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From the new Akram to India’s fifth-choice bowler – how did Irfan Pathan come so far the wrong way in just 18 months?

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan29-Jun-2006

Irfan Pathan, once the darling of the masses, is slipping into a rut © Getty Images
Exactly 30 months after he made his Test debut on December 12 of 2003 in that unforgettable battle at Adelaide, Irfan Pathan, for a brief five overs, reminded us of his potential. On an insipid pitch in picturesque Gros Islet, with the sun beating down and West Indies on the defensive, he ran in hard, generated some pace, found some swing, rediscovered his yorker, and dismissed Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Under normal circumstances, one wouldn’t remember the spell (5-2-8-1); it was of the sort a bowler is routinely expected to deliver at Test level. But these aren’t normal times for Pathan. His bumpy journey – from fast-medium to swing to medium to military – has prompted a range of reactions. Some are plain aghast, some insist it’s just a bad patch, while others say he has sacrificed his bowling for his batting.There’s a school of thought that suggests that his bowling was hyped in the first place. This theory, aired by certain observers close to the team, goes somewhat along these lines: Pathan burst onto the scene with a certain exotic charm – given that left-arm bowlers who could curve the ball either way were usually born on the other side of the border. He possessed a good bouncer and a delightful yorker, both of which helped him make an impact in his first two series. Hardly had a beginning been made than a pedestal was erected. Pathan was soon found out in his second season. Ever since that October 2004 afternoon in Bangalore when he consistently clocked close to 85mph in demanding conditions against Australia, his average speed has taken a gradual dip. He still remains a potent weapon when the atmospheric conditions assist, or when he is bowling to leaden-footed minnows, but the threat has diminished, no doubt. Maybe he’s simply someone whose limitations we need to understand. Instead of expecting him to be India’s answer to Wasim Akram, it would have been more fitting if we had thought of him as the next Chaminda Vaas.Pathan, if we are to believe some insiders, is quite confused at the moment. Receiving advice from various quarters – Imran Khan, Michael Holding, Wasim Akram, Andy Roberts – has its own pitfalls. “Pathan hasn’t understood his own game yet,” a source close to the team analysed, “and it becomes difficult for him to filter out what to do and what not to, especially when it comes from such great players. Ultimately, he ends up trying too much.”He has fallen into such a trap earlier. In August last year, he told Cricinfo.com: “After the Pakistan trip [in 2004] I was surrounded by a lot of hype and whenever I was praised, I worked harder by putting in extra hours at the gym… despite the caution of the physio and trainer of not overdoing things, I went and worked harder in the gym.” The upshot was a side strain that ruled him out of action for 20 days.When one watches Pathan bowl these days, it’s pretty obvious that he’s experimenting. On the first day of the tour game against Antigua and Barbuda, he appeared to be halting in his follow-through after delivering the ball. The rhythm was gone, and the local batsmen duly feasted. In his second spell, he tried one short ball too many and saw most of them sit up, begging to be pulled.Greg Chappell, addressing the press at the end of the day, said he was “maybe looking for pace”. Rudi Webster, the well known sports psychologist who spent time with the side, observed Pathan and said he could “feel his lack of confidence”. Worryingly, there have allegedly been snide remarks from some of his team-mates, about him being the coach’s favourite. It leaves him in no-man’s land, with a plateful of problems to sort out.In the second Test at St Lucia – the only one of the first three Tests he played – he appeared to be looking desperately for swing, bowling outside off and trying to make it move away. The ball didn’t do much and Chris Gayle didn’t miss out. “A bowler like Kapil Dev could afford to do that because he could deliver that natural outswinger in any conditions,” the source quoted above said, “Irfan’s immediate challenge lies in understanding his limitations and learning how to still be a good bowler.”Interestingly, in the middle of this decline as a frontline bowler, Pathan the batsman has thrived. Apart from No. 4, he’s batted in every single position in one-dayers (in Tests he’s missed out on Nos. 5 and 6). He has regularly shouldered the burden at the top of the order and, occasionally done spectacularly well. Those who speak about his ability to work at his game say that he spends a lot of time on his batting. Has his batting affected his bowling? Has he, unwittingly, sacrificed his primary suit? First he was the next Akram, then the next Kapil, but as things stood before the final Test at Jamaica, Pathan was India’s fifth-choice bowler and second-choice No. 7.

Tottenham Hotspur are "on the verge" of a surprise signing as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg breaks some transfer news this morning.

Postecoglou chasing early January deals

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou made clear last month that the north Londoners will attempt to seal their January business early, as the head coach wants to bed new recruits into the squad nice and quickly.

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Indeed, Tottenham are linked with signing a centre-back, midfielder and forward this month, with Postecoglou recently saying he's "hopeful" of sealing new players soon after the winter window opens.

"Obviously if we can do business early it's great for us, not just because of losing [Cristian] Romero but there's a whole month there – why waste it?," said Postecoglou on Spurs' January transfer plans.

"If you can bring them in early, even if they don't play you can bed them into training and our style of football because it's not like we're going to sign somebody and they'll hit the ground running. Maybe they could.

Trevoh Chalobah

20th December

Jean-Clair Todibo

20th December

Morato

19th December

Radu Dragusin

16th December

Sebastian Caceres

14th December

Jarrad Branthwaite

13th December

"Whereas if you leave it towards the end of January, it's potentially not until mid to end of February when they get up to speed, depending where they're coming from, the league they're coming from. So there's a whole lot of moving parts. So yes, I'd love to do something early in the window but even me saying that puts a challenge on us – because other clubs know we want to do something early.

"You've got to play the game, we'll see what happens but I'm hopeful it will be much earlier than the end of the window before we bring someone in."

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin. Postecoglou's side, in their desperate search for a new centre-back, are thought to be making headway and want a deal done soon.

Tottenham are advancing in talks to sign Dragusin after agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano), but according to Sky reporter Plettenberg, there has been quite an unexpected transfer development out of N17 just this morning.

Timo Werner "on the verge" of joining Tottenham

According to the journalist, RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner could be a Spurs player very soon.

It is believed Werner is "on the verge" of joining Tottenham on loan and "final negotiations" are taking place today.

The Germany international can play anywhere across the attacking midfield area and further forward. Werner has scored two goals in eight Bundesliga appearances this season.

The Toronto Nationals, Montreal Tigers, Ottawa Royals, Vancouver Knights and Winnipeg Hawks and the Caribbean All-Stars will make up the six-team tournament

Peter Della Penna16-May-2018Global T20 Canada, the new six-team franchise league organized by Cricket Canada and Mercuri Group based out of Chennai, will take place between June 28 and July 15.Each team will play six games in the league phase: an initial round-robin followed by a single-match second round in which the teams will play one other opponent. The top four teams after the league phase advance to the playoffs beginning on July 12.Similar to the IPL, the top two teams will play in the first playoff, with the winner going into the tournament final while the loser gets a second chance by playing the winner of the first elimination playoff between the third and fourth-placed teams. The final will take place on July 15 at 2pm local time, the same day as the FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow.Though Cricket Canada president Ranjit Saini told ESPNcricinfo in February that the tournament would be spread across three venues in the greater Toronto area, the schedule unveiled this week lists all games to be held at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, 25 miles north of downtown Toronto in King City.Saini had indicated that there may be difficulty getting permits for access to certain venues such as the centrally-located Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club, which hosted the Sahara Cup ODI series between India and Pakistan in the late 1990s.While no permanent infrastructure exists at Maple Leaf CC beyond a small clubhouse, the venue has installed temporary seating in the past to accommodate fans for a quadrangular series in 2008 between Canada, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The Global T20 Canada website lists the seating capacity for the tournament matches at Maple Leaf CC as 7,000, meaning temporary bleachers are expected to be brought in once more for the tournament.Though the entire tournament will take place at Maple Leaf CC, Global T20 Canada’s franchise names represent five cities across Canada as well as one team called “Caribbean All-Stars”. The other five teams are the Toronto Nationals, Montreal Tigers, Ottawa Royals, Vancouver Knights and Winnipeg Hawks.The tournament is scheduled to have a player draft on May 26 to fill out team rosters. However, no information has been provided by Cricket Canada or tournament organizers regarding any foreign players in the draft pool or regarding fixed salaries tied to a player’s draft slot akin to the Caribbean Premier League. Saini had told ESPNcricinfo in February that only a minimum of four Canada players would be required in each 15-man squad, with no mandate that any Canada players be in a starting XI.

India needed 34 off 12. Dinesh Karthik almost single-handedly achieved that target with a stunning 29* off eight balls

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAssociated Press

When Dinesh Karthik came to the crease, India required 34 off 12 balls. Mustafizur Rahman had just delivered perhaps the over of the tournament. A profoundly deflated Vijay Shankar was batting at the other end. What unravelled was a scarcely believable finish that saw Bangladesh fritter away their chance at the title, and Karthik – phenomenally cool at the crease – seized ruthlessly on their string of mistakes.He punished Rubel Hossain in the penultimate over, as the bowler continually missed his yorkers. The first ball, a full toss, disappeared over Rubel’s head. Later in the over, overpitched balls would be smashed over cow corner and blasted past square leg. Twenty-two runs were hit off that over, but Karthik’s best moment came at the end of the next. India now needing five off the last ball, he drilled a wide half volley from Soumya Sarkar over the extra cover rope. An India-supporting Khettarama crowd, a phenomenon without precedence in the 21st century, was tipped into euphoria. His own team-mates flew out of the dressing room to greet him, engulfing him in a frenzied huddle.Bangladesh, who had already triumphed in two thrillers, doing so much to prove they had rid themselves of the many hang-ups their 2016 World T20 defeat to India had spawned, were almost inconsolably distraught at the end of this match, now having collected a second haunting loss at the same opponent’s hands. They had bowled so beautifully in defense of their 166 for 8 – a total that seemed perhaps 15 runs light. They had bowled four consecutive boundary-less overs in the middle, conceding only 16 during that spell, and consequently raising India’s required rate from 7.81 at the end of the ninth over to 10 at the close of the 13th. Rohit Sharma, who had helped set up the pursuit with 56 off 42, was dismissed soon after, and both Manish Pandey nor Shankar were chased into a corner by a proliferation of Bangladesh dot balls.But all through this tournament, India have found special performers even from among this second string of players. After Mustafizur had bowled a wicket maiden in his final over the tournament, Karthik was India’s human adrenaline shot, reviving an innings that had seemed doomed to a quiet death. His only stroke of fortune was that he had Sarkar to face in the last over, a result of Bangladesh’s refusal to give Mehidy Hasan a second over after his first had been hit for 17 in the Powerplay.Associated Press

Elsewhere in the game – though so much will be forgotten in that scintillating last-ball finish – there was a 77 off 50 balls from Sabbir Rahman that held the Bangladesh innings together, and outstanding spells from Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar, the former claiming 3 for 18, the latter 1 for 20.In fact, the two India spinners had combined to deck the opposition top order as early as the fourth over of the game. The openers had been watchful in Sundar’s first over, but the moment one attacked him a wicket resulted – Liton Das caught at square leg after having attempted a slog sweep. Next over, Chahal’s first, provided two more wickets. Tamim Iqbal advanced, but although he sent the ball high into the Colombo night, he could not clear the field – Shardul Thakur plucking the ball above his head at long-on and expertly keeping his balance to avoid contact with the boundary. Four balls later, Sarkar swept Chahal straight to square leg, and Bangladesh were 33 for 3.Sabbir was involved in rebuilding work with the seniors, putting on 35 in Mushifqur Rahim’s company, then 36 in Mahmudullah’s. Bangladesh would probably have got themselves to a better score had Sabbir not run Mahmudullah out in the 15th over – Mahmudullah marooned at the striker’s end after Sabbir had sprinted to the keeper without taking note of his partner’s reluctance. Sabbir then took it upon himself to club a few more leg-side boundaries, before being dismissed himself. Mehidy Hasan provided a final fillip, scoring 18 off the last over, bowled by Thakur.India appeared to have the measure of this chase early, as after only 13 balls they had already struck 30. But then Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina fell in successive overs, and the innings slowed down. Rohit, who had made 39 in the Powerplay, scored only 13 runs in the six subsequent overs, When he holed out to Nazmul Islam – the original keeper of the dance – Pandey and Shankar were brought together. It was their dithering partnership, which was worth only 35 off 28 balls, that left India requiring the kind of furious finish that Karthik provided.

The former national T20 captain is set for his first ODI appearance in nearly three years, when the England series kicks off

Daniel Brettig11-Jan-2018Cameron White does not regret criticising Australia’s recent selection policies and will seek out the selection chairman Trevor Hohns to discuss their differences of opinion after being recalled for his first ODI appearances in nearly three years.Having dropped Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade in large part due to a spate of Australian middle-order collapses in 2017, Hohns and his panel lost their first batting preference when Chris Lynn pulled out of the limited-overs squad to face England due to a calf strain.Hazlewood and Cummins to rest

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins will be rested from the first and second ODIs against England, respectively, as Australia seek to manage the workloads of their fast bowlers between the Ashes and the four-Test tour of South Africa.
The Australian limited-overs squad assembled in Melbourne on Thursday but Hazlewood remained in Sydney and will rejoin the squad in Brisbane on Tuesday ahead of the second match. Cummins, meanwhile, will be part of the team for the opener at the MCG but will miss the Gabba match.
Mitchell Starc is also expected to miss some of the series, with the West Australian duo of Jyhe Richardson and Andrew Tye expected to take up much of the pace load following their strong displays in the Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers.

Rather than recalling Maxwell or going with the younger D’Arcy Short, they have opted to return to White, who last played in the lead-up to the 2015 World Cup campaign and has been in extremely consistent form for Melbourne Renegades. “He’s in very good form as his figures demonstrate, he’s playing very well,” Hohns said. “He’s one of the leading run-scorers in the BBL, he’s experienced, he’s a very smart cricketer and he’s a good fielder. He ticks all the boxes for what we need at this stage.”In addition to thinking as recently as Christmas Eve that he was no longer going to be considered for the national team, White had been arguably the most ardent critic of the selectors for choosing younger players on their potential rather than more experienced operators with a better track record. The choice of Sam Heazlett for last year’s ODI tour of New Zealand was a particular sore point, and White had also pointed out that it now seemed possible to be picked for Australia out of the Big Bash League regardless of what format it was for.”I grew up watching and dreaming of playing for Australia and thinking how hard is it going to be to get a game for Australia and to earn the absolute right,” White said on RSN radio in January last year. “Now it sort of seems like the Australian team at some stages is a development team. For me, playing for Australia isn’t about giving you a chance to develop. Domestic cricket is where that happens, and Futures League. I just want to see the best players playing, I don’t care who they are… I’m not against young players playing at all, but I’m just not sure about bringing people into the Australian team to develop.”We’ve seen with selection over the last period of time that the Big Bash seems to be the be-all and end-all. You can get picked to play for Australia in any format out of the Big Bash, really. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’m just a little worried to be honest, on the [lack of] importance the selectors are putting on domestic cricket. For years, the strength of the Australian game has been the domestic game. I’m just not sure that there has been much importance put on that and it worries me for the future of Australian cricket and the strength of Australian cricket.”These words resulted in a riposte from Hohns, stating the White’s career had hardly been “earth-shattering”, but after a happier exchange on Thursday, White saw the irony in his own selection after strong BBL displays. “I don’t think I’d change what I said, that was just me being honest about what I thought about the selection process at the time,” White said. “Trevor disagreed at the time, we haven’t spoken about it since, but that’s okay as well. Hopefully during this period of time it might be a good chance to talk it over. But it was just a comment on selection, which was an opinion-based thing, and I had a different opinion like many other people do as well.”Making a few runs in the Big Bash hasn’t hurt, but maybe it is a little ironic. I’d like to think that my one-day cricket for Victoria hasn’t hurt my chances of getting this opportunity… Maybe it’s a little bit ironic – missing games for Victoria was more about playing some younger people and getting some experience into them in Shield cricket at the same time.”It was no different at the start of this year, I didn’t play the first three games even though I was coming off some really good form in the pre-season in the one-day cup, so it’s just the landscape of Cricket Australia these days, I understand that and there’s no point complaining about it or whingeing, it’s just the way it is. It could well be the same case when I go back to Shield cricket later in the year as well.”

“I’ve got an understanding of my game now, I’m a bit older and understand what sort of mental state I need to get myself into to make sure I’m scoring runs consistently – clear mind, watch the ball and react to it.”

White’s scores of 79*, 51, 3, 49*, 35* and 68* for Renegades followed innings of 66, 19* and 82 in two Sheffield Shield appearances, while he had made 199 runs at 49.75 in four domestic limited-overs cup appearances at the outset of the season. However he has in recent times been on the fringes of the Victorian squad, playing far less consistently than Maxwell, and had widely stated his belief that his international days were over. In many ways, the choice of White from the edges of the Victorian set-up mirrors that of Tim Paine when he was not keeping wicket for Tasmania.”I was very surprised when Trevor Hohns rang me,” White said. “I probably did think [I wouldn’t get picked again] but in the back of my mind I never did give up all hope, so it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, get back and have another go at it, so I’m just grateful for the opportunity and the chance. It’s up to me now whether I can make the most of it.”I’ve got an understanding of my game now, I’m a bit older and understand what sort of mental state I need to get myself into to make sure I’m scoring runs consistently – clear mind, watch the ball and react to it. Sounds simple but it’s not that easy to do most of the time. Along with that, understanding my game and situations out on the field. They’re the main things to it, and obviously got a bit of experience behind me now in different conditions and situations.”The good thing about now is I feel I’m a better player than when I last played [for Australia], so I’m happy that I’ve got another opportunity and hopefully I can show that. In terms of unfinished business or call it what you like, it’s a good feeling that I’m in a better position to be successful now than I was when I left after having the last go.”Andrew McDonald, the Victoria coach, has already indicated he is “shocked” at White’s recall ahead of Maxwell, describing it as a “kick in the backside” for the younger man. White observed that Maxwell was on a similar journey of self-knowledge that he had been on himself, and would come out of it a better and more consistent player. At the same time he reckoned he was capable of helping to stop the recent trend of middle-order collapses that limited Australia to five wins from 15 ODIs in 2017.”I think what you’ve seen from Glenn this year is he’s probably now getting a really good understanding of what consistent runs looks like and he’s in really good form,” White said. “You’ve seen it in the Big Bash and playing with him in the Shield, he’s made a double-ton and another hundred, so he’s doing everything right it seems to me.”But hopefully that is one of my strengths, playing to the situation [when collapses are underway]. I’ve done that pretty well in the Big Bash over the last four or five games. If that’s the role they see me playing, I’ll definitely be happy to do that.”

South Africa opener Hashim Amla has been rested for the final ODI against Bangladesh on Sunday. He has been replaced in the squad by Aiden Markram.Amla, 34, was given a break after he scored a century in each of the two Tests against Bangladesh, and 110 not out and 85 in the first two ODIs of the three-match series. South Africa won the Tests 2-0 and have already taken a series-winning 2-0 lead in the ODIs.Markram, 23, had made his Test debut in the two-match series against Bangladesh, scoring 97, 15 and 143 in his first three innings. He then made 82 for a Cricket South Africa XI in a 50-over warm-up game against Bangladesh, and is now set to make his limited-overs debut for South Africa in the third ODI at Buffalo Park in East London.

Liverpool have been boosted in their efforts to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, with a report claiming the "doors are opening" for the move to take place.

Is Romeo Lavia a transfer target for Liverpool?

The Belgian saw his stock rise significantly last season, having joined Saints from Manchester City and made an immediate impression at the base of his side's midfield. While the south coast outfit ended up being relegated from the Premier League, finishing bottom of the table, he came away with his reputation enhanced, let alone in-tact.

A summer exit from St Mary's is now almost certainly on the cards for Lavia and he is reportedly wanted by some of the biggest teams in the country, including Arsenal and Chelsea. It is Liverpool who have emerged as arguably the favourites to sign him, however, with the Reds seeing him as a great option to bolster their midfield, especially with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson heading off to pastures new.

The 19-year-old is still at the Southampton for the time being, but it seems increasingly clear that the Merseysiders are working hard to get a deal over the line sooner rather than later. Now, a fresh update has emerged that sheds further light on the situation, as Liverpool look to complete some exciting transfer business.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?

According to Belgian newspaper La Derniere Huere [via Sport Witness], the "doors are opening" with regard to Lavia's move to Liverpool coming to fruition in the near future. The player himself is believed to be "on alert", as he waits for a significant update from his agent.

He is described as a "priority" target by the Reds, while a move to London is mentioned as being less likely at this point, suggesting Arsenal and Chelsea and lagging behind in the race to sign the Saints starlet.

Liverpool have the luxury of "time and patience" being on their side, according to the report, with plenty of the transfer window remaining and Southampton knowing they will likely have to offload key talent at some point this summer.

With each passing week, the more it looks as though Lavia is destined to head to Anfield before the 2023/24 season gets started, in what would be an eye-catching and long-term piece of business.

The teenager's ceiling looks extremely high, considering he has already stood out as a star man for a Premier League team, while City manager Pep Guardiola has said the following about him as a player:

"Really impressed with what Romeo is doing, we had and have an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him but we thought maybe he doesn’t get enough minutes like he’ll get in Southampton."

Lavia could help fill the void left in the No.6 by Fabinho, and Henderson to a lesser extent, but it is also important that another new arrival in that position also comes in, in order to ease the burden on him. Expecting a 19-year-old to boss Liverpool's midfield from the off is asking too much, and it is vital that he is given time to settle instead.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte believes his decision to join the French champions over Chelsea was '100 percent' the correct one.

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Chelsea and PSG had vied for Ugarte's signatureUgarte signed for PSG for €60mUgarte has become key player in ParisWHAT HAPPENED?

Ugarte revealed how pleased he was to be at PSG, who sit top of Ligue 1, and believes he made the right decision in moving to Paris, not London. The 22-year-old was at the centre of a tug-of-war between PSG and Chelsea before the French giants eventually landed him for €60 million (£52m/$65m).

AdvertisementGettyWHAT UGARTE SAID

Speaking to , Ugarte said: "I am 100% convinced that coming here was the best choice. PSG, for me, is something incredible. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I am here because before coming I did not imagine the scale of this club, its worldwide fame, its supporters… I am enjoying this incredible experience enormously, while focusing on achieving of our objectives.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ugarte may well be thinking 'what could have been' had he joined Chelsea in the summer. With the Blues once again struggling this season, languishing in 10th in the Premier League, he can be forgiven for his relief at not moving to west London. The Uruguayan has started each of PSG's five Champions League fixtures and has become a constant presence in the club's midfield this season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR UGARTE?

Ugarte's PSG sit top of Ligue 1 by four points ahead of tonight's home fixture against Nantes. The Parisians then travel to Dortmund on Wednesday, knowing they must match or better Newcastle's result against AC Milan to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds.

Glasgow Rangers have made seven summer signings under Michael Beale, however, the summer overhaul could now see a few players departing the Ibrox side during the transfer window and Glen Kamara appears to be attracting interest.

Will Glen Kamara be a Rangers' player next season?

Transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that “it does look like he will finally leave” amid the growing interest in Kamara from teams such as Southampton, Sheffield United, Stade Rennais and OGC Nice.

With the Gers reportedly slapping a £5m price tag on him ahead of any potential departure, according to Christopher Jack of The Herald, Beale stands to make millions on the midfielder who arrived at the Light Blues for a fee of just £50k back in January 2019, turning an impressive profit on the player.

According to Turkish outlet Sozcu, Besiktas are in the chase for the 27-year-old midfielder and the report claims that Kamara has asked to travel to Istanbul in order to thrash out a deal with the club.

Judging by the sheer volume of clubs who are interested in him, it certainly appears that he will finally depart the Gers after four and a half seasons at Ibrox.

What happened to Glen Kamara at Rangers?

The former Arsenal youngster was seen as one of Steven Gerrard’s finest signings when he arrived for the aforementioned £50k four and a half years ago from Dundee, adding some steel into the midfield at a bargain price.

After 18 months of bedding into the side, he became a key member of the team that went on to secure the 2020/21 Premiership title in record-breaking fashion, going the entire season unbeaten and conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.

Although Kamara was impressive domestically, he took his game to the next level when appearing in Europe, and during the 2021/22 campaign, he was excellent in the stunning run to the Europa League final, ranking in the top ten across the squad for accurate passes per game, interceptions per game and key passes per game.

His form was already slipping domestically towards the end of that season, however, with Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie having dubbed him as “terrible” and he struggled again during 2022/23.

He made just 11 Premiership starts all season, falling out of favour with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and then the returning Beale, whilst his Champions League performances were a major disappointment given how solid he had been on the road to Seville.

Kamara was the worst player in the squad in Europe’s premier club competition with regard to overall Sofascore rating (5.9) and also ranked 15th for accurate passes per game, seventh for interceptions per game and key passes per game, clearly proving he was out of his depth at this level.

The £21k-per-week liability must now make the move away from Ibrox in order to get a fresh start to his career elsewhere. The talent is certainly there, displaying it across his first three years at the club, however, he doesn’t quite fit Beale’s tactical system.

Generating £5m for the midfielder would allow Beale to pursue other targets and significantly boost his squad for the challenges ahead next term.

Dale Steyn has been named in the South Africa A four-day squad for the tour of England with a view to proving his fitness for the Test series which begins in July

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2017With a view to proving his fitness for the Tests against England which begin in July, Dale Steyn has been named in the South Africa A four-day squad that tours England before the series.Steyn has been out of action since November when he injured his shoulder in the first Test against Australia in Perth. He has been building up his rehabilitation programme in the early part of the year and the plan is for him to be available for two of the three four-day matches South Africa A play in June.If he comes through those matches he would put himself in the frame for a spot in the Test squad for the four-match series against England which begins on July 6 at Lord’s. Steyn is five wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker.”The shoulder rehabilitation has been good. It feels stronger every week,” he told ahead of the squad being named. “I want to play cricket for South Africa. I am nearly ready.”The A squad for the four-day matches will be captained by the highly-rated Titans batsman Aiden Markram while Khaya Zondo, who captains Dolphins, will lead the one-day side. Temba Bavuma, who will be part of the full Test squad, is included in both the one-day and four-day squads along with the recently capped Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi and Theunis de Bruyn.”The four-day series will give us an opportunity to see how some of the players who are on the fringes of the Test squad perform in England ahead of the four-test series,” Linda Zondi, the convener of selectors, said. “We still have time to finalise the Test team so that series can give us some pointers before we finalise the Test squad.”South Africa A one-day squad Khaya Zondo (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Jon Jon Smuts, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, , Heino Kuhn, Dwaine Pretorius, Mangaliso Mosehle, Sisanda Magala, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Junior Dala, Dane PatersonSouth Africa A four-day squad Heino Kuhn, Aiden Markram (capt), Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Rudi Second, Dane Piedt, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Duanne Olivier, Junior Dala, Beuran Hendricks, Dale Steyn