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Bangladesh allrounder says he has matured into someone who is calmer and “understands life better”

Mohammad Isam24-Jul-20201:53

Shakib Al Hasan: ‘I was given responsibilities early in my career. I was bound to make mistakes’

Shakib Al Hasan has admitted to having “made mistakes” that led to his ongoing ban from international cricket. In an interview on ESPNcricinfo’s series, hosted by Deep Dasgupta, Shakib said he wanted to serve as a cautionary tale for other players.Last October, Shakib accepted three charges of breaching the ICC anti-corruption code, for failing to report corrupt approaches in two tournaments in 2018: an ODI tri-series in January and an IPL match when he turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He will be free to return to international cricket from October 29.”You have to be honest,” Shakib said. “You just can’t lie to the people and pretend different things. Whatever happened has happened. People are bound to make mistakes. You are not 100%. The important thing is how well you can come back from those mistakes. You can tell other people not to make those mistakes. Tell them the path so that they never take those paths.ALSO READ: Shakib on the lesson his ban has taught him”It could have happened to someone else and I would have learned from him, but it happened to me so other people can learn from me. I wanted to be honest from the first day. I didn’t hide anything from the guys when they were asking me questions. I will say the straightforward things. I made mistakes. It shouldn’t happen for a player like me. I apologised for it, and I want to move forward, I want everyone to learn from it and never make these mistakes.”Shakib said he has seen many controversies ever since he was first made captain in 2009. He had trouble with the board chief, selectors and the media, mainly about selectorial decisions and not being made permanent captain between 2009 and 2010. He believes those experiences have changed him as a person over time.”I think [it’s] combination of both [controversy following him, and vice versa]. I got the responsibility so early in my career, I was bound to make mistakes. I was captain when I was 21. I made a lot of mistakes, and there are so many things that people think about me. Now I realise that it was my fault in some areas, and in some I was misunderstood. But I get it completely. It is part and parcel in the subcontinent.”Of course I will try to minimise [my mistakes] as much as I can, but by the time I got married, and now I have two kids, I understand the game and life better. It has made me a calmer person than I was in my twenties. I have changed quite a lot. People won’t see me doing a lot of mistakes now. My two daughters changed my life completely.”Shakib also spoke about his experience in the Bangladesh dressing room as captain, during a period when he had to lead other seniors like Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza. Mashrafe and Shakib exchanged captaincy stints during a difficult phase for Bangladesh cricket over 18 months leading up to the 2011 World Cup.Shakib also spoke about his experience in the Bangladesh dressing room as captain, during a period when he his team included the likes of Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza, senior players and past leaders.Mortaza and Shakib exchanged captaincy stints during a difficult phase for Bangladesh cricket. Mortaza suffered from a fair few injuries between 2009 and 2010, which meant a young Shakib found himself taking charge in the middle of matches or series. BCB never named anyone captain for more than a series at a time, leaving Shakib fuming with several decisions. Even after he was named captain in 2011, he lasted only seven months after an indifferent World Cup campaign and series losses to Zimbabwe.”I never had to face difficulties due to senior players,” Shakib said. “It was never a problem. We were a team struggling to win consistently, so our focus was to improve our game. Off the field, there were always issues. If you say something in the media, it diverted into another direction. I feel that I needed those things in that time, and it helped me to bring me where I am now.”Shakib will likely return to international cricket during Bangladesh’s proposed Test series against Sri Lanka in October.

Just two days on from hi 143 amid swirling stands, he smashed 134 in the final – on his 25th birthday

RetroReport by Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Apr-2020

#RetroLive Is sport at its best when it throws up the unpredictable? Or does it reach its heights when a genius shows up and makes the improbable look utterly predictable? It would be the cheesiest of movie scripts: our hero bats out of his skin against the world’s best team to drag his struggling side into the final of a tournament where they meet the same opponents, and beat them thanks to another masterful effort from our hero, who, hang on, happens to be celebrating his 25th birthday.When it happens in real life, it’s breathtaking.Two days on from his 143 amid swirling sands, Sachin Tendulkar scored another majestic hundred in a tall chase, to almost singlehandedly put the Sharjah tri-nations cup in India’s hands. More than that, the quality of his batting ensured that this tournament – a cola-flavoured tri-series in an ocean of cola-flavoured tri-series – will transcend its immediate context and live in the memory well beyond the careers of those involved in it.Decades from now, highlights of this tournament will fill our TV screens whenever April 24 comes along, bringing us the gleeful faces, fated never to age, of the fans who – as Tony Greig put it two days ago – danced in the aisles. We’ll still be talking about Shane Warne going round the wicket, and Tendulkar greeting the move by jumping out of his crease, exposing all three stumps, and launching the ball out of the footmarks and over long-on for six. The cover drives, the back-foot punches, the paddle-sweeps, the straight drives off Damien Fleming and Warne, respectively, that left Sourav Ganguly and Steve Bucknor, respectively, on their backsides; these will remain seared in our memories.But for all that, Tendulkar has scored – and will score – hundreds far more challenging than this 25th birthday bash. Australia’s attack contained only three frontline bowlers, leaving batting allrounders Tom Moody, Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh to fill at least two-fifths of their bowling quota. During certain stretches of Tendulkar’s innings, all he had to do was milk these lesser bowlers for singles to the deep fielders, singles that Australia were happy to give away in the low-intensity waiting game that the middle overs of ODI innings often are.Australia’s lack of genuine wicket-takers, apart from Warne and Fleming – who, incidentally, was celebrating his 28th birthday – forced them to play this waiting game and hope for India to crumble under scoreboard pressure. This could have happened had India lost a couple of early wickets, or – as they did in the last round-robin game two days ago – a couple of quick wickets midway through their chase, but they didn’t, as Ganguly, Nayan Mongia – once again promoted to No. 3 – and Mohammad Azharuddin all played useful hands around Tendulkar. Without those wickets, the target Australia set – 273 – was challenging but not nearly enough given their bowling resources, and given Tendulkar’s astonishing form.Australia could have set a bigger target had not lost clumps of wickets at inopportune moments. There were three within the first six overs of their innings, when the naggingly accurate Venkatesh Prasad and the nippy but far more erratic Ajit Agarkar got the ball to nibble around off a surface with a bit of moisture in it. There were two more following a 59-run fourth-wicket partnership between Adam Gilchrist and Michael Bevan, both against the run of play. Gilchrist top-edged a loose cut off the part-time offspinner Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Bevan was run-out after a mix-up that left him and Steve Waugh at the same end.Shane Warne greets Sachin Tendulkar•AFP

Being five down with 23 overs remaining didn’t hurt Australia immediately, as Steve Waugh and the brilliantly inventive Darren Lehmann put on 103 off just 96 balls, clinically milking the part-timers and taking toll whenever Agarkar – who still showed signs of the groin strain that kept him out of India’s previous game – erred in line or length. But even the exaggerated depth of Australia’s batting – the flip side of playing only three frontline bowlers – was tested when Waugh holed out in the 43rd over. Lehmann pressed on – the highlight of his innings a pair of back-to-back boundaries off Anil Kumble, a muscular leg-side six that he followed up by making room to carve a middle-stump ball through point – but his dismissal for a 59-ball 70, followed by the needless run-out of Damien Martyn, ended the chances of an explosive Australian finish. Only 67 came off their last ten overs.India have always been nervy chasers, though. Before this game, they had only won five of the 27 ODIs in which they had been set a target of 270 or more. Their nerves must have eased when Ganguly hit the first two balls of India’s innings to the boundary, even though Australia kept him in check thereafter, and kept him on strike. By the time he fell to a mis-controlled pull for 23 off 42 balls, Tendulkar had only faced 11 balls.But those 11 balls had already whetted the appetite of the packed crowd, containing drives of pristine timing as well as a moment of the sort of early luck – an inside-edged attempt at shouldering arms, off Fleming, that missed off stump by half an inch – that tells everyone this could be the batsman’s day.And it was. Tendulkar put Moody under pressure as soon as he came on, pulling a good-length ball for a boundary over midwicket, and a thumping straight four from Mongia at the end of the over – the 14th – forced Steve Waugh to take the allrounder off. Moody’s replacement, Mark Waugh, then got the Tendulkar treatment, with three fours in his second and third overs – an inside-out loft over extra-cover, a leg glance and a paddle-sweep – forcing another change.At the other end, Warne was getting through his overs without causing either Tendulkar or Mongia to worry unduly, and a switch to round the wicket in his sixth over further reduced his threat. The return of Fleming brought the immediate wicket of Mongia, but he gave way after only two overs – which Tendulkar saw off with almost exaggerated care – following which Tendulkar and the new man Azharuddin milked the twin medium-pace attack of Moody and Steve Waugh for six straight overs. The required rate crept up above six an over in this time, but it meant little without wickets falling.Then came the acceleration: there was a boundary in each over from the 35th to the 38th, and then the flicked single that brought Tendulkar his hundred – his 15th in ODIs. Then came a brace of fours from Tendulkar in Warne’s final over, the 42nd – unstoppable drives down the ground and through cover – a fitting finish to an extended contest that Tendulkar has thoroughly dominated over these last two months, beginning at the Brabourne in the last week of February.Tendulkar’s increased aggression in this phase also caused him to play and miss at four slower balls from Moody, but this was his day and no one could do anything about it. As if to stress that point, he walloped Moody for a straight six that brought the equation down to 39 from 43 balls. This match was done and dusted.When Tendulkar finally departed, it was to a shocker of an lbw decision from Javed Akhtar – the ball, delivered from round the wicket by Michael Kasprowicz, pitched outside leg stump and would have missed off stump. Tendulkar’s 143 two days ago also ended with a questionable umpiring decision. It was fitting, in a way; Australia could get his wicket, occasionally, but to borrow lines written years ago in praise of another Mumbai batsman, they couldn’t out him at all. RetroLive

Real Sociedad expect Martin Zubimendi to agree to a move to Liverpool this summer, per a new report.

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• Midfielder targeted by Reds
• Expected to give green light to move
• Spaniard has rejected previous bids

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per The Athletic, Sociedad are expecting Zubimendi to agree to a move to Liverpool, having previously rejected the chance to leave amid interest from Arsenal and Barcelona. The Reds have targeted the Spain international to solve their lack of depth in the No.6 position but the deal is somewhat complicated by the need to pay his €60m (£52m/$63m) release clause in full.

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  Despite the complication regarding payment structure, the report states that Sociedad will allow Zubimendi to move if he asks to do so. Liverpool are yet to sign a player this summer and he would become Arne Slot's first acquisition as manager.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Zubimendi played in two games at Euro 2024: Spain's final group game and the final, when he came on as a substitute for the injured Rodri at half-time.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Zubimendi will hope to complete his move soon. Liverpool kick off their season against Ipswich Town on Saturday August 17.

Everton have enjoyed success in recent seasons in the transfer market, with the club prioritising younger additions rather than big-name signings who are past their best.

The Toffees have signed the likes of James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite in the last couple of years, with the latter already being touted for a £75m move to Manchester United this summer.

Undoubtedly, Sean Dyche's side would love to keep hold of the talented 21-year-old, but given their situation with PSR, any deal would represent fantastic business after paying £1m for the defender just over four years ago.

Not all the club's business has been a success, as reflected by the signing of Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who the club paid £25m for back in 2019 before going on to make just eight appearances for the club.

However, there's another player the Toffees purchased who came with a lot of promise, before rapidly falling down the pecking order in recent seasons.

Mason Holgate's stats at Everton

After arriving at Goodison Park for £2m under Roberto Martinez back in the summer of 2015, Mason Holgate had to bide his time before making any impact, with the youngster having huge potential to be a hit at the club.

He had to wait a whole season before making his first appearances in the Premier League, before featuring 18 times for the Toffees during the 2016/17 campaign.

However, he would endure a decrease in game time over the next couple of seasons, with the English centre-back falling out of favour under managers Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva.

Holgate would only make 20 appearances in the league over the two campaigns, before being loaned out to Championship side West Brom for the second half of the 2018/19 season.

His temporary stint in the West Midlands allowed for a resurgence at Goodison Park, registering at least 25 appearances in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons between 2019 and 2022 – scoring his first three goals for the club in that time.

2016/17

18

1,371

2017/18

15

1,182

2018/19

5

407

2019/20

27

2,053

2020/21

28

2,288

2021/22

25

2,134

2022/23

8

508

However, he would return to being a bit part player for the 2022/23 season, with Holgate only featuring eight times before two unsuccessful loan moves away from the club during the current campaign.

He's only featured 11 times in the league between his moves to Southampton and Sheffield United, respectively, with Holgate looking like suffering relegation with the Blades come the end of May.

Mason Holgate's wage in 2024

Nearly nine years on from his arrival at Goodison Park, the now 27-year-old earns a reported £70k-per-week, as per Spotrac, with the defender earning an extortionate amount given his lack of game time for the club.

His weekly wage is more than double what Garner earns, with the former Manchester United youngster only taking home £30k-per-week – a measly figure given his importance under Dyche over the last 18 months.

Given the club's precarious position, with the Premier League's PSR and FFP rules, the Toffees need to look at offloading Holgate, who still has one year left on his deal at Goodison when he returns from his stint at Bramall Lane at the end of the campaign.

He was a solid addition back in 2015, but unfortunately, he's not up to the standard of the Premier League anymore, with Dyche's side needing to cash in on him, to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer of 2025.

واصل الدولي المصري عمر مرموش تألقه وإبداعه مع فريقه آينتراخت فرانكفورت، مساهمًا في فوز فريقه على سلافيا براج مساء الخميس، مما جعله حديث الصحافة الألمانية.

وقاد مرموش فرانكفورت للفوز على سلافيا براج بهدف مقابل لاشيء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من مسابقة الدوري الأوروبي “يوروباليج”.

وتمكن مرموش من تسجيل هدف فرانكفورت الأول والوحيد في مباراة اليوم، عند الدقيقة 53، من ضربة حرة مباشرة على حدود منطقة الجزاء بطريقة رائعة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. لدينا محمد صلاح جديد.. ردود أفعال جماهير فرانكفورت على أداء عمر مرموش أمام سلافيا براج ملخص لمسات عمر مرموش في مباراة فرانكفورت وسلافيا براج بالدوري الاوروبي

وقالت صحيفة “سبورت بيلد”: “ركلة حرة رائعة من مرموش تجعل فرانكفورت يحتفل، الدقيقة 53: مرموش يسدد ركلة حرة من مسافة 20 مترًا تقريبًا في الزاوية اليسرى، ويكسر حصن دفاع براج”.

وأضافت الصحيفة: “كان المهاجم النجم قد سجل بالفعل من ركلة حرة مباشرة في المباراة التي انتهت بنتيجة 7-2 ضد بوخوم في نهاية الأسبوع. إنه يفعل كل شيء تقريبًا في الوقت الحالي، إنه هدفه الثالث عشر في مباراته الرسمية الخامسة عشرة”.

وكتبت صحيفة “كيكر”: “ركلة حرة مرموش تكفي: فرانكفورت يكافح للفوز على براج، تقدم مرموش لأصحاب الأرض بتسديدة رائعة من ركلة حرة مباشرة بالدقيقة 53”.

وذكر موقع “sueddeutsche”: “هدف الحلم من مرموش: فرانكفورت يفوز على سلافيا براج، وكما جرت العادة هذا الموسم، كان الفائز بالمباراة مرموش الذي سدد ركلة حرة لا تصد في الزاوية (الدقيقة 53). بعد الفوز في كأس ألمانيا على بوروسيا مونشنغلادباخ (2:1) والفوز الكبير 7:2 في الدوري الألماني ضد بوخوم”.

وأوضح موقع “شبيجل”: “مرموش لاعب فرانكفورت أيضاً يمارس السحر ضد سلافيا براج، لم ينجح آينتراخت في تقديم الكثير أمام سلافيا براج القوي لفترة طويلة، ثم أرسل عمر مرموش الكرة إلى ركلة حرة، يثبت المهاجم مرة أخرى أنه في أفضل حالاته”.

وكتبت شبكة “سكاي ألمانيا”: “بفضل عمر مرموش، آينتراخت فرانكفورت يفوز على سلافيا براج في الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الأوروبي”.

وتابعت الشبكة: “هدف حلم آخر سجله اللاعب عمر مرموش جعل آينتراخت فرانكفورت قريبًا جدًا من الأدوار الإقصائية في الدوري الأوروبي، بقيادة الهداف الذي تألق منذ أسابيع، فاز الفريق صاحب المركز الثالث في الدوري الألماني بنتيجة 1-0”.

Leeds could be looking at another summer clear-out should they get promoted back to the Premier League.

Leeds' loan army expected to be sold for good

After being relegated to the Championship last season, Leeds have found themselves fighting for the top spot in England's second tier once again. Obviously, after being relegated, a plethora of players chose to leave the club in an attempt to keep their careers from dwindling.

Players such as Luis Sinisterra, Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison all left the Yorkshire club on loan deals in order to get playing time at a higher level. In the case of Sinisterra, his move has been made permanent by Bournemouth, who have chosen to activate their option to buy, which was worth around £20m.

For Aaronson, things haven't gone quite so smoothly. The USA international's impact whilst representing the Whites was minimal, to say the least. He appeared a total of 40 times for the Yorkshire-based club and only managed to make a total of four goal contributions.

Despite his poor performances, he did enough for Bundesliga club Union Berlin to take a chance on the 23-year-old and take him on loan. Again, his campaign has been far from mesmerising.

Even though he has been deployed in a predominantly attacking role during his time in Germany, he has only managed to score one goal throughout the entirety of his stint. The American, along with Harrison and Marc Roca, are expected to be players Leeds will look to raise funds by selling this summer, and it looks like another one has just been added to the list.

Forward with "unbelievable skills" set to leave in the summer

Despite Aaronson's loan ending up as something of a horror story, there have been the odd one or two loans which have worked out. In particular, Sam Greenwood's spell at fellow second-tier side Middlesbrough has been quite beneficial for all three parties.

Michael Carrick has heavily involved the striker in his plans during his stint with the club – he has often been chosen to lead the line and has seemingly reaped the rewards from the extra playing time.

Sam Greenwood's stats with Middlesbrough

Games

31

Goals

5

Assists

3

Data via Transfermarkt

Prior to one of Leeds' games against Boro this season, Daniel Farke even claimed that the attacker had "unbelievable skills".

"We are happy that he is progressing in the right way. When you send someone out on loan either he comes back or he increases his value and I think it was the right decision to send him out," he said. "He is one of the best set-piece takers I have worked with, and I've worked with some terrific players, such as James Maddison and Mario Vrancic. He has unbelievable skills."

With receiving this level of praise from Farke, it's no surprise that Middlesbrough are looking to activate their £1.5m option to buy. That is according to Pete O'Rourke from Football Insider, who says that Greenwood is 'unlikely to rejoin Daniel Farke’s squad' upon the end of his loan spell. The report goes on to say that the youngster is 'set to be sold' by his parent club despite his good run of form.

Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet made a decision regarding his international future after Portugal's Euro 2014 exit, Roberto Martinez says.

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Ronaldo and Portugal eliminatedMay be star's final tournamentNo decision made yet, says MartinezWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo and Portugal's campaign ended in heartbreak at the quarter-final stage on Friday as they were beaten on penalties by France. At 39, it was been speculated that the tournament in Germany could be the Al-Nassr star's final outing with the national team.

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Ronaldo is the highest-scoring player in the history of international football, having netted 130 times in a whopping 212 appearances for Portugal. However, the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star failed to score with any of his 23 attempts at Euro 2024. He was criticised for his performances during the tournament as he burst into tears after missing a penalty against Slovenia and was then seen crying after their exit against France.

WHAT MARTINEZ SAID

Martinez was asked if this sad note is the one Ronaldo's journey with Portugal will end on, with the manager replying: "No. Everything is too raw. We are still suffering the defeat. There's no individual decisions at this point."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo will soon return to Saudi Arabia to prepare for next season with Al-Nassr and will have to consider whether or not he wants to continue with Portugal, though it has been claimed he is eager to keep going so that he can compete at the next World Cup in 2026 – by which point he will be 41 years old.

Already Burns has become just the third England opener since Andrew Strauss retired to reach fifty three times in a series

George Dobell in Manchester06-Sep-2019Michael Gove may think society in general has had enough of experts but, from an England cricket perspective, they’re starting to look like a pretty good idea.By reaching 50 for the third time in the series, Rory Burns provided further evidence of the wisdom of picking specialist players for specialist positions. Already he has become just the third England opener since the retirement of Andrew Strauss to reach 50 three times in a single series – Alastair Cook and Alex Hales, who did so against Sri Lanka in 2016 are the others – with all the other openers combined making one half-century between them in the series so far.This should not be a complete surprise. Burns has spent most of his career at the top of the order. He has scored 1,000 runs in each of the previous five domestic first-class seasons and, in the process, learned his trade well. These challenges – these surfaces, these balls – present few mysteries to him.Bearing in mind those statistics, it’s odd that it took the selectors so long to pick Burns. Instead English cricket pursued a policy of selecting aggressive openers – or even just aggressive top-order batsmen who were press-ganged into opening – with Burns picked as something of a last resort. He has shown, however, not only the wisdom of picking players who understand the specific challenges of the role, but men whose techniques might not be aesthetically pleasing but are shown to have worked.Burns’ success is built as much on mental resilience as it is on technical competence. But it’s the combination of the two factors that renders him such a valuable player. For he acknowledges there will be times, especially against an attack as good as this, when he will be beaten on or outside off stump. But while some of his colleagues pushed and prodded at balls nipping away from the outside edge, Burns held the line and played with bat close to his body and under his eyes. And while some of his colleagues would become anxious and allow the pressure to build, Burns has the phlegmatic attitude of a man who accepts such indignities as part of the job. He put each delivery – whether it brought triumph or defeat – behind him and concentrated on the next one. It was an innings that would have made Cook proud.”He knows his game well and he’s committed to it” Josh Hazlewood said afterwards. “He’s scored some valuable runs at the top of the order. He looks a good player.”Burns was helped by a couple of factors. Firstly, Mitchell Starc failed to maintain the impeccable control of his colleagues and allowed some release in the pressure. Burns took him for 22 in 10 deliveries at one stage – a feast by comparison to the rest of his innings – and in all hit four boundaries off him. By comparison, he managed just one off Hazlewood and none at all off the 47 deliveries he faced from Pat Cummins.Also read: Cummins, Hazlewood in rescue tandemThe other factor that may have helped him was Australia’s policy of testing him with the short ball. While the delivery had troubled him earlier in the series – he was dismissed by short balls twice in Leeds and once each at Edgbaston and Lord’s – on this relatively slow surface, he had time to duck and weave his way out of trouble. And, all the while Australia were concentrating on the ploy, they were squandering the chances of dismissing via the outside edge.But this was arguably the most assured innings of his 11-Test career. Increasingly, he looked not just as if he felt he could manage, but as if he belonged. Having struggled to combat Nathan Lyon at Edgbaston – yes, he made a century, but he would be the first to admit he enjoyed some fortune along the way – he looked comfortable against him here despite the surprising degree of turn achieved on a third-day pitch. Making no attempt to drive him, Burns instead waited for anything short. Three times he cut him for four, on another occasion he swept in front of square. As a result, Australia were forced to post a sweeper, allowing just a little less pressure around the bat and a few more holes in the field.”It wasn’t a bad ball,” Burns said of the delivery that dismissed him; a fine ball that demanded a stroke before it both bounced and left him. “It was one of those when sometimes you walk off and you can be pretty at peace with yourself.”The short ball is probably not a bad plan on a surface that wasn’t offering masses in terms of seam movement. But, like Steve Smith said, you are not worrying about your off stump too much when facing bouncers. You can get under stuff and bat for long periods of time. It was a scrap and it was mentally challenging, but it was quite enjoyable.”It would be premature to envisage Burns as a captaincy alternative to Root. While he has enjoyed some experience in the role – he led Surrey to the County Championship title in 2018 – he has more to do before he can be considered an automatic selection in the long-term. This was an encouraging step forward, but he will need to score heavily for an extended period of time before he can be considered a viable alternative.It’s worth contrasting Burns’ experiences at the top of the order to those of England’s other openers in this series. At one stage on Thursday night, Joe Denly – the latest sacrificial offering at the top of the order was beaten by four balls in succession from Hazlewood. At another, he was struck on the shoulder by a Starc bouncer. The two balls before he was out, he was beaten on either edge by Cummins. It was a torturous innings which suggested Denly neither knew which ball to leave or play and that he did not have the compact game to ensure he did not push outsides edges to the slips. He looked, in short, like a man parachuted into the opening position.And then there’s Jason Roy. The knock-on effect of Burns’ excellent third-wicket stand with Joe Root was to delay Roy’s arrival at the crease until the 65th over. As a result, he came in against an older, softer ball and a bowling attack that may in theory – there was little sign of it in reality – have tired a little. And, for a while, as he laced three boundaries between backward point and extra cover, that appeared to help.But, before too long, those technical faults came back to haunt him. Pushing at one from Hazlewood – a terrific ball that nipped in off the seam – with hands advancing ahead of his front pad, he left a hole between bat and pad. Bowlers as good as Hazlewood – and, to be fair, there aren’t many better – will find those gaps and exploit them. Already you fear as if Roy’s confidence – and, indeed, his Test career – may have been compromised by asking him to bat out of position. Test cricket is hard enough without having to learn a new trade on the job. Burns has shown the value of specialisation.

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has been handed a 12-month driving ban for breaking a motorcyclist's leg in a Range Rover crash.

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Butt admitted to reckless drivingHanded a one-year driving banWill need to complete 100 hours of unpaid workWHAT HAPPENED?

The 49-year-old, who now serves as the chief executive of Salford City, admitted to a charge of careless driving causing serious injury, following a crash in Burnley, Lancashire, on October 17, 2022. The crash occurred when Butt, driving his Range Rover, failed to spot the motorcyclist, Andrew Filden, resulting in a collision. Filden suffered significant injuries, including a broken left leg, which required surgery and the insertion of rods to aid recovery. He spent two weeks in the hospital due to the severity of his injuries.

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Appearing at Blackburn Magistrates' Court, Butt was sentenced to a 12-month driving ban and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. The charge of careless driving causing serious injury carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail or an unlimited fine. However, Butt managed to avoid a custodial sentence.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

John Dye, Butt's defence lawyer, acknowledged the substantial impact the driving ban would have on Butt and his family. "The loss of his licence is going to be extremely inconvenient to him and his family but that is the inevitable consequence of this case," Dye stated.

Expressing his remorse in court, Butt stated: "I could not be more sorry."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Butt's football career is marked by significant achievements. During his time at Manchester United, Butt won six Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the Champions League before joining Newcastle United in 2004.

Tottenham see themselves as the "perfect" move for an "underappreciated" player, and they could be ready to pay £40-50 million for him.

Spurs identify next signing after Werner and Dragusin

Following the official signings of both Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Radu Dragusin from Genoa, attention turns to how Ange Postecoglou can further improve his squad before deadline day on January 31.

The departures of Eric Dier, Ashley Phillips and Djed Spence, with all three leaving on loan, free up squad space for Tottenham to make another addition.

Tottenham could now make move for "tough" centre-back to replace Eric Dier

The 29-year-old has officially joined Bayern Munich.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 12, 2024

It is widely believed that Spurs want a new midfield number eight after sealing Dragusin's arrival, with there being serious links to Chelsea star Conor Gallagher.

The England international is someone who Tottenham were seriously interested in last summer, with reliable transfer source Fabrizio Romano backing their "concrete" talks to sign him in 2023.

“I think it is difficult," said Romano on Spurs potentially signing Gallagher to GiveMeSport.

"The reality is that they like Gallagher and have done since last summer, this is not new. We know that last summer including on deadline day Tottenham tried to make it happen with Chelsea for Gallagher. They had a concrete conversation, but then Chelsea said no. Now I'm not aware of any direct negotiation between Chelsea and Tottenham for Gallagher so far, but we have to see what happens in the next weeks."

The 23-year-old has been a star player under Mauricio Pochettino this season, making 19 league appearances as their best performer by average match rating according to WhoScored.

He's also Chelsea's joint-top assist maker with Cole Palmer, highlighting his importance as both a creative presence and a real source of energy in the midfield. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's future remains uncertain, and Gallagher could well be a top replacement for the Dane if he were to depart.

Tottenham see themselves as "perfect" for Gallagher

Journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport this week, shared an update on Tottenham's chances of signing the player this winter.

It is believed Spurs would pursue a £40-£50m deal for Gallagher if he were to become available, and the Lilywhites see themselves as the "perfect" destination for him.

"Conor Gallagher is a player they have an interest in," reported Jones.

"They find it hard to believe that he will actually become available for transfer but, if he genuinely is, they think they are the perfect club for him to end up at.

"If they could get Conor Gallagher for £40million to £50million, I think they would probably see that as a good deal and one that they would actually try to pursue.

"But at the moment, obviously, they have still got the problem – on an emotional level on Conor Gallagher's side of things."

The former Crystal Palace loanee has proved himself a worthy top-flight asset, and one Tottenham could really strengthen their ranks with by signing for Postecoglou.

"Conor Gallagher is the new Mason Mount – a hard-working, homegrown midfielder who is underappreciated by many," said Sky Sports Analyst Joe Shread.

"Despite Chelsea's sporting directors appearing extremely open to selling him in the summer, Gallagher has quickly won the trust of Pochettino with his industry, attitude and quality."