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The former captain said his security detail had discharged their weapons in order to protect him from a mob that was intent on killing him

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Oct-2018Former captain Arjuna Ranatunga was arrested after he was involved in a shooting that killed one and injured two others in Colombo on Sunday, during Sri Lanka’s unfolding political crisis. He has since been swiftly produced before the Colombo magistrate, and was subsequently released on bail.Ranatunga had said his security detail had discharged their weapons in order to protect him from a mob that was intent on killing him, at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) offices. He had to be extracted later from the premises by Special Task Force – elite police – officers.But after almost 24 hours of pressure from a CPC trade union, which had threatened a fuel strike, Ranatunga was arrested on Monday afternoon.Ranatunga, who was the country’s Minister for the Development of Petroleum Resources, said he was attempting to retrieve belongings from the CPC offices, when it was surrounded by a mob aligned with the opposite political party. “They came to kill me – I state this responsibly – and you can check the CCTV footage,” Ranatunga said following the clash. “For the first time, I feared for my life. I thought of my children and my family.”After Ranatunga was dressed in a helmet and camouflage, and escorted from the premises by the Special Task Force, dozens of regular police were deployed in order to pacify a still-agitated crowd.The three wounded had been taken to hospital but the news of one of the men, aged 34, succumbing to his injuries prompted a demand over Ranatunga’s arrest from the trade union.Ranatunga first stood for office in 2001, and has held various cabinet portfolios since. He is a member of the United National Party, whose leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, is in the midst of the ongoing political wrangle.

“One of the best coaches ever” is now a front-runner to replace Ivan Juric at Southampton, who have already identified a number of managers as potential targets, according to a report.

Southampton part ways with Juric after relegation

The Saints’ relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed on Sunday, following a 3-1 loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, although in truth the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, after a disastrous campaign.

Juric inherited a difficult situation at St. Mary’s, with Russell Martin being sacked in December, at which point his side were already nine points from safety, but there were very few signs of improvement after the 49-year-old’s arrival.

With just seven games left to go, the soon-to-be Championship side need to collect two more points to avoid breaking an unwanted record, with Derby County’s 11 points in the 2007-08 campaign currently the lowest total in Premier League history.

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Next season, the aim will undoubtedly be to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and the board have now started to identify managers who could give them a very good chance of doing exactly that.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Southampton have a number of options in mind, including Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, but Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is believed to be one of the front-runners.

BlueCo may not make it easy for the Saints to snap Rosenior up, however, as they are determined to keep hold of the up-and-coming manager, with Strasbourg faring very well in their pursuit of qualification for the Champions League.

As such, Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl could be a more attainable target, given that the German coach has a relatively affordable £5m release clause included in his contract with the Owls.

Rosenior impressing in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg

It is little wonder Southampton are keen on appointing the Englishman, given the job he has done at Strasbourg this season, with his side currently in fourth place, just three points behind second-placed Marseille.

The 40-year-old has orchestrated a phenomenal turnaround, with Strasbourg finishing 13th under the helm of Patrick Vieira last season, and he has previously been hailed for his ability on the training ground.

Clinton Morrison praised the work the Strasbourg boss did during his time as Derby County’s caretaker manager, saying: “I actually think he’s a top manager,”

“I spoke to a few people at Derby. He was unlucky to lose his job, the players respected him. He’s one of the best coaches ever.”

Club	Matches	Points per match
Strasbourg	31	1.77
Hull City	78	1.40
Derby County	12	1.92

However, with Strasbourg on course to qualify for the Champions League, it seems unlikely that Rosenior would be willing to manage a Championship side next season, particularly with BlueCo so eager to keep hold of him, so Rohl could be a more realistic appointment for the Saints.

West Bromwich Albion are in the race to sign a “fantastic “player this month for a bargain fee, according to a recent report.

West Brom manager latest

The Baggies’ search to replace Carlos Corberan, who left to join Valencia before Christmas, is still ongoing as a number of managers have been linked with the vacancy. Former England interim manager Lee Carsley was one that West Brom were keen on appointing, but he is said to have turned the Championship side down, with his reasoning for doing so not clear.

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Another manager who has been linked with the job is Blackburn Rover’s John Eustace. Eustace has done a tremendous job at Ewood Park since arriving towards the back end of last season. He has taken Rovers from a side fighting at the bottom end of the table to one that is now competing for a place in this season’s play-offs. Liverpool coach Johnny Heitinga is another option for the Baggies, as he’s been heavily linked with the role and is said to be admired by the club’s hierarchy.

Swansea City manager Luke Williams is also another manager who has been mentioned as a candidate to replace Corberan. However, there has been an update on that possibility, and it is being claimed that West Brom don’t see Williams as an option to become their new manager, despite the impressive work he has done at Swansea City.

West Brom in race to sign "fantastic" player for bargain fee

While the Baggies continue their search for a new manager, the club’s hierarchy also have plans in place to improve the playing squad, as according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon via the Ibrox News, West Brom are in the race to sign Adam Devine from Rangers this month.

Devine came through the academy at Rangers, breaking into the first team during the 2022/23 campaign. However, since then, he has struggled to be a regular in the squad and spent the second half of last season on loan at Motherwell. The 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of this campaign, but a move could happen this month.

It is being reported that West Brom are keen to add to their squad this month despite there being no manager on board yet, and they have an interest in Devine. The Midlands side could sign Devine, who is a right-back, for a “bargain fee,” due to the fact he is out of contract in the summer. Devine may find it hard to become a starter in the West Brom side, as Darnell Furlong has been performing very well and is regarded as one of the best right-backs in the division, but he would provide much-needed competition.

Adam Devine’s 23/24 Scottish Premiership stats
Apps	10
Starts	6
Minutes per game	50
Goals	1
Interceptions per game	0.6
Tackles per game	0.6
Balls recovered per 90	2.4
Clearances per 90	1.4

It was former manager Michael Beale who gave Devine his chance at Rangers, and he labelled the defender as “fantastic” after impressing during his reign. Beale said after beating Hibernian in his first game in charge of Rangers: “Delighted with Adam, it’s obvious he was playing on his weak side.

“He was targeted from goal kicks; for a young boy, he did fantastic. This season, he was supposed to be a backup to Tavernier and push him – like Patterson did.

“We’ve got high hopes for him, and that wasn’t easy tonight. I asked him to play higher up the pitch; more energy. For everyone watching, he is a young Scottish boy we can be proud of. Early days but for tonight, well played son.”

In a move that could go a long way towards sealing their top four place, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly joined the race to sign a new forward worth over £34m this month.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

Those at the City Ground are in a better place than ever in the Premier League to sign some top talents. With the potential of Champions League football to offer, the likes of Baris Alper Yilmaz are suddenly realistic targets as Forest look to cement their place among the Premier League’s best in the remainder of the season, as their recent 1-1 draw against Liverpool proved they’re capable of doing.

As the January transfer window and their shock inclusion in the Premier League title race roll on, Nottingham Forest may well be one of the most interesting sides to watch across European football, especially if they win the race to sign one particular forward this month.

According to Firenze Viola as relayed by Sports Witness, Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign Luiz Henrique from Brazilian side Botafogo, who value their forward at €40m (£34m) plus add-ons this month.

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Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are reportedly joined by Crystal Palace and Fiorentina in the race to sign the Brazilian this month and see him as a player who could provide key depth behind their frontline.

Henrique would likely play the same role as Awoniyi from the bench and could even replace the former Bundesliga star who has been linked with a move to West Ham United this month.

If the forward does depart then Forest’s depth could become exposed, making the arrival of Henrique all the more important before the end of the January transfer window.

"Direct" Henrique could replace Awoniyi

With the ability to play on both wings and in the leading role, Henrique could quickly become a key man at Nottingham Forest and replace Awoniyi should the forward depart this month. And whilst £34m+ is quite the fee for what would be a back-up player, Forest will certainly need the depth if they are to cause a few upsets in the Champions League next season.

Still just 24 years old, there’s also no reason why Henrique can’t eventually go on and replace Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi or Anthony Elanga under Espirito Santo. Scoring 13 goals and assisting another nine in all competitions for Botafogo in his last season in Brazil, Henrique was praised for his “direct” play by South American football expert Nathan Joyes.

Whether those at the City Ground will get the chance to see that “direct” ability for themselves remains to be seen, but Henrique is certainly one to watch.

West Bromwich Albion have now made an enquiry over an “absolutely clinical” striker who is the son of a Baggies legend, according to a report.

Baggies still pushing for promotion

Losing Carlos Corberan to Valencia mid-season undoubtedly put a dent in West Brom’s chances of gaining promotion from the Championship, but they still remain in a strong position to return to the Premier League.

Albion are still in the play-offs under the helm of a caretaker trio of Chris Brunt, Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill, but they will be hoping to hire a new permanent manager as soon as possible to aid their chances of finishing inside the top six.

The likes of Swansea City’s Luke Williams and former Union Berlin boss Urs Fischer are in the running to take over at The Hawthorns, but there is unlikely to be an appointment prior to this weekend’s trip to AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

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Although the Baggies are still without a permanent manager, they are still looking at how they can strengthen their squad in the January transfer window, with a bid accpeted for Isaiah Jones, and The Daily Mail report they have now made contact over a potential deal for a striker.

West Brom have now made an enquiry about the availability of Liverpool striker Lewis Koumas, who is currently on loan at fellow Championship side Stoke City. Koumas will be a familiar name to the Albion faithful, with enigmatic midfielder Jason Koumas, Lewis’ father, spending an impressive five years at The Hawthorns from 2002 to 2007.

A number of Championship clubs are interested in signing the forward, who they feel could give them the edge in the battle for promotion in the second half of the campaign, with Sheffield United and Watford also keen.

West Brom’s upcoming Championship fixtures

Date

Stoke City (h)

January 18th

Middlesbrough (a)

January 21st

Portsmouth (h)

January 25th

Plymouth Argyle (a)

February 1st

Sheffield Wednesday (h)

February 8th

Koumas could follow in his father's footsteps

Jason Koumas was a fantastic servant to the Baggies, and his 19-year-old son is also showing signs he could go on to be a top player, having been lauded as an “absolutely clinical” striker by Wales U21 manager Matty Jones.

The Wales international has predominantly featured on the wing for Stoke this season, displaying his versatility, and he has emerged as a key player, bagging three goals in 25 Championship appearances.

Koumas’ move to Stoke is likely to have been a good learning curve for the youngster, and he could now be ready to take the next step by moving to a team in the upper echelons of the Championship table.

The BCCI has also shortlisted a pool of 10 cities across India from where the teams will operate

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Jan-2023The BCCI is likely to unveil the names of the five franchises that will contest the inaugural Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL), and the cities they will operate from, on January 25.The financial bids of these franchises, currently submitted in sealed envelopes, will be opened on that day. However, the BCCI has pointed out in its tender document that it is “not obliged to accept the highest monetary offer” and will look for ways for the bidders to work towards enhancing the growth of women’s cricket in India.Last week, the BCCI released the tender inviting bids to own and operate the five franchises in the WIPL, which is likely to be held from March 5 to 23. In the Invitation to Tender (ITT) document, the summary of which has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI has pointed out that a single bidder can contest for more than one city.Related

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Ten cities on offer
The BCCI has shortlisted a pool of 10 cities and listed the venues, including their respective capacities, in the tender. The list includes Ahmedabad (Narendra Modi stadium, capacity 112,560), Kolkata (Eden Gardens, 65,000), Chennai (MA Chidambaram stadium, 50,000), Bangalore (M Chinnaswamy stadium, 42,000), Delhi (Arun Jaitley stadium, 55,000), Dharamsala (HPCA stadium, 20,900), Guwahati (Barsapara Stadium, 38,650), Indore (Holkar stadium, 26,900), Lucknow (AB Vajpayee Ekana cricket stadium, 48,800) and Mumbai (Wankhede / DY Patil / Brabourne Stadiums). While three venues have been listed for Mumbai, the BCCI has said one of three grounds will be utilised based on “availability and other factors.”The current plan to have a pool of 10 cities differs from the one the BCCI had originally submitted to the state associations at its annual general body meeting last year. Back then, the BCCI said it intended to either pick one city from each of the six zones across the country, or hold the tournament in a half-a-dozen cities without proper home bases for the five teams.Determining the highest bid
Barring Dharamsala, Guwahati and Indore, the remaining seven cities already serve as home bases for the men’s IPL teams. While the BCCI has set no base price, bidders have been asked to quote a price for 10 seasons. Bidders have been given the option of contesting more than one franchise/city, but the BCCI has said the successful bidder will only be given one franchise.”The stadium with the highest bid amount will be awarded first,” the BCCI said. “Thereafter, the stadium with the next highest bid amount will be awarded.”In case two of the highest bids for a single venue are equal, the BCCI has said there will be a re-bid. If the highest bids for two venues from two different bidders are the same, the BCCI will have the “discretion to decide the order.” In the case of a bidder raising the top bid for more than one ground, the BCCI has the liberty to decide the venue.A record sum of money was spent last year to bag the lucrative men’s IPL rights•BCCIFormat for first three seasons
Based on the information in the ITT, the first three seasons (2023-25) will each comprise 22 matches. In the league phase of the WIPL, each team will play the other twice (a total of 20 matches), and the table topper will progress straight to the final. The teams that finish second and third in the league will play an Eliminator to determine the second finalist.The BCCI has also said March will remain the window for the WIPL. From the 2026 season, the WIPL could comprise “33-34” matches but the BCCI has not fleshed out any detail on the tournament structure.Franchises to get 80% from central revenue pool
On January 16, the BCCI is scheduled to open the sealed bids for the WIPL media rights. While no base price has been set, the BCCI expects stiff competition on the back of the record sums spent last year to bag the lucrative men’s IPL rights.The media rights income is an integral part of the revenues both the BCCI and the franchises earn, as seen in the IPL. The BCCI has once again decided to stick to the same revenue-sharing formula it utilised in the IPL for distribution to franchises from the central revenue pool.”The BCCI shall pay the franchisee 80% of all Central Team Licensing Income every year,” a board said in the ITT. “BCCI shall pay the franchisees 80% share of Central Rights income in first five years, 60% in next five years and 50% post that.”

While the number of women's team will increase, the men's field will be reduced to 12 teams

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IOC approves proposal for 16 women's teams, 12 for menChange will be implemented in 2028Reasserts commitment to growing women's gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The International Olympic Committee approved a proposal that will increase the women's soccer field to 16 teams, starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Games. At the same time, the IOC said the men's soccer field will be reduced to 12 teams.

“FIFA has always believed in the power of women’s football and today’s decision by the IOC Executive Board is a positive step,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Wednesday in a statement. “Our vision is clear: we are investing in and expanding opportunities for women’s football at every level. More teams on the Olympic stage means more role models, more inspiration and more impact.

"This development reflects our shared understanding that women’s football deserves greater representation and visibility at the Olympic Games. We thank the IOC for the fruitful discussions that will make LA28 a groundbreaking event, and we will continue to work with our partners to incorporate futsal and beach soccer into the Olympic program.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the U.S. women's national won the gold medal, defeating Brazil in the championship game. In the men's field, Spain defeated France for the gold.

The expansion of the women's field reiterates both the IOC's and FIFA's commitment to growing the game.

“FIFA has been working on the increase in women’s teams at the Olympics for some time," FIFA Secretary General, Mattias Grafström added. "On behalf of FIFA, I would like to thank the IOC administration for their collaboration with us over the past months to prepare this groundbreaking decision. We are very pleased with the outcome but, of course, we will continue with fully commitment our daily and sustained work across all relevant areas of the women’s game."

The reduction of the men's field from 16 to 12 teams was made by the IOC board to help push the core quota of athletes for L.A. to 50.7% women and 49.3% men – 5,333 for women and 5,167 for men – the IOC said.

DID YOU KNOW?

The USWNT are five-time gold medalists at the Olympic Games, winning the tournament in 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

The 2028 Los Angeles games are just more than three years away, and qualification for the competition will begin in the buildup to the event.

From his early days of playing tape-ball cricket, to hitting Dale Steyn for a six in ODIs, Mohammad Naveed has come a long way

Alagappan Muthu in Fatullah21-Feb-2016Mohammad Naveed eyes the middle stump hiding behind the batsman and not playing a fair fight. He targets it from the first ball he bowls, coming off a shortish run-up but gathering pace as he nears the top of his mark. His arm speed is impressive as well and he is able to skid through the defences of Kinchit Shah, Tanwir Afzal and Aizaz Khan with very little warning.At the end of a one-sided clash, Naveed finished with 3 for 14 from his four overs and Hong Kong’s 147 for 7 was overhauled with six wickets and nine balls to spare, leaving UAE in pole position to qualify for the main round of the Asia Cup.UAE are the only team that is unbeaten after three days of memorable cricket in the qualifiers, and their net run-rate may well be big enough to accommodate a loss in their final match tomorrow against Oman. The Fatullah crowd may not have done the math, but they are quite partial to physics, especially the set of laws which say small but heavy projectiles will have no trouble uprooting a pole dug into the earth it if had enough force behind it. Naveed has certainly put in enough force, for various reasons.”The crowd comes in to see who can be a hero, and if we put in a good show, they will always leave happy. And I am proud I can give them that. It’s an amazing country, Bangladesh. I like it. Feeling their excitement is the biggest happiness for me.” Perhaps, but there maybe a bit of selfishness in there as well. “[Not only the fans] If I perform well, I am happy too.”Naveed has grown accustomed to an audience well before becoming a professional cricketer. “There were crowds larger than this [in Fatullah] when I used to play tape-ball cricket.”In fact, he did not really have much hard-ball experience when he wound up at a fast-bowling trial for the national team in Dubai in 2011-12. Until then, he had been a simple, but popular, man working at a shipping company in Fujairah and playing street cricket with his friends.”After a lot of hard work, I was able to go to Sharjah and bowl to a touring Sri Lanka team. I got a three-four batsmen out and that was when [former UAE coach] Kabir Khan saw me and said ‘this boy is good, take him,'” Naveed says.Current coach Aaqib Javed is of a similar opinion, which had taken from the minute he had seen Naveed at that fast-bowling trial. “It takes a lot more effort than a cricket ball, especially bowling yorkers,” Aaqib had explained to the . “When you are playing tape-ball cricket, you have to be smart.”Naveed made his UAE debut not long after and has never looked back, except to thank his friends for convincing him to go and participate in the trial. Now, not only does he get to play for UAE, tour the world and break middle stumps, he has the security of a day job, too. Naveed was picked up by United Bank Limited and plays for them in the domestic circuit.Among the reasons Naveed has been such an attractive package is that he seems to replicate one vital tape-ball skill with the hard ball too: beating the batsman for pace. He has a steady approach to the crease, but summons a lot of power in his load-up and delivery. Often, he gets the ball to zip through after pitching and if the batsman had chosen to blindly slog one of them, he was a goner.The power for those kinds of shots come from a considerably large back-lift and so it might take that little bit longer for the bat to come down and meet the ball. That seems to be more than enough for Naveed to exploit. He has 50 wickets in List-A matches, putting him fifth among UAE players over the last decade. The man at the top is Amjad Javed with 61, but he has taken 60 innings to get there. Naveed is only on 36.In T20Is, Naveed’s tally is 13, and the 3 for 14 tonight is his best performance till date. The team may not have known that, but they were certainly appreciative of his efforts. Naveed had barely finished following through after completing his spell when three fielders from the offside made a beeline right to him for lengthy pats on the back. As he was wandering off to his fielding position, his captain Javed came up and gave him a triumphant high-five. Each of Naveed’s strikes had come at the perfect time for UAE – the first, 17th and 19th overs, and Hong Kong were thumped.It was only three months ago that the shoe was on the other foot. Hong Kong were on tour in the UAE and demolished the hosts in three out of three matches. Could that have been a goal for Naveed? He has a habit of doing the things he sets his mind to. At a meeting with coach Javed to discuss the 2015 World Cup, Naveed said he wanted to hit Dale Steyn for a six. It took him only two balls to do so.

As Manchester United shift their focus towards their new manager’s first batch of reinforcements, Ruben Amorim has reportedly approved the potential return of a £25m player in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

There’s work to be done at Old Trafford, as Amorim may see for himself against Ipswich Town this weekend. The Red Devils are struggling in the Premier League’s bottom half and looked devoid of confidence under Erik ten Hag before Ruud van Nistelrooy at least restored some confidence in a short interim spell. Now, as the new manager looks to make his mark, the Ipswich game has become all the more interesting.

Whether it’s the beginning of another false dawn or finally the appointment that breaks the trend and replaces Sir Alex Ferguson at least remains to be seen, but INEOS certainly seem ready to back Amorim.

Recent rumours have already linked the Manchester club to the likes of Lautaro Martinez as of late and now reports suggest that they could chase the signature of an impressive midfielder.

According to The Sun, Amorim has given the green light for Manchester United to sign Angel Gomes from Lille. The former Sporting Club boss is reportedly a long-term admirer of the £25m-rated ace and now wants to bring the midfielder back to Old Trafford four years on from his initial departure.

Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox believe Gomes can be a crucial part of new boss Amorim’s masterplan and he is actually set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

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The 24-year-old has stolen the headlines in recent months, having been handed his England debut by Lee Carsley and impressed whilst doing so. Now, as Manchester United look to replace Casemiro and hand both Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo their missing link in midfield, Gomes could be an ideal arrival.

"Intelligent" Gomes can earn Man Utd redemption

Whilst things didn’t work out in a more advanced role at Manchester United, Gomes has since discovered his best form in an unexpected deeper role, so much so that he may just get a second chance at Old Trafford. It must be said that Carrington would deserve a fair bit of praise if Amorim was able to form a midfield which includes not one but two academy graduates in Mainoo and Gomes, who could form quite the partnership.

Progressive Carries

13

5

Progressive Passes

35

24

Tackles Won

4

13

Ball Recoveries

15

33

Where Gomes’ best work has come on the ball throughout the current campaign, Mainoo’s has come away from possession in what would undoubtedly help to compliment his fellow academy graduate.

It’s no surprise that the Manchester United target has earned plenty of praise in France, including from former Lille manager Paulo Fonseca who told BBC Sport via Get Football News France: “Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team. He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn and he is a player with big skills, big technique.”

He is, however, hopeful of recovering in time to make England’s T20 World Cup squad

Matt Roller13-Aug-2022Tymal Mills will miss the rest of the Hundred through injury but remains hopeful that he could squeeze his way into England’s T20 World Cup squad.Mills’ impressive form for Sussex and Southern Brave last year earned him a starting berth for England in the UAE but he suffered a thigh injury against Sri Lanka which ruled him out of the rest of the World Cup.His form has dipped this year, and a toe injury saw him miss all but one of England’s six home T20 internationals this summer. When he did play, he took 1 for 35 in three overs against India at the Ageas Bowl.Mills missed the first game of the Hundred to give his toe time to heal and played for Southern Brave against Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston on Wednesday night, returning figures of 0 for 33 from 20 balls.But his toe flared up again after that game and he had surgery on Friday morning, which will be followed by another procedure on Wednesday, ruling him out of the rest of the tournament.He retains some hope of playing in the World Cup given England’s fast-bowling injury crisis, and is aiming to be fit in time to tour Pakistan in September, where England play seven T20Is.Brave will be able to sign a replacement for Mills but are struggling with an availability crisis among their fast bowlers. After two defeats in their first three games, they may have to win all five of their remaining group games to qualify for the knockout stages.Craig Overton was due to play against Oval Invincibles on Sunday but is unlikely to be risked after experiencing stiffness in his back while playing for England Lions. Meanwhile, Chris Jordan took a blow on his finger in their defeat to London Spirit on Friday night and George Garton is being managed carefully after Long Covid.