No estádio Rei Pelé, o Internacional foi superado no tempo normal por 2 a 1, mas venceu o CSA na disputa de pênaltis por 7 a 6.O herói da classificação do time às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil foi o goleiro Keiller, que defendeu duas cobranças e saiu de campo ovacionado pelo torcedor.
Na conversa com a imprensa, o arqueiro falou sobre a sua redenção no duelo, já que ele foi questionado no gol de Tomas Bastos de fora da área.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasInternacionalInternacional quebra marca negativa em disputa de pênaltisInternacional27/04/2023Copa do BrasilDramático! Nos pênaltis, Internacional elimina o CSA e avança às oitavas de final da Copa do BrasilCopa do Brasil27/04/2023Copa do BrasilCopa do Brasil: Bahia goleia o Volta Redonda e garante uma vaga nas oitavas de finalCopa do Brasil27/04/2023
– Essa é a vida do goleiro, é a única posição que tem um dia especial. É ter a cabeça no lugar e tranquilidade. Passamos por decisões que não conseguimos passar. Mas, hoje, conseguimos ser efetivos, ter tranquilidade e passar de fase – afirmou ao “Prime Video”.
+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!
Agora, o Inter deixa o torneio de lado e pensa no Brasileirão, quando a equipe mede forças diante do Goiás, no Beira-Rio.
If we just forget about yesterday afternoon’s rather underwhelming North London Derby – it was just a friendly after all – it would be fair to say this has been a largely positive summer for Arsenal.
Aside from yesterday’s minor blip, Mikel Arteta’s side have looked good on the pitch, and the board have been hard at work in the transfer market off of it.
The North Londoners have made six permanent first-team additions thus far, and while the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke are certainly exciting additions, the most significant is undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres, who finally completed his £63.5m transfer from Sporting CP last week.
However, even then, the club continue to be linked with a host of talented players, including the superb Rodrygo, although they may be wise to opt for another, cheaper international they’ve been linked with, someone who could be described as another Gyokeres.
Arsenal's pursuit of Rodrygo
There is no doubt that one of the most exciting transfer links for Arsenal fans this summer has been to Rodrygo, as the Brazilian international has been at the heart of so much of Real Madrid’s domestic and continental success over the last six years or so.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, over the last two and a bit seasons, he has been playing out of his favoured left-wing position, and that, combined with an absurd amount of talent at the Bernabeu, has supposedly seen him become available this summer.
There have been a host of top clubs linked with the 24-year-old so far this summer, and according to reports from earlier in the window, the Gunners are very much interested.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo
It’s not hard to see why Arteta and Co would be keen to bring him to London, as even when not in his best position, the former Santos gem is still effective.
For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 3452 minutes, he was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.16 games, or every 138.08 minutes.
However, with a price tag of up to £86m, according to some reports, Arsenal may want to look elsewhere for an attacker they’ve previously linked with, one who could be described as Gyokeres-esque: Ademola Lookman
Arsenal could sign Lookman instead
Now, it is undoubtedly the case that for much of the last couple of weeks it’s looked like Lookman would be heading to Inter Milan, but as things stand, that move appears to have stalled.
Atalanta's Davide Zappacosta celebrates scoring their fifth goal with AdemolaLookman
So, with Arsenal already being linked with him several times this window, there is no reason they couldn’t hijack the move.
With that said, three reasons make the Nigerian international a Gyokeres-esque signing, with the first reason being his senior journey.
Like the Swedish international, the former Everton ace spent some time in English football but was never really able to establish himself in the Premier League, as in total, he has a record of just 11 goals and six assists in 96 games across spells with the Toffees, Leicester City and Fulham.
Then, instead of accepting a bit-part role in England, the London-born dynamo decided to move to Europe, joined Atalanta in Serie A and has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine ever since.
Appearances
33
45
40
Minutes
1858′
2809′
2871′
Goals
15
17
20
Assists
8
10
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.69
0.60
0.67
Minutes per Goal Involvement
80.78′
104.03′
106.33
In fact, in the three seasons he’s spent in Bergamo, the “world-class” star, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has an incredible record of 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.
In other words, the 29-capped international has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes since joining the Serie A side, which is probably reason enough for the Gunners to consider him over Rodrygo.
Finally, at 27 years old, the Europa League winner is the same age as Gyokeres and should be ready to have an instant impact at the Emirates in a season in which the North Londoners have to win something.
Ultimately, Rodrygo would be a great signing, but at potentially just £43m and with the incredible record he has, Lookman might just be the better option.
Ian Wright 2.0: Arsenal in talks for PL "magician" who's their "top target"
The international game-changer would be an unreal signing for Arsenal.
Shadab Khan hailed his side’s ability to not worrying about the result after leading Panthers to a crushing victory over Markhors in the final of the Champions One-Day Cup.”The main purpose of our coaches and mentors was to develop the side,” he said at the press conference following the win. “We wanted to give youngsters an opportunity so they could develop and represent Pakistan in the future.”Captaining the side, Shadab’s all-round role in Panthers’ triumph was instrumental, as he picked up his second piece of silverware in 2024, six months after Islamabad United’s victory in the PSL. However, Shadab has endured a difficult year – especially with the bat – in terms of his own form, although the last three weeks have given the man once feted as Pakistan’s golden boy reason to smile. At the Champions Cup in Faisalabad, he contributed with either bat or ball in all but the opening game.Related
Panthers' bowlers skittle Markhors for 122 to set up title win
Crucially, Shadab found better control with the ball, landing more deliveries in the right areas – something he has struggled with in the recent past. He credited it to finding his rhythm, and wanted to keep working at it. Shadab said he will “definitely play as many red-ball games as possible” this season.”Individually, I need more improvement,” he conceded. “But things are getting better because I hadn’t bowled long spells recently. I bowled longer spells this tournament, and that gave me more confidence. But there’s still plenty of time before I get to that level.”Shadab also spelled out his broader philosophy – both for himself and the side he leads. “We wanted to focus on the process rather than the result. We’re an emotional country – when we get results, we rise really high, and when we don’t, we hit rock bottom. We zig zag in this emotional cycle. What we can control is our process, and that should be level, not up and down. So we tried to keep things simple rather than caring about the result. The result is not in our hands; even today we discussed this. We weren’t even thinking about the result.”The result, though, took care of itself. After a bright start from Markhors, Shadab and his fellow bowlers triggered a remarkable collapse, as Markhors’ last eight wickets fell for just 40 runs. Shadab took one of those wickets in the three overs he bowled, and with the bat, a breezy and an unbeaten 14 off nine balls helped get his side comfortably over the line, as Panthers got to the target with a whopping 32 overs to spare.Shadab didn’t think the pitch had too many demons in it, crediting his side instead for bowling well. “I don’t think about a particular number to restrict the opposition to,” he said. “I think we bowled really well to get them out so cheaply. We wanted to put as much pressure on them as possible because that’s where a team makes mistakes, and that’s where you can take wickets in quick succession. In high-pressure matches, it’s harder to build partnerships.”He specifically heaped praise on his two leading fast bowlers, one of whom was the 16-year old Ali Raza.”Ali Raza’s mentality belies his age,” Shadab said. “The way he’s bowling, I think he could be a useful asset for the Pakistan side in future. We need to be careful with him because he’s still young and his body’s still fragile. That makes him more vulnerable to injuries.”Panthers’ Mohammad Hasnain was the Player of the Series for taking 17 wickets at an average of 16.17•PCB
The other quick whom Shadab credited was Mohammad Hasnain, whose 17 wickets at an average of 16.17 earned him the Player-of-the-Series award. Shadab said Hasnain had a sensational tournament upon his return from a long-term ankle injury, due to “his own hard work”.Shadab would know better than most the value of giving young bowlers confidence. His own breakout role under national spotlight had come as a 17-year old in 2017 before he went on to play a pivotal part in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph later that year. Islamabad, for whom Shadab went on to play in the PSL, had faith enough in him to appoint him vice-captain at 20, and captain at 21.But while Shadab’s form with the ball has wavered for much of his career, his tactical skills as captain are rarely in question. It is perhaps little surprise that he doesn’t feel youth is any barrier to success.”We’re inexperienced,” Shadab says pithily about the side with the youngest average age in the Champions Cup, “but we’ve won the tournament.”
Late batter and coach was early champion and mentor who pushed for Root’s Test elevation
Matt Roller29-Aug-2024Joe Root dedicated his record-equalling 33rd Test hundred to Graham Thorpe, his long-term batting mentor who died this month aged 55. Root pointed to the skies after reaching three figures and paid tribute to Thorpe’s influence on his batting, saying he “definitely wouldn’t be where I am now” without him.”I’ve been very lucky to work with a lot of people, whether it be senior players, coaches, mentors, and Thorpey was one of those people that offered me so much,” Root said, after his 143 helped England pile on 358 for 7 against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.”It was nice to be able to think of him in that moment. He’s someone that I’m going to sorely miss. He put a lot into my game, into my career, and without his help I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now.”Thorpe, widely regarded as one of England’s best batters, took his own life earlier this month after what his family described as a battle with “major depression and anxiety”. He spent most of his post-playing career involved in the England set-up and was a prominent advocate for Root’s early elevation into the Test team, at the age of 21.”The first time I came across him was a second-team game at Stamford Bridge for Yorkshire against Surrey [in 2010],” Root recalled. “The following year, I made my way into the County Championship team and he was involved with the England Lions. Before I’d even made a hundred at first-class level, he picked me for a Lions game against Sri Lanka at Scarborough.Related
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“He saw something with me, and pushed hard for me to go away that winter and worked with him. We worked tirelessly on my game against spin – being able to get close to the ball, get away from it, utilising different sweeps – and also against pace… working very hard to make sure that those areas of the game which are different to county cricket, you are up to speed with.”Thorpe encouraged Root’s selection for England’s tour to India in 2012, where he made his debut in the drawn fourth Test in Nagpur which secured a 2-1 win. “From that point onwards, we worked together,” Root said. “He became England’s white-ball batting coach, and then obviously in the Test team as well. I worked so hard at a number of different things.”You’re always having to evolve as a player, and you need people that you can bounce ideas off, people that can take pressure off you in different ways, and know how to talk to you when things aren’t going well – and also when they are going well. I was very lucky to have someone like him… he was the one guy that was constant throughout that 10, 11, 12-year period.”I could go to him under pressure, and I have a really good understanding of my own game and it evolved into more: I became good friends, and I really enjoyed spending a lot of time with him. It was nice to pay a small tribute. It’s nothing, but he means a lot to me – and that was a small thank you.”
Thirty-two players named across men’s and women’s competitions to complete squad lists
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2024
Ollie Robinson has been signed as a Wildcard by Trent Rockets•Getty Images
Ollie Robinson, the England and Sussex seamer, has been picked up by Trent Rockets as one of 32 Wildcards for this year’s Hundred, having previously featured for Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers.Ravi Bopara will return to London Spirit after his successful stint with the team last year, while the legspinner Mason Crane has been picked up by Welsh Fire, having moved from Hampshire to Glamorgan on loan this season. Dillon Pennington, the Nottinghamshire seamer who is on England’s radar this summer, will play for Northern Superchargers.The selections were based on performances in this season’s Vitality Blast and Charlotte Edwards Cup, and mean that all eight men’s and women’s Hundred sides now have full squads, ahead of the competition’s fourth edition, from July 23 to August 18.Fran Wilson, an England Women’s World Cup winner in 2017, will feature for Birmingham Phoenix this season, while Sophie Luff (Southern Brave), Danielle Gregory (Manchester Originals) and Abi Freeborn (London Spirit) were among the other signings.”I’m really happy to have been drafted by Southern Brave,” Luff said. “The Hundred is a great competition to be a part of, so I’m really happy to have been picked up and it’s especially great to have been selected by Charlotte Edwards. I’m really looking forward to the competition and adding value where I can.”Six replacement players have also been announced for the men’s and women’s competitions, including Tom Aspinwall and Scott Currie, who are stepping in at Manchester Originals for Fred Klaassen and Josh Tongue.Emma Jones will take over from Ailsa Lister at Birmingham Phoenix women, while Australia’s Charli Knott will be available for Brave’s first two women’s matches, in place of Smriti Mandhana.Another Australian, Laura Harris, will deputise for Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu for Oval Invincibles’ opening two fixtures, while New Zealand’s Suzie Bates stands in for India’s Richa Ghosh for the first three games at Phoenix.Birmingham PhoenixWomen: Fran Wilson, Lissy Macleod Men: Aneurin Donald, Rishi PatelLondon SpiritWomen: Abi Freeborn, Ellie Anderson Men: Ravi Bopara, Ryan HigginsManchester OriginalsWomen: Danielle Gregory, Alice Monaghan Men: Sonny Baker, Matthew HurstNorthern SuperchargersWomen: Jodi Grewcock, Sophia Turner Men: Jordan Clark, Dillon PenningtonOval InvinciblesWomen: Rachel Slater, Amara Carr Men: Marchant de Lange, Mark WattSouthern BraveWomen: Sophie Luff, Katie Jones Men: James Coles, Joe WeatherleyTrent RocketsWomen: Aylish Cranstone, Natasha Wraith Men: Ollie Robinson, Tom AlsopWelsh FireWomen: Georgia Davis, Kate Coppack Men: Mason Crane, Ben Green
Burnley will be playing Premier League football once again next season after they finished second in the Championship to secure promotion back to the big time.
The Clarets finished on a staggering 100 points in the second tier, somehow only finishing second to Leeds United, and are now preparing to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the top-flight.
Burnley managerScottParker
Scott Parker will need to make some big and tough decisions on players who will leave Turf Moore, and ones who will come in, and one star whose future is uncertain at the moment is Ashley Barnes.
Why Ashley Barnes could be released this summer
The veteran striker signed for the club from Norwich City in the January transfer window and put pen to paper on a deal until the end of the season, which means that his current contract is due to expire at the end of next month.
Speaking ahead of the final game of the season, Parker was asked if a decision had been made on the striker: “Not at the moment, no.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
“We’ve not really discussed in great detail next year or certainly how it would look in terms of players’ contracts. We’ve got one game left and that’s been the main focus.
“But Ashley Barnes has been incredible since he’s come in and there’s an opportunity for him at the weekend as well, depending on the decision I make.”
In the weeks since those comments, there has still not been any official confirmation of his release or a new contract, but his limited impact on the pitch could mean that they look elsewhere ahead of a Premier League season.
Barnes ended the campaign with one goal in 21 appearances, including two starts, in the Championship, and the Clarets have been linked with a striker who could be the next version of the veteran forward, George Hirst.
Why George Hirst could be the next Ashley Barnes
Burnley and Leeds are both reportedly interested in signing the Ipswich Town centre-forward after their relegation from the Premier League has already been confirmed, and he could be Barnes 2.0
Ipswich Town'sGeorgeHirstin action with Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior
Barnes joined the Clarets from Brighton at the age of 25, having come up through the lower leagues in League One and the Championship, and went on to score 42 goals in 200 Premier League games for the club.
Like the Burnley icon, Hirst has worked his way up the EFL. He played in League One for Portsmouth and Ipswich and the Championship with Blackburn Rovers and the Tractor Boys, before his first taste of regular top-flight football at the age of 25/26 this season.
Appearances
25
23
Minutes per game
24
35
Goals
3
1
Assists
1
0
Ground duel success rate
33%
34%
Aerial duel success rate
59%
44%
As you can see in the table above, Hirst’s form for Ipswich this season in the Premier League has been more impressive than Barnes’ last outing in the top-flight with the Clarets in the 2021/22 campaign.
These statistics also show that the striker, who was described as “unique” by Kieran McKenna, has the physical attributes to be a Barnes-esque figure for Burnley, particularly with his strength in the air to win flick ons and compete with opposition defenders.
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ByKelan Sarson May 23, 2025
Hirst, who has scored three goals from 2.13 xG, has the potential to combine physical and technical attributes to be an effective centre-forward at Premier League level if he can kick on with regular minutes, as he only averaged 24 minutes a game behind Liam Delap.
That is why Parker could unearth Burnley’s next Ashley Barnes by signing the experienced striker, who has done the hard work in the lower leagues and could now be given a chance to really show his quality at the top level.
Looking ahead to their first attempt to get back into the Premier League next season, Southampton are now reportedly in advanced talks to hire an impressive 32-year-old manager.
Southampton's search for a new manager
The Southampton job isn’t exactly one that every manager will be jumping towards this summer after the Saints suffered relegation from the Premier League. Having opened their season with Russell Martin in the dugout, the Saints were ready to take on the Premier League their way and opt out of simply sitting in a deep defensive block.
As attractive as that approach looked, however, it did not result in much-needed points and those at St Mary’s soon switched their mindsets towards survival, sacking Martin in the process.
Their next decision was always going to be crucial, even if some were already convinced that relegation was looming. Following Martin’s tenure, it wouldn’t have been absurd to suggest that a pragmatic, experienced Premier League manager should have been the way forward, but Southampton took an alternative approach once again – this time hiring Ivan Juric in December.
Southampton manager IvanJuricreacts
Having enjoyed experience at AS Roma, Torino, Genoa and others in Italy, Juric stepped into the Premier League for the first time before enduring a nightmare spell. With one game remaining, the manager has already been sacked and Southampton have their place in history as the second-worst Premier League side in history, with one more point than the historic 2008 Derby County team.
Back at square one ahead of their return to the Championship, names such as Danny Rohl and even Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard have reportedly been among the candidates in the running for the job, but Southampton’s search has continued.
Whilst it could be neither of those young managers, the Saints have since reportedly turned towards an impressive 32-year-old who now looks the likeliest to commence a new era at St Mary’s.
Southampton in advanced talks to hire Will Still
According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Southampton have now approached Will Still and are in advanced talks to hire the 32-year-old manager, who just left Ligue 1 side RC Lens to be closer to his family.
Will Still at RC Lens.
The manager told reporters after his side defeated AS Monaco on the final day of the Ligue 1 season: “I will not be the coach of Lens next season. Today was my last match of the season at Bollaert. For multiple reasons, the main reason behind my decision is that I need to go back home. It is a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife, for her well-being.”
Back in England, Southampton are now reportedly confident that they will secure Still ahead of next season. The interest of the Saints should come as little surprise, either, given just how successful Still, who plays an attacking 4-3-3 system, has been in France at both Reims and Lens.
For Southampton, should they be successful in their pursuit of Still, they’ll be hiring another young coach to follow on from Martin’s previous spell in charge.
Crystal Palace have now made contact over a move for an “aggressive” defender, who could be available for just £5m, according to a report.
Palace eyeing defender amid Marc Guehi uncertainty
Marc Guehi’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026, which means the upcoming transfer window will be Palace’s last chance to cash-in on the defender, and a number of Premier League clubs are in the race for his signature.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehicelebrates after the match
Chelsea are determined to win the race for Guehi, although the Blues may face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, who had a £70m bid knocked back in January, while Liverpool have also held talks over a potential deal.
As such, Oliver Glasner is likely to be tasked with bringing in a replacement this summer, and a number of targets have been identified, with IF Elfsborg’s Terry Yegbe recently becoming the latest player to be shortlisted.
Crystal Palace’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Manchester City (a)
April 12th
Newcastle United (a)
April 16th
AFC Bournemouth (h)
April 19th
Arsenal (a)
April 23rd
Nottingham Forest (h)
May 5th
The Eagles are leading the race for Yegbe, while they also hold an interest in Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof, who is set to be available on a free transfer at the end of the season.
As we approach the summer transfer window, Palace are not short on centre-back targets, and a report from Argentina (via The Hard Tackle) has revealed they have now made contact over a deal for Independiente De Avellaneda’s Kevin Lomonaco.
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Lomonaco could be a low-cost addition to Glasner’s squad, given that he is valued at just €6m (£5m), and the south Londoners are keen on securing his signature, although they may face competition.
London rivals West Ham United have also made an approach for the 23-year-old, with the race for his signature starting to heat up ahead of the summer transfer window.
"Aggressive" Lomonaco impressing in Argentina
There are some signs the centre-back could be an exciting acquisition for Palace, given that he has received high praise from an Argentine football expert.
The “aggressive” defender is an imposing figure at a colossal 6 foot 4, which he clearly uses to his advantage in aerial situations, but it is also important that he seems to be good with his feet, which is important for any modern-day centre-back.
It would, of course, be a gamble to sign Lomonaco, given that he is unproven outside Argentina, but at just £5m, it could be a risk worth taking for Palace, who are in need of a replacement for Guehi.
A difficult selection call looms for Australia when all of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are available to play T20Is
Alex Malcolm07-Aug-20250:45
Nathan Ellis strikes back after Shepherd’s six
There is a debate raging in Australia about whether Scott Boland should be a first-choice bowler in the Test team at the expense of one of the big three.Concurrently, there is a similar debate occurring, though far less public or vociferous, around Nathan Ellis being a first-choice bowler in Australia’s T20I side when the big three are fit and available for the 2026 T20 World Cup.Related
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Boland is a national cult hero, in whose honour Australian taxpayers would happily fund a statue outside the MCG. Apart from Hobart, where he is a BBL title-winning captain, Ellis could walk down most streets in mainland Australia without being recognised.Yet the latter has arguably an even stronger case than the former to be permanent fixture in an Australian team at the expense of one of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.Even with Hazlewood’s return in the upcoming series against South Africa, Ellis has the chance to continue to build on a case that is fast becoming irrefutable following his astonishing performance in the batter-dominated series in the Caribbean.
Of the bowlers who played more than three matches in the series against West Indies, he had the best economy rate of just 7.88. The next best pace bowler went at 9.50 and the overall series economy rate was 10.23.”He’s been our go-to guy,” team-mate Cameron Green told ESPN’s after the West Indies series. “And I think he’s, real, real close to getting to that main team, if not in it. He’s the guy that we probably go to [in the] sixth over in the powerplay, we always know that’s so tough, especially when they’ve been none down at a couple of games. I think he bowls three at the death for us, so he’s just doing all the hard roles. He seems to thrive in them. He’s got so many tricks up his sleeve, so we’re really pleased with how he’s going.”It is the specific skills he brings in that specific role that has Ellis positioned to possibly break up the big three. Since the start of 2024, Ellis has been one of the best death bowlers in T20Is, conceding just 6.85 runs per over. Among Australian bowlers in that timeframe, he is head and shoulders above his teammates in the death overs, with Cummins the next best at 7.75.
The way Australia structure a T20I innings in terms of the deployment of the bowlers means that it will be almost impossible to leave Ellis out, as Green articulated.One of Australia’s long-known weaknesses in T20Is is their death bowling. Starc and Hazlewood are two of the best new ball powerplay bowlers in the world in terms of taking wickets upfront, as their IPL value and performance proves. Australia would typically plan to use four, possibly five if the ball was swinging, of their combined eight overs in the powerplay.That leaves a third seamer to bowl in the sixth over the powerplay, before Adam Zampa and the allrounders bowl most of their overs post-powerplay, and multiple overs at the death given Starc and Hazlewood might also be used for an over in the middle as a specific match-up.That role has often fallen to Cummins. But despite Cummins being a far more sought-after and expensive IPL purchase, albeit for the combination of his leadership and hitting skills as well, Ellis is unequivocally a better bowler in that role based on recent performances.Australia may also consider playing a second specialist spinner in certain conditions in the T20 World Cup, particularly if they are drawn to play in Sri Lanka. Ellis’ selection value only increases in that scenario given Australia prefer spinners and allrounders bowl powerplay overs rather than at the death.Nathan Ellis has been one of Australia’s best death bowlers•Getty ImagesPart of what makes Ellis so good is that he is the complete antithesis of the big three. He doesn’t look like he was designed in a lab to bowl fast. While the other three can roll out of bed and send down 140kph thunderbolts from a towering height, Ellis has to sprint in and throw himself at the crease with every fibre of his smaller frame to even nudge the speed gun close to 140kph.But his lack of height plays in his favour. Very few batters can get under him. On top of having great length control and outstanding yorker skills, even when he misses it is hard for the best hitters in the world to get enough leverage under his skiddy trajectory to clear the rope. Australia and West Indies struck a combined 117 sixes in the recent five-match series, the second-most in a bilateral series, and Ellis conceded just three. And they are the only three he’s conceded in his last 10 T20Is.
Part of what makes Ellis so good is that he is the complete antithesis of the big three (Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood). He doesn’t look like he was designed in a lab to bowl fast. While the other three can roll out of bed and send down 140kph thunderbolts from a towering height, Ellis has to sprint in and throw himself at the crease with every fibre of his smaller frame to even nudge the speed gun close to 140kph.
One of the weaknesses of Australia’s big three in T20 cricket, especially on subcontinental pitches, is that their well-honed natural Test match length combined with their higher release points can make their on-speed deliveries sit up on a tee for power-hitters when they miss their spots.Ellis also has a greater range of slower balls, and an ability to make dramatic speed changes without giving the batters many cues. The first ball he bowled in the series in the Caribbean, having bowled only four overs in a match in the previous five months, was a 114kph back-of-the-hand slower ball that beat Shai Hope. His next delivery 139kph at the top of off stump cost a single only.His management also speaks to his importance to Australia’s plans. He is the only white-ball specialist seamer currently on Australia’s central contract list.Nathan Ellis picked up 13 wickets while leading Hobart Hurricanes to their first BBL title•Getty ImagesIn 2023, when he wasn’t centrally contracted, he played 53 T20s globally across the BBL, IPL, T20 Blast, the Hundred and T20Is and had his highest calendar year economy rate across the last five years. In 2024, he went straight from the IPL to the T20 World Cup and then to the Hundred but broke down with a hamstring injury which saw him miss Australia’s entire 11-game white-ball tour of the UK.Earlier this year there was a request from Hurricanes for him to play the Global Super League ahead of the Caribbean tour, but CA knocked it back knowing his importance for that series with the big three set to be rested. He also did not play in the MLC or the Blast, no small sacrifice given the potential earnings available.He was the only one of Australia’s fast bowlers in the five-match, eight-day long series not to be rested despite the final three matches being played in a four-day stretch.Keeping him fresh allows him to lead the attack in series where the big three are rested, so they in turn can remain fresh for Test duty.But when all four come together, possibly in October for a short series in New Zealand but most definitely for the T20 World Cup, a difficult selection decision looms.
In what might seem a paradoxical pick for India, they have six quick bowlers in their line-up – and the decision to pick them all was never really all that tough
Matt Roller07-Oct-2023When England’s selectors met at Trent Bridge in August to select their World Cup squad, a non-negotiable quickly emerged. For all India’s historic associations with spin bowling, there was a clear consensus that England should select six frontline seamers in their 15-man squad.Including those six, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, David Willey and Reece Topley (Ben Stokes is in as a specialist batter) meant a squeeze on batting spots – even if England have more allrounders than most sides. Harry Brook was initially left out, but eventually forced his way in at Jason Roy’s expense; almost any other team in the tournament would have found room for both.Related
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But during the month-long saga over which player would miss out, there was never any serious consideration given to the idea it would be a fast bowler.”We’d have loved a couple more spots to get another batter and a spare spinner in,” Luke Wright, part of England’s selection panel, admitted. “It pushes another position out of the squad.”But with a lot of travel and a lot of games in a short space of time, we are aware that with some of the injury risks our bowlers have, we need that cover,” Wright said. “It gives us a chance to rotate the bowlers as needs be through a long tournament. The chance of having all those bowlers in the XI, playing all the games, all the way through is very slim.”Rob Ahmun, the England cricket board’s head of performance science and medicine (top right) at a training session: “[W]e try not to get lost – it’s not the data making the decisions”•Surjeet Yadav/AFP/Getty ImagesEngland landed in Guwahati last Thursday for their warm-up games, and over the next 35-odd days, they will have played nine group games in eight different cities, with a flight after each one. It is a brutal schedule; India, the hosts, are the only other team who do not play consecutive games in the same city at least once.”This will be a real significant task for the lads, especially given the schedule we’ve got,” said Rob Ahmun, the ECB’s head of performance science and medicine. “There’ll be multiple flights and everything that comes with travelling in India, the actual physical demands of the game, and environmental challenges as well.”England’s players will have to adapt quickly: after Thursday’s tournament opener in the heat of Ahmedabad, they fly north to Dharamsala, where the stadium is nearly 1500 metres above sea level and the temperature will be nearly 20 degrees cooler.Four years ago, England’s success at home owed at least in part to their players’ fitness. Nearly two years before the tournament, the ECB formed a working group comprising assistant coach Paul Farbrace, psychologist David Young, medical services lead Ben Langley, and strength and conditioning (S&C) coach Phil Scott. “We wanted to make sure everyone came in fresh, mentally and physically,” Langley said.England only used 13 players across that 2019 tournament but a similarly packed schedule like this in this year’s World Cup – albeit with no internal flights – took plenty out of the squad: Eoin Morgan suffered a back spasm against West Indies. Roy missed three games with a calf strain. Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer had pain-killing injections to manage shoulder and side injuries.Mark Wood trains in a GPS vest. The ECB’s studies show England players ran nearly twice as much in 2019 World Cup games as against regular ODIs•Getty ImagesWood – who strained his side with three balls left in his spell in the final – and Woakes both look back at photographs from that epic game and laugh at how skinny they were. “I’m thin anyway, but that World Cup took so much out of us,” Wood said. “Everyone was tired, carrying niggles; we’d put in such a huge effort.”It is no surprise that they looked slim. Last year, the University of Essex published research in collaboration with the ECB that revealed “a notable physical transformation” in England’s cricketers between 2014 and 2020, one “that has likely resulted in an increase in lean mass and aerobic capacity”.The ECB’s data, collected from GPS units worn by players, suggests that their total sprinting distance – defined as metres covered at a speed of at least 20kph – increases by 50-100% for most players between a bilateral ODI and a World Cup match. “And Woody had something like a 300% increase in his total volume of high-intensity sprint metres,” Ahmun adds.Just like cricket itself, sports science has been transformed by data. “When I started, we didn’t have access to anything like what we do now,” Ahmun said. “But we try not to get lost in it: it’s not the data making the decisions. You can quite easily fall into that trap and say, ‘He’s bowled too many overs’, but bearing the human element in mind is vitally important.”He ain’t heavy, he’s my masseur: Jos Buttler gives Mark Saxby a boost during the 2019 World Cup win celebrations•Getty ImagesAll of England’s long-term planning for 2019 was “designed to get the lads to peak for that final”, Ahmun said. “And they probably did: two of the fittest lads in the squad, Stokes and [Jos] Buttler were the two out there when it mattered, and in that Super Over.” Langley said it was a source of pride that “come the final, everyone was available for selection”.Under Andrew Strauss’ management, England made a point of taking a long-term approach – one that was inspired by Cricket Australia’s management of their “big three” quicks: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. “If you don’t have a dedicated team focusing on bespoke planning, you just get drawn into the game-by-game, series-by-series approach,” Langley said.All six of the fast bowlers whom England have taken to India have spent time out of the game through serious injuries in the last three years – as has Archer, a travelling reserve who hopes to make his comeback from injury in the latter stages of the World Cup. Willey, who has the best long-term fitness record of the seamers, believes his inclusion owed, at least in part, to his durability.”Me staying fit, touch wood, is probably an asset to the group with guys who sometimes struggle with niggles,” Willey said last month, before engaging in some horseplay: “Call me a donkey if you want, but [on] a tough trip, you just might need a donkey. They keep going, donkeys, don’t they?”Resist this: Jofra Archer gets some strength training in with S&C coach Phil Scott•Getty ImagesThe ECB’s research suggests that 50-over cricket is the most physically demanding format. “You’ll cover anywhere from 12-15km in a day, with a significant proportion of that at high speed,” Ahmun explains. “Players always say if they haven’t played a 50-over game for a little while, it’s a rude awakening when they get back to it. And T20 is only making 50-over cricket faster.”England’s players have been preparing for India all year, but their focused build-up started in their series against New Zealand last month. They started taking probiotics two weeks before travelling in order to mitigate disease and were joined in that series by Charlie Binns, an ECB nutritionist.During the World Cup, ICC limits on personnel mean that England’s science and medicine team will be relatively lean, comprising Craig de Weymarn (physio), Andy Mitchell (S&C), Mark Saxby (massage therapist) and Rob Young (team doctor). As with players, IPL experience among backroom staff is considered helpful, and encouraged by the ECB. Young has spent several seasons working with Rajasthan Royals, while team manager Wayne Bentley fulfils the same role at Kolkata Knight Riders.Saxby – and Mahesh Aarya, a local massage therapist who has been enlisted for the tournament – will be particularly important on travel days. “We’ll have massage on hand whenever we arrive at a new hotel,” Ahmun says, “just to help players get over sitting around cramped up for four or five hours.” Langley, who joined Mumbai Indians earlier this year after 15 years with the ECB, believes flights are the “toughest bits” of a home-and-away IPL season.England will go from the heat of Ahmedabad to the cool mountain surrounds of Dharamsala in their first two games•ICC/Getty ImagesThe prohibitive cost of charter flights means teams often travel on commercial airlines: England’s squad travelled in economy class on a flight from Mumbai to Guwahati last week. Langley said: “At the IPL, we had some big tall fast bowlers like Cameron Green: quite often, they were sitting in economy seats that just had a little bit more legroom.”Ahmun said: “Reece Topley is 6ft 8in; if he sits in a normal seat on a plane, the lad’s knees are up by his ears. What the schedule tends to be is, they’ll play a game, go about their recovery practices, and then the following morning it’ll be up and then transfer. We always want the lads to be as active as possible on the day following the game to get their bloodflow going, so flying is probably the last thing the body needs.”When Rob Key joined the ECB as managing director of men’s cricket last year, he quickly introduced separate management teams for the red- and white-ball squads, which has extended to backroom staff. It means a slightly lighter workload – even if the World Cup is followed almost immediately by a month in the Caribbean.”They will be available 24/7 for the guys during the World Cup,” Langley says. “They will be flat out, working the whole time.” If England’s decision to lean towards seam pays off over the next seven weeks, it will owe plenty to the team behind the team.