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Chelsea are now “crazy” about signing RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, but they will have to do battle for his signature with one of their Premier League rivals.

Courtesy of a 2-0 victory against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, the Blues have now moved up to second in the Premier League table, but Gary Neville believes they are still some way off being genuine contenders for the title.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “They’ve got a lot of young players, spent a fortune, it’s probably not happening as quickly as they want,(and) I don’t think they’re anywhere near a team that can win the league to be honest. When I look at them, they look well short in a number of areas.”

As pointed out by Neville, the Blues have relied on youngsters a lot in the BlueCo era, breaking the record for the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League last season.

However, the west Londoners are yet to alter their recruitment policy, and they have now joined the race for another young midfielder.

Chelsea "crazy" about signing Assan Ouedraogo

In a new update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, it has been revealed that Chelsea are one of the Premier League clubs “crazy” about signing RB Leipzig midfielder Ouedraogo, alongside Man United.

Both English sides are now scouting the 19-year-old, who remains under contract at the Bundesliga club until 2029, and his main ambition is to secure a place in Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad.

The central midfielder remains under contract until 2029, and there is no release clause, meaning it is unclear how much the Blues will have to pay for the youngster, who is being targeted for next summer.

The German starlet may stand a chance of going to the World Cup next year, considering he impressed on his debut for his country, scoring in a 6-0 victory against Slovakia in the recent international break.

Not only that, but the Leipzig star would be a versatile option for Julian Nagelsmann, given that he is capable of playing in five positions, namely on both wings, central midfield, attacking midfield and even centre-forward.

The former Schalke man is off to an impressive start to the season in the Bundesliga, chipping in with three goals and three assists in 11 outings, and he has performed very well on some key attacking metrics over the past year.

Assan Ouedraogo’s key statistics (past year)

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.48 (99th percentile)

Assists

0.48 (99th percentile)

Progressive carries

2.58 (94th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.77 (99th percentile)

As such, Ouedraogo could be an excellent addition for Chelsea next summer, and they should continue to monitor his development between now and the end of the season.

Chelsea also targeting one of the Premier League's "best" midfielders The new Caicedo: Chelsea want to sign "one of the best CMs in the league"

Chelsea are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a Premier League star who is valued at up to £120m.

ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

da betsson： Wilfried Nancy will manage his first match in charge of Celtic this afternoon as Hearts come to Parkhead in a top-of-the-table clash in the Scottish Premiership.

da realsbet： It will be interesting to see what tactical changes he has been able to implement after only a few days on the training pitch, as his usual system with his former club is different from the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shape that the Hoops have played this season.

Per FBRef, Nancy played with a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 system in 31 of his 43 matches with Columbus Crew this year in all competitions, often playing with two second strikers or number tens behind a main centre-forward.

If the French boss goes with his favoured 3-4-2-1 system, he could ruthlessly drop Luke McCowan from the team that started against Dundee last time out.

Why Wilfried Nancy should drop Luke McCowan

The Scottish midfielder has started the last two league matches on the right wing in Martin O’Neill’s 4-2-3-1 system, but he has been ineffective in a new role, lacking the dynamism and pace required to be effective in that area of the pitch.

McCowan, who has not scored since the opening day of the season, did not score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team against Hibernian or Dundee as a winger, per Sofascore.

He also completed just two of his five attempted dribbles, per Sofascore, struggling with the explosive turn of pace that is often needed to make things happen on the wing, whilst he also lost seven of his 11 duels in total across both matches.

These statistics suggest that McCowan should be dropped irrespective of a change in formation, but a change in shape to a 3-4-2-1 would allow Nancy to ditch the Scotsman by unleashing Johnny Kenny in a new role.

The new role that Johnny Kenny could play for Celtic

It has been a rollercoaster couple of months for the Ireland international, who went from rarely playing under Brendan Rodgers to scoring four goals in O’Neill’s first four games, to now being on the bench behind Daizen Maeda.

Kenny has been an unused substitute in the last three matches, which means that he has still scored four goals in his last five appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and Nancy could bring him back into the fold as an attacking midfielder or second striker.

The two roles behind the striker in a 3-4-2-1 system are unique because it can be a very fluid front three with a lot of movement, and that could suit both Kenny and Maeda, the former of whom has been praised for his “top-drawer” mentality by his former Sligo Rovers coach Conor O’Grady.

Celtic’s Irish striker has shown that he can score goals for the club, with his four-goal burst under O’Neill, but Nancy’s job is to find the best way to fit him into the system to get the best out of him.

Per Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old star has never played as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder in his career to date. It is a role that could suit him quite nicely, though.

How Celtic could line up in a 3-4-2-1

Position

Player

GK

Kasper Schmeichel

CB

Dane Murray

CB

Auston Trusty

CB

Liam Scales

RWB

Colby Donovan

CM

Callum McGregor

CM

Reo Hatate

LWB

Kieran Tierney

AM

Hyun-jun Yang

AM

Johnny Kenny

ST

Daizen Maeda

As you can see in the XI above, Kenny could play as one of two players behind Maeda, who is a relentless pressing forward who can also play deeper or out wide, and could rotate across all three positions.

This fluidity could suit the Irishman because of his mobility and desire to run beyond the last line to create chances for himself, without being the focal point who has to bring physicality and hold up play, because it will be Maeda in that position.

Of course, it is hard to judge how the system will look until Nancy has had a few games to test things out and more time on the training pitch to coach the players, but Kenny seems like a player who could benefit from a 3-4-2-1 formation.

That change in shape, whilst helping the striker, would also allow the manager to drop an underperforming player, McCowan, from the starting line-up to provide the young forward with a chance to shine in a brand-new role in his career.

Related Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

يحاول مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، في الساعات الأخيرة، الوصول لحل ودي مع البولندي كونراد ميشالاك، للرحيل عن صفوف فريق الكرة الأول.

ومن المقرر أن يغلق باب القيد في الانتقالات الشتوية اليوم، حيث يسعى مجلس الزمالك لرحيل اللاعب بسبب عدم الحاجة إلى خدماته.

طالع.. “معجب بـ3 لاعبين”.. أول تعليق من صلاح مصدق بعد انضمامه إلى الزمالك

وانضم ميشالاك إلى صفوف الزمالك، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، على سبيل الإعارة قادمًا من نادي أحد السعودي.

وأوضح مصدر خاص لـ بطولات، أن ميشالاك متمسك بالحصول على مستحقاته كاملة والتي تتجاوز 700 ألف دولار من نادي الزمالك.

وأكد أن اللاعب يرفض الرحيل عن صفوف الزمالك وإنهاء التعاقد حتى يحصل على المستحقات كاملة رافضًا أي حلول أخرى، وهدد باللجوء إلى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم فيفا، بسبب مستحقاته المتأخرة.

يذكر أن الزمالك أعلن عن 3 صفقات حتى الآن وهم محمود جهاد وأحمد حسام والمغربي صلاح مصدق، بجانب إعلان نادي الاتحاد المنستيري انتقال لاعبه أحمد الجفالي إلى صفوف القلعة البيضاء.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup is finally over! After what seemed like an eternity, the real business finally got underway in Friday's ceremony in Washington DC, with Rio Ferdinand leading the way and sporting icons such as Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal and Wayne Gretzky teaming up to throw up some intriguing groups for next summer's tournament in North America.

Reigning champions Argentina are in with Austria, Algeria and Jordan, while 2022 runners-up France have been placed in the closest thing to a 'Group of Death' alongside Senegal and Norway. As for England, they were paired with Croatia, Panama and Ghana, while things went reasonably well for all three of the co-hosts – United States, Mexico and Canada, although the Canucks may well be hoping that Italy don’t belatedly qualify via the European play-offs.  

So, who were the big winners of the draw? Whose hopes of winning the tournament have been boosted? And which nations will be fearing an humiliating first-round exit? And GOAL breaks it all down below…

• AFP
  

  WINNER: The USMNT

  Things are suddenly looking up for U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine came in for plenty of stick during a trying start to his tenure that featured some desperately disappointing defeats and very worrying signs of a strained relationship with 'Captain America' Christian Pulisic. However, after a run of five games without defeat, including a 5-1 demolition of Uruguay achieved without some of his most talented players, Pochettino will now be very confident of avoiding an early exit at next summer's World Cup.

  Truth be told, there's absolutely no reason why the co-hosts can't progress as winners of Group D because the draw couldn't have gone much better for them: Australia were among the weakest sides in Pot Two, Paraguay finished sixth in CONMEBOL and, like the Socceroos, struggle to score goals; while Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo was the weakest of the UEFA play-off brackets.

  All things considered, a first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 2002 is a distinct possibility for the Americans if Pochettino can maintain the momentum he's built up in recent months.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: France

  As one of the seeded sides in a 48-team World Cup, Dider Deschamps' France would have been forgiven for anticipating a rather straightforward group-stage assignment. What they've received, though, is a very early and very tricky test of their credentials.

  In Norway, Les Bleus drew the team that absolutely nobody wanted from Pot Three, meaning the French are definitely going to have a fight on their hands for top spot in Group I – and not just because they'll have to figure out a way to stop Erling Haaland.

  The 2022 runners-up have also been landed in the same pool as Senegal, who are ranked 19th in the world and showed just how dangerous they are by dismantling England in a friendly at the City Ground earlier this year. It's also worth noting that The Lions of Teranga upset France at in the opening round of games at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan 23 years ago. If history were to repeat itself in the U.S. next summer, France would actually be at risk of suffering another humiliatingly early exit.

• AFP
  

  WINNER: The surviving members of Belgium's Golden Generation

  A bit like Kevin De Bruyne all the way back in 2022, we'd pretty much given up on Belgium's 'Golden Generation' ever realising their potential. However, all hope is not yet lost. While several stars retired after the Red Devils' calamitous campaign in Qatar, De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel and Thibaut Courtois are still knocking about and, fitness-permitting, all four will feature at next summer's tournament in North America.

  Granted, the Belgians performed pretty poorly in qualifying. As winger Jeremy Doku admitted, the majority of their displays were sub-standard and we're not going to suddenly tout them as potential World Cup winners.

  However, Rudi Garcia's squad does not lack quality or experience, and should (in theory, at least) cruise through a group containing Iran, Egypt and New Zealand, with only The Pharaohs looking remotely capable of challenging them for top spot.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Scotland

  When Scotland last appeared at the World Cup, in 1998, they were drawn in the same group as Brazil, Morocco and Norway. This time around, they've managed to avoid the Scandinavians, but having to once again tackle the Selecao and The Atlas Lions means the Scots could well struggle to reach the round of 32.

  Brazil may not be the force they once were, but they're still the record five-time champions and results have certainly picked up since Carlo Ancelotti took over during the summer. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if the former Real Madrid boss were to coax the best out of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo next summer.

  As for Morocco, they're once again Africa's best hope of finally winning the World Cup. They finished fourth in 2022 and are presently on a 19-match unbeaten run.

  Bottom line: Scotland might need to produce the kind of heroics they pulled out of the bag in their dramatic and decisive qualifying win over Denmark just to make the knockout stage. And who knows, with the support of the travelling Tartan Army, maybe it's not beyond the realms of possibility?!

Rahul Chahar likely to be replacement, while status of Rahul Tewatia – who had also failed fitness tests – is unclear

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Mar-2021Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy is set to miss India’s five-match T20I series against England that will take place from March 12 to 20. Chakravarthy is understood to have failed to clear the mandatory fitness tests set by the BCCI. It is likely that the selectors will draft in Rahul Chahar as a replacement, with the legspinner having already been named as one of the net bowlers for the series.Related

• Kohli says 'no space for compromise' when it comes to fitness levels

• New fitness target for Indian players: yo-yo level raised to 17:1, time trial 2k run

• Suryakumar, Tewatia, Kishan called up to India T20 squad

• Doubts over Natarajan's availability for England T20Is

Meanwhile, Rahul Tewatia is currently training with the national squad in Ahmedabad. Tewatia, who received his maiden national call-up for the series, had also failed in his initial fitness test. It is not yet clear whether Tewatia – picked as a bowling allrounder after his exploits for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020 – will get another chance to clear his fitness test or be asked to continue as a net bowler only.For Chakravarthy, 29, it’s the second time he’ll be missing out on an opportunity for a potential India debut, having been initially picked in the T20I squad for the tour of Australia, but ruled out due to a shoulder injury then. Chakravarthy was picked on the back of his IPL 2020 performances, where he emerged as one of the standout uncapped Indian players. However, the shoulder injury meant Chakravarthy never even travelled to Australia, which allowed T Natarajan to make his international debut.Chakravarthy had a lengthy rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, following which the selectors picked him for the England T20Is – subject to everyone being picked clearing their fitness tests, whose targets the BCCI had revised recently.It is understood that to be part of India’s limited-overs squads, clearing the fitness tests is a key selection criteria imposed by the BCCI at the behest of the team management and the selectors. In the new fitness standards, players have the choice to either clear the yo-yo test, whose level has been increased to 17:1, or run two kilometres in 8.15 minutes (for bowlers) and 8.30 minutes (for the rest).It could not be confirmed which of the tests both Chakravarthy and Tewatia had failed to clear. While Tewatia travelled to Ahmedabad from Jaipur after representing Haryana in the league phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (the domestic 50-overs competition), Chakravarthy’s whereabouts could not be ascertained.As for Chahar, this will be the second time he will part of the T20I squad after he made his debut in the Caribbean, where he played one T20I and picked up 1 for 27.

The offspinner will start his season by captaining New South Wales for the first time in what will just be the second occasion he has led in his first-class career

Andrew McGlashan01-Oct-20250:52

What Will Jacks offers the England Ashes squad

Nathan Lyon has endorsed the value of always playing a spinner in Australian conditions amid a growing sense that England may opt to go without a frontline option at stages during the upcoming Ashes.While it falls into the category of unsurprising assessments from Lyon, as he himself remarked, it will nevertheless provide one of the interesting dynamics in the build-up to the first Test next month when England ponder the balance of their side having selected allrounder Will Jacks, who last played Test cricket in 2022, as the back-up to offspinner Shoaib Bashir.”You’re asking the spinner if they want to pick a spinner,” Lyon said with a smile. “For me, yeah, you’re picking a spinner in every side. Variation, it changes the whole tempo of the game. I think spinners can play a very effective role out here if their skill sets suit.”Related

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One of the factors England will be considering is how visiting spinners have so often struggled in Australia: since Lyon’s debut, those from overseas have averaged 62.09 compared to Lyon’s 31.08. However, the last time England were successful down under, in 2010-11, Graeme Swann played a vital role in a four-man attack”I grew up here. I understand and built my craft around playing on wickets that don’t spin,” Lyon said. “So, I’ve had to find a way to firstly survive but also create chances and build pressure along the way, and it’s something that I thoroughly enjoy doing, and I’ll keep doing that.”There is a little twist to Lyon’s current situation, though, in that he was left out of Australia’s most recent Test in Jamaica when they opted for an all-pace attack in the day-night encounter with a pink Dukes ball. They finished the game by skittling West Indies for 27 with Lyon’s replacement, Scott Boland, taking a hat-trick.It is a scenario highly unlikely to play out in Australia, as the selectors have already indicated, and while Lyon acknowledges the end result justified the move, he was adamant he could have played a role.”Disappointed that I wasn’t a part of that, but I understood the reasons behind it and at the end of the day, you look at it now, it’s a pretty good call and brave call,” Lyon said. “But if I’m going to miss a Test for anyone, it’s going to be Scott Boland, that’s for sure. I’m only disappointed because I believe my skill set can play a role in any conditions around the world and I kind of feel like I’ve proven that to be effective.”Nathan Lyon will start his season as New South Wales captain•Getty ImagesLyon, who sits on 562 Test wickets, one short of equaling Glenn McGrath’s haul as the second-most for Australia, will begin his Ashes preparations by captaining New South Wales for the first time against Western Australia in Perth having been named as Jack Edwards’ understudy while the allrounder is with Australia A in India. It is one of three Shield appearances Lyon expects to make before the first Test.It will be just the second first-class match Lyon has ever captained in, having previously done it once in the Sheffield Shield for South Australia in 2012, while he also captained a Prime Minister’s XI against England in 2018.”It’s a massive honour to captain the state that you were born in and obviously dreamt of playing cricket for,” he said. “So to get that call the other day was pretty humbling. I’ve never had any ambitions to captain any teams, especially professional teams. But Greg Mail [NSW chief performance officer] has come up to me and asked me whether I’d do it, and that he wanted me to do it… so it’s a short stint but I’m pretty happy with that.”

“He’s learning the craft, as we’re all learning. Some of us are a lot further on in our journey as professional cricketers, but they’re learning their craft. Not just him, but everyone around Australia. They’ve got to learn their style and be brave enough to back that and have faith in it”Nathan Lyon on Sam Konstas

Alongside Edwards, New South Wales are missing six other potential Shield players between Australia’s T20I side in New Zealand and the A team in India, but the side to face Western Australia will include Sam Konstas as he heads into a vital month in his bid to retain a place in the Test side.Konstas enters the season having scored 188 runs in the two four-day Australia A matches, including a century, but the selectors have long stated that it will be the first three Shield matches that prove key to their decisions.When Lyon was asked what he expected of Konstas over the next few weeks, he said “runs”, but also stressed that he was a player still developing his game.”Obviously he had a pretty successful tour over there [in India], but it’s great to have him back on the Shield side,” Lyon said. “He’s learning the craft, as we’re all learning. Some of us are a lot further on in our journey as professional cricketers, but they’re learning their craft. Not just him, but everyone around Australia. They’ve got to learn their style and be brave enough to back that and have faith in it.”

Trent Rockets women have appointed Chris Read as their new head coach.The former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper and captain has been promoted from his assistant role held under previous incumbent Jon Lewis, who left the Women’s Hundred side at the end of the 2025 campaign after three years in charge.Read is a cult hero at Trent Bridge, having made over 700 appearances in all formats for Nottinghamshire across 19 years, serving as club captain for 10 seasons. He earned 15 Test caps for England, alongside 36 ODI appearances.Rockets will enter the 2026 season under new management following the acquisition of a 49% stake by Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the organisation, with Nottinghamshire retaining a 51% stake.Read’s move into coaching has recently included success as with Lancashire Women, marshalling them to two trophies this year. Last week, he signed a two-year deal to remain as their head coach through to the end of 2027.Read’s coaching staff at Rockets will include another former Nottinghamshire team-mate, Luke Fletcher, as assistant coach.”It’s a deeply proud moment to take on a head coaching role based at the ground that I have a huge number of unbelievably special memories at,” said Read in a statement. “I’ve really enjoyed developing my coaching skillset with the Rockets over the last three summers, and the opportunity to continue that journey is really exciting.”I felt the impact of a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd first-hand over many years, and I know how much their support can change the course of games.”With all the fresh energy and investment into the Hundred, I’m really looking forward to starting the preparation for 2026 and beyond as we bid to deliver success.”Rockets general manager Mick Newell, who coached Read at Nottinghamshire, added: “It’s a real full-circle moment for Chris to return to Trent Bridge to lead Trent Rockets, and we’re delighted to welcome him back.”Having established himself as a true club legend here with years of outstanding service as a player, he has now shown himself to be blossoming into an excellent coach and leader too.”His fantastic start to a coaching career at Lancashire, and his experience from previous years with the Rockets, will stand him in great stead, and we can’t wait to see him in his new role.”Despite boasting a strong group, which includes current England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Rockets have yet to reach the final of the Women’s Hundred. Their best finish came in 2022, losing the Eliminator to Southern Brave.

Latham (69), Mitchell (63), Guptill (57) and Conway (56) make short work of a chase of 302

Associated Press22-Aug-2022Four batters posted half centuries as New Zealand overhauled the West Indies’ total of 301 for 8 to win the third ODI on Sunday by five wickets and clinch the series 2-1.Tom Latham scored 69 and put on 120 for the fourth wicket with Daryl Mitchell (63) in a stand which paced the run chase and carried New Zealand in sight of victory.WI fined for slow over-rate

West Indies have been fined 40% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the final ODI. They were found to be two overs short after time allowances were taken into consideration and, in accordance with the World Cup Super League playing conditions, docked two points from their tally.

Martin Guptill (57) and Devon Conway (56) had earlier combined to add 82 runs for the second wicket to give New Zealand a platform for a demanding chase.Mitchell was out with the score on 248 in the 42nd over and Latham at 259 in the 44th, with New Zealand still requiring 43 runs. Jimmy Neesham settled the issue with a decisive innings of 34 from 11 deliveries, taking 18 runs from the 45th over bowled by Yannic Cariah.Neesham hit a six from the bowling of West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran to end the chase with 17 balls remaining.”It was obviously nice to make a contribution,” Latham said. “I think the partnership that Daryl and I were able to make put them under pressure. We set a target of getting to that 40-over mark where we needed a run a ball.”Kyle Mayers acknowledges his second ODI hundred•AFP/Getty ImagesLatham appeared to have erred when he chose to bowl first and as the West Indies flourished in good batting conditions.Kyle Mayers made 105 in a 173-run opening partnership with Shai Hope, and Pooran smashed nine sixes in a rapid 91 for the West Indies.The pitch proved much better for batting than those on which the West Indies won the first match by five wickets and New Zealand won the second by 50 runs. The highest previous total in the series was New Zealand’s 212 in the second match.Mayers and Hope stayed together for almost 35 overs to shape the West Indies innings. Their partnership ended when Hope was out for 51 off 100 balls and, as often happens with large partnerships, Mayers was out two balls later and without addition to the total. Brandon King fell soon afterwards with the score at 181 for 3 in a sudden reversal for the West Indies.But Pooran picked up the pace again, posting a half-century from 33 balls. He had hit nine sixes and and four fours from 55 balls when he was out in the 49th over.Mayers and Hope made a cautious start to the innings as they found the pace of the new pitch, crawling to 24 after 10 overs, negotiating a short rain break in the seventh over.”I took my time in the powerplay and it gave me the chance to get in. The last two games I got out in the powerplay,” Mayers said in a television interview. “It’s not every day you bat the powerplay for 20 runs but it worked out well in the end.”

Big picture: Nothing to separate the two teams

West Indies are wary of the Dhaka pitch, and Bangladesh are trying to get out of their ODI funk as they face each other in the first ODI on Saturday. Ranking points are up for grabs with both teams setting their sights on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. And there’s little to separate them historically – they have won six bilateral ODI series each over the years.Bangladesh have to sort out a batting puzzle. Soumya Sarkar’s inclusion means Tanzid Hasan will likely have to stay on the bench. Saif Hassan is an automatic choice, though he needs to strengthen his position with a big innings. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s form is still a concern, though he is getting a longer rope than some others have got over the years.Related

• 'Assess, decide and deliver' – West Indies embrace the unknown in Dhaka

• Keacy Carty took the stairs, not the elevator, but he's not complaining

• Patience running thin amid Bangladesh's batting gloom

Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan also weren’t among the runs against Afghanistan. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has scored runs but his strike rate has come under fire in the last two ODI series. The national selectors have added Mahidul Islam to the mix, while Shamim Hossain is another middle-order option.Bangladesh’s only plus point is their bowling. The fast bowlers have been rotated smoothly, and have done well in most conditions. Spinners Rishad Hossain and Tanvir Islam have also been in control of proceedings for the most part. They will be licking their lips with the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch in front of them.It will be the same for Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase, the spin twins who have brought West Indies some success in recent times. They have Shai Hope and Chase for batting experience in Bangladeshi conditions, while the likes of Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze and Amir Jangoo will combine to provide the rest of the batting firepower.Jayden Seales will have good memories from the last time he played against Bangladesh, at the end of 2024. Seales was in great form against Pakistan in West Indies’ last ODI series, picking up six wickets in the third ODI.Tanvir Islam is one of the few undroppable players in the Bangladesh team•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLW
West Indies WWLLL

In the spotlight: Tanvir Islam and Keacy CartyTanvir Islam was one of Bangladesh’s rare consistent performers in the Afghanistan series. He took just four wickets but produced good spells in all three matches. His magic delivery to Azmatullah Omarzai in the third game highlighted his improved quality as a left-arm spinner. He is also one of the few automatic choices in the current ODI setup.It’s early days, but Keacy Carty has provided West Indies with stability at No 3. He averages more than 50 with 1100-plus runs at the position. Carty has the shots to keep him finding the boundary regularly, but also has the percentage game. Centuries in Ireland and England are evidence that he can play in different conditions.Alick Athanaze should replace Evin Lewis in the West Indies XI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: Soumya, Mahidul could enter XI

Soumya and Mahidul might slot into Bangladesh’s line-up after being called up for the series.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mahidul Islam, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nahid Rana, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Hasan Mahmud.Athanaze is the most likely batter to replace Evin Lewis from West Indies’ last ODI against Pakistan in August. They also have Jangoo, Ackeem Auguste and Khary Pierre as allrounders.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Alick Athanaze, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Gudakesh Motie, 8 Justin Greaves, 9 Romario Shepherd, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.

Pitch and conditions

A sneak peek of the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch the day before the first ODI revealed a dark surface, which strongly suggests slow turn and a bit of low bounce. There is light rain forecast on an otherwise warm day.

Stats and trivia

• Only Hope and Chase from the current West Indies squad have played ODIs in Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh have lost their last five ODI series dating back to November last year. In that time, they have only won two of their 14 matches.

Left-hander belts 53-ball hundred to maintain Yorkshire’s relentless march towards knockouts

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Aug-2025Yorkshire 354 for 7 (Bean 102*, Wharton 84) beat Durham 142 (White 3-24) by 212 runsFinlay Bean broke Yorkshire’s record for their fastest-ever List A century with a 53-ball hundred in a landslide 212-run win over Durham at Scarborough to maintain their relentless march towards the Metro Bank One-Day Cup knockouts.Bean, batting at No. 5, boosted the Group B leaders to a total of 354 for 7 with a destructive innings of 102 not out off 57 balls, with eight fours and six sixes. James Wharton also contributed a dynamic career best 84. In only his second appearance of the competition, Bean’s maiden List A hundred set Yorkshire up for the fifth win in six matches.Durham then crumbled to 142 all out in 36 overs, losing their fourth game in seven to all but end their knockout hopes. This was their heaviest-ever List A defeat by runs margin. New-ball seamer Jack White returned 3 for 24 from eight overs for the hosts.Yorkshire started solidly under an overcast sky on a pitch with pace and bounce, reaching 99 for 2 after 20 overs. Imam-ul-Haq was caught behind pulling at Ben Raine’s seam for 22 – his lowest score in five One-Day Cup matches – and Adam Lyth caught at deep backward square-leg for 37 following a top-edge against former team-mate Will Rhodes.Having reached 123 for 2 after 25 overs, Will Luxton and Wharton looked to accelerate, and did so for a period as they shared 88 in entertaining fashion. Luxton pulled Raine for six over deep backward square-leg and Wharton also pulled with authority en route to a 54-ball fifty.Almost immediately afterwards, Luxton – on 46 – miscued the pace of Sam Conners to midwicket with the score on 169 in the 33rd. But that only served to bring Bean to the crease, and what followed was sensational. He shared a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket with Wharton.Best known as a determined red-ball opener, Bean reached 50 off 33 balls and scored his second fifty off 20. All of his sixes were leg-side as he beat the previous record for Yorkshire’s fastest List A hundred by seven balls. Lyth, on this ground in 2016, reached his hundred in 60 balls in a two-wicket win over Northamptonshire.Wharton fell short of his own maiden List A hundred as the White Rose scored 174 in the last 15 overs.Durham’s chase then got off to a nightmare start at nine for two in the fifth over, which included two wickets for Ben Coad’s seam and the visitors failing to score off the first 22 balls of the innings.Coad bowled Alex Lees for nought and had Emilio Gay caught at second slip but walked off the field immediately after the second wicket with a suspected hamstring injury. Still, it didn’t hamper Yorkshire in the short term – even if it may do in the next month and a bit.Durham’s race was run before it had got going, with them sinking to 32 for four in the 10th over. Matt Milnes had an uppercutting Colin Ackermann caught behind and White forced captain Ollie Robinson to miscue to Bean at point. George Hill and captain Dom Bess then removed Scott Borthwick and Robbie Bowman before Durham reached 50.Rhodes and George Drissell were Durham’s only two batters to reach 20, with 27 and a consolatory List A best 46 respectively. Rhodes was caught at short third off Lyth’s offspin before Drissell skied White to mid-on, leaving the score at 131 for 9. White finished things off by trapping Codi Yusuf lbw.