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It’s been another characteristically busy summer for Chelsea this year.

As well as making it to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup – the only English side to do so – the Blues have been wheeling and dealing in the transfer market.

The latest star to be announced by the club was striker Joao Pedro, who took the now well-trodden path to Stamford Bridge from Brighton & Hove Albion for around £60m.

However, the West Londoners are far from done there, as a deal has reportedly now been reached to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, and on top of that, a talent who could be the next Cole Palmer has also been linked.

Chelsea target young talents

The ethos at Chelsea over the last few years has been to buy young, up-and-coming talents, which is something they are continuing to do this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

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For example, Gittens, whose final price tag appears to be around £55m, is still just 20 years old, and based on his tally of 12 goals and five assists in 49 games last season, looks set for a bright future.

Likewise, Liam Delap, who joined the club from Ipswich Town for just £30m prior to the CWC last month, is still just 22, and already has a goal and an assist to his name in four appearances for the Blues.

And now, there is another promising gem that is on the club’s radar: Tyler Dibling.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Transfers, Chelsea are incredibly interested in the Southampton prospect.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that West Londoners have already begun talks with the youngster’s camp and are considering making an offer for him.

However, they aren’t the only ones interested in the 19-year-old, as Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Man Utd, Aston Villa, and RB Leipzig are all keeping an eye on him.

Moreover, the Saints reportedly value their exciting talent at a minimum of £55m.

In all, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Dibling’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be their next Palmer.

Why Dibling could be Palmer 2.0

So, the first thing to say is that we know this is a massive statement, but to be clear, we are not saying that Dibling is like Palmer at the moment, as he is not, and it’s not even close.

However, there are some clear similarities between them and their potential moves, should the Southampton gem move to Chelsea.

For example, he’d be another young, reasonably sought-after English talent moving to Stamford Bridge to test himself with regular football at a massive club.

Moreover, while the Exeter-born dynamo is primarily a right-winger, he has spent plenty of time playing in attacking midfield and has actually played in a multitude of positions.

Similarly, the Blues talismanic attacker tends to play in attacking midfield, but has spent plenty of time off the right, as well as in a number of areas on the pitch.

Finally, while he wasn’t able to have quite the same impact as Palmer did last season, in part because he’s younger and was playing in a terrible team, the teenager has the same determination to make things happen.

For example, FBref placed him in the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for successful take-ons per 90, and in 38 games across all competitions, he scored four goals and provided three assists.

Dibling’s 24/25

Appearances

38

Minutes

2215′

Goals

4

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

Minutes per Goal Involvement

316.42′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

It’s not just us either, as Dion Dublin argued that “he plays his game like Cole Palmer” last season, in part due to the way he “rolls players and takes the ball well.”

Ultimately, he’s clearly not yet at the level of Palmer, but Dibling looks like he could reach that level in the future, and therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him.

Related More exciting than Delap: Chelsea set to submit £34m bid to sign CWC star

The incredible talent could be a future superstar for Chelsea.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 4, 2025

Manchester City are seeking to retain their FIFA Club World Cup crown this summer as the tournament takes on a new and exciting format, with 32 teams competing to be named football’s best club side.

After much excitement and intrigue, the revamped FIFA Club World Cup has begun, with stars like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Michael Olise already taking centre stage in the United States.

Pep Guardiola’s side can become the first English team to be crowned the kings of world football on two occassions with a triumph this summer, and only the second side in history to retain the title, after Real Madrid’s three-peat between 2017 and 2019.

How to Watch the FIFA Club World Cup for Free

Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025

The eight-time Premier League champions’ quest to reach the final, which takes place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13, starts this week on Wednesday June 18 when they take on Wydad AC, who compete in Botola Pro, the top flight of Moroccan football.

City earned their place in this competition via their UEFA Champions League triumph against Inter back in 2023, while Wydad were crowned CAF Champions League winners in 2022 after a heroic 2-0 win against Egyptian side Al-Ahly.

Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand here

Ahead of what should be an action-packed opening fixture for two of the four sides in Group G, here’s everything you need to know on how to watch – and who to be looking out for – when Wednesday rolls around…

Where to watch Man City vs Wydad at the Club World Cup

63 games featuring the world’s best players all in the space of a month and all in one place, for free! Sound too good to be true? It isn’t.

Indeed, FIFA revealed back in December 2024 that the extended Club World Cup will be available for free globally, with the world’s largest sports streaming platform, DAZN, showcasing every game with unique coverage which will finally settle the debate – who is the best club side in the world?

Available globally in 14 languages, DAZN is the only place to truly celebrate the groundbreaking new tournament, with easy access provided to watch the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham competing on the biggest stage.

If you are already a DAZN subscriber, then the Club World Cup action is already included in your membership. For those who haven’t yet signed up, all you need is an email address to register a free account on the DAZN website, with no hidden costs or added fees. You will then be able to watch every game on the DAZN app via your TV, computer, phone or even on your games console.

Man City vs Wydad AC (Wednesday 18 June – Philadelphia – 5pm UK time, midday local time)

FIFA Club World Cup Current Champions Manchester CityFounded 2000Most Championships Real Madrid (5)

DAZN

Watch all FIFA Club World Cup games free on DAZN. The biggest clubs and the best players in the world compete in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Watch Every Game Live on DAZN Man City vs Wydad – Who to look out for

Bouncing back from a challenging campaign, City have strengthened their ranks significantly in 2025, with several new signings included in their Club World Cup squad, like Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and perhaps most excitingly of all Rayan Cherki.

All three new arrivals could make their Man City debuts this week, while we are also likely to be treated to more spectacular showings from Omar Marmoush, who has scored eight goals in 22 games since moving to the Etihad Stadium in January.

Marmoush and Cherki could form an unstoppable attack which of course already includes Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland. The 24 year-old will be looking to continue his incredible scoring rate since moving to England, becoming the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements earlier this year, reaching the landmark with 84 goals and 16 assists in just 94 matches.

As for the underdogs, Wydad are the most successful team in Moroccan football history, winning 22 top flight titles, most recently in the 2021-22 campaign, when they also won their version of the Champions League and Cup Winners’ Cup to complete a historic treble.

Based in Casablanca, they had a poor season by their own lofty standards in 2024-25, finishing third in Botola Pro, but that is not to say they cannot pose a problem to their opponents in Group G this summer.

Undoubtedly their biggest threat is Dutch winger Mohamed Rayhi, who came through PSV’s academy and has been capped at youth level by the Netherlands. Rayhi scored 13 times this season and can play on either flank, but is best cutting in from the left onto his dangerous right foot.

A familiar face to MLS fans will be attacking midfielder Cassius Mailula. The South Africa international spent a year with Toronto FC before joining Wydad last summer, scoring five times and providing seven assists in his first campaign in Morocco. He will hope to be the creative force to unlock Man City’s defence on Wednesday.

Who else is in Group G?

Manchester City will fancy themselves as favourites to top Group G, but there is certainly some stern competition from Juventus, the 36-time champions of Italy, who qualified for this competition courtesy of their four-year UEFA ranking.

With two UEFA Champions League titles to their name, Juve have suffered a slight fall from grace in recent years, failing to win a league title since 2020 and finishing fourth in Serie A this season. Led by Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic and Turkey wonderkid Kenan Yıldız, they can restore themselves as a global footballing superpower with success at the Club World Cup.

June 18

Man City vs Wydad AC

Philadelphia – (midday/5pm)

June 18

Al Ain vs Juventus

Washington – (9pm/2am June 19)

June 22

Juventus vs Wydad AC

Philadelphia – (midday/5pm)

June 22

Man City vs Al Ain

Atlanta – (9pm/2am June 23)

June 26

Wydad AC vs Al Ain

Washington – (3pm/8pm)

June 26

Juventus vs Man City

Orlando – (3pm/8pm)

The final place in Group G has been taken by Al Ain FC, who are based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and compete in the UAE Pro League. They finished 5th this season but gained access to this summer’s action after winning the 2023–24 AFC Champions League.

Could Wydad kick off the Group G action with one of the biggest upsets of all time? Find out on DAZN!

Already seemingly closing in on Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, Liverpool have now reportedly opened talks to sign another Bundesliga star and one that would instantly solve their striker problem.

Frimpong travels to complete Liverpool move

With Trent Alexander-Arnold on his way to join Real Madrid as a free agent this summer, Liverpool have acted swiftly and are reportedly closing in on signing Jeremie Frimpong. The flying fullback has already travelled to complete his move to Anfield in what looks set to be the first of a number of fresh faces making their way to the home of the Premier League champions in the coming months.

Whilst Alexander-Arnold’s goodbye tears are still drying, the Reds have acted in rapid fashion to find his replacement. But they’re not done there. Reports have also revealed that Liverpool are in pole position to sign Frimpong’s Leverkusen teammate, Florian Wirtz.

It initially looked set to be a battle between Manchester City and Bayern Munich for the German’s signature, only for Liverpool’s call to push Wirtz towards rejecting other interested parties. Now, with their first offer submitted, it could just be a matter of time before those at Anfield land one of the earliest and likely one of the biggest deals of the summer transfer window.

Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has also confirmed Liverpool’s interest, recently telling reporters: “It’s currently an open subject with Florian. There is concrete interest from Liverpool, but there’s no more to say right now. Florian is our player.”

The Bundesliga seems to be where it’s at for Liverpool this summer too, amid rumours that they’re already lining up a move to sign what could be their third player of the summer from Germany’s top division.

Liverpool open talks to sign £84m Hugo Ekitike

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are also in talks to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer and are serious contenders to sign the Frenchman alongside rivals Chelsea.

Michael Edwards and Arne Slot are fans of the forward but, like Wirtz, the deal won’t come cheap with Frankfurt looking to receive around €100m (£84m) to sell their star.

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Liverpool could be about to replicate a deal for Alexis Mac Allister durng the upcoming summer window.

ByEthan Lamb May 28, 2025

Liverpool’s interest should come as little surprise. Slot, despite securing the Premier League title at the first time of asking, lacked a natural No.9 all season, with Luiz Diaz often asked to play the role amid Darwin Nunez’s continued struggles. Now, with the latter likely to depart, the Reds could make their move to sign a replacement that analyst Sam McGuire dubbed a “shot monster”.

After ending the season with 22 goals to his name for Frankfurt, all signs are pointing towards a top European move for Ekitike this summer and a deserved one at that.

With each passing week, Ange Postecoglou’s position as Tottenham Hotspur manager feels increasingly precarious.

Now, the Australian could still end the season with a European trophy in his hands, but should that not happen, then crashing out of both domestic cups and finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table might cost him.

With that said, if he is still in the hot seat at the end of the season, he needs to oversee a serious shakeup of the squad to ensure next year isn’t as disastrous.

That means bringing more first-team quality players and shipping out the deadwood, including one of his own signings who was once tipped for greatness by Lionel Messi.

The Spurs stars who need to be moved on

So, before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at the other Tottenham players Ange and Co should be looking to sell or let leave in the summer window, such as Pedro Porro.

Now, it’s true that the Spanish full-back had a decent game on Thursday and can offer something in attack, but this season has made it abundantly clear that he’s a problem when it comes to defending.

For example, there have been multiple times this season where he’s been shown up, like away to Arsenal or at home to City.

It might sound harsh, but we are not the only ones to think this, as journalist Mitch Fretton described his display at home to Ipswich Town as a “horror show”, while one podcaster didn’t mince his words when he described his performance in the defeat to Bournemouth as “absolutely terrible.”

The former Sporting CP dud isn’t the only player who must be moved on this summer, though, as Yves Bissouma very much falls into the same camp.

Chalkboard

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

The former Brighton & Hove Albion ace has had a dreadful campaign this year and so far has featured in just 45% of the team’s Premier League starting lineups.

It’s not hard to see why Postecoglou opts to go with other midfielders these days either, as his last start came in the defeat to Fulham, a game he received a 3/10 match rating for from Alasdair Gold.

However, as bad as the Mali international has been, there is another player in the squad, an Ange signing, who’s proved to be even less effective and, therefore, must be moved on.

The Ange signing who needs to be moved on

When it comes down to the worst signing Postecoglou has made during his time in the Spurs dugout, some may go for Radu Dragusin, but for our money, it’s Timo Werner, and unsurprisingly, he’s the player who has to be let go.

Now, to give the manager and the club credit, while Andy Townsend described the decision as “astonishing,” it didn’t seem like the worst idea in the world to sign him on a short-term loan when they did last season.

After all, while he failed at Chelsea and didn’t exactly set the world alight on his return to Germany, he was once one of the most exciting forwards in Europe.

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For example, in his final season before moving to Stamford Bridge, he managed to rack up a pretty sensational haul of 47 goal involvements in 45 games, and about five years before that, Messi named him among the ten youngsters he backed to become football’s next superstars.

Unfortunately, we all know what happened next, and while he did alright in the back half of last season, racking up six-goal involvements in 14 appearances, many were still surprised when his loan was extended for another season.

Appearances

14

27

Goals

2

1

Assists

4

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

0.14

That decision has not panned out whatsoever, and as things stand, the former Stuttgart star has amassed just one goal and three assists in 27 games, which is hardly value for money when he’s making £165k-per-week.

The good news is that Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the club will not be looking to re-sign the former Chelsea flop in the summer, but until the club confirms this, there is always a chance.

Ultimately, while Werner has undoubtedly tried to make it work in North London this year, he’s been a failure at Spurs, and the sooner he is moved on, the better for all involved.

He's a lot like Dele Alli: Spurs want to sign £20m "freak of nature"

The incredible youngster would be a hit at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 10, 2025

Andy Flower discusses the joys and challenges of his globetrotting coaching career, and shares his insights on identifying and developing young talent

Shashank Kishore13-Jan-2025How have you seen the UAE ecosystem flourish with the ILT20 coming in?
It’s different to most cricket ecosystems around the world, because we don’t have a lot of Emiratis playing cricket. But there is a growing population of people that live and work here who see cricket as a pathway to fulfilling some of their sporting dreams. Some want to see how well they can do amongst better players, some see it as a way to earn money and some enjoy the team aspects of it. The exposure for UAE players in the ILT20, through Abu Dhabi T10 and their domestic leagues, is improving.How do you scout for players in the ILT20, given you’re busy all year round?
I use player agents, coaches, and people involved in the game here as a sounding board. I also now know a number of the UAE players. Between them, I’ve got the best view of the players and opponents. Coverage and streaming of games in the region have improved.As we speak, I’m watching the live streaming of a development game [at ICC Academy, Dubai]. I’ve come in from the UK to scout for two UAE players in addition to our two picks: Aayan Afzal Khan and Muhammad Zuhaib. In time to come, I would think that minimum requirement of two UAE players in the XI and the system will grow to support three or four.How do you judge players who are good, but don’t show the same spark at trials?
There’s a lot of data on the players these days. Like with most things in life, you’re generally trying to find a balance somewhere if you’re looking for good decisions. You are looking to see some evidence that supports the theory that this young player can produce results for you. This game is about producing results. It’s about finding solutions, creating the habit of beating your opponent, of finding ways to exploit his weaknesses and finding ways to exploit your strengths and hide your weaknesses.So you want to see evidence of that through-way to runs or wickets or whatever. But there’s this other side of it where you’re trying to predict how a person is going to develop and whether that person has that little bit of X-factor he can bring to the party at some stage in the future that is going to produce results. And I think there are some people that have a better eye than others.Flower coached Gulf Giants to victory in the initial edition of the ILT20•ILT20And I wouldn’t profess to be particularly any better than the next person. But for instance, I’ll give you an example. When Joe Root first made it into the England Academy and the England Lions squad, Graham Thorpe was on the phone with me. And he said, ‘this guy can play, he’s got a very good technique.’ And I remember I was sitting while walking through my lounge or something one day, or in a hotel room, and watching him play.I think it was his first 50-over game for Yorkshire. He didn’t get many, but straightaway I thought, ‘wow, I’m going to keep watching him.’ There was something about him. I don’t even know what it was. But there was something about him that after years of watching a lot of great players, my eyes were attracted to him. And that was in his first 50-over game. So there is something to be said for the instinct, for following instinct and following your gut feelings from players, absolutely.So there’s also a gut feel that helps make certain decisions/selections?
The bottom line is they have to perform. It can’t all be potential. And probably for every one of those stories that I’ve just told about Thorpe and myself with Joe Root, there’ll be five others that we were wrong about.Specifically with ILT20, how do you keep in touch with the local players you sign?
When we left Aayan and Zuhaib last February after the tournament finished, we left them with a few things to work on. To be honest, I certainly didn’t closely monitor them. I monitored the scorecards when Aayan was playing, absolutely. And it’s really great to see that he’s had a great year for the UAE in white-ball cricket.Flower worked with the analyst Nathan Leamon (left) during his time as England head coach•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAnd Zuhaib has played for the country as well but isn’t in the side at the moment and definitely has a few things to work on. But we haven’t been closely monitoring them or micromanaging them. We’ve let them go out there and develop. And one of the good things about the UAE, I think, is that there’s so many games available for them to play. And I much prefer them playing those games than just net practicing all the time.With schedules as demanding as yours, how do you switch from one league to another?
I really enjoy the fact that there’s a real variety to my coaching life. You experience these different cultures in the dressing room and in whatever country you go to. And that certainly enriches me as a person. I’ve loved spending time in India, in Pakistan, in the Caribbean, here in the UAE.I live in England, but being involved in those different cultures, it’s a real blessing for me. The other thing is you meet a lot of really good people and that’s invigorating. I think it keeps me feeling younger because you’re mixing with the young, hungry, motivated people, which is brilliant. And I like that energy around me. So the professional challenges are also there, which I really like.You know, the owners want results, which is quite right. That’s why they employ us. And I like the professional challenge of getting a group of people together in a sports team and seeing if we can do better than our opposition.The other thing I want to do and I like to talk about in the franchise world is, each time you come together as a team in the franchise world, you will only be that team once ever in your life. You’ll never have the same group of people together again. True. There’s a draft for an auction before the next tournament. Someone’s bound to go out, others may come in. The staff could change. You never have that group again.

I hear sometimes cricketers, captains, coaches almost fearful about talking about data. I don’t view it that way at all.Andy Flower

So if you’re together for, say, three months at the IPL or together for five weeks at the ILT20, really embrace that as a blessing. And make sure that you enjoy your time with each other. Of course, there will be some tensions and some pressures and maybe some disagreements. But the fact that you can meet such a wonderful variety of people in this job is, again, is a very positive aspect of it.At one stage, I was doing, say, five jobs, five teams in a year. Now I’m doing four, which gives me some more time and energy. When I was doing ILT20, then PSL, then IPL, that was very tiring. I found that very tiring. It was literally not a day between the tournaments. So this is without the PSL in the middle, it is definitely giving me more energy around that time of the year. And there’s quite a lot of work to do for monitoring players, strategising, and whatever you do. You’re on the phone quite a lot. You’re either organising staff or you’re monitoring some of your players, and if you’ve got multiple teams, you’re keeping an eye on quite a few players. You talk about players’ fitness, their form, their development. There’s always an auction or a draft to be looking forward to. And obviously the IPL is the biggest one of those, which takes a lot of time and energy.How has the tactical involvement in your coaching evolved over 20 years?
It’s a lot further back than that. When we first started playing cricket for Zimbabwe, we didn’t get paid as players. But myself, my brother [Grant Flower], Alastair Campbell and Dave Houghton, we all were paid as coaches. And so we were coaching in our early 20s. We were professional coaches, not professional cricketers. In the winters, we used to go across to Holland, or into the leagues in England. I played in the Birmingham League and Central Lancashire League during the weekends, and during the week, we’d coach. Also, when I played for Zimbabwe, I was not just interested in my own development, but also interested in my brother’s development and my fellow players’. So, we used to work with each other a lot. We didn’t have a group of coaches working with us. We used to work with each other,. And that’s how it was in those days. So I would say I’ve been working in coaching for many decades.’When we first started playing cricket for Zimbabwe, we didn’t get paid as players. But myself, my brother [Grant Flower], Alastair Campbell and Dave Houghton, we all were paid as coaches’•Getty ImagesBut just more to your question, your point – when I first started coaching with England, which was my first main coaching job after playing, I was very lucky to get that job. I brought in an analyst there, a guy called Nathan Leamon who still works with the ECB. He was a brilliant guy, a mathematician, but he was also a cricket coach and a rugby coach. We were trying to do something different with analytics then. And I enjoyed conversing with him about cricket. One of his clear tasks was to challenge us coaches; it wasn’t to agree with us. Especially challenge some of the cricketing norms and some of the bull**** that was spoken in dressing rooms.I really enjoyed giving him that role and I think he really enjoyed doing it. Yes, we call some of the obvious cricketing decisions that captains used to make in days gone by, we call them match-ups now. It is a more glorified term, but the emphasis on it is important because there is more statistical information available to us to suggest tactical directions. And so I hear sometimes cricketers, captains, coaches almost fearful about talking about data. I don’t view it that way at all.I just think it’s information and the important thing is how you use that information. It’s which stuff you listen to, which stuff you don’t listen to. It’s how you work with that information with your coaching team. It’s how you share that information, how and when you share that information with players, if you share it with them at all. That’s the important stuff. But we shouldn’t stop collecting data because it helps us, it should help us understand the game better. And it should help us develop the game, develop players, develop new tactics. I don’t think that’s going to stop.

“I was trying to follow the way I bat in first-class cricket. I didn’t want to think this is a big Test match”

Mohammad Isam17-Dec-20220:55

Jaffer: Zakir showed great technique and temperament

A century on Test debut against India has capped a remarkable three weeks for Zakir Hasan. He displayed impressive strokeplay and sound temperament as he staved off India’s attack in Chattogram. He manipulated the field well, driving the ball effectively off the front foot while also being steady off the back foot.With his debut hundred, he moved ahead of the other openers in the reckoning. Once Tamim Iqbal returns from injury, the team management will have to choose between Zakir and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who was the incumbent opener since November last year. Shanto will probably move back to No. 3 in that case. Meanwhile, Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan are now out of favour.Around late November, though, Zakir wasn’t even in the picture, despite being the highest run-getter in this season’s National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s premier first-class competition. Zakir only made it to the Bangladesh A side after Towhid Hridoy’s groin injury ruled him out of the first unofficial Test against India A.Related

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Zakir made a duck in the first innings but with the home side needing to survive the last five sessions of the four-day game, he responded with a ten-hour marathon. His 173, which included 16 fours and three sixes, steered Bangladesh to safety.It was a performance that forced the selectors to take notice of him. He had stood up against Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar and Saurabh Kumar whose left-arm spin was vital to India A dismissing Bangladesh A for 112 in the first innings.”That innings provided me with a lot of confidence,” Zakir said at the end of the fourth day’s play in Chattogram. “I was trying to follow the same process of that innings. It was in the back of the mind that I must stick to the process when playing the innings. A big score leading into a national call-up is certainly a turning point.”Zakir then brought his Bangladesh A form into Test cricket. After having been watchful against seamers Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on the third evening and fourth morning, he appeared more comfortable against India’s spin trio. He took Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel for three fours each and R Ashwin for five. He also showed he can build partnerships, which allowed Shanto bat fluently at the other end. However, after Shanto got out, he adopted a more conservative approach.Zakir Hasan scored a classy century on debut to drag the Chattogram Test into the fifth day•BCB”I was trying to follow the way I bat in first-class cricket,” Zakir said.” I didn’t want to think this is a big Test match. I tried to be as simple as possible. It was the same when I was in the nineties. I tried to follow the preparation and concentration when I bat in the nineties in first-class cricket. I was trying to follow it every ball.”It felt good reaching the hundred. I didn’t have much expectations. I wanted to bat long, since we are facing two days and a big total.”Zakir said that his vast domestic experience helped him deal with the pressures of Test cricket. Zakir’s first Test was his 70th first-class game – only Mohammad Mithun, Nazimuddin and Ariful Haque have played more first-class games in Bangladesh before playing Test cricket. Zakir isn’t a regular opener, but his experience of facing the new ball regularly at No.3 at Sylhet and South Zone helped him settle at the top.”I have usually batted at No 3 and 4,” Zakir said. “I haven’t opened the batting much. I usually face the new ball in first-class cricket. At times you get to bat after the first ball if you are at No 3, so you have to face the new ball. I was confident.”The Dukes ball swung for almost 80 overs in this season’s conditions. Kookaburra usually swings for less time so I think it was slightly easier for me. I think I held on to my temperament because I played so much first-class cricket. I have a number of big innings in that format. I think I knew my process about scoring runs quite well.”Zakir is only 24, but has already experienced several highs and lows. A strong start to his domestic career propelled him into the Bangladesh T20I side, but after a solitary appearance, he was sent back to the grind. Zakir rebuilt himself in the last two years, however, averaging 54.63 over six tournaments. His conversion rate is particularly impressive: he scored eight centuries and two fifties.Zakir, though, has a quiet presence in Bangladesh cricket. He hails from Sylhet, a region that is no longer known for its batting prowess. Fast bowlers Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed have recently broken into the national side from Sylhet. Zakir’s success, however, is a triumph for domestic cricket. He seized his chance and broke the door down.

The gulf between Root and his team-mates highlights his brilliance

George Dobell24-Jan-2021You could have been forgiven for thinking batting was easy.As Joe Root, for the second Test in succession, passed 150, you might have thought that he was batting without pressure, in conditions where bowlers were unable to gain any movement or purchase. So comfortable did he seem, so serene was his progress, that it would have been easy to underestimate the size of his achievements.It’s only in contrast with his team-mates that it becomes apparent how good a batsman Root is. Having scored 54 percent of England’s first-innings runs in the first Test, he has so far scored 55 percent of them in the second. He has scored 305 – yes, 305 – more runs than any other England player in the series.England have had other batsmen of recent vintage who have scored heavily in Asia, of course. With Alastair Cook, you could feel the struggle: the dogged determination to survive and limited number of scoring shots made every innings something of a battle. With Kevin Pietersen, the talent was so extravagantly obvious – remember those slog-sweeps in Mumbai and Colombo? – that you knew you were in the presence of genius.It’s not like that with Root. For much of the time, his batting is so unobtrusive it can lure you into thinking what he is doing is straightforward.Think of the way he plays back to the spinners, for example. You won’t see many of those singles or dot balls on highlights packages. But they allow him to rotate the strike, release pressure and mess with the bowlers’ lengths.More eye-catching are his sweeps. So broad is Root’s repertoire of sweep that he can hit the ball in front or behind square on both sides of the wicket. As a result, he is desperately tough to contain. Even on the second evening of this game, coming to the crease with England 5 for 2, he scored so freely that he reached stumps unbeaten on 67 off 77 balls. Individually those strokes may look routine; collectively, they amount to a masterclass.But maybe it was fitting, during the innings in which he passed Pietersen’s Test run tally, that he also produced several switch-hits to remind us that, underneath the determination to play the percentages, there lurks an extravagantly talented player. To pick the length, to switch his hands, to time the ball to perfection: Root effectively hit more boundaries left-handed than Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence managed between them.ESPNcricinfo LtdRoot also went past the run tallies of David Gower and Sir Geoffrey Boycott – both greats of English cricket – in this innings. There is every chance that, by the end of the year, only Cook will remain ahead of him in terms of England players. For a 30-year-old, these are extraordinary heights to have scaled.Pietersen once said that of the trio of incredible Test centuries he hit in 2012 (Colombo, Mumbai and Leeds), he rated the one in Sri Lanka the best because the heat and humidity was so demanding. It’s not just hard to concentrate in such heat, it can be hard to see with sweat in your eyes, and to grip the bat with damp gloves.As Root’s innings progressed into its ninth hour, the physical demands started to show. He was past 170 before, with body starting to creak where it had earlier eased into position, he gave a chance. And perhaps, a less stiff body might have regained its ground when he hit the ball at short leg only to see the fielder, Oshada Fernando, pull off an almost miraculous stop and throw down the stumps. Root, who had been given a banana and a sugary drink every 45 minutes since lunch – that’s seven of each – was just 14 runs short of becoming the first England player to register double-centuries in consecutive Tests since Wally Hammond in 1933. Hammond did it in 1928, too.Such weariness was understandable, though. Root has, to this point, spent all but 39.1 overs of this series on the pitch. In this heat and humidity, that is a remarkable reflection of his determination as much as it is his dominance. It’s telling, too, that of his three dismissals in this series, two have come from run-outs and one came when he was left with the last man in the first innings of the first Test and perished to a boundary catch as he tried to thrash a few quick runs. A lesser player might have had an eye on the not out.Joe Root gets low to reverse-sweep•SLCSo, what is Root doing differently? Well, from a technical point of view, the obvious change is that he is currently going back and across as part of his trigger movement. In recent months, he had slipped into the habit of merely going back and, as a result, his balance wasn’t as good. He also opened his stance, extravagantly at times, to allow him to manoeuvre the turning ball square of the wicket.But how much of this splurge of runs is down to technique and how much is temperament is hard to say. He went through 2020 without a Test century – the first time in his career he has been through a full calendar year without scoring one – and dropped out of the top 10 in the rankings as a result. That will have hurt.He admitted, after the first Test, that he spent the weeks from the end of the English season until this tour, thinking about his batting as much as working on his technique. Not just which shots to play, but on the importance of being ruthless and turning more of those fifties into hundreds. At present, he seems able to compartmentalise his batting from the captaincy. This version of Root appears to have the hunger to complement his talent and to understand his side’s need for him to contribute far more heavily.Related

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There are, no doubt, tougher challenges to come in the next few weeks. It’s not that India necessarily have a better left-arm spinner than Lasith Embuldeniya, or that their pitches will necessarily turn as much. But India do have better seamers and a better offspinner. And they do have much better batsmen. There will, as a result, be fewer release deliveries, and Root and co. will find themselves in the field a good deal longer than they have here. Indeed, the last time they visited Chennai, they were in the field for 190 overs. Even then, India had to declare to end the torture. The burden on Root – with the bat and in the field – will be immense.You just had to witness the struggle at the other end from Root in this series to know that. England’s openers, for example, have now contributed 28 runs between them in six innings. While Root has gone back on his stumps, they have groped forward as if searching for their way in the fog. In this innings, only one other man in the top seven reached 30. There have been times on this tour when it seems some of his team-mates have never seen bowling like this.Of course, they haven’t, really. Crawley has never faced a spinner with the new ball in the county game; Sibley has done so just three times. It will never have been on a surface like Galle, where some balls turn and bounce and others skid on. Ultimately, until the ECB put in place a domestic structure that encourages the development of spin bowling as part of the County Championship programme, it will remain desperately tough for England to challenge in Asia. And yes, that includes not penalising counties who produce turning wickets. If you dedicate the prime weeks of summer to a white-ball competition, you are compromising your red-ball development.Root, at least, provided an example of how such conditions can be overcome. He is carrying this team, making light of the conditions, the absences and the match situation. It’s nowhere near as easy as he has made it look.

José Butto suited up in his New York Mets uniform and headed to the bullpen to await his opportunity on Wednesday but before he got the chance, news came down that he had been traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Major League Baseball's trade deadline creates these types of situations from time to time where we're privy to the traded player's real-time reaction. And Butto's was emotional.

Butto could be seen processing the information and being comforted by Mets bullpen coach Jose Rosado.

He then took his leave from the bullpen after saying his goodbyes out there.

Upon entering the dugout Butto was embraced by the other Mets as they learned of the news.

Butto had spent his entire professional career with the Mets and broke through into the big leagues in 2022. This year he has appeared in 34 games with a 3-2 record and 3.64 ERA.

Aston Villa are now circling to sign an “unbelievable” Premier League striker in the January transfer window, with his club open to a sale.

Villa "want to sign a new striker" next month

Ex-scout Mick Brown has made it clear his former club are looking to bolster their options at centre-forward this winter, saying: “Aston Villa want to sign a new striker in January,”

“Emery wants somebody to challenge Watkins and score regular goals, because they’ve lacked that so far this season, and they want to do it when the window opens.

“The problem is, there aren’t many strikers available, and the ones that are cost big money.”

While there may not be a plethora of options available, some exciting targets have been identified, with it being revealed Igor Thiago is highly likely to leave Brentford in January, amid interest from Unai Emery.

Bologna star Santiago Castro is another striker of interest to the Villans, with the Argentinian striker outscoring Ollie Watkins this season, although a deal could be on the expensive side at around £44m.

A slightly cheaper centre-forward has also emerged as a target, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Aston Villa are now circling to sign Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee next month, following a new update on the Dutchman’s future at Old Trafford.

Although Ruben Amorim wants to keep hold of Zirkzee, in light of his versatility, Man United are now open to sanctioning a departure, and Villa’s Premier League rivals could look to hold out for a fee of around £35m.

A whole host of clubs are in the race for the Netherlands international, however, with the likes of Sunderland, Brighton, Everton, West Ham United, Inter Milan and Juventus also being named as potential suitors.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Dec 7, 2025 "Unbelievable" Zirkzee back amongst the goals

The 24-year-old hasn’t had the easiest of rides at Old Trafford, failing to make it off the bench in seven Premier League matches this season, but he has impressed at times, with Sky Sports analyst Statman Dave hailing his mentality earlier this year.

The former Bologna man also returned to form in front of goal at the end of November, scoring the equalising goal to start Man United’s comeback in their 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace.

That said, Villa should have major reservations about signing Zirkzee, considering his very poor record in front of goal, netting just eight times in 58 outings for Man United, while also receiving heavy criticism from content creator Alex Turk this season.

Dodger Stadium will officially host the baseball competition of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 's Thuc Nhi Nguyen reported on Tuesday.

This isn't the first time Olympic baseball will be played at the iconic Dodger Stadium—the ballpark was used in 1984 when baseball was part of the demonstration games during the Los Angeles Olympics. Team USA won a silver medal that year. Baseball didn't become an official Olympic sport until 1992, and it's been played six times total in the Games.

Baseball was not played in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it was last played during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Team USA won another silver medal that year, falling to Japan.

"America’s favorite pastime will capture the world’s attention when baseball makes its Olympic return in Dodger Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles, one of the world’s most iconic stadiums,” LA28 said in a statement. “It has hosted countless record-breaking games, including 11 World Series, the most recent being in 2024, and will continue to break records in 2028."

The 2028 Summer Olympics will begin on July 14, 2028.