All posts by n8rngtd.top

The Heat bring all the momentum into the Challenger having won four in a row

Alex Malcolm03-Feb-2021Brisbane Heat are riding a wave of success into the BBL Challenger final against Perth Scorchers having won their last four matches in a row including thrilling victories in the Eliminator and the Knockout. They also beat the Scorchers in the final match of the home and away season to secure their place in the BBL finals. That loss cost the Scorchers a home Qualifier which they subsequently lost to Sydney Sixers in Canberra. Adding salt to the wound was that the Scorchers could not fly home due to a Covid-19 case in Perth and have been forced to host an earned home final at Manuka Oval in Canberra.The winner will face the Sixers in Saturday night’s final at the SCG. Here are the key match-ups that could decide the Challenger.Ashton Turner vs Chris Lynn at the bat-flipRarely has a toss been more important in this tournament for a host of reasons. The Scorchers got burnt in the Qualifier after electing to bowl second when significant dew settled in and made batting look distinctly easily for James Vince and company as the Sixers motored through the chase with relative ease.Chris Lynn learned from the Scorchers’ mistake the following night on the same surface and opted to bat second. The dew wasn’t anywhere near as much of a factor but the ball swung early and the Heat could also utilise their trademark X-Factor play of bowling one over of Xavier Bartlett upfront before subbing in Morne Morkel for the second 10 overs of the bowling innings.Related

• Mitchell Marsh fined for dissent but escapes suspension

• Heazlett, Peirson power Brisbane Heat into Challenger

• 'My head was probably spinning a bit' – Heazlett

• Munro calls on Scorchers to 'take our egos out' against Heat spin twins

Scorchers vs Manuka OvalThe Challenger was supposed to be played at Perth Stadium where the Scorchers were undefeated this season. The Scorchers’ record at Manuka Oval this season makes for dim reading having lost all three matches they have played there this season while the Heat are 2-2 including their victory in the Knockout. What is most concerning for the Scorchers at Manuka Oval is their scoring rate, particularly in the second half of their innings. They strike at just 8.30 runs per over in the last 10 overs of their innings at Manuka Oval this season, having struck at better than 9 per over in the last 10 at five of the six other venues they have played at, with the slower more spin-friendly surface at Manuka nullifying their powerful middle order.Will Morne Morkel be the X-Factor again?•Getty Images

Lynn vs Scorchers quicksThe Heat have won their first two finals without contributions from their captain. But the Scorchers know first hand what an impact he can have after he plundered 51 from 25 balls in the final home-and-away game in Adelaide to set up victory for the Heat. Jhye Richardson has been the outstanding bowler of the tournament this season but two batsmen have really troubled him: Lynn and Josh Philippe. Lynn has scored 69 runs off 40 balls in his career against Richardson for one dismissal. Lynn also feasts on Andrew Tye scoring 109 runs from 60 balls for three dismissals. If Lynn gets a good look at both right-armers in the Powerplay like he did in Adelaide he could set the game up for the Heat.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Scorchers’ best match-up for Lynn is two-fold. Jason Behrendorff has never dismissed Lynn but he does curtail him, with Lynn scoring just 43 runs from 39 balls against the left-armer. The Scorchers might also need to be bold and call upon the legspin of either Fawad Ahmed or Liam Livingstone in the Powerplay or as early as possible. Lynn strikes at just 6.54 per over against legspin and has fallen 27 times to it in his career, including once each to Ahmed and Livingstone in this tournament.Marnus Labuschagne has been a revelation with the ball•Getty Images

Scorchers batsmen vs Heat legspinThe Heat’s fortunes in the tournament have clearly turned with the return of the two legspinners Mitchell Swepson and Marnus Labuschagne. They have taken 18 wickets in five games together and the Heat have won four of them. The duo combined for five wickets between them when they beat the Scorchers in Adelaide, while neither played in the two teams the previous meeting at Docklands and the Heat bowled just one over of spin for the innings from left-arm orthodox Matt Kuhnemann as the Scorchers posted a winning total thanks Colin Munro’s 82.The Scorchers’ top order has a poor record overall against legspinners with five of the top six averaging under 28 and four of them striking at fewer than 7.65 runs per over. Lynn will want to get his legspinners into the game early against the Scorchers and may even turn to Joe Denly as well as he did in Adelaide. Munro urged his team-mates to take their egos out against Labuschagne and Swepson.A lot hinges on Livingstone and Josh Inglis. Livingstone scores at 8.63 against legspin and although he is prone to brain fades he has the power to hurt the duo. Meanwhile, Inglis has scored 144 runs from just 91 balls in his career for just three dismissals and has found or cleared the boundary 15 times while facing just 17 dot balls. He is in superb touch at the venue coming off an unbeaten 69 against the Sixers. While there are calls for Mitchell Marsh to bat higher in the Scorchers order the nature of the Heat’s attack suggests that would be unwise given Swepson and Labuschagne will be straight into the game following the conclusion of the four-over Powerplay.

Slovenia fans held up a Lionel Messi shirt and chanted his name to mock Cristiano Ronaldo after repeatedly missing chances against Slovenia.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ronaldo missed several chances
• Messi chants filled Slovenia end
• Portugal eventually won on penalties

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  One Slovenia fan could be seen at Waldstadion in Frankfurt holding up an Argentina shirt bearing Messi's name and number 10. Many others were chanting for Ronaldo's great rival every time the Portuguese icon missed a chance, of which there were increasingly many, during the last 16 clash.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE CLIP

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At his sixth European Championship, 39-year-old Ronaldo failed to score in the group stage of a major international tournament for the first time in his career. His luck didn't seem to change as the knockouts began for Portugal either, firing shots, headers and free-kicks either wide of the target or straight at Jan Oblak. In the dying seconds of the first half of extra-time, Ronaldo lined up a penalty following a foul on Diogo Jota. He had scored his previous 13 from the spot for Portugal, but Oblak was equal to it and parried the ball onto the post, leaving Ronaldo visibly upset and in tears during the brief interval. In the end, he had the last laugh though, converting in the penalty shootout as Portugal prevailed.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It's not the first time that Ronaldo has been mocked by fans chanting Messi's name. The jibes have happened for more than a decade, notably cropping up at Euro 2012, Euro 2016 and in qualifying for Euro 2020. Earlier in 2024, CR7 even wound up with a fine and suspension from football authorities in Saudi Arabia when he reacted to such chants from Al-Shabab fans while in action for Al-Nassr.

Ali enters 10-day self-isolation period and appears certain to miss first Test

George Dobell04-Jan-2021Moeen Ali has tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka.England’s touring party landed in Sri Lanka on Sunday, January 3 ahead of their two-Test series and were tested on arrival. Although the ECB initially reported that all results were negative, it has subsequently transpired that while Ali’s lateral flow test – the quicker version of the test which takes only 30-minutes or so to complete – was negative, the more accurate PCR test, which takes longer to analyse and was also carried out at the airport, was positive.The ECB have also confirmed the result is not a false positive, though Ali is understood to be asymptomatic at this stage.He will be required to undergo a 10-day period of self-isolation, in line with the Sri Lankan government’s quarantine protocols. England are currently staying in Hambantota, but are due to move to Galle on January 10 ahead of the first Test. Ali will be driven to new accommodation, a private hotel not in use by the rest of the team, in Galle on Tuesday January 5.An ECB spokesperson said that it was “too early to confirm” whether Ali could play in the first Test, which starts on January 14, but with his self-isolation ending the day before, it appears certain that he will miss it. He was England’s joint highest wicket-taker (with Jack Leach) on their previous Test tour of the country in 2018.Related

• England touring party in Sri Lanka faces anxious wait on Covid-19 test results

• Root: England prepared for positive tests

• England bring in dedicated mental health and wellbeing support

• James Anderson: Sri Lanka have 'slight advantage' heading into England series

• Root hopes best is yet to come ahead of legacy-defining year

Chris Woakes has also entered self-isolation after being deemed a close contact. An ECB statement said that Woakes “will observe a period of self-isolation and further testing”. It is understood that isolation period will last for seven days from the date of the positive test on Sunday.England had been due to start training on Tuesday afternoon after another round of tests in the morning, but are now due to train for the first time on Wednesday instead. Further testing will take place on Tuesday and Thursday.The tour party have been in quarantine in individual hotel rooms since they arrived and observed social distancing protocols on the journey.The news comes three days after Joe Root, England’s captain, said that a positive test would not necessarily put an end to the tour, instead suggesting that the squad would have to “manage it as [well] as possible”. England’s last two overseas tours – to Sri Lanka in March 2020, and South Africa in December – have been abandoned early due to concerns about the virus.”They are decisions that have to be made by the medical staff and the people entrusted in making those decisions. I don’t think it’s a player decision, even though guys have the opportunity to opt out if they don’t feel safe,” Root said.England were met by officials in hazmat suits upon arrival•AFP/Getty Images

Ali was, alongside Dom Bess and Leach, one of three front line spinners in the main Test squad. There are, however, three more (Mason Crane, Matt Parkinson and Amar Virdi) among the players on standby. England included three spinners in the team that won in 2018.The timing, from a personal perspective, is far from ideal. This tour was seen as something of a crossroads for Ali, with a chance to reestablish himself in the longest format and a possibility that England might move on from him if he was unable to do so. He has not played a Test since August 2019.Ali’s cousin, the former England swing bowler Kabir Ali, was also diagnosed with Covid a few weeks ago and was obliged to pull out of a stint coaching in the LPL as a result. He has subsequently made a full recovery.It is not clear at this stage what strain of the virus Ali has. The UK has recently been hit by a new strain which is understood to be up to 70 per-cent more transmissible than the previous version and has seen positive cases running at more than 50,000 a day over much of the last week.Should this prove to be the new strain, there is sure to be increased doubt over the wisdom of people travelling from the UK for any reason. That could have an impact on the plans for not only this tour, but the tour to India that follows.

Chelsea are now eyeing a move for Athletic Club star Nico Williams after missing out on Bayern Munich-bound Michael Olise.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chelsea show interest in Williams
• Missed out on signing Olise
• Williams unlikely to leave Athletic Club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues held talks with Crystal Palace over a possible transfer of their star forward Olise, however, the player eventually decided to join Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. After missing out on their primary transfer target, Chelsea have now shifted their focus to Athletic Club and Spain international winger Williams, according to (via ).

Advertisement

• (C)GettyImages
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Other than the West London side, Barcelona have also shown interest in the player after newly appointed manager Hansi Flick reportedly urged the Catalan giants to sign the talented attacker. The player, however, recently pledged his loyalty to the Basque club as he claimed he is happy to see out his existing contract which runs until 2027.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 21-year-old enjoyed a stellar run of form in the 2023/24 season having scored eight goals and provided 19 assists in 37 matches across all competitions. He also played a key role in his club winning the Cope del Rey title.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR NICO WILLIAMS?

  Williams currently remains focused on La Roja's Euro 2024 campaign. The youngster has featured in their starting lineup in the first two matches of the group stage and will be next seen in action against Albania on Monday night.

The pink ball gets soft quickly and once that happens, run-scoring becomes easy

Sidharth Monga13-Dec-2020Centuries from Ben McDermott and Jack Wildermuth – first-class averages of 43 and 29 before this game – kept Indians at bay to earn Australia A a draw in the final tour game before the Tests but not before the new-ball bowlers had shot another blow to Joe Burns’ confidence, and possibly the selectors’ confidence in him. Burns now has 62 runs from his last nine innings, leaving the Test team a selection headache for Adelaide but equally India learnt something significant about the pink ball with a whole day spent in the field.The lesson – as has been seen before – is that once the pink ball gets soft it is significantly easier to bat against. It arguably gets softer sooner than the red Kookaburra. On all three days, batting has looked comfortable if you get past roughly 30 overs. India’s all-pace attack, led by Test stalwarts Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami – found little assistance after the three early wickets, all in the bag inside the first 12 overs. Even the fourth wicket – that of Alex Carey – was a gift to the part-time spin of Hanuma Vihari.If the make-up of this XI was an indication that India were thinking of an all-pace attack – overall numbers do back that direction with visiting spinners struggling badly in day-night Tests in Australia – they might go back from SCG with some second thoughts with how dead it became once the ball went soft.In day-night Tests in Australia, teams average 27.25 runs for a wicket in the first 30 overs followed by an average 30.4 in the next 50 overs. The run rate jumps from 2.79 to 3.24. That is a 16% increase in both runs per wicket and per over. In day Tests played over the same period in Australia, the scoring rate remains the same after the 30th over at 3.11 while the average goes up negligibly from 38.22 to 39.05. The sample size for day-night Tests is small, especially when the variables of bowling under lights are high, but paired with visual evidence of how easy batting looked after around the 30th over, it might be safe to surmise wickets with the old pink ball might be hard work if not bowled under lights. Remember Bumrah came to bat in the 31st over in the first innings and looked at ease, confounding those who had seen India collapse to 123 for 9.The day, though, began with questions for Australia. Burns, in what might seem to those on the outside as his last chance to seal his slot for Adelaide, came out with a pretty significant change in his set-up. He stood on off stump, and then made two small movements further across even before the ball was released in order to cover the line just outside off. Pushing at one outside his eyeline is how he got out in the first innings. However, this change left him vulnerable to the straighter one as was visible the moment Shami gave Burns a full straight one, trapping him lbw thanks to a shot across the line as opposed to one with a straight bat.It won’t please Australia that now the favourite for the opening slot, Marcus Harris, walked straight into a trap laid out for him, glancing a straight delivery straight into the lap of the leg gully. That was a fielder India employed against Harris with success on the previous tour.After Carey slogged Vihari straight to mid-on, came together two men who were brought in at the last moment as injury replacements. They were solid against India’s Plan A before Wildermuth went after the short-ball plans, hooking with aplomb even against Shami and Bumrah. McDermott got the worse of the uneven bounce when Indians banged the ball in, but he was lucky none of his aerial flicks landed with the fielders. It will be an especially satisfying finish for McDermott, who had converted only one of 16 previous half-centuries into a hundred.In the end the Indians were happy not to stretch their bowlers for one late push so close to a Test match. The teams shook hands the moment the mandatory overs ended. Last five of those were bowled by part-timers Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal.

Paul Pogba could be facing another delay in his bid to make a competitive debut for Monaco, with the World Cup winner still working his way towards full match sharpness. Pogba has been out of action since September 2023, having been stung with a doping ban, and is yet to open a new adventure in Ligue 1 – with no unnecessary risks being taken on his fitness.

• No date for debut: Pogba working on fitness

  Monaco are delighted to have Pogba on board, as a proven performer at the very highest level, but are reluctant to rush the 32-year-old midfielder into their plans. He has been playing a full part in training, having overcome the odd knock, and is ready to force open the selection door.

  No definite date is, however, being put in place for Pogba’s long-awaited bow. It was suggested at one stage that he could figure in a meeting with Angers on October 18, but that game has been and gone – along with more outings in domestic and Champions League competition.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Monaco boss delivers update on Pogba

  Monaco boss Sebastien Pocognoli admits that former Manchester United and Juventus star Pogba may still be a matter of weeks away from gracing the field again, which could take him beyond the next international break in November.

  Pocognoli said when delivering an update on Pogba: “We need to still push next week. That will be the best thing, so that he can be in the best conditions to make his return. There is great communication between him and the medical staff to allow him to be in the best conditions and as confident as possible.

  “I am hoping that this upcoming week will answer our final questions. He is close, but there are still steps, notably doing a whole training session at 100%, which he has yet to do. I think we are still a few weeks away. We’ll see if that is before or after the international break, but in any case, it is great to see him back on the pitch and among his team-mates. It allows me to not only find out about the person off the pitch, but also now on it.”

• Pogba patience: World Cup winner biding his time

  Pogba is seeing his patience tested, but accepts that he needs to follow a process that will allow him to return in the best possible condition. He is desperate to get going after losing two years of his career.

  Pogba has said: “I am a determined person, who wants to come back and who wants to enjoy myself on the pitch again especially, because that is what I miss the most. The objective is therefore to make my return to the highest level while taking the time necessary, and being patient. My daily life during these two years has been that of a very present dad. I would take my kids to school, then I would go to training… then I would pick them up from school.

  “So I spent a lot of time with my family and training. Whenever I traveled, I would take my fitness coach with me to stay fit and miss as few sessions as possible. Because I always had this positive thought in mind, that I could return to the field at any time. Of course, there were moments of doubt, but I always wanted to look forward and towards the future. And looking at my kids, I told myself that I wanted them to see me play on the field! I dream of them celebrating one of my goals with a dab! That’s what pushed me to train, to maintain this discipline. Today I am very happy to be at AS Monaco and to return to the job I love.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty/Instagram
  

  Feeling at home: Pogba & family settled in Monaco

  After signing for Monaco, Pogba suggested that he could force his way back into the France squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. That dream appears to be fading, but anything remains possible.

  He is preparing to grace Ligue 1 for the first time in his career and feels settled in new surroundings alongside wife Zulay and their children. Monaco have four more fixtures to take in before the next international break, starting with a trip to Nantes on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe has admitted he's given up hope of playing for France at the Paris Olympics due to a request from Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Summer Olympics to be held in Paris
• Mbappe confirms he won't play
• Real Madrid block striker from featuring

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  France will have to cope without Mbappe at the Olympics this summer as the striker has confirmed he will not play at the tournament in Paris. The news will be a blow to Les Bleus and French president Emmanuel Macron who has spoken about his hope that Mbappe could play for France at the Summer Games.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mbappe has left Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid and Los Blancos are unwilling to allow the striker to play at the Olympics. The striker has admitted it would be a "dream" to represent his nation at the tournament but Real Madrid have a different opinion and want their new signing to have plenty of rest after Euro 2024 in order to be fit and fresh for the start of the 2024-25 season.

• WHAT MBAPPE SAID

  He told reporters: "For the Olympics, my club has a position which is very clear. I think that I will not participate in the Olympics, it's the truth. It's like that… At the same time, I also understand, I'm joining a new team in September, it's not the best start to an adventure. Now I'm going to wish the best to this French team. I'm going to watch all the matches as a fan and now I'm going to be a spectator."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE

  Mbappe will not play the Olympics but he will feature for France at Euro 2024. Les Bleus are among the favourites for glory and kick off their tournament against Austria on Monday.

The forward speaks to GOAL about thriving in the Premier League, being welcomed with open arms by Alexis Sanchez and his love of fishing

"I will tell you an incredible story, one that even I find hard to believe. What has happened to me is so surreal that it resembles a story taken out of a dream." So begins the trailer for the documentary series 'Breretour', which tells the tale of Ben Brereton Diaz's adventure through Chile, the country he knew little about until just three years ago, when he was catapulted to fame during the last Copa America.

In a matter of weeks, the striker, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, went from playing for mid-table Blackburn Rovers at Rotherham in the English Championship to coming off the bench for Chile against Argentina in the Olympic Stadium in Brazil, facing Lionel Messi. In his next game, he made his first start for Chile against Bolivia and scored the only goal. Overnight he became a national sensation.

Chile eventually exited the tournament to Brazil in the quarter-finals, but by then Brereton Diaz was already a hero. He became the face of Pepsi in Chile, featured in a healthcare campaign and wherever he went he attracted attention befitting a Hollywood star.

And last year the Villarreal striker, who has just completed an impressive half-season on loan with Sheffield United in the Premier League, truly became a film star, when adidas and HBO documented a week-long journey through his adopted homeland.

Chilean TV reporter Manuel de Tezanos was his guide while his mother Andrea, whose family emigrated from Chile to Stoke to work in the pottery industry, joined him halfway through. Highlights include struggling with heights up the Entel Tower in the capital of Santiago, swimming in a lagoon and exploring the world famous Atacama desert.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life, it was crazy," Brereton Diaz tells GOAL. "Going to the desert, big barbecues, fishing, being with friends and family. My mum is from there, she'd not been around Chile for a few years so she loved to come round with me and to see all this stuff as well, it was lovely to share that moment with her.

"I had only been to Chile once when I was one year old, the next time I went was after the Copa America. I've been there many times playing football, but you don't see much of Chile. You only see the hotel, you train and you play. It was an amazing trip for me to see some of the beautiful places in Chile, do some of the traditional stuff."

• Getty
  

  'Never in a thousand years'

  He met local people too, including Alvaro Perez, the Football Manager fan who ended up changing Brereton Diaz's life. It was Perez, who has a penchant for picking players with dual nationality in the game, who discovered Brereton Diaz was eligible to play for Chile and started a social media campaign for him to be called up to the national team.

  "He came across me, started playing me, he put something on Twitter and when I kept scoring goals it started to get a bit more serious," the striker, who had represented England at Under-19 level, recalls.

  "Chile’s director of football saw it, saw I'd been doing well in the Championship and scoring goals, and they gave me a ring. From there they asked me to make a decision, but for me there was no decision to be made, I wanted to do it 100 percent. I never in a thousand years thought I’d be playing for the Chile national squad."

  Chile have won two of the last four Copa Americas, and many of the players who were a part of those triumphs, including global stars Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Bravo, were suddenly his team-mates.

  "When I got the call up I was like 'these guys have won the Copa America, the Champions League', so I was definitely nervous going into the dressing room because they're such a well connected group. But as soon as I went there the players showed me love. They're a great team, amazing players on and off the pitch, legends of the game really, so it was a great honour to be involved with those boys."

  It was also an honour for the Chilean players to play with Brereton Diaz, as he offered them something completely different. As team-mate Mauricio Isla put it: "He's an animal, runs, fights, fights for everything, never tires." The striker quickly earned the nickname 'Big Ben', and his presence in the final third and willingness to attack every ball delighted Chile fans.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Loving every minute

  The only downside of his Copa America experience in 2021 was the fact that there were no supporters in the stadiums in Brazil due to the coronavirus pandemic. But a few months later, the national stadium in Santiago was packed for Brereton Diaz's first experience of World Cup qualifiers, where he broke the deadlock in a 2-0 win against Paraguay.

  South America’s World Cup qualification process, an unforgiving slog of 18 matches where you play every team in the continent home and away, is unique in international football. "The passion fans show in South America, especially in Chile, is unbelievable," the striker says. "It was an unreal atmosphere, to get a goal against Paraguay, an important game we needed to win, was incredible.

  "Every time you get called up, it's proper. You need to be switched on in training, the games are really competitive, you need to win. I love every minute of it."

  Brereton Diaz has also had surreal experiences, such as playing away to Bolivia in La Paz at the highest international stadium in the world, 3637 metres above sea level. "Crazy," is how he describes it. "Physically, I've never done anything like that, in such humidity. I thought I had nothing left, it’s amazing to do stuff like that."

• Getty Images
  

  Learning curve

  Brereton Diaz went on another overseas adventure last year when he joined Villarreal after five unforgettable seasons with Blackburn. It was a big change and not an easy one, as he went from being an indisputable starter for Blackburn to a substitute in Spain, being named in the line-up just twice in La Liga albeit coming on 12 times from the bench.

  It was not the first setback he had faced in his career. Brereton Diaz had spent six years at the youth academy of Manchester United, the team he grew up supporting, and was released at the age of 14. It can be a heart-breaking experience for youngsters, many of whom decide to walk away from the game completely. But he took it in his stride and prefers to remember the best parts of being part of United.

  "Most players go through that, getting released, everyone gets a knockback in football," he says. "It's one of those things that happens when you're young but you can grow into a great player."

  He demonstrated a similar attitude at Villarreal, using the experience of playing at a top Liga side to his advantage. "I loved the six months I was there," he explains. "It's different altogether, more possession, more technical. Training with some of the world-class players Villarreal have and playing in that league is another experience that's only going to help me."

• Getty
  

  Thriving in the Premier League

  Ultimately, though, Brereton Diaz needed to be playing regular football, especially with Copa America coming up. Sheffield United offered him a route to starting games again, as well as the opportunity to realise a life's dream of playing in the Premier League. And you can sense the childlike joy when the forward discusses his experience in the English top flight.

  There are the unforgettable moments, such as giving Sheffield United the lead against Manchester United at Old Trafford in April: "As a young boy I loved watching United, their teams, the history in the stadium so scoring there was incredible, a dream of mine," he says fondly.

  Then there are the smaller things, like appearing on 'Match of the Day'"It's crazy. Obviously, I used to watch it every morning with my dad when I was younger when we woke up on a Sunday morning, it's little things like that. Dad's proper into it, he goes to most games, home and away, he loves it.

  "It's an incredible league, an amazing stage to be on, amazing to be a part of it. I'm thankful to Sheffield United for the opportunity. It's every young player’s dream to play in the Premier League one day, it's all I've ever wanted to do."

Shadab Khan appointed limited-overs vice-captain and there’s no place for Malik, Sarfaraz and Amir in 22-member squad

Umar Farooq19-Oct-2020Veterans Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Amir have been left out of Pakistan’s limited-overs squad of 22 for the home series against Zimbabwe next month. Shadab Khan was appointed Pakistan’s vice-captain in both limited-overs formats, while Abdullah Shafique, the uncapped 20-year old, top order batsman has found a place following strong performances for Central Punjab in the recently-concluded National T20 Cup.Shafique, who hails from Sialkot, made a stunning century on T20 debut to help Central Punjab pull off a remarkable chase of 201. He finished the tournament with 358 runs in 10 innings, striking them at 133 with an average of 44.75. These include two half-centuries and a century. Shafique has also made a century in his only first-class appearance so far, making him the first Pakistani and second in cricket history to manage debut hundreds at both the first-class and T20 cricket. Although the squad has been named for the full tour, the team management and the Pakistan selectors will pick a squad for the ODIs and T20Is from this pool at a later date. A big pool has been picked to ensure all players can comply with strict covid-19 protocols in a bio-secure bubble that will be in place for the full series.”The philosophy and throughout process behind the selection is that we don’t want excessive experiments in ODIs and would rather play to our strengths,” Misbah said before naming the list of probables. “Going forward, we know how important every single ODI game will be in terms of qualification for the ICC event. We want to win every game regardless of opponent as we know Zimbabwe didn’t play much in the recent past and we don’t know what to expect. So we have to be watchful against them. Our intention will be to regain our winning momentum from when we last played against Sri Lanka a year ago.”In T20I squad, it’s a bit different as we want to give young boys an extended run so that they can show what they are capable of at the highest level and cement their places for future assignments. We all saw some outstanding individual performances in the National T20 Cup but not everyone got a chance and must be disappointed. But they have a chance for the New Zealand tour to get into the “A” team. I want to reassure them that they will remain in consideration for the New Zealand tour and next year’s home series. All they now need to do is to carry those impressive run of forms into the upcoming domestic competitions.”The axing of notable names – Malik, Amir and Sarfraz – meant Pakistan are compelled to dig deep into their reserves in search of younger players. The senior trio lost Misbah’s faith after their fading form. Amir was wicketless on the England tour and had a lacklustre stint in the National T20 cup with six wickets at 38.83. ESPNcricinfo understands the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to move on from veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik, while Sarfaraz was dropped from every squad last year after he lost the captaincy, and only returned to the side for the England tour when Pakistan travelled with a larger group of players. He was left out once more, allowing the youngster Rohail Nazir to be integrated into the squad, behind their first-choice wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan.”Seniors like Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Amir are the notable absentees in this squad and that is mainly because we want to give youngsters a chance. Having all of them in the squad makes it tough to play youngsters, and their absence will provide players like Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah better chances of featuring in the upcoming matches. Dropping Sarfraz is meant to give him a chance to play first-class cricket, because on form Mohammad Rizwan is the first-choice wicketkeeper. With an eye on future and as part of our succession planning, Rohail Nazir has been chosen as Rizwan’s back-up wicketkeeper. Instead of Sarfaraz sitting on the substitute bench, it makes sense that he plays in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy so that he retains his fitness and rediscovers form for the tour for the longer and more demanding tour of New Zealand.”Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan will begin when their 32-man squad arrives in Islamabad tomorrow. They will then undergo an isolation period from October 21 to 27 before they can start training at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from October 28. Rawalpindi will be hosting the ODI series, scheduled for October 30, November 1 and 3 while both teams will travel to Lahore for the T20 series – set for November 7, 8 and 10.Full squad: Babar Azam, Haider Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Imam ul Haq, Harris Sohail, Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Rohail Nazir, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Musa Khan, Wahab Riaz, Usman Qadar, Zafar Gohar.

Ryan Reynolds claims to “die” when Wrexham lose, with the club’s Hollywood co-owners revealing how their “love” sparked another promotion push.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Red Dragons wobbled during 2023-24 campaign
• Threatened to derail push for top-three finish
• Finished with a flourish after visit from chairman

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons opened their League Two campaign in 2023-24 with collective sights locked on securing a top-three finish. Just past the midway point, with 26 of their 46 fixtures taken in, the wheels started to come off for Phil Parkinson’s side.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT REYNOLDS SAID

  A run of three straights losses, and just two wins in nine, saw the Welsh outfit slip out of the automatic promotion places. That testing period has now figured on the documentary, with Reynolds saying of how negative results impact him: “I'm not a football expert so what the f*ck do I know? But I can't seem to figure it out, no one can figure out what's going wrong. Our away form has been a little trashy but god dammit I love this club with every cell of my body. It's like I die when they lose.”

  He added: “We just have to do better, and I think that Rob and I need to show our face, go to the town, go to the Racecourse and just be there.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reynolds – due to his filming commitments with the new Deadpool film – was unable to travel to SToK Racecourse, but McElhenney made the trip for a welcome 4-0 victory over Accrington. He said: “It just felt like the right time to visit Wrexham and spend some time with the team and the people. I love Wrexham, I consider it my second home. I just think it's one of those places that draws you back and always welcomes you back. It felt like the morale had dropped at that point and I was really concerned. So we wanted to go down there and show our support. As co-chairman of a football club it's good to show your face and give some support in person, especially when they're struggling a bit.”

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham turned their season around from there, dropping just eight points through their final 12 games of the campaign. That run was enough to land a runners-up finish, with the Red Dragons now readying themselves for life in League One.