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Amorim: Rashford's Man Utd future still unknown

Published in Soccer
Friday, 24 January 2025 06:22

Ruben Amorim has said all options remain on the table regarding Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United with just a week to go before the transfer deadline.

Rashford was omitted from the squad again for Thursday's 2-1 win over Rangers in the Europa League.

United chose to name nine substitutes instead of the permitted 12 and left Rashford watching from his private box at Old Trafford.

Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are among the teams to have expressed an interest in signing Rashford on loan. But Amorim said he "doesn't know" how the situation will unfold in the final days of the window.

"I really don't know," Amorim said. "Guys, it's eight days [until the deadline]. We will see in the end of the window what happened. And then we will talk about that in the moment."

Rashford hasn't featured for United since the 2-1 win over FC Viktoria Plzen on Dec. 12.

It is likely he will miss out again when Amorim takes his team to play Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

The United boss will also have to decide whether to reinstate André Onana or keep faith with Altay Bayindir.

Onana's mistake contributed to Brighton's 3-1 win at Old Trafford and he was left out of the team against Rangers in favour of Bayindir.

"It's always an even fight but this [Bayindir playing against Rangers] was rotation, it was prepared," Amorim said. "I also think about the mistake [against Brighton] and then the idea I send to you guys and the fans but the rotation was done, everything was prepared and we deal with that normally.

"We think we have two really good goalkeepers. They need time to play, they need the space in the team, so this rotation was prepared. But that mistake was my concern but, in the end, we continue with the same plan that we did last week."

The transfer window is open across Europe as clubs look to do some midseason business. But what are ESPN's reporters hearing about some of the deals that could be done, and which clubs are hoping to make moves?

Every Friday during January we'll bring you the latest updates and insights on the biggest transfer news.


Could Marcus Rashford join Barcelona on loan?

Barcelona are certainly the first choice for Marcus Rashford and his representatives if he leaves Manchester United this month, but there's an acceptance that it's hard to do from a financial perspective. United would be keen, too, because if Rashford performs well at a club the size of Barcelona then his transfer value will go up ahead of the summer.

Milan are out of the question now that they've signed right-back Kyle Walker from Manchester City. Borussia Dortmund have asked to be kept informed of developments over Rashford and there are lots of other interested clubs, but the finances involved are proving problematic for everyone. United will have to drop their demands if they really want him to leave, which means this one could go right down to the wire on deadline day. -- Rob Dawson

Barça would like to sign Rashford, but hopes of raising or saving enough money to register him within their spending cap imposed by LaLiga are decreasing. Winger Ansu Fati has had the door open to leave, but remains reluctant to depart for now, while defender Eric García is also currently set to stay despite interest from Girona and Como.

Barça were also hoping Celta Vigo's Óscar Mingueza would join Aston Villa this month -- as they retain 50% of any future transfer the defender makes -- but the Premier League club's signing of Levante's Andrés García has closed that avenue. -- Sam Marsden

It's pretty simple: Rashford has been offered to every top club in France, Spain and Italy. In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Monaco and Marseille have been contacted. L'OM are managed by Roberto De Zerbi -- who knows the England international well since facing him in the Premier League with Brighton -- so they looked into whether it was feasible, but Rashford's wages proved to be a big stumbling block. The winger would also rather join a team playing in a Europe, which is not the case for Marseille this season. -- Julien Laurens

Will there be some good news from Barcelona soon?

There was already good news on Thursday, as the club announced that defender Ronald Araújo had extended his contract until 2031. Barça's focus is very much on improving and prolonging contracts at the moment, which also hampers any move for Rashford, as young midfielders Pedri and Gavi are next in line for new deals.

Both players should sign extensions to their deals, which run until 2026, before the end of February, although Saudi Arabian clubs have tried to tempt Pedri in recent weeks. They saw how acclaimed he was at the Spanish Supercopa earlier this month and sounded out a possible move. The money on the table was dizzying as the league looks for a star signing in the peak of their career, with Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior another target, though Pedri's appeal, quality and contract situation made him an interesting option. -- Sam Marsden

Why is the Salah contract saga still rumbling on?

play
2:05
Should Liverpool be the favorites to win the Champions League?

Stevie Nicol, Frank Leboeuf and Craig Burley recap Liverpool's 2-1 win over Lille and discuss if The Reds have the fewest weaknesses.

With the end of the January transfer window now in sight, there has been little indication that Liverpool are close to resolving Mohamed Salah's contract saga, or that of his teammates Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Egypt international's impassioned celebration following his goal against Lille midweek left little room for doubt about where his heart lies. The player wants to stay at Liverpool, but hammering out the details of a new contract is proving a convoluted process. -- Beth Lindop

Each day that passes without Salah signing a new contract is good news for the Saudi Pro League dealmakers, who are desperate to land him. His most likely destination is Al Hilal, as they look to move on Neymar, and there have been whispers in Saudi that they would love for Salah to be part of their squad for this summer's expanded Club World Cup. -- Dawson

Any movement on Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid?

After missing out on one long-term full-back target in Alphonso Davies -- who is close to signing a new contract at Bayern Munich -- Madrid are determined to not let their No. 1 priority, Alexander-Arnold, slip through their fingers too. Madrid had been hopeful of landing both on free transfers this summer but, with Davies now almost out of reach, it's all about Alexander-Arnold.

The club still haven't entirely given up on landing him this month, but the clock is ticking, with no sign that Liverpool are willing to sanction a deal. -- Alex Kirkland

Manchester City have signed three players already, but will there be a fourth?

play
1:52
How Man City's 2025 transfers can prevent a falloff

Rob Dawson says the transfer moves Manchester City make in 2025 will decide if they continue to be a Premier League title contender or not.

City have spent more than 150m million to sign three players -- forward Omar Marmoush (70m), defenders Abdukodir Khusanov (48m) and Vitor Reis (35m) -- already and City sources are indicating they might not be done yet. They still need a central midfielder and they're still actively looking.

Éderson at Atalanta is probably out of reach in January, but Douglas Luiz is possible if Juventus look to offload him in the last week of the window. Pep Guardiola is a big fan, and he's a proven player in the Premier League after starring for Aston Villa last season. There have also been repeated links with Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, whose transfer could cost up to 80m. -- Dawson

Meanwhile, City's women's team are struggling with injuries but have signed Brazil forward Kerolin from North Carolina Courage. However, forward Chloe Kelly remains at an impasse with the club over a potential move. The 26-year-old is seeking an exit due to a lack of playing time, especially with Euro 2025 looming, and despite an injury to teammate Lauren Hemp, the England international has started just once in the WSL this season.

Manchester United have shown interest in signing Kelly on loan for the final six months of her contract, with Everton also making inquiries about a temporary move. However, given City's recent 4-2 defeat to United and their drop to fourth in the table, it seems unlikely Kelly will leave this month, as the club are reluctant to strengthen a direct rival. -- Emily Keogh

Could Atletico Madrid sign Kieran Trippier?

Trippier isn't playing much at Newcastle and hasn't ruled out a move away from the club this month. He would be open to a return to Atletico Madrid, where he played from 2019-2022, but it looks like a long shot. -- Dawson

Trippier was a standout in Madrid, and a key part of Atletico's title win in 2021. The team have moved on, though, and manager Diego Simeone already has two reliable options at right-back in Nahuel Molina and Marcos Llorente. In any case, Atletico aren't in a position to sign any players. They'd need to make room in the squad, and a player would have to leave before they are able to bring someone else in. So far there's no sign of that happening, unless an unexpected exit occurs between now and the close of the window. -- Kirkland

Could the San Diego Wave sign a replacement for Chelsea-bound Naomi Girma?

play
1:28
Hamilton: Girma to Chelsea the biggest move in women's football history

Tom Hamilton talks about Naomi Girma's expected transfer to Chelsea for a world record transfer fee of over $1m.

With USWNT defender Girma poised to become the women's game's first $1m transfer when she moves to Chelsea in the coming days, San Diego Wave are looking to strengthen their squad. The club have already brought in several new players recently, but Chelsea defender Ève Périsset and Aston Villa midfielder Kenza Dali have both attracted interest from the NWSL side.

Dali, notably, confirmed her departure from Villa last week. A source told ESPN that the Wave are targeting a "world-class player" to fill the gap left by Jaedyn Shaw and Alex Morgan's absences in attack, raising the possibility that Chelsea could see one of their forwards move to North America before the transfer window closes. -- Keogh

How close is Neymar to leaving Al Hilal?

Neymar's father, and the player himself, are eager for him to return to Brazil and play for his boyhood club Santos. As a result, Neymar Sr. has been constantly urging Al Hilal to speak to their owners to figure out how that can happen, and has already pointed out to the Santos president that if his son's contract -- which is valid until the Club World Cup -- is cancelled, a deal with Santos could happen quickly.

Al Hilal are showing patience because they know the 32-year-old's future depends on them. The main stumbling blocks are coming from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which still wants Neymar to be the poster boy for the Saudi Pro League, and the player's desire not to give up the 65m in wages owed to him. -- Pedro Ivo Almeida, ESPN Brazil

play
1:08
Marcotti: Neymar's next move should be about football, not money

Gab Marcotti discusses the motivations behind Neymar's next career move.

Any other interesting deals in the works?

- Fikayo Tomori's future at AC Milan is in doubt heading into the final week of the transfer window, after the former Chelsea defender rejected a move to Juventus. Milan and Juventus had agreed a loan deal with an obligation to make the transfer permanent in the summer, but the 27-year-old has opted to stay at San Siro after returning to the first team under recently appointed coach Sérgio Conceição. Milan still need to raise funds to sign a striker, but with Tomori turning Juve down and teammate Strahinja Pavlovic rejecting a move to Fenerbahce, a move for the former England centre-back could still materialise before the Feb. 3 deadline if a new offer emerges. -- Mark Ogden

- Jonathan David is out of contract at Lille in the summer and although there has been interest this month, a source told ESPN that a move in January is "not the priority." He's likely to move on a free transfer in the summer, with a number of clubs already expressing interest. Man United looked at him very closely last summer before signing Joshua Zirkzee. -- Dawson

- Nottingham Forest are looking to aid their Champions League charge by bolstering their forward options. They have been heavily linked with Yoane Wissa at Brentford and will continue exploring other options to add some competition up front. -- Tom Hamilton

- Liverpool forward Ben Doak will remain on loan at Middlesbrough for the rest of the season despite interest from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town. -- Lindop

- Westerlo and United States men's national team defender Bryan Reynolds continues to draw interest from European teams, including those from Czechia, the Netherlands and the English Championship. But Westerlo, having prevented Reynolds from taking part in last summer's Olympic games, is reluctant to let the former FC Dallas product leave. Reynolds has made 22 league and cup appearances this season, scoring two goals. -- Jeff Carlisle

- Reynolds' American teammate, Griffin Yow, is also on the radar of European clubs, but Westerlo are reluctant to move him on because of the difficulty of finding a replacement given that the club are mired in a relegation battle. A summer move now seems more likely. An injury slowed Yow's progress during the first half of the year, but the midfielder has still managed to make 16 appearances, scoring three goals. -- Carlisle

- Frankfurt have stepped up their chase to sign Marseille forward Elye Wahi, which could mean more disappointment for West Ham, who were keen on the France U21 international after not reaching a deal for Aston Villa's Jhon Durán. The German club, who sent Omar Marmoush to Manchester City for 70m this week, are nearing an agreement to land Wahi on a 4-year contract for a fee of around 30m. -- Laurens

- Juventus' Brazilian centre-back Danilo agreed to Flamengo's offer and will negotiate his release with the Italian club, where he is under contract until the end of the 2024-25 season. Santos also showed interest in the veteran defender, but Flamengo's wage offer was higher. He is expected to be available for coach Filipe Luis' squad ahead of the Supercopa do Brazil final, against Botafogo, on Feb. 2. -- Daniela Boaventura, ESPN Brazil

- Former Barcelona forward Louie Barry's stock is high after a superb loan spell at Stockport County, and Aston Villa are keen not to err with their next move. The youngster has been recalled for now and will sign a new deal at the Premier League club, who must then decide whether to keep him or loan him out again this month. Celtic and Lens have both made offers of over 5m, but Villa are not considering a permanent transfer. At some point, all 24 Championship sides have asked to be kept informed of Barry's situation and Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday currently lead the way if Unai Emery does decide to send him out again this month. -- Marsden

- Palmeiras have rejected a bid (reportedly around 8m) from Torino to sign 19-year-old striker Thalys. City Football Group had also shown interest, but the Brazilian club, who are in good financial shape after Vitor Reis' move to Manchester City, have set a fee in the region of 25m. Thalys has a contract with Palmeiras until July 2028. -- Vinicius Nicoletti, ESPN Brazil

- Owen Gene, a 21-year-old French midfielder from Amiens in Ligue 2, is going to sign with Minnesota United in MLS, sources have told ESPN. The Paris-born talent has impressed this season in France's second tier, and while a few German clubs were interested, he decided to go to the U.S. instead. The transfer fee will be around $3m. -- Laurens

- Reports in the Italian media claimed this week that there is an agreement in principle between AC Milan and Feyenoord to sign Mexico forward Santiago Giménez, though sources told ESPN Netherlands that there is still nothing between the two clubs. Milan are keen to sign a striker after poor seasons for Álvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham in front of goal so far. -- ESPN NL.

Sonal Dinusha, a 24-year-old left-arm spinning allrounder, has been named in Sri Lanka's Test squad for the two-match series against Australia, which begins in Galle on January 29.
Opening batter Lahiru Udara has also been been included, potentially as cover for Pathum Nissanka, who is racing to be fit for the first Test, after picking up a groin strain while batting during the third ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on January 11.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva is nursing an injury as well, having retired hurt from a first-class game with a side strain less than two weeks ago.
Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and offspinner Nishan Peiris make the squad too, with Prabath Jayasuriya to lead the spin attack. On the seam-bowling front, Sri Lanka have four options - Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, and Milan Rathnayake.

The batting options are as expected, despite the underwhelming tour of South Africa in November and December. Dimuth Karunaratne is set to play his 100th Test in the second Test, with Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, de Silva, and Kusal Mendis likely to make up the remainder of the batting lineup. Sadeera Samarawickrama is in the squad, likely as the spare middle-order batter and keeper.

Dinusha's inclusion comes on the back of both an impressive domestic record and recent form. He's been outstanding with the bat for Colombo Cricket Club over the past few weeks, hitting two first-class hundreds in the last month. He was also among the runs for the Sri Lanka A side in November, against Pakistan A. After 44 first-class matches, he averages 40.08 with the bat and 24.06 with the ball.

Unlike Dinusha, who has never made a Sri Lanka senior squad before, Udara has been a domestic performer for years and has been on the fringes of the team. He is uncapped in Tests, however, though he has played 97 first-class games. He also makes the squad on the back of decent form, having made a 142 and a 65 in his last five innings.

Sri Lanka have no serious hope of making the World Test Championship final, having lost six of the 11 matches they have played in this cycle so far. Australia have won 11 of their 17, with two draws. Australia have all but sealed a spot in the WTC final alongside South Africa, and can only lose it if they incur an unlikely number of over-rate penalty points during the Sri Lanka Tests.

Both Tests will be played in Galle.

Sri Lanka squad for Australia Test series

Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka (subject to fitness), Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake.

Sydney Thunder 157 for 6 (Billings 42*, J Sangha 30, Kerr 2-35) beat Sydney Sixers 151 for 7 (Silk 43*, Andrews 2-15, Agar 2-25) by four wickets

David Warner will have the chance to lead Sydney Thunder to their first BBL title in nine years, a season after they finished with the wooden spoon, after his side held their nerve in a scrappy Challenger final derby against Sydney Sixers to win by four wickets, with seven balls to spare.
The experience of Sam Billings proved vital in the outcome as he nursed Thunder to their target amid a regular loss of wickets. With another 18 runs needed off the remaining 13 balls, Billings broke the tension with a huge leg-side six off Hayden Kerr.
Thunder had been excellent in the field, with only a sixth-wicket stand of 56 from 34 balls between Jordan Silk and Ben Dwarshuis hauling Sixers as far as 151. Although Tom Andrews was their only spinner in the wickets - his brace came in the space of three balls - Thunder's spinners were otherwise again very effective. The ten overs between Andrews, Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green cost just 66 runs on a surface that offered assistance.

In reply, young English legspinner Jafer Chohan was very impressive, but Sixers did not have the volume of spin overs they were able to turn to as Thunder set up a final showdown with Hobart Hurricanes on Monday.

Jason Sangha opens up

Thunder have tried a variety of opening combinations this season, although some of it has been out of their hands due to injury to Cameron Bancroft, and a Test call-up for Sam Konstas. For the Challenger, they opted for Jason Sangha, alongside Warner. Jason Sangha was playing in just his second game of the season, and started with a bang by taking 14 runs off the first over.

Warner then scooped his first ball from Kerr for six, and Thunder were off to a flyer. But he bunted a catch to mid-on in the third over. Jason Sangha, meanwhile, had reached 30 off 19 balls at the other end, when he slog-swept Chohan to deep midwicket, as the game really started to tighten up.

A zing-bail run-out

When on 3, Thunder's Matthew Gilkes was given a life as he lofted Ben Manenti's first ball to long-off, where Lachlan Shaw, who has produced some spectacular fielding in the competition, spilled a regulation catch in front of the Thunder dugout. From there, Gilkes built steadily, including landing a huge six into the Members Stand off Mitch Perry. But Gilkes was then at the centre of a borderline third-umpire decision.
Coming back for a second run after playing towards deep third, Gilkes was beaten by a superb throw from Kerr. But Jack Edwards thought he had broken the stumps with his hands. However, after multiple replays, the third umpire Phillip Gillespie ruled that it was the ball that had fully dislodged the bail so Gilkes was ruled out for 26. The stump could be seen moving before the ball made contact, but, crucially, the zing bails had not lit up, so they had not been fully dislodged. Without zing bails, it was unlikely to have been given out.

That is when Sixers put the squeeze on. Hugh Weibgen under-edged on to the stumps against Kerr, and Thunder couldn't find the big over that would likely have killed the game off sooner. Chohan was superb, as he had been in the Qualifier final, and did not concede a boundary until the final delivery of his spell.

Thunder held the power surge back until the 18th over, and though George Garton fell swinging across the line, Billings and Nathan McAndrew finished the job with some breathing space.

Tanveer's fortune; Andrews' double

Amid the loss of Edwards and Kurtis Patterson inside the powerplay, which ended with Sixers just 23 for 2, it was a struggle for the hosts. Josh Philippe, who had been moved down to No. 3 after having not reached double figures in his last five innings, and Moises Henriques, were starting to engineer a platform when Henriques nailed a return catch to Tanveer, who dropped it, but deflected the ball on to the stumps with Philippe out of his ground.

Then Andrews, who has had a huge impact on Thunder's run to the finals, further dented Sixers' middle order with two wickets in the 13th over. Firstly, Henriques was brilliant caught at cover by Garton, diving full length to his left. Then Shaw picked out Warner on the off side, with the Thunder captain rewarded for aggressive fielding placement. Somewhat surprisingly, that was Andrews' last over of the innings.

Silk's forlorn finals

Silk was superb in Hobart on Monday, when he had nearly hauled Sixers over the line with 57. Against Sixers in the Challenger, he had to do another rebuilding job from 76 for 5. He broke the shackles with a sweep for six off Tanveer Sangha, and cleared the rope again in the power surge against Wes Agar.

The surge brought 20 runs from the two overs, before Dwarshuis was able to find his range against McAndrew in the 18th over, which cost 19 runs. It gave Sixers something to defend, although it wasn't quite enough in the end.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

Highlights from day two of the sixth round of matches

Thakur Lords over J&K after Rohit misses out again

Rohit Sharma briefly caused bursts of excitement among early-morning office-goers in Mumbai's financial district with a typically attractive start. He hit three sixes and two fours as Mumbai began their second innings against Jammu & Kashmir with a half-century stand between Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair wiped out more than half their 86-run first-innings deficit, before Rohit fell for 28, mistiming a heave to midwicket. The two shots that stood out were a hooked six off Umar Nazir and a flat-bat hit down the ground for six off Auqib Nabi, who eventually dismissed him.
Rohit's dismissal opened the floodgates as Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube fell in quick succession. Then, from what was effectively 15 for 7, Mumbai roared back thanks to an outstanding hundred from Shardul Thakur; his unbroken eight-wicket stand of 163 with Tanush Kotian leaves Mumbai with a lead of 188 going into day three.

A win for either side will take them a step closer to the playoffs. A loss won't mean the end of the road either. But J&K have a tougher next opponent in Baroda, who are the current table-toppers, as compared to Mumbai, who play minnows Meghalaya.

Jadeja takes 12; Pant endures unhappy Ranji return

Few teams in domestic cricket have used home advantage as well as Saurashtra. They had spoken of the need to get two outright wins in the back-end of the group stage, and had decided that 'spin to win' was the way to go at home. Ravindra Jadeja duly unleashed himself on a brittle Delhi batting line-up, and picked up five-wicket hauls in each innings to secure a bonus-point win that vaulted Saurashtra from the bottom half of Group D into third position.
Jadeja bettered his first-innings figures of 5 for 66 with 7 for 38 in the second innings after they had taken a first-innings lead of 83. Jadeja's haul included the wicket of Rishabh Pant, who made 17 to go with 1 off 10 in the first innings. Pant, who began by reverse-sweeping Jadeja for his first boundary, was the second-highest run-scorer for Delhi in their capitulation; they were bowled out for just 94 before Saurashtra knocked off their 12-run target inside three overs to complete a two-day victory.

Smaran's time in the sun

In the first half of the season, Smaran had scored 145 runs in seven innings without a half-century. But the selectors kept faith in him and other youngsters, and phased out a key senior player in Manish Pandey ahead of the white-ball leg of the season. Smaran took Pandey's position at No. 4, and played an innings that hinted at a bright future.

Smaran's initiation into the Karnataka set-up comes on the back of plenty of runs at the Under-23 level. In 2023-24, he hit 872 runs in the CK Nayudu Trophy, including a match-winning hundred in the final against Uttar Pradesh. He also enjoyed a stellar run at the Maharaja Trophy, the state's local T20 competition.

What to look forward to on Saturday

  • He was preparing for a Test debut at this time last year, but Rajat Patidar now finds himself lower down in the pecking order after missing out even on the India A tour of Australia. But a strong back end of the first-class season, and a good IPL, could propel him back. For starters, he will look to covert his unbeaten half-century into a big innings as Madhya Pradesh look to build a sizeable lead after conceding first-innings honours to Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram.
  • In Bengaluru, Shubman Gill will face a stern test against a young Karnataka pace attack after Punjab have been run ragged for nearly two days. Having begun their second innings facing a 420-run deficit, they are 24 for 2. Gill, who was out to an inside-edge to the keeper while attempting a drive off left-arm seamer Abhilash Shetty in the first innings, is batting on 7.

It is not difficult to know what's coming this Test match. It is an easy one to analyse, a straightforward one to predict. West Indies will have prepared studiously for the challenge Pakistan will pose, and Pakistan, themselves, have made no secret they will double down on the nature of the surfaces they prepare. The wicket might begin to break up when the two captains head out for the toss. Whoever wins will bat first, and spin bowling will feature right from the outset.

But forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. The challenge Pakistan pose with these surfaces that crackle in the winter heat is much easier to understand than to do anything about. The outcome of the game hinges on West Indies' execution; any mistakes they made in terms of understanding what kind of pitch this was will have been ironed out.

Kraigg Brathwaite threw the gauntlet down to his team at the end of the first Test, while encouraging them with the reminder they were ahead in the game at a few key stages, and there was significant room for improvement to offer them belief.
West Indies' own spinners showed they could go toe to toe with Pakistan's, and Jomel Warrican registered better figures than any of his Pakistani counterparts. In Kemar Roach, they possess the best fast bowler on either side, on the few occasions that one will be required. They even worked out how to make the sweep and reverse-sweep productive, if not necessarily risk-free. And they found runs with the lower order, an inveterate Achilles' heel of Pakistan's bowling, no matter the conditions.
Aaqib Javed made an impassioned defence of the pitches Pakistan have begun preparing at home, but he knows he has not won everyone over yet. Concerns about what it means for the country's Test batting and fast bowling linger, and the only thing - the main thing, in his view - his style has got going for it is simple; it wins Pakistan Test matches. Pakistan are aware they must continue getting these wins, because the moment results turn, that spring-loaded criticism is waiting to be unleashed.

Pakistan: WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

In the spotlight - Shan Masood and Alick Athanaze

Pakistan cricket brings with it short attention spans, and Shan Masood knows he will not have much of it for the next nine months. He has now been now been captain for just under the full WTC cycle, and this is Pakistan's last Test in a disappointing year and a half of Test cricket. Reports about his position as Test captain being vulnerable have surfaced more than once, and with a new cycle beginning at the end of the year, Pakistan will likely reevaluate at some point. However, this game represents a chance to finish off strongly, and continue making his case. With the bat, there are possible signs of a patch of form with a hundred and a fifty in his last three innings, and while he has not been viewed as the reason for an upturn in Test results, victory here will mean he finishes the cycle off with four wins in his last six Tests
Alick Athanaze came into this series with runs against Bangladesh, and appears to have enjoyed batting in Pakistan more than most of his team-mates He scored 99 and 58* in the three-day game before the series in Islamabad, and was responsible for nearly half of his side's runs in the fourth innings in Multan, becoming the only visiting batter to score a half-century. Praise for the Dominican's technique has come from exalted quarters, with Brian Lara and Ian Bishop among his admirers, and if the visitors top six are to rise to the challenge their captain laid out for them, Athanaze is expected to have a significant role.

Pakistan have not yet named an XI, with Aqib Javed saying they would take a final look at the surface.

Pakistan (likely XI): 1 Shan Masood (capt) 2 Muhammad Hurraira 3 Babar Azam 4 Kamran Ghulam 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 7 Salman Agha 8 Noman Ali 9 Sajid Khan 10 Abrar Ahmed 11 Khurram Shahzad

West Indies, too, have yet to name a starting line-up. Jayden Seales misses out with a slightly niggle in his leg. Kemar Roach is available again alongside Amir Jangoo.

West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt) 2 Mikyle Louis 3 Keacy Carty 4 Alick Athanaze 5 Kavem Hodge 6 Justin Greaves 7 Tevin Imlach/Amir Jangoo (wk) 8 Gudakesh Motie 9 Kevin Sinclair 10 Jomel Warrican 11 Kemar Roach

The pitch has been prepared in the same way as the one for the first Test was. Weather conditions have not changed in the week since, and it remains cold and dry. Any deviation from what happened in the first Test would be a surprise.

"Of course we were right to prepare a spin pitch against West Indies. Their batters are not as proficient against spin when compared to fast bowling."
Pakistan interim head coach Aaqib Javed makes no apologies for preparing a spin-friendly pitch in Multan.

"I've played on surfaces that spun from day one, but this was the first time I've seen such cracks on a pitch on day one."
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite says he has never seen a pitch break up so early in quite the way the Multan surface did for the first Test.

Big Picture: England vs spin

England would have felt a sense of deja vu when they were skittled for 132 in the T20I series opener in Kolkata on Wednesday. In June 2024, in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Providence, they watched Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel return combined figures of 11-0-58-6. At Eden Gardens, they were trampled by Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel, who had combined figures of 5 for 67 in 12 overs. If the Chepauk pitch veers towards its usual spin-friendly nature - it went the other way at IPL 2024, with fast bowlers taking 74 wickets in 18 innings to the spinners' 25 - England could be in for another trial by spin. India also have other spin options in Washington Sundar (offspinner) and Abhishek Sharma (left-arm orthodox) at their disposal.
Under Brendon McCullum in Test cricket, England have countered heavy defeats with their ultra-aggressive style of play. England's white-ball era under McCullum and Jos Buttler might have got off to a rickety start in Kolkata, but the message from the team management remains the same: "Be more aggressive and come back harder."

That might be easier said than done against India, who have a new-ball banker in Arshdeep Singh and a middle-overs squeezer in Varun. The likes of Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook will have to adapt quickly and back Buttler up if England are to test the depth of India's attack. On Wednesday, India didn't even need their sixth bowler.

They didn't need Nitish Kumar Reddy with the bat either as the top five polished off the chase of 133 inside 13 overs. England, though, will be buoyed by the sharp bursts from Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. After having spent five months on the sidelines, Wood cranked it up to speeds north of 150kph. Besides generating similar high pace and steep bounce, Archer also dipped into his slower cutters for figures of 4-0-21-2. Gus Atkinson, who had a horror outing leaking 38 runs in two overs after struggling to 2 off 13 balls, will make way for Brydon Carse.

India WWWLW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England LLWWW

In the spotlight: Varun Chakravarthy and Jamie Overton

Varun Chakravarthy and Chepauk share an incredible love story. Even before playing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Varun had started his cricketing career as an IPL net bowler for Chennai Super Kings at the venue in 2018. Six years later, Varun won both the IPL and TNPL here, and he is now set to play his first international game at the ground, in front of his friends and family. He had rated his 3 for 23 at Eden Gardens a humble 7/10. Beware of the perfect ten, England.
At 6 feet 5 inches, Jamie Overton is a presence to reckon with for any opposition. He didn't have much to do with bat or ball in the first T20I, but his recent form in the Big Bash League (BBL) is encouraging: he finished unbeaten in seven of his nine innings, striking at 156.55, to go with 11 wickets for Adelaide Strikers. This is his chance to introduce himself to Chepauk before turning out for CSK at IPL 2025.

Team news: Will Shami return to action?

Mohammed Shami, who is working his way back from ankle and knee issues, had missed the opening T20I. If he is fit and available for selection, India might have to rejig their attack. He was among the first batch of India players to train on Friday evening and, though he had protection on both his knees, he bowled in the nets, with bowling coach Morne Morkel keeping a close eye on him.

India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Ravi Bishnoi/Mohammed Shami, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Bethell reportedly missed training on Friday with illness and if he doesn't recover in time, wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith could make his T20I debut for England. Smith had a stint with the gloves too on a humid afternoon. Carse, meanwhile, is set to replace Atkinson.

England (probable): 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jos Buttler (capt), 4 Harry Brook, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jacob Bethell/Jamie Smith, 7 Jamie Overton, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions: Dew could be a factor

The second T20I is set to be played on a fresh, black-soil pitch, and dew could favour chasing in Chennai. Another humid evening awaits both sides on Saturday.

Stats and trivia: Arshdeep on the brink of another milestone

"He's obviously very experienced in India. He's done exceptionally well in the IPL and whenever he's played for England here. So it's really nice to watch him go out there and go about his business."
Harry Brook on his captain Jos Buttler

"The plan will be the same [against the England batters] and will see how they're going to approach me and it's all instinctive. Initially you have certain plan for certain batters, but if they're trying to do something different, it will be more instinctive.
Varun Chakravarthy on his game plan

Sources: Bucs' Coen, Jags agree on coach deal

Published in Breaking News
Friday, 24 January 2025 06:15

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen told the team Thursday night that he was leaving to become coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a source told ESPN's Jenna Laine.

The two sides verbally reached agreement on a contract overnight, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The decision capped a two-day saga in which Coen pulled himself from consideration for the Jaguars job, then agreed to a contract extension with the Buccaneers that would have made him the NFL's highest-paid coordinator, and then changed his mind after Jacksonville reached out to ask him to reconsider after it parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday afternoon.

Coen traveled to Jacksonville on Thursday afternoon and met with owner Shad Khan and interim general manager Ethan Waugh. A source told Laine that Coen reached out to Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles earlier Thursday night to tell him about his renewed interest in the Jaguars' job, but Coen did not speak with anyone else in the Bucs' front office.

The Jaguars had interviewed Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham earlier Thursday and were scheduled to have an in-person interview with former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh on Friday.

A league source said they hoped to reengage with Coen after the exit of Baalke -- their GM since 2021 -- but were prepared to expand the search into next week if Coen declined.

An unwillingness to work with Baalke instead of a GM of his choice was a factor -- but not the main one -- in Coen's initial decision to pull himself from consideration, the source said.

Coen was one of 10 candidates the Jaguars interviewed, with the sides first speaking virtually Jan. 15. He will be the eighth head coach in franchise history and replace Doug Pederson, whom Khan fired Jan. 6 after three seasons.

Coen, 39, will become the fourth-youngest active head coach in the NFL, behind only the Seattle Seahawks' Mike Macdonald (37), Chicago Bears' Ben Johnson (38) and Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay (38).

Coen has spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach, including 10 at the college level. He spent four seasons with the Rams under McVay as an assistant wide receivers coach (two years), assistant quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator (2022), and then this past season with the Buccaneers under Bowles.

Coen was hired by Tampa Bay to replace Dave Canales, who left the Bucs to become coach of the Carolina Panthers. That reunited Coen with Baker Mayfield -- whom Coen had coached with the Rams in 2022 -- and the two put together one of the best offenses in Bucs history.

Mayfield's passer rating of 106.8 was a franchise record, and the Bucs were the only team in the NFL to rank in the top five in passing yards per game (250.4) and rushing yards per game (149.2). The Bucs ranked in the top five in total offense (399.6 yards per game), scoring (29.5 points per game), rushing, passing, third-down conversions (a league-high 50.9%) and red zone efficiency (66.7%).

In addition, Mayfield set career highs in passing yards (4,500), passing touchdowns (41) and completion percentage (71.4%) -- ranking in the top three in the NFL in each of those categories.

The Rams' offense struggled in 2022 because quarterback Matthew Stafford sat out eight games because of a concussion and spinal cord contusion. Los Angeles started four quarterbacks that season: Stafford (nine games), Mayfield (four), John Wolford (three) and Bryce Perkins (one) and finished last in total offense (280.5 yards per game) and 27th in scoring (18.1 points per game), rushing (97.7 yards per game), and passing (182.8 yards per game).

Coen spent 10 seasons as a college assistant, including two separate stints as Kentucky's offensive coordinator (2021, 2023).

This was a critical hire for Khan because he's trying to find long-term stability for franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence will be on his third full-time coach and fourth playcaller in five seasons in the NFL.

The Jaguars went 4-13 in 2024, the 10th time in Khan's 13 seasons as owner his team has posted double-digit losses.

Djokovic booed after retiring injured in semifinals

Published in Breaking News
Friday, 24 January 2025 06:15

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic retired from his Australian Open semifinal match against Alexander Zverev on Friday afternoon, unable to continue because of a muscle tear in his left leg.

After Zverev had secured a marathon 81-minute first set in a tiebreak, Djokovic, who was playing with heavy strapping on his left thigh, walked gingerly to the net and shook hands with the world No. 2, conceding the match and confirming Zverev's place in Sunday's final.

The capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena booed Djokovic as he headed for the exit, and he responded by flashing two thumbs-up.

"I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had," a dejected Djokovic told reporters minutes after stepping off the court. "Medications and the strap and the physio work helped to some extent today, [but] towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was getting worse and worse. It was just too much to handle for me at the moment.

"I knew even if I won the first set it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for another, god knows, two, three, four hours. I don't think I had that, unfortunately, today in the tank. Unfortunate ending, but I tried."

Zverev, 27, who will play in his first Australian Open final and face defending champion Jannik Sinner, addressed the booing fans and defended Djokovic in his on-court interview.

"The very first thing I want to say is, please, guys, don't boo a player when he goes out with injury," Zverev said. "I know that everybody paid for tickets and wants to see hopefully a five-set match. He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, won this tournament with a hamstring injury. So please show some respect."

Djokovic, 37, who was seeking a record-extending 11th title at Melbourne Park, suffered the injury during his quarterfinal win against world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the week.

Friday's retirement marks the second time in the past 12 months Djokovic has been forced out of a Grand Slam through injury. At last year's French Open he withdrew from his quarterfinal against Casper Ruud with a knee issue.

"It is true that, you know, getting injured quite a bit the last few years. I don't know what exactly is the reason for that," Djokovic said. "It's not like I'm worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I'm going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me, in a way, in the last couple of years.

"I'll keep striving to win more Slams and as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I'll be around."

Djokovic will now have the injury investigated further to determine how long he will be sidelined.

"When I go back home to Europe I will get together with the medical team and my physios and try to understand what we can do and the quickest way to recover and get back on track," he said. "I still have Doha tournament in a few weeks' time that is scheduled. Whether I'm going to play that or not, it really does depend on how quickly I recover. It just depends on the muscle and how it responds to the treatment."

Bucks dominate Heat despite travel turnaround

Published in Basketball
Friday, 24 January 2025 05:41

MILWAUKEE -- Despite being grounded in New Orleans all week by a historic winter storm, which postponed one game and prevented the Bucks from even being able to practice, they arrived in Milwaukee a little more than two hours before they were set to play Thursday night.

And despite the unusual travel day, the Bucks rallied from a 15-point first-quarter deficit to dominate the Miami Heat in a 125-96 victory, Milwaukee's fifth win in a row to cap off one of the more difficult travel experiences of the NBA season.

"Just a strange, long couple of days," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Thursday night.

The Bucks arrived in New Orleans on Monday ahead of the snowstorm in hopes of playing Wednesday night. However, a foot of snow got dumped on the Big Easy, shutting down several major roads with minimal snow clearing equipment on hand.

That left the Bucks stuck in their hotel for three days while Tuesday's practice and Wednesday morning's shootaround were canceled before the NBA elected to postpone Wednesday's game.

Players searched for ways to pass the time. At one point, Giannis Antetokounmpo found a ballroom where he could dribble a ball around. Damian Lillard said he started watching several Netflix shows in between workouts. Bobby Portis organized a card game in his room Tuesday night.

"It felt like it was COVID all over again," Portis said Thursday night with a laugh. "We were just in the room just chilling."

Already facing the prospect of rescheduling one game against the Pelicans during a second half of the season loaded with back-to-backs, the Bucks did not want to postpone against the Heat and have to make up a second game.

Players wanted to play if they made it back to Milwaukee in time, and with an hour delay on the start time for the game, they were ready to do so. Rivers called on the players to summon their old high school travel basketball days from AAU, when teams would get off the bus and go play.

Both Lillard and Antetokounmpo delivered a clear message as the team prepared to bus to the airport in New Orleans: no excuses.

"As a leader of the team, you got to let the team know off the rip, we not doing that," said Lillard, who had 29 points and 11 assists and finished one rebound shy of his first Bucks triple-double. "We not having excuses. I don't care about the flight, I don't care. We've been in a hotel. ... Ain't going to be no excuses tonight, you got to go out here and jump on them like we've been doing. And no excuses if something goes wrong, we can't be looking at it as a crutch or nothing like that."

Still, the Heat jumped out to an early lead over the Bucks after what Antetokounmpo called a "sloppy" first 10 minutes of the team searching for a rhythm after not playing all week. But despite falling behind 20-5, the Bucks bounced back quickly, leading going into halftime 71-55.

Antetokounmpo, who finished with a 25-point triple-double, said he was proud of the fight his team had, but also downplayed the so-called tough travel conditions with some perspective.

"The only difference is that we had to take a flight," Antetokounmpo said. "At the end of the day, if you could call this adversity, I think the team responded very well facing this adversity that we had to take a flight for two hours before the game."

However, the travel doesn't stop for Milwaukee. The Bucks are scheduled to fly again Friday morning for the start of a four-game West Coast road swing, beginning Saturday in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

"How crazy is that?" Antetokounmpo said. "It's insane. Yeah. Go back home, spend one or two hours with your family and after that you got to wake up, get ready, pack your bags, and 9:30, be in the airport. Get ready for these four games in seven days."

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