Newcastle "ready" to sign £17m ace with more goals than Bruno in 2024/25

Newcastle United are said to be “ready” to make a move for an “international” level midfielder this summer, according to a new transfer report.

Newcastle may need midfielder if Tonali leaves

The future of Sandro Tonali at St James’ Park is up in the air currently, with no guarantee that the Italian will still be at the club next, following two seasons there. One report has claimed that Newcastle are willing to listen to offers for the 24-year-old, with bids of around £68.5m possibly being accepted in the summer transfer window amid interest from Man City and Juventus.

Meanwhile, a swap deal involving the Magpies hero and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been mentioned, with the Serie A giants happy to let the Serb leave this summer.

Tonali himself played down a return to AC Milan earlier this year, prior to the EFL Cup final victory over Liverpool, saying: “I have never ever spoken about it with my agents. And I know, from experience, that if you don’t get to that point there is nothing. And in any case, I am happy with myself here [at Newcastle]. I have found my line and there is no need to upset it again. I want to win for the Newcastle United fans.”

Newcastle "ready" to sign Saelemaekers this summer

Now, according to Il Messaggero [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are “ready to invest” in Milan midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers this summer, with the 25-year-old out on loan at Roma currently. Milan are believed to value the midfielder at £17m, which is too much for Roma, with the Magpies and Nottingham Forest potentially looking to strike a permanent deal instead.

Whether Saelemaekers is seen as a possible replacement option for Tonali remains to be seen, but there is plenty for Eddie Howe to admire about him. The Belgian has enjoyed a good season out on loan at Roma, scoring six times in Serie A, which is two more than Bruno Guimaraes has managed in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Claudio Ranieri lauded his quality and versatility earlier in the season, saying: “Saelemaekers is an international player, a good player who can play different roles. I needed him on this wing to execute certain plays, and he is doing well in interpreting what I want from him.”

Saelemaekers could add great energy to Newcastle’s midfield next season and beyond, with Howe no doubt liking the fact that he can shine in various central and wide roles, and he is a 14-cap Belgium international, which is no mean feat alongside some stellar names.

Juventus director wants to sell £320k-a-week star amid Newcastle interest

Newcastle have been linked with a move for a “world-class” striker.

1 ByHenry Jackson Apr 21, 2025

At 25, there is a lot more to come from him, too, and while £17m could be a steal, his arrival hopefully wouldn’t be at the expense of Tonali, who the Magpies must look to keep hold of.

'I love playing risk-free cricket' – Rathod extends dream red-ball run

He was disappointed to miss out on a maiden first-class double ton but pushed towards his India A dream

Ashish Pant13-Sep-2025Yash Rathod paused for a moment right after facing his first ball on the second morning of the Duleep Trophy final. He had just been beaten by Gurjapneet Singh. Stepping away, Rathod nodded his head furiously, talking to himself, trying to calm his nerves. After a disappointing semi-final against West Zone, where he managed just 2, Rathod was determined to make amends.Two hundred and eighty five balls later, as he walked back for 194, he had done his bit in helping Central Zone close in on their first Duleep Trophy win in 11 years.It wasn’t easy initially. Central Zone were 93 for 3 in the 34th over when Rathod walked out. A first-innings lead was just 56 away, but Gurjapneet was in the middle of a searing spell. He had just flattened Shubham Sharma’s middle stump, had Danish Malewar nick to slip, and was extracting plenty of movement in overcast conditions.Rathod started tentatively, particularly against Gurjapneet, who bowled 16 straight dot balls at him. He was beaten a few times and had an early escape when he edged the quick to second slip, with the ball falling just short. Then, twice he flashed outside off against fast bowler MD Nidheesh and was lucky to get thick edges past the gully fielder. The fluency, which had fetched Rathod 960 runs in the last Ranji Trophy season, was missing.Related

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  • Yash Rathod's 194 gives Central Zone a firm hold

“Initially, I think I was over-trying,” Rathod told ESPNcricinfo. “When I went to bat, the situation was tricky, but the plan was to react to the ball. Gurjapneet was also hitting the right areas quite consistently. The ball was swinging and seaming off the wicket as well.”Once I got past that phase, and the spinners came on to bowl, I thought I will capitalise. I tried to dominate them before lunch, but no matter what I tried – stepping out, sweeping, or playing off the backfoot – I wasn’t connecting [with] the ball consistently. It just wasn’t clicking.”Lunch came at the right time for Rathod. At the break, as he gathered himself, focus shifting over to playing instinctively, and once back, everything fell in place. Rathod clipped Gurjapneet for four through midwicket to raise his half-century off 84 balls. Soon after, he waltzed down the track to left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma, driving him past mid-on and then through covers.A key feature of Rathod’s innings was his backfoot play. He would often go deep into his crease off Ankit, nudging him fine past slip and would pull anything that was marginally short of a length. It took Rathod just 132 balls to reach his seventh first-class century, getting there by tapping Ankit to point off the backfoot, ending the second day unbeaten on 137.

My immediate goal is to prepare myself for the Irani Trophy. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first stepYash Rathod

Rathod was more proactive on the third morning. He clipped Gurjapneet through midwicket in the first over and reached his 150 with a push to mid-on. He rushed through the 180s with two fours but was cleaned up by Gurjapneet shortly after lunch, falling six short of a maiden first-class double-century. He was visibly dejected as he trudged off slowly, constantly looking at the replays of his dismissal on the big screen at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.”It was very disappointing,” Rathod said on missing out on a double ton. “I have been trying to get a double-century for a while. Last year, I scored five centuries, but being a No. 5 batter, it becomes tough to score a 200 as you end your innings mostly with tailenders.”Today, I had a chance to score a double ton on such a big stage. So yes, it was quite disappointing to not score those six runs but again, very grateful for 194. Maybe there is something better lined up for me, maybe I can score a double-century in the Irani Trophy.”Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod added 167 for the fourth wicket•PTI A highlight of Rathod’s 194 was his calmness. Once settled, at no stage did he look hurried. He was involved in two big stands – 167 for the fourth wicket with Rajat Patidar and 176 for the sixth wicket with Saransh Jain – and ensured he didn’t try to match his partner’s pace.”It doesn’t matter how the batter at the opposite end is playing. Everyone has a pattern,” Rathod said. “I can’t play like Rajat bhai. His intent is different. My game plan is very different. I love playing risk-free cricket.”Five-day cricket is a long game. I know my patterns, I know my strengths where I can perform well. I like to take the game forward calmly, take control of the situation and stay clear with my plans and what I need to do.”Rathod has had a stellar start to his first-class career, with 15 scores of fifty-plus in just 35 innings, and was a key factor behind Vidarbha’s winning 2024-25 Ranji season. His next goal is to play all three formats but he is not looking too far ahead.”I have the belief it [playing all three formats] will happen,” Rathod said. “I also obviously want to play IPL, but my immediate goal is to prepare myself for Irani Trophy as that is also a big stage. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first step.”At 25, Rathod has already been part of a Ranji Trophy-winning team and is now close to being part of a Duleep Trophy-winning side. While things have happened quickly in the last year, Rathod is taking them in calmly, at a specific pace, much like his batting.

All Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva's twinning records

The Sri Lankan pair broke several records with their double-act against Bangladesh – here’s all the key numbers from that show

Sampath Bandarupalli24-Mar-20243 – Number of instances of two players from the same team with twin hundreds in a Test match – Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis did it for Sri Lanka in Sylhet. The Chappell brothers – Ian and Greg – scored twin tons against New Zealand in Wellington in 1974, while Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq did the same against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014.There have also been three Test matches where one player from each side scored twin hundreds – Arthur Morris and Denis Compton in Adelaide in 1947, Andrew Jones and Asanka Gurusinha in Hamilton in 1991, and David Warner and Virat Kohli in Adelaide in 2014.3 – Number of pairs with two 150-plus partnerships in a Test match, including Dhananjaya and Kamindu with 202 and 177 in Sylhet. Paul Gibb and Eddie Paynter added 184 and 168 for the second wicket against South Africa in the 1938 Johannesburg Test, while Joe Burns and David Warner had opening stands of 161 and 237 against New Zealand in the 2015 Brisbane Test.2 – Players with hundreds in both innings of a Test match while batting at No. 6 or lower before Dhananjaya and Kamindu in Sylhet. Kamindu became the first batter with two hundreds in a Test while batting at No. 7 or lower.Allan Border had two 150-plus scores while batting at No. 6 against Pakistan in Lahore in 1980, while Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 162 and 143 at No. 6 against Bangladesh in the 2009 Chattogram Test.266 – Runs scored by Kamindu in Sylhet are the second-most by any batter while batting at No. 7 or lower in a Test match. Don Bradman’s 270 runs against England in the 1937 Melbourne Test are the highest: he scored 270 in Australia’s second innings while batting at No. 7.164 – Kamindu’s score in Sri Lanka’s second innings is now the sixth-highest individual score while batting at No. 8 or lower in Test cricket. Only one player before Kamindu had a 150-plus score for Sri Lanka in Tests while batting outside the top six – 154* by Prasanna Jayawardene while batting at No.7 against India in 2009.375 – Partnership runs by Dhananjaya and Kamindu in Sylhet – the third-most by any pair for the sixth wicket or lower in a Test match. They are also the third pair with two century partnerships for the sixth wicket or lower in a Test.292 – Runs added by Sri Lanka after the fall of the sixth wicket in their second innings. These are the most runs by Sri Lanka in a Test innings after the fall of the sixth wicket, surpassing the 223 runs against Bangladesh in 2007 in Colombo.528 – Runs scored by Sri Lanka across the two innings in Sylhet after the fall of the fifth wicket, the most by them in a Test match. These are the fifth-most runs added by any team after losing their fifth wicket across two innings in a Test match.

World-class Babar Azam constructs an innings that only he can

He batted slow, trusted his defence and played another sublime innings when no one else could get to even 20

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jul-2022Babar Azam is the top-ranked ODI batter, 77 rankings points ahead of the next guy (Imam-ul-Haq). He is also the top-ranked T20I batter but is ahead of the second by a slimmer margin (Mohammad Rizwan is 24 points back).In Tests, though, the format that matters, the purists’ format, the thing that gets you into Wisden, he’s ranked a paltry fourth. Above him Joe Root (obviously), Steven Smith (partially riding on past glories), and Marnus Labuschagne (originally a discounted Steven Smith who has now proved more popular in the market since the rumours that the original has declined in quality).Related

Babar: Shafique can become 'one of the best' in the world

Babar ton restricts SL lead after Jayasuriya's five-for

We’re comparing him to the best now. Is the Big Four, now the Big Five? Root, Smith, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and…. Babar? We have to be comparing, right? This is sport. You cannot exist in a universe all on your own. No player is an island. Forget that the others on that list are four to five years older than him, which in cricketing years, is at least one generation removed, maybe more. They are setting the standard. The over-arching narrative is there. We must make Babar fit into it.Must we though? Do we have to play this game? Is the cricket world really the kind of even place where star batters from teams such as England, Australia and India, and to a lesser degree New Zealand, can fairly be compared to Babar? We don’t have to drag capitalism into it, but you know if we did, that analysis would not land in Babar’s favour.In this innings in Galle, Babar hit 119 runs. Sri Lanka series are not high-octane, or high-prestige, and they won’t get you into the big global lists. Even at home, they’ll move the needle less, you’d think, than series against the Big Three, or even South Africa.Babar, though, is there. Playing another sublime innings, on what is already a big-turning pitch. He plays (late, and under his chin) for the straighter one from Prabath Jayasuriya, which has duped his team-mates and brought lbw dismissals. He bats slow, trusting his defence, when plenty of great batters have hit out at this venue, reasoning that a good ball will inevitably get them out so why not make runs before it does.Babar Azam thanks the Almighty after reaching his seventh Test ton•AFP/Getty ImagesBut this is Babar we are talking about, and the good balls that get the best out are still not too good for him, so he is in his own space, playing as he thinks he should, and likely constructing an innings only he is capable of. In the last two weeks, we’ve had Smith and Labuschagne on this surface too. They produced innings of varying quality – Labuschagne progressing to a hundred on a flatter Galle track than the one on display now, though only after being let off early on.They never looked like they trusted their game like Babar.And rarely will the best batters around the world have their team-mates abandon them as happily as Babar’s did. Babar faced 244 balls in this innings. The next best was Yasir Shah who batted out 56 balls. Divide Babar’s 119 by six, and he’d still be the top scorer for his side. There are lone vigils, and then there’s dragging the bodyweight of your entire top order like vegetables in a gunny bag to the market vendor you need to sell it to, and that was basically Babar.He was on 28 when the seventh wicket went down. Then 38 for the eighth; 55 when the ninth fell. Then, farming roughly 72% of the strike, he more than doubled his score, on a pitch that no one else in his team could get to even 20. Though he was never in a rush through the course of this innings, he occasionally ventured the kinds of salvos that let you know, that if he wanted to, he could. Three successive fours off Kasun Rajitha towards the end of the second session, for example, one drilled down the ground, another crashed over midwicket, the third whipped over square leg.In the long view of this career, this innings might not be part of the central folklore. But a batter hitting 82 runs in the company of Nos. 9, 10 and 11, is not un-spectacular. It’s futile to pretend we won’t compare him with the others, because of course we will. But across formats, across pitch conditions, oppositions, match situations, perhaps we seed the thought there is something special happening here that is happening nowhere else.

Alex Rodriguez Calls Out One Dodgers Star for Not Helping Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers hoped to seize control of the World Series in Game 4 but they weren't able to get it done at home, losing 6-2 to the Blue Jays. The series is now tied up at 2-2 and suddenly it looks like Los Angeles could be in trouble, partly because while Ohtani has done virtually everything he can thus far, some of his star teammates are not having the same kind of success.

The biggest name that hasn't stepped up enough in the World Series is Mookie Betts. The 2018 AL MVP is an eight-time All-Star but he hasn't been himself at the plate against the Blue Jays. He has just three hits in 19 at-bats and has yet to knock in a run.

Moments after Game 4, in which Betts went 1-for-4 with his only hit being a single in the eighth inning, Alex Rodriguez seemed to call out the Dodgers' star shortstop, saying his struggles could hurt Ohtani the rest of the series.

"When I look at that lineup, the one guy that you have to circle is the great, great Mookie Betts because if Mookie doesn’t get going that means that Shohei may not get one more at-bat for the rest of series and that’s something to watch," Rodriguez said.

David Ortiz then chimed in with what he thinks has gone wrong for the Dodgers and what the team's other stars need to do to pick up Ohtani.

"Shohei has a hard job to do because he has to pitch and he has to hit but he’s more critical because if he doesn’t hit [the Dodgers] don’t hit," Ortiz said. "It seems like every night when they get going it’s because of [Ohtani]. Now you have a lot of superstars on the ball club, you have a lot of professional hitters that until this point they haven’t been able to come through collectively."

Here's that complete conversation from Fox's postgame show.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted there could be some lineup changes for Game 5, saying in his postgame press conference: “I’m going to think long and hard, and it might look a little bit different tomorrow.”

The Dodgers need their other stars to pick it up, and fast. The Blue Jays were resilient in Game 4 and if they can win Game 5 they will head home with a 3-2 lead and will only need to win one game at Rogers Centre to claim their first World Series title since 1993.

Game 5 is a crucial game for both teams. We'll have to wait and see what changes the Dodgers make, if any, and if Betts can finally get going at the plate.

'Always a symbol of determination' – Egypt boss comes out swinging in defense of Mohamed Salah after Liverpool star's bombshell Arne Slot rant

Mohamed Salah has come in for huge criticism following the bombshell post-match interview, where he took aim at Liverpool boss Arne Slot and accused the club of "throwing him under the bus", but Egypt national team boss Hossam Hassan has posted a message of support for his star forward. Salah was an unused substitute in the 3-3 draw with Leeds, the third match in a row he has been named on the bench.

  • Damaging draw too much for Mo

    Leeds United secured a dramatic draw in a match Liverpool led twice, with Hugo Ekitike scoring a quickfire second-half brace, but were pegged back both times. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's penalty and Anton Stach's goal made it 2-2, Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool's lead and the Reds looked like they had sealed the three points, but Ao Tanaka's 96th-minute equaliser sealed a point for the home side. And while there was high drama on the pitch, the main headlines came after it, following an extraordinary rant from Salah. 

    Speaking to reporters, Salah said: 'I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.'

    He added: 'I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club. This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday — you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew.'

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    Pundits queue-up to slam Salah 

    Danny Murphy and Chris Sutton have strongly criticised Salah for his explosive post-match interview. Murphy labelled the Egyptian's timing as poor, arguing such issues should be handled internally, stating: 'Salah is making it all about him when the focus should be on Liverpool's draw. That just creates more problems.'

    And Sutton posted to X on Saturday night: 'Embarrassing from Mo Salah and disrespectful to his team-mates and his manager. Salah is no different from any other player … if a player’s form drops as Salah’s has he is the same as anyone else and has to accept being benched… but he thinks he’s too good to be benched sadly…'

  • Egypt boss shows support

    While pundits formed an orderly line to criticise Salah, he found support in the shape of his national boss, Hassan. Salah will join-up with his national team later this month to participate in AFCON and could miss as many as eight games for Liverpool. Hassan posted a picture of himself and Salah on Instagram, with the caption (originally in Arabic): 'Always a symbol of determination and strength.'

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    Milan showdown next up for Reds

    Liverpool head to Italy for a Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Tuesday and fans will wait with baited breath to see the team sheet, and specifically whether Slot has included Salah. The Reds are desperate for victory after the damaging 4-1 home defeat by PSV Eindhoven in their last match and need wins in their remaining league phase matches to stand a chance of automatic qualification through to the knockout stage.

Corinthians tem queda de 23% na receita e deixa 'clube do bilhão' do futebol brasileiro

MatériaMais Notícias

O Conselho Deliberativo do Corinthians votará o plano orçamentário proposto pela diretoria para 2026 na próxima segunda-feira (15), no Parque São Jorge. O projeto, aprovado pelo Conselho de Orientação (CORI), prevê um enxugamento das despesas para a próxima temporada.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansOrganizada do Corinthians terá encontro com MP por presença em decisão contra o CruzeiroCorinthians12/12/2025Fora de CampoEx-Seleção Brasileira crava eliminação do Corinthians para o CruzeiroFora de Campo12/12/2025CorinthiansCorinthians conhece seu adversário no Mundial de Clubes femininoCorinthians12/12/2025

A dívida total do clube alvinegro está estimada em cerca de R$ 2,7 bilhões, e muito desse prejuízo foi causado pela geração de receitas em 2025. Segundo dados apresentados pela diretoria, neste ano, o Corinthians teve uma diminuição de 23% em suas receitas se comparado a 2024.

A projeção apresentada no plano orçamentário prevê que o clube arrecadará R$ 859 milhões, a menor desde 2023, quando a receita bruta foi de R$ 937 milhões. No ano passado, o valor registrado foi de R$ 1,115 bilhão.

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O principal fator para o resultado negativo foi a queda na receita com venda de jogadores. Em 2025, o Corinthians registrou apenas R$ 106 milhões em transações, um valor baixo em comparação a 2023, quando obteve R$ 251 milhões, e a 2024, quando alcançou R$ 338 milhões em negociações.

Vale lembrar, que o plano orçamentário elaborado para a atual temporada foi feita pela diretoria de Augusto Melo, ex-presidente afastado por impeachment em maio. Osmar Stábile assumiu definitivamente em agosto, refez a previsão para 2025, que indicava um superávit de R$ 37,5 milhões, e projetou um déficit de R$ 83 milhões.

continua após a publicidadeNegociações do Corinthians

No final de 2024, a diretoria de Augusto Melo, então presidente do Corinthians, apontou que o clube alvinegro pretendia arrecadar R$ 151 milhões com venda de jogadores. Neste ano, o Timão negociou diretamente o lateral-esquerdo Denner, para o Chelsea, por cerca de R$ 61 milhões, o meia Guilherme Biro ao Sharjah, dos Emirados Árabes Unidos, por R$ 14,2 milhões, além o atacante Kauê Furquim ao Bahia, em negociação que custou R$ 14 milhões ao clube soteropolitano.

O Corinthians também obteve lucro com a venda de porcentagens de alguns jogadores. Entre as negociações: o atacante Felipe Augusto, vendido do Brugge (Bélgica) para o Trabzonspor (Turquia); o atacante Gabriel Strefazza, do Como (Itália) para o Olympiacos (Grécia); o zagueiro João Victor, do Vasco para o CSKA (Rússia); e o zagueiro Raul Gustavo, do Ferencváros (Hungria) para o New York City (EUA).

Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Plano para 2026

O plano orçamentário do Timão para a próxima temporada estima, novamente, uma arrecadação de R$ 151 milhões com venda de jogadores, seja por direitos de atletas que não estão mais no clube ou por negociações envolvendo nomes do atual elenco.

No futebol profissional, o plano indica um enxugamento que pode resultar em reformulação do elenco. A folha do departamento deve cair de R$ 435 milhões para algo em torno de R$ 354 milhões, o que representa uma economia anual próxima de R$ 6,2 milhões.

A gestão projeta fechar o ano com um superávit de R$ 12 milhões. A previsão é reduzir os gastos totais com pessoal, entre jogadores e funcionários, de R$ 505 milhões em 2025 para cerca de R$ 410 milhões em 2026, uma queda de aproximadamente 19%.

Adeus ‘clube do bilhão’

Em 2024, apenas três clubes brasileiros tiveram receitas superiores a R$ 1 bilhão: o Flamengo arrecadou R$ 1,3 bilhão, o Palmeiras R$ 1,2 bilhão, e o Corinthians R$ 1,1 bilhão. Na atual temporada, o Timão ainda pode aumentar seu rendimento dependendo do resultado da Copa do Brasil.

A vaga na semifinal já pagou R$ 9,9 milhões para Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Vasco e Fluminense. O vice-campeão garante R$ 33 milhões, enquanto o campeão leva R$ 77 milhões.

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CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

Goud times roll for India's newest new-ball star

Kranti Goud picked up 3 for 20 to continue her rapid rise with India’s ODI side

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-20254:12

Goud, Deepti, Ghosh make it two from two for India

Kranti Goud, 22, was informed of her India debut at the R Premadasa Stadium in May 2025. She had largely been picked as an apprentice, with India waiting on two senior players – Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, both injured and in rehab.It was an unremarkable debut, for figures of 5-0-22-0. But among the many things she did right was hitting Chamari Athapaththu, a ferocious puller of the cricket ball, on her ribs. That tiny moment, lost amid Smriti Mandhana’s century and Sneh Rana’s four-for, encouraged India’s selectors to take a punt on her for the England tour.When she picked up a six-for in Durham, hooping the ball and leaving England’s top order gasping en route to an impressive series victory, it was fairly evident Goud had sealed her World Cup spot, irrespective of whether the injured senior pacers returned. Renuka has, Vastrakar hasn’t, but Goud has made herself undroppable after just two outings.Related

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Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

A week after she opened the 2025 World Cup with 1 for 41 in India’s win over Sri Lanka, Goud stung Pakistan’s top order in a fiery new-ball spell. She finished with 3 for 20 in India’s 88-run win in Colombo, one that her neighbourhood watched on a giant LED screen they’d installed back in Ghuwara, a town in rural Madhya Pradesh.”The talk is about focusing on line and length only,” Goud said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “I haven’t thought of doing much extra. Variations like bouncer or slower balls, those depend on the situation. The coaches told me to pull my lengths back a little based on the conditions and surface, that’s what I did.”It wasn’t merely Goud listening to her coaches that did the trick. She also got the captain to give her the fields she wanted most times. In the 12th over, with the ball losing some of its shine, Harmanpreet Kaur pulled out Deepti Sharma from the slips, only for Goud to wheel her back to where she’d been.The result? Aliya Riyaz was defeated by late movement to get a healthy edge through to Deepti at second slip. A jubilant Goud immediately turned to her captain, who ran towards her to acknowledge her contribution.”The ball was swinging early on, I couldn’t understand what was happening,” Goud said with a chuckle when asked about her first spell. “One ball came in a long way. Then when the ball was old, Harman wanted to take the slip off, but I said, ‘no didi, let’s keep the slip for this over.'”I had that feeling from within that I could get a wicket, and I got it off the first ball. They found it tough to play our pacers. Because the ball was moving in and out, that’s why I had a lengthy first spell.”Goud bowled six unchanged overs with the new ball. The other small contribution she made to India’s win was her crucial lower-order runs with Richa Ghosh. Coming in with India 226 for 8, the ninth-wicket pair added 21 to haul India to 247.Goud’s contribution was 8 off 4 balls, including two fours: a cover drive off her first ball, against left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, and then a boundary off Diana Baig when she got inside the line to help a short delivery past short fine leg.”Richa told me, if there’s a ball to be hit, go for it. But if you’re not able to, just give me a single,” Goud said. “Because only a few overs were left, we needed to score as many as we could. First ball itself was hittable, so I hit a four. Then she told me, play like this only. The second [boundary] was a short ball, so I went for it. Look forward to playing well like this.”Goud would perhaps acknowledge tougher tests await, but the stage on Sunday wasn’t to be scoffed at, even if India did come in with a 11-0 record over Pakistan in women’s ODIs. With the men’s Asia Cup having been played in an environment far from the bonhomie the teams have shown in the past, the focus was on the women’s game to see if some of the hostilities would spill over. It didn’t, even though the teams didn’t shake hands before or after the match.But the off-field noise was far from Goud’s mind. “I wasn’t thinking of India-Pakistan or other things,” she said. “My duty is to bowl, and I was doing just that.”

ليفربول إيكو تكافئ محمد صلاح رغم الهزيمة بثلاثية أمام نوتينجهام فورست

شارك محمد صلاح في هزيمة ليفربول أمام نوتينجهام فورست، بثلاثية نظيفة، على ملعب أنفيلد، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وأحرز أهداف نوتينجهام فورست، موريلو في الشوط الأول، وأضاف كل من نيكولا سافونا ومورجان جيبس وايت الهدفين الثاني والثالث.

وبهذه النتيجة، يكون فريق آرني سلوت قد تعرض للهزيمة في ست من آخر سبع مباريات في الدوري الإنجليزي، وكان جمهور ليفربول قد عبر عن استيائه من ضعف أداء اللاعبين.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقييم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ونوتينجهام بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

وأجرت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية، تقييمًا للاعبين بعد نهاية اللقاء، وحصل النجم المصري محمد صلاح على أعلى درجة من بين كل لاعبي ليفربول في الشوطين.

وحصل محمد صلاح على تقييم 7 من 10، وأوضحت الشبكة سبب إعطائه هذا التقييم: “لقد تفوق على منافسه وزميله السابق ويليامز في الشوط الأول وصنع بذكاء بعض الفرص، تصدى الحارس لتسديدة وسدد مرة أخرى خارج المرمى، وشكل خطراً منتظماً لصالح ليفربول”.

Howe favourite could be given the boot after Wilson's arrival at Newcastle

Newcastle United have finalised the appointment of Nottingham Forest technical director Ross Wilson, who has overseen the City Ground side’s meteoric rise to European football.

Familiar and on good terms with Eddie Howe, Wilson is the ultimate replacement to Paul Mitchell, who left his directorial post unceremoniously, less than one year after replacing Dan Ashworth.

Journalist Ben Jacobs said, “Newcastle have been keeping tabs on Wilson since he was at Rangers”, and it is regarded as a promising move for the Tyneside outfit.

Why Newcastle appointed Ross Wilson

Recognised for establishing deep-rooted and identifiable cultures, Wilson will cater to Howe’s managerial needs. His is the hand that wields ultimate power on the transfer front, but he will listen to the manager and make decisions in line with Howe’s wants and needs.

To put that another way, it highlights that Howe is the most influential person at St. James’ Park. This is something that wasn’t quite established with Ashworth and then Mitchell in the boardroom.

However, this certainly isn’t to say Wilson will be powerless. Moreover, his connections at Nottingham Forest suggest an already approachable relationship with the Tricky Trees could be strengthened, and that’s interesting when considering Howe’s recent comments about bringing Elliot Anderson back home at some stage.

However, Wilson’s arrival might also spell the end for one or two Newcastle first-teamers, and Nick Pope could be among those to receive the chop.

Why Wilson could boldly axe Newcastle hero

In the summer of 2022, Newcastle signed Pope from Burnley for about £10m following their relegation from the Premier League. He had stood against the tide of the drop for several years and was regarded as a good shot-stopper.

He has made 104 appearances for the club, conceding only 100 goals.

Over three years on, he’s still going between the sticks for the Toon, and Pope has recently been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month after keeping two clean sheets and making five saves during the defeat against Arsenal.

In fact, the England international has shut up shop five times from seven fixtures all told, and United’s backline is once again the bedrock of Howe’s tactical vision.

Despite this, Wilson might be inclined to replace the 33-year-old, who Howe has previously described as “one of the best shot-stoppers” he has worked with.

25/26

79.2

6th

24/25

71.7

9th

23/24

72.4

7th

22/23

74.6

4th

Pope has been in fine fettle this season, but he’s never quite maintained the shot-saving skills to rival the best of the best. Moreover, his distribution leaves something to be desired, and since Howe employs such emphasis on Newcastle’s transitional play, this is something a new keeper could help advance, shaping a new chapter.

When Gabriel Magalhaes, contentiously still on the field, scored a last-minute winner for Arsenal the other week, questions were then asked of Pope and his lack of control in dealing with the inswing.

He’s not getting any younger, and while Ramsdale is already in the ranks, on loan, James Trafford’s unfortunate situation over at Manchester City suggests he might be on the move once again down the line. Gianluigi Donnarumma is not so easily displaced, after all.

Pope, hailed as a “phenomenal goalkeeper” in the past by Shay Given, reaches the end of his £60k-per-week contract next summer, and renewing the ageing star’s terms might not be the best move. Wilson will assess the situation, for sure, and it’s quite possible he will opt for change.

Howe has found the next Saint-Maximin in "frightening" Newcastle star

Summer signing aims for Saint-Maximin’s flair with Newcastle’s need for consistency

ByWill Miller Oct 11, 2025

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