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With tours of India and Sri Lanka to come in this WTC cycle, South Africa have shown in Pakistan that they have the resources to be dangerous

Firdose Moonda23-Oct-2025Never before have spinners played such a major role for South Africa in a Test victory.Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj’s 17 wickets in Rawalpindi are the most by South African spinners in a win. Add Senuran Muthusamy’s 11, Harmer’s five and Prenelan Subrayen’s two in Lahore and South Africa’s spinners took 35 of the 40 wickets on offer this series – the most in a two-Test series.The performance of the spin quartet speaks as much to South Africa’s evolving relationship with spin to the improvement of the personnel involved. Put simply: “We didn’t come here with mediocre spinners,” as Kagiso Rabada said after the game, and he’s right.Related

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South Africa went to Pakistan with a clutch of the best spinners they have ever had. In Maharaj, who missed the first Test while he recovered from a groin injury, they have their country’s most successful Test spinner and the only one to 200 wickets. In Harmer, who made his return to international cricket after two-and-half-years, they have the only South African spinner with 1000 first-class wickets. Between them, Harmer and Maharaj have 402 first-class caps. Add Muthusamy and Subrayen, with limited international exposure but plenty at domestic level, and South Africa’s spinners had 595 matches worth of experience between them.”There’s a wealth of knowledge in our change room,” Maharaj told the broadcasters as he received the player of the match award.And it paid off. Maharaj, who took all five wickets as Pakistan’s lower order suffered a collapse of 5 for 17 in their first innings, has made his name on discipline and accuracy and this performance was no different. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, he delivered 301 of his 325 balls in the match on the stumps or just outside off which cramped the Pakistan batters for room and did not allow them to score freely. He conceded at under 2.5 runs per over through the match as Pakistan faced 705 dot balls (117.5 overs) in 163.1 overs, which was part of South Africa’s plan to frustrate and eventually be able to dismiss them.Simon Harmer completed his maiden five-wicket haul in the Rawalpindi Test•Associated Press”Against the Pakistan batters, you needed to take away their boundary options,” Harmer said. “They’re very good at using their feet and something that we spoke about. Even when the ball’s turning away from the bat, they’re not scared to step out and get to the pitch of the ball. Non-subcontinent players look to sweep first versus using their feet, especially against a ball turning away. So I think with the amount of spinners we had in the squad, we bounced ideas around, came up with plans and then I think bowling in partnerships, as you touched on, is extremely important. In the first test, we probably weren’t as good at that. We were leaking runs from one side. But then in this Test, we were able to sort of stop the game.”In Lahore, Pakistan faced 637 dot balls (106.1 overs) in 156.5 overs which is still a significant number but they scored at a run-rate of 3.47 compared to 2.88 in Rawalpindi. Some of that can be attributed to the slower nature of the Pindi surface, which turned less. That also meant South Africa’s spinners, not known as huge turners of the ball anyway, had to rely on something other than just spin to take wickets.Maharaj said he did it with consistency and flight. Harmer, whose second innings six-for set South Africa up to chase a small target to level the series, did it with changes of pace, something he refined on the county circuit. He has been in in the top 10 wicket-takers on the county championship in the last six seasons and was the leading wicket-taker in two of them (2019 and 2022).”Recently, I feel like the wickets in England have died a bit. They’ve lost their zip and pace. There’s a lot of times playing in Chelmsford where you get into a situation like that,” he said. “Through the series, the most dangerous ball has been a pace off, between 78 and 82 (kph) On this wicket, the quicker pace was the pace that got batters to commit on the front foot, and then you could use your slower ball to get them into trouble. My time in England has helped me with that, bowling on flat wickets where there’s not a lot happening. It’s about how you construct your overs, what you’re looking to do and what shots you want the batters to play.”An example was the ball that dismissed Saud Shakeel on the third day, before Pakistan had taken the lead. It was flighted generously by Harmer, and delivered at 79.7kph. Shakeel played a little early, tried to force it though the offside and got an edge for Aiden Markram to pouch at first slip. Maharaj’s wicket-taking balls too, were in that same pace range, including the final one at 82kph which drew Sajid Khan out of his crease, only to miss a swipe and be stumped.Senuran Muthusamy barely bowled in Rawalpindi after career-best figures in Lahore, but contributed with the bat•AFP/Getty ImagesMuthusamy barely featured with the ball in Pindi and bowled only four overs in each innings. The most likely explanation is because South Africa already had left-arm spin covered with Maharaj but Harmer confirmed they still “felt we needed the option,” even if they didn’t use it. Muthusamy made the case for being included as a batter alone with his 89 not out and wasn’t too concerned about his lack of contribution with the ball after taking a career-best 11-for in Lahore and ending as the Player of the Series.”This Test match meant a lot more because we won the game,” Muthusamy said on receiving his award. “The first Test was good. It was lovely to get a good few spells of bowling and to get a few wickets and contribute. In this Test, Kesh and Harmer bowled really well and they’re world-class operators. I just try to do my best when I get a go.”In the end, that’s what matters to South Africa. They got to this year’s WTC final thanks to contributions from different players in different matches and if they are to challenge for the next one, they want to know they have a pool of players who can do the same. They’ve always known they have the fast bowlers, they discovered batters aplenty in the last cycle, and this series has shown that they also have the spinners which will be important as early as next month.South Africa’s next stop is India, where they last won a Test in 2011, and have since been outspun on two disastrous tours in 2015 and 2019. They’re expecting similarly challenging surfaces but believe they have the resources to combat them.”The unit that is out here in these conditions is up there with the best in the world,” Aiden Markram said. “Generally, you think of South Africa as just a country of seamers with the odd spinner here and there. But in conditions like this, the guys that put their hands up and put in performances, it’s bloody exciting for us as a team to see.”

Wicketkeeper-batter is back in international fold for England ODIs after shining at CPL

Matt Roller22-Sep-2023Lorcan Tucker had to pinch himself when he arrived in St Kitts for the Caribbean Premier League last month and looked around the Trinbago Knight Riders dressing room.Tucker, a softly-spoken Dubliner, was a last-minute replacement for Tim David and found himself surrounded by West Indies T20 royalty in the form of Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo. He struck up a friendship with Martin Guptill, and Phil Simmons was head coach.”It was a serious roster,” Tucker says, back in his Ireland tracksuit and speaking to ESPNcricinfo before the washed-out first ODI against England at Headingley. “Gosh, some of those lads… They are such impressive players. It opened my eyes to what’s out there in terms of cricket at the moment. It’s pretty exciting.”Related

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The move came about, in part, through Simmons’ Irish links: he was Ireland’s coach between 2007 and 2015, the year before Tucker’s international debut. “He still had so much time for Irish cricket – and Irish sport in general, wanting to know how the Rugby World Cup was going. The respect they have for him in Trinidad is pretty special.”Tucker clicked with Guptill over a shared interest in baseball. “My brother studied in America and got really into it,” Tucker says. “He’s a big LA Dodgers fan, and Martin was a big [New York] Yankees fan. As you get to know people, you can approach them and talk to them about their cricket; it was great to bounce ideas off someone so experienced.”He quickly realised that he had watched most of his team-mates on TV while growing up. “But the way they organised the team and the culture, it felt like everyone had a voice,” he says. “They were really encouraging like that. It felt like you could give your opinion if you wanted to, and everyone was really open-minded.”In Ireland’s T20 side, Tucker is an attacking No. 3. But he was asked to anchor from No. 4. “There were players all around me who were so talented and such big hitters. It was my responsibility to hold it all together through the middle, to make sure there were no big collapses.”He made 150 runs across five innings, and TKR won six of the seven games he featured in. They beat Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 1 on Wednesday night, and will play in the final on Sunday night. “It was great to be part of quite a successful campaign,” he says.A profile of Tucker in the Irish earlier this year painted a picture of a cerebral character who avoids social media and only owns a smartphone for the sake of being on the national team’s logistics chat. “Some people live a glitzier lifestyle than I do,” he says. “But there’s room for plenty of different personalities in sport.”This has been Tucker’s first year involved in franchise cricket, having only previously represented Ireland and Leinster Lightning as a pro. He played for MI Emirates in the ILT20, missing a T20I series in Zimbabwe as a result, and hopes that further opportunities will emerge this winter. “It’s so refreshing,” he says.”You spend so much time on the international circuit with the same group of lads, so to get the chance to be part of a new group and see fresh takes and angles on things – especially in T20 cricket, which moves so quickly – has been brilliant. There’s constant access to new people every couple of months in these different tournaments.”The last 12 months have marked Tucker’s breakthrough. At last year’s T20 World Cup, Tucker played a forgotten hand in helping England qualify for the semi-finals, rescuing Ireland from 25 for 5 against Australia with 71 not out off 48 balls to minimise their net-run-rate boost. He has also played his first four Tests, making a hundred on debut in Bangladesh.Tucker scored his maiden Test century earlier this year•BCBMoving forwards, Tucker will have to juggle his involvement in franchise leagues with Ireland commitments. He is not yet in a position where he is contemplating turning down a central contract but with several team-mates – including Josh Little, Paul Stirling and Harry Tector – playing in leagues, he stresses the need for clear communication.”I think cricket in general is trying to get to a place where there is more balance, and that people aren’t fighting as much for things,” Tucker says. “In general, good communication between myself and Cricket Ireland will be the most important thing: when things get lost in the post, that’s when people get hurt.”In the short term, Tucker’s focus is on a series in England that is bizarrely timed. Ireland hoped these ODIs would have represented a chance to tune up for next month’s World Cup, but a disastrous week in Bulawayo saw them miss out on qualification. After this series, they do not play again until December.”It’s a bit odd. It feels like everyone else is gearing up for a party in India next month that we’re not invited to. But that’s just the way it is: we didn’t play well enough in Zimbabwe and now we have to regroup and find our feet again on where we’re going to go for this next four-year cycle. It’s been a long year, and everyone is looking forward to a bit of headspace.”Most of the fans travelling over for this series have opted for Saturday’s second ODI, and there should be a strong Irish contingent both in the stands at Trent Bridge, and in the pubs after: Ireland play South Africa in a crunch Rugby World Cup game in Paris later that evening.”We’ve been following them pretty closely so far. There’s a strong connection in Ireland in general between rugby and cricket: [Ireland seamer] Barry McCarthy knows quite a few out of the lads playing out there. We’ll definitely be supporting and watching closely.”The plan is to try and win at Trent Bridge, then get the rugby on.” For Tucker and Ireland, that would make for a perfect sporting Saturday.

Kings needed eight from 12 balls. Mustafizur conceded only four in the 19th over and Tyagi just one in the 20th

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2021:18.1: Mustafizur to Pooran, no run. Back of a length, wider outside off. Pooran throws his bat at it to cut behind square. Misses out18.2: Mustafizur to Pooran, no run. Wide yorker. Delivers it from wide of the crease. Pooran bends his knee to drive low through cover point. But no connection18.3: Mustafizur to Pooran, 1 run. Slashed to third man who is very very fine. Wide yorker attempted, and he gets enough in the bat to get an edge. Mustafizur bowling wide of the crease again. But it’s a fair ball, not a no-ball18.4: Mustafizur to Markram, 1 run. Just past Samson! Back of a length outside leg stump. Slower ball too. Markram backs away to cut but takes an edge going across. Samson jumps to his right to take a catch, but all he can do is glove the dropped chance. However, Sakariya at short third man moves to his left to stop the four, saving his side three runs for sure18.5: Mustafizur to Pooran, 1 run. Low yorker outside off stump. Drilled to long on for one18.6: Mustafizur to Markram, 1 run. Full ball outside leg stump. Played inside out to deep extra cover for one19.1: Kartik Tyagi to Markram, no run. Full toss just outside off. Driven towards the off side but can’t beat the fielder at cover19.2: Kartik Tyagi to Markram, 1 run. Full on off. Goes for the extravagant slog through midwicket, but inside edge takes it to deep backward square leg19.3: Kartik Tyagi to Pooran, OUT. Guided….to the keeper! Overpitched just outside off. Pooran opens the bat’s face to run it down to third man. But all he has done is poked it straight to Samson. Kings need 3 off 3. And it’s a new batter facing the next delivery19.4: Kartik Tyagi to Hooda, no run. Full and wide outside off stump. Beyond the tramline too. But the umpire says its a legal ball since Hooda had walked across to the off side19.5: Kartik Tyagi to Hooda, OUT. Make that three in 1! Tyagi takes another wicket. Full and wide outside off stump. Looks to drive away from his body, and it takes an edge to Samson. The new batter will face the last ball19.6: Kartik Tyagi to Allen, no run. Kartik Tyagi, you hero! From being a teenager who won games of cricket at the U-19 World Cup in 2020, he has done a near impossible on the IPL field today. Full, wide, and Allen can’t connect with the drive. Through to Samson and Royals win by two runs after bowling five dot balls in the final over A whirlwind experience, repaying the faith his captain has shown tonight

نجح فيران توريس في قلب تأخر برشلونة أمام ريال بيتيس، خلال اللقاء الذي يجمع بين الفريقين ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة عشر من الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

ويجرى اللقاء بين الفريقين على ملعب لاكارتوخا، ويحتل برشلونة صدارة ترتيب الدوري الاسباني ب37 نقطة، ويحتل ريال بيتيس المركز الخامس بـ24 نقطة.

وافتتح ريال بيتيس التسجيل عن طريق أنتوني بعد ان أستغل خطأ من دفاع برشلونة في الدقيقة السادسة، ولم يكن في وضعية تسلل.

اقرأ أيضاً.. مارك جويهي يحسم رغبته بشأن وجهته القادمة بين بايرن ميونخ وقطبي إسبانيا

وبعد مرور خمس دقائق فقط، تعادل فيران توريس لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 11 من صناعة كوندي.

وأضاف فيران توريس الهدف الثاني له وللبلوجرانا في الدقيقة الثالثة عشر، ليتقدم برشلونة بهدفين لهدف، في ثنائية خلال 112 ثانية هي الأسرع لأي لاعب من برشلونة في مباراة بالدوري الإسباني منذ ثنائية أنسو فاتي خلال 103 ثوان ضد ليفانتي في فبراير 2020.

وكان هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة قد دخل اللقاء بتشكيل مكون من: جارسيا، بالدي، جيرارد مارتن، كوبارسي، كوندي، بيدري، جارسيا، يامال، باردجي، راشفورد، فيران توريس.

West Ham could now be back in for a former transfer target who they were on the verge of signing for Julen Lopetegui in 2024, according to a new report.

West Ham poised for active January transfer window

According to recent reports, the Hammers are poised for an active January transfer window amid their battle against relegation, and could sign a defender, midfielder and striker for Nuno Espírito Santo.

Reliable club insiders like ExWHUemployee have backed this up as we fast approach the turn of the year, while former West Ham scout Mick Brown has claimed that Nuno is planning a major overhaul.

West Ham have undergone a mini revival under Nuno recently, losing just one of their last six Premier League games, but it is clear they need strength in depth across the pitch.

Niclas Füllkrug is set to leave the London Stadium in January following his lacklustre stint in England, so West Ham are believed to be looking at strikers to replace him.

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In terms of the midfield area, James Ward-Prowse, Guido Rodriguez and Lucas Paqueta have all been linked with mid-season exits, so the prospect of a new name in the engine room hasn’t been ruled out either.

Meanwhile, Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell is back on the club’s radar after coming close to joining in the summer, with the Irons planning to ‘reignite’ talks for his signature (ExWHUemployee).

Sticking at centre-back, West Ham could now be back in the hunt for a familiar name — Cruzeiro centre-back Fabricio Bruno.

The 29-year-old made 51 appearances in all competitions for Cruzeiro in the recently-concluded 2025 Brazilian campaign, and his recent form has even earned him a recall to Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad.

Bruno featured in all of Brazil’s last three friendlies against Japan, Senegal and Tunisia, with the towering defender well in contention to be selected for next year’s World Cup.

Belief West Ham have rebid for Fabricio Bruno after near-2024 move

The former Flamengo stalwart was actually on the verge of joining West Ham in 2024.

Fabrizio Romano even gave his famous ‘here we go’ to the transfer and claimed he would be Lopetegui’s first defensive signing, but the transfer ended up collapsing.

Now, as per South American journalist Jorge Nicola, there is every reason to believe West Ham may have rebid for Bruno.

According to his information, a mystery English club has submitted a £13 million offer for the player, and Nicola theorises that the most likely candidate is Nuno’s side given their very advanced talks nearly two years ago.

Bruno’s move to West Ham apparently didn’t happen because of the player’s salary demands, but the Premier League door may now be back open following what has been a stellar 2025 for him.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who was on the books with Bruno at Flamengo, once said he has the ‘quality to play for any team in the world’.

However, given Cruzeiro only signed him in early 2025, they may be reluctant to part ways.

While Arsenal dropped points prior to the international break, this weekend represented a colossal opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s men to stamp their authority on this Premier League title race.

Manchester City and Liverpool suffered defeat, meaning that once the Gunners had beaten fierce rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, their advantage over City in third was now seven points.

As Jamie Carragher put it at full-time on Sky Sports, the only team who can stop Arsenal from winning the league are Arsenal.

They have the tactics, they have the defensive shape and they now have the attacking firepower and depth to their squad to take on anyone.

As Arsenal swatted aside Spurs, they did so without a recognised centre-forward, they did so without captain Martin Odegaard and they did so without Gabriel, one of the most influential players in the entire division this season.

The man to thank? Well, it was certainly Eberechi Eze.

The key men as Arsenal defeat Spurs

Coming into this game the narrative was all about Eze.

The attacking midfielder had famously rejected a move to Spurs in the summer in favour of returning to his boyhood club.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was quizzed on that in his pre-game press conference and muttered a response that he will now live to regret: “Who’s Eze?”

The Dane said that with a smile. Well, he certainly knows who Eze is now.

He became the first Arsenal player to score a hat-trick in the north London derby since Alan Sunderland in 1978 and he did so in some style.

It was Leandro Trossard who has opened the scoring but Eze, signed for £67.5m over the summer from Crystal Palace, stole the show.

Arsenal have lacked a player with his ability to shoot on sight and boy did he do so on Sunday evening. His first was a brilliant taken effort in a crowded penalty area but his second and third goals came with more space.

The quality, however, was equally as good each time. The England international scored a stunning goal for his country over the international break and was bang in form again here. The way he dispatched his second on his weaker foot spoke volumes of the form this man is in.

The third was also sumptuous. Fed the ball by Trossard, the former Palace star took one touch to set himself, ignored Bukayo Saka to his right and rifled the ball home.

Eze deserved most of the plaudits but the aforementioned Trossard did too. He scored and assisted, meaning that in the 32 games where he has found the net for Arsenal, he has never been on the losing team.

An amount of praise must be passed to Piero Hincapie too.

With Gabriel injured and out of the side the Ecuadorian stood in at centre-half and was exemplary on his first start in the Premier League, winning all three of his contested aerial duels.

Still, there was a rather underrated performance elsewhere that we’re yet to mention.

Arsenal star shows shades of Ozil and Odegaard

An attacking midfielder lights up the Emirates again and you’d be forgiven for thinking that Eze was the most alike to a certain Mesut Ozil and Odegaard.

Yet, in rather surprising circumstances, the player who evoked memories of those dazzling Arsenal players was Mikel Merino.

Chalkboard

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

When the Spaniard signed for the Gunners in 2024 he was renowned as something of a duel monster. While he’s played regularly in midfield for Arteta, he has been most impactful as a makeshift striker.

Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus last term meant that the Spain international needed to fill in as a centre-forward. He performed admirably too, notably scoring against Real Madrid and rescuing that win against Leicester when he first featured as the number 9.

Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres in the summer but have still had to rely on Merino with Jesus, Havertz and the Swede on the sidelines in recent weeks.

The £32m midfielder netted twice against Slavia Prague in the Champions League a few weeks ago but perhaps saved his finest display of the season for Spurs on Sunday.

He started the game slowly but held the ball up admirably and although he won’t run the channels like Gyokeres, he made the team click and was the catalyst for Eze’s hat-trick. That was outlined by analyst Raj Chohan on social media.

That wasn’t the best thing Merino did, however. The pass for Trossard’s goal was remarkable.

He received the ball 25 yards from goal, waited for precisely the right moment to clip the ball into the box and he did so delightfully, finding the Belgian who swivelled and then found the net.

It was a scarily good pass, one that evoked memories of a certain Ozil.

In the process of being hailed as “Arsenal’s most underrated player” by club insider, Hand of Arsenal, he stated that “if that pass is made by Ozil we are raving.”

Merino vs Spurs
Minutes played	88
Touches	44
Accurate passes	16/22 (73%)
Shots	1
Key passes	1
Successful dribbles	0/2
Tackles won	5/5
Ground duels won	8/15
Aerial duels won	2/7
Recoveries	3
Stats via Sofascore.

CBS reporter James Benge had a similar viewpoint, remarking that it was “an Arsene Wenger building an entire midfield out of diminutive playmakers” type of pass.

Cast your mind back to the days of Ozil, to some of Odegaard’s magical assists in Arsenal colours, it was right out of their playbook and it broke down what had been a stubborn Spurs defence up to that point.

Merino is not the most stylish of players, he is not the Rolls-Royce. However, what he will always guarantee is a mighty strong shift and a very efficient performance. He delivered just that on Sunday again, all with a bit of Ozil flavour.

Not just Eze: £27m star just had his best game for Arsenal

Eberechi Eze scored a remarkable hat-trick as Arsenal defeated Spurs.

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 23, 2025

One of the brightest talents in Manchester United’s current squad is undoubtedly Kobbie Mainoo. Although manager Ruben Amorim has criminally underused him this season, there is no denying the natural skill he possesses. After all, the Stockport-born midfielder was starting in a European Championship final aged 20.

It is certainly a surprise, therefore, that the Red Devils academy graduate has played so little this term. He is yet to start a game in the Premier League, despite being so highly rated by his peers. Former teammate at United, Anthony Elanga, once said he possesses “similar attributes” to Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman is another United academy graduate who was just as highly rated aged 20.

How Pogba and Mainoo compare at 20

Both United academy stars already had, or in Mainoo’s case, have, a huge reputation by the time they were 20 years of age. Whilst the Englishman is still plying his trade at Old Trafford, Pogba had departed for Juventus.

The 2013/14 campaign is perhaps best when looking at Pogba’s contributions at around 20. He was sensational for the Turin giants that season, playing 51 games, scoring nine times and assisting 15, which included one of each in the Supercoppa final against Lazio.

As for Mainoo, things have not been quite as easy. Amorim has not given him much of an opportunity this term, and he has only played 228 minutes for his boyhood club across all competitions.

Last term, though, he scored a dramatic late equaliser against Lyon in United’s historic Europa League win.

It is certainly interesting to compare the two players at the same age.

Pogba was starting week in, week out for one of the biggest clubs in the world, whilst Mainoo is consistently ignored by Amorim despite his obvious talent.

Whilst many might think Mainoo is the heir to Pogba’s throne at Old Trafford, there could be another player who is actually Amorim’s own version of the French superstar.

Amorim’s own Paul Pogba at Man Utd

There are not many things Pogba cannot do on a football pitch. The Frenchman is one of the greatest modern midfielders, oozing class with the ball at his feet, dictating play from deep and excelling in the final third.

Well, in Brazilian legend, Casemiro, Amoirm arguably has someone else who fits that mould. The former Real Madrid star has enjoyed a real resurgence this term, after being told to “leave the football before the football leaves you” by Jamie Carragher a couple of seasons ago.

In 2025/26, we are watching one of the most intriguing versions of the Brazilian international. Casemiro has been integral in the pivot next to Bruno Fernandes, playing all ten Premier League games he’s been available for, chipping in with three goals and one assist.

Indeed, that is something new that has really been added to his game. The former Los Blancos star is a huge threat going forward and has 33 goal involvements for the Red Devils, more than half of what he got as a Madrid player.

Described as a “monster” by teammate Luke Shaw, the 33-year-old is, as always, a specialist at breaking up play, but he’s now added a new trait to his game: being able to control play.

This season in the Premier League, he’s completed 3.5 long-balls per game on average, and in 2024/25, played an average of 18.9 forward passes per 90 minutes.

Casemiro – last two PL seasons
Stat (per 90)	2024/25	2025/26
Goals and assists	0.1	0.7
Chances created	1.4	0.8
Long balls completed	3	3.5
Forward passes	18.9	16.6
Duels won	8.5	6.7
Stats from Squawka

We’ll never know how Amorim would have deployed Pogba, given he never had the Frenchman at his disposal. Yet, we might be seeing an idea, with Casemiro’s new threat in the final third and his ability to dictate play.

It is easy to see how the Brazilian is Amorim’s own Pogba. United fans might well be hoping they can see Casemiro be unleashed next to Mainoo soon, to form an exciting midfield pivot.

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Man Utd’s midfield could be improved grealty with this signing

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 20, 2025

Caleb Jewell hundred helps Derbyshire post 315 but late collapse lets Rapids back in

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025

Brett D’Oliveira made a career-best 138•Michael Steele/Getty Images

Worcestershire 316 for 6 (D’Oliveira 138, Libby 69) beat Derby 315 (Jewell 113, Montgomery 92) by four wicketsBrett D’Oliveira’s List A best 138 led Worcestershire Rapids to a four-wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A match at Repton School.Rapids skipper Jake Libby made 69 before 19-year-old Dan Lategan scored an unbeaten 42 off 39 balls on his first-team debut to take the Rapids to their target of 316 with 11 balls to spare.Caleb Jewell made 113 off 107 balls and Matt Montgomery 92 before the Falcons lost their last five wickets for 25 to be bowled out for 315. The Rapids were in trouble at 11 for 2 but D’Oliveira and Libby revived them before Lategan saw them over the line.There was a sell-out crowd as first team cricket returned to Repton School for the first time since 1988 and the Falcons made a solid start after they were put in.Jewell and Harry Came took the score to 46 before Came pulled Kurram Shahzad into the hands of leg slip. But that was the Rapids last success for 24 overs as Jewell and Montgomery took full advantage of a good batting pitch.After reaching 50 from 57 balls, Jewell pulled Ben Allison for six and swept D’Oliveira for another maximum with 15 coming from his first over. Jewell surged towards his century, which came off 96 balls, by driving and sweeping D’Oliveira for two more fours before pulling Ethan Brookes over the ropes.Montgomery drove Brookes down the ground for four to go to his first 50 for the Falcons and the stand was worth 150 when Jewell skied a cut at Brookes into the covers.Brooke Guest missed a cut at Fateh Singh and the left-arm spinner ended Montomery’s fine innings by having him caught behind.Amrit Basra drove Allison to mid-on and the Falcons hopes of a total above 350 crumbled as the last five wickets fell in six overs. After Martin Andersson was lbw to Singh, Allison had Ross Whiteley caught at short midwicket and bowled Zak Chappell before Shahzad cleaned up.Even so, a target of 316 was a challenging one and it looked even tougher when the Rapids lost two wickets in the first four overs. Isaac Mohammed was dropped at second slip without a run on the board but failed to take advantage, slicing Ben Aitchison to third man.Rory Haydon beat Kashif Ali’s drive but D’Oliveira and Libby regrouped before asserting themselves on the bowlers.D’Oliveira cut and drove Haydon for sixes on his way to a run a ball 50 and with Libby easing the ball into the gaps, the momentum swung towards the Rapids.D’Oliveira took three fours from a Chappell over as he accelerated to an 84 ball hundred but Haydon returned to give the game another twist. He bowled Libby to end a stand of 183 in 28 overs and then deceived Brookes who chipped to short midwicket.Lategan pulled Haydon for six and with 67 needed from the last 10 overs, drove Jack Morley for another maximum. When he went for a repeat, Aitchison took the catch at long-on only to step on the rope but Morley hit back by bowling D’Oliveira.Henry Cullen sliced to cover but Lategan showed nerve and skill to settle an absorbing contest.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced plans to establish and spearhead (FECA), a regional body that will “act as a collaborative platform to coordinate the exponential growth of cricket” across North, Central, and South America.The move comes following CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow’s visit to Lima, Peru, highlighting the board’s commitment to expand the sport beyond the Caribbean. CWI is set to assume a parental role in FECA as the only ICC Full Member in the region.”This marks a pivotal step in advancing cricket across the Americas,” Shallow said in a statement. “Cricket West Indies embraces its responsibility not only to the Caribbean but to the wider region. We recognise the importance of structure, collaboration, and a unified vision to unlock the immense potential that exists throughout the Americas.”CWI’s chief executive officer, Chris Dehring, highlighted the importance of growing the game in countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, among others. According to the CWI release, there are currently 72,000 registered players in Brazil alone.”Our efforts to expand cricket must redound positively to each country under our remit,” he said. “This growth will not only uplift national programmes, but will also strengthen West Indies cricket by broadening our base, increasing opportunities, and deepening our regional relevance.”With the emergence and development of cricketing hubs in areas such as Brazil, with 72,000 registered players – most of them women under professional contracts – along with Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, this region is ripe for meaningful engagement.”Currently, two youth teams from the USA are part of CWI’s Rising Stars Under-19 Tournament in St. Kitts, while USA national players such as Aaron Jones, Ali Khan and Shayan Jahangir have been part of the CPL.In addition, four senior teams from the Caribbean will travel to Lima to participate in the Bolivarian Games, which could prove to be an entry point into the South American sporting structure. Cricket is set to feature in the 2027 Pan American Games, where the Caribbean nations with Olympic accreditation will compete.

This is the start of a crucial period for Celtic, so can they start to build momentum?

On Sunday lunchtime, the Hoops travel to Dens Park to face Dundee, looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premiership season.

Despite battling back to beat Motherwell 3-2 last time out, the Celts are not top, needing to keep pace with current league leaders Hearts, who they will face at Tynecastle next Sunday.

Meantime, having yielded just a solitary point from their opening two Europa League fixtures, Brendan Rodgers’ side really need to pick up points against Sturm Graz and then Midtjylland, because the European games only get tougher after that.

So, if the Scottish champions are going to go on a winning run, should Rodgers, belatedly, let the shackles off his forgotten youngster?

Celtic's best loan signings

Given Celtic’s ability to develop young players, clubs higher up the global food chain often entrust the Glasgow giants with highly-rated youngsters.

Over the last decade or so, the Celts have enjoyed plenty of excellent loan signings, as the table below documents.

Adam Idah*

76

29

Daizen Maeda*

171

65

Jota*

99

33

Cameron Carter-Vickers*

170

8

Mohamed Elyounoussi

67

25

Odsonne Édouard*

179

87

Patrick Roberts

78

18

*loan deal made permanent.

As the table documents, Celtic have taken many high-class players on loan during the last decade, many of whom remained in Glasgow on a more permanent basis thereafter, including current first team stars Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota and Daizen Maeda.

Others, meantime were at the club for a mere fleeting moment, which is certainly the case for Patrick Roberts.

After being poached from Fulham by Manchester City, Roberts was sent out on loan to six different clubs, but he certainly made the biggest impression at the first of these north of the border.

The Englishman, labelled “magic” by former Celtic manager Tony Mowbray, showed numerous flashes of brilliance during his two and a half year loan spell at Parkhead, including scoring against both Anderlecht and parent club Man City in the Champions League.

It remains the case that, of all ten clubs Roberts has represented, only for Sunderland has he appeared more times than at Celtic, leaving a long-lasting possession, but which member of the current squad could replicate his success?

Celtic's forgotten loanee

Considering Celtic made 11 new signings during the summer transfer window, it is easy to forget one or two, especially those still yet to debut.

Well, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey very much falls into the category of forgotten man, having arrived on a season-long loan from Manchester City in early August.

So far, the 19-year-old centre-back has been an unused substitute for both legs against Kairat, but hasn’t even been on the bench for any of the Premiership fixtures, also left out of the Europa League squad too.

His first appearance in Hoops came for the B team earlier this month, starting a 5-3 defeat to East Fife in the KDM Evolution Trophy at Bayview, which is probably not what he envisaged when he made the move.

Upon his arrival, Rodgers described him as a “strong… quick and dominant centre half”, adding “he will be an important, quality addition to our squad”, which has very much not been the case so far.

Despite seemingly not being trusted by Rodgers, Simpson-Pusey does boast an impressive CV.

He was named Premier League 2 player of the season last year, winning the under-21 Premier League title and an FA Youth Cup in Manchester City colours.

He is also not a stranger to senior football; when Pep Guardiola’s team were enduring an injury crisis around a year ago, the teenager made six first-team appearances, starting against Sporting in the Champions League, Brighton in the Premier League and then Salford in the FA Cup.

Guardiola praised Simpson-Pusey’s “composure and duels”, pleased that the youngster “played really good” despite difficult circumstances.

So, why should he be given a chance at Dens Park on Sunday?

Well, the second centre-back position alongside Carter-Vickers is very much up for grabs, with Liam Scales the current incumbent of that spot, although Rodgers has favoured Auston Trusty in the not-too-distant past.

Meantime, following Sunday’s trip to the city of discovery, Celtic’s next five opponents are Sturm Graz, Hearts, Falkirk, Rangers and Midtjylland so, if Simpson-Pusey isn’t given a chance to stake a claim at Dens, he may remain in the wilderness for another month.

During Rodgers’ first stint in charge, Roberts proved that Man City youngsters, with very little senior experience, can make a big impression if given an opportunity, so will we see Simpson-Pusey make his debut sooner rather than later?

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