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Paris Saint-Germain director Luis Campos has revealed that Neymar was given a shock farewell back in the summer of 2023 by the head coach Luis Enrique. The Parisians were set to embark on a new project under the Spaniard, which would focus on utilising youth prospects rather spend lumpsums on star players.

What did Luis Enrique say to Neymar?

Enrique was appointed as the new PSG manager in 2023 and a month later, Neymar was sold to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal for €90 million. The Brazilian, who had joined PSG back in 2017 from Barcelona, was handed a harsh farewell by Enrique himself, who said at that time that it’s good that he is leaving. Campos said to : "Luis Enrique was the first to tell Neymar: 'It's good that you're leaving.' He told him face to face. Because he thinks about football differently, playing as a team, playing whoever was the best in training during the week."

AdvertisementAFPNeymar failed to win Champions League with PSG

The Brazilian won five Ligue 1 titles across his six-year stay in the French capital but despite the presence of him, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, PSG were unable to win the Champions League until after all three were gone. In their first year without any of the star trio, Enrique guided the club to European success as well as a clean sweep of domestic trophies.

New era under Enrique and Campos

After their maiden Champions League title – won with a record 5-0 victory over Inter in the final – PSG are hopeful of maintaining their domestic and continental dominance after taking a new direction with their transfer strategy. 

Joining the club in 2022, Campos has spearheaded the change in strategy. He said recently: "We're going to protect PSG. We always want to play well and win matches. With this policy, everyone understands that the coach doesn't give priority based on a player's status or background. It's not your background that will make you a starter at PSG. That's our policy."

He added: "We have a lot more direct play today. We need to get height, a player comfortable on the ball. We need more solutions and variables. The star is the club, it's the whole squad. That's what we put in place with the agreement of the management. We don't rule out recruiting a star, but it's up to them to adapt to the PSG machine. We're helping Luis impose this philosophy."

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Getty Images SportWhere is Neymar now?

Neymar is currently playing for his childhood club Santos in the Brasileirao. However, despite being fit enough, he wasn’t named in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the September international break.

وجه أحمد بلال مهاجم الأهلي الأسبق، انتقادات قوية للإعلامي مدحت شلبي بسبب تصريحاته الأخيرة ضد محمود الخطيب رئيس القلعة الحمراء.

وقال أحمد بلال في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “النهار”: “الأيام الماضية شهدت العديد من النقاشات، حيث تحدث الكابتن مدحت شلبي وتطرق إلى الكابتن محمود الخطيب، مع كامل احترامنا وتقديرنا لمدحت شلبي، الذي يمتلك خبرة تمتد لخمسين عامًا في الإعلام، وهو شخصية مهنية محترمة جدًا، إلا أنني أود قول كلمتين”.

وأكمل: “كابتن مدحت حتى الآن لم تعتذر للكابتن الخطيب، لم تقل أنا آسف أو حقك عليّ أو تجاوزت في حق الكابتن الخطيب، وهذا الكلام لم يصدر منك، رغم أنك إعلامي محترم ومحبوب، ونثق بك ونستمع إليك، والناس تأخذ بكلامك وتتأثر به، لذلك ليس من المنطقي أن يتم إيقاف برنامجك خلال 24 ساعة بسبب هذه الافتراءات”.

وواصل: “محمود الخطيب رجل محترم ومهذب جدًا، لا يصدر عنه أي كلام جارح، يتعامل بالقانون والأوراق الرسمية، وهو رجل ملتزم يحمل النادي الأهلي على كتفيه، وحقق نجاحات كبيرة جدًا، فلماذا هذا الهجوم؟ وما الداعي؟ ولماذا هذا التوقيت؟ لماذا يتم الطعن في الخطيب بهذا الشكل؟، ماذا فعل الخطيب لك شخصيًا حتى تتحدث عن أحداث من عام 2012 و2013، وتذكر أنه قال إنه مريض”.

وأردف: “أنت إعلامي محترف، لديك خبرة طويلة، واعٍ ومثقف، لكن يبدو أنك لم تستمع جيدًا للنصائح، ولم يحذرك أحد من الدخول في هذا الموضوع الحساس، والترند ليس بهذه الطريقة يا كابتن مدحت، هل هذا أسلوب إعلامي، وهل يصح أن يُقال هذا الكلام على التلفزيون؟ هناك أناس يصدقون ما يُقال، ويتابعون ويثقون للأسف”

وزاد: “هذا هو النادي الأهلي وهذا هو محمود الخطيب، الذي يملك ظهيرًا قويًا يدافع عنه، ربما يقبل الخطيب الاعتذار غدًا، لكن يجب أن تعتذر أولاً، وتحدثت عن خسارة الأهلي 120 مليون جنيه بسبب ريبيرو وكولر، وتساءلت عن دور الدولة ومن سيحاسب الأهلي، ولكن ألم تحسب المكاسب التي حققها الأهلي”.

خاص | حكم مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري

واستطرد: “هل تريد أن يصبح الأهلي مثل أندية أخرى تواجه أزمات مالية مثل الزمالك، الذي تحدث نائب رئيسه عن ديون بقيمة 2.5 مليار جنيه، وألا يصعب عليك حال الزمالك، هل تريد الأهلي أن يصبح مثل الزمالك أو الإسماعيلي أو غيرهما من الأندية التي تعاني”.

وأضاف: “نحن نريد أن تكون جميع الأندية مثل الأهلي ملتزمة، تدفع مستحقات اللاعبين والمدربين، ولا تواجه إيقاف قيد، واسم مصر يجب أن يبقى نظيفًا، لا أن يشتكي الأجانب من أنديتنا، الأهلي يلتزم بعقوده، ويحقق أرباحًا، وفي عام واحد، حقق الأهلي دخلاً يتراوح بين 14 و15 مليون دولار”.

وأتم: “الأهلي باع لاعبين مثل وسام أبو علي وكذلك حصل على 9.5 مليون دولار من كأس العالم للأندية، و2.5 مليون دولار من بطولة إفريقيا، وإذا كان عليه 120 مليون جنيه، فهو قادر على سدادها دون أزمة، والأزمة الحقيقية هي عدم الدفع، أو أن يشتكي النادي في الفيفا، أو يواجه إيقاف قيد، والمفروض أن نشيد بالأهلي لالتزامه، لا أن نهاجمه بهذا الشكل”.

Tottenham have now made an intriguing promise to top target Mohammed Kudus in talks with the Premier League star, and West Ham are expecting an imminent new bid for him as the transfer saga rumbles on.

Tottenham now "pushing to sign" £70m "beast" who's "very open" to the move

Spurs are in “ongoing” negotiations to sign a forward.

2

By
Dominic Lund

Jul 7, 2025

Kudus is now a priority signing for Spurs, as reported elsewhere, but chairman Daniel Levy will need to dig deep into the club’s coffers to reach an agreement, having already seen a £50 million offer rejected (BBC).

The former Ajax star, who made quite a splash during his debut campaign in England, didn’t quite live up to those heights during his second season at the London Stadium, but Thomas Frank and co appear convinced that Kudus could get back to his very best by joining them.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

Even though club-to-club talks are proving complicated, with West Ham holding out for the best deal possible as they look to reinvest the cash in their own summer recruitment drive, Spurs are boosted by Kudus’ desire to make the move to N17.

The 24-year-old only has eyes for Tottenham right now, and isn’t interested in joining any other club as things stand.

If the transfer materialises, it would be the two sides’ first agreed deal since Scott Parker’s switch to Spurs in 2011 – ending an unofficial transfer embargo between West Ham and the Lilywhites.

Now, very reliable West Ham insider, ExWHUemployee, has shared his own update on the story.

Tottenham make Mohammed Kudus promise with new bid imminent

According to Ex, Chelsea’s issue with the plethora of non-homegrown players in their squad has opened the door for Spurs to strike a deal ahead of the west Londoners.

Tottenham have also “promised” Kudus that he’d be the “main man” if he were to join Frank’s side, and those within West Ham are expecting them to make an imminent improved offer for the African.

“Chelsea have been in contact with the club but have yet to offer the financial package that the club wanted,” said the insider, via West Ham Way.

“At the moment no other club has bid. It appears that Arsenal have turned their attention elsewhere to the homegrown Noni Madueke from Chelsea. Chelsea have their own issues with an abundance of non-homegrown players, and it has enabled Spurs to push ahead.

“Liverpool were thought to be Kudus’ preferred choice, but West Ham have yet to receive an offer from them or any real suggestion that they could. Of course, Liverpool have other things on their mind to deal with due to the tragic news surrounding their club this week and may be putting all business temporarily on hold whilst they come to terms with the loss.

“We spoke to our top source at the club within the last half hour and asked for an update and we were told: Spurs, sadly, only bid £50m. We hope other clubs will come in. There are very few clubs that buy players for £50m/£60m and need a RW.

“West Ham are expecting Spurs to come back with an improved offer in the next day or so and will hope at least one other club will compete.

“Kudus is said to be happy to move to Spurs. He will get Champions League football and has been promised he will be the main man, whereas at Chelsea he would be one of many for example.”

How to stop the rot? In fairness, it’s perhaps unfair to assess Ruben Amorim at this early stage of a potentially long Manchester United tenure. The Portuguese tactician needs this pre-season to implement his teachings.

In fairness, the 46-year-old left a Sporting Lisbon side which he grew into a comparative superpower, surpassing Porto and Benfica and now two-in-a-row Liga Portugal champions. He didn’t lift the title for a second time, but it was his team, his framework.

In fairness, Amorim took over an Old Trafford side in disrepair, and judgment should be reserved until a few months into the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Matheus Cunha has been added to the first-team ranks; a brilliant signing. Heading out the door, Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof have all gone, and Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are all wide forwards touted for exits.

But who else might the Red Devils be looking to reel in?

Man United's summer transfer plans

It’s taking a while, but Bryan Mbeumo should sign from Brentford to Man United this summer. Sights remain fixed on the goalscoring winger, with a series of bids already rejected.

Whether Rasmus Hojlund stays or goes remains to be seen, but it’s clear attacking investment is the club’s priority. However, it’s not the only port of call, with Jason Wilcox pushing to strengthen Amorim’s midfield too.

Well, former Nigeria international, Julius Aghahowa, believes that Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi would like to join Man United this summer, despite growing interest from Everton.

Aghahowa said: “While Everton and Al Ahly are clearly interested, Ndidi hopes to join Manchester United. He wants to take a step up by signing for a big club like Manchester United. This would be an excellent move for someone I consider one of the best African midfielders of recent years.”

Ndidi is still only 28 and has a vast wealth of experience at the highest level. The Foxes might have fallen by the wayside last term, but he maintained a high standard and would be a shrewd signing indeed, valued at just £5m amid summer interest from United.

Why Man United want Wilfred Ndidi

United are forking out a fair bit of cash this summer, but then they need to. Last year’s woes must not, cannot, be repeated, lest this behemoth of the English game sink into an unescapable pit.

But the transfer progress is slow but steady, and Ndidi would be an effective and pragmatic addition, for sure. Once described as an “incredible” talent by Brendan Rodgers and an an “absolute monster” by ESPN’s Colin Udoh, the Nigeria international has been at the King Power Stadium for a minute, joining from Belgian club Genk for £15m in January 2017.

He’s hit some highs, winning the FA Cup, and indeed suffered some lows, being relegated from the Premier League twice in the past three seasons. However, Ndidi is a tough-tackling and intelligent midfielder, with robust athleticism and an eye for goal.

Given that Bruno Fernandes often plays a bit deeper these days, this could be the perfect move to ensure the Portuguese skipper maintains his high level, having notched 19 goals and 19 assists apiece in 2024/25.

Fernandes’ creativity could also help the number six toward promotions his own attacking game, Ndidi having ranked among the top 13% of central midfielders across Europe last season for touches in the attacking box and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

But, of course, the £75k-per-week talent’s bread and butter is his combative quality, his protective presence in front of the backline.

Transfer Focus

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

As per Sofascore, he averaged three tackles, 4.5 ball recoveries and 6.1 duels per Premier League match last year – you can only imagine how far Leicester would have sunk without his presence in the centre.

This is perfect for a player like Fernandes to skip from the centre toward the danger area, advancing with winged feet to thread passes through to the forwards. Despite United’s struggles for creativity last season, Fernandes stood strong as one of the most effective playmakers in the country.

1.

Bruno Fernandes

91

2.

Mohamed Salah

88

3.

Cole Palmer

86

4.

Enzo Fernandez

75

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

70

But then we know Fernandes. We know he’s great.

He needs support, though, and Ndidi could prove the perfect player to arrive and add some stability to the centre of the park, reinforcing Amorim’s midfield with steel but also adding to the ball-playing focus, adding to the forward flow.

Cunha 2.0 for Amorim: Man Utd in talks to sign "unstoppable" £35m star

Manchester United are still planning to make some attacking signings this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 8, 2025

When it comes to great Tottenham Hotspur players of the last 15 years or so, you have plenty to choose from.

The likes of Harry Kane, Mousa Dembélé, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen might not have won anything at the club, but they more than made their mark on English football and the Premier League for the North Londoners.

One star from that era who was arguably one of the best players in the country at his peak was Dele Alli.

The Englishman was a tour de force at points, racking up 35 goal involvements in the 16/17 season, so fans should be excited about reports linking the team to a player who was compared to Dele in the past.

Tottenham transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it is worth looking at some of the other talented stars linked with a move to Spurs in recent weeks and months, like Leroy Sané and Angel Gomes.

Transfer Focus

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

With his contract ending this month, the former would be a shrewd free signing, as in just 2376 minutes across 45 games this season, the Bayern Munich ace has scored 13 goals and provided six assists.

Interestingly, Gomes would also be a free addition to the North Londoners squad, and based on reports from earlier this week, they’ve already submitted a proposal to the Englishman, who has made four senior appearances for the Three Lions and 134 for LOSC Lille.

However, neither of these players have been compared to Dele in the past, unlike Jack Grealish.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Transfers, Spurs are now interested in the Manchester City star.

The report has revealed that the Lilywhites have begun talks with the Englishman’s representatives as they ‘explore the possibility’ of bringing him to North London this summer.

The good news is that the report claims the player is, in fact, open to the idea of moving to N17 now that the club will be in the Champions League next year, but the bad news is that City would want an offer of up to £43m to let him go.

It would be a somewhat costly transfer to get done, but Grealish could be the sort of maverick player Ange Postecoglou needs in his attack next season, and the fact he was compared to Dele in the past is a great bonus.

Why Spurs might want Grealish

So, before we get to some of the other reasons why Spurs might want to sign Grealish this summer, let’s examine these comparisons to Dele, with the first coming from Lee Hendrie all the way back in 2018.

At the time, the young talent was just making a name for himself at Aston Villa, and Hendrie was seriously impressed with his ability to get “past players with ease” and was full of praise for “creative” abilities, which he claimed were similar to “the Dele Alli’s of the world.”

Just a couple of years later, Dean Smith was making the comparison between the Englishmen, claiming that the then-Villa gem shared the same goalscoring “star quality” that the former MK Dons gem had in the early years of his Tottenham career.

Aside from what players and pundits have said, both players have represented the Three Lions at major tournaments, and both, at one point in their careers, had that ability to make something happen out of absolutely nothing.

In fact, it’s the chance to resurrect this skill in the “unbelievable” City star, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, that is surely driving the Lilywhites’ interest in him.

Even though he played a bit-part role in the Cityzens’ campaign this season, he was still able to amass a decent tally of three goals and five assists in 1521 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 190.12 minutes, and his underlying numbers are even better.

For example, FBref places the 29-year-old in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, pass completion, shot-creating actions from live passes, progressive and total carrying distance, carries into the penalty area, the top 2% for goal-creating actions from defensive actions, fouls drawn, the top 8% for key passes and more.

Progressive Carries

7.71

Top 1%

Pass Completion

87.7%

Top 1%

SCA (Live-ball Passes)

4.69

Top 1%

Total Carrying Distance

335.61

Top 1%

Progressive Carrying Distance

200.53

Top 1%

Carries into the Penalty Area

4.61

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.08

Top 2%

Fouls Drawn

3.10

Top 2%

Passes Completed

44.33

Top 6%

Carries

43.91

Top 6%

Key Passes

2.60

Top 8%

Shot-Creating Actions

5.45

Top 8%

Shots Blocked

0.17

Top 9%

In short, while the Champions League winner’s raw output hasn’t been great for several years, his incredible underlying numbers indicate that he could flourish in the right system, which could be Postecoglou’s.

Ultimately, it would be something of a gamble, but in Grealish, Spurs could have themselves a genuine maverick who can make something out of nothing – akin to Dele in his prime.

Big Son upgrade: Spurs now eyeing "one of the best LW's in Europe"

Spurs are on the lookout for an upgrade on Heung-min Son.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 3, 2025

A former Premier League manager, who once did “fabulously well” in the top flight, now wants to replace Michael Carrick as Middlesbrough boss, according to a report.

Carrick's future in doubt after missing out on play-offs

Boro were well-positioned to reach the play-offs for large parts of the campaign, but a poor finish to the season ultimately ended up costing them, winning just one of their last six Championship games, meaning they ended up in 10th place.

Those at the Riverside Stadium had been hoping to end their eight-year exile from the Premier League, but having missed out on a shot at promotion, questions are inevitably going to be asked about Carrick’s future.

After the 2-0 final-day defeat against Coventry City, the 43-year-old insisted he expects to remain in the role next season, saying: “I’m carrying on. We’ve got a good squad. My focus is carrying on to what I can say to the boys today, tomorrow, moving forward to get ready for another good season.”

Middlesbrough lead race to sign "outstanding" Blackburn star on free deal

Boro are looking to win the race.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

May 5, 2025

However, according to a report from EFL Analysis, the manager’s future is now in doubt, given that his side were too inconsistent throughout the campaign, and former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil is interested in replacing Carrick in the Boro dugout.

O’Neil has thrown his name into the ring and made it clear he would be keen on taking over, with Boro chief Steve Gibson set to assess Carrick’s future over the course of the coming days and weeks, having already considered replacing him mid-season.

At that time, Steve Cooper was among the main options on the shortlist, and Middlesbrough are still interested in the former Leicester City boss, alongside England U21 coach Lee Carsley.

O'Neil did "fabulously well" in the Premier League

The 41-year-old’s time at Wolves did not end the way he would’ve liked, being sacked with his side in 19th place, but his impact after originally taking over at Molineux suggests he could still have a lot left to give as a manager.

Rio Ferdinand was left particularly impressed by the former Wolves boss last season, saying: “I think Gary O’Neil [has stood out], I had Wolves as relegation candidates at the beginning of the season. I think O’Neil has come in and done fabulously well, him and Shaun Derry have been brilliant and changed things around there.”

The English manager, whose preferred formation is 3-4-2-1, also led AFC Bournemouth to Premier League safety in the 2022-23 campaign, and his experience in the top flight could serve him well as Middlesbrough manager.

That said, O’Neil has no experience managing a team with aspirations of fighting for promotion, so it would be a gamble for Boro to appoint him this summer, especially considering Cooper, who led Nottingham Forest to the Premier League, is also available.

Will Brandan Rodgers’ Celtic secure a sixth treble in just nine seasons this month?

On Saturday, the Hoops secured a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title, winning 5-0, with both Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah bagging braces.

Victory over Aberdeen at the end of the month will rubber stamp yet another treble, with the Bhoys having now equalled Rangers’ record of 55 top division titles.

However, that victory at Tannadice did come at a cost, so should Rodgers replace Jota with Celtic’s “absolutely brilliant” youngster?

The latest on Jota injury at Celtic

Jota played a key role in Celtic’s opener on Saturday, ultimately going down as a Ryan Strain own goal, however, just five minutes later, the Portuguese winger was hobbling off, and that could be the last we see of him for a while.

A report by the Scottish Sun claims Jota will be sidelined ‘for several months’, potentially even missing the start of next season, having been spotted on crutches and in a knee brace at the title celebrations.

Rodgers is yet to officially reveal any prognosis, stating “he just felt his knee… we’re looking at whether his meniscus is a little bit sore… we’ll see in the next couple of days.”

This would obviously be a blow, although Celtic have found scoring goals no great difficulty this season, as the table below outlines.

2024/25*

148

2.86

102

12

2023/24

115

2.3

95

4

2022/23

147

2.77

114

7

2021/22

137

2.28

92

4

2020/21

100

1.96

78

4

2019/20**

147

2.67

89

8

2018/19

121

1.92

77

5

2017/18

126

2.07

73

5

2016/17

150

2.54

106

9

Just two more goals this season, which you’d have to be confident that Celtic will score, would make this their highest-scoring campaign since Rodgers’ first year in charge, already their best in terms of goals-per-game of the 21st century.

So, with the Premiership title already wrapped up, now is surely the time for Rodgers to experiment, thereby giving his “absolutely brilliant” youngster an opportunity?

Celtic's next young sensation

Johnny Kenny joined Celtic from Sligo Rovers back in January 2022 but, to date, has made just five appearances for the club, totalling 66 minutes, still yet to start.

However, he has gained plenty of first-team experience out on loan, as the table below outlines.

Celtic

5

66

0

0

Shamrock Rovers

7

4,230

26

8

Queen’s Park

12

305

0

0

Sligo Rovers

34

2,053

12

2

Kenny spent the last two calendar years on loan back in the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, scoring 26 times for the Hoops, 20 of which came during a very productive 2024, notably bagging five in six Conference League outings, helping the Irish side reach the knockout phase.

He was named the club’s young player of the year twice, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described his form for the Dublin-based outfit as “superb”.

Following Shamrock Rovers’ win over Borac Banja Luka in December, Kenny confirmed he would return to Celtic, hoping to “show Brendan in training” what he is capable of.

After making his debut against Ross County a month later, Rodgers described him as “absolutely brilliant”, although the 21-year-old has barely been seen since, an unused substitute on nine occasions.

Thus, with the Premiership title secured and Jota sidelined, what better time for Rodgers to find out whether or not Kenny could be a useful asset to his team?

Rodgers could land Celtic's next Maeda with move for "quality" £2.5m star

Having secured a fourth successive Premiership title, Celtic are stepping up their interest in a “quality” winger who could be the next Daizen Maeda.

ByBen Gray Apr 30, 2025

For a change, Sri Lanka have also named a full-strength squad to face Zimbabwe in the two ODIs

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Aug-2025Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are about to begin a two-ODI series in Harare. Here are five things to watch for.

Brendan Taylor is back playing white-ball cricket

Having served out his three-and-a-half year ban for corruption-related offences, Taylor is back playing ODIs – the format in which he has been most prolific, having made 11 hundreds. This isn’t Taylor’s first international since the return – he had hit 44 and 7 against New Zealand in a Test earlier this month. But perhaps he has his eyes on that 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, and at age 39, he needs to prove he can keep contributing meaningful runs. He has done well enough against Sri Lanka in the past, averaging 36.92 against them – a little higher than his career average. Zimbabwe will need his experience against an unorthodox Sri Lankan attack.

Sri Lanka have named a full-strength squad

In the past, Zimbabwe tours have been seen as an opportunity for Sri Lanka to try out some younger players. But Sri Lanka are now the kind of side that does not consistently make major ODI tournaments, and they are not taking chances this time. They will be intent on their potential 2027 World Cup players getting some exposure to conditions in Zimbabwe. But more than that, they will be keen to continue winning in the format in which they have seemed most comfortable over the past 12 months. It’s a chance too, to prove that their improvement in the format is not just down to familiar (big-spinning) conditions at home.

Zimbabwe have to turn the ship around

In 2025, Zimbabwe’s men have lost 13 of the 17 completed matches they have played, across formats. Their one series victory, actually, was in the ODI format, when they defeated Ireland 2-1 in a home series in February. Since late April, though, they have lost 10 matches consecutively – six Tests and four T20Is. In all four of those T20Is, their batting never got going, though occasionally the bowling was effective. Against a reasonably confident Sri Lanka team, they have their work cut out.Charith Asalanka has tended to make use of his bowling depth in ODIs•MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images

Sri Lanka binge on allrounders

This phase of Sri Lankan men’s cricket has valued multi-skilled cricketers, and despite Wanindu Hasaranga being unavailable for this series, there are still some allrounders on show. Charith Asalanka is increasingly a reliable bowler in this format, but in the squad also are the likes of Janith Liyanage, Milan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, and Kamindu Mendis. In ODIs, Asalanka has tended to make use of this bowling depth to prevent batters from settling, and to give himself more options at the death. In the first two ODIs of their most-recent series, for example, Asalanka used seven bowlers apiece.

Dilshan Madushanka attempts to impose himself

Following a stellar 2023 World Cup (though the team tanked around him), Dilshan Madushanka has had a quiet couple of years. He has struggled for rhythm and control across formats. Now, ODIs are the only format he really gets picked for. A rapid left-arm quick who can swing the ball into the right-hand batters early, and also has a wicked cutter, would be an asset to any limited overs team, so long as the radar is good. Thankfully for Madushanka, he has a little form going into this series, having racked up regular wickets in domestic limited-overs tournaments.

In a very Kane Williamson sort of way he made sure nothing less than the perfect play would catch him out at the pivotal moment of the Christchurch Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Mar-2023Kane Williamson is scrambling.At his best, this is an imperious batter. Compact, assured, supremely accomplished. Not a player in the vein of a Babar Azam, or even a Rohit Sharma, who both bat as if born into an obscene inheritance of talent. There are gifts for Williamson too; they are quickened by something else.But, last ball of a Test, the shadow of the Hagley Oval pavilion darkening a surface that still offers bounce and movement for the bowler, who is operating with a ball that is 70 overs old and as such has long since lost its shine, there Williamson is. He has attempted to hook this head-high ball (he might fairly contend it passed higher than his head), and he has missed.So now, he has to go to Plan B. And everyone knows what Plan B is.Before he has even left his crease, batting partner Neil Wagner is halfway down the pitch. Wagner is nursing a hamstring tear and a bulging disc in his spine. But this is Wagner, who is a cricketer powered so completely by willpower that the physical details of what his body can realistically achieve fade into insignificance. Wagner desperately wants to be halfway down the pitch at this moment. So, it ends up not mattering what the nerves near his spine, or his hamstring, are telling him. (“Dear God, what is your problem?” “We’ve had enough.” “Please stop, you f****ng madman.” – Some of the things his body would be saying, if we had to hazard a guess.)Related

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Williamson is still on the crease while Wagner is halfway down, because the bowler Asitha Fernando is playing the situation perfectly. He has bowled a bouncer, which Williamson has to put his weight on his back foot to play. Because he is going back, it means he has to reverse his momentum to attempt the single that New Zealand require to win the game. In such situations, run outs are frequently the most likely dismissal – the bowler beating the bat, the keeper with one glove off throwing down the stumps closest to them, the non-striking batter caught short.But Asitha is ready for his plan B too. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper, misses the stumps closest to him, which means that Wagner makes his ground comfortably. But Asitha knows that if Dickwella is aiming at those stumps, he can collect on his follow through and throw down the next set. His thinking is spectacular. It is perfect.Earlier in the over, Asitha collected a bounce throw from the deep and effected a run out with minimum fuss and total efficiency. If there is any player on the field matching Williamson’s nous and Wagner’s effort right now, it is Asitha. His first 11 overs in this innings cost 14 runs. In the previous three overs before this one, when New Zealand have been trying to smash it, he conceded just 15. He’s keeping Sri Lanka in the match.

Williamson once described the feeling of batting alongside a big-hitting Brendon McCullum as being “like the library in a theme park” … Libraries have been around for millennia. Quietly enriching the human experience, shaping history in all sorts of subtle ways, forging progress, informing advancement.

On this last ball, Asitha gets into perfect position to collect the ball as Williamson is scrambling, he swivels on his left heel, and almost in the same movement, he throws down the stumps at the non-striker’s end.It is an perfect play. He’s beaten the batter and pushed him on to the back foot. He’s collected the throw and hit the stumps direct. But Asitha sends the throw in on the bounce. It hits the pitch halfway between him and middle stump. The bails fly off. Some close fielders are excited.But here is the physics: The bounce helped the ball find its target, but it slowed the throw down. Not only did the ball have a greater distance to travel, it had to be deflected off the ground, which always absorbs some energy. Williamson made his ground by a fraction of a second. This, very likely, was the difference between a draw for New Zealand, and a victory.On his 93rd Test, the act that will define this game, is Williamson’s sprinting and diving. So that only a perfect play, and not an perfect play, could catch him short.Captain Tim Southee greets his two match-winners, Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner•Getty ImagesThis is New Zealands greatest men’s batter. The late Martin Crowe – the only player whose record could seriously have stood up to Williamson’s – happily acknowledged this many years ago. In the last Test Williamson played, he became the most prolific Test batter from his country and put the matter to rest. This 121 not out was his second second-innings hundred in succession.Others have perhaps forged more eye-catching careers through their explosive batting, or their charisma, or the effect they have had on foreign leagues and foreign teams.Williamson once described the feeling of batting alongside the bonkers Brendon McCullum as being “like the library in a theme park”.Theme parks, a modern phenomenon, are the venue of glorious, but transitory, entertainment. They are lit up all over, joyful squeals lasting late into the night, kids flitting from ride to ride, the bang-badoosh-whoosh of rollercoasters the scene of screaming and indescribable fun for years, but eventually turning into rusting monuments to human elation decades later, the place decommissioned, the park having made its money, and moved on.Libraries, meanwhile, have been around for millennia. Quietly enriching the human experience, shaping history in all sorts of subtle ways, forging progress, informing cerebral pleasures. They will be around for millennia yet.Today, Williamson, the greatest batter New Zealand has ever produced in its long cricketing history had to scramble a bye, to win a Test off the last delivery. And he scrambled the hell out of it.

His ambitions might seem lofty but he’s been putting in the hard yards to achieve them – for Delhi Capitals in the IPL to start with

Alex Malcolm20-Sep-2021Hotel quarantine allows a lot of time to think. And Marcus Stoinis has been doing some thinking in Dubai, as he prepares for the return of the IPL with Delhi Capitals, his first cricket assignment in four and a half months (he opted out of Australia’s limited-overs tours of West Indies and Bangladesh).The rare downtime has given the 32-year-old a chance to reset some personal goals.”My next phase, the way I see it, over the next three years I want to be not only the best finisher in Australia, I want to be the best finisher in the world,” Stoinis says.Related

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“So that’s what I’ve spent my time thinking about and preparing myself for. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to be able to do it for the Melbourne Stars as well. It might mean the role is going to change. But I’ve got a great opportunity to do it with Delhi under Punter [coach Ricky Ponting], and a great opportunity in this World Cup. Whether it’s in this World Cup or the next World Cup, that’s up to me.”Stoinis is no shrinking violet, and some may scoff at his ambition, particularly as he plays almost exclusively as an opener in the BBL for Melbourne Stars – with great success. But his numbers batting in positions five through seven for Australia in T20 internationals and Capitals in the IPL, suggest he’s already a lot closer to his goal than many might realise. In fact, until last month, neither Stoinis nor Australia’s selectors or coaching staff were aware of how highly he ranks among global T20 finishers over the past three years.In T20I cricket, only Kieron Pollard and Mohammad Nabi have scored more runs with a better strike rate and boundary percentage over a three-year period in the lower middle order, putting Stoinis on par with India’s Hardik Pandya (257 runs, 8.91 runs per over, 5.41 balls per boundary), and ahead of South Africa’s David Miller and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran. In the IPL, Stoinis is squarely in the middle of the top ten on those two parameters.ESPNcricinfo LtdYet he is no guarantee to be inked in at No. 5 or 6 in Australia’s opening T20 World Cup match against South Africa on October 23. He has been named in the 15-man squad but was deemed to have taken a selection risk by opting out of Australia’s recent tours citing bubble fatigue after the postponement of the IPL and the subsequent difficulty that Australian players had in returning home.Stoinis remained in Perth to train and spend time with family and friends, but it did not take long for him to realise how much he missed playing. “That was a big decision at the time,” he says. “I wasn’t used to watching the team play and not being involved, knowing that’s what I want to do. And the first couple of weeks you’re also second-guessing yourself as to whether you should have gone on the tour.”It took me a good two months to just really chill out. But it became more and more clear that that was the right thing to do for me. I’m feeling good now, feeling ready to go. I didn’t take much time off training. Because that’s another thing you realise when you take a break – that you love the cricket. I love cricket, I love training.”While fun, fashion and frivolity can appear top priorities for Stoinis, the truth is, there is hardly anyone in Australian cricket who trains more meticulously or diligently. He spent his time off working with three different batting coaches, his long-time personal mentor Neil Holder; and Western Australia’s head coach, Adam Voges, and their batting coach, Beau Casson.Aside from the mechanics of his game, Stoinis is trying to go to the next level with his mental preparation and overall mindset. He works with two mental-performance coaches, Dave Diggle, who currently works with the Australia Rugby Union team, and David Reid, who is the mental performance coach for Essendon in the Australian Football League.Hotel quarantine has provided the perfect sanctuary in which to re-engage with his mental processes. “It’s been a good chance for me to sink my teeth into that mental side of my game,” Stoinis says.”Outside of your technique, the No. 1 thing is dedicating and controlling your mind towards visualisation and preparation, and staying away from [thinking about] the outcome as much as you can”•Ron Gaunt/BCCI”You’d actually probably laugh. I shouldn’t tell you this, because Zamps [Adam Zampa] will give me s**t. But I’ve got my pads, I’ve got everything out here [in the hotel room], because I do my visualisation with all the gear on.”I think when I look back, I perform my best when I’ve sunk my teeth into my preparation and my visualisation.”He is also learning to detach himself from results. “Outside of your technique, I think that’s the No. 1 thing, dedicating and controlling your mind towards that process and staying away from the outcome as much as you can,” he says.”But like everything, it’s a lifetime’s work, you never feel like you master it. It’s super humbling because you find out pretty quickly when you’ve gone away from it because you’re walking off and you’re out.”Even the other day I was thinking about it, and I was talking to myself about fear. We’ve all got a bit of fear in us. I feel like a fear of failure for me is hopefully starting to diminish – in that, to me, I’m only going to fail when I give up.”Fearlessness is one of the key traits of the best finishers in T20 cricket. Pollard hit his first two balls for sixes for Trinbago Knight Riders in a recent CPL game, on his way to a match-winning 51 from 22 balls.This is one area Stoinis knows he needs to improve in if he is to achieve his lofty goal. Fearlessness will help him produce faster starts. On the list of cricketers who have made over 1000 T20 runs for the three years starting April 2018, Stoinis ranks 29th in terms of his strike rate in the first ten balls of innings – 137.07. The elite finishers are above 160 on this metric.In T20I cricket, Stoinis has been among the top three batters in the world on strike rate and balls per boundary over the last three years•Getty ImagesFor Stoinis, it comes down to communication with his coaches and team-mates, to be able to have complete trust in himself in the middle. “You make your plan beforehand,” he says. “You understand which bowlers you’re going to target.”On another day, Kieron Pollard might get out going for a second six. But he understands, and I’m sure the coach or whoever understands that, so then you’re all on one page. And I think that helps to get rid of any sort of distraction and fear of failure. Because you’ve committed to the plan yourself. You committed to that with the team.” It is part of the reason Stoinis has gelled so well with Ponting, who has made sure his communication is clear and concise.”The more I got to know him, he’s a very deep thinker, so I was then not wanting to feed him too much [information],” Ponting told SEN recently. “I’d feed him little bits but then wait for him to think about it and process it and come back to me and ask questions about what he needs to do next, or how he needs to get better.”I’ve tried to make it pretty clear to him where I see him slotting in with the Delhi Capitals outfit and given him a certain role that he’s going to play for us.”He is a hard worker. There’s no doubt about that. He likes to bat and bowl as much as anyone we’ve had at Delhi, so as long as I give some clear direction and he understands what he’s doing and what his role is, then I just let him go about getting himself prepared.””Ricky is a bloody genius,” Stoinis says. “And a lot of his genius isn’t always about the cricket. It’s about how he communicates with people. He understands me quite well. So, he knows how to push my buttons. He knows when to challenge me. He knows when to pump me up.”When it comes to game time, we’ve got a good relationship in that I’m sitting in the dugout, I’m asking him what he’s thinking. I’m telling him what bowler I want to target, when to send me out, he’s telling me to sort of sit down and relax.”Usually we end up talking at the time-out about just the plan of attack for the last whatever it is – eight overs, nine overs, seven overs. And it’s pretty clear, we both understand what we want to do and how we want the game to pan out from there.””Ricky is a bloody genius. And a lot of his genius isn’t always about the cricket. It’s about how he communicates with people”•Saikat Das/BCCIStoinis is also keen to play his part with the ball in the UAE. He has suffered some niggles in recent years and tweaked his back just prior to arriving in Dubai. But he says he has done more bowling in the last three months than he has in three years.”Usually when the shoe is on the other foot and I’m bowling, I’m pretty aware that the batting team is going to look to target me,” he said. “My skill is in understanding the game as a batsman, what the batsmen are trying to do.”I think you’ve got to realise that you’re only just trying to cause half a mistake. You don’t need to always completely deceive the batsman.”For me, it’s just come with experience. It’s come with talking to a lot of different guys, a lot of different bowling coaches and players, most of them actually through the IPL. And most of that stuff is subtle changes in your grip, in how hard you are gripping the ball.”Stoinis’ immediate task is to help Capitals claim the title that eluded them in the UAE last year but then the focus will shift to playing an important part in Australia’s tilt to win a maiden T20 World Cup.”The key for us is going to this tournament having each other’s back, looking to play like we’ve got nothing to lose because at the end of the day, we don’t have anything to lose,” he says.”I think if we play with that freedom and that excitement, we’re going to do something special. I think that’s the way we’ve got to attack that. There’s enough talent. There’s so many good players in our team that there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”