Former Sri Lanka international Dulip Samaraweera has received a 20-year ban from Cricket Australia for conduct that has been described as “utterly reprehensible” and he will not be allowed to hold any position within CA, the state associations, BBL or WBBL clubs during that time.Samaraweera, 52, was found to have committed a serious breach of CA’s Code of Conduct during his time as a Cricket Victoria employee with a CA Code of Conduct commission banning him for 20 years following an investigation from CA’s Integrity Department after complaints about his conduct had been made.Samaraweera, who played seven Tests and five ODIs for Sri Lanka between 1993 and 1995, was a long-time Victoria women’s and Melbourne Stars WBBL assistant coach before being elevated to the Victoria women’s senior coaching role earlier this year, only for him to resign just two weeks into the role after being denied an appointment he wanted to make to his staff due to the state’s policies.The serious code of conduct breach was separate from that issue. CA’s Commission found Samaraweera had engaged in inappropriate behaviour that breached section 2.23 of CA’s Code of Conduct. The behaviour is alleged to have been involving a player.Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins released a statement condemning Samaraweera’s behaviour.”We strongly support the decision taken by the Code of Conduct Commission today, banning Dulip Samaraweera for 20 years,” Cummins said. “It is our view that the conduct was utterly reprehensible and a betrayal of everything we stand for at Cricket Victoria.”The victim in this case has demonstrated incredible strength of character and courage in speaking up. She will continue to receive our ongoing support to allow her to achieve her goals on and off the field.”From an organisation perspective, the safety and wellbeing of everyone at Cricket Victoria is paramount. We will not tolerate any behaviour which compromises that position, or our people, and will always support our culture of speaking up.”CA also stated that they are “committed to providing a safe environment for all players and employees and the welfare of those subjected to mistreatment is paramount.”
Liverpool are the champions of the Premier League once again. And what’s more, Arne Slot has been backed by FSG this summer as they prepare to do it all over again.
While the bulk of transfer activity has been dealt with already on Merseyside, there’s more to come, with Darwin Nunez the centre of ongoing talks between Liverpool and Napoli after an opening €55m (£48m) bid was rejected.
Many would hope that FSG are gearing up to splash out the cash on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but the “world-class” goalscorer, as he has been described by pundit Alan Shearer, will likely prove too expensive.
And anyway, Slot has proven his ability to grow exciting talents into superstars. See the 22-year-old Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.
Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo for Liverpool
Now, the Dutch coach is hoping to sign his next version of the former, whose meteoric rise last season led to him being crowned the Premier League Young Player of the Season.
Liverpool's next top transfer targets
After missing out on Dean Huijsen, who swapped Bournemouth for Real Madrid after his £50m release clause was met, it was clear from the early stages of the transfer window that Liverpool are interested in signing a centre-back.
Marc Guehi is the man at the top of the shopping list, and while developments appear to be minimal at the moment, expect FSG to try their luck before the summer window slams shut.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehi
Liverpool need a new central defender, to be sure, but Slot knows that the 33-year-old Mohamed Salah will need greater attacking support than he received last term, practically engineering the incredible Premier League success of 2023/24.
And indeed, Nunez’s forthcoming sale will demand that sporting director Richard Hughes signs a successor, one who is fit to serve as Liverpool’s out-and-out frontman over the coming years.
Richard Hughes and Arne Slot
Well, the Reds have just the player in mind, and their interest is beginning to get stronger and stronger.
Liverpool with growing interest in new striker
As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool’s interest in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is indeed getting more intense as Nunez edges closer to a transfer to Napoli.
The Premier League champions have been among the frontrunners for the 23-year-old in recent months, with Chelsea and Manchester United also keen on bagging his signature.
However, the sticking point is that Frankfurt are happy to play hardball, seemingly unwilling to budge on their €100m (£85m) valuation.
What Hugo Ekitike would bring to Liverpool
In 2022, Paris Saint-Germain signed a teenage Ekitike from Ligue 1 rivals Reims for a fee in the region of £30m. Newcastle had come close to a deal but failed to close it.
The Frenchman might not have brought it all together for PSG, only scoring four times across 33 senior matches, but he’s certainly built himself back up in Germany, with analyst Ben Mattinson hailing him as “one of the best strikers out there” after his 2024/25 term with Frankfurt.
Notching 36 goal involvements across all competitions for Frankfurt last season, Ekitike is clearly a “special talent”, as has been noted by journalist Bence Bocsak.
But it’s his dynamism and fluency that makes him such an attractive option for a club like Liverpool, finishing the 2024/25 season ranked among the top 6% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons, and the top 20% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.
The fact that he’s more complete than Gravenberch was when he joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in August 2023 bodes well for his potential at the highest level of the European game.
As you will see in the table below, Gravenberch bloomed into a midfielder of remarkable quality and confidence last term, sitting deep in the centre of the park in spite of early career criticisms that he lacked the temperament and composure for such a role.
Looking at the Dutchman’s gains under Slot’s wing last season, as opposed to his less defined role when a part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, it’s very easy to see that Slot’s tactical grasp brought out the best in his young compatriot.
Matches (starts)
26 (12)
37 (37)
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
4
Touches*
28.8
66.5
Pass completion
83%
89%
Key passes*
0.6
0.9
Dribbles*
0.9
1.0
Ball recoveries*
2.8
5.2
Tackles + interceptions*
1.5
3.5
Total duels (won)*
2.8 (47%)
5.0 (57%)
The same could be said for Gakpo, of course, but given that Ekitike is an exciting young player from the Bundesliga who has previously struggled to bring it together after a big-money move to a European superpower, he could emulate the silky holding midfielder.
And without a doubt, Ekitike has the technical ability to become the kind of all-encompassing centre-forward that Slot wants to connect his frontline.
Given the high regard Ekitike is held in already, it’s frightening to consider what Slot might manage to achieve in elevating the weaker points of his game and polishing any blemishes which a rising talent is naturally going to bear.
Gravenberch, certainly, has improved, having been branded a “passenger out of possession” by journalist Danny Corcoran during his maiden term in English football.
He’s now a player of smooth ability, one of the finest in Europe. Slot has earned his flowers, all right, and he’ll receive a whole bouquet if allowed to tinker away at Ekitike’s mechanics, shaping him into a world-beater.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the Die Adler star “could reach world-class striker levels” after his excellent campaign, and if he moves to Liverpool, his chances of this happening will increase tenfold.
Slot's new Diaz: Hughes plotting Liverpool bid to sign £100m "nightmare"
Liverpool may have to sell their versatile Colombian forward this summer.
Celtic are stepping up their transfer business under Brendan Rodgers and have now made their interest in an exciting attacker concrete by submitting an official bid, according to a report.
Celtic land Kieran Tierney with more bodies to follow
In what became an emotional announcement on Tuesday, Kieran Tierney has officially returned to Celtic, and the Scotland international has signalled his intent to hit the ground running at Parkhead.
“Everybody’s known for a few months and just to be here with the Celtic strip on again just feels amazing. I spoke with the manager, and obviously I had worked with him before and I’ve always kept in touch with him. He’s one of the best so I’m so lucky and grateful that he’s given me the chance to come back again.”
Kickstarting the Bhoys’ incomings, he could soon be joined by Callum Osmand as the Fulham youngster nears a move to Celtic. The Wales youth international is set to arrive from Craven Cottage for a nominal compensation fee after rejecting senior terms in West London.
Following his exploits with Scotland over the last few days, Lennon Miller has continuously been linked with the Bhoys after making a name for himself at Motherwell.
Despite heading into the final year of his deal, the Wishaw-born star is said to be valued at £7.5 million. Besiktas midfielder Demir Tiknaz has also been mentioned as an alternative amid complicated permutations involving loan club Rio Ave.
Deal on: Celtic open initial talks to sign £8m star who's the next Bitton
Across his nine-year Celtic career, Nir Bitton was such a reliable figure, so could the Hoops sign a similar player for £8m who “reads the game well”?
By
Ben Gray
Jun 8, 2025
There is a feeling that there plenty more to come at Parkhead, so it won’t come as a surprise to hear that Celtic have now submitted an offer and received a reply for another reported target.
Celtic receive reply to Nilson Angulo offer
According to Studio Futbol, Celtic have seen a formal bid rejected for Anderlecht winger Nilson Angulo and could return with a second offer to sign the Ecuador international. Several clubs around Europe are said to be privy to his situation, including Premier League giants Liverpool, who have reportedly scouted the 21-year-old during his recent time on international duty.
Nilson Angulo at Anderlecht
Appearances
64
Goals
3
Assists
3
Born in Quinininde, Angulo completed 44 dribbles on league duty last term and could be one part of a strategic effort from Brendan Rodgers to introduce further variation in the final third.
Iconic figure Jota has been ruled out for the next few months due to injury, heightening the need for reinforcements to ensure the Bhoys aren’t caught short in the wide areas.
It remains to be seen whether Celtic opt to submit an improved bid for his services, but fans can take solace either way from the fact their side are active in the market.
The Parkhead hierarchy have plenty of financial muscle to flex after another successful campaign both domestically and in Europe, so it is reasonable to expect that Rodgers will have a strong squad to pick from once the Champions League qualifiers arrive.
Chelsea are continuing to work on their summer recruitment plans, even after the pre-Club World Cup transfer deadline passed at 7pm on Tuesday, with manager Enzo Maresca still able to add new players to his squad midway through the tournament.
How Chelsea can still introduce new signings for the Club World Cup
It was thought that the mini-summer window, which opened from June 1 to June 10, would be Chelsea’s only opportunity to strengthen ahead of their CWC campaign.
Chelsea think £65m striker could rival Alexander Isak, they've held talks
Stamford Bridge chiefs have a very high opinion of him.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 10, 2025
It was, after all, why the window was introduced in the first place – to hand competing teams a chance to register new players after long and gruelling 2024/2025 campaigns.
However, as per Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol in the last few days, Chelsea and other sides taking part in the tournament will also have a unique registration period to benefit from midway through the CWC.
Cole Palmer
7.33
Moises Caicedo
7.02
Enzo Fernández
6.95
Nicolas Jackson
6.88
Noni Madueke
6.82
via WhoScored
From June 27 to July 3, just after the group stages finish, teams will be given the chance to add new players to their CWC roster – which allows Chelsea to introduce new signings who could take part in the knockout phase – if they indeed make it that far.
Chelsea missed out on deals for both AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens before the pre-CWC window deadline, with the west Londoners walking away from the former after refusing to meet Milan’s asking price.
Chelsea made three last-minute bids for Gittens as well, but none of them could satisfy Dortmund, who kept demanding more and more money for the English sensation.
It is unclear whether Chelsea will maintain their pursuit of Gittens in time for the CWC unique registration period starting on June 27, but they could perhaps turn to Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Hugo Ekitike instead.
Chelsea in ongoing talks for Hugo Ekitike after pre-Club World Cup deadline
There are reports that Chelsea believe Ekitike could eventually rival Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, which is how highly they rate the Frenchman after his exceptional 22-goal campaign.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea are maintaining talks for Ekitike, despite failing to sign him in time for the CWC, so he’s still very much “one to watch”.
“Chelsea and Ekitike remain in talks for the summer transfer window – but Liverpool are still in the race,” said Plettenberg.
“One to watch in the coming weeks.”
The 22-year-old is very highly-rated, with ex-Inter Milan star Wesley Sneijder even calling him a blend of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, so Ekitike could well be worth the punt – but not for his ridiculously high price tag of around £84 million.
“I think he’s a mix between Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappé. I sincerely think so,” said Sneijder.
“He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappé. To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappé also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”
Leeds United are said to have made an approach to sign a “fantastic” Premier League player in the summer transfer window.
Leeds eyeing signings for Premier League return
The Whites have secured their return to the top flight from the Championship, and it’s now a case of finding the right signings to bolster their hopes of survival.
In each of the past two seasons, the three promoted clubs into the Premier League have gone straight back down, so Leeds will be hoping they can buck that trend in 2025/26 by signing some top-quality players. With that in mind, 49ers Enterprises are thought to be willing to spend around £30m each on a new goalkeeper, centre-back and central midfielder, and have set further funds aside for a new striker.
Leeds United celebrate winning Championship title.
Following Illan Meslier’s inconsistent form, Wolves stopper Sam Johnstone has been mentioned as an option to strengthen between the sticks. The Englishman has struggled for playing time at Molineux this season, so may jump at the opportunity to join Daniel Farke’s side.
A Kalvin Phillips reunion has also been mooted in recent days, with the Englishman’s career nosediving since leaving Elland Road for Manchester City, with injuries hampering him and a place back in Leeds’ midfield an enticing proposition.
Leeds want to sign "fantastic" Man City starlet
According to a new report from The Sunday Mirror [via MOT Leeds News], Phillips isn’t the only subject of interest at the Etihad, as Leeds have made an approach for City attacking midfielder James McAtee, seeing him as an exciting target this summer.
City value the 22-year-old at £25m and an exit is on the cards at the end of the season, with the Englishman only having one year left on his current deal. The Whites are set to battle Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen for his services.
Manchester City'sJamesMcAteecelebrates after the match
McAtee could be exactly what Leeds are after ahead of next season, in terms of being a young player with lots of potential, but also already picking up some Premier League experience. In a star-studded City squad, the midfielder has still managed 15 appearances in the league this term, scoring three times in the process, and Pep Guardiola has described him as a “fantastic” player.
McAtee seemingly doesn’t have a long-term future at the Etihad, however, with too many elite players ahead of him in the pecking order, so a move to Leeds this summer could be an ideal outcome for all parties.
He would come straight in as a key starter for the Whites, rather than warming the bench for City, and his ability to shine in both a central attacking midfield role and out wide on the right flank would surely appeal to Farke.
"Sensational" Leeds target now ready to quit PL club as 49ers plot move
He could solve their biggest problem…
ByTom Cunningham May 11, 2025
At 22, this is the right time for McAtee to become a regular starter in the Premier League, rather than wasting his best years as a substitute, and the 18-cap and seven-goal England Under-21 international should be considered a priority option for Leeds.
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk peeled away after scoring the late winner against West Ham United at the weekend and kissed the badge, effectively confirming that his story on Merseyside will continue beyond the current campaign.
The captain’s contribution put the Reds within touching distance of lifting the Premier League title: should Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur be turned over in the fixtures to come, gold will be secured.
Van Dijk, 33, has been engaged in protracted contract discussions with FSG over the past several months, with a breakthrough seemingly found in the past week.
An announcement has yet to be confirmed, but a two-year extension for the awe-inspiring centre-back is, by all accounts, sealed.
When can Liverpool win the Premier League title?
Liverpool’s crowning moment is surely only a matter of time.
ByStephan Georgiou Mar 31, 2025
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah’s new deal has already been confirmed. The 32-year-old forward has been Liverpool’s driving force this season, surely a shoo-in for the division’s Player of the Year award.
Sadly, Liverpool have been luckless in trying to tie Trent Alexander-Arnold down to his boyhood club for the prime years of his career. The right-back has been sold on the dream of plying his trade for Real Madrid.
This is a terrible shame, one which will sit sour with the fanbase for a long time. However, Liverpool are already proving that they can overcome the painful setback.
How Liverpool are forgetting about Trent
Liverpool are planning to defend their incoming Premier League title by means of attack, attack, attack. This summer, the Reds are planning to throw down with the best of them and strengthen across a range of positions.
Getting Van Dijk and Salah’s deals done means such things can be prioritised, with several exciting signings – alongside the title – sure to ease the anguish over Alexander-Arnold’s departure.
Of course, Liverpool will need to sign a new right-back, but Conor Bradley has proved that he has what it takes to star as Liverpool’s first-choice.
Talented, athletic and more conventionally tailored to the positional berth than his English counterpart, Bradley, 21, is making headway, with The Liverpool Echo awarding him an 8/10 match rating for his performance against West Ham, completing 91% of his passes and winning six of eight contested duels, as per Sofascore.
Liverpool's Conor Bradley in action
Liverpool can cope with Alexander-Arnold’s exit; indeed, those in the Anfield offices may have been tacitly resigned to the outcome for many months at this stage.
Real Madrid are a greedy lot, though, and might not be content with just Liverpool’s Scouse-born sensation. Florentino Perez might actually have his sights set on another of Arne Slot’s prized members.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Liverpool facing another Trent disaster
According to reports over in Spain, Real Madrid have their eye on Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, billing him as an option ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report notes that he is ‘considered attractive to Real Madrid due to his quality’ and few would suggest he isn’t worthy of playing in the finest midfields around.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister
The shops might be shuttered right now, but Los Blancos are doing groundwork and might be buoyed in their intrigue after the player’s father publicly discussed the La Liga giants’ interest.
Given the magnitude of Liverpool’s transfer task this summer, it would be a detrimental blow to lose their midfield linchpin when some more punch needs to be added to the engine room anyway.
Why Liverpool can't lose Alexis Mac Allister
When Liverpool signed Brighton’s Mac Allister, they signed him for £35m. A recently-crowned World Cup winner and the midfield fulcrum behind the Seagulls’ fast rise to prominence, this was considered a bargain from those in the know.
Alexis Mac Allister celebrates for Liverpool
An all-action, intelligent and technically gifted player, the 26-year-old was instrumental in steadying Jurgen Klopp’s ship last season, in returning to the Champions League, in lifting the Carabao Cup.
Now, in Slot’s system, he’s been the centrepiece of a looming Premier League triumph.
The Argentine has kept his level just so across his two campaigns in Liverpool colours, adapting to a different role under Slot’s wing while maintaining his quality.
Matches (starts)
33 (31)
31 (28)
Goals
5
4
Assists
5
4
Touches*
74.2
57.6
Pass completion
88%
87%
Key passes*
1.4
1.2
Dribbles*
0.5
0.5
Ball recoveries*
5.9
4.3
Tackles + interceptions*
4.1
3.3
Duels won*
5.9
5.0
Hailed as a “superstar” who “can play anywhere” by pundit Joe Cole, losing Mac Allister this summer would be tantamount to losing the glue that keeps Slot’s system ticking over.
Reporter Bence Bocsak has very neatly drawn attention to his far-reaching influence, having won the most tackles for the Merseysiders this term while also sparking more shot-creating actions than all but, you guessed it, Salah.
Liverpool have had ample time to prepare for Alexander-Arnold’s departure and indeed have a factory-built replacement waiting in the wings. However, no one plays the £150k-per-week Mac Allister’s role to the same degree.
He plays his football with an almighty fusion of combativeness and creativity, further evidenced through FBref’s data: Mac Allister ranks among the top 15% of Premier League midfielders for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for tackles and the top 4% for interceptions per 90.
Liverpool have much to get on with this summer, and though Mac Allister is highly valued – Transfermarkt record the player’s market price at about £78m right now – Slot and co will surely consider the drawbacks to cashing in on the central linchpin.
Make no mistake, losing Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid is going to be a bitter blow that will sting for a long time, but if the Spaniards swoop in for Mac Allister, it could unravel all the good work being put in at Anfield.
Gerrard 2.0: Liverpool step up £86m move for 'one of the world's best CMs'
Liverpool could soon land a midfield star who possesses shades of Steven Gerrard’s celebrated game.
More than anything else, it was a chance for India’s two most celebrated batters – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – to do something big. They failed, as did India
Alagappan Muthu30-Dec-20241:17
The big mistakes that cost India the MCG Test
There were already 50,000 people in the morning to watch the final day’s play of the Boxing Day Test.Four results were possible.It was AUD 10 entry for adults and free for kids under 15.One man had come in with a sign saying “Chase master Kohli” and on the back it said “All the way from Canada”.Virat Kohli – the brand, not the person – has long graduated to King Kohli. Chase master was a long time ago. He aced them so often and so easily that the catchphrase was losing meaning. But it might be coming back now. With a different meaning. A less flattering one. Referring to his natural response to seeing balls angled across him.Related
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India needed 340 to win. Ninety-two overs to play. This was a day made for India’s two celebrated senior batters. A day to atone because it was a day with life. By the end of it, they were in a tortured place.”A lot of the things that I am trying to do is not falling in the place that I would want to,” the captain Rohit Sharma said. “But mentally, it is disturbing without a doubt.”Rohit had come through a very disciplined, hour-long examination by the three Australia fast bowlers. Twenty-two for no loss after 15 overs. Seven balls after the drinks break, though, Rohit went for a big shot. A flick across the line and the ball went 180 degrees in the opposite direction into Mitchell Marsh’s hands at gully.”When you come here chasing 340 – we did that last time around, so there’s no way that we were not thinking of the target,” Rohit said. “But to get that target, you need to lay the foundation.”India were 33 for 3 in the 27th over. They had lost three wickets for 11 runs on a pitch where Australia’s Nos. 10 and 11 had put on a fifty partnership. “Wicket was slowing down a fair bit,” Rohit said. So if you wanted to sit in, you could. If you wanted to back your defence, you could.Kohli fell to the sucker ball in the over before lunch.
“The batters, they sometimes perform, they sometimes don’t. But, it is much more painful if you don’t get the desired results [as a team]. But why don’t you get the results? It happens when you have the opportunity to grab hold of a game, then you should”Rohit Sharma
Mitchell Starc was the bowler. He wasn’t 100%. “He’s a warrior,” Pat Cummins gushed in the end.But that was a point of vulnerability. Australia batting on day five was partly to get themselves as big a score as possible and partly because their battering ram of a left-arm quick needed to be managed slightly. Cummins was seen putting his arm around Starc as he began a new spell.India did something really cool at the Gabba in 2021. But the coolest thing about it is that it helped them win that series and that was only possible because they were able to come out with a draw in Sydney. They lasted five overs longer (97) than they needed to here (92) even though they had only eight wickets to work with. Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin kept a full-strength Australia attack – that one included their regular allrounder Cameron Green – waiting for basically ever. There were three No. 11s below them: Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. All of them could have put their feet up.There was a time when this team could have done that too. For 32.5 overs, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant showed admirable application. Jaiswal was being stalked by Starc with his smiles and his awayswingers. Eleven times the fast bowler went past his bat. On the fifth, Jaiswal smiled back. He knew he had done what he could do. Play the line of the ball and not follow the movement. That gave him a bit of pride. It took him straight into the contest. Earlier, he was driving away from his body and getting beaten.A record number of people came in to the MCG across the five days to watch a compelling contest•Getty ImagesPant showed such restraint. Of all his innings that have lasted more than 15 balls, only three others have seen him forget about scoring as much as he did today. And those didn’t last beyond 33 balls. This one went up to 104. India were taking time out of the game. They were putting overs into the Australian bowlers’ legs, which, if the series had remained 1-1 and considering the short turnaround to Sydney, would have been a tangential benefit. They were getting closer and closer to safety. They had seven wickets in hand to negotiate the last 38 overs. They failed.”The pain of losing a Test match is more,” Rohit said. “The batters, they sometimes perform, they sometimes don’t. But, it is much more painful if you don’t get the desired results [as a team]. But why don’t you get the results? It happens when you have the opportunity to grab hold of a game, then you should. Be it bowling or batting, batters or bowlers, both have the same role. We had the chance…”Cummins gambled that Pant and Jaiswal, having seen off the main bowlers, might chance their arm against a part-timer. Travis Head came on. Pant took on the long square boundaries at the MCG even though Australia had three men posted there and was caught at deep midwicket. Jaiswal, who ended up as India’s last recognised batter, went for another aggressive shot, trying to pull a slower bouncer from Cummins and gloving behind to the wicketkeeper. Ravindra Jadeja received an unplayable ball. Earlier, KL Rahul had received an unplayable ball. The other batters fell to shots that weren’t really conducive to what they were trying to accomplish – what one injured batter and one injured bowler who could bat accomplished in Sydney.”Today, we had the opportunity to win or draw the game,” Rohit said. “We tried but a lot of the boys about whom you are talking, the ones that have scored runs, could have played longer. But they are new, the more they play, they will learn.Steven Smith gets into position to take the catch to dismiss Nitish Kumar Reddy off Nathan Lyon•Getty Images”Sometimes I know you want to do the target, you want to chase the target, you want to be positive and stuff like that. But you’ve got to be realistic as well sometimes. And getting six an over [India needed 228 off 38 overs] on that pitch, it seems a little tough.”Cummins rated this win as his best. Certainly something to rival Edgbaston 2023. Three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand people came through the gates creating a raucous atmosphere. The game ebbed and flowed. Both teams had periods where they were under the pump and fought through it. And really, in the end, it went to the one that made the fewest mistakes. Australia didn’t have any mix-ups running between the wickets. India did and 153 for 2 – a position from which they could at least contest for a first-innings lead – all of a sudden became 159 for 5.Rohit and his men were playing catch-up from that point on and as well as they tried it just wasn’t going to happen. In the end, they were stuck in the dressing room watching their bowlers, who have given everything on this tour, being raked over the coals. Washington Sundar had so many close catchers that Mitchell Marsh who had been asked to join them didn’t know where to go because there was no place. Eventually, Steven Smith moved off to his right basically becoming a second wicketkeeper to facilitate a field that had a silly mid-off, silly point, two gullies, a slip, short leg and leg slip.Bumrah’s wicket – the penultimate one that Australia needed for victory – produced such a visceral roar that the sea gulls sat on top of the MCG roof scattered as a group; fleeing the scene of danger. Eventually they took over the ground. Scores of them were on the outfield as day turned to night. The MCG had turned peaceful. India, though, look a long way from peaceful. They have to digest a loss that needn’t have happened.
The visitors will use the upcoming three ODIs to find answers for the World Cup in India later this year
Andrew McGlashan16-Mar-2023
How many allrounders?
Last year, Australia experimented with a deep batting order that at times had either Cameron Green or Glenn Maxwell come in at No. 8. Maxwell has put together a terrific run at No. 7, where he averages 48.10 with a strike-rate of 123.33 since 2020. In the early stages if his ODI career, Green has also played valuable innings lower down the order, most notably the match-winning 89 not out against New Zealand. It’s a combination that could be on show again in India as the selectors determine whether it will be worth using at the World Cup. Mitchell Marsh (who won’t bowl in this series), Marcus Stoinis also fall into the batting-allrounder category while Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar are bowling allrounders. The theory of a deep batting order is that if matches are dominated by the bat, the impact of the extra batting will outweigh what a specialist bowler would bring and provide the power to either set or defend a target.
Does Marnus Labuschagne fit in?
Australia’s top three will be David Warner, Travis Head and Steven Smith, but after that there might be some room for shuffling, depending on how many allrounders play. Marnus Labuschagne made his ODI debut in India in early 2020 and had a promising start with a century and two fifties in his first six innings. Overall he now averages 32.16 with a strike-rate of 84.54 and there has been the question raised as to whether having him and Smith at No. 3 and 4 is the best fit. The value of having two Test batters in those roles was shown against New Zealand in Cairns last September when the ball was zipping around for Trent Boult and Tim Southee. They added 116 to set up Australia’s victory. However, it’s unlikely the ball will be doing much zipping at the World Cup. Labuschagne’s bowling has also faded.
Is there a place for Josh Inglis?
Alex Carey is the incumbent ODI wicketkeeper and has a good record in the format. Against New Zealand last year he and Green added 158 for the sixth wicket to transform a chase from the depths of 44 for 5. However, Josh Inglis – a dynamic, versatile batter solid with the gloves – is nipping at Carey’s heels. In the recent Marsh Cup final, he made 138 off 110 balls and his overall List A strike-rate is an impressive 112.97. There’s a strong chance he will play a utility role in the World Cup squad, providing both batting and wicketkeeping cover, but there is a case to be made that he is worthy of a place in the starting XI.Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc – all three may not play together in ODIs•Getty Images
Can Maxwell be the second spinner?
Maxwell is still on the comeback trail from the badly-broken leg he suffered in November but it is hoped he can play a reasonably significant role with the ball. He will likely have a vital part to play in the World Cup. In 2019 and 2020 he went 13 matches without taking an ODI wicket, but he has developed his offspin significantly over the last few years. He took 4 for 52 against New Zealand in Cairns in September and sent down his full complement of 10 overs in four matches last year. Agar is the other frontline spinner in the squad but his ODI record is less impressive than his T20I returns.
Opportunity for Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis
Both Abbott and Ellis can consider themselves unlucky not to have played more for Australia. With neither Josh Hazlewood or Pat Cummins available against India there could be an opening for one if not both of them. Although not like-for-like players – Abbott offers more with the bat – they may be battling for one spot at the World Cup. Abbott was outstanding against New Zealand last year, sending down a remarkable spell of 5-4-2-1 in the second match. Ellis, meanwhile, who replaced Jhye Richardson in this squad, has made an excellent start to his T20I career and had a strong case to be the T20 World Cup squad.
Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood: two out three?
In relation to fast bowlers (and again the allrounder debate), it looks difficult for Australia’s Big Three to play in the same XI. It won’t be resolved in this series with two of them unavailable, but the balance of the side could give an insight. Cummins has been earmarked for the World Cup captaincy and Mitchell Starc is a white-ball great. That leaves Josh Hazlewood, who is also an outstanding limited-overs bowler, facing being forced out of the XI. It’s also interesting to ponder whether there is a scenario where, even as captain, Cummins does not play every game in the World Cup.
He can score runs up the order. He can take wickets at the death. Where would Delhi Capitals be without him?
Karthik Krishnaswamy09-Nov-20201:51
Ponting spoke to me a few times before about opening – Marcus Stoinis
Where would the Delhi Capitals be without Marcus Stoinis?It’s a rhetorical question, but if you really wanted an answer, they probably wouldn’t be in the IPL final without him. He has brought explosiveness to a batting line-up that has often struggled to get out of second gear, and he has been a handy plugger of gaps with the ball, regularly bowling the difficult overs.On Sunday, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Stoinis pulled off yet another hugely influential all-round performance, and he did not just score runs and take wickets. He also made the Capitals look like a better-structured, better-balanced team.It began with Stoinis opening the batting, which he has done before – most notably on his way to topping the BBL run charts last season – but only three times in the IPL, back in 2016. At the start of the season, it had seemed unlikely that he would get a chance in that role again, given the Capitals’ wealth of top-order options. However, with Prithvi Shaw’s form falling away and Ajinkya Rahane not providing the necessary dynamism when he opened, the possibility opened up.It might have come to nothing if Jason Holder had caught Stoinis off Sandeep Sharma when he was batting on 3 off 5 balls. The move might have gone the way of the Royal Challengers Bangalore opening with Virat Kohli in their Eliminator on Friday – a good idea that got just one, belated chance, and didn’t come off.But Holder couldn’t hold on, and we got to see exactly what Stoinis the opener can do. It was much the same as Stoinis the end-overs hitter, as it turned out, but with the added benefit of powerplay field restrictions. The baseball-style swat over midwicket in the fourth over, off Holder, would have brought him six runs in any phase of the game, but the field restrictions also allowed Stoinis to pick up boundaries in other situations that might have only brought him singles or twos outside the powerplay.Sandeep, for instance, bowled inswing to him with a 5-4 leg-side field, but with only two fielders allowed on the boundary, he had fine leg and midwicket up in the circle. When he strayed off-line in the third over, Stoinis could flick him for back-to-back boundaries. In the fourth over, Holder bowled with his mid-on up, and Stoinis gave him the charge and clubbed him to the left of that fielder even when he tried to pull his length back.The stillness and balance that have characterised Stoinis’ batting right through the season pervaded his game on Sunday too, and that form combined with serious attacking intent to create a potent cocktail.Stoinis did not survive for too long against Rashid Khan, though, and that was not unexpected. In the IPL, Stoinis’ record against spin (average 26.08, strike rate 123.71) is significantly worse than his record against pace (32.00, 147.55). But by opening with Stoinis, the Capitals can ensure he faces less spin early in his innings, or force their opposition into bowling spin at him and shield other batsmen down the order from unfavourable match-ups.Marcus Stoinis biffs one through the on side•BCCIStoinis has performed this shielding role quite often with the ball – in the game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, for instance, Axar Patel bowled just one over against a left-hander-heavy line-up – and he did so again on Sunday, when the Sunrisers had two right-handers at the crease for long periods and R Ashwin bowled just one of the first 14 overs.When that happens, one of the fingerspinners often does not complete his quota, leaving Stoinis to bowl at the death. His economy rate has suffered as a result, but he has also made crucial interventions – the miraculous (or lucky, depending on your point of view) final over against the Kings XI Punjab in the Capitals’ season-opener, for example, or the final-over yorker to bowl Rahul Tripathi in a high-scoring contest in Sharjah. Stoinis, in fact, has taken wickets this season in the last over of the innings – only one other bowler from any team, Kagiso Rabada, has taken as many.Stoinis did not have to bowl the 20th over on Sunday, but of his three overs, one was in the powerplay, and one at the death. It was in those two pressure overs that he made his biggest impact.When he came on to bowl the fifth over, the Sunrisers seemed to be shrugging off the early loss of David Warner, with Priyam Garg and Manish Pandey having put on 24 in 17 balls. By the end of that over, Stoinis had dismissed both of them.Marcus Stoinis celebrates a wicket•BCCIWickets often fall for no rhyme or reason in T20s, but Stoinis can take some credit for those two dismissals. Garg had looked comfortable on the back foot through his brief innings – he had even hooked Anrich Nortje for six – but his front-foot stride had been minimal when the ball was pitched up. Stoinis tested this with a full ball delivered at 135kph – a significantly quick delivery by his standards – and burst between bat and pad.Pandey looked to loft Stoinis straight and ended up hitting straight to mid-on, and this was at least partly because Stoinis had bowled an offcutter that gripped and deviated into the batsman, causing him to hit the ball with the inside half of his bat.When Stoinis began the 17th over, the Sunrisers needed 51 off 24. Kane Williamson and Abdul Samad had put on 49 in 26 balls. Off the fifth ball of the over, Stoinis made his most decisive breakthrough, with a full, wide slower delivery that began just inside the tramline at his end and finished just outside the tramline at the other. The ball was floating away from Williamson throughout, and if he had left it alone, it probably would have been called wide.Williamson did not leave it, though. The required rate in such situations often compels batsmen to keep going hard, and Williamson reached out to try and pick the gap to the left of deep cover. In reaching out so far from his body, however, he lost control of his shot, hitting it straighter than he wanted and too close to the man on the boundary.Stoinis roared, arms in the air, fists clenched, veins popping in his granite forearms. He looks like a comic-book superhero, and sometimes he bats and bowls like one too.
Stats highlights from the Champions Trophy match between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Rawalpindi
Sampath Bandarupalli24-Feb-2025 • Updated on 25-Feb-2025178 Number of dot balls in Bangladesh’s innings against New Zealand – the most by any team in this Champions Trophy, and the second most for Bangladesh in a 50-over men’s ODI innings since 2012. They had played 185 dot balls against South Africa in a Johannesburg ODI in 2022.12 Number of aggressive shots attempted by Bangladesh batters in 22 overs bowled by the New Zealand spinners. The spinners conceded only 80 runs at an economy of 3.63, while New Zealand’s quicks went for 153 runs in 27 overs at an economy rate of 5.46Bangladesh tried to attack only four balls from Mitchell Santner in ten overs, and seven balls from Michael Bracewell, who took 4 for 26 in ten overs.4 for 26 Bracewell’s bowling figures against Bangladesh are the best for a New Zealand spinner at the Champions Trophy, bettering Paul Wiseman’s 4 for 45 against Zimbabwe in 2000.All four wickets Bracewell took were of the top-six Bangladesh batters. The only other New Zealand spinner to dismiss at least four of the opposition’s top six in a men’s ODI in the last 20 years is Ish Sodhi – also against Bangladesh in 2023.22 Runs conceded by New Zealand through wides against Bangladesh, their second most in a men’s ODI. They conceded 29 runs in wides against Australia in the 2011 World Cup game in Nagpur.2017 Previous instance of Kane Williamson getting out for single-digit scores in consecutive ODI innings, before his 1 and 5 in this Champions Trophy. Williamson scored 6 and 3 in successive matches against India in 2017.40 Difference in the runs scored by New Zealand and Bangladesh during the middle overs (11-40) on Monday. New Zealand scored 154 runs for the loss of two wickets in this phase, while Bangladesh scored only 114 and lost five wickets. Bangladesh played out 107 dot balls in this phase, while New Zealand only had 79.6.09 Economy rate of Bangladesh’s spinners – they conceded 123 runs in 20.1 overs they bowled on a pitch where New Zealand’s spinners went at 3.63 and took four wickets.On the other hand, Bangladesh’s pacers made early inroads, taking three wickets and ending up with an economy rate of 4.34 in the 26 overs they bowled, which was much better than the New Zealand pacers, who went at 5.46 runs per over.1 Rachin Ravindra became the first batter to score a hundred in his debut match at both the ICC’s global ODI events (the World Cup and the Champions Trophy). He scored an unbeaten 123 against England on his World Cup debut in 2023, and now 112 against Bangladesh on his Champions Trophy debut.Ravindra’s four ODI hundreds have all come at the ICC’s global events so far, the most at such events by any man for New Zealand, surpassing three by Kane Williamson and Nathan Astle.