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While the latest scan, which Bumrah underwent in Bengaluru over the weekend, did not reveal anything untoward, it is learned he is not entirely ready to return to bowling yet

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Feb-2025

In a significant jolt to India’s plans for the Champions Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the tournament. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Bumrah is yet to completely recover from the discomfort in his back, an injury he picked up during the Sydney Test in January that also ruled him out of the England white-ball series.Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been left out of the provisional squad, and Varun Chakravarthy has been named as his replacement.While Bumrah’s latest scans, which he underwent in Bengaluru over the weekend, did not reveal anything severe, he is not entirely ready to return to bowling. There is no confirmation on the timeline of his return. It is likely he will resume running in a couple of weeks and then gradually get back to bowling. His progress will be monitored by the BCCI’s medical team in Bengaluru.This is the second ICC tournament Bumrah will miss because of injury, having sat out the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia owing to a back injury that eventually required surgery.Related

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Bumrah’s replacement is Harshit Rana, who made his ODI debut during the ongoing England series. The ICC had set February 11 as the deadline for all participating teams to submit their final squads of 15 for the Champions Trophy. Any subsequent changes to the squad will need approval from the tournament’s technical committee.When the BCCI announced the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series in January, Rana was named as Bumrah’s back-up for the England ODIs. Rana made his ODI debut in the first game of the England series in Nagpur, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Shami. Rana started impressively, but Phil Salt then thrashed him for 26 runs in his third over. But the seamer from Delhi bounced back, picking three wickets to transfer the pressure back on England, which played a key role in India’s win.Eyebrows were raised after the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, in coordination with the Indian team think-tank comprising head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, had picked Rana ahead of the other contenders, including Mohammed Siraj, for the England series. Siraj has been India’s third-most senior bowler after Bumrah and Shami and was also part of their dominant run in the 2023 World Cup. However, in January’s media briefing while announcing the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series, Rohit explained that Siraj’s “effectiveness comes down a little” if he was not “going to take the new ball”.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rohit had also said that with a question mark over Bumrah’s fitness, the decision makers collectively had confidence in Shami controlling the front-end of the innings and left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh capable of handling the death overs.Varun replaces Jaiswal in Champions Trophy squadVarun has been drafted into the squad as Jaiswal, along with Siraj and Shivam Dube, have been moved to the line-up of non-travelling reserves.Last week, Rohit had strongly hinted at Varun’s inclusion in the squad, saying that the spinner “clearly had something different about him”. Varun has taken 31 wickets at 11.25 since his comeback into India’s T20I squad, and on Sunday, he made his ODI debut as well, taking 1 for 54 in Cuttack.India’s squad for the Champions TrophyRohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy
Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube

He tightened his game to get the best out of himself after being promoted up the order in Gqeberha

Firdose Moonda05-Dec-2024

Ryan Rickelton doubted himself. He wondered if, after being among the top run-scorers in domestic cricket for several seasons, he could transfer that talent to the international stage. More importantly, he doubted if, on 98 in his first innings in his preferred position at No.3, he had hit the ball and been saved from an lbw decision.But he was two runs away from proving his own potential to himself and scoring a first Test century, and South Africa had all three reviews available so he decided to challenge umpire Joel Wilson’s decision despite being unsure. Someone, or something, was looking down on him and the final call went his way with replays showing his bat had made contact with the ball, despite his own uncertainty.”I didn’t think I hit it at all,” he said at the post-day press conference. “I think I might have got a little bit lucky there with some scratches on the UltraEdge. I was reviewing because I was on 98, and because I was thinking maybe it was outside the line, but I didn’t feel anything.”Related

Bavuma, Rickelton prove, in their own special ways, that they can and they will

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Except “relief” two balls later when he drove Vishwa Fernando down the ground to bring up his hundred. He could stop his self-questioning over whether he was good enough. “I’ve been in and around this team for probably about four or five years, having played a handful of games, but I’ve always believed that I can do something useful at international level,” he said. “It was always just a case of can I do it and can I prove it to myself.””So it was a relief to say to myself I’ve waited my time, but I can do it. Because there’s always those doubts. They live in everyone, they definitely live in me. After a couple of failures here and there, ‘am I actually… can I do it? Am I speaking a good game?’ It was just the relief of being able to do it, and do it for the team as well.”The individual achievement aside, Rickelton also put in a performance that rescued South Africa from a top-order wobble and was able to do so because he was batting where he is more comfortable.Ryan Rickelton stuck to his game plan even after being set•AFP/Getty Images

It is in the top three that Rickelton has been at his most productive domestically, where he averages over 60, but in a Test squad where he was the newest batter in 2022, he was slotted in at No. 5. At the time, Keegan Petersen occupied the No. 3 spot; most recently Test coach Shukri Conrad has given it to Tristan Stubbs but after Stubbs’ century at No. 4 in Durban and the decision to pick an extra batter in the line-up for this Test meant that Conrad offered Rickelton the No. 3 slot.Rickelton “jumped at the opportunity”, because he knows he is at his best when conditions are most challenging. “Playing against the new ball in red-ball cricket actually helps me, it tightens me up,” he said. “If I come in at No. 5 or 6, I actually get a bit too loose or maybe a bit expansive. I had my game plan, having had some relative success in the past domestically, and just tried to stick to it for long parts of the day.”That plan also worked because South Africa were on the ropes, and he knew he could not afford to slip up. “Being 44 for 3 solidified my plan. We were in a bit of trouble, so I knew that I had to probably tighten up even more. Cricket’s funny. I think the better things go, the looser individuals become. I’m one of those guys. Under pressure, I kind of made myself tighten up, and luckily for me, Temba [Bavuma] was seeing it really well and playing incredibly well. He actually took a lot of pressure off of me by scoring so freely on what actually was quite a tough morning.”Bavuma dominated their fourth-wicket stand, outscored Rickelton and was the batter who looked odds on for a hundred but played at a ball he could have left and was dismissed before tea. In the end, Rickelton also went for a delivery he didn’t have to play at and was out before the end of the day. But he believes he has left South Africa in a good position. “In PE [formerly Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha], if you’re hovering around 350, it’s a really, really good score,” he said. “We are one decent partnership away from setting a really nice score.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are just three attackers who managed to win the Premier League Golden Boot award during their respective periods at Manchester United.

All three players managed to capture the hearts of the fanbase, helping Sir Alex Ferguson claim 13 top-division titles at Old Trafford, subsequently transforming the club into one of the world’s biggest clubs.

However, since his retirement back at the end of 2012/13, the Red Devils have failed to finish at the top of England’s top-flight, with their lack of attacking threat playing a huge part in their lack of success.

Ruben Amorim’s side only managed to score 44 times in their 38 league outings last campaign, resulting in the big-money additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Despite the work already being conducted by the hierarchy, further signings are being targeted within the final third, in an attempt to return to their former glory.

The latest on United’s hunt for new attackers

Countless strikers have been constantly linked with a move to join United this summer, but as of yet no deals have been completed to land Amorim a new talisman.

The likes of Dušan Vlahović, Nicolas Jackson and Randal Kolo Muani have all been touted with moves to Old Trafford, but they may have been trumped by one other target.

Benjamin Sesko is the latest attacker who has appeared on their radar this summer, with Fabrizio Romano’s latest update handing the supporters a reason to be excited.

He claims that Amorim’s representatives have been in concrete talks with the Red Devils over a move to the club, but they could face competition from Newcastle United for his signature.

Romano also states that the Slovenian is now part of the club’s shortlist to be their new number nine, but any deal could cost as much as £80m million during this window.

Why United’s latest target could be their own version of Isak

Alexander Isak has been one of the Premier League’s leading attackers over the last couple of years, often being a player to be feared when coming up against the Magpies.

The Swede has registered 54 league goals in his three years in England, ending last year on 23 goals, with only Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah notching more in 2024/25.

However, he too could be a player on the move, stating his desire to move away from St James’ Park this summer in order to undertake a new challenge.

The Red Devils were one side in the race, but given their recent poor finishes in England’s top-flight, he wants a move to a bigger club, with Liverpool leading the race for his services.

Despite seemingly missing out on the 25-year-old this window, other options such as Sesko have been considered at United, potentially being Amorim’s own version of the forward.

He possesses a very similar skillset given their huge frame and freakish all-round talent in having bags of pace along with a superb aerial ability that could cause the opposition no end of trouble.

They both also have huge ball-striking abilities, with the pair both registering the most powerful strikes in their respective divisions throughout the most recent campaign.

When delving into their stats from 2024/25, the Slovenian managed to produce some impressive numbers, many of which were better than those registered by Isak in the Premier League.

Sesko, who’s previously been labelled “phenomenal” by analyst Antonio Mango, managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate last season, subsequently handing United a more accurate option in front of goal.

How Sesko & Isak compared throughout 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Sesko

Isak

Games played

33

34

Goals & assists

19

28

Shot on target accuracy

44%

43%

Take-ons completed

1.5

1.3

Take-on success

52%

46%

Aerials won

2.7

0.8

Aerial success rate

59%

32%

Fouls drawn

0.8

0.4

Stats via FBref

Given the club’s lack of quality in forward areas, the Leipzig star’s impressive take-on success could also hand Amorim a new dimension in the final third, having the ability to single-handedly torment the opposition if needed.

His key talents are further reflected in his staggering 59% aerial success rate, outperforming Isak in such a department, which could offer the Red Devils a needed dominant focal point in their quest for success.

His current asking price of around £80m may appear to be hugely expensive, but at just 22 years of age, he has bags of time to build on his early success in the professional game.

If he can replicate such form from the Bundesliga, he would be a stellar addition, having the ability to transform the side’s fortunes in attacking areas, whilst also being able to make them a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League once again.

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Brook came in for criticism during a relatively lean Test series against Sri Lanka but he has gas left in the tank after a long season

Matt Roller18-Sep-2024It tells you just how serenely Harry Brook’s international career has progressed that he came under scrutiny after averaging 30 in a series win. But by his own admission, Brook finds himself trying to avoid paralysis by overanalysis as he prepares to captain England for the first time at Trent Bridge on Thursday after his approach was questioned during Sri Lanka’s recent victory at The Oval.Brook made 19 and 3 in the final Test of the English season, having made between 32 and 56 in his first four innings of the series against Sri Lanka. If the scores were underwhelming, it was his manner at the crease that drew most attention: he grew visibly frustrated when Sri Lanka bowled wide outside his off stump, to the extent Michael Vaughan accused him of “taking the mick out of the game”.Related

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This has been a long season for Brook, who was England’s only ever-present across both June’s T20 World Cup and their six home Tests. He spent the three weeks between the West Indies and Sri Lanka series captaining Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, and will fly to Pakistan for October’s Test tour only three days after the fifth and final ODI of the Australia series.Brook seemed characteristically relaxed on the eve of his England captaincy debut at Trent Bridge, grinning through his pre-match press conference and laughing off the idea that he had ever craved leadership. He conceded that his Test summer had not quite gone to plan, but played down the suggestion that he was mentally drained after an intense season.”Because I wasn’t scoring the runs I wanted to, I probably was [feeling] a little bit [tired],” Brook said. “But if I’d have gone out and got two hundreds against Sri Lanka then I’d have been like, ‘I’ll just carry on’. But no, not really. I love playing cricket: I want to play as much as I possibly can. I do think breaks are important at certain times, but I was pretty chilled.”Obviously I didn’t do as well as I’d wanted. I want to get a hundred every innings, but it’s not going to happen, is it? Professional sport is not easy… I felt like I batted really well against West Indies and then didn’t play as well as I wanted to against Sri Lanka, but those things happen. You go away and think about it for a little bit, and hopefully come back stronger in Pakistan.”Harry Brook was in good spirits despite a long, busy season•Getty ImagesUntil the Hundred this year – where he oversaw five wins in six completed games – the majority of Brook’s captaincy experience came with England Under-19s, whom he led in 11 Youth ODIs, including five at the 2018 World Cup. Since then, he has played 50-over cricket only sporadically. Half of his 30 List A games have been full ODIs, and his record in them is underwhelming: 407 runs at 29.07, with three half-centuries.He will aim to keep things simple against Australia, batting at No. 4. “I’m just going to go out there and watch the ball as closely as possible,” he said. “If you have a few low scores here and there, you start thinking about different things and your technique and whatever. I’m just going to go out there, watch the ball as closely as I can and play on instinct.”Brook is only standing in as captain for Jos Buttler, who was with the squad on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation from a calf injury and will return for November’s Caribbean tour. “I might pick his brains here and there,” Brook said, “but he’s said I’ve got full rein to do whatever I want.”Buttler has challenged Brook to “identify those moments” in the field where he can change the game – something that Buttler himself has struggled with in ODIs. Brook showed signs of that instinct during the Hundred, and said that he would liberate his bowlers to make decisions: “Whatever you feel like doing, just do it. The only bad outcome is you could get hit for a boundary and the next ball could be a dot ball.”This ODI series is one of only three for England before February’s Champions Trophy, and the first since Rob Key announced that Brendon McCullum will take over as limited-overs coach as part of a “strategic restructure” of the senior set-up. The implication is that there will be greater convergence between formats, as evidenced by Ben Duckett’s promotion to open the batting on Thursday.Brook said that he has hardly spoken to McCullum, who has instead delegated responsibility to his Test assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “It’s all going to merge into one at some point,” Brook predicted. “We want to go out there and entertain the crowd, take the game on, try to take wickets and put the pressure on their bowlers.”And after ending the Test summer on autopilot at The Oval, Brook hopes that this new challenge will prove reinvigorating. “I’ve only been here for two days, but the way the lads have gone about their business in training just seems so chilled at the minute. We’re all looking forward to going out there and having some fun.”

It’s been the best part of a month since Tottenham Hotspur made the surprise decision to sack Ange Postecoglou after he delivered them their first piece of silverware in almost two decades.

Thomas Frank was then announced as the new head coach a few days later, and while a flurry of transfer rumours then followed, the club have only made one first-team signing – Mathys Tel.

The young Frenchman is undoubtedly an exciting player to have at the club, but fans are understandably keen to see a new face bought in, especially as Manchester United seem to be dead set on signing Bryan Mbeumo.

One of the names who continues to be linked with a move to the white side of North London is Antoine Semenyo, although another Premier League star has since been linked with Frank’s Lilywhites, a player who would be a more exciting signing than the Bournemouth star.

Spurs target Premier League star

While there have been occasional reports linking Semenyo with a move to Spurs for months now, they really began to gain momentum early last month, not long after Frank took the hot seat.

Transfer Focus

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

In fact, some stories went so far as to claim that positive talks had been held between Daniel Levy and the player’s representatives.

However, as with most potential deals, the main obstacle appears to be the price, with most stories reaffirming that the Cherries want around £70m to let their star attacker leave.

While such a fee would be a new record for Tottenham, it’s probably not entirely out of reach, although it now looks as if the club have another option: Mohammed Kudus.

Yes, according to a recent report from the Telegraph, Spurs are very interested in the West Ham United star.

The report has revealed that the Ghanaian international is now one of the club’s primary targets and that there is a belief that they will be able to sign him for less than his £85m release clause, which expires on July 10.

Interestingly, according to another update from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the North Londoners have already made contact with the player’s camp, which is certainly encouraging from a Lilywhites perspective.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Kudus’ ability and potential, it’s one Spurs should fight for, especially as he’d be a more exciting signing than Semenyo.

Why Kudus would be more exciting than Semenyo

Okay, so the first thing to admit is that, yes, on this season alone, Semenyo looks to be more productive than Kudus, but when we expand the time horizon to include last season as well, it becomes very clear that the West Ham star is the far more dangerous attacker.

For example, since the start of the 23/24 campaign, the Accra-born “generational talent,” as dubbed by journalist Gary Al-Smith, has scored 23 goals and provided 14 assists in 83 appearances, totalling 6,502 minutes, which comes out to a strong average of a goal involvement every 2.24 games, or every 175.72 minutes.

In contrast, the Cherries star has scored 21 goals and provided ten assists in 78 appearances, totalling 5,869 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.51 games, or every 189.32 minutes.

However, while it’s clear that the former Ajax gem poses a greater goal threat, his output isn’t the only way to see that he’s the more exciting player, as it’s also evident in their respective underlying numbers.

For example, since the start of last season, the 24-year-old game-changer has completed more take-ons per 90 than his competitor, more shot and goal-creating actions, and more carries into the final third.

While these statistics might ultimately be less important than goals scored, they do give an insight into the sort of player the Irons star is, which is someone who is capable of grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck and making something happen – which is also the sort of player who’ll get fans on their feet.

If you still aren’t convinced that there is a superstar ready to explode in the 42-capped international, then listen to respected talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as a “future icon of Ghanaian football.”

Ultimately, Spurs need to add some more dynamism to their attack this summer, and while Semenyo would be a great signing, Kudus would bring more excitement and more substance to boot. Therefore, Levy and Co should be doing all they can to pick him up.

Big Kulusevski upgrade: Spurs now eyeing "one of the best 10s in the world"

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing a star who would be an upgrade on Dejan Kulusevski.

1

By
Dan Emery

Jun 30, 2025

West Indies coach Andre Coley has called on his players to channel the resilience they showed in Australia earlier this year in their ongoing series against England, as they look to respond from an innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s.At Adelaide Oval in January, West Indies were thrashed by 10 wickets by Australia in the first of two Tests before responding with a famous win at the Gabba, with Shamar Joseph taking seven second-innings wickets. Ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, Coley implored his players to believe they can set up a decider at Edgbaston.”They would’ve taken a lot of positives from that,” Coley said on Monday, when asked about the Gabba Test. “In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful [than the result].”It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider. So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here, but what we would’ve [faced in the] last six months.”West Indies Test coach Andre Coley at a training session•Getty Images

Coley suggested that his side have learned from the first Test, despite their heavy defeat. “Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatise to conditions and actually getting time in the middle… yes, the result was not what we would’ve wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there’s a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways.”We admit that the side we have, it is young and emerging… but we are still very positive about how we are approaching the second Test. Everybody’s in good spirits. We’ve been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will really be the first time that we’ll be settled as a squad.”There’s been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it’s been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it’s a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham.”Related

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Coley said there were positives to take from how his team fared with the ball in the first Test, having bowled England out for 371 in their only innings. But he called on his batters to try and put longer partnerships together, and also told them to raise their intensity in the field.”We know the conditions will be testing: that’s why it’s called a Test match,” he said. “We’re not playing at home. Our conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.”There were periods in the game where [England] actually had to show really good application and grit… Jayden Seales, Jason Holder; you had Alzarri Joseph, his pace was back up; Gudakesh Motie played a fantastic role in terms of helping the captain, Kraigg [Brathwaite] to be able to control and [took the] key wicket of the captain [Ben] Stokes.”So yes, quite a few positives. I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we’re known to show in the field. I thought in this Test match, we weren’t at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on the England batters. That is definitely something that we need to be better at for the next Test.”Shamar Joseph suffered stiffness in his left hamstring during the first Test, at one stage leaving the field mid-over. A CWI spokesperson said that no decision has been made on his availability for the second Test, with West Indies due to train at Trent Bridge on Tuesday morning.

This summer is shaping up to be one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most important for a long time.

The North Londoners got rid of Ange Postecoglou earlier this month and, in relatively fast fashion, appointed Thomas Frank in his place.

The Danish coach helped turn Brentford into a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League but has no real experience of managing a team as big as Spurs.

So, to ensure he can help lead the club back up the league table next season and to a successful campaign in Europe, Daniel Levy and Co need to bring in the right players in the summer transfer window.

That means that on top of bringing in the exciting attacking names, the club need to help address the defence, which seems to be happening, with reports linking the club to someone who could be Frank’s own Jurrien Timber.

Spurs' defensive targets

While Tottenham managed to end up as the eighth-highest-scoring team in the Premier League this season, they also managed to end up with the fourth-worst defensive record, conceding 65 goals – one more than they scored.

Transfer Focus

Expand Collapse

So, it’s clear what part of the team needs to be addressed in the coming weeks and months, and unsurprisingly, the club have already been linked with a handful of talented defenders, such as Jarrad Branthwaite and Vanderson.

The former has been mightily impressive for Everton and, at a towering 6 foot 5, would help add some serious steel to the North Londoners’ backline, although with reports that he could cost up to £80m, this feels like a deal unlikely to happen.

Likewise, while Vanderson is undoubtedly a talented full-back, he’s been touted for a move to Tottenham before, and nothing has ever come of the links, and he’s not really comparable to Timber, unlike Kyle Walker-Peters.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Spurs are one of several sides seriously interested in re-signing the Southampton star having initially left the club under Jose Mourinho.

The report has revealed that with the full-back’s £20k-per-week contract coming to an end this month, a number of teams are expected to move for the Englishman’s signature, with the North Londoners expected to be the most serious.

Moreover, the story claims Frank is open to transfer, which helps make this move seem like a total no-brainer, especially as he’s won comparisons to the talented Timber.

How Walker-Peters compares to Timber

The primary comparison to Timber for Walker-Peters stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in the Premier League this season, and came to the conclusion that the Dutchman was the fifth most similar full-back in the competition.

Walker-Peters & Timber

Statistics per 90

Walker-Peters

Timber

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.11

0.08

Shots on Target

0.19

0.15

Passing Accuracy

88.2%

85.6%

Expected Assists

0.07

0.05

Key Passes

0.74

0.63

Shot-Creating Actions

1.94

1.94

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.03

0.04

Blocks

0.83

0.71

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at some of the metrics in which the pair ranked closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, errors leading to a shot, blocks, and more, all per 90.

What is interesting and perhaps most encouraging about this comparison is that it highlights the similarity the Englishman has with the Arsenal ace in terms of his on-the-ball ability as well as his defensive solidity, which should be music to the ears of Frank.

Moreover, like the former Ajax star, who made 48 appearances across all competitions this season, the ex-Tottenham man was an ever-reliable presence for the Saints, making 35 appearances in the league, all of which were starts.

The last point of comparison is that, like the Gunners ace, the Englishman is fairly versatile, as while his primary position is right-back, he has the ability to play across the backline and even further up the pitch, should he need to.

Ultimately, while he won’t be anywhere near the most exciting transfer Spurs make this summer, picking up Walker-Peters for free seems like a total no-brainer, and who knows, he could prove as useful for Frank as Timber has for Mikel Arteta.

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It is fair to say that Manchester City are making a concerted effort to bring down the average age of their squad.

In January, they signed Juma Bah (18), Nico González (23), Vitor Reis (19), and Abdukodir Khusanov (21), while Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, aged 34 and 33 respectively, could both be on their way out of The Etihad.

While hundreds of millions will be spent on new signings, Man City may have unearthed a top-quality youngster from within their own youth system, one that is now being compared to one of the breakout stars of this Premier League season.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's impact at Arsenal

Few had heard of Myles Lewis-Skelly just six months ago, considering the teenager only made his full Premier League debut against Everton as recently as 14 December.

Now, though, despite still having made fewer than 30 senior appearances for the Gunners, he is their undisputed first-choice left-back.

Adam Bate of Sky Sports outlines how the 18-year-old has enjoyed an astronomical rise, boasting the ‘swagger’ of someone well beyond his years, while Simon Collings of the Evening Standard believes he ‘announced himself on the big stage’ against Real Madrid this week.

Last month, Lewis-Skelly became the youngest debutant to score for England, coolly slotting through Thomas Strakosha’s legs after just 20 minutes against Albania at Wembley.

So, while the Hale End home-grown hero continues to impress at Arsenal, have Manchester City found their answer to him?

Man City's own Myles Lewis-Skelly

A goal down against Bournemouth, Manchester City’s FA Cup hopes appeared to be slipping away by the South Coast.

In response, Pep Guardiola made a half-time alteration in Dorset, introducing Nico O’Reilly at left-back, pushing Joško Gvardiol into the heart of the Man City defence.

Well, even Guardiola could not have envisaged how well this switch would go because, within seconds, O’Reilly had put the ball on a plate for Erling Braut Håland to equalise, before also setting up Omar Marmoush’s winner.

Afterwards, Guardiola hailed O’Reilly’s impact as “unbelievable”, adding “he’s going to play in semi-final for sure”, while Ben Fisher of the Guardian labeled this tactical tweak as a ‘masterstroke’, with O’Reilly’s ‘seemingly bottomless energy’ changing the game in Man City’s favour.

Similar to Lewis-Skelly, O’Reilly is a midfielder by trade, with Emlyn Begley of BBC Sport documenting that he’s really ‘an attacking midfielder’ but a ‘flexible’ one at that.

Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has found a home at left-back, starting against both Leicester and Manchester United since his second-half cameo at Dean Court.

So, let’s see how he and Arsenal’s teenage star compare.

As the table above outlines, O’Reilly and Lewis-Skelly are very similar stylistically, which isn’t too surprising, even if the Arsenal man having played almost twice the number of minutes across all competitions to date.

Interestingly, O’Reilly registers significantly more touches per 90, while he’s also more of a goal-threat, emphasising the point that, if given the choice, he’d play as an attacking midfielder.

Thus, likely to be deployed at left-back against Crystal Palace on Saturday, O’Reilly is certainly going to be put to the test, considering how dangerous Daniel Muñoz and Ismaïla Sarr are as a duo down the Eagles’ right-hand-side.

Pep identifies "world class" star as Man City's dream De Bruyne replacement

After Kevin De Bruyne announced he will be leaving Manchester City, Pep Guardiola is targeting a “world-class” Premier League star to replace him.

By
Ben Gray

Apr 11, 2025

And that was not all. West Indies picked up three injuries and had to manufacture an entirely new opening pair

Andrew McGlashan13-Jul-2025

Justin Greaves celebrates dismissing Alex Carey•Associated Press

A lot happened on the opening day at Sabina Park, and not just with the ball – although that certainly did .One of the greatest spinners of all time was left out. Australia lost 7 for 68 under lights. Batters went into T20 mode in the third session of a Test. Jayden Seales bowled a worldie of a delivery. A substitute fielder took a worldie of a catch. West Indies picked up three injuries and had to manufacture an entirely new opening pair.Day-night Tests can have a strange tempo to them in that, for periods, things can move at a sedate pace, as if setting up for that final session under lights before moving at a breakneck speed. Early in the last session, around the time Beau Webster was dismissed shortly after Steven Smith, Australia shelved the idea of batting normally. At one point, it was worth pondering if Pat Cummins may declare, but the lower order kept swinging until West Indies had 45 minutes to face.

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On its own, leaving out a spinner on a well-grassed pitch for a pink-ball Test shouldn’t really scream selection shock. But this spinner has 562 Test wickets. The day before, Cummins had sown the seeds for a selection call that, while having plenty of logic behind it, still came with a lot of significance.About half an hour before the toss, Nathan Lyon was kicking a football on his own. A couple of backroom staff wandered up to him. There was a tap on the shoulder from one. Then Scott Boland took the tape measure and marked out his run-up. For the first time in 12 years, Lyon wasn’t included in the XI when he’s been fit.Related

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He had bowled one over against India last season in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide and wasn’t needed under lights against England in Hobart during the 2021-22 Ashes. But overall, he has been prolific with the pink ball. Australia have got creative with selection on the subcontinent in recent years, but this was still a surprise.”It’s odd not having him out there,” Smith said. “I think most of us have played pretty much every game with him, but conditions are conditions. I think we saw today how much seam was on offer and Scott Boland’s not too bad at that, as we’ve seen on numerous occasions. Obviously, Nathan’s an exceptional bowler, it’s certainly nothing to do with his skill that’s for sure.”

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When debutant Kevlon Anderson spilled Sam Konstas at third slip, you feared if West Indies were going to have another fielding nightmare. By tea – the first interval, not the second, in the world of day-night Tests, although can anyone actually agree on what to call them? – they only had one wicket to show for their efforts but had beaten the bat regularly amid sometimes extravagant seam movement.”I think some of the numbers early on, the seam amounts were through the roof,” Smith said. “They might have bowled just a fraction short. It looks pretty sometimes when the ball misses the bat, but when it’s a little bit shorter, it’s actually going too far to catch the edge on a lot of occasions.”Steven Smith and Co went into T20 mode in the third session of a Test•Associated PressBut early in the middle session, Shai Hope pulled off a spectacular catch to remove Usman Khawaja, flying one-handed towards first slip. It was another around-the-wicket dismissal for Khawaja but it had been a gutsy stay. Hope, meanwhile, had taken a terrific catch in Grenada to remove Travis Head and his return to Test cricket as a wicketkeeper has been very solid.Still, shortly before the dinner interval, Australia were sitting nicely on 129 for 2. Then Seales produced one of the deliveries of the series to remove a well-set Cameron Green: angled into middle from wide of the crease, nipping off the seam, zipping past the edge and trimming the bails. Sometimes you really do get a good one.”The ball did a lot more today than it did throughout the entire series,” Seales said. “There were a lot of plays and misses, and not enticing the edges as we did in the previous matches. But as the movement calmed down and the pitch calmed down a bit, it was easier to get wickets.”

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After dinner, with the lights in full effect, Smith wasn’t going to hang around. He edged one wide of second slip, slashed one over the cordon then nicked a big drive to first. “Throw the kitchen sink at it,” he said when asked about his thinking. “Any width, I was just trying to climb into it. It felt pretty tricky out there and it felt like when the ball was up there and you get a good look at it, have a go at it.”Webster soon fell and it was clear Australia weren’t going to try and see out the day. “We knew that Australia wanted to bowl under the lights, so they would push and see how much they could get,” Seales said.Substitute Anderson Phillip pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Travis Head•Associated PressWith Head and Alex Carey at the crease, Australia had a pair who could cause damage in a short period of time. Carey, especially, continued to strike the ball crisply. Then Head tried to drive Justin Greaves over extra cover. Off the bat, he appeared to have placed it well enough. But Anderson Phillip, on as one of three substitute fielders, sprinted to his right at mid-off, dived full length, held the catch horizontal to the ground and managed to cling on as he hit the turf. “Great effort, great effort, great catch,” Ian Bishop said on commentary. “It had to be a fast bowler to do it, great athleticism.”

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Left with 45 minutes to bat, neither designated opener could come out for West Indies. Mikyle Louis had jarred his knee in the outfield – his prognosis did not sound promising – and John Campbell took a blow on the chest at short leg from a hard sweep by Smith.It felt like Mitchell Starc, in his 100th Test, could take a wicket nearly every ball. Then he did: Anderson dragging on in what was one of the tougher debut scenarios to imagine. Starc went to 396 Test wickets. Those four more may not be long in coming.Campbell, who had gone to the hospital for a scan, was back at the ground and set to bat No. 3. But it’s understood that he couldn’t get his kit on in time, so it was over to captain Roston Chase. It was that sort of day.

A civil engineering graduate, Madhwal had bowled only with a tennis ball until 2018. Now he is filling in for Jasprit Bumrah

Shashank Kishore and Daya Sagar25-May-20231:25

Have Mumbai found a specialist death bowler in Madhwal?

On Wednesday night, Akash Madhwal etched himself into IPL folklore. In the Eliminator in Chennai, he picked up 5 for 5, the joint-most economical IPL figures alongside Anil Kumble, to stun Lucknow Super Giants.It was a spell of the kind he had always dreamt of when he used to mimic bowling actions at the project site where he was employed as a civil engineer. Perhaps this is what he meant when, after the game against Gujarat Titans in early May, where he dismissed Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill and David Miller, he told the broadcaster: “These are not my best figures, my best is yet to come.”Madhwal’s words reflected his quiet confidence. Last week, in a must-win game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, his four wickets and a terrific penultimate over was the difference between Mumbai having to chase 201, as opposed to 220. The highlights were the wickets of a marauding Heinrich Klaasen and Harry Brook.Related

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Coming from a middle-class family in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Madhwal would see his neighbour, Rishabh, dedicate considerable time and effort towards training. While Madhwal, who went on to graduate with an engineering degree, casually played tennis-ball cricket with his friends, he would see Rishabh play with the hard ball.When he saw Rishabh train under coach Avtar Singh around 2013-14, Madhwal too was inspired to give professional cricket a shot. Rishabh would soon leave Uttarakhand and move to Delhi. Madhwal would realise only much later that his neighbour was destined for greatness. The boy he had known as Rishabh all along would announce himself to the world as Rishabh Pant.While Pant would move to Delhi to further his cricketing aspirations, Madhwal stayed back in Roorkee hoping to make something of his late initiation into the game. The turning point came in 2019 when Uttarakhand called for trials for the senior team in the second year of their existence.Akash Madhwal made history with his figures of 5-5 in the Eliminator•Associated PressWasim Jaffer, who was roped in as one of the coaches, was impressed by the raw pace and natural ability when he shortlisted Madhwal to be part of the senior state camp. Two months later, he made his state team debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. And incredibly, within two years of playing with the red ball, he also made his Ranji Trophy debut.In 2021, Madhwal was one of the reserve bowlers for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the UAE leg of the season. He had been told an opportunity could open up in the unfortunate event of an injury or a Covid case. That situation didn’t arise, but Madhwal, who only two years prior, was otherwise working as a planning engineer at a construction firm in Dehradun, thought he had lived his dream. After all, he got bowl to AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.”Simply being called by my first name by two superstars who I had seen on TV was special,” a sheepish Madhwal would tell the RCB website.Madhwal was there on talent scout Malolan Rangarajan’s recommendation. Rangarajan had first seen him when he spent a season with Uttarakhand as a professional in their very first year since gaining BCCI affiliation in 2018-19. Two years later, when he went back as a scout, he remembered being impressed with Madhwal’s arm speed and deceptive pace.It turns out RCB weren’t the only team that had an eye on him. CKM Dhananjay, Mumbai Indians’ video analyst who is also known as DJ within the camp, had watched Madhwal bowl at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy in Dehradun and was immediately impressed. He had also received feedback from Anand Rajan, the former Madhya Pradesh seamer, who would later join Uttarakhand as bowling coach.

When I was Uttarakhand Head Coach this boy came for trials. He was 24-25 and had only played tennis ball cricket. We were so impressed with his pace we roped him in right away! The year was 2019, and that boy was Akash Madhwal. Proud of how far he's come! #MIvsLSG #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/BH0RTeRKvz

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) May 25, 2023