أشاد إريك جارسيا، مدافع نادي برشلونة، بمستوى فريقه في لقاء الأمس أمام ريال أوفييدو، وذلك ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

برشلونة حقق انتصارًا مستحقًا على حساب ريال أوفييدو يوم أمس الخميس بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف واحد خارج ملعبه، ضمن بطولة الدوري الإسباني لحساب الجولة السادسة.

وجعل هذا الانتصار برشلونة يعزز موقعه في وصافة الدوري الإسباني برصيد 16 نقطة خلف ريال مدريد المتصدر بفارق نقطتين فقط.

طالع .. أراوخو بعد فوز برشلونة على ريال أوفييدو: كنا نعلم أننا سنعود في النتيجة

وتألق جارسيا في لقاء الأمس وسجل هدف برشلونة الأول، والذي كان بوابة العودة في المباراة ومن ثم تسجيل الهدف الثاني والثالث.

وأكد جارسيا في تصريحات إلى قناة نادي برشلونة، أن مباراة اليوم أمام ريال أوفييدو كانت معقدة ، حيث قال: ”أعتقد أن المباراة كانت معقدة، ضد فريق يضغط بقوة ولم يكن الشوط الأول سهلاً”.

وأضاف جارسيا في حديثه: “كان من الصعب علينا خلق الفرص، لكنني أعتقد أن التعديلات التي أجريناها في الشوط الثاني كانت أفضل وفي النهاية حصدنا ثلاث نقاط مهمة للغاية”.

وعن صعوبة المنافسة مع ريال مدريد هذا الموسم أوضح جارسيا: “نعلم أن ريال مدريد في الصدارة ولا يمكننا تحمل أي تعثر”.

كما أهدى جارسيا انتصار برشلونة أمس إلى جافي، والذي سيغيب لمدة خمسة أشهر عن الملاعب بسبب الإصابة، حيث اختتم: “هذا الفوز نهديه إلى جافي، إنه لاعب مهم جدًا للفريق داخل الملعب وخارجه، إنه يعرف قيمة برشلونة ولديه شغف رائع وسلوكه وروحه القتالية، آمل أن يتعافى جيدًا ويعود إلينا”.

Despite just welcoming Mikey Moore on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers are reportedly back in the Premier League market and have opened talks to sign a talent who the 49ers know well.

Martin "thrilled" to welcome "aggressive" Moore

It’s been an impressive overhaul by Rangers this summer and Moore instantly stands out as one of their best arrivals. The exciting 17-year-old often showed glimpses of what he is capable of whenever given the opportunity at Tottenham and a loan move to Rangers should provide him with the platform to begin realising what is incredibly high potential.

Speaking for the first time since sealing his loan move, the young winger told Rangers’ official website: “I’m excited to get going. As soon as I heard Rangers were interested and wanted me to come, it was a massive opportunity for me.

“I’m excited to be here and hopefully I can show the fans and everyone what I can do. I’ve always loved Rangers as a club. My family have always loved them. I think with the new boss and the way that we play, it’s a great place to be at the minute. It was a pretty easy decision for me to come here.”

Russell Martin was also thrilled to get the deal over the line, saying: “We are thrilled to bring Mikey on loan for this season. His profile as a brave, aggressive attacking player is one that we were keen to add to the squad, and he is certainly a player who, despite his age, can make an impact on the team from day one.

More exciting than Gassama & Moore: Rangers must sign "tenacious" £5m star

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ByDan Emery Aug 2, 2025

“He is a player with huge potential, and it is testament to his quality that he has been entrusted by Spurs in both the Premier League and UEFA Europa League with such regularity over the last 18 months.”

Those at Ibrox aren’t done there with their shopping in the Premier League, however. Reports are now claiming that they’ve opened talks to sign a young talent who the 49ers know well.

Leeds open talks to sign Joe Gelhardt

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Rangers have now opened talks to sign Joe Gelhardt in a permanent deal from Leeds United, who are also owned by the 49ers.

The 23-year-old forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City, having struggled for game time at Elland Road, and ended his spell with five goals to his name. It was a loan move which, ultimately, lacked consistency but one that seemingly showed Rangers enough to warrant a summer move.

Whilst Gelhardt struggled for starts at Leeds, Martin and Rangers could yet provide him with the platform that he has desperately needed for the last 12 months.

It’s then that he could realise his best form and prove Jamie Rednkapp right, who said when speaking about Gelhardt in 2021: “He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him; he’s really exciting. He’s fast; he’s aggressive; he gets on the ball, he takes people on.”

While every season is a big one, next season feels especially important for Tottenham Hotspur.

The club are finally back in the Champions League thanks to Ange Postecoglou delivering on his promise of winning something in his second year.

However, while he’ll enjoy the benefits of leading out a team in Europe’s biggest competition, new boss Thomas Frank will be under pressure to improve the club’s dire Premier League form that saw his predecessor get the sack.

Fortunately, Daniel Levy and the board are not hanging him out to dry this summer, having already spent £55m on Mohammed Kudus and working to bring Morgan Gibbs-White to N17 for his £60m release clause.

The Nottingham Forest star would be an excellent addition to the squad, but Spurs might be better off signing another attacking ace they’ve previously been linked with.

Why Spurs want Gibbs-White

While we think there might be a better option out there, it’s easy to see why Spurs want to sign Gibbs-White this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

After all, not only does he have an abundance of experience in the Premier League, but he was also seriously effective for Forest last season.

For example, in 38 games across all competitions, totalling 3142 minutes, the 25-year-old ace scored seven goals and provided ten assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or one every 184.82 minutes, and under the tutelage of the attack-minded Frank, you’d expect those numbers to improve in North London next season.

Another reason the Lilywhites might be keen to land the midfielder is that he’s a homegrown star and has already won four caps for the Three Lions, which is always great for the marketability of a player and his own development.

Finally, at 25 years old, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers gem is neither past his peak nor someone who will need time to develop; instead, he’s a prime age player who can come in and make an instant impact.

Yet, for everything there is to like about Gibbs-White, there is another international we reckon Spurs should sign instead: Xavi Simons.

Why Spurs should sign Xavi Simons over Gibbs-White

While it appears the club’s attention is now on Gibbs-White, they have been linked with Simons several times this summer.

Moreover, with his reported price tag also being around £60m, switching their focus to him wouldn’t incur additional costs.

With that said, why should they opt for the Ducthman over the Forest ace?

Simons vs Gibbs-White in 24/25
Players	Simons	Gibbs-White
Appearances	33	38
Minutes	2763′	3142′
Goals	11	7
Assists	8	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.57	0.44
Minutes per Goal Involvement	145.42′	184.82′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Well, the first argument comes down to their output from last season, as in his 33 games for RB Leipzig, totalling 2763 minutes, the Amsterdam-born ace, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

In other words, he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes, which is far better than what the Englishman could manage.

Moreover, the former PSV Eindhoven gem has more experience at the very highest level of the game, making 13 Champions League appearances thus far and playing a major role for the Netherlands at the last Euros.

Another key advantage the 22-year-old has is that he’s more positionally versatile than the former Wolves star and is comfortable in the ten, off both wings and even up top.

Ultimately, both players would be brilliant additions to the side, but due to his significantly better output, experience beyond his years and the fact that he can comfortably play all over the pitch, we reckon Simons would be the better signing.

With all that said, Spurs would be clever to bring in both.

Gibbs-White will love him: Spurs huge admirers of £80m Premier League star

Tottenham Hotspur’s huge transfer window has shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 14, 2025

The 21-year-old quick became the 12th Queenslander to take a five-wicket haul on debut and first since 1986-87

AAP21-Oct-2024

Tom Whitney claimed a five-wicket haul on his first-class debut•Getty Images

Young quick Tom Whitney wrote himself in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield record books, before helping bat the Bulls back into their match against South Australia.Whitney created history on Monday, becoming the first Queenslander in 38 years to claim a five-wicket haul on debut with his 5 for 60.Related

Hunt shines with century but debutant Whitney aids Queensland fightback

Live – Sheffield Shield, day two

And after the visitors were all out for 314 early on day two in Brisbane, Whitney produced a late cameo with the bat to help Queensland to 308 in reply.South Australia then lost first-innings century maker Henry Hunt caught behind first ball of their second innings to Michael Neser.But it was a day for Whitney, as Queensland also benefitted from Jimmy Peirson’s counter-punching 94 with the bat at Allan Border Oval.Arriving at the crease at 271 for 9 late in the day, Whitney blasted five boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 24 from 11 balls to help Queensland reach close to parity.After taking three wickets on Sunday, Whitney had both Nathan McAndrew and Wes Agar caught early on Monday morning.The wickets made the 21-year-old just the 12th Queenslander in history to take a five-wicket haul on debut, and the first since former police officer Mick Polzin in 1986-87.Jimmy Peirson led Queensland’s fightback•Getty Images

Neser also finished with 3 for 61, getting the key wicket of Hunt on 136 as the opener fell just short of carrying his bat.In reply, Queensland’s big names struggled. Test opener Usman Khawaja was lbw to McAndrew for a duck, as Queensland fell to 16 for 3 early with the ball swinging around.Matt Renshaw was also lbw to Jordan Buckingham for 2, denting his slim chances of joining Khawaja at the top of the order for the first Test in Perth.Marnus Labuschagne also failed to make any real impact, caught at forward square-leg flicking a ball off his toes.But from 80 for 5, Queensland were able to launch something of a counteract. Ben McDermott hit 52, while Neser and Peirson combined for a 97-run seventh-wicket partnership.Still Peirson pushed through, hitting 14 boundaries in his knock and driving with ease whenever South Australia’s quicks went too full.The wicketkeeper-batter looked set for his century, before he hesitated in coming back for a second with Mitchell Swepson and being run out by Jake Lehmann.

MatériaMais Notícias

Internacional e Goiás entraram em campo na noite deste domingo, no Beira-Rio, e fizeram um jogo de momentos opostos pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Se a vitória dos mandantes por 1 a 0 começou frenética, com chances para os dois lados, o segundo tempo apresentou um panorama mais calmo, de administração. No fim, o gol de Carlos De Pena foi suficiente para somar três pontos em casa.

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Com a vitória, o Internacional entrou no G4 do Campeonato Brasileiro, com sete pontos conquistados em três jogos. O Goiás, por outro lado, é o 15º, com três tentos somados. Foi a segunda derrota do Esmeraldino na competição, enquanto o Colorado ainda não perdeu e vinha de triunfo sobre o Flamengo.

Na próxima rodada, o Internacional viaja para encarar o São Paulo, no Morumbi, no dia 7 de maio, um domingo. O Goiás, na mesma data, receberá o Palmeiras na Serrinha.

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+É na terça! Veja os times e regras para o sorteio das oitavas da Copa do Brasil 2023

INÍCIO FRENÉTICO

O primeiro tempo começou com o Internacional pressionando o Goiás, mas o Esmeraldino esperava apenas a oportunidade de agredir no contra-ataque. A chance surgiu aos nove minutos, quando Matheus Peixoto aproveitou avanço de Julián Palacios e cabeceou por cima do gol colorado.

A equipe da casa respondeu um minuto depois, quando Fabrício Bustos recebeu na área e resolveu arriscar, mandando à direita do gol defendido por Tadeu. A partida continuou apresentando alternâncias e os dois times criaram chances para marcar, sempre com o Inter controlando a bola, mas com o Goiás levando perigo nos contra-ataques.

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GOLAÇO DEFINE O JOGO

Logo no início da segunda etapa, o volante Everton Morelli, do Goiás, precisou de atendimento após choque de cabeça preocupante. Entretanto, o jogador conseguiu retornar à partida sem maiores problemas. Aos sete, enfim, o gol: De Pena aproveitou rebote na entrada da área, arriscou de primeira e fez um golaço para abrir o placar no Beira-Rio.

EXPULSÃO COMPLICA O GOIÁS

Logo depois, uma sequência inusitada tomou conta da partida em Porto Alegre. O lateral Maguinho foi punido com o cartão amarelo por parar contra-ataque do Inter aos 15 minutos, antes de cometer falta em Pedro Henrique um minuto depois e ser expulso pelo árbitro Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima. O jogo perdeu em intensidade a partir daí, com o time da casa mais interessado em segurar o triunfo.

Com um a menos e jogando fora de casa, o Goiás teve poucas forças para reagir. O Esmeraldino até criou algumas chances, mas pecou na hora de finalizar e não conseguiu buscar o empate. A última oportunidade foi de Guilherme, que recebeu cruzamento livre e cabeceou para fora, aos 53 minutos da segunda etapa.

O Inter, que havia visto Maurício desperdiçar oportunidade dentro da área, segurou a posse de bola e somou três pontos valiosos na tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro.

FICHA TÉCNICA
INTERNACIONAL 1 X 0 GOIÁS

Estádio: Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (RS)
Data e Hora: 30 de abril, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
​Árbitro: Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima (PE)
Assistentes: Luanderson Lima dos Santos (BA) e Karla Renata Cavalcanti de Santana (PE)
Árbitro de vídeo: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (Fifa-SP)
Renda/Público:29.133 presentes e R$ 758.438,00

Gol: Carlos De Pena (INT 1-0, 7’/2T)

Cartão amarelo: Carlos De Pena (INT), Gabriel Mercado (INT), Alan Patrick (INT) e Alemão (INT); Maguinho (GOI)
Cartão vermelho: Maguinho (GOI)

INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Mano Menezes)

John Victor, Fabricio Bustos (Igor Gomes, 19’/2T), Vitão, Gabriel Mercado e Renê; Johnny, Matheus Dias (Alan Patrick, intervalo), Carlos de Pena e Maurício (Jean Dias, 32’/2T); Pedro Henrique (Lucca, 32’/2T) e Luiz Adriano (Alemão, 18’/2T).

GOIÁS (Técnico: Emerson Ávila)

Tadeu, Maguinho, Lucas Halter, Bruno Melo e Sander; Zé Ricardo, Everton Morelli (Guilherme Marques, 43’/2T), Diego, Julián Palacios (Diego Gonçalves, 18’/2T) e Vinicius; Matheus Peixoto (Apodi, 35’/2T).

Glasgow Rangers are still in the mix to complete the signing of an impressive attacking player this summer, according to a fresh Ibrox transfer claim.

Rangers preparing for Champions League clash

The Gers face an important game on Wednesday evening, taking on Panathinaikos in their Champions League qualifier, taking a 2-0 lead with them to Greece from the first leg at Ibrox.

The importance of Rangers making it into the Champions League group stage cannot be understated, with playing in Europe’s biggest club competition increasing their chances of signing top-quality players this summer.

Gers manager Russell Martin will know what a huge boost reaching the competition would be so early on in his tenure, but he has demanded more from his players after the 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough in a pre-season friendly.

“It can’t be a problem for us that, whenever you step on the pitch for this club and this team, you have to be all in, you have to be. There were some good moments in the first half, but you know, I think the thing to take is, when you’re not playing or not in the starting 11 right now – and, by the way, at the start of a very, very long season – we are gonna need everyone.”

It will be intriguing to see who Rangers sign between now and the end of the transfer window, but with Hamza Igamane potentially moving on, a new striker may be at the top of the list, with young Tottenham winger Mikey Moore set to come in on loan and a deal agreed with Go Ahead Eagles to sign winger Oliver Antman.

Rangers eyeing move for £7m ace

According to Germanijak [via Sport Witness], Rangers are still in the race to sign Westerlo forward Matija Frigan this summer, having been linked with him in the past, with one report claiming he is keen on moving to Ibrox.

While Spanish side Elche CF are confident of signing the 22-year-old for £5m, the report states that Westerlo are holding out for £7m instead, which they may not be able to afford. That could allow the Gers to jump and swoop for him.

Frigan stands out as a good option for Rangers, not least because he is still only 22 years of age, with his best years very much ahead of him.

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He has been capped 15 times by Croatia at Under-21 level, scoring twice for them, as well as netting a combined seven times for the Under-18s and Under-19s.

For Westerlo, Frigan has scored 20 goals in 73 outings, which is a strong return, and while he is a centre forward by trade, he can also do a job out wide and in an attacking midfield role.

Croatia Under-21s

15

2

Croatia Under-19s

8

4

Croatia Under-18s

2

3

It remains to be seen if Rangers will table an offer for him this summer, but if they see him as a strong Igamane replacement, they should stump up the £7m and potentially pip Elche to his signature.

Newcastle United are believed to be “gathering information” regarding a special young player, as they look to beat other top clubs to his signature this summer.

Isak set for showdown talks with Newcastle

The Magpies’ summer has been rocked by Alexander Isak wanting to leave the club, with the Swede strongly linked with a move to Premier League champions Liverpool. While no bid has been tabled for the 25-year-old yet, it looks as though one could be imminent this week, should the Newcastle star tell the owners that he wants to depart in face-to-face talks.

Should Isak move on from the Magpies this summer, it would be bitterly disappointing for anyone associated with the club, but they could at least receive a British record transfer fee for his services.

If that happens, an elite striker needs to come in as a direct replacement for the Sweden international, but also other top players across several areas of the pitch.

Newcastle "gathering information" on Italian defender

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are “gathering information” on Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, seeing him as a top-quality prospect to bring in this summer.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Inter Milan are also said to be in the mix to sign the 18-year-old, and he is keen on the idea of playing in the Champions League, although the press in Italy believe he will reject the likes of Liverpool in favour of a move to Inter.

Given his age, Leoni wouldn’t arrive at Newcastle as an immediate starter, but the strides he has already made in his career suggests it may not be long until that is the case.

The Italian made 14 starts in Serie A last season, showing that he is already capable of looking at home in one of Europe’s top five leagues, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “complete” player.

Newcastle have to be targeting younger centre-back moving forward, with the current ranks both ageing and injury-prone, and Leoni looks like a perfect option to come in.

Giovanni Leoni’s 2024/25 Serie A stats	Total
Appearances	17
Starts	14
Minutes played	1204
Clearances per game	3.6
Aerial duel wins per game	1.0
Interceptions per game	0.9
Pass completion rate	88.7%
Goals	1
Assists	0

He could arrive as a squad player to begin with, learning from more senior colleagues, before maturing into a key starter for Eddie Howe, becoming a genuinely top-class defender if he reaches his potential.

After three successive years of finishing in second place in the Premier League, Arsenal fans will undoubtedly be getting tired of their inability to end their drought without a league title.

The Gunners have now gone over two decades without a Premier League triumph, with patience potentially running thin among the fanbase should Mikel Arteta fall at the final hurdle once more.

The hierarchy have already backed the manager in his quest to reach the next level at the Emirates, spending upwards of £200m on new additions, subsequently improving various areas of the pitch.

Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi have already been added to the midfield department, adding key depth after various departures earlier this summer.

However, despite the huge funds already splashed on various new additions, countless other options are still being considered by the club in an attempt to further their ambitions of finishing top of the pile.

The latest on Arsenal’s hunt for new additions this summer

Despite the addition of Noni Madueke this summer, Arsenal are targeting the addition of Real Madrid star Rodrygo in an attempt to bolster the attacking department.

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However, any deal for the Brazilian would see them face competition from various sides, such as Manchester City and North London rivals Tottenham, for his signature.

He’s not the only attacker currently in their sights between now and the end of the window, with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze also high up on their shortlist, according to one Spanish outlet.

They claim that an agreement is close between the Gunners and the Eagles over a ‘blockbuster’ £55m deal that would see the 27-year-old move to the Emirates ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

It also states that Oliver Glasner’s side are resigned to losing the England international this summer, but a deal will have to be put on hold until his side land a replacement.

Transfer Focus

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

Why Arsenal’s latest target would be as exciting as Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres is undoubtedly Arsenal’s most high-profile addition during the current window, which is no surprise given his goal tally at Sporting CP.

The Swedish international netted 97 goals in his 102 appearances, having the ability to transform the club’s form in the final third if he can replicate such levels in England.

However, he will have a huge price tag to live up to, after the hierarchy forked out £63.5m, including add-ons, to secure the services of the 27-year-old this summer.

The fanbase are already all aboard the hype train of Gyokeres, after the forward netted his first goal for the club in the recent pre-season triumph against LaLiga side Athletic Club.

However, despite the recent excitement around the move, the club could land a star just as impressive as the Swede should they complete a deal for Eze in the coming weeks.

The 27-year-old would provide a versatile all-round option in the final third, able to feature out wide or in the number ten position – not to mention his experience in England’s top-flight.

His stats from the most recent campaign highlight the ability he possesses in the final third, able to create for others whilst also having the tools to thrive individually.

Games played

34

Goals & assists

16

Progressive passes

3.4

Successful take-ons

2.4

Key passes made

2.1

Passes into final third

1.8

Carries into final third

1.7

Shots taken

3.5

Eze, who’s been labelled “sensational” by talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings, completed 2.4 take-ons per 90, whilst making 1.7 carries into the final third – having the tools to offer fresh impetus to the side in attacking areas.

He also registered 16 combined goals and assists in England’s top-flight last season, having the tools to provide an end product to his mazy runs into the opposition’s penalty area.

Such tallies highlight his ability to provide for others whilst being able to find the net himself, which is hardly a surprise given his tally of 3.5 shots per 90 – which ranks him within the top 6% of all players in the division.

If he can replicate the levels he’s produced at Selhurst Park in recent times, it would be a superb addition that would further improve the options at the manager’s disposal.

The prospect of Eze linking up with Gyokeres in attacking areas is one to be excited about, potentially catapulting the club to new levels of success in the near future.

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Better signing than Zubimendi: Arsenal plot late move for £78m "monster"

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 11, 2025

Pakistan will not travel to India for the remaining ICC tournaments in the ongoing events cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2024

India will not be travelling to Pakistan next year•Getty Images

The ICC has finally reached a breakthrough in the 2025 Champions Trophy impasse, with a hybrid model agreed upon that will see India’s matches in the eight-team event taking place at a neutral venue. In return, Pakistan’s matches in ICC events hosted by India will also take place at a neutral venue.ESPNcricinfo has seen a resolution with details of the agreement, which went through an ICC board vote. In the agreement, during the 2024-2027 event cycle, all matches involving India in an event hosted in Pakistan will be played at a neutral venue, and in return all matches involving Pakistan in an event hosted by India will be played at a neutral venue. In both instances, all matches are taken to include knockout games such as the semis and the final.The agreement begins with the 2025 men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan, and will apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The last event offers an easy solution with Sri Lanka as co-host but it would mean that any game India and Pakistan are drawn to play – a group game or a knockout – will take place in Sri Lanka. It could also apply to the 2028 women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle and which has now been awarded to Pakistan.The choice of neutral venue will be made by the tournament host and will need to be approved by the ICC. In the case of the Champions Trophy, the PCB has to propose a neutral venue within 24 hours of the resolution being passed. The UAE has been the frontrunner, though Sri Lanka has also been mentioned. The PCB will retain full hosting rights for the event.The resolution also refers to the possibility of a triangular or quadrangular T20I tournament, involving India, Pakistan and another Full Member from Asia (and an Associate Asian nation if it is a quadrangular). This is thought to have been one of the points pushed for by the PCB in its negotiations during the impasse, although the ICC has only said that it will not object to such an event being staged and that similar neutral venue arrangements will apply as those in the ICC event model. The resolution also says that no ICC director will make a public announcement on the tri-series, which will be a matter solely between the BCCI and PCB.The resolution will allow all parties to breathe a considerable sigh of relief, given how close it is to the start date of the Champions Trophy. The uncertainty has plagued the event from the moment the BCCI notified the ICC that it would not travel to Pakistan for the event more than a month ago.That sparked off a period of intense negotiations between the PCB, BCCI and the ICC, and was complicated by the poor political relations between the two countries. The governments of both countries were involved in final approvals on the agreement but were also present through the process; Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chair, is the interior minister in Pakistan’s government. Jay Shah, who was the BCCI secretary until December 1 when he took over as ICC chairman, is the son of India’s home minister, Amit Shah. The PCB had begun by insisting they would not adopt a hybrid model for the event but subsequently began to push for any solution to be more equitable and just in the longer term. In that sense, they will be happy to have secured an agreement on not playing matches in India in the next two ICC events in the country.

“There’s definitely not panic stations in our change rooms,” Boland says of the mood in the camp after the Perth reversal

Alagappan Muthu30-Nov-2024Even as the Perth Test was coming to a close, some of Australia’s reserves had begun training for the day-night Test in Adelaide. That might come in handy now, especially for Scott Boland, as he contended with the first day of the practice game between the Prime Minister’s XI and the Indians struggling to get underway. Boland, who got the call about Josh Hazlewood’s side strain “a couple of days ago”, is favourite to make the XI in Adelaide next Friday and play his first Test since the early part of the Ashes in July 2023.”Obviously I haven’t played a heap of cricket in the start of this season, but I feel like I’ve played enough cricket to feel like I’m in a really good spot,” he said on Saturday afternoon. “My body’s feeling really good now. I had a couple of niggles that were a little bit sore, but knee and foot are feeling really good and I’m confident how the ball’s coming out.”Our last net session in Perth was for me and Josh Inglis, we went pink ball for quite a few overs. So getting it in the hand then and then obviously the overs we can get in probably tomorrow by the look of this weather will be valuable as well. Then Adelaide on Monday, then just a normal prep before a game. So have a good bowl two days before the game and then just prepare to play.”Related

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Australia’s defeat in Perth has set off alarms on the outside – their top-order batters folded pretty quickly in both innings and the bowling was unable to stop India from piling on the runs the second time around. While Boland admitted a need to go back to the drawing board, he said they wouldn’t be making wholesale changes.”There’s definitely not panic stations in our change rooms,” he said. “There’s obviously going to be some chats around individual performances and everyone wants to perform really well every game they play. But yeah, it’s like, we’ve lost one game. It’s not toys out of the cot, I don’t think.”We’ve spoken as a team about our plans for all the different Indian batters. I won’t tell you those, but we’ve got pretty set plans. They might have a little bit of a tweak after the guys have seen them again from Perth, because obviously [Yashasvi] Jaiswal batted really well there. KL Rahul batted well in the second dig as well and really digged in. So we’ll probably have a chat over the next week and our plans might slightly change, but I’m pretty confident what we did in the first games was good.”There was also a suggestion that the workload Australia’s bowlers had to get through made a difference in the outcome of the Perth Test. “I think our bowlers bowled really well as well,” Boland said. “Maybe the only difference was that the Indian bowlers got a really nice long break between their first innings and second innings where our break wasn’t as long.”‘Probably thought maybe the opportunity had passed’The last 15 months have been frustrating for Boland, kept on standby for Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood all through the summer, and then suffering an injury in the winter, which cut his county cricket stint at Durham down from four months to just one day.

“I feel like the teams that bat first can sort of time when they want to bowl, if they bat really well on their first day, because if you get a newish ball at night, it can be pretty lethal”Scott Boland, on his pink-ball Test experience

There aren’t many teams that are unable to fit in a fast bowler capable of holding a line and length all day long. Boland averages 20.34 from ten Test matches – but those ten Test matches are only a fraction of what Australia have played (31) in the time since his debut in December 2021.”Obviously those guys [the big three Australia quicks] have been so resilient, they don’t miss too many and no one must give up their spot at any stage,” Boland said. “And they’re so dominant, so last summer they weren’t bowling a heap of overs, but we’re still able to win most of those games.”So yeah, I probably thought maybe the opportunity had passed, but I’ve worked really hard in the off-season to get my body in a spot where I’m confident that if I get another chance I’ll be able to perform it for Australia again.”I just knew if I put the conversations I had with Ron [Andrew McDonald, the head coach] and George [Bailey, the chief selector] over the pre-season – when I was rehabbing a lot was to try and get my body in the right spot – that I didn’t want to rush anything and then re-injure something and then push my return to play back date a while. So we took it pretty slow with my rehab.”Boland’s run-in to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy included a Sheffield Shield game, where he took 3 for 104, and the Australia A vs India A game, where he took 1 for 87 across two innings.”Played the second game for Victoria and then I’ve missed a couple and then played the ‘A’ game. So I’ve had a pretty good prep and then now it’s just about building up, getting the intensity up in this game here and then in the night sessions as well before Adelaide.”Pink-ball rhythmsBoland’s primary skill – getting the ball to nip off the seam – lends itself to pink-ball cricket, especially when conditions start to turn really helpful as day goes to night. He averages 13.71 from two day-night Tests.”Usually there can be two different games in the one game,” he said. “You can bowl during the day when the sun’s out and it doesn’t do a whole lot, and then you get to the night session and the ball starts moving around a bit. So I think it’s just for the bowlers, we just communicate really well together about what the ball is doing and how the pitch is playing and then just sort of flicking between those modes as quick as you can.”Strategy can sometimes be shaped by the pink ball as well. “I feel like the teams that bat first can sort of time when they want to bowl, if they bat really well on their first day, because if you get a newish ball at night, it can be pretty lethal,” Boland said. “If batters are coming in, they’ve batted through the daytime, they get through to the night session. I think it’s been a couple of instances where the ball hasn’t dominated the bat. I think maybe last year at the Gabba [against West Indies] we took the new ball and didn’t get as many wickets as what we would have hoped in that night session.”But now back to Adelaide, I think they produce a really good cricket wicket that really suits the pink ball and helps it last a bit longer because it does get a little bit softer after 30, 40 overs compared to a red ball.”