Liverpool were told to trust in Arne Slot by Jurgen Klopp at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, and the Reds rode the crest of that wave of faith right through to the league title.

They won it confidently. They won it emphatically. Manchester City and Arsenal and the rest were dispatched by an outfit who, quite simply, were better than everyone else.

Now Liverpool have taken things to the next level, pulling in fresh faces from every which way in the summer transfer window to reinforce Slot’s squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Reds will have their sights set on a successful Premier League title defence, but they will also be hungry to win the Champions League, and the FA Cup and Carabao Cup too.

Pre-season performances should be taken with a pinch of salt, but Florian Wirtz’s start to life as a Liverpool player has certainly fuelled hopes that these lofty goals are within reach.

Florian Wirtz's pre-season show-stopper

Wirtz signed for Liverpool in June for a £100m fixed fee. Potential add-ons could take that to £116m, which would make the 22-year-old the most expensive footballer in British history.

His illustrious career beginnings with Bayer Leverkusen have led him this far, though many rivals will wait to see how he fares amid new surroundings. But then Wirtz’s talent is off the scales, and he’s undoubtedly got the physical profile to match within the English game.

Across pre-season so far, the Germany international has shone, bagging a brace of assists against Stoke City back in England before jetting over to Asia, featuring against AC Milan and then picking up the Man of the Match award against Japanese side Yokohama FM.

He’s the real deal, all right, and Liverpool must know they have hit the jackpot. Wirtz is the cream of the crop of arrivals, but he may yet be trumped by another.

Liverpool lining up new striker

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now putting a British-record package together for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, just waiting for the perfect moment to show their hand.

Isak, 25, has informed the Magpies that he wishes to pursue a move to Merseyside, having refused to go on their pre-season tour and instead using his former club Real Sociedad’s facilities.

One of the best strikers in the world, Isak would cost a staggering sum, with Newcastle expected to demand £150m for their talisman.

Why Liverpool want Alexander Isak

If Liverpool were to sign Isak, they would partner Wirtz with a truly special star. The German playmaker has already been called “the best midfielder in the world” by former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, and Isak is regarded by many – including pundit Alan Shearer – to be a “world-class” forward.

Building this new-look team is a staggering display of FSG’s intent, but the profiles of Wirtz and Isak could evoke a sense of nostalgia, potentially handing Slot his own version of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

Torres’s game was built on pace and power, and this aligned perfectly with the robust creativity of Gerrard, who marshalled his midfield while playmaking for his Spanish frontman. The results were incredible.

Arguably at his career-finest when playing for the Anfield side, El Nino notched 101 goal contributions from 142 appearances as a Liverpool striker.

The legend who is Gerrard helped him reach that pinnacle, instrumental as he widened the scope of the Spaniard’s potential.

And Torres knew it. When the Scouser hung up his boots way back when, the forward said this: “I always say the best player I played with is Steven Gerrard. I found he was the player who completed my game. I think my level got into a different dimension when I was on the pitch with him.”

Fabrizio Romano has praised Isak for being a “machine” in front of goal, but he’s also elegant, athletic and creative in his attacking play. In this manner, he’s a bit like Torres.

As per FBref, the Sweden international ranked among the top 16% of strikers across Europe last season for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

Truly, he’s the all-encompassing number nine. Torres was too. And with Wirtz pinging balls through to him, using his seamless movement to shift from left to right, left to right, there’s no telling how dangerous Slot’s Liverpool could be over the coming years.

Moreover, there’s a certain semblance between Isak at Newcastle and Torres in his Liverpool heyday, the strikers comparable in their rate of scoring and supplying for teammates.

Games

109

142

Goals

62

81

Goal rate

0.57

0.57

Assists

11

19

Assist rate

0.10

0.13

G/A rate

0.67

0.70

If the duo manage to bag themselves a partnership at Slot’s Liverpool next season, fans may well be treated to some incredible new football, but also a sense of the past, keeping the spirit of the club alive as they chase down more honours.

Whether Liverpool succeed in prising Isak away from Newcastle this summer is still open to the court, but the Merseysiders know that the £120k-per-week talent wants to join them, and they know that they have a world-class playmaker in Wirtz who could create a sensational new duo.

It’s bad news for Rio: Liverpool discuss move for "electric" £43m Diaz heir

Liverpool will now get ready to sign a winger after Luis Diaz signed for Bayern Munich.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 31, 2025

Impressive innings from imports Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu and savvy bowling from Hannah Darlington have helped Sydney Thunder avenge an early season WBBL loss to Hobart Hurricanes.Three days after Hurricanes won by 31 runs in Hobart, Thunder scored a 33-run victory in a match reduced to 17 overs a side after rain delayed the start at North Sydney Oval by 30 minutes on Thursday.Related

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Athapaththu (38 off 29) and Knight (48 off 28) helped the Thunder amass 146 for 5. Hurricanes smashed 18 off their first seven balls, but lost 5 for 13 in the last few overs.Darlington claimed the big wickets of Lizelle Lee and Heather Graham and Athapaththu completed a good all-round effort by taking 1 for 11 off three overs of tidy spin, dismissing England star Danni Wyatt-Hodge.England captain Knight, who missed the first game between the two teams, played some handsome shots and added momentum in the second half of the innings.She struck 14 off the last three balls of the one power surge over bowled by Molly Strano, lofting the first over long off and adding two fours in the same area. “It was really nice when you start a competition to hit the ground running and I thought ‘Atta’ was brilliant as well,” Knight told . “We managed to get in a bit of a partnership there and it set up things at the end.”Athapaththu, who was out for a first-ball duck on Sunday, was dropped at deep midwicket on 5. Her innings included sixes over deep midwicket and long off before she fell to a remarkable one-handed low diving return catch by Strano off a fierce drive.”I didn’t have much time to think about it, it was a tracer bullet, so pretty happy it just stuck,” Strano said.In reply, Lee clubbed boundaries off the first two balls of Hurricanes’ chase and three in the over then Wyatt-Hodge belted a six over backward point off the first ball of the second over.Thunder struck back with Athapaththu having Wyatt-Hodge caught at backward point. Nicola Carey, who scored a 50 in last weekend’s game, then chopped a delivery from Shabnim Ismail onto her stumps, a ball after the South African quick struck her on the helmet.Lee couldn’t maintain her early impetus and was adjudged lbw the first ball after the mid-innings break, though if she had used DRS, she would have been reprieved.A brisk fourth-wicket stand of 43 between Graham and Elyse Villani gave Hurricanes hope before they were dismissed in successive overs to trigger a decisive collapse.

Leeds United have welcomed Sean Longstaff to Elland Road as their latest arrival of the summer transfer window, after they officially announced a deal for the midfielder on Friday night.

Fabrizio Romano reported that the Whites have paid a fee in excess of £12m to Newcastle United to bring the experienced midfield star to West Yorkshire ahead of next season.

The Magpies academy graduate may not be the only central midfielder to come through Thorp Arch this summer, though, as Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach has also been linked with a move to the club.

Leeds have reportedly held talks with the Bundesliga club and agreed personal terms with the players, but they are yet to agree a fee for his services.

Leeds enquired about LaLiga star

Whilst they appear to be heavily pursuing a deal for Stach, the Championship champions also have other options on their shortlist of targets to bolster their options in midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

According to The Athletic, Leeds United made contact with Getafe over a potential deal for versatile star Christantus Uche several weeks ago this summer.

The report claims that the Whites enquired about his situation and did not opt to make an official offer for his services, although it remains to be seen if they are planning to submit a bid for him later in the window.

It adds that the 22-year-old talent has a release clause of around £22m (£21.6m) in his contract with the Spanish side, which means that Leeds could trigger that to land him.

The Athletic also reveals that the Nigeria international, who made his debut for his country in May, is open to the idea of joining a Premier League club.

Leeds could find their own Joelinton

Daniel Farke could unearth his own version of Joelinton by signing Uche and moulding him into a midfield destroyer to bolster his team ahead of next season.

The Brazil international joined Newcastle United as a striker for a reported fee of £40m from Hoffenheim in 2019 under Steve Bruce, before Eddie Howe spotted his potential to be a central midfielder.

Since making the transition, Joelinton has emerged as one of the Premier League’s top midfield destroyers, making 2.8 tackles and interceptions and winning 5.7 duels per game in the division last term.

Uche has started more games as a striker (18) in his career than any other position, but has also started 15 times as a defensive midfielder in the past, and U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed that he could be turned into a “midfield monster”.

24/25 LaLiga	Chrisantus Uche per 90	Percentile rank vs forwards
Tackles won	0.76	Top 11%
Duels won	8.13	Top 13%
Aerial duels won	3.31	Top 28%
Interceptions	0.36	Top 25%
Ball recoveries	3.96	Top 8%
Possession won in the final third	0.90	Top 11%
Fouls committed	1.98	Top 29%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old star thrived out of possession in LaLiga for Getafe last season, ranking highly among forwards in a host of defensive metrics, notably winning duels and recovering the ball off the opposition to regain possession for his side.

Meanwhile, the Leeds target only scored four goals in 33 appearances, along with six assists, which does not suggest that his future lies as a prolific centre-forward option, just like when Joelinton scored two goals in 38 Premier League games in his first season at Newcastle as a striker.

Therefore, Farke could be the coach to help Uche follow in Joelinton’s footsteps by transitioning from a low-scoring, defensively savvy, centre-forward into a ‘midfield monster’, as Antonio Mango put it.

The Getafe attacker has played in midfield before, as aforementioned, and has the strong physical and defensive attributes to suit playing as an enforcer in front of the back four, which is why this is a move that could be a very interesting one for Leeds to make.

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By
Dan Emery

Jul 15, 2025

It may now be down to Leeds to decide whether they want to go through with a swoop for Stach or if they want to activate Uche’s release clause, so there could be an intriguing few weeks to follow.

Neymar’s wife Bruna Biancardi has explained the “horrible” reason she wore a facemask when attending an NFL fixture in Sao Paulo.

• American football fixture in Brazil
• Neymar & partner enjoyed VIP suite
• Watched Kelce & Mahomes in action

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With competitive American football action heading to Brazil, Santos superstar Neymar made a point of ensuring that he was in attendance. His partner also made the most of an opportunity to watch Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes in action.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Kansas City Chiefs, who often have Taylor Swift in their corner, lined up against the Los Angeles Chargers – in a contest that saw visitors from California prevail. Neymar and his party enjoyed their night, with there plenty of smiles on show in their VIP suite.

• THE GOSSIP

  Biancardi did, however, take to covering her face up at times. She has now revealed why, with an unfortunate spot leading to a bacterial infection and uncomfortable swelling on her lip.

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• WHAT BIANCARDI SAID

  Biancardi stated on social media: “It all started with a simple pimple that I wanted to squeeze. It got infected, swelled up a lot, and turned into facial cellulitis.” The 31-year-old model went on to say after sharing some images of her swollen face: “The photos are horrible, sorry! But it's to warn you never to squeeze a pimple again.”

تحدث محمد يوسف، المدير الرياضي للنادي الأهلي، عن ملف المدرب الجديد للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة الحمراء.

وقال يوسف، عبر قناة أون سبورت: “الوضع الحقيقي يوجد مدربين يصلون لأرقام كبيرة 4 ملايين دولار، نتحدث على 200 مليون جنيه مصري، نتحدث في مبلغ قوي جدًا، لذلك أقول الملف ليس سهلا”.

وتابع: “نحاول أن نعمل توازن بين أن نتعاقد مع مدرب لديه شخصية ومرونة تكتيكية ويعمل بكذا طريقة ويكون سنه مناسب ويمتلك خبرات”.

طالع.. أول تحرك من الأعلى للإعلام بشأن شكوى محمود الخطيب ضد مدحت شلبي

وواصل: “بخصوص الاحتياجات الفنية للفريق في يناير، كمدير رياضي عيني على الفريق بشكل قوي، ونحضر ومعي أسامة هلال، هو رجل مميز جدًا، وغير صحيح أن هناك خلافا بيننا، يوجد تعاون تام ونعمل في منظومة محترمة اسمها النادي الأهلي”.

واستمر: “الناس المتواجدة في لجنة التخطيط كلنا أولاد النادي ونعرف النظام ونضع مصلحة الأهلي فوق أي شيء”.

وأضاف: “بخصوص موقف زيزو من مباراة الزمالك، فإن التدخلات الطبية والأشياء الدقيقة جدًا مع طبيب الفريق أحمد جاب الله، ويعرف التطور لكل حالة لديه، أطمئن جماهير الأهلي أن الفريق سيكون في تحسن إن شاء الله”.

واستطرد: “لا توجد فكرة أننا نضيف عنصرا أجنبيا في الجهاز الطبي، الجهاز الطبي متلقي للإصابات، ممكن تكون أحمال عالية أو إجهاد من المباريات، في فترة التوقف الدولي كل اللاعبين الدوليين شاركوا في المباريات مع منتخبات بلدهم”.

وأضاف: “الجهاز الطبي لدينا مميز ويعمل بشكل مميز جدًا، كلنا وراء الجهاز الطبي”.

واسترسل: “تلقيت عرضًا من الاتحاد، وأشكر أحمد محمد سلامة، نادي الاتحاد كبير وجماهيري، ولكن في الوقت الحالي لا يمكنني التخلي عن النادي في هذا التوقيت، ويوجد ملفات كثيرة مفتوحة، لا أقدر أن أتحرك حاليًا من النادي، لا أعرف المستقبل وما الذي سيحدث فيه، تغيرات الكرة سريعة”.

وأكمل: “ملف الكرة وفريق الكرة منفصل عن انتخابات النادي الأهلي، هدفنا في الملعب وعملنا في الملعب، فريق الكرة مفصول تمامًا، حتى قطاع الناشئين طلبت منهم عدم تشتيتهم في أي شيء وعملكم يكون في الملعب”.

وأنم: “اقول لجمهور الأهلي، الأهلي يمرض ولا يموت، الأهلي قوي وعندما يحدث هبوط نعود أقوى من الأول، أعدهم هذا الموسم سيكون موسم بطولات”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have overtaken AC Milan in the race for a “marauding” £13m defender, and they are now leading the race for his signature, according to a report.

Matheus Cunha was a divisive figure during his time at Molineux, but nobody can deny the Brazilian has bags of ability, amassing 21 goal contributions in 33 outings to help lead Wolves to Premier League safety last season.

As a result, Vitor Pereira may find it tricky to replace the 26-year-old, but the manager should have ample funds to bring in another forward, having raised £62.5m from selling Cunha to Manchester United, and the Old Gold are now closing in on a new signing.

Jhon Arias is not the only player on the shortlist, however, and there have been suggestions that Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is viewed as more of a direct replacement for Cunha, with the 22-year-old set to be available for just £10m.

Bringing in a new forward is an important task on Pereira’s to-do list, but the manager also needs to bring a new right-back, given that Nelson Semedo’s time at Molienux appears to be coming to an end, having failed to agree a new contract.

There has now been a new update on Wolves’ pursuit of Almeria right-back Marc Pubill, with a report from Spain revealing they have overtaken AC Milan in the race for the defender’s signature, meaning Pereira’s side are leading the race.

The Old Gold have been pushing hard to secure a deal for Pubill, and a deal for the Almeria ace would not break the bank, with the Spanish club thought to be holding out for a fee of €15m (£13m).

"Marauding" Pubill could be exciting addition for Wolves

Semedo has been a dependable option for Wolves across a number of Premier League seasons, making over 30 appearances in four of his last five campaigns, but the Portuguese defender is seemingly seeking pastures new.

As such, it would make sense to bring in a like-for-like replacement for the full-back, who picked up four league assists last season, and Pubill is also capable of pushing further up the pitch, with scout Ben Mattinson describing him as “marauding”.

Not only that, but Mattinson also believes the 22-year-old was one of the two best right-backs at the recent U21 Euros, alongside Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento, indicating that he has a lot of potential.

The Spaniard could be a solid long-term replacement for Semedo, but Wolves will also be hoping their former captain has a change of heart and opts to stay at Molineux, having been a dependable option for a number of years.

Unless Bangladesh start to put together top-order partnerships, they will continue to suffer like they did in Chattogram against South Africa, according to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. The home side sunk to an innings-and-273-run defeat, bowled out twice in a total of 89 overs. Bangladesh’s match aggregate of 302 runs is the lowest by any team at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, reputed to be the best batting pitch in the country.It played true to that reputation when South Africa posted 575 for 6 over the first two days, before Bangladesh imploded with the bat. They lost 14 wickets on the third day, ending the match bowled out for 159 and then 143 following on. Mominul Haque, who made 82 in the first innings, was out twice in one session.Related

• 'Worth the hours, worth the sacrifice' – SA savour subcontinent high after a decade's wait

• Shanto wants to step down as Bangladesh captain after SA Tests

• Cricket and chaos – Bangladesh are used to it, but Shanto wants out

• Spinners, Rabada's complete performances hand South Africa their biggest innings win

South Africa wrapped up a 2-0 series win, having won the first Test in Dhaka by seven wickets. Bangladesh had struggled there too, bowled out for 106 on day one.”We have been batting like this for a long time,” Shanto said. “If you don’t get top-order partnerships, the rest of the batters will find it difficult in red-ball cricket. I don’t know how our top-order batters prepare or think, but if it goes on like this, this will be the result. This was a good wicket. Even in Mirpur, the type of wicket it was, we shouldn’t have got out so quickly. Overall, we didn’t bat well in these two Tests.”While there have been individual efforts in recent Tests such as Mominul’s 82 out of Bangladesh’s first-innings total of 159, or even his century in Kanpur, these have tended not to come with sufficient top-order support. The lower order, instead, has been the source of resolute partnerships such as the 138-run seventh-wicket stand between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Jaker Ali in the second innings in Dhaka or the 103-run ninth-wicket stand between Mominul and Taijul Islam after Bangladesh slipped to 48 for 8 in Chattogram. There was also the famous recovery from 26 for 6, courtesy Litton Das and Mehidy, that enabled Bangladesh to win the second Test in Rawalpindi two months ago, but Shanto felt these lower-order stands were only papering over the top-order cracks.”We are making runs individually,” he said. “Mominul made a century, but we couldn’t support him in Kanpur. Shadman [Islam] made 90-odd [in the first Test in Pakistan] but there was no support [from the top-order batters] at the other end. The top order can only help the team with big partnerships. We talk about winning after being 26 for 6 in Pakistan but our top order didn’t bat well. Top-order runs will ensure consistent performance from the team.”‘The worst thing is, I am getting out between 20 and 40. It is not good for the team’•Getty Images

Shanto conceded that his own lack of runs was also contributing to the top order’s collapses. He made 9 and 36 in Chattogram, as Kagiso Rabada first dismissed him with a brilliant delivery in the first innings, before he inside-edged one to Tony de Zorzi at leg slip off the left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. Shanto has scored just a single fifty in his last 17 Test innings, 15 of which have come his appointment as full-time all-format captain in February.”I have an important role as a top-order batter. I am supposed to score runs,” Shanto said. “It is not happening, and the worst thing is, I am getting out between 20 and 40. It is not good for the team. I have to concentrate more in my batting.”Shanto however said that he continues to enjoy the Bangladesh captaincy and that it hasn’t affected his batting, although he has informed BCB president Faruque Ahmed that he doesn’t want to continue as captain. “After I speak to the president, either of us can give a clear message,” he said. “I have always said that I enjoy captaincy on the field. I never felt that I am the captain when I am batting. I didn’t think I have to do all of it on my own. I am only focused on the ball.”Shanto suggested that the team tends to suffer whenever there are distractions around it such as the discussions around his captaincy. There have been regular off-field issues since the Pakistan tour. Less than a week before this Test series against South Africa, the BCB sacked head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, while Shakib Al Hasan couldn’t fulfill his wish of playing a farewell Test in Dhaka after the government told him it couldn’t guarantee his safety due to the protests around the Shere Bangla National Stadium.”[Distractions] might have contributed, but it doesn’t mean we will play this poorly,” Shanto said. “Bowled out for 100 or 150 runs. Players have to adjust with these things, even though it is difficult. Still, it shouldn’t be this bad. We have to improve our skills and change our thinking. We have to find out specifically exactly what is happening.”

Chelsea are reportedly closing in on their next signing of the summer for Enzo Maresca, and BlueCo are simply ironing out the final details, claims one reporter this week.

The west Londoners, following their recent confirmation of a deal for left-back Jorrel Hato, have taken their transfer spending this window to around £277 million (including their pre-agreed summer arrivals).

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Amid pressure from UEFA to balance out their squad through player sales, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are on track to secure just as many outgoings as incomings, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Armando Broja, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Lesley Ugochukwu all leaving Stamford Bridge permanently thus far.

Carney Chukwuemeka is expected to re-join Borussia Dortmund too, and many more could still follow the Englishman.

This will allow Chelsea to make room for a few more key additions before the transfer deadline on September 1, with two players believed to be high on the Blues’ agenda.

Maresca’s side are in pursuit wantaway Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and talks are being held over a move for the Argentine, according to Sky Sports, with Chelsea looking to add another left-winger after Jamie Gittens.

In a big boost, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Garnacho has given his “total priority” to joining Chelsea, so the 21-year-old is very keen on a move to west London and personal terms may not be an issue.

As well as the Premier League forward, Chelsea are actively targeting RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons.

The attacker only made his move to Leipzig permanent in the winter after one and a half years there on loan, but the Dutchman is seeking a fresh challenge and has informed the Bundesliga side of his desire to join Maresca.

Now, journalist Orazio Accomando claims to have a big update.

Chelsea reach "total agreement" for Xavi Simons

Taking to X, Accomando reports that Chelsea have reached a “total agreement” for Simons, with the deal now “concluded”.

The 22-year-old, who’s racked up 21 goals and 23 assists in all competitions for Leipzig since the start of 2023/2024, is their current highest-paid player ever on a contract of around £192,000-per-week.

Interestingly, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard recently alluded to rumours he’s heard about Simons’ questionable attitude, but emphasised the ex-PSG starlet’s real quality.

“He scores goals, he makes goals, he’s always trying to affect the game,” said Hatchard on talkSPORT.

“He’s a real puzzle, Xavi, because I like watching him play. I like what he brings to a game. He’s got really silky skills,” said Hatchard.

“The debate in Germany has been: Is he a team player? Does he have attitude problems? All of that.

“Now, that might be paper talk. That might be just media noise, and it just isn’t true, because there are some coaches that speak up for him. But there are also coaches that have alluded to, he could be more of a team player, his attitude could be different, etc.”

General manager Trent Copeland said it “feels right” that the 21-year-old should lead the side

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2024The future of Australian leadership will have a chance to shine in this season’s WBBL with Phoebe Litchfield named Sydney Thunder captain and Annabel Sutherland taking over permanently from Meg Lanning at Melbourne Stars.At 21, Litchfield will be youngest full-time captain in WBBL history as she continues her rapid progression. She has been appointed ahead of England captain Heather Knight who led the side last season but enters the WBBL on the back of the injury she sustained at the T20 World Cup and will also miss the latter stages of this year’s competition due to a tour of South Africa.Related

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“It’s a huge honour to be named captain of Sydney Thunder,” Litchfield said. “I’ve grown up playing for this club and learning from some incredible leaders, so to now have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of players is really exciting.”We’ve got a great mix of experience and young raw talent, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of captaining the side this season.”Sutherland, meanwhile, led Stars in three games last season when Lanning wasn’t available.”Annabel has proven herself as a standout performer at both domestic and international level and has worked extremely hard on and developed her leadership skills, particularly over the last couple of years,” Stars general manager Blair Crouch said. “Despite still being so young, Annabel is vastly experienced and her reputation within the game is second to none.”I’d also like to pay tribute to Meg Lanning’s captaincy during her time at the club and what an amazing resource and support for Annabel to still have, both on and off the field.”Litchfield made her Thunder debut aged 16 and has scored 1212 runs in 67 matches at an average of 24.24. Last season saw a notable increase in her strike-rate as she made 309 runs at 130.37.”Phoebe becoming captain of Thunder just feels right,” Thunder general manager Trent Copeland said. “She’s young, but her experience in the game makes this a natural progression. Phoebe has always been mature beyond her years, and her leadership qualities have been evident from the moment she joined Thunder.”We’ve seen Phoebe thrive under pressure, whether it’s for Australia in the World Cup or in key moments for Thunder. She’s a great leader, both by character and by example, and we are excited to see her step into this role.”Alongside Knight, Litchfield will be able to call on the experience of Chamari Athapaththu, Hannah Darlington (who led Thunder as a stand-in captain aged 19), Shabnim Ismail and Sammy-Jo Johnson alongside coach Lisa Keightley.Thunder, who reached the Eliminator final last season where they were beaten by Brisbane Heat, will begin their tournament against Hobart Hurricanes on October 28. Stars begin against Perth Scorchers at the WACA as the third game on the opening day on October 27.

Sajid and Noman shared 19 out of 20 wickets to leave their batters chasing a target of only 36

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Oct-2024

Sajid Khan and Noman Ali lead Pakistan from the field after sharing all ten wickets•Getty Images

Pakistan 344 (Shakeel 134, Sajid 48*, Noman 45, Rehan 4-66, Bashir 3-129) and 37 for 1 (Masood 23*) beat England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128, Noman 3-88) and 112 (Root 33, Noman 6-42, Sajid 4-69) by nine wicketsThe wait is finally over. For the first time since 2021, Pakistan have won a Test series at home, coming back from 1-0 down to confirm a 2-1 success over England.A comprehensive nine-wicket win on day three of the third and decisive Test in Rawalpindi arrived before lunch, achieved with so little fuss that England’s victory by an innings in the opening match feels like it belongs in a different series altogether. It is only the second time Pakistan have come from behind in a series and the first time they have done so at home.Just as it was in the first innings, and indeed the victorious second Test at Multan, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan ran riot, bagging all 10 wickets as England were snuffed out for 112 in a listless second innings performance. It was Noman’s turn to pocket the match ball with 6 for 42, a sixth five-wicket haul, while Sajid’s 4 for 69 registered a second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career after 6 for 128 on the first day.That left a nominal chase of 36 on the table, which was still enough for beleaguered home skipper Shan Masood to indulge in a cathartic 23 from six deliveries. He clouted four successive fours against Jack Leach upon his arrival to the crease after Saim Ayub was trapped leg before, then sealed victory with a towering six off Shoaib Bashir.Prior to Masood walking off with Abdullah Shafique, Noman and Sajid had done so hand in hand, basking in the glory of instigating England’s day three collapse in which the final seven wickets fell for just 46, and the fact their introductions turned the series on its head. Since being drafted into the squad after the tourists took a 1-0 lead, they have managed 39 wickets between them – Noman’s left-arm spin taking 20 at 13.85, Sajid’s off breaks 19 from 21.01.And yet, things began serenely enough for England. They started Saturday 53 behind on 24 for 3, but in Root and Brook, they had two batters capable of chipping off that deficit, and then some.Related

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When Brook began the 13th over by striking Sajid for back-to-back fours – first through cover, then over mid off on the charge – the more pessimistic Pakistan fans might have been wondering if the Yorkshire pair were about to embark on another match-tilting partnership. After all, it was these two who combined for all of 454 in the first Test at Multan.However, that was before Sajid and Noman entered the series. And after the former adjusted his line to keep Brook honest, the latter followed up a slow delivery with one far quicker that was cut late into the gloves of Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan’s lead had been cut to 11, but the first domino had been toppled. Others duly followed.Stokes’ troubles against spin continued, inexplicably leading a straight delivery from Noman, expecting turn from over the wicket that never came. Jamie Smith’s charge to Sajid was almost as bad, bowled off stump through a wild swing that belied the sensibilities he had displayed with a load-bearing 89 in the first innings.It was only four balls after Smith’s dismissal that England went ahead, and what hopes they had of extending that in a meaningful way ended when Root was snared by a pearler from Noman with a lead of eight. Perfect dip onto a length to drag the right-hander forward from around the wicket, before just enough spin – it was a delivery the 38-year-old had served up a few times but only Root was good enough to nick. ASajid tagged in to lop off the tail, yorking Gus Atkinson before knocking back Rehan Ahmed’s leg stump for his second 10-wicket match haul. And he looked to have bagged a second five-for in the match when Shoaib Bashir was given out LBW on the sweep.A cursory DRS review came back in the No.11’s favour, with the impact onto the pad coming outside off stump. The reprieve only brought an extra two runs, as Noman caught Leach lacking on the charge, firing one wide of the advancing left-hander, stumped smartly by Rizwan.A lead of 35 was always going to be light work on a pitch that was far from demonic, but it was Masood’s introduction that ensured formalities were completed inside 3.1 overs. Ayub began the chase with a brace of fours at the end of the first over before Leach pinned him in front, confirmed via DRS after another erroneous call from umpire Sharfuddoula.But even his dismissal brought some icing to the cake, as Masood took the team charging over the line for his first series win as captain. After starting his tenure with six straight defeats before the second Test of this series, It was hard to begrudge him that honour.