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Australia face a nervous wait on the fitness of allrounder Cameron Green after he was ruled out of the final two ODIs against England with a back injury.Green underwent scans after reporting soreness following the third ODI in Durham, where he bowled a spell of sustained short balls, and will undergo further assessment on returning home to understand the full extent of the injury. He has already left the tour.”Cameron Green has sustained a back injury and will play no further part in the ODI tour of England,” a Cricket Australia statement said. “Scans in London overnight revealed the injury after Green reported soreness following the third ODI against England in Durham. He will return home for further assessment where his return to play management plan will be determined.”Green has previously suffered stress fractures of the back as he was coming through the domestic system and again in 2019, the year before he made his Test debut.”Obviously disappointing for him,” Travis Head said after the Lord’s ODI. “He’ll go home and get things sorted. I don’t know a hell of a lot of details but he’s been through these things before, Cam, it’s disappointing but he’ll know the way to get back.”While no timeline has yet been laid out for any potential layoff, if Green was sidelined for an extended period, it would have various knock-on effects to Australia’s planning for their home summer, and particularly the Test series against India, beyond the fact Green was appearing to re-establish himself in the Test side after the 174 not out in Wellington.Related

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He is currently a key figure amid the debate about the structure of Australia’s top order and where Steven Smith bats. If Green wasn’t available there would be a middle-order vacancy which would allow Smith back to No. 4 and the potential of a specialist opener coming in alongside Usman Khawaja.Earlier this month, head coach Andrew McDonald said the incumbent top six of Australia’s Test side would, barring injury, be the players who start the series against India but whether Smith will open was up for debate.If there was a need to bring in a player from outside that group it would open the door for the likes of Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris. Renshaw was the reserve batter during the series against West Indies and New Zealand earlier this year following David Warner’s retirement.Then there would be the loss of Green’s overs. Last month Pat Cummins talked about his expectations that Green and Mitchell Marsh would have a vital role to play in sharing the workload with Australia’s frontline attack during the Tests. If it was only bowling that proved an issue for Green there would be the option of playing him as a specialist batter.”We know with Cameron Green, he has had stress fractures in his back in the past. Let’s hope it’s not that,” Ricky Ponting said on . “They still have the option of playing him as a batsman if it’s not too bad.”Without Green’s bowling it would put the spotlight back on Marsh’s role. He had not bowled since picking up an injury during the IPL until taking the ball at Lord’s where he removed Will Jacks in his second over. Marsh’s lack of recent bowling had not been a significant concern for the limited-overs teams with a number of pace-bowling allrounders available.Green had been expected to feature in at least one Sheffield Shield match in October before the start of Australia’s home international season. Pakistan visit for T20Is and ODIs ahead of the Tests against India which start on November 22 in Perth.

David Warner will be available for a full BBL season for the first time in his career after signing a new two-year deal with Sydney Thunder while Steven Smith could play the competition beyond his Test career as part of a new three-year contract to remain at Sydney Sixers.It comes as Test team-mates Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey re-signed with Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers respectively ahead of the tournament’s 14th edition.The Test stars are set to be available between the end of the Sydney Test against India and their departure for the Sri Lanka tour on January 21 next year, also the first day of the BBL’s knockout stage.Related

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But with Warner having ended his international career he has a clear run at the BBL. Over the last two seasons, he has played eight games for Thunder after a gap of ten years, including the match where he arrived at the SCG by helicopter last summer.”Davey is popular wherever he plays, right around the world, particularly in India and I know the South Asian communities in Sydney’s west will get right behind him at Thunder,” Trent Copeland, the Thunder general manager, said.”In Davey we get a world class talent with almost 20 years of T20 experience and now that he has retired from international cricket, we can count on his full focus and commitment for the entire tournament, including the finals.Smith is set to be available for as many as four Sixers games – including a potential derby with Warner’s Thunder – while Labuschagne’s Heat and Carey’s Strikers each have three games in that window.Smith would theoretically be free to play a full BBL season, rather than just a cameo, if he chose to retire from Test cricket over the next three years but he continues not to put a timeline on his Australia career.Steven Smith could get four games for Sydney Sixers•Getty Images

“I don’t have any plans,” Smith said. “I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer. India’s going to be a great challenge, they are a very good side, think we are probably the two best Test teams in the world going head-to-head over five Tests. I’m excited by that.”Smith is currently one of Australia’s incumbent Test openers after replacing Warner earlier this year although whether that remains the case will continue to be a debate.”The conversations I’ve had so far is that we’ll go to England…I’m there for the one-dayers then make a decision after that. There’s conversations happening in the background. Guys like Usman [Khawaja] has said he likes me down at No. 4, think Marnus is of a similar thought pattern. We’ll wait and see. I’m happy to bat anywhere.”Smith was a member of the Sixers side that won the first edition of the BBL in 2012 but had been only sporadically available in the years after making a blistering cameo two summers ago. He became the first male Sixers player to score a century, achieving the feat twice in a five-game run.Left out from the squad for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad over the winter, Smith played cricket for the Ricky Ponting-coached Washington Freedom in the Major League Cricket this July where he captained them to the title.Meanwhile, Labuschagne will return to Heat, the reigning champions and his long-term BBL franchise, after India’s Australia tour concludes on January 7.”His game sense is exceptional and that is a huge asset to us on and off the field,” new Heat coach Johan Botha said.Carey has signed a four-year deal with the Strikers, with whom the Test wicketkeeper has played all 56 BBL games of his eight-year career in the league. Strikers will be coached by his predecessor as Test wicketkeeper, Tim Paine, from this season.None of the big three quicks – Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins – have signed with BBL sides to date and are likely to take breaks from bowling before Sri Lanka.

Arsenal have been graced with the presence of some of the finest attacking midfielders of the last few generations.

When Arsene Wenger first arrived in north London, he had Dennis Bergkamp at his disposal, one of the most technically gifted artists we’ve ever seen in the Premier League. So good was the Dutchman that he’s now cast in bronze outside the Emirates Stadium.

In more modern times, we’ve seen Mesut Ozil – the king of assists – feature in Arsenal red and white, while Martin Odegaard, one of the most hyped up wonderkids of this era, is stamping his authority on Mikel Arteta’s side.

Yet, with the Norwegian enduring a bit of a tricky season throughout 2024/25, suffering with an ankle injury, perhaps Andrea Berta and Co will look at signing a new creative maestro.

Arsenal looking at Dutch superstar

The biggest priority for Arsenal this summer is to sign a new centre-forward but Berta must not neglect other areas of the pitch and could strengthen in the attacking midfield spot too.

Previous reports have suggested that the Gunners are keen on Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers but he could cost in the region of £100m, making any deal nigh on impossible.

Instead, they could turn their attention to RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons. That’s according to German publication BILD, via Sport Witness.

They reported on Thursday that Simons is attracting interest from a number of English clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

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It’s stated that the player’s brother, Faustino, has been in talks with top clubs already but the Premier League’s elite will also face competition from Barcelona.

To conclude a deal, it may take around €70m (£60m), which would mark a healthy outlay for the Gunners, considering their priorities largely lie elsewhere this summer.

How Xavi Simons could fit into Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side

While Arsenal don’t play with an out-and-out number 10 at the moment, Simons would still be a fabulous capture considering the form of Odegaard this season.

Sustaining an ankle injury during the first international break of the term, the club captain struggled to rediscover himself during a rugged old year for him in Arsenal red.

Odegaard ended the campaign with six goals and 12 assists in all competitions. Only three of those goals came in the league which is a far cry from the 15 he registered in 2022/23. That season, no midfielder scored more than him in the Premier League.

So, the Nordic playmaker needs to improve big time and the addition of a new centre-forward could well help him recapture his best form.

However, some healthy competition wouldn’t go amiss and in the shape of Simons, they could sign an Emile Smith Rowe-like figure capable of challenging Odegaard for a role as Arsenal’s chief creator.

In the latest season, the Netherlands international was sublime, scoring 11 goals and supplying eight assists, adding to the ten goals and 15 assists he registered in 2023/24. Those numbers showcase why, in the words of one data analyst, he is “one of the best 10s in the world.”

That’s fine praise and showcases precisely why Arsenal have cast their eyes in the direction of Simons. So, beyond just goals and assists from midfield, what else makes him similar to Smith Rowe?

The Hale End starlet left Arsenal behind for Fulham last summer after struggling with a succession of injuries, but on his day he was one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in the top-flight.

His numbers from the 2021/22 season show precisely why.

Xavi Simons vs Emile Smith Rowe comparison

Stat (per 90 mins)

Simons (24/25)

Smith Rowe (21/22)

Goals

0.42

0.47

Assists

0.25

0.09

Shots

2.09

1.88

Progressive passes

5.86

3.99

Successful take-ons

1.38

1.50

Progressive carries

3.56

3.05

Carries into final 3rd

2.97

2.07

Progressive passes received

7.74

6.53

Ball recoveries

5.36

4.93

Stats via FBref.

In the metrics analysed, Simons comes out on top in nearly every category, but it’s important to note that in most areas, there isn’t a lot to separate the Dutchman and the Arsenal academy graduate.

They scored a similar number of goals per 90 minutes, arriving late into the penalty area to wreak havoc, while their carrying ability, perhaps the biggest similarity, is pretty much on par.

The duo possess this amazing low centre of gravity, a trait that helps them evade the press and weave their way past defenders with ease. It also enables them to grab the ball between the lines on a regular basis, with the pairing receiving a similar number of progressive passes every 90 minutes.

That attribute captivated the masses at the Emirates Stadium and it’s one Simons could bring back should he sign this summer.

Related He's more proven than Gyokeres: Arsenal in talks to sign £63m "monster"

Arsenal could sign a proven elite striker instead of Viktor Gyokeres.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Jun 15, 2025

Nottingham Forest have exceeded expectations this season and could be about to launch an ambitious bid in the transfer window for a renowned Premier League operator, according to a report.

Nottingham Forest look forward to exciting summer

Nuno Espirito Santo has restored his reputation as one of the most underrated coaches in the Premier League after guiding Nottingham Forest to continental qualification at the City Ground.

Coming as a surprise to many in footballing circles, their culture of shrewd investments and building a side capable of going the extra mile is likely to be key once again as they enter the market in pursuit of new recruits.

Fitting the bill, Nottingham Forest have lined up an exciting move for Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina to help bolster their chances of encountering another fine campaign next time around.

Coming in for a potential fee of £21 million, the Croatia international’s arrival would be a major signal of intent in light of an 18-goal contribution season in his homeland.

On the same token, Lazio forward Taty Castellanos is also said to be on Nottingham Forest’s radar amid news that he could be available to depart the Stadio Olimpico should a suitable offer for his services come forward.

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Tom Cunningham

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West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers will provide competition, but the Tricky Trees will feel confident they can prevail due to their European status. Undoubtedly, rival suitors for key targets will present a challenging market space for every ambitious manager looking for fresh blood.

Either way, Nottingham Forest have found plenty of diamonds over the past few years, so it won’t come as a surprise to hear that they are now in the mix for another talented operator.

Nottingham Forest line up surprise £35m Matheus Nunes deal

According to The Sun, Nottingham Forest are lining up a move for Manchester City star Matheus Nunes amid the Citizens’ pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White that could see the England international head in the opposite direction. It is added that City are ready to cut their losses on Nunes and value him at £35m.

Espirito Santo is a ‘big fan’ of the Portuguese central midfielder, who has also operated as a right-back this term due to a shortage of options at Pep Guardiola’s disposal.

Matheus Nunes for Manchester City in 2024/25 – all competitions
Appearances	38
Goals	4
Assists	10
Trophies	FA Community Shield winner

Despite a disappointing campaign for Manchester City as a whole, his impressive goal contribution tally lends some credence to the notion that Nunes could replace Gibbs-White if the latter were to depart this summer.

Labelled “special” by Guardiola, it is believed that the former Wolves man could be a useful ‘bargaining chip’ in any cross-negotiations, potentially feeding into the scope for a PSR-friendly agreement to be found between all parties.

Nevertheless, time will tell on that front. Nottingham Forest have emerged as one of the more ambitious forces in English football of late, and securing Nunes on a permanent basis would heighten their status in that bracket.

Manchester City have really turned a corner in the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s men entering back into their groove in the top-flight at just the right time.

The rejuvenated Citizens have won four of their last five games in the elite league to now only six points off Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal occupying second place.

A place amongst Europe’s elite is the obvious objective for Guardiola and Co come the end of the sobering campaign, with City then aiming to be a title challenger once more down the line by snapping up exciting targets.

Man City line up £102 move for "superstar in the making"

As per reports from Spain over the weekend, City are preparing to bid a club-record £102m for Paris St Germain ace Desire Doue this summer.

The report states that the 19-year-old attacker has caught the eye of Guardiola who is looking to add even more exceptional youth to his City ranks, having given the likes of 21-year-old sensation Savinho plenty of game-time this campaign.

Winning the signature of Doue – who has already been heralded as a “superstar in the making” by French journalist Julien Laurens – would be a massive statement buy, with that £102m price-tag showing off how much PSG currently value him.

The eight-time Premier League title winners could also gain their very own version of Bukayo Saka with the promising Frenchman, with both attackers in question patrolling the right wing with ease so far this campaign.

Why Doue could be Man City's very own Saka

Saka has been able to show off his class down the right channel for the Gunners over many seasons now, despite being naturally left-footed in approach.

This season alone, the academy product turned North London royalty has managed to tally up a sizeable 25 goal contributions across 31 clashes, including scoring away at Real Madrid to help his team reach the coveted Champions League semi-finals.

Doue has also been unfazed by the big occasion lining up for Luis Enrique’s outfit, with the one-time senior France international actually matching Saka for goals and assists at 25 himself, albeit from a heftier 47 games.

Six of those have actually come about in Europe’s elite competition too, as Doue aims to spoil Arsenal’s mood when the two teams clash this mid-week at the Emirates for a place in the illustrious final.

Total shots

2.94

3.14

Shot-creating actions

5.26

5.35

Progressive passes

6.55

3.54

Progressive carries

5.59

4.64

Successful take-ons

2.98

2.04

Touches in attacking penalty area

5.77

7.94

Progressive passes received

10.92

12.66

Equally adept at using his left-foot whether that be down the left or right wing or even through the middle as a number ten, Doue’s general numbers across the last year for PSG are also similar to Saka’s for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The £102m-rated attacker, whose fifth-most similar player in European football is Saka, via FBRef, even betters his English counterpart when it comes to progressive passes and carries.

Not far off the blistering number seven in other aspects of their games, City will be hopeful that they can win their very own version of Saka if a move was to get over the line, with Doue only likely to get better as he progresses much like the 23-year-old has managed for the Gunners.

Of course, there will be a worry that splashing the cash in such a lavish way could backfire on City, but having proven himself already with PSG on some of the biggest stages, this switch might be just what Guardiola’s men need to further rebuild their elite reputation and get back to being stylish title candidates.

Man City have hit gold on £111m-rated star who is worth more than Wirtz

Man City have hit the jackpot on a signing made in 2019

1 ByRoss Kilvington Apr 26, 2025

Arsenal transfer chiefs have been told exactly what they need to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Gunners given a “clear” message behind-the-scenes.

Arsenal's shortlist of summer striker targets for Mikel Arteta

Alongside Gyokeres, new sporting director Andrea Berta is believed to be looking at a number of centre-forwards to potentially move for in the summer transfer window.

Arteta has "serious" wish to sign £40m star with Arsenal contact made

The Gunners boss is “huge fan”.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 16, 2025

Newcastle United star Alexander Isak is taking the Premier League by storm yet again this season, racking up 24 goals and six assists in all competitions, and reliable media sources indicate Gyokeres’ international teammate is actually a “dream” target for Arsenal (Ben Jacobs).

However, while Isak is reportedly top of Mikel Arteta’s wishlist, a move for the Swede is less viable considering his rumoured price tag stands at a minimum of £150 million.

Arsenal want to bolster the goalkeeping position, full-back area, in midfield and sign further upgrades out wide in the summer (GiveMeSport), so Berta simply cannot afford to splash such a figure on just one signing, no matter the quality.

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko is another striker target for Arsenal, and one who could leave for just £62 million, due to the value of his current release clause (Sky Sports). The Slovenian boasts 19 goals in all competitions, and Arsenal did attempt to sign Sesko as a top target last summer, so this could still be one to watch.

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

The competition for his signature will be fierce, as a host of elite Premier League sides, including Chelsea and Man United, are also reportedly looking to bring in a prolific number nine this summer.

The same can be said of Gyokeres, who has been repeatedly linked with a move to N5 recently as interest in the former Coventry City star grows stronger from Arsenal’s side.

There are even reports that Arsenal are ready to offer Gyokeres a £192,000-per-week contract to join Arteta’s side, and now Romano has shared a fresh update on their pursuit of the 26-year-old.

Arsenal told price to sign Viktor Gyokeres "in recent days"

Writing in a column for GiveMeSport, Romano claims Arsenal have been given a “clear” communication over Gyokeres’ price “in recent days/weeks”.

The Primeira Liga sensation can leave for much less than his £86 million release clause, namely a fee of up to £60 million, with add-ons, deal structure and payment terms still to be discussed.

Berta is also said to be a huge fan of his, so the Italian’s stance on a deal is also crystal clear. While Gyokeres has been a pivotal player for the Portuguese heavyweights, racking up a sensational 44 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season, the club are impressed with his conduct since last summer as well.

He’s made no trouble behind-closed-doors over a transfer and has behaved professionally, meaning Sporting are more inclined to help facilitate his dream move, with the Premier League looking more and more like a credible destination.

Gyokeres’ quality is evident for all to see, and often doesn’t get discussed enough, and some around the game are convinced he’s actually a “massively underrated” player for all he’s achieved in terms of a very impressive goalscoring record.

It’s arguably a mystery why no club has invested in the forward’s capture just yet, but it probably won’t be long now.

After Bumrah had bowled three in the powerplay, the spinners put the squeeze almost immediately

Shashank Kishore15-Sep-20251:13

Wahab: Kuldeep always one step ahead of batters

Years later, when round one of India vs Pakistan at Asia Cup 2025 is discussed, it’s likely the no-handshake gesture and the simmering tension will be remembered first. But peel through the layers, and you will uncover India’s spin masterclass that left Pakistan’s young batting line-up searching for answers.At one point, 15 overs into their innings, it seemed as if Pakistan were simply picking through the wreckage. The moment that captured it all came in the 13th when Suryakumar Yadav placed a short midwicket, a silly mid-on, a short cover, a slip and a leg slip as Faheem Ashraf faced a hat-trick ball from Kuldeep Yadav.In the end, Pakistan left with barely a little more than just a few consolatory blows from Shaheen Afridi, as they now walk into a potential must-win against UAE to ensure there will be round two against India next Sunday, a contest that will need them to soul search.Related

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Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

Pakistan only need to analyse the match scorecard and India’s robust approach as compared to their diffidence, especially after the powerplay. They didn’t challenge India’s spinners enough for them to think out of the box. From 42 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, they went into their shell, only to eventually collapse.”With the bat we were a bit frenzied at the start,” Pakistan coach Mike Hesson observed. “The ball held on the surface, as we expected. But we didn’t respond as well as we would’ve liked. We got to the end of the powerplay and we were in the game, and we got squeezed.”That built up a lot of pressure during the middle overs. The more big games you play, the more trust you have in your own game. We’ve certainly got players who are finding their feet, but they certainly want to be in the battle, and we’ll come back stronger in a few days.”Between overs 5.3 to 11, Pakistan didn’t hit a single boundary while losing two wickets. ESPNcricinfo pegged their aggressive responses to just eight deliveries (24.24%) in this period. And it didn’t help that India were buzzing through their overs with spin before the dew got heavier, as evidenced by the ground staff trying to mop up the outer pockets at the halfway mark.This was the phase where Axar Patel broke Pakistan’s back. He struck first by beating Fakhar Zaman in flight, tempting him into a big shot that he dragged to Tilak Varma at long-on. Two overs later, he landed the knockout blow of Salman Agha.2:20

How big is the gulf between India and Pakistan?

Stuck on 3 off 11 and increasingly desperate to break free, Agha tried to slog sweep his way out of trouble but top-edged tamely to deep square leg. Those two strikes in quick succession drained the innings of any momentum and left Pakistan tottering at 49 for 4 at the halfway mark.The slowdown, Hesson reflected, was down to their inability to rotate the strike and not because of their inability to read India’s spinners, especially Axar. “I don’t think there was any issue in picking spinners, it’s what you do with it when you pick it,” he said. “Axar’s – there’s no mystery there.”He slides the ball, occasionally turns one. It’s more the accuracy and pressure that they build up, when you build up a lot of dots, sometimes your mind plays tricks and you play big shots. It’s certainly not that they can’t pick it, the fact is we struggled to rotate strike to take pressure off ourselves.”Suryakumar observed there was more to Axar’s success than just picking wickets. He pointed to a focused-training method that has made a difference.”His plans are very clear. Whenever I see him at practice, he bowls a lot to left-handers because that’s a proper match-up,” he said. “You feel if a left-hander is walking in, you can’t bowl a left-arm spinner, but he practices more to the left-hand batters. And when he bowls to the right-handers, he has his own plans. I’m really happy with his clear plans.”Axar’s damage happened to be the prelude to Kuldeep’s a few overs later. In the 13th over, Kuldeep struck off consecutive deliveries, one off a loopy legbreak that bounced extra, and another off a wrong’un to left-hand batter Mohammad Nawaz.Kuldeep’s double-strike underlined how well India had managed their resources through the innings. Having burned through three of Bumrah’s overs inside the powerplay, a tactic Suryakumar has now employed in back-to-back games, India effectively left their spinners with a cushion and attacking fields to work with in the middle overs.And they couldn’t have done it better, with Kuldeep and Axar slamming the door shut.

His punchy fifty, featuring a switch hit, a reverse sweep and a shuffle down the pitch, received a standing ovation from a crowd of more than 20,000

Andrew McGlashan06-Jan-20242:52

‘Convincing series win for Australia, as Pakistan’s top order under-delivered’

The stage was set, and David Warner didn’t disappoint. Signing off from Test cricket with a century was beyond even him with a target of only 130 against Pakistan at the SCG, but he did the next best thing as a punchy fifty allowed him to raise the bat around the ground one last time.He couldn’t quite make it to the winning moment, trapped lbw by the feisty Sajid Khan, but it allowed him a lone walk off the arena. The final tally: 8786 runs, average of 44.59, strike rate of 70.26, 26 hundreds and 37 fifties. He ends at No. 5 on Australia’s all-time Test run-scorers list.”It meant the world to me,” Warner said of the reception. “I’ve given absolutely everything to play this game, and sacrificed a lot of things to be in the position I am [in]. Lots of ups and downs; [I] have had to come back and overcome adversity. Think I’ve done that very, very well. Think it’s been well received from a lot of people, and think today just showed to me that I do have a lot of support. I’m very grateful and very thankful for that.”Related

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'He was told to play a certain way' – Khawaja on Warner's reputation

Warner: I want to be remembered as exciting and entertaining

At the start of the day, Pat Cummins gave Warner the chance to lead the team onto the field when play resumed. “Thanks Dave” had been painted on the grass at the ground for today alongside an image of Warner’s trademark leap. He was wearing his original baggy green which had found its way back to the hotel the day before, after vanishing on the eve of the game. As is standard for Warner, he hadn’t worn it earlier in the second innings, but for his swansong as a Test cricketer, there had been little doubt he would give it a final airing.There was a final catch, too, when he snaffled the chance at leg slip to remove Mohammad Rizwan. He has been a superb close-in fielder. When Nathan Lyon bowled Hasan Ali, Warner jogged off to pad up for the last time in his Test career.And so, to the final act. Warner touched the plaque that honours Phillip Hughes outside the home dressing room. Then, as in the first innings, he embraced Usman Khawaja by the boundary rope. A few moments earlier, the pair had shared a more private moment. “He [Khawaja] said it’s been an awesome journey and one he won’t forget, and will cherish these moments forever,” Warner recalled. “I didn’t have anything to go back with because I was tearing up.”David Warner brought up his half-century in his final Test innings•Getty ImagesKhawaja then hung back, allowing Warner to lead the way. Shan Masood lined his team up for a guard of honour and shook Warner’s hand. At the end of the line, he was also acknowledged by umpires Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth.The pair rotates first strike in an innings, so it was Khawaja facing. He was gone before Warner had faced a ball, no opportunity for a final end-of-over mid-pitch chat. Australia 0 for 1, Sajid pumped, the pitch biting and turning. A reminder there was still a Test match to win.Warner defended his first ball from Mir Hamza, then two deliveries later was skipping down the crease. The intent was clear, as has so often been the case. Cheers greeted the punched shot that got him off the mark. Two overs later, an almighty thrash through the covers brought his first boundary. Then it soon became something of a greatest hits collection.A switch-hit sweep off Sajid; a shuffle down the pitch and loft over mid-on; a reverse sweep; a full toss disdainfully dispatched over midwicket; a thumping drive through the covers; and an inside-out drive over the off side to take him to 49. Then, on his 56th ball, a nudge into the on side to reach fifty, acknowledged by a long, loud standing ovation from a crowd of more than 20,000.Away from the sentimentality of the occasion, this was a brilliant little innings from Warner on a tough pitch. A lot of the discussion around his replacement is now focused on scoring rates, and Warner’s final innings in Test cricket was a reminder of how he had been a game-changer when he emerged into the scene.David Warner leaves the field for the final time in Tests•Getty Images”Test cricket you play in all kinds of conditions, and losing someone who has played 100 Tests is pretty hard to fill,” Cummins said. “[He] brings out the reverse sweep, starts using his feet to the spinners, and gets ahead of the game. A good reminder of what an experienced and high-class cricketer Davey is, and that we are going to miss [him].”Lunch arrived with Australia needing 39, so Warner had the chance for one more – somewhat lower key – walk to the crease. Inevitably, the closing stages were not without a little more drama when he survived an lbw shout from Sajid that was umpire’s call, but dislodging the bails significantly more than when Alex Carey was bowled yesterday.There was a final, feisty duel with Sajid who pleaded and pleaded for numerous lbw appeals, before, at last, the DRS upheld one in Pakistan’s favour. Sajid immediately shook Warner’s hand, and to a man the Pakistan players went up to him in acknowledgement.Warner soaked in the walk-off, waving his bat to the full 360 degrees of the ground as the crowd rose to their feet. The incoming batter, Steven Smith, waited, and they hugged – two players who have been through a lot together – before Warner made his way up the pavilion steps to the dressing room. An extraordinary career now drawn to a close.”Today was the end, I wanted to go out my way,” Warner said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Much like Key’s first public utterances, the Test team reboot has been very matter-of-fact so far

Andrew Miller29-Apr-2022A strange sense of calm enveloped Lord’s on Thursday morning, which isn’t a sensation that English cricket has encountered too often in a febrile few months. On the stroke of 11am, just as Middlesex were taking the field against Leicestershire in the LV= Insurance County Championship, Ben Stokes was announced as England’s 81st Test captain. Not long after that, Rob Key – the team’s new kingmaker – made his first public appearance as the new MD, and just for a moment, it felt as though cricket was back to being the priority for an embattled and embarrassed ECB.The sensation might not last for long, of course. Not much about England’s recent Test battle plans has survived first contact with the enemy, and the World Test Champions, New Zealand, are unlikely to offer much quarter come June. Besides, there’ll be more boardroom machinations to chew down on before long, starting with the ECB’s endless quest for a new chairman and continuing through to Andrew Strauss’s proposed high-performance review, not to mention the spectre of the racism scandal, with the latest of the sport’s three-monthly parliamentary hearings looming next month.For the time being though, there’s a distinct lack of clutter to the narrative, as an organisation charged with managing the health of English cricket finds itself focusing on distinctly cricket-y issues – and with Key declaring himself “optimistic” that a new red-ball coach can be found before the New Zealand series begins, there might yet be more team-specific good news to come before the zeitgeisty angst gets a chance to kick back in.Much like Key’s first public utterances, the process of rebooting the Test team has been very matter-of-fact so far. It is a matter of fact that Stokes is the best player in the team besides Joe Root, and therefore the most obvious choice for the full-time captaincy – notwithstanding any doubts about his workload and wellbeing.Similarly, it is a matter of fact that James Anderson and Stuart Broad are still good enough to be considered for recalls, and therefore Key was more than happy to acquiesce to Stokes’ demands that his old team-mates should be brought back in from the cold. And when Key insisted he wasn’t especially bothered about the power vacuum above him, or about the lack of a stand-out candidate for the restored role of national selector below him, it was easy enough to believe him.”You’re not trying to solve climate change or anything like that,” he said. “Just make the best possible decisions on cricket, manage people to the best of your ability and make sure everyone’s on the right track. There’s not much else.”Related

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It surely cannot remain that simple indefinitely, for all that it was hugely refreshing to be able to sit in the ECB boardroom, of all places, and hear an executive lay out his vision in spin-free plain English, with no measurables or deliverables on show, other than a commitment to do the best by the sport he loves.It is to Key’s huge credit, too, that he has put himself forward for this role in the first place, because one of the most frequent complaints about the ECB of recent vintage is the distinct lack of cricket savvy in its upper echelons.All of the blue-sky thinking that went into the creation of the Hundred, for instance, was infused with an obsession about what cricket was not, rather than the great game that it remains, and it was especially noticeable that, when Strauss entered the building in his interim capacity in January, the body-politic suddenly hung on his every utterance – as if a realisation had dawned that packing the executive with experts in banking and mobile-phone sales wasn’t much use when the cricket side of the operation was crying out for some TLC.And so, having spent his post-playing years as part of the concentrated brains trust that is the Sky Sports commentary roster, Key is well placed to put his money where his mouth used to be – and to do so safe in the knowledge that the likes of Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, with whom he used to joust so frequently on air, will be leaning into his every word and calling him out if he dares to veer into bulls**t, but more broadly supporting his endeavours to get English cricket back on its feet.In fact, given the boardroom paralysis above Key, and the sense below him that, in Stokes, he has installed a leader for whom the team will run through brick walls (and vice versa), there’s a chance in the short term to put in place a new cricket-first culture – one that can inform the decisions that the ECB board comes to make further down the line, as and when it is restored to operational capacity.”That’s the beauty of what I think I have,” Key said. “I have a good network of people that I can ask for their opinion. I’m not now going to go and work for the ECB, and only restrict myself to people in that organisation. I’ve got the world of cricket, people that are asked to say: ‘What do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ It might be for me to deliver the message, but there’ll be a bit of rigour in it. It won’t just be me waking up one day and thinking ‘let’s do this’.”To that end, one wonders what soundings Key took from his former peers before delivering the news of Stokes’ promotion to the captaincy. Writing in his Daily Mail column, Hussain welcomed the appointment as “uplifting”, while Atherton in The Times said that to have overlooked Stokes would have been “like not going all-in with a full house” (an analogy that, had he been able to take soundings from his old poker-playing colleague Shane Warne, would surely have made Warney wince).Atherton did, however, add a note of caution to his appraisal, warning that Stokes needs to be allowed to give the job his all for a short, sharp period, then “step away while he has more to give as a player”.It’s an early reminder that Key will have tougher decisions to make down the line, and rockier periods in his role than he has hitherto been privy to. He rightly acknowledged that the tenure of his predecessor (“poor old Gilo”) had been dominated by the pandemic, adding that he has the “luxury” (touch wood) of a reopened society in which his common-sense desire to “pick our best team” won’t have to compete with strictures of bubble lifestyles and the need, as a responsible line-manager, to factor in rest and rotation for his over-worked players.But there will be times, too, when plain speaking won’t be quite as simple as he made it out to be on a breezy first day in the job. He inadvertently foreshadowed the sort of controversy that could crop up when he allowed Joe Clarke’s potential for an England call-up to drift into the conversation – “you can’t penalise people forever in life,” was his non-committal follow-up – while his criticism of the withdrawal from last year’s Pakistan tour was as strongly worded as it might have been on a Sky Sports podcast.”I think we got it wrong in a big way,” Key said, and having recently travelled to Pakistan for the Australia series, he could hardly have been better placed to pass such judgement. At some stage in the future, however, when the ECB makes similarly controversial decisions that demand a united front from the senior management, Key’s refreshingly simple approach may end up being tongue-tied by the more complex realities of his role.Until then, however, the floor is his. And before that corporate machine grinds back into gear, Key has a golden opportunity to instil a new winning culture in the most outward-facing aspect of the ECB’s dysfunctional operation, and maybe even give the already lampooned notion of a “red-ball reset” a chance to exist beyond the realms of a soundbite.”I might not know lots about structures but I don’t care,” Key said. “I’m in this job because I want what is best for English cricket. It might be naïve to say this, but that is the basis of every decision you make.” It’s hard to argue about the wisdom of such a starting point.

Celtic’s wait for a European away win is over.

On Thursday night, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, the Hoops fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip; Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren the scorers on a famous night in Rotterdam.

Before this, the Celts had failed to win any of their last 16 European fixtures on the road, dating back four years.

In fact, since reaching the UEFA Cup Final under Martin O’Neill in 2003, they have won only six times on the continent, excluding qualifiers, enjoying wins over Spartak Moskva, Anderlecht, Rosenborg, Lazio, Ferencváros and now Feyenoord across the last 22 seasons.

In terms of this season, the victory propels the Celts up to 21st in the gigantic Europa League table, a major boost to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, with games against Roma, Bologna and then Utrecht still to come.

So, which Celtic star looked like an £100m player during this win at De Kuip?

Celtic's new manager latest

Since returning to the club on an interim basis, O’Neill could hardly have done much better.

He has won three Premiership matches out of three, ousted Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals and now claimed a memorable European victory in the Netherlands; the shellacking against Midtjylland in Herning the only blot on his copybook.

Nevertheless, for how much longer will he remain in interim charge?

Well, the 73 year old, alongside Shaun Maloney, will still be at the helm for Sunday’s clash with Hibernian at Easter Road, but could that be the final game of their tenure?

That’s because, according to widespread reports, the club are now in advanced talks with Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with some optimistic that the Frenchman could be in place in time for next Wednesday’s clash with Dundee.

Considering they take on current Premiership leaders Hearts and then the side top of Serie A Roma thereafter, the board will be desperate to get Nancy in as quickly as possible.

Assuming the Frenchman was watching Thursday’s win over Feyenoord, potentially while enjoying some Thanksgiving food in Ohio, one player in particular surely will have caught his eye.

Celtic's best player vs Feyenoord

Towards the end of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, Reo Hatate found himself no longer a guaranteed starter, only on the bench for the Europa League home defeat to Braga, before not getting on at all during a dismal goalless draw with Hibs in September.

Nevertheless, having been made a key figure under O’Neill, he was the star of the show in Rotterdam.

Hatate spectacularly set up Yang’s equaliser before, soon after, coolly slotting home the second, rolling the ball into an unguarded net from long-range after some trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda forced Timon Wellenreuther into a catastrophic error.

Overall, the midfield maestro completed 89% of his passes, took two shots, created one big chance and registered nine ball recoveries, underlining that he was everywhere.

After a 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox last year, Brendan Rodgers asserted that Hatate “gives it away too much for my liking”, labelling him “sloppy’, a sign of his decline in form and importance.

Now though, he is playing at a comparable level to Enzo Fernandez, according to FBref, who note that the players are statistically and stylistically similar among those in their position across Europe.

That is a sign of Hatate’s recent revival, not least with Fernandez having not too long ago been signed by Chelsea for a fee of around £107m from Benfica.

Such a comparison is no unwarranted either, with Hatate arguably putting in his best performance of the season against Feyenoord, while operating in a Fernandez-esque, more advanced midfield berth

Non-penalty Goals

0.13

Assists

0.26

Shot-creating actions

2.31

Pass completion

83%

Progressive passes

4.31

Progressive carries

1.16

Successful take-ons

0.77

Tackles

1.28

Interceptions

0.51

Meantime, the Japanese star is proving just what a goal threat he is in Europe too, scoring against both Midtjylland and Feyenoord, also registering an assist at De Kuip this week.

Given how impressive Hatate has been since first arriving at Parkhead almost four years ago, it is frankly a surprise that a Premier League club has not come in and poached him.

Celtic supporters will hope that remains the case, with the 28-year-old likely to be a central, undroppable figure when Nancy does finally arrive.

As good as Hatate: Celtic flop showed he can be "world class" under Nancy

Celtic beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and one player showed his “world class’ potential, as good as Reo Hatate.

Nov 28, 2025