O Uruguai enfrenta a Costa do Marfim nesta terça-feira (26), em um amistoso internacional no Estádio Félix-Bollaert, em Lens, na França. A partida está marcada para começar às 16h30 (horário de Brasília), com transmissão da ESPN e Star+.
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Durante a Data Fifa, o Uruguai empatou com o País Basco, enquanto a Costa do Marfim ficou em igualdade com Benin.
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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto do Brasil com a Inglaterra (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).
✅ FICHA TÉCNICA Costa do Marfim x Uruguai – Amistoso
🗓️ Data e horário: terça-feira, 26 de março de 2024, às 16h30 (hora de Brasília) 📍 Local: Estádio Félix-Bollaert, em Lens, na França. 📺 Onde assistir: ESPN e Star+
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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
COSTA DO MARFIM (Técnico: Emerse Faé) Yahia Fofana; Wilfried Singo, Ousmane Diomande, Willy Boly e Ismael Diallo; Franck Kessié, Jean Michael Seri e Jéremie Boga; Max Gradel, Simon Adingra e Jean-Philippe Krasso
URUGUAI (Técnico: Marcelo Bielsa.) Franco Israel; Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araújo, Bruno Méndez e Matías Viña (Sebastián Cáceres); Ugarte, Valverde, Nicolás De La Cruz e Arrascaeta; Canobbio (Facundo Torres) e Luciano Rodríguez
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shared an injury update on his squad, and they could be without one of their players until after the new year.
The Blues made light work of London rivals Tottenham in their last outing, cruising to a 1-0 win on enemy turf, and Thomas Frank’s side hardly laid a glove on them.
It was a much-needed victory for Maresca’s men, who were dispatched by newly-promoted Sunderland in their previous Premier League clash the weekend prior.
The loss at home to Regis Le Bris’ side sparked major outrage after what was a very disappointing performance, with reports in the aftermath suggesting that Maresca’s long-term Chelsea future is far from certain amid interest from Juventus.
Luckily for the Italian, Chelsea have responded to that defeat in good fashion — knocking Wolves out of the Carabao Cup via a dramatic 4-3 win at Molineux to then claim the London derby spoils.
It has been a mixed start to 25/26 for Chelsea after what was a stellar summer, having won both the Conference League and Club World Cup earlier this year, but Maresca is believed to be dissatisfied with the squad at his disposal overall.
Chelsea ended the last summer transfer window as one of England’s most lavish spenders, investing nearly £300 million in new recruits, but the west Londoners failed to shore up their centre-back options or bring in a world-class goalkeeper.
Rank
Club
Gross Spend
Sales
Net Spend
20.
Bournemouth
£136.7m
£202.5m
+£65.8m
19.
Brighton
£67.7m
£127.5m
+£59.8m
18.
Brentford
£92.8m
£152m
+£59.2m
17.
Wolves
£105.6m
£126.5m
+£20.9m
16.
Chelsea
£296.5m
£314.4m
+£17.9m
BlueCo are reportedly ready to prioritise the signing of a centre-back for Chelsea in January, but Maresca hasn’t exactly been helped by injuries and suspensions either.
Summer signing Liam Delap was missing for weeks with a hamstring problem and couldn’t play against Tottenham last weekend after his red card at Wolves.
Malo Gusto was also suspended recently, with Trevoh Chalobah, Robert Sanchez, Joao Pedro and Delap all sent off in the last 44 days alone.
Chelsea’s current disciplinary issues are a real conundrum for Maresca to solve, and it’s the last thing he needs considering their troubles with fitness issues this campaign.
Right now, Pedro Neto, Benoit Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Dario Essugo are all unavailable through injury, and Maresca might not welcome back the latter until 2026.
Chelsea could be without Dario Essugo until January
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League clash with Qarabag, Maresca suggests that Essugo could be out injured until January.
Essugo, who’s been called a ‘frightening’ player by members of the media like journalist Antonio Mango, hasn’t been able to showcase his best since joining Chelsea in the summer, and it’ll be a while before he gets to do so.
That being said, there is some good news.
Chelsea’s manager believes that star forward Palmer, who’s been battling a niggling groin problem since the start of the season, could return for their blockbuster European showdown against Barcelona.
Chelsea play their last game before the next international break against Wolves this weekend, and their Barça clash is scheduled to take place around three days after they return to action away to Burnley on November 22.
Leeds United youth prospect Alex Baird could depart West Yorkshire in the upcoming January transfer window.
At the second time of asking, Daniel Farke led the Whites back to the Premier League last season, ascending as centurions and winners of the Championship. To prepare, the Whites made a number of summer signings, aiming to avoid the fate of all six promoted sides across the past two years, who were immediately relegated.
Unsurprisingly, Leeds have been linked with a number of potential incomings ahead of the January transfer window, in which they can reinforce their squad. Alongside Sunderland and Burnley, the 2025/26 season looks to be one in which, finally, promoted teams can compete in the Premier League once more.
It would appear, though, that the Whites may have to navigate the departure of a promising talent this January.
Baird could leave Leeds this winter
Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Alex Baird could depart Elland Road for free in the upcoming transfer window. Though he is a promising player, currently in the ranks of Leeds’ Under-18s squad, Baird’s pathway to the first team is unclear.
Ahead of Baird in the youth academy’s pecking order are Darryl Ombang and Rory Mahady. The latter is particularly regarded as a star prospect and both have spent time, in recent months, on loan with clubs in the English football pyramid.
Given that both seem ahead of Baird, it makes sense that the youngster could leave and join a club with a clearer route to first-team football. Not only that, but Leeds are well-stocked in the goalkeeping department at a senior level too.
Illan Meslier, who has not played for Leeds since early 2025, looks set to leave the club sooner rather than later. The fact that Meslier did not, in fact, depart in the latest summer transfer window was rather surprising.
Elsewhere, though, the Whites signed Lucas Perri from Lyon to be their new number one in the summer. Karl Darlow has performed admirably when called upon as a back-up shot-stopper and Alex Cairns, now a veteran who is a Leeds youth academy product, is the club’s third choice keeper.
What Baird goes onto achieve as a player remains to be seen, though it would appear that these accomplishments will not be achieved at Elland Road.
"Indespensable" Leeds star now struggling for form
India’s emphasis on fitness and fielding will all be put to test on Sunday with their campaign on the line
Shashank Kishore12-Oct-2024The shiny floor gleaming with vitrified tiling at Sharjah’s press conference area caused a brief stir as Harmanpreet Kaur walked in with a slight limp. But when you saw her wearing spikes that needed her to be on her toes, it all made sense.Harmanpreet’s opening act was a prelude to Sunday. India need to be on their toes too; a slip-up and New Zealand will be waiting to close in on a semi-final berth, fully knowing what their margins should be against Pakistan on Monday.It’s not ideal, because no matter what India do against Australia, there’s going to be a niggling net run-rate equation they can’t control. This is something Harmanpreet acknowledged at her pre-match press conference.”Lot of things we have to keep in mind and play,” Harmanpreet said ahead of India’s training. “Definitely going there you need a strong mindset, but at the same time we just want to play freely and enjoy our game, because end of the day when you’re enjoying, you can always get the results.”I know it’s an important game, just need to keep yourself in the present and see what is required for the team and playing accordingly, I think that’s more important.”Related
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In the lead-up, India have afforded themselves a luxury no other team has had: the opportunity to train two straight days at the main venue, in this case Sharjah. With matches scheduled everyday, the main venues have been off bounds, with training restricted to the ICC Academy, comprising three floodlit grounds for teams to train and match simulate.Within minutes of Saturday’s afternoon game between New Zealand and Sri Lanka finishing, India were up and away, briskly going through their warm-up with a session of foot volley before diving straight into a range-hitting session besides the main square.Along with four net bowlers, there were several ‘net fielders’ stationed at different arcs around the boundary to retrieve balls back as Shafali Verma enjoyed a long bash, alternating with Smriti Mandhana in 10-minute intervals. Shafali regularly deposited balls onto the roof of the pavilion block, while Mandhana’s focus was on the ‘feel’ of timing, only occasionally lofting the ball.A low-arm slinger, delivering from an unusual angle, a tall six-foot something who only kept hitting the deck and a fully-fit-and-firing Pooja Vastrakar, going full tilt, in what was a sure-shot sign of her having recovered from a hamstring niggle, went hard at Mandhana.After her net, seemingly wanting some extra attention, she walked across to have a long chat with Amol Muzumdar, the head coach, before gearing up for another hit with Muzumdar chucking short balls from different angles with Mandhana seemingly trying to quickly get into position and pull in front of square. Then she went through a similar pattern of driving on the up to length balls angling away.Between Mandhana’s long stint on the sidelines, Harmanpreet’s unwavering focus was on hitting straight and long, by stepping out to spin, a variety of bowling she’ll face plenty of on Sunday with Australia having Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham all likely to be unleashed.The extra attention to detail was in trying to step out to prevent the ball from hitting the rough patches that had been naturally created from players at short cover/short midwicket scuffing up the area while fielding in the previous game.Harmanpreet – “It’s an important game, just need to keep yourself in the present and see what is required for the team”•ICC via Getty ImagesAfter Harmanpreet, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma dug in. Richa was let loose to simply swing to the hills, and she connected more often than not, while Deepti went through an entire range of sweep shots to deliveries spinning in and away from her.Much of the focus was on the batters in the main net, even as the bowlers separately went through their drills under Aavishkar Salvi’s watch. S Asha, the legspinner, and Shreyanka Patil challenged Shafali’s big-hitting with some degree of success, while the main seamers simply went through light spot drills before retreating into self-preservation mode.Quietly on the side, Radha Yadav, who is yet to get a game but has pulled off one of the catches of the tournament while substituting for Harmanpreet, went through elaborate bowling drills and target practice. It’s perhaps a sign India are looking at playing an extra bowling option in place of S Sajana, who has barely had any role to play in the two games she has featured in.Before training, Harmanpreet alluded to how the surfaces have felt a lot better than it seemed on TV, based on their first session on Friday. Saturday merely reaffirmed that notion, Harmanpreet and India wouldn’t mind Sunday to be any different, for it’ll be a test of their batting might against an opponent who’ve most often had the better of them in a knockout scenario.The hours at training, mental conditioning sessions in the backroom and their emphasis on fitness and fielding will all be put to test with India’s campaign on the line.
The home side were in trouble on 74 for 6 but Tim David constructed a superb innings then the bowlers were impressive
Firdose Moonda10-Aug-2025
Tim David was left needing to repair the damage, which he did magnificently•Getty Images
by 17 runsAustralia extended their T20I match-winning streak to a record nine games and pulled off their lowest successful defence against South Africa despite losing six wickets inside the first eight overs. Amid an explosive start, Australia stumbled to 75 for 6 before Tim David’s superbly-constructed 52-ball 83 and seventh-wicket stand of 59 with Ben Dwarshuis took them to a match-winning total. Mitchell Marsh has now won 22 out of 25 matches as T20I captain.As much as South Africa were blown away by Australia’s ultra-aggressive batting approach they also have themselves to blame for letting their hosts get away. South Africa dropped four catches – including David on 56 – though they bowled Australia out for the first time in 26 T20I meetings. The biggest positive was the performance of left-armer Kwena Maphaka who, at 19 years and 124 days old, became the youngest bowler from a Full Member country to take a T20I four-wicket haul. It was not enough to limit Australia to a chaseable score.Related
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South Africa’s downfall was their lack of power hitting. They struck only two sixes compared to Australia’s 13 (and David was responsible for eight on his own) and appeared to be specialist batter short. By the time George Linde arrived at the crease at No. 6, South Africa needed 59 runs off 33 balls and Josh Hazlewood had broken the game’s best partnership of 72 between Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs. He would also end Linde’s stay to finish with 3 for 26.Adam Zampa took two wickets in two balls and South Africa lost four wickets for three runs in the space of 10 balls to all but end their chase. Rickelton batted until the last over, when South Africa needed 21 runs to win, and was stunningly caught by Glenn Maxwell on the boundary. Dwarshuis also picked up three wickets as South Africa finished 17 runs short.Australia’s rollicking startAustralia batted first for the first time in seven T20Is and wasted no time showing their intent. Marsh slammed Lungi Ngidi over long-off to mark only the second time Australia have started a match with a six. Ngidi’s opening over cost 14. Their big test was always going to come against Kagiso Rabada, who only conceded one run off his first four balls, then had Head dropped at point and caught at short third to win the opening exchange. Josh Inglis was out for a duck as he tried to slice a square drive over point off Linde, who was then taken for 14 runs off three balls. The best was yet to come.When Marsh skied Rabada to deep backward square, David hit him for six down the ground. Corbin Bosch’s first over was the most expensive of his short T20I career so far and Ngidi was taken for 10 in two balls before he took pace off and removed the in-form Cameron Green off the penultimate ball of the powerplay. Australia had accumulated 71 by then: their second-highest in a powerplay against South Africa and the highest in their last six matches, which includes the five in West Indies.
GLENN MAXWELL DOES IT AGAIN #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/FQkfbqLzpB
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 10, 2025
Muthusamy reels them inMaphaka quietened things down after the powerplay with an over that went for four and brought the wicket of Mitchell Owen and had excellent support from left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. Maxwell, batting at No. 7, tried the reverse sweep, the flick and drive before he sliced Muthusamy to deep cover where Linde took an excellent running catch. Muthusamy’s second over was just as good as he maintained a tight line to Dwarshuis and David and conceded only one. After two overs, his analysis read: 2-0-2-1 and he finished with 1 for 24 off four overs.David stands aloneAt 75 for 6 in the eighth over, Australia were in danger of not batting out the innings but David not only ensured they did but that they got to a defendable score. David’s six-hitting against the short ball was particularly impressive, from his flat-batted pull off Maphaka in the ninth over to the swivel-pull off Bosch in the 13th, which came two balls before he smoked Bosch through the covers to bring up 50.But it was the way he made South Africa pay for dropping him that stung most. David was on 56 when Stubbs put down a skier at long-on and went on to hit Muthusamy for massive back-to-back sixes followed by another against Ngidi’s slower ball. Seven of his eight sixes were scored in front of square and four in the ‘V’. David added 27 runs after he was put down. He was in sight for a second hundred before he was caught at long-on with 10 balls left in the innings.Josh Hazlewood produced a superb over to change the game•Getty ImagesMaxwell makes his mark with the ballFrom opening in West Indies, Maxwell found himself at No. 7 but played a vital role in the field. He shared the new ball as a match-up against the left-handed Rickelton and caused problems. He convinced Marsh to review an lbw call against Rickelton off his fourth ball when he beat the outside edge but the batter survived on umpire’s call.When Maxwell changed ends, Rickelton still could not get him away (two runs off six balls against him) and he also had a plan against another left-hander, Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Maxwell had a long-off in place and dished it up full, Pretorius went inside-out and picked out the fielder. Maxwell bowled his full quota of four overs, finishing with 1 for 29, and took two decisive catches to cap off a good performance.Hazlewood has the (almost) final say but Maxwell adds the full stopHazlewood, back in the side after missing the West Indies series, took the first wicket when Aiden Markram, who hit three boundaries off his first five balls, drove him to cover and then made the breakthrough that all but won the game. He was brought in the 15th over when South Africa needed 60 runs to win and with a partnership that was threatening.Rickelton and Stubbs had put on 72 off 52 balls when Hazlewood bowled a cross seam delivery to Stubbs, who tried to pull but bottom-edged through to Inglis. Australia inserted a slip and three balls later, Hazlewood ended a game-changing over when he bowled it back of a length, Linde played across the line and got a thick edge. Maxwell completed the catch at slip but something far more spectacular would follow in the final over.Maxwell was on the long-on boundary when Rickelton, who had given South Africa a glimmer despite battling for fluency, tried to hit Dwarshuis for six but jumped over the rope, parried the ball back in and completed the catch without touching the boundary or breaking a sweat.
Durham allrounder hits 100 and takes three wickets but ends up on losing side
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Aug-2025Alfie Ogborne took his first Somerset five-for as Somerset carved out a four-wicket victory over Durham at Taunton to extend their winning start to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign.Playing in front of a near-sell-out crowd at Taunton, the 22-year-old left arm seamer claimed 5 for 41 as Durham were restricted to 255 for 9 after winning the toss. Will Rhodes kept the visitors afloat, staging an assured knock of 100 from 120 balls with 10 fours and sharing in stands of 78 with Haydon Mustard and 58 with Paul Coughlin for the fifth and seventh wickets respectively. Mustard contributed 38 and Coughlin, the only Durham batter to score at better than a run-a-ball, raised 38 from 30 balls and accrued two fours and a six.Teenage prospect Thomas Rew then anchored Somerset’s run chase, top-scoring with 84 not out from 81 deliveries and striking eight fours and two sixes as the home side reached their target with 22 balls to spare. He shared in a crucial partnership of 95 for the fourth wicket with his brother, James, who posted 39, while opener Archie Vaughan weighed in with 37 and Ben Green scored 34 not out at the death. The pick of the Durham bowlers, Rhodes capped a fine all-round performance by taking 3 for 42 in a losing cause.Will Rhodes impressed with bat and ball•Getty Images
Durham’s decision to bat first backfired when they slumped to 67 for 4 inside 15 overs. Jake Ball had Emilio Gay caught at the wicket for seven, while the impressive Ogborne persuaded Scott Borthwick to top-edge a pull shot to mid-wicket and then produced a startling yorker to remove Colin Ackermann without scoring. When Ben Green located Ollie Robinson’s outside edge and James Rew again demonstrated sound glovework, Somerset were on top.Charged with the task of rebuilding the innings, Rhodes and Mustard played responsibly, adding 50 in 83 balls to redress the balance.Somerset needed a wicket and skipper James Rew recalled Ogborne at the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion end, the left-armer having Mustard caught by Green at point with the score 145 for 5 in the 34th. When Kasey Aldridge came on at the same end and had George Drissell caught at backward point, the visitors were 170 for 6.That was the cue for Coughlin to seize the initiative, relegating Rhodes to a supporting role in a seventh-wicket stand of 58 in 7.2 overs. Rhodes still saw enough of the strike to post his second List A hundred from 118 balls, clipping Ogborne into the leg side to attain that milestone in the 46th. He was out later in the same over, hoisting Ogborne to square leg.Ogborne then completed his first senior five-wicket haul, inducing Coughlin to hit straight to long-on with the score 237 for 8 in the 48th. Somerset’s chase was afforded a super-charged start, Vaughan and Lammonby assuming T20 mode in harvesting nine boundaries between them in an opening stand of 51 in 8.1 overs as Durham’s seamers struggled with their lengths.Thomas Rew bats under the floodlights•Harry Trump/Getty Images
But the home side did not have things entirely their own way, Mitchell Killeen affording the visitors much-needed relief by bowling Lammonby for 24. Vaughan was then dismissed for 37 in near-identical fashion by Rhodes with the score 78 for 2 in the 16th. That soon became 78 for 3, Goldsworthy shuffling in front of a straight one from Drissell as Durham roared right back into contention.Just as they did when defeating Middlesex at Radlett a few days earlier, Somerset looked to the Rew brothers to steady the ship. Both oozed calm confidence, going about their business in workmanlike fashion to keep the reply on track, James initially proving the more aggressive and Thomas dropping into a supporting role.Elder sibling James timed the ball from the outset, playing a superb back-foot force for four off the bowling of Rhodes as Somerset advanced to 124-3 at halfway, requiring a further 133 at 5.2 an over. The 50 partnership arrived via 59 balls, 17-year-old Thomas raising that landmark with a wristy cut for four off Luke Robinson.Warming to his task, the teenager fine cut Killeen for four through third man and then whipped him over midwicket for six before pulling and cutting Robinson for successive boundaries to overtake his brother. The partnership was worth 95 when Rhodes fooled James Rew into mistiming a drive and holing out to mid-on for 39.Undeterred by events at the other end, Rew junior went to his second successive 50 from 45 deliveries. But Rhodes accounted for Josh Thomas, held at long-on, and Fin Hill was run out for a duck with the score 189 for 6. Calm in the face of pressure, Green offered Rew staunch support thereafter, contributing 34 not out to an unbroken stand of 69 for the seventh wicket.
His being dropped may not be the worst thing, but it does dent his halo, bringing him down to the ranks of the merely very good
Osman Samiuddin14-Oct-2024As first tasks go, telling Babar Azam that he was about to be dropped must have been some introduction to selection for Azhar Ali. Welcome to the committee. Before you settle in, here’s the mess you’ve inherited. Mind cleaning it up, pronto?Thankfully Azhar is used to this kind of stuff given his introduction to international cricket was the soap operatic mess of the 2010 tour of England, and that at one down, it was pretty much his entire JD. He’s a good, empathetic man, who probably would have wanted the responsibility of telling Babar he was going to be dropped. It can’t have been an easy call, and made no lighter by the almost ironic twist that it was under Babar’s captaincy that Azhar’s Test career ended, sooner, perhaps, than Azhar would’ve liked.These days, of course, teams tiptoe around the idea that anyone is being dropped. “Rested” as the PCB said diplomatically in their press release. A later communication said that Babar had been “spared from the team”, which, given recent results and mood, well, you can picture Freud slipping can’t you?Related
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Whatever the semantics, it is a big call. A bigly call, even. So big it’s difficult to recall a bigger one in recent Pakistan history (maybe Inzi after the 2003 World Cup). Big players have been banned, punished, forced to retire, yes, but dropped for as mundane a reason as form? And make no mistake, they don’t come bigger than Babar, Pakistan’s best batter, in the conversation to be their greatest ever, their unquestioned all-format captain until not long ago, and – because these things matter – the biggest draw in Pakistan cricket. That he was helped on to that last pedestal by the very board that is now nudging him off it is by the by, of course. The simultaneous absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah from the second Test amplifies the sense of a culling of stars, but fast bowlers, Pakistan have always thought, are expendable. The epicentre is Babar.So yes, a big call. Was it one Pakistan had to make? Is this really the call that turns their fortunes around?At one level, this is a proper Statement Axing. There’s a(nother) new selection committee in town. Pakistan have suffered another record-breaking, earth-shattering loss. Drastic change feels necessary. Scapegoats must be found, and the captain can’t be sacked one Test into the series. So sack the former captain. Even by the PCB’s standards, this selection committee is an eclectic mix of the outré and strait-laced sensibility – Aaqib Javed and Aleem Dar with Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali – but it’s telling they were unanimous in their view on Babar. The captain and coach weren’t involved in the decision, and given their pleas for continuity, it’s logical to assume they are not entirely pleased with the call.
There is a tangible sense that a break really might do Babar good, that what he needs most is to decompress. The last couple of years have been especially taxing and toxic
It is possible, though, to see a level where it does make sense. That isn’t concerned so much with the batting and the returns, because those can be argued either way. Yes, the numbers aren’t great. Yes, he’s getting dismissed early and he’s getting dismissed when he’s set. Yes, he’s getting beaten on the outside edge and the inside. Yes, he’s falling to pace and spin.No, his form doesn’t feel terminally bad. Two years without a half-century sounds like a long stretch, time-wise, but no, nine Tests without one doesn’t sound so long Tests-wise. That is part of the problem. Pakistan just don’t play that many Tests and those they do come with great irregularity. These nearly two years, for example, include a stretch of no Tests for six months, then nearly five months without one, then almost eight months without one again. How do you get out of a rut and into a run in this stop-start schedule? Ollie Pope not scoring runs in a few Tests, for instance, is less complicated, given there’s almost always another Test right around the corner for him to right things. And if Pope has issues, he knows he has Marcus Trescothick, England’s batting coach since 2021, to turn to. Babar? Speed dates spend more time getting to know each other than Babar has had with some coaches lately. So given his track record and the general acknowledgment that he remains Pakistan’s best batter, retaining him for the remaining two Tests against England would have been far from a terrible call.Instead, more than the runs or the form is this tangible sense that a break really might do him good, that what he needs most is to decompress. The last couple of years have been especially taxing and toxic. Stripped of the captaincy, given parts of it back, then having to let go again; poor results cascading in tune with administrative clownery; becoming the eye of every storm, whether it is the culture wars over his intent in T20s and ODIs, the obsessive, magnified dissection of his lack of Test runs, the dismissals of his insipid captaincy, or the growing talk of team factions and disunity. Against this, a break should be considered a period of convalescence.At the very least, it is a moment to pause and breathe and take in the giddying journey of his last few years. Hardly had he established himself as a Test batter in early 2019 than he was rising to all-format captain in 2020 and to global superstardom shortly thereafter. The relentless playing schedule, the burgeoning celebrity and its distorting effects since, have likely sheened onto this period a sense of unreality. It’s worth trying to unwrap that. Maybe even for him to tend to his primary occupation, by working on his batting with someone and rediscovering what made him so good.Since the start of January 2023, Babar has averaged 20, as against 49 before•AFP/Getty ImagesRisk is inherent, of course, in that genuine resets in the Pakistani context are rare, and in an environment as corrosive as the prevailing one… well, there’s as much chance he comes back broken as he does having not taken a meaningful break, and as captain. There’s a reason why so many Pakistani cricketers never willingly take a break, because they know well the vagaries of Pakistan selection.Which is why there is an overriding sense of sadness about all this. Babar wasn’t supposed to be just another talented Pakistani cricketer. It really did feel like he was the real deal, the batter who, one day, we would look back on as the undisputed greatest in Pakistan’s history, who rode out pace and bounce in Australia and South Africa, who coped expertly with seam and swing in England and New Zealand, who plundered at home and on the subcontinent, and who maybe even won a world title along the way.He may still get there eventually, but that road is a crooked one now. He’s been tarred with a little mortality, suddenly pervious to the tremors and jitters of ordinary cricketers. In the long term, and for a life away from the game, it is probably no bad thing. Call it a life lesson. In the short term, that’s hardly consolation.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be looking for more of the same from his team when they come up against Hibernian at Easter Road in the Scottish Premiership this evening.
The German boss was serenaded by the Ibrox support last time out when his side beat Kilmarnock 3-1 in his first league match in charge of the Scottish giants.
A devastating 3-0 loss to Brann in the Europa League just days after his arrival last week would have been a real eye-opener for the former Sheffield Wednesday boss, who has walked into a difficult situation.
Russell Martin only won five of his 17 games in charge of the club, conceding 24 goals in that time, and Rohl is tasked with turning the club’s fortunes around, months before any transfer window is available to make changes to the squad.
The German head coach has to work with what is currently available to him, which means that he will have to make ruthless calls for team selections.
For example, he should ruthlessly remove Bojan Miovski from the starting line-up for tonight’s trip to Hibernian after he struggled last time out.
Why Bojan Miovski should be dropped
The Light Blues signed the 26-year-old centre-forward from Girona during the summer transfer window, possibly with the hope that he would carry his form for Aberdeen in Scotland over to his time at Ibrox.
Miovski, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed a prolific time with the Dons in his two years there, proving that he can score goals on a consistent basis, even against the top teams, like Celtic and Rangers.
Unfortunately, though, the left-footed number nine has only scored one goal in six appearances in the Premiership so far this season for the Light Blues, which came in a 1-1 draw with Falkirk in Martin’s last game in charge.
Rohl opted to go with a front two of Danilo and Miovski for the clash with Kilmarnock at Ibrox last time out in the Premiership on Sunday, and the Macedonia international failed to deliver a quality performance before being withdrawn at the break.
Vs Kilmarnock
Bojan Miovski
Minutes
45
Shots
0
Key passes
0
Touches
9
Possession lost
5
Passes made
2/6
Duels won
1/4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the summer signing from Girona struggled in and out of possession throughout the half, as he offered little in the final third, lost the ball from more than half of his touches, and lost 75% of his physical duels.
It was not a surprise to see Rohl decide to take him off after 45 minutes, because he did not do enough in his time on the pitch to suggest that the second half was going to be better.
Therefore, the German tactician should take him out of the starting XI for this evening’s clash against Hibernian at Easter Road, in the hope that it will motivate him to come off the bench and make an impact, to prove that he deserves to be starting games.
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If Miovski is dropped to the bench for Rangers tonight, Rohl could replace him with a like-for-like option in order to keep a front two alongside Danilo, who scored on Sunday.
With this in mind, the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach should unleash summer signing Youssef Chermiti for his first Premiership start.
Why Youssef Chermiti should start for Rangers against Hibernian
The Portugal U21 international should be unleashed from the start in the hope that he is able to kick on after his first goal for the club against Kilmarnock.
Chermiti’s powerful drive from the edge of the box, which was too hot for the goalkeeper to handle, found the back of the net and marked a notable moment in his young career.
It was his first goal at club level since a strike for Sporting against Pacos Ferreira in the Liga Portugal in May 2023, which means that it was his first goal in over two years.
In those two years, Chermiti signed for Everton and failed to provide a single goal or assist in 24 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League side, per Transfermarkt, before an £8m move to Rangers in the summer.
Speaking after the win over Kilmarnock, Rohl praised the Portuguese striker: “We will improve him (Chermiti) step by step. He has something special and you saw the goal today.
“He has things to improve, especially in the pressing and intensity and which moments he needs to drop to cover inside and in the middle. But he should enjoy today and the goal and then tomorrow we will work on the next parts of his game.”
It was not just his goal that caught the eye in his cameo against Kilmarnock, though, as the powerful centre-forward showcased what his all-round game can look like at its best.
Vs Kilmarnock
Youssef Chermiti
Bojan Miovski
Minutes
21
45
Shots
1
0
Goals
1
0
Touches
15
9
Possession lost
2x
5x
Key passes
1
0
Pass accuracy
100%
33%
Duels won
2/3
1/4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Chermiti had more touches, fewer losses of possession, more key passes, more duels won, and a higher pass accuracy than Miovski, despite only playing 21 minutes.
These statistics show that the Portuguese youngster provided a presence in the number nine role that the Macedonia international failed to during his first half showing.
This is why Rohl should look to unleash Chermiti from the start against Hibernian, having only made five appearances as a substitute in the league so far, in the hope that his performance last time out will give him the confidence to kick on.
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Hibs are currently third in the Premiership table and will not be an easy team to face away from home, which is why having the physical presence that Chermiti could provide could be incredibly important for Rohl and Rangers in the game this evening.
The Athletics rookie All-Star Jacob Wilson was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, retroactive to July 26, with a a fractured left forearm.
The shortstop missed the past three games because of the injury. This update comes as he's been already dealing with a left hand contusion he suffered on July 8 after being hit by a pitch. He missed three games with that injury as well.
Wilson's absence will be a tough loss for the Athletics, as they look to turn their season around. The A's are in last place in the AL West with a 46-63 record, and 15 games back from the Astros, who lead the division.
Through 94 games this season, Wilson's averaged .312/.354/.439 with 115 hits, 46 runs, 45 RBIs and 10 home runs.