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.”
Ipswich Town make contact to sign in-demand Sadio Mane-esque £17m forward
The Tractor Boys have made an approach for a centre-forward, who is being targeted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
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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.
Van-Dijk-Southampton-Liverpool
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.
James Milner
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.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehireacts
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.
Better deal than Rodrygo: Liverpool enter race to sign £38m Diaz replacement
This winger would be an “exceptional” addition to Arne Slot’s Liverpool squad.
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
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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…
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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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Captain’s poor form with bat typified off-colour display and leaves questions to be answered before Lord’s
Matt Roller06-Jul-20251:46
Harmison: England’s top-order returns a worry
Ben Stokes was surrounded. Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal seemed convinced that he had edged Washington Sundar down the leg side in the over before lunch, and Indian fielders converged on England’s captain. Ravindra Jadeja pointed to Stokes’ thigh pad. Shubman Gill decided against using his final review. Stokes chewed his gum, hand on hip, and glared.One ball later, India’s fielders went up in appeal again. Stokes was dumbfounded when umpire Sharfuddoula raised his finger, and held out his left hand in bemusement before reviewing. But the decision was spot on: DRS confirmed that Washington’s in-drifter had hit his pad before his bat. He shook his head as he walked off, past a fan waving an India flag in Edgbaston’s South Stand.Stokes’ innings was a grimly compelling watch, a public disavowal of his previous stance that he was “not interested” in drawing Test matches as captain. With every high-elbow defence and exaggerated leave off the seamers, he made ever more clear the extent to which his team had been backed into a corner by India. After three years, the option of last resort had finally arrived.Related
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The trouble for Stokes was that Gill knew he could attack him with spin. Stokes never settled in England’s run chase in Leeds, compulsively reverse-sweeping – he played the shot 16 times in 51 balls, the last of which brought about his dismissal. He has always been a stronger player against pace but his numbers against spinners have fallen off a cliff.Here, Stokes put his reverse-sweep away against Jadeja, but was never in control. He shifted his guard, batting across his stumps, and was caught between stools when confronted with a rough patch outside off. He lunged forward to sweep, missing as many as he hit, and gloved one ball just short of Gill at leg slip as he looked to defend.Just briefly, Stokes had started to look like his old self when back-cutting, driving and pulling Mohammed Siraj for boundaries, finally exerting his dominance on a bowler. But his dismissal to Washington felt almost inevitable: 16 of his 25 Test dismissals since the start of last year have been to spinners, and he is averaging 18.43 against spin in that time. It has been a barren run, and it was telling that Gill pushed his fielders back at the end of overs, allowing Stokes singles that would keep him on strike.
“The task today was batting out the 80 overs. The result we always try to push towards and look forward [to] was beyond [us]… It just wasn’t meant to be”
Stokes has had a bad week in Birmingham. He took five wickets in the first Test at Headingley but admitted that bowling 35 overs left him as “a shadow of my normal self”, and after 15 more on day one at Edgbaston, managed only 11 overs thereafter. Uncharacteristically, he seemed to run out of ideas in India’s second innings as the game drifted away from him slowly.His decision to bowl first at the toss backfired, with India enjoying the best batting conditions and grinding England into the ground. “As the game got deeper and deeper, it was pretty obvious that [the pitch] was not playing the way that we thought it was going to,” Stokes said. Brendon McCullum was clearer, saying: “We probably got it slightly wrong.”India’s relentlessness with the bat left England facing an unprecedented situation under Stokes’ captaincy, attempting to bat out the final day to secure a draw with a win off the table. “The task today was batting out the 80 overs,” he said. “The result we always try to push towards and look forward [to] was beyond [us]… It just wasn’t meant to be.”4:11
Stokes: We weren’t able to deliver our skills when needed
His team now faces a quick turnaround to Thursday’s third Test at Lord’s. Stokes does not expect the 336-run margin of defeat to affect their performance next week, but he needs to step up with the bat. Gill, his opposite number, does not look a natural leader in the field, but his runs have bought him scope to make mistakes that Stokes is not giving himself.The opening day of this match marked the two-year anniversary of Stokes’ most recent Test hundred, a rage-fuelled 155 in defeat to Australia at Lord’s, and he has not scored a century in any format of the game since the 2023 World Cup. He declined the opportunity to play for Durham or England Lions ahead of this series to manage his body, but his batting has suffered.Since the start of last year, Stokes has faced only 1280 balls in professional cricket, limited heavily by knee and hamstring injuries; the next fewest among England’s top seven is Zak Crawley with 2414, while Joe Root has faced 4523. If batting is a skill that relies on rhythm and tempo, then Stokes has been dancing to a very different tune.Stokes shrugged off a post-match question about his own form with the bat but his five Test scores this year read 9, 20, 33, 0 and 33, and his career batting average has dipped to its lowest mark (35.31) since the 2019 Ashes. He has been an inspirational and tactically astute captain, but Stokes’ leadership alone cannot mask his struggles with the bat.
In a series that eventually became Pooran vs the rest, the West Indies batter won his individual battles
Hemant Brar14-Aug-20231:14
Jaffer: Pooran is West Indies’ X-factor
With scores level in the fifth and final T20I in Lauderhill, West Indies captain Rovman Powell gave Nicholas Pooran a big hug in the dugout. In the middle, Brandon King was unbeaten on 85, his highest T20I score, but it was Pooran’s 47 off 35 that had paved the way to victory.Cricket, otherwise a team sport, can sometimes become a clash between an individual and a team. Those who followed Indian cricket in the 1990s will be familiar with this feeling. Back then, it was invariably Sachin Tendulkar vs the opposition. The opposition, too, focused on getting Tendulkar out early, because doing so meant half the battle was won.In this five-match T20I series against West Indies, Pooran had been that individual for India. In the second T20I, he almost singlehandedly took his side to victory. In the next two, India dismissed him early and registered comfortable wins.Related
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On Sunday, in the series decider, it was once again Pooran versus India.Batting first, India could manage only 165 for 9. West Indies knew they could put them under even more pressure if they dominated the powerplay. So when Kyle Mayers fell in the second over, they promoted Pooran, who until that point in the series had batted at No. 4.Having dismissed Mayers with a short-of-length delivery, Arshdeep Singh tried the same ploy against Pooran as well and, with his second ball to the batter, hit him on the ribs. Two deliveries later came the sucker ball: another short ball but bowled with just knuckles behind it. Pooran, though, made it look as if he was just waiting for it, and deposited it over deep midwicket for a six.In the next over, Pooran had a slice of luck. He mistimed a pull against Hardik Pandya, but Mukesh Kumar, sprinting in from mid-off and diving forward with an outstretched right hand, failed to cling on to it. The batter added insult to injury by pulling the next two balls over the boundary line, his first three scoring shots all sixes as he moved to 18 off seven. His onslaught also took the pressure off King, who was on 2 off six at that point.With Pooran looking dangerous once again, and India not having many runs in the bank, Hardik turned to his wicket-taking weapon, Kuldeep Yadav, in the fifth over of the chase. Now it was a face-off between two individuals. After all, T20s are often decided by such bouts, the match-ups.Coming into this game, Kuldeep had dismissed Pooran four times in T20s while conceding just 41 runs in 43 balls. Two of those dismissals had come in the third and fourth match of this series. And when he rapped Pooran on the pads in his very first over on Sunday, and the umpire raised his finger, India thought they had got their man.Pooran, though, knew he had gloved the ball. He straightaway reviewed the on-field decision and got it overturned. In Kuldeep’s next over, he reverse-swept him for four. But that was the last time he took a risk against the spinner.Nicholas Pooran slammed one four and four sixes during his knock•Associated PressBy then, West Indies were well ahead of the asking rate, as well as the DLS target with rain in the air. Pooran showed game awareness and put aside his ego. In all, he scored only 11 off 14 balls against Kuldeep but by not giving away his wicket, he had not only won the individual contest but effectively the match, and the series, for his team.Later, Powell too lauded Pooran’s efforts throughout the series. “I am very big on individual performances,” he said. “If individuals can stand up for us, we will always do well as a team. Nicholas is a very important component of our team. We know it’s difficult to perform all five games, so we asked him to try his best and stand up in three out of five games.” Needless to say, Pooran didn’t disappoint his captain.To be fair to Kuldeep, he was bowling with a wet ball (two rain breaks during India’s innings meant the outfield wasn’t dry). That, combined with the defensive approach by Pooran and King, meant he didn’t look as threatening as he had in the previous games. He conceded only 18 from his four overs but couldn’t pick up a wicket.With Pooran at the crease, Hardik didn’t risk bowling Axar Patel, which left India with just five bowling options for the majority of the chase. It also saved King from facing Axar, who had kept him quiet in the past, allowing just 19 runs off 22 balls in T20s.By the time, Tilak Varma got Pooran out, West Indies needed just 47 off 40 balls. They knocked those off with two overs to spare.For his 176 runs in five T20Is, Pooran was named the Player of the Series. He also won an electric guitar for hitting the most sixes. However, he had a flight to catch immediately after the match and had left the ground a bit early. So he couldn’t collect the series award or the guitar. But then he had already played his greatest hits.
India, Pakistan, England and West Indies could be the likely semi-finalists
Ian Chappell24-Oct-2021It only took the preliminary stages of the men’s World Cup to highlight one advantage the T20 format has over Test cricket: the greater likelihood of an upset. Bangladesh lost to Scotland, and Namibia knocked Ireland out of the Super 12s. It’s dangerous mingling with the minnows.In Test cricket, in some matches it might look like a major upset is about to occur, but it rarely comes to pass. Ireland appeared on the verge of the upset of the century when they dismantled the England batting line-up for 85 at Lord’s in 2019. But despite holding a first-innings lead of 122, the Irish batting folded like a paper plane in the second innings to be all out for a paltry 38.We’ve just had another reminder that major upsets occur regularly in T20 World Cup tournaments. In 2009 at Lord’s, England suffered a calamitous defeat at the hands of Netherlands, which led to the home side missing the semi-finals.There have been other upsets, not of the same magnitude as England’s loss, but still embarrassing for the major nation. Then there are the exciting near-misses, where the less-fancied team appears to be on track to upsetting a major nation but eventually normality prevails.Related
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One such occasion, also in 2009, was an enthralling battle between Sri Lanka and Ireland at Lord’s. The fighting Irish looked to be in position to upset Sri Lanka when they held them to 144. The possibility of an upset came into sharper focus when Ireland compiled a productive opening partnership of 59 after just nine overs.I was sitting in the Lord’s press box in a group of animated Irish journalists. “Should be a big party tonight,” I said, “if Ireland win.” Without even turning his head, one journalist replied with typical Irish humour: “Regardless.”Of the minor countries who have performed reasonably regularly in T20 World Cups, Netherlands and Scotland have won over a third of their matches. In general this is a result of them winning games they were expected to win against other minor nations.The two latest nations to acquire Test status – Afghanistan and Ireland – have performed creditably, respectively winning 35% and 22% of their T20 World Cup matches, while the often-threatening-but-rarely-producing Bangladesh are at 25%.The inclusion of minor cricket nations – there were five in the current tournament – can lead to some club-standard cricket. Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile encouraging these countries through the T20 format. It’s a bit like the early rounds of English football’s FA Cup, where occasionally the part-timers upset the highly paid professionals and a township celebrates wildly. However, when the dust settles and the ambition has been doused, it will be four major nations who survive the cut and thrust to reach the semi-finals of this year’s World Cup.In a format where a quick-fire 20 that includes a couple of biffed sixes, or a brief but accurate two-over spell, can change the course of a match, predicting semi-finalists is fraught with danger. Adding to the uncertainty, this tournament is being played in a part of the world where the conditions are unfamiliar to many of the major teams.Logic would say that the venue favours the highly unpredictable Pakistan, who for most of the previous decade used the UAE as their “home” turf. Also, players who participated in the second half of the rearranged IPL will benefit from the tournament’s shift to the UAE and that makes India a big beneficiary.In Group 2, the most likely semi-finalists are India and Pakistan, with the biggest danger to them being New Zealand. Group 1 – where Australia, England, South Africa and West Indies all reside – is much more difficult to predict. Using the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey method, I favour England and West Indies to qualify from this group, but I do so with little conviction. And that’s the beauty of the T20 World Cup – it’s a lottery.