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Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann has been reported for a suspect action following Australia’s Test series in Sri Lanka.Kuhnemann, who claimed 16 wickets in the two matches in Galle, will now have to undergo independent testing at an ICC-accredited centre with Brisbane the likely location. Bowlers are permitted 15 degrees of flex in their actions.Related

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It is the first time in a professional career which began in 2017 that Kuhnemann’s action has been called into question. He is able to continue playing domestic cricket while his action is assessed and while he hasn’t been included in Tasmania’s squad for Thursday’s One-Day Cup match he could feature in the next of the Sheffield Shield.Should he fail the assessment in the coming weeks he would be banned from bowling until remedial work is undertaken and the corrections are approved.”The Australian team was notified of the match officials’ referral following the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle and will support Matt through the process of clearing this matter,” a CA spokesperson said.”Matt has played 124 professional matches since his debut in 2017, including five Test matches and four One-Day Internationals. He has played 55 Big Bash League games since 2018.”This is the first time in those eight years of professional cricket that his action has been questioned.Matt Kuhnemann played a major part in Australia’s success•Getty Images

“Cricket Australia will liaise closely with the ICC and independent experts in line with ICC regulations. No further comment will be made by Cricket Australia or Matthew until the matter is resolved.”Kuhnemann was lauded as Australia’s best bowler in the Sri Lanka series by Nathan Lyon after the duo teamed up to take 30 off the 40 wickets in the 2-0 series sweep.He faced a race against time to be fit for the tour after breaking his thumb in the BBL in mid-January but made a remarkable recovery to be able to take his place in the side.There were no concerns raised about Kuhnemann’s action in the first Test.An ICC media release said: “Australia’s left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has been reported with a suspect bowling action during the second match of their ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka in Galle.”The match officials’ report cited concerns about the legality of the 28-year-old’s bowling action. Kuhnemann will undergo an Independent Assessment of his bowling action at an ICC Accredited Testing facility to determine the legality of his bowling action.”Kuhnemann has taken 25 wickets in five Tests at an average of 22.20.

Chelsea chiefs have done extremely well when it comes to selling players this summer, with BlueCo’s mass car boot sale raising north of £300 million.

Enzo Maresca’s side have a unique pact with UEFA after they were slapped with a conditional fine for breaching FFP last month.

A condition of the settlement is that Chelsea must sell certain players from their ‘A-List’ Conference League squad last season if they want to register new signings for the Champions League this term, meaning the Blues have been under pressure to offload squad members.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, Renato Veiga and Carney Chukwuemeka have all left Stamford Bridge on permanent deals this window, raising a mountain of cash and allowing the club to produce a positive net spend.

Madueke, Amougou and Dewsbury-Hall’s departures also contribute towards Chelsea’s goal of a ‘positive transfer balance’ by September, so they can insert new players into their Champions League ranks ahead of what will be a testing 25/26.

Lately, their potential deals for one of Xavi Simons or Fermin Lopez, with Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho, have stalled due to their need to sell both Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson – which is a result of their UEFA agreement.

Garnacho has agreed personal terms with Chelsea, while it is believed that Barcelona’s Lopez is coming round to the idea of a potential west London move if Maresca’s side opt for the Spaniard instead of Simons.

Chelsea now face stiff competition from Tottenham for the latter, so if they do really want the Dutchman, BlueCo will need to hurry as Spurs are desperate to sign a playmaker.

According to reports, Simons is jetting to London for transfer talks amid Chelsea and Spurs’ interest, so this race is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Luckily for Chelsea, they have just freed up space in their squad for one of Simons or Lopez by agreeing to sell Nkunku to AC Milan.

Chelsea agree Christopher Nkunku exit with AC Milan deal done

According to Fabrizio Romano, who broke the news first, Chelsea have verbally shaken hands on a deal with Milan over Nkunku, with the £195,000-per-week Frenchman set to pen a five-year deal at the San Siro.

The BBC’s Nizaar Kinsella estimates that, following this transfer, Chelsea have raised around £310 million from outgoings to balance out £277 million spent on transfers – so Maresca’s side certainly won’t have to worry about PSR.

A move to Serie A also comes as the fresh start Nkunku needs to become a mainstay star, having contributed well under Maresca when called upon.

The Frenchman bagged 15 goals in all competitions despite coming mainly off the bench and starting in the Conference League, with João Félix calling him a “top player”.

The team did not get clearance from the Indian government to travel to Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2024

India had hosted and won the first three editions of the blind T20 World Cup•Getty Images

The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) on Wednesday announced that it is pulling the team out of the fourth edition of the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, after failing to secure the Indian government’s clearance for the squad to travel to Pakistan.The tournament is set to start on November 22 and go on till December 3.”While this is a significant setback for the team, CABI fully respects the government’s concerns and the decision for the same,” the board said in a statement. “The team had been training rigorously and was eager to compete. However, we prioritise the government’s guidance and remain steadfast in our commitment to the continued development of Blind Cricket in India.”Related

Champions Trophy saga: Blame lies with ICC leadership

India will not travel to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy

“We play with passion, and we represent our country with immense pride. We have always looked forward to competing at the biggest stage, and it is disheartening to miss out on this opportunity,” Durga Rao Tompaki, the captain of the Indian men’s cricket team for the blind, said. “However, we know that the next World Cup is just around the corner, and we remain committed to our training and preparation.”We have had a successful coaching camp and have seen emerging talent that we believe can lead our team to greater heights. It’s time to nurture these talents and ensure that our team is ready when the next tournament comes.”The development comes 100 days ahead of the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is also set to be held in Pakistan. On November 9, the BCCI had informed the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament – again, a decision taken on the advice of the Indian government.The schedule for the Champions Trophy was originally expected to be released by the ICC today.India had hosted and won the first three T20 Blind Cricket World Cups, beating Pakistan in the finals of the first two editions and Bangladesh in their most recent triumph.

A smart half century from Beth Mooney and a five-wicket haul for spinner Alana King have propelled Perth Scorchers to a 28-run WBBL win over Brisbane Heat at the WACA.Mooney rescued her side after a mid innings collapse left them precariously placed at 106 for 6 in the 17th over.Laura Harris (40 off 21) threatened to snatch victory from Scorchers, bludgeoning 16 in the space of four balls from spinner Amy Edgar in the 17th over, to leave the visitors needing 31 off the last three.But the end came quickly after King had Harris caught at long off. It was the first of three wicket in five balls, with just one run added, as Heat were dismissed for 114 with two overs left. King took all of the last four wickets as she returned her best WBBL figures.Scorchers improved to 2-1 and Heat dropped to 2-2.Scorchers were quite well placed at 81 for 2 in the 12th over, but lost 4 for 15 before Mooney boosted her side with some effective late hitting. She looked all at sea in the first over, playing and missing three times against impressive Indian quick Shikha Pandey.Mooney put on 40 in an opening stand with Sophie Devine. Devine struck some handsome offside boundaries before being yorked by Nadine de Klerk.Nicola Hancock induced two batters into mistiming a short ball and giving an easy catch.Mooney struck just three fours in her first 40 runs of steady accumulation, but went through the gears and into overdrive in the last three overs. The prolific left-hander struck five of her nine fours in that period as the Heat piled up 34 runs off the last three, before she was bowled behind her legs by Hancock off the last ball of the innings.Mooney appeared to injure a finger and handed the gloves over to England wicketkeeper Amy Jones halfway through Heat’s innings.Heat lost both openers in the powerplay and slumped to 38 for 3 in the sixth over, despite a typically belligerent start from opener Grace Harris.They looked out of contention at 87 for 7 after 15 overs, but Laura Harris made them sweat before King’s final over proved decisive.

يستعد فريق الكرة للزمالك لخوض مباراة صعبة أمام الإسماعيلي، في المواجهة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتقام المباراة بين الزمالك ومنافسه الإسماعيلي غدا الخميسعلى أرضية استاد هيئة قناة السويس، وذلك ضمن لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري المصري.

يدخل الزمالك المباراة بمعنويات مرتفعة بعدما حقق فوزًا ثمينًا في الجولة الماضية على المصري البورسعيدي بثلاثية مقابل هدف، ليرفع رصيده إلى 13 نقطة في صدارة جدول الترتيب.

الفريق الأبيض خاض 6 مباريات حتى الآن، فاز في 4 منها، وتعادل في واحدة، بينما تلقى هزيمة وحيدة.

ويأمل يانيك فيريرا المدير الفني للزمالك، في استمرار الصحوة وتحقيق الانتصار، من أجل تثبيت أقدام الفريق في صدارة المسابقة.

على الجانب الآخر، يعيش الإسماعيلي وضعًا صعبًا هذا الموسم، إذ يحتل المركز الثامن عشر برصيد 4 نقاط فقط، من فوز وتعادل وأربع هزائم.

ويحاول الإسماعيلي تصحيح المسار أمام الزمالك، خاصة وأن المباراة تقام على ملعبه وبين جماهيره، ما يمنحه دافعًا إضافيًا لتقديم مباراة قوية أمام المتصدر.

صلاح سليمان: متشائم من حكم مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي.. واستمرار تعثر الأهلي “مستحيل”

وأعلنت لجنة الحكام باتحاد الكرة المصري عن طاقم إدارة اللقاء، حيث يقود المباراة الحكم الدولي أمين عمر، ويعاونه شريف عبدالله وعمر فتحي، فيما سيكون إبراهيم محجوب حكمًا رابعًا، بينما يتولى علاء صبري مهمة حكم الفيديو “VAR”، ويعاونه سمير جمال.

Fulham have now approached the agents of an “incredible” player over a potential move to Craven Cottage, but it may take an offer of £34m to get a deal done, journalist Orazio Accomando has revealed.

Cottagers set sights on new midfielder

The Cottagers are yet to make any additions to their squad this summer, but the recent news that Kenny Tete is set to sign a new deal is a bonus, given that the Dutchman had been linked with a move to Everton.

In terms of potential new arrivals, Marco Silva appears to be particularly keen on strengthening his midfield options this summer, having identified a number of targets over the past month.

Target

Current club

Potential cost

Nadiem Amiri

Mainz

£15m

Kalvin Phillips

Manchester City

£21m

Joao Palhinha

Bayern Munich

£25m

Rocco Reitz

Borussia Monchengladbach

£17m

Having solidified themselves as a Premier League club, the west Londoners may now be in a position to be a tad more ambitious with their targets, and they have now made an approach for a 2025 Champions League finalist.

That is according to an update from Accomando on X, with the reporter stating that Fulham have now submitted an enquiry over a deal for Inter Milan star Hakan Çalhanoğlu, making contact with the midfielder’s agents.

Inter aren’t willing to let the maestro leave on the cheap, however, with the Italian club set to hold out for a fee of €40m (£34m), which may be prohibitive for fellow potential suitors Galatasaray, who are only willing to offer €15m (£13m).

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The 31-year-old “wants” to join Galatasaray, but the Turkish champions may find it difficult to win the race for his signature if a bidding war breaks out, with Manchester United also expressing an interest.

Çalhanoğlu could be "incredible" coup for Fulham

It would be a real statement of intent if Fulham were able to sign a 2025 Champions League finalist, particularly one who played a major role in the Italian side reaching that stage of the competition.

The Inter star was a key player throughout the campaign, regularly providing goals and assists in all competitions, despite often featuring in a deep-lying role.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Serie A

29

5

6

Champions League

12

4

2

Italian Cup

4

2

0

The Turk is also vastly experienced at international level, scoring 21 goals in 97 outings for his country, including a remarkable effort at Euro 2024.

Turkey assistant manager Daniele Russo was subsequently left impressed by the Germany-born midfielder, saying: “It goes without saying that he is an incredible player. He is also very good at protecting his young teammates.”

As such, Çalhanoğlu could be a statement signing for Fulham this summer, but Galatasaray and Manchester United’s interest could pose a problem.

Liverpool are pushing to make a series of sweeping changes to Arne Slot’s squad nice and early, thus allowing themselves to kick their feet up and bask in the sun after winning the Premier League.

It’s been a terrific season for the Reds, whose dominance in the top flight established a commanding lead before Christmas, which was held confidently across the latter half of the year.

Only after the Premier League was wrapped up did Liverpool ease their trademark intensity – and by quite a bit at that. Only two points were claimed from a possible 12 to see out the season, with the last taste of victory, a 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur, securing gold with plenty of room to spare.

Slot has been against heavy rotation for the majority of the campaign, but he has dished out the changes over the past month. However, Darwin Nunez was still limited to cameos, last making a league start on Boxing Day.

The Uruguayan striker is set to leave the club this summer, and rightly so. Everyone wanted it to work out, but he pales in comparison to his predecessors at number nine.

Liverpool's longing for an elite striker

Nunez has the minerals to be a world-class player, but, frankly, he’s failed to bring it all together and must be sold. Such an argument is certainly reinforced when flicking back over some of the contemporary strikers the Merseysiders have been treated to.

Luis Suarez being chief among them, with the Uruguayan, Nunez’s countryman, only surpassed by Mohamed Salah in terms of efficacy and consistency in front of goal at Liverpool, across the past several decades.

However, would it be fair to say Suarez failed to capture the fanbase’s adoration quite to the same level as Fernando Torres in his prime?

It just might. Torres signed as a Liverpool player in 2007, aged 23. The package was worth £20m, and it was widely accepted that Rafael Benitez had scored the Premier League giants a bona fide bargain.

If Liverpool could sign their next version of the Spanish World Cup winner, they may well be laughing all the way toward a successful Premier League title defence.

And they might just be in the race for such a player.

Liverpool moving to sign new Torres

According to Spanish outlet Marca, Liverpool are firmly in the race for Atletico Madrid centre-forward Julian Alvarez, who left Manchester City to play under Diego Simeone in an £82m deal last summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Liverpool have reportedly ‘sounded out a move’, but Arsenal and Barcelona are also interested, with the Gunners understood to have the lead in the race at this stage.

Los Colchoneros don’t want to sell their talisman, of course, but they would entertain offers that exceed what they paid to City one year ago. He supposedly has a £126m release clause, but this might prove a tad steep.

Why Alvarez could be Slot's own Torres

Liverpool would do anything to have a striker in the same vein as Torres back in the mix, and Alvarez truly could be that man.

This season, the “ridiculous” forward – as he’s been called by Statman Dave – has been a revelation for Atletico Madrid, scoring 29 goals and adding six assists across all competitions, including a seven-goal haul from ten matches in the Champions League.

This newfound level of potency marks progress from his days under Pep Guardiola’s wing, perhaps because he has been upgraded to a berth of greater importance.

River Plate

122

54

31

Manchester City

103

36

19

Atletico Madrid

53

29

6

Argentina

44

12

33

Journalist Roy Nemer even made the bold statement that Alvarez has been “the best forward in the world” this season, with his 29-goal return in Simeone’s Atletico team making a convincing comment on his qualities and indeed capacity to reach even higher in another system.

Slot’s system? Just imagine. Alvarez is sharpening his developing prolific sense at the front of Liverpool’s team, backed up by the likes of Salah and Florian Wirtz, with Bayer Leverkusen receiving an official proposal from the Anfield side on Monday.

There’s a real chance that Slot’s creative capacity would know no bounds with such players threading passes in toward a mobile and dynamic focal point such as Alvarez.

As per FBref, the Argentina star ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues this season for all of shot-creating actions, passes attempted and progressive carries, as well as the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 12% for successful take-ons made per 90.

All told, he’s the “complete player”, as described by Marca editor Matias Wodner. And in a way, this suggests he could become Liverpool’s new version of El Nino, especially given that Liverpool would be reeling him in from Atletico Madrid.

When Torres arrived at Liverpool, his prowess was undeniable, but there was clearly room for improvement. This was perfectly enforced. Before leaving contentiously for Chelsea, the iconic striker scored 81 goals and added 19 assists across just 142 fixtures in a Liverpool shirt.

His pace, sharp movements and lethal finishing led one Steven Gerrard to describe him as the “best striker in the world” back in 2009, with something in the Anfield air eliciting the finest form of the Spain star’s career, vindicated upon a high-profile move to Stamford Bridge which stocked Torres’ trophy cabinet but failed to yield the same prolific results.

If Alvarez were to make the move to Merseyside this summer, though, you could envisage a long-term future in Slot’s squad to be sure.

The 25-year-old has already won the Premier League twice, posting 31 goal involvements across his two campaigns despite only starting 44 matches in total.

He’s the real deal, and with rumours surfacing that Atletico are interested in talking to Liverpool about the potential signing of Nunez, this might be one to keep a close eye on.

He's the new Coutinho: Liverpool set to sign "generational" star very soon

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Brendan Rodgers has the chance to win the domestic treble this afternoon when his Celtic team takes to the field to face Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final at Hampden Park.

The Hoops have already won the Scottish Premiership title and the League Cup, which they won on penalties against Rangers, and they can clinch a third domestic trophy with a win today.

Rodgers failed to win the treble in his first season back in the dugout at Parkhead, winning the Premiership and the SFA Cup in the 2023/24 campaign, but now has the chance to make it five trophies out of six at domestic level since the summer of 2023.

The Northern Irish head coach’s team were held to a 1-1 draw at home to St. Mirren on the final day of the Premiership campaign, as James Forrest scored a stoppage-time equaliser.

Rodgers may look to make some changes to the starting XI that took to the field against St. Mirren at Parkhead for this cup final clash, and Adam Idah is one player who could be ruthlessly ditched by the former Liverpool manager.

Why Adam Idah should be dropped

The Ireland international lined up against St. Mirren as the starting centre-forward and was withdrawn from the action after 54 minutes without a single shot on goal.

His underwhelming performance last time out, which included just six successful passes, may cost him a place in the starting XI for the cup final, particularly given his record coming off the bench for the Hoops.

Idah has only started 21 of his 42 domestic appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants so far this season, which shows that he has failed to nail down a place as a regular starter under Rodgers, despite Kyogo Furuhashi’s move to Rennes on a permanent deal in the January transfer window.

The former Norwich City marksman, who signed for Celtic on a permanent deal last summer after an initial loan spell at Parkhead, has had more joy off the bench in the Premiership for the Bhoys this term.

Appearances

19

16

Minutes

1,352

357

Goals

6

7

Minutes per goal

225

51

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Idah has scored more goals and delivered more assists in just under 1,000 fewer minutes on the pitch in the top-flight off the bench in comparison to as a starter.

These statistics suggest that the Irishman is more effective as a super sub for the Scottish giants, which is also backed up by his role in the SFA Cup last year, as he came off the bench to score the winning goal against Rangers in the 90th minute at the end of his loan spell.

Therefore, the data would suggest that Rodgers could increase his team’s chances of coming away with the win and the treble by ruthlessly dropping Idah to the bench, as it could make him more effective as an option this afternoon.

This would provide Daizen Maeda, who has scored 14 goals in ten matches as a striker this season, with an opportunity to play through the middle as the main striker.

The Japan international starting over Idah in the centre-forward position would open up a spot on the wing for another player to join him and Nicolas Kuhn in the front three. That position should be filled by club legend James Forrest.

Why James Forrest should start against Aberdeen

In order for Idah to fulfill his role as a super substitute, Rodgers will need to bring another winger into the side and his options are currently limited because Jota is missing with a knee injury, which he sustained in the win over Dundee United last month.

Forrest could be the ideal option to come in to start this match because he is coming off the back of a confidence-lifting goal against St. Mirren on the final day of the Premiership season, a goal which means that he has scored in 16 different seasons for the first-team.

As you can see in the clip above, the Scottish forward blew the roof off Parkhead with his last-gasp strike, which was pretty much the last touch he had in the Premiership season to avoid ending his streak of seasons with at least one goal.

Forrest should, now, be rewarded with a start against Aberdeen, whom he scored against in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup last season, on the left flank, with Kuhn on the right and Maeda through the middle as the number nine.

That would then allow Idah to come on for Forrest in the second half as a super sub option, which would free up Maeda to move out wide, and that gives Rodgers tactical flexibility off the bench in the second half if things are not going Celtic’s way this afternoon.

It would be unfair, though, to suggest that the Scottish veteran would only be starting because of tactical reasons or because of Idah’s impact off the bench, because he is a quality player in his own right who could make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

SFA Cup

41

11

11

League Cup

33

12

6

Premiership

336

73

74

Champions League

30

1

3

Europa League

31

1

7

As you can see in the table above, the 33-year-old forward has a particularly impressive record in the SFA Cup in his career, with 22 goals and assists combined in 41 appearances.

Forrest was once described as a “difference-maker” by Rodgers and that is backed up by his statistics in this competition, as he has delivered goals and assists on a regular basis.

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He should now be given an opportunity to add to that record in the clash at Hampden Park against Aberdeen this afternoon, by being named in the starting XI ahead of Idah.

This could, therefore, win the treble for Rodgers by both giving Forrest a chance to make an impact in the final third, whilst also getting the best out of the Irish striker off the bench.

Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winner as Liverpool defeated Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, which now means winning the Premier League title this month has fallen into Arne Slot’s hands.

Should Arsenal lose against Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Wednesday, Liverpool will be crowned. If not, Anfield will be charged with a frenzy next weekend, the Reds knowing victory over Tottenham Hotspur will seal the deal.

There was something poignant about Trent’s winner, the ecstasy of moving within an inch of the trophy tempered by the knowledge that the boyhood hero, the homegrown superstar, probably scored his final goal for Liverpool.

Trent is set to leave Liverpool

Liverpool fans were divided in opinion after Alexander-Arnold scored and celebrated with such undiluted emotion at the King Power Stadium.

The more optimistic among us suggested the vice-captain’s celebration bespoke a passion that will see him renew terms, devote the remainder of his prime years to his boyhood club.

But this doesn’t feel likely. Fabrizio Romano has already corroborated an overload of Spanish reports in recent months that the England international will indeed sign for Real Madrid this summer, and it would take a remarkable turn of events for that to change now.

Premier League

255

18

65

Champions League

60

2

13

FA Cup

13

1

3

Carabao Cup

10

0

6

Europa League

5

0

2

Club World Cup

2

0

1

Community Shield

2

1

0

CL Qualifying

2

0

1

UEFA Super Cup

1

0

0

Sadly, wishing for a thing doesn’t make it so, and all the pointers suggest that Liverpool’s number 66 is poised to leave when his contract expires in a few months.

One of those pointers is that FSG have already mapped out plans to sign a replacement. He’s been one of the Premier League’s standout full-backs this season.

Liverpool already chasing Trent replacement

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have set Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina in their sights as they prepare for life without Alexander-Arnold.

The Nigerian defender has been in fine fettle for high-flying Forest this season and is months away from the end of his £40k-per-week contract, and may well be tempted by a bumper pay rise with the soon-to-be champions.

With Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also lurking, Forest are piecing together a long-term offer to keep the 28-year-old at the club for the remainder of his prime years, but Anfield presents an enticing package indeed.

How Ola Aina compares to Alexander-Arnold

Nottingham Forest are sixth in the Premier League with just over one month of the 2024/25 campaign left to play. Nuno Espirito Santo has worked wonders, and Aina has been one of his most vital cogs.

Transfer Focus

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

The one-year deal that Aina was tethered to when he joined Forest in July 2023, after his contract with Italians Torino expired, rather candidly comments on the hesitance behind the signing.

Though he’s currently set for free agency this summer, the City Ground side have been confident that an extension could be secured. The minutiae of the potential transfer is unclear, but Liverpool’s pull is a powerful thing.

Such a rumour might feel somewhat deflating, but Aina really has been among the finest full-backs in Europe this season, so important as the Tricky Trees chase down unexpected Champions League qualification.

His ability is uncontestable. In fact, the experienced ace has been described as “the best right-back in the Premier League” this season by former Nigeria international Julius Aghahowa.

It’s hard to dispute it. Defensively, at the least, Aina has been a force to be reckoned with, keeping 11 clean sheets across 30 top-flight fixtures while recovering 5.3 balls, winning 4.2 duels and making 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, as per Sofascore.

He’s not averse to attacking play either. Aina has scored twice this term, the first of which carried Trent-esque technique as West Ham United were flattened by the ranged missile.

Moreover, he’s averaging a dribble per game this year, which is working out to a 55% success rate. Not bad going. Alexander-Arnold, for example, succeeds with just 48% of his ball-carrying attempts.

What about Conor Bradley? Here we find the crux of the argument. The reasoning behind FSG launching a bid for a wide defender at the north end of their 20s who simply doesn’t bring more than a mite of playmaking prowess that Alexander-Arnold will take with him as he capers off to Madrid.

Bradley has so much potential, and with Slot pleased with the Northern Irishman’s progress, it would take quite the right-back to oust him over many years.

Instead, by signing Aina, a sort of balance could be struck, keeping the finely-worked equilibrium on Anfield’s pitch at a productive angle.

To clear the fogs, so to speak, let’s have at how Aina compares to Alexander-Arnold, and how they look when their Premier League metrics from the current campaign are collated.

There’s plenty to unpack here, but we’ll try and simplify it.

First and foremost, it might appear like Aina pales in comparison to Liverpool’s star man, but it’s important to remember that Forest operate without possession. In fact, Nuno’s system has bred the least amount of possession in the Premier League this year, remarkable given they currently lie within the Champions League qualification zone.

Alexander-Arnold creates far more than Aina and curiously makes more tackles, but the Forest star’s duel success, athleticism and ability to take on and beat his man shines a light on his skill and how that could be perfect to slot in to compete with Bradley.

The confluence of styles that Bradley and Aina would project down the right flank could give Slot the right blend to tackle the forthcoming campaign.

Aina wouldn’t replace Alexander-Arnold’s supreme creativity; Liverpool must sign a new attacking midfielder to compensate for the loss of his playmaking.

However, this would balance, dynamise, you name it, Liverpool’s defence, giving Slot what he needs to challenge at the top once again while allowing Bradley to jockey for a place with a contrasting, older profile.

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Also: how many players have scored a hundred in their last Test?

Steven Lynch29-Apr-2025Delhi Capitals scored 203 the other day without an individual half-century. Was this the highest T20 total without a fifty? asked Deepak Krishnan from India

The match you’re talking about was in Ahmedabad on April 19: Delhi Capitals made 203 for 6, with a highest individual contribution of just 39, from their captain Axar Patel. Gujarat Titans passed them with four balls to spare.There have been four higher innings totals in the IPL that didn’t include an individual half-century. Highest of all is Mumbai Indians’ 234 for 5 against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in 2024, when the highest individual contribution was Rohit Sharma’s 49. Punjab Kings made 208 for 5 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Navi Mumbai in 2022 (Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa both made 43); Delhi had 207 for 8 against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede in 2022 (Rishabh Pant 44); and Kolkata Knight Riders made 206 for 5 against RCB in Bengaluru in 2019 (Andre Russell 48 not out from 13 balls).I was looking at some old scorecards, and noticed that the West Indian captain Gerry Alexander was run out four times running while on tour in India in 1958-59. Was this a record for poor running?! asked Henry Mitchell from England

You’re right that the West Indian captain and wicketkeeper Gerry Alexander was run out four times running during that tour. Two of the dismissals were in Tests; the sequence also included an innings in which he was not out. That turns out to be not quite the worst exhibition of running between the wickets in first-class cricket: the Yorkshire seamer Bob Platt was run out five times running between 1957 and 1959 (his sequence included four not-outs). Six other players have had four successive run-out dismissals.The Test record is three successive run-outs, suffered by England’s John Jameson in 1971, and Guy Whittall of Zimbabwe in 1997-98 (that sequence was punctuated by an innings of 203 not out).Have any Test cricketers been born in Kenya? asked Niranjan Shah from Kenya

It’s one of cricket’s endearing oddities that three Test players have been born in Kenya, and they were all active at around the same time, mainly during the 1980s. The first to make his Test debut was Derek Pringle, in 1982 while still at Cambridge University. Pringle was born in Nairobi in 1958 while his father – who appeared for East Africa in the first men’s World Cup, in 1975 – was working there. Derek went on to play 30 Tests and 44 one-day internationals, including the 1992 World Cup final.Qasim Omar, born in Nairobi in 1957, made his debut for Pakistan in 1982-83 after some high-scoring feats in domestic cricket. In 26 Tests he scored three centuries – two of them doubles – before falling out with Imran Khan.Kenya’s third man was Dipak Patel. Born in Nairobi in 1958, he was a Worcestershire regular at a young age, but eventually became a naturalised New Zealander after spending several northern winters there. He made his Test debut in 1986-87, and eventually played 37 Tests and 75 ODIs, including the World Cups of 1987, 1992 and 1996. His highest Test score was 99 in Christchurch in 1992, an innings ended when he was run out from a return from near the boundary by Pringle.Mahmudullah was the last player to make a hundred in his final Test, in 2021•Getty ImagesHow many men scored a century in their final Test match? asked Anupam Sircar from India

At present there are 47 men who scored a century in their last Test match. That number includes Essex’s Jack Russell, who actually made two, and eight current players who will presumably appear again. First on the list was the Kent wicketkeeper Harry Wood, who made 134 not out in his fourth and final Test for England, against South Africa in Cape Town in 1892.Most of the men concerned were not selected again for various reasons to do with form or sometimes big gaps between matches. A few of them had already announced their intention to retire before bowing out with a hundred, notably Bill Ponsford, Raman Subba Row, Seymour Nurse (who made 258 in his final innings, in Christchurch in 1969), Greg Chappell, Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum and Alastair Cook. Both Nasser Hussain and Mahmudullah seem to have decided to retire in the middle of Test matches in which they went on to score hundreds in what they would have known to be their final matches.I noticed that three of this year’s Wisden Cricketers of the Year play for Surrey. Has there ever been a year in which all five came from the same team? asked Michael Broughton from England

You’re right that three of this year’s Wisden Five – Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Dan Worrall – play for Surrey. In case anyone missed last week’s announcement, the other two were Sophie Ecclestone and Liam Dawson (and a reminder that the award, which can be won only once, is based on performances in the previous English season).Three from one county is a rare achievement, but is perhaps not surprising as Surrey completed a hat-trick of County Championship titles last year. It’s not quite the English record: Yorkshire had four of the Five in 1901 – Schofield Haigh, George Hirst, Tom Taylor and John Tunnicliffe. The exception was Reginald “Tip” Foster of Worcestershire, who would soon score a record 287 on Test debut in Sydney in 1903. Surrey also had three in 1907 and 1958.No English side has ever provided all five of the Five, but in 1949 all of them were members of Don Bradman’s “Invincible” touring team the previous summer – Lindsay Hassett, Bill Johnston, Ray Lindwall, Arthur Morris and Don Tallon. The 1962 Almanack also featured five Australians – four from the previous summer’s touring team (Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson, Bill Lawry and Norman O’Neill), plus the 42-year-old Bill Alley, who scored more than 3000 runs that season for Somerset.In addition, in 1997, 2000 and 2002 there were no England-qualified players among the Five. For the full list of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year, click here.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions