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West Ham United’s notable exits this summer look as if they will be continuing on way past Mohammed Kudus’ crushing departure to Tottenham Hotspur.

The next reality check in the transfer department could come very soon, as Lucas Paqueta appears to be edging for a move away from the London Stadium, amid interest in the midfielder’s services from Manchester City and the aforementioned North Londoners.

It remains to be seen whether the Hammers would let Paqueta go during the same demoralising summer that saw Kudus defect to Spurs, as a new Paqueta-style figure appears on Graham Potter’s shopping list anyway.

West Ham ask about signing £30m midfielder

Potter’s men look as if they will be busy between now and September’s approaching deadline, with a whole host of names being tipped to join the East London ranks.

New reports have suggested that Cagliari attacker Roberto Piccoli might join the building to help boost the ex-Chelsea manager’s options up top, alongside the Hammers also eyeing up promising Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper to add depth in between the sticks in the wake of Lukas Fabianski’s retirement.

West Ham are further assessing their options in the EFL away from just the Blades when it comes to Southampton starlet Mateus Fernandes, with journalist Jack Rosser via X speculating that the Hammers have approached the Saints about a potential move for the rising Portuguese star.

It is stated that they haven’t been left with much encouragement from these conversations, however, with Atletico Madrid also keen on the 21-year-old, who is touted to be worth around the £30m ballpark.

Standing out as a shining light last season, even as his South Coast outfit plummeted to relegation, Fernandes could kick on and become an even brighter talent at the London Stadium if a deal can be secured, potentially filling the hole left behind by Paqueta in the process.

Why Fernandes could be the next Paqueta

£30m does feel like a steep amount to splurge on a midfielder that has just tasted the unwelcome flavour of relegation, but the 21-year-old did manage to come out of Southampton’s basement finish with his head held high, at least.

Indeed, come the end of the depressing campaign for his team, Fernandes would still manage to tally up two goals and four assists for his lowly team in Premier League action.

All this frenzied interest has come his way off the back of completing such an impressive individual campaign, despite the many setbacks facing him at St. Mary’s.

Amazingly, Fernandes’ standout 2024/25 output is more goals and assists than Paqueta would manage back at the Irons across the same span, with the spotlight on the Brazilian more focused on controversies off the pitch, away from him only collecting a disappointing four goal contributions.

However, whilst the 21-year-old would shine in this regard, he is also similar to his South American counterpart when considering his overall, varied game, which would make him a perfect replacement for Paqueta in the long run. Indeed, as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson, he is the “complete” talent.

Games played

36

33

Goals scored

2

4

Assists

4

0

Touches*

53.3

58.6

Accurate passes*

29.0 (85%)

33.6 (79%)

Big chances created

6

4

Tackles*

2.5

2.0

Ball recoveries*

5.0

4.5

Total duels won*

5.8

6.0

Looking at the table above, it becomes far clearer as to why Mattinson described Fernandes as a ‘complete’ talent from the middle of the park.

The former Sporting youngster matches Paqueta and even betters him when it comes to the more defensive aspect of their games, when glancing at their numbers in the Premier League last season, as seen in him averaging more tackles and ball recoveries last campaign per match.

Even FBref states that the midfielders are statistically similar, with Paqueta also a versatile performer, much like the 21-year-old, when previously lining up down the left flank for the Irons.

Fernandes is some way off establishing himself as a Premier League regular like the “mind-boggling” Paqueta – as former teammate Declan Rice once described his ability – but his time could soon come to become an established talent at the level, particularly if the Hammers cough up what Southampton want this summer.

Bowen 2.0: West Ham targeting move to sign "incredible" £15m star

As West Ham United target new additions in the summer transfer window, are they about to sign a £15m star who could be their new Jarrod Bowen?

ByBen Gray Jul 29, 2025

England fight their way out of trouble at Lord’s thanks to Joe Root’s 33rd Test hundred

Alan Gardner29-Aug-2024

Was it brave or foolhardy to insert England beneath clear blue skies at Lord’s? As Joe Root peeled off his sixth Test hundred at the grand old ground, the verdict erred towards the latter. Gus Atkinson added to Sri Lanka’s pain with a maiden Test half-century and, although the bowlers toiled manfully until late in the day to repay the faith shown in them by their captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, England had grappled their way into an increasingly sturdy position.After Root, there was daylight on the England batting card – and Dhananjaya might rue the inability of Lahiru Kumara to persuade Paul Reiffel to raise his finger to an lbw appeal when Root was on 11, with the DRS returning a verdict of umpire’s call. The next-highest score was Atkinson’s unbeaten 74 from No. 8, with his 92-run stand alongside Root the chief reason that England did not have what looked a perfectly respectable batting rug pulled from under them.Root’s 143 took him level with Alastair Cook on 33 Test centuries for England; during the course of his innings, he overtook Cook for most Test runs scored in England (and Wales) – and it is now surely only a matter of weeks, if not days, before he passes Cook’s overall mark for his country. Once the engraver has done his work, no one will have more entries on the batting honours board at Lord’s than Root, Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan.Having steered England past the winning post at Old Trafford a few days ago, Root was again the batting bulwark for his side. As in the first Test, Sri Lanka bowled well to put England’s first innings in peril without quite finishing the job. England were 130 for 4 and then 216 for 6, only for Root to bolt together the two biggest partnerships of the innings alongside Atkinson and Jamie Smith.With Atkinson, who lofted Prabath Jayasuriya for six off his eighth ball and added three more before the close, looking increasingly assured, the eighth-wicket stand with Matthew Potts added an unbroken 50 as the shadows lengthened.This was not quite a mid-2000s Lord’s shirtfront but conditions remained placid throughout. Dhananjaya had reasoned that there is “always swing in the first hour” when opting to bowl but, while there was occasional lateral movement to deal with, few of England’s top order could claim that to have been genuinely got out.Ollie Pope, in particular, departed in a manner that might have made for uncomfortable viewing back in the dressing room. Pope, England’s stand-in captain, had spoken before the game about separating his duties in leading the team from the processes required to bat at No. 3; perhaps he was wrongfooted by Dhananajaya’s decision at the toss, having been expecting to be told he was fielding, but the ungainly flap at Asitha Fernando suggested he still has plenty of work to do on that front.England’s top three were all back in the hutch before lunch, and Asitha struck again after the break. Harry Brook produced a volley of attacking shots to put the hosts back on the front foot only for a marginal lbw call to this time go in Sri Lanka’s favour. Brook aimed an expansive drive at Asitha only to be defeated by a hint of seam movement back in, with Reiffel agreeing that it would have hit leg stump.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A stand of 62 between Root and Smith helped the Lord’s crowd settle into a more appropriate state of post-prandial relaxation. Smith was largely watchful, despite picking off the spinner Jayasuriya for three boundaries, before being caught behind with tea approaching as he aimed a more expansive drive at Milan Rathnayake.Root had got off the mark with a four from his first ball but went about his business in typically unobtrusive fashion. Other than the Kumara lbw appeal, his one moment of genuine anxiety came when chopping Rathnayake just past off stump on 59; he edged the same bowler between slip and gully in the following over. The nerves were more evident in the crowd as he bided his time for 12 balls on 99, before opening the face to steer Kumara down to third, punching the air as soon as the ball had sped through the cordon.Root eventually departed trying to reverse-ramp Rathnayake but, although the day ended with Atkinson and Potts taking liberties against the second new ball, this was a stuttering effort from England. The new-look opening pair for this series produced their third consecutive stand in the 30s, before Dan Lawrence edged tamely behind trying to walk down the pitch at Kumara. Ben Duckett looked assured in making 40 from 47 balls, only to reverse-swipe the fourth ball of spin in the match down the throat of deep point with 20 minutes to go until lunch.Dhananjaya’s decision at the toss caused more than a few raised eyebrows around the ground as it basked in late August sunshine. When Duckett clipped three boundaries from Asitha’s second over of the morning, it seemed as if England were in the mood to ram home the point about Lord’s being a “look up, not down” ground. But Kumara, brought into the side for Vishwa Fernando, struck in his first over as Lawrence edged through to Nishan Madushka, deputising with the gloves after the blow to the hand sustained by Dinesh Chandimal in the first Test.Pope’s average as Test captain then dipped from 6.00 to 4.33, as Asitha switched to the Nursery End and induced an ungainly pull across the line that took the top edge and ballooned to a gleeful Dhananjaya at square leg.Sri Lanka, who have not lost a Test in London since 1991, had their tails up, with Asitha and Kumara probing for openings while Rathnayake kept things tight. Kumara was wholehearted, pushing the speed gun up towards 90mph, and he might have had another when bringing one down the slope into Root’s knee roll. The bowler bellowed an appeal, fully aware of the fine margins involved in umpire’s call: DRS duly had it clipping the top of leg stump, so Reiffel’s not-out stood. On such margins did the day turn.

Head coach at risk despite insisting he is right man to take team forward after T20 World Cup exit

Matt Roller28-Jun-20241:35

What next for Jos Buttler?

England’s exit from the T20 World Cup leaves Rob Key facing the biggest call of his tenure as managing director. Reaching the semi-finals was seen as the minimum expectation for Matthew Mott but the manner of his side’s 68-run drubbing by India in Guyana leaves his position as white-ball head coach at risk during a rare break in the World Cup cycle.Mott is two years into a four-year contract and insisted on Thursday that he is the right man to take England forwards. His team won the last T20 World Cup six months into his tenure but bombed at the 50-over World Cup in India last year. And while they reached the last four in the Caribbean, they only beat one Test-playing opponent across the tournament.ICC events are now annual occurrences but next year is the first in five without a men’s white-ball World Cup: there is a Champions Trophy scheduled for February but that is the least important tournament in the calendar. After Thursday’s semi-final defeat, England now have a 10-week break until their next limited-overs series against Australia in September.Related

England's itinerary madness leaves no room for white-ball reboot

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Rohit, Axar and Kuldeep lead India's dismantling of England in semi-final

'Outplayed' Buttler wishes he had bowled Moeen on turning Providence pitch

Stagnant England endure a pasting that had been in the post since Adelaide

It leaves Key with a series of questions to answer when he reviews this World Cup. Can Mott reinvigorate a side which appears to have stagnated? Are England making genuine progress under Mott’s leadership? If not, is there an obvious replacement? And would they want to take on the scrutiny of a job where a semi-final World Cup exit is a sackable offence?Key has made a number of big decisions across his two-year tenure: appointing Ben Stokes as Test captain, gambling on Brendon McCullum, taking the blame for last year’s World Cup debacle and, most recently, telling James Anderson that his time as an England player was finally up. But working out how to revitalise this white-ball set-up looms as the biggest of them all.Jos Buttler’s position as captain will come under similar scrutiny but the decision may be his rather than Key’s. Buttler has achieved so much that he could happily give up international cricket and earn handsomely on the franchise circuit for the next five years if he wishes. As Key doubtless knows, England need Buttler far more than Buttler needs England.This was a strange campaign. England’s warm-up series against Pakistan was blighted by weather and after their first match against Scotland, featuring an uninspiring bowling effort, was washed out a heavy defeat to Australia left them on the brink of a first-round exit. Another hour of rain in Antigua during their game against Namibia would have sent them home.Then, in St Lucia, they put together a complete performance to end West Indies’ winning streak by chasing down 181 with 15 balls to spare, before losing a tight game to South Africa. They secured their spot in the semi-finals by thrashing USA in Barbados, but conditions in Guyana were never likely to suit them and on a pitch characterised by low bounce, India asserted their authority.”I think we were good without being great,” Mott said at Providence Stadium, assessing England’s tournament. “If we’re being honest, we weren’t quite at our best. We were hoping to peak at the right time and certainly coming up against India today, we needed to peak and we knew that. This was possibly going to be the toughest test we had and we weren’t quite good enough.”England white-ball coach Matthew Mott after the semi-final loss to India•Getty ImagesEngland were a tense, downbeat team in India last winter but seemed to have learned from their mistakes, hiring Kieron Pollard as a consultant for his local knowledge and bringing back the psychologist David Young, who was a popular presence. On the eve of the semi-final, Mott insisted that England were making progress under him and reiterated that position after their exit.”You always feel like you’ve made progress when you get to the semi-finals,” he said. “It’s disappointing to finish in that way: whether we lost by one run or the margin we did, we’d be going home very disappointed… [but] there’s not many teams who’d have turned up today and taken that game away from India, given the conditions we faced.”Yet the sense remains that England have lost their aura. Mott has not been helped by a disjointed schedule which sees him go months without access to his players but after two years in the job, their identity under him is still not clear. They are now in a transitional phase and Key must decide whether Mott has a clear vision for what comes next.Mott believes his backroom staff are fully behind him. “Jos and I as a partnership have been galvanised in the last six months,” he said. “You learn more about leadership in times of adversity. If you ask around the dressing room, we’ve got a lot of people in the support staff that have given credit to the leadership group for the way we’ve stuck together in tricky circumstances.”Sometimes it’s not all about results. Obviously we’re in a results-driven business, and you guys [the written press] will have your fun at our expense, I’m sure. But when you wake up in the morning and have a crack and do your best, you can sleep at night knowing that sometimes, results are out of your control.”Some senior players need to be phased out: Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan have been fine servants to England’s T20 set-up but their time is up, while Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood are highly unlikely to make the next T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in early 2026. Their batting line-up must be rebuilt around Harry Brook, who should bat at No. 3 or 4.Unlike the team of 30-somethings that crashed out in India, this is not an old England squad: seven out of 15 players are in their 20s and in Brook and Phil Salt, there are batters to build around. The English domestic system continues to produce talented young players and further candidates for selection will emerge in the Hundred next month.Buttler is planning a short break before that tournament starts, and will use the time off to take stock. “You take some time to review tournaments and try to plan ahead for the next [one],” he said. “What we need to do better as a team, if that is the way we play, personnel, style of cricket… we will review everything and come up with a plan.”It is Key who will ultimately sign off on what that plan looks like – and English cricket needs him to get it right.

Burnley have “entered the fray” in the race to sign a young midfielder in the summer transfer window, according to a new update regarding the Clarets’ upcoming business.

Burnley preparing for Premier League return

After the joy of sealing promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League this season, Scott Parker will know the importance of the club bringing in top-quality players ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

In fact, the Burnley manager has gone into some depth as to how he hopes the summer window will pan out, with the club needing to be shrewd in the market:

“We’d like to be, of course. We’ll be searching, we’ll be in the market. At the same time, we’ve got an incredible squad here that has absolutely given me and this football club absolutely everything. We’ll try and be clever, we’ll try and improve where we can improve, but again, we probably won’t really have a clear idea until we actually know what the market is and where the market is for everything.”

The fact that all three promoted sides have gone straight back down to the Championship in the past two Premier League seasons highlights the gulf that now exists between the top flight and the second tier, again highlighting the need for reinforcements at Burnley.

Burnley enter race to sign 18 y/o winger

According to Africa Foot [via Sport Witness], Burnley have “entered the fray” to sign TP Mazembe winger Faveurdi Bongeli this summer.

The 18-year-old is a wanted man currently, with Crystal Palace among those named as possible suitors, and the report states that talks have intensified, albeit not stating which exact clubs are in discussions with him.

Bongeli isn’t yet a household name, considering he is such a young player and isn’t plying his trade in one of Europe’s top leagues, but that’s not to say he won’t be a strong addition for Burnley.

At just 18 years of age, the winger has already won three caps for DR Congo’s Under-20s, ahead of what could be a good international career at senior level, and he has made four appearances for the first team at his current club.

Burnley need to be focusing on both long-term signings and immediate additions in the summer, with Parker knowing that he needs some individuals who can go straight into his squad as proven Premier League footballers.

That said, it is also vital that the Clarets don’t simply focus on the present and ignore young talent, which is where Bongeli coould come into play.

Parker could sign Burnley's next Barnes in swoop for "unique" PL star

Scott Parker could unearth Burnley’s next Ashley Barnes in a move for this Premier League striker.

ByDan Emery May 24, 2025

The teenage attacker clearly wouldn’t be signed as someone who would be in the starting lineup on the opening day of next season, but he could develop into a top player over time, either enjoying time in Burnley’s youth team to begin with, or potentially even heading straight out on loan for a year.

Brook scored a triple-century while Root went past 250 as England declared for 823 in Multan. Here are some key numbers from their innings

Sampath Bandarupalli10-Oct-20240:57

England rewrite the record books in Multan

1 England became the first team to post 800-plus runs in an innings against Pakistan in Tests. The previous highest against Pakistan was 790 for 3 by West Indies in 1958 in Kingston.It is also the highest total by any team in Pakistan, with the previous highest being 765 for 6 by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009.454 The partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook is now the highest for England in Test cricket, bettering the 411-run stand between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against West Indies in 1957, also for the fourth wicket.Related

• England further expose Pakistan's mental and tactical fragility

• Breaking down four sensational years of Joe Root

• Abrar in hospital after falling ill during Multan Test

• Root overtakes Cook as England's leading scorer in Tests

• Joe Root reaches the batting heights for which his career was destined

It is also the highest partnership in Tests against Pakistan, going past the 446-run stand by Conrad Hunte and Gary Sobers for the second wicket in 1958 in Kingston.3 Number of partnerships in Test cricket, higher than Root and Brook’s 454 in Multan. It is now the highest stand by a visiting pair, surpassing the partnership of 451 runs by Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford against England for the second wicket at The Oval in 1934.1 Root and Brook also put on the highest stand for the fourth or a lower wicket in Tests as the previous highest was 449 between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh against West Indies in 2015 in Hobart.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Instances of two batters scoring 250-plus runs in the same Test innings, including Root and Brook in Multan. Hunte and Sobers for West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 were the first to do so, while Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara replicated the feat against South Africa in 2006.Root and Brook are only the second England pair with double hundreds in the same innings, after Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting against India in 1985 in Chennai.1 Root and Brook are the first pair from England to share multiple partnerships of 300-plus runs in Test cricket. They put on 302 against New Zealand in Wellington last year, also for the fourth wicket. Only eight pairs before Root and Brook have shared two or more 300-plus run stands in Test cricket.310 Balls needed for Brook to complete his triple-century. It is the second-fastest in Test cricket, behind Virender Sehwag, who took only 278 balls for his triple against South Africa in 2008. The previous fastest for England was by Wally Hammond, off 355 balls, against New Zealand in 1933.Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty Images823 for 7 England’s total against Pakistan in Multan is the fourth highest by any team in Test cricket. England has accounted for three of the four 800-plus totals, while Sri Lanka’s 952 for 6 against India in 1997 is the highest.6 Number of Pakistan bowlers to have conceded 100-plus runs in England’s first-innings in Multan. Only once before did six bowlers concede 100-plus runs in a Test innings – Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in 2004.1 Maiden over in England’s innings – by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over of the innings. England’s innings of 150 overs (900 balls) is the longest, with as few as one maiden in a Test innings. The previous longest was 709 balls by South Africa against England in 1939, where none of the 88.5 eight-ball overs was a maiden.12664 Test runs by Root. He is now the leading run-scorer for England in Test cricket, surpassing Alastair Cook’s tally of 12472. Root is now fifth in the list of highest run-getters in Test cricket.317 Brook’s score against Pakistan in Multan is the fifth-highest for England in Test cricket. Brook is also the first England batter to score a triple hundred since Graham Gooch against India in 1990 at the Lord’s.4 Centuries by Brook in all four Test matches he played in Pakistan. He is the first batter to hundreds in four consecutive Tests on Pakistan soil. Brook is only the fifth batter with hundreds in four consecutive Tests against Pakistan, after Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, David Warner and Kane Williamson.3 Double hundreds in Asia for Root, the most by a visiting batter in Tests. Root’s previous two double tons in Asia have come in Sri Lanka and India in 2021. He is only the third batter with double tons in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, after Sehwag and Jayawardene.

The 16-year old broke Mohammad Amir’s record to become the youngest to play at a men’s T20 World Cup

Shashank Kishore16-Oct-20221:25

CP Rizwan: ‘Really hard to score boundaries in Geelong’

When Aayan Khan was named in UAE’s starting XI against Netherlands in Geelong, the Goa-born teenager broke Mohammad Amir’s record and became the youngest to play in the men’s T20 World Cup. He was just 16-years-and-335-days old.It wasn’t the perfect debut Aayan may have hoped for, but one that he and the UAE team will learn a lot from, especially after giving Netherlands a huge scare during their chase of 112.Aayan is primarily a batting allrounder, but the presence of more established players pushed him down to No. 8. When he eventually took strike with nine balls to go, he had to give a stumbling innings some impetus; UAE had slipped from 91 for 2 to 104 for 6. Aayan managed five off seven balls and was dismissed off the penultimate delivery of the innings, trying to back away and carve one over extra cover.With the ball, he delivered one over in the powerplay, largely holding his own with some thrifty wicket-to-wicket left-arm spin, barring one full toss that was swept to the square-leg boundary by Max O’Dowd. His dismissal of Colin Ackermann in his third over, when he induced a top edge to deep square leg, triggered a bit of panic in the Dutch camp. Aayan finished with figures of 3-0-15-1.It was only Aayan’s third T20I, having made his debut during Bangladesh’s tour of the UAE in September this year. And CP Rizwan, his captain, believes Aayan can go a long way.”He has a good head on his shoulders and reads the game really well,” Rizwan said at the post-match press conference. “To be able to execute his skills in a World Cup game, I thought he bowled reasonably well. I’m sure there’s a big future for him.”Aayan Khan hit 93, and was the Player of the Match against West Indies in this year’s Under-19 World Cup•Ashley Allen/ICC/Getty ImagesAayan had moved to the UAE at the age of two in 2007. He idolises Hardik Pandya, and was inspired to play cricket when he watched India lift the 2011 World Cup. From taking throwdowns from his father Afzal, who played club cricket in Goa before migrating to the UAE to work at a bank, Aayan took baby steps at a more formal coaching set up in 2012. His rise has been swift since.Aayan writes and throws with his right hand but bowls with his left because his father had wanted him to bowl like Irfan Pathan. Aayan wasn’t the tallest in his group, and so his coaches at Desert Cub worked on turning him into a spinner by showing him videos of Ravindra Jadeja.As a ten-year old, he played at the Under-16 level, and graduated to club cricket and A division – the highest grade below the national team – at the age of 14. Since then, Aayan has been scoring big runs for Sharjah Fujairah Pacific Gymkhana. Earlier this year, he played a starring role by hitting 93 and being the Player of the Match in UAE’s upset of West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, where they won the plate final.Aayan’s career has seen a surge in the last six months. In August, he was called up as part of UAE’s reserves for the Asia Cup qualifiers in Oman. After UAE failed to make it to the main tournament, the selectors’ search for a young allrounder led to Aayan getting a chance when Bangladesh toured the UAE for two T20Is.Aayan scored 25 off 17 balls on debut to keep UAE in the chase until he was the ninth batter dismissed. They eventually fell short by seven runs.The inaugural ILT20 – a six-team franchise competition – in the UAE this January also brings with it several possibilities, not least the chance to impress IPL owners and scouts. Now, while he is also lugging his school textbooks around Australia, Aayan could have two more opportunities against Sri Lanka and Namibia to show the world what he can do.

Five takeaways from the intra-squad practice matches and the one-day BCB President’s Cup

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2020Cricket at last, but…
On the day Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka was postponed for a second time, BCB president Nazmul Hassan announced that Bangladesh’s preliminary touring party would play intra-squad matches instead. The board quickly organised a one-day tournament, later naming it the BCB President’s Cup, which officially became the start of the 2020-21 domestic season.To make up the numbers in the three line-ups, the selectors called up 22 more players. The board also put together an attractive package for the best performers, spending over $43,000 as prize money for the seven matches.All good there, but only 46 players actually got a chance to play the tournament, and that’s only a fraction of the total number of professional cricketers in the country. There remains uncertainty about the remaining part of the 2019-20 Dhaka Premier League, but with the announcement of another T20 tournament next month, competitive cricket is slowly making its return.Pacers’ improved fitness
The extra zip in the bowling of Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, the latter adjudged best bowler of the President’s Cup, was noticeable throughout the one-day matches. They bowled at their usual pace but looked more disciplined all along, which was a missing ingredient in their make-up in the past. Hossain, who finished with 12 wickets at an average of 10.33, also had a 4.02 economy rate, while Ahmed managed to pick up seven wickets at 26.28, and he was also impressive in the early and late spells in the two two-day intra-squad matches.It was a refreshing change after the rough couple of years the two have had, and it was down to the extra work they put in on their fitness during the pandemic.It wasn’t just Ahmed and Hossain, but also the likes of Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Ebadot Hossain and Abu Jayed, who looked fitter and bowled more accurately than often in the past. Among the younger lot, Shoriful Islam and Sumon Khan also impressed with their pace, swing, and yes, fitness.Sumon Khan’s five-wicket haul helped Mahmudullah XI bowl out Najmul XI for 173 in the BCB President’s Cup final•Raton Gomes/BCBUnder-19 champions get a taste of the higher level
Eight members of Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, including captain Akbar Ali, were distributed in the three President’s Cup teams. Mahmudul Hasan Joy spent more than two hours for a half-century and the patience was good to see, as he supported Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah in two partnerships. Shoriful, the only fast bowler chosen from the age-group set-up, took a four-wicket haul in one of his three appearances, and generally impressed everyone with his spirit.The likes of Islam and Ali, however, come with the heavy “very talented” tags, and as Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo pointed out last week, it is going to be crucial that patience is shown with these young achievers.A few new contenders
The selectors picked an array of players to diversify the bowling attacks of the three one-day sides, in particular. The fast bowlers did well, including Khan, who took a five-wicket haul in the final. And Nayeem Hasan was the only spinner who stood out in the two-day matches and the one-day competition with his accuracy and spin.Among the three legspinners, only Rishad Hossain bowled enough to catch the eye, while Irfan Sukkur, the left-hand wicketkeeper-batsman, struck two half-centuries. Some of these players will remain in the selectors’ log if they continue to do well in the T20 tournament in November.Domingo’s note of caution
But as coach Domingo pointed out, these matches were mere practice matches, and he warned against putting too much emphasis on these performances. Part of Domingo’s statement was partly a counter towards the criticism of the batsmen, but he was mostly correct in his assessment.The cricketers had come back from a long break, and it was an unusual time for a group of batsmen who do better when playing international cricket regularly. That said, there were good signs, especially in the performance of the fast bowlers, and in how some of the younger cricketers did well despite the brief period of training before the tournament.

It's a new week which means we have a new slate of MLB games to watch and bet on. The All-Star game is in the rear-view mirror so now it's time for teams to make a push to the playoffs as we enter the second half of the season.

There are 13 games set to take place today and as we always do on Rounding the Bases, I'm going to break down my best bet for every single one of them.

Let's dive into it.

Rays vs. Yankees Prediction and PickPick: Rays +145

It's hard to justify betting on the Yankees as this big of favorites with Carlos Rodon on the mound. The Yankees starter has a 7.20 ERA over his last eight starts with one of them coming against this Rays lineup on July 9. He gave up five hits, two walks, and four earned runs in 4.0 innings in that start and I expect a similar outing from him today.

I'll gladly back the Rays as underdogs in this one.

Cardinals vs. Pirates Prediction and PickPick: Pirates -130

Mitch Keller has been quietly having himself a fantastic season, rocking an ERA of 3.46 in his 19 starts. Now he gets to face a Cardinals offense that has been average at best of late. I'll back him and the Pirates to get the job done today.

Mets vs. Marlins Prediction and PickPick: Mets -145

The Mets rank second in the Majors in OPS dating back to June 1 at .811, while the Marlins rank dead last in that time frame at .631. In my opinion, this bet is a no-brainer.

Tigers vs. Guardians Prediction and PickPick: Tigers -120

It's surprising to me the Tigers are available at -120 odds when the AL Cy Young favorite, Tarik Skubal, is on the mound. Don't let the Guardians stellar record fool you, they're just 17th in the Majors in OPS dating back to June 1. I'll back Skubal and his 2.41 ERA in this AL Central showdown.

Reds vs. Braves Prediction and PickPick: Braves -150

Reynaldo Lopez may be the most underrated pitcher in the Majors and his 1.88 ERA should strike fear in the Reds lineup today. There's no doubt the Braves offense is in a bit of a slump of late, but Lopez has the ability to drag them to a win tonight.

Phillies vs. Twins Prediction and PickPick: Twins -105

The Twins lead all of Major League Baseball in OPS dating back to June 1, with an OPS of .813. The Phillies rank just seventh (.762) in that same time frame. I'll take advantage of the opportunity to wager on Minnesota as a slight home underdog.

White Sox vs. Rangers Prediction and PickPick: White Sox +150

The White Sox offense is bad, but the Rangers offense hasn't been much better. They're 26th in MLB in OPS (.678) dating back to June 1. Erick Fedde (2.99 ERA) of the White Sox has a chance to have a strong performance tonight.

Brewers vs. Cubs Prediction and PickPick: Cubs +100

Considering these two teams are 18th and 19th in OPS dating back to June 1, I'll go ahead and back the home underdog in what I feel is a coin flip matchup.

Diamondbacks vs. Royals Prediction and PickPick: Diamondbacks +135

The Royals certainly have the advantage on the mound with Cole Ragans (3.16 ERA) getting the start, but they shouldn't be this big of favorites based on how their offense has been performing. They're 23rd in OPS dating back to June 1 while the Diamondbacks are sixth. Give me Arizona in this interleague showdown.

Red Sox vs. Rockies Prediction and PickPick: Red Sox -175

The Red Sox will roll with Tanner Houck (2.54 ERA) as their starter today, which is enough to have me not even consider betting on the Rockies.

Astros vs. Athletics Prediction and PickPick: Athletics +125

The A's offense has been quietly solid lately, ranking 12th in OPS dating back to June 1. They should be able to take advantage of a matchup against Spencer Arrighetti, who has a poor 5.63 ERA on the year.

Angels vs. Mariners Prediction and PickPick: Angels +145

I will continue to fade the Mariners, whose offense has been one of the worst in baseball lately. They're batting just .212 since June 1 and now they have to face Tyler Anderson and his 2.97 ERA.

Giants vs. Dodgers Prediction and PickPick: Dodgers -130

It's crazy to say this after winning the Cy Young last season, but you simply can't bet on the Giants at this point when Blake Snell gets the start. His baffling 6.31 ERA makes them one of the most overvalued teams in baseball when he starts.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras estreou nesta última quarta-feira na Libertadores 2024 e saiu com um bom resultado da Argentina após empatar por 1 a 1 com o San Lorenzo.

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Marcelo Lomba foi o melhor do jogo para muitos torcedores e isso mostra como o Palmeiras deu espaço e fez um péssimo jogo defensivo diante do time do Papa.

É fato que o time de Abel Ferreira não faz um bom início de ano apesar de ter feito a melhor campanha da fase de grupos do Paulistão e só ter perdido um jogo na temporada.

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Foram poucos os jogos brilhantes que realmente encheram os olhos da torcida e a 90 minutos de um possível título Paulista, chegou a hora do Verdão acordar para 2024.

Perder mais um título para um rival no ano, desta vez dentro do Allianz Parque, pode trazer um ruído significante para o atual bicampeão brasileiro, que perderá seu melhor jogador daqui dois meses.

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A taça do Paulista pode significar não só paz para o elenco seguir trabalhando firme nos objetivos de 2024, como também se tornar um ponto chave de virada do elenco para este ano.

Abel Ferreira precisa voltar a fazer o simples e a torcida apoiar o elenco até o apito final de Raphael Claus no domingo.

➡️Siga o Lance! Fora de Campo no WhatsApp e saiba o que rola fora das 4 linhas

Se o Paulista é o ‘menor’ título dos possíveis em uma temporada, o deste ano pode ter um significado gigantesco para um elenco que ganhou tanto nos últimos anos, mas que segue sendo cobrado por mais desempenho no novo ano.

Reage, Palmeiras. Nós estaremos de coração.

Manchester United have reportedly tabled an offer to sign Sergio Ramos on a free transfer after the Real Madrid legend's departure from Monterrey. The 39-year-old made his final appearance for the Mexican club in their Liga MX play-off semi-final defeat to Toluca on 7 December, and it has been said that he is eying a return to Europe.

• United turn to Ramos amid defensive turmoil

  Although deep into the twilight of a remarkable career, Ramos demonstrated during his time in Mexico that he retains a competitive edge. After arriving at Monterrey in February 2025, he contributed seven goals in 32 matches, a remarkable tally for a centre-back, while anchoring their defence with the aggression and leadership synonymous with his peak years at Real Madrid. Speaking after Monterrey’s elimination from the Liga MX playoffs, Ramos revealed with unmistakable finality that he had played his last match for the club.

  A report from, relayed by , has suggested that the World Cup winner is prioritising a return to Europe, seeking one final challenge before retirement. United, aware of both his quality and availability, have moved quickly and are regarded as the favourites to land him. However, negotiations are said to only be in the initial stages, and nothing has been "finalised".

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  A longstanding courtship rekindled

  This is far from the first time the Premier League giants have pursued Ramos. In 2015, United were in advanced talks to lure Ramos away from Madrid and lodged a bid of £28.6 million, as reported by at the time. Ramos later admitted he had seriously considered the move before ultimately committing to a new five-year deal in Spain.

  "I stayed where I should have stayed, Real Madrid, but I was indeed close to playing for United," he admitted in a 2023 interview with "It was not to be, but I do keep that admiration for the club, to the Premier League and the players, because the rhythm of play, the pace is different, and it's a league we can all learn a great deal from, all of us."

  United made another attempt in 2023, tabling a late proposal worth around £73,000 per week, but Ramos dismissed it almost immediately. According to reports at , the swiftness of his refusal surprised United officials, who had taken too long to finalise their terms. 

• A sentimental homecoming at Sevilla

  After snubbing United, Ramos returned to Sevilla, the club where he came through the academy and began his professional career two decades earlier. He accepted a significantly reduced salary to make the move happen, describing it as an obligation to his family and to the memory of Antonio Puerta, the former Sevilla player who died in 2007 and with whom Ramos had forged a close bond.

  "I think it was a debt to my grandfather, to my father, to Sevillismo, to (Antonio) Puerta [a former Sevilla player who died in 2007], and many things that have meant a lot," the player shared. "I think it was time."

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  A career etched into football history

  With 180 caps for Spain, more than any male player in the nation’s history, he was central to the side that lifted the World Cup in 2010 and claimed back-to-back European Championships. His tenure at Real Madrid brought five La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns, while his reputation for clutch goals, fearless defending and indomitable presence has endured across generations. However, it remains to be seen whether his ageing legs have enough gas to sustain the high intensity of the Premier League.