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Former Test opener believes Smith should stay at the top against India after requesting the role last summer

Yash Jha08-Oct-2024Who will open for Australia? Who should open for Australia? Should Steven Smith continue at the top of the order or shift back to number four? These questions have surrounded the Australian Test set-up for a while, and are only gaining traction ahead of India’s visit to Australia next month.”Steve Smith made the call to be able to go and open, and I think he should stay there”. That’s the verdict from Shane Watson as the clock ticks down to the year-end Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”Obviously the safety blanket for him would be moving back to No. 4, but I would love to see him continue to take on the opening spot because he’s got the skill to be able to do it,” Watson said at the sidelines of the launch of the International Masters League in Mumbai on Tuesday.Related

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Smith’s move up the order following David Warner’s retirement after the New Year’s Test against Sydney has been a subject of widespread debate, with no clear winner. Watson himself had backed Cameron Green to succeed as Test opener before Smith’s promotion, but has been convinced otherwise by Green’s performances – headlined by a career-best match-winning 174 not out against New Zealand in Wellington.”Cameron Green came in and batted at No. 4 and did a brilliant job,” Watson said. “His hundred that he got in New Zealand was something very special and he’s the perfect No. 4 candidate now with the future, moving forward.”As if not tricky enough already, Australia’s situation has been further complicated as they sweat on Green’s availability for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts in Perth on November 22. The 25-year-old allrounder was flown home from the UK following the third ODI against England after complaining of soreness in his lower back. He has had four previous stress fractures prior to his Test debut in 2020 but the exact nature of his current injury has yet to be confirmed. Cricket Australia’s medical team have been carefully assessing scans over the past two weeks to map out a plan for his recovery with an announcement on his availability for the India series expected to come this week.Smith’s four-Test stint as opener so far has yielded 171 runs – over half of which came in one innings against West Indies – at an average of 28.50, but Watson thinks it’s not a problem caused by his batting position.”I believe the reason why he didn’t do so well over the previous couple of Test matches is just [that] he was a little bit off with his technique,” Watson said. “You see [saw] him getting out a couple of ways which I’ve never really seen him get out before.”I know he would’ve had time just to go away, make some little technical adjustments, and if he opens and he makes those little adjustments, he can be incredibly successful as an opening batter knowing the incredible skill that he’s got.”<Should Brisbane have been the venue for the first Test instead of Perth?The Gabba will not host the first Test this summer•Getty ImagesWatson also voiced his dissatisfaction with the decision to keep Perth as the venue for the opening game of the five-Test series and not Brisbane, traditionally the starting point of Australian Test summers."I'm a traditionalist at heart. Growing up, the Gabba was always the first Test match and that's the Test match I used to go to," the former Australia allrounder said before highlighting the challenge Gabba poses to visiting sides."The Gabba is a more challenging place to play for the foreign teams because there's bounce, there's seam, there's swing, and it's hot and humid. So it just provides a few more challenges, whereas Perth, for example, it's not humid, the ball doesn't swing as much, doesn't necessarily seam as much as well."I always just love the Gabba as being the place for the touring team to be able to come in and have to try and just take on the Australian conditions at their most challenging."The 'Gabbatoir' had been an Australian stronghold for decades, with Australia boasting a 16-2 win-loss record in Tests in Brisbane in the last 20 years. But the fortress has been breached of late. West Indies claimed an upset 8-run win in January, while India famously clinched the 2020-21 series by handing Australia their first Test defeat at the Gabba in 32 years. The ground is also coming towards the end of its use for life with CA only signing a two-year agreement to play Test matches there with doubts over the Gabba's viability beyond that as Brisbane requires upgraded infrastructure to host the 2032 Olympic games.

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed on Saturday that central defender Robin Propper has moved on from Ibrox after just one year at the club.

The Dutch centre-back has returned to FC Twente just 12 months after he joined the Light Blues from the Eredivisie side, as it did not quite work out for him in Scotland.

Propper found the physicality too tough to deal with, as he lost 55% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial duels in the Europa League last term, and it was the right call to cash in on him this summer.

Despite scoring against Celtic, Propper did not do enough to show that he was ready to deliver quality performances in Scotland, as he was dribbled past 11 times in 22 starts in the Scottish Premiership.

The 31-year-old dud is far from the only Rangers flop to have struggled with the physicality of Scottish football, though, and another one of those flops is closing in on an exit from Ibrox.

Rangers full-back edging closer to transfer

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Turkey international Ridvan Yilmaz is “edging closer” to a move away from the Premiership giants this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The reporter claims that the left-footed dud is not a part of Russell Martin’s plans, as evidenced by his exclusion from the Champions League squad list, and that the club are now preparing for life without him.

Vidal adds that the 24-year-old flop is ready to secure a return to Besiktas, three years on from leaving the Turkish giants to sign for Rangers for a reported fee of £5m.

All parties should now be pushing for a transfer to go through sooner rather than later because Yilmaz is not part of the club’s plans, and he was as bad as Propper last season.

Why Rangers must sell Ridvan Yilmaz

The £5m-rated flop should be sold this summer because he was as bad as Propper in the 2024/25 campaign in the sense that he also struggled with the physicality of the game.

Yilmaz, who has been a bit-part player for three years at Ibrox, only started 11 of the club’s 38 matches in the Scottish Premiership last term, coming off the bench a further six times.

In those games, the Turkish full-back failed to deliver well-rounded performances in or out of possession to show the club that he deserves a long-term future in Glasgow.

Appearances

17

Starts

11

Goals

0

Assists

2

Error led to shot

2

Ground duel success rate

60%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

As you can see in the table above, Yilmaz made as many errors that led to shots for the opposition as he provided goal contributions at the other end of the pitch.

Staggeringly, the Rangers flop also lost 100% of his aerial battles, which means that he did not win a single contest in the air in 17 appearances in the league.

Martin has clearly decided that Yilmaz will not be a part of his plans for the upcoming season, with his squad selections, and the lack of physicality from the full-back may have played a part in that.

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Therefore, Rangers should be pushing for the defender to return to Besiktas in the coming days because he was as bad as Propper in Scotland and should be moved on as soon as possible.

Manchester United supporters had their first chance to see Matheus Cunha in action for the club in their friendly clash with Leeds United on Saturday.

The Red Devils were held to a 0-0 draw by the Championship champions, who will be in the Premier League next season, and the Brazil international started the match.

Cunha played the opening 45 minutes of the match, as one of the two number tens behind Chido Obi Martin, before being replaced by Mason Mount at the break.

In those 45 minutes, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man completed 92% of his attempted passes for the Red Devils, but failed to create any chances or register a shot on goal.

These games are largely about building up fitness for Ruben Amorim’s side, though, and United supporters will know that there is not too much you can read into that performance, as it was his first outing in pre-season after playing for Brazil over the summer.

The exciting forward is already a proven Premier League performer who has been there and done it with Wolves in the division, which suggests that he will be fine when the real action gets underway.

What Matheus Cunha will bring to Man Utd

Amorim will be hoping that Cunha will provide a huge threat at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whether that is as a number ten or as a centre-forward, as he has played in both positions in his career.

Cunha produced an impressive return of 17 goals and six assists in all competitions for the Old Gold in the 2024/25 campaign, whilst he was unfortunate to only register six assists based on the quality of chances that the forward created.

The former Atletico Madrid starlet created 13 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the Premier League, but his teammates only managed to find the back of the net six times. This suggests that wasteful finishing from his fellow forwards let him down in that respect.

Appearances

32

33

xG

9.49

8.63

Goals

12

15

Big chances created

7

13

Key passes per game

0.9

1.8

Assists

7

6

As you can see in the table above, Cunha also scored 27 goals in the Premier League in the last two seasons, which shows that he knows how to find the back of the net on his own, outperforming his xG in both campaigns.

The 26-year-old attacker, therefore, is likely to bring goals and assists to the United team next season, given that he has already proven his quality in the division and could hit the ground running without having to adapt to the league.

It remains to be seen who the club’s first-choice number nine will be, though, and the Red Devils are reportedly interested in a Premier League striker who could be lethal with Cunha.

Man Utd hold talks to sign Premier League striker

According to BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea centre-forward Nicolas Jackson is a potential signing that Manchester United could make before the end of the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that the Premier League giants have “held talks” with the player’s agent about a possible transfer for the Senegal international, who is facing increased competition for his place at Stamford Bridge.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Chelsea have signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro to bolster their number nine options ahead of next season, which could open the door for United to swoop in for his services.

Kinsella adds that the club will have to do “a lot” in terms of outgoings before being able to pursue a deal for Jackson, but that it is a move that could happen in the “right circumstances”.

The BBC reporter does not reveal how much Chelsea would want for the 24-year-old number nine, but it has previously been reported that the Blues value him at up to £100m.

Why Man Utd should sign Nicolas Jackson

If the Red Devils can reach an agreement with Chelsea for a fee that works for all parties, United should push to bring Jackson to Old Trafford because he could be lethal alongside Cunha.

Jackson is far from the perfect centre-forward, and that is to be expected at the age of 24, but he is a player who has scored goals at a respectable rate during his time in England.

A haul of 30 goals and 11 assists in his first two years in English football in all competitions is nothing to be sniffed at. He has shown that he can make a big impact in front of goal, but it is his consistency that needs work.

It is hardly a secret that the Senegal international is not a world-class finisher who is going to score week-in-week-out without getting regular service from creative midfielders, which is why he could be lethal alongside Cunha.

As aforementioned, the Brazil international has showcased his creative quality in the Premier League during his time with Wolves, which suggests that he has the ability to consistently create ‘big chances’ for Jackson to find the back of the net.

Appearances

35

30

xG

18.64

12.34

Goals

14

10

Minutes per goal

200

224

Big chances created

8

6

Assists

5

5

As you can see in the table above, the Chelsea striker has hit double figures for goals in both of his seasons in the top-flight, but he has also underperformed his xG both times.

This shows that Jackson, who was hailed as “unbelievable” by Peter Crouch, does have the quality to score goals on a regular basis, whilst also creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates, but he needs plenty of service to do so.

That is why he could be lethal alongside Cunha in the final third for United because the Brazilian magician has the creative quality to provide Jackson with the chances that he needs to score regularly.

Overall, whilst the Chelsea forward may not be the perfect option, given his finishing issues, he is a Premier League proven goalscorer who could come in to hit the ground running alongside Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Amorim's own Rodri: Man Utd agree personal terms to sign £26m sensation

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No play possible at Headingley, Hove, Grace Road or Cardiff after persistent rain

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network26-Sep-2024Sussex tightened their grip at the top of the table while Yorkshire edged closer to promotion at the expense of Middlesex, after a complete washout on the opening day of the final round of fixtures in Division Two of the County Championship.With promotion already sealed and a 20-point cushion at the top, Sussex need only to avoid defeat against third-placed Middlesex to ensure they return to the top flight as champions. A haul of five bonus points from a possible eight would also suffice.Though there was no chance to pick up any points at Hove, with persistent rain forcing an early abandonment, the lack of play was far more damaging to Middlesex. They now have just three days in which to force victory, without which they have no chance of closing their 15-point deficit on second-placed Yorkshire. Although Friday’s forecast is slightly better, the outfield was saturated by the time of the abandonment at 1.05pm, and it will take a prolonged spell of dry weather to get the ground playable.As for Yorkshire, play in their final home fixture against fourth-placed Northamptonshire was also abandoned by lunch on the opening day, with the only moment of note coming when their young batter, George Hill, was presented his county cap by his team-mate, Jonny Bairstow, who has been a fixture of their promotion push since being overlooked across formats by England.Yorkshire need just 10 points to guarantee their return to the top flight, following their relegation in 2022, and are currently on a run of five wins in their last six games, having had to wait until the competition’s sixth round in May to register their first win.”It’s hard not to enjoy it,” Bairstow told the ECB Reporters Network. “Naturally, it’s been a pretty disappointing summer for obvious [personal] reasons, and I don’t need to get into that at the moment.”I’ve been happy. I got asked to show some form, and I’ve been pleased with the way I’ve kept as well,” he added. “I’ll do what I can with this group, and the first thing is to get promotion.””It will be a very nice way to finish the summer if I can be a part of that group that goes up with a record in the last five or six games that’s been outstanding. Most of all, it’s been great fun with a good bunch.”In the unlikely event that Yorkshire and Middlesex finish level on points, the tiebreakers of most wins, then fewest losses and then head-to-head record would come into the equation. Both teams are level on most wins and fewest losses – five wins, two defeats – but Middlesex have the advantage on head-to-head having won at Lord’s and drawn at Headingley.There was no play possible in either of the Division’s two remaining games, Leicestershire versus Derbyshire at Grace Road, and Glamorgan versus Gloucestershire at Cardiff. Each of the four teams concerned are in the bottom half of the table, with Derbyshire – 19 points adrift – all but guaranteed to finish bottom.

It has been a quiet summer so far for Aston Villa. After the disappointment of losing out on a Champions League finish at the back end of last season, the Villans have only made a couple of signings to strengthen ahead of the new season.

With the season now less than two weeks away, Unai Emery’s side have reportedly agreed a deal to sign OGC Nice striker Evann Guessand. The 24-year-old, who was also a target for Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, cost £30m including add-ons.

With Guessand all but through the door, Villa have seemingly turned their attention to another attacker, who can help to strengthen in forward areas.

Aston Villa’s next target after Guessand

The Villans lost Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio at the end of last season, with the loans of both players expiring. There is a clear focus from the club to strengthen in attack, with the signing of Guessand the first new forward through the door at Villa Park.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Now, a report from journalist Graeme Bailey suggests that the West Midlands club are ‘holding an interest’ in Manchester United and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho.

The 21-year-old is said to be a target for three Premier League sides, with a desire to stay in England’s top flight, and Villa ‘have also entered the race’ for his signature.

Although it is West London giants Chelsea who are the ‘standout option’ for the youngster, he is ‘open to working’ with Emery, and Tottenham Hotspur are also showing an interest. Last month, it was reported by The Mirror that the Red Devils have slashed their asking price to just £40m.

Why Garnacho would be a good signing

Despite being just 21 years of age, Garnacho has already gained lots of experience at the highest level for United. Statman Dave described him as a “special talent” last season, and there were some standout moments.

He played 58 games in all competitions for the Red Devils, whose academy he came through back in 2022. In that time, the winger scored 11 goals and grabbed a further ten assists. However, just eight of those goal involvements came in the Premier League, in 36 appearances.

He has already played a lot of first-team football, notching up an impressive 144 games for United. His record of 26 goals and 22 assists stands out for someone aged just 21, and he’s scored some excellent goals, too. The most famous one came against Everton in 2023/24, with his stunning overhead kick earning him the Puskas Award.

The winger, who was born in Madrid, could well become unplayable with Guessand. Villa’s new attacker shone last term for Nice, scoring 12 goals and grabbing nine assists in 33 Ligue 1 games.

The Ivory Coast international can play right across the front line, highlighted by former manager Antoine Kombouare during his loan spell at Nantes in 2022/23.

Kombouare also described him as a “powerful” and “fast” attacker.

With the Nice academy graduate, a player who is effective both in and around the penalty box and out wide, he could form a deadly partnership with Garnacho at Villa. The winger is a player who loves to drive inside from wide positions, which could lead to some fluid rotations between the pair.

Garnacho’s numbers from the 2024/25 Europa League campaign suggest he could become a regular provider of goals for Guessand. The stats on FBref show he averaged 2.04 key passes per game and 0.37 assists, ranking him in the 82nd and 85th percentile, respectively. If he achieves those numbers for Villa, Guessand could strike gold.

Assists

0.37

85th

Key passes

2.04

82nd

Shot-creating actions

4.17

73rd

Goal-creating actions

0.65

78th

Progressive carries

5.84

95th

Despite his age, Garnacho is already very experienced and has shown his ability to score and assist regularly for United. With Guessand being a striker who facilitates play and creates chances, plus his ability to put the ball in the back of the net, this could become a deadly duo.

£40m is not too much of an investment for 21-year-old Garnacho, with United looking to move him on this summer. Perhaps he is the perfect player for Villa’s new look attack, alongside Guessand.

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New Zealand captain is glad youngsters in the side stepped up to set up a historic win for the side

Ashish Pant20-Oct-20242:01

Manjrekar: Rachin looking like one of the best overseas batters in India

Fast bowlers asking “questions after question” and Rachin Ravindra’s calmness were the major factors behind New Zealand claiming their first Test win in India after 36 years, captain Tom Latham has said.”We’re blessed with a couple of guys on our side, a couple of young guys that have stepped up in this match,” Latham said after the win in the first Test in Bengaluru. “I think the way Will [O’Rourke] bowled was outstanding, but I think I also look at the other two seamers, Tim Southee and Matt Henry, the pressure they were able to apply with that new ball on day one was outstanding. Matt got the rewards and Will got the rewards in that first innings.”It was a combination of everything. [It is] a really special feeling to be in this position. I think the work we did in the first and second innings with the ball and then obviously with the bat, really set the game up for us. It’s obviously a proud moment for this group and the one we will celebrate.”Related

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Latham was effusive in his praise for Ravindra, who played a key hand in stretching New Zealand’s lead past the 350 mark in the first innings followed by a 39 not out in the second when New Zealand were two down early in the chase with the ball doing a fair bit on the final morning.Ravindra, who is just ten Tests old, showed his composure while forging an eighth-wicket partnership of 137 with Southee in the first innings after the visitors had slipped to 233 for 7.”The way he [Ravindra] played the situation of the game was really important for us,” Latham said. “A 137-run partnership with a No. 9 batter is awesome. I think the way he played leading up to that [second] new ball was really important.”Even this morning, the way he came out with the game in the balance where another couple of wickets there and it could have been a nervy 50-60 runs, but I think the way he calmed the dressing room with his composure out there for a young guy in his ninth or tenth Test to play in that fashion is obviously exciting.”We’ve seen the talent that he has got over the last 12 months and certainly happy he is on our side.”Despite bowling India out for 46 in the first innings and then amassing 402 when they batted, New Zealand had to work hard for the win. India replied strongly in their second innings, erasing the deficit losing just three wickets with Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant looking set for more.Rachin Ravindra celebrates his second Test hundred•BCCIThe second new ball, however, brought about a change of fortunes as India collapsed from 433 for 4 to 462 all out and New Zealand had to chase only 107.”From our perspective, we knew India were going to come back,” Latham said. “From the wicket point of view, it’s probably at its best over those couple of days [three and four] for a bit to bat, so we certainly knew it was going to be a challenge against India, who obviously have a lot of firepower in that line-up. They certainly keep challenging us, they keep asking good questions and obviously to get a lead from the position that they were in was obviously a quality effort.”But the work we did with the new ball yesterday evening was outstanding. I think Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke with that new ball, just asked lots of questions and obviously managed to get the rewards.”At that point we certainly knew India were going to get themselves right back in the game and certainly [we were] just happy we weren’t chasing too many more than 100.”While Latham had led New Zealand in nine Tests previously, this was his first since being appointed full-time captain after Southee stepped down after the Sri Lanka series last month. He cheekily admitted that he was “very happy” to lose the toss on the second morning as he too would have opted to bat first. The opening day was washed out due to rain and with the pitch under covers for the better part of two days, New Zealand ran the Indian batting unit ragged.

“They [India] certainly keep challenging us, they keep asking good questions and obviously to get a lead from the position that they were in was obviously a quality effort”

“I guess it’s just one of those times where you fall on the wrong or right side, whatever way you look at it, it’s always hard,” he said. “I guess the time that the wicket was under the covers, they obviously didn’t have the preparation time that they probably would have liked and [I am] happy that it fell the right way for us.”I think you try to look at what’s going to be harder. Is it going to be harder on day one or is it going to be harder on day five? We expect the match to go the duration of the game and I think we even saw it this morning when [Ravindra] Jadeja got that one out of the foot marks that hit Rachin in the head.”Obviously, the pitch was deteriorating. The cracks were starting to open a little bit more and we certainly saw that from a seamer’s point of view when the ball did hit those cracks that went up and down a little bit. I guess that’s a fine balance when you come over here and there’s not many times that you win the toss and bowl. So yeah, happy it fell on the right side.”It could end up being a red-letter day for New Zealand cricket. The men’s team won a Test in India after 36 years, and the women’s team now have the chance to claim their maiden ICC title when they face South Africa in the T20 World Cup final later in the evening in Dubai.”Yeah, it’s obviously been a great morning for New Zealand cricket from our point of view, but hopefully it can be an even better day for New Zealand cricket,” Latham said. “Obviously, the guys have been following the tournament a little bit and we’re obviously excited when they won that semi-final and I think for them to be in the position now with a chance of winning a T20 World Cup is obviously really special. Good luck to them.”

Arsenal and Crystal Palace have reportedly reached an agreement on a compensation package for youngster Dan Casey.

Arsenal youngster rejects new dealOut of contract this summerSet for Crystal Palace moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Casey was reportedly offered a new deal by Arsenal earlier this year but the 18-year-old snubbed their advances. Now, The Standard states the teenager will head to London rivals Palace, with the attacking midfielder technically out of contract at present.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Casey, who was regular for Arsenal's under-18s and has trained with the first-team squad, has been offered a professional deal at Palace. Arsenal have agreed a compensation package and a sell-on clause for a player who was also targeted by Norwich City.

DID YOU KNOW?

The youngster, who can also play as a winger and a striker, previously admitted that Martin Odegaard is one of his idols.

“When I was younger I was a Liverpool fan and loved watching Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho,” Casey told Arsenal’s official website. “But now, playing for Arsenal, I really look up to Odegaard. He’s a top player.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Casey has been in Arsenal's academy since 2015 but it seems his decade-long stay with the Gunners is set to draw to a close. Now, a switch to Palace's under-21 beckons as he begins a new chapter of his footballing career.