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Big picture: Galle set for spin-heavy scrap

Even before South Africa could fire up the final celebratory after their triumph at Lord’s, the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for 2025-27 is set to begin some 9,000 km away in Galle. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, both looking to snap out of extended Test slumps, will kick off the new cycle, however, the looming threat of rain could dictate terms over the next five days.Sri Lanka return to red-ball cricket four months after a 2-0 home defeat to Australia, also in Galle. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have managed just two international wins since the start of the year and are visibly short on confidence. Despite fielding a squad with six uncapped players, Sri Lanka will believe this is an opportunity to get back on track, especially against a side that’s just as brittle.This series also marks the end of an era. Angelo Mathews will retire from Test cricket after this series, following in the footsteps of Dimuth Karunaratne, who bowed out after the Australia series earlier this year. Sri Lanka’s top order collapsed in that series, despite being one of the most productive Test batting units in 2024. Kamindu Mendis, one of their mainstays last year, has crossed fifty just once since January. To cover their bases, the selectors have brought in four uncapped batters – Lahiru Udara, Sonal Dinusha, Pavan Rathnayake, and Pasindu Sooriyabandara – all of whom have shown promise in domestic cricket and for Sri Lanka A.Prabath Jayasuriya was the third-highest wicket-taker among spinners in the last WTC cycle•AFP/Getty Images

In the spin department, Tharindu Rathnayake, the ambidextrous spinner with 337 first-class wickets, has earned a call-up, as has Akila Dananjaya, who could feature in a Test for the first time since 2019. Their main task will be to support Prabath Jayasuriya, who has carried Sri Lanka’s spin attack almost single-handedly in the past year. The fast-bowling department looks steadier, with allrounder Isitha Wijesundara and Kasun Rajitha in the running to make the XI.For Bangladesh, the concerns run just as deep. After splitting a Test series against Zimbabwe in April, their top-order remains erratic. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has just two half-centuries in his last ten Tests, while Mushfiqur Rahim hasn’t passed fifty in his last 13 innings. Though Shadman Islam and Anamul Haque shared a century stand against Zimbabwe, neither has delivered consistently. With no reserve openers in the squad, Shanto may be pushed to open if needed. Mominul Haque has struggled to convert starts, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz – despite his issues with the short ball – remains their leading run-scorer in recent Tests.Related

• 'It's quite sad'- Mathews calls for more Tests for Sri Lanka

• Shanto eyes 'lots of runs in first two or three days' in Galle

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• Storm, steel and silverware: how Angie and SL took over the world in 2014

• Could Jaker Ali be Bangladesh's secret sauce?

Spin will be central to Bangladesh’s hopes in Galle, with Mehidy and Taijul Islam leading the charge. They’re backed up by Nayeem Hasan and uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad. Ebadot Hossain returns to the squad for the first time in two years, while Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana offer pace options to complement an attack picked for the spin-friendly conditions.Sri Lanka-Bangladesh Tests have often lacked drama, with one side dominating. But with both teams rebuilding and their batting misfiring in 2024, this one might be more competitive. In the end, as always in Galle, it may just come down to which spin attack holds up better.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: LLLLW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh: WLWLL

In the spotlight: Dinesh Chandimal and Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Dinesh Chandimal was excellent in 2024. He hit two fifties against Australia in February, followed by solid returns in domestic first-class cricket and a brief PSL stint last month. Batting at his new position at No. 3, Chandimal remains a key threat. He averages 67.06 in 12 Tests against Bangladesh, with five centuries.Mehidy Hasan Miraz was Bangladesh’s standout performer in the Zimbabwe series, scoring a century and taking five wickets in their Chattogram win, after a ten-wicket haul in the Sylhet Test. One of Bangladesh’s few consistent players over the past two years, he has grown into the allrounder’s role in Shakib Al Hasan’s absence. In Sri Lanka, he’ll shoulder added responsibility with the ball in spin-friendly conditions.Mehidy will shoulder the allrounder’s responsibility, but will he be match-fit?•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: Three spinners for Bangladesh?

Sri Lanka have to make four changes from the side that played against Australia in February. Karunaratne has retired, Lahiru Kumara is injured while they have dropped Ramesh Mendis and Nishan Peiris. There could be a debut for Udara, while Milan Rathnayake and Dananjaya could form a two-spin, two-pace attack.Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Lahiru Udara, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kusal Mendis (wk), 8 Milan Rathnayake, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha FernandoBangladesh are unlikely to fiddle with their top and middle order positions. They could tinker with their bowling attack by including three spinners, which will leave them with just one pace bowling option. There’s a slight concern around Mehidy, though, since he was reported to have a fever.Bangladesh (likely): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Jaker Ali (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Murad, 11 Hasan Mahmud

Pitch and conditions: Rain threat looms

Spinners consumed wickets in Galle, where both the Sri Lanka-Australia Tests were played earlier this year. But in between that there have also been two 600-plus first-innings totals over the last nine months. Pitches are likely to be conducive to slow bowling in this Test too. There’s rain forecast on all five days in Galle.

Stats and trivia: Galle and spin

• Bangladesh have now played 21 successive Tests without a draw, equaling their longest run from 2001 to 2004. Their last drawn Test in this cycle was against Sri Lanka three years ago.
• Galle’s reputation for being a spin haven can be expressed in numbers too. Spinners have taken 373 wickets at Galle, the most at any venue since 2020. A wicket falls to spinners roughly once every ten overs at this venue.
• Awaiting their Test debuts, Tharindu Ratnayake has 337 first-class wickets while Lahiru Udara has 16 centuries in first-class cricket.

Quotes

“The best thing we can do for Angelo is win the match for him and give him a good farewell. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that for Dimuth. Personally I’m hoping we can do it for Angelo.”

Fair to say, this season has not gone quite to plan for Glasgow Rangers and in particular, new Gers boss Russell Martin.

Last time out, Rangers played out statistically the most boring Glasgow derby of all time, the two fierce rivals accumulating a combined xG of just 0.31 at Ibrox.

This means, for the first time since 1983, the Light Blues have failed to win any of their opening four fixtures in a Premiership campaign, having previously played out 1-1 draws with Motherwell, Dundee and then St Mirren.

Scoring goals has certainly proved to be one of the many key issues Martin has faced as Rangers boss, with a lot of attacking talent departing Govan this summer, but could one of his summer signings ultimately solve this issue and turn out to be the new Václav Černý?

Václav Černý's importance at Rangers

Last season, across 58 matches in all competitions, Rangers scored a total of 115 goals.

Well, their top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Cerny and Hamza Igamane, contributed 63 of these goals (55%), but the trio have all departed during the summer.

Dessers was sold to Panathinaikos for £3.5m on deadline day, Igamane joined Lille for around £10.4m a few days earlier, while Černý did not return, following the expiration of his loan from Wolfsburg.

Instead, the Czechia international joined Beşiktaş for around £6m, but, considering the İstanbul-based giants failed to qualify for the league phase of any European competition, while Rangers are back in the Europa League, supporters may feel aggrieved that he isn’t heading back to Ibrox.

The table below underlines Černý’s importance last season.

Černý Rangers 2024/25 stats
Statistics	Černý	Rangers rank
Goals	18	2nd
Assists	6	4th
UEL goals	6	1st
Shots	136	1st
Big chances created	9	4th
Shot-creating actions	42	1st
Goal-creating actions	5	2nd
Progressive carries	40	1st
Key passes	14	2nd
Average SofaScore rating	7.40	2nd
Stats via FBref & Sofascore

As the table documents, Černý was a pivotal figure at Rangers last season, his six goals in the Europa League particularly noteworthy.

The 27-year-old took his tally to eight international goals on Friday night, bagging the second as Czechia beat Montenegro 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Podgorica, but could Rangers have unearthed a winger with even greater potential?

Rangers' Václav Černý​​​​​​​ upgrade

In a season that has so far produced very little for Rangers fans to cheer, the form of Djeidi Gassama has certainly been something to get excited about.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The 22-year-old arrived in Glasgow for a reported fee of £2.2m, joining from crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, who are being completely run into the ground by wantaway owner Dejphon Chansiri, thereby sanctioning a fire sale of all the Owls’ assets.

Thus, it appears as though Rangers have taken advantage of the disastrous situation at Hillsborough and snapped up a bargain.

When he first arrived, manager Martin labelled Gassama “exciting”, adding that he will get fans “on the edge of their seats”, asserting that “he is on an upward trajectory… we look forward to seeing him in action.”

Well, the 21-year-old certainly made a good first impression, scoring four times during the early rounds of Champions League qualifying.

He spectacularly netted on his debut against Panathinaikos, also on target during the return leg in Athens eight nights later, before bagging a brace when Viktoria Plzeň was vanquished 3-0 at Ibrox in the third qualifying round.

As already outlined, what made Černý’s contribution so outstanding was his end product in European competition, something Gassama has already shown signs of being able to replicate.

In the Europa League league phase, the Gers will face: Genk (H), Sturm Graz (A), Brann (A), Roma (H), Braga (H), Ferencváros (A), Ludogorets Razgrad (H) and then Porto (A) on the final matchday.

Even when considering Rangers’ horrendous start to the season, there are certainly some winnable fixtures in that bunch so, if they’re to match last season’s run to the quarter-finals, or even better it, Gassama will be key to the Light Blues’ hopes.

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The CA Green vs CA Gold match had been organised to provide more long-form cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2025

Katie Mack made a match-turning century•Getty Images

Katie Mack upstaged the women’s Australia A squad with an unbeaten century in a three-day red-ball warm-up game in Canberra for Australia’s emerging stars ahead of England A’s tour of the country.Mack made 102 not out for CA Green against CA Gold in the third innings of the match to help Green XI claim a 121-run win, with Australia A 50-over and four-day captain and new Australia T20I squad member Nicole Faltum also making 62, while offspinner Lilly Mills took seven wickets for the match including 5 for 28 to bowl Gold XI out for 127 on the final day.Mack, 31, stole the show despite being one of the few players in the game not selected in any of the three Australia A squads for the upcoming multiformat series against England A that will feature three T20s, three 50-over matches and a four-day match in Sydney.Mack and Faltum shared a 137-run stand in the third innings of the match to set up victory after Green had claimed a first-innings lead thanks to 62 from Sianna Ginger on day one and 5 for 31 from Georgia Prestwidge on day two. South Australian batter Emma de Broughe made 84 in Gold’s first innings to ensure the lead was only 34.But Mack and Faltum feasted in the third innings before Faltum declared to set Gold a chase of 249 on the final day. Ginger took two early wickets with the new ball to complete a strong all-round performance before Mills tore through the middle and lower order, taking five of the last six wickets to bowl Gold out. Charli Knott was the only Gold batter to pass 17 on the final day with 59.The Green versus Gold three-day match has quickly become an important part of the women’s domestic calendar in terms of giving emerging players valuable long-form experience. Georgia Voll, who made her Test debut in January, made an unbeaten 200 in the game last year, while Alana King took a four-wicket haul on the final day before destroying England in the Ashes Test at the MCG.Australia A squadsAustralia A T20 squad: Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Heather Graham (capt), Charli Knott (vice-capt), Anika Learoyd, Rhys McKenna, Madeline Penna, Amy Smith, Courtney Webb, Tahlia WilsonAustralia A 50-over squad: Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (capt), Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Charli Knott (vice-capt), Anika Learoyd, Amy Smith, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Tahlia WilsonAustralia A Four-Day squad: Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (capt), Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Charli Knott (vice-capt), Anika Learoyd, Lilly Mills, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia WilsonWomen’s Australia A v England A series26 March: First T20, 1pm, Hurstville Oval28 March: Second T20, 1pm, Hurstville Oval30 March: Third T20, 1pm, Hurstville Oval2 April: First 50-over match, 10:30am, Cricket Central, Sydney4 April: Second 50-over match, 10:30am, Cricket Central, Sydney7 April: Third 50-over match, 10am, Cricket Central, Sydney12-15 April: Four-day match, 10am, Cricket Central, Sydney

Focus on Australia’s pace-bowling stocks, while England push Joe Root down to accommodate Jamie Smith at No. 3

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Feb-20255:01

Agar: Aussie youngsters will have ‘hunger to make a difference’

Big picture: Both teams coming off series defeatsWould you believe it, not only have Australia and England been drawn in the same group at a global tournament, but their Champions Trophy returns also start against one another. Universe (ICC), you’ve done it again! And yet, amid such predictable money-grabbing comes a bit of shameful excitement. Even without mentioning the “A” word, these are two bitter rivals in unique states. A champion Australia side shorn of some of those champions, and an England side increasingly desperate to rediscover former glory.The lack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood gives the ODI World Cup holders a less intimidating feel, and subsequently shifts the onus on a batting line-up led by Travis Head’s brand of “Ah, we’ll have a go”. Quite how that responsibility will manifest itself to what is more or less an established group of batters remains to be seen particularly as captain Steven Smith, standing in for Cummins and the injured Mitchell Marsh, who would have likely deputised, weighs up the right combinations for his top seven.That Australia can call upon Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshius to fill big bowling boots reflects the enviable depth of Australian cricket, even if those bowlers’ most notable successes – Abbott aside – have come exclusively in T20s. Extrapolating that to 50-over cricket will be its own challenge. Australia are not putting much stock in the fact they arrive off the back of a 2-0 ODI series loss against Sri Lanka. The same could be said of England, even if their 3-0 defeat to India elicited far more anger and ridicule.Related

Smith, Australia hope champion DNA outweighs big-name absences

Buttler: Smith has 'free hit' at No. 3 in reshuffled England batting order

Not training enough and golfing too much were the main takeaways outside a group that actually seems in good spirits considering they have now lost all four ODI series since the 2023 World Cup. To be expected, of course, as negative vibes have no place in Brendon McCullum’s house.In keeping, England’s break to the UAE came with a view of shedding the baggage from a travel-and defeat-heavy month in India, with added benefit of escaping the press hysteria around focusing on the wrong kind of white ball. But McCullum’s task requires a more hands-on and technically focused approach with a group which continues to look uneasy with bat and ball in this format.How much of that McCullum can change in such a short space of time – he has only been in charge of the limited-overs set-up for a month – will be determined over the coming weeks. Right now, it probably helps to have a familiar foe on the horizon to drum up a little extra heart and vigour.As for Jos Buttler, the next fortnight will go some way to determining whether he sticks with the captaincy. A promise to smile more at the start of the year felt optimistic at the time, and has proved as much. But after missing all of England’s ODIs in 2024, he will be better for the three ticked off earlier at the start of February.Of those Buttler missed last year due to a calf injury was the five-match series against Australia at the end of the home summer, which ensures greater familiarity at international level between the players, even if many of them have rubbed shoulders as team-mates or opponents at domestic level.Australia, made up of a few of the alternates substituted into their Champions Trophy squad, triumphed 3-2 on that occasion, having been 2-0 up before taking their foot off the gas. All five results were blowouts of one kind or another. And just as it was for India, Australia’s spinners made hay against England’s batters, with Adam Zampa doing the brunt of the damage, supplemented by handy contributions from Glenn Maxwell, Marnus Labuschagne and Head.Spencer Johnson replaces Mitchell Starc as the left-arm quick in Australia’s squad•Associated Press

Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)Australia: LLLLW
England: LLLLWIn the spotlight: Spencer Johnson and Harry BrookStarc is as close to irreplaceable a bowler as you can get in white-ball cricket. But if you’re going to try, a bloke who is six-feet-four and also bowls left-arm rockets is a great place to start. The best of Spencer Johnson has come in the shortest format, and with only three ODI caps spaced out over more than a year, the burden of replacing Starc at the front and back of an innings will weigh heavy on his broad shoulders. After taking his maiden wickets in Sri Lanka earlier this month, much more will be required of Johnson in Pakistan.Speaking of Pakistan, is there a better place for Harry Brook to rediscover his groove? This country’s pitches have been kind to him, albeit in the Test format, where he averages 84.10 courtesy of four hundreds – the most recent being a triple. England’s newly-appointed vice-captain left the India tour in a funk, with a lowly average of 16.66 in the ODIs brought about by an inability to attack spin effectively. But he will take heart from flatter decks and skippering with distinction against Australia last year, which included registering his maiden ODI century in the 3rd ODI at Chester-le-Street.Team newsGiven the absences, Australia’s pace attack pretty much picks itself. Allrounder Aaron Hardie, the immediate beneficiary of Marcus Stoinis’ retirement from the 50-over format on the eve of the tournament, could sit out for Labuschagne to play as an extra batter. Dwarshius’ left-arm/left-hand option may see him pip Abbott to the bowling allrounder slot.Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Sean Abbott/Ben Dwarshius, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer JohnsonEngland’s batting reshuffle will see Jamie Smith at No. 3 and Joe Root at No. 4•Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

England announced their XI two days out from the match – early by their unusually prompt standards – with Jamie Smith not just back fit from a calf injury, but also batting at No. 3 while also playing as wicketkeeper. It is not quite a nuclear option, but it does involve pushing Joe Root to No. 4 and taking the gloves from Phil Salt, who kept throughout the ODIs in India. With just four frontline bowling options, Root and Liam Livingstone must join forces effectively to provide a serviceable fifth. The pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, playing his first 50-over tournament since his Super Over heroics in 2019’s World Cup final, will present Australia’s starkest challenge.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark WoodPitch and conditionsODI pitches at the Gaddafi Stadium are almost always flat belters. The venue hosted two matches in the recent tri-series, with New Zealand posting 330 for 6 to beat Pakistan, and then chasing down 305 with six wickets and eight balls to spare. Lahore is expected to be slightly cooler than it was for the tri-series, partly because of rain this week, which ended up hampering England’s preparations on Thursday. Dew is very rarely a factor at this time of year.5:44

Knight questions idea of Root, Buttler coming down the order

Stats and trivia Australia and England have a tight head-to-head record in the Champions Trophy, with England ahead just by a 3-2 margin. Maxwell and Buttler are the only members available from the two teams’ squads from the 2013 edition of the tournament. Archer is two wickets away from 50 in the ODIs. Jamie Smith has only previously batted at No. 3 once in 18 List A innings – for Surrey against Kent in 2019.Quotes”I’m going to have my work cut out for me with some of that fast bowling England have got. They’re high quality, highly skilled and high pace. I’ve got to make sure I start well, earn the right, and see where the game takes us. I’m just worried about making sure I start well for the team.”
“He’s been fit and firing now for 18 months or so since being out of the game for a while. He’s really excited to put together that kind of length of time back on the field, and he’s obviously a superstar of the game for us. He is someone, as a captain, you always know you can turn to and throw the ball. He’s obviously going to be really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”

Shifting their focus towards further incomings, Aston Villa are reportedly ready to launch their second offer to sign a versatile target for Unai Emery.

What Aston Villa could do after Ramsey sale

It’s been an open secret all summer long that Aston Villa need to sell before they can buy. The big question that remained unanswered for some time was just who would be sacrificed in order for them to push on with their own business. Now, however, those at Villa Park have received their answer and Jacob Ramsey has joined Newcastle United for an initial £39m fee.

Whilst there has been plenty of disgruntlement over the sale of an academy graduate – mainly aimed towards PSR rules more than anything else – the Villans may now at least be in a position to spend.

As such, the rumours have already started circulating. Names such as Nicolas Jackson have particularly threatened to steal the headlines amid reports that Emery is a huge admirer of the Chelsea forward.

After being dropped at Stamford Bridge, Jackson desperately needs a move before the transfer window slams shut at the start of September. Whether that move comes courtesy of those at Villa Park remains to be seen, however.

Of course, the Midlands club have already welcomed one attacking addition in the form of Evann Guessand this summer. The former OGC Nice forward snuck through the door to hand Emery an instant boost.

So it would come as no surprise if Villa decided to boost their backline rather than their attacking options this month, which could see a versatile addition arrive.

Aston Villa ready to launch improved Canvot offer

As reported by RMC Sport, Aston Villa are now ready to make an improved offer for Jaydee Canvot after seeing an opening bid rejected by Toulouse last month. The versatile defender is reportedly valued at around €20m (£17m), but it remains to be seen whether the Villans decide to match that fee and leave no room for further rejection with their next bid.

A player who would be an “exciting signing for Aston Villa” according to U23 scout Antonio Mango, Canvot can play both in midfield and a centre-back in what would kill two birds with one stone for Emery.

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Also described as “strong” by Mango, it should come as no surprise that Canvot is on Villa’s radar. At just 19 years old, he’s someone who is likely to get even better with time and potential Premier League opportunities.

Nine new faces have already entered the Birmingham City camp this summer, with that number surely set to increase before September’s looming deadline.

It has gone somewhat quiet on the Blues transfer front after signings galore joined the building at breakneck speed, but another striker must surely be on Chris Davies’ shopping list now that Alfie May has officially sealed a move away to Huddersfield Town.

May would go on to fire home a devastating 17 goals for the Blues across 57 appearances, but the leap up to the Championship was presumably judged to be too much for the 32-year-old to adjust to.

Instead, Birmingham have managed to recuperate £1.2m by selling him on, with that money set to be put to good use in chasing after an immediate replacement.

The blow of May moving on has also been softened by Kyogo Furuhashi’s £10m arrival on the scene, which will also undoubtedly improve Birmingham’s firepower heading into the Championship.

Why Kyogo should be a big success at Birmingham

When looking at Kyogo’s well-travelled career to date, he has more hits on his resume than notable blunders.

In Japan, for both Vissel Kobe and FC Gifu – before embarking on a transformative Celtic move – Kyogo would show early signs of his blistering edge in front of goal, with a promising 66 strikes tallied up from 182 clashes.

That sturdy number would be amazingly eclipsed in Glasgow when leading the line for Celtic, with a whopping 85 strikes coming his way from 165 total contests.

He did then fall victim to a zero-goal stint at Rennes, but he will hope he can write that short stay off in France as a fluke on his otherwise sparkling CV.

More strikers entering the Blues camp will hopefully take the pressure off Kyogo’s shoulders to be Birmingham’s sole leading man, with these fresh arrivals to Davies’ side also potentially getting even more out of the Japanese gem.

One potential new purchase, in particular, has shown he is content with being an assist king, as much as he enjoys chipping in with a strike or two of his own.

Extraordinary Blues target could be a dream for Kyogo

May will be mainly remembered for his 17-goal heroics last season, but he also provided a healthy nine assists for the attacking bodies around him.

New Blues target Marvin Ducksch should be able to come in and fill this void effectively when looking at his standout Werder Bremen numbers, with Football League World reporting that Davies and Co. are close to landing the well-rounded German as an attacker who could fire them up to the Premier League.

24/25

36

9

11

23/24

34

13

10

22/23

35

12

9

21/22

29

20

10

Whilst it’s clear from glancing at the table above that Ducksch shares Kyogo’s clinical nature with an explosive 54 strikes picked up across his last four campaigns for Bremen, he also has the added plus of being a creative machine on his side, with an impressive 40 assists next to his name.

Last season, in particular, saw the Dortmund-born attacker’s goalscoring exploits take a backseat for his unselfish nature to come to the forefront.

He produced 11 assists next to his nine goals, with his FBref numbers over the last year also seeing him come away with a noticeable 3.20 progressive passes on average per clash, enough to rank him in the top 7% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Being this consistent creative spark for Bremen has even resulted in Ducksch being called up to the Germany national side, on top of the 31-year-old being hailed as “extraordinary” by teammate Mitchell Weiser for what he can provide.

All of this will be music to the ears of a poacher-like presence such as Kyogo, who has been donned as “exceptional” himself in the past for his finishing ability under pressure by ex-Hoops comrade Joe Hart.

The struggle here might well come in getting both the German and the £10m attacker in the same XI, owing to Davies’ regular 4-2-3-1 set-up, but this is a selection headache Davies won’t be dreading, as his attacking personnel is strengthened regardless.

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Fast bowling consultant believes England’s options are expanding ahead of next winter’s Ashes

Matt Roller13-Oct-2024

Chris Woakes speaks with James Anderson•Getty Images

England want to arrive in Australia next winter with a “battery” of fast bowlers and James Anderson believes the list of candidates for that tour is “growing and growing”. Anderson has worked as their fast-bowling coach since he was ushered into retirement in July and said on Sunday that he is excited by the emergence of a new generation of seam bowlers.Rob Key, England’s managing director, has been vocal in his ambition to bring through a stock of quicks who bowl “85mph-plus with high skill” as they look to replace Anderson and Stuart Broad. Last year, he offered two-year contracts to four seamers – Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matt Potts and Josh Tongue – whom he believes have the attributes to succeed at Test level.Tongue has spent the last 14 months sidelined with a pectoral injury, while Potts has only played two Tests since June 2023. But Atkinson has thrived, taking 38 wickets at 21.86 in his first seven Tests and scoring a century against Sri Lanka, while Carse impressed on debut in Multan last week with his speed, skill and stamina.Related

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Pakistan, a graveyard for Test bowlers – in numbers

Switch Hit: Multan Magic or Meltdown?

“[Atkinson] seems to rise to every challenge that’s put in front of him,” Anderson said. “Brydon was outstanding… To bowl 90mph in that heat, pretty consistently, was an amazing effort. He was accurate, he bowled good short stuff when we needed him to do that, and he bowls wicket-taking balls – and that’s what we’re after, as a bowling group.”He has always been on the radar of the selectors for the away Ashes… It looks like he has all the attributes to do well there. He has got pace, bounce and he is accurate, and he has skills and he can bat. He is ticking a lot of boxes. Hopefully, he can stay fit and get a lot of confidence from how he bowled the other day.”England are missing Mark Wood in Pakistan due to his elbow injury, while they still hope that Jofra Archer might return to Test cricket next year after a three-year absence. Archer has spent most of that time sidelined with back and elbow issues but has gradually stepped up his workload over the past six months and still has ambitions to play all formats.”The list is not endless, but it feels like it is growing and growing,” Anderson said. “We’ve got the likes of Woody and Jofra [to come back in] but also Olly Stone and Josh Tongue. It feels like there’s loads of guys coming through – Josh Hull as well, who we think has got a good future.”It does feel like there are options there. It is really exciting for an England group at the minute, thinking of what we have ahead with India next summer, then Australia, and then going forward over the next three years.”Anderson’s involvement with England’s fast bowlers is officially as a consultant coach for their winter Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, with his longer-term future with the team unclear. He left open the possibility of extending his role further down the line, potentially including next winter’s Ashes tour.”I’m really enjoying it,” Anderson said. “We have an amazing coaching group who have been really helpful. I’ve not officially done this job before, but I feel like it’s not far off where I was for the last few years of my career: trying to be there for bowlers, help them as much as possible, come up with ideas when we’re in the field. It’s been great… so far, so good.”He also played down the significance of his late arrival for the tour, having missed England’s three training days and the first day of the first Test. Anderson was instead playing in a pro-am golf tournament at St Andrews, but said that he had only agreed to participate after running the idea past England coach Brendon McCullum.”I’m not full-time with England, I’m a consultant,” Anderson said. “I was still in contact with the bowlers and in the end, it didn’t really matter that I wasn’t here. I thought we bowled really well… The last few tours I went on, we didn’t have a bowling coach and it is good for the lads to take some responsibility.”

Are Celtic set to make more signings soon?

So far, the Hoops have unveiled six new recruits, the most exciting of which is the returning hero Kieran Tierney, while Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmund, Ross Doohan and Japanese duo Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada have also arrived.

Nevertheless, speaking ahead of Thursday night’s pre-season friendly against Ajax in Como, manager Brendan Rodgers stated that he requires new players “for the present”, adding that “I want players in tomorrow, but I understand the market”, so could he be set to finally secure the signature of his number one target?

Celtic's search for attacking reinforcements

Following last mid-week’s friendly victory over Sporting CP in the Algarve, Rodgers said that he wants “to add [more] to our front line” because “we’ve lost a lot of goals”, following the departures of both Kyōgo Furuhashi and, more recently, Nicolas Kühn this year.

The table below underlines this point.

Daizen Maeda

43

Yes

Kyōgo Furuhashi

31

No

Adam Idah

29

Yes

Nicolas Kühn

24

No

Matt O’Riley

19

No

Reo Hatate

14

Yes

Callum McGregor

12

Yes

Arne Engels

10

Yes

Luis Palma

10

No

As the table outlines, three of Celtic’s top five scorers from the last two seasons have departed, very thankful that Daizen Maeda is still at the club, following his 33-goal haul last season, picking up pretty much every individual accolade going.

So now, could the Bhoys secure the signing of a long-term target reminiscent of the Japanese forward?

Well, according to a report by The Daily Record, Celtic are set to step up their interest in Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Fair to say, this has entered into saga territory, with the Hoops having been chasing the Belgian for weeks now, if not months, and Antwerp manager Stef Wils admitting publicly that Celtic’s offers so far ‘have been below’ his club’s valuation.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Just last week, speaking on Off The Underside, Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports stated that Balikwisha “would like to join Celtic”, with the winger valued at around £5m, despite being in the final year of his contract.

So, could this storyline finally be coming to an end, with Balikwisha ending up at Parkhead?

How Michel-Ange Balikwisha would improve Celtic

One of the reasons Celtic appear hesitant to sign Balikwisha is his injury record, missing significant periods of time in recent seasons due to a thigh issue.

​​​​​​​

Nevertheless, his talent is clear for all to see, with analyst Will Glavin describing him as a “direct wide threat” who is “creative​​​​​​​” and “technically sharp”, concluding that he would represent a “potential bargain”, given his contractual situation, and the fact Antwerp may be under pressure to sell, having failed to qualify for European competition.

Meantime, Ben Mattinson describes him as “two-footed” and “capable of beating a defender” both inside and out, which makes him so “unpredictable”.

So, let’s analyse how his statistics compare to those of Maeda.

Appearances

141

158

Minutes

10,089

11,213

Goals

29

62

Assists

17

28

Shots per 90

1.47

1.97

Shots on target %

42%

44.7%

Goals – xG

+3.9

+0.1

Big chances missed

16

60

Take-on success %

39%

37.8%

As the table outlines, Balikwisha and Maeda are stylistically very similar players, with both men comfortable operating off the left flank, or in a centre-forward berth.

The Japanese international does boast the better end product, scoring more goals, providing more assists and mustering more shots, but their similarities are most obvious when it comes to dribbling, the Belgian having the slight edge in that regard.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout supports this by praising the Antwerp attacker’s “pace and dribbling” ability.

Meantime, Balikwisha is the more clinical finisher, hence why his goals – xG figure is better, while missing exponentially fewer Opta-defined big chances during the timeframe analysed.

Blair Meikle of the Herald documents how Maeda was Celtic’s most influential player last season, constantly delivering in big moments, but he cannot shoulder the attacking burden by himself, so Balikwisha would surely be an excellent addition, with a huge, season-defining Champions League play-off tie now less than four weeks away.

Better than Balikwisha: Celtic pursuing deal for "underrated" £5m star

Celtic could have identified a perfect alternative to Michel Ange Balikwisha…

ByRobbie Walls Jul 23, 2025

Adam Rossington gives Essex chase a chance but hosts fall short

ECB Reporters Network14-Jul-2024

Will Jacks cracked 86 from 46 balls•Getty Images

Will Jacks hammered five sixes in a scintillating 86 to consolidate Surrey’s place at the head of the Vitality Blast South Group and guarantee a home match in the quarter-finals.Jacks hit five sixes in his 46-ball knock and put on 63 in five overs in a stand with Jordan Clark that constituted a record for the sixth wicket against Essex. That rescued Surrey after they suffered a mid-innings collapse before the reset that helped them post 189 for 9 and eventually prevail by 13 runs.Surrey had struggled against the Essex spin pair of Matt Critchley, who took 2 for 22, and Simon Harmer, whose 3 for 44 was a season’s best. Paul Walter chipped in with two late wickets to finish with 2 for 26 to take his tally to 15.Adam Rossington tried manfully to take Essex to a third win in four days, and qualification for the knockout stages, but he fell for a 49-ball 78 with five sixes and with it went home hopes. Essex now need at least a point from Friday’s final match at Hampshire to reach the quarter-finals.Chasing 190 to win, Essex lost Dean Elgar in the third over as he slapped Clark to cover point, but that was before Rossington and Michael Pepper got moving. Sam Curran was lofted for sixes by both batsmen in one over to square leg as they put on fifty inside five overs.When he reached 12, Pepper, a centurion at Hove 24 hours earlier, passed 500 runs in this season’s Blast. But he had added just 15 more when he skied Cameron Steel to short extra cover. Steel struck again five balls later when he bowled Charlie Allison with one that kept low.Steel had piled pressure on Essex by conceding just seven runs in his first two overs before Rossington smashed him for six over long-on shortly after he reached a 33-ball fifty.Clark got lucky with a full-toss that Walter hit vertically into orbit, giving Rory Burns time to run round and take the catch in front of the stumps. And Critchley followed quickly when he lifted Chris Jordan to deep midwicket.However, with Jordan and Curran both conceding single-figure overs, the required run-rate rose towards 15 with 47 runs needed from the last three overs. And that became an impossible target when Rossington fell to the third ball of the 18th over, flailing Curran to the mid-off boundary.Surrey, put in on a used wicket, moved along serenely initially, reaching the end of the powerplay at 62 for the loss of Dom Sibley, lbw to Shane Snater to one that kept low. However, the stuffing was knocked out of their stride when Critchley and Harmer shared three wickets in eight balls and stemmed the mid-innings runs.Laurie Evans was first to go, bowled by one that turned appreciably from Critchley before Harmer accounted for Burns and Curran in consecutive balls. Burns was beaten by on the outside of his bat to dislodge his stumps and Curran misjudged his first ball and was lbw.Jamie Overton was typically belligerent, hitting a six off Luc Benkenstein over midwicket and smashing another past the bowler for four. But he then picked out Eathan Bosch on the long-off boundary to give Critchley a second wicket.All the time Jacks was quietly accumulating. He had already swept Harmer for a huge six, launched Snater for another, and reached his half-century from 28 balls with a straight maximum off the Essex captain.Jacks hammered Harmer for two more sixes off successive balls but departed to the next ball trying for a third, caught on the boundary at cow corner. But his sixth-wicket stand with Clark got Surrey back on track.Jacks’s departure signalled another clatter of wickets as Clark, Jordan and Tom Lawes all fell to catches in the deep.

They might not have won the Premier League, but the Tottenham Hotspur team of the mid to late 2010s was stacked with seriously entertaining players.

Whether it was Harry Kane and Son Heung-min scoring for fun or Christian Eriksen playing sensational pinpoint, accurate passes from the middle of the park, fans were guaranteed a good time when watching the North Londoners.

Yet, there was another starter of that time who was perhaps the best to watch out of the entire team, someone capable of starting an unreal move or thundering the ball into the back of the net himself: Dele Alli.

The midfield maestro was a superb footballer, and if recent reports are to be believed, the club could be about to pull off a transfer reminiscent of his all those years ago and land Thomas Frank his own Dele.

Tottenham looking to sign new midfielder

Spurs have been linked with plenty of midfield talents in recent weeks, most notably Adam Wharton and Quinten Timber.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former would be a brilliant signing for the club to make, as the young Englishman has more than established himself as a Premier League quality player, but with a reported price tag of up to £60m, he might just be out of reach.

Timber, on the other hand, could be a far smarter acquisition at a reported price of just £25m and with a tally of seven goal involvements in 26 games this season.

However, neither the players nor their potential moves could really be compared to Dele, unlike Hayden Hackney.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Spurs are now interested in the Middlesbrough gem.

The report claims that the North Londoners have entered the race to sign the young talent alongside Manchester United, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

Fortunately, while the competition will be a significant hurdle for the Lilywhites to contend with, the potential price tag shouldn’t be, with the story claiming the gem in question could be available for just £20m.

It would be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Hackney’s ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Frank’s own Dele.

Why Hackney could be the new Dele

So, we know it’s a fairly bold opinion to suggest that Hackney, who might still be a relative unknown to many fans in the top flight, could be a Dele-esque signing for Spurs and Frank, but there are a few reasons why we think this.

The first is that, even though the former Tottenham star was more of an attacking midfielder than the Boro ace is, the latter is somewhat versatile in the roles he can play, something the former was known for during his time in the capital.

For example, while the Redcar-born gem is at his best at the base of midfield, he is more than capable of playing a more central role, has ventured further up the pitch into attacking midfield, and has even made a few appearances out wide.

Defensive Midfield

113

9

13

Central Midfield

54

6

4

Attacking Midfield

17

3

4

Left Midfield

10

1

2

Right Midfield

3

0

1

The second similarity is in relation to their transfers or potential in the 22-year-old’s case.

When he joined the Lilywhites, the former England international did so from an EFL club, moving from MK Dons for a significant, but not outrageous fee of £5m, and should this deal go through, the 5 foot 10 dynamo would also be moving from an EFL club for a fee that, in today’s game, certainly isn’t too dear.

Finally, and this is an important one, there is an expectation from many that the “immense” gem, as dubbed by manager Michael Carrick, could develop into a truly exceptional player.

For example, respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “special player” and someone who should be a “high priority” signing; Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder called him a “super” talent, while another analyst proclaimed him a “progression monster.”

Ultimately, while he might not be a name everyone is familiar with, Spurs should do what they can to sign Hackney this summer, as with his potential, he could be Frank’s own Dele.

Dream Romero replacement: Spurs ready to launch bid to sign £70m "beast"

The impressive Premier League ace would be an excellent signing for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 12, 2025