O São Paulo venceu o Águia de Marabá no segundo jogo da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Os gols da noite desta quinta-feira (23), no Morumbis, foram marcados por Lucas Moura e Erick. Confira o Lance! Final no player acima.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoTorcedores do São Paulo criticam André Silva: ‘Perdendo 200 gols’Fora de Campo23/05/2024NotíciasCom R$50, você garante R$337 se ambos marcarem em São Paulo x Águia de Marabá e Botafogo-SP x Palmeiras na Copa do BrasilNotícias23/05/2024NotíciasSoberano! Saiba qual é o retrospecto recente do São Paulo como mandante na Copa do BrasilNotícias23/05/2024
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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA SÃO PAULO 2 X 0 ÁGUIA DE MARABÁ COPA DO BRASIL – 3ª FASE – JOGO DE VOLTA 🗓️ Data e horário: quinta-feira, 23 de maio de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília) 📍 Local: Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP) 🟨 Árbitro: Marcelo de Lima Henrique 🚩 Assistentes: Nailton Oliveira e Fernanda Kruger 🖥️ VAR: Paulo da Silva Coelho
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:
SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Luis Zubeldía) Jandrei; João Moreira, Diego Costa, Ferraresi e Patryck; Luiz Gustavo, Erick (Ferreira), Galoppo (Alisson), Lucas Moura (Luciano) e Rodrigo Nestor (Rodriguinho); André Silva (Juan).
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ÁGUIA DE MARABÁ (Técnico: Glauber Ramos) Axel; Bruno Limão, David Cruz, Caíque Baiano e Wender; Júnior Dindê (Mariano), Patrick Maranhão (Kaique), Braga, Hitalo (Pablo) e Alan Maia (Daelson); João Guilherme (Soares).
أكد حسين الشحات لاعب فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي على جاهزيته للمشاركة في مباريات القلعة الحمراء خلال الفترة المقبلة بعد تعافيه من الإصابة، موجهاً رسالة لـ منتخب مصر الأول قبل مشاركته في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.
وقال حسين الشحات في تصريحات صحفية عبر الموقع الرسمي لـ الأهلي: “سعيد للغاية بالعودة إلى المباريات من جديد، وأنتظر الحصول على الإشارة من جانب الجهاز الفني، وفترة الإصابة كانت صعبة وتوقيتها كان الأصعب بعد فترة من الأداء المميز خاصة أمام الزمالك في مباراة القمة، لكن الإصابات قضاء وقدر والحمد لله دائمًا وأبدًا على كل شيء”.
وأردف: “بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر مهمة، وهي فرصة مناسبة للمشاركة بشكل أكبر في المباريات، وبالتأكيد سوف نستغلها بشكل مناسب خلال فترة مشاركة بقية عناصر الفريق ببطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية، ونتمنى أن ننجح خلالها في تقديم أداء مميز”.
وواصل: “علاقتي بجماهير الأهلي مميزة للغاية، وهو ما أعتز وأفخر به دائمًا، وأعمل لأن يستمر لآخر العمر، وأسعى دائمًا أن أقدم كل ما يمكنني لإسعادهم، وقد لمست دعمهم لي خلال الفترة الماضية، ومنذ مباراة القمة أمام الزمالك في الدوري التي وفقت خلالها وشاركت بشكل مؤثر ووضعت بصمة في النتيجة”.
وتابع: “سعيد للغاية باستمرار تداول صورتي خلال الاستعداد للمشاركة في مباراة الزمالك، من المهم خلال هذه المواجهات أن يكون لديك قدر كبير من التركيز لصناعة الفارق، خاصة عند الجلوس على مقاعد البدلاء، والأهم هو سعادة جماهير الأهلي بالنتيجة وقتها”.
طالع.. الأهلي يعلن تفاصيل إصابة أفشة وكريم فؤاد
وأكمل: “والحمد لله على التتويج ببطولة السوبر المصري، كانت محطة مهمة للغاية بعد التعثر في بطولة الدوري، دخلنا البطولة بحالة من الإصرار الشديد على الفوز، كنت في فترة الإصابة وخارج المباراة لكني تعايشت مع الأجواء، والحمد لله على التوفيق في الفوز باللقب”.
واستطرد: “كل الدعم لـ منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية، وأتمنى التوفيق لزملائي المتواجدين في المعسكر وأن ينجحوا في الفوز بالبطولة، بالتأكيد تمنيت التواجد معهم ولكن الحمد لله على كل حال، وأتمنى الفوز باللقب وإسعاد الجماهير”.
وأتم: “دائما ما أقول وأكرر أن جمهور الأهلي عظيم ولا مثيل له، وتواجده معنا يمثل الحافز الأكبر للفوز بالبطولات، وهم السند في كل الأوقات وشرف كبير دعمهم لنا، وأتمنى أن نوفق في إسعادهم من خلال الفوز بالبطولات”.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that the north Londoners will soon benefit from a “very unpredictable” weapon that is set to add something new.
This weekend, Sunderland are next in line to try and break down Arsenal’s imperious defence, which hasn’t been breached since their dramatic 2-1 win away to Newcastle back in September.
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
The Black Cats, led by their arguable player of the season so far in ex-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka, are no easy customers and have made one of the best starts by a newly-promoted side in Premier League history.
However, the numbers suggest Regis Le Bris’ side might have their work cut out for them at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Arsenal haven’t just kept eight clean sheets in a row across all competitions, but they also boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues and have marked themselves out as England’s set piece specialists in that time.
No other Premier League side has scored more goals from dead ball situations than Arsenal so far this season (12), with Arteta’s side bringing the dark acts back into fashion.
While Arsenal have been criticised by some for their perceived ‘boring’ style of play, especially from ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara, Arteta won’t be fussed in the slightest as his team sit pretty at the top of the table.
Arsenal’s water-tight backline and threat from set pieces are undoubtedly the two main reasons why they’re currently in pole position to win their first Premier League title in 22 years, but speaking ahead of their clash with Sunderland, Arteta revealed they’re about to have another weapon at their disposal.
Mikel Arteta says "very unpredictable" Gabriel Jesus will add something new to Arsenal
£265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus hasn’t played since Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United back in January after rupturing his ACL, and reports once claimed that the Brazilian might not be back in action until next year.
However, Jesus has now returned to training, so his comeback is nigh, as Arteta explains how “thrilled” he is by the news.
The 28-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a January exit following the arrival of summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to return from injury in time for the North London derby at the end of November.
That being said, it appears Arteta still has big plans for Jesus at Arsenal, with the forward capable of playing out wide as well as at centre-forward.
It will be very interesting to see how the former Man City star fits into Arteta’s tactical set-up, especially once their full complement of attackers in Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke return from injury too.
فاز الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي نهضة بركان المغربي على نظيره ريفرز يونايتد، بهدفين لهدف، في اللقاء الذي جمع بين الفريقين في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
وحل نهضة بركان ضيفًا على ريفرز يونايتد اليوم الجمعة في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
طالع | يورتشيتش: بيراميدز بطل أبطال القارة.. وهدفنا الفوز على باور ديناموز وصدارة المجموعة
وجاء هدف ريفرز يونايتد في الشوط الأول عن طريق اللاعب مامادو كمارا لاعب بركان بالخطأ في مرماه بالدقيقة 37، وتعادل بركان في الوقت القاتل في الدقيقة 90+7 عن طريق الكعبي، وبعدها بثوان قليلة سجل بركان الهدف الثاني عن طريق شعيل بعد خطأ من حارس المرمى، ليحقق فوزًا قاتلًا.
ويلعب نهضة بركان المغربي في مجوعة تضم ريفرز يونايتد وبيراميدز وباور ديناموز.
ووصل رصيد نهضة بركان إلى 6 نقاط في المركز الأول بترتيب المجموعة، في حين يبقى ريفرز يونايتد دون نقاط في المركز الرابع. أهداف مباراة نهضة بركان وريفرز يونايتد اليوم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا
Bears recover from 32 for 4 thanks to Alex Davies’ run-a-ball 123
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025
Tazeem Ali bowling to England’s batters in the nets•Getty Images
Warwickshire 291 for 8 (Davies 123, Smith 50) beat Northamptonshire 229 (Bartlett 47, Broad 43, Tazeem 5-43) by 62 runsAlex Davies’ accomplished century and Tazeem Ali’s skilful five-for powered Warwickshire to a 62-run Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the delightful sylvan setting of Rugby School.The Bears totalled 291 for 8, having recovered from 32 for 4 thanks to Davies’ measured 123 in as many balls. The former Lancashire batter’s second List A century was well-supported by Kai Smith (50, 50) before important late-order contributions from Michael Booth (45 not out, 25) and Jake Lintott (37, 45).Tazeem then spun the Steelbacks to destruction with 5 for 43, his maiden first-team five-for as the visitors fell well short on 229. Only George Bartlett (47, 57) and Justin Broad (43, 47) threatened to challenge the target but they each fell to 19-year-old Tazeem.Warwickshire chose to bat but suffered another dreadful start. Having imploded to 38 for 7 against Yorkshire at Scarborough in their Metro-Bank opener, this time they hit 32 for 4 as three of the top five lasted a combined five balls on the way to bagging ducks. Both Steelbacks’ opening bowlers struck twice in three balls – first Liam Guthrie as Rob Yates edged to wicketkeeper Lewis McManus and Zen Malik was lbw. Luke Procter then trapped Ed Barnard and Hamza Shaikh lbw.Davies, playing in the competition for the first time having not been signed up for The Hundred, and Smith rebuilt steadily with a stand of 109 in 16 overs. Smith reached 50 for the second time in List A cricket before dragging a reverse sweep at Rob Keogh on to his stumps.Vaansh Jani hammered Yuzvendra Chahal to point where George Bartlett took an excellent low catch but further support for Davies came from Lintott in a stand of 82 in 17 overs during which the club captain reached a 104-ball century to warm applause from the excellent crowd at the lovely outground.Lintott hoisted Chahal to long off and Davies missed a scoop at Domnic Leech and was bowled but Booth and Tazeem added 55 from the last 29 balls to take Warwickshire close to the 300 which appeared about par.The Steelbacks reached 30 without loss but then lost two wickets in seven balls as Ricardo Vasconcelos lifted Olly Hannon-Dalby to mid off and Aadi Sharma spliced Barnard to extra cover. McManus set down roots but Tazeem flighted a beauty on to his off-stump. When Tim Robinson middled a cut at Barnard but fell to a stunning catch by Malik, it was 73 for 4.Bartlett and Broad kept the Steelbacks in the game with a stand of 80 in 15 overs but Tazeem returned to dismiss them both in successive overs. Bartlett chose the wrong ball to pull and was bowled middle stump. Broad reverse-swept straight to short third.Keogh emulated Broad and when Leech flicked Tazeem to midwicket, the England Under 19s spinner had his five-for and his team had the win they needed after starting with a defeat at Scarborough.
He has been ruled out of keeping wicket in the ongoing Test match, and will bat only if required
Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jul-2025
Rishabh Pant winces in pain after hurting his foot•Getty Images
Rishabh Pant is set to miss the remainder of the Test series against England with the right-foot injury he suffered on the opening day of the fourth Test now confirmed to be a fracture. The BCCI said that Pant will not keep wicket in the rest of the Test and will bat “as per team requirements”.* Dhruv Jurel will keep wicket for India for the rest of the Test.The fracture is understood to be of the metatarsal bone in the right foot. The initial diagnosis is that Pant would need six-to-eight weeks’ rest. Clips captured by fans outside the India team hotel in Manchester showed Pant’s right foot in a moonboot.The injury took place during the second session of play when Pant tried to reverse-sweep a delivery from Chris Woakes, which he ended up inside-edging onto his foot. He was in visible pain, and the affected spot swelled up immediately. Pant had to retire hurt – he was on 37 at the time – and went off the ground on a golf buggy. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Pant underwent scans soon after, which revealed the fracture.Related
The bravery and the outrageousness of Rishabh Pant
The England players, having missed the edge, went up in appeal for lbw, even as Pant reacted to the pain. He survived the lbw shout and the subsequent review, but the swelling and his inability to put any weight on the foot were visible.Pant, India’s wicketkeeper and vice-captain, was taken to the medical facility at the ground first, and captain Shubman Gill went to enquire about his well-being there. Pant was taken to a hospital after that.Liam Dawson, the England spinner, said at the end of the day’s play that he “can’t see him [Pant] playing much more part in this game”. B Sai Sudharsan, who was the non-striker at the time, said later, “Oh, he was in a lot of pain definitely.”This is the second injury he has sustained in as many Test matches, following a blow on his left index finger while keeping in England’s first innings at Lord’s. Jurel had substituted as India’s wicketkeeper for the rest of that Test as well.Pant’s innings of 37 off 48 balls was largely restrained but featured several characteristically outrageous shots, including a slog sweep for four off Jofra Archer, followed by an unsuccessful reverse sweep off the next ball.BCCI are yet to officially confirm Pant’s fracture and name a replacement for Pant for the fifth Test. During the two unofficial Tests between England Lions and India A, which preceded the England series, Ishan Kishan was the second wicketkeeper behind Jurel.*GMT 1100 Updated after the BCCI statement
One of the main criticisms of Aaron Judge’s career has been his inability to perform in the postseason––at least by his otherworldly standards. For all the greatness he displays throughout the regular season, putting up video game-like numbers and mashing home runs with relative ease, he simply hasn’t replicated that success in the playoffs.
This postseason, though still without a home run, Judge has looked more like his usual self. But with the Yankees staring down the barrel of a potential early playoff exit, will he have done enough to override the narrative about his vanishing act in October?
Aaron Judge’s past playoff struggles
Judge's postseason performances have been far from bad, but his curse is being the Yankees' best player, their captain (a role highly associated with postseason excellence in the 21st century) and a transcendental producer in the regular season.
His career regular-season OPS is 1.028. In the postseason, that drops all the way to 0.778 (excluding '25). Again, not bad, but Judge has set a standard for himself that is hard to keep up in general, much less in the postseason when the pressure is on and opposing pitchers are bringing their best stuff.
Frustratingly, Judge has also had some postseason runs where he's gone cold, especially for his standards. In the first three games of the 4 World Series, he mustered just one hit. He got no bases (meaning no hits walks) in the final two games of the '22 ALCS.
His fielding has generally been good, but in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series, he dropped a catchable fly ball for what would have been a third out, allowing the Dodgers offense to stay on the field. Despite the two outs, Judge’s error was followed by further mistakes, handing the Dodgers an opportunity to erase a five-run deficit that inning in what became L.A.’s closeout game.
How Judge has performed this postseason
So far this fall, Judge has appeared back to his normal self, for the most part. His OPS in five games this year 1.024, almost perfectly in-line with his career regular season average. The only thing missing is the home run. He has yet to hit one out of the park, a substantial part of his typical offensive repertoire.
Sometimes in big spots, Judge doesn’t get the to deliver on offense because opposing pitchers won’t give him hittable balls. That’s not been the case overall this postseason, with Judge failing to work a single walk in the first four games before finally registering two in their Game 2 loss to the Blue Jays in the ALDS.
While he has no glaring offensive struggles to point to, it’s still clear that Judge has not necessarily been his normal, dominant self at the plate.
Given the fact that he has only struck out twice, that means pitchers are getting him out on batted balls. His exit velocity is down about five miles per hour compared to the ‘25 regular season, his average launch angle down six degrees. His hard hit percentage has dropped from nearly 60% to 38% in this postseason.
Down 2–0, Judge and Yankees have every opportunity to show up big
The Yankees’ offense fell flat in the first two games of the ALDS, failing to get much of anything going against the Blue Jays. But their chance to grab some momentum in the series is coming, as they return to the Bronx for Game 3 (and potentially Game 4) at Yankee Stadium.
Historically, in the postseason, Judge has hit substantially better at home than he has on the road. In New York in October, Judge’s OPS (.861) is 140 points higher than it is on the road. He’ll be back in front of a raucous home crowd on Tuesday night, and he’ll know that the team is depending on him to deal some damage.
He could further swing the momentum back in the Yankees’ favor with his first home run of the playoffs, but he’ll be facing a pitcher he’s never recorded a hit against, let alone a homer, in Toronto’s starter Shane Bieber. If Judge truly wants to change the narrative about his postseason performances, and the Yankees want to live to see another day of October baseball, he, along with the rest of the team, has to deliver on Tuesday night.
Tottenham Hotspur have been something of a mixed bag this season, but at least the Londoners are well set for a prolonged period of success, having recruited a range of exciting young talents over the past few years.
While there are many teenage talents waiting in the wings, Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou before him have succeeded in integrating youth, with the average age of Tottenham’s starting 11 in the Premier League this season 25.2, as opposed to a 27-year-old average during the 2022/23 campaign.
Who could be a better purveyor of this new focus than Micky van de Ven? The 24-year-old has increasingly become a talismanic force for the Lilywhites.
How Van de Ven is becoming the main man at Spurs
Van de Ven isn’t quite a spring chicken, having racked up 51 Premier League appearances, but he’s still well before his prime as a centre-back, and he’s still emerging as a superstar for Tottenham.
The Dutch defender has been described as “world-class” by journalist Sonny Snelling, with his remarkable blend of athletic power and position-bending pace making him a force to be reckoned with.
It is crucial that Tottenham keep him in their ranks over the coming years, with few players more influential than him in the Premier League. It would be difficult for Spurs to sign an even better star to strengthen their backline, after all. Certainly, it would be difficult to find someone capable of mimicking the former Wolfsburg player’s dynamic skills.
Of course, Tottenham’s prudence and promotion of their academy talent has seen them land such a player already.
Spurs have signed a bigger talent than Van de Ven
Van de Ven is a unique profile, but then Tottenham have also signed a singular talent in Luka Vuskovic, with the 18-year-old bearing the skillset to become one of the Premier League’s finest.
Hailed as a “freak talent” and a “freak athlete” for his physical profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Vuskovic is currently plying his trade out on loan in Germany with Hamburger SV, with Spurs having wrapped up a deal for the youngster in 2023, yet to integrate him into the senior set-up.
While there is much work still to be done, the Croatian prospect has only increased the hype across his first few months in the Bundesliga, having established himself as a core part of Hamburg’s defence, who are 13th after ten matches.
Looking at how the teenager compares with Van de Ven this season, it’s easy to see why there is so much chatter around his name. You might even say Van de Ven is being outperformed by the younger man.
Translation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League can prove a hard task, but Vuskovic certainly has what it takes, and his physical attributes are only going to develop further over the coming years.
League Stats 25/26 – Van de Ven vs Vuskovic
Match Stats (* per game)
Van de Ven
Vuskovic
Matches (starts)
11 (11)
8 (8)
Goals
3
1
Assists
0
0
Clean sheets
3
2
Touches*
69.9
82.5
Accurate passes*
54.6 (92%)
53.0 (86%)
Chances created*
0.2
0.8
Dribbles*
0.3
0.3
Recoveries*
3.7
4.4
Tackles + interceptions*
2.3
1.6
Clearances*
3.4
9.8
Duels (won)*
3.1 (53%)
8.9 (72%)
Data via Sofascore
With this in mind, we might consider the 6 foot 4 teenager to have what it takes to become Tottenham’s leader at the rear, ahead of Van de Ven, ahead of Cristian Romero.
In fact, WhoScored believe that Vuskovic’s performances have been so impressive that he gets into the European Team of the Season so far, higher-rated, in fact, than Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes beside him.
Not just a warrior at the back, in the words of U23 scout Antonio Mango, much like Van de Ven, he is “turning into a goal machine” having netted seven goals on loan at Belgian side KVC Westerlo in 2024/25.
Though Vuskovic still has some developing to do, there’s no question that he’s a potential superstar, and if he does come to partner the Dutchman down the line, he might even outstrip him.
Spurs have their new Parrott in academy star who's been "compared to Kane"
This Tottenham Hotspur youngster could be a future star in North London despite his struggles this season.
Mohindru was recently disbarred over allegations that he had lied on his CV
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025Essex chair, Anu Mohindru, has stepped down from his position in the wake of allegations that he lied on his professional CV.Mohindru, who was appointed chair in 2023, was disbarred by the Barristers’ Tribunal Service last week after a five-day hearing, at which he was ordered to pay £55,000 in costs. Claims that he “deliberately exaggerated his academic achievements and qualifications” when applying for work dated back to 2012-13.Essex announced that Jason Gallian, the former England batter who currently chairs the club’s cricket committee, would step up as interim chair of the board, with Vicky Ford acting as his deputy.Related
Essex hit with £100,000 fine after being found guilty of systemic racism
Essex fined £50,000 after accepting historic racism charges
“Essex County Cricket Club can confirm that club chair Anu Mohindru has stood down as a board member with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement. “He informed the board of his decision at a meeting on Sunday.”Following the meeting the board has decided that Jason Gallian will act as interim chair whilst Vicky Ford will assume the position of interim deputy chair.”Essex County Cricket Club would like to place on record its thanks to Anu for his leadership and significant contribution during his time as chair of the club.”Mohindru’s appointment came in the wake of John Faragher being forced to step down as chair in 2021 over allegations that he had made a racist comment during a board meeting – for which the club was fined £50,000 by the ECB.
Spinner re-establishes himself despite Shoaib Bashir emergence as England’s coming man
Andrew Miller11-Oct-2024After a summer on the sidelines, and the sense that his England days were numbered, a familiar figure snuck back onto centre stage in the closing moments of the first Test in Multan.In a match that will be remembered for Harry Brook’s triple-century and his mountainous stand of 454 with Joe Root, up popped Jack Leach with a final-day four-for and seven wickets in all – which is as many as Pakistan’s entire attack managed throughout their own torrid time in the field.His efforts all Test long were unstinting: changing his line but almost never his length, looping the ball towards the batters’ front pads, nagging and knocking, waiting for the errors that eventually came in a rush in the second innings, or for the miniscule signs of misbehaviour in the surface that were never as forthcoming as Pakistan made them seem in their fraught second innings.Related
Leach four-for consigns Pakistan to historic innings defeat
Stats – Rare England innings win in Asia, Pakistan losing streak continues
England ready for 'result wickets' after dishing out Multan mauling
England further expose Pakistan's mental and tactical fragility
Abrar in hospital after falling ill during Multan Test
In a five-day game of patience, Leach’s match haul of 7 for 190 in 46.5 overs was, quite literally, the matchwinning performance, without which Brook’s and Root’s efforts would simply have been gargantuan acts of stats-padding, rather than integral factors in another of England’s most memorable overseas wins.And Leach has previous for such contributions too. Remarkably, this latest victory was his 11th in 14 Tests in Asia – placing him behind only Shane Warne (13) and his own team-mate Root (12) as the most successful visiting player on the subcontinent. It’s a run that began with his key role in the 2018 triumph in Sri Lanka, and now includes 22 wickets in four consecutive wins in Pakistan, on some of the flattest surfaces ever conceived.Even if it could be argued that his record in the region is enhanced by his absence, through injury, from the sharp end of this year’s 4-1 defeat in India, then the flip-side of that record is worth an airing too. Since 2014, England have played 14 Tests in Asia without Leach in their ranks. They’ve won one, against Bangladesh in 2016, and lost 11 of the other 13.”He fits in like a glove,” Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, told Sky Sports shortly after the match. “Obviously he’s toured here before, he’s toured India before … he knows how to bowl in these conditions. He’s been great to have back around.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIt wasn’t a given that Leach would find a route back into England’s Test plans, however, with England’s thinking currently geared towards the 2025-26 Ashes, and the identification of a bowling attack with the right “attributes” to thrive Down Under. Shoaib Bashir, with his high release point and an ability to drive the ball into the pitch to a degree that Leach cannot hope to match, is one such bowler. For all of his obvious rawness, a degree of fast-tracking has been in order to justify such a selectorial punt in the first place.It’s a point that Leach himself acknowledged last month, when speaking in the wake of his 12-wicket haul for Somerset against Durham in the County Championship – though he also stressed he was ready to answer the call, having demonstrated across 71.4 hard-toiling overs at Taunton that his fitness was fully restored after the knee surgery in February that had delayed his entry to the season.In light of all that has gone before, Leach would be entitled to look slightly askance at the returns in the match just gone. Despite his three five-fors in ten Tests, all before the age of 21, the sense that Bashir is a work in progress was plain to see at Multan, where he claimed a solitary wicket in 38 overs and proved particularly ineffectual in the second innings.Nasser Hussain, on Sky Sports, remarked that Bashir’s line has persistently been too straight in recent Tests, with right-handers finding it all too easy to manipulate his offbreaks through the leg side with impunity, although the dangers of offering width on such flat decks were amply demonstrated by Brook’s and Root’s demolition of Abrar Ahmed prior to his untimely exit from the contest.Leach, by contrast, had no such concerns, with his lower, skiddier trajectory keeping the stumps in play as he dared his opponents to blink first, as was the case with the non-turning delivery that thumped Salman Agha on the pad to prise England’s first opening on the final morning. Two wickets in three balls then mopped up the resistance, to offer Leach’s figures the late massage that his endeavours had earned.”I’m really happy for Jack, taking that last wicket today,” Pope said. “He spent a while out of the team and credit to him for how he’s come back and he’s bowled his heart out. He’s had a bit of bad luck over the last couple of years along the way, so I couldn’t be happier for him.Shoaib Bashir has been preferred to Leach in recent home Tests•Getty Images”I think the way that him and Shoaib Bashir can complement each other throughout the rest of the series is really exciting as well,” Pope added. “They’ve obviously got slightly different skillsets and can challenge batters in different areas as well. I know Shoaib didn’t get his rewards this week, but I’m sure he will over the course of this series.”Leach’s experience is valuable in other ways too. In a team in transition, he is one of the Bazball OGs – the only one left in the bowling attack, in fact, now that James Anderson and Stuart Broad have retired, and with Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood also missing from the team that won 3-0 on these pitches two years ago.Chris Woakes is the nominal leader of England’s attack, and bowled more impressively than his unflattering match haul of 2 for 110 would suggest. But in maintaining the continuity of the team’s approach across conditions, and with Pope continuing to deputise for Ben Stokes, Leach’s status as one of Stokes’ most trusted acolytes should not be under-stated. The lessons that Stokes imparted in his first summer as captain in 2022, when he memorably encouraged Leach to embrace his opponents’ attacking exploits and reaped the rewards with a matchwinning ten-for at Headingley, are all the likelier to be passed onto Bashir with a senior partner to show him the way.”It’s been great to have Jack back in and around the squad,” Pope said. “You know exactly what you’re going to get from him as a bowler. He’s obviously a very experienced bowler. He’s taken a fair few Test wickets now, and played a lot of first-class cricket too. He’s been awesome to have back around.”Woakes added: “For him to come back in and perform the way he has in this Test match is incredible. Again on a flat surface which didn’t offer much for the spinners either. It was amazing for him to do what he’s done – and just show his character but also his skill as well. He’s been there and done it a lot for England and to come back after a bit of time away after not being selected is an incredible effort.”