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The pair first powered Sri Lanka to an imposing total before Shanaka’s 3 for 27 derailed Bangladesh’s chase

The Report by Mohammad Isam31-Jul-2019Sri Lanka cantered to a 122-run win in the third and final ODI of their series against Bangladesh to complete a 3-0 whitewash. After posting an imposing 294 for 8, their second-string bowling attack ran through the visiting side in 36 overs, bowling them out for 172. Bangladesh have now lost five ODIs in a row, starting from the World Cup, their worst run of results since 2014.There was hardly any resistance from Bangladesh as Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis starred with the bat and Dasun Shanaka put up an all-round show.Sri Lanka’s dominating total came mainly due to three partnerships, two of which Mathews helmed – 101 for the fourth wicket with Kusal Mendis and 52 for the fifth with Shanaka. He only stepped on the gas when he figured it was absolutely necessary, and by then Sri Lanka were well on their way to a strong total.After Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunaratne exited in quick succession following their 83-run second-wicket stand, Mathews and Kusal Mendis kept it steady, hitting just a single boundary between overs 20 and 30. But they burst into life in the next ten overs, which set Sri Lanka on course for the big score.Kusal Mendis struck five fours and a six in his 54 off 58 balls, falling to the first of Sabbir Rahman’s three catches. Mathews, at the other end, kept up the scoring with ones and twos, and took advantage of two missed chances on 32 and 63 respectively. But once Shanaka found his range, in the 44th over, Mathews also went after the bowling.Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews put together a century stand•AFPShanaka struck two sixes and a four in Shafiul Islam’s 20-run 45th over, before falling to a catch that Sabbir made by running in from the long-off boundary. Bangladesh still conceded 43 runs in the last 3.5 overs as Sri Lanka took 106 runs in the last ten Mathews struck eight fours and a six in his 90-ball 87, while Shanaka blazed 30 off 14 balls.While Sri Lanka were served well by the partnerships their batsmen strung together, Bangladesh were undone in the first 12 overs. Tamim Iqbal’s wretched tour ended with a caught-behind in the second over before Anamul Haque, playing his first ODI in 12 months, top-edged a flick a ball after hitting two fours off Kasun Rajitha. Mushfiqur Rahim, who made an unbeaten 98 in the second ODI, was caught at slip off Shanaka for 10, and the visitors slipped to 46 for 3.Before 20 overs were complete, Bangladesh had lost half their side. Mohammad Mithun holed out to fine-leg where Lahiru Kumara juggled a couple of times before completing the catch, and Kusal Perera took a diving one-handed catch off a Mahmudullah edge in the 20th over, the batsman finishing the series with only 18 runs to his name.Sabbir and Mehidy Hasan were then both caught in the covers off Kumara, leaving Soumya Sarkar to try to bat through till the end. He reached his first fifty after ten innings, before being bowled by Akila Dananjaya for 69, having struck five fours and a six in his 86-ball knock, the only good hand in the innings.To add to his good batting effort, Shanaka picked up three wickets, while Rajitha and Kumara took two each.It was the sort of performance to lift a team after a disappointing World Cup campaign, and Sri Lanka, with the 3-0 win, got exactly what they wanted. It was the opposite for Bangladesh.

Despite finishing the World Cup with back-to-back five-wicket hauls, Mustafizur Rahman is focused on improving his accuracy to become a more consistent bowler at the death. He claimed 5 for 75 against Pakistan, to follow his 5 for 59 against India, and ended the tournament with 20 wickets at 24.20 but among bowlers who have taken at least 15 wickets, he conceded the highest runs per over.After the Pakistan match, Mustafizur sat second to Mitchell Starc’s 24 wickets in eight matches, although Starc, Jofra Archer, Lockie Ferguson and Mark Wood would have more opportunities to get past him in the rest of the competition.WATCH on Hotstar (India only): Mustafizur’s five-wicket haulSignificantly, he has not taken a single wicket in the first 30 overs of a game, having taken all of his wickets in the last 20 overs; 12 have come in the last five overs, in which he has taken a wicket in this World Cup every 8.08 balls. Mustafizur said that he wants to further work on his yorkers and sees playing more T20s as an opportunity to hone that skill.”You always remember five-wicket hauls, especially if it comes during a World Cup,” Mustafizur said. “The one against India was definitely a special one, and while everyone said that I have been able to prove myself at the big stage, I think I could have done a lot better. I think I need to improve on my variations. I have a cutter but my yorker is 50/50. I want to improve the accuracy of my yorker, particularly for the death overs. I think playing more T20s will help accuracy while bowling in the last ten overs of a one-day game.”Among the bowlers in the World Cup, Ferguson, Archer, Sheldon Cottrell, Lasith Malinga and Mohammad Amir are the top five wicket-takers in the first 20 overs, but Mustafizur is head and shoulders above the rest in the last 10 overs, in which he averages 12.73 for his 15 wickets, and has taken a wicket every 10 balls, although Starc’s nine wickets in the final ten have come at just 7.77ALSO READ: Bowling and fielding a massive letdown – MashrafeSince his debut in 2015 he has the second most wickets (48) in the last 10 overs of an ODI innings, second only to Jasprit Bumrah, and better than Rashid Khan. But it is a huge contrast in the first 20 overs where he averages 41.33, and it has developed into a situation where Bangladesh have lacked wickets in this phase throughout the World Cup, in which Mashrafe Mortaza, their main wicket-taker with the new ball in the last two decades, have also struggled for form.Mustafizur said that he is comfortable bowling in the first 20 overs of the innings although he doesn’t see himself as an out-and-out pace bowler, but a slightly different variation of it. “I am ready to bowl at any stage in the match. I am a slightly different pace bowler. I average about 135kph, so I am not that quick. I am happy with my speed but I should be able to add a few more variations to my bowling.”

Where Jason Holder’s team are counting on its aggression, Australia are hoping to induce errors by creating pressure with their bowling and fielding

The Preview by Daniel Brettig05-Jun-20192:29

Hodge: Australia attack’s versatility might get them over the line

Big PictureA lot about the meeting between Australia and West Indies at Trent Bridge will be determined by a single question: which West Indies side will turn up?If it is the one that razed Pakistan in their tournament opener, also at Trent Bridge, or the one that clouted New Zealand into submission in the warm-up match, then Australia may well be in for a very difficult time of it, having stuttered their way through an opening victory over Afghanistan in Bristol. However, Aaron Finch’s men have already beaten West Indies once on this tour, and comfortably at that, in their own warm-up match on a postage stamp of a ground in Hampshire. And prior to that, the Caribbean side were near enough bullied into losing a triangular series final to an increasingly confident and capable Bangladesh at picturesque Malahide in Ireland.Australia’s coach Justin Langer certainly gave some indication as to the capriciousness of West Indies cricket – in contrast to the awe-inspiring consistency – allied to flair, that he saw as a child in Perth when watching the teams of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards. “One thing we know about West Indies, particularly with Andre Russell and Chris Gayle, it’s going to be exciting cricket,” Langer said. “When I was growing up it was calypso cricket and I think we’re seeing plenty of signs of calypso cricket, the way they’re running in, bowling fast, they’re not necessarily going to be bowling the same spot every ball like Curtly Ambrose, but it’s going to be exciting to watch and they all try to hit sixes most balls. Darren Bravo’s a little more orthodox but [it’s] always exciting playing West Indies. When I was growing up, they were my heroes and they’re not my heroes today because I hope we beat them on Thursday.”While Jason Holder’s team have sought to be aggressive in everything they do, Langer and Finch have resolved to play a tighter game. They will be hoping to use the pressure of their bowling and fielding, in addition to the resourcefulness of a batting line-up being kept as deep as possible by the preference of Nathan Coulter-Nile over others, to corner West Indies into errors. Chief among their methods will be liberal use of the short ball, something the Caribbean side also used to good effect against Pakistan. The likelihood of a dry surface at Trent Bridge, as seen in the game between England and Pakistan, will also encourage balls banged in with a cross-seam for another reason – extracting old-ball movement.IDI via Getty ImagesForm guide (last five completed matches)Australia WWWWW
West Indies WLLWL
In the spotlightIt’s a little over six years since Mitchell Starc laid waste to West Indies on a memorable afternoon at the WACA Ground, finding extremes of swing and pace that remain in the mind’s eye of all who witnessed it. He produced a similarly destructive afternoon in 2015 at Eden Park, taking Australia within a wicket of a World Cup pool-game victory their batting scarcely deserved. This time around, he comes to Trent Bridge having looked to be revving into strong form against Afghanistan. While short balls will be a focus of the Australian attack, Starc’s most dangerous deliveries are undoubtedly full, fast and swinging down the line of the stumps. Mixed-up footwork created by liberal use of the short ball can often allow for the full ball to be even more dangerous, as Gayle, Bravo and Holder will remember from that day in Perth.If it was his batting that turned so many heads in the IPL, Andre Russell proved against Pakistan he is also more than capable of being a match-winner with the ball. Against Australia, Russell has provided plenty of evidence of his skills in the BBL, but he last played them in ODIs in 2013, meaning that first-hand experience among his opponents will be relatively slight. In the warm-up game in Hampshire, Russell faced only four deliveries, bowled by Adam Zampa, and delivered three overs for 17. If West Indies are to win, they will need much more out of Russell, and both sides know it.Team newsAustralia have flagged an unchanged line-up, resisting the possibility of recalling Nathan Lyon as a second spinner in place of Nathan Coulter-Nile.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Adam ZampaKemar Roach is waiting in the wings should West Indies want to alter the balance of their pace-bowling attack after its undemanding outing against Pakistan. Gayle and Russell were both at training on the eve of the game. “Chris was at practice for the last couple days, so Chris for me is all well and ready to go. Andre will be obviously assessed today, and we’re very, very hopeful that he’ll be fit tomorrow.” Holder said, adding that the team will go by what the two men have to say about their fitness.West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane ThomasPitch and conditionsTrent Bridge, known for high-scoring, did not disappoint in Pakistan’s unexpected victory over England. It will be the 481 pitch, by the way, but the pitch and square can be expected to be dry, with the hunt for reverse swing – by legal means, of course – likely to be some sort of a factor.ESPNcricinfo LtdStrategy punts Spin bowling was a strong suit for Australia in their warm-up against West Indies, as Zampa, Glenn Maxwell and Steven Smith bowled a combined 14 overs for returns of 3 for 67. The ground dimensions that day were small, but there has been no inclination from Langer at least to add to the repertoire by calling in Lyon. “That is because of their left-handers. That said we probably won’t bowl two spinners here against West Indies. There’s always thoughts about Nathan Lyon, every game there’s thoughts about playing Nathan Lyon, but Adam Zampa’s doing a really good job for us. There is thinking about him because of their left-handers but Adam Zampa has a very good wrong’un, good top spinner, Glenn Maxwell’s bowling well, so hopefully we’ll get some balance there. Some of the other grounds we might look to play two spinners or the match-ups for the offspinner will be more appropriate but probably not here.” Either way, Holder’s men will need to find a way to deal more effectively with Zampa and Maxwell in particular, mixing strike-rotation with judicious attack. West Indies have made a clear decision to give the new ball to bowlers who will gain swing and seam, reserving the “bang it in” merchants until after some of the Kookaburra’s shine has worn off. They will be the latest group of pacemen to try to exploit Finch’s well-documented flaw when facing deliveries moving back into him from outside the off stump, as classically illustrated by Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Pradeep during a warm-up game that otherwise went swimmingly for the Australians at Southampton. Finch, having made an aggressive 66 against Afghanistan, appears to have found the freedom to launch in the fashion of his best days, while his partner Warner tries to find his best as an international opener after a year’s suspension. The combination of an open, aggressive Finch and probing new ball work from the West Indies has great risk/reward potential for both sides.Stats and Trivia Australia have won only three of eight ODI appearances at Trent Bridge, and their most recent match here was a 242-run hiding by England last year. By contrast, West Indies have only lost once in eight games at the venue, and that was as far back as 1984. Of all Australia and West Indies bowlers to have competed against one another, only Len Pascoe’s 21 wickets at 13.52 from eight matches have come at a cheaper rate than Mitchell Starc’s 16 at 13.87 in six. Quotes”We expect some fireworks from the West Indies. There’s going to be times where the boys are going to have to take a deep breath and keep smiling and bowling their best ball. But that comes with experience and that’s what great teams and great players do.”

“You’ve got two short balls per over; you might as well use them”

Canada needed to restrict USA to 211 if they were to regain ODI status, but USA’s last-wicket pair denied them with a boundary in the final over

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Windhoek26-Apr-2019

A record Namibian total propelled by twin centuries from Stephan Baard and JP Kotze took them to a historic win over Hong Kong at Affies Park to clinch ODI status for the tournament hosts, the first time they will be playing one-day internationals since the 2003 World Cup.After sending Namibia in, Hong Kong’s bowling unit did well to restrict Namibia early as Jean Bredenkamp focused on seeing off the new ball before falling in the 15th over for 19. Even after 20 overs, Namibia had only reached 78 for 1, but added 318 off the final 30 overs – and 128 in the last 10 – in an intelligent display of power hitting as Baard, Kotze, JJ Smit and Zane Green utilized the wind at their backs hitting towards the Pavilion End.Baard had brought up his 50 off 78 balls in the 25th over, at which point Kotze was only on 36 after entering at No. 3. But Kotze commenced his onslaught in the 27th off Kinchit Shah’s offspin, smashing him for a four and two sixes. More carnage came against teenage legspinner Jhatavedh Subramanyan in the 32nd as Kotze slammed a brace of fours and sixes off the first four balls to move into the 90s before bringing up a 62-ball ton in the 35th over.Baard took nearly twice the time, bringing up his century off 121 balls in the 41st over, by which stage Kotze was on 148, putting fellow Namibian Gerrie Snyman’s WCL record of 196 made in 2007 at neighboring Wanderers in the crosshairs. But Kotze and Baard fell in the space of four balls across the next two overs, ending a 243-run stand. However, the carnage was far from over as Smit and Green continued to slog away adding an unbroken 103-run stand over the last 46 balls as Namibia finished 16 runs short of the all-time WCL record made by UAE when they scored 412 against Argentina next door at Wanderers in 2007.Hong Kong were actually in far better position than Namibia had been at the 20-over mark as Anshuman Rath made yet another half-century leading Hong Kong in reply with a 132-run second wicket stand with Kinchit Shah. But both fell in the space of 10 balls in the 23rd and 25th over and from there Hong Kong’s chase fizzled.An hour into the day, PNG’s dreams of ODI status appeared to be going up in smoke at 32 for 5. But a miraculous recovery effort from Sese Bau and Kiplin Doriga revived their innings to post a competitive total before a stunning new-ball spell from left-arm seamer Nosaina Pokana rocked Oman as PNG reclaimed the ODI status that they lost at the 2018 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe with a shock win over Oman.Doriga was named Man of the Match for his 65 made from No. 6 before completing five dismissals behind the stumps and a runout in a stunning collapse from Oman to break their 10-match WCL winning streak. PNG benefitted greatly from the injury-enforced absence of Oman captain Zeeshan Maqsood while fast bowler Kaleemullah was also rested after Oman had secured a place in the final prior to entering the last day of round-robin play. Doriga and Bau constructed a 129-run sixth-wicket stand that brought the match back to life and set the stage for an incredible turnaround.Set 222 to win, Pokana was on a hat-trick after dismissing Jatinder Singh and Aqib Ilyas on the first two deliveries of the chase. By the end of the ninth over, he had claimed his maiden five-for as Oman fell to 23 for 6, reminiscent of their 24 all out performance against Scotland without Maqsood in February.Stand-in captain Khawar Ali was one of just two batsmen to reach double-figures, having watched helplessly at the non-striker’s end from the start of the chase. Chad Soper followed Pokana’s new-ball spell to wipe out the Oman tail for just 76 to move PNG above Canada on net run rate.Wicketkeeper Srimantha Wijeyeratne looks down in agony as tailender Nosthush Kenjige’s final-over boundary dropped Canada below PNG on net run rate tiebreaker•Peter Della Penna

In cricket’s oldest rivalry, Canada won the battle but lost the war as a 40-run win over USA was soured by a final-over boundary struck by USA No. 11 Nosthush Kenjige that moved Canada below PNG on net run rate.USA’s chase of Canada’s 255 lost its way after the runout of Steven Taylor in the 29th over when he wound up at the same end as Jaskaran Malhotra after Malhotra changed his mind for a possible run pushed into the covers. Malhotra could not carry USA across the line to atone for the runout, driving Nikhil Dutta to extra cover for 50 to make it 159 for 4 in the 38th.After both set batsmen were gone, left-arm seamer Romesh Eranga capitalized to take three quick wickets to make it 191 for 7. By this stage, the calculation was known at Wanderers following the PNG result that Canada needed to hold USA to 211 or less in order to claim the final ODI status slot.Saad bin Zafar returned for a second spell of left-arm spin and had tailenders Saurabh Netravalkar and Ali Khan caught in back-to-back overs to make it 198 for 9. But just as it was against Nepal 14 months earlier on the same ground, Canada could not take the final wicket. Entering the last over, they had two runs left to protect. After Karima Gore took a single off the third ball, Zafar tried to slip in a quicker ball to Kenjige but landed it too short, allowing Kenjige to cut behind point for a boundary. After Kenjige blocked out the last two balls, Zafar kicked the last delivery away in disgust knowing they had missed ODI status in spite of the win.The result took the shine off Navneet Dhaliwal’s century as the opener carried his bat all 50 overs to make 121. But Canada only scored one boundary during a crucial phase from the 41st through the 47th over as Dhaliwal pushed 10 singles off 12 balls in that stretch to go from 90 to 100 despite Canada having seven wickets in hand. Canada added 29 off the last three overs, but the lack of intent in the prior sequence cost them dearly in the end.

In 2015, Nathan Lyon was left out of Australia’s World Cup squad in favour of left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty. Overall, he has played a mere 18 ODIs since his debut in the format in 2012. The other spinners who were part of that game – Doherty himself and Rangana Herath – have both retired from cricket, but Lyon’s ODI career is only beginning to take shape in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.Both on this tour in India and then in the UAE, Australia might break away from the old tradition at times and play two frontline spinners in Lyon and legspinner Adam Zampa – they did in the second ODI in Nagpur. This means Lyon could be in for the most sustained period of ODI cricket in his career. He’s among the best spinners – if not the best – in Test cricket already, but have seasons in the wilderness in white-ball cricket got to him?”No, not really, I’m really enjoying playing white-ball cricket and being back in coloured clothing for Australia,” Lyon said on the eve of the third ODI against India in Ranchi. “For me, it’s about enjoying the challenge and try to get better in the shorter format. I’m always about learning every time I go out to bowl. There is added pressure, I guess, but none I’m putting on myself. I’m just looking forward to doing my best for the Australian cricket team.”Australia tested India in the first two ODIs, but they couldn’t quite close those matches out. Marcus Stoinis, in particular, was visibly broken after tripping at the final hurdle in Nagpur. Despite Australia finishing at the wrong end of the results, Lyon stressed that all was well within the management and backed his side to turn the tables on India.”It was disappointing to lose and not get across the line against India in their home conditions,” he said. “They have some superstars. They have a legend like MS Dhoni still running around and controlling the back-end of the innings through the tempo. Then, there is Virat Kohli, who in my eyes is one of the greatest players to play in my era.”They are a superstar unit and we are young side that is learning. We are getting better and looking forward to the challenges. There is a lot of belief in our team and this series isn’t over yet. We believe we can still win the series. It’s going to be a challenge up against one of the best sides in the world in their backyard, but it’s exciting and we are looking forward to it.”Lyon’s USP is his ability to generate extra bounce and overspin, but the skiddier pitches in India have somewhat neutered his threat. However, he believes that his variations in pace will still hold him in good stead.”I still believe bounce is a massive weapon,” he said. “Having the ability to change up variations, pace and mindset, depending on who I’m bowling to… Personally, I’m trying to read the game; what’s going to happen in the game, and control that moment. Bounce is still an important factor for me, if I can hit the stickers on the bat and hopefully those catches will go to the hand and not into the stands. It’s a good challenge and it’s something I’m excited about.”The wristspinners are dictating terms in limited-overs cricket – Zampa has been Australia’s first-choice pick in recent times – but Lyon believes that a fingerspinner will round out the attack nicely. He had bowled constricting lines and lengths in Nagpur and came away with 1 for 42 in his ten overs.”Obviously, the wristspinners are a valuable part to any side, and I’m working on a couple of different variations to keep up with the game,” he said. “The game is moving so fast, and it’s a great opportunity for everyone to learn. But it’s pretty important to have the balance of a couple of good spinners in your side. You look at India, Kuldeep Yadav’s skills are unbelievable and [Ravindra] Jadeja has been quite impressive as well. I think it’s important for any international side to have a couple of decent spinners going into the World Cup.”S Sriram, the former India spinner and Australia’s spin consultant, has been a prominent figure in the visitors’ training sessions, often feeding the sweep shot for Stoinis or instructing Lyon and Zampa to attack the stumps.”Obviously, he [Sriram] knows these conditions inside-out and has passed on some great knowledge about the Indian batsmen and how they go about their business,” Lyon said. “So, to have inside knowledge like Sri has been absolutely exceptional for the batters as well as bowlers – whether fast bowling or spin bowling.”Personally, I’ve enjoyed talking with him about variations and whether you defend or attack a batsman. He has been great personally for my mindset.”Lyon insisted “Australia have been training the house down” on this tour. They now need to put their preparations to good use if they are to save the series in Ranchi.

The dismissal of Rory Burns from the first delivery of day three in St Lucia may have been a particularly unpleasant shock for England’s bowlers.That’s because the three specialist seamers, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood, had been given a couple of hours off at the start of the day. With many players having their families with them at present, they were given the chance to get up a little later, take a more leisurely breakfast, and enjoy some down time before reporting for duty.While it is not an unusual policy – squad members not involved in the playing XI are routinely given days away from the ground on a rotational basis and the fast bowlers, in particular, are sometimes given a late start after a day’s bowling – it is, perhaps, a little surprising in the context of this tour.England have not reached 300 in the series – this is their sixth and final innings – and have twice been bowled out in roughly the length of a session, losing all 10 wickets in 21.3 overs in Barbados, and 30.1 in Antigua.However, with England’s team hotel little more than 10 minutes from the ground in St Lucia, and the players in close contact with the action, they can be recalled quickly as required. And having helped dismiss West Indies cheaply on day two, led by Wood’s maiden Test five-for, you might say they had earned a rest while their batting colleagues attempted to build on a 142-run overnight lead.England are, after all, embarking on a year of great significance, with the World Cup and Ashes to come. With the series in the Caribbean already lost, some thoughtful man-management may bear fruit down the line.

أكد مصدر داخل إدارة نادي الزمالك، أن مجلس الإدارة برئاسة حسين لبيب، توصل لاتفاق مع أحمد سيد زيزو نجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، بشأن مستقبله مع القلعة البيضاء.

وكان مصدر داخل الزمالك قد كشف لـ”بطولات” في وقت سابق، أن نادي نيوم السعودي وفريق العربي القطري يرغبان في ضم أحمد سيد زيزو.

وعقد مجلس إدارة الزمالك جلسة مع زيزو ووالده في الساعات الأولى من اليوم الثلاثاء، واتفقا على عدة أمور، أهمها غلق ملف العروض الخليجية التي تلقاها اللاعب.

طالع أيضًا | جوميز يُطلق تصريحات مُثيرة بشأن إمكانية رحيل زيزو عن الزمالك

وعلم “بطولات” من خلال مصدر داخل الزمالك، أن الجلسة التي حدثت في الساعات الباكرة من اليوم خارج النادي، تم الاتفاق خلالها بين والد اللاعب وإدارة النادي على عدم فتح ملف الاحتراف الخليجي، والتأكيد من جانب إدارة الأبيض على تعويضه ماديا في عقده الجديد بالشكل المناسب ووفق ظروف النادي.

وأشار المصدر إلى أنه ستكون هناك جلسة في الفترة المقبلة، بعد أن يقوم مجلس إدارة الزمالك بتجهيز مقدم مادي للتعاقد وتجديد عقده الذي يتبقى فيه موسم واحد.

Aston Villa will be hoping to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they face champions Manchester City this evening after their recent 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth.

Unai Emery had to be rescued by a late goal from Ollie Watkins to secure a share of the spoils, and while he had to rotate his starting XI due to the European tie in midweek, he will need to unleash his strongest side tonight.

This means benching a few players who underperformed against the Cherries, most notably Nicolo Zaniolo.

Nicolo Zaniolo’s game vs Bournemouth in numbers

The Italian was deployed alongside Watkins in a two-man attack on the weekend, yet it didn’t quite have the desired effect Emery had in mind.

Zaniolo took just one shot during his 45 minutes on the pitch while failing with his only dribble attempt and losing possession ten times, proving that his change of role clearly wasn’t working.

He barely had the ball, taking only 20 touches throughout the first half, and when he did, he completed just three passes, a shocking statistic.

It was hardly surprising when Emery hooked him ahead of the second half for Jacob Ramsey and there is no doubt he will be back on the bench this evening.

This leaves the door ajar for Moussa Diaby to be unleashed in the starting XI.

Moussa Diaby’s season in numbers

The winger has managed to find the back of the net on four occasions since his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, while also chipping in with five assists.

The £130k-per-week star was utilised heavily out wide for the Bundesliga outfit, yet Emery prefers to deploy him in a more central role and the Frenchman has led the line on seven occasions this term already, scoring twice.

Related Emery must now bench "sloppy" 6/10 Aston Villa star

This £26m dud lost possession of the ball 12 times for Aston Villa against Bournemouth and should be dropped in the next game.

Posts ByAdam Scully Dec 3, 2023

With key strengths such as long shots and holding onto the ball according to WhoScored, a transition into a central role for the long term shouldn’t be a problem for the player and this could work out well against City.

Diaby currently ranks second in the Villa squad for total shots per game (1.9) and shots on target per game (0.8) in the Premier League this season, along with ranking first for big chances created (seven) and second for key passes per game (1.7), ensuring that a new role alongside Watkins could pay off handsomely for Villa in the long run judging by these statistics.

The winger was praised by Morade Djeddi, the president of his first club, Esperance Paris 19e, who said: “I’m not comparing him to Messi: I’m just saying that Lionel Messi didn’t learn his dribbling anywhere. It’s the same for Moussa. He was born with it. If dribbling was just work, there would be hundreds and hundreds of Lionel Messis. It’s just that Moussa has a supernatural, divine gift. A gift that some have and others don’t.”

This ‘supernatural’ gift appears to be working wonders for Emery so far and if he continues his recent run of form, the Midlands side will be tough to stop, and he must be unleashed against Pep Guardiola’s men tonight.

Tensions are boiling over between Spanish midfielder Luis Alberto and Lazio as the attacking midfielder confirms he wants to leave the club.

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• Lazio lose to Juventus and Rome
• Fans criticise midfielder
• Alberto says he wants to leave

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tensions are rising at Lazio after recent losses to Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final and Roma in the Rome Derby in recent weeks. Fans witnessed their side win 4-1 against bottom of the league Salernitana in the last fixture but also took this as an opportunity to protest against the players and board. Prior to kick-off, a banner saying: 'You are not worthy of wearing our shirt' was shown within the stadium. Midfielder Alberto has since voiced his desire to leave the club – despite being contracted until 2027.

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• WHAT ALBERTO SAID

  Speaking to , Alberto said: "I hope to enjoy the last games and then we'll see. They have been difficult weeks, I will not be part of the project next year, I asked the club to release me from my contract and I do not want to receive one more euro from Lazio. I will leave the next four years that remain on my contract to others, it is fair to take a step aside in this club that has given me so much. I think the time has come time to leave my salary to the club for other."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Spaniard has since taken to his personal Instagram account to write the following message to the fanbase: "I'm grateful for the displays of affection, my relationship with the Lazio fans is excellent and it's just a source of pride.

  "I thank them for everything they have done in my years at the club, especially to the guys from the Curva Nord and the Tribuna Tevere who have always supported me.

  "I will always have you in my heart. I will continue to work hard and give my all on the pitch until the last minute of the last match, as I always have."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ALBERTO?

  Whether or not his future lies within Italy remains to be seen. For now – if he stays within the starting line-up after these comments – Alberto must concentrate on the upcoming fixture against Genoa on April 19. Lazio also have an opportunity for redemption against Juventus, with the second-leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final also on the horizon.

Manchester United chiefs are not happy with Erik ten Hag, with a new report sharing one thing the club are concerned about the Dutchman.

Could Man Utd sack Ten Hag?

The Red Devils have endured a tricky start to the new campaign, losing four of their eight Premier League fixtures so far and suffering back-to-back defeats in the Champions League.

As a result, there has been speculation over the future of the 53-year-old, who was asked if he was concerned about his future earlier this month, to which Ten Hag said:

"Last season: brilliant, terrific, more than we could expect but also when we went into this project we knew there would be common gaps and in this moment we are in a very difficult period, as everyone can see.

"But we come out together, we are fighting together, we are sticking together, behind each other, it's me, the directors, the team, all together, we will fight and this is not us. We know we have to do better and in togetherness we will come out."

Recent reports on Ten Hag’s future have claimed that the club are not yet thinking of sacking the manager following his impressive first season at Old Trafford, however, it looks as if club officials aren’t impressed with one aspect of his management.

Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey shared a Man Utd update on Ten Hag on Monday, claiming those at Old Trafford are not happy with the Dutchman on the way he has recently handled the situation of three players.

It is believed that the club hierarchy are majorly concerned about how Ten Hag has managed some of his squad, including Harry Maguire, Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho, and feel he may lack the skills needed to manage a dressing room full of high-profile players.

Man Utd news; Maguire, Sancho and Greenwood latest

The three players in question have been a hot topic of conversation in recent months, with Greenwood sent out on loan to Spanish side Getafe during the summer window, with the latest Greenwood transfer reports saying he could move to La Liga on a permanent basis. Meanwhile, Sancho has been left out of the squad since the beginning of September, with Ten Hag citing training issues as his reason. Recent reports on Sancho's future say he too could be on the way out of the club.

Maguire has turned out under Ten Hag recently after being stripped of the captaincy over the summer, however, the latest Maguire transfer news has claimed that the centre-back’s agent is actively looking for a move away in January as he looks to save his England career.

Ten Hag hasn’t had it easy at Old Trafford, with a decision also being made on Cristiano Ronaldo last year, and the way he has dealt with Maguire, Sancho and Greenwood doesn’t look like it’s been taken well by those higher up at the club, so if things don't turn around on the pitch, he may come under pressure soon.