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MatériaMais Notícias

Sem Calleri, que só deve retornar para a temporada 2024 por conta da cirurgia no tornozelo, Erison terá um desafio pela frente. Nesta temporada, ‘El Toro’ chegou com uma função: ser uma segunda opção no elenco justamente para a posição na qual o argentino ocupa.

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Mas com contrato até o final do ano, a temporada não foi das melhores para Erison. Isso porque o jogador sofreu bastante com lesões, o que causou uma perda de espaço na equipe. Em abril, sofreu um estiramento na coxa esquerda. O tratamento atrasou também por conta de um estiramento na fibrose pouco tempo depois.

Após três meses, retornou aos gramados, em um jogo contra o Bahia. Lá, deixou a partida chorando ainda no primeiro tempo ao sentir dores na mesma coxa que tinha lesionado. Nesta temporada, Erison atuou por oito partidas, mas desde o jogo contra o Bahia em julho, não entra mais em campo.

Mas quais os planos do São Paulo para o jogador? Como dito anteriormente, seu contrato com a equipe termina no final do ano. Com o retorno dos jogos após a Data Fifa e o período de convocações, Erison pode surgir como uma opção para o atleta. E por este motivo, esse período de ‘testes’ deve acontecer.

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A ideia é buscar um centroavante no mercado. Mas caso Erison mostre que está correspondendo, uma renovação pode ser feita. Tudo depende de como irá se desenrolar nos próximos jogos. O diretor de futebol do São Paulo, Carlos Belmonte, esclareceu a situação do jogador, comparando com o mesmo que deve acontecer com David – que vive um cenário parecido.

– Assim como o Erison, ele teve alguns problemas de contusão ao longo da temporada e ele acabou não tendo grandes sequências. Queremos ver um pouco mais até o final da temporada para decidir se vai fazer a aquisição, se vamos tentar novo empréstimo. O que eu posso dizer tanto do David quanto do Erison é que são excelentes profissionais, comprometidos – explicou sobre os jogadores em entrevista ao ‘Globo Esporte’.

O São Paulo volta a jogar na quarta-feira (18), pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, contra o Goiás. O jogo será às 21h30 (de Brasília), no estádio da Serrinha.

Who is Liverpool’s star forward? Is it still Mohamed Salah?

Only in May was the 33-year-old handed many individual awards to surmount his team triumph with Liverpool. For his defining role in Arne Slot’s triumphant debut campaign, Salah has put to rest any doubts that he is one of the greatest players in Premier League history.

But even Salah will one day retire, and his start to the 2025/26 campaign has brought to mind the concerns that he has passed his prime and is part of the problem Slot is wrestling with, Liverpool having lost three in a row this season and lacking any of the fluency and zip on show for most of last season.

Given that the Egyptian King signed a new two-year contract on Merseyside in April, it’s clear that he and FSG feel that this story is not yet over, but sporting director Richard Hughes has nonetheless added quality to Liverpool’s attacking ranks, with Alexander Isak the showpiece.

Why Liverpool signed Alexander Isak

For nine years, Liverpool have boasted Salah as their star goalscorer, but the record-breaking addition of Isak from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day underscores a shifting of the plates at Anfield. The balance of offensive power has swung.

Last season, Isak scored 27 goals across all competitions for Newcastle. He scored what proved the decisive second strike in a 2-1 win over Slot’s Reds at Wembley in March. It was there that he lifted the Carabao Cup.

Many attacking departures this summer led to FSG deciding to break the bank for a striker already established as one of the best in the business. Isak, now, will be expected to produce the goods over many years to spearhead a trophy-laden chapter.

Salah, Liverpool’s adopted son. But he’s getting old, and should he recover that same giddy level of 2024/25, it is sure to be a short-lived thing when viewed against the potential of some of his Liverpool teammates.

Like Isak. The Sweden international is 26 years old and fully settled into his Premier League career. Already, he has been described by pundit Ally McCoist as being “the best all-round centre-forward” in England.

However, he’s not Salah. Instead, Liverpool might find another within their ranks to look more like the natural replacement for the £400k-per-week superstar, albeit not quite positionally.

Slot's own Salah-type signing

When Salah first arrived at Liverpool, he arrived under scrutiny. Scroll through the archives and you will find plenty of criticism when Jurgen Klopp oversaw a £34m purchase of Roma winger Salah, formerly of Chelsea, where he failed to impress.

But nine years later, he is a Liverpool legend, having won more than his share of silverware and scored more than his share of goals.

With Salah now winding down, Hugo Ekitike could step up as the new version of the talisman, with some interesting parallels between the two.

Having joined the club from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer for an initial £69m fee, Liverpool felt they had signed one of the finest young forwards in the business. Indeed, talent scout Jacek Kulig said of the Frenchman during his days with Eintracht Frankfurt: “He could definitely reach world-class striker levels.”

But that’s a big some for a 23-year-old who had previously struggled at a big club. Before moving to Germany, Ekitike had swapped Reims in his homeland for the Paris Saint-Germain superpower, arriving in July 2022 for a €35m (about £30.5m) fee.

But, described as a “goal machine” by Liverpool correspondent David Lynch, Liverpool have landed themselves a far more complete and primed verison.

Four goals were all he scored in the French capital, having played 33 matches. This is somewhat similar to Salah’s return at Chelsea, posting two goals and three assists for the Blues before being sold to Roma.

Liverpool’s scouting team have long known their stuff, though, and Ekitike’s underlying data is a thing to behold. In fact, looking at his performance across the past year, it’s hard to distinguish the up-and-comer from the mighty Isak, which is a towering testament to his quality.

Alexander Isak vs Hugo Ekitike (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Isak

Ekitike

Goals scored

0.76

0.50

Assists

0.21

0.24

Shots taken

3.13

3.65

Shot-creating actions

2.96

3.15

Touches (att pen)

6.16

6.46

Pass completion (%)

75.4

75.0

Progressive passes

3.23

1.96

Progressive carries

2.65

2.78

Successful take-ons

1.38

1.61

Ball recoveries

1.93

2.38

Aerials won

0.89

1.83

Data via FBref

There’s not a lot to separate the two. Isak is the more refined and effective goalscorer, but Ekitike is more complete and aggressive when on the ball, and better with his head besides.

These are rare breeds of centre-forward, and Liverpool now have frontmen with the quality to take the reins from Salah over the next couple of years and lead Slot’s side to more glory. Isak is a product of several years of successful development in the Premier League, but Ekitike knows what it’s like to fall by the wayside at one of the continent’s biggest hitters, and he shares that with Salah.

With five goals and an assist across his first ten matches as a Liverpool striker, Ekitike has started life as a Red on strong footing. Salah did too, breaking the record for goals in a 38-game Premier League campaign when he first returned to English shores.

Whether Ekitike will quite achieve the same degree of success is debatable, to be sure, but the fact remains that Liverpool have pulled off some exceptional business this summer, and while FSG must turn toward identifying a successor on the right wing in the coming windows, Salah’s proverbial heir has been located and welcomed in the form of Ekitike.

He is set for the top.

Related Liverpool determined to sign Salah upgrade who's 'one of the world's best'

Liverpool’s up-and-down start to the season has caused FSG to glance at the transfer window.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 10, 2025

Newcastle United’s summer transfer window revolved around one question: who would replace Alexander Isak?

The Swedish striker’s inevitable move to Liverpool would leave a gaping hole in Eddie Howe’s attack, and the club spent the entire summer working to secure a replacement.

Newcastle chased Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, João Pedro and Benjamin Šeško, but all proved out of reach.

Longstanding interest in Wolves’ Jørgen Strand Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa also seemed destined to fail as neither club was willing to negotiate.

But in the final days of the window, Newcastle pulled off two significant deals.

They signed Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade for a club-record £69m before finally landing Wissa for £55m after the player drove through the night to push the transfer over the line.

Those two arrivals may yet define the Magpies’ summer.

With Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw, Aaron Ramsdale, and Anthony Elanga also joining, Newcastle have strengthened in multiple areas.

But the focus will be firmly on how the new strike force adapts to life after Isak.

What Woltemade and Wissa will bring to Newcastle

At 23 years old and standing 1.98m tall, Woltemade represents the future.

He arrives from Stuttgart on the back of a breakthrough Bundesliga campaign, scoring 12 goals in 28 appearances and earning three senior caps for Germany.

His performances at the U21 European Championships underlined his potential – strong in the air, technically assured, and capable of linking play as well as finishing chances.

Wissa, meanwhile, brings Premier League pedigree. He scored 19 goals and registered five assists in 35 appearances for Brentford last season, cementing himself as one of the division’s most underrated forwards.

Across his Premier League career, he has 45 goals in 137 appearances – a proven track record Newcastle badly need.

Statistically, the pair offer different strengths. As per FBref, Woltemade’s 50% shot-on-target rate last season was higher than Wissa’s 45.6%, but Wissa contributed more goal involvements overall (23 compared to 14).

Wissa also presses with intensity, recording more tackles per 90 than his new teammate, while Woltemade excels at progressing the ball, registering 4.38 shot-creating actions per 90 compared to Wissa’s 2.13.

Both will be expected to share the goalscoring burden left behind by Isak.

Wissa’s immediate impact will be crucial – especially with Anthony Gordon suspended – while Woltemade may be bedded in gradually as he adjusts to the Premier League.

One issue looms: Wissa could miss a significant stretch of the season in early 2026 due to the Africa Cup of Nations. That makes Woltemade’s development even more important.

Former Magpie is now outscoring them all

While Newcastle reshape their frontline, one former striker of the turbulent Mike Ashley is quietly enjoying a renaissance.

Ayoze Pérez, who joined the Magpies on a £1.5m deal from Tenerife in 2014, made 195 appearances for the club, scoring 48 goals and registering 17 assists.

He was one of the few bright sparks during the disastrous 2015/16 relegation campaign, then played a key role in Rafa Benítez’s promotion-winning side and their re-establishment in the Premier League.

His performances even “impressed” Alan Shearer, who praised the Spaniard’s impact in his debut season when he scored seven league goals.

Pérez eventually left Newcastle for Leicester City in 2019, with Ashley and co raking in a £30m fee, and later moved to Real Betis in 2022.

But it was his switch to Villarreal in 2024 that reignited his career.

Last season, he scored 19 goals and added two assists in 30 La Liga matches, earning a surprise call-up to the Spanish national team where he made his debut in a 5-0 win against Andorra.

In all competitions, he scored 22 times in 2024/25, eclipsing the totals that both Wissa (20) and Woltemade (17) achieved across all fronts for their respective former clubs.

That is what makes his story particularly interesting for Newcastle fans – how his output compares with their new arrivals.

Statistically, he remains effective: Pérez averaged 3.33 progressive passes per 90 and 3.26 shot-creating actions per 90 – more than both Wissa and Woltemade.

He also recorded more progressive carries per 90 (2.69) and showed his defensive contribution with 1.23 tackles per 90.

2024/25 Season
	Pérez	Wissa	Woltemade
Matches Played	30	35	28
Goals	19	19	12
Assists	2	4	2
Progressive Carries	59	60	31
Progressive Passes	73	67	52
Source: FBref

In many ways, Pérez’s revival mirrors Joselu’s late-career success in Spain after his underwhelming Newcastle stint.

Both strikers have shown that Tyneside was just one chapter in their stories, not the defining one.

Where Are They Now

For Newcastle, the challenge now lies in ensuring that Woltemade and Wissa not only carry the weight of Isak’s departure but also measure up to the legacy of strikers of the past.

Newcastle sold a homegrown Isak for just £500k, now he's a £50m "monster"

Newcastle have had to accept the sale of talisman Alexander Isak in a record-breaking D-day move.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 4, 2025

تغلب فريق آرسنال على نظيره فولهام, بهدف دون مقابل، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء اليوم السبت ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وفي إطار مواجهات الجولة التاسعة للدوري الإنجليزي “البريميرليج” حل آرسنال ضيفًا على صاحب الأرض فولهام.

وبدأت المواجهة بمحاولات من لاعبي آرسنال لاختراق دفاع فولهام ومحاولة التسجيل المبكر، واستمرت سيطرتهم لكن دون خطورة على المرمى، وانتهى الشوط الأول بتعادل سلبي.

وفي الشوط الثاني تمكن آرسنال من التقدم بهدف، بعد كرة عرضية نفذت إلى داخل منطقة الجزاء من ركلة ركنية، ومرر جابريل ماجاليس الكرة إلى لياندرو تروسارد الذي سدد الكرة داخل الشباك في الدقيقة 58. هدف تروسارد في مباراة آرسنال وفولهام

لياندرو تروسار يفتتح التسجيل لآرسنال في شباك فولهام#الدوري_الإنجليزي_الممتاز #فولهام #ارسنال pic.twitter.com/M1gabldSkT — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) October 18, 2025

وتحقق حكم الفيديو المساعد”الفار” من ركلتي جزاء محتملتين لأرسنال، إحداهما بسبب لمسة يد من كالفن باسي، والأخرى بسبب خطأ محتمل من عيسى ديوب على فيكتور جيوكيريس، لكن لم يُحتسب أي منهما، وذلك بالدقيقة 83.

واحتسب حكم اللقاء 9 دقائق وقت محتسب بدلاً من الضائع لم تشهد أي أهداف، لتحسم المباراة بفوز آرسنال أمام فولهام بهدف دون مقابل.

بذلك، يرفع آرسنال رصيده للنقطة 19 في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، ويتراجع مانشستر سيتي للمركز الثاني بـ 16 نقطة، ويتوقف رصيد فولهام عند النقطة 8 في المركز 14.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن موقف عدد من لاعبي ريال مدريد، من مواجهة الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة في الدوري الإسباني، ويوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وخاض ريال مدريد مباراة أمام خيتافي أمس الأحد ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، وحقق خلالها الفوز بهدف دون مقابل، ويتصدر الترتيب بفارق نقطتين عن برشلونة.

ويخوض ريال مدريد مباراة مساء يوم الأربعاء أمام يوفنتوس الإيطالي، ضمن مرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ثم يلاقي ريال مدريد خصمه برشلونة في كلاسيكو الدوري الإسباني، يوم 26 من شهر أكتوبر الجاري، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

اقرأ أيضًا | رد فعل غاضب من إندريك في مباراة ريال مدريد وخيتافي بسبب تشابي ألونسو

ووفقًا لشبكة “كاروسيل ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، عانى كورتوا من إنزعاجات عقب مباراة الأمس، لكن الأمر ناجم فقط عن كدمة تعرض لها، ولا داعي للقلق.

وبالتالي، سيكون كورتوا لائقًا وقادرًا على خوض أول كلاسيكو هذا الموسم وسيكون جاهزًا لمواجهة برشلونة.

بينما يعاني ديفيد ألابا من شد في ربلة الساق، وسيخضع لفحوصات طبية اليوم لتحديد موقفه من المشاركة.

وبالنسبة للثلاثي دين هويسن، وداني كارفاخال، وداني سيبايوس، وفقًا للتقرير بـ “كوبي” الإسبانية، يبدو من الصعب لحاقهم بمواجهة يوفنتوس، ولكن من المرجح أن يتمكن الثلاثة من العودة للمشاركة في الكلاسيكو.

 

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has reportedly left his role at Salford City as he seeks a return to management. The Welshman has been the League Two team's director of football and also helped out with head coach Karl Robinson on matchdays. But it is understood that the ex-winger has parted company with a club that is co-owned by David Beckham and Gary Neville.

Giggs leaves Salford

According to The Sun, Giggs is no longer involved on a day-to-day basis with Salford and wants a return to first-team management. This came before Salford beat Swindon Town in a huge clash at the top of League Two on Saturday. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMan Utd icon Giggs eyes management return

Giggs' last role in management was the Wales national team job, with the 51-year-old leading his country to Euro 2020. He stood down from his post in late 2020 after being arrested on suspicion of assault, but a retrial came to nothing in mid-2023. Now, Giggs wants a new dugout post.   

DID YOU KNOW?

Giggs has made it clear for a while that he wants a new managerial role.

In January, he said: "I had the stint as Wales manager and loved it. Eventually, I’d like to get back into management. On matchday, I still get as excited as ever, probably more than ever.”  

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen when Giggs will return to first-team football. Until then, Salford, who beat Swindon 3-2 to go second in League Two, are next in action on September 27 away to play-off chasing Bristol Rovers.   

MatériaMais Notícias

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.

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– 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.

Transfer Focus

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.

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.

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.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 31, 2025

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.”