Will Bangladesh banish July ghosts or West Indies conjure them?

A little more than four months ago, when the two teams met in the Caribbean, Bangladesh were trounced 2-0 by West Indies

Mohammad Isam21-Nov-2018

Kemar Roach was unstoppable•CWI Media

Big PictureMemories of the July drubbing would be fresh for both Bangladesh and West Indies who square off for a second two-Test series in the space of five months. It was the high point for West Indies in 2018, and the exact opposite for Bangladesh, who will look to avenge the ignominy, bolstered by the return of Shakib Al Hasan.The home side would have gained some confidence from their last Test, held in Dhaka against Zimbabwe last week, where Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 219 became Bangladesh’s highest Test score. Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah struck hundreds while Mohammad Mithun made a much needed fifty in the second innings as they went on to post a big win.But there remains concern about the side’s batting which has struggled for much of the year in Tests. Imrul Kayes is in need of runs while Soumya Sarkar, who is returning to the Test side after more than a year, should be hungry too.West Indies would want to restore their Test confidence, particularly in the sub-continent, coming off a 2-0 drubbing at the hands of India, on a largely unrewarding tour across formats. But they would have taken heart from a solid performance in the warm-up game in Chittagong.Stand-in captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell struck fifties, both batsmen now on top of West Indies’ Test run-makers chart this year. Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase aren’t far behind, with the latter having had a decent time in India.With Jason Holder missing, West Indies’ bowling depends largely on Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach, who have been among the wickets. Devendra Bishoo, the main spinner, has struggled in the six Tests he has played this year, averaging 60.12 with only eight wickets to his credit.Bangladesh’s spinners have had a good year in Test cricket. Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan have taken 33 and 26 wickets respectively, and both with respectable averages. Shakib’s inclusion would boost the bowling attack further, as his experience has always made a big difference at home.Form guideBangladesh : WLLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)West Indies: LLWWLIn the spotlightRoston Chase was West Indies’ top scorer in the Test series against India last month. His offspin will also be crucial to add balance to a side that is without Jason Holder.Mushfiqur Rahim just reached Bangladesh’s highest score in Test, an unbeaten 219 that added much needed confidence to his side that has been bereft of runs in the format.Team newsBangladesh have to break their winning XI as Shakib Al Hasan has been passed fit for the first Test. Ariful Haque may have to make way for the regular captain. Soumya Sarkar is also a shoe-in for the dropped Liton Das.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Imrul Kayes, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mohammad Mithun, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Khaled AhmedWithout Holder, West Indies have to fill two places effectively, that of an in-form fast bowler and a handy lower-order batsman. But it could be Kemar Roach who comes into the playing XI.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Sunil Ambris, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Devendra Bishoo, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Jomel Warrican, 11 Shannon GabrielPitch and conditionsChittagong is traditionally Bangladesh’s best batting pitch but there is always the chance for it to slowly break down in the last two days. Weather is mild.Stats and trivia Shakib Al Hasan is four wickets short of becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 200 Test wickets. Kieran Powell is 13 runs short of reaching 2,000 Test runs.Quotes”It may not be a high-scoring match, but if we can score 300-plus on a so-so wicket it will be very good. If it’s a good batting wicket, then 400-500 in the first innings would be a huge advantage.”
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan talks about the Chittagong pitch.”We must have the right attitude towards each bowler. It will serve us well.”
Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies captain, about tackling Bangladesh’s spinners.

فيديو | مصطفى سعد يسجل هدف زد الأول أمام الأهلي

قلص فريق الكرة الأول بنادي زد النتيجة أمام الأهلي بتسجيل الهدف الأول في المباراة الجارية بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات الدوري.

المباراة مقامة على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي ضمن مؤجلات الجولة الخامسة والعشرين من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وأحرز هدف زد الأول اللاعب مصطفى سعد ميسي في الدقيقة 87 من عمر اللقاء عن طريق عرضية من ركلة حرة مباشرة، أخطأها حارس الأهلي مصطفى مخلوف لتسكن الشباك، وتصبح النتيجة 2-1.

وكان الأهلي قد تقدم في النتيجة بهدف عن طريق محمود كهربا في الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت بدل الضائع من عمر الشوط الأول.

فيديو | كهربا يُسجل هدف الأهلي الأول أمام زد

وأحرز الهدف الثاني أحمد عبد القادر في الدقيقة 63 بعد مراوغة ثم تسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت شباك علي لطفي.

ويخوض فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي مباراته تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب العام سامي قمصان، بعد أن حصل المدير الفني مارسيل كولر ومعه عدد من اللاعبين الأساسيين على إجازة بعد حسم لقب درع الدوري.

يذكر، أن الأهلي قد نجح في التتويج بلقب الدوري بعد الفوز على سموحة ووصوله للنقطة الـ81.

ونظم لاعبو زد ممرًا شرفيًا للاعبي الأهلي قبل انطلاق اللقاء، كما حرص مسؤولوه على تسليم المارد الأحمر درعًا من أجل تهنئتهم بحسم لقب الدوري المصري. هدف زد الأول أمام الأهلي

 

Stuart Broad finds his range as England extract maximum benefit from glorified net

England’s new No.3 shows signs of seizing his route back into the side with hard-hitting 98

George Dobell at the 3Ws Oval18-Jan-2019

Stuart Broad claims another wicket in England’s warm-up•Getty Images

England XI 379 (Bairstow 98, Burns 68) v WI President’s XI 233 for 11 (Ambris 94, Woakes 3-31)
ScorecardBy the time, seven balls into the morning, the President’s XI second wicket fell, it was hard not to fear for the final day of England’s warm-up period in Barbados.For it would be easy to look at the scores from these four days at Cave Hill and presume the home side were not up to much. They lost 19 wickets on Wednesday, after all, while conceding nearly 400 runs on Thursday. On Friday both Stuart Broad and Sam Curran struck with their first deliveries. It was hard not to wonder whether there was much point in such encounters.But England will have left the 3Ws Oval more than satisfied with their progress over these four days. Of course, in an ideal world, England might have had time for a couple of first-class games going into the Test series. But the schedules don’t allow such luxuries these days and, by bending the regulations to breaking point, they probably gained the maximum amount of benefit from the minimum amount of time. It’s not pretty or entertaining, but training isn’t always meant to be and this was much more an open training session than a pair of cricket matches. They were, literally, games that couldn’t be won.So, most of England’s bowlers found some rhythm; most of their batsmen found some form; their slip catching was excellent and, most of all, they demonstrated a ruthlessness that has not always been apparent in such warm-up encounters. Any side that can leave out a cricketer playing as well as Chris Woakes – and there is every indication he is not among the 12 men being considered for the first Test – must be in pretty fine shape.This President’s XI squad is probably some way better than the scoreboard suggests, too. It contains six men who have played Test cricket and one more who will have done so by this time next week. And if they, at times, looked less than enthused by their task this week, it is not hard to see why. Cricket West Indies made several requests to the ECB to make this a four-day, first-class game. But once those requests were declined, most of these players would have preferred to represent their regions in Championship cricket this week rather than provide glorified net practice for the tourists. Sometimes it showed.Sunil Ambris, at least, took the opportunity to show his ability. His Test record to date – he averages 15.09 after six Tests and was dismissed hit-wicket from his first ball at that level – is not pretty, but here he resisted admirably and put away the poor ball sweetly. He had well earned a century before he attempted to swing one from Woakes through the leg side and fell for 94. Nobody else in his team passed 22.While Woakes – with three wickets – was perhaps the most impressive of England’s seamers, Stuart Broad’s performance was perhaps the most relevant. With every spell he has bowled, he has looked more comfortable with his slightly shorter run-up. And whether it is due to some minor technical tweaks or the Duke’s ball in use here – a Duke’s ball that has been specially made to withstand the more abrasive pitches anticipated here – he is gaining more swing than for some time. After claiming a wicket with the first ball of the day – a slower-ball yorker surprising Devon Thomas – he later had Chandrapaul Hemraj (named after Shivnarine but spelt differently) fending to slip.The other bowlers enjoyed their moments, too. Curran also struck with his first ball – the luckless Jermaine Blackwood trapped by an inswinger – but was then taken for three fours in an over, while Ben Stokes would have claimed a second wicket – Vishaul Singh – had he not overstepped and conceded a no-ball.In general, however, this was a highly satisfactory performance from England’s bowlers. While the surfaces in the Test series are expected to be much quicker, England looked very comfortable with the Duke’s ball and could feel well satisfied in claiming 30 wickets in two days in the field. Just as importantly, every edge that went to hand was caught.Partly as a result, they will take the entire weekend off. It is a decision that may have one or two shaking their heads in disapproval – especially if they go one-down in Barbados – but probably reflects a fit squad that is confident, relaxed and doesn’t feel the need to train to win the approval of on-lookers. Instead they will spend time with their families and enjoy a catamaran ride together. Modern schedules allow little time for such moments. It may prove every bit as helpful as another net session.Perhaps, in a perfect world, England would have liked better surfaces on which to play these games. Especially the first match. But they have not breathed a word of complaint. And, if the ECB – or any of the other ‘big three’ cricketing nations – really want to see facilities improve in the Caribbean, they might reflect on a more equitable distribution of ICC funds. The ECB, for example, are expecting a windfall of around $US50m from ticket sales for the men’s World Cup this year. Cricket West Indies might well be able to fund better surfaces if they were to receive a fraction of such revenues.

São Paulo sofre gol no fim, perde para o Atlético-GO e termina janeiro sem vitórias

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo terminou o seu mês de janeiro sem vencer. Neste domingo (31), o Tricolor foi derrotado por 2 a 1 para o Atlético-GO, no estádio Antônio Accioly, em Goiânia, pela 33ª rodada do Brasileirão. O Dragão, por sua vez, chegou a 45 pontos na competição e afastou qualquer possibilidade de rebaixamento para a segunda divisão.

Os goianos abriram o placar com o lateral-esquerdo Natanael, ainda no primeiro tempo, mas viu os são paulinos, com o também lateral pela canhota, Reinaldo, empatar no fim do primeiro tempo. Quando o jogo se encaminhava a igualdade, Vitor Peque aproveitou um contra-ataque construído por Janderson e assistência de Chico.

Com o revés, o Tricolor chegou a sétima partida sem vencer, seis pelo Brasileirão, e caiu para a quarta colocação no campeonato.

> Veja a classificação do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

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PRIMEIRO TEMPO MEDIANO

O primeiro tempo de Atlético-GO e São Paulo foi bem morno. O Tricolor teve mais volume de jogo, representado na posse de bola, muito embora o Dragão tenha mantido um momento de ímpeto ofensiva na etapa final, mas pouco conseguia criar oportunidades efetivas de gol. Com isso, o Soberano não fez valer a sua tradicional superioridade na posse de bola.

BLITZ ATLETICANA

Na metade do primeiro tempo, o Atlético-GO teve o seu grande momento nos primeiros 45 minutos, tomou o ímpeto da partida e foi nessa faixa do jogo que conseguiu abrir o placar, com Natanael aproveitando um escanteio que passou por toda extensão da área e sobrou para o lateral-esquerdo encher o pé, a bola desviou em Arboleda e matou o goleiro Tiago Volpi.

SÃO PAULO EMPATA

Ainda que com muita dificuldade na criação e errando muitos passes, o Tricolor ainda conseguiu levar um empate ao vestiário. Aos 41 minutos do primeiro tempo, Igor Gomes, melhor atleta são paulino na etapa inicial, fintou um marcador pelo lado esquerdo e serviu para Reinaldo encher o pé, estufando as redes do goleiro Jean, do Dragão.

ATLÉTICO ABUSA DE PERDER GOLS…

Diferentemente do primeiro tempo, onde marcou na única finalização no gol, o Dragão abusou de desperdiçar oportunidades no segundo tempo. Time criava chances, mas pecava nas definições.

…MAS ENCONTRA VITÓRIA NO FIM

Quando a partida parecia estar encaminhada para o empate em 1 a 1, o Dragão aproveitou uma subida são paulina ao ataque e contra-atacou com Janderson, que serviu Chico, que tocou para o meio da área e Vitor Leque completou. Gol com o dedo do técnico Marcelo Cabo, já que tanto o autor do gol, quando o da assistência, saiu do banco de reservas.

SÃO PAULO PERDEU A MELHOR CHANCE

Se o Atlético-GO abusou de perder gols, o São Paulo desperdiçou a melhor chance da etapa final, quando Luciano recebeu um cruzamento pela esquerda e livre, na pequena área, tentou tirar do goleiro adversário, que ficou parado, mas a bola bateu na trave.

FICHA TÉCNICA
ATLÉTICO-GO 2 x 1 SÃO PAULO

Local: Antônio Accioly, Goiânia (GO)
Data e horário: 31 de janeiro de 2021 (domingo), às 16h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Wilton Pereira Sampaio (FIFA/GO)
Assistentes:Alessandro Alvaro Rocha Batos (BA) e Jhonny Barros de Oliveira (SC)
Árbitro de vídeo: Wagner Reway (PB)
Gols: 1-0 Natanael (21’/’T); 1-1 Reinaldo (41’/2T); 2-1 Vitor Leque (42’/2T)
Cartões amarelos: Zé Roberto e William Maranhão (Atlético-GO); Diego Costa (São Paulo)

ATLÉTICO-GO: Jean; Dudu, João Victor, Éder e Natanael; William Maranhão (Gilvan, 45’/2T), Marlon Freitas e Matheus Vargas (Vitor Leque, 40’/2T); Janderson (Matheus Pereira, 45’/2T), Zé Roberto (Chico, 27’/2T) e Wellington Rato (Nicolas, 40’/2T). Técnico: Fernando Diniz

SÃO PAULO: Tiago Volpi; Juanfran (30’/2T), Arboleda, Bruno Alves e Reinaldo; Luan (Toró, 37’/2T), Daniel Alves, Gabriel Sara (Vitor Bueno, intervalo) e Igor Gomes (Tchê Tchê, 27’/2T); Brenner (Pablo, 26’/2T) e Luciano. Técnico: Fernando Diniz

فيديو | رونالدو يسجل هدف النصر الأول أمام الهلال في نهائي السوبر السعودي

تقدم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو مهاجم النصر السعودي، بالهدف الأول لفريقه أمام الهلال، في المباراة الجارية بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر السعودي.

ويواجه النصر نظيره الهلال، في المباراة النهائية لبطولة كأس السوبر السعودي في افتتاحية الموسم 2024-2025.

طالع | مباشر بالفيديو.. مباراة الهلال والنصر في نهائي السوبر السعودي

وسجل رونالدو هدف النصر الأول أمام الهلال، في الدقيقة 44 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، بتسديدة من لمسة واحدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد تمريرة من عبد الرحمن غريب. هدف رونالدو في مباراة النصر والهلال بـ نهائي كأس السوبر السعودي

النصر كان قد حقق الفوز على التعاون، بنتيجة 2-0 في مباراة دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس السوبر السعودي.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، تأهل فريق الهلال إلي المباراة النهائية بالفوز على الأهلي بركلات الترجيح 4-1 بعد انتهاء الوقت الأصلي للقاء بالتعادل 1-1.

Chelsea could sign another crazy talent to partner Kendry Paez

It would be hard to describe Chelsea's season this year as anything other than a disaster. Despite a positive pre-season and a faint hope that Mauricio Pochettino would be the man to lead the Blues back up the Premier League table, they currently find themselves in tenth place and closer to 17th than fourth.

The west Londoners have spent an egregious amount of money in recent transfer windows to seemingly go backwards on the pitch, but with a team crammed chock-full of exciting young talents, there could be a bright future on the horizon if they're managed well.

One of the club's most exciting talents is Ecuadorian 16-year-old Kendry Paez, who is currently still at Independiente del Valle in his home country.

chelsea-pochettino-kendry-paez-transfer-caicedo-brighton-gossip

His eventual development into a first-team player when officially walking through the door could help guide Chelsea to more success, especially if the club signs the latest exciting South American touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, 17-year-old Claudio Echeverri.

Chelsea transfer news – Claudio Echeverri

According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have contacted Argentinian giants River Plate to be "informed" of the situation of 17-year-old midfielder Claudio Echeverri.

The Italian journalist has also revealed that, alongside the Blues, Manchester City and Barcelona are also keen on the talented youngster, although the latter's situation regarding FFP complicates their interest.

The 5 foot 7 dynamo has a release clause of €25m (£22m) in his contract that will reportedly rise to €30m (£26m) in the closing days of the transfer window, meaning time is of the essence should Todd Boehly and Co wish to save some money.

It would certainly represent a significant investment in the potential of the young wonderkid, but the prospect of him developing alongside Paez could be temptation enough to convince the American billionaire to splash the cash once again.

Imagine Kendry Paez and Claudio Echeverri

When clubs start to build out their squads and look to construct the perfect midfield, one that can see them through five plus seasons of football, age profile is of paramount importance.

A player could be fantastic, but if he is already over 30, an ownership generally won't want to build their team around them, as by the time some of the younger players reach their potential, it will be time to replace the more senior players, which can create a cycle which wastes time and money.

Chelsea: Poch's stunning starting XI in 2025 built around Kendry Paez

Chelsea’s starting XI in 2025 which includes the exciting Kendry Paez is a mouthwatering prospect.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 23, 2023

A good example of this could be at Arsenal, where they have a team full of exciting youngsters, but a 30-year-old – and increasingly injury-prone – Thomas Partey at the centre of midfield.

This is a problem Mikel Arteta has seemingly solved this season by signing Declan Rice, but Chelsea could avoid it altogether by looking to play both Paez and Echeverri in their future midfield.

Claudio Echeverri's Stats for Argentina's U17s

Games

22

Goals

13

Assists

5

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The former has already scored five goals and provided one assist in senior football for Independiente and is regarded as a "10/10 talent" by football scout Jacek Kulig.

Whereas, the "crazy talent" Echeverri, as described by Kulig, has one assist for River Plate in five appearances, but has been a force of nature for Argentina's U17 side, captaining them at the U17 World Cup this year.

While it is going to take some time and require some patience from both Chelsea fans and the board, a midfield duo of Paez and Echeverri could be truly immense in the future and help lead Chelsea to another decade of dominance.

موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. والمعلق

يستعد فريق برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، لخوض مباراته الثالثة في الموسم الحالي من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، وذلك مساء يوم الثلاثاء.

ويلتقي برشلونة مع نظيره فريق رايو فاليكانو، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة من الليجا، على ملعب “تيريزا ريفيرو”.

ويمتلك برشلونة حاليًا 6 نقاط في المركز الثالث، حيث فاز في مباراتي الجولة الأولى والثانية ضد فالنسيا وأتلتيك بلباو، بهدفين لهدف في كل لقاء.

في حين أن رايو فاليكانو لديه 4 نقاط في المركز الثامن، بعدما فاز في الجولة الأولى ضد ريال سوسيداد بهدفين لهدف، وتعادل سلبيًا بعد ذلك مع خيتافي. موعد مباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 10:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 3. معلق مباراة برشلونة ورايو فاليكانو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني

سيعلق حفيظ دراجي على أحداث مباراة الليلة.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Du Plessis wants luxury of four pacers and spin at home

South Africa captain faced with a tough call over Dale Steyn’s inclusion

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-20193:26

Du Plessis hints at Maharaj’s inclusion

South Africa’s brains trust has been forced to battle with the balance conundrum – even if it’s a happy one – ahead of the Durban Test. Given Kingsmead’s recent history, and the fact that it is Keshav Maharaj’s home venue, captain Faf du Plessis appeared unwilling to hedge his bets on an either/or decision on Maharaj. It is likely, however, that the left-arm spinner, who missed all three Tests against Pakistan, should be back in the frame.”Our thinking is moving towards a team that has not only the option of either four seamers or a spinner,” du Plessis said. “We would like to have both options, and that only really comes into play when you have an allrounder at No. 7. That’s our thinking moving forward, though whether it will happen tomorrow (Wednesday) I’m not sure yet.”If you look at a general Durban or Kingsmead wicket, it allows for a spinner. In a perfect world, when you’re playing against a subcontinent team, with the firepower we have in our seam attack, you’d like to have the option of possibly going in with four seamers, but the history tells me that you would need to go in with a spinner here.”ALSO READ: Hashim Amla’s test of greatnessLeft out of the Test team and not currently part of South Africa’s white ball plans, Maharaj’s confidence may have been dented a little. His numbers in domestic four-Day cricket have also dipped slightly. While South Africa’s pace bowlers repeatedly ran through Pakistan, Maharaj picked up 19 wickets across seven games in the season for Dolphins at 42.21, and 2 for 217 on his last outing against Cape Cobras.”Obviously you want to try and expose them with your pace, so that’s been harsh on Kesh because he’s done nothing wrong,” du Plessis said. “He’s actually bowling really well. We always try to have him in the starting XI because he’s a world-class spinner. The thinking is for the Test team to move towards having both your three best seamers whoever they will be at that time on form, and then also your spinner. That’s the plan for the Test team, but whether that will happen tomorrow, that still needs to be decided.”Conditions will be one of the deciding factors in South Africa’s eventual starting XI, and what is expected to be a slow track could blunt the effectiveness of Duanne Olivier’s short-ball tactics, and bring a spinner like Maharaj into the game as an attacking option.”They’ve been struggling with pace the last season and a half,” du Plessis said of Kingsmead’s grounds curation. “I mean you saw the one dayer, it was really slow when we played here. So they prepared another pitch with a little more grass on it, hoping that it would have a little more pace. We hope that’s the case, but the general last season and a half tells me that it’s not going to have a lot of pace. So, expecting a little bit of movement, but it will be slow.”Alongside the option of an attack built around three seamers and a spinner, South Africa might also look to allrounder as their fourth seam option in the No. 7 position. With Sri Lanka missing four of their best fast bowlers, du Plessis even went as far as to consider a five-strong bowling attack for his team.”If you’re playing a team with a lot of pace in their armoury, then going in a batter light would be a high risk because your tail will struggle to hang around when there’s pace around. So because there’s not massive pace in the Sri Lankan team, it is something you can speak about. I don’t think we’ll consider a five bowler attack against someone that has got express pace, but we are considering that option because there are a lot of medium pacers playing in their team, and obviously losing their spearhead in the spin department in Rangana Herath, there’s a lot of experience missing there.”While Maharaj’s return to the starting XI will mean South Africa have to tinker with their side to find the right balance, du Plessis said that the challenge was a good one for his team.”It’s good for us to have options,” he said. “It’s the same thing with the one-day team. I feel like the last while there’s been a lot more options in selecting both the Test and ODI teams. It’s good. It keeps everyone on their toes. Dale is Dale Steyn, he’s an amazing bowler. But also now you’ve got Duanne bowling really well and taking 25 wickets, and that makes selection a lot harder.”If it was a normal case in point, you’d say there’s no comparison, Dale Steyn is Dale Steyn. But now Duanne has bowled so well you have to look at what’s best for your team at the moment, And if you can’t make a decision, if you feel like both of them are going to add so much value to your team, the other side of the coin is leaving an allrounder or a batter out.”Whatever their final selection, South Africa won’t be taking a Sri Lankan team reeling from their defeat in Australia and off-field distractions lightly.”They’ve been having a tough time in Australia, and there’s been a lot of things happening away from their team, so I suppose it’s not ideal for them. But I’ll always respect opposition that we play against, whether it’s a Sri Lankan team that’s lost, or whether we’re playing Ireland or Afghanistan. Our preparation doesn’t change.”

Exciting Celtic transfer news shared as Rodgers targets 3 January signings

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers looks to be putting his transfer plans into motion at Parkhead and is keen to strengthen three separate positions in January, according to latest reports.

Celtic gear up to spend in January…

Celtic had a busy summer transfer window, but you could argue that only one of their multiple signings, Honduran winger Luis Palma, has established himself as a regular starter at the Scottish Premiership champions.

On-loan midfielder Paulo Bernardo has started the Hoops' last two league matches and has been an impressive figure in the heart of midfield; however, arrivals such as Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki have failed to establish themselves in Rodgers' side despite involvement earlier in the campaign.

Celtic "advance" in talks with "prospect" after summer scouting missions

Celtic are in the market for quality in the January window…

BySean Markus Clifford Dec 27, 2023

Making his feelings known, Rodgers has repeated calls to add extra quality to his side, with an interview from late November placing a special emphasis on strengthening in the forward areas, with the Northern Irishman saying:

"We want to bring in quality, especially at the top end of the field. That’s hopefully something that we can hope to resolve in the next couple of windows."

"We need to add quality. That’s the glaring thing that stands out within the squad. If we can have players available and add to that then we can go again and push forward."

The Hoops are essentially neck-and-neck with Glasgow rivals Rangers factoring in games in hand heading into the New Year and the January window could well be crucial in their endeavours to win the Scottish Premiership title once again come May. Now, one reporter has identified the positions that Rodgers could look to strengthen in the mid-season window to give him an edge in the battle to claim the Scottish top-flight crown.

Brendan Rodgers keen to strengthen three Celtic positions…

Football Insider reporter Pete O'Rourke provided an exciting transfer update, claiming Celtic will look to sign a striker, central midfielder and left-sided winger in the January transfer window. A forward is believed to be the top priority at Parkhead, with Kyogo Furuhashi expected to be involved with Japan at the Asian Cup and Oh Hyeon-gyu already selected to compete with South Korea.

Focus has also been placed on recruiting a prolific midfielder who can add goals from the engine room and another wide option to provide strength in depth. Finding a long-term replacement between the sticks for Joe Hart is also on the agenda; however, signing a goalkeeper is not deemed to be essential in January.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

Some names have come to light in the last few weeks regarding potential Celtic targets, including Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva, Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane and Gwangju midfielder Jung. Nonetheless, there isn't an element of certainty over the Hoops will look to sign once the window opens, meaning we will need to wait and see on that front.

Palmeiras x Fortaleza: saiba onde assistir

MatériaMais Notícias

Em jogo válido pela 36ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, Palmeiras e Fortaleza se enfrentam neste domingo (14), às 18h15 (horário de Brasília), no Allianz Parque, em São Paulo.

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Após disputar o Mundial de Clubes, no Catar, Verdão muda a chave e volta suas atenções para o Brasileirão. Na sétima colocação do Brasileirão com 53 pontos conquistados, vem de um empate contra o Botafogo, em São Paulo. Já o Fortaleza ocupa o 15º lugar com 41 pontos. Na última rodada, o Tricolor do Pici venceu o Vasco, no Ceará.

Palmeiras x Fortalezaserá transmitido pelaTNT Sports(TV por assinatura) e peloPremiere(Pay-per-view para todo o Brasil). Oassinante poderá assistir ao jogo online peloEI PlusePremiere Play.