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Aston Villa have opened direct transfer talks with one player over joining Unai Emery next season, according to reports, as the Premier League top five contenders attempt to build upon another impressive campaign.

Aston Villa seal vital win over Tottenham in Champions League race

Nerves were rife throughout Villa Park in their crunch encounter against Tottenham on Friday night, before their opening goal 30 minutes from full-time, with defender Ezri Konsa breaking the deadlock before Boubacar Kamara doubled their advantage.

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Villa eventually ran out 2-0 victors over Ange Postecoglou’s side and cemented a crucial win in their chase for Champions League qualification.

The result means Emery’s side are still right in the thick of it, as they contend for a top five finish heading into the Premier League final matchday, and it is shaping up to be a dramatic last game with six teams involved in the battle for Europe.

2. Arsenal

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3. Newcastle United

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4. Chelsea

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5. Aston Villa

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6. Man City

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7. Nottingham Forest

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Emery, speaking after their victory against struggling Spurs, heaped praise on his players for making their home ground a serious fortress.

“I’m very grateful for the supporters,” Emery said. “Here, we are feeling strong and we’re feeling comfortable. We only lost one match here in the Premier League, the first match against Arsenal. Progressively, we were getting better. Of course, we drew some matches in the way, and now we are missing some points from those moments, but we have to accept it.

“We have to accept the 37 matches we’ve played being consistent, more or less, and getting the moment we are in now, feeling good and in our best moment. We’re achieving the challenges we are facing. We enjoyed in the FA Cup and in Carabao Cup, but mostly our moment in the Champions League.

“The Premier League is the most important competition we are facing because through it we are getting again our main objective, and the objective is to be in Europe.

“We are in Europe next year, but we are in the running for the Champions League positions, and we can have chances in the last match in Manchester to get it.”

Aston Villa open talks with Axel Disasi over joining next season

The result of their Champions League chase will have direct effects on their recruitment plans off the field, but that hasn’t stopped NSWE and Monchi from making moves behind-the-scenes.

Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi could remain beyond 2024/2025, with the Frenchman very highly-rated by Emery, his coaching staff and Villa’s transfer chiefs.

That is according to Foot Mercato, who state that Villa have already opened talks with Disasi over joining them next season.

The 27-year-old cost Chelsea £39 million to sign from Monaco in 2023, and Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that they’re keen to sell him for profit this summer. It is unclear how much Villa would be willing to pay to keep Disasi in the Midlands, but he could be a significant addition.

The defender has been called a “leader” at times, and his experience at the top level could be invaluable for Emery.

Crystal Palace are now “interested” in signing a “fantastic” Premier League player, who is set to be available for a bargain fee in the summer transfer window, according to reliable reporter Ben Jacobs.

Palace set sights on new midfielder

Palace may have their work cut out trying to keep hold of some of their key players this summer, with the likes of Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta attracting widespread interest, alongside Adam Wharton, with Liverpool now ready to sign the 21-year-old.

With attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze also catching the eye, Oliver Glasner may be tasked with bringing in at least one new midfielder in the summer transfer window, and the manager has several potential options in mind.

Sunderland’s Chris Rigg is of particular interest, with the Eagles racing a number of their Premier League rivals for the 17-year-old, while they are also eyeing a move for Rigg’s teammate, Jobe Bellingham, who Glasner is believed to be a big fan of.

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According to Ben Jacobs, Crystal Palace have now joined the race for a new central midfield target, with the reporter taking to X to reveal they are now “interested” in signing Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

With Leicester’s relegation from the Premier League now confirmed, they could be in line to lose one of their key players on the cheap, with Ndidi set to leave for just £9m due to a clause included in his contract.

There is widespread interest in the central midfielder, with Premier League rivals Everton and Fulham also emerging as potential suitors, while Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli have him on their “radar”, although they are yet to make an official approach.

"Fantastic" Ndidi has talent to remain in Premier League

Leicester’s performance in the Premier League this season has been nothing short of dismal, having collected just 18 points throughout the campaign, but the Nigerian midfielder has impressed in the top flight in the past.

The Lagos-born maestro was once described as a “monster” after impressing against Liverpool, while he has also been lauded as “fantastic” by members of the media, in light of his performances for Nigeria at international level.

Not only that, but the 28-year-old has been one of the standout players in a poor Leicester side, and he has performed well across a number of key attacking and defensive metrics over the past year, indicating he is a well-rounded midfielder.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.18 (84th percentile)

Tackles

3.37 (96th percentile)

Clearances

3.06 (97th percentile)

Aerials won

2.32 (95th percentile)

At just £9m, Ndidi could be a shrewd acquistion for Crystal Palace this summer, and they should be in a strong position to win the race for his signature, having shown they can compete for major honours by progressing to the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Blind risks, calculated calls, trust in personnel and some out-of-the-world performances have ensured South Africa beat the odds

Firdose Moonda31-Dec-2024″It was never meant to be easy,” South Africa’s Test coach Shukri Conrad said when reflecting on his team’s long and winding road to the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s. But was it always meant to be quite so hard?Since August, South Africa have played seven Tests and every one has been a must-win. That’s partly because the paucity of fixtures on their calendar in this cycle (six series of only two Tests each) means every match matters more than if they played more frequently, but it is also their own doing. Losing 2-0 in New Zealand in February with a second-string side because most of the frontline players were contracted to the SA20 was a low point and the most emphatic of the selection dilemmas they faced.In every series, South Africa have been without at least one first-choice player as injuries weaved their way. That South Africa were able to put together XIs that won seven out of their 11 matches, so far, speaks as much to the depth in their system as it does to the willingness of Conrad, who is also the sole selector, to be bold. Some of his choices (from making Temba Bavuma captain ahead of Dean Elgar to picking Corbin Bosch to debut on Boxing Day) raised eyebrows but just about all of them paid off.So much so, that South Africa can truly call what they have done to reach the WTC final a team effort. They have no batter in the top 35 Test run-scorers in this cycle and no bowler in the top 13 wicket-takers. Some of that has to with how little South Africa play but some of it tells the story of how they have benefitted from a range of contributions, each a tile in the mosaic that has become this cycle’s success. Here are some of them.Elgar’s 185 v IndiaTen months after being sidelined as Test captain, Dean Elgar announced the India home series would be his last. Though Elgar initially said his retirement was the result of a mutual discussions, once his contract expired, he told the Afrikaans newspaper Rapport that Conrad was “the reason my career was cut short,” and he felt “stabbed in the back” by Cricket South Africa (CSA).Related

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He managed to put those feelings aside for a final hurrah at his home ground, SuperSport Park, where he scored a career-best 185 to anchor South Africa’s response to India’s 245 all out. Though South Africa were never in trouble, Elgar’s knock out them in a position of authority from which they could not lose. South Africa took a 163-run first-innings lead and won the match by an innings and 32 runs. They would go on to lose the next Test on an unsatisfactorily rated pitch at Newlands in Elgar’s swansong which only makes the points they took from Boxing Day more important.Enforced but inspired selection The first of Conrad’s crazy picks came out of necessity for the New Zealand series where he put together a group of has-beens, also-rans and newbies to try to defend South Africa’s unbeaten record. They failed, but at least three of them would play important roles in the rest of the cycle: David Bedingham, who saved blushes on the tour with his maiden and to date only Test century, remains firmly installed at No. 5, Dane Paterson (more on that later) and to a slightly lesser extent Dane Piedt.Two other selections worth mentioning are Wiaan Mulder, who was entrusted with the new-ball in Bangladesh and given the role of seam-bowling allrounder. He scored a maiden hundred batting at No. 7 in the second Test and Corbin Bosch, the dream debutant at SuperSport Park. Bosch took a four-fer and scored a crucial 81* off 93 balls to build South Africa’s first-innings lead.Maharaj and Piedt combine in WiAfter rain and a stubborn West Indies effort kept South Africa’s attack at bay in Trinidad, it took a patient bowling performance in Guyana to keep South Africa’s WTC final hopes alive. West Indies were 103 for 4 chasing 263 to win, when Piedt had Alick Athanaze, on 92, caught slog sweeping and South Africa had removed their biggest threat. Between them, Piedt and Keshav Maharaj ran through the rest of the middle and lower order and gave South Africa a 40-run win.Rabada’s subcontinent six-for If there is a superstar in this side, it’s Kagiso Rabada. He took his 300th Test wicket in Mirpur and has the best strike rate among all bowlers to have brought up that landmark.Kyle Verreynne is all smiles after getting to his second Test century•AFP/Getty ImagesWhile his contribution cannot always be measured in numbers – given how often he beats the bat and sets things up for others – he made his most meaningful contribution of the cycle in the first Test against Bangladesh, where South Africa had a 202-run first innings lead and hoped to limit the target. Rabada removed two of Bangladesh’s top three inside three overs, took out Mushfiqur Rahim as he was beginning to look dangerous and then nipped out the tail to leave South Africa with a target of 106. They achieved that to win their first Test in the subcontinent in a decade.The return of VerreynneWhen Conrad first took over, he dropped the incumbent wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne for Heinrich Klaasen, who felt had “done more.” Klaasen played in two matches, scored 56 runs in four innings, and was promptly replaced by Verreynne, who spent his time out of the Test side, finishing the fifth-leading run-scorer in the first-class competition. These days Verreynne “keeps ribbing me about it when I put him on a sabbatical,” Conrad said. “But he saw the growth in his game.”Since making his comeback, Verreynne has scored two crucial hundreds: in the first Test in Bangladesh when South Africa were 99 for 5 and at St George’s Park, where his 105* off 133 balls propelled South Africa to a first innings total of 358.A quartet of maiden Test tonsVerreynne’s hundred was the first away century for South Africa, and just the fourth of the cycle, and there were concerns over whether the less-experienced batters could make the step up. Chattogram provided the answers. Tony de Zorzi, newly installed as an opener, Tristan Stubbs, newly slotted at No. 3, and Mulder, newly recognised as much as a batter as a bowler, all reached centuries in a dominant performance in Chattogram. South Africa declared on 575 for 6 and were set up for an innings win. There was one more maiden hundred to come: Ryan Rickelton scored an important century at St George’s Park.Bavuma’s redemptionAfter injuring his hamstring last Boxing Day, and missing the New Year’s Test and subsequent tour of New Zealand, Bavuma captained in West Indies and then hurt his elbow so had to miss both matches in Bangladesh. He remained with the squad on tour and had no red-ball match practice before the home summer but scored four fifty-plus scores including a third Test century in the series against Sri Lanka to lead from the front.Bavuma is still struggling with both his elbows, which are protected by heavy strapping on both arms and the niggle is most noticeable when he is playing the hook or pull. Zoom in and you will notice Bavuma is not able to extend the bottom elbow fully and so can’t get enough power behind the shot as he might like. He was out to those shots against Sri Lanka in Durban and Gqeberha but got a six when he tried it at altitude at SuperSport Park. He has also received on-field treatment (mostly painkillers) while batting and has shown no signs that he will miss more matches. In fact, quite the opposite.Marco Jansen and Temba Bavuma bump fists•Getty Images”A couple of months ago (at the ODI World Cup), I was berated and ridiculed for playing in a game (the semi-final) where I was injured, whereas now in the past two series, I’ve been playing with half a decent elbow and I haven’t heard those sentiments” Bavuma said. ” So I guess for me, it’s a learning. Maybe not just for myself, but for people outside of the team.”Conditioned Jansen’s comebackAfter the T20 World Cup, Jansen (and Gerald Coetzee) were put on 12-week conditioning blocks to deal with chronic injuries and work on their strength ahead of a long summer. While Coetzee has since been re-injured, Jansen has come back fitter, faster and more confident than before. His height gives him an obvious advantage and his seven-for to run through Sri Lanka at Kingsmead will be a highlight for years to come. He also took six at SuperSport Park but his big moment came with the bat. Known for his tendency to get nervous in big moments, he held his nerve alongside Rabada to score the runs that gave South Africa a famous win against Pakistan to seal the WTC final spot.Paterson’s five-fors Told you we’d get here, and we have. After Paterson thought he’d play his comeback and final games in New Zealand, Conrad retained him for the rest of the cycle and gave him opportunity on a slow surface in Gqeberha, where his ability to nip the ball around came to the fore. Paterson took a first innings five-for, to ensure South Africa took a slender lead and finished the game with seven wickets. With several quicker bowlers still unavailable, Paterson was retained in the XI against Pakistan at SuperSport Park and took a second successive five-for to make good on Bavuma’s decision to bowl first. At 35, with average speeds in the early 20s, Paterson has labelled himself “not a fan favourite,” especially on social media but he is certainly the one getting the likes.Perspective is everythingAnd so to the match that confirmed South Africa’s spot in the WTC final. You already know how Aiden Markram responded to criticism of his white-ball format with red-ball runs, how Bavuma sulked in the bathroom and Conrad had a puff with Rabada and Jansen to discuss their batting plans, but there was something much more personal going on in South African cricket on December 29.The team found out in the early hours of the morning that their current batting coach, Ashwell Prince’s wife Melissa, a popular and loved figure in cricket circles for over two decades, had passed away. By the time news reached the wider cricketing community, around the time of the lunch break on day four, the Boxing Day Test was two wickets away from being lost. Suddenly, the cricket hardly mattered at all. Hearts broke for Prince and his three young sons, and the victory, while celebrated heartily, also carried a sombre undertone.In South Africa, perhaps more than most places, sport is expected to be an elixir to myriad problems. As much as it has brought immense joy, South Africans also know it can never be the balm to everything. And with that in mind, the show goes on.

Love it or not – there’s plenty of new stuff to look forward to in the 16th season of the IPL

Alagappan Muthu29-Mar-2023*IPL horn blares*Al: No, no, no, no, no, no.Icome Inpeace: Ehhh… Ehhh….Al: What is this?Icome: It’s Planet Eyepeeyell. We changed the name as soon as I came back from Earth that last time. Remember? When you taught me all about the greatest sporting tournament in the history of forever. What do you think?Al: It’s awf– — the hook. It’s off the hook…Icome: So are you excited for the new season?Al: No.Icome: But it’s bigger and better this year!Al: They say that every year.Icome: But this time it actually is.Al: Tell me one way it’s bigger and better.Icome: Teams get to pick their XIs based on the outcome of the toss. They have provision for an impact player who could literally change the game. There’s DRS not just for wickets but for wides and no-balls.Al: I said one way.Finalising XIs after toss and the Impact Player rule will give team’s plenty to think about this season•BCCIIcome: Can you even imagine? A captain, if he has to bowl first, can stack his XI with bowlers and then swap one of them out for a batter in the chase.Al: It’s restricted to Indian players though. The impact player coming into the team can’t be an overseas pick. No wait, he can be, if there are fewer than four overseas players in the first place.Icome : That was a test.Al: Okay fine, I might have maybe sneaked a peek on ESPNcricinfo while standing in line to get my CSK jers–Icome: I knew it.Al: Shut up.Icome: Sure, but you have to appreciate the ingenuity. Rajasthan Royals, for example, can leave Devdutt Padikkal or Yashasvi Jaiswal out of their XI if they are bowling first and bring one of them in when it’s time to bat. In the meantime, if the pitch is turning, like it does in Chennai, they can call up M Ashwin or KC Cariappa to back up R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. If it’s seam-friendly, or even neutral, they can opt for the extra pace of Kuldeep Sen. The impact player can, potentially, even out home advantage.Al: Is it weird that I can’t stop thinking about how much more fun school would’ve been if they had an impact player rule. I’d take my math test and ace it. Someone else would sit through PE.Icome: Yes. It’s weird. Definitely weird.Related

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Al: Moving on. The BBL tried something like this and ditched it …Icome: Which is exactly why the impact player has been given much greater leeway than the BBL’s x-factor substitute. He can come in at any time in the innings and take full part in the game irrespective of the work the person he is replacing has already done. Like, a team can bowl their powerplay specialist out up front and then replace him with a death-overs specialist who will still be allowed a four overs. Incredible, right? The scope of an IPL impact player is much larger than anything the cricket world has ever seen.Al: Y’know, you should DM the BCCI. They’ll really like you.Icome: And I like them. Especially now that they’ve allowed captains the chance to finalise their teams the toss. The SA20 did it first, which perhaps signalled to the IPL that they’ve got competition when it comes to innovation. Whatever happened, the fact is, now, before every game, a team gets to pick two sets of XIs and two sets of impact subs based on whether they will be batting or bowling, then depending on the outcome of the toss you lock one in and away you go. This could even minimise the effect of dew on the result. It won’t end it, because teams bowling second will always be at a disadvantage in conditions where it’s hard to grip the ball, but they’ll at least have extra options: an extra batter for when they’re batting and the ball is gripping and slowing off the pitch and an extra bowler for when they’re bowling and it feels like the runs just won’t stop.Al: Okay, I’ll admit, these new rules are cool. They’re actually a little like get-out-of-jail-free cards … except your options are limited. So you’ll have to be clever about it. You’ll have to plan ahead and, since it’s the first time, there’s also an element of hoping for the best.Icome: It’s a Shawshank situation.Al: You know Shawshank?Icome: You could say that.Allowing teams to use DRS to review wides and no-balls might prevent scenes like this one from IPL 2019•BCCIAl: Why did they extend DRS to wides and no-balls anyway?Icome: To make sure the right decision is made so everybody can calmly get on with the game.Al: You mean like VAR in football?Icome: What? No!Al: Why not? It’s a line call, being adjudicated with the help of technology, by a human being and last I checked we are still prone to error.Icome: At least it’ll prevent incidents like captains storming the field to berate on-field umpires.Al: Okay then. Let’s do an exercise. It’s the last ball of the match and there’s one run to win. You’re the third umpire. You’re called in because the batter has moved right across his crease, forcing the bowler to shift his line even further outside off in order to stay out of reach. The batter plays and misses. He appeals for a wide. It’s not given. For the record, the ball has landed well past the “wide line” but since he’s shuffled across it’s also kind of within his reach. DRS has brought you into play and you have to decide. Is this a wide or not?Icome: Uhh… yes… no… wait… I hate you.Al: So when’s the first game?Icome: Bro. You did not just ask me that.Al: Pretend I did.Icome: March 31st – Defending champions Gujarat Titans take on four-time champions Chennai Super Kings.Al: MS Dhoni’s last season.Icome: Only on earth.Al: What?!Icome: I’ve said too much.Al: It’s nice that the tournament can be spread out across the country now after the Covid-19 pandemic seasons, even if every team won’t play the other both at home and away. How did they work the schedule again?Icome: Each team in Group A plays the five in Group B twice and the four in their own group once, totalling 14 league matches per team.ESPNcricinfo LtdAl: Seems reasonable, if a bit quirky. Like here, look, Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals are all alternating between one game at home and one game away all season. CSK will play four of their last six games at home – potentially a huge advantage given how tight the playoff race gets around that time, while RCB are almost the opposite: starting their season with several matches at home and ending it almost exclusively on the road. Some franchises are going to have their work cut out coping with travel and recovery.Icome: Yeah, but it’s also exciting, right? 74 matches in 58 days with 18 double-headers. That’s nearly 300 hours of T20 cricket with afternoon games starting at 3.30pm local time and evening games at 7.30pm local time. There’s nothing like the start of a new IPL season, and as you can clearly see, the appetite for it extends beyond planetary borders. This place will have serious drip when CSK play Mumbai for the 1000th match of the IPL on May 6.*Cue the horn again*Icome: That’s just the best sound.Al: Really?Icome: Our intelligence agencies swear by it.Al: Intelligence agencies?Icome: Yeah, they use recordings of it in their enhanced interrogations – 100% results.Al: That makes sense. So is there any player you’re rooting for?Icome: Joe … Well, it feels like this season might be the start of the Gen Z era. Shubman Gill has never looked better. Harry Brook is all the rage. Cameron Green is pure gold. Sam Curran is beyond belief. And Jofra Archer man. The way he bowls, he could easily pass for one of us.Al: Yeah. Too bad Jasprit Bumrah’s injured. Seeing those two bowl together would’ve been epic.Jofra Archer will play for Mumbai Indians for the first time, but he won’t be able to team up with Jasprit Bumrah just yet•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIcome: But the best part of any IPL is the new guys who take the chance to own the stage. Like Ruturaj Gaikwad did in 2021. And Umran Malik did in 2022. Ricky Ponting, the Capitals coach, is already taking up a kid called Aman Khan and his power hitting. Then, we’ve got Joe Root playing his first IPL. Josh Little, the first Ireland player, to be part of the tournament. Ben Stokes ostensibly the captain in waiting at CSK, though the hierarchy there might already be wondering how long the USD 1.9 million asset will last given the turmoil his body’s already been through.Al: Speaking of which, what’s the deal with player availabilities?Icome: The South Africans will come in on April 3. The Sri Lankans after April 8. Australia and England might get precious about their players given the Ashes start on June 16. But otherwise most of the international contingent will be free to take a full part in the tournament. Injury has become a bigger concern than availability with Rishabh Pant out, which has left David Warner as captain of the Capitals, and Shreyas Iyer out, leaving Nitish Rana in temporary charge of the Knight Riders.Al: How do you know so much?!Icome: Why do you know so little?!!Al: I’m on vacation.Icome: So?Al: So I’m trying to maintain some boundaries. It’s healthy.Icome: Your coffee cup has Virat Kohli’s face on it.Al: Shut up.Icome: So, excited yet?Al: I have to tell you the truth – and not just because I passed a sign that said my nose will grow every time I lie.Al: But, I am absolutely not excited. On an unrelated note, do you guys have teleportation? I just remembered I have a … dentist’s appointment in, umm… Ahmedabad.

And what is the highest partnership by a pair of debutants in all formats?

Steven Lynch15-Dec-2020The West Indies team for the second Test appeared to have been selected using a Scrabble set – the batsmen’s surnames all begin with B or C, the wicketkeeper with D, and the bowlers with G, H or J! Has there ever been a Test XI with no one beyond J in the alphabet before? asked Anthony Pritchard from England
The West Indies team against New Zealand in Wellington, with no one’s surname starting later than the tenth letter of the alphabet – Alzarri Joseph comes last in alphabetical order – is unusual. But it’s always dangerous to say that something has never happened before in cricket, and it turns out this has: when West Indies played Pakistan in Sharjah in 2001-02, their last surname in alphabetical order was wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs.But England had already gone better still: against Pakistan in Karachi in 1987-88, all their players’ surnames came from the first seven letters of the alphabet, with Graham Gooch bringing up the rear.This set off a discussion in ESPNcricinfo Towers about the player whose surname would score you the most points in Scrabble. It’s complicated by some subcontinental names – which part do you use? – but Shiva Jayaraman of the stats team was last seen scurrying into a darkened room, coffee in hand, to work it out. My money’s on Rizwan-uz-Zaman!When I tuned in to the Wellington Test, Joshua Da Silva and Chemar Holder were batting together – which made me wonder: what is the highest partnership by a pair of debutants in all formats? asked Roger Sawh from Canada
There have so far been 12 partnerships of 100 or more (plus one of 99) by two Test debutants. Top of the list, by quite a distance, is the opening stand of 249 by Billy Ibadulla (166) and Abdul Kadir (95) for Pakistan against Australia in Karachi in 1964-65. Next comes a sixth-wicket partnership of 165, by Dave Houghton (121) and Andy Flower (59) in Zimbabwe’s first Test, against India in Harare in 1992-93.There has been only one century stand by a pair of debutants in one-day internationals – 118 for the fifth wicket (after being 20 for 4) by Ryan Watson and Neil McCallum for Scotland against Pakistan in Edinburgh in 2006.And the highest stand by debutants in a T20I is an unbroken one of 90, for Mozambique’s sixth wicket against Malawi, by Damiao Couana and Filipe Cossa in Lilongwe in November 2019. How many times has a team scored the highest total of a Test in the fourth innings and still lost? asked Francis Curro from Australia
There have now been 47 Tests in which the fourth-innings total was the highest of the match. Of those, 16 have not been enough to stave off defeat. The highest fourth-innings total that still resulted in a loss was Pakistan’s 450, after being set 490 to win by Australia in Brisbane in 2016-17.Of the rest, 24 have produced wins: the highest such total is West Indies’ 418 for 7 against Australia (who had scored 417 in their second innings) in St John’s, Antigua in 2003-04. And seven times such a score has forced a draw, most notably when England amassed 654 for 5 in the timeless Test in Durban in 1938-39.India almost fielded five players with 100 caps in the 2008 Test in New Delhi – it was VVS Laxman’s 99th Test, while Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble and Ganguly had gone past 100•Getty ImagesWhich Test team contained the most players who had 100 caps? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England
During 2006-07, Australia played five matches with four players who had 100 or more caps to their name. India equalled this late in 2007, and over the next couple of years played several Tests with four centurions in their ranks. In one of these, against Australia in Delhi in 2008-09, they came very close to fielding five, as VVS Laxman was winning his 99th cap. He made it to 100 in the next game. Anil Kumble retired after that Delhi match – his 132nd Test – leaving Laxman alongside Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar.On 13 occasions in the 1990s, Australia fielded a team containing eight players who finished their careers with 100 or more Test caps, although they had not all reached three figures at the time. The World XI that took on Australia in the Super Series Test in Sydney in 2005-06 had nine players who would finish with more than 100 caps.I just noticed that all of the Australian team from the first ODI are still living. What’s the earliest Test side in which all the players are still alive? asked Gary Reid from Australia
I’m always a little nervous about this sort of question, but it’s true to say that as I write all 11 members of Australia’s side in the first official one-day international, in Melbourne in January 1971, are still alive nearly 50 years on. Three of the England players – Colin Cowdrey, Basil D’Oliveira and John Hampshire – have sadly passed away.The oldest Test team from which all 11 members currently survive dates from around 14 months earlier: all 11 of Pakistan’s players who took on New Zealand in Lahore in October 1969 are still alive. They are all over 70 now: the oldest, Intikhab Alam, will be 79 in two weeks’ time.

MatériaMais Notícias

O jornalista Paulo Vinicius Coelho, o PVC, colunista do UOL, alertou nesta quinta-feira (14) que a guerra do Choque-Rei (o clássico entre Palmeiras e São Paulo) cresceu nas redes sociais e que se ninguém der um basta, há risco real de a briga acabar em morte. Ele disse que ouviu de pessoas de dentro dos clubes que “se a final for Palmeiras e São Paulo, nós vamos brigar”.

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– Alguém precisa parar com isso. O Choque-Rei precisa ter nobreza, porque a frase que eu ouvi ontem é: ‘Se a final for Palmeiras e São Paulo, nós vamos brigar’. É quase inevitável, senão fizer mais um café, senão der a mão e falar chega dessse negócio. O jogo acabou no dia 3 de março. Porque esse populismo digital, de você não poder dizer que pede desculpas pelo seu erro, seja de um lado, seja do outro, vai causar uma morte real. Quando você diz que o Julio Casares e o Carlos Belmonte (presidente e diretor do São Paulo, respectivamente) ‘não têm que baixar o tom, têm que mostrar firmeza’, isso não é firmeza, é grosseria. Tem um limite entre a firmeza e a grosseria, e esse limite já passou faz muito tempo – afirmou PVC, acrescentando:

Tem que parar. Tem que parar dos dois lados. Se ninguém parar, vai acontecer uma coisa muito mais grave nas ruas, porque a violência saiu das diretorias, que deveriam ser o exemplo da cordialidade, para os torcedores.

➡️ Revanche? Ganhe mais de R$450 na vitória do Corinthians sobre o São Bernardo

O diretor do São Paulo, Carlos Belmonte, se desculpou com o técnico Abel Ferreira e o Palmeiras por ter chamado o treinador alviverde de “português de merd*”, após o clássico entre as equipes, no dia 3 de março, mas o Palmeiras se incomodou com o acordo feito entre São Paulo e o Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF). As partes definiram o pagamento de multas para dirigentes e jogadores do Tricolor envolvidos na confusão, evitando punições aos são-paulinos.

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➡️Siga o Lance! Fora de Campo no WhatsApp e saiba o que rola fora das 4 linhas

O diretor de futebol do Palmeiras, Anderson Barros, afirmou que o acordo abre um precedente no futebol brasileiro, e questionou a ausência de punição aos envolvidos no lado do São Paulo.

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Futebol NacionalPalmeirasSão Paulo

New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has been thrown in at the deep end ahead of a clash with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday in his first match.

The Hoops boss has taken over from the vastly-experienced interim Martin O’Neill, who won seven of his eight games in the dugout after coming in to steady the ship after Brendan Rodgers resigned.

Nancy is now tasked with implementing his own ideas and tactics in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead, after his move from Columbus Crew in the MLS.

The formation that Wilfried Nancy could play at Celtic

Many Celtic supporters may already be wondering what formation the new manager will line-up with against Hearts, and for matches in the future, after O’Neill played a 4-2-3-1 and Rodgers played a 4-3-3.

Nancy has only had a couple of days on the training ground, having been announced on Wednesday night, so the game against the Jam Tarts may come too soon for radical changes.

With time on the training pitch, though, the French boss may want to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, which Transfermarkt notes is his favoured system.

Chalkboard

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

Per FBref, Nancy played a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 in 31 of his 43 games in charge of Columbus Crew this year, and played a back three or a back five in 40 of those matches.

This suggests that the Frenchman may line up with three central defenders for the most part with Celtic, which could make Dane Murray the biggest winner of his appointment at Parkhead.

Why Dane Murray could play a key role for Wilfried Nancy

The Scottish youngster’s last start for Celtic came in Rodgers’ final match against Hearts, as he scored a nightmare own goal in a 3-1 defeat.

It was a poor afternoon for Murray and Celtic, as he struggled at the heart of the defence, and he only played 38 minutes across two substitute appearances in O’Neill’s time in interim charge, as the experienced boss favoured Auston Trusty and Liam Scales as a pairing.

With Cameron Carter-Vickers being a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury, though, there could be a place for the academy graduate to come back into the team as part of a back three or back five, if Nancy decides to stick with his trend of using formations with three centre-backs.

Kieran Tierney could be an option to play as a third centre-back, as he has done for Scotland in the past, but then Celtic would have three left-footed defenders across the back, which is not ideal for playing out under pressure.

Bringing a right-footed centre-back like Murray into the fold could be ideal for Nancy, and he would have more protection than he did in a back four under Rodgers, as there would be two senior defenders alongside him, in Trusty and Scales.

Appearances

3

Starts

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

Clearances

15

Dribbled past

0x

Ground duel success rate

64%

Aerial duel success rate

80%

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old colossus has shown some positive signs, despite his own goal against Hearts, in his three league appearances, dominating opposition attackers in physical duels.

Back in August, Rodgers claimed that Murray’s “ceiling is so high” and that he will really grow in the next 12 to 18 months. Whilst it may not happen as he envisaged, as another manager is in the dugout, that could play out with Nancy’s preferred system.

The Scottish prospect has been the only centre-back on the bench in recent games, with Carter-Vickers out, and that suggests that he would be the most logical inclusion for the new manager as part of a back three.

Given that a change in shape from a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 would essentially mean that a new centre-back position emerges, it seems like Murray has the most to gain and could be the biggest winner from this appointment for the Hoops.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

However, it is then down to the academy graduate to take his chance when it comes and prove that he has what it takes to be a regular starter for Celtic, and that his game against Hearts was a blip rather than a sign of things to come.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given an encouraging injury update prior to the Gunners’ mouth-watering Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.

Arsenal prepare for Bayern Munich amid injury doubts

Arteta’s side welcome Bayern to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday in what promises to be a defining European encounter, with the Premier League title favourites riding high following their dominant 4-1 North London derby victory over Tottenham last weekend.

Arsenal delivered a masterclass against their bitter rivals, showcasing the attacking fluidity and defensive solidity that has characterised their strongest displays this season.

That emphatic win not only reinforced Arsenal’s credentials as top title contenders domestically, but also provided the perfect psychological boost ahead of this crucial European test.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal’s preparation has been complicated by several injury concerns, with captain Martin Odegaard still touch and go after failing to make the matchday squad for Spurs.

Arsenal star makes transfer admission and says club "want" to sign him

He’s responded to the speculation around his future.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 14, 2025

Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke returned to the side on Sunday following their respective injuries with both men ready to play a part tonight, as did Riccardo Calafiori, but Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus were all nowhere to be seen.

Arteta may well be forced to play Mikel Merino as a makeshift number nine once again, a challenge the Spaniard has relished throughout 2025, with this game still coming too soon for Jesus.

That being said, Arteta has some good news about the Brazil international.

Gabriel Jesus in line for 'earlier than expected' Arsenal injury return

According to Arsenal’s manager, speaking in his pre-Bayern press conference, the 28-year-old’s recovery is actually further along than expected, and he’s about to be knocking on the door.

Jesus hasn’t played a single minute since rupturing his ACL during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United in January, so it is approaching a year since he was last able to take part.

The former Man City star is on record stating this is the worst injury he’s ever had, and Jesus was repeatedly linked with a winter window exit following the arrival of Gyokeres in the summer.

Jesus, though, has poured cold water over the possibility of a transfer multiple times recently, even though he confirmed his intention to one day return to Palmeiras.

Arteta, meanwhile, has also said that he’s looking forward to welcoming Arsenal’s ‘unpredictable’ weapon back into the fold.

Chelsea have made an approach to sign a former Real Madrid sensation, and it is believed that the west Londoners could even strike a deal in January.

Enzo Maresca’s side, despite some shock defeats at home to Brighton and Sunderland recently, have made a solid start to the season overall — losing just once in their last nine matches and climbing up to third in the Premier League table.

However, even taking into account their form on paper, not to mention Chelsea’s near-£300 million spend in the summer, there are suggestions that Maresca is dissatisfied with his current squad and could look to upgrade key areas in the winter.

Premier League Clubs’ Summer Spending

Rank

Club

Gross Spend

Sales

Net Spend

20.

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£202.5m

+£65.8m

19.

Brighton

£67.7m

£127.5m

+£59.8m

18.

Brentford

£92.8m

£152m

+£59.2m

17.

Wolves

£105.6m

£126.5m

+£20.9m

16.

Chelsea

£296.5m

£314.4m

+£17.9m

Chelsea have lost all of Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwil, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo to injury at various points already this season, with Maresca reportedly prioritising the addition of a new centre-back in January.

Now that injury-ridden midfielder Romeo Lavia is also set to be out for “at least” a month with a quadriceps injury (Fabrizio Romano), Chelsea are said to be looking at new midfield options ahead of 2026 as well.

Nico Paz now keen to join Chelsea with approach made to Como

Indeed, it is reported by TEAMtalk that Chelsea have identified Como starlet Nico Paz as their most viable January midfield target, with Maresca looking to strengthen his squad in the engine room as well as further forward.

Chelsea have apparently opened discussions with both the Serie A club and Paz’s representatives through direct enquiries, as they look to address squad depth issues that have been exposed by recent injury problems.

The Blues are actively compiling a shortlist of midfield reinforcements, with Lavia’s latest injury lay-off prompting urgent action.

Paz, who came through Real’s academy system and is valued at around £62 million, has emerged as the leading candidate to arrive at Stamford Bridge in January ahead of both Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton and Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo.

What makes the potential deal particularly encouraging for Chelsea is the player’s own enthusiasm about the move. Paz is understood to be genuinely interested in a transfer to England and sees Chelsea as an ‘ideal’ next career step.

His technical ability on the left foot and creativity is said to have caught the eye of Chelsea’s scouting department, who believe he fits perfectly within their current recruitment philosophy.

The young Spaniard represents exactly the type of signing Chelsea have been targeting under BlueCo’s leadership – a player with high potential who ticks multiple boxes in terms of age profile, quality and future sell-on value.

However, Paz still won’t be an easy signing by any means.

Real Madrid basically own the player in practice if not officially, possessing full matching rights on any deal for him, not to mention a 50 per cent sell-on clause and multiple buy-back options worth just £8 million for the summer of 2026 and £8.5m in 2027.(Football Italia).

This means that Xabi Alonso’s side have a massive say over Paz’s future, so Chelsea may even have to negotiate with the La Liga giants alongside Como to make this deal happen.

Bangladesh have also dropped Mohammad Naim after a string of low scores

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2025

Mehidy Hasan Miraz made a brief comeback to Bangladesh’s T20I team but failed to make an impact•AFP/Getty Images

The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Naim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related

No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

Vikramjit back in Netherlands squad for Bangladesh T20Is

Asia Cup: India-Pakistan set to go ahead after Indian government clarifies stance

Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan
OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim