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Allrounder reveals details of phone call with Brendon McCullum as he plots international recall

Matt Roller05-Feb-2025Player of the tournament in a World Cup win. More than 100 England caps across all formats. Back-to-back Hundred trophies, one as MVP. Million-dollar IPL contracts. A walk-on role in a County Championship three-peat. At 26, Sam Curran has already achieved more than most cricketers manage across their lifetime.Yet as he heads towards the peak years of most sporting careers, Curran is experiencing a lull: for the first time since he burst into international cricket nearly seven years ago, he finds himself outside of England’s squads in all three formats. There is little doubt that he will be back at some stage, but life on the fringes brings an uneasy novelty.Curran has kept his head down since he was left out of England’s white-ball squads for their tour to India and the subsequent Champions Trophy, with his focus on the ILT20 in the UAE. But he has decided the time is now right to address it, telling ESPNcricinfo from Dubai that he will be “banging the door” down until he is back in the international set-up.Related

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“There were loads of different reasons I didn’t get picked,” Curran says. “More so the T20s, but I naturally felt I should have been in both teams. But they’ve obviously got their plans and you can look at the way they’re lining up now… The 50-over side is going to be similar to the T20 line-up, and they wanted the same structure of the top six.”At the time of his omission, Curran spoke to Brendon McCullum – whom he is yet to play under – and valued the clarity he received. “He just said: ‘You’re not in right now, but go away, score runs and take wickets.’ I respected it a lot: sometimes you just get the easy: ‘It’s not the end.’ But it was pretty clear what they wanted me to do.”Yet there is a sense that McCullum might consider his style of bowling – left-arm swing rather than seam, and speeds closer to 80mph than 90mph – an awkward fit in his England teams. His first white-ball squads contained a battery of right-arm quicks, and he overlooked Curran last summer when Ben Stokes’ hamstring tear had seemed to open up a return to the Test side.It prompted Curran to reveal his fear that he no longer “fit the mould” that England were looking for – less through his personality than his physical attributes. With McCullum in charge across formats and making abundantly clear that his preference is for a level of convergence in selection, the route back is unlikely to be entirely straightforward.But England’s 4-1 defeat to India served to highlight the value of variety in any T20 side, however expensive Curran has proved in the past two years. It means that twelve months out from another T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the unlikely star of England’s 2022 triumph is confident that he can force his way into the side.Curran says England’s 2022 T20 World Cup win “feels quite a while ago”•AFP/Getty Images”Everyone knows things can change quickly,” Curran says. “I’m the type of guy that will go away and do well and improve. It was just a case of them going with the top six they want, and backing the five bowlers they’ve chosen. [McCullum] told me to keep banging the door down and I feel like I’ve come here and done pretty well. I’m in a good headspace.”Curran has taken the setback as well as could be hoped but the two years since England’s T20 World Cup win have not been without their challenges. He was dropped early in their disastrous defence of the 50-over World Cup and his form has oscillated between extremes – as is the case for most players whose calendars are dominated by T20.”It feels quite a while ago,” he reflects on England’s win in Australia. “There were some tough times for the team [after that]. It’s just been inconsistency, being in and out a lot of the time. That was the big message from above: go away and show consistency. I feel like hopefully I’ve done that, and will keep doing that.”

“I’m driven by winning trophies… If I can finish the tournament with loads of runs, a lot of wickets and winning a trophy, I feel that’s all I can really do”Sam Curran on playing in the ILT20

Curran is playing for Desert Vipers, Avram Glazer’s franchise, in the ILT20 and his performances helped them finish top of the group stages. He has taken six wickets with the ball but his main role has been with the bat: used in his preferred role at No. 4, he is their second-highest run-scorer and has walked off unbeaten in three successful run chases.Curran’s batting record in T20 internationals makes for ugly reading – an average of 14.24 and a strike rate of 124.47 – and it is increasingly clear that England have used him out of position. He has had no impact when used as a finisher but can control an innings from the middle order: his only T20 half-century for England came in his only innings at No. 4.If McCullum continues to favour high pace, consistent run-scoring may yet be the best way to get noticed. With England’s middle order struggling badly against spin, Curran’s status as a left-hander should play in his favour: he could feasibly be used as the one lower-tempo batter in a line-up of power-hitters, as Ben Stokes was during their 2022 success.Consolation came through the identity of the winning bidders: Chennai Super Kings, his old team. “I was buzzing,” Curran says, laughing off the significance of the price tag. “Chennai was where I kickstarted my IPL career. As soon as I was picked up, I had 10-15 messages from people who were there four years ago.”He will finally get to experience their home crowd this year, with his previous stints coinciding with Covid-enforced neutral venues. “I’ve played there as the away team, and you see the love for the players. It also helps when you have the habit of winning and great consistency with [Stephen] Fleming and those guys who have been there since the start.”A short break in the meantime will allow Curran a rare opportunity to take stock, and to keep his career in perspective. “Cricket – especially T20, let’s be honest – is very fickle,” he says. “You can get a good ball, or two bad ones, and it goes the other way: that’s what happens in T20. But for now, I’ve just got to keep banging the door down.”

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O Ceará anunciou, na noite da última quarta-feira (10), a saída do técnico Léo Condé. O rebaixamento para a Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro representou o fim da linha e, com isso, o clube voltará a buscar um novo treinador após mais de um ano.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCearáPresidente do Ceará explica rebaixamento: ‘Faltou equilíbrio’Ceará09/12/2025CearáAnálise: irregularidade causa um cruel rebaixamento para o CearáCeará10/12/2025CearáLéo Condé deixa o Ceará após rebaixamento no BrasileirãoCeará10/12/2025

➡️ Tudo sobre o Vovô agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Ceará

Condé chegou no Alvinegro em junho de 2024, tendo a missão de obter o acesso à Série A. O time engatou boa sequência sob seu comando e alcançou o feito na última rodada da competição. Assim, seu contrato foi renovado até o fim de 2025.

Com um título estadual e duas eliminações nas Copas, o grande objetivo do Ceará no ano era permanecer na Primeira Divisão. Após a derrota para o Palmeiras e o consequente rebaixamento, as partes chegaram em um acordo pela saída. Como o vínculo era válido até o encerramento desta temporada, não houve demissão.

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➡️ Quando começa a Série B de 2026? Veja participantes

A passagem de Léo Condé no Ceará durou 83 jogos. Foram 37 vitórias, 17 empates e 29 derrotas, com 103 gols marcados e 78 sofridos.

O clube já busca um novo técnico, que terá a missão de comandar o Vovô no Campeonato Cearense, na Copa do Nordeste, na Copa do Brasil e na Série B.

➡️ Ceará amarga rebaixamento e descumpre duas metas no ano

Ceará descumpre duas metas de 2025

Com o rebaixamento, o Ceará descumpriu a última meta esportiva que restava para a temporada 2025. Anteriormente, os objetivos foram alcançados em duas das outras três.

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Nas metas, anunciadas no fim do ano passado, a previsão era de título no Campeonato Cearense. Tal fato se concretizou, visto que a equipe superou o rival Fortaleza na decisão e ficou com o bicampeonato.

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A hot topic of conversation amongst Premier League fans is which stadium generates the best atmosphere.

Having a raucous home crowd can even help change the flow of a game, with an intimidating home support helping suck the ball into the net.

For visiting players, some grounds can be a nightmare to go to. However, there are other stadiums which are relatively quiet and less intimidating to visit.

Premier League Player Power Rankings 2025/26

So, for the 2025/26 Premier League season, here is every stadium ranked for atmosphere, taking into consideration noise levels and capacity.

Rank

Club

Stadium

1

Newcastle

St James’ Park

2

Liverpool

Anfield

3

Sunderland

Stadium of Light

4

Aston Villa

Villa Park

5

Leeds

Elland Road

6

Crystal Palace

Selhurst Park

7

Nottingham Forest

City Ground

8

Everton

Hill Dickinson Stadium

9

Arsenal

Emirates Stadium

10

Man Utd

Old Trafford

11

Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

12

Man City

Etihad Stadium

13

Chelsea

Stamford Bridge

14

Burnley

Turf Moor

15

Brentford

Gtech Community Stadium

16

Brighton

AMEX Stadium

17

West Ham

London Stadium

18

Wolves

Molineux

19

Fulham

Craven Cottage

20

Bournemouth

Vitality Stadium

20 Vitality Stadium Bournemouth

Starting off at the quieter stadiums in the division, AFC Bournemouth’s ground holds just over 11,000, something which hinders the atmosphere.

The Cherries have performed well on the south coast, however, a visiting player probably doesn’t fear a trip to the Vitality Stadium.

19 Craven Cottage Fulham

Next on the list is Fulham, with Craven Cottage previously having a mixed section for home and away supporters.

Now expanded to a capacity of just under 30,000, the Cottagers can create a good atmosphere, especially in a London derby, however, on the whole, it is one of the more relaxed stadiums to visit in the top flight.

18 Molineux Wolves

Wolves fans have not had much to shout about in recent years, and that has come across in the flat atmosphere at Molineux.

Regular defeats and flat performances have left home supporters with nothing to cheer or get behind, whereas it is arguably the worst viewpoint for away fans on the side of the pitch.

17 London Stadium West Ham

Even West Ham fans may even argue that the London Stadium should be further down this list after swapping the cauldron that was Upton Park for their current 62,500 stadium.

Built for the 2012 Olympics, it is evident that the ground was not made for football and that often comes across from the stands, with seats too far away to feel on top of the players.

16 AMEX Stadium Brighton

An impressive ground to visit, the AMEX Stadium has been home to Brighton & Hove Albion since 2011 and has been a Premier League stadium since 2017.

The Seagulls have had plenty of success and memorable moments at their home, which has created a solid atmosphere, especially behind the goal.

15 Gtech Community Stadium Brentford

Brentford moved into their new stadium in 2020 and have enjoyed plenty of success in the Premier League since.

However, the Gtech Community Stadium which holds more than 17,000 isn’t exactly a daunting place to go. A game under the lights can often generate the best atmosphere, though, as we saw in their 2-1 win over Liverpool.

14 Turf Moor Burnley

An old school traditional stadium, Turf Moor sees supporters close to the pitch with stands that rise steeply.

Holding just under 22,000 when at full capacity, the Clarets can generate a solid atmosphere but arguably cannot compete with some of their Premier League rivals and their grounds.

13 Stamford Bridge Chelsea

Chelsea’s atmosphere has been described as dull and lethargic and Joe Cole said in 2025 that it’s the “worst” he’s seen in all his years supporting, playing or visiting Stamford Bridge.

Despite this, the Blues often show in a big game that the noise can be generated, but they just don’t do it regularly enough.

12 Etihad Stadium Man City

Manchester City’s home support has been a running joke for a number of years now, however, the Etihad Stadium can generate an excellent atmosphere at times, especially for the big Premier League games.

The consistency isn’t there, though, with home supporters often leaving early despite seeing Pep Guardiola’s side run riot more often than not.

11 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham

Even though Tottenham have one of the newest stadiums in the division, which includes a South Stand capacity of 17,500, Spurs’ home support is often flat.

Performances and results haven’t been there in recent years, but the 62,850 stadium doesn’t produce the atmosphere it should.

He confirmed he will continue to play domestic and franchise cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2025Pakistan batter Asif Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket. Asif, 33, played 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is, mainly as a finisher in the middle order.An aggressive batter, his most renowned knock is likely the seven-ball 25 he scored in a tense win over Afghanistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup.”Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honour of my life and serving my country on the cricket field has been my proudest chapter,” he said in a social media post.Asif confirmed that he will continue to play domestic cricket and in franchise leagues around the world.Asif made his T20I debut against West Indies in April 2018 after helping Islamabad United win the PSL that year, hitting three successive sixes at a cruicial point in the chase in the final. Two months later, an ODI debut followed.In his heyday, though, Asif was viewed as something of a revolutionary for Pakistan cricket. At a time when they were short of genuine power hitters, Asif was fast-tracked into both white-ball sides. However, his own game was at times misunderstood by Pakistan’s selection and management team. Primarily a finisher, he often came in at number six in ODI cricket, much earlier than was conducive to his talents. In T20Is, he batted an average of just over seven balls an innings across his 58-match career, and finished over a quarter of his innings unbeaten: an indication he had come in too late and generally been underused.However, it is those brief cameos that provided produced the most enthralling moments Asif delivered. Against Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup in 2021, with Pakistan needing 24 off the final two overs, he smashed four sixes off Karim Janat’s 19th over to secure Pakistan’s progression to the semifinals. The following year at the Asia Cup, his 8-ball 16 spree secured Pakistan a win over India that took them through to the tournament’s final.But that was something of a last hurrah. A poor T20 World Cup followed, with Asif a peripheral figure even as Pakistan made their way to the final. Consistency was never a strength, but as his form deserted him, Pakistan began to produce a younger group of big hitters. His last appearance proper for the Pakistan side took place against India at the MCG that year, before making a smattering of appearances for a second-string Pakistan side in the 2023 Asian Games.”I retire with immense gratitude, and will continue to share my passion for the game by playing domestic and league cricket worldwide,” Asif said.

Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”

Josh Shaw joins Somerset

Josh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Gloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”

After leaking ten runs off the first two balls of the 20th over, Fareed roared back to close out the game successfully

Alagappan Muthu05-Sep-202515:43

Can Afghanistan make the final of the Asia Cup?

Afghanistan had the game sewn up. They were playing a second-string side with even their captain Rashid Khan among six players sitting out. But Asif Khan threatened to rip it wide open. A dead rubber had burst to life. Fareed Ahmad started the final over with 16 to defend and was bashed for 4 and 6 off the first two deliveries. An upset was looming and the left-arm quick felt it. Asif felt it, batting on 40 off 25. It never came to be.Fareed had three chances to influence the outcome and he came up with the perfect option each time to close out the match: 4, 6, 2, dot, dot, wicket. And so, UAE ended the tri-series winless but they came so very close. The emotions at the end were excruciating, particularly for Asif and the captain Muhammad Waseem. They’re going to make the Asia Cup very interesting.Eye-catching IbrahimIbrahim Zadran was captaining Afghanistan for the 10th time in his career. Four of those games were against UAE. It is easy to see why he was the stand-in. He was cool when the runs didn’t come – 5 off 9 – and resplendent when they did. He looks so technically correct that even the shots in anger carried a stamp of class.There was one moment when he looked totally out of place though. He was utterly deceived by left-arm spinner Haider Ali’s change of pace and trajectory – the flatter ball making the batter think he should play back when the length was fairly full. Ibrahim lost his stumps for 48 off 34. He might feel a lot better about his contributions in the pointy end of the chase, where soon after he went up to have an arm around Fareed, the bowler switched from bowling over the wicket to round the wicket and gave away no more runs.Sharafuddin Ashraf conceded 20 runs in four overs and took a wicket•Emirates Cricket Board

Afghanistan slow down, Janat ramps upIt was a slow pitch and it showed when Afghanistan lost three wickets in 3.1 overs after a 98-run opening partnership. Karim Janat was 10 off seven balls at the time. He hit the only boundary during this spell too – a six, which are sometimes easier to pull off in these conditions especially against a bowling attack that didn’t camp in the good length spot for long enough. Often, they were too full or too short and that allowed Janat and the rest of his team-mates down the order to get underneath the ball.So it didn’t matter that overs 13, 14 and 15 went for only 16 runs. The next three yielded 36. Afghanistan finished on a healthy 170 for 4. Haider (2 for 23) and Simranjeet Singh (1 for 24) were the pick of the bowlers. Left-arm quick Muhammad Rohid was desperately unlucky with both of UAE’s dropped catches coming off his bowling. Rahmanullah Gurbaz enjoyed his second life going from 14 off 16 to 40 off 38.UAE almost, but not quiteUAE took to the chase with gusto, scoring almost twice as many boundaries as Afghanistan did in the powerplay (7 vs 4). Waseem was enchanting, depositing Mujeeb Ur Rahman inside out over cover for six. He produced another lovely piece of innovation, upper-cutting the debutant Abdollah Ahmadzai over deep third as he stalks Rohit Sharma on top of the six-hitters’ table in T20Is and it was looking like UAE had the firepower to earn the consolation win that they desperately wanted.However, in trying the same shot, Waseem feathered an edge behind and the greenest member of a side that was saving most of its firepower for the final had punched through an opening. Afghanistan rallied to turn an equation that read 67 off 48 balls into a rather more troubling 43 off 18. Mujeeb and Noor Ahmad, bowling in tandem from the 14th to the 17th overs, were virtually unhittable. Then it was the debutant’s turn but Abdollah leaked 16 runs all to Asif and the UAE bench started to stir.Four more boundaries – one of them a dropped catch – across the last two overs kept the contest alive and created tension among the Afghanistan coaching staff but in the end, they just about squeezed through.

With six days before the MLB trade deadline, the New York Mets have landed on the board by trading for relief pitcher Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, SNY's Andy Martinio reported. ESPN's Jeff Passan confirmed the news.

Acquiring a relief pitcher was high on the list for the Mets' needs ahead of the deadline. Since the All-Star break, three of New York's relief pitchers—Max Kranick, Dedniel Nunez and Brandon Waddell—all landed on the injured list. Kranick and Waddell are on the 15-day IL, while Nunez is on the 60-day IL.

In order to hold on to their close NL East lead in the second half of the season, the Mets needed strong relief pitching. The Mets' 59–44 record puts them 0.5 games ahead of the Phillies as of Friday.

Soto has appeared in 45 games so far this season for the Orioles, posting a 3.96 ERA in that span. He's pitched 36.1 innings and struck out 44 batters. He's had 29 hits, 16 earned runs and two home runs hit on him.

The three teams contest a tri-series in Sharjah starting on Friday, in preparation for the grander Asia Cup next month

Danyal Rasool28-Aug-2025Pakistan and Afghanistan had initially planned a three-game T20I series to get some practice in ahead of the Asia Cup next month. That dry run has become even more faithful to conditions at the Asia Cup now that the series is being played in the UAE itself. The hosts, themselves a participant at the tournament, also join, making it a tri-nation series that in the past may just have looked like one group of an Asia Cup.Beyond its value as match practice for the Asia Cup, the significance of this tournament is limited, especially in the case of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The two sides are in different groups at that tournament, which takes place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and not Sharjah, where all games for the tri-series will be held.The mood music around Pakistan cricket at the moment is overwhelmingly negative, but they will go into this tri-series as favourites. They’re set to continue on the path of progressive, high-intent T20 batting that has characterised their approach over the last three T20I series under new white-ball coach Mike Hesson.Related

• Afghanistan pick 16 of 17 Asia Cup squad members for UAE tri-series

• Afghanistan bring back former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as fielding coach

• Junaid Siddique comes back as UAE ring in the changes for T20 tri-series

• Pakistan white-ball coach Hesson: Want players who are multi-skilled, not milestone obsessed

• 'Fearless without being careless' – Salman Agha lays down marker for Pakistan in T20Is

What Pakistan do about their bowling line-up, though, is more intriguing. Up till now under Hesson, Pakistan have – for better or worse – showcased a clear preference for allrounders over specialist bowlers in a bid to lengthen their batting line-up. It has meant anywhere between five to eight overs from non-specialists.That has worked for the most part in high-scoring contests where weaker opposition can essentially be batted out of the game; Pakistan won comfortably at home against Bangladesh, as well as two of the three games against West Indies in Florida. On slower, lower wickets where par scores range below 150, though, things have proven tricky, something Bangladesh exploited effectively in a 2-1 series defeat in July. With the surfaces in the UAE more likely to resemble those rather than anything seen at Gaddafi or Fort Lauderdale, how flexible Pakistan are with that strategy may go a long way to determining the kind of tournament they have.Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be key for Afghanistan•Associated PressAfghanistan appear particularly well-suited to exploiting this with a line-up whose batting explosiveness does not come at the expense of a quality bowling attack, particularly in the spin department. If the wickets offer slow-bowling assistance, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad are all well positioned to capitalise, with genuine allrounders, top-order attackers and fast bowlers spread throughout the squad.However, despite significant T20 pedigree and experience, there is a touch of the unknown about Afghanistan. They haven’t played a T20I all year, and even though their star players ply their trades in multiple leagues around the world, there is never a guarantee that translates to instant synchronisation within a national side. This tri-series serves as a useful lubricator to ensure all systems run smoothly at the Asia Cup, where they are in the harder of the two groups alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.For UAE, the series is the perfect preparation ahead of their biggest tournament of the year. They have played their fair share of T20 cricket this year, and shown they can compete with the bigger teams in the format, coming from behind to beat Bangladesh 2-1 in May. The multi-team Pearl of Africa series in Entebbe was perhaps less impressive despite a second-placed finish, soured by two losses to the home side Uganda.UAE will rely heavily on their captain Muhammad Waseem•SLCTheir captain and opener Muhammad Waseem is their talisman and the one clear standout player in the side; he’s the leading run-scorer this year as well as one of the more explosive batters with a strike rate in excess of 155. Lower down the order, Asif Khan betters that with a superior average as well as a strike rate of 162.50 this year. But lack of firepower elsewhere, particularly for fellow opener Muhammad Zohaib, means sustaining momentum through an innings is likely to be a challenge. Power-hitting wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, who was lured back from the UAE by Pakistan last year, would have been a handy addition.In slower conditions, left-arm orthodox spinner Haider Ali and wristspinner Zuhaib Zubair are the home side’s best hopes at strangling an opposition. Haider was instrumental in the series decider at this very ground against Bangladesh, figures of 4-1-7-3 keeping Bangladesh to a low enough target for batters like Asif to gun down. It was followed up by wickets in Entebbe; any path to victory must have Haider sustaining those performances.This tri-series is destined to be remembered only in the context of what happens at the Asia Cup, but Sharjah has found a way of embedding itself in cricketing lore and staying there. The next week may fan those flames a while longer.

In the last few years, there has been a debate raging at Manchester City as to who is the better striker, Sergio Aguero or Erling Haaland.

Well, it is not an easy question to answer, given how long the Argentine striker was successful at City.

In total, Aguero played 390 times for the East Mancunian outfit, and his record speaks volumes about how good he is. The 101-cap Argentina international bagged 260 goals in that time. You consider it ludicrous to go against him in this debate.

Yet, the numbers Haaland is putting up certainly make him better than Aguero in the eyes of many.

Why Haaland is Man City's greatest striker

This is a debate that, at this stage, doesn’t really have a right answer. However, with the trajectory that Haaland is on, it is hard to see him failing to overtake Aguero’s record as City’s all-time top goalscorer.

In just 161 appearances in the famous Sky Blue shirt, the 25-year-old already has 143 goals to his name, as well as 22 assists. He’s averaging a goal involvement in more than every game. That is why Jamie Carragher said Haaland is “the greatest goalscorer to ever play in English football.”

Indeed, his form this season has been astronomical. Already, he’s found the back of the net 19 times in just 15 games. Miraculously, he’s not added to the 11 hat-tricks he has for the club, but has bagged twice in a game six times.

Haaland is a simply ridiculous number nine who can do it all, from excellent link-up play to clinical finishing in the box. His goal against Arsenal is perhaps the best example, with the striker starting the move by tucking the ball round the corner to Tijjani Reijnders, before charging forward and receding the ball again to score.

The Norwegian is incredible, although City don’t have a natural striker as his understudy if he gets injured. If that were the case, the answer might be an academy star who could one day take the number nine shirt after Haaland.

Man City's in-house number nine after Haaland

Haaland’s injury record isn’t perfect. The striker has missed 26 games since he moved to City, and they don’t really have a natural replacement. Omar Marmoush can lead the line, but he excels in a slightly deeper role, a little like Julian Alvarez did.

Lucky for the Citizens, they might have the perfect striker in the academy in the form of Mahamadou Sangare.

The France U18 centre-forward only moved to the club in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain, but is already excelling in the youth side.

This season across all competitions for the esteemed City academy, Sangare has found the back of the net on nine occasions in just 14 games. That includes three goals in four UEFA Youth League games.

In fact, it was in that competition that Sangare put in his most impressive performance to date. The 18-year-old shone against AS Monaco U19s, bagging a hat-trick and assisting one goal, after creating two chances.

Sangare vs. Monaco U19s

Stat

Number

Touches

35

Opposition half passes completed

14/18

Aerial duels won

5/6

Shots

4

Goals

3

Chances created

2

Assists

1

Stats from Sofascore

One person who has spoken highly of the striker is football scout Antonio Mango. He called Sangare a “prolific” number nine, complementing him on the fact that he was one of the standout PSG youngsters last season. He scored 33 times in 35 games for their U19s.

Well, it certainly seems like City are seeing the quality he can bring to the youth sides. It will be fascinating to see how quickly Sangare’s development continues. He certainly has an eye for goal and will be hoping that he can translate that to senior level.

Of course, the 18-year-old is quite some way from being on Haaland’s level, but with his natural goalscoring instinct, there is no reason why he can’t establish himself in the first team. Perhaps he will even be the natural successor to Haaland’s iconic number nine shirt.

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Posts 1 ByBen Gray Nov 10, 2025

There’s reportedly no way back for one West Ham star as Nuno Espírito Santo ultimately decides that he doesn’t want the player, and a January exit is now described as inevitable.

The pressure on Nuno’s shoulders has slightly eased following back-to-back victories against Newcastle and Burnley, which also gifted the Hammers some much-needed encouragement over surviving the relegation dog scrap.

Before their only consecutive home wins since October last year, West Ham looked nailed on for a drop to the Championship for the first time since 2011, but six points from Nuno’s last two matches have suddenly flipped the narrative on its head.

However, things don’t get any easier for West Ham from this point onward, with Nuno braced for a tough round of fixtures just after the international break.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

The east Londoners take on Bournemouth and Liverpool before travelling to Man United, who are enjoying a resurgence under Ruben Amorim, with Aston Villa and Premier League title contenders Man City awaiting them over the festive period as well.

After that, the January transfer window does represent a major lifeline for West Ham, and reports suggest the club are set for a very active winter when it comes to incomings and outgoings. Sky Sports report that West Ham are targeting a new defender, midfielder and striker in January, with Nuno given assurances that David Sullivan and co have money to spend on fresh talent.

We’re also likely to see a fair few players head out the exit door, not least striker Niclas Füllkrug, who has apparently been given the green-light to leave after a lacklustre spell marred by injuries and a lack of form.

West Ham could also sell Guido Rodriguez for pure profit after signing him on a free transfer from Real Betis last year, but one player who looks the most likely to depart by far is midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The 31-year-old was axed from West Ham’s matchday squad immediately after Nuno’s arrival, despite being vice-captain under Graham Potter and a “quiet leader” of the team.

James Ward-Prowse "almost certain" to leave West Ham after Nuno decision

For anybody wondering, there is basically no chance for Ward-Prowse to play his way back into contention, with Nuno fully deciding that he’s surplus to requirements.

That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who told TEAMtalk this week that the Englishman is “almost certain” to leave as David Moyes’ Everton take real interest.

The question for West Ham is how much money they can recuperate from Ward-Prowse’s sale, and how much could be reinvested into bolstering key areas when the January window opens for business.

Sullivan will also be keen to get the former Southampton star’s £115,000-per-week wages off the books, as he is currently the club’s fourth-highest earner behind Alphonse Areola, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen.