Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a move for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta after missing out on Eberechi Eze, with Aston Villa also interested. With Mohammed Kudus already sold to Spurs, Paqueta could be the next big name to move from east London to north.

Spurs and Villa interested in PaquetaTottenham already raided Hammers for KudusPotter under pressure as exits pile up at West HamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per the , Paqueta has emerged as a transfer target for both Tottenham and Aston Villa as the summer window nears a close. Spurs are keen to strengthen their midfield options after losing out on a deal for Eze, while the Villans are also exploring possibilities amid financial constraints. Paqueta, fresh from clearing spot-fixing allegations, remains open to a fresh start at a Champions League club.

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West Ham are under growing pressure after a poor start to the season, and the recent 5-1 defeat to Chelsea only added to the gloom. Having already lost Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham, selling another key player would deepen concerns among fans. Under pressure, boss Graham Potter is facing a real test to stabilise his squad while dealing with transfer uncertainty this summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Paqueta was one of West Ham’s brighter performers against Chelsea, scoring the opening goal before the Hammers collapsed defensively. Spurs, meanwhile, continue to explore attacking alternatives, with Daniel Levy still pushing for Savinho despite setbacks elsewhere. Villa remain in the race, too, though their financial situation could restrict them to a loan bid.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PAQUETA?

With just weeks left in the transfer window, Tottenham and Villa must decide whether to formalise their interest in Paqueta. West Ham face a tough call on whether to cash in or resist further departures.

Ruben Amorim defended his Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir despite him making another big error in their 3-2 win over Burnley.

• Turkish 'keeper culpable for visitors' equaliser
• Onana made two big errors at Grimsby
• United have 48 hours to sign a new GK

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayindir was culpable for Burnley's second goal in United's thrilling last-gasp win at Old Trafford, spilling a shot at the feet of visiting forward Jaidon Anthony. The Red Devils recovered to win their first game of the season but the spotlight was once again on Bayindir, who also made a huge mistake in the team's opening day defeat by Arsenal.

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  Bayindir has now been at fault for two goals in United's three league games while Andre Onana could be blamed for both of the goals conceded in the embarrassing Carabao Cup elimination at Grimsby Town.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Amorim told a press conference: "They are humans. At Manchester United, everything is analysed. Everybody talks about the goalkeeper. And you can see, I can change the goalkeeper and these situations keep happening. We are in that moment. I think it is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment. But if you look at the first goal, we can defend it better. We suffered a quite similar goal against Fulham, because we don't do the full rotation of the team when the ball is on the other side. All these small things have nothing to do with the goalkeeper."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The coach believes that the whole United squad is suffering from a mentality problem, not just the men between the posts, due to the crisis the club has been in over the last few years. He added: "The players are struggling a little bit with all the things around the club. That is normal. So it's not just the goalkeepers. I think everybody has to improve."

MatériaMais Notícias

Esta semana foi extremamente conturbada para o São Paulo. Logo no início, eliminado pelo Água Santa nas quartas de finais do Campeonato Paulista. Nesta mesma partida, duas novas lesões para a lista: Giuliano Galoppo e Welington.

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Mas é o ditado: não há nada tão ruim que não possa piorar. Nos dias seguintes à eliminação, o clima começou a esquentar no CT da Barra Funda. No caso, Rogério Ceni se desentendeu com Marcos Paulo e isso teria iniciadouma grande discussão entre o elenco e o treinador. Inclusive,ao que tudo indica, um abaixo-assinado pedindo sua saída começou a circular entre membros da cúpula tricolor.

Queda para o Água Santa no Paulistão é 14º vexame do São Paulo em mata-mata nos últimos dez anos

Veja tabela do Campeonato Paulista e simule os próximos jogos

Esta foi somente a primeira semana da ‘intertemporada’ do Tricolor, que só deve voltar a jogar no dia 5, quando pode estrear pela Copa Sul-Americana. Na semana seguinte, estreia no Campeonato Brasileiro.

Porém, com a longa lista de lesões – que envolve peças importantes do elenco -, a incerteza sobre o futuro de Marcos Paulo e o afastamento de Pedrinho – que está envolvido em uma investigação de violência doméstica -, caso o São Paulo queira se reforçar, terá que fazer ‘na velocidade da luz’.

O prazo para novas contratações é curto. A janela de transferências fecha no dia 4 de abril, um dia antes da possível estreia. Depois disso, não será mais possível inscrever novos jogadores. A nova janela abre somente no segundo semestre, no dia três de julho.

Ao todo, são onze lesionados. Entre estes, alguns casos cirúrgicos que devem perder boa parte da temporada – como Galoppo, Ferraresi e Igor Vinícius. Sobre Marcos Paulo, o LANCE! entrou em contato com o estafe do atleta, que confirmou que – mesmo com o atrito -, treina normalmente, mas ainda não é possível cravar sobre seu futuro.

Veja a lista de desfalques do São Paulo até então:

1 – André Anderson – não atua desde 5/01/2023 – motivo: Pubalgia – situação: faz tratamento no Reffis. Não deve jogar mais pelo São Paulo

2 – Caio Matheus – não atua desde 16/06/2022 – motivo: Cirurgia no joelho direito – situação: treinou com o elenco

3 – Calleri – não atua desde 05/03/2023 – motivo: Lesão no tornozelo direito – situação: fez tratamento no Reffis

4- Diego Costa – não atua desde 06/10/2022 – motivo: Cirurgia no joelho esquerdo – situação: em transição, iniciada em 20/2, treinou com o elenco

5 – Ferraresi – não atua desde 26/01/2023 – motivo: Cirurgia no joelho direito – situação: fez tratamento no Reffis. Volta apenas no segundo semestre

6 – Galoppo – ruptura de ligamento do joelho – deve passar por cirurgia e voltar só em 2024

7 – Igor Vinícius – não atua desde 22/01/2023 – motivo: Pubalgia – situação: passou por cirurgia e deve voltar só no segundo semestre

8 – Moreira – não atua desde 01/11/2022 – motivo: Cirurgia no joelho esquerdo – situação: faz tratamento no Reffis

9 – Rafinha – não atua desde 26/01/2023 – motivo: Entorse no tornozelo esquerdo – situação: fez tratamento no Reffis e realiza corridas leves no gramado

10 – Talles Costa – não atua desde 05/03/2023 – motivo: Cirurgia no joelho direito – situação: fez tratamento no Reffis

11 – Welington – Entorse no tornozelo direito

12- Pedrinho – afastado por conta de investigação policial.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers of the transfer window for USMNT players, with an eye on the 2026 World Cup

And with that, the summer transfer window has come to a close. It was an eventful one for the U.S. men's national team. Right up until deadline day, Americans were on the move, with some of the biggest names in American soccer switching teams less than 12 months before the start of the World Cup.

Transfers, of course, come with risk. Staying does, too. Every player in contention for the World Cup spent this summer mulling over that balancing act. Several took massive swings while others stayed put. Decisions were made, and they'll have ramifications.

These things all be judged in hindsight, of course. But it is fair to look at the potential ramifications, both short and long-term, from a wild summer season in which a substantial number USMNT players switched addresses.

GOAL breaks down the USMNT's winners and losers from the summer transfer window.

GettyWINNER: The Championship

If you're a fan of a Championship team, there's a pretty good chance you have an American player on your team these days. And f you're a striker battling for a World Cup spot, you're likely going into that fight via England's second division.

The Championship's two top American scorers, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright, both ended up staying, and both look determined to put up big numbers this season. In a World Cup year, every player needs to bet on themselves somehow, and Sargent and Wright placed their bets on Championship dominance.

Rather than risking it all with a move elsewhere in Europe, that duo will now push for a Championship Golden Boot. It's a safer option, but one that leaves no room for error. Their performances so far this season have certainly made statements.

Patrick Agyemang and Damion Downs, meanwhile, went the opposite directions, leaving the comforts of their former clubs for new opportunities in England. Agyemang could have banged in goals for Charlotte FC over the next year; instead, he went to Derby County, putting him in direct competition with the duo above.

Same for Downs, who helped Koln to promotion only to head to Southampton to aid their push back towards the Premier League. Both moves are huge risks, at least in the short term. Over time, they could very well help Agyemang and Downs improve their games.

The Championship was one of the central hubs of American soccer's transfer window. Now, it's a league to keep an eye on on the road to a World Cup.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Lyon

Transfer windows are so often meticulously planned. Moves are planned out months in advance. Back-channeling starts the wheels spinning long before bids are officially submitted. In the end, the best clubs are the ones that are prepared, stay true to a vision and execute it to ensure they maximize their opportunity to improve their teams.

And then there's what Lyon did, specifically with Matt Turner. There was clearly no plan or, at best, a very shoddy one. It's how the club ended up looking totally careless, even if they found a way to escape the situation in the end.

If you need a catch-up, Lyon signed Turner from Crystal Palace this summer. After some rule-mandated changes in leadership due to co-ownership with Crystal Palace, the new regime decided they no longer actually wanted Turner. Paperwork had been signed, though. He was their player, and they were in an awkward spot.

They were able to extricate themselves thanks to a lifeline from the New England Revolution, who were more than happy to offer Lyon a temporary, but potentially permanent, reprieve to bring Turner back to MLS. That doesn't change the fact that Lyon came out of this looking messy, which is never how a club of their stature should look during a transfer window.

The Turner situation is one that few outside of the American sphere will know about it, but it certainly was one of the most convoluted situations of the summer. In the end, it worked out, but not in a way that flattered the French giants.

ImagnWINNER: MLS

League-wide, this was a big summer for MLS. Teams spent a combined $336 million on player signings, showing just how far the league has come in both ambition and finances. Heung-min Son, Rodrigo De Paul, and Thomas Muller – those big names have been added to the MLS ecosystem, and that's saying nothing of those that aren't very good players without that global reputation.

This, though, is about the Americans, and the stars of the USMNT took centerstage as part of MLS' transfer window, too.

Paxten Aaronson came back, showing the allure of MLS even for young Americans in Europe. It was a big decision, one that will have lasting ramifications, but Aaronson's choice to join the Colorado Rapids was a big win for the league and a big win for the Rapids after they sold Djordje Mihailovic to Toronto FC.

Turner, too, came home in search of playing time, making it a near certainty that the USMNT's starting goalkeeper next summer will play in MLS.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear that playing in MLS won't be a detriment to a player's USMNT status. That's why it's a reasonable outcome that players like Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman and Diego Luna stayed at home. There are opportunities for players in MLS, perhaps more so than ever, and that's a win for the league.

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Getty Images SportLOSER: Gold Cup left backs

Going back to Arfsten, there seemed to be interest. Middlesbrough were reportedly interested, and it's easy to see why that move would have worked for Arfsten. His stock is up after the Gold Cup, and Boro would give him a good platform to both grow his game and get into that big European shop window. There were links to France, too, and that move would have made sense, too.

Instead, he's staying in MLS. That will likely be OK. Move or no move, Arfsten wasn't going to surpass Antonee Robinson on the pecking order any time soon. Could he have closed the gap with a move abroad? Sure. Would it be better long-term? Potentially. Instead, it didn't happen, and reports indicate it was more so because the Crew weren't willing to sell, not because Arfsten didn't understand those facts.

John Tolkin, too, was at the Gold Cup, and he, too, didn't move this summer. After impressing with Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga, he's off to a very hot start in the 2. Bundesliga following their relegation. It may be a good thing that Tolkin takes a year to be a big fish in a small German pond, but he may also be too good for that level, even if Europe is still relatively new to him.

A big move for either, and ensuing success, could have solidified their place on a World Cup roster. Instead, their push will come at their current clubs.

Thomas Muller says he is getting "goosebumps" from the "football fever" sweeping Vancouver as the Whitecaps star adjusts to his life outside Germany.

• Muller gets 'goosebumps' from fans 
• Has already made impact on the pitch
• Transition from Germany has been a culture shock

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Muller has begun a new chapter with the Vancouver Whitecaps, marking his first professional experience outside of Germany. Just weeks into his tenure, the ex-Bayern Munich player is already making an impact, scoring a celebrated winner with a penalty in his second competitive appearance for the club. Muller’s arrival has sparked a “football fever” across the city. His debut at BC Place saw an electric atmosphere with over 26,000 fans, some of whom even wore traditional German lederhosen in a nod to his Bavarian roots. The cultural exchange goes both ways, as Muller, who previously spent his entire career at Bayern, is now adjusting to a new continent and a new league. The former German international has been surprised by the outpouring of support from fans, who stop him in the street not for autographs but to thank him for choosing their city.

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  WHAT WAS SAID?

  Muller wrote in his newsletter: "Heard a lot about Canadian hospitality. But what happened here in Vancouver was just really cool. People all over the city are suddenly in football fever. While strolling through the city or getting coffee, people come up to me and thank me. Not for an autograph, but for choosing the Whitecaps. 'Thank you for choosing our city, Thomas!' – I hear that again and again. It really gives you goosebumps when people are so proud that you're now part of their city."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Muller's easy transition and humble approach are perhaps best illustrated by a unique gesture he made to his new teammate, Ralph Priso. The former German international, who wore the number 13 on his way to a World Cup title, was given his preferred number by the young Canadian midfielder. Muller, in turn, offered a very special Bavarian gift as a token of his appreciation.

  "When I received number 13 from Ralph Priso, it was clear to me: I needed a proper Bavarian gift," he said. "And what could be nicer than a pair of genuine Lederhosen? Ralph was thrilled and actually came to the stadium in Lederhosen for our first game together – really casual. In North America, we players arrive at matches in our own clothes, and he immediately took advantage of the opportunity to make an appearance."

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  WHAT'S NEXT FOR MULLER?

  With his first two appearances and a match-winning goal already under his belt, the 35-year-old is well on his way to settling in and cementing his role as a key player for the Whitecaps. The club are expecting his on-field leadership and football intelligence to be instrumental in their push for a strong playoff run and a potential championship title.

MatériaMais Notícias

O relatório do Conselho Fiscal, aprovado na última quarta-feira, e que avalia as contas do Santos, apresentou uma série de sugestões e questionamentos à gestão do presidente Andrés Rueda. As críticas mais fortes foram direcionadas ao marketing do clube, especialmente à campanha ‘Santos do Mundo’, que rendeu prejuízo de mais de R$ 26 mil aos cofres do Peixe.

A campanha consiste em explorar a marca do clube no exterior através do reconhecimento obtido pelos feitos de Pelé, pelas excursões internacionais ou graças aos títulos internacionais conquistados, como o bicampeonato Mundial (1962-1963).

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosCBF define local da estreia do Santos no Brasileirão, diante do GrêmioSantos07/04/2023Futebol InternacionalAlvo de Santos e Palmeiras, Jean Lucas desperta o interesse do SportingFutebol Internacional07/04/2023SantosSoteldo e Mendoza treinam no campo, e lesionados se aproximam de retornoSantos07/04/2023

+Guia Santos: veja a análise dos adversários, onde assistir e tudo sobre o Peixe na Sul-Americana

+Coudet ameaça deixar o Atlético-MG: veja os treinadores há mais tempo no comando dos clubes brasileiros

Entretanto, as ações realizadas pelo clube foram consideradas ‘aquém das expectivas’. Segundo o relatório, o Santos realizou ativações em 4 países diferentes – Portugal, Estados Unidos, Nigéria e Espanha – e obteve patrocínios no valor de R$ 540.371,45, com prejuízo de R$ 26.240,07.

O relatório relata que, pelas imagens de vídeos divulgados pelo clube, as ações realizadas – mais especificamente o de lançamento das camisas em Portugal, no estádio do Benfica – ‘passaram uma imagem amadora’.

+Santos teve aumento de 427% no gasto com contratações, aponta relatório

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Outra crítica ficou por conta das ativações realizadas na Nigéria. Já que o país anfitrião custeou hospedagem, transporte e parte da alimentação dos participantes, o CF alega que o Santos poderia ter convidado grandes veículos de imprensa, inclusive do exterior, para registrar o evento e fortalecer a campanha.

Por fim, o Conselho recomendou a contratação de uma ‘big-one’ para assessorar o clube no marketing. Na visão do CF, é imensurável o quanto que o Santos pode faturar com com exposição da marca no exterior e, embora todas as administrações recentes tenham prometido revolucionar a área, o clube sempre obtém resultados abaixo do que poderia.

Xavi Simons has revealed that Timo Werner played a key role in his move to Tottenham.

Simons moved to Spurs in the summerEx-Tottenham man Werner talked up moveSimons thanks Germany star for his trustFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Xavi Simons made a big-money move to Spurs in the summer, picking the north London club despite agreeing terms with Chelsea. The Netherlands international is poised to make his debut after the international break, and he has now revealed that Werner played a key role in his choice to move to north London. 

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Werner spent two seasons on loan at Spurs and Simons claims he talked up the north London club while they were together in Germany at RB Leipzig. Without him, Spurs lost to Bournemouth before the international break, with the Dutchman instead set to make his bow against West Ham. 

WHAT XAVI SIMONS SAID

Xavi told Leipziger Volkszeitung: “He told me a lot about the club’s greatness and the fantastic fans. And he said he thought it was the right place for me to learn and improve. Thanks for your trust, Timo!”

He added: “I’m happy to be a Tottenham player. Since I was a child, it’s been my dream to play in the Premier League.

“The club’s vision, the magnificent stadium, the fans, the quality of the team, the coach – it’s a fantastic environment.

“I want to settle in quickly in my new home and show why Tottenham signed me.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Xavi has already claimed he is ready to show why Spurs bought him, and will hope to do so against the Irons. 

Poland's all-time leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, set out to correct the record after returning to the team following a controversial absence.

• Lewandowski denied quitting Poland over the captaincy issue
• Barcelona striker played 63 minutes in 1-1 draw with Netherlands
• Confirmed readiness to face Finland in World Cup qualifying

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After marking his return to the Polish national team in a 1-1 draw against Netherlands on Thursday, Lewandowski denied that a dispute over the captaincy was the reason for his temporary international retirement. The Barcelona striker played 63 minutes the World Cup qualifying clash and was quick to dismiss the rumours surrounding his recent absence. He insisted that the issue of the captain's armband was "greatly exaggerated" and was "never a problem" within the squad.

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  The striker's return to the national team draws a line under a short but highly publicised saga that threatened his international future. The conflict ignited when former coach Michał Probierz stripped Lewandowski of the captaincy in June, handing the armband to Piotr Zielinski instead. In response, the 37-year-old announced a self-imposed exile, publicly stating he would not play for Poland again as long as Probierz remained the manager. The stalemate was broken shortly afterwards when Probierz departed, which paved the way for new coach Jan Urban to initiate contact. Urban moved swiftly and decisively to resolve the dispute, not only recalling the striker but also immediately confirming his reinstatement as team captain, with Zielinski appointed as the new vice-captain, but Lewandowski downplayed the importance of the armband.

• WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

  "The issue of the armband is greatly exaggerated. It's a source of pride to be captain, but it was never a problem and it will never be a problem in this national team," Lewandowski said. "We talk about it within the team, and it was never a problem. For me, the important thing is to focus on how the national team plays, what we do well, and what we need to improve. Being captain is a great honor, but it shouldn't be exaggerated."

  When asked if Urban's tenure feels like a new beginning for the national team, he added: "You should ask the players, because I wasn't there. But they told us we were almost starting over.

  "It was a great feeling to hear my name called [from the fans] after leaving. It gave me extra motivation, and I felt my desire to return was even stronger thanks to that support. They played a huge role in my decision, and I want to thank them again."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR POLAND?

  Poland's World Cup qualifying campaign continues with a vital home fixture against Finland on Sunday. Lewandowski has declared himself fully fit and ready to play the entire 90 minutes. 

  "Yes, definitely," he said. "We don't have another game in two days, so it's different. I think I'll be ready to play at home against Finland."

The Hong Kong captain was always a hard hitter of the ball, but now he has extended that aggression to the rest of his game, and infected his team-mates

Peter Della Penna12-Mar-2018In Chinese culture, perhaps there are fewer symbols that are more well-known to outsiders than the yin and the yang. It represents the balance between opposite forces to keep things in harmony.Babar Hayat, the 26-year-old Hong Kong captain, is an embodiment of such duelling dualities. “I’m a quiet person,” he says in matter-of-fact manner during a sit-down interview with ESPNcricinfo ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.That’s putting it mildly. Despite his imposing physical presence and reputation as one of the biggest hitters on the Associate scene, it takes some effort to coax words out of Hayat. Yet, his resume speaks for itself.Leading scorer in the most recent edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup. Three centuries in his first six first-class matches. Third overall in runs in the WCL Championship. Hitting 16 off the final over to beat Afghanistan in a T20I for the first time, at the 2015 World T20 Qualifier in Ireland, and sending Hong Kong to the World T20 in India.Those are heady accomplishments for someone who never really had any ambition to become a professional cricketer, let alone captain his adopted homeland when he first arrived on Hong Kong shores as a 15-year-old. The transformation from a once timid boy to a quiet yet confident man – especially with a bat in hand – was made possible through hard work, grit and perseverance over the last 11 years.”When I started playing cricket, nobody knew me. I didn’t have any fame,” Hayat says of the path that led him to where he is today. Growing up in Attock, Pakistan, he played tape-ball cricket regularly, but when his father, a banker who had been living on and off in Hong Kong for 45 years, took the family to the island for good, Hayat had never played with a seasoned leather ball.Hayat didn’t know any English, or Cantonese either, when he found himself in Kowloon as a teenager. He was shy to begin with, and the language barrier made his transition to a new homeland more challenging. Enrolling at the Islamic Kasim Tuet Memorial College for his high school years in Hong Kong gave him a small buffer, allowing him to interact with students who might know Urdu, and also provided him a gateway into a whole new cricket community.

“It’s a culture within our dressing room where people tend to gravitate toward the best player, and that’s why we looked at Babar as being one of those characters”Simon Cook, Hong Kong head coach

“It was the first or second week of school and he was playing tape-ball cricket,” Aizaz Khan, a former high school classmate of Hayat’s and long-time Hong Kong team-mate, says of their first interaction, just a few weeks after Hayat had arrived in Hong Kong.”We had a big ground and I saw him smacking some big sixes. He looked very good and played some big shots and I was thinking whether I can get him to play in the Under-17 club team of ours since I was the captain.”I spoke to his cousin, who was in the same school, and asked, ‘Can you get Babar to play for us?’ Babar was new and didn’t really know anybody there. The first game he went there, he scored 40-plus and hit some huge sixes. The coach got him to play in the Sunday senior league. Since then, Babar’s been scoring runs everywhere.”Though he had only newly begun playing with a hard ball, it didn’t take long for Hayat to make his presence felt in Hong Kong’s domestic scene. In his second season playing in the Sunday premier division, he was named Player of the Year while representing Vagabonds CC. In demand, he was recruited to join the prestigious Kowloon CC for his third season, but Hayat says that despite the glamour, his still limited English language skills left him feeling uncomfortable in his surroundings, prompting a move to Little Sai Wan CC, where he got to work with former Hong Kong captain Munir Dar.”They had a good structure while building up youngsters, Little Sai Wan,” Hayat says. “They always wanted young guys to come up, and gave chances. When we played club cricket in Hong Kong, we played four to five U-16 guys in the team in the high-standard premier league. When they grew up, after three or four years, they’d get better.”Those opportunities as a teenager helped put him on the Hong Kong selection radar for junior teams. But he could not go to the 2010 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand – having migrating in 2007, he was just short of the required four years of residency to qualify for his new home. He did, however, make his senior team debut a year later as a 19-year-old, opening the batting while surrounded by 15,000 screaming Nepal fans at the 2011 Asian Cricket Council Twenty20 Cup in Kathmandu.”That was my first tour and I was shocked when I saw all the people around,” Hayat says.Babar Hayat poses with fans for photos while playing for Kowloon Cantons in a Hong Kong Blitz match•Getty Images”It was really tough for me to play for Hong Kong. Every time when I would go to bat, I was feeling nervous. You can say I was not a proper cricketer. They just sent me as a floater, and I’d open with Irfan Ahmed. That was not a great tour for me. I did not perform for my first three or four tours.”Part of the lack of confidence was the way in which his raw skillset, honed by tennis-ball bashing, was exposed against higher-class bowling.”When I first saw him in the national set-up, he was a player who could control a game but didn’t have the skills to do that, to bat for long periods of time,” says Simon Cook, Hong Kong head coach, who first came across Hayat on the club scene in his previous position as head coach at Hong Kong Cricket Club. “He didn’t have the technique.”Though his defence in particular was unrefined, Hayat’s mental toughness began to emerge as a dependable trait. It first showed up at the 2013 World T20 Qualifier in the UAE during a knockout match against Papua New Guinea. Having lost a final-ball heartbreaker to Nepal in the previous playoff match, Hong Kong had a second crack at clinching a maiden berth at a major ICC global tournament a day later. However, they needed to do it without captain Jamie Atkinson, who was injured in the loss to Nepal. The task became even more difficult when they collapsed to 19 for 4 inside the first four overs after choosing to bat.Hayat started to rebuild the innings, first with his Little Sai Wan club team-mate Dar in a 35-run stand. A match-defining 62-run partnership with future New Zealand international Mark Chapman followed, and Hayat’s 48 off 47 balls carried Hong Kong out of trouble and to an eventual 29-run win.Two summers later, at the next World T20 qualifier, in Ireland, Hayat would conjure up an even greater escape against Afghanistan, a team they had not beaten in six previous attempts in T20 cricket. Though Hong Kong had plenty of wickets in hand, the run rate started to climb in the final overs of chasing a target of 162.

“I didn’t want to bat. My legs were gone, my hamstrings were tired, my body was sore. I didn’t want to play the next game because I was so tired”Hayat on struggling with his fitness

“We controlled for quite a lot of the game and then suddenly it started to get a bit dicey,” said Cook, who was then an assistant coach on the Hong Kong staff. “He was batting in the middle order, and coming into the final over I was actually very confident. I said to Charlie Burke, who was head coach, ‘As long as Babar is still there when we’re facing the last over, we’ll still win this.'”As was the case in Abu Dhabi, Chapman and Hayat steered Hong Kong through a big chunk of the chase against Afghanistan with a 48-run stand, but Chapman fell caught on the boundary on the first ball of the final over, bowled by Mohammad Nabi, leaving 16 off five balls to win. Hayat came on strike for the second ball and clubbed a four and six to make it six off three balls.A wide and a three followed, putting Hayat’s fresh partner, Tanwir Afzal, on strike with two needed off two. A calamitous dropped return chance that ended in a run-out by Nabi allowed Hayat to get back on strike for the final ball, with his old high-school friend Aizaz at the non-striker’s end. Despite being known as Hong Kong’s biggest basher, Hayat instead showed maturity and clear-headed thinking given the situation.”When I went in and spoke to him, he wasn’t nervous or feeling the pressure,” Aizaz said. “He just said he’s not gonna go for a big hit, that he’d hit it along the ground, get one first and try to get the second, and that’s what happened. Nabi tried to bowl a quicker one and Babar just played it to long-off, toward extra cover, enough so we could get the second run.”Early in 2016, Hong Kong headed to the Asia Cup T20 Qualifier for some crucial preparation ahead of the World T20. Hayat produced the highest score by an Associate player in T20I cricket, making 122 off 60 balls against Oman in a match more infamously remembered for Chapman being mankaded at a key moment in a five-run loss for Hong Kong. However, those involved on the Hong Kong side felt the bigger culprit for the loss was ironically Hayat – his poor fitness, to be precise, in the heat and humidity of Fatullah.Babar blasts off during the World Cup Qualifiers•IDI/Getty Images”I was totally gone,” Hayat said. “I didn’t want to bat. My legs were gone, my hamstrings were tired, my body was sore. I didn’t want to play the next game because I was so tired. I didn’t want to mention it to the coaches because they knew my fitness wasn’t good because I was cramping.””He ended up on the losing side because he was over 100 kilos in weight and he wasn’t able to sustain his innings over 20 overs,” Cook said. “At that point, [122] was the third highest T20I score in any nation. So he had a fantastic innings, but his physical condition ended up costing us the game effectively. And it was that innings that cost him from being able to perform in the World T20 because he was so physically exhausted still, three weeks after that innings.”At the opening round of the World T20 in India, Hayat turned in scores of 9, 0 and 15 as Hong Kong went winless. The spillover fitness issues from the Asia Cup hundred against Oman opened his eyes, and prompted the coaching staff to sit him down for a frank discussion.”It was after those two back-to-back tournaments that we sat down outlining plans for the next four-year cycle,” Cook said. “I sat down with Babar at that point in player reviews and said to him: your weight is an issue. That was the time we were just converting to full-time contracts. The skinfolds, yo-yo tests, 20-metre sprints – the players were starting to become more accountable. It was no longer such a club-cricket environment of pitch up, play and go home. We had quite a harsh conversation. He took it on board and really rose to the challenge.”The combination of a full-time contract, working with the Hong Kong Institute of Sport and their dieticians – he went from just over 100 kilos to 89 or 88 kilos prior to the 2016 WCL round five against Ireland and Scotland.”

“Whenever we’d see Babar at the gym, we’d all want to work hard and get fit”Team-mate Aizaz Khan

Aizaz witnessed first-hand the work that Hayat put into shedding the weight. Hayat would often recruit him and one or two others for late-night runs above and beyond the afternoon training routine for squad players.”Those two or three months, whenever we’d see Babar at the gym, we’d all want to work hard and get fit,” Aizaz says.As his waistline got slimmer, Hayat’s run-scoring column got fatter. Early in 2017, he made 173 against Netherlands in their Intercontinental Cup clash, then scored two half-centuries in the one-dayers that followed. At the end of the year, he batted the better part of two days to score an unbeaten 214 against PNG.”Between where he was in 2014 to where he is now, there’s a number of differences. One, he’s technically much, much better,” Cook said. “In 2014, he wasn’t particularly fit. He couldn’t bat for 50 overs potentially. His physical condition is much better and his technical ability to bat for long periods of time has allowed his free-scoring intent to now flourish.”He can keep all the good balls out and continues to score very freely off the balls that are into his strength areas. A key area of development going forward is just giving him the ability to bat for long and not feel like he has to try to take scoring options because it’s a matter of time before he gets out.”The mental fortitude Hayat has demonstrated, whether at the crease in key moments during crunch games or in waging a weight-loss battle in the gym, is something he has worked hard at spreading to the rest of his team-mates. It’s a trait that helped them in a hard-fought win over Afghanistan in Zimbabwe, their first ODI victory over a Full Member.If Hong Kong make it through to the Super Sixes, there will be an uphill battle: they will need three wins and some help on tiebreakers to reach the World Cup. An equally daunting challenge may await them in the consolation bracket should they end up there, needing to secure two wins to keep ODI status, and essentially the funding that will keep players like Hayat on full-time professional contracts. Whatever the challenge, the Hong Kong squad will look for Hayat’s bat to set the tone.”What you see is what you get with Babar,” Cook said. “He’s not one to stand up and give big Churchillian speeches and all of that sort of stuff. He’s very much ‘lead by example’ and the guys do follow him. It’s a culture within our dressing room where people tend to gravitate toward the best player and that’s why we looked at Babar as being one of those characters. We did feel he had the potential to really become a dominant force in Associate cricket and fortunately that has come true.”

Teenager Cooper Connolly had only faced 11 balls in his fledgling BBL career, but captain Ashton Turner remained confident that he could help power Perth Scorchers to a fifth title under immense pressure.Turner’s faith was justified when 19-year-old Connolly became an instant hero at a heaving Optus Stadium after combining with unheralded Nick Hobson to lift Scorchers past Brisbane Heat in an absorbing final.”We pick guys for a reason, we trust their skill. We don’t need to tell Cooper how to bat, how to play the situation,” Turner said after Scorchers chased down 176 runs to win by five wickets.Related

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“He’s a smart kid, he’s played enough cricket and he’s prepared himself for these moments.”If anything, if I tell him where he should be hitting the ball then he probably doesn’t play the shots we see tonight. That’s the beauty and the freedom of a young kid who’s just come onto the scene.”Scorchers’ latest BBL triumph was particularly satisfying because it reinforced their long-held core principles of building a reservoir of depth and sticking with homegrown talent.They had to lean on that after an injury-ravaged campaign, including losing star allrounder Mitchell Marsh for the entire season while spearhead Jhye Richardson didn’t return after suffering a hamstring strain mid-season.Cooper Connolly came out all guns blazing with a 11-ball cameo•Getty Images

It provided opportunities for Hobson, an accountant in his day job who played every match this season, and Connolly, Australia’s captain at last year’s Under-19 World Cup, who both have never played first-class cricket before.”We want players who are battle-hardened and ready for the international stage,” Turner said. “We have a lot of confidence in the guys we pick.”To get picked in our final XI, you’ve got to be a good player and we trust our selection processes and we trust what we’ve seen from these guys. The question is can they translate and perform in big moments?”Both Nick and Cooper have answered that question comprehensively.”Overshadowed by the dramatic finale, Turner had initially rescued Scorchers with a composed 53 off 32 balls on the back of a half-century under pressure in last year’s final against Sydney SixersThe Player-of-the-match performance capped a stunning season for the unassuming Turner, who has vaulted back into calculations for Australia’s T20 team strengthened by his impressive captaincy credentials.Turner played nine ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia from 2017-21, but a form slump removed him from the selection frame.”It’s not so much a rescue mission as it may look from the outside – I’m doing my job,” Turner said about his ability to continually dig Scorchers out of trouble this season.”I said pre-game that great teams win big games and that was our responsibility tonight. We’ve been overwhelming favourites probably for the last few games we’ve entered.”It’s our responsibility to back that up and perform well. Fortunately we were able to do that.”While they bask in another triumph, planning will eventually start for Scorchers’ bid for a historic hat-trick of titles – a feat that has never been achieved in BBL history.”When BBL 13 comes along we will be well-planned, prepared and excited,” Turner said. “There will be more competition, we know that having been at the pinnacle of this competition for a couple of years that we will be the hunted and that’s okay. We’ll embrace that tag and we’ve got a lot of confidence in the depth of our squad.”