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KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah have made comebacks to India’s Test squad for the two-match series in South Africa. Ajinkya Rahane has been dropped, while Virat Kohli, who opted out of the white-ball leg of the tour, is part of the squad led by Rohit Sharma.Mohammed Shami, who was rested for India’s last Test series, in the West Indies in July, is also back, but his inclusion is subject to fitness – the BCCI release announcing the squad said the fast bowler was “currently undergoing medical treatment”.The series will also mark Rahul Dravid’s first Test assignment in his second stint as India’s head coach after his contract was extended on Wednesday.With Rahul included as a wicketkeeping option, there was no place in the squad for KS Bharat, who was one of two keepers in the West Indies, where he slipped behind Ishan Kishan in the pecking order. Until that tour, India had preferred Bharat over Kishan, both for the home series against Australia and the World Test Championship final at The Oval.Also left out from the squad that toured West Indies are fast bowlers Jaydev Unadkat and Navdeep Saini, while fellow quick Mukesh Kumar, who made his debut during that series, keeps his place.Bumrah last played a Test more than 17 months ago, against England in Birmingham. Since returning from a back injury that kept him out for over a year, Bumrah has slowly built up his workload across white-ball formats.He returned to action this August on the tour of Ireland, and spearheaded India’s pace attack at the 2023 World Cup, where he was the tournament’s fourth highest wicket-taker. Rahul and Iyer are also returning to Test cricket following long injury layoffs after last playing the format during the Border-Gavaskar series at home in February-March.Iyer’s return left no place for Rahane, who was India’s Test vice-captain on the tour of the Caribbean in July, an elevation that came on the back of an excellent outing in the WTC final against Australia at The Oval. Rahane’s two subsequent innings in the Caribbean yielded scores of 3 and 8.Yashasvi Jaiswal, a breakout star with a hundred on Test debut in the West Indies, is expected to open alongside Rohit with Shubman Gill continuing to bat at No. 3. Like in the Caribbean, Ruturaj Gaikwad pipped Abhimanyu Easwaran as the reserve opener.Easwaran will have an opportunity to strengthen his credentials, having been named in the Bharat-led India A squad for both the four-day games against South Africa A as well as in the expanded pool of Indian players for the intra-squad three-dayer. His inclusion, however, is subject to fitness.The selectors have also handpicked Delhi fast-bowling allrounder Harshit Rana, Karnataka seamer Vidwath Kaverappa and Rajasthan left-arm spinner Manav Suthar for the four-dayers, on the back of their domestic performances. Rana and Suthar also impressed for India A during the Emerging Nations’ Asia Cup in July, and are part of a wider pool of players that have been earmarked by the NCA. Also in the mix for the red-ball games are prolific Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan and Tilak Varma.India are scheduled to play two Tests in South Africa, in Centurion from December 26 and in Cape Town from January 3. The series is India’s second in the 2023-2025 cycle of the World Test Championship, after the two-Test series in West Indies in July, which India won 1-0. After the series in South Africa, India return home to host England for five Tests, which are also part of the WTC cycle.The last time India played a Test series in South Africa was during the Covid-19 pandemic in December and January 2021-2022. India won the first Test in Centurion, before South Africa won in Johannesburg and Cape Town to take the series 2-1.

India’s Test squad for South Africa

Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Prasidh Krishna. India A squad for the first four-day match: Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran*, Devdutt Padikkal, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat (C)(wk), Dhruv Jurel, Shardul Thakur, Pulkit Narang, Sourabh Kumar, Manav Suthar, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Tushar Deshpande. India A squad for second four-day match: Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran*, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KS Bharat (C)(wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Akash Deep, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Navdeep Saini.

علق نصر أبو الحسن رئيس نادي الإسماعيلي، على معاناة الدراويش من عدة أزمات خلال السنوات الماضية وتراجع أداء ونتائج الفريق، موضحًا خطة النادي بالاعتماد على اللاعبين الشباب في الفترة المقبلة.

وتنطلق منافسات الموسم الجديد للدوري المصري، يوم 8 أغسطس 2025، وتستمر حتى نهاية شهر مايو 2026.

وقال نصر أبو الحسن في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون سبورت2: “على مدار 5 سنوات، كانت الأمور غير مستقرة والنتائج متراجعة، ومشكلة الدروايش لم تكن مجرد سوء نتائج فقط، بل كان النادي مثقلًا بقضايا دولية بلغت 15 قضية بقيمة 9 ملايين دولار”.

وأكمل: “للتخلص من هذه القضايا، كان علينا أن نضحي ببعض الأمور، وفي حال عدم حل هذه القضايا، كنا سنواجه عقوبات أشد من إيقاف القيد، تبدأ بخصم 6 نقاط وتنتهي بالهبوط إلى الدرجة الأدنى”.

طالع | ميلود حمدي: وافقت على تدريب الإسماعيلي لسبب واحد.. ويوجه رسالة إلى الجماهير

وتابع: “لو تجاهلنا القضايا الدولية، كان من الممكن أن يصدر قرارا بهبوطنا إلى درجة أدنى، لذا كان من الضروري المخاطرة والعمل على بيع اللاعبين المتواجدين والتخلص من العقوبات الدولية، لأن تأثيرها كان قد يؤدي إلى إغلاق النادي”.

وأردف: “باللاعبين الشباب يمكننا تقديم موسم جيد، ولقد تعاقدنا مع مدير فني جديد يمتلك إمكانيات عالية جدًا، وقد لاحظت روحًا في التدريبات لم أرها خلال الموسمين الماضيين، وهذا أمر مبشر”.

وأتم: “لا توجد مشكلات حاليًا في النادي تسببنا فيها نحن، ونعمل على حل المشكلات، وقد تمكنا من حل الكثير منها، ولم يتبقَ سوى أمور بسيطة جدًا، وسننتهي من كل ذلك قريبًا”.

Mic'd Up: The ESPN FC analyst spoke about all things Club World Cup and the state of soccer in America

Herculez Gomez is bullish on the Club World Cup.

One reason is because he played in the tournament, once upon a time – 15 years ago, he was part of a Pachuca team representing CONCACAF in Abu Dhabi against the best in the world, making Gomez one of the few American stars to ever really experience the competition in its prior format.

Much has changed. In Gomez's era, just seven teams competed. This summer, 32 teams from all over the world arrived in the United States to fight for recognition, prestige and, ultimately, a whole bunch of money. The tournament has evolved – and you can count Gomez among those who are enjoying the early phases of this new-look competition.

"You see fans on beaches in Miami, Boca fans," Gomez tells GOAL. "You see the Palmeiras fans. You see Botafogo taking over. You see all of these crazy things and it's awesome. This is what it's all about. This is what gets you excited for the World Cup in a year, too."

The former U.S. men's national team striker, who has plenty to say about the state of that program, has personal connections to this Club World Cup. Two of his former clubs, Pachuca and the Seattle Sounders, are in the field representing CONCACAF, just as Gomez did in 2010. Both lost to European competition in their opening matches, and now face big tests in the games to come.

The ESPN FC analyst will be among those watching on as the tournament continues as one hell of an appetizer ahead of a big summer of 2026.

Gomez discussed the Club World Cup, his own experience in the tournament, and his expectations for American soccer in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

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  ON MLS IN THE CLUB WORLD CUP

  GOAL: We have the Club World Cup going on and, while the expectations around the MLS teams were somewhat low, all three put on decent showings in their first games. Looking big picture, what does it mean for MLS, and what are your expectations for what the league can get out of this?

  GOMEZ: So Seattle, I watched that game and I thought they were unfortunate in the end! I thought that the Copa Libertadores champions were begging for the final whistle. That's how bad it was at the end for Botafogo. As far as MLS is concerned, I think they've done better than expected. LAFC played the Conference League champions, Chelsea, a team that has spent $1 billion in the last, I don't know, five years. They were respectable.

  The Seattle Sounders, they could have tied that game, but it slipped away. Probably should have gotten a better result. Inter Miami, they got fortunate because they were played off the park in the first half, But they could have stolen it! Messi almost single-handedly won them that game. So I've been extremely pleased with what I've seen from the Major League Soccer teams.

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  ON THE CLUB WORLD CUP AS A WHOLE

  GOAL: Thoughts on the tournament as a whole? There's so much to discuss with attendance, results, culture, etc. What are your general thoughts?

  GOMEZ: I'm a big believer in this tournament. I played in the Club World Cup in 2010 with Pachuca when it was seven teams, when you had to be one of the elite in your region to get there. But I'm cheering for the Club World Cup. I've been extremely pleased with what I've seen so far – 80,000 (fans) in Pasadena, 60,000 at Hard Rock. These are great numbers. You're seeing the ref cam, which I'm a big believer in, and it seems the players are taking this seriously. The clubs are taking it seriously. The fans are showing up.

  Granted, there have been games like the one in Atlanta with Chelsea and LAFC, but I think that's unfair because LAFC are the only MLS team playing outside of their venue. I understand that, but I've enjoyed it. You look at Boca vs Benfica and the players are fighting with each other because they want to win, so I'm on board there.

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  ON HIS CLUB WORLD CUP EXPERIENCE

  GOAL: You did play in this tournament, even if it was very different at the time. What are your memories from that experience?

  GOMEZ: It was great. It was Abu Dhabi in 2010 and it was big for me in the sense that I was just coming off a World Cup in that same year, and then I'm going to play in the Club World Cup. You're thinking, "Wow, this is great!" It's Inter, Jose Mourinho had just left, but it was his treble-winning Inter. Brazil's Internacional were there.

  Pachuca, we felt like we were doing something big, but then you get to the stadium and we're facing an African team in the first game, Mazembe, but there were probably – I don't know the official count – but there were maybe 12,000 people there and it felt like 1,000 because of the size of the stadium. It didn't feel like this grand moment. So now, I'm looking at these games and, I know it's Messi, but they're playing Al-Ahli and there are Egyptian fans in the stadium. I'm thinking to myself, "Wow, this feels like an event."

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  ON THE RISE OF SOCCER IN AMERICA

  GOAL: This is just the latest big summer for American soccer. We had the Copa America last year, Club World Cup and Gold Cup this year and, of course, the World Cup coming next year. What do you think the impact of all of this is going to be? Is this a period where things really are going to change?

  GOMEZ: If the 1994 World Cup, which is still the most successful World Cup yet, is anything to go by, this will change the dynamic. That resulted in the birth of a domestic league and basically everything we have now is because of the '94 World Cup. This can take it even further. It could be the rocket fuel. That said, it would really help if the U.S. men's national team makes a run, just for the growth in this country, to inspire millions of kids to take things to that next level.

  I work Monday to Friday on ESPN Deportes, and we talk about all sports – but mainly soccer. And I have a colleague who says, "The U.S. is not a soccer country." He's wrong. The U.S. is a soccer country. Not everyone will follow or support the USMNT, not everyone will follow or support MLS. But you see the massive amounts of numbers that come out to games, whether that's friendlies, ICC, Club World Cup, whatever the case may be. You see the number of people who watch the Champions League or the World Cup in the States. You see who purchases soccer content, soccer merchandise.

  We are, by far, a soccer country. We may not yet be a USMNT country or an MLS country, but this is a soccer country. And this is before the explosion of the 2026 World Cup, with that expanded field. This has the potential to go down as the biggest sporting event ever to take place.

Danni Wyatt’s magnificent half-century set a Kia Oval crowd of 20,328 – and this Ashes series – alight before England’s bowlers combined to protect a lofty total and topple the mighty Australians by three runs in their second T20I.Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley had set the hosts off to a fast start with a 57-run opening partnership. A flurry of wickets had them in trouble at 119 for 6 but then Sophie Ecclestone’s cameo of 22 off just 12 balls, including stands worth 31 each with both Wyatt and Sarah Glenn, helped lift England to 186 for 9, their highest T20I score against Australia. It was also the second-highest total ever conceded by the Australians in the format, behind the 187 for 5 in December against India, who won that match in a Super Over, Australia’s only other T20I defeat in their past 25 completed matches.England withstood some early pressure when Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney set Australia off to a superior start, but spinners Ecclestone and Glenn claimed two wickets apiece and the visitors couldn’t get over the line despite Ellyse Perry’s brave unbeaten half-century. The hosts came into the match needing to win all five remaining matches to wrest back the Ashes and, having won five on the trot to reach the final of the 50-over World Cup last year after dropping their first three games, this victory could just have them daring to dream, trailing 6-2 but with eight more points up for grabs.

Wyatt on the charge

Australia gifted Dunkley a life on 13 when she skied Megan Schutt high to cover and while Tahlia McGrath sat under it, the ball slid between her hands, the most dramatic of a rash of misfields early in England’s innings. Wyatt helped herself to back-to-back boundaries off Ashleigh Gardener, over mid-off and threaded through third, and at the end of the powerplay England were 54 without loss in a vast improvement on their 36 for 2 in the opening T20I at Edgbaston, which Australia won by four wickets with one ball to spare. McGrath juggled another chance off Dunkley and her relief was palpable when she held on this time as Dunkley departed for 23.Nat Sciver-Brunt was also on 23 when Gardner, whom she’d reverse-swept sublimely for four earlier, had her caught at long-on but Wyatt carried on, bringing up her half-century off 36 balls when she swung a Perry’s short ball wide of midwicket for a one-bounce four. When Schutt conceded 25 off the 16th over, Wyatt was the chief destroyer, slapping the first ball to the rope through point as Schutt overstepped followed by three more boundaries in a row and five wides off what should have been the last ball of the over to Ecclestone adding to the Australians’ pain. Wyatt eventually fell for a when she holed out to deep third off Annabel Sutherland.Annabel Sutherland struck twice in two balls•Getty Images

Sutherland strikes

Sutherland swung the momentum Australia’s way when she claimed two wickets in as many balls as England slid from 100 for 1 to 109 for 4. Alice Capsey fell for her second straight single-figure score of the series attempting to hook Sutherland only to send a top edge high towards short fine leg, wicketkeeper Healy moving calmly back to take it. Then Heather Knight, playing her 100th T20I, was bowled first ball, a gem of a cross-seam delivery that angled in from wide of the crease, straightened and pegged back off stump.Amy Jones survived the hat-trick ball, digging out the yorker on leg stump, but then Sutherland took an excellent diving catch at running round from wide long-on and England had lost four wickets for 12 runs in the space of 13 balls. Ecclestone and Glenn had the crowd roaring, particularly when Ecclestone peeled off 4, 6, 4 off McGrath as England recovered to 181 for 8 and it took a stunning catch by Darcie Brown at short third off Gardner to remove Glenn.

Australia beatable

It looked like Australia would do what they have done so often when openers Healy and Mooney guided them to 58 without loss in the powerplay, with Healy impressive on 37 off 18 including two huge sixes off Sciver-Brunt in the fifth over, over wide long-on and in front of square leg. But she failed to add to her score when legspinner Glenn came into the attack in the seventh over and struck second ball, taking the pace off as Healy looked to go over short fine leg and exposed her stumps as the ball crashed into middle. McGrath was run-out when Charlie Dean gathered a ball that dropped just short of extra cover and fired it in to wicketkeeper Jones, who threw down the stumps. Danielle Gibson, who made her debut in the opening match at Edgbaston, claimed her maiden international wicket when Mooney picked out Wyatt at deep midwicket.Ecclestone had Gardner out to the simplest return catch imaginable to claim her 100th wicket in T20Is, becoming the fastest to the milestone from just 72 matches as Australia slumped to 75 for 4. After 12 overs, Australia needed to score at 11.5 an over and Dean, the offspinner who came in as the only change for either side after the opening match replacing seamer Freya Davies, bowled Grace Harris to keep England on top. Georgia Wareham threatened with a four followed immediately by two sixes off Dean in the 18th over but, needing 31 off the final two overs, Lauren Bell, who had been expensive, bowled Wareham with eight balls remaining. Australia needed 20 off the last over and while Perry kept fighting to the end, her 51 not out off 27 balls wasn’t enough.

Tawanda Muyeye and Daniel-Bell Drummond set batting milestones as Kent dominated on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with hosts Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Zimbabwean Muyeye cracked a stylish maiden first-class hundred complete with four huge sixes on his way to 179 while the more experienced Bell-Drummond inked in a new career-best of 271 not out, eclipsing his 206 not out against Loughborough University at Canterbury seven years ago. Bell-Drummond’s individual tally set a record for a Kent batsman at Wantage Road, beating Frank Wooley’s 217 back in 1926.The pair added 318 for the second wicket as the visitors piled up 550 for 5 by stumps, a lead of 313.On what was a tough day for a weary-looking Northamptonshire attack, Alex Russell and Ben Sanderson emerged from the onslaught with two wickets apiece.Bell-Drummond set the tone, on-driving the first ball of the day back past the stumps for four, but it wasn’t long before Muyeye took centre-stage.The 22-year-old, who originally arrived on these shores with his mother as an asylum seeker, showed his promise as a schoolboy at Eastbourne where he set records for the number of runs scored (1112) and sixes hit (56) in his first season.Initially with Sussex, he signed for Kent in 2021, scoring 89 against Middlesex at the end of that season as the hosts chased down a target of 375 in the fourth innings.Nevertheless, with England man Zak Crawley at the top of the order, his opportunities have been limited, so this was only his 13th first-class appearance, but there would be nothing unlucky about it.Tawanda Muyeye plays into the off side•Getty Images

Muyeye picked up where he’d left off on day one, using the long levers of his tall slender frame to showcase an elegant technique mixed with power, dismissing a short one from Sanderson to the mid-wicket boundary before despatching long hops from Jack White and Alex Russell to the square leg fence.A single to deep cover took him beyond that previous career-best against Middlesex and there were no nervous 90s either, a huge six over mid-on taking him to the brink of that maiden hundred which duly came minutes later courtesy of another half-tracker pulled to the fence.Off came the helmet amid a joyous celebration from a talented young player who’d played with the exuberance of someone enjoying a Sunday afternoon game in the park with his mates. He celebrated the milestone with a glorious straight six off White which raised the 200-stand.Bell-Drummond was less exuberant, but continued his rich vein of form in June, a 12th four carrying him to three figures in a wicketless first session for the hosts.The pair forged on after the interval, Muyeye plundering a third six, he’d only hit one in first-class cricket before today. The stand moved beyond 300 and the 2nd wicket record against Northamptonshire of 382 set by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly looked in sight before the youngster mishit Russell into the hands of Sanderson at cover.Such was the charm with which he’d played, that his departure took some of the sunshine out of the cricket, Denly and Jack Leaning falling cheaply either side of the second new ball, the latter to a sharply spinning delivery from Rob Keogh which bowled him through the gate.Bell-Drummond though picked up the mantle, a glorious straight drive taking him past his previous Championship-best of 166. His first Championship double hundred complete with 20 fours came soon after tea, and four through mid-wicket off White enabled him to chalk up the new career-best landmark.Jordan Cox kept him company either side of tea with an ebullient 41 in a stand of 106 before being castled by the persevering Sanderson.Bell-Drummond however batted through to stump and a triple century beckons on day three.

Ex-Germany stars Lothar Matthaus and Didi Hamann have claimed that Florian Wirtz will become a fan favourite at Liverpool after he joins the club.

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• Wirtz set to reject Bayern for Liverpool
• Matthaus and Hamann understand decision
• Hamann feels that Wirtz will be Liverpool favourite

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wirtz has been one of Europe's most sought-after players ever since the German youngster starred in Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga title win last season. Manchester City and Bayern Munich had been discussed as the most likely destination for Wirtz, however, progress has been made over the last few weeks by Liverpool to sign him, and they have reportedly agreed on personal terms with the 22-year-old.

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  Matthaus and Hamann have claimed that they understand why Wirtz has seemingly decided to reject the opportunity to stay in Germany with Bayern Munich in favour of heading to Liverpool. The former Bayern stars have also claimed that Wirtz could become a fan favourite at Anfield in the coming years.

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  WHAT MATTHAUS AND HAMANN SAID

  Speaking with , Matthaus said: "He's taking on a big challenge. It's not just a new club. It's a new mentality, a new language. But: This step also shows that he's not afraid. Florian Wirtz believes in himself 100 percent – and rightly so. I have absolute confidence in him that he will succeed at Liverpool and in the Premier League."

  Hamann then interjected: "Liverpool is a global club. They demonstrated that during the negotiations. We've had contact for a long time, and we've never heard anything. That certainly impressed the Wirtz family as well. Discreet, quiet, everything in the background."

  Speculating about why Wirtz rejected Bayern, Hamann added: "Perhaps that was also a consideration: At FC Bayern, Jamal Musiala is actually the number 10. Perhaps he doesn't want to share the position."

  Matthaus also speculated about the reasons for Wirtz's rejection, saying: "Liverpool doesn't yet have that kind of game-changing player in his position."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ?

  Wirtz is set to seal the deal with Liverpool soon, as the Premier League champions are said to be in the final part of their discussions with Bayer Leverkusen.

Meanwhile, Mark Chapman has earned his maiden New Zealand Cricket contract

Deivarayan Muthu18-Dec-2022Canterbury allrounder Henry Shipley has earned his maiden call-up to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming ODIs tours to Pakistan and India. Kane Williamson will lead the side in Pakistan, but will not be part of the following ODI series in India.Head coach Gary Stead, bowling coach Shane Jurgensen and newly appointed Test captain Tim Southee will return home after the Pakistan tour along with Williamson to prepare for the home Test series against England in February 2023.Mark Chapman earns maiden NZC contract

Mark Chapman has earned his maiden New Zealand Cricket central contract. He will be filling the vacancy left by Martin Guptill, who was released from the contract in November.
Chapman made his debut for New Zealand in 2018 having played for Hong Kong before. He has played 22 T20Is and five ODIs for New Zealand so far, making 381 runs and 111 runs in the formats respectively. He was also part of the last two T20 World Cup campaigns. He has played 128 games for Auckland in the domestic circuit.
“We’re delighted to have Mark join the central contract list after being there or thereabouts for a while,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “He’s a fine player and we like the versatility and innovation he brings to his batting. “He’s a guy with a lot of talent and we see him being a big part of future BlackCaps squads.”

In the absence of Williamson and Stead, Tom Latham and current batting coach Luke Ronchi will take charge of the ODI squad in India. Ronchi will also act as the head coach for the T20I series in India and will be assisted by Bob Carter, the former New Zealand Women coach, and Paul Wiseman, the former New Zealand spinner who was also recently part of the coaching group of the New Zealand A side that had visited India earlier this year.Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, though, continues to be unavailable for selection, as he works his way back from a back injury. Jamieson has not played for New Zealand since the Nottingham Test in June earlier this year.Batting allrounder Mark Chapman and seamer Jacob Duffy have been included in the squad for only the India tour as New Zealand continue to manage the workloads of their players and staff.Legspinner Ish Sodhi and Henry Nicholls, who had been omitted for the squad for the home ODI series against India, have both been recalled for the ODIs tours of Pakistan and India. Sodhi will work with Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips in the spin attack.Shipley, 26, is the only new face in the squad. The pace-bowling allrounder can hit the deck with the ball and hit boundaries with the bat lower down the order. His towering frame (1.96 metre) could potentially give New Zealand’s attack a point of difference in the subcontinent.In November at home, Shipley took career-best List A figures of 6 for 40,including a hat-trick in the Ford Trophy opener for Canterbury against Wellington. It was the the first hat-trick for Canterbury and only fourth overall in 52 years of the tournament.Shipley continued his strong form in the Ford Trophy and is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 12 strikes in five games at an economy rate of 4.20. Earlier in last season’s 20-over Super Smash, he had emerged as the top wicket-taker, with 18 scalps in 11 games at an economy rate of 7.25 in Canterbury’s run to the final, where they lost to Northern Districts.”Henry’s an exciting talent who we’ve had our eye on for a while,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “He’s taken his game to another level in the past 12 months, and we’re delighted to see his progression given how valuable genuine all-rounders are in any cricket team.”It’s encouraging to see players putting their hands up in our domestic competitions and their performances being rewarded with selection for the national team.”After bagging that Ford Trophy hat-trick, Shipley attributed his recent success to his greater self-confidence. “Probably a bit of confidence over the last couple of years. Been working reasonably hard on a few different things, especially my bowling,” he had said. “Trying to be a bit more effective and I guess and take wickets. And on batting – I’ve always had the self-belief but it’s just biding your time and earning the right to get into the allrounder’s position.”The three-match ODI series in Pakistan begins on January 10 and will run up to January 14. The India tour begins four days later with the first ODI in Hyderabad and will run up to February 1. The squad for the three-match T20I series will be named in January after the opening rounds of the Super Smash.Squad: Kane Williamson (capt – only for Pakistan ODIs), Tom Latham (capt – India ODIs), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (India ODIs only), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy (India ODIs only), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (Pakistan ODIs only).

Cesc Fabregas pointed out the similarities between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho as the Como coach revealed his relationship with Arsene Wenger.

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Fabregas opened up on his footballing gurusSpoke extensively on Conte, Mourinho & GuardiolaLabelled Wenger as "the best" he has had Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Fabregas, known for orchestrating play in midfield throughout his illustrious playing career, is now carving out his path in management with Italian club Como. Drawing from a deep well of experience under some of football's most iconic managers, the Spaniard has embraced the challenge of leading a team from the dugout with notable maturity and insight.

Since stepping into the role at Como, Fabregas has managed to stabilise the club in their return season to Italy’s top flight. Sitting comfortably in the mid-table, the club has shown resilience and growth under his leadership, evidence of a promising managerial future.

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Reflecting on the influences that have shaped his own coaching style, Fabregas spoke openly about his admiration for three of the most successful managers he has worked with: Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Antonio Conte. While each has distinct tactical philosophies, Fabregas highlighted the common thread that binds them together – their relentless pursuit of success.

WHAT FABREGAS SAID

In an interview with Fabregas said: "Conte is a phenomenon, a phenomenon. I have learned so much from him. From his methodology and, above all, from his constant message, from his idea. Mourinho and Guardiola are different? On the field, perhaps, but off it, they are sick of victory; they have an incredible winning mentality and a notable ability to transfer it to the team. Antonio is made of the same stuff.”

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Yet, among all the managers who have left their mark on Fabregas, Arsène Wenger holds a special place. Having given Fabregas his big break at Arsenal, the Frenchman continues to have a profound impact on his former player.

"Wenger is the best I have had," he said. "Especially now, in this, my beginning as a coach, he is an important and very present figure. He always writes to me after every game.”

West Ham United chiefs are growing concerned over one player’s form behind-the-scenes, which has even prompted manager Graham Potter and co to make summer transfer plans.

West Ham set for extended break after FA Cup defeat

Potter’s side won’t be in action this weekend after Aston Villa knocked them out of the FA Cup third round, meaning the Hammers are currently enjoying a break before their next Premier League clash at home to Brentford next weekend.

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It has been an impressive start to life in the dugout for Potter, despite some results going against West Ham, with their overall performances going on a real upward trajectory when compared to Julen Lopetegui’s time in charge.

West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Brentford (home)

February 15th

Arsenal (away)

February 22nd

Leicester City (home)

February 27th

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Everton (away)

March 15th

They were arguably unlucky not to come away from Stamford Bridge with at least a point against Chelsea, and they even took a lead in the first-half courtesy of captain Jarrod Bowen.

West Ham also strengthened in January by recalling midfielder James Ward-Prowse and signing striker Evan Ferguson on a temporary deal from Brighton. This time off will allow Ferguson in particular to settle into his surroundings, with Potter thrilled by both men’s arrivals in east London.

“I’m happy,” said Potter on Ferguson and Ward-Prowse.

“The players that we’ve got out at the moment are significant for us. When we get them back — which we will, hopefully, soon — that makes a difference to us. To get the two characters that we did, Evan and James, I think they will help the team improve training every day.

“I think he’s [Ferguson] had a few weeks off and then played 20 minutes or so at the weekend. We’ve got some time now until the next game, so we’ll help him in training.

“That’s our challenge now: to make sure that he’s fit, that he’s helpful, and that he’s enjoying his football, because he’s a talent.”

West Ham's transfer plan amid worries over Emerson Palmieri

However, it is not all plane sailing at Rush Green right now, with £95,000-per-week left-back Emerson Palmieri attracting internal criticism.

According to former senior Irons scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, West Ham are worried over Emerson’s form, so much so that they’re planning to sign a new left-back in the summer.

“They’ve brought in Wan-Bissaka who has done exceptionally well for them,” he told Football Insider.

“So their priority is on the other side, at left-back. I know they’re not 100% sold on Emerson, there have been concerns about his performances. Because of that, Wan-Bissaka has sometimes been forced to move over and play at left-back.

“They’re looking to bring in a new left-back to solve that problem. In terms of targets, I’m not sure, but I know it’s a position they’ve been looking at since before January, even though their focus was elsewhere in the window.

“I’d expect that to be a position they look to address in the summer.”

Liverpool are now preparing an offer for a “dangerous” winger who could be brought in to replace Mohamed Salah, and they are confident the bid would be accepted, according to a report.

Salah's future hanging in the balance

After the Reds made it seven wins in seven in the Champions League by defeating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday night, Salah once again made it clear he does not know whether he will sign a new deal to remain at Anfield, saying: “I’m not sure about that but I’ll give it my best.”

The forward later admitted he hopes reaching 50 goals in European competitions is not his final milestone as a Liverpool player, saying: “Hopefully not the last [milestone] but I’m very proud of it.

“I wasn’t focused on it before the game. [Lille] have a really good game plan and they were unbeaten for 21 games so they’re a quite tough team. I’m glad we managed to win that game.”

At the moment, it is anyone’s guess whether the 32-year-old extends his stay with Liverpool, meaning Arne Slot must now start considering potential replacements.

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According to reports from Spain, the player most likely to replace Salah at Anfield is Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, having been identified as a suitable target by Slot. Kubo has a release clause of €60m (£51m) in his Real Sociedad contract, but the Reds are trying to negotiate a deal of a different nature.

Slot’s side are now preparing a €50m (£42m) bid for the winger, in a deal that would also include Federico Chiesa, given that the Italian has failed to adapt to life in the Premier League. The Merseyside club are said to be confident their offer would be accepted by Sociedad.

Kubo impressing in La Liga

The Japanese attacker has been a key player for Sociedad for the past three seasons, most notably picking up nine goals and seven assists in La Liga during the 2022-23 campaign. Scout/Writer Ben Mattinson also praised the attacker for his versatility, goal threat and creativity last season.

At 23-years-old, the Sociedad star is still young and has time to develop, but he is already playing at a very high level, particularly impressing with his dribbling ability over the past year, ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

As such, if the nightmare scenario happens and Salah leaves Liverpool, Kubo could go some way to replacing him, although it is unlikely that any player will be able to immediately come in and record similar numbers to the Egyptian.