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“I was conflicted in my own mind. I knew they were expecting the slower ball, but I didn’t know when to bowl it”

Matt Roller17-Jul-2022It is hard to comprehend the contrasting emotions that Hampshire’s players experienced at 9.48pm on Saturday night in Birmingham. Nathan Ellis yorked Richard Gleeson and charged towards the Hollies stand, roaring “COME ON!” as he peeled away in celebration. His team-mates sprinted over and engulfed him, and the Edgbaston events staff set off the fireworks to mark Hampshire’s record-levelling third T20 title.And then, umpire Graham Lloyd held his arm out and called them back from the deep-point boundary: Paul Baldwin, the TV umpire, had spotted that Ellis had over-stepped. James Fuller sank to his knees. Chris Wood flung the stump he had pulled out as a commemorative souvenir back towards the pitch. “My heart sank,” Ellis said. “All I could think about was the fact that we’d just carried on like that, and I’d carried on celebrating for the last 30 seconds. And now we were in trouble of losing the game.”Related

James Vince's calm amid the chaos secures Hampshire their night of glory

Ellis keeps his cool – twice – to seal one-run thriller for Hampshire

The equation had shifted into Lancashire’s favour. With two runs awarded for a no-ball in English domestic cricket, they needed only two runs off the last ball to lift the trophy by virtue of a higher powerplay score. After James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, delivered a team talk, Ellis stood at the top of his mark and tried desperately to clear his mind enough to make a decision as to what he should bowl.”I hadn’t bowled a slower ball to him [Gleeson],” he explained. “My thought process was: ‘what’s the best way to try and get a play-and-miss?’ That was it. Once I’d made that decision, it was just try and execute.” His back-of-a-length, back-of-the-hand slower ball flew past Gleeson’s outside edge, bounced over the top of the stumps and through to wicketkeeper Ben McDermott on the half-volley.Despite Lancashire’s protestations, Hampshire celebrated for a second time. Ellis finished wicketless but his spell, conceding 23 runs from his four overs, must rank among the best none-fors in T20 history. Even before closing out the win (at the second attempt) he had conceded only nine runs across the 15th and 17th overs as Lancashire froze in their chase; all told, he bowled 10 dot balls and conceded a single boundary, which came during the powerplay.Ellis’ strategy at the death was a microcosm of the planning behind modern T20 cricket, and illustrated the unique challenges of the Blast’s Finals Day. After winning their own semi-final at the start of the day, Lancashire had watched Hampshire beat Somerset immediately before the final; Ellis realised that they would have seen how many slower balls he had bowled during his spell of 3 for 30.Ellis – “My role in T20 cricket has never been as a wicket-taker”•Getty Images”It was a little bit of cat-and-mouse,” he said. “I was conflicted in my own mind. I’d bowled three on-pace attempted yorkers and I knew they were expecting the slower ball, but I didn’t know when to bowl it. I was fully aware that I’d bowled a lot of slower balls in the semi-final earlier in the day, and aware that they [Lancashire] were probably watching.”Ellis is shorter than most fast bowlers and has a whippy action, bowling at good pace from tight to the stumps. His back-of-the-hand slower ball, honed playing Sydney club cricket for St George, is difficult to pick since the seam stays upright throughout and he has been a revelation for Hampshire, conceding just 6.87 runs per over across the season.He was only their fifth-highest wicket-taker, with 15, but his death-over economy rate (6.61) was the best in the competition by a distance. “My role I’ve played in T20 cricket has never been as a wicket-taker,” he said. “It’s not something I even think about or look at: it’s probably more damage control or defend. Those moments to me are way bigger than wicket tallies or anything like that. If we get the win, I couldn’t care less.””The way he regrouped and then his confidence to go to that slower ball in that situation… he’s executed so well at the death so a lot of credit has to go to Nelly,” James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, said. “All the other guys were there spectating on the off-chance it came to them but for him to re-group and have the ball in hand and be as calm as that was outstanding. He’s played a bit for Australia, but I’m sure he’ll play a lot more.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAlong with McDermott, his Hobart Hurricanes team-mate, Ellis was signed on the back of his BBL form which Vince has experienced as an opponent, playing for Sydney Sixers. “We’ve got a good relationship with George Bailey, the Australian selector, from when he played at Hampshire,” Vince said. “Although there was [Australia] A cricket and other squads going on, we had good confidence that we’d have him for the whole competition. That makes a big difference.”Ellis was a travelling reserve when Australia won the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year and will now come into consideration as a squad option for their title defence in October – particularly if he can secure a replacement deal in the Hundred and continues to impress in that competition.But those thoughts can wait. Finals are not about the future, but the unfiltered emotion of the present. And as Ellis, still in his full kit and wearing a Hampshire bucket hat, sat in the dressing room with his team-mates deep into the small hours on Sunday morning, he was left to reflect on the surreality of a final that he won twice

How skewed are the numbers in favour of win-toss-and-bowl this tournament? What about the old adage of “runs on the board in pressure games”?

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Nov-2021The impact of the toss, and bowling firstThe influence of the toss on the match result has been a talking point during the Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. A high number of matches have been won by the teams winning the toss – 29 out of 44 (65.9%). Ten of the 12 games hosted in Dubai, the venue for the final, have been won by the side winning the toss.Between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, 21 of the 27 games have been won by the chasing teams. Under lights, Dubai has heavily favoured the chasing team – they have won all nine games played here in the night.The teams batting first have either lost early wickets or struggled to time their acceleration, and have ended up with below-par totals. To add to it, the dew and the lack of movement later on at night has meant the margin for error when bowling under lights is minimal – bowling sides have not been able to defend even 12 an over at the death. The seamers have taken only eight wickets in nine games when bowling second under lights, and conceded almost 10 runs an over.The only team that consistently went against the win-toss-and-bowl trend in this tournament was Afghanistan – they won the toss in all five of their matches, and elected to bowl only against India in Abu Dhabi under lights. If England is known to swear by the bowl-first mantra – they have chosen to bowl the last 24 times they have won T20I tosses – Afghanistan is their mirror image: they have won 28 T20I tosses since the start of 2016 and chosen to bowl only five times.ESPNcricinfo LtdFinch leading Williamson on the toss countLooking at the toss results of the two finalists, it is clear that Australia have had more luck with the coin so far: they have won five tosses and won all five of those matches. At the same time, they got a thumping from England after being put in to bat.New Zealand have won only two tosses, but they were in their two most important matches so far – against India in Super 12s and against England in the semi-finals. They batted first in day games against Scotland and Namibia, while Afghanistan’s penchant for batting first played into their hands.Toss and title winners – trivia from the pastIf the toss winners end up as champions on Sunday, it will not be for the first time. Five of the previous six editions of the Men’s T20 World Cup were won by the team winning the toss in the final – the only exception was Pakistan in 2009. West Indies won the toss in all six matches in 2016 on the way to their second title. They elected to bowl in all six games and only lost to Afghanistan in a day game.ESPNcricinfo LtdThey also had a good record with the toss in 2012, winning the toss in six of their seven matches. That tournament, hosted by Sri Lanka, offered a big advantage to teams batting first in the business end of the competition. West Indies won the toss in their semi-final and final, and defended their totals quite comfortably.Inaugural champions India won five tosses in the 2007 edition, including in all three Super 8s games and twice in the knockouts. The 2014 winners, Sri Lanka, won all four matches in which they won the toss, including two in knockouts.

Indian allrounders Krunal Pandya and Nitish Rana were sought after by RCB and RR

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-20242:04

Moody: Curran poses a left-hand conundrum with bat for CSK

Bhuvneshwar Kumar emerged as the most expensive player sold in the early bidding on day two of the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) buying him for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.28 million approx.).Fast bowlers were in high demand with Deepak Chahar going to Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 9.25 crore ($1.10 million approx.), Akash Deep to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 8 crore ($0.95 million approx.), Mukesh Kumar to Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 8 crore ($0.95 million approx.), pace-bowling allrounder Marco Jansen to Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 7 crore ($0.83 million approx.), and Tushar Deshpande to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 6.50 crore ($0.77 million approx.).RCB and RR also went up against each other for Indian spin allrounders, with RCB snapping up Krunal Pandya for INR 5.75 crore ($0.68 million approx.)and RR getting Nitish Rana for INR 4.20 crore ($0.50 million approx.).Related

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A large number of players were unsold in the early bidding, including established IPL names like Shardul Thakur, Kane Williamson and Ajinkya Rahane. There were no takers for Prithvi Shaw either, despite his base price being only INR 75 lakh. On day one, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were among the high-profile players to go unsold.Records were broken on day one of the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, when PBKS first bought Shreyas Iyer for INR 26.75 crore and then LSG bought Rishabh Pant for INR 27 crore, making them the most expensive players in the history of the league.

Newcastle United’s pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo seems to be completely off the cards now. The Magpies were strongly linked with the Brentford winger at the end of May, with The Telegraph claiming they would ‘be in pole position’ for the Cameroon star if they acted fast.

However, they didn’t act fast enough, with Manchester United nipping in before the Magpies and seemingly reading the race for Mbeumo now. Ruben Amorim’s side ‘are expected to continue prioritising the signing’ according to the Manchester Evening News, suggesting there is little to no chance the Magpies will sign their first-choice attacker now.

With that in mind, Eddie Howe’s side need to find an alternative attacker. They may well have another Premier League star linked to a summer move up North.

Newcastle’s search for a winger

There is no doubt that losing out on Mbeumo has put a real dent in the summer transfer plans at St James’ Park. However, with Champions League football returning to the club, the alternative option has bags of experience in the competition.

Transfer Focus

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

It seems as though Jack Grealish is destined to leave Manchester City this summer, after a tough few months and his omission from the Club World Cup squad. Well, Football Insider suggest that the Magpies ‘are leading the race to sign’ the England international this summer.

However, they will not be the only side trying to sign Grealish this summer. Fellow Premier League outfit Everton are also at the front of the queue, whilst there will be interest from abroad.

Grealish is valued at £41m by Football Transfers, but a loan deal is the ‘most likely’ outcome.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

Make no mistake about it, the 2024/25 campaign was not an easy one for Grealish. He only played 32 times for the Citizens across all competitions, with just 20 of those games coming in the Premier League.

2025 so far has seen the England international play just seven Premier League games, featuring for just 144 minutes. He scored in that spell, too, with his goal coming against Leicester City.

It was a strike which meant a lot to the player on a personal level.

Yet, let’s not forget the quality the former Aston Villa star has. It was on show both at his boyhood club, for whom he scored 32 times and grabbed 43 assists in 213 games, and at the Etihad Stadium.

In fact, City content creator Steven Mcinerney described him as “immense” back in 2023.

One thing that Grealish can bring to the Magpies’ squad is experience in the Champions League. He was a treble winner with City in 2022/23, playing 90 minutes in all but one of the knockout games in their successful European campaign.

He managed 16 goal involvements in 50 games in that successful season for City.

That European pedigree is one reason why he makes an excellent alternative to Mbeumo, who, in his own right, would have been an excellent signing.

The Bees star managed 28 goal involvements in 38 top-flight games last term, and certainly would have added dynamism to their attack.

Yet, he seems to be off the table, and the maverick that is Grealish might be St James’ Park bound, instead. To get an idea of how suitable an alternative Grealish is, one can compare their stats from their most productive Premier League seasons, which for the City star was 2020/21, when he managed 16 goals and assists in just 26 games.

The stats on FBref stack up against each other well. That season, Grealish averaged 3.33 key passes and 7.08 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to 1.85 key passes and 3.43 progressive carries each game from Mbeumo this term.

Goals and assists

0.66

0.71

Key passes

3.33

1.85

Shot-creating actions

6.96

3.8

Goal-creating actions

0.82

0.53

Progressive carries

7.08

3.43

If Howe can help get Grealish back to his very best, like we saw four years ago, then he will have a sensational player on his hands. Not only will he bring flair on the ball and creative nous, but plenty of experience in the Champions League.

Losing out on Mbeumo was disappointing, but signing Grealish could be a huge catalyst for the Magpies to kick on in the 2025/26 campaign.

Better than Joao Pedro: Newcastle plotting offer for £85m "monster"

Newcastle are hoping to add more firepower to Eddie Howe’s squad this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 11, 2025

The half-centuries from Kamindu and Asalanka ended up as mere footnotes in the game as WI won with five balls to spare

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Oct-2024West Indies 180 for 5 (King 63, Lewis 50, Pathirana 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Asalanka 59, Kamindu 51, Shepherd 2-39) by five wicketsBrandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, to set West Indies beautifully on course to their target of 180, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Although the hosts’ middle-overs bowlers slowed West Indies’ progress, they were never in serious trouble.They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a four off the first ball of the final over.Shamar Joseph was the most economical of West Indies’ bowlers, conceding only 27 from his four overs. Though King and Lewis later outshone them, Sri Lanka had two half-centurions too, in Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka, whose 82-run stand was the most substantial of the innings.

King, Lewis blast the powerplay

Lewis struck the first boundaries, launching Chamindu Wickramasinghe for a six and four at the end of the first over, but it was King who made the greatest impression while the fielding restrictions were in play. King’s standard move was to run at the bowlers and blast them down the ground. So good was his hand-eye coordination, that he did it twice against seamer Asitha Fernando in the second over, before taking aim at the spin of Maheesh Theekshana in the third over.By the end of the powerplay, King had eight fours (some of them edged, to be fair), and 39 runs off 20 balls. Lewis, who had blasted boundaries off Wickramasinghe almost exclusively, had 31 off 16 balls. And West Indies had 74 off the first six.They kept swinging, and by the end, Lewis made 50 off 28, and King 63 off 33. The requirement was fairly simple after their onslaught.Shamar Springer celebrates his maiden T20I wicket•AP Photo/Viraj Kothalawala

WI quicks strike early

By contrast, Sri Lanka’s top order had failed to prosper on a helpful surface, thanks in part to sharp bowling from West Indies’ quicks. Romario Shepherd caught the edge of Pathum Nissanka’s bat three times, conceded fours behind the wicket and then had him caught by the keeper on the third occasion, to make West Indies’ first breakthrough. Kusal Perera was then bowled by Shamar Joseph early in the following over.When Kusal Mendis was also bowled by an excellent quicker delivery from Gudakesh Motie, leaving Sri Lanka at 58 for 3, it felt as if West Indies were about to carve open the game.

Kamindu may be good at cricket

But then perhaps it’s time to admit that Kamindu appears to know what he is doing on a cricket field. Having recently become the fastest batter since 1950 to 1000 Test runs, he produced 50 off 41 here in the shortest format, outdone in his team only by Asalanka who clubbed 59 off 35, Kamindu would also bowl two overs for 14, switching arms when necessary. He took the wicket of the opposition’s top scorer, King, with his left-arm spin, and collected figures of 1 for 14.

Know your Bash Brothers, look out for the Pope and the must-watch Melbourne and Sydney rivalries

Srinath Sripath18-Dec-2018Big Bash, what’s that like, a fun party?
Sort of, if you’re an Australian kid finding ways to enjoy your summer holidays. Even otherwise, the Big Bash League (the BBL, henceforth) is a city-based T20 tournament that has been a big hit among Australian fans – hardcore and casual – in recent times.A T20 tournament?
Yes, an eight-team tournament like the IPL and others of its kind that’s now into its eighth edition.Ah, so who are these teams?
Two teams each from the two biggest cities – Melbourne and Sydney, and one each from the rest – Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and HobartWhat are they called?
Melbourne’s got the Renegades and the Stars, Sydney Thunder and Sixers, Hobart has the Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers.Two teams from Melbourne and Sydney, why would that be?
Cross-town rivalries are a big deal in sports across the world, and the BBL is no different. “Derbies” between the two same-city franchises are a big draw.While we are at it, you should totally watch the Melbourne Derby on New Year’s Day. It’s become the BBL’s showpiece fixture, and over 80,000 turn up to watch it at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and television audiences are known to dig it too.These derbies, how many of them are there in a season?
Ok, so make a note. Two Melbourne derbies and two Sydney derbies. The Melbourne derbies are on New Year’s Day (Jan 1) and Jan 19, while the Sydney derbies are on Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and Feb 2.Crowds packed into the MCG for the Melbourne derby•Getty ImagesBig teams mean big stars, right? Are David Warner and Steven Smith playing?
Not yet, no. Those two are still serving their suspensions, although Cameron Bancroft, the third guy in that whole ball-tampering thing, is completing his nine-month ban and will be available for Perth Scorchers from December 30.In any case, Warner and Smith are usually out for the best part of the BBL, since the Australian international summer coincides with it.None of that’s a buzzkill. There’s enough star power for you to keep you interested. Here are some of the biggest draws from different parts of the world.

• Australia – Glenn Maxwell
  (Melbourne Stars), Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat), apart from a horde of young talent

• Afghanistan – Mujeeb ur Rahman (Brisbane Heat), Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers)
  (Cheat code: Mujeeb’s the first male player born in the 21st century to play international cricket)

• Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka fans, so what if none of your compatriots are playing? Join the Nepalese in rooting for Sandeep Lamichhane (Melbourne Stars)
• England – Joe Root, Jos Buttler (both Sydney Thunder) Jofra Archer (Hobart Hurricanes)
• Pakistan – Usman Shinwari
  (Melbourne Renegades)
  (PS: This other Usman will probably get you more excited)

• West Indies – Dwayne Bravo (Melbourne Stars)
• New Zealand – Brendon McCullum (Brisbane Heat)
• South Africa – Colin Ingram
  (Adelaide Strikers)

Aaron Summers bowls on his T20 debut against Melbourne Renegades•Getty ImagesIt’s not just your Gabba and your MCG where the Big Bash will be played. From Renegades’ Marvel Stadium in Melbourne and Thunder’s Spotless Stadium to – for the first time in the tournament’s history – Gold Coast’s Metricon Stadium, the Big Bash spreads its wings far and wide across Australia.Know your Bash Brothers, the powerhouse opening pair for Brisbane Heat – Lynn (of “Lynnsanity” fame) and “Baz” McCullum. A nickname that’s borrowed from ’90s American Baseball, these two have proved a huge hit among Heat fans over the years.And talking of baseball, watch out for 22-year-old Hurricanes quick Aaron Summers, who switched from baseball to cricket when he was 13, and has already clocked 150 km/h on the speed gun last year. Summers might be just one T20 match old, but he already has a Pakistan Super League contract. Loves his KFC zingers, delivers some with the white ball in hand too.There’s a new Pope in town – Australia’s next big spin-bowling hope, Sixers’ Lloyd Pope is a wristspinner who impressed with his bag of tricks at last year’s Under-19 World Cup. He is set for his Big Bash bow this time.If you’re an Australian kid reading this, Big Bash isn’t all that far from backyard (or street) cricket at all: there will be “hills” or “flats” this year instead of the toss. Who needs coins when you have bats?And if you’re from England and want to watch your big superstars in action, most of the games provide some terrific morning viewing. Who doesn’t like cricket with their cornflakes, or nice distraction when in the office (don’t worry, we won’t tell the boss).Before you go, know that there are kids who grew up supporting a Big Bash side now old enough to play for one: Sydney Thunder’s Jason Sangha, for one, Australia’s batting hope like bowling’s Pope.

Five IPL franchises have expressed a “soft” interest in buying a stake in London Spirit, the Lord’s-based Hundred team, according to Mark Nicholas, the MCC president who is set to take over as the club’s chairman in October.Nicholas was speaking at Lord’s to announce plans for the inaugural “World Cricket Connects” symposium – an event due to be hosted by MCC on July 5, and intended to “help shape cricket’s ongoing global success and provide balance across its huge spectrum of stakeholders”.The initiative reflects MCC’s intention to “improve its global contribution” by offering a neutral canvas on which the sport’s most influential figures can meet and discuss the future of the game. BCCI secretary Jay Shah, whom Nicholas described as “the most powerful man” in world cricket, is expected to be among the 110-plus attendees, alongside other senior figures from the sporting and administrative sides of the game, including senior IPL figures and a host of influential current and former cricketers including Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rahul Dravid.MCC’s own ambitions are a crucial part of cricket’s changing landscape, with the chief executive, Guy Lavender, recently writing to its members to ask whether the club should accept the ECB’s offer of a 51% stake in London Spirit as part of the drive to privatise the Hundred.Under the proposed model, the eight Hundred “hosts” – seven counties plus MCC – will be given majority stakes in their respective teams, with the ECB selling the remaining 49% to private investors, which will be finalised through a bidding process.Although the club’s rules allow a final call without a vote, Nicholas stressed MCC wanted to ensure it had the backing of its 24,000-strong membership, describing the move towards private equity as a “monumental” step which would eventually prove beneficial for the growth of game at all levels.”What we are putting to a vote is to accept the ECB’s offer of a 51% share of this franchise,” Nicholas said. “We will always be a members’ club. The first target is membership harmony [because] as a member you are entitled to a view. It’s very easy to knock people back because they’re difficult, but actually there is quite a lot of good thinking that comes out of activism. You have to treat people with respect, and hear their view.”Nicholas pointed out that cricket across the globe was a “booming franchise opportunity”, so it was only wise for the English game, MCC included, to cash in, especially having failed to capitalise on the original Twenty20 Cup concept more than two decades ago.”We missed out on T20 in 2003 where we could have grabbed it,” Nicholas said, recalling how English cricket squandered its first-mover status, with the IPL coming into being in 2008. “India thought quicker than us and were smarter than us, as India often is. India moves at an extraordinary pace to make things work.Related

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“So the Hundred has given us another opportunity. The [MCC] membership quite likes being part of the chat, not being consigned to a piece of history. The members I talk to really love the idea of having a team, love the opportunity that it brings. There will be financial opportunity, either in growth of the equity or in sale of the equity.”The ECB has appointed Raine Group and Deloitte as advisors for the Hundred privatisation. While there’s no formal deadline, the ECB is eager to finalise terms by the end of the year, but as Nicholas conceded, there are a number of issues that still need resolving.”The real truth is that not everything is clear yet,” he said. “For example, how would the bidding process take place? What’s the rollout of these franchises in the bidding? We don’t know that yet. The ECB haven’t declared that. We have met the investment bank – I’m not sure they even know yet. There’s still a lot for us to learn.”Some of the potential bidders will be present at the World Cricket Connects event, which takes place on the eve of the MCC World Cricket Committee meeting, and Nicholas said it was important to listen to those voices.”They have dominated to this level by owning teams, driving forward a new financial model, and developing it extraordinarily,” he said. “There’s a very wide list of attendees, and I think that’s the advantage of the event. They would never otherwise come together.”

“My family actually doesn’t get to travel the world and watch me play a lot of international cricket. So to do it in front of them definitely is right up there”

Sidharth Monga23-Jun-20241:15

Has Chris Jordan made himself undroppable?

Perhaps because he has been around for longer, Chris Jordan doesn’t quite get remembered as an England cricketer of Bajan origin as Jofra Archer does. The Kensington Oval was where Jordan first saw a cricket match, incidentally between West Indies and England, and fell in love with the game. He vaguely remembers watching it from the old press box. Perhaps he means the stand and not the actual press box.There is nothing vague about having created a pretty special memory here by taking a hat-trick to end USA’s innings prematurely in a collapse that took out five wickets for no runs, before England eventually won the Super Eight match by ten wickets to seal a semi-final spot. It is naturally special having done it at “home”; those in attendance made it more special for Jordan, because he has never had so many of his family watching him play. It ranks “right up there” with his best days in an England shirt.”Yeah, it’s a good day,” Jordan said. “I think because my family actually doesn’t get to travel the world and watch me play a lot of international cricket. So to do it in front of them definitely is right up there. And then also in a World Cup, in a game to make sure that we can qualify, it’s definitely up there for sure. Ranks high.”Related

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Who all were there then? “Yeah, everyone. The list goes on. My mum, my dad, my sister, brother-in-law, nephew. My nephew’s the one because he called me this morning and said, ‘Make sure you take three wickets today if you’re playing’. And yeah, so I looked up and he’s jumping up, because one day he might be out there trying to do the same thing. So yeah, you end up trying to be a role model and stuff like that. So yeah, it was a nice day.”It was fitting then that the England leadership brought Jordan in for a homecoming, along with Archer. After the defeat to Australia, Jordan missed the Oman game, but was brought back for the rain-shortened crunch match against Namibia. Then he missed games against West Indies and South Africa. It can be challenging for a player to not be sure of a place in the starting XI, but Jordan hasn’t let it affect him.”Not too much of a challenge because I [have] played a lot of cricket now, and I think the communication has been really good from the hierarchy as well,” he said. “I try to control the things that I can control – because even when I’m not playing, I’m trying to be there for guys and help guys with their planning, and make sure that guys are well motivated as well going into the game.”So we don’t really have too much time to even think about being in and out. All I can do is kind of keep training hard and just keep preparing as [though] I’m going to play every game anyway, whichever way the coin falls on the day. So yeah, not too much of a bother for me.”

In a massive blow to Mikel Arteta, first-team coach Carlos Cuesta will leave Arsenal to become the youngest manager in Serie A history with Parma.

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• Cuseta set for a fresh challenge in Italy
• Had been working with Arteta since 2020
• Will become Serie A's youngest coach at 29

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Arsenal are bracing for a significant backroom reshuffle as highly-regarded first-team coach Cuesta is poised to leave the club. The 29-year-old Spaniard is set to take charge of Parma, becoming the youngest head coach in Serie A history. This move marks a major milestone in Cuesta’s rapidly rising career and a potential headache for Arteta, who has relied on the coach’s insight and tactical input for the past five years.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Parma are understood to have formally requested permission from Arsenal to finalise negotiations, although the Gunners have yet to officially respond. reports that Cuesta is due to travel to Italy on Wednesday to wrap up the move. Should the deal go through, Cuesta will step into the managerial role vacated by Cristian Chivu, who only recently took over at Inter from Simone Inzaghi.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Before joining Arsenal, Cuseta cut his teeth in youth coaching roles at Atletico Madrid and Juventus. Yet, the appointment will be a bold statement by Parma, trusting such a young and relatively inexperienced coach with first-team responsibilities in one of Europe’s top leagues.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  For Arsenal, Cuesta’s likely departure creates a void that Arteta must now fill ahead of the upcoming campaign. With pre-season preparations set to get underway in July, the Spaniard is racing against time to find a suitable replacement.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is personally targeting a “world-class” player, and it is believed that the Gunners are in advanced talks to sign him ahead of the summer window.

Andrea Berta set for busy summer transfer window at Arsenal

New sporting director Andrea Berta will soon commence his official role as Arsenal’s head transfer chief, which has prompted much excitement ahead of what will be his first window at the club.

"Now" – BBC journalist shares Bukayo Saka return twist out of Arsenal

The England star has been out since before Christmas.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 28, 2025

The 53-year-old will touch down in the UK before the beginning of next week, according to BBC journalist Sami Mokbel, and is expected to be in attendance for Tuesday’s Premier League clash against Fulham.

Berta, who played a key role during his 12-year stay at Atlético Madrid – orchestrating deals for the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Rodri, Jan Oblak, Yannick Carrasco, Luis Suárez and Marcos Llorente – comes to N5 with a glowing reputation.

Since former director Edu’s departure in November last year, Arsenal had been linked with PSG’s Luis Campos, among other high-profile officials, but Berta seems like a very good fit for Arsenal and Arteta.

There are already reports that Berta is set to splash the cash this summer, with GiveMeSport stating that Arsenal could spend up to £300 million on seven new signings under the Italian.

He is apparently set for a busy opening window as he looks to overhaul Arteta’s squad. Following Berta’s appointment, the Gunners are reportedly after a new back-up goalkeeper, full-back, defensive midfielder, left-winger, striker and, potentially, an alternative to Bukayo Saka out wide (GMS).

However, one of his key goals will be to win the race for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has already stated this week that Arsenal are “almost definitely” going to sign Zubimendi, but contrary reports state that Real Madrid are very much still in the mix.

The 26-year-old’s contract includes a £50 million release clause, which Arsenal are prepared to trigger (Fabrizio Romano). The main obstacle to this move is convincing Zubimendi to swap his boyhood club for the Premier League, which Liverpool failed to do last summer when the Spain international snubbed Arne Slot’s advances.

Mikel Arteta's stance on Martin Zubimendi with Arsenal in advanced talks

Now, a report by TEAMtalk has shared Arteta’s stance on Zubimendi, with Arsenal still in advanced talks to strike a pre-summer deal.

Arteta “certainly” wants Zubimendi at Arsenal, as per this report, and as previously reported, loose terms have already been agreed with the player. However, although negotiations are at an advanced stage, they’re apparently not finalised just yet.

This could hand Real Madrid some hope, but the good news for Arsenal is that Liverpool are apparently not planning to reignite their pursuit this year.

The Sociedad star has previously been called the “perfect” midfielder for Arteta, while Kieran Tierney has labelled him “world-class”. Given Thomas Partey and Jorginho are set to leave for nothing at the end of the season as things stand, it is imperative that Berta seals a move for Zubimendi to fill the void left in Arsenal’s engine room.