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Trent Alexander-Arnold has been told that he must bring something "unique" to the England team by Thomas Tuchel, or risk being left out consistently.

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Alexander-Arnold barely featured in last int'l breakUnused sub against SenegalTuchel tells him to raise his levelFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alexander-Arnold played just 26 minutes in the last international break as England beat Andorra and lost to Senegal. Now, while Tuchel has explained that he was left out of the starting XI partly due to the ongoing stress of his move to Real Madrid, he has warned that the right-back must raise his level and consistently bring something "unique" to the team if he wants to be selected on a regular basis.

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Alexander-Arnold has somewhat struggled to nail down a consistent England place, and has only won 34 caps since making his debut in 2018. He has represented the Three Lions at three major tournaments – the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and Euro 2024, having missed out on Euro 2020 through injury – but was limited to just six appearances across them, and he was an unused substitute in the Euro 2024 final against Spain.

WHAT TUCHEL SAID

Tuchel told , when asked if he could drop the right-back: "That would be a hard choice, then it depends completely on us. If we have a similar structure and similar players, because we desperately want to have him in the team. He gives us something unique and can make connections with teammates and boost chemistry, then we will try to use him.

"If he gives us something unique, then we will make sure that he has his place – But that applies to any player. If not, then we will always value the team more than individual quality.

"In the end, at international level, it's so important that we arrive with the right team and that everyone in the team knows before, first that we have to quality. [And] that everyone knows their role, why he is there, and what they have to give to the group and from there we go."

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England have a break before their next fixtures, against Andorra and Serbia, in September. Alexander-Arnold will play for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup in the meantime.

Imam’s unbeaten 50 steers visitors in a slightly tense and cloudy morning in Galle

Madushka Balasuriya20-Jul-2023It took a little over an hour for Pakistan to wrap things up, as they hunted down the remaining 83 runs in very un-Pakistan fashion – without fuss and little drama. Sure they lost three wickets, but from the very first ball – which was pulled for four – that they’d get there in the end was in little to no doubt. The result means Pakistan take a 1-0 lead against Sri Lanka in this two-match series, and get them off to the ideal start in this new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. It also gives them a first Test win in exactly a year – the last also coming in Galle.Imam-ul-Haq was unbeaten on 50 with Agha Salman for company when the winning runs – a sumptuous loft over long-off for six – were scored. Prabath Jayasuriya ended with figures of 4 for 56 to increase his ever-growing collection of scalps at Galle, but that will be scant consolation for the hosts.And while those of a Pakistani persuasion might have had doubts gnawing away in the back of their minds over a potential collapse, or a snatching-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory performance by the visitors this morning, this was a result that might force a rethink.Related

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On the surface, a four-wicket win when hunting down 131 might point towards some jitters, but this was oddly enough a chase that seemed in control despite those losses.The first delivery of the day in fact provided a microcosm of how both these sides managed their respective briefs throughout this Test, as the sometimes-erratic Ramesh Mendis dragged one short for Babar Azam to put away easily to the boundary behind square leg; Pakistan needed quick runs, Sri Lanka needed to keep things tight, only one side followed the script.This boundary was followed by another later in the over, with the first five overs of the day eventually being plundered for 30 runs. Both Babar and Imam showed uncharacteristic intent during this period, using their feet to the spinners, while the Pakistan captain even gave the sweep a rare outing.When he fell, trapped leg before by Jayasuriya, some of those watching on, familiar with Pakistan’s history, might have been forgiven for bracing for a potential scare. After all, back in 2009, Pakistan had folded alarmingly fast when chasing a similarly paltry total at the very same ground. But this is a new Pakistan – or at least they’re trying to be.They had assured prior to the day’s play that they would play attacking cricket, and so they did, Imam pumping one handsomely over long-off the very next over after Babar’s fall, and Saud Shakeel – the first innings hero – also slashing one behind point.And as the deficit reduced, their intensity only increased. With a little over 20 runs left, Shakeel took Sri Lanka’s best bowler for a pair of boundaries on either side of the wicket. At this point, Shakeel’s average had risen above 100, but he settled for a little less in the end, nicking one through off Mendis before the innings was done.Sarfaraz was the last to fall, top-edging a sweep to deep square leg with just four left to get, but Agha rammed home the point, smoking one long and straight first ball to wrap up the game.As for how long this positive-Pete version of Pakistan carries on remains to be seen, but for the time being, it’s certainly something to be celebrated. Sri Lanka, for their part, have four days to recalibrate on how to combat this new beast and gather themselves for round two in Colombo.

PCB chairman says cricket committee headed by Misbah-ul-Haq will be part of the process to decide whether changes are needed

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2023PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that “no concrete decisions” have been taken regarding the composition of Pakistan’s coaching and management staff, addressing speculation over whether there would be changes made under the new PCB administration.In an interview with Cricket Pakistan, Ashraf said the decision would be made on the recommendation of a newly-formed cricket committee headed by former captain and national coach Misbah-ul-Haq.”I don’t think it matters whether coaches are local or foreign,” Ashraf said. “There’s no concrete decision on whether to change coaches as of now. I’ve created a committee headed by Misbah-ul-Haq. That committee will look at all cricketing matters and will consult any cricketers they want to be a part of it. When they give us their final analysis, I’ll get involved in the discussion and we’ll make a joint decision that is in the best interests of Pakistan cricket.”It is the first time there has been any official communication from the PCB about the fate of the Pakistan men’s coaches since the recent tour of Sri Lanka, where Pakistan won the Test series 2-0. Over the past week, ESPNcricinfo understands there were robust internal discussions on the fate of the coaches and team manager, with some reports suggesting an immediate change was inevitable.Mickey Arthur was appointed Pakistan team director in April, with Grant Bradburn, who previously served as Pakistan’s fielding coach, becoming head coach the following month. Rehan-ul-Haq, who was general manager of Islamabad United for all eight seasons in the Pakistan Super League, was appointed team manager of the national side. Each of those appointments took place during Najam Sethi’s interim six-month stint as PCB chairman.While the committee is yet to formally convene, Misbah has in the past made clear his disapproval of some of the coaching arrangements. He called the PCB’s pursuit of Arthur under Sethi “a slap on Pakistan cricket”, and had replaced Arthur as Pakistan head coach in 2019.The simmering unrest comes ahead of a busy time for the Pakistan side, who return to Sri Lanka to play a three-ODI series against Afghanistan, before co-hosting the Asia Cup. They are then set to travel to India for the World Cup. The PCB has repeatedly said travel to India for the World Cup will be contingent on government approval and mutual agreement on appropriate venues, a point Ashraf repeated in this interview.

Juventus are interested in West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd and might have to offer a player in return to complete the move.

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Juve wants Aguerd to strengthen backlineWest Ham can opt for a player exchange dealTudor wants to make major defensive changesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tudor wants a defensive makeover at Juventus for the upcoming season with the Croatian manager looking to add reinforcements. After failing to land Renato Viega from Chelsea, the club are now looking to sign Aguerd from West Ham, as per .

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Tudor wants Juventus to add defensive players that can actually hold and control the backline, something the team have been missing. Juventus, in their effort, have permanently signed Lloyd Kelly for €17.5 million (£15m/$20m) from Newcastle United. While Tudor's side were also interested in Viega, who impressed during his loan at Turin, the Italian side couldn't match the London club's transfer fee. They have now identified Aguerd as a promising figure to lead the backline but might have to offer Daniele Rugani to West Ham in return.

DID YOU KNOW?

Juventus general manager Damien Comolli wants to make big changes at the club. The Italian side were also considering replacing Tudor, but the Croatian's last-minute effort changed the feeling around him for the club to then extend his contract for two years. Now, Comolli also wants to sort the internal structure of the club and has also made his first few calls starting with promoting Giorgio Chiellini to the position of director of football strategy.

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Defender Bremer is expected to return early at the onset of next season after his knee injury last October. This will strengthen the squad, but gaps are evident as the club look into the possibility of adding another left-footed player. At the front, Randal Kolo Muani's situation hasn't progressed, although Juve will retain his services till the culmination of the Club World Cup.

Tudor's side will face Wydad Casablanca on June 22 at Lincoln Financial Field in Pennsylvania.

Four wickets fall inside half-an-hour’s play as County Champions end campaign with defeat

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2023Hampshire 219 and 172 (Vince 56, Jacks 5-87) beat Surrey 207 and 132 (Sudharsan 40, Dawson 4-53) by 52 runsHampshire dampened Surrey’s celebrations within half-an-hour’s play on the final morning at the Ageas Bowl, to become just the second team to beat them across their back-to-back LV= Insurance County Championship titles.Only Lancashire had beaten Surrey in red-ball cricket in either 2022 or 2023, winning once in each campaign.But Liam Dawson took his season tally to 49 wickets by taking two of the four wickets needed to secure victory, with Surrey only scoring 20 of the 73 required to lose by 52 runs before 11am.Despite the defeat, Surrey were presented with the Division One trophy by ECB chair, and former club chair, Richard Thompson.”It was a weird way to get over the line halfway through yesterday,” Surrey’s head coach, Gareth Batty, said. “But the County Championship is set up over six months – you don’t win it over one day or one game.”It is the marathon cup and you still have to still celebrate it and respect it, even if you are on the wrong end of the result today.Surrey had made it clear throughout the match that they had the intention to finish their triumphant season off with a victory.That plan was skewed somewhat after they were confirmed as champions before lunch on day three, and their celebrations continued after play concluded.It took five balls for Jordan Clark to advance to Mohammad Abbas and prod to James Vince at first slip.Jamie Overton came out and played a delicious straight drive, and then a powerful sweep shot.But he was less gainly when his agricultural swing saw him stumped by Ben Brown off Dawson, the start of three wickets to fall in 12 balls to end the year.Kemar Roach departed second ball when his wild swing flew to first slip, with the Abbas and Vince combo striking again. The Pakistan seamer ended the campaign with 53 scalps.Sai Sudharsan, with 73 in the first innings, batted sensibly until Dan Worrall arrived and hacked at one, at which point his stylish 40 turned more towards aggression.The Indian took on Dawson but only managed to top-edge to Vince running across from the slips to end the contest and the season.Batty admitted the result was a disappointing way to finish, but acknowledged the peculiar circumstances had played a part.”We completely understand why because we had already got to the point we had driven towards all season, and that was to lift the trophy again,” he said.”There was no blame to anybody or no nothing. We almost scratched today off because it was all about yesterday when we got over the line.”Hampshire finish third for a second year in a row having won eight times – the same as the champions.”It is nice to finish with a win. First of all though, credit to Surrey for winning it they have been the stand-out team across the whole season and they deserve to be champions,” James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, said.”We’ve finished off with three wins in a row including Essex and champions Surrey. We made finals day, lost in the final of the One Day Cup and finished third in the Championship. It is one of those years where you have been there or thereabouts in all competitions but have nothing to show for it.”It is tough to win trophies but we have been consistent across all formats for the last two or three years.”

Myles Lewis-Skelly, one of Arsenal’s brightest young talents, has pledged his long-term future to the club by signing a new five-year contract. The 18-year-old defender, who has quickly become a staple in Mikel Arteta’s squad, is determined to build a lasting legacy in north London after an impressive campaign where he went on to make 39 appearances across all competitions.

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Lewis-Skelly commits his future to ArsenalWas linked with a move to Real MadridNew deal pours cold water on those rumoursFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lewis-Skelly's first-team debut came before Christmas last season, and from there, his trajectory was nothing short of meteoric. He featured in 19 of the final 21 Premier League games of the campaign, showcasing composure and confidence well beyond his years.

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Lewis-Skelly netted his first senior goal in Arsenal’s emphatic 5-1 triumph over Manchester City. His ability to carry the ball out from defence, coupled with precise passing, makes him one of the most coveted youngsters in Europe. He attracted attention from Real Madrid, but with his new deal sealed and signed, speculation about his future have been put to rest.

WHAT LEWIS-SKELLY SAID

Following the announcement of his new deal, Lewis-Skelly spoke with heartfelt emotion about what the club means to him.

"I'm so proud and happy," Lewis-Skelly said. "I know those words are simple, but I think they sum up how I feel signing for this club. I'm a fan and it's like a dream come true.

"I've embodied the values of Hale End and come through. I've still got a lot of years ahead of me, so if I can keep staying humble and being a good person, that's the most important thing to me. I know I've taken a lot of experience from the games about the positive moments, the mistakes that I've made. I'm definitely more ready now for the next season. I just want to keep learning and keep improving.

"I want a legacy. I want to win everything there is to win in the game. I want to win trophies on the biggest stages whilst being a person that's always learning and stays grounded, which is so important."

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Lewis-Skelly’s breakout season also earned him a call-up to the senior England squad under new manager Thomas Tuchel. The teenager made an instant impact on the international stage, scoring in his debut against Latvia during the March World Cup qualifiers. At just 18 years and 176 days old, he became the youngest player to score for England on debut, surpassing the previous record held by Marcus Rashford.

Barcelona have blamed Nico Williams' agent after their desired move for the Spain international collapsed due to unrealistic release clause demands.

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Williams signs new long-term Athletic Club contract until 2035Barca claims transfer agreement was in placeCatalan club alleges Williams' agent of prioritising Bilbao's interestsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite strong links with Barcelona, Williams surprisingly renewed his contract with Athletic Club. As per Cadanaser, Barcelona claim Williams himself had approached them, expressing a desire to join the Blaugrana. The Catalan club had already reached an agreement with the player on financial terms and contract length. However, Williams' agent, Felix Tainta, introduced a new demand: a "free release clause" in his Barcelona contract and a specific July registration date that Barcelona's board considered "unacceptable", leading to the collapse of the transfer.

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Williams' rejection is a public setback for Barcelona's transfer strategy and financial management. The club had openly signalled its intent to sign Williams, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta even hinting at an "exciting next signing". The agent's demand for a "free release clause" underscores the ongoing concerns about Barcelona's ability to navigate La Liga's Financial Fair Play "1:1 rule" and the risks associated with major signings.

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Sporting director Deco, however, has backup plans to solve the club's winger issues. Deco has two players he is interested in: Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. Both wingers are interested in joining the Blaugrana with Rashford going as far as offering to take a pay-cut.

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The club is yet to register Joan Garcia whom they signed from rivals Espanyol. The Catalan club are confident they will not have to make a major sale but can sell other players who are not a part of the project to comply and register Garcia.

Pau Victor, Pablo Torre, Inaki Pena, Oriol Romeu, Andreas Christensen and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are all up for sale in the summer transfer window, while Ansu Fati joined Monaco on loan with an option for a permanent move earlier this week.

Shubman Gill is the new No. 1 ODI batter, leapfrogging Babar Azam, while Siraj has reclaimed the top spot on the bowling table

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2023Shubman Gill has claimed the top spot in the men’s ODI batting rankings, going past Babar Azam on the table. An Indian is at the top among ODI bowlers too, with Mohammed Siraj moving up two spots and displacing Shaheen Shah Afridi from the perch.The top of the bowling table, in fact, has a very Indian look to it, with Kuldeep Yadav now in the top five, and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the top ten as well, while Virat Kohli, after two unbeaten centuries and four half-centuries at the World Cup, has moved up three spots to No. 4 among the batters, just one rating point behind Quinton de Kock, the leading run-scorer at the World Cup right now.Gill has had a stellar year in ODI cricket, tallying 1449 runs so far from 26 matches, in which he has hit four centuries including a double-century. His average is a stunning 63.00 for the year, as against an overall career average of 61.02. He started slow at the World Cup after being out at the start of the competition following a bout of dengue, but has 219 runs in six innings, including fifties against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.Related

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Babar hasn’t had a bad World Cup himself with four half-centuries in eight innings, but the gap between him and the rising Gill was so slim that he had to do more to hold on to the spot he had owned for more than two years.From India’s point of view, Gill has become the fourth player from the country to be the top ODI batter in the ICC rankings, after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Kohli.The best individual batting performance of the World Cup so far, meanwhile, came on Tuesday night in Mumbai when Glenn Maxwell put in a superhuman show to single-handedly take Australia past Afghanistan and into the World Cup semi-finals. That unbeaten double-century helped him move up two spots to sixth, while the game’s other centurion, Ibrahim Zadran, is up six spots to 12th following an impressive World Cup campaign. Fakhar Zaman, another batter who has played a big role in his team’s fortunes, is just outside the top ten for batters, at No. 11, up three spots.Full rankings tables

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On the whole, the rankings reflect India’s dominance at the World Cup so far where they have won eight out of eight league-stage matches so far, all by significant margins. Kohli (No. 2 behind de Kock) and Rohit Sharma (No. 5) have been their most prolific batters so far, but it’s their bowling that has been truly blockbuster. None of them are in the top-three in the wicket-takers’ list, but Shami (16 wickets in four games), Bumrah (15 in eight), Ravindra Jadeja (14 in eight), Kuldeep (12 in eight) and Siraj (ten in eight) have performed as a pack, and in their last three games, India have bowled out England for 129, Sri Lanka for 55, and South Africa for 83.Siraj, following 3 for 16 and 1 for 11 against Sri Lanka and South Africa respectively earlier in the week, has moved up from third to first. Afridi, No. 1 the previous week, is now down to fifth, with spinners Keshav Maharaj and Adam Zampa, the second-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup currently, going up to No. 2 and No. 3.As for the Indians, Kuldeep is up three places to fourth, Bumrah is up three spots to eighth, and Shami is up seven places to tenth.Of the other top wicket-takers at the World Cup at this point, Dilshan Madushanka has moved up 31 spots to No. 45, and Marco Jansen has gone up nine positions to joint 24th.

Joao Pedro was straight into Chelsea training after completing a £60 million ($82m) transfer from Brighton ahead of the Club World Cup quarter-finals. The 23-year-old wasted no time in linking up with his new team-mates, joining Enzo Maresca’s side in the United States. He could be in contention to make his debut in Friday’s tie against Brazilian side Palmeiras.

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Chelsea spent £60m on PedroBrazilian has already joined his team-mates in trainingIn contention to make his debut at Club World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Pedro becomes the latest in a growing list of players who have made the move from the south coast to Stamford Bridge in recent years. He follows in the footsteps of Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo and Robert Sanchez, all of whom left Brighton for Chelsea.

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During his time at Brighton, Pedro amassed an impressive 30 goals across 70 matches in all competitions. His versatility in the attacking third, combined with sharp movement and clinical finishing, has made him a standout talent in the Premier League. Chelsea will be hoping he can replicate that form in blue, and the player is already sweating it out with his new team to fulfil the expectations that come with a sizeable price tag.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PEDRO?

Pedro is eligible to feature in the Club World Cup thanks to a mid-tournament registration period that closes on July 3. With Chelsea eyeing international glory, Pedro’s inclusion could add an extra attacking edge against Palmeiras in the last eight of the Club World Cup.

Tasmania’s No.3 Charlie Wakim made an unbeaten 148, his second century of the Shield season so far, to put the visitors in a strong position against Victoria

AAP and ESPNCricinfo staff05-Nov-2023An unbeaten century by Charlie Wakim has put Sheffield Shield leaders Tasmania on top after day one of the clash with Victoria at the Junction Oval.Wakim finished the day on 148 not out and had guided the Tigers to 282 for 4 at stumps after the hosts had won the toss and elected to bowl. The day hadn’t started well for Tasmania with Matthew Wade ruled out prior to the toss due to back spasms that had also kept him out of the Marsh Cup match against Queensland last week. Jake Doran was called in for his first game of the season as the replacement wicketkeeper.But Wakim covered Wade’s absence. The 32-year-old shared a 147-run stand for the second wicket with Tim Ward that set the tone, with the opener compiling a patient 67. It is a record second-wicket partnership for Tasmania against Victoria in Shield cricket.Wakim brought up his century with a late cut to the boundary off spinner Todd Murphy. It was his third first-class century and second this season. The late bloomer made a century on debut for the Tigers in 2019, a brilliant 160 against South Australia, and this season he has looked at home at the top of the order. He made 110 earlier in this season against the Redbacks and has been a key reason why the Tigers have started the Shield season strongly.Victoria started the day well with veteran paceman Peter Siddle claiming Caleb Jewell early as he edged seaming delivery to Sam Harper.The hosts had a window of opportunity in the first session during Murphy’s opening over. Ward edged Murphy’s first delivery low to the boot of Peter Handscomb at slip. Next ball, Wakim offered a sharp chance to Travis Dean at short leg but it was dropped.The bowlers then toiled without joy until Ward drove to Dean at short cover off spinner Matt Short.Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster was with Wakim at stumps on a day when 38-year-old Siddle asked the most questions for Victoria with his probing seam bowling, having come into the side in place of Scott Boland who was rested.