Ryan Giggs’ brother Rhodri has branded the Premier League Hall of Fame a “sham” after seeing the Manchester United legend overlooked again.
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Leeds United are building for their return to the Premier League under Daniel Farke and have now set their sights on a talented forward, according to reports.
Farke makes Leeds United plans for Bamford clear
Making an impressive start to pre-season, the Whites came away from their first encounter against Manchester United with a goalless draw that will have provided a platform to build on as they sharpen up for the new campaign.
Speaking after the match, Farke confirmed Patrick Bamford isn’t in Leeds United’s plans this term, signalling that he is ready to take ruthless decisions to streamline his squad.
He explained: “With Patrick (Bamford), I had a really open and honest conversation. I would have preferred a completely fit Patrick Bamford in the last two seasons. He knows how much I rate him as a person.
“It was the second day of pre-season when I told him in my office that he wasn’t part of my plans for the upcoming Premier League season, due to the fact that he’s had really difficult years over the past few years.”
Sean Longstaff has recently arrived at Leeds United for £12 million to add another layer of top-flight quality to their engine room. Meanwhile, Farke is also plotting a move to hijack Marseille’s pursuit of versatile Juventus forward Timothy Weah.
Terms agreed: "Dominant" £17m star says yes to signing for Leeds United
Leeds United appear to be closing in on their first signing of the summer window.
ByDan Emery Jun 15, 2025
Deals are beginning to multiply at Elland Road, with Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach seemingly the latest arrival at the Whites after Fabrizio Romano delivered his famous ‘here we go’ tagline to signal that he will come in to bolster the ranks.
Now, Leeds have made contact for a Premier League forward that they have been reportedly interested in tempting to Yorkshire.
Leeds United make contact to sign Marc Guiu on loan
According to a report from Transferfeed, Leeds United have made contact to sign Chelsea forward Marc Guiu on loan after previously looking to sign the youngster before he moved to Stamford Bridge from Barcelona.
Despite a lack of minutes last term, the 19-year-old scored six times in 16 appearances across all competitions, with his tally coming entirely in the Europa Conference League.
Marc Guiu in the Europa Conference League (Fotmob)
Shots
19
Shots on target
12
Touches in opposition box
31
Chances created
4
Successful dribbles
4
Labelled “exquisite” by Joe Cole, he was also compared to Luis Suarez by the former England international, who stated off the back of his goal against Astana last December: “Marc Guiu must have watched Luis Suarez as a young man at Barcelona.”
Expectedly, any prospect of Guiu moving on this summer may depend on whether Nicolas Jackson is sold by Chelsea amid interest from elsewhere in the Senegal international.
Ultimately, Leeds are in need of a striker and the Granollers-born star could be an ideal solution to add some firepower ahead of an exciting campaign back in the big time.
Already impressed by his performance at the Club World Cup, Ruben Amorim could now reportedly urge INEOS to sign a midfield star for Manchester United who has a release clause worth a hefty £85m.
As the transfer window rumbles on, the big talking point this week has come away from potential incomings and to next season’s Premier League fixtures. Officially announced Wednesday morning, Manchester United have now discovered their fate alongside the rest of their rivals and, for the Red Devils, that fate may well be a start full of frustration.
|
Man Utd’s First 5 Premier League Games |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Manchester United vs Arsenal |
17/08/2025 |
|
Fulham vs Manchester United |
23/08/2025 |
|
Manchester United vs Burnley |
30/08/2025 |
|
Manchester City vs Manchester United |
13/09/2025 |
|
Manchester United vs Chelsea |
20/09/2025 |
On paper, Amorim’s side have the toughest Premier League start, but that could quickly turn into a positive if they manage to navigate what would be an excellent start.
The pressure will certainly be on Amorim to finally get the best out of his side too. INEOS have already backed him by signing Matheus Cunha and it looks as though they’re likely to do the same by signing Bryan Mbuemo. But even then, the incomings may be far from over.
The likes of Hugo Ekitike have also found themselves in the headlines as of late. The Eintracht Frankfurt striker has been linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United already this summer and he could yet have a crucial decision to make.
Amorim's own Haaland: Wilcox in talks to sign "world-class" CF for Man Utd
Manchester United appear to be making moves towards a new centre-forward this summer.
2
By
Ethan Lamb
Jun 17, 2025
Whilst Frankfurt value the Frenchman at around €100m (£85m), recent reports have claimed that United are open to finding a way past this price tag by offering Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund in a player-plus-cash swap deal.
Landing Ekitike for a cheaper transfer fee could then open the door for another fresh face and this time a midfielder who is already impressing on the big stage this summer.
How to Watch the FIFA Club World Cup for Free
Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.
By
Charlie Smith
Jun 13, 2025
According to GiveMeSport, Amorim could now urge Manchester United chiefs to sign Richard Rios this summer after being left impressed by his Club World Cup form. The Red Devils have already sent scouts to watch the Palmeiras midfielder and are continuing to track his progress ahead of a potential move in the coming months.
The deal, like Ekitike, Cunha and Mbeumo, won’t come cheap, however, amid reports that Rios has a release clause worth as much as £85m in his current Palmeiras deal.
A player who analyst Ben Mattinson described as a “ball-carrying machine” in 2023, Rios has only improved ever since and is now ready for the European move that Manchester United could offer him this summer.
Celtic are brilliant at signing and developing young players before selling them on for profit on the future, as evidenced by the stars they have sold over the years.
As recently as January, the Scottish Premiership champions raked in a reported fee of £10m for Japan international centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes, yet he does not even place within the top sales in the club’s history.
Kieran Tierney
£25m
Matt O’Riley
£25m
Jota
£25m
Moussa Dembele
£20m
Odsonne Edouard
£18.5m
Kristoffer Ajer
£13.5m
Virgil van Dijk
£13m
As you can see in the table above, the likes of Jota, Matt O’Riley, and Kieran Tierney have all been sold for more than twice as much, the latest of which was O’Riley’s move to Brighton last summer.
Two of those players are also now back at Parkhead. Jota returned to Glasgow from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, whilst Tierney has joined on a free transfer from Arsenal, six years on from his move to the Premier League.
These are some of the top examples of players who have thrived in the Premiership for Celtic before making the club millions by moving elsewhere, and a great example of their brilliant recruitment work is central defender Kristoffer Ajer.
Celtic hit the jackpot with Kristoffer Ajer
In February 2016, the Scottish giants paid a reported fee of just £650k to sign the centre-back after a trial spell at Parkhead from Norwegian side Start.
The Hoops identified the young defender as a promising talent at the age of just 17, and were patient with him before they introduced the starlet to the first-team.
Ajer spent time in the academy, playing youth league football, before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock in the Premiership, before his emergence as a senior option for Celtic in the 2017/18 campaign.
The towering youngster then went on to score seven goals and provide seven assists in 176 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops before his exit in the summer of 2021.
February 2016
£650k reported fee
February 2017
£680k
August 2018
£1m
August 2019
£2.5m
January 2021
£3.4m
June 2021
£6m
July 2021
£13.5m reported fee
As you can see in the table above, Ajer’s market value soared way beyond the initial £650k that the Hoops reportedly paid Start to sign him as a 17-year-old.
In the summer of 2021, Premier League side Brentford reportedly paid a fee of £13.5m to sign the centre-back, breaking their own transfer record, which represented a huge profit for Celtic.
This shows that the Scottish giants hit the jackpot with the young defender as they identified his potential at an incredibly young age and went on to benefit from it with performances on the pitch and a huge fee when he left.
Celtic enquire about deal for teenage star
Celtic could find their next version of Kristoffer Ajer this summer amid reported interest in another 17-year-old centre-back prospect to bolster their squad.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Mozzart Sport, as relayed by B92, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Red Star Belgrade central defender Veljko Milosavljević in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops have already made an enquiry about the 17-year-old starlet, and made an offer of £5m that was turned down by the Serbian outfit.
It adds that two teams from England are also eyeing up the young centre-back, but they have yet to make any official bids for his services as of yet.
Red Star Belgrade are said to want more than £5m that Celtic put on the table for the teenage titan, although the report does not mention exactly how much they would want for him.
Why Celtic should sign Veljko Milosavljević
The Hoops should sign the Serbian youngster before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September because he has the potential to be Ajer 2.0 at Parkhead.
Whilst he would not arrive for a cheap fee of £650k, given that they have already had an offer of £5m turned down for him, the Red Star talent would arrive as another teenage centre-back with the potential to develop and improve, therefore growing in value in the future.
Despite not turning 18 till this weekend, the Celtic target has already played 19 first-team matches for the Serbian giants, and established himself as a regular in the league in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Milosavljević initially caught the eye in the Serbian youth league, winning 11.8 duels per game across eight starts in the division, before being made a permanent member of Vladan Milojevic’s first-team squad.
Appearances
14
Starts
11
Pass accuracy
90%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.2
Dribbled past per game
0.2x
Error led to shot
0
Error led to goal
0
Penalties committed
0
As you can see in the table above, the teenage talent started 11 of his 14 outings for the Superliga champions, as the centre-back showed that he could compete in a team that was chasing the league title.
Milosavljević, who scout Gianni Bellasi described as a “physically imposing” defender, proved himself to be a reliable option at the back, despite his inexperience, with zero errors that led to shots, goals, or penalties.
That is particularly impressive when you consider that Liam Scales made two such errors and Auston Trusty made five such errors in the Premiership for Celtic this season, in a title-winning side for Brendan Rodgers.
This shows that it is not easy to play a lot of games without making costly mistakes as a centre-back in a dominant team, given the nature of how much they look to play out from the back, but the Serbian star has shown promise in that respect.
As exciting as Nygren: All parties are keen for Celtic to sign £5m star
Celtic are keen to sign a £5m winger who would be as exciting as Benjamin Nygren.
2 ByDan Emery Jun 25, 2025
Therefore, Milosavljević could follow in Ajer’s footsteps at Parkhead if Celtic sign him this summer because he is a 17-year-old centre-back talent who has shown that he has the qualities to be a reliable figure at the back if he can adapt to Scottish football.
Of course, there are no guarantees in football and there is no telling exactly how he will develop, but his career to date suggests that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for the Hoops.
Liverpool will not stand in the way of a “special” player leaving the club at the end of this season, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Trophy lift awaits as Liverpool begin summer planning
The Reds’ season has effectively been done and dusted for weeks now, having won the Premier League title last month, but Sunday’s visit of Crystal Palace promises to be a memorable afternoon at Anfield.
Liverpool’s campaign comes to an end this weekend, and once the Palace match is over, they will lift the trophy in front of their adoring supporters, who were robbed of the chance to celebrate properly when they were crowned champions back in 2019/20.
Virgil van Dijk will become the latest Reds captain to hoist the trophy aloft, officially bringing an end to a sensational first season at Anfield for Arne Slot, who has defied expectations and won a huge trophy straight away, having taken on the daunting task of replacing Jurgen Klopp.
With Palace winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City last weekend, this promises to be one of the happiest occasions for two sets of supporters in memory, with the result ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things. When the dust settles, though, attention will turn to Liverpool’s transfer business, and a key exit rumour has emerged regarding one player.
Liverpool open to Harvey Elliott sale
Writing on X, Plettenberg claimed that Liverpool are happy to sell Harvey Elliott this summer, with his future still very much up in the air and talks already opened with interested parties.
Elliott has had a frustrating season, with his only two starts in the Premier League coming after the title was won, with Slot struggling to see him as a key man.
The 22-year-old may feel that he has reached a point in his career where he needs to start regularly, and his natural talent could be such an asset for another team, having been described as a “special” player by former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor last December.
For all of Elliott’s technical expertise, however, he lacks the dynamism of the Reds’ other midfielders, from Ryan Gravenberch to Dominik Szoboszlai, and this continues to work against him.
Harvey Elliott’s 2024/25 Premier League stats
Total
Appearances
17
Starts
2
Minutes played
355
Goals
1
Assists
2
Shots per game
1.0
Key passes per game
0.6
Dribbles per game
0.2
The idea of the £40,000-a-week midfielder staying at Liverpool is certainly no bad thing, considering what a good squad player he is, but he has now reached a point where a move away could be the most beneficial outcome for everyone.
Glasgow Rangers’ 2024/25 is over following their Europa League defeat in midweek to Athletic Club at the quarter-final stage.
Having been knocked out of the Scottish Cup in February, plus the fact Celtic are runaway leaders of the Premiership, the final five league games will be dead rubbers for the Ibrox side.
While Philippe Clement was to blame for many reasons, the transfer activity, both in the summer and winter windows, has a lot to answer for regarding the club’s dismal campaign.
Out of all the arrivals to join the club this season, only a few have gained pass marks. Robin Propper could have made that list, yet he has endured a poor season.
Robin Propper's dismal season in numbers
The Dutch defender had played over 100 times for FC Twente, even captaining the side, before making the move to Ibrox last summer.
On the surface, it looked as though he could be a solid signing, especially given his age and the experience gained over his career.
Fast-forward nine months, and it couldn’t have gone any worse. Propper has failed to truly acclimatise to the physical nature of Scottish football, being regularly outpaced and outfought by opposition defenders. As he admitted himself, he “maybe underestimated” the quality of the Premiership.
In Europe, the centre-back has won just 44% of his aerial duels while losing possession 6.7 times per game, and overall, he hasn’t been the best of signings.
Metric (per 90)
Premiership
Europa League
Accurate passes
58.6
30.3
Tackles
1.6
0.8
Total duels won
5.6
2.5
Interceptions
0.9
1
Possession lost
8.7
6.7
Despite this, Propper – who was sent off against Athletic in the first-leg stalemate – may not even be the worst defensive signing Clement made this term. That honour could go to Rafael Fernandes, who, with every passing week, looks an extremely strange signing.
How Rafael Fernandes has performed for Rangers
A few winter arrivals were expected by the Ibrox faithful, but only Rafael Fernandes made the move to Rangers, much to the disappointment of the supporters.
The 22-year-old defender signed on an initial six-month loan deal, having the option to make it permanent, but given how little he has featured, this shouldn’t be exercised.
Indeed, the youngster has played a total of 91 competitive minutes for the Gers spread across four appearances.
His first start for the club came against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup, and it soon turned into a disaster. He lasted only 60 minutes as the Light Blues suffered a shock defeat.
Since then, Fernandes has started only one more game – against Aberdeen last week – and it doesn’t look like he will feature much in the closing weeks.
Across his three league outings, Fernandes won just 25% of his total duels contested, along with committing one foul per game and making zero tackles each match.
He hasn’t exactly had many chances to make an impact at the club, but even when he has been on the pitch, Fernandes hasn’t done himself many favours, that’s for sure.
It was a weird signing in the first place, and when the season finishes, Rangers should say thanks before allowing him to return to Lille.
Rangers trio worth £5m to leave Ibrox after Athletic Bilbao defeat
Barry Ferguson’s side crashed out of Europe on Thursday.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 19, 2025
Liverpool are set for some big changes this summer and are now making pre-window advances to bring in a talented defender to bolster the ranks at Anfield.
Liverpool could be set for landscape to change under Arne Slot
Arne Slot has become a heroic figure on the red half of Merseyside since arriving from Feyenoord last summer and did his reputation no harm during the week as Liverpool saw off rivals Everton to maintain their 12-point advantage at the Premier League summit.
Despite the euphoric scenes at Anfield, some supporters are trepidatious heading into the summer due to heavy rumours that Trent Alexander-Arnold is on his way to Real Madrid.
The Reds academy graduate isn’t the only one with an uncertain future at the club. Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have yet to commit to fresh terms despite being on the cusp of claiming a Premier League medal.
Sending the transfer mill into overdrive, Liverpool are now said to be eyeing a move for Lyon’s Rayan Cherki and hold out hope the French playmaker could join on a cheap deal following news he has agreed to leave for around £25 million.
On the same token, Freiburg right-back Kiliann Sildillia has been lined up as a potential Alexander-Arnold replacement, albeit Manchester City, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion want to sign the Bundesliga star this summer.
Peter Walton reveals Liverpool "demon" was the hardest player he refereed
A former Red gave Walton a particularly tough time during his days as a Premier League official…
ByDominic Lund Apr 3, 2025
Whatever circumstances fall Liverpool’s way over the next few months, Slot doesn’t appear to have much time to waste. He has now reportedly set his sights on an alternative defensive target to add some solidity to his backline.
Liverpool make advances to sign Rayo Vallecano's Andrei Ratiu
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have identified Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu as a target to replace Alexander-Arnold, and club chiefs have already initiated pre-summer moves to bring the Romania international to Anfield.
Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen are also in hot pursuit of the 26-year-old, who has registered two goals and three assists in 28 appearances across all competitions this season.
Andrei Ratiu’s La Liga statistics in 2024/25
Chances created
24
Tackles won
34
Duels won
144
Successful crosses
6
Recoveries
138
Possessing a release clause of around £21 million, Ratiu could be on the market for a relatively cheap price as Liverpool scour the market for contingencies should Alexander-Arnold complete a free transfer to Real Madrid.
Conor Bradley is another exciting alternative in reserve, though his injury status in recent times shows the need for reliable cover on the right-hand side of defence. Importantly, Slot sees Ratiu as a ‘perfect fit’ for his high-octane system, indicating he has done his homework on the Aiud-born man ahead of the window.
Until Alexander-Arnold’s departure is officially ratified, supporters will hold out hope that a fairytale u-turn from the Three Lions international could be on the cards.
Laxman playing the last-action hero in Mohali, or a stunning New Zealand fightback in Abu Dhabi? Pick between two thrillers as we begin to identify The Greatest Test of the 21st century
Alagappan Muthu02-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2010 Mohali Test moves into the round of 16.
Test cricket moves men. Even stoic ones like VVS Laxman, who once withstood the world’s best team for a full day’s play, but here lost his cool with just about seconds on the clock. A victory that had seemed so unlikely – India were eight down with 92 runs still to get – one that required him to strain so hard he hurt his back and needed a runner – was within their grasp. Laxman had added 81 with the No. 10 Ishant Sharma before Ben Hilfenhaus struck, leaving Australia one wicket from a 1-0 lead in the series. Then the No. 11 Pragyan Ojha randomly wandered out of his crease, opening himself up to being run out. Laxman was driven to a curse word. For the entire fourth innings, he had denied Australia. Strong, firm, unmoved, and yet scoring at an extremely brisk pace. Here he broke. India could have lost this game by five runs and it still would have been a classic. In the end, they won it by one wicket and Australia’s nemesis was unbeaten on 73 off 79 balls.
No one knew when they were eating lunch on the fourth day in Abu Dhabi that the first domino had fallen. Pakistan went in 130 for 4 chasing 176 to win. They wouldn’t get there. They wouldn’t get there because a debutant left-arm spinner from New Zealand would bring them down like a house of cards.Ajaz Patel has spent his career doing unimaginable things – he’s picked up 10 wickets in an innings, he’s helped New Zealand beat India in India 3-0 – but this was where it all started. At 171 for 9, and with Azhar Ali still out there, Pakistan had hope. Then Kane Williamson remembered that he had a left-arm spinner in his ranks and that left-arm spinners have always troubled Azhar. It was a gamble – the kind that will get better with each retelling – because it worked. New Zealand began this Test in a way that made sense. Getting all out for 153 on a spinning pitch and giving up a first-innings lead of 74. Everything they did from that point on, however, made people wonder if what happened could even be real.
The England fast bowler played only 11 matches across the SA20 and the IPL this year
ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-20234:31
Explaining Jofra Archer’s sudden exit from the IPL
February 1, 2022 – Enters IPL mega-auction
Archer’s name is a surprise inclusion on the longlist for the mega-auction, given he was due to miss IPL 2022 with an elbow injury. Hemang Amin, the IPL’s COO, tells franchises: “The ECB has registered Jofra Archer for the auction with a view to potential participation in 2023 and 2024, as due to his current injury it is unlikely that he can participate in IPL 2022.”February 13, 2022 – Signed by Mumbai Indians
Despite his unavailability, Archer’s lot prompts a bidding war between his old franchise Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai at the auction, with Mumbai eventually securing his services at INR 8 crore (£800,000 approx). The franchise’s owner, Akash Ambani, says: “When he is fit and available we believe he will make a formidable partnership with [Jasprit] Bumrah.”May 19, 2022 – Back stress fracture
Archer is diagnosed with a lower-back stress fracture, preventing his planned return in the T20 Blast for Sussex and ruling him out of the English summer. The ECB say in a statement: “No timeframe has been set for his return.”November 23, 2022 – England Lions return
Bowling in England match kit for the first time since March 2021, Archer hits Zak Crawley on the helmet with a sharp bouncer, playing for England Lions against the full Test squad in a warm-up match in Abu Dhabi. “A small day but still a big day,” he says.January 10, 2023 – MI Cape Town debut
Signed as a ‘wildcard’ for MI Cape Town – Mumbai Indians’ franchise in the inaugural SA20 – Archer bowls the third over of the new tournament, and strikes with his third ball. He plays six times for them in total, taking 10 wickets.January 27, 2023 – Full international comeback
Archer plays his first game for England since March 2021, taking 1 for 81 in the first ODI in South Africa. Five days later, he takes 6 for 40 to seal a consolation win as England lose the series 2-1.March 14, 2023 – Back in Bangladesh
Archer finishes England’s white-ball tour to Bangladesh with another five international appearances under his belt, taking five wickets in his two ODIs and four in his three T20Is.April 2, 2023 – Mumbai debut
Mumbai start IPL 2023 with a heavy defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Archer takes 0 for 33 in his four overs, dropping a difficult caught-and-bowled chance offered by Virat Kohli off his first ball.April 8, 2023 – Misses El Clasico
After experiencing discomfort in his right elbow on debut, Archer misses Mumbai’s first home game against Chennai Super Kings with what Mark Boucher, their head coach, describes as “a little niggle”. Boucher adds: “We’ve got a fantastic medical team that are looking after him. He’s obviously a massive player for us, so hopefully they can pass him fit sometime soon.”April 22, 2023 – Returns vs Punjab Kings
Having missed four matches in a row, Archer takes his first wicket for Mumbai – Sam Curran, caught and bowled – in a defeat to Punjab Kings at the Wankhede.April 25, 2023 – Belgium trip emerges
The reports that Archer travelled to Belgium during his lay-off to visit Roger van Riet, his elbow specialist, for a “minor procedure”. The ECB confirms that Archer travelled to Belgium, but do not comment on whether he underwent surgery. Archer responds furiously via Twitter, saying: “Putting out an article without knowing the facts and without my consent is crazy.”April 27, 2023 – All-format ambitions
Archer confirms in an interview with ESPNcricinfo that he retains hope of making a return to Test cricket. “I still want to play as much red-ball [cricket] as possible,” he says. “I’ve never really had a thought of trying to give up on any of the formats as yet.”April 29, 2023 – Boucher confirms surgery
Asked about Archer’s situation at a pre-match press conference, Boucher confirms that he travelled to Belgium. “Yes, he did,” he said. “I believe it was a minor surgery.” Meanwhile, Archer’s close friend and Sussex and England team-mate Chris Jordan is spotted training with the franchise.May 9, 2023 – Leaves IPL 2023
Mumbai announce that Archer has been replaced by Jordan for the remainder of the tournament, after consecutive wicketless appearances against Kings and Super Kings. “Jofra will return home to focus on his rehabilitation,” the franchise said.The ECB confirmed that he has been “recovering from right elbow surgery”, adding: “Pushing through the discomfort whilst recently playing, hoping it will settle, has proven challenging. Therefore, it has been agreed for him to return to the UK for a period of rest and rehabilitation to give him the best opportunity for a full recovery.”May 16, 2023 – Ruled out of English summer
England’s squad announcement for the Ireland Test contains the news that Archer has been ruled out of action for the home season by the recurrence of his elbow stress fracture. “He was making good progress until a recurrence of the elbow injury, which kept him out for an extended period previously,” says Rob Key, England men’s managing director. “We wish him the best of luck with his recovery.”
A caution-first mindset, a lack of long-term vision, and an overreliance on overseas stars at the BPL are among the reasons for this muddle
Mohammad Isam09-Apr-2021If you followed Bangladesh’s recent results in New Zealand, you wouldn’t wonder why more of their cricketers aren’t making it big in T20 cricket. It can be assumed that teams that get bowled out in 9.3 overs – the third-shortest completed innings of all time – don’t have great T20 players. And that’s true of Bangladesh. There’s the IPL on as we speak, and all of two Bangladeshis are a part of it – Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, the only two to have played with any regularity in the competition over the years, Shakib much more than Rahman.It comes down to a lack of T20 skills. There is a genuine lack of big hitters in the batting line-up, which has left a huge gap in Bangladesh’s overall white-ball performances. They don’t have legspinners or other unorthodox bowlers of any prominence in the domestic circuit. Orthodox bowlers, be it pace or spin, don’t have much mystery about them. Bangladesh’s T20I cricket often feels like a watered-down version of their ODI cricket. The personnel are not too different, and they follow ODI-like plans and patterns.
“A franchise doesn’t have the opportunity, nor do they even try, to develop a player. Suddenly a foreign coach comes, we take a few selfies with him, and that’s it.”
Senior Bangladesh coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim
No surprise then that Bangladesh are tenth in the ICC T20I team rankings. They are also at the bottom of T20I teams in terms of win-loss ratio in the last five years.Over the years, BPL franchises have been heavily reliant on their overseas stars•BPL‘We ‘don’t have the culture’To Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, the senior Bangladeshi coach best known for mentoring Shakib over the years, the show in New Zealand suggested that the Bangladesh players had lost the plot in their heads even before taking the field.”We played against a quality opposition in conditions that weren’t suited to our cricket, but I think the perception that we don’t play well in T20s has got into everyone’s head,” Fahim tells ESPNcricinfo. “This may contribute to the mentality that we can afford to lose and play badly; there’s not much expectation. We could have been a bit more positive. It was always going to be hard to beat New Zealand in their own conditions, but we should have played better.”Fahim, who has worked in the BCB as an Under-19 coach and as national development manager for many years, feels the New Zealand tour was another example of the lack of boldness in Bangladesh’s approach – a precondition in T20s.”We don’t have the culture that allows the positive and fearless cricket so needed in T20s,” he says. “We worry a lot about consequences when playing cricket at any level, be it club or national team. We don’t have the physical build and neither do we play a lot of T20s. But, on top of that, if we can’t even play 100% fearless cricket, it becomes a huge hindrance in T20s.”It’s almost an echo of what Mahmudullah had to say after Bangladesh lost a T20I series 2-1 in India in late 2019, the last match – the decider – by 30 runs after they collapsed from 110 for 2 to 144 all out chasing 175.”Honestly, we have a long way to go in T20s. We are a team dependent on skilled hitting, not big hitters. If we can be consistent with our game sense and mentality, we can improve in this format,” he had said. “It is important to back players in T20Is where it is hard to be consistent. As a team and the management, we should back players who are going through a rough time.”As for the missing fearlessness, Neil McKenzie, who worked with the national team as batting coach for two years between 2018 and 2020, had tried to analyse the problem early last year, after Bangladesh lost the T20I series in Pakistan.”There’s no doubt that Bangladesh is full of very talented cricketers, but we need a little bit more consistency,” he had said. “I want someone to be selfish in terms of winning games for the side. Not selfish for their own right. Selfish for not giving it away. If I have an 80, why can’t I follow it up with a hundred, 140 or 200?”A little bit more hunger for that consistency. A lot of the time, the guys are happy to play the next game. If you get a 40 or 60. It is the wrong mentality. I want the guys to try to be the best in the world, or be the best Bangladesh batsman. I think that’s what we are trying to instill. We are making progress. But it has been a little bit frustrating.”Shakib has been the only Bangladeshi regular in the IPL over the years•BCCIWhy has the BPL not helped?During the seven seasons of the BPL’s franchise-based model, the teams have depended mainly on overseas players to take charge of all the important phases in the games, especially the powerplay and the death overs, whether with bat or ball.”We give all the important positions to the overseas players during the BPL. We let them handle all the crisis moments, which means our players can never gather that experience,” Fahim says. “What’s glaring is that these overseas players end up adapting to our conditions better. Afghanistan won here quite easily (in 2019) because this is not a foreign land to them anymore.”A franchise doesn’t have the opportunity, nor do they even try, to develop a player. Practice is only for three or four days before the tournament. Suddenly a foreign coach comes, we take a few selfies with him, and that’s it.”Nafees Iqbal , the former Bangladesh opener who has managed the Khulna Titans for the last five years, agrees that the BPL model hasn’t done much for the country’s T20 cricket.”It is very true that we pick overseas players who will make an impact in the powerplay and death overs, and it honestly does make it difficult to provide opportunities to local players,” Nafees says. “But you can’t really blame the BPL franchises. Winning the trophy is their only motivation, since they don’t earn revenue like IPL franchises do.”So, by and large, Bangladeshi players don’t get to – or manage to – impress much in their own T20 league. What chance do they have in overseas competitions?Mustafizur Rahman played a key role for Sunrisers in his debut season (2016)•BCCIThe occasional splashOnly Shakib and Rahman are playing in this season’s IPL.Shakib has been around since 2011, winning two titles with the Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom he is back this season. He is among T20’s glitterati, currently the sixth-highest wicket-taker in all T20s and is among only two players to have scored 5000 runs and taken 350 wickets in the format. He is a major drawcard, having played in all the major T20 tournaments.Rahman won the 2016 IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which he also won the award for the best emerging player. The Rajasthan Royals, his team this year, is his third IPL team in five years.Both took the international route to the IPL. The Knight Riders picked Shakib in 2011 after he emerged as a match-winner for Bangladesh and became the No. 1 allrounder in the ICC ODI rankings. He didn’t have a T20 record worth talking about at the time, but had established himself as a dependable allrounder. Rahman shot to the limelight after picking up 11 wickets in his first two ODIs against India in 2015.But beyond them, there’s little. Abdur Razzak (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mohammad Ashraful (Mumbai Indians) and Mashrafe Mortaza (Knight Riders) have played one match each in the IPL over the years, while Tamim Iqbal was in the Pune Warriors rolls in 2012, but didn’t get a game.What about other T20 leagues?Tamim is a regular at the PSL, and has played in the CPL and in domestic T20 tournaments in England and New Zealand. Mahmudullah has played a couple of seasons in the CPL and PSL too, while Mushfiqur Rahim played three matches for the Karachi Kings in the PSL in 2016. In the Abu Dhabi T10 last year, eight Bangladeshi cricketers – including Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Sohag Gazi and Nasir Hossain – took part, but none of them did anything of note.Nafees, who also worked as Rahman’s translator in the 2018 IPL, while he was with the Mumbai Indians, pointed to two factors – fairly straightforward reasons – that are holding back Bangladeshi players, especially when it comes to the IPL.”Firstly, India is considered the factory of producing batsmen, so usually the IPL franchises are only interested in batsmen who have the X-factor, like AB de Villiers or Andre Russell,” Nafees says. “They are more interested in overseas allrounders and bowlers. Most of Bangladesh’s top players are batsmen, which limits their opportunities in the IPL. Mustafiz is an exceptional bowler while Shakib mainly plays as a bowler.”Secondly, our T20 team’s track record isn’t great. It is not like our one-day team. I think it is important to have an impact in your (country’s) team, before you can be considered anywhere else. Someone like [Kieron] Pollard obviously played well for West Indies first. The moment a player does well for his country, he will attract attention, and then he will get picked in tournaments.”Shoriful Islam impressed at the Bangabandhu T20 Cup•Raton Gomes/BCBLight at the end of the tunnel?The picture isn’t pretty. An absence of specialist T20 skills is a primary reason for the continued lack of big performances. Bangladesh claim they have skilled hitters but not power hitters. That’s true. Scoring patterns from domestic T20 tournaments clearly show that very few Bangladeshi batsmen can be dominant in the way we are used to seeing the top T20 batsmen be. Junaid Siddique is the only Bangladeshi in the top ten for powerplay strike rates, while there is no one in the top ten for strike rates in the last five overs.As for bowlers, there’s no legspinner or unorthodox spinner breaking the door down. The rare 140kph quick or orthodox offspinners or left-arm spinners haven’t shown any remarkable ability in T20s. It is a well-known fact that unique skills have a better chance of producing the spectacular in T20s.Although Bangladesh’s cricketers play many T20 tournaments at the amateur or informal level, the BPL hasn’t quite become what it could have, and not just for the reasons mentioned earlier. Corruption, unpaid wages, and impulsive rule changes have all affected the tournament, and the BCB eventually fell out with the original franchises in 2019 and ran the tournament on its own.”The BPL could have given us a lot, had we tried to take something out of it,” Fahim says. “The board considers the number of foreign players, media coverage and earning money as success. But that’s not it. The BPL should be used to strengthen our players.”In a bid to keep cricketers busy during the pandemic, the BCB organised the Bangabandhu T20 Cup last year. The tournament didn’t feature overseas players, so Bangladesh’s best cricketers got a chance to have more of a say in critical moments in T20s. That could help.”I think tournaments like Bangabandhu T20 will produce players,” Nafees says. “If we have seen domestic players tackle difficult situations in this competition, we will consider him for a similar role in the next BPL.”There weren’t many groundbreaking performances in the Bangabandhu T20s, though, but newcomers like Parvez Hossain Emon, a part of the Under-19 World Cup-winning side, and rookies like Anisul Islam, Mukidul Islam and Shoriful Islam showed they could hold their own in tough moments.It could be a starting point. In a country where talented T20 cricketers are not falling over each other to be noticed, a bit more desperation might help – desperation on the part of the BCB and other stakeholders. There are two T20 World Cups in the next two years, and there are several spots up for grabs. It’s up to the players to make those positions theirs.