Leeds fans are impressed by Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s start to life in the first team, but slightly less impressed with manager Paul Heckingbottom’s choice of words for the young goalkeeper.
Peacock-Farrell has had a turbulent time trying to find his way into the Leeds first team. Having signed in 2015, the 21 year-old goalkeeper had trials with League One Oldham Athletic and Swedish side Landskrona BoIS, both of which decided not to keep the youngster on loan.
After a shaky loan spell at York City, Peacock-Farrell found himself thrust into the first team in the 3-0 defeat vs. Wolves last week, and made several good saves in a busy return to action. He continued his form into the weekend, helping Leeds break their rut with a 2-2 draw at struggling Reading.
Heckingbottom says the shirt is now Peacock-Farrell’s to lose.
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“He’s got goalkeepers breathing down his neck, but the players know I’m fair with that and he’s in the driving seat,” the manager told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“He was better than he was against Wolves. I was really pleased with him on the pitch against Wolves because his demeanour impressed me. If I’m critical he should have stayed at home for the third goal, which he knows, but he’d already made some big saves before that.
“Today he made saves when he had to make saves. His kicking was good and his handling was good.”
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Leeds fans are mostly happy with the young stopper’s start in the first team, especially considering the injury to Andy Lonergan and awful form of Felix Wiedwald. Still, some fans are not pleased with the manager’s comments on the goalkeeping situation.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
A few months ago, it appeared Southampton’s Premier League honeymoon was well and truly over. Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal cherry-picked the Saints’ flagship stars during the summer, whilst Tottenham signed the mastermind behind their eighth-place finish last season, former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Indeed, as drastic changes were forced on both roster and dugout by the financial dominance of the Premier League’s bigger sides, it was anyone’s guess how Southampton would fare this season. BBC’s Garth Crooks – an infamously poor pundit but by no means the solitary member of his school of thought – even predicted the south coast outfit would plummet out of the top flight as a result of the summer exodus.
Now however, with the new signings settled and clearly buying into Ronald Koeman’s philosophy, Southampton are stronger than ever, posing a more legitimate threat to Chelsea’s title bid than reigning champions Manchester City.
So, as the Saints lay in second place, just four points off the division’s summit, is it time the Champions League contenders – namely, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton – start taking the St. Mary’s side seriously? Or, as is often the case in the Premier League, will this fairytale rise eventually result in a subdued, disappointing end?
They say the stats don’t lie and those revealed during last night’s edition of Monday Night Football were incredibly positive from Southampton’s perspective. Based on prior Premier League campaigns, those with 22 points after ten games have a 27% chance of being crowned champions, a 56% chance of finishing in the top two, an 85% chance of finishing in the top four and just a 5% chance of falling outside of the bottom six come May-time.
Compelling stuff, but even so, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher both argued the Saints could eventually fall into that lower category for two predominant reasons.
Firstly, Southampton have been fairly fortunate with injuries so far this season, with the exception of the ever-absent Jay Rodriguez, and their form could take a nosedive when the depth of Ronald Koeman’s squad is stretched and tested – the proverbial, clichéd house-of-cards effect.
The Saints have a fantastic academy set-up and their scouts are amongst the Premier League’s best at spotting future prospects, but youngsters Matt Targett and Lloyd Isgrove have already been called upon in cameo roles this season.
Such a policy is clearly encouraged on the south coast but there will be inevitable moments when dependency on youngsters weakens Southampton’s match-day squads. It’s incredible telling that six Southampton stars have featured in the maximum 900 minutes this season; Morgan Schneiderlin, Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle, Nathaniel Clyne, Ryan Bertrand and Jose Fonte – in other words, the starting XI’s stand-out assets.
Wojciech Szczesny, on the other hand, is the only player to feature in every minute of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign, whilst Dejan Lovren, Simon Mignolet and Steven Gerrard are Liverpool’s only ever-present members. They were the English top flight’s second and fourth-highest spending clubs respectively this summer, and the Reds’ recruitment policy in particular focused on improving the depth and options of Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
Secondly, Southampton are yet to face any of the Premier League’s big hitters this year with the exception of Liverpool, whom they lost to at Anfield on the opening day of the season. The Saints claimed ten points off the top seven last term and were famed for their positive performances against quality opposition, but following wholesale changes in personnel and management over the summer, they’re now an entirely different side in both players and philosophy.
Whether they possess the same character in big games will come to light between now and mid-January, with Southampton facing Arsenal and Manchester United twice, in addition to Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton in their next eleven Premier League fixtures.
Arsenal, however, have already faced Everton, Spurs, Chelsea and City this term, Liverpool have taken on City, Tottenham and Everton and face Chelsea this weekend, whilst Manchester United are amid their campaign- defining patch, having come up against both Chelsea and Manchester City in the last fortnight, in addition to the Gunners after the international break.
That being said, in a Premier League climate where Gary Neville claims all defending has gone out of the window – let us not forget, two English clubs broke the 100-goal mark for the first time in the top flight last season – the Saints’ defensive dominance could rule supreme come May-time.
Even with the limited quality of their opposition thus far accepted, Southampton’s defensive record is purely phenomenal. Just five goals conceded in ten games gives them an average 0.5 goals conceded per match – twice as good as Chelsea and Manchester City’s. They’re also averaging the most tackles per game of any Premier League club, an incredible 25, have claimed the most clean sheets, 6, and faced the fewest shots on target per-game at 2.4.
Clearly, Ronald Koeman has his boys snuffing out moves before they evolve into clear-cut chances, and if they can maintain that proficient defensive form against the bigger clubs – perhaps squeezing out a few scoreless draws – they’ll stop Liverpool, Arsenal, United et al closing the points deficit.
Interestingly enough, Jose Fonte’s had three different centre-back partners already his season, Toby Alderweireld, Maya Yoshida and Florin Gardos, so perhaps the Saints’ squad depth is better than it’s given credit for.
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And in my opinion, the January window could be what decides Southampton’s season. We witnessed during the summer just how efficient they are in the transfer market and although the south coast side will continually struggle to attract Europe’s bigger names, a few more gems like Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle or Saido Mane could improve their squad’s depth and variety enormously.
The club spent £58million this summer compared to £93million brought in from the sales of Adam Lallana, Calum Chambers, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw and Rickie Lambert, so there’s still some surplus to be utilised in January. Likewise, Jay Rodriguez is set to return at the end of December, further enhancing Koeman’s options going forward.
Who they can attract to St Mary’s in January however, will largely depend upon results between now and then, in addition to Southampton’s subsequent league standing. But already enjoying a healthy points cushion over Arsenal, 5, Liverpool, 8, and Manchester United, nine, a few astute additions could be all Southampton need to maintain their momentum until the end of the season.
Brendan Rodgers was destined to eat his own words in the latest chapter of the thoroughly entertaining sitcom known as ‘Liverpool FC’. The club had mercilessly clawed their way to within touching distance of fourth place, but the moment Merseyside’s new messiah hinted at the possibility of a top-two finish, an upset seemed inevitable.
Last Saturday the Reds welcomed a struggling Aston Villa side, boasting a record that had seen them concede just once in five home games. The fixture’s foreword pointed towards a comfortable victory, but despite another domineering performance in the stats department, Rodgers saw his team carved open by the ruthless Christian Benteke.
The new arrival at Villa Park struck twice, either side of an inspired assist for strike partner Andreas Weimann and spent large portions of the match terrorising the usually imperious Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger. Alan Shearer hailed his display as the ‘most complete performance from a centre-forward this season’, and for once it’s difficult to disagree. His presentation of brute strength coupled with youthful exuberance highlighted the exact brand of player Liverpool are currently lacking in their squad.
The club’s attacking options have been the subject of much criticism, following Fabio Borini’s long-term injury and Andy Carroll’s promising – if hardly prolific – spell at West Ham. At Swansea, Rodgers was able to call upon the cumbersome presence of Danny Graham but he has been found wanting this season, when centre-backs have suffocated the clinical attributes of Luis Suarez.
Perhaps this is why recent transfer gossip columns have linked Rodgers with a move for Anzhi Makhachkala’s 6″ 8 powerhouse Lacina Toure, as a means of overcompensating for a deep-rooted problem. The positive impact and disruption that Skrtel and Agger cause during offensive set-pieces have surely provided enough evidence to persuade Rodgers to seek a similar entity up front.
Liverpool have also been linked with Villa’s out-of-favour front man Darren Bent, which would have been understandable under Kenny Dalglish but not Rodgers, considering he shares the same playing philosophy as Paul Lambert. I have witnessed many people claim Liverpool just need ‘someone to stick it in’, and while this might be fundamentally true, the status of the club means they require so much more.
While the Anfield faithful may be one of the most supportive and vocal collections of fans in the Premier League, the pressure that comes with playing for Liverpool is perhaps unrivalled in English football. A host of great names have failed under the piercing eye of the Kop, but conversely the hard-working, tenacious types like Dirk Kuyt and Lucas have succeeded because their mentality matches their ability.
At this crucial point in the season, Rodgers will be well aware of the weaknesses in his squad, having fully submerged himself in the club since taking over in the summer. Fans will be hoping his scouting network boasts the same meticulous planning as his training sessions and that work towards January’s acquisitions would have started in the aftermath of a disappointing transfer deadline day.
Reports linking the club with a move for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar are perhaps rather futile, despite the Dutchman meeting the criteria outlined in this article. Liverpool’s present league position and inability to offer Champions League football makes the former ‘Culture Capital of Europe’ a far less attractive option. The transfer budget will be also uncomfortably tight, perhaps to an extent that will make it impossible to attract any household names at all.
Therefore, the club could do worse than fly under the radar like Paul Lambert. Benteke notched up 19 goals in 37 games during his only season with Genk and was on the cusp of the Belgium national squad, but his reputation in mainstream circles was relatively minute. Likewise, how many people had heard of Michu despite his 15 goals in La Liga last year?
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Benteke’s eight goals in 17 appearances is hardly earth-shattering but he has also fashioned six assists, highlighting his ability to bring out the best of those around him. These are the types of statistics Rodgers needs to concentrate on, because it’s no good keeping the ball unless it ends up in the back of the net.
McMullen and Leask’s contributions weren’t enough for Scotland to chase down 199
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2025Opener Michael Levitt’s breezy 90 helped Netherlands beat Scotland by 17 runs in a high-scoring contest in the T20I tri-series in Glasgow on Wednesday. His 57-ball innings lifted Netherlands to 198 for 7 after they were asked to bat. In reply, Scotland managed only 181 for 9 on the back of Brandon McMullen’s half-century and Michael Leask’s quickfire 46.Netherlands lost Max O’Dowd and Teja Nidamanuru inside the powerplay but it was the 75-run third-wicket partnership off 45 balls between Levitt and Scott Edwards that steered Netherlands to a competitive total. While Levitt, who had scored a T20I century before, smashed six fours and five sixes in his knock, Edwards chipped in with a 21-ball 31. Fast bowler Charlie Cassell broke the threatening stand, trapping Edwards lbw in the 13th over. Three overs late, Levitt was dismissed by fast bowler Jasper Davidson. There were also handy lower-order contributions from Ryan Klein and Roelof van der Merwe that ensured Netherlands had enough on the board.For Scotland, Cassell and Davidson shared four wickets among them.In the chase, Scotland stumbled early, when opener Mark Watt was run out in the third over for a 9-ball 6. However, No.3 McMullen and George Munsey revived Scotland briefly with their 50-run stand for the third wicket. Offspinner Nidamanuru gave the breakthrough by ending Musney’s stay in the eighth over and dismissed captain Richie Berrington in his next over. McMullen too fell after a 27-ball 51 leaving Scotland in trouble.While No. 6 Leask stood up with his 46 off 23 – where he struck five sixes and one four – Scotland kept losing wickets regularly on the other end. From 151 for 5, Scotland lost the next four wickets for 30 runs to eventually finish at 181 for 9. Netherlands’ left-arm spinner Van der Merwe, though leaked 44 runs in his four overs, accounted for two wickets in the 17th and 19th over to halt Scotland. Nidamanuru finished with 3 for 30 from his four overs while Aryan Dutt and Daniel Doram also scalped a wicket each.With this victory, Netherlands have moved to top of the points table with four points from three matches. They will face Nepal on Thursday Scotland are second with two points from three matches.
All three part of a 14-man squad for the first Test against Pakistan in Perth with Boland and Morris with Lyon replacing Murphy as the only change from the last Ashes Test
Alex Malcolm02-Dec-20231:44
Malcom: Lance Morris will bring the x-factor
David Warner is on track to get the Test farewell he desires while Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green have both been named in Australia’s 14-man Test squad alongside Western Australia speedster Lance Morris for the first Test against Pakistan.Australia’s selectors pulled no surprises naming 10 of the 11 that played in the last Ashes Test back in July, with Nathan Lyon replacing Todd Murphy after recovering from his calf injury. Green has been selected as the extra batter/allrounder and two extra fast bowlers in Morris and Scott Boland have also been named in the squad for the first Test against Pakistan at Perth Stadium starting on December 14.As was expected, Alex Carey has retained his place as the first-choice Test wicketkeeper despite losing his ODI place to Josh Inglis at the start of the World Cup. But the selectors still see him as the clear-cut Test wicketkeeper and he tuned up for the series with a classy 81 for South Australia in their tight loss to Victoria last week.Related
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Morris is the only player who was not part of the Ashes squad having been rested over the winter after concerns over his back and his workload coming back from the tour of India. His addition to the squad was long expected though as Cricket Australia’s medical team has carefully managed his domestic summer so far in conjunction with the WA selectors.He has played just two Marsh Cup matches and three of the six Sheffield Shield games, with no back-to-back fixtures. He was rested from WA’s last Shield game against Queensland and instead played club cricket for Scarborough in Perth where his overs were carefully managed across two weekends. He is being groomed as Mitchell Starc’s understudy as the strike weapon in Australia’s Test attack. Morris’ careful management was designed to have him fit for the start of the Test summer as the fitness of Starc was set to be an unknown coming out of the long World Cup campaign. Starc suffered lingering groin soreness after the Ashes series, where he was named Australia’s player of the series, but he managed to play 10 of Australia’s 11 World Cup matches.Warner had long forecast the series against Pakistan, and specifically the third Test in Sydney as his desired farewell from Test cricket. His Test form over the last two years, even with a lone double century against South Africa last year, has raised questions as to whether he deserved to go out on his own terms. But Australia’s selectors believe he is one of the best two openers in the country and has been named for the first Test, having made a half-century in his last Test innings at the Oval and come off a stunning World Cup in India.Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Bancroft are the three main candidates to replace Warner either before Sydney or for the two-Test series against West Indies in mid-January. The selectors opted not to promote any of them ahead of time. All three will instead play for the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan in Canberra starting on Wednesday.Chairman of selectors George Bailey suggested there was scope for any players performing in that game to be added to the Test squad at any stage.”As ever, there will be opportunities in the short to medium term to break into this squad and we look forward to seeing the continued strong performances from players who have been performing domestically, many of whom will get a tremendous opportunity in the PM’s XI fixture against Pakistan later this week,” Bailey said.Green is the only player in the 14-man Test squad who will also play for the PM’s XI. He is coming off 96 for WA against Queensland in his first red-ball innings since he was dropped for the final Test of the Ashes series. Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald suggested last week that there was a way Green and incumbent allrounder Marsh could play in the same side later in the summer if they were to shuffle the batting order post-Warner’s exit but it seems likely that Green will have to bide his time.Australia’s first Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
Rana, Deepti and Gayakwad shared seven wickets between them as Thailand were skittled for 37
Sruthi Ravindranath10-Oct-2022India strolled to a nine-wicket win against Thailand in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup after spinners Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and Rajeshwari Gayakwad shared seven wickets between them. Thailand were restricted to 37, their third-lowest total in the Asia Cup, which table-toppers India then chased down in six overs, losing just one wicket.Thailand started off cautiously, moving to just 16 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. The collapse began with Naruemol Chaiwai’s run-out in the seventh over following which Thailand lost their last eight wickets for just 17 runs.Thailand openers cautious
Smriti Mandhana, playing her 100th T20I, once again stood in for Harmanpreet Kaur – who was out of the last game with a niggle – and opted to bowl keeping the damp conditions in mind.Thailand openers Nannapat Koncharoenkai and Natthakan Chantham started off watchfully as Deepti straightaway found sharp turn, and took just one run off the first over. Koncharoenkai broke the pressure with a drive to the boundary off quick Meghna Singh, who was swapped for Renuka Singh for this match, and in the following over Chantham brought out the sweep and got a boundary against Deepti, showing positive intent.But a couple of balls later, Chantham was deceived by the turn and was bowled.The collapse begins
Koncharoenkai and Chaiwai continued their cautious approach, not taking any risks, and that resulted in Thailand playing out 27 dot balls in the powerplay. With Thailand having lost the prolific Chantham early, the onus was on captain Chaiwai to push them to a respectable total. But a quick throw from Meghna fielding at point resulted in her getting run-out for three in the seventh over.Rana struck the very next ball, sending Chanida Sutthiruang back for a duck with a delivery that turned in sharply from outside off stump. From there on, wickets fell regularly. Koncharoenkai’s carelessness resulted in her being run-out, and Gayakwad and Rana ripped through the middle order to leave Thailand reeling at 28 for 8 by the end of the 12th over.Nattaya Boochatham and Thipatcha Putthawong managed to stay at the crease for 17 balls but Deepti returned to break the ninth-wicket stand. Meghna accounted for the last wicket to fall in the 16th over.An easy win for semi-final bound India
It was a straightforward chase for India. Following a quiet first over – India scored just three runs – from Boochatham, Sabbhineni Meghana and Shafali Verma managed to hit a boundary each in the next couple of overs. Following Shafali’s departure in the third over, Pooja Vastrakar joined Meghana at the crease and steered India to 22 for 1 in five overs. They finished the match in the sixth over, hitting four fours – two each – off Putthawong to guide India to a resounding win.
Spinner’s fifty and four-for helps seal victory as Warwickshire stay in hunt for top-two spot
ECB Reporters' Network30-May-2021Warwickshire blew Group One of the LV= Insurance County Championship wide open after beating Nottinghamshire by 170 runs in a pulsating contest at Edgbaston. Set a victory target of 309 in 74 overs, the visitors were bowled out for 138 with eight overs to spare as spinner Danny Briggs followed up his important runs in the match with a decisive spell of 24.3-14-36-4.After the Bears took their overnight 201 for 6 to 264 all out, with Briggs scoring a round 50 and Michael Burgess 80, they bowled with collective skill to close out a thrilling victory. At 89 for 5, Nottinghamshire had no choice but to abandon their quest for a fourth successive victory and their hopes of defending out for a draw were scuppered as the Bears maintained the pressure with disciplined bowling supported by excellent fielding.Related
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“It was a great game on a good pitch and a good contest between bat and ball for four days which is what you want,” Briggs said. “Then for us to come out on top at the end is just great.”It was pleasing for me to have an opportunity for a long bowl on the final day and really embrace it and push the game home with the support of the other bowlers. We bowled and caught really well and I think the calmness we showed the whole way through was probably what enabled us to win.”In the morning, Burgess and Briggs took their partnership to 103 in 33 overs before the former top-edged a sweep at Liam Patterson-White to slip. Craig Miles was soon run out by Ben Slater’s direct hit, before Luke Fletcher rattled the stumps of Briggs and Liam Norwell.Norwell soon struck with the ball as Haseeb Hameed edged to wicketkeeper Burgess and two big wickets fell in successive overs when Ben Duckett swept Briggs to Rob Yates at deep square and Ben Slater nicked Tim Bresnan behind. A brilliant leg-side stumping by Burgess off seamer Olly Hannon-Dalby dismiss the dangerous Joe Clarke and when Steven Mullaney pulled Hannon-Dalby to deep square, Notts were five down and in trouble.”We feel absolutely gutted,” Notts head coach, Peter Moores, said. “They bowled well but I think, in some ways, we caused our own demise a little bit, but we have got to dust ourselves down and come back strong against Essex next week.”It was a tight game all the way through. Probably the key time was the third day when they played really well but we managed to stay in the game. Then we cleaned them out this morning to leave all three results possible but I think we got a bit distracted by looking for the win a little bit when we first started batting and made some mistakes.”Lyndon James and Tom Moores ate up valuable time in a stand of 16 overs, but when both fell in quick succession, Moores leaving a straight one from Will Rhodes and James edging Briggs behind, the visitors were vulnerable again. Briggs winkled out Zak Chappell, caught at silly point, for post-tea figures of 10-10-0-2, and Patterson-White’s 72 minutes of defiance ended rather unluckily when a defensive shot off Miles dropped the ball back on to the stumps.That left Nos. 10 and 11 with 11 overs to survive – and they managed just three before Fletcher was bowled an absolute pearler from Biggs to the delight of a boisterous crowd in the Birmingham sunshine, giving the spinner his best figures since joining Warwickshire over the winter.”Having the fans back in the ground was amazing,” Briggs said. “There was a great at atmosphere. It was my first experience of having the crowd behind me at Edgbaston and I loved it. They got behind us when we needed it and it was great to see the excitement in the stands.”
Seamer only bowled six balls in training on Wednesday due to sore elbow
George Dobell in Cape Town01-Jan-20200:37
Archer becomes injury doubt for second Test
Jofra Archer has emerged as an injury doubt for England’s second Test in South Africa.Archer, who took six wickets in the first Test, only bowled six balls in England’s training session on January 1 due to a sore elbow, raising concerns that he will not have recovered in time to play in the Cape Town Test.ALSO READ: England ‘will not be afraid’ to leave out Broad or Anderson – SilverwoodThe pitch for the Test, which starts on January 3, lacks the grass seen in Centurion and is relatively dry. As a result, England are likely to bring a spin bowler into their side. Dom Bess, the Somerset offspinner, looks in pole position to play, ahead of Jack Leach – who trained on Wednesday, but has been unwell for most of the past month – and Matt Parkinson.Jofra Archer is a fitness doubt for the second Test•Getty Images
That means that one seamer would have to miss out, with Archer’s injury suggesting he could be the most likely to do so. If he is fully recovered and fit to play – which is far from certain – the selection dilemma facing Joe Root and Chris Silverwood would probably come down to a choice between James Anderson and Stuart Broad.While Archer was expensive in the second innings at Centurion, it will be a significant blow for England if he is unavailable. He is, alongside Mark Wood, the fastest bowler in their squad and their seam attack would risk looking somewhat one-paced in his absence. The pitch is expected to prove relatively good for batting. Not only it is the first Test surface prepared by new groundsman, Ihtishaam Adams, but the local board’s finances suggest they would prefer a four or even five-day crowd.All 19 members of England’s touring party were fit enough to train, with Dom Sibley recovering quickly from the illness that has swept the camp since their arrival in South Africa.
The Bangladesh opener, who is recovering from a wrist fracture, hurt himself again during training and might not be available for the first Test against West Indies
Mohammad Isam13-Nov-2018Opener Tamim Iqbal’s return to the Bangladesh side is likely to be delayed further, after he had picked up a side strain during training on Tuesday. Tamim, who had fractured his wrist in the Asia Cup, had hoped to return to action for the first Test against West Indies, which begins on November 22 in Chittagong, but chief selector Minhajul Abedin has now said that he is in doubt.”We are still awaiting a doctor’s report on Tamim to know the extent of his injury but it now seems difficult [for him to be available for the first Test],” Minhajul told ESPNcricinfo.Tamim had returned to batting against the cricket ball in the nets earlier this week, after undergoing rehabilitation for the wrist injury. Tamim injured himself while batting during the Asia Cup opener in September.He then left to London for check-up before returning to Dhaka for rehabilitation. The Bangladesh selectors will also assess Shakib Al Hasan’s recovery from a long-standing finger injury, before naming the squad for the opening Test against West Indies.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O’Brien and offspinning allrounder Paul Stirling, though, returned from injuries
ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2017Seamers Barry McCarthy, who has fractured his right thumb, and Craig Young, who is nursing an elbow injury, were ruled out of Ireland’s one-off ODI against West Indies on September 13 in Belfast. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O’Brien and offspinning allrounder Paul Stirling, though, returned from injuries. Left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who had missed Ireland’s Intercontinental Cup match against Netherlands, also made a comeback.
Ireland’s squad for West Indies ODI
William Porterfield (capt), John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Jacob Mulder, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh , Paul Stirling, Gary Wilson (wk) In (from squad for tri-series): John Anderson, Jacob Mulder, Boyd Rankin Out: Barry McCarthy, Stuart Thompson, Craig Young
In the absence of McCarthy and Young, Peter Chase, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin are the seam options in the 14-member squad. Rankin appears set for his first ODI since June 2016. A back injury had kept Rankin out for most of Ireland’s matches this year. He had played the Intercontinental Cup match against Netherlands earlier this month.Ireland’s spin department is well stacked with no less than six options, including legspinner Jacob Mulder, whose last ODI appearance came against Afghanistan in March this year. Mulder, too, was part of the Intercontinental Cup team, along with batsman John Anderson, who has not played an international for Ireland since September 2016.”It’s disappointing that both Barry and Craig are ruled out but we have other options in the seam-bowling department,” Ireland coach John Bracewell said.”On the plus side we have Paul Stirling and Niall O’Brien back from injury and that will certainly bolster the batting. George Dockrell has been in prolific form in domestic cricket and he is recalled too, which means we have no fewer than six spinning options in the squad.”Bracewell was wary of West Indies, who bounced back from a heavy innings defeat in the first Test to stun England in the second, with Shai Hope’s twin hundreds playing a big role. The return of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels also lends more depth to the side.”The West Indies showed incredible character to bounce back after losing the opening Test heavily against England, and showed just how dangerous and talented a side they truly are,” Bracewell said. “They will have double-centurion Shai Hope in their ranks for the Belfast clash, and when you add Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels into the mix then it’s a very dangerous group of players. “Ireland have recent history on their side, having chased down 305 against West Indies, during the previous clash between the two sides, in the 2015 World Cup in Nelson.Ireland squad: William Porterfield (capt), John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Jacob Mulder, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh , Paul Stirling, Gary Wilson (wk).