Former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has hailed David de Gea's remarkable comeback at Fiorentina. Reina admitted he did not expect the ex-Manchester United star to return with such confidence and leadership after a full year out of the sport, labelling his compatriot as 'exceptional' and the club's most decisive player last season.
After taking the reins at Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer, new boss Thomas Frank has made it clear that he wants new additions to bolster his ranks ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha have already made the move to North London, with the forward costing £55m, whilst the latter arrived on a season-long loan.
However, despite the aforementioned signings, the Lilywhites have been hunting frantically in the transfer market over the last couple of days to further strengthen the first-team squad.
Numerous names have been mentioned as a result of their hunt, potentially handing the Dane the best possible chance of success during his maiden year in the Premier League at Spurs.
One area of the pitch in particular has been subject to potential investment, with further signings expected to help bolster the attacking unit in North London.
Spurs preparing bid for star who’d thrive alongside Savinho
In an attempt to improve the situation in recent days, Spurs have made an approach to Manchester City over a deal to land forward Savinho before the September 1st deadline.
It’s been reported that Pep Guardiola’s side are currently demanding a £60m transfer fee to part ways with the Brazilian international, who only joined the Citizens last summer.
However, the 21-year-old isn’t the only attacker currently in their sights, with Crystal Palace talent Eberechi Eze another player they’re targeting, according to The Sun.
They report that Frank’s side are preparing an opening offer for the 27-year-old, who’s been a constant target for the club during the ongoing transfer window.
It also states the Eagles are currently demanding a fee in the region of £60m to offload the England international, with North London rivals Arsenal also firmly in the race for his signature.
Why Spurs’ latest target would be perfect for Savinho
A move for Savinho would provide the fanbase with added excitement for the new campaign, offering a versatile and impressive option within the Spurs frontline.
The Brazilian managed to notch three goals and 11 assists in his debut year at the Etihad, a respectable return for a young talent in his first year in England’s top-flight.
Despite his tender age, the former Girona star can feature in either wide position, or even in a number ten position – handing Frank the key depth he will need in North London.
He would likely be utilised off the left-hand side, potentially filling the void left by Heung-min Son, after the South Korean ended his decade spell at the club, joining MLS side LAFC for £20m.
However, if Savinho is to be a success with the Lilywhites, a move for Eze could massively aid his chances, handing him a continuous stream of opportunities within the final third.
When delving into the Palace star’s underlying stats from the 2024/25 campaign, he produced numerous impressive figures that highlight his ability to create carnage in forward areas.
Eze, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by journalist Julien Laurens, registered 2.1 key passes per 90, with 1.8 of which making it into the final third – having the tools to offer the fellow new addition a platform to impress.
Eberechi Eze’s stats for Palace in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
34
Goals & assists
16
Progressive passes
3.4
Successful take-ons
2.4
Key passes made
2.1
Passes into final third
1.8
Carries into final third
1.7
Shots taken
3.5
Stats via FBref
He also registered 2.4 successful take-ons per 90, subsequently being able to glide past the opposition, before having the end product to either score himself or tee up one of his teammates – something which Savinho would certainly benefit from.
The Palace star’s impressive numbers don’t end there, with the midffielder able to produce a combined tally of 16 goals and assists in the Premier League – a figure that would put him joint top of the current first-team for the 2024/25 season.
It would be a hefty investment from the board, but the deal would be worthwhile, as they’d be getting themselves a top-level talent, not to mention also getting one over their bitter rivals in the process.
Should he form a deadly partnership with the Brazilian throughout 2025/26, it would be a prospect for the supporters to be excited about, potentially building on their Europa League success from the end of the previous season.
Better transfer than Kudus: Spurs set to make bid to sign £60m star
Tottenham Hotspur look set to drop another mammoth sum on a new addition this summer.
ByEthan Lamb Aug 15, 2025
Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja believes the hasty departure of Gary Kirsten could impact Pakistan’s ability to attract high-profile international coaching candidates in the future.Pakistan cricket descended into familiar tumult when Kirsten on Monday resigned as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I sides. He was six months into a two-year contract and departed on the eve of Pakistan’s white-ball tour of Australia.Kirsten, who was at the helm of India’s triumph at the 2011 World Cup, leaves his role without having coached Pakistan in a single ODI.Even by PCB standards, the public struggles have been messy and threaten to deter prospective international coaches. Prominent candidates Shane Watson and Darren Sammy had previously been sounded out earlier this year before turning down offers to coach the national team.”When you search for international coaches, with the kind of backlash that you will probably get from Gary Kirsten’s resignation…it’s not going to be an easy, straightforward job for Pakistan to hire international talent,” Ramiz told reporters in a media interaction ahead of the Australia tour.”What you need to do is to make sure that once you involve and engage somebody, you’ve got to give them clarity regarding the role.”I don’t know whether that clarity was given to Gary Kirsten or how he wanted to get Pakistan into this one-day phase, what he wanted to achieve. I’m not privy to that.”It’s not great news [Kirsten’s departure] because Pakistan needed an experienced hand. From a distance, it doesn’t look great just before a tour.”A rift had developed between Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s newly-minted Test coach, and the PCB since the board decided to strip them of selection powers after Pakistan’s first Test defeat against England.ESPNcricinfo understands that Gillespie, who will fill the shoes of Kirsten on the tour of Australia, has also been left thoroughly unimpressed by the recent changes. A new selection panel – a third in three months – was formed and, in an unusual development, included umpire Aleem Dar.”I don’t know about an umpire being a selector, so the jury is still out,” Ramiz said. “I still believe there’s a strong role for a leader in cricket. You can’t run cricket from the sidelines. The leader has to be made accountable and the only way to make him accountable is to give him some powers.”Pakistan will arrive in Australia with not only a fresh white-ball coach in Gillespie, but also with Mohammad Rizwan taking the captaincy reins following Babar Azam’s recent resignation.It looms as a tough initiation for Rizwan, who will lead a relatively inexperienced squad for a trio of ODIs and T20Is against Australia.”He’s got his chance and what he needs to do is to stamp his authority and maybe get the players that he wants,” Ramiz said of Rizwan. “Right now, there’s a little bit of hodgepodge where the selection committee is nominating the playing XI. I’m not too sure it happens anywhere else in the world.”I just hope Rizwan gets his playing XI that he feels comfortable with.”Having been widely lambasted for antagonising Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood during a television interview following the England series, Ramiz called for “quiet and calm” within Pakistan cricket.”I think it’s important for all the stakeholders to understand the value of a non controversial start to what appears to be an extremely heavyweight calendar,” he said.”I just hope things are on the mend. I think Pakistan clearly were on a desperate mode against England, and thankfully the series was won. I just hope they carry this momentum forward even though it’s a different format.”But it’s [Pakistan cricket] a difficult terrain, it’s a difficult area to govern because things happen very quickly.”
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has identified a priority position to strengthen this summer, according to a recent report, with the Lilywhites also growing increasingly confident they can land a key target.
A plethora of reports in the last fortnight have indicated that a new winger sits top of Frank, chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange’s summer to-do list as they prepare for Spurs’ first campaign back in the Champions League for two years.
Barcelona hijack Tottenham talks with Salah-like forward as terms agreed
Spurs look set to miss out on the player despite negotiations.
By
Emilio Galantini
Jun 24, 2025
Tottenham have been boosted in their summer recruitment drive by winning the Europa League last month and subsequently sealing a place in Europe’s most elite competition next term, but they may not have it all of their own way.
The Lilywhites’ shortlist of potential wide targets includes West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus, Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, but all these names will command huge fees.
|
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025 |
Average match rating |
|---|---|
|
Son Heung-min |
7.00 |
|
James Maddison |
6.98 |
|
Pedro Porro |
6.95 |
|
Dominic Solanke |
6.84 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
6.83 |
|
via WhoScored |
|
West Ham want £65 million for Kudus amid Tottenham’s interest, while Grealish’s £300,000-per-week salary proves a major roadblock for any potential suitor, including Frank’s side, who’d have to shatter their salary structure.
Semenyo’s price tag is set at around £70 million, with Bournemouth unlikely to be keen on losing yet another star player. Dibling, meanwhile, could also cost around £51 million, despite Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.
Mbeumo is being targeted by Man United as well, and although Spurs have held initial talks, it is believed that the Red Devils are attempting to strike a deal with Brentford by submitting a new and improved £60 million bid.
The need for another wide man is exemplified by Son Heung-min’s uncertain future, with reports suggesting the South Korean could move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Signing a proven Son replacement won’t be easy, or cheap, and Tottenham may well turn to cheaper options abroad, like the £25 million-rated Lazio winger Gustav Isaksen, who Frank reportedly rates quite highly.
However, if the north Londoners want to make a statement attacking signing, then they can look no further than Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.
As per The Mirror and journalist John Cross, Tottenham are getting “encouraging noises” about the England international’s stance on making the move across London to N17.
The Lilywhites are apparently convinced that Eze would be keen to join Spurs as a result, and Palace would be powerless to stop it if Levy opts to trigger his £68 million release clause.
The Mirror reiterates that Frank is prioritising a new wide player amid the very real prospect of losing Son, and Eze’s £100,000-per-week wages potentially make this transfer doable in terms of salary, unlike other reported targets like Grealish.
The 26-year-old bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term, with one of his strikes coming in a 1-0 FA Cup final win over Man City which ended Palace’s history-long wait for a piece of major silverware.
Able to play out wide and through the middle as a CAM, there is little denying he’d be a truly excellent addition for Frank.
Liverpool’s mastery in the transfer market must leave rivals hot under the collar. FSG have their drawbacks, criticised for their frugality, but who can reasonably rail against their formula?
Arne Slot, though, has exceeded expectations this season, winning the Premier League at a canter, somehow replacing the irreplaceable Jurgen Klopp.
It’s frightening to think that Liverpool are now ramping up their transfer plans, rewarding Slot with a deep-pocketed transfer chest which has already led to the signing of Jeremie Frimpong, with his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz lined up for a reported British-record €130m (about £110m) transfer.
With a deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez also in the pipeline, Liverpool fans would be forgiven for indulging in fits of excitement: Slot and the powers that be are investing in a team ready to challenge at the highest European level for many years to come.
However, more is needed in attacking areas if the Reds are to do it all over again next year and keep Mohamed Salah, who turns 33 this month, on his A-game.
How Liverpool can keep Mo Salah firing
Last season, Liverpool won the Carabao Cup and restored their place in the Champions League after a wretched 2022/23 campaign, but failed to secure the biggest prizes.
Salah promised the Liverpool faithful he would put that right, and delivered on his promise by winning the Premier League under Slot’s wing, winning the clean sweep of individual prizes in the process.
It was, all in all, a rather good campaign for the Egyptian King, but there’s no question he was overburdened with responsibility at times, dragging his profligate teammates across the finish line.
Salah no doubt misses the seamless synergy that Jurgen Klopp pieced together when creating one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever frontlines, Salah joined by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in turning Liverpool back into a superpower over so many years.
Premier League
38
29
18
Champions League
9
3
4
Carabao Cup
5
2
1
Now, Liverpool must reward their legendary veteran with new partners in the final third who maintain clinical rates of scoring, of supplying. Whether Salah will secure teammates on the level of Firmino and Mane remains to be seen, but FSG are certainly acting with the intent of achieving just that.
Slot driving ambitious Liverpool deal
As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are considering ‘a fresh approach’ for Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon this summer, who is valued at around £80m.
Contacts were established one year ago when Newcastle fretted over ways to circumvent PSR, having failed to qualify for Europe. Liverpool were drawn to the possibility of signing Gordon, but in the end, Eddie Howe’s side found alternative routes to go down.
Now, though, it’s become clear that Anfield’s interest has remained intact, and while the former Everton star would not force his way out of St. James’ Park, a return to Merseyside to sign for his boyhood club would be a big temptation.
Why Anthony Gordon could replicate Mane at Liverpool
Liverpool released Gordon from their academy when he was only 11 years old, leaving him adrift until washing up at Goodison Park, where he made his name.
Newcastle paid Everton a £45m fee to sign Gordon in January 2023, and this was before he made genuine headway. Now, it’s understandable that the Magpies would want to bank nearly double that figure, and if Diaz is sold, Liverpool might just be able to make it happen.
Hailed for his “unbelievable” 2023/24 campaign by teammate Bruno Guimaraes, Liverpool’s interest came after a campaign that saw Gordon post 28 goal contributions across all competitions, earning Newcastle’s Player of the Season.
Despite winning the Carabao Cup and restoring his club’s place in the Champions League, the current season hasn’t been so kind to the England international, with injuries and suspensions disrupting the second half of the term.
The 24-year-old remains one of the most talented wingers in the Premier League, though, having pronounced himself a “nightmare for anyone” he plays against.
With levels still to scale as he makes improvements, Gordon might just be Slot’s long-term solution on the left flank, maybe even becoming Liverpool’s new version of Sadio Mane, with blistering speed and a dynamic danger to his skill set.
Last August, pundit Jamie Carragher actually tipped the Three Lions man to serve as Mane’s heir over on Merseyside, claiming he could make a “frightening” impact.
A player of such physicality and athleticism with ostensibly sharper weaponry than Diaz could certainly make a positive impact, striking a stunning partnership with the evergreen Salah, who will remain at Liverpool for at least two more years.
And if Darwin Nunez is sold and replaced by Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, with Liverpool locked in battle with Chelsea for the French forward, Slot might even have his own version of Firmino to complete a deadly new strike-force.
How to define Bobby Firmino? The Brazil forward was the glue which held Klopp’s iconic front three together, effortlessly brilliant and commendably selfless.
Mane and Salah were the goal-getters, but Firmino made it all tick, and given that Ekitike would join Liverpool as an up-and-coming Bundesliga talent, the similarities are clear to see, as Firmino arrived from Hoffenheim a decade ago for £29m.
Ekitike, 22, is a good goalscorer, having scored 22 times for his club this term, but he’s also so much more. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for assists and the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90.
Such quality would give Gordon an inroad to a new level of goalscoring success, especially with Salah shaping into one of the game’s superlative wide playmakers in recent years.
Liverpool have enjoyed tremendous success in Slot’s newly-crafted system, but with such signings, they could reach even higher, giving Salah a new attacking partnership for the ages.
A new Mac Allister: Liverpool set sights on signing "dangerous" £35m star
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be Alexis Mac Allister 2.0.
ByDan Emery Jun 1, 2025
What might have gone down as the worst season in a generation for Tottenham Hotspur will now be recognised as one of the best.
Under an immense amount of scrutiny and pressure, Ange Postecoglou and his side managed to get the better of Manchester United on Wednesday night and, in the process, win the Europa League.
Their victory in Bilbao now means they’ll be playing in the Champions League next season, which should, in turn, help them attract the best talent in what has to be a massive summer of transfers.
Fortunately, Daniel Levy and Co already seem to be looking to add some genuine quality to the squad, although one of the recent stars touted for a move to N17 could spell trouble for James Maddison.
Tottenham transfer news
Before getting to the star in question, it’s worth reviewing some of the other players linked with Spurs over the last few weeks, such as Daizen Maeda and Eberechi Eze.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former played under Postecoglou at Celtic and could be available for just £25m, which would make him a seriously tempting option, as in just 50 appearances for the Hoops this season, he has scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists.
A little closer to home now, and Eze will be available for around £68m thanks to the release clause in his contract.
While that is a lot of money, he’s certainly worth it, as in 42 appearances this term, the Englishman has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists.
However, there is another younger and just as exciting international who has now been touted for a move to the white side of North London: Xavi Simons.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Spurs are ‘dreaming of signing’ the RB Leipzig star, and in exciting news, the Lilywhites believe ‘they can convince’ him to join them.
However, he would cost around €80m, which is about £67m, and there are plenty of other interested parties, with reports from earlier this week claiming Arsenal are keen on the Dutchman.
It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Simons’ immense ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, even if it could be bad news for Maddison.
How Simons compares to Maddison
Now, while Simons is a versatile attacker who can play off either wing, he’s also more than capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, and with Brennan Johnson scoring as many goals as he has this season and Mathys Tel potentially remaining at the club in the summer, there is a strong chance Spurs view the Leipzig ace primarily as a number ten.
Therefore, one of his main competitors for game time next season would be Maddison, but who comes out on top when we compare them?
Well, when it comes to their raw output, which is ultimately the most important metric of all, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem comes out on top.
For example, since the start of last season, the Flying Dutchman, whom one analyst dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” has scored 21 goals and provided 23 assists in just 76 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games.
In contrast, since joining the club ahead of last season, the Lilywhites number ten has scored 16 goals and provided 21 assists in 75 appearances, which comes out to a reasonable but comparatively less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.02 games.
Appearances
43
30
Goals
10
4
Assists
15
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
0.46
Appearances
33
45
Goals
11
12
Assists
8
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
0.51
Furthermore, besides being more productive than the former Leicester City star, the Amsterdam-born “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is also six years his junior, meaning he’s likely to get better still and has a better fitness record.
For example, he has suffered just one injury in his career to date, which saw him miss 15 games for club and country, whereas the Englishman has suffered 18 injuries, which have seen him miss 67 games for club and country.
Ultimately, while Maddison is a great player, Simons is clearly superior and, therefore, Spurs should do what they can to sign him this summer.
Spurs' 18-year-old "monster" is going to be better than Romero & Van de Ven
The tremendously exciting youngster could be special for Spurs.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes May 23, 2025
Stats highlights from the high-scoring thriller between KKR and LSG at Eden Gardens
Sampath Bandarupalli08-Apr-20252:04
Does Nicholas Pooran have any weakness?
5 Consecutive wides bowled by Shardul Thakur in the 13th over of Kolkata Knight Riders’ chase at Eden Gardens. No bowler had done that before in the IPL. Four bowlers have bowled four wides in a row previously – Jasprit Bumrah (2015), Praveen Kumar (2017), Mohammed Siraj (2023) and Khaleel Ahmed (2024). Thakur also equalled the record for the longest over in the IPL (11 balls).15 Number of wides Lucknow Super Giants bowled against KKR, the most by a team in an IPL innings. Thakur bowled eight, the most by any bowler in an IPL match.1198 Number of balls Nicholas Pooran took to complete 2000 runs in the IPL – the second quickest behind Andre Russell (1120 balls).238 for 3 LSG’s total against KKR at Eden Gardens – their second highest in the IPL. It was also the second highest total against KKR in the IPL.Shardul Thakur bowled five wides in a row, a first in the IPL•Associated Press70.81 Win probability as per ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster for KKR in the chase after 12.5 overs, when they needed 77 runs with eight wickets in hand. It came down to 21.99 % at 16.1 overs after they lost five wickets for 23 runs in the space of 20 balls.87* Pooran’s score against KKR is the second highest in the IPL by any batter coming in after ten overs. Andre Russell’s 88 not out against CSK in 2018 is the highest.12.64 Combined economy of the pace bowlers in the KKR-LSG game, having gone for 316 runs in 25 overs. It is the fourth highest economy for fast bowlers in an IPL match, for a minimum of 150 balls bowled.
He has been expensive, but at the same time brings with him the ability to take wickets
Deivarayan Muthu11-Apr-2023In the absence of Dwayne Bravo, who is now Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach, he has fronted up to bowl at the death. Then, when Super Kings lost Deepak Chahar to injury one over into the match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, he fronted up to bowl two overs in the powerplay and bowled Rohit Sharma with a beauty. With Ben Stokes and Mukesh Choudhary also injured, Tushar Deshpande has become Super Kings’ go-to seamer.Deshpande was a net bowler with Super Kings in IPL 2021 after having gone unsold at that auction. Two seasons on, Dhoni trusts him to bowl the tough overs.There’s a bit of Shardul Thakur about Deshpande. He can be expensive, but at the same time, he brings with him unpredictable variety and the ability to take wickets. Tim David walloped him for 6, 4, 6 but didn’t expect a grippy slower offcutter next ball, and ended up dragging a pull to deep midwicket. Deshpande can also crank it up to 140kph and surprise batters with extra pace.Related
Defensive Deshpande levels up to fill CSK's Bravo role
Tushar Deshpande has the pace, the wickets, and the makings of a bright future
How CSK's Theekshana and Pathirana have begun to grow into Bravo's shoes
Over-aggression, over-stepping – but no over-coaching for Deshpande
Chahar to undergo scans to determine extent of hamstring injury
“We believe in him,” MS Dhoni said after the game against Mumbai. “Also what happens is when you’re new, you have a different sort of pressure, but if you’ve already played IPL for a few games, then it becomes like a comeback. I feel, as a cricketer, it’s one of the worst feelings to have. But he had a very good domestic season and that helped.”We have been constantly talking to him about what needs to be done. He is very good at execution, but in the last couple of games, he had bowled no-balls and that’s not a very good feeling to have. When you’re at your bowling mark, that’s something you don’t want to have in your mind. I feel he’s improving; the delivery that Rohit got out to was a fantastic delivery. So, he has that potential, he can be much more consistent and we’re just hoping that he takes that added responsibility.”Deshpande had a rough start to the IPL 2023. As the first-ever Impact Player in the IPL, he leaked 51 runs in 3.2 overs against defending champions Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. Then, against Lucknow Super Giants at Chepauk, where he said the “crowd was so loud that I couldn’t hear anything”, he bowled an 11-ball over in the powerplay, which cost 18 runs.
“I’ve been working on yorkers. I feel it does not come naturally. Even if it comes naturally, you need to have the guts to execute that when you are under pressure”Tushar Deshpande
Deshpande has had issues with overstepping in the past too, but he put that horror over behind him and executed the best-laid plans of Bravo when he returned to bowl at the death. When he came back, Super Giants were 150 for 5 in 15 overs, chasing 218, with Nicholas Pooran on 31 off 15 balls, having just reverse-swept Ravindra Jadeja into the top-tier over point.At the time out, the message from Bravo was to bowl wide yorkers and hide them away from the reach of Pooran. Dhoni gave him three fielders on the off-side boundary – deep point, deep cover and long-off – including two of his best in Mitchell Santner and Ben Stokes. Deshpande stuck to the plan and gave up just one run off the first two balls to Pooran. He then darted another wide yorker – possibly wider than another set of stumps – and had Pooran slicing it to Stokes at long-off. Just six runs off the over to go with the wicket of Pooran. Game over for Super Giants.Deshpande admits that the yorker doesn’t come to him naturally, but he has been learning on the job from one of the best in the business. On Monday evening at the Chepauk nets, Bravo had both Deshpande and Dwaine Pretorius bowling both wide yorkers and straight yorkers under his supervision.”I think bowling at the death is something that comes with great responsibility,” Deshpande told select newspapers in Chennai. “I’ve been working on yorkers. I feel it does not come naturally. Even if it comes naturally, you need to have the guts to execute that when you are under pressure. So I feel staying in the moment helps.”MS Dhoni talks to Tushar Deshpande during the match against Lucknow Super Giants•BCCIThe yorker is arguably the hardest delivery to nail. Overpitch it, it’s a full toss. Under-pitch it, it’s a half-volley. Even if you nail it, you can disappear for runs. Deshpande has embraced that challenge.”If you’re bowling in the death, you have to accept that someday you are going to get hit,” he said. “So you need to stay in the present even if you get hit for a six off the first ball. I have the next five balls to come back in the game or take the batter out. So staying in the present and in the moment is very important, and I personally feel that the next five balls are an opportunity for a bowler to get his mark back in the game. So that is what helps while bowling at the death.”Those who have followed Deshpande in Mumbai’s cricket circles speak highly of his commitment and fortitude. Just days after he had lost his mother to cancer, Deshpande rejoined Mumbai’s squad for the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game against Delhi in Indore and bowled them to victory with figures of 4 for 19. Ajinkya Rahane, his captain at Mumbai and current team-mate at Super Kings, is also impressed with his progress.”Tushar has been bowling really well and he had a great [domestic] season for Mumbai,” Rahane said after the match against Mumbai. “Even in the match before this [game against Mumbai Indians], his comeback was really great. The first over was not up to the mark in the last game but the way he came back and the way he bowled in the death overs was really good. I’m really happy for him. [These are] still early days for him and he will learn a lot by playing matches and when you’re playing under Mahi <bhai, you’re sure that you will learn every time you’re out in the middle.”At the IPL 2022 auction, Super Kings raised their bid up to INR 7 crore to buy back Thakur, but he ultimately got away from them. They have now found another Mumbai player who can perform the role that Thakur used to do for them with the ball. Deshpande is no Thakur with the bat, but the introduction of the Impact Player rule means he need not be.
Breaking into this white-ball side is a tough task, but this was a bid for highest honours
Matt Roller16-Jul-2021Imagine you’re a national selector or a franchise’s general manager. Who is your dream T20 player?Ideally, he’d be an allrounder who can offer something with the bat, the ball, and in the field. He’s got experience in five different global leagues, slotting into teams and adapting to several different conditions. He prefers batting at the top of the order, but is just as comfortable in the middle. He’s a gun fielder in the outfield. He offers you a bowling option in all three phases of an innings. Oh, and he can bowl offbreaks and legbreaks in the same over.England’s fringe players have long described their white-ball teams as the hardest sports teams to get into in the world but Liam Livingstone is bucking the trend. As the T20 World Cup comes into view, he has locked in a seat on the plane – his versatility means that he is the ultimate squad player – but it is increasingly hard to see how they can leave him out of their starting XI.”T20 cricket at Trent Bridge is pure entertainment,” Ben Stokes tweeted as England were going round the park. Eoin Morgan noted afterwards that it would provide them with ideal preparation for any World Cup games hosted at Sharjah later this year, where the average score batting first in the 2020 IPL was 178 and the boundaries are equally short.Due to a quirk of scheduling, Trent Bridge had not hosted a T20 international since 2012, but in the intervening time Nottinghamshire have embraced the carnage and blitzed their way to two Vitality Blast titles in the last four years, while England’s ODI gunslingers have twice broken the world record here. With one square boundary of 57 metres and a pitch flatter than the Radcliffe Road, this was T20 after three double vodka-Red Bulls, simultaneously doubling the heart rate and removing any inhibitions.Livingstone arrived at the crease – with a new bleach-blond haircut emulating Paul Gascoigne and Phil Foden – in the fifth over, with England 48 for 3 in a chase of 233 and after conceding 24 from his two overs of all-sorts spin. Jason Roy was flying on 30 off 10 balls, but they were scoring below the rate and losing wickets. The old-school method would be to nudge the ball around and get Roy on strike as much as possible, but Livingstone is as modern as they come.Related
Another run-fest on the cards as Pakistan look to surprise England again
Liam Livingstone makes virtue of versatility in pitch for England World Cup role
England's big guns return as chastened Pakistan seek response to ODI rout
Eoin Morgan targets 'last chance' to test bench-strength before T20 World Cup
Pakistan seal thriller by 31 runs, despite Liam Livingstone's record 42-ball hundred
His fourth ball brought a stroke of luck. Looking to heave Haris Rauf into the leg side, he offered a chance to Mohammad Hasnain via a thick outside edge, but he could only parry him over the rope at deep third. Seizing his moment, Livingstone took a deep breath, then nailed the next two balls for four and six through square leg.Immediately after the powerplay, Pakistan turned to Shadab Khan, who had enjoyed some success against Livingstone in their PSL meetings (36 balls, 35 runs, two dismissals). But one of Livingstone’s great strengths is his ability to play with a clear mind: he was greeted by two drag-downs, and mowed both of them into the stands. In his next over, his eyes lit up once more: a wristy thump down the ground, a pull for four through midwicket and a swipe over long-off, bringing up England’s fastest T20I fifty – off 17 balls – in the process.There was, briefly, some respite. From 61 off 20 balls, Livingstone hit nine of his next ten for singles, occasionally losing his shape as Pakistan’s seamers found a hint of reverse-swing thanks to the ball getting scuffed after flying into the stands, and Shadab hid the ball wide outside his off stump.Then, with a whip through midwicket off the exceptional Mohammad Hasnain, he was back, turning 70 off 30 into a 42-ball hundred. Any error in execution from the seamers was met with a crack of the wrists or a free swing of the arms and when he slugged Shadab over long-on to reach his hundred, he refused even to smile, thumping the England badge on his chest with 50 still needed off 22 balls. He holed out to long-on one ball later and dragged his feet as he trudged off, but this was not a night for regrets.Livingstone’s improvement since his first two T20I appearances in 2017 has been stark and he is clear in his convictions that he has come a long way since then. He represents much of what is right about the English game: born in Cumbria, developed by Lancashire, refined in global leagues and returning to international cricket as a vastly-improved player to the version first seen four years ago. Morgan described it as equal to any innings he had seen from an England player in the last six years and there was no evidence of hyperbole.The challenge now is how to fit him into a first-choice England team, with so many batters fighting for a handful of spots and with Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes both missing tonight’s game through injury. But tonight’s evidence was unequivocal: Livingstone is too good not to play the first game of October’s T20 World Cup.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has sparked a fresh wave of Real Madrid outrage after declaring that Los Blancos “represent power” while Barca embody “freedom”, intensifying tensions at a time when relations between the clubs have sharply deteriorated. His remarks come amid ongoing clashes between the boardrooms as both sides accuse the other of political and sporting hypocrisy.