Marcus Rashford's agent was spotted in the directors' box at Etihad Stadium during Aston Villa's late defeat to Manchester City.
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أصبح ريال مدريد يستهدف التعاقد مع أحد لاعبي باريس سان جيرمان، الذين برزوا خلال الموسم الماضي وساهموا في التتويج بعدة ألقاب أهمهم دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وبحسب صحيفة “الماركا” فإن ريال مدريد يراقب فيتينها لاعب خط وسط باريس سان جيرمان والذي تألق في صفوف الفريق.
أقرأ أيضاً.. ريال مدريد يسحق ليجانيس برباعية استعداداً للموسم الجديد
ويتمسك ريال مدريد بتعزيز خط وسطه بلاعب يقدم الإبداع ويتحكم في العمق بشكل جيد وهي صفات يمتلكها جواو فيتينها بشكل رائع.
وقدم اللاعب صاحب الـ25 عاماً موسمًا رائعًا مع باريس سان جيرمان تحت قيادة لويس إنريكي، حيث لعب دورًا حيويًا في الفوز بالثلاثية كما أثار الإعجاب مع المنتخب البرتغالي في فوزه بدوري الأمم الأوروبية.
ويتميز صاحب الـ25 عاماً بذكائه في التعامل مع الكرة وتمريراته المتقنة وهدوئه تحت الضغط، وبرز كواحد من أكثر لاعبي خط الوسط ثباتاً وتكاملاً في أوروبا.
ويعتقد مجلس إدارة ريال مدريد أن فيتينها لاعب خط وسط باريس سان جيرمان هو لاعب خط الوسط الذي سيكمل كل من جود بيلينجهام وفيدي فالفيردي.
ويعتبر ريال مدريد أن فيتينها سيكون قائدًا على المدى الطويل في وسط الملعب، وسيكون خليفة لكل من توني كروس ولوكا مودريتش ويرونه الخيار الأمثل.
Master of self-improvement and reinvention, Broad was a great survivor
Matt Roller31-Jul-20232:24
Stokes ‘proud’ of England team and ‘inspiring’ Stuart Broad
It might not have ended like this. There was the mutinous interview in an Ageas Bowl portacabin. The calf injury that ruled him out of the India series two years ago. The exasperation of the Ashes series he voided, and a blind-siding omission from the squad that toured the Caribbean.But Stuart Broad has often been confronted with his temporality as a Test cricketer across the course of a 16-year career, and has usually responded in the same way. Broad was the master of self-improvement, a man who constantly reinvented himself. It was the only way to survive, and Broad was a great survivor.This was a fitting finale. Broad was predominantly a showman, a great entertainer who played to the gallery, and his bail-switch that immediately preceded his dismissal of Todd Murphy was another moment of pantomime that only he could pull off in the midst of a tense final-day run chase.And yet there was another side to Broad, one that was harder to detect from the public persona who geed up the crowd, wearing a bandana out of superstition and a masterful comedian as well as cricketer.Related
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Behind closed doors, he was a meticulous thinker about the game, described by his Nottinghamshire and ex-England coach Peter Moores as “the best tactician that I’ve been lucky enough to coach”. It was no coincidence that, with two left-handers frustrating England, Ben Stokes threw the ball to Broad.”You’ve seen the way he bowls at them,” Stokes said. It was not always that way: Broad took 71 wickets at 41.11 against left-handers before 2015. But extensive research ahead of that summer’s Ashes series prompted him to change his default angle from over the wicket to around; since 2015, he has dismissed 122 left-handers at 24.85.”That’s part of my personality,” Broad explained. “I’ve never been an amazing trainer. I need to have something to aim for in training all the time, that spurs me on. I need to have a new skill to be working on, otherwise I could float through training a little bit.”Returning after tea, Broad bowled exclusively from around the wicket, inducing regular plays-and-misses; two in a row from Murphy prompted his bail-switch in an attempt to change his luck. “I just kept saying, ‘Keep bowling the same ball over and over again,'” Stokes said.After Murphy edged behind, Broad created two final chances. Carey nicked him to second slip where Zak Crawley spilled a tough low catch, before edging through to Bairstow in Broad’s following over. Both balls were textbook late Broad: angling in before nipping away off the seam to take the edge.Stuart Broad celebrates taking the wicket of Alex Carey and victory•Getty Images
Another feature of Broad’s self-improvement has been his desire to lower his “leave percentage” – a statistic that is rarely referenced publicly by anyone other than him. Four years ago, Moores told Broad that Kunal Manek, the Nottinghamshire analyst, had noticed an uptick in the proportion of his deliveries that batters left alone.”I judge myself now on how much I make a batsman play in a day,” Broad said during the 2019 Ashes. “If I am bowling badly, my leave percentage will be 30 percent – I am getting left 30 percent of the time. If I am bowling brilliantly, it will be 16 percent or 17 percent.”On his final day as a Test cricketer, it was down at eight percent: Australia’s batters left only seven of the 88 balls that he bowled. Broad will not be aware of that statistic as he basks in the glow of his farewell on Monday night, but there is one that makes him prouder than any other: his tally of 153 wickets against Australia, the most by an Englishman and a record that may never be broken.In the build-up to this series, Broad played down his chances of playing anything more than a bit-part role. Instead, he was the only England bowler to feature in all five Tests, finished the summer as their leading wicket-taker, and took centre-stage as six weeks of drama came to a head in the final moments of the series.If there is such a thing as destiny in sport, Stuart Broad was destined not to bow out quietly. “I am not too emotional, to be honest,” he reflected, speaking moments after clinching England’s win. “Taking those last two wickets proved to me that I still loved taking wickets because I just ran around like a headless chicken. I still have that emotion and love for winning Test matches.”To take a wicket to win an Ashes Test match being my final ball was something that will make me smile for the rest of my life,” he added. “When the dust has settled it will sink in. It still doesn’t feel massively real. When I told the guys I couldn’t remember what I said. I didn’t feel like I was in my own body; I feel a little bit like that now.”Broad made an admission on Saturday night that is rare to hear from an elite athlete: “I know I am not the most skilful player that’s played,” he said. But if his eventual Test bowling average, 27.68, does not secure him a place among the game’s greatest fast bowlers, his longevity will – a longevity secured by his self-professed addiction to the sport.
Last summer, Arsenal needed to sign a new centre-forward. Benjamin Sesko was in their crosshairs but he ultimately ended up signing a new contract with current employers, RB Leipzig.
In the end, the Gunners went without. The only signing to bolster the forward line was Raheem Sterling.
The Chelsea loanee promised we’d see the best of him. That did not happen.
In January, Mikel Arteta was crying out for a striker again but it wasn’t forthcoming. What happened next? Kai Havertz sustained a nasty hamstring injury during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
Arsenal’s Premier League form suffered drastically and it ultimately tripped them up in Paris when they exited the Champions League at the semi-final stages.
So, a year on from when a new centre-forward first should have arrived, Arteta and Co are back at square one, chasing Sesko again.
When you end the campaign with Mikel Merino up top, you know something has gone drastically wrong.
In all fairness, Merino was fine. Fine being the key word. He wasn’t exceptional, he wasn’t the spearhead you need to win a Premier League or continental title but he did score six goals in 12 outings as a striker.
That’s not bad at all, but it’s not the 54-goal tally Viktor Gyokeres scored. It’s not the 27 goals Alexander Isak scored. It’s not the 21 goals Sesko scored either.
All three of those players would be excellent signings, but it’s Sesko who looks the most likely to arrive at the moment.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
That’s according to German publication BILD, via Sport Witness. They report on Wednesday that a deal is beginning to move on the player side.
Indeed, BILD states that Arsenal have ‘reached an agreement’ on personal terms between them and the striker.
While that doesn’t mean anything is wrapped up with Leipzig, the report does note that Arsenal have signalled to the Bundesliga club that they are set to made a bid that will not fall below their expectations financially.
It’s likely to take an offer between £68m-£85m to convince them to sell.
It’s safe to say that since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left Arsenal behind, Arteta has lacked a real potent centre-forward.
That’s not to say it was a mistake to let him go. After all, the Gabonese striker departed in controversial circumstances, stripped of the captaincy (video below) and then flying out to Barcelona on a trip that wasn’t sanctioned by the club.
Despite his flaws, Aubameyang was a mighty fine player for the club and was a key reason behind Arteta’s only trophy as a manager so far, the FA Cup in 2019/20.
Given Arsenal’s recent progress, it’s remarkable that they’re currently in the middle of a five-year trophy drought, but it’s perhaps no coincidence that they’re yet to win any major honours since Auba departed.
His record with the Gunners was exceptional, scoring 92 goals in 163 outings, most notably winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2018/19.
He was one of the meanest forwards in the whole of English football during his time at the Emirates Stadium and even deservedly found his way into the PFA Team of the Year for 2019/20.
Aubameyang was relentless, netting 31 goals in 51 games throughout 2018/19 and then the following term, he bagged 29 in 44 matches.
Well, if Sesko did arrive then he’d certainly have a lot to live up to but there are similarities in the way they play the game.
Described as “the new Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Slovenian possesses a tall frame, standing at 6 foot 5. In contrast, the former Arsenal forward stands at 6 foot 2.
There is a slight difference there but what their height allows is for a longer and more powerful stride pattern. They can burst beyond the last line of the defence and surge towards goal in a similarly explosive fashion.
Rather than relying on intricate build-up play, they’re also very clever with their movement and rely on their instinctive finishing ability. In essence, they’re both mighty fine poachers. More often than not, they’re always in the right place at the right time.
|
Similarities between Sesko & Auba |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Sesko (24/25) |
Auba (19/20) |
|
Shots |
2.50 |
2.61 |
|
Shot on target % |
43.9% |
44% |
|
Average shot distance |
17.5 yards |
15.5 yards |
|
Expected goals (xG) |
0.38 |
0.42 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
1.93 |
1.98 |
|
Touches |
34.1 |
35.4 |
|
Carries |
16.8 |
20.9 |
|
Completed passes |
15.7 |
17.6 |
|
Key passes |
0.72 |
0.75 |
|
Pass completion % |
67.6% |
67.3% |
|
Stats via FBRef. |
||
Comparing one of Aubameyang’s best seasons at Arsenal with Sesko’s latest campaign, we can see see alike the pair are.
They took a near identical number of touches and completed a near identical rate of successful passes per 90 minutes, suggesting their actions in the build-up are very similar.
Likewise, they come out very closely for key passes and shot-creating actions, underlining how often they make something happen in the final third of the pitch.
Aged just 22, Sesko clearly has a lot of development left to do but if Arteta could extract that in north London, the Spaniard may well have the next Aubameyang on his hands, just without the excess baggage. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
He's shades of Nwaneri: Berta holds talks to sign £40m star for Arsenal
Arsenal are looking at signing one of Europe’s best young prospects this summer.
By
Matt Dawson
Jun 18, 2025
A day on from his silky hundred against Bangladesh, the India allrounder explains how he approaches batting and bowling differently
Alagappan Muthu20-Sep-20241:15
Ashwin: ‘Jadeja and I enjoying each other’s success more than ever before’
Allrounders often tend to draw from doing well in one discipline to do well in the other but there is perhaps a chance that R Ashwin’s primary skill might have held back his secondary one.”Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game,” Ashwin said after the second day of the Chennai Test between India and Bangladesh. “One is done consciously. The other one is done subconsciously. So, for me, to compartmentalise both has taken its own due.”He scored 113 off 133 balls that helped the hosts post 376 in the first innings. The bowlers then ran through Bangladesh, knocking them over for 149 and taking almost complete control of the proceedings.Related
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In all conditions, Ashwin + Chepauk = magic
Ashwin walked in at 144 for 6 and immediately put what he has learned over a long career into practice: that with the bat in hand, he needs to be an entirely different person from the one who has gone on to become one of the greatest spinners in history.”At this stage, I am able to sequence that and split both of them and see as a cricketer. So, when I walked there [to bat] the only thing I wanted to do was to settle down my game. The mind can play tricks because I am a bowler who plays on 12, 18, 24 balls ahead when I am sequencing it. As a batter, I shouldn’t do that. I just use my experience when I get in. So, now it’s more about just focusing on the ball and hitting it as I see it.”This was Ashwin’s second successive century at his home ground, Chepauk, following on from a 106 against England in similar circumstances in 2021. He wasn’t quite able to pick which one he liked better.”I worked quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game”•BCCI”Both. [The England Test] had so much riding on it. We lost the first one and came to the second. Last time when I played at Chennai, I felt like I was making sort of a comeback in more than one way. I was a little here and there. I went to Australia and came back here. That was different and I enjoyed it. I think my batting has come along a lot better since that particular game. I worked quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game. I worked on how I can play fast bowling and all that sort of stuff. I’m glad it’s coming out nicely.”Ashwin does this – pushing himself even at 38 with 500 wickets already in the bag – for a very simple reason.”Happiness. You want to be good. You excel. You feel happy at the end of the day. It drives me towards that. Every time I do well, it leaves me in a good, happy state of mind. That’s what you get on this journey for. You want to do well. You want to excel on the global stage. People are watching you and you feel happy about it.”There was a time, though, when Ashwin couldn’t find a way to play his cricket with this kind of freedom. “I was critical of myself earlier but not much now because I have already put so much pressure on myself. Not only did I put myself under pressure, but there was pressure from outside too. I used to find happiness in answering my critics with my performance, or in the press conference. But that’s not the case now. The most important thing for me these days is to enjoy my game, by staying in the moment, by playing my cricket with a smile on my face. Four-five years ago, I made a promise to myself, with great difficulty, that I would not respond to anyone from then on and would play for my own happiness. And I have maintained that to date.”As is often the case with his bowling, Ashwin had Jadeja as his partner for the course of a match-turning 199-run seventh-wicket stand.”You don’t plan for such things. Jaddu is one cricketer who has evolved so nicely. I always envy him. I have made that amply clear. So gifted, so talented. He has found ways to maximise his potential. Keeps it really simple. He can repeat it day in and day out. I wish I could be him but I am glad I am myself. He is an exceptionally good cricketer. I am happy for him. Likewise, in so many ways, watching him bat over the last couple of years has given me insight into how [much] better I can be. Both of us have grown together. Both of us have done some special things. We really value one another at this stage. Both of us are enjoying each other’s success more than ever before.”
Newcastle United supporters are starting to get excited ahead of next season.
On Friday, Anthony Elanga was unveiled as the Magpies’ first summer signing, arriving from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £55m.
Now, will Eddie Howe add more attacking firepower to his front line?
Newcastle's search for a new striker
Elanga’s arrival makes him the second-most expensive signing in Newcastle United history, behind only compatriot Alexander Isak.
Alexander Isak
2022
Real Sociedad
£63m
Anthony Elanga
2025
Nottingham Forest
£55m
Sandro Tonali
2023
AC Milan
£55m
Anthony Gordon
2023
Everton
£45m
Joelinton
2019
Hoffenheim
£40m
Harvey Banres
2023
Leicester City
£38m
Sven Botman
2022
LOSC Lille
£35m
Bruno Guimarães
2022
Olympique Lyonnais
£33.5m
Tino Livramento
2023
Southampton
£32m
Now though, the Toon Army could be about to spend big again because, as reported by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Newcastle are exploring a move to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.
The DR Congo international is also reportedly a target for Tottenham, with Sam Tabuteau and Dom Smith of the Evening Standard noting that the Bees value him at around £50m.
The other striker on the Magpies’ list is Hugo Ekitiké but, as documented by Luke Edwards of the Telegraph, Eintracht Frankfurt are only prepared to sell the Frenchman for his £86m release clause, so could Wissa become Newcastle’s primary target?
Why Yoane Wissa would improve Newcastle
Wissa joined Brentford from Lorient in the summer of 2021, following the Bees’ promotion to the Premier League, for a reported fee of £8.5m and, fair to say, this has proved to be money well spent.
He has scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for the West London-based club, bagging 19 in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Haaland, Chris Wood and teammate Bryan Mbeumo.
Then-Brentford manager Thomas Frank described Wissa as a “super player”, adding “he’s got that nose for goals”.
Meantime, Mark Bruce of Breaking the Lines believes he is the most underrated forward in the Premier League, outlining his threat as a penalty box poacher.
So, let’s take a deeper dive into his statistics.
Minutes
2,919
53rd
Goals
19
6th
Non-penalty goals
19
=2nd
Expected goals
18.5
4th
Shots
90
10th
Shots on target
41
5th
Touches in the box
163
14th
As the table outlines, Wissa is a top-level penalty-box striker, ranked joint-second in the Premier League for non-penalty goals last season, despite being down in tenth in terms of shots, underlining his clinical edge.
This would make him a dream signing for new man Elanga, given his proficiency when it comes to chance-creation, as documented in the table below.
Assists
11
3rd
Completed crosses
8
52nd
Shot-creating actions
102
30th
Goal-creating actions
18
6th
Big chances created
9
38th
Progressive carries
102
25th
As emphasised by the numbers, only two players, namely Salah and new teammate Jacob Murphy, registered more assists than Elanga in the Premier League last season, while the Swede also ranked very highly when it comes to chances created and progressive carries.
He formed an exceptional partnership with a former Magpie, the aforementioned Wood, firing Nottingham Forest into Europe, so he could do the same with Wissa in the North East.
Thus, should Newcastle get a deal over the line to sign the DR Congo international striker, he and fellow new recruit Elanga could form an unstoppable partnership.
Agent of £70m+ striker contacts Newcastle, scored 50+ more goals than Ekitike
The Magpies could face an intriguing proposal.
BySean Markus Clifford Jul 13, 2025
Aston Villa only have a limited time to raise funds in their battle to avoid PSR sanctions, with the footballing financial deadline for 2024/2025 looming on June 30.
£120k-a-week Aston Villa outfielder has now opened talks to join elite club
He could leave with Emiliano Martinez.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025
Unai Emery’s side can only register a loss of around £15 million for the year just gone, according to a recent report by The Athletic, with Premier League clubs only permitted losses of around £105m over a rolling three-year period.
Villa are forecast to be over this limit as things stand, prompting NSWE to explore the possibility of selling their women’s team in a bid to comply with PSR and swerve breaches.
Emery falling just short of qualifying for the Champions League at the end of 24/25 cost them dearly both on and off the field, and there is every possibility that Villa could look to secure a big-name exit in the next two days to raise funds.
Their marquee sales of Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby to Saudi Arabia have really helped in this regard, but they could require at least one more as the PSR deadline looms.
Atletico Madrid held talks with Lucas Digne over a switch to La Liga recently, according to Football Insider, and the 52-cap Frenchman, with just one year remaining on his £120,000-per-week contract, could be a prime contender for the exit door.
Emiliano Martínez, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana are other players named as potential candidates to leave, while clubs are expressing a serious interest in Villa sensation Morgan Rogers as well.
The clock is ticking for Villa to agree a significant departure, and they could be handed a chance to make some money off Kosta Nedeljkovic’s talks to join RB Leipzig permanently (Sky Germany).
However, according to journalist Wayne Veysey, Villa have also alerted representatives to their stance over selling star striker Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa tell agents they're ready to sell Ollie Watkins
Emery’s side rejected a low-ball £40 million bid from Arsenal for Watkins in January, but the Gunners haven’t followed that up with any formal approach so far this summer.
Writing for Football Insider, Veysey states Villa have told “senior agents” that they’re ready to sell Watkins by Monday, but they’re yet to find a buyer for the talismanic forward, who bagged 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last term.
The 29-year-old, who’ll turn 30 in December, also became the club’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer at the back end of 24/25, surpassing Gabriel Agbonlahor, but Villa have apparently made it clear they’re willing to do a deal.
Emery may not be a fan of this decision, or supporters for that matter, considering they already let Duran go earlier this year – and it would be an almighty task to replace Watkins’ influence up front.
“He deserves it completely because he is a hard worker,” said Emery about Watkins, after the ex-Brentford star broke Agbonlahor’s Premier League goalscoring record for Villa.
“He is committed with Aston Villa. His courage has been fantastic and to achieve it is very fantastic. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him.”
Allrounder slips back into new Test set-up keen for another crack at Australia
Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Jun-20231:15
Moeen ‘thought Stokes was taking the mick’ with Ashes WhatsApp
“Stokesy messaged me with a question,” said Moeen Ali. “‘Ashes?'””I hadn’t heard the news on Leachy [Jack Leach] at the time. So I just said ‘LOL’, thinking he’s taking the mick.”Just a couple of things to unpack there. A 35-year-old man using “lol” is one of them, even if that’s more common than you’d think. Not hearing about the injury to the sole Bazball spinner until England’s Test captain sent the kind of “you up? x” text English cricketers dream of receiving – very much another.The following day Moeen was at The Grove Hotel as part of a PCA Team England Golf Day. It was known that an approach had been made and he had been given time to mull it over. But until official confirmation arrived on Wednesday morning, the strongest hint he was up for donning the whites again was a covert photo taken by someone at the hotel which had started to gain traction on TikTok.Related
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It shows Moeen, wearing a Liverpool shirt, flanked by Adil Rashid, in an amiable discussion with Stokes and managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key. In the middle of them is a bag from Sam’s Chicken.”That was me and Rash,” Moeen confirmed on the bag of fried goodies. “We were hungry and got there a bit late.”A laissez-faire approach to the seriousness of Test cricket, an appreciation of fried chicken such as that England had showcased last year on an early morning jaunt to Nottingham’s Mega Munch after beating New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Moeen was always going to fit in, wasn’t he?As he joined his team-mates for his first red-ball training session since September 2021, ahead of the most hotly anticipated home Ashes series since 2005, the vibes could not have been more immaculate. Whether that instils you with confidence is another thing altogether. If sport – ergo, cricket – is the most important of the least-important things, a five-match Test series against Australia is the most least-important. Vibes may only carry you so far, even if they’ve carried this team to 11 wins out of 13.The sun shone brightly enough on Tuesday to make the Australians feel at home, who were glad for the morning session at Edgbaston when an emergency alarm triggered an evacuation of the stadium. No harm for the tourists, who simply spent their remaining allotted time on the outfield and the adjoining outdoor nets.Moeen Ali, Rob Key and a bag of Sam’s Chicken at the Grove Hotel•DealtWithCricket/TikTokIn the end, it barely impacted on England, who were out as scheduled for the second half of the day. A team huddle began with a round of applause for Moeen’s return before Brendon McCullum said a few words. From there, they broke into separate packs.For the first time at an open practice session this summer, Stokes bowled at full pelt. He began with walkthroughs out in the middle before pacing out his full run-up with measuring tape to send down about two-overs-worth of deliveries. He was joined partway by Moeen, who sent down about as many under the watchful eye of spin coach – and one-time Warwickshire offspinner – Jeetan Patel.As it happens, the last time Moeen bowled with a red Dukes ball was the day Stokes messaged him. The Birmingham Bears skipper was training at Edgbaston ahead of Vitality Blast fixtures against Northants and Derbyshire. “I saw a red ball and had a few balls,” he said. “But not properly.”Among the reasons to fear Moeen’s retirement U-turn might not work out, beyond justified trepidation about his readiness having not played a first-class match since the last of 64 Test caps in September 2021, is the robustness of his spinning finger.Having torn it open in the 2017 summer, he battled through the 2017-18 Ashes, taking just five wickets across as many Tests, at an eye-watering average of 115. It re-emerged as an issue during the first 2019 Ashes Test, at Edgbaston no less. Following match figures of 3 for 137, he sat out the rest of the summer.Time away, perhaps, has helped. Even if the workload of a white-ball spinner is fairly limited, the allrounder has not bowled all that much. He sent down just two overs in England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in October, and 26 from 15 matches for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. There have since been 11 overs across three innings for the Bears.The problem, however, is the prouder seam on the red Dukes ball, which could literally and figuratively reopen a wound. Moeen, however, does not seem concerned.
“There’s been many players, past players who played a lot of games and never won an Ashes series. So to have that is amazing. But I’m keen to have number two. The Ashes is huge”
“It’s all right, actually,” Moeen said of his right index finger. “Obviously, I haven’t bowled much with the red ball but it seems to be okay. We’ll see after I’ve bowled about 15 overs.”I’ve not thought about that too much. Depends on the pressure going into the games, the hardness of the ball, and all that sort of stuff. I should be fine.”While the squad picked is for the next two Tests, Moeen is also of the mind this his lot until the end of July.”If you’re in you’re in. Baz did say look, even after two games, if you’ve done well and you’re enjoying it – that’s fine. He’s obviously convinced that I will enjoy it – that’s the plan.”As for the Test tour of India at the start of 2024, that, he says, is too far – though adding “I don’t think I will, really” throws his place in this group into stark focus. This is far from succession planning. But as part of a team that are looking to live in the moment, Moeen, as of last week, has become their latest totem.He had an offer from the United States to take part in this summer’s Major League Cricket, though was not going to go as it would mean reneging on his ECB contract, as Jason Roy has done. With the ODI World Cup in October, the vice-captain is staying put. For now, at least. When asked about 2024’s MLC, he offered an open-ended, “We’ll see”.Moeen is not due to be at training on Wednesday and instead – with McCullum’s blessing – will be at Windsor Castle to pick up the OBE awarded to him last year. His focus, however, remains on the next five weeks.Though his recent memories of playing against Australia are not that great, his first series in 2015 is one that those who were there and those who were not are looking to replicate. It was the last time England claimed the urn.Should he replicate that form of eight years ago, with 12 dismissals and 293 runs with the bat – surpassing 200 and 3000 across his Test career in the process – all this would have been worthwhile. Indeed, it is what drew him out of his Test exile.”It’s one of those Ashes that no one really remembers for some reasons,” he said of the 2015 series, which England won 3-2. “But it was one of my highlights of my career for sure, right up there with the World Cups.”Because the Ashes is not easy, as we know. And there’s been many players, past players who played a lot of games and never won an Ashes series. So to have that is amazing.”But I’m keen to have number two. The Ashes is huge.”
Swepson moves to Stars on a three-year deal after 10 years at Heat, including being acting captain for a period last season
Alex Malcolm06-Feb-2025
Mitchell Swepson has left Brisbane Heat to join Melbourne Stars•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
Melbourne Stars have signed Queensland legspinner Mitchell Swepson on a three-year deal on the final day of the BBL’s first player movement window.Swepson, 31, had been Brisbane Heat’s acting captain during the most recent BBL season when Colin Munro was injured, with permanent skipper Usman Khawaja playing just one game for the season. The legspinner played for Heat for 10 years and was a key contributor to their 2023-24 BBL title win but did not have his best season in 2024-25 taking just four wickets in nine games with an economy rate of 8.93.Swepson was not one of the 10 players contracted to Heat prior to the player movement window and Stars have pounced to sign him to a three-year deal on the final day of the window.Related
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“First of all I’d like to thank the Brisbane Heat for all the opportunities they gave me and kickstarting my T20 career,” Swepson said.”I’ll be forever grateful for all of the support they’ve given me and my family over the years.”I’m really excited to sign for the Stars and watching from afar this year, the team took some huge steps forward.”I can’t wait to head to Melbourne and the MCG next summer and get stuck in to working with Stoin [Marcus Stoinis], Peter Moores and the team.”Swepson has played T20I cricket for Australia but has not played international cricket since 2022. Stars only had one specialist spinner among their nine contracted players and were pleased to add some experience to their list.”We’ve been on the lookout for a high performing domestic spinner and Mitch will form an important part of the Stars attack over the next 3 years,” Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said.”As well as his talent with the ball, Mitch is a very experienced T20 player in Australia, will provide valuable leadership and support to Marcus Stoinis and, at 31, is at the peak of his powers.”Stars were not able to land any other big fish in the player movement window despite trying to lure Tim David and Mitchell Marsh to the franchise. Crouch is set to depart his role in April but coach Peter Moores is set to continue despite being out of contract.Caleb Jewell will now ply his trade for Melbourne Renegades•Getty Images
Elsewhere, Melbourne Renegades confirmed the signing of Hobart Hurricanes title-winning opener Caleb Jewell on the final day of the player movement period. Jewell was contracted to Hurricanes but has been traded to Renegades on a two-year deal.Renegades were the most active club during the player movement window having already signed free agents Jason Behrendorff and Brendan Doggett.A number of high quality players remain uncontracted to BBL clubs including David, Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne and D’Arcy Short among others. It is expected that most of those players will remain at their current clubs but will not be able to be formally re-signed until March as the BBL enters a contracting embargo period.
India’s wicketkeeper-batter was out playing high-risk shots at crucial moments in both innings at the MCG
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2024India captain Rohit Sharma has said that Rishabh Pant needs to figure out “the right way to do things” for himself and the team, while acknowledging that his high-risk methods had brought spectacular success in the past.Rohit was reacting to a question about Pant’s dismissals in India’s defeat at the MCG, where he was caught scooping to deep third in the first innings and pulled a long hop to wide long-on in the second when the team was fighting for a draw.”It’s [Pant’s dismissal] just happened, there hasn’t been any discussion about today,” Rohit said. “Obviously we’ve lost the game, everybody is disappointed about how things panned out … But again, look, Rishabh Pant obviously he needs to understand what is required from himself.Related
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“More than any one of us telling him, it’s about him understanding and figuring out what’s the right way to go about it. In the past, he has given us lot of success doing what he does. As a captain, there’s a kind of mixed reaction to that.”Sometimes you want to back that thought of him playing the way he plays, sometimes when things don’t look good, it frustrates everyone. That is what it is, that’s the reality. It’s the success and failure – need to be balanced about it. As captain, it’s hard to have a conversation when it has given him a lot of success as well. But it’s about him figuring out what is the right way to do things, it’s about situations as well. Certain situations of the game, if there’s a risk percentage, do you want to take that risk? Do you want to let the opposition come back into the game? Those are the things he needs to figure out himself.”I’ve known Rishabh for a long time, [I] understand his cricket as well … In terms of conversations, no way I can say I’ve not had a chat with him or he doesn’t understand what the team expects. He understands that. But things that he does give him results as well, just the fine line between telling him not to do those things or telling him to do those things.”Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was severely critical of Pant’s shot selection in the first innings of the MCG Test, when he holed out to deep third for 28 off 37 balls while attempting a scoop off Scott Boland. On Monday, Pant’s dismissal for 30 off 104 balls while attempting to pull Travis Head broke a resolute partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal. India had batted through the entire second session without losing a wicket, but lost seven in the final session – beginning with Pant – to collapse for 155 in the last hour of the day.2:08
Manjrekar: India preferring Reddy over Gill not a great call
Rohit said Shubman Gill had not been dropped for the MCG Test but lost his place because India wanted to give themselves more bowling options while not sacrificing batting depth.”I had a chat with him [Gill]. There’s no way when you’re leaving someone out, for whatever reason it is, you will not have a chat,” Rohit said. “The chat with him was clearly he was not dropped. [We] just wanted to have extra bit of cushion in the bowling and we opted for an allrounder, which shouldn’t weaken our batting line-up.”Compromising a batter for a bowler is not something I wanted to do. We wanted to bat as deep as possible, along with that have a bowling attack which can take 20 wickets. We considered everything and we ended up compromising him, unfortunately.”With him [Gill], there was never a doubt that he wasn’t batting well or he was not scoring runs, or anything like that. Just to get that combination where we can cover both bases – batting and bowling, we opted for that [leaving Gill out].”Gill had missed the first Test in Perth with a hand injury, and scored 31 and 28 in the defeat in Adelaide and 1 in the rain-hit draw in Brisbane. In his absence at the MCG, India moved KL Rahul to No. 3, while Rohit took back his place as an opener after batting in the middle-order in Adelaide and Brisbane.