

Kolo Muani is probably the more established name and is a little more mature than Hojlund at 24-years-old; however, Hojlund is a major rising star in European football that has caught the eye in Serie A, making it hard to pick who would be a better fit for Manchester United.

In 2022/23, Kolo Muani enjoyed a fine campaign in front of goal, registering 23 goals and 17 assists from 46 appearances in total, as per Transfermarkt.

According to WhoScored, Kolo Muani also offered a frequent goal threat that was difficult to contend with for opposition backlines, averaging around 2.4 shots per match in the Bundesliga.

Hojlund has made waves in Europe in fairly rapid fashion and put up some fairly impressive numbers himself last term combining his spell at Sturm Graz and with his current employers Atalanta, firing home 16 goals and seven assists in 42 outings, as per Transfermarkt.

Ten Hag will want to make sure he gets the right man in place to fire his side to potential glory in 2023/24, though only time will tell with regards to who he may turn to in the end.

There has been an update regarding Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of Wolfsburg defender, Micky van de Ven…

What's the latest on Van de Ven to Tottenham?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Lilywhites are said to have lodged a "verbal" offer to sign the 22-year-old, with Ange Postecoglou and co pressing on in their bid to land the 6 foot 4 ace.

Writing on Twitter regarding that developing story, the respected insider revealed: "Understand Tottenham have submitted verbal opening proposal for Micky van de Ven. Negotiations ongoing now with Wolfsburg — not done deal yet.

"No issues on personal terms, parties are close on contract details — up to Spurs and Wolfsburg."

This follows a report from football.london's Alasdair Gold which suggested that the north Londoners are set to decide whether to sign the promising Dutchman – who is valued at around £30m – or fellow centre-back, Edmond Tapsoba, as Postecoglou seeks to freshen up his backline ahead of the start of next season.

Who is Micky van de Ven similar to?

As a towering, left-footed central defender who comes from the Netherlands, there is an easy comparison to be made between Van de Ven and his compatriot, Sven Botman, with the latter man – who also stands at 6 foot 4 – having enjoyed a stellar debut season at Newcastle United last time out.

After making the move to St James' Park on a £35m deal from Lille last summer, the 23-year-old quickly made a "huge difference" to Eddie Howe's side, according to journalist Josh Bunting, having helped to stabilise a previously leaky defence that had shipped 62 top flight goals the year prior.

As it proved, the one-time Ajax youth star went on to form part of the joint-best defence in the league – alongside champions, Manchester City – as the Tynesiders conceded just 33 goals in 38 league games, with that solidity seemingly proving vital in the club securing a remarkable top four finish.

Such has been Botman's impact in English football so far, the one-time Heerenveen loanee has been tipped to go on to become the Premier League's best-ever centre-back, according to Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Redknapp, with that a marker of his undoubted talent.

For Tottenham to then find their own version of the £90k-per-week sensation could prove to be a real shrewd piece of business for Postecoglou, with Van de Ven – who has been described as a "jewel" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – having the credentials to be able to follow in his fellow Dutchman's footsteps.

Much like Botman – who is "very good technically but also has that physical presence that you need as a centre-half", according to pundit Danny Murphy – the Wolfsburg monster is also able to combine his defensive prowess with real composure in possession.

As Kulig noted, the emerging ace is a "complete & dominant" asset defensively, although is also "confident & comfortable on the ball", thus showcasing his likeness to the Newcastle man.

Those shared traits can also be shown by last season's statistical record, with Van de Ven keeping 11 clean sheets, averaging 1.4 tackles and enjoying an 88% pass accuracy rate from his 33 Bundesliga outings, while Botman also kept 11 clean sheets, averaged 1.1 tackles and had a pass accuracy rate of 87% from his 36 Premier League appearances.

Such a likeness would appear to suggest that if Spurs are able to get a deal over the line, then the Netherlands U21 international could also potentially make a 'huge difference' to the backline – as Botman has done in the northeast…

GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 2000 – but how are they getting on now?

Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.

So, after the NXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2019 are now:

Every NXGN list

Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids

Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids

De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids

Saka, Rodrygo & 2020's best wonderkids

James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids

Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids

Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids

Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids

Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids

Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids

Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids

Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids

Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids

50Christian Fruchtl (Bayern Munich)

2019: A modern goalkeeper with great feet, Fruchtl had yet to make his senior debut, but was considered a top prospect, having impressed Manuel Neuer & Co. after being invited to train with Bayern's first team during their winter break in Qatar in 2016.

2020: Fruchtl established himself as Bayern's reserve-team goalkeeper in 2019-20, playing 27 games in the third tier of German football.

2021: The shot-stopper joined FC Nurnberg in the second division for the 2020-21 season, but did not make a first-team appearance.

2022: Fruchtl finally made his first-team debut for Bayern on the final day of the 2021-22 campaign, but that also proved to be his only appearance for the club as he was sold to Austria Vienna ahead of the following campaign.

2023: The goalkeeper was installed as first-choice in the Austrian capital, and there were rumours that Bayern could utilise their buy-back clause at some stage as they prepared for life after Neuer.

2024: Fruchtl continued to impress in Vienna, as he kept 13 clean sheets in 29 Austrian Bundesliga games, which in turn led to him securing a move to Serie A with Lecce.

2025: The switch to Italy hasn't worked out for Fruchtl as yet, as he is still waiting to make his first league appearance for his new club.

Advertisement49Takefusa Kubo (FC Tokyo)

2019: Having been signed by Barcelona as a 10-year-old, the outrageously gifted attacker was forced to return to his native Japan in 2016 because of irregularities related to the Catalan club's recruitment of overseas players aged under 18. However, he was excelling in his homeland with FC Tokyo, and widely expected to return to La Masia sooner rather than later, only for Real Madrid to swoop in and sign him in the summer of 2019.

2020: Kubo was one of the young stars of the Spanish season after being loaned to Mallorca, directly contributing to nine goals as they fought against relegation. His form persuaded Villarreal to take him on loan for the following season.

2021: The forward failed to force his way into Unai Emery's team, and had his loan spell cut short in January 2021, with Madrid instead sending him on loan to Getafe for the remainder of the season, though he struggled to make much of an impact.

2022: Mallorca's promotion back to La Liga allowed them to make their move and bring Kubo back to the club on loan in 2021-22, and the Japan international's form having improved a little as a result.

2023: Kubo left Real Madrid to join Real Sociedad for an initial €6.5m in the summer of 2022, and he was back to his best in San Sebastian, as he made 18 direct goal contributions for a team that qualified for the Champions League.

2024: The Japan international continued to impress for La Real in 2023-24, and he was linked with elite clubs around Europe.

2025: Kubo hasn't quite hit the same heights so far this season in San Sebastian, leading to him being left out of the line up on a number of occasions.

48Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht)

2019: Regarded as the latest top talent to roll off the production line at Anderlecht, Verschaeren had already appeared in the Europa League for the Belgian outfit.

2020: After making his Belgium debut in September 2019, Verschaeren made 21 league appearances over the course of the 2019-20 campaign.

2021: A three-month absence with an ankle injury, coupled with an early finish to the season due to Covid-19, meant that Verscharen made just 16 league appearances in 2020-21, though he still managed to score five times.

2022: An established starter, Verschaeren set personal bests for goals and assists in a single season under Vincent Kompany.

2023: Verschaeren's attacking output regressed in 2022-23, but that was in part due to him playing slightly deeper, and he was earning Luka Modric comparisons before he tore his ACL in April 2023.

2024: The midfielder returned to action in January, but a further hamstring injury meant his impact on the campaign was limited.

2025: Now a veteran of over 200 Anderlecht appearances, Verschaeren has worn the captain's armband at times through the 2024-25 campaign.

47Juan Miranda (Barcelona)

2019: The versatile left-back had humbly played down his impressive Champions League debut against Tottenham in November by saying that "everything's easier when you've got Lionel Messi by your side", but Barca were growing increasingly confident that they had unearthed Jordi Alba's eventual successor.

2020: Miranda was sent to Schalke on a two-year loan deal, but made just 11 Bundesliga appearances during his first season in Germany, leading to Barca cutting his stay short after 12 months. He was then sent to Real Betis on loan for 2020-21.

2021: The defender did enough in Seville to persuade Betis to make the deal permanent in the summer of 2021.

2022: Miranda was in and out of the Betis team in 2021-22 as he struggled to hold down a place in Manuel Pellegrini's line-up, though he did score the winning goal in the penalty shootout in the final of the Copa del Rey

2023: The full-back managed to force his way back into the team in 2023, making over 30 appearances over the course of the campaign.

2024: After being in and out of the team to begin the season, Miranda managed to eventually lock down a starting spot in the second half of the campaign. He then went on to play an important role in Spain's gold-medal run at the Olympics.

2025: Miranda joined Bologna ahead of the 2024-25 season, and he has predominantly been a starter for the Italian side.

“For me, I’ve got to come in with a good bit of intent and make sure I get batters to play as much as possible”

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2022The trees outside Matt Henry’s window were swaying in a stiff breeze against greyscale skies on a gloomy Christchurch evening. “It’s a bit of a whirlwind,” he said, smiling, not referring to the weather at all, but New Zealand’s innings and 276-run win inside seven sessions against South Africa.Henry’s is a rare Zoom interview which is not being done against the backdrop of white walls or interesting artwork disguised as decor. The lighting is soft, the outside is visible and he seems completely at ease. “I’m at home,” Henry told ESPNcricinfo. “The guys based in Christchurch are at home and the rest of the squad are at the hotel.”Related

Wagner: Winning against South Africa 'no different to any of the other ones'

Boult unavailable for second Test against South Africa

Latham impressed with the strength in depth of NZ cricket

Henry: 'You pinch yourself when you hear those stats'

Stats – SA's worst since 1932, Henry equals Richard Hadlee

Two years ago, this piece of information would never have made it into a story. Now, with sports teams confined to bubbles, it seems an unusual throwback to the way things used to be, although they’re not entirely there yet. “We’ve still got some rules and we’ve got to be careful with what we do and don’t do. There’s guidelines to keep ourselves nice and safe,” Henry said. “But yeah, I am at home.”The South Africa players could be forgiven for feeling envious, especially after the 10-day quarantine period they served. It was the strictest restrictions they’ve had on a tour, and though they insist it’s not an excuse for their poor performance in the first Test, insiders say it had an enormous impact on their head space. Perhaps the opposite is true for New Zealand.Since March 2020, New Zealand have the best win ratio of any Test team, with victory in two-thirds of their Tests (8 out of 12). In that time, they’ve had just two wins away from home and six in their own backyard, five by more than an innings. On one hand, that may be an indication of how well the country has managed the health crisis; on the other it’s a measure of New Zealand’s highly successful attack, who have all the ingredients for big successes. “Everyone offers something slightly different and it creates a bit more versatility and balance for the captain. He can put people on in different roles and keep trying to put pressure on in different ways,” Henry said.It was the absence of easy run-scoring opportunities, rather than extreme pace, bounce or movement that allowed New Zealand to squeeze South Africa, and ultimately inflict their second-biggest defeat on them, according to Henry. “We managed to create pressure from both ends for a sustained period and I got the rewards at the one end.”But it is not as though Henry just got lucky. He became the first player to take seven wickets and score a half-century batting at No.11 in a Test, which takes more than good fortune. He also claimed the best figures by a New Zealand bowler at home and joint-third best overall and put his performance down to familiarity on his own turf, rather than form.”This is my home ground and I understand how to operate here. I knew how I wanted to bowl and going in with confidence helps,” Henry said. “At Hagley, especially on day one, there is always pace and bounce in the wicket. Most of us bowlers were pretty excited when we won the toss to have a bowl. But when you do get in that situation, it’s important to bowl in the right areas and get batters to play and make as many decisions as possible.”After more than a decade of playing Canterbury, Henry has learnt that it can be easy for bowlers to get carried away when they see the venue’s green surface, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will simply happen for them. They have to know how to make best use of conditions and Henry, through years of playing on them, has some inside-knowledge. “I like to try and hit the strings and get as much bounce as I possibly can, as well as a bit of seam movement,” he said. “For me, I’ve got to come in with a good bit of intent and make sure I get batters to play as much as possible.”According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, South Africa’s line-up was made to play at a third of Henry’s deliveries and all but one of his nine wickets came when the batter was caught undecided between whether to go forward or stay back in his crease, moving late and making an error. Though Henry is not particularly quick, he moves the ball from short of a length and with Tim Southee swinging it at the other end, South Africa were completely at sea. “That’s the beauty of it. The bowling group has been together for a while and has quite a lot of strengths,” Henry said. “The boys are in a good space and everyone is confident and understands their game and we’ve got quite a nice balance as well.”Henry cracked a superb half-century in the first Test•Getty ImagesDynamic as they are, New Zealand’s attack has seldom had space for Henry, who has featured in just 15 Tests and has only twice – against England in 2015 and India in 2016 – played two matches in the same series. That should increase to three times with Boult ruled out of the second Test because his bowling loads are not quite where New Zealand would like them to be and there would appear to be no other reason to change a winning combination. Henry would not give anything away about whether he expected to get the nod save to say that he would “find out more at training,” an activity you may think he knows better than most.Henry has been part of several New Zealand Test squads and barely played, which must mean he uses his extra in the nets, right?”Maybe,” he jokes. “I guess there is a little more opportunity to train here and there but mostly I just don’t worry about selection and try to focus on being better as a player and growing; and understanding that if I do get the opportunity, I’m ready and in the right space.”That includes being ready with the bat. Henry is no regular No.11 and has only batted there in nine matches in his 79-game first-class career. He is much more of a No.9 and enjoys any chance to bat alongside the specialists. “It was pretty cool to go out there with Tom (Blundell) who was really settled at the crease,” he said. Blundell and Henry went on to share a 10th-wicket stand of 96. “When you’re batting with a batter, it’s always enjoyable because they peel things back for you and keep it nice and simple.”That is the way New Zealand have approached this as a collective, knowing that despite being World Test Champions, they could easily have been underdogs.”We are missing some key players (Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Boult) and there has been talk about South Africa being such a quality side and what’s happened in the past (New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a Test series),” Henry says. “For us, it’s not getting too caught up in that and, it sounds cliche, but just doing our jobs and sticking to our roles.”

Already looking ahead to potentially signing their next Liam Delap, Ipswich Town are now reportedly among the clubs eyeing a move to sign a Celtic youngster who just starred in front of their scouts.

Ipswich transfer news

On the performance front, it could be argued that Ipswich deserve more than just the nine points that they’ve won so far this season, sitting 18th in the Premier League as a result.

A case in point is their recent clash against Manchester United. After conceding in the opening moments of Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of the Red Devils, Ipswich enjoyed the better share of chances and arguably should have gone on and secured three points after Omari Hutchinson’s equaliser.

Forced to settle for a point nonetheless, Ipswich now have something that they must build on in pursuit of survival. Once again, it was Delap at the centre of the majority of the joy that Kieran McKenna’s side had up against Manchester United’s backline, making it no surprise that those at Portman Road are looking to repeat their transfer genius.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Ipswich Town are now eyeing a move to sign Daniel Cummings after he starred in front of on-watching scouts, scoring the winning goal for Celtic against Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League.

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An 18-year-old who has scored 22 goals in just 20 games at youth level so far this season, Cummings could yet leave Scotland in a cheap deal. As things stand, his current Celtic deal is set to come to an end next summer, which means that he’ll cost a cross-border compensation fee of just €310,000 (£250,000+) in what could quickly turn into a bargain move.

"Great" Cummings can follow in Delap's footsteps

Yet to step into senior football, Cummings could swap Celtic for Ipswich in pursuit of exactly that. Whilst Delap had at least already experienced first-team football when he decided to swap Manchester City for Ipswich, he too was struggling to establish himself on a weekly basis at the Etihad even after successful loan spells away. It’s a struggle that Cummings may soon want to put to an end at Celtic, which could result in an exit away.

Praised for his “great runs” and “spectacular strikes” by The Young Team, who scout Scotland’s next top stars, Cummings looks like a player destined to make an impact whether it’s at Celtic or in the Premier League at a place like Portman Road.

For a bargain fee, Ipswich could be landing an impressive coup ahead of a number of Premier League rivals.

Everything you need to know about talented youngster Jamal Musiala's salary at Germany's most successful club

Jamal Musiala is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects in world football right now. The gifted attacker made his debut for Bayern Munich side back in 2020, aged just 17 and his pace, dribbling and technical abilities make him an incredibly feared player for opposition defenders.

Musiala has been a top target for many clubs across Europe in recent years, but the Germany international only recently signed a five-year contract with Bayern, keeping him at the Allianz Arena up until 2030 and making him one of the highest-paid players in the squad.

Just how much does Musiala earn, though?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Jamal Musiala’s wages at Bayern Munich in numbers

Despite his comparatively young age, Musiala draws a salary of £300,862 ($380,030) in a week playing for the German side. On an annual basis, Musiala’s salary scales well over £15 million ($19m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Jamal Musiala

German

  £300,862

$380,030

£15,644,840

$19,761,545

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Bayern Munich

With no surprises, it is England's Harry Kane who sits at the top of the chart as the highest-paid player both at Bayern and in Bundesliga overall.

Following the red-hot striker is legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in second position. Defensive midfielder Joshua Kimmich comes in at third, while Serge Gnabry and Musiala acquire the fourth and fifth spot with identical wages.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Harry Kane

English

£398,599

$503,484

£20,727,134

$26,181,168

Manuel Neuer

German

£334,823

$422,927

£17,410,792

$21,992,181

Joshua Kimmich

German

£310,907

$392,718

£16,167,164

$20,421,311

Serge Gnabry

German

£300,862

$380,030

£15,644,840

$19,761,545

Jamal Musiala

German

£300,862

$380,030

£15,644,840

$19,761,545

Top 5 earners in the Bundesliga

Bayern’s dominance in the Bundesliga has been quite evident over the years, and they are in a league of their own when it comes to wage bills as well.

Twelve Bayern players acquire the top twelve highest-earning spots in the list followed by Borussia Dortmund’s Niklas Sule who played for Bayern for five seasons before his transfer to Dortmund.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Harry Kane

English

£398,599

$503,484

£20,727,134

$26,181,168

Manuel Neuer

German

£334,823

$422,927

£17,410,792

$21,992,181

Joshua Kimmich

German

£310,907

$392,718

£16,167,164

$20,421,311

Serge Gnabry

German

£300,862

$380,030

£15,644,840

$19,761,545

Jamal Musiala

German

£300,862

$380,030

£15,644,840

$19,761,545

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Getty ImagesHighest paid players in the world

Although Musiala is one of the top five earners in the Bundesliga, there is a long way to go for the youngster when it comes to the top earners across world football.

That title belongs to veteran striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi side Al Nassr. Following him is Karim Benzema who represents Al Ittihad.

Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez enters the list at number three, followed by former Liverpool and Chelsea stars, Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,846,154

$4,027,872

£200,000,000

$209,449,340

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,923,077

$2,013,936

£100,000,000

$104,724,670

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£1,003,846

$1,051,275

£52,200,000

$54,666,278

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£769,231

$805,574

£40,000,000

$41,889,868

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£667,308

$698,836

£34,000,000

$36,339,460

West Ham currently sit 14th in the Premier League, having secured four points in their past two games, drawing 0-0 with Everton and beating Newcastle 2-0.

These back-to-back clean sheets and points acquired have been hugely important to Julen Lopetegui, as his job appeared to be in danger before these results.

Last season, under David Moyes, West Ham averaged 40.5% possession, taking 11.8 shots per game, and conceding 17.2 shots per game. However, so far this term, Lopetegui’s side are averaging more possession (45.5%), taking more shots (13.6 per game), and conceding fewer (16.4 per game).

West Ham have improved in all of these metrics, getting slightly more control in games than they managed last time around, which was the aim of the club when parting ways with Moyes, and going down the route of hiring Lopetegui, a more possession-based coach. However, the results haven’t followed suit until recently.

The Hammers will face Arsenal at the London Stadium this weekend, looking to keep their third consecutive clean sheet, but it won’t be easy, as the Gunners look refreshed by the return of their captain, Martin Odegaard.

West Ham vs Arsenal history

In this same fixture at the London Stadium last season, West Ham were subject to a thrashing, losing 6-0 to Arsenal as they pursued the Premier League title. To rub salt into the wounds, former Hammers Declan Rice came up with a wonderful goal from distance.

However, the Hammers did manage to get the better of Arsenal at the Emirates last season, with a 2-0 victory, goals coming from Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos.

In the history of this fixture, Arsenal have won 73 times, West Ham have won on 37 occasions, and the match has ended in a draw on 41 occasions.

Now, prior to the Gunners defeating Nottingham Forest and Sporting recently, Lopetegui’s men might have been confident of getting a result.

That being said, the return of Odegaard has seen a spark of life for the Gunners and West Ham will have to manage him carefully. The Hammers should get chances themselves, though, courtesy of their very own version of the Norwegian, a player who Arsenal once pursued themselves.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Lucas Paqueta vs Martin Odegaard

Back in 2022, it was reported that Arsenal were the leading contenders to sign Lucas Paqueta. In the same window, West Ham managed to tempt the Brazilian to the club, signing for £51m, a club record fee for the Hammers.

Paqueta has since gone on to make 98 appearances for the club so far, scoring 15 goals, providing 14 assists, and totalling 7,411 minutes.

Much like Odegaard, the “special” midfielder – as David Moyes described him – operates as a number 8 or number 10, looking to create for his side with moments of creative brilliance, taking the ball in tight spaces, and being a reference point for his teammates to bounce off of.

The 27-year-old works hard, is involved in the defensive phases of the game, and is an important part of the Hammers press, contesting duels and pressing as a striker at times, again, all similar to Odegaard’s role with Arsenal.

Goals

0.19

0.00

Assists

0.00

0.27

xG

0.22

0.14

xAG

0.13

0.18

Progressive Carries

0.80

3.04

Progressive Passes

5.60

9.29

Shots Total

1.31

1.64

Key Passes

1.40

3.04

Passes into Final Third

5.40

6.07

Shot-Creating Actions

3.30

5.00

Tackles + Interceptions

2.70

1.67

When comparing the metrics of the two midfielders so far this season, Odegaard comes out on top in eight of the 11 statistics analysed, with Paqueta only bettering the Norwegian in tackles + interceptions, goals, and xG generated per 90.

The creative numbers of Odegaard are much higher than Paqueta’s due to their roles in their respective teams. While the Brazilian is similar in playing style, West Ham do not hold as much possession as Arsenal, and therefore Paqueta averages fewer touches, and has less responsibility in build-up due to their lower level of control.

It is actually Paqueta who has the potential to hurt the Gunners most, due to their tactical system, and the exploitable factors of that set-up, being something the former Lyon man has the qualities to unlock.

How Paqueta can hurt Arsenal

Arsenal tend to set up in a 4-3-3 on paper, but Mikel Arteta’s side make plenty of rotations in possession in order to get their best players into dangerous areas and sustain pressure in the opposition half.

The way in which they do this is by inverting both of their full-backs alongside the lone defensive midfielder (Thomas Partey), creating a 2-3 base shape, configured of the two central defenders behind the three which comprises of inverted fullbacks and one defensive midfielder.

This allows the two other central midfielders, often Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to push forwards into the half spaces. One of Arsenal’s best qualities is sustaining pressure on the opposition, and that is done via their counter press.

The five players mentioned above are brilliant in the moment of a turnover, converging on the ball as a unit to regain possession as quickly as possible inside their half.

West Ham can exploit this via Paqueta’s passing qualities, looking to find channel balls in behind where the wide defenders have inverted from and exploit the space left by their movements. It is important that Lopetegui’s star midfielder looks to make these passes instantly, whilst the Arsenal fullbacks remain out of position, as that is the moment they are most vulnerable.

Michail Antonio will also be key to this, as he is a strong and willing runner, who will keep the central defenders honest, causing them problems on the break and stretching the pitch for the Hammers.

West Ham will have to be at their best if they are to get anything against Arsenal, but this could well be their best route, and it comes at a good time, with Paqueta coming off the back of his best performance of the season against Newcastle on Monday night.

West Ham ace is now totally undroppable after his "best game" for the club

Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham side claimed three vital points against Newcastle last night.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 26, 2024

Belgium's No.1 goalkeeper Koen Casteels has quit the national team in frustration over the decision to bring Thibaut Courtois back into the fold.

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Courtois clashed with previous Belgium boss TedescoNew manager keen to reintroduce himCasteels fuming over decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Having previously clashed repeatedly with former manager Dominic Tedesco – with Courtois reportedly angered by the decision to make Romelu Lukaku Belgium's captain instead of him – the Real Madrid shot-stopper has not played for his national team since June 2023. However, the appointment of Rudi Garcia has opened a pathway to an international return for Courtois, and Koen Casteels, the man who has filled in as No.1, is not happy about the decision to "roll out the red carpet" for him.

AdvertisementWHAT CASTEELS SAID

Casteels, who plays his club football for Saudi outfit Al-Qadsiah, told the Belgian podcast : "It's strange that the football association has turned 180 degrees and is rolling out the red carpet and welcoming him back with open arms… I think it's a bit strange that Courtois can decide for himself whether he can come back. It is not so much towards Thibaut, but mainly towards the football association. That does not fit in with the standards and values that I have about what a team sport or a sporting organisation should have. As of today, I am no longer available [for the national team]."

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Casteels' decision to rule himself out of selection due to Courtois' return may come as a shock to new Belgium boss Garcia, although he'll be relieved about his recent conversations with the Madrid keeper, which reportedly went well. Having Courtois between the sticks is a huge boost; the two-time Champions League winner is considered one of the best goalkeepers on the planet and at the age of 31 he still has a key role to play during a transitional period for Belgium.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BELGIUM?

With Courtois back in goal, Belgium will now prepare for an important international break coming up later this month. Garcia's side is scheduled to face Ukraine twice in back-to-back UEFA Nations League games, one on Thursday 20 March and the other on Sunday 23 March. Their new manager will be desperate to make a strong start to his tenure.