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da bet vitoria： There could be plenty of change at Manchester United this summer as Ruben Amorim prepares for his first full season in charge at Old Trafford.

da jogodeouro： The Red Devils and INEOS may have to move some players on before splashing the cash to comply with PSR, especially after the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham didn’t help with the club’s finances.

Amorim also now knows that he will be leading his Man Utd side against Arsenal at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Related AI predicts the 2025/26 Premier League table

Who are the winners and losers from AI’s table?

Posts 1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 7, 2025

Marquee signing Matheus Cunha will be expected to feature on the opening weekend, but who else will be in that side? Well, Grok, the AI tool on X, has predicted Man Utd’s 25/26 starting line-up, with three more new faces backed to join the Brazilian.

AI predicts Man Utd’s 2025/26 starting line-up GK: Emiliano Martinez

According to Grok, the new goalkeeper for the 25/26 season at Old Trafford will be Emiliano Martinez.

The Red Devils are seemingly on the search to replace Andre Onana two years after he arrived, and the Argentine is thought to be open to joining Amorim’s side. A fee of £40m has been mooted in the media for Aston Villa to sell.

RCB: Noussair Mazraoui

Versatile defender Noussair Mazraoui has been predicted to start on the right-hand side of a back three after making 20 appearances as a central defender last season.

AI says that the Moroccan ‘adapted well to Amorim’s right centre-back role, offering defensive solidity and attacking contributions’.

CB: Leny Yoro

Still just 19 years of age, Leny Yoro looks set to be a regular at the back over the coming years, and he made 33 appearances in his first season at Old Trafford.

His ‘long-term potential make him a starter’ under Amorim, according to Grok, providing he stays fully fit.

LCB: Matthijs de Ligt

With Lisandro Martinez still sidelined through injury, Matthijs de Ligt has been predicted to make up the back three alongside Mazraoui and Yoro.

Despite being right footed, the Netherlands international has bundles of experience at the highest level and should continue to help Yoro and Mazraoui.

RWB: Amad Diallo

In a 3-4-2-1 system, Amad Diallo impressed as a right wing-back in the early days of Amorim’s Man Utd tenure.

Amorim also praised Diallo, saying the Ivorian has “improved so much defensively”, and he has been backed to feature there on a regular basis, starting against Arsenal ahead of Diogo Dalot.

LWB: Patrick Dorgu

On the other side, January signing Patrick Dorgu could get the nod ahead of his first full campaign as a Red Devils player.

The Denmark international was a regular in the second half of the 24/25 campaign and will be looking to add to his 20 Man Utd appearances.

CM: Manuel Ugarte

The first of two midfielders is Manuel Ugarte, who, despite being known for his defensive work, contributed to eight goals under Amorim in 24/25.

Ugarte is described as a ‘guaranteed starter’, providing a major midfield signing isn’t made, as he ‘brings energy and defensive nous to midfield, aligning with Amorim’s desire for dynamism’.

CM: Bruno Fernandes (c)

After snubbing interest from Saudi Arabia, Bruno Fernandes was always going to start in Grok’s Man Utd predicted XI.

Bruno Fernandes’ Man Utd stats

Games

290

Goals

98

Assists

86

Trophies won

2

The Red Devils captain is into his sixth year at Old Trafford and despite the club’s struggles, will go down as an iconic Man Utd star. AI says Fernandes ‘will anchor the midfield, likely playing slightly advanced’.

RW: Matheus Cunha

After triggering Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause, it is no surprise to see Man Utd’s new signing thrown straight into the starting line-up.

The Brazilian contributed to 19 goals last season as an attacking midfielder or second striker, with the remaining four contributors coming as a winger or centre-forward. Grok has predicted that Amorim will use Cunha as one of two No.10s behind a striker.

LW: Bryan Mbeumo

Joining Cunha in behind a forward is another new face in Bryan Mbeumo. The Red Devils have a major interest in the Brentford star, who is valued up to £60m.

Grok says Mbeumo ‘pace and goal-scoring’ will offer a ‘balance to the attack’, and after a career best season in front of goal with the Bees in 24/25, it’s hard to argue against that.

ST: Viktor Gyokeres

Finishing off the side could be Man Utd’s most exciting and expensive signing of the summer in Viktor Gyokeres. The goalscoring machine starred under Amorim with Sporting CP and a reunion has been spoken about, although he does have an £85m release clause in his contract.

Grok says Gyokeres ‘could be the answer to their goal-scoring woes, outshining Rasmus Hojlund’ in the process.

Former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva has delivered his verdict on Joao Pedro after the new signing helped dump Fluminense out of the Club World Cup.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Pedro stars on first Chelsea start
• Scores twice to send Blues into final
• Silva says he's a special talent

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pedro dazzled on his first start for Chelsea following his big-money move from Brighton. The forward scored two brilliant goals as the Blues beat Silva's Fluminense in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Tuesday.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pedro refused to celebrate after scoring against his former team but did admit it had been a "dream" to bag a brace. Silva spoke about Chelsea's new boy after the game and told the Blues they have a very special talent on their hands.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• WHAT SILVA SAID

  He told : "This kid is special, I have a lot of affection for him. A while ago, I recommended him to the people who take care of my physical health. He works with my physiotherapist in Europe, who also takes care of my children.
  I faced him a few times at Chelsea, when he was still at Watford, and he had two great games against us. I said, ‘Man, this kid is special’.
  I didn’t expect him to be inspired today, he hit some great shots. One of our kids knocked us out of such an important competition, but good luck to him."

• TELL ME MORE…

  Silva also wished Chelsea well for the final where they could come up against another of his former sides in PSG. He added: "I now hope Chelsea can do well in the final, regardless of who they face. If it’s Paris Saint-Germain, my heart will be divided. If it’s Real Madrid, I’m definitely rooting for Chelsea. Now it’s time to lift our heads, wish Joao Pedro luck, and move on."

Wolves have edged past AC Milan in the race to sign Almeria and former Spain Under-21 right-back Marc Pubill.

Wolves lead the race for Pubill's signatureMilan in contact with player's agentAlmeria open to sell Pubill, but with inflated price tagFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Almeria are open to selling Pubill; however, they have attached an asking price of €19m (£16.5m/$22.1m) with a 20% sell-on clause, which has to be paid to his former club Levante. Milan are after his signature, as they deem him to be a perfect fit under manager Massimiliano Allegri; however, their 'would be' formal offer of €15m (£13m/$17.4m) is falling short of Almeria's demands. Now, Wolves have emerged as favourites to sign him.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Wolves are short in defence as Nelson Semedo left the club after his contract expired this summer. Now, they have identified Pubill, 22, as the perfect replacement. The defender featured 36 times in the Spanish second-tier last season and seems ready for a higher level. The two-way fight between Milan and Wolves might end soon if the latter succeeds in convincing Almeria.

DID YOU KNOW?

The right-back, who has an existing contract at Almeria until 2029, was a Spain Under-21 international and scored a goal against Slovakia in the Under-21 Euros last June.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PUBILL?

One-time capped Catalonia player Pubill, who spent some time in Espanyol's academy before joining Levante in 2021, will now weigh up these offers and settle for the most convenient one in the coming weeks.

Maiden first-class hundred for former England Under-19s captain

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024A magnificent maiden first-class century from Ben McKinney and a dogged hundred from Alex Lees put Durham in a dominant position on day one of their Vitality County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire.McKinney, who is playing in just his second County Championship match, smashed an experienced Notts bowling attack around the park at the Seat Unique Riverside after Haseeb Hameed put the hosts into bat at the toss, while Lees anchored the Durham innings to reach three figures for the third time this season in the County Championship.McKinney was very much the aggressor in the early stages of the day as the pair put on 189 runs for the first wicket, the hosts’ highest opening stand of the season. The visitors then made a mini-fightback and picked up three wickets for 58 runs, but Lees combined with Ashton Turner for a partnership worth 122 to leave the hosts 393 for 5 at close.McKinney, who was part of the England Lions side that beat Sri Lanka last week, was excellent throughout his innings and laid a fantastic foundation for Durham in this mid-table battle. The 19-year-old dominated with some great shots, particularly on the off side, while Lees offered few opportunities as he went through the gears on the way to a 15th first-class century for Durham.Meanwhile Notts skipper Hameed will be scratching his head after his decision to bowl first allowed the hosts to post a big total. As a result his side already look like having a mountain to climb.On the opening morning at Chester-le-Street Durham managed to negotiate a tough period of opening bowling from Olly Stone, who was released from the England Test squad to play in this game, and Brett Hutton, but McKinney and Lees looked in good touch.Once he made it through the opening exchanges, McKinney looked to attack whenever he could and he hit two glorious boundaries on the off side from a Stone over. The tall left-hander passed fifty for the second time in his first-class career with a cover drive for four while Lees kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end to take the partnership past 100 just before lunch.McKinney continued where he left off after lunch as he remained positive and he picked up several boundaries including a lovely pull shot off the bowling of Hutton.Then came a flurry of milestones for the hosts with Lees reaching his fifty from 114 balls and former England Under-19s skipper McKinney brought up his maiden hundred from 117 balls with a beautiful cover drive. He then hit Freddie McCann for the first six of the match over the long-off boundary, but his excellent knock didn’t last much longer as he chipped a McCann delivery straight to midwicket and had to depart for 121.Scott Borthwick looked in good touch but Lyndon James bowled him for 26 after he left one which clipped the top of off stump and the Notts bowler struck again soon after, removing Ollie Robinson for 13, which gave the visitors some hope.While wickets were falling at the other end, Lees remained firm and joined McKinney in getting a century after tea, albeit in a somewhat different style with the former England man’s milestone coming from 223 balls with just seven boundaries.Turner, who is making his first-class bow for Durham, came to the crease and ran well between the wickets with Lees as they accumulated runs and passed 300. Turner then played a delightful pull shot for four and Lees got in on the act as he dabbed a Stone ball to the third man boundary as the hosts piled on the runs.The second new ball initially couldn’t help Notts in their pursuit of wickets as Turner reached his fifty from 70 balls. However, Hutton then bowled Lees for 145 to end a fine innings and give the visitors a sniff in the final stages of the day.James picked up his third of the day as Graham Clark went for 7, but Turner remained unbeaten on 62 at stumps.

India vice-captain looking forward to forging opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-20241:05

Gill: We’re the world champions and we have to play like that

Shubman Gill, India’s vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is, has said he aims to improve his performance in the shortest format, as the team begins to build towards defending their T20 World Cup title in 2026.”My performance in T20Is before the World Cup this year wasn’t how I had expected it to be,” Gill said ahead of the series opener against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. “Hopefully, going forward, in the upcoming cycle – I think we play 30-40 T20Is [before the next T20 World Cup] – I can improve my performance when it comes to batting, and also [we can improve] as a team.”Gill was a reserve player and not part of the squad that just won the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where India opened with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. With both senior batters now retired from T20Is, Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was the back-up opener at the World Cup, are now first choice for India at the top of the order”We really enjoy batting with each other. Especially the kind of shots we play, we kind of complement each other,” Gill said of his partnership with Jaiswal. “Being a right-left combination, we have had good partnerships in whatever T20Is we have played before; two partnerships have been 150-plus [too]. So we have a great understanding and communication between us, and I have fun batting with him.”Related

• Suryakumar Yadav: 'The same train will continue, only the engine has changed'

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• 'Trust, freedom, success' – Gambhir lays out his coaching philosophy

Gill and Jaiswal strung a couple of big partnerships in the T20Is in Zimbabwe after the T20 World Cup 2024 ended. Gill, who was India’s stand-in captain that series, top-scored with 170 runs at a strike rate of 125.92 in five innings. He was then appointed vice-captain for the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, selected ahead of other opening contenders like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, who had scored a hundred in Zimbabwe.The series in Sri Lanka is also Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as India coach after he succeeded Rahul Dravid, whose coaching tenure ended after the T20 World Cup triumph.”We have had just two net sessions together, and this is the first time I am working with him,” Gill said about Gambhir the coach. “But whatever he has told me during these two sessions, his intent and communication have been very clear – he knows what he wants from which player, and what he thinks will work for each player.”India play three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on July 27, 28 and 30, followed by three ODIs in Colombo on August 2, 4 and 7.

Joe Root is set to make his first red-ball appearance for Yorkshire in almost two years as he prepares to line up against Gloucestershire this week in the second round of the County Championship.Root, whose only domestic cricket last year came in the Hundred for Trent Rockets following the Ashes, was announced in Yorkshire’s 13-man squad for the trip to Bristol. After missing the opening fixture against Leicestershire following the two-month tour of India, Root will play the next four rounds, followed by a trip away to Northamptonshire for the seventh round which begins on May 24. The 33-year-old last played first-class cricket for his home county in May 2022 against Warwickshire, a month after stepping down as Test captain, before playing three times in the T20 Blast up to June.It is a further boost to Yorkshire’s promotion hopes after they welcomed back Harry Brook for the first of his five-game stint last week. Brook, who had not played since England’s white-ball tour of the West Indies in December after withdrawing from the India series following the death of his grandmother Pauline, returned to action with a crisp unbeaten 100 off just 69 deliveries. Brook’s last fixture will be against Glamorgan at home, starting May 3, before taking a break ahead of England’s T20 series against Pakistan that leads into the T20 World Cup.Following an indifferent tour of the subcontinent, during which he scored 320 runs at 35.55, with just one century coming in the fourth Test as India triumphed 4-1, Root will use the next month to tune up ahead of a bumper six months. England welcome West Indies and Sri Lanka for three-Test series this season, the first of which begins at Lord’s on July 10. They then travel to Pakistan and New Zealand before the end of the year.Yorkshire will hope to make the most of the availability of both their stars as they look to return to Division One, having suffered relegation in 2022. They were hamstrung last summer by a 48-point deduction that decimated any hopes of an immediate return but are considered favourites to re-emerge from Division Two this time around.

She said there were lessons to pick up from Wolvaardt not getting enough strike in the final stages of the second ODI

Srinidhi Ramanujam20-Jun-2024To get close to chasing India’s 325 and fall short just by four runs is a massive confidence booster for South Africa, according to Marizanne Kapp, one of the four centurions in the second ODI in Bengaluru. She said this was the brand of cricket they wanted to play, looking ahead to next year’s 50-over World Cup in India.This was after South Africa were reduced to 67 for 3 inside 15 overs on Wednesday. Even the series opener saw them having a collapse upfront, where from 33 for 3, they were eventually bowled out for 122. But unlike Sunday, South Africa fought back hard in the second game but Pooja Vastrakar denied Laura Wolvaardt – who top-scored for the visitors with 134 not out – and South Africa a series-levelling win with a sensational final over.”There were a lot of positives today,” Kapp said after the game. “To get that close is obviously a massive confidence booster especially moving forward, we know we can reach that total. But in saying that, probably after that first four in the last over, it was our game to lose. It’s definitely something we would speak about, but in the future, if we could have maybe tried to get Wolfie [Wolvaardt] on strike a bit more, then maybe… there are a lot of things we could have done differently. But again, to come that close, after starting a little bit slower today, we have a lot of positives to take forward, given that we have a World Cup next year.Related

• 'The older I get, I'm getting better' – Kapp glad she was talked out of retiring

• Mandhana and Harmanpreet top Wolvaardt and Kapp in landmark 646-run contest

• Stats – Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Wolvaardt, Kapp combine to break ODI records

• Wolvaardt, Vastrakar and a six-ball emotional rollercoaster like no other

“It’s [the intent] something we’ve been speaking about. We had a meeting with the batting coach after our first ODI. He said that if we had scored 100 in 20 overs in that ODI, he would have been happy even if we got bowled out. But to score 122 off the 37 overs, it’s not the brand of cricket we want to play. Definitely happy with the way we scored today and got close to the target.”During the chase, Wolvaardt crossed 4000 ODI runs and became the highest run-getter for South Africa in 50-over cricket. Kapp also touched the 3000 mark to be fourth on the list. Kapp, who played as a specialist batter in these two matches because of workload management, has visibly upped her batting in the last 12 months. Since 2023, she has smashed two centuries and four half-centuries in 15 innings to average 68.20 in this format.Coming in at 67 for 3 when the team needed a big partnership, she thrived under pressure and shared 184 runs off 170 balls with Wolvaardt to take South Africa closer to the huge target.”If you look at myself and Wolfie, it’s been a few times now that we have been out in the middle,” Kapp said. “The way my batting has gone in the last couple of years, I have been striking at close to 100, so it’s just a little bit more natural for me. I have found that If I am being positive, I usually score runs more often than not. Whereas she likes to take her time, set herself on and then go after the bowlers. We don’t even have to speak about it. It naturally worked out that way that I am going to be the aggressor, and she takes her time.”At the end of the day, this is why I play cricket for,” Kapp spoke of playing under pressure. “I believe usually in those situations, I perform, and I pride myself in that. Wolfie and I, we enjoy that. Sometimes, you get a bit annoyed or upset if you are tired, but look, no. It’s a team sport, and the two of us enjoy batting together. I feel like games like this, situations like this probably bring out the best in myself and Wolfie.”

da cassino： After putting in what might be one of the club’s all-time great performances away to European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Arsenal had the task of dispatching Ipswich Town yesterday afternoon.

da pinnacle： Given the hype before their Champions League game and the sheer jubilation that followed it, it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see the Gunners struggle to motivate themselves for a Premier League game that ultimately now means little in the grand scheme of their season.

However, Mikel Arteta has instilled a certain philosophy in his team, and they came out flying against the Tractor Boys, coming away from Suffolk as fully deserved 4-0 winners, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard seriously impressing.

Yet, as good as the two starters were and as vital as they will be for the rest of the season, one of the second-half substitutes is now worth considerably more than both and could even be the Gunners’ new Cesc Fàbregas.

Merino & Trossard's game vs Ipswich

With Thomas Partey set to miss the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain thanks to his brainless yellow card in the closing stages of last week’s win, Arteta left him out of yesterday’s starting lineup, moving Merino into midfield and starting Trossard up top, in preparation for the upcoming game.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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While some were understandably worried about changing a winning formula, it would be fair to say it was a tweak that worked perfectly.

For example, the Belgian scored a goal in both halves and what made them all the more impressive was that he did so with little space to manoeuvre in the box, which might be how he has to operate next Tuesday.

We weren’t the only ones impressed with the former Brighton & Hove Albion man either, as the Standard’s Simon Collings awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘made his case’ to start against PSG and ‘offered more than just goals.’

Moreover, be it the confidence he’s gained from playing up top or the simple fact that he’s now had a sizable run of games in the side, the former Real Sociedad star was phenomenal and earned an 8/10 rating from Collings.

For example, his brilliant backheel allowed Gabriel Martinelli to score his 50th goal for the club, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was here, there and everywhere in the middle of the park, as exemplified by his statistics.

For example, in just 57 minutes of action, the “duel monster,” as dubbed by Arsenal content creator Adam Keys, amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.48, provided one assist, took 33 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his crosses, created one big chance, won ten duels and made six tackles.

Merino’s game in numbers

Minutes

57′

Expected Assists

0.04

Assists

1

Expected Goals

0.44

Key Passes

1

Big Chances Created

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (1)

Touches

33

Duels Won

10

Tackles

6

Dribbled Past

0

All Stats via Sofascore

In short, both Trossard and Merino put in stellar displays yesterday and should now be nailed-on starters for next Tuesday’s season-defining encounter.

Yet, both players are worth considerably less than one of yesterday’s substitutes, who could be the club’s next Fabregas.

The Arsenal gem worth millions more than Trossard & Merino

So, first things first, how much are Merino and Trossard worth today? Well, according to Football Transfers, the former is worth around €39.7m, which is about £34m, and the latter is valued at €31.8m, which is about £27m.

Now, while those are not insignificant valuations, they are, surprisingly so, much lower than Ethan Nwaneri’s, which is a whopping €54.6m, which comes out to about £47m, or £20m more than the Belgian and £13m more than the Spaniard.

It might seem like an absurd number for someone who’s just turned 18, but that might actually work in his favour, as the Hale Ender is already showing an ability to thrive in a title-chasing side at such a young age, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in just 33 appearances, totalling 1294 minutes.

In fact, it’s this ability to step up and perform like a seasoned professional at such a young age that makes him so similar to Fabregas.

The former captain became the youngest player to represent the team in a competitive fixture – a title now held by the Enfield-born gem – when he came off the bench against Rotherham United in a League Cup match in October 2003.

Then, over the next few years, he became a regular starter in the team, so much so that he started the club’s triumphant FA Cup final against Manchester United in 2005.

On top of breaking through in similar ways, there is a real possibility that the Gunners’ “unplayable” young star, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, could eventually move into the position once held by the Spaniard in time, as while he’s thriving on the wing at the moment, his most played position across his junior career was attacking midfield.

Finally, like the former Barcelona star, the teenage phenomenon has already shown that nothing about top-flight football fazes him, which could be one of the characteristics that help him establish a starting role in the first team in the years to come.

Ultimately, while Merino and Trossard should and almost certainly will start against PSG, Nwaneri looks like he will be one of Arsenal’s best players for potentially the next decade or more.

Related Best signing since Rice: £58m goalscoring "monster" wants to join Arsenal

The incredible international could be just what Arsenal need.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 21, 2025

With his Anderson-esque load-up, and an insatiable appetite for learning, he is trying to master the art in one of the toughest settings

Mohammad Isam14-Mar-2019Abu Jayed doesn’t quite think that he belongs to international cricket. He’s been in the senior set up for over a year, but has featured in just eight internationals.It has taken him a decade of first-class cricket to finally get noticed.Since his debut in July 2018, Jayed has played only one out of four Tests at home, and even though he has been picked for their last four overseas Tests, that’s hardly a sign of continuity in Bangladesh cricket.Yet, Bangladesh have an impressive swing bowler who invests a lot of thought in his bowling and has become, almost quietly, the highest wicket-taker in the country’s first-class competitions since his debut in 2010.These are early days for Jayed the international cricketer, but in this brief period, he has shown he can be a potent swing bowler in Bangladesh’s attack. It is, however, spin that overrides swing in the Bangladesh attack’s mindset.Spin wins them a lot of home Tests these days, which has also meant far less focus on trying to find ways to win abroad. In the lead-up to the ongoing New Zealand tour, there hadn’t been any tour-specific preparations (unlike their last two tours to this region), so newcomers like Jayed had to simply rely on their existing skillset.Yet Jayed has, for the major part, been accurate, been willing to bowl long spells, upped his pace over the past nine months and looked to have every weapon available in a swing bowler’s arsenal that Bangladesh have missed in the past six years.”While I was reviewing videos from West Indies,” Jayed said, “I saw that my pace on that tour was between 122 and 125kph. Now I am bowling between 129 to 134kph on this tour. I have got some belief in myself that I can swing the ball. I can see that batsmen have to work hard to face my bowling. If I can keep improving, I can become an international level pace bowler.”During commentary in the Hamilton Test, former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull compared Jayed’s bowling action to James Anderson. For most of his teenage years, Jayed spent time trying to emulate Anderson’s action. A chance encounter with Mizanur Rahman, a senior coach in the BCB, put Jayed on the path from transitioning from a dreamy kid to a serious swing bowler. It helped that Rahman took an interest in Jayed’s progress.”I started off as a fast bowler, but my brother told me that pace bowling won’t work in Bangladesh,” Jayed said. “After his suggestion, I started to bowl off-spin. I played U-13s as an offspinner, but I would bowl them quite quickly. I switched back to pace bowling soon. In the U-16s, someone told me that I was quite a quick bowler for my age, so I kept going.”Abu Jayed jumps into his James Anderson-esque load-up position•Getty Images”In one of the age-group games, Babul sir [Mizanur Rahman] noticed me. My bowling action was totally like Anderson’s in those days. But I was falling over on the left side, so he corrected my action. From that point, I started to get the outswing going.”As he evolved through Under-19 and first-class cricket, Jayed got a boost from one of the foremost names in fast-bowling coaching in Bangladesh. “[Sarwar] Imran sir inspired me by saying that I can play for Bangladesh,” Jayed said. “He said that Bangladesh doesn’t have many swing bowlers, so I can keep trying.”Jayed quietly made himself indispensable in Sylhet division’s NCL campaigns from 2010, taking 135 wickets at an average of 25.62 with eight five-wicket hauls. He was an easy pick for the East Zone side in the Bangladesh Cricket League, the higher-level first-class competition, in which he has so far been the standout pace bowler with 76 wickets in 24 matches.Predominantly, Jayed bowls long spells, and preys on the batsmen’s patience. “For example, when I play under [Mominul Haque] in the BCL, I stick to his plan. I am usually able to bowl 10-12 overs, so I work on the batsmen’s patience,” Jayed said.Jayed developed the inswing and has honed his ability to reverse the ball, too. He is known to be an energetic bowler, who doesn’t just trundle through a mid-innings spell. He gives it his all. Among his team-mates, he is also known as someone who has great knowledge of the ball.Some also feel that Jayed, one of the few Sylhet-born cricketers from his generation, has also inspired others to take up fast bowling. Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed, who are also in the Bangladesh Test squad for the tour of New Zealand, are also from Sylhet.

“There was a time [when I felt bad], but I started to focus more on first-class cricket… I wanted to be the highest wicket-taker every year…”

However, given he was overlooked for so many years, despite being the top pace bowler on the wickets-chart, the exclusion had been becoming demanding for Jayed. But like a true professional, he respected the domestic game, which earned him his keep, and he set his new goals to move up the ladder.”There was a time [when I felt bad], but I started to focus more on first-class cricket,” Jayed said. “I wanted to be the highest wicket-taker every year, and slowly eclipse bowlers like Tapash Baisya, Hasibul Hossain, Tarek Aziz and Talha Jubair. I stopped thinking about the national team at one point.”I told Talha [Jubair] recently that I am close to catching up with his tally of first-class wickets. One day, I want to catch up with Mohammad Sharif, or at least get close to it.”But Jayed wouldn’t want to emulate the fate of Sharif, Tapash, Hasibul, Tarek or Talha, neither of whom had a long career despite the promise they exuded. Among them only Tapash was more of a regular but only when Mashrafe Mortaza was injured in the early to mid-2000s. But injuries, a drop in the pacers’ form and, most pertinently, the impatience of selection committees over the last two decades, have made pace bowling in Bangladesh cricket a sideshow.Jayed doesn’t obviously plan to change any of that. He simply wants to learn better the complex art of swing bowling. He wants to meet his hero Anderson one day, but for now he is keen to play more Tests, and keep picking up vital life lessons along the way.By the end of the tour, he hopes to have a chat with Tim Southee, from whom he wants to learn a new kind of delivery: one that is delivered cross-seamed and while appears to be an outswinger originally, comes back into the right-hander.Nobody in Bangladesh cricket, mad about ODIs and the upcoming World Cup in particular, can be bothered. Jayed is, and wants to get better. Swing bowling is a tough art, and Jayed perhaps is learning it in the toughest setting in world cricket.

Five takeaways from South Africa’s 3-0 Test whitewashing of Pakistan

Liam Brickhill15-Jan-2019Pace is pace, bru
South Africa has always been a fast bowling hotbed, and the current generation is in such good shape that Pakistan, well stocked with seamers themselves, were easily out-bowled. The main difference between the two attacks boiled down to one thing: pace. Pakistan’s quicks operated at around 135kph, while three out of four of the South African fast men were consistently 10kph quicker than that. True, Vernon Philander doesn’t need extreme pace to succeed, but it can’t hurt that his bowling partners had opposing batsmen ducking and weaving. Duanne Olivier, consistently the fastest bowler on either side despite the heaviness of his short-ball workload over three Tests in quick succession, also ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the series and proved the adage that “pace is pace, bru”.Bowler-friendly pitches make for great cricket
South Africa coach Ottis Gibson’s message to his batsmen was that 500 needn’t be their target on bowler-friendly pitches and, in a series where 400 was breached only once across 12 innings, the wider point for the cricket-watching public was that ball dominating bat can be just as exciting, or even more so, when compared to runs galore. There wasn’t a single session across the three Tests that didn’t demand the viewer’s attention. At times, batsmen thrived, but the bowlers were never out of the game and as a result this series was without the lulls that can afflict run-fests. Every run made had context, meaning and import.Duanne Olivier was irresistible while running through Pakistan•Associated PressSteyn’s still got it (and so does Amla)
When Dale Steyn left the field midway through the second day of the third Test, clutching his right shoulder and angrily thumping the side of the Wanderers tunnel, South Africa feared the worst. It has been a long road back to full health for Steyn, and another serious injury at this stage could have been disastrous. But he was back on the field after lunch, and in the second innings led the attack once more, bowling more overs than anyone else, and at serious pace too. Steyn, as his captain and coach have said recently, is a freak of nature, a once-in-a-generation athlete, and the fire in his eyes has not dimmed one iota. He will remain a force to be reckoned with both at the World Cup, and in Tests to follow as he sets his sights on 500 scalps. The whispers around the form of another of South Africa’s elder statesmen ahead of this series have also been firmly hushed: Hashim Amla remains as vital to South Africa’s plans as Steyn.Home is a fortress, winning away is the next step
South Africa have now won seven Test series in a row at home, but it’s been almost two years since they last won an away series, against New Zealand. Since then, South Africa lost in England, albeit with a depleted side, and then floundered in Sri Lanka. This is undoubtedly a formidable Test team in their own conditions, and their rise to No. 2 in the Test rankings has been hard earned and thoroughly deserved. Home is a fortress, but South Africa will need to start winning away as well to reach Test cricket’s summit, and re-visit the heights set when they remained unbeaten away from home from October 2007 to November 2015. After the World Cup, they have a trip to India – currently ranked Test cricket’s No. 1 side – to look forward to in October. South Africa’s ability to adapt and compete in that series will be a true marker of their progress and standing.Temba Bavuma acknowledges the applause•AFPSouth Africa are building depth
When South Africa were struggling through their tour of England in 2017, missing not only AB de Villiers but also a slew of other players through injury, a feeling started to grow that the domestic system was not producing the ready-made Test cricketers it once had, and that the shallowness of their stocks was being exposed. South Africa lost the Basil D’Oliveira trophy, but gained the services of Gibson after that tour, and one of his first acts as national coach was to set in motion a programme to groom the country’s fast bowling talent. Fast forward a year, and the increased depth and strength of their quicks is plain to see. Importantly, moves have been made in other areas too. Theunis de Bruyn’s century in Sri Lanka last year showed his mettle, while Temba Bavuma has continued to develop into a world-class pressure-absorber in the middle order, Aiden Markram is the real deal, and Zubayr Hamza gave a glimpse of what he may be capable of in his debut innings.