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Arne Slot has explained his team selection as Liverpool named a young Carabao Cup XI for the visit of Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Slot has overseen a run of five defeats from six heading into the midweek meeting with the Eagles but rather than use the game as a chance to return to winning ways, the Dutchman followed in predecessor Jurgen Klopp's footsteps and named an inexperienced side.

AFPWoodman, Ngumoha & Ramsay among starters

Slot made sweeping changes to the side that started Saturday's 3-2 loss at Brentford, a result that meant Liverpool had lost five of their last six games in all competitions ahead of the arrival of Palace on Wednesday night. The Reds' sole victory in that run came in a 5-1 Champions League triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt as the Merseyside outfit struggles continue in their second season under the Dutchman.

However, Slot followed in Klopp's footsteps and named an inexperienced side for the fourth round fixture against the Eagles. The former Feyenoord boss also set his side up in a five-man backline, a change from usual 4-2-3-1 setup, with the likes of Freddie Woodman, Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison and Rio Ngumoha all featuring from the outset in an unfamiliar system. Milos Kerkez, who came off after an hour at the weekend, was the only Liverpool player to retain his starting spot from the Brentford defeat.

The Liverpool head coach also packed the bench with young stars, with Slot prioritising the upcoming visit of Aston Villa on Saturday. Ahead of the game, he explained his decision to make wholesale changes despite the club's terrible run of form.

Advertisement'We use this competition for younger players'

When asked about his team selection by ahead of Wednesday's game, Slot said: "People who follow this club know we use this competition for younger players. We want to create a pathway for them, to play in front of 60,000 people, in front of our own fans, that’s one reason.

"The other is that we only have four or five injuries but if I have to play again the same players. There are multiple reasons why we have lost so many games, no excuses to lose so many but it hasn’t been helpful that almost every time we have only two days in between and after we have had to play away, and then again an away game, so we keep playing the same players.

"Like for example I tried with Alexander Isak, players who missed out on pre-season, it is a big risk of another injury, and we only have at this moment in time 15, 16 senior players available."

AFP'Our responsibility is to recognise what is happening and put things right'

The unexpected line-up comes after Slot admitted that it is the "responsibility" of the players to "put things right" in his matchday programme column. "It goes without saying that our recent form has not reached the standards that you expect of us or that we expect of ourselves," Slot started.

"This is, of course, a major disappointment, especially given the positive start we made to the season. From our perspective, there are no excuses. Yes, we are aware of the reasons and we will discuss them, but the one thing we cannot and will not do is use them as an excuse. Our responsibility is to recognise what is happening and put things right. There is no other option.

"Part of this process involves being hurt. We should be hurt by results like Saturday's when we lost to Brentford, and we should use the feelings this creates to further fuel our motivation. Not that anyone could accuse the players of a lack of effort – if anything, the opposite is true – but how we use this effort and desire is what will make the difference."

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'Tonight's fixture gives us an opportunity to take a step forward'

"Tonight's fixture gives us an opportunity to take a step forward, not just in this competition but also in our season as a whole," Slot continued. "That it comes against an opponent that continues to prove itself to be very strong means this will be a testing cup tie but, again, this is the kind of challenge that we have to embrace.

"Of course, we have already faced Palace in the Premier League this season and the result on that occasion was not what we would have hoped for. Credit to Palace for that.

"Their winning goal came very late on that occasion after we had equalised following a difficult first half for us, so we should be aware not just of the problems they can cause but also of their ability to keep going until the final whistle."

However, it seems the decision backfired horribly as Crystal Palace found themselves 2-0 up at half-time, with the Reds' torrid run seemingly set to continue.

Liverpool follow up the weekend's home clash with Villa with a home meeting with Real Madrid, and a potential reunion with Trent Alexander-Arnold, before a trip to Manchester City ahead of the international break.

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has likened Mohamed Salah to Cristiano Ronaldo and explained why it is far too early to be writing the Egyptian superstar off at Liverpool. The remarkable numbers that he has been posting for the Reds have dipped slightly in 2025-26, on the back of signing a new contract, but the expectation is that he will come good again.

Salah's numbers have dipped after signing new contract

Salah has, having moved to Anfield in 2017, become a modern day legend in his own right. He is five appearances short of 300 for Liverpool and requires just two more goals in order to reach 250. He is a two-time Premier League title winner with Champions League and domestic cup honours to his name – along with three PFA Player of the Year awards and four Golden Boots.

Liverpool worked hard to agree an extension with their ‘Egyptian King’ over the summer, with fresh terms taking him through to 2027. More magical performances should be delivered in that time, despite the odd question being asked of his contribution at present – with the target only being found on three occasions through 10 appearances this term.

AdvertisementGettyToo early for Salah to be written off

Reds hero Carragher has said in his column for : "Liverpool have been basking in the glow of the Mohamed Salah era for the past seven years. The next seven weeks will give us an indication as to how much longer that will last. Salah is off form, the goals have dried up, and he does not look the same player as last season. If Liverpool are to retain the title, he needs to sharpen up before December’s African Cup of Nations, thus ensuring he is as indispensable as ever to Arne Slot when he gets back. There are valid causes for concern following recent performances. There are also valuable lessons from Salah’s career which serve as a warning to those prematurely predicting a decline. Do not write off Salah too soon because he has a habit of making criticism look silly."

Salah's record vs Man Utd: Stunning strike rate

A meeting with arch-rivals Manchester United is next on the agenda for Liverpool and Salah, much like Portuguese GOAT Ronaldo, tends to save his best for when it matters most. Carragher added on facing favoured opposition: "Salah has similar traits to Cristiano Ronaldo with regards to his mental toughness and determination to extend his career at the top and keep chasing records and trophies. The more he is doubted, the more he responds where it matters on the pitch.

"If there is one club which will fear negative appraisals of Salah’s form more than any, it is this weekend’s visitors to Anfield, Manchester United. Salah’s record versus United is extraordinary. He has scored 16 times against Liverpool’s historic rivals. No team has suffered more against him. His all-time tally in this fixture is seven more than any player for either club, enhancing his reputation as the man for the big occasion."

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Getty Images SportTime catches up with all icons eventually

Carragher concedes that Liverpool may be wondering whether handing Salah a new deal was the right decision, with every talismanic figure seeing stunning individual standards dip at some stage. He said: "With respect to all of the great players who have served [Jurgen] Klopp and now [Arne] Slot, when football historians view this period they will see Liverpool as ‘the Salah team’. He has defined it in the way [Kenny] Dalglish did in the late 70s and 80s, John Barnes the late 80s, and [Steven] Gerrard the 2000s. Like the legends before him, even a footballer with Salah’s pace cannot outrun father time. It is a question of when, not if, the greatest realise they have been caught.

"Slot left Salah out of the first tricky Champions League away game in Galatasaray. With Salah unavailable when he joins Egypt in mid-season, Liverpool must get used to being without him. Salah must start to accept he may not start every week upon his return, which is never easy for such a high-profile, world-class player. Sooner or later Liverpool must move beyond Salah and enter the era of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Just don’t bet against Salah making that later rather than sooner."

Liverpool head into their home date with old adversaries United looking to snap a run of three successive defeats. Slot’s side have come unstuck against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea across domestic and Champions League competition, leading to them slipping from the Premier League summit in an ongoing bid to defend their English top-flight crown.

Back in their favourite competition, can the sound of the Europa League anthem in Govan spark Rangers’ season into life?

Fair to say, the start of the Russell Martin era has gone, frankly, disastrously, with the Light Blues yet to win a Premiership match in five attempts, their worst start since 1978, thereby sat second bottom of the table.

They did at least beat Hibernian 2-0 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, thereby setting up a semi-final showdown with Celtic at Hampden in November, a result that will keep the universally unpopular Martin in a job, for another few days at least.

Now, the Gers will commence their Europa League campaign with a visit from Genk on Thursday night; they’ll also host Roma, Braga and Ludogorets Razgrad in the league phase, with away trips to Sturm Graz, Brann, Ferencváros and Porto on their schedule too.

Last season, Rangers finished eighth in the inaugural league phase, reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League, continuing their love affair with Thursday night European action, having got all the way to the final of course as recently as 2022.

If Martin’s team are going to make a winning start against Genk, he needs to make his best player a central pillar, but just imagine if Rangers still had one key man in their squad, sold under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Nicolas Raskin's importance to Rangers

Nicolas Raskin was Rangers’ undisputed best and most important player last season, underlined by the fact that he was named both Players’ Player of the Year as well as Supporters’ Player of the Year.

Thus, any new manager would want to build the team around the Belgian international, well, except for Martin it would seem.

The midfielder was left on the bench for Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzeň and Club Brugge, not included in the matchday squad at all for games against Celtic and Hearts, the latter a 2-0 defeat, with presenter Darrell Currie perplexed why any manager would choose to leave their “best player in the stand”.

Thus, after seemingly settling their differences, Raskin returned to Martin’s lineup against Hibs at the weekend and, to the surprise of no one, made all the difference, heading home the opening goal and putting in an all-round excellent performance.

Thus, the 24-year-old has to be considered simply undroppable going forward, set to partner Mohamed Diomandé at the base of midfield on Thursday, but just imagine if Rangers still had the “left-footed Yaya Touré” to complete this trio.

What happened to the forgotten Rangers hero

Back in the summer of 2019, despite reported interest from plenty of Premier League clubs, free agent Joe Aribo decided to join Rangers, convinced to move north of the border by manager Steven Gerrard, following the expiration of his contract at Charlton Athletic.

Well, the midfielder marked his Ibrox debut with a goal against St Joseph’s in a Europa League qualifier, bagging 26 goals and 25 assists for the club in total, winning a Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.

Speaking in 2021, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who played alongside Aribo at the Valley, labelled him a “left-footed Yaya Touré”, adding that his “languid style [is] fairly unique”, praising his “great feet​​​​​​​” and fantastic “ability”.

Then manager Gerrard agreed, asserting that Aribo had “the world at his feet”, adding that he was “outstanding from start to finish” following a League Cup victory over East Fife in August 2019, shortly after his arrival.

The Nigerian international’s historic moment in a Rangers jersey came in the 2022 Europa League Final, breaking the deadlock against Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, as the Gers were heartbreakingly beaten on penalties in Seville.

This would prove to be his last goal for the club, sold to Southampton for around £6m soon after, and his career has not quite turned out as many forecast it would.

The table below documents his season-by-season performances.

2019/20

49

9 & 8

2020/21

43

8 & 7

2021/22

57

9 & 10

2022/23

27

2 & 0

2023/24

40

4 & 1

2024/25

37

3 & 0

2025/26

Zero

Zero

First and foremost, worth acknowledging that Aribo has not played a single minute for Southampton this season, completely frozen out by manager Will Still, initially due to transfer uncertainty but, now that the window has shut, he is yet to be reintegrated.

When he has been on the field for the Saints, he has registered only nine goals and a solitary assist for the club, despite getting into double figures for combined goals and assists during each of his three seasons in Glasgow.

Thus, Aribo surely regrets moving to the South Coast back in 2022, given that Southampton have been a yo-yo club since his arrival, and just imagine if this current Rangers team had him in his prime; he would make such an enormous difference alongside the likes of Raskin.

​​​​​​​

Forget Raskin: "Glorious" star will be the best Rangers player this season

This Rangers player will be the club’s best star this season ahead of Nicolas Raskin.

ByDan Emery Sep 24, 2025

In the end, Xabi Alonso had just one word for Real Madrid's 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid on Saturday: "bad". Well, duh!

Los Blancos had enjoyed an undefeated start to the season and, heading into the first Madrid derby of the year, seemed well-equipped to make something happen – perhaps even continue that run. Atleti were an unpredictable shambles of a side, a summer spending spree leading to mid-table irrelevance (albeit in a small sample size). Madrid were in fine form. Kylian Mbappe was scoring for fun. Arda Guler looked a wonderful fit under Alonso. All of the pieces were in place here. 

That prediction aged like milk. Madrid were woeful against their crosstown rivals, a self-inflicted mess of disastrous defending and lack of effort in central areas, leading to a comprehensive 5-2 defeat. And in truth, it really could have been more. 

It all leaves Madrid searching for answers a bit. They have leaned heavily on Mbappe thus far, but also looked really rather good as a unit. However, as soon as they faced a team that likes to disrupt, they crumbled. And that's the bigger worry. Madrid derbies are testy things, full of hard tackles and fierce individual duels. 

And under real pressure for the first time this season, Los Blancos collapsed, meaning Alonso has had his rude awakening at Real. Now the new boss has to figure out how to react, maybe even rebuild, and prepare for more stern challenges that lie ahead. This job is never easy. But Alonso now knows just how hard it can be. 

Getty Images SportEarly warning signs

Some will tell you that they could have seen this coming. Madrid's first real test under Alonso, arguably, came earlier this summer. Whether Madrid truly to win the Club World Cup is up for debate. But they certainly approached the transfer window like they wanted to. 

A glut of new arrivals showed up in America for the tournament, and Alonso was the man tasked with piecing them all together – despite having less than two weeks as actual manager of the club.

They looked beleaguered in the group stage, and when it came down to the big names, they were miles off the pace. Madrid were battered by somehow-not-champions PSG in the semi-final, and, in truth, never appeared remotely capable of turning that result around. Alonso claimed after the game that the loss was the final match of the previous season, and by no means an indication as to how things might look going forward.

"At the moment, we need a proper break. This is not the beginning of next year, this is just the end of this season," he said after the defeat.

And there's some sense to that. Los Blancos endured a disastrous 2024-25 campaign. The Club World Cup felt like a bit of a wash. Sure, the loss stung, but it was perhaps a chance to refresh – not an indictment on the strength of the side. Well, so much for that idea…

AdvertisementAFPGetting the XI wrong

Atleti are not as good as PSG, but they certainly exposed the same weaknesses in Madrid's team. 

The first, and most obvious problem that Alonso will repeatedly face here is the lack of balance in the side. For the first time this season, the manager started Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham together. It's a dangerous thing, trying to get all three into the same side. Say what you want about tactical adjustments and positional play, one fact is simple: the trio don't quite click together on either side of the ball.

Yes, there were some moments of individual magic, but when Los Blancos lost the ball, the results were calamitous. It was laughably easy to see how Atletico might attack. Mbappe doesn't like to run. Vinicius and Bellingham don't either. As soon as Los Rojiblancos counter, they are playing against eight, taking on a remarkably disorganised unit immediately. And although set-pieces proved to be their ultimate undoing, all of the moves started from direct vertical counters. 

It was a familiar story, the way Madrid have been attacked by opponents for 12 months now. Alonso simply fell into the same trap as his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti in the Italian's final year at the Santiago Bernabeu.

GettyLeaning on Mbappe

And that won't be easy to counter. In all likelihood, one of Bellingham or Vinicius will need to be benched – especially in the big games. Madrid's remedy to that – or, at least, their method for picking up results – is to lean on their stars. And in Mbappe, they have arguably the best forward in the world. 

The Frenchman has been in electric form to start the campaign. Alonso seems to have won him over somehow, encouraging him to play in a more central role, and simply getting better consistent showings out of the team's talisman. Against the lesser sides, that helped paper over some cracks. Madrid haven't been excellent to start the season, but Mbappe's penchant for finding the net has ensured that some of the shortcomings – and there are a fair few – haven't proven fatal. 

However, against a far more organised Atleti, he couldn't play hero-ball. Sure, he scored a wonderful goal – a clinical dart in behind and finish. But that alone could not save a Madrid team that actively struggled. 

Mbappe's reluctance to defend was also illustrated. Ancelotti, the great vibes guy who was able to lay down the law in a dressing room full of egos, could never solve that conundrum in the big games. Thus far, Alonso hasn't, either. That goal was lovely for the highlight reel. Substantively, though, it meant little.

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Getty Images SportA midfield imbalance

The midfield could also do with some scrutiny here. Thus far, Alonso has stuck with a familiar formula: a trio of Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and one other (usually Arda Guler as a No.10). It has worked well enough. But against Atleti, who simply packed the middle of the pitch, it was underwhelming. 

There are a number of reasons why. A lot of them surround a certain Englishman who was regarded as a Ballon d'Or candidate not 12 months ago. 

Bellingham isn't lazy per se. But his work rate isn't excellent, either. He doesn't quite seem to know how to defend as a No.10. When the attackers don't press, Bellingham never knows when to run forward or drop deep. The result is a bit of lethargy, half-committed to defending. It leaves Madrid wide open. 

Furthermore, for all of his undoubted talent, Bellingham clearly doesn't like it when things don't go his way. Too often, he throws his arms in the air in frustration, or doesn't track back at all. Atleti took advantage of that ill-discipline. 

And then there is the form of Federico Valverde. Last year, he was immense, full of legs and providing some attacking quality, too. This year, he is still a willing runner, but looks a little slower. There were times, last season, where he could play two vs one. Not anymore.

The pair added 116 for the fourth wicket after a brief wobble to secure a comfortable win for India in Rajkot

Shashank Kishore10-Jan-2025Pratika Rawal continued her impressive initiation into international cricket, hitting her second half-century in four innings at the top of the order, as India secured a comfortable six-wicket over Ireland in the first ODI in Rajkot.Rawal’s partner was another rookie, Tejal Hasabnis, who notched up a maiden half-century in her fourth ODI. The pair added 116 for the fourth wicket after India briefly wobbled when they lost Harleen Deol and Jemimah Rodrigues in quick succession.While Rawal steadily shifted gears after playing second fiddle to Smriti Mandhana in a robust 70-run opening stand, Hasabnis displayed an attacking game and a penchant for the big shots from get-go.Hasabnis couldn’t break into the XI in any of the three ODIs against West Indies late last month, and only got the opportunity here because Harmanpreet Kaur was rested. She repaid the faith, getting to a half-century off just 43 balls and remaining unbeaten on 53.As India’s chase entered its home stretch, Rawal’s impending century became a matter of great interest. Rawal showed keenness to go for the runs as she raced through the 80s. With Rawal needing 25 and India just 21, she tore into left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire, hitting her for two fours and a six.The first of those fours was an aesthetically pleasing inside-out drive over extra cover against the turn. She followed that with two big hits straight down the ground. On 89, an attempt to loft the ball down the ground for six led to her holing out inches from the boundary as Orla Prendergast took an excellent catch.Tejal Hasabnis played a counterattacking knock•BCCIRawal walked off to a standing ovation. That she was even remotely in with a chance to score her maiden ODI century was down to her sensational strokeplay once she crossed fifty. Richa Ghosh came in to hit her first two balls to the boundary to seal India’s win in the 35th over.While Rawal couldn’t remain unbeaten, Hasabnis did her reputation no harm, showing the ability to be a big-hitting middle-order batter India would love to have. She got going very early on, when she smashed Laura Delany for two back-to-back fours in the 24th over that went for 22.When Delany pulled out midway through the over, Prendergast came under Hasabnis’ hammer as she hit a third four by slapping a length ball through extra cover. The enterprising nature of the Rawal-Hasabnis partnership allowed India to charge towards the target.Despite the nature of the defeat, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Ireland. They challenged an inexperienced Indian attack with Gaby Lewis, the captain, leading the fight with 92 in a total of 238 for 7 after electing to bat. Lewis, who narrowly missed out on a maiden ODI century with cramps eventually leading to her downfall, was supported by Leah Paul, who made an industrious 59 from No. 5.Gaby Lewis led the Ireland batting effort with 92 from 129 balls•BCCIThe pair shared a stand of 117 to rescue an innings that appeared to be heading towards a free-fall when rookie legspinner Priya Mishra sent back Prendergast and Delany, two of Ireland’s most-experienced batters, off successive deliveries in the 14th over to leave them 56 for 4.India were off the boil on the field though, dropping four catches in all that played a role in them allowing Ireland to bat the entire 50 overs. Lewis was the first to be reprieved on 59 when Richa Ghosh bailed out of a catch to stop the healthy edge with her boot. Paul was let off in back-to-back overs, off Titas Sadhu at deep midwicket and by Mishra off her own bowling, after the batter had crossed her seventh ODI half-century.Then with Ireland looking for end-overs acceleration, Harleen reprieved Arlene Kelly at extra cover. Ireland batting out the entire 50 overs should count as a mini-victory of sorts given only two players – Lewis and Delany – had prior experience of having played in India.Cameos from Kelly and Christina Coulter Reilly helped Ireland pick up some crucial runs in the death overs, but it became evident very early on, as Mandhana turbocharged her way to a succession of pull shots in her breezy 41, that it wouldn’t be enough.

Nitish Kumar Reddy happy to have already proven his doubters wrong with the bat, but he wants to fill the allrounder’s role better for India

Alagappan Muthu29-Dec-20243:31

Reddy revels in ‘two-three years of hard work’ paying off

Finding ways to defy expectations is something that has brought Nitish Kumar Reddy joy on this tour. He was a relative unknown when he was picked, having played only 21 first-class matches with his best work coming in T20 cricket. Now he has a century at the MCG.”I haven’t given a thought like that, but I know some people doubted me,” the 21-year-old allrounder said at the end of day four. “Like such a youngster who played IPL, who came here, and he can’t perform in such a big series, and I know a lot of people talk about that. I just want to make them feel wrong about what they have said about me, and that’s what I’m doing, I want to make people know that I’m here to give my 100% for Indian team.”Reddy also looked back to the end of day three when, in front of more than 80,000 fans and his team watching from the dugout, he hit Scott Boland down the ground for four to bring up his hundred. He also expressed his thanks to the No. 11 batter Mohammed Siraj for helping him get there by getting through the last three balls of the previous over from Pat Cummins.Related

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“It was such a grateful moment for me, I’ve been watching Virat [Kohli] since childhood and making him as my idol, and grown up, now finally I played with him, he scored a hundred when I was in non-strike [in Perth], I felt so happy, and I scored a hundred when he appreciated me, he came to me and said that you really played well, you get the team back in the game, I felt so happy for that, I always dreamed about this moment, and finally when he talked with me that’s the best moment for me.”And yeah, I don’t know, the crowd went crazy after Siraj’s last ball defence, even my century was not that loud I guess, but I really loved the way Siraj came and approached three balls and I should thank him for making my 100.”Reddy’s strokeplay – particularly down the ground – has been eye-catching but he’s done other little things that have garnered attention as well, like how he tried to negate Australia’s most disciplined bowler by stepping out of his crease.”I would say Boland is a more consistent bowler, and I just want to change his line and length so that it will be easy for me when he is bowling,” Reddy said. “I don’t have to be on my crease, so I can move on a little bit forward and I can adjust to the bowler, that’s what I tried and it’s been working.”Mohammed Siraj did his little bit to help Nitish Kumar Reddy to his hundred•Associated Press

Having arrived in Australia with the India A side in early November, winning his first Test cap in Perth, and top-scoring for India in four innings, it’s been a brilliant start to Reddy’s batting career but he’s conscious that he’s not done enough with his second skill. Reddy has picked up three wickets from four Tests at an average of 49 and economy rate of 4.22.”My expectations [at the start of the tour] was to be a pure allrounder, and I know still I need to work a little bit more on my bowling, I’m still not happy with the way I’m bowling, and I hope that I come back strong in bowling, and I want to fulfil that allrounder slot in the coming days.”I can see my last three years, two years, how hard I have been working on my batting and bowling, obviously fitness is main for me as an allrounder, and I kept pushing myself. After my first IPL season, I realised what I have to improve on my batting, and when I got the off phase [time off], I have worked a lot on my batting and that’s what working now. As I mentioned, it’s not about the one month and two months, but I have done the work from the last two to three years to come here.”

A late fast-bowling burst from the West Indies seamers left Bangladesh 410 behind with eight wickets in hand

Mohammad Isam23-Nov-2024

Bangladesh 40 for 2 (Alzarri 1-2, Seales 1-15) trail West Indies 450 for 9 (Greaves 115, Louis 97, Athanaze 90, Roach 47, Hasan 3-87) by 410 runsA maiden Test century for Justin Greaves headlined a dominant day for West Indies against Bangladesh on day two of the Antigua Test. After his 115 helped West Indies post 450 for 9, West Indies bookended the day with two Bangladesh wickets, leaving the visitors 410 behind with eight wickets in hand.It was a fine recovery after slipping to 261 for 7 despite an overnight score of 250 for 5. Greaves shared a 140-run eighth wicket stand with Kemar Roach, who batted for more than four hours for 47, his highest Test score in his 15-year career.Greaves’ unbeaten 115 justified his Super50 form, where he struck three consecutive centuries earlier this month. He made a patient effort, striking just four boundaries in his 206-ball stay. It was the perfect follow-up to the nineties that Alick Athanaze and Mikyle Louis had scored on day one to lay the foundation.Bangladesh continued to give away strong positions with the ball, toiling for 144.1 overs, but unable to bowl out the home side. Hasan Mahmud took three wickets, all of them on the second day. Taskin Ahmed toiled hard and even found the edge of Greaves’ bat once but nobody appealed. The spinners, stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, shared three wickets from their combined 73.1 overs.West Indies declared with Bangladesh needing to bat out a maximum time of an hour and 45 minutes. But there was no respite for them against the four-man West Indian pace attack. Zakir Hasan fell for 15 after he under-edged a Jayden Seales delivery onto his stumps. The left-hander struck three fours in his short stay, all off Seales, but was slightly unlucky with the ball shaving the leg-stump. Mahmudul Hasan Joy edged Alzarri Joseph for 5, shortly after he was dropped on the same score.It was a long way from the start of the day for the visitors, having started the day in the best possible way by taking two early wickets.Mahmud removed Joshua Da Silva with the fifth ball of the morning session, trapped lbw with a delivery that darted into his front pad. This was Mahmud’s first wicket in the game despite bowling well on the first day. It was also his 24th wicket this year, making him the highest wicket-taker in a calendar year among Bangladesh’s pace bowlers.File photo: Hasan Mahmud had helped Bangladesh start the morning well•BCCI

That number became 25 when Alzarri fell in Mahmud’s next over. Zakir took a superb two-handed catch at gully, reminiscent of how he opened the Pakistan tour with Abdullah Shafique’s catch at gully in August. If Bangladesh sensed they had their opening to bowl out West Indies for under 300 runs, that was blunted by Roach.He was the right type of foil for Greaves, who was willing to grind out the Bangladesh attack. Greaves handed the strike to Roach from time to time, as the pair didn’t allow any more wickets in the first session. There were only two boundaries in those 26 overs too, but that hardly bothered the home side who needed a recovery.Greaves started the second session with his third boundary when he pulled Taskin through midwicket. He, however, survived a caught-behind chance on 77 with neither Taskin nor wicketkeeper Jaker Ali (who was deputizing for Litton Das after the first session) hearing a faint nick. it was only a replay on the big screen that showed what Bangladesh missed out on.Shortly afterwards, a Roach single brought up the team’s maiden century partnership for the eighth wicket against Bangladesh. It was followed by a rain break of seven minutes, after which Roach slammed Mehidy over his head for his first boundary. Mahmud finally removed Roach with a fine angling delivery, clipping the top of his middle-stump. Their 140-run stand was West Indies’ third-highest for the eighth wicket.Greaves soon reached his century with his fourth boundary shot, driving Taijul through the covers. It was potentially his best shot of the innings and the landmark was only his second first-class ton.West Indies declared in the 145th over of their innings, after their tail-enders Seales and Shamar Joseph struck some meaty blows. That left enough time for the bowlers to have a crack, which they successfully did.

Sarfaraz Khan ground down Rest of India (ROI) on day two, becoming the first-ever batter to make a double-century for Mumbai in the Irani Cup. He was part of a 131-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane (97) for the fifth wicket and a 183-run stand with Tanush Kotian (64) for the seventh wicket as ROI toiled away for 138 overs in Lucknow.The day started with Mumbai on 237 for 4. Sarfaraz and Rahane saw off the first 10 overs of the day before Rahane fell three short of a hundred to a bouncer from Yash Dayal, with the new ball under two overs away from being available.Related

• Rahane and Sarfaraz fifties drive Mumbai on opening day

ROI took it a ball into the 81st over and were rewarded almost immediately as Mukesh Kumar castled Shams Mulani. Kotian joined Sarfaraz with Mumbai on 280 for 6 and started watchfully. Then boundaries began to trickle in as the duo put away loose balls.Prasidh Krishna, running in from mid-on, dropped a tough chance handed by Sarfaraz on 97*, off Manav Suthar’s bowling. Sarfaraz brought up his 15th first-class century and the fifty partnership in the following (92nd) over.Mumbai’s domination was cemented in the afternoon session where they scored 111 runs off 26 wicketless overs at a run rate of 4.27. Sarfaraz set the tone with a boundary each off Suthar and Prasidh in the first two overs of the session.Then, with the ball just under 25 overs old, Sarfaraz smashed Suthar for a six and a four in the 105th over before Kotian flicked Saransh Jain for another six two balls later. Sarfaraz brought up his 150 and Mumbai their 400 with relative ease. Kotian had four boundaries when he reached his fifty before Mumbai finished the session on 449 for 6.Prasidh struck twice in two balls in the third over after tea, knocking over Kotian with a slower ball and trapping Mohit Avasthi lbw with an inswinger next ball. But Shardul Thakur’s entry at No. 10 showed Mumbai’s batting depth and allowed Sarfaraz, on 186*, to bat without having to worry about farming the strike.Sarfaraz took down Suthar for a six and a four in successive overs before bringing up his double-ton off his 253rd ball in the 127th over. Wasim Jaffer, Ravi Shastri and Yashasvi Jaiswal – all from Mumbai – have previously made double-centuries in the Irani Cup, but while representing ROI.The physio was often out on the field in the evening, allowing only 18 overs of play in the final session while Mumbai cruised past 500. Sarfaraz overturned a caught-behind call off Mukesh on 211, denying him a five-for. Thakur fell against the run of play in what turned out to be the last over of the day, playing on off Saransh for 36.A first-innings lead will be enough for Mumbai to clinch the trophy if the match ends in a draw.

“When you have a mega auction you are bound to have a reset. But you try and maintain as much of the core as possible,” Sanjiv Goenka says

Sreshth Shah28-Aug-2024Sanjiv Goenka, the Lucknow Super Giants owner, did not give much away about his team’s retention plans and captain KL Rahul’s future with the franchise, but admitted that the upcoming mega auction will mean the team “resets” in some aspects ahead of IPL 2025.Speaking to the media in Kolkata alongside newly unveiled mentor Zaheer Khan, Goenka said LSG’s retention decisions will not be made with a short-term view.”All decisions are medium-term and need to be thought of carefully,” he said. “When you have a mega auction you are bound to have a reset. But you try and maintain as much of the core as possible. The coach Justin Langer continues, [support staff] Lance Klusener and Jonty Rhodes will also be there. So it is a question of improving and going further from where you are now.”Rahul, the LSG captain since the team’s first IPL in 2022, was in Kolkata this week and met Goenka. Goenka did not get into the details of their conversation, but called Rahul “family”.”I have been meeting KL on and off regularly over the last three years,” Goenka said. “Frankly I am surprised this meeting is getting a lot of attention [in the media]. He is integral [to LSG]. He has been here since the inception. For me personally and for [my son] Shashwat [Goenka, who is also involved in running LSG], he is like family.”After two playoff appearances in IPL 2022 and 2023, LSG missed the playoffs for the first time in the 2024 season, finishing seventh on the table because of a poor net run rate. It was the first time the franchise did not have the services of mentor Gautam Gambhir, who had moved to Kolkata Knight Riders. In the coming season, Goenka believes Zaheer’s presence “will do wonders” for the team.”Beginning of a new relationship. Zaheer has impressed me as a player, coach and strategist,” Goenka said. “His hunger for success is something that attracted me to bring him into the LSG franchise.Zaheer Khan was formally named Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor on Wednesday•Sreshth Shah/ESPNcricinfo”A couple of weeks ago, I realised he wasn’t with any cricket franchise. I called him up. We spoke. He agreed. And he’s here. It’s as short and as quick as it gets. We are very excited to have him on board.”Zaheer, who had been associated with Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022 as director of cricket and head of global development, said he will serve in a similar role at LSG. He said he was particularly impressed with the “building blocks” put together by a “young franchise in only three years”, and felt that he shared the owners’ vision.”Yes it happened exactly in the same words how Mr Goenka explained. We got on a call and realised we have a similar stance on many topics about cricket,” Zaheer said. “We discussed the direction, the culture, the brand the team wants to play. The building blocks are already in place. It’s a relatively young franchise but it doesn’t seem like that. Reaching playoffs in this fiercely competitive league isn’t easy and [seeing their progress] gives me confidence.””It is a team game, so I will be serving the team in every capacity possible, and yes, it includes bowling. If I am there in the set-up, does the team need another bowling coach?” he said with a smile. “When you see LSG, their journey is only three years but they are as comparable to the teams who have played the IPL for 17-18 years. The building blocks are in place and we need to take them forward. Decision-making will be something we’ll work on, since it is something that can differentiate teams.”As it stands, LSG’s roster includes Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Naveen-ul-Haq and Devdutt Padikkal, among others. The teams are expected to know the IPL’s retention rules in early September, after which they will decide on whom to retain, possibly with a late-November deadline, before the mega auction leading into IPL 2025.

انتهت مباراة مصر وبوركينا فاسو بالتعادل السلبي، في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، والتي ستقام في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك وكندا.

وأقيمت المباراة بين مصر وبوركينا فاسو على أرضية استاد 4 أغسطس، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثامنة من تصفيات كأس العالم.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، رفقة بوركينا فاسو وإثيوبيا وجيبوتي وسيراليون وغينيا بيساو.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة مصر في تصفيات كأس العالم بعد التعادل مع بوركينا فاسو

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر في مباراته المقبلة أمام جيبوتي في إطار لقاءات الجولة التاسعة من مواجهات المجموعة لـ تصفيات كأس العالم.

ويحتاج منتخب مصر للفوز أو التعادل بأي نتيجة خلال مباراته المقبلة ضد جيبوتي من أجل حسم بطاقة الصعود إلى نهائيات كأس العالم مباشرة كـ أول عن المجموعة. موعد مباراة مصر القادمة بعد أمام بوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

وسيلتقي منتخب مصر أمام جيبوتي يوم 8 أكتوبر المقبل، من أجل حسم بطاقة التأهل إلى كأس العالم.