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Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow have delivered impactful performances while Eoin Morgan hasn’t found his best yet

Andrew Miller26-Apr-2021Moeen AliAfter their blip in 2020, the Chennai Super Kings are back on their familiar perch: at the top of the IPL standings and threatening to canter towards the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. Few players have made a more selfless contribution to that resurgence than Moeen Ali.His second week of the tournament served up more of the same languid excellence, as he injected two more CSK innings with six-laden cameos – 26 from 20 balls against the Rajasthan Royals and 25 from 12 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Against the Royals, he also pitched in with the small matter of 3 for 7 in three overs. The only disappointment for Moeen was that he was not able to take his rightful place for Sunday’s encounter with his old franchise, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, after picking up a niggle.Sam Curran The highlights in Sam Curran’s hair seem to be getting more blond each time he takes the field, or maybe that’s just the glow of burgeoning stardom radiating from his elfin features. Either way, this was another week of quietly formidable match-winning from a remarkable player. His only innings in three games was short but sweet – a straight-to-the-point 13 from 6 balls against the Royals, including a beautifully-timed six over the point boundary from a slower-ball bouncer.According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, his impact on that victory was even higher than Moeen’s, thanks to his three key overs in the powerplay, which included the wicket of Sanju Samson. He took a bit of tap in a high-scoring victory over Kolkata (but still dismissed a violently well-set Andre Russell). He then did for Virat Kohli in the powerplay against the Royal Challengers. He makes things happen, as you may have noticed.Jonny Bairstow Batting during the Chennai leg of this tournament has been an arduous business, with some of the most unfettered hitters in the business coming unstuck in spin-friendly conditions. But Bairstow has been a consistent source of forward momentum for the Sunrisers Hyderabad – even if his departure has consistently led to them adopting a reverse gear. As if to prove the point, their one victory to date came in the contest where Bairstow batted all the way through, as his unbeaten 63 from 56 balls anchored a nine-wicket win over the Punjab Kings.His experience against the Delhi Capitals was familiarly traumatic – none of his team-mates came close to matching his fluency as he launched their chase with 38 from 18, not even Kane Williamson, whose 66 not out dragged his side to a Super Over. But then, for some unfathomable reason, Bairstow was overlooked for the Super Over, and the Sunrisers paid the price.Jos Buttler Not much to write home about this week for the Royals’ last remaining Englishman. He made his top score of the season to date with a fluent 49 from 35 against the Super Kings, but his dismissal precipitated a shuddering collapse of 5 for 8 in 3.3 overs.Jos Buttler hasn’t quite found his fluent best during this year’s IPL so far•BCCIWith several of the franchise’s overseas players unavailable – Andrew Tye being the latest to join the exodus – the onus on Buttler is even greater. A run-a-ball 8 against the Royal Challengers and 5 from 7 against the Knight Riders haven’t exactly met the needs of the hour, even if the Royals escaped with a win in that latter game, thanks once again to their million-dollar man, Chris Morris.Eoin Morgan The Knight Riders’ captain has reached double figures just once in five attempts so far. Against the Royals, he didn’t even reach the striker’s end of the pitch – he was run-out without facing a ball after deflecting Rahul Tripathi’s straight drive into the path of Morris in his follow-through. His wry smile said it all. Morgan’s authority really could do with being backed up by a score of note. There are other issues stacking up in the absence of his own runs, not least the roles of Shakib Al Hasan and Russell, who seems a bit removed from the action at the moment.And the non-combatants … Chris Woakes was one of the outstanding performers of the first week but hasn’t got a look-in since the action shifted to Chennai, where the Capitals have opted to play an extra spinner in Amit Mishra, with Shimron Hetmyer taking over his overseas slot. At least he’s used to the feeling, after similar treatment by England following his Player-of-the-Year exploits in the 2020 home summer.Tom Curran hasn’t been seen for the Capitals since a bruising first week, while the Royals won’t be seeing anything more of Ben Stokes (broken finger), Liam Livingstone (bubble fatigue) or Jofra Archer, who was pulled out of the tournament by the ECB last week as they manage his recovery from finger surgery and a long-term elbow problem.Jason Roy (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Dawid Malan (Punjab Kings), Chris Jordan (Punjab Kings) and Sam Billings (Delhi Capitals) are still awaiting their first outings of the tournament.

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة لمواصلة موسمه بعد الفوز على آينتراخت فرانكفورت ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستضاف ملعب “كامب نو” مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت، في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا مهمًا بنتيجة 2/1 على نظيره فرانكفورت بالمباراة التي جمعتهما مساء اليوم، الثلاثاء.

بتلك النتيجة، رفع برشلونة رصيده إلى 10 نقاط محتلًا المركز الثالث عشر في جدول ترتيب جدول دوري أبطال أوروبا. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على آينتراخت فرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ومن المقرر أن يواجه برشلونة في مباراته القادمة نظيره أوساسونا ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 16 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

ويستضيف برشلونة نظيره أوساسونا على ملعب سبوتيفاي “كامب نو” مساء يوم السبت المقبل في تمام السابعة ونصف بتوقيت القاهرة، الثامنة ونصف بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is stuck between a rock and a hard place after Mohamed Salah’s extraordinary outburst in the wake of the Reds’ 3-3 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Having led 2-0 after the hour mark, Liverpool succumbed to recurrences of fragile defending and weak mentalities, and Salah’s comments were fuelled by frustration after sitting on the bench for the third successive game, this time not entering the field at all.

But the Egyptian attacker’s narrative-stealing invective has turned attention away from the latest woes from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, the former making yet another mistake and the captain’s collapse in confidence and composure laid bare – barer – at the weekend.

Pundit Jamie Redknapp believes the centre-backs are “playing like they’ve never met each other before”, and it’s crucial that Slot finds a way to solve this problem that is threatening to swallow the Premier League champions whole.

Liverpool need to fix their defence

With Liverpool’s star defenders flattering to deceive, it’s only natural that FSG should consider signing a new man this winter. That botched bid for Marc Guehi at the end of the summer transfer window continues to look more detrimental for Slot and Liverpool’s season.

The need for a centre-back is great, but Liverpool’s midfield has been well below standard this season, and a robust and physical force might bear dividends in Slot’s plan to rekindle balance and make his side more compact, harder to play through.

As per Football Insider, Atalanta’s Ederson has been earmarked as the candidate, FSG having been informed they could strike a deal for the 26-year-old in January.

A bid worth £50m could do the trick. Liverpool have the facilities for such an offer, and it is one they must make to arrest this disastrous slump.

What Ederson would offer Liverpool

Slot is a man on the brink. What only months ago looked like the foundation of a dynasty could now collapse like a house of cards, with so many things having gone wrong at Anfield.

In isolation, Ryan Gravenberch hasn’t been poor this season, but he’s struggling to combine with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and create a balanced and efficient central unit.

This is one of the many issues Slot has yet to find the answer for, and if he is to restore Liverpool’s equilibrium and get the centre-backs operating at their maximum once more, it might be a centre-midfielder who needs to be signed.

Ederson could be the perfect man for the job. Reporter Carlo Garganese described the Brazilian as a “machine” of a midfielder when Gian Piero Gasperini led Atalanta to the Europa League title, severing Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run.

The South American enforcer packs a more powerful punch than any of Liverpool’s current midfield options, and he’s mobile and balanced in his midfield performance too, ranking among the top 8% of Serie A midfielders this season for pass completion, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 5% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

He is a combative, ground-covering midfielder, and his impetus on progressing play could see him provide the coating Liverpool’s defence needs to turn things around, helping cover Konate’s weakness in the build-up and providing legs to ensure Van Dijk, 34, can settle in his defensive berth.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Touches

62

83

Shots (on target)

1 (1)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

40/49 (82%)

57/62 (92%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/0

0/0

Ball recoveries

4

1

Tackles won

1/2

0/0

Interceptions

0

1

Clearances

4

15

Duels won

7/10

12/14

Italian content creator Damiano Coccia has even claimed that Ederson is “the strongest defensive midfielder in the world”, so it’s clear to see why he would be such a brilliant addition for an Anfield side in disrepair.

Against Leeds, Van Dijk and Konate combined for an abject second-half display, and this is exactly the type of player who would stop the rot and bring Liverpool back into the ascendancy.

His athleticism and tough-tackling nature would help Van Dijk and Konate play their way back into form.

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Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.

Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.

He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.

That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.

Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.

Who Liverpool could replace Slot with

Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.

Premier League

1x

19/20

Champions League

1x

18/19

FA Cup

1x

21/22

Carabao Cup

2x

21/22, 23/24

Club World Cup

1x

19/20

UEFA Super Cup

1x

19/20

Community Shield

1x

22/23

There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.

Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.

But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.

Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.

Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool

It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.

And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading​ journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.

Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.

This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.

A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.

There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.

Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.

He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.

No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.

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ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

It’s nearly the season to be jolly for Newcastle United, but only if Eddie Howe finds a winning formula once again and transforms his side’s fortunes, currently slumped in 14th place in the Premier League.

The savvy coach will have sat on his thoughts over the past two weeks, well aware that this Magpies side need more than just a few tweaks to fire on all cylinders once again.

Perhaps a return to full fluency will be struck upon over the coming month, but Howe and technical director Ross Wilson may be in concert regarding the need for an external solution this winter, a late Christmas present welcomed after the new year, when the transfer window swings open.

Newcastle preparing for winter signing

Antoine Semenyo is a hot topic at the moment, with news filtering through this week that the Bournemouth talisman has a £65m release clause in his contract, which becomes active in January.

Newcastle had a vested interest in the Ghana international before signing Anthony Elanga for £55m this summer, and though the Toon are considering a new right-sided forward, there are other options that might come into play.

According to Caught Offside, West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen is believed to be looking to complete a move away from the east Londoners next summer, in the search for Champions League football.

Bowen, 28, has led the Hammers to meteoric heights over the past several years, but things have unravelled at the London Stadium since David Moyes’ departure.

Thus, Newcastle – who aren’t actively linked with the Englishman, as per the report – could strike for a player they have targeted in the past. Tottenham Hotspur are also interested, though, and are willing to spend £60m on the England star.

Why Newcastle should sign Bowen

Bowen was at the heart of West Ham’s Premier League win over Newcastle this month, and he has recorded three goals and an assist across four matches for the out-of-form side.

Hailed in the past by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino for being in the “Salah club” on the right flank, Bowen certainly falls into the category of ‘goalscoring winger’, but his underlying creative qualities could make him the perfect dynamic force to complement Howe’s Tyneside attack.

Crucially, Bowen’s durability across so many years as an Iron leader has made him perfect for a move to a club like Newcastle. Moreover, he scored the winning goal in the 2022/23 Conference League final, the hero in a trophy-winning campaign for West Ham.

25/26

11

3 + 1

24/25

34

13 + 10

23/24

34

16 + 6

22/23

38

6 + 6

21/22

36

12 + 12

20/21

38

8 + 5

19/20

13

1 + 4

Bowen also ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, further emphasising the dynamism and breadth of his game. Salah-esque, alright, and evidence that

Bowen may not be quite so much of a protean threat as, say, Semenyo, but he has streamlined his output and this has seen him establish himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the Premier League, sustaining that level across many years.

Nick Woltemade’s unique link-up ability and willingness to drop deep emphasises the gains that could be found in landing Bowen’s signature. If a chance to make this move does present itself, Newcastle must pounce.

With the 23-year-old Elanga yet to register a single goal contribution for Newcastle this season, and Semenyo yet to prove himself at the highest level, it might be that Bowen would be a fantastic addition to complement a young attacking workforce at St. James’ Park and steer Newcastle back on course across the second half of the season and beyond.

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Sophie Molineux is on track to be fit for the ODI World Cup after being included in Australia’s 15-player squad for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka while legspinner Georgia Wareham has recovered from the injury which forced her to leave the Hundred early.The duo are a key part of Australia’s spin attack which will be a vital component at the World Cup as they look to defend the title won in New Zealand in 2022. Molineux, the left-arm spinner, has been out of action since late last year when she underwent knee surgery. However, she has not quite been given the full green light and may miss the ODI series against India ahead of the tournament.”Sophie Molineux is progressing well in her return from a knee injury, and we anticipate she’ll be available for the World Cup,” Australia physio Kate Beerworth said. “Georgia Wareham also back to full training following her adductor injury during the Hundred.”Australia’s squad, which will be led by Alyssa Healy, does not hold any surprises with Grace Harris taking the final batting spot while Georgia Voll is included after her breakout first year in international cricket.Harris has only played two ODIs since 2016 – and didn’t bat in either match – but the selectors see her as adding depth to the middle-order and also value her experience.”She’s a different player for us,” Shawn Flegler, the national selector, said. “In the role that she might play in ODI cricket, I think it would be more down the bottom and middle order. The way she bats, the experience she’s got in India, that’s probably why she got selected.”She’s a little bit different to some other middle order batters. She can take a game away in a few overs. If she gets that opportunity, I think she could be really good.”Healy recently returned from the foot injury she sustained during last year’s Ashes and flayed 137 not out off 85 balls against India A last month. The hope is that she will be able to keep wicket throughout the tournament.”She knows her body well,” Flegler said. “Like all players, they need to recover well after games. The schedule is pretty tight. But I think our particular schedule, we’ve got breaks in between each game as well. There’s lots of travel involved…it’s a long tournament. So it’s not just Alyssa who’ll be looking after herself. It’ll be the whole squad.”Voll is one of five players – alongside Molineux, Wareham, Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth – to be included in their first 50-over World Cup squad.One of the challenges in preparing for the tournament has been some grounds have never hosted women’s cricket while Australia have not played at the R Premadasa in Colombo, where they will face Sri Lanka and Pakistan, since 2016. They have used the men’s set-up to help gather data with coach Shelley Nitschke having spoken with Tom Body, the men’s team analyst.”It’s a little bit of an unknown,” Flegler said. “There’s some grounds that no women’s cricket’s been played at, so even just the data analysis of that has been based on the men’s cricket.”But we’re comfortable with the squad that we’ve got that we can cover, whether it’s a spinning wicket or if they’re flat wickets or if there’s a little bit of pace. All the games are starting at three o’clock, so day and night games. There’s maybe a bit of monsoon weather still hanging around in some places as well.So we’ve just got to be adaptable.”Australia’s squad will be supplemented with the uncapped duo of Nicole Faltum and Charli Knott for the three-match ODI series before the pair return home for the start of the WNCL season.”A World Cup in India is one of cricket’s biggest assignments, but we believe this group is up for the challenge,” Flegler said. “The valuable experience the squad has gained from several subcontinent tours in recent years, as well as exposure through the Women’s Premier League will be beneficial in tackling the unique demands of Indian conditions.”The extended nature of an ODI World Cup can be a challenge, and we believe this group has the depth and versatility to meet those demands.”Australia begin their tournament against New Zealand in Indore on October 1.

Australia squad for Women’s ODI World Cup

Alyssa Healy (capt), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Celtic moved to within two points of Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a dramatic 3-2 win over Motherwell at Parkhead on Sunday.

The Hoops needed a stoppage-time winner from Daizen Maeda, who bundled in a cross from Michel-Ange Balikwisha, to claim all three points in front of their own fans.

In fact, they had to come from 2-1 down to claim a win in the second half. Benjamin Nygren equalised after snatching the ball inside the Motherwell box, before Maeda’s winner.

They had to produce a stunning comeback, in part, because Marcelo Saracchi conceded a penalty that allowed the away side to take the lead.

Why Marcelo Saracchi should be dropped

The Uruguay international was brought into the side in place of Kieran Tierney to provide the Scottish full-back with a rest, but failed to put in a solid performance.

He attempted a challenge in the box with the wrong foot, stepping on the attacker with his left foot instead of using his right to make a block, which resulted in a penalty to Motherwell.

That came after he gave Tawanda Maswanhise too much time to put a cross in for Motherwell’s first goal in the first half, standing too far off the winger out wide.

Chalkboard

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Despite those errors for the goals, which should see him dropped from the XI, Luke McCowan was even worse than the Boca Juniors loanee in the middle of the park.

Why Luke McCowan should be dropped

Brendan Rodgers should ruthlessly ditch the Scottish central midfielder from the team after the international break because of his disappointing performance against Motherwell.

The left-footed star was put in the midfield to provide a spark and creativity in possession for the Hoops, yet he played 60 minutes without registering a shot on goal or a chance created, per Sofascore.

This shows that the former Dundee star was completely ineffective in possession for the Scottish giants, because he did not provide any sort of threat as either a scorer or a creator of goals.

The 27-year-old central midfielder’s general play throughout the match was not much better, unfortunately, as he was even worse than Saracchi with his all-round performance in and out of possession.

Minutes

60

64

Pass accuracy

83%

84%

Possession lost

13x

13x

Dribbles completed

0/1

1/2

Duels won

2/5

4/8

Tackles + interceptions

1

3

As you can see in the table above, Saracchi won more duels, made more defensive contributions, and completed more dribbles during a similar amount of time on the pitch.

McCowan was far too wasteful with the ball at his feet, losing possession 13 times, when you consider that he did not create a single chance for his teammates in an hour for Celtic.

It was a big chance for the central midfielder to impress, given that Rodgers now has two weeks to reflect on this performance, ahead of the next block of matches.

Unfortunately, the experienced star failed to grasp his opportunity to nail down a place in the starting XI, as he did not do enough in or out of possession to suggest that he should retain a starting berth.

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Hopefully, McCowan will be able to show a better version of himself when the manager next decides to offer him a chance to play in the starting line-up.

“There’s definitely a difference in this surface,” says Sri Lanka’s ODI captain

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Jul-2025

Charith Asalanka and Sanath Jayasuriya oversee Sri Lanka’s training session•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka thinks there may be more for seam bowlers in the Khettarama track than usual. He also thinks there may be more for batters.Having been left behind in ODI cricket – failing to even qualify for the Champions Trophy earlier this year – Sri Lanka are desperate to advance again. One of the ways in which the current leadership think they can close that gap is to match home pitches more closely to the behaviour of pitches found across the world.The pitch at Khettarama, for instance, has been extremely spin friendly for years. But ODI captain Asalanka suggested ahead of the match that this Khettarama pitch might be different. Sri Lanka had won their previous series, against Champions Trophy semi-finalists Australia, 2-0.Related

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“There’s definitely a difference in this surface,” he said “Even if it’s helfpul to spinners, even in the previous series against Australia, we saw that it would seam, and the fast bowlers got wickets. Asitha Fernando got five in two matches. I think this pitch will be a bit more batting friendly than usual”Sri Lanka’s seam-bowling stocks are unusually full. Asalanka suggested they would trial seam-bowling allrounder Milan Rathnayake in this series, but they also have the likes of Asitha, Dilshan Madushanka, and Eshan Malinga in the squad.This is also the first match Sri Lanka play under the new ODI playing conditions, under which one of the two balls used until the 34th over is then chosen by the fielding team to be used for the last 16. Ostensibly, this is an attempt to bring reverse swing back into the ODI game, which may suit the like sof Asitha, who has frequently reverse-swung the ball in Test cricket.”We’re also new to that rule, so we are still formulating our plans,” Asalanka said about the new playing condition. “It must be to favour fast bowlers that they brought this new rule to use one ball after 34 overs. It’s possible that we will have to treat two balls in two different ways before we decide which one we will use after the 34th. We’re hoping to land on the right plan from the first match.”Although Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, they have won enough ODI matches (now an infrequently-played format), to rise to fourth on the rankings. Asalanka thinks that is not enough, though.”We can’t be satisfied yet. I’ve said before that our main goal is to be in the top three. Right now we’re only in the top four. We’ve got one more rung to climb on that ladder, and then we have to think about where we go from there. We are confident about our past performances, but we think we have a long way to go forward.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Vanderlei Luxemburgo não é mais o técnico do Corinthians. A diretoria do Timão demitiu o treinador após o empate com o Fortaleza, pela partida de ida da semifinal da Copa Sul-Americana. Luxa vinha sofrendo pressão pelos maus resultados o desempenho da equipe, e o Timão foi vaiado pela torcida após o resultado contra o Leão do Pici.

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+ Opções listadas: confira técnicos brasileiros livres no mercado da bola

Além de Luxa, o auxiliar técnico Maurício Copertino, o coordenador de preparação física Antônio Mello e o preparador físico Daniel Félix também deixam o Timão. Os auxiliares permanentes do Corinthians comandam o treino desta quarta-feira (27), no CT Joaquim Grava.

Em sua terceira passagem pelo Timão, Luxa obteve 15 vitórias, 12 empates e 11 derrotas, com aproveitamento de 50%. Luxemburgo chegou ao Corinthians com o objetivo de conseguir a classificação ao mata-mata da Libertadores e afastar o clube da zona do rebaixamento. As respostas não vieram, e o Timão caiu na fase de grupos da competição continental e possui cinco pontos de distância para o Bahia, primeiro time do Z4.

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+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Em um primeiro momento, Luxa teve o apoio da torcida corintiana, mas a sequência negativa fez a pressão externa e interna aumentar, mesmo com o time na semifinal da Copa Sul-Americana.

A diretoria alvinegra terá que buscar no mercado um novo técnico até o final da temporada. Fernando Lázaro, Cuca e Danilo – interinamente – já comandaram a equipe em 2023.

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