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Allrounder completes set of international caps with first List A appearance in four years

Matt Roller02-Mar-2023Twenty-six hours and fifty-two minutes. That is the length of time between Jimmy Anderson strangling Neil Wagner down the leg side to give New Zealand a one-run win in the second Test at the Basin Reserve, and Chris Woakes beating Tamim Iqbal on the outside edge some 7000 miles away in the first ODI at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka.International teams playing on consecutive days has become all too common in the post-Covid era: last year, I was among the handful of people present as England won their third ODI against the Netherlands in Amstelveen on the evening of June 22, and then again for the first day of their Headingley Test against New Zealand on the morning of June 23. This time, it was physically impossible to be at both the denouement of the Wellington Test and the start of the Mirpur ODI – at least, while using commercial airlines.History will show that one player managed the improbable feat of being in England’s squads for both games. Will Jacks made the journey to Bangladesh on Saturday after he was left out of England’s team for the second Test; he was officially added as cover for the injured Tom Abell, but the ECB had discussed the possibility of him joining the ODI squad even before Abell strained his side in Sri Lanka.Related

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On Wednesday, Jacks was presented with his ODI cap by his Surrey team-mate Jason Roy, completing his full set five-and-a-half months – but only four games – after making his England debut in a T20I in Karachi. In that time, Jacks has started to resemble the personification of English cricket’s scheduling crisis.In September, he played two T20Is in Pakistan while Liam Livingstone was injured and Ben Stokes was being rested, on a tour which represented preparation for a T20 World Cup he would play no part in. In December, he played two Tests in Pakistan, in part because Moeen Ali had retired from the format due to England’s schedule.A month later, he thrived at the SA20 – then missed the final stages in order to travel to New Zealand with England’s Test squad. Now, he is in Bangladesh, again in part due to Livingstone’s injury-enforced absence – and pulled out of a planned three-match stint in the PSL to make himself available. “I’ve had six days at home since the start of November,” he told reporters in Bangladesh, also revealing that his luggage had arrived 48 hours after him.It is a bizarre itinerary, but hardly an unusual one among England’s players. More than 60 have been involved in overseas short-form leagues over the winter, and keeping track of England’s squads now requires close attention: they have played six matches across formats in 2023, and used 26 different players.Jacks made a solid impression on ODI debut. He bowled some hard-spun offbreaks in his role as England’s third spinner, conceding a solitary boundary and picking up a fortuitous wicket: Afif Hossain miscued him to mid-on while hacking across the line. Figures of 1 for 18 in five overs made him England’s most economical bowler.Jacks received his England ODI cap before play in Mirpur•Getty ImagesBatting at No. 6 in the chase, he was frenetic early in his innings: he managed 10 off his first 23 balls, including an edged four, a caught-and-bowled chance off Mustafizur Rahman, and a couple of ugly swipes as he struggled to find his rhythm. He picked up three boundaries in his next five balls, including a lofted six over cover, then picked out deep midwicket off Mehidy Hasan to fall for 26 off 31.The tempo of 50-over batting did not come naturally for him – and why should it have? This was Jacks’ first List A game in four years, a scenario that would have seemed unthinkable for an England ODI debutant in any previous era yet has now become a fact of life, such are the idiosyncrasies of the schedule.Ever since England’s World Cup win in 2019, their domestic 50-over competition has clashed with the Hundred. As a result, a generation of talented young white-ball players have had almost no exposure to one-day cricket since Under-19 level: in Sri Lanka last month, Tom Hartley (10 first-class appearances, 59 T20s) and Tom Lammonby (33 first-class appearances, 62 T20s) both made their List A debuts while playing for England Lions.Players like Jacks have been caught in the crosshairs: after this tour to Bangladesh, he will try to push his case for World Cup selection during two months with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL, then with Surrey and Oval Invincibles during the English summer. Like most of his team-mates, he will not play a 50-over game between the third ODI and England’s selection meeting for the main event.Clearly, the situation is far from ideal. England would not, ideally, be giving Jacks his debut seven months out from their title defence, even if his most likely role in their squad would be as a multi-talented back-up player who could be used as an opener or in the middle order.Ideally, he would be playing more 50-over cricket, too. Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review last year proposed moving the One-Day Cup from August to April. “For England to be winning 50-over World Cups, it needs to provide its highest-potential players opportunities to play the format. This is not possible in today’s schedule,” the review said. But the proposals were rejected by the counties, and the status quo will prevail.And yet, Jacks’ cameo represented a valuable contribution to a scrappy England win, giving them two opportunities to inflict Bangladesh’s first home ODI series defeat since England’s most recent tour in 2016. England’s ODI results have been poor in the last 12 months, but as Moeen Ali said before this series: “We have lost 8 in the last 10 – but we are also the champions of the world.”Even while fielding a half-strength team for most of this cycle, England are second in the ICC’s Super League and are second-favourites for the World Cup behind the hosts, India. It would be a major surprise if they failed to reach the semi-finals.Jacks’ ODI debut is emblematic of the format’s diminished status within English cricket since that day at Lord’s four years ago. Yet he possesses the qualities – adaptability, versatility and, above all talent – which underpin England’s confidence that, come October, everything will fall into place once again.

This is far from a golden era of slip catching, but there are still some players who make a habit of taking stunners in the cordon

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2021Steven Smith

There are few better sights in cricket than a packed slip cordon – well, maybe it’s just me. But does this feel like a golden era of slip catching? I’m not going to delve into the percentage of dropped catches right here, but the gut feeling is no. A recent social media poll by our digital gurus posed the question of the dream cordon: Darren Gough’s was Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff. It’s an all-timer, for sure.The best of the current players? I’ve gone for Smith, who snaffles them pretty safely, and sometimes spectacularly, either against the quicks or the spinners (when he isn’t standing too deep and getting Shane Warne riled up). One of the more recent ones to stick in the memory is a full-stretch dive to remove Kane Williamson – should there be extra marks for the quality of the batter? – in Perth two seasons ago. Williamson edged Mitchell Starc in a day-night Test with the lights taking hold, and Smith was horizontal at second slip when he took it almost behind him. Would he make an all-time cordon? I might check the replies to that social post.#OhmyBroad: Ben Stokes’ grab at Trent Bridge in 2015, is an unforgettable Ashes moment•Getty ImagesBen Stokes

There’s probably a distinction to be made between great slip catchers and takers of great slip catches. Some of those vying for the all-time cordon pouched almost everything that came their way with soft-handed surety, but may have been less likely to fling themselves bodily for the one-percenters. And if there are fewer in the never-drop-a-chance category these days, perhaps it’s because the modern cricketer is more likely to get close to ones that would have zipped straight through in the past.Related

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Anyway, while Stokes does put down more than the odd one, there’s no doubting his ability to pluck ’em from thin air – and it’s spectacular snags that do it for me. Exhibit A is, of course, the Aussie-scuppering, #OhMyBroad-inspiring, claw-assisted snatch of Adam Voges’ outside edge from fifth slip at Trent Bridge in 2015 – aerial, horizontal, behind him. But we’ve subsequently discovered this is just what Stokes does. See four grabs in a day in Cape Town (three of them full length, one an absolute screamer), or a regulation flying one-hander to dismiss Jasprit Bumrah in Chennai that he barely celebrates.My other candidate was Faf du Plessis, who might edge Stokes on reliability and could also pull off a worldie but was deemed ineligible having retired from Tests.Big ticket: Rakheem Cornwall can make the long journey down to take some outstanding low catches•AFP/Getty ImagesRahkeem Cornwall

It’s obviously no hindrance to be a natural athlete, but you don’t have to be one to be a good slip fielder. Think Mark Taylor.Several large men have fielded there – Warwick Armstrong and Inzamam-ul-Haq, to name two – so it’s perfectly natural for Rahkeem Cornwall to do so, blessed as he is with bucket hands and the meditative temperament of one who will always let the ball come to him rather than go snatching at it. It’s no surprise when he pulls off nonchalant catches like this one, when Rory Burns top-edged a full-blooded square cut his way at Old Trafford, but his unlikely party trick is the low catch, by his bootlaces – surely the most difficult feat for a man of his size to pull off. Have a look at this effort to send back Rashid Khan in Lucknow (at the 17-second mark here), or the famous low tumble to his right to end Mehidy Hasan’s resistance and complete West Indies’ 2-0 Test series triumph in Bangladesh. Is Cornwall the best slip catcher in world cricket? Who knows? Is he the most fun to watch? Most definitely.Ajinkya Rahane makes the tough catches look simple because of his soft hands•AFPAjinkya Rahane

I wonder if there’s a happy coincidence between being a good slip fielder and wearing either a cool floppy hat or a worn-out cap that has absorbed buckets of sweat over the years. Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh come to mind in the 1990s. In the 2000s, it’s hard to look beyond Mahela Jayawardene and Rahul Dravid.My pick from the current era is Ajinkya Rahane. Hat aside, I’ve picked Rahane because when he stands at slip to the spinner, he makes difficult catches look easy. Look at the ones he took to dismiss Steven Smith in the 2017 Dharamsala Test or Adelaide 2020. Whether Rahane is dealing with the turn of the subcontinent that needs him to stay low or the bounce of Australia and England, which calls for positioning further back, his anticipation, the ability to stay light on his feet to allow him to move either way, and his sound judgment of where he should stand means he takes most chances.

علق محسن صالح، عضو اللجنة الفنية في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، على توديع منتخب مصر بطولة كأس العرب من دور المجموعات، بعد احتلال المركز الثالث في ترتيب مجموعته.

وخسر منتخب مصر أمام الأردن، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، في مباراة الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة التي أقيمت مساء الثلاثاء، ليودع بطولة كأس العرب، بهزيمة وتعادلين.

وقال صالح خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” لبرنامج “اللعيب”: “سأتحدث كرياضي مصري وكمشجع مصري، خسارتنا اليوم مؤلمة وتمس المشاعر وتاريخ كرة القدم المصرية، بغض النظر أن هذا المنتخب الأول أم الثاني”.

وأضاف: “في هذا المعترك لا يصح أن نخسر، ممكن نخسر كرة ولكن خسرنا كرة ونتيجة، لم نقدم العرض المنتظر، أعتذر بصفتي رياضي مصري ومدرب مصري وبصفتي عضو في اللجنة الفنية باتحاد الكرة”.

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وأكمل: “أحب أن أوضح قبل أي أن يشمل الاتهام للجميع، اللجنة الفنية في اتحاد الكرة ليس من مهامها التدخل في المنتخبات الصف الأول أو التعامل مع المنتخب الأول وليس من مهامها الإشراف على المنتخب الثاني لحلمي طولان، لأن اللجنة تكونت وتوجد أجهزة فنية متواجدة”.

وواصل: “لم نقم بتغيير أي من الأجهزة، بسبب أن المنتخبات كلها مقبلة على أدوار نهائية ولديها أجهزة فنية تعمل معها وكان من الصعب إجراء تغيير، ورأينا أن نؤجل المعايير لتطبيقها في وقت لاحق”.

واستمر: “إذا كانت استقالتي أو اللجنة تريح بعض الناس فنحن مستعدين، اللجنة غير مسؤولة عن المنتخب الأول والثاني، مسؤوليتها عن قطاعات الناشيئن والأكاديميات والكرة النسائية والشاطئية”.

واستطرد: “لم نختار أسامة نبيه كمدير فني أو حلمي طولان، اللجنة الفنية متواجدة للتخطيط للمستقبل، وبالفعل وضعنا خططًا مستقبلية ومنتظرين أن نبحث في الاختيارات”.

واستكمل: “اللجنة الفنية عندما تولت المسؤولية وجدت أن هناك خلاف شديد جدًا قائم بين حسام حسن وحلمي طولان، عملية اختيار الأخير تمت لأسباب معينة، المفروض من سيشارك في كأس العرب المنتخب الأول وهذا الرأي السليم”.

وتابع: “حسام حسن رأى أن مشاركة الفريق الأول واستمراره في كأس العرب ممكن يصل للنهائيات، وبالتالي يدخل على كأس أمم إفريقيا وتكون الأيام قليلة للإعداد للبطولة، فاعتذر عن المشاركة”.

وأردف: “تم اتخاذ قرار بتشكيل منتخب ثاني ومشاركته في كأس العرب، وجدنا صعوبة في التعاقد مع مدير فني يأتي لمدة 3 أشهر لو كنت فعلنا ذلك، الإعلام كان “هيدبحك”، ويقول إهمال للمال العام”.

واختتم: “خروج منتخب مصر بهذا الشكل من كأس العرب، يتحمل مسؤوليته، حلمي طولان وحسام حسن من الدرجة الأولى، لأن لا بد أن يُنظر للمصلحة العامة ولم يكن هناك تنسيق، رابطة الأندية ومجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة أيضًا يتحملون المسؤولية”.

اتخذ نادي برشلونة الإسباني لكرة القدم قرارًا صادمًا يتعلق بنجم فريق أتلتيكو مدريد، جوليان ألفاريز، بعدما تواجد على رادار الفريق الكتالوني في الفترة الأخيرة من أجل تعزيز صفوف الفريق.

وارتبط جوليان ألفاريز بإمكانية مغادرة صفوف أتلتيكو مدريد والانتقال إلى صفوف برشلونة العام المقبل، في ظل اهتمام بطل الدوري الإسباني بضمه، رغم الصعوبة المالية المتعلقة بتلك الصفقة.

ولكن صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية ذكرت أن إدارة برشلونة قررت صرف النظر عن صفقة جوليان ألفاريز، حيث تراجع النادي عن قرار اهتمامه بضم الأرجنتيني في الساعات الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك: مباراة أتلتيكو أعادتني للموسم الماضي.. ولاعب برشلونة يستحق تجديد عقده

وأوضحت أن السبب وراء ذلك يعود إلى كون أداء ألفاريز يوم الثلاثاء الماضي، في مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد، لم يُقنع إدارة البارسا، حيث وصل إلى اللقاء باعتباره صفقة أحلام الرئيس خوان لابورتا، ولكن أدائه لم يكن على مستوى التوقعات.

وأفادت أنه حتى اليوم لا يُعد جوليان ألفاريز الهدف الرئيسي لـ برشلونة، إذ يعتبره النادي باهظًا، حيث يمتلك شرطًا جزائيًا بقيمة 500 مليون يورو، ويرتبط بعقد مع أتلتيكو مدريد حتى عام 2030، لذلك، لم يعد اسمه يُذكر في مكاتب النادي.

وأشارت إلى إنه بخلاف ذلك، يبحث النادي عن لاعبين يُظهرون رغبتهم في اللعب بقميص برشلونة إلى جانب لاعبين كبار مثل بيدري ولامين يامال.

وشددت من جديد على توقف قصة جوليان ألفاريز مع برشلونة، بشكل مؤقت على الأقل، حيث لم يعد من أولويات النادي في الوقت الحالي، ولن تُقدم الإدارة على أي خطوة للتعاقد معه حاليًا.

Despite a few poor results, this season is starting to shape up nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points when they play them on Sunday.

However, for the West Londoners to have any chance of beating the high-flying Gunners, they’ll need to have their shooting boots on, and Liam Delap will have to show why the club signed him in the summer.

However, Chelsea might already be having second thoughts about the Englishman, as reports are linking them to another exciting young striker, someone with shades of Didier Drogba in their game.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

Given Chelsea’s propensity to spend big in the transfer window, it’s not been much of a surprise to see reports already linking them with a host of talented players ahead of the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Athletic Bilbao’s incredibly exciting Nico Williams has been touted for a £62m move to Stamford Bridge, and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has also been heavily linked.

However, as talented as these two internationals are, neither can be compared to Drogba, nor would they be a threat to Delap’s place in the team, unlike Robinio Vaz.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a few teams interested in the exciting French talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have already established contact with Marseille over a possible move that could cost as much as €30m, about £26m.

However, sides like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli are also said to be interested in the youngster.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vaz’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Delap and has shades of Drogba in his game.

How Vaz compares to Delap and Drogba

Okay, so before looking at how Vaz compares to Delap, let’s examine the shades of Drogba in his game and this potential move.

The first and most significant would be that, so long as this transfer happens, the youngster would be following in the legendary striker’s footsteps, who moved from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004.

Another trait he appears to share with the iconic centre-forward is that he’s more than a goalscorer.

While he certainly can put the ball in the back of the net, the teenage sensation is also someone who can create chances for his teammates through, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, an ability to “hold up the ball.”

With all that said, how does his output stack up to that of Delap’s this season?

Appearances

14

7

Minutes

331′

294′

Goals

4

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

N/A

Minutes per Goal Involvement

55.16′

N/A

Well, despite still being just 18 years old, the “lethal” number nine, as one analyst dubbed him, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances, totalling just 331 minutes this season.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or far more crucially, one every 55.16 minutes.

In contrast, the West Londoners’ summer signing has failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances across all competitions, totalling 294 minutes.

Granted, he has been out injured, but the Englishman has almost played as many minutes as the youngster and arguably for a far better team.

UltimatelyUltimately, it’s still early in his career, but as one analyst puts it, Vaz looks like he’s “going straight to the top,” and therefore Chelsea should sign him, even if it’s bad news for Delap.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025

As far back as September, concern was raised that Leeds United simply lack any sort of potent threat going forward. The Whites are seemingly going to end up in the relegation scrap, with just 11 points in as many games and ten goals scored.

Daniel Farke’s side have been lacking in the final third since the off and that hasn’t changed much in the last two months or so, as the number of goals scored this season shows. Only bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers have bagged fewer.

With that in mind, it is surely no surprise that Leeds are targeting a new attacker to help enhance their final third quality.

Leeds’ latest attacking target

Reports have already begun to break about some of Leeds’ January transfer targets. One of those could see them make an ambitious move for Chelsea star Raheem Sterling, who has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge this season.

In recent days, they have also been linked to Brazilian attacking midfielder Gabriel Sara.

According to a report from Turkish news outlet Takvim, the Whites are strongly considering ‘making a move’ to sign the 26-year-old from Galatasaray.

The former Norwich City star is said to be unhappy with his playing time for the Turkish giants, perhaps coinciding with the signing of Ilkay Gundogan.

He could ask to leave the club, which is where Leeds could swoop in with an offer of £17m, thought to be enough for Galatasaray to sell him.

Why Leeds could be targeting their next Raphinha

It has perhaps not been the season Sara might have expected in 2025/26. The Brazilian has played 16 times this term, but has only racked up one goal and two assists in that time.

His form last season was far better, scoring and assisting 12 times in 45 games.

Of course, Sara has already experienced English football, plying his trade for the Canaries. His best campaign for the East Anglian club came in 2023/24, when his 13 goals and 12 assists in the Championship helped them reach the play-offs, where, ironically, they lost to Leeds.

Goals like this were a real feature of his impressive form that season.

His underlying stats from that campaign highlight why Leeds want him to add a creative influence in midfield.

For example, Sara averaged 2.61 key passes and an expected assist tally of 0.26xA per 90 minutes, which placed him in the top 4% and 3% for Championship midfielders that season.

Key passes

2.61

96th

Progressive passes

6.67

91st

Expected assists

0.26xA

97th

Shot-creating actions

4.96

95th

Goal-creating actions

0.61

97th

Analyst Ben Mattinson is someone who has spoken highly of Sara in the past, praising him for boasting a “magical left foot.”

He wouldn’t be the first Brazilian Leeds player who fits that description, with Raphinha also falling into the category.

The Elland Road faithful will look back fondly on Raphinha’s time at the club. He was sensational in that famous White shirt, bagging 17 goals and assisting 12 in just 67 games.

Strikes like this one against Everton were the sort of class he provided on a game-by-game basis.

Well, if Sara could have close to that level of impact on the club, he’d be a huge success. It is easy to see the comparison, both flair attackers who hail from Brazil, with a tricky left foot and lots of final third productivity.

Since Raphinha left Elland Road, he hasn’t really been replaced, and Farke certainly has not had his own version. Well, Sara, a player described as “technically gifted” by Mattinson, could be the guy they’ve been looking for.

Raphinha had so much quality on the ball, and Sara possesses that in abundance, as the stats show. He could be Farke’s own Raphinha, and the man to add a creative spark to Leeds’ attack.

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ByDan Emery Nov 22, 2025

Baseball is rapidly careening down a track that could lead to a very dark place.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their lavish spending by signing closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million deal. That move came days after 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki chose to join the Dodgers, which came a few months after the world champions added two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million contract. That followed a 2023 offseason during which L.A. spent roughly $1.2 billion on contracts. Which came after … you get the idea.

Let me first say the Dodgers are not the problem. The system is. Baseball is facing a jarring division between the haves and have-nots, and there is no sign of it slowing down. The gap between big-market teams and those in medium and small markets is only growing.

Any way you slice it, that is terrible for the game.

The Dodgers have used the financial might of their market to dwarf the competition. In the last 12 months, the franchise has added four nine-figure contracts. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Snell will combine to make more than $1.3 billion over the course of their contracts, and they all play the same position. Add those deals to the nine-figure agreements signed by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, and you've got seven players being paid a combined $2 billion.

Perhaps the most stunning part of L.A.’s spending spree has been the incredible amount of deferred money involved. The team currently has about $1 billion in deferrals still on the books. A common refrain to counter outrage at the concentration of players the Dodgers have hoarded is that any owner and franchise could be doing this. That's far from reality. When the rival San Diego Padres tried to keep up with Los Angeles's spending in 2023, MLB stepped in and all but outright told them to stop.

Fans should expect owners to spend and be competitive, but they can't ask them to lose money on their teams annually. It would be bad business not to at least break even every season. The problem is that thanks solely to geography, the Dodgers and New York’s two teams have a massive built-in advantage.

He averages 18.16 in his last 12 T20Is and was dropped from the ODI side after the first game in Colombo

Mohammad Isam09-Jul-2025

When Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 99 runs in the third ODI in Pallekele, it was Bangladesh’s third consecutive ODI series defeat in the last nine months, bringing their underperforming batters under the microscope.But with the T20I series starting on Thursday, there is little time for the Bangladesh batters to regroup. Moreover, the focus now shifts to their T20I captain Litton Das, a man who was dropped after the first ODI in Colombo, extending his nearly two-year-long slump in the format.Under Litton, Bangladesh lost the last two T20I series against UAE and Pakistan. Litton’s form is also a concern – he has scored 218 runs at an average of 18.16 in 12 T20Is since October. When the team was playing the third ODI in Pallekele, Litton was training with the T20I side.Related

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“For me, every series and every match is important,” Litton said. “Wherever I play, I try my best. That’s all I can do. But sometimes, failures come, and the success rate hasn’t been good. This is part of life. There are players who succeed in one year and struggle in the next. Understanding why that happens is important, and I hope to find out and overcome it.”I didn’t play good ODI cricket, and that’s why I was on the bench. During that time [third ODI], I practised for T20Is, and I will try to use that preparation in the T20I series.”Through his performances in domestic cricket and T20Is, Litton also hopes to come back to the ODI side. “As a professional, I have to adjust, and I believe I do that well. They gave me opportunities in the ODI format, but I couldn’t capitalise on it. Hopefully, I will play domestic cricket, score runs, and maybe they will call me again. I have been playing T20Is, and I hope I can make a comeback.”Litton Das’ T20I form has also been a concern•CWI

Shortly before Litton spoke in Pallekele, Bangladesh’s chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said that they felt Litton had worked back into some batting form since he was dropped for the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”We lost Shakib, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim in quick succession, so we need time to fill the gap in the middle order,” Ashraf said. “Litton had a bit of time to return to good form after the Champions Trophy. We also felt that since he did well in the Test series [against Sri Lanka], he could fit into the ODI middle-order, given our gap in experience. He has a bit of experience, so we designed the middle order with Litton in mind. We will definitely be questioned if the man we kept faith in didn’t give us the due returns.Ashraf said that the selection committee had picked Litton for the Sri Lanka ODIs for his experience.”We picked him based on what we needed in the series. Performance is not always stat-based. Selectors’ confidence is a factor.”He has served Bangladesh cricket for ten years. He is one of our finest batters. He is having a really bad time. We want to take the responsibility of his selection, we picked him after consulting the team management.”

Eddie Howe stopped short of getting embroiled in a war of words with Arne Slot after the Liverpool boss labelled Newcastle a “smaller club” when questioning their handling of Alexander Isak. The striker was in the process of regaining his match fitness following his British record transfer in the summer, before sustaining a groin injury in the Reds' victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

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  Isak arrived short of fitness after missing Newcastle's pre-season

  After refusing to play for Newcastle in order to force through his £125 million (€144.5m/$169.3m) move to Liverpool on transfer deadline day, Isak arrived at Anfield short of match sharpness. The Sweden international made it clear he did not want to play for the Magpies again, missing the club’s pre-season tour of Asia as well as their opening three Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leeds.

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• Sweden striker sustained groin injury in Liverpool's win over Frankfurt

  Following the completion of his switch to Liverpool, Isak has been slowly introduced into the fold, with Slot mindful of the forward’s lack of a pre-season. However, after starting alongside fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike in the thumping 5-1 win over German side Frankfurt in the Champions League, Isak sustained a groin problem at Deutsche Bank Park, meaning he is a doubt for his side’s trip to Brentford on Saturday evening.

  "Alexander is not too bad,” said Slot ahead of the Brentford game. “He is a question mark for the weekend so we will see where he is.”

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  Slot questions Newcastle's handling of Isak following injury setback

  Slot’s update follows his previous comments which saw him question Isak’s treatment at Newcastle as the summer saga surrounding his future played out.

  The Dutchman said: “I don't think there's a rule that every single player has the same (pre-season preparation). But it also depends on what he did when he didn't train with the team, what the impact is if you go to a new club as a big signing.

  “So you cannot compare, maybe a player who hasn't trained or played in pre-season at a smaller club than if you go to Liverpool.”

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• Howe refused to get involved in exchange with counterpart Slot

  However, when asked about Slot’s accusations following the injury to Isak, Newcastle boss Howe refused to get involved in an exchange with his counterpart, though he did defend the club’s care of their “elite players”.

  Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Fulham on Saturday, Howe said: “The set-up here is very good. It is not perfect, we've got things to improve and to grow. But the owners here have developed the facilities since I've been here very, very well.

  “You can see there is building work going on currently to hopefully deliver even better in the future. But I have no complaints. We've got elite athletes here, many of them, and touch wood, we're managing them pretty well at the moment.”

  And when asked if he would “go into bat” and defend Newcastle following Slot’s comments, Howe added: “I like the way you’ve worded that… encouraging me to go into bat!

  “I don’t have to do that, I don’t feel. You’ve done it for me, reeling off all those things! But you obviously know what my answer would be.

  “I don't think that's wise for me to get involved in those discussions. Alex is no longer at this football club, so I won't comment on it.”

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has signed for Glamorgan as an overseas player for the remainder of the Vitality Blast campaign.The 37-year old, who was born in Swansea, joins to replace Hayden Kerr, who picked up in the home game against Surrey which will rule him out of his planned stint with the club.Returning to the country to his birth, Wasim brings a wealth of experience with 130 international caps for Pakistan. He will be representing his second Blast club having made 19 appearances for Nottinghamshire in the competition. He has also played for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, and has 390 appearances in the T20 format.Subject to approval from the Pakistan Cricket Board Imad will be available for selection for Saturday’s home fixture with Sussex. Glamorgan currently sit fourth in the South Group, with three wins from five.Commenting on the signing Director of Cricket Mark Wallace said: “It’s a real shame that Hayden’s injury has turned out to be a bit worse than we initially hoped. He has settled in really well and though he won’t quite be fit to fulfil his initial contract at the club we hope to see Hayden back in a Glamorgan shirt in the future.””To be able to bring in someone of Imad’s experience and quality at such short notice is fantastic. He’ll give us plenty of options to bowl at a variety of times with the ball and as another left-handed batting option in the middle order. We’re looking forward to welcoming him back to Wales.”