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“It is important to give players freedom – that’s what I believe in – and not have a relationship of a head coach and a player”

S Sudarshanan22-Jul-20240:38

Gambhir: ‘Our responsibility to have Bumrah fresh for important games’

India made significant gains during the two-and-a-half-year period where Rahul Dravid was their head coach, making the finals of a world event in each of the three formats and winning the T20 crown. Now the focus is on building on those gains and the man leading them forward will be Gautam Gambhir, their new head coach, who understands he has “big shoes to fill”.Speaking to reporters for the first time in his new role, Gambhir touched on the way he wants to work with India’s players and what they can expect from him. “It is very simple,” he said on Monday in Mumbai. “It is important to give players freedom – that’s what I believe in – and not have a relationship of a head coach and a player.”The best relationship is one built on trust. The most important thing is they’ll always have my backing. I don’t complicate too many things. I am taking over a very, very successful team – India are T20 world champions, have been runners-up in the World Test Championship and the 50-overs World Cup.”Related

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Gambhir’s tenure begins on July 27 with India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. This is his first time as head coach of a team, although he has served as a mentor in the IPL, with both Lucknow Super Giants and the reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders. In his playing days, he was an excellent opening batter with an international career that spanned 13 years and peaked with World Cup wins in 2007 and 2011.”My learning has been simple – it has been all about winning,” he said. “I don’t deviate from something. We are in a profession where there can be only one winner. We try and play fair, we try and play hard, and try and come back in a winning dressing room and a happy dressing room.”A happy dressing room is a winning dressing room. Ultimately it is the players’ team, the support staff is there to try and get the maximum out of their potential. Sometimes international cricket can be tough, it can be insecure as well because only 15 can be picked. It is the job of support staff to keep them happy.”For the tour of Sri Lanka, Gambhir will have Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches and Sairaj Bahutule as the bowling coach. T Dilip, so far, is the only one to reprise his role from the previous regime. He will be the fielding coach. The other support staff members, Gambhir said, will be finalised after the Sri Lanka tour.

“For batters, if they can play consistently and if they are in good form, [they] might as well play all the games. With Rohit and Virat now not playing T20 cricket, they only have two formats to look after. So they are going to be available for most of the games”Gautam Gambhir

In the past, Gambhir has not been an advocate of players picking and choosing matches. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both have been selected for the ODIs against Sri Lanka, with the former set to lead. This is one of only two ODI series India are slated to play ahead of the Champions Trophy early next year.Gambhir said that workload management is important for fast bowlers but batters need to play all games if they are fit and available.”Workload management for someone like Jasprit Bumrah is important,” Gambhir said. “For batters, if they can play consistently and if they are in good form, [they] might as well play all the games. With Rohit and Virat now not playing T20 cricket, they only have two formats to look after. So they are going to be available for most of the games.”For Bumrah, because he is one rare kind of a bowler who anyone would want [in their team], so it’s our responsibility to try and have him fresh for most of the important games. So, workload management for, not just Bumrah, but fast bowlers becomes very, very important.”

He helped Australia pille up 196 before Scotland were bowled out for 126 with Stoinis and Green picking up a combined 6 for 39

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Sep-2024In conditions where every other batter from both sides struggled for timing, Josh Inglis struck the ball with remarkable fluency on his way to the fastest T20I hundred by an Australia batter. He brought up the milestone in 43 balls, beating the previous record – held jointly by himself, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell – by four balls, and finished with 103 off 49.To put the innings in context, the rest of Australia’s top six scored 89 off 73 balls between them. His innings laid the foundation of Australia’s 70-run win over Scotland and also helped them take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Sent in, Australia set Scotland 197 to draw level after their shellacking in Wednesday’s series-opener. The home side had their moments in the chase, particularly during a 42-ball 59 from Brandon McMullen, but they could never quite keep up with the asking rate. On an occasionally two-paced pitch that offered a bit of seam movement, Australia’s seamers used their height advantage expertly, bowling hard lengths and extracting every ounce of help they could find.Scotland managed the odd spurt of quick scoring – George Munsey whipped Xavier Bartlett for two leg-side sixes in the first over, and McMullen used his feet against the quicks and hit four sixes, the pick of them a front-foot pull over wide long-on off Aaron Hardie – but Australia kept chipping out regular wickets, bowling into the pitch and inducing miscues.When Sean Abbott employed this modus operandi to end McMullen’s charge in the 13th over, the contest was all but over. From there, the end was swift, with Scotland losing their last six wickets for just 20 runs and being bowled out for 126 in 16.4 overs.Take Inglis away, and Australia didn’t do a whole lot better with the bat. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who had fallen for a duck on T20I debut on Wednesday, got off the mark in the format with a first-ball four. But he struggled to middle the ball – and often failed to connect – as his aim-for-the-grandstand methods proved unsuitable for the conditions, particularly against McMullen’s nibbly new-ball medium-pace.Marcus Stoinis picked up 4 for 23 with his medium pace•AFP/Getty ImagesHe fell for a run-a-ball 16, and Travis Head, who had battered Scotland for 80 off 25 in the first T20I, was out for a first-ball duck, bowled by a peach of an inducker from left-arm quick Brad Currie. Currie was one of five players in Scotland’s XI who hadn’t played on Wednesday.Three of the incomers were bowlers, and the revamped attack continued to make the Australia batters not named Inglis work for their runs. Cameron Green scratched his way to 36 off 29, and Marcus Stoinis finished with an unbeaten 20 off 20. They would eventually have their revenge with the ball, picking up a combined 6 for 39 in 5.4 overs.Inglis, though, seemed to bat on another pitch, against another attack. Where his team-mates seemed to lack options if they were denied room to free their arms, Inglis kept finding the boundary by means of quick feet and quicker hands. He manipulated the field expertly with his movements around the crease and his use of the scoop and reverse-scoop. When the Scotland bowlers tried to cramp him by going short and into his body, he generated incredible bat-speed through his short-arm whips and pulls.Despite this, Australia had only got to 179 when Chris Sole ended Inglis’ innings in the 19th over. Sole, introduced only in the 11th over and bowling just three overs, was perhaps Scotland’s best bowler on the day, quicker than his colleagues and as a result more impactful when he used his pace variations.In the end, Australia got close to 200 thanks to a cameo from Tim David, who clubbed the first two balls of the final over, bowled by Brad Wheal, for six, the second one soaring well beyond the midwicket boundary and landing outside the ground.

Setting their sights on their seventh arrival of the summer, Rangers have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a talented young winger for Russell Martin.

Rangers open pre-season with Club Brugge draw

It’s been all change at Ibrox so far this summer. New owners have arrived in the form of the 49ers and a new manager soon followed in the form of Martin. Since then, to no surprise, several much-needed fresh faces have also made their way to Glasgow as the Gers look to turn things around after last season’s failure.

First through the door were Oscar Cortes, who completed a permanent move following his loan spell, and young Scottish talent Lyall Cameron. But those two were just the start for Rangers. Since then, they’ve welcomed four others, with Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons and Thelo Aasgaard all putting pen to paper on Ibrox deals.

The likes of Aarons and Fernandez featured as Rangers opened their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Belgian side Club Brugge and there are still some debuts to come in the next few weeks.

Following his first game in charge, Martin told reporters: “It was very good opposition. It will really help prepare us to get better and we will learn a lot from today.

“It was nice to walk out at Ibrox with the team. I got a great reception which I’m incredibly grateful for when I walked out for the warm-up. The first half, we started okay then conceded a goal.

“What was interesting, and we’ll learn a lot, is that the habits we’re trying to instill changed a little bit and the team didn’t quite look how we wanted it to, and they managed to gain a bit of momentum again.”

As pre-season continues and fresh faces enter the Ibrox turf, however, Rangers reportedly still have unfinished business in the transfer window and may yet welcome another attacking reinforcement.

Rangers make first approach to sign Ballo

As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Rangers have now made their first approach to sign Thierno Ballo from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC this summer. The impressive 23-year-old has also attracted interest from Ajax and Mainz 05 to form a busy race to secure his signature as he looks to move on ahead of next season.

The Chelsea academy graduate left the Blues in 2022 for Wolfsberger AC on a free transfer. He was praised for his “great” form for both club and country by scout Jacek Kulig back in March, and he could now bring that form to the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers line up bid for 26 y/o Vardy alternative and Celtic transfer target

He has scored four times against the Gers in the past.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jul 9, 2025

After scoring 13 goals in all competitions last season too, there’s every chance that the Austrian would be capable of replacing Hamza Igamane if the Rangers star did complete a departure this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have now held talks over a deal for an “incredible” attacking midfielder, who could be brought in as an alternative to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, reporter Graeme Bailey has revealed.

Spurs dealt major Gibbs-White blow

Tottenham looked poised to sign Gibbs-White, after triggering the £60m release clause in the England international’s contract, but in a surprising twist, the Forest star has now opted to extend his stay at the City Ground.

It has to be considered a huge blow for Spurs to have missed out on the attacking midfielder, who picked up 17 goal contributions in the Premier League last term, but all they can do now is move on to alternative targets, and they have several options in mind.

Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott is one of the names on the shortlist, with the Lilywhites now “recalibrating” their summer transfer plans, but it has also been revealed they have held discussions over a deal for a different attacking midfielder from the Premier League.

Indeed, speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey has now named Manchester City’s James McAtee as a potential alternative target, saying: “Tottenham were confident and they hoped that Gibbs-White would still come, it is a blow to Spurs’ plans, but they will move on very quickly,”

“They have held talks with other players in recent weeks, the likes of Xavi Simons and James McAtee to name but two, there are options for them and they will move on, and they need to.”

"Incredible" McAtee needs to leave Man City this summer

There have been reports that Man City would be willing to sanction McAtee’s departure for £35m this summer, amid interest from West Ham United, and the attacking midfielder no doubt needs to move on, given a lack of game time last season.

Tottenham now eyeing shock move for "unbelievable" £265k-a-week Arsenal ace

Spurs are keeping tabs on a player from one of their major rivals, a report has revealed.

ByDominic Lund Jul 27, 2025

At 22-years-old, the maestro is now at an age where he needs to receive regular game time, but he made just 15 Premier League appearances last season, often being limited to cameo appearances as a substitute.

With Man City signing the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders this summer, the Englishman’s game time could be even more limited next season, and a move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium may be suitable for all parties.

The England U21 international performed well for the Three Lions at the recent European Championships, picking up one goal and two assists throughout the tournament.

That said, despite being lauded as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, it would be a gamble to take a chance on McAtee, given that he is yet to prove himself as a top Premier League player, and it is a real blow that Tottenham have missed out on Gibbs-White.

Crucial innings points to more settled future for player overlooked in last round of ECB contracts

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Sep-20241:23

Watch: Do England need Jacks for better balance?

Will Jacks was in no doubt that Tuesday’s 84 at Chester-le-Street was his best batting display for England to date.Granted, it is not a particularly crowded field. There have only been four half-centuries across 31 international innings. And though one of those is a 94 against Ireland, it is no slight on them to suggest this knock against a strong Australia attack (albeit shorn of Adam Zampa) trumps that one.England were 11 for 2, chasing 305. Jacks, having arrived in the third over at 7 for 1, set about a blockbuster stand of 156 with Harry Brook that got the hosts comfortably ahead of the DLS par before the rain ended proceedings. Though it was Brook who cashed in for his first ODI century, Jacks was the headliner in their partnership (82 runs to 68).The pace of Jacks’ innings – 23 off 30 balls after the Powerplay, half-century up off 55, then a hurry-up after taking the returning Mitchell Starc for 14 from four balls in the 23rd over – warrants special praise. Like the rest of the squad bar Adil Rashid, Jacks has been learning on the job. This third ODI means exactly half of the Surrey allrounder’s 32 List A appearances have come for England and the England Lions. Half of his four fifties in the format have come in this series.With bilateral ODI series losing their appeal to broadcasters, and the Hundred relegating the domestic One-Day Cup to a glorified 2nd XI competition, this shoe-horned tussle with Australia is not a total inconvenience. Jacks regards it as a welcome opportunity to get to grips with the format.”With the lack of 50-over cricket that we play now, finding the tempo can be difficult,” Jacks said. “Me and Ducky [Ben Duckett] found it in the first game but you can only get it by spending time in the middle. The position me and Brooky were in at 11 for 2, we almost had to dig in a little bit and give ourselves some time. It shows once you get a partnership how easy it is to rotate strike and score at six an over comfortably.Will Jacks celebrates after dismissing Marnus Labuschagne•Getty Images”The schedule only allows what it allows and that’s for people above us. We just go where we’re told. I think when you’re leading up to a major event you are going to play more but, with the way TV is now…that’s out of our control. When you play more together as a group you get back into the flow naturally. This is our first time together as a squad so it’s going to take time to get there. We’re progressing every game and hopefully when we come back next time, we’ll be one step further.”A five-game series is nice. It’s the first time I’ve played in one. Playing the same opposition you get in a nice rhythm, the team gets time together and this squad is growing.”That Jacks is part of this new era of English white-ball cricket, not least as the designated offspinner following Moeen Ali’s retirement, and thus a balancing allrounder, is no surprise. What is surprising is that it is only now that he is being regarded as part of the solution, even if the timing could not be better with Brendon McCullum taking the limited overs reins in the new year ahead of February’s Champions Trophy.It is two years ago this week that Jacks made his first international appearance on England’s T20I tour of Pakistan, before returning with the Test squad and taking 6 for 161 on debut in the first Test at Rawalpindi. At the time, he felt like the coming man across all formats, yet he has still not fully arrived as an England cricketer.That’s not squarely on him. That 2022-23 winter, the ECB sent Jacks on something of a wild goose chase. Those twin trips to Pakistan were followed by a stint at the SA20 at the start of 2023, before a Test tour of New Zealand. Not only did not play a game, but he was then seconded to Bangladesh as a reinforcement for a patchy ODI squad, in a series that began after the end of the final Test in Wellington.Related

No England contract, but Jacks feels wanted here and now

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Harry Brook 110* fires England chase to help keep series alive

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Could more crushing ODI failure be just what England need?

Jacks ended up injuring his hip flexor in Bangladesh – something he attributes to taking 40 flights over the off-season – which ruled him out of what would have been his maiden IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore. By the end of that summer, not only had he missed out on selection for the 2023 50-over World Cup, but he was left off the ECB’s central contract list – something he only discovered over social media. This despite being given the impression he would receive one before a last-minute change.That will likely be rectified in the next round of contract offers, which are due to be ratified next week. Jacks replied with a simple “no” when asked if he knew of a prospective offer from the ECB.There is certainly no need to state his case in the press. Since missing out last year, he went on to star for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 and RCB in the IPL, with a stint at BPL franchise Comilla Victorians sandwiched in between. Deal or no deal, Jacks has not lacked money or status in this cycle.He did at least make the cut for England’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad earlier this summer. The issue from the ECB’s perspective is that last year’s price is not this year’s price.Securing Jacks’ immediate future will be expensive. But last night, the last week and indeed the last nine months have shown the outlay for the 25-year-old is probably worth it.

Liverpool have “concrete” interest in an “exceptional” England international and are planning an approach for him, according to a new transfer update.

Diaz out and Isak in at Liverpool?

The Reds haven’t had a summer this exciting in many years, with so much incoming and outgoing business happening since the end of last season. Luis Diaz’s time as a Liverpool player is now set to reach its conclusion, with the Colombian winger closing in on a move to Bayern Munich, following three-and-a-half years at Anfield.

Meanwhile, the Premier League champions are continuing their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, in what could be a remarkable signing, just weeks after Florian Wirtz joined as the most expensive addition in the history of British football.

If Liverpool were able to sign Isak on top of Hugo Ekitike, with Diaz and Darwin Nunez making way, it could prove to be outstanding business, with all due respect to the two South Americans. A new centre-back will also be needed, though, and a key update has dropped regarding their search for one.

Liverpool planning approach for "exceptional" ace

According to a new update from Football Insider, Liverpool have “concrete” interest in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, as has seemingly been the case for some time now.

Similarly to Isak, the 24-year-old has “informed” the Eagles that he is “not planning to sign an extension” this summer, with the Reds now “expected to make a fresh approach to Palace in the coming weeks”.

With Jarell Quansah leaving for Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer, Guehi stands out as the ideal choice to come in and bolster Liverpool’s defensive options. In fact, he would be an upgrade on the young Englishman.

The Palace skipper has grown so much as a player in the past year or two, standing out as arguably England’s best player at Euro 2024, with former Three Lions goalkeeper Joe Hart showering him with praise.

“Huge shoutout to Marc Guehi. I thought he was exceptional. He really stepped in and was really calm on the ball. I thought Guehi allowed John Stones to play his game. The more Marc plays, the better that [centre-back] partnership will get.”

This feels like the right time for Guehi to leave Palace and kick on at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will make it hard for him to be a regular starter, plenty of minutes should still come his way.

Liverpool now in contact to sign £17m forward who Man Utd are in talks for

The Red Devils could be hijacked by those at Anfield.

ByCharlie Smith Jul 27, 2025

The £50,000-a-week defender’s price tag is one drawback, especially as Liverpool have already paid huge money on signings this summer, but if FSG make the funds available, the Reds should view him as a fantastic option.

Hardik Pandya climbed four places up to No. 3 among T20I allrounders after contributing in India’s win against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2024India’s left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh has risen to joint-eighth among bowlers in the latest update to the T20I rankings. This comes on the back of his Player-of-the-Match performance of 3 for 14 in the first T20I against Bangladesh in Gwalior on Sunday. Arshdeep went up by eight places and is level with South Africa’s Anrich Nortje in the top 10. He also achieved his career-best rating points tally – 642.Arshdeep’s team-mate Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, moved up four places to No. 3 among T20I allrounders. After sharing the new ball with Arshdeep and bagging 1 for 26 in four overs against Bangladesh, Pandya smashed an unbeaten 39 off just 16 deliveries. Thirty-two of those runs came in boundaries as India finished the 128-run chase with 49 balls to spare. The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.While the bowlers’ rankings continue to be led by legspinner Adil Rashid, his England team-mate Liam Livingstone and Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee form the top two on the T20I allrounders’ charts.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

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Ireland trio gain in ODI rankingsIreland beat South Africa by 69 runs to wrap up the ODI series with a consolation win, and batter Curtis Campher, who scored 34 in the win, climbed up two places to No. 62 among batters.Seamers Craig Young and Graham Hume were beneficiaries too, although Ireland lost the series 2-1. Young’s seven wickets in three games – including 3 for 40 in the win – helped him rise 12 spots to No. 44, while Hume, who also bagged 3 for 29 in the third ODI against South Africa, jumped 23 places up to No. 47.

Alejandro Garnacho sent an emotional message to Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes on his 31st birthday. Garnacho left United for Chelsea in the summer transfer window after falling out of favour under manager Ruben Amorim, but has now thanked Fernandes for all his support at Old Trafford.

Garnacho sends message to FernandesUnited captain celebrated his 31st birthdayGarnacho joined Chelsea this summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho had a public fallout with Amorim after United's Europa League final defeat against Tottenham last season, which led to his exile from the squad and his eventual departure to Chelsea. The Argentine signed a seven-year contract with the Blues in a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause. Just days after joining Chelsea, Garnacho shared an emotional note while wishing Fernandes a happy 31st birthday.

AdvertisementWHAT GARNACHO SAID

Taking to Instagram on September 8, Garnacho wrote: "Thanks for everything you did for me I love u." Fernandes later shared the message on his Instagram story.

IG:@garnacho7

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Emerging through United’s youth academy, Garnacho made his senior debut for the Red Devils in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League in April 2022. He went on to score 26 goals in 144 appearances, helping the club win the Carabao Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24 under Erik ten Hag’s tutelage.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

The Argentina star will hope to make his Chelsea debut once Premier League action resumes after the international break, although it's unclear just how fit he is. Enzo Maresca's side are scheduled to face Brentford on September 13.

The left-arm spinner helped keep South Africa to a 34-run lead on day one, after Bangladesh were bowled out for just 106

Srinidhi Ramanujam21-Oct-2024Sixteen wickets fell on an eventful opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka. At stumps, the visitors managed to take a lead of 34 runs despite Taijul Islam returning a five-wicket-haul on a surface that has helped spinners to grip and turn the ball. Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten knocks took South Africa to 140 for 6 before bad light stopped play six overs short.South Africa dominated the first two sessions but Bangladesh came back into the contest in the final session when conditions became difficult for scoring. Tony de Zorzi looked comfortable against spin and consumed the most of number of balls among the South Africa batters but Taijul sent him back for a 72-ball 30 in the last session to dent South Africa. This was after Taijul induced a top edge of David Bedingham for his second wicket. From a comfortable position of 65 for 2 post tea, South Africa slipped to 108 for 6.Debutant Matthew Breetzke exposed his stumps expecting the ball to turn away but the ball skidded on to clean him up, and that wicket made Taijul only the second Bangladeshi bowler to reach 200 Test wickets after Shakib Al Hasan, who was forced to miss his farewell Test game due to security reasons.Earlier, South Africa got into the act quickly with Mulder, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj ripping through Bangladesh with three wickets each to skittle them out for just 106 inside two sessions.Kagiso Rabada dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das on the way to 300 Test wickets•AFP/Getty ImagesThe majority of the damage was done by the two fast bowlers in the morning session when they left Bangladesh six down and hurt them in hazy Mirpur after Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bat first. Mulder and Rabada utilised the grass cover on the surface for extra movement off the surface while also finding early swing to leave Bangladesh reeling at 60 for 6. Mulder was exceptional in his six-over opening spell, taking three wickets and bowling three maidens. Rabada picked up two in the morning to cross 300 wickets in Tests.Maharaj spun a web around the lower middle order and had Mehidy Hasan Miraz lbw at the stroke of lunch. Mahmudul Hasan Joy was patient in his 97-ball 30 before offspinner Dane Piedt bowled him to end Bangladesh’s chances of redemption.Mulder’s third wicket was set up nicely when he removed the left-hand Shanto going around the wicket after four balls only for the batter to get a tame leading edge to Maharaj at extra cover when he tried to work through midwicket against the angle.Rabada, after bowling four overs in his first spell, came back and dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim straightaway when he got one to zip through the gap between his bat and pad to rattle the stumps. A few overs later, he hit the hard length and forced Litton Das to edge one to a flying Stubbs at gully.Taijul and Nayeem Hasan put on 26 runs for the ninth wicket – also the highest stand of the innings – but Rabada came back in the second session to remove Nayeem. Bangladesh added 46 runs and lost four wickets post lunch.Poor shot selection and good bowling saw Bangladesh being bowled out for a small total. South Africa have also lost half the side on the wicket that’s turning and bouncing but by gaining a small lead, they are slightly ahead at the end of day’s play.

After a poor season in 2024/25 for Manchester City, they have made huge strides in improving their squad ahead of the new campaign. Pep Guardiola’s side have been busy in the 2025 summer transfer window, already signing six new players in a bid to improve their fortunes next season.

Two of those are goalkeepers, with James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli signing to provide competition for Ederson. Rayan Ait-Nouri has so far been the only defensive signing, joining from Wolves, and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders moved to the Etihad Stadium from Italian giants Milan, as did young talent Sverre Nypan. In forward areas, Rayan Cherki signed from Lyon.

Now, City seem to be lining up another reinforcement at the back.

Man City’s next transfer target

There has been no messing around this season from Guardiola and his side, who seem to be getting set for a much better season, despite the poor performances in the Club World Cup. They have signed players across the pitch, with another defensive addition up next.

Transfer Focus

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

At least, that could be the case if they can pull off a move for Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento. According to a report from Dean Jones on the Transfers from Paradise podcast, via Manchester City News, they are ‘persisting with their interest’ in the England under-21 international.

This could be a tough deal to do. Jones explained that ‘Newcastle don’t want to sell the player’, although that won’t stop City from trying, and they ‘still think it might’ be possible to pull a deal off.

As for the price for Livramento, City might need to pay as much as £50m this summer.

Why Livramento would be a good signing

It has been a rapid rise to the top for London-born full-back Livramento. The 22-year-old, once described as a “sensational” player by former Magpies superstar Alan Shearer, offers an attacking threat and the ability to play on both sides of defence.

In 80 games for the club across his time in the North East, Livramento has bagged one goal and registered two assists. His versatility has been clear to see, too. He has played 42 times as a right-back and 19 times on the opposite side, offering excellent tactical flexibility.

Throughout Livramento’s time with the Magpies in the Premier League, there are some standout stats courtesy of Squawka. For example, he has created an average of 0.9 chances each game in each of the last two seasons. On top of that, he averaged 5.9 ball recoveries in 2023/24 and 6 the following season, per 90 minutes.

Chances created

0.9

0.9

Crossing accuracy

19.23%

21.15%

Forward passes

15.8

16.8

Duels won

5.6

4.5

Clearances

2.6

3

Interceptions

1.8

0.8

Ball recoveries

5.9

6

Over the summer, Livramento was a key member of England’s successful under-21 European Championship-winning squad. He made five appearances and played every minute, even grabbing an assist in the Three Lions’ first game.

If City do bring the 22-year-old to the Etihad Stadium, he will be the second under-21 Euros winner they have signed. Trafford has also lifted the trophy, back in 2023, where he made a historic late double save to win England the trophy.

There is certainly a case to be made that Guardiola’s side would be signing an even bigger English talent than Trafford in Livramento, if they bring him to the club. Notably, the former Burnley goalkeeper cost £27m, almost half of what City would need to pay for the Newcastle star.

He is also far more experienced in the top flight. The Cobham academy graduate has almost 100 Premier League appearances under his belt, making 93 already. That is far more than the number of games Trafford has played, with just 28 to his name so far.

Described as ‘an England right-back’ in the future by Newcastle star Kieran Trippier, Livramento is a player with huge potential. He could certainly be viewed as a bigger talent than City’s new number one, given the experience he has and the far costlier fee.

This could be a fantastic addition for City to help strengthen their side for now and in the future.

Pep's answer to Isak: Man City offer £170m to sign the PL's "best player"

With Alexander Isak potentially on his way to Liverpool, have Manchester City just offered £170m to sign the “best player in the Premier League”?

ByBen Gray Jul 29, 2025