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Dravid sent a touching message to his successor wishing him luck which featured advice and some humour

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2024

“Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people.”Outgoing India head coach Rahul Dravid did what many consider the unthinkable – he made Gautam Gambhir smile with the above message. Dravid sent out a touching message to the new head coach, who takes over with the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. In a video posted by the BCCI on social media, Gambhir was made to sit in front of a laptop to play the message which he didn’t know came from Dravid.”As your team-mate, I saw you giving it your all on the field,” Dravid said to Gambhir. “As your batting partner and fellow fielder, I saw your resilience and refusal to surrender. Across many IPL seasons, I noted your desire to win, your assistance to younger players and your drive to extract the best out of your team on the field.”I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities into the new job.Related

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“As you know, the expectations will be high and the scrutiny will be intense. But even in the worst of times you will never be alone. You will have the support of the players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management and never forget for whom you play – for fans who are very demanding but will always be behind the team.”Soon after winning the T20 World Cup final last month in Barbados, Dravid had mentioned the role of “luck” that had helped his team lift the trophy and he hoped the same would help Gambhir too.”I also wish you a little bit of luck, as you know that all of us coaches need to make us look that little bit wiser and smarter than we actually are,” he said.Dravid’s dry humour also gave an appearance to elicit a smile from Gambhir. “Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people,” he said.”From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back. I wish you the very best, Gautam. I am sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights.”Reacting to Dravid’s message which made him “emotional,” Gambhir said there was a lot to learn from his predecessor not just for him but for the entire generation.”I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me,” Gambhir said. “The reason is not because it comes from the person who I have succeeded but from a person who I have always looked up to when I was playing.”I have always felt that and I said it in a lot of my interviews – I think the most selfless cricketer I have actually ever played with. Rahul has done anything and everything Indian cricket needed.”I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me but for the next generation and the current generation as well. That’s how important Indian cricket is, not me, not individuals.”I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill. Hopefully, I can do that with absolute honesty, transparency and hopefully, I can make the entire nation and more importantly, the person I have always looked up to – Rahul – proud,” he said.

Manchester United’s business this summer is already in full flow, after Matheus Cunha was announced as their first signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Red Devils forked out a whopping £62.5m for the Brazilian international, who registered 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League this campaign.

However, whilst it may seem like a hefty figure, it’s an excellent deal for a player who can change the club’s fortunes, after a dismal spell in front of goal over the last couple of months – scoring just 44 league goals in 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim doesn’t appear to be done there though, with a striker still high on his list of priorities, leading to numerous names mentioned over a move to Old Trafford.

Liam Delap was seen as the number one target before his subsequent move to join Chelsea, resulting in a shift of focus, with numerous of Europe’s elite still on their radar.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

Over recent weeks, numerous top-level talismen have been mentioned as options for United, as Amorim looks to land the goalscorer who can catapult the club back up the table next season.

Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitiké have all been mentioned as potential options for the Red Devils, with no deals yet completed for any of the aforementioned stars.

However, that same can’t be said elsewhere, as they appear to be making a move for Juventus star Dušan Vlahović, that’s according to the latest report from FootballTransfers.

They claim that Amorim’s side have entered talks with the Italian outfit over a move for the striker, who currently earns £315k-per-week, according to Capology.

It also states that he’s keen on a move to join United this summer, seeing the switch as an opportunity to take his career to the next level, with a Premier League move the dream for the Serbian.

Why Vlahovic would be United’s answer to Haaland

Erling Haaland has been one of the Premier League’s leading talismen over the last couple of years, often causing United a whole host of problems in the process.

The Norwegian joined Manchester City back in the summer of 2022 from Borussia Dortmund, subsequently going on to score 121 times in his 142 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men.

He’s managed to score six times in his eight appearances against the Red Devils, including a hat-trick in the 6-3 rout at the Etihad back in the 2023/24 campaign.

Given his record, most sides across England’s top-flight must wish they had their own version of the talisman, with Amorim potentially able to do just that with Vlahovic.

The 25-year-old has been labelled as a similar player to the City star by FBref, with hope that he can transfer his skillset over to Old Trafford should he move in the coming months.

When comparing their respective figures from the 2024/25 campaign, the Serbian has managed to outperform in numerous key areas, showcasing what an amazing addition he would be this window.

Vlahovic, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has registered more progressive carries and more progressive passes per 90 in 2024/25, showcasing his all-round nature with the ball in attacking areas.

Games played

29

31

Goals scored

10

22

Progressive carries

1.4

0.8

Progressive passes

1.2

0.6

Aerials won

2

1.8

Fouls won

0.9

0.4

Take-on success

42%

36%

He’s also won more aerials per 90 and drawn more fouls, subsequently offering Amorim a huge focal point at the top end of the pitch, something which he’s craved since his appointment.

The Juve star has also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, able to play off the shoulder or even drop deeper and complete a mazy run past the opposition.

Such a move would likely cost the club a hefty whack in wages, but it’s one that could hand the side the needed attacking threat they’ve lacked this season.

If he manages to reach the levels produced by Haaland over recent years, it would be a sensational pick-up and one that could catapult the side back up the table.

An Elanga repeat: Wilcox in talks to sell £105k-per-week Man Utd talent

Manchester United may be about to make a huge mistake in selling one first-team star.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 17, 2025

Leeds United have been given a boost in their attempts to sign an up and coming young striker who has been compared to Wayne Rooney.

Leeds transfer rumours ramp up ahead of Premier League return

The 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke are preparing for Leeds’ return to the Premier League following a hugely successful Championship campaign which saw the Whites win the title with 100 points.

Premier League football will result in more money being available for Leeds, and chairman Paraag Marathe has admitted the club will splash all the cash that they are allowed on new signings.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb May 14, 2025

“Whatever they will let us spend, we’ll spend. I can comfortably say that we are going to spend the very last penny that we can. It’s what we need to go full tilt for the next three years.

“I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be easy… there’s an argument to be made that there’s a widening gap [between the Premier League and the Championship]. With all due respect to the other clubs, I think we’re different. We have an opportunity and we have scale that nobody else has.”

Adam Underwood is the new Leeds sporting director, whereas Robbie Evans has been promoted to managing director, and it is shaping up to be a busy first transfer market for the pair.

A number of players have been linked with moves to Elland Road, including Man City attacking midfielder James McAtee, Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi and San Lorenzo goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

A centre-forward addition to rival the likes of Championship Golden Boot winner Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford is also on the cards, with Besiktas centre-forward Semih Kılıçsoy of interest.

Leeds are preparing to move for the highly-rated teenager in the coming days, according to recent reports, and a promising new development has emerged.

Leeds given boost in race to sign Semih Kılıçsoy on loan from Besiktas

According to a fresh report from Turkey, relayed by Sport Witness, Besiktas have decided that Kılıçsoy can be loaned out for the 2025/26 season following talks between president Serdal Adalı, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and scouting director Eduard Graf.

Leeds are looking at a temporary deal for Kılıçsoy, so this will come as welcome news for the 49ers, Farke and Underwood. Compared to Rooney by analyst Ben Mattinson due to his “short, stocky build, powerful ball-striking and intelligent link-up play”, Kılıçsoy is under contract with the Super Lig side until 2028.

Semih Kılıçsoy stats at Besiktas

Games

82

Goals

16

Assists

9

Capable of playing as a centre-forward or on either wing, Kılıçsoy would offer a versatile attacking option for Farke and one who has made over 40 appearances in all competitions in 2024/25, scoring four goals and registering six assists.

Liverpool are believed to be keen on tying down an “extraordinary” player to a new contract, alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

Liverpool contract rumours galore

The recent Reds-related news has understandably been dominated by Mohamed Salah’s new two-year deal at Anfield, which feels more important than any new signing this summer.

Away from the Egyptian King, however, there are plenty of other players whose futures are also being discussed, not least Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Both will be out of contract when this season comes to an end, being able to leave on free transfers if they so desire.

Other reports have also claimed that Konate could sign a new Liverpool contract, with the Frenchman seen as a big player for many years to come, potentially leading the defence once Van Dijk eventually moves on.

It feels like it is going to be a summer of change at Anfield, with some figures moving on – the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have all been linked with moves away – but now it looks like the Reds are keen on sorting out an extension for a different player.

Liverpool want new deal for "extraordinary" ace

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are “in talks” with midfielder Curtis Jones over a new contract at the club, with Konate and Conor Bradley also mentioned in the report.

The 24-year-old is out of contract in 2027 and is still only earning £15,000 per week, which, while still a huge amount in modern society, is relatively low wages for a player who is now an established player for the Reds and England.

A new deal for Jones should be a no-brainer for Liverpool in the coming weeks and months, with the Englishman becoming such a strong squad player, maturing all the time.

Granted, he has found it difficult to force his way into the Reds’ midfield on a weekly basis, given the form of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but he has still shone, with Micah Richards hailing his debut for England, too:

“Curtis Jones was extraordinary, that’s one of the best England debuts I’ve ever seen. And what I mean by that, when you go to England sometimes the pace is a little bit slower and you sort of play the easy pass. “If you look at Curtis Jones, his body positions, he was always available for the ball every time.”

At 24, Jones is approaching his peak years, so the idea of him leaving now makes no sense, and hopefully, he is extremely happy at his boyhood club.

Liverpool "working on" deal for £70k-a-week Reds ace alongside Van Dijk

This would be fantastic news for the Reds.

ByHenry Jackson Apr 12, 2025

He has become such an impressive all-round midfielder, combining press resistance with end product, completing 94% of his passes in the Premier League this season and chipping in with three goals and assists apiece in the competition. He deserves to be rewarded with a shiny new-and-improved contract.

After a decade defined by his absence, Pakistan’s future star batter may finally be here

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2024Kamran Ghulam’s career doesn’t make sense. Not because, until today, he averaged 50 over a decade of first-class cricket without ever having played a Test at a time Pakistan have been looking for Test batters. No, there was something else, especially if you looked at his ESPNcricinfo profile.Ghulam was a ghost international cricketer. He had played one match for Pakistan, an ODI against New Zealand, without having batted or bowled. Hit the scorecard link, and it gets weirder. He doesn’t feature in Pakistan’s line-up at all.Earlier that day, Haris Sohail was hit on the head by a 150kph Lockie Ferguson bouncer, battling on until he was dismissed. He wouldn’t take the field in the second innings, and though Pakistan could just as easily have called for a replacement fielder, they made a concussion substitute. Ghulam was given his first international cap; perhaps Pakistan felt he’d bowl. He didn’t.Related

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In some perverse way, that serving as the entirety of one of Pakistan’s most prolific young batters was an apt metaphor for the state of Pakistan’s domestic structure. A reminder you didn’t need to be standing on thin ice to slip through the cracks. This was a player fully integrated into Pakistan’s cricketing network, patchy as it was, but only hovered around the outskirts of the national team. He is by no means an exception. Of the dozen players who have scored more Quaid-e-Azam trophy runs than him since he made his debut, five of them have never played a Test match; another has only played one. It feels jarring to note he celebrated his 29th birthday earlier this week, so long has he been viewed as a future batting star.Like the Lochness Monster or Big Foot, Ghulam was ubiquitous, and yet nowhere to been seen. His name showed up in media releases, and he was topping Quaid-e-Azam trophy charts. He’d been selected for this or that A tour, and was in a Pakistan squad here or there. This summer, he was playing in the Huddersfield league – as you do when you’re a rising batting star. That the club he played for was called Hoylandswaine didn’t exactly help any claims of Ghulam’s verisimilitude. That phantom appearance against New Zealand was the holy grail of Ghulam sightings, but could we really be sure?Kamran Ghulam struck an early six in his innings•Getty ImagesHaving spent so long lurking in the shadowy underworld of cricketers Pakistan has disused to the point of atrophy, Ghulam suddenly has been pinned into place and had a flashlight burn into his retinas over the weekend. Pakistan dropped Babar Azam, prematurely according to some, contentiously according to all; it was a move even the Pakistan head coach did not call for. It sent Babar’s fandom into meltdown, and even those who had criticised his recent form felt the decision to leave him out after one Test was borne of panic rather than logic. Some of the stray ire was directed Ghulam’s way, as if his entire career had built up to nicking a spot off Babar at number four. A snow leopard dragged into a desert circus wouldn’t have felt more out of place.Pakistan had prepared the same pitch used for the first Test for this one, playing just one fast bowler on what they hoped would be a batting minefield, and ten overs in, that wish was being fulfilled. Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir were already into the attack, Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood already back in the hut. The ball stayed low, and spun unpredictably. If ever a debutant batter, one stepping into Babar’s shoes, was being set up to fail, it was here.Ben Stokes, who had moved a fielder into the short leg position Masood had obligingly chipped one to, spent his time setting the field. A second slip was brought in, and a performance was made out of bringing a silly mid-off to accompany short leg. But Ghulam had waited more than a decade for this moment, and patience came naturally to him. A snatched single got him off the mark, but he what followed was all steel.He was batting alongside Saim Ayub, another player under pressure. The duo understood the precarity of their position, and that wanton attack would only be a speciously positive approach: one that potentially brought some quick runs, but certainly offered England quick wickets. And so, on a strip that barely matched the quality of those he buttered his bread on in domestic cricket, Ghulam dug on.

“Like the Lochness Monster or Big Foot, Ghulam was ubiquitous, and yet nowhere to been seen. His name showed up in media releases, and he was topping Quaid-e-Azam trophy charts”

The conditions were old-school subcontinental, and so Ghulam played old-school subcontinental cricket. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-tracking records, he defended or left along 138 of his 224 deliveries. But this was no blockathon; Ghulam’s concentration levels never wavered, picking length early to sweep or reverse, each of which he did four times. When Bashir tossed one up late in the day, he hit him into the sightscreen. When Brydon Carse overpitched, it didn’t matter it was the first delivery with the second new ball, Ghulam leaned into the straight drive and picked up another four.Observers who have watched him play on the domestic setup will tell you this is simply how Ghulam plays, the runs a mere byproduct of solid technique and judicious shot selection. Ghulam might bat how the game demands it to, but appears oddly disconnected from the stage his individual innings is placed at. It was illustrated in the way he got to his century, smearing Joe Root into the onside for four; they were the only runs he scored off a slog sweep all innings, and one of just two times in 224 balls he attempted that shot. The opportunity was simply there.And, at long last, it feels that opportunity is finally here for him. After a decade defined by his absence, Ghulam is present in every sense of the word. Pakistan’s future star batter may finally be here, and Kamran Ghulam’s career may at last begin to make sense.

Complementary styles and contrasting backstories could help put an end to post-Strauss blues

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Dec-2022There’s BC, AD, and if you’re an England opening batter, AS.Since Andrew Strauss retired at the end of the 2012 English summer, 12 full-time openers tried to fill the void opposite Alastair Cook. A further six were then used to mitigate the loss of Cook, too, bringing us to 18 souls with the unenviable task of replacing two who stepped away from the game with their legacies and legends cast in stone.So – have the 18 been rubbish? Well, no. They were far from chancers. Opening the batting is hard, particularly in England, where the guys at the top have averaged 30.78 AS – lower than everywhere bar West Indies (minimum two Tests). It’s hard. Really hard. As Test coach Brendon McCullum joked during the summer: “The last two guys who nailed it at the top of the order are both called ‘Sir’ in this country.”Still, though – 18 openers, in 10 years ? 18, England? That’s insane, and evidently unworkable. The longevity and stickability of many of them meant they would eventually come again on weight of County Championship runs. The same names, vaguely the same results, broadly the same criticisms and very often the same demoralising experiences – whether dropped unceremoniously, dumped from the team WhatsApp group, hearing second-hand of team-mates lamenting their output or, as has happened in the past, shlepping to retrieve their kit from the dressing room of the venue of their final cap while the rest of the squads’ bags were transported to the next ground.Related

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But they were failing in the same system, under the same expectations of those spoiled by their knighted predecessors and with the same guidance of “go and do some opening or we’ll find someone else who will”. So when Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett combined for 232 on day one in Rawalpindi, slotting in at No. 8 in England’s all-time list of highest opening stands against any opponent, a century each by their names, and setting the perfect platform for England to get to stumps on 506 for 4, it was hard not to reflect how this new regime might have changed the English opener experience for the better.It is most obvious in the case of Crawley. Because in many ways, his 122 won’t change the conversation around him. Backed throughout the summer by McCullum, his captain Ben Stokes and Rob Key, a confidant of Crawley long before he became director of England men’s cricket, he became something of a lightning rod for accusations of nepotism. A summer average of 23 from 13 innings was helped by an unbeaten 69 in the final Test of the season against South Africa. It was 17.25 prior to those runs and that red ink.The outward talk was of a high ceiling: that when Crawley gets it right he can be one of the more destructive openers on the circuit. And yes, it’s hard to discern which was flattest: the pitch at the Pindi stadium, Pakistan’s bowling attack or their fielding. But from striking 14 off the first over – the most England have taken from the opening over of a Test – to being unbeaten on 91 at lunch, then getting to three figures for the third time, from just 86 balls, there was an element of vindication here. Not just of Crawley but the work put into him behind the scenes.Stokes and McCullum have done well to wean the 24-year-old off technique and more on feel, especially given he is an insatiable netter. Positive reinforcement has been consistent but not laid on too thick to devalue their words. Both spent large parts of the summer creating comfortable spaces for Crawley. Such as when Stokes and McCullum manufactured a three-ball group so they could accompany him for a round of golf. Once that was complete, they sat around with a few beers and Crawley opened up about his worries, leaving them contained in that time, at that clubhouse.Most runs in opening session of a Test match•ESPNcricinfo LtdTheir treatment of Crawley has polarised, especially among batters who opened before and those who think their time should have come. The idea the England squad is a closed shop is building in the domestic scene, but much of that seems rooted in the fact Crawley’s treatment is a luxury never seen before. It is, ultimately, a good thing.”I feel like it was just we weren’t playing great games of cricket,” Crawley said of the time before McCullum, in which he also struggled with just two centuries in 21 caps. “We weren’t getting the most out of our talents playing the way we were and playing it safe and Baz always backed us to play positively.”It was not easy opening the batting in the summer. I thought I played okay at times and played some decent knocks but I did not get the decent score.”Another change of tack from the management has been to focus more on the “partnership” side of opening.Ahead of this tour, the decision was made to drop Alex Lees. A summer’s worth of play had seen him average 25.15, higher than Crawley. At times they dovetailed well, with two century and two half-century stands between them in 19 innings. Their collective 536 was the second-best combination of openers since Strauss’ retirement that did not feature Cook. Coincidentally, the pair in top spot – Rory Burns and Dom Sibley – are two who shared unflattering traits with Lees.It was felt Lees, like Burns and Sibley, had trouble turning over the strike, and as such seemed to put undue pressure on the batter at the other end. Harsh, no doubt, especially given Burns and Sibley were the only openers not named “Cook”, to have played since the end of the 2012 summer and scored 1000 or more before Crawley joined them with this knock. And while that analysis reads a bit like making Crawley feel a little more comfortable, in Duckett there is an element of symbiosis.

“I’m pretty small and ‘Creepy’ is pretty tall so I think where they bowl is very different to both of us. The areas we hit are very different as well”Ben Duckett

They hit the similar lines and lengths to different areas: Crawley favouring drives on the up and short-arm pulls, while Duckett focuses square, particularly against the Pakistan seamers when he would regularly square drive wide deliveries behind point. The left-right combination is one thing, but if would mean nothing if they weren’t getting the other on strike, with regular tucks to favoured areas – Crawley into the covers, Duckett around the corners.By lunch – 174 for 0, the most by England in the opening session of a Test – the hosts’ attack was shot of confidence, with both notching half-centuries at a run-a-ball or better. Another first for English openers, by the way. It took until the 39th over for Pakistan to register their first maiden of the innings. By then, both Duckett and Crawley had been back in the dressing room for 15 minutes.”I’m pretty small and ‘Creepy’ is pretty tall so I think where they bowl is very different to both of us,” said Duckett on how he and Crawley complement each other. “The areas we hit are very different as well. Bowlers have to come round the wicket to me and change the line. It is pretty fresh but it is a good start and we are really happy.”At a time when the general ethos around the Test side is riddled with white ball-isms, from the selfless play preached to the presence of Liam Livingstone in this XI, Duckett might be the first rough diamond to need little polishing.Under previous regimes, notably on a chastening 2016-17 winter in Bangladesh and India for Duckett, his manner was derided. The aerial options and the regulation- and reverse-sweeps saw him unfairly regarded as a player who would eventually be found out. The attacking options he would resort to when under pressure chastised as the futile slapping of the waves by a drowning man.Thankfully, those barbs, a broken hand and years of losing his authentic grip did not rob him of his natural instincts. There was plenty of crossover between 1012 runs at 72.28 in the Championship for Nottinghamshire and 223 at a strike rate of 159.58 in the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan earlier this year.The latter proved useful for his maiden hundred, from 105 deliveries: “I think especially facing Naseem [Shah] and Haris [Rauf] and performing against them in the T20 series it gave me confidence coming into this series, albeit in a different format, because I knew what the pitches were going to be like.” It is a milestone that could be the start of a fruitful emergence as an all-format player at the highest level.Fastest Test hundreds for England•ESPNcricinfo LtdJust to reinforce the bond with Crawley, he convinced his taller partner to review a dismissal that otherwise would have cost him three figures. On 99, Crawley was subject to an lbw appeal off Naseem that was given out on the field.”I thought I was out,” revealed Crawley in his press conference while sat next to Duckett. “But ‘Ducky’ knew it was missing and has a good eye. I felt I had missed an opportunity so it was an unbelievable feeling and made the hundred more special.”Duckett interjected: “It looked like it was missing. I think if it was hitting middle halfway up I would have told him to review it anyway.”While the pair were going back and forth fielding questions on their work, two other centurions, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, were on the outfield singing both their praises.”It started from the get-go, really,” mused Pope when asked to cast an eye over 75 overs of destruction. “Fourteen off the first over?” Yep, 14. “It just put them under pressure straight away. It looked like there wasn’t really anywhere they could bowl to those two the way they were going. It was the perfect way for those boys to set us up and start the series in that fashion.”Having set such high standards, the only way is down for England’s newest dynamic opening pair. What is for certain is their stand of 233 will now be regarded as a marker to beat rather than a limit. We are just one Test into the winter, and in conditions where opening batters tend to do well. But already Crawley and Duckett have the feel of a reliable partnership to facilitate more of the chaos England inflicted on Pakistan onto the rest of the world.

On retirement, he looks back at his 18-year career, playing in Dhoni’s era, under Ganguly, and more

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2020Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday, bringing the curtains down on a professional career that took off in 2002, with him making his India debut much before his first Ranji Trophy appearance. Over the last 18 years, Parthiv has made numerous comebacks to the Indian team, but it’s his success with Gujarat, a side he transformed from underdogs to a domestic powerhouse, that he derived a lot of satisfaction from. He spoke to select media on his journey and the challenges he faced along the way. Excerpts:Your retirement call – two years too late or two years too early?I think the timing is right. I’ve been contemplating (it) almost for a year now. I was taking it season-by-season. I felt that this was probably the right time, having played 18 years of first-class cricket and India career. I’m satisfied and content with the career I’ve had. There’s hardly anything left to achieve as a player and as a captain of a first-class team. We’ve won almost everything. I’ve been part of three IPL title wins. I also feel that Gujarat cricket is in very good shape right now.What is your most memorable moment from your India career?The best memory for me is to have been part of India’s Test wins in Headingley [in 2002] and Adelaide [in 2003]. Contributing to our series win in Pakistan in 2004, where I took up the opening slot in Rawalpindi – all these are greats moments. Also, receiving the first Test cap from Sourav [Ganguly] in Nottingham was special. I still have the cap that Dada gave me – I’ve been spelt wrongly as “Partiv” there.

As a player, acceptance is very important. Accepting where you are is important. When MS [Dhoni] was captain, I was still playing the game only because I loved the game.Parthiv Patel

At the time of your international debut, did you feel you were ready to be handed a Test cap at 17?I had no expectations, so I never felt any pressure. The biggest challenge any youngster would feel is the pressure of expectation once you play for a few years. The pressure of living up to your expectation is the biggest thing. Yes, I did feel I was ready when I was handed a Test debut, because I had good tours of South Africa and Sri Lanka with India A. I’d gone through a Border-Gavaskar Scholarship Programme in Australia. For me, the biggest pressure was when I was looking to make a comeback, when you know you have to keep performing year after year, and you have to wait for your chances. That was the bigger challenge for me.In these 18 years, was there a moment where you were close to giving up?Before the New Zealand tour in 2008-09, I’d scored 800-odd runs in seven Ranji games. I made a hundred in the Duleep Trophy final. I was keeping really well. When I didn’t get picked [for the New Zealand tour], that was the moment where I felt probably [that] I’d never be able to make a comeback. I felt it was time I thought of something else. But support from my family and GCA [Gujarat Cricket Association] was phenomenal during that phase, and that is the reason why I changed my mindset of building a team here in Gujarat.Tell us about the frustrations of playing in a wrong era with MS Dhoni around.As a player, acceptance is very important. Accepting where you are is important. When MS was captain, I was still playing the game only because I loved the game. The format hardly mattered to me, whether it was club cricket, districts cricket, state, IPL or India. I had set myself certain benchmarks and wanted to achieve them by playing cricket with a certain level of intensity. My focus completely shifted towards building a team and to the youngsters coming from Gujarat, because not many had international experience which I had. After that, everything else took care of itself. Once you put the team, and not individual success, in front of you, nothing else matters.

Guys like Devdutt Padikkal or Ambati Rayudu, or when I’ve done well in IPL, the pillar was domestic cricket…Because the domestic season is long, as a cricketer you tend to have a lot of ups and downs which will help you manage pressure, your own expectations.Parthiv Patel

Youngsters grow up wanting to play in the IPL. What would your message to them be?Domestic cricket teaches you a lot. Playing in empty stadiums, travelling in trains and buses teaches you the value of having team-mates. Playing on different wickets – low wickets of Kanpur or bouncy Wankhede pitches – help you. If you prioritise domestic cricket and Ranji Trophy, IPL and everything else will be part of it. If you do well in the Ranji Trophy, you can do well in the IPL too. Guys like Devdutt Padikkal or Ambati Rayudu, or when I’ve done well in IPL, the pillar was domestic cricket. It helps you deal with a lot of things. Because the domestic season is long, as a cricketer you tend to have a lot of ups and downs which will help you manage pressure, your own expectations. It’s a great learning experience.There is a perception these days that wicketkeepers are selected because of their batting but get dropped because of their wicketkeeping. Is it unfair?If you look at it nowadays, Wriddhiman Saha is picked because he is an out-and-out keeper. I’ve said this before, yes, a keeper needs to contribute with the bat, but in Tests, you should look firstly at who is the better keeper and then someone who can contribute with the bat. It should change from format to format. It was different in 2002. With a change of eras, now a new wicketkeeper has to be good with both gloves and bat.’When MS [Dhoni] was captain, I was still playing the game only because I loved the game’•AFP / Getty ImagesAs much as you wanted to make a comeback, you invested heavily in making Gujarat a domestic powerhouse. Walk us through that journey.I was scoring runs every season, but individual performances get recognised only when your team wins trophies. Call it selfish, but the idea was to help players along the way so that Gujarat win trophies. The thinking was, if my performances have to be recognised, Gujarat should win. My biggest thing was, players used to be picked for Gujarat by scoring just one hundred or taking one five-wicket haul in districts tournaments. That’s something I’d spoken to selectors about. The idea was to pick guys who had made three or four hundreds or taken three-four five-wicket hauls so that they know how to do it repeatedly.I got a lot of help from selectors and (the) GCA. Once I got the players, I used to challenge them in practice sessions to work hard. We weren’t a supremely talented side, so we had to make up for it with hard work. I used to challenge them, if you play 100 balls, I will play 101. If you take 50 catches, I will take 51. That way, they were also improving, I was also improving. That was the kind of culture we had put in. And the results are showing. As a captain, I can be very proud that Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah have gone on to play for India. Bumrah is the No. 1 bowler in the world. There’s Priyank Panchal, Manprit Juneja – so there are good players. People are now talking about Gujarat players, which wasn’t the case in the past.It must have been tough to invest time for yourself too?In 2010-11, I decided I won’t change the intensity with which I play, whether it’s Ranji Trophy or Test cricket. I wanted to always be prepared for the next tour, irrespective of whether I was in contention or not. I wanted to be ready whenever I got a chance. I made that my template and it helped me be ready all the time.Talk us through the change in perceptions at Gujarat – from 2004 to 2016-17 when the side became champions?To me, to come to play for Gujarat after having played for India, was very different. I thought earlier our purpose to play was to try and get a first-innings lead in the first couple of years so that we get those two points and then think about winning the game. Once we started doing that regularly, we started thinking of outright wins. Once that started, the thinking and mindset changed. We started getting the belief that we could win tournaments.We had a lot of Under-19 players who had already won trophies at the national level – we’d won the Cooch Behar and Vijay Merchant Trophies. So they knew what it takes to win, but it was a different level. It was about trying to tell them the first priority was to win outright and then think about a lead if that didn’t happen. Before winning tournaments, the goal was to come first in West Zone. That’s how we started building the process.If you to were to rewind to 2002 and go back to being a 17-year-old playing for India, what would you change?I would’ve liked to be fitter. Skill-wise, I was quite happy at where I was at 17. Maybe my diet – the ice-creams, French fries – would’ve liked to change my food habits.Who was the best captain you played under?Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. They were leaders, their management and man-management skills both on and off the field made me a better person.Is there a sense that your career had a missing element? There are no regrets. Every time I stepped onto the field, I tried to get the best out of me and my team-mates. I’ve been sleeping well. In fact, the family was in tears but I’m happy with the call I’ve made.

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a ridiculous home run to towards the grassy knoll in right field at the A's temporary home stadium in Sacramento on Wednesday. Acuna reached a ball way outside the zone and hammered it for what was actually his second home run of the game.

His first was equally impressive for different reasons. First, he hit it a very long way. So far that it left the stadium So far that, hold on, is that a bus? Did he almost hit a bus? I think he almost hit a bus. You should be able to take the bus in Sacramento without having to worry about getting hit by a baseball.

As far as the whole major leaguers playing in a minor league stadium goes, being able to see a bus stop while the broadcast tracks a home run is right up there with grassy knoll in right field.

Thomas Frank is clearly a clever man. The Tottenham Hotspur manager is a bona fide tactician, and he has credentials in the Premier League after lifting Brentford into the top flight and keeping them there with a flourish.

But the Danish coach’s skills haven’t yet translated to Tottenham, not in the same manner, not with the same snap and grace.

Tottenham are 11th in the league standings, and they have two points from their past five matches. Home ground misery has spilt from last season into the new campaign, and this is forming the crux of a general air of frustration that may threaten Frank’s tenure if he does not find a solution quickly.

Much has been made of the north Londoners’ creative problems this season, but Frank’s resilient and organised defensive structure is also leaving something to be desired, prompting Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici to start searching for reinforcements.

Spurs searching for a defender

Frank’s well-ordered system lends itself to stability in the Premier League. He is not known as an attack-centric coach, but the rises of Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa bear testament to his man-management skills and tactical expertise across the board.

But it’s clear that Tottenham need more high-quality depth at the rear, with questionable recruitment in recent years leading to a lopsided outfit that quite simply doesn’t boast the wider quality to challenge at the very top of the division.

Burnley

28

28.8

West Ham

28

23.1

Nott’m Forest

22

21.3

Leeds

26

19.7

Tottenham

18

19.5

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are talented centre-halves, but the pool is shallow beneath them, and that’s why Tottenham are gearing up for a winter raid on a Premier League rival.

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are preparing an ambitious £40m bid for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who has been among the standouts for Fabian Hurzeler this season.

The Dutchman is physical and technically dynamic, and given that he is contracted to the AMEX until 2027, now represents the perfect time to strike.

What Van Hecke would offer Spurs

Van Hecke, 25 years old, has been at Brighton since signing from NAC Breda in 2022, spending his first two years out on loan and since featuring 107 times across all competitions. He was immense last term, earning praise for his “unbelievable season” from his manager.

You may have seen Van Hecke’s name crop up in recent days. He netted a brace during Brighton’s frantic 4-3 defeat to winning machine Aston Villa, emulating both Romero and Van de Ven in that regard.

Standing at 6 foot 2 and with a limber frame, the Netherlands native is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and athletic centre-backs in the Premier League, ranking among the top 5% of positional peers in the division this season for goals scored, the top 21% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

This underscores both his athleticism and proactivity on the ball. In this, he shares traits with Romero, who has scored three times but also assisted two goals across all competitions this year.

But the central point here is that Van Hecke is good enough to start; he would not move to the capital and play under Frank only to languish on the fringes.

Romero is the captain and a real talismanic force for a squad in need of guidance, but given Van Hecke’s enterprising passing and willingness to run, might he threaten countryman Van de Ven’s place in the starting line-up?

Matches (starts)

13 (13)

14 (14)

Goals

3

3

Assists

0

0

Touches*

69.2

86.4

Accurate passes*

53.2 (91%)

62.6 (87%)

Dribbles*

0.3

0.1

Ball recoveries*

3.7

3.1

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

2.5

Clearances*

3.5

5.1

Duels (won)*

3.4 (51%)

5.6 (60%)

Errors

2

1

Van de Ven simply isn’t winning enough duels this season. He is an elite athletic profile and a force to be reckoned with, but there is gas in the tank he is not burning right now, and a true challenger for his starting spot could jumpstart him into action.

Then again, Van Hecke does have the quality to nail down a berth, with former striker Pierre van Hooijdonk actually describing him as a “positively crazy” defender, something that can work in your favour as a centre-back, if harnessed effectively.

This Romero-esque player could prove a jackpot signing for Tottenham if signed, not only deepening Frank’s options but also enriching the quality of a team that has more to give.

Spurs star is becoming Frank's own version of Kane & he's not even a forward

This Tottenham star is becoming a talismanic force for Frank’s side.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 5, 2025

United Arab Emirates (UAE) have qualified for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, after defeating Japan on Thursday by eight wickets in the Asia-EAP Qualifier tournament in Al Amerat.Haider Ali’s 3 for 20 and and an opening partnership of 70 between openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem helped them comfortably chase 117 against Japan. UAE now join Nepal and Oman as the last three teams to secure their World Cup spot in next year’s edition.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other teams with automatic qualification into the tournament are the top-seven teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup – Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America and West Indies. The three teams that qualified on basis of their T20I rankings were New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland.Canada comfortably took the lone Americas Qualifier position. Italy, first time T20 World Cup participants, and Netherlands qualified from the five-team tournament in Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe grabbed the two spots from the eight-team Africa qualifier before Nepal, Oman and UAE wrapped up the list this week in the nine-team Asia-EAP round.The 2026 tournament will follow the same format as the previous edition – the 20 teams will be split into four groups of five each, with every team playing the others once in a round-robin format. The top two teams from every group will progress to the Super 8 stage, where they will be placed into two groups of four according to pre-tournament seedings for another round-robin phase. The top two sides from each Super 8 group will then qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-final will meet in the final.