Category Uncategorized

Liverpool would “without a doubt” look to replace Luis Diaz with “world-class” trophy-laden player this summer, according to an exciting new update.

The latest on Diaz's Liverpool future

The future of Diaz continues to be a big talking point at Anfield this summer, with the Colombian pushing for a move away, amid strong interest from Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga champions have already seen a bid rejected, but it looks as though they will return with an improved offer for the 28-year-old, especially after Jamal Musiala suffered a broken ankle at the Club World Cup, and the fact that they were beaten by Liverpool to the signing of Florian Wirtz.

Reds supporters are split over the idea of Diaz departing this summer, with some feeling he is a vital player, having scored 17 goals in all competitions last season, helping Arne Slot’s side win the Premier League title.

Others believe the winger isn’t a truly elite attacker, however, and given his age, they would be happy to see Liverpool cash in on him, signing a superior option in the process.

Liverpool backed to sign "world-class" superstar

According to a new update from L’Equipe [via Get French Football News], Liverpool will “without a doubt” look to sign Rodrygo if Diaz goes this summer.

The 24-year-old has been mentioned as an option for the Reds plenty of times in recent weeks, with the Brazilian potentially looking to leave Real Madrid, having not been a key part of new manager Xabi Alonso’s plans during the Club World Cup.

The idea of Rodrygo in a Liverpool shirt is a mouthwatering prospect, given his reputation as one of the best wide forwards in European football.

Their own Zubimendi: Liverpool favourites to sign "generational" £100m CM

Liverpool are reportedly favourites to sign one of the Premier League’s best young midfielders.

1

By
Matt Dawson

Jul 21, 2025

He has excelled for Madrid, even if he hasn’t always made as many headlines as the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, being hailed as “world-class” by Luka Modric and earning praise from Carlo Ancelotti.

Rodrygo is four years younger than Diaz, and simply a better player, as a tally of 119 goal contributions in 270 appearances highlights, so signing the former to replace the latter could be inspired business by Liverpool, with the Brazil star having the potential to become an icon on Merseyside.

Kishan slammed a 126-ball 111 on his proper comeback to red-ball cricket since making his Test debut last July

Shashank Kishore12-Sep-2024Ishan Kishan marked his return to first-class cricket with a counterattacking 126-ball 111 that helped India C dominate proceedings on the opening day of the second round of matches in the Duleep Trophy, in Anantapur.Not originally part of the revised squads named by the BCCI on September 10, Kishan was a late inclusion on match-eve. Having made a late dash from Bengaluru, 200 kilometers away, Kishan slotted in for India C, not India D who he was originally set to play for, before picking up a groin injury that forced him to miss the first round of matches last week.Kishan dominated during the course of a 189-run stand for the third wicket with B Indrajith, which formed the bedrock of India C’s batting performance; they ended on 357 for 5 after 79 overs. Indrajith contributed 78, his second half-century in three innings.Kishan, who brought up his seventh first-class century, hit 14 fours and three sixes in all during his knock, which officially marks his comeback to proper red-ball cricket for the first time since his Test debut in the Caribbean in July 2023.Last month, he had led Jharkhand in two games of the pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational in Tamil Nadu – the scores of which aren’t classified under first-class records. There, Kishan had struck a hundred in his very first outing against a Madhya Pradesh XI.Three of the five India C wickets were picked up by seamer Mukesh Kumar, while Navdeep Saini and legspinner Rahul Chahar picked up one apiece.India C, however, will be encouraged by the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad, their captain, who had retired hurt in the very first over after twisting his ankle. Gaikwad, who returned to bat at the fall of Indrajith’s wicket, added 42 more to his score to remain unbeaten on 46 at stumps.B Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar, both seeking to firmly cement themselves as first back-up middle order picks, couldn’t build on strong starts, making 43 and 40 respectively.

Despite already welcoming as many as four fresh faces this summer, Derby County have now reportedly initiated contact to sign another Championship rival.

Who Derby County have signed this summer

It’s been a busy summer for the Rams so far, having signed Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O’Donnell and Carlton Morris to get off to an excellent start. All four players have a lot of experience in the Championship and all four could make an instant impact on John Eustace’s side as a result – starting in pre-season.

Derby County’s pre-season fixtures

Date

Matlock Town vs Derby County

12/07/2025

RB Salzburg vs Derby County

18/07/2025

Walsall vs Derby County

22/07/2025

Burton Albion vs Derby County

26/07/2025

Solihull Moors vs Derby County

29/07/2025

Those at Pride Park just have a matter of days before their pre-season fixtures get underway and a full month until their Championship campaign commences with a trip to Stoke City.

The next month is, therefore, crucial and any business must get done before that Stoke trip arrives if Eustace wants to start the season with a settled side ready to avoid the drop and more.

Perhaps the most impressive to arrive so far, Morris told Derby’s official website after putting pen to paper: “It’s a massive club that I’ve heard a lot of good things about. When they came in for me, it was a bit of a no-brainer, really.”

Related Derby now set to sign "fantastic" star in £7m package after Batth & Weimann

He looks set to become their fifth signing of the summer.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jul 4, 2025

After suffering relegation with Luton Town last season, the forward will be keen to avoid suffering the same fate at Pride Park. Instead, his sights should be set on causing plenty of upsets alongside the rest of Eustace’s side.

Even after welcoming Morris and others, however, Derby still reportedly have unfinished business in the transfer window and could yet sign their fifth EFL rival in the coming weeks.

Derby County initiate contact to sign Brittain

According to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Derby have now initiated contact to sign Callum Brittain from Blackburn Rovers this summer. The Rams already set their sights on Brittain earlier this summer and are joined by Wrexham and Middlesbrough in the race to sign the right-back, who Blackburn are keen to keep hold of ahead of next season, but the Rams have now made a move.

Given that Brittain is into the final year of his current deal at Ewood Park, Blackburn may have no choice but to sell one of their key men this summer and that’s where Derby could take full advantage.

At 27 years old, the defender would once again bring plenty of experience and, more importantly, experience playing under Eustace. The Blackburn man featured 43 times for the current Derby boss during their time together in Lancashire and could now get the chance to reunite with his former manager at Pride Park.

Having previously dubbed Brittain a “leader”, Eustace will know more than most exactly what he could add to the current Derby side.

Middlesex beat the Kent Spitfires by four wickets in Vitality Blast at Canterbury after a brilliant fight back in the field.Luke Hollman pulled Matt Parkinson for the winning six with four balls remaining, after Ryan Higgins 44 hit from 29 balls and Stephen Eskinazi made 40.Middlesex finished on 178 for 6 and the win followed a superb recovery with the ball: at one point they looked likely to be chasing a target of well over 200.Daniel Bell-Drummond made 60 from 38 balls but after plundering 118 from the first 11 overs, Kent were restricted to 173 for 8, Hollman taking 2 for 18 and Tom Helm 2 for 24.The visitors chose to field and Tom Helm got Zak Crawley for four when he drove the third ball of the innings straight to Martin Andersson at extra cover.Blake Cullen then sent Tawanda Muyeye’s leg stump flying for 12 but Bell-Drummond and Marcus O’Riordan countered with a rapid stand of 66 from 29 balls. Higgins had the latter lbw for 28 and Sam Billings was bowled for 10 by Hollman, trying to reverse sweep.The run rate dipped drastically after Bell-Drummond holed out to Hollman and was caught by Leus du Plooy. Joey Evison played on to Josh de Caires and was bowled for four and Kent couldn’t manage a single boundary in overs 15 to 17.The 18th went for 15 but the last two went for just 10 after Joe Denly skied Helm to Eskinazi for 28 and Beyers Swanepoel swiped Henry Brookes to the same fielder for eight.Kent reverted to their title-winning strategy of 2021 by throwing the ball to Denly and he took his 50th T20 wicket when he trapped Andersson lbw for a five-ball duck.Yet the visitors again rallied: Eskinazi hit the first sixes of the match and looked well set until he tried to ramp Swanepoel and played on.Kent’s hopes rose again when Xavier Bartlett pinned Higgins at the start of the 13th and three balls later he sent du Plooy’s off stump flying for 18.Max Holden hit Grant Stewart for successive fours but then ramped him straight to Matt Parkinson and was out for 17.Hollman, however, eased visiting nerves when he hit Parkinson for a six and a four in the 17th and Jack Davies dumped Bartlett’s first ball of the 18th over cow corner for six.Davies then chipped Bartlett to Evison and was out for 23, but by then Middlesex just needed 11 off the last two overs with four wickets in hand.De Caires straight drove Swanepoel for four to leave the visitors one blow from victory and with three needed off the last six, Hollman creamed Parkinson over cow corner.

In an attempt to get their summer business underway, Aston Villa have now reportedly joined the race to sign a 19-year-old Ligue 1 sensation who’s available at a cut-price this summer.

How much Aston Villa can spend this summer

With the transfer window now open, Aston Villa would usually be ready to spend in normal circumstances. This time around, however, they must act with caution. At risk of PSR sanctions more so than most Premier League sides, the Villans may need to sell at least one star name this summer if they want to ease their profit and sustainability problems.

That’s not to say Aston Villa can’t spend at all, though. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire recently offered insight into just how much those at Villa Park can splash out as things stand. He told BBC Sport: “Without any outgoings, it appears Villa will be at the bottom end of the £50-100m spending range.”

The dream XI Aston Villa could build: No Rashford, £135m quartet all sign

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will be a busy man this summer…

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 7, 2025

Whether the Midlands club decide to increase that figure through player sales remains to be seen. The likes of Emiliano Martinez and Morgan Rogers have already been linked with summer departures, but both sales would undoubtedly weaken Unai Emery’s squad as they go in pursuit of Champions League football once again next season.

How they choose to spend that rumoured £50-100m will also be interesting. To that end, the rumours have also been coming thick and fast. Names such as Fares Chaibi have threatened to steal the headlines, as have the likes of Nicolas Jackson in what would be quite the move from Chelsea. Both may be within the Villans’ price range, albeit a limited one, which instantly makes them two names to keep an eye on.

They’re not the only targets in Villa’s sights, however. Moncho and co. are also reportedly battling to sign a Ligue 1 sensation to add to Emery’s side in the coming months.

Aston Villa join race to sign Atangana

According to Bild in Germany, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa have now joined the battle to sign Valentin Atangana alongside West Ham United and Eintracht Frankfurt. The 19-year-old midfielder enjoyed an impressive season in a struggling Stade Reims side who were eventually relegated from Ligue 1.

Whilst that relegation would have disappointed the teenager, it may well provide him with a route to bigger and better things this summer. In a far weaker position in negotiations following relegation, Reims could now sell Atangana for as little as €10m (£8m) this summer.

Dubbed a “fantastic modern holding midfielder” by scout Jacek Kulig, Villa’s interest in Atangana should come as little surprise. His arrival would hardly break the bank or exceed their PSR limit and would undoubtedly offer Emery the chance to work with a future star.

Arsenal have communicated to the board of Real Madrid that they’re about to seal the deal for a “world-class” player, according to an intriguing report.

Arsenal's summer transfer plans ramp up amid Champions League campaign

On the field, Mikel Arteta has one clear focus after missing out on the Premier League crown to Liverpool – winning Arsenal their first ever Champions League title.

Arteta sold Arsenal gem for just £4m, now he's outscoring Isak & Sesko

The incredible poacher would have been useful for Arsenal this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 28, 2025

The Gunners face Ligue 1 champions PSG over two historic European semi-final legs which could define their campaign, and Luis Enrique’s side come as a very tough obstacle they must overcome.

Arsenal will take encouragement from Aston Villa’s entertaining win against them in the last round at Villa Park, which proved they’re not unbeatable, with OGC Nice also ending the club’s unbeaten streak in the French top flight by clinching a surprise 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes last Friday.

The north Londoners already boast a victory against PSG this term, with Arsenal beating them 2-0 at the Emirates in October, so it is clear that Arteta’s side are in with a real chance of reaching their first Champions League final since 2006.

“I think prepare as well as you possibly can,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s excitement to face PSG over the two legs. “Make sure that your energy is balanced. Make sure that you’re understanding what you have to do. It’s time to express yourself out there and enjoy being a footballer and playing in one of the best stages that you can play in world football.”

New sporting director Andrea Berta, meanwhile, is working to prepare for his first summer transfer window in his new role.

Reports suggest Arsenal are looking to strengthen Arteta’s squad across the board, and could spend as much as £300 million doing so (GiveMeSport). One of their key transfer plans for the summer is signing a star new central midfield player, despite Arsenal recently opening talks with Thomas Partey over a contract extension.

Arsenal tell Real Madrid they've "practically finalised" Zubimendi deal

According to Cadena SER, Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, who’s been targeted for a pre-summer deal since January (The Mail), is very nearly through the door.

Multiple reports last week, including from both David Ornstein and Marca reporter Juan Castro, indicated that there is real belief at Arsenal that they’re on the verge of sealing a deal for Zubimendi, with Cadena making another interesting claim.

The outlet shares news of Arsenal informing Real Madrid’s board that their signing of Zubmendi is “practically finalised”, with the Whites told that they may have to look elsewhere in pursuit of a new midfielder.

Premier League sides are apparently threatening to scupper their summer plans, with Chelsea also viewed as Real’s main competitors for Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, while it is believed Los Blancos may not have the financial firepower to compete with England’s elite.

It seems as if Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause will be triggered by Arsenal, and a wide array of media sources, including Cadena, suggest the Spain international will be Berta’s first major signing as director.

The “world-class” technician, as he was called by Kieran Tierney, has also been described as the “perfect” midfielder for Arsenal (Fabrizio Romano).

While they need points now, and are still involved in the FA Cup of course, Manchester City are starting to look to the future.

In the January transfer window, the Sky Blues invested heavily, recruiting youngsters Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Nico González and Juma Bah.

However, they already had plenty of young talent on their books, and one highly rated centre-forward deserves more of an opportunity amid an injury to Erling Haaland.

The latest on Erling Haaland's injury

As outlined by Jamie Braidwood of the Independent, Haaland suffered a rather nasty ankle injury during the FA Cup victory over Bournemouth a fortnight ago, stating that the Norwegian’s ‘left foot was caught under the challenge of Lewis Cook’.

Pep Guardiola later confirmed that Haaland will be sidelined for ‘five to seven weeks’, which would see him face a race against time to be fit for the FA Cup final, if Man City overcome Nottingham Forest in the semis in his absence.

Although, of course, Man City’s season does not finish there, with the Club World Cup commencing in June, set to face Wydad Casablanca, Al Ain and Juventus in the group stages.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nevertheless, in the meantime, the Citizens’ attack currently has a gigantic Haaland-shaped void that requires filling, both literally and metaphorically, albeit his deputy isn’t doing too badly.

Omar Marmoush's impact at Man City

After scoring 20 goals in 26 appearances during the first half of this season with Eintracht Frankfurt, Man City swooped in and signed Omar Marmoush for a reported fee of £63m in January, and his start to life at the Etihad has been impressive.

The Egyptian striker lashed home the Citizens’ equaliser during Saturday’s comeback victory over Crystal Palace, taking his tally to seven goals in sky blue already, six of which have come in the Premier League, all of those scored at the Etihad.

Marmoush’s hat-trick against Newcastle in February, timed at 13 minutes and 54 seconds, is the fourth-fastest by a Man City player in the Premier League, behind Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tevez and Raheem Sterling, according to Opta’s the Analyst.

Prior to his arrival, Ben McAleer of the Guardian believed Marmoush would be the ‘ideal addition’ for Guardiola’s team to make in January, and he’s certainly been proved right so far, but do Man City have another centre-forward champing at the bit, desperate to be given an opportunity?

Man City's highly-rated forgotten forward could replace Haaland

Last summer was largely a transfer window of inactivity at the Etihad, but they did snap up striker Divin Mubama from West Ham United, paying a reported compensation fee of £2m.

This could prove to be an absolute bargain, considering analyst Ben Mattinson is impressed by Mubama’s “obvious quality”, hailing him as a “serious player”, while Man City’s club correspondent Holly Percival praises his ‘relentless running, power, strength and impressive link-up play’.

So, who is Mubama?

Well, he joined West Ham United as a nine-year-old, most notably helping the Irons win the FA Youth Cup in 2023, scoring a hat-trick during the semi-final victory over Southampton, also bagging his first senior goal for the club during a 4-0 Europa Conference League victory over AEK Larnaca.

However, last summer, he decided to swap East London for East Manchester, so let’s assess his career statistics so far.

As you may have noticed in the table, Mubama has scored for Man City’s first team this season, on target less than 20 minutes into his debut as the Sky Blues’ crushed Salford 8-0 in the FA Cup in January.

However, as also outlined in the table, Mubama has only been given one opportunity since then, despite being on fire at Premier League 2 level, scoring eight goals in eight games, thereby averaging a goal every 80 minutes.

Thus, Guardiola is going to have to give the 20-year-old some more opportunities, or he’ll surely seek more regular minutes elsewhere and while Haaland is sidelined, what better time to do it?

100 touches, 95% passing: Man City star is now as undroppable as Marmoush

Man City’s winter signings made the difference against Crystal Palace.

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 13, 2025

His assault on a tricky pitch even wowed du Plessis who is often the one wowing others

Sidharth Monga24-Mar-2025

Ashutosh Sharma hit the winning six as DC won by one wicket•Associated Press

Faf du Plessis doesn’t feel awe easily. He has seen cricket all over the world, in all kinds of formats, for all kinds of teams. At 40, he is more used to leaving people in awe of his shredded body and ability to slug it out with the best of T20 players. But even his “old brain” was left in awe of Ashutosh Sharma’s hitting on a pitch that was not easy to bat on.Unprompted, du Plessis made it a point to mention during a sideline interview: “Just as an overseas player, one thing that’s remarkable for me to watch is the amount of Indian players that are so powerful and they’ve got the ability to just strike the ball so easy. You know, it wasn’t an easy pitch [to bat on]. There was a lot going on, but the two boys at the back end there, just the way they came in and just effortlessly hit boundaries. Unbelievable.”There will be another day for Vipraj Nigam, this night belonged to the “other boy”, Ashutosh. The Railways batter had a bittersweet season with Punjab Kings (PBKS) last year. He faced only 103 balls for 189 runs to regularly bring PBKS back from the brink, but kept either falling just short or not seeing the chase through himself.Related

• 'There was no sign of panic' – Ashutosh's composure under pressure stands out

• Ashutosh stuns LSG as DC complete one-wicket heist

• Du Plessis after DC's win: This is why Impact Player is there

• Pant after LSG's defeat: 'Think we had enough on the board'

As he got his new team, Delhi Capitals (DC), closer and closer against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday night, you wondered if those memories played on his mind. Of the time he took Kings from 150 for 6 to the threshold of the target of 200 set by Gujarat Titans, brought it down to the inexperienced Darshan Nalkande in the last over, but holed out to long-on and watched the victory from the dugout. Or the time his daring comeback ended two short of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 182. Or, indeed, his 61 off 28 against Mumbai Indians from 77 for 6, when he fell in the 18th over and had to watch an agonising defeat.That last year might or might not have played in his head during this chase, but it did between the two seasons. “I learnt a lot from the last year,” Ashutosh said. “Last year I brought the team close in two-three matches but left the job unfinished in the end. The whole year I focused on that. I visualised how I am finishing matches. Even in domestic cricket, I focused on finishing games. That’s why I was able to finish on such a big stage.”I have a lot of belief in myself. That if I play till the last ball, anything can happen. Stay calm. Bring it down to a few balls. Stay clear with what shot you can play. Play only those shots you have practiced in the nets.”That belief was perhaps best apparent in the way he tried to steal a single when Kuldeep Yadav was on strike. There was this inherent belief that only he was the man to do it, and he charged his runs perfectly: not before the ball left the bowler’s hand, but he was halfway up the pitch by the time the ball reached Kuldeep. One such dash even cost them a wicket (of Kuldeep), but that didn’t faze Ashutosh. If the bowler was going to err, Ashutosh was going to send the ball out of the ground.1:07

What did Ashutosh Sharma do right?

The hitting was so clean he barely looked up, let alone run, just in case the ball doesn’t go past the boundary. As du Plessis said, this was not a flat deck by any means. Sample the ball that got Tristan Stubbs out, drifting into leg, turning to hit the pad and then the wicket. Or indeed the one in the last over that nearly spun past No. 11 Mohit Sharma and also dragged him out of his crease. A deflection off the pad saved him from getting stumped and gave Ashutosh another shot at a first successful heist in the IPL.During those two balls at the non-striker’s end, Ashutosh displayed the remarkable quality you need in cricket: care like hell but play like you couldn’t care less. “I was confident,” Ashutosh said of the time spent at the non-striker’s in the last over. “It is part of the game, but it was not part of my batting. I was very normal. ‘If he will take a single, I will hit a six’.”Hit a six he did. Sometimes you just need that bit of extra luck to push you over the line, but there is no substitute for bringing yourself into that situation again and again.

Getting the chance to bat up the order has unlocked new dimensions to his game

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-20231:54

‘Great captaincy’ – Steyn impressed with Shakib’s bowling changes

Mehidy Hasan Miraz imparts adequate air on the ball to lure a desperate Hashmatullah Shahidi out of his crease. The slightly slower delivery dips on the Afghanistan captain, and the seam grips on the Dharamsala pitch. Shahidi, on 18 off 37, commits himself to the charge. He attempts a hit down the ground but it turns into a fatal hoick. Towhid Hridoy takes the catch at mid-on. Like he often does in home Tests, Mehidy set up the left-hander smartly with a series of dot balls.It was just the breakthrough Bangladesh needed at that stage. And as Afghanistan fell from 112 for 2 to 158 all out, Mehidy helped himself to two more wickets. At this point, normally, a frontline spinner would take off his boots, pull up a chair, and wait for the batters to finish the simple chase. Mehidy went to bat at No. 3, instead.Bangladesh know that Shakib Al Hasan is their leading cricketer. He has been the top-ranked allrounder in one format or other for a stretch of time that goes as far back as 2009. He was among the wickets on Saturday too. His class endures but it looks like he’s finally got some competition.Mehidy doesn’t think he is the next Shakib. That is actually the source of all his confidence. He doesn’t bring himself down by comparing himself to one of the game’s greats. He just does his thing. Since his international debut against England in 2016, whenever Mehidy has been asked to step up, he has stepped up. That confidence has now spread into his batting. The only thing is, nobody is sure where he will bat next.Mehidy, who was Player of the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, struck his first fifty in a senior World Cup match today and took his first Player-of-the-Match award in this tournament. He has produced some great performances since December last year, not least those two great wins over India. Mehidy continued that run of form with the bat and never lost what he had with the ball. It seems as if the more responsibility he has on his shoulders, the better he plays.Mehidy Hasan Miraz struck his first World Cup fifty against Afghanistan•ICC via Getty ImagesAfghanistan, twice now, have borne the brunt of Mehidy’s great form. He struck a century, his first in ODIs, as an opener in the Asia Cup. At the World Cup, he hurt them a little with the ball and a little with the bat.”I have worked really hard on my batting,” Mehidy said, after scoring 57 off 73 balls in Bangladesh’s six-wicket victory. “I have thought long and hard about it, how I can improve my batting. I prepared myself really well. The team also gave me a lot of opportunities up the order. It is a big deal for me. But we didn’t think about the result, we wanted to get the process right. Result comes at the end of the day, so we didn’t put focus on that. We didn’t want to forget about the main job. We got our result because our bowlers came back into the game superbly.”Mehidy said that any time the team management gives him a batting position higher than his usual No. 8 spot, it is on him to take advantage of it. “Every cricketer has to adjust to different situations and he/she knows that they have to adjust to achieve something big. I have batted at No. 8 for a long time, but there was never a lot of opportunities in that position. At times there isn’t enough balls left in the innings.”I want to give my 100% in every position,” he said. “I prepared myself mentally for these adjustments. Every position presents a different situation. I don’t think too much about it when the opportunity comes in front of me. If you think simply, it is better to bat anywhere above No. 8. The team gets help if I play well. I face some problems but I don’t focus too much about it. I have to perform well for the team, that’s the most important thing. This win has made everyone, including the team and the country, very happy.”Through all the added focus he has put into his batting, Mehidy has never allowed his bowling standards to drop. On Saturday when he started poorly, his captain came over and revved him up a bit.”I gave nine runs in the first over,” Mehidy said. “I didn’t bowl well. I was nervous. I was cautious in my mind. During the drinks break, Shakib reminded me that there won’t be success if I bowl with a negative mindset. I should be very positive. If they hit you, its ok. But they should charge at you, they have to hit your good balls. I prepared myself mentally again, and I thought how I should bowl in good areas. These small things make a lot of difference.”Mehidy was surprised that the Dharamsala pitch aided the Bangladesh spinners and once they saw that was the case, they settled into old rhythms. “When the pacers weren’t doing well at the top,” he said, “it put the spinners under pressure. Shakib got two wickets, which boosted the team. We started bowling well from both ends. The pacers came back well. We didn’t expect such a wicket in Dharamsala, but we found there was turn in our first two or three overs. The ball stopped a bit. We share the pitch information quickly with the captain and the bowlers, how to bowl in this wicket. We had great communication throughout the game.”

The tournament begins on July 31 at seven venues across the USA

Peter Della Penna30-Jul-2021After initial launch plans were disrupted by the pandemic last summer, the 27-team Minor League Cricket (MiLC) T20 franchise tournament is set to kick off on July 31 at seven different venues across the United States of America. The tournament is meant to act as a feeder into the higher-profile six-team Major League Cricket (MLC) T20 franchise league which is designated for launch in 2023. That is the tournament USA Cricket wants to be on par with Full-Member-run T20 leagues around the world. Here is a rundown of how the MiLC will play out.Who’s playing?
American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), USA Cricket’s commercial partner, has already signed more than a dozen overseas players to three-year contracts with an eye on having them as anchor players for the six-team MLC, as well as putting them on the ICC residency qualification pathway to potential USA selection.These players are also available to feature for MiLC franchises and include Sami Aslam (ex-Pakistan, Golden State Grizzlies), Corey Anderson (ex-New Zealand, Irving Mustangs), Smit Patel (ex-India U-19, Manhattan Yorkers), Shehan Jayasuriya (ex-Sri Lanka, Silicon Valley Strikers), Dane Piedt (ex-South Africa, DC Hawks), Justin Dill (ex-South Africa U-19, New Jersey Stallions) and Corne Dry (ex-South Africa U-19, Atlanta Fire). Aside from these names, numerous West Indian players have also been signed as Wildcard overseas players, including Rahkeem Cornwall (Atlanta Fire).Related

USA's MLC T20 tournament pushed back to 2023 at AGM

USA Cricket stepping up foreign recruitment to live up to ODI status

New York, Boston, Chicago, LA among 22 targeted launch cities for USA T20 competition

The teams were put together at a draft that took place earlier this year with squads of 16 to 18 players. According to league rules, there is a mandatory policy to include at least one U-19 and one U-21 player in each starting XI to promote development. There is also a shift to play as many matches as possible on natural turf wickets, which in the past has been one of the biggest hurdles for players attempting to transition from club cricket to international tournaments. MiLC’s first season will feature at least 11 venues using turf wickets with more planned for 2022.What are they playing for?
MiLC will feature an USD 250,000 prize pool, the largest for any tournament organised in the USA. The tournament champions will receive half of that and the runners-up USD 30,000 while the Division Champions who do not reach the final will receive USD 15,000.More than 100 matches will be livestreamed on YouTube throughout the tournament, offering more visibility to players both locally and internationally.ESPNcricinfo LtdSplit across four divisions on a regional basis
The 27 teams have been split into two conferences (Atlantic and Pacific) with two divisions (Eastern and Southern; Central and Western) in each conference. Because of the odd number of teams the schedule is slightly unbalanced. Both Pacific Conference divisions have seven teams and each will play a 15-match league slate of home and away fixtures against the other six teams within their division plus three matches against teams in the other division within their conference.The Southern Division holds six teams and will play a 14-match schedule consisting of home and away fixtures within the division plus four crossover matches with the Eastern Division. Meanwhile, the seven Eastern Division teams will play a 16-match schedule featuring home and away fixtures within the division plus four matches against teams in the Southern Division. The league phase runs from July 31 to September 19 with matches played on weekends to ensure player availability in a competition featuring both professionals and amateurs. In some instances, teams will be playing a morning-and-afternoon double-header on the same day.Eight-team playoffs
Playoffs qualification will be determined on a divisional basis. The top two in each division advance to the playoffs where the division winner will play the second-place team from the opposite division in their conference (i.e. Western Division champion vs Southern Division runners-up) on September 25 and 26 in a best-of-three round. The winner of each quarter-final will advance to the championship weekend on October 2 and 3 at Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina.That weekend will be a straight knockout. The two teams advancing from the conference semi-finals (i.e. Western Division champion vs Southern Division champion) will play each other in a national semi-final on October 2 before the conference champions square off in the tournament final on October 3.