Category Uncategorized

Might Unai Emery be preparing for life at Aston Villa without mercurial striker Ollie Watkins?

The Englishman has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, according to a report from the Athletic earlier this week.

Ollie Watkins’ Aston Villa statistics

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

54

17

14

2023/24

53

27

15

2022/23

40

16

6

2021/22

36

11

2

2020/21

40

16

5

Via Transfermarkt

He is valued at around £60m by Villa and the report says that a deal would only develop towards the end of the transfer window.

Emery will be keen on bringing in a potential replacement or two should Watkins seek a move elsewhere, that’s for sure.

Could the Spaniard reignite a swoop for a player he was aiming to sign last summer?

Aston Villa’s search for a forward

Across the transfer window so far, Villa have been linked with various forwards. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson emerged as a target, as too Porto sensation Samu Aghehowa.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Much depends on how much Emery will need to spend to sign either one this summer, as the club could be priced out of moves for both.

As such, he has returned to a target whom the club came close to signing last summer. According to reports in Turkey (via Sport Witness), Villa are once again chasing a move for Semih Kılıçsoy, with talks having got underway.

The Besiktas forward looked like he could join Villa last year, but the Turkish outfit rejected their offer. 12 months later, however, the youngster might well seal his dream move.

Besiktas are looking for offers in the region of €15m (£13m) and this would allow Emery to sign a talented striker for a knockdown price. Could he become his new Watkins at Villa?

Why Aston Villa must sign Semih Kılıçsoy

Since joining Villa in 2020, the former Brentford striker has racked up 87 goals and 42 assists across 223 matches for the club.

Last season, he netted 16 Premier League goals, yet this was down from his tally of 19 the season prior.

He will turn 30 in December and if Emery can get £60m for him, it would be a shrewd piece of business.

Kılıçsoy, on the other hand, is only 19 and has an extraordinarily bright future ahead. He made his breakthrough in the 2023/24 campaign, registering 12 goals and three assists for Besiktas, emerging as one of the next big talents in European football.

Progress stalled slightly last term, as only eight goal involvements were recorded, but it looks as though a fresh start is required for the teenager.

Hailed as part of the “golden trio” alongside Mustafa Hekimoğlu and Demir Ege Tıknaz by talent scout Jacek Kulig in August 2024, Kılıçsoy has the potential to be a wonderful signing for Villa.

When compared to his peers in the Europa League last term, the Turkish starlet not only ranked in the top 12% for shot-creating actions (3.46), but he also ranked in the top 9% for successful take-ons (1.95) per 90 in the competition.

While goals and assists are his trademarks, the teenager can also dribble effortlessly into dangerous areas and create chances for others.

He is certainly still raw, but as long-term prospects go, Kılıçsoy is as exciting as they come.

Related Aston Villa now leading race for £17m defender; pushing to get deal done

The Villans are at the front of the queue for the signature of a player they have been scouting over the past few weeks.

Posts ByDominic Lund Jul 3, 2025

It’s been a funny old season for Tottenham Hotspur.

While the vast majority of the campaign has been nothing short of shambolic, especially in the Premier League, the fans are surely now the happiest in London following their Europa League triumph last week.

However, even though Ange Postecoglou was able to deliver the club their first trophy in 17 years, his job could still be under serious threat.

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, another manager in the Premier League is currently one of the leading candidates to replace him this summer.

Tottenham's manager search

Before we get to the coach in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of the other names that have been linked with Spurs in recent weeks and months, such as Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The former might not have had the best of times managing Everton in the past, but since taking charge of Fulham in 2021, he has led them up from the Championship and established them as a solidly mid-table side.

Glasner, on the other hand, has worked wonders at Crystal Palace, turning them into a team capable of giving anyone a game and then delivering them their first-ever major honour in the FA Cup earlier this month.

However, with both looking like they’ll be staying at their respective clubs, another name has become a prominent candidate for the Lilywhites hot seat: Thomas Frank.

According to a recent report from talkSPORT, the Brentford boss is now ’emerging as a strong contender to replace Postecoglou’ ahead of next season.

The report revealed that Dane has a hefty £9m release clause in his contract with the Bees, although his ‘long-standing relationship with Spurs’ technical director Johan Lange’ could help justify the outlay.

It could be a complicated and potentially unpopular decision in light of their European success, but given his record in the league, Frank could be an ideal Postecoglou replacement.

How Frank compares to Ange

It’s important to note that should Spurs pull the trigger and bring in Frank ahead of next season, then the fans won’t have to wave goodbye to entertaining football.

Now, while it’s true that the Dane’s sides don’t tend to be quite as gung-ho as the Australian’s, they aren’t too far off, with the Bees’ average defensive line height this season being 45.16m from their own goal to the North Londoners’ 46.43m.

Moreover, despite losing their star striker in the summer, the West Londoners remain one of the league’s highest scorers, racking up an impressive tally of 66 goals this year to the Lilywhites’ 64.

With that said, how have the managers stacked up against one another this season?

Well, the “sensational” Frederiksværk-born coach, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, has managed 43 games, of which he’s won 19, drawn eight and lost 16, which comes out to an impressive average of 1.51 points per game.

Frank vs Ange in 2024/25
Statistics	Frank	Ange
Games played	43	60
Wins	19	26
Draws	8	8
Losses	16	26
Points per game	1.51	1.43
Goals For	77	105
Goals Against	67	89
Stats via Transfermarkt

For his efforts, the former Celtic manager has overseen 60 games, won 26, drawn eight and lost 26, which comes out to a less impressive average of 1.43 points per game.

Moreover, while the Athens-born coach did win the Europa League, he oversaw 22 league defeats to the Dane’s 14 this season, which could be what ends up costing him his job.

Ultimately, while it might not be popular right away, Frank has proven over the last few years that he can overachieve in the Premier League, perhaps in a similar light to Nuno Santo at Wolves before he headed to north London. That might well be a warning sign but either way, he’d surely be an upgrade on Ange.

Only 2 passes made: Levy must ensure Spurs dud never wears the shirt again

Europa League winners Tottenham were trounced by Brighton to finish their Premier League campaign.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 26, 2025

Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a new striker, as a key target of theirs would apparently love to join them regardless of whether they achieve Champions League football for next season.

Chelsea seal huge Man United win in race for Champions League place

Marc Cucurella’s strike twenty minutes from full-time sealed a precious three points for Enzo Maresca on Friday night, with the Spaniard scoring Chelsea’s only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Man United.

Chelsea have held talks with £70m rival forward who allegedly wants to join

The west Londoners could go for him this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2025

The victory at Stamford Bridge puts Chelsea in a very good position heading into their final Premier League game of the season against Nottingham Forest, and even if Nuno Espirito Santo’s side beat West Ham on Sunday, Maresca knows that a win at the City Ground would guarantee Champions League football next season.

“Very important. At this stage of the season it’s important to win games,” said Maresca about Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Man United.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Chelsea

66

5. Aston Villa

66

6. Man City

65

7. Nottingham Forest

62

“We also pay attention in the way we win the game. I think tonight we struggled on the ball because we didn’t expect them to be so aggressive man-to-man. I used to watch five, six, seven games of the other team. I’ve never seen them so aggressive man-to-man. So they surprised us a little by that.

“I think between the first half and the second half we created enough chances to deserve to win the game.

“It’s very important for sure, but the reason why I was so happy at the end is because United beat City away, drew with City at home, drew with Liverpool, drew with Arsenal. So they know how to play against a big team. So I expected, drew with us away, so I expected a very tough game.

“The reason why I was happy was especially because we beat a team that against Arsenal, Liverpool, City, it was difficult to beat them.”

The importance of a top five finish cannot be understated, especially when it comes to the club’s transfer plans, and Maresca has already confirmed their European status will have a direct effect on their summer recruitment.

Victor Osimhen keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League football

That being said, there is one target who’d be eager to make the move to west London anyway – Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen.

The £172,000-per-week marksman, currently on loan at Galatasaray, was a top target for Chelsea last summer before his temporary switch to the Turkish Süper Lig giants, but a move ultimately failed to materialise.

As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea remain in the race for him this year, and it is believed that Osimhen would still love to join the Blues, even if they don’t end up qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious competition.

“Chelsea are ‘still there’ for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen,” said Phillips. “The player has always been keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League football, and he is still keen now. The deal was worked on hard last summer, and the belief from our insiders is that his wage demands would not be as astronomical as the media are portraying.

“Chelsea can easily go back into the deal and our sources believe that it wouldn’t even be that difficult to come to an agreement.”

The 26-year-old would still be expensive, though, and Chelsea would still have to break their wage structure to seal a deal, Phillips later explained.

Even so, Osimhen’s goalscoring form over the last few seasons heavily suggests he’d upgrade Maresca’s striker options.

With promotion to the Premier League confirmed with two games to go, Leeds United can finally turn their attention towards trying to build a side capable of staying in England’s top flight.

Such a feat might be easier said than done, with every promoted side from the Championship in the last two years returning straight back after just one season in the top division.

However, despite the achievements of boss Daniel Farke throughout 2024/25, it emerged yesterday that the hierarchy may consider sacking him to appoint a more proven Premier League manager to aid their ambitions next season.

Undoubtedly, such a decision would be extremely harsh after the German secured promotion, but football is a cutthroat industry with bold decisions needing to be made to avoid relegation in 2025/26.

That being said, bold decisions will need to be made in the market to create a side capable of consolidating next campaign, with money needing to be spent by the hierarchy to aid their attempts.

The latest on Leeds’ pursuit of new signings

There’s no denying that the Whites will likely be linked with a whole host of players after their return to the Premier League, but it’s important that quality over quantity arrives at Elland Road.

One name that has been constantly linked with a summer switch to Yorkshire is Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Julian Weigl, after previously featuring under Farke during their time together in the Bundesliga.

The 29-year-old, who’s made 29 appearances in the league this campaign, has been firmly on the club’s radar, but no deal is currently on the cards, leading to potential moves for other targets.

The hierarchy could subsequently look to pursue a move for West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek this summer, with the Czech international reportedly open to a move to Yorkshire.

According to IDNES, the 30-year-old is unhappy after losing his place under Graham Potter, opening the door for a transfer to join Leeds with just 12 months left on his contract.

They revealed that the newly-promoted side a strongly considering a move this summer.

Why Leeds should prioritise a move for a PL star over Weigl

There’s no denying Weigl would be an excellent addition to the Leeds squad, having the quality and experience to make a real difference at the heart of the side.

During his professional career, he’s featured for the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Benfica, often being a key member of the respective sides in the Champions League.

Such experience is key, especially heading into a season which could be a challenge for the Whites – that’s if the last couple of campaigns for newly-promoted sides are anything to go by.

However, given the fact he’s never played in England’s top-flight, such a deal could be seen as a risk, with the right additions needing to be made – potentially seeing them prioritise a move for Soucek as a result.

When comparing the duo’s respective stats from the ongoing season, the West Ham star has massively outperformed him, highlighting why the club should opt for his signature instead.

How Soucek compares to Weigl in 2024/25 so far

Statistics (per 90)

Soucek

Weigl

Games played

30

29

Goals & assists

8

2

Shots taken

1.9

0.6

Key passes

0.6

0.3

Tackles won

0.8

0.7

Clearances made

3.1

2.5

Aerials won

3.6

1.2

Stats via FBref

The Czech star, who’s been labelled “superb” by EXWHUEmployee, has registered more goals and assists this season, whilst also notching a higher tally of shots per 90 – showcasing the attacking threat he possesses from deep-lying positions.

He’s also managed to complete more key passes per 90, whilst also winning more tackles and aerials – offering Farke an all-round presence at the heart of the midfield next season.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for Soucek would set the club back in the coming months, it would undoubtedly be a worthwhile investment, having the experience to help them in their Premier League quest.

With just 12 months left on his current deal at the London Stadium, it could be worth getting him on the cheap, possibly becoming their first signing back amongst England’s elite.

Related A dream first deal after promotion: £15m star wants to sign for Leeds

The player is reportedly keen to secure a permanent move to Leeds United this summer.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 23, 2025

This exciting, unpredictable opening stage of the T20 World Cup, with its feel-good stories and heartwarming heroics, has made the tournament seem like a global event

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jun-2024On a sticky Providence evening on June 5, Riazat Ali Shah hit a vital 33 against Papua New Guinea. Earlier in the evening, his team-mate Frank Nsubuga had taken two wickets for just four, helping reduce PNG to 77.Nsubuga and Riazat both contributed heavily to Uganda’s first World Cup win. But they had travelled wildly different paths to get here.Nsubuga came to cricket through his family. His father was a bartender at the Lugogo Cricket Club in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. When he and his brothers began messing around at the club, they developed a love for the sport. The brothers showed enough early talent that club members encouraged them to keep at it, helping out with coaching and equipment when required. Nsubuga made his debut for East Africa aged 16, and now at, 43 years old, he runs at least ten kilometres before team training starts, in order to keep himself sufficiently fit to compete with cricketers two decades younger than him.Related

• Unbeaten India, USA set to take over New York with an eye on Super Eight spot

• Meet Uganda, the newest African kid on the block

• Nsubuga's bowling, not his age, takes him into the record books

• A day to believe cricket is not just an American Dream

• From computers to cricket: how Saurabh Netravalkar coded USA's greatest script

Riazat wasn’t even born when Nsubuga appeared in his first international, in 1997. And no one from Riazat’s village, tucked deep in the gloriously scenic Hunza Valley of the Karakoram range in north Pakistan, could ever have imagined the shape his life would take.Riazat came to Uganda circuitously, meeting some Ugandan-based players at an Ismai’li Games event in the UAE, who then convinced him to move his whole life there to pursue his dream of playing international cricket. He now has a player-of-the-match award in a World Cup.All through the opening stages of this tournament, we’ve encountered fascinating stories such as these. Perhaps you have been among many to have developed a crush on Saurabh Netravalkar, the Mumbai-born left-arm bowler whose Super Over delivered USA the biggest upset of the tournament , and the best result in their history – their win against Pakistan. That Netravalkar is an engineer for tech giant Oracle, and has marked himself out-of-office on Slack till June 17th, is now part of World Cup lore.In Texas, Nepal fans from all around the United States turned the Grand Prairie stadium dark blue, and were so raucous after each Nepal boundary and each Netherlands wicket that even through the TV it felt like a major final.Nepal’s fans turned Dallas blue at their first match of the 2024 T20 World Cup, against Netherlands•ICC/Getty ImagesYou imagine Nsubuga’s father wiping glasses behind the counter as he watches his kids (three of whom would play for Uganda, by the way) hit balls in the field. You imagine Netravalkar setting that out-of-office message, his bowling spikes already packed in a bag at home. You wonder what kinds of conversations are being had in school playgrounds in Kathmandu and Pokhara, about when exactly Nepal lost that match against Netherlands. And, vitally, cricket ceases to feel like a mere obsession slavered over in a handful of former British colonies, and more like a sport with a genuinely global footprint. One that is finding new stories, because for once it has made peace with the possibility that mismatches may occur, and upsets that put profitable teams (from the broadcasters’ perspective) out of the competition may also take place.There have, of course, been problems that are well-documented. The match times are nuts: if you’re watching in South Asia it feels like two tournaments are running at once, one at dawn, and one late in the evening. Some teams, Sri Lanka in particular, have complained about less-than-ideal travel arrangements. And the pitches in New York have not favoured the kinds of batting spectacles audiences have come to expect of the format.And yet it’s hard to get away from the feeling that in the early going, this World Cup has had the vibe that some of the best sporting events in the world, like the FIFA World Cups and the Olympics, capture: it has felt like a festival, a global celebration of cricket that has brought life to a greater spread of fans than many cricket World Cups past have.Even the unintended consequences are fun. In the last week, as cricket has made its most naked attempt yet to breach the US market, fierce arguments, with supporting videos, gifs, armchair biomechanics breakdowns, and good old-fashioned internet shouting have broken out on various social media platforms (X in particular) between cricket and baseball fans. The fights are essentially about which sport produces the more impressive physical feats.On the fielding front there may even be some intellectual legitimacy in making the comparison. Baseball is all over cricket when it comes to throwing, but compared to catches that cricketers routinely take, those mitts-on catches are weak. Going into the United States specifically to woo a new audience but ending up enraging them instead is also one of the most typically cricket things to happen to cricket.Helped by some upsets – USA over Pakistan, of course, but also Canada beating Full Member Ireland, and Afghanistan stomping their way through their group so far, there is a joyous anarchy here.Techie-turned-hero Saurabh Netravalkar has gone from obscurity to being one of the talking points of the World Cup•AFP via Getty ImagesEspecially joyous, and especially anarchic, because we are, unquestionably, living in the era of Big Cricket. If you haven’t clocked it, this is a business first, and an equitable sport second. Pakistan and India always play in the group stages, tournaments are designed to maximise the number of lucrative India matches, India know which semi-final they will play if they qualify, and oh, if we’re adding up ICC men’s limited-overs finals in the last ten years, seven were scheduled to be played in India, Australia, and England – the game’s three most profitable markets – and two for everywhere else (including the ongoing tournament). It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that the game’s richest sides have what constitutes a competitive advantage in ICC tournaments.Perhaps there is no stopping the inevitable march of capitalism, and India’s domination of the cricket economy. In this World Cup, no fewer than five other teams (Sri Lanka, South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, and the USA) are sponsored by Indian companies that barely sell products in foreign markets. Which means that for even established sides such as South Africa and Sri Lanka, no businesses from their own countries could match the power that companies that primarily make money in India bring to the table. It is already likely that for Sri Lanka, for example, a country of 22 million (and shrinking), the bigger market is casual Indian fans interested in Sri Lankan cricket rather than Sri Lanka fans themselves.Faced with this brutalist reality, a 20-team World Cup is life-giving. There will be time for higher-quality teams to be playing higher-quality teams. There will be, with a little luck, an intense Super Eights stage, and high-pressure semi-finals between the most elite sides that cricket has to offer. But for now, for a group stage, this is as good as it has been for a while.And if the ICC have overextended themselves in attempting to break new ground so desperately, this has to be among the more forgivable of their sins. For a change, it feels a lot more fun to be following an overambitious sport than one that has plonked itself down in familiar comforts and settled into profitable insularity.

His numbers aren’t great but they are on the rise, and the transition to the higher levels could well happen soon for the allrounder

Himanshu Agrawal11-Oct-20222:57

Abhishek Sharma: “Captaincy has helped me mature”

Abhishek Sharma appears fidgety at first glance. As we speak, he constantly tosses a bottle from one hand to the other. His eyes wander, too. And he gestures with his hands a lot.But as we talk, it’s clear that there is great clarity of thought in the young man. He talks about his goals. One of them is to win titles for Punjab; Abhishek is one of the key players of the Punjab team, and was their captain in the last Ranji Trophy.Related

Abhishek Sharma shows his all-round prowess to prove that he belongs

Talking Points – Abhishek Sharma's backspinning legcutter

“Obviously, the ultimate goal is to play for India,” Abhishek says. “But I am also setting short, small goals for myself – like winning the [T20 Syed] Mushtaq Ali Trophy.”Abhishek started out as a left-arm spinner, like his father Rajkumar Sharma, a former cricketer. But his son’s multi-dimensional skills made Rajkumar work on Abhishek’s batting too.”Slowly, when he realised that I can bat as well – I must have been eight or nine – I started with batting,” Abhishek says. “My dad was the one who recognised my talent.” So we got Abhishek Sharma, the allrounder – a big-hitting lower-order batter who bowls accurate left-arm spin.But being a lower-middle-order batter in domestic cricket can be thankless. You are not always on the selectors’ radar, you rarely get enough balls to score big, and your failures tend to be amplified. But all those are things of the past now. Abhishek is now an opener for Punjab.Abhishek on Yuvraj – “When I look at the way I have been developing myself, I realise that his tips have been really helping me”•Abhishek SharmaIn his second first-class match for Punjab, he was batting alongside his idol, Yuvraj Singh. Before that, Abhishek had scored 94 on debut against Himachal Pradesh to earn plaudits from Yuvraj. Too tongue-tied then, Abhishek has struck an excellent rapport with Yuvraj since. These days, Yuvraj plays mentor to Abhishek and several Punjab players, even conducting camps and batting sessions in an unofficial capacity for them.”Yuvi knows me in and out,” Abhishek says. “When I look at the way I have been developing myself, I realise that his tips have been really helping me. Everything he tells me – starting from my stance, about [playing] short balls, my intensity throughout, and my strength – have helped me a lot.”And, like Yuvraj, Abhishek is clear that he wants to have an impact with the ball too.He has a good backspinning legcutter that leaves the left-hand batter, and he has been trying to expand his repertoire.”I have been working on variations because I think if I want to play all three formats, I need to work really hard on my bowling,” Abhishek says. “It was only last year that I started bowling with the new ball, and I felt really good. These were the factors I wanted to develop.”During this off-season – he was not a part of the India A side that faced New Zealand A and was also not selected for the Duleep Trophy or the Irani Cup – Abhishek experimented with a variation he learnt from a very successful offspinner.At Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek had the chance to pick Brian Lara’s brains: “When someone like him has faith in you, you get that confidence”•BCCI”Two years back, Mohammad Nabi taught me a particular ball, which is almost like a swinging ball. I understood it, but wasn’t able to bowl it as well as he does,” Abhishek says. “So I have tried that, and I think I have been doing well. With the new ball, I am currently working on three or four variations, which I think will be very useful.”Batting and bowling aside, there’s also the captaincy factor – not to forget, he is just 22.Abhishek has led Punjab at age-group levels and also captained India Under-19 in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup. How different is it to lead the senior Punjab side?”It isn’t, because I had been playing with some players in the Punjab team right from our Under-16 days,” he says. “But you also have seniors in a top-level side. That’s where your challenge is: how do you handle them, and create that atmosphere? Captaincy made me a more mature batsman and leader.”And, like with so many youngsters these days, there are icons of the game all around, ready to help if asked. When he was part of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup-winning side, Rahul Dravid was the coach of the team. Last December, he had an opportunity to pick Brian Lara’s brains after he was brought on as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s strategic advisor and batting coach.

“Lara sir and I had a very good tuning too. We always talk about cricket, and when there is a match going on, we text each other to discuss how someone is batting”Abhishek Sharma

“Rahul sir always told me to trust myself,” Abhishek says. “He never asked me to change anything about my batting; he always wanted me to bat till the end. He is one of the most positive persons I have ever met.”What about Lara, who has now been appointed Sunrisers’ head coach?”He was calling every batsman for a one-on-one meet,” Abhishek says. “He asked me, ‘What was common between openers who have done well over the past two years?’ I said, ‘They are all good players who play good shots’.”But he actually wanted me to play 30-35 balls every innings. Whenever I went out to bat, he told me, ‘I’ll see you in the [Strategic] Time Out’. So that stuck in my mind. When someone like Lara sir has faith in you, you get that confidence.”Abhishek had a good IPL 2022 with the bat. His 426 runs from 14 innings – at a strike rate of 133.12 – were the most for Sunrisers.Abhishek says Rahul Dravid “never asked me to change anything about my batting”•BCCIOn a day-to-day basis, though, Abhishek doesn’t get to speak to Yuvraj or Dravid or Lara, but a close circle of friends and seniors he trusts for inputs.”One is Shubman [Gill, an Under-19 World Cup team-mate], another is our ex-player Sharad Lumba, and also Gurkeerat Mann,” he says. “Lara sir and I had a very good tuning too. We always talk about cricket, and when there is a match going on, we text each other to discuss how someone is batting.”Abhishek is now into his fifth season as a domestic cricketer, having started out as a 16-year-old. He is at a stage where he is ready to make the big leap. His close mates from those Under-19 days – Prithvi Shaw, Gill and Arshdeep Singh – have all gone on to represent the senior team. Abhishek, however, has found the transition tougher.After 13 first-class matches, Abhishek averages only 29, with a highest of 98. His List A numbers are slowly on the rise, even if not up there: an average of almost 31 after 30 innings. And while he looks forward to pushing them up this season, there is a much bigger goal on his mind already.”Holding the World Cup for my country – for sure!”There is some way to go for that, but holding aloft a major domestic trophy isn’t impossible. And it could be the start of many good things.

All the slow-baked stats from Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes’ mammoth stand at Old Trafford

Bharath Seervi17-Jul-2020568 – Number of balls the Dom Sibley-Ben Stokes partnership lasted, which is England’s second-longest partnership, in terms of balls, since 2000. The longest is 574 balls between Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010. It is also the longest against West Indies in this period, edging past 525-ball stand between Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges at Hobart in 2015.1975 – The last time two England batsmen faced 350-plus balls in a Test innings, before Sibley (372 balls) and Stokes (356) doing so in this innings. Mike Denness and Keith Fletcher faced 350-plus balls in the same innings twice in 1975 – against Australia at the MCG and versus New Zealand at Auckland.ESPNcricinfo Ltd260 – The partnership between Sibley and Stokes, was the second-highest by a pair for any wicket in Tests at Old Trafford. The only higher stand than this was 267 between Michael Vaughan and Graham Thorpe against Pakistan in 2001. The stand is also England’s sixth-highest for any wicket against West Indies and best since Andrew Strauss and Robert Key put together 303 runs at Lord’s in 2004.10 – Centuries for Stokes in Tests, all coming at Nos. 5 and 6. He became the fourth England player to score 10 or more centuries at No. 5 and below. Ian Bell has the most in those positions (16 hundreds), followed by Ian Botham (14) and Thorpe (11). Stokes has 4184 runs at No. 5 and below, which is third-most for England. Since Stokes’ debut, Ajinkya Rahane is the only other batsman to have scored 10 centuries at No. 5 and below and Stokes has the most runs there. He is also only the fifth allrounder to score 10-plus centuries and take 150-plus wickets.235 – Previously the most balls faced by Stokes in a Test innings, against India at Rajkot in 2016. His highest score of 258 came from just 198 balls. This innings of 176 runs at a strike rate of 49.43 was Stokes’ lowest of his 10 hundreds.32.25 – Sibley’s strike rate in his knock of 120 off 372 balls, is the fourth-lowest in 100-plus scores in England (where balls faced information is available). He completed his century in 312 balls, the slowest century in Tests anywhere since Azhar Ali made one in 319 balls in Dubai in 2012.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var e in a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.getElementById(“datawrapper-chart-“+e)||document.querySelector(“iframe[src*='”+e+”‘]”);t&&(t.style.height=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][e]+”px”)}}))}();