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ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2024

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Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the passing of our treasured son and brother, Phillip Joel Hughes.Phillip was a loving, humorous and an infectious person to be around. He always aimed to make those around him smile and enjoy the little things in life, where his beautiful smile would come to life. He shined bright even in the tough times, which is a testament to who he was as a person, and we loved everything about him. He was the light of our lives. Phillip had a profound love for his family and lived his life with respect to everyone around him.Phillip, the small-town country boy, became an Australian Test, One-Day and Twenty-20 cricketer, where he played on the toughest pitches around the globe, alongside the toughest of cricketers on the world stage, but never forgot where he came from and who helped along the way.He was a unique individual that took risky and adventurous strides to conquer the dreams he set for himself to become test baggy green number 408. He played cricket for all the right reasons and had the ability to take it all in his stride. He loved being a part of a team and representing Australia for the game he loved so deeply.The number of stories, laughs shared, phone calls and conversations wouldn’t be able to be told over a quick drink at the local pub, which leads us to having the opportunity 9 years ago to create the official biography of Phillip – ‘Phillip Hughes The Official Biography’ that gave us the pleasure of sharing more about who Phillip was. Those pages consisted of his journey from his childhood to his final legacy of 63 NOT OUT*.Ten years on, a documentary – ‘The Boy from Macksville’, will be shared alongside Cricket Australia, who we’d like to thank for supporting this endeavour and each person who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for creating a celebration of Phillip’s life. We hope we have been able to showcase that dreams really do come true and you will enjoy seeing his family, friends and teammates give more of an insight into his career from his baggy blue, baggy red, baggy green and many more moments in-between including unseen footage that can be watched for generations to come.We hope between the biography and documentary, young cricketers around the world and everyone that was with Phillip along the way, will see the hard working, dedicated, devoted and rare cricketer he was. His extraordinary talent is known by many but his lasting impression of who he was as a person will always be remembered, which makes us extremely proud of him. Phillip was always proud of the younger cricketing generation he met along the way and was always hoping he could be an inspiration, no matter where you were from and that is also our hope.Cricket gave Phillip the stepping stone to start a new adventure of Four O Eight Angus, named after his proud baggy green test cap number. Black Stud Angus Cattle farming back in our hometown of Macksville, where he loved the land and his animals and would tell anyone who would listen. The business was built on dedication and it’s a testimony to how high he climbed. He loved to symbolise his cricketing journey in his farming career as a tribute, which still stands proud today. Phillip loved Macksville and the local surrounding towns, where he was able to come back throughout his cricketing years and felt right back at home.We want to share our appreciation to everyone who has respected our privacy and wishes throughout the last decade and continuing to do so at this time. Thank you for being on this journey with Phillip, he loved taking everyone along with him on this ride, living out his childhood dreams.It is essential for us to express our heartfelt thanks, sincere gratitude and appreciation to our extended family and friends, our hometown of Macksville and surrounding towns, to the wider cricketing community in Australia and overseas and the farming community.Phillip, we love you, we miss you and we are forever proud of you. We think about you every day and we are so thankful you were ours. Thank you for being the most extraordinary son and loving brother.The Hughes Family – Gregory and Virginia | Jason, Danielle, Charlie and Billy | Megan and Curtis

Ipswich Town have now made a breakthrough after agreeing a deal to sign a player Kieran McKenna rates highly, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Ipswich Town rejected by Hayden Hackney

The Tractor Boys rounded off their pre-season with a 3-0 win over Auxerre on Saturday, as McKenna prepares his side for a Championship opener against Birmingham City on Friday evening. However, despite a positive display against the Ligue 1 side, Ipswich were handed a transfer blow over the weekend.

A deal worth a total package of £20m was agreed for Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney in recent days, however, the midfielder has now turned down a move to Portman Road.

In the week, Boro manager Rob Edwards admitted that it was a win-win situation for those at the Riverside, and it looks as if Ipswich will miss out on their marquee target.

“The ball, so to speak, is in H’s court now, and that’s where we stand. I think it’s a win-win, and I’m happy to reassure fans of that and to be calm about the situation. If H stays here, he’s a brilliant player and he’s ours which is great. If he’s not, there will be funds available.”

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However, Ipswich and McKenna have been working on alternative midfield targets alongside Hackney, with 2024/25 loanee Jens Cajuste of interest once again.

Ipswich made an offer to Napoli in recent days to re-sign Cajuste, and there has now been a breakthrough in those talks.

Ipswich Town reach agreement to sign Jens Cajuste

Romano took to X on Saturday afternoon to share a development regarding the Tractor Boys’ pursuit of Cajuste. He revealed an agreement has been reached in a deal worth more than £8m when you factor in a loan fee and the option or mandatory purchase clause next summer.

Cajuste, primarily a holding midfielder, made 33 appearances in all competitions for Ipswich last season, scoring one goal and providing a single assist.

The Sweden international couldn’t prevent the club’s relegation, however, he impressed McKenna, who called Cajuste “quality”.

“He’s been one of the top performers this season and to do that in a team that’s found it a big challenge, with some injury issues that he’s been carrying, and in a new league and new country – I think it’s testament to his quality. He’s a player that we like a lot, but he’s a Napoli player. Any conversations won’t take place until the end of the season.”

As Liverpool showcased last season, ‘winning the window’ doesn’t always equate to on-field success, with Arne Slot’s side romping to the Premier League title despite only adding Federico Chiesa to their ranks.

Having lain dormant in the transfer market, however, the Reds appear intent on building on their position of strength this time around, having already spent £256m this summer.

Further additions are almost certain to lie in store too, with recent reports even claiming that wantaway Newcastle United man, Alexander Isak, has agreed personal terms with the Merseysiders.

There is undoubted excitement brewing at the prospect of adding yet another marquee name to their forward ranks, although the Anfield must not forget to ensure that the foundations are steady too, with solid and perhaps more unsung signings also in order. James Milner, anyone?

Indeed, with Jarell Quansah joining Bayer Leverkusen, and Joe Gomez struck down with injury, Slot has been left with just two senior centre-backs, a pairing that includes contract rebel – and Barcelona target – Ibrahima Konate.

Having front-loaded the squad so far then, the Reds can’t risk being exposed at the back. Enter, another quietly crucial acquisition.

Liverpool hold advantage in race for £50k-p/w talent

Liverpool have, of course, already moved to bolster the backline this summer, with the signing of full-back pairing Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, while Giorgi Mamardashvili has also finally arrived on Merseyside.

That said, as already stated, the dearth of options in the centre of defence remains a reason for concern – even after Virgil van Dijk’s contract extension – with that an area that still needs to be addressed.

With that in mind, Football Insider’s Mick Brown has suggested that the champions still have the advantage over top-flight rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in the race to sign Marc Guehi.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Brown, despite Spurs showing interest again in the England international, it is Liverpool who are still the “favourites” to sign him, having been heavily linked with a move for the 25-year-old throughout the summer.

The insider goes on to add that the former Chelsea defender has his “heart set on a move to Liverpool”, with the Reds seemingly ready to make a bid for him “at some stage”.

With just 12 months left on his current deal, the alternative is that the £50k-per-week centre-back remains at Selhurst Park for next season, before making the switch on a free transfer.

Why Liverpool could be targeting the new Milner

As already stated, there has been a sense of glamour to Liverpool’s signings so far this summer, with Slot and co notably gambling on three exciting young talents from the Bundesliga, in the form of Kerkez, Frimpong and £116m man, Florian Wirtz.

That said, there remains the need for ready-made, proven Premier League talents who can slot in somewhat under the radar, with Guehi perhaps the perfect fit in that regard, considering his recent experience at Palace.

Indeed, there could well be shades of the aforementioned Milner about the move, with Guehi’s compatriot having been a muted arrival from Manchester City on a free transfer back in 2015, before going on to assume cult hero status at Anfield.

A jack of all trades, the versatile machine racked up 332 appearances in all competitions for the Reds across the next eight years, having notably been hailed as a “role model” by then-boss Jurgen Klopp in 2022.

The German even went as far as to state that “nothing we have achieved in the last few years would have happened without [him]”, with the underrated midfielder having been a vital, albeit at-times unsung cog in the Anfield machine.

In Guehi – who is currently the captain at Selhurst Park – the Reds would be able to acquire another leader-like figure to bolster the ranks, providing stability and consistency amid a summer of perhaps more marquee additions.

Such qualities have been noted by ex-interim England boss Lee Carsley, who said back in November that the defender “is a player who shows leadership qualities in his career so far not only off the pitch but on the pitch”.

Non-penalty goals

0.09

0.08

Assists

0.06

0.03

Pass completion

83.5%

91.6%

Progressive passes

3.94

5.35

Progressive carries

0.65

0.59

Successful take-ons

0.35

0.08

Tackles

1.79

1.03

Interceptions

0.82

1.51

Aerial duels won

2.00

3.22

Like Milner – who has turned out for an array of top-flight clubs – Guehi is no stranger to Premier League action, having racked up 132 appearances in the competition to date.

A standard-setter and a guiding presence at Palace, even when perhaps outshone by the likes of Eberechi Eze ahead of him, the in-demand talent would be a relatively risk-free and cost-effective signing. Indeed, if he does ultimately end up arriving next summer, he could replicate Milner’s move as a bargain free transfer.

That’s not to say that Guehi doesn’t also have a high ceiling, however, with Palace reporter Bobby Manzi noting that he is simply a “monster in defence”. In all, the 6 foot sensation helped to keep 11 clean sheets in the league last season, while averaging 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game, alongside boasting five goal involvements.

An asset in both boxes, the Eagles skipper would be a more than worthy addition amid a hectic summer of activity for the Reds. Yes, there might be more exciting deals being done, but much like Milner proved to be under Klopp, Guehi could prove to be the glue holding things together.

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Glasgow Rangers are now in talks with a European club over the sale of a “brilliant” key player, who has already agreed personal terms to go, according to a recent report.

Martin wants more defensive reinforcements at Rangers

The Gers are closing in on their return to pre-season action, as it is less than four weeks away until they return to competitive action in the Champions League second qualifying round. Before that, Russell Martin will hope to have as much transfer business wrapped up as possible, as he will want to make a strong start as the new Rangers boss.

The Scottish giants announced the signing of Max Aarons on a season-long loan deal from AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday. The defender is “delighted” to be joining Rangers, as he describes the Gers as a “huge club”.

Aarons told the club’s media team: “I am delighted to be here; as you can see, it’s a huge club, and you realise that when you walk through the doors. I can’t wait to get going.

“I’ve got a lot of experience now in different leagues, and I have played a lot of games. I think I can bring that experience; I can bring a new energy, and I think Rangers fans can be excited – I am really looking forward to it.”

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Aarons may not be the only defender to arrive at Ibrox this summer, as the Gers are in talks to sign Conor Coady from Leicester City. Meanwhile, Rangers are also looking into the possibility of a deal to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool, with the new boss making it clear he wants to improve his defensive ranks.

Rangers now in talks to sell Hamza Igamane

Deals for Coady and Beck may soon become more financially viable too, as according to Sacha Tavolieri, Rangers are in talks to sell Hamza Igamane to French outfit Lille.

Tavolieri states that Lille have made Igamane a top target, as they see him as the person to replace Jonathan David, who is leaving the club on a free transfer.

He adds that the Rangers forward has spoken to the club and has now agreed personal terms, and all that remains is the two clubs, who are in talks, to agree a transfer fee.

Earlier this week it was reported that Rangers were “at risk” of losing Igamane, as teams such as Marseille and Lazio were circling with interest. In fact, it was claimed that Marseille had made an approach to sign the 22-year-old, which had rocked the Scottish club.

Rangers have set a £20 million asking price on Igamane, but it remains unclear if Lille would be willing to pay that much.

Apps

46

Goals

16

Assists

3

The Morocco international was sensational for the Gers last season, as he netted 12 goals in 33 league games, as well as a further four in the Europa League. A standout moment was him netting the winner in the 3-2 win away at Celtic, an impact that Derek Ferguson lauded as “brilliant”.

“Igamane is a real breath of fresh air, the young man. The manager said he was trying to get him up to speed, but in the last few games he has been nothing short of brilliant. He is off the cuff, and he had three or four nutmegs this afternoon – and took his goal brilliantly. I don’t know if you remember Ted McMinn, but Igamane’s got that unpredictability.”

There were geniuses at play in Bridgetown, wearing the India blue as they cruised to victory in their first Super Eight game against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. The pitch, once again, was tough to bat on: slow and offering purchase to everyone willing to roll their fingers across the ball. Suryakumar Yadav, though, found a way to prosper as he often does in T20 cricket, helping his team post an above-par total of 181 for 7. That brought Jasprit Bumrah into the fray and he immediately set about dismantling Afghanistan, his two early strikes leaving them indisposed for the rest of the chase.

The old guard

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did not play a single T20I between the end of the previous World Cup in 2022 and January this year. But they’re here now because they want that medal around their neck. They want to be world champions. And to that end, they’ve been open to batting in a different way. Rohit made only 8 off 13 but he looked to hit a boundary off six of those balls. Kohli was going smoothly but he wasn’t willing to settle for that. He looked to hit Rashid Khan for six and got caught.After being burned in big matches for being too conservative, India have ditched the safety-first approach. And the reason for that played out in the middle overs of this game. When Kohli fell, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster had their total tracking down by 18 runs to 171. In the space of a mere six balls, the other batters had it tracking back up by the same number of runs. India were set to reach 189 now. That’s how quickly a game can change in this format. That’s why it’s better to have tried and failed than not try and all.

Surya on song

It’s possible India knew this all along but were holding back because they weren’t comfortable with the options they had down the order. That’s changed now because their best T20 batter mans the No. 4 position.Suryakumar played some special shots – not in the way you usually associate with, where he finds a soft spot in the laws of physics and mercilessly pokes holes in them. But more in terms of just knowing his areas and trusting his skill. Even the one time when he made jaws drop to the floor – dragging Azmatullah Omarzai from somewhere off the wide line to the square-leg boundary – he was just trying to put away a full toss. The legside was the shorter boundary. It just made sense.Jasprit Bumrah struck off his second ball against Afghanistan and finished with 3 for 7•CREIMAS

Suryakumar focused on three things while he was out there. Sweep to mess with the wristspinners. He played four and each of them resulted in a boundary. Smash whenever the quicks went too full. He struck a six that sailed into the three Ws stand and held his pose. Worrell, Weeks and Walcott would’ve loved that. Finally swipe – after making sure to hold his shape – when they went slower ball. First time he tried it, he got beaten. Second time, he nearly hit the ball out of the ground. This was a classic case of an attacking batter paring down his options to just those he knew would succeed in the conditions.Suryakumar was box office, even without bat in hand. In between the innings, he admitted that he was nervous. “I began chewing my gum harder when Kohli got out.” But he knew he couldn’t let himself be bogged down. “It was important to keep the intent up.” India do not want to fall into the same traps as before. This World Cup, they’re going to bat like they have a full ten wickets to spare.

Bumrah on fire

He has twice as many wickets as he’s conceded boundaries (8 vs 4) in this T20 World Cup. Bumrah is undeniably India’s most important player. He came on to bowl after Rahmanullah Gurbaz had struck a lion’s share of the 13 runs in the first over of the chase. He had seen, in the first innings, that slower balls had been mighty effective (five wickets for 30 runs at an economy rate of 7.2). Immediately, he dialled one up and also shifted his line real wide to deny Gurbaz the straight hit that he likes so much. Assessing the conditions and the opposition to that degree that quickly is the reason why he is an all-format great. He gave away only seven runs, the second-fewest by an Indian bowling four overs in a T20I.There were further positives as well. Kuldeep Yadav, back in the XI to exploit favourable conditions, picked up 2 for 32. Axar Patel began with a wicket-maiden in the powerplay. Ravindra Jadeja had a good run out as well. And Arshdeep recovered from a two-over spell for 22 runs to almost pick up a hat-trick in the dying moments.

Birmingham City were viewed as a side continuously stuck in a battle against the drop the last time they were situated in the Championship.

Indeed, the Blues haven’t finished inside the top half of the difficult division since tenth spot was clinched at the end of the 2015/16 campaign. However, that could soon change as Chris Davies’ men return to the testing league now brimming with confidence.

Amazingly, the West Midlands outfit lifted the League One title with a stellar 111 points next to their name, meaning they should instantly fit in when moving back up a division, having obliterated all their third-tier opposition.

Whilst the newly crowned champions will prioritise Championship-ready talents when shopping this summer, they will be prepared to gamble with some left-field choices in the hectic transfer market, with a potential new signing going down as their next Christoph Klarer.

​​​​​​Birmingham chasing deal for £2k-per-week star

As per a report by Football Insider, Birmingham are just one of several EFL clubs chasing the services of Arminia Bielefeld defender Louis Oppie.

Hull City and Norwich City are the other second-tier outfits named as taking an interest in the breakout 23-year-old, with the attack-minded left-back playing a key role in Bielefeld’s promotion to the 2. Bundesliga to generate this buzz for his services.

The £2k-per-week defender – as per Salary Sport – could well come in handy for Birmingham as they look to add depth in the left-back spot.

How Oppie could be Klarer 2.0

Klarer is the obvious example that Oppie will attempt to follow as another gem from Germany attempts to swiftly adjust to the demands of the English game.

Klarer’s league numbers for Birmingham (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Klarer

Games played

43

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

Touches*

91.8

Accurate passes*

68.4 (88%)

Ball recoveries*

3.5

Clearances*

5.6

Total duels won*

7.5

Clean sheets

18

Stats by Sofascore

After all, the former Darmstadt 98 centre-back made his own transition over from Germany look like a walk in the park last season, with the man mountain collecting 18 clean sheets on the way to Birmingham triumphantly lifting the League One title.

Oppie will hope he can follow in the Austrian’s footsteps very soon, with the in-demand Bielefeld number four amassing his own healthy clean sheet total of 16 last campaign in the German third division, away from also notching up a hefty nine goal contributions as an expansive face down the left.

Of course, Klarer only had to adjust to League One as opposed to Oppie now having to make a gigantic leap up to the Championship, but it could go down as another golden deal just based on how easy the coveted defender found the 3. Liga last season, with the exciting 23-year-old clearly in need of a new challenge away from his current employers.

He might well push Alex Cochrane all the way to a starting spot, as previously mentioned, with Cochrane the only left-back option in Davies’ camp currently.

Oppie’s overall numbers for Bielefeld

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

24/25

47

5

11

23/24

42

6

3

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Moreover, when looking at the table above, Oppie has been a standout performer for Bielefeld over many a season now, away from just his sterling 2024/25 output, with Klarer also a dependable figure in Germany too for both Darmstadt and Fortuna Dusseldorf before his EFL adventure began.

Therefore, everything seems to be coming together to suggest that Birmingham winning the 23-year-old’s signature would be a deal that’s looked back at with a lot of glee, especially if Oppie can play some significant role in the Blues competing near the top of the Championship again.

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It might be over two decades since they won the Premier League, but Arsenal have had some sensational players represent them since then.

The likes of Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexis Sánchez were all near enough unstoppable on their day, even if they couldn’t deliver the club the biggest prizes.

However, perhaps the star who felt most likely to drag the North Londoners back to the pinnacle when he arrived was Mesut Özil.

The German playmaker was an unreal talent, but unfortunately, his Arsenal career fizzled out into nothingness, and now there’s a player in the current squad in danger of having the same happen to him.

Ozil's Arsenal career

On transfer deadline day 2013, Arsenal announced the shock £42.4m signing of Ozil – to fan delirium – and there was a level of hope that the former Real Madrid superstar would be the one to bring the glory years back to N5.

For the first few seasons, while there was no league title or European glory, the World Cup winner certainly delivered on his end of the bargain, racking up 61 goal involvements in his first three seasons and helping the club win some FA Cups.

However, as time passed, and especially after signing a new £350k-per-week contract, the former Werder Bremen gem seemed to become less and less effective.

In fact, once Arteta was appointed manager in 2019, the German superstar eventually saw himself frozen out of the team entirely, with fans and pundits alike lambasting his apparent lack of effort off the ball.

Eventually, after over a year of barely playing for the club, he left for Fenerbahçe for free in January 2021.

Ozil remains a popular figure with much of the fanbase today and left with an impressive tally of 44 goals and 75 assists in 254 appearances, but there is no denying that he left the club failing to achieve what many thought he would, and on a low rather than a high.

Unfortunately, a current Arsenal player might be falling down the same path this season, a player the boss should look to drop from the starting lineup for some time.

The Arsenal star emulating Ozil

On the back of Tuesday night’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, it would be easy to lambast the entire starting lineup for not playing well enough, but in retrospect, it wasn’t quite the battering some may try to portray it as.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal had their chances to score, and for much of the game, the likes of Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Bukayo Saka and David Raya did their jobs.

However, there was one starter who was as bad as everyone initially said: Martin Odegaard, who was anonymous at best and actively ruining attacks at worst.

The Norwegian fully deserved the 4/10 match rating he received from the Independent’s Jamie Braidwood, and the worrying thing is that it wasn’t a massively surprising performance either.

Yes, even though he picked up his second successive Player of the Year Award last season, the “frustrating” playmaker, as dubbed by podcaster Rohan Jivan, has been seriously poor all season, and as content creator Rimedi pointed out earlier this year, he’s just “not at the level.”

In all, the player who is supposed to be the team’s creative hub has amassed just 15 goal involvements in 39 games this season, which is undeniably underwhelming and feels eerily similar to Ozil’s slow decline.

As this collapse in form is showing no signs of reversing, Arteta should take him out of the team for the next game at least and start Ethan Nwaneri in the middle of the park, as he looked more likely to make something happen in just five minutes of action on Tuesday.

Odegaard’s 24/25
Appearances	39
Minutes	2982′
Goals	5
Assists	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.38
Minutes per Goal Involvement	198.8′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, Odegaard is an incredibly talented player, but at the moment, he is not showing it, and therefore, he should be dropped and given time to figure out what’s going wrong, lest his Arsenal career end the same way Ozil’s did.

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Leeds United fans would have entered Elland Road on Monday full of both nerves and excitement, knowing that one more win and Sheffield United failing to win in a showdown with Burnley in the Championship would clinch promotion.

Well, the Whites certainly kept to their end of the bargain in West Yorkshire with Daniel Farke’s hosts hammering a petrified Stoke City side 6-0 in front of their jubilant home masses and after the Blades later went on to lose against the Clarets, promotion to the Premier League was sealed in spectacular fashion at the second time of asking.

Joel Piroe – who has had his fair share of critics in recent weeks for his wasteful showings – staggeringly chipped in with four of the strikes, with the Dutchman a man possessed in front of goal as he became their promotion hero.

Piroe's remarkable performance vs Stoke City

Heading into this big clash against Mark Robins’ visitors earlier today, Piroe was deep in a barren patch of form, with nine Championship clashes passing him by without finding the net.

He more than made up for these lacklustre showings on Monday, however, as the deadly 25-year-old sucker-punched Stoke with two goals inside the first ten minutes.

Constantly in the right place at the right time to tap home, Piroe would go on to secure a memorable hat-trick inside a bonkers 20 minutes after his early brace, before further managing to fire home his fourth of the remarkable day four minutes before the half-time interval.

Now up to a league-high 19 strikes for the season in the second tier, the ex-Swansea City man will be hoping he can be equally as clinical for the Whites if Premier League football returns to Elland Road, with this whirlwind win pulling them ever closer back to the promised land.

But, whilst Piroe obviously delivered a display of the highest order, he wasn’t the only Whites performer against the Potters who was near faultless…

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

10/10 Leeds star was as good as Piroe

Nobody in Leeds white exactly let the team down in all fairness, with every single player picked by Farke singing off the same hymn sheet to secure a huge three points.

While the attack were en song at Elland Road, the two full-backs were in fine fettle too, evoking memories of Ian Harte in his prime, charging forward to contribute in the final third with Junior Firpo finding the net and Jayden Bogle running the Stoke defence ragged.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

63

Accurate passes

28/42 (67%)

Shots

2

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

3/3

Interceptions

2

Tackles

4

Total duels won

10/12

He has had a fine season in West Yorkshire to date after dramatically leaving Sheffield United behind for Leeds last summer.

The gung-ho full-back would get in on the act when assisting Piroe’s second of the day, taking Bogle’s assist count for the season all the way up to a weighty four, on top of his stunning six strikes, while he also hit the post in the build-up to Piroe’s fourth.

Bogle would constantly maraud forward and leave Stoke shirts in the dust – seen in his 100% dribble completion rate – leading to Leeds reporter Graham Smyth to remark that the expansive 24-year-old “absolutely mullered” the Potters across a breathtaking first half.

But, the ex-Blades defender also looked strong defensively when infrequently called into action, with four tackles and ten duels won to preserve Leeds’ likely clean sheet.

Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned Smyth dished out a flawless 10/10 rating to Bogle post-match too, waxing lyrical further that he “tortured” Robins’ visitors who just had no answer to the home side’s persistent waves of attacks.

Come the full-time whistle, Leeds simply looked top-flight bound after brushing aside Stoke with ease, with both Bogle and Piroe ready for the challenge of Premier League football.

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Andrew McGlashan and Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2025

Cameron Green will be a key figure in Australia’s ODI side for the next World Cup•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

The halfway point between ODI World Cups is approaching with the next edition to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in late 2027. In Cairns on Tuesday, Australia and South Africa play their first matches in the format since the Champions Trophy, when they both exited in the semi-finals.Following that tournament, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Heinrich Klaasen have announced their retirements from ODIs – the latter from all white-ball internationals – and, as is often the case during World Cup cycles, there is a sense of renewal and rebuilding ahead of the next edition, where Australia will be the defending champions after their triumph in India.Since the 2023 World Cup, these two sides are at the lower end of the table in terms of ODIs played, and Australia in particular have rarely put their strongest side on the park, either because of workload management or injuries. Pat Cummins, who remains the official ODI captain, has only played two matches since that memorable day in Ahmedabad and will miss this series.A lot can change over the next two years – there is definitely a chance some players available now don’t make it all the way to 2027 – but with an eye on the future, here are some key questions from both sides.Head’s opening partner; Smith’s spotRelated

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Travis Head, the hero of Ahmedabad, should still be in his prime in 2027 but who will be alongside him at the top of the order is more of a question. Matt Short has had the early running and has shown glimpses, particularly his 63 against England in the Champions Trophy, but will miss this series due to a side injury, which has been worryingly slow to heal.Mitchell Marsh, who will captain against South Africa in Cummins’ absence, enjoyed considerable success opening in the lead-up to, and at, the last World Cup but there is always the lingering question over what his body will allow him to do in the years to come.In the middle order, Smith’s retirement has created a permanent vacancy, which will likely be taken by Cameron Green, who missed the Champions Trophy through injury. Green had a fill-in role at the 2023 World Cup but, providing he has no further setbacks, should be a central figure with bat and ball in 2027.Temba Bavuma has had to defy injury of late•Associated PressCan Bavuma reach 2027?South Africa’s regular ODI captain Temba Bavuma has made no secret of his desire to get to the home World Cup in two years’ time, but often caveats that with a clause about what his body will allow. Bavuma has suffered a spate of injuries in the last three years, mostly involving his elbow and his hamstrings, and was hampered by the latter during the recent World Test Championship final and the last ODI World Cup.He battled through both but continues to bat with heavily strapped elbows and at the age of 35 now, faces the real possibility of not physically being able to get to the 2027 tournament. That could mean his role over the next 12 months or so is a transitional but crucial one. Of South Africa’s squad in Australia, Bavuma has the highest ODI average and while he is not known as a quick run-scorer, he provides stability upfront and will be key to their build-up to the next World Cup.Aaron Hardie is among a group of allrounders in the mix for Australia•AFP/Getty ImagesHow do you replace Maxwell?You don’t find many cricketers like Maxwell, so this is an interesting one for the selectors. There is the loss of his dynamic, match-changing batting but there is also the vital balance he brought to the side with his offspin. In 2023, he was the second spinner alongside Adam Zampa (having been the lone spinner at the 2015 edition) and finding those overs will be important. It makes Short, who is a handy offspinner, a valuable player while the selectors are clearly keen to develop Cooper Connolly’s left-arm spin – he was a late addition to this squad after Mitchell Owen’s concussion. Head’s offspin remains a useful option while Marnus Labuschagne’s legspin has claimed useful wickets in the past year.Owen and Aaron Hardie, another injury replacement against South Africa, will be vying for an allrounder’s position over the next couple of years, while among those outside the current squad, Jack Edwards and Will Sutherland could also come into the mix. They provide seam bowling rather than spin although conditions in southern Africa may work in their favour.The next superstar?•Getty ImagesLife after KlaasenKlaasen’s international retirement leaves a power-hitting hole in South Africa’s middle order, not least because he has the highest strike rate for the team in ODIs and was named their ODI Player of the Year at the most recent Cricket South Africa awards.Though David Miller, who is second to Klaasen on the strike-rate charts, remains available, South Africa need to find someone else with six-hitting skills in the middle order and they may be looking to Dewald Brevis as the next big deal. Brevis was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series and, with only ten caps to his name, already holds the record for the highest individual score by a South Africa batter in the shortest format.His 125 not out in Darwin included 96 runs in boundaries and demonstrated a fearlessness South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad wants his players to live by. The Miller-Brevis combination will not be on show at this series as Miller is currently playing in the Hundred, but the Australia matches are a good opportunity for Brevis, who is uncapped in ODIs, to show what he can do. To date, Brevis has played 25 List A matches, averages 48.40 in the format with a strike rate of 112.10, and was the second-highest run-scorer in the most recent domestic one-day cup, so there’s plenty to suggest he has what it takes to make the step up.Will it be one more time for this great trio?•ICC/Getty ImagesWill Australia’s big three all be there?Mitchell Starc will be 37 by the next ODI World Cup and Josh Hazlewood, who will play this series, 36. Starc has always said Test cricket will be the format he puts first and Australia have a huge period of that prior to the 2027 tournament. Cummins has tentatively indicated he has eyes on captaining again to defend the title but he, too, will be a key figure in a heavy Test run.Australia’s pace stocks are strong, although Lance Morris’ withdrawal from the South Africa series with another back problem is a concern and Jhye Richardson is still a long way off a potential return.However, Xavier Bartlett has made a very promising start and Nathan Ellis will have the chance to build on his T20 pedigree. It was eye-catching to see the inclusion of Tom Straker and Callum Vidler, recent members of the Under-19 set-up, in the Australia A one-day squad for the India tour next month and it’s possible that generation, which also includes Mahli Beardman, starts to emerge in time for 2027, although the following cycle is perhaps more realistic.South Africa need to fine-tune their bowling combination•AFP/Getty Images Specialist bowlers or allrounders for South Africa?Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were not part of the T20I series as South Africa placed a premium on allrounders, but Maharaj is back for the ODIs, alongside Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen, which suggests there is still some experimentation on the go.Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch make up the seam-bowling allrounder contingent and will likely compete for one spot in the absence of Marco Jansen, who is recovering from a thumb surgery and is not part of this squad.Jansen’s return will crowd the field even more, which leaves South Africa with a problem of plenty and a question of how to find the best combination. Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Nandre Burger are the specialist seamers, so there is a lot to work with and getting it right will be key before the title tilt at home.

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